Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 285-287 - The Stars Take Their Place (Part 1)

"The stars are in position!" Scout's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible tension. "We've arrived."

Arrived.

Sereno.

This is a garden planet that Count Dooku personally sculpted into an idyllic landscape.

From orbit, she could clearly see the planet's surface covered with lush rainforests, rolling mountains, and vast savannas, which extended to magnificent rivers and eventually flowed into the boundless ocean.

This is the "Silver Pearl" that the Confederation is so proud of.

It is also considered the end of the war.

Obi-Wan Kenobi sighed deeply.

Palpatine was actually the Sith Lord?

Normally, he would find this idea utterly absurd.

After all, the Speaker was outwardly a kind old man who publicly supported the Jedi Order in every difficult situation, single-handedly stabilizing the quarrelsome and nearly disintegrating Parliament.

However, Obi-Wan Kenobi was away fighting for most of the year and rarely set foot on Coruscant.

He knew very well that every praise the Speaker gave the Jedi in public was a veiled denigration of their character.

Every period of chaos secretly absorbs and co-opts corrupt factions.

Every effort to maintain peace is eroding its foundations for its own selfish desires.

As lasers and steel clash at the edge of the galaxy, a shadowy war of secrets and trust is quietly unfolding in the galactic capital.

All conflicts will come to an end on both battlefields.

One of them is right here, Sereno, whose goal is to dismantle the Sith apprentices.

Another one is in Coruscant, aiming to bring down the Sith Master.

Winning just one game is far from enough; we must achieve a complete victory.

The Sith are cunning and treacherous; any incomplete victory will only give them room to make a comeback.

Obi-Wan Kenobi closed his eyes, clenched his fists, and the aftershocks of the dark side coiled around him like invisible threads.

He felt a surge of stupidity and a deep sense of guilt.

Because deep down he knew he had already seen the truth.

The overlooked truth.

"If I told you that the Republic has now fallen into the hands of the Sith Lord, would you believe me?"

"Hundreds of senators were controlled by a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious."

Now, the Sith have launched this proxy war in an attempt to bring the entire galaxy to its knees, and the number of manipulated senators has already swelled from hundreds to thousands.

Obi-Wan Kenobi ignored this truth, even though it was right in front of him, ultimately plunging the entire galaxy into an existential crisis.

“Master?” Scout’s voice trembled slightly, pulling him back to reality from his heavy thoughts.

The girl was no longer lively and confident; years of fighting on various battlefields had robbed her of her naivety.

Her tone was full of anxiety and uncertainty, as if she didn't know whether to move forward or backward. Obi-Wan knew that, as a Jedi Master, he couldn't let his doubts affect her.

"What's wrong, my little apprentice?"

"Should we send a beacon?"

Obi-Wan nodded blankly.

Ahead, hundreds of enemy aircraft are on high alert.

The vanguard of needle-nose reconnaissance aircraft is escorting the main warship.

Among them are vulture robot fighters produced thirteen years ago, whose wings are like sharp blades.

It has a compact triple-unit fighter jet.

There are also the Twin-Beaked Southtex Starfighters produced by Geonosis.

The tactical hologram clearly shows the type and deployment of the main warships of the separatist forces.

The Trade Federation's Lucrehook-class battleships and core ships; the Technology Federation's Hard-Shell-class cruisers with columnar propellers and egg-shaped fuselages; the Merchant Guild's Diamond-class cruisers; and the Enterprise Federation's fan-tail ships; as well as various frigates, gunboats, and the Banking Federation's communications ships.

The "all-star lineup" of separatist forces has been assembled here.

The "open-loop fleet" was at a clear disadvantage in both numbers and firepower.

But this situation won't last long.

"Send it out, Scout," Obi-Wan Kenobi ordered.

Scout smiled, an expression rarely seen since the truth about Botajev was revealed. "You don't need to say it a second time, Master!"

Once the symbolic signal was sent, the advance battle group of the expeditionary fleet jumped to the Sereno system moments later. They had been waiting in Hydean Channel for this signal.

"The 'White Reflector' is reporting for duty," came the steady voice of Jedi Master Jaro Tappal. "The main force of the expeditionary fleet will arrive shortly after."

"'Selfless' combat group reporting for duty." This was followed by the stern and direct voice of Jedi Master Gilwin Reus.

Despite being more senior in terms of experience, Obi-Wan Kenobi still tensed up when he heard Master Gilvin's voice.

