"Skywalker! There is no time for your arrogance!" Mace Windu barks as he deflects two more blasters.
Anakin joins his side to fight back the droids.
"We're here to rescue you, Master Windu. We never leave a Jedi behind."
Their purple and blue lightsabers hum and crackle as they fight against the hoards of battle droids.
With the assistance of the 501st, the battle takes a turn in favor of the Republic.
Anakin points towards the opening that he and his soldiers made with their entrance. "There Master. We can escape through that space. It's too dangerous to leave in the transports with this much heavy fire." He speaks into his transmitter. "Pilots, cover us."
With Anakin and Windu in the lead, the surviving clones battle their way through the opening in the circle of droids. Their fallen brethren are left fallen. There's no time to take their bodies with them for a proper funeral. All clones know their purpose: to fight to the death to defend the Republic.
The transport provide cover fire for the soldiers, flying above them. Luckily for the pilots, this battalion doesn't include any spider droids that could easy take them out of the sky.
The Republic fighters are able to escape the droid encirclement with minimal casualties. The transports begin their decent to retrieve the troopers and Jedi.
"Let's get out of here! Troopers, fall back to the transports!" Windu orders.
The first few transports fill with troopers and take off safety. The remaining continue to defend the transports on the ground till there is only one left.
The last transport is enough for the remaining troopers and the two Jedi.
"Looks like this is our ride, Master Windu." Mindu doesn't appreciate Anakin's snark as much as Obi-Won.
Windu and Anakin deflect the blasts as the clones board the ship.
Before the Jedi are able to board, they both feel something. Something big. Something grotesque. They look towards each other to confirm that the other has felt it two.
Before they are able to speak, the center of the transport explodes as if a giant wedge struck it.
The modified rancor roars as he emerges from the craft's rubble. He slashes through the craft with its large blades. The electro-plasma energy filament makes it easy to shred the ship.
Even for these veteran Jedis, the sight of this creature sends chills down their spines.
"Pilots, return! We need air support! We need all gunners to focus fire on that... that big thing with the knives!" Anakin orders into the transmitter.
The pilots turn their ships around to rescue the stranded Jedis. The ships circle the beast as troopers from inside fire on the beast.
The rancor's skin is too thick for the blasters to make much of an impact. The troopers are serving an important role though. They are distracting the beast.
It waves its blades at the transporters trying to swat them out of the sky.
"Skywalker, this is our time to escape.' Windu points to a mountain range far in the distance. The sun rises behind it.
Anakin nods in agreement. Both Jedi run towards their destination.
"Troopers, distract that thing for as long as you can. Stay out of its reach. We will rendezvous in that mountain range."
The Jedi run as fast as they can across the desert, hoping that they can make it far enough before the beast realizes they have left. They only have to get a solid lead. Even if the rancor follows after them, it will be too slow to catch up to them.
Anakin begins to grin, it looks like they are going to make it out safe.
His optimism vanishes when he here's a familiar sound. A sound that raises the hair on the back of his neck. The sound of nightmares for all those who grew up on Tatooine. The howl of a beast that would scatter even the bravest Tusken raider. Beneath their feet the sand begins to tremble, stopping them in their tracks.
"What is that? Do you feel that?" Windu senses something that doesn't make sense. It's just too big.
"We need to go-" But Anakin knows he's too late. He ignites his lightsaber, Windu follows his lead.
Before them the creature raises it head from beneath the sand.
It's a krayt dragon. Anakin never say one in person before. He had only heard the tales. Few who encountered them survived to tell the tale.
Similar to the rancor, this dragon also seemed modified. Its left eye was replaced with a mechanical one.
What is happening on this planet? But, there's no time to ponder this question. There's a much more important question: how are we getting out of this one?