Arc 59The Kuat Escape

Darth Malthael conquered Korriban’s Sith spirits while the Jedi Order broke with Palpatine’s Republic and conflict spread across the galaxy. On Kuat, Judgment’s Rakghoul outbreak gave Zhang Jiarui’s allies a chance to rescue him, and the group escaped aboard the unfinished Eclipse as the Kuat Defense Fleet pursued them.

  • Darth Malthael forged Soul Stealer with the captured Sith spirits, defeated Marka Ragnos, and ordered Darth Lilim to grow stronger after killing her.
  • Shaak Ti denounced Sheev Palpatine in the Senate and announced the Jedi Order’s withdrawal, while Palpatine ordered the Jedi Temple searched and confined.
  • Mace Windu’s forces learned Palpatine was Darth Sidious, and Admiral Sefrans Tann attacked a Republic fleet near Prolo II.
  • Tang Xiao learned of Palpatine’s assassination and Sefrans Tann’s campaign, while Zhang Jiarui pretended to test the Thor Mech as General Kalani’s allies prepared to rescue him.
  • Judgment unleashed a Rakghoul plague across Kuat’s Industrial Ring, and Shen Yuanhao’s group headed for the Education and Training Center as Karina fought Kuat soldiers and Blackhole.
  • The Priestess and Judgment helped the rescue team defeat Blackhole and recover Zhang Jiarui, while Codename 007 disrupted Kuat’s command and opened District 7’s hatch.
  • The Priestess flew the Lancer through Kuat’s defenses with Zhang Jiarui and Zhang Xucheng aboard, and Kryster found a way into the unfinished Eclipse.
  • The Lancer entered the Eclipse as the Kuat Defense Fleet stopped firing and sent assault transports after the fugitives.
Chapters 1468–1493 Vol. 15 Read

Ch. 1468Death Lightsaber (Part 1)

Darth Malthael shielded himself from the Sith spirits and began a final attempt to master the Force and become Death Incarnate. As Marka Ragnos cursed him, Malthael started crafting a new Lightsaber from strangely twisted components.

  • Darth Malthael sealed the nine ancient Sith Lords he had confronted into black gemstones and began meditating with white Kyber Crystals and Lightsaber components.
  • Marka Ragnos sent Sith spirits to attack Darth Malthael, but an invisible barrier prevented them from reaching him.
  • Darth Malthael explained that the Death Force could sever the bridge between the real world and the Force world, leaving the spirits unable to affect him.
  • Darth Malthael reflected on his failure to conquer the ancient Sith spirits and chose to risk the last of his Force in another attempt to become Death Incarnate.
  • Darth Malthael used the Force to assemble and twist components into the unsettling hilt of a new Lightsaber.

Ch. 1469Death Lightsaber (Part 2)

Darth Malthael forged a grotesque Lightsaber through Sith Alchemy, corrupting its three Kyber Crystals with the Dark Side. After declaring that the Force passage revealed a new path, he drove the weapon through his own chest, and as he died, one of nine black gemstones began moving toward the hilt.

  • Darth Malthael assembled a tentacled black Lightsaber around three Kyber Crystals and used Death Force to turn them crimson.
  • Ludo Kressh warned that Sith Alchemy could make Darth Malthael lose control and go insane.
  • Darth Malthael said his battle had revealed the passage to the world of the Force and dismissed the Lightsaber as not powerful enough.
  • Marka Ragnos urged Darth Malthael to leave Korriban, but Darth Malthael refused and summoned nine black gemstones.
  • Darth Malthael activated both crimson blades through his chest, and the ancient Sith ghosts retreated from the threat surrounding him.
  • As Darth Malthael died, a black lightning bolt struck one gemstone, drawing it toward the Lightsaber.

Ch. 1470Death Lightsaber (Part 2)

Darth Malthael completed the black Lightsaber, named Soul Stealer, and used it to destroy several ancient Sith spirits. He then pursued Marka Ragnos deeper into the valley.

