https://youtu.be/am8dr5lNMjc

3rd Person

With the looming threat of the CIS on the horizon, the Galactic Republic was forced to go to war... 

The Jedi became generals, contrary to their philosophy, but there was simply no other option... is what some said.

Others believed the Jedi's response only escalated the violence. The Jedi way was diplomacy, negotiation... not battle and death.

But, to reiterate... the Jedi were backed into a corner.

Had there been a way to appease both sides...? Could the war have been avoided in an alternate scenario? These questions were no longer answerable.

Bygones nonwithstanding, as the conflict escalated, the chancellor steadily amassed more power. And the Jedi...?

Where did their loyalty lie? And, wherever it lay... was it lying in the right place?

Burst POV

"Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack.       clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack."

Clankers to the rear...

"clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack."

And clankers ahead. Their footfalls were a scourge to my ears... but as for the general and I?

Our feet hadn't touched the ground for a while.

"Clink!"

The barbed end of my grapple secured itself in the hallway ceiling, and I yanked the fibercord taut.

I swung like a spider dangling from its web, for ten meters, with General Gallia clutching my wrist.

When we peaked along the curvature, the general launched her grapple.

"Clink!"

As one of us fired our respective grapple, the other prepared theirs again. With General Gallia's limp, as well as my own injuries, this was our solution for mobility. 

It was still taxing on the arms, however.

As General Gallia took her turn swinging, I felt a surprising amount of pressure from her ironclad grip.

"You been working out, General?" I shouted over the din.

"You have no idea." she responded, deadpan.

"Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack."

The clankers... we'd finally run up on them.

At the crossroads of corridors, clankers marched out of nearly every outlet, dozens at a time. Each entry point's set of blast doors had been busted open, enabling the droid army to gush through unopposed.

"Clink!"

"Your strategy didn't do anything!" I yelled, entering another swing. 

"I knew the barricades wouldn't be able to contain them forever-" she yelled back. "But, yes... I was hoping my plan would've worked better."

Midway through the arcing motion, we met the droid army at the floor... a thick layer of machined metal blocking the way. 

"Clkkkkkk... whirrrrrrrr..."

I prepped the magnetic explododarts in my left forearm; I'd already used up the volley in my right, but this seemed like a better time than any to let loose the rest.

Slip was the one who'd suggested the homing darts, a long time ago. He modeled them after a similar mandalorian weapon, one that I couldn't remember the name of.

'Something-birds...' I thought to myself, pulling the trigger.

"P-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pow!"

A flock of darts rocketed out of my gauntlets, zipping toward the front lines.

"boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!"

Thrusting her palm outward, General Gallia finished clearing the path, throwing the stragglers off their feet.

"Clink!"

We soared through, headed toward the left side of the Absolute.

Adi POV

"Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!"

Though we made it through the horde, their ire followed us.

"Shhk!"

"Aagh!" Burst cried out.

A blast bolt had struck his lower back, striking him through a crack in his armor.

"Shhk!" 

Blinding, white-hot pain exploded from my left tricep.

"Clink!" 

My grapple latched onto the ceiling regardless, and we continued swinging.

Swinging, until we arrived at the main hangar bay, the Venator's center: a big, open hub where the majority of spacecraft was stored.

We exited the hallway at a balcony perched above the bay floor. I quickly fired the fibercord hook toward the bay ceiling, ready to hear that typical clinking sound...

Yet, as the grapple tensed up, it came up short... dropping down until it drooped over the balcony rail.

"Damn!!" the lieutenant cursed as he retracted the cord hurriedly, intent on shooting again as quickly as possible.

"Clack."

"Clack."

"Clack."

...We were out of time.

Lieutenant Burst's second attempt was no better.

"Clack."

"Clack. Clack. Clack."

"Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack."

The mechanical strides quickened, and I flipped around to face the assailant. 

"Psssshhew!"

"You made every effort to stop me, General Gallia..." Grievous monologued, undeterred by my sapphire blade. "But, unsurprisingly, it wasn't enough."

Burst POV

"Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack."

Below us, the head clanker's forces paraded into the bay, fully conquering the Venator's hub.

