Chapter 34 – Fall of the Malevolence
DISCLAIMER: We do not own Star Wars or any of the characters in it, though we wish we did. xD
Author's Note: In which the battle over Naboo reaches its climatic end. ^-^
If anyone has any comments or suggestions for things they would like to see in the future, please let me know! I love working my readers' suggestions into fics. :D
To 1SilentWolfWarrior: Don't worry! This fic will definitely be finished! :)
~ Amina Gila
Padme still remembers when she met Anakin. It feels like a lifetime ago now. She had been curious and uncertain about her surroundings in the spaceport of Tatooine – she can no longer quite remember the name of it – especially knowing that the Hutts controlled the planet. And then, in the junkshop, she had seen Anakin. Almost immediately, she had realized that he wasn't a normal child. Despite his size and obvious youth, he seemed so much older and more mature than any child she'd known.
She remembers thinking that he was cute in the way all children are, and somehow, she had known he was important. Then, he'd started talking to her, and it was as if everything clicked into place. Anakin may only have been a child, just as she herself was, but Padme had known that this meeting would forever change her life. She thought that, perhaps, she might go on to fight against slavery after meeting this selfless child, who asked for nothing in return when he offered to help them.
Obviously, she had not, at the time, had an inkling of just how important Anakin would be to her. It wasn't until after they met again, when he was sixteen, that she realized how much he'd grown. Their feelings developed slowly, and Padme could no longer deny how she felt by the time he was eighteen, shortly after she became the Nubian Senator. And now, they've been separated with no way of knowing when or how – or if, she refuses to add – they'll find their way back to one another.
Padme will always love Anakin, but she cannot and will not blindly accept his actions. This time, he's gone too far. Naboo is their home, and she won't tolerate it being threatened, not by him, not by anyone. Granted, she doesn't know much about the commanders of the ships in the blockade, but the reports they've obtained indicate that the main ship is a monstrous Dreadnought, four times the size of a normal Star Destroyer. Its weapon capabilities are unknown, but Padme knows that they would be fools not to be worried.
It's accompanied by a massive fleet of eight Star Destroyers, two of which have never before been encountered in battle, at least not as far as she knows. However, she has heard rumors of a new Separatist fleet which is not only deadly, but also, has won all of the small skirmishes in which it's been involved. No one knows who the commander – commanders? – is, but she has her suspicions. Anakin had openly admitted to being interested in military strategies, and in some dark moments, she wonders if he knew that the galaxy was headed towards war.
Their last encounter was painful, and Padme finds herself thinking about it more than she ought to. Somehow, she doesn't think that their next meeting will be nearly as easy. The betrayal he's committed this time is far more personal. It's an attack against her home, her planet. Perhaps she'll be able to forgive him in time, but it won't be easy.
**w**
"General." Commander Cody salutes as he approaches Siri on the bridge. "We are emerging from hyperspace. Separatist ships are dead ahead."
"Thank you, Commander," she replies, turning her gaze to the viewport as the blue and white star streaks dissolve into real space. It's with dismay that she notes the number of Separatist ships between them and the planet. Hopefully, the intel that Plo has managed to get on the Malevolence will be enough to help them destroy that monstrosity. If it's not, Siri hates to admit that she doubts any force in the galaxy will be enough.
She and Plo have each come with three Star Destroyers. She will lead the fighter squadrons in a space battle, while buying cover for Plo and a squadron of his men to secretly board the Malevolence and destroy the main reactor. It's the only way for them to destroy the ship, and it must be destroyed if the Republic is to have any hopes of surviving. Maybe they can even take Grievous down with his ship. Maybe. It's probably just wishful thinking.
Once the battle is over and won, she'll have plenty of time to consider Plo's report about Obi-Wan. She wants to believe so badly that he's being sincere, that he really has the Republic's best interests in mind – or at least the best interests of those who will be suffering from Separatist actions – but she can't. It would be foolhardy to accept that he's on their side when they only have one piece of evidence which indicates such. They also have one piece of evidence which indicates that he's supporting the Separatists.
Reaching out with the Force, Siri can feel him, not on the Malevolence thankfully, but on one of the two flagships. On the other, she senses the dark presence which she knows belongs to Anakin. Perhaps she will encounter Obi-Wan on the opposite side, but it won't be today, unless the Force truly wills it. Once this is over, she wonders if she shouldn't speak with Padme about Anakin. She'd want to know that he was here, much as that information will hurt her.
Shaking the thoughts aside, Siri turns towards Cody. "Ready the fighter squadrons," she orders.
"Yes, sir," he replies promptly, turning to give orders into his commlink.
Siri leaves the bridge as quickly as she can without actually running, contacting Plo as she does. "Everything is ready," she reports to her fellow Council member.
"Good," Plo answers. "We're ready to make our run. This is the only chance we'll get."
"May the Force be with you," she says quietly, knowing how easily he could die on this mission, just as on every, though this one is far riskier to both of them.
"And with you." His tone is solemn yet determined as he breaks the connection.
Taking a breath to bolster herself, Siri strides into the hanger bay, heading towards her starfighter. They have a mission to complete and a planet to protect. Naboo will not be harmed under her watch.
