Guess who's back? XD
Seriously, I'm incredibly elated to finally update this fic. Many of you no doubt thought it to be dead or abandoned. No, unfortunately I fell into a deep personal rut which affected greatly my muse and ability to churn out content.
Thankfully, that has passed and with the arrival of the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series, felt a sudden surge of inspiration.
So I hope everyone enjoys the latest chapter. As always, if I've missed or made an error in anything technical please feel free to politely DM me. Reviews are encouraged and constructive feedback most welcome.
"Sometimes, there are no easy decisions in battle. Only those which induce suffering and slightly less suffering."- Anonymous
Chapter 21. The Choices of War Part 1
Explosions. They were everywhere and shook the very foundation of the Jedi Temple itself. The CIS had brought so much firepower as to almost completely blacken the sky with flak and smoke. Such an invasion went far beyond the normal realm of military engagement. It was to turn the very tide of the war in one fell swoop, a sentiment Yoda echoed.
"A decisive blow, Grievous seeks to strike."
He and Mace Windu had been in the meditation chamber together, seeking answers to seemingly unsolvable questions. Alas the Force remained as cloudy as ever and even the most powerful masters found it impossible to sift through the fog. Of course, nothing could compare to the fog of war.
"We need to organize a defense quickly," Windu asserted with a degree of urgency not normally found in the stoic Jedi Master. "There aren't enough clones to match their sheer numbers."
"Contact the Chancellor, I shall. A proper assessment we shall need in order to prevent the capture of the capital."
Another explosion rocked the room, shaking the building yet again. Windu's comlink began beeping rapidly. A clear emergency protocol from his second in command.
"Commander Ponds, status report."
"General, we need you urgently! The clankers have already started invading the top levels! There's too many!"
"Calm yourself, soldier. Send me the coordinates and I'll head to your position straight away."
"Yes, sir."
Windu wasted no time in rushing out the room but not before nodding towards the Grandmaster.
"May the Force be with you."
"And with you, Master Windu. Make with all haste."
Left alone, Yoda tried to organize his thoughts. The Separatists caught them completely by surprise and a speedy, orderly defense would be required. As well as reinforcements.
He quickly initiated a transmission to the Senate building directly to the Chancellor's headquarters. It was quickly received.
"Master Yoda."
"Chancellor. Safe are you?"
"For the moment, my old friend. Though I have been assured that my office is out of the current range of fire."
His signal remained strong against the backdrop of bombs and laser cannons. For now.
"Assured of that, you cannot be. Extra Republic forces are required."
The ever humble but wily Chancellor thankfully did not argue and bowed in acknowledgment.
"I quite agree. I suggest we contact General Skywalker and General Kenobi. It was their original mission to find Grievous. How ironic he should end up here."
Something about the way Palpatine said that last sentence didn't sit quite right with the old master but he didn't have time to dwell on that now.
"Contact them I shall."
It took a minute or so, but eventually the blue toned images of Anakin and Obi-Wan came over the holonet. Both looked politely nonplussed.
"Chancellor? Master Yoda? What's going on?" the former asked.
"Grave news, I'm afraid," he told them somberly. "The Separatists have attacked Coruscant."
"An unwelcome surprise," Palpatine chimed in as his connection began to phase in and out rather ominously. "It appears that we have been fooled. General Grievous employed the use of the Nexus Route, a secret hyperspace lane, in order to bypass our defenses."
An old hyperspace route…hmmm
"Attacking with overwhelming force, Grievous is."
Anakin's jaw dropped. Obi-Wan stood stoic, but grimly concerned.
"Are you safe Chancellor?"
"For the moment, I am quite secure, my boy. The Red and Senate Guards are moving me to a secret location along with a handful of other Senators. But we need every man we can get, including your respective fleet."
"You can count on us."
Skywalker's enthusiasm was reassuring if not predictable.
"Hurry you must. Not enough Jedi there are, to stop a full assault by the droids."
"We are charting a course back to the capital as we speak," Obi-Wan informed him, always cool under pressure. One of the few traits he'd inherited from Qui-Gon. The name elicited old feelings…guilt…regret for the terrible way he'd been killed on Naboo…
He stopped his runaway thoughts.
Unwise to dwell on those who've died, it is
A third party attempted to join the call. One originating from Scipio. As if the day couldn't get more bizarre.
"Jedi! Chancellor! Thank goodness! Rush Clovis is a traitor! He's invited Count Dooku to negotiate a new loan at half the percentage of his last and is threatening to double Republic interest if we don't give into his demands! It's madness!"
For Muuns, normally calm, methodical and calculating, to be acting in this manner indicated this was no mere bluff but another full blown assault against the Republic's ability to wage war.
"Are you quite sure?" Palpatine asked.
"There is no doubt. Dooku's army is already here. He's established himself at banking headquarters where Clovis intends to treat with him."
