The door slid shut before Sol could exit the training room. Darth Vader slammed his hand against the keypad in the hallway and left knowing that the Jedi was trapped inside. With his mask back on and his yellow eyes present, Vader headed to the control room where he would demand a report of the attack on the destroyer.
Sol huffed when the door locked into the wall. She had barely been able to follow Vader to the exit before it shut, and with her lightsaber as her torch, Sol was forced stand in the dark room with the siren still blaring in intervals.
There was only one organisation that would dare to launch an attack on the Empire. It had to be the Resistance, and if Sol didn't know any better, she would think that they were attempting to rescue her from her imprisonment. To spontaneously attack an Imperial star destroyer in the core of the galaxy was unlike the Resistance, as it was too close to the many other war lords that worked with Empire. An attempt to bring down one destroyer warranted the arrival of a fleet's worth, and the rebels were smarter than to prompt that reaction.
But Grand Admiral Thrawn's destroyer wasn't just an Imperial ship. It held a prisoner that the Resistance needed more than they knew. Captain Padme Amidala was the one to insist urgency on the rescue mission, and ships from Yavin 4 were sent with one objective; to keep the Empire distracted while Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi infiltrated the destroyer's hanger.
But Sol was unaware of the details of the rescue and couldn't make her escape off the destroyer while trapped in Darth Vader's training room.
Sol's face felt tight after her brief moment of tears. The wetness that she had smeared underneath her eyes had dried and a puffiness was settling in. It was uncomfortable, and at the sudden change of events, Sol felt almost foolish for breaking down in front of Darth Vader. But it hadn't been for nothing, as she had seen the blue eyes that she had only been able to admire in Luke. Anakin had broken through Vader's cage and Sol heard him say that he couldn't leave with her because it was too late for him. This couldn't have been Vader talking. This was Anakin, and Sol had hope for the good that was present in him.
At the thought of progress, Sol closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She soothed her mind into a meditative state in order to block out the alarm that ricocheted off the walls. With her senses slipping into the serenity of the Force, Sol placed one hand on the solid door. She searched through its makeup and locking mechanisms, and found that it was made of both lead and iron. Some would say that the door was indestructible and would need to have its locks rewired in order to escape the training room. But Sol had something that not many in the galaxy had in their possession.
The Jedi's eyes opened, and she reared her lightsaber behind her. With the tip of her cyan blade aimed forward, Sol jammed the 20 000°-degree heat through the locked door. The metal hissed and churned at the arrival of the blade. Sol's face was lit with the orange that glowed from the melting door and with the clench of her muscles, she pulled the lightsaber to the right. In a slow turn, the blade burnt a hole in the metal, and gooey drops of molten liquid dripped down to the floor below.
Before long, Sol's arms grew tired as she pulled the blade to reach its original plunge. Once the shape of Sol's escape was cut out of the door, Sol's saber slipped out of the hot mess with ease. She watched as the firey circle's insides dislodged and fell into the hallway. A loud clang was heard and despite its liklihood of alerting nearby storm troopers, Sol felt a great relief at seeing the light stream in from outside.
Sheathing her lightsaber, Sol ducked low to step through the hole in the door. The metal hissed past her ear as she lowered her head, and the echoes of the destroyer's alarm was a pleasant change to the training room's insolated blaring.
With a look left and right, Sol prepared for armed storm troopers to turn corners and blast her with their stun guns. But when she remained on her lonesome in the hallway, Sol's shoulders rose and fell with the release of a deep breath.
She kept her lightsaber in hand and with light footsteps, Sol headed to the right to find the hanger and find her starfighter.
---
'What is the report, Thrawn?' Darth Vader demanded as he arrived at the control room.
Workmen bustled with communications from attacking TIE fighters, and storm troopers were being ordered to their respected stations. The Grand Admiral remained calm at the head of the control room as he watched rebel ships fly around in his territory.
'The rebel scum has launched a surprise attack,' Grand Admiral Thrawn said, a hint of smugness in his voice. 'They're trying to defeat us. It's laughable.'
Darth Vader stopped beside Thrawn and took in the battlefield that occurred outside the star destroyer. He saw the rebel ships that he knew all too well and despised to see his Empire's TIE fighters fall. Their blasts were agile and powerful, but the rebel pilots were skilled.
He knew that some of the fallen Republic's best pilots had sided with the Resistance, but Vader had created his Empire to be strong and resilient. They grew from their losses and came back twice as destructive, and with Sol onboard, Darth Vader would make sure that the Resistance knew that he would never give up in his mission to destroy the rebellion.
