The giant corporations that started from Night City

Chapter 340 Rogue One! The Tyranny of the Galactic Empire! The Rebels!

At this moment, Leon, who was sitting in front of the central control console at the headquarters of the Wanjie Base, was observing everything that Paul, Chini and other members of the advance team saw from their first-person perspective.

Soon, when Paul and others passed through the planet's atmosphere and reached the inner area, Leon saw the iconic objects of "Star Wars".

It was an interstellar battleship painted entirely in white. The entire ship had a slender triangular outline and a pyramid-like stacked island structure.

The hull is covered with dense weapons, including turbolaser cannons, tractor beam projectors, heavy ion cannons and other devices.

That’s right, this is the Imperial-class Star Destroyer from the “Star Wars” universe, a symbol of the great power of the Galactic Empire.

And now, this star destroyer is parked steadily above a city, overlooking the surface of the planet like a god.

"Imperial-class Star Destroyer? Could it be that the current timeline of the Star Wars universe has already reached the era of the Galactic Empire?"

Leon stared at the hard-light screen in front of him thoughtfully. If it was the era of the Galactic Empire now, it would mean that the ambitious Palpatine had completed his plan to seize power and successfully established the empire.

As for the dignitaries and Jedi Knights of the Old Republic era, they either surrendered or had their strength weakened under the harsh attack of the Empire, and could only lie dormant and wait for an opportunity.

"It would be great if I could win over the Jedi Knights and make them work for me," Leon thought to himself.

Before long, other reconnaissance aircraft and AI drones from the front line, through investigation, basically determined the timeline of the "Star Wars" universe to be in the era of the First Galactic Empire.

The Galactic Empire founded by Palpatine is a cruel organization that exercises tyranny and forced suppression. The civilizations in various galaxies are dissatisfied with the rule of the empire and begin to rise up in rebellion.

They formed the Rebel Alliance to fight against the Empire. In order to suppress the increasingly rampant rebels, the Empire successively built ultimate weapons such as the Death Star and Starkiller Base to consolidate the Empire's rule.

"It is indeed the Age of Empires. In that case, we must first deal with the troublesome Galactic Empire and replace it."

When Leon thought of the Empire's Death Star cannon, he naturally thought of another key substance - Kyber crystal!
Kyber crystals are unique to the Star Wars universe and can focus and amplify Force energy, making them the core components of many powerful weapons and devices.

For example, the construction of lightsabers and Starkiller Base basically relies on Kyber crystals as core devices.

If the Universe Corporation could rule this galaxy and seize all Kyber crystal production sites, it would also be able to mass-produce a batch of melee troops armed with lightsabers.

After learning about the next hostile force of the giant enterprise, Leon once again turned his attention to the screen, observing Paul, Chini and other warriors who were sneaking into the surface of the planet.

At this moment, looking at the huge Imperial Star Destroyer in front of him, Pani took the initiative to ask in the team's internal communication channel:

"Paul, do you have any ideas?"

Paul Atreides is the captain of this reconnaissance advance team. He has perfectly carried out assassinations, raids, and investigation missions on battlefields in many universes.

He has extensive operational experience and is also the commander-in-chief of this investigation.

After observing for a while, Paul immediately gave the order:

"You guys go investigate other places on this planet first. Chini and I will sneak into the city below and investigate the specific situation. We may find some clues."

As a frontline member of the operation, Paul is certainly qualified to access the information database about "Star Wars" at the headquarters of the giant company.

Through this Imperial-class battleship, he knew that the current time point was most likely the Galactic Empire era, but if he wanted to learn more information, he had to investigate it in person.

Otherwise, relying solely on speculation and conjecture is nothing more than empty talk.

【receive! 】

After receiving Paul's instructions, Pani immediately led other members of the survey team and began to disperse to explore other areas of the planet.

Paul and Chini drove the transforming spaceship and quickly approached the city below the Star Destroyer, preparing to land there to find out what was going on.

The city is located on a plateau. The naturally formed terrain is like a surrounding barrier, shaping the city like a fortress.

Even though the Transformer was equipped with the most advanced hard-light stealth system, Paul still didn't dare approach rashly and could only use the nearby rugged mountains as cover.

The two first landed on the small hills near the city, and then sneaked into the plateau city.

Fortunately, the population of this alien city is quite dense, and passers-by include civilized species from various galaxies.

Following a group of strangely dressed aliens, Paul and Cheryl did not attract any suspicious looks at all.