Yoda could already deduce what Palpatine was going to say next.
"This is indeed, grave news. I'm afraid Count Dooku is attempting to violate the neutrality of the banks in order to control the flow of intergalactic credit. Our war effort stands at a precipice."
"Reinforcements we will need, Chancellor," Yoda reminded him.
"We must make do, my friend. Our ability to win this conflict depends a great deal on Republic war bonds and the interest rates we receive on our loans. Should these strong arm tactics from Dooku succeed, all will be lost."
Palpatine reassured the Muun of his commitment to their security by dispatching Skywalker and Kenobi's men to Scipio. Something the Grandmaster could not overrule. Little point in arguing that fact. Control what can be controlled.
"I will organize a home defense," Yoda affirmed to everyone on the call. "Call all nearby units, we will. Planned, this was. Capture Dooku and Grievous, we must."
"I have no doubt you shall, Master Yoda. My faith in the Jedi Order has never been stronger."
Again, the smallest seed of unease wriggled inside Yoda's stomach at that profession of loyalty. It went beyond standard politician speak. But what that precise unease was eluded him like so many answers had in the past decade.
Thoughts for later
"May the Force be with us all," was his final message before Anakin and Obi-Wan disappeared from view. Palpatine's connection stood the test of Separatist bombing but only temporarily.
"Chancellor, seek safety as soon as possible, you must."
"Not to worry, Master Yoda. Preparations are being made. In fact I-"
Disturbingly, the transmission cut out entirely. Not a good sign. Yoda murmured to himself, took a deep breath and willed himself to control distracting emotions as he always did. Fear would not save the Republic. Only sound judgment.
An incoming message on his pocket comlink beeped and buzzed. Commander Greer no doubt.
"Master Yoda!" came the voice of his longtime companion. His tone indicated urgency but not quite at the same level of panic as Ponds.
"Commander. Status report."
"General, the Separatists are concentrating the majority of their forces in three main sectors of the planet's surface levels."
"Send the coordinates, you can?"
They came in seconds later and Yoda recognized them immediately which only added to the massive weight of their situation. They popped up one by one: Detention Center, clone barracks, and Senate building.
"Where are you now, Commander?" he replied after an extended silence.
"At barracks, sir. The droids have surrounded it. We've set up barriers and held them off but we need help! There's too many!"
"Hold the line, my friend. On my way, I am."
"Will do, sir."
Yoda's comlink went silent as he pondered on his next move. The clones were as good as finished without Jedi assistance. If their forces were pinned down then no solid defense stood in the way of the Separatists overrunning the Senate or the Detention Center. Even if he reached Greer and his men in time, they would not be able to save both facilities.
There were no easy paths to take in war.
"Hmmm."
But a decision needed to be made.
A gnarled, green claw pressed issued another sequence on the communicator.
"Calling all Jedi Masters and Knights on Coruscant to arms. Under attack the Republic is. Defend it, we must."
"Are those the last ones?"
Luke assisted shepherding a group of younglings into one of the many hidden rooms and chambers that dotted the outline of the Jedi Temple. Cin Drallig gave an affirming nod. A female master he did not know urged them to stay quiet, soothing them with assurances everything was okay despite evidence to the contrary.
"It should be."
"And the padawans?
"Most of them are accounted for. I will double back and ensure no youngling is left behind."
Another explosion, this one much longer and louder, rocked the Temple. But it didn't sound like a direct hit.
"I'll do whatever I can to assist."
"You are needed in the field," Drallig told him wisely. "The armed forces are being overwhelmed."
"But the children-"
"Are under safe care. The temple guard and some of the more experienced knights will stay behind in case the droids attempt a formal assault. I'll set up the defenses."
Luke took a glance at the children and then at Drallig. It felt wrong to leave them behind. He'd been in the womb the day of the Jedi Purge. If this was Palpatine's alternate attempt at destroying them…he wanted to be there for that fight.
Then his comlink lit up. Master Yoda's sequence. A must take.
"General Luke?"
"Present, Master Yoda. What do you need?"
"A mission of urgent undertaking. Under attack, the Senate building is. Trapped inside the Chancellor is, along with many others."
Luke's heart sank. He'd been afraid of that. The Senate was currently in recess. But it still made for an easy target. And a key to the Sith Lord's nefarious scheming.
"Ensure his safety, you must. Protect at all costs. The fate of the Republic depends on it."
What irony that the man currently responsible for the ongoing carnage on Coruscant should be the one he needed to protect. But he couldn't damn well refuse no matter how tempting the prospect of leaving Palpatine to be blown to smithereens sounded.
The universe really has to stop screwing with me
"Consider it done, Master," came the terse reply.
"Ahsoka Tano is to go with you. Already informed she is of the details."
