HAPPY EASTER!
"This Empire has seen adversity over its many years, but despite our enemies' best efforts, we rise more triumphant than ever. With a new ruler, our Galactic Empire will enter a new age of prosperity."
Al sipped his water nervously, listening to the HoloNet reporter speak over the receiver in the Drunken Dewback Cantina. They had arrived on Imperial Center about eight hours ago, and everyone had spent those hours milling through the streets in small packs to meet at their specific rendezvous points. Tyberus was lingering on his ship relaxing, waiting for a signal, while Lastina met up with Al, who was awaiting both her and Okima'yak. The Twi'lek slicer had provided fake identification papers for the Jedi so they could infiltrate the senate building. By now they had to be reaching the entrance to the large halls that housed the most powerful men and women in the Empire. Al swallowed, rubbing his sweaty palms against his trousers.
Eventually he rose, unable to sit still, eager to listen to the whispers in the streets of the underworld. He had to listen out for the distractions, for any signs of danger. He had already established contact with everyone he knew in the Coruscant underworld, and they were causing trouble for security throughout different districts in the lower levels. Lastina and Tyberus were on standby, enjoying themselves in their own ways, and they would be ready if Al called. Today was the day. All he had to do now was wait and pray.
"Founded by His Imperial Majesty, Sheev Palpatine—may he rest in peace—our Empire was born from the strife of civil war, growing out of the weak and incompetent republic that was responsible for so much death."
Qui-Gon remained quiet as he stood in the corner of the senate arena. Other Jedi wandered around, finding their way through the crowds to reach good vantage points. The IDs provided by Almusian's associate had gotten them in without any problems. HoloNet played loudly in preparation, with some grand speech being given by a newscaster. The murmur of the crowd as people scrambled to get the best view and network themselves into better opportunities was almost deafening if one listened, but through the Force all he heard was silence.
It was almost as if the Force was holding its breath.
This was a crucial moment. Qui-Gon did not need Mace's shatter point vision to see that. It would benefit him, however, to see the key players. He suspected that they were not actually in this building.
The Alliance was well prepared for this mission, but it still felt hasty. The Force felt ready, but Qui-Gon did not. He had occasionally imagined what the future would look like once the Empire had fallen, but he had never thought he would be around to see it.
Of course, despite all the planning, there was one important issue that had not been addressed: the mastermind behind all of this was a pair of Imperial defectors. Qui-Gon had faith in young Vader, but he wasn't sure how the former Sith would handle being alone with Jedi on Ghanu'jivo.
Another matter that concerned him was his apprentices; Siri would be fine – the woman was more than capable of taking care of herself and others. Obi-Wan, on the other hand… something was bothering him. Qui-Gon had learned that almost anything bothered the young man, but the Force and training had started to soothe that tendency. However, Obi-Wan was more restless than ever now, and Qui-Gon hadn't had the opportunity to address it. He knew it most likely centered around Kenobi's family – Padmé was in the action, as was Obi-Wan himself.
Qui-Gon sighed, pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind. He had faith in Obi-Wan. The man would pull through, despite his worries. Now Qui-Gon had to lead the Jedi team in ensuring they did their part. So he remained quiet, and he listened.
And the Force held its breath.
"As the years passed, our magnificent Empire not only recovered from the folly of the Galactic Republic but reunited a galaxy at war. With the wise, guiding hand of His Imperial Majesty, a firm military presence, and a strong people, we rose and have become the greatest superpower in history. And today, we begin a new chapter."
The familiar glint of her black sniper rifle lay before her eyes as Keeper picked it up almost reverently. She allowed herself a sentimental moment in pondering that this weapon was her constant and only companion through her years with Imperial Intelligence. This weapon had won her many victories, and today, it would win her another.
Informing her men that she would be monitoring the situation from her office, and ordering that she was not to be disturbed under any circumstance, Keeper exited Intelligence through an unknown corridor and disappeared into the city.
"Our hearts are filled with sorrow when we remember the passing of our beloved emperor, and when we thought the tidings could not be grimmer, we learned of Lord Vader's tragic death. However, despite this heavy burden, our hearts sing with gladness at the tremendous event we are witnessing today."
Obi-Wan heard a soft snort from one of the members of his team as they listened to HoloNet. It was difficult not to listen when the report was being broadcasted across the city over loudspeakers. Even he and his team, hidden in a dismal alleyway, could hear the reporter as if the man were right in front of them.
