**Chapter 463**
**The Long Game**
**Scene 1**
**Dagon POV**
The briefing room was silent except for the low hum of the ship's systems. All of them were here — my bonded girls, Nox, Ashara, and a few trusted officers who had been sworn to absolute secrecy. The weight of what I was about to say pressed down on me like gravity.
I stood at the head of the holographic table, the red star in my left eye glowing faintly.
"Right now," I began, voice low and steady, "the Clone Wars is nothing but a game for Palpatine — Darth Sidious. He orchestrated both sides. He controls the clones through hidden inhibitor chips and the Separatists through secret codes and manipulation. His goal is simple: monopolize power and crown himself Emperor of the galaxy."
I let that sink in for a moment before continuing.
"When I first arrived in this galaxy, I considered going straight to the Jedi Council with everything I knew. But we can't. Not yet. They wouldn't believe us. Even if they did, Palpatine has too many safeguards in place. Our best bet is something older. There used to be something in the Jedi Order called a *Jedi Lord* — essentially a Supreme Commander with near-total wartime authority granted by the Republic. The deeds I've done — even healing Naboo — should have earned me that title by now."
Shin Wren spoke softly, her white hair catching the light. "Most of the Jedi hate your methods."
"Exactly," I nodded. "So this is the plan. We gain strength. We build allies. Those Spaarti cylinders we captured on Saleucami? I gave them to Thrawn. He's already begun work on my personal clone army — Force-sensitive warriors trained from birth to assist us when the time comes."
I looked at each of them.
"Our main goal is simple: You help me unlock the secrets of every holocron we can find. Every ancient power-up, every lost technique, every weapon we need to win this. We prepare for what's coming after the Empire falls."
I turned to Nox. "As for you… you're still weak. The original pain of being blinded by burning out your own eyes is gone now that you have a new body and Ashara. That crutch is out. Passion leading to the dark side is a weak philosophy anyway. We need you at full strength."
Nox met my gaze, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Then let's stop holding back."
I nodded. "This is the first step. We build power quietly. We gather allies. And when Palpatine makes his move… we'll be ready to break his empire before it can truly begin."
**Scene 2**
The room was dead silent for several long seconds.
Then the questions came like a flood.
Ahsoka was the first. "You're talking about playing both sides of a war that hasn't even ended yet. How do we do that without becoming the very thing we're fighting?"
Zule crossed her arms. "And what happens if the Council finds out we're planning to… what, overthrow the Chancellor? They'll brand us all as traitors."
Flare's golden eyes were sharp. "You want us to help you become a Jedi Lord? The Senate would never allow it. Palpatine controls too many votes."
Kayla's voice trembled slightly. "And these Spaarti clones… Force-sensitive ones? That sounds like playing with fire. What if they fall to the dark side?"
Stella, ever quiet, whispered, "What if we fail?"
Visenya placed a hand on her shoulder. "We won't fail. Not with him."
Shin Wren was the most measured. "I trust you, Dagon. But this path… it's walking the line between light and dark. My family has served the Jedi Order for ten generations. If they learn what we're planning…"
Erictia finished for her. "They might disown you. Or worse."
Nox leaned forward, a dark smile on his face. "Let them. The Jedi Order as it stands is blind and broken. We've all seen it. If we have to burn it down to save the galaxy, then so be it."
Ashara placed a hand on Nox's arm, calming him. "We're with you, Dagon. All the way. But we need to be smart. One mistake and Palpatine wins before the game even truly begins."
I looked at all of them — my lovers, my family, my inner circle.
"I know the risks. I know the cost. But doing nothing guarantees a future where Palpatine wins, the Jedi are purged, and the galaxy burns for decades under the Empire. We've seen the future. I refuse to let it happen."
One by one, they nodded.
Shin was the first to speak for the group. "Then we begin. Quietly. Carefully. But we begin."
**Scene 3**
I activated a larger holographic display, showing a detailed timeline of the future I remembered.
"Let me explain what's coming if we fail," I said gravely.
"The Clone Wars will end with Order 66 — Palpatine's command to the clones to execute all Jedi. Almost the entire Order will be wiped out in a single day. The survivors will be hunted down for years. The Republic will be reorganized into the Galactic Empire, with Palpatine as Emperor."
The girls and Nox listened in stunned silence as I continued.
"A Rebel Alliance will eventually form, leading to the Galactic Civil War. They'll destroy the first Death Star at Yavin, then the second at Endor, killing Palpatine. A New Republic will rise, but it will be fragile. Imperial warlords will tear the galaxy apart. Then the Yuuzhan Vong invasion will come — an extragalactic species that cannot be sensed in the Force, waging a religious crusade of pain and conquest. They'll devastate the galaxy, nearly destroying the New Jedi Order that Luke Skywalker rebuilds."
I took a breath.
"After that comes Abeloth — an ancient entity of chaos. Then the Second Galactic Civil War. Eventually, a Sith Lord named Darth Krayt will seize control, ruling a new Sith Empire from the ruins. The cycle of war and suffering will continue for generations."
The room was deathly quiet.
Ahsoka's voice was small. "All of that… if we do nothing?"
"Yes," I said. "But we're not doing nothing. We're going to break the cycle before it can fully begin. We'll expose Palpatine when the time is right. We'll prevent Order 66 if we can. We'll build something stronger than the Republic and the Empire combined."
Shin stepped forward, taking my hand — the armored one — without hesitation.
"Then we start tonight," she said. "No more waiting."
The others nodded, fear mixed with determination in their eyes.
The long game had truly begun.