**Chapter 781: The Verdict**
**Scene 1: Senate Gala – Central Holo-Arena**
**Lyra Blissex POV**
The battle between the remote droid-controlled Victory and the Bothan Assault Cruiser had begun.
A dozen missiles streaked from the Victory toward its opponent. For a brief moment, hope flared in Lyra's chest — only for the Bothan's point-defense cannons and advanced scramblers to shred the salvo mid-flight. The Victory responded with a heavy barrage of turbolasers, brilliant green lances hammering the Bothan's shields.
But the Bothan was faster.
It rolled gracefully, opened its broadside, and unleashed a synchronized volley of ion cannons and turbolasers. The concentrated fire ripped into the Victory's forward deflector shield, collapsing the projector array in a shower of sparks. Before the Victory could recover, the Bothan closed distance and fired a dozen proton torpedoes. The warheads slammed home, carving deep, glowing wounds across the larger ship's hull.
Lyra's hands tightened into fists. She could see the anger building on Onara Kuat's face as the Bothan continued to dominate. The sleek 850-meter cruiser danced around the heavier Victory, exploiting its blind spots with ruthless efficiency. Another torpedo barrage struck the Victory's engine section, sending plumes of fire and debris into space.
The prototype was losing — badly.
**Scene 2: Senate Gala – Observation Platform**
**Dagon POV**
*Interesting. So the ship designed to replace the Victory was actually defeating it.* The timeline had given the Empire years at war to learn exactly how to kill Venator descendants. The Victory suffered from the well-known Star Destroyer weakness of missing fighter support and vulnerable shield generators. It also lacked the raw durability of the Imperial-class and was therefore easy to destroy — especially after losing its heavy concussion missile launchers. And since this was pure ship-to-ship combat with no starfighters involved, the flaws were laid bare.
"Wow. Looks like we won," I said quietly to Raith Sienar as another missile barrage slammed into the Victory's engines, detonating in a brilliant cascade that tore the ship apart.
The holo-display flickered as the simulated Victory broke into burning fragments.
The speaker's voice rang out across the atrium, clear and decisive:
"The winner is Dagon Marek and the Bothan Assault Cruiser!"
Some cheered. Others — particularly the Kuat and Rothana delegations — sat in stunned silence. Corporate representatives from various manufacturers exchanged uneasy glances. The mood in the room had shifted dramatically.
I allowed myself a small, satisfied smile. With this public victory, Kuat was now effectively under pressure. Their pride had taken a hit, and their contracts would likely flow toward more competitive designs — many of which would come through Sienar-Jaemus partnerships I already influenced.
Raith leaned closer, voice low. "They won't forget this. But they also can't ignore it. The military will want ships that actually win."
"Exactly," I replied. "Let them seethe. Progress is rarely comfortable."
**Scene 3: Senate Gala – Aftermath**
Onara Kuat maintained her composure on stage, but the tension in her posture was unmistakable. Vallex Blissex looked visibly shaken. The grand presentation that was supposed to cement Kuat's dominance had instead highlighted the strengths of a leaner, faster, more modern design.
I felt Sakura's hand brush mine again through the crowd. *Well played,* she sent through the bond. *Kuat will come looking for alliances now — on our terms.*
Miaria's tail flicked with quiet satisfaction beside me. The rest of the girls maintained perfect poise, though I caught Ahsoka's proud grin and Talon's smug little smirk.
The Dragon of the Republic had just publicly humbled one of the galaxy's most powerful corporations.
And the night was still young.