Taking a calming breath, Obi-Wan glanced over the team. His team. He was leading them. Their lives were in his hands.
The Force was quiet. Too quiet. Obi-Wan didn't like this feeling, the dread that was forming up in his gut – it felt like the night Padmé had been shot. Back then he hadn't listened to his instincts. He knew better now. He was on high alert. No one else may have realized it, but he knew something was wrong.
This would be infinitely easier if he could just figure out what it was.
Obi-Wan looked over his team again. They had to listen for the signal. They were on com silence, letting HoloNet be their cue. They were waiting for Tarkin to enter the senate arena. Closing his eyes, the Jedi Padawan felt out into the Force, meditating, reaching for the source of the problem, but the newscaster was too loud and the Force too soft. He didn't understand.
Opening his eyes, Obi-Wan took an unsteady breath and gripped his lightsaber hilt. Please let Padmé be alright.
"Wilhuff Tarkin will guide us into the future; a future without conflict, without fear, without oppression. A future without those terrorists, a future where our enemies shall fall and we will be safe and prosperous."
Padmé gripped her blaster event tighter. She was sitting on the exit ramp to the smuggler Tyberus' ship, waiting alongside the rest of the security team. It was their job to act as both backup to the others and protect their escape route. Her team had divided further to spread themselves along the path to the generator team, and it made her a bit worried. If they spread too thin they wouldn't be of any use to anyone. She had been told to remain with Tyberus to help protect the landing pad, so here she sat, her blaster propped on her knee, her nerves playing merry havoc on her stomach, and her mind whirling.
She didn't allow herself to think of anything but the mission. This wasn't the time to think of anything else. But something nagged her, tugging at the back of her mind. She'd seen a familiar face when she'd boarded, and again when they'd disembarked on Imperial Center, but she'd never found out who it was. It had never even registered until it was too late.
What a ridiculous thing to be worrying about. She shook her head. Listen to the HoloNet and focus. We have a job to do.
A hologram of Tarkin and his wife finally appeared, and Padmé shot to her feet. The two were exiting the palace, one looking solemnly determined while the other looked proud. Padmé felt her skin crawl and her knees trembled seeing Lady Tarkin – blast, she hadn't realized how badly that woman had affected her. She did take the slightest satisfaction in seeing that the woman had gloves over her hands, likely to hide a prosthetic. Then she shook her head. She really shouldn't enjoy hurting anyone, but that woman…
Padmé shuddered. She hadn't wanted to talk to anyone about what had happened on Eriadu, so she'd kept it quiet. She'd thought she could get through it like anything else, that it wasn't as important to address that issue in light of everything that had been happening, but she supposed that experience had left more damage than anticipated. Just like being shot. Just like all of this insanity.
I'm a mess, she thought tiredly, but then she shook all the sentiment aside. If the Tarkins were leaving the palace, it meant the coronation was finally about to begin. It meant their plan was about to go into motion.
It meant the Empire was about to fall.
"Today the people sing the resounding chorus: All hail Emperor Tarkin. Long may he reign."
As if on cue, crowds went wild seeing the image of their new emperor on giant holograms. Imperial Center roared in unison, though their reasons varied. Overall the people allowed closest to the senate district were those who would cheer with the brightest smiles and greatest enthusiasm. But in other districts…
In the next district, he waited.
He'd never been a patient man. If he had to wait for something, he'd find other ways to preoccupy his time. But not now. Now, he would listen. He would listen to the crowds cheer for a traitor. He would listen as his enemies fell. He would listen as the tables turned and he finally got what he deserved. He would listen as his plan fell neatly into place, and he would eliminate all threats. He would listen as everyone he cared for finally learned what it meant to be free.
But he had a feeling listening would not be what would end up happening. The Force, fairly quiet up to this point, was beginning to stir. Whispers of danger echoed, uneasiness settled into his skin, and he shifted. His muscles tightened, and he clenched his jaw.
It didn't matter either way. He had multiple contingency plans. He'd learned how to plan from the best.
Master would be proud.
He huffed. Perhaps he would. Perhaps he wouldn't care. It was hard to tell anymore. Master had died for him, after all, so that had to mean something. But if he'd truly cared, would he have done everything that he'd done to him?
He shook his head. That didn't matter at the moment. He had to focus on the mission.
