Evelyn settled beside Anakin in the dimly lit barracks aboard the cruiser, her gaze soft and inquisitive. Anakin's fingers moved delicately as he worked on bandaging her hand, taking great care to avoid the intricate web of wires and robotic components that now occupied a portion of her palm. The shot that had caused her injury had obliterated the natural tissue, causing her to get electrical implants in her palm.
With a gentle smile, she began, "So tell me," her eyes gleaming with curiosity, "How did you become such a mastermind on the battlefield?" The sincerity in her voice was evident, and her playfulness as she bumped her shoulder against his was endearing.
Anakin chuckled softly, his blue eyes occasionally flickering away from his task to meet her gaze. "I don't know," he admitted, a hint of humility in his voice, "It's like a second nature to me. I see different strategies, different ways to gain an advantage, and I try to never hesitate to make the call because I have this certainty that it'll work," he explained, his eyes returning to his work as he continued to bandage her hand, filtering hints of bacta to heal the edges of her wound. Evelyn nodded in understanding, her expression filled with respect and admiration for the man in front of her.
As he finished wrapping the gauze around her hand, Anakin let his hand linger on her knee, a gentle, reassuring gesture. "All better," he said with a soft smile, and Evelyn returned the smile with gratitude shining in her eyes. In that moment, the dimly lit barracks seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them in their own world.
There was an unspoken connection between them, something that's been there since the beginning. Anakin didn't see her solely as his mentee; she was his equal, his confidante. Her presence had a unique aura, a magnetic pull that was difficult to resist.
Their four blue eyes locked onto each other, and for that fleeting moment, it felt as if nothing else in the galaxy mattered.
As soon as Evelyn's eyes flickered just a few inches south of Anakin's eyes, the door slams open, Rex urgently walking in, "Sirs, General Kenobi has requested to see you in the communications room," the captain says as the two Jedi nod as they stand up and walk to the holo-table, sneaking quick glances at each other pretending that the other didn't notice.
Anakin entered the room to find his old master waiting for him, "Everything alright, Master?" Evelyn inquired, showing her concern as Obi-Wan turned to face them.
"I'm afraid not," the Council Member replied, running his fingers through his beard, "Anaxes is almost lost-"
"And we need your help," Obi-Wan's statement was interrupted by the entrance of Mace Windu, "How far are you from this location?"
"Not far," Anakin responded, pushing a button on the table, "We'll be there within the hour," he confirmed, appreciating how Evelyn had already taken the initiative to reroute the course to Anaxes, causing a warm smile to grow across his face.
Once the squad reaches Anaxes, they take the Marauder to Mace Windu's Cruiser, "This is the one we don't like, right?" Evelyn asks with curiosity as Anakin keeps a stern look while crossing his arms.
"Sometimes," he responds as Evelyn nods, getting the hint to not talk about it. As they land, Anakin and Evelyn depart to the bridge as the clones stay back and prepare while Echo is carted away for medical examination.
Anakin chuckles when he sees that Evelyn is still fiddling with her new palm which has been healed by robotic implants, "It takes a while to get used to it, but it'll be great once you do," Anakin say as Evelyn smiles at her friend, entering the bridge to see Mace and Obi-Wan on the holo
"We have more than a dozen active battlefronts on Anaxes, and we are losing nearly every one," Mace says, briefing Anakin and Evelyn on the mission as he pulls up a holomap of Anaxes, "But if Admiral Trench can no longer anticipate our moves, we now have the opportunity to retake the planet," he finishes as he clenches his fist.
"I can improve your chances," Echo says, walking up to the meeting as the five turn to him in shock.
"Eh, excuse me, Generals," Rex says as he walks over to the recovering Arc Trooper. They make their ways to each other before Rex puts a hand on Echo's shoulder, "Echo, I'm sorry, but I just don't think you're ready for battle yet."
"I am not a liability, Rex," Echo reassures with a bit of anger, "I'm the best chance we have to take back Anaxes," Echo says as Rex still looks unsure.
"If the trooper has a plan, I'd like to hear it," Mace says as Anakin nods in agreement for once.
