"Alright, Gant, you'll be moving through a storm. Just keep her steady and trust in the Force." Anakin said as he watched Gant guide the Twilight II into a layer of clouds over Coronet City, the capital of Corellia. As soon as they hit the clouds, water showered onto the outside of the light freighter, soon turning into a pelting rain. Gant broke through the cloud bank a few moments later, returning them to the half-light that came with a stormy day. Coronet City spread out below them. The city was a metropolis, definitely nothing near Coruscant, but far improved over some of the cities Anakin had seen. Coronet was clearly a city of a wealthy Core Region planet. Its built-up architecture still managed to incorporate parks and other areas for recreation. Anakin could clearly tell where the wealthy districts were, and from them, where the poorer districts were as well. However, it wasn't Coronet that held his attention. It was the CEC shipyard located in the city and the massive Imperial-class Star Destroyer hull being constructed within one of its dry docks.

Bail had warned them about the new capital ship. How it would be the mainstay of the Imperial Navy and how the Emperor had reassured the Senate that it held more than enough power to take on any other ship in single combat. However, even Bail's description and the rough holo-images he had sent them hadn't done the ship justice. Anakin could clearly see how dangerous it would be. Larger than a Venator, and, from what he could see, with ports for far, far more weapons systems.

"Look at the size of that thing." Jesse murmured from where he and Rex stood.

"So that's their new toy…." Rex commented. "We better be ready for when we go up against that thing." He said.

Anakin nodded, "If they can put it up… we'll find a way to knock it down." He commented, although even he knew it'd take a lot of firepower to bring that thing down. But, they'd hunted big fish before. He could still vividly remember engaging the Malevolence. After a moment, he put his attention back on Gant as they approached the open mouth of a hangar bay. The rain was still pelting down, so landing in a covered area was far more preferable.

"That's it Gant, bring her in smoothly. See that droid there?" He asked, pointing to it. Gant nodded. "Follow it in, it'll guide you to a landing spot."

The padawan did as advised, following the small droid as it made for a designated landing zone. Gently, the ship settled into its spot, the landing gear taking its weight. Anakin praised the boy. "Good job, another good landing, Gant."

"Thank you, Master. Sooo… think I can go out in a starfighter soon?" He asked, hopeful.

Anakin grinned, "We'll see about that. Maybe after this I can have R2 take you out in my fighter." He smiled as Gant shut the ship down, then turned to Rex and Jesse. "Alright, Rex, Jesse, you two will be with us. The rest of the squad will stay here as a QRF." He said.

Padme flashed Anakin as she eased into the cockpit from the hallway. "Bail got in contact with Senator Bel Iblis for us. Garm will be waiting for us nearby." She explained. "He's a powerful figure here on Corellia, and, although I didn't want him to, has been somewhat outspoken against the Empire's actions. Hopefully, Garm can help us obtain more ships. Specifically starfighters and, if possible, a few more capital ships."

Anakin nodded and went to her, wrapping an arm around her. "And that will be your specialty, Senator Skywalker" He grinned. "Thanks to your efforts, we'll have a solid fleet for Mandalore, as well as for dealing with the Empire when the time comes."

Rex nodded, "We have to start somewhere, conserve our forces." He affirmed as they began walking through the ship. "If the Empire keeps up some of its actions like it did on Ghorman, then they'll be turning people against them for us. It'll just be down to us to recruit and organize them."

"As much as it pains me to see it that way, to see civilians tormented like that, Rex has a point," Padme said, her voice quiet but firm. "Every atrocity the Empire commits will drive people to our cause." Anakin reached down, giving her hand a soft squeeze as they headed out the back ramp of the ship. She squeezed his hand firmly, a sign of how upset she was over how the Empire was treating people already. She looked at him and nodded as they entered the hangar bay.

The hangar was largely empty, just one or two other light freighters to take up the ample space. Droids and a few dock workers moved about, but none paid them any mind as they made their way out onto the city streets, sticking to the covered walkways as best they could to avoid the rain.

