"aaaa" - talking through a holocomunicator or a comlink. aaaa - inner thoughts and Force Visions. 'aaaa' - talking through a bond.
AN: Originally, I wasn't even going to touch this arc. Then I went back over my outline and decided to include this episode and the next one because I knew that if I didn't, then Rosella would be stuck at the Temple for the beginning of my story and that didn't sit right with me.
This chapter was a little bit of a struggle for me to write because a) Rosella doesn't know Master Plo all that well (The only time she interacted with him was when he brought her to her Initiate Trial) and b) She doesn't have a strong connection with him like Ahsoka does, so there were a few lines that she said that I had to leave out.
Also, I'm going to try and not use all the lines from the show, but there might be some instances where I have to because either I can't think of a way to make it sound better, or it sounds like something that one of the characters would say in response to another character.
Since I'm going to need some time to rewatch Shadow of Malevolence, as well as write the chapter that will be based on the episode, it most likely won't be up until Monday, December 27th, since I am not going to be doing any writing over the weekend as it's almost Christmas.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Happy holidays!
EDIT: I ended up changing how Rosella was able to locate Master Plo because the reason that I previously had written just didn't make a lot of sense to me. I hope you all like it!
Chapter 1: The Separatists Have a New Toy
Two weeks after Rosella had gotten used to her new living arrangements, she and Anakin were on board the Resolute. While Anakin was on the bridge with Admiral Yularen going over some last minute details of their staging plan for the area that they had been assigned to, Rosella was down in the mess hall, eating - or at least trying to eat - her food. Just as she lifted her fork to her mouth, her wrist com rang out with a shrill beep. Sighing, the padawan put down her fork, reached over and pressed the answer button, since she knew who was calling her. "What is it Ahsoka?" She asked.
"Has there been any word from Master Kenobi about Master Plo?" Ahsoka asked, her voice coming out of Rosella's comlink.
"No," Rosella said curiously, wondering just how Ahsoka had found out about the mission. As far as she knew, her Uncle had been very careful to keep his datapads that contained sensitive details about his meetings with the Council either locked in his room or on him at all times.
If there was one thing that she was aware of, it was the fact that Master Kenobi had told her father - who in turn had told her - about how the Council had sent Master Plo out to see what he could find out about this supposed new menace that had rumours flying on the holonet and around the Jedi Temple.
According to most of the rumours that she had heard, - since no one knew what the menace was exactly - some citizens thought that there was a new Separatist weapon out there and that had scared some of the populace who were now beginning to question if they were even safe with the war that was going on.
She was then brought out of her thoughts when her comlink beeped again, this time letting her know that she was needed on the bridge. "Sorry Ahsoka," Rosella said apologetically, "I have to go. Master Skywalker needs me on the bridge."
There was a sigh on the other end. "Alright. But let me know if you hear any news, ok?" Ahsoka asked, a small hint of desperation in her voice.
"I will," Rosella said and then she terminated the connection. Shoving one last bite of food into her mouth, the teenager collected her tray and got up from her seat, making sure to throw out her leftovers before she returned it to be washed and put away. Then she left the mess hall, heading for the bridge.
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Three Jedi cruisers headed for what seemed to be a small ship that was floating in front of a large red planet. Inside one of the cruisers, a clone who was dressed in a grey uniform walked up to the Jedi who was standing at the end of the bridge, looking out at said ship that was growing in size as they got closer.
"The enemy ship has reduced its speed General," the man said as he stopped just behind Jedi Master Plo Koon, who didn't even bother to turn around as he kept his gaze firmly on the ship, noting the numerous turbo lasers as well as the large cannon of some sort that had been placed in the center.
"They must have realized by now that we are tracking them," Plo said as he kept his voice calm and even. He could not allow any feelings of doubt, fear or worry to cloud his mind. Now was not the time for that. The rumours that he and the Council had heard about what this ship, this weapon could do had already begun to spread around Coruscant. Not all of them had been exaggerated like they often tended to be.
In the back of his mind, Plo knew that some of the men were wondering just what exactly they had found. He could tell that some of them were a little scared as well as a little nervous. Not that he could blame them. If he hadn't been a Jedi Master and had learned long ago to set his emotions aside when it came time for a mission, he probably would have been just as scared and nervous as they were.
Plo was a Jedi, but he was also a living being.
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On the bridge of the enemy ship, a cyborg warrior walked past Count Dooku, who was standing on the small elevated platform behind him, and over to two battle droids who were sitting in front of some controls.
"General Grievous, I'm tracking three Republic cruisers," one of the battle droids said. "What are your orders?"
Grievous growled and underneath that growl, he let out a curse. It was not that he didn't like the battle droids that were under his command. It was their simple programming that annoyed him. The answer was very obvious to him and one that anyone would have done without even stopping to ask what it was.
"Jam their transmissions," Dooku said. "We don't want our enemies to find out about our brand new weapon just yet."
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"The fleet is maintaining its position sir," the clone said, as he hadn't moved since arriving on the bridge to speak with Plo Koon.
"Have them stay where they are," Plo said. Then he turned around. "However, I do think that it would be wise to transmit our position, along with our coordinates, before we proceed with our attack." With that said, he proceeded to make his way over to the communication room that was stationed on the bridge of every Jedi cruiser.
"General Skywalker's fleet is nearby, in the Bith system," the uniformed man said as he turned and followed the Jedi Master.
"Good. Perhaps he will be able to lend us some support should we need it," Plo said as they passed another trooper in white armour on their way into the room.
"From what I've heard, he's always ready to jump in and lend a hand to those who need it," the man said as he stopped just beyond the door, watching as Plo walked up to the holotable.
"So I've heard," the Del Kor Jedi said as he leaned over the table and pressed a few buttons, softly smiling behind his mask as two figures appeared before him.
"Koh-to-yah, Master Plo," Rosella said, a respectful tone in her voice. She had learned how to speak a little of the language from Ahsoka herself and had gotten permission from Anakin to give it a try.
