**Chapter 432**
**Ryloth – Surface Approach**
**Dagon POV**
The Skelter screamed through Ryloth's atmosphere like a black comet. Behind me, waves of Raven-class gunships, MAATs, and UAAT transports poured from the *Gray Wolf's* hangars, descending in disciplined formation. The moment we dropped below the cloud layer, the sky lit up with anti-air fire.
Heavy laser bolts and flak bursts chased my fighter. *Good. Eyes on me.*
I jinked hard left, then rolled right, drawing the bulk of the ground fire away from the slower gunships. Two enemy AA towers revealed themselves on the tactical HUD — automated emplacements guarding the outskirts of Nabat.
"Time to shut you up," I muttered.
I thumbed the missile controls. Two baridium-tipped whistling birds streaked away from the Skelter's launchers. They spiraled downward and slammed into the AA towers in brilliant explosions. Secondary detonations ripped through their power cores, silencing the guns.
The gunships used the opening to begin deploying troops. My Darkstar Mandalorian armor-modified clone legion hit the ground running. Their beskar-reinforced plating gleamed darkly under Ryloth's harsh sun. Only heavy weaponry stood a real chance of penetrating that armor — and the droids facing them were mostly equipped with standard blasters and light repeaters.
Jetpacks flared as ARC troopers and commandos leapfrogged forward. Flame-modified grenade launchers roared, sweeping through outer patrols guarding isolated villages. B1 droids were cut down in swathes, their metallic screams echoing across the rocky terrain as superheated flames consumed them.
**Scene 2**
I pushed the Skelter lower, streaking toward the main droid concentration where hundreds of Twi'lek civilians were being held hostage. As I neared the kill zone, I ejected from the cockpit.
Ethan's voice crackled over comms. "Remote control engaged, sir. I've got the Skelter."
I dropped like a missile, using the Force to slow my descent at the last second. My boots slammed into the dusty ground outside the main Separatist position.
I assessed the enemy quickly.
Sixty AAT tanks. Five dozen proton cannons. Roughly 5,000 B1 battle droids. 2,000 Super Battle Droids. 48 droidekas. And two hulking Scorpenek annihilator droids anchoring the line.
*Wat Tambor must be getting desperate,* I thought. *Throwing this many droids at one city.*
"Oh well."
I ignited my red crossguard lightsaber and drew the beskar sword in my off-hand. The Force surged through me as I moved.
**Mist Breathing – Second Form: Eight-Layered Mist.**
My body became a blur. Eight slashes erupted in rapid succession — each one precise, devastating, and impossibly fast. The Force amplified the technique, turning my blades into extensions of solar fury mixed with dark side lightning.
AAT tanks were sliced clean in half before their gunners could react. Super Battle Droids were carved into scrap. Droidekas tried to activate their shields but were dismantled mid-transformation. Proton cannons sparked and died as their control droids were cut down. The two Scorpenek droids managed only a single step forward before my blades tore through their heavy armor and power cores.
In seconds, the heart of the droid defense was reduced to smoking wreckage.
"Impossible!" Tactical Droid TX-20 shrieked from its command platform, photoreceptors flashing in disbelief. "You cannot do that! Probability calculations—"
I leapt onto the platform in one bound and slashed my lightsaber across its neck. TX-20's head tumbled to the ground, still blinking in confusion.
"Calculations don't account for me," I muttered.
I keyed my comm. "Blam, get medical ships down here immediately. Begin landing the main troop columns. We have a forward base position secured."
"Copy that, General!" Clone Marshal Commander Blam replied. "Troops inbound."
**Scene 3**
The dust began to settle. Hundreds of Twi'lek civilians — men, women, and terrified children — stared at me from behind the ruined barricades. Their eyes were wide with fear.
I couldn't blame them.
I stood there in full black-and-grey beskar armor, red crossguard lightsaber still humming in my hand, beskar sword dripping molten droid slag. My voice, deepened by the helmet's vocoder and the dark side, probably sounded like a demon's growl to them.
I slowly deactivated both blades and removed my helmet, revealing my face. I raised my hands and spoke in clear, fluent Twi'leki.
"Easy… I am a friend."
The civilians flinched at first, but some began to relax as they recognized the language.
"The Jedi are here to rescue you," I continued gently. "The Republic fleet controls the skies. We will not let the droids harm you anymore."
A few brave souls stepped forward. An elderly Twi'lek woman with lekku wrapped in tattered cloth approached cautiously.
"You… you fight like the wind and fire," she whispered in broken Basic. "Are you truly here to free us?"
I nodded. "Yes. Cham Syndulla's fighters are already moving on other positions. We will take back Nabat today."
Behind me, the first waves of clones were landing in force. Ravens and MAATs touched down, disgorging heavily armed troopers in advanced armor. Medical teams rushed forward with stretchers and kolto supplies.
Shin Wren and Erictia approached from Puck's Raven, both watching me with wide eyes. I could feel the new bond between us pulsing with a mix of awe and concern.
I turned back to the civilians and offered a small, tired smile.
"You're not alone anymore."