The Giant Corporations that Started in Night City

Chapter 342: The Death Star Descends! Countdown Begins! A Perilous Mission!

Blinding bursts of light from the laser blasts flashed intermittently through the dust-filled air, each flare making the Rebel troops flinch in fear.

They were terrified that the hard-won glimmer of hope was about to be snuffed out by the Empire's merciless assault.

But true Jedi should never fear energy blasts—after all, lightsabers can deflect them, and a Jedi's Force barrier can withstand the concussive impact of most explosions.

Paul, however, didn't know any of those flashy Force techniques.

Instead, he relied on the advanced technological arsenal of the Megacorp, which could emulate similar effects.

At the exact moment the laser cannon fired, Paul had already activated a bubble shield from the Halo universe. The moment it fully deployed, incoming projectiles and laser blasts from all directions were instantly absorbed or deflected. The Empire's hailstorm of firepower didn't leave a scratch on him.

Seconds later, a sleek figure burst from the haze—Paul, wielding a glowing blue lightsaber, charged straight toward a distant AT-ST walker.

The stormtroopers operating the walker turned pale at the sight. Paul had survived all that?

Was this guy even human?!

Panicked, the stormtroopers aimed the walker's cannons at Paul and fired again—but it was already too late.

Paul had closed the gap, rushing beneath the walker's legs—a blind spot the cannons couldn't target. Desperate, the troopers attempted to stomp him with the AT-ST's steel claws.

While the AT-ST was one of the more agile Imperial walkers, it still couldn't compare to Paul's reflexes.

Before the foot even came down, Paul spun through the air and swung his lightsaber with a clean slash. With a sharp snap-hiss, the leg was severed.

The now-crippled walker wobbled unsteadily for a moment before crashing into a nearby residential district, crushing several buildings under its bulk.

The entire sequence was a perfect showcase of heroic spectacle—Paul's one-man assault left everyone watching in awe.

"He's alive! The Jedi isn't dead!"

The Rebel soldiers, stunned by Paul's display, finally snapped back to reality and erupted into cheers.

He had tanked a laser barrage and taken down an AT-ST in seconds—this Jedi wasn't just a hero; he was a savior.

Their morale skyrocketed, and the battlefield rang with triumphant cries.

The Imperial commanders, watching this unfold, looked as if they'd seen a ghost. One by one, they issued emergency retreat orders.

The sudden appearance of a Jedi Master in Jedha City meant one thing—the Jedi resurgence had begun, and they were preparing to reclaim the territory.

If they didn't retreat now, it would be too late.

"What's going on? Why are they retreating?"

Paul frowned as he watched the stormtroopers fall back in every direction. He didn't believe the Empire would abandon their offensive just because they lost a single walker.

Especially not when a Star Destroyer was still hovering ominously above Jedha City.

Strangely, Paul then noticed the Imperial-class Star Destroyer beginning to ascend, engines flaring as it withdrew from the planet.

A chill crept down his spine.

But the Rebels didn't notice. To them, the Empire's retreat meant one thing—the counterattack had worked.

After countless defeats, they had finally won a battle. Laughter and cheers filled the air as they embraced one another in celebration.

Just as Paul was about to contact headquarters for a scouting update, a message came through from his commanding officer aboard the fleet's flagship—David Martinez.

> [Paul, we've detected a massive celestial-class warship approaching your location. You need to order a full retreat—get every field operative out of there immediately!]

Paul's expression darkened. He quickly asked, "How big is it? How much time do we have?"

A warship that size shouldn't be able to move quickly. If he could buy even a little time, Paul was confident he could finish what he needed.

> [It's a Death Star—160 kilometers in diameter. We're detecting overwhelming energy signatures inside. The gravitational and magnetic fields it emits far exceed those of a standard planet.]

> [The weapon is already fully charged. Once it fires, the entire planet will be reduced to ashes!]

The Death Star—one of the Galactic Empire's ultimate superweapons—and the very target Li Ang had his sights on. He was after the upgraded version: Starkiller Base.

> [As for your time limit, best estimate is less than ten hours!]

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Paul finally understood the Empire's true objective.

With a Jedi resurgence now in play, the Empire intended to obliterate Jedha itself—completely wiping out the planet along with every trace of rebellion.

But the Rebels on the ground had no orbital surveillance. They were entirely unaware of the Death Star's approach.

Without hesitation, Paul issued an emergency evacuation order to all field investigators—but he had no intention of leaving himself.

"This is the only opportunity we'll ever get to access Death Star—or even Starkiller Base—technology," Paul said calmly. "I'm staying to try."

"Don't worry. I'll find a way out when the time comes."

With just a few hours left, Paul knew he had to act fast—this window of opportunity wouldn't open again.

There was a brief silence on the other end. After confirming with Li Ang , David finally replied:

> [Understood. I'm dispatching a Wanderer-class dreadnought to your location.]

> [If you can't extract yourself in time, I'll intercept the Death Star myself.]

David knew such an act could provoke the Empire's upper command and cause a cascade of unpredictable consequences.

But no plan survives contact with reality—not even one meticulously crafted by Li Ang .

This might be their only shot at acquiring the technology behind Starkiller Base. No matter the risk, it was worth the gamble.

With access to the blueprints—however rudimentary—the Megacorp's research division and industrial might could reverse-engineer it.

They could potentially deploy multiple Starkiller Bases thirty years ahead of schedule—turning the tables on the Empire.

After all, when it came to weapons and warships, the Megacorp—armed with the resources of countless universes—was second to none.

While Paul mulled over his next move, weighed down by responsibility, the Rebel fighters around him were still blissfully unaware of the impending doom.

They remained immersed in the thrill of victory, celebrating the liberation of Jedha City.

