Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 280, Chapter 282 - Twists and Turns
Renn leaned forward, his brow furrowed, his gaze sweeping carefully over the tactical hologram.

On the surface, Danto's judgment makes a lot of sense.

Grievous's reckless charge was indeed both reckless and impulsive... it was practically a gamble that would lead to his demise.

But one detail made Ryan uneasy; he felt that something was not quite right.

Although he hadn't fought Grievous much, he was certain of one thing: this cyborg general was no ordinary man.

If it weren't for Ryan's previous covert maneuvering, Grievous would have been firmly in his position as the Supreme Commander of the Confederate Armed Forces, leading his army to Coruscant.

As the standard battle formation charged straight at him, Renn was certain that Griffiths was up to something.

But what exactly?
This is the "Standard Combat Order No. 4," one of the five basic formations in the Confederate Fleet's operational regulations, and its design is extremely simple.

It is precisely this minimalist design that makes it almost flawless.

So, what special adjustments did Grievous make to the Intruder?
Raine unconsciously pursed his lips, a subtle movement that was immediately noticed by the three-eyed robot Augu beside him, which immediately went into full alert mode.

When Ryan recalled the junior officer course and learned about "Combat Order Four," what was the primary consideration?
“Formation dimensions,” Raine muttered to himself, “appropriate spacing between ships, and the integrity of the fire line.”

Without hesitation, Augu immediately instructed the sensor team to calculate the specific dimensions of the enemy's formation.

Rein was so engrossed in analyzing Grievous's formation that he didn't even notice the tense atmosphere on the bridge.

The previous doubts and ridicule have all turned into suppressed silence.

At least four hundred warships.

Raine squinted, noticing that Grievous had arranged the fleet in two columns, a configuration typically used to enhance impact and suitable for breaking through enemy lines.

but why……

"How can his formation be so loose?" Renn blurted out, a terrible thought suddenly flashing through his mind, "This is a mistake only a novice would make!"

An efficient combat formation requires a compact fire configuration and crossfire range, which is typically only executed perfectly by robotic crews.

Of course, organic crews can also do this, especially with the assistance of automatic navigation systems, and the formation can also have many variations.

But there is a basic principle... to defeat the enemy, you must concentrate your firepower, which means that the formation must be as tight as possible.

Renn zoomed in on the holographic image and examined it closely.

The result was unexpected; Griffiths' formation was surprisingly loose.

It is difficult to make a direct judgment in the vastness of space, but the Intruder's sensors were the most advanced technology in the Confederacy.

Data shows that the spacing between Grievous's warships was unusually large, and the only thing that showed careful design was the exceptionally precise line of fire.

“This is bad,” Raine suddenly cursed. “Damn it! Helmsman, start the reverse thrust engines at full power. Navigator, immediately plan the jump route to Odesigat. Engineering Department, shut down Weapon One and complete the hyperlight engine warm-up before the enemy enters firing range!”

“Understood,” Augu immediately grasped Raine’s intention and carried out the order without question. “Then what should be done with the Republic’s survivors?”

“The Intruder has actually lost its combat advantage,” Raine leaned back in his command chair, a strong sense of frustration welling up inside him. “If I had a fleet of sufficient size, I would have already rushed in and crushed that flawed formation… But the conditions don’t allow it now. I’m contacting the Republic commander to negotiate.”

……

“It seems that the butcher has no intention of retreating,” Master Luminara Anduli said softly, her fingers slightly raised as if sensing the invisible fluctuations in the Force.

“General, Given is just as nervous as we are.” Clone Commander Gerry nodded in agreement, while warily surveying the situation around the fleet.

After successfully escorting the Garan task force away from the line of fire, the Givens' "Crest-class" frigates are urgently regrouping.

Construct a defensive wedge array around the "Galan" and other surviving ships of the Republic.

At the same time, five "Generosity-class" frigates were arranged diagonally to meet the invading enemy head-on.

Almost simultaneously, jamming beams were fired at Grievous's formation, disrupting its targeting systems and communications networks.

