A/N: This chapter contains some explicit adult content in the beginning, so if you're offended by that subject matter, I suggest you skip a third of the way ahead.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Location: Coruscant – Imperial Palace
"So, you're leaving tomorrow morning", Leia said solemnly. She couldn't believe that the last two days flew by so quickly. That was the funny thing about time, it didn't care about how much people wanted to savor every last moment together, it just went on like it always did. Relentless. To Leia's credit, she had done a great job maintaining a stiff upper lip; she just provided as much love to Din as she could even though her heart was breaking.
Din looked at her with a grimace. He wanted to be able to spend more time with her, but Anakin was hellbent on executing the mission as soon as possible, almost as if he was afraid, he'd lose his nerve. "I'm afraid so, sweetheart. It'll go by quickly. It's about a three day jump to the system and then we'll probably be groundside a couple of days at the most. I'll be back in your arms ready to annoy you as quickly as possible", he said with a small smile. Truth be told, he didn't know if he'd come back at all, but he wasn't about to say that to Leia, she didn't need to be told that, she already understood the risks. He continued to pack his bag with uniforms and other items. His tactical bag was already packed with his armor and weapons and was waiting for Din in his locker down in the military complex.
Leia rolled her eyes. "You rarely annoy me. You infuriate me at times, but I can only think of a handful of times since I've known you that you've actually annoyed me, and I've known you a long time." She sat up on the bed and Din was mesmerized by how her breasts shifted through her sheer night gown. "What you mainly do is leave a girl breathless in more ways than one. That's been the main feeling I've had since we met all those years ago."
That made Din chuckle. "Leia, your parents didn't introduce me to you until you were about six years old. Don't tell me you started your crush on me then."
A smile splayed across Leia's lips and she laughed and shrugged. "Din, when a girl knows, she knows." Of course, every little girl had a crush on a boy at that age, Din was just the lucky recipient. Not that he knew of course, he hadn't paid the girl much attention until she was about twelve and that was strictly platonic as it could get. Din wasn't a damn perv.
"Well, I'm glad that I can return those affections now. Although you did cast your spell onto me when I was in that damned hospital. I don't think I'd ever been friends with a girl until then, but little did I know, you were already working your way into my heart." He briefly stopped packing to give her a light kiss and Leia smiled at his words. "There was a reason I didn't pursue any women while I was on my deployment."
That made Leia's jaw drop in surprise. "You've never told me that", she breathed. "I'd always assumed you were banging some Navy sluts your entire deployment. And then there was the Falleen bitch that you held up at gunpoint." She didn't know what to think about that, but it warmed her heart and made her even more enamored with the man than she already was. It made blood pump faster in her heart whish made her face flush.
Din looked up from his bag and gave her a smile. "I just subconsciously knew that I only wanted you, so every time a woman made a pass at me, I rebuffed them without a second thought. It made my team scratch their heads at my celibacy, but it really wasn't their business."
"Din, stop, you're going to make me faint", Leia said as she fanned her face with her hand. It was partially a joke but also partially the truth. "If you'd told me that when we would always talk on the hyperspace coms I would've been so happy." She had worked so hard to try and get his attention whenever they would talk, she didn't know that all she needed to do was be herself.
A laugh escaped Din's lips. "Leia, you were still under eighteen, I'm sure your father would've run me in with his lightsaber if I had told you that. We got together anyway, that's what counts. Besides, like I said, everything I felt was subconscious. I was simply acting without knowing why."
"I think I know how I want you to act with me right about now", Leia purred. She needed him badly. There were no words to describe how turned on she was at the moment. There was pure fire in her heart, and she could already feel a tingling between her legs in anticipation of being able to furiously make love to him. "Why don't you hurry up and finish that packing so we can enjoy each other. I need to sink my claws into you to give you something to think about when you're away." While she wanted him to focus on his job, she knew that he needed something to counteract the hell he was about to see."
That made Din groan and he began grabbing the few remaining items he'd laid out on the floor and carefully but quickly placed them into his bag. "That's not fair, Leia. You're giving me a hard on and I can't think straight. You could've waited another few minutes to tell me that", he said with a laugh. Leia always knew how to make him want to maul her with passion.
