**Chapter 583**
**Scene 1**
**Dagon POV**
**Felucia Surface – Approaching Jiaozi City**
The battlefield was a graveyard of droids.
I walked slowly across the scarred fungal plain, my Krayt Dragon armor still humming with residual dark side energy. The ground was littered with the remains of the Separatist forces we had just crushed. B1 Battle Droids lay in twisted heaps, their cheap armor no match for Grizzly tank cannons. B2 Super Battle Droids were scattered in larger piles, their heavier plating melted or shattered by concentrated fire. B2-HA variants, with their rocket launchers, had tried to provide anti-armor support but were quickly overwhelmed. OOM Command Droids, BX Commando Droids, IG-86 Sentinel Droids, and even a few elite IG-100 MagnaGuards lay among the wreckage, their advanced programming unable to overcome the sheer weight of our assault. Repair Droids and Droid Engineers were crushed under tank treads, while Droidekas had been torn apart mid-deployment.
STAPs, Crab Droids, AATs, Enforcer Tanks, Hailfire Droids, Homing Spider Droids, MTTs, HAGs, and HMPs littered the landscape like broken toys. So many droids. So many spare parts.
I had deployed three Scorpenek annihilator droids atop the lead Juggernaut. The idea was simple: Juggernaut speed combined with the Scorpenek's effective heavy rapid fire. Nice idea, right? Very effective. The massive droids had shredded entire columns of enemy armor as we advanced.
Unfortunately, our rampage stopped as we reached the border of the city Jiaozi.
Two-kilometer range. That was the effective reach of the J-1 proton cannons positioned along the city's outer defenses. Shells struck the ground in rhythmic explosions, creating a deadly no-man's-land of craters and plasma fire. The city itself was a mix of Gossam architecture and native fungal structures, its walls reinforced with droid emplacements and militia positions.
I raised the Wrath Shield, feeling its dragon-shaped form pulse with power. "Hold the line," I transmitted to the column. "I'll clear the path."
**Scene 2**
**Unknown POV**
**Jiaozi City Defenses**
"Sir, we are taking heavy damage. Several of the walls have fallen already," a battle droid reported to the tactical droid overseeing the city's outer defenses.
"What is the status of the Republic forces? How far have they reached?" the tactical droid asked, its photoreceptors glowing as it processed incoming data.
"Uhh, sir… the Republic forces are out of range," the droid replied, sounding almost confused. "A Jedi in dark armor is freezing our shells when we fire at him and throwing them back at us."
"Impossible. No Jedi has that capability," the tactical droid snapped.
Another explosion rocked the command post. An exploding, green fiery path surrounded by crimson electrical arcs suddenly came out of the darkness and destroyed several tanks and three landing craft.
A black and red armored figure approached, red crossguard lightsaber in one hand, beskar sword and an odd shield in the other.
The tactical droid's processors froze for a fraction of a second. "Target that Jedi. All units, concentrate fire—"
It was too late. The figure moved like a storm of blades and lightning. Shells fired at him were caught mid-air by an invisible force, frozen, and hurled back with devastating accuracy. Turrets exploded. Droid squads were cut down in seconds. The dark armored Jedi carved through the defenses like they were nothing.
**Scene 3**
**Veers POV**
**Republic Armored Column – Felucia Surface**
"Sir, the General is cutting them up. Should we proceed now?" asked the clone tank driver from inside the lead Grizzly.
"No," Colonel Veers replied calmly from his command vehicle. "When he launches the flare, then we are to proceed. Until then, just relax and enjoy the fireworks."
Numerous explosions occurred in the distance as Dagon continued his one-man assault on the city's outer defenses. The dark armored figure moved with terrifying speed and power, freezing incoming shells and throwing them back, unleashing lightning and blade work that left entire sections of the wall in ruins.
"During our training on Kamino, the Mandalorian instructors said the Jedi were very skilled," Puck commented over the comm, "but he didn't mention this."
"No," Veers replied, "but apparently in the first and second galactic wars, thousands of years ago, a Jedi or Sith at the time was considered a one-man army. Many compare Dagon to the old legends. Plus, this is excellent work of Jedi abilities in war — lead individual front attacks while we bring up the rear."
A blue flare suddenly flew up from the city, arcing high into the sky.
"Signal received. Prepare to move," Veers ordered.
The armored column started advancing. Grizzlies led the way, their heavy cannons clearing paths through the shattered defenses. Juggernauts followed, their massive treads crushing debris and droid remains. AT-STs provided flanking fire while the Braha'tok gunships swept overhead, lasers stitching through remaining resistance.
The second half of Jiaozi fell quickly after that. With the outer walls breached and the command posts destroyed, the remaining droids and militia surrendered or were neutralized. The water treatment facilities were secured, and technical teams moved in to contain the toxin.
Dagon stood atop a ruined wall as the column arrived, his Wrath Shield still glowing faintly. The Krayt Dragon armor was unscratched, the dragon emblem pulsing with power.
"Area secure," he transmitted. "Move in and establish perimeter. We hold Har Gau tonight."
Veers saluted from his tank. "Yes, sir. Well done, General."
Dagon nodded, deactivating his blades. "The planet is next. Felucia will not fall easily… but it will fall."
The Republic forces consolidated their gains as night fell over the glowing fungal city. The battle for Felucia continued, but another vital step had been taken.