DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS OR ANY ASSOCIATED CHARACTERS

Chapter 23

As Anakin weaved his way through yet another field of green laserfire, he glanced out at the two opposing fleets. Home One and the Pride were spearheading the attack. Two MC80-class cruisers flanked them on either side. The rest of the support craft and corvettes sheltered safely behind the larger ships, directing themselves to anti-fighter duty. Both flagships' shields were holding at the moment, but once they reached the Executor's range, they wouldn't last long at all. Anakin narrowed his eyes at the massive dreadnaught across from the Pride. "What are you planning, Vader?" he murmured.

He was jostled out of his thoughts by laserfire sailing over his cockpit. He rolled and dropped into an inverted dive to rejoin the dogfight. So far, the rebels seemed to be holding their own. They had lost very few fighter pilots, and no cruisers other than the Liberty that had been incinerated by the Death Star. Their only advantage for this fight seemed to be that they knew they were outmatched. They were playing to their strengths, being fighters, while the Empire focused on overwhelming firepower.

One of their star destroyers was already floating aimlessly, Odd Ball and the Y-Wings having done a number on it. Home One was in the process of taking care of another, though its inability to put out large amounts of fire meant it was going slowly. The Pride seemed to be in its element. It was unloading its many batteries at two star destroyers on its port side, and another on its starboard. The fields of fire streaming off of it helped mask the wing of gunships that dropped out of its main hangar and headed to the surface.

"Wedge, two on your tail!" Anakin called, moving in to help the Red Leader. He quickly dispatched them with a few short bursts from his cannons, and Wedge thanked him. Anakin didn't have time to dwell on it, though, for a new squad of enemy TIE interceptors crossed in front of him.

Below, the Pride seemed to have moved too deep into the enemy lines. It had left Home One behind, and was now surrounded on three sides by seven star destroyers. It was then that the Executor made its move. It forged ahead, all of its cannons slowly coming into range one by one. The shields on the Pride were taking a beating from the dreadnaught.

"Odd Ball! Get your bombers to focus the Executor! It'll rip the Pride apart!" Anakin ordered. "Interceptors, form up on me, we're gonna give them cover."

As the assigned groups carried out their orders, Home One advanced along the Pride's flank, trying to draw some of the enemy fire against its nearly impenetrable shields. Suddenly, all enemy fire ceased simultaneously. Anakin banked right, calling off the bombing run and returning to space above the Pride. Several seconds later, a transmission was patched through to him from the Executor. When he accepted it, the masked visage of Vader appeared.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite evil doppelganger. What do you want, you limbless bastard?" Anakin asked, his temperament turning sour.

"You know what I want, Skywalker. Surrender now, and no harm will come to your friends. You and your son will be turned to the dark side, and I will have the pleasure of killing Kenobi for the second time. Do you accept?"

Anakin scoffed. "You know, you should already know the answer to that, since we used to be the same person. But if that isn't enough for you, then this might be," Anakin said, cutting off the transmission. The fields of fire resumed as he accelerated to attack speed.

"This isn't going very well!" Han yelled over the sounds of blaster fire as he tried to cover R2. "Where's our backup?!"

Luke deflected another bolt and stole a glance over his shoulder at the smuggler. "I called. Got no answer. We're on our own."

The battle was going poorly. Their Ewok allies had been routed and were fleeing through the trees. Stormtroopers and speeder bokes gave chase. The AT-ATs had created a perimeter around the bunker, where the rebels had retreated to. Taking cover behind the two downed AT-STs, Rex and Doom were leading the squad, valiantly returning fire on the ranks of death troopers that had formed up in front of them.

"It's been an honor, Rex," Doom called as he reloaded his blasters.

Rex shook his helmeted head as he continued firing. "We're not dying here, Doom. I didn't survive both battles of Geonosis to die on this rock surrounded by walking stuffing."

Obi-Wan stood next to the two clones, deflecting all bolts that came their way. "Yes, Rex and I have been in tighter spots than this. Have hope, Doom," the Jedi Master said ironically.

Just as the Jedi finished, three AT-ATs advanced on their position. In two shots, one of the AT-STs they were using for cover exploded, sending all of the men off their feet and into the air. Rex landed hard on his back, knocking the breath from his lungs. He curled up into a ball while he gasped for air. Obi-Wan scrambled to his feet just in time to shield the clone from another blast from one of the AT-ATs.

