Huzzah! I lived up to my own deadline again.
In all seriousness, I've been writing like crazy lately and these next two chapters were insane to write, especially the one follow this.
This one is more of a 'precursor' but I would not call it a bridge chapter. Lots of stuff happening, lots of action. And...I'm have something in store at the end I think a lot of you will like.
Enough with the vague hints. Onwards!
"There's no way out of here."- David Gilmour
Chapter 36. Trapped
Kashyyyk was a fascinating world in both a wonderful and brutal sense of the word. Massive forests covered almost the entirety of the planet's surface. The trees there were of a different sort than most- wide, expansive, and alive. They guided Kashyyyk's soul, its essence. An interconnected web of nature crucial to the lifeblood of everything and everyone who lived there. While not as strong in the Force as other planets, Luke remembered feeling just a sliver of that former glory after the Empire was finally driven away. By then considerable damage had been done to its surface and ecosystem.
The flip side of all the pristine forestry and natural beauty was that a good chunk of it tried to murder you on a daily basis. Han once referred to Kashyyyk as the land of 'a thousand things that can kill you', a boorish statement but not inaccurate. Several creatures and megafauna had the potential to maim, kill, or devour a grown man with ease. While nowhere close to the hazardous environment of Felucia, it was not for the faint of heart.
But the Wookies defined their homeworld far more than anything else. Stories of their strength, prowess, and tempers were legendary across the galaxy, but you had to know one to truly understand the depth of their makeup- fierce, loyal, sensitive, with hearts as large as the trees they worshiped. Luke was one such person. He internally smiled at the memory of adventures with Chewbacca, one of the most amazing beings he'd ever met.
He tried to keep his focus squarely on that even with the shadow of annihilation lurking over their heads. Sidious had done something or at the very least felt extremely happy about a recent development which never meant anything good (any time the man smiled a Corellian Hound puppy died). He was almost positive it had something to do with Tarkin. Yes, their separation from Anakin was deliberate but the Force warned of a deeper, more sinister purpose.
Compounding that was the disturbing vision of his mother dying in a medbay. A quick scan in the Force and the location of Padme's signature sent a wave of relief through his body: it had been only a vision and not an insight into the present. But what did it mean? Was the dark side playing tricks on him? Did this stem from the Force itself? No answers were provided.
Adding a further degree of anxiety was that he sensed Anakin's intense pain, which only confirmed his father had seen the exact same thing.
Is history doomed to repeat itself to spite me? His mind buzzed with all sort of awful scenarios as a form of self induced torture. Am I powerless to stop this?
Obi-Wan saw clear as a Tatooine day the immense strain on the blond and opened their connection, urging him to calm down. Tarkin may not be Force sensitive, but he could smell fear in a subordinate like a Karkaradon in blood soaked waters.
"Captain Gregor has been assisting the 41st in sabotaging Separatist operations. He will give a brief summary of the current situation on Kashyyyk. Following that, strategy shall be discussed and later implemented pending my approval. Any questions?"
The semi-circle of higher ups in the command center said nothing. Admiral Yularen, their typical ranking naval officer, was not there, having been relieved. Only Obi-Wan, Luke, Captain Rex, Captain Gregor and Lieutenant Boil in lieu of the injured Commander Cody, represented the 501st and 212th respectively.
"Good." Tarkin glanced poshly at his fingernails before continuing. "Captain?"
Gregor, a well known commando who's survived a number of excursions, cracked a very loose grin. Rumors abound he'd taken one too many hits to the head and was a few cards short of a full Sabacc deck. When speaking, however, it carried the same degree of professionalism as any other officer (though with a sprinkling of insanity here and there).
"Control of Kashyyyk is split among the natives, who still control most of the mainland, and the Separatists who have various strips of coastline and have adopted a policy of island hopping. We routed them in the naval battle but somehow they keep running through our blockade, therefore the enemy is not only well supplied but on the offensive. Special forces were sent in to identify and destroy these smugglers with limited success."
He pushed the button which focused in on a cluster of trees overlooking a large beachhead which wiggled its way in and around the edge of the bordering lake.
"The clankers have been focusing their attacks on this specific area, the island of Kachirho. It's a key access point along the shoreline and the last major outpost leading to the capital city of Rwookrrorro. We've dug dozens of trenches and fortified our positions to the north and south. The main Separatist power generators are here…" he pointed to the left. "On the opposite side of the lake. Once they begin to charge up, that's when the droids start coming."
"And what is the status of the 41st?" Obi-Wan asked.
"They're hanging in tough but the casualty numbers are growing. Which is why we're thankful for the 501st and 212th arriving on such short notice."
Luke studied the map and the blue dots marking Republic positions. Kashyyyk was part of an elaborate ruse, he was sure of it. But the natives deserved better than to be slaughtered indiscriminately. He had a personal interest in preventing the terrible fate awaiting them.
Chewie's down there. And many others.
"How have the Wookies fared?"
Gregor responded with reverence to Luke's question.
"They're magnificent. Can't say enough about them. But they've arguably taken the biggest hit."
"Then protecting them is a priority," he said firmly. "And our efforts at this point should be primarily defensive."
"I agree with General Luke. Looking at this map, I'd say even with the 501st and 212th we don't have the numbers to take the fight to the Seps," Rex observed wisely. "We should concentrate firepower towards the center in combination with a series of smaller attacks aimed at their flanks. Snipers, rocket launchers, detonators, etc."
Obi-Wan gave a tacit nod. Though he wished Cody were here to give input, Rex was second to none in terms of tactics.
"If we can hold them long enough, the Separatist forces will eventually break like water upon a rock," he said.
Luke shuffled his memories regarding the original battle. Master Yoda had been sent there to organize a hasty defense of the badly outnumbered Wookies and while the Separatists nearly broke through, Republic forces held out in the end…then Order 66 came down.
An ominous trepidation struck him. Was this the strategy Sidious intended to employ? But why send Tarkin? He'd been a high ranking officer by war's end but not deep enough in Palpatine's inner circle to know about Order 66.
He tried to probe the man's intentions within the rotten mass but found nothing, no obvious give away or emotion that indicated betrayal. Surely, it was impossible…
Luke switched his focus back to battle planning. He'd have to trust his instincts and right now, they told him a planet with a vulnerable population was in need.
"We are agreed then on what we need to do?" He glanced at everyone around the table, even Tarkin, who's snobbish endorsement they'd need.
But if he'd expected an easy rubber stamp of approval, he was sorely disappointed.
"This strategy seems too…tentative for my taste," he said loftily.
