Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 304, Section 306 - Operation Claw
In high orbit of the Duro system, the "Victoria" star destroyer, a "Victoria" class, floats like a silver whale in the sea of ​​stars. Inside the combat intelligence center, red tactical data streams rapidly scroll across a holographic projection.

As the flagship of the third core fleet, Dao Shang sat in the command chair, maintaining a distance of three steps from the captain.

"The Jedi Rebellion, how ironic!"

Dao Shang gave a wry smile and focused his attention on the situation on the ground.

The Galactic Republic's 44th Army Corps, supported by the Kamasi Armored Division, is deployed on the surface of Duro. The tracks of heavy tanks have left deep grooves on the edge of the city, and the blue armor of clone soldiers forms a continuous line behind the fortifications.

With these troops supporting the locals, this planet should have been a tough nut to crack... provided the planetary shield could continue to operate.

But what the authorities are truly worried about is the fragile space defense line.

His fleet was not weak. His flagship, the Victoria, was a newly upgraded Victory-class star destroyer with 30% thicker armor and a 15% increase in the charging efficiency of its turbo-laser cannons. It was the first improved version to be put into service after learning from combat experience.

In addition, there are 10 Jagdpanzer-class cruisers and 21 Cheerleader-class assault ships as the main force.

But the true strategic value of Duro lies not in its surface industry, but in its fortifications.

The Supreme Command sent him with the primary objective of using the orbital defenses built by the Duros to delay the enemy and deplete their manpower.

“If the situation allows, retreat to the last line of defense before Corellia and repeat this tactic; if the situation worsens, retreat behind the planetary shield; if all else fails…” Admiral Dao’s fingers tapped the armrest of his command chair, “then take as many Confederate fleets as possible with us.”

He had already set up his defenses.

One-third of the force faced the direction of Kailada, with the warships maintaining low-speed maneuvers to counteract the star's gravity while remaining within the defense coverage of the Golan Space Station, forming the first line of defense.

The remaining fleet approached the planet's orbit, hidden in the shadow of the weapon satellite ring, ready to ambush any enemies attempting to flank them.

Flanking would expose the Confederate fleet to crossfire from the Republic fleet and the double-layered defenses, but the Confederates would not dare to gamble on this. Their forces far outnumbered their own, and if they were to launch a fierce attack on the outer positions at the cost of casualties, holding out would only result in being caught in a pincer movement and torn to pieces.

"Sir, there's a communications connection on Coruscant. It's Speaker Ameda." The clone soldier in charge of communications turned around to report, his voice slightly hurried.

"Connect to my control panel." Dao Shang pressed the button on the built-in terminal in the armrest, and a small blue holographic image immediately lit up in front of him.

Ameda appeared among them, her expression more solemn than ever before.

Ameda stated bluntly, "General Dao, an hour ago, Findar reported that the Confederation will send a star fleet to attack Duro, which is the Pelemia Alliance of Hydra."

"Then I can't hold Duro anymore, are the orders still the same?" General Dao asked.

The Supreme Command had anticipated this; his mission was never to "hold the line," but rather to "delay."

“The orders remain unchanged: hold out for as long as possible, exhausting their warships and aircraft.” Ameda nodded. “We are forced to divert our forces to reinforce Balmora… If it falls, the enemy will threaten Fairdale, cutting off our direct route to Quarter, at which point even the resupply of the Victory-class Star Destroyers will be interrupted.”

"Is there anything else I need to know?"

“Antar is still holding out, but it won’t last much longer after Udrol was attacked and fell.” Ameda looked troubled. “The Confederate Third Fleet is attacking Antar, and the vanguard of a star sector fleet has arrived in the war zone. In addition, Rommar has fallen, and the Separatist Central Star Sector Fleet is advancing towards Denon… We cannot mobilize reserves until we confirm whether they are heading towards Coreria or Quarter, and the movement of that fleet will determine the troop deployment in the entire core area.”

"Just as we expected." Dao Shang nodded, his gaze returning to the holographic image of Planet Duro. "But the feeling of waiting for the enemy to attack is still unpleasant."