"Then you'd better be quick, Commander", she said in huskily. "I might have to get started if you're too much longer and then you really won't be able to concentrate. Leia watched Din amusedly as he groaned in frustration at the thought of Leia pleasuring herself right in front of him. "In fact, I think I will", she breathed as she slipped her gown off and threw it at Din. She sat on the edge of the bed with her legs spread and slowly began to rub her core, parting the lips with a finger which made her gasp. She was already dripping wet.
Din had to close his eyes to control his breathing and slipped the last few items into the bag as Leia let out a sensual moan. "Oh, I'm going to make you pay for that, Princess. You don't know what you've started." He stood up and unabashedly began to strip out of his clothes as Leia watched him with her mouth gaping at the sight as she continued her self gratification. "You really overplayed your hand, sweetheart", he said as he stepped out of his boxers, his manhood springing out and already hard for her.
"That's what I was counting on, my dear", Leia said with a soft mewl from her lips. "Please, I need you."
Din smirked as he stepped over to her and bent down to gently kiss her lips, enjoying the taste of her. She stopped pleasing herself and wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands stroked her back. She groaned as she felt his tight muscles tense up even further, he was truly a powerful work of art.
He pulled away from the kiss. "I think you're the most beautiful woman in the galaxy. No one compares to you, you're the one woman that I've always needed." He picked her up and crushed her to his chest as he began nipping at her neck.
"Oh, Din", she pleaded. "You're so sweet." She fought the urge to cry but knew that it would be inevitable after they finished so she wanted to make these precious moments count. Din placed her back down on the bed and his lips met hers again, but instead of being gentle, he mashed them down hard, hard enough to leave bruises on their faces. She let loose a squeak in surprise and her hands went to his back, lightly scratching him to encourage him to continue. She wanted to be lost in pleasure. She arched her back, pressing her breasts into his chest and Din could feel her already hard nipples as he teased her entrance with his rock hard member. She bucked her hips trying to help him guide himself into her.
That's when Din broke from the kiss and placed his finger against her lips. "Easy now, sweetheart. We're not there just yet." She whimpered in response as his spell over her took effect. She could feel his burning passion between their bond and knew that when he was like this, it would be worth the wait.
Slowly and carefully, he started to kiss his way down her neck, pausing to nip at her most sensitive area where he bit down just hard enough to leave a mark without breaking the skin. She gasped and turned her head to the side, allowing him full access and giving into him completely. He continued his nips all of the way down her neck and she knew that she would have to wear a light scarf over her neck while the bruises healed, which she was completely and utterly fine with.
He slowly kissed his way down to her breasts and grabbed the left one with his hands, squeezing and rolling the pebble of her nipple in his hand while he latched his mouth on her other breast and began greedily sucking which drove her wild. She squeezed her shoulder blades together which thrusted her chest into him. Din quickly switched his mouth to her other breast and began kneading the one his mouth just left with his hand, causing Leia to open her mouth with a short but loud moan. She was nearly breathless at his menstruations. After a few minutes he abandoned her breasts and began slowly kissing his way down her stomach, pausing every few inches to gently nip at her soft flesh.
Eventually, he neared the skin just above her core and quickly placed her legs over her shoulders, giving him complete access to her most precious of areas. He began kissing and licking the inside of her thighs, making her let out mewls in desperation as she resisted the urge to buck her hips into his face, knowing that he would soon push her slowly into ecstasy. Finally, his lips made their way to her core and he began greedily lapping at her tasting her dripping wet sex. Leia let out a scream as she arched her back and thrust her hips forward into him. He carefully darted his tongue in and out of her, driving her wild like a banshee. He began furiously sucking at her most sensitive area between her lips, knowing that he would soon bring her to a climax. Leia clutched his hair like and pulled hard as she tried to hold of her orgasm just a little longer. It didn't work. At first, she felt tingles all over her body, but then, her legs began to shake, and she convulsed and let out an uncontrolled scream. Din kept up his sucking until she was a mass of wobbling flesh.
Knowing that she needed a moment to recover, he stood up and cradled her in his arms, enjoying the look of her as her eyes were half closed in pleasure and her legs finished their twitching. He laid her gently on the bed and slid next to her as he began to passionately kiss her, darting his tongue inside of her mouth, letting her taste herself on him. She whimpered into the kiss as she slowly recovered. When he tried to roll onto her to slip inside of her, she firmly placed her hand on his chest. "Wait just a minute, it's your turn", she whispered with a smirk. She was going to lovingly torture him just as he had done to her. He groaned as he knew what was to come. "Don't complain soldier, you're going to love it."
