Hello all! This is my first multi-chaptered fic and first posted to this site! I hope you all enjoy and review to let me know what you think — if it's in character, if I got the intricate details of the Star Wars universe right, etc. Thank you all for reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars and do not claim to.
CHAPTER ONE
Padme Amidala tightened her lips and resisted the urge to sigh deeply. The strategy conference of the Alliance's High Command was… enlightening, but disappointing. The "Imperial War Machine", as Everi Chalis called it, was no match for even the strongest of Rebel forces.
The defected Imperial governor continued giving his report. He had just finished elaborating on substantial information about the inner workings of the Empire and was now displaying a map of trade routes with Imperial weaknesses highlighted. Padme shifted her position so her head was propped on her fist.
"The map will be stored on this hologram, kept only within this room," Mon Mothma instructed as Chalis deactivated the image and slid the hologram out of the dock. As the meeting concluded, Padme got up to speak with Chalis about the finer points of his report.
The doors snapped open. Padme turned. A young captain, hardly older than Padme's own children, burst through the entryway.
"What is the meaning of this?" Mon Mothma asked in her serene speech.
"Terribly sorry, Senator, but Admiral Ackbar just got an urgent report from our scouts. It's the Empire - they've found us."
A rush of fear gripped the room. Padme straightened immediately, hurriedly making her way around the long table. "Captain. How long do we have?"
"A Star Destroyer has just arrived out of hyperspace. Admiral has no doubt a ground assault will be necessary shortly."
Padme nodded. "To your post, then, Captain."
The captain saluted and hurried out.
Padme turned to address the leaders of the Alliance. "Leia will be directing the first pilots and transports. We need all of you to get on shuttles on route to the Mon Calamari cruiser immediately. I'll have Admiral Ackbar send a subspace alert to any new recruits headed to Dantooine to avoid the system."
Mon Mothma nodded and prepared to leave. Bail Organa looked over at Padme curiously. "Dare I ask what you will be doing?"
Padme's mouth slid into a small grin. "I'll be contacting Skywalker."
"Heavy transport carriers will leave as soon as they're loaded. You all will be escorting them out. Only two fighters per ship. You will need to stay close to your transports as the energy shield can only be opened for a short period of time. The ion cannon will ensure your flight path is clear as you proceed directly to the rendezvous point. Understood?"
Leia swept her gaze over the fighter pilots she was directing. A general "yes" sounded from them. She nodded. "May the Force be with you."
As the pilots left to their X-wings, Leia turned onto her heel to go back to the command center. As she did so, a large siren echoed through the base. This prompted her to nearly run through the fluster of activity, dodging fighter pilots and non-combat personnel.
The command center's energy was no different than the corridors. Alliance members were clustered around holograms and datapads, surveying the contents and murmuring in low tones.
"Mom!" Leia came to a hard stop at the entrance, spotting her mother leaning over a desk and studying a map.
Padme whirled around. "Leia! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. The first few transports should be leaving as we speak. Have you contacted Dad?"
Padme nodded. "Him and Luke are on their way."
"Their main objective will be the power generators." Commander Rieekan said from his position opposite them.
"We have a small force of fighters on standby to guard the generators while the shields are lowered. The squadrons assigned to the transports will need to provide the rest of the protection as they depart." The blue hologram image of Admiral Ackbar said.
Rieekan took one final look at the map. "The Star Destroyer's almost out of lightspeed. We'll have TIE Fighters crawling all over us any time now. Prepare to open shields."
Deep in the reaches of hyperspace, about half a parsec away from the Dantooine System, Luke Skywalker was frustrated.
He Force-floated one of R2's holodisks, maneuvering it in artful circles and intricate twists. He gently lifted his index finger, and the disk raised higher and higher in the air until it got caught under ventilation and blew away. Luke made no movement to collect it. He slouched in his seat.
Anakin spun around in his pilot's chair. "Impatient?"
Luke's eyes flitted to the floor. "No, I'm just - concerned. For the Alliance."
"Sure. This concern has nothing at all to do with the fact that you're missing out on all the fun, right?"
"No! I just - anyway, Mom's always told us how impatient you are, especially when there's some sort of space battle involved."
Anakin put his arms behind his head. "I just control it better. When you've fought in continuous wars for the past twenty-one years straight, I'm sure you'll learn too."
Luke shook his head. "I know the Alliance can handle themselves. I'll just feel a lot better when we're there."
Anakin turned back to his scanners. "Well, get ready. We're dropping out of lightspeed."
Luke darted to the copilot's chair.
"Looks like the Empire just beat us," Anakin said grimly. A massive Star Destroyer was nearly in range of the Dantooine base.
"Should we go at it?" Luke asked.
"Not with just this ship. We'll assist with the ground assault from a low flying point and then head into the base."
As they neared the surface, both of them saw just how much their work was cut out for them. Rebel troops, in both speeders and just on the ground, were leading an uncoordinated assault on five Imperial AT-STs and a particularly nasty AT-AT.
"Change of plans." Anakin veered back towards the base.
"What? What about helping them? They could really use it -"
"Oh, we'll be helping. They just need more than one ship shooting."
Luke furrowed his brow. "They need… two fighters shooting? I'm confused."
"What they need is a leader."
Anakin docked in the now unguarded hangar. He dashed out of the ship, Luke on his heels.
"Do you know where your X-wing is?" Anakin called to Luke as they ran across the hangar.
"On it." Luke made a sharp left to his waiting fighter. "What'll you be on?"
