## Chapter 241: Fire Over Tur Lorkin
The war never slowed.
It only shifted.
From orbit, Pengalan IV looked calm—its cloud layers drifting lazily over vast continents, its cities glowing faintly in the dim light of its system's star. But beneath that illusion lay one of the Separatists' most dangerous developments yet.
Tur Lorkin.
A city turned fortress.
And at its heart—
A diamond boron missile facility capable of shredding entire starfighter wings before they ever reached their targets.
---
The bridge of the *Terminus* was quiet as Dagon studied the tactical overlay. Red icons pulsed across the surface grid, marking missile silos, defensive batteries, and droid concentrations in overwhelming numbers.
"They designed it to deny us air superiority," Ahsoka said, arms crossed as she leaned slightly over the holotable. "Smart."
Dagon nodded. "Too smart to ignore."
Kayla scoffed. "Then we break it."
Visenya tilted her head. "Not without cost. Those missiles will target anything in the sky the moment we commit fighters."
Flare's gaze hardened. "Then we remove the threat first."
Dagon's eyes shifted slightly.
"Already in motion."
---
The *Sea Legacy* had arrived hours earlier.
An Acclamator-class assault ship carrying a full division of clone troopers—thirty-six thousand soldiers trained for planetary assault. LAAT/i gunships filled its hangars, ready for deployment, while six Advanced Recon Commandos stood prepared for insertion.
Among them—
An outsider.
---
Joram Kithe.
A man who had never been meant to see war.
---
He stood awkwardly inside the command bay of the *Sea Legacy*, clutching a datapad like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. His uniform was clean—too clean—and his eyes moved constantly, absorbing everything with a mix of fear and forced professionalism.
"I'm… just here to evaluate," he muttered to himself. "Observe. Record. Not—lead."
A clone officer beside him didn't even look up. "Plans changed."
Joram swallowed.
Of course they had.
---
The operation had been simple on paper.
Insert forces.
Destroy the missile facility.
Secure the city.
Reality disagreed.
---
"Multiple contacts!" a trooper called out as the first wave descended.
LAAT/i gunships broke through the clouds into a storm of fire. Anti-air bursts detonated around them as diamond boron missiles launched from hidden silos across the city's outskirts.
"Evasive maneuvers!" the pilot shouted.
Gunships swerved violently, some barely dodging incoming projectiles while others weren't as lucky.
One exploded mid-air.
Another spiraled down in flames.
Joram froze.
This wasn't simulation.
This wasn't theory.
This was war.
---
"Touchdown in ten!" the pilot yelled.
The ground rose fast.
Too fast.
Then—
Impact.
---
The ramp dropped.
Blaster fire greeted them instantly.
"Move! Move!" clone troopers surged forward, forming defensive lines as B1 battle droids advanced in rigid formations.
"Roger roger!"
The battlefield erupted.
---
Joram stumbled out behind them, ducking instinctively as blaster bolts streaked overhead.
"I'm not supposed to be here," he whispered, barely audible.
But no one heard.
No one had time.
---
The clones pushed forward with precision.
ARC troopers led the advance, their movements sharper, faster, more aggressive than standard infantry. They cut through droid lines, disabling STAP units and directing fire toward heavy targets.
But the enemy numbers—
Were overwhelming.
---
"Two Geonosian corvettes in atmosphere!" came the call.
Above the battlefield, the insectoid ships descended, their weapons lighting up as they strafed Republic positions.
Joram looked up in horror.
"That's… not part of the plan."
---
It got worse.
Much worse.
---
A shadow appeared through the clouds.
Massive.
Unnatural.
A new warship.
---
A Geonosian battlecruiser.
Over a thousand meters long.
Bristling with weapons.
Its hull alive with movement as automated turrets tracked targets below.
---
"Oh no…" Joram breathed.
---
On the *Terminus*, Dagon saw it instantly.
"…New contact," Ahsoka said, her voice tightening.
Visenya's eyes narrowed. "That's not standard Separatist design."
Kayla smirked slightly. "Doesn't matter what it is."
Flare leaned forward. "It's targeting the ground forces."
Dagon didn't hesitate.
"Bring us in range."
---
The massive form of the *Terminus* shifted.
Engines roaring.
Power building.
---
"Spectral array charging," an officer reported.
---
Dagon's voice was calm.
Cold.
"Target the battlecruiser."
---
The beam fired.
---
A single shot.
The Geonosian warship didn't stand a chance.
The kyber-powered lance tore straight through its core, igniting a chain reaction that split the vessel apart from within. Fire consumed it in seconds, the massive hull collapsing into fragments as it detonated above the city.
Debris rained down like burning stars.
---
On the ground, the clones paused—
Just for a moment.
Then they cheered.
---
Joram stared upward, stunned.
"…What *was* that?"
---
"Reinforcements," a trooper replied simply.
---
The tide shifted instantly.
---
"Deploy Punishers," Dagon ordered.
---
TIE/ca Punisher bombers launched from orbit, descending in tight formations. Their bomb bays opened, releasing precision payloads that obliterated missile silos and heavy droid concentrations across Tur Lorkin.
Explosions rippled across the city.
Controlled.
Targeted.
Effective.
---
"Missile systems going offline," Visenya confirmed.
Ahsoka nodded. "Airspace is opening."
Kayla grinned. "Now we hit them properly."
---
Back on the ground, the clones advanced.
Hard.
Fast.
Unstoppable.
---
The ARC troopers moved like ghosts through the battlefield.
And among them—
Six stood out.
---
Tooth.
Spade.
Hash.
Delta.
Blue.
Gree.
---
They cut through droid formations with ruthless efficiency, coordinating strikes that dismantled entire defensive sectors in minutes.
Joram found himself following them without realizing it.
Because wherever they went—
They survived.
---
"Stay behind us," one of them said without looking back.
Joram nodded quickly.
"Right. Yes. Staying alive. Good plan."
---
Within hours—
It was over.
---
Over two hundred thousand droids destroyed.
Missile facility eliminated.
City secured.
---
Joram stood at the edge of the command post, staring out at what remained of Tur Lorkin.
"I was supposed to evaluate them," he said quietly.
"…Not witness this."
---
A clone officer approached.
"Well?"
Joram looked at him.
Then back at the battlefield.
"They're worth it."
---
Back aboard the *Terminus*, the bridge settled into a steady rhythm once more.
"Planet secured," an officer reported.
Dagon nodded.
"Leave a holding force."
A pause.
Then—
"Joram stays."
Ahsoka glanced at him. "You trust him?"
Dagon's answer was simple.
"He saw enough."
---
The six ARC troopers stood assembled in the hangar as Dagon approached.
They didn't salute immediately.
They studied him.
Measured him.
Good.
That meant they thought.
---
"You fought well," Dagon said.
Gree stepped forward slightly. "We do our job."
Dagon nodded once.
"Not anymore."
A brief silence.
"You're reassigned."
---
"To me."
---
That got their attention.
"Tooth. Spade. Hash. Delta. Blue. Gree," Dagon continued. "You're part of my unit now."
Delta tilted his head slightly. "Based on what?"
Dagon met his gaze.
"Performance."
A beat.
"Independence."
Another.
"Survival."
---
A faint smirk touched Kayla's lips as she watched from the side.
"Yeah… they'll fit."
---
Gree finally nodded.
"Understood, General."
---
As the fleet prepared to move again, Dagon stood at the viewport, watching Pengalan IV fade behind them.
Another victory.
Another step forward.
But the war—
Was far from over.
---
And now—
He had new weapons to use.