The little green master gave a discernible sigh. He sounded tired. Wary even.
"No one else do I trust with this matter. May the Force be with you."
"And with you."
Luke turned to see Drallig looking at him intently.
"It seems you have work to do."
No further comments were required as the blond took off running down the hall and towards the nearest hangar. Ten seconds passed before he turned the corner only to find Ahsoka directly in his path.
"Whoa!"
"There you are."
He narrowly avoided bowling her over despite being only three inches taller. She gave him a funny, bemused look.
"I assume you were looking for me?"
"Likewise. I just talked to Master Yoda."
"As did I. What's the plan?"
Luke tried to drown out the shouts going by as a multitude of knights hurried past to join the first line of defense against a potential Separatist attack. Thinking properly became almost impossible at such a juncture. He'd known about the daring raid on Coruscant of course. And as usual, timing was the problem. Knowledge was one thing. Prevention? Quite another. For the first time since traveling through the World Between Worlds, he felt unable to control the events around him.
"I don't know," he admitted, running a hand through messy, dirty blond hair.
"Is this something that happened in the original timeline?" she asked in a low voice. Not that anyone would hear them anyway above the flak.
"Yes, but this is different. Obi-Wan and Anakin were the ones who were sent to rescue the Chancellor originally from a Trade Federation flagship. That's where my father killed Count Dooku.
Ahsoka processed that information as quickly as she could. The gears turned for a possible solution.
"We've thwarted Sidious multiple times in the last month or so. This might be his way of regaining the advantage. The droids outnumber us one hundred to one. Perhaps he wants to wipe us all out in one fell swoop."
Luke considered that proposition for a second time, remembering how fearful he felt for the younglings. Then he looked out the window and saw just how intense the battle had become…and that the Jedi didn't seem to be a major target.
"This place is practically untouched," he observed. "Members of the Council wouldn't be rushing into the fray if battle droids were marching on the temple. There's something amiss here."
"Is there any other similarity you can think of?" Ahsoka pressed. "Anything we can use?"
"The sneak attack on Coruscant occurred at a later date in the original timeline. General Grievous kidnapped Palpatine. If he's here, which is likely, Dooku may not be far behind. This could end up being another in a long line of bullshit stunts in order to grab power."
"What do we do then? We can't disobey an order from Master Yoda but we can't play directly into the hand of that kriffin evil Sithspawn either."
Once again, fate left Luke Skywalker with no ideal options. Damned if you do, damned if you don't may as well have been the motto of his entire life.
Leia, I wish you were here to guide me through this. This is your area of expertise not mine
"I don't like this any more than you do. But it's not just Palpatine holed up in that building. Aides, staff, workers, and guards are depending on us as well. They're the ones that matter."
Ahsoka nodded firmly and without hesitation.
"Then let's commandeer a couple of fighters and get moving."
*Boom
*Boom
*Boom
Barriss Offee smiled to herself as the trembling explosions became louder and louder while simultaneously moving closer and closer. She could sense the Separatists were about to overrun the facility.
*Boom
*Boom
Yes, soon she would be free from this wretched place and be able to rejoin her master. And richly rewarded as a result.
*Boom
Ooo, that one felt particularly ominous. Being deprived of a lightsaber didn't rob her of the ability to use the Force. The fear in the room grew by the second. Those pathetic clones were no match for the powers of the dark side. Even now, she could feel it pulsating, throbbing, enriching her blood vessels until the body began to sync as one giant organ. The Jedi would pay for their insufferable arrogance and she'd be a part of the new order to come…more powerful than them all.
"Soon, very soon," Barriss hummed happily as she sat back on her cot. A change of scenery from this dreary place would be nice. A hot meal would be nice. Maybe even some new lightsabers. Red was more her color than blue anyway.
The ground trembled as though a giant were violently striking a hammer. Crimson armored clones scrambled and shouted orders as though they actually had a chance at keeping their inevitable demise at bay.
"Keep those machine blasters moving!"
"They're overheating, sir! We need reinforcements!"
"Damn it! Seal those doors!"
"It's too late!"
Barriss idly glanced at her fingertips.
"Three…two…one…"
BOOM*
An almighty explosion blew the facility wide open and in came hundreds of B1 and B2 battle droids, firing indiscriminately at anything that moved in front of them. The shock troopers attempted to take cover but there was nowhere to hide. Her two guards immediately locked down the doors to her cell and began sealing them.
As if it will do them any good
The former Jedi padawan enjoyed seeing these glorified, super soldiers get their comeuppance. Cruel, unthinking, and cold, they'd done their best to make her experience uncomfortable- lousy food, restricted access to feminine care, constant taunting and snide comments about her betrayal.
One by one, they fell. As they did, Offee began to sense something else. It was faint, barely qualifying as an organic life form, a slow moving, deliberate mass constructed of pure malice. Certainly not the smooth, elegant presence emanated by her master.