  • Marka Ragnos and the other Sith spirits attacked Darth Malthael as the remaining black gemstones were drawn into his hilt.
  • The ninth gemstone completed the Lightsaber, whose black blade destroyed the attacking spirits and cut Marka Ragnos in half as he fled.
  • Darth Malthael recovered, took up the double-bladed Lightsaber, and named it Soul Stealer.
  • Darth Malthael killed Ludo Kressh and Naga Sadow, turning them into gemstones for the weapon.
  • Ajunta Pall dissipated as Darth Malthael taunted him and declared that Marka Ragnos was next.

Ch. 1471Death Incarnate

Darth Malthael pursued the ancient Sith spirits with Soul Reaver, a weapon that could cut through spirits and channel the Force. He defeated and sealed Marka Ragnos, absorbing a tremendous surge of Death Force that brought him closer to death.

  • Darth Malthael pursued the fleeing Sith spirits through the Valley of the Dark Lords with Soul Reaver.
  • Darth Malthael confronted Marka Ragnos and rejected his offer to recognize him as ruler of the Sith Empire.
  • Marka Ragnos attacked Darth Malthael with black mist, but Darth Malthael cut him apart with Soul Reaver.
  • Soul Reaver's tendrils sealed Marka Ragnos inside a black gemstone and drew it into the sword.
  • Darth Malthael felt a surge of Death Force and realized he was incomparably close to death.

Ch. 1472Showdown

Jedi Master Shaak Ti accused Chancellor Sheev Palpatine of being a Sith Lord and announced that the Jedi Order would leave the Galactic Republic. Palpatine condemned the withdrawal and demanded that the Jedi Temple be opened for a thorough investigation.

  • Shaak Ti confronted Sheev Palpatine in the Galactic Senate and accused him of being unfit to lead the Republic as a Sith Lord.
  • Palpatine defended his actions and challenged Shaak Ti to provide evidence, and she admitted the Jedi Order had none.
  • Shaak Ti announced that the Jedi Order would leave the Galactic Republic and withdraw to remote planets.
  • Palpatine accused the Jedi Order of helping the Separatists and claimed its departure would delay victory.
  • Palpatine demanded that the Jedi Temple be opened and searched to protect the Republic's secrets.

Ch. 1473Sophistry and Investigation

Palpatine demanded access to the Jedi archives and framed the dispute as a Senate vote, while Shaak Ti accused him of trying to seize Jedi research. As the Senate erupted in support of the Jedi, clone troopers surrounded the Temple, and the Second Systems Army gathered at Bandomeer to threaten Mandalore and the Neutral Systems Alliance.

  • Shaak Ti offered limited access to Jedi records, but Palpatine insisted on a thorough investigation of the Temple Library and archives.
  • Shaak Ti accused Palpatine of seeking Jedi research, and Palpatine challenged the Order’s loyalty while calling for a Senate vote.
  • Padmé Amidala denounced Palpatine’s involvement, prompting senators to voice support for the Jedi before Palpatine ordered Jedi confined to the Temple.
  • Spaarti clone troopers surrounded the Jedi Temple as Shaak Ti and Palpatine left the Senate Chamber.
  • The Second Systems Army Main Fleet assembled at Bandomeer, positioning itself to suppress the Neutral Systems Alliance and Mandalore.

Ch. 1474The Chaotic Neutral Systems Alliance

Mandalore’s civil war destabilized the Neutral Systems Alliance, prompting the Republic’s Second Systems Army to spread its fleet across the region. On the army’s flagship, Ry-Gaul and Windu discussed the uncertain situation on Coruscant and the possibility that the Jedi Order had assassinated Palpatine.