"If I was fresh, I could've taken you easily." General Gallia declared defiantly.

"But you're not, hehe!" the droid general snickered. "And now you die."

"tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap."

Grievous froze. 

We all heard it, another rumbling of footsteps, but this time... they weren't the clanging footsteps of battle droids.

Somewhere within me, dread loosened its grip. 

My brothers were here.

"Tap. Tap. Tap."

Lone footsteps this time... they were fast!

"Tap."

"Tap. Tap. Tap."

"Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap."

The mystery person accelerated...

"Woooooosh!" 

And leapt into the air.

I craned my neck, squinting as the cloaked figure flipped over General Gallia and I...

...I squinted because of the green flash.

Adi POV

"nnnnnnnNNN."

Without warning, a blade of emerald plasma fell between Grievous and I, brandished by a familiar face.

Ahsoka Tano; I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where's your master?" I asked, keeping my eyes on the enemy.

"Skyguy? Wanted to be here, sends his regards." she stated, glancing at my wounds. "Says he needs you alive."

No Skywalker...? Presumably no Master Kenobi either...

I sucked the reassured breath back in.

"Skywalker's puny runt..." Grievous seethed. "You came at a bad time."

"It's called a surprise... but you never struck me as the fun type." the padawan jeered. 

"Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap."

As soon as the battle droids took the main hangar, the 501st legion barged in to take it back.

"Blast 'em!" a clone commander roared.

"Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!"

Their blue blaster bolts blended with the highlights painted on their armor.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"General Gallia, ARC-5555 at your service... but you can call me Fives." the clone introduced. "I'm here to help the two of you evacuate."

"Much appreciated... Fives." I thanked, turning back to Padawan Tano. "But I'd like to watch this duel."

https://youtu.be/oe1wA1hAdd0

Ahsoka POV

"I've got a containment cell in my cruiser with your name on it, buddy. I hope you got your killing fix today..." I spat. "Because soon it'll just be reminiscing. You won't be killing anyone else...!"

"Hehehe, now I see!" Grievous remarked. "You've come for revenge... for your friend Barriss, maybe?"

"Not revenge... justice." I declared.

"Ha! Justice?!"  Grievous snorted furiously.

"I didn't misspeak." I muttered, widening my stance, focusing.

Flashback

Between assignments, I'd found the time to meet up with Barriss at a famous seafood pub below the surface of Coruscant.

"Have you heard the news?" Barriss brought up, swiping through the holonews as we munched down on quarren delicacies. "Grievous escaped, again... this time from Master Plo."

"That slippery droid devil..." I growled, my speech barely audible through the fried tentacles I'd stuffed my face with.

"Yeah..." Barriss muttered, distant.

"Someday, someone will get him." I proclaimed ominously, stabbing my fork into sea veggies.

"Maybe... but really, I'd want to talk to him." Barriss admitted honestly.

"Really?" I exclaimed, initially surprised; then my vision narrowed. "Then I'll make it happen."

End Flashback

"nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!"

"I made a promise to her, that I would bring you in." I asserted, pointing my plasma blade at the droid general.

"Pssshew!" "Pssshew!"

Grievous crushed the plasma out of his pair of saber hilts, his fury palpable. 

"Ksshhksshkkk!"

"I'd like to see you try, Jedi!" he goaded, grating green and blue together.

"Psssshhhew!"

"Two can play that game." I quipped, igniting my shorter, chartreuse blade, and switching each saber to reverse-grip.

"You've merely doubled my reward." the pale cyborg coughed. "Speaking of which, where's your other friend...? The quick one... he took something from me."

I peeked over my shoulder, and saw Master Gallia say 'no'  with a slight shake of her head.

"It's just me today, tinny." I announced, slightly relieved.

"Clack."

"Clack."

"Clack."

Grievous approached leisurely, prowling like a raxshir sabertooth crawling toward its prey...

"SSSSHHHHHHKKKKKKK!" "SSSHHHHHHHKKK!" 

His sabers softened the metal floor, deforming it permanently.

I'd faced Grievous on Skytop Station... then the factory on Irisella...

