**Chapter 497**
**Healing the Broken**
**Dagon POV**
**Aboard the Gray Wolf – Private Captain's Quarters**
I sat on the edge of the large bed, surrounded by the girls in various states of comfortable undress. The lights were dimmed, the air warm and scented faintly with the lingering kolto from the healing baths. Erictia had somehow won the quiet little bet among them and now had my head resting comfortably in her lap, her fingers gently threading through my hair. It was strangely soothing.
*This position is odd,* I thought, staring at the ceiling. *In my old life, I never understood the appeal of a lap pillow. I'd see other soldiers with their wives or girlfriends after brutal fights, heads in laps, eyes closed, finding a few minutes of peace. I always thought it was just sentimental. Yet here I am.*
The conversation had been circling for nearly twenty minutes now, all centered on one person.
Aayla Secura.
"I still can't use the same approach we did when we first found her after the real Quinlan Vos died on Tatooine," I said quietly, my voice low. "That was grief. This is… something much worse. She was tricked. Manipulated. She slept with a clone of the man she trusted most, and that same clone nearly helped detonate a weapon that would have killed billions. How do you even begin to approach someone carrying that kind of betrayal?"
Shin, sitting cross-legged beside us, brushed a strand of white hair behind her ear. "Gently," she said softly. "She needs to feel safe first. Not desired. Not fixed. Just… safe."
Zule leaned forward, her hybrid features thoughtful. "Perhaps you should try that thing you did before with her lekku. Twi'leks are very sensitive there. It might help her relax."
I let out a small, tired laugh. "I don't think that's a good idea right now. Remember, I wasn't familiar with Twi'lek physiology back then. Or any non-human species, really. Togruta have montrals, Twi'leks have lekku, and Zeltrons…" I glanced at Kayla and Visenya, who both blushed deeply, knowing exactly where their sensitive spots were. "Let's just say I've learned a lot since then."
Kayla smirked despite her blush. "You certainly have."
The room grew a little quieter. Then Shin asked the question that had clearly been on all their minds.
"Dagon… you said you were basically alone for fifty years fighting Skynet, right? And the twenty-six years in the Balance Corps were the same — solitary training, meditation, isolation. So how…" She blushed, gesturing vaguely at all of them. "How are you so experienced at pleasing women?"
The question made everyone lean in slightly, even Ahsoka, who was curled against my side.
I let out a slow breath, staring up at Erictia's gentle face as her fingers continued stroking my hair.
"I'm not entirely sure," I admitted honestly. "The very first time was with Ahsoka, Kayla, Flare, Visenya, and Stella together in that cave on the planet near Lego. Something just… clicked. Like instinct. I instantly knew their weak spots, what they needed, how to touch them. At first I thought it was just adrenaline or the Force guiding me. But as the bond grew stronger, I started hearing you — all of you — in the back of my mind. Little thoughts, desires, what felt good, what you craved. The bond turned into something deeper than words. It's like I can feel what you need before you even know it yourself."
Erictia's fingers paused for a moment, then resumed with extra tenderness. "That's… actually really beautiful."
Ahsoka shifted closer, resting her chin on my chest. "So with Aayla… you could do the same thing? Listen to her thoughts through the Force? Help heal her that way?"
I nodded slowly. "Possibly. But first I need to get past her anger. Her sexual frustration. Being used like that by the clone… it left deep scars. She might need to vent that anger physically before she can even begin to trust intimacy again."
Stella, usually the quietest, spoke up softly. "So… spar with her? Train her hard until she's exhausted and angry enough to let it out?"
"Yeah," I said. "That might be the start. Push her limits. Let her fight the pain out. Then… maybe the rest will come naturally."
Zule smiled mischievously. "Just don't enjoy it too much, Master."
I chuckled. "I'm not making any moves until she's ready. She's hurting. The last thing she needs is another man taking advantage of her vulnerability."
Shin leaned in and kissed my forehead. "That's why we love you. You see the pain first."
Erictia bent down and kissed me softly, upside down. "We'll help her too. All of us. She's part of this now, whether she knows it or not."
I closed my eyes, letting their warmth and presence surround me. The weight of command, the war, the endless threats — it all felt a little lighter when I had them.
Aayla needed healing.
And somehow, I knew we'd find a way to give it to her.