Anakin charged. She crashed her blade against Dooku's, an intense rage flaring inside her as she drove against her foe. Her fear for Obi-Wan surged as she struck against the Sith. The Countess fell back under the attack. Anakin struck harder and harder, her lightsaber a blur that deftly countered any of Dooku's parries or slashes. Their lightsabers clashed together and the noise and energy of the blades made their battle a bright spot in the dark room.
"Don't suppress your anger, it is your ally," Dooku said. Anakin hated the sound of her voice. Hated how she sounded like she was trying to teach her something. "Unless you use your fear, use your rage, you will never defeat me. You will only end up like the pathetic failure that was your Master."
Anakin's rage bubbled hot, she wasn't even really thinking, her instincts had taken over. She wanted Dooku to feel pain, to hurt like she hurt now as fear and fury pumped through her. She redoubled her attack, striking Dooku with her incandescent suffering. Obi-Wan, the Chancellor, the Republic, they were all counting on her. She hadn't been able to save her mom, she wasn't going to fail again. The Countess was on the defensive now, and she knew it. Dooku tried to parry away her blade, but Anakin was stronger, she held fast and pushed against the Countess. Dooku took a step back, then another, Anakin could tell she was winning. She pushed harder, bringing her blade down with all her might. Dooku fumbled, tripping backward and Anakin went for the win. She seized the Countess' arm, heedless of the danger, and swept her blade around and through her wrist. Payback after all these years.
Snatching Dooku's blade before it even hit the ground, Anakin delivered a vicious kick to the Countess. Dooku fell to her knees, a look of shock and pain was spreading across the her face. The Sith had not expected things to go like this. Anakin raised both red and blue swords in a cross, the intersection of the blades at Dooku's throat. Panting for breath, Anakin's anger was beginning to burn away, something told her to stop. Dooku was powerless now, Anakin had won, she had nothing else to prove.
"Good, Anakin, now do it."
Palpatine's words broke into Anakin's thoughts. She had almost forgotten that the Chancellor was there. There was something unsettling about Palpatine's voice. It was almost gleeful.
Dooku glanced at the Chancellor, there was fear in her eyes. Anakin felt disgust rise in her as she saw how weak Dooku truly was. She was a pathetic creature and nothing more. She had hidden behind the façade of a Sith, but really, she was just an animal.
"Anakin, you must do it now, we have no time to lose." Palpatine sounded worried now, as if she were uncertain that Anakin would listen to her.
"It's not the Jedi way," said Anakin, and it wasn't. Jedi didn't cut down their enemies when they were defenseless. Jedi were better than that.
"Anakin, you have to do this. If she escapes this war will never end. She's too dangerous to be left alive." The Chancellor was more urgent, more worried, almost like she was afraid they would be caught.
Anakin saw Dooku's eyes dart to the Chancellor again, then come back to her own face. There was almost pleading in her eyes, she wanted mercy from Anakin. Anakin felt a new wave of rage flood over her. How could a monster like this expect mercy after all she'd done? The scattered bodies of dozens of Jedi on Geonosis played out in her mind's eye. The annihilation of thousands of beings who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time during the war. The destruction of entire civilizations she'd seen as she'd battled her way across the galaxy. And now, Dooku wanted mercy? Blazing with rage at her remembered helplessness, at all the times she had failed to protect everyone, her blood ran cold. She had to strike and end this war now, she could do no other.
"Anakin," Palpatine's voice filtered through her anger, her words were filled with venom, "cut her down."
Those words tipped Anakin over into the abyss. With one stroke her swords passed through flesh and Dooku was dead. Anakin switched off her blades and stared for a long moment at the body laying crumpled on the floor. Her anger ebbing away she was overcome with horror.
"We have to leave here, Anakin, we are in grave danger." Palpatine broke into Anakin's thoughts, and she looked up at the Chancellor as if coming out of a trance.
"I shouldn't have done that." Regret washed away the last of Anakin's anger as she realized she had failed the Jedi once again.
"You did what was necessary, you have done us all proud."
