Disclaimer: I do not own Star wars at all it is unfortunately owned by Disney now.
Also this (*8*) means transition to the next part or scene.
"This strike force has been commissioned by the senate to hunt down the enemies' new battleship" Said Admiral Yularan. He and General Skywalker were going over the plan of how to efficiently bring down the metal monster formally known as the Malevolence.
"As the bulk of our fleets are engaged on the front lines, we'll be on our own. General Skywalker has prepared our attack strategy". Admiral Yularan introduced the Jedi Knight and stepped out of the way allowing him to take over the briefing.
"Thank you Admiral" Skywalker said. "While our Capitol ships are vulnerable to the enemies attack, I believe a squad of bombers can out maneuver their ion weapon. Our target will be the bridge and General Grievous."
A few conversations between the clone pilots erupted upon hearing their primary target.
"Our bombers will attack at high speed to evade the enemies' ion weapon, we'll concentrate our fire power on the bridge super structure. We destroy Grievous, we can bring the war to a quicker end". Skywalker looked around at his clone pilots to see some nervous and others eager faced.
"Pilots prepare your bombers" and with that said the pilots stood up heading to their designated bombers.
"Skywalker" Anakin looked to the left to see Jedi Master Plo Koon standing there with his Padawan Ahsoka Tano. "This is a rather aggressive plan. Are you sure your squadron can complete this mission?"
Anakin shrugged and said "Let's ask them?"
The Jedi knight turned to see the leader of Shadow Squadron talking with his men "Matchstick?" the pilot clone turned to face his superior. "You think our boys can pull it off?"
"Yes Sir!" the clone yelled "There hasn't been a mission Shadow Squadron couldn't complete sir!"
A clone next to Matchstick chimed in "That's right minimal casualties and maximum effectiveness".
Plo Koon found himself surprised at the way these two clones answered and replied "I admire your confidence Pilot, even so minimal casualties may be enough to prevent you from breaking Grievous' defenses".
Ahsoka stepped closer now and said "Master Plo is right, with Grievous on that ship's bridge it's bound to be well protected."
A smile came to Anakin's face. "Don't worry Ahsoka, we'll destroy that bridge and Grievous along with it".
Anakin turned and walked away from the group headed towards his bomber. Admiral Yularan saluted his respect towards the Jedi and followed General Skywalker.
"Master Skywalker seems to have great confidence in his men" Plo Koon said with his arms crossed.
A small chuckle escaped Ahsoka and replied "He does lead by example".
Ahsoka bowed to Plo Koon and walked off in the direction of her master, leaving Plo Koon to his thoughts on the mission at hand.
(*8*)
Ahsoka and Anakin walked around the hangar watching the other clones prepare for the upcoming mission. But it was time to prep their bombers as well.
"Which one's mine?" Ahsoka asked looking around.
"You're with me". Anakin said making the padawan stop in her tracks. "You can be my gunner".
Ahsoka now turned around to face her master with a rather annoyed expression on her face "Just admit it you don't like my flying".
Anakin found himself stumbling over his words "No- it's uh not that well, I mean"
Ahsoka raised her eyebrows in a questioning look and Anakin gave in "Alright Snips you can take Shadow 3 along with Lucky being your gunner. Does that make you happy?"
"Yes, yes it does. But who's going to be your gunner?"
"I got R2 for that. Right R2?"
A few beeps came from the astromech and a smile crept across the face of both Jedi.
"Skywalker"
Both Anakin and Ahsoka looked to their right to see both Admiral Yularan and Plo Koon heading towards them.
"The enemy warship has attacked our convoy of medical transports near Randellia "Admiral Yularan said.
Ahsoka was astonished "Medical transports? Only General Grievous would go after Clone's that can't fight back".
"The Randellia system?" Skywalker thought to himself, he knew something about that system was important to the Republic and that's when it hit him. "Isn't that where our medical base is? I bet that will be his next target".
"There are many star clusters in that area, with a ship that big he will be unable to chart a course that's less than 10 parsecs." Plo Koon stated.
"Looks like we're going to have to take a shortcut. Admiral warn that station what's coming".
The Admiral nodded yes and left for the bridge to deliver the news.
"This journey may be treacherous, if you lose any ships before you reach the target-"
"We won't lose anybody" Anakin said cutting off the Jedi master.
Anakin turned around headed towards his fellow pilots to relay the news.
"I will come along, provide a fighter escort".
"Any help is welcome Master Plo" Anakin replied climbing up the ladder towards the cockpit of his bomber. "Just try not to fall behind"
"I had a feeling you would be coming along" Ahsoka said climbing the ladder to get into her bomber. She noticed Lucky in the turret seat already and gave him a thumbs up, only to be quickly returned by the Clone. "Your ship has already been prepped".