Then she saw him. The cyborg, the bane of every Republic dog and Jedi alike. General Grievous himself alongside his usual Magna Guards. He appeared amused at the terror of the clones behind the glass before shattering it into a million pieces with his lightsaber.
"Commander Fox, we are being overrun! I repeat we are being overrun-GAH!"
Sergeant Jax took a twin blaster to the head and lay still. Grievous easily blocked the last desperation shots of his companion, Corporal Drake, before cutting him across the chest with a vicious slash.
Barriss Offee decided now was the time to formally escape and hopped off the bed. One of the many MagnaGuards picked up the fob to her cell and opened it with a small ding.
"Ahh, freedom." She took in the air of freedom as though it were a fragrance. "Thank you, General. I must admit, your arrival is unexpected but not unwelcome."
Grievous gave a horrid, metallic cough as he narrowed those gleaming, yellow eyes.
"Am I not good enough to rescue such a fine, upstanding lady?"
Barriss allowed the barb to pass through her. Nothing this demented robot said could affect her. She was of the Force. Her power and prestige far surpassed his.
"My Master awaits," she said, passing him by in the most haughty manner possible. "Whatever your plan, it's time to get a move on and bid this facility goodbye for the last time-"
A blue lightsaber impaled her directly in the chest, the movement being so fast she could not even utter a scream of pain even as the edges of her vision began to blacken.
"Yes, I quite agree."
The last thing Barriss Offee ever registered was the sound of a rusty chuckle as the life left her body forever.
Satisfied with her death, the Separatist warlord switched off his lightsabers and began issuing orders.
"Take a squadron and kill everyone inside this prison. Secure any data on the hard drives!" he barked at one of his droid corporals. "The rest of you, with me!"
He tilted his head at the prone, unmoving body of the disgraced Jedi whom Dooku wanted so badly as an apprentice. Oh, well. Lord Sidious's orders took precedence. If he still had the ability to spit he would have done so right then and there. Jedi scum.
"One target down. Two to go."
The scene on Scipio mirrored that of Coruscant. Venator class destroyers and Banking Clan frigates engaged in rapid back and forth hellfire. Republic gunships weaved in and out of Separtist Spider Droid artillery. Clones and droids fought on the landing platform down below as though they were small toy soldiers on a game board. That's how Count Dooku envisioned this conflict and how insignificant it truly was. He barely gave it a glance from the open window. Far more important matters were afoot.
He couldn't help but smirk at the naive fool in front of him. So wittingly and unwittingly playing his part. A stroke of genius on the part of his master. Rush Clovis was an empty headed dreamer, an overly ambitious swamp rat in fancy robes, parading around as though he carried actual importance.
"Dooku, you can't possibly think this plan of yours will succeed."
And extremely adept at knowing when to shut his mouth.
"It already has, Senator."
Even as a fierce battle raged outside of Clovis's office window between CIS forces and the Republic, victory was irrelevant. He'd already accomplished what he came for.
"The banks are supposed to be neutral! I cannot slash your rates while withholding Republic credit unless they pay back double their original agreed upon percentage. It's a violation of law!"
Dooku raised Clovis up by his neck with the Force, straining to breath under the duress.
"I am the only law that matters," he growled menacingly. "And don't forget who it was that assisted in your rise to the position you now hold."
He released the pathetic banker, who grasped his throat in the effort to breathe. An ARC-170 zoomed by in pursuit of vulture droids as little specs of smoke from the dogfight dotted the sky.
"I…am the head…of the Banking Clan…" he gasped through heavy coughing. "When people learn of your extortion against me, I will be exonerated."
"As far as anyone knows, I am here on your invitation. This destruction and violation of bank neutrality can be traced back to the greed and ambition of Rush Clovis. And when you've signed the official documents giving the Banking Clan's blessing to this agreement, you will be faced with two options: surrender to Republic authorities or come with me to be my personal chief of finance for the Separatist Alliance."
He strode forward and handed Clovis a hastily drawn up contract, one that contained every detail, carefully drawn up. One click, one press of the button and it would seal the fate of the banking institutions forever.
"What's your angle?" Clovis asked, his curiosity briefly overtaking fear. "Why do this? There was no need to threaten such outrageous terms."
Dooku's voice cracked like thunder.
"Cease the inane questioning. For now, you will sign this agreement as Head of the Banking Clan…or die. The choice is yours."
The idea of choice represented a mere illusion and both men knew that. Clovis could have his life or his honor plain and simple. And in Dooku's experience, men such as him always chose the former.
"I want it stated for the record that I did not consent to this deal."
"Not if I'm the only witness," Dooku oozed with condescension. In a matter of seconds, he had the terms of agreement in hand. Now to retreat before Kenobi and Skywalker's forces broke through. An engagement with the idiotic duo was best avoided especially when his own army did not have an explicit advantage in numbers.