'Send out your death trooper squadron,' Darth Vader ordered, and Grand Admiral Thrawn tore his red eyes from the windshield. The Sith's eyeless mask was attached to the raging war in space and Thrawn turned to face the man with hesitancy.
'My Lord, are you sure this attack calls for such intensity?' Thrawn asked. 'I have confidence that my men will squander these pitiful ships.'
'Do not question my analysis of war, Grand Admiral. I have far more experience in its potential to be out of our favour than you do. Send.your.death.troopers.'
Thrawn swallowed when Darth Vader turned to face him with the edge of his words. The Chiss remembered how it felt to beg for air while Vader stood unmoving, and the last thing he wanted was to feel the same suffocation again.
With a final glance to the battle, Grand Admiral Thrawn cleared his throat and headed towards one of his generals to give the order.
Darth Vader remained at the front of the control room. Although he appeared to be watching the battle, he was actually concentrating on the signatures within the realm of the Force.
One of them was Sol's. As long as it was onboard and simmering in a stable state, then Vader wouldn't have to search for the Jedi. She was safe in the training room, and he could focus on the other signature that had made it's way into Vader's senses.
The teal flame that he hadn't seen in so long was in range. With its rich centre and partially hidden presence, the Force signature of Obi-wan Kenobi dipped dangerously close to the star destroyer.
He was here. Obi-wan Kenobi, the man who left Vader for death, the one who had made him into the monster he now was, was on one of the rebel ships. The Jedi Master wasn't dead, like many had thought, but was alive and flying around in Imperial territory. He was attacking Vader's ships and could potentially attempt to capture his beloved prisoner.
After all this time, why was that wretched man helping the Resistance? The galaxy had been wiped clean of the man that had worked with the Order to betray Vader. The Emperor had made sure that the name 'Obi-wan' was never heard of again, especially not within the Resistance. So, why was Obi-wan Kenobi firing upon his TIE fighters when he had spent so long hiding?
Vader knew why. The sudden attack in the core, the volume of starfighters and x-wings in Imperial territory, Obi-wan's appearance in the Force; the Resistance was orchestrating some sort of rescue for the one Jedi Vader had aboard.
That's why he wanted the death troopers in action. Darth Vader wanted everything Grand Admiral Thrawn had to destroy the Resistance, and Obi-wan Kenobi with it.
---
Luke and Leia were strapped into their seats in the T6's hull. Their fingers clenched at their seatbelts as the ship took hit after hit. When they felt the walls shake and their ears deafen from booms, the Skywalker twins feared that they had been pulled into the warzone.
'I-I don't feel us moving,' Luke said, looking up at the ceiling as if to see the moving stars above them. 'Is the ship broken?'
'Not broken,' Ahsoka walked into the hull with a quick stride. Luke and Leia followed the woman with their eyes as she yanked at the grate that sat in the middle of the floor. It's scraps against the tiled floor made their toes curl and their nerves recoil, but over all the noise, they still heard Ahsoka say,
'We've just stalled, is all.'
'Do we not have any shields on this ship?' Leia called over the scraping of the grate. She and her brother saw their aunty heave herself into the engine room below, and they let out gasps as the ship shook with another blast.
'If we do, let's hope they keep up the good work, right?' Ahsoka's voice echoed from where the twins couldn't see.
'A-And blasters? What about guns?' Luke stuttered.
Luke and Leia were startled when Ahsoka's montrals appeared from beneath the floor. The Jedi was doing her best to keep the situation under control all while trying to keep the children from worrying. She knew that her ship had shields that were still functional, and if there was someone to operate the gun room, then they would be freed from the circling TIE fighter.
'But who will operate them, Luke?' Ahsoka dared to say, her eyes peaking over the tiles. She watched the twins whose feet dangled above the floor. They were scared by the constant shakes of the T6 and at Ahsoka's narrowed gaze, Luke gulped at his aunty's question.
'U-Um I don't know...'
Ahsoka tried not to appear disappointed. It was wrong to assume that either one of them would offer to operate the gun room. They were only young children, but after Leia's admission to being able to sense Revan in his ship, Ahsoka thought that maybe, just maybe, the twins would surprise her again.
Leia was showing signs of Force sensitivity, and if the twins were anything like their parents, their midi-chlorian count would be astronomical. They could be skilled Jedi with the correct training, and Ahsoka's situation called for the help of Jedi. But she couldn't expect two five-year-olds to shoot down Imperial ships.
