Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 154, Page 156 - Something's Wrong

The glimmer of hope that had just ignited in Renn's heart was instantly replaced by a heavy sense of foreboding.

Olco Baz’s deep voice rang out, voicing the doubts in Renn’s mind: “A raptor with a rider wouldn’t hunt so recklessly and expose its whereabouts.”

Raine stood up and carefully slid down the war beast's broad wings to the ground, choosing to walk the rest of the way.

He carefully walked around the scout's corpse on the ground, trying not to look at the terrifying claws covered in slime.

He held his breath and very carefully extended his finger to gently touch the cold, rough scales of "Red Gallia".

Gallia let out another low gurgling sound from his throat.

The Red Gallia was one of the most ferocious and untamable birds of prey that Renne knew, and the only person it wouldn't instinctively bite to pieces was its rider, Verara Mishar.

By this time, the assault team had caught up.

More than a hundred battle-hardened Krazka elites, who had killed countless people, approached the unusually "docile" raptor with obvious hesitation and awe.

"Where is she?" Renn tried to overcome his fear, speaking softly as his fingers continued to soothingly stroke the scales on Gallia's neck. "Where is Mishar?"

The name seemed to instantly ignite something dormant and ferocious in the eyes of the raptor.

"Red Gallia" suddenly let out a sharp, piercing shriek, its massive head turning towards Renn with lightning speed, its gaping maw filled with sharp teeth almost grazing his face!

Then, it viciously lunged at the flashing lights of the distant fortress and the protruding balconies, as if there were something there that it utterly loathed.

Then, without warning, it rushed off the cliff edge, its massive body slamming the scout's body into the deep valley.

It first swooped down rapidly, then spread its wings and glided, finally hovering in front of a balcony with a colonnade.

The balcony was now hidden by a wooden screen. Gallia growled menacingly at the screen, scratching its surface with its massive claws with a restless yet restrained urge, seemingly trying to avoid causing too much damage.

A moment later, it flapped its wings and flew back to the ridge, landing beside Renn and emitting a low, urging sound.

"Orco, who are your two top warriors?" Renn's voice was somewhat blank, his eyes fixed on the balcony hidden by the screen.

“Pock and Foss,” Olco announced the two names.

Ryan immediately activated the communicator: "General Tandin?"

"Are you in position, Bontri?" General Tandin's voice came through the background gunfire.

"I need you to create enough chaos to draw all the fire."

As soon as he finished speaking, as if he had received a signal, the valleys surrounding the entire Kira Fortress were instantly engulfed by the burst of fire!

The intermittent artillery fire in the distance suddenly escalated into a deafening symphony of destruction, a symphony of explosions, laser shrieks, and death screams!

The dense barrage of artillery fire, like falling meteors, relentlessly bombarded the fortress's energy shield, creating blinding ripples.

Hundreds of war beasts belonging to the Royal Army roared out of the darkness and rushed straight towards the fortress's shield generator!
Kira Fortress responded immediately with the fiercest attack, unleashing its full defensive firepower that had been prepared for battle!

The heavy footsteps of tens of thousands of soldiers charging forward, and the groans of siege equipment under immense stress, shook the entire land.

Immediately afterwards, the fortress turrets and heavy turbine laser drives emitted a heart-pounding charging hum, and a deadly barrage of bullets, like a storm of steel and lightning, poured into the ranks of attackers below.

"Fox?"

“Fos Shemal,” a burly man with an unusually large build and a hoarse voice like sandpaper replied in a deep voice, taking a step forward.

“Fos Shemal,” Ryan repeated his name, his tone leaving no room for argument, “lead your commando team and destroy the shield generator! And Poker?”

"Here!" A lean man with sharp, eagle-like eyes raised his hand.

"Open the main city gate from the inside!" Renn ordered, then looked at Orko, "War Lord, find Beast Lord Kira, and take his head."

Olco Baz gave a cruel yet expectant smile. "Kingslayer? That title sounds good."

"Could I borrow a carbine?" Ryan asked.

Van der immediately shoved a heavy, high-powered carbine into his hand.

“By the way,” Ryan added, looking at Vander, “you’re coming with me.” “I guessed it.” Vander’s joking expression vanished, replaced by an unusually serious one.

His men were already rapidly preparing the zipline launcher and various equipment, conducting final checks.

“The rest of you,” Raine said to the remaining two War Beast captains, whose men were rubbing their shoulders and stretching, performing various ritualistic pre-battle movements, the air thick with bloodlust and excitement, “Clear all obstacles! Anyone or anything that dares to stand in our way will be killed without mercy!”

The Krazka riders gave a synchronized, wild salute and nimbly mounted their Drexlers.

Without needing any further orders, these enormous war beasts eagerly leaped down from the ridge and pounced on the fortress below, which resembled a giant brazier of fire!

Soon, maniacal laughter, piercing alarms, and the deafening roars of the Drex Beasts mingled together, echoing across the rooftops and towers of Kira Fortress.

"Alright, brothers," Van der growled at his squad, "Move out!"

boom! boom! boom!
With a few muffled thuds, the rope launcher emitted white compressed gas smoke.

The specially designed zipline shot out like a venomous snake, precisely crossing the canyon and embedding itself firmly into the stone wall directly above the opposite balcony.

One by one, the elite commandos of the Space Force swiftly and silently slid down the ropes to the opposite balcony.

Van der led by example.

However, just as Renn was about to hook up the zipline and follow, "Red Gallia" suddenly touched his back very lightly but with an undeniable air of non-rejection with its huge, scaly head, and crouched down slightly, assuming a riding posture.

This definitely made Ryan's heart skip a beat.

He suppressed his fear and climbed with extreme caution onto the saddle on the back of the "Red Gallia," his movements so stiff that he seemed about to be thrown off into an abyss by this capricious beast at any moment.

Deep down, he still wasn't entirely confident about it.

Without warning, "Red Gallia" let out a low growl and leaped off the cliff!

The enormous wings unfolded instantly, precisely capturing the strong updraft blowing from the side, carrying Rein and gliding towards the opposite balcony in a breathtakingly elegant manner.

By the time Renne was brought to the balcony, Vander's squad had already violently smashed through the wooden screen, sending splinters flying.

The team members rushed into the room, brandishing their high-powered carbines and shouting loudly.

"Hands up! Let me see your hands!"

"Drop your weapons! Or you'll be killed instantly!"

Ryan rushed in after him, struggling to raise the heavy carbine he had borrowed and aiming it forward.

"Wait! Don't shoot!" A tall, mud-covered man rushed out from the depths of the room, raising his hands to block the assault team. "We have no weapons! We have no weapons!"

His pale eyes gleamed in the dim light, revealing a ferocity like that of a desperado, as if he might suddenly strike and hurt someone at any moment.

The room was packed with terrified people, men and women, all huddled against the cold walls, their eyes filled with fear.

The room was filled with an indescribable stench.

It wasn't just the damp smell of soil, wood, and forest; even stronger was... a fresh, pungent smell of blood.

For a moment, Renn thought they had the wrong target, that they had stumbled into a group of refugees fleeing the war...

Until his gaze swept across the center of the room, where a dozen or so energy guns, machetes, and spears were piled up carelessly!
The mission objective was within reach, and he should have felt fortunate, but a strong sense of unease welled up in Renn's heart.

Too smoothly?

Or... is something very wrong?

"Who are you!?"

Van der demanded sharply, his voice cold and oppressive, completely devoid of his usual humor.

His gun was steadily pointed at the tall man with his hands raised.

(End of this chapter)