**Chapter 652: The Drill of Kothlis**
**Scene 1**
**Kothlis Orbit**
**Dagon POV**
*So ion cannon tech used to make Aggressor Star Destroyers was made from CIS tech,* I thought, watching the enemy fleet form up. *Well, at least I won't have to look far.*
It was basically a cheap attempt at overpowering a fleet, but it was a single-shot weapon — meaning it had clear weaknesses if you knew how to exploit them.
"All ships, wide fleet position. Begin rotating," I ordered through the battle meld.
This was the Drill — a complex fleet maneuver that was only truly effective during a full battle meld. Every crew member, from bridge officers to reactor technicians, was synchronized through the Force. It allowed rapid, coordinated movement with no collisions. Enemy firepower was never concentrated on one place, but spread across the constantly shifting formation.
As blue and green Republic turbolaser fire lit up the void, the enemy red plasma and ion blasts answered. The sight was mesmerizing: twenty Munificent-class frigates were destroyed in our opening salvo, their hulls erupting in brilliant explosions as coordinated fire from the Nebula-class and Venators tore through them.
The Drill spun the fleet like a living weapon — ships rotating in perfect harmony, presenting fresh shields and guns while denying the enemy any fixed target. I felt the strain of maintaining the meld across thousands of minds, but the payoff was immediate and devastating.
**Scene 2**
**Starcrusher – Bridge**
**Admiral Kirst POV**
Admiral Kirst struggled to stand as the enemy fleet opened fire on his flagship. The *Starcrusher*'s shields glowed brightly under the barrage, alarms screaming across the bridge.
"What are you waiting for? Fire!" he shouted.
"Sir, we can't get a lock — the enemy ships are moving too randomly!" the tactical droid reported, its mechanical voice steady but urgent.
"I don't care! Just fire all batteries! Loose!" Kirst yelled.
The main cannon of the *Starcrusher* fired a massive blue ion shot swirling with plasma. It streaked toward a Venator that had momentarily moved out of position… and passed right through empty space as the ship rotated away at the last second. The shot dissipated harmlessly into the void.
"What? Impossible!" Kirst roared, slamming his fist on the console. "How are they moving like that? It's not possible without colliding!"
Another Munificent exploded nearby, its debris scattering across the battlefield. Kirst's face twisted in fury. "Target the largest ships! Bring down those Nebulas!"
The droid shook its head. "Enemy formation is too fluid, Admiral. Their coordination is… unnatural."
Kirst glared at the tactical display. Dagon Marek's fleet was dancing through his firing lines like ghosts. "Then we overwhelm them with numbers. Launch all fighters! Signal the reserve fleet!"
**Scene 3**
**Kothlis Orbit**
**Dagon POV**
*So Force Barrier around a ship… yeah, it does take as much out of me as it used to,* I thought, feeling the strain in my body. *But luckily those cannons are mainly ion first.*
I maintained the rotating Drill formation while channeling the Force to create shifting barriers around key ships. The enemy's heavy ion/plasma shots were devastating against shields, but the barriers absorbed and dispersed much of the energy, protecting the Venators long enough for them to rotate out of the line of fire.
"Keep the rotation tight!" I commanded through the meld. "Nebulas, focus fire on the Providence dreadnoughts. Venators, target the Lucrehulks. Accumulators, prepare for boarding operations on the disabled ships."
The battle raged on, the Republic fleet moving like a living machine while the CIS formation struggled to adapt to the unpredictable, synchronized maneuvers. The Drill was working perfectly — ships weaving, firing, and shielding in perfect unison. Explosions bloomed across the enemy lines as another Lucrehulk broke apart under concentrated fire.
"Sir, enemy fighters launching in mass!" Grace reported from the *Olympus Mons*.
"Black Squadron, intercept," I ordered. "The rest of you — maintain the Drill. We break them here."
The void lit up with thousands of laser bolts and missile trails as the two fleets clashed in earnest. Kothlis hung below us, its surface untouched for now. I intended to keep it that way.