Copper has done his deployment and softened (9)
I believe the answer is:
cushioned
'softened' is the definition.
('cushion' can be a synonym of 'soften')
'copper has done his deployment' is the wordplay.
'copper has' becomes 'cu' (I've seen this in other clues).
'deployment' indicates an anagram (letters deployed in a new way).
'done'+'his'='donehis'
'donehis' anagrammed gives 'shioned'.
'cu'+'shioned'='CUSHIONED'
'and' is the link.
(Other definitions for cushioned that I've seen before include "given protection" , "protected from impact" , "Softened the effect of" .)