This time, I wouldn't falter.

"Tap. Tap. Tap."

I rushed Grievous, and he hesitated, his eyes swelling in shock.

I zig-zagged, richocheting off the welded railing, and aimed for the cyborg's left leg.

Lightsaber Form V, Shien: Twin Fangs

"Ksssshh!" "Kssssshhh!"

With a slash into a spin into a stab, I claimed the first two strikes... but it was not a favorable matchup.

"KssSSSSHHHHH!"

Grievous had the immeasurable strength of a loader droid, so it didn't take much from him to put me on the backfoot after he guarded my first and second blow.

His following attacks were heavy slashes, with a power impossible for me to match, let alone block...

"nnnnnNNNNN!" "nnnnnnNNNNNN!"

So I evaded them, weaving through the beast's claws, the eerie glow of plasma illuminating my montrals.

"nnnnnnnNNNN!" "nnnnnNNNNNN!"

Two more brutish blows were headed my way... 

Lightsaber Form III, Soresu: Skyscraper 

"KSSSSSSHHHHHH!" "KSSSSSHHHhhhh!" "KSSssshhhH!" "kssshhhhhhh!"

As the droid general's blades slid alongside my own, the power evaporated from his mighty strikes: one of the benefits of reverse grip.

"ksssshhhhhhhh!" "kssssssshhhhh!" "nnnnnNNNNN!"

As Grievous slashed at my neck, I ducked...

"Whack!"

And chopped at his shin with an axe-like leg sweep. Unfortunately, the head clanker was unfazed.

"Crunch!"

One half-hearted kick was enough to send me flying, as well as give me four shallow cuts.

I wanted to check my injuries, but Grievous had other plans.

Lightsaber Form III, Soresu: Basin

"KSSSSSSHHHHH!" "KSSSSHHHH!"

"KSSSSSHHHHHH!" "KSSSSHHHHHHH!"

I calmly weaved left and right, dancing elegantly with his animalistic rage.

Eventually, his berserk onslaught slowed down.

By the time I hopped back onto the railing, Grievous had let up.

"So you've picked up a few tricks from General Kenobi, pfft!" Grievous chuckled madly. "They won't save you."

Adi POV

"Kssssh!"

"KSSSsshhh!"

"Ksssh!" "Kssssh!"

"KSSSSSHHHH!" "KSsshh!"

The padawan and Jedi killer clashed.

Grievous eclipsed her in power. Thus, he commanded the position of their duel with ease.

Yet, what she lacked in power, Tano more than made up for in speed and agility...

And for someone so young, she was exceedingly technical at forms IV and V, so much so that I nearly keeled over in astonishment. Though, perhaps that was merely due to my injuries.

When Master Yoda assigned Padawan Tano to Skywalker, I thought it was to force the young, brash knight to mentor someone of that same ilk. That way, he could mature, and someday learn to let go.

And yes, that was a reason... but now I realized that there was another.

The Grandmaster also assigned her to him because, against the overpowering aura of Skywalker's unfathomable talent...

Of her generation, she was the only one who could stand next to him.

Ahsoka POV

"Ksssshh!" "Kssssh!" "Kssshhh!" 

I fended off two slashes and one thrust...

"nnnNNNNN!" "nnnnNNNN!" 

And weaved through two more strikes, backing out of range.

Then, I hunkered down and thrust myself into the air, vaulting over the droid general's head in an arcing fashion.

"nnnnNNNN." "nnnnnNNNNNN."

He swiped up at me, but I was just out of reach, just as planned.

Lightsaber Form IV, Ataru: Great Vortex

"nnNNNNNnnnNNNNNnnNNNNnnNNNN!"

I spun in a vicious circle, my sabers producing a whirling frenzy; Anakin would've been proud.

"SHhRRk!" "SHhRRk!"

"Aaaaghh!" the droid general hacked.

The cut was shallow, but I left a burning brand on the general's hunched back... a hot scar that intersected his spine.

I landed at a safe distance, and Grievous flipped around, his yellow eyes sparking with fury.

"Well... I know what I said earlier, but I did want a little payback." I smirked, pointing my thumb to the scar carved into my back.