He laid his head on the pillow and she sensually kissed her way down his chest and stomach as she grasped his member and began slowly pumping him, teasing him relentlessly. When she finally made it down to him, she put her hand on the base of him and carefully licked the head, causing him to let out a brief but load moan. She knew she had him exactly where she wanted him. Without skipping a beat, she engulfed the top of his member with her mouth, slowly pulling at it as she gradually took him deeper inside of her until he was firmly into her throat. He thrust his hips up into her, planting her nose into his pelvic bone and she began to furiously move her head up and down on him, not caring about the muffled noises that emitted from her throat. This was about him and only about him.
Din gripped her lusciously long hair at the base of his scalp and began to pump his hips into her as he enjoyed the warmth around him. She clawed at his thighs which only added to the erotic sensation as he unsuccessfully bit back a scream. Leia enjoyed the power over him as she brought him closer to the edge until he finally managed to find his words. "Leia, careful, I'm not going to last much longer." She smiled wickedly around him and kept her furious pace of bobbing her head up and down matching the pace of his thrusts. "Leia, honey, I'm going to…" he couldn't finish as he bellowed in pleasure. Leia tasted his warm liquid, and she swallowed every last drop.
She looked up at him with a wicked grin, satisfied with her work. "Did you enjoy that, soldier?", she asked in an innocent tone. "I hope I did it right."
A throaty laugh escaped Din's lips. "You did it right and then some. It's always a pleasure, Leia", he growled. She did know how to drive him crazy.
Leia gave him a cheeky grin. "I guess I need to get you ready again", she said with a mock sigh. She grasped him and began to furiously pump, springing him back to life as he let loose a surprised gasp. She climbed up on him and immediately sunk him deep inside of her. She bent down and kissed him passionately, pressing her tongue into his mouth and began to greedily suck his. She pulled out of the kiss and sat up as she gently began to make love to him. She mewled as her hands went to her hair, pulling her chocolate locks above her head which made Din moan at the glamorous sight.
He grasped her hips and enjoyed the ride she was giving herself. After a few minutes, she bent down to kiss him again, her nails digging painfully into his shoulders, which he didn't mind in the slightest. He'd marked her neck; it was only fair that she leave some marks on him. He moved his hands up to her breasts, firmly squeezing them which made her groan into their kiss. Their hot breath from their noses burning their faces. Suddenly, Leia sat up and began to furiously move back and forth in a desperate attempt to feel herself pulse again. Din reached out with his hand and began to furiously rub her and in no time at all, she began to shake again and let loose a scream. She collapsed onto him in exhaustion as his still rock hard member was buried deep inside of her.
"I'm not finished with you yet", Din growled. He eased her off him and shot to his knees. He grabbed her under her ribcage and pulled her onto her hands and knees in front of him, enjoying the soft mewls that escaped her lips as she realized what he was about to do. He grasped himself and placed the tip of his member inside of her. Without further warning, he slammed himself inside of her and began to pump furiously. "Oh, gods, you're so fucking tight", he said lustfully. She let out a cry as she gripped the sheets of their bed. By the Force, she loved it when he talked like that. He placed a hand at the small of her back and pushed down as he gripped the hair at the base of her skull. He pulled back hard, whipping her head back and she closed her eyes and screamed at the pleasurable sensation. She felt like a goddess being taken by a spiritual warrior and loved it.
He continued his passionate onslaught, enjoying the near sobs that escaped her lips. "Din, please keeping hitting it like that, please don't stop", she pleaded. This was exactly what they needed before he left, they needed to create a memory that would stick with them both. "Oh, Force, I'm going to finish again", she wailed.
Din felt her pulse around him which pushed him to his own climax. "Fuck, Leia I'm finishing too", he roared as he emptied himself inside of her. She collapsed onto the bed, but he tiredly held onto her hips as he milked every last drop out of himself before he fell on top of her, completely exhausted. He enjoyed the feeling of her sweaty skin and she enjoyed his weight crushing her deep into the mattress. She turned her head to be able to breath as soft cries continued to escape her lips. The animalistic passion that they'd shared overwhelmed them both.
Din got off her and rolled her over to give her a sloppy kiss, thanking her for allowing him to truly indulge himself.
"I love you", he breathed as he pressed his forehead against hers as he continued to try and catch his breath.
"I love you too", Leia managed to choke out.
