**Chapter 806 : The Heart of Creation**
**Scene 1: Kartao – Orbit and Descent**
**Dagon POV**
"We will rush on reindeer and desperately break straight into the snowy dawn."
An old song from a half-remembered life suddenly echoed in my head. It described the current situation perfectly.
Kartao. A small planet in the Prakla sector, located far from the main hyperspace routes. The population numbered no more than five hundred thousand, and ten times less were the native Kransoks. A quiet province, unaccustomed to the rapid pace of events and sudden changes in general. A typical planet for the region, one might say. The war was somewhere far away, behind screens and holoprojectors, while on these planets peace and routine reigned.
And then we appeared — all so beautiful. Two Triumphs, a Venator, three Nebulas, one Vector, and two Accumulators materialized near the planet. A pair of on-duty T-70 X-wing fighters — a plus for the local command — scurried away from us in different directions. I could understand them. They were used to small merchant ships, and here were these behemoths — five of them, not counting the six squadrons of on-duty fighters that took off from the *Daring* immediately upon arrival.
I hoped they had strong nerves and stomachs to withstand such a surprise.
It was a warm summer day. The sun was setting over the capital. Locals were finishing up their chores, eager to get home to dinner waiting for them — and then two Approvers roared across the sky, coming in for a landing at the Triv spaceport. The local air traffic controllers had probably never had to deploy such giants on the runway before.
The Nu-class shuttle I had commandeered for transport was coming in for landing. The wide glass cabin offered an excellent view of the planet.
"Mi… hmm, Master Dagon," Rurika peered over my shoulder. "Why are we here?"
"See that thing sticking out there? North of the city? It's the manufacturing complex known as Spaarti's Works. We must protect it at all costs."
"It looks like a patchwork quilt," Welsh noted.
I nodded. The roof's outline, with all its turrets, heat exchangers, antennas, and signal lights crammed together in utter disarray, resembled frozen chaos and could serve as an example of outright disorder.
"We're a bit short on troops," Rurika figured. "Maybe it'd be easier to evacuate it? It's quite small — just a kilometer by a kilometer."
"That's impossible," I replied with a sigh. "The production was created by the native Kransoks using their unique ability to manipulate fluid flows, which is the basis of the manufacturing processes. And, as far as I know, Kransoks don't survive anywhere except Kartao. More precisely, they never leave Kartao."
"Sir, where are we flying to?" the pilot inquired.
"Foulan City, northern outskirts, Lord Binali's home. See the landing pad?"
"Yes, sir. We'll be there in a couple of minutes."
Sure enough, three minutes later we were stepping off the retractable ramp. Two people were waiting for us: apparently the Lord himself, and a Jedi. With some difficulty, I remembered his name — Jedi Knight Jayfer Torliz, a Jedi Guardian like Traa Saa. He'd spent the last thirty years on Cartao, sharing his wisdom, settling disputes, and eliminating the occasional pirate and bandit, rarely visiting the Temple. However, at seventy-five, this Jedi looked far better than Obi-Wan at fifty-seven.
"Jedi Master Dagon," Binali greeted us. "It is a great honor to host such a distinguished Jedi and military leader."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Binali," I bowed. "I regret that we must meet under these circumstances. Knight Torliz," I bowed again, "it is a pleasure to meet you."
"It seems the circumstances are indeed unusual," Binali agreed. "But perhaps you could explain why the spaceport is occupied by your ships, which are unloading troops?"
"Command believes the droids will soon attack the planet. They'll be interested in the Spaarti Creation, but I'd recommend you evacuate the city. Just in case, to avoid any accidental casualties."
"I'll be honest with you," Binali said. "Cartao is trying to keep a low profile in this war with the Separatists. We don't have nearly the number of soldiers needed for military action, let alone on the other side of the galaxy. We don't even have the strength to defend ourselves from a full-fledged invasion. We have a militia battalion and two squadrons of aging fighters to protect us from pirates, but that's all we have."
"Your troops don't interest me," I replied. "In fact, I'd advise you to put them away. The war is our concern."
"With your permission, I will handle the civilian evacuation," Jayfer said. "But what about the Kransoks? They won't leave their home. Besides, it's unlikely they'll let you in. And I wouldn't want a conflict to arise because of that."