"With respect, sir, it's sound defensive tactics," Rex said with the evenness of a man carefully educating a superior. "The pressure is on the droids to take heavily fortified positions. Let them come while we blast them to pieces."
"Oh we'll be blasting them alright," Gregor grinned. Tarkin did not appreciate the humor.
"Battles are won with aggression and boldness, not pointless defense," he continued on arrogantly. Obi-Wan said nothing but Luke felt his disapproval strongly. Especially as someone who prided themselves on defensive lightsaber combat.
"General Tarkin, you tasked us to draw up a strategy for winning this fight. Are we not allowed to do as we see fit?"
"Not without my permission, no," Tarkin sniped back. "And as the commander in charge of this operation, I have the power and responsibility to ensure battle plans are sound and appropriately implemented."
"Oh, really?" Luke had to suppress a great deal of sarcasm in his voice. "And do you have an alternative to what we proposed?"
Tarkin met his challenge with cold superiority and gusto.
"As I matter of fact, I do. The Wookies shall be our front line. They will commence a series of attacks, slowing the enemy's initial assault. Once this is completed, the 501st, 212th, and 41st will move en masse in a sweeping movement to crush the Separatists once and for all. Tanks shall provide covering fire."
No one thought much of the idea. Obi-Wan was the first to say so.
"I must respectfully dissent," he said, eyes hardening. "That is far too bold for what we're up against."
"The Seps outnumber us three to one," Gregor added.
"Any Republic soldier worth their salt is equivalent to ten battle droids," Tarkin said, crushing a hand into his open palm. "I have confidence in our forces to successfully execute this maneuver."
Luke had commanded troops plenty of times, Rebellion and in the current version of the Clone Wars. He was keenly aware of just how much it went against standard military practice. Everyone did. And Tarkin was no fool. A man of his pedigree wouldn't suggest something so reckless.
Unless it was on purpose.
"You're using them as bait." Obi-Wan had held back, Luke's mood did not leave room for that same courtesy. He let this pompous sleemo have it. "Even when their population is at risk."
"That is slander bordering on insubordination," Tarkin shot back, real irritation within those humorless, blue-gray eyes. "The reputation of the Wookies precedes them. If they are intent on driving out the invaders from their world, they'll do whatever it takes."
A crucial aspect of this strategy came into view. One he'd neglected up until Tarkin offered a cruel reminder: human supremacy. The Empire built its entire social and military foundation on that racist doctrine. Now he saw the seeds of it in real time. The galaxy was full of people with that belief system, including many within the Republic itself. Wookies weren't worth anything to them. And it fulfilled two goals in one fell swoop. Weakening a physically powerful race just enough to enslave them and establish humans as the unquestioned dominant species.
"You can't sacrifice them as if they're canon fodder," Luke countered, his heart fully inside his mouth. But Tarkin cut across him sharply before more impassioned words could be spoken.
"Enough. The time for debate is over, gentleman. The plan is in place and everyone here shall follow it to the letter. Dismissed."
No opportunity for rebuttal or questions. No consideration for the good of the men under their command or the people they were supposed to protect. Just detached, cold blooded orders. This was the nightmare he'd been sent back to stop.
Luke released his righteous anger and indignation into the Force and centered himself even as thoughts of Chewie, Padme, and Anakin persisted. He'd have another private chat with Obi-Wan, Boil, and Rex. They'd find a way to tailor this flawed, callous strategy to their needs.
"A word, General Ahch-To."
It was always something, wasn't it? Forced to obey orders against his wishes, Luke turned around and headed back. Obi-Wan stopped as well but he told him to go through their bond. They'd catch up later. Time spent with Wilfhuff Tarkin would be short as a general rule.
"Yes, General?"
Tarkin's lanky figure stared down at the blond. Given the marked difference in their respective heights, he could see the inside of the man's nostrils. Luke waited with bated breath before being addressed.
"You're being removed from duty."
"What? Why?"
He dropped all pretenses of being respectful. This was going in too dark a direction.
"You just gave a perfect example. Disrespect, improper deference to military superiors, and from what I gather, neglect in your command."
"Neglect of command? Dare I ask how you came to that conclusion?
"You organized a funeral for a trooper who died on duty while preparing for a full scale Siege. This is in addition to a level five atomic brain scan ordered the prior day when the trooper in question should have been disciplined. It reeks of a general who's lost control of his men. That cannot be allowed on the battlefield. As a result, you shall remain here as an observer, but not as a participant."
Luke wanted to shout, scream, cry, seethe, anything to protest the indignity being done to him. But nearly fifty years of living taught him this was something more. He allowed the emotions to pass and settled into the best form of calm possible.
Tarkin was up to something. He could feel it. This was all too convenient, too coordinated to be the simple act of an uncaring, ruthless military officer.
"Fine."
He made to leave in order to find Obi-Wan but once more Tarkin thwarted his efforts.
"General, when I said you are to remain here, I meant here," he said, gesturing towards the bridgehead. "Is that understood?"
Oh, it was perfectly understood by now. Tarkin was definitely up to something.
Anakin wasted no time in looking for Padme. The second his foot touched the ground on Coruscant, he grabbed the nearest speeder he could find and zoomed across the bustling ecumenopolis, breaking several speeding laws in the process. He'd issued hasty orders to Ahsoka to transport Maul to the Temple and the Mandalorians to the main detention center without so much as a breath in between. Such was the degree of his consternation, no doctor would endorse a blood pressure that high in a twenty two year old.
As the wind whipped through his growing, brunette locks and several curses thrown his way from fellow drivers, Anakin managed to lower the collective sense of impending doom just enough to regain clarity in the Force. It surrounded him in the way it usually did, as an unlimited field of energy to tap into at will. So easy, so accessible, so...abstract yet omnipresent. Obi-Wan and Yoda often warned that fear not only clouded judgment, but the ability to see using the Force. At age nine, he'd struggled mightily in keeping his own sensitivity in check. The Force felt like an inoperable radio impossible to turn off given his incredible power in it. With time and training, a basic amount of control was established over this power and it told him Padme was not dying in a hospital.
Inhaling and exhaling, he made an abrupt left turn at a busy intersection, causing more infuriated hollers (he liked going fast regardless of his mood).
Time seemed to pass at an agonizing pace reminiscent of a dehydrated Bantha. His thoughts were a vortex of nightmares and worst case scenarios. Jedi training dictated he let go of being able to establish control but to Anakin that was the equivalent of giving up. unacceptable. The death of his mother nearly sent him into an uncontrollable tailspin, he would not lose Padme.
He would do whatever it took to prevent that vision from coming true.
Anakin ignored the affronted looks of other Senators and representatives as he whooshed past them in a flurry robes. His height and strength dwarfed that of most others. He hardly cared about bowling past a bunch of rich stiffs.
