**Chapter 454**
**New Beginnings**
**Scene 1**
The private dining room aboard the *Gray Wolf* was quiet except for the soft clink of cutlery. Dagon sat at the head of the table, enjoying a rare moment of peace with Ahsoka, Shin Wren, and a few of the others. The meal was simple but warm — something Ashara had helped prepare.
Ahsoka suddenly spoke up, her voice thoughtful. "Master… you always say predictions are true because the Force gives them to us. You don't doubt a duel when the Force shows you where the enemy will strike, right?"
Dagon set down his fork, nodding. "That's true."
"But… there's a 'but', isn't there?" Ahsoka pressed. "Prophecies feel different. Vague."
Shin leaned forward, purple eyes curious. "What are you talking about, Master? Is this something to do with the Sith?"
Dagon sighed heavily and put down his cutlery. "Oh, this modern Jedi education…" He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Alright. I'll tell you. It happened almost four thousand years ago…"
He told them the story of the Covenant — five Jedi Masters: Lucien Draay, Feln, Xamar, Q'anilia, and Raana Tey. How they and their Padawans traveled to Taris. How the Masters, during meditation, received terrifying visions of the future: the destruction of the Jedi Academy on Taris, Mandalorian and Sith invasions, the Jedi Temple on Coruscant in ruins.
"In all their visions," Dagon continued, "they saw a Sith Lord in a red spacesuit with a red lightsaber — the cause of all the coming disasters. They immediately assumed it was one of their own Padawans, who had been wearing red suits during a survival test on the Rogue Moon."
He paused, taking a sip from his mug.
"Feln was the first to suggest they kill the Padawans to prevent the visions from coming true. Most agreed. Only Xamar opposed it. They acted quickly… and thoughtlessly. Four Padawans were killed before the fifth arrived. That surviving Padawan found his Masters standing over the bodies of his friends. Chaos followed. Taris fell. Many Jedi died. Another schism nearly tore the Order apart. The whole thing was eventually hushed up."
Ahsoka was silent for a long moment, visibly disturbed. Shin was the first to speak.
"I understand why they never taught us this… But… is the prophecy about the Chosen One just as unclear?"
"Naturally," Dagon replied. "Come on, quote it."
Ahsoka thought for a moment. "Hmm… I don't remember it word for word, but basically: 'A Chosen One will appear who will destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force.'"
Shin added softly, "Another version says: '…And in a time of great despair, a savior will come, and he will be called the Son of the Suns.'"
Dagon nodded. "Exactly. Prophecies are rarely simple. Balance can mean many things. The important part is interpreting them correctly… and not panicking like the Covenant did."
Ahsoka tilted her head. "Master… if *you* had a vision that we would destroy the Republic… what would you do?"
Dagon laughed, a low, genuine sound. "Your conceit is off the charts…" He shook his head. "If a nation made up of hundreds of thousands of planets, with thousands of years of history, can be destroyed by two girls like you… then such a nation has no right to exist in the first place."
He stood up, placing his tray in the disposal unit. "All this talk is fine, but we need to get down to business. Today is New Year's. Therefore, in order to strengthen the team, there will be a celebration tonight. Attendance is mandatory."
Shin asked hesitantly, "Teacher, will this be… convenient?"
"Everything will be fine," Dagon assured her, clapping her gently on the shoulder.
**Scene 2**
**Stella POV**
The following week felt strange.
After the intense rescue on Helska IV and Dagon's miraculous recovery, everything had settled into a tense but hopeful rhythm. Training resumed under Nox and Ashara's guidance. The girls threw themselves into it with renewed determination.
"Ow… that hurts," Stella groaned, rubbing her temples.
"You girls said you wanted to become stronger like Dagon," Nox replied sternly. "Since giving you a lifetime of war trauma isn't possible, we're strengthening your minds for the Mind Prison technique."
Ashara deflected a stray lightning bolt from Zule with casual ease. "Nox, why don't we just connect Dagon with them so he can guide them through it?"
"I don't know if that's possible," Nox said. "And so far, the prison was designed for one person only. We'd have to modify it heavily."
A clone's voice suddenly echoed through the training hall:
**"All troops to the Gray Wolf. Departure in ten minutes."**
Ashara smiled softly. "Well… it's time to go."
**Scene 3**
**Dagon POV**
I walked down the corridor of the *Gray Wolf*, sensing strange emanations in the air. Following the feeling, I took the elevator down a couple of floors to the barracks. In one of the large tactical rooms, I found a sizable group of clones — mostly lieutenants and higher ranks — arguing animatedly.
Sensing Puck's presence, I made my way through the crowd. The clones quieted down as I approached.
"What are we arguing about?" I asked.
Puck straightened. "Just like that, sir… We're drawing."
I blinked. "Drawing?"
"An emblem, sir!" one of the captains explained. "We already have a banner for the Legion — so why not create one for the entire army?"
"That makes sense," I said. "What did you come up with?"
Devil slid a datapad across the table. I caught it and looked at the design.
Stylized silver-chrome symbols and glyphs stood out against a pitch-black background. The central figure was a raised fist. To the side were Aurebesh letters spelling "Darkstar" and the number "Thirteen." The entire composition was framed by a sharp, clean circle.
I glanced down at my new black armored arm and chuckled softly.
"Not bad, actually. Does Blam know?"
"Yes, sir."
I handed the datapad back. "Go ahead and draw, artists."
As I left the hall, I felt a small, genuine smile tug at my lips. Even in the middle of war, my men were finding ways to build something meaningful.
The *Gray Wolf* would soon depart again — but for the first time in a long while, I felt like we were truly moving forward together.