Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 277-279 - Open Fire!
“Hit confirmed,” Grenifmark Dimura said in a low voice, unable to hide his disappointment, “but Grievous seems to still be alive.”

“Observation report: No explosion detected.” Augu’s electronic voice took over coldly. “The main gun system of the ‘Destroyer’ may only be temporarily malfunctioning. We have failed to completely destroy this dreadnought as originally planned.”

“There was no other choice at the time.” Moore Danto’s tone remained calm. “Admiral Bontri repeatedly emphasized that we had to interrupt the 'Destroyer’s' firing sequence. There simply wasn’t enough time to fully charge the No. 2 gun. The kinetic kill vehicle’s initial velocity was insufficient, which meant that it couldn’t fully convert mass into atomic energy upon impact.”

Ryan rested his chin on his hand, silently staring at the tactics screen.

Traditional mass-accelerated weapons, such as railguns, often suffer from "over-penetration" due to excessive projectile velocity, resulting in a significant waste of kinetic energy and ultimately less than ideal destructive effects.

But the "Intruder" is not like that at all.

This super battleship is equipped with twin gravitational wave cannons, capable of accelerating warheads to terrifying speeds.

Upon impact, the warhead will "stick" to the atoms on the target surface, as tightly as friction welding.

Then, the atoms are squeezed violently, triggering a chain reaction similar to particle collisions or even nuclear fusion, and the nuclear energy contained in the entire warhead will be completely released inside the target.

In other words, the speed of the Intruder's warhead has transcended the realm of ordinary kinetic weapons, entering a completely new physical realm.

The speed was unimaginably high, and the resulting damage was qualitatively different.

Of course, all of this is predicated on the warhead having a sufficiently high initial velocity.

According to Raine's understanding, "fast enough" means at least 70% of the speed of light.

“If the No. 2 gun could have been charged a little longer,” the commander from Skakoan grumbled under his breath, “we wouldn’t have wasted this round of ammunition.”

This is precisely the focus of the current debate on the bridge.

As soon as Raine led the fleet out of hyperspace, they saw the "Destroyer" pointing its main gun at Talis.

If they had waited until the No. 2 gun was fully charged before firing, the 'Destroyer' would have already opened fire.

“If that shot is fired…” Renn suddenly stood up, his voice unusually calm, “half of Taris will be turned into scorched earth. The firepower of the ‘Destroyer’ is enough to penetrate the planetary shield. I have no doubt that if we fire another shot, half of the surface will become hell.”

He paused briefly, then said with even greater conviction, "So I don't think that last shot was a 'waste'."

According to galactic history, Talis was once a wasteland four thousand years ago and has not fully recovered to this day.

“No one here questions your decision, General,” Grenifmark Dimura said, raising his hand in a smooth tone.

He also gave the stubborn Skacoan a sneer. "But the supervisor's point is that we just used one of our seven rounds, and we didn't even manage to permanently disable the target. Compared to the damage we caused in Colfil, this one round was far too inefficient."

He didn't actually explain it completely.

Talis is currently still a loyalist planet.

Raine knew that preserving the planet and its inhabitants, allowing them to continue fighting for the Jedi, was in their best interest.

He stared intently at the screen.

The Destroyer, heavily damaged, staggered toward its own fleet seeking cover.

This giant ship is now isolated and without any protection, making it an ideal target for starfighters.

It took a great deal of self-control for Raine to suppress the urge to send out all his fighters and destroy it completely before it could rendezvous with Grievous's fleet.

Because they themselves are also exposed to danger.

The Intruder was equipped with only a small hangar, barely enough to fit a shuttle and a squadron of vulture robot fighters.

In addition, five "Generosity-class" frigates were transferred from a nearby star sector. These frigates were also equipped with additional intelligence equipment, bringing the total to only six squadrons of Vulture robots.

The sole mission of these six light attack aircraft formations is to prevent some reckless Jedi pilot from launching a suicide attack on the Intruder.

After all, this super battleship was supposed to operate in secrecy, but Rein's shot just now was tantamount to announcing its existence to the entire galaxy.

The reason Grievous didn't send all his fighters to attack them was twofold: firstly, their small task force was still at the edge of the enemy's sensor range; secondly, the Republic fleet was positioned right in the middle.

“Then we should make sure the next shot hits a vital spot, shouldn’t we?” Ryan glanced at everyone dismissively. “We have six rounds left. It would be best to take out Grievous and destroy the ‘Destroyer’ before we’ve used half of them.”

“I need to clarify, do you plan to engage Grievous in direct combat, Admiral?” Augu asked, his tone neither panicked nor indifferent. “Although we have been exposed, we can still evacuate before the enemy can scan and identify the true strength of the ‘Intruder’.”

“We’re here to kill Grievous,” Raine said, walking around the captain’s chair and leaning back against it. “We mean what we say.”

Commander Dimura interjected uneasily, “Sir, if I may be so bold, that robot is right. We should evacuate before being fully scanned. Admiral Trench has made it clear that the ‘Intruder’ must wait for the right moment to reappear.”

