Well believe it or not, I’ve actually kept up my pace and have a new update, with two small bits of news. First I added a scene of HX and Darelda in the October update (just a small character bit which will build towards Organa’s conclusion in Episode II). Also I’m hoping to have a small but significant update within two days. Thanks again for your interest and so the Act III action continues.
Cut to a large fleet of Republic ships quickly making their way towards Coruscant. On the lead ship is a tired, but clearly determined Bail Organa making his last pre-battle orders. He gives a small speech to the fleet, telling them that they’re not just fighting for the occupied territories, the people back home, or fellow troops; they’re fighting for future generations. “Today, we start ending this war and we make damn sure its that last one our children ever have to see. Get in your attack positions and may the force be with us.”
Lying on the floor of his cell still exhausted, Anakin surveys the room looking for any sort of escape method. He pulls himself up and looks through his prison window and spots two guard soldiers a few meters away. Powering through the pain, he tries to use his powers to pull their blasters over, but a finds himself distracted by something in the Force he doesn’t understand. His second attempt via a Jedi mind trick begins to have some success, with one of the guards beginning to talk of letting him go.
However, again he perceives something off around him, sensing strange voices and thoughts he can’t place. Any other attempt is rendered moot when a small squad of elite clone soldiers arrives and when he doesn’t initially obey their commands, knocks him to the ground with a stun blaster. The group lifts him up and begins to escort him off.
In his home, Crayde is amused watching a recording of Anakin’s torture session. He’s about to pour himself a congratulatory drink when the highest alert alarm goes off He’s quickly disturbed and on a communication screen a clone officer says that Republic ships are in the system and on their to the planet. A small bit of dread beginning to appear on him, the Chancellor inquires how many ships and is soon told its a grand fleet.
Out of his element for the first time in a long while he stammers out an order to call for reinforcements and to get all planetary defenses ready. Before he leaves, Draezin looks at his torture video once more and upon seeing the defiant face of his recorded victim, quietly puts the pieces together. He spits out a hateful echo of the name Skywalker before ordering for his personal shuttle be readied to take him to the cloning lab.
In space, the battle begins with Republic ships taking on the initial Coalition defenses. The former has some initial success, with the Mandalorian and Clone forces caught relatively unaware and scrambling to create some type of organized defense. Admiral Organa orders the fleet to not focus on specific targets and to disable as many of the enemy ships as they can even if they can’t outright. destroy them. He emphasizes they need to create holes in the defense to land on the planet and to decrease enemy presence before reinforcements arrive.
On the Jedi cruiser, the ship is just about to come out of hyperspace and Kenobi tells everyone they’re going to fight their way through whatever of Phakerem’s fleet are there and join the Republic attack. Darelda can be heard quietly whispering for Bail to be safe with 81 giving her a slightly awkward supportive embrace on the shoulder Ben shares a look with Nellith, whose cold distant eyes briefly bother him before he turns back forward.
They come out of hyperspace and immediately sees none of the heavy Coalition vessels; just small planetary ships in the distance and friendly forces, including one close to them. Organa in half dis-belief/half delight says they beat them to the punch, only for a large and ugly Mandalorian battleship to immediately enter the field of view and destroy the nearby Republic ship with just a few hits.
The general’s ship itself now blasts its way into the system from lightspeed while on the bridge, Phakerem’s fears are quickly proven when she sees the Republic forces making their advance. Just barely containing her rage, she orders the what’s arrived of her fleet to halt any progress by the enemy. One of the crew asks what they’ll do about any reinforcements likely coming from the nebula, she makes it clear they’re to be ignored as long as possible, iterating that she is done chasing Jedi.
As more of Phakerem’s forces begin showing up out of hyperspace Kenobi and company are silent and horrified except for Koruysa’s scant words, “Let the rains fall.”
Cut to an elevator door opening and out stepping various small Republic soldiers, guns trained. At their rear Carima looks carefully around and then back at her scanner. She says they can’t stick around as Anakin’s position is moving quickly for the first time in hours and she wagers its not for anything good. The lieutenant says they have to assess the threat on the floor, and Nivir replies they’ll do exactly that, just very quickly. Almost but not quite running, the squad goes down the hall.
