Saga - Legends Anakin Squared

The ship shook as enemy fire riddled the hull, its own guns too badly damaged to return fire. Not like the little Givin needler would have done anything other than annoy the pursuit craft, but anything helps. The strange starship weaved intricate patterns around Yag’dhul’s outer defense sphere, the few turbolaser batteries that remained providing a backlight of laser fire to the snubfighter’s evasive ballet. Enemy capital ships disgorged wave after wave of starfighters, all chasing the little ship’s desperate flight.

“Anakin,” the injured Jedi Master shouted, “watch out!”

The young man in the pilot seat rolled his eyes as he sent the ship in to a long spiral spin, weaving between the bolts from the capital ships. “Master, as experienced as you may be, I’m not blind, in the force,” he paused for a moment to sweep the ship up over a fleeing transport, “or otherwise.”

“And I never implied so, Anakin. Only that, in my ever so slight experience in a starship, it’s better to avoid the projectiles.”

Anakin grinned. “Yeah, but getting close is fine.”

The ship shuddered as another bolt struck the snubfighter’s shields. “Master, this ship won’t hold together for very long. Can you get us course calculations?”

“So long as you can prevent us from exploding, yes.”

Anakin was about to mutter another sarcastic remark when he glanced back at the main deflectors readout, which blared red. “Damn it, Master, they just burnt out our shields! We’re not going to make it back to Coruscant in this condition.” He glanced back towards the rear of the ship, where an injured figure was lain carefully across the ground. She was pale, with a deep gash across her chest. “We have to make the jump. Now.”

“I’ve made it out of worse conditions then this, Anakin. Wait.

He spun the starfighter in a tight 180, forcing one of the pursuit fighters into a tight turn. Too tight. The enemy starship spun out, spiraling towards the planet’s orbital stations. Another two fighters moved into the lost one’s place, keeping up the pursuit on the fleeing Jedi starship.

“Master, we are out of time! I need those hyperspace calculations!”

Anakin brought the ship up, cutting close between the enemy frigates, too close for them to bring their guns to bear. Starfighters followed in persistent droves, as Anakin continued to weave back and forth in a desperate evasive pattern, avoiding the bolts of plasma that shot across the void. In the distance, a pair of aged Rendili Dreadnaughts broke apart, the last of the defenders of Yag’dhul dying under concentrated fire.

He watched as the immense capital ships began disgorging landers, the Givin defenders of the planet no longer able to resist. Anakin gave the planet one last forlorn look. It had never really stood a chance, the infiltration of the planet notwithstanding.

A ping of the navicomputer brought Anakin’s focus back to his starship. “Seventy-five percent accuracy. Good enough.”

“Anakin, no! The gravitic anomalies will –“

“They won’t save Tahiri’s life! Now goddamn it Corran, we have to go!”

The ship stretched, shuddered, and suddenly a host of coralskippers were chasing nothing but empty space.
--
The Venator-class Star Destroyer Irrepressible had been on cruise in the Outer Rim for approximately three months at this point, and was in desperate need of a refit. The aft batteries were still offline from that battle over Narixis V, and the V-Wing pilots were short on torpedos. The crew was still proud of the ship, though, and Master Secura had kept the crew and troopers in line.

On the bridge, Captain Dorja saluted neatly as said Jedi General marched in, her clone adjutant, Bly, a step behind and to her left.

“General, I thought you’d want to see this.”

The main display flashed to a scandoc from an ARC-170 flight, a standard reconnaissance mission through the system.

“A ship, Captain? Not exactly an emergency.”

Dorja shook his head. “A Givin interceptor, ma’am. Short-range. No way it could have made the jump from Yag’dhul to here on its own.”

Aayla frowned, and glanced at Bly. “Commander. Ready a boarding shuttle. Bring it in.”
--
Anakin Solo awoke slowly. Memories came back with effort, like swimming through bacta. He remembered the Vong, and the battle. Corran had tried to stop him, but he made the jump anyway. Tahiri had been hurt . . . Tahiri! Where was she!

He took a moment to look around.

Then he closed his eyes.

And looked around again.

He had been right the first time. A pair of white-armored soldiers stood alert at the door, and a IV tube ran from a tank into his arm. Well, Anakin had played this game before. Jacen had made Anakin’s penchant for being kidnapped a running joke, honestly. He reached out into the Force, searching for his lightsaber. It was here, wherever here was, but not nearby.

Well, that wasn’t the only weapon in his arsenal. Anakin felt for the trooper’s helmets in the Force, and visualized what would happen next, projecting his will on the vast energy field.

Then he moved.