However, to be on the safe side, the two of them put on a tattered brown cloak and disguised themselves as much as possible to avoid unnecessary trouble.

At this moment, the stormtroopers under the Galactic Empire are patrolling the streets of this city.

Their uniform is white armor, black gloves, and blaster laser rifles. The whole team gives people the impression of being cold and majestic, and their absolute loyalty to power is revealed from head to toe.

At this moment, the city's broadcasting devices were broadcasting a message:
[Citizens of Jedda City, the Empire is looking for a defected cargo ship pilot. If you can provide relevant clues, the informant will be rewarded with 1000 credit points! ]

Broadcasts throughout the city echoed continuously, and the Empire's stormtroopers were also on the streets, constantly questioning passers-by and asking them to show their identification documents.

Some would even break into private residences in a violent manner, hoping to dig deep into the ground to find the wanted criminal who had escaped.

When they heard the familiar name of Jedha City, Paul and Leon, who was far away at the headquarters of the Wanjie Base, both recalled information about this city at the same time.

The city of Jedha is located in the inner-central ring of the Milky Way, which is considered a relatively prosperous area, but the environment of this planet is rather desolate and cold.

The reason why there are so many aliens is that Jedha City is the birthplace of exploring the mysteries of the Force. Many believers in the Force will go here for pilgrimage and to feel the Force.

In addition, this is also one of the key production areas of Kyber crystal!

"We have to hide."

After saying that, Paul and Chini cleverly avoided the searches of these Imperial Stormtroopers. After all, they had no identification documents to show, and if they were caught they could only run away.

During the period of moving around, Paul also learned more information from local people, which gave him a clearer understanding of the current situation of Jedda City.

It turned out that since the imperial troops occupied the city of Jedha, they closed the pilgrimage temple and looted all the Kyber crystals.

The wanton mining of minerals has also caused serious environmental pollution in Jeddah, and the residents here have fallen into poverty and famine.

Coupled with the Empire's purge of the Jedi Knights and the control of the Pilgrims of the Force, this has also led to endless resistance from the grassroots.

Although these rebellions were suppressed by the empire's powerful military force, the accumulated public grievances under high pressure were dragging the empire into a countdown to its demise.

The wanted spaceship pilot was being searched so harshly because the Empire suspected him of joining the rebels.

However, under normal circumstances, there would be no need to go to such great lengths to search for a defecting pilot, even resorting to the use of an Imperial-class Star Destroyer.

This can only mean that this pilot most likely got hold of some key intelligence or items, which is why the empire is so anxious to capture people everywhere.

When seeing this scene, Li Ang had basically confirmed the timeline of the "Star Wars" universe they had opened.

Obviously, this is related to the plot line of "Star Wars: Rogue One", which tells the story of a group of heroes who, under the organization of the Rebel Alliance, jointly steal the design drawings of the Death Star.

The current timeline is that shortly after the establishment of the Galactic Empire, Palpatine is slaughtering the Jedi Order!

The good news is that according to the current timeline, the Galactic Empire should not have built Starkiller Base yet.

But the bad news is that the timeline of "Rogue One" is only 34 years away from "The Force Awakens", where Starkiller Base appears.

The Galactic Empire most likely already has the technology and blueprints to build Starkiller Base.

However, construction has not officially started yet. After all, a lot of Kyber crystals are needed to build such a super weapon.

This is also the reason why the Empire is searching for Kyber crystals all over the galaxy, even at the cost of exhausting all resources!
"It looks like we have to seize the Empire's Death Star blueprints this time. It would be best if we could also seize all of Starkiller Base's technology and blueprints as well."

Thinking of this, Leon immediately conveyed the order to the front-line fleet headquarters, instructing David Martinez to arrange the task of seizing the Death Star technical drawings as soon as possible.

Although Leon once drew the Death Star from Star Wars, he did not arrange for members of the scientific research department to deeply analyze and crack the technology of the Death Star.

Firstly, it is unnecessary, and secondly, the Death Star provides little help to the giant enterprise. But the improved version of the Death Star - Starkiller Base, is completely different!

If the Empire's Death Star blueprints could be obtained for free, the giant corporation could also improve the Starkiller Base on its own, and even optimize it better.

[Yes, I'll give the order right away! ]

As soon as David received Leon's order, he relayed the key information about "Rogue One" and this mission to Paul.

It would be great if Paul could meet the wanted driver while investigating the intelligence!

After learning about the mission they were to carry out, Paul and Chinny became more cautious.

