Episode 3: Take My Fear Away...
[Contact right behind you Blue 1. Left! Bank Left!-]
[-Frigate flanking your 9 by 12 Gray Squadron. Watch it, Watch it!]
[T-They're on my tail! I-I can't Shake -AuGh!-ZZzzz-]
[White 3? White 3, where are you?! I can't find my Squadron. Fark! They're dead! They're all dead!-]
[ This is Violet 2! My stabilizers are out! I'm going down! Kriff! I don't wanna die! I don't wanna-! -ZzzzZZz-]
[Blue 1, you're smoking. Where's your shields? Blue 1? Amanda! What are you doing?!]
[Tell my family… Tell them I did my best. FOR THE REPUBLIC!]
With one final valiant pull on her control stick Blue 1 aimed the flaming husk that was once her N-1 straight at the bridge of a Munificent-Class Frigate, let go and relaxed in her seat, her eyes closing in acceptance right before impact. The brave young woman died when her starfighter crumpled and twisted as it plowed through the transparisteel viewports and the hapless droid command crew on the other side. Seconds later the N-1's compromised proton torpedo magazine detonated.
Though she would not witness it herself Blue 1's final act set a chain reaction through the already devastated Frigate right into its reactor core. The warship exploded from the inside out, escaping atmo, ignited fuel, and onboard ammunition fed the incredible detonation that tore the frigate to shreds. Sheared superstructure and flaming debris smashed into unlucky fighters and neighboring frigates in the Separatist formation, causing further devastation in the droid ranks and eliminating an entire division of droid ground forces in the process.
Captain Antilles bore stoic witness all of this from the bridge of LOD Array 13, his hands folded at the small of his back, his white officer regalia pressed and pristine as his posture and demeanor. Despite staring down an attack force many thousand times beyond his capability to match the older gentleman remained unfazed and calm, even as he listened to his brave pilots' dying screams over the comms channel.
Even from several hundred klicks away from the battle he could see the tiny yellow pin pricks that were his pilots wading through a sea of crimson laser fire and clashing with a veritable horde of droid starfighters. But with every swoop, roll, and dive one more yellow light was snuffed out, one more life gone in a tiny flash of fire.
"Sir," One of the bridge officers, a young man just a few years older than his own son turned from his console with a grave expression. " The CIS armada is spreading out across Naboo's orbit."
"They are netting us in." Captain Antilles responded easily, he had fully expected their invaders to do so. In their place it would have been what he had done. "Forming a blockade to cut off anyone fleeing from the planet. Civilians included. Keep me updated in their movement Lieutenant."
"Yes Sir."
Antilles turned to his comms console and broadcasted over to his fellow Captains heading the other LOD Arrays stationed around Naboo. Their Comms Network had been crippled in the initial attack but if he was lucky someone would hear him. "All stations, all stations, this is Captain Antilles of LOD Array 13. Be advised the CIS fleet is fanning out to box us in. Beware of flanking enemy elements."
Cutting off the connection Antilles barked out a command to shift the array's cannons onto a damaged frigate closest to his station and turned his steely gaze down to his command console. Displayed there were the remaining number of his squadrons- and casualties. Even as he swept across the few dozen of his surviving forces one of their number blinked out, and the casualty counter ticked up.
387.
A steep price, an incredibly steep price. Every single number that added to that 387 was a life, a person, one of his people that he had ordered to their deaths- and they were all on his head.
Such is the burden of command.
Antilles turned his attention to one Squadron still in possession of all its members, one headed by the odd Jedi Knight that was for some reason gallivanting around his planet in a prototype N-1 rather than fighting on the frontlines where the GAR's propaganda reels implied.
Captain Antilles didn't know what to make of the situation and truth be told right now he couldn't care less, He's just thanking his lucky stars he had a Jedi out here at all. Never mind the Chancellor's "Hero of the Republic" himself. Perhaps with the Jedi's Chosen One they had a chance after all…
The station shuddered as the first of the Separatist's cannons came within their range. Captain Antilles knew time was running out. If Skywalker couldn't take out the fleet commander LOD Array 13 would be overwhelmed and Antilles himself and every single man and woman under his command were very likely to be added to the final casualty count.
