Chapter Text
The Millennium Falcon was cleared to land at the main platform of the Jedi Temple, and a delegation of Clones and some of the council members were there to greet the passengers, along with Anakin himself. Padmé was there too, immediately bringing her children into a tight embrace when she saw them. Anakin watched the boarding ramp, hoping to see his old master there, with one of his trademark smirks, and maybe a wisecrack. But he wasn’t there.
“Where’s Obi Wan?” Anakin asked.
Leia sniffled, and withdrew a metal object from her belt. It didn’t take Anakin long to realize that it was Obi Wan’s Lightsaber. His eyes darkened, and a scowl crossed his face. Nobody had seen him this angry in quite some time, but it was justified.
“Maul is going to pay for this.” he said, before storming off to contact Admiral Yularen.
It didn’t take long for the council to authorize a strike force to assault the Revengeance. Everyone collectively agreed that the time to strike was now, and they wouldn’t get another chance like this. Anakin insisted on leading the force personally, and the twins would accompany him. The squad of clone pilots were gathered in a briefing room, accompanied by the three Jedi.
“The battleship is heavily shielded, and carries a firepower greater than half the starfleet,” Admiral Yularen led the briefing. “Its defenses are designed around a direct, large-scale assault. A small, one-man fighter should be able to penetrate the outer defense.”
“Pardon me for asking, sir,” one of the Clones spoke up. “What good are stunt fighters gonna be against that?”
“Maul does not consider the prospect of a one-man fighter to be of any threat,” Yularen continued. “An analysis of the ship’s blueprints, provided from the captured droid-”
He was interrupted by a cacophony of angry beeping from R3-D15, who was currently plugged into the briefing room’s holoprojector.
“Er, sorry. Liberated droid,” the admiral corrected himself. “The provided blueprints have demonstrated a weakness in the battleship. The approach will not be easy; you are required to maneuver straight down the ship’s starboard trench, and skim the surface to this point.”
The hologram of the Revengeance lit up on the side of one of the ship’s massive weapon spheres, indicating a tiny opening.
“The target area is only two meters wide. It’s a small thermal exhaust port, right below the main port. The shaft leads directly to the reactor system; a precise hit should start a chain reaction, which should destroy the ship. The shaft is ray shielded, so you will have to use proton torpedoes.”
“That’s impossible!” one of the Clone pilots shouted. “Even for a computer!”
“Don’t worry, boys,” Anakin announced. “Me and the twins will take care of it.”
This put the men at ease- Anakin had been through many space battles, and committed feats greater than this. It would be no problem.
“Man your ships,” Yularen announced. “And may the Force be with you.”
The pilots assembled in the new hangar that had been constructed outside of the Jedi temple, specifically for starfighter assault preparations. They would be jumping to hyperspace using docking rings, as Maul’s cruiser would surely detect a large Venator coming out of hyperspace, and leave before they even had a chance to launch fighters. They would, however, be escorted by a small light cruiser, one large enough to act as support, but weak enough that it would not be considered a threat.
In the hangar, Luke found Han readying his ship. He quickly realized Han was packing to leave, not join the fight.
“So,” Luke said, startling the smuggler. “You got your reward, and you’re just leaving, then?”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Han attempted to maintain his stoic attitude. “I got some old debts to pay off. Shame, though. You’re really good in a fight.”
“Come on, take a look around,” Luke gestured at the ill-prepared Clones fueling up their ships. “You know what’s about to happen, what we’re up against. We could use a good pilot like you, you’re turning your back on us.”
“What good is a reward if you ain’t around to use it?” Han said. “Besides, attacking that thing ain’t my idea of courage, more like suicide.”
“All right,” Luke huffed. “Take care of yourself, Han. I guess it’s what you’re best at, isn’t it?”
Luke walked off to his interceptor, but his comment left an impression on the smuggler. With a sigh, Han called out for the Jedi’s attention.
“May the Force be with you.”
Luke smiled slightly, and went back to readying his fighter. Chewbacca growled in discontent, and Han shot a glare at the Wookie.
“What are you looking at?” the smuggler grumbled. “I know what I’m doing.”
R3-D15 had been happy to assist Luke, as R2-D2 would be joining Anakin in his fighter. Apparently, the black-and-red droid had gone through some abuse aboard Maul’s freighter. While the Blood troopers were organized like an army, many of them were still lowlifes and scoundrels. The Astromech had been graciously refitted with an orange-and-white paint job, much to his content. While R2 seemed a bit jealous of the new droid, he understood what the Astromech had gone through, and was sympathetic towards him. Besides, R2 belonged to Anakin, not Luke. Leia was assisted by Ahsoka’s old Astromech, R7-A7.
The Republic ships flew into orbit, with the small Arquitens-class cruiser to support them, dubbed “The Avenger” in remembrance of Obi Wan. The small fleet of fighters, bombers, and interceptors docked in their hyperspace rings, making the jump to the space that had formerly been Naboo.
The fleet dropped out of hyperspace and faced down the Revengeance, which was still in the same spot it had been before. As soon as they dropped out of hyperspace, a fleet of Blood Slicers was launched from the cruiser’s hangar, headed right for them.
“Look alive, men.” Anakin’s voice sounded through the comms. “We have one chance at this. Let’s not waste it.”
“Copy that, gold leader,” one of the Clones responded. “You take the lead, we’ll cover you!”
