Chapter 362: You're Not Sorry — You Just Know You're About to Die!
"Don't just stand there like idiots—move!"
Paul barked at the others when he saw their stunned expressions, snapping them back to reality.
Even he was surprised by the effectiveness of the assassination darts. The original model could only deal single-target damage at slow speeds.
The sluggish velocity had been a necessary tradeoff—high-speed projectiles couldn't easily pierce through the Holtzmann shield fields used for defense.
But thanks to refinements from the Universal Megacorp, the assassination darts had evolved into these stealthy, lethal micro-weapons.
In the Star Wars universe, the only effective countermeasure against such darts was the Force—a power that could manipulate physical matter.
Yet Tagge hadn't assigned a single Force user to this fleet.
That left Paul free to run wild aboard the Devastator.
Soon, Imperial stormtroopers came rushing in as backup. But before they could react, Paul launched another wave of darts—one-click, clean sweep.
With dull thuds and bodies hitting the floor in rapid succession, the darts danced gracefully through the crowd, tracing deadly arcs at a rate of three to four kills per second.
All Paul's group had to do was walk past the collapsing troopers. The darts would handle the rest.
By the time they finished, the reinforcements had been wiped out, and the darts returned to Paul's hand—mission complete.
But that was just the beginning. Their true target was the Devastator's command bridge.
With the Red Queen AI virus uploaded, the massive hangar doors slowly opened, revealing the warship's immense internal expanse.
The Devastator measured nearly 20 kilometers in length and stood 2 kilometers high—essentially a vertical city in space.
This behemoth of a warship could house up to 600,000 personnel.
> [Red Queen AI virus successfully implanted. Estimated time to breach total ship systems: 9 minutes 52 seconds.]
The Devastator's defense protocols were advanced and included anti-intrusion mechanisms. Even the Red Queen AI needed time to fully crack its systems.
Until then, Paul and the others had no choice but to hold their position.
"They're here—!"
A shout came from above. A stormtrooper had spotted them through a maintenance shaft, and a barrage of blaster fire rained down instantly.
Under normal circumstances, such heavy firepower would've shredded them.
But Paul had equipped everyone beforehand with bubble shields—defensive tools from the Halo universe. They were more than sufficient to absorb stormtrooper blasters.
As enemies began to flood in from all directions, Paul didn't hesitate—he unleashed the assassination darts again.
In the ship's wider corridors, the darts zipped freely through the dense crossfire, piercing trooper necks with surgical precision.
After being redesigned by Megacorp, their size had been reduced from 14cm to just 5cm. At high speeds, they were nearly impossible to track with the naked eye.
The stormtroopers, unable to see or counter them, were powerless.
One by one, the soldiers fell from ledges and catwalks, their bodies splattering across the cold metal deck.
"Holy shit, this is insane!"
Captain Cassian cheered in disbelief. As long as they stayed close behind Paul and watched their backs, the darts would handle everything else.
Compared to what he'd expected, this mission was way easier than he'd feared.
With every step forward, Paul left a growing trail of corpses. Wherever they walked, stormtroopers died.
News of the breach quickly reached Cassio Tagge on the command bridge. But the intel only deepened his confusion.
"What did you say—less than 20 people?!"
He shouted at the officer reporting to him.
"Roughly 10... maybe 15 at most," the flustered subordinate replied.
Like Tagge, he couldn't believe that such a small team could be causing this much chaos, so he'd dispatched hundreds of elite stormtroopers to eliminate them.
But the response he got back?
Total annihilation.
"How many casualties so far?" Tagge gritted his teeth.
"We've lost over 3,000 already… and the number's still rising. Their target appears to be the main command center."
Hearing that, Tagge exploded. He simply couldn't fathom it.
Thousands of casualties… in mere minutes?! What kind of monsters were they fighting?!
"Are you screwing with me?! Even if they were fighting pigs, ten Jedi Masters couldn't butcher 3,000 that fast!"
The assassination darts had shattered everything Tagge thought he knew about warfare.
Meanwhile, Paul and his team tore through another wave of stormtrooper squads, now only a few security gates away from the bridge.
The Red Queen AI had already uploaded the Devastator's full schematics and plotted the most efficient route to the bridge.
All Paul had to do was follow it.
They passed through several narrow passages and arrived at the logistics sector—a maze of corridors and crates stacked with weapons and supplies.
In a standard boarding op, this area would be a blood-soaked hellhole of close-quarters combat.
The abundant cover would've given stormtroopers a huge advantage in slowing Paul's advance.
But for auto-targeting assassination darts, it was just another playground.
Like silent phantoms, they weaved through the corridors and warehouses, eliminating every hiding trooper without making a sound.
Eventually, Paul's squad reached the final security gate outside the bridge, almost completely unscathed.
Any stormtroopers still alive were trapped in other sectors and wouldn't make it in time.
Tagge had sealed the blast doors ahead, hoping to stall Paul long enough for reinforcements.
"Deploy the IG-100 MagnaGuards—don't let them get through!"
Tagge roared, now fully aware that this was a takeover attempt. Still, he refused to surrender the Empire's flagship so easily.
