Alright, how was it possible for ships to be this enormous? The Jedi cruiser taking us to Christophsis was huge. Even just the main hanger was bigger than most floors of the temple, and it was quiet a hassle to know where you were going. At least I wasn't the only one struggling with this large floor plan it seemed, as I was currently waiting for Ahsoka beside the ship that should have taken us to the planet's surface before even I arrived.
Large blue force fields separated the ships and I in the hangar from the infinite emptiness known as space just beyond them, the blue planet of Christophsis visible through the two large open doors on top of the ship. As I looked at it, my nerves bundled up even more, and I took a deep steadying breath. I would finally meet my master, and start my first mission straight away to boot. I cursed myself for kriffing jinxing it. What could go wrong? Well, a lot of things actually.
Something in the back of my mind gave a faint tug, one that had been nagging at me since we exited hyperspace. It was a feeling I hadn't quite felt in a long time, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. Ilaria would have laughed at me. For how sensitive I was to the living force, I could only recognize a few signatures straight away. There were just too many to count, especially when living on Coruscant. How was I supposed to keep track of them all?
Speaking of, one of the few I could recognize in this ocean of strangers was approaching at great speed, her nerves and eagerness clear as day, even if I'd only met her.
I turned to see Ahsoka walk in. Our connection wasn't very strong yet, but it was certainly noticeable, especially now that we'd spent some time together on the way here.
She was looking around a bit confused though, so I waved at her. "Over here!"
She spotted me, and ran towards me, a grin on her face. "You ready to go?"
I nodded at her. "Ready as I'll ever be."
We entered the gunship together with a small group of clones. I frowned when I realized that, even though they had lowered some of the holds, I still couldn't reach them. So instead, I opted to hold onto one of the clone's belts, earning me a confused look. I just shrugged at him, rolling my eyes at the high holds mocking me. A chuckle sounded through his helmet before he seemingly righted himself and faced forward again.
Standing next to each other, mine and Ahsoka's nerves and excitement more than doubled. We were practically vibrating, our bodies ready to spring into action.
"I still can't believe I'm going to be master Skywalker's padawan." Ahsoka muttered excitedly.
I laughed at her barely contained enthusiasm. "I still can't believe Yoda just didn't tell me about mine."
She gave me a look of sympathy. "I'm sure that whoever they are, you two will be a great fit."
That made me smile. Even though we'd only just met, I liked Ahsoka. She was a shining presence in the force, so alive and filled with kindness that it was hard for me not to like her.
As we landed, the tug from before changed to an insistent pull, and I frowned. It couldn't be Ahsoka, I could feel her more clearly now and she sure wasn't reaching out. Who could it be? I didn't know anyone from Christophsis, did I?
It was so familiar, and I hadn't felt it this strong in years, slowly strengthening and coming back to life as I neared whoever it belonged to. It was so calm and soothing, like a lake as still as glass...
My eyes widened as the doors of the gunship opened. How could I be so stupid?! I'd practically had a panic attack on Ilum when I thought our connection had been severed, and now I hadn't even recognized it!
Ahsoka walked out before me, the clone I'd been holding onto following her lead, shaking me out of my slight trance.
"And who are you supposed to be?" Master Skywalker asked from outside. It was strange to hear his voice and able to understand what he was saying. His voice was also definitely deeper. Gone was the slightly high and unstable tones of a teenager, now replaced by a deep manly sound.
"I'm Ahsoka? Master Yoda sent me. Well, he sent us." I heard Ahsoka say, and I couldn't stop my tail from wagging. I could feel a slight confusion as my master sensed my excitement, not realizing who it was at the other end of the bond.
Bow strapped to my back and steeling my nerves, I stepped out of the ship. His piercing blue eyes landed on me immediately, surprise colouring the force as our bond snapped back into place. There stood Obi-wan Kenobi, now Jedi master, and I was to be his new padawan. Our bond was as strong as it had been the day we'd left Pandora, and I was glad for it, relishing the feeling of the bond being strong and firm instead of thin and stretched.
"We were told to tell the both of you that you must get back to the Jedi Temple immediately. There's an emergency." Ahsoka went on. I walked down the ramp, joining Ahsoka's side.
"Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but we're in a bit of an emergency right here." Anakin answered snarkily, crossing his arms.