**w**
Anakin sits in his starfighter, waiting for clearance from the bridge. Ahsoka is waiting for just the right moment before giving him the go-ahead and opening the hanger doors so Anakin and his vulture droid squadrons can take off to join the fray. The starfighter, while currently unnamed, is one-of-a-kind. Anakin programed and equipped it so that not only does it have built-in astromech functions, but also, it's intelligent, similar to MagnaGuard fighters.
This will be the first battle they've flown in, and he's a bit excited – and nervous – despite all of the test flights they've gone on. The comm channel is currently open to the bridge, which also has Obi-Wan, Ventress, and Grievous on it as they coordinate their attack. This will be a glorious battle, more so because his men aren't here. Through the Force, he can only sense Plo and Tachi. Good. It's been too long since he's been in the cockpit of a fighter – or any machine – for purposes other than travelling.
"Bridge to Black Squadron, you are clear for takeoff!" Ahsoka's voice crackles through the comm channel as the hanger bay door of the Executor begins to open.
"Copy that," Anakin replies, muting and turning on the channel to his vulture droid squadrons. "Tighten up formation and follow me," he orders as they fly from the hanger.
The droids reply in binary, but that doesn't bother him. He's often more at home among droids than he is among people which says a lot about him. Pushing aside all irrelevant thoughts, Anakin lets himself fall into the Force, focusing single-mindedly on the mission again. A quick look tells him that all six of the Republic Star Destroyers have positioned themselves in such a way that the Malevolence will be unable to hit them with the ion canon without risking hitting the Separatist ships as well, a risk which Grievous will never take.
The clone fighters meet him half-way to the Republic ships, and Anakin lets battle instinct kick in, the Force guiding him as he opens fire. These vulture droids have gone through maneuvers with him before, battle exercises meant to make them more adaptable. It's showing. Manned fighters are always better, but Anakin's personal squadron of droid fighters nearly matches these clones' level of skill.
He pulls away from the rest of his squadron, letting them be a distraction while he speeds towards the first Republic Star Destroyer. He can sense the presence of Tachi out there somewhere, but she's far enough away that he's not worried. A group of four clone fighters fly towards him, and he hardly even slows down, shooting them all down before they can move out of the way. The feeling of life disappearing into the Force is one he's long been accustomed to. This is war, and this is what he wants to do. Death is inevitable. It's a necessary part of the balance, of the long-term goal of restoring order to the Republic.
Anakin moves like a one-man army, spinning his fighter away from laser bolts as he fires with complete precision, taking out enemy fighters all around him as he finally reaches the command ship. The Republic is meant to win this battle, but he won't let it be easy. No. If they're going to fight, then by the Force, he's going to enjoy this. This is his arena. This is where he belongs. Sidious might have tried to break him innumerable times, but he's never been able to take Anakin's love of flying, and he never will if Anakin has anything to say on the matter.
"Let's do this, buddy," Anakin murmurs, as he reaches out to the Dark Side, letting it flow through him, fuel him. He is the Force in this moment. He can feel the ebb and flow of the lives around him, the clones' deaths feeling like the extinguishing of tiny lights. It hurts, but that's good. The Force never reacts positively to death; it fuels the Dark Side, and in turn, it fuels Anakin.
His fighter beeps an enthusiastic response to him; it is, in fact, capable of expressing emotions, despite whatever Dooku might think. Anakin flies low, dodging the laser fire from the built-in defenses of the first Republic Star Destroyer with an ease and grace that any pilot would envy. He's moving before the cannons have even begun to fire at him, rolling his fighter as he shoots at the bridge, flying up and away as the shields hold beneath the initial assault. He circles around, coming back around to launch proton torpedoes which will penetrate the shields, leaving the Star Destroyer damaged enough for the vulture droids to destroy the rest.
He's intercepted by a squadron of clone fighters, twelve in all, and he can't help but grin as he speeds towards them, weaving in and out of their fire. Three are destroyed as he flies past them, spinning around to come back for another attack. Their attacks always miss, not coming close enough to graze his fighter or scorch the hand-done paint job, which is nice, because Anakin would hate to get so much as a scratch on his fighter this early into the fight.
The lead enemy fighter launches torpedoes at him, and he reaches out with the Force, nudging them away from him and towards the Republic flagship. They make a satisfying explosion when they impact, and he smirks triumphantly. That was too easy. He needs to take it easy on the Republic, or their entire fleet will be wiped out long before they have a chance to finish infiltrating the Malevolence, much less getting to the main reactor to destroy it.
"Black Squadron," Anakin calls, "Mark my position. Finish off this Star Destroyer." They echo a chorus of agreements.
He zips away, abandoning the clones to his droids' nonexistent mercies as he flies towards yet another cruiser which is right in the thick of the battle. Tachi is closer to this one, and he knows that if he moves fast enough, he'll be able to damage it before she can stop him. Switching channels, he listens to the Separatist droid commander chatter for a moment, hearing nothing from any of his living allies. "Commander Tano, what's the status?" he calls.
"The Republic fleet is within firing range," she reports.