"Congratulations, Mr. Clovis. You have just made an extremely wise and prudent business decision on behalf of your institution. Now, step this way if you please."
The Count overestimated the time his forces could give before the Republic inevitably broke through. He could sense their essences rising on the elevator below…
He pushed Clovis forward in the effort to fool the clueless Jedi as to their desired perpetrator. Worked like a charm.
"Dooku."
His name may as well have been a slur to the Jedi at this point. Not that it mattered one bit.
"Ahh, Skywalker and Kenobi. Running another fool's errand I see."
Azure sabers hovered hesitantly in preparation for a fight, that is until they noticed who it was that stood next to him.
"So it's true, you've sold out to the Separatists," Anakin said harshly.
"No! You don't understand! It's not what it looks like-"
"That is quite difficult to believe," Obi-Wan responded with a heavy dose of skepticism. "Considering the person on your left."
"Don't be bashful Senator Clovis. After all, it was your idea to maximize profit by doubling the interest rates on Republic loans, causing an automatic default while simultaneously wiping out every last debt held by the Confederacy," Dooku said with a devious smirk.
"Meaning you'd be able to establish a fresh line of credit," Obi-Wan surmised. It didn't take a banker to draw the inevitable conclusion. "Thereby controlling the flow of money and bankrupting the Republic. Essentially, you'd win the war."
"As sharp as ever, Master Kenobi."
Anakin's brow furrowed as he pointed his saber directly at them in his usual barbaric manner.
"You're both going to pay for what you've done today."
"Your eloquence is unmatched, Skywalker. Unfortunately for the Republic and Jedi, I already have what I came for."
Dooku held up the contract triumphantly before pocketing it. The room flashed crimson with the sound of an ignited lightsaber.
"Come Clovis. Our work here is done."
The bewildered, frightened former Senator began backing away as Dooku held the two Jedi at bay…before promptly changing his mind.
"No…no I'm not going with you."
"You'd rather place your fate in the hands of the Republic?"
Honestly, he thought Clovis might have a tad bit more common sense than that. Such attempts at weaseling his way out of trouble were pointless.
"This is not what it seems!" he cried to Obi-Wan and Anakin. "I've been framed! You have to believe me!"
"And why should we do that?"
Confound it all. Dooku really didn't want to kill today but if the man kept talking…
"Because this wasn't my idea. I'm being held hostage! Dooku forced me to sign that agreement! He-"
…and there it was.
Lightning engulfed Clovis sending him into such rapid convulsions the man's brain was likely fried to the point of insanity. But Count Dooku did not leave much, if anything, to chance. One Force push later and he sent the former banker through the window, sentencing him to become a smear on the ground below.
"Challenge me if you dare," he warned the Jedi opposing him, both of whom wore horrified expressions at such a brazen act of brutality.
They don't have the stomach or the foresight to see the true cost of war…and what's going on right in front of them
"We'll take him together this time," Obi-Wan muttered to his protege.
"I was about to say that."
With a whirl of red and blue, the battle for Scipio and the banks had begun.
30 Minutes Prior to the events on Scipio
Master Yoda hadn't been wrong. Grievous really was going all out with his forces. Every time they destroyed one vulture or Tri-Fighter, three more take its place. For every Republic ship, two Separatist ones besieged it. The surface of Coruscant blazed with war and thousands upon thousands of battle droids and its atmosphere proved to be no different.
"We're not even going to make it to Monument Plaza let alone the Senate building at this rate," Ahsoka groused as she flipped her fighter upside down to narrowly avoid a rocket strike.
"Hold steady," Luke told her over his comlink, ignoring a bump from ill timed flak. "We're not trying to engage in a dogfight. Keep flying."
"Righhht. Because I wasn't doing that before."
In truth, such a request proved easier than done. Chaos didn't even come close to describing the battle raging in the Coruscanti skies.
"More vultures to your left."
"I'm on it."
Luke veered slightly and tried to dodge the deadly oncoming blaster cannons. One shot narrowly missed the right engine. Ahsoka took care of the rest.
"I don't suppose any past knowledge could help in this situation, Skyguy?" she asked over the comm channel.
"I'm a time traveler not a miracle worker," he snarked back. "And it's probably best not to reveal my true identity over the- incoming!"
Two energy torpedoes were headed straight for them. Luke's piloting skill enabled him to blow them up in a quick succession of shots. Ahsoka did not fare as easily.
"Ahsoka!"
One of the torpedoes seemingly exploded against her wing as she pulled up. The smoke cleared to reveal a blackened scorch mark but otherwise emerged unharmed.
"Don't scare me like that."
"Luke, I was trained by the best pilot in the entire galaxy."
