Star Wars Episode IIIAU: Sith Rising (Star Wars AU Series #1)

The Dauntless

Obi Wan's POV

"Blast it!" I shouted over all the ruckus. Ever since Kaeda destroyed the shield generator, the Imperial Navy had been playing offense in this shooting game. Many of our pilots have been blasted off into space.

"Hey! Those things---they're Star Destroyers! They're way more powerful than the Republic ships!" Clay answered.

"Is that all you've got to say about those thingies?" Ganodi demanded.

"Yeah, unfortunately." Clay said.

"Well, whatever you do, we must find a weakness!" I ordered as I flew towards a particularly large Star Destroyer.

"I'm going in!" Clay announced.

"No! It's a trap!" I warned, but it was too late. As Clay was moving closer to the Star Destroyers, a fury of green blaster fire came his way. Clay dodged it in the nick of time.

"That was close!"

"I told you so!"

"I'm only trying to find the weak spot!"

"What about those thingies up there?" Ganodi suggested. "You know, those thingies on the top?"

"Yeah, we know what you're talking about, Ganodi." Clay answered. Ganodi was referring to the wide chunk that looked like an overlook.

"Leave this one to me!" Petro announced as he flew his ship towards the Star Destroyer, which started shooting back at him. Petro fired a fury of proton torpedoes at the 'overlook'. Then, Clay, Ganodi, and I fired at the Star Destroyer, which eventually stopped working and slowly sank towards Mustafar.

"Nice shot, Petro!" Ganodi commented.

"Yeehaw! Now, on to the---." Petro began, but his cheer was interrupted by green blaster fire hitting his ship in the dead center. Petro's ship was blasted very far away before we heard an explosion.

"He's...gone." Ganodi sobbed.

"Look!" Clay noted. A line of Star Destroyers were coming at us.

"At least we know what to do now!" I shouted as I manoeuvred my ship closer to the reinforcements. As I dove under a Star Destroyer, a little half sphere on the base shot green blaster fire at me.

"Where's Master Kenobi?" I heard Ganodi ask.

"I'm fine, Ganodi. I figured out where they shoot. It's on the bottom. Avoid going there, at all costs!" I informed.

"What were you doing under there, anyway?" Clay asked.

"Trying to avoid being seen. How do they even command those things?" I answered.

"I would like to know that, too!"

"Alright! Here goes nothing!" I flew my ship out from under and shot at the 'overlook'. Then, Clay and Ganodi shot at every which way at the Star Destroyer. Within seconds, it exploded.

"That's two of 'em!" Ganodi cheered.

Anakin's POV

While the Star Destroyers were giving Obi Wan, Clay, and their fleets a hard time, Anakin and his friends find themselves cornered by Nute Gunray...

"Surrender now, or watch your wife and friends die." Gunray concluded.

"Palpatine never keeps his promises. If you work for him, then you're no better." I said.

"Seize them!" Gunray ordered. Ahsoka, Lux, Will, and Rex were then subdued by one Stormtrooper each.

"Anakin!" Will cried.

"You take care of these pests while I escort Mr. Skywalker to the Emperor." Gunray clutched my arm very tightly and dragged me into a dark passageway.

"Oh no, you don't!" I Force pulled a gun out from a Stormtrooper's hand and shot at the Stormtroopers in the balcony.

"Thanks for the help!" Lux commented as he jabbed and grabbed the Stormtrooper that was restraining him while kicking him in the crotch.

"Hey! That kid over there is getting away! Shoot him!" A Stormtrooper from the balcony ordered.

"Oh no, you don't!" Lux shot every which way at the Stormtroopers in the balcony, sometimes even hitting their faces. The ones that got hit fell over the balcony. Rex wriggled free from the Stormtrooper's restraints and punched him straight in the face.

"Fools! Don't let them get away!" The Stormtrooper commanded. A tornado of blaster fire came our way. Will stepped on his captor's foot and threw out an uppercut. He jumped away from the blaster fire seconds before it damaged a wall.

"That was easy." Rex noted.

"Yep." Will added as Ahsoka bit her captor's hand. The Stormtrooper released his grip on her, clutching his hand in pain. Seeing her chance, Ahsoka punched him straight in the face.

"C'mon!" I ordered. All five of us ran towards the dark passageway, dodging blaster fire in the process. A door automatically opened.

"We've gotta find Padme before it's too late!" Ahsoka reminded.

"Yeah, where could she be?" Lux asked as the door shut automatically.

"Well, when Palpatine made contact with us, we saw Padme tied to a pole." Rex noted.

"Yeah, but that could be a prison cell." Ahsoka countered.

"Why would there be prison cells when Palpatine could send his captives to the death camps?" I asked. "And also, why would there be a pole in a prison cell?"

"Hey, look." Will pointed at a holographic timer on the wall. It read 00:01:00.

"Oh no, we've only got one minute!" I cried. A holographic image of Palpatine appeared.

"Give up, Anakin! You'll never find your wife!" He said. Suddenly, I heard Padme shrieking.

"Well, you just lost." I retorted as I noticed something a bit odd. A curtain was where a fourth wall should've been.

"Pay no attention to what's behind the curtain! There's...nothing there!" Palpatine instructed.

"Nice try, Palps!" I ripped off the curtain.

"We did it!" Rex shouted.

"Ani! You came!" Padme said weakly.

"Are you alright?" Will asked.

"Yeah, I think I'm losing my voice."

"Will, you handle the controls while I handle the restraints." I ordered as I cut off Padme's restraints. Padme then collapsed in my arms and pulled me in for a kiss.

"Alright, lovebirds. Save the reunion for later." Will said with a hint of annoyance. Suddenly, we heard footsteps.

"Hold it right there!" A Stormtrooper ordered.

"Ani, what are we gonna do?" Padme asked.

"Break our way out." Will and I chorused.

---

Author's Note: Hooray! Anakin rescued Padme! I know it's a little cliche, but come on, Anakin's gotta do his duty as a husband! But the Imperial forces won't let them escape so easily. Meanwhile, Obi Wan, Clay, and their forces are struggling against the Imperial Navy. Who will prevail in the Battle of Mustafar?

The above song is Everybody by Backstreet Boys. I figured this part was the right time to drop this in, since Anakin's all like 'I've been in exile for two months, but guess what? We're back motherfuckers!' So please give this song a listen and share your thoughts in the comments below.