The people here were not the wealthy of Corellia's capital elite. They were the ordinary people of Coronet, who went about their daily business despite the weather. They were definitely out of Coronet's wealthier areas and away from the prying eyes of the Empire. Any law here was likely still part of CorSec. However, Anakin did spot something of note. A piece of graffiti on one of the nearby buildings depicted a white trooper helmet and the words 'Get off Corellia.' Anakin pointed it out as they moved through the throngs of people.

"I'm not surprised," Padme whispered to him. "Corellia was against the war. Garm even withdrew from the Senate because he refused to see the Corellian people taxed to fund its own security forces and a galactic military. Even then, Corellia still became a major producer of ships for the Republic, and Garm formed a militia force to fight in his own way. The Republic respected that choice, even if most didn't like it. Based on the capital ships being built in orbit and here on the ground, the Empire is not quite so accepting of Corellian independence." She stated.

Anakin nodded, then closed his eyes as they walked. He breathed in deeply and let the force carefully radiate out around him. He could feel the lives of all those around him, of a city, a planet full of life. In the currents of the force, he could feel tension on Corellia. Many people clearly weren't happy. He reached out to Gant.

'Gant, do you feel it?' He asked mentally as he placed a hand on his Padawan's shoulder. 'Reach out, feel the force swirl around us… that is the living force.' He stated.

'I do, Master Skywalker… I remember Master Yoda telling us about the living force on Coruscant. He told us that, as Jedi, we should follow what the living force tells us, give ourselves over to it so we can carry out the will of the force.' He explained.

Anakin nodded, 'This is true, but not always. Embrace the living force, but do not lose yourself in it as the Jedi used to teach. We are Jedi, and our purpose is to protect and help the people of the galaxy. But, we should not just give ourselves over to the force to do so.' Anakin stated his beliefs, even though they differed from what the Jedi had taught for centuries.

'The will of the force guides all things. The Jedi believed we would be better conduits of that Will by giving ourselves over to it. To a point, this is true. It is why the Jedi have maintained such a strict code banning any possession or attachment, suppressing emotions, and teaching us to not desire things.' Anakin thought as they passed through the throngs of people.

'But, that isn't as true as the Jedi thought. To become so detached from life by giving oneself over to the living force often limits one from doing what they can to actually help. Instead, I feel that we should embrace life, have its adventures, build its bonds, love and live and enjoy ourselves, and feel the emotions attached to it all. At least, those are my thoughts on it.' Anakin elaborated.

'I… think I understand, Master.' Gant replied. 'But… can't one's passions lead them to the dark side?' The young boy enquired.

'They most certainly can, my Padawan, but… only if you allow them to control you.' He said. 'I can say from experience that many of my feelings, my passions and emotions, have made me stronger. My love for my friends and family has always been a source of the light within me.' Anakin clarified. 'But… other emotions… the pain and anger I felt at losing my mother, the fear of Padme being hurt in a series of dreams I had, or when I'd thought Obi-Wan had died.' He let Gant feel some of these emotions with them, carefully, easing the boy in so he could understand. 'These emotions are what drove me closer to the dark.'

'But… that doesn't mean to release only bad emotions, does it, Master?'

'No, not at all, Gant. Feeling those emotions, all emotions, good and bad, is part of our lives. It is healthy and part of a process of healing. The point is that, when we let these emotions consume us, overpower who we are, that is where the dark side will look to pull you in. The point is to be able to process and control those emotions, to accept them, acknowledge that they are part of you, and part of life, and that giving in won't change anything about what caused them.' Anakin started.

'For example, something that I learned from Master Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan's old Master, was how to let go of my fear of loss. I… haven't told you this, Gant, but I went down a dark path before everything happened with Darth Sidious. I was afraid of losing those I loved, especially Padme, of her dying like my mother did. I was so afraid that I was willing to do anything to get so strong as to stop her death from happening… That, Gant, is what leads to the dark side. Does it mean that I fully accept death? No. I know it will hurt deeply when I lose someone I care about. What it does mean though, is that I will process those emotions and learn to move on instead of giving in and risking the dark side corrupting me. Power is the goal of the dark side, but it's power that corrupts, and that will make you lose sight of the goal you originally had.'

Gant nodded after a moment but asked, 'And how does that play into the living force, Master?'

