Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 187, page 189 - The Traces Left Behind

"Should we send out 'Vulture' fighters?" an officer shouted on the noisy bridge.

"Don't waste this precious opportunity!" Rein decisively rejected the idea, his gaze fixed on the tactical star map.

“That being said,” Vinok’s voice suddenly cut into the communication channel, carrying a knowing heaviness, “I have seen through Alrix’s entire scheme. We… have been lured into a corner.”

Renn's heart tightened. "What do you mean? Explain yourself!"

“Remember the fishing method we used on Flanders?” Vinok’s voice carried a cold knowingness. “This is the kind of trap we used to use, and we were the fish that were driven into the net.”

Rein abruptly manipulated the holographic star map, switching the view to the left wing channel.

His heart pounded in his chest as he carefully examined the passageway... it was still there.

However, judging from the damaged sensors on the "Repel" ship, the passageway did indeed narrow sharply due to the "Politician" squadron's previous barrage of shells against the rock walls on both sides!
The original width of 4 kilometers may now be reduced to only 1 kilometers at its narrowest point.

Although it still appears passable, the space has become extremely cramped.

“I can’t tell…” Renn’s voice was filled with confusion. He subconsciously nudged the tactical robot Xiaota beside him, seeking data support. “Vinok, can you still get out?”

“We can retreat!” Vinok’s voice was urgent. “But we must be as careful as walking a tightrope! From our side, the passage is no more than 120 kilometers wide at its widest point! The enemy knows this too; this is their carefully laid trap! They are waiting for us to retreat so they can launch a fatal attack from the rear when our fleet passes through the narrow bottleneck in formation!”

Vinok's words were like ice water poured over my head.

Raine instantly understood the cruel reality of his situation.

If he were to order the fleet to retreat and support Vinok now, it would be tantamount to sending the entire 284th Battle Division into the tiger's mouth, allowing Ozer's Knight-class ships to complete a perfect encirclement and annihilation.

However, if he chooses to stay and fight to the death to buy Vinok time to retreat, then his battered remnants of the "White Hand Fleet" are likely to be completely crushed by the overwhelming firepower of the "Knight-class"!
Although the "Generosity-class" corvettes are known for their powerful firepower, far exceeding their tonnage class...

But facing a behemoth like the "Knight-class," which is three times the size of the "Repulse" and has four times the firepower!

Suddenly, a crazy idea flashed through Renn's mind.

The idea is to make Vinok follow Ozer's example and force his way through the asteroid belt to break through!

Just then, on the battlefield situation map, those "Knight-class" ships, like grim reapers, finally locked onto their final course and charged straight toward the remnants of the "White Hand Fleet"!
Renn felt his mouth was dry.

The moment of decision has arrived.

Leave behind a desperate battle?

Or should we risk retreating?

The thought felt so heavy, as if it were a distant dream.

"Bontry!"

“Allix is ​​not a god! She can fail too!” Ventress’s voice, filled with angry reproach, pierced through the communication channel.

As if to confirm her words, a deafening explosion rang out in the channel, making Renn's eardrums buzz!

On the tactical star map, a dot representing a "Knight-class" ship suddenly burst into a blinding flash of light, then completely dimmed and disappeared!
Immediately afterwards, the signal from another "Knight-class" ship disappeared!
Ventress's elite squadron is launching attacks at a terrible cost; for every enemy capital ship destroyed, dozens of separatist pilots are killed in the deep sky!
"Don't even think about playing any sophisticated tactical tricks with her!" Ventress roared during the intense dogfight, the whirring of his fighter engine faintly audible. "Just hit her back with the hardest punches!"

Before he finished speaking, the hangar doors of the remaining twelve "Jeffer-class" star destroyers burst open!

The tactical star map was instantly covered by a dense array of ARC-170 starfighter signal points!

The Republic's powerful fighter squadron, like an iron torrent, instantly overwhelmed Ventress's squadron, forcing her to fight and retreat with her remaining aircraft.

During the retreat, the Dark Apprentice displayed her deadly skills, skillfully maneuvering her fighter around a giant rock with a diameter of 120 kilometers, then suddenly turning around to counterattack, her precise artillery fire hitting the vitals of the nearest "Jackal-class" ship!

The warship was reduced to a fireball in the violent explosion.

However, the Republic's fighter group hesitated only briefly before turning around. The devastating formation of more than 2,500 ARC-170 fighters, like sharks smelling blood, concentrated all their firepower on the remaining escort fleet of Rennes.

These frigates were as vulnerable as lambs to the slaughter in the face of such a massive air force.