He gave her a pleased nod in return. "Koh-to-yah, Padawan Ngaire," Plo responded.
"How is the hunt for the mystery weapon going?" Anakin asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"We have tracked it to the Abregado system, and require some reinforcements," Plo said in response.
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask the Council for permission Master Plo," Anakin said, frowning a little as he glanced to his right to see Rosella looking at him with a rather worried expression on her face. "I was given strict orders to stay where I am to protect our staging area."
Plo immediately sensed that the Knight's response had made the young girl unhappy.
Then the transmission began to flicker and buzz a little before completely disappearing and reappearing again. It was a little unusual for a transmission to be doing that all the way out here, so the uniformed man who had been standing there jumped forward and started pressing buttons, checking the signal strength along with a bunch of other readouts to see if he could try and fix the problem.
"Master Plo, what's happen-" Rosella managed to get out before the connection was lost.
"What happened to the transmission?" Plo asked.
The man looked up from what he had been doing. "There's too much interference sir," he said. "I can't seem to re-establish the connection. We've lost 'em."
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Ahsoka is not going to be happy about this. Rosella thought to herself as she and Anakin walked away from the bridge, leaving Yularen in charge. Then she sighed and looked up at her father. "What do we do now?" She asked, a little unsure of what their next steps were.
"We'll talk to the Council and see what they want us to do," Anakin replied as they came to a stop outside the doors that led to the communication room. Turning to Rosella, he regarded her with a small, but stern glare. "Remember, this is a very important meeting. I want you to be mindful and speak only when you are spoken to."
Rosella nodded, even though she knew that her father tended not to follow that rule himself.
Then the doors slid open with a hiss and both Skywalkers entered the room.
"This mystery weapon has struck in a dozen systems," Mace said as he was currently speaking. "Then it seems to just vanish without leaving a clue as to what kind of ship it is or where it's headed to next."
Anakin reached over and pressed a button on the holotable that allowed himself and Rosella to join the conversation.
"We cannot afford to lose any more ships, my friends," Palpatine responded. Then he turned and smiled as he saw Anakin. "Ah, there you are Master Skywalker. Have you had any luck in discovering just what General Grievous' secret weapon is?"
Anakin suppressed a shudder as soon as he heard Palpatine speak. The last time that he had spoken to him directly was when he had asked him for help with getting Padmè to leave the planet when her life had been in danger. He could also feel that unpleasant feeling that he seemed to get when he was around the Chancellor returning, even though the man was on Coruscant and in his office.
Rosella narrowed her eyes just a little, sensing that there was something off about the Chancellor. She couldn't tell what it was exactly, but something in his tone of voice seemed to suggest that he was not very happy that no one was able to find any sort of clue about this weapon that had been made for Grievous. Then she shifted her focus off of the Chancellor and over to Anakin as he leaned forward and pressed another button on the holotable, bringing up Master Plo's last known communication area. Three Republic cruisers floated before a slowly turning red planet.
"Master Plo managed to contact us. He and his fleet were in the Abregado system when we lost contact," Anakin said.
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The three cruisers that belonged to Plo's fleet were getting closer and closer as they approached the massive vessel.
Inside the main cruiser, one of the clones turned to face Plo and Wolffe as he said, "Sir! The enemy ship is closing in!"
Plo knew that his allotted time of waiting to see when and if the enemy would strike first had come and gone. He hadn't expected the cyborg menace that was General Grievous to wait long before launching his attack. He turned to Wolffe and said, "Prepare for battle!"
Wolffe nodded.
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On the bridge of the massive warship, the same two battle droids from before were still sitting in front of the controls as they pressed one button after another. Grievous stood behind them, watching their every move.
"General," Dooku said, his voice ringing out from where he was standing. "This will be an excellent test for our new weapon. You may fire when ready." Then his lips curled up into a small smirk.
Grievous, who had turned around to listen to the Count said, "Yes, my lord."
The droids continued to prep the cannon for its firing sequence as it began to warm up, glowing with a whitish-purple energy.
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Plo and Wolffe were bent over the holotable. The Jedi could sense that the man next to him didn't like what was being shown to him on the readouts.
"We are picking up a large energy reading coming directly from the target, General," Wolffe said as he finally looked up towards the Jedi Master.
"Open fire!" Plo commanded.
"I can't do that sir as we aren't in range yet," Wolffe responded.
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"Fire!" Grievous commanded as he clenched his fist and narrowed his eyes.
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A bright, crackling silver-purple blast of energy raced through the tubing that made up the inside of the cannon. It was so bright, that two battle droids who had been assigned to attend to the cannon had to cover their metal faces to avoid looking as it raced past their small platform.
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Once the pulse had built up enough energy, it was released from the cannon, heading straight for the fleet of Republic ships.
Plo saw it from where he was standing and was a little terrified as he wasn't sure what the blast would do to them or their ships. Another thing he wasn't sure of was whether or not they would survive, but the Jedi Master vowed to do his best as these were his men. He was going to make sure that they all lived to fight another day. "Brace yourselves for impact!" He called out.
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The pulse of energy slammed into all three of the cruisers, attacking them with bolts of lightning.
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"We're losing all of our power!" Wolffe cried out as another clone raced behind both him and Plo. He quickly glanced around as sparks began to fly off of everything and yanked his hand away from the holotable as he was nearly shocked by the device.
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The pulse continued to travel over the cruisers, draining them of their power.
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"That energy field has left us defenceless sir!" Wolffe said. Behind him, the map display and the panels beyond it were starting to flicker and go out as a small line of electricity raced over the panels.
Then the cruiser shook violently beneath their feet.
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"Their shields are down," one of the battle droids reported.
Grievous turned from where he had been discussing something with Dooku. "All cannons fire!" He said as he raised his left arm into the air.
His new toy was perfect.
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Red lasers shot out from the Malevolence as they raced towards the disabled Republic cruisers, destroying one of them.