Obi-Wan bent down, wrapping his free left arm underneath Rex's. "On your feet, Rex. Fall back." The remaining rebels, now down to half strength, retreated back to the bunker. Chewie took pot shots at the head of one of the walkers with his bowcaster, but did minimal damage if any. He roared in anger as he ran back to the others.

Just as R2 was about to finish his splicing of the lock, a death trooper hit the droid suare in its domed head. R2 flew back, all his systemd short-circuiting. Threepio went straight to his companion's side as Luke and Obi-Wan stepped in front of the squad, doing their best to deflect as many bolts as possible.

"I'll have to hotwire this thing," Han said, holstering his blaster and kneeling to open the panel. Even as he ripped wires out, the AT-ATs grew ever closer. All three of them trained their cannons on the doors, the entire rebel group within their sights.

Realizing they were outgunned, and trapped, Obi-Wan and Luke both deactivated their lightsabers. Clipping them to their belts, they raised their hands in surrender. The rebels followed suit, hesitantly placing their weapons on the ground at their feet and raising their hands. The hum of power that could beheard from the walkers signaled that they weren't planning on taking prisoners.

Han and Leia looked at eachother and whispered 'I love you's' while Rex saluted Luke and placed a hand on Doom's armored shoulder. Luke simply glanced up to the sky, contacting his father through their mental bond.

I'm glad you were in my life, no matter how short the time, he said softly.

What? Anakin demanded. Don't you dare quit on me, I'm not fighting both of these Sith bastards by myself.

Luke smirked in amusement before glaring up at the Imperial walker. Just before they fired, two rockets flew into their field of vision, ripping through the far left one's head. The four-legged walker collapsed to the dirt as blue cannon shots pelted the other two. More and more blue bolts appeared, colliding with the ranks of the death troopers as over a dozen Old Republic gunships flew overhead.

Scores of clone troopers in various armors flooded out of the woods to the left, followed by five AT-TEs. Nearly three hundred in total, the clones charged across the barren field towards the Imperials. Luke grinned, pulling his lightsaber back out and rushing forward to go on the offensive. Obi-Wan followed him, his blue blade moving gracefully even as it slashed through the death troopers' armor. Rex and Doom skirted left as they fired, Chewie and the rest of the squad followed the two clone veterans.

Linking up with the clone battalion, they were shocked to see that the man leading the charge was Alpha himself. "I thought you were commanding the Pride?" Rex asked as they ran behind a fallen log for cover.

"I decided that I hadn't seen combat in a while. Standing in a command center is boring," the grizzled clone shrugged. "Now let's get them!" he yelled, vaulting over the log and twirling his dual pistols in his hands. Two smoking holes appeared in whatever he aimed at.

The AT-TEs slowly walked behind them, their main guns trained on the AT-ATs. Their four smaller cannons in the front were firing in separate directions at the enemy infantry. Alpha turned back to Doom. "Gather two squads and head into those trees," he pointed to the side opposite the bunker. "Our furry little friends need help."

Doom nodded and ran off, rallying several soldiers to him. Rex and Chewie took another few squads and moved right across the field, lengthening their firing line. The problem with this massive field was that there was no cover. The Imperial troops and clones alike all had clear lines of sight to their enemies. The clones fell upon the unprepared Imperials like a storm. Nearly a quarter of their number went down before they knew what was happening.

Alpha spearheaded them, yelling fierce war cries as he fought like a rancor. Though they tried to remove the more aggressive traits of Jango Fett, it wasn't entirely successful on Alpha's group. He seemed to revel in combat, firing left and right, occasionally laughing with glee. Luke and Obi-Wan were surrounded on all sides, isolated from eachother, but it didn't seem to faze them. Not a single bolt could hit them as their blades twirled in deadly arcs around them, severing limbs and burning through armor.

Once the death troopers reformed and counter attacked, the clones' offensive began to fall apart due to their being outnumbered. Alpha rallied a large group and made a tactical retreat into the forest, luring a large group of death troopers after him. Once the black-armored soldiers were committed, making their way through the trees, Alpha gave the order.

"Turn and fire!"

The clones turned and unleashed a hail of fire into the unsuspecting troopers. They continued these hit and run tactics against the larger, slower Imperial troopers, making their way through the undergrowth. Though the death troopers were taking heavy casualties, the clones were still falling. Death troopers were not like the regular Imperial stormtroopers. They had much better training, and far superior equipment to their white-armored counterparts.