Proud was the last thing Anakin felt. Throwing Dooku's lightsaber to the ground, she stepped away from the corpse. She went to the chair Palpatine was bound to and released the cuffs that had kept her captive.
Palpatine rose and reiterated what she had just said, "Anakin, we have to leave here, there is no time to lose."
Anakin was already halfway across the room to check on Obi-Wan. As she knelt by Obi-Wan's side she was relieved to find that she was still alive, for now. Not only had Obi-Wan taken a strong blast of Force-lightning, but she had also struck her head as she fell. A smear of blood leaked from a cut on her scalp and Anakin thought she looked far too pale.
Grabbing Obi-Wan's arm, she lifted her friend across her shoulders, once her weight was centered it wouldn't be too hard to carry her like this.
"What are you doing?" Palpatine practically hissed as she joined them, "We have to get out of here, you must leave her."
Anakin gave the Chancellor a cold look. "Her fate will be the same as ours."
Palpatine looked flabbergasted for a moment, then seemed to regain her composure. "Of course, you're right, I was only thinking of my own safety. However, we still need to get out of here. I hope you will be able to manage with your Master on your back like that."
"I'll manage."
The three of them made quite a sight as they exited the stateroom. Artoo hailed them in the hallway and blipped out that the only available escape craft was Dooku's private shuttle and that it was only accessible from the bridge.
"What does it mean?" asked the Chancellor. "Are we going to have to go to the bridge?"
"Looks that way." Anakin wasn't happy about this turn of events, but it couldn't be helped. Only General Grievous and the Countess would have needed a way on and off the ship anyway. There was no need for escape pods for droids. Anakin was glad to have a new problem to think about, though. She wanted to forget what had just happened in the stateroom. Pushing Dooku's silent plea for mercy from her mind she repositioned Obi-Wan so her weight would be more comfortable on her shoulders. She didn't like how long her Master had been unconscious.
Jerking her head down the hallway she said to the Chancellor and Artoo both, "Let's get going before the Republic blows this hunk of junk out of the sky."
"Is that likely?" The Chancellor hadn't seem to have considered that this ship would be the main target for Republic attacks.
"Ma'am, I guarantee you that destroying this ship is the prime objective of the entire Republic fleet right now," Anakin said as she located the lifts. She had just pressed the button for the doors to open when the ship lurched underneath their feet. Anakin grabbed the doorframe to stabilize herself but just about dropped Obi-Wan in the process.
"What is it? What's happening?" Palpatine sounded afraid, she looked at Anakin with wide, terrified eyes.
"I think the Wolfpack has arrived." Anakin was actually surprised they hadn't felt attacks on the ship earlier, when it came to a dogfight, there were none better than the clones.
"Are we going to make it off this ship before it's destroyed?" Palpatine sounded even more fearful now, her eyes shone with unreleased panic that was beginning to build.
Anakin grimaced, she sure hoped they would be. "We'll be fine, we just need to get to the bridge and find a way off."
"But won't that be risky?" Palpatine was staring, but Anakin didn't have time to waste.
Anakin jabbed the lift the call button again but still nothing happened. "Artoo, can you get this open?"
Artoo whistled and rolled to the wall to plug in. Anakin watched, impatience gnawing at her. With a triumphant blurp the doors slid open revealing an empty elevator shaft. Anakin stared at the access ladder that ran the length of the shaft's interior and would normally be hidden from sight by the elevator car. "Isn't there supposed to be an elevator in there, Artoo?"
Artoo answered that all the elevators had been ordered manually locked down after the Jedi had breached the ship. Anakin was trying to figure out what their next move should be when a new volley of attacks shook the walls of the hall they were standing in. The ship rocked again, this time some of its stabilizers giving out and causing the whole thing to start to tilt to the side. Not waiting to fall back down the hallway, Anakin grabbed a handful of Palpatine's robes and jumped into the elevator shaft trying her best not to land on either the Chancellor or Obi-Wan. Anakin hear Artoo scream as it fell backwards and tumbled down the corridor. The ship came to a rocky halt turning the elevator shaft into an excellent tunnel.
Anakin hauled Palpatine to her feet. "Time for plan B I guess."