Even Padme's new secretary barely got out a word upon barging into Padme's office. The light was red, indicating a meeting of some kind. Again, he did not care.
"Master-"
He punched in the clearance passcode to enter the main suite.
"Anakin!"
Seeing Padme alive brought enough relief to deflate the giant balloon of tension in his chest. But his full mounted charge into the room sent her jumping nearly ten feet in the air.
"Ummm…"
Now that he'd confirmed she was not in fact, dying, the situation became a lot more awkward. Also present was Senator Riyo Chuchi and Jar Jar Binks both of whom look flabbergasted, though the initial surprise wore off quickly in the Gungan.
"Ani! Ani! Mesa so happy to see you!"
He endured the hug from Jar Jar but never took his eyes off Padme, who's expression wavered between surprise and irritation.
"Master Skywalker, this is most unexpected." His wife kept her voice even but there was an extra tightness to it. "I thought you weren't due to arrive from Mandalore until the afternoon."
"We took a shortcut through the Pyrones lane." It was a lame excuse, and Anakin knew it, but he maintained a cool demeanor.
"What yousa doen in here, Ani?" Jar Jar asked once he removed himself from the Jedi's personal space. Bulbous eyes gazed at him with childlike wonder.
"Yes, I'd like to know that as well," Senator Chuchi concurred. She didn't look upset, merely nonplussed. But Anakin realized by now that he'd likely intruded upon an important meeting and began to feel a bit sheepish.
"I ummm…had information from the Siege…for the finance committee. Of which you are a member…Senator."
Chuchi and Padme glanced at each other disbelievingly. Jar Jar Binks, naive as he was, kept jabbering on.
"Yousa looken nervous, Ani."
"No I'm-"
"Lots of people nervous. Especially wit da big senaten comen up. Haven't yousa heard?"
Padme's voice was as sharp as glass as it cut across the Gungan.
"Thank you, Jar Jar. Senator Chuchi, Representative," she said, nodding to her colleagues. "I think Master Skywalker and I need to have a quick chat. If you'll excuse us."
The Pantoran took the hint. Unsurprisingly, Jar Jar did not.
"Okie dokie, Senator. Me hopen yousa liken da tea, me brought yousa. It's yous favorite if me rememberen correctly."
"Jar Jar…"
"Right, mesa goen."
Chuchi almost had to drag the Gungan by his extended ear lobe before the serenity of peace and quiet could be granted to the couple. Of course, that didn't last very long.
"Anakin." Padme brought a hand to her forehead. She took a sip of the steaming hot tea and gave a satisfied sigh before speaking as any good politician might. "What are you doing here?"
"I-uh, came to check up on you."
Kriff, this situation kept getting worse by the second.
"How many times have I told you not to barge in unannounced into my office?"
"Uhhh I feel like you expect me to know that…"
"Five times," she answered for him. "It might have been slightly adorable the first time. Not the last four."
Anakin unscrambled himself and remembered why he nearly caused three traffic jams to get here in the first place.
"I'm sorry, I swear I had a good reason."
"What?"
Ouch. He really didn't like it when her normal, honey laced tone became so icy. And confronted with embarrassment, he found himself reluctant to spill the beans.
"Nothing, it's not important. I'll talk to you later."
Padme relented, grabbing his hand and hooking her pinky around it.
"Ani, wait. You just caught me by surprise is all," she said far more softly. "Don't shut me out."
"It…was only a vision."
"So you don't plan on being honest with me after interrupting an important meeting."
Anakin felt the usual wall go up when it came to revealing personal information or feelings. But if one person could scale them, the honor belonged to his wife. Brick by brick the wall came down leaving only a vulnerable heart and a beautiful woman to soothe it.
"I…was on my way back from Mandalore…transporting prisoners and….something happened."
"And?"
Padme's flawless face was full of anticipation but he wished she carried some other expression. It was too…relaxed.
"I had a vision…you were in a hospital bed dying."
"Oh." She took a brief glance down at her midsection but Anakin still thought she was being unsettlingly calm, though not unconcerned. "Did you see anything else?"
"What do you mean?"
Padme shook her head.
"Never mind. It was only a vision."
"Only a vision?" Anakin struggled to contain his own incredulity. "Padme, do you know what a vision is for a Jedi? It's the future! We can see things other people can't. That's how this works!"
He began wandering aimlessly about the office as the stress meter began rising exponentially. Only when his wife wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer.
"Anakin, calm down. It's okay. I'm not dying."
"This is exactly what happened before my mother died." He planted a kiss on top of her gorgeous head of brown curls. "I won't let this one become real. I won't."
"We're going to be okay." She began rubbing him at the edge of the shoulders, a tactic that almost succeeded in soothing his anxiety. "I promise. Nothing's going to happen to me."
Anakin wished he could believe that. Even as he lost himself in the comfort of her embrace, desperation tugged at the edges of his mind. Not Padme. Anything but that.
I'd rather die.
"I don't understand. Why is this happening? Why now?"
Padme retreated a foot or two. Real nervousness entered her doe shaped brown eyes. Anakin sensed her trepidation.
"What's wrong?" He reached back over and gently grabbed her hand. "You're cold. You're almost never cold."
"I have to tell you something."
"What is it?"
Padme bit her lip and looked around, as though some invisible spy or malignant evil might be watching.
"No, not here. It's too dangerous. Come over to the apartment after dinner. We'll talk."
The automatic door opened to the arrival of yet another unexpected visitor. It made the two of them jump ten feet in the air.
"Anakin!" Chancellor Palpatine was as jolly as Anakin remembered. He was a measured man by trade, an even handed figure not given to superlatives. But excitement abounded in the old man, that much he felt through the Force. It was…strange.
"I just heard news of your return. This is most welcome."
Anakin smiled but made sure to quickly strike a formal pose away from his still secret wife, who did the same.
"It's good to be back, Excellency."
"Chancellor." The way Padme said that name sounded strained. Like she was forcing herself to be polite. "What a nice surprise."
"My apologies for intruding like this," Palpatine said kindly. "But Master Skywalker is my High General and seeing as we've captured several important prisoners, I must insist on borrowing him for a while."
Padme was smiling but nothing about that stretched muscle group suggested anything pleasant. Anakin's worry turned to confoundment. Sure, Padme disagreed with the Chancellor and was suspicious of his motives, but thinly veiled hostility?
Had Luke really influenced her that much?
You don't know anything just yet, the more reasonable part of his conscience said to him. But the words evaporated when his wife spoke again.
"Of course, Chancellor."