After turning a corner they immediately run into a small group of Mandalorian scientists and guards, shocked at their arrival. One of the latter attempts to draw a weapon, but the squadron shoots him down and very soon the hallway is a mess of fleeing bystanders and blaster fire. When the smoke clears, the Repuplic soldiers are left standing while various Mandalorian bodies lie on the ground. The brief silence is cut by a loud alarm going off all through the building. Carima curses and yells over the alert to move.
As his shuttle flies through the air Crayde overlooks the chaos on the surface of Coruscant, and is reassured by the sight of ships launching and planetary cannons/blasters firing into space. His communicator goes off and he’s informed that defenses are holding, yet there have been reports of possible resistance activity. His former anger rapidly returning, in a huff he shouts that their being invaded and to deal with the resistance later. Despite the protests on the other line, he repeats his orders and tells the shuttle pilot to increase speed to the skyscraper.
Admiral Organa watches grimly as the battle momentum begin to shift with more Coalition ships coming from Coruscant, inability to land any ground forces, and their own vessels being blasted by the planetary cannon. He checks if any more reinforcements have arrived and the officer at the scanner station says only a few Jedi ships have shown up. Bail’s second in command recommends a tactical retreat as an option, but after a half second hesitation, says “We stay until its over.”
Both Nellith and Kenobi are giving out various orders on the bridge of the cruiser; her focusing on their offensive strategies and Ben on defensive maneuvers. Even 81 is at a scanning station relaying information to both Jedi while Darelda is assisting with communication as best she can. Korusya tells Obi-Wan an direct assault on Phakerem’s ships has to be done to create a hole for the Republic fleet. He notices the fire in her eyes as she talks and he sternly agrees.
Quick cut and camera zoom on Phakerem’s face as she sees them head directly for her. Barely a flicker of reaction on her expression, she tells all Mandalorian ships to keep on the Republic offensive and orders that all available planetary fighters to focus their fire on the Jedi ship. She turns away from the view with one remark. “No more legends today.”
In a medical lab, Anakin lies strapped to a table while a pair of slightly nervous Coalition doctors prepare for the cloning process, while the clone soldiers guard the lab door. One of them says they need to draw the blood sample, however the other responds inducing brain death has to take precedent to mitigate the Jedi’s risk factor. Skywalker’s eyes betray his growing panic, only for him to spot a small energy scalpel in the corner. Once again he tries to reach out with the Force.
As the alert constantly pounds in the background, Carima and the squadron find themselves pinned down in a firefight not too far away. A dozen coalition soldiers blast at them behind a force field which quickly turns back on when they attempt to return fire. She shouts that they have to get past them, and the others tell her with the forcefield, there’s nothing they can do. The lieutenant starts to say they may have to retreat, and Nivir screams a passionate “No! We have to save him, somehow, some way we have to get-” She’s cut off by the room going dark.
Very quick montage follows of Obi-Wan’s group, Phakerem, Bail Organa, and Crayde all reacting to the same significant sight: lights going out all over Coruscant.
The source is the power center which Fordala watches with a tired smile as timed detonator after detonator destroys the facility, complete with other resistance members adding their own fire with propelled missile launches. Not content with just observing, he throws his own explosive into the middle of the fray, doing even more damage. Satisfied, he looks up views Republic soldiers in rocket packs making their way into the top of the already shaking structure.
At the top the other half of Anakin’s original platoon plays their part, quickly eliminating the small group of guards stationed and within a few seconds decimate the back up power supplies left there. With the the whole building beginning to fall apart they quickly escape the way they came and from a long shot, explosions start going off all over.
Above Coruscant, the faintest smile emerges on Bail Organa’s face and to himself mutters “Well done, Major Skywalker.” He orders ships to start landing on the surface as soon as holes in the Coalition’s fleet appear.
In the skyscraper corridor, the emergency lights come on, yet the forcefields after a few sputtering attempts, quickly power down. Seeing this, Carima briefly closes her eyes in gratitude and soon enough the squadron starts firing. The panicked Coalition soldiers are forced to retreat.