"What does that mean?" Palpatine's look of alarm had only deepened since earlier.
Heading down the newly made hallway, Anakin pulled her comm out of her belt and opened the channel to her droid. "Join us whenever you can, we've got to get out of here before this thing is turned into rubble."
A faint chirp responded and Anakin put her comm away and re-centered Obi-Wan's weight on her back. Sometimes it came in handy being so tall. Chancellor Palpatine scurried after Anakin seemingly afraid of being left behind. Anakin picked up the pace, who knew how long they had until Invisible Hand was blown to bits. What a cruel irony it would be if she were killed by her own side after having rescued the Chancellor.
The ship shuddered again, the entire floor seeming to buck beneath their feet. Anakin grabbed one of the rungs of the access ladder to steady herself, Palpatine wasn't so quick to act and fell to the ground on all fours. Anakin was about to ask if the elderly woman was okay but didn't get the chance.
Just at that moment the ship gave an alarming groan and righted itself to the previous position. Anakin clung to the access ladder, but Palpatine was not so lucky. Scrabbling as she fell she only just managed to hook one of her hands into Anakin's belt. The jerk as the weight of the Chancellor's body dangling off of Anakin was unwelcome and almost caused Anakin to loose her own purchase on the ladder.
"Don't drop me," wailed Palpatine. Anakin wasn't sure how long the buckle on her belt was going hold under these conditions.
"Chancellor-" Anakin started but was cut off as Obi-Wan awoke with a jolt that almost dislodged her grip on the ladder for a second time.
"Anakin?" Obi-Wan's voice was a question and cry of distress all at once.
"Just hang on, Master, we're on our way to the bridge." Anakin was relieved that Obi-Wan was awake. The knot of anxiety she carried in her chest loosened slightly. "Are you alright, Obi-Wan?"
"Oh, fine," Obi-Wan said, her sense of sarcasm seemed to be in tact at least. Anakin grunted as Obi-Wan shifted and tried to clamber off of her. It felt as though her friend was climbing her like a tree.
"Careful, Obi-Wan," Anakin said as Obi-Wan almost dislodged her from the ladder for a third time while grabbing hold of the ladder several rungs up.
"I'm being as careful as I can," said Obi-Wan tartly, brushing her hair out of her eyes. Her distaste for the situation was more than clear.
Palpatine seemed to be too nervous to say anything, the old woman just clung to Anakin with a vice-like grip. Relieved to not be balancing Obi-Wan's weight any longer, Anakin reached down and grabbed the Chancellor's wrist saying, "Try and grab the ladder."
Palpatine scrambled for the ladder finally finding purchase there. Anakin helped to disentangle the hand wound into her belt. Palpatine seemed to be gaining some of her composure back. She looked up the ladder at Anakin. "What do we do now?"
"Keep climbing down." Anakin looked up to where Obi-Wan was clinging just a little above her. "We need to get out of here before the Republic finishes turning this ship into scrap."
Obi-Wan sighed and nodded. The three women made haste, but climbing the ladder was painfully slow. After a couple minutes Obi-Wan said, "Anakin."
"Yeah, I know." Anakin knew they weren't getting anywhere like this. "Chancellor," she said looking down the shaft, "we're going to have to jump."
"What?" Palpatine exclaimed.
Anakin slid down the ladder to where Palpatine was and slid her arm around the older woman. "Hold on."
"But-" Palpatine's objections went unheard as Anakin lifted her off the ladder and jumped. Obi-Wan also jumped at the same time, the three of them free falling down the elevator shaft. They sped by floor after floor on their descent. Anakin heard her comm beeping, Artoo was trying to reach her, but with her arms wrapped around the Chancellor she didn't have the ability to answer the call.
"Anakin!" said Obi-Wan sharply, her voice filled with alarm as a faint sound began to rattle in the distance.
A split second later Anakin realized what it was. "Hold on," she commanded the Chancellor.
"What!" Palpatine croaked, gripping to Anakin with an unnatural strength.
The elevator doors started to slam open as they fell past. Anakin and Obi-Wan simultaneously reached for their belt cables and in one movement, throwing them, the cables were attached securely to a point in the shaft. Reaching out, Obi-Wan seized one of Palpatine's arms.
