Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 298-300 - The Force's Lament (Part Two)

Inside the Thousand Springs, the once tranquil space where Jedi meditated is now crowded with young Jedi apprentices.

Hundreds of little faces were tense, their eyes filled with worry. Only the older apprentices tried to remain calm, loosely gathering them into small groups and gently comforting them in their soft voices, attempting to soothe their younger siblings' fear.

The samurai walked among the children, their robes damp with the moisture in the air, clinging to their bodies, yet they still gave instructions with firm words.

Some young children clung tightly to the hem of their elders' clothes, while others sat cross-legged on the stone ground. The discipline they had been trained in allowed them to maintain basic composure in the face of fear.

Every time the temple walls trembled, the small animals in the corners would scatter and flee, and the birds perched on the branches would cry out and flutter towards the dome.

Paris glanced at the crowded scene, and her heart clenched instantly.

“They’ve gathered all the children here.” Sin Delalig stood beside her, his voice low, his gaze fixed on the young figures, his expression grave.

“This was once the safest place in the temple.” Yurok’s voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable firmness. “No matter what happens outside, this hall must not be lost.”

Paris exhaled sharply, her voice urgent: "But precisely because it's considered the 'safest,' it's the last place where children should be placed!"

The two Jedi turned to look at her, their brows furrowed, clearly disagreeing with her statement.

Looking at the cascading waterfall, the towering stone walls, and the reinforced Durasteel gates that separated the Thousand Springs Chamber from the rest of the temple, Baris said, "We're right in the center of the temple now, surrounded by enclosed spaces. If the enemy breaks through the gates and rushes into the corridors, where can these children run?"

She shook her head, her voice heavy, "There is absolutely no way out here."

Yurok's brow furrowed even more, the wrinkles on his forehead deepening like ravines: "I understand what you mean. Once we're surrounded, we'll be trapped here, and the children won't be able to escape either."

Sin Delalig calmly met her gaze, his tone steady: "You mean, we should prepare an evacuation route in advance? Directly to the designated hangar?"

“It’s not ‘designated,’ it’s that all evacuation routes must be cleared and all hangars must be secured,” Barris immediately corrected. “Although the hangars are protected by shields, if the enemy breaks through the defenses and reaches there, we need a backup plan to evacuate the children. We must prepare transport ships in advance, clear the passageways along the way, and arrange enough Jedi to escort them.”

“But if we divide our forces to prepare these things…” Yurok began worriedly, but before he could finish speaking, he had already expressed his concerns… At this moment, the Temple Guards were already stretched thin.

“Splitting our forces might increase the defensive pressure, but it would actually increase our chances of survival.” Baris’s tone was almost urgent. “We know every passageway of the Temple better than the clone troop, but they outnumber us. Once they break in, what do you think they’ll do? Under the ‘search and capture’ order, they’ll just block all the exits and corner us!”

“Seal off all exits…” Yurok repeated in a low voice, his expression growing increasingly grave.

Sin Delarig paused for a moment, then slowly nodded: "This is difficult. The Temple Guards are almost at their limit, but we must try."

When Paris heard this, she almost burst out laughing, but her laughter was full of bitterness and sarcasm: "At this point, there really is only one way left: 'give it a try'."

Without another word, Sin Delalig immediately turned and summoned the Temple Guards to prepare to open up escape routes to the various hangars.

The temple corridors were deathly silent.

This was not the tranquility of meditation, nor the solemnity of an apprentice listening to instruction, but a vacuum of "absence".

The place, once filled with the sounds of footsteps, conversations, and lightsaber training, is now only filled with empty echoes.

Each step on the floor sounded exceptionally loud; each shadow, elongated by the light, seemed eerily long.

The war had taken away many of the forbidden lands within the temple, but never before had the building felt so utterly empty, so eerily empty that it was unsettling.

Sin Delarig led a few Temple guards through the corridors, their footsteps sounding almost insignificant in this once bustling fortress.

They passed through the magnificent central hall.

In the past, the Jedi Council would always report the galactic crisis to the entire Order of Jedi here. Hundreds of Jedi would stand shoulder to shoulder, their brown and white robes forming a sea, the air filled with unwavering faith and the power of unity.

But now, beneath the towering ceiling and beside the arched columns, only emptiness remains.

Sin Delalig could still vividly recall the scene from the past, but he knew that such a gathering would never happen again.

They passed the Jedi Archives, whose heavy bronze doors were tightly shut.

Chief Librarian Jocasta Nu refused to leave, choosing to remain at her post and coexist with the knowledge she had dedicated her life to protecting.