  • Death Watch, led by Pre Vizsla and Bo-Katan Kryze, struggled to seize Mandalore because of its poor reputation and limits on violence.
  • Planets in the Neutral Systems Alliance split between seeking Separatist support, returning to the Republic, and forming a new neutral alliance.
  • The Second Systems Army deployed most of its fleet to patrol the alliance and guard transport hubs, provoking disputes with neutral worlds.
  • Ry-Gaul told Windu that communications with Coruscant remained restricted and confirmed that its defenses had shifted focus.
  • Windu suspected the Jedi Order might have been responsible for Palpatine’s assassination.

Ch. 1475Second Systems Army

Mace Windu, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Lei-Gul discussed why the Jedi could not return to Coruscant and decided the Second Systems Army and Neutral Systems Alliance had to remain a threat to Palpatine. Near Prolo II, Sefrans Tann’s Conqueror-class battleship Destruction destroyed a Republic battlecruiser and began its attack on the Second Systems Army.

  • Windu told Lei-Gul that the Jedi had learned Chancellor Sheev Palpatine was the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, but could not simply arrest him based on intelligence from another Sith Lord.
  • Ki-Adi-Mundi explained that Windu’s expulsion from the Jedi Order freed the group to take control of the Second Systems Army, while Windu also identified the Neutral Systems Alliance as an ally.
  • Lei-Gul agreed that the army should stay away from Coruscant and continue campaigning as a threat to Palpatine, and Windu and the others vowed that blood debts would be repaid in blood.
  • A fleet commander reported that the J-13 Sub-fleet had lost contact near Prolo II, so Windu ordered the nearby Fourth Sub-fleet to investigate.
  • Admiral Sefrans Tann’s Destruction attacked the Republic force near Prolo II, disabled its ships and starfighters, and blasted the Hunter Class Battlecruiser into wreckage.

Ch. 1476Sith Apprentice

Darth Lilim arrived on Planet Korriban after answering Darth Malthael’s summons and endured the Sith spirits’ assault to reach him. She found that her master had conquered the Valley of the Dark Lords, and Darth Malthael began explaining why he had never brought her to Korriban before.

  • Darth Lilim left her command post on Ord Mantell and traveled to Planet Korriban when Darth Malthael summoned her.
  • Darth Lilim passed through the Sith Academy despite the spirits’ attempts to overwhelm her mind.
  • Darth Lilim entered the Valley of the Dark Lords without being attacked and realized that Darth Malthael had conquered its spirits.
  • Darth Lilim knelt before Darth Malthael and congratulated him, while he dismissed her praise and said he was still far from becoming the One-Man Sith.
  • Darth Malthael explained that he had avoided Korriban because it had once been a burial ground for the Sith Empire’s failures.

Ch. 1477Discipline (Part 1)

Darth-Malthael rejected the Sith spirits’ inheritance and declared himself King of the Undead in the Valley of the Dark Lords. He ordered Darth-Lilim to kill him, then attacked when she hesitated, leaving her to fight for her life as he condemned her weakness.

  • Darth-Malthael explained that Sith spirits passed on resentment and hatred, then declared he wanted his servants to inherit victory and conquest instead.
  • Darth-Malthael said he had defeated Marka Ragnos, Ludo Kressh, and Naga Sadow, and claimed the title of King of the Undead in the Valley of the Dark Lords.
  • Darth-Malthael ordered Darth-Lilim to kill him and promised she would gain everything, including Dawn Star Planet, but she refused to raise her blade against her master.
  • Darth-Malthael threatened Darth-Lilim, prompting her to attack with Force lightning; he blocked her strike and hurled her backward with the Force.
  • Darth-Malthael pressed the wounded Darth-Lilim with his Lightsaber, outmatched her swordsmanship, and berated her for becoming weak and pampered.
  • Darth-Lilim denied that she was weak and charged at Darth-Malthael again.

Ch. 1478Training (Part 2)

Darth Malthael tortured Darth Lilim on Korriban and demanded that she find a darker purpose before he returned in three days. Back aboard the Glory, Tang Xiao learned of Sheev Palpatine’s assassination, Republic troop movements, and General Sefrans Tann’s attack on the Second Systems Army.

