Anakin's Fortress - Book II (temporary cover)

Forty-four - Elysian

Some beautiful paths can't be discovered without crashing your ship.
Year 14

——————

Anakin

The hyperspace swirls vanish with our exit and I'm immediately on high alert. Bail sent Leia and R2 with a datacard that possesses his knowledge of the status of Kashyyyk and included the location he assumes the Jedi to be, based on three nearby villages. He also advised me to take the less-used lane and exit on the opposite side of the system.

With reluctance, I followed his instructions. It added three hours to our travel, but with my two kids with me, the reduction of chances is important.

The scanners pick up the two star destroyers, though they're not visible from our location. I have confidence that they will not pick us up. Kitten has made her ship a stealth ship in terms of technology. Visibly, it's nothing special. Nothing stealthy about it, especially since it's brand new and top-of-the-line.

Everything is going fine as we approach the green planet. "Strap in," I tell the twins, who are both standing and looking out the viewscreen like Kitten does. They do what I ask.

"Now, listen kids. I know this feels like an adventure, but it could go bad fast. If I tell you to do something, you do it. When we find Kenobi, the same rule applies. I don't want to be that annoying adult who says he knows more than you, but in this case, we do. I've walked into battle lines hundreds of times. But I've never done so with my children."

I look to Leia and then Luke. "Do not play hero. Either of you. It will be your instinct to do so, but don't."

"Why do you think it's our instinct?" Leia asks.

I close my eyes briefly, remembering their mother and all the foolish decisions we made. "Because your mother and I both had a hero complex."

"But, isn't that what we're here for?"

"We are here to find Masters Kenobi and Yoda. That is our mission. From there, they will tell us what they need. If it's hopeless, we're turning right back around."

"We can't judge that—" Leia is cut off by the proximity alarm.

I jerk my attention to the sensors. It takes me a few seconds to discover the flaw with Kitten's adjustments. Since it doesn't use Imperial networks, it moves through space quietly. But it also doesn't pick up anything offline.

And Imperial probe droids only connect when they have something to transmit.

This one certainly has information to send.

"Uhm, Father..."

"I see it, Luke. One of you get in the gunner's seat and destroy it." It's too late, of course. But there's a high chance of making it to the cover of the planet before a TIE squad arrives. 

I vaguely listen to Leia tell Luke he should do it, my focus on flying fast and calculating the most efficient path.

I feel more than see Luke's shots. They're fast and chaotic. "Slow down Luke. Breath. Use the Force."

"They're coming," Leia says an instant later. "Twelve bogies; three minutes until they're in sight."

I feel my frustration bubbling up and my mind tries to place blame—but this isn't the time. Hitting the thrusters, I get the ship to top speed. Just before I tear through the atmosphere, I hear Luke's whoop of success and satisfaction.

"Good job, Luke!" Leia calls out.

"How long?" I ask.

"Just over two minutes," she shoots back.