"You've finally become a challenge, little Jedi..." Grievous declared. "But your clones don't seem to be having the same success."

His words smashes into me like a speeding hovertrain.After a quick glance, I confirmed their validity.

I'd been so engrossed in the duel, I'd forgetten the battle below.

"FOR THE REPUBLIC!" an unknown clone trooper howled, charging a cluster of B2s.

"Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!"

The trooper promptly met his end.

My boys in white were leagues more competent than their android counterparts, but the simple reality was that they weren't enough of them.

When one droid fell, two more took its place. And after that, four more.

It was a numbers game, one that I'd already lost...

If I could just take down Grievous, quickly, I...!

"Clack." "Clack." "Clack."

"Clack." "Clack." "Clack."

"Clack." "Clack." "Clack."

"Kkkkkkkkk!" "Kkkkkkkkk!" "Kkkkkkkkk!"

I turned back to the pale cyborg, just when he was joined by a trio of magnaguards, their electrostaffs pulsating with purple electricty.

...Although it pained me to do so, there was only one call to make at this point, so I brought my wrist communicator close to my lips.

"All troopers, full scale retreat." I ordered solemnly.

https://youtu.be/rL-ABzjvHOk

Adi POV

Immediately after issuing the order to withdraw, Padawan Tano grabbed me.

The ARC-trooper, Fives, grabbed Burst.

"HahaHAHAHA!" Grievous cackled, his distorted laughter morphing into a cough as it faded.

Wrapping her arm under my own, the padawan supported me through my decrepit limp.

I was covered in blastpoint burns, and drained of my stamina.

Carrying me would only slow her down.

I'm sure she knew that.

The young commander led the way back through the gray corridors, with a few squads of her troopers tailing close behind.

"Commander, where are we headed...?" an unknown ARC-trooper inquired, noticing that we were taking a detour that lead away from where their Venator had docked.

"We won't reach the cruiser in time, Echo. We're better off snagging some ships from the side hangar." Padawan Tano surmised, gritting her teeth. "There should be enough, right?"

"Absolutely." I assured faintly.

Just as I'd predicted, Burst and I were a burden.

Though my vision was blurry, I began counting the clone troopers beside me.

How many had we started with?

...

When did I concede diplomacy? When did I devolve into a battle-crazed fighter?

When did we fall to the deception of war? When did we start sending our children to fight our battles? 

When did we willingly take command of the unwilling?

We weren't peacekeepers, not anymore.

We hadn't been for a long time.

We were warriors. 

Was that what we needed to be?

I didn't know anymore.

Burst POV

"Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack."

The general and I were too raggedly wounded to carry ourselves. Under normal circumstances, battle droids catching organics was a fantasy; with General Gallia and I burdening the group, fantasy became reality.

The clankers were right on our tail, and I was simply dead weight.

While Fives kept me moving, Owl suddenly appeared by my side.

"His gear is heavy, I can carry it." he offered, tugging at my satchels of explosives.

"Heavy..." Fives trailed off, staring the shiny dead in the visor. "No, I don't think so Rookie. I know that look in your eyes."

He was masked; Fives couldn't have seen anything.

"What are you talking about?!" Owl questioned, nabbing the shield generator from my belt. "I'm taking it."

Fives shook his head, but was unable to stop the trooper as he stripped me of everything. Afterward, Owl returned to the back of the pack.

Owl POV

"Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!"

"Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!"

Burst's personal shield sputtered to life just as the clankers turned the corner behind us, but I knew the blue bubble couldn't block every bolt. Furthermore, it was sapped of energy, constantly shorting out for split seconds.

"Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!"

"Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!"

...

I never had Raven's clever intellect, or Vulture's talent for tinkering, but I had my eyes. I knew the basics of what was needed, and when.

At the rate we were going, the clankers would catch up. 

It was simple math.

'Vulture...' I thought wistfully.

"Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!"

"Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!Thunk! Thunk! Shk! Shk! Shk! Shk! Shk! Shk! Shk!"

"GAAAHH!" I shrieked.

As the force field died, a net of laser fire bombarded my back, melting through my skin.

