Roy: - General Pablo. Lieutenant Roy and Sergeant Collin reporting our return. - He spoke through the communicator of his fighter ship.

Pablo: - Lieutenant? Can we find out where you and the sergeant were? We lost contact with you half an hour ago. -

Roy: - We had an accident with the 501st legion in their orbital space. -

Pablo: - General Skywalker had better confirm his story, young Padawan. Or you will be in serious trouble. -

Roy: - Count on it. -

The space battle on this front was far behind compared to the rest. Not only were they the last to arrive, but the 194th Legion also had fewer resources than others such as the 501st or the 212th Army Corps. So its progress was much less progressive.

Among many other things, the 194th had fewer bombers, so frontal assaults against the Lucrehulk ships that made up the Separatist blockade were very risky, and the probability of success very low. Fortunately, the general seemed to have an idea in mind.

Roy: - General. We should contact the 501st and ask for bomber and fighter support if we want to shoot down those Separatist battleships. -

Pablo: - Negative. We received news from the troops on the ground. General Windo and Lightning Squadron are about to assault the capital city of Ryloth. We don't have time to wait for reinforcements if we want to clear the sector. If we don't destroy those ships before the Separatists are defeated... Who knows what they are capable of? Maybe they will carry out an orbital bombardment on the dam. We have to attack and now. -

Roy: - Any ideas? -

Pablo: - Yes. Commander Tukk? They are ready? -

Tukk: - The shuttles are ready and waiting. -

Pablo: - Very good. Lieutenant Roy, go with Captain Hammer and Neptune Company and assault the Lucrehulk on the right. Commander Tukk, to the left. The rest of you, follow me for the one in the center. To all battleships, provide fire support. -

Suddenly, the three battleships opened the enormous doors of the central hangars, and thousands of LAAT/i shuttles took off from inside towards the enemy battleships. It was an extremely risky maneuver, because although these transports could cross the void of space without much effort, they were not designed for combat against other fighters. They were much slower, and the Vulture droids would see them as easy prey, hence the extra effort the Republic fighters had to make to keep them away.

Both General Pablo, Lieutenant Roy and all the clone pilots were engaged in a fierce battle against the Vulture droids. Dozens of lives were lost every minute, and the clones inside the shuttles could do nothing but breathe deeply and wait to reach their destination, since they could not even have the side doors open to watch the battle. They could only wait... and pray.

Captain Hammer himself was proof of this. He was a great warrior without a doubt, but he felt too insecure inside a ship and he had his reasons. On land he had control over his actions. His decisions could save his life or that of his brothers, but both in the air and in space he was at the mercy of the course of the battle and the capricious Force.

Roy: - I already saw it R5. There are too many. - He responded to the beeps of the droid that was attached to his ship.

Collin: - Lieutenant. More Vulture fighters are approaching. -

Roy: - I don't like this... All the fighters. Defend transportation at all costs. -

It was simply too much. The young padawan gritted his teeth more and more as one of the transports under his charge exploded behind him. He knew what war was and its consequences, but men went there. Men who counted on him to accomplish their mission and he was failing them.

Collin: - Lieutenant... Wait... -

At the call of his subordinate and the frightened beeps of the droid B5, Roy pressed the accelerator of his ship, leaving the formation and entering alone against the enemy droids. It was a reckless act and not at all approved by any superior, but Roy's frown suggested that he was willing to accept the punishment if he survived this encounter. But I wouldn't lose another man. Not today.

The Padawan charged forward, knocking down dozens of droids from the countless tide that rushed towards them. Their starfighter made its way through the fire of explosions or metal fragments flying in all directions. Their blasters did not stop firing, to the point that they were about to overheat. The droid R5 was extremely scared, and in its binary language it asked the young pilot to reconsider his decisions, but he simply did not listen. And before he even knew it, he was right in front of the entrance to the Lucrehulk's hangar.

Roy: - R5, jump! -

As soon as they entered the magnetic seal that kept gravity inside the Separatist ship's hangar, the fighter's cockpit was ejected with a loud bang, allowing Roy to jump at ridiculous speeds out of his ship. The B5 droid had to do exactly the same, ejecting from its position seconds before the fighter crashed violently into the interior of the Lucrehulk hangar in a violent explosion.

The only reason Roy was able to survive such stupidity was the very nature of his mechanical body, much stronger than an organic one, although lacking the use of the Force that allowed Jedi to land gracefully even in such situations.

