Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 137-138 - Desperate Situation in Prison
Raine was the first to stand up, his movements noticeably stiff, making no attempt to hide the slight trembling in his legs caused by the long ride.

“So,” he concluded, his voice devoid of emotion, “Knobi teaches you to be Jedi, Skywalker teaches you to be warriors… It’s not the answer I was hoping for, but it’s barely acceptable.”

"So, what kind of answer were you originally expecting?" Pro Kong calmly asked, voicing the question that had been on everyone's mind.

Raine glanced at them, her eyes sharp. "Evidence that proves Anakin Skywalker is the kind of person I believe him to be."

After saying that, he ignored them and walked straight to the edge of the war beast's back.

He skillfully stepped onto the tough, rough membrane and slid down smoothly like a slide until his boots landed firmly on the solid ground.

Procon and Ahsoka opted for a more graceful approach, leaping lightly from the edge of the beast's back. An invisible Force enveloped them, allowing them to float safely down from a height of over a hundred meters like feathers.

With no Force available, Scout had no choice but to resort to his "tested method," mimicking Rein's actions as he slid down the wing membrane.

As expected, she was tripped hard by the huge toe bone protruding from the end of the giant beast's wing and fell hard.

When she scrambled to her feet, brushed the dust off her robes, and caught up with the group, she found Vander and Renn standing not far away, their gazes fixed intently on a group of war beasts that had just landed at the edge of the base's perimeter wall.

"What happened?"

Ahsoka also squinted; her Togruta eyesight, far exceeding that of ordinary people, allowed her to capture far more details than others.

“They’re from the Beast Rider clan,” Renn said in a low voice, his tone wary. “Can you tell which clan they are?”

“Judging from the patterns, it looks like the Krazka clan,” Vander said with a hint of displeasure. “Bontri, you continue showing the guests around. I’ll go and meet them.”

Renn frowned and asked, "I thought you had already informed all the clans?"

“You know the situation,” Van der said, striding toward the war beasts with the crispness of a soldier. “The closest clan is the Ezelk clan, and they have allowed us passage through their forest. The sudden appearance of the Krazka clan here must have another purpose.”

With that, he left without looking back.

"How did you tell they were from the Beast Rider clan?" Scout asked curiously, his gaze shifting between the war beasts and Renn. "All the war beasts look pretty much the same."

“Those war beasts don’t have reins,” Ahsoka immediately pointed out the key difference.

"Uh... how was I supposed to know I was going to watch this!" Scout muttered in annoyance.

Ryan shook his head, seemingly not wanting to dwell on the matter. "Never mind that, I'll take you to see the POW camp."

As they ventured deeper into Jalen's base, Scout's only thought was: Oh, so all the robots were concentrated here.

Although she didn't see any combat robots marching in formation, she immediately recognized the huge vehicles scattered across the wide parade ground.

Multi-Troop Transports (MTTs) and C-9979 landing craft.

These cold, metallic behemoths stand out like jarring monuments, completely out of place with the base's primitive atmosphere.

The base guards she noticed were also different from the honor guards in the capital who wore magnificent armor.

They were dressed in practical, modern tactical combat uniforms ("modern" by Ondron's standards) and carried standard blaster carbines, not outdated laser rifles.

The prisoner-of-war camp was deliberately placed in the most remote corner of the base, completely out of sight from the main area.

The camp was completely surrounded by tall barbed wire fences with sharp barbs at the top, and Scout guessed that the wires were likely electrified.

In the camp's courtyard, hundreds, even thousands, of prisoners of war were moving about in a limited area.

Many people walked back and forth with numb and tired faces and empty eyes.

But some people stand tall and, even in heavy shackles, strive to maintain the dignity of a soldier.

"You're keeping officers and regular clone soldiers locked up together?" Ahsoka noticed this as well, his tone tinged with confusion.

“Anyway, they all eat the same rations, don’t they?” Ryan replied simply, his tone devoid of emotion.

He walked to a heavy blast door, swiped his ID card, and the lock clicked softly. He continued, "Alien prisoners of war are kept in solitary confinement. You've probably noticed that we Ondron people... don't have much experience with alien races."

He pushed open the door, gesturing for them to come in.

The heavy blast door slammed shut behind them, the cold metallic clanging echoing through the corridor, locking them inside the prisoner-of-war camp.

Has Count Dooku approved the convening of this summit?

Without any pleasantries, Pro Kong asked directly, his voice remarkably clear in the empty corridor.

“No,” Ryan answered just as decisively, leading them inside while glancing around at the cells on either side of the corridor. “But the council has already voted to approve it, so it’s settled. Dooku’s only role now is to sign the final document.”

“What if he refuses to sign?” Pro Kong pressed, his steps unwavering, his gaze fixed on Rennes.

Raine stopped and turned to face Master Pro. "Then he will be completely exposed, lose all legitimacy, and the entire Confederation will see his true colors."

Pro Kong raised an eyebrow slightly, but said nothing.

“That’s why he would never let things get to that point. As for what he would do,” Ryan paused slightly, “before you ask, let me make it clear… I don’t know either. That’s the biggest problem we’re facing.”

Although the conversation continued, Ryan did not forget to fulfill his duties as a tour guide.

He led them on a tour of the barracks.

Although the entire camp was clearly a pre-built modular structure, the interior was indeed clean and spacious.

The fact that the berths for prisoners of war were no more cramped than the crew berths on the Republic's cruiser "Pioneer" was particularly ironic to Scout.

“If you’re always on the defensive,” Prokhor continued, getting to the crucial point, “how can you draw Dooku out and force him to take action?”

Scout and Ahsoka tried to appear more interested in the condition of the prisoners of war in the cell next door.

But their acting was clearly not very successful.