Taking a seat Captain Antilles opened a direct channel to Gold Leader. "Master Jedi, how close are you to the target? At this rate it won't matter that reinforcements from the surface are coming, because we won't be here to greet them."
"Yeah, yeah! I'm working on it!" Anakin cut the connection and banked a hard right, barely skimming over a smattering of crimson laser fire. Gen-Dan swung behind him and answered with a burst of green death of his own, pulverizing the attacking droid's starboard wing and sending it into a tailspin into the surrounding crossfire.
Anakin centered himself as he led Gold Squadron in a tight arrow formation under a Providence-Class Dreadnought. Anakin brought his N-2F within spitting distance of the massive capital ship's underbelly in an effort to avoid the worst of the laser fire from the defense towers projecting from the hull.
"Stick to my exhaust and stay as close to the ship as you can without touching the shields." Anakin warned.
Conner's amused tenor crackled over Gold Squadron's comm channel, [Just a few feet higher and we wouldn't have to worry about the shields, we'll be flying down hallways!]
A collective chuckle rattled over the comm channel, easing some of the tension, even as they dodged death by a hairsbreadth. Anakin felt the tension in his shoulders relax a fraction. He hadn't realized how much he had missed mid-combat banter.
They followed the length of the dreadnought's hull and once they cleared it's stern they spread out again, whipping by a swarm of vulture droids that had spilled from a Lucrehulk Carrier a few dozen clicks away. As enemy laser fire poured in among their ranks Anakin urged his Squadron onward and gunned the throttle to escape the barrage. A few lucky shots found his fighter but the worst of the hot plasma splashed against his shields, only leaving a few faint scorch marks on his unpainted hull.
Artoo squealed a frightened warning as the cockpit's dashboard turned an ugly red. Anakin clenched his teeth. The Shields! The power core can't handle the heavy combat load, the blasted shields were failing!
"Artoo, reroute power from the Auxiliary and pull everything from the automated stabilizers and pour it into the deflector shields."
[What's wrong Skywalker?] Aela asked over the channel. She sounded extremely stressed, as if she was speaking through clenched teeth. This was one helluva first taste of combat for the star-racer, but so far she wasn't dead yet so she must be doing something right.
"Nothing to worry about, I'm fine." Anakin could instantly feel his fighter's control grow looser as Artoo deactivated the flight assist and stabilizer systems, causing a whole new set of red lights on his dashboard to light up.
"I'm fine. I got this." He reassured himself under his breath as he wrangled the rebellious starfighter back under his control. "It's okay. I'm okay. I got this." Breathing deeply into the Force Anakin tried to bleed out his fear, with mixed results. Oh how he wished he had listened to Obi-Wan's lessons in meditation better as a padawan.
Their Force-Bond suddenly flared to life and pulsed like fire, reassurance rolled over him like heat from a flame, pushing back the encroaching anxiety and fear.
Anakin didn't know how and he didn't know when but he knew Obi-Wan was coming and he would be here soon.
His breathing came easier, his fear was pulled adrift into the Force, leaving the former Jedi in an afterglow of hope and steely determination.
Anakin centered his Starfighter, his control becoming delicate, intentional, and natural. He grinned. "I got this."
[Gold Leader! We got company right on our tails!] Gold 5 exclaimed from the rear.
"Take evasive action!"
Anakin cut a wild roll and dipped down towards a Munificent Frigate firing up at him from a few klicks below as several wings of Vulture Droids whizzed through the space Gold Squadron had been a second before. The droid fighters split off into 2's and 3's to pursue the members of Gold Squadron, forcing them further apart.
Anakin spun and swooped through the incoming spread of laser fire coming up from the Frigate and the Vulture Droids chasing him. Artoo protested his reckless flying with an indignant squawk.
"Well next time I'll take a nap in the cockpit and you can pilot!" Anakin shot back. He suddenly cut his forward thrust and pitched his fighter upward and re-engaged the engines, pulling off a 90 degree turn at a brain squeezing 1200 mph. He pulled his fighter from a head-on collision with the Munificent Frigate's main structure with meer yards to spare.
His pursuers were not so lucky. The brainless droids splintered into squashed wrecks against their own Frigate's shields with an amusing thump followed closely by a pop as they exploded into flakes of fiery shrapnel.
