Chapter 363– The Devastator! The Battle of Yavin Begins! Final Battleground Revealed!
Although the Imperial Star Destroyers held the numerical advantage, their size and firepower were utterly dwarfed by the Devastator . It was like watching a father beating his child—there was simply no comparison between them.
They weren't even in the same league.
After several rounds of turbo laser salvos, the Imperial Star Destroyers' deflector shields were the first to collapse, and they were swiftly pulverized into floating debris by the Devastator 's massive turbo cannons.
In the pitch-black vacuum of space, clouds of twisted metal and shattered hulls drifted silently.
Against such overwhelming firepower, even when attacked from all sides by the Imperial fleet, the Devastator stood unshaken. Its shielding was so formidable that it could plow straight through an Imperial Star Destroyer without sustaining so much as a scratch.
Despite prolonged combat, the Devastator remained completely unscathed. Its sheer durability was nothing short of despair-inducing.
"I didn't expect this ship to be that tough... Not even a Voyager-class Dreadnought could bring it down quickly," Chani remarked with awe. "No wonder it's the Galactic Empire's flagship. The quality and armor of this thing would easily qualify it as one of our megacorp carriers."
And rightly so—after all, the Galactic Empire was one of the most fanatical "battleship-and-supercannon" civilizations the Universal Megacorp had ever encountered.
The last time they faced such a big-guns, big-ships type of enemy was in the Halo universe, against the Covenant.
At the moment, Paul simply ordered the AI Red Queen to take control of the Devastator , bulldozing through the encirclement and ramming every remaining Star Destroyer into oblivion.
By the time the expeditionary fleet led by David Martinez exited hyperspace and entered the system, the brutal "civil war" was already over.
Wreckage littered the starfield—silent testimony to the Devastator 's wrath. Only two Imperial Star Destroyers remained, floating motionless, awaiting capture by the Megacorp.
David immediately dispatched troops to seize the surviving ships and recalled Paul to the Mantle of Legacy for debriefing.
After nearly a month apart, the two finally reunited.
"Paul, you've done it again!"
David stepped forward and clapped Paul on the shoulder the moment he saw him. He had high hopes for this young man with unlimited potential.
Paul's rapid streak of accomplishments was starting to rival even the legendary exploits of V.
Not only had he successfully found Obi-Wan and convinced him to return to Mandalore to eliminate Darth Maul—relieving the political strain on Leto II—but he also captured the Devastator , severely crippling the Imperial military.
Both achievements were strategically monumental.
"We can celebrate later. Right now, we need to get to Mandalore—they still need our help," Paul replied, still focused on the situation back on the planet.
But David shook his head, urging Paul to abandon that course—there was an even more critical battlefield awaiting him.
And that battlefield would determine everything.
"No, Paul. You're not going to Mandalore. You're headed to the Yavin system," David said gravely.
While Paul had still been operating on Tatooine, the Universal Megacorp 's reconnaissance team, alongside the Rebel Alliance, had received dire news:
Darth Vader himself was leading a Death Star fleet toward the Rebel stronghold on Yavin 4.
And even more alarming—the Emperor, Palpatine, had come to oversee the operation personally, determined to root out the rebellion and crush it entirely.
David handed Paul a Matrix interface module and a vial of ultra-concentrated spice—an enhanced version designed to maximize his potential.
The effects would allow Paul to momentarily match Vader in raw power, though the enhancement wouldn't last long and carried notable side effects.
Still, with the war at a tipping point, Paul could recover afterward. Everyone had prepared too long for this moment to falter now.
"Understood," Paul said, accepting the device and the spice.
He hadn't expected the Battle of Yavin to erupt now—and not under these circumstances.
In Star Wars canon, the Battle of Yavin is one of the saga's defining moments, dividing the timeline into BBY and ABY. It also marked the official start of the Galactic Civil War.
From that point on, the galaxy would spiral into continuous conflict and gradual decline, only interrupted by the devastating invasion of the extragalactic Yuuzhan Vong.
In the original storyline, the Rebel Alliance destroys the Death Star with 27 starfighters, scoring a major strategic victory and signaling the beginning of the Empire's downfall.
But now—with the Universal Megacorp in play—this battle might end the Empire outright.
Returning to the Devastator , Paul had Captain Cassian contact the Rebel Alliance to get a status update on the frontlines.
