Chapter 343
**Dagon POV**
A disturbance. An itch.
The battle meld always answered — a chance of victory is never certain.
"Ragnos, flush all torpedo tubes on my signal."
Using the Force, I channeled lightning through the kyber matrix, accelerating the *Terminus* forward in a burst of raw power. The massive ship surged ahead of the *Malevolence*, its blue shield flaring brighter as it cut through the photosphere's fury.
"No."
Dozens of blue proton torpedoes fired forward from the *Terminus*' launchers — only to be caught by my will. I pulled them back in a sweeping arc, redirecting every single one to crash directly into the *Malevolence*'s exposed hyperdrive and engineering sections.
The impact was catastrophic.
Explosions ripped through the five-kilometer behemoth. The hyperdrive and main engineering bays detonated in a chain reaction, sending the crippled warship tumbling out of the photosphere and back into open space — right into the waiting guns of my fleet.
The *Malevolence* emerged from the star's outer layer trailing fire and debris, its massive hull scarred and venting atmosphere.
"All batteries, open fire!" I commanded through the meld.
The fleet answered with a wall of green and blue turbolaser fire.
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**Scene 2 – Grace O'Connor POV**
Onboard the *Valiant*, Major Grace O'Connor gripped the command rail as the massive Separatist ship staggered into view.
"All batteries, fire!"
The AV-7 mounts answered at close range. Their heavy fire tore through the crippled warship's already damaged sections. Secondary explosions bloomed along the *Malevolence*'s flanks.
Then the ship exploded.
A single fighter escaped the fireball — a lone vulture droid streaking away from the wreckage, desperately trying to flee through the Republic formation.
"Launch and destroy that ship!" Grace ordered.
"Negative," Dagon's voice cut across the fleet channel, calm but firm. "All ships, gather in shield formation."
Grace frowned but obeyed instantly. The Valiants and Resurgents tightened their positions, overlapping shields forming a protective wall.
"What could have happened?" she muttered.
Then the sensors screamed.
Another massive ship suddenly appeared — flanked by thirty Providence-class Dreadnoughts.
"Not again…"
The new arrival was another Subjugator-class heavy cruiser — the *Malice* — its hull bristling with five hundred additional heavy turbolasers where the ion cannons had been removed. It emerged from hyperspace with lethal intent, its escorts already opening fire.
Grace's hands tightened on the rail.
"Dagon… we've got company."
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**Dagon POV**
I watched the *Malice* materialize on the tactical display, its escorts spreading out in a classic Separatist formation.
"So… Selena," I murmured. "Dooku sent you after all."
The *Terminus* remained at the center of the formation, its kyber shield still glowing from the photosphere run.
"Fleet, hold position. Resurgents and Valiants — focus fire on the *Malice*. Fighters — screen the escorts. We end this here."
The two colossal ships faced each other across the void — the *Terminus* and the *Malice* — while their fleets prepared for the final clash.
The battle for Dentaal had reached its climax.
