Chapter 278
**First Battle**
The crystalline plains west of Chaleydonia shimmered under a sudden downpour, rain hissing as it struck superheated metal and energy shields. Meteorite activity had stirred the atmosphere, turning the sky a bruised violet-gray. This was no elegant siege—it was the first major ground engagement of the Christophsis campaign, and I intended to make it decisive.
The AT-ATs advanced slowly but inexorably, a wall of four-legged behemoths stretching in a perfect line across the wide crystal road. Ten massive All Terrain Armored Transports moved in lockstep, their heavy footfalls sending tremors through the bedrock. Chin-mounted heavy laser cannons pounded relentlessly, bright red bolts slamming into the Separatist forward positions. An AAT Mk I exploded in a spectacular fireball, its repulsorlift failing catastrophically as flames licked across the olive-green hull. Black smoke billowed upward, mixing with the rain to create oily streaks that ran down the fractured crystal outcroppings.
Dwarf spider droids scuttled forward in response, their four legs clicking against the glassy ground. Twin laser cannons spat return fire, scoring dark scorch marks across the AT-ATs' thick armored plating. The walkers' armor held, shrugging off the lighter weapons, but the sheer volume of fire forced minor course corrections.
From the flanks, AT-TEs countered with precision. The six-legged walkers positioned on elevated crystal ridges opened up with their mass-driver cannons and side-mounted laser turrets. Heavy shells arced through the rain, blasting legs clean off the dwarf spiders. The mechanical arachnids collapsed into craters, twitching helplessly as hydraulic fluid and thick black oil leaked into the puddles, turning the ground into a slick, rainbow-sheen mess.
I stood on the command deck of the *Marauder*, my personal Arquitens-class command cruiser modified with advanced sensor suites. The ship hovered high in the atmosphere, well above the meteorite danger zone, its upgraded arrays painting the entire battlefield in real-time. Data streamed directly to every Republic commander and artillery crew below.
"Target acquisition confirmed," I transmitted across the secure net. "Adjust elevation three degrees on AV-7 batteries. Focus fire on the Octuptarra tri-droids clustering near the shield generator."
Below, the battle unfolded in three distinct lines, exactly as planned.
**First Line – The Wall**
The ten AT-ATs formed an unbroken front, stretching nearly a kilometer end to end. No infantry advanced with them yet. This was pure shock power—massive walkers designed to draw fire, absorb punishment, and annihilate heavy armor. Their chin cannons continued their rhythmic pounding, vaporizing NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcers that tried to rush forward on their tracked chassis. One Persuader took a direct hit to its missile rack; the resulting secondary explosion sent flaming debris cartwheeling across the plain, crushing a squad of B1 battle droids in the process.
The Separatist response was immediate and overwhelming in volume. Thousands of B1-series battle droids marched forward in rigid ranks, their metallic voices chanting "Roger, roger" even as rain shorted out exposed joints. B2 super battle droids lumbered behind them, wrist rockets firing in salvos that exploded against AT-AT legs. Droidekas rolled into position, deploying their shields and unleashing rapid-fire blaster cannons that created a storm of blue energy. Octuptarra magna tri-droids—towering, three-legged artillery platforms—added their own heavy plasma shots, the spheres at their tips glowing ominously before discharging.
At least three T-series tactical droids coordinated from the rear, their red photoreceptors glowing as they attempted to adapt. Single Trooper Aerial Platforms (STAPs) darted overhead, their pilots trying to strafe the advancing walkers, but Republic anti-air fire from the AT-TEs kept most of them from making effective runs.
**Second Line – Mobile Support**
Behind the AT-AT wall came the faster elements. Dozens of TX-130 Saber tanks skimmed low on repulsorlifts, their twin laser cannons and missile launchers adding lighter but rapid firepower. They wove between the massive walker legs, targeting clusters of B2s and droidekas that survived the initial barrage. AT-XT walkers—lighter and more agile than their bigger cousins—provided flanking fire, their articulated legs allowing them to navigate the uneven crystal terrain with surprising grace. Their medium lasers picked off LR-57 combat droids that attempted to flank through narrow ravines.
The rain intensified, turning the battlefield into a slick mirror. Explosions reflected in fractured crystal surfaces, creating a chaotic kaleidoscope of fire and destruction.
