- CASTLES CRUMBLING (A.S.) -

- 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐎𝐍𝐄 -

don't take me for what i'm saying, just take me for what i am.

FORMING TOGETHER, THE JEDI surged forward to meet the attacking droidekas in addition to the B1 battle droids that had appeared from the tunnels, firing their blasters.

"Sitara!" a voice called. Regina looked down to see Barriss Offee standing beside the reek, her Master standing close by. Regina watched as Luminara deflected a blaster bolt. Making sure no one was firing at her, Offee came toward Regina and held something up to the older Padawan. Regina took whatever it was from her, and found to her relief that it was a discarded lightsaber.

"Thank you," Regina smiled at her fellow Padawan kindly. Offee nodded and turned to Luminara who was already moving away.

Directing her attention to what was happening in her general vicinity, Regina watched as Skywalker caught a lightsaber himself, tossed to him from a Knight a ways away. Regina caught a glimpse of Kenobi fighting with his own replacement lightsaber.

"Are you still chained?" Skywalker asked, turning his head to look at Regina.

"No," she said. "I escaped that a while ago." A competitive light gleamed in her eyes as she turned to Padmé. "Want some help?" Regina pressed the switch of the blade and allowed the lightsaber to ignite for dramatic effect.

"Yes, thank you." Padmé nodded appreciatively. Without another word, Regina carefully directing her lightsaber to the binders, cutting through the cheap metal quickly. As the binders fell to the ground, Regina watched as Skywalker directed a blaster bolt in the direction of a helpless B1.

"This escalated quickly," she muttered.

"Tell me about it," Skywalker answered. Regina rotated her lightsaber, careful not to graze herself or either of the others, and lobbed off the head of the battle droid that was walking past her.

At that moment, an explosion blew up one of the pillars in the center of the arena. The reek, startled by the sudden noise, bucked, sending Regina, Padmé, and Skywalker flying through the air.

Regina managed a controlled landing, alighting gently to her feet while deflecting a blaster bolt sent in her direction.

Regina twirled her lightsaber. The blaster fire was coming in more rapid volleys now, and Regina and Skywalker had to fight to keep the bolts away from Padmé who was still weaponless.

Regina, walking through the battle with her substitute lightsaber whirling, stopped for a second and stooped to pick up a stray blaster that had fallen out of the hand of a dismantled battle droid.

"Padmé, here!" Regina called, tossing the blaster in the Senator's direction. Padmé caught the weapon, and seconds later she was shooting at droids, her aim pretty accurate for a politician.

"Regina!"

Regina turned, cutting into a droid in the process, to see Skywalker looking in her direction, though still fighting aggressively. He ran over to her, blocking blaster fire as he did so. "Are you okay?"

"Are you?" she asked, knocking another droid to the ground, this time with the Force. He sent her a wicked smile.

"We should stay together," he said, cutting into a battle droid as he spoke. Regina raised her eyebrows, spinning to the side to finish off two battle droids in one.

"Why, so you can take credit for all the battle droids I've killed?"

His smile grew, if that were even possible.

"You have me there, Sitara," he grinned. She shook her head with a smile of her own.

"Not if I take credit for yours first," she assented, turning around so that her back was to him, fighting the battle droids coming at her. Behind her, she could hear him chuckling. The sound of his quiet laughter sent a small smile across Regina's lips.