"Lady Skywalker!" shouted one of the Rebel pilots.
"What's happening?" Padmé asked.
"Imperial ships are approaching. They've discovered our location," the pilot said, and everything fell silent.
"We must stop them now. They don't know the firepower we possess. If we can devise a strategy good enough to destroy them, we can push them back before they reach us," Padmé instructed. "I know what I'm asking is too much, but I need every pilot in the air now," Padmé said, and all the pilots nodded.
"Yes, my lady," they said and ran to their planes.
Luke smiled. This would be like old times. Han, who had returned with important weaponry, also smiled.
"Like old times, kid? Or should I say like in the future?" he asked.
"Like old times, Han," Luke said, running toward his ship, one that Padmé had given him.
"Where do you think you're going?" Anakin asked, grabbing them both by the shoulders, making Leia, who was with him, laugh.
"A battle is coming, Dad," Luke said, staring at him.
"I know that," Anakin said. "You're not going," he added, looking at Han.
"What?" they both asked at the same time.
"I understand you were excellent pilots in your day, but you have no idea about the battle systems and organizations we have here," Anakin said. Leia, wanting to defend her boyfriend and brother, admitted that Anakin had a point.
"I understand you were excellent pilots in your time, but you have no idea about the battle systems and organizations we have here." "Listen," Han said. "You can't give me orders." Anakin raised an eyebrow.
"Theoretically, he can," Luke whispered. "He's in charge." Leia nodded.
"We have enough battle experience, Father. That's why we're here," Luke insisted.
"Ani, I also want to protect you with my life. I also want nothing bad to happen to my children, but you have to stop being so overprotective," Padmé said, kissing him on the cheek. "Luke will come with me." Padmé smiled, and everyone's face went pale.
"What?" Anakin almost shouted.
"I'm in charge, General Skywalker." Padmé smiled, walking toward Luke's ship. "I'll take the weapons."
Anakin followed her, arguing with her the whole way. It was dangerous, but Padmé didn't give in. When Anakin saw Ahsoka walking toward her own ship, he looked at her intently, and she smiled.
"I won't argue with you, Master. I'll go to arms," Ahsoka said, following Anakin to his ship.
"Where is Mara?" Anakin asked.
"With Master Windu. They've become like you and Obi-Wan," Ahsoka smiled.
"That's surprising," Anakin said.
Obi-Wan ran to his ship. He had planned to apologize to Anakin, but hadn't had the chance. Perhaps after this battle.
"Master!" Anakin shouted, smiling.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan greeted him.
"May the Force be with you, Master," Anakin smiled.
"May the Force be with you, my former apprentice," Obi-Wan smiled. That meant Anakin held no grudge.
Once everyone was airborne, Anakin led his squadron to the front, Mace Windu and Mara led their own squadron, as did Obi-Wan. Luke, thanks to Padmé's help, led the squadron that included Han. But everyone followed Anakin's instructions on this impromptu mission; his precognition would prove invaluable in this battle.
"All squadrons," Anakin said. "We're exiting hyperspace. Be ready to attack immediately."
They exited space and encountered a large Imperial fleet, outnumbering them.
"Anakin, what are the instructions?" Obi-Wan asked, trusting him.
"Anakin, what are the orders?" "They'll send the fighters soon. We must buy as much time as possible. They weren't expecting us. Attack the cruisers. They'll have shield generators; we must disable them. Obi-Wan and I will go for the cruiser in front. That one directs the signal to the others. Without that cruiser, the others won't have clear directions," Anakin said. His squadrons should be enough.
"What about us, General?" Han asked.
"I need you to go for the cruiser behind," Anakin said with a sigh. "Padmé, Luke, I know you can do this, and I trust you with my life. That cruiser is a reinforcement for the others. If you don't destroy it, we're lost," Anakin said. He trusted Luke, he trusted Padmé, he trusted Han too, but losing them terrified him.
"We won't fail you, Father," Luke said.
"We know what we must do," Padmé said, smiling.
"Relax, General. Leia is waiting for me on Dantooine. I won't return without her brother," Han said irritably, and Anakin rolled his eyes.
Mara and Mace Windu's squad went for the side cruisers. Just as Anakin had anticipated, they weren't expecting them. He sensed that as soon as they saw them exit hyperspace, they were preparing their fighters and main weapons. They had to be quick to destroy the shields. Obi-Wan and his squad circled the ship from the rear, creating a distraction, while Anakin circled the front, also creating a diversion. They opened fire, and the response was immediate. Anakin's squad maneuvered well enough to distract them, while Obi-Wan's squad used strategy to destroy the shield. It wasn't easy, but they succeeded.
"Alright, I need everyone to regroup," Anakin said, and Obi-Wan began to approach. "We only have one chance before they wipe us out."
They began flying in a straight line toward the center of the ship. They had to disable that cruiser, destroy its controls so it couldn't command the Imperial fighters. It was just a quick and coordinated maneuver, and they succeeded.
Immediately, Mara and Mace Windu's squadron began attacking in the same manner, disabling the first cruiser. But the fighters from the second began attacking.
"The fun starts now," Anakin said, separating his squadron. "Ahsoka," he said, and Ahsoka nodded, ready to fire.
"Are you kidding? Two cruisers? What the hell was that?" Han asked. In the future, destroying those cruisers was much more difficult.
"Dad was right. Things are very different here. These are real military organizations," he said, watching in surprise as they moved to attack the cruiser.
"We can't fall behind," Padmé smiled, taking up her weapons.
"We can't be left behind." "Of course not," Luke said, smiling. He wouldn't let his father's organization take all the credit; he had come to save the future.
Everyone watched whenever they had the chance. There was no doubt that the boy was Anakin Skywalker's son. The same ship maneuvers, the same tactics, even the same precognition to anticipate an attack.