My face hit the ground.

"NO!" Raven yelled, reaching out for me.

"Keep moving, trooper!" Neyo commanded, seizing Raven's wrist.

"Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack."

Eventually, the clankers were walking over me.

"Beep."

"Beep."

"Beep."

'Raven, all my brothers... I would have rather won the war with you.' I thought to myself, clenching a bomb as it counted down. 'But I don't mind watching from afar.'

Burst POV

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"

An explosion rocked the hallway behind us, saturating every centimeter of floor with scorching flames.

Clankers caught in the blast were incinerated.

The ones behind them would be impeded by the fire hazard at the very least.

"We don't call them 'shiny' just for the armor..." Fives mumbled miserably. "Shinies are the best of us, the brightest... that's why they're the first to die."

"It's always the rookies doing the crazy shit." I choked, my voice broken.

I kept limping. As usual, the few tears I shed were invisible behind the mask.

...Maybe Fives could see them.

Ahsoka POV

The side hangar wasn't far, but Grievous wasn't far behind us.

"Hurry, Fives!" I stressed.

"Right behind you, Commander." he assured.

"You're heavier than you look." I muttered, adjusting Master Gallia's arm so that I could support her better.

"I would hope so." she groaned feebly.

Finally, we entered the hangar, and I sent a trooper to open the hatch to outer space.

'...Yes!' I mentally cheered.

I was relieved to see that there were multiple starships parked in the bay, including several attack shuttles. 

Fives and I hobbled toward the nearest one, still supporting Burst and Master Gallia respectively.

...

"brrrrrrrr!" "brum-brrrrrrrr!" "BRRRrrrrrrr!" "brrrrrrrr!" "brrrrRR!" "brum-brum- BRRrrrrrrrr!" 

No...

As we neared the shuttle, the warm, calming sense of relief I'd felt quickly dried up.

Buzz droids, in clusters of four on each ship, feeding on the hull like parasitic mynocks...

"Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!"

Heavy footfalls echoed in the halls behind us.

Not the loud clangs of droids... thankfully.

"Commander, any luck?!" Echo hollered, alerting me to his presence as the stragglers joined up with us.

"It's not looking good..." I groaned, pointing to all the mutilated shuttles. "Split up. Check each one and see if it works."

The group dispersed, per my order, blasting and cutting through the buzz droids as we checked to see if any of the ships could be salvaged.

Out of all thirteen shuttles and other spacecraft...

None were spaceworthy anymore.

I swiftly went to my communicator.

"Help! This is Padawan Ahsoka Tano speaking, aboard the Absolute... we're in the portside hangar bay." I relayed, calling for help. "We need extraction urgently! Grievous is..." 

"Clack."

"Clack."

"Clack."

Again... the scraping, screeching sound of clawed feet on metal...

"Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack."

Along with hundreds of other clanging footsteps.

"Abandoning ship?" Grievous taunted as he came into view. "My favorite!"

Without warning, the droids at the front lines heaved a barrage of of metal spheres our way.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"   

"CRASH!"

Thermal detonators... the blasts were so devastating, they topple a shuttle after the heat melted through its supports.

Fortunately, the shuttle wreckage made a good bunker, so we hunkered behind it.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" 

More explosions reverberated through the downed shuttle, the droid army relentlessly pelting us with their munitions.

"You can't hide forever, Jedi!" the droid general cackled distantly.

We were out of options...

Backed into a corner...

"Any ideas, Commander?" Fives pried, keeping his cool.

"I..." I trailed off.

Master Gallia and Burst might've had creative strategies, but the two of them were half dead.

It was all up to me, but... I didn't have the faintest idea of how to get out of this mess.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" 

Massaging my cuts, I looked up from the cold, metal floor.

In my despair, I found myself staring at the magnetic screen that separated the hangar from the vacuum of space.

A blue veil draped over the stars.

But...

Out past the veil, a shadow was getting closer.

Suddenly, a red and white starfighter pierced the veil with its spearhead tip...

"PEWW! PEWW! PEWW! PEWW! PEWW! PEWW!"

And instantly opened fire.