This… this felt… familiar. This felt good.
The corners of his lips twitched, though he didn't smile, his muscles completely unfamiliar with the action. Nevertheless, he felt energetic—he supposed giddy would be the word people would use—and he knew that finally things would work out the way they were supposed to. Not because of Master's careful guidance, not because of the governor's manipulation, not because of the Alliance's plotting, not because of Padmé's enslaved ideals, not because of Obi-Wan and Siri's misguided intentions…
It would be because of him. Because he made the decision, because he had determined his own fate. Him.
Something bubbled in his chest, making him huff a little, and though he wasn't sure, he could have sworn it was a laugh.
Checkmate.
"Where the hell is he?!"
Siri groaned as she grabbed supplies. It had been hours and Anakin hadn't turned up. The Jedi were investigating the murder while Siri was putting together a pack to search farther into the forest. She would find that moron. She would.
He hadn't left the planet. He hadn't interfered. He hadn't done anything stupid. He hadn't.
Pausing from her work, Siri took a moment to growl and kick a crate. Jedi calm be damned. This wasn't good and she knew it. Only an idiot would hope that Anakin wasn't causing trouble. Her pity and concern for the young man didn't blind her to the threat he posed, after all.
She couldn't contact anyone on Imperial Center. The entire team was on communication silence. They had to be – all transmissions were being monitored by the Empire. There was no way she could communicate to Obi-Wan or Padmé about what had happened. She could, however, tell the fleet. But she knew…
If she told the Alliance what she suspected, it would condemn Anakin. No amount of pleading would save him this time, not after all the other trouble he'd caused. This was too much and she knew it.
"Damn it!" She swore. Why did he have to be such an idiot? Why?!
Finishing her packing, she threw the bag over her shoulder. She would scour the entire planet before she finally said anything. But it wasn't like she had much time, and she was beginning to wonder if she was facing a fork in the road, a place where she would have to choose between Obi-Wan and Padmé and Anakin.
Obi-Wan was her husband. Padmé was her best friend. Anakin… she cared for him. She really did. And she wanted to help him. But she was not going to let him hurt the rest of her family.
Things had been so much simpler on Ferrasco.
"Don't make me make this choice," she begged quietly. "Please."
Taking a shaky breath, Siri headed out of the room towards the main enclave area. She was going to check on the status of the investigation and the mission before beginning her more in depth search.
As she approached the main enclave building, she heard the HoloNet report blaring loudly through the walls. It sounded like someone was giving some grand patriotic speech. She squeezed inside between the Padawans, children, and relatives to the soldiers. About three Jedi Knights were left on Ghanu'jivo – the rest of the trained warriors had left with the Rebel fleet. The Alliance Council had remained while all the military personnel were closer to the action or on Imperial Center itself.
Bail stood at the front, his hand on his chin, his eyes wide, his posture stiff. Everyone was holding their breath.
There was an image of Tarkin and another woman walking into the senate arena to the sound of loud cheers. It was about to begin. Siri stared at the woman, feeling her blood boil. Obi-Wan had mentioned that Padmé was held captive by Tarkin's wife. That must be her. Revenge may not have been the Jedi way, but Siri knew she'd be quite satisfied to watch that woman get dragged out by blaster point once this was all over.
Assuming Anakin doesn't screw it up.
Feeling her chest clench, Siri started to back out of the room to begin her search when she caught sight of Aya, the Imperial defector who had assisted Anakin with this plan. Of course – where better to start than with her? The woman was watching the holograms with such rapt attention she didn't even notice Siri approaching her. Before the Jedi could reach her target, though, a soft beeping caught her attention. Looking around, she tried to pinpoint it when the familiarity of the sound settled into her stomach and the Force began to groan.
Proximity alarm. Something was coming out of hyperspace over them.
Dropping her bag, Siri shoved by everyone, nearly knocking some people over, and reached the large console in the center of the room.
She stared in horror, unable to speak. No…
The Empire had found them.
The senate arena was filled with energy. The Tarkins had just arrived, and everyone was on their feet applauding. Jedi roamed among the crowds, empty syringes in their hands, having given themselves the antidote to the sedative that was already infused into the air. It would be a matter of seconds before alarms would go off. The generator team had to activate the data spikes now.
Meanwhile, Keeper slithered in one of the vents, her sniper rifle in hand, waiting for her prey to get into the right position, when she herself noticed a gas canister. Her heartrate spiked – this was a setup.
