The Tragic Jedi | Anakin Skywalker

𝓢𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓮 𝟖𝟑

"What kind of ship?"

"Imperial, we believe," he answered. "The Resistance hasn't deployed any of their ships to Scarif yet." 

Suddenly, Astrid's personal comlink beeped, and she accepted the call without even checking to see who was signaling her. Jyn Erso's urgent voice greeted her. "Astrid, we need you to destroy the Shield Gate. It's closed now, most likely in response to the Resistance Fleet's arrival. With it closed, we can't transmit the Death Star's plans."

The Resistance Fleet's arrival? Hadn't this Resistance fighter just told her that the Resistance hadn't deployed any of their ships yet?

Astrid lifted her gaze towards the viewport, and sure enough, a fleet of Resistance ships were converging on the Shield Gate. Several Imperial TIE fighters and larger Imperial ships deployed from the Shield Gate to attack the Resistance fleet, and blaster fire exchanges erupted between the two sides. 

"On it!" Astrid quickly answered before cutting off the signal. 

She quickly called Mon Mothma, and a moment later the Senator's hologram appeared on the holoprojector set in the middle of the controls. Astrid didn't bother with greetings as she quickly told the senator, "We must destroy the Shield Gate now to give Jyn and Cassian any chance to transmit the plans." 

"We're on it," Mon Mothma informed her. "But do not engage, Astrid. Your ship is needed to retrieve the plans. If your ship is destroyed, then the entire effort is wasted." 

Astrid's heart sank at this, and she glanced enviously at the fighting happening in the distance before she looked back at Mon Mothma's hologram. "Understood," she murmured with a dip of her head, and Mon Mothma nodded in approval before her hologram disappeared with a flicker. 

As Astrid turned back to the viewport, she couldn't help her growl of frustration. She hated waiting around and watching. She felt useless. Someone cleared their throat to her right, and she turned to see the Resistance fighter still standing there at the door, an uncertain look on his face as if he wasn't sure if he was free to leave the room or not. 

"You may go," Astrid told him, and he inclined his head before he slipped out of the room. 

Astrid released another heavy sigh as she watched the fighting. 

Suddenly, the Shield Gate gave a fiery explosion, and ship scrap metal flew everywhere as some of the ships near the gate were damaged or completely destroyed in the blast. Astrid blinked as the orange deflector shield enveloping the entire planet flickered weakly before disappearing entirely. 

Astrid grinned as her heart gave a leap of joy at the sight, and she rushed over to the console where she would be receiving the Death Star's plans. The moment she received them she was to immediately enter hyperspace to escape. If she wasn't able to escape, then she was to send the plans to another Resistance ship waiting near Tatooine. 

Astrid's palms began to sweat as she waited for the confirmation from the console that they had received the plans. When nothing happened, she twisted towards the viewport at Scarif as if she would be able to see what was happening with Jyn and Cassian with her own eyes. 

Why hadn't they sent the plans already? What was happening down there? Had someone intercepted them? 

Suddenly, one of the technicians seated near the console let out a shout of relief, and Astrid glanced down to see a notification that they had received a data file. Astrid released a breath of relief as a smile crept onto her face at the sight. Astrid turned towards one of the technicians nearby to tell them to enter into hyperspace, but she was stopped short when she felt a slimy, creeping feeling in the Force like icy, skeletal fingers trailing along her spine.