Panned down to reveal a Republic attack cruiser. Continued to pan with the Cruiser as three Jedi Starfighters entered and headed toward an enemy Battle Cruiser.
Trucked with the Jedi Fighters as they maneuvered in unison, dodging flack and enemy laser fire.
R2-D2 was on Anakin's ship. R4-P17 was on Obi-Wan's ship. R2-F4 was on Mary's ship.
A giant space battle was revealed as the tiny Jedi ships continued their assault in a synchronous ballet.
Obi-Wan bounced through the flack with a frown. His ship rocked violently. Anakin smiled as he blasted a Trade Federation Droid Drop Fighter.
"There isn't a droid made that can out fly you, Master, and no other way to get to the Chancellor..." said Anakin.
"Look out, four droids inbound..." replied Kenobi.
The three Jedi Fighters swerved in unison as four Trade Federation Droid Drop Fighters attacked.
After several clever moves by the Jedi, two of the Federation Droid Drop Fighters collided with each other in a ball of flame.
Obi-Wan struggled to maintain control of his ship.
"We've got to split them up." said Obi-Wan.
"Break left, fly through the guns on that tower." Anakin answered.
Obi-Wan flew to the left of a huge tower on a Republic Cruiser. The two Droid Drop Fighters followed.
"Easy for you to say... why am I always the bait?" asked Obi-Wan.
"Don't worry. I'm coming around behind you." Anakin replied.
Obi-Wan deftly maneuvered around a large Star ship's superstructure, but the Two Droid Fighters stayed on his tail, blasting him with intense laser fire.
"They're all over me!" yelled Obi-Wan.
"I'll take care of it." Mary said.
Mary turned her Starfighter, found herself behind the Two Droid Fighters that were blasting at Obi-Wan and shot them down.
"Thank you, Mary." Thanked Kenobi.
"You're great, sis!" yelled Anakin.
"Thank you, brother."
"I'm going down on the deck." Obi-Wan said.
"Good idea... I need some room to maneuver."
Obi-Wan dove toward the surface of one of the larger Trade Federation Battleships and was forced to fly through a maelstrom of laser flack. He skimmed the surface, followed by the Droid Drop Fighter, which was followed by Mary.
"Cut right. Do you hear me?! Cut right. Don't let him get a handle on you. Come on, F4, lock on! Lock on!" shouted Mary.
R2-F4 beeped. The crosshairs merged on the Droid Drop Fighter.
"Hurry up! I don't like this!" yelled Kenobi.
Obi-Wan flew through a narrow gap between two towers on a Battleship. The Droid Drop Fighter hit one of Obi-Wan's wings with a laser blast, and parts of the ship went flying around Obi-Wan's Astro Droid, R4.
"Ouch!"
R4 beeped a blue streak.
"Don't even try to fix it, R4. I've shut it down."
"We're locked on... we've got him..." said Mary.
Mary dropped in behind the Droid Drop Fighter and blowed him apart. F4 squealed with delight.
"Yeah! You got him... good going, Mary."
"Anakin, I'm overtaking you," Mary said, mocking him.
"Not for much longer." Anakin replied.
"Next time you're the bait... Now let's find the Command Ship and get on with it ..." said Obi-Wan.
R4 beeped a blue streak.
"Lock onto them, R2. Master, General Grievous' ship is directly ahead."
R2 beeped a reply, and it read out in Anakin's cockpit.
"The one crawling with vulture droids." Mary said.
"I see it. Oh, this is going to be easy." Kenobi replied.
Ahead was a Trade Federation Cruiser with batlike Droid Vulture Fighter stalking around on the hull. The Vulture Fighters transformed into flight configuration, lift off the Cruiser, and attacked the Jedi Starfighters.
"Come on, Master." Anakin said.
"Not this time. There's too much at stake. We need help. Odd Ball, do you copy?" said Kenobi.
"Copy, Red Leader." Odd Ball replied.
"Mark my position and form your squad up behind me..."
"We're on your tail, General Kenobi. Set S-foils in attack position."
The protective ray shield lowered on the main hangar of the Trade Federation Cruiser, and six new Droid Tri-Fighters emerged and joined the Droid Vulture Fighters heading toward the Jedi.
