Chapter 5 – Rising of the Malevolence
Author's Note: In which the Malevolence arc begins... :D
~ Amina Gila
"What kind of shortcut?" Theseus demands, raising an eyebrow.
"Something undoubtedly more risky than the rest of the plan combined," Obi-Wan deadpans.
"That sure made me feel better about it," he mumbles under his breath, turning to look out the front viewport of the bridge. The Separatist mystery weapon that's been the cause of the death of countless Jedi and clones over the past several weeks was finally discovered. It's apparently an ion cannon on one of the most enormous ships yet, that takes out all the power on its target, so it can be completely destroyed without being able to fight back.
Now this ship called the Malevolence – how appropriate, Theseus must say – is heading for a medical center with literally 60,000 injured clones. And Anakin just decided to leave the main fleet with Ahsoka, Plo, and a small group of clones to take a shortcut,in the hopes of reaching the station before General Grievous does. Theseus would still like to know what exactly that entails.
Obi-Wan sends a transmission through to Anakin's ship as the fighters prepare to jump into hyperspace. "I hope you know what you're doing, Anakin," he says.
"I do," Anakin replies curtly. Dully, almost. With the same tone he's always been using on Obi-Wan.
"Well, take your shortcut, and we'll take the long way. But you better be there before I arrive."
"I'll be there." The transmission cuts out there.
The rest of the trip through hyperspace Theseus spends standing tensely near Obi-Wan, while trying to resist the urge to pace back and forth nervously. They streak out of hyperspace to see smoke and flames billowing out of part of the Malevolence. It's already been badly damaged.
Obi-Wan puts a call through to Anakin again. "Anakin, do you copy?" he demands.
"I'm here," comes the reply.
"Congratulations. It looks like your mission was a success," he compliments.
"Partially, but Grievous is still alive," Anakin responds. "The battle was pretty rough on my men. We're heading for the medical station."
"We'll take it from here. But don't worry, we'll call when we need you."
"I'll be ready," he answers before the connection breaks.
Obi-Wan turns to the clones on the deck. "All right, let's finish what Anakin started. Ahead full!" The Star Destroyer trembles ever so slightly as all of the guns open fire on the Malevolence. Explosions rip across the ship, and fires start licking in several areas.
"Commander, what is the damage level to the enemy ship?" Obi-Wan asks finally. Even with all of the laser blasts striking the ship, it seems to be holding together pretty well. Things can never be easy for once, can they?
"She's lost her primary shields and stabilizers," reports Cody, "But the ship is so massive, it can take all the fire our cannons can give it." Great. That's what Theseus was afraid of.
"We must summon reinforcements," Master Plo decides. He came in to join them not long ago.
"That's why I'm here, Master Plo," Anakin's voice sounds as he strides through the doors, Ahsoka following.
"Anakin, were you able to contact Master Luminara?" Obi-Wan inquires.
"Yes, Master. She's busy with a fleet of Separatist reinforcements nearby," Anakin replies. "She won't be able to give us support until she's turned them away."
"Then we'll have to make do with what we have," Obi-Wan sighs, turning as Yularen walks up. "Admiral, status report."
"They're not attempting to jump to hyperspace. Their hyperdrive must be damaged."
"This is our chance!" exclaims Obi-Wan, turning back to the clones, "All ships target the bridge. Maximum firepower."
Ahsoka steps over to some of the ship's controls. Theseus moves to stand next to her, looking over the scanners. A signal from another ship suddenly appears on the scanners near the Malevolence. Strange. Did Grievous call for reinforcements?
"Master," Ahsoka calls, "I'm picking up a signal near the enemy vessel."
"It looks like something just came out of hyperspace," Theseus adds. "It looks like a... Naboo ship?"
"Gunners, stand down!" Obi-Wan orders sharply. "What in the blazes are they doing out here?"
"Contact that ship," orders Anakin.
Ahsoka pushes a button, before calling over the comms, "Naboo cruiser! Identify yourself."
A hologram flickers to life above the controls. "This is Senator Amidala," she states.
Anakin pushes past the padawans to the controls. "Padme? What are you doing out here?" he demands urgently. First name basis? They must know each other very well.
"I was sent on a special mission. The Senate was told the Banking Clan wanted to negotiate a treaty," Padme replies. That sounds... more than a little suspicious. The Banking Clan has deals with the Separatists after all, and they undoubtedly arranged this on purpose. It can't be a coincidence.
"Get out of there as fast as you can!" Anakin orders. He looks seconds away from panicking, and it makes Theseus wonder how long the two have known each other. From what he heard, Anakin had been assigned to protect her at the beginning of the war, and he doesn't know how they could have known each other from before, but they're acting like close friends.
