Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 124-125 - Delayed Information (Third Update)

The orbit of planet Wozed V in the Wozed system.

Wozed Sector.

The Pioneer was a beautiful warship.

Ahsoka watched Anakin pace in front of the observation window, his gloved fingers lightly gliding over every smooth surface of the flagship's bridge, his face unusually undisguised.

Everyone who relies on the Republic's large warships knows that unless Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker is busy causing trouble for the Separatists, he's mostly tinkering with machinery.

Ahsoka tried hard to keep up with his pace.

Remote scanning stations, communication equipment, steering wheels, tactical systems, air conditioning units... and all other equipment to sustain the Pioneer's combat operations.

However, no matter how hard she tried, she could never truly understand her Skywalker master's passion for machinery.

The Jedi Knight seemed completely unaware that someone was watching him, nor did he realize the urgency of the mission.

He simply and leisurely engaged in a silent exchange with the newly commissioned cruiser.

Anakin loved these machines as if they were living, breathing creatures.

He once owned a brand new cruiser.

That was the equipment he was given for his first command mission after being promoted to Jedi.

"Resolute"

The moment Anakin left his first flagship and set foot on the surface of Christopher Sith Crystals for the ground battle, the Separatists launched a venomous attack, inflicting heavy losses on him.

The first time... is always unforgettable.

Ahsoka understands.

The "Resolute" is proof that Anakin truly became a Jedi Knight, carrying more weight than any induction ceremony or cutting off an apprentice's queue.

But he failed to protect it.

"Thinking about something troubling you, Commander?"

Ahsoka's body shuddered first.

Her precognitive abilities are her only Force skill to be proud of, yet Admiral Yularen always manages to get close to her without her noticing.

Yularen took her startled silence as an answer, "Here's some advice, Commander: if even I can read your mind, then you must be completely open with the General."

Ahsoka looked at his Skywalker master.

If the Jedi Knight did sense something, he showed it at all.

"General, is there anything you need me to convey to you?"

"What do you think it could be?" General Yularen looked down at her, raising one eyebrow slightly.

Ahsoka's gaze swept over the quiet, busy scene in the data center, then turned to Hogo Schiff's fleet millions of kilometers away.

The siege of Wozid V has reached a stalemate, with the separatist "Havoc Squadron" stubbornly huddled within the range of Wozid's ground-to-orbital artillery, refusing to come out.

After a brief exchange of fire in Namjorios, their battle group was ordered to hold off the Havoc Squadron.

Meanwhile, Supreme General Lancisis was leading the main force to attack Kolumex.

Ahsoka heard that the other units of the "Opening Fleet" were in a similar situation, with General Obi-Wan leading half of his forces to besiege Simirth in an attempt to control the entire Trielus trade route.

The strategy is simple.

Deploy a small number of elite fleets in key strategic locations to tie down as much of the separatist fleet as possible, thereby weakening their numerical advantage.

As far as she knew, the strategy worked, and the United Sector Fleet even outnumbered the Separatists.

This is definitely an anomaly in terms of statistics.

However, Ahsoka also noted that the "Opening Fleet" was sent to carry out this important but rather tedious mission.

If she had to guess, she believed the Republic's Supreme Command was eager for a major victory in Kolmogoris and didn't want the Jedi commanders to steal the spotlight.

In any case, after completing their diversionary mission, Governor Renau quickly ordered a direct attack on the Wozid system.

But to Ahsoka's secret relief, Hogo Schiff seemed to have learned a lesson from Vijen's failure.

Now, this Moon commander is holding fast to the protective perimeter of the Wozid orbital defenses, not leaving it for a moment.

After witnessing the power of the ground-to-rail artillery in Salvara, Admiral Yularen was unwilling to risk getting close.

Worse still, the "Havoc Squadron" and the Wozed system defense fleet formed a battle formation encircling the planet's hemisphere.

Whenever Jularen tries to find a weakness by maneuvering around it, this formation will move accordingly.

deadlock.

Ahsoka only hoped that the Republic could achieve a swift victory in Kolumex, forcing Hogo Schiff and Wozid to surrender.

The battle over there should be over by now.

Now, Admiral Yularen was about to deliver a message to the General. Ahsoka could only think of two reasons, and a tremor from the Force told her she was right.

“Either we attack Wozid now,” she began, “or…we’ll have to retreat.”

Admiral Yularen crossed his arms over his chest. "Is this Jedi intuition?"