Anakin smiled, 'Allow yourself to feel things, Gant. Allow yourself to have passions, to want to change things for the better. There will be things we can't change, but, as Jedi, we shouldn't be so apathetic as to not act of our own accord to change anything either.' Anakin said. 'Emotions, hopes, passion. When used in the right way, these can allow us to change things for the better, and I feel that should be our goal as Jedi.'

Gant took a breath and seemed to process this as they walked, then nodded, speaking vocally again. "I think I understand, Master, thank you." He said quietly.

Padme nudged him, giving a knowing look and a grin. "Seems like you two were deep in conversation." She joked.

Anakin chuckled some, "Sorry, Angel, we just got distracted."

"It's alright dear, but we're getting close to our meeting point. And I don't think Rex wants me to leave him in charge of you two while you're distracted." Padme replied.

From behind them, Rex replied, "Honestly ma'am, it wouldn't be the first time." The man replied jokingly. Anakin rolled his eyes.

"Hmmm, probably almost as many times as we've had to rescue a certain someone, right Rex?" He smirked back to Padme as they crossed the street, slipping into a rough-looking cantina.

The Stalled Hyperdrive smelled heavily of alcohol, cheap tabac, and body odor. Beings of all species milled about in the cantina, either gathered around tables, standing at the bar, or gathered at one of the various gambling tables of Sabacc or Dejarick. A jukebox pumped out music to complete the atmosphere. Anakin was glad that all the time spent onboard the Twilight II gave them the look of spacers. It let them blend right in with the crowds of an establishment such as this. No one seemed to pay them any mind, and Anakin made sure not to meet anyone's eyes as they made their way to the bar.

"What'll ya have?" the bartender, an older human, grunted out as he finished pouring two drinks for some of the patrons, sending out a waitress to deliver them. He barely spared the group a second glance.

"One virgin Jet Juice, three Fuzzy Tauntauns, and a Blue Milk for the kid," Anakin said as he slipped the Bart a credit chip. The bartender looked confused for a moment. After all, you couldn't make virgin Jet Juice. It required too much alcohol. He nodded, "I'll have those ready in a bit. There's a free booth upstairs, booth four." He said, motioning to the steps.

Anakin nodded before following after Padme, who led the way. Immediately, the smell of smoke grew thicker. It was a slightly sweet smell, one Anakin knew all too well from growing up on Tatooine. The scent of Spice was thick up here. He ushered Gant along, not that the boy needed any encouragement. They moved past the various tables, largely ignored as most of the patrons rode out their own highs.

"Here we are." Padme said, coming to a stop to look back at the others. Anakin nodded and pulled the curtain aside.

"Rex, Jesse, you guys keep watch out here. We shouldn't be long." He said as he let Padme and Gant, then slipped inside the booth himself. The seats were old but cushioned and wrapped around the table in the center.

The man across from them wasn't Garm. It was a younger man dressed in plain clothes. However, he nodded to them and pulled out a personal communications device before setting it on the table and activating it. The image took a moment to stabilize but then came into focus. The holographic image of Garm Bel Iblis stood before them, arms crossed as he looked at them.

"Garm, it's good to see you, it's been a while." Padme started off.

"It's good to see you too, Padme." He said, nodding. "Sorry I couldn't make it. Things are… tense. What the Empire is doing goes pretty heavily against the core of Corellian beliefs, and of mine too. I didn't want to risk drawing suspicion to myself."

"We understand. You're taking a risk to meet with us right now." Anakin said. "Thank you for that." He added.

"No worries, now, what was it you needed?" He asked.

"We're hoping to eventually fight the Empire." Padme spoke softly. "But we need the means to do so. Weapons, ships, supplies. Without these, it won't matter when the right time to fight back comes… we won't be able to." She explained.

"We've gained support from others already, but we were hoping to have your support as well. We have the Jedi remnants with us, and we have a few ships, but we could use more. We were hoping for supplies, or for ships from the Corellian militia." Padme requested.

Garm scratched at his chin and sighed, "I had a feeling that might be what you were wanting." He said. "The Empire has pressured us to submit the Corellian militia to Imperial Navy control, basically merging it into the local Moff's sector defense fleet. The only thing that's prevented that from happening is that much of the fleet is privately owned. A lot of Corellia's elite poured capital into that fleet, and that has made it slightly harder for the Empire to force its absorption." He sighed. "But, at the same time, that means I can't easily guarantee you much of the fleet. Plus, I'm guessing you'll need the volunteers to crew these ships." He said, face grim.