Inside one of the remaining two, Plo, Wolffe and two other clones who were dressed in white armor that had the top halves, - as well as their helmets - painted a reddish-brown colour, watched as the cruiser was shredded to bits.
"The enemy is tearing us apart one by one!" Wolffe cried out as waves of energy ran across the top of the holotable.
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Grievous laughed as he saw what was happening.
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Alarms blared throughout the ship. The remaining troopers watched as the second ship in their fleet was blown apart, the shockwave sending the debris hurtling towards them.
One of the troopers had to duck as he cried out in fear, watching as one of the still active engines raced past the viewport.
Plo knew that he had no other choice. If he wanted to ensure that most - if not all - of his men were to survive, they would have to abandon their cruiser. "Quickly!" He said as he turned around. "Get into the escape pods!"
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The red lasers raced towards the one remaining cruiser, striking the bridge towers.
Inside, the escape pod door opened and the two clones who had been with Plo earlier, as well as Wolffe, raced inside.
"We don't have much time!" Plo said as he stood by the pod, watching as his men ran to get into the other pods. He wasn't going to get in until he was sure that they were all safe and accounted for. "Get inside! Hurry!"
Once everyone was in a pod, the Kel Dor Jedi climbed into his. Then, one by one, the pods launched from the cruiser. One of the pods wasn't so lucky as it slammed into a piece of debris that had floated into its path.
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Plo and the clones who had made it off the cruiser watched as the ship exploded into pieces, completely obliterating what remained of the fleet.
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"Wouldn't you say that test was successful Count?" Grievous asked as he rested one of his large claws on the back of a chair.
"Indeed, it was General, but we must keep our position a secret," Dooku responded. Then he shifted his eyes over to his left. "Send out the hunters! I want those life-pods and everyone aboard them destroyed!"
A tri-pronged-shaped device launched from the warship and headed into the debris field.
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"We have had no further contact with General Plo or his fleet," Anakin said. He didn't know how he was going to report this next part as Rosella was friends with Ahsoka and was sure that the Togruta would most likely want to know anything and everything that was said about the Jedi Master. He took a breath and continued. "The absence of distress beacons would seem to indicate that his fleet was…" Shifting his eyes over to his right, he glanced at Rosella as her head shot up since she was waiting to hear what he had to say. "…that his fleet was destroyed like all the others. I was about to have the men start prepping for a rescue mission."
"Hasn't clone intelligence reported that this weapon leaves no survivors behind?" Palpatine asked, a small amount of dissatisfaction in his voice as he frowned.
Obi-Wan sighed a little and Rosella could tell that he was thinking about Ahsoka and how she would handle the news. "The Separatists are being unusually tidy," he said. "It would appear that they don't want any witnesses to know about the weapon, whatever it may turn out to be."
"Tragic, these losses are," Master Yoda said. "But prevent more, we must."
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Inside the escape pod, both of the troopers who were clad in their armor removed their helmets and placed them in their laps.
"The power grid is completely fried," Wolffe said as he sat in his seat. "We've got no engine, no communications or…" he slumped over. "…or life-support recharge."
"What happens now?" One of the troopers asked. "Do we just sit here and hold our breaths?"
"I'm sure someone will come looking for us, right?" The other trooper asked as he shifted his eyes over to look at Wolffe, who in turn looked at Plo.
"First, let's get the power restored," Plo said. "After all, we are going to need it if we want to be here to be rescued."
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Three V-19 starfighters shot across space as they headed towards the Resolute.
"With that weapon out there tearing our ships apart, we will need to protect what ships we do have," Mace said. "That means that all of our battlegroups will have to be reassigned in order to better protect our supply convoys, including yours, Skywalker. That means you will not be able to launch any sort of rescue mission at this time."
Rosella had been staring at the floor but also listening to the conversation at the same time. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. They weren't going to send anyone to look for Master Plo? The man who had found Ahsoka and brought her to the temple? As much as she wanted to speak up and say something, she didn't want to get in trouble with her father and the other Jedi Masters, so she stayed silent.
"We will make all the necessary preparations and deploy as you have instructed, Master," Anakin said. Then he respectfully nodded his head and both he and Rosella watched as the transmission ended.
Rosella sighed, turned around and walked away from the holotable.
Anakin noticed and turned around. "Rosella?" He asked. "What's wrong?"
"I don't understand why the Council won't send anyone to look for Master Plo and his fleet," the young girl said as she turned around and looked at her father. While she didn't know Master Plo all that well, like Ahsoka did, she knew that if anyone could survive something like that, it had to be him. The teenager had just opened her mouth to say something else when her wrist com beeped. She glanced down and silenced it, knowing that Ahsoka was calling to ask if she had heard any more Information about Master Plo.
Anakin was about to say something when the doors slid open and Admiral Yularen walked in, trailed by a trooper. "There you are Admiral," he said. Then he cleared his throat. "We'll be splitting up our ships in order to better maximize our defence area. I'll take Rosella with me as I scout ahead for any enemy activity."
"Isn't that a bit of a risk sir?" Yularen asked, raising his eyebrows a little. "With that mystery weapon still out there, surely you would want someone here commanding the fleet."
"It might be," Anakin responded. "But I know that you won't argue my orders." Then he walked past the Admiral and out onto the bridge. "Come on Rosella."
How am I supposed to tell Ahsoka the Master Plo might not be coming back to the Temple? The teenager thought as she turned around and followed Anakin.
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"The air in here is getting a little stale," Wolffe said as he looked out of the viewport at all of the debris that floated by their pod.
"Don't look at me sir," one of the troopers said. "It must be Boost since he only takes a shower when he's on leave."
"Save it," the trooper, whose name was Boost said. "Just keep working on the pod please and not your jokes."
"Do you honestly think we've got a chance, General?" Wolffe asked.
"I don't believe in chance Commander," Plo replied. "If we want to be found, then we all have to work together in order to stay alive."
