As Dorne's holographic projection dissipated into the stream of data light, the bridge once again fell into the dim red lighting of tactical alert mode.
The onboard investigation division agents had already left the bridge and were now contacting their direct superiors to prepare for the next phase of reconnaissance and infiltration.
Sigismund's fingers slid across the central console, pulling up the internal personnel tracking map to confirm the light marker of Obi-Wan Kenobi, which was currently stationary in the guest cabin on Deck 7.
In fact, after clashing with the Spartan Red Team and using the Force to perceive the purpose of the Spartans and the Human Empire, the Jedi Master had boarded the Pelican and arrived within the Valor-class cruiser.
As the automated blast doors silently sealed shut behind him, Sigismund also departed the command center of the bridge.
Within the lift platform leading to Deck 7, a dim bluish antigravity glow emanated. As his magboots stepped onto the platform, the slight fluctuation made his cape gently lift.
During the descent, the observation window of the lift platform offered a view of the bustling scenes on each deck—
Technicians were directing Terminators as they loaded "holy water" infused with powdered Purity Blossom into pressurized sprayers.
These specially crafted golden containers were etched with exorcising Chinese characters on the surface. When sprayed, the fine mist refracted into rainbow-colored auras under the corridor lighting.
Sigismund noticed that even the ventilation filters in the corridors had been dismantled and were undergoing a ritual of "incense purification."
"Praise the God-Emperor. Praise Humanity."
A Terminator carrying a "censer" was still chanting mechanically in a low voice.
Its auxiliary mechanical arm was applying faintly glowing "holy water" to the seams of the cabin walls, while synthetic beings under the technical department stood motionless at every junction, their electronic eyes switched to special spectral modes, ready to detect any sign of warp contamination.
When Sigismund reached Deck 7 and exited the elevator, he soon passed a squad of synthetics currently "fortifying" the area.
The leading "man" was testing an installed anti-psyker field generator, and the tech devices from the Inquisition gave off a disturbing hum, causing the nearby lighting to flicker frequently.
After learning that a Chaos incursion had erupted in this universe, the onboard tech crews followed standard protocols laid out by the Inquisition, preparing the ship in advance for any confrontation.
Although Imperial warships were equipped with energy shields, these still could not effectively protect the ship or its crew from large-scale Chaos psychic assaults.
Thus, urgent fortifications were being made so that, in the event of a warp tide, the fleet could focus solely on combat, avoiding the risk of being attacked from within and without.
Soon, Sigismund rounded the final corner, and the blast door to the guest cabin appeared before him.
A surveillance monitor above the doorway suddenly lit up with a red glow, and a scanning beam quickly swept across his body.
Then a mechanical female voice sounded: "Identity confirmed, biometric match at 100%."
With a hiss of released hydraulic pressure, the heavy metal doors slid open to both sides.
Inside the cabin, the porthole filtered the twin suns of Tatooine into a soft amber glow. Obi-Wan Kenobi stood bathed in that light, his wrinkled fingers unconsciously rubbing the ignition button of his lightsaber, causing the weapon to emit a barely audible Force hum.
The elderly Jedi was standing by the porthole, gazing out over the Tatooine desert.
Thunk, thunk.
As the sound of magboots broke the silence, the old man turned with a movement bearing the distinct grace of a Jedi Master. The folds of his robe caught the incoming light, carrying the marks of time.
"Commander, it is an honor to meet you here."
His voice was like an ancient spring flowing deep within the desert, carrying the calm cadence passed down through the Jedi Order for millennia.
However, Sigismund's sharp gaze pierced through this surface calm—
The pulsing veins at the man's temple and the unconscious rubbing of the lightsaber's hilt betrayed the turbulence within.
Outside the window, Tatooine's twin suns were gradually "sinking" into the sea of sand, dyeing the entire cabin a dark red hue.
The light that swept across Obi-Wan's wrinkled face also illuminated the deep worry hidden in his eyes.
It seemed that the fall of Coruscant had already reached the Jedi Master's awareness.
"Master Kenobi."
Seeing the other's calm demeanor, Sigismund naturally maintained humility and stepped closer.