**Third Line – The Rush**
Held in reserve but ready, AT-RTs and speeder bikes waited for the signal. Once the enemy heavy line broke, these lighter units would surge forward in a rapid exploitation attack—scouts and fast raiders to hunt down command droids and prevent any organized retreat.
On the opposite sides of the main engagement zone, twelve AT-TEs had been positioned as dedicated counter-battery platforms. Their mass-driver cannons elevated high, waiting for targeting data. From the *Marauder* high above, I fed them constant adjustments.
"Counter-battery fire—now," I ordered. "Take out those Octuptarra tri-droids before they bracket our AT-ATs."
The twelve AT-TEs fired in near-perfect unison. Heavy shells screamed through the rain, guided by the *Marauder*'s superior sensors. Three Octuptarra magna tri-droids disappeared in brilliant detonations, their plasma spheres erupting in sympathetic explosions that showered the surrounding droids with molten fragments. A fourth staggered, one leg blown off, before toppling sideways and crushing a column of advancing B1s.
The main Separatist line began to waver. The single deflector shield generator protecting their forward command post flickered under sustained fire from the AT-AT chin cannons. B1s and B2s continued to pour forward in seemingly endless waves—five million droids total across multiple armies, but only a fraction committed here. Still, the sheer numbers were daunting. Droidekas rolled relentlessly, their shield bubbles absorbing hits until the AT-ATs focused fire and overwhelmed them.
One AT-AT took a concentrated barrage from a group of Persuader enforcers and dwarf spiders. Its left foreleg armor buckled, but the walker kept advancing, its massive foot crushing a dozen droids beneath it. The crew inside compensated, shifting power to secondary stabilizers.
"Infantry—hold," I transmitted. "Do not advance until the shield generator is down. Let the walkers finish the heavy work."
Ahsoka's voice cut across the command channel from her position with a forward scout team. "Master, the droids are trying to flank through the eastern crystal canyons. Zule and I can intercept with a squad of clones and a couple of Saber tanks."
"Approved," I replied. "Stay mobile. Don't get pinned."
Through the bond I felt her excitement and Zule's steady determination. Their small force peeled off, orange-and-blue accents on Ahsoka's fighter (now grounded) replaced by the flash of her lightsabers as they moved to blunt the flanking attempt.
The AT-AT line pressed closer. The deflector shield generator finally overloaded in a shower of sparks and arcing energy. With the shield down, the walkers' cannons tore into the clustered command units. Two T-series tactical droids were vaporized instantly. OOM command battle droids attempted to rally the B1s, but their orders dissolved into chaos as communications fragmented.
"Third line—go," I ordered.
AT-RTs and speeder bikes surged forward like a breaking wave. The lighter repulsorcraft darted between the slower walkers, their blaster cannons and rockets cutting down disorganized droid squads. B1s scattered, many simply shutting down when their command signals were lost. B2s fought on stubbornly, but without coordinated support they became easy targets for the fast-moving raiders.
Rain continued to fall, washing away oil and coolant from destroyed droids. The battlefield was littered with twitching mechanical corpses—dwarf spiders missing legs, droidekas with shields collapsed, Persuaders burning where they had stalled.
From the *Marauder*, I watched the sensor overlay shift decisively in our favor. The first major droid army committed to this sector was breaking. Thousands of battle droids destroyed or deactivated, heavy armor reduced to smoking wrecks.
"Push forward," I commanded. "Secure the road junction. Establish defensive turrets along the crystal ridge. We take this district before nightfall."
Anakin's voice came through, triumphant. "Walkers are doing the heavy lifting! My clones are ready to move in once the area is clear."
"Hold your infantry until the third line finishes the sweep," I replied. "Minimize casualties. This is only the first battle—there are nine more cities connected by these roads. We do it clean and fast."
As the AT-ATs continued their inexorable advance over the wreckage, the rain began to ease. Sunlight broke through the clouds, refracting through the crystal plains in brilliant rainbows that somehow made the scene of destruction almost beautiful.
The first battle for Christophsis was tilting heavily toward the Republic. Loathsom's millions of droids had felt the sting of coordinated walker tactics, precise artillery, and orbital overwatch. But this was only the opening move.
Farther west, more droid armies waited behind secondary lines. The real test would come when the Separatists committed their full strength.
For now, the crystal road belonged to the AT-ATs, and the path to liberating Chaleydonia's western districts lay open.