**Chapter 760: The Price of Victory**
**Scene 1: Raxus Secundus – Count Dooku's Private Sanctum**
Darth Sidious pulled the hood of his black robe higher, concealing his withered features as he activated the secure holocomm. The blue image of Count Dooku materialized instantly, kneeling on one knee in perfect deference.
"My Lord," Dooku intoned.
"Report, Tyranus," Sidious rasped. The summons had been unexpected, forcing him to rise from meditative slumber. The encrypted note had been clear: the matter required his personal intervention.
"The Board of Governors of the InterGalactic Banking Clan and Chairman San Hill have expressed serious concern about the situation at Mygeeto," Dooku said. "They demand decisive action. Otherwise, they threaten to cut — or even stop — funding for many critical projects. The Republic fleet, despite resistance from our ships, is on the verge of seizing orbital control. Some private vessel is broadcasting the battle across the galaxy, fueling public hysteria."
Sidious's yellow eyes narrowed. "This is… unexpected."
"Yes, my Lord. I believe Dagon is deliberately baiting the Confederacy into launching *Spear of Light* earlier than planned by striking at the Muuns' vanity," Dooku replied.
Sidious's lips curled into a thin, predatory smile. "An incredible move. Such Sith-like thinking from the so-called Dragon."
"However, we cannot risk the Muuns jeopardizing the entire offensive," Dooku continued. "Their financial support is the lifeblood of our war effort."
Sidious leaned forward, gloved fingers dancing across a hidden console. A string of encrypted codes transmitted to Dooku's receiver. "Contact the Hapes. Use these special codes. This will prove the effectiveness of our new ally and assist the Queen Mother in removing some… inconvenient problems."
Dooku bowed lower. "As you command, my Lord."
Sidious ended the transmission, his smile widening. The boardroom politics of the Banking Clan were useful, but fragile. A little chaos on Mygeeto would remind them who truly held power.
**Scene 2: Mygeeto System – Bridge of the Devastation**
In the Jedi Temple, they had often taught that the Force was created and sustained by life. That Jedi existed to preserve that life. That any killing was wrong.
"Often, killing is necessary and unavoidable. A Jedi may kill in self-defense or in defense of others. He may kill if, by doing so, he preserves another life. But he must always know that killing is wrong. That by killing, he commits a crime against the Force. And although he may understand that he does it for the greater good, and that this greater good justifies his actions, that death will forever remain a stain on his soul."
Maybe that was why the Jedi had never been ready for *this* war — a war that required killing. Or worse, sending sentient beings to kill other sentient beings.
Even just *feeling* all of it was hard. But Battle Meditation allowed him to do more than feel it. It let him *see* it all.
The tension in the body of a repairman frantically reconnecting a power line torn apart by an explosion…
The stingy precision of a gunner's fingers adjusting the targeting system's regulator…
The heavy breathing of a pilot trying to shake a Vulture off his tail while simultaneously helping a comrade…
The composure of a medic bending over another wounded soldier…
Hundreds… Thousands… Hundreds of thousands of sentient beings focused on only one thing: the battle. Droids felt completely different — cold determination, devoid of emotion.
From the outside, the sight was no less majestic. Several hundred warships of various classes maneuvered through space, trying to destroy one another. It was a symphony of turbolaser fire and missile trails, dwarfing everything else. A vast cloud of fighters and bombers moved in seemingly chaotic patterns, like gnats swarming over a battlefield.
Dagon's prediction had been confirmed. The enemy had decided to break through and strike the landing formation directly. He would have done the same — let the enemy seize orbit, but keep the surface intact by destroying the troops before they could disembark. They couldn't prevent the attempt, but they couldn't allow it to succeed either. Desperate situations forced desperate decisions.
The first phase of the battle had lasted nearly two hours. Intelligence reports indicated the enemy was transferring new forces to Mygeeto, but they were still far away — the sector lacked convenient hyperlanes. While the fleet held favorable positions and the landing ships prepared to descend, there were a few precious minutes to breathe.
All the Jedi, along with senior officers, had gathered in the main control room.
Jeysel crossed her arms. "Unfortunately, there's some truth to his words. Perhaps backed up by personal experience." After all, Autumn was an extraordinary individual…
Sagoro Autumn had been born on Coruscant into a family with a proud tradition of service in the Senate Guard, dating back to the last Jedi Chancellor a thousand years ago. It was only natural that the young man would follow in his ancestors' footsteps. However, several years ago, during an investigation into a senator's death, Autumn had run into trouble. No one knew the full details — only that he had been forced to kill a relative. Afterward, he was convicted and imprisoned on Brentaal IV. It seemed his story was over. But… the Clone Wars began, and Brentaal sided with the Separatists. Jedi Master Shaak Ti, arriving with clone troopers, had freed Autumn and several other prisoners to help infiltrate the Separatist leader's fortress. Ultimately, the planet was captured by the Republic, and Sagoro joined the Grand Army, rising to captain of a Venator. His impeccable service had earned him promotion to commander under Dagon Marek.
Now he stood among the command staff, watching the man who commanded 1 Togruta, a Zeltron-Falleen hybrid, a Pantoran, 3 Zeltrons, 2 red Twi'leks, 1 blue Twi'lek, a Felacatian, an Arkanian with white hair, and 3 human females — all constantly around him. They acted like lovesick teenagers one moment and dangerous warlords the next.
Dagon's voice cut through the room, calm yet commanding. "The enemy is committing everything to break our center. We let them come. Then we crush them."
**Scene 3: The Breaking Point**
The central enemy detachment surged forward in a desperate frontal assault. Dagon's Battle Meditation surged with it, feeding subtle warnings and confidence to every Republic commander and pilot.
"Left wing, tighten the envelope," he ordered. "Right wing, prepare the hammer. All ships — Guardian network at full power."
Missiles and turbolaser fire filled the void. Vulture swarms disintegrated by the hundreds under the combined weight of the Guardian defense grid. The *Devastation* itself unleashed its full broadside, XX-9 batteries and quad turbolasers carving through Lucrehulk and Providence-class vessels.
A massive explosion lit the darkness as one of the enemy Droid Command Ships detonated under concentrated fire from three Assault Frigates and a Valiant-class Star Destroyer.
Dagon felt the shift in the enemy's morale through the Force — panic spreading like cracks in ice. The Muuns would scream for reinforcements. Dooku would be forced to react.
The Dragon smiled beneath his mask.
"Come on," he whispered. "Take the bait."
The battle for Mygeeto raged on — a symphony of fire, sacrifice, and calculated wrath.
And the necessary monster conducted every note.