**Chapter 698: The Brightest Star**
**Scene 1**
**General Valentra's Office, GAR Headquarters (Location Classified)**
**Coruscant**
The room was heavy with tension. High-ranking military officers, intelligence chiefs, and key civilian advisors sat around the long conference table under dimmed lighting. The air smelled of stale caf and the faint ozone of active holoprojectors.
"It is decided then," declared Ivon Fell, the civilian head of ONI, her voice steady but grim.
"We know it's a trap," supplied Jack, the clone officer. He didn't relish sending more of his brothers into another meat-grinder, but sometimes it simply couldn't be helped. "One we have to spring," added Veil.
"Indeed," Director Yle of the SBI said quietly. "We are offered tempting bait. Those new factories on Geonosis cannot be allowed to come online."
The target was one that couldn't be ignored. Furthermore, the intelligence had come from a source within the CIS that none of the people present could confirm as one of their own. Yet Chancellor Palpatine considered the information to be gospel.
Under other circumstances, none of them would have found it too strange that Palpatine had his own private sources. After all, he was a politician with decades of experience and all the contacts that implied. But now, after the nuclear attack on Coruscant — when the war had become something deeply personal for the people of the Republic — it made one think.
The CIS Council had to see the writing on the wall. The Clone Wars had become a conflict of survival. The Separatists couldn't afford to lose, especially their leadership. All of them had long war crimes charges waiting if the Republic won. Both surviving Senators and the masses wanted blood. So why would one of Palpatine's "friends" feed the Republic this information when, if the CIS lost, even the Chancellor's growing influence might not save their necks?
Money and power required one to be alive and free to enjoy them. It could be blackmail… or perhaps a genuine change of heart after the spectre of biological weapons was unleashed.
Nevertheless, Mark couldn't help but wonder. Something didn't feel right. He had access to more classified information about the conflict than almost anyone else in the galaxy — one of the questionable perks of being Director of the SBI.
"Well, we'll be starting Angel Fall within three days," declared Valentra.
Everyone gave him a slight nod. It would be barely enough time to organize things across critical locations, but they could scarcely afford to wait longer. The Republic was leaking intelligence like a busted dam. That was the rancor no one wanted to talk about openly.
"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" General Dagon Marek said, leaning forward.
Valentra smirked. *It was about time.*
"So, you want us to discuss the obvious, eh boss?" quipped Jack. "Finally…" he muttered.
It was Ivon who said it aloud.
"We all have some idea how badly enemy agents have penetrated the Republic. That, combined with the strategic advantage the CIS held until our economy is firmly on war footing and we can muster our clone armies with new recruits… we should have been militarily defeated in the first four to six months of the conflict."
There was grim silence after her declaration. If anyone knew how true her words were, it was the people in this room.
"The GAR and the Republic Navy — before it was folded under the Army's umbrella — simply didn't have the numbers to hold off the CIS," Dagon continued. "But some of the enemy's strategic decisions make no sense whatsoever if they were truly fighting to win the war."
The intelligence chiefs looked at him grimly. They had all read the highly classified reports saying the same thing. There were too many instances where the enemy had made disastrous decisions. Even more concerning, many of the analysts who had written those reports had been either reassigned or suffered fatal "accidents." Then there were the cases where Republic forces were either ambushed and annihilated or deliberately placed in positions that ensured long, grinding campaigns.
"You've seen the pattern," Yle deadpanned.
"Someone wants a protracted war," Valentra whispered, venom in his voice. It was his boys and girls paying the price in blood.
It was a simple sentence. Yet it would have repercussions no one in the meeting could have imagined. Isn't it interesting how just a few words could be the pebble that one day causes an avalanche capable of changing the entire galaxy?
**Scene 2**
**Republic Military Headquarters, Venator Landing Area**
**Dagon POV**
The landing platform was quiet, save for the low hum of idling engines and distant maintenance droids. Dagon stood beside the *Terminus*, his expression unreadable.
"Has the *Terminus* been emptied as requested?" Dagon asked Fleet Admiral Kinaun.
"Yes, sir. All personnel have left the ship," Kinaun replied. "May I ask why, sir?"
Dagon stepped closer, placing a hand on the admiral's shoulder. "Forgive me. This is not personal."
Before Kinaun could react, Dagon delivered a precise strike to the nerve cluster at the base of his neck. The admiral crumpled unconscious into Dagon's arms.
Valentra, who had been waiting nearby, raised an eyebrow. "Any reason why?"
"The hardest choices require the strongest will," Dagon said solemnly, gently lowering Kinaun to a nearby bench. "The men I command understand that… but they would also try to talk me out of this."
Valentra studied him for a long moment. "Very well. Just to be clear on the plan — what is the signal again?"
Dagon's eyes hardened. "The brightest star the galaxy has ever seen."
**Scene 3**
**Terminus-class Star Destroyer, Terminus**
**Bridge**
**Dagon POV**
The *Terminus* lifted off from the landing platform and climbed steadily toward orbit, its massive engines glowing bright blue. Dagon sat alone in the captain's chair, the bridge eerily quiet with only automated systems running.
"You sure this is a good idea?" E3N — otherwise known as Ethan, his combat holocron droid companion — asked from the tactical station.
"Nope," Dagon replied honestly, fingers dancing across the command console as he plotted the hyperspace jump. "Just remember — if it works on a lightsaber, it should work on a ship."
"Statistically, we are screwed," Ethan deadpanned.
Dagon allowed himself a small, grim smile. "Just make sure you've got backup ready."
The *Terminus* cleared the planetary defense grid and aligned for the jump. With a final command, the massive Star Destroyer surged forward, vanishing into hyperspace in a streak of pseudomotion.
Whatever came next — victory or oblivion — Dagon was committed.
The brightest star was about to be born.