Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 293-295 - Controlling the Stars (Part 1)

Stardust in the Karamis sector flowed slowly outside the porthole like fine silver sand.

The gravitational field of Toprava, like an invisible giant hand, is quietly distorting the surrounding spacetime, even causing subtle ripples in the starlight.

"Grievous's fleet has turned!" Captain Demura's roar broke through the commotion on the upper deck. He gripped the communicator tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, and bloodshot veins filled his eyes. "Their fire control system has locked onto us! The energy signal strength is escalating!"

"The bow and stern are arranged in a linear formation. The right-wing vanguard echelon should immediately move three coordinate units to the left!" Ryan's fingertips flew across the smooth interface of the tactical console, leaving behind faint blue afterimages of his actions.

His eyes were fixed on the flashing star map, his pupils slightly contracted with focus, and he spoke so fast that he barely paused, “Execute the orders immediately after confirmation! Deploy the left flank in a line formation, and make sure to entangle the enemy rear guard and slow down their advance! Turn the entire ship to starboard and maneuver along the forward trajectory! Main gun squadrons, have you hit your targets?”

"The sensor has locked onto the target stably, General!" The observer's voice, tinged with barely suppressed excitement, came clearly from the communication channel, accompanied by the urgent beeping of instruments in the background.

During the month or so that he commanded the "Intruder" in battle, Rein had been exploring the combat logic of this cutting-edge warship in the galactic battlefield.

As an "Intruder-class" warship designed specifically for special tactics, it was never a true stealth killer.

Each high-energy main gun firing generates a powerful light signal comparable to a supernova explosion on the interstellar sensor array, like lighting a giant torch in the dark universe.

Although it has a stealth mode, when activated, it can only be equipped with mature but mediocre weapons such as ordinary coilguns or mass accelerators.

Once the main guns roar, it's tantamount to announcing the existence of a super warship to the entire star system, leaving no room for concealment.

Any general with basic command capabilities, as long as an effective forward reconnaissance network is deployed, can detect the trajectory of an attack before the main artillery fire reaches the main battle line, even within a few light-minute intervals.

In this way, the "intruder-level" designation becomes clear.

It is a giant battering ram, a siege cannon designed specifically to destroy high-value fixed targets that cannot be avoided, such as interstellar fortresses, combat space stations, and planetary shields. It was born to breach defenses and attack strongholds.

Undeniably, the Intruder was the undisputed ace of the fleet, and its existence greatly enriched strategic and tactical options.

But Rennes would never make it the flagship, solely because of its special nature.

The Intruder perfectly embodied the theory of "existing fleets." Its sheer deterrent power forced Grievous to widen the gaps between his fleets, directly weakening the cohesion of the enemy's overall battle line.

However, the price is that once its whereabouts are exposed, it will instantly become the target of the entire galaxy.

After all, a warship capable of destroying an undefended fleet and penetrating a planet's shield with a single, precise shot would inevitably be the highest priority target for all factions.

"Hit confirmed!" Captain Demura's roar suddenly rose, his tone full of excitement, even causing the communicator to vibrate slightly. "A Luke Hook-class cruiser has been destroyed! A chain reaction of explosions has occurred in the energy core!"

Ryan gripped the edge of the monitor tightly with his fingers, his knuckles turning white from the force, and at the same time quickly grabbed the observation scope and aimed it at the target airspace.

In the field of vision, the iconic ring-shaped hull spun wildly in the vacuum like an out-of-control frisbee. The broken wreckage trailed pale blue energy trails as it slowly dispersed, and metal fragments and liquid coolant condensed into tiny ice crystals in the low temperature.

"Immediately relock onto 'The Invisible Hand'!" Rein ordered immediately, his eyes sharp as an eagle as he scanned every data node on the tactical screen. "Main guns one and two, load and stand by! Regardless of ammunition consumption, even if we run out of all our ammunition, we must disable its core system!"

"Locking in progress..." Mur Danto's electronically modulated voice came through the tactical channel, with the characteristic calmness of a machine, devoid of any emotional fluctuation. "The enemy formation has adjusted to a single column and is turning to the right. Vector coordinate calculation in progress. Parameter calibration is expected to be completed in thirty seconds!"

On the tactical screen, the engine nozzles of the Grievous fleet lit up one by one, and the orange-red plasma streams drew bright trails in the darkness.

Led by the flagship "Invisible Hand," enemy warships formed a straight column and sped toward our "Invader Task Force" along the gravitational arc of Toprava.

This was a baffling decision... Anyone with a basic understanding of tactics knows that using a column formation to charge at our side's broadside firing formation is tantamount to deliberately exposing the ship's weak points to a barrage of fire, which is no different from suicide.