The trooper who was sitting at the controls turned around and said, "With all due respect General, it doesn't make any sense really for anyone to come out here just to find us." Then he turned back to the panel that he had been looking at. "If I was in command, I would be out there hunting that weapon down. Not stuck in here."
"I value your life more than finding that weapon," Plo said.
"General!" Boost said, causing Plo to turn around and look in the direction that the clone was pointing in. "I see another pod out there!"
As Plo sat in the chair, the other three troopers gathered around him. Outside, floating amongst all the wreckage, just like they were, was another pod.
Wolffe sighed a little. "If only we could get the power back up," he said. "Then we would be able to contact them."
"Hey. Why don't we just wave when the viewport comes around?" Boost asked.
Plo reached out and used the Force to rotate the pod around. Not one of them like what they saw. The viewport had been busted open and there was a trooper hanging halfway out of it. Floating behind the clone were a couple of helmets.
"They're all dead," the third trooper said.
"Someone or something must have busted that pod wide open," Wolffe said in response.
"We are most definitely not alone out here," Plo said, causing all three troopers to look at him.
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One of the side hanger doors opened up and the Twilight flew out. Then the newly repaired stabilizer wing deployed and the ship headed out into open space.
"Have you set those new coordinates R2?" Anakin asked as he glanced over his shoulder.
R2 beeped and went to go accomplish his task.
Rosella sighed.
Anakin didn't even have to glance over to know that Rosella was upset about something. "Something's bothering you," he said.
"It's nothing Dad," Rosella said.
The Knight glanced over at her but didn't say anything. Instead, he reached up, flicked a switch above him and pulled a lever, sending them into hyperspace.
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Meanwhile, with Obi-Wan's fleet, the man in question was looking out of his viewport, checking to see if the ships that were part of his fleet were in position.
Commander Cody turned to face Obi-Wan. "Our ships are in a defensive formation, sir," he said.
"Alright Commander," Obi-Wan responded. "I'll check on Anakin's progress." He turned around and faced the viewscreen that was behind him, which switched on as the officer connected him to the Resolute.
Yularen, who had just finished talking to Rex, turned to face Obi-Wan.
"Admiral," Obi-Wan said in greeting. "How is escort duty going?"
"The convoys are proceeding on schedule, General," Admiral Yularen replied. "So far, there has been no sign of any enemy activity."
"That's good to hear," Obi-Wan replied. "Might I ask where Anakin has gone?"
"Well, the General thought that a redeployment of his fleet would help increase our defensive perimeter just in case we were to get attacked," Yularen responded.
"I see…" Obi-Wan said. "Thank you for the update, Admiral. That will be all."
The viewscreen switched off and Obi-Wan turned around, beginning to stroke his beard, knowing that both the Council and the Chancellor would not be happy to hear about what Anakin had done.
"Is there a problem, Sir?" Cody asked.
Obi-Wan sighed and looked at Cody. "Anakin has just redeployed himself, again," he said.
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When the Twilight dropped out of hyperspace, Rosella had changed seats. She was now sitting on her father's left, checking out the console that was in front of her. R2 came over beeping, asking her what needed to be done.
"R2, could you please set up the scanners?" Rosella asked. "Program them to look for some sort of mystery weapon." Then she sighed. "It would help if we knew what kind of weapon to look for."
R2 beeped in acknowledgement and went to go follow her orders.
"No," Anakin said, counteracting her orders. "R2, have the scanners set to search for lifeforms. Highest sensitivity."
R2 chirped and got to work.
Rosella turned in her seat. "Why would we search for lifeforms if all we're going to find is an enemy weapon that's probably filled with…" The last part of her question died on her lips as she saw what was outside the viewport.
A familiar-looking red planet.
Rosella got out of her seat and walked over to the co-pilot's chair, laying her left hand on the back of the seat. "We're in the Abregado system," she said. Then she turned to look at her father who had a smirk on his face. "Are you sure we should be doing this? I mean we just defied the Council's orders."
"Doing what the Council says is one thing, but how you go about doing it is another. They said that I couldn't send any of my men out here to look for survivors. They didn't say anything about the two of us looking for them," Anakin responded. "That is the lesson that I'm trying to teach you, my young padawan."
"So, you did want to come out here and look for survivors?" Rosella asked.
"Lives are in danger Ella," Anakin told her. "We can't just turn our backs on them."
"I wanted to say something similar back in the room with the other Masters, but I didn't want to look foolish in front of the Chancellor," Rosella quietly said as she sat down in the chair.
"I'm glad you didn't," Anakin told her, a small smile on his face. "Now, switch on the illuminator. I'm guessing that we don't have a lot of time to search this debris field." He reached up and flicked another switch that was over his head.
"You got that right," Rosella said as she reached forward and flicked a switch near her set of controls. "It won't be long before someone notices that we've disappeared."
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"No, that's not it!" The trooper next to Boost said as he pointed to the board. "This one goes here and that one goes there."
"Are you sure?" Boost asked. "I don't want to screw this up and make things even worse."
"How are we going to make things worse?" The trooper asked.
"When you ask for trouble, do not be surprised when it comes to find you," Plo said to his troopers.
"That is true sir, but I think trouble has already found us," the trooper said.
"Hey, I'll bet that if we connect these two wires right here, something might happen," Boost said as he took both wires and plugged them into each other. There was a spark as he twisted them until they locked in place.
Then there was a hum and soon the lights and everything else in the pod came to life.
Wolffe turned towards the communication panel as he heard a faint voice coming over it. "Wait, I think I hear something…" He reached out and pressed one of the buttons, trying to increase the volume.
"This...pod…1977…We are under attack. Is anyone out there?"
"It's one of our other pods!" Wolffe said.
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Inside the other pod, one of the officers was using the communications panel to speak. "I repeat! We are under attack!" He frantically called out. "Can anyone hear me?"
The other officer was going over the controls, trying to find anything that would help them get out of their current situation.
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"That signal is pretty weak," Plo said. "That means that they have to be close by!"