“No, sir—” Ahsoka began, then changed his mind, “Well…maybe a little.”

The general's sharp gaze fell on her. "This may be beyond my comprehension, but don't underestimate yourself, Commander. Understanding your strengths is the key to going further. Come on, let's go and tell the general the message."

Anakin had been waiting for them.

He gave the two of them a tense smile.

Anakin Skywalker is notoriously impatient, especially when that impatience is of his own making.

As the Jedi Commander-in-Chief, theoretically even Admiral Eularen has to listen to him.

Therefore, nothing could stop him from ordering a fierce attack on the enemy positions.

The reality is that they are facing the fighting formation of the separatists, a tactic that Anakin has already failed twice before.

Clearly, Hogo Schiff was well aware of this.

Deep down, Ahsoka secretly hoped that his hesitation was also related to their private confrontation a few weeks ago.

"We have received a communication from the Horg Schiff flagship," the general reported directly.

Ahsoka's heart skipped a beat.

A communication has been received?

Could it be... that he's going to surrender?

Anakin glared at her, and Ahsoka immediately suppressed the thought.

"Listen to what he has to say."

"Connect communications, Lieutenant!" Yularen shouted.

Lieutenant Avre, the ship's chief communications officer, hurriedly saluted and then busied himself at the control panel.

A holographic bust of the Muen commander, Hogo Schiff, popped up instantly in front of the dashboard.

“Good day, General Skywalker,” Commander Muun began, his tone like that of a victor admonishing a defeated general. “You must have already received the news that the Republican Senate has just proposed a ceasefire agreement to the Confederation, and all fighting in the Peremian region will cease immediately. I suggest that we stop here, and you should also comply with your government’s wishes and lift the blockade.”

Anakin turned to Admiral Yularen.

For a moment, Ahsoka felt like an intruder, interrupting their silent exchange.

Anakin let out a soft breath and turned back to face the enemy: "We will begin our withdrawal. From now on, my men will no longer harass ships in your system. I assure you."

“…Allow me to ask, General Skywalker,” Hogo Schiff leaned forward, his long, thin fingers supporting his chin, “do you really believe that the peace your Senate desires can be achieved?”

“No,” Anakin replied quickly and decisively, “it’s impossible with you separatists.”

“You mystics always speak so eloquently,” Schiff chuckled, then cut off the communication.

Anakin's shoulders rose slightly, then slumped back down, letting out a sigh: "So we lost."

"The communication disruption at Kolumex is disturbing, indicating an unusually chaotic situation," Admiral Yularen noted. "But our reconnaissance ships report detecting energy signals from the direction of Kolumex that are urgently warping into nearby star systems, and I'm afraid you're right."

Lost.

The largest fleet in the history of the Republic was defeated by separatists.

“But peace?” Anakin muttered to himself. “I need to speak with the committee about that.”

“I will send the request for instructions immediately,” General Yularen said, turning abruptly and striding toward the operations room.

Anakin followed closely behind.

In the operations room, holographic images of the Jedi Council members were lit up, including Master Keja, who succeeded Master Mundy, Master Corral, who succeeded Master Koth, and more than a dozen frontline Jedi Knights, who were holding an emergency strategic meeting.

Anakin Skywalker, as impatient and willful as ever, shouted as soon as he stepped into the sensor range of the holographic projection table: "I heard about the peace agreement from a separatist commander! What's going on?"

“Anakin…do you have to do this?” Obi-Wan’s voice was filled with obvious helplessness.

"What happened?" Anakin pressed. "We lost. Just how badly did we lose? Headquarters must be regretting not sending the 'Open Ring Fleet' to fight this war."

“Enough, Skywalker,” Master Windu said solemnly. “Master Lancisis has been sacrificed.”

A heavy atmosphere instantly enveloped the entire meeting.

Even Anakin's expression turned serious: "...What's going on?"

How did Opo Lancisis die?
Three committee members were killed in action in the first year of the war?

“According to survivor accounts,” Master Prokone said, “the separatists unveiled a new type of superweapon that destroyed two interstellar dreadnoughts built by Quarter, as well as most of the Allied fleet.”

"And the Senate's response is to seek peace?" Master Evan Peale frowned. "Don't they realize that we are winning? Regardless of the losses, we have captured half of the foundry area, our northern fleet has just liberated Dantoin and Ode Traci, not to mention the progress on the southern front is going very well, and Sir Alex is currently leading his army to Vonda."

(End of this chapter)