**Chapter 601**
**Olympus Mons – Dagon's Private Office**
**Dagon POV**
The silence that followed my proposal was heavy, almost reverent. The three of them — Raith, Jasmill, and Lyra — stood there processing the sheer scope of what I had just laid on the table. New Star Destroyer designs. Advanced weaponry. Kyber. Materials. A legitimate path forward that didn't require them to sell their souls to Kuat's board or risk everything on corporate espionage.
Lyra Blissex was the first to find her voice. It came out shaky, uncertain.
"Why?" she asked. "After everything… after yesterday, after the threats, after we basically went behind your back… why are you still being kind to us? This deal is legitimate robbery — in the best way for us. We're getting everything manageable, plus extra technology and materials we never dreamed of. It doesn't make sense. Why help us?"
Jasmill stepped forward beside her, eyes searching mine. "Why help us at all?"
Raith remained quiet, but his expression mirrored the same desperate need for understanding.
I leaned back against the edge of my desk, folding my arms. The red-and-black spiral in my eyes caught the light from the nearby holodisplays.
"Because you asked," I said simply.
Lyra shook her head. "That's not the same thing. Yesterday… that personality shift. The dragon. The threats. And yet you still offer us this. Even after Kuat refused your Annihilator designs and you gave them several rich asteroid fields anyway… why do you continue to be kind?"
I looked at each of them in turn, letting the Force flow gently through the room so they could feel my sincerity instead of just hearing it.
"A choice to be better," I answered. "While those threats were not empty, I can sense the conflict in all three of you. You're not my enemies. You're people trying to survive and build something meaningful in a galaxy tearing itself apart."
I turned to Lyra first.
"You, Lyra — the finest student your father ever trained. You grew up to be a brilliant engineer. Because Walex never learned to fully trust computers, you did much of his work in his stead. Yet you still struggle to stand completely on your own, even with your Venator project. The Kuat board wants something bigger. Better. They're pushing you, and it weighs on you."
Lyra's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't deny it.
I shifted my gaze to Jasmill.
"You, Jasmill — one of the first real friends I made when this war started. You went from a small-time officer handling reports to managing major operations. And now you've found someone to build a life with. That's rare. Worth protecting."
Jasmill's hand found Raith's. She looked close to tears.
Finally, I addressed Raith directly.
"And you, Raith… your situation is similar to Lyra's. After your younger years where you thought you had peaked, you stopped pushing forward and started falling back, wondering who would outpace you. But you still built something extraordinary here."
I let the words settle for a moment before continuing.
"In the Force, the three of you are very different… but similar. Such is the stream of destiny. So — an agreement?"
The silence stretched only a few heartbeats.
"Agreed," Lyra said, her voice thick.
"Agreed," Jasmill whispered.
Raith nodded, eyes glistening. "Agreed."
All three of them had tears in their eyes now — Lyra trying to hide hers behind professional composure, Jasmill letting them fall openly, and Raith looking overwhelmed with relief and shame at the same time.
*Why do they always cry?* I thought internally. *It's weird when adults do it.*
I offered them a small, genuine smile — the kind I rarely showed outside my inner circle.
"Good. We'll finalize the details tomorrow. For now… get some rest. You all look like you need it."
As they turned to leave, Raith paused at the door.
"Thank you, Dagon. For everything."
I simply nodded.
Once the door closed behind them, I let out a long breath and sat down heavily in my chair. The weight of the day — the campaign, the politics, the constant balancing act — pressed down on me.
But for the first time in weeks, I felt like I had taken one small step toward something stable.