Palpatine gestured towards the door and Anakin followed. But his eyes caught hers before exiting. He knew that look: my place. Seven o'clock.
He would. As far as the Chosen One was concerned, after today, he'd never leave Padme's side ever again.
Arriving on the surface of Kashyyyk, things were as bad as Gregor described, if not worse. The 41st casualty rate was abysmal. Luminara had done her best to protect the men but wave after wave of Separatist attacks reduced their numbers to sixty percent of what it had been prior to the campaign. Kamino had no fresh reinforcements on hand to send. Together, the 501st and 212th gave a much needed boost to the beleaguered combatants.
But it was the native species of the planet that intrigued him the most. Obi-Wan, like most people, had heard the legends about Wookies and even saw a few in passing. But meeting them was an entirely different scenario.
"Greetings, Master Kenobi. Your arrival could not be more timely."
Luminara Unduli bowed low. She donned her usual black attire, complete with a tabard atop the head as was custom for females hailing from Mirial. A surface inspection revealed nothing out of the ordinary but when Obi-Wan studied her face closely, that perception instantly changed. A few cuts could be seen on both cheeks as well as a bruise at the base of the neck. He felt her fatigue through the Force, a battle hardened General doing everything possible to keep things from falling apart.
"It sure sounds like it. Let's discuss what's needed and get your men some rest."
As he exited from the offramp of the Acclamator-class assault ship, signs of war were everywhere: blackened marks on trees, vegetation in disarray, deep craters in the sandy soil from artillery, pieces of destroyed equipment laying in every direction. Not for the first time, Obi-Wan cursed this war and what it had done to so many people.
"I'm afraid there's little time for rest. The Separatists are relentless. They attack twice a day at minimum. Only the need to recharge their batteries has given us any respite."
"And you still don't know how they're getting supplies through the blockade?"
"Not at this time."
Luminara shifted the conversation, her tattooed marking creasing underneath the base of her lip in worry.
"Master Kenobi, where is Luke Ahch-To? Why is he not here leading the 501st?"
Obi-Wan held in an exasperated sigh.
"He will not be here for this fight. Tarkin saw fit to keep him on the ship as an adviser."
A perceptive and patient Jedi, the Mirialan saw through this ruse and made to question the wisdom of such a move until Commander Gree came up to greet them. The camouflage markings on his plastoid armor were scorched with soot, but typical of anyone of his rank, gave no complaint.
"Generals, the Wookie Council awaits. They want to speak with you right away."
They wasted no further breath and moved quickly among the assortment of juggernaut tanks, AT-TEs, RT walkers, and other heavy machinery. Accompanying the guns of war came those operating it. Clone troopers were fairly tall, but Wookies towered over even above average humans. They had their own specialty vehicles and fighters, of a peculiar design but no less effective.
Obi-Wan ordered Boil to start handing out spare supplies- rations, water, ammunition- anything that could be spared to the 41st. He had little doubt Rex and the 501st were doing the same. He glanced over the blue clad troopers, so adept at doing more with less just like their former leader…and their current one. Generosity ran deep in the veins of clone culture but Anakin and Luke openly encouraged it.
He didn't like the fact that they had no Jedi general. They were essentially under his own command, just as Anakin had commanded the 212th on Mandalore, but it wasn't quite the same. Rex could handle himself, but a clone unit without a Jedi leading them equated to a kingdom without a king.
Luke should be here.
True to Luminara's word, they were led towards the Wooke Council, and bitter thoughts aimed at Tarkin disappeared, replaced by one of cultural sensitivity. He wanted to make a good impression at the very least.
They climbed the steps to one of the large wroshyr trees where most Wookies lived and were to the center of the biggest ovular shaped houses built into the massive trunk, which overlooked the battlefield from the East. Within this structure were eight Wookies, the most notable being Chief Tarfful and Lieutenant Chewbacca, the latter Obi-Wan recognized as one of the beings Ahsoka had rescued from Trandoshan captivity. At the center were the two most important Wookie political leaders in King Grakchawwaa and Representative Merumeru, a member of the planet's political delegation.
A series of growls and barks commenced the meeting from the King, an enormous member of the species covered in trinkets and braids in the thicket of chestnut brown fur. Obi-Wan and Boil couldn't speak the native tongue but a clone translator by the name of Hack helped smooth over any potential misunderstandings. Evidently, Luminara knew enough by now to get by as well.
"The King says he welcomes the Jedi and Republic reinforcements and will give us anything we require."
Obi-Wan felt a surge of respect at such generosity when at present they had so little.
"Give the King our thanks and that it is our honor to assist his people in their hour of need."
The Wookies nodded in appreciation and Luminara gave the smallest of smiles, indicating approval. The King gestured with a mighty paw once more in a low growl.
"King Grakchawwaa says our arrival could not be more timely and wants to hear more about the plan to defend the beachhead."
"Of course."
For the next hour or so, various details were discussed with occasional input from Luminara, Tarrful and the surviving veterans who'd been leading the fight at the front. A Wookie named Gumbaeki, head of the Claatuvac Guild, expressed concern over the Separatists discovering secret hyperspace routes. Representative Mermeru in particular took a stance minimizing further loss of life as much as possible, which only added to Obi-Wan's personal headache. Tarkin's plan almost seemed designed to take life.
"The Separatists employ a combined use of N99 tanks and HMP gunships to damage our defenses. From there they send in swarms of B1 and B2 battle droids in an effort to overwhelm the beachhead. They haven't succeeded as of yet but it's dealt us severe casualties as aforementioned."
Tarfful barked angrily.
"He says his people have taken out more droids than there are trees on the planet," Hack translated. "And they will continue to."
"What about the tanks?"
"We don't have enough of them to chase off their dive bomber vultures," Gree informed them.
Luminara zeroed the holo map at the center of the enclosure into a specific area. "The key is this area here: the sea wall, which the Separatists have been trying to reach since the first attack. If it falls, the city is doomed and there will be no expelling the droids short of razing the forest to the ground."
The Wookies all cried at that suggestion which pierced their hearts as would a jagged stone.
"Obviously, such a move would be inconceivable," Obi-Wan assured everyone in the room. Tarrful, being the chief military leader, took the lead in making various suggestions. It pained the Great Negotiator that the Wookies essentially had no say in the defense of their own planet.
"There is…already a plan which we are expected to implement by Adjutant General Tarkin, who has been placed in charge of this campaign. And he was quite insistent."
The Wookies looked at each other in confusion, worrisome expressions on their dog like muzzles. King Grakchawwaa began growling.
"He asks why Tarkin isn't here himself if he's so insistent?" Hack translated.