Padme nodded, "We will, and, I see where the dilemma lies. Much the same as with the Clone Wars. This fleet was paid for by the people of Corellia, and it isn't yours to just do with as you please."

Anakin let out a slight breath of disappointment. This was no surprise once it'd been laid out to him. The militia was just that, a volunteer militia. If they got anything, it'd be through people voluntarily offering to fly those ships into battle.

Garm nodded, "Exactly. I can't promise anything right now beyond my own personal support, and even that will take time for me to organize. But, give me that time. Corellia's feelings of the Empire are the same as yours. I think, given the time, I can at least get you some more support."

As they talked, the force made Anakin aware of a disturbance. It wasn't the Sith, but, it was worrying, a sudden spike in the force of fear and panic, uncontrolled. Anakin let out another breath and looked to Gant, who nodded that he'd felt it too.

Anakin slid from the booth, Gant right behind him. "We felt a disturbance in the force." He whispered to Padme. "We can't ignore it, it's something Gant and I need to check on." She looked to him and nodded before going back to her discussions with Garm.

"Rex, you and Jesse stay here. We're going to check on something." He said, to which the two men nodded.


'What do you think that was, Master?' Gant inquired through their bond as they hurried from the Cantina.

'I don't know, but it's probably nothing good. Stay on your guard.' He said as they slipped through the streets. The rain had ended, leaving a humid, muggy feel to the air as a slight haze rose up with the evaporating water. Anakin honed in on where the force guided him, moving through the streets and avoiding people.

Their search brought them to a small single-story house. Anakin's eyes widened at the sight of a group of imperial troops stationed outside the house, with two militarized police speeders parked nearby. Inside though, Anakin felt the force wash over him again. He took a breath and looked to Gant. "I think it's the Inquisition. They've probably found another force sensitive to take." He said, and his Padawan nodded in reply. "We can't let this happen."

Anakin activated his wrist communicator. "Rex, get back to the ship, all of you. There's about to be some trouble and Gant and I will need a fast exit." He said.

"Understood General, on it." His captain replied before cutting the comms.

"Alright, Gant. We're going to deal with the stormtroopers outside first. Then, we'll worry about any inquisitors." He said. "Be on your guard, remember your training. And if I tell you to run… run."

"I understand, Master." Gant said after a moment. With that, Anakin moved.

The stormtroopers outside were easy enough to deal with, caught off guard and unprepared as Anakin reached out with the force and sent them flying into the building wall. He knew it would alert any of the inquisitors inside the building. Still, they couldn't risk letting the enemy call for backup. Anakin could feel the adrenaline coursing through him just as much as the force did and took a breath, steadying himself as he went through the front door, Gant behind him.

In the room were three surprised Inquisitors, as well as the family. Two Togruta women stood between their small child and the Inquisitors, the young boy undoubtedly the target.

Anakin stared down the three Inquisitors and calmly took his lightsaber in hand. "Surrender now, let the family go, and you won't be hurt." he gave them a warning.

"Filthy Jedi scum, how dare you order us." Was the leader's response. Anakin looked at him and realized it was the Shistavanen that he'd fought before. He narrowed his eyes. The three Inquisitors all ignited their lightsabers, and Anakin's own hissed to life as he readied it. He heard Gants do the same from behind him.

"We take them together." Anakin breathed, the irony of those words not lost on him. Thankfully, Gant wasn't quite as brazen as he was. Anakin advanced carefully, giving both him and Gant space to work. He looked to the three dark force users. "Well… are we going to do this?" He challenged them.

The Shistavanen inquisitor charged, snarling at Anakin. Their blades hissed as they collided, Anakin forcing his assault to a stop. Anakin rebounded, countering with a series of strikes of his own that started to drive the Shistavanen back. The force warned him in time, and Anakin twisted to block an attack from one of the other inquisitors. Gant moved in on his right and blocked an attack from the third one.

Anakin kicked out, gritting his teeth as he forced his second attacker back with a strike to the knee, pushing home his assault against the Shistavanen. He forced space between them and brought his saber up, advancing with a downward swing that jarred the Shistavanen.

