Chapter 13

Anakin dove for cover as the battle droids opened fire on the group of pilots and their rescuers. He crouched low behind one of the fighters, shielding his eyes from the shrapnel produced by the blasts with one hand. He ducked behind one of the ladders and the scrambled up to the Nabooian fighter without being told. The rest of the pilots ran for cover and for their ships as Padmé's order rang clearly through the blaster noise.

Lightsabers flashed, blue and green as Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon provided a defense for the Queen and her entourage, shielding the pilots as best they could as they headed for their ships. Anakin caught a brief glimpse of Mace rounding the exterior of the hangar bay and ducking to the opposite side of one of the pillars beside the main door the others were headed for. Unencumbered and unseen, the Jedi Master might have been a breeze.

Anakin lost sight of him as he dropped into the cockpit. He waved a two fingered salute to Padmé and then to Obi-Wan, silently wishing them luck and praying Qui-Gon would live through the next few hours. He punched the power switches, Artoo whirling and tooting as he was sucked into the astromech droid socket behind him. "I know, Artoo, relax. I've got it."

Artoo twittered as Anakin pulled the helmet - which had been conveniently on the ground by his feet - over his head. Anakin then adjusted the goggles and powered up the main drives. Several fighters shot out of the hangar ahead of him, one being clipped by the Palace's defensive systems to spiral away towards the ground. He gripped the stick, glancing out the view port for a moment in time to see the Sith appear, robed all in black, a menacing smile crossing his lips as a dual bladed lightsaber sprung to life. Padmé and her guards veered away as Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon moved to intercept the threat.

Of Mace there was no sign.

Anakin saw no more as the catapult under the ship moved him into launch position and then was forced back into the seat as it sent him blasting out of the hangar. He spun the fighter around the moment the ship cleared the lip, avoiding the blaster fire, and pulling for space.

The chatter of the other pilots was loud in the cockpit, distracting him as he searched the strange navigational board for sensors. "Artoo, see if you can cut the volume, will you?"

The noise almost instantly faded to half volume and Anakin noted several toggles he recognized from the transport as communications, sensors and auto pilot. He flicked sensors, and a read-out appeared almost immediately, indicating they were several minutes from the droid control ship.

"How're you doing back there, Artoo?"

Artoo twittered, making a concerned sound.

"We'll be fine. We have to take out that ship if we want Padmé and the others to succeed. Not to mention the Gungans will be slaughtered if we don't."

Artoo made a rude noise.

Anakin chuckled. "I'm not fond of them either, but we can't exactly be picky about our allies. Give me a read out before those fighters reach us of what kind of weapons we have on this thing, would ya?"

Artoo did so, the armaments compliment scrolling past quickly. Anakin winced. Ouch; he only had four torpedoes and blasters. How was he supposed to take out the droid control ship with just that? He took a deep breath, relaxing, and did something he'd only done on the track before. He gave himself over to the Force.

It flowed through him, clear and pure, like he was a conduit strictly there for its purpose. The stick shifted in his hands, his fingers flying over the buttons with an instinct of their own as the little Nabooian fighter spiraled into the fray. The chatter continued as the pilots threw worries back and forth, their blasters doing little against the behemoth's shields.

One pilot and then another dropped as vulture doids joined the fray, augmenting the point defense system of the control ship. Anakin could feel each life in the brief moment it was snuffed out and did his best to ignore the pain. These pilots wouldn't die in vain.

Artoo twittered a warning and then screamed as Anakin skimmed the side of the droid control ship and sent them into a corkscrew maneuver he'd only ever read about and never tried. The ships behind him were unable to compensate and smashed into the shields of the control ship. Anakin sent the fighter to the very edge of its limits, overheating the engines as it screamed along the surface and into the center portion of the ship with the control systems. Letting the Force guide his movements, he didn't hesitate to send the fighter into the hangar bay, blasting away with his lasers as he did.

Explosions rocked the bay, sending his ship into shut down, and he was thrown against the crash webbing as the ship hit the deck, sliding along it to the end before stopping.

"This is not good, Artoo." Anakin flicked several of the switches, getting nothing. "I think I pushed it too hard."

Artoo twittered, drawing Anakin's head up. Droids were picking themselves up off the deck and racing to eliminate the fires. Several had taken an interest in the lone Nabooian craft now inside their bay and were approaching cautiously.

"Not good at all."

Artoo screeched something and Anakin cast a glance over his shoulder at the small astromech. "That was uncalled for. Relax, would you? I've got it all in hand."

Anakin checked the starter, watching the gauge above it dropping rapidly and prayed silently that the gauge was a heat indicator. Pressing the starter several times, Anakin glanced nervously at the approaching droids. They were lifting their blasters, setting their aim... and the fighter craft roared to life. Anakin grabbed the stick, his fingers flying of their own accord over the firing controls. Missiles and laser bolts shot from the ship, lines of destructions that caused a massive explosion on the far side of the deck.

Artoo let out a warning hoot and Anakin nodded. "Let's get out of here, Artoo!"

Pushing the stick forward, Anakin sent the ship careening out of the hangar bay moments before the doors slammed closed, indicating a loss of atmospheric pressure. He let out a whoop of excitement as the explosion followed him out of the bay, the shields of his ship rippling as they absorbed the energy.

He shot out into space, exhilaration flowing through his veins, the rush of excitement as close to pod racing as he'd come since leaving Tatooine. His whoop was echoed by the other Nabooian pilots as the ship began to self-destruct and the cheer was soon bouncing back and forth over the comm line. The remaining pilots formed up on Anakin as he spun the fighter in a tight circle and looped back towards the planet. Behind them, the droid control ship exploded a final time, leaving it a mass of space dust that would soon disperse in the solar winds.

Anakin didn't remember the flight back to the hangar deck, but he did remember crawling out of the fighter with a whoop and a cheer, only to be lifted onto the shoulders of the other pilots who were hailing him a hero. They paraded him through the hallway, letting him down once they reached the main staircase where an ecstatic Padmé launched herself into his arms with a laugh and a cheer.

A smiling Obi-Wan greeted his friend warmly, Qui-Gon and Mace flanking him. Anakin's knees buckled in relief upon seeing Qui-Gon alive and if it hadn't been for Padmé's arm tight around his waist, he'd have sunk to the floor. Qui-Gon moved forward to help support him. "You did it, Anakin."

"We did it, Master Jinn." His gaze took in everyone, including Mace. "Even Master Windu."

Qui-Gon squeezed the young man's shoulders. "Well said, Anakin. Well said."