The enemy warships immediately became sluggish and their movements became chaotic, with the interference field clearly disrupting their coordinated combat capabilities. Behind this defensive line, the "Crest-class" frigates operated with precise, mathematical-level movement, their crossfire network flexibly tracking and engaging the Vulture robot squadron attempting to flank them.

In this war, the fact that the Republic and the Separatist forces joined forces to fight against a madman who was trying to destroy the planet was truly extraordinary.

"A massive gravitational signal has been detected behind us!" the sensor chief shouted a warning. "It looks like that superweapon is recharging again!"

Is this time aimed at Grievous?

Before Luminara could respond, the communications officer suddenly turned around: "General, there's a communication request on the public channel!"

Luminara suddenly felt a sharp pain in her senses, as if something had touched her brow: "Where is the signal coming from?"

“Unknown,” the officer replied, “but the signal signature matches that giant ship behind the battlefield… the one that launched that terrible weapon.”

A giant ship.

They only knew this vague name for the Separatist Alliance's latest superweapon.

Even though they were on the same battlefield, the ship was always kept at a distance, and they knew very little about it, only about the devastating consequences it caused.

"Bring them in," Luminara ordered. Whatever the issue, avoidance won't solve anything.

The bridge fell silent the moment the communication was established.

"Attention all Republic ships, I am Admiral Ryan Bontry of the Confederate Navy," the voice from the Battle Hydra was unexpectedly calm and composed, more like a scholar in an academic lecture hall than a commander on a battlefield of this caliber. "I propose a temporary ceasefire. Grievous is not a friend of the Confederacy, and I share more common ground with you than he does."

A murmur arose among the crew, filled with surprise and doubt.

Luminara could feel the tension in the Force; the pressure of fear was almost suffocating.

She raised her hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

“I am Luminara Unduri, Jedi General of the Republic Army,” the Grandmaster replied calmly, her fingers unconsciously touching the hilt of her lightsaber. “I thought General Grievous was like you, a commander of the Separatist forces.”

“…Jedi Master, it’s been a long time,” Raine’s voice carried a barely perceptible fluctuation. “Please allow me to correct you. Grievous is a separatist force, but it is by no means a friend of the Confederation. Just as some Loyalist terrorists are not loyal to Coruscant, there are also separatist warlords who are not loyal to Laxus.

“I’ve learned something, Admiral,” the Miriaran Jedi said, his gaze fixed on the battlefield outside the porthole of the “Garland,” where Republic and Confederate warships were working together to create a fire network to intercept incoming missiles. “Please continue. What are your specific suggestions?”

“I have cleared an evacuation route to Odesigate,” Raine said in a calm, professional tone. “If we allow the Givens to synchronize your engines, we might be able to escape unscathed.”

Luminara's lips curled into a slight smile: "Aren't you going to use your superweapon?"

The other party's reply carried a hint of regret: "I'm afraid not. Unfortunately, Grievous has figured out my weakness... I don't have enough troops to exploit his flaws."

“You’re too confident.” Luminara looked at Commander Gerry, who shook his head slightly in warning. “And what happens after we arrive in Odesigat?”

Gerry made a silent gesture, indicating that caution was needed.

“Either we reach an agreement or we go our separate ways. Did Paris Orpheus mention anything to you?” Ryan’s voice suddenly became subtle.

“She doesn’t need to say anything; I can sense a lot from her.” Luminara’s tone sharpened as she tapped her fingers lightly on the control panel. “I do suspect that you’re behind all of this.”

“Not the mastermind, just a facilitator.” Ryan’s answer was watertight.

"Really?" Luminara asked, her voice tinged with obvious skepticism.

“General,” the clone commander whispered, “'Crest-class' requests navigation permissions.”

Jedi Master Luminara Unduri, her arms crossed and concealed within her robes, continued to sense the invisible fluctuations of the Force.

She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, a resolute glint in them.

“Okay,” she finally decided, “we do have a lot to discuss in detail.”

(End of this chapter)