  • Darth Malthael defeated Darth Lilim, cut her in half, and left her soul to suffer under the Sith spirits’ torment.
  • Darth Malthael told Darth Lilim to become darker and stronger, then departed Korriban and gave her three days to change.
  • Tang Xiao returned to the Glory, where Helmut Zemo reported that Chancellor Sheev Palpatine had been assassinated and Jedi-led Republic forces had halted operations.
  • Zemo reported a major Galactic Senate meeting and confirmed Republic Clone Trooper movements around Centax-2; Tang Xiao ordered him to investigate the meeting.
  • Zemo told Tang Xiao that General Sefrans Tann had begun an operation against the Second Systems Army, surprising Tang Xiao.

Ch. 1479The Two Sides of the Force

Tang Xiao explained to Helmut Zemo why the Jedi Order could never be underestimated and described his ambition to master both sides of the Force. Later, Zhang Jiarui demonstrated the repaired Thor Mech to Kuat engineers, though his controls were disconnected and his presentation was only an act.

  • Helmut Zemo questioned whether it would be wiser to let Windu establish resistance in the Neutral Systems Alliance, and Tang Xiao warned him that the Jedi Order could recover from any defeat.
  • Tang Xiao explained that the Force continually moved toward balance and that merging light and darkness was nearly impossible, though he still pursued that goal.
  • Helmut Zemo pledged to help Tang Xiao achieve his ambition, and Tang Xiao sent him to make arrangements before speaking with Count Dooku.
  • Zhang Jiarui activated the repaired Thor Mech’s apparent charging sequence while explaining its energy system to Kuat engineers.
  • Zhang Jiarui theatrically described the mech’s supposed energy beam, but the red button was connected to nothing.

Ch. 1480Rescue Operation (I)

Zhang Jiarui kept Kuat Drive Yards engineers occupied with a fake Thunder God's Sword test while secretly repairing the Thor Mech and coordinating with General Kalani. Meanwhile, Kryster and the others infiltrated the Industrial Star Ring’s waste processing area, where Kryster gained access to Kuat Drive Yards’ authorization list.

  • Zhang Jiarui staged a pretend firing test, convincing the engineers that Thunder God's Sword was complete while they protested that it needed a real prototype test.
  • More than half the engineers left to pressure Little Kuat to let their team build the prototype, while Zhang Jiarui secretly inspected the Thor Mech and spoke with General Kalani.
  • General Kalani told Zhang Jiarui that reinforcements had infiltrated aboard a garbage ship and advised him to keep the engineers occupied while continuing repairs.
  • In the waste processing workshop, Kryster told Zhang Xucheng, Shen Yuanhao, and Xiao Yan that she was trying to contact General Kalani and crack the local systems.
  • Kryster unexpectedly logged into Kuat Drive Yards’ authorization list, astonishing Shen Yuanhao.

Ch. 1481Rescue Operation (II, III)

Shen Yuanhao's group searched for a way to rescue Zhang Jiarui on Quat Planet while Codename 007 and Judgment made their own moves. After 007 secretly contacted the group, he warned them to abandon the rescue and kill Zhang Jiarui instead.

  • Shen Yuanhao's group decided to wait until night to contact General Kalani and plan their rescue of Zhang Jiarui.
  • Codename 007 plotted to use an incident involving Zhang Jiarui to remove the Security Department minister, while Judgment arrived on Quat Planet with a Republic Navy crew unaware of her identity.
  • Kryster detected a covert signal exposing security-system units, and Zhang Xucheng recognized the sender as an ally reaching out through the Force.
  • Kryster traced the strongest security presence to the Education Development Department, where the group suspected Zhang Jiarui was being held, though its supply records suggested he was receiving luxuries.
  • Codename 007 entered the garbage workshop, gave the group security information and a communicator, and urged them to kill Zhang Jiarui instead of attempting a rescue.