“That was a suggestion, not an order,” Ryan said calmly. “Besides, what is ‘the right time’? General Trench has his principles, but I don’t agree with them.”

Why keep the "Intruder" hidden and unused?

Just ridiculous.

Any weapon left unused is a waste.

While superweapons like the Intruder should not be abused, ultimately, all weapons should be.

The true meaning of a super weapon is a force multiplier.

Strictly adhering to Trench's principle of secrecy is like carrying a life-saving pill but refusing to take it. "What if there's an even tougher boss coming up later?"

"This boss looks easy, but what if there are stronger ones later?"

"This boss is difficult... but we can beat it. Let's save it for the final level."

"So the game ended?"

When war is inevitable, hiding such weapons will only further demoralize people and diminish their belief in victory.

Ryan has six bottles of "potion" left – six rounds of ammunition.

If you don’t need it now, when will you wait?
Moreover, resupplying at Graflex is a long way off, and at most only two launches can be made per day.

What does "the right time" mean?
It's right in front of you.

There is an enemy commander, enemy superweapons, and a planet that needs to be saved.

Raine's conscience told him that he could not stand idly by and watch a monster like Grievous run rampant, even though he clearly had the ability to stop it.

“Weapons are built to be used,” Ryan snapped his fingers, and a holographic tactical star map instantly popped up in the center of the cockpit. “So we’d better start planning how to use them effectively.”

"Received." The AEUG's fuselage was in position, and the bridge lights switched to combat mode. "Please give the order, Admiral."

“First,” Raine said solemnly, “Grievous has superior forces, and we need more ships and firepower. Inform Dodcia Iliette to send an advance squadron to cover the Republic’s evacuation.”

"You intend to ally with the Republic, sir!" Moore Danto rushed to the captain's table. "They'll find out everything about the 'Intruder'!"

"So what?"

"Order received." Augu's deep voice echoed across the bridge. "All ships: execute Combat Order No. 4 and deploy in designated formations."

The tactical robot turned to Rein: "We need fire support. Requesting the deployment of a 'Generosity-class' frigate."

"First, let them hand over control of the fighter jets to the 'Intruder'," Ryan decisively ordered. "Approve deployment."

Outside the porthole, the streamlined "Crest-class" frigates sliced ​​through the dark space like silver fish, quickly forming four distinct squadrons.

Two forward squadrons, each consisting of 20 ships, were deployed far ahead of the "Intruder" to guard the entrance to the hyperspace passage.

Two rear guard squadrons, each consisting of 10 ships, were positioned forward on the port and starboard sides respectively, forming a tiered defensive formation.

The fifth squadron, consisting of the five "Generosity-class" frigates, whose sub-light-speed engines shone brightly in the void, was deployed between Squadrons A and B and had already sent out all its light attack aircraft.

Compared to the elegant and smooth "Crest" class, the "Generous" class has a sharp and angular profile that exudes a fierce aura.

All around, a swarm of vulture robot fighters, under the direct command of the "Intruder," assembled and hovered near the gun emplacements like a bee to conserve energy.

With a super tactical robot commanding the overall situation with capabilities far exceeding those of Raine, Raine began to take stock of his own forces:
60 Peak-class corvettes, 5 Generous-class corvettes, and 1 Intruder-class battleship.

The number of enemy warships is unknown, but it is definitely far greater than theirs.

His plan was clear: to facilitate the Republic task force's evacuation, create an opportunity to snipe and destroy the "Destruction," and ideally, eliminate Grievous as well.

"All ships are in position," Augur officially announced. "Enter standby status!"

"Cannon number one is loaded, General!" Moore Danto reported to Rein, his voice still brimming with barely suppressed excitement despite his lingering doubts.

“Alright, Griffiths,” Renn muttered to himself, his eyes glued to the screen, “let’s play a capture-the-flag game!”

……

……

"A warship is approaching at high speed from the back of Talis!" The sensor director's voice suddenly tightened. "If we want to enter hyperspace, we must act immediately!"

"Cancel the warp command!" Commander Gerry roared at the helmsman. "There are separatist warships blocking the way!"

Master Luminara Onduli took a deep breath, immersing herself in the unique calm and clarity of the Jedi, silently observing the evolution of the battle.

To prevent them from immediately jumping into hyperspace, Grievous had just dispatched a squadron of Moonifex-class fast cruisers to quietly block their path while communicating with Hydra.

They could still force a jump... but there's a high chance they'd collide with those light cruisers while in a pseudo-motion state.

Ordinary crew members would never dare to stop a leaping fleet, especially one that is much larger.

But the robotic crew members have absolutely no such concerns.

"Full speed ahead!" Luminara Onduli's voice was clear and calm, without the slightest wavering. "Break through the blockade!"

The order was quickly relayed throughout the fleet.

"General's orders received! All ships, take note: proceed at full speed via a flanking maneuver!"

(End of this chapter)