“Valentella and Jagerod both asked me… to try my best to protect your flagship and send back as much 'Victory-class' performance data as possible.” Ameda’s tone softened. “And don’t sacrifice yourself easily; there have already been enough fallen heroes in this war.”

“I will try my best to live on,” General Dao chuckled. “I also want to enjoy my old age and listen to my children tell the story of how I defeated the Confederate fleet at Douro.”

……

The Confederate fleet arrived as scheduled the following morning.

Sixty "Generosity-class" cruisers led the way, with hangar doors opening on both sides of the hull, and swarms of "Vulture" robotic fighters flew out like a black swarm of bees, forming a reconnaissance formation.

A few minutes later, the enemy's main force appeared on the sensor screen. The densely packed warships filled half of the starry sky, so many that the admiral couldn't help but curse.

He knew very well that unless Corellia’s large defensive fortifications and assembled fleets came to its aid immediately, the Republic had no chance of stopping this force.

……

Three light-seconds away in the void from the Duro Galaxy, the "Intruder" hovered like a black behemoth, its gravitational wave cannons gleaming with a cold, hard luster.

Rein stood in front of the holographic tactical map, reading the sensor data transmitted back by the vanguard line by line.

On the screen, the defense deployment of the Duro system was clearly visible, with red dots marking the Republic's warships and space stations, and blue dots representing the Confederate fleet's advance reconnaissance units.

He was waiting for the entire fleet to complete its hyperspace jump and enter the designated formation.

During this period, every reconnaissance report was repeatedly checked to ensure that no detail was missed.

Rennes never fights unprepared, especially not in this crucial battle aimed at breaking through the Duro defenses.

“The Republic’s actions were entirely expected.” Renn’s fingertips traced across the holographic map, sweeping over the star systems representing Coreria and Quarter. “Unfortunately, they sent too few ships to protect Duro.”

He had hoped to destroy more Republic warships here to reduce resistance to the main targets of the subsequent attack, but the current troop deployment made him have some doubts.

After all, it's a pipe dream to hastily assemble a star fleet that has never fought together before and expect them not to interfere with each other and to focus on fighting the enemy.

This is why, over the past few months, Ryan has repeatedly trained the commanders of the main offensive force and their subordinates, and even postponed the attack date by a whole week in order to meet his strict tactical standards.

"Admiral, all fleets have completed their jump and entered the designated formation!" Augu's communication report interrupted Rein's thoughts.

The tactical hologram is updated in real time, and blue dots connect to form a tight combat formation on the outer edge of the Duro Galaxy.

A cold smile curved at the corner of Ryan's lips, and his eyes shone even brighter: "Finally, it's time to test my theory."

He pressed the communicator, and his voice echoed throughout the fleet via the encrypted channel: "This is Admiral Rein, ordering the First Fleet, 'Operation Claw One,' to proceed."

From this moment on, unless an excellent opportunity arises or an unexpected accident occurs, Renne can only remain a bystander.

His meticulously designed tactics were enough to allow this well-trained fleet to breach Duro's defenses.

According to the plan, the Peremian fleet was divided into eight battle groups, each led by a Lucrehook-class command ship and consisting of three battleships and 40 Generous-class frigates, like eight sharp daggers aimed at the outer defensive perimeter of Duro.

The remaining fleet forces were organized into a reserve force centered around the "Intruder".

All the dreadnoughts and twice the number of escort ships were concentrated here, forming a force like an armored fist, ready to strike at any time at Rein's command.

As the attack signal was given, the main force of the Confederate fleet advanced toward Duro in a crescent formation.

At this point, Duro's outer defensive perimeter was clearly visible.

Twelve Golan space stations were deployed around the planet, four of which faced the direction of the Confederate attack, and were supported by one-third of the Republic's fleet.

3艘“猎兵级”巡洋舰、6艘“欢呼者级”突击舰、3艘无畏级重巡洋舰与14艘CR90护卫舰，如同忠诚的卫士守护在空间站旁。

These space stations also control 200 weapon platforms, and are surrounded by large minefields as a barrier, making them seem impregnable.

