HEY GUYS!... ON A SERIOUS NOTE, I'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN WHY THIS CHAPTER CAME OUT SO LATE. MY GRAMPA, WHO RAISED ME LIKE A DAD, PASSED AWAY THIS MORNING, OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS, HE'S BEEN IN A BATTLE WITH LIVER AND KIDNEY CANCER, I THOUGHT I'D HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GO AND FLY DOWN TO UTAH TO VISIT HIM NEXT WEEK... BUT I WAS TOO LATE. SO I'M WRITING THIS NOW BECAUSE IT KEEPS MY MIND OFF OF HIS DEATH. HOPEFULLY, IT'S STILL UP TO PAR WITH WHAT I'VE ALREADY WRITTEN,
Ahsoka Tano had to resist the urge to shiver at the battle they were about to end up in.
The time had come for the Republic to liberate the planet and homeworld of the Twi'leks from its occupation by the Separatists.
It was headed by the leader of the notorious Techno Union, Wat Tambor. To liberate the planet, Masters Obi-Wan and Windu were going to lead a ground assault.
The thing was that they couldn't begin that assault unless they could land on the planet, which meant that the blockade had to be broken first. That was her and Anakin's assignment.
That alone wasn't enough to make her nervous. This wouldn't be the first time she and her Master had flown into danger, but this time around, she was being put in charge of her squadron for the first time.
She sat back in the seat of her fighter, trying to take deep breaths. In front of her, her R7 astromech droid for the mission buzzed in concern, and she smiled. "This is my first time doing this, buddy. Let's make a good impression," she said. When the droid made a series of blips in reply, she frowned.
"No, of course, I'm not nervous!" she objected, though whether or not the droid believed her was unknown.
Before she could try to convince R7 and herself, her attention was drawn away by the approach of Anakin.
Smiling at her, he said, "Hey, Snips. This is it, your first command. Don't be so nervous. You'll do a fine job." This time, Ahsoka's pout was genuine. "I really wish people would stop saying that," she remarked.
Anakin frowned in response. "Remember, the men you're commanding are depending on you with their lives," he said thoughtfully.
"Well, thanks, Master, that really takes the pressure off. If I wasn't nervous before, I am now," she snapped back at him. But that only caused him to chuckle. "I have faith in you, Ahsoka. I wouldn't be letting you go out there if I didn't," he said before walking back to his own fighter.
"May the Force be with you," he told her, and she nodded. With a few presses of some buttons, the hatch to her fighter shut, and her ship rose into the air. Behind her, her squadron also prepared their ships, and together they tore out into space.
Currently in Christen"s own Capital ship, the Mythosaur with three-section fleets of the Punisher sectoral,
"How much longer until we reach Ryloth?" Christen asked.
"Not far, Lord Emperor. We're about fourteen parsecs away from the borders of the system. Assuming everything is operating at a hundred percent, we'll be there within ten to twelve minutes. Your Three Jedaii Generals have also hailed from their ships that all vessels are in coordinated formations per your request" a technician called out from a desk a few yards away, the man like the tens of millions of new personnel who were upon a week ago a simple citizen upon an unmapped or conquered world in the sectors that fell to his Empire in the opening wave,
Christen curtly nodded and looked forward, ignoring the HK droids hovering over his head as it piloted the ship's rear thrusters and the systems that power the lower hundred levels rooms and corridors. He could see a dozen of the Fleet's battlecruisers gliding alongside the flagship and the three battlecruisers lingering beneath through the viewport.
He had planned on bringing even more cruisers for supplies and food for the locals, seeing as this would be his Empire's first non-guerilla assault since their arrival.
By the Force, if he had his way, he'd have even brought the last of the newly made basilisks that he had worked a few hundred technicians and engineers to death for, a few of the Grand admirals, including Doth, were not happy with his momentary dismissal of what they called 'precious lives.
But a majority of the Fleet were currently defending the borders of the gree sector. The Confederacy seemed to have tried to take back the sector in a laughable attempt. However, he respected the sith's small effort to test his defenses.
But still, the Fleet was spread out, attacking any Republic or Separatist ship they encountered. And his own personal Fleet was currently going through training as he had picked up the millions of Yashan clones from Dxun.
