Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 279, Section 281 - Firepower Suppression
The Garland suddenly veered sharply to the left, its thrusters spewing out blazing blue flames as it executed the order to break free of the line of fire.

The surviving ships of the surrounding Garand task force followed suit, and their once orderly formation instantly collapsed.

The Jagdpanzer-class cruisers and escort ships hastily turned and made emergency evasive maneuvers, attempting to avoid the rapidly gathering destructive energy.

Raine stood in the center of the bridge, saw that the line of fire had been cleared, and nodded slightly.

"Lock on firing data!"

The core of the "Intruder" emitted a continuous, deep hum, as if the entire warship was poised for action.

Energy rapidly converged along the weapon systems in the center of the ship, and crackling electric arcs flickered and flowed on the surface of the hull.

The surrounding space was vaguely distorted, and the stars in my field of vision swayed slightly, bringing a brief moment of dizziness.

"Data synchronization complete!" a technical officer announced loudly.

"Energy level normal, target locked." Augu's synthesized voice rang out in the bridge, "Weapon number two is charging to critical state."

Renn took a deep breath and didn't hesitate:
"Fire!"

The ship's main gun fired.

Although the roar could not be heard in a vacuum, it stirred up violent disturbances on the electromagnetic spectrum, causing all ships within a 100,000-kilometer radius to tremble slightly from the energy tide.

The projectile fired by the gravity wave cannon was invisible; it was a tungsten alloy body traveling at near the speed of light, leaving a pale red gravitational distortion trail as it tore through space, and the surrounding spatial structure was visibly stretched and deformed.

No one saw the launch process clearly before the warhead hit the core area of ​​Grievous's fleet.

Atoms collide violently, fuse, and a chain reaction erupts in an instant.

The energy released was enormous; the entire battle line not only exploded, but was also transformed into an extremely bright nuclear fusion fireball, which was completely engulfed in the intense light.

The middle section of Grievous's dense battle line evaporated instantly, leaving only a continuously expanding cloud of scorching plasma and scattered fragments of the ship in the center of the formation, constantly spreading outward and devouring everything around it.

"General, we have received a communication from the public channel!" the communications officer shouted, turning around.

"That guy's still alive?" Renn frowned, his tone impatient. "How exactly do we kill him?"

“Hopefully it’s easier than killing you, sir!” a young officer blurted out.

Ryan paused for a moment, then pointed at him and said, "That's a good point. Bring him in."

A burst of static came through the communicator, followed by Griffiths's hoarse and distorted voice:

"You actually joined forces with the Jedi, Ryan Bontri, you traitor!"

“I’m not here to kill the Jedi, General,” Raine replied coldly. “I’m here to kill you. You’re the traitor… ever since your master, Count Dooku, betrayed the Confederation.”

All sensors indicated that Grievous's fleet had been severely damaged, and the remaining warships were regrouping in the chaos, taking refuge behind clouds of gas and plasma.

The No. 2 weapon suffered barrel overload damage after firing at full power, but the No. 1 weapon was still usable because its low-power mode allowed for rapid recharging.

This at least gave them another chance to kill Griffiths.

“Five rounds of ammunition left,” Grenifmark Demura calmly reminded him from the side.

Ryan was pulled back to reality.

One shot saved Talis, while the other severely damaged Grievous's fleet.

But is it worth wasting another shot on a severely wounded target?
With the "Destroyer" crippled and Grievous's forces reduced by more than half, the success rate of the Talis defense has greatly increased.

Although he is alive, he is no longer a threat.

Raine unconsciously rubbed his cheek with his finger, his gaze still fixed on the tactical hologram.

No.

The wreckage has become an obstacle.

The plasma cloud generated by the first shot is constantly spreading, which will interfere with the penetration effect of the kinetic energy warhead.

It acts like a shield. Unless the power is deliberately reduced to avoid atomic collisions, but that would defeat the purpose of the weapon and prevent it from causing effective damage.

Unless the "Destroyer" can be found.

Raine leaned down and asked Augu.

The super tactical robot paused briefly, its optical sensors dimming slightly, as if it were performing deep calculations.