Tarkin took his place in the center, and HoloNet announced the beginning of the ceremony.
Five districts away, Obi-Wan heard the news reporter's cue. Nodding to his team, he watched them split off, heading to two separate consoles. He kept his hand resting on his lightsaber, having sensed the Force grow more ominous as the seconds ticked by.
The first power spike was placed in a console, and in a heartbeat, Intelligence lost all power. Obi-Wan took a deep breath, slowly walking to release energy and keep an eye out. The second power spike would silently shut down systems in the senate building, allowing the Jedi to trap the VIPs and let the sedative gas take effect. Intelligence would be at a loss as to what was happening, and they would be unable to communicate with each other. The confusion would remain long enough to give the Jedi time to take hostages and control the situation. No one would know what was happening until the Rebels were ready.
The second data spike slipped into place. Obi-Wan felt his heart skip a beat as the Force suddenly screamed. Activating his lightsaber, he whirled around, looking for the threat, but he didn't see anything. His action scared his troops, who were also armed and actively looking for something or someone.
"Sir?" One of them asked uncertainly.
"Commander!" another shouted from the distance.
Obi-Wan ran to her only to open his mouth in horror.
The entire senate district was dark.
"What the hell?" another soldier exclaimed. "It was supposed to be the senate building! They were supposed to have a silent shutdown! What's happening?!"
Shaking his head as dread filled him, Obi-Wan turned and ran back into the alley. He was at a loss at what to do. He couldn't fix what had just happened. They were committed to wherever this would lead them. But what could they do? What should they do?
The Empire would descend upon the senate district with all its military might. The Jedi wouldn't stand a chance. And what if they tracked the source of the power outage back to Obi-Wan and his teams?
This mission was a failure. They had to leave. Now.
"Destroy the consoles," he ordered, though he wasn't sure that would make a difference. "Then retreat. I'm contacting the security team."
Before he could even grab his comlink, it was already chiming. As soon as he activated it, he heard Al's panicked voice.
"What the hell is going on?!"
"I don't know," Obi-Wan answered almost as frantically, though he tried to choke down his panic. He shouldn't be in charge of this, he wasn't a military officer, he didn't know what to do. "Just keep the Empire busy. They're going to be all over the place."
"But the Jedi—"
"I know! I know." Obi-Wan looked around as if somehow a solution would walk up to him. The consoles had just been destroyed by his troops, and now they were all watching him. "Just keep the Imperials distracted. My men are pulling out."
"And the senate?"
Obi-Wan swallowed. "Don't worry about them. Worry about getting people out."
"On it." Al said grimly, cutting the connection.
"Commander, what are we going to do about the Jedi? Capturing the VIPs was the entire point of the mission! Without them we're going to get slaughtered!" one of his troops asked.
Obi-Wan bit his tongue. He knew the Jedi could do a lot, but this… he wasn't sure they could handle this. But he wouldn't send a small team into a potential war zone, and this power outage had been broadcast on live HoloNet, so the Rebel fleet would know not to come. They were trapped. "You need to focus on getting out."
Turning away from them so he could concentrate, Obi-Wan called the head of the security team. Again, before he could speak, he was already being bombarded by questions.
"What happened? Why did the power go out?"
"It doesn't matter. Secure our exit. We're leaving." Obi-Wan hastily interrupted him. "Al will help cover us as well."
"Tyberus and Lastina have left their ships. I don't know how quickly we're going to be able to leave."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "Al will handle it."
"Make your way to us. The area is secure for now."
Obi-Wan cut the connection and nodded to his troops, who started to run to the escape route. As he followed from the rear, the hair on the back of his neck stood up as the situation truly sank in. They were trapped on Imperial Center with all the Empire's might on or over them, and their mission was falling apart quickly. And they still didn't know what had gone wrong. Was there a failsafe in the generator? Surely Anakin would have predicted that.
Anakin.
Anakin.
Obi-Wan froze. "No…"
His comlink chimed again. It was Padmé.
"Obi, did you see HoloNet? What's going on?" she asked frantically.
Obi-Wan couldn't speak. And then, in that instant, the dense fog of doubt, fear, and danger was pierced by a single spike of ice, so sharp and thick and cold, and so, so familiar.
"Anakin's here," he whispered.
