The operation to board the Separatist ship went even smoother than Solo had anticipated.
The gunboat hugged the mountain ridge, using the terrain to evade most enemy surveillance until it reached the target ship. Only then did the Separatist anti-aircraft guns react.
But it was too late. The clone trooper squad had already stormed into an empty hangar.
Whether due to Separatist negligence or an internal breach, the hangar doors stood wide open, and the reflective shield generator was offline.
Solo immediately called over two B-1 battle droid commanders. Pointing at the passageways inside the ship, he barked, "You take your company and clear the lower decks, eliminating all resisting robots. You lead your team to push upward and draw enemy attention!"
"Roger! Roger!!"
The two droids nodded in unison, then led their respective teams into the depths of the passageways, their mechanical footsteps echoing behind them.
Solo didn't really expect these robots to be particularly effective. Their main purpose was to serve as "bait," drawing enemy fire and creating an opportunity for him and the assault squad to make a flanking breakthrough.
Reaching the edge of the hangar, the Clone Troopers swiftly attached launcher packs to their guns and fired ropes equipped with grappling hooks and magnetic clamps, which secured precisely to protrusions on the hull of the ship.
Solo, Ahsoka, and six Commandos gripped the ropes and began climbing toward the base of the Command Tower.
Assisted by the Force, Solo and Ahsoka climbed far faster than the Commandos. Even the highly trained Clone Troopers had to pick up their pace to keep up with them.
Within minutes, the squad reached a bulkhead beneath the Command Tower.
Solo activated his lightsaber. The blue blade instantly sliced through the air, carving a circular hole in the bulkhead.
He was the first to crawl through, followed by the Commandos, with Ahsoka bringing up the rear.
Once inside the ship, Clone Trooper Chuck (RC-00-0173), the squad leader, immediately projected a structural diagram of the ship onto his wrist display. Pointing to a red dot, he said, "Commander, we're here. The Command Center is six decks above us."
"Good. Take this shaft straight to the Command Center." Solo traced the shortest route on the holographic map, then gestured for silence and led the team toward the shaft.
The narrow, twisting corridors of the spherical ship neutralized the numerical advantage of the Separatist robots. The B-1 Battle Droids couldn't form effective formations in such confined spaces and were eliminated as easily as chopping through vegetables. Even the B-2 Super Battle Droids, hampered by their cumbersome turns, became sitting ducks.
"Just don't run into any Destroyer Droids," Solo prayed inwardly. Those combat robots, designed under General Grievous's supervision, boasted devastating firepower, impenetrable defenses, and the ability to fold and transform. Even Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan had been forced into a desperate situation by three Destroyer Droids. For anyone without Force sensitivity, encountering them meant almost certain death.
"Warning! Destroyer Droids ahead!"
Chuck's warning suddenly rang out.
"Damn it!" Solo's heart skipped a beat, cursing inwardly. "What you fear most is what you get!"
They were trapped in a narrow corridor, blocked by two fully deployed Destroyer Droids ahead. Their blue shields glowed with a dangerous light as their heavy blaster cannons relentlessly spewed firepower.
Behind them, several B-2 Super Battle Droids had caught up, threatening a pincer attack from both sides.
"The left wall is thin alloy plate," Solo said decisively. "Chuck, breach it with an armor-piercing round!"
Chuck immediately shouldered his PLX-1 rocket launcher. A single, precisely aimed shot blasted a hole just wide enough for one person to squeeze through.
"Ahsoka, take two team members through the breach and destroy the B-2s' power cores! I'll keep the others busy up front!"
Ahsoka's eyes hardened. Gripping her lightsaber, she dove through the hole.
Solo parried energy blasts with his sword while channeling the Force to hurl scattered metal fragments at the Destroyer Droids. Though he couldn't penetrate their shields, he successfully disrupted their aim.
Moments later, explosions echoed from the other side of the breach. Two B-2s were instantly immobilized, and the remaining units, now disorganized and unable to coordinate, fell into chaos.
"Damn it, we're out of grenades! How are we supposed to breach this wall of fire?" Solo scanned his surroundings, his gaze suddenly locking onto a heavy metallic device mounted high on the corridor ceiling. It resembled some kind of large lighting fixture, though its exact purpose was unclear. What mattered was its weight. "Got it, Ahsoka!"
