Accismus⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.• Anakin Skywalker⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.•

119.

The hanger of the Resistance base was tense. After Ahsoka's departure, the captain and lieutenant returned to the team that awaited the Empire's advance. The rebel ships had left Yavin 4 in their impossible mission to blow up the star destroyer, and it was up those in the base to fight off the troops. But morale was dwindling as they realised their average blasters were going to be pointless against an entire army.

Padme was on one knee with her blaster aimed at the tree line. Like her team, her heart pounded, and her hands grew clammy. The blaster's black surface was growing slick from her palms, and Padme had to remember her time as a targeted senator. She knew how to use a weapon, and she could protect herself, but against so many scout troopers, it seemed impossible to survive.

But she couldn't lose faith in the Resistance, or in Ahsoka. The star destroyer will be destroyed, and the Rebel Alliance will be saved. They just had to hold off the invasion until Mothma's reinforcements turned up, or until Ahsoka performed a miracle.

The trees rustled. White armour slinked past the large leaves and a breath of air was sucked into the Resistance's throats. C3-PO let out a quiet whimper from his corner when the rebels tightened their grips on their blasters.

As the tree line was broken, the captain forced her strength to her voice and called,

'Fire!'

Blasts released from the barrels and tree trunks were scorched. The Imperial army used the jungle as their advantage and knelt behind the tree line for cover. They aimed their own weapons of blasters and missile launchers and began firing into the base's hanger.

Blasts soared back forth and it wasn't long before soldiers and rebels started to fall. Cries of pain sounded as their wounds burned, and the rebels took cover on either side of the hanger. They hid around the corners and leaned out into the blaster fire to continue their defense. Their shots collided with armour and the jungle floor was filling with scout trooprs. But there were rows of soldiers ready to fill the spots of fallen Imperials, creating a continuous flow of blasts to cross the battlefield.

Padme pressed her back against the wall of the hanger. A Mon Calamarian leaned out into the firing line, but a blast burnt through his orange cranium. 

Padme held back a gasp as the rebel fell at her feet. In the large, absent eyes of the Calamarian, Padme saw her reflection that held a hanging jaw and a pale face. The blast left a burnt hole in the rubbery-looking skin, and Padme feared what a blast would do to her if she were hit.

'Oh, Ahsoka... please, hurry,' the captain mumbled to the ceiling, before leaning out to fire into the jungle.

---

Sol didn't want to leave Revan's body in the Emperor's chamber. But with Anakin's weight hanging on her side, and with her own injuries, there was no way that Sol would be able to carry the dead body through the ship.

It felt wrong to walk away from the energy well. Sol looked over Anakin's arm that was wrapped around her shoulders and grimaced at how Revan stared into nothing. His skin was covered in lashings from the Emperor's lethal volts, and his limbs laid unnaturally limp against the tiles. He didn't deserve to die, nor to be left alone after death, but Sol had no choice.

She pried her eyes away from Revan and continued to help Anakin to the grand staircase. She had helped him take off his long cape to prevent them from tripping on its hem, leaving the slouching man in his black, leather suit. Anakin's steps were heavy and slow, and he struggled to keep his pain-filled groans and grunts at bay. Even though Anakin leant against Sol, and climbed the staircase with her help, Sol feared their chances of survival.