"General Grievous, you can open fire when ready," Anakin tells him.
"All forces, open fire!" orders Grievous, and the Separatist ships, including the Malevolence, around which most of the space battles are occurring, begin firing at the six – soon to be five – enemy Star Destroyers.
Anakin watches as the Republic ships return the fire, the space full of crisscrossing red and blue laser fire. It's beautiful if one would be so inclined to think that battle is glorious. Space battle is glorious though, Anakin is shameless about admitting. He's intercepted by a number of enemy fighters as he moves towards the next star cruiser in his path. One by one, he blasts them away, hardly slowing down as he dives towards the bridge, launching two proton torpedoes and spinning away as the explosion echoes out behind him.
This Star Destroyer is his. He'll take it down alone. He doesn't need his droids to help him, not this time. "Press the assault," Anakin instructs his droid fighters – Ahsoka has launched a couple more squadrons since he's come out here. "Let's make the Republic flee like a coward." He doesn't mean it, but he has to at least put on a show.
Enemy fighters swarm him, falling like insects in front of him, as he dodges their laser fire, weaving in and out of the cannons on the side of the damaged Star Destroyer. He alternates between shooting the clones and the Republic ship along which he's flying. "Keep those fighters off my tail, buddy." Anakin smirks as his fighter answers him, turning the second set of laser guns in the rear towards the enemy ships chasing him, while he focuses on hitting all the most crucial parts of the Star Destroyer beneath him.
He is a part of his fighter right now, and they're working completely in sync. While they might be comparable to an insect annoying a krayt dragon, they can still cause a great deal of damage. As Anakin reaches the end, flying past the hyperdrive engines of the Star Destroyer, he launches another set of proton torpedoes. They impact with tremendous force, and his fighter is pushed away from the ship. It only takes a moment for him to regain control, and he swoops around, speeding towards another weak point on the cruiser.
That's when Tachi arrives in her fighter, shooting at him from behind before he can successfully hit another crucial part of the Star Destroyer. Anakin clenches his jaw, irritation rolling within him as he's forced to focus on evading Tachi's laser fire. A couple of her bolts hit his ship, but it holds together. "We good?" he asks the ship. It beeps an affirmative, adding the suggestion that they return to the Separatist side of the battle to lose their pursuer.
"I'll do you one better," Anakin mutters, reaching out with the Force, while he keeps one hand on the controls as he makes for his flagship. Both the Executor and the Devastator are completely undamaged by the battle, the special ray shields around them keeping them protected from harm. He touches the engine of Tachi's fighter, nudging apart a couple components with utmost care. It's not easy for him to manipulate machines which he can't even see, and the strain exhausts him.
Her fighter sputters and dies behind him, and Anakin grins in victory, spinning around and heading back to the Star Destroyer. Tachi will be stranded for now, and while he could blow up her fighter, it feels a bit like cheating. She is one Jedi he wants to defeat face-to-face. He reaches his primary target again, circling around it and destroying all the pesky clone fighters that are continually trying to stop him.
"Intruders have been confirmed on the Malevolence," Grievous reports – snarls would be more accurate. "I am going to deal with those Jedi myself."
"Keep us updated," Obi-Wan says brusquely. "If it's damaged, we'll need to get to a safe distance away to protect the remainder of our fleet."
Anakin knows Grievous won't be happy, more so when the Malevolence is, in fact, set to destroy, but that's okay. The war is a game, and Sidious needs to level the playing fields a bit. If the Separatists keep the Malevolence, he knows that it will only be a matter of months before the Republic is completely crushed, especially given the strength that Death Squadron possesses.
In a matter of minutes, Anakin is flying away from the smoking, exploding wreckage of what once was a Republic Star Destroyer, a ship he destroyed single-handedly. His droids in Black Squadron finished off the first, leaving the Republic with only four cruisers, one of which had sustained heavy damage. This will be a Republic victory, but it won't be an easy one, that's what matters. A couple of the Separatist cruisers – neither of the flagships, of course – have sustained significant damage as well, though nothing which can't be repaired.
"The main reactor of the Malevolence has been breached," reports the tactical droid who works beneath Grievous. "Estimated time of detonation: less than forty seconds."
"Commander Tano, Commander Ventress, get Death Squadron away from the Malevolence," Anakin orders. "I'm coming back. We've lost this round. We need to leave."
"Copy that, General Skywalker," Ventress replies.
"Leave? We can't leave!" roars Grievous.
"My sources tell me that Republic reinforcements are on their way," Anakin responds calmly, as he makes for the hanger bay along with what's left of his droid fighter squadrons. "It would be best for us to leave the system while we still have the upper hand. We will not win Naboo now."
Grievous only snarls.
Anakin lands in the hanger bay, seconds before the Malevolence explodes with enough force to make the Executor shudder. He has to look away from the brilliance. Minutes later, Death Squadron is jumping to hyperspace after picking up Grievous in his personal starfighter. For some, like Grievous, it's a battle lost, but for Anakin, it's a victory. They successfully allowed the Republic to destroy the Malevolence, and hopefully, the Jedi now believe that Obi-Wan is on their side. It's a victory indeed.
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