Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 66 - Meeting
Atlas, Catalina.

The Loryon Sector.

Paris felt like an outsider.

This is entirely Little Tower's battlefield, or the battlefield of the tactical robot that Rein has set up.

Not hers.

Her master, Luminara, had taught her how to command ground soldiers and squads, but never how to command large warships, let alone coordinate a hastily assembled fleet.

However, her existence is indispensable.

Morale needs to be boosted.

The squadron's crew is not entirely composed of robots, but rather of sailors and volunteers, and morale is at a delicate juncture.

What would the refugees in Atlantis think if they knew their fate was in the hands of a cold, logical processor?
The navigation robot entered a route to the satellite Trelos on the main screen; a thin red line traversed the vast space between the planet and the satellite.

The "Unicorn" and "Centaur" naturally took the lead, while the other Allied warships moved and adjusted along the route in a somewhat chaotic manner, clumsily vying for their positions, with even slight pushing and shoving between the ships.

The little tower's speech synthesizer emitted a faint hissing sound, like the friction of airflow, which Paris thought was probably a mechanical way of expressing disappointment.

"The transport ship has arrived at our location," Taylor, who was in charge of scanning, reported.

"All warships must maneuver in coordination," Little Tower's voice remained steady. "Make sure the transport fleet remains within our protected port side aft area. 'Unicorn' and 'Centaur,' prioritize energy delivery to the forward turret array, lock onto the approaching Republic gunboats, and once they are within firing range..."

Xiaota paused subtly before continuing, "Fire as commanded by the captain."

"Yes, yes."

"understand!"

Paris's eyes widened slightly, then she quickly suppressed her surprise and fixed her gaze on the tactical display screen.

Two conical areas representing the firing arcs of the forward turrets of the "Unicorn" and "Centaur" lit up on the screen, covering the airspace in front.

The three Republic DP20 gunboats skillfully avoided the core area of ​​the fire coverage, patrolling the edge in an attempt to find a breakthrough in the warning line.

Paris could feel the glowing electronic eyes of the little tower fixed on her profile, awaiting her decision.

"How fast is the ship turning?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"You mean yaw rate, sir?" the Taylor robot confirmed. "Using the bow attitude adjustment thrusters, with their course already locked, we can change course faster than those gunboats' instantaneous reaction time, but doing so will temporarily divert the power supply of the turbo-laser cannons."

Paris breathed a sigh of relief as she listened to the report.

Deep down, she still hoped that they would only lose their ability to fight, rather than be completely destroyed.

This somewhat alleviated her inner turmoil, although in her current situation, such feelings seemed pale and powerless.

"Once they cross the extension of our bow, immediately yaw to port," Barris clearly ordered, "and advance forward to bring them into the range of the main guns."

"Yes, yes."

The massive hull of the "Unicorn" waited steadily until the three agile gunboats rounded the bottom edge of the firing cone.

Suddenly, the bow attitude control thrusters spewed out dazzling exhaust flames and emitted a deep roar, causing the entire giant ship to veer sharply to the left, and a noticeable tremor came from the bridge floor.

The silhouette of the Republic's gunboat glided rapidly past the observation window.

As the bow of the "Unicorn" was pointed at the optimal firing angle, it suddenly accelerated forward—BOOM!

Two thick, scorching beams of energy shot out from the main cannon.

The lead DP20 gunboat was instantly engulfed in a blinding explosion, and a burning, twisted wreck rolled and fell from the thick smoke, quickly disappearing into the stratosphere of Atlas.

The second gunship was hit almost simultaneously by the Centaur's precise fire, turning into a brief but intense ball of light in space, with debris scattering everywhere.

Her sister ship, the USS Unicorn, was clearly not as "conservative" in its firepower distribution.

"Well done, sir!" Carroll's excited voice came through the comms. "I saw the wreckage of that gunboat fall right next to us!"

Before the words were finished, two Vulture robot fighters belonging to the Centaur roared past from the port side, their engine exhaust trails leaving long trails at the edge of the thin atmosphere, pouncing like hungry wolves toward the last lone DP20 gunboat.

Paris didn't even need to see the result; a series of dull, clear explosions had already reached through the ship's hull.

That was the sound of a missile hitting its target.

"The transport ship has reached its designated position," Taylor reported.

"Lock onto course, full speed ahead," Xiao Ta calmly ordered, "Maintain formation stability—"

Just then, at least a hundred new signal lights suddenly appeared on the tactical display screen. They swarmed out from the direction of the "Crysaor" like a bee and rushed towards the defensive line at high speed.

Paris's heart clenched, almost leaping out of her chest.

Here they come!

Almost simultaneously, a muffled, continuous humming sound came from deep within the ship's hull.

The hangar door of the "Unicorn" opened, and the "Vulture" robot fighter squadron to which it belonged took off urgently via catapult.

"Sir?"

A robot raised its head, its electronic eyes looking towards the captain's seat, awaiting instructions.

"Continue on the planned route."

Little Ta answered in his flat, emotionless voice, instead of Paris.

Suddenly, the massive Republic interstellar fighter fleet split in two.

