From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 548: Raid on Young and Middle-aged People
!!!

The Human Empire fleet, led by the Valiant-class, suddenly appeared in Tatooine's low-Earth orbit, instantly breaking the tranquility of this area of ​​the universe.

The Galactic Empire's fleet immediately entered a state of high alert, and the ships quickly turned around, preparing to engage in a fierce "firefight" with the Human Empire's fleet.

However, the speed and decisiveness of the fleet commanded by Sigismund were much faster than they had expected.

Ri~——咻——! !

Before the Galactic Empire's fleet could fully adjust its formation, twenty-four Human Empire ships, including the Valiant-class, took the lead in launching a salvo of artillery fire.

Tons of needle-shaped steel bombs of all kinds poured out like a rainstorm, cutting through the pitch-black space and heading straight for the Galactic Empire's fleet.

Boom—boom—! !

In an instant, silent "fireworks" burst out in Tatooine's low-Earth orbit.

The Galactic Empire's small and medium-sized ships were unable to withstand such fierce firepower due to insufficient energy shield power.

With just one round of artillery fire, more than a dozen ships were completely destroyed. Their hulls were shattered in the explosion and fragments floated everywhere, like a silent funeral.

And after completing the first round of artillery fire, two Paris-class frigates and a Kingfisher-class cruiser immediately activated their short-range jump engines.

With the silent hum of space distortion, the three ships "flashed" like ghosts to the rear of the Galactic Empire fleet.

Immediately afterwards, the three ships quickly released a large number of tactical missiles.

The missile's tail flame drew countless blazing streaks of light in the dark universe, heading straight for the Galactic Empire's fleet.

At the same time, they also released strong electromagnetic interference, instantly disrupting various instruments of the Galactic Empire fleet.

Afterwards, three Thunderbolt assault boats were quickly ejected from the Kingfisher-class hangar, and under the cover of carrier-based aircraft and drones, the Thunderbolt assault boats headed straight for the three Star Destroyers that were somewhat "dazed" by the attack.

Judging from their posture, the fleet led by Sigismund was obviously preparing to implement the tactics commonly used by their human empire -

"Boarding and seizing a ship."

Although the quality of individual soldiers and the firepower of ships of the Human Empire are far superior to those of the Galactic Empire, "the more the better" has always been their creed.

Faced with star destroyers whose firepower was no less than that of the human empire's destroyers and cruisers, capturing rather than destroying them naturally became the priority.

After all, these huge warships can not only increase the combat power of the human empire, but also play an important role in future battles.

"Fighting to support war" is also one of the main strategies of the human empire.

By seizing enemy ships, resources, and manpower, they are able to continue to grow stronger in battle, forming a virtuous circle.

This tactic not only saves resources, but also deals a great psychological blow to the enemy.

However, for those smaller ships, the situation is not as "lucky" as that of the Star Destroyer.

As the tactical missiles released by the Paris-class frigates and Kingfisher-class cruisers attacked, the energy shields of the small ships instantly disintegrated in the violent explosion of plasma and metallic hydrogen.

The shock wave generated by the explosion was like an invisible giant hand, tearing the ship into pieces.

The engines of some ships were directly destroyed, and they lost power, floating in the universe like ownerless wreckage; others were damaged in structure, the hulls began to disintegrate, and fragments floated everywhere.

Of course, the fundamental reason why Sigismund was able to gain the upper hand as soon as the conflict broke out was that he "had it planned without intention".

The local defenders on Tatooine had never anticipated that the Rebel Alliance and the so-called Human Empire, which had been entrenched in the "northern border" of the galaxy, would suddenly turn their attention to the "south" and launch a surprise attack on Tatooine.

This unexpected action put the Tatooine defenders into a completely passive position without any warning or preparation.

Coupled with Sigismund's decisive and swift raid, the defenders were almost instantly caught in an irresistible disadvantage.

However, even though the battle in low-Earth orbit unfolded rapidly under the cover of electronic jamming, it could not completely avoid the observation of Tatooine's ground forces.

As the battle in orbit gradually escalated, the defenders on the ground began to realize the seriousness of the situation.