So he'd have to make do with what he had.
No matter.
If everything went according to plan, this planet would be his, and within the week, the populace should be under the rule of the Empire, the first republic planet under their control. He was looking forward to seeing his brother's and the Republic's reactions.
Back with Ahsoka's fighter
Ahsoka and her squadron were just approaching the blockade over the planet when the two of the Confederacy's frigates on either side of the station opened their hangars, allowing a swarm of Vulture droids to come out. As she looked at the incoming droids, she heard a voice, just a whisper.
"Push forward, Child."
"Here we go, boys. It's time for some action. Axe, keep the squadron back and wait for my signal," she ordered, throwing the voice into the back of her mind.
Axe nodded, and the fighters fell into line behind Ahsoka. They flew forward and flew right into the thicket of the droid swarm. "Let's clear a path!" she called, and they opened fire.
The droids responded in turn, and the squadron scattered as they each picked their targets. Explosions lit up through space as droid after droid was blasted to pieces, as well as when any flak detonated before hitting a target.
Ahsoka swerved to avoid laser fire spray and fired back, hitting the droid responsible with a trio of shots and killing it.
It was all too soon that they cleared a path to the battle station. They flew forward with no other droids in the way, and Ahsoka smirked. Not as much a problem as she thought as her heart bounced with excitement.
However, it was when their sensors went off that the Force went cold. Her heart dropped as her eyes caught the unmistakable sight of four more Separatist battle cruisers suddenly dropped out of hyperspace right in front of them, flanking the battle station. Each one began opening fire and releasing their own droids, forcing the Republic to the defensive.
"Enemy reinforcements! Commander Tano, we've been caught in a trap! Retreat!" Admiral Yularan told her over her commlink.
"continue your assault, child" the voice struck her once more.
Ahsoka shook her head. "You're overreacting, Admiral. I can get us through. Blue Squadron, stay the course," she ordered her squad.
Her troops did as ordered, but it was hard to do so when they struggled to avoid over four times as much enemy gunfire.
On the bridge of the Republic cruisers, Yularan's eyes narrowed in disbelief and anger. "Commander, I'm ordering you to return to the ship! We're going to need your help," he said firmly. Anakin also spoke, "Ahsoka, it's too risky. Get your pilots out of there!"
Rather than obey, Ahsoka kept going, Blue Squadron right behind her. There were now too many droids, and they began to surround them. Two of them targeted Axe, one of the troopers. "I can't shake them!" he said, moving side-to-side to evade being shot.
Another clone spoke up "I wish I could help, Axe, but I've got my own problem," referring to a trio of droids that were trailing close behind him.
Seconds later, as he tried to dodge them for the tenth time, but one of the droids got lucky and shot him right where the fuel tank was. It ignited in a burst of fire and shrapnel, killing him and sending wreckage in all directions.
"We're too outnumbered! They're breaking our lines!" Yularan called, watching as more of their own fighters were being overwhelmed by the Vulture droids.
Anakin slammed his fist down on the command console. "Ahsoka, we are in trouble! I order you to return to the ship!"
Ahsoka gritted her teeth and wanted to protest, but another explosion from one of her squadron's ships forced her hand.
"Alright, alright! Blue Squadron, pull back to the ship," she said sullenly.
She and the other troopers reversed direction and began flying back to the cruiser. The Vulture droids, seeing that they weren't doing enough damage with their blasters, started crashing themselves into the cruisers. One of them saw that the shields around the Resolute command deck hadn't been raised yet, and shot towards there.
Anakin and Yularan saw it coming and ordered, "Run for it!" They went ten steps before the droid crashed into the deck right below the viewport, knocking them off their feet and nearly shattering the viewing glass. Yularan landed right on his head and cried out in pain. "Get us out of here!" he yelled. Anakin looked around at the recovering workers and said, "Get those fighters on board and prepare for lightspeed!" With what was left of Blue Squadron aboard, the Republic flight jumped to hyperspace in full retreat.
Ahsoka sat silently on top of her fighter. Two clones. Just two out of all of Blue Squadron had been able to make it back with her. Her connection to the Force made her feel every one of their deaths, and it felt like a hole had opened up in her chest from sensing their lives being snuffed out.