They laid on their pillows and Din reached onto the nightstand and placed a glass ashtray between them. He took two cigarettes out of his metal case and lit both of them before handing one to Leia as they came down from their physical and emotional high.
Leia took a long drag and then turned her head to look at him. "Are you scared? I won't hold it against you if you are, I'm just curious."
Din looked at her with a sincere expression. "Of course, I'm scared. I always have a little bit of fear before I go on an op, but this time it feels a little more daunting. Nar Shadaa is such a dangerous place and we're going to have to fight every inch of the way until we reach Jabba's throne room at the center of the compound." It wasn't a lie. Intelligence suggested that the compound was full of heavy blaster turrets in addition to the few thousand mercenaries that were entrenched with a number of heavy weapons and rockets. "We'll have plenty of support from Stormtroopers, walkers, and gunships; but they'll have their own problems dealing with perimeter defenses and counter attacks from the rest of the city. It was best not to lie to her; she would be able to tell and Din tried his best to be completely honest with her. She needed to understand the risks, but also understand that Din had a complete grasp of the situation so she would know that he felt confident about the mission even though he was afraid.
Leia nodded and gave him a weak smile. The two continued to smoke before she spoke again. "Do you think it'll help that my father will be with you? I remember hearing the stories that he told and I know that he's so powerful with the Force that he'll be able to do things that I can't even fathom." War stories from her dad were always exciting. Tales about him being able to cut through hordes of enemies with his lightsaber and knock over buildings with a flick of his wrist always impressed her and she wondered if she continued her training to become a fully fledged Knight, if she'd be able to do similar feats.
After exhaling from a deep puff of his own cigarette Din gave a short grunt. "While I've never fought along side your dad, I heard the same stories about him. It's strange, but I'm sort of looking forward to seeing him in action. It's almost a perverse thought, but I think he'll be a great asset. I'm so used to being the one in command, it'll be a little difficult to play second string to the man. At the end of the day, we're there to back him up and we'll do it as best as we can. We only have one shot at this, but I think we're ready for the challenge." It was the best answer that he could give. Even though Anakin would be leading the charge, Din would have to manage his team in the best way that he knew how and make sure that at the end of the day, everyone would come home alive. He did suspect that they would get torn up and was concerned at the potential injuries that he or some of his men would sustain.
"I have complete confidence in you. Dad spoke very highly about your skills, but I've always known that you're probably one of the most talented soldiers that the Empire has. I know that your men need you, that dad needs you. I just wanted you to be aware of how I felt", Leia said as her chest still heaved from their post coital bliss.
Din looked at her and smiled. It felt good for him to hear that Leia had confidence in his abilities. While he knew that he was a skilled soldier, he tried to remain as humble as he could as complacency was a bitch and could get him or one of his friends killed very easily.
"Well, one thing I know is I'm looking forward to getting back to the sexiest woman that I know", Din said with a smile.
Leia gave him a mock frown. "Oh? Who is this woman so I can scratch her eyes out?" She wasn't able to keep a straight face and giggled wonderfully.
"I think you know, Princess. You're the only one for me", Din said as he leaned over to her and stole a quick kiss.
The two finished their cigarettes and Din moved the ash tray back to the nightstand. They moved their sweaty bodies under the sheets and Din pulled Leia into a snug spoon, squeezing her body against his as their naked flesh melded together. They both stifled a yawn at the same time and laughed.
Leia turned her head around as far as she could, and Din rose slightly to plant a solid kiss on her lips. He then buried his face in her hair, enjoying the lavender scent. "I love you so much", he whispered into her hair.
"I love you too", Leia whispered back as she forced tears from her eyes. They needed to sleep, and she wasn't about to get emotional.
They closed their eyes and drifted into a peaceful slumber. Their minds completely at peace for what was about to come.
The next day. Location: Coruscant – Imperial Palace Underground Military Complex
Leia nervously held Din's hand as he and the rest of his squadron patiently waited for their shuttle to arrive to take them up to the Bravery. She looked over and saw Wedge holding his wife as she gently cried into his shoulder. Her father and her mother were also wrapped in a tender embrace saying their goodbyes. Leia could imagine that the sight of her parents was similar to when they would have to bid their farewells to each other during the Clone Wars. What a troubling time that must have been.
