**Chapter 235: Direct Line**
I stood on the observation deck of the Twelfth Sector's primary command station at Lantillies, arms crossed, watching the slow, majestic approach of the Sienar convoy through the transparisteel viewport. The local star cast long shadows across the arriving ships, turning their angular hulls into silhouettes of promise. Two weeks ago I had handed Rath Sienar a collection of designs pulled from fragmented memories of another timeline. Now those designs were returning as steel and alloy, engines humming with power I had helped ignite.
In the original timeline—whatever "original" meant after my arrival—Sienar Fleet Systems had been kneecapped. The Republic commissioned one stealth ship, then let Jedi discomfort with anything too covert kill further development. The company slid into bankruptcy, surviving only as a shadow until the Empire forcibly revived it under tighter control. Not this time. I had fed them credits, raw supplies from captured Separatist yards, and a platter of Sith-inspired ion engine refinements mixed with modern fighter concepts. In return, they were building me the fighter screen and escort doctrine the Twelfth Sector desperately needed.
Kuat Drive Yards still held too much sway, their boardrooms laced with Palpatine's quiet influence. Jedi observers and Senate oversight committees kept tabs on every major yard—Corellia played neutral but leaked information to peace factions, while other planetary manufacturers danced between Dooku's Separatist contacts and loyalist idealists. I couldn't trust them with my long-term plans. But Sienar? They had a modest but functional branch right here at Lantillies, close enough for direct oversight. With their new capital from the Vrogas Vas fuel runs, they could operate independently and keep my fleet requirements off the main Republic procurement lists.
The girls were elsewhere on the station—Flare running tactical drills with the new clone pilots, Stella coordinating logistics with Ahsoka, Kayla and Visenya overseeing integration of the first TIE prototypes into hangar bays. Aayla Secura still on Coruscant. They all knew the stakes. The wound in the Force around me still itched at the edges of my awareness, a subtle scar that made dark side whispers louder, but for now I pushed it aside. Fleet building came first.
The lead transport cleared the outer picket line. Over thirty-five Lancer-class frigates followed in tight formation, their 250-meter hulls sleek and purposeful. Each measured 57 meters wide and 60 meters tall, propelled by four powerful drive engines that gave them a maximum acceleration of 4 MGLT per second and a cruising speed of 20 MGLT. Hyperdrive rated Class 1—fast enough to keep up with strike groups. Their real teeth lay in the armament: fifty AG-2G quad laser cannons per ship, many retractable into the hull for streamlined flight or surprise broadsides. These weren't generalist warships; they were dedicated anti-starfighter platforms, designed to shred incoming droid swarms or Separatist fighter screens before they could close with our capital ships.
Each Lancer carried a small ventral hangar for two shuttles and a docking port on the bow's upper surface. The bridge sat prominently in the middle of the bow, just below a sensor and computer control room that gave captains unparalleled visibility during swarm engagements. I could already picture them forming a protective envelope around our carriers and Star Destroyers—quad lasers stitching the void with green fire while TIEs darted through the gaps.
Behind the Lancers came the real prize: twenty Quasar Fire-class cruiser-carriers, now officially redesignated as Starkiller-class light carriers under Sienar's branding. Originally a SoroSuub project that wouldn't see full development until the late Imperial era in partnership with Kuat, I had rerouted the concept through Sienar with my own modifications. Each measured 390 meters long, with a distinctive triangular profile that echoed Imperial aesthetics without copying them outright. Primary hyperdrive Class 2, backup Class 12. Long-range sensors and a standard navigation computer kept them oriented in deep-space operations.
Armament was respectable for a light carrier: twelve forward-mounted light turbolaser batteries for self-defense, twenty-two dual laser cannons scattered across the hull, and five dual torpedo launchers with twenty torpedoes each. Six hull-mounted medium tractor beam emitters let them snag disabled fighters or guide landing craft. The real capacity lay in the hangars—room for 88 starfighters plus numerous shuttles, landing craft, and utility vehicles. Crew of 150 officers, pilots, and enlisted; passenger space for up to 550 troopers for rapid planetary insertion.
With these carriers integrated into existing carrier groups, anti-air frigate screens via the Lancers, dedicated landing ships, our Venator and Acclamator Star Destroyers, plus the heavier Battlecruisers, Dreadnoughts, and Battleships already under Twelfth Sector command… I finally had a cohesive fleet. Not just a collection of Republic assets, but a tailored strike force capable of independent operations across the Outer Rim.