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The two officers could only look on in horror as the pod hunter locked onto their pod. Then one of the clones turned back to the communications panel. "They've locked onto our pod!" He cried out. "I repeat. They've locked onto our pod!"
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"Go get 'em boys!" The droid pilot said as it pressed two buttons, opening a hatch and releasing its companions. The four droids inside activated their jetpacks and flew out towards the pod.
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"Our coordinates are at mark 12, point 2-6."
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"Let's cut this can open!" One of the battle droids said as it ignited its blowtorch.
The officers inside saw the blue laser and knew that they were done for.
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"I have visual contact!" Wolffe said as he saw the pod.
They all watched as the droids began their attack on the pod.
Then Plo attempted to get in contact with one of the officers. "Pod 1977, do you copy?" He asked.
"The droids are hunting for survivors," the officer said, his voice coming through loud and clear now that the pod was in close proximity to theirs. "No! They're cutting through!"
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The viewport of pod 1977 was blasted open and the men screamed as they were violently ejected into space and left there to die.
"There they go," one of the droids said as it turned to face its companions.
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"I think things just got a lot worse," the third clone said, causing Boost, Wolffe and Plo to look at him.
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The Twilight flew towards the debris field.
Rosella ignored the remains of the fleet and tried not to stare at the twisted beams, jagged pieces of viewport and somewhat intact pairs of twin bridges as they drifted in what looked like a mess of debris that had congregated around a small portion of the planet. Instead, she focused all her attention on the scanners that were in front of her. She pressed various buttons on the console, not having any luck. "These scanners are practically useless," she said. Then she turned around and looked at R2. "R2, do you have anything on the emergency channel?"
R2 beeped and went to go see what he could find.
The Twilight flew past the top half of a destroyed Venator.
"Now Rosella…" Anakin said, causing the girl to look at him. "There is a small chance that what we discover out here might not be the outcome that you were hoping for."
"I know Master…" Rosella replied.
"How much do you know about Master Plo?" Anakin asked.
"Not much," Rosella replied. "The only time I've ever spent around him was when he brought me to my Initiate trials. Ahsoka did tell me that it was Master Plo who found her and brought her to the temple."
Suddenly R2 beeped from where he was still plugged into the socket at the rear of the cockpit as an alarm began to go off.
"We have an incoming transmission Dad," Rosella said, trying not to laugh at the nearly panicked expression on her father's face. "I think someone has found out about your little trip."
Anakin tried not to roll his eyes in response as he answered the transmission and watched as Obi-Wan appeared between them.
"Do I even want to know where the two of you are right now?" Obi-Wan asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Oh, hey, Obi-Wan," Anakin said as he greeted his former Master. "We…uh…made a quick stop in the Abregado system."
"Let me guess. You decided to go on a rescue mission," Obi-Wan said."You had other orders Anakin."
Rosella stayed silent, softly smirking as she watched her uncle and father speak to each other.
"Have you found any survivors?" Obi-Wan asked.
"No," Anakin said as he shook his head. "You were right. The Separatists don't want any witnesses."
"All the more reason for you to regroup with your defensive escort group. If you don't come back now, then you'll miss the rendezvous point with the rest of the fleet. We need you Anakin," Obi-Wan told him.
"I know Master," Anakin said. "We're on our way." The transmission faded and he glanced to his right to see Rosella slump over in her seat, a dejected expression on her face. "I'm sorry Ella."
Ahsoka, I'm so sorry. Rosella thought to herself, feeling as if she had failed her friend. "I know," she said. "We have to go back. I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to speak to Ahsoka knowing that even though we did everything that we could, we weren't able to find Master Plo."
Anakin flew the Twilight through the debris field, preparing to turn around and head out to open space so they could head back to rejoin his escort group when R2 suddenly beeped in excitement.
Both Jedi turned around.
"R2, what is it?" Anakin asked.
R2 beeped again.
Rosella turned back to her set of controls and began pressing buttons. "R2 thinks he's found something on the emergency channel," she said.
"Can he trace it?" Anakin asked.
R2 beeped again, affirming that he could.
"Let's get going," Rosella said, a bright, if not hopeful smile on her face.
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"I don't want to cause anyone to panic, but I think the droids have spotted us," Boost said, causing both Wolffe and Plo to look at him.
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"Corporal, I see another pod over there," one of the battle droids said to their leader.
The droid in charge released the now empty pod that floated away to join the rest of the debris and dead men who were floating in space. Now that the arms of the pod hunter were free, the other four droids sat on two of them as the pod hunter maneuvered through space towards the last pod. As the droids neared the pod, they activated their jetpacks and got off as the droid on top hummed a little tune to himself as it got ready to capture the pod.
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Plo knew that they only had one chance to survive and hopefully be rescued. "Time to go," he said as he swung the chair around, got up and walked to the door of the pod.
"Go?" Wolffe asked, a little confused. "Go where?"
"Outside," Plo said as he turned around to face the trooper. "We are going to destroy the enemy. I will be able to withstand the pressure for a brief amount of time since I have my anti-ox mask." Then he faced Boost and the other trooper. "Put your helmets on. You're coming with me."
"Are you sure about this General?" The trooper asked.
"I know that this is a difficult situation, but there remains a possibility that we will survive," Plo said.
"That's good enough for me!" The trooper said as he bent down and picked up his rifle.
Boost did the same as he was feeling rather inspired by the words from his brother as well as his General.
There was a thud that reverberated throughout the pod as the clamps from the pod hunter made contact as Boost and the other trooper made sure that their helmets were on and sealed tight.
Plo turned around. "Wolffe," he said, "do everything that you can to keep the communications alive. It is the only chance that we have of being rescued."
"Let's just hope that someone is out there looking for us," Wolffe said.
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"Are we still picking up that signal, R2?" Anakin asked.
Rosella turned around and looked at R2, seeing the map of the system that he was currently displaying from his holoprojector. "Yes," she replied. "But why haven't we found anyone?"