The next contest is destined to extend from space to the surface, and the ground battle on Tatooine will be the key to determining victory or defeat.

The vast deserts, rugged mountains and scattered oases, if nearly one million defenders choose to "escape" or "guerrilla warfare", will add uncertainty to the upcoming ground battle.

Therefore, the fleet led by Sigismund, while continuing to suppress the Galactic Empire fleet with fierce firepower, also began to separate half of the ships, and adjusted the angles of the ships in an orderly manner, aiming the muzzles at the surface of Tatooine.

Immediately afterwards——

Boom—boom—!
With a silent roar, all types of secondary guns on the ship opened fire.

The blazing plasma cannon balls and dense spike shells broke through the atmosphere like meteors and poured down towards the defense positions of the Galactic Empire on the surface.

These destructive attacks created a dazzling light in the air, as if a punishment from heaven had come. The next moment, the ground fortifications were turned into a sea of ​​fire.

Swish—shua—!
The belly hatches of the remaining half of the ships opened immediately, and tens of thousands of airdrop capsules were ejected from the hulls, rapidly rushing towards the atmosphere.

At the same time, transport boats carrying auxiliary troops, clone soldiers, Terminators and various armored vehicles also filed out of the hangar. Under the close cover of carrier-based fighters and drones, they formed a huge air formation and rushed towards the surface targets.

This set of "standard procedures" is like a carefully choreographed war symphony, with every link closely connected and without any omissions.

With the raids of airdrop warehouses and transport boats, the battle for ground control has officially begun.

And now, beside a desolate farm in a remote area of ​​Tatooine;

A young man in a white robe was standing alone on the top of a sand dune. His figure looked particularly thin under the scorching sun, as if he had merged into the vast desert.

However, his eyes did not stay on the desolate scene in front of him, but looked up at the blue sky above his head.
In other words, he was staring at the violent light and fire that appeared and disappeared in the sky.

Although it was daytime, the fierce battle in low-Earth orbit was still clearly visible.

The moment the battleships and fighter planes exchanged fire in space, a dazzling light burst out, cutting through the sky like lightning.

Occasionally, the wreckage of some destroyed warships fell into the atmosphere with long tails of flames, producing hot flames due to friction with the air, and then causing deafening secondary explosions in the atmosphere.

The fireballs produced by these explosions bloomed in the sky like flowers of death, dyeing the originally tranquil sky a fiery red.

What is even more shocking is that tens of thousands of airdrop capsules are rushing down from orbit, and the friction flames generated when they break through the atmosphere form a spectacular "meteor shower".

Their trajectories intertwined into a huge fire net in the sky, as if it was about to cover the entire planet.

The young man stared at all this in a daze, the fire and smoke in the sky reflected in his pupils.

His face was filled with shock and confusion, as if he couldn't understand the sudden catastrophe before him.

This once peaceful desert has now become a witness to war. As for the young man, he stands like a lonely statue in the torrent of the times.

"Luke!" Just as the young man was still immersed in the thrilling war scene in the sky, a hurried shout came from behind him.

I saw a burly middle-aged man rushing up the sand dune, his face full of anxiety and uneasiness, and fine beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. It was obvious that he had been running all the way.

The middle-aged man's voice was hoarse but powerful as he continued loudly:

"Don't just stand there like an idiot! Come with me, quickly!"

?

!

The young man was awakened by the sudden shout and came to his senses abruptly.

He turned to look at his "uncle", a hint of panic flashed across his eyes, but was quickly replaced by determination.

"Got it! Uncle Owen!"

The young man responded loudly as well, then turned around without hesitation and followed his uncle to quickly leave the sand dunes.

The footsteps of the two people left a series of deep footprints on the soft sand, but they were soon buried by the wind and sand, as if they had never existed.

They hurried toward the farm in the distance, which was their only shelter.

The middle-aged man's breathing was a little heavy, but he still held the young man's arm tightly, fearing that the young man would be attracted by the war in the sky and stop.

The young man named Luke couldn't help but look back at the sky while running. The falling airdrop pods and the flames of the explosion were still lingering in his mind.