"May I?" Echo asks his captain as Rex steps aside and Echo walks to the table, readying his robotic arm, "While Master Windu leads a team to retake the assembly complex, the Bad Batch will escort me into Trench's new comm vault, which, according to current intel, is now located on this Separatist Dreadnought above Anaxes," Echo says, switching the projection to a Separatist Dreadnaught ,"Once I'm plugged in, I can feed Trench strategies, but this time, you'll know every move before he makes it," he continues, looking at the Generals before pulling his arm out of the system.
"And you are certain that if we get you onboard that ship, that you can convince Trench's army to do what you want?" Mace Windu asks, bringing a hand to his chin.
"Absolutely," Echo responds without hesitation, "Unfortunately, I've been doing this for a while," he says in shame before lifting his head back up, "but this time I can help bring about a Republic victory instead of a defeat," Echo finishes passionately as Mace and Obi-Wan nod at each other.
Anakin and Evelyn make their way out of the bridge with Rex and Echo, "Rex, you and Echo go get the Bad Batch ready while I go get Commander Zaad prepared."
"Yes, sir," Rex says as he and Echo run off to the docking bay.
"Come on," Anakin urged, tilting his head toward the storage room, "You need a weapon to fight." His words were laced with seriousness and a touch of playfulness. Evelyn bit down hard on her lip, trying to hide the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips.
"Lead the way, Skywalker," she replied with a light giggle, falling into step beside him as they briskly headed to the storage room.
"Be glad Master Yoda made sure to supply Jedi Cruisers with crystals after the situation on Cato Nemoidia," Anakin remarked with a chuckle, his voice filled with a mix of nostalgia and amusement. Evelyn, however, furrowed her eyebrows in curiosity.
"What situation?" she asked, her curiosity piqued. Anakin simply shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Nah, I can't tell you," he admitted, a smirk dancing on his lips. "Obi-Wan would kill me if I told you!" He raised his hands in a mock defensive gesture, as if to shield himself from Evelyn's inquiries.
"Uh huh," Evelyn responded with a sassy tilt of her head, her playful demeanor matching his. "Just give me a fucking laser sword, please," she quipped back with a hint of sarcasm, her impatience showing. Anakin couldn't help but burst into uncontrollable laughter, his vibrant laughter filling the room.
As he reached into the drawer and handed her a silver lightsaber with wooden detailing on the side, Evelyn ignited it to reveal a bright orange blade. Anakin's eyes widened in surprise and slight dismay.
"Kriff!" he exclaimed, attempting to retrieve the saber from her grasp, but Evelyn skillfully avoided his attempt, shaking her head with a playful smile, "Wasn't supposed to give you that one, but I guess it's fine," Anakin conceded with a nonchalant shrug. They continued their journey, saber in hand, toward the docking bay, their laughter echoing in the corridors of the cruiser.
As Anakin, Evelyn, and the clones make their way through the Separatist cruiser, they finally set their sights on the command tower they're looking for, "There it is," Evelyn says, letting a sigh of relief leave her mouth.
"Impatient I see," Anakin turns to her with a smile as Evelyn shrugs, "You're not wrong," he says, turning back around to face Tech, who's running an interface on the panel.
Echo turns to Anakin, "General, we should make sure there's no other entrances to this facility," Anakin nods and runs out to do some recon.
Echo squats down and connects to the tower, "All right, I have access to everything and good timing," he says, turning to his comrades, "I just scanned a strategy request Trench sent to the Techno Union."
"Wait," Tech interrupts as he puts an arm out, "You can't just send a signal from here," he reasons.
"Why not?" Echo asks in confusion, clearly not aware of how the system works.
"We have to make it appear as if your signal is originating from Skako Minor," Tech explains with diligence, "Otherwise, they'll know we are here," he finishes as Echo nods at him.
While the clones are arguing, Evelyn felt a gentle hand on her arm and was pulled out of the room. She turned around to find Anakin with a mischievous smile, his finger pressed to her lips in a hushed gesture.
He held his com-link in the air, ensuring that the both of them could hear the transmission coming through, "At this point in the Clone War, I have dismantled and destroyed over 100,000 of your Type One battle droids," they heard Mace Windu's voice over the comm.