General Grievous is allowing them to gain a "T" advantage, and is actually using a completely opposite formation to force our battle line.

Rein narrowed his eyes, his fingertips rapidly slid across the tactical map, his brow furrowing deeply. Only a mediocre commander would fall into such an obvious trap.

Although this statement sounds somewhat arrogant, Raine is by no means an ordinary person, thanks to the experience he has accumulated in dozens of battles.

“We need to broaden our battle lines,” Renn muttered to himself, his gaze shifting between the star map and sensor data. “But that would reduce the density of frontal firepower… Augur, come and help with the analysis.”

The massive tactical robot strode heavily to the tactical map, its metal joints emitting a soft "click" sound.

Rein leaned back in his command chair, rapidly constructing a three-dimensional model of the entire battlefield in his mind, clearly showing the position, speed, and weapon status of each warship.

In a conventional battlefield, a column formation engaging a flank salvo is suicidal, but the battlefield here is special... There are two super weapons here.

The Independent System Confederation's long-range sniper ship "Intruder" and the enemy's super-large dreadnought "Invisible Hand".

The instant the engine nozzles of Grievous's fleet were perfectly aligned on the tactical map, Raine suddenly understood his intention, a knowing glint in his eyes.

Previously, our main gun accurately hit the bow of the "Invisible Hand" ship, effectively crippling its main weapon array, but the enemy's core propulsion system remained undamaged.

Unlike the Intruder, which is a pure siege weapon, the Invisible Hand is, according to intelligence drawings, a genuine frontline dreadnought.

The massive hull, five kilometers long, is covered with six billion tons of Donium alloy armor, and its hull is covered with turbine laser turrets. Its close-in weapon network is also extremely dense.

Once the "Invisible Hand" breaks into our battle line, it will tear apart their formation like a runaway behemoth, forcibly creating a breach with its heavy armor.

More importantly, its huge radar cross-section can conceal most of the fleet behind it, completely avoiding the biggest disadvantage of a column formation against a flank salvo formation.

To break through, they could widen the battle line, increase the range of firepower, and find angles to attack the enemy's rear, but this would disperse the overall firepower, weaken the battle line, and make it easier for the "Invisible Hand" to break through the defenses.

"Tactical suggestion: Execute reverse combustion." Augu's electronic voice was flat, his mechanical eyes flashing red as he scanned data. "Anchor the Toplava main star to the starboard side, using the gravitational field to compress the Grievous fleet's attack angle to the maximum extent. At the same time, tighten our fire range and concentrate all main guns to prioritize destroying the 'Invisible Hand', stripping the enemy's core deterrent capability."

Raine nodded immediately, pressed the communicator to call Captain Demura, and said decisively, "The robot's plan is feasible. Activate the reverse thrusters immediately. Once the second main gun locks onto the target, fire immediately. Do not wait for instructions. Try to inflict heavy damage on them before they adjust their attitude!"

As the Intruder's propulsion system recirculated, a slight jolt traveled across the bridge, and a subtle vibration came from beneath the seats.

This was followed by a deep, rumbling sound.

That was the sound of an apartment-sized metal shell sliding into a giant cannon barrel, each loading accompanied by the "hissing" of the hydraulic system, like a pounding on everyone's heart.

"General!" the communications officer suddenly cried out, his voice trembling uncontrollably as his hands frantically operated the control panel. "An unidentified signal is being transmitted on the open communication frequency! Spectral and code analysis confirms it's Grievous's exclusive signal!"

"This general certainly has a lot of leisure time. Even with the enemy troops almost at the city gates, he still has the mind to greet them." A cold smile appeared on Ryan's lips, his eyes showing no sign of relaxation. He said in a deep voice, "Transfer to my control panel and activate the encrypted channel to prevent information leakage."

"Understood, sir! Enforcing encrypted transfer!"

“August, this is yours.” Raine switched the console to receiver mode, his finger hovering over the emergency button, ready to deal with any unforeseen circumstances. “Execute the feint and pincer attack as planned. Dodsien Ellit’s fleet should be circling the dark side of Toplava right now, and is expected to arrive at the designated position in ten minutes, ready to launch a surprise attack on Grievous’s fleet from the rear.”

Our mission is to draw the enemy's attention to the point that they mistakenly believe we are about to launch a frontal assault. As the battlefield situation changes, you can adjust your strategy independently based on the actual circumstances; you don't need to consult us on every matter.

"Instructions confirmed, General."

Augu's robotic arm operated rapidly on the tactical map, leaving behind a string of flashing command codes. The green dots representing friendly forces on the tactical screen then began to move along the predetermined trajectory.

(End of this chapter)