The deep space, though dazzlingly colorful, can become monotonous over time. The vastness of the universe makes even the largest ships seem utterly insignificant.
During this patrol mission, the first enemies they encountered were a malfunctioning pirate ship. The ship's hyperspace engine had failed, leaving it drifting in orbit around an uninhabited planet.
When the Clone Troopers towed the dilapidated vessel into the hangar bay of the *Dingyuan*, a Hailfire-class assault ship, it immediately drew a crowd of onlookers.
Ahsoka, observing the ship's rust-streaked hull, couldn't help but chuckle, "This thing looks like a relic from the Rakata era!"
The gathered crew nodded in agreement. Even Solo's R-3 droid chimed out a series of electronic beeps that sounded like, "This heap of junk is only good for selling to the Hutts."
After questioning, they learned the pirate captain had inherited the ship and knew nothing of its origins. The cargo consisted of second-hand agricultural machinery, likely stolen goods.
In accordance with the law, Solo ordered the ship and its crew to be impounded, to be handed over to the authorities later.
A few days later, they encountered a second suspicious vessel. This one proved unusually agile and even attempted to resist.
Ahsoka skillfully piloted her Delta-7 fighter, precisely destroying the enemy's weapon systems. Meanwhile, Solo led two platoons of Clone Space Troopers, who used their jetpacks to "jump ship" and board the vessel.
After slicing through the airlock with her lightsaber, the Clone Troopers swiftly took control of the cabin, stunning half a dozen resistance fighters with their stun guns. Seeing the situation was hopeless, the remaining pirates surrendered.
The search revealed not only nearly ten kilograms of spice but also over twenty female slaves.
Solo immediately ordered the pirates to be confined to the brig, provided food and medical assistance to the slaves, and then ordered the severely damaged ship to be destroyed as target practice for the gunners.
However, such conflicts were rare during their patrol.
News of their presence quickly spread among the pirates operating around the Perlemian Trade Route, and they all went into hiding.
Throughout the entire patrol, they only engaged in one firefight with the Confederacy, which went smoothly. They easily shot down a Techno Union transport ship attempting to cross their patrol route.
On the third day of the patrol, Solo was enjoying a rare moment of rest when he was rudely awakened by the energetic Ahsoka: "Master! The Jedi Council has urgently summoned you!"
"The Hutts..."
Rubbing his eyes, Solo hurried to the Command Center.
The holographic projection activated, and the images of Yoda, Mace Windu, Shaak Ti, Plo Koon, and Ki-Adi-Mundi appeared on the screen.
After exchanging greetings, Windu spoke first: "Warrior Victor, the Council has an important mission for you. You are to immediately proceed to Lantilles and join the delegation led by Senator Amidala and Senator Organa. Your responsibility is to ensure their security as they travel to Rendon to negotiate with the local government. Intelligence suggests that London intends to abandon its neutrality and align with the Separatists. The senators' mission is to persuade them to at least maintain neutrality."
*This is trouble,* Solo thought to himself, but he replied calmly, "I understand, Master Windu. I will depart for Lantilles immediately."
After the holographic images faded, Solo turned to Ahsoka, his voice flat. "Prepare yourself. We're heading to Lantilles."
"Will there be a battle?" Ahsoka's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Hard to say, Spike," Solo replied with a faint smirk. "Political negotiations are even harder to predict than a battlefield."
***
Meanwhile, at the Separatist secret base, Asajj Ventress stood bowed before Count Dooku, awaiting her orders.
The Count's newly accepted apprentice's eyes burned with a fierce hunger for battle.
"Ventress!" Dooku's voice boomed with authority. "I have a new mission for you..."
***
In an officer lounge aboard the *Dingyuan*, four young officers finally gathered together. Since the ship's departure, each had been busy familiarizing themselves with their duties and handling assignments, making this their first chance to meet casually.
"It's a miracle we're all here, Sumelagi," Grace said, leaning back on the sofa, her voice filled with wonder. "We're lucky we weren't scattered to the far corners of the galaxy."
"True. Serving on the same ship is practically like a vacation," Chris chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "And this patrol mission is actually pretty interesting—much better than simulating drills back at the academy."
"By the way, what do you guys think of our General?" Grace suddenly changed the subject, nudging Sumelagi with her elbow. "Sumelagi, you interact with him the most. What's your take?"
"Why are you asking me?" Sumelagi paused, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"Hmph, I saw the way the General was looking at you. Spill the truth—do you two have some special connection?" Grace teased, drawing curious glances from Chris and Lichtenwald.
"No, we don't! Stop talking nonsense..." Sumelagi's words quickened, her gaze shifting nervously.
Grace laughed even harder. "Oh, and you deny it? Look at that blush!"
"I heard the General spoke to the Jedi Council a few hours ago," Chris interjected quickly, trying to divert attention and spare Sumelagi further embarrassment.
"That's no small matter," Lichtenwald said, his brow furrowing. His tone turned serious. "I looked into it earlier. When the Council contacts someone directly, it usually means a critical mission is coming."
Grace's smile faded. "So we'll be busy soon?"
No sooner had she spoken than the ship's communication system blared: "All officers, immediately proceed to the tactical briefing room! I repeat, all officers, immediately proceed to the tactical briefing room!"