Reading Leia's mind, Din pulled her into their own embrace and Leia buried her face in Din's chest, enjoying his musky scent and the gentle rise and fall of his chest. He was her soldier, the love of her life, and he was about to shove off to galivant across the galaxy in the name of justice again. She silently prayed that he would come back from this mission so he could rest and then go out to do it all over again. His work was important to the wellbeing of the galaxy and as much as it made her afraid, she knew that his actions would directly impact lives for the better. She wished that she was powerful enough to join him on this crusade for justice but knew that she first had to complete her trials as a Jedi Knight. Only then would she be able to fight alongside of her lover. Leia knew that Din would likely lose his shit at such a notion, but that didn't stop her unusual inclination to fight with a man that she considered to be family, even though they'd yet to be engaged to one another. She knew that time would come when Din was ready to ask her for her hand in marriage and she would patiently wait.
Speaking of family members heading off to war, Luke and Mara were both Interceptor pilots in the First Fleet and would both be getting their own first taste of combat. Leia hoped that they would be okay. That Luke would listen to his squadron commander and not try and be a hero. He was always enamored with the prospect of becoming a great warrior like their father and even like Din. Luke had always looked up to the man, but Leia knew that he ignored the potential dangers of combat and wanted to just dive in headfirst, damned be the consequences.
"Leia, I know I've said this before, but I'm going to miss you so much", Din said into her hair. "You're my everything. You rescued me from a lifetime of loneliness and I'm going to do whatever I can to make it back to you."
"Do you promise? Do you promise that you'll come back?", Leia asked weakly. She knew what the answer would be, she'd heard it time and time again, but always felt compelled to ask.
"You know I can't promise that sweetheart. I can only promise that I'll try my best." It was cold to say, but it was true. The last thing that Din wanted to do was promise her that he'd come home, just for a random event in combat that might force him to break his promise upon his death.
Leia looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I know, Din", she whispered. "I always have to check, just in case." She smiled weakly at him as she rested her chin on his chest. The both of them gazing into each other's chocolate eyes. Leia could only imagine how beautiful that their children would be with both of their genes combined. She longed for the day so much that her heart ached to eventually hold them in her arms.
Twenty feet away from them, Anakin and Padmé were sharing their own bittersweet goodbye. "You know I've always hated this", Padmé muttered in Anakin's protective embrace. "Ever since Geonosis. I'll never forget the kiss we shared when we were headed to our execution. My heart never felt so alive that day."
"I remember, Angel. I've never forgotten it", Anakin said in the strongest voice he could muster. They both knew that he felt nervous, just like Padmé.
"You be careful. I know how powerful you are, but remember it's been a long time since you've done this. Don't do anything stupid", Padmé said sternly. "I don't want to lose you after everything we've been through."
"I'll be on my best behavior, I promise", Anakin said. "I know that I've let my pride get to me before, but I'm much more grounded now than I ever was."
Padmé pulled back slightly and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I know, but I also know that you still get angry, Ani. Remember to keep that in check. I don't want you channeling anything dark while you're in combat. You're a skilled warrior, but that's always been a weakness of yours." The last thing she wanted was her husband to fall to darkness on this mission of vengeance. It would kill her to see those beautiful azure eyes of his turn into the harsh yellow eyes of fire that she'd scene on Mustafar.
Anakin pulled her back to him and held her tight. "I'm not going to do that, Padmé. When we were reunited, I had promised you that I would never do that again and I meant it. The Dark Side will never enter my heart, I've renounced it completely."
"Thank you, Ani. I love you", Padmé said.
"I love you too, Angel", Anakin replied as he tilted her head back to give her a gentle but passionate kiss.
Behind them Wedge and Dalia were both silently weeping. Dalia was just over four months along and her hormones were already completely discombobulated, making an already emotional goodbye that much more difficult.
"Now, Wedge. You keep your boys safe, including Din. He's going to need you to take extra care of him on this one", Dalia said in the bravest voice that she could muster.
"He'll be at the top of my list aside from myself. Don't worry, I'll shepherd my flock like I always do", Wedge replied. "You just take care of yourself and the baby. Try not to stress too much and do something fun with Leia while I'm gone."
"I will", Dalia said with a smile. "She's supposed to come over sometime to help me with the nursery anyway. She'll be a great distraction." Both women had become very close over the last few months. "It's a shame Leena has to deploy on this one, we'll miss her company."
"Well, this will be a short one, so the trio of troublemakers will be back together in no time", Wedge said with a laugh.