The Temple guards did not try to dissuade him; they understood that for this old Jedi, these scriptures were more important than life itself.

They passed the large restaurant, where laughter and cheerful voices had once echoed.

The long communal dining table that once stretched across the entire hall is now just a collection of plates scattered about during the hasty evacuation, some still containing uneaten food.

The air still faintly carried the aroma of the last meal... the fragrance of stewed beef tuna, the freshness of fresh vegetables, and the wheaty scent of hot bread.

It was supposed to be an ordinary night, an ordinary meal, but none of the Jedi sitting at the table could have imagined that it would be their last meal in the temple.

They passed through the temple dojo, where the training mats on the ground remained disheveled, and the air was thick with the smell of sweat and leather.

They passed through the meditation chamber, where countless Jedi had come before the war to close their eyes, seek peace in the Force, and pray for guidance on their missions across the galaxy.

But at this moment, the air here was so heavy it was suffocating, and even the Force seemed to be tainted with an aura of fear.

……

Finally, they arrived at the North Hangar.

This should have been the busiest place in the temple.

Jedi starfighters depart from here to the battlefield, and Jedi returning from their missions bring news from all over the galaxy.

But now, the hangar was unusually quiet, with only the shield that isolated Coruscant's atmosphere emitting a soft blue light, illuminating the neatly arranged aircraft on the Durasteel platform.

As Sin Delalig watched the Temple guards and mechanics rushing about, he immediately saw the most pressing problem: there were too few available ships.

Most of the high-performance warships and shuttles had been sent to the front lines by the Jedi, leaving behind only old, slow, and poorly protected models. In the worst-case scenario, these ships might be able to evacuate, but if they were attacked en route, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“This is the only way.” Sin Delarig crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping across the entire hangar, and said firmly to the guard beside him, “At least two guards must be stationed at every entrance from the Thousand Springs Chamber to the North Hangar. If the Temple ultimately falls, we must fight to the death to hold this passage and buy the children time to take off.”

Everything depends on when the "reinforcements" that Barris mentioned will arrive, and in what way they can break through the clone troop blockade.

Meanwhile, the Thousand Springs Chamber had become the center of the temple's last line of defense.

This was the only place in the entire temple where whispers could still be heard and movements could still be seen. The air was thick with moisture, and the gurgling of the waterfall perfectly masked the occasional sobs of the children, as well as the Jedi's hushed conversations in the corners, where they were devising strategies.

Some of the older apprentices volunteered to take turns standing guard at the entrance to the Thousand Springs Chamber, lightsabers in hand, their eyes warily fixed on the end of the passage; others sat beside the children, whispering ancient Jedi tales—their voices barely loud enough to drown out the sound of the waterfall. They spoke of the legends of Nomi Sunrad and Ullik Kell-Droma, of Satilz Shan and Thorne, of the time when the Republic and the Jedi trusted each other and never considered betrayal.

No one knows how effective these stories will be; they may only offer a fragile comfort, better than nothing, but at least they can help children temporarily forget their fears.

Barris walked slowly through the hall, her gaze sweeping over every tense face. Some Jedi were meditating with their eyes closed, their brows furrowed, their unease palpable even to the Force; others knelt beside their children, whispering, "Don't be afraid, we'll be alright," but the uncertainty in their voices was something even they themselves struggled to accept.

Master Yurok and a group of temple guards stood by the Durasteel gate, talking in hushed tones, occasionally glancing up at the dome of the Thousand Springs Chamber, as if worried that the ceiling would be pierced by artillery fire at any moment.

Most of the children did not yet understand the magnitude of the impending crisis. Some of the older apprentices, from the adults' conversations and the explosions outside, vaguely knew that the war had reached the Temple's gates and that the clone troopers who had once fought alongside them had become the enemy; but the youngest children still held tightly to their master's hand, their little faces upturned, firmly believing that the Jedi were invincible and that the Temple would always be their sanctuary.

Little did they know that tonight's battle would directly determine the life or death of the Jedi Order.

Paris closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She has done everything she could.

The passageways to all the hangars have been cleared, the evacuation routes have been marked, the transport ships are undergoing final checks, and the shields in the Thousand Springs Chamber are still holding up...

Never before has the Jedi Temple resembled such a magnificent yet cold tomb.

Paris slowly opened her eyes, suppressing the heaviness in her heart, and steadily walked towards Master Yurok.

Two hours have passed since she sent a distress signal to Queen Titan.

—16 hours remaining—

……

The sky was crystal clear, with the azure halo of Coruscant hanging in the sky.