If word got out that a dozen rebels captured the Devastator, his career—and reputation—would be ruined.
He had banned Force users aboard the ship, so the most powerful combat units left were the MagnaGuards—IG-100s from the Clone Wars era.
These droid commandos stood at 1.95 meters, weighed 123kg, and were fully metal.
With wrapped heads and cloaks, they resembled mercenaries from a desert world.
They wielded electrostaffs capable of blocking lightsabers—essentially a poor man's lightsaber.
Their high-speed rotating joints enabled a nearly impenetrable defense known as the "Fan Blade Technique."
Even Jedi Knights would struggle to defeat them in open combat.
That's why Tagge thought he could handle most threats without Force users.
True, the MagnaGuards could deflect assassination darts using advanced sensors and algorithms.
But Paul didn't need the darts to fight them—he could simply order the weapons to bypass the droids while his team handled the rest.
Especially Luke Skywalker.
He was in desperate need of real combat experience, and this was the perfect trial.
Paul glanced at Luke. "This one's yours."
Before Luke could protest, Paul dashed away toward the bridge, leaving him alone with a hulking MagnaGuard.
"M-Me? You want me to fight that?!"
Luke stared wide-eyed at the towering droid, feeling like a fresh noob facing a raid boss.
The MagnaGuard spun its four electrostaffs, wind roaring from its attack like a meat grinder of death closing in.
Luke, still green and uncertain, could only parry while backpedaling.
The more he retreated, the more aggressive the droid became—until he was backed into a corner, facing certain defeat.
Everyone else was busy in their own fights. No one could help.
Only Chirrut noticed Luke's dire state and shouted, "Luke! Remember what Master Obi-Wan taught you! Don't fear it—trust in your abilities!"
Chirrut knew that a prodigy like Luke needed only one breakthrough moment to evolve. Confidence was the key to unlocking his full potential.
Encouraged, Luke took a deep breath and lunged—his lightsaber striking precisely at the center of the four whirling staffs.
With a loud clash, his blade jammed the droid's mechanism—completely locking up its rotation.
That was the secret to beating the Fan Blade Technique. A lightsaber couldn't cut through the staffs, but it could wedge itself in.
Luke swiftly pulled his blade back, spun, and struck again—decapitating the MagnaGuard in one clean motion.
"Wait… I actually did it? Am I… a genius?!"
Staring at his lightsaber in disbelief, Luke felt a rush of clarity. His connection to the Force had never been stronger.
This might've been his awakening—the moment he began his transformation from farm boy to Jedi Knight.
The Force had heightened his senses at the critical moment, allowing him to find and exploit the droid's weakness.
"Luke, you're now a true Jedi."
Chirrut nodded in satisfaction. This was only the beginning—soon, Luke would show the galaxy his unrivaled talent with the Force.
---
Meanwhile, Paul was in full-on God Mode, boosted by a spiced-up combat stim, bulldozing his way through the Devastator's final defenses.
The AI Red Queen or his handheld plasma charges blasted open every last door.
Thunder grenades, assassination darts—nothing stood in his way.
Backed into a corner, Tagge finally issued the order to activate the self-destruct protocol.
Had he known Paul could fight his way to the bridge, he would've fled long ago.
But it was too late now.
BOOM—!
As the command left Tagge's lips, the bridge doors were kicked open.
Paul entered like a storm, deathly calm, his floating darts at his back like a halo of blades.
"Kill him! NOW!"
Tagge shrieked.
The stormtroopers tried to raise their weapons—too late.
The darts tore through them in an instant.
Two MagnaGuards surged forward—but Chani stepped in, intercepting them.
Trained by Rita, Chani's close-combat skills were on par with Paul's—only her spice tolerance lagged behind.
In everything else, they were equals.
As Paul advanced, Tagge's bravado crumbled. The same man who'd ordered Tatooine's obliteration was now trembling in fear.
He stumbled back, trying to appear composed. "W-Who are you people?!"
When he gave the order to destroy Tatooine, he never imagined his reckoning would come so swiftly.
Paul grabbed him by the throat, eyes cold and merciless.
"Cooperate with me now, and I might let you live."
He demanded Tagge issue an immediate ceasefire and command the surrounding Imperial warships to surrender to the Megacorp.
Tagge struggled but couldn't break Paul's grip—he wasn't even close to his physical level.
Still, he refused. "No. Never."
Betraying the Empire would make him a traitor. Even if he complied, what guarantee did he have they wouldn't just kill him after?
If he couldn't keep the ship, he'd rather take everyone down with him.
"I've already activated the self-destruct. You're all coming with me!"
Tagge's face twisted in fury.
But Paul just smirked.
Red Queen had long since seized control of the Devastator. Tagge's order never even reached the core.
> [Understood. Issuing ceasefire command to surrounding vessels. Locking down all internal doors and access points.]
Amid the stunned expressions of the Imperial officers, a mechanical voice echoed through the command bridge—the voice of the AI Red Queen. None of them had expected their ship's onboard systems to be completely taken over by an AI.
