Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 252, Section 244 - This is battle; we will not abandon our allies (Part 1)
"The 28th Fleet is here!"

On the 19th Mobile Fleet's public communication channel, someone shouted excitedly.

These few words, though brief, resonated like a thunderclap amidst the chaos of the battlefield.

No one knew who shouted it, or which ship the sound came from.

No one could even confirm whether the news was true.

But everyone fighting for survival amidst the encirclement of the "Opening Fleet" was willing to believe it was true.

These few numbers became the elusive hope that all the crew and soldiers clung to, like a lifeline.

This belief was enough to ignite the spark of resistance and inject new strength into the exhausted separatist fleet.

With renewed determination, the fleet charged forward, desperately trying to break through the resilient central defenses of Republic Admiral Brock and escape the increasingly tight encirclement of Olgo Prave-Doll and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Carly Trilm, Dua Ningo, and Jess Darlin, the three commanders of the combined fleet, maintained a tight and orderly formation throughout the charge.

The Allied fleet launched a relentless attack on the central route of the "Open Ring Fleet" without regard to its objective. Under this sustained pressure, one of Admiral Brock's squadrons finally succumbed to the pressure.

The Republic's defenses had reached their limit and began to falter, creating a brief breach.

Without hesitation, the separatist vanguard rushed towards this breakthrough.

Rendelli's Victory-class Star Destroyers bared their fierce fangs, plunged directly into the breach, and brutally tore apart the battle line of the "Opening Fleet".

They opened fire at extremely close range, their side guns firing in volleys, turning the breach area into a sea of ​​smoke and fire, forcibly opening a path for the rest of the Combined Fleet.

At that moment, the same command echoed across the bridges of all three flagships:

"go ahead!"

"Forward, forward!"

"Forward, forward, forward!"

The shouts became the drumbeats of battle, replacing everyone's heartbeats, driving them single-mindedly towards the open space and then home.

……

……

"What is Hydra planning to do?" Captain Terinard Skreid muttered to himself.

“They’re trying to crawl under us,” General Honor Salima immediately assessed.

The separatist fleet quickly split into two groups, with the main force maneuvering downwards in an attempt to bypass the Republic fleet's relatively weak vertical defenses and rush towards the friendly forces at the entrance to the hyperspace passage.

At the same time, the wave-crest-class frigates piloted by Ji Wenren surfaced like fish to intercept the Republic's vanguard missiles, and then quickly submerged and retreated.

They laid a zone of autonomously guided minefields in their original positions, effectively hindering the home fleet from directly pursuing them and protecting the vulnerable flanks of their own fleet.

"Captain Donaton," Honor ordered, "Dispatch all fighters to intercept the enemy ships. All Home Fleet, pay attention, move down in unison and maintain contact with the enemy!"

Behind them, Captain Jane Donarden's carrier squadron unfurled its massive hangar, as Y-wing bombers, ARC-170 fighters, and thousands of Republic starfighters surged forth.

They first accelerated upwards to make room for the following formation, then pressed down on the control stick and swooped down from the edge of the aircraft carrier, swirling and spreading out like a strange metal fountain.

The separatists hastily dispatched robotic fighters to intercept them, but the Republic's fighters, under the command of Adar Talon, advanced in a precisely calculated formation.

Talon's pilots were fearless, weaving among the massive hulls of the Separatist battlecruisers, using daring maneuvers to disrupt their formation and prevent them from gaining a group advantage.

"Well done!" Honor turned around. "Ottom, launch missiles downwards along the direction of the enemy fleet's movement!"

"Yes, sir."

Captain Sargoro Ottom directed his Victory-class Star Destroyer to descend rapidly, its angular hull tilting downwards, and missile silos spewing flames and thick smoke.

White streaks of smoke pierced the void as deadly missiles hurtled towards the separatist fleet directly below, detonating prematurely in the center of their intended flight path.

With the "Crest-class" ships pinned to the flanks and the main battle line under continuous fire from the home fleet, the Peremian Alliance fleet was forced to halt its descent.

Going any further, their bottom armor will be completely torn apart.

Honor Salima could almost imagine the pause and reassessment that Ryan Bontri was going through at that moment.

He was driven to the brink of despair by the fierce gunfire of the "Alioune" and the devastating missile barrage from the "Alsancel".

Time was not on his side; even the most powerful battleships could not withstand the concentrated attacks of the home fleet for long.

What's even more disadvantageous is that Honor had already anticipated his next move.

The key to victory or defeat on the battlefield always lies in the control of the battlefield space.

Once control is gained, the enemy's actions can be restrained. As long as the initiative is maintained, the opponent can be led to destruction.

Whether this battlefield is a galaxy or a sector, this is the core strategy of the so-called "Combat Hydra": from the very beginning of the conflict, to seize control from the enemy.