From the towering spires of the Senate District to the neon-lit depths of the Uscruçre entertainment district, this eco-city functions perfectly.

However, hidden within the morning rush hour traffic is a subtle distortion.

Holographic displays flicker amidst regular corporate advertisements, popping up even more glaring content.

Emergency announcement from the Senate Emergency Response Team.

A scarlet banner scrolls at the bottom of each screen, its words prominently displayed.

Martial law has been declared, the entire Temple territory is under lockdown, and rumors of a Jedi rebellion have been confirmed. "A Jedi rebellion?"

These four words, like a static pulse, instantly struck the entire city.

Some people scoffed at this, deeming it a ridiculous fabrication.

The Jedi are the guardians of the Republic, the symbols of peace and justice, how could they rebel?
However, some people have doubts. In recent years, the Jedi have been deeply involved in war and have become increasingly alienated from the people. Their failures and controversies have already spread throughout the galaxy, and rumors of disasters on the Hyde front have never stopped...

Suddenly, thick smoke rose from the temple grounds.

Thick plumes of smoke swirled into the pristine morning sky, scattering ash and dust onto Coruscant's gleaming towers.

Citizens on the overpass, on the balcony, and inside the convertible looked up, raised their hands to shield their eyes from the sun, and whispered among themselves.

Five dark plumes of smoke, thin as fingers, appeared on the skyline of Galaxy City, reaching straight up at the sun.

The rumors began to spread.

Some say this was a coup d'état launched by Jedi, an attempt to seize power, and the price of their arrogance.

Others countered that this was a purge of former allies by the Supreme Speaker.

But regardless of which version you believe, everyone can see that the Jedi Temple is burning.

Then came the sounds of war.

Galaxy City is never quiet; even at night, air traffic never stops.

The hum of anti-gravity engines, the roar of high-speed airships, the whistles of spaceships coming from the upper atmosphere, the background noise of sub-light-speed engines, and the whisper of the wind passing through the Duragang Canyon—these are the normal symphonies of the city.

But today, a barrage of thunderous firepower ripped through the sky, rolling in like a storm.

The distant rumble of artillery, the heavy bombardment of siege guns, and the intermittent firing of heavy rapid-fire blasters—these sounds of the battlefield should never have been heard in Coruscant.

Above the temple's territory, the intense light of high-energy turbine lasers flashed continuously, creating an artificial thunderstorm as the temple's shield was continuously attacked.

The sonic boom made the transparent steel windows tremble, and the vibrations spread to every towering spire.

Sirens wailed in multiple areas, and security forces hastily assembled, but they could not stop panic from spreading among the citizens.

From the high-rise residential buildings to the crowded plaza below, people pointed in the direction of the temple, screaming and backing away.

The Coruscant Guard's giant military walking machines were advancing steadily, while artillery roared as it bombarded the temple's sturdy gates.

Armed helicopters circled like carrion birds, continuously firing blast beams at the stone pyramid that shimmered with a blue barrier.

The millennia-long peace was shattered by the iron fist of field artillery.

Coruscant is no stranger to war; it has withstood planetary attacks, terrorist bombings, and separatist invasions, but this time is different.

This city seems to be killing itself.

Inside the temple, this feeling of "mutual destruction" was even stronger.

The ancient stone slabs trembled under the bombardment of the army, dust fell from the arched ceiling, and the air was filled with a mixture of the smells of decay and burning energy.

The morning light dispelled the shattered permanent glass, casting jagged beams of light across the marble floor and illuminating the tense faces of the Jedi gathered in the Thousand Springs Chamber.

The deflection shield had long since run out of energy, and the generator was completely overloaded under the continuous bombardment of the Coruscant Guard.

Outside the tightly closed gates, 30,000 clone soldiers clad in red and white alloy armor filled the entire square, with cannons and walking machines aimed at the temple with robotic precision.

Above, the Republic's fighter jets controlled the airspace, while armed helicopters patrolled at low altitudes, using laser firepower to sweep the outer terraces and search for gaps in the defenses.

The Jedi within the temple remained silent.

The Force stagnated in the Thousand Springs Chamber, the core area of ​​this temple where the last remnants of the Jedi were gathered.

The children clutched their mentor's brown and white robes tightly, their little hands trembling with fear.

The apprentices sat in groups, talking in hushed tones, but their voices betrayed their panic.

The samurai stood aside, their hands always on the hilts of their lightsabers, seeking solace only in their weapons.

Master doorman Yulock stood with his arms crossed, the weight of his position pressing down on his shoulders, and said in a heavy tone: "They've brought in siege cannons, four cannons, each aimed at the main gate. The gate will be breached in an hour at most."

