Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 283-285 - Clearing the Area
Bellsmut Sector, Botajev System.

"Just disable it, no need to destroy it," Obi-Wan's voice rang out from inside the gunboat, calm and clear. "Remember, we are not here to conquer."

But Scout couldn't see how effective his master's words were.

Gunfire roared and thunder rumbled along the Botajev railroad as hundreds of warships clashed fiercely between towering overhead cables.

Even when the highest-ranking Jedi Generals give orders, their voices are quickly swallowed up by the battlefield's interference and chaos.

The young apprentices could only hear the shouts of the soldiers from the 2nd Airborne Company who were also on the gunboat.

The "Bad Cat" suddenly made a sharp turn, and several laser beams grazed the hull, so close that the starboard hatch was scorching hot.

Scout instinctively closed his eyes tightly and gripped the overhead handrails with both hands.

The gunboat rocked violently, and she struggled with all her might to maintain her balance, her knuckles turning white from the effort.

The hatch was tightly closed, and dozens of people were crammed into the dimly lit crew cabin. Everyone was on edge as the cabin swayed, and a sense of oppressive anticipation filled the air.

"Reconfirm the seals, everyone!" the clone commander Cody shouted, his voice cutting through the engine roar. "If you feel a little cold once the hatch is open... well, you're beyond saving!"

Scout was already familiar with the process. The equipment made a soft, rhythmic clicking sound as the soldiers checked their rifles for power, patted their ammunition belts, calibrated their jetpacks, and pressed their magnetic boot soles against the deck.

The communication channel was filled with hushed exchanges, but the most important thing was to repeatedly confirm whether the vacuum protective suit was completely sealed.

“You too, Scout,” Obi-Wan gently reminded him, as he steadily put on his helmet. “We’re landing in the heart of the firefight, and Skyhook’s atmospheric shield might not be reliable.”

Her master remained calm and composed. Even as the gunboat weaved through the gunfire, he simply held onto the bulkhead with one hand and casually rested the other on his lightsaber.

Scout had to admit that every time she saw him like this, she felt a little indignant... How could he remain so calm at a time like this?

Scout fastened his helmet, a soft vacuum seal sounded, and the digital head-up display suddenly lit up.

She shook her head, scanned the dense data on the screen, and counted all the response signals and identification marks inside the cabin.

Compared to this place, Bandomir is practically a training ground.

The gunboat spun sharply again, the impact of the turbine laser cannons causing the hull to creak and groan, explosions echoed from near and far, and flashes of light occasionally illuminated the tightly closed hatches.

Completely different from now, when the siege of Botajev first began, the Force had repeatedly warned her.

At the beginning of the siege, the Republic's fleet was the first to complete the encirclement.

Scout still remembered the size of the expeditionary fleet: hundreds of warships were specifically tasked with capturing Botajev, while hundreds more were scattered around the Sereno system, preparing to seize neighboring star sectors.

She had initially thought this would be another easy battle, and that the separatist forces, lacking unified command, would surrender within a week.

But Botadev is not Bandomir.

This is not a resource-depleted mining planet, but the most important shipbuilding world in the New Territories, which once supplied civilian cargo ships and passenger ships to the entire galaxy.

Now, only heavily armed battlecruisers and star destroyers are sailing out of these massive shipyards.

The entire planet resembles a steel sea urchin, with hundreds of carbon nanotube elevator cables, each 325 kilometers long, running from the surface to the track, connecting countless berths, supply stations, and dry docks, together forming the "Botajev Shipyard".

Master Prokon insisted that to take Botajev, they must first seize the orbital shipyard.

Master Mays Windu, Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Fleet's Army, also agreed.

"Kitty, this is Bread Bomber," a voice suddenly interrupted the communication channel. "Please respond if you receive this?"

"The signal is clear, please speak."

"Captain Jag's Vacuum Assault Team reports: enemy aircraft are interfering with the drop zone!" The pilot of the Bread Bomber's voice was urgent, and Scout's heart sank. "'Rotimonte' is clearing the area, but we have to drop ahead of schedule!"

"Understood, leave it to us!"

Six gunboats belonging to the 2nd Clones Airborne Battalion moved forward in formation like snakes, nimbly weaving through the steel jungle.

"General Kenobi!" the pilot of the Bad Cat reported without hesitation.

“I heard you, Captain.” Obi-Wan’s voice carried a hint of helplessness; Scout knew that tone all too well. “Just make sure it’s delivered safely, we’ll handle the rest.”

"Yes, General!"

Jedi Master nodded decisively to Commander Cody, who immediately issued concise instructions.