Most importantly: where exactly was the Death Star?
Cassian relayed the intel: "The Death Star is closing in on Yavin 4. The Rebel headquarters has been fully compromised."
"We need to move. Now. Otherwise, everything we've done will be for nothing."
Cassian wasn't just some ordinary officer. He understood that the Rebel Alliance represented far more than military resistance—it held immense political value.
Historically, rebel movements suffered the most losses early on. But if they survived? Their reward was the greatest.
For the Rebels, the ideal outcome was to rapidly deplete the Empire's strength and win the favor of major power brokers. That way, they could flip the galactic hierarchy and become the new ruling elite.
The alternative was a prolonged slugfest—bleeding the Empire dry over time and earning enough investment from galactic stakeholders to finally bring the regime down.
In Star Wars canon, the Rebellion endured countless casualties just to secure victory at Yavin. It wasn't until they caught the attention of influential backers that they truly had a chance at toppling the Empire.
But now, the wave of uprisings had clearly shaken Emperor Palpatine to the core.
He had left Coruscant to oversee the frontlines in person.
That alone revealed how intolerable the Rebel threat had become in his eyes. Palpatine would accept no compromises. He wanted the rebellion wiped out—utterly and completely.
And he needed to make an example to terrify the fence-sitters still playing both sides.
For both the Empire and the Rebellion, this battle was non-negotiable.
Whoever lost would be finished.
"Let's just hope we're not too late," Paul said grimly.
He knew what was likely happening behind the scenes: Princess Leia wouldn't hold out much longer under Vader's interrogation.
The Empire had countless ways to make her talk.
"Red Queen, plot a course for Yavin 4. Maximum speed!" Paul commanded.
Under David's orders, all remaining Imperial stormtroopers aboard the Devastator had been neutralized and transferred to holding ships.
Due to the urgent timeline, there was no way to replenish Paul's forces properly, so David had assigned him several thousand clone troopers and combat droids for reinforcement.
Paul would head out immediately to support the Rebels at Yavin, while David stayed behind to finalize the transfer and secure captured assets before following with additional forces.
With the help of the Red Queen AI, the Devastator recharted its course and jumped into hyperspace toward the decisive battlefield.
Meanwhile, back at the Multiverse Base's star gate, fully assembled Starkiller bases were already being deployed into the Star Wars universe.
These Starkiller megastructures would be strategically stationed throughout the galaxy as a deterrent—one of which was bound for the Yavin system itself.
Palpatine was about to witness something beyond anything he'd ever imagined.
Three major forces were now converging in the Yavin system—poised to bring the galactic civil war to a climactic close.
At Multiverse Base HQ, inside the central command room...
[Boss, the situation on Mandalore has stabilized. Darth Maul was slain by Master Obi-Wan. I've already arranged for him to be escorted to Yavin to assist Paul.]
On the holoscreen appeared Leto II's weathered, exhausted face. The prolonged struggle against Darth Maul and the Death Watch had clearly taken a toll.
Leto had been walking a tightrope—uniting Mandalorians against the incoming Thrawn fleet while fending off Maul's sabotage and political subterfuge.
Thankfully, Obi-Wan's timely arrival allowed Leto to bait Maul into a trap and kill him during a "feast of betrayal."
To make sure Maul was definitively dead, Obi-Wan dismembered him into five pieces and burned the remains.
With their leader gone, the Death Watch fell into disarray and were quickly brought under Leto's control.
Mandalore was now united and bracing for the coming Imperial counterattack.
Li Ang looked at Leto's bloodshot, battle-worn eyes and nodded approvingly.
"Well done. Your next task is to delay Thrawn's forces for as long as possible. Buy time for the reinforcements to arrive. He cannot be allowed to escape."
"The Seventh Expeditionary Army, under Marshal Terrence, is en route to assist. Hold out until they get there."
Though the Yavin system was the true focal point of the unification operation, Li Ang hadn't forgotten about Mandalore.
If Palpatine refused to negotiate, Li Ang would have no choice but to use the Starkiller bases to wipe him out and seize control of the Galactic Empire by force.
And if Thrawn learned of Palpatine's death, he would almost certainly flee to the Unknown Regions, rally surviving Imperial forces, and form the First Order.
To prevent that scenario, Thrawn had to be contained on Mandalore—no matter what.
