Destruction of the Innocent (Anakin Skywalker)

~24~

    We hurry down the stairs, guards all around us-lightsabers in hand. 

As we make it to the elevator, I can already hear the deafening wails of terror from people out on the streets. I lean on the wall and carefully peak around the corner. A father scoops up his child who was paralyzed with fear as active enemy soldiers march down the lane in front of the temple below us.

Their helmets were designed different but similar to that of our clones. My eyebrows furrow in worry at this.  I did'not realize how creepy they could be, especially at night time.

Was this it? Was what my Father and the legend of the end said was true indeed?

The elevator door glide open, I wait until the very last second to tear my eyes from the scene to turn follow the guards into the elevator. Smashing buttons on my transmitter, I tried any one I could reach. My Father did the same as he  gave orders to the guards.

"I need all available units and squadrons to the ion cannons ASAP. I need eyes on them immediately", he spoke into his transmitter.

"Right away, General", they nod. 

"Cowards. They wait until nightfall to attack?", I scoff. I hit the button on my transmitter before it has a chance to buzz at my side.

"Rex, talk to me?", I talk into my transmitter. I look through the windows of the elevator to the outside, looking for any indication where the attack was coming from.

"Princess, I have no idea. We were just in the barracks and all of a sudden the whole building began to shake", his answer crackles through."My crew and I are loading up and headed that way now."

"Alright, I'm headed up- Hold, I have another signal coming through", I say and switch buttons."Echo? You see anything?"

"Commander! Oh thank God! No, I'm headed to the flight deck as we speak", he says.

"Good. I'll be right there. Any sign of General Kenobi?', I ask.

"No, Commander. I assume he's already on it", he answers.

My eyes searched the glittering city before us.The suns has almost completely set in the sky until they landed on the silhouette of a massive Venator-class ship, with tie fighters in bound close behind it. My hand lowers in shock but I take a deep breath and hold it up again.

"Good. Because we're gunna need all the help we can get", I say and turned it off.

My Father turns over his shoulder and catches sight of this as well. I feel the concern radiating off of him.

The elevator chimes and stops, the door slides open.

On the other side, several heavily armed clones that resemble the ones on the streets. They aim their weapons at us. My Father steps in front of me as the guards aim back and my Father holds his hands out in a negotiative manner.

"Think about this, boys. You don't want to do this", he shakes his head. 

"You don't know what we want", the leader stated and stepped forward. I glare over my Father's shoulder.'Give her to us."

"Don't make me do this", he warned.

Before another word is said, they begin to choke and levitate before us. I squeeze my hand into a ball all it will go, then unclench and they drop to the floor.

"We don't have time for this", I say, stepping around my Father.

    The building rumbled and shook with every step I took as I hit the hallway . 

"Mother?", I asked my Father.

"She was still at the temple with the younglings". he answered. I could hear the worry in his voice. But I was not afraid, for my Mother was quite sharp and could handle herself.

"Alright, I'm headed there now. I need a transport for the younglings however", I call over my shoulder.

"Yes. Princess", one answers and calls for it immeditely.

"Wait a minute-you're not going anywhere alone!", my Father grabs my shoulder.

A huge blast is heard above us and a torpedo rips through the foyer wall. We were thrown to the ground. Half the torches lining the wall where left, allowing very little light-but enough light to see the gaping hole in the wall.

"Father, get to the conference room! Find out if you can communicate with these assholes and see what they want!", I yell over the tumbling rubble."I'll see you at the flight deck!"

 A second torpedo hits the side wall of the temple and my Father winces slightly.

"You'd better be there!", he yells back, shaking me gently.

I nod and push myself to my feet, running as fast as I could down what was left of the hallway. 

As I make my way down the stairs into the main floor of the temple, I push passed all the screaming people running from gunfire in the garden area. I press my back to the wall and wait for the blaster to malfunction due to the heat.

I ball my fist up and make a punching motion, the clones weapon then knocks into his helmet and cracks it. The same time, I ignite the purple blade and step around the corner to swing down and up, disabling him completely.

A kick behind me earns me the speed to do a backhand swing on the next one. He falls and four more take his place.

I hold my saber above me and deflect the blasts back onto them the best I can. The heat is too much, and I roll behind a bush to my left. When I push myself to a crouch position, I swing around the bush and hit one. The other was distracted by the loss, and did'not see the blaster shot aimed for his head.

He falls and I peak around the corner of the cement vase.

She lowers her blaster and offers a smile as I get to my feet.

"Your Highness", I nod.

"Your Highness", she retorts."Have you seen the others? Ahsoka? General Kenobi? General Skywalker, perhaps?"

"No one. Not yet. I was just heading to the Younglings dorms-I have a transport on standby for them", I answer."You haven't seen my Mother have you?"

 "Last I knew she was with them", she shook her head.

"Right. Come on", I nod and dart off around the corner.