A/N: I want to apologize for two things: First, that I didn't update for about forever, and second, that this chapter isn't really the greatest. Writing epic battle scenes isn't exactly one of my specialties - but, I tried my best.
Also, if you're not familiar with X1 and X2, they are both force-sensitive.
Anyway... this is probably the longest chapter I've written for quite some time.
Enjoy.
PART ONE
CHAPTER ONE
The icy, pale blue surface of Tantra outlined it against the endless dark void of hyperspace. On either side of it sat its two fraternal moons, one that constantly remained dark and mysterious, while the other shone brightly. The latter brilliantly illuminated a small fleet of ships that was nearing the planet's gravitational pull.
A pair of smaller starfighters was also zooming towards the planet—a red ship and its yellow companion. Atop each craft were the top halves of two astromech droids. One was red, like the vehicle upon which he was situated, and the other dark blue.
"Tantra? They led us all the way to the Outer Rim to stop at Tantra?"
It was the owner of the yellow spacecraft that spoke. His azure eyes stared in disbelief at the ice-covered planet lying ahead of them, and his young head shook itself in clear bewilderment.
"Believe it or not, there are lifeforms present," the middle-aged man in control of the red ship replied, reaching up to slightly adjust his headset as he read the information his droid sent him and displayed on a hologram. "Although I doubt they're going to be too happy with Grievous's little… surprise visit."
"I don't think Grievous will be too overjoyed with our 'surprise visit', either, Master," the first individual countered.
His conversant, the Jedi Master, grinned as his crystal irises sparkled in anticipation. "He won't have much time to be anything once we're done with him." He pressed a separate button on his headset and held it down as he stated his next request. "Commander Cody, do you copy?"
"Yes, General Kenobi," a firm voice sounded.
"Bring your squadron around to our rear and sides," the Jedi ordered, fingering a lever with his free hand whilst determinedly staring down the Separatist fleet in the distance. "We're going in."
Both he and his companion in the yellow ship launched forwards abruptly, and within moments had a group of clone ships speeding steadily behind them.
The distance they gained on the Separatists didn't go by unnoticed. Just seconds after their fast approach, small objects were being hurled their way.
"Anakin!" the Jedi Master spoke up, gritting his teeth as the front window of his starcraft became clogged with the objects. A few of them had made their way over to his astro droid and managed to remove its head. "I'm hit!"
"I see them," the first man said in annoyance. "Buzz droids." He maneuvered his ship so that it was aligned directly behind his Master's, and fired a few shots at the droids—which not only got the job done, but also clipped off a small part of the fighter's left wing.
"Anakin!" the older Jedi reprimanded, adding in a disgruntled sigh.
"My deepest apologies, Master," Anakin offered monotonously, distractedly glancing outside his own front window to see that a buzz droid had landed on his spacecraft and was heading straight towards his astromech companion. "Get him, R2! Hit the center eye!"
The blue-and-white droid let out a series of startled and confused whistles before a mechanical device popped out from his chest and slammed against the buzz droid's second eye. It slid off the yellow ship and floated out into space.
The two Jedi grew closer to the ship that seemed to be the head of the Separatist fleet. Dark Side auras rolled off it in waves, and they had no doubt that this was where the Supreme Commander himself was situated—along with the kidnapped Chancellor.
"Cody?" the Jedi Master asked again into his comlink. After receiving a ready response, he commanded, "Send X1 and 2 with us. Take the rest of your boys to destroy the remaining starfighters."
"Of course, General," the Commander complied, signaling for the majority of his fleet to break their formation. Two smaller ships, no doubt piloted by X1 and X2, followed closely behind the two Jedi as the four of them approached the Invisible Hand.
"The shields are closing!" Anakin noted with panic, as the door that secured the landing port began to slide closed. A few side turrets started firing at the group, but were soon taken out by X1 and 2.
"Go! Go!" Kenobi yelled into his headset over the sound of the explosions. The four crafts zoomed through the small remaining entry space just milliseconds before the large metal door slid all the way to the right, sealing them in.
Thousands of sparks erupted as the four fighters slid across the metal floor. Not bothering to wait for them to come to a complete stop, the force-sensitive individuals popped open the top hatches of their ships and sprang out.
"Obi-Wan!" Anakin called, alerting his Master to the battle droids behind him. The older Jedi ignited his lightsaber and whirled around, slicing several of them in half, while his clone companions fired upon the remainders.
"We don't have much time, Sir," one of them—X1—stated.
"No, we don't," Obi-Wan agreed, distinguishing his lightsaber and signaling for the three to follow him as they dashed towards the elevators on the other side of the landing area. "We need to rescue the Chancellor and leave as soon as possible." The elevator doors opened and the group quickly filed in. Soon the lift was speeding its way up to the top floor, where they could all indubitably sense the source of the Dark Side auras.
The doors opened once more to reveal another group of battle droids, who were taken out without delay. X2 began fighting the super battle droids that were approaching them, while his brother made his way to the magna guards. Anakin and Obi-Wan fought their way through the mess to where a figure was seated in a chair with his back to them. Taking in the slicked-back white hair and strong build, they knew it could only be one person.
"Count Dooku," Obi-Wan said in unfriendly acknowledgement.
The human twirled around in his chair to face the pair, and his elderly face broke into a sinister smile. "Master Kenobi, and your"—his eyes fell upon Anakin, flashing as they mocked and degraded him—"Apprentice."
"Save the pleasantries, Dooku," Anakin spat, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice. "Hand over the Chancellor… and Grievous."
"That wouldn't be very fun, now would it?" the Sith teased, still smiling as he rose out of his seat. Obi-Wan eyed his hands cautiously as they fingered something at his side. "You know me. I'm always up for a little… game."
