!!!
Led by a Valiant-class warship, the Human Empire fleet suddenly materialized in low orbit above Tatooine, instantly shattering the tranquility of this sector of space.
The Galactic Empire's fleet immediately went on high alert. The ships turned quickly, preparing to engage in an intense firefight with the Human Empire fleet.
However, the fleet commanded by Sigismund moved with a speed and decisiveness far beyond what they had anticipated.
Ri~—whoosh—!!
Before the Galactic Empire's fleet could fully adjust its formation, twenty-four Human Empire vessels, including the Valiant-class, were the first to unleash a full broadside.
All kinds of steel needle-like projectiles of various tonnages rained down like a storm, tearing through the pitch-black expanse of space, heading straight for the Galactic Empire fleet.
Boom—BOOM—!!
In an instant, silent fireworks burst across Tatooine's low orbit.
The Galactic Empire's small and medium-sized vessels, lacking sufficient energy shield capacity, were completely unable to withstand such ferocious firepower.
With just a single volley, over a dozen ships were completely destroyed. Their hulls shattered into pieces in the explosions, and the fragments drifted apart like a silent funeral.
Following the initial barrage, two Paris-class frigates and a Kingfisher-class cruiser immediately activated their short-range warp engines.
With the silent hum of space distortion, the three ships "blinked" like ghosts to the rear of the Galactic Empire fleet.
Next, they swiftly launched a large number of tactical missiles.
The missile exhaust trails drew searing lines of light in the dark void of space, streaking toward the Galactic Empire's ships.
At the same time, they released intense electromagnetic interference, instantly scrambling the instruments and systems of the Galactic Empire fleet.
Three Thunderstrike assault boats were then rapidly ejected from the hangar of the Kingfisher-class cruiser. Under cover from carrier-based aircraft and drones, the assault boats charged directly toward the three Star Destroyers, which had already been thrown into disarray.
Judging by their posture, the fleet under Sigismund was clearly executing the Human Empire's signature tactic—
"Board and seize."
Although the Human Empire's individual soldier quality and ship firepower far surpassed those of the Galactic Empire, "more is better" had always been one of their guiding principles.
When facing Star Destroyers, whose firepower rivaled Human Empire destroyers and cruisers, capturing them rather than destroying them naturally became the priority.
After all, these massive warships could not only bolster the Human Empire's military strength, but also play critical roles in future battles.
"Warfare feeding warfare" was also one of the Human Empire's primary strategies.
By capturing enemy ships, resources, and troops, they continuously expanded their power through battle, forming a virtuous cycle.
This tactic not only conserved resources, but also inflicted immense psychological blows on the enemy.
However, for the smaller ships, their situation was not as "fortunate" as the Star Destroyers.
As the tactical missiles from the Paris-class frigates and Kingfisher-class cruiser arrived, the energy shields of the small ships instantly collapsed under the violent explosions of plasma and metallic hydrogen.
The resulting shockwaves tore through the hulls like invisible giant hands.
Some ships had their engines destroyed outright, losing power and drifting in space like derelict wrecks; others began disintegrating due to structural damage, their fragments scattering into the void.
Of course, the key reason Sigismund's side could seize the upper hand at the outbreak of conflict was because they struck with preparation against the unprepared.
The local garrison on Tatooine never expected that the Rebel Alliance, entrenched in the "northern frontier" of the galaxy, along with the mysterious Human Empire, would suddenly shift their attention "southward" and launch a surprise attack on Tatooine.
This unexpected action left the Tatooine defenders completely caught off guard and plunged into a fully passive state.
Coupled with Sigismund's swift and decisive offensive, the garrison fell into a hopeless disadvantage almost instantly.
However, despite the battle in low orbit breaking out quickly under the cover of electronic interference, it couldn't entirely evade the observation of Tatooine's ground forces.
As the orbital battle intensified, the surface defenders began to realize the severity of the situation.
The next phase of the battle was destined to extend from space down to the surface. The ground war for Tatooine would become the decisive stage.
And the planet's vast deserts, rugged mountains, and scattered oases—if the nearly one million defenders chose to "flee" or "go guerrilla"—would all introduce uncertainty into the coming ground war.
Therefore, while Sigismund's fleet continued suppressing the Galactic Empire fleet with intense firepower, half of the ships began repositioning themselves methodically, adjusting their angles and aiming their cannons at Tatooine's surface.
Then—
Boom—Boom—!
With silent rumbling, the ships' various secondary batteries opened fire.
Blazing plasma bolts and dense needle projectiles pierced through the atmosphere like meteors, raining down on the Galactic Empire's surface defenses.
These devastating strikes sparked dazzling flashes in the sky, like divine punishment descending. In the next moment, the ground defense fortifications were engulfed in fire.
Swish—Swish—!
The belly bays of the remaining ships opened immediately, and tens of thousands of drop pods were launched from the vessels, plunging rapidly into the atmosphere.
At the same time, transport ships carrying auxiliary troops, clone soldiers, Terminators, and various armored vehicles streamed out of the hangars in formation. Protected by carrier fighters and drones, they formed an enormous aerial armada racing toward surface targets.
This "standard procedure" resembled a meticulously orchestrated war symphony, each phase seamlessly connected, without a single flaw.
As the drop pods and transport ships descended in a surprise attack, the battle for control of the surface officially began.
At that moment, near a remote farm in the outskirts of Tatooine—
A young man in a white robe stood alone atop a sand dune. His figure appeared thin under the blazing sunlight, almost blending into the vast desert landscape.
However, his gaze did not linger on the desolate scene before him, but was fixed upward at the azure sky.
Or rather, he was staring at the bursts of fire and light flickering in and out of view in the sky.
Though it was broad daylight, the intense combat taking place in low orbit remained clearly visible.