She just didn't know what got into her, why did she think she would be able to defeat the enemy, what troubled her more was the voice that called to her to keep going, but why, and who was talking to her. No one had spoken to her since she had made it back; it seemed they avoided her entirely.
Admiral Yularan was being examined by their medical staff, despite insisting that he only had a bruise.
And Anakin… she could see as he had simply been trying to get a headcount to figure out the total number of casualties. After giving the Order to each squad leader to get him that count, he came towards her.
"Ahsoka, I'm very disappointed in you," he said, causing her to look up at him. "You not only disobeyed the Admiral, but you disobeyed me as well," he said sternly.
"I thought I could get rid of that battle station so that Master Obi-Wan would be able to get through when he arrives," she said. Anakin sighed softly as he crossed his arms.
"I know Ahsoka... that you had good intentions, but understand Snips, that's not my point. The first rule of war is that you listen and obey your superiors." Ahsoka's eyes flashed angrily, and she quickly stood up.
"But you sometimes get carried away. You disobey orders all the time, too!" she argued.
It was true, most if not all, of Anakin's victories in combat or even on the sidelines were because his best trait was his ability to think outside the box. And his way of thinking outside the box often meant disobeying the orders he was given.
He sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "All I'm saying is that I know what you're going through," he told her more gently.
"But I failed. I lost so many people today, people who were depending on me," she said in anguish. She didn't want to bring up the voice she had heard.
Looking her in the eye, Anakin said, "Take heart, little one. That's the burden of being a leader, and Jedi are leaders."
Before it was interrupted by captain Rex, there was silence for a moment, who said, "General, we're approaching the staging area. Master Windu is requesting a report on our progress."
Looking back at him, Anakin replied sternly, "Well, we haven't made any progress yet, but it is best that I tell him myself. In the meantime, I want a full damage report. See how much needs to be repaired and how long it's going to take until we can continue our mission."
"Right away, general," Rex replied, saluting before walking off. Anakin watched him go before turning back around.
"Now, Snips, I need…" he said before trailing off as he noticed that Ahsoka was gone.
Aboard the Separatist station
Captain Mar Tuuk couldn't contain his joy at having beaten and destroyed the Republic's forces. So much that he had not waited as they jumped to hyperspace to contact Wat Tambor.
The leader of the Techo Union narrowed his eyes at being contacted so soon. He was expecting to have waited longer.
"Captain, what is the current status of the enemy attack?" he asked. Tuuk puffed out his chest out proudly.
"Oh yes, it seems the Jedi and their forces were crushed, of course. They all have turned and fled the system, their ships in flames. I assure you, Tambor, the blockade is still very much intact. Tambor was pleasantly surprised but also suspicious.
"Very good, then I congratulate you on your victory, Captain. Still, do not underestimate the Republic. They still may have something up their sleeve," he warned before cutting off the transmission. This left the Captain angry because he hated being told what to do.
At the same time, aboard Christen's flagship.
Christen was talking to one of his agents within the clone Army, an odd pair of clones that Kal and his squad encouraged Doth and a few officers to give a chance to prove themselves... so far, with their help, they had gotten knowledge on the actions of the separatists, and what measures would need to be taken for the smoothest transition into the Empire, the most crucial information though was the blockade, so he deemed them a success and was already making moves to bring them into the Empire entirely.
The information he had given him made him feel a little bad for his brother's little Padawan. When he called out to her when Agent X1 it would cause a greatly needed distraction, he didn't think it would almost kill the poor girl... the clones he could care less, they mean as little to him as the droids, a majority of them nothing more than pathetic kamionian trash.
The young Padawan was a cutie for a torguta but FAR too young for his taste. Still, the council member and one of his three weekly stalkers... shaak ti was an interesting specimen.
Unfortunately, he also had a wife, but lately, he felt she was hiding something from him, but no matter he had an entire Empire and reemerging Order depending on his guidance.
"So, the Republic's initial assault failed. Is Skywalker in charge, X1?" he asked sternly. He loved that these weak clones were so easily manipulated: once he had turned one of them, it was far too easy for them to blend right in.
"Affirmative, My Lord. But Skywalker still hasn't given up on Ryloth. They'll be coming up with a plan before trying again. They are not as organized as your Empire," he said.