While moving through the crowd, Chini was very keenly aware that many passers-by were carrying weapons, and like her, they were moving around to avoid the searches of the stormtroopers.

The two sides even often bumped into each other accidentally, and the scene was quite embarrassing. Just when Chinny wanted to remind Paul and tell him about this, Paul held her down first and said to Chinny without turning his head:
"Don't say anything, I saw it all."

Paul certainly knew how conspicuous a group of stowaways with weapons on their bodies, looking around, evasive eyes, and mixing in the crowd, would be.

It was obvious at first glance that this group of people were the rebel forces. They probably mistakenly believed that the Imperial Stormtroopers were sent specifically to wipe them out, and were now secretly organizing a counterattack.

Maybe the missing driver is in their hands, but Paul doesn't want to have any contact with them yet.

After all, judging from the current situation, a conflict is likely to break out on this street in a while, and once the two sides fight, they will also be implicated.

If the rebels fail to fight effectively, Paul can take the opportunity to help and gain their trust. This will also help the giant corporations to win over more allies and take over the galaxy.

Just as Paul and Chini were ready for battle and patiently waiting for the next conflict to break out, he suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice behind him.

"You two, you are not locals, right?"

Hearing this, Paul stopped immediately. He turned his head and saw a blind man with a cane, who looked very similar to Donnie Yen, facing him.

Judging from the man's attire, he should be a monk, but the shabby robe he was wearing made him look more like a beggar.

"Yes, it's you two. You're always hanging around in this area. If you keep hanging around like this, it'll be hard for people not to suspect your identities."

As soon as these words came out, Chini subconsciously reached behind her waist, ready to draw her weapon and kill the man to avoid completely exposing her identity.

But in the shadows behind the blind monk, there was also a man holding a heavy hand cannon, aiming at Paul and Chini to prevent them from causing harm to the blind monk.

"Don't be nervous. My name is Chirrut Ingwe. I used to be the guardian of Kyber Temple. Unfortunately, the temple is gone and I have no choice but to end up here."

The Kyber Temple that Chirrut mentioned is a religious building in the city of Jedha. It is a towering palace and a place of pilgrimage for countless believers of the Force.

It’s a pity that the imperial troops wanted to plunder the Kyber crystals and build more powerful weapons to suppress the rebellion.

Not only did they plunder all the crystals in the temple, they also ordered the blockade of the believers' holy places, causing the city of Jedda to decline rapidly.

Seeing the other party reveal his identity, Paul couldn't help but feel curious about it.

This person is obviously blind, so how did he realize that I had been hanging around here? Is he pretending to be blind?

You know, every member of the investigation team of the global giant company will remove all their own odors before carrying out the mission.

Make sure that the special smell remaining on your body will not arouse suspicion from others.

Paul didn't believe that the other party had such a sensitive sense of smell that he could detect the traces of the two of them on the busy street.

Seeing the nervous look on Chinni's pretty face, Paul gestured to her to relax and nodded to the two men to show his friendliness.

He knew that the other party had no ill will towards him, but he was a little curious about how Chirrut had targeted him.

After the tense atmosphere between the two sides eased a little, Chirrut suddenly came closer with a cane and whispered to Paul:

"If I'm not mistaken, you are a Jedi Knight!"

Faced with this sudden question, Paul Atreides was a little confused at first, but he quickly reacted and calmly asked the other party:
"Why do you ask that?"

"I am considered a half-Force practitioner. Although I cannot control the Force, I can sense its fluctuations."

"And I sense a powerful force in you. Apart from the Jedi Knights, I can't think of anyone else who can control such a mysterious power."

To Chirrut, every Force user in front of him is like a firefly in the dark night.

The more powerful the Force user is, the more clearly he can sense the other person's presence.

Just now, Chirrut stayed on the street for most of the day, only to see an extremely eye-catching Force user appear in front of him in a moment.

He would leave for a while, then come back, stay for a while and leave again. It was difficult for him not to notice the other person.

Chirrut observed Paul for a long time, and after realizing that he seemed to be avoiding the Stormtroopers, he guessed that Paul might be a member of the rebel forces, so he took the risk and took the initiative to approach him and talk to him.

After listening to Chirrut's explanation, Paul, although calm on the surface, was actually quite surprised.

Because he knew absolutely nothing about the Force. Let alone the Force, he had never practiced any force!

Unless... the other party is referring to the special spiritual power that I developed by using spices.

