Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 275, Section 277 - Destruction Vanguard
Ryan thought he should really look up at the stars and find a star so far away that it was almost invisible.

Or perhaps we should search for a completely unfamiliar galaxy?

After all, he has a long life ahead of him, and he has the entire Confederate armed forces supporting him.

If he so desired, he could easily build several remote observatories and set up hyperspace telescopes in some secluded corner of the outer spiral arm, slowly gazing into deep space.

But that's a story for another time; now is not the time.

At the moment, Ryan knew very little about Grievous, but he was well aware that the general had once been the supreme commander of the Confederate robot army.

He must be regarded as a tactical mastermind on par with Severn Tann.

If that's the case, then in a direct fleet battle, probably no Republic fleet could be his match.

“We have to go and see for ourselves,” Raine suddenly said, walking slowly along the edge of the holographic projection platform.

As Augu's three yellow optical lenses rotated, they emitted a steady electronic voice: "Is it appropriate to take autonomous action at this time?"

Renn stopped, turned to face it, and gave a slight smile: "What do you think?"

"My approval is not important; your orders take precedence."

Raine clapped his hands with a "smack," the crisp sound suddenly exploding in the bridge, startling all the staff members who looked up.

"Then let's get started!" His voice was loud and unwavering. "Connect with the 'Scepter' and have Iliet immediately plan the shortest route to the Taris system!"

Ojost sector, orbit of the Talis system.

Shocked, bewildered, incredulous.

This is the most genuine feeling of Jedi Master Luminara Unduri at this moment.

Having fought for two years in this grand war that swept across the galaxy, she had only experienced a similar shock once, when it came from a then-unknown separatist commander in a remote outer star system.

Ambushing an interstellar fleet is a nearly impossible task.

The universe is vast and boundless, and the detection range of sensors far exceeds the range of weapons, often separating the two sides by light-hours.

In this era, to carry out such a precise ambush on an unsuspecting target, two conditions must be met.

Absolute control over the local celestial environment, and a certain extraordinary tactical cunning.

Luminara could not have known at the time that the clash two years earlier was a sign that a new enemy of the Republic was beginning to emerge.

Since then, she should have been more cautious whenever facing separatist adversaries.

It seems that some lessons are indeed difficult to remember after only experiencing them once.

Luminara pondered to herself while simultaneously directing the "Galan Task Force" to fully engage in the battle.

The "Victory-class" Star Destroyers pierced the flanks of the Separatist fleet like sharp blades. The Duonium metal hulls of these brand-new Star Destroyers gleamed under the starlight, and blue energy beams constantly shot from their turret decks.

'We were too hasty.'

The Jedi Master frowned slightly, feeling that the action had been too hasty.

Seemingly noticing the rare hint of worry on the usually composed general's face, the clone commander, Gerry, spoke up, saying, "We were fortunate to be separated from the main fleet when Grievous launched the ambush; at least we can still provide support now."

“In a way, that’s true,” the Milialan master replied in a low voice. “Can you make contact with the ‘Pride’?”

The advance of the "Galan Task Force" was suddenly halted as it ran headlong into a solid defensive line of Banking Alliance frigates.

The battle was so intense that the warships were almost engaged in close combat, with turbine laser cannons hitting their targets as soon as they left the barrels.

The "Generosity-class" frigates held the line and resolutely prevented the "Garland Task Force" from breaking through.

Luminara understood the reason.

Through a brief gap in the frigate's defenses, she saw the "Pride" heavily surrounded, like an isolated island amidst the intense firepower of the separatists.

A "Divine Will"-class cruiser hovered high above the Republic's flagship, ignoring the desperate resistance of the escort fleet and continuing to advance.

The Invisible Hand relentlessly unleashed its firepower on the Pride, while simultaneously sending out ship-cutters to pounce on the struggling vessel. On the other side of the defensive line, Luminara's flagship was forced to halt, unable to provide any support to General Grievous's onslaught.

“Machine-controlled warships,” Commander Gerry scoffed. “Even if we blow up their reactors from behind, they won’t budge an inch.”

"We've fought numerous separatists and witnessed their tenacity, to the point that we've begun to look forward to fighting robots," the Jedi Master calmly responded, "forgetting that robots are often just as stubborn as those with unwavering convictions, and perhaps even more inflexible."

"Robots cannot think like people with convictions."

Luminara Onduli pointed to the seemingly indestructible battle array before her: "When there is a unified command behind them, they don't need to think."

The clone commander frowned but did not refute.

Robots are essentially physical programs and computers; they only strictly execute the instructions they receive.

The biggest mistake the Separatist Alliance made in the early stages of the war was to allow inexperienced personnel to command the robot army, mistakenly believing that they could be directed like organic life forms.

Even the most outstanding general in the galaxy, if given command of a robot army, would be in trouble if interfered with by professional robot hackers.

The Pantora corrected this error through the Militia Act, and the Peremian Union and General Horn Ambigine's Fourth Fleet Group proved the value of this military reform.

So, what would it be like when an army of robots is handed over to a general who truly knows how to use them?
"The Conqueror-class destroyers are appearing on the starboard bow," Commander Gerry warned. "They're breaking through our formation. The Magnolia is advancing to defend the right flank, but it probably won't hold for long." "Is there any hope of turning this battle around, Commander?" the Jedi General asked, feeling the Force flowing through his fingertips. "Is there any way we can rescue the Pride?"

