Hyperspace dissolved into starlight.
The moment the *Terminus* dropped out of the blue tunnel, the bridge viewport filled with one of the most impressive military sights I had seen since the beginning of the war.
Lantilles.
The system had always been a Republic logistics hub, but what now hung in orbit above the world looked less like a supply station and more like the core of a growing war machine.
Shipyards glittered across the darkness.
Dock rings rotated slowly around massive construction frames.
Repair docks held half-assembled hulls while swarms of maintenance droids crawled over armored plating like metallic insects.
And scattered through it all—
Warships.
Hundreds of them.
For a few seconds I simply stood there in silence, watching the enormous fleet formations drifting across the system.
Ethan stepped up beside me.
"The reinforcements you requested have arrived," he said calmly.
"I can see that."
And I could.
Because Ethan had succeeded in the task I had given him before the battle of Jablim.
While I had been fighting on the surface of that miserable world, he had been organizing something far more important.
Logistics.
The real backbone of war.
The local Lantilles defense forces had been reorganized and reinforced, freeing up a massive number of ships and personnel that could now be attached to my command structure.
More importantly—
The shipyards had been busy.
Seven massive hulls floated near the primary construction dock.
My eyes narrowed slightly as the tactical overlay zoomed in.
Dreadnought-class battleships.
Brand new.
Their durasteel hulls still carried the faint discoloration of fresh plating and weld seams.
The design itself was old—dating back to the early days of the Republic Navy—but these ships were clearly modified.
"Those are Moff Terbon's designs," Ethan said.
I nodded slowly.
I remembered the name.
Terbon had proposed an updated dreadnought platform designed specifically for large fleet engagements.
Something heavier than an Acclamator.
But cheaper and faster to build than a Venator.
The result now floated before me.
Seven massive **Dreadnought-class Heavy Cruisers**, each stretching nearly **1,200 meters** long.
Even unfinished they looked intimidating.
Their hulls were thick with turret emplacements and reinforced armor plating, giving them the appearance of floating fortresses.
Powerful ships.
Brutally practical.
And now…
Mine.
I allowed myself a small smile.
"Not bad."
But the dreadnoughts weren't the only reinforcements waiting.
Far from it.
The tactical map expanded further.
Fifty additional **Acclamator-class assault ships** had arrived from Republic reserves.
Each vessel carried only **three clone regiments** instead of the full troop complement.
Which meant they were configured more for **fleet combat** than planetary assault.
Smart.
They were supported by another new addition.
Fifty **Arquitens-class light cruisers**.
I studied the ships as they maneuvered through formation around the larger assault carriers.
The Arquitens were elegant vessels.
Designed by **Kuat Drive Yards**, their hull followed the familiar triangular Republic aesthetic, though much smaller than the Venator or Acclamator lines.
Their broad, kite-shaped structure tapered into two forward spars that split the bow, giving the ship an aggressive spear-like appearance.
Three powerful engines burned at the rear, reminiscent of the smaller Consular-class cruisers.
The bridge tower sat atop the hull in a compact T-shaped command spire.
Turbolaser turrets flanked it on both dorsal and ventral sides.
Light.
Fast.
Flexible.
Their weapon systems were modest compared to capital ships, but they carried enough firepower to threaten fighters and escort fleets alike.
Quad laser batteries along the port and starboard hull strengthened their anti-fighter role.
And hidden beneath the forward hull—
Two pairs of missile launchers.
Usually loaded with concussion missiles.
But capable of firing almost any Republic Navy ordnance.
Versatile ships.
Perfect escorts for larger battle groups.
Later in history, these same cruisers would serve the Empire.
But for now…
They belonged to the Republic.
And by extension—
To me.
The fleet counter on the holomap finished updating.
I folded my arms as the numbers finalized.
My command had grown far larger than I had originally expected.
**Dagon's Fleet**
At its core stood the flagship.
The **Terminus-class Star Destroyer *Terminus***.
A monster of a vessel.
Seventeen hundred meters long.
Born from a modified **Acclamator design**, but reshaped into something far more aggressive.
Its hull echoed the brutal lines of a future **Resurgent-style destroyer**, while still retaining the Republic command architecture.
