**Chapter 845: The Gathering Storm**
**Scene 1: Republic Cruiser "Negotiator I" – Battle Group "Titan" Flagship**
Two hours from Utapau.
Hyperspace.
Obi-Wan POV.
"Alright boys, listen up. This is our target. Intel indicates that the Separatist Council is located there. This is what this war has been leading to. This was our purpose. For every brother and friend we have lost so far, in two hours we get in, we get the Separatists, and we end this war right now. Devote your hearts," Commander Cody said.
"Devote our hearts!" the clone and regular army soldiers shouted back.
'Yes, this is the moment. The end of the official Clone Wars and the continuation of the Galactic War into Hutt space.'
Obi-Wan Kenobi stood on the bridge of the *Negotiator I*, the flagship of Battle Group Titan, watching the blue swirl of hyperspace through the viewport. The fleet around them was a formidable sight—Venators, Silencer-equipped cruisers, Triumphs, Vectors, and the heavy hitters of the group. The tension in the air was palpable. This was no ordinary strike. This was the culmination of years of conflict.
Commander Cody's voice carried across the assembled troops and officers, his words steady and inspiring. The clones and Republic soldiers responded with a unified roar that echoed through the corridors. Obi-Wan felt a swell of pride mixed with sorrow. So many had fallen to reach this point. Jabiim, Mygeeto, Cato Neimoidia, Yag'Dhul… the list was long. But today, they had a chance to strike at the heart of the Confederacy.
He placed a hand on Cody's shoulder. "Well said, Commander. The Force is with us. Let's end this."
Cody nodded, his helmet reflecting the bridge lights. "We're ready, General. The boys know what's at stake."
Obi-Wan turned back to the tactical display. Utapau was a sinkhole world, its cities built into massive caverns. The Separatist Council had chosen it as a hidden stronghold, but Republic intelligence had finally pinpointed it. This strike would decapitate the political leadership of the CIS. With the shipyards at Yag'Dhul already destroyed and Cato Neimoidia under heavy assault, the Confederacy's cohesion was fracturing.
"Two hours," Obi-Wan murmured. "May the Force be with us all."
**Scene 2: Utapau – CIS Council Chamber**
Hologram Dooku addressed the council.
"My friends, as of now you are being redirected to Mon Cala," Dooku said calmly.
"Dooku, you said Sidious promised us peace and victories. We are currently bleeding across the galaxy. Every CIS world is either under attack or has fallen. We need guarantees," Nute Gunray said.
"My friends, you will receive peace, for soon our armies will be bolstered ten times over for a brand new and final offensive," Dooku said.
The Separatist Council chamber on Utapau was a cavernous hall carved into the planet's massive sinkhole walls. Holographic projections of the council members flickered across the long table—Nute Gunray, San Hill, Passel Argente, and the others. The air was thick with tension and fear.
Count Dooku's hologram stood tall at the head of the table, his cape flowing dramatically despite being a projection. His voice remained calm, almost soothing, as he delivered the grim news.
The council erupted in murmurs. Nute Gunray's image leaned forward, his eyes wide with panic. "Redirected? To Mon Cala? Our forces are being torn apart! Yag'Dhul has fallen, Cato Neimoidia is under siege, and now you want us to run to the ocean world?"
Dooku raised a hand for silence. "The Dragon's reach is long, but not infinite. Sidious has promised reinforcements. New fleets. New weapons. The Hapes Consortium and our hidden allies are preparing a counteroffensive that will turn the tide. Mon Cala will be our new stronghold. From there, we strike back."
San Hill's hologram flickered. "And what of the losses? The Banking Clan has poured trillions into this war. We demand results, Count."
"You will have them," Dooku replied, his eyes gleaming with dark certainty. "The final offensive will break the Republic's spine. Trust in the plan. Trust in Sidious."
The council members exchanged uneasy glances, but none dared challenge him further. The hologram faded, leaving the chamber in uneasy silence.
**Scene 3: The Techno Union's New Terror**
This seriously perplexed the admiral. Yes, the shipyards were churning out some ships, but the Republic was responding by strengthening its blockade fleet. The situation was at a standstill. He needed something to solve this problem. He turned to the TechnoUnion technologists who managed the shipyards. They took on the task with their characteristic meticulousness. They took into account all the operational experience of their existing ships, from the Bounty-class frigates to the heavy cruiser Subjugator. They also drew on the experience of the opposing side. The Skakoan was particularly impressed by the use of the ancient Rendellian two-kilometer-long Indomitable-class dreadnought in the Battle of Coruscant. Although crudely modernized, this obsolete ship, with its powerful two-meter armor, was able not only to confidently withstand powerful fire but also to literally ram enemy ships without sustaining any significant damage. For months, the Skakoans had been developing a design for a new warship capable of countering the latest Republic designs, and now he stood on the bridge of the first of them: the Bulwark-class battleship.
A thousand meters long, with armor up to two meters, and powerful armament—three hundred medium turbolasers and fifty ion cannons, less sophisticated than the Republic's, but certainly superior in number. A powerful reactor, excellent engines, and literally unimaginable maneuverability. The first five ships were launched, and the lead one became his flagship. Technologists assured Ningo they could secretly produce another ninety-five such ships, and several Oplot-2 ships—two-and-a-half-kilometer-long terrors and nightmares, carrying even thicker armor and more numerous armaments: one thousand two hundred and fifty turbolasers and six hundred ion cannons.
Dua Ningo smiled ominously.
The Republic is in for a big surprise.
**Bulwark Mark 2 Battleship**
Hull: 19,800 (Capital)
Shields: 20,000 / [50/R] (Capital)
Speed: 2.1 | Acceleration: 0.05 | Turn: 0.2
**Armament**
Quad medium turbolaser turrets (35) (15 dorsal, 20 ventral)
Dual heavy ion cannon turrets (20) (10 dorsal, 10 ventral)
Dual heavy turbolaser cannons (48) (24 port, 24 starboard)
Twin light Point-defense laser cannons (80)
Proton torpedo launchers (90) (40 port, 40 starboard, 10 forward)
3 proton torpedoes per launcher
Heavy tractor beam projectors (6)
**Complement**
C-9979 landing craft (6)
Vulture-class droid starfighters (180)
Droid tri-fighters (60)
Hyena-class Droid Bombers (12)
HMP droid gunships (36)
Armored Assault Tank Mk Is (750)
Multi-Troop Transports (70)
Platoon Attack Craft (200)
Shuttles
**Docking bays**
2 hangars
Primary forward main hangar
Secondary hangar
**Crew**
2,000 droids and organic crew
**Cargo capacity**
40,000 metric tons
**Consumables**
3 standard years
500 of such ships were ready for offensive to strike directly at Coruscant to cut the head of the dragon by targeting the Jedi Temple.
Admiral Dua Ningo stood on the bridge of the lead Bulwark Mark 2, his mechanical eyes gleaming with satisfaction. The Techno Union had outdone itself. These new battleships, combined with the Oplot-2 dreadnoughts, would form the spearhead of the final counteroffensive. The Republic's victories would be short-lived. Coruscant itself would feel the wrath of the CIS's new fleet.
The war was far from over.