Plo nodded his head and walked to the other side of the hangar towards his fighter.
(*8*)
"Launch the fighters" Yularan ordered from the bridge. The clone officer next to him nodded and pressed a button allowing the middle of the ship to open. After a couple of seconds about a dozen bombers and a fighter escort flew out into space.
"I hope you know what you're doing Anakin" Obi Wans voice came over his comm speaker in his bomber.
"Well if I don't, I won't be around to hear the 'I told you so'".
"That's reassuring, well take your shortcut and I'll take the long way but you better be there before I arrive".
"I'll be there Obi Wan".
With that the comm with his master ended and now the comm with his squadron opened up. "Shadow Squadron tight formation".
"Call in" Skywalker said
"Shadow 2 Standing by" Matchstick's voice came over the comm.
"Shadow 3 standing by" Ahsoka's voice came over the comm.
Shadow 4-12 checked in with Skywalker and finally the last fighter checked in.
"Fighter Escort ready" Master Plo Koon said.
"This is Admiral Yularan, you are clear for hyperspace jump, good hunting sir"
"Thanks Admiral" Skywalker replied and continued to talk "Alright boy's lets go".
"Broadside we make it through this one and the drinks are on me" Shadow five said over the comm.
"I can already taste it" Broadside replied.
"I've got a bad feeling about this" Ahsoka said to herself and watched as her master made the jump to hyperspace. She quickly followed his tracks making the jump as well.
(*8*)
"We're coming out of it" Ahsoka called as she watched the fog from the nebula slip by her window. "Let's hope that shortcut paid off".
"We're not far behind Grievous now" Anakin said looking at his scanners.
"Shadow 2 what is the damage to your ship?" Plo Koon asked now that he had a good look at the hit. During the fly through the nebula they encountered some large animal and one of the tails of Shadow 2's bomber was damaged.
"Just a scratch sir" Matchstick replied.
"We must not take any more unnecessary risks, if we lose even a single ship our mission is that much closer to failure."
"Understood Master Plo" Anakin replied over the comm. "But we didn't lose any ships and I didn't-"
Anakin was cut off by the voice of another clone over the comm "Sir we have contact!"
"I thought those things wouldn't follow us?" Ahsoka asked.
"Not following, coming out of hyperspace". The same Clone pilot answered looking at his scanner. "It's a ship, it's the Malevolence!"
The whole Shadow Squadron watched as the humongous ship came out of hyperspace right next to the Clone medical base. Without saying a word, because they didn't need one. The whole squadron went full speed ahead to stop the ship from destroying their medical base.
"We've got fighters coming in" Ahsoka announce making the clones in the gun turrets ready to open fire.
Soon enough the CIS fighters opened fire and the gunners returned it. There were laser fire everywhere and Ahsoka was having a relatively hard time avoiding the laser fire.
Multiple 'Hold it steadies' and 'got one' came over the comm lines.
Ahsoka looked at the ion cannons and saw the beam fire, heading directly towards them. "Incoming!" the padawan announced.
"Head to the edge of the ray now" Anakin ordered and instantly made a curve up trying to fly over the large circular ray of the ion beam. "Give it everything you got" Anakin said.
His squadron followed him closely and Ahsoka took a quick glance back to see Shadow 2 was losing speed and fast. "Shadow 2 your speed is dropping. What's wrong?"
Multiple alarms were sounding off in the cockpit of Shadow 2 and he replied "Nothing Sir just trying to keep her together".
"You can make it Matchstick" Anakin said hoping that his second in command would make it through this battle.
Nothing but screams replied as the cockpit of Shadow 2 caught flame along with his right engine. All Ahsoka could do was stare back in horror as Shadow 2's engine failed sending him down in a spiral, causing the bombers behind him to take evasive maneuvers.
"Watch out!" Matchstick yelled into the comm, but it was too late as the flaming Bomber made contact with another making them both explode into rubble.
By then the lead bombers had made it over the ion beam and were now looking over the damage to their Squad. "Shadow Squadron check in" Anakin said in a low hushed voice.
"We lost Matchstick and Taz. Shadow's 6, 7 and 10 were caught in the ray." Ahsoka said making everyone in the squad angry.
"We have more fighters coming in, everyone get ready and let's finish this!" Anakin said into the comm making all the Clones ready to take these clankers down.
More laser fire dawned upon the surviving members of Shadow Squadron as yet again they returned the fire.
Fate had other plans though…
Anakin felt his ship rock intensely as one of the CIS fighters had landed one of their shots making his right engine set ablaze. "I'm hit" Anakin yelled over the comm.