Obi-Wan felt the rising tide of displeasure throughout the room. Force, he began to despise the man for putting him in this position. Unable or unwilling to give more detail, he nodded towards Boil to give the Wookies their datapad.
Chewbacca, being a younger, slightly immature Wookie, bellowed in Shyriiwook. Representative Merumeru's fur practically stood on its end. Tarrful said nothing, taking the pad within his giant paw and studying it closely. Luminara leaned over and her eyes widened.
"Senator Yarua wants to know if General Tarkin means to destroy the enemy or his people."
"I assure you, there is no ill intent on the part of anyone in the Republic towards their citizens." Blazes, he sounded like a bloody politician and he despised politics. "General Tarkin feels it is best that we bring the fight to the Separatists and blunt their initial waves."
Tarrful drew himself proudly, looking every bit as impressive as any humanoid being Obi-Wan ever saw. When Hack translated, even he sounded in awe.
"Chief Tarrful trusts the Jedi and the Republic. And that the spirit of the Wookies will win the day no matter what strategy is in place. He will make adjustments as necessary."
The King and Merumeru looked like they wanted to object. Chewbacca openly barked out disagreement. Fluency in Wookie wasn't required to interpret that. But Tarrful held up a hand. He beckoned for the rest of the warriors to follow, which they did without question.
"Meeting adjourned, I guess," Boil said acerbically as he made his way down the ramp to start implementing the messy strategy. The King and the rest of his advisors bowed and went in the other direction to a back area of the tree, off limits to outsiders. Obi-Wan could guess they were discussing alternate ways of fighting the battle. He began to hate himself, a powerful, sickening sensation seasoned with a side helping of guilt.
Luminara placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I feel the same way," she said softly. "The Wookies are a proud people full of love and ingenuity. To have one of our own treat them in such a manner is barbaric."
Yes, it was. Obi-Wan knew there were others like Tarkin out there, having heard stories of brutal abuse committed by human Republic officers towards clones. This was different. The longer he spent on Kashyyyk, the stronger the air of foreboding grew.
"I feel that all is not as it seems," he said quietly, staring out into the distance across the water. A low hanging mist wafted throughout the dark green mass of vegetation, as if hiding a hidden enemy. "A shadow lurks in the Force."
"I also sense something is…not right," Luminara agreed, angular features creasing. Her eyes also shifted eastward. "What do you think it is?"
Another disturbing question. One without a real answer. Instead he chose to focus on the Mirialan's own inner turmoil. A sensation rare in most Jedi masters.
"Master Unduli, your thoughts are with your former Padawan."
"Dead padawan," she corrected, admitting her troubles freely. "I have not yet moved beyond my grief. Every teaching we have dictates that I should and yet…there is a terrible fear that those teachings failed Barriss. That I did by extension."
Real pain could be seen inside those striking blue eyes. Obi-Wan tried to offer words of comfort.
"Anakin remarked to me once of his own fear of failing me. No matter how much I tried to assure him he never would, it's a natural feeling."
"Be thankful your student hasn't fallen to the same forces mine did," was Luminara's heavy response. Then Rex appeared, wiping away that rare instance of emotional vulnerability in an instant.
"Generals, the droids have started their main power generators."
"How long do we have to prepare?" he asked.
"An hour, maybe two at most."
Obi-Wan and Luminara shared no more words but their silent understanding spoke louder than any words. They knew what they had to do. They had to be Jedi: the revered, invulnerable, godlike beings who helped people no matter their reputation.
Even if this battle might be their last.
"My boy, you mustn't get involved with the squabbling politics of the Senate. The crisis must be averted before I can consider the returning of any emergency authority. That's why they're called 'emergency powers'."
The Sith Lord gave a light hearted chuckle to give the impression of offhand, silly grandfather humor. Internally, he fumed over how brazen the opposition had become in challenging him, but it was to be expected. They wanted Anakin on their side after all, the fools.
"I know, sir. Frankly, I'm of the opinion the danger hasn't passed yet with Dooku still out there. But Grievous has been destroyed and the Separatist forces are beaten back everywhere. Perhaps it's time to at least prepare for the transfer of power?"
Oh, Anakin. Still being filled with these notions of morality against your natural instincts.
"Power is a more complicated concept than most people realize, Anakin," he explained. "Everyone desires it- Senators, Generals, even the Jedi. How to properly use it is quite another matter."
The brunette gave a puzzled look.
"What do you mean? The Jedi were given the power they have now to fight the war. They don't abuse it."
"Don't they? How many times have they lied to you or ended up making a costly error?"
"I admit they've made mistakes. But the Jedi Order doesn't seek to dominate others, only to help."
"And this pure altruism is something you observe in every Jedi?"
"No…not all of them." Anakin's face turned sour, no doubt at an overbearing, unsympathetic figure such as Mace Windu. "But the beings who make up the Order are largely good and decent. People like Obi-Wan and Ahsoka."
His tone was even but Sidious could detect stubborn irritation in the boy, especially with the loyalty still shown to those he cared about most. Best to take a different approach.
"Hmm, what of the disaster on Umbara with General Krell? Or when they falsely claimed your former master was killed in order to catch Count Dooku? And that horrible incident with Padawan Offee bombing the Temple. They were prepared to expel Ahsoka Tano at a moment's notice."
This definitely gave the young man pause but he hit back with an unexpected shot.
"Tarkin ordered her to be expelled. Wasn't he appointed by you?"
Sidious was forced to bear the question, but inwardly fumed. Anakin had not been this disloyal to him in the past or questioning of his motives.
"I allowed Tarkin to do as he saw fit," he replied evenly, washing his hands of the event. "But had I known the measures he planned to take, I would have put a stop to it immediately. You'll sometimes find I place too much trust in my subordinates."
He placed a comforting hand on Anakin's shoulder and began walking him back towards the end of his office.
"But you have never let me down with that trust, Anakin. That's why I made you my High General when the Jedi would not. In government, in democracy...being able to rely on one's peers and fellow citizens is paramount."
"What are you saying, sir?"
By the Force, the lad was thick sometimes. Did he really have to spell it out?
"That I cannot rely on the Jedi nor a good portion of the Senate. There is an active plot to overthrow me. They will try to do so in the coming legislative session."
"Sir, I am among the Jedi every day and I know many Senators personally. They only wish to safeguard democracy just as you do. And for you to return your power once the war is over."
"A noble front, my boy. But I have my sources."
This gave Anakin pause. They arrived at the window and both men began to converse while observing the speeder traffic below.
"You've received proof of this plot?"