Twin tower structures ran along the sloped superstructure.
Massive thrusters flared at the stern.
And deep inside the ship—
The experimental **kyber-powered reactor** hummed like a sleeping star.
Its armament alone made most fleets nervous.
Eighty heavy turbolasers.
Sixty medium batteries.
Forty heavy ion cannons.
Thirty proton torpedo launchers.
Two hundred forty point-defense laser cannons.
Three tractor beam projectors.
And the weapon most captains still didn't believe existed.
The **Focused Spectral Array Cannon**.
Beyond the *Terminus* itself, the rest of the fleet spread across the holomap like a steel tide.
**Seventy-six Acclamator-class Assault Ships**
Each carrying:
One hundred **V-19 Torrent starfighters**
Fifty **TIE Interceptor / Whisper variants**
Twenty-five **N-6 Naboo Scurrg heavy fighter bombers**
Then came the new heavy units.
Seven **Dreadnought-class Heavy Cruisers**
Each vessel armed with over a hundred dual laser turrets, fifty-two quad medium turbolasers, sixteen quad heavy batteries, and ten missile launchers.
They even carried interceptor squadrons of their own.
Then came the escort fleets.
**Sixty Consular-class Light Cruisers**
Fast.
Reliable.
Still one of the most flexible ships in the Republic navy.
And finally—
**Fifty Arquitens-class Light Cruisers**
Fresh from the Kuat shipyards.
Altogether…
It was an enormous armada.
Easily powerful enough to crush most sector fleets.
Yet I had no intention of marching directly into the trap waiting at Muunilinst.
That would come later.
First—
Boz Pity.
But even that wasn't the next step.
Not yet.
Because there were still preparations to make.
The shipyards of Lantilles had also delivered something else.
New equipment.
As the fleet crews began transferring cargo and supplies, I walked through one of the hangar bays aboard the *Terminus*.
Rows of armored walkers stood in neat lines.
The familiar silhouette of **AT-AT walkers** towered over the deck crews.
Massive.
Armored.
Still relatively new in the Republic arsenal.
I studied one of them thoughtfully.
"In the original campaign," I murmured to Ethan, "these weren't deployed until later."
He tilted his head.
"Historical deviation acknowledged."
"Good."
Because I had no intention of waiting.
Victory at Jablim had given me political leverage.
Enough that several experimental vehicles had been quietly redirected to my command.
AT-AT walkers.
Updated artillery.
And something else.
The **new MAAT gunships**.
They sat parked near the far end of the hangar.
Modified assault transports equipped with heavier **blaster cannons** and improved shielding.
More firepower.
More durability.
Perfect for rapid planetary strikes.
All of it waiting.
All of it ready.
I turned back toward the bridge.
The final step remained.
Preparation.
And secrecy.
Because the galaxy had ears.
Too many ears.
Palpatine's spy networks stretched across the Republic like invisible threads.
Even fleet communications weren't always safe.
So the next set of coordinates would never pass through official channels.
Only I knew them.
Hidden deep within encrypted star charts from another life.
A place far from patrol routes.
Far from listening posts.
Far from curious Sith Lords.
Back on the bridge I stood before the navigation console.
"Fleet captains," I said calmly.
My voice echoed across the command network.
"All units prepare for hyperspace."
Acknowledgements flashed across the display.
Dozens of warships adjusting formation.
Engines warming.
Jump calculations beginning.
The clone navigator looked up.
"Destination, General?"
I entered the coordinates manually.
A location far from any charted hyperspace lane.
Then locked the data behind a localized encryption key.
"Transmit jump coordinates to fleet command only," I ordered.
"No open channels."
The clone nodded.
"Yes, General."
Outside the viewport the massive armada began turning slowly.
Seven dreadnoughts shifting into position.
Acclamators aligning into attack formations.
Escort cruisers forming protective screens.
A war fleet.
Waiting.
I clasped my hands behind my back.
Palpatine was watching the galaxy.
Dooku was setting traps.
But neither of them knew this move.
Not yet.
The stars stretched across the viewport.
Cold.
Endless.
"Execute hyperspace jump."
The fleet surged forward.
And a moment later—
The entire armada vanished into blue light.