"Yes, our communications have been a bit unreliable, but we've been calling for help." Obi-Wan joined in, shaking off his surprise to get to the point.
I cocked my head to the side. "Master Yoda hasn't heard from the two of you for quite some time, so he sent us to deliver this message."
Anakin let out a frustrated sigh, turning around. "Oh great, they don't even know we're in trouble."
"Maybe you can relay a signal through the cruiser that just dropped us off." I suggested, feeling the master's irritation clearly. His presence was even stronger than I remembered, and for the first time in a long time, I had to slam my shields in place more firmly to not be affected by him. Obi-wan noticed of course. To him, it probably felt like I'd just shoved everyone around me away. At least, that's how Ilaria described the feeling. He sent me a questioning look and I just gave him a shrug.
In the end, both masters nodded, and they led us to a communication pad. A clone appeared on the hologram, explaining how they were currently under attack, but they would try to get a message through, and that we should stand by.
"Well, that sounds promising." I mumbled.
But, to my surprise, master Yoda appeared on the screen not long after. "Master Kenobi, glad the Padawan have found you, I am."
Obi-wan just frowned. "Master, we are trapped here and vastly outnumbered. We are in no position to go anywhere or do anything. Our support ships have all been destroyed."
Yoda's hologram started to flicker, his voice crackling in and out. "Send reinforcements to you, we will." Then, his hologram went out completely.
"Master Yoda? Master Yoda?!" Obi-wan exclaimed. It was no use though, the connection had been completely lost. Not only that, we'd also lost contact with our cruiser to boot, with it being under fierce attack from the droid army.
"Well, this just turned into a very interesting first mission." I whispered to Ahsoka, who chuckled. I was quite nervous though, this could turn very ugly very quickly.
Master Skywalker seemed to share that sentiment. "Well, I guess we'll have to hold out a little longer."
Obi-Wan turned to both Ahsoka and me, seemingly unaffected by the setback. "My apologies, young ones. I believe it's time for a proper introduction."
Ahsoka bowed slightly in response. "We're the new padawan learners, I'm Ahsoka Tano."
I bowed as well. "And I'm Maxine." When I looked up, Obi-wan was smiling at me slightly, and I scratched the back of my neck sheepishly. "Though, you knew that already."
"Wait a second." Master Skywalker butted in suddenly, a bit alarmed. "Why are there two of you?" He pointed at the both of us.
Ahsoka stepped forward slightly. "I've been assigned to you, master Skywalker."
Anakin's eyes widened. "What?! No, no, no. There must be some mistake." He said, waving his hands. "He's the one who wanted the Padawan." He pointed to Obi-Wan, who was stroking his beard in thought, though I could feel his amusement seeping through my shields.
"No, Master Yoda was very specific. I'm assigned to Anakin Skywalker, and he is to supervise my Jedi training." Ahsoka replied with a certain finality.
"But that doesn't make any sense-"
"We'll have to sort this out later." Obi-Wan interrupted, putting his hands up. "It won't be long before those droids figure out a way around our cannons."
Anakin sighed tiredly, starting to walk away. "I'll check on Rex in the lookout post."
Obi-Wan put a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder. "You'd better take her with you."
Ahsoka smirked at me, before walking after her new master. I chuckled lightly at the sight, they were going to make for a very interesting pair.
Obi-Wan cleared his throat softly, and I turned my attention to him. "I guess that leaves the both of us."
I smirked a bit. "Yep, though master Yoda didn't mention who exactly would be my master, I don't see any other Jedi around." I replied, our bond humming gently.
Obi-wan nodded and smiled. "Come along then, I'll show the perimeter."
I fell into step beside him as he showed me around, introducing me to some of the troops of the 501st.
"Tell me, what have you been up to these past years?" He asked.
"Oh, you know, the same old, same old. Mostly force theory and lightsaber training, and learning to speak basic of course." I said.
"And your clan?"
I frowned slightly. "I'm sorry to say they never really warmed up to me. Though I did meet someone from another clan. We spend a lot of time together in the archives."
Obi-wan smirked. "I never took you for the studious type."
I rolled my eyes and swished my tail against his leg. "Believe it or not, I've enjoyed reading all my life. And I had to learn basic some way."
He nodded, something akin to pride coming from him. "And you have improved greatly."
I smiled. "Thank you, master."
