Mandalorian Menace

Chapter 15 - War

The starfighter's engines suddenly roar to life, and Anakin jumps, until he realizes that Artoo must have plugged himself into the computer to fire it up. The droid beeps, and his words are translated on a small screen inside the fighter. Not that it helps Anakin though, because he can hardly read. "You can shoot the guns to destroy them," the droid suggests.

Anakin scans the buttons and levers desperately, trying to figure out which ones he should or shouldn't push or flip. "I know. I don't know where the trigger is," he replies, poking one button which only closes the cockpit. "Oops. Wrong one," he mutters under his breath, before trying a second and third without much success.

Maybe, it's a good thing though, because the fighter is slowly moving forwards across the hanger floor. The droids turn their attention onto the ship, and all Anakin can think is: Buir is going to be so mad at me for this. But if it helps then he doesn't care too much.

"This one maybe?"

He grabs a lever which seems to be meant for a hand and pushes the button on top. Green laser blasts instantly fire on the droids reducing a number of them to scrap metal. Anakin squeals, and Artoo whistles in delight. Even Grogu perks up, tilting his head back at Anakin as he babbles something incoherent, eyes bright as he reaches towards a random button. Anakin knocks his finger away. "Please don't push anything," he practically begs his younger brother – vod'ika – as he fires again on the droids, blasting apart many of them.

Anakin flips a lever which raises the starfighter's shields, and suddenly it increases its speed towards the hanger bay doors. "It's on automatic pilot!" he realizes, his initial exhilaration fading as he begins to freak out. "Artoo, do something! Try to override it."

Grogu whines quietly, pointing determinedly at the sky.

"We can't go for a flight! What would Buir say?"

The starfighter picks up speed as it angles upwards into the atmosphere, taking them further and further away from the Palace. Grogu squeals, waving his hands in obvious delight. "There they are!" Anakin exclaims, torn between panic and excitement as he sees the space battle up ahead. "That's where the autopilot is taking us."

Grogu grabs for Anakin's hand, finally slamming his tiny one onto Anakin's wrist when Anakin refuses to give him his finger, focusing instead on flying the runaway starfighter. Focus on the Force, Grogu tells him. Like when you podraced. It's the only way. Relax.

Anakin has no idea how he's supposed to "relax" in this situation, but he tries anyways, taking a deep breath and focusing on avoiding all the enemy fighters, flying erratically as he weaves around them and whatever debris is floating in space. This is... okay, maybe this isn't so bad. It's a little harder than pod-racing, but nothing he can't handle. He winces when a few nearby fighters explode, the pieces of twisted metal nearly hitting his fighter.

"This is tense," he breathes out, hands clenching on the controls. "Artoo, get us off this autopilot. It's gonna get us all killed."

After a moment, the droid whistles triumphantly, and Anakin could cheer. "You did it!" He spins the ship left, and it swerves wildly. It responds readily to his control. The droid beeps again, and Anakin frowns at the message. "Go back to Naboo?" he echoes, only now beginning to relax a little despite the tenseness of his surroundings. The slightest wrong movement could mean death – for all of them. "I don't wanna go back."

Grogu coos an enthusiastic agreement, pointing excitedly at the expanse of space. Staying they are. Anakin flies low along the massive ship, letting the instincts which have guided him in pod races guide him again now. It's not long – maybe ten or fifteen seconds – before a number of enemy droid fighters start following him. That is decidedly not good. "I'll try spinning. That's a good trick," Anakin decides, and spins the starfighter as it continues to barrel forwards.