He placed the helmet tucked under his arm on the alloy meeting table in the center of the cabin. The metallic clang echoed with clarity in the quiet room.
"Our Human Empire has ventured into this universe," Sigismund continued, his voice like the clash of cold iron, each word carrying indisputable weight:
"Only to fulfill the God-Emperor's eternal command—to unify the scattered embers of humanity, gather strength to resist the darkness, and ensure our race prospers while guarding against threats from another dimension.
And in contacting your Jedi Order, our hope is to obtain more data and samples beneficial to humanity. However—"
As he spoke, Sigismund walked toward the porthole, his magboots thudding heavily against the deck. "I suspect your Force senses have already warned you. The threat we were preparing for... is now devouring your universe."
With those words, Sigismund activated a holographic starmap.
In the projection, Coruscant's location was being swallowed by an ever-expanding murky glow, while the blue lines representing hyperspace lanes twisted and snapped one by one.
More terrifying still, an energy somewhere between purple and black was spreading through these lanes to surrounding star systems.
Obi-Wan's fingers suddenly clenched his lightsaber, the knuckles turning white from the force.
His breathing grew heavier, as though resisting some invisible pressure. "I thought it was merely a shadow of the dark side..."
The old Jedi Master's tone faltered for the first time. "But after seeing you fight those... creatures, I realized just how terrifying beings from another dimension truly are."
Sigismund noted Obi-Wan's deliberate pause when saying "creatures" and the fine sheen of sweat forming on his neck.
As for what he "saw," it may have been a Force-enabled vision of the future or a glimpse into the past, showing him the battles between Astartes and Chaos daemons.
Outside, the last sliver of sunlight was swallowed by the sand sea, and the cabin fell into the cool hue of artificial lighting.
The cold light of the holographic projection shimmered between the two of them as Sigismund's finger moved across the starmap, highlighting both Tatooine and Yavin 4.
"Master Kenobi," he spoke first, "we must determine Darth Vader's next primary target."
His power armor gave a low hum as he leaned forward. "His two children are in different locations—Luke Skywalker is here."
His metal fingertip tapped the holographic Tatooine, scattering sand-like particles. "While Leia Organa is on Yavin 4, under the strict protection of our legion's Primarch."
Hearing this, Obi-Wan fell silent in contemplation, his silhouette under the cabin light resembling a lightsaber about to break.
"Anakin—no, Vader..."
The old man suddenly opened his eyes, blue-gray irises swirling with the Force, murmuring, "Forever bound by the past."
He slowly walked toward the starmap, his frail fingers hovering above Tatooine. "This is where his nightmare began—the chains of slavery, his mother's death..."
Suddenly, the holographic image flickered violently.
Obi-Wan clutched his temple as if struck by a bolt of lightning—a Force vision erupting within him.
"A sandstorm!" Obi-Wan gasped. "I saw a crimson sandstorm beneath the twin suns... and..."
His voice turned hoarse. "A bloodstained lightsaber hilt, thrust into the ruins of a moisture farm."
Sigismund's combat instincts instantly tensed.
He immediately caught the key detail in Obi-Wan's vision—the moisture farm, the very location intelligence identified as Luke Skywalker's childhood home.
"So you believe," Sigismund's voice dropped to a chilling tone, "that Darth Vader will prioritize completing the unresolved father-son confrontation?"
Obi-Wan nodded gravely. "But Yavin 4 is also in danger. Leia has inherited her mother's..."
He stopped abruptly, a look of pain spreading across his face. "Padmé just appeared to me through the Force. A warning."
At that moment, the holo-screen suddenly lit up with a communication request.
Upon connection, a metallic voice from the Imperial Fists echoed from the speakers: "Commander! Probes have detected abnormal hyperspace activity! Source located in the dark-side orbit of Tatooine!"
Hearing this, both Sigismund and Obi-Wan turned toward the porthole almost simultaneously.
In the dark void beyond Tatooine, an unnatural "red cloud" was forming, and within it, the faint silhouette of a metallic ship's prow began to emerge.
!
At the sight, Sigismund's expression showed a hint of surprise.