Padmé was silent for an instant, and then he heard her breathe shakily. She was terrified, she knew what this meant, but somehow, she wasn't surprised either. Neither of them was.
What have we done? Obi-Wan suddenly thought. What have we unleashed?
He'd known better. He'd sensed it. He'd been unsure about it since the beginning. Yet here they were.
What have we done?!
Padmé said, "We have to find him."
"I know," Obi-Wan replied.
"Sir!" someone cried from the front of his group, and danger brought the Force crashing down on him. Obi-Wan immediately cut the connection with Padmé and reactivated his lightsaber just as stormtroopers appeared in the alley.
His stomach clenched as he began to deflect blaster fire. It was something he'd certainly improved at between Jedi training and training with Anakin, but it still wasn't automatic or natural. All his concentration was on not dying, but eventually he started to redirect fire back at the troops. His men took cover while he stood out in the open, garnering all the attention of the enemy. He heard one of them shout that there was a Jedi, and he knew that meant more reinforcements would head their way.
"Run!" he shouted to his troops.
As the Rebels obeyed his command, he noticed more stormtroopers arriving. He tried to cover his people's escape, but he was beginning to have near misses that made his heart skip a beat.
There were too many.
Suddenly, stormtroopers started dropping left and right. Startled, Obi-Wan looked around wildly and saw one of Al's fellow smugglers, Tyberus, wielding two blaster pistols and firing madly at the enemy.
Once all the stormtroopers were down, he twirled his weapons and holstered them. "Well. I guess things won't be boring, then."
"Get them back to your ship," Obi-Wan gasped, barely able to keep his breath. "We have to get out of here."
Tyberus smirked. "Should be fun."
As the smuggler led the troupe, Obi-Wan grabbed his comlink once more while simultaneously trying to slow his heartrate. "Padmé?"
"I'm here!"
"Follow my coordinates—I'm going after him."
He heard Padmé take a deep breath. "I'm right behind you."
Obi-Wan left his comlink transmitting and then pocketed it. He closed his eyes, feeling out in the Force, trying to push passed the chaos that was unfolding, trying to focus on the one thing that was the most important. He didn't have much luck initially, giving him a headache and making him dizzy, but then, slowly, he started to sense familiarity. He sensed Padmé, her fear, her adrenaline. He vaguely sensed Qui-Gon and his own plight, the danger he was in. And then…
There you are.
Opening his eyes, Obi-Wan tried to follow the presence, tried to find the beacon of focus in the Force, the one thing that wasn't drowning in the insanity around them. The more he ran towards it, the clearer it became, and the faster he moved.
He would find a way to stop this before it worsened. He would find Anakin.
The world was deafening. Siri twirled her lightsaber as she desperately redirected fire from stormtroopers, defending a group of Jedi younglings as they ran to the forest. There was nowhere for them to go; if they took a shuttle they'd be blown out of the sky by the fleet. If they remained they'd be shot by soldiers. Even in the forest, which was their best place to hide, the fleet could just carpet bomb the place. They may not hit them, but they very well may. Nevertheless, Imperials couldn't land directly in or near the forest, so that was the direction everyone at the enclave had been going. The Naberrie family had already managed to get there, thankfully. Siri had remained with the other Padawans and the three Knights, alongside a few of the Alliance Council members.
Luckily the enclave itself had shields that prevented orbital bombardment, just like on Hoth. That didn't stop ships from landing inside the shields, however, and bringing an entire blasted army with them.
"We have to stop them before they can get here!" a Togruta girl yelled, her green lightsaber hissing as she easily sent blaster fire back to its source.
"It's not like we have antiaircraft turrets!" another Jedi yelled back.
"What if we blow up the landing pads?" the girl asked as the room finally silenced for the first time since the troops' arrival. The hallway was littered with bodies of both Jedi and stormtroopers, and Siri felt nauseous as she saw children lay motionless on the floor.
"You do realize they can land anywhere there's smooth ground, right?" Siri told the teenager. "Blowing up the landing pads won't stop them."
"But it'll make them land farther away," the Togruta reasoned, her fierce blue eyes tearing into Siri. "And that might give us enough time to get out of here."
"What if they land closer to the forest?" another teenager, even younger than the girl, asked frantically, his eyes wide with worry.
"They won't; terrain's too rough," Siri explained for the boy. "Do we even have explosives? There's some fuel at each landing pad but that won't be enough to destroy the whole thing. Unless we put all the fuel together at one spot, but that doesn't do us any good."