"Good. Oh, I've been thinking of a name for out son by the way. It's one that I think you'll find fitting", Dalia said with a grin.
"Oh yeah? What's that?", Wedge asked as he cocked his head to the side. The couple had been through several books of boy names trying to find the perfect one which had proven to be one of the more difficult challenges of the pregnancy.
"Let's name him Din", Dalia whispered. "It suits him since you have to look after your best friend so much."
A slow smile spread itself over Wedge's face. "I think that's perfect. I'll wait to tell Din, I want it to be a surprise when we present his godson to him."
"Good", Dalia beamed as they finally decided on the perfect name for their precious son. "I love you so much, Wedge."
"I love you too, Dalia", Wedge replied as he blinked a few tears from his eyes.
Both wrapped each other up in a tender hug before they shared a tender kiss, neither of them wanting the moment to end.
"I can't shake this feeling that something is going to go wrong", Leia said with a sob as she heard the transport shuttle make its final approach. She wrapped her arms around Din as tightly as she could as if she was trying to keep him from moving.
"Leia, all we can do is trust in the Force that everything will go well. You stay strong, I need you to be strong", Din said in an almost forceful voice. He hated to see Leia like this and had a nagging feeling of regret that he'd agreed not to resign his commission. He knew that it was a selfish thought, his team needed him, but so did Leia. It was the most conflicting moment of his life.
"Okay, Din. I promise that I'll stay strong. You go do what you have to do", Leia said as she fought back another sob. She hated this, she hated everything about this. Gods, why did she have to hate this so much? Why couldn't she find strength in her heart? Din made her feel so weak at times, but she desperately needed hm to remain in her life.
Din bent down and gave her a fiery kiss. Both savored the pressure against their lips, not wanting it to end, but knowing they only had a few seconds left. As the shuttle extended its landing struts and dropped onto the pad, Din broke away from Leia. He bent down and grabbed his heavy bags and looked towards her. "I love you, Leia", he said as he struggled not to break down.
Leia took a deep breath and forced a smile on her face. "I love you too, Din."
With that, Din quickly walked to the shuttle along with the rest of his men and Anakin. He paused just before he entered and looked back at Leia for a second, noticing that she was still staring at him. He turned his head back into the shuttle and stepped in, the image of her burned into his mind. With that, the shuttle door closed, and Din quickly grabbed a seat as the engines kicked in and hurtled the warriors into the sky.
Location: The Bravery
After a stressful three day journey to Nar Shaddaa, they were finally about to exit hyperspace. Dagger Squadron and Anakin with giving their equipment one final check. Their loadout was heavier given the sustained combat they would face on the surface of the moon. This was the most heavily fortified compound that they had ever assaulted and would test their limits to the max.
"You know I really wish you'd strap on a blaster, Anakin", Din said to his friend. "We're going to be encountering a lot of ranged targets and you might find it handy." Din had been acting like a mother hen to Anakin the entire trip. He'd desperately tried to convince Anakin to wear armor under his robes, but Anakin refused, opting to wear a black leather tunic like he'd worn during countless missions before. Anakin had said that he'd loathed wearing armor as Darth Vader and that it would constrict his movement, which would prevent him from being able to move fluidly through the fray.
"Blasters are uncivilized for a Jedi, Din. You know that I can deflect blaster bolts right back at an opponent from a couple of hundred yards. Besides, I have the Force to help me deal with anyone that I can't use my lightsaber against." It was true, Anakin could crush opponents into walls and rip down structures with his mind. The destruction he could inflict would be greater than anything Din, or the rest of Dagger Squadron was carrying into the battle.
"That's all fine, Anakin. I'm just not used to having a fucking Jedi Master roll out with us", Din said with a scowl. "Please do us a favor and let us keep up with you. I don't want to have to go sprinting after you if you get too much into a groove. We're here to offer support and make sure that you don't get yourself killed. Padmé will end my existence if you don't come home with us."
"And Leia will end mine if you don't come home either, Din. You keep your head down, I don't want to see any of your antics on this one. Remember that you're here to lead your team, so if you get into a difficult pinch, call it out on the coms and direct your team or hell even me and we'll help you out", Anakin said sternly. While he knew Din was skilled in battle, he also had read enough of the after mission reports to know that Din would be a loose cannon if push came to shove. That was the man's only fault as a leader and Anakin wanted to rein that in as tightly as possible.
