Star Wars: The Hero's Descent

Chapter 1: The Outer-Rim Under Siege

The small droid wove its way between falling rocks and underbrush, beeping solemnly. It's blue-and-silver dome spun as it simultaneously scanned the area for incoming danger, the easiest and most direct path to its destination, and potential life signs.

The ground rocked as the droid crested a hill, nearly causing it to topple over, and the sight that met its artificial eyes gave it pause.

The planet Tsiphonosi, located in the Erinyeoss system of the Outer Rim, was mostly grass plains this far from the equator, though if the droid scanned the surrounding areas for civilisation on any other day, it would have found that the nearest settlement was only twenty standard kilometers away - something that did not bode well for the battle currently raging below. Today, however, it had more pressing matters on its mechanical mind.

The army of the Galactic Republic, a mass of white-armored clones, clashed violently with the battle droids of the Confederacy of Independant Systems, flashes from blasters and heavier artillery pounding steadily on both sides. In the midst of the fray, the droid finally spotted what it was looking for; two long blades of blue light, darting between battle droids, cutting down everything in their path and deflecting incoming blaster shots.

Setting off again, the droid moved calmly down the grassy hill in the direction of the battle, beeping lowly. In the midst of battle, the humanoid Confederacy droids barely noticed the little astromech as it steadily approached its destination. Still, it took nearly half an hour for it to get where it wanted to go. When it got there, it beeped with something that could have been indignance, if it was capable of feeling such a thing, at its reception.

'R2? What are you doing here?' Anakin Skywalker demanded, blue lightsaber cutting through three battle droids at once. R2D2 beeped urgently. The Jedi pursed his lips, turning his deflective move into an attack at the nearest battle droid. 'Sorry, R2, but I'm a little busy!'

'Anakin, hurry up!' the other Jedi, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi called from a few meters to Anakin's right.

'Sorry, Master,' Anakin grumbled and raced to catch up, R2D2 following faithfully behind.

'So much for a "reconnaissance mission"!' Obi-Wan yelled over the roar of battle as Anakin and R2 caught up.

'Well, you know me, Master!' Anakin shouted back, a grin spreading across his face despite the situation. 'Never one to miss a fight!'

'Yesterday you couldn't wait to go home!'

'Still can't, Master,' Anakin retorted, deflecting a blaster shot so it rebounded and took out the droid who'd shot at him. 'But duty calls!'

R2D2 beeped again, but it had to repeat itself a few times before it caught Obi-Wan's attention.

'What is it?' the Jedi Master asked the droid in much the same fashion as his former padawan just minutes earlier.

R2 beeped again.

'What's that?' Obi-Wan glanced up at Anakin. 'What does it mean?'

'I'll tell you in a minute!' Anakin grunted, beheading one battle droid and slicing the arms off another within the same fluid movement. 'But I suggest we find somewhere we're less likely to get shot at first!'

The Jedi and the droid began making their way slowly towards the edge of the battlefield, cutting a path away from the fighting towards their hidden starfighters.

Once out of immediate danger, Anakin and Obi-Wan turned to R2.

'He's carrying a message,' Anakin said once R2 had beeped an explanation.

'Well?' Obi-Wan asked the droid with an impatient wave of his hand. 'Play it.'

Anakin sent him a sharp look made less effective by his smirk, but was distracted when R2 did as it was told.