Warships and starfighters clashed in space, producing blinding flashes like lightning across the heavens.
Occasionally, wreckage from destroyed ships, trailing long fiery tails, fell into the atmosphere, generating searing flames from friction and causing deafening secondary explosions.
Fireballs from these blasts bloomed in the sky like flowers of death, dyeing the once peaceful sky blood red.
Even more shocking was the spectacle of tens of thousands of drop pods plummeting from orbit. The friction flames from their atmospheric entry created a magnificent "meteor shower."
Their trajectories crisscrossed in the sky, forming a massive web of fire that seemed to blanket the entire planet.
The youth stared blankly at it all, the fire and smoke reflected in his pupils.
His face was filled with shock and confusion, as if he couldn't comprehend this sudden catastrophe.
The once peaceful desert had now become a witness to war, and the youth's figure stood like a solitary statue in the torrent of history.
"Luke!"
Just as the youth remained transfixed by the dramatic scene above, a hurried shout came from behind.
A burly middle-aged man was rushing up the sand dune, his face full of anxiety and unease, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead, clearly from running hard.
His voice was hoarse but forceful as he shouted again:
"Don't just stand there! Come with me, quickly!"
?
!
The youth was startled by the sudden call and snapped back to reality.
He turned to look at his "uncle," a flash of panic in his eyes, quickly replaced by determination.
"Got it, Uncle Owen!"
He shouted in reply, then turned without hesitation to follow his uncle down the dune.
Their footsteps left deep impressions in the soft sand, but the wind quickly buried them, as if they had never existed.
They ran swiftly toward the distant farm, their only refuge.
The middle-aged man's breathing was heavy, but he still gripped the youth's arm tightly, afraid the young man might stop, drawn by the flames of war in the sky.
The youth, named Luke, couldn't help but glance back at the sky as he ran. The descending drop pods and exploding fireballs remained etched in his mind.
In fact, this seemingly ordinary uncle and nephew pair were one of the primary targets of the Human Empire's operation—
Luke Skywalker and Owen Lars.
Luke Skywalker was the biological son of Darth Vader, formerly Anakin Skywalker.
And Owen Lars was Anakin's stepbrother.
This connection dated back to Anakin's mother, Shmi Skywalker.
After Anakin left Tatooine and became a Jedi Knight, Shmi married a farmer named Cliegg Lars.
Cliegg had previously been married and had a son from that marriage—Owen Lars.
Thus, Owen naturally became Anakin's brother. Though they shared no blood relation, the familial bond tied them closely.
But the gears of fate never stop turning.
After Anakin fell to the dark side and became the feared Darth Vader, Owen and his wife, Beru Lars, took it upon themselves to raise Luke.
They treated Luke as their own, carefully hiding his true identity, hoping he could grow up far from war's shadow in the desolate land of Tatooine.
Yet the Skywalker bloodline coursed through Luke's veins, and it was inevitable that his destiny would intertwine with the galaxy's turmoil.
Now, with the Human Empire fleet's incursion into Tatooine, Owen and Beru's efforts seemed on the verge of collapse.
Their farm, once a safe haven for Luke's upbringing, was now unknowingly becoming the eye of the storm.
Owen knew full well that if Luke's identity were exposed, they would face endless pursuit and danger.
So their current flight was merely the prelude to a greater war sweeping the galaxy.
The falling drop pods and fireballs in the sky signaled the arrival of an even greater "disaster."
Owen held Luke's arm tightly, his expression complicated.
They could not run forever, but at this moment, he had to do everything in his power to protect this young man—this bearer of the Skywalker legacy and hope.
Soon after, Luke and Owen hurried back to their farm.
As they entered, Beru Lars met them at the door. Her face was filled with worry, but she visibly relaxed upon seeing them return safely.
Without a word, the three of them moved in unison toward the underground shelter beneath the farm.
This shelter had been built years ago to withstand frequent sandstorms and bandit raids on Tatooine, but now it had become their only refuge from the flames of war.
Inside, the shelter was dim and damp, lit only by a few faint emergency lights.
The three of them sat silently on simple benches, the air thick with unease.
Owen clasped his hands tightly, whispering prayers for the full-scale war consuming Tatooine to end quickly, hoping the conflict would not reach their small family.
Beru gently held Luke's shoulder, trying to comfort the young man's anxious heart with her warm embrace.
But Luke's gaze remained fixed on the metallic ceiling of the shelter, as if trying to peer through the heavy soil to glimpse the war outside that was reshaping the fate of the galaxy.
However, Owen's prayers went unanswered.
Reality was far crueler than they imagined.
Not far from the farm, a stationed Galactic Empire legion was struck by orbital bombardment from Sigismund's fleet.
Massive plasma blasts rained from the sky, instantly turning the Imperial positions into a sea of fire.
The explosion's shockwaves swept across the desert, kicking up a blinding wall of sand.
Caught completely off guard, over half the troops were lost in an instant. The surviving soldiers and stormtroopers had to retreat in haste.
With their position compromised, the remaining Imperial forces urgently needed a new shelter.
And the farming community where the Lars family lived became their primary destination. Comprising more than a dozen small farms, this area was home to many ordinary families like the Lars.
The Imperial soldiers didn't know whether the attackers were the Rebel Alliance or the mysterious and powerful Human Empire.
But based on their officers' intelligence, neither side was known to target innocent civilians directly.
Thus, they decided to use the farming community as a temporary refuge, hoping the presence of civilians would deter further orbital strikes.
So before long, the Lars family began to hear muffled chaos from within the shelter—
The roar of engines, heavy footsteps, and the urgent shouts of soldiers and stormtroopers.
What they didn't know was that a group of drop pods, after entering the atmosphere, had already begun adjusting their trajectories using thrusters—heading straight for the farming community where the Lars family resided.