In fact, after years of research by the Universe Giant Corporation, it was discovered that the spice substances in the "Dune" universe are indeed closely related to psychic power.

If we explain it according to Leon's theory of "physical universe, virtual plane", then spices are the connecting material of the virtual world of the "Dune" universe.

Humans who live in the physical universe and follow the laws of physics can absorb spiritual energy from the virtual plane through spices, strengthen their bodies, and gain supernatural powers.

Psionics and the Force do have many similarities in many aspects. Both are mysterious forces that are universal in the universe, supernatural and omnipresent.

It just so happens that Paul Atreides is the strongest warrior in the giant company who has received spices to develop his mental strength and psychic power. The energy field in his body is much stronger than that of other warriors.

At this moment, the senior executives of the giant companies who were silently following the front-line investigation through Paul's first-person perspective all showed surprised expressions.

Could it be that all the universes have two sides, the physical universe and the virtual world? Including the Star Wars universe in front of us!
If this is the case, there are two possibilities.

The first situation is that the nature of psionic power and the Force are highly similar, with only slight differences. This is why Chirrut, who can sense the Force, mistook Paul for a Jedi Knight.

The second possibility is that psionics and the Force are essentially the same thing, but they have different expressions and uses in different planes.

At that moment, Paul also remembered the theory of "physical universe-virtual world" proposed by Leon.

The psychic power developed by spices in the Dune universe may be called the Force in the Star Wars universe.

Although Paul is unable to confirm which situation it is for the time being, judging from the current situation, even a Force sensor like Chirrut cannot tell the difference.

That means that ordinary Jedi Knights will most likely consider themselves as one of the Jedi Knights, which will greatly facilitate themselves and allow them to use this identity to blend in and collect intelligence for giant companies!

Paul immediately took advantage of Chirrut's trick and naturally said, "I am no longer a Jedi Knight. The Empire's minions are all over the galaxy. I don't want to get into trouble again."

At the beginning of the establishment of the Galactic Empire, Emperor Palpatine, who successfully usurped the throne, did not hesitate to order a bloody massacre of his political enemies in order to consolidate the rule of the empire and eliminate any forces that were unwilling to submit to the empire.

This included some Jedi Knights, whether they were Jedi Masters or Apprentices, all of them were killed. The only fate for anyone who disobeyed the powerful was death.

In such an oppressive ruling environment, it is reasonable and natural to give up the noble identity of Jedi Knight and bury oneself.

Paul's ability to come up with a perfect excuse in such a short time is inseparable from his many years of grassroots combat experience.

After getting Paul's affirmative answer, Chirrut smiled with relief. After so many days, he finally waited for a Jedi Knight!
Ever since the temple was forcibly sealed off by Imperial forces, Chirrut has joined the rebel camp, hoping to recruit a powerful Jedi Knight for the rebels.

Then the success rate of their uprising will be greatly increased!

"You have not succumbed to the dark rule of the Empire, nor have you become involved with the tyrants. This proves that you are still upholding the beliefs of the Jedi Knights."

Chirrut praised Paul highly. He believed that this confused Jedi Knight had not found a suitable organization yet, and joining the rebels was his best choice.

Paul remained reserved. He shook his head and declined the offer. “I threw away my lightsaber a long time ago and forgot the existence of the Force. Now I just want to be an ordinary person.”

"I can't help you."

Paul knew that he had to retreat in order to advance. If he joined the other side's camp too easily, it would easily arouse unnecessary suspicion.

"The lightsaber can be picked up again. As long as you are a Jedi Knight, the Force in you will never be extinguished. You should join us and use the Force to end the tyrant's dark rule."

Chirrut was afraid that he would miss this Jedi Knight, and if Paul didn't agree to him, he would keep following him and trying to persuade him.

All of this was within Paul's expectations. Seeing that the pulling operation was almost done, he went downhill and said, "So...what else can I do for you now?"

Seeing that Paul finally gave in, Chiru was quite excited. He lowered his voice and asked Paul to follow him.

At this moment, he had no idea that Paul was a spy for a giant company. Chirrut was still excited about having recruited a Jedi Master for the rebels.

Soon, under the leadership of Chiru, Paul and Chini came to the vicinity of the Kyber Temple in the city of Jedha.

Today, the interior of the temple has been burned to ashes by the imperial troops. The pilgrimage site once worshipped by countless believers has been destroyed by the tyrant's minions.

It is no wonder that Chiru, who was disheartened, would join the rebel camp without hesitation.

(End of this chapter)