Ultimately, its response remained mechanically calm:
"'Destruction' did not appear on the sensors."

In this chaotic battlefield wreckage, even a dreadnought that stretches for eight kilometers could be hidden.

It may be hiding behind debris clouds, or it may have already moved to a safe area.

pity.

It seems Griffiths is going to run away.

The Intruder was designed to achieve a decisive victory in one strike, but the situation became complicated after it failed.

Raine's mission was to destroy Grievous and the "Destruction," but the former survived and the latter was only slightly injured.

The cost, however, was extremely high... two non-renewable munitions, and more seriously, the "Intruder" and its secrets had been exposed to the entire galaxy.

Thinking of this... General Trench probably won't let him off easily.

“You’re right, Commander,” Raine finally spoke, and Demura looked slightly surprised. “This deal isn’t worth it. Do you have any suggestions on how to salvage it?”

Grenifmark Demura narrowed his eyes, his expression sharpening as he entered his most proficient actuarial mode.

Many people have forgotten that it was this man who sold three 19-kilometer-long interplanetary trains to the Peremia Alliance before the war, and it was he who staked the fate of the Lorona Corporation on vigorously promoting gravity-mass-driven artillery tactics... ultimately giving birth to the "Intruder".

“Admiral, we should take in the Republic’s survivors,” Demura suggested. “The existence of our weapons has been exposed, but their specific parameters remain classified. Christophersis, Bosaway, Kolumex, Comenno, Colfil… the Republic has experienced our strength on these battlefields. As long as the core performance of the ‘Intruder’ remains intact, there is still a chance to salvage the situation. We haven’t detected any scanning or optical locking of the ‘Intruder’ yet, and they don’t know our exact location.”

"Won't taking prisoners lead to leaks?" Ryan pressed, gesturing for him to continue.

“‘The Intruder’ is classified, but you’re still alive, sir,” the Ampuquin continued to explain. “The communication disruption at Talis was caused by Griffith’s attack, and Griffith himself wouldn’t announce your existence… The fact that he recognized you but didn’t pursue you proves this point. The remaining acquaintances are only the loyalists; controlling them is the only way to keep the operation secret.”

“Observing that the Republic’s task force still has the advantage in strength,” Augu interjected, his metallic voice echoing across the bridge, “it is not feasible to attempt to capture a superior enemy with inferior forces.”

“They outnumber us, but we have superior firepower,” Demura retorted, waving his hand. “The Intruder is a strategic asset; its very existence can rewrite the rules of combat. The Loyalists have just witnessed the power of the galaxy’s most powerful cannon. Our persuasion will carry significant weight… They have no choice but to submit, or they will face atomic-level annihilation.”

Ryan leaned back, carefully considering his words, and began to devise a specific plan in his mind.

“‘Augu’?” Renn turned to the tactical robot, wanting to hear its assessment.

To be honest, Demura's analysis was very convincing, and he was almost ready to make a decision.

"Assessment shows that Commander Demura's strategy is feasible."

Augu responded, and the optical sensor flickered.

"Notify Doddsian Iliette to broadcast a surrender proclamation," Rein immediately ordered, and the communications posts swiftly carried it out. "As for the fleet—"

"The sensors are malfunctioning!" Moore Danto suddenly reported in a panic. He had been adjusting the No. 1 weapon's aim at the "Destroyer": "Grievous is rushing out of the wreckage!"

An alarm sounded in Rein's mind, and the atmosphere on the bridge instantly became tense as officers hurriedly updated the data.

Grievous's fleet burst forth from the plasma-filled cloud of debris.

The count revealed that there were still four hundred warships, forming a well-organized battle formation, their thrusters flashing like a wall as they propelled Illyet's vanguard.

Even with more than half his troops lost, his forces still outnumbered Rennes' by three times, and having spent so much time regrouping, he clearly had no intention of retreating.

Augur stated directly, "After assessment, Grievous will launch a decapitation strike against the 'Intruder'."

“Too reckless,” Mur Danto scoffed, as if insulted. “Doesn’t he know what weapons we have? One shot is enough to turn his remaining fleet into cosmic dust.”

(End of this chapter)