Anakin leapt from the bed in a single fluid motion, pulling out the IV and jumping forward. The two soldiers crashed into each other, and Anakin rolled past them into a hallway. More armored troopers – in what he now recognized as archaic Stormtrooper armor – tried to stop him, shouting or moving for their blasters. They were fast, and as well trained as many of the Remnant’s soldiers that Anakin had fought before. He was better. Teras Kai and a bit of old fashioned Corellian boxing bought him a minute, allowing him to fall behind.

“Tahiri! Corran!” Anakin shouted, desperately. He heard the troopers talking on internal comms, calling ahead to whatever warlord or Dark Jedi was leading them this month. Stun-set blasters rang out, the concentric blue rings impacting on the storage boxes Anakin was crouched behind.

Then he heard shouts, screams, and the rapid-fire pulse of stun-set weapons. Corran Horn walked out of another medical room, the soldiers screaming and running before him. Anakin had known the Correllian was talented, that he had long since deserved the title of Master, and his rank in Rogue Squadron. But he hadn’t ever seen him in action. The soldiers opened fire into empty air, clubbing nothingness with blaster butts, and shouting loudly for backup against the droids. Corran reached down and grabbed a blaster out of an insensate trooper’s hands, and methodically stunned the whole hallway, a soldier at a time.

“Anakin,” he barked. “They’re down. Are you hurt?”

Anakin slowly rose to his feet, grabbing a blaster of his own before he responded. “No. I mean, we were, clearly, we’re in a medbay, but not anymore. Our lightsabers, and Tahiri – “

Corran cut him off. “Are elsewhere. We find her next. Then get off the ship, and back to Coruscant, or whatever New Republic base is nearest.” He moved down the hall, carefully. “Come on, Anakin. Your father will have me in some Kessel spice mine if you don’t make it out here alive. And me, beaten by the Remnant.” He laughed softly. “Isard must be laughing somewhere.”

“This isn’t funny, Corran!” Anakin hurriedly moved beside him. “Tahiri could be hurt, or in danger, and we don’t know where we are or why the Remnant is after us, or, or anything. I can’t let her . . .” He trailed off. “Just be serious about this!”

“I am,” Corran said, offhandily stunning two more troopers as he rounded the corner. “I know what’s at stake.” They both tucked and rolled under blaster fire, going to cover as alarms started blaring above them. “But I’ve done this before, and know what I’m doing.”

“Evidently,” Anakin winced as the blast barely missed his shoulder, “not. Do you even know where we’re going? And cover me.”

Anakin leapt out of cover, firing as he did so, while Corran landed a stun-bolt neatly center of mass in the white armored foe. “I was fighting in Star Destroyers before you were alive, Solo. Computer terminal, then we find Tahiri and our sabers.”

“Right.” Anakin rolled his eyes. “That easily.”

“Exactly that.” Corran walked down the now-empty-of-foes hall, and pointed towards the neatly recessed droid access station. “Holdovers from the Republic. Didn’t expect one so close, but I won’t look a gift nerf in the mouth. Now find me a droid, would you?”

“Don’t need one. Back on Yavin, Qorl taught us to jury-rig Stormtrooper helmets into computer access stations. Shouldn’t be that hard to do, even with these relics.”

Corran gestured, and Anakin got to work, pulling apart the helmet and inserting chips into the access panel.

“Can you find out where we are first, Anakin?” Corran shook his head, frustrated. “We’re supposed to be at peace with the Remnant, and they aren’t anywhere near Yag’Dhul, anyway. It’s strange. Or at least find out who’s in command of here. Wedge showed me most of the NRI intelligence files on all the terrorists with ISDs, I should be able to – “

“Master.” Anakin looked up, face white, eyes wide with shock. “Master Horn, it . . . it says that we’re on a Galactic Republic ship. Master . . . we’re, we’re before the Empire. In the past.”

“No.” Corran was straight-faced. “No, that can’t be right. You clearly read it wrong.”

“It’s a clock.” Anakin said. “How do I read a clock wrong?”

“I don’t know, but you clearly did it! We can’t be in the past, that’s impossible. So, you must have done it wrong.”

“It says Galactic Republic on the screen! This isn’t that difficult!”
Corran snorted. “Give. Me. The. Helmet.”

“You’ll find the same things as me, Master,” Anakin handed the trooper helmet over. “I can’t change the facts.”

Corran’s eyes matched up with the in built cameras, and he queried the computer systems for a status report, using an old ISB/SBI command code to override the restrictions, rather than using Anakin’s convoluted hacks and overrides.