The Jedi Starfighters extended the stability foils on the ends of their wings.
"This is where the fun begins. Ten Vulture Droids straight ahead, coming down the left side." Anakin said.
R2 beeped a worried message.
"Add five Tri-fighters on the right..."
"I'm going head to head. See you."
"Take it easy, Anakin."
Four Clone Fighters moved into formation behind the Jedi.
"I'm on your right, Red Leader."
"Incoming!!"
R2 squealed as five Droid Tri-Fighters passed by at high speed on the right.
"Five more on the right!" yelled Kenobi.
"I'm on it!" replied Mary.
Four more Vulture Droid Fighters passed at high speed from the left.
All hell broke loose. The trio continued to fly in unison, backing up each other.
"Here we go!" Anakin exclaimed.
The Jedi ships split up and made a quick loop around the Droid Tri-Fighters, ending up behind them. Blasting away. The Droid Tri-Fighters exploded.
"Yes!! We're too great, boys!" yelled Mary.
"I'm going high and right." Obi-Wan added.
"Hang on. There are four more of them." Anakin stated.
"Stay with me... swing back and right... help me engage. Back off... Let them pass between us."
"I'm coming around. I'm coming around on your tail." Mary added.
"All right, engage... and hurry. These droids are all over me like a rash."
In one incredible move, Mary swinged in behind the Droid Tri-Fighters, blowing them away one by one until there was only one left.
"Anakin, is yours." Mary added.
Anakin accelerated past the last Droid Tri-Fighter, slammed on his brakes, flipped the Fighter around, and blasted the Fighter from the front.
"How many back there. R2? Three... Four that's not good."
"Anakin, you have four on your tail." Obi-Wan said.
"I know. I know!"
"Four more closing from your left." Mary said.
"I know. I know!"
"I'll take the left!" Mary exclaimed.
Anakin swooped low and skimmed across a Trade Federation Battleship, dodging flack as R2 bounced along, trying to get out a sentence.
"Hang on, R2. Obi-Wan, do you copy? I'm going to pull them through the needle..." Anakin said.
"Too dangerous. First Jedi rule: "Survive."" said Obi-Wan.
"Sorry, no choice. Come down here and thin them out a little."
☾☼
Obi-Wan dropped in behind the Droid Vulture Fighters chasing Anakin.
"Just keep me steady... hold on... not yet... now break left."
Obi-Wan fired as he swinged across the back of the Vulture Droids, blasting four of them away. Anakin headed for a trench along the surface of one of the Trade Federation Battleships.
He flew into the trench, which ended in a conning tower with a small slit between two main struts.
"You'll never get through there, Anakin. It's too tight." Mary said.
"Easy, R2...we've done this before."
"Use the Force, think yourself through, the ship will follow."
R2 squealed in a panic. On the view screen R2's squeal read out, "WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT."
"Wrong thought, R2."
Anakin slipped through the narrow gap. The trailing Vulture Droid Fighters crashed.
"I'm through."
Obi-Wan and Mary continued to fire on the Vulture Droid Fighters, driving them into the explosion.
A Clone fighter was hit and exploded, spewing debris. The Clone pilot spined off into space.
Finally, Obi-Wan and Mary peeled off and swinged around, pulling up alongside Anakin.
Clone Fight Squad Seven battled the Droids.
"There are too many of them." Odd Ball said.
"I'm on your wing. Break left. Break left. They're all over me. Get them off my..." the Clone pilot replied.
"I'm going to go help them out!"
"No, no! They are doing their job so we can do ours. Head for the Command Ship!" said Kenobi.
Another Clone fighter was hit, burst into flames, and spined off into space. A Vulture Droid Fighter raised its head to locate its target and fired missiles at them.
"Missiles! Pull up!" yelled Mary.
The trio broke right and left, and the missiles followed them. Anakin did a barrel roll spin, causing the missiles following him to collide and exploded.
Two missiles continued to chase Obi-Wan and Mary. He banked sharply to the right, Mary to the left, causing one of the missiles to overshoot.
"They overshot us..."
The second missile streaked next to Obi-Wan's Fighter and exploded. Obi-Wan's ship rocked, and R4, screamed as the Starfighter rip through the explosion. Debris flew all around them.