But what they didn't know was that the Confederation had obtained the precise parameters of the Duro fixed defense more than a month earlier through a Republican traitor bribed by the intelligence agency.

This includes the distribution of minefields, the blind spots of weapon platforms, and even the shield cycle of the space station.

"First battle group, launch 'Vulture' fighters to cover the bomber group!"

Rein's orders were transmitted through the "Combat Network," and 2000 standard "Vulture" robot fighters flew out of the frigate's hangar, forming a dense cover formation.

Following closely behind was a group of bombers loaded with concussion explosives. These bombers were extremely vulnerable to enemy fire, so ten Generous-class frigates accompanied them, activating the Umbrella defense system to provide all-around cover for the bombers until they reached the minefield and dropped their bombs.

The unexpected outcome of the first round of fighting fell entirely on the Republic's troops.

Upon seeing the Confederate warplanes approaching, the Republic's vanguard immediately deployed its "Torrent" fighters, followed by a barrage of anti-aircraft missiles.

Blue missiles, trailing fiery exhaust, rained down on the Confederate fighter formation like a storm.

The Confederate Vultures were quickly wiped out, but the Republic’s Torrents did not stop. Instead, they rushed straight to the bomber group behind them, trying to destroy them before they could drop their bombs.

Just as the "Flood" fighters were about to approach the bombers, the escorting Confederate frigates suddenly opened their hangars, which were already full of "Vulture" fighters. Even the temporary supports on the outside of the ship had additional robotic fighters fixed in. They all took off at that moment, instantly forming a steel barrier in front of the bomber group.

The purpose of this "sacrifice" is very simple.

Lure enemy interceptors into the slaughterhouse.

And the Republic pilots, who lacked Jedi, took the bait.

After wiping out the first wave of "Vultures," the 600 "Flood" fighters lost only 37 aircraft. Perhaps due to arrogance or underestimation of the effectiveness of the "Umbrella" system, they believed that their remaining forces could withstand the attack from the frigates and destroy the bombers.

But they forgot that the Confederate "umbrella" system was always tested only when no republican survivors were assured.

They also forgot that during the calm period following the disastrous defeat at Geonosis, the main naval force had already undergone a comprehensive upgrade.

The result is no suspense.

The "Torrent" fighter jet had to face "Vulture" fighter jets that were nearly eight times its size, dodge missiles launched by the "Generosity-class" frigates, and withstand the energy impacts from the edge of the "Guardian" shield.

Even with the superior missile performance of the "Flood" fighter jets, they could only manage a few effective counterattacks when surrounded by a large number of them.

Ultimately, only two air wings successfully broke through, and only one squadron's remnants returned to the mothership.

On the Confederate side, nearly 1800 Vultures were destroyed in the dogfight. The remaining aircraft, in order to cover the bombers, charged straight into the minefield and the hidden weapons platform, launching a suicide attack, and were all eventually shot down.

Despite the all-out efforts of the escort forces, one-third of the bombers were destroyed before they could drop their bombs.

The remaining bombers successfully dropped the concussion explosives, and the overlapping energy waves instantly cleared a large area of ​​minefields—a power that only the shields or armor of capital ships could withstand, and most of the weapon platforms within the minefields were also destroyed.

During the evacuation, half of the bombers were shot down by the Republic's air defenses.

……

The moment the minefield was cleared, the 10 Generous-class frigates immediately activated their hyperspace engines.

Instead of choosing a conventional evacuation, they completed their jump at the edge of the enemy's effective firing range, instantly appearing less than 20 kilometers from the two Golan space stations anchored to the Republic fleet.

The roar of overloaded engines came through the communication channel. The frigate's reactor output power was pushed to the limit, and the surface of the hull glowed red due to overheating.

All forward-firing weapons fired simultaneously, and the red beams of the turbo-laser cannons continued to shoot at the space station's shields.

Every bit of excess energy is fed into the shield system in preparation for the impending impact.