"We have kyber crystals," the Togruta replied. "That can be just as good."
Siri raised an eyebrow and then smiled as it dawned on her. That girl certainly knew how to think on her feet. Siri remembered Qui-Gon stressing the dangerous instability of kyber crystals if handled improperly. Though it wasn't like they had a storage vault filled with them – Siri and Obi-Wan had gone to Ilum to get theirs. Where was she…?
Oh. Oh. Gods, that was… grim.
Siri looked at the bodies of fellow Jedi, teenagers and children alike. Their lightsabers were strewn everywhere. "Start gathering the crystals. I'll cover you."
The Togruta smirked. "I can cover myself."
Siri was caught between admiring the girl's ferocity and telling her to stop being arrogant before she got herself killed. In either case, she was interrupted by the arrival of more stormtroopers.
"Get going, then!" she yelled, reactivating her blade alongside the others. Siri charged ahead to attract more attention, leaving the Togruta Padawan to collect the weapons of the fallen.
The soldiers came in groups, leaving Siri no time to worry about anything but staying alive. One of the Knights took the lead and cut down a multitude of them, but he got too eager to protect everyone and began to leave the room, going into a hallway. Siri called out to stop him—they had to stick together—but she was too late, and she sensed his life get snuffed out in the Force. She flinched and quickly used the Force to shove the enemy troops back into the hallway as they attempted to reenter the area. Blaster fire emitted behind her, and she turned to see Bail firing at troops trying to get in another way. They were starting to overrun the place, and it would leave those still trying to reach the forest vulnerable.
"Got the crystals!"
Siri looked at the girl as she held a sack full of tiny kyber crystals. "Any ideas on how to set them off?"
"They just need energy concentrated in them. If you burn them or fire a blaster at them it should do the trick." The girl explained. "So really we just have to plant a few of these at the landing pad and it'll take care of itself."
Siri shook her head. "We don't have time to torch every landing pad."
"Split up," one of the remaining Knights ordered. "Divide the crystals out amongst yourselves and go to different landing pads. Plant them by the fuel reserves, and then set off the explosion."
Siri thought about it for a moment. There were five landing pads at the enclave: north, south, east, west, and central. The central pad would likely have the most troops, being that it was attached to the main buildings. Grabbing a pouch and a handful of crystals, she said, "I'll take the central pad."
Other Jedi volunteered for different spots and then the Knight took the remainder outside to be a distraction. The last of the younglings and civilians had managed to get out of the building, so at least that was something.
Grabbing a blaster from a fallen soldier, Siri holstered it and ran ahead, sensing out for any danger as she went. It was difficult to discern when there was an impending threat since the Force was basically screaming constantly, and so she relied on sudden instinct to tell her when something was about to happen.
The central landing pad was only a couple of buildings away, but with an army between her and it, this was going to be impossible if the others didn't have a good enough distraction. Thankfully, Siri heard the battle begin outside, but she still felt nervous – there weren't many of them to begin with, and after a good deal of them had been killed from the initial attack, this distraction would quickly become a slaughter if she didn't hurry. Not that her actions would make an enormous difference – blowing up the landing pads would distract the troops already on the ground long enough to give the survivors the advantage, and it would prevent Imperials from landing as closely as they had, giving the Jedi some time. But what difference did any of that make if they were still trapped on Ghanu'jivo with no way of escape?
Siri shook her head. They'd figure something out. They'd contact the Rebel fleet. Maybe by the time they hunkered down in the forest the mission on Imperial Center would be complete. They just had to survive long enough to get to that point.
Scurrying along the halls, Siri's gazed glossed over the corpses, and she saw a few familiar faces. She didn't really know most of these people well, but she still had seen them around the enclave, and it made her sick to her stomach when she stumbled upon the tiny body of a child who hadn't gotten out. One familiar face in particular caught her attention, and she paused briefly to see Aya Rubar, the Imperial defector, lying motionless on the ground, her eyes soullessly staring at the wall.
Some stray thought about help, information, and Anakin tried to form a coherent sentence in her mind, but she was too busy thinking about the battle to care. She stepped around the body and moved on.
The distraction seemed to pull most of the Imperial attention, but the closer Siri got to the central landing pad, the more stormtroopers she encountered. Nevertheless, she made it to the landing pad fairly quickly, but as soon as she stepped out into the large open area, she was bombarded by blaster fire. Gasping, she took several steps back, deflecting the fire, and tried to get her bearings.