"Nooooooo!" A B1 battle droid yelped.

"Aaaaaagh!" Another one shrieked.

Several additional robotic cries followed.

"BANG!"

As quick as it entered, the starfighter spun out of control, scraping against the wall of the hangar.

"CRASH!"

"CRUNCH!"

"SCREEEEEEE!"

Smacking into the floor, the aethersprite slid through the bay until it screeched to a halt.

When it stopped, it was only a few meters away from me, to my left...

Smoking, aflame, and sparking... with multiple bits of circuitry exposed.

No... it couldn't be. 

'That starfighter...' I thought. 'Doesn't it belong to-"

Adi POV

My treasure...?!

Even in the midst of our dire situation, I couldn't help but grimace at the desecration of my prized possession.

My beautiful, newly-maintanenced starfighter, all smashed up...

"Ugh..." I groaned, disoriented by the intrusion.

https://youtu.be/XrxLX2IgRfM

"Thump!"

A muffled impact rang out from within the damaged cockpit.

"Thump!"

Cracks spread across the transparasteel.

"CRASH!"

Finally... a fist emerged, breaking through.

The set of Jedi robes that arose from the jagged hole were as standard as ever, but the one who wore them was anything but.

Silhouetted, he walked through the wisps of smoke and fire, his boots crunching on glassy fragments...

"The cockpit jammed, master." (y/n) stated, shrugging shards off of his shoulder. "Sorry about that."

(y/n) POV

The switch to the cockpit, well... only the force knew where it had been hidden in the smoke.

My master didn't need to know that.

"Sorry to drop in so late, especially since it looks like you guys already did most of the work..." I trailed off, zeroing in on the droid general's skeletal face. "But... he's mine..."

'Grievous is right in front of you...! Take. Him. Down!' the crystal demanded.

'Oh, well this is going to be a sad sight...' the Son taunted.

The voices chased me even now, critiquing my every move.

'Both of you, shut it.'  I ordered. 'I'm not taking your input on this one. Grievous has been in my head for MONTHS... and I've already made up my mind.'

A look of recognition flashed in the general's sunken yellow eyes as he stared me down.

Then, abruptly, he motioned for his troops to take aim.

"(y/n), LOOK OUT!" Ahsoka screeched.

Feeling myself become the sole target of hundreds of battle droids, I felt my hands begin to shake within their metal casings.

My legs wobbled slightly.

But I could still move them.

Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger!

Every hair on my body raised at once, my instincts screaming for me to take cover.

I crouched down.

"Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!"

A wall of laser fire.

Lightsaber Form IV, Ataru: Slipstream

I jumped.

Ahsoka POV

Panic pounded through my temple as I watched the blaster bolts fly over me, headed straight for (y/n).

Yet... he slipped right through, with only a few blasts striking the flaps of his cloak. 

Fluid twists and turns, seamless midair evasion... and... it looked so familiar...

...!

His flips, his acrobatics...

No, not his...

Mine.

As he dropped out of view behind the starfighter, I breathed a sigh of relief.

(y/n) POV

Hunkering behind the charred husk of my master's Aethersprite, I waited until the droids' blasters overheated.

When the coast was clear, I leapt back onto the wrecked hull of red and white.

"You must be mistaken. You have something that's mine... little Jedi thief..." Grievous accused in a low growl, spotting me through the smog.

"Oh, that." I jeered, nodding at the Jedi killer as my hand darted toward my belt. "I have it right here, just for you."

Intrigued, the droid general motioned for his forces to stand by. 

Within the folds of my cloak fluttering above my waist, a lightsaber revealed itself.

A simple, unbecoming hilt...

I grabbed it, twisting each end in opposing directions and completing the mechanism.

As I lifted the hilt above my head, resting my thumb on the activation switch, Grievous's gaze followed...

Hungry...

Full of greed...

Beneath Burst's helmet, I sensed his gaze tracking me too...

Tired, but relieved...

Ahsoka's eyes widened, full of anticipation...

And Master Gallia smiled...

"Psshhew!"

Afterword

In a moment of crisis, brutish indigo descends onto the battlefield.

Next time: Shatterpoint