**Chapter 529**
**The Gathering Storm**
**Dagon POV**
**Aboard the Gray Wolf – Command Observation Deck**
**Lantilles Orbit**
The *Gray Wolf* hung in high orbit above Lantilles, a silent predator watching over the sprawling shipyards and repair docks below. I stood alone on the observation deck, the massive transparisteel viewport offering a breathtaking view of my growing fleet. The stars stretched out endlessly, but my focus was on the fifteen new Nebula-class Star Destroyers that had just joined formation.
They were magnificent.
Each one was a 1,840-meter behemoth of war, armed with 80 heavy XX-10 turbolaser batteries, 40 XX-10 dual turbolaser cannons, 20 ion cannons, 8 tractor beam projectors, 8 assault concussion missile tubes (30 missiles each), and 100 point-defense cannons. Powered by a peak output exceeding 9.28 × 10²⁴ from their solar ion reactors, they were fast, heavily shielded, and capable of carrying 60 starfighters (48 TIE Whispers and 12 TIE Punishers) plus 12 MAAT gunships. With a crew of 8,795 plus 244 gunners and room for 3,600 troops, they were the perfect addition to my arsenal.
I had named them with purpose, each one carrying the weight of darkness and power:
- *Abyssal Devourer*
- *Noxian Sovereign*
- *Stygian Serpent*
- *Umbral Drake*
- *Void-Ripper*
- *Erebus Maw*
- *Blight-Scale*
- *Eclipse Wing*
- *Malefic Wyrm*
- *Obsidian Terror*
- *Void-Gazer*
- *Cinder-Dark*
- *Midnight Bane*
- *Tartarus Leviathan*
- *Dusk-Fire*
They now formed the core of my heavy striking force, integrated seamlessly with the rest of the fleet.
I activated the master fleet display, letting the full composition float before me in glowing blue and red icons.
**Current Fleet Composition:**
**Nebula-class Star Destroyers (15):**
*Abyssal Devourer, Noxian Sovereign, Stygian Serpent, Umbral Drake, Void-Ripper, Erebus Maw, Blight-Scale, Eclipse Wing, Malefic Wyrm, Obsidian Terror, Void-Gazer, Cinder-Dark, Midnight Bane, Tartarus Leviathan, Dusk-Fire*
**Valiant-class Star Destroyers:**
- *Silencer* (Jedi General Stella)
- *Retribution* (Jedi General Kayla)
- *Endurance* (Jedi General Flare)
- *Knull* (Admiral Firmus Piett)
- *Necrosword* (Admiral Brom Titus)
- *Enterprise* (Commander Ethan Clairmoor)
- *Vanguard* (Admiral Solvan Kobayashi)
- *Skelter* (Jedi General Aayla Secura)
**Resurgent-class Battlecruisers:**
- *Blossom*
- *Ranger*
- *Gray Wolf* (Flagship)
- *Resurgent*
- *Fortitude* (Fleet Admiral Dittmar)
- *Fulminatrix*
**Dark Star Personal Task Force:**
- 25 Starkiller-class light carriers
- 75 Lancer-class frigates
- 90 Arquitens-class light cruisers
- 50 Arquitens-class command cruisers
- 95 Braha'tok-class gunships
- 70 Marauder-class corvettes
- 50 Accumulator-class assault ships
- 35 Venators
- 310 Aegis Hammerhead-class light cruisers
- 2 Allegiance-class battlescruisers (*Dominion*, *Eclipse*)
I stepped into the new holographic command sphere at the center of the bridge. This upgraded battle meditation chamber was one of my most important recent additions. From here, I could not only feel every trooper and crewmember in the fleet through the Force, but also precisely position ships and starfighters with thought alone. It was the ultimate evolution of battle meld.
As the sphere activated, a full 3D map of the galaxy unfolded around me. I compared it to ancient records — the systems Mandalor the Ultimate had conquered, the old Sith Empire's campaigns, the Thanium Worlds, Nuiri sector, Salin Corridor, and the Gordian Reach.
The Gordian Reach was bounded Rimward by the Radama Void and divided into the Loop Worlds along the Junction-Tierell Loop near the Hydian Way, and the Back Reach beyond the Roil nebula. Key worlds included Pinoora, Jovan III, Presbalin, and Torque. The Sertar sector was mostly poor backwater planets. The Thanium Worlds, once a historic region west of the Tion Cluster, included Thanium, Ranroon, and Yutusk. Nuiri sector contained Ceriun, Divac, Gala, Gormen, Lucazec, Mazuma, Noryath, Paklan, Quell, Vandos, and Vjun. The Salin Corridor — once known as Warriors' Trace — was one of the largest hyperspace trade routes in the Outer Rim.
All of these were potential Separatist chokepoints. I remembered Aayla losing her fleet at Quell due to space mines and ambushes. Felucia had only fallen in the original timeline when the droid army shut down, but this front had been particularly active during the reconquest of the Rim.
My main goal was Felucia, but the timeline gave us roughly three months. Mygeeto's campaign would likely begin around the same time, perhaps a week later.
*Forest battles or actually just orbital battles,* I thought. *This will be a page from WW2 — leapfrogging. Bypass heavily fortified positions, cut off supply lines, and let them wither. Speed and reduced losses.*
I keyed the comm. "Blam, set coordinates for Sanctuary. All ships are to jump. We'll use the Endor route — it worked brilliantly for Boz Pity and Muunilinst. Jump to Endor first, then to the edge of the Corporate Sector and move inward from their rear."
"Yes, sir," Blam responded. "It will take approximately 30 minutes to calculate and align the fleet."
I watched the fleet begin maneuvering into jump formation. The Nebula-class ships moved with graceful power, their heavy armament a silent promise of devastation. The Resurgents and Valiants took position around them. My Dark Star task force formed the spearhead.
This was my fleet. My weapon.
And soon, it would strike Felucia like a hammer from the void.