"Our floor's coming up," said Anakin. Closing her eyes, she let the Force flow through her. She knew Obi-Wan was doing the same thing. They were in sync once again. The Force drowned out the sound of the lift that was barreling toward them and left only Anakin and her target.
Her eyes flew open. "Now!"
Obi-Wan and Anakin jumped at the same time. With their hands firmly clasped around Palpatine's arms they threw themselves at the open elevator door to the bridge. The three of them cleared the doorway and tumbled to the floor in a heap. The elevator roared past them, still heading to some upper deck.
Anakin sprang to her feet, Obi-Wan rose somewhat unsteadily. Both of them helped Palpatine up. She looked frazzled and a little worse for the wear. Her long sweeping robes were dirty and crumpled, and even sporting tears in a few places.
Anakin looked around to get her bearings, the bridge should be just across the hall and through a set of double doors. "Follow me closely but stay back, this is our one shot to get off this ship."
Palpatine nodded, she seemed to be in no rush to get in the way. Stepping back, the Chancellor trailed behind while the Jedi approached the door. Anakin didn't even wait to try the door controls, she raised her hand and the doors slid open. Anakin and Obi-Wan stepped through into pure chaos.
Through the bridge viewport they could see wave after wave of Republic fighters coming in low to attack Invisible Hand. The bridge was taking a pounding and it rocked after every salvo from above. Some of the displays and dashboards on the ship were smoking, or outright burning. Nasty, foul tasting smoke curled through the bridge. The droids on the bridge were dithering with incompetence, some looked like they had been torn apart by General Grievous, one appeared to be just sitting there, watching it's station burn. The General herself was using one of her stolen lightsabers to attack the viewport, her ragged hacking cough carrying all the way across the bridge to the Jedi.
"Grievous," called Obi-Wan as she lit her lightsaber.
Grievous' mostly mechanical head turned to look at her nemesis. She had ran into the other just frequently enough during this war to never want to turn down a fight. Her cold yellow eyes were barely visible across the hazy room.
Obi-Wan took a step forward, but Grievous beat her to the punch. Lifting her lightsaber over her head she gashed a hole into the viewport.
"Some other time, Kenobi." And with a blow from her mechanical arm she broke open a large hole in that section of the viewport.
The pressure rapidly tried to equalize as the vacuum of space drew the atmosphere out of the ship. Anakin and Obi-Wan both seized the closest thing that wasn't movable as all the air was sucked out of the bridge. Palpatine just barely managed to grab onto a console near the door. The air howled for long, terrifying seconds as it tried to yank them out into space. After several heart-pounding moments, the emergency blast shield came on-line and sealed off the viewport to outer space.
Anakin and Obi-Wan released their anchors and lit their lightsabers again, there were still a half-a-dozen battle droids littered around the bridge, though a few more had been sucked out into space just a second ago. The bridge droids didn't seem to have any fight in them and were dismantled in short order.
Kicking a droid out of the command chair, Anakin swung into the seat. Alarms blared on the dashboard indicating that the ship's orbit was degrading and was even now sinking into the gravitation pull of Coruscant. Anakin tried to raise the information about Dooku's ship so maybe they could finally escape this hunk of junk.
"Damn," said Anakin as she looked at the readout on her display.
"What is it," said Obi-Wan, swinging into another of the control stations.
"Dooku's ship has been ejected and we have no way off this thing."
"Lovely," Obi-Wan remarked.
Her hands flying over the controls, Anakin decided it was time for plan C. "We're going to have to do this ourselves."
"What?" said Palpatine, "What about the escape ship."
"Sorry, Chancellor, not an option anymore." Anakin pressed a series of buttons then took control of the yoke. "Buckle in, ladies, this is going to be bumpy."
"What are you doing?" Obi-Wan asked, even though Anakin was pretty sure she already knew the answer.
"I'm landing this hunk of junk on Coruscant."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"It's the best one we've got." Anakin pushed forward on the yoke sending the ship toward the planet surface.
