Chapter 329
**Dagon POV**
I passed through the open doors of one of the huge hangars on Centax-3 and headed toward the far corner, where a crowd of clones had gathered around a cluster of shipping containers. Among them were Blam, H, zilo, Enok, Plasma, Bly, Neyo, Devil (who had just returned from Kamino after finishing the training of the next generation of ARC troopers), and Tern.
When I appeared, the clones immediately straightened into a neat line.
"Sir! It's good that you arrived," Blam said, stepping forward.
"What happened?"
"General," Blam continued, "we've been sent some new armor options for review. We're looking at them right now. I thought you might find it useful to see them too. Perhaps we could adopt some of them?"
"Well, let's see. What is this?"
An unfamiliar clone technician came to the fore.
"Sir. So… Here are two variants of rocket trooper armor. The first is identical to the Phase One armor, and the rocket pack itself is similar in design to the jet packs found in Mandalorian armor sets. The pack's charge lasts for ten to fifteen jumps or one hundred and seven seconds of operation. The second variant is heavier, and the pack itself is equipped with folding wings with built-in repulsors, providing about half an hour of stable flight. However, it only has enough rocket fuel for a couple of jumps."
"Interesting. What else is there?"
"This is a lightweight armor set for scouts, which will be part of the overall Phase Two armor set currently being developed. By the way," the clone folded the side of one of the containers like an accordion, his partner doing the same with the second, "here are several dozen samples currently in development. Work is underway on both the armor as a whole and on individual elements and components. Currently, eight chest plate variants, twelve helmet variants, four wearable equipment variants, and various accessories such as additional communication antennas, helmet-mounted binoculars, and air regeneration systems are ready. Special arctic and desert variants of additional equipment have also been developed."
I listened carefully to the clone, but then another container was opened, and…
"And what the hell is this?"
"Sir?" the surprised technician asked.
"What kind of monster is this?"
"It's heavy, fire-resistant power armor, equipped with a jetpack, two flamethrowers, and a blaster pistol. It weighs about sixty kilograms…"
"And how many of these do you have?"
"About two hundred, sir. Sent for testing…"
Blam looked at the armor doubtfully.
"General, why do we need it? It only has enough for ten shots of the mixture, and it's not very effective against droids anyway…"
"Blam! What, did you just crawl out of a test tube? Look: we're throwing that flamethrower at the Hutts, and the jetpack too. We'll put energy accumulators in its place, and on the connectors… at least that Z-6. Or a grenade launcher. Or something else heavy." I tapped the massive armor plates. "You can't take that thing apart with a regular rifle, so just think about what it could do on the battlefield. And adding that to the leftover Jabiim repulsor boots…"
"Hmm… There's not much armor… But… If we make one shock platoon for each battalion…" Blam turned to the technician. "Can you bring more?"
"No problem — they're made nearby, on Centax-Three. They've set up a small factory on the satellite to serve the needs of the nearby Sector Armies…"
I smiled with satisfaction.
"Then… Blam, submit your application. And while you're at it, let's think about how we can improve our equipment."
"Come on, sir…"
After two hours, we had a perfectly hodgepodge but acceptable version.
"Though it was essentially a…" Blam began, then stopped himself.
"So, Blam, get everything ready. And give the order to these guys."
"It will be done, sir."
"Oh, right — we also got some Wookiees to be added to the army. Divide them properly. Their weapons work as both shotgun and grenade launcher."
"Uhh… yes sir."
---
The clones moved with practiced efficiency, unpacking more crates and laying out the various armor components across the hangar floor. I walked among them, examining each piece carefully.
The rocket trooper variants were interesting, but the heavy power armor caught my eye the most. It was bulky, over-engineered, and clearly designed for shock assaults. The flamethrowers were useless against droids, but the armor itself was tough enough to shrug off blaster fire that would shred standard Phase I or II kit.
"Strip the flamethrowers and jetpack fuel tanks," I ordered. "Replace them with reinforced power cells and mounting points for a Z-6 rotary blaster or a grenade launcher. Add the Jabiim repulsor boots for mobility. We'll turn these into walking tanks for breaching operations."
Blam nodded, already making notes. "One shock platoon per battalion?"
"Start with that. If it works, we'll scale it up. These things will be perfect for clearing fortified positions or boarding actions."
The technician looked impressed. "We can have the first modified suits ready in forty-eight hours, sir."
"Good. Keep me updated."
As the clones continued sorting through the new equipment, my comm chimed. It was Dittmar.
"Sir, the Wookiee contingent has been fully processed. We've begun fitting them with expanded armor plating. Chewbacca asked me to pass on his thanks — they're eager to fight."
"Excellent. Integrate them into the auxiliary battalions for now. Their strength and rage will be useful in close-quarters work."
I ended the call and looked around the hangar again. Crates of new armor, weapons, and equipment stretched in every direction. The Natori instructors were already beginning to evaluate the arriving auxiliary troops. The Wookiees were being fitted. The Antarian Rangers were en route.
The 13th System Army was slowly taking shape.
It was still raw. Still a patchwork.
But it was mine.
And soon it would be ready to bite.