"I'm not sure Rosella," Anakin told her. "We'll keep looking, but we do need to leave soon."
The Twilight flew through and around more debris.
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"Well, this looks like the last one," one of the droids said. "Let's finish this up and get back to the ship."
Then one of the other ones looked up. "Hey…" the droid said as it spotted the Jedi who was standing on top of the pod. "Why is there a Jedi out here?
Plo ignited his lightsaber just as the droids began to fire on him and his men. Boost and the other trooper began to fire as soon as Plo leapt down from where he had been standing, using the Force to float down to one of the arms as he sliced through the droid who had been getting ready to start cutting into the pod.
"Take cover!" The pilot droid cried out in alarm.
Then Plo used his lightsaber to block a few of the lasers that the droids were firing and with a wave of his hand, send one of the other droids crashing into the closed door of the pod hunter.
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Rosella glanced at the scanner in front of her. "Is there anyone out there?" She asked. "Come in. This is Jedi Commander Rosella Ngaire. Can anyone hear me?"
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Two of the five droids were out of commission.
Boost and the other trooper were still on top of the pod, firing their blasters at the remaining droids. The two who had been left down on the arms used their jetpacks to fly up and take cover with the pilot.
"I can't seem to get a clear shot!" Boost said.
"Now let's put the squeeze on them," the pilot droid said as he pressed a button and watched as the pod's arms began to sink into the metal casing. Sparks flew out from the metal as the arms scraped against the sides. The metal began to creak, causing both troopers on the roof of the pod to jump in alarm as the top arm sank deeply into it. It got so deep that it ruptured the roof and there was a hissing noise as the air began to escape.
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Wolffe, who had been doing what he could to try and stay alive, turned to the communications panel when he heard a voice coming out of it.
"…Is there anyone out there? Come in. This is Jedi Commander Rosella Ngaire. Can anyone hear me?"
"It's Rosella!" He said. "She must be nearby!"
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"Keep that signal alive Commander!" Plo ordered.
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"R2," Rosella said as she turned around and faced the droid. "See if you can boost the reception."
R2 beeped.
The teenager growled in a rare display of stubborn frustration and slammed back into her seat.
"Calm down Rosella," Anakin said. "R2 is doing his best to boost the power. Hang on."
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This battle was not going well for Plo and his men. Even though Boost and his fellow trooper were doing their best, they just couldn't seem to hit the two droids on top of the pod hunter. The droids themselves weren't doing better either, even though they had the advantage of the barricade on their side. The pilot on top pressed the button for the arms, forcing them to dig further into the pod.
Then Plo swung his lightsaber, blocking a laser bolt and sending it back towards the pilot, who had to let go of the controls and jerk his metal body to his left to avoid getting hit.
Inside the pod, Wolffe was having trouble keeping the signal alive. It was fading and fading fast. "General! We're losing the signal!" He said. "All this damage is weakening the pod and I'm afraid it won't be able to take any more!"
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Plo turned around. "Sinker!" He called out. "You're up!"
The trooper, who felt himself rising off the top of the pod, smiled underneath his helmet. "I'm on it boss!" He said. Then he cried out as Plo waved his hand and propelled him forwards with the Force. He turned around as he sailed over the three droids.
"What the—?" The pilot droid said as he ducked for cover.
Plo opened his hand and Sinker stopped moving. He got his blaster ready and said, "Eat laser, you boneheaded clankers!" Then he began to fire at the droids. The first droid on the left got hit. The pilot, who dared to peer out from behind the seat, hid as the shot that Sinker fired missed and hit the back of the seat instead. Sinker more than made up for that by blasting the droid on the right twice, just to make sure it was destroyed.
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Plo took advantage of Sinker's shooting and sliced through the arms that were clamped to the pod. Then with a quick Force push, the pod fell away from them. With another gesture, Plo brought Sinker back over to them and the trooper made sure to firmly grab hold of the top of the pod.
As the remains of the pod hunter floated away into space, the pilot droid looked around. "Uh-oh," it said as it was destroyed, with the explosion causing the remaining life pod to float away.
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Aboard the Malevolence, one of the droids turned around and said, "Sir, we can't get in touch with the pod hunter."
"Perhaps some survivors are putting up a fight," Grievous said.
"That is something we cannot allow to happen, General," Dooku said from where he was standing.
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On Coruscant, in the Chancellor's office, Palpatine was currently talking to Master Windu, Master Yoda and Master Obi-Wan via hologram.
"We have to find a way to destroy this mystery weapon," Mace said.
"In this war, a step ahead of us, the Separatists always are," Master Yoda said. "Seem to know what moves we make, Dooku does."
"Tell me, has there been any word from Master Plo Koon or his fleet?" Palpatine asked.
"No," Mace admitted. "Since we haven't heard anything, we must fear the worst."
Obi-Wan decided that not was a good time as any and intervened. "Actually, I have just gotten word that Anakin has found the remains of Master Plo's fleet and is currently searching the wreckage for anyone who might have survived," he said.
Mace and Yoda looked at each other.
"And just who gave him permission to do that?" Palpatine asked.
"He did, I'm afraid," Obi-Wan responded.
"With his defensive group out of position, we will be left vulnerable in case we do get attacked," Mace said as he looked at Obi-Wan.
"Anakin's group is right where it should be Master Windu," Obi-Wan replied. "He's taken only a small ship, and his padawan."
Master Yoda sighed a little. "More trouble, those two have become. A reckless decision, Skywalker has made," he said.
"Let us hope that it was not a costly one," Palpatine said in response. No one saw as his lips curled up into a smile.
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The life pod floated amongst the debris field as Master Plo, Sinker and Boost clung to the front of the pod that had now been turned upright. Wolffe was still inside, trying to keep the signal alive.
Sinker sighed and said, "Well, General, this is another fine mess that we've managed to get ourselves into."
Plo softly chuckled. "I can see that your sense of humour is improving," he said.