"They're coming around!" Mary said.
"All right, R4. No, no. Nothing too fancy."
"Surge all power units. R2! Stand by the reverse thrusters." Anakin said.
Anakin spined his starfighter. The missiles spined and collided.
"We got 'em. R2!"
Two missiles continued to track Obi-Wan.
"Flying is for droids." Obi-Wan said.
Suddenly, Obi-Wan shuddered, and his ship started to plummet toward the surface of the Trade Federation Cruiser. The trailing missiles flew into what looks like debris, and detonated. Five silver balls flew out of the debris and attached themselves to the ship.
The balls pop open, revealing small Buzz Droids that began to crawl across the surface like spiders.
"I'm hit! Anakin?" asked Kenobi.
"I see them...Buzz Droids."
The Buzz Droids crawled across Obi-Wan's ship and started to tear it apart. Sparks erupted where the Buzz Droids broke into the wiring. One of the Buzz Droids went after R4.
"R4, be careful. You have one..."
R4's head got ripped off and flew away.
"Oh dear. They're shutting down all the controls."
"Move to the right so I can get a clear shot at them." Mary said.
"The mission. Get to the Command Ship. Get the Chancellor! I'm running out of tricks here." Obi-Wan replied.
Mary moved into position just off Obi-Wan's left side and angled her ship so her guns were pointing at the Droids crawling over Obi-Wan's Starfighter.
Mary fired and vaporized the two Buzz Droids, along with the left wing of Obi-Wan's ship.
"In the name of..."
"Steady... steady..." Anakin said.
"Hold your fire... hold your fire. You're not helping here." Obi-wan added.
"I agree, bad idea. Swing right... ease over... steady..." Anakin replied.
"Wait... wait... I can't see a thing! My cockpit's fogging. They're all over me." Kenobi stated.
"Move to the right." Anakin added.
"Hold on, Anakin. You're going to get us both killed! Get out of here. There's nothing more you can do."
"I'm not leaving without you, Master." Anakin said.
Anakin and Mary moved their ship next to Obi-Wan's and tried to physically knock the Buzz Droids off. There were five left. They managed to get one off, but badly dented Obi-Wan's ship in the process.
One of the Buzz Droids teared apiece off of the front of Obi-Wan's ship. Flames burst out, and more smoke billowed out, obscuring the Jedi's view.
Mary knocked off three of the Buzz Droids and the fourth crawled out onto Anakin's ship and started attacking R2. R2 fought the Buzz Droid.
"Blast it... I can't see... my controls are gone." Obi-Wan said.
"Get 'em, R2. Watch out!"
"R2, hit the buzz droid's center eye." Kenobi said.
R2 extended an arm and aimed a stream of electricity at the swerving Buzz Droid. The Buzz Droids was hit squarely in the eye and fell off the ship.
"Yeah, you got him!" Anakin exclaimed.
"Great, R2!" Mary said.
"Stay on my wing... the General's Command Ship is dead ahead. Easy... pull up... Head for the hangar." Anakin said.
"Have you noticed the shields are still up?" asked Kenobi.
"Oh?!? Sorry, Master."
Anakin streaked ahead of Obi-Wan disintegrating Jedi Fighter and blasted the shield generator. It sparked and exploded.
"Oh, I have a bad feeling about this." Mary said.
☾☼
The shield door dropped away, and Obi-Wan crashed on the deck of the hangar bay, engulfed in a fantail of sparks. A set of blast doors started slamming shut across the hangar opening, as material was sucked into space.
Anakin and Mary maneuvered around the oncoming junk and flew into the hangar just as the blast doors slammed shut.
Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber and cut his way out of the cockpit. He jumped dear just as his ship exploded. Battle Droids rushed at him from all directions.
The twins jumped out of their ships and cut their way through the Battle Droids to where Obi-Wan was fighting. R2 popped out of the ship and followed them.
"R2, locate the Chancellor." Obi-Wan ordered.
"Tap into the ship's computers." Anakin said.
They cut down the last of the droids and followed R2 over to a computer wall socket.