Ch. 1482Rescue Operation (IV)

Shen Yuanhao’s group planned to unite with 007 and General Kalani to rescue Zhang Jiarui, despite the low odds of success. Meanwhile, a disguised female soldier entered the Kuat Industrial Ring and unleashed an invisible force.

  • Shen Yuanhao reassured Zhang Xucheng that they would try to rescue his father alive, even though 007 had said they might need to kill Zhang Jiarui if the rescue failed.
  • Shen Yuanhao identified his group, 007, and General Kalani as the three forces on Quat Planet and proposed joining them together.
  • Zhang Xucheng volunteered to link the groups telepathically, while Shen Yuanhao planned a strategy meeting for that night and an operation the following day.
  • A female soldier wearing a scarf walked through the Kuat Industrial Ring with a suitcase and greeted a navy soldier.
  • The female soldier released an invisible force that spread outward.

Ch. 1483Rescue Operation (5)

Judgment unleashed a controlled Rakghoul plague across the Kuat Industrial Ring to create chaos while she searched for Zhang Jiarui. As the outbreak overwhelmed the station, Shen Yuanhao’s group seized the chance to head toward the site where Zhang Jiarui might be held.

  • Judgment infected about a thousand people across the Kuat Industrial Ring and delayed the virus’s activation.
  • Judgment triggered the plague, and infected residents transformed into Rakghouls that attacked people and spread the infection.
  • The Rakghoul outbreak spread across the Ring, reaching more than ten thousand monsters in half an hour as Kuat Security Forces struggled to contain them.
  • Judgment watched the chaos from a rooftop, put on her mask, and leaped from the skyscraper.
  • Shen Yuanhao learned that the Ring was under attack, and he ordered his group to take a garbage transport ship toward the place that might be holding Zhang Jiarui.

Ch. 1485Rescue Operation (V, VI)

As Rakghouls spread through the Kuat Industrial Ring, Shen Yuanhao and the children headed for the Education and Training Center to rescue Zhang Jiarui. Their diversionary rescue plan began when Karina broke into the base and tore through Kuat’s security forces.

  • Rakghouls overwhelmed the Industrial Ring’s defenses, while Shen Yuanhao piloted a cleared garbage ship toward the Education and Training Center with Kryster and the children.
  • Zhang Xucheng sensed that the Rakghouls were tied to a powerful, dark Force user, and Shen Yuanhao decided to seek out another powerful Force user at the center.
  • General Kalani told Zhang Jiarui that their preparations were ready and that the Thor Mech could barely function, while Kuat security raised the base’s alert level.
  • Kuat soldiers entered the laboratory to retrieve Zhang Jiarui, but found the staff unconscious and the robots disabled before a searchlight revealed the Thor Mech.
  • Karina smashed through the wall, reflected blaster fire with her scales, and slaughtered hundreds of Kuat soldiers as fighters and frigates gathered outside to attack her.

Ch. 1486Rescue Operation (VII, VIII)

Shen Yuanhao’s group fought through the Kuat security base and found Zhang Jiarui, while Zhang Xucheng realized a Jedi Knight was closing in on Karina. Karina faced Blackhole, the Chancellor’s Advisor, who overpowered her and revealed his plans to collect rare beings.

  • Xiao Yan, Shen Yuanhao, and Kryster broke into the control center, where Kryster discovered thousands of soldiers were heading toward the base.
  • Kryster found Zhang Jiarui in the engineering laboratory, and Zhang Xucheng reunited with his father through their mental link.
  • Zhang Xucheng realized the Force interference had stopped and warned Karina that a Jedi Knight was approaching.
  • Blackhole attacked Karina with his crossguard Lightsabers and introduced himself as the Chancellor’s Advisor.
  • Karina fought Blackhole with her Light Axe, but he wounded her and spoke of collecting her and Arden Lyn.