"Yes and by extension you've inherited his penchant for scaring the shit out of people with reckless maneuvering."
"Oh, yes. He's the only Skywalker who engages in reckless maneuvering."
Luke hid a smile as he rolled over out of the line of fire from a Tri-Fighter which zoomed past, narrowly avoiding running into another coming in perpendicularly.
"You were saying?"
He almost laughed but chose to stay focused. The average flight path from the Jedi Temple to the Rotunda averaged out to be twenty minutes. Fifteen going top speed. At their current rate they were approaching the halfway marker. But in this gundarks nest of violence who could tell?
"Luke…"
He spotted right away what elicited such dread in Ahsoka's tone. A Banking Clan frigate and a Republic cruiser had dropped out of the upper atmosphere. Both appeared to be headed on a collision course. They would be caught smack dab in the middle.
"Alright now we need some reckless maneuvering," he remarked dryly. "Break off. See if we can't avoid it."
"There's not enough time!"
She was right. To try and go around horizontally would not only be dangerous but waste precious fuel and energy. It left very few, if any, safe options even as the two ships closed in on one another.
"We'll have to pull up," he stated after quickly analyzing the trajectory.
"Pull up?"
"There's no other choice. If we stay at our current altitude we'll be blasted to bits in the crossfire."
"Ugh, I have a bad feeling about this."
Luke rolled his eyes before clicking both switches on his control panel.
"R9. Increase our speed. Full power."
They immediately accelerated upwards, gaining speed and approaching the hulking masses set to fire at will.
"We're gaining altitude too quickly!" Ahsoka shouted into the comlink.
"Stay the course! We can make it!"
Turbolaser cannons began firing right before they escaped the range of fire. Massive plumes of flame nearly enveloped their vision as bombs detonated with such explosive force it nearly threw them both into an unceremonious end.
As it was when destroying the first Death Star, Luke did not need sight or technical acumen. The Force acted as a guide, weaving in and out of the engulfing blaze. Relaxing his body and pushing forward, blue sky reappeared after a very dicey flight through the carnage.
They leveled out as a sonic boom signaled the end of the Banking Clan Frigate, which split in half under the strain of Republic fire.
"Too close for comfort," Ahsoka called in, confirming she was still breathing.
"Well we're not out of the storm yet," he responded back as he noticed several more Separatist ships. "More droids."
The speeding, ungodly screeching of vultures could be heard zooming in from above, squealing cold blooded murder from their automated voice boxes.
"We've got two on on our tail, closing in fast."
"They must have detected us going over the Banking Clan ship. We need to double back and engage."
"Ahsoka we don't have time!" Luke pointed out. "If we delay here, we'll never get to the Senate building."
"There's no guarantee we'll be able to outrun them," Ahsoka countered back.
Indeed, vulture class starfighters were consistently viewed by clone pilots and Jedi alike as the one of the peskier fighters in the Confederate arsenal to shake loose. Being able to walk on land in combination with a multi pronged assortment of weapons, made them dangerous opponents as well as their ability to communicate with each other in that infernal, robotic squealing. In swarms, vultures were quite deadly. In a straight on dogfight, Luke felt confident in taking them down but Ahsoka was right. They didn't have hours available to engage them all.
Highlighting their dilemma they began firing with two of them firing off missiles, no doubt containing the dreaded buzz droids.
"Evasive action!"
The missiles passed them by but much to Luke's chagrin, they began to turn back around. Kriff, since when did they have the ability to do that?
"Did I mention those missiles will automatically follow a target once they've locked onto it?" Ahsoka informed.
"Would have been nice to know beforehand."
The missiles that sought them out were relentless, following his every path, growing closer and closer to their target.
"They're timed, Luke. Even if they don't directly hit your ship, they explode anyway."
"Any advice?" he groaned, pulling sideways to avoid them.
"Stay out in front of them ahead of the impact."
The blond's piloting skills far surpassed that of the average pilot or droid but unlike Anakin preferred to employ a smoother method of flying. He zoomed forward, scrambling for an idea.
"Hang on, let me try something."
He spotted a group of Tri fighters approaching from the north and headed straight towards them.
"Luke?! What are you doing?"
"Trust me, I've got this."
"Those Tris are right on top of you!"
"I know."
Smirking knowing he had those pesky droids right where he wanted them, Luke signaled to his Astro droid.
"R9, on my command I want you to push the engines to their maximum power. Prepare for a dive."
It beeped back noise that reminded him a great deal of R2's skepticism.
"I don't care about the fuel. Just do it."
Your funeral, the droid replied.
Right at the moment of impact R9 did as commanded engaging the thrusters while Luke pushed forward on the steering mechanism. The deadly projectiles missed their mark, exploding in a ball of fire as they collided with the Tri Fighters. The vultures veered off, locking onto other prey.
