Very minor edits to some previous entries, largely just giving a previously unnamed Jedi pilot a name, which will be a bit important as you'll see. But with that out of the way, act II of A Galaxy's Fury finally concludes. Enjoy and thanks as always for the feedback.
On top of a ruined Coruscant building at dawn emerges the platoon and a token few of the resistance. Anakin helps pull Carima up the last of the way and the group as a whole lies low. With a pair of makeshift binoculars Skywalker examines a series of nearby buildings. He identifies a large sleek structure with various smaller towers and platforms as the base of the Coruscant defense network. Nivir points to the larger and bulkier connected building. “There's our power center.”
Nik moves his sight to a slightly smaller construction also connected to the power center, his face contorted in a confused frown. He asks Fordala what's inside that building, and the latter tells him its one of the few large scale areas in the capital city they haven't been able to get any reconnaissance on. “Lim spice and the occasional transport go in, beyond no clue what's inside or what it needs that much direct power for.”
The young Jedi stares and considers his options for a moment. He tells the others that while the power center's too secure to get inside, all they'd really have to do is cut the power off from the defense building close to the time of the invasion but before the Mandalorians could fix it. Fordala scoffs and points out that the network has to have power redundancies or at least some kind of backup. Anakin agrees and says they'd have to get inside the defense building to knock the back-ups out as well, and if its designed anything like the old Republic network, they're likely still near the top of the building.
The one eyed older man inquires exactly how Skywalker would do this and the latter brings up the makeshift jetpacks the resistance have put together, asking if they've been used in public before. Fordala pauses, clearly annoyed at where this is going, but tells him never been utilized since the Coalition took the planet. Nik nods and adds that means the enemy doesn't know we have them. The resistance leader gives him a look at the use of “we” but says nothing.
Carima asks what Anakin's proposing. He lays out the plan, detailing one team using the jetpacks to get access to the roof of the defense building and another hitting the maintenance section directly between the network structure and the power plant at the same time. The first team makes their way down, destroying the back-ups while the second team destroys all connections to the power grid they find, leaving the most vital parts of the defenses with either no power or no way of communicating with the central hub. Observes Carima: “Unarmed or blind, not exactly the ideal way to fight.”
Fordala angrily says the resistance is in no hurry to give up their resources for some suicidal mission. Skywalker turns to him, trying to contain his own ire, stating that if the Republic succeeds here, the resistance won't need them, and if the Coaltion wins, a couple of missing jetpacks will be the least of their problems. The resistance leader grabs Nik's arm eyes hard. “You see a lightsaber on me boy? I'm no Jedi jockey here to jump when you say so.”
Anakin forcefully removes the man's hand from his arm while the resistance and the platoon look at each other, seemingly ready to engage each other. However Carima notices something in the distance and calls their attention to it: a small, but sleek surveillance vessel coming their way. Fordala is taken aback, noting that patrols don't fly this way this time of day, and Skywalker adds something's changed their plans.
An anxious Nivir quickly explains if it gets close enough there's nowhere to hide and no way they can get off of the building quick enough before it spots them. The resistance leader adds that if anyone is seen here, they'll scour the area and find the sewer entrance soon enough. Nik swallows hard, knowing before the others what has to be one. “Then it needs to see something else then.”
He looks at Fordala and tells him to get everybody back to the sewer and relays to one of his officers to get the teams ready for the mission. Before either can respond he continues his orders telling clearly to get inside the building and cut the power, however they have to do it. Carima starts to looked worried and asks what he's doing. He gently lays a gloved hand on her cheek and tells her to give his regards to Beru and Owen. “And tell Ben I'm sorry. I love you.”
With that Anakin runs towards the edge and jumps off. Nivir screams “No!” and those still left on the roof see him fall several meters and just barely grab to a lone pole sticking out diagonally from a nearby construction site. He slides down quickly making a long trek down before ending with a rough landing on the around. He looks up at the group and yells go before pulling out his lightsaber and cutting through a large support beam on the construction site, causing it to collapse with a loud boom.
The scout ship immediately notices and starts heading towards Skywalker. Fordala realizes what the Jedi's doing and leads the others down to climb the other side of the building. Carima refuses, saying they're gonna kill Nik down there. The middle aged man offers her a sympathetic face, telling her that he's not sacrificing himself just for her to be seen and destroyed by the Mandalorians and that they have to go. She looks towards some support from Anakin's officers, but their faces tell the whole story, and after one last look to his direction, she starts climbing down.
The scout ship moves in on Skywalker, sending out a few token shots which he manages to avoid. Once its in close, it tries again, but Nik manages to deflect them this time, sending them back to the vessel, quickly causing damage. The smoking vehicle just barely misses hitting the Jedi, soon crashing into the construction site not to far from Anakin. He breathes a brief sigh of relief before yet another ship appears, this time a fighter.