This master... to put it mildly, is indeed difficult to get along with. She is a newly promoted Jedi Master, promoted to fill a vacancy in the Order of the Warriors, and is extremely strict with herself and others.

She was once an apprentice of Count Dooku, inheriting not only his superb lightsaber skills but also his perfectionist tendencies.

Two years ago, during a joint mission in the Valdecia system, she clashed with Obi-Wan and Anakin's styles, constantly complaining about their chemistry and banter.

However, her swordsmanship was indeed superb, and she was generous in sharing her knowledge, personally instructing Scout and Ahsoka. Although her strict teaching methods made the two excited students quite restrained, it was still a great help.

"'Anvil' Task Force reporting for duty!"

"'Majesty' battle group reporting for duty."

“'Crush' battle group reporting for duty.”

More and more fleets are entering the star system, and the dense flow of communications is overwhelming, making the defensive forces of the separatist forces hesitant to take any rash actions.

"The Resolute has arrived."

Obi-Wan's attention was drawn to the name—it was the flagship of the Mace Windu master.

“Admiral Killian, this is General Obi-Wan Kenobi of the Open Ring Fleet,” he recognized the voice. “The ‘Hyperion’ task force should be here soon.”

“That’s right, General,” Admiral Sean Killian replied. “Master Procon is clearing out the Toplawa system. He has already sent us the order of battle. Please prepare to receive it.”

Why would Prokhor be late?

Obi-Wan Kenobi couldn't help but feel a little nervous and instinctively wanted to turn around and look.

In addition, Trench and Griffiths remain missing; the former disappeared near the Salin Corridor, while the latter was left with only wreckage around Taris.

The wreckage of the HMS Pride has been recovered, and there were no survivors. Preliminary assessments indicate that the explosion was caused by a reactor explosion.

It could only be inferred that Grievous had taken the life of another Jedi, and Obi-Wan could only pray that Luminara would escape. However, before he could even check the battle order, the Perseverance's communications came through again, this time with Mace Windu's deep, powerful voice.

“Count Dooku,” the Elder said resolutely, “this is your last chance. Surrender, and we will give you the respect and dignity you deserve. Members of the Sereno Defense Fleet… lay down your weapons. In the name of the Republic, I guarantee that you will all be protected by the ‘Rights of Intelligent Life’ clause in the Galactic Constitution.”

From the largest battleships to the smallest torpedo boats, not a single separatist warship showed any sign of backing down.

“Master Windu…” Count Dooku’s voice carried its usual elegance, even a hint of mockery, “These words might have been more believable two years ago. What makes these warriors believe in the Republic’s goodwill? You burned every planet from Salvara to Centares, blasted Metalon into slag heaps, turned Minsaka into a muddy hell, and massacred the cities of Cyrillia, and now you come to destroy their homes. You trampled Bandomir, and destroyed Botajev’s Skyhook—”

"Lies!" Mace Windu roared. "Dooku, we've given you chances for peace time and time again, given you the possibility of redemption, and this is how you repay us? Misleading the people with lies, inciting them to kill each other! When will you stop?"

"Why so agitated, Master?" Count Dooku chuckled, his tone so relaxed that Obi-Wan almost forgot he was at his wit's end. "Or do you truly believe that your 'precious republic' is without fault? That our Separatist Alliance is the source of all evil in the galaxy?"

The Force trembled violently.

If this question were posed to every member of the Jedi Order, it might spark profound disagreements.

All the Jedi knew which side Mace Windu would be on.

Some Jedi are well aware of the Republic's flaws and corruption; they are people who often navigate the political maze.

Some, however, turn a blind eye to this or refuse to confront it.

Most of them are people who are away on missions for most of the year.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was the latter.

He preferred to retreat to a cave to meditate alone rather than get involved in the complex affairs of the Republic.

Jedi Master, General of the Republic Army, member of the Elder Council... beneath these identities, he often felt that he was nothing.

Looking back, when they first became Anakin's mentors, the two were frequently sent on missions to remote planets, often missing out on Coruscant's political entanglements.

At that time, he was still learning how to become a true Jedi... because there was an undeniable fact about the Jedi Order.

Only when one becomes a master does true spiritual practice begin.

The essence of becoming a master comes from the process of teaching students.

Although the young, hot-blooded, and unruly Anakin Skywalker gave him a lot of headaches back then... looking back now, it was a relatively peaceful time.