The ship Senator Amidala is on suddenly jolts violently. "I'm afraid it's much worse than that," she says to someone of screen.
"Padme, what's happening?" Anakin demands. The fear Theseus can feel from him right now is overwhelming and very distracting.
"I'm being pulled inside the droid cruiser by a tractor beam. I will not be made a Separatist bargaining chip. Continue your attack. You must destroy this monstrous ship!" Padme orders before the hologram disappears.
Anakin pauses only a moment, before turning to the Admiral, expression one of grim determination. "Admiral, order our ships to stop firing." The shooting ceases instantly.
"I thought she told you not to do that?" Theseus asks.
Anakin doesn't bother granting a response. He spins and starts heading for the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Obi-Wan calls after.
"Somebody has to save her skin," Anakin retorts, hurrying through the doorway.
"I thought you might say that." Obi-Wan heads after him. Theseus only takes a moment to consider before following the two of them. If they're going to be stupid and reckless and nearly get themselves killed, he'll be with them. By the time they've caught up to Anakin, he's already seated in the pilot's seat of the Twilight.
"I trust you've already formulated a brilliant plan to rescue the Senator?" quips Obi-Wan as they step into the cockpit.
"I have." He doesn't look up from where he is hitting buttons on the controls.
"But do we have a plan B? Every operation needs a backup, Anakin."
"I don't have a backup. Yet," he replies, "But I do have a plan for getting on that ship."
"Care to share?" queries Theseus, taking the seat behind the pilot's chair. He still can't believe Anakin insisted on "saving" this ship from Tatooine, as Ahsoka put it. But it sure does look a lot less like trash compared to the last time he saw it. He must have spent a lot of time working on it.
"The enemy's sensors are obviously damaged, so we'll sneak in behind them and dock at the emergency airlock," Anakin explains, firing up the engine.
"That's your plan?!" exclaims Obi-Wan, "Just fly there, land, hope they don't spot us, and walk in the door?"
"Basically."
"Oh, brilliant! Let's get going."
Theseus shifts a little uneasily in his seat as he stares out the cockpit viewport at the massive ship they're rapidly approaching. He's not sure how of good an idea this is. They should've continued attacking, but then again, there was little all three cruisers were able to do to a ship so massive. Maybe this way, they'll find a way to blow it up from the inside out.
"If they spot us, we'll be pulverized," Obi-Wan warns.
"They won't," Anakin replies stiffly.
"Subtlety has never been one of your strong points," the Jedi Master sighs. Anakin ignores the comment, flying the ship up the airlock and landing.
"At least we aren't space dust. Yet," chirps Theseus as they exit the ship. The tension is too high when he's there with Obi-Wan and Anakin. He hates how it feels like he's gotten in the way and messed up the relationship they used to have.
"We do not want to be spotted," Obi-Wan warns as they step up to the elevator doors. They slide open to reveal two battle droids who jump back in surprise.
"I knew it!" squawks one of them, "It's them!"
"Oh no!" cries the other.
The three activate their lightsabers in unison, but by the time Theseus makes it over to them, Anakin and Obi-Wan have already cut down the droids. "You stay here, Artoo," Anakin instructs. They take off running down the hall of the cruiser. Do they even know where they're going, or are they running blind? Theseus decides to keep the comments to himself for now.
Seriously, why are the halls on all cruisers so identical? How does anyone ever find their way around. At least the droids are lucky that they have a mechanical brain to store all this stuff in.
As they round a corner into another yet identical long boring hall, Anakin's comm beeps. "Yes?" he answers.
"Master," Ahsoka's voice crackles through, "We've found the Senator. I'm patching her though."
"Padme?" Anakin demands urgently.
"Anakin!" she exclaims. First name basis for both of them? They're definitely pretty good friends.
"Are you alright? Where are you?" presses Anakin.
"On the lower levels," she replies, "I'm fine but I don't know for how long. Droids are everywhere."
"Obi-Wan, Theseus, and I are onboard too," Anakin tells her.
"What?!" she cries, "What are you doing here?"
"We came to get you off this ship," he says, "Ahsoka, how can we get to the Senator?"
"According to our scans, there seems to be a large open area in the center of the ship. It should be halfway between the two of you," the Togruta reports.
"We're on our way," Anakin declares, "Did you hear that, Padme?"
"I'll be there," the Senator confirms. The connection breaks and the three Jedi take off running again.
"How does anyone find their way around here?" Theseus huffs finally.
"You get used to it," Obi-Wan offers.
