The modified Defiant-class flagship was struck at its core, exploding in deep space like a blooming flower.
"Enemy flagship is out of control!" Yularen's voice brimmed with exhilaration. "General, our energy systems are fully restored! We're detecting chaotic energy signals from the enemy ships—the scanners are about to overload!"
Solo executed a sharp turn, and the turbolaser cannons fired again, shooting down two enemy fighters attempting to flee.
He turned to look back. The Justice had regained its vitality. The Venator-class Star Destroyer, which had been tilted nose-down, slowly righted itself. Its turbolaser cannons lit up again, unleashing fury upon the Separatist ships.
The Defiant-class flagship shattered in a series of explosions so violent it seemed the entire galaxy was trembling.
This battle was coming to an end.
"Attack group, withdraw and focus on eliminating the remaining fighters," Solo ordered. "Admiral Yularen, all Hunter-class and Hailfire-class captains—the final assault begins now."
"Master, permission to pursue the fleeing enemy!" Ahsoka's voice carried urgency as her fighter locked onto several enemy ships attempting to escape.
She piloted the Ghost to lead the chase. Instead of evading the enemy's retaliatory fire, she used her fighter's high maneuverability to close in on the enemy formation. At extremely close range, she unleashed a barrage of precise shots, each laser bolt striking the engines or shield generators of the enemy ships.
Within fifteen seconds, she had shot down three enemy fighters. One of them she forced into the firing range of the Justice, reducing it to dust.
The Togruta urged, "Those Mon Calamari fighters that slipped through are still resisting. I'll take care of them all!"
The other Separatist ships seemed frozen, their flagship already destroyed.
Passela Argonaut must have been on the flagship. Did he die?
Solo had no time to confirm.
The priority now was to deal with Meraji and his fleet.
"Ahsoka, pursue!"
"Roger, Master!"
Ahsoka whistled excitedly as she piloted her Delta-7 fighter, transforming into a crimson streak of lightning.
The Delta-7's speed was already outstanding, but combined with a Jedi's reflexes, it became lethal in space.
Solo maneuvered his fighter through a series of astonishing stunts—continuous rolls, sharp turns, and abrupt stops. The Clone Trooper pilots' stunned reactions made it seem like their jaws were about to drop and fly through the cockpit canopy into space.
Ahsoka closely followed Solo, precisely mirroring his flight path. Leveraging her fighter's superior agility, she even executed more complex evasive maneuvers.
When a Mon Calamari fighter attempted to ambush Solo from the rear, Ahsoka instantly sensed the threat. She abruptly pulled up her fighter, then swooped over Solo's cockpit in an inverted dive, her turbolasers firing and piercing the cockpit of the ambushing fighter.
Her actions were executed with seamless precision, showcasing both a Jedi's keen perception and the potential of a top-tier pilot. "Master, three enemy fighters are closing in from the left! I'll cover you!"
She abruptly pulled up her fighter, executed an inverted roll, and her turbolasers scored direct hits on two enemy fighters. The third was forced into Solo's firing range and destroyed in an instant.
Meanwhile, four Venator-class ships clashed head-on with eight Separatist Defiant-class vessels.
The Venator-class ships, with their superior size and firepower, gradually gained the upper hand for the Republic.
However, ten Lucrehulk-class ships from the Separatist second line began advancing, while the Republic flagship, Justice, adjusted its posture, still surrounded by swarming Separatist fighters like a hive of bees.
Solo led his squadron toward the fray. By the time they arrived, most of the enemy fighters had been reduced to wreckage.
This was all thanks to Solo's tactical plan, which he had adapted from Grand Admiral Thrawn's strategic principles.
By luring the Separatist Droid Fighters and drones near the flagship and then jamming their communications, the Separatists were caught completely off guard and unable to counter.
Although they had developed autonomous B1-series battle droids after the Naboo incident, their space fighters still relied on ship-based command. With their communications disrupted, the drones moved sluggishly, becoming easy targets.
"Order all units to join the encirclement of the Separatist fleet," Solo switched channels. "Ahsoka, follow me. We're going to take out Meraji and his escorts who broke through the line."
He piloted his fighter toward the east, heading toward the area where the Mon Calamari fighters were likely to appear.
"Let's move!" Ahsoka's voice brimmed with determination as her fighter shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. "I've locked onto Meraji's signal—southeast. He won't get away!"
Through her unique connection to the Force, she clearly detected the energy signature of Meraji's fighter, even though he was trying to hide among the meteorite fragments. He couldn't escape her lock.
Bubbles erupted across the sea of Kamino as five Mon Calamari fighters burst out of the water and shot into space.