The three Jedi fought off four more droids as R2 tried to find the Chancellor. Finally, a hologram of the Trade Federation ship appeared.
"The Chancellor's signal is coming from right there. The observation platform at the top of that spire." Obi-Wan said.
"I sense Count Dooku..." said Anakin.
"He's mine." Mary said.
"I sense a trap." Obi-Wan added.
"Next move?" asked Anakin.
"Spring the trap." Kenobi said.
The Jedi started to leave; R2 followed. The Jedi stopped and turned to R2.
"R2, go back. I need you to stay with the ship." Anakin stated.
"Here, take this, and wait for orders." Obi-Wan said.
Obi-Wan tossed the comlink to R2.
The trio headed for the elevator. A door opened in the hallway and two of General Grievous' bodyguards confronted the Jedi.
"General Kenobi, Anakin and Mary Skywalker. We've been waiting for you." the bodyguard said.
"We are here to relieve you of Chancellor Palpatine, not join him." Obi-Wan replied.
As a dozen more droids joined the group, the Jedi ignited their lightsabers and stood back-to-back.
"Guys..."
"Ready." both replied.
The trio used their lightsabers and cut a large circle in the floor.
The Jedi cut their way down several floors into a large generator room. Huge explosions outside the ship had caused several large pipes overhead to break, and fluid was spewing everywhere. The Jedi got up and turned off their lightsabers.
Anakin dipped his hand into the fluid and sniffed it.
"...fuel. The slightest charge from our sabers will send this ship into oblivion. That's why they've stopped shooting." Obi-Wan said.
"Well then, we're safe for the time being." Anakin affirmed.
"Your idea of safe is not the same as mine." Mary replied.
They ran, explosions rattled the ship, and pipes continued to burst around them, spilling more fuel into the hallway. At the far end, six super battle droids dropped into the fuel.
The sounds of shield doors closing and locking echo throughout the hallway. They passed several large power generators, which were topped with sparking excess power dischargers.
"They're sealing this section off." Anakin stated.
"Six droids coming our way!" Mary affirmed.
The last of the doors could be heard closing in distance.
"Keep moving. There must be vents...This way." Anakin said.
They moved along a wall. Anakin climbed up the side to a small vent. The fuel got closer to the sparking dischargers.
"We'll never get through that. It's too small!" exclaimed Mary.
They moved toward a second vent. Obi-Wan was swimming in the fuel as it reached to within a couple yards of the ceiling. Anakin felt along the ceiling and found another smaller vent. He closed his eyes and tried to sense an opening, then he moved on.
Obi-Was was forced into hand-to-hand combat with one of the super battle droids. It pulled the Jedi under the fuel.
Just before he was about to drown, Mary disabled the super battle droid by pushing him into an exhaust pipe.
The fuel was up to the Jedi's chins. Anakin found a very, very small metal grate, then pounded on it until the tiny grate broke loose.
"I found our escape vent." Anakin said.
"Anakin, this is no time for jokes. We're in serious trouble here."
"Only in your mind. My Master. Look, no structure..."
Anakin grabbed the side of the tiny hole and gave it a big yank, ripping a large panel loose revealing a "man-sized" work shaft. They scrambled through it as the droids swam closer.
☾☼
The Jedi pulled themselves through the narrow vent shaft until they reached a small hatch in the side of the tube.
"Here's a way out."
As the super battle droids reached the opening in the ceiling and the fuel got to within a few feet of the power generator sparked, the Jedi worked the keyboard on the pressure lock, opening the latch.
The Jedi climbed into a small passageway and slammed the hatch shut. They made their way through the ever-shrinking shaft until they reached the end.
A hatch opened in one of the main hallways of the Trade Federation Cruiser, and the Jedi squeezed out, slamming the hatch. Behind them, Anakin sealed the hatch with his laser sword.
"That won't hold when the fuel hits those power dischargers." Kenobi said.
"The blast will break the hull. This side's pressurized."
"You still have much to learn, Anakin." Obi-Wan said.
The super battle droids climbed up the vent shaft. super battle droid R77 and other droids waited in the generator room as the fuel continued to rise toward the power discharger. The fuel hit the sparking power discharger, and there was a huge explosion.
