Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 141-143 - The Vast Expanse of Stars (Third Update)

Ryan's finger hovered over the call button on the communicator, his fingertips turning slightly white from the pressure.

Inside the control room, only the faint light from the instrument panel flickered, while outside the window lay the deep darkness of the night.

He took a deep breath and pressed the button.

The communicator emitted a monotonous waiting tone, each sound striking his nerves.

Please stay awake, Kavia!

Now is not the time to sleep.

He thought silently in his mind.

The green power indicator light suddenly lit up, dispelling some of the darkness in the control room.

Ryan's tense shoulders relaxed a little instantly.

"Great!"

"...?"

The communicator came through Kavia Slen's muffled voice, heavy with sleepiness, and seemingly mixed with a yawn that was forcibly suppressed.

“I need you to do something for me,” Ryan said without any pleasantries, getting straight to the point with a firm and unquestionable tone.

“If it concerns the Kira family,” Kavia’s voice became slightly more clear-headed, but still carried a businesslike detachment, “General Tandin made it clear to you… he does not agree to any contact…”

“It has nothing to do with them,” Ryan interrupted her immediately, speaking faster and not wanting to give her any room to refuse. “I need you to find the rebels lurking in the city. They will definitely show up tomorrow when they exchange prisoners of war… This is our only chance.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the communication, clearly indicating that the information had completely brought her to her senses.

"...Are you sure?" Kavia's voice became sharp.

“I’m sure,” Ryan lied without hesitation, without batting an eye.

“Understood,” Kavia replied crisply, with the ruthlessness characteristic of the Imperial Guard. “I will personally lead the team and wipe them out.”

“Uh, you don’t have to do that,” Raine coughed lightly, quickly correcting her misunderstanding. “You can capture them, but only after they’ve made contact with the Jedi. I need that contact to happen.”

"...Sir, may I speak freely?" Kavia's tone revealed a hint of suppressed confusion.

Rein sighed helplessly, knowing he had to explain clearly, "Listen, Kavia, now we must find out the rebels' bottom line. Their first choice is to seek help from the Jedi. If that doesn't work, they will settle for seeking refuge at Fort Kira."

"Let them ask the Jedi. If the Jedi agree, that's our signal to close the net... Then, you strike suddenly and wipe them all out. You can create some diplomatic tension if you want, although I don't recommend it... But either way, it will give us the upper hand in subsequent negotiations. Conversely, if the Jedi refuse to help, then there's one less problem, and I can focus on dealing with the Killer family without worrying about trouble at home... Is that clear?"

“…Yes, sir,” Kavia’s reply was still crisp, but the coldness had not completely dissipated. “I’ll go see who’s still awake at this hour and organize a search team immediately. If we wait until dawn to start searching, it may be too late.”

“I’m sorry to bother you so late,” Ryan’s apology was sincere. He could imagine Kavia crawling out of her warm bed to cause trouble for the entire squad because of his untimely order. “I’ll find a way to make it up to you and your teammates later.”

“We are the Royal Guard, sir.” Kavia’s voice suddenly rose, carrying a sense of offended dignity. “We don’t understand the ways of the noble lords and the space force, but please don’t insult us. Duty is duty, and it has nothing to do with compensation.”

“Keeping an eye on a separatist major general doesn’t seem to have much to do with the traditional duty of protecting Ondron, does it?” Ryan couldn’t help but retort.

“I applied voluntarily.” Kavia’s answer surprised Renn.

"You did this voluntarily?" Ryan was genuinely surprised. He had always assumed that General Tandin had forcibly assigned the task. "I thought you were forced into this job. Why would you volunteer to do this thankless task?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the communicator, as if they were carefully choosing their words.

“…Sir, this might not sound very patriotic,” Kavia said in a low voice, with a hint of frank helplessness, “but I want to leave Ondron, and so does my squad. The Royal Court now has scholarships and low-interest loan programs in Ouf Taraba to support the study of real technologies like engineering, astronautics, and planetary science.”