Even if Li Ang had to kill him, Thrawn must not be allowed to escape.
[Yes, sir!]
Reed nodded in response.
After quickly briefing Reed on the next phase of operations, Li Ang turned to Secretary-General Lucy to inquire about the situation with V.
"Everything's normal on V's end. No unexpected issues for now," Lucy replied.
Li Ang nodded in satisfaction. For the Megacorp at this stage, no surprises was the best-case scenario.
Just handling the deployment of expeditionary legions to blockade Imperial choke points, and preparing the Starkiller Base for contingencies, had already stretched his brainpower to its limits.
If a war with the Battle-Mad civilization were to break out now, things would really spiral out of control.
After all, the fleet led by V was the Megacorp's ultimate elite force, painstakingly assembled with every resource they had left.
The Prometheus Legion of the Preacher, the spice-fueled Fremen warriors, the Covenant Elites, the Iron Hands Legion, Autobots—every conceivable powerhouse unit was present.
If the Megacorp were forced into a two-front war, they'd have no reserves left to deal with uprisings erupting across the multiverse.
A true high-level executive always keeps sufficient margin for error. Going all-in is the move of a desperate gambler, not a leader.
"Boss, do you really think Palpatine will cooperate with us?" one of the senior Megacorp directors, Lucius, asked with some skepticism. He couldn't quite believe the Emperor of the Galactic Empire would willingly hand over his empire.
Palpatine had gone through immense trouble to rewrite the Old Republic's "title deed" and put his name on it—engineered the Clone Wars, instigated the Trade Federation's secessionist movement. After all that scheming to claim the throne, he'd barely warmed the seat before someone was asking him to stand up?
Anyone who had tasted such absolute power wouldn't give it up willingly.
"Whether Palpatine cooperates or not doesn't affect our determination to consolidate control over the 007 Star Wars universe," Li Ang responded calmly to Lucius's concern. He had no personal interest in becoming the Emperor of the Galactic Empire.
To him, titles and glory were meaningless.
Even when he ascended as God Emperor in the Dune universe, all he did was show up to deliver a victory speech, sign a document, and walk away.
No theatrics, no pomp. Business as usual.
Li Ang didn't know what was going through Palpatine's mind, but he was certain of one thing: that throne beneath Palpatine wasn't remotely comfortable.
The so-called supreme seat of power was riddled with thorns and poison barbs, stabbing at Palpatine from every angle.
His rise to Emperor could be summarized as a long series of political asset cash-outs. He burned through every shred of credibility he'd built over the years to ascend to power.
From senator of the Old Republic to Emperor of the Galactic Empire, he drew up countless grand promises, betraying countless loyal partners who had followed him into the trenches. His reputation and influence, built painstakingly over half a lifetime, were utterly depleted.
Take, for example, his instigation of the Neimoidians to invade Naboo. This caused the Trade Federation to secede and helped propel Palpatine into the role of Supreme Chancellor.
At that point, he already wielded power on par with an emperor.
But in the end, the Neimoidians who helped him get there were rewarded with the nationalization of the Trade Federation.
Their fortunes collapsed, their power plummeted, and they were eventually overtaken by the Hutts.
Palpatine's political sleight-of-hand was every bit as ruthless as the legendary strategist Zhang Yi.
Then came the Clone Wars, engineered by Palpatine himself. Both the Trade Federation and Count Dooku, who represented the aristocratic interests of the Old Republic, played their parts as secessionists under Palpatine's puppet strings.
To eliminate the Jedi Order, Palpatine offered massive political incentives to senators of the Republic, while on the battlefield, Dooku—once Yoda's own apprentice and a former Jedi Knight—was killed by Anakin.
Dooku had abandoned the Jedi because he believed in the rewards Palpatine promised the aristocracy, sacrificing even his life in the process.
When the war ended, and the Jedi were all but wiped out, you'd expect Palpatine to reward his loyal supporters.
Instead, he cashed in his chips and declared himself Emperor—leaving the Old Republic senators dumbfounded. With the Republic gone, their positions vanished as well.
Palpatine shamelessly proclaimed: "The promises I made during the Republic era? That has nothing to do with the Galactic Empire!"
"Speaker of the Senate? Never heard of him. There is only one authority here: the Emperor!"