>Current Posting: Galactic Republic Venator-class Star Destroyer Irrepressible

>Under command of: Jedi Master Aayla Secura, Captain Dorja

>Current stardate –

Corran shut it off, not needing to see the date. It couldn’t be true. It couldn’t be. A ISB trick, or the Vong, or, or Isard somehow come again. Somehow. The alternative . . .

Valin. Jysella. Mirax. His son and daughter and wife. Lost. Forever.

No.

“Master,” Anakin said, clearly shaken just as Corran was. “We need to find Tahiri.”

“Anakin, we have bigger priorities now. Whatever this is, we have to –”

“You better not finish that sentence.” Anakin rose to his feet. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Whoever is behind this-“

“Master . . .”

The two glared at each other for a minute, then Corran closed his eyes and breathed. Once. Twice. Then opened his eyes once more.

“No, you’re right. I let my emotions get the better of me. We both did. Finding out whomever is orchestrating this deception is important, but we will find your friend first.” He handed the jury-rigged helmet over. “Locate Tahiri, and then we retrieve her. Before anything else.”

Anakin took the helmet with nothing except a grudging nod. The pair sat in silence for a few minutes, Corran absentmindedly retrieving spare powerpacks to pass the time.

“Do you think they’re looking for us?”

“What, Anakin?”

“Do you think they’re looking for us? Uncle Luke and General Antilles and all the rest. They’ll think something is up when we don’t return from Yag’Dhul, but a hyperspace malfunction is . . .”

“Probably. We’re critical assets, at the least, too important on a propaganda level to fall into enemy hands. That’s likely why the Remnant set this up in the first place.”

“To trick us? It’s as good an explanation as any, I suppose, but why? You aren’t in the Republic command ranks, and I don’t – wait. I’ve got her.”

Corran sat up. “Tahiri’s location?”

“Yeah. Critical med-bay, near the dorsal ridge. Five decks up.”

The older Jedi grinned. “Not far. Ready to relive your dad’s glory days?”

Anakin offered a grin of his own in response. “Killing Imperials? Please, Dad wants my numbers.”

The two made their way down the empty corridor to a lift shaft, one which came when called, conveniently. The whoosh of the lift accompanied them up the floors, speeding past as fast as possible. With a ping, the door opened, and blue rings of stun-bolt energy leapt out towards the lift, spraying the walls with bouncing energy.

The empty lift.

Crouched on the top of the lift, the top wrenched off, Corran counted down on his fingers to Anakin. Three. Two. One. Then Anakin dropped his hand into the lift, and lobbed a grenade they had looted from a trooper’s armor. Smoke trailed out of the cylinder, and the two Jedi dropped down. Anakin rolled forward firing twice into the two foremost foes, then jumping up in a force assisted bound, to drive his foot into another’s neck and pivoting past a snap stun-bolt. Landing, he reached into the force and set back two final troopers into the wall and unconsciousness, only to turn and see a blaster pointed at his face.

“Freeze you son of a . . .” The clone trailed off into silence.

“Is that you, Corran?” Anakin gestured at the clone, now snapped to attention.

“Got it in one, kid.” Corran smiled slightly. “You want to deal with him?”

“Heh.” Anakin fired a stun-bolt point blank. “Two hallways down, and then one to the left. Door on the right.”

“Understood.” Corran broke into a light jog, with Anakin running slightly behind. “Anakin, you know her better than I do. Do you think that, ah . . .”

Anakin winced visibly. Subtle, he thought. “The Vong thing. Riina.”

“I don’t think to be an expert in Vong psychology, Anakin, and, well, I’ve seen a lot, but her . . . I’m not going to pretend to understand what’s happening.”

Anakin paused, trying to find the words. “They, the shapers, I mean, they were trying to learn how to make a Jedi into one of them. To . . . find common ground, almost. I think it was the Vong version of a peace initiative, in a way. Making our lives and their compatible.”

Blasterfire interrupted the flow of words, but the two didn’t even pause in their stride. The force guiding them, they were taking the right step at the right time, stun-bolts just passing between or over them, or between legs. Turning to return fire, they would find themselves shooting at the precise moment to land steady shots, to impact stun-bolts on unarmored body parts, till the flow of shot trickled to nothing.

“They rewrote her memories,” Anakin said, continuing without a pause. “Part of them. Made her think that she was a Yuuzhan Vong. Riina Kwaad, a shaper. Tahiri is still in there, Corran, trust me. But she’s . . . she’s just a little lost right now. Unsure of who or what she is.”

Corran raised an eyebrow. “I find it unlikely that the Remnant will be particularly kind in their psychological treatment.”

“No need to remind me.”

“This turn.”

The two crouched at the edge of the hallway. Two clones, on the outside of the door, but more inside they could hear.