Anakin fought the black of unconsciousness creeping in from the edges of his vision from his insane maneuver. Humans were not built to take that many G's all at once like that. The only reason he wasn't a skin-bag of force-sensitive goop in the cockpit right now was because of his super-human Force enhancements. Tilting to the right to avoid smacking into a turret tower Anakin hugged the Munificent Frigate's hull, tapping his laser cannons at important looking bits exposed beyond the shields.
His vision cleared as he ripped apart the Munificent Frigate's comms array and accelerated away. Once he was outside the range of its anti-fighter batteries Anakin keyed his mic. "Gold Squadron regroup."
[Kind of busy boss!] Gold 4 called out. Anakin spotted his N-1 zipping around a passing Recusant Light Destroyer, desperately bobbing and weaving in front of a pair of vulture droids spraying a relentless spread of lasers to blast the brave man to slag.
[Anakin, I-I can't shake them!] Aela cried, her N-1 was pock-marked with several scorch marks, her left engine was also dragging a trail of black smoke. [Durking Nerf Herders got my stabilizers! Help! Help me please!]
Anakin gunned the throttle, making for the Recusant Destroyer. "Just hold on Aela, you're going to be just fine. Come over to my position. Gold 4, once you clear the Destroyer's hull dive straight down and keep going."
[Roger that Gold Leader.]
[Kriff! Okay, Okay! I'm coming in hot!]
Anakin grinned despite the deep seated terror in the female Bothan's usual teasing big-sistery demeanor. Hearing the normally composed Aela swear like a sailor was a novelty and perfect ammunition to throw back in her face if they all survive this.
Gold 4 dove down just as Aela's smoking N-1 made it within Anakin's range. The former Jedi swept a beautiful arc around to the Bothan's pursuers and feathered the trigger, shredding the droids to stardust. Gold 4 and his entourage zipped passed Aela a second later and whether by reflex, instinct, or total accident she clenched the trigger, her cannons singing. Some of the green bolts went wide but her stream of lasers still struck home, punching holes through the unshielded droid fighters and reducing them to scrap metal.
"Good shooting Aela." Anakin chuckled, swinging in beside her battered N-1. Gold 4 join them in a 3-man wing formation. The former Jedi could just barely see into his fellow test pilot's cockpit and her trembling, shocked expression.
[I…. I did it! Kriff yeah! Oh my stars that… that felt amazing!]
[Thanks for that Gold 3.] Gold 4 added, amused by her antics.
[Whew! I-I can't believe I'm alive!]
"Let's keep you that way then." Anakin quipped. "How's your left thruster?"
[Right, right. My R-3 unit patched the damage. She'll hold.]
"Good. Gold 1, what's your status?"
Conner sounded out of breath but hale, [Alive at least Master Jedi. Gold 2 and Gold 5 are mopping up the last of the droids on our tail.]
"We won't stay unmolested for long. Continue running fighter interference. Gold 3, Gold 4 you're with me. You two stay right on my tail. We are making a run for the Command ship!"
[You got it boss.]
[Roger Gold Leader.]
[Do I really have to be the one to fly right up into the face of the ship with the biggest guns?]
" 'Fraid so Gold 3. Where's your sense of danger?"
[Still on the ground. Where I will be staying permanently once we get back.] Aela added dryly. [You can keep this spinning about killer flying droids nonsense. By the way Skywalker, just so you know, spinning is not flying.]
"But it's a good trick!" Anakin laughed as they got into formation and bee-lined towards the massive Providence Dreadnought steadily eating up more and more of his windshield.
[Brace for flak. The Command ship spotted us.]
Anakin let Gold 4's warning go unanswered because before he could reply the previously silent anti-fighter turrets zeroed in on their approach vector and unleashed a blinding barrage of crimson laser fire.
"Shields to double front. Stay close people!"
Anakin took advantage of the N-2F's improved maneuverability to weave through a maze of death. The rear thruster in the split tail of the starfighter allowed him to pull off impossible turns and tight rolls like an acrobat on a tumble mat. He didn't so much as dodge then dance among the crimson lasers raining down on him. His Fore-bond with Obi-Wan sang with a scalding light, that set his blood aflame with righteous fury.
These soulless monsters come to his world? His home?! No, they will not find any mercy from him.
The Command ship's blue and gray hull rapidly devoured the former Jedi's windshield with the Ship's bridge growing larger by the millisecond.