"I hate to be a party pooper, but It seems I was right. I honestly never thought that anyone would come all the way out here to look for us," Sinker said.
Plo placed a hand on his anti-ox mask as he felt Rosella's force presence. Although he had never properly met the girl, her strong presence was one that no Jedi could afford not to miss. Sinking into the force a little, he sought out the young padawan. He knew she was nearby, based on what Wolffe had told him earlier and reached out to her, hoping that he would be able to lead her to his location.
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Anakin was chatting with Chancellor Palpatine, who had called upon hearing the news that the Knight had left his assigned posting.
"Anakin, the Council is upset," Palpatine said. "Why have you left your post?"
"I knew it wasn't right that we just leave Master Plo and his men out here," Anakin responded. He kept his mental shields up as he didn't want Rosella to sense that he was not happy that the Chancellor had gotten in touch with them just to tell him off for going after the Jedi Master and his fleet.
"It was a very noble thing for you to do Anakin, but the Council feels that what you have done may have endangered the lives that you have counting on you at the moment," Palpatine said. "Please, do as I say and return to your assigned mission at once."
Anakin sighed a little, not loud enough for the Chancellor to hear, of course. "Yes, your Excellency," he responded.
Then the transmission disappeared.
Rosella was disappointed that they had to leave the system but knew that the Chancellor was right. Then she felt a tug in her mind, as if someone was pulling on a rope, trying to get her to follow it and see where it led. Then her eyes went wide as she realized that Master Plo was trying to get her attention. He was still alive!
"I'm so sorry Rosella, but we have to go," Anakin's remorseful tone seemed to break through Rosella's concentration.
She turned to face him; her eyes still wide as she felt the pull starting to get a little stronger as the ship floated through the debris field. "We need to stay," Rosella said, a small bit of confidence in her tone.
"Ella, we have to leave or else we'll miss our rendezvous point," Anakin reminded her. "I want to believe that Master Plo is alive, but I honestly don't-"
"I know he's alive Master!" Rosella said as she turned around and grabbed the controls that were in front of her. "I can sense him nearby!" She jerked them to one side, taking over the ship.
"Rosella!" Anakin cried out as he almost fell out of his seat due to the impromptu sharp turn Rosella had just made with the Twilight.
R2 let out a shrill screech as he slid to the other side of the cockpit.
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"Sergeant, why are you so certain that no one is coming for us?" Plo asked.
"We're just clones, sir," Sinker replied. "We're meant to be expendable."
"Not to me," Plo said.
Suddenly a bright light came from behind them. Plo turned around, shielding his eyes as a ship crested over some of the debris.
He and his men had been saved!
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Rosella wanted to cheer as soon as she saw the pod along with Master Plo and his men. "There they are!" She happily said.
Anakin reached up and flicked a switch above him. "Go make sure that the tow cable is ready," he told Rosella as she got out of her seat. Then he flew the Twilight past the pod and slowed down, coming to a complete stop.
"The cable is loaded and ready to go," Rosella said as she turned around from the box-like panel above the socket that R2 plugged into.
Anakin reached over and pressed a button.
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Plo and his men watched as a cable came flying from the Twilight and then attached to the top of their pod. Then all three of them hung on as the cable retracted and brought them over to the rear of the freighter.
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Rosella was already standing in the hangar bay when the door slid open behind her and she felt her father join her. They watched as the cable let go of the pod as it entered the hangar and dropped to the floor, sending out a few sparks as it skidded a little before coming to a stop.
Both of the clones grunted as they slid off and landed on the ground.
"Come on!" Rosella said. Both she and Anakin raced towards the small group. As the padawan made it to Master Plo's side and knelt down, she could see that the Kel Dor was breathing heavily as he caught his breath. "Are you alright, Master?" She asked. Then she looked up at the pod and saw movement. "There's someone still inside!"
With a wave of his hand, Anakin tore off the viewport and watched as Wolffe came stumbling out, coughing as Boost and Sinker had done a few minutes ago. Stepping forward, he caught the trooper and held him upright as the door opened again and the medical droid that he had gotten for the ship came walking into the room.
As the droid came over to Anakin, he helped Wolffe sit on the ground next to his brothers. "Will they be alright?" Anakin asked as he stepped back and let the droid assess the clones.
"While their pressurized suits did offer them some protection, they will have to be transferred to a medical frigate for full treatment," the droid said as it looked up at Anakin. "But for now, I will get them stabilized sir."
Satisfied with the answer, Anakin let the medical droid get to work and joined Rosella, who was still kneeling by Master Plo's side. "Your men are safe now," she told him.
"Tell me," Plo said as he looked at Anakin. "Did you come across any more survivors?"
"No Master, we couldn't find anyone else," Anakin told him, a small hint of sadness in his tone.
"The hunters must have gotten to them," Plo said.
"I'm sorry, Master Plo," Rosella said as she gave him a gentle hug.
Plo returned the hug that the young padawan gave him.
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As Anakin, Rosella and Plo entered the small cockpit on the Twilight, they had left the clones in the hangar bay since the medical droid was still taking care of them, the Del Kor Jedi Master gave them a small report on what he had found out.
"We tracked the mystery weapon to this system," Plo said as he watched Anakin and Rosella walk over to their seats. "That is when we discovered that it was an ion cannon."
"An ion cannon?" Rosella asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.
"Yes," Plo said. "It is a weapon that neutralizes all power to a ship once it is fired. It left the ones that were part of my fleet defenceless and they were torn apart by their turbolasers."
All of a sudden, an alarm began to sound and Anakin, who was already in his seat, checked his scanner. "There's a massive ship approaching," he said.
Plo quickly ran over. "Quickly!" He said. "Shut down the power before they detect us."
Rosella followed what Master Plo had told her While Anakin made sure that the ship was steady since they would soon become just a floating piece of debris among all the rest.
R2 beeped behind them.
'The droid!" Plo said.
