Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 299-301 - The Force's Lament (Part 3)

Will the Jedi suddenly betray the Republic?

Would those Jedi who have no political ambitions at their core do such a thing?
The captains of the Coruscant home fleet harbored doubts.

It is more likely that the Galactic Republic is betraying the Jedi Order, not the other way around.

General Glory Salih was no exception, but no one would admit it in public.

After all, the destruction of the Jedi Order was entirely beneficial to them, and the view that the Jedi were outdated was already quite common within the Grand Republic Army.

So, when the Jedi across the entire galaxy are slaughtered, will Admiral Glorious and her home fleet intervene?
the answer is negative.

The crew of the home fleet consisted mostly of noblemen and politicians. Even though the Glory Admiral tried his best to upgrade the fleet from a "nominal but not actual unit" to a "combat force with outstanding achievements," his politician habits remained unchanged.

During periods of great upheaval, politicians are best at sitting back and watching the situation unfold, then siding with the victor once things become clear.

At present, the Jedi Order is clearly at a disadvantage.

The raging fire in the Temple Territory, as observed by the Al-Lyon observation instrument, is the best proof of this.

“It seems the Speaker has made his move.” Flagship Captain Trinald Skreutt said with certainty, tapping the fire scene on the display screen. “He is clearing away the last obstacle preventing him from seizing power.”

Given the Speaker's actions over the past few weeks, this speculation is hard to refute.

The Galactic Senate just voted to support his fourth term, and he probably now believes he has control over all the institutions of the Republic.

Aside from the Jedi Order, this was the obstacle he was finally determined to eliminate completely.

The reason why the Jedi must be destroyed, rather than infiltrated or compromised, is because the Jedi Order has a history spanning thousands of years.

Coruscant's institutions rise and fall like tides, but the Jedi are the only constant, as solid as the earthen towers beneath the ancient pyramids, which cannot be shaken by political means.

Even though the galaxy is increasingly indifferent to the Jedi, countless people are still willing to step forward to protect this legacy.

“Unless they have committed an undeniable and inexcusable error, the Speaker will not act rashly.” Admiral Glorious casually tapped the control panel, his gaze sweeping across the operations room. “Do we have any intelligence regarding the Jedi’s recent ‘unforgivable crimes’?”

Skreed pointed to the urgent number: "They've rebelled, sir. A group of Jedi has been reported to be attempting to assassinate the Speaker at his residence."

Which Jedi?

The captain of the "Alleon" swallowed hard, clearly feeling the pressure: "...The identities of Adi Gallia, Shak T., Yoda, and others are still being confirmed...The situation has just occurred and is extremely urgent."

“Adi Gallia, Shak T…” Glory frowned, recalling the relevant files, “I remember these two were in charge of the local security investigation of separatist cells in the ‘Workshop’ area, how could they suddenly attempt an assassination?”

"Should we get involved?" Skreed asked hesitantly, unsure of his superior's intentions.

Glory's sharp gaze swept over the officers present: "Do we have the right to intervene?"

A brief but deafening silence fell over the operations room.

"Admiral, a report from the battle carrier 'Prudent'!" The communications director handed over a tablet, his tone urgent. "Unidentified unregistered ships, numbering about twenty to thirty, have appeared in the direction of Comet Obolin, sailing along the Corellia route, bearing 096. 'Prudent' has detected signs that they have recently exited hyperspace, and their engine cones are expanding."

“It’s accelerating.” Skreid reacted quickly, pointing to the star map. “Their breakaway point is too far, beyond their usual flight path. Has Coruscant’s interception network been activated?”

Glory glanced at the drawing board; the deck crew had already begun drawing the target route.

Coruscant, as the heart of the galaxy, sees countless ships passing through every second, but the interception network has not been activated and could not possibly have been activated without notification from the home fleet.

Captain Jane Dordener's deliberate marking of these targets must have been for a reason.