“I know about this plan,” Ryan interjected. “After the Treaty of Izzi was signed, the Confederacy’s funds were in place, and Ondron was finally able to launch some decent revitalization projects… Starting with education is a wise decision.”

“This plan started the year you left,” Kavia said. “Many people in the army received military scholarships and had the opportunity to study at Ouf Taraba… but the problem is that the knowledge we learned there is completely useless in Ondron!”

For the first time, her voice betrayed a clear sense of frustration. "I have a degree in interstellar engineering, but with Unifar above me, all I face here are Lupins every day! I have a brother who studied astronautics, but he's never even been to low Earth orbit. The Space Force can go there, but you know its reputation..."

The vastness of space! Even the weakest life forms, upon witnessing its immensity, yearn to roam among the stars.

That's the reason.

“A gathering place for exiles and the disillusioned.” Renn sighed with empathy.

“Now that the city of Izzi is full of Confederate robots, we want to leave even more. Didn’t you want to come back? This is our chance to leave, so we’re willing to follow you. As for the compensation you mentioned…” Kavia chuckled dryly, “…if you really think it’s necessary, you might consider reserving a few seats for us on your flagship when you leave.”

Just then, a deep, continuous rumble came from afar, shaking the ground of the entire Jaylen base.

The pebbles beneath Raine's feet began to tremble restlessly.

Outside the window, the dark forest was instantly illuminated by a bright light, startling the nocturnal creatures that roosted in the treetops into scattering and fleeing. The muffled thunderous sound formed by the energy wave spread outwards.

The roar quickly rose, turning into a sharp, piercing engine blast, and the thick beams of searchlights swept coldly across the forest clearing like artificial daylight.

Ong Delun's unique "fleet" took to the air.

The first to take to the air were the shrieking war beasts.

The enormous Drexmon and the agile Skrefmon can soar at high altitudes for days on end thanks to their strong membranous wings.

Following closely behind were troop transport ships, which looked less like interstellar spaceships and more like anti-gravity engines and thrusters crudely strapped to metal containers. Although they had the ability to fly in low orbit, they were pitifully rudimentary.

Next came the larger patrol carriers, with their spacious engine rooms, or more precisely, their animal enclosures.

It was teeming with restless Lupin Beasts and Raptors, gathering strength for the impending conflict.

The last ship to launch was one of the few true capital ships in the Ondron Space Force.

A massive fleet carrier, escorted by two smaller escort ships.

With its weathered hull painted with the insignia of the Space Force, the "Amanoa's Fury" slowly displays its Aurek-class interceptors as it cumbersomely pierces the night sky.

Its old engine spewed thick smoke mixed with sparks as it struggled to climb upwards.

You probably won't find another "interstellar fleet" like this in the Milky Way.

Which legitimate fleet ships would have their hulls covered with huge claw marks and teeth marks left from close combat?
The wounds were deep enough to tear through armor, and some bite marks were large enough to easily swallow an interceptor.

The "Wrath of Amanoa," bearing these symbolic "medals," proudly displays its history of battling the native behemoths of Ondron.

But this time, its target is no longer the legendary Demon Moon, but Kira Fortress.

This time, it will leave a new mark on steel and rock.

“Listen, Kavia,” Raine’s gaze followed the departing fleet’s lights, his tone becoming relaxed and confident, “I’m standing by the window right now, watching Ondron’s ‘starship’ head for battle. As long as you do what I’ve asked of you well, I guarantee you and your squad will have a place on my flagship.”

“Sir, remember your words.” A glimmer of warmth and hope finally appeared in Kavia’s voice.

"Will do."

At least on this matter, Renn will never go back on his word.

The most important thing right now is to ensure that the summit is not disrupted in the foreseeable future.

Not just him, Raine, but all these Ondron people who risk everything for someone else's war... are working towards this goal.

Kavia will clear out the remaining rebels in the city, while he will personally intercept those opportunists who want to profit from the Kira family's actions...

"Damn it, can't you just give me a break?"

Raine watched the fleet disappear behind the clouds in a halo of light, silently grumbling.

(End of this chapter)