Darth Sidious had spies on almost everywhere. Nothing in the Senate occurred without his knowledge. 'Proof' was a subjective word at this point. By the rules of the legislature, they had every right to try and vote him out of office. Where things grew interesting was the presence of Luke Ahch-To who, alongside Ahsoka Tano, were in constant contact with Bail Organa and his Caucus. He recognized the formulations of a coup. And that the opposition would try to expose some form of low level personal corruption with the backing of the Jedi. They had to have some kind of dirt, otherwise to attempt that kind of maneuver equated to suicide. Organa's supporters weren't that stupid.
He'd been planning to stoke the fires from the beginning. To lure the Order into committing treason, which would then be grounds to enact Order Sixty-Six and wipe them out, creating a new Sith Empire. Jedi interference made it all the easier. They were trapped on a game board with nowhere to run. Any move they made or didn't make led to the same outcome. And given the state of tension between the executive and the military, goading them would be a simple task.
But as of now, he could not reveal his true identity and purpose to Anakin yet. Only sow more distrust. And when misfortune struck, assign blame to those the boy resented.
"I have intelligence operatives working in every corner of the Republic, Anakin. My most trusted agents have more or less confirmed that Luke Ahch-To is at the center of the movement to remove me from office and take over the Republic by Force."
"He would never!" the brunette almost yelled.
"People are capable of almost anything, whether they realize it or not." Sidious feigned a sort of resigned glumness at all the horrible actions humanoids took.
"I just don't sense any treason," Anakin insisted stubbornly. The Chancellor turned from the glass to face his pupil directly.
"I'm surprised your Jedi insights aren't more sensitive to such things. You know that he's met with Senator Amidala on multiple occasions as well as Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and others. He has the ear of Master Yoda and a good portion of the senior members of the Order. And correct me if I'm wrong, but did he not challenge me in front of the entire war cabinet?"
Anakin conceded the point, almost wincing in conflict.
"Well, I know he doesn't trust you. In fact, I think he greatly dislikes you, sir."
"Many people do," Sidious said, injecting false humor into the conversation. "However, very few hold the kind of dislike to the point of rebelling against the very government they swore to protect. Doesn't it strike you as odd, that since our partnership has grown stronger, so has his behavior? As well as the Council?"
"Luke and the Council don't exactly see eye to eye."
"They don't need to," Sidious said with a shrug as if the subject were as simple as counting the alphabet. "The outcome is the same. Their collective ire is now fixated on me, a sentiment that has spread to the hearts and minds of several representatives. But all of this is largely irrelevant. More importantly, what do you feel?"
He resisted smiling at his own genius. By placing the ball in the Chosen One's court it would validate the heavy amount of mistrust felt between him and the Council, increasing resentment and spurning the desire for personal power. All the ways of the Sith. Passion, not light, ruled in the ways of the dark side. And Anakin Skywalker was a natural at embracing passion.
"I feel…like I'm being split in two," he confessed. "My faith in the Council is not what it once was. And they don't like the fact that I outrank them in the military."
"A distinction worthy of your respective accomplishments. It's upsetting to me they refuse to recognize such efforts."
"A Jedi should never be proud...but I do feel I deserve better...a lot better."
Sidious pressed his advantage.
"You have great wisdom, Anakin. It is not wrong to seek more. Especially in your case. Lesser men only want power for their own lesser reasons. But when one is worthy of the task, nothing can stop them from achieving what they desire. I have no doubt that will happen with you."
Anakin didn't respond but the Chancellor could feel his pride swelling with each passing moment. But it wasn't the only emotion. Fear, a great deal of it related to his secret, pregnant wife, Padme Amidala.
Good. Let it fester. Let it ruminate.
"I have kept you long enough, my boy. And, please, give my regards to Senator Amidala. We may find ourselves on opposing sides, but she is a woman of principle. Beware those who would seek to turn her loyalties."
"She would never betray the Republic," Anakin stated emphatically, as he tried to mask his anxiety. "And I thank you for sending her your personal physician a month back."
"It is my pleasure."
That should have been the end of the conversation, but the Jedi didn't leave. His body language betrayed the full depth of emotions currently turning inside him; stock still, eyes glued to the floor.
"Is there something wrong, Anakin?" he asked gently as he knew full well what was bothering him. "You seem uneasy."
The brunette's blue eyes turned up at him, hesitant but still trusting all the same.
"Sir, without getting into too much detail... I'm afraid."
"What do I pray frightens you of all people?" he asked, claiming ignorance.
"Let's just say...I'm worried about the well being of a personal friend of mine."
He didn't realize he knew they were discussing the very person he'd just told him to give regards to. Deliciously ironic.
"Oh? What about the Halls of Healing in the Jedi Temple? I understand they are excellent."
"I can't tell the Council," Anakin insisted a bit more urgently, shaking his long, brown locks. "This is something they wouldn't understand."
"It must be quite the personal conundrum that you are unable to trust the Council," Palpatine told him, doing his best to hold back a knowing smirk. "Who is this person?"
"I can't say, sir."
Sidious wouldn't pry. Part of earning Anakin's loyalty and thereby a place at his side required he not push the boy too much. He didn't need to.
"I understand."
"I just don't know what to do. A terrible vision of this person dying came to me recently. Thankfully, I've been learning a unique form of meditation to guard against the dark side. But it seemed so real."
Luke Ahch-To no doubt has been foiling me yet again, Sidious thought furiously. Had he been able to out loud, he would have spat the very name of the false Jedi who never seemed to stop interfering with his plans. But Ahch-To and Kenobi were far away now and the Tano girl was not strong enough to stop him. It was all coming together just as he envisioned.
"Anakin, I have heard of a legend. A Sith legend as a matter of fact. You might be interested in hearing it."
The boy gave him a sharp glance.
"How would you know anything about the Sith?"
"My dear lad, I am Chancellor of the Republic. You don't live as long as I have without going to a few places and hearing a few things. It is only a cautionary tale."
The Jedi Knight nodded, far too intrigued to think of any accusations or why an older man in his sixties knew anything about such things.
"It's called 'The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise'. Not a story you would have heard from the Jedi, of course. It was told to me by a Muun on Scipio back before I joined the Senate."
Clearing his throat, Darth Sidious continued as he and his companion resumed their casual window watching onto the crowded streets of Coruscant below.
"Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith who was so wise and so powerful, he could influence the midi-chlorians to create life," he added with a flair barely above a whisper. "He had such a knowledge of the dark side, he could even keep those he cared about from dying."
That certainly got Anakin's attention much to the Sith's delight.
"Really? He could actually prevent death?" he asked.
"I have heard the dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities. Even those that some consider 'unnatural.'"