A push in the force made me stiffen, stopping me in my tracks. Something was changing the atmosphere, pushing the winds in ways they shouldn't go, pushing them in our way, like a black hole of nothingness forcing everything out. It put me on edge.
Obi-wan threw me a questioning look. "What's wrong?"
Before I could answer, Anakin, Ahsoka, and another clone approached us, looking quite frantic. Though, beneath the surface, something was crackling between Ahsoka and Anakin. "The droids have an energy shield and are closing in."
Well, that wasn't good, was it?
We activated a holomap, Obi-Wan pointing at a red area visibly increasing. "The shield generator is somewhere in this area. They're slowly increasing the diameter, and keeping it just ahead of their troops."
The unknown clone, wearing armour accented with blue, and a pauldron on his left shoulder, spoke up. "The heavy cannons are gonna be useless against that." He wasn't wearing his helmet, his voice clear of the crackle caused by it, showing a head with shaved blond hair, and a small scar under his chin.
Obi-Wan kneeled closer to the map. "As they get closer, I suppose we could try to draw them into the buildings. That might level the playing field a bit."
I frowned. War strategies had never been my strong suit, but that didn't feel right. "But wouldn't the shield just keep expanding? They could destroy the canons while we're stuck inside the buildings with the droids." I said hesitantly.
Obi-Wan nodded in thought, stroking his beard as he stared at the map when Ahsoka said. "If that shield's gonna be such a problem, why don't we just take it out?"
"Easier said than done." The blue clone trooper replied.
"Well, I, for one." Anakin cleared his throat. "Agree with her. Someone has to get to that shield generator and destroy it. That's the key."
I almost snorted. See? I knew they were going to make a good pair.
My amusement must have gone across our bond, because Obi-wan sent it right back at me, sharing my sentiment. "Right, then. Maybe you two can tiptoe through the enemy lines, and solve this particular problem together."
"Can do, Master Kenobi." Ahsoka replied determinately, totally missing my master's cheek.
"I'll decide what we do." Anakin butted in in response.
I hid my snickering behind a cough as Obi-wan faced the map again, indicating at points in our defence line. "If Maxine, Rex, and I can engage them here, you two might have a chance to get through their lines undetected, here."
"They won't have much time. The droids far outnumber us, so our ability to street fight is limited without the use of heavy cannons. They will march forward under the protection of their shield, until they are right on top of our cannons, then they'll blow them away." The clone, which I guess was called Rex, added.
Ahsoka shrugged confidently before making her way towards where Anakin and her would infiltrate enemy lines. "We'll figure out a way. Come on, Master, let's go."
As the both of them walked away, I could hear Anakin say. "If we survive this, Snips, you and I are gonna have a talk." Irritation came off of him in waves, the crackling receding slightly. I silently wished Ahsoka good luck, she would sure as hell need it if she annoyed her new master any more.
"They make quite a pair, don't they, sir?" Rex stated.
I snorted. "You could say that again."
He ignored me however, still facing my master. "You think they have a chance?"
"They better. If they can't turn off that shield generator before it reaches the heavy cannons, there'll be no escape for any of us." My master answered.
"That's a bit gloomy isn't it?" I questioned my master. "Either way, we better get ready if so much is at stake."
"You said it, my young padawan." He said while straightening, the holomap switching off. He then steps in front of me, attaching a small device to my right armguard. "It's a commlink. This way, we can stay in touch on the battlefield. Though I would prefer it if you stuck close."
Oh I was planning on it, droids were far from my specialty. But a little cheek couldn't hurt. "Sure. Though I can take care of myself you know?"
He rolled his eyes at me. "Oh, believe me, I know."
It wasn't long before I found myself beside the huge canons, shots being fired at the red energy shield. It was a strange feeling, the expanding area of nothingness approaching us, pushing everything in its path aside like it was nothing. And all of that nothingness was surrounded with the pure definition of chaos, cannons blasting loudly as clones ran around to get into position.
The shots deflected from the shield uselessly, either exploding on impact or bouncing off. Obi-wan was radiating annoyance beside me as he watched another round skip off. "That shield is certainly putting a crimp in my day."
"Yeah, I noticed." I exclaimed over the explosion that followed.
"It's no use, sir! Even at full power, the cannon doesn't affect it!" Rex yelled.
"All right, Rex. It was worth a try." Obi-wan sighed. "Tell the men to fall back!"