"Gotta hand it to ya, Skyguy. You can handle yourself in a cockpit. Even better than Anakin."
"I've been told. But we still have to run the gauntlet"
They were nearing the Rotunda, which had just come into view. Against the smoky haze of ozone and battle its shining dome appeared a tad blurry. But it was unmistakable nonetheless. All they had to do was navigate through another ten miles of perilous skies littered with Confederate machinery. Great.
"We're in the homestretch," Luke said while checking the yellow flashing sign on his dashboard. It began beeping obnoxiously. "Also, I'm almost out of fuel."
Ahsoka groaned.
"So am I. Ugh, I wish we'd had time to stock up before we took off."
"No use in beating a dead bantha."
An unexpected transmission came in. One he recognized straight away. Anakin Skywalker popped up in the middle of the control panel.
"Anakin."
"Luke. I'm glad I caught you."
He looked distressed judging by the tense body language. Even from billions of miles away the blond could sense trouble in his father.
"I am sort of in the middle of something," Luke grunted as he weaved outside the path of Vulture droid fire.
"Where are you right now?"
"On my way to the Senate building. The Separatists are attacking it. We think the Chancellor is in danger."
"Luke…Padme is there too."
His heart stopped for a split second. No, not now. Not his mother.
"I know the Chancellor takes priority…but the Senator-"
"Say no more," he interrupted. "Ahsoka and I are on it."
"Luke she's…" Anakin fumbled with his words and looked down, unwilling and reluctant to say more. Luke didn't need any further explanation.
"I promise, no harm will come to her. You have my word."
His father visibly swallowed before nodding.
"Thank you. Obi-Wan and I are on our way to Scipio to apprehend Count Dooku. With any luck, we can end this war today. May the Force be with you."
"And with you."
Luke took a breath before relaying the news to Ahsoka.
"That was Anakin. Padme and her aides are trapped inside the building."
"What?! But the Senate is in recess."
"Evidently, the good Senator found time to go in for extra work."
"Still the same problem." Ahsoka swerved to avoid getting hit by a vulture proton bomb. "We need to get through this stuff."
Luke took in all possible solutions and scenarios. To engage the Confederate directly wasted valuable time. To try and evade them risked being shot down. They were low on fuel and couldn't spend much more time in the air. And time, Kriff there was never enough time. Why did it seem to elude him in critical moments?
The multi faceted stakes had been raised considerably. His mother being assassinated or killed would not only change the timeline irrevocably but potentially send Anakin over the edge in a way that may not be possible to hold back. Sidious needed her alive to lure him with the promise of immortality but he could not take that chance. Not to mention her pregnancy, while scarcely a month and a half at this point, threatened to upend the very fabric of spacetime itself.
Luke's heart fluttered knowing that Padme Amidala truly represented a nurturing figure of affection and morality in his mind. Self sacrifice suddenly became a distinct possibility. If that's what it took to save the mother he never knew…so be it.
"You there?"
Ahsoka's voice broke him out of his internal contemplation.
"We have another reason to get to that building now," he said to her quietly over their com channel.
"Then that's what we'll do. Let's go."
Low on fuel, thousands of droids in the skies, an all out assault by Grievous and a potential setup by Darth Sidious? What could go wrong?
I suppose I've faced larger odds
"We have six HMP gunships coming straight ahead from that Federation flagship."
Grievous's orders no doubt. He didn't want anyone potentially interfering in his plans. He was sure that was by design.
"We can get past them. Those things are slow and cumbersome."
"That's a lot of firepower though."
Just as the yellow blinking light turned from yellow to red, indicating fuel was almost gone and any chance of succeeding in their mission along with it, the droid gunships suddenly combusted in a rapid succession of magnificent explosions. All six were taken completely out of action, much to their shock and relief.
"What the-"
"Yeeehoooo!"
A squadron of ARC-170s zoomed past before circling around and maintaining pace besides them.
"Need a hand there, sir?"
A clone voice came online, unfamiliar to Luke but one Ahsoka recognized immediately.
"Comet! Sinker! Thanks for having our backs boys."
"General Koon sent us in as reinforcements to make sure you get through to the Senate building."
"Couldn't have done it without ya."
"Just doing our job, sir. Now go! We'll escort you as close as we can."
Luke felt another strong surge of respect and admiration give him goosebumps. These men were truly second to none.
"Sinker, this is General Luke. I'm practically out of fuel. Don't stay too long on my account. Once we come within less than a klick of the Rotunda, take off."
"We got you covered, General. We'll stay as long as necessary."
In reality, the problem of fuel complicated one key aspect of this mission: landing. Without it, the scenario of crashing before reaching their destination increased with each passing second. He could already sense his starfighter beginning to dip as the view of the Senate came in closer and closer.
"Ahsoka, begin the descent."
"But we're still not close enough! And the western entrance is crawling with droids."