"We've got them on the ropes, lads!" Alpha called. A cheer went up through the ranks of the clones as they made their latest tactical withdrawal. When they turned to fire again, they found the enemy was no longer pursuing them. They knelt in the grass quietly as Alpha scanned the trees. Hearing the booms and thuds in the distance from the battle, it gave the atmosphere an eerie calm. The next thing Alpha knew, his men were falling all around him under a hail of red bolts.

While Alpha fought in the trees, the AT-TEs executed evasive maneuvers, but one of them went down under AT-AT fire. The combined firepower of the remaining four destroyed the four-legged walker, though, with a combined shot at its head. The two squads that Alpha had left to protect them, led by Commander Stone and Sergeant Boil, were in danger of being overrun, though. Surrounded on three sides, they were taking cover underneath the legs of two of the AT-TEs. Stone ducked as another bolt flew over his head. Dropping into a roll, he brought up his rifle and dropped the man who fired it with a headshot. Returning to cover, he looked to Boil.

"We're not gonna last here much longer! We need reinforcements!"

Boil nodded. "I'm on it." the last surviving officer of the 212th jumped to his feet and took off into the battlefield.

The first thing Doom noticed about their furry Ewok allies was how short they were. Their only clothing seemed to be little hoods made of animal hides that they wore around their heads. In their hands, they carried spears, bows, and bolas. They were, however, currently running for their lives from the pursuing Imperial troopers.

As Doom dropped two Imperials with his pistols, an AT-ST emerged through the trees. It fired upon a catapult emplacement, scattering the handful of Ewoks manning it. Doom pointed to the walker. "Rocket, now!"

One of the troopers, from the 442nd Siege Battalion, jogged forward and dropped to one knee, bringing up his rocket launcher. When he fired, the smoky trail led all the way into the eye socket of the walker. The rocket disappeared inside, and the AT-ST exploded not a second later.

High-pitched whoops and cheers rose up from the Ewoks as they rallied around Doom's unit. Moving through the forest in a loose line, Doom set about the task of clearing the woods of Imperials. Several Ewoks swung overhead on vines, tossing spears down at the stormtroopers below. Mostly, they did little but a nuisance, but occasionally, one would piecre the chink between the breastplate and helmet, going underneath the collarbone. The trooper died instantly, bright red blood flowing out, staining his armor crimson.

So far, Doom had lost very few men as they reached the edge of the forest, having fought their way through the trees back to the borders of the field. From their elevated vantage point opposite the bunker, Doom could see the entire battlefield. On the complete opposite side, Rex's unit and the Jedi were fighting with the bunker to their backs. On Doom's left, the field was dominated by Imperial forces, the two remaining AT-ATs firing on the clone lines. On the right, the clones had set up a loose battle line, porous in some places due to their smaller numbers.

In the far right corner, Commander Stone was backed up with two walkers, in danger of being completely wiped out. The other two AT-TEs stood behind the clone lines, firing consistently at the ranks of death troopers and AT-ATs in front of them. Taking stock of the situation, Doom turned back to his men. A large group of Ewoks had joined them as well, numbering over a hundred. Doom smiled under his helmet.

The men were silent, glancing to eachother. Knowing full well that this may be a suicide charge, they steeled their nerves, drawing upon years of combat experience and adrenaline to give themselves courage. After a few seconds, they all looked back to Doom, raising their weapons in the ready position. Doom nodded, reloading his pistols and turning back to the battlefield.

Raising his right arm over his head, he brought it forward. "Charge!" he roared, leaping down the slope and heading straight for the Imperial flank.

Drawing upon years of experience as an ARF trooper, countless rescue mission under his belt, as well as years of combat, Boil sprinted through the lines of fire, headed towards the bunker, where Rex's unit was winning decisively. Aided by the two Jedi, they had all but secured hat sector of the battle.

Boil sprinted up to the blue-armored General, panting. "Rex! Our position is about to be overrun. Stone needs reinforcements."

Rex turned to look at Obi-Wan and Luke, who both nodded. "We've got this under control."

Rex saluted and made a circular motion above his head. His unit formed up behind him, Chewie next to him. Together, they charged towards Stone's position under the two walkers. Several hundred yards away, it didn't look good. Rex led the men around the left side, shredding through the enemy's flank to join Stone in his dug-in position.