Just a bit closer.
Anakin's characteristic smirk hardened into a thin grim line as his thumbs tightened on the torpedo release and his targeting computer ate the countdown until he had a lock.
A revolting slithering glee lunged out from the Force, oily tentacles of hate and agony snagged onto Anakin's Force presence biting and thrashing for purchase on his very being.
Moving more out of some primal animal instinct than conscious thought Anakin broke off his flight path and dove to the left, his fighter's engines screaming from the strain out of the way of a flurry of crimson laser fire.
Gold 4 wasn't so lucky. Several of the shots suckerpunched him broadside, hot plasma cutting through his cockpit like butter and shearing his flesh to his upholstery. Aela and Gen-Dan cried out in horror as the dead man's flaming fighter spiraled wildly and spattered across the command ship's shields.
"Evasive maneuvers!" Anakin screamed, his voice hoarse with rage as Gold 4's killer tore out of nowhere and blurred through Gold Squadron's broken formation after Anakin.
[W-what is that?!] Aela screeched.
[Does it matter?!] Conner growled, anger and surprise bleeding out into his normally calm voice. [Kriffing shoot it down!]
Anakin stole a quick look behind him at his attacker, a bizarre red and bronze eye-shaped cockpit with outboard laser cannons on the edges of its two protruding solar sails. It was unlike anything Anakin had ever seen, but the style reminded him of Geonosian fighters, and the ugly Force Presence that rolled off of the spacecraft reminded him of a watered down Count Dooku.
"Gold Squad, retreat and regroup. This one is mine!" Anakin snarled, baring his teeth.
[But what'ta 'boutta commanda ship'n?] Gen-Dan asked.
"Forget the blasted command ship!" Anakin replied, his breath short from his violent and wild flying. "It won't matter if you're all dead!"
[Skywalker, we are not leaving you to that.. Thing!] Conner snapped.
Fed up with his squadron's stubborn refusal to follow orders (and ignoring that little voice that sounded an awful lot like Obi-Wan laughing at him) Anakin roared, "You are not leaving me! This thing is a Sith! Now fucking GO!"
Zoning out his Squadron Anakin's whole focus was fighting back this Sith's ugly force presence and their dance of death.
"Catch me if you can Darkside Whore." He snickered and cranked his acceleration to the floor.
This mystery Sith attacker was a terrifying pilot, for every sharp turn and breath-stealing maneuver he pulled off the hutt-rutting slimo was right there on his exhaust port guns coughing crimson death all the while.
Still, this Sith may be a formidable pilot but the sky was Anakin's home, everyone else was just visiting.
Spinning away from another spray of laser fire Anakin cut a razor sharp dive into the outer rigging of a Recusant Destroyer's hull, flying fearlessly into the enemies guns. Anakin felt a smile pull at his lips at the ripple of frustrated rage surging from the Sith pilot through the Force.
"Hey Artoo, is he still right on my tail?" Artoo twittered an affirmative and Anakin's smile turned into a feral grin. "Good, well let's see how he likes this!"
Zipping up across the Destroyer's hull with the Sith fighter breathing down his neck Anakin turned his attention onto the Destroyer's exposed starboard fuel cells and loosed a pair of proton torpedoes at near point blank range and immediately yanked the N2-F up and out of the way.
The Sith pilot's reflexes may be unnaturally quick but not even they could dodge a concussion wave from an exploding fuel cell at a couple dozen yards away. Anakin watched with grim satisfaction as the Sith fighter was swallowed by the ball of fire as he peeled away.
"I think I got that rat bastard! Gold Squadron form up! We're making another run on the Command ship!"
A ragged cheer crackled over the channel as Gold Squadron swiftly regrouped with Anakin's fighter, but as they advanced on the Command Ship their victory proved short-lived.
Anakin felt his fighter shudder as space warped and cracked with the sound of a whip. Artoo squealed a warning at the same time as the former Jedi saw a flotilla of CIS warships drop out of hyperspace around the Command Ship- and Gold Squadron.
"Well…. Shit."
Flak began to pour in amongst Gold Squadron's ranks rattling off their shields and scoring across their armor as Anakin led them into a desperate charge across the final stretch of open space, their only hope was to use the Command Ship as cover against the surrounding flak cannons. Vulture Droids spilled from their hangars in droves and descended like a tidal wave towards Naboo and Anakin's Squadron.