"Order the 'Prudence' to maintain distance and send out reconnaissance wings for further investigation." Glory waved his hand, handing the tablet back to the communications director. "Make them either identify themselves or prohibit them from entering the inner planetary region."

"Execute now!"

“We should send a task force to support the ‘Prudent’,” Skreed suggested. “If the enemy is a battle group, the ‘Prudent’s’ guard force may not be enough.”

Before Glory could respond, the communications director came rushing in again, panting: "Admiral! Communication from the 'Emperor'! Separatist warships spotted at bearing 178 on the Koros Main Line! At least seventy! The 'Emperor' task force is en route to intercept them!"

178°?

The Koros Mainline?
That's the deep core direction!

Honor's tactical intuition was instantly activated.

Is this a pincer movement?

But after checking the distance data, she dismissed the idea. One unit was too close and the other too far away; such poor coordination was not in line with the style of separatism.

Their survival to this day is a testament to the formidable abilities of their generals.

"Could it be that the communications satellite was really sabotaged by separatists? And the Jedi have truly allied with them?" Glory muttered to himself, quickly issuing orders, "Immediately dispatch the 'Dragon' task force to rendezvous with the 'Prudent'! Helmsman, turn towards the core area exit, we're going to rendezvous with the 'Emperor'! Synchronize the 'Emperor's' observation data!"

The screen initially showed static electricity, but then clearly displayed the observation footage from the "Emperor" HMS Regal.

More than eighty brand-new warships were rapidly approaching. Based solely on their ion trails and hull outlines, Glory recognized them as the mainstay ships of the Separatist Navy... the Divine Will-class cruisers.

"Aim for combat duty!" Captain Skreid roared, the cabin lights suddenly turned blood red, and the alarm bells emitted a piercing wail. "Prepare for battle!"

"Sir! The 'Emperor' remains stationary and awaits further instructions!" the communications officer shouted again.

"Karaya's soul!" Skreid nearly grabbed his supervisor by the collar. "What on earth is going on outside?!"

"Yes, it's the Titan transponder!" the supervisor gasped, pulling up the identification data. "'Emperor' has confirmed that the lead ship is 'Royal Sinaga'... the Titan Queen of the Deep Core!"

……

A fire broke out in the training corridor.

This once bright corridor, adorned with gleaming stone slabs and towering Jedi statues, has now become a brutal battlefield.

The air was filled with the acrid smell of burnt fabric, the ozone smell of blasting guns, and the pungent odor of charred concrete; every breath felt like swallowing flames.

Paris Orpheus fought fiercely in the midst of the chaos, her breathing rapid yet her movements disciplined.

With a turn of his heel, the lightsaber drew a wide arc, precisely deflecting a series of explosive energy beams.

At his feet lay the corpses of clone soldiers, shattered fragments of statues, and craters left by blast shots.

The dome overhead trembled under the bombardment, and dust fell like fresh snow, settling on her shoulders.

She, along with a dozen Jedi Knights and a young apprentice, guarded the entrance to the Thousand Springs Chamber. Every second they held out was a chance to increase the likelihood of reinforcements arriving.

Even though time slips through her fingers like sand, she still refused to believe that this delay was hopeless.

Upon spotting an injured warrior hidden beneath a pile of fallen robes in the corner, Paris immediately rushed over and helped him up.

A burst of energy grazed her shoulder, the burning sensation penetrating her Zedb robes. She gritted her teeth to endure the pain, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw more clones charging down the corridor, the clanging of the walkers growing ever closer.

"Should we retreat to the next crossroads?" The thought had barely crossed her mind when Paris paid the price for this momentary lapse in concentration.

The moment she put the wounded warrior down, a clone soldier had already pointed a blaster carbine at her forehead, and her retreat was blocked by two other clone soldiers.

At this critical moment, the clone soldier suddenly convulsed and collapsed, his rifle flying out of his hand.

