Wartorn

Chapter 12 - Wartorn

Author's Note: Ryloth and beyond. :) 

~ Amina Gila

It's going to be the first battle Luke's actually led, and he'll admit – silently, at least – that he's very nervous. He wishes everyone would stop asking him that, though, because it is not helping. Yes, he's led plenty of smaller forces before, but Anakin was always right there.

But now, they're trying to break through the Separatist barricade around Ryloth, and he's going to be leading the attack team himself. It's... thrilling at the same time, but everyone's lives are going to be depending on him, and that's something he knows not to take lightly.

It's... nerve-wracking, yes, but that doesn't mean he's about to admit that. "Are you ready?" Anakin asks, pausing next to his fighter.

They'll be taking off in minutes. "Of course, I am," he insists. As ready as he's going to be, until he gets out there. It's not really that different from anything he's done in the past, so why does it feel like it is?

"Good," Anakin replies, "I know you can do this. I have faith in you."

"I won't let you down," he promises.

Artoo beeps loudly.

Luke gives the droid a look. "I'm fine. Stop asking if I'm nervous."

Artoo whistles again, very unhelpfully. Even if he'll admit that having Artoo with him for his first battle like this makes him feel marginally more comfortable with it. (He still remembers the stories about how Artoo had been with Anakin when he first fought in a space battle. There's a commemoration to that battle in Theed that includes the fighter that was supposedly used, though Padme had told him it was just a model that didn't actually work. He'd seen it when he was nine himself, and he'd very badly wanted to climb in it anyway.)

"I know you two will watch over each other. May the Force be with you," Anakin says.

Luke nods, pushing the button to close his fighter. It's time to go.

It feels like only moments later that he's streaking through space, above Ryloth's surface, the clones behind him as the vulture droids fire on them.

Explosions rip past him, and Luke accelerates his fighter forwards – he's done this countless times. It's the first time he hasn't been right behind Anakin, but that doesn't mean it has to be any different.

He shoots down droid after droid as they press forwards, flying for the Separatist cruisers. It's almost too easy. They're rarely fast enough to avoid his fire, and he can always sense it before their blasts can come even close. He's in front, so he's keeping most of their attention off the clones, for now at least.

Something twinges in the Force, suddenly, right as four more Separatist cruisers come out of hyperspace a distance ahead of them.

This – this is bad.

They weren't preparing for this, but the cruisers should be able to handle it, hopefully –

"Luke, you need to get back to the cruiser," Anakin's voice calls over the comm, "It's a trap."

"Right now?" he protests, "I'm already so far." They're so close. The end was so reachable. Do they really have to pull back now?!

"You'll be overrun," he cautions, "You have more droids incoming already."

Disappointment rushes through him, but he knows Anakin's right, and he won't risk the clones' lives like that. Luke calls for them to pull back, except it's not fast enough because vulture droids are suddenly coming at them from all angles. Several of the clones' ships that are right by his explode, and he barely manages to jerk his own fighter out of the way in time.