Anakin flinched away from a lucky laser bolt scoring across his armor scant inches from his face. His Dashboard let out a shrill squeal of alarm and went red as his failing shields stuttered from the impact.
"Tighten up, stay together. Shields to double front and don't stop shooting!" Anakin's jaw ached from clenching his teeth as he snapped out his orders and fanned down a trio of droid fighters with a short blast of cannonfire.
[I don't think we're gonna make it Boss.] Conner commented, blasting another droid out of the sky banking right around the flaming wreckage.
Anakin didn't reply, his grip on the controls tightened so hard his flesh-and-bone knuckles popped.
He couldn't see a way out of this, a soulless army on all sides fire and destruction trailing in its wake and not another living, breathing being in sight. Anakin was vaguely aware of the light in his Force Presence flickering like a candle against a hurricane as cold dread consumed what little of his hope remained, all that was left in his heart was a frigid and oddly calm acceptance.
A pair of Munificent Frigates advanced past the Command ship towards the lone Naboo Squadron, their flak turrets belching crimson hellfire.
Anakin watched with an odd sense of detachment as one of the frigates angled away, aiming to broadside the flagging Squadron.
I'm so, so sorry Padme, I love you.
He rested back in his seat, dimly aware of his fighter shuddering from another massive object dropping out of hyperspace as the frigate's starboard cannons turned on him and let loose.
Anakin's calm turned to confusion when the frigate lurched to the side, its guns stuttered silent in surprise as if suckerpunched. His confusion flared to awed exhileration when the frigates was ripped apart down the middle in a brilliant flash of fire and escaping atmo.
A storm of vibrant blue turbolasers ripped through the frigate-turned-fireball and tore into its fellow like a wolf into an exposed neck. The frigate's armor and shields buckled under the monstrous salvo until it joined its twin in the mechanical afterlife as a massive spearhead shaped hull ravaged the frigate's fiery corpse asunder with terrifying ease.
Unaware of the impending doom drawing up behind them the swarm of vulture droids continued to bear down on the exposed members of Gold Squadron with a mindless fury. A tiny blue blur broke through the smoke and debris and loosed a salvo of viridescent light, rending a wing of Vulture Droids to scrap.
[What in blazes is that?!] Conner cried, the older pilot gaping in astonishment at the warship barreling out of the remnants of its vanquished foe even as he dodged and returned fire.
Elation and hope bloomed bright in Anakin's chest stirring a heady laugh deep from his chest as the blue blur twisted away and right behind it half a dozen tri-winged starfighters dove from the smoke and descended into the fight, their wing mounted cannons blazing hot blue fire.
"That was Jedi Starfighter," He explained with a giddy tilt to his voice, pointing to the blue blur dancing across the fire and chaos. He gestured to the capital ship turning its main turbolaser batteries on the CIS fleet. "and that that is a Venator Star Destroyer. It's the Republic!"
The Star Destroyer leveled its eight dual turbolaser batteries and unleashed a punishing salvo onto the surrounding enemy ranks, even when outnumbered by Munificent Class Frigates 3-1. The tri-winged starfighters -Torrent V-19's- flared out in practiced formations, shredding Vulture droids with extreme prejudice and cutting a swath through their lines.
For a moment a broad grin spread across Anakin's face as he bore witness to the orchestrated devastation until a biting, gravelly sneer rumbled over the Comm Channel.
[This is Jedi General Pong Krell of the Grand Army of the Republic. Who is in charge of this defense?]
[This is Captain Antielles of the Naboo Self-Defense Force. I am in charge of this sector. Welcome to Naboo, General, such as it is.] Captain Antielles replied.
[Spare me your pleasantries Captain. They are a waste of my time.] General Krell continued, his voice condescending. [As of this moment you and every man and woman under your command are at my disposal.]
[...excuse me?] Captain Antielles' voice grew frigid, a dangerous edge to his quiet tone.
General Krell either didn't notice or simply didn't care. [You are excused Captain.]
General Krell addressed the remaining Naboo defenders and his republic troops. [All Forces advance! Crush the enemy!]
[General, this is Blue Leader of the Naboo Self-Defense Force. My men and I are on our last legs out here, we need to retreat back to the Array for repairs.]
