Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 202-204 - A Gift, The Force Black Hole

The Pioneer slowly turned around.

As the ship moved, the floating wreckage gradually became less and less.

However, what appeared before them was not the flagship they had expected, but only a deep, empty universe, in which countless stars shimmered coldly.

Even though Yularen was right on the bridge, a subdued murmur rippled through the data center.

Six or seven sensor operators were completely focused, frantically scanning the surrounding void, desperately searching for the unique transponder signal of the "Endurance".

The transponder of any interstellar spacecraft is buried deep within the core of the hull. Unless someone deliberately sabotages it from the inside, the transponder will only stop working when the spacecraft is completely destroyed into pieces.

Warships have extremely robust structures, especially capital ships.

“There’s a sharp bend here,” Yularen said, carefully observing the distribution of the wreckage. Suddenly, he pointed to a spot. “Wait… look over there. Can we get a transponder signal from that wreckage?”

Anakin looked in the direction she pointed and saw the wreckage of a "Generosity-class" frigate floating in the void.

The separatist hexagonal flag, ravaged by war, still stubbornly clung to the damaged hull.

The ship was cut in half, and the entire engine room disappeared without a trace.

But on those outward-sloping, heavy armor... were painted patterns of predators and prey, hunters and prey, depicting ancient legends, vanished armies, and forgotten heroes.

“‘Repulsion’.” Anakin’s eyes narrowed. “Rain Bondree’s flagship.”

The entire bridge fell into a deathly silence.

The name was spoken with a heavy sense of awe.

Many of the crew members on the bridge of the Pioneer were survivors of Christopher's first battle.

Since then, the name Ryan Bontry has been synonymous with the legend of defeating Jedi Knights time and time again.

He even faced off against top combat masters like Master Procon and Master Seth Tion.

From the very beginning, they harbored deep doubts about Rhys Alrix's chances of winning.

"Did she...did she win?"

A voice, carrying a faint glimmer of hope, rang out.

“It’s more likely she broke through and escaped,” Yularen said, crossing her arms over her chest. “She probably broke through the Separatist lines here and then made a hyperspace jump south. It’s just that… we’ve lost one of the Republic’s most elite fleets.”

“…No,” Anakin’s voice suddenly rang out, his gaze piercing through the empty star field, “you’re only half right. Rhys Aleix did try to break out here, but she failed.”

“But the wreckage of the ‘Endurance’ isn’t here, Master,” Ahsoka pointed out the crucial information. “Why are you so sure?”

Anakin took a deep breath. "Asoka, some truths cannot be seen with the eyes; they must be perceived with the Force."

He met his apprentice's gaze and nodded solemnly.

Ahsoka also took a deep breath.

Anakin could sense subtle fluctuations in the surrounding energy when she instantly entered a deep meditation.

Then, Ahsoka opened his eyes again and gasped.

"That's the 'Endurance'?"

Her shock spread like ripples among the crew, as if the Force itself had violently trembled, reaching everyone on the bridge.

They couldn't see what she was seeing with their own eyes, but her tone alone was enough to tell them the seriousness of the situation.

“Yes, that’s all that’s left,” Anakin said, his brow furrowed. “Or rather, more accurately, the last sights Rhys Aleix left us.”

The spaceship itself was completely destroyed before the crew.

The legendary warship "Resilience," which once struck fear into the hearts of separatists for months on the largest hyperspace route in the southern part of the galaxy, can no longer be found in any identifiable fragments.

Nothing is left.

However, the crew's will exists in another form.

The collective will of seven thousand souls, united by the powerful spirit of their Jedi generals, came together as one.

At the coordinates where the "Endurance" finally disappeared, a huge energy "campfire" is burning fiercely, its shape resembling an incomparably dazzling golden flower.

The Force flows through every life, and even after life is gone, its echoes linger, guarding the ruins and settling on the battlefield.

It exists wherever there is life, and it also exists wherever life once existed.

The "flame" left behind by Aleksandr, just like a raging fire consuming oxygen, draws on the surrounding primal force and sustains its burning by the lingering obsession and will of the millions of fallen crew members and soldiers on the battlefield.

“This is her final gift,” Anakin sighed heavily, his shoulders heaving slightly. “We are still too late.”

“…Sir,” Lieutenant Avre’s voice broke the heavy silence, “we have received a communication from the Jedi Council.”

Anakin really didn't want to deal with the committee at that moment. "Live communication or pre-recorded information?"

“It’s real-time communication, sir,” the communications officer replied, his voice tinged with nervousness. “And it’s encrypted, first-priority communication, sir.”

Level 1 Priority is the highest security level in the Galactic Republic Army's communications system, signifying the highest level of importance.

Anakin felt a tingling sensation on his skin, and his senses tensed instantly.

"Communication established."

"Yes."

“Anakin Skywalker,” Master Mace Windu’s deep, authoritative voice rang out, carrying an unusual sense of urgency, “we have been trying to contact you for many days. You must evacuate Salusst immediately. Horn Ambigine has invaded and captured Eliadur, and is now leading a massive fleet of nearly two thousand warships straight toward you.”

“Eriadu!” Ahsoka repeated in shock, “But… how could it be so fast? Eriadu is… Eriadu!”

Coruscant on the outer ring road.

A fortified planet with a population of 2.2 billion.

A planet that, theoretically, could never have collapsed in just a few days.

“We are still trying to confirm the specifics,” Master Windu said in an unusually serious tone, “but that star system has fallen into a deathly silence. Even the agents of the Republic’s intelligence agency have lost contact. For a densely populated and highly industrialized world like Eliado, such complete silence can only mean one thing… catastrophic destruction.”

The fearless hero Anakin clenched his fists tightly.

What can we expect from those who are determined to tear the galaxy apart?