They've been running for some time, ducking droids as best they can, when they finally reach the center part of the ship Ahsoka told them about. There are many entrances on multiple levels to the large central area. Transport trains are moving down their tracks everywhere. It must be the main transport area of the ship.
"I don't see her, Anakin," frowns Obi-Wan, scanning the scene.
"She's here, Master, I sense it," Anakin insists. As if on cue, blaster shots suddenly ring out, instantly drawing their attention to an opening on the other side of the area. Padme and a golden protocol droid run down a ramp, coming to a stop as she fires over her shoulder again, presumably at battle droids.
"There!" Anakin exclaims, igniting his lightsaber. He leaps off the ledge, landing on a passing train. Obi-Wan and Theseus are quick to follow, landing a short distance behind him. Blaster bolts suddenly fly straight at them. They deflect them back, taking out all three battle droids in one of the doorways.
The Senator knocks her protocol droid onto one of the trains and jumps after, but the droid slides off onto another one, separating them. "Padme!" Anakin calls, jumping down onto another nearby transport.
"We should go after the droid," Obi-Wan instructs.
A sudden explosion back in the open area takes out the track the Senator's train is on, and Anakin uses the Force to carry her over to him. "Nice catch," Obi-Wan says with a knowing smirk. "We'll fetch the droid."
The transport that Anakin and Padme are on disappears in a tunnel, and the other two make their way to the front of another train. "There he is!" exclaims Theseus as a shiny golden droid catches his eyes. It's climbing out of the crate it had fallen inside.
Obi-Wan raises a hand, lifting the droid out of the crate into the air. "Oh! What is going on?" cries the droid in alarm. Another train barreling past suddenly catches it, yanking it out of his grip and zipping away. "Blast! That's not good," he mutters, hitting a button on his comm. "Anakin, I got separated from your droid."
"Wait, it's Anakin's droid?" Theseus asks. He thought it was the Senator's. No one bothers to answer his question.
"I'll take care of it," Anakin assures, "We'll meet back at the Twilight."
"No! We can't leave yet," the Senator protests. "I overheard Grievous. Their hyperdrive is almost repaired."
"We're already headed that direction," Obi-Wan replies.
"Uh, we are?" Theseus asks.
"So, I'll make certain that the hyperdrive stays offline," Anakin announces cheerfully.
Some minutes later, Obi-Wan and Theseus have arrived in a darkened, empty hall. "We must be cautions," his master warns. "This area may be guarded."
"Got it," he replies. The doors slide open. At first, it looks like the area is simply occupied by battle droids, but then three destroyers roll up in front of them. Super battle droids march into view from the sides, effectively blocking off any escape route. The battle droids come up on the last side. This isn't good. He pulls out his lightsaber immediately, but he already knows they'll have to do something a little different if they are to escape this uninjured.
Maniacal cackling reaches his ears, and he whirls around as Grievous himself leaps to the ground in front of the battle droids. "Hello there," he croaks, "General Kenobi, did you really think I would leave the hyperdrive unguarded?" He brandishes a blaster in one hand. Which is weird. Doesn't he usually fight with lightsabers, at least according to the holonet?
Obi-Wan turns around with a far too pleasant smile. "Anything is possible," he replies thoughtfully. "You haven't exactly impressed me today."
This is the Separatist that has killed many Jedi over the few months of the war. Theseus can't help his apprehension, but refuses to let it show, instead feigning to be completely unimpressed. "So, you're the clanker –" He's heard clones call droids that before "– who thinks killing the injured makes him great? I must say, I wasn't expecting you to be such a hunchback."
Anger flashes through the cyborg's yellow eyes. "Kill them!" shouts Grievous.
All the droids immediately shift into firing position. "Jump," Obi-Wan whispers, before he flips over the destroyers. Theseus leaps after, landing right in the middle of a group of super battle droids behind the destroyers. He Force-shoves one of the destroyers back, and it rolls down the walkway, knocking over all the droids behind it. He spins around and Force-pushes the second the same way. Theseus turns, shoving the last one at Grievous as a final parting shot.
Obi-Wan cheerfully salutes the general before running out the door, his padawan right behind. "That went so well," Theseus mutters as they run.
Theseus deflects the bolts from the few droids still standing which shoot after them as they run. The Jedi Master's comm suddenly flares to life. "Obi-Wan, come in, Obi-Wan!" Anakin calls.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan exclaims, "I'm afraid Grievous is on to us."
"Yeah, we noticed!" Anakin yells above the sound of shooting in the background. The line goes staticky as he tries to keep talking.
