Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 129-130 - The Struggle for Rights
Renn had absolutely no interest in these things.

Like many monarchical planets, many of Ondron's important positions, especially the lucrative position of Galactic Councilor, are inherited through family bloodlines.

He... really didn't want to get involved with these things.

Ryan's ideal life is to find an abandoned ancient fortress in the wilderness, renovate it properly, and then settle down in his new territory, as far away from this wretched galaxy as possible.

This idea made him feel genuinely comfortable.

“Your Majesty,” Raine cleared his throat, his voice standing out clearly in the commotion of the courtroom, “I have returned with the weighty responsibility of ensuring the safety of the upcoming peace summit to be held on the surface of Ondron. For this reason, I request to temporarily assume command of the Ondron Space Force until the summit mission is completed.”

Even though King Sanjay was surprised, his well-maintained face showed no sign of it.

However, the buzzing of discussion throughout the courtroom suddenly grew much louder.

"General Tandin!" The king lazily turned his head, his gaze falling on a man standing behind the throne, dressed in old-fashioned, dull armor. The man had a neatly trimmed gray mustache and a burly build. "What do you think of what the rear admiral mentioned?"

General Tandin, the supreme commander of Ondron's army, walked up to the throne like a moving hill.

He scrutinized Ryan with his stern, emerald-green eyes, easily drawing everyone's attention.

“Rear Admiral,” his voice was deep and powerful, “since you can mobilize the separatist robot army at will, what do you need our space force for?”

'I was just a captain when I left!'

Ryan thought.

'Now we're on equal footing with him; life is truly unpredictable.'

Ryan raised one hand, flipped his wrist inward with a deft motion, then clenched his fist, making a crisp gesture.

“I plan to withdraw all combat robot units currently deployed in Izzi to the Jalen Military Base. Walking the streets of Izzi today, what I see is a false sense of security.”

He looked around and continued, “The Republic delegation will certainly notice this when they arrive… However, if we remove all the robots and let Ondron’s own army, as well as our people, take over the security of Izzi again, we can show everyone, especially our people, the confidence and pride that Ondron has in his bones.”

Is an outward appearance of confidence more valuable than a false sense of security?

The old general pressed on, his tone tinged with inquiry.

“When the rebels see combat robots patrolling, they will rack their brains to come up with all sorts of cunning plans to bypass them,” Ryan calmly analyzed. “But the same rebels will become suspicious when they see only our own troops on the streets, worrying about unknown traps or making fatal mistakes due to misjudging the situation… That’s the basis of my judgment.”

"So these so-called rebels..." King Sanjay waved his hand casually, as if shooing away a fly.

“Right now,” Ryan said definitively, “they are evacuating Izzi and fleeing into the wilderness.”

The king gave a dismissive snort. "Then what threat could they possibly pose?"

Aha?

Are you kidding me?
Renn took a deep breath, suppressing the helplessness welling up inside him.

He understood that under a monarchy, encountering an unwise ruler was inevitable.

To be fair, Sanjay Rush wasn't all that bad. While he wasn't a wise ruler, he wasn't exactly incompetent or tyrannical either.

If he has any problems, it's mainly ignorance. Ignorance can at least be remedied with patient guidance, which is much easier to deal with than the slow, indecisive nature of his predecessor, Ramses Dendup.

A tall, thin Bivar man with olive-green skin emerged silently from the shadows behind the throne, dressed in the formal robes of a royal advisor.

“Your Majesty,” his voice was calm and clear, “please allow me to speculate that the Rear Admiral means that the potential danger of the rebels would actually increase once they leave the city and enter the wilderness?”

That's right.

Renn admired it in his heart.

At least in the city, their actions are still under surveillance.

As the old saying goes, it's safest to keep the enemy right under your nose.

Once the rebels enter the jungle, they can establish secret bases and stockpile supplies.

Worse still, they are very likely to seek alliances with hidden settlements and unruly clans scattered deep in the wilderness.

What he least wanted to see was the Republic delegation discovering that Ondron was mired in an internal guerrilla war.

“My scouts did report spotting a number of unidentified, saddled Lupins flying south towards the highlands in large groups,” General Tandin admitted in a low voice, his brow furrowed. “However, that doesn’t explain why you couldn’t just use the fleet to track them down and destroy them from the air. Wouldn’t that have been more direct and effective?”

Raine calmly met the general's gaze and said, "General, we cannot further escalate the public's discontent. The reason these rebels rebelled is not because Ondron joined the Confederation, but because they feel their city and their streets have been occupied by outsiders. What other method would be more effective in refuting their slogans and more likely to induce the rebels to make mistakes and expose their whereabouts than removing the robots, forcing them to face reality, and letting them know that they are fighting against their fellow Ondrons, not cold machines?"

General Tandin was silent for a moment, then habitually put his hands behind his back, his broad shoulders shrugging slightly.

“…Your Majesty,” he finally spoke, his voice carrying a deliberate decision, “I agree with the Rear Admiral’s strategy. His plan is highly feasible, and I approve this transfer of command.”

He would certainly agree.

Akhenaten Tandin is a staunch old-school nationalist who, like the ordinary citizens of Izzi, loathes the robots that patrol "his" city streets.

He was powerless to do anything about it before because those robots were not under his jurisdiction.

The proposal that Renn is now putting forward is like delivering what he has always dreamed of directly to him.

Get rid of the robots and let the Royal Army once again become the masters and focus of the city.

The king was clearly pleased with the result.

He can demonstrate his authority and decision-making power without paying for a castle or a substantial appointment, making it a very worthwhile deal.

“Very good.” King Sanjay nodded decisively, a smile returning to his face. “Rear Admiral, command of the Space Force is temporarily transferred to you, however…”

He then changed the subject, saying, "The Royal Army will assign an adjutant to assist and supervise your work."

Having said that, he turned to the entire hall, spread his arms, and announced in a loud voice: "Ladies and gentlemen! This is the best proof of Ondron's loyalty and strength! The most distinguished guest in the galaxy is about to arrive, and we must be fully prepared."

Today, we celebrate the triumphant return of an Ondron hero.

Tomorrow, we'll all be fully engaged in our work!

(End of this chapter)