He nodded. "I expected that. Very well then, return to your commanders in charge, and be sure to delete all records of this call," he commanded.
The clone saluted him and ended the transmission while Christen mulled over his options.
He grinned sinisterly. This was it. This was their opening. And it was time to talk with his brother...at least from his Emperor's personas point of view.
Back with the Republic
By the time Ahsoka was found and escorted to Anakin, he was already almost finished repairing his own Starfighter.
"You wanted to see me, Master?" she asked, sounding depressed and less cheerful than usual. He knew that this was to be expected.
Still, Anakin didn't comment on it and just said "awesome, and you're here. Hand me the socket plug, would you?"
The Togruta Padawan looked around for said socket plug and found that R2-D2 was the one holding it. She handed it to him, and he said. "Thank you, Snips. How are you feeling?"
So he was going to ask after all. She shrugged but couldn't keep the sarcasm from her tone when she spoke, "Oh, I'm fine, Master. Just fine."
"That's good to hear. You'll need to have a level head if we're going to pull this off," he said, lying back and continuing his repairs. Although his position kept him from seeing it, he knew that his Padawan was confused by what he was talking about.
So, he continued, "I spoke with Master Windu. We've been ordered to proceed with our attack on the blockade." Ahsoka stared at him.
"Wait. We- But- But we can't! There's no way that we-" she stuttered, but Anakin cut her off. "It isn't a question of can or can't. We have to break that blockade, Ahsoka. The Twi'leks on Ryloth depend on us to set them free," he said. She shook her head. "I understand that Master, but we've lost over half our men! Did we get more support? Are there more troops coming?" she questioned rapidly.
Anakin finished with the repairs and stood up. "No, we have to make do with the forces we have left…and I need to come up with a plan," he said, muttering that last part. But Ahsoka heard it, and her expression turned even more incredulous.
"You don't even have a plan?!" she nearly shouted.
"Don't worry, Sni-" he started before she talked over him.
"No! That's what you said the first time, and now everyone's gone! My whole squadron! We can't just smash through that blockade!"
Anakin glared at her and was about to say something when they were both stopped by a beeping from his wrist comm.
Taking a moment to give her a look, one that clearly said that this conversation wasn't over, he activated it. "This is General Skywalker speaking," he said.
It was Rex, who said, "General, we're being contacted by an unknown ship on an encrypted channel. We're trying to decode it, but the only part we've uncovered is that they want to speak to you and Commander Tano."
Anakin blinked in surprise, as did his Padawan. "We'll be there right away, then," he said and beckoned for Ahsoka to follow him.
Once they were aboard the command deck, Anakin asked, "Have you been able to determine where the signal's coming from?"
Rex shook his head. "I wish we could, General. But whoever this is, they seriously know what they're doing," he said before opening the commlink.
The moment he did, the image of some sort of droid appeared. It was a very large masculine, armored in appearance, and had glowing red eyes, a flashy stealth black body, and a strange facial appearance, sensors all over, wires visible. Yet, it appeared smooth as skin.
The droid also appeared to be hovering in midair and spoke without looking at them.
"STATMENT: Greetings Meat Bag Republic battle cruiser Resolute, this is droid Spec Agri HK-43 Punishment Captain Unit 6419.
My Glorious and ever endearing Emperor wishes for an audience with Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan. Are they present on this vessel?" the droid asked in a mechanical and monotone voice.
Ahsoka gasped, causing Anakin to look at her. "What is it? Have you seen this droid before?" he asked. Slowly, she shook her head. "yes, but this one loos more...sentient, but I recognize the name 'HK.' These are the droids that pilot, defend, the Saviors Fleets, but the model of droid originates from an assassination corp from what I looked up from the Droid line of Hk units from the old Republic files within the Archives" she said.
That caused a shock to spread throughout every person in the room. If this droid was piloting a ship from the Savior's army, that could only mean that the Savior was contacting them. But why?
Not having heard a response, the droid said again, "Republic battle cruiser Resolute, this is Ventrova Captain Unit 6419, this is your last chance at a peaceful resolution. My Lord wishes for an audience-" Anakin spoke up, having heard enough of the gritty and sarcastic tone of the droid. "This is Jedi General Skywalker. I'm here, and so is my Padawan. What is the reason for your call?" The droid didn't respond, and its image flashed before vanishing.