Soon after, as orders were issued from the fleet headquarters, the array of Imperial Star Destroyers surrounding the Ship began to gradually slow down, eventually anchoring in a nearby sector of space.
Within the Devastator itself, all internal passageways were quickly sealed off by the Red Queen, preventing large numbers of stormtroopers from reaching the bridge to come to the rescue.
Now, all Paul had to do was wait patiently for David and the expeditionary forces to arrive and take full control of this elite Imperial fleet.
Upon witnessing the flagship's self-destruct protocol fail and seeing the surrounding Star Destroyers halt at the command of the invader, Tag's arrogance completely collapsed. His heart sank into despair as he slumped helplessly to the ground.
Nearby, the two Royal Guard droids were swiftly decapitated by Chani, who also destroyed their power cores.
Having lost all his trump cards, Tag had no choice but to beg Paul for mercy.
"I was wrong! Spare my life—I'll cooperate! I'll do whatever you want!"
Looking at the regret-ridden Tag, Paul simply shook his head.
"You're not sorry because you realize your mistake. You're sorry because you know you're about to die."
As he spoke, Paul issued a command, which immediately pierced Tag's temple and shredded his brain into a mess.
The entire process took less than two seconds, and Tag was silenced forever.
As for the other personnel on the bridge, Paul spared none of them either. With the Red Queen in control, he had no need for Anyone to operate the Devastator manually.
At that moment, countless internal surveillance feeds were projected onto the holographic screen before Paul, giving him a clear view of all stormtrooper squads stationed throughout the ship.
Because the passageway doors had all been sealed, the increasingly anxious stormtroopers could only resort to gunfire and heavy explosives in an attempt to break through.
Seeing this, Paul immediately used the ship's broadcast system to issue an order: all personnel were to drop their weapons and remain where they were. Any unauthorized movement would be met with lethal force.
At first, some defiant stormtroopers attempted to flank Paul and capture him alive—but once the deadly needles were deployed, the vast majority of them quickly wised up and laid down their arms.
They remained in place, awaiting capture by the approaching troops of Universal Megacorp.
Thanks to the Red Queen's full control of the vessel, Paul could detect any suspicious activity among the stormtroopers and preemptively issue kill commands.
At this point, the hidden weapon had become a sword hanging over every stormtrooper's head. Any sign of movement would immediately trigger a deadly response.
With the Red Queen and the deadly weapon now managing internal security, Paul no longer needed to concern himself with the stormtroopers. Instead, he used the flagship's comms system to issue a command to the other Star Destroyers:
[This is Universal Megacorp. Cease resistance immediately and prepare to be boarded. Any further defiance will result in total destruction.]
David's expeditionary fleet was still thirty minutes away from the sector. Until then, Paul would have to face the encircling Imperial Star Destroyers alone.
Upon learning that the flagship had been captured by the enemy, most of the Imperial Star Destroyers began maneuvering to converge on the Devastator.
Only one or two ships, uncertain of the situation, chose to hold position for the time being.
In a flash, thirteen Imperial Star Destroyers, along with various classes of destroyers and escort vessels, surrounded the Devastator like a swarm of small fish circling a massive shark.
After all, the Devastator, a Super Star Destroyer, was more than ten times the size of a standard Star Destroyer. In comparison, the others posed little threat.
Within the Imperial fleet, only the Devastator qualified as a true frontline warship. Its five thousand turbo laser batteries and over ten thousand plasma cannons were no joke.
The other Star Destroyers typically served auxiliary roles—patrols, escort duty, perimeter defense. When it came to firepower, the difference was night and day.
Watching the encroaching Star Destroyers continue their advance without fear, Paul could only sigh and shake his head. He had given them a chance.
But they had chosen to ignore it.
So be it.
Then he would unleash the Devastator's full firepower—and obliterate every last one of them.
"Fire!"
At Paul's command, the Devastator's main batteries—already fully charged—erupted in all directions.
A storm of laser blasts fanned out like a dazzling display of fireworks, crashing into the surrounding Star Destroyers and sending shockwaves of blinding light through the void.
While the deflector shields of standard Imperial Star Destroyers could mitigate some of the damage, they were no match for the Devastatorr's main guns.
The return fire from the Star Destroyers' own batteries, meanwhile, barely scratched the Devastator's reinforced shielding.
The battle unfolding in the void resembled the brutal broadside duels of the Age of Sail—warships exchanging fire at close range with unrelenting ferocity, determined to outlast one another in a deadly slugfest.
It was a contest of armor, firepower, and reload speed—an ultimate shootout, as if space itself had turned into a Wild West standoff.
This was the kind of space war the Empire had long anticipated. The Star Destroyers, the Super Star Destroyers, the Death Star, and even the unfinished Starkiller Base—all had been designed for a moment like this.
But until now, the Empire had never found a worthy opponent—only swatting at petty Rebel fleets with overwhelming firepower.
Now, finally, their moment had arrived.
And yet, this epic battle had broken out not against an enemy fleet, but amid the chaos of their own flagship being hijacked.
A heartbreaking civil war, one that would ultimately hand victory to a distant opportunist—Universal Megacorp.
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