"The tide of battle on the right flank has turned," Little Tower's calm electronic voice reported promptly. "Thanks to Brigadier General Kretz's reinforcements, the main force of the 'Mediator Task Force' is being repelled. Sir, the outcome will be decided at this moment, here and now. What are your orders?"

Renn shifted his gaze from the location of the "Junter-class" ship that had just turned into a fireball on the star map.

Vinok's first capital ship was carefully making its way through the collapsed, narrow passageway exit.

The "Repulsion" ship's remote observation equipment pierced through the gaps in the rubble, barely capturing the scene on the other side of the passage. The massive "Judgment" dreadnought, like a steel behemoth driven mad, was single-handedly withstanding the fierce counterattack of the Republic's right-wing forces, its hull engulfed in flames, still fighting a bloody battle.

"...How many ships do we...have left?" Renn's voice was a little hoarse as he asked the entire bridge.

“Fifty-five, sir!” Taylor replied immediately, his voice tinged with urgency. “Including five ‘Divine Will’-class capital ships; thirty ‘Generosity’-class frigates, including the flagships ‘Repulsion’, ‘Reputation’, ‘Judgment’, ‘Unicorn’, and ‘Centaur’; and twenty smaller escort ships.”

Each warship is painted with a striking white open hand emblem.

This is his "fleet from scratch".

This symbol is his declaration of existence, a small and personal act of resistance against this unjust universe.

In the history of his distant homeland, ancient cave paintings often bear human handprints, which are proof of "I exist here".

Similarly, leaving this open handprint on a distant planet or a cold satellite in the Milky Way is a message he is sending to the vast universe.

We were here; we left our mark.

Deep down, perhaps in some corner of his heart, he once harbored a faint hope.

In this unfamiliar galaxy, he may not be the only soul from Earth.

Perhaps some people will recognize this logo when they see his name shining brightly in the stars.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, nothing happened.

Perhaps this simply means that this galaxy is his only world now, with no way back.

Raine quickly scanned the real-time status briefing of the "White Hand Fleet," the data coldly confirming the dire situation he already knew.

The shield energy is nearing depletion, the ship's structure is severely damaged, and the integrity of many parts of the hull is being lost.

There is no way out.

However, is it possible to exchange this battered and doomed fleet for the safe evacuation of the 28th Mobile Fleet's most elite and powerful capital ships?
This is undoubtedly a worthwhile deal.

He couldn't care less about anything else; he was about to do something incredibly stupid and insane!

His finger pressed down hard on the communication key: "'Weeping Sun', this is 'Repel', don't panic... we'll protect your escape route!"

"May the Force be with you," Vinok's voice came, carrying a complex emotion.

Although Rein was filled with resentment towards the mysterious "Force" at this moment, these words still brought a bittersweet comfort.

“Little Tower,” he turned to the robot, his tone calm after a resolute decision, “I need to have a good ‘talk’ with Trench after this battle is over.”

“I will prepare refreshments, sir,” Little Tower replied calmly.

“I still have to count on you.” Renn took a deep breath, as if to suppress all his hesitation, and pointed his finger sharply at the Republic assault fleet on the holographic star map that dared to plot against him.

"If we don't destroy more 'Knight-class' ships than Carly today, I'll change my name!"

"All warships, listen up! Unleash all starfighters! All remaining energy into the sublight-speed engines!"

"Target... Enemy fleet ahead! Intercept them!"

The fierce battle has entered its final stage.

The Republic's left-wing forces, led by the Resilience Hunter-class star destroyer, were making a bloody and arduous retreat under the fierce pursuit of the separatist Crown Prince battlecruiser and Havoc destroyer.

Meanwhile, the Majesty attempted to completely cut off the 284th Battle Division's retreat route, leading the remaining seven Knight-class and eleven Jaeger-class ships into the asteroid belt to engage in a final annihilation of the White Hand Fleet that was covering their rear.

On the flank facing the star, the 284th Battle Division, despite also being counterattacked by the Republic's right-wing forces, maintained a relatively orderly withdrawal formation.

The preliminary battle damage statistics are alarming.

The Mediator Task Force lost its flagship, the Statesman, and twenty-one other warships, including the seven Knight-class vessels that participated in the battle.

The 28th Mobile Fleet paid a heavy price, losing the "Judgment" and 66 other warships, including 50 of the 55-ship "White Hand Fleet".

P.S.: A new book will be released tomorrow, which is also a new attempt. Friends who are interested can help me try it out!
Don't worry about this book being discontinued; it will still be updated with at least 6000 words per day.

(End of this chapter)