The clone soldier next to him also fell to the ground, his helmet tilted to one side, as if he had been struck by an invisible hammer.

The other clones turned around in alarm, but before they could react, a beam of red and blue light burst onto the battlefield.

The blue lightsaber sliced ​​through the clone troop ranks with surgical precision, its movements swift and decisive, without any hesitation or redundancy, striking at the vital points.

One after another, the assault team members fell, some with smoking bullet holes in their chests, others were thrown over by an invisible force and slammed heavily against the wall, the sound of bones shattering clearly audible.

Amidst the smoke and fire, a figure with a torn robe on his shoulder and blood on his body stood firm... It was Jedi Master Shaktie.

"Master Ti-Ti?" Paris stared at her, her heart pounding, countless questions welling up in her mouth, but she was interrupted by the current situation.

Shakty turned around, took a deep breath to calm herself, and said in a calm tone without a trace of urgency, "We have to move. I already know the situation."

Paris nodded, then turned and shouted to the surviving warriors, "Go! Retreat to the Thousand Springs Chamber!"

The Thousand Springs Chamber is located in the center of the temple, where the primal force is most concentrated, making it the easiest to defend and the most difficult to attack area.

Although surrounded by the Coruscant guards, abandoning this place would be tantamount to jumping directly into a sea of ​​fire.

During the retreat, the corridor trembled from the explosion, and the assault team pressed forward step by step as the walls continued to collapse.

The Jedi split into small teams to provide cover for each other, while the Temple Guards returned to the smoke-filled battlefield, their twin lightsabers drawing golden arcs in the smoke, their white robes fluttering in the wind despite being covered in dust.

These guards were nameless and expressionless, showing no fear of death.

The moment they put on the gilded masks, they swore an oath: to protect the Jedi Temple, and if the Temple were to fall, it would only be after all of them had sacrificed themselves.

Master Jurok met them at a crossroads, drew his lightsaber, and instantly cut down a group of charging clone soldiers.

His face was covered in soot, and his expression was grave. He barely noticed Shakti's arrival: "We've lost ground, but we've also set a trap... to make the Coruscant guards think we're all gathered in the Thousand Springs Chamber. Once the defenses become unsustainable, we'll retreat through the evacuation routes."

“Is the passage safe?” Shaktie asked.

Zhu Luke gave a bleak smile: "We know the Temple better than they do. We haven't detected any clones entering the passage yet. The artificial jungle in the Thousand Springs Chamber is a natural barrier, which should buy us a considerable amount of time. The plan is for Master Sin Delarig to lead the Temple guards to stay behind and hinder the clones as much as possible." Baris said in a low voice.

"They won't survive."

"But we can."

……

The "Royal Sinaga," a Titan-class star destroyer, is of medium size, only half a kilometer long from bow to stern, yet it exudes an undeniable and magnificent aura in the starry sky.

The ship's hull has slender, flowing curves, with a slight tilt at the bow and stern, giving it the elegant silhouette of an ancient seagoing vessel.

The superstructure, however, was extremely luxurious, far exceeding practical needs. It stood like a Gothic cathedral on the ship, with sensor masts transformed into spires and automatic turrets becoming supporting buttresses. Every detail exuded royal grandeur.

This is indeed a flagship worthy of the Empress's status.

But when the hologram of Empress Illala Lota appeared in the war room, Glory felt a mix of emotions.

The empress was slender and barely considered an adult by galactic standards, yet she wore a royal gown adorned with jewels, the gown's opulent colors still clearly visible even under a blue scanning filter.

Her demeanor carried an innate arrogance that made Trinald Skreid beside her uneasy, and the officers on deck were all on edge.

No one dared to underestimate this little girl.

The Titan monarchy is one of the few galactic regimes that still considers itself an "imperial authority." Its core planet, Titan Queen, is extremely habitable and luxurious, comparable to Coruscant. It also controls a crucial hyperspace route.