Rosella quickly jumped out of her seat and raced over to R2, who let out a questioning beep. "Sorry about this buddy," she said as she reached behind the astromech's domed head and switched him off. Then she returned to her seat just in time to see the large warship pass by. "That is one giant cruiser crusher."
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Aboard the Malevolence, one of the droids turned its metal head to the right and said, "We still can't get in contact with the pod hunter."
Grievous growled and replied, "Reduce our speed and activate your scanners! We will find out who is responsible for its destruction."
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In the hangar bay aboard the freighter, the medical droid continued his work, even though the lights had gone out.
"Hey, what's with the lights?" Boost asked.
"The power has gone out," Wolffe responded. "That ship must've come back. We have to get up to the bridge." He only managed to take a few steps forward before he groaned and nearly fell over. Luckily, the medical droid was able to catch him.
"You are too weak to go up there," the droid said. "I will go see what is wrong."
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All three Jedi watched nervously as the Malevolence passed by without noticing them.
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Grievous walked towards one of the droids.
"We are picking up a faint signal," the droid said. "It's a droid but doesn't seem to be one of ours. They're right behind us sir."
Grievous roared in anger. "Turn this ship around and move us into attack position!" He said.
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Anakin watched in alarm as the ship began to turn around. "They're coming back…" he said.
"Are all the systems shut down?" Plo asked.
As if on cue, the medical droid walked into the room and asked, "Is there a problem, sir?"
Anakin, Rosella and Plo all turned to see the droid standing there.
"Did anyone forget that we forgot to turn off the medical droid?" Rosella asked.
As one, all three of them quickly turned around and began flipping switches and pressing buttons as they restored power to the freighter. Since that warship had most likely picked up on the medical droid, there was no need to keep the power shut off since they were going to leave.
"We need to get the power back on now!" Anakin said.
"Do you need my help, sir?" The medical droid asked.
"No," Anakin responded. "Go back to the hangar and take care of the clones."
"That is what I am programmed for sir," the medical droid said as it turned around and left the room.
"We have to get out of here," Anakin told Rosella.
"Don't you think I know that already?" Rosella asked, a small hint of frustration in her voice.
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The Twilight came to life and Anakin pushed the ship to its maximum speed, trying to put as much distance between them and the warship as he possibly could.
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"Sir, the enemy vessel is trying to escape through the debris field," one of the droids said.
"General, I don't want anyone knowing about this ship," Dooku said.
"Energize plasma rotors," Grievous said.
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The Twilight's stabilizer wing folded up underneath the freighter.
"R2, I need you to program the navi-computer. Be ready to get us out of here," Anakin said as he reached up and flicked a switch over his head.
"We turned him off, remember?" Rosella asked.
Plo quickly ran over and switched R2 back on. "Ko-to-yah droid," he said.
R2 beeped, wanting to know what had happened since they shut him off.
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"The target is almost in range sir." one of the droids said.
Grievous narrowed his eyes as he said, "They're not going to escape this time!"
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"R2," Rosella said as she turned around to look at the blue and white astromech. "Program the navi-computer."
R2 beeped questioningly.
"Anywhere!" Rosella responded. "Hurry!"
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"Enemy ship has been targeted, General," one of the droids said.
"FIRE!" Grievous commanded.
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The ion cannon sent out another blast, heading straight for the Twilight.
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Anakin piloted the Twilight swiftly through the maze of debris. He wanted to make sure that they were outside of the field before they made the jump as he didn't want to risk bringing any junk with him. He also wasn't sure if R2 had programmed a destination into the navi-computer yet.
Alarms bared inside the cockpit as the Knight concentrated on his flying, making sure to dodge the pipes, panelling, sheet metal and broken ship pieces that were floating around out there.
Rosella glanced down at the scanner in front of her, watching as the bright yellow light raced towards them. "Master?" She asked, not bothering to hide the anxiousness in her voice.
Anakin didn't say anything as he stayed focused on getting all of them to safety.
Then R2 beeped, saying that he had finished programming the hyperdrive.
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Grievous just stood there, knowing that soon the small ship and all of its occupants would be destroyed.
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At last, the Twilight broke free of the debris field.
Rosella turned her head and said, "We're clear."
Anakin reached over and pulled down on one of the levers, launching them into hyperspace and away from the ion blast.
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Grievous roared in anger. "Now the Republic will undoubtedly learn about our ion cannon," he said.
Dooku didn't say anything. Instead, he just stared down at the cyborg who stood before him.
No one spoke, not even the droids as they all waited to see what would happen.
"Your failure is most unfortunate," Dooku said, clearly not happy about what had just occurred. "I will have to contact my master and see what our next steps are going to be." Then he turned around and left the bridge.
Grievous turned around and growled. "Get back to work!" He yelled at the battle droids.
"Roger roger."
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"Thanks for getting us out of there in one piece General Skywalker," Wolffe said as they walked down the Twilight's ramp.
Off to the left stood Sinker and Boost, who were chatting with the medical droid and Rosella was on the right, making sure that R2 was functioning properly.
"I believe you have my padawan to thank for that," Anakin responded. "She had hope that you guys would make it, even when none of us did."
"Well, General Plo did say that someone would come looking for us," Wolffe said. "I'm glad he was right."
Plo came down the ramp behind Wolffe and Anakin. "Skywalker, it is time to make our report to the Council," he said.
"Right, the Council report," Anakin said. Hopefully, they won't be too hard on me. He thought as he followed Master Plo. Then he turned around and gestured with his left hand. "Come on Rosella."
"You want me to join you?" Rosella asked.
Anakin turned around and walked over to her. "Rosella, throughout this whole ordeal you never gave up on Master Plo or his men. You did a great job today," he said. "However, if I'm getting in trouble for this, you're going to have to share the blame with me." Then he laughed. "So, come on. Let's go."
Rosella smirked, knowing that he was going to get most of the blame and not her. "Right beside you, Master," she said as she followed him with R2 at her side.