**Chapter 875: The Price of Surrender**
**Scene 1: Planetoid Zero-Zero-Two – Dagon POV**
The once-proud planetoid zero-zero-two was now a shattered ruin, chunks of rock floating in erratic orbits pulled by the Maw's black holes. Craters glowed with residual dark energy, and the air was thick with dust and the acrid smell of scorched metal. Dagon floated above the devastation, his Wrath Shield armor humming with power, the vents still leaking faint trails of dark energy.
'Good thing this armor allows me to breathe in space,' Dagon thought, scanning the wreckage for any sign of Dooku or remaining threats.
"Yes, it does. Too bad this fight was a distraction," a voice called out as Dagon turned around.
To his horror he saw the Shield Hero, Naofumi, with Zule locked in a headlock between his arms. The corrupted hero's eyes glowed with unnatural light, his shield arm warped by Skynet's phase matter virus.
"How, impossible, unless," Dagon shouted as he processed who he just killed.
"Yes that's right similar to you I too had a harem, the one you killed was my wife Raphtalia, well sort of she was already taken by Skynet similar to my state and to Zule state soon if you surrender," Naofumi said, his voice a cold mix of human and machine.
"Mankind pays lip service to peace. But it's a lie." Naofumi said, tightening his grip on Zule.
"Do it, Dagon! Do it now!" Zule yelled, struggling against the hold, her eyes fierce despite the fear.
"He can't do it, right, Dagon can't hurt you or let you be hurt, that is his weakness, the Wrath Shield, the strength, the beast of darkness means nothing when the ones he love is in danger, but I can," Naofumi said as he prepared to infect Zule with the phase matter virus, dark tendrils extending from his arm.
"Wait! Spare her life and I will surrender," Dagon said, deactivating his Wrath Shield and lightsaber. The armor receded, leaving him vulnerable in the void.
"Good choice," Naofumi said as he released Zule, shoving her toward Dagon.
"Zule remember, I love you and take care of the girls and our kid," Dagon said, his voice steady despite the pain in his eyes, before he and Naofumi stepped into a swirling portal.
"Dagon, no!" Zule yelled, reaching out desperately as the portal closed.
The Maw's black holes swirled in the distance, indifferent to the tragedy unfolding on the shattered planetoid. Zule floated alone among the ruins, her heart breaking as the man she loved vanished into Skynet's grasp.
**Scene 2: Jedi Temple, Coruscant**
Jedi Temple, Coruscant.
"No casualties, but nearly 90 Jedi and 70 clones injured," Cin said as he approached Obi-Wan.
"Yes, what happened to the fight," Obi-Wan said as a portal opened and Zule fell through.
"He's gone, Skynet captured him, to save me," Zule said.
The Jedi Temple was alive with activity as reports from the Maw filtered in. Obi-Wan Kenobi stood in the central courtyard, his face etched with worry as Cin Drallig approached with the latest casualty figures.
"No casualties, but nearly 90 Jedi and 70 clones injured," Cin said, his voice heavy with exhaustion.
"Yes, what happened to the fight," Obi-Wan asked, turning as a swirling portal suddenly opened in the air. Zule tumbled through, collapsing to her knees.
"He's gone. Skynet captured him, to save me," Zule said, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her face.
The other girls rushed to her side—Ahsoka, Visenya, Flare, Stella, Kayla, Grace, Shin, Erictia, Aayla, Sakura, Aubrie, Atroxa, Miaria, and Talon. They surrounded Zule, their faces a mixture of shock and grief.
"What happened?" Ahsoka asked, helping Zule to her feet.
"Dooku's challenge was a trap. The heroes… they were Skynet's. Dagon fought them all, destroyed them, but Naofumi had me. He was going to infect me. Dagon surrendered to save me," Zule explained, her hand instinctively going to her stomach.
Obi-Wan's expression darkened. "Skynet… the machine from another world. This is worse than we feared."
Cin nodded grimly. "We need to prepare. If Skynet has Dagon, the galaxy is in even greater danger."
The girls exchanged determined glances. "We'll get him back," Ahsoka said firmly. "No matter what it takes."
Zule wiped her tears, her resolve hardening. "He saved me. Now it's our turn to save him."
The Jedi Temple buzzed with urgent activity as the news spread. The war had taken a dark new turn, and the fate of the galaxy now hung on rescuing Dagon from Skynet's grasp.