The fact that separatist general Ryan Bontry once used this route to launch a surprise attack on the core world demonstrates its strategic value.

More importantly, the Titans are long-time allies of the Jedi Order, having received their assistance five thousand years ago when the monarchy was established. Not long ago, Jedi Prokone even helped them repel the Battle Hydra's occupation of the Capital System.

Now that the Senate has just endorsed the Speaker's re-election for a fourth term, if it angers the Titans, it could at least lose a core ally, or at worst, cause them to turn to separatism, with unimaginable consequences.

“I’ll get straight to the point,” Illala Lota said in a calm but undeniably firm tone. “Our delegation has come to confirm the exact position of Titan within your Speaker’s New Republic.”

Honor bowed slightly, maintaining diplomatic protocol: "Your Highness, you should understand that the current situation is delicate... The Jedi are in rebellion, and Coruscant has implemented emergency security measures, making it impossible to allow foreign warships to land at present."

"Do you think I'm here to hear these excuses?" A hint of mockery flashed across the Queen's face. "The Titans have fought side by side with the Republic for over five thousand years, yet we haven't even received a single official notification. As for the so-called 'Jedi Rebellion,' all I've seen are unverified reports and scattered communications."

"The Jedi have sabotaged the communications infrastructure in an attempt to launch a coup." Glory responded calmly, but his gaze unconsciously drifted to the window... There, dozens of separatist warships were hovering in the starry sky. "Fortunately, the homeland security agencies reacted quickly and prevented the Supreme Speaker from being assassinated."

"Is that so?" the Queen drawled, her eyes full of doubt.

Following Glory's gaze, Trinald suddenly spoke up: "Sir, these separatist warships all bear Titan identification codes; they must have been captured from 'Battle Hydra'."

"What is she doing bringing all this?" Glory muttered to himself, his doubts growing stronger.

Just then, Illala Lota's tone softened, and she smiled apologetically: "However, the situation with the Jedi does worry me... I don't need to explain why, so I must personally verify the situation and ensure that the agreements between the Titans and the Senate remain in effect."

“Your Highness, I do not doubt your loyalty to the Republic, but…”

"But you doubt the Republic's loyalty to us?" the Queen interrupted sharply. "Tell me, Admiral, does the Speaker's new Republic still recognize Titan as an ally? Or have we become enemies like Chandela and Odran? That is precisely why I am here."

The command deck fell into dead silence.

Glory knew he had been driven to the brink of despair.

To refuse the Queen is to humiliate the Titan monarchy.

They allowed them to pass, but couldn't ascertain the other party's true intentions.

Just then, Trinald ran back from the communications room, sweating profusely, and gave her a hurried nod.

The Senate on the ground finally issued its orders.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting. We have just received the latest instructions from the Senate." Glory immediately adjusted his tone. "Your Highness can obtain further instructions from the ground control center."

Illala Lota beamed instantly: "Great! My fleet will keep a low profile to avoid causing panic."

After the holographic image disappeared, Trinald breathed a sigh of relief: "This was a mistake; we shouldn't have let them pass."

"Can we stop them?" Glory clenched his fist, his gaze returning to the separatist warships. "By the way, what about Dordenauer's report? What's the situation with those unregistered ships on the outer planets?"

Trinald looked down at the data panel, his pupils suddenly contracting: "'Prudence' confirmed, it's a separatist warship, and... no organic crew members detected, presumably remnants of the Peremian Alliance after the Battle of Rendili."

Glory's gaze sharpened instantly.

Everything was too "coincidental".

At the same time as the Titan fleet arrived, two separatist fleets appeared from different directions, clearly a pincer attack!

Tactical instinct screamed in her mind, prompting her to immediately order an attack, but political instinct warned her that firing first would be a diplomatic offense.

"Are we going to intercept the Titans' fleet?" Trinald asked urgently, watching the Royal Sinaga lead the Cathedral warships slowly past the home fleet formation.