Ahsoka felt her heart drop upon hearing that. "Skyguy are you alright?" Ahsoka asked over the comm. She looked to his side of the formation to see his right engine was currently on fire, but with R2 trying to put the flames out.
"I don't think so Snips. That fighter hit me good and my engines are going to give out any time".
"Don't worry Skyguy go ahead and dock at the med station and get your engines fixed quickly."
There was silence over the comm line for a few seconds until Anakin finally replied "Master Plo will you take care of Ahsoka for me?"
Ahsoka was terribly scared now and Plo replied "Of course Anakin anything for a fallen brother"
Suddenly Anakin's face appeared on the screen on Ahsoka's dashboard of her bomber. He had a frown on his face as he said "You'll grow up to be a wonderful Jedi. I can see it."
"Master please I'm sure you can make it to the med station. Please don't die on me" Ahsoka begged with tears spilling out of her eyes. The last thing she wanted in the world was for the man on the screen to die in this terrible war they were fighting in.
"Ahsoka I-"he was cut off as Ahsoka watched fire take over the screen causing their connection to break. The padawan gasped and looked out the window to see Anakin's right engine explode causing his bomber to fly backwards out of her sight.
"NO!" Ahsoka yelled and cried at the same time. The man that took her in and gave her a chance to become a padawan was gone. "I have to turn around and save him" she said preparing to turn around.
"No Ahsoka. Anakin would want you to finish the mission and save hundreds of Clone's on the medical station" Master Plo chimed in hoping that would ease the pain of her master's loss until after the battle.
Ahsoka thought to herself and knew that Master Plo was right. "Ok, but you call the shots now Master. What's the plan?"
"Squad new target we're taking out the Starboard Ion cannon" Plo announced into the comm line.
Agrees came from the Clone Pilots and they flew around to the side that was pointing at the medical station. They saw the light on the cannon meaning it was charging up for an attack.
They flew to the area connecting the cannon and the ship and Plo quickly announced "Torpedoes away!"
Ahsoka pressed the button and her torpedoes launched making direct contact with the cannon. She also watched as the torpedoes from the other bombers made contact causing a massive explosion.
All torpedoes were dispensed and Plo gave the order for everyone to get out of there. About 20 seconds later the ion cannon they damaged imploded and sent massive shockwaves through the ship, also destroying the other ion cannon.
"Good work Shadow Squadron" Plo Koon said over the comm as they flew away from the battle.
Ahsoka couldn't feel anything at the moment. Every single emotion was gone and she was just piloting with tears in her eyes, hoping this was just one big nightmare and her master would wake her up any second now saying 'morning sleepyhead' or 'Snips you slept in again'.
They watched as three Republic Cruisers came out of hyperspace and as soon as that happened Obi Wan was trying to reach them.
"Anakin, do you Copy? Hello?"
"Yes General Obi Wan?" the voice of Plo Koon came over.
"Oh hello master Plo Koon, but can I talk to Anakin quick?"
"I'm afraid that is impossible"
Obi Wan was shocked to hear that "What do you mean?"
"I'm afraid Skywalker did not survive the attack".
Obi Wan felt his heart drop into his stomach and knew that Ahsoka must be hurting big time. "Ahsoka? Are you there?"
The only thing Obi Wan could hear was the crying of a girl, he easily knew it was Ahsoka and knew she needed time to herself. "Alright well good job on successfully protecting the medical station and everyone head to the medical station, dock and take a rest. We'll need you back out there soon."
With that the comm line ended and Obi Wan dropped to one knee holding his chest. The Jedi heard multiple 'Sir's' and footsteps of Clone officers running to his side. Hearing the death of his old padawan and best friend in the galaxy really took a large toll on him.
After a minute of breathing he found the energy to stand back up and wave off the officers that came to aid him.
"Alright" Obi Wan said looking out the bridge window at the Malevolence. "Let's finish what Shadow Squadron started. Ahead full". With that the three Republic Cruisers moved towards their target firing their turrets.
(*8*)
"Uh general" a battle droid called out to his superior officer. Soon after being called General Grievous came to see what the problem was now.
"What is it?"
"Well we seem to be picking up a small bomber left over from the bombing run on our port side."
Grievous leaned in closer to the screen making a picture pop up of the said bomber. He inspected it quickly and his eyes widened knowing whose that was.
"Bring the tractor beam online and pull that ship into the hangar. We are going to have a new guest."
"Roger, Roger" the battle droid said before pressing a few buttons. Soon enough the tractor beam came online pulling the ruined ship into the hangar of the Malevolence.
A/N: Well that is it for now. I hope you all enjoyed.