Ch. 1487Rescue Operation (9)

Zhang Jiarui and his allies fought to escape Kuat’s control while Judgment searched for the captured Separatist engineer, and Karina struggled against Blackhole. Zhang Xucheng’s plea for help exposed him to a second man bearing Blackhole’s markings, but an unknown voice intervened as the man raised his Lightsaber.

  • Karina grew to nearly 3.8 meters tall and attacked Blackhole with her Light Axe, but he calmly blocked her blows with his dual Lightsabers and wounded her.
  • General Kalani piloted the damaged Thor Mech as Zhang Jiarui directed him to destroy Kuat’s laboratory, then Shen Yuanhao, Kryster, and Xiao Yan arrived to rescue him.
  • Zhang Jiarui learned that Zhang Xucheng had stayed behind to maintain their telepathic link, and he ordered General Kalani to smash through Kuat’s defenses and retrieve him.
  • Judgment overwhelmed Kuat’s security forces, learned that the captured Separatist engineer was in District 17, and set off with an official to reach the location quickly.
  • Zhang Xucheng sensed Karina’s danger and sent a telepathic plea for help, but a young man with markings like Blackhole’s found him in the waste processing workshop and raised his Lightsaber.
  • An unknown voice challenged the young man, asking who had given him the courage to harm the speaker’s student.

Ch. 1488Rescue Operation (10)

The Priestess rescued Zhang Xucheng from Blackhole, while Cun Te and the others waited in orbit for the next stage of the operation. At the ruined training base, Blackhole confronted the assembled Separatist fighters and threatened Zhang Xucheng, leaving Zhang Jiarui alarmed.

  • The Priestess arrived in a crashing fighter, rescued Zhang Xucheng, and confronted Blackhole, who identified her as Master Depa Barris.
  • Cun Te, Sola-A, Oola-Khan, and the Salarian special forces waited aboard the cloaked Lancer while Sola-A reported that the Priestess had engaged Blackhole.
  • Blackhole weakened Karina and fought off the Thor Mech before Xiao Yan, Shen Yuanhao, Kryster’s hacked robots, and Zhang Jiarui surrounded him.
  • Celeste Morn appeared wearing the Muur Talisman, and Blackhole revealed that he knew about Karness Muur and challenged the Separatists to escape the Kuat Defense Fleet.
  • Blackhole warned that Zhang Xucheng was in danger, prompting Zhang Jiarui to react in alarm.

Ch. 1489Dark Prophet

Judgment defeated Blackhole’s apparent body, but he revealed himself as a member of the Dark Prophet and escaped in a mysterious star-like form. Meanwhile, Zhang Xucheng agreed to help the Priestess unite their allies, and his precise psychic signal reached the Dark Templars aboard a hidden frigate.

  • Zhang Jiarui and his allies fired on Blackhole, but Judgment redirected his reflected shots and sent them away while she confronted him.
  • Judgment fought Blackhole under the Moor amulet’s corruption, gradually shifting toward the Dark Side and overpowering him before cutting off his head.
  • Blackhole’s apparent body released a dark, star-filled form that appeared simultaneously beside Judgment and the Priestess, identified himself as an advisor to Chancellor Palpatine and a member of the Dark Prophet, and vanished after threatening the galaxy and universe with destruction.
  • The Priestess reassured Zhang Xucheng and asked him to help the group find a chance to escape Kuat Defense Fleet forces; he agreed.
  • Zhang Xucheng’s precise psychic connection reached the hidden Astro-class frigate, where Sola-A and Oola-Khan sensed him and Cun Te ordered them to move.

Ch. 1490Rescue Operation (11)

Donald ordered District 7 sealed off to prevent the rescue of Zhang Jiarui as the Star Ring’s authorities contained a Rakghoul outbreak. The rescue team struggled to reach its ship before the district was sealed, and newly deployed IG-86 robots threatened the Rakghouls.