There was a second of surprise before the holo-image appeared again, only this time it was someone familiar. The image revealed the Lord savior wearing a similar armor to the droid and curiously like the Punisher, but could it be him? could it be his wife's guardian. Both noticed the similar four lightsabers on the Lord's belt.
"I do hope you accept my apologies for my droids... tone, he's meant for Agri worlds and has thus been built with more... sentient capabilities so seeing slavers, droids completely demolish such a beautiful world be treated like this Ha makes him very irritated, to say the least." replied the Savior with a loud chuckle that sent shivers down the Jedis spines
Anakin momentarily floundered, surprised at the small realization that this could indeed be his wife's guard, the sabers, the similar armor, the memorizers. Ahsoka took a step back as she remembered what he had done to her friend Bariss and the green company's clones. She had countless nightmares for days after her last encounter.
Anakin quickly pulled himself together. "The apology is accepted. Why are you contacting us? Who are you, Sith?"
Christen chuckled. "Where are my manners? You can call me Lord Savior, and don't call me a Puny Sith and their folly of Order. I am Grandmaster of the Jedaii and Emperor and creator of the Savior's Empire spanning seven systems, one hundred and five systems, seven hundred planets, and forty-seven of those being habitable.
It's a pleasure to meet you, General Skywalker, and it is very nice to see you again, Commander Tano. Sorry for losing my temper on your friend, surly the Jedi with their pure light side could fully recover her before she could pass," Christen ended his introduction softly but with enough Force to shatter even the biggest of egos.
His brother's face was visibly shaking in anger as his Padawan froze wide-eyed in fear, and he had to give it to his brother to keep his emotion in check.
Ahsoka froze as he recognized her. They were now talking to the same man who almost killed Barriss Offree, cut the legs of another Jedi, but still saved her and Master Luminaria from death.
Why contact us? This was not good. Still, she didn't say that out loud and instead said,
"The pleasure is ours, Lord Savior. To what do we owe the entertainment of this call?" She replied with sarcasm.
"Well you are a feisty Torguta. My sources have informed me that you're attempting to free the planet Ryloth and its inhabitants from their occupation by the Confederacy of Independent Systems. However, as my men have told me that your first attempt to do so was… less than close to successful in recovering a planet that was supposed to be under the protection of the Republic... if that's the most polite way of putting it," Christen said with playfulness.
Anakin resisted the urge to glare at the man, asking, "Who gave you that information?"
Christen merely smiled underneath his helmet and nodded. "Now, that would ruin all the fun of our mystery, wouldn't it? In any case, the fact that you miserably failed in your assault on Ryloth does not bide well for the Twi'leks, or the Galaxy, for that matter. That is why I've chosen to contact you, as I, the Emperor, have sent a couple of new jedaii Generals and their fleets along with an entire merchant Fleet filled with food, water, recourse to rebuild this broken world. this is an offering to help you with this endeavor for an exchange."
"Oh, really, an exchange? The last time I checked, you murdered most of our clones without a thought and dismembered a senator into dozens of pieces, along with critically injuring a couple of Jedi. And this is not even counting the tens of thousands of clones and innocent lives your fleets have slaughtered. So please forgive me, but the idea that you would want to help us after mercilessly picking us off is something I find a little hard to believe," Anakin retorted hotly.
Christen already knew his brother's answer. It was something he would say if he never left Tatooine and grew up a battle slave.
"I admit that this would come as a surprise to you, But wouldn't you like to see Ryloth removed from their slavery, despite who they might side with after this battle, And we have helped you in the past, if you'll recall, with the events surrounding the late Nute Gunray, it brought about some criticism, but I know for a fact skywalker his death was something you didn't feel an ounce of grief for. Why couldn't we do so again?"
Anakin was silent, thinking about it. He looked over at Ahsoka, who stood shocked that he knew her home planet was Ryloth. He knew she had been there during Gunray's death. "You've dealt with the Savior's army before, Snips? Do you think we can trust them?" he asked.