[No Blue Leader you will advance and fight.]
[But- but sir!]
[YOU WILL FIGHT BLUE LEADER OR YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF IN COURT MARSHALL. Do I make myself clear Blue Leader?]
[... Crystal Sir.]
A shiver roiled through the Force, leaving Anakin uneasy.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
Ahsoka was terrified.
Engines screamed against her montrals and her laser cannons thundered blinding green as she tore apart droid after droid in a blind rage. Ahsoka was vaguely aware that she should have been more concerned with the reckless way she threw herself into the fray but she just couldn't seem to dredge up the energy to care. The remnants of her quadron trailed behind her thinning the droid swarm with dogged determination and ruthless accuracy.
Ahsoka and the majority of the 501st's fighters had jumped from their hangars the second they dropped from hyperspace, flying in completely blind in the thick of a brutal battle of attrition. Carcasses of hundreds of dead naboo starfighters hung in space like ghosts among the blasted remains of vulture droids and CIS warships alike. If she were paying more attention Ahsoka would have been impressed that a battle group of only archaic starfighters and a single tiny space station had reduced a couple dozen CIS frigates and destroyers to space-dust.
She was numb to all this though, her Force-Bond with Master Krell thrashed and roiled in the back of her mind as if she was being repeatedly stabbed again and again with a red-hot branding iron. Her emotions were erratic and wild, her head throbbed with an irrational, all-consuming, and pointless rage that had her spitting and hissing like an animal trapped in a cage as she gunned down droid after droid. Her squadron's pleas fell on deaf montrals as she dove into the droid swarm alone again and again. with complete disregard for herself.
She was just so tired. She was tired of fighting this war, she was tired of fighting against Master Krell, she was so tired of worrying about the lives of her troopers
Ahsoka was so tired of caring.
So she stopped. She stopped caring about the squadron of good men at her back. She stopped caring about the consequences. She lost herself in her hateful fear and let it consume her.
She was fed up with being scared and hurt. Her hopelessness and fear twisted into a deep thrashing overwhelming rage that devoured her so completely even the pleas of her men went unheard as she dove into the enemy formations alone without a shred of self-preservation.
As the bloody dog-fight slogged on the young Togruta became dimly aware of a wild, feral screaming stabbing at the edge of her hearing. It took her several long seconds and her swallowing down a raw dry throat to realize it was coming from her.
She looked out at her windshield and caught the reflection of a stranger sneering back at her. The face was all wrong, twisted and distorted with blind rage and agony. An ashen orange face marred by hollow bags hanging under sunken dull blue eyes with a rabid snarl curling the unfamiliar girl's lips like a beaten and frightened animal trapped in a cage.
Ahsoka saw the feral girl's face distort into an expression of horror as recognition dawned on her.
That beaten and frightened animal in the windshield's reflection was her.
The world snapped back into focus all at once, the terrible din of battle deafening in her montral, the brilliant flash of guns and iridescent lasers cutting through the darkness of space blinding. The shouts crackling over the comm-channel were a punch to her head next. Her squadron's pleads slicing through the rattling cannon fire followed immediately after with an icy spike of terror.
[-ommander Tano! You're too far! You're surrounded! Commander Tano!]
Ahsoka's Delta-7 lurched violently from a nasty impact on her port side wing and her astromech screeched a desperate warning.
"Sithspit!" The young togruta cursed herself for her stupidity. She couldn't believe she let herself go like that! Whatever well of dark she had allowed herself to be dragged into was no place for a Jedi to dwell. She had failed, but this time she had not only let herself down, she had let her men down- again.
Just like last time.
[Commander Tano! Are you back with us?]
"Yeah I'm back. I-I'm so sorry guys I-] Ashoka gasped as a swarm of vulture droids barreled down on her, their cannons flashing an angry red.
"Hold on R7!" Her astromech twittered a reluctant affirmative as Ashoka corkscrewed away and banked hard, her engines howling in protest from the violent maneuver. She got behind a few droids and blasted them to flaming stardust but her starfighter jerked from a spread of laserfire drilling into her flank. R7 screeched as the deflector shield controls sputtered and died.
"Well," Ashoka gulped. "that's not good."
Another bolt found its mark and ripped across her Delta-7's bow just barely missing R7's red and white dome.
