Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 152, Page 154 - Misjudgment
Hills surrounding Kira Fortress.

“It doesn’t look like you to be sitting here daydreaming, Bontri.” General Tandin’s voice was deep and rough as he walked over to Raine, his boots stomping on the soft, blood-soaked dirt. “Speak your mind. Don’t keep it to yourself.”

The valley beneath our feet has been turned into a huge morgue.

The valley floor was densely covered with corpses, almost obscuring the original ground. As far as the eye could see, everything was dyed a terrifying mix of deep red and dark brown.

Blood soaked the soil, which was then trampled by countless footsteps, forming a thick, foul-smelling mud.

Raine took a deep breath, and the pungent, nauseating smell of death instantly filled his nostrils.

The rusty, bloody smell, the pungent odor of ruptured entrails, and the sweet, foul smell of decay were all mixed together.

The bodies of soldiers from both sides lay in various contorted positions, some face down buried in the mud, others face up, their empty eyes staring blankly at the twilight sky that was gradually turning rose-colored.

The surviving Dargo beasts wandered aimlessly among the piles of corpses, gnawing on the remains of their dead companions or riders. Some of the bodies still had saddles hanging on them, and some even had the limp bodies of riders dragging along their reins.

A few scattered Royal Army soldiers walked numbly among the piles of corpses, mechanically stabbing the still-breathing enemies or the confirmed dead allies with their bayonets.

The main force had retreated to rest, but everyone knew that a new round of deadly charges would begin in a few hours.

Another round.

More blood, more corpses.

Renn could imagine that this suffocating stench would haunt the valley like a curse for months or even years to come.

He shook his head heavily, his voice a little hoarse: "I was just thinking... what could I have done to avoid all of this?"

"What could you do?" General Tandin raised his thick, frosty white eyebrows, his tone almost cruelly blunt. "The answer is, nothing. You didn't have enough intelligence at the time; you couldn't have known the future."

“I should have had all the intelligence!” Renn’s jaw muscles tensed. “You let me do what I wanted so easily… I should have realized something was wrong!”

"And then what?" Tandin immediately retorted. "Are we just going to let those robots stay in Izzi City? Let them constantly provoke the Republic, while fueling the anger of our people? Let the rebels think they have an opportunity?"

Renn's voice was filled with suppressed anger.

If the robots are allowed to remain in the city, the rebels may become even more unscrupulous, not to mention the ever-watchful delegation from the Republic…

What if an attack on the robot patrol team occurs during the summit?
Fewer people might die that way, but would the situation really be better than it is now?
What would the Confederation think? How would the Republic react?

But the outcome won't be any better than it is now.

Renn irritably raised his hand and rubbed his face vigorously.

"How far back do you intend to trace this responsibility?" The general's voice softened, carrying a weariness born of experience. "Perhaps the Royal Court should be blamed? They were too eager to put Ondron on the galactic stage, rashly extending summit invitations to both the Republic and the Separatist Alliance. Do you think I wanted to see this scene unfold, Bontri? Think about it, if we fail here, if we don't take Kira Fortress, the first person His Majesty will cut off is my head, Akanathan Tandin!"

"So what?" Renn whirled around, staring directly at the general. "Am I just supposed to accept my fate and believe that no matter what choices I make, I'll never find a peaceful solution? Is this how the world is supposed to be?"

General Akanathan Tandin looked back at him with a gaze that was a mixture of majesty and silent anger.

"Do you think I haven't asked myself the same question every night since the officers' coup?" The general's voice was deep and powerful. "I know what that feeling of helplessness is like, Bontri. Let me teach you the cruel wisdom I learned that day: people are unpredictable... always."

"I know!"

Renn said in a low voice, knowing that he wanted too much after returning to his hometown.

Hal, Little Tower, Taylor, Godell...

These trusted partners were not with him.

So much so that when his complex feelings for Ondron clashed with his consistent style, he failed to strike a balance. "But you didn't really consider this when you made your decision!" Tandin rebuked mercilessly. "Neither did I. People aren't puppets in a play, Bontri! Nobody is omniscient! You keep saying you understand this, but deep down you expect everyone and everything to strictly follow the script you've set for them! There will always be variables you don't know, always uncontrollable third parties waiting in the shadows. The bigger, more precise, and more unchangeable your plans and strategies… the more devastating the collapse will be when the inevitable unexpected happens!"

"Back then, you made a mistake!" Renn couldn't help but accuse, old grudges surfacing in his mind.

“I seized that opportunity to consolidate the power of the monarchy, I admit that.” Tandin looked him directly in the eye without flinching. “But I didn’t expect the Kira family’s reaction to be so intense and reckless. I thought they wouldn’t so hastily start a full-scale war… However, I prepared for the worst. Why do you think the Royal Army’s standing army could assemble so quickly and react so swiftly? What do you think I’ve relied on to hold this position for so many years? By naivety?”

"Don't treat me like that greenhorn who used to follow your orders ten years ago!" Renn snorted contemptuously, his tone harsh.

“I know how this world works. It’s chaotic, disorderly, and untrustworthy… so I always prepare for the worst… that’s how I, Ryan Bontry, do things, General… in the past and now.”

In these two drastically different periods of his life, there always seemed to be someone above him, looking down on him, giving him orders, and making all sorts of demands.

Now, he has finally climbed to the position of giving orders, possessing all the glory and power that come with it.

An iron fist capable of commanding hundreds of warships and mobilizing thousands of soldiers.

He stood near the top of the ladder of power, and could even count on one hand how many steps were ahead of him.

Ironically, he had never felt so powerless as he did now.

This prestigious position seemed to be just another mask he could wear at will; beneath the glamorous exterior, nothing had changed.

“Of all those who stood against me during that military coup,” General Tandin sniffed, his eyes deepening as if examining a long-forgotten history, “you, Bontri, were the only one I misjudged and overlooked. Now I realize you were the most dangerous one. I saw through the masterminds Jamiro, Tiri… but you and Mishar, you two were the poison quietly spreading within our ranks.”

You are good at wearing different masks when dealing with everyone, using different faces to persuade them to act according to your wishes.

Over time, you even deceive yourself, believing that the world is truly made up of these characters who can be manipulated at will.

"Forget it." Renn snorted impatiently, shifting his gaze from the general's face back to the valley strewn with corpses. "I think you're really getting senile."

"Listen to me, Bontri!" General Tandin's voice suddenly rose.

Raine's body tensed instinctively as he forced himself to listen.

Tandin's physique remained as imposing as a giant bear, his thick arms resembling the branches of an ancient tree.

"The only thing I'm certain of about you is that you always put your own interests and goals above everyone else."

Deep down, you believe that only you are real, and the world around you is made up of characters you need to deceive and influence in order to achieve your goals.

This logic still holds true today, but it won't work forever!
The mess we're in right now is the best proof of that!

The general's breathing became heavy as he stared intently at Raine. "What do you think Verara Mishar is doing right now?"

Renn frowned before slowly saying, "Find a way out of this predicament and come back to report to me..."

The general clenched his teeth sharply, making a grinding sound.

When Raine saw Tandin's reaction, he realized something he had overlooked, something ingrained in the very bones of the Ondron people...

Tandin's voice suddenly turned unusually calm as he asked, enunciating each word clearly, "What were her initial orders?"

Raine paused for a moment, then the memory came back to him clearly: "Disrupt the rebels' organizational core, weaken their power, and create chaos."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "However, her communications have been completely cut off. I can only deduce that her identity has been exposed and she is currently in a very dangerous situation..."

(End of this chapter)