A shuttle was just unloading about a dozen stormtroopers. It was towards the left side of the pad since there were three other shuttles already there, having arrived earlier. The small fuel reserve was also to the left. All she had to do was place the crystals beside the fuel cells, get back, fire at the cells to cause a small explosion, and the energy from that would be absorbed by the crystals, which would do the rest.
Assuming she could survive long enough to even get near the fuel cells.
Wait – I could use the Force! She thought, and she almost did try to toss the pouch of crystals in that direction and make them float the rest of the way, but then she remembered there was no way in this universe that she could concentrate long enough to do that without getting filled with blaster bolts.
Gritting her teeth, Siri stepped forward little by little, taking out a couple of stormtroopers as she heard the loud engines of another shuttle arriving. Blast. She had to blow this pad before it landed or she'd be dead.
A scraping, burning sensation seared across her right upper arm, making her gasp, stumbled a bit, and lower her blade. Her gut twisted as she quickly lifted the blade up just in time to deflect a blaster bolt that would have hit her face, but the hasty maneuver left her tripping to the side and almost falling entirely. Trying to regain her footing and using what momentum she had, Siri dove for the fuel cells, using the Force to augment her jump. She landed badly, feeling her right ankle twist as she fell to the ground, her lightsaber rolling away from her hands.
Cursing, Siri rolled to avoid getting shot, dumped the crystal pouch in the general vicinity of the fuel cells and scrambled to her feet, grabbing her blaster and firing madly in an attempt to get the stormtroopers to take cover for a second. Glancing around frantically, Siri tried to find her lightsaber but had no luck. Suddenly her leg gave out entirely as another bolt hit her in the shin, and she screamed in pain before quickly rolling under one of the shuttles to get some cover.
Panting for air, Siri saw the stormtroopers rushing towards the shuttle. They were going to surround it. They were going to surround her. She had to get out.
Looking around, she tried to find a part of the shuttle that didn't have a soldier by it, but there was none. Could she lift the shuttle entirely and throw it? She didn't have that ability, and even if she did, there was no way she'd have time to do so before they'd crouched down and riddled her full of holes.
There was… this was…
There was no way out.
This was ridiculous. She was not going to die hiding under a shuttle getting shot at in all directions, having gotten herself trapped like this. But she was quickly running out of options.
Looking to her right, she saw the fuel cells. They were right there. There was no way she could blow them up this close and survive.
So she could either die at the hands of the stormtroopers or in the explosion.
Time slowed. Siri could hear her heart hammering in her chest. She could sense the baby inside her. She could hear the roaring engines of the other shuttle as it started to touch down on the landing pad. She could taste smoke and blood from all the fighting. She tried to sense Obi-Wan, as if she could feel him from all these lightyears away, and got nothing for her effort.
Well, she knew what choice she would make. She was not going to go down willingly, nor would she go down on the Empire's terms.
Sliding her left hand over her abdomen, she whispered, "Be brave."
Siri held out her blaster, aiming for the fuel cells. I love you, Obi-Wan.
She fired.
The senate arena glowed with lightsabers as the Jedi desperately attempted to escape while also fighting off the occasional panicked or foolish guard.
It had only taken a minute after the power had completely gone out for Qui-Gon to figure out that their only option was to cut their way out of the senate building and attempt an escape. The canisters that they had strategically placed had long since released their contents, and the supposed reversal agent that would prevent the Jedi from succumbing to sedatives was doing nothing. Qui-Gon felt sick to his stomach, feverish, and weak. This was no sedative. It was dioxis, a toxic agent. This wouldn't put the victims to sleep for capture; it would simply kill all of them.
This entire mission had been a trap.
Qui-Gon had no time to consider the reasoning or ramifications of that statement; only time to get his fellow Jedi and as many civilians as possible out.
While the few Jedi who were still standing attempted to escape, Keeper finally cut her way out of the building, a rebreather protecting her from the effects of the gas. She'd been surprised to see Jedi, but had been even more surprised to see them dropping – apparently this trap had been for them as much as it had been for the Imperial officials.
She had no contact with Intelligence, and for once, she didn't care. She would finish her mission and clean up the mess after. As long as Intelligence existed and she was alive to run it, it didn't matter what happened to the people in that building. She just had to tie one loose end, and she would not stop until she'd done that.
