Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 171, Section 173 - Sewing Closely Before Departure

The abandoned construction tunnel was filled with the smell of engine oil and coolant, and the dim emergency lights cast long shadows on the metal walls.

As soon as the two turned inside, Carly lowered her voice and said in an unusually serious tone, "Dooku still has an ace up his sleeve."

“So serious,” Renn muttered in response, his boots echoing hollowly on the lattice floor.

“I’m serious.” Carly’s voice was exceptionally clear in the narrow passage. “Dooku has deployed a secret fleet in deep space. Those ships were built at Quarter Power Shipyard. There are at least a hundred, maybe two hundred. Their firepower is enough to take over an entire planet.”

Rein's nerves tightened instantly. "Quart built it? I believe they'll build anything for a price, but how did they hide a fleet of one or two hundred warships?"

“Because they’re disguised as bulk carriers.” The sensors in the maintenance tunnel emitted a monotonous beeping sound. Carly paused for a moment before continuing, “On the drive detectors, they show a length of about one kilometer. Their signal characteristics are no different from a standard Class A cargo ship. Only upon close inspection can you find any clues. The muzzles are well hidden, and the Durasteel armor is cleverly disguised as reinforced hull structures. Other than that, I know nothing about them.”

A heavy airlock door leading to the elevator shaft hissed open. The two cautiously glanced inside, and after confirming that no one was there, they quickly slipped inside.

The elevator started, descending into the massive hangar below with a deep hum.

"If they're so well-hidden, how did you manage to uncover this intelligence?" Renn pressed, his body swaying slightly with the elevator's vibrations.

“It’s no secret among our ‘old friends’… privateers,” Carly replied, leaning against the cold metal wall. “Pirate ships appear every now and then on the South Sri Lanka route, so if a new ‘trading fleet’ were operating in their territory, they couldn’t possibly not know.”

All it takes is for a foolish pirate fleet to provoke this fleet and then disappear en masse, and they will be able to sense the danger.

They called this fleet the 'Storm Fleet' because it was like a real storm, appearing and disappearing without a trace, and possessing tremendous destructive power.

The 'Storm Fleet' docked at several supposedly neutral ports in the Gulf of South Sri Lanka for supplies, and then... guess what? Those ports soon announced their allegiance to the separatists.

The most recent instance was in Emberon, where Emberon expanded its influence in the Osala sector, conquering more than a dozen planets in succession. They then led their warships to Nansri, driving the Republic's garrison back into the mire of Miban.

“I had no idea you had connections with the privateer circle.” Renn’s tone was tinged with inquiry.

“It was a ‘former’ relationship.” Carly rolled her eyes, the gesture subtle yet conveying a sense of helplessness. “The Confederation has never hidden its less-than-honorable alliances. But after the Militia Act was passed, all privateering licenses were revoked, and the General’s Office publicly denied any piracy based in separatist territories.”

General Tann's exact words were: 'Want to continue attacking Republic ships? Then join the Confederate Navy and do it legally!'

So now, one of the most feared pirate captains in the Celes Mott sector has transformed into Commander Celes Mott, and he's the one who told me this.”

“I’ve searched every major shipyard in the galaxy with the capability,” she continued, her words measured yet carrying an undeniable certainty. “There are very few that can build a hundred warships at the same time without being detected. And those that can design ships that look exactly like bulk carriers but are actually interstellar destroyers are even rarer. There are only a handful that meet the criteria: Quarter, Lundley, and Fondo.”

Corellia, Sluis Van, and Liana may also have this ability.

But only Quarter received such a large number of 'cargo ship' orders, and when I followed the clues, I found that the shipping companies that placed the orders were just shell companies, with no real existence.

“Okay, you’ve convinced me.” Ryan admitted, his brow furrowed. “I’m guessing this ‘Storm Fleet’ is remotely controlled, or at least primarily operated by robots? Otherwise, it’s hard to imagine such a large fleet operating in deep space for so long without making a mistake, which suggests they might be paralyzed by electronic warfare… But first, we need to know where they’re hiding. Where is the ‘nearest’ place you just mentioned?”

“They’re in the Southern Theater, where you’re going.” Carly’s gaze shifted from the fluctuating floor numbers to a focused look at Raine. “That’s the only reason I’m telling you this. The Mistriel Shadow Guard in Emberon has a way of tracking it down, so we’ll be hiring a squad.”