He couldn't imagine making any reconciliation with such...savages. Anakin Skywalker's heart was filled with coldness.

"In any case, the 'Open Ring Fleet' has no chance of withstanding the full force of the Fourth Fleet's attack alone," the Jedi Master urged urgently. "Retreat immediately and join forces with the Second Military District. The remnants of the Eighteenth Military District will also join you."

“Excuse my bluntness, Master,” Anakin said defiantly, taking a step closer to the hologram, “our orders are to hunt down Ryan Bontry, and we will continue to carry out this mission.”

Mace Windu's eyes first deepened, then sharpened like a knife. "So you really are in Salust... Report on the current situation."

Anakin briefly looked away before returning to the projection. "Rhys Alrix's entire fleet was destroyed. She was caught in a battle of annihilation and has been killed. The whereabouts of the enemy fleet are currently unknown."

Master Windu paused for a moment, a hint of regret flashing across his face, before nodding quickly and decisively. “We cannot allow such a huge threat as Ryan Bontri to continue to go unpunished. Find him. As for Rhys Alrix… I will handle the follow-up matters.”

"Yes, Master."

Communication ends.

“General,” Yularen stroked his chin, his gaze fixed on the unseen distance, “Raine Bontry could have fled in any direction. Without the ‘Resilient’s’ navigation data, it will be difficult for us to track down any valuable leads within a reasonable timeframe.”

“We have something more reliable than the ship’s database, Admiral,” Anakin’s gaze shifted to Ahsoka. “Ahsoka?”

Anakin reached out to the burning "flame" within the Force.

Ahsoka immediately understood his intention, mimicking his movements, his brow furrowed, trying to concentrate all his attention.

"Let us unravel the gift that Aleks left us."

The Force pulsated violently.

The petals of that burning "golden flower" suddenly unfurled, roaring silently in the void.

Then, a horrifying scene appeared.

A colossal monster huddled in the heart of an energy hurricane.

It was a colossal, winding beast, coiled within a swirling, chaotic lair. Its scales were like black steel, adorned with deep purple markings, and its eyes were as eerie as multicolored crystals.

Anakin watched as Arlix's fleet was caught completely off guard and engulfed in the behemoth's labyrinthine entanglement, its warships easily crushed within its countless maws of flame and steel.

He watched her struggle to break free of the cage... but at the last moment he realized with despair that from the very beginning, she had fallen into a trap carefully designed by the other party.

The last thing she saw was the hydra's gaping maw and a blinding red glow.

That's the color of the Republic.

That was the color of blood.

Then, everything returns to nothingness.

Even though Anakin opened his eyes and the "flame" had disappeared, the sense of "nothingness" remained.

A sense of loss, a vast emptiness within his Force, left a chilling cold and void in a corner of his heart.

This feeling is so unique and unforgettable.

At this moment, he no longer resisted this memory that had forcibly intruded.

Fighting Hydra.

"Asoka".

“Yes, Master,” Ahsoka responded immediately, turning to Yularen, “General, have we found any survivors?”

The general paused for a moment, then quickly reviewed the report. "All the distress signals that Commander Apo found came from severely damaged escape pods. The enemy... clearly carried out a thorough 'cleanup' after withdrawing from the battlefield."

There is no time to dwell on sadness and anger.

Fighting Hydra... that terrifying being in Alex's dying vision... is definitely not the kind of opponent who would easily let its prey go.

Yes... perhaps he could temporarily forget the name Ryan Bontley, but he could never forget the Hydra, the force that represents destruction and silence.

Anakin nodded. "Change course and prepare for a hyperspace jump. Target: Yagdul."

"General?" Yularen asked, "Are we going to rendezvous with the Second Military Region's troops?"

"We will continue our hunt for this hydra."

Yularen's lips pressed into a straight line. "Are you sure he jumped into enemy territory all by himself without any reinforcements waiting?"

Ryan Bontry was an anomaly.

An anomaly that, in the perception of the Force, is as imperceptible as a black hole...

Not only that, he can even deliberately silence the Force.

But Rhys Alrix possesses a unique talent: she can discover weaknesses that others cannot see.

Whether it's a flaw in a duelist's defense, a loophole in a fleet's formation, or even a weakness in the very structure of the Force itself.

At this moment, Anakin was able to glimpse a tiny fragment of what Alyx had perceived—a mere glimpse of her unique connection with the Force.

It is through this connection that, if there is a "weakness" or "void" in the Force, only she can so... truly "see" it.

If they want to know where Ryan Bontley is hiding, they only need to find that "blank" area where the Force is missing.

It's easier said than done.

The Milky Way is vast and boundless, and the Force is even more limitless. Even the most powerful Jedi Masters have a limited range of perception.

However... with her last strength, Aleks marked that "blank" spot with "flames".

"Prepare a Level 1 encrypted communication," Anakin boomed, his voice echoing across the bridge. "To: Jedi General Empatojejos Brand and Governor Octavian Grant. Send it exactly as I say! This is our closest chance yet to ending 'Battle Hydra,' and we cannot afford to fail!"

Upon receiving the order, the crew members on the bridge immediately busied themselves at their respective posts, a new and determined flame ignited in their hearts, driving them to take action.

Anakin found his gaze drawn to Ahsoka, who was projecting a star map using her personal holographic projector.

"Ta'asoka, did you see that?"

About 4500 parsecs north of Salust, along the busy Rima trade route, a small, translucent, pearl-like holographic planet is shimmering.

This planet is located in the heart of the territory conquered by separatists, the very place from which Rhys Alriquez launched her famous "Hundred Days Offensive."

“Yes, Master,” Ahsoka replied softly, her voice carrying a hint of disbelief even to herself, “Agdul… is burning.”

(End of this chapter)