Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 134, Section 135 - The Unseen Face

The Confederate delegation was led by the host, Mina Bontri, a member of parliament from Ondron, and included several unfamiliar faces whom Asoka did not recognize.

One of the people whose faces were obscured was undetectable, even by the Force, which left Ahsoka somewhat dazed.

Prokhor calmly led the Jedi group to a seemingly random spot behind the Republic's parliamentarians.

However, when a group of Senate guards in striking blue uniforms quickly lined up behind them, forming a tense standoff with Ondron's bronze-armored guards opposite them, and a silent contest seemed to fill the air, this "casualness" appeared particularly deliberate.

As the Republic delegation and the Confederate delegation began to approach each other, a buzzing holographic camera robot immediately landed in the open space between the two teams of guards.

Representatives Amidala and Bontri stepped out of their respective groups almost simultaneously and embraced each other warmly.

His posture was exactly like that of welcoming a long-lost friend.

This caused many of their colleagues behind them to show obvious surprise.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan’s voice was low but clear enough, “focus, and don’t forget our mission.”

Anakin's gaze initially followed the two senators' pleasantries before shifting to the elaborate welcoming ceremony.

Only after hearing Obi-Wan's words did he reluctantly look away.

Ahsoka keenly noticed a hint of impatience flash in Anakin's eyes.

Their duty is to be on guard... against assassins? Or bounty hunters?
But would any bounty hunter really be foolish enough to make a move at a time like this?

They were surrounded by thousands of fully armed soldiers, their armor gleaming and exuding a murderous aura!

Just then, the procession began to move forward, and the delegation slowly walked into the passageway formed by Ondron's soldiers.

The Senate guards immediately surged forward with disciplined ease, their ranks tightly packed and orderly, just able to fit into the narrow passage made of steel armor and sharp spears.

"follow me."

Plow Kong said briefly, and instead of following the main force, he went straight to Officer Ondron, who was holding a saber.

"Who is that?" Ahsoka asked Scout, leaning close to his ear.

“I don’t know,” Scout replied in a low voice.

Ahsoka opened his mouth as if he wanted to ask something more, but hesitated before finally snapping his jaw shut with a soft "click".

"What's wrong?" Scout immediately became alert and asked in a low voice.

She had known Ahsoka for a long time and knew that her friend was straightforward and said whatever came to mind.

What could make Ahsoka hesitate must be something very serious.

"...I can't see his face clearly." Ahsoka's voice was muffled and confused.

"Can't see clearly?" Scout immediately turned all his attention to the officer, squinting as he examined him closely.

His face... was very handsome.

This was the first word that popped into Scout's mind.

But that handsomeness carried a spy-like, meticulously crafted perfection.

It's as if they could give you a charming smile one second, and then cleanly and decisively slit your throat the next.

“I can see him clearly!” Scout looked at Ahsoka strangely, somewhat puzzled.

"You can?" Ahsoka's voice was full of surprise and doubt. "I can't... His face... seemed to be shrouded in a fog, blurry and indistinct."

Blurred?

“Asoka is right,” Obi-Wan approached them unnoticed, his voice low and serious, “I can’t clearly perceive his face either… What’s even stranger is that his presence in the Force is extremely weak, almost nonexistent.”

I recall that there are documents in the Temple Library stating that some creatures on Dexson have developed some kind of resistance or even immunity to the Force.

Perhaps... this phenomenon has somehow affected Weng Delun as well?

Resistance or immunity to the Force...

Scout vaguely remembered reading a similar description somewhere before.

She tried to recall, confirming that she had seen it while flipping through Obi-Wan's early mission logs. "Granta... Omega?" Scout slowly uttered the name, her tone more like a confirmation.

The name clearly resonated with Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The usually calm and collected Jedi Master shuddered almost imperceptibly.

"Thank you, apprentice."

Obi-Wan Kenobi said something in a low voice, then strode quickly toward his former apprentice, Anakin Skywalker.

Anakin jolted as if pricked by a needle, then let out a long, silent sigh.

He turned his head slightly, glanced at Scout with one eye, and nodded very little.

"Who is Omega?" Asoka's curiosity was completely ignited, and his big eyes sparkled with a thirst for knowledge.

“A dangerous terrorist immune to the Force,” Scout struggled to recall the report’s contents. “Master Kenobi and Master Skywalker were ordered to hunt him down.”

Ahsoka pressed on, "Did they catch him?"

Scout frowned, trying to recall. "I...I'm not sure. Either I don't remember, or the report didn't have a clear result."

"Dear Jedi Masters..."

Scout's words were interrupted by a deep voice, instantly shattering the clues that were about to emerge in her mind.

"Can I help you with anything?"

Ahsoka turned toward the source of the sound.

“Rain Bontri?” Master Pro called out the other party’s name directly, his tone calm but carrying an invisible pressure.

Anakin's body tensed instantly, and his right hand, encased in a mechanical glove, clenched into a fist, the leather rubbing together with a grating "crunch".

correct!

Scout remembered: this Ryan Bontley was the one who severely damaged the Republic Fleet in the Battle of Christophersis!

Ryan clearly recognized Anakin as well. He paused slightly, his gaze lingering on Anakin for a moment before one hand instinctively rested on the hilt of his saber at his waist.

It was as if that cold weapon could truly withstand the lightsaber of the Jedi.

Ahsoka sensed that things weren't so simple.

Anakin was, after all, a Jedi Knight; he shouldn't have lost his composure so easily just because he was an enemy commander.

Although admitting it made her somewhat uncomfortable, death was commonplace in war, and Ryan Bontri was no different in essence from the thousands of other commanders who served the separatists.

Anakin's gaze at that moment seemed to be fixed not on Ryan Bontry himself, but on something else entirely.

what is it?

Ahsoka quietly took a small step forward, turned slightly to the side, trying to see the expression on his master's face... Master, what did you see?
“I don’t think this is our first meeting,” Raine said, turning to Prokhor and nodding slightly. “I suppose the Jedi Masters are responsible for protecting the councilors?”

“Exactly,” Pro Kong confirmed. “I would like to know the specific route we will take to the palace.”

“You can rest assured, Jedi Master,” Raine pointed to a magnificent portico in the distance, supported by massive stone pillars, where hundreds of gilded carriages pulled by various strange creatures were parked.

At this moment, hundreds of Ondron soldiers were moving quickly and lining up neatly on both sides of the carriage procession.

Senate guards stood watch beside the carriages that bore the insignia of the Republic.

He continued, "I am fully responsible for the security of this summit and have taken all necessary precautions to ensure that the proceedings of the meeting are not disrupted in any way."

“You didn’t answer his question,” Anakin pointed out coldly, his voice laced with suppressed emotion.

Raine gave him a careful look, and finally conceded: "Alright, we'll go to the Temple of Yunifal via the aerial ramp... as you can see!"

He pointed to the massive structures suspended high above the city's buildings, "They hang above the city and are the only path to the city walls or the mountaintop temples."

Aerial ramp.

When viewed from above, the Asoka trees don't stand out much, but when viewed from the ground, their grandeur and strangeness become immediately apparent.

(End of this chapter)