1858. Two Farewells
Ten days before the fall of the planet Salukami, when Darth Vader led the huge fleet directly towards the defense line of the planet Salukami, Count Dooku immediately He connected with Tang Xiao's communication.
Count Dooku looks much older in the holographic projection. He was originally energetic, but now the wrinkles on his face are as deep as ravines, and his majestic appearance no longer exists.
If the war between Tang Xiao and the Galactic Republic lasted for two and a half years, and he was so exhausted that he had to make peace with Palpatine, then he had to fight with the Galactic Republic and the Galactic Empire for seven full years. The young Count Dooku is almost burning his life now.
"The planet Salukami is no longer able to withstand this round of attacks by the Galactic Empire. We have failed." Count Dooku's voice was a little hoarse.
Tang Xiao just looked at him, silent and nodded slightly.
"What else can you do to delay our failure?" Count Dooku said now, almost as a request. For the head of the Confederation of Independent Systems, the once highly respected master of the Jedi Order, and the leader who single-handedly founded the Confederation of Independent Systems, Tang Xiao had never seen him speak in such a tone.
However, nothing can be done. Tang Xiao still didn't speak and shook his head.
"Darth Sidious! He has planned everything! The Confederacy of Independent Systems and I are just the fuse he uses to detonate internal and external conflicts... Once the bomb of the Galactic Republic is detonated , I am useless," Count Dooku said slowly, "Even if I insist on fighting him for seven years, it will only delay the arrival of this result..."
"No!" He said again. He shook his head and denied his opinion, "I did not delay this result at all! He has proclaimed himself emperor, and the Galactic Empire has replaced the Republic! Now his power is unprecedentedly powerful... This is his real plan."
Tang Xiao finally spoke, and he said: "Come to the Dawn Planet. At least, you can still be alive."
"What is the use of me living? I am used by you to win over the remaining forces in the outer ring." Flag?" Count Dooku sneered.
"At least, you can see the end of the Galactic Empire." Tang Xiao said.
"Why do you think you still have a chance to defeat Darth Sidious?" Count Dooku asked.
"Just...you ignited this prairie fire." Tang Xiao looked at Count Dooku and said very seriously, "You still haven't realized what the Confederation of Independent Systems means. Of course, this is not surprising, because as Count Serenno, you have always been aloof and have never stood on the dirty ground to look up at the world.”
Count Dooku showed a sarcastic smile, "You mean those rebels who shouted that I wanted freedom? No, I have been in contact with them a long time ago, and they are also helping me harass the Galactic Empire's logistics supplies. Otherwise, do you think Why can I persist on the Salukami planet so far? But they can only do this."
Tang Xiao didn't want to argue with him, but just repeated, "Until dawn. Come on, planet, there is still a chance."
"No...hehehe...no!" Count Dooku laughed, "I set up all this! Cut it off! I ignited the flame of freedom! And now, I have to watch it all disappear!"
"I'm sorry," Tang Xiao said lightly. Say goodbye to you."
"You are wrong, Darth Malthael...the Angel of Death...Tang Xiao! You can never defeat Darth Sidious! He is far stronger than you in every aspect! When everything collapses, your despair will be far greater than mine..." Count Dooku's voice dropped, "But I still want to thank you. , because you told me the truth about Darth Sidious."
Count Dooku's holographic projection faded, then disappeared. The conference room returned to darkness and tranquility...
Tang Xiao stood for a while and connected to another communication.
A fat gastropod race appeared in the holographic projection - the Samirs. She wears gorgeous clothes and is covered with all kinds of jewelry. Even the three strands of beard on her chin are wrapped into three braids with gem-encrusted ribbons.
The parliamentary representative of the Semels people, Thunback-Tula.
As soon as she connected to the communication, she immediately waved her short hands and shouted loudly, "Your Majesty the Governor! Your Majesty the Governor!! The Salukami planet cannot be defended! We are finished! We are finished!"
"Yes, you are indeed finished." Tang Xiao nodded.
Tunbach-Tula slowly lowered his hand, and his face was full of doubts. She said this not because she really wanted to face failure, but because she was asking Tang Xiao for help. Unexpectedly, Tang Xiao didn't accept the move at all, but instead told her it was over?
"...Mr. Governor... Once the Salukami planet falls, the Galactic Empire's fleet can reach the Semires planet within five days." Tuunbaq Tula became serious, his voice Also serious and low, "If we don't do something, it will be difficult for us to resist this fleet of the Galactic Empire."
Tang Xiao nodded and said: "I know. So, now you need to fight with Darth- Vader secretly contacted him and told him that the Semires would surrender. "What? This is impossible!" Thunbark Tula's voice suddenly became sharp. , "I can never bow down to the Galactic Empire! Neither can the Semires!! The Galactic Empire wants to ride on our heads and dream!! We would rather fight to the last man alive!!"
"If this happens, the planet Semels will flow into a river of blood." Tang Xiao said.
“You are joking, right, Lord Governor?” Thunbark Tula still had the last glimmer of hope, “You must have a way to defeat the Galactic Empire, right? Just like you have done countless times before Just like defeating the Galaxy Republic!"
"Not this time, Councilman Tula." Tang Xiao shook his head.
"No... no no no no no! Impossible! It is impossible for the Samirs to surrender! Absolutely impossible!" Tuunbaq-Tula repeated loudly. "Listen to me!" Tang Xiao shouted suddenly. The powerful force even caused Thunbark Tula, who was countless light years away, to feel a terrible tremor, and she finally calmed down a little.
Tang Xiao continued: "Just hand over the design of the Infinity-class super aircraft carrier and delete the data of the Forerunner's hyperspace jump engine. Then Darth Vader will let you live. As for the Galactic Empire, we are not with them yet. When the war begins, we need to continue to gather strength.”
