**Chapter 851: The Reckoning at Utapau**
**Scene 1: Annihilator Command Station – Dagon POV**
"…Therefore, the fact that the CIS has 50th Dreadnought-class vessel of the Subjugator type, similar to the one in their fleet, but equipped with the same ring-shaped ion cannon as the one Dagon destroyed at Dental, is beyond doubt," Obi-Wan finished his report and looked at the Jedi and General Staff officers gathered in the large hall.
The news wasn't good. This ship was already a formidable adversary, and the presence of an ion cannon made it a fleet destroyer. Command would undoubtedly opt for diversionary tactics this time as well. A direct confrontation with this ship would result in heavy losses for the Republic. Unless Dagon was commanding the fleet.
Without giving anyone time to recover, the Director of Republican Intelligence picked up the burden of the mournful messenger.
"It's only natural that the Separatists have taken advantage of this lull to strengthen their forces. We have reliable information about the addition of several thousand warships of various classes to their fleet. Most of them are Munificent-class frigates, but there are also more dangerous models. Furthermore, the CIS and Hutt-controlled shipyards are not idle. Various sources indicate that many more ships are being laid down. In particular, the Mon Calamari shipyards could produce up to a thousand warships up to two thousand meters long in just three months. According to expert calculations, we are still lagging behind the Separatists in military equipment production. Currently, we are three points eight times behind. In other words, they produce four of their own for every one of our ships."
Dagon Marek stood at the head of the command station aboard the *Annihilator*, the massive super-dreadnought's bridge humming with quiet intensity. Obi-Wan's hologram flickered slightly as he delivered the grim assessment. The gathered officers—Jedi Masters, fleet admirals, and senior staff—shifted uneasily in their seats. The news of upgraded Subjugator-class vessels equipped with ring-shaped ion cannons was a serious threat. One such ship could disable entire squadrons with a single barrage.
Dagon's scarred face remained impassive, but inside, the beast stirred with calculated hunger. He had destroyed one such vessel before. He would do so again.
"Diversonary tactics will be necessary," Dagon said, his voice cutting through the tension like a vibroblade. "We cannot afford a direct slugfest with those ion cannons. Use the Triumphs and Vectors for hit-and-run strikes. The Resurgents and Mandators will provide long-range support. We draw them out, isolate them, and destroy them piecemeal."
The officers nodded, already adjusting battle plans in their datapads. Intelligence reports continued to flow in—thousands of new CIS warships, expanding production at Mon Cala and Hutt-controlled yards. The Republic was still behind in raw numbers, but quality and coordination were on their side.
Dagon leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "We turn their numbers against them. Let them commit. Then we strike the heart."
**Scene 2: Utapau Space – The Battle Unfolds**
I'm detecting torpedo launches… Most likely heavy class… twenty… twenty-four from each ship! Broid whistled: "That's more than five hundred and fifty in total!"
After launching torpedoes that were headed for the Separatist ships, these Star Destroyers—the captain classified them as such—opened fire. And it immediately became clear that they were far superior to the Venators in combat power—their salvos had so many distinctive and recognizable signatures.
"They have two dozen turrets with heavy guns, just like the Venators!" the midshipman commented. "And it looks like they won't need our help."
Antilles nodded. Besides heavy artillery, the ships were literally studded with small-caliber guns, which blew away the Vultures circling around them like a hurricane. Apparently, these weren't aircraft carriers, but full-fledged battleships. Something the Republic sorely lacks. "Finally someone's got their wits about them."
"Sir, we've received updated data from command… These ships are called Triumph. Here's the data on them. Also, they're all from General Dagon's Mern-13."
Meanwhile, the torpedoes reached their target. True, some were shot down by laser rapid-fire missiles on approach, but two hundred still reached their destination. A dozen Recusant-class heavy destroyers simply ceased to exist, as did one of the Providences, becoming a gift for the scavengers who would flock to the area after the battle in search of loot. The Dreadnought Insurgent proved slightly more resilient, withstanding the hits, but it too had no hope of remaining operational: the shelling continued, and it sustained more and more damage.
The droids didn't hesitate long, however, and returned fire. However, the Providence's torpedo attack wasn't as effective as the Republic's. The ships' small-caliber guns intercepted almost all the torpedoes, and those that did hit failed to penetrate the armor; only one Triumph began to smoke slightly, but remained operational. The deflectors, meanwhile, held off the Separatist ships' fire, but the return fire was already causing significant damage: within five minutes, seven more Recusants and one Providence were reduced to rubble.