The twins saw the Togruta's montrals and eyes disappear as she dropped back into the engine room. The ship shook with another blast, and Leia looked to the ceiling in anxiety. She felt a nudge to her side and didn't need to turn and see that her brother's offered hand was the culprit. Wordlessly, the girl entwined her fingers with his and the twins waited for their aunty to appear from the floor of the hull.
---
'Blast this fighter!'
Obi-wan cursed in the cockpit of his x-wing. While attempting to infiltrate the destroyer's hanger, Obi-wan had somehow been picked up on by a death trooper. They piloted TIE fighters, just like any other Imperial soldier, but the way the ship followed Obi-wan's every move made him realise that it was no ordinary trooper in the cockpit. The blasts were staggered and articulated to fire when the x-wing was at its most vulnerable. And even though Obi-wan had lapped around the destroyer multiple times, he still couldn't seem to shake the tailing TIE fighter.
'Revan?!' Obi-wan called into his intercom while avoiding a blast from behind. 'Revan, do you copy?!'
He was met with nothing but static. Either the Shan's connection was lost, or he had been a victim to the Empire's impressive defense.
Obi-wan cursed yet again and knew he would have to lose the death trooper on his own. He couldn't call for help, as every rebel was fighting off their own handful of TIE fighters. Obi-wan had meant to find his way into the destroyer's hanger and let the Resistance handle the attack. But at the launch of the lethal death troopers, Obi-wan was forced to delay his infiltration and rescue mission to shake off some persistant soldiers.
'Alright, then, you uncivilised pest,' Obi-wan adjusted his grip on the controls. 'We'll go to the hanger together.'
Obi-wan turned the joysticks to the left in a sharp turn. The death trooper did the same with swift reflexes before firing blasts at the x-wing. The ships' bellies ghosted the star destroyer and Obi-wan clenched his teeth at the closeness of the vessel's surface.
As the two ships approached the edge of the star destroyer, Obi-wan turned the controls downwards a moment too early. The belly of his x-wing scrapped against the grey surface but made it over the edge to spin upside down. As the ship stabilised and Obi-wan was facing upright, the x-wing's tip was aimed for the destroyer's hanger. But the TIE fighter was still behind him, only further away as the death trooper's maneuver had been slower than Obi-wan's. But everything was going towards Obi-wan's plan as his approach to the hanger sent the trooper into a panicked frenzy.
The death trooper couldn't let the rebel ship reach the interior of the star destroyer. So, with a desperate push at his controls, the TIE fighter accelerated towards the backside of the x-wing. At such a proximity, the trooper could fire a blast directly into the rebel's engine. But Obi-wan sensed its incoming attack and swept to the side, letting the TIE fighter fly into the hanger alone at an unstoppable speed.
Storm troopers and mechanics screeched in horror. The TIE fighter's haunting cry filled the hanger and the ship soared towards helpless Imperial workers. An explosion erupted and its destruction was vast. Fires burned around the wreckage and the death trooper inside was incinerated upon the collision. The cockpit of the fighter was destroyed with smoke bellowing from an interior fire, and the wings had broken into pieces.
With most of the hanger's inhabitants wiped out, Obi-wan was able to lower his x-wing without a challenge. He ejected from the pilot's seat and spun in the air to cushion his landing. It had been a while since he had used the Force in such a way, but it felt good to feel it move around his being and power his boots to land with a soft thud. And as he stood at the ready, Obi-wan grabbed his lightsaber from his belt and ignited its electric blue blade.
Storm troopers arrived at the scene and passed their dead teammates to blast at the Jedi. With rotations of his weapon, the Jedi Master sent the blasts back to the growing army. Pained cries were heard, and soldiers fell, but Obi-wan remained standing.
He kept his front facing the battle, while he backed into a hallway that branched off from the hanger. With a call to the Force, Obi-wan was able to turn his back to the troopers and shoot down the hallway at a remarkable speed. The man's civillian clothes were a blur as the Force powered him to safety and when he turned the corner, Obi-wan was out of the blaster fire and could focus on finding Sol.
---
Ahsoka threw herself back into the pilot seat. The screens that once blared with two warning messages had calmed to one singular reading. The hyperdrive was still damaged, but the damaged engine had been tended to.
'I've rerouted the power from one engine to the other. It would get us a few kilometres, but it won't take us back to the Yavin system or to Tatooine,' Ahsoka rushed into her intercom.
