Empire Day ✓

Chapter 40 - For Our Children

Squads of the 501st stormtrooper legion raced across the courtyard in front of the Imperial Palace to meet the oncoming Imperials. Padmé, Bail, and Anakin took up positions behind the burned-out remains of a shop. Store owners fled the scene as the capital planet came under fire.

Tanks rolled through the courtyard, with squads of Imperial stormtroopers in pure white marching in formation. Blaster fire erupted, with green and red laser fire zooming across the intervening spaces. Both sides took heavy casualties.

When Padmé poked her head around the corner to aim her blaster fire, Anakin pulled her behind him in safety. Just in time, he pushed out his hand, absorbing the laser fire and deflecting it back to his attacker. The former Sith Lord raised his blue saber and advanced on the attacking squads. His wife stayed in his wake, shooting around his hulking figure.

Bail shuffled from one structure to another, maintaining cover while observing Anakin's every move. He held his right thumb over the control chip activator, believing it was only a matter of time until he would kill the man. Organa knew that when the time came, he would have only a brief second to activate the device.

While more tanks rolled out onto the square, evading the smoking tank shells from the first wave, Anakin leaped on top of the first one. Padmé followed behind him, jumping to the lower hatch. Together, they popped the hatches and tossed in grenades while Cody's stormtroopers took out another squad of loyalists.

An hour later, the Rebels regrouped inside the palace foyer. The Imperial Palace loomed thousands of stories above Coruscant City. Palpatine had taken over the Jedi Temple after Order 66 because the temple sat upon an ancient Sith Temple.

Now, the décor boasted elements of black and blood red. Instead of the airy chambers and corridors, each was closed off from the sun and doused in shadows.

Imperial Guards and loyalist troopers had barricaded themselves beyond the front entrance, trapping the Rebels at the front of the building. Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka continued their battle out in the courtyard, while Bail, Padmé, and Anakin planned an offensive to breach the barricade.

Anakin looked around the bend, holding his saber up to deflect the expected blaster bolts. He spoke into his wrist communicator, "Cody, think you can get around to the maintenance platform on the south?" He sat back against the wall as laser blasts bounced off the concrete across from the party.

"Yes, my lord, but it's been sealed for years. We're gonna have to blow the wall."

Anakin took his helmet off and wiped his brow. "Take your squad. When we hear your blast, we'll attack."

"Yes, sir," Cody responded before cutting out.

Bail asked, "Where do you think Palpatine is?"

"He's waiting for us in his Throne Room. This is just a delaying tactic." Anakin lifted his helmet back into position. "We'll just take each zone one at a—"

The entire complex shook, shooting plascrete splinters and boulders on top of the corridor. Anakin huddled over Padmé, protecting her from the falling panels and using the Force to push the heavy pieces away from them.

Bail huddled under the security desk as the building continued to shake for over a minute. "Was that Cody?"

"No. Something out—" Anakin grabbed his chest and inhaled with a sharp gasp of pain. "Star destroyers. I feel them dying. Ah!"

Padmé wormed her way out from under Anakin as more plascrete fell. She ran outside with Anakin and Bail on her heels. The fighting in the courtyard had come to an abrupt halt as all watched two star destroyers crash point-down into the planet only a few kilometers away. Padmé screamed as Anakin doubled over under the deaths of his men and those of the people on the planet.

Bail grabbed Padmé, holding her back from running into the disaster.

"Let me go. My children are on that shi—"

"It's too late for them, Padmé," Bail said with tears in his eyes. "Our children are gone. You'll only risk yourself and our mission if you head there."

"I don't care. I have to find them." Padmé pulled away from Bail and sprinted across the square.

Anakin looked up from his grief and raised his hand toward his wife, paralyzing her. "Padmé, stop! They're alive. I can feel them. They're alive. Both of them."

"Then let me go."

Anakin pulled her into his grasp from across the square, gripping her shoulders. "No, they're not on those ships. They're on another one, but I'm not sure where."

"How can you just stand here—" Padmé dissolved into sobs as Anakin pulled her against his chest, stroking her hair.

"Our mission comes first, Padmé." Anakin pulled her away from his chest and looked her in the eyes. "As long as Palpatine lives, they will be in more danger than you can possibly imagine."

Bail pulled his eyes from the growing fireball created by the star destroyers. Fire suppression ships zoomed around the area in an attempt to prevent the flames from spreading around the planet. "Padmé, Anakin's right. Let's go rid this galaxy of the plague called Palpatine—for our children."

Padmé glanced at both her husband and Bail, seeing determination in both their eyes. She nodded. "For our children."

Tell me what you think . . .

● Palpatine is the puppet master. We have only seen him once in a hologram, but his presence is everywhere in this story. Where do you see his handiwork?