Anakin smirked. "I'm sure this one can handle it."
Luke sighed. "Not your old -"
"Jedi fighter? You disappoint me, Luke. This is a far superior ship."
Luke shook his head in exasperation. "Fine."
Father and son clambered into their respective fighters and flew out of the hangar.
Anakin couldn't help a grin as he hooked up his comm link.
"Well, well, well." The unmistakable sound of Wedge Antilles' voice came through the comm. "Nice of you two to stop by."
"We wouldn't miss it," Luke said.
"Antilles! How's your squadron?" Anakin said as he blasted a TIE Fighter in the direct center.
"At this point, I am the squadron. The others aren't doing so good either."
Anakin pulled up out of range of another Imperial fighter. His recognizable fighter made him a popular target with Imperials hoping to boost rank. So far, he had never taken a direct hit.
It was a proud point for Anakin to bring up.
"Loop around. It's no good to pull a frontal assault on walkers, they'll just blast us before we can get close."
"What are you saying we do about it, Skywalker?" Wedge asked.
"Follow my lead. I'm going to lure the AT-AT into the north ravine. The Empire shouldn't know about it. Tell the other squadrons to start a coordinated attack from above on those other walkers. Take it one at a time." Anakin doubled back and glanced at his scanner. Almost… almost… there! He pulled on the trigger and enjoyed the sight of the TIE blasting into a million pieces.
"Don't have too much fun, Dad." Luke called from his X-wing, where he was doing something with his cockpit window.
"I wouldn't dream of it, Luke. What in the blazes are you doing?"
Luke's voice came out muffled. "You'll see - I hope."
Anakin left him at that and returned to the AT-AT. Flying just out of reach of the walker's blasts, he made sure the Imperials had spotted him. As if in a last-ditch effort, Anakin swerved into the forest, weaving through trees and brush as he kept low to the ground. He had been on this route a thousand times since the Alliance had made Dantooine their base.
Anakin heard the tell-tale racket behind him, signaling that the AT-AT was indeed following him. His scanners started beeping. The ravine - deep, slick, and a bottom filled with felled trees - would certainly be fatal to the clumsy walker.
Anakin slowed the tiniest bit, making space for the AT-AT to believe it was winning. It started to blast him. Green blaster darts flew past his fighter as Anakin dodged them expertly. The ravine was nearing. In 3… 2… 1…
Anakin pulled up sharply. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. He swooped around just in time to witness the AT-AT lose control and slide down the steep ravine. It crumpled and finally blew up as it hit the trees near the bottom.
Anakin shook his head and smiled. "That'll never get old."
"What was that, Dad?" Luke yelled through the comm.
"Nothing. How're you doing?"
"I'm working on the last walker. We've got barely any fighters left. They're picking us off like flies!"
Anakin pulled up out of the forest. "I'm coming."
"Did you take care of the walker?"
"What do you think?"
"And with all that extra Anakin Skywalker flair, naturally?"
"Naturally."
Padme had just finished up getting all remaining personnel into cruisers. A few blasts rocked the base, shaking the ground, but Padme stayed firm in her resolve.
She darted through the corridors. Holding up her left wrist, she sent a transmission through to Leia.
"Mom!" Leia called through the comm link.
"Leia! Where are you?"
"I'm getting in a spare ship. They need all the help they can get out there."
"Has Luke contacted you?"
"He has. They're in desperate need of reinforcements."
"All right. Go help your brother. You know what to do after." Padme clicked off her comm.
Padme continued racing through the corridors, searching for any stragglers, any last bits of Rebel information or technology that needed to be evacuated. In every new room she came by, Padme placed a detonator on the doors. The Empire would never use anything in this base against them.
She only hoped she made it out before they blew.
Padme finished her sweep of the entire base in the large hangar. A single small cruiser was left. She boarded quickly and set her coordinates for the rendezvous point. With careful maneuvering, Padme was out of the hangar and into the open skies. She just saw the orange-and-yellow explosion behind her as she blasted into hyperspace.
Luke was the last fighter on this walker. His father had called for all the rest to get out before anything got worse, and then had gone to see what damage he could do to the main Star Destroyer as the last transports evacuated.
The walker was weakening, as Luke was blasting at very specific weak points in its design, but he couldn't hold out for long.
Was this really how he was going to die? Plagued by an incessant AT-ST, no reinforcements in sight?
"Hey, flyboy. Need some assistance?"
Luke turned around to see Leia coming in from the base. "You're a little late to the party, I'm afraid."
"Just in time to save your skin, I suppose."
With two skilled Force-sensitive pilots on the job, the walker weakened more and more.
Luke checked his scanners one last time. He then closed his eyes, as his father often instructed him to do, and felt for the Force. It would guide him, apparently.
He then gripped the trigger and squeezed. Two parallel bolts came shooting out and met directly in the eyes of the walker. It finally, finally collapsed in a pillar of flames.
Luke sighed in relief.
"Nice shot." Leia's voice interrupted his short reverie.
"Hold on before you go, I'm gonna board. My X-wing won't last long. It got toasted in all the crossfire."
"Make it quick. We're in range of that Star Destroyer, and something makes me think Dad's already gone."
Luke hastily docked his small X-wing, got on board Leia's light freighter, and came to sit in the copilot's chair.
"What a day," Luke said. "What a day."
"Oh, calm yourself. Finish prepping for lightspeed with me."
After dodging the last of the Star Destroyer's blasts, Leia pulled the lever and they shot into hyperspace.