There were always multiple plans to safely evacuate the emperor if there was a situation in the senate arena. The safest bunker was on the other side of the planet, but the Tarkins would be moved to the closest bunker first, which was located a district over.
Keeper easily slipped through the throngs of panicked people, going to a side area that wasn't quite as congested while the mob trampled civilians and police alike to get out. It took her longer than usual to get to the next district, but that was only because of the pandemonium – security was no longer an issue. Security was too overwhelmed to be an issue.
Glancing up at the surrounding buildings and balconies, Keeper felt her stomach clench as she realized she couldn't see the snipers who should be there. Had they left their post, or were they hiding so well that her trained eyes couldn't pick up on them, despite knowing where they were stationed? She didn't have time to investigate the matter – Tarkin would be moved to the next bunker shortly. They would hop from safe house to safe house until they could get him to the most secure facility possible. She didn't have time for caution, but every fiber of her being was screaming that something was wrong beyond what had already happened.
Keeper bit her tongue until she tasted blood. She couldn't stop now. She wouldn't stop now. After everything she had sacrificed over the years, she would not stop now, not when she was so damn close.
Hiding in an alley just outside the bunker entrance, Keeper sized up the area. She knew the layout of every bunker on this planet. She could easily get inside without her primary weapon. Her sniper rifle would be excessive in this instance, and she was too close anyway.
There were two guards at the main entrance, and two who should be off in the distance. Circling the perimeter, Keeper quickly located the disguised troopers and took the deepest breath. It was time to end this. Moving silently, she slit their throats, covering their mouths and helping them fall gently to the ground, ignoring the blood staining her clothes. Raising her wrist, she watched a holographic targeting display appear over the dart shooter she'd been wearing, and she aimed for the remaining two guards flanking the entrance. Two silent projectiles into their necks took care of that issue, and she swiped their ID for security clearance inside. Cameras no doubt caught that there was trouble, but Tarkin had only just arrived, and it would take time to open the only other exit in the lowest level. In the meantime he would be shoved into the secure room with a veritable army between her and him.
She'd killed armies before.
Leaving no time to waste, she ran inside the bunker. Movement ahead of her made her drop to her knees and roll as blasters fired overhead, harmlessly hitting the wall behind her. She stabbed into the leg of one unarmored soldier, who yelled in pain before she kicked his leg out from under him and slit his throat, pivoting to pull a blaster pistol and kill the remaining troops in that particular hall. This bunker wasn't too large, so she could quickly make her way to the secure room if she kept this pace.
Grabbing her blaster rifle, she shot the next trooper who appeared in the hall, and the blast was so powerful at that close range that it tore through him and into the soldier behind him. Dashing over the bodies Keeper tackled the next soldier, taking him out with a quick stab from her vibroknife, and continued her trek down the hallway. Bypassing the security shutdown easily, she opened the emergency hatch door beside the lift and slid down the ladder.
When she reached the floor where the secure room was, Keeper opened the hatch and tossed a thermal detonator into the hallway before quickly closing the hatch once more. The explosion rocked the small tube that held the ladder, and she held tightly, ignoring the brief screams of the dying men and women. A second ticked by and she opened the hatch, feeling the wave of heat from the flames and smelling melted flesh, bone, and durasteel. Leaping into the hallway, she grabbed her blaster pistol and reached the end where there was a sealed door. The sealed door.
Tarkin.
Keeper knew he'd heard the explosion. She had a breath's time to get in there and kill him before he tried to arm himself. There were hidden weapons in the throne in that room, and she was certain he knew about them.
Opening the door, Keeper dispatched the remaining two guards with ease, shot Lady Tarkin in the face, and turned to look at Wilhuff Tarkin, her finger already pulling the trigger.
Something tore into her. She still fired, but the shot went far off target, slamming into the wall behind Tarkin, who was staring at her in astonishment. Astonishment? Why was he astonished? Hadn't he shot her?
Looking down, she struggled to catch a breath as she saw a red blade sticking out of her chest. Keeper took one last raspy breath, feeling deprived of a victory she'd fought and bled for her entire life, but expelled all her energy in a weak laugh. She knew who held that blade, and she knew what that meant for Tarkin.
Her chest burned and screamed as the blade retracted with a hiss, and Keeper's world vanished.