Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 131, Section 132 - I Was Here
Meanwhile, Stella Grella, in the shadow cast by the low eaves, had a thought.

We are late.

They should have had more time.

But now, for the first time in four thousand years, the sky over Izzi is completely shrouded in the shadow of war, appearing even darker.

The massive Separatist cruiser hovered above the clouds, resembling a giant metal vulture.

Even more chilling was the sight of hordes of Dexon War Beasts weaving and swooping between the ships, their massive bodies creating violent gusts of wind that easily tore off roof tiles and slate.

Stella had never seen a living Dexson War Beast in person; she had only imagined what they looked like in the deepest nightmares of her childhood.

Most Ondren people had never seen it, especially those who grew up under the protection of the strong walls of Izzi.

The Lupin Beast with flame-colored scales is quite common and can often be seen during military patrols.

God above, even their own little uprising organization illegally kept a few of them.

But Dexson War Beast? Skref Beast?
And, Drexmon?

These creatures are more like legendary beings to most Ondron people.

Their true habitat is tightly sealed off in a remote location by the Ondron Space Force.

Now, it is this same Ondron Space Force that has maintained neutrality for centuries that appears to be caught in the political vortex of the capital.

This was undoubtedly a devastating blow to their newly ignited flame of resistance.

Information about the space force is almost as scarce and mysterious as information about the beast rider clans in the wilderness.

The Space Force has always been a place of exile for political outcasts and disgraced soldiers.

They were banished to the frontier, where they waged an endless battle against terrifying creatures from the "Demon Moon."

Stella had painstakingly cultivated sympathizers and established connections within the Izzi Council and the Royal Army.

But with the return of this seemingly indestructible, neutral space force, along with their devastating war machines, all her efforts vanished in an instant.

Those wave gunners who spent their entire lives training on the city walls, always ready to shoot down Drexmon, were now facing these behemoths for the first time, yet were ordered to remain still. How humiliated and tormented they must have felt.

Worse still, those were warships belonging to separatist forces.

This could only mean that in the coming days, there would be more combat robots in the city than ever before, and she had no confidence that their organization could remain hidden for long under such pressure.

“Stella!” Dono’s voice was low, instinctively wary. “Hatch’s squad has passed through the city gate safely; they’ve disguised themselves as a chartered hunting party.”

This is a good cover.

In Ondren, the longest hunting expeditions can last for weeks or even months.

Hatch's squad was one of the largest in the organization, so the guards wouldn't suspect anything when they saw a fully equipped "hunting party" leaving the city.

But this also means that the excuse of "hunting team" can only be used once or twice. If it is used too often, the city gate guards will inevitably become suspicious.

Fortunately, all the evacuation teams tacitly agreed to disperse and operate separately.

"What about their safe house? Has it been cleaned up?" Stella pressed, her gaze still scanning the sky warily.

“They didn’t even leave a fingerprint,” Dono grinned, a hint of relief in his expression. “Everything they couldn’t take with them was hidden in a secret location whose exact location only they themselves know.”

Dono is one of the most enthusiastic members of her squad, having joined after her family’s fine craft shop was destroyed by combat robots under the pretext of “anti-separatist activities.”

As Stella's most capable assistant, Stella entrusted her with almost every important task, from recruiting sympathizers to scouting routes in advance.

Stella also trusts her brother So, but he is... somewhat impulsive and reckless, and the struggle for freedom can rarely be won by violence alone.

Stella forced herself to look away from the imposing fleet overhead. "So what about the King's urgent summons? Have you figured out the purpose of this meeting of all the lords and nobles?"

“I don’t know,” Dono shook his head, looking puzzled. “But whatever it is, the Kira family certainly won’t participate. Our scouts didn’t see any Kira family insignia or flags in the crowd heading to the temple. I’ve contacted a former army guard I know; he should be able to give us some inside information.”

"Are you sure it's safe to contact them like this?" Stella couldn't help but ask with concern.

In these tense times, any contact could be exposed.

“It should be fine,” Dono explained mysteriously in a low voice. “I heard that their group was discharged from the military by the current marshal for publicly protesting joining the separatists, and they’ve been holding a grudge ever since.”

“We’re leaving in two days,” Stella made a decisive decision. “We’re the last group to evacuate. If your contact hasn’t brought any news by then…”

“They will definitely arrive today,” Dono assured him firmly.

That's good.

They desperately need this intelligence.

The Lords' Council, which usually enjoys engaging in lively discussions, is unusually silent and tight-lipped about what is happening.

However, what was more urgent than intelligence was that they had to leave the city as soon as possible.

Because something big is brewing, soon those combat robots will launch a crackdown that is more severe than ever before.

Stella's gaze drifted into the safe house behind her. Through the crack in the door, she saw her companions struggling to move and pile up ammunition and supplies, all in preparation for their long-term infiltration in the jungle.

Everyone was careful to avoid making too much noise, lest they attract unnecessary attention and expose this smuggled weapons depot hidden in the heart of Izzi’s downtown area.

“Where is So?” Stella asked suddenly, though she wasn’t sure why she felt Dono would know.

Her brother was always elusive; if anyone other than her could track his whereabouts, it would be either Dono or Hatch.

Dono opened his mouth, then seemed to realize something, took a step back, squinted and looked towards the roof, "I guess... he's probably on the roof."

Stella's heart sank—

That reckless fool!
"Thanks," she said hastily, then turned and walked quickly back into the house. "Go get yourself some drinks, don't worry about him."