And so we did. The cannons were brought back as far as possible, while the clones hid together with me, my master, and Rex, waiting to ambush the unsuspecting droids. I was sitting behind a ledge next to Obi-Wan, Rex kneeling beside us, when the red energy of the shield passed us. I held in a gasp as nothingness bathed me, and sighed in frustration as the battle droids closed in, their clanking filling my ears, elusive in the force as ever.
"Calm down Maxine, don't let your nerves cloud your senses." Obi-wan said beside me.
I nodded, gripping my lightsaber hilt. "I'll try master, but droids were never one of my specialties."
"Trust in your abilities, young one, and you'll be just fine." He finished, before turning to Rex. "We're inside the shield, just stay away from those tanks." He ordered, Rex giving a curd nod in response. He then activated his familiar blue lightsaber, my own reacting to its presence, the Kyber crystal pulsing in anticipation.
Obi-Wan locked eyes with me. "Are you ready?"
I activated my lightsaber, the gold blade shooting out fiercely. "Yes master."
He nodded. "Then stick close to me."
We vaulted over the ledge, Rex covering us from behind. The droids yelled out in surprise at our presence, giving us some time to cut them down before they began their attack. I sliced through one of the bigger droids, before deflecting blaster bolts coming my way with some difficulty. They didn't hit their marks, but the clones behind me made sure they were shot down. The other clones were zipping down onto the battlefield, shooting down droids as they went.
I stuck close to Obi-Wan, as promised, and we cut through oh so many droids. But the clones were outnumbered, and the droid tanks were closing in. I pulled my hilt apart, activating the second blade using the force, the power of the crystal now divided. Using two blades instead of one to deflect more blaster bolts, I covered the retreating clones. It was difficult though. Same as with the practice droids in the temple, I couldn't sense when and where they wanted to shoot, only the blaster bolt that zipped through the air toward me. It meant I was completely focused on not getting shot, missing the literal tank that was about the drive right over me.
"Maxine!" Obi-Wan warned me. I looked up, eyes wide, and I frantically jumped up on the tank's huge blaster to get out of the way. A bit stunned, I just stared at the tank underneath me as it barrelled onwards, arms out to keep my balance. When I was steady, I took a deep breath and steeled myself. Might as well try and take it down while I was up here...
And so I used my sabers to cut through the blaster cannon. As it crashed to the ground, the hatch opened behind me, the head of a droid popping out. I quickly cut it off before it could start firing at me, and then vaulted over the open hatch, throwing in an explosive for good measure. I rolled out of the way right before the thing exploded with a loud bang, sending scraps of burning metal overhead.
Now, where had my master disappeared to? Scanning my surroundings, I found him saving a clone from a bigger battle droid, cutting off both of the droid's hands, then pushing said droid into another one to take it out of commission. I really should ask him how in the world he did that.
He was being approached from behind though, so I quickly ran his way. When he didn't notice, I jumped forward, spinning both of my sabers as they cut through the offending droid, reducing it to a heap of scrap metal. We then stood back to back, deflecting more blaster bolts.
"I thought I told you to stick close?!" Obi-wan yelled over the sound of blasters and our whirring sabers, relief at the sight of me flowing to me.
"Well, I'm here now aren't I?!" I responded, though I sent regret his way through our bond.
Another droid approached us, but before I could cut it down, Rex shot it from behind. "They're right behind us, sir! They wiped out most of my unit. We had to pull out of there."
He was stressed and sad, likely having lost many of his men and friends. He wasn't the only one feeling this way either. All the troops around us were fighting for their lives, their signatures being snuffed out left and right as the battle went on. Now that the shooting calmed down a bit, it was difficult to ignore the growing emptiness around me. We were taking heavy losses, and it left me cold, like I was on Ilum all over again.
There was an explosion, shaking the ground beneath us, and we hid behind some debris. "The shield has almost reached the heavy cannons." Obi-Wan said urgently.
"There's no way we're going to stop them like this." I said frantically, the stress and fear of the clones around us gripping at my throat, the cold taking my breath away, making me slam my shields into place more firmly.
"Move your troops back to the heavy cannons Rex." Obi-wan said after some thought. "Do everything you can to protect them. I'll delay the droids."
"But-" Rex and I said at the same time.
He fixed us with a fierce look. "That is an order!"