"They're jamming our transmissions," Obi-Wan realizes.
"Well, at least we already know we need to meet back at the Twilight," Theseus offers as they finally come to the edge of the transportation section again. They jump down onto one of the passing transports just as a group of battle droids runs up to where they were standing moments before. The droids try to jump after, but of course fall short and smash onto the nearby tracks.
Grievous suddenly crashes down atop another nearby train, before jumping over onto the one they're standing on, igniting his lightsabers as he charges, kicking everything in his path out of the way. Obi-Wan leaps onto a hook sticking out of the ceiling. He waits until the train goes past before letting go, dropping behind Grievous. The cyborg spins around, and Theseus takes the opportunity to climb over the crates and take up his position behind him.
Grievous slashes two lightsabers at Obi-Wan, who pushes back against his blades. Theseus swings at the cyborg, who quickly pulls back and parries his blow. Obi-Wan swings at Grievous again, and their blades slam into a saberlock for a moment before he shoves him back and Force-jumps away on top of a nearby train. Theseus sprints after.
Grievous charges after, landing right behind them and bringing his blades down straight for Obi-Wan's head. He dodges out of the way, jumping off the train onto a different one far below. Theseus pauses for a moment, then leaps after, right on time for the transports to finish passing each other.
They run back for the Twilight, destroying the droids in their path, and get there in time to see Anakin, Padme, and the droids already getting on board. "Artoo, release the docking clamp," Anakin orders as Obi-Wan contacts the cruiser to let them know they can continue the attack.
The Twilight finally flies away from the Malevolence as the cruisers open fire on it again. "Time for some clever tricks, Anakin," Obi-Wan quips as several vulture droids swoop into view, shooting at them.
"That's what I was thinking," he agrees, and the ship promptly goes for a spin. It jolts violently, throwing everyone standing off balance. "You know, we have guns!" Anakin reminds, "You can shoot back anytime."
"Right!" mutters Theseus, scrambling over to the controls. He's never used this ship in space battles before, but it's not hard to get the hang of it.
"I was just about to," Obi-Wan is quick to insist.
The ship suddenly jolts as a laser shot hits the wing. Theseus finally pulls the trigger, blasting the first of the droids into pieces. He continues firing.
Artoo suddenly beeps. "Pardon me, sir," the protocol droid speaks up, "But Artoo's scan of the enemy's ship indicates their hyperdrive is activating."
"Don't worry about it," Anakin reassures them, continuing to fly.
"What?" asks Obi-Wan suspiciously.
"Let's just say it's part of the plan."
The Malevolence suddenly blasts forwards, straight into the large moon. A tremendous explosion of pinkish light illuminates the atmosphere as the ship is blown into pieces from the crash.
"I imagine you had something to do with that?" Obi-Wan queries rhetorically, smirking slightly.
**w**
Anakin is almost surprised at how easily Obi-Wan and Theseus agree to leave the Twilight, allowing him and Padme to spend a few minutes together. Of course, she notices immediately that something is very wrong. "It's nothing," he tries to insist. To brush it off, because he really doesn't want to explain to anyone how hurt he is Obi-Wan decided to get a padawan so quickly, despite Anakin's objections. Because really, it doesn't matter.
"Ani," she insists, catching his gaze, "Talk to me. I know something is troubling you."
He wants to. He really, really wants to, but he hardly knows how or where to start. "I asked him not to," he says finally, "But he actually wanted to take him, so he still did it." Unlike with Anakin. He never wanted him. He only did it because of the promise to Qui-Gon. "I was just a promise. What more does he want me to do before I'm enough?"
"Ani, you are enough," she insists, reaching up to touch his face. "Never let yourself think otherwise. I know Obi-Wan cares for you, even if he does a bad job showing it. He was trained to suppress emotions his whole life. He never grew up outside the Temple like you did. He never learned that there's times when doing so isn't the best course of action, and that sometimes you need to do more than just focus on duty."
What would he do without her? It was Padme who was there when his mother died. When he was Knighted and left on his own, and when he was appointed general of the 501st, going completely against all the beliefs he had been raised with. It was Padme who was there for him. When he got Ahsoka, she had been the only one to ask Anakin if he thought he could do it. Obi-Wan had basically brushed him off when he said he wasn't ready. Not that he minds that he got Ahsoka – he loves the girl already – but he wasn't ready. He still isn't.
"You should talk to each other," Padme adds. "It's the only way you'll be able to sort this out."
Anakin sighs. Yes, he knows that's what he should do, but there's no way he's ready to have a conversation like that with Obi-Wan. "I will," he says finally, but when is a different story.
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