It was the shout of pain that alerted Anakin to his right. Gant was still locked into his duel with the other Inquisitor. Still, Anakin saw the smoke appearing from a wound in his Padawan's leg. Anakin felt it for a moment, that spike of anger and the desire that flowed with it. The desire to control everything. The dark side.

But, he didn't let it consume him. He took a breath, and directed it, channeled the light side to let it flow over the dark to master his emotions. He unleashed it all on his two opponents. A blast of the force sent his second attacker, a human, flying back into one of the walls with a grunt. Anakin launched a flurry of attacks, moving through the strikes with practiced ease. This time, the Shistavanen couldn't keep up. Without hesitation, Anakin cleaved his saber up in a diagonal strike through the Shistavanens stomach and chest. Turning away, Anakin launched into the Inquisitor that was attacking his Padawan. Anakin's saber dug into the dark side user's side right as Gant blocked a strike from them. Then, just as suddenly, Gant turned and drove his saber into the chest of the last Inquisitor as he charged Anakin from behind.

Both were panting, and Anakin could feel the adrenaline coursing through him as he looked around. He shut off his lightsaber and holstered it as Gant did the same. "Gant, you okay?" He asked.

HIs Padawan shuddered some but forced himself to stay standing upright. Anakin wrapped an arm around him. "Hey, it's okay. I've got you." He said, helping to support his Padawan. "Let's get you to a medic."

Anakin looked to the family, who were staring at him wide-eyed. He nodded, "Come with us. We'll get you out of here."

"Rex, get the Twilight in here for extraction, we've got a family with us, and Gant's wounded." Anakin said into his comms.

"Already ahead of you, General. Heads up, you got some company outside that house. We're gonna come in and give you some covering fire." Rex replied.

"Got it, we'll wait for your fire." Anakin replied. He looked to the others as Gant steadied himself. "Alright. Our ship is coming, when I say go, we're going to get you on it." He explained to the civilians.

It didn't take long before they heard the ship come in low, its sublight engines making the air thrum. The fire started immediately, and Anakin could see the clones had set up a perimeter and were firing on the imperial stormtroopers.

"Alright, let's go!" He said. He stepped out, lightsaber ignited and covered the family who ran for the Twilight II. Gant brought his saber up beside him, and Anakin felt some pride as the boy powered through the pain.

The civilians rushed aboard first, followed by Gant. Anakin took up position beside Rex and the other clones as they filtered aboard the ship. The force, however, suddenly screamed out at him. Anakin brought up his hands and used the force to stop the speeder that had been tossed at them. He pushed it to the side and stared down the street, still deflecting fire.

The chill that went down his spine was intense. This person was strong in the dark side.

His entire outfit was black, with a mix of armor and robes. The Sith's face was partially covered by mechanicals on one side, barely revealing angry scar tissue underneath. A blood-red lightsaber was ignited in their hand. However, none of that held Anakin's attention. The man's gaze was locked onto him, boring into his skull with a sort of hatred Anakin had rarely seen before.

What pained Anakin the most was that he recognized that gaze, even under all the hatred, even under the yellowed eyes and the pale-looking skin. He was staring at Master Windu.

"M…Master Windu! This isn't you. The dark side isn't your way!" Anakin tried to reason, still in shock. Even as Rex yelled at him that they had to go, Anakin could only think of the once Jedi Master before him.

Mace didn't say anything in return but instead launched one of the two abandoned speeders at Anakin, forcing him to catch it and push it away. Anakin barely had time to bring his lightsaber up to block lightning from killing him or destroying the ship. Anakin grit his teeth as the jolt shot up his arms, and he used the force to direct it through his body. He could feel his mechno-arm threatening to short circuit from the power of it. "Die!" He heard Master Windu shout at the top of his lungs.

"Backblast area clear!" A clone suddenly shouted.

"Eat this you Sith scum sucker!" Jesse growled as he suddenly appeared from the ship again. He fired off an anti-tank missile at the Sith, which streaked downrange rapidly.

Mace ended his attack on Anakin and batted the missile away from him, detonating as it slammed into a building.