“But I have not forgotten... Lord Governor. Whether it is in the Confederation of Independent Systems, the Principality of Dawn, or the Masonic Alliance... I said. If we pass, we can represent all the Semires people. We will never surrender to power! The Semires people will always fight for freedom!" Tuunbaq-Tula said, "We will never forget ourselves. My oath, I will never..."
Tang Xiao suddenly shouted, "Then remember your oath! Then bury this humiliation deep in your heart! Palpatine knelt down in exchange for your chance to live! The war is not over yet! As long as the Dawn Planet is still standing, we can never say that they are the final winner!
He took a deep breath, slowed down and continued: "When I launch a counterattack against the Galactic Empire, I hope that you, the Semires, can still stand by my side and fight alongside me."< br>
Tears ran down Tuunbaq-Tula's face, "But I see no hope... Not even the powerful Confederacy of Independent Systems can withstand the attack of the Galactic Empire... What else can we do? We cannot give up our beliefs.”
"The failure of the Confederation of Independent Systems is expected. The real trouble of the Galactic Empire has not yet come, so all we have to do is hibernate and wait. I will never give up the oath we once made, this is my promise ." Tang Xiao said solemnly.
However, Tuunbak-Tula nodded, but shook his head and said: "I will arrange the surrender of the planet Semires... But I must give the Semires people a Give me an explanation."
Tang Xiao frowned, "Don't do anything stupid. When we counterattack later, only you can lead the Semires people to fight and bring death to the Galaxy Empire. One blow!"
But Tuunbak-Tula was extremely calm, and she said slowly: "To the Semiers, I am just an insignificant existence on our planet. He is an upright hero, a powerful warrior, a determined fighter, and a smart wise man... The planet Semires can surrender, but the fire of resistance in people's hearts should not be extinguished. Let me save this fire."
She bowed deeply to Tang Xiao and said, "Then, this is farewell, Mr. Governor. Thank you for your support and help to the people of Semires. In the future, I hope that the people of Semires can... In the fourth civilization, I will continue to fight side by side with you.”
Tang Xiao fell silent. He couldn't help but sigh deeply when he looked at this congressman who was usually very extravagant and lustful, and even had several pretty boys, who usually did everything from corruption and bribery.
Thunback-Tula's luxury and corruption have absolutely no impact on the powerful industrial world of Planet Semels. This can only show that she has insufficient personal ethics. However, in terms of national justice and persistence of beliefs, Thunbark-Tula has never been ambiguous.
This is why she formed an alliance with Tang Xiao's fourth civilization from the very beginning, plotting together for the great cause of freedom and overthrowing the Galactic Republic.
At least she has been fighting until death for her ideal galaxy.
In just a few dozen minutes, Tang Xiao connected to two communications and heard two farewells... When the holographic projection of Thunbark-Tula dispersed, Tang Xiao was still sitting in the dark He didn't come out of the conference room for a long time.
...
When the Salukami planet fell, the doomsday bell of the Confederation of Independent Systems had already begun to sound.
Because from this moment on, it is no longer possible for the Federation of Independent Systems to build a new line of defense. All that is left is that the major planets are fighting on their own.
In fact, even in the original plot "Revenge of the Sith", Anakin Skywalker immediately returned to Coruscant to report on his work after conquering the planet Salukami. Because the war was already won at that moment.
In this desperate battle with great disparity in power, many governors and councilors of planets also perished with the destruction of the main fleet of the Confederation of Independent Systems.
Thumbak-Tula, a member of the planet Semels, was one of the many people who died. She led the squadron of the planet Semels, set up a formation in the near-geosynchronous orbit of the planet Salukami, and fought the extremely powerful fleet of the Galactic Empire to the last man!
The flagship she was riding on, the Behemoth-class battlecruiser, was under siege by more than a dozen Imperial-class Star Destroyers. Even though the bridge was destroyed and the power was paralyzed, those stationed in the turrets The Semires soldiers still manually controlled the turrets and kept firing until the battleship was completely blown to pieces by countless turbolaser cannons.
Count Dooku chose to gather his last strength to the planet Laxus, preparing for the final resistance there.
After General Grievous escaped, he did not return to the planet Laxus. Instead, he flew his exclusive Soulless fighter jet towards the Hutt Space.
After the fall of Salukami, the Confederacy of Independent Systems fell apart almost immediately.
The Technical Alliance was already on both ends of the spectrum. They were worried that their investment in the Confederation of Independent Systems would be completely wasted, so they continued to work with Count Dooku. Now that they saw that there was no possibility of victory, Foreman Walt - Tambo immediately jumped out and announced his separation from the Confederation of Independent Systems and surrendered to the Galactic Empire.
The planet Semels also followed suit, announcing its surrender, and also handed over the data of the Infinity-class super aircraft carrier.
Among the planets that surrendered was the planet Jabim. Planet leader Otto Stratus once led the people of the planet Jabim to fight resolutely against the Galactic Republic to the end. But what he hates is the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order. Now that both are gone, he has no reason to continue to keep his people trapped in the flames of war.
But before surrendering, he still sent a message to Tang Xiao. The two briefly chatted for a few words, and they had no more than a few words to talk about.
However, to everyone's surprise, Darth Vader, who went on a killing spree on the Salukami planet, did not punish these surrendered planets. He just accepted their surrender and let They resigned themselves to it and that was it.
This is simply incomprehensible. Are the Darth Vader who forgave these planets and the Darth Vader who just ordered the massacre of the more than one billion remaining people on the Salukami planet really the same person?
No one knew that when Darth Vader looked at the Semels messenger, the eyes under the mask moved slightly.