The two fleets clashed together, tearing each other apart in flashes of blue, green, and red. The trio of Jedi interceptors, accompanied by six Y-Wings, made for the trench that ran along the starboard side of the Revengeance, and were fired upon by point-defense turrets that were placed along the edges. Two of the bombers were picked off in the crossfire.
“Watch those towers, boys!” Luke said.
“I got a problem here,” One of the Clones said, as his Y-Wing was pummeled with turbolaser fire.
“Eject!” Luke shouted to him.
“I can hold it!” The Clone insisted.
“Pull up!”
“No I’m all ri-” The pilot’s voice turned into a scream as his ship was blasted out of the air, leaving them with only half the bombers they had come with.
The remaining group was tailed by a squadron of Blood fighters, headed by one that looked incredibly different. Luke instantly sensed that something was different about this one, like a familiar presence. Mara Jade, he realized. Of course Maul’s most prized Inquisitor would be leading the cruiser’s defense personally.
“Watch it, you’ve got one on your tail!” Leia’s voice was directed at one of the Y-Wings, which was being tailed by one of the Blood fighters. Luke quickly did a loop around, locking onto the fighter and blasting it away.
Suddenly, Luke was being tailed by another fighter. “Green leader, you’ve got one on your tail!” one of the pilots called to him.
“I can’t shake him!” Luke insisted.
“I’m on him, Luke.” Leia’s voice filled his ears, and the fighter on his rear was promptly blown to bits by his sister’s interceptor.
“Good shooting, Leia!” he said.
“We’re almost in position!” Anakin said. “Just a little further!”
“Switch all power to front deflector screens,” One of the Clone pilots instructed.
Suddenly, the ship being piloted by Mara Jade, accompanied by two other fighters, was tailing the group. She began targeting both of the Y-Wings, sending volleys of fire their way.
“It’s no good, I can’t maneuver!” One of the Y-Wing pilots yelled.
“Stay on target,” the other insisted.
“We’re too close!”
“Stay on target!”
“Loosen up!”
Mara’s fighter let loose a serenade of cannon fire, destroying one of the bombers, the remains of the craft crashing into the side of the cruiser.
“Gold five to green leader, we’ve lost gold six!” The remaining Y-Wing announced.
“Hang in there, Hook!” Luke tried to ease the Clone’s panic, but to no avail.
“It came from behind-!”
The final Y-Wing was blasted into a fiery inferno by Mara’s fighter, leaving only the Jedi interceptors in the trench.
“We’ve lost the bombers!” Anakin yelled. “It’s down to us. Ready your torpedoes and follow me!”
Mara was already on the elder Skywalker’s tail, assaulting him with cannon fire. One of his engines was hit, and the interceptor spiraled out of control, away from the battle. Now, only Luke and Leia remained.
“R3, try and increase the power!” Luke yelled to the droid. The little Astromech beeped in response, putting a boost into the interceptor’s engines.
Mara’s fighter targeted Leia next, and she was forced to retreat, leaving Luke as the only remaining fighter in the trench. Luke fumbled with his targeting scope, trying to get a lock on the shaft of the main weapon, but was unable. Suddenly, a voice filled his head, but it wasn’t from the comms.
“Use the Force, Luke.”
It was unmistakable- Obi Wan!
“Let go. Trust me.”
Nodding slowly, Luke switched off his targeting scope. He would have to eyeball it, the shaft was too small, and the Force would be his guide.
“Luke, you’ve switched off your targeting computer,” the force commander’s voice entered his comms. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Luke assured him. “I’m all right.”
The interceptor sped towards the main weapon, gaining speed and making good time. However, Mara’s ship and her fighter escort were closing in, and a rapid beeping let Luke know she was locking onto him. A cacophony of fire roared overhead, grazing the wing of his ship. R3 was hit, and the little droid deactivated from the blast.
“R3!” Luke shouted. He wasn’t sure if the droid would be fine, but there was no time to think about it.
Mara almost had him. Luke was nearly there, he just needed a little more time.
More cannon fire shot over him, but it was interrupted by a blast at one of her escorting fighters. The ship was destroyed, and a familiar voice filled Luke’s comms.
“YAHOO!” whooped Han Solo.
The Millennium Falcon soared overhead, and the distraction caused the other fighter to knock into the side of Mara's, sending her spiraling out of control and off into space. The fighter that had bumped into her wasn’t so lucky, crashing into the side of the Revengeance in an inferno.
“You’re all clear kid, now let’s blow this thing, and go home!” Han shouted.
Luke tensed, launching his torpedo payload and pulling away from the ship. He used the Force, directing the bombs right into the exhaust shaft, making a complete downwards turn into the main weapon. Him and the Falcon got far enough away from the cruiser, and waited.
After a painstakingly long moment, the Revengeance’s weapon spheres exploded, sending a chain reaction that engulfed the entire ship in a fiery blaze. There was a symphony of cheering through the comms, and Luke smiled. He caught a glimpse of Mara Jade’s fighter still spiraling out, but unharmed. She rightened herself and jumped to hyperspace, making Luke feel both disappointed, and relieved.
“Great shot, kid!” Solo whooped. “That was one in a million!”
“Remember,” Obi Wan’s disembodied voice filled his head. “The Force will be with you. Always.”
The remaining ships returned to their hyperspace rings, and along with The Avenger, they made the jump to hyperspace, back to Coruscant.