Another strafing run flew over them, and everyone could feel the ship shudder as blast after blast made impact. Obi-Wan began jabbing a series of buttons on the dash, looking for the comm so they could call the Republic and tell them not to blast them out of the sky. The panel was in pieces. It appeared that Grievous had been having a hard time on the bridge before they arrived.
"Anakin, where's that blasted little droid of yours. It needs to get in here and fix the comm." Obi-Wan was already pulling apart the panel and tearing wires out of place.
Obi-Wan might think that Anakin was too attached to the droid, but that didn't stop her from also liking how useful the Artoo could be. Anakin commed Artoo, telling the droid to get to the bridge stat. Then she dropped her comm on the dash and tried to focus only on landing the ship in one piece.
They were starting to enter the atmosphere, the ship was growing heavier, bucking against Anakin's control as she tried to guide it to the surface. They were still being peppered by Republic forces, but Anakin wasn't too worried about them yet. This ship had a lot of shields.
The ship torqued one way, then wrenched again before Anakin could recover from the first time. She fought to stabilize as the ship lurched drunkenly through the sky. The atmosphere was heating up as they got closer to the surface, Anakin bit her lip as she concentrated on her objective.
With a horrible grinding sound the ship suddenly careened off course. Two thirds of the displays on the bridge went red and started squealing. Anakin knew something was terribly wrong as she struggled to bring the ship back on course. The grinding intensified into an overwhelming, howling, shriek. Then it stopped.
"What's happened?" Palpatine's voice was a whisper laced with dread.
Part of the controls went limp in her hand and the red lights on the dash wailed a solid, annoying tone. Anakin gulped. "I think we lost something."
Obi-Wan swore softly as she saw the blinking screen that indicated what had happened. "This is why I hate flying," she said.
Anakin glanced at it too and grimaced. She was now flying only half a ship.
"Can you get us down safely?" Obi-Wan asked as she went back to her comm panel and began pulling wires again.
"I have no other choice."
Anakin quickly pressed a series of controls hoping they would help reduce some of the speed they were gaining. They were getting very close to the surface now, in only a minute or two they would be brushing the highest levels of the city. If she miscalculated, made one error in judgment, not only the Chancellor, but a lot of other people could die. She couldn't allow that to happen.
Over the wailing of the alarms Anakin thought she heard a new kind of beeping. Glancing over she saw that Artoo had finally made it to the bridge and was helping Obi-Wan with the comm. She was relieved to see that Artoo hadn't been aboard the half of the ship they lost.
In a moment the comm was workable enough to get through to the Republic. Obi-Wan told them in a very steady but urgent tone exactly what was happening while Anakin continued to fight the steering. The clone on the other end said they'd be there to help in only a moment.
The ship was on course, as close as Anakin could make it, to skim the uppermost level of the city for thirty seconds before gravity got the better of them. If they couldn't find a platform or landing strip in that time, this was going to be bad.
Abruptly, a clone's voice came over the comm. "Generals, there is a clear landing strip on your heading twenty klicks ahead. We have a crew ready to guide you in."
Anakin didn't know for sure, but the voice sounded like Rex's. If she was out there helping to reel them in safely then they might not spark a catastrophe after all. She suddenly had a lot more confidence that they would make it.
They came up on the strip quickly. Twenty kilometers goes very fast when you're plummeting from the sky. It was one of the large industrial ones that could handle very large ships.
Rex's voice cut in over the comm once more, "You are cleared to land, General."
Anakin pulled out every flap, foil, hatch, aileron, and brake she could. She angled the ship, this wasn't going to be so much a landing as a controlled crash. Reaching out with the Force she and Obi-Wan attempted to buffer the crash. Palpatine sat, white-knuckle gripping the arms of her chair.
The ship impacted the strip with a sickening jolt. The squeal of the metal and the shrieking on the alarms made a cacophony as a dozen tiny electrical fires erupted on the bridge. The ship slid for what seemed a long time before finally lurching to a halt. Anakin and Obi-Wan sat still for a moment, looking out the still intact portion of the viewscreen, surprised that they had landed so well.
The Chancellor shakily rose from her seat. "Let's not do that again."