Roy did not fall like that, but like a stone whose impact echoed in the immensity of the interior of the hangar, hiding his organic parts by curling into a ball to avoid any serious injury. Although the impact and the countless turns he made left him quite dizzy, even with his enhanced cybernetic hearing. But this was not the time to worry about that.

As soon as the young man regained his composure, he did not hesitate for a second to grab his two lightsabers and launch himself against the closest droid he had. Roy was involved in a maelstrom of violence, although his attitude was far from the dark side. He only wanted to ensure the lives of as many clones as possible, even if it endangered his own.

The droids watched as that strange cybor pounced on them without any form of self-preservation. Their clothes were torn as a result of the fall itself, and even the plastoid plates that covered their shoulders were dented by the different impacts against the hard metal floor.

For two minutes, Roy faced an army alone. The Vulture droids that were still in the walker position did their best to reach him with their cannons, but the young man was too fast, and often cut off their stabilizers before they could do anything about it.

Roy was well aware of his disadvantage, so he knew very well that he had to keep constantly moving if he did not want to be surrounded, like an air bubble underwater in its constant climb towards the surface. His focus was on the enemies in front of him, always trying to interpose the slow droids behind him to prevent them from shooting him from behind.

His two lightsabers orchestrated a magnificent dance that cut through the enemy circuits, and from the distance only his beautiful silhouette could be seen left in his wake, like the flutter of a butterfly. And it was in all that unbridled and beautiful chaos that the allied fire was present.

With all the chaos Roy made in his wake, as well as the gaping hole in the enemy defenses, the clones were able to find a perfect point through which to penetrate the enemy lines. Behind the young Padawan's back, the shuttles entered the interior of the multiple hangars, opening fire with their laser cannons and torpedoes, while the gunners opened fire on the droid formations with powerful laser beams that pierced their victims in half.

A maelstrom of destruction and explosions spread throughout the Lucrehulk hangars. The clones of the 194th were actors in one of the most difficult war scenarios of the Ryloth campaign, fighting with all their might to establish a beachhead while the rest of the shuttles arrived at the rendezvous point.

On the front of everything, Roy changed his combat style drastically, leaving aggressiveness aside and concentrating on serving as a shield so that the clones could take positions before the arrival of new enemies. His mere presence in front of everyone and the flashy lightsabers made him easy prey, attracting as many shots as possible. His sabers kept shaking from side to side, forming a shield as effective as that of the droids, but even someone like him has his limits.

If it weren't for the shield wall that was erected right in front, Roy would have quickly reached the point of collapse. The clones finally managed to reach the front, using the riot shields to set up a defensive line and advance along the corridors, resisting with all their might to not give in to the imposing amount of blaster fire that their enemies were throwing at them.

It was in this desperate resistance that perfectly imitated the bravery of the Spartan warriors in the Gulf of Damocles, where the clones showed their mettle and determination.

As if trained by ancient Rome's own Julius Caesar, the riot shields mounted a perfect testudo in front of the young padawan, digging their bottoms into the ground as they bowed to maintain a firm footing and a low guard, while their Comrades threw detonators and fired from the safety of the formation.

The blasters poked the tips of their cannons between the crevices of the formation, cutting down countless enemies before they could even get close, heroically holding the position until reinforcements arrived, which entered the interior of the hangar unleashing fury, blaster and destruction.

It was in that assault that Captain Hammer descended from the shuttles, taking direct command of all the units present and organizing them into effective attack groups that little by little claimed supremacy inside the Luckrehulk hangars.

The clones with shields advanced with their brothers, leaving behind the young lieutenant, who looked much worse than he himself believed.

His clothes were full of blaster marks, many that not even he himself had noticed. His metallic body could inform his brain of the damage received and even cause him pain, but only if he wanted it. Since he decided on such a reckless act, he turned off everything unnecessary, leaving only a machine that was willing to fulfill its mission.

The captain approached the young man once the position was safe, and his heavy steps did not go unnoticed. Roy turned around, tired and with eyes defeated by exhaustion. But the least he expected was for Hammer himself to punch him in the face.

Hammer: - Can I tell what the hell you were thinking about!? They almost got you killed! -

The Padawan fell to the ground, stunned by the blow he received under his chin. He was dazed, because such a shake to his head disconnected his brain for a second, although he did his best to lift his body. Only then did Hammer know that he had gone a bit too far, seeing the blood pouring from his mouth, but that was nothing compared to the thought of death for his stupidity. Still... the young padawan only responded with a question.

Roy: - How many... How many men... did we lose? -