Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 176, 178 - Confusion
Ryan turned his gaze to Vinok beside him. "What do you think? Is it feasible to let them participate in the war?"

This Force user, who had once strayed from the Jedi Way, slowly scanned the faces on the bridge—faces filled with suppressed excitement and a thirst for revenge—with his eyes that seemed to see into people's hearts.

He paused for a moment, then spoke in a low but clear voice: “Even without considering the additional firepower, it’s worth a try just to boost morale. These people… have been in retreat for too long, and they need a victory to prove themselves.”

“Alright.” With his arms crossed, looking at the officers’ eyes that were practically brimming with excitement, Rein finally made his decision. “Agreed. All ships and fighter squadrons that have been preliminarily assessed and confirmed to have basic combat capabilities may be incorporated into the temporary combat order to participate in the next operation… Now, adjust the fleet’s course.”

He turned to the star map. “We will advance along a straight vector pointing to Salust, with the goal of forcing Alrix to abandon the blockade of the hyperspace jump point and turn to confront us head-on.”

On the holographic star map, a striking red indicator line is instantly generated, precisely connecting the positions of the Sulurub asteroid belt and the planet Salust.

A red data box automatically pops up next to it, displaying the precise distance figure:
82,780,000 kilometers.

Rein's finger moved across the star map, pointing to a preset coordinate. "We will deploy our main battle line here, 5500 million kilometers from Salust, which is two-thirds of the way through the entire advance. Commander Kretz's Fifth Support Division will be deployed as the rearguard, 300 million kilometers behind our main force, to ensure the safety of the rear and provide support."

"What specific tactical formation should be used?" Brigadier General Diederich Greshad asked after deep thought.

Instead of answering directly, Ryan turned his gaze to Ventress. "What tactics does Rhys Alrix usually use? You know her best."

If anyone could provide firsthand experience, it would undoubtedly be this dark side user who had been locked in a long-standing battle with Alrix.

Ventress glanced at the officers behind her who had fought alongside her, then turned back to Renn, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible frustration: "She... has no fixed tactics. She can always find a flaw in your formation, even a weakness you yourself are unaware of, and then, like a sharp knife, she plunges straight in without hesitation."

“She is a Jedi General,” Vinok stretched his slightly stiff shoulders, his brow furrowed, revealing genuine concern. “The Force can provide immeasurable advantages on the battlefield. If we expose any weakness, however subtle, she will sense it. Every formation has its inherent weaknesses. The key is… which one should we choose?”

Ryan's fingers unconsciously rubbed his chin as he carefully analyzed the more than one hundred dots representing the "Mediator Task Force" on the tactical hologram.

After a moment, he looked up and made a decision.

"Adopt the third combat command formation." Rein's voice was clear and powerful.

"Major General?" Diederich Greshad's eyes widened in surprise, almost blurting out, "The weakness of this formation is too obvious! It's a textbook standard formation; even an ordinary officer, unless they're a strategist from the Cinnet, knows how to break it!"

“Exactly.” A meaningful smile appeared on Ryan’s lips. “If we use a complex and sophisticated formation, she might discover its hidden flaws earlier than we do, thanks to her Force perception. But a standard, well-known formation… its weaknesses are equally obvious. The key is how we exploit our opponent’s awareness of those weaknesses.”

……

the other side.

"The bow and sides are in formation." Brigadier General Kendall Ozer snorted, clearly disdainful. "It seems the separatists really think we're naive recruits."

Jedi General Reece Alrix stood on the bridge of the USS Endurance, a Jedi-class Star Destroyer that had been the flagship of the late Admiral Syd Wheeler.

Her own former flagship, the Mediator, had sunk in the brutal boarding action of the Battle of Mays.

Ozer's Star Destroyer "Dominance" sailed close to the port side of "Resilience," its striking red stripes gleaming brightly in the starlight.

At this moment, the "Mediator Task Force" is slowly crossing the Salust terminator. The fiery light of the stars sweeps across the fleet formation, and the sunshades of the observation windows on each ship automatically lower to filter out the strong light.

Aleks wore a tan Jedi robe that trailed on the gleaming metal deck, concealing the sculpted armor that stretched from his neck to his ankles.

This armor style draws inspiration from the standard equipment of clone soldiers. Many Jedi generals adopted this protective and distinctive attire, and Alyx was no exception, even though she rarely participated in ground combat.

On the bridge data processing area beneath their feet, the crew members were working intently, the air thick with a resolute will to avenge their fallen commander.

Kendall Ozer recalled that when Operation Trident was first launched, the Jedi Council appointed the relatively unknown Reece Alrix, who had only recently been promoted to warrior, as Jedi General to command the entire Eighteenth District. There was strong dissatisfaction and skepticism among the officers, who felt it was an insult to their professional abilities.

This discontent reached its peak when the Supreme Command approved the appointment, seemingly indicating that they did not have high expectations for the upcoming Battle of Rimma.

The prevailing view at the time was that separatist strongholds along the Rimma trade route were deeply entrenched and difficult to shake.

The Supreme Command likely determined that there was little to be gained in the Rimma direction, which is why it allocated its valuable resources to the Peremian theater.

However, who could have predicted that this "underestimated" separatist fleet would be able to sweep through the Rimma trade route, conquering one world after another, one star system after another, and even severely damaging the Republic's proud main fleet in Kolumex.

On the starboard side of the fleet, on the volcanic crust of the planet Salust, rivers of lava flowed slowly like burning blood, seemingly turning with the fleet's course, together facing the approaching separatist enemy.

As Salust's dark side was gradually left behind the fleet, the array of enemy ships ahead became increasingly clear under the starlight.

"Excuse my bluntness, General," Ozer's voice broke the silence on the bridge, "This is why I suggested intercepting them while their fleet was en route. We could have launched a surprise attack when their formation was loose and their footing was not yet secure."

"Will Governor General Teshkirk's reinforcements arrive?" General Alrikes asked without turning his head, his gaze still fixed on the approaching enemy ship's dot on the holographic tactical screen.

“The separatists have blocked all access routes to and from the Seswinner sector,” Ozer reported quickly, “and they are launching a full-scale offensive. General Tesick has withdrawn his lines and returned to Eliadu to reinforce the defenses.”

“Once Eliadu falls, the Eighteenth Military District will be rendered useless.” General Aleks’s voice was calm and even as she strode toward the large observation window, the hem of her robe rustling softly against the deck.

“I completely agree with your judgment, General,” Ozer replied in a deep voice.

(End of this chapter)