The Republic's defenders reacted swiftly. The instant the frigate warp appeared, the heavy firepower of the "Jackal-class" cruisers and the Golan Space Station locked onto the target, and a salvo came instantly.

The shields of the two "Generosity-class" ships collapsed instantly under the intense attack, and the hulls were torn open with huge holes, turning them into powerless wrecks.

The third frigate experienced a violent explosion due to shield overload and the reactor safety device being forcibly deactivated, sending metal fragments flying like meteors.

But this is not enough.

The remaining seven nearly intact Generous-class frigates did not slow down and crashed straight into the Golan Space Station.

Subsequently, the wreckage of the two damaged frigates also crashed into the space station due to inertia.

This was a tactic meticulously designed by Rennes.

Using frigates as "giant kinetic weapons" to destroy the fortified Golan space station.

The Golan Space Station's engineering design is a model of interplanetary defense.

It does not require a faster-than-light engine or large thrusters, relying solely on small engines to maintain its orbit, which frees up a lot of space for additional weapon systems and armor.

Normally, it would take several salvos from a capital ship to destroy it, so tactically, destroying its weapon systems would be the priority.

More importantly, these types of space stations are usually deployed in gravity wells to increase the difficulty of impact attacks.

But this time, the space station performed better than anyone expected.

Their shields held up until the moment the second frigate struck.

Even with the shields collapsing, thanks to their thick armor and sturdy structure, the two space stations were not completely destroyed after being hit by a third frigate.

It wasn't until another Generous-class frigate collided with the space station, and the remaining frigates rushed through the debris field and initiated their self-destruct procedures, that the two Golan space stations completely lost power, broke into several pieces, and slowly fell into the atmosphere of Duro.

The moment the Golan Space Station was destroyed was the signal for the Confederate fleet to launch its general offensive.

"Second and third battle groups, warp to the remaining Golan space station area and destroy it within ten minutes!"

"Fourth to Eighth Combat Groups, immediately jump to form a semi-circular encirclement around the Republic's vanguard forces and cut off their retreat!"

The command was transmitted rapidly through the "Combat Network," and the hyperspace engines of the Peremian fleet lit up again, with blue warp lights connecting in the void.

Thousands of Vulture fighters docked on Confederate ships took off simultaneously, swarming toward the besieged Republic fleet.

This is not the main attack, but a diversionary tactic, aimed at drawing away the Republic's air defense fire.

Following closely behind was the precision strike from the battleships of the 28th Mobile Fleet.

Turbo laser cannons and proton torpedoes concentrated their attacks on the Republic warships' shield generators, engines, and weapon systems.

The red energy beam intertwined with the blue torpedo tail flames, instantly piercing the shields of several CR90 corvettes, and the hulls were reduced to fragments in the explosion.

After containing and precisely targeting the enemy, the boarding bay, filled with assault robots and special combat robots, rained down on the Republic warship, which had lost its shields.

Raine wanted more than just destruction; he wanted capture. He needed to extract the Republic's latest tactical data from these warships.

As the engines of the last Republic "Jester-class" cruiser were destroyed and the surrender signal was raised, Rein glanced at the time on his tactical terminal.

It took only half an hour from launching the attack to breaking through the outer defenses of Duro.

He brought up the loss statistics interface, and the smile on his lips became even more pronounced.

The Confederacy lost only 34 Generous-class frigates, 10 others with minor to moderate damage, one Lucrehook-class command ship with minor damage, and 7860 Vulture aircraft.
而共和国方面，3艘“猎兵级”巡洋舰，其中1艘被俘、6艘“欢呼者级”突击舰、3艘重巡洋舰、14艘CR90护卫舰被摧毁，600架“洪流”战斗机、150架Y翼轰炸机全灭，4座戈兰战斗空间站与200个武器平台化为废墟。

The exchange ratio is extremely favorable to the Peremian alliance.

Rein closed the statistics interface and looked in the direction of Planet Duro.

With the outer defenses breached, the next step is to advance into the core region of this planet.

(End of this chapter)