Though, Evelyn wasn't really focused on what was happening on the comm, rather on how close she and Anakin were standing. She was slowly inching closer to him by the second, and she realizes that Anakin was doing the exact same thing.
"I'm giving you an opportunity to peacefully lay down your weapons so that you may be reprogrammed to serve a better purpose than spreading mindless violence and chaos throughout the galaxy," Windu continued, his voice echoing in the message.
Anakin quickly turned off the comm, and Evelyn couldn't help but burst into laughter at the naiveness of the Jedi Master, unconsciously placing her hands on Anakin's chest for stability.
"He does know that they're programmed to destroy anyone and everything right?" She asks as Anakin can't get words out, flustered by the fact that Evelyn's chest is now flushed against his, "I mean, they're not very good at it, but they still try."
"What do you mean there's a bomb?" Obi-Wan's voice crackled through Anakin's comm link, urgency lacing his words.
Anakin ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident on his face. "There's a bomb showing up on the scan we ran," he replied, his brows furrowing as he processed the information. "It's in the fusion reactor."
"I'm on my way," Anakin heard Mace Windu's voice chiming in, and he couldn't help but roll his eyes as he disconnected the comm link.
Anakin swiftly turns to Echo, "I found the bomb. Echo, what's the sequence?" Anakin asked, taking charge of the situation.
Echo began relaying the sequence, but he was abruptly cut off as a wave of electricity surged through him, rendering him unconscious. Evelyn reacted quickly, catching the fallen clone before he hit the floor.
"Kriff!" Evelyn exclaimed, her voice tinged with frustration, as she cradled Echo in her arms.
"Echo, are you there?" Windu's voice echoed over the comm.
"Master Windu, Trench took out Echo," she panted, her concern evident, "We can't get you the last number of the sequence. I'm sorry," Evelyn reluctantly admitted.
"It's quite alright, Padawan," Mace replied, using a tone that irritated Evelyn. She felt that he was condescending, and it gets on her nerves every time he mindlessly tells her what to do, "Get to safety and get everyone out of there," he instructed, dismissing her.
Anakin looks at Evelyn, "You got this?"
She gives him a reassuring nod, "Alright, meet you in the hangar," he says, turning on his heel and running towards the command bridge.
Anakin ignited his lightsaber, ready for action, as the doors to Trench's chamber slid open, revealing the imposing command droid. With a swift and calculated strike, Anakin sliced off the droid's head, sending it tumbling backward.
"Jedi scum," Trench hissed, and the surrounding battle droids began to encircle Anakin. However, they were no match for his skill and agility, and he swiftly dispatched them with ease.
Trench attempted to catch Skywalker off guard, firing a shock web at him, but Anakin executed a gravity-defying flip to evade it. He cornered Trench, placing his ignited lightsaber dangerously close to the alien's throat.
"Tell me the sequence to disarm the bomb," Anakin demanded, his tone resolute.
"Never," Trench defiantly responded. "Dooku would kill me for losing Anaxes."
"And you think I won't?" Anakin retorted, a steely coldness in his eyes.
"You're a Jedi," Trench mockingly sneered. "You're nobility—"
Anakin swiftly silences Trench's taunts by slicing off all three of his arms in one fluid motion. "I don't have such weaknesses," he yells, pointing his saber menacingly at Trench, "Now, let's try this again. Tell me the sequence to the bomb!" Anakin's voice was unwavering as Trench finally gave in.
"It's seven!" Trench yells as Anakin keeps his saber to Trench's throat.
"Master Windu," Anakin says into the comm link, "Trench was kind enough to tell me the code himself. Try seven," Anakin says as Mace agrees.
"Good work, Skywalker," Mace Windu acknowledged after successfully disarming the bomb, his tone indicating a grudging respect, somewhat enjoying working with the unorthodox knight.
"You both owe me one now," Anakin says with a chuckle. Just then Trench electrocutes Anakin with his staff before Anakin stabs trench through the throat, killing the Separatist Admiral immediately.
As Trench fell lifeless to the floor, Anakin walked over to a nearby panel, swiftly entering a sequence of keys. A trigger popped out, and Anakin couldn't help but grin.