"The Force is strong with the Skywalker boy," Mace Windu said.
"That's my son," Anakin smiled proudly.
"You remember he's also my husband, right?" Mara asked, firing at the fighters to reach the other cruiser.
"Remember I hear everything, right?" Luke asked, blushing but proud.
"Less talk, more action," Anakin said, shooting down a ship that was attacking Obi-Wan.
When the other cruisers were disabled, a transmission came in from the Dantooine base.
"We're under attack! Imperial fighters have reached us! Governor Tarkin is here!" shouted a pilot, but he was killed while speaking.
"We have Senator Skywalker," said Tarkin, unaware that the hologram was still active. "Let's go."
"Leia!" shouted Padmé.
"Damn it!" shouted Anakin, shooting down the remaining fighters with his squadron.
"Go, Skywalker. Mara and I will take care of the rest," said Mace Windu. His squadron was large enough to handle it.
As they flew toward Dantooine, Satine called them on the communicator.
"They've attacked the base. We managed to capture some," she said, and Obi-Wan looked puzzled. Was Satine carrying a weapon?
"Duchess, what happened to Leia?" Anakin asked, worried.
"Tarkin thinks it's Padmé. Leia let him believe that so they wouldn't discover the attack on their fleets. It was a trap set by both sides," Satine said. "Shooting? What on earth happened to the peaceful Duchess?" "Please hurry, we must go for her," she said, hanging up the transmission.
"Ani, we must go to Coruscant. The Emperor will want to take her there," Padmé said.
"First we'll go to Dantooine," Anakin indicated. "We must find a faster ship than these."
"The Millennium Falcon," Han said.
"Will that piece of junk even make it to Coruscant?" Anakin asked.
"You underestimate the power of this piece of junk," Han said, offended.
"The Falcon really is fast, Dad," Luke said.
"Have you forgotten that it's my girlfriend we have to save?" Han asked, and Anakin agreed to use the Falcon.
"Is it my girlfriend we have to save?" They arrived at Dantooine and found many wounded. Imperial assault ships remained, and a two-pronged offensive had been planned. These ships had taken a different route than the Imperial cruisers. Together with the rest of the Jedi and soldiers, they defeated the remaining enemies without inflicting too much damage and took them prisoner. Obi-Wan watched in awe as Satine attacked the enemy. Was that even possible?
"Satine?" he asked, observing her.
"Are you joining the fight?" the Duchess asked.
"Are my eyes deceiving me?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Padmé said it herself, Obi. If we want peace, we must fight for it. Besides, I haven't killed anyone," Satine smiled.
"You never cease to amaze me," Obi-Wan smiled.
They quickly boarded the Millennium Falcon. Han had a bad feeling, as if this were the beginning of something truly terrible.
They piloted toward Coruscant, traveling along ancient trade routes. They didn't have time to stop and think; they had to rescue Leia, even if the route wasn't ideal.
Obi-Wan remained in charge of the troops on Dantooine, along with the rest of the Jedi.
Mara, Ahsoka, Luke, Padmé, Han, and Anakin had set off to rescue Leia, along with Anakin's squadron. He wouldn't trust any other squadron with this; Rex was one of his best friends.
"We have to get there before they reach Coruscant with her. The Emperor will immediately realize it's not Padmé and will become suspicious," Han said.
"Nothing matters to me more than my daughter's life," Anakin said.
"We'll find her, Ani," Padmé said worriedly. She never thought anything could happen to Leia; she was supposed to be safe on Dantooine.
As they maneuvered through the trade routes, a call came in from an enemy ship.
"It's him," Padmé said.
"How can you be so sure, Mother?" Luke asked.
"He's calling the communicator he gave me when he thought I was his ally."
"Senator Skywalker," Palpatine smiled.
"Emperor," Padmé said, glaring at him.
"Very good speech. You really surprised me, as did this," the Emperor said, revealing Leia being held by two of his personal guards.
"Leia!" Padmé cried out in horror. How had they already arrived with her? Weren't they on Coruscant?
" "I can see that everyone is heading to Coruscant, but you won't find her there. I've heard about the events: two young Skywalkers from the future. Impressive. Perhaps their power will surpass Anakin's," the Emperor smiled.
"He won't do anything with her," Anakin threatened.
"Anakin, old friend," Palpatine smiled. "You disappoint me greatly. I hope your daughter doesn't disappoint me."
The Emperor hung up, and they were lost in the middle of nowhere. They needed to trace that call, use the Force to locate her if necessary. They couldn't leave Leia in the Emperor's cruel hands.
"I wasn't rescuing her," Han said, surprised.
"What did you say?" Anakin asked, confused, as he piloted beside him.
"Anakin, do you remember when you met me? The memories you and Obi-Wan saw in my mind?" "When did I tell you I met her rescuing her from a powerful enemy?" Han asked.
"Yes, we never understood what it meant."
"I wasn't rescuing her," Han said, understanding. "Anakin, Leia is Palpatine's powerful ally in the future now that she's changed."
"That's impossible," Luke said, surprised. "Leia would never join the Emperor."
"It's not the Leia of this time that Palpatine wants," Mara said, understanding. "It's the one who's about to be born. Palpatine isn't stupid enough to believe Leia can stay in this time forever."
"But I'm here. How could he do that?" Padmé asked, touching her belly.
"She can be corrupted through the Force. If he manages to corrupt Leia, the baby in Padmé's womb will have seeds of the dark side that he'll use to corrupt her mind in the future."
"We must find her," Anakin said, and Han nodded. R2 scanned the area but found nothing. They couldn't be that far away.
"Is this the case?" "Ani, what happens if we don't find her in time?" Padmé asked, resting her head on Anakin's shoulder.
"We'll find her, angel, we'll find her," he said.