Right at that moment, a droid jumped over the debris we were hiding behind, and I quickly ignited my saber, now one blade again, to pierce it through the chest. Rex had already retreated slightly, and Obi-Wan jumped back into the fray. "Protect the troops Maxine!"
I hesitated for a moment, cutting down another droid. What did he mean protect the troops?! I didn't know how to lead so many people, I could barely stand being around them with all the chaos going around!
I took another step towards him, insecure and afraid. But then his wave of confidence hit me and I stopped in my tracks, before steeling myself and retreating together with the clones. I was a padawan now, finally able to achieve what I swore to do. Guard the people important to me. "I got it master!"
The retreat back to the cannons was rough. I tried my best to deflect as many blaster bolts as possible, but the droids just kept coming. I was panting and sweating, twirling my two blades as the clones shot from behind debris.
The droids were only getting closer though, and the next bit of cover was far down the road. "Rex! Tell your men to fall back!"
Rex waved his hand at his troops. "You heard the kid! Fall back!"
The clones started running towards the next bit of cover, but the droids were sly, and they started firing rockets to try and block our retreat. I huffed in frustration. "Not on my watch you don't."
I force pushed some of the clones out of the way, the resulting blast pushing me off of my feet. More rockets were sent our way, and this time I wasn't able to help any of my men.
The rockets made impact, and clones were flying everywhere, connections disappearing rapidly. I fought against the shiver running down my spine, gritting my teeth as I pushed myself up. Just as I'd made it to my feet, another explosion rang through the air, and a clone crashed into me, sending the both of us sprawling in the dirt, red blaster bolts flying close overhead.
The world was hazy, the sounds drowned out. The armour of the clone on top of me dug into my skin painfully as I tried to regain my bearings.
"Commander!" I heard a faint yell through the haze. I shook my head, willing the dizziness to go away, before pushing the clone off of me and pushing myself off the ground with a groan. Grunting, I pulled the clone with me, my claws digging into his armour for grip as we found cover behind some debris. I quickly removed his helmet and sighed in relief. Thank the force he was still breathing.
I peered out from behind our cover. The next line of defence was far, but the droids were being held back, the clones valiantly defending the canons from them.
I grunted as I threw the man over my shoulder, heavy armour digging in painfully, the hands of the clone dragging over the ground.
Why did everyone have to be so kriffing tall?!
"Cover me will you?!" I yelled as I ran out from our cover. Blaster bolts flew by dangerously close to my face, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of them singed my hair, but the other clones of the 501st were covering for us. It was a small miracle I was able to make it to the defence line, panting heavily as I laid the injured clone on the ground. "Get this man a medic!"
A medic ran over, checking his fellow soldier before hurriedly looking me over as well. The troops were scrambling around me, giving a last effort to defend the cannons right behind us, when there was a huge explosion somewhere further back on the battlefield. I stared as the red energy shield started retreating, and I let out a huge sigh of relief. Ahsoka and Anakin had done it.
"All cannons, fire on those tanks!" Rex ordered.
The cannons roared, sending blasts of fiery destruction toward our foes, destroying tanks and droids alike. As destruction rained down on the droids, multiple gunships started their descent from above, most likely carrying reinforcements that had finally broken through the blockade. Blaster fire seized as all the droids before us were shot apart, leaving only destroyed metal in their place.
I watched it happen with wide eyes, panting, a headache blooming behind my eyes. My body was aching, sweat rolling down my back, and dirt covering my face, but I still laughed. I'd done it, I'd actually led a group of men and survived. Not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that!
Someone tapped me on the shoulder, making me yelp in surprise, my nerves still shot. I whipped around to face captain Rex, the clone shooting me an apologetic look. "My apologies commander, but it's time to go get general Skywalker." He said, a new gunship behind him already waiting for us to board.
"Oh." I breathed, before shaking myself mentally. "All right, let's go then."
When the doors of the gunship opened, I was faced with an all too familiar problem. The handles on the ship were still too high for me to reach, so I had to settle for holding onto Rex's belt for dear life. I could feel his amusement rolling off of him, and I hit his side. "Don't laugh at me, I saved your asses today."
It only made him chuckle more. "You sure did kid. You did good."
That made me smile despite myself. "Thanks, captain."
...
A/N: Heck yeah, Clone Wars time! I hope the battle was understandable, writing it was more difficult than expected.
Next stop: Tatooine! And some fan-favorite clones will show their faces :)