Anakin turned to Corran, and gestured. The older Jedi smiled, and waved his hand slightly. The leftmost clone gestured to the right one, and they slowly walked to where the two Jedi were crouched. As they turned the corner, Anakin and Corran drove their rifle butts into their armor, catching the two before they fell.

“Another smoke grenade?” Anakin whispered, and gestured to the door. “We don’t know how many stormtroopers are in there.”

Corran shook his head. “We can’t risk damaging any medical equipment they have in there. Or hurting Tahiri.”

“But walking right into a room full of stormtroopers is a death sentence! They’re not idiots, we won’t make a step before they gun us down.”

“We’re Jedi, we have far more tricks then they will expect. I’ll –”

A trooper rocketed out of the room, his hand impacting with the wall with a sickening crack, as the distinctive sounds of blaster fire rang out into the air.

“Do-ro’ik vong pratte!” The voice was loud, and familiar. “Krel os'a hmi va ta! Do-ro’ik vong pratte!”

Another trooper fell out of the room, his chest plate score several times with blaster hits. Tahiri Veila – or, at the moment, more accurately Riina Kwaad – emerged behind him, a trooper grasping from breath as her hand was around his throat. The sight was almost comical, the teenager like some prehistoric god of war. She threw the trooper to the ground, and turned the blaster in her hand back into the room she just exited. She fired, twice, and screams erupted from the room, to be silenced by one more blaster bolt.

Anakin and Corran watched for a moment, until hard-earned reflex overcame shock and surprise. Corran moved with military precision, his blaster trained down the hall-way, watching, but Anakin just ran.

“Tahiri!”

She turned, glaring, then looked away.

“Tahiri, please.”

The girl still didn’t meet his eyes, and dropped the blaster in disgust. “I’m here. You don’t have to shout.”

“Are you . . . did they, um, hurt you?”

“What? No, no. I just don’t like . . . I don’t know, being bound.” She absentmindedly kicked off her shoes, and Anakin walked closer. A step away, now. Not close, but not far either. “I didn’t know where I was. Still don’t.”

“Anakin,” Corran called out.

“It doesn’t matter. We’re here together. Some Imperial ship.” He grinned, cockily. “Just like in the old days.”

Tahiri smiled back, but the smile never quite reached her eyes. “Right. I’ll need to save you in not that long, then.”

“Anakin!”

“Funny, I don’t remember it that way.”

Tahiri stepped forward and kissed him. It was dramatic, passionate, and filled with a sense of fear on both sides.

“Anakin!”

Both pulled away long enough to respond to Corran, who gestured down the hall. Two dozen white armored troopers filled it, a blue Twi’lek at their head. She raised her hand, an unlit lightsaber in it. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you all to surrender.”

 

Riveting and a terrific blend of NJO meets time travel I will watch this for certain! And welcome to the very entertaining FF boards.

I truly think Force Smuggler will enjoy the A/T-ness.

 

Good start. Good action.

I think you could have better identified just which Anakin you were starting with, especially as both eras had apparently heard of Yag'dhul.

 

This looks promising!

 

This promises to be good.

Though until you mentioned coralskippers, I wasn't sure which Anakin you were talking about. Maybe that was the point?

 

It was. I was trying to create some ambiguity there.

 

Well, you succeeded.

And I stopped reading, having gotten invested in the wrong Anakin.

Good call.

 

Well, I am going to keep reading, because I want to see what happens when the two of them meet up.

 

Grandfather meets Grandson? I can't wait.

Why stop now? The fun is only starting.

 

LOVE THIS!

I know that "de gustibus et coloribus" etc etc, but I personally really enjoyed being fooled by which Anakin I was reading about when I started on this story and then realised that, um, no, it was the other one...

Great action scenes here and great sense of mystery. I can't wait until the two Anakins run into each other, but first I want to see how Anakin/Corran/Tahiri and Aayla Secura are going to figure out what the kriff is going on.



(Oh, and welcome to fanfic! I don't think we've seen you in these parts before.)

 

Great first chapter. I'm a sucker for time travel stories, so I'll keep reading.

I do agree with Sith-I-5, though. I read it up to realizing It was Anakin solo and found it disjointing, not in a clever "didn't see that coming" kind of way, but a "oh...what the heck." That being said, I loved the characterization of Anakin. Spot on to the character and pulling back some NJO stuff from my memory. Well done with the references. I would just say be careful of unseating your reader and forcing them out of your narrative to readjust their mind’s eye.

Otherwise, great story. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.

 

Personally - Ifound teh oh, cool! It's Anakin Solo thing quite clever. And the meeting between the Anakins will be a treat!