"Much faster than expected." Paris's voice was soft as she looked at the holographic projection. "How is the defense in the lower area?"

“They’re trying to infiltrate from underground. We’ve blocked all the passages we can, but that might not stop the clone troop.” Sin Delalig took a deep breath and shook his head, adding, “Besides, the Coruscant Guard knows that the hangar is our only way out, so they’ll definitely be focusing their attack on it.”

Baris stared at the temple's structural diagram on the holographic projection. Under the unstable light, the red dot at the main gate pulsed constantly with the distant artillery fire, so dazzling it was unsettling: "Once the main gate is breached, we must immediately evacuate to the hangar. We absolutely cannot be surrounded. Divide everyone into three or four groups, with each group heading to a different hangar. This will improve our overall survival rate."

“We need to hold off the Coruscant guards for a full day before we have a chance to get reinforcements.” Sin Delalig crossed his arms and frowned, unable to hide his worry. “To be frank, with our current forces, I’m not sure we can do it.”

"Whether we can do it or not, we can only do our best and leave the rest to the Force to decide." Master Yurok clenched his fist and pressed it against his palm, his tone firm. "The entrance hall and the central hall cannot be defended. The space is too large. The clones can drive the walkers directly onto the ceremonial aisle unless the central mezzanine can withstand the weight of the walkers without collapsing... but that is unlikely."

Another violent tremor came from beneath their feet, and the distant temple gates groaned under the weight of the war machines.

The voice carried an inevitability of destiny, plunging the gathered Jedi into a deeper silence. The heavy atmosphere, like the surrounding stone walls, pressed down on them, making it hard to breathe.

On the holographic projection, the red dot on the main gate became increasingly prominent, as if one could already feel the heat from the muzzle of the siege cannon.

Paris looked up at the skylight above her. The sky was still azure, but its beauty seemed utterly artificial.

She couldn't help but wonder how many citizens were watching and listening outside, yet didn't understand the truth behind this "rebellion"?

How many people believed the statements on the Holographic Network, concluding that the Jedi had betrayed the Republic and that the Temple had become a den of rebels?

Suddenly, a bright light came from the direction of the gate, followed by a deafening roar.

The main gate of the temple deformed with a crash, and rubble flew everywhere.

The Jedi inside the hall exchanged glances, and without a word, immediately proceeded with the plan.

The mentors protected the children, the warriors rushed into the passage, and the apprentices followed closely behind, evacuating towards the hangar.

……

Admiral Honor Salima of the Coruscant home fleet was not concerned or tense about the situation, but rather because it was so absurd it was unbelievable.

First, the transceivers of the home fleet were overwhelmed by junk data from the Republic's intelligence agency.

After repeated investigations, the telecommunications technicians came to a conclusion that shocked everyone.

It wasn't a malfunction in the home fleet's equipment, but rather a hacking of the Republic's intelligence agency's servers.

The Republic Intelligence Agency, the most secure intelligence agency in the galaxy, was actually hacked?

General Honor immediately ordered an urgent message to be sent to the ground requesting an update on the situation, but it went unanswered.

Nearly an hour later, communications technicians discovered that the intrusion was not against the intelligence agency's server, but against a military communications satellite over Coruscant.

Even more absurdly, this malfunction was not an isolated incident; military-grade ultra-high-speed transceivers across the entire galaxy were affected.

These communication satellites were newly replaced after Dua Ningo's attack on Coruscant. Was it because Ansebo's production line was infiltrated by separatists, or because separatist agents made a desperate gamble after the fall of Sereno, or... was it an inside job?
Whatever the truth may be, the only certainty at the moment is that Coruscant will remain isolated from the rest of the galaxy until its home security forces resolve the issue.

For the Republic's army, the disruption of encrypted communication lines meant they could only rely on insecure commercial and civilian hyperspace communications, significantly reducing command efficiency.

A few hours later, the Republic's intelligence agency finally sent an encrypted transmission.

However, the content did not reassure the captains; instead, it made the situation even more absurd.

That was an order to carry out Directive 66, which declared that the Jedi had betrayed the Republic, allied with the Separatists, and intended to illegally execute the Supreme Chancellor.

For the Coruscant home fleet, the situation went from "chaos" to utter "absurdity".

Did the Jedi Order betray the Galactic Republic?

It's not that the home fleet or the Republic Navy is particularly supportive of Jedi.

The Jedi are naive and arrogant, and they know that they are completely unsuitable for military command. They may be reckless and inexperienced, but they always have good intentions.

How could such a desperate situation betray the Republic?
(End of this chapter)