"See? I told you there was a mission coming," Lichtenwald said, standing up and draping his uniform jacket over his arm.
***
Not long after his conversation with the Jedi Council, three documents were delivered to Solo.
One contained his direct mission orders, another was a command from Sector Command, and the last was the latest war situation report.
"It's not even been a month, and already we have a new mission," Solo muttered to himself. Perhaps these documents had been sent earlier but only now reached him.
Instead of starting with the mission orders, he opened the war situation report first. Understanding the overall situation would help him better assess the mission's risks.
The report's contents weren't surprising. The Confederacy of Independent Systems still held the advantage in many sectors, but the situation was gradually stabilizing.
The Separatists were forced to divert troops from their "legitimate territories" to support other sectors, while the Republic seized the opportunity to launch precision strikes aimed at weakening the Confederacy's production capabilities.
Solo's gaze lingered on the names Obi-Wan and Anakin.
The two had successfully evacuated the garrison from Rhenvar, but at a heavy cost. To counter four *Munificent*-class frigates, they committed two *Hailfire*-class cruisers and ten CR20 infantry transports, ultimately losing over three thousand clone troopers. While the Separatists suffered heavy losses of ground equipment and robots, they gained control of Rhenvar's orbital space.
Solo remembered that according to the "original plot," Obi-Wan and Anakin would next travel to the main planet of the Rakaxus system to prevent Dooku from obtaining the core components of the *Dark Reaper*.
He recalled a discussion he'd seen on a forum before.
Some believed this was Dooku acting independently, trying to use the superweapon to fight the Republic. Others thought it was a scheme by Darth Sidious, aimed at making Anakin converse with the holographic projection of the ancient Jedi Kyle Katarn, further fueling his arrogance.
Regardless of which was true, Solo had no desire to experience the Dark Reaper's power firsthand. Its destructive force was simply too terrifying.
He quickly skimmed through the other Jedi's mission reports, which were all very brief, consisting of only a few lines. This precisely reflected the Jedi's lack of battlefield training.
Though there were a few gifted commanders, overall efficiency was low, and the casualty statistics were disheartening.
The Battle of Geonosis had cost 187 Jedi, and in the following month, another 63 were lost. Additionally, nearly 700 sentient beings had chosen to leave the Warrior Order.
Adi Gallia's actions were one of the few bright spots. She led a fleet to support Commander Tirimak. After two days of combat, they successfully drove the Trandoshans and Separatists out of Kashyyyk's orbit. Ground forces were now working with the Wookiees to mop up the remaining enemy forces.
However, the battle for Trandoshan orbital space ended in a stalemate. The Separatists, leveraging their numerical advantage, held their orbital positions, forcing the Republic Fleet to withdraw.
The good news was that their sector had received reinforcements: ten Hailfire-class frigates and twenty modified Pelta-class frigates. Additionally, Master Luminara Unduli, her apprentice Barriss Offee, and Master Plo Koon had been dispatched to assist.
But Solo remained uneasy. These developments kept making him feel that the situation in the sector was more complex than it appeared on the surface.
Command also issued new deployments. The patrol mission for the Perlemian Trade Route, which Solo's unit had been responsible for, was transferred to Rinuan's fleet.
Rinuan finally received reinforcements, now commanding eleven Hailfire-class frigates and twelve Pelta-class frigates. Solo's unit, meanwhile, was ordered to return to Donovia to strengthen local defenses.
*I hope we can finish this assignment before the Separatists attack,* Solo thought. He had invested too much effort in Donovia to let it fall into enemy hands.
Next, Solo began planning the security mission for London.
The Force warned him that this mission would be no ordinary task; thorough preparation was essential.
Deploying the *Dingyuan* would undoubtedly ensure safety, but it would be too conspicuous. Sending a warship to peace talks would be seen as provocation, unacceptable to both the legislators and the London government.
Yet Solo would never agree to travel in an unarmed shuttle.
In the end, Solo settled on a Consular-class frigate. Commonly used for diplomatic missions, even with its armaments, it wouldn't raise undue suspicion. Its speed—whether in conventional space or through hyperspace jumps—would allow them to respond swiftly to emergencies. The crew quarters were also sufficiently comfortable to prevent the senators from feeling cramped.
For the crew, Solo decided to bring two squads of clone commandos, skilled in infiltration and close-quarters combat, along with ten space troopers to provide heavy firepower support. Any more personnel would simply not fit in the frigate's quarters.
The cargo bay was packed with a B-1 battle droid battalion (450 units). These machines didn't require comfortable accommodations, and in the event of an emergency, they could launch a "Zerg rush" to buy time for retreat.
Finally, Solo and Ahsoka would serve as the core combat force, ready to handle the most dangerous situations.
"Oh, and we need to bring two trainees," Solo remembered, thinking of the four new officers. "Have Miro and O'Connor come along. Miro is skilled in communications and electronic countermeasures, while O'Connor has experience in ship command. They might prove useful."
Once the plan was finalized, Solo rose and headed to the tactical briefing room. He needed to quickly assign tasks to his subordinates and ensure everything was ready before departure.
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