**Chapter 887: The Fall of the Ring**
**Scene 1: Mon Cala Orbit – Mandator-Class III Dreadnought Mentor**
Mon Cala Orbit.
Mandator-class III Dreadnought *Mentor*.
Admiral Oret Namore-Kuat POV.
It was a long orbital battle, the longest of his life. Five hours of constant attacks before the last of the CIS ships fell to the planet's waters or fled.
Nearly 20,000 CIS and Mon Cala ships destroyed, while a few dozen turned and fled the other side of the planet to escape the gravity well generated by the *Annihilator* and the Resurgents.
Nearly 100 capital ships destroyed or crippled, dozens of corvettes or light cruisers gone. The *Mentor* lost 3 of its engines and the western hemisphere of the 13km ship was filled with fire or blaster holes.
Nearly 2,000 capital ships heavily damaged. But unfortunately the orbital shipyard still remained. The Triumphs and the Nebulas unleashed swarms of cruise missiles and torpedoes while the siege dreadnoughts prepared for fire.
The station lit up; entire portions glowed red then exploded in green and orange.
Admiral Oret Namore-Kuat stood on the bridge of the *Mentor*, the massive Mandator III-class dreadnought shuddering under the strain of prolonged combat. The orbital battle had raged for five grueling hours, the longest of his career. The void above Mon Cala was a graveyard of twisted metal and burning wreckage.
Nearly 20,000 CIS and Mon Cala ships had been destroyed, their hulls breaking apart in brilliant explosions that lit up the water world's atmosphere. A few dozen more had turned and fled the other side of the planet, desperately trying to escape the gravity well generated by the *Annihilator* and the Resurgents.
The *Mentor* itself had taken heavy damage. Three of its massive engines were offline, and the western hemisphere of the 13-kilometer behemoth was riddled with fires and gaping blaster holes. Nearly 2,000 Imperial capital ships were heavily damaged across the fleet, but the Mon Cala orbital shipyard—the massive ring structure—still remained operational, its defenses stubbornly holding.
"The Triumphs and the Nebulas have launched their swarms," the tactical officer reported. "Cruise missiles and torpedoes are away."
Oret nodded, his eyes fixed on the holographic display. "Siege dreadnoughts, prepare for fire. Target the primary power nodes and weapon emplacements."
The station lit up as the Imperial barrage struck home. Entire portions of the massive ring glowed red from the heat before exploding in brilliant cascades of green and orange fire. Secondary detonations rippled across the structure as power relays and ammunition stores detonated.
"Direct hits on multiple sections!" the sensor officer called. "Their shields are collapsing!"
The *Mentor*'s massive orbital autocannons joined the fray, their shells slamming into the shipyard's hull. The ring structure began to list, debris and escape pods spilling into the void as the station tore itself apart under the relentless assault.
**Scene 2: Ionic – Dagon POV**
Ionic.
Dagon POV.
Zule snuggled next to me fearing I may disappear while the med droid injected bacta, and the other droids cleaned up the blood on the bridge that leaked from me.
Then came the screams and disturbances in the Force, thousands of organics on the orbital shipyards just died. The armor and kyber blocked the majority of it but still.
Dagon sat on the cool floor of the *Ionic*'s meditation chamber, his body trembling as the med droids worked around him. Zule knelt beside him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders, her face pressed against his neck. She feared he might disappear again, her hands clutching him tightly as if to anchor him to the present.
The med droid injected bacta into his veins, the healing agent soothing the worst of the damage from the prolonged Battle Meditation. Other droids cleaned up the blood that had leaked from his eyes, ears, and nose, the metallic scent still lingering in the air.
Then came the screams—thousands of them—echoing through the Force as the orbital shipyard's destruction reached its peak. The armor and kyber in Dagon's system blocked the majority of the psychic backlash, but the sheer scale of death still hit him like a hammer blow.
Zule tightened her grip, her voice soft but urgent. "Dagon… breathe. I'm here. We're all here."
He nodded weakly, his hand resting on her stomach. "I feel them… so many lives… gone in an instant."
The bridge crew worked in grim silence, the holographic displays showing the shipyard's final moments. The massive ring structure broke apart, sections tumbling toward Mon Cala's atmosphere in burning arcs. Escape pods launched desperately, but many were caught in the debris field or destroyed by stray fire.
**Scene 3: Ackbar POV – Mon Cala Orbital Shipyard**
Ackbar POV.
"Raddus, the fleet has fallen. Contact the ships and prepare for evacuation," Ackbar shouted through the comms as the station rocked under orbital bombardment.
"Sir we have lost the eastern command bridge. Nossor Ri has ceased communications," said a panicked Mon Cala officer.
"He is already dead, Captain. Contact the remainder of the station. Evacuate now," Ackbar ordered.
Admiral Gial Ackbar stood on the crumbling command deck of the Mon Cala orbital shipyard, the massive ring structure shaking violently under the Imperial barrage. Alarms blared as sections of the station vented atmosphere and exploded in brilliant fireballs.
"Raddus, the fleet has fallen. Contact the ships and prepare for evacuation," Ackbar shouted through the comms, his voice steady despite the chaos.
"Sir we have lost the eastern command bridge. Nossor Ri has ceased communications," said a panicked Mon Cala officer, his tentacles twitching with fear.
"He is already dead, Captain. Contact the remainder of the station. Evacuate now," Ackbar ordered, his eyes scanning the damage reports.
The station lit up as another salvo from the Imperial siege dreadnoughts struck home. Entire sections glowed red from the heat before exploding in cascades of green and orange fire. Debris and escape pods spilled into the void as the massive ring began to break apart.
"Abandon the station!" Ackbar commanded, his voice carrying across the comms. "All personnel to escape pods! Prioritize the wounded!"
The bridge crew scrambled, grabbing what data they could before fleeing. Ackbar took one last look at the tactical display—the Imperial fleet closing in like a predator. The battle for Mon Cala's orbit was lost, but the fight for the planet itself was only beginning.
**Scene 4: The Aftermath**
The Imperial fleet closed in, the *Annihilator* and Mandators leading the final assault. The orbital shipyard broke apart in a series of catastrophic explosions, its debris raining down toward Mon Cala's atmosphere. The surviving Mon Cala and CIS ships retreated toward the planet, seeking refuge in the deep oceans.
Dagon opened his eyes, his body exhausted but his will unbroken. "The orbit is ours," he said through the meld. "Prepare for planetary assault."
The battle for Mon Cala had entered its next phase—the fight for the water world itself.