"What happened to him?" Anakin continued to ask, this time with a note of hunger in his voice.
Sidious couldn't resist spreading his mouth, creating the smallest of smiles.
"He was so powerful that he became arrogant, and yet also afraid of one thing...losing his power," he said in a nod to their earlier conversation. "Which eventually of course he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew. Then his apprentice killed him in his sleep."
There was no hiding the cruel, gleeful smirk on the Dark Lord's face now as he turned towards the window.
"Ironic," he observed. "He could save others from death, but not himself."
Anakin, however, looked as though he didn't know how to feel about that story.
"Are you saying the dark side is the only way to save my friend from dying? That would go against everything I've ever been taught."
Sidious resisted frowning, he thought the story might have had more of an effect than that. But he didn't miss the mark entirely. There was an insatiable lust within Anakin to learn more despite the misgivings. He could sense it.
"I am not of the Force, Anakin," he lied. "Therefore it would be inappropriate of me to tell you what to do. But in my years of experience, I have come to realize that oftentimes what is morally correct depends on a certain point of view."
He gave one last look of fake empathy before delivering his final words.
"The Jedi have proven to be disappointments time and time again. If you truly care about this person and their well being, consider that an alternate path might be the only way to save them."
He began leading Anakin to the door of his office, guiding the young man as he had been guiding him for years.
Soon, very soon...he will see.
"Thank you, Chancellor. I won't forget your words."
"Any time, my friend. I have no doubt of that."
Sidious could have jumped for joy after such a successful meeting. Everything was going as he had foreseen. With a few minor detours here and there, the Grand Plan was intact and when his carefully placed agents did as commanded…no one would stand in the way of a Sith Empire destined to last forever.
The number of sounds ringing in Obi-Wan's ears were enough to drive a normal man insane (teaching Anakin for a decade was testament to the strength of his mental health). He'd been in so many battles by now, keeping count was impossible.
Kashyyyk, however, might give other places a run for their money.
Screams of Wookie and clone alike cut above the constant rifle fire, explosions, and the screeching of vulture droids, dive bombing them almost every five minutes. Smoke and debris from thermal detonators obstructed his vision so often, he may as well have been wearing a blindfold. A blindfold that smelled like a noxious mixture of blood and ash.
He glanced to his left and saw a yellow clad trooper gunned down in an instant. For every droid they killed it seemed like two more took its place. An endless stream of mindless, robotic ants aiming to swarm and stab anything that moved.
Another explosion rocked the ground. Obi-Wan ducked below in the trench, one he shared with Boil and a handful of troopers. An N99 'snailie' burst into a dozen pieces, sending shrapnel everywhere.
"Medic! We need a medic over here!"
Obi-Wan waved away the smoke and saw a man from the 501st with part of his leg blown off and a man from the 212th trying to drag him to safety. Disregarding that someone from another unit should not have been in this sector of the battlefield, he leapt into action.
Deflecting a mass of oncoming blaster bolts, he yelled backwards over the noise.
"Go! I'll cover you!"
As the trooper began moving his brother back, he sliced two B2s in half before returning to the 'relative' safety of the foxhole. Obi-Wan gestured for a medic as the leg continued to bleed out.
"I've got you trooper."
"ACK!"
Roe, the 212ths finest, inserted a relaxant into the neck and worked to stem the bleeding. Boil, growled when another bomb narrowly missed their trench.
"We're just meat waiting to be thrown into a grinder, sir!"
"Stay calm, trooper. There's a key to every victory."
He tried to apply a bit of Anakin's unabashed, cando attitude to the situation. But that kind of thinking didn't come naturally to the Great Negotiator, not in this kind of bloody chaos. Chaos was something he could handle but not like this. Not when it felt like every maneuver they made, every directive put them further into a quandary.
Obi-Wan ducked down and pressed a button on his comlink, instructing Boil and the rest of the men to provide suppressing fire.
"Master Unduli, we're getting squeezed into a paste out here. Can you order the tanks to concentrate fire towards the center of the beachhead?"
"We can't Obi-Wan!"
"Look out!"
A spider droid rocket would have obliterated them if he hadn't brought up his azure blade in time to destroy it.
"Why not?!" he yelled back into the comlink.
"The Wookies keep making forward attacks and we can't risk shooting our own soldiers."
Obi-Wan furrowed an already smudged, wrinkled browline as he considered that statement.
"Hold that thought, Luminara." He switched over to another channel. "Rex, what's the status of your beachhead?"
"We're holding up, sir," came the slightly static line. "The Wookies aren't doing so hot. Their left flank's been annihilated but they keep attacking the clankers."
"That explains why the droids keep reaching our rear positions," Obi-Wan muttered.
"Sir, in my opinion, we need to retreat. Set up a line of defense at the second level where there's higher ground."
Music to Obi-Wan's ears. But without permission from Tarkin he could be arrested or worse. For once, he was not the man in charge of that decision.
"I'll have to ask the high command."
"With respect, general. There's no time. I mean, what the hell are we doing out here? No one knows anything! It's the worst plan I've ever seen."
That's because a plan did not exist. It made Obi-Wan yearn for Cody's presence, a man born for the role of planning and execution. But lamenting in a warzone invited a death sentence. They needed a way out of this mess and fast. Part of him considered running headlong into the fray, delivering a single handed victory to the Republic. But that kind of boldness belonged to Anakin or Quinlan Vos and even those two wouldn't be able to take on a legion of droids this large single handedly.
Another nearby explosion sent a wave of dust and dirt into their trench causing a fit of coughing.
"Sir?"
"I'm on it, Captain. Stay put. Provide support where you can." He clicked off and took a pair of scopes from Trapper.
Obi-Wan peeked over the edge of the sandline and saw enough to realize Rex's report was more dire than stated. Wookie bodies littered the sandy shore in grisly shapes of brown. And another wave of B1s, spider droids, and N99s ambled towards them.
"General Tarkin. Come in, General Tarkin."
It took several seconds for the static to clear but eventually the blue image of the haughty officer came into view.
"Yes, General Kenobi, what is it?"
He loathed the way the man's tone sounded like he'd been interrupted from reading a book.
"Our front lines are taking serious damage. The droids are threatening to surround the Wookie positions. We must retreat to more advantageous ground."
"I've told you once already that going on the defensive will not be authorized," Tarkin practically sneered. " You will stick to the plan and carry out orders as written."
"But the natives will be slaughtered!"
"If that's what it takes, so be it."
Obi-Wan found himself at a momentary loss of words at the despicable assortment of callousness entering his eardrums. Tarkin's reputation as a no nonsense, sharp, disciplinarian had its own merits and drawbacks. He thought the man cold, even callous at times but not insane.