Anakin looked around. There were too many civilians here for a duel like this. He launched the speeder back at Mace and then hurried on board with Rex and Jesse. "Get us out of here!" He shouted as Mace caught the speeder. Anakin pushed hard against Mace, who pushed back for dominance.

"On it!" Padme said. The ship accelerated rapidly. As they gained air and distance, Anakin nudged the speeder away, breaking his conflict with Mace. He watched from the back of the transport as the ramp closed, eyes locked on the once Jedi Master. As soon as they were away, he slumped to the wall, adrenaline dumping from his veins. He only fully relaxed as Padme slammed the hyperdrive into action almost as soon as they broke away from the planet's gravity well.

How was he going to break this to the council?


They'd made three jumps, racing towards the outer rim before deciding it was safe. In that time, the medical droid had jumped into action on Gant's wound. Thankfully, it wasn't deep. The med droid had given Gant a local anesthetic before having to cut away at the burnt flesh from the lightsaber wound. The droid cleaned the wound as much as possible before letting a bacta patch large enough to wrap around the boy's calf do its work. Anakin managed a small smile as his Padawan lay in a proper bed, resting.

"You did well today Gant." He said softly, ruffling the boy's hair. "I'm proud of you, you stood your ground, trusted your training, and trusted in the force." He said.

Gant managed a nod as he lay there, clearly exhausted from the minor surgery and their action against the Inquisitors. "Thank you, Master." He said, voice soft from exhaustion but with a slight note of pride.

Anakin nodded, "No, thank you, you had my back back there." Anakin smiled and gave his Padawan a bow. "You will be a great Jedi one day, Gant." He grinned.

Gant nodded again, and Anakin could see the boy's eyes fluttering as he neared sleep. No doubt the medication the doctor had given him earlier. Gant definitely would not want to be awake once that local wore off. Bacta numbed the pain, taking the edge off, but it alone didn't stop it outright. Bacta tanks had pumped a light anesthetic to a patient through their mouthpiece. Just enough to make them sleep and to properly dull the pain.

"Rest now, Gant. I'll be right outside if you need me." He said. His Padawan didn't have to be told twice, and Anakin could feel it in the force as Gant settled into a deep sleep.

Anakin slipped from the med bay back into the main cargo space, nodding to the others. The clones had set up a sleeping area for the family they had rescued, and Padme seemed to be checking on them, bringing them some food. Anakin made his way over, smiling softly, even if he had no reason to be happy right now.

"Master Jedi, thank you so much for coming to our aid. We had heard that the Empire were looking for force sensitives, but, when they showed up, they were ready to kill us or take us by force when we said we wanted to keep our son." One of the two women explained.

Anakin nodded, "I understand. I am sorry for what you've been through. Those were Imperial Inquisitors. They've been capturing force sensitives to convert to the dark side of the force." He explained. "You're safe now. We'll be taking you to a place where you will be safe. There are more Jedi there."

The other woman jumped up, defensive. "Will the Jedi try to take our son from us as well?" She challenged him.

Anakin shook his head, "No. Not at all." He explained. "While we do hope to give your son the training needed to master their force abilities and possibly become a Jedi. You two will both absolutely be part of his life and won't be separated from him. Even when he becomes a Padawan and begins to travel with his Master, you two will still be able to see him and have contact." He smiled. "You have my word, as a member of the High Council, that you won't be separated, and you two, as well as him, will have a choice on if he becomes a Jedi." He said.

Kneeling down, Anakin smiled at the shy young Togruta boy, still hiding between his mothers. "Hi there, I'm Anakin. What's your name?" He asked.

The boy glanced at his parents, who both nodded after a moment. He looked back to Anakin, large green eyes staring at Anakin's blue ones. "I'm Zobaar." He said.

Anakin smiled, "Well, Zobaar, I'm Anakin, and you don't need to worry, your family is safe now." He said.

Padme smiled, "I know this guy seems like he's all big and scary, but you can trust him. Anakin is my husband. We will both make sure your family all stays together." She smiled. "After all, we'll be making sure ours does too." She said and rubbed her stomach.

This seemed to put them a bit more at ease as they settled in, eating the food Padme had brought.