Once they complete their mission to liberate Atahox, they will join you. As for crippling the 'Storm Fleet'... your 28th Mobile Fleet is equipped with enough 'Generosity-class Communications Frigates'; with proper tactical configuration, their electronic warfare arrays are sufficient to completely disable a space station's systems."

“Understood…” The elevator suddenly stopped with a screeching metallic scraping sound. The door slid open, revealing a relatively quiet maintenance corner deep inside the hangar. “But first, I need to figure out how to break Salust’s siege.”

As they stepped out of the elevator, they were instantly engulfed by the deafening roar of the hangar deck.

Various kinds of robots, for maintenance, transportation, and armed patrol, hummed and spun around.

Technicians and engineers in various overalls are busy beside towering fighter jet supports and shuttles.

The crew shouted out instructions.

The most eye-catching are the giant "vulture robots," silently perched on their supports, appearing far larger and more menacing up close than in the holographic images.

The Invincible has the capability to deploy nearly 500 light attack fighters in a very short time, and maintaining this terrifying combat efficiency requires the entire hangar to operate at full capacity day and night.

Carly habitually straightened the collar of her military jacket, raised her hand to brush away a strand of gray hair that had fallen across her forehead, revealing a faint old scar above her right eye.

Under the direct light of the hangar's bright prismatic floodlights, the edges of the scar now appeared to have an almost pinkish hue.

"You have no idea what's going on."

These words slipped out of Renn's mouth without any thought.

Carly turned sharply to face him, her eyes filled with undisguised sarcasm: "How would I know? Can't you see? 'Operation Starburst' was just a smokescreen from beginning to end! That Pantora was going to throw our two fleets into hell like sacrifices, and he had no intention of leaving us any way out."

We are just consumables.

They never intended for anyone to know about the plan from the beginning, and no one should know.

You heard what Trench said with your own ears, and even our crew members were not allowed to be told the truth until our situation was completely beyond saving!

They knew better than anyone how crazy the plan was and how slim the chances of success were.

But I still can't understand, what's the point of doing this? Just for Ning Ge?

In an instant, Renn felt a strong sense of déjà vu.

Didn't he once stand in her current position?
If he learned anything from Severn Tann, it was that she viewed promotions not as a reward for outstanding performance, but as a demanding requirement to "be excellent."

If she says you deserve a promotion, it means you need to take on the responsibility of proving yourself enough to convince her.

If she says you've been promoted, then you'd better be prepared to shoulder the responsibility of proving yourself worthy of that star.

The brutal battle on Planet Tess felt like a long time ago to him now…

Now, Carly is going through the same process of enlightenment he once went through.

Ryan's lips unconsciously curved upwards, revealing a slight smile.

Carly's lips immediately pressed into a tight, straight line. This was the only hint of genuine annoyance in her otherwise impeccably composed expression.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "You think this is ridiculous, don't you?"

Rein's smile deepened, tinged with self-deprecation: "Back at the roulette station, I told you what I did to climb to this position. Working for that Pantora was indeed a shortcut to promotion to Rear Admiral, but I forgot to tell you that what she demanded in return was 'achievements' completely commensurate with this position. Have I ever mentioned to you how I surpassed you in promotion back then?"

Carly is a little shorter than Ryan, but in the long years they've known and worked together, Ryan has never felt the need to deliberately lower his head to meet her gaze.

It feels like you would never deliberately look down to see a lioness silently approaching you.

"Escorting Asagi Ventress to Teth," Raine continued without waiting for her reply, "The order was 'Don't ask any questions,' and then I found myself leading a small fleet, going head-to-head with the entire Republic battle group commanded by a Jedi Master."

The results of it?
It turns out that Ventress kidnapped Jabba the Hutt's only beloved son; this is typical of the Pantora's ways.

She had extremely high standards, but those standards were also exceptionally clear and specific, and the rewards were equally tangible.

She promoted you to major general, and now she wants us to prove ourselves worthy of this rank with concrete achievements. As for those political maneuvers…

Raine paused, then continued, "You and I both know perfectly well that in this respect she's like a Hutt in a gorgeous dress—bloated and clumsy."