Ahsoka was slow to respond, and when she did, she said, "I think… It wouldn't kill us to accept the offer. The Jedaii I encountered last time was, honest enough, if a bit scary. If they're offering to help, it will go a long way to making sure the blockade's broken before Masters Obi-Wan and Windu gets here."
Anakin looked back at Christen, who was waiting patiently for a response. He didn't know why, but there was something about him—the way he spoke, how he carried himself, something—that just set him on edge.
But that could have just been paranoia, so he shoved it to the side. "Suppose that we accept your offer, and our fleets work together to break the blockade over the planet. What do you, Lord emperor want in this exchange for your help?" he asked.
"In return? What I want is...you Knight Skywalker, to meet me upon the ruins of an old abandoned Jedi temple on Dantooine within three months. I'll contact you when, and of course, being able to provide freedom to a whole planet of oppressed people is in itself its own reward," Christen said to them.
Anakin was surprised by the Emperor's answer but still nodded.
Although he still had some doubts about this, he felt that he could believe this man well enough for some reason, knowing he had met him before and was guarding his wife. He thought that Savior would keep his word. If he wished indeed to kill his wife and the Jedi upon the temple, then he would have done so already.
"I will need to discuss this with the other Jedi involved in the assault, but If I can convince them, then we'd be happy to accept your help," he declared.
Christen waved his hand dismissively. "Discuss it with your fellow Jedi as long as you want. We're going to liberate and free the slaves of Ryloth, with or without your help. I have given my Generals to start their attack within five minutes as of thirty seconds ago. Whether or not you want the Republic to have any say in what happens afterward is up to you," Christen spoke bluntly and ended the transmission.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Ahsoka said loudly, a feeling that Anakin and everyone who watched and heard the clip shared. Still, if the Savior's Empire was sincere in their desire to help, the number of ships they brought with their three fleets would easily be the break they and the natives of Ryloth were looking for.
*five minutes later*
Both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu stared at Anakin as if he had grown a second head. "Hold on a second, Anakin. I'm fairly certain I didn't hear you right. You're saying that the Saviors Empire, the Galaxies' deadliest and most mysterious enemy in this war, is offering to help us liberate Ryloth? Is that correct?" Obi-Wan asked.
Anakin sighed and nodded. "Yes Master, that's right. They want the planet out of Separatist hands just as much as we do. To that end, this Lord Savior is willing to offer a temporary truce until they've been removed from this system," he explained for what felt like the fourth time. Mace held a hand to his chin and hummed. "Something about this just doesn't feel right. Even if they want Ryloth freed, I seriously doubt the Saviors army would be willing to extend a genuine hand of friendship to see it done. And this Emperor… his mannerisms remind me too much of that senator"s guardian sith for him not to have a history with him or the Jedi," he thought aloud.
Ahsoka raised an eyebrow. "You mean, you think he is a former sith or this Jedaii Order or even a Jedi? But how could that be? Of all the members of the Order who've ever left for any reason, I never came across his name during my studies as an Initiate."
"Nor I. I don't think the Punisher is a former sith or even a Jedi, both these men have shone much disdain and even hatred for both orders, but this Emperor, there is just something more to him than just the Grandmaster of the Jedaii. And that's before you include the fact that he called himself a Grandmaster. I can't, in good faith, believe that his lordship or their Fleet won't betray us at some point if we accept their aid," Obi-Wan said.
Anakin sighed. "We may not have a choice, actually," he said, causing both Masters to look at him in disbelief.
"And what makes you say that, Skywalker?" Windu asked sharply.
"To be perfectly honest, with how little of our forces we have remaining, we may not have the ships or even resources needed to break the blockade in time. So unless I came up with some sort of crazy plan, accepting their help is the best option" Anakin paused to catch his breath and got a little irritated upon seeing his masters and Mace windu's faces remain the same as if telling him they would not budge.
Not only that, but lord Savior gave the impression that they were going to liberate Ryloth whether we accepted their help or not. If we don't act, we might not have any decision in what happens to the Twi'leks after that."
If anything, that seemed only to make Mace more displeased. "He's strong-arming us into accepting his help, even if he's able to keep that fact hidden between the lines. But that raises another question. If the Savior's army plans to liberate Ryloth with or without our help, why offer us the chance to join hands at all?"