"We have no choice. Reduce speed as much as you can, keep things level, prepare the landing gear. R9, do you copy?"
The droid indicated he did.
Multiple lights were flashing now as well as the critical beeping indicating low fuel. Ignoring the desire to smash the annoying sound into oblivion, Luke slowed down, tightened the straps around his chair and began guiding the spacecraft as gently as possible before the inevitable, violent impact. This would not be smooth.
Fifteen seconds until landing…the clone pilots pulled up, saluting before flying off.
Ten seconds until landing…Ahsoka was still going too fast. The platform came into view. She'd been right. A whole battalion must have been down there.
Five seconds until landing…Luke issued a silent prayer to the universe his piloting skills were up to par.
"R9 brace yourself!"
His vision briefly blurred the moment metal collided against concrete as a horrible grinding, crunching reverberated across the courtyard. Safety brakes were applied with as much strength as possible. Luke felt like a metric ton of bricks were being applied on top of his shoulders- massive force pushed down on the body but maintained control in as much as it was possible, guiding the starfighter away from the edge of the platform. Chunks of droid flew everywhere as they were knocked down like bowling pins.
After what seemed like an eternity, he finally rolled to a stop. Orange smoke hissed and sparks flew everywhere before his senses properly returned.
I hope Ahsoka had a better landing than I did
Unclipping himself, he opened the latch and flew into the air, emerald blade humming with movement against the droid onslaught. He spotted Ahsoka and her twin sabers doing the same in the corner of his eye. Spinning, weaving, and darting one by one the B1s were turned into scrap heap.
It didn't take long to make short work of the opposition as they reached the entrance. Two Senate guards lay dead and the automatic doors were ajar. Scorch marks blackened the priceless, expertly crafted walls that had stood the test of time for a thousand years. No doubt more Separatist forces clanked about inside.
"Well, all things considered…that went better than expected," Ahsoka said in a minor attempt at brevity.
Luke's eyes twinkled in response but his mind was already parsing through possibilities and plans to save Padme and everyone else trapped inside. A shadow rippled through the Force as he bent down and placed a hand on one of the dead guards.
"I sense a plot. Something's not right."
"I do too," the Togrutan agreed. "But it's cloudy, I can't discern what it is."
"That's only going to get worse," Luke told her frankly. "Palpatine and Plagueis literally tipped the Force out of balance before Anakin was born in an effort to cloud the Jedi's vision. Their whole damn Temple is built on top of a Sith shrine. It's a major reason why they can't sense Palpatine's true identity."
Ahsoka opened her mouth to ask more questions about that particular piece of information but thought better of it. Nothing surprised her at this point.
"So what do we do? If this is a trap, should we just walk right into it?"
Luke thought back to advice gained from Obi-Wan and his father on Ahch-To in reminiscing about their adventures. The best way to avoid a trap? Spring it.
"Padme and the others are genuinely in danger. This whole invasion is happening because Sidious ordered it. I'm going to see what this is really about."
"I don't want to leave you alone with him."
"Ahsoka…" Luke said slowly and with more than a little exasperation. "You have no idea what this man is capable of. I've seen it first hand. Felt it…lived it. There's only a handful of Jedi alive that can match Sidious and you're not one of them."
He felt split. To save his mother and by extension, himself. Or the galaxy at large from a Sith Lord's machinations.
Ahsoka's words were soft.
"I can feel how torn you are about this. But we might be the only people with the knowledge and ability to prevent the worst from happening."
Baby blue eyes lingered over sky blue ones. Luke could feel warmth through their connection as it soothed and comforted his anxiety.
"We can't wait any longer," he finally responded. "Whatever's waiting for us in there, we need to act. The timeline's already screwed up. It doesn't need me anymore. But it does need my mom and dad."
"Luke…"
"You're not going to talk me out of it. Go and find Padme. Tell Anakin she's safe. Get out of here. And hopefully by the time this day is over, no one will ever harm them ever again."
He could sense the lump in her throat as if it were his own. But he did not cry or weep for himself. As Yoda once said 'Do or do not. There is no try.' Self pity did no good here.
"This isn't the end, Skyguy," Ahsoka nodded as she blinked back tears.
Whether it was or not felt like immaterial to Luke Skywalker. Giving one last tender glance at his friend, the only one who knew the true nature of his presence and mission, the two Jedi entered the Senate and parted ways into the unknown.
Alright a couple of author's notes here: I'm using a bit of Legends and Disney canon when it comes to Palpatine's ability to both hide from the Jedi and cloud the Force itself. I liked a lot of his Legends background and felt it didn't violate any new canon.
Originally this was going to be one massive chapter but it ended up being way too long to write out the whole outcome which would have been 15k in words. So I aim to have part 2 out by the end of the month.
Rock on!
~The Wasp