Before Dono could respond, Stella had already rushed through the storeroom filled with boxes and climbed the creaking wooden stairs at the far end of the house in two strides, raising a cloud of dust with each step.

She flung open the half-closed attic window, scrambled out on all fours, and struggled to climb the steep roof until she saw So lying casually at the highest point of the roof, holding a huge telescope with the lens pointed directly at the bottom of the separatist warships.

"Are you crazy?!" Stella roared, her voice filled with shock and anger. "What if they find out?!"

“Relax, Stella,” So said without turning his head or moving an inch, his tone full of indifference. “It’s not like I’m the only one watching. Look for yourself.” “What…” Stella turned her head in confusion, and the scene before her made her freeze.

Dozens of people had climbed onto the surrounding rooftops, all looking up at what was likely a once-in-a-century sight.

The children jumped up and down excitedly, pointing to the sky, their little faces filled with wonder.

The whole family stood together, pointing and gesturing at the starships.

Some even risked taking to the air on Lupin beasts, trying to get closer for a better view, only to be fiercely driven away by several vulture robot fighters emitting sharp buzzing sounds.

Stella's tense nerves gradually relaxed, and a sense of guilt rose in her heart as she blamed herself for not trusting her brother earlier.

If Solomon wasn't usually so troublesome, it might be much easier to trust him.

“Well,” she sighed, carefully sitting down next to So, keeping her body low to the ground, “so what did you see? Did you find anything of value?”

“There really is,” So said with a hint of sarcasm and excitement at discovering a secret. He handed her the binoculars and moved up a bit to give her more room to observe. “Those ships have markings on their paint, we’ve seen similar patterns before.”

Stella's curiosity was piqued. She took the binoculars, brought them close to her eyes, and carefully scanned the warships of the separatist forces.

The magnified view allowed her to see clearly that beneath the numerous scars left by battle and the charred marks from laser burns, each ship's hull was adorned with unique patterns.

A flock of white birds with outstretched wings is painted on the side of a ship.

The other ship is a cluster of blooming, intricately patterned roses.

Another ship features a dazzling, exotic spiral pattern...

Her eyes started to sting from looking at it.

"So...?" She put down her binoculars and looked at So, not quite understanding what was so special about it.

She felt Soe's hand support her head, gently guiding the telescope toward the target he wanted her to see. "Look at those frigates. Look closely at their paint scheme. Doesn't it remind you of anything?"

Frigate...

Are those cave paintings?

The hull of a frigate is decorated with patterns resembling those of primitive cave paintings.

On the other ship, there appeared to be some kind of ancient scripture etched on it.

So is right, she has indeed seen similar ones.

Valhalla...

It is a group of huge caves located deep in the Izz Mountains, the legendary origin of the city of Izz.

The earliest inhabitants of Ondron sought refuge from the terrors of the wilderness in those caves. After thousands of years of reproduction and development, their descendants finally built the greatest city on the planet.

That is a sacred place, and everyone in Izzi goes there to pay homage to their ancestors, because it is now the final resting place for almost all Ondron people.

The walls of those caves are covered with historical patterns similar to those on ship hulls.

And those scriptures!

Just like the inscriptions on the ancient stone tablets displayed at Izzi’s largest institution of learning, the 'Of Taraba College'.

It is said to be the earliest writing system in Ongdrun, recording the earliest stories and cultural heritage of Ongdrun.

“You’re kidding me,” Stella murmured incredulously. “This must be a coincidence. There are probably hundreds of planets like Ondron in the Milky Way with primitive civilizations…”

"Then take a look at that one!" So insisted, his tone becoming increasingly agitated, pointing in another direction.

Stella raised the binoculars again and looked in the direction the rope was pointing.

A striking white handprint is drawn, and it is very large.

It wasn't present on all ships, but it was on the dozen or so main warships in the middle, and it was large and conspicuous enough to become one of the few common symbols of this fleet.

Stella understood its meaning almost immediately.

After all, which Ondren person wouldn't be familiar with the history of their ancestors?
Perhaps only outsiders don't understand.

The white palm signifies "I was here".

In the distant, primitive era, when humanity was struggling for the survival of its entire race on this hellish planet, this was the only way to prove to those who came after that they had existed.

Otherwise, how can they let others know they are not alone?
How do I mark a place as safe?

How can you prove that a particular cave painting was left by you?

Throughout the long history of Ongdrun, handprints, whether left with blood or paint, are the most primitive proof that their ancestors existed.

“This can’t be a coincidence,” So said with certainty, echoing Stella’s thoughts. “The commander of this separatist fleet is an Ondron.”

"And she's a sentimental Ondron woman." A strange, smiling female voice suddenly rang out behind them.

Stella was so frightened that she nearly dropped the binoculars and smashed them into her face.

She turned around abruptly and saw a woman in oil-stained work clothes standing at the highest point of the roof, swaying precariously as she tried to maintain her balance.

Her fiery red hair fluttered freely in the breeze.

So had already nimbly sat up, his hand instinctively resting on the holster at his waist.

"Who are you?!" Suo shouted sharply, his eyes filled with vigilance.

“My name is Alvira—whoa!” The woman tried to get closer, but she clearly overestimated her balance and stepped into thin air.

Alvira flailed his arms in panic, lost his balance, and slid off the steep roof ridge, rolling uncontrollably toward the edge of the eaves.

They were about to fall!
At the critical moment, Stella lunged forward, grabbed her arm, and pulled her back with all her might.

Stella was also thrown off balance, her heart pounding.

She helped the still-shaken Alvira to sit down on the relatively flat roof tiles and let out a long breath.

(End of this chapter)