"One that you'll certainly lose, I can assure you," Anakin replied coldly.
"Enough." Obi-Wan shot a stern look in his Apprentice's direction before turning back to face Dooku. "Where is Palpatine?"
The Count remained silent and kept his right hand at his side. The three stood there as a few awkward beats passed and Anakin slowly grew more impatient. Dooku felt this and the boy's hot emotions caused him to grin.
Anakin drew his lightsaber angrily, and shoved it in front of the man's face. "Where… is… Palpa—AH!" He was thrown backwards and across the room from an abrupt force-push made by Dooku, and it was as if the Sith had pressed a chaos-starting button. Obi-Wan ignited his own lightsaber and brought it to clash against Dooku's, just as X1 and X2 finished off the guards and sent a few blasts Dooku's way—which he barely managed to dodge.
Anakin pushed himself off the floor and barreled towards his Master and the Sith, throwing his lightsaber into the mix as several multi-colored sparks erupted. The two Jedi leaned against their sabers, trying to push Dooku back.
"Well, well, well. This looks familiar… Doesn't it?" the latter asked, hinting towards the time Kenobi and Skywalker had confronted him on Geonosis a few years prior.
Anakin, remembering his brashness from that situation, temporarily drew back from the duel to regain his peaceful hold on the Force. He could not allow himself to make those same mistakes again.
The weight Obi-Wan pressed against his lightsaber and onto Dooku's finally did the trick, and the Sith was launched backwards as he fell over his chair. Anakin rejoined the fight and turned to combat Dooku, while the former's Master ran over to a small control panel and map, trying to figure out where the Chancellor and Grievous could be.
"They're on the fourteenth level, General," X1 spoke up, no doubt sensing the auras emitting from the area mentioned.
Kenobi nodded as he, too, felt the familiar signatures of the two individuals seven floors below. "Com your Commander and tell him I said to bring a shuttle. We won't be able to fit the Chancellor into one of our starfighters."
The trooper nodded and obeyed the order, while X2 pressed a few buttons on the control panel that would open up the door of the landing port in preparation for the squadron's arrival.
It had only taken a few seconds for Dooku to regain his bearings, and after he did so he called upon the Dark Side to enhance his strength. Anakin was fighting him valiantly, but nevertheless the Knight was being pushed backwards until his spine was rubbing against the elevator doors.
"Quit fooling yourself, Jedi," Dooku snarled, breathing onto Anakin's face as their sabers clashed and they each pressed their weight against them. "You were never any match for me. Give in!"
Anakin's blue eyes hardened and he felt the Force flow into him, renewing his failing strength. He clenched his teeth as he withdrew his lightsaber from Dooku's and pushed the man back—straight into the lightsaber of none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Sith's dark eyes widened in shock as he stared down at the weapon driven through his stomach; then gazed back up at Anakin, shortly before Obi-Wan drew back his saber and the old man collapsed into a heap on the floor.
"Good work, my young Apprentice," Obi-Wan told Anakin, smiling. X2 opened the elevator doors and the four boarded the lift once more.
"Good work, my elderly Master," Anakin joked in response, as the doors closed and the group began to descend. Obi-Wan chuckled softly, but soon stopped once the elevator came to a halt in-between levels seventeen and sixteen.
X1 flipped open a control box and watched the holo screen, his face displaying an expression of shock beneath his helmet. "Sir…?"
"What's going on?" Obi-Wan demanded.
"All the escape pods have been launched," the clone reported.
His brother stepped up to observe the holo. "The ship's main boosters have also been deactivated."
"Blast!" the Jedi Master cursed. He looked over to see Anakin cutting a hole in the floor of the elevator with his lightsaber. "Anakin?"
"Follow me," the Knight instructed, shortly before sliding through the hole and plummeting fifty meters down the elevator shaft.
Obi-Wan let out a grunt. "I hate it when he does that."
A sudden jolt coursed through the Invisible Hand as it turned on its side and began its rapid descent towards Tantra. The Jedi and the clones quickly crawled through the hole and sprinted down the elevator shaft, which now resembled a strange corridor. Another turn sent the large ship spiraling in the opposite direction, and the trio found themselves losing their footing as the shaft returned to its normal position. X1 and X2 activated their jetpacks and Obi-Wan allowed himself to fall, relying on the Force to give him a graceful landing.
The three arrived at the landing port in a matter of seconds and joined Anakin as he struggled to pull R2D2 out of the droid's seat on his small starfighter. X2 aided in the effort and the two quickly freed the small astro droid.
Another abrupt twist of the Invisible Hand caused the group to lose their balance and fall against the hard floor of the landing port. Glancing up, Obi-Wan noticed that the port doors were getting ready to close, and scrambled to his feet.
The other four individuals also noticed this, and in seconds had created an unspoken plan. Anakin gathered R2 in his arms and, along with Obi-Wan, force-jumped across the port to make it to the doors in time, while the two clone troopers used their jetpacks to perform the same action. Missing the large, metal door by a millimeter as they had done when they first entered, the five of them took a large jump out into space, only to be caught inside the top hatch of a clone transporter. The hatch closed and the ship made the jump into lightspeed, heading back towards the Core; to Coruscant.
Anakin set down R2 and collapsed into a white chair next to Obi-Wan. X1 and X2 took off their helmets to brush back their golden-brown hair, breathing a few synchronized, brotherly sighs of relief.
"It's not finished," Anakin concluded, solemnly turning to face his Master. "We failed."
"We did all that we could," Obi-Wan replied, pushing a few ginger-colored hairs off his perspiring forehead. "Unfortunately, you're right, Anakin—this ordeal is far from over."