Battle of Christophsis (Seventeen)

22BBY, 6:41 p.m., August 11, Galactic Standard Time.

Crystal City, capital of Christophsis.

Explosions, gunfire, and roars erupted here almost without pause. Clones, droids, and Christophsians were all mixed together in this incomparably brutal battle.

Especially in the heart of the fighting, the Commercial Center defense line, the battle was even more intense. In this once-prosperous commercial center, practically a city within a city, the total forces committed by both sides had already exceeded 400,000!

"Whirlwind Company! Move quickly to reinforce the eastern building complex! A large number of undead have appeared over there!"

"The Hall's shields have been breached, bzzz... preparing to withdraw!"

"Air supp—bzzz! Where is the air support? Bzzz... Separatist stealth fighters are everywhere!"

"G-7 bzzz... position has fallen, bzzz... it's... the black bzzz... unit!!"

"Residents, quickly bzzz... evacuate! The isolation zone bzzz... east side... bzzz... breach! We need bzzz..."

"Bzzz..."

"Bzzz..."

At the height of the battle, nearly all Republic army command, tactical, and squad channels contained nothing but the ceaseless crackling of static.

Rex abruptly threw down his communicator and said to Anakin Skywalker beside him, "No good, General. All communications have completely collapsed! Could the communications tower have been destroyed?"

"That's impossible! Even if the communications tower were destroyed, our warships could still serve as communications nodes!" Anakin's expression was grim. "Even if the Hall has been forced to withdraw, there are still two Acclamator-class warships above Crystal City! Our communications couldn't possibly be completely cut off unless both the communications tower and the warships have gone wrong at the same time."

"Then... what if both the communications tower and the warships really have gone wrong at the same time?" Ahsoka Tano said with a frown.

Anakin Skywalker fell silent. After a while, he said, "We have to restore communications! We're heading to the