**Chapter 435**
**Ryloth Campaign – Day 9**
**Scene 1**
Across the arid plains and rocky canyons of Ryloth, Dagon's forces advanced with overwhelming momentum. What had once been a grueling campaign of attrition had become a relentless liberation.
Columns of clone troopers in dark beskar-reinforced armor marched across the desert floor, their treadspeeder bikes roaring ahead like predators. The 125-Z bikes, shielded and fast, tore through Separatist rear lines. Their rapid-fire heavy laser cannons ripped apart fleeing transports and supply convoys, leaving twisted metal and burning wreckage in their wake.
Further back, the true hammer fell.
AT-AT walkers stomped forward in formation, their heavy laser cannons thundering as they engaged dug-in AAT tanks. Upgraded Imperial-pattern armor shrugged off return fire while their turrets pivoted with mechanical precision, turning entire droid companies into scrap. AT-STs with rotary cannons swept through canyons, shredding B1 and B2 formations. Modified AT-TEs provided mobile fire support with repeating blasters, while AT-XTs lobbed mortar fire into hidden bunkers.
Where resistance thickened, Raven gunships descended like angry hornets. Troopers with jetpacks and wrist rocket launchers dropped directly into enemy positions, clearing them with brutal efficiency. The combination of beskar armor, advanced weaponry, and Dagon's occasional battle meld made the Republic ground forces nearly unstoppable.
Droid legion after droid legion was turned to scrap. Entire battalions of B1s were mowed down before they could even raise their blasters. Super Battle Droids fared little better against the coordinated firepower. Even droidekas found their shields overwhelmed by concentrated rocket and cannon fire.
By midday, large swathes of the southern and western hemispheres had fallen silent. The Separatist presence on Ryloth was collapsing.
**Scene 2**
**Twi'lek Village – Southern Hemisphere**
The night sky above a small Twi'lek village lit up with fire and explosions.
Hidden Separatist bunkers near the settlement had opened, launching squadrons of vulture droids and droid bombers in a desperate attempt to disrupt Republic supply lines.
They never stood a chance.
All-Terrain Anti-Aircraft walkers — positioned on elevated ridges surrounding the village — tracked the incoming threats with cold mechanical precision. Their specialized flak cannons and missile pods filled the air with deadly shrapnel and guided ordnance.
Bright orange explosions bloomed across the sky as vulture droids were torn apart mid-flight. A squadron of droid bombers tried to dive toward the village but was met with a wall of concentrated fire. One by one they spiraled downward, crashing harmlessly into the empty desert beyond the settlement's walls.
Twi'lek civilians watched from the safety of reinforced shelters as the Republic's advanced defenses turned the night into a deadly fireworks display. For the first time in months, they felt truly protected.
**Scene 3**
**Dagon POV**
**Forward Command Tent – Night of Day 9**
I slowly surfaced from the deep battle meld I had maintained for nearly six hours. My head throbbed and my vision swam for a moment as I reoriented myself.
I was sitting against a reinforced field chair inside my command tent… with Master Shin Wren curled against my left side and her Padawan Erictia pressed against my right.
*Strange,* I thought. *I was sure I started meditating alone.*
Both women were fast asleep, their breathing soft and even. Shin's long white hair spilled across my shoulder. Erictia's brown hair tickled my neck. Their warmth pressed into me on both sides.
*Wait… why are they here?* Ahsoka, Zule, Flare, Kayla, Stella, and Visenya were one thing — that had been the original complicated bond. But these two? Shin was a famed Jedi Master from one of the Order's most respected bloodlines, and Erictia was her gifted Padawan. Yet here they were, drawn by the Force bond that had formed during the desperate orbital battle.
It felt… nice. Comforting, even.
*Perhaps I acted too harshly with the girls back then.*
A soft sound drew my attention. Both women were beginning to stir.
Shin's purple eyes fluttered open first, followed by Erictia's amber ones. They looked drowsy, confused, and then deeply embarrassed as they realized their positions.
"Not that I mind," I said sincerely, keeping my voice low. "Since my Padawans did this on more than one occasion. But you girls have your own tents and it's not a problem, it's just…"
I trailed off, suddenly awkward. *Damn it. I still can't talk to girls properly.*
"Oh we were— sorry, it's just… we had a feeling," Shin stammered, her elegant composure cracking as she spoke in flustered fragments.
Erictia tried to help. "This isn't— it's just that the Force… the bond… we think… we care— not care—"
*Yeah, this is going nowhere.*
I reached out gently through the Force and sent a wave of calm through their troubled minds. The old Balance Corps training — meant for easing troubled hearts — worked beautifully here.
"Like I said," I continued softly, "I don't mind. I understand the fear of even trying to sleep during war. The Temple never really prepared us for this."
Both women relaxed visibly. The tension drained from their shoulders.
"So if you want," I offered, "you can share the bed. I'll stand guard."
**Scene 4**
Eventually, sleep claimed all three of us.
I don't know exactly how it happened. One moment I was sitting watch, the next I was lying in the middle of the reinforced field bed, sandwiched between the two Jedi.
Shin Wren slept curled against my left side, her head resting on my shoulder. Erictia had nestled into my right, her face tucked against my chest. Both of my arms were wrapped around them — even the robotic one — and each woman had pressed close enough that I could feel the soft warmth of their C-cup breasts against my arms and sides.
The scent of their hair, the steady rhythm of their breathing, the gentle rise and fall of their bodies against mine… it was overwhelming in the best and most dangerous way.
*This wasn't supposed to happen,* I thought, staring at the tent ceiling in the dim glow of a single low-power lamp.
Yet here I was.
A long night indeed.
I closed my eyes, allowing the new bonds to settle deeper. Outside, the sounds of distant fighting and the low hum of Republic machinery continued. Inside the tent, for the first time in what felt like forever, there was a small pocket of peace.