Dirt and debris cluttered the path as explosions carried on throughout the capital city of Bastora. Anakin waited for the clones and the rest of the civilians he had with him to catch up to him before rounding the final corner right before the tower. All he had to do was get into the communications tower and this whole nightmare would be over soon.
As he did, Master Saesee Tiin deflected blasts from the sky off to the left and right. Build walls crumbled and shattered. A few blasts managed to hit the cruisers waiting above him. The few clones he had shot away at the droid ships in hopes in making a dent in them.
"Skywalker?" he asked, "You're still alive?"
"We took all day and night climbing over the mountain to get here," he explained, making it to his side, "but everyone's alive. We have a few injured. Have you sent a message to the republic?"
He explained, "I'm about to send a message to Master Piel if I can get inside this building." He deflected another blast off to the side and watched as it exploded down the walkway.
BOOM!
Anakin asked, "Do we know if everything inside is still intact?"
Master Tiin replied, "I managed to protect the outside, but the separatists haven't let me move in. It could look like anything in there."
A building to the left exploded on impact. BAM! They recoiled against the shockwave and watched as debris flew passed them. Anakin used the force to stop the destruction from embedding into their skin and bones.
"I'll run inside," Anakin declared, "keep them entertained!" He made a run for it.
"Skywalker wait!" Master Tiin shouted after him, "I call the orders here!"
Anakin pretended not to hear him as he ran into the locked door. He used his lightsaber to cut it down with ease and ran inside. No one was around, as he expected with bombs and blasts still reigning down.
As the ground shook from the impacts outside, he grabbed what he could of the controls. The electricity had been cut off for some time. All he had to do was reconnect a few wires here and there, and it should reach all the way to the jedi council. He wasn't going to only send a message to Master Piel. He needed everyone to see and experience what had happened.
The windows broke out of their frames and dust fell from the ceiling. He worked quickly and in no time, he could finally send a message through.
"Anakin," Obi-wan said, surprised to see his former padawan, "is something going wrong on your mission?"
"The separatists have been bombing Bastora for days," he said in a hurry, "they shot us out of the sky, and we missed the rendezvous point with Master Piel! Do you know where he is?"
Worried, he answered, "He should have been there by now. How many ships do the separatists have?"
"At least a dozen," he explained, grabbing onto the desk for support as more blasts rang out around him, "they're mostly concentrated over the capital, but other cities and towns around the world have been affected. The people here are still loyal to the republic. We have to get them out of here."
Obi-wan said, "I'm on my way!" The transmission broke apart and he disappeared as a blast rocked the building so hard the communication was lost.
"Skywalker!" Master Tiin scolded, "I didn't give you an order to come in here!"
"Master Piel is on the other side of the separatists," Anakin said, "and Master Kenobi is on his way to help."
Master Tiin hesitated, then said, "I suppose all we have to do is hold out then. Get everyone to the perimeter of the city, as far away from here as you can get! That's an order! You understand?" He pointed to the door.
Just as Anakin ran for it, a blast knocked all the dust and dirt up. He used the force to push it away and keep his exit clear.
"Sir," Rex said, shooting at the droids above, "we're running out of ammo."
"Get everyone out of the city limits," Anakin commanded, "reinforcements are on the way. The only thing we can do for now is hold out until they arrive."
"Sir, yes sir!"
With Anakin right behind them, the clone troops gathered every civilian they could find and moved them out of the city. With no one within the limits left to protect it, the buildings fell apart and exploded within minutes. Everyone went for the tree line up the sides of the mountains as the city was destroyed right before their eyes. They knew it was only a matter of time before they landed and spread out in search of the survivors.
Admiral Yularen stood before Master Tiin and asked, "Do we know if the separatists take prisoners?"
"From the looks of how they're managing this planet," he answered, "it appears they don't."
Then, it was almost like magic. The ships parted in two, and the single-handed republic reinforcement cruiser cut through the middle of them, blasting away.
"What a sight for sore eyes," Rex said, shielding his eyes from the blinding lights of the explosions.
Anakin replied, "You don't have to tell me." He lit his saber and waved it to show Master Piel where they were. The people couldn't help but cheer, but the jedi and the clones knew it wasn't over yet.
As the cruiser descended down to the obliterated city below, the blasts never seemed to stop.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
They couldn't get close, and the separatists knew it. Instead, a smaller shuttle appeared, fully of clone troopers and more ammunition. Dodging blasts left and right, they flew and landed right before the group.
"Master Kenobi has broken through the other side of the blockade," Cody explained to Master Tiin, "he's on his way to rescue everyone now."
It wasn't until every civilian was on board a shuttle to safety did the fighting finally stop. Outside the atmosphere, Obi-wan negotiated his way in to collect everyone and promised to take off diligently once the loyalists were aboard.
Meanwhile Anakin hadn't realized how long it had been since he was able to relax. Once on the cruiser, his legs practically gave out from under him inside the cruiser hanger. He could sense they immediately jumped into hyperspace to return to Coruscant.
"Anakin!" Obi-wan exclaimed as he scrambled to meet him, "Well don't all of you look like you've been through it."
"You have no idea," Bail said anxiously, "the separatists were well prepared for our arrival. They had Bastora surrounded before we even got there."
Master Tiin explained, "Master Kenobi, your padawan should learn a thing or two about following orders."
"Sir," Bail said angrily, "you abandoned over half your clone troopers, innocent civilians, and not to mention myself as well as Master Skywalker. You have no room to talk."
Shocked, Obi-wan asked, "Is this true?"
Anakin answered angrily, "It is. Master Tiin insisted we land on Bastora, got us blasted out of the sky, insisted on walking down a dangerous mine shaft, when it collapsed, he cut off and ran leaving the senator and I behind. If I hadn't guided everyone over the mountain overnight, we would still be left there in the bombed-out town. Who knows if he would have told you what he did. He might have left us there to rot."
"The council isn't going to like hearing about this," Obi-wan warned.
"I was following their orders," he insisted.
Obi-wan explained, "And when the situation changes, if our job to alert the council and make alternative arrangements. It appears that wasn't done." He gestured to the group of tired soldiers.
Bail said, "I had no idea the separatists were so ready for a war. We need to make sure we're never this caught off guard again."
"The council agrees," Obi-wan said, "from now on, every knight in the order above padawan status will be assigned a clone battalion. That includes you, Anakin."
"Me?" Anakin asked.
"Yes."
Rex stepped forward and said, "I'll gladly go into battle with Master Skywalker against those droids anytime, sir!"
Obi-wan asked, "Really? We hadn't thought of letting the clones decide who they'll fight alongside."
"You want to be assigned to me?" Anakin asked, intrigued.
"Yes sir," he answered, "when everything was stacked against us, and half our own men carried on without us, you didn't give up hope, sir. No, you kept forging ahead against all odds and made sure all the civilians made it to safety and that a transmission went out. I wouldn't feel right fighting alongside anyone else."
The clones around them rallied as well, all in agreement.
Obi-wan remarked, "Looks like you've gained quite an entourage."
"I guess that's what happens when you don't leave anyone behind," Anakin said, side-eyeing Master Tiin as he walked away further into the ship away from the crowd.
"The council will want a full report on everything that happened," Obi-wan said, "but for now, get some rest. Looks like we're going to need it."