Even if Vader had completed the full corruption of Coruscant and then immediately led a fleet to the Outer Rim and Tatooine, it should have taken at least 48 hours—possibly longer—to traverse the galaxy.
That he had arrived so swiftly could only mean the Chaos Gods were interfering.
Obi-Wan's lightsaber had already ignited at some point, the blue-white plasma blade illuminating his aged face as he said:
"They're here... for Luke."
Sigismund retrieved his helmet. With the mechanical hiss of locking servos, his faceplate sealed shut, the red lenses flashing with light as he turned to leave the cabin.
"Master Kenobi," Sigismund's voice came through the helmet, carrying the cold resonance of metal:
"Yavin 4 is protected by our Primarch. Leia Organa's safety is assured. But at this moment, Tatooine..."
BZZZZT—
His words were cut off by the blaring of the ship-wide alarm. Amid the piercing sirens, he continued:
"...is about to become a Chaos hunting ground. The choice is yours. The Human Empire will not bind a Jedi's free will."
As the blast doors closed, silence once again settled in the cabin—except for the unique hum of the lightsaber's plasma blade.
Obi-Wan stared at the blue-white energy beam in his hand, the shifting light casting flickering shadows across his wrinkled face.
Outside, the space above Tatooine had already been dyed a foreboding crimson.
The old Jedi gently touched the ignition mechanism of his lightsaber. This weapon, which had accompanied him for decades, suddenly felt unfamiliar.
He remembered the light in Anakin's eyes the first time he held a lightsaber. He remembered that fated duel beside the lava rivers of Mustafar. He remembered Master Yoda's final lesson—
"A true Jedi always knows when to make a final stand."
Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan deactivated the blade.
With a soft hiss, the plasma retracted into the hilt, and the cabin returned to shadow.
As he stepped toward the door, the arc of his brown robe in artificial gravity was firm and resolute.
In the corridor beyond, rushing crew members failed to notice the flicker of determination in the old man's eyes—the gaze of a warrior who had weathered countless battles.
It appeared that Obi-Wan Kenobi was ready to resume the fated duel with his former apprentice.
Meanwhile, pale moonlight washed over the rocky silhouette of Mos Eisley. This desert jewel was still cloaked in war and smoke—
Pew... pew pew...
Tat... tat tat...
The pulse of blaster fire and the crisp retort of Gauss rifles echoed through narrow alleys, occasionally drowned out by thunderous explosions.
Shattered neon signs fell from above, and the air was thick with the acrid stench of ion burns, blood, and a faint blend of sweat and machine oil.
From above, the web-like streets of Mos Eisley showed clone troopers advancing in standard three-man squads.
Their figures intermingled with the outlines of Terminator mechanical units patrolling in tandem and maintaining order. Auto-sentry turrets were mounted at every crossroad, their scanning beams casting ominous red grids through the darkness.
The gunfire and explosions came from fanatics still loyal to Palpatine, entrenched in sewers, alleys, and ruins, mounting their final resistance.
Despite the deployment of numerous assault teams and armored units, Mos Eisley could not avoid its eventual fall under the joint assault of the Imperial Fists, Spartans, and auxiliary forces.
At a civilian landing pad in the northern part of the city, Spartan warriors who had completed their sweep were gathering and awaiting orders.
Dust clung to their Mjolnir armor, and their visors glinted with faint gold light in the shadows.
John-117 was checking his personal Gauss rifle when suddenly—
"Everyone!"
Cortana's holographic image burst onto each Spartan's helmet screen, her typically calm voice now tinged with rare urgency:
"Emergency battle update: anomaly in spatial distortion detected. Suspected Chaos fleet under Darth Vader's direct command has completed hyperspace jump and is about to arrive in low orbit."
As she spoke, she marked the location on the mini radar displayed in the helmet HUD, then continued:
"Commander Sigismund orders all Spartans to assume defensive posture immediately. Coordinate with local combat units to hold Mos Eisley and repel the expected orbital drop."
At her words, the Spartans looked upward. Already in the outer atmosphere, ominous crimson points of light were visible—
They were not stars, but exits—ripping through the veil of reality itself.
------------------
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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