"Meraji, let's talk," Solo said, opening a communication channel. Meraji's face appeared on the screen. "I heard you care about your men, Commander. Will you surrender? I, a Jedi, guarantee that we will respect your rights as prisoners of war."
Ahsoka's fighter hovered nearby, its turbolaser cannon locked onto Meraji's fighter, its fuselage tilted slightly, ready to fire at a moment's notice.
"Why would you think I'd surrender, Jedi?" Meraji's voice was cold and brittle.
"Orbitally, the Republic flagship has regained its combat capability," Solo said, his calm voice carrying an oppressive weight. "To be frank, your ion cannons did cause us some trouble, but the tide has turned. The Justice's firepower is something you can't withstand. That's point one.
Point two: Your flagship has been destroyed, and Passele Argonaut is likely dead. You've lost your core advantage.
Point three: Both your ground forces and space fleet are being systematically eliminated. The battles at Tipoca City and in orbit are both tipping in our favor."
He paused, observing the subtle shift in Meraji's expression on the screen, before continuing. "I suspect this attack was to verify intelligence about Kamino's weaknesses—intelligence provided by Passele Argonaut. But do you know where he got that information? From Count Dooku himself."
"Impossible," Meraji retorted, his voice betraying a barely perceptible tremor.
"Could it be... that Dooku... is a Sith?" Solo asked calmly. "He wouldn't tolerate Passele Argonaut's ambitions to seize leadership of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. In other words, this battle was a conspiracy from the start—a scheme to help Dooku eliminate his rivals, and you just walked right into it. And now you're being eliminated too."
Meraji frowned, pondering. "How does a Jedi like you know all this?"
"Didn't you already make up your mind?" Solo sensed the turmoil in Meraji's mind through the Force, a faint smile playing on his lips as he shifted the conversation. "You're too talented, and the Separatist leadership clearly favors Grievous. After all, he harbors pure hatred for the Jedi, while your idealism is like a thorn in the side of the Sith. You believe our true enemy isn't the Jedi, but the Republic's corrupt system—and that's precisely what the Sith need least."
"So, will you surrender?"
At that moment, both sides' fighters were flying within Kamino's atmosphere.
"Glan!" After a long silence, Meraji called his subordinate's name. "You should surrender."
"Commander, do you believe his words?"
"It doesn't matter," Meraji replied, his voice tinged with weariness. "Whether his words are true or false, we're doomed to lose. But I, Meraji, the hero of Atraken, the legend according to the Separatist media—I will never surrender. I will fight to the very last!"
"Then we will share your fate!"
"Enough!" Solo interrupted their transmission, his voice stern. "You want to fight, Meraji? Then have it your way."
Green Squadron pursued the Mon Calamari squadron relentlessly. Suddenly, Meraji's fighter dove toward the sea, plunging straight into the water.
"Clone Squad, on me! If they surrender, escort them to the landing platform. If they don't—destroy them outright." Solo's fighter swept over the point of impact as he issued the order. "I'll deal with Meraji."
Solo adjusted his fighter's attitude, just completing a sharp turn, when the Separatist fighter suddenly burst out of the water. Two missiles arced toward him from two different directions, aiming to catch him as he corrected his turn.
Interesting.
The Separatists had clearly calculated that Solo couldn't evade sideways and would be struck precisely as he corrected his turn.
But Solo had anticipated this. He engaged the brakes and reverse thrusters, yanked the stick back, and executed a special maneuver—the Cobra Maneuver!
The Delta-7's nose pitched up, nearly flying backward.
The two missiles lost their target and collided mid-air, exploding. For an unprepared pilot, this was a devious attack—one misstep and it meant certain death.
After switching to combat mode, Solo engaged his afterburners and charged straight toward Meraji's "Shark" amphibious fighter, launching his attack.
Meraji wasn't about to back down. After breaking free from the water, he shot forward, passing beneath Solo and heading straight for a platform embroiled in fierce combat.
As Solo weaved through the platform's struts and turned to search for Meraji, the Mon Calamari pilot had already submerged again.
Just as Solo flew overhead, Meraji burst out of the water, unleashing a torrent of cannon fire.
Solo executed a series of evasive maneuvers, inwardly acknowledging that Meraji was no ordinary opponent. The Mon Calamari pilot had steadily locked him in his sights.
Moreover, repeatedly pulling the Cobra maneuver might not work against Meraji. Mon Calamari fighters were far more agile than standard models in both the atmosphere and underwater, and Meraji's piloting skills were exceptional.
Contesting complex maneuvers and stunts had become pointless. The only way to decide this was through raw reaction speed, an area where Solo held an absolute advantage.