It's absolutely shocking that Master Pro actually considers this person who caused such great losses to the Republic's navy as a potential ally within the separatist movement!
Is this the pivotal event that Master Sabine mentioned, one that could potentially change the course of the war?
The man who orchestrated the largest single battle in the contemporary history of the Republic was actually a traitor?

Countless questions flooded Scout's mind in an instant.

Is this a huge conspiracy by the separatist leadership? How did Master Pro discover it?
When was it discovered?

Why didn't Ryan Bontry just defect directly?

Did Master Ting and Master Knobi also know the inside story?

"Respond passively?" Renn pushed open a heavy iron gate leading to an open courtyard. "What's preventing us from taking the initiative isn't just Dooku's suppression, but also the Republic's responsiveness. How will the Republic react if we act rashly?"

The moment the Jedi robes, symbols of hope and aid, appeared at the entrance to the courtyard, thousands of previously dull eyes lit up instantly, as if a spark of life had been ignited within them.

Scout could clearly feel the sudden surge of hope and excitement.

If it weren't for Renn's striking cloak and his presence standing nearby, creating a silent deterrent, she had no doubt that these prisoners of war would have charged forward recklessly.

"You want a guarantee that the Republic will remain neutral and not interfere in your actions?" Prokhor understood his subtext.

Rein turned sharply to face Master Pro, his voice low and powerful: "The only assurance we want is confirmation that the Jedi Order's enemy is Count Dooku, not the entire Confederation. I believe you understand this, Jedi Master... The only way to end the division and achieve unification is by force, and we... the Outer Rim have made our choice."

He glanced at Pro Kong.

“The Outer Ring will never give up its newly gained independence, and,” Ryan said firmly and resolutely, “the Outer Ring will fight to the last man and shed its last drop of blood for this independence.”

Master Prokhor remained silent.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

He stood there quietly, his face hidden behind the mask, but Scout could sense that he was engaged in a fierce internal struggle, carefully weighing the weight of each word.

“On this matter,” Master Pro finally spoke, his voice low and solemn, “I cannot make a commitment on behalf of the Jedi High Council, but… if what you say is true, and you are determined to fight Dooku and the dark forces behind him, I will personally support you… eradicating the Sith is the core mission of the Order, and if necessary, I will do my best to persuade the Council to allow the Republic to exercise restraint and refrain from military response to the impending internal changes within the Confederation.”

“Then you should also purge the Sith from within the Republic first,” Raine retorted sternly, his eyes blazing, “while there’s still time, before things get out of control.”

The Jedi Master fell silent once again.

An indescribable chill instantly enveloped Scout.

It was as if an invisible hand had suddenly stolen the warmth from the surroundings, and a biting, icy wind howled through the empty courtyard, stirring up the dust on the ground.

Are there Sith in the Republic?
She and Ahsoka exchanged a shocked glance.

First came disbelief, followed by a chilling sense of dread that began to grow in my heart.

Because Master Pro did not refute Renn's statement!

The Sith are lurking within the Republic?

Could they hear secrets at that level?
“I understand,” Pro Kong’s voice was unusually calm.

Calm as a still pool, or like the smooth, cold surface of the Coruscant skyscrapers, concealing the unseen undercurrents beneath. "So, regarding the Sith within the Republic... what leads do you have...?"

His words stopped abruptly.

The masked head suddenly turned towards the group of agitated prisoners in the center of the courtyard, who were peering in their direction.

Master Prolo tensed up, like a beast that had spotted its prey.

"Is there a problem?" Renn's voice sounded completely calm, and his face was expressionless, like a rock that had stood the test of time.

“Among these prisoners,” Master Proud’s voice carried an undeniable certainty, “there is a Jedi.”

This is not a question, but a statement made with absolute certainty.

Scout wished she could sense the fluctuations of the Force as clearly as the Master, but she couldn't.

Ahsoka, standing next to him, also tried to furrow his brow and concentrate on sensing, but quickly gave up and shrugged helplessly.

This discovery made Scout feel a little better.

Perhaps Ahsoka did this on purpose to make her feel better.

Prokhor had already taken long strides and hurried toward the central area where the prisoners were gathered.

The two apprentices hurriedly and laboriously tried to keep up.

The prisoners blocking Master Pro automatically parted to make way for him, their eyes gleaming with hope, as if they were holding back tears, but they were also intimidated by the Jedi Master's firm, even somewhat urgent, steps.

Why would a Jedi Master express such obvious concern?
This is simply unimaginable.

But Scout's heartbeat told her that this was exactly what was happening right now.

When Scout finally caught up, panting, Master Pro had already stopped in front of a girl kneeling in the middle of the courtyard.

The girl looked a few years older than Scout.

She is a Miriel, a green-skinned race from the Outer Rings.

Surprisingly, despite being imprisoned, the girl, who should have been doomed, had only an almost detached calm on her face, as if she had long foreseen their arrival and had been waiting for this moment.

"Your name, Apprentice," Master Pro's voice was low, almost... questioning, "and who... was your master?"

“I am Baris Orpheus,” the captured Jedi Pakko answered softly, her voice steady and clear, without the slightest hint of panic. “My master is Master Luminara Onduli.”

Master Pro turned around abruptly, his movements so fast he almost swept Asoka away with his arm.

His masked face was now fixed intently on Ryan Bontri.

Raine stood between them and the yard exit, his lips pressed into a hard line, the muscles in his jaw taut.

“You were in Teth,” Master Pro’s voice turned unusually rough, another cold statement, “you were with Asagi Ventress, and you commanded the troops that defeated Master Onduli’s task force.”

Ryan Bontry—!
The creator of the Republic Navy's nightmare slowly curled his lips into a cold, mocking sneer. "Looks like you've found the clue you're looking for, Jedi Master."

(End of this chapter)