"Fine, I'll be sure and do my job", Din replied. He knew Anakin was right and would do his damnedest to comply with the request.
He quickly scanned around to make sure that his men were staying on task. They were still checking their equipment, tightening their packs, vests, and gun belts, and doing function checks on their weapons. There was a sense of nervousness that was so overpowering that Din could taste it. He couldn't do anything about the Stormtroopers and walker crews and the pilots were already loaded up into their birds, but he could do something about his team.
"Everyone listen up", Din said in a commanding tone. "I can tell we're all a bit ruffled in anticipation of raining unholy hell upon the scum of the universe, but we need to stay calm and not act like a bunch of Stormtroopers fresh out of basic training on Cardia. We're too fucking professional for that behavior and I'm going to start smacking heads if we don't pull it together. Let's just do our gods damned jobs. The sooner we can get to Jabba, the sooner we'll be able to get off that shithole of a moon and back home. Does anyone have any questions? I don't want to hear any bitching."
The team responded in the negative with various obscenities.
"We're going to fuck them up, Din", Derek said in a booming voice that reverberated around the hanger bay of the Star Destroyer. Anakin and the rest chuckled as various personnel turned to look at them, surprised at the deep baritone of the large Corellian.
"Alright, that's what I wanna fucking hear", Din said with a smile. "Let's load up in this shit heap and get down to the surface. Remember to activate your infrared strobes so we don't get turned into dust by air support."
They all loaded into a heavy lift shuttle that was already packed to the brim with Stormtroopers. Since the seats were all taken, they knelt down on the deck of the craft, donned their helmets, and unslung their weapons bringing them at the ready so they could engage their targets as soon as the ramp lowered.
Instead of dropping immediately upon exiting hyperspace, the men would have to wait for the fleets to move into position in order to begin effectively engaging their assigned tasks and for the Tie Interceptors to obtain space and air superiority over the compound. It was an unusual plan, but it was one that Din hoped would lessen casualties for not just his squadron, but for all the Imperials.
He took a deep breath and let his mind briefly wonder to Leia, letting the one good thing in his life warm his heart and give him purpose to do what he needed to do and get back home to see her. Gods he loved that woman.
On the bridge, Admiral Piett furiously delegated orders to his subordinates. The tension on the bridge was high and rightfully so. They were going into the den of the monsters that were running this entire blasted war. He hoped that with the capture of Jabba, the ruthless annihilation of any capital ships in the area, along with a blistering bombardment of Nal Hutta would force the Slaver Confederacy into submission, but even he had his doubts about that. There was just too much profit in the peddling of beings and Piett was curious to know if there were other unknown players pulling the strings in the war.
"Captain Oliver, call out our exit from hyperspace", Piett commanded. He felt a sudden thrill for a gods honest fleet engagement. There was nothing like a proper scrap between capital ships, but the cost was always the blood of the men under his command.
"Aye-Aye, Admiral. Exiting hyperspace in five, four, three, two, and one", Oliver called out.
The transition to real space was always sudden, almost violent if it weren't from the gravity dampeners throughout the ships. Piett quickly scanned the system from the bridge.
"Coms, establish contact with the other two fleets and instruct them to commence operations", Piett ordered. "Also make sure our fleet is in formation and ready to deploy fighters. Have support frigates hug our formation tightly, I want as minimal damage to the Destroyers as possible. Helm set your course for Nar Shadaa at all ahead flank, I want us in geosynchronous orbit as quickly as possible to set up a bombardment. Scanning station, keep a close eye out for enemy vessels, I want to be notified the moment if they appear to be moving in our direction."
The stations all acknowledge in the affirmative and the Star Destroyer lurched forward at a blistering speed towards the moon.
"Sir, the Third Fleet is reporting that capital ships are attempting to flee via hyperspace. Fleet Interdictor Destroyers have activated their gravity wells and the Third Fleet is closing for engagement", The coms officer called out.
"Excellent, acknowledge in the affirmative. What's the status on the Second Fleet's movement towards Nal Hutta?", Piett asked on edge. Avoiding complacency meant he needed to keep a firm grasp on the three fleets as much as possible which was far more daunting than commanding a single battle fleet.
"They are moving towards the planet and are reporting that their scanners have picked up shuttles powering up their engines. They should be in position in time to engage them with fighters and will report once their bombardment begins."