Meraji's intent to kill Solo was unwavering. To him, this aerial battle was his final, grand performance, and his opponent was none other than a Jedi Knight.
"Then let me show you—"
Solo reactivated his brakes, yanked back on the stick, and swooped past Meraji before charging straight toward the droid fighter support structures surrounding Tipoca City.
Meraji, already on guard, synchronized his turn almost simultaneously with Solo's maneuver. Theoretically, he had already brought Solo within range of his autocannons. If Solo persisted in trying to flank him, he might walk right into a trap.
The droid fighter support structures were extremely unfavorable terrain. As Solo delved deeper, the crisscrossing steel girders grew increasingly dense.
Solo demonstrated the pinnacle of Force-sensitive combat prowess, nimbly weaving between the girders, feinting to flank one moment and abruptly changing direction the next.
Meraji's reactions were equally swift. His shots repeatedly grazed Solo's fighter, even striking surrounding girders.
But fifty seconds later, he finally couldn't keep up with Solo's evasive rhythm. His fighter collided at a considerable speed with a massive girder.
The violent impact instantly disintegrated the fighter, detonating along with Meraji. The wreckage plummeted into the ocean below.
Emerging from beneath the platform, Solo watched the wreckage of the Shark sink, murmuring, "Rest in peace, Meraji."
He immediately switched communication channels. "Commander, how's the situation?"
"The ground enemy has been defeated," Lancis reported. "Warrior Dogen of the Delta Force successfully repelled the attack on the Third-Generation Clone Factory and cleared the barracks."
"Obi-Wan and Anakin have also returned to the battlefield. The ground cleanup will be completed shortly."
Dogen? Solo's heart stirred, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
"We haven't achieved a decisive victory in space yet," Yularen said, his voice weary. "But our firepower superiority is undeniable. The enemy tried to breach our lines and attack the flagship, but fortunately, our energy output is nearing maximum capacity, and our shields are fully restored. Victory is within reach, General."
"Good! All Jedi pilots, support the fleet with your fighters! Full assault—crush them!" Solo nodded and switched channels. The ground battle was nearing its end, and the space battle continued for another hour. Some Separatist ships began turning to flee into hyperspace.
But the Republic had already set a trap: "Fighters and ships, target their engines! Follow them to Moraval—they can't jump directly to the Trillus Route and hide in Hutt Space!"
Solo activated the Hyperspace Ring on his fighter, and along with the flagship Dingyuan and several Venator-class ships, they jumped into hyperspace.
The remaining Separatist fleet continued to resist. A surviving Lucrehulk-class ship, protected by three other vessels, was putting up a stubborn fight, and Passele Argonaut was on that very Lucrehulk-class ship.
He sent a distress signal to "all Separatist Confederation ships," claiming that reinforcements were on their way, but help from afar would arrive too late.
"Passela, I'm giving you one last chance," Solo intercepted the transmission, glancing at Count Dooku's holographic image during the communication. "My apologies for the interruption, Count Dooku... Passela, surrender is your only option. You can't win, and your ship can't perform long-range hyperspace jumps, can it?"
"You expect me to surrender to the Republic?" Passela's voice dripped with venom. "I'll surrender to anyone, but never to the Jedi!"
Unmoved, Solo replied, "Then I'll have to destroy your ship, along with you."
"Jedi, you must understand that eliminating the leader of a MegaCorporation will have unforeseen consequences."
Dooku's voice carried a veiled threat.
"Then make him surrender," Solo retorted coldly. "This war is your game—what consequences do you fear? His remaining forces can't possibly withstand our assault. Our crew is already seething with anger over their use of Ion Pulse Cannons. Our warriors demand retribution—and capturing their commander would be the perfect response."
"General! Two more Defiant-class and five Munificent-class ships have entered the system!" Yularen's voice suddenly rang out.
The Justice was firing at full capacity, its turbolaser cannons unleashing a torrent of fire. One Lucrehulk-class ship had already been destroyed, and the other two were on the verge of being crippled.
"It seems you've already made your choice," Solo said, cutting off the transmission. He immediately ordered all firepower to concentrate on the Lucrehulk-class ship where Passela was located, allowing his furious warriors to vent their anger.
The enemy's hyperspace drive was clearly damaged; escape into hyperspace was impossible.
"Green Squadron, intercept all targets launched from the Lucrehulk. Admiral Yularen, Master Gallia, contain the new reinforcements."
The battle intensified, but the outcome was already sealed.
Please Support me by becoming my patreon member and get 10+ chapters.
[email protected]/Ajal69
change @ with a
Thank You to Those who joined my Patreon