"Wrecker's gonna love this," he muttered to himself before dashing out of the room, leaving Trench's lifeless form behind.
"Admiral, it was a pleasure," Anakin said almost casually, paying his respects to the fallen enemy before rejoining the fight.
"Wrecker!" Evelyn's voice cut through the chaos, her squad struggling against the relentless onslaught of droids, "Go!"
Wrecker grinned ear to ear, handing his blaster to Hunter, cracking his knuckles, "Time to release the wrecking ball!" he bellowed, charging headlong into the hallway, his massive frame crashing through and dismantling the droids left and right
Hunter glanced at Evelyn, a wry smile on his face, "I honestly feel bad for those droids," he remarked, earning a light chuckle from her.
"It's all clear!" Wrecker's triumphant voice echoed back to them as he dispatched the last of the droids.
But Tech's alert interrupted their moment of relief, "There's more!" he warned, and Crosshair swiftly moved to the front.
"Go!" Crosshair ordered, his blaster at the ready, "I'll buy you some time."
Evelyn nodded, leading her squad out of the hallway. Crosshair swiftly threw reflectors on the walls, as the squad fought off the droids.
"Aw man!" Wrecker's voice echoed down the hall, "He's gonna try and top me!"
Tech's sensors picked up more approaching droids, and Evelyn racked her brain, attempting to embrace her inner Skywalker senses, but failing to do so.
"Hope you're not waiting on me!" Anakin's voice boomed as he sprinted toward them. Evelyn's face lit up as he winked at her in passing.
"Now all we're missing is Crosshair," Hunter remarked, and as if on cue, Crosshair raced down the hallway, methodically attaching reflectors to every available surface.
"You miss me?" Crosshair asked dryly, aiming his rifle as the droids poured into the corridor, "How touching," he chuckled, shooting the first reflector, his blaster shot ricocheting off the walls, annihilating the oncoming droids.
Wrecker stood dumbfounded, but Hunter approached him with reassurance, "Relax, Wrecker. You'll top him next time."
"No, he won't," Crosshair retorted, walking past Wrecker, and boarding their ship nonchalantly.
"Hey, Wrecker," Anakin said with a grin as the squad was back in the ship, "I've got a present for you."
He held out a trigger, and Evelyn couldn't help but smile at his kindness.
"Aw, seriously?" Wrecker's eyes practically sparkled with excitement. "I get to blow it up? The whole stinking thing?!" His grin grew even wider as he eagerly accepted the trigger. Blinking back a tear, he added, "This is the happiest day of my life."
With a press of the button, Wrecker triggered the explosion that obliterated the entire Separatist fleet.
As they touched down on the Republic base of Anaxes, Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi were there to meet them. Anakin and Evelyn stood next to their superior Masters, the proud looks on their faces evident.
"Captain Rex, Corporal Echo, and Clone Force 99," Mace Windu began, his voice resolute, "you have all done a great service for the Republic. Thanks to your courage and effort, Republic shipyards will soon be up and running again. You've got some medals coming your way," he concluded before departing with Obi-Wan.
"Thank you, General," Rex said sincerely, but he turned to the Bad Batch. "You coming?"
"Not really our thing," Tech responded, with Echo nodding in agreement.
Taking that as their cue to leave, Anakin and Evelyn turned around. Evelyn playfully body-checked Anakin, causing him to sway slightly. Her action drew a playful laugh from him, "You know, if I did that to you, you'd be flying across this shipyard."
Evelyn rolled her eyes, a mischievous pout gracing her lips. "Of course, I know that, and that's why I take advantage of the fact that you could never bring yourself to hurt me in any way possible," Her teasing tone flipping Anakin's stomach upside down, and back around again.
"You're not wrong," Anakin admitted with a soft smile. Evelyn's fingers traced along his right arm, sending a pleasant tingle through him.
"Race you to the mess hall!" Evelyn declared before swiftly yanking Anakin's sleeve out of its tucked position and dashing away.
"Oh, you're gonna get it, Zaad!" Anakin shouted with a grin, racing after her, the carefree laughter of two souls intertwined in pure joy filling the air.
