**Chapter 466**
**The Leviathan**
**Nox POV**
The gunships sliced through Tatooine's scorching atmosphere, their repulsors kicking up swirling clouds of sand as they flew low over the endless dunes. I sat in the troop bay of the lead Raven, arms crossed, watching Dagon through the open side door. He stood at the edge, wind whipping at his cloak, staring out at the horizon like a man on a holy quest.
I still didn't fully understand what he was looking for. A Krayt Dragon? On a planet full of the damn things? There had to be more to it.
The formation slowed as we approached a cluster of weathered bantha-hide tents nestled against a rocky outcrop. Tusken Raiders. The Sand People. They were already gathering, gaffi sticks raised, but they didn't attack. Not yet.
The gunships settled into a low hover. Dagon leapt out first, landing lightly in the sand. To my surprise, he raised his hands and began speaking in fluent Tusken — a guttural, clicking language that sounded like rocks grinding together.
The Tusken warriors lowered their weapons slightly. One of the chieftains stepped forward, responding in the same harsh tongue.
Dagon turned and gestured to the gunships. "Trooper, lower three water crates and three food crates."
Six heavy crates descended on repulsor lifts, settling gently into the sand. The Tuskens watched warily. Dagon made a series of complex hand signals — gestures I didn't recognize but clearly held meaning to them. The chieftain responded with his own signs, then bowed his head once.
Dagon walked back toward the gunships, expression focused. "Ace, activate sub scanners. We're looking for a hidden thermal signature underground."
The clone technician worked his console. "Detecting a massive heat source two kilometers west, General. It's… enormous."
"Then we go to it," Dagon said.
He keyed his comm. "Dittmar, bring the Accumulator down. We're going to need the heavy transport."
**Scene 2**
We touched down near a strange, sunken cave entrance half-buried in the dunes. The sand around it looked… wrong. Disturbed. As if something massive had moved through here recently.
The girls disembarked behind me, armor gleaming under the twin suns. Ahsoka scanned the area, hand on her lightsaber. Shin and Erictia stayed close to Dagon. The rest formed a defensive perimeter.
"Okay, here it is," Dagon said, staring into the dark maw of the cave. "They say it lives in there. They say it sleeps. It lives in an abandoned Sarlacc pit."
I stepped up beside him, frowning. "Dagon, from my studies on the Dark Council… there's no such thing as an abandoned Sarlacc pit."
Dagon's lips twitched. "There is if you eat the Sarlacc."
Ahsoka stared at him. "What exactly are we here for?"
Dagon's gaze never left the cave. "The Leviathan Krayt Dragon. It's the apex of the Krayt Dragons on Tatooine. Bigger. Older. Smarter. Its pearl is… special."
A low, earth-shaking roar suddenly reverberated from deep within the cave — ancient, primal, and filled with territorial rage. The sand around us vibrated. Several clones instinctively raised their rifles.
Dagon didn't flinch. Instead, a slow, dangerous smile spread across his face.
"There you are…"
The roar came again, louder this time. Closer.
Whatever was down there knew we were here.
And it was waking up.