Seeing this development, the enemy deployed two more squadrons to the area, each led by a pair of dreadnoughts. But then, behind the Triumphs, dozens of squadrons emerged—BTLs and ARC-170s, judging by their markers; they immediately moved toward the enemy ships, clearly intending to attack and finish them off. Six Venators followed, launching aircraft under the cover of the first line; sixteen Endorsers and eight Subjugators formed the third line, contributing to the destruction of the enemy. The Subjugators stood out in particular: while they fired less frequently, their turbolasers were the most powerful of any Republic ship—and no wonder, considering the ship was designed to provide fire support for landing forces directly from orbit. Escort ships—Arquitens and Marauders—appeared alongside them and immediately began maneuvering…
The space above Utapau had become a deadly ballet of fire and maneuver. Republic Triumph-class Star Destroyers led the charge, their heavy turbolaser batteries and torpedo salvos ripping through CIS lines. The newly arrived vessels—Dagon's Mern-13 contingent—fought with disciplined ferocity, their small-caliber point-defense guns shredding swarms of Vulture droids.
Captain Antilles watched from the bridge of his Venator as another Recusant-class heavy destroyer disintegrated under concentrated fire. "They're breaking. Push the advantage!"
The ARC-170s and BTL bombers dove in, delivering precise strikes against the larger Providence-class carriers. The Subjugators provided devastating orbital support, their powerful turbolasers punching through shields and armor with ease. The battle was turning decisively in the Republic's favor.
**Scene 3: Devaron Orbit – The Counterpush**
Glancing at the approaching Separatist ships, Kinaun asked Lee Noriega, "Ready?"
"Ten minutes," the woman responded, not looking up from the tactical table. "What's going on with the *Worthy*?"
"One second… Shields are holding, the corpuscular is recharging. Captain Morosh hasn't requested a reorganization. The damage is being repaired. Ready to continue the fight."
"Okay. Keep me posted…"
The fleet admiral ignored the rest of the sentence. Ten minutes—and he could breathe easy. Let the enemy get a little closer—and then launch torpedoes at the Insurgent and a pair of Transcendents, which were leading another group of Providence and Recusant-class trying to push the Republic ships out of Devaron's orbit… And while the latter could be destroyed with artillery, the dreadnoughts would be best dealt with quickly and reliably. With torpedoes.
In fact, the Triumphs were already running low on those deadly weapons. Each had only twenty torpedoes—that's four hundred and eighty torpedoes per ship—and that was essentially enough for three hours and twenty minutes, given their rate of fire. However, salvos were fired less frequently, depending on the situation and need, so they currently had about five salvos left per ship. Why about five? As it turned out, the commanders of these combat units on some ships have somehow managed to stow extra torpedoes—sometimes one salvo, sometimes two, and on one Triumph, as many as four extra torpedoes per launcher. Naturally, all this was done with the express approval of the ships' captains.
Captain Vega Welker of the flagship *Pride* merely shrugged when Renown asked her about it. "Spare parts don't weigh you down."
The "Approvers" and "Subjugators" are also almost out of torpedoes. Soon they'll have to make do with turbolasers, which are good against basic ship types, but against the "mastodons" they'll need a little more than they have. All that's left is to rely on air power. And everything's going so well…
The Mern-13 fleet has been fighting off Devaron for about nine hours now. During this time with the help of other squadrons, they managed to push back the enemy somewhat and break out of the blockade ring. The Recusant-class and the Lucrehulk-class were unprepared for this turn of events, so they shot up a couple of donuts and a dozen frigates like they were at a shooting gallery… Now the droids were trying to recapture their lost ground.
Too late as 10 Resurgents suddenly appeared led by Admiral Grace to eliminate.
The space around Devaron was a chaotic battlefield of flashing lasers and exploding hulls. Admiral Kinaun watched from the bridge as the Separatist fleet attempted to regain momentum. But the Republic's defensive line held firm.
"Ten minutes," Lee Noriega confirmed, her eyes locked on the tactical display. "Torpedo batteries recharging. We hit them hard when they commit."
The *Worthy* reported in, its shields holding despite heavy fire. Captain Morosh's voice crackled over comms. "Ready to rejoin the line, Admiral."
Kinaun nodded. "Hold position. Wait for the signal."
As the enemy closed in—Insurgents and Transcendents leading the charge—the Republic fleet unleashed its remaining torpedoes. Hundreds of deadly projectiles streaked across the void, slamming into the heavier CIS vessels. Explosions bloomed like deadly flowers, tearing through shields and armor.
Then, like avenging angels, ten Resurgent-class Battlecruisers dropped out of hyperspace under Admiral Grace's command. Their heavy turbolasers opened fire immediately, ripping apart the lead dreadnoughts.
The tide had turned once more. Devaron would not fall today.