'Great. So, we can't leave at all, and your shields are taking hits like an Eopie's backside,' Revan sounded through the controls. 'What's your plan, Ahsoka?'
'Well... there's only one thing in range-'
'You want to land in the star destroyer's hanger, don't you?'
Ahsoka pressed her lips tightly together. There were no planets close enough for them to flee to and one engine couldn't get them far enough away from the battlefield without shorting out. The shields would last a few more hits before they would lose their power and they would be flying completely exposed to the Empire's attacks. If they made it into the hanger, they could hijack another ship, and perhaps even see Obi-wan and a rescued Sol on the way.
But Ahsoka would be bringing Luke and Leia closer to Darth Vader than they had ever been before. She had risked their lives by choosing to save Revan, and she was dabbling in the possibility of immediate danger. Ahsoka had been brash and impulsive, a trait that she had gained from her Master, and it had landed her and everyone else in a helpless choice.
Ahsoka couldn't bare to think about how Sol and Obi-wan would react, but in that moment, she had to make another quick decision. The T6's shields were weakening, and she sensed fear in the two children in the hull. The TIE fighter was looping around again, and Ahsoka looked up to the star destroyer that was still within range.
'Obi-wan and Sol will kill you, you know?'
'Maybe. Do you think Vader would be more merciful?'
A scoff was heard in Revan's cockpit.
'I'll bet your life that he wouldn't be.'
Ahsoka sent the T6 upwards with the use of its singular engine. The ascent was bumpy from the unsupported power supply, and Revan had to grip his seat to avoid being thrown about in his cockpit. Being on the wing of the struggling ship made it so that Revan could watch their approach to the star destroyer, all while feeling every blast that came from the following TIE fighter.
Despite his reluctance of being close to Grand Admiral Thrawn, Revan realised that he would be closer to Darth Vader. And unlike Ahsoka, he didn't fear being found by the Sith apprentice. In fact, he wanted to seek the man out. If Revan found that Sol couldn't follow through with her potential destiny, then he would take the arisen opportunity to avenge Serrina himself.
Darth Vader had taken everything from Revan Shan. He had destroyed the Jedi Temple, he had killed every person that Revan had grown up with, and then had killed his wife in cold blood. Revan hated Vader more than anything. At Ahsoka's mention of landing in the star destroyer's hanger, he had to feign some form of reluctance. But in reality, Revan was prepared to board the Imperial vessel, and find Vader for revenge.
So, when the blasts were subdued and the T6 landed in the star destroyer's hanger, Revan was content with leaving his damaged ship.
Blasts had destroyed the T6's shields and the last engine had failed, but they had swooped into the hanger before they lost all power. Ahsoka tried to soften their landing, but it still threw her forward and her seatbelt knocked the wind out of her chest. After a series of breaths and gasps, Ahsoka called over her shoulder,
'Everyone alright?!'
'Yes!' the twins called back in unison, making Ahsoka let out a sigh in relief.
The Togruta took her time in helping the twins undo their seatbelts. She felt their racing hearts she clicked at the belt's release and Leia's knees wobbled when she stood from her seat. They were shaken, but unharmed.
Ahsoka felt terrible for putting the twins through such an experience and avoided thinking about the hellfire that she had brought them into. They weren't meant to be on an Imperial star destroyer in the galaxy's core. They were meant to be on Tatooine where their mother knew they were safe. But now, they were stranded in a damaged ship surrounded by soldiers of the Empire, and Ahsoka sensed the dreaded Force signature that was undoubtably onboard. Their father was near, and Ahsoka had brought them right into his awaiting palm.
'Alright. Listen to me, you two,' Ahsoka knelt down to be at their level. The wide eyes of Luke and Leia stared back at the Jedi who was uneasy and anxious.
No matter how much she tried to hide it, the two children could see their aunt's true feelings. It made them worried, as Ahsoka never appeared unkept or shaken. But with her wrinkled forehead and the constant chewing of her bottom lip, Luke and Leia knew that the situation was bad, and their Aunty Ahsoka was losing her façade.
'We're in big trouble. Your Uncle Obi is here to find your mum, and it's a very dangerous place for children to be. Revan and I are going to find us another ship, and I need you to stay hidden here until we come to find you. No sneaking around behind us. Just stay here and be quiet. Do I make myself clear, Luke?'
The boy nodded his head with a loud gulp.
'Leia?'
The girl nodded with her chin held high.
'Good. May the Force be with you two.'