Ahsoka spoke up, saying, "Maybe because they don't want to fight both the Separatists and us, so they're trying to cut down on the number of people they have to fight." Obi-Wan nodded in agreement.
"I could see them wanting that. Fighting a war on one side can be troublesome enough. Fighting it against two enemies is even harder, and that holds for us as well as long as they don't have reinforcements. I suggest that we accept the Emperor's offer. But we should still keep our guard up, keep every ship on edge in case they turn against us," he advised.
"Shake with one hand and hold our detonators with the other?" Anakin asked in amusement. When Obi-Wan nodded, he said, "I also think that would be the wisest thing to do. I'll let lord Savior know that we've agreed to their help." "Then this matter is resolved. May the Force be with us all," Windu concluded, and they ended the conversation.
The remaining Republic cruisers, the Defender, and the Resolute soon dropped out of hyperspace not far from the enemy blockade.
Aboard the battle station's bridge
The leader droid said, "Captain, the Republic forces have come back." Mar Tuuk grinned. "Ah, yes. I knew Skywalker would come back. Prepare to engage," he said, lying down the holo-archive of Anakin he had been reading. He knew that Skywalker didn't stand a chance of destroying his blockade, and with the General's defeat, his reputation would extend beyond the stars.
He might even get his own planet. The droid responded with a programmed "Roger, roger," and began to prepare.
Slowly, the cruisers came closer to being within firing range, and he could hardly bear the anticipation. But just as the Republic cruisers were close enough to fire upon, alarms suddenly began blaring.
"Sir, our sensors have detected several dozen ships appearing from the port side! I think they're using cloaking technology!" the commanding droid said. "What?!" Tuuk yelled and looked forward. Indeed, in a large circle of large dark metaled vessels surrounded the Republic cruisers, a total of several dozen Large armored Frigates, ones he quickly recognized as being part of the infamous Savior's Empire, it was far too late upon the realization of the silent few seconds upon the Emperor's Fleet deactivating their cloaking systems. It immediately opened fire, four targeting each confederate Frigate.
He simply stared for a moment, uncomprehending. The Republic and Empire had joined forces? That was an utter nightmare!
But then he managed to snap back into focus, and called "Return fire and raise shields around the battle station! Tell the droids in charge of the Frigate to assume defensive formation!"
The droid did as ordered and relayed his words to the droid captains aboard the other ships. The frigates fanned out, and the battlecruisers broke up with them, moving with a speed that should have been impossible for ships of that size. 'We're being outgunned,' Captain Tuuk thought. As if to make matters worse, the sensors then detected that a squadron of bombers was entering the fight from the Resolute.
Commanding those bombers was Ahsoka, who said, "Alright, it's time to do this." For a moment, she felt a flash of fear that she would fail again before she crushed that thought. She wouldn't fail her Master this time. She couldn't.
Ahsoka leads her bombers to the closest Frigate and unleashes fury from above, causing explosions along its body and command deck. Quickly, the ship lost power and stopped firing, making it easy picking for the Empire to rip to shreds. They continued this pattern with the next dozen separatists vessels.
"We've been outflanked, sir! What should we do?" the command droid said, sounding more than a little panicked.
Tuuk tried to think of a way out of this frantically, but then none other than Wat Tambor appeared on the holoprojector. "Captain, I can see the explosions from here on the surface. What is going on?" he demanded. "um, Tambor, it's the Savior's Empire! They've joined forces with the Republic and are lending their support!" he said.
Tambor's eyes went huge behind his goggles before glaring at Tuuk. "You idiot! Then the encirclement has been demolished! It's only a matter of time before they arrive here on Ryloth!" he yelled.
Tuuk tried to raise some form of protest, but a formation of ships sight in space diverted his attention to the presence of several of the Empire's ships, assuming some sort of two-tier diamond formation, with their front ends glowing gold. His eyes almost popped out of his skull as, with a flash, each forked vessel unleashed a blinding golden storm of superheated plasma firing upon the battle station, laying waste to it in a matter of seconds. Tuuk didn't even have enough time to realize what happened before the barrage killed him.
ANNNNND THAT'S THE CHAPTER COME BACK IN A FEW DAYS OR A WEEK FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER.