  • Donald learned that the sealed districts might contain over five million Rakghouls and ordered District 7 completely isolated to stop Zhang Jiarui’s rescue.
  • The Star Ring began closing massive hatch doors over District 7 while the rescue team led Zhang Jiarui toward a factory landing platform.
  • Judgment’s Rakghouls attacked Kuat Security Forces as 007 disrupted their command, while Zhang Xucheng maintained contact with the team through a psychic network.
  • Shen Yuanhao learned that Cun Te’s group remained cloaked and that Bond’s authority trick was close to being exposed, so he urged the team to hurry.
  • Karina charged the security forces but was slowed and injured by their concentrated weapons fire.
  • Kuat Security Forces deployed IG-86 Sentry robots, giving them a powerful new weapon against the charging Rakghouls.

Ch. 1491Rescue Operation (12)

Judgment led the rescue team through Kuat Security Forces and used the Moor amulet to help them reach their rendezvous and collect Priestess and Zhang Xucheng. They escaped aboard an Astro-class frigate just as District 7 sealed its bulkhead, leaving them trapped under attack by fighters.

  • Judgment used the Moor amulet to transform more than a thousand Kuat Security Forces soldiers into Rakghouls, creating an opening for the rescue team.
  • Cun Te flew the team aboard a black Astro-class frigate while Salarian special forces stayed behind to buy them time.
  • Judgment helped Cun Te evade pursuing fighters and maneuvered the frigate so Priestess could leap aboard with Zhang Xucheng.
  • Zhang Jiarui embraced his son after the rescue team picked him up near the waste processing workshop.
  • District 7's bulkhead closed, sealing the Star Ring Sector as more than a dozen fighters attacked the frigate.

Ch. 1492Rescue Operation (13)

Codename 007 seized Commander Donald and forced him to reopen District 7’s hatch so Lancer could escape. The ship broke out of the Star Ring but came under attack from the Kuat Defense Fleet, and Kryster spotted a massive warship in a nearby shipbuilding dock.

  • An Intelligence Department officer confronted Donald with evidence that his authorization code had issued disruptive orders, and Donald ordered an investigation and a switch to the backup command system.
  • Codename 007 revealed himself, subdued Donald, killed the Intelligence Department officer, and forced Donald to open District 7’s hatch and tell the defense fleet they had captured Zhang Jiarui.
  • Zhang Xucheng told the people aboard Lancer that 007 had taken the commander hostage, while Zhang Jiarui comforted his son and left 007 behind.
  • Priestess piloted Lancer through the opening hatch as the Kuat Defense Fleet fired, then led the ship out into a storm of anti-aircraft fire and pursuing fighters.
  • Kryster spotted a massive warship docked at a shipbuilding facility several dozen kilometers away.

Ch. 1493Rescue Operation (Conclusion)

Cun Te and the rescue team escaped the Kuat Defense Fleet by flying the Lancer into the unfinished Eclipse-class dreadnought and taking control of its engines. The Republic forces stopped firing to protect the prototype and sent transports after them as Chief Engineer Lila Blythex watched from Quat Planet.

  • Kryster spotted the unfinished 17.5-kilometer Eclipse and found a way to access its control system and open a hatch.
  • The Priestess piloted the Lancer toward the Eclipse while Cun Te recognized that the Kuat Defense Fleet feared them reaching it.
  • Kryster activated the Eclipse's engines as the Priestess and Cun Te dodged fire and Judgment shot down Republic fighters.
  • The Lancer entered the Eclipse through its opened underside hatch, and several Republic fighters crashed into the vessel.
  • The Kuat Defense Fleet ceased fire and sent LAAT assault transports into the Eclipse to pursue the rescue team.
  • Lila Blythex watched the battle and learned that the fugitives had targeted the engines installed for the Eclipse's thrust test.
Arc 59 of 118