One half turned around and headed straight for the Guardian and New Catelin. The other half continued to accelerate and dive towards the surface of Atlantis.

Paris recognized the highly distinctive ship outlines at a glance.

Y-wing Bomber!

"Are they trying to destroy the 'Guardian'?" Paris blurted out, her voice filled with disbelief. "This... is practically suicide!"

“From a tactical perspective, the possibility of them successfully destroying the target cannot be ignored,” Xiaota’s electro-optical sensors flashed coldly. “I think their intention is to clear the way for subsequent landing forces. Sensor array, is there a signal from a troop transport ship?”

"Signal detected, sir!" the sensor robot confirmed immediately. "Based on engine contrails, twelve troop transport ships are approaching from the direction of the 'Crysaor,' targeting Neocaterin."

Paris's heart clenched, her gaze fixed on the Y-wing bombers rushing toward the "Guardian".

The massive, converted cargo ship spewed out dense laser beams, weaving a web of death that lashed out at the relatively cumbersome bomber formation.

It was amidst this dazzling barrage of fire that Barris spotted an exceptionally agile triangular silhouette, deftly weaving through the gaps in the beams.

At the same time, a familiar, powerful surge of primal force pierced through the battlefield's clamor, assaulting her senses.

It is a Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor.

This means... there's a Jedi Knight piloting it!
Perhaps they had no idea that they were attacking a cargo ship carrying civilians.

They must be stopped!

Paris cried out in her heart.

She couldn't stand by and watch a Jedi inadvertently commit a war crime of massacring civilians, but she also didn't want to kill him.

But... what if they knew?

Paris's gaze involuntarily drifted to the distant Chrysaor, a ship that resembled a steel mountain.

What kind of Jedi general commanded this giant ship and launched this attack?
She felt her mouth was dry and swallowed hard.

No, this person must have lost their way.

He has strayed from the path of the dead.

This person should be able to communicate and be awakened.

Paris forced herself to close her eyes, immersing herself entirely in the Force, extending her sensory tentacles... into the chaotic Force field of the battlefield.

She keenly detected another faint scent.

It appears immature and inexperienced, and its strength is far inferior to the former; it would almost be overlooked if not deliberately searched for.

He's an apprentice!
There are actually two Jedi, one master and one apprentice!
Paris suddenly opened her eyes.

She turned her head and looked at the small tower beside her. "Notify the 'Centaur' to take our place. We must go and support the 'Guardian' immediately!"

The tactical robot's glowing electronic eyes stared at her, its internal processor seemingly running at high speed for a few seconds before replying in a steady, synthesized voice: "Agreed. Send orders to Captain Gallo to take over the flagship position and command the defense line."

The Unicorn's massive engines roared deafeningly as the enormous ship accelerated sharply, charging headlong into the Y-wing bomber squadron.

At the same time, the Vulture robot fighter squadron belonging to the Unicorn catapulted from the hangar and cleverly used the blinding light of the star as cover to dive down from a high angle and fiercely pounce on the Republic bombers.

"Our core mission is to save civilians, not to conquer this planet, right?"

A voice whispered in the flow of the Force, and also in her own mind.

Paris felt she was being pushed to the edge of a cliff, and was about to make a desperate gamble once again.

This wasn't betting credits at a roulette table; it was betting her life, and the lives of everyone in the galaxy she wanted to protect.

The vessel in control of this warship, which decides the lives and deaths of countless people, is a cold, tactical robot.

"The mission objective is clear: rescue civilians." Xiaota's voice was flat, devoid of any inflection, only pure logic.

“So…” Barris took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest, and she voiced the bold idea, “Once all the Atlas civilians have safely reached the satellite Trelos… could we… consider surrendering to the Republic? Our mission is complete, and the Republic’s follow-up fleet will find a way through that minefield sooner or later.”

The robot's glowing head immediately turned towards her, its electronic eyes locking onto her face. "According to my core programming, surrender is only permitted as a means of preserving life when there is no chance of winning and no other options."

However, given that the highest priority of the current mission is to maximize the protection of civilian lives, rather than to gain control of the planet, I must evaluate this course of action…

Logical analysis conclusion: Agreed.

After ensuring the safe evacuation of civilians from Atlantis, attempting to negotiate a conditional surrender with the enemy would be the optimal strategy, provided that the surrender terms guarantee the safe evacuation of all personnel and ships of the 'Unicorn' squadron.

Paris's tense nerves relaxed instantly, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

She did not misjudge the logical boundaries of the small tower's built-in program.

"It's possible!"

Paris silently cheered herself up.

'I can find a way out.'

Once the logical framework that Raine set for these tactical robots is understood, a usable path can be found.

“I want to speak with their commander,” Barris said firmly. “Is it possible to get through on open channel communication?”

The tower's electronic eyes continued to stare at her, its internal processor emitting a barely audible hum: "The Republic's encrypted communication system deployed in this star system has known vulnerabilities and is poorly maintained. The Unicorn's communication array is capable of making intrusive links."

Paris desperately wanted to see through the cold logic behind those luminous sensors, but she could only choose to trust them. "Then execute the intrusive link...please."

(End of this chapter)