Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 260, Section 262 - Choosing Sides
Kolumex Passage, Kolumex Galaxy
Wozed Sector

A battle took place here more than a year ago...

When Ryan returned here, it felt like a lifetime had passed. Looking back, this battle was still the largest battle in the galaxy in nearly a thousand years.

But now, there is almost no physical evidence to prove that this battle ever existed.

The wreck site has vanished, and the scavengers, scrap ships, and rescue cutting boats have also disappeared.

The Confederation, in dire need of supplies to support its war efforts, found it wise to salvage trillions of tons of waste Durasteel and Duonium metal floating in space. Thousands of salvage and dismantling contractors joined this gold rush-like operation.

The Kolumex Hyperspace Hub is now completely empty.

And they finally arrived home.

Diedrich Greshad stared intently at the display screen, where the green-blue planet called Kolumex was growing larger and larger.

It floats in space like a turquoise star, twinkling with the lights of hundreds of satellite foundries and shipyards.

The cockpit of the Kronprinz was silent as dozens of crew members gazed at their home planet through blurry, flickering cameras and telescopes, seemingly lost in thought.

It's a miracle to see this scene again after all the hardships.

Renn's gaze was drawn to Diedrich's expression; he had expected to see him smile, or even shed tears.

After all, if he were to go through all the hardships and see his real home planet again, he would definitely not be able to resist.

But when he saw Diedrich's lips droop slightly and his brows furrow, Renn was genuinely surprised.

“It’s too spacious here,” Diederich said in a low voice, his voice clearly audible in the silence of the Krumplinz. “It’s too quiet.”

As Renn pondered his words, he gradually sensed the unease of being close to Kolumex.

The fact that the Kolumex system, the heart of the community's trade, is now completely silent is alarming in itself.

This hyperspace hub is located at the intersection of two major shipping routes: the Peremian trade route and the Salin Corridor.

In the hours leading up to the Battle of Kolmogoks, trade was still very busy.

In any case, "spacious" and "quiet" should not be used to describe Kolumex.

"...Sir, we have received a communication request." The communications officer first looked at Diedrich, then turned to Rein.

"Who sent this?" Diedrich's eyes never left the screen.

Undeterred by the sights of Kolmogoks, Ryan took the opportunity to walk to the communications station and scan the hastily written transponder code on the console: CNBC_91001SM.

“It’s the battlecruiser HMS Invincible,” Ryan recognized the code at a glance and leaned over to his supervisor. “Admiral Trench… establish communication.”

"I'll get right to it, sir!" the communications supervisor responded immediately, his fingers quickly pressing the switch.

“‘Invincible’, this is ‘Crumplinz’,” Renn said into the open channel, “I am…”

“I want to hear your report in person, USS Krunprinz.” Admiral Trench’s distinctive crackling voice came from the USS Invincible. “Shut down the main engines and prepare for docking. Keep the fleet in position and maintain formation.”

Diedrich finally looked away, only to see the "Invincible" slip into view like a stealthy shadow, blocking the image of Kolmmex: "'Invincible,' this is the 'Krunprinz,' understood."

“It’s a pleasure to have you back, Allied forces,” General Trench concluded. “Welcome home.”

The channel was shut down, and Ryan leaned back, letting out a sigh of relief: "A face-to-face report? Something's not right."

“I think so too,” Diedrich said in a low voice. “Perhaps it has something to do with what Celis Mott told us? He insisted that we keep going all the way to Laxus Sub-Star.”

“So far, the separatist fleets we’ve encountered have all been small reserves, so it’s been relatively easy,” Ryan said, staring at the display screen and counting the number of command fleets Trench had deployed in the Kolumex orbit. “Do you think we can break through that blockade?”

The Kolmogoth chuckled worriedly: "We don't even know if Trench is on Tann's side."

“We don’t even know if we’re on Tann’s side,” Raine said in a deep voice.

As the Invincible approached, the close-range alarm sounded.

It extended its docking maneuver, its massive size dwarfing that of the "Crumplinz".

"You'll find out soon enough." Diedrich grabbed his coat from the rack and walked out of the bridge.

Rein glanced at the communications director: "Connect Admiral Ningo and Captain Darlin, and have them board the 'Invincible' as soon as possible."

After several boardings of Trench's flagship, the ship had remained largely unchanged for months, except for some surface battle scars.

Raine guessed that Trench's command ship was not often seen on active battlefields, especially after his narrow escape over Christophersis.

These wounds may have come from a daring base attack by a loyalist starfighter squadron, and most likely, it was led by a Jedi.

If that's the case... the "Invincible" is here, but the Jedi is not.

Diedrich and Renn were the first to enter the conference room of the Invincible, while Dua Ningo and Jess Darlin came over from the stern hangar across the deck.

General Trench stared intently at Rein, even more wary than during the Supreme Commander vote in Laxus.

He was observing, even judging, Ryan, but Ryan had no idea what the criteria were. This felt terrible.

“General Trench.” Ryan saluted. “I thought you were still fighting in Rosh. What a pleasant surprise.”