"Thank Force," Stone sighed in relief. Only two dozen men remained around him, all sheltered behind the legs of the AT-TEs.

Rex placed a hand on his shoulder. "We're all you're getting, though. Alpha's off in the woods, as is Doom. We have to beat them back from here and rally the scattered troops to us."

Stone nodded, checking the cartridge on his rifle before peering out at the advancing Imperial lines. All around him, the bodies of his fallen brothers only furthered his resolve. He tilted his head to Rex. "Your order, General."

"Snipers, lay covering fire! I want thermal detonators in their lines now! Everyone, to the front! Give it to 'em!" Rex yelled, firing his dual pistols as he slowly advanced to a dirt embankment. His men all joined him, Boil and Stone on either side. Laying on their stomachs, they provided smaller targets to the Imperials, as most of their bodies were shielded from fire, save their helmets.

The thermal detonators that Rex ordered soared over their heads, exploding when they reached the enemy lines, tossing bodies about and wreaking havoc that the clones capitalized on, cutting the enemy down before they could clamber to their feet. The clones under Rex's command were beating the enemy back, close to victory, until an AT-AT came into range. The quad cannons of the four-legged waker slowly turned its head to aim directly for Rex's position.

The clone general took notice. Turning to his men, he yelled, "Run for it!"

Leaping out from behind cover, Rex charged the enemy ranks, away from the target of the AT-AT. Chewie and Boil followed, but Stone was too slow. The walker fired, and Stone was catapulted into the air. He landed next to Boil, blood gushing from the stump that his left leg used to be. Scorch marks covered his right side, reaching all the way up his helmet. Boil knelt beside the fallen commander, removing Stone's helmet. Grasping his right hand in his own, Boil lowered his head to hear the weak words of the commander.

"Heh," Stone coughed. "Never thought after that fiasco with Binks that I'd die like this."

Boil chuckled. "We've outlived our purpose at this point, Stone. Any death now is by our own choosing."

Stone coughed again, blood spattering on his armor. "You-you're right. I'm proud to have fought for the . . . Republic."

Stone exhaled long and slow, his life force winking out of existence. Boil laid the man's hand back down on his chest. Squinting his eyes in anger, Boil glared at the AT-AT. He turned and ran back towards their two walkers, climbing up the side and jumping into one of the empty gunner's chairs.

Swiveling the large cannon around, he aimed at the head of the AT-AT. Roaring a fierce cry, he unleashed five shots in a row. They hit the walker underneath the chin, throwing it off-balance. One last shot from Boil hit it in the exposed neck, severing the head clean off, leaving the body standing, open to the world. Satisfied, Boil leapt down and rejoined he battle, his carbine firing left and right as he moved to rejoin Rex.

"I got it! I got it!" Han called in triumph as he connected two wires. But he only succeeded in closing the blast doors over the main doors, causing Obi-Wan to roll his eyes. The two Jedi were having an easier time defending their comrades now that Rex and his unit had claimed victory on this side of the field.

Obi-Wan sighed at the smuggler. "I suppose it's time to try one of Qui-Gon's tactics."

The Jedi Master turned to the blast doors and thrust his lightsaber through the center, slowly twisting it, waiting for the metal to melt. Slowly, it began to glow red hot, and pieces began flaking off. Once the center had turned to liquid metal, Obi-Wan began moving his saber in a wide circle. Progress was slow, as the metal was thick, but the circle began to slowly form as Obi-Wan's blue blade carved through.

"Huh. I didn't know we could do that," Luke remarked.

Obi-Wan, his voice strained with effort, replied, "Yes, well, stick with Anakin long enough and you'll learn all sorts of things that you didn't know you can do."

Luke didn't know whether to be comforted by that or not, but turned to face the doors when Obi-Wan had completed his circle. The two pushed the door in, the giant metal circle hitting the floor with a boom. The four of them proceeded down the long corridor once again, Luke and Obi-Wan covered Leia and Han. When they reached the control center, they were surprised to find it empty. It seemed that all of the Imperials were occupied with the battle outside.

"Where are the charges?" Luke asked.

Han shrugged, walking over to one of the panels. "I left them right here, the Imps must have taken them."

"We can't deactivate the shield without two codes from two different high-ranking officers," Leia said.

Obi-Wan stroked his beard. "I think I have an idea."