"I officially must protest!" he had to shout over the sound of another tank exploding (hopefully Separatist). "This is not sound strategy, it's suicide."
Tarkin only became more infuriatingly derisive and the dourness that defined his stretched cheeks twisted into sour cruelty.
"Your opinions are duly noted, Master Kenobi. However, you would do well to keep them to yourself from now on. Finish the battle or else."
The transmission ended leaving Obi-Wan to mentally repeat the last sentence in a loop.
'Finish the battle or else.'
"Sir? What do we do?"
Boil had overheard. So did everyone else despite the constant fire being thrown their way. And as the senior member of the Jedi Order and the only standing member of the senior military command left with any sense, the men, his and those of other units, looked to the Great Negotiator.
Well, orders be damned. Mandalore was one thing. He would not see another world ravaged due to negligence from his side.
"Signal to Chief Tarfful to pull his warriors back to the second level. Provide suppressing fire!" he ordered.
"Tarkin might have your head for this, general."
"I don't care, just do it. There are more important things in this life than blindly following orders."
Obi-Wan closed his eyes before reigniting his lightsaber. He sent out a message to the cloudy sky above as though he were praying to a god. A blond haired, blue eyed one. Letting go of all tension, anger, and fear from the battle, he reached out through the Force and found its brightest star, shining with the intensity of Tatooine's suns.
Luke, wherever you are on that ship, please hear me. We need you.
Luke Skywalker was very powerful in the Force. This power came with consequences.
He felt the living beings and creatures around him, taking in their thoughts and feelings as if they were his own- their joy, their tears, their laughter, their pain. It was an ability that had been muted as a boy but he sensed acutely when Uncle Owen sunk into one of his moods or Aunt Beru wanted assistance. Training as a Jedi rapidly accentuated this attunement to the point where Master Yoda stepped in to help him control it.
Kashyyyk cried out in anguish, the battle appearing as an open wound and through this chasm in the Force, Luke sensed the massive slaughter. Another bloodletting in the ocean of life as waste might pour into a river, feeding the insatiable darkness. And the source of it stood right in front of him wearing puffy trousers.
"Your opinions are duly noted, Master Kenobi. However, you would do well to keep them to yourself from now on. Finish the battle or else."
He heard the words as clearly as those poor souls down below. A slow, deadly, deep seated anger arose in Luke Skywalker. Such blatant endorsement of genocide was hardly suprising from the man who ordered an entire planet destroyed nineteen years in the future. But it did nothing to cool his temper, a trait inherited not just from Anakin but Padme as well.
"You're rather quiet, aren't you?"
Luke faced away from the interior of the ship and set his eyes into the window, where the beautiful green and blue ball of Kashyyyk lay in the distance. It offered little comfort between the destruction being wrought below and the monster he shared a space with.
"I'm choosing not to speak."
He forced himself to avoid looking at Tarkin. Or his revolting aide- a smarmy blond lieutenant named Nolan. There was no telling what might happen if he did.
"It may come as a shock to a Jedi of your caliber, General Ahch-To." Tarkin placed a heavy emphasis on the word. "But this is what it takes to win battles. Something your Order has never embraced."
Luke didn't rise to the bait and disciplined himself to stay silent. But the call of those in need grew louder as did his adversary's goading. And then the whisper of his old master came through their bond, the desperation beckoning through the Force.
'Luke, we need you…'
"You think that in a war like this, our goal is liberation? No, it's to keep order against those who would create chaos. At all costs. Any cost. When unruly citizens disobey, they must be punished."
He concentrated on his breathing and tried to block it out. Ordinarily, he could ignore someone as despicable as Tarkin. But with the weight of so many lives bearing down on his shoulders, it only served as a dark reminder of what was at stake. And the man simply would not shut up.
"The Jedi lack vision. They lack insight. They lack the one thing that would still make them useful: the utilization of power. And that is why in the end…they will be nothing."
He had to hold on. For the sake of everyone. But how could he help them stuck aboard a Venator in deep space? How was he supposed to be the perfect Jedi everyone expected, past and present? What was he to do backed into a corner?
In and out, he said to himself, breathing deeply. In and out. He can't hurt you. He's nothing.
"The Wookies on the other hand serve a purpose. Even those primitive beings understand this on a more rudimentary level. After the war, laborers shall be needed."
Luke's heart skipped a beat and the outline of his vision started to go black. The rational voice telling him that Tarkin was doing this on purpose shrunk in the face of pure, concentrated anger, begging to be released on this vile excuse of a life form.
"But you are not," the pompous voice continued to ring out. "In the end, anyone who doesn't follow orders, anyone who outlives their usefulness, is expendable. And that includes every Jedi, clone, and Wookie down there."
"One of them is worth a thousand of you."
It slipped out. Like the first chink of ice from an avalanche, once set off there would be no stopping it.
Tarkin's clueless subordinate didn't know that.
"What did you say, Jedi?"
When he received no answer, Nolan kept pushing.
"Turn around and face your commanding officer!"
Luke stood rooted to his spot by the window. By now, even some of the operational navy clones were peeking to have a closer look.
"I give you one last chance. Show some respect to your superior or e-"
His lips shut together but they would not reopen. Mumbling like a madman, Nolan began to panic when he saw that the Jedi he'd so stupidly insulted had pinched his index finger and thumb together.
He flicked his wrist with little effort and the Lieutenant went flying, smashing into the back wall into unconsciousness.
Tarkin's hand made to grab his blaster pistol…that is until Luke finally turned around and the hand stopped. Blue fire blazed in those sky lit eyes, its ferocity enough to pierce the cold, gray wall of arrogance the man used to bully and intimidate so many.
Luke's body acted on autopilot, his adherence to Tarkin over. Running with the speed of a madman, he made to reach the main hangar in time to commandeer an unoccupied fighter, ignoring the calls for him to come back or else.
The Last Jedi whirled around and delivered a massive punch to Tarkin's hooked nose, which broke with a sickening crack. He fell to the floor, barely conscious, blood spurting everywhere.
"That's for my sister, jackass."
Luke Skywalker was very powerful. This power came with consequences. He felt the emotions of his loved ones- Anakin, Padme, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Yoda, Chewie, the clones, the Wookies- every one of whom needed him and sent a message into the deepest reaches of the Force.
I'm coming.
No author's notes today. Might add some in there later if needed. If Tarkin's behavior seems counterintuitive, well...that's because it is.
The next chapter is already written and beta'd as is the next one. Big things happening April. Very big things.
Sneak Previews available on my Instagram: thewaspwrites.
Rock on!
~The Wasp