sparky // a padawan story

chapter 27. citadel escape.

"The shuttle's there, but there's no sign of R2," Cody tells us. Obi-Wan and I crouch behind him in the tunnels right outside a grate, the shuttle we came here on in view. The others are behind us.
"Something might have happened," Obi-Wan suggests. "We'll have to make our way around to the other side and get a different view. This could be a trap."
"Then let's spring the trap," I say.
"Easier said than done in this situation," Obi-Wan replies.
"So? Nothing's impossible unless you say it is."
"Why is it that you're only optimistic when you're thinking about doing something reckless?"
"Because recklessness is fun, obviously."
"It'll catch up to you one day, little one. But you're right, we need to go, even if it's a trap." He pushes the grate open with the Force. Cody hands him a grappling hook, and jumps down the wall. Cody and I look down to Obi-Wan, who nods at us to come along. I climb down the cord first, followed by the clones and Master Piell. We walk across a thin ledge towards the shuttle. I grab Obi-Wan's arm as he helps me down to the platform first, followed by the others. He hops down last as I approach and examine the STAP repulsorlifts that we often see droids flying around on. I turn as I hear Obi-Wan press the button on his com. "Anakin."
"I must commend you on your escape tactics, but in the end, it was easy to predict your every move," the voice that sounded on the intercoms from before replies. That's certainly not Anakin. Two cannons whirr as droids surround us from all sides. Obi-Wan crosses his arms and sighs in frustration as the cackling from the other line of the com rings loudly. We're forced to put our hands behind our heads and put in handcuffs as we're lead away by commando droids back into the prison to the top. As we line up, I notice how much smaller our crew was now.
"Welcome back," the voice sounds, back to us. He turns around to reveal a khaki-colored phindian. Osi Sobeck. He approaches us from his chair.
"I must say, you're not at all what I pictured for someone with such a soft voice," Obi-Wan says sarcastically.
Sobeck grumbles as he stands menacingly in front of Obi-Wan, then begins to pace in front of us. "I want your half of the information. Give it to me now, or I'll start executing your men."
"...This is war, Sobeck. We're all prepared to die to protect that intel," Master Piell says. I look to Obi-Wan to see if he has a plan. He looks back and sighs in defeat. If Obi-Wan can't come up with a plan