In fact, this seemingly ordinary uncle and nephew are one of the important targets of the human empire's operation.

Luke Skywalker and Owen Lars.

Luke Skywalker is the biological son of Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker.

Owen Lars is Anakin's half-brother.

The origins of this relationship can be traced back to Anakin's mother, Simi Skywalker.

After Anakin left Tatooine and became a Jedi Knight, Simi married a farmer named Krieg Lars.

Krieger had been married before and had a son, Owen Lars, with his deceased ex-wife.

Therefore, Owen naturally became Anakin's brother. Although they were not related by blood, they were closely connected by family ties.

However, the gears of fate never stopped turning.

When Anakin fell to the dark side and became the dreaded Darth Vader, Owen and his wife Beru Lars resolutely assumed the responsibility of raising Luke.

They treated Luke as their own son, carefully concealed his true identity, and tried to keep Luke away from the shadow of war on the desolate land of Tatooine.

But the power of Skywalker flows in Luke's blood, which destined his fate to be inseparable from the turmoil of the galaxy.

Now, with the human Empire's fleet setting foot on Tatooine, Owen and Beru's efforts seem to be in vain.

Their farm, once a safe haven for Luke's growth, is now unknowingly about to become the center of the storm.

Owen knows very well that once Luke's identity is exposed, they will face endless pursuit and danger.

Therefore, the escape at this moment is just a prelude to the war that will sweep across the galaxy.

The falling airdrop pods and the flames of the explosion in the sky indicate that a greater "disaster" is about to happen.

Owen held Luke's arm tightly with a complicated look in his eyes.

They couldn't escape forever, but at least at this moment, he had to do his best to protect this young man - the young man who carried the blood and hope of Skywalker.

Soon after, Luke and Owen hurried back to their farm.

As soon as they entered the door, Beru Lars came to greet them. Her face was full of worry, but when she saw that the two had returned safely, she relaxed a little.

Without any extra words, the three of them walked towards the underground shelter under the farm in tacit understanding.

This shelter was built by them many years ago in order to deal with the frequent sandstorms and bandit attacks in Tatooine, but now it has become their only refuge from the war.

The shelter was dark and damp, with only a few emergency lights emitting a faint glow.

The three of them sat on a simple bench, silence mixed with uneasiness.

Owen clenched his hands and prayed softly that the all-out war sweeping Tatooine would end as soon as possible, and that the war would not affect their small family.

Belu gently put her arm around Luke's shoulders, trying to soothe the young man's inner anxiety with her warm embrace.

But Luke's eyes remained on the metal ceiling of the shelter, as if he wanted to see through the thick layer of soil and see the war outside that was changing the fate of the galaxy.

However, Owen's prayers were not answered.

The reality is far more cruel than they imagined.

Not far from the farm, a stationed Galactic Empire troop was attacked from orbit by Sigismund's fleet.

A huge plasma cannonball dropped from the sky, instantly turning the Empire's position into a sea of ​​fire.

The shock wave of the explosion swept across the surrounding sand, raising a cloud of dust that covered the sky.

More than half of the soldiers in the Corps were killed or wounded while being caught off guard, and the remaining soldiers and stormtroopers had to evacuate in a hurry.

With their position locked, the remaining Imperial forces urgently needed to find new cover.

The farm cluster where Lars' family lived became their main target. This area consisted of more than a dozen small farms and was home to many ordinary families like Lars' family.

The imperial soldiers were not sure whether the attacking enemy was the Rebel Alliance or the mysterious and powerful Human Empire.

But according to intelligence provided by their officers, neither side would launch a direct attack on innocent civilians.

Therefore, they decided to use the farm cluster as a temporary shelter, trying to use the presence of civilians to avoid enemy orbital strikes.

So before long, the Lars family in the shelter could vaguely hear all kinds of noises -

Such as the roar of engines, heavy footsteps, and the urgent shouts of soldiers and stormtroopers.

What Owen, Luke and Belu didn't know was that a batch of airdrop capsules began to adjust their trajectories through jets after entering the atmosphere, heading straight for the farm gathering area where their family was.
(End of this chapter)