A period of time when they were completely unaware of the darkness growing at the center of the Milky Way.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is no longer the politically apathetic Jedi he once was.

He would neither describe the republic as "a rotting corpse wrapped in silk" like the master Adi Gallia, nor would he cherish this increasingly corrupt system as if it were his beloved parents.

He always regarded peace as the highest pursuit, and for a long time, the Republic has indeed been a symbol of peace.

But now, everything has changed.

Indeed, some Jedi players genuinely love the Republic.

They firmly believe that they owe the Republic a life, and they love and respect it like a parent, feeling a responsibility to protect the Republic and its constitution.

Or, to use Gallia's more pointed words, some Jedi are like dutiful sons guarding a morgue, stubbornly refusing to leave even when the world around them is ablaze.

Master Mace Windu is a typical example of this type of Jedi.

At this moment, Obi-Wan could clearly feel the deepening cracks within the expeditionary fleet.

The initial determination to unite against the common enemy and end the war, which was present at the beginning of the Battle of Hydean, has long been worn away and turned to dust.

Today, the Jedi are wary of both imagined and real enemies, and frequently look back.

They looked at the soldiers they had fought alongside for many years with suspicion in their eyes.

When they looked at each other, their gazes darted around, unsure of whom to trust or whether they were still on the same side.

We don't even know who is in the know.

The Jedi Expeditionary Force fleet is like a tapestry with its edges constantly peeling away.

Master Procon needs the tapestry to remain in place for a while longer before he can completely trap Count Dooku.

"When will you understand?" Dooku's tone carried a grandfatherly disappointment. "When will you admit that we are not evil? When will you see that you have torn the galaxy to shreds to protect a republic that no longer protects you? I also want to ask you, how many more people will you kill? How many more planets will you burn? How many more years will you make the galaxy suffer before you admit that you fought the wrong war?"

The Force trembled violently once again.

Uncertainty hung over every warship like a dark cloud.

Every word Dooku uttered deepened the unease of the expeditionary fleet, while boosting the morale of the Sereno defense fleet.

Seeing that Master Windu was about to utter inappropriate diplomatic language again, relying on his blunt and almost rude nature, Obi-Wan decided to step in and mediate.

"Count Dooku," he announced to the massive audience of over three thousand warships, "let's stop this pointless war of words and resolve this conflict simply and directly. What do you want us to do to surrender?"

The usually astute Dooku fell into a long silence.

Scout stared at him wide-eyed. Admiral Brock paced back and forth on the bridge, his hands clenching and unclenching, looking extremely nervous.

finally--

“Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan…” Dooku’s tone was playful, and Obi-Wan immediately realized what he was thinking.

“I guess,” Obi-Wan said cautiously, suppressing the guilt rising in his throat, “you didn’t come here to show off your victory, did you?”

“I don’t consider myself that shallow,” Dooku replied, his posture still haughty.

“Of course,” Obi-Wan Kenobi agreed.

An almost deafening silence fell between the two fleets.

“Speaking of which…” Obi-Wan could hear the bitter smile on Dooku’s face in the communication. “I told you this would happen.”

Silence descended once more, but it was noisier than before.

In this silence, the two engaged in a conversation that was filled with unspoken words, which no one but those who knew the truth could understand.

“It’s not too late to fix this, Dooku,” Obi-Wan pleaded. “The Republic…”

“The Republic is beyond saving,” Count Dooku interrupted abruptly. “It’s too late. The only way to save the galaxy now is to overthrow the Republic and start over. Unfortunately, that will never happen. Therefore, this confederation is the only way for us to protect this beloved galaxy.”

Obi-Wan closed his eyes tightly.

If only you knew.

If only you knew how real all of this was.

If only you knew that we had long ago planned to overthrow everything and rebuild the Milky Way.

"...You seem quite pleased with yourself," the Jedi Master said to his fallen fellow disciple.

“Remember, the Confederation will not perish because of me,” Count Dooku’s voice suddenly became firm and powerful. “Remember, this Confederation has etched its existence into the foundation of the galaxy. Remember, we will fight for it to the very end, until the end of this dark age, when the light that belongs to us will arrive.”

How much of what he said was the truth, and how much was just a show to boost the morale of the crew and soldiers?
Obi-Wan Kenobi really couldn't explain it.

He swallowed hard, feeling the dryness in his throat.

"Then I think we have nothing more to say."

(End of this chapter)