The convoy began final approach to the station's massive docking arms. Shuttles peeled off from the formation, ferrying Rath Sienar and his senior team toward the command deck. I straightened my tunic, the faint lightning scars on my neck and jaw pulling slightly with the motion. My hair—still that stark half-white, half-black mullet—caught the overhead lights. War aged a man faster than years should allow.
"General," a clone comm officer reported crisply. "Convoy lead confirms docking clearance. Director Sienar requests immediate meeting."
"Granted. Clear Bay Theta-9 for his personal shuttle."
I made my way down to the reception gallery overlooking the main hangar. The first TIE Advanced 1 prototypes were already being offloaded—sleek black hulls with folded solar arrays, the new P-s4 twin ion engines glowing faintly even in standby. Engineers in Sienar jumpsuits swarmed them, running final diagnostics. The sight sent a quiet surge of satisfaction through me. My memories from another life, combined with the Darth Nox holocron's brutal efficiency and the raw desperation of fifty years fighting Skynet, had given Sienar the edge they needed. In exchange, the Twelfth Sector would field fighters that could actually survive long enough to matter.
Rath Sienar stepped off the lead shuttle flanked by two trusted engineers and a small security detail. At thirty-six he still moved with the energetic precision of a man in his prime, though his eyes carried the calculating weight of someone who had stared down bankruptcy and seen salvation instead. He spotted me immediately and paused, head tilting.
"Dagon," he greeted, using my first name with the easy familiarity that had developed over our recent dealings. "You look… odd. Different from two weeks ago in Republic high command."
I touched the white streak in my mullet self-consciously, then traced the lightning scar that ran along my left cheek and jaw. "Yeah. War does that. Ages you faster than it should. One bad mission and the Force decides to leave its autograph."
Rath chuckled, a dry, genuine sound. "I'm only thirty-six myself, but I know plenty of people who would kill to get a body like yours back—scars and all. You look like you've been through a thought bomb and came out the other side swinging."
"Closer than I'd like to admit," I said, shaking his hand firmly. The grip was strong, engineer's calluses still present despite his executive status. "Good to see you, Rath. Your convoy looks even better in person than the manifests suggested."
We walked together along the observation rail as the first Lancer frigate eased into its berth below. The ship's quad laser turrets were retracted for docking, but I could imagine them deploying in seconds, filling space with overlapping fields of fire.
"Thirty-five Lancer-class frigates, as requested," Rath said, gesturing with obvious pride. "Two hundred fifty meters of pure anti-fighter doctrine. Fifty AG-2G quad lasers each—some retractable for stealthier profiles or atmospheric work. Four engines give them excellent acceleration and maneuverability for their size. They'll screen your capital ships against droid swarms like nothing the Separatists have seen. Hangar for two shuttles, bow docking port, bridge positioned for maximum tactical awareness. I incorporated a few of your suggested shield adjustments from the old Sith engine notes. They should hold up better under sustained fighter attacks."
I nodded, watching the next ship glide in—a Starkiller-class light carrier, its triangular hull catching the station lights. "And the carriers?"
"Twenty Quasar Fire-class, now flying under the Starkiller designation per your preference," Rath continued. "Three hundred ninety meters. We beat SoroSuub to the full production model thanks to your schematics and the fuel supply from Vrogas Vas. Class 2 primary hyperdrive, Class 12 backup. Twelve forward light turbolasers, twenty-two dual laser cannons, five dual torpedo launchers with full magazines. Six tractor beams for recovery operations. Each can carry eighty-eight starfighters plus support craft and up to five hundred fifty troopers. Perfect for rapid strike packages—launch TIE screens, drop clones, provide fire support, then jump out before heavier Separatist reinforcements arrive."
We paused at a viewport overlooking the carrier's ventral hangars opening. Crews were already guiding the first TIE/ln and Advanced prototypes inside. The new solar ionization reactors and P-s4 engines gave the fighters a distinctive low hum even at idle—cleaner, more efficient than Republic Torrent or ARC-170 powerplants.