He used the Neimoidians' generations of wealth to build a colossal Imperial Navy and leveraged his once-pristine reputation to manipulate the Republic aristocracy and senators.
These kinds of moves? Even Wang Mang [a historical Chinese usurper] would have called him a pro.
In short, Palpatine's ruthless conversion of political capital into personal power left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths.
The IOUs he handed out during his rise? He defaulted on them like a shameless scoundrel. If this were the old days, a mob of angry aristocrats would've already beaten him to a pulp.
But unfortunately for them, Palpatine had built the most powerful military force the galaxy had ever seen. No one had the muscle to challenge him.
Now, the uprisings throughout the Galactic Empire are the blowback from those unpaid political debts—repercussions of Palpatine's cash-out frenzy, which sacrificed far too many people's interests.
War is always the continuation of politics.
And while traditionally it's the civilian bureaucracy that checks the military, Palpatine flipped the script: he gave all the remaining "slices of the pie" to his naval commanders.
That might have secured the loyalty of his armed forces—for now—but the other power groups in the Empire far outnumbered and outweighed his fleet.
The escalating rebellions would eventually consume him.
Li Ang , however, had the power to wipe Palpatine's political debts clean.
Palpatine could still hold the title of "Emperor" of the Galactic Empire, but he'd have to serve as a sector governor under the Megacorp's interstellar administration. He'd even retain partial military authority, able to expand the Empire's domain outward.
Of course, all these appealing prospects were conditional—Palpatine would have to obey Li Ang 's commands, without exception.
If Palpatine complied, then the Empire's political structure could remain intact. As for the disaffected aristocrats of the Old Republic? Li Ang would create new business ventures to placate them.
He'd "pay off" Palpatine's debts for him.
But if Palpatine chose defiance, then Li Ang would simply ride the wave of popular sentiment, unite the galaxy's various factions, and restore the Republic himself.
He'd host the new order as the Speaker of the Galactic Republic, rally key interest groups, and carry on the Megacorp's consolidation efforts.
The wheel of history in the Star Wars universe was now in Li Ang 's hands.
Empire or Republic—it made no difference to him.
He only cared about one thing: obedience.
Having grasped their boss's stance, Lucius and Lucy—along with other Megacorp executives—nodded in understanding. It seemed Li Ang had the Galactic Empire in his pocket.
Whether or not Palpatine saw the writing on the wall, the coming war in the Yavin system would be one for the ages.
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007 Star Wars Universe
After a period of hyperspace travel, the Devastator finally emerged into orbit around Yavin IV.
But barely had it exited hyperspace when Paul realized he'd flown straight into a massive Imperial trap, surrounded on all sides by swarms of Star Destroyers.
Among them was none other than Darth Vader's flagship—the Executor.
In a split second, countless turbolasers rained down on the Devastator like a torrential storm.
Clearly, the Galactic Empire had anticipated Paul's arrival. Just as the Megacorp had executed its own flanking maneuvers against the Empire, the Empire had now returned the favor.
On the far side of the orbital ring, the Death Star was slowly drifting toward Yavin IV.
With its 160-kilometer diameter, the battle station was far too large and sluggish to maneuver like a warship.
Thus, it wasn't participating in the direct encirclement of the Devastator .
Under Palpatine's orders, the Death Star had only one mission: to annihilate Yavin IV, and turn the Rebel Alliance's headquarters into ash.
To halt the Death Star's advance, the Rebellion had dispatched its few remaining starfighters in a desperate bid to stall it.
A meager fleet of X-Wings and Y-Wings circled the behemoth like pesky flies, doing everything they could to slow it down.
The Death Star's outer armor was nigh-impenetrable—easily shrugging off even capital ship bombardments.
But its surface point-defense system had always been a weak point, unable to handle nimble fighter craft. Its close-in weaponry simply couldn't lock onto the Rebellion's small starfighters.
As a result, neither side could effectively damage the other.
Still, the Death Star remained locked on its primary objective—Yavin IV. It ignored the harassment from the fighters altogether.
Paul had hoped to reinforce the Rebel Alliance, but he found himself ambushed the moment he arrived. Fortunately, the Devastator 's shields held strong—for now.
However, with the Executor-class Super Star Destroyer present, the firepower Paul now faced far exceeded the space battle he'd endured not long ago.
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