“Excuse my bluntness, General Anduley,” the clone commander replied curtly, “the best thing General Peel can do now is to initiate the self-destruct sequence before Grievous boards the Pride.”

These words were like a heavy blow, but she remained calm.

Instead of checking the tactical screen, Master Luminara delved deeper into the Force in search of answers.

The Pride was completely surrounded, and due to interference from the Grievous fleet, the signals it emitted from its tilting hull flickered intermittently.

The war situation is deteriorating irreversibly.

Under the fierce attack of the separatist destroyers, the "Magnolia" also had little time left.

A fire broke out in the middle of the ship, and the hangar door on the stern was wide open, but the gunners continued to fire. The overloaded point defense guns formed a dense fire net to intercept the attacking boarding ships.

Soon, the "Garland Task Force" will also be surrounded.

"Order all ships to disengage. The 'Magnolia' and 'Cockscomb' will take turns providing flank cover and hold out for as long as possible. The remaining task force will withdraw to the nearest hyperspace exit," Master Luminara commanded, her voice still firm. "Though it is heartbreaking, we must admit that we have lost this battle."

Commander Gerry didn't hesitate: "Execute immediately, sir!"

He shouted commands into the communicator, sharply directing the formation changes.

The Magnolia suddenly turned left, allowing the Cockscomb to move forward and bear the brunt of the main fire.

The Cockscomb's shields flickered and twisted violently, but it persisted in fighting and responded with a fierce volley of fire.

Meanwhile, the remaining ships of the "Garland Task Force" began to withdraw from the combat zone, their engines running at full power as they accelerated toward the exit of the hyperspace passage behind them.

Master Luminara briefly closed her eyes, extending her perception into the "Pride" through the Force.

She sensed the chaos on the flagship, the courage of the crew, and the unwavering resolve of Jedi Master Evan Peele under General Grievous's threat.

She sensed no fear in him, only resolute determination.

Then... the sensation of that primal force suddenly ceased.

A tearing roar swept through the Force as the Pride's main reactor exploded in a dazzling burst of energy.

The shockwave shattered the surrounding separatist boarding ships, tore through the shields of the "Invisible Hand," and exposed parts of its hull to the vacuum.

The wreckage of the Republic's flagship spiraled outwards, and the glowing cloud of debris, like a nova explosion, instantly illuminated the dark space.

The Force returned to calm, leaving only faint ripples from the instantaneous passing of countless lives.

Griffiths bet his boarding force was fast enough to take control of the warship before Evan Peel could initiate its self-destruct.

He lost his bet.

“By the dark stars above,” Commander Gerry gritted his teeth, “may that monster perish with it.”

Master Luminara was not swayed by Evan Peele's sacrifice and devoted herself to coordinating the battle retreat of the "Galan Task Force".

Outside the frigate defense line, the outer ships of the "Arrogance Battle Group" were also retreating, thrown into disarray by the destruction of their flagship.

Unfortunately, emergency jumps are extremely difficult as active intercept mines continue to create artificial mass shadows and tear through hyperspace channels.

"General," the communications officer reported quickly up to the bridge in a low voice, "the refugee transport ship requests permission to leave the combat zone."

"They haven't left yet?" The Jedi Master whirled around, his robes billowing. "Order them back to Taris immediately! The planet's surface is far safer now than being caught in our crossfire."

"Understood, sir."

As the communications officer ran back to his post, Commander Gerry approached him: "General, the enemy lines have been breached. We've begun pursuit. I recommend launching torpedoes."

“Our 'Victory-class' ships aren’t known for their torpedo launchers,” the Jedi General pondered. “How can we ensure that these weak attacks aren’t completely intercepted by their point defenses?”

“Unlike the Providence-class, the Generous-class and Punisher-class lack all-around point defense coverage,” the clone commander replied, his voice steady but tense. “They have a blind spot… on the forward section of the hull, above the curtain armor. We can program torpedoes to climb before diving. While this amount of firepower is unlikely to cause significant damage, it can at least delay their movements.”

“There’s no point in keeping the weapons.” Luminara Onduli nodded in approval. “Fire.”

"Yes, General."

Each of the Victory-class ships in the fleet cold-launched four torpedoes. These metal warheads sped through space, their ion blue attitude thrusters flashing briefly as they adjusted their course according to the predetermined trajectory.

Moments later, the retreat of the "Galan Task Force" was interrupted by a flash of intense fire, and a violet band of light arced upwards, forming a dazzling trail in the space above the fleet.

Just as Commander Gerry had predicted, the pursuing separatist warships immediately shut down their main engines, adjusted their hulls to adopt a defensive posture, and maximized their point defense range.

After reaching the apex of its trajectory, the torpedo stops its propulsion and flips over, allowing the guided warhead to lock onto the target.

Then it swooped down along the pulse driver, heading straight for the wave of defensive fire.

Turbo laser beams and anti-aircraft fire intertwined in the void. Master Luminara turned around, knowing that the pursuit had at least been temporarily delayed.

"We have broken through the barrier, General!"

(End of this chapter)