“You don’t seem worried at all.” There was a hint of complaint in Carly’s voice, something she wouldn’t normally do with her pride, but Ryan knew her too well and could tell clearly. “Normally, you would be complaining about how we’ve fallen into another trap by now. You’re usually so careful, but this time you seem… too careless.”

Raine shrugged indifferently. "I have my reasons. Once we break into the Republic's controlled territory, the only known friendly forces within our range are... you and me. We will be completely cut off from the Confederation headquarters and can only maintain contact with each other. I trust you will take good care of my back. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Carly's eyes widened slightly in surprise, then narrowed sharply. "I betrayed you once, and you still dare to trust me like this?"

It might have been an optical illusion, but Ryan thought he saw a barely perceptible blush on her cheek.

“It wasn’t betrayal, just a political matter. You’ve repaid the favor, we’re even.” Ryan grinned, Trench’s words echoing deep in his mind, “Did I ever, even once, directly ask you to trust me?”

Carly's shoulders twitched slightly, as if she were quickly replaying every conversation they had had.

Finally, she sighed softly, her tense shoulders relaxing. "Never."

“Not now.” Ryan nodded firmly. “Because I know you won’t ask me to trust you either. That’s been our unspoken way of getting along from the beginning, hasn’t it? So we only bring up the word ‘trust’ in the most crucial moments.”

When Carly turned her back to Ryan without moving an inch, Ryan knew his words had worked.

"So eager to leave?" he said, deliberately using a lighthearted and teasing tone. "Am I really that disappointing to you that you can't even stay for a second longer?"

Carly slowly turned around, a fire igniting in her eyes that she had never seen before in the conference room or any other setting.

Before Ryan could even take a step back, she had already stepped in front of him with astonishing speed.

She reached out precisely, pinched the soft flesh of his cheek with her thumb and forefinger, and gently pulled him down to eye level with her.

"Stop playing these roundabout tricks with me. I've already made my opinion of you clear enough, and you should know it perfectly well." Her voice was dry and forceful, carrying an undeniable air. "I'm not as easy to deal with as that big spider."

Ryan's smile only grew brighter, completely ignoring the slight pain of his cheek being pinched. "But I still want to hear you say it yourself."

“Oh, you’ll hear me,” Carly replied almost in a whisper, releasing her grip on his cheek.

Before he could react, the force pushed him backward, sending him crashing heavily into the cold elevator door.

Immediately afterwards, she quickly raised her hand and pressed the control panel on the outside of the elevator.

The next second, Renn's world was taken over by a kiss.

He was caught off guard and trapped between a cold metal door and a body radiating astonishing heat and power.

He instinctively closed his eyes, and one hand naturally slid down to her waist and hips.

For a fraction of a second he hesitated, wanting to push her away, after all, this was hardly an appropriate place...

But after so many years of life and death and suspicion, he had to admit that indulging in this kind of mind-swaying "interference" felt...surprisingly good.

Anyway, there won't be a more suitable time than this.

The elevator doors behind him slid open silently, and the two lost their support, staggering and falling unimpeded into the empty elevator car.

After a brief moment of chaos and physical contact, she stepped back slightly, her entire weight still pressing down on him, her sharp, knife-like gaze fixed on his face.

"Now? Right here?" Renn gasped for breath, his voice hoarse. "There might be someone listening in..."

“If I were being monitored, I wouldn’t have chosen this place.” Carly’s face showed an almost amused expression. “Here, I’m the one piloting the ‘Divine Will’ command ship, not you. I know what I’m doing.”

More information was quickly conveyed in their silent eye contact.

The elevator doors closed quietly behind them, completely shutting out the noise from the hangar outside.

The floor control panel was lit up by itself, untouched and forgotten in a corner.

Without any instructions, an unusually heavy silence fell inside the car; the air seemed to freeze, making it suffocating.

She raised her hand and yanked it cleanly, and her signature hair, bleached gray by radiation, cascaded down like a waterfall, scattering across his cheeks and neck, instantly obscuring all irrelevant details in the carriage, as if the whole world consisted only of the two of them.

“No one is listening.” Carly’s voice was as soft as a sigh, yet it was very certain.

“Then let’s consider it… a memento before I leave?” Raine suggested, his voice lowering.

The panting he heard next was definitely not opposition.

(End of this chapter)