Anakin smiled and helped his wife up from where she was sitting. He let out a breath as they moved away from the family. "Padme… we need to contact Obi-Wan and Master Yoda immediately." He said. "T…that last force user I fought… it was Master Windu… he's a Sith now." He shook his head.

"What, Anakin? Are you sure?" She asked. Anakin nodded.

"I am, it was his signature in the force, but it was tainted. He must have been captured." Anakin explained.

Padme nodded, "I'm so sorry Anakin… I wish there was something we could have done but… everything had happened so fast." She reminded him.

"I know, but, it's a somber moment." He said as they headed up to the cockpit. R2 was waiting for them and chirped out to let Anakin know that he'd prepared a commlink for them. "Thanks, R2." he said.

The holo came to life with a few taps of the screen, one showing Obi-Wan while the other showed Grand Master Yoda.

"Master Skywalker, Senator Skywalker, doing well, are you? Have something important to report, you do?" Master Yoda asked.

We do, Master." Anakin started. "We established contact on Corellia, but as we were discussing aid with our contact, I felt a disturbance in the force. Gant and I investigated, and we engaged with three inquisitors. We defeated them and rescued a family with a force-sensitive child. Gant was wounded in the fight." He explained.

"Anakin, I'm glad you're both alright," Obi-Wan explained. "I'll make sure to let Kittani know, and I'm sorry for Gant's injury." He said. Anakin nodded gratefully. After all, both he and Obi-Wan had suffered their share of wounds.

"As am I, young Skywalker, as well as relieved that rescue the family, you did." Master Yoda added before nodding. "But more to tell us, have you." It was a statement, not a question.

"I do…" Anakin started before taking a breath. "I engaged a Sith as we were escaping. A proper Sith. It would seem Sidious has a new apprentice." He looked at them both. "I… it's Master Windu. I recognized him. Master Windu must have been captured, and Sidious must have turned him to the dark side."

The other two Master's faces fell. "Sad news indeed, this is." Master Yoda said. "Corrupt, the dark side does, resist it, no one can, when subjected constantly they are."

Anakin nodded, knowing all too well how seductive the dark side was. "We need to regroup. As much as we'd hoped to contact more possible allies, Padme is getting close to her due date. Plus, we need to drop off this family with the Liberation, and I'd like Gant to get some proper medical attention. As good as the med droid is, I'd like him to have a proper soak in a bacta tank.

Obi-Wan nodded, "I agree. We have wounded of our own from the past series of engagements. And we have even more troops that we need to transfer over." He explained.

Padme spoke up then, "I might actually have a suggestion for our rendezvous point." She started. "I'd like for us to meet at the coordinates that R2 is about to send you both. The doctors there are very good, and it's on the edge of the outer rim. We could recover all of our wounded there, and well… Fulcrum informed me that they have an excellent maternity ward." She admitted. "From there, I could have easy access to doctors, and potentially still contact our allies to gain support." She admitted.

It took a moment for the encrypted codes to get to both locations, but once they did, both Obi-Wan and Master Yoda nodded. "I think this would be the best place to handle all of the things we need to do." Obi-Wan agreed. "Plus, well, when the children come into this world, it will take all of us to help keep their force signatures suppressed, otherwise they'll be a beacon to any force wielders in the galaxy."

Anakin nodded, "They will." he said. "They're powerful in the force." He affirmed.

Master Yoda nodded, "Then reunite here, we shall. Make Master Khota and Master Mundi aware of this, I shall." He said. "Meet you there, we will."

Obi-Wan nodded, "We'll be there, Anakin, Padme. You both won't go through this alone." He smiled.

Anakin nodded, "Thank you, both, Masters." He managed a smile as he felt Padme squeeze his good hand. He'd have to do some work to his mechanical one later, but this gave him relief for now. They said their goodbyes, and the transmission was cut.

Anakin nodded, "So, where are we headed? Since you seem to have kept this a surprise even for me." He grinned.

Padme smiled innocently, "Well, a lady can keep some of her secrets." She smiled. "Set our coordinates for Polis Massa, Ani." She said as they moved over to the Pilot and Co-pilot's chairs before leaning her head on his shoulder.

Anakin nodded, "Polis Massa it is."

With a few taps on the navigation computer, Anakin engaged the hyperdrive, and the window in front of them filled with streaks of blue as they jumped.