"That won't be necessary. We'll secure the complex's perimeter and protect it from attack with an energy shield. We've brought all the necessary equipment with us." At that moment my comlink beeped. "General," Blam's voice came over the speaker, "The first echelon has been unloaded. Shall we begin moving toward the complex and external facilities?"
"Yes," I confirmed. "And let's get going there at a good pace. We don't know what kind of forces are attacking us."
"I recommend you stay within a kilometer of the building. There's a clear boundary there," Binali quickly interjected. "It's important for the Kransoks. Please don't go into that kilometer-long strip of grass."
"Did you hear, Blam?" I asked.
"Yes, sir. Trouble will find us," the clone replied vaguely, and hung up.
**Scene 2: Hyperspace – Separatist Fleet**
**Super Tactical Droid TX-07 POV**
Entering the hangar of his flagship dreadnought, the *Transcendent* — his usual Providence-class had been replaced — Super TX-07 surveyed his surroundings. New equipment was being unloaded from a transport ship that had recently arrived as part of a convoy.
Zero-Seven walked forward to where the rows of battle droids had already been unloaded, nodding as he thought.
*Finally, the Confederacy will have a counterpart to the LAAT — an infantry support vehicle capable of not only unleashing significant firepower on the enemy but also deploying troops. Judging by its specifications, the vehicle was crude — but it existed. And that's the most important thing.*
Baktoid, the developer of numerous battle droids, had finally launched production of its project, dubbed the Mobile Missile Platform (MMP). Delays had prevented the deployment of these vehicles from reaching the military in time for the new round of fighting. Only now had the first batches begun to be delivered to ships.
Stopping in front of one of them, Zero-Seven patted the gunship's side. The ring-shaped hull at the front had a protrusion that could be called a head. Two spherical eyes were actually rotating mounts housing two anti-personnel blaster cannons. The droid's "eyes" were located between them. Beneath the head was a single medium laser cannon, partially useful against armored vehicles but only partially, and similar in performance to the DSD-1 cannon. The same could be said for the two wing blaster cannons. But they could be replaced with something else.
The vehicle's most important armament was its missiles. Fourteen beam racks on the bottom of the vehicle could carry powerful missiles, which, if launched en masse, could damage even an AT-TE. However, these racks could carry not only missiles, but also various bombs, and even containers with light anti-personnel weapons, turning the gunboat into an infantry killer. Such intense fire would leave no one alive.
As for the landing force, the holders could be replaced with a droid mount carrying a dozen B1s or B2s.
Hands behind his back, Zero-Seven headed back to the turbolift, calculating how he could use these machines in the assault on the planet Von-Alai.
"Commander," a new-model tactical droid — designated a heavy super-tactical droid — emerged from the turbolift and caught his attention, holding out a datapad. "We've received a transmission from ship number FT-1796. The message is unencrypted, but transmitted over a new channel."
After reviewing the data, STX-07 suddenly realized that the attack on Von-Alai could wait. General Vikt was a higher priority target. Command would certainly appreciate that.
"Attention, fleet. Secrecy at the highest level," Zero-Seven announced. "We're altering course. Plot a route to Kartao…"
**Scene 3: Kartao – Spaarti Works Perimeter**
**Dagon POV**
The first wave of clones and heavy equipment had already begun setting up defensive positions around the sprawling Spaarti Creation complex. Energy shield generators were being unloaded and positioned at key points. The Kransoks watched warily from the edges of their one-kilometer boundary, their fluid-manipulation abilities making the entire facility function in ways no outsider fully understood.
Lord Binali and Knight Torliz stood nearby as I oversaw the deployment.
"You understand that if the Separatists come in force, this planet will suffer," I said quietly. "We will protect the complex, but we cannot protect every village."
Binali nodded solemnly. "We have lived in peace for generations. But if war comes to Kartao… we will do what we must."
Jayfer Torliz placed a hand on the older man's shoulder. "The Force will guide us. And the Dragon's fleet will not abandon us."
I turned back toward the complex. The Spaarti cylinders inside were the key. If we could hold this world, the Republic's clone production would accelerate dramatically.
But I could already feel it in the Force — a shadow approaching. The CIS had noticed. They were coming.
"Prepare for contact," I ordered over comms. "This is where we make our stand."
The Dragon of the Republic had drawn a line in the sand on a quiet little planet no one had ever heard of.
And the galaxy would remember the name Kartao.