"Listen up, everyone!" he shouted into the internal communication system. "We can't go to the original drop point. Prepare for an unprotected airdrop! Check the equipment again! Magnetic boots, jetpacks, grappling hooks, safety ropes! Anyone who lands barefoot will be severely punished! Understand?!"

"Understood, sir!"

The clone soldiers responded in unison, nervously checking the equipment again in the confined space.

The alloy armor clashed and clicked. Scout swallowed hard and followed suit, checking himself. Magnetic boots! Lightsaber!

Then I checked everything again.

"Attention, everyone," the pilot's voice came through the communicator again, "Bad Cat is about to accelerate, prepare to break through!"

The so-called "breakthrough" refers to the final and most dangerous stage of a landing operation.

During this period, the gunboat will charge straight into the enemy's defensive perimeter and fighter interception network, completely breaking away from friendly forces' cover.

Countless soldiers perished helplessly during this voyage, and all you could do was sit there, feel every jolt, and pray that the next shot wouldn't hit you directly.

For Scout, this was pure torture.

Trapped in the cramped cabin, she was powerless to do anything about what was happening outside.

Her lightsaber, her training, her fighting instincts... were all useless until the hatch opened.

She could only grip the handrail tightly, feel the vibrations of the engine beneath her feet, and pray that the pilot could evade every wave of attacks from the separatist forces.

"Get ready to de-stress!"

The hatch of the LAAT gunship slowly opened, instantly exposing the crew compartment to the extreme cold and vacuum of space, where a suffocating silence enveloped everything.

Despite the fierce battle raging around her, Scout could only hear the pounding of her own heart, and her Leku twitched slightly with tension.

She peered through the crack in the door, and the sight of the besieged city made her hold her breath.

Hundreds of spaceships filled the space, and capital ships and fighter jets were locked in a chaotic battle.

The Jet-class Star Destroyers and the Separatist battlecruisers exchanged turbolases, their shields flashing under the continuous bombardment.

Fighter jets weaved through the giant ships like a dense swarm of bees, making sharp turns to evade anti-aircraft fire and missile trajectories.

Directly ahead, the orbital shipyard stands prominently, its massive floating structure anchored to the planet below by thick elevator cables.

Directly below, the HMS Rotimonte was listing dangerously, with a Divine Will-class destroyer bombarding its hull.

Its engine was flickering, and unfortunately, its starboard wing got tangled in an elevator cable.

The cables suddenly tightened, and the soldiers of the 2nd Airborne Battalion watched helplessly as the giant ship's engines failed, dragging the wreckage of the Skyhook as it plummeted toward the planet's surface.

For a moment, Scout was stunned; the shock of thousands dying at the same time echoed in her mind.

"Go to hell," Scout muttered under his breath, shrinking back involuntarily.

Almost every Skyhook is an independent battlefield, where the Republic's and the separatist forces' armies fight fiercely for control.

Soon, the second airborne company will reach their objective.

"Focus, Scout!" Obi-Wan Kenobi shouted sharply, his tone unusually urgent. "Concentrate!"

“I’m watching!” she shouted, keeping a watchful eye on the approaching shipyard outside the hatch.

The orbital facility's exoskeleton was riddled with turrets, each unleashing a torrent of fire on the approaching Republic forces. Captain Jag's ARC-170 fighter squadron circled nearby, desperately trying to intercept the Separatist starfighters.

Those weren't vulture robots, Scout noticed, but rather modified civilian fighter jets.

The gunboat rocked violently again, accompanied by a piercing alarm, as the shipyard's missile launcher fired three missiles, leaving clear contrails.

"Missile approaching!" the pilot shouted. "Hold on!"

Scout felt his stomach churning as the gunboat suddenly swooped down, narrowly missing the wreckage of a scrapped Disobedient-class light destroyer.

Before she could react, a blinding flash of light erupted behind her.

The Bad Cat made a sharp turn to evade the missile, narrowly missing it.

Thick smoke poured in through the door cracks, and heat waves rolled through the cabin, throwing everyone toward the left-side hatch.

"That was too close..." Before she could finish speaking, she saw another LAAT gunboat in the distance spin out of control, its engine being hit directly.

"Stay calm, Captain!" Obi-Wan's voice pierced through her chaotic thoughts, steady and unquestionable.

He glanced back at Scout, his expression unreadable, but within the Force, his presence was as stable as an anchor point.

Scout closed his eyes, taking half a second to feel the flow of the Force, allowing himself to regain his composure amidst the chaos.

When she opened her eyes again, her hands were no longer trembling, and her gaze had returned to its clear state.

(End of this chapter)