"Master?" Ahsoka turned toward her Master amidst the chaos of battle.
Solo pointed at the metallic device and shouted, "Use your lightsaber to cut that thing down!"
"Why?" Ahsoka hesitated, instinctively questioning the command.
"No questions, just do it!" Solo's voice was resolute.
Ahsoka immediately activated her lightsaber. With a series of swift, precise strikes, she severed the brackets holding the heavy metallic device in place. The massive chunk of metal crashed to the corridor floor with a deafening clang.
Solo took a deep breath, focused his mind, and channeled the Force. *Weight doesn't exist,* he thought, recalling Master Yoda's teachings. *I can do this.*
He extended his hand, aimed at the metallic mass, and channeled the Force around it. With a sudden exertion of will, he hurled the metallic projectile toward the Destroyer Droid like a cannonball.
The Destroyer Droid's shield, designed to counter energy-based weapons, offered no protection against physical impacts.
Two robots were knocked over by a metallic block. One's leg structure was crushed, its manipulator arm twitching futilely as its shield flickered out. Clearly, the shield system only functioned when the robot was upright.
The other Destroyer Droid struggled to rise. Seizing the opportunity, Solo leaped onto its top and thrust his lightsaber into the seam of the shield generator interface.
The blue blade pierced the core instantly. The robot froze mid-struggle before collapsing with a crash.
Chuck and the others took the chance to finish off the remaining B-2 droids. In the corridor, amid the lingering smoke, only smoking metallic wreckage remained.
"Move out!" Solo barked, leading the charge. Lightsabers and blasters fired in unison, quickly clearing the remaining robots.
With their rear secured, they stormed the Command Center, kicking the door open.
Inside, a Neimoidian cowered in the lavish captain's chair, his face pale and body trembling.
*Holy crap, what a freakish face,* Solo thought to himself, but he declared solemnly, "In the name of the Galactic Republic, you are under arrest. Surrender immediately!"
The Neimoidian didn't dare resist and lowered his head obediently.
A Clone Commando stepped forward and swiftly secured him with energy cuffs.
Another commando reported, "Commander, the explosives at the communication center are set. We can withdraw now!"
"Move out! Ahsoka, keep up!"
Solo turned and left without a moment's hesitation.
A few minutes later, a violent explosion shook the entire Command Tower, completely destroying the Command Room.
A series of explosions then echoed from deep within the ship, reducing the communication system's antenna to ashes.
On their return journey, they encountered virtually no meaningful resistance.
Upon reaching the hangar exit, Solo deactivated his lightsaber and contacted the *Dingyuan* through internal comms: "Captain Ragnos, come in."
"Roger, Commander. What are your orders?" Captain Ragnos's voice came through promptly.
"The enemy commander has been neutralized, and the Command Center and communication systems have been destroyed. How's the ground situation?"
"All according to plan, General. The Separatists have a lot of robots, but we've held the line. Casualty reports are being compiled, but the main losses are concentrated in the newly formed battalion—about thirty tanks damaged, mostly AATs."
"Good. Prepare a detailed battle damage report when I return," Solo said, ending the transmission. He led his squad onto the gunboat, which had been waiting in the hangar, and swiftly withdrew from the Separatist ship, which was on the verge of losing control.
Over the next twenty-four hours, Solo's forces began to regroup.
During the operation, they lost nearly half of the captured B-1 battle droids, leaving only those that had been assigned to clone units for joint operations.
Since Master Skute had ordered the destruction of the Separatist ship and its automated factory, they gained almost no new loot. They could only recover some damaged equipment and ammunition from the battlefield.
However, Solo managed to "salvage" a personal advantage.
Before evacuating, he made a special trip to the Neimoidian's private quarters. There, he discovered a sturdy safe hidden in a wall compartment.
With a swift slice of his lightsaber, he easily cut through the safe. Inside were credit chips—roughly estimated at five hundred thousand credits.
Pressed for time, he couldn't count them carefully and simply stuffed the chips into his backpack.
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