"R7 full power to engines! Get us out of here!" her Astromech squealed an affirmative and the added thrust rocketed them out of their pursuers' line of fire for the moment. Red lasers hissed past them from behind and Ashoka knew she only had a few seconds before the droids zeroed in on her fighter and she'd be either vaporized or burned alive before her corpse is spaced from her cockpit. She screamed in terror when a laser slammed into her starboard wing and clipped her windshield leaving a nasty score across the transparisteel dome.
I'm going to make it. She chanted in her head as she dove and spun wildly to evade her pursuers. I'm going to make it. I-I'm going to- I'm not going to make it!
Her portside stabilizer exploded in a shower of fire and shrapnel and Ashoka could only press herself into her seat as the air was forced from her lungs as her fighter went into a wild tailspin.
Ashoka could only catch glimpses of the spinning starscape around her as she desperately fought to regain control of her starfighter, her engine's deep hum turned to a high pitched whine as she threw her joystick against the G-forces pressing down on her. She almost wished she hadn't looked. Just outside not even a hundred yards away a wing of vulture droids bore down on her, their cannons roaring.
Ahsoka clenched her teeth and shut her eyes against the impact.
It never came.
A flash of green and a roll of thunder rattled her guts against his spine and the vulture droids just… melted. Their hulls warped and combusted into balls of fire and shredding durasteel.
Ashoka gaped in awe as a dull gray Naboo starfighter spiralled and danced around the wrecks and spun around her limping starfighter playfully coming to a stop upside down above her close enough so she could see the pilot that just saved her. He was human with lightly tanned skin and a mop of curling honey brown locks that framed his handsome face and a short beard trailing along his strong jaw and powerful, deep blue eyes.
He looked so different outside the Holo-news propaganda reels that it took Ahsoka several long embarrassing moments of staring to recognise him. If the poor Togruta girl still had any air left in her lungs she would have gasped, instead all that came out was a little choke of shock.
Inside the strange gray Starfighter Anakin Skywalker himself was grinning up at her.
She saw his lips move and a warm and calming tenor voice crackled over the comm-channel.
[You alright in there?] Anakin Skywalker (THE Anakin Skywalker!) asked, a sharp eyebrow raised coyly in question.
"Oh Force take me…"
[What?]
"What?" Ahsoka blurted, confused. She re-ran her thoughts and her blue striped leeku flushed a dark blue in horror and embarrassment. "I-I said I'm fine Master Sk-Skywalker!" She had tried to put some of her old fire in her voice but it just came out as a squeak and the teenaged Padawan felt a sudden and powerful urge to find herself a deep dark hole and never come out.
His warmth laughter dyed her blush an even deeper shade of blue that edged dangerously close to purple.
[Well if you're still this snippy than I suppose you're doing just fine.]
"Yeah whatever, Skyguy."
Anakin let out a bark of laughter. [Skyguy?] He didn't notice the brief look of horror that overtook her face, but she forced a neutral mask over her expression when he addressed her again. [Let's get you back to your hangar for repairs-]
He flashed her one last smarmy grin before gunning the throttle. [-Snips.]
And suddenly Ahsoka didn't wasn't so terrified anymore.
A/N: Hello Untraveled here!
Long time no see! I apologize for the long, long wait (2 and a half months actually, though it felt a lot longer...) This chapter was exponentially more difficult for me to write and with my focus split with the holidays and work I just beat my face against the keyboard 'till one of us broke.
I won. clearly. Though it took a hot minute. (and four re-writes)
Anyway! It's good to put something up for y'all, especially after the very pretty dumpster fire that was episode IX. The movie was fun to look at and I love the character development. shame the story itself was trash. (In my opinion at any rate, but lets not go too far down THAT rabbit hole.)
And we see Ahsoka and Anakin finally meet! the circumstances of their first meeting is very different then canon but no matter how much has changed some things will stay the same.
-Comment Questions-
Kevin_Thunder: Where is this (Push Me Away, Let Me Go) in the timeline? Has "The Wrong Jedi" (Ahsoka leaving the order) Happened yet?
A: This fic is a year into the Clone Wars (about end of season 2- most of season 3). Ahsoka has not left the order, nor has she and Anakin met before. In this AU Anakin left the Order immediately after the events of Attack of the Clones where the Clone Wars Show starts.