"Understood, keep in contact with the fleets and have them report every five minutes."
Piett turned back to the view port of his Destroyer as Nar Shadaa quickly filled it. The moon looked like a hellish version of Coruscant. Lights of the sprawling city blinked through the polluted skies and Piett could already identify Hutt Town. What slug decided to name the city with such a simplistic name was beyond the Admiral's reasoning. It emphasized how self absorbed the Hutts were in their nature that they couldn't even come up with a proper name.
"Admiral, our fighters have been deployed in formation and Interceptors have reported no enemy fighters at this time. We are lining up for bombardment", Oliver reported.
"Good. Inform the gunners that they are to engage their designated grid points as soon as they become within range. I want complete destruction of the radius specified, reduce every building in the two mile zone to rubble. We can't afford to have our walkers restricted", Piett said. It was almost time to drop the shuttles, they just needed to soften the target as much as possible.
After another two minutes, the coms officer called out. "Admiral, the Third Fleet has engaged the enemy capital ships and are currently involved in heavy combat. They're moving to incircle the ships to destroy them before heavy casualties are incurred. The Second Fleet has reported that they are on station and their fighters have engaged fleeing transport ships. They are about to commence the bombardment of Nal Hutta."
"Understood, tell them to report back in another five minutes", Piett said as his mind whirled. He briskly walked to a three dimensional holoprojection of the system and watched as the different fleets engaged their targets. The tool was new, but very effective in helping to coordinate the attacks.
"Admiral, we are in geosynchronous orbit of Nar Shadaa and the fleet is beginning bombardment. We are currently unchallenged by enemy fighters in space, but scanners detect fighters in the atmosphere near the target area. Looks like they want to keep the fight as close to the ground as possible", Oliver reported. This wasn't good news. With the fighters operating so low, it would be difficult for the Destroyers and supporting frigates to provide support.
"Once we've completed our bombardment, order the Interceptor squadrons to begin their descent into the atmosphere to engage. I want all shuttles to standby for their drop. They need to be on station and ready for deployment. We can't afford to lose any time, so I am making a command decision for them to make their way to the surface while the Interceptors are dealing with the fighters. Have the bombers fly just ahead of the shuttles to soften targets just before the shuttle landings. Is that understood?" Piett knew that this wasn't according to the plan, but they couldn't waste time attempting to chase down the enemy fighters within the atmosphere. Their target would become more hardened and they couldn't risk a turbolaser bombardment of the compound itself.
"Understood, Admiral", Oliver responded, someone taken aback by the change in plans. This might place the transports and bombers in danger of being directly engaged by the enemy fighters, but that was just part of the risk.
Piett stared out the viewport as he watched the intense turbolaser bombardment of around the perimeter of the compound below. It had been a long time since he'd seen such a violent sight and was still somewhat shaken that they were even conducting the operation. There was just too much risk and once the ground element was planet side, all fleets would need to converge around the planet in case other enemy capital ships jumped on station. A two day pitched battle on the ground would be difficult to protect and there were just too many elements that could go wrong.
The Admiral wondered if Anakin was regretting his decision to commence such an action.
Abord the heavy lift shuttle, Din and his squadron braced themselves for the docking clamps to release. Anakin looked to be like he was in some form of battle meditation. Din remembered reading about such a practice while he studied at the Temple but was unsure as to how the process worked. He cracked his neck, and his fingers tapped his repeating blaster as the anticipation of combat grew.
Could he pull this off? It would be the greatest achievement in his career, one that would likely be bought by the blood of many. He allowed himself to think of Leia one more time. Her warm and comforting eyes would sooth him just from a mere glance. Her soft skin against his was one of the most enjoyable things he could experience aside from their lovemaking. He kicked himself for not finding the right time to propose to her before he left, but this had been so sudden, so unexpected that he didn't have the time.
Din had left the ring with Padmé and had given her strict instructions that if he died, she was to wait until Leia's initial stage of grief was over and to give it to her as a token of remembrance of his love. Padmé at first couldn't agree. She couldn't bear the thought of having to carry such a responsibility, but Din had implored her, asking that as his future mother in law to honor the request if something happened to him. She agreed and Din had held her as she cried in fear.
After he heard the docking clamps release, Din cleared his mind from those thoughts and prepared for the intensity of combat. He slowed his breathing and flipped the safety off his blaster rifle, preparing for whatever was to come.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to drop a review.