A great explosion and a flaming gas clouded spray out of the side of the Federation Cruiser. A large bulge appeared in the wall around the sealed hatch as the explosion hit.
Obi-Wan jumped back, then stood amazed.
"All right, you win. I have much to learn. Let's go!"
Anakin grinned at Obi-Wan, and they ran down the hallway.
The Jedi waited for an elevator to arrive. They turned around and see they were face to face with three destroyer droids. The droids started blasting away.
Anakin and Obi-Wan deflected the bolts. Mary frantically pushed the elevator button several more times.
"Come on, come on!" said Mary.
"Destroyers!!" yelled Anakin.
Finally the door opened, and they rushed inside under a hail of laser bolts. The elevator door slid shut. The Jedi turned to see Battle Droids standing behind them.
"Oh my god!" exclaimed exasperated Mary.
"Drop your weapons! I said drop 'em."
The Jedi activated their lightsabers and destroyed all the Battle Droids.
R2-D2 noticed two super battle droids entering the hangar. He moved and hid behind a Jedi Starfighter.
The elevator began to move and screeched to a stop.
"Did you press the stop button?" asked Obi-Wan.
"No, did you?" both said.
"No!" replied Obi-Wan.
"Well, there's more than one way out of here."
Anakin ignited his laser sword.
"We don't want to get out, we want to get moving. R2... R2. Do you copy? Activate elevator...31174..."
Anakin cut a hole in the elevator ceiling.
Two super battle droids were inspecting the Jedi starfighters. They overheard Obi-Wan's voice over the comlink and were distracted.
"What's that?"
"Get back to work. It's nothing."
"R2?"
Anakin climbed through the hole in the ceiling of the elevator. Mary followed.
"Always on the move."
Obi-Wan continued to talk on the comlink. R2 quietly beeped a reply.
R2 tried to muffle the comlink as the two super battle droids tried to figure out where the voices were coming from. R2 extended an arm and plugged into a computer interface.
"R2, switch on the comlink. Do you hear me? We gave you a job to do! R2."
Suddenly, the elevator plummeted down the shaft. The twins quickly jumped and grabbed onto the hallway entry door. They watched as the elevator receded down the shaft and disappeared.
"Stop, stop! R2, we need to be going up."
The twins struggled to hang on to the narrow edge of the elevator shaft. The door to the elevator shaft was pried open, and two battle droids appeared in the doorway and looked down at the twins.
"Hi!" Mary said.
They pointed their guns at them.
"They're not very friendly." Mary said.
"Hands up, Jedi! Don't move."
"Roger, roger."
The Two super battle droids overheard Obi-Wan's comlink messages to R2.
"There it is again."
"R2, do you copy? R2, do you hear me? R2, we need to be going up, not down."
The elevator raced down as Obi-Wan held on.
"Stop. R2! We need to go up! Stop, stop!"
The elevator stopped with a jolt. Obi-Wan fell to the floor.
The two super battle droids saw R2 and walked toward the little droid.
"Hey you!"
Kenobi stood up after having fallen in the elevator.
"Now, that's better..."
R2 was held up by two super battle droids, who chuckled as the little Astro Droid cursed and swinged at them.
"You stupid little astro droid!"
☾☼
The twins looked down and saw the elevator heading toward them at a high rate of speed. They looked at the battle droids leaning over them with their guns pointed at them.
They calculated for a moment, then gave themselves a push and flipped themselves up into the elevator shaft.
Before the twins could arc into a descent down the shaft, the elevator raced up through the shaft, cutting the droids in two.
They landed on the elevator and quickly dropped back through the hole in the ceiling.
Kenobi was startled and ignited his lightsaber.
"Oh, it's you." said Kenobi.
R2 activated his oil hose and sprayed the super battle droids. They slipped on the oil.
"What was that all about?" asked Anakin.
"Well, R2 has been..."
"No loose wire jokes... He's doing the best he can." replied Anakin.
"Did I say anything?" said Kenobi.
"He's trying!"
"I didn't say anything!" continued Obi-Wan
R2 ignited his arm rockets and shot out of their grip, spraying them both with oil and setting them on fire. The super battle droids slipped and slid until they fell, smoldering. R2 rolled away.