To them, the day belonged to one man—the mysterious Jedi who had appeared out of nowhere:

Paul Atreides.

If not for Paul's intervention, the Rebels would've had little chance of defeating the Imperial forces and securing victory in this uprising.

Now, the Rebel troops began to crowd around him, raising their voices and chanting the name "Jedi," offering Paul the highest form of reverence.

It was clear that Paul's fearless performance on the battlefield had completely earned the Rebels' trust.

At that moment, the Rebel squad leader stepped forward and extended an invitation:

"Honored Jedi Master, would you be willing to come with us to meet our leader—Saw Gerrera?"

Without hesitation, Paul nodded. "Of course. I'd be glad to."

This was exactly why Paul had risked his life to remain on Jedha: the pilot carrying the Death Star schematics and other critical intelligence was currently in Saw Gerrera's hands—an opportunity he could not afford to miss.

Elsewhere, the Rebel fighters had taken notice of Captain Cassian and Jyn Erso. These two had earlier killed some of their comrades and were now considered enemies.

Just as they moved to detain them, they were stopped by Chani, who raised her weapon. Paul had ordered her to watch over these two, and Chani wasn't about to let anyone lay a finger on them.

Seeing the standoff, Paul stepped in to defuse the situation. He turned to the Rebel captain and said calmly:

"I need a moment to speak with them. Before I meet your leader, let me deal with some…unfinished business."

The captain glanced past Chani to the pair behind her, then gave a silent nod, accepting Paul's request.

Paul walked up to Chani, while Jyn stared at him, puzzled, unable to recall any connection they might share.

"Sorry," she said warily. "I don't believe we've met."

"I knew your father. They're sparing your life because of me. But now, you'll have to come with me."

With that, Paul motioned for Chani to escort Cassian and Jyn as well. They would accompany him to the Rebel base—to meet the man who had become one of the Empire's most wanted enemies: Saw Gerrera.

Before long, the group arrived at the base, where they were greeted with joyous celebration. News of the Empire's retreat and the Jedi's return had already spread, and the Rebels had rushed out to welcome their hero.

Their joy wasn't just because they had driven off the Imperial forces—they had also witnessed a massive withdrawal of the Empire's garrisons across Jedha.

To them, this was proof of the fearsome deterrent power that a single Jedi's return could exert on the Empire.

But only Paul knew the truth: the Empire wasn't retreating out of fear. They were preparing to deploy the Death Star—to destroy Jedha and wipe out the Rebels and the resurgent Jedi in one swift blow.

At this point, Paul could only hope that Saw Gerrera would see the bigger picture and not be blinded by the illusion of victory. Otherwise, Paul would be forced to take the defecting pilot by force.

As they moved through the base, Paul was greeted by lines of cheering Rebels. Many were eager to catch a glimpse of the Jedi who had seemingly returned from legend.

Paul, for his part, wore his lightsaber openly on his belt, making no effort to hide his identity.

Before long, under the squad leader's guidance, Paul was brought before Saw Gerrera himself.

But Gerrera wasn't the rugged, battle-hardened warrior Paul had envisioned.

Instead, he was an aged, frail-looking man with graying hair and a gaunt face—someone who seemed to have one foot already in the grave.

Gerrera walked only with the aid of a cane and relied on a portable respirator just to maintain basic bodily functions.

Despite his weakened appearance, the powered battle armor he wore gave him an air of imposing authority.

With a mere lift of his hand, the once-boisterous crowd immediately fell silent.

He slowly approached Paul, his murky brown-yellow eyes fixed on him, and asked:

"You are a Jedi, then?"

"With this many people here as witnesses," Paul replied with a calm smile, "it would be hard to fake."

While Paul wasn't fond of lying, he was more than capable of skirting the truth with carefully chosen words.

"May I see your lightsaber?" Gerrera asked, his eyes narrowing as he studied Paul closely. His suspicion ran far deeper than most.

Still, based on Paul's bearing and demeanor, Gerrera could at least be certain that he came from a noble lineage—not the sort of man a commoner could convincingly impersonate.

"Of course," Paul said, removing the lightsaber from his belt and handing it over.

Although Paul had his AI drones modify the weapon's internals, its exterior had remained untouched. There was no way to tell it wasn't a traditional lightsaber—unless, perhaps, one was a true Jedi.

But for the average Rebel, the authentic casing alone was more than enough to pass muster.

Gerrera accepted the saber and weighed it carefully in his hand, then examined it closely and murmured to himself:

"No external button, correct weight…this is a genuine Force-imbued lightsaber. No ordinary person could wield it."

That statement, in effect, confirmed his belief that Paul was a Jedi.

At that moment, Chirrut, who had accompanied Paul, proudly added:

"Of course it is. That saber comes from the Kyber Temple itself."

"Its craftsmanship, the kyber crystal inside—it all adheres strictly to the traditional methods. This can't be faked."

"Only a Jedi can use that weapon!"

Satisfied, Gerrera handed the lightsaber back to Paul. He now accepted that Paul was, in fact, a Jedi.

Then, turning to him again, he asked:

"Tell me, do you know Cal Kestis? Like you, he's a young Jedi, though not as skilled in combat."

Cal was once the Padawan of Jedi Master Jaro Tapal, and had fought in the Clone Wars.

But when Order 66 was issued—Palpatine's command that led clone troopers to betray the Jedi—most of the Order was annihilated.

Jaro Tapal perished in the chaos, and Cal fled to his homeworld, Bracca, where he lived in hiding among the planet's scrappers.

During that time, he began attempting to rebuild the Jedi Order in secret.

As the leader of the Rebel cell here, Saw Gerrera had crossed paths with Cal and learned bits and pieces about the Jedi from him.

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