“I thought you were dead,” Trench’s mouth clicked. “Likewise.”

"I keep hearing this lately," Renn said calmly, unsure how to respond.

"Don't worry, there will be much less of it in the future."

“I will do my best,” Raine replied truthfully, sitting down as he gestured. “I had hoped to report the results of the operation directly to the Supreme Commander.”

“Your 28th Mobile Fleet is under the command of my Second Fleet Group,” Trench pointed out sharply. “As your commander, you should report to me.”

"19th Mobile Fleet..."

"If Carly Trilm is missing or dead, her deputy should take over."

"Her deputy is also missing or dead," Ryan interjected more firmly, "and the 19th Mobile Fleet has been temporarily incorporated into the 28th Mobile Fleet's operational structure."

"...Did the losses of the 19th Fleet warrant such extreme measures?"

“I think so,” Ryan replied. “The senior officers of the 19th Fleet also agree.”

Trench accepted the information without hesitation: "Then, until further notice, the 19th Fleet will be merged into the 28th Mobile Fleet... I still need to hear your report."

Rein and Diedrich exchanged wary glances when Dua Ningo and Jess Darin, both Sallustites, entered the cubicle, briefly distracting the two men.

Darlin was clearly very nervous.

Perhaps it was because he wanted to see the infamous Trench?
Raine thought it was unlikely; Darlin was a veteran of combat and a survivor of the Stark Hyperspace Wars.

More likely, it was because he was nervous about seeing an enemy general on enemy territory.

But this remains to be seen.

“Sit down.” Trench glanced at them casually, then looked back at Ryan.

"Back to our topic, Admiral," Ryan nodded quickly to the two newcomers and continued, "shouldn't we discuss this with Admiral Coles first? As the commander of the First Fleet Group, he is the commander of the 19th Fleet."

“Admiral Coles is dead,” Trench said bluntly, and the atmosphere in the room instantly froze, as if the air pressure had suddenly increased. “The First Fleet Group has been disbanded.”

"Disbanded!?" Diederich nearly jumped out of his chair. "The entire fleet has been destroyed? The First Fleet commands over two thousand warships!"

"Its last remnants were destroyed in the Battle of Serranon." Trench's irritated voice, like scolding a dog, forced Diedrich to sit back down. "General Koles was also killed in that battle."

“…The Starbreaker shouldn’t have been so easily captured,” Dua Ningo’s rough voice broke the silence. This old Sallust man was one of the few people present who were close to Cors. “And Admiral Cors is very capable, though sometimes he can be blinded by pride…which is typical of the Tion. Tell me, Trench, which loyalist bastard killed him? Was it a Jedi?”

Dua Ningo's voice was filled with anger, or more accurately, disbelief.

It's astonishing that a loyalist general could be more strategic than a Confederate general.

Ryan was reluctant to tell him that this situation was more common than anyone in the Confederate armed forces would admit.

Although the Republic awakened late, it has tens of thousands of years of military tradition to rely on.

The Confederate officer corps was trained almost from scratch.

“Coles held out brilliantly, but losses were inevitable in the face of General Dane Wessex of the Ninth Military District of the Galactic Republic and General Vanko of the Eighth Military District,” the Hatch admiral explained. “The aftermath is unclear, but as far as we know, he retreated to the Separatist stronghold of Seranon and requested reinforcements from Count Dooku’s private fleet led by Admiral Pols Tonys and General Grievous.”

"Have we lost Serranon?" Renn raised an eyebrow.

“No,” Trench gripped his cane tighter, “but the exact situation is uncertain. Coles’s fleet was destroyed, as was the Loyalist fleet. Shortly after the Battle of Serranon, Admiral Pols Tonis lifted the siege of Aksila and Vensos and launched a counterattack along the Salin Corridor, heading straight for Shom Shie.”

At the same time, General Grievous launched his first major operation of the war, the Offensive along the Coastal Dean Passage.

He has conquered the Quili, Merian, and Belmus systems, including planets such as Dasomir, Botajev, and Bandomare. His fleet now poses a threat to Taris and Mandalorian.

"...Major General Bontri has already briefed me on the battle situation." Dua Ningo drew circles on the table with his finger. "I suspect you suspect there's something wrong with Dooku's commanders?"

“It’s hard to say,” Trench bluntly avoided the question. “This raises the question: whom do you support, Dua Ningo?”

The Sallust man smiled wryly: “You ask this question without providing me with information to make an impartial judgment, as if I would make a decision based solely on a name! I know Dooku, but I don’t know our Supreme Commander… Please forgive my long absence. And I know that the Supreme Commander has overthrown the separatist government.”

Diedrich, Darling, and Renn remained silent, like wallflowers.

During the debate between the two old generals, they felt they had no room to interrupt.

Despite his short stature, Dua Ningo was just as imposing as Trench.

This was a dialogue between equals, and since joining the Confederate Armed Forces, Ryan wasn't quite used to this kind of scene.

True equality is not only about military rank, but also about equality in age, experience, and status.

Even when Trench met with Severn Tann, the atmosphere had never been so tense.

(End of this chapter)