Quickly surveying the area, he runs and jumps onto the base of a long and unmanned construction crane, once again barely dodging laser blasts as the fighter swoops around and takes its shots. Carefully biding his time, at just the right moment he cuts the crane with his lightsaber. It collapses down just as the fighter's passing and crushes it, tearing the aircraft apart once both hit the ground in an even louder sound than the support beam.
The platoon and the resistance manage to reach the bottom of the ruined building and run towards the sewer entrance. While racing across the rubble through various cracks in the structure Nivir sees Anakin in the distance, standing alone, looking around for what's coming next. What's next is a series of transport craft and given both size and number, even Skywalker knows what the odds are. With a grimace, he lowers his lightsaber, but stares defiantly foward as the lead ship lands.
As various clone officers and Mandalorian soldiers with blasters start pouring out the ships, a prominent figure emerges from the principal vessel. Walking up to Nik with both swagger and touch of genuine curiosity is none other than Draezin Crayde himself. Stopping just a few feet away he crosses his arms and looks the Jedi up and down before offering a most undeserved smirk. “Anakin Skywalker. Only you would be this bold.”
With the rest of the group already in the sewers Carima can only watch helplessly as the Jedi's lightsaber is taken away, he's placed in restraints, and soldiers surround him. Tears almost fall from her eyes before she angrily shakes it off and with determination joins the others underground.
With the lightsaber no longer a factor, Crayde gets in close, ignoring the disdain coming from the young man's eyes and casually asks what he's doing here. In the coldest tone he can muster, Anakin says they'll get no information out of him. Draezin's eyes turn darker, and in a low voice responds. “By this time this day's done, we'll get a great deal more than that.”
In the nebula the various Jedi ships are dodging and weaving the Mandalorian cruisers in a chaotic chase. The bridge of the lead cruiser is just as crazy with various crew on board talking over each other as they report on the various statuses of the ships. Darelda remains calm however, giving orders quickly and staying alert of the developments. Obi-Wan remains standing next to 81 and Organa taking in the events himself.
HX leans into Darelda and asks why the saboteur hasn't shown up yet. Kenobi overhears them and replies they just need a bit more time. The senator rubs her hand over her face. “I'm not sure we have it.” Nellith orders their pilot a quick turnaround and tells them to engage Phakerem's ship, and tells them to get her attention. The pilot complies and in the nebula it makes a hard 180 turn, firing at the side of the Mandalorian's craft.
On the general's ship the the crew on the bridge shake from the attack, but hold their ground as Phakerem asks how badly they were hit. She's told their engines were barely affected and still functioning. She's slightly bemused and points out it makes no sense for the Jedi to engage an attack, given their own superior shields and asks why they're still get a signal from them. One of her officers suggests they're getting desperate, but she's unconvinced and orders the fleet to regroup on her mark if they try something like that again.
Back on the cruiser Dorgon, the Jedi pilot who led Ben and company into the nebula initially, arrives on the bridge, seemingly to take over a station to the right of Korusya. Just as he's passing her, out of nowhere he quickly activates his lightsaber and almost cuts her at the neck, only to be blocked by Kenobi's own sword, who knocks the man down.A shocked Nellith immediately turns and gets to her feet, kicking away the downed man's lightsaber before he can even react.
The pilot is speedily on his feet again, and tries pulling his lightsaber with the Force, but Obi-Wan catches the hilt himself and aims now two sabers towards his direction. Even still Dorgon runs towards Nellith for another attack, only for be hit by a stun ray by Darelda which sends him down. His body nearly paralyzed with pain, he tries once more to get to his feet, but the senator fires again and this time he stays down.
Kenobi and company look down on stunned man, his face is a daze. 81 dryly remarks this isn't like any game of sabbac he's seen and Organa guesses this is their saboteur. Korusya briefly turns away to order another attack on Phakerem's ship before turning back to look at the suspect Nellith shakes her head saying it doesn't make any sense. Ben sees something that gets his attention and he kneels down to look in Dorgon's eyes, examining them as carefully as he can.
In quick cut Anakin is led through secured halls by a large contingent of guards, briefly looking to his right where behind a reinforced window there's a large form in a bacta tank. Skywalker only gets a brief glance at it, but clearly inside the transparent tube is the floating body of Dorgon.
On the bridge, Kenobi hurriedly stands, his expression horrified and says they have to get a message to the Republic as soon as possible. Nellith is about to ask what he's getting at when he's told by one of the crew that the Mandalorian ships are breaking off. She's once again stunned. “What?”
Finally sitting in her bridge chair again, Phakerem orders the fleet to regroup just outside the nebula, saying none of this situation makes strategic sense and the Jedi are playing at something. Her second in command asks about time being on their side and she replies that she no longer trusts time, but thankfully she doesn't have to say the same about their ultimate weapon.
The scene on the cruiser is one of confusion with various crew looking to Nellith for orders. Ben tells her they have to get of out here, both to keep the Coalition chasing them before the invasion and to send out an emergency message to Republic leaders. 81 asks what the message is and Ben gives his answer to all of them: “A high alert warning... the Mandalorians have cloned Jedi.”