Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 133-134 - The Republic Arrives

The sky above Planet Ondron was bathed in a crimson light.

The distinctive paint scheme of dozens of Republic 'Consular-class' cruisers is reflected in the starlight.

Ahsoka placed her hands on the transparent viewing window, watching her master Anakin pilot the shuttle smoothly through the clouds.

Below, the fleets of the separatist forces gradually became clear.

Dozens of unarmed Republic cruisers, intended for diplomatic missions, were descending toward the heavily armed fleet below.

The ship carried hundreds of vital delegates and members of parliament.

If the separatists are truly as ruthless and bloodthirsty as HoloNet portrays them, they will never let go of this golden opportunity to severely damage the Republic.

The Confederate fleet did not fire.

Even as these unarmed diplomatic vessels drew near enough to make out the rivets on the enemy warships' turrets and the outlines of their missile silos, the warships adorned with strange patterns on their hulls remained deathly silent.

Wait, is there a pattern drawn on it?

When did the Confederate warships start having different paint schemes?
This is a peculiar custom unique to Ongdrun.

The brightly painted warships appeared and disappeared through the gaps in the clouds.

As Ahsoka shifted her gaze from the silent behemoths, she saw her destination—

Izzi City.

"Wow……"

Ahsoka couldn't help but let out a soft gasp of surprise.

She was used to the vertical world shaped by technology, but this city was completely different.

It is built around a huge mountain, as if it were a scene taken directly from an old fairy tale book.

Izzi is unimaginably large; its towering, thick walls seem to contain the weight of the entire world.

Suddenly, a deafening shriek, seemingly capable of tearing apart the soul, pierced through the hull of the cruiser!

Immediately afterwards, a "wall" covered with thick scales and covered with hideous bone spikes suddenly blocked the entire viewing window! A violent tremor followed instantly.

If Anakin hadn't possessed top-notch flying skills and instantly stabilized the violently shaking shuttle, Ahsoka had no doubt that he would have been thrown like trash by the sudden shockwave and slammed hard against the bulkhead.

"This welcome is 'enthusiastic' enough, huh?" Anakin gripped the joystick tightly, struggling against the violent airflow, his voice forced out through clenched teeth.

Ahsoka quickly regained his balance and looked closely.

Amidst the chaotic thicket of scales and thorns, she could barely make out two insect-like compound eyes.

The enormous jaw, almost as tall as a person, was opening and closing with a "click-clack" sound.

The monster seemed to fold its incredibly large wings, then swooped down and disappeared from sight.

Ahsoka immediately rushed to the window, pressed his face against the transparent steel, and tried his best to track the giant beast.

OMG!

That thing was almost as big as their cruiser!
As the giant beast adjusted its posture and flew forward, Ahsoka saw about twenty figures riding on its broad back.

Some people were waving excitedly at them, while others were making rather rude gestures. Around the shuttle, all sorts of flying behemoths of varying sizes were weaving, playing, and even chasing each other among the massive ships of the separatist forces.

Some are as large as mountains, while others are relatively slender and agile, but each one has a huge mouth full of fangs, and every flap of its wings carries a ferocious power that tears the air apart.

"Wow..." Ahsoka exclaimed again, this time with a noticeable sense of breathlessness in his voice, "Have we... traveled back a thousand—no, two thousand years? Look at those cannons on the city walls! Can those ancient relics still fire?"

Scout followed Ahsoka's gaze, but she couldn't match the Togruta's keen perception.

“They can still fire,” Pro Kong’s steady voice rang out, “but as far as I know, the wave gunners of Izzi haven’t fired a single shot since the Third Galactic War. Now, the Ondron Space Force intercepts threats from the ‘Demon Moon’ in the distance before the walls need to fire, and these tamed war beasts are proof of their capabilities.”

"Then why do they still keep those ancient weapons, Master?" Ahsoka asked, puzzled.

“Because warriors have the blood of warriors flowing in the veins of the Ondron people,” replied the elder Jedi Master Kael Dol, his arms crossed beneath his wide robes. “No matter how advanced technology becomes, at their core they remain the same guardians who stand on the walls, vigilantly watching over their homeland. They always believe that the fight for survival is an eternal theme, a battle that began at the dawn of their race and will continue until the end of time.”

“A monster is a monster after all,” Anakin scoffed dismissively. “I really don’t understand why they don’t just ask the Republic Fleet to take action and blow up the ‘Demon Moon’ completely.”

“From a galactic legal standpoint, the Republic would not allow it,” Master Pro calmly explained. “Both Ondron and Dexon are listed as ‘protected traditional planets’ because their ecosystems are extremely aggressive and unique. The creatures on these planets are fully capable of spreading and reshaping life on what were once barren planets, and they have indeed done so in history.”

“More importantly, the Ondron people are warriors by nature,” Obi-Wan added, stroking his neatly trimmed beard. “They are extremely xenophobic and abhor any form of interference. For them, independence and a sense of honor are paramount. That’s why the Peace Summit was held here; they have an equal distrust of both the Republic and the Confederation.”

“As Jedi,” Master Pro concluded, his gaze sweeping over the two young apprentices, “we must respect the cultures and traditions of the places we visit. Even if we personally believe certain customs or ideas are wrong, we have no right to judge what is ‘better’ for others. This summit will also be an important learning experience. You may hear things that make you uncomfortable, or witness behaviors that seem reprehensible, but please remember to be patient and restrained. This applies not only to Ondron, but to every corner of the galaxy… Do you understand?”

“Understood, Master,” the two apprentices replied in unison.

Just then, their cruiser smoothly glided into the designated landing pad at the Izzi Starport.

Through the porthole, one can see the Senate's flagship cruiser moored on the right, while on the left are more ships displaying the logos of various humanitarian organizations, the most prominent of which is the "Refugee Relief Movement" logo.

As the most senior Jedi Master present, Prokhor was the first to descend the gangway, followed closely by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

Ahsoca waved to disperse the scorching air from the engine and looked up at the welcoming party prepared for them.

The sight before her made her hold her breath instantly.

A massive army stood in formation, their solemn gazes fixed ahead, creating an immense sense of oppression.

Hundreds of soldiers were clad in bronze and gold armor that had been polished to a mirror-like shine, with long, shimmering pale purple cloaks that reached their ankles.

Squads of expressionless, heavily armored cavalry, riding carnivorous mounts clad in silver horse armor and with fierce eyes, stood solemnly at the front of the column.

What's most awe-inspiring is that dozens of flying war beasts of various shapes hovered overhead, their massive bodies blocking out the scorching sun and casting huge shadows on the ground.

These behemoths occasionally let out deafening, triumphant roars, the air currents they created causing all the surrounding flags to flutter and stand taut.

It really felt like I had instantly fallen back to the last millennium.

As the commander raised his saber and gave the order, the soldiers' formation parted in perfect unison, the heavy armor clanging with a dull metallic sound, clearing a path for the separatist delegation.

Ahsoka's gaze swept across the crowd and landed on Padme Amidala, one of the summit's initiators and a senator from Naboo.

Padmé also noticed the Jedi and cast a curious glance at them. Then, together with her other colleagues in the Senate, she moved forward as a unified whole to meet the representatives of the separatist forces.

Beside Padmé, Ahsoka recognized the flags and emblems representing Odran, Humbalin, Gri Anselm, and the planet Yut.

To her slight surprise, at another parking spot not far from the delegation of the "Refugee Relief Movement," the boats also displayed the Odran logo.

(End of this chapter)