They did this in Kolumex with a tractor beam superweapon, and in Yagdul they achieved control through high-speed maneuver warfare.

No matter how risky a strategy may seem, as long as it can throw the opponent off balance for a moment, it buys time to seize the initiative.

A review of Raine's combat record confirms this without exception.

And what if he loses control of the battlefield?
In the battle of Centares, Oppo Lances brought in a "Contractor-class" dreadnought, successfully regaining control and forcing him to retreat.

In the battle of Metalon, Pro Kong achieved the same effect using a rotating arrow formation.

Once it loses its battlefield space, the "Battle Hydra" is nothing more than a mutated giant serpent, and no matter how fierce it is, it cannot overcome the overall disadvantage.

Even the dragons on the border of Gordian know that they should not fight a direct confrontation with an enemy they cannot defeat.

In this sense, Ryan Bontri is more like the belligerent Deknunn war beasts of his homeworld, ready to pounce on anything that comes his way.

Therefore, Honor Salima concluded that no matter how aggressive her strategy seemed on the surface, it was enough as long as it disrupted Renn's rhythm and deprived him of time to plan.

The longer he loses control, the more passively he can only cope.

Then came the return to the principles that she and all the excellent commanders had known since the day the flag was raised.

Understand your opponent's thinking, predict their actions, and then divide and conquer them.

Unlike her predecessors, Honor Salima possessed data from the entire war to refine her tactics against the Battle Hydra, and her innate authority allowed her to command the home fleet with ease.

"Continue suppressive fire!" she waved her hand. "Captain Donaden, command your 'Jester-class' Star Destroyer to outflank the enemy from the rear! Captain Otom, turn right and prepare for a broadside salvo!"

As she expected, the Allied fleet did indeed react in the way she anticipated.

The 28th Mobile Fleet attempted to break out from the second weakest point in the home fleet's battle line, namely the top of the opening in the horseshoe-shaped encirclement.

With the fleet now in column formation, Didier Grieshad could only charge forward at full speed along the horseshoe-shaped natural arc.

However, he did not anticipate that Donatden had already dispatched the "Cautious" to intercept the "Crumplinz" in its path.

Meanwhile, Ottom's fleet had also adjusted its positions, forming a direct gun-to-gun confrontation with the separatist "Divine Will"-class battleships.

Honor was completely focused on the tactics screen, deducing vectors and calculating all possible reactions from Ryan Bontley.

“Our left flank, Admiral,” her flagship captain advised, “has shifted its main firepower to the right flank. I judge that Greshad will take advantage of this to maneuver and break through our left flank with all its might. The Chimera and the rest of the Alliance ships will follow suit.”

Bloodhound adopted his suggestion and deployed it into the tactical system.

"Once the 'Crumplinz' has passed the apex of the turn, order the rest of my ships to move to port to engage," Honor commanded.

"This will create a gap between our forces and Captain Ottom's unit, sir," Captain Skreed warned.

Honor gritted his teeth and immediately made the communication: "'Alsancel' and 'Alione', once the gap widens, immediately order your rearguard to turn back and fill it."

After the two ships confirmed the order, a sharp glint flashed in Terinard Skreid's intact eye.

Sure enough, Diedrich Greshad probably felt that the cost was too high and ultimately abandoned the breakout from the rear, instead turning around and launching a forward attack.

But all the accumulated momentum must be released, and this is not Salust, nor is Honor Salima Rhys Alrix.

Hydra has no space, time, or room to sustain the death rotation.

Just as the Krumplinz crossed the Chimera's course, the latter's sub-light-speed engines suddenly accelerated, propelling the flagship toward the Allione.

Meanwhile, the left flank of the home fleet steadily advanced, poised to strike... causing the airspace between the stern of the "Alsancel" and the side of the "Alioune" to expand into a noticeable gap.

As expected, the separatist fleet instantly changed course, flowing like a fluid towards the path of least resistance.

This coincided with the return of the "Alsancel" rearguard to fill the gap.

"Hard to starboard, full speed turn!" Captain Skreed's roar was almost like that of a wild beast. The "Alioney" responded with a sharp turn, and the missile launch bays bared their fangs like angry lions, firing at full power.

Honor Salima strode onto the bridge and looked out the observation window as the desperate separatist fleet poured through the breach.

The perfect pincer movement had been formed, leaving Ryan Bontri with no choice but to try to break through.

Hidden within that chaotic torrent was the infamous "Battle Hydra".

She had cornered him in a predetermined predicament.

"The Peremian Alliance has been cornered!" Honor Salima declared to the entire army. "All warships, concentrate fire and sink the 'Battle Hydra'! If necessary, ram it directly!"

The home fleet responded with a roar of gunfire, tightening the noose.

(End of this chapter)