Glory shook his head.

The Senate has ordered the passage, and the Queen has declared that the separatist warships have been taken over by the Titan Guard.

But she was, after all, an admiral of the core fleet, not a politician who would only compromise: "Captain, analyze their formation. Once the last Titan ship leaves the formation, immediately adjust the course and form a bow-stern line formation on the starboard side."

Minutes later, the ships of the Coruscant home fleet moved silently, their micro-propulsion units propelling the million-ton hulls into a defensive formation in the starry sky.

Almost simultaneously, the separatist warships also moved, responding to the fleet's formation adjustment, their cannons slowly turning.

"Sir, their turbo laser cannons are aimed at our weapon point!" Trinald's voice was tense.

At this moment, the "glory of a general" completely overshadowed the "glory of a politician".

"Order the 'Prudence' and 'Dragon' to intercept the separatist warships from the outer planet. There are only thirty of them; they can handle them." Glory's tone was decisive. "As for these, have the 'Emperor' fire a warning shot, slightly off-target, to give them a signal."

The instructions were conveyed swiftly.

The Coruscant fleet and the Peremia Union fleet were locked in a standoff within effective firing range, and the gunners had their triggers pulled.

The next second, the warning cannons of the home fleet exploded in the starry sky, and the artillery fire of the Peremia Alliance fleet also came instantly.

The standoff escalated into full-blown war.

……

Thousands of clone troop soldiers flooded into the Jedi Temple.

The Coruscant guards stormed through the broken main gate, their boots pounding the charred cobblestones as they advanced in a death squad formation.

The Templar Guards and Jedi Knights held every inch of land, their lightsabers and energy beams clashing in the corridors, but they were ultimately no match for the sheer number of clone troop soldiers and could only retreat step by step.

From dawn to noon, the clone troop gradually figured out the Jedi's retreat route using the Temple's holographic map.

They concluded that the Jedi would put up a final resistance in the Thousand Springs Chamber.

The clone troop quickly surrounded the Thousand Springs Chamber, sealing off all known exits on the seven floors.

The explosive device was installed on the heavy archway. With a loud bang, the stone gate shattered, smoke and dust filled the air, and clone soldiers charged in with blast guns, expecting a counterattack from the Jedi army.

But the room of Qianquan was empty, with only the sound of the waterfall echoing in the silence, creating an eerie and chilling atmosphere.

The clone troop cautiously ventured deeper, searching through the dense artificial vegetation.

The passage was shrouded in mist, and figures could be vaguely seen flashing behind the bushes.

One of the clone soldiers immediately raised his gun and shouted, "Stop! Don't move!"

Before he could finish speaking, a green light sword suddenly shot out from the side, piercing his chest in an instant.

Jedi Master Sin Delarig retracted his lightsaber.

Almost simultaneously, the Temple Guards leaped from the vegetation, their white masks shimmering in the mist, and their golden halberds traced molten arcs, precisely slashing at the clone troopers' armor.

They do not engage in prolonged combat with the enemy, but strike and retreat, quickly disappearing into the shadows or the mist of waterfalls, leaving the clone soldiers' energy beams to miss their targets.

For the first time since entering the sanctuary, the Coruscant guard was thrown into disarray.

The communicator was filled with the screams of his teammates. Commander Thorne watched his men struggling in the jungle, but his expression remained unchanged.

His heart was filled only with hatred for the "Rebellious Jedi".

As clone soldiers bred by Kamino, the belief of "mission accomplished" is ingrained in their very bones, and they will never back down no matter what challenges they face.

As he stepped over the corpses of his comrades and the Jedi, Commander Thorne's expression grew even more resolute.

He quickly realized that the jungle terrain and dense fog of the Thousand Springs Chamber provided cover for their desperate situation, and that the enemy was using guerrilla tactics to wear them down.

If we don't change our strategy, we'll only suffer more casualties.

(End of this chapter)