Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 170, Section 172 - Storm Gate & Starlight Joint Operation
Renn froze, his gaze fixed on the holographic projection.

Those two glaring red arrows, like two red-hot daggers, pierced straight into the core of the Milky Way.

A trade route originating from the Landon sector, a separatist sphere of influence, runs close to the Treilean trade route, passing through Comeno and Humbalin, with its ultimate goal being the volcanic planet Sarapin.

The other route begins in Salust, an industrial world besieged by the Republic, and follows the busy Rimma trade route, fiercely piercing towards hubs such as Agdur and Hosnia Prime, eventually arriving at the legendary shipbuilding center, Corellia.

He caught a glimpse of Carly out of the corner of his eye.

Her reaction was exactly the same as his; her whole body tensed up instantly, and her already fair face became even more pale.

Her gaze was also firmly drawn to those two deadly red lines.

It seems that even Carly didn't receive all the information beforehand.

Ryan smiled wryly to himself; he completely understood why General Trench and General Tann were keeping it so secret.

The plan itself exudes a reckless and crazy energy.

His 28th Mobile Fleet only had a total of 320 ships, and Carly's 19th Mobile Fleet was probably about the same.

Now, their superiors actually want these two forces, which aren't exactly large, to penetrate deep into the heart of the Galactic Republic, the core world, to rescue a trapped friendly fleet?!
“Your fleet,” Admiral Trench’s distinctive, hissing voice broke the silence, “is equipped with mobile deep-water docks, manufacturing plants, and resource collectors, giving it the ability to operate independently and resupply itself for extended periods behind enemy lines.”

He tapped his multi-jointed fingers on the table. "At the same time, the fleets are of moderate size, possess extremely high strategic mobility, and their crews are the most elite combat robots we can provide. More importantly, they are the most experienced veterans in the entire galaxy. The essence of the Peremian Alliance is concentrated in your two fleets."

The Confederation can find no sharper spear than you, nor any commanders more adept at turning the tide in dire straits.

"Operation Starburst will be launched simultaneously with Operation Stormgate as cover," General Tann continued, his voice clear and cold. "Advancing in two directions will maximize the dispersion of the Republic's interception forces and increase the chances of finding Admiral Ningo. Once behind enemy lines, you will sever all routine communication with the Confederation headquarters. Therefore, all decision-making authority on the battlefield will be completely delegated to you."

Her sharp gaze swept over the two commanders. "Is there a problem?"

Raine felt his mouth was dry and subconsciously licked his lips.

The immense shock left him speechless for a moment.

His mind was still buzzing, repeatedly processing the fact that he was "going on another suicide mission."

"Why?" Carly's voice broke the silence. "Why take such a huge risk for Admiral Ningo? Is it worth gambling with two elite fleets?"

“Because Admiral Ningo,” General Tann snapped his fingers, and the projection instantly switched to a massive, angular 3D model of a new type of warship, “he was secretly assigned to the Forrost shipyard, not only to oversee the construction of a new fleet, but also to supervise the construction of this new type of warship—the Bulwark-class battleship.”

She deliberately emphasized the warship's name and class, saying, "This is the most advanced and powerful warship the Confederation currently possesses. The entire construction process was kept under the highest level of secrecy, and the design blueprints exist only in Admiral Ningo's personal encrypted database. The Republic must never obtain it, not even a single fragment of the blueprints!"

“Find Admiral Ningo,” Trench’s eyes gleamed. “We still have a chance to follow the trail and find out how Count Dooku was in contact with his secret informant in the Inner World. More importantly, if we can win him over to our side…”

The admiral paused, then emphasized, "We've gained not only an incredibly experienced fleet commander, but also the potential for strong support from the Sorosub Company. That's why lifting the siege of Salust is so crucial to our cause."

“How can we be sure Admiral Ning Ge hasn’t been eliminated?” Rein recovered from his shock. “It’s been a week since he went missing. It will take us several weeks to get there. Even if we do get there, how will we find him in the vastness of space?”

“Because General Ningo is still causing chaos in the core world, Major General.” Trench’s tone carried a hint of barely perceptible admiration. “And the Republic’s holographic network is very ‘thoughtfully’ reporting his every attack in real time! If he is defeated, the entire galaxy will know immediately. If you arrive and judge him to be finished, you are authorized to decide whether to evacuate. But if he is still fighting…”

The admiral's voice suddenly turned cold, "Find him at all costs, rescue him. If you really can't save him... then make sure that every piece of design data, every related data panel, and even every prototype ship of the 'Bullet-class' disappears completely from this universe!" Rein stood up abruptly, his hands gripping the cold metal edge of the table tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Tann slightly raised her meticulously groomed eyebrows, her eyes seemingly asking silently: Do you have any objections?

Ryan's gaze met Trench's six unblinking, deep, and cold eyes.

The standoff lasted for a suffocating few seconds, until finally, Ryan gave in and looked away.

The Confederate selection criteria for admirals and generals probably boiled down to whose eyes could give people nightmares!
"Received." Raine's voice was a little strained, but he still managed to utter the words clearly while giving a standard military salute.

“Received.” Carly followed up, repeating the same quick and efficient action.

General Tann gave a formulaic smile, her holographic image flickered, and then disappeared.

Admiral Trench slowly rose to his feet. "All documents regarding 'Operation Stormgate' have been transferred to your flagship. As for 'Operation Starburst'..."

His face, covered in carapace-like skin, turned to the two men. "All instructions, including the specific start time of the operation and when you can reveal its existence to your crew, will be communicated verbally by me directly. Until then, maintain strict confidentiality... Dismissed!"

As if in response to his words, the heavy blast door emitted a deep hum and slowly slid open to both sides, letting a cold, yellow beam of light from the corridor lamp shine into the dimly lit conference room.

Without a word, Carly turned around abruptly and strode out with an almost defiant determination.

Without delay, Ryan followed immediately.

“This will be the second time the Confederate fleet has ventured deep into the core world,” Raine said, trying to break the heavy silence between them as they walked toward the turbine elevator hall. “It seems that General Tann wants us to follow in her footsteps… Carly, this route is almost exactly along the path of her raid back then, all the way to Sarapin.”

Carly remained silent, her pace unwavering.

Their footsteps mingled in the corridor, along with the synchronized metallic thuds of the robot patrol team and the hurried footsteps of Ando engineers and technicians.

Occasionally, one might brush past a small squad of elite corporate allies, the Kurival flintlock musketeers clad in their signature ornate armor.

As Ryan followed Carly, he noticed that a few newly added strands of white hair in her meticulously combed military hairstyle looked particularly glaring under the corridor lights.

“Just like before, huh?” Renn sighed helplessly, his voice filled with complex emotions.

Carly finally slowed down.

She didn't turn around, but slightly tilted her head and gestured for Ryan to come to her side.

"...Let's talk as we walk." Her voice was low, carrying a sense of suppressed weariness.

The turbine elevator lobby was just ahead, and a small group of waiting officers were looking up at the flashing floor indicators.

Carly and Ryan didn't stop, but instead turned into a narrow passageway leading to the hangar, which was reserved for maintenance personnel.

Raine gave a soft, ambiguous hum, which was taken as agreement with Carly's suggestion, and the two walked side by side into the dimly lit maintenance tunnel.

(End of this chapter)