Rath leaned on the rail, voice lowering with professional enthusiasm. "The real game-changers are the fighters themselves. You saw the prototypes on Coruscant, but the full production run is here. TIE Advanced 1—shielded, hyperdrive-equipped, ejector seats standard. Twin L-S9.3 lasers and cluster missiles. Based on that old Star Courier frame you recovered. The TIE Avengers are heavy hitters—dual laser turret, rotary blasters, retractable heavy cannon that can core blast doors. Advanced targeting HUD that tracks life signs as easily as ships. The Defenders are true multi-role beasts: six wingtip lasers, chin cannons, ion cannons, full warhead loadout, shields and hyperdrive. Reaper landers for troop insertion—fast, armed, three-seat cockpit. And the Punishers—sturdy bombers with proton bomb chutes and torpedo launchers, shielded to ensure payload delivery."
He turned to face me fully. "I needed no payment beyond what you already provided, General. The Vrogas Vas route alone turned our stock around. But more than that… you gave us purpose again. Sienar was sliding toward irrelevance under Republic caution. Now we have a direct partner who understands what a proper fighter screen can do. My most trusted engineers and key family members have relocated the core design team to the Lantillies branch. We're yours for the long haul—discreet, efficient, and outside the main Kuat-Palpatine oversight web."
I appreciated the candor. "That's exactly what I need. Kuat has too many strings attached—Jedi observers, Senate committees, quiet Palpatine influence. Corellia plays both sides or stays neutral when it suits them. Every major yard has leaks or loyalties that could compromise the Twelfth's edge. With your local office here, we have a secure pipeline. I'll feed you captured CIS tech, additional fuel contracts, and whatever design tweaks come from field testing. In return, keep the TIE series evolving. We'll need variants for every role—interceptors, bombers, recon, even advanced stealth models down the line."
Rath's eyes gleamed with the spark of a true innovator. "Already sketching a few ideas based on your Vulture droid and Nantex data. The solar arrays on the Advanced models perform better than expected in nebula conditions. We can scale that for dedicated long-range patrol craft. And the ion maneuvering jets—combined with your Sith-derived energy management—give us thrust vectoring that will make these fighters dance around anything the Separatists throw at us."
Below us, a flight of six TIE Avengers launched from a test bay for integration trials. Their wings locked into attack position, engines flaring with clean blue-white fire. They formed up seamlessly, then executed a high-G turn that would have strained older Republic fighters. Quad lasers from a nearby Lancer lit up a drone target in a precise, devastating burst.
"Beautiful," I murmured.
Rath nodded. "They'll give your fleet the teeth it needs. While Kuat keeps churning out Venators and Acclamators for the mainline Republic navy, Sienar will dominate the fighter and escort market. Your Twelfth Sector will be the proving ground—and the showcase."
We spent the next hour walking the hangars as teams transferred full manifests: crew assignments, spare parts, fuel cells refined from Vrogas Vas gases, and integration protocols for the new TIEs with existing clone pilot training sims. Rath's engineers mingled with my staff, exchanging data-pads and enthusiastic technical jargon. The girls drifted in at intervals—Flare inspecting a Lancer's quad battery with a critical eye, Stella quietly noting passenger capacities for troop movements, Ahsoka sensing the subtle Force echoes around the new ships with calm approval.
By the time the last carrier was secured, the scale of what we had built settled over me. Carrier groups for fighter projection. Anti-air frigates to protect them. Landing ships and troop carriers for planetary assaults. Star Destroyers and heavier capital ships for decisive engagements. And now a dedicated, loyal starfighter industry feeding us superior small craft without the usual bureaucratic or political interference.
I clapped Rath on the shoulder as we returned to the command gallery. "You've delivered more than ships, Rath. You've given the Twelfth Sector a future that doesn't rely on Palpatine's favored suppliers. Keep the Lantillies branch secure. We'll have more work soon—field reports from the next campaign will drive the next round of refinements."
He smiled, the expression of a man who had found renewed purpose. "Consider it done, General. The TIE series is only the beginning."
As his shuttle prepared for departure back to the Sienar yards, I stood once more at the viewport, watching the full fleet elements settle into their berths. The white in my hair caught my reflection faintly. Scars, higher midichlorian count, a wound in the Force, five women who anchored me, and now a private pipeline to the future of starfighter warfare.
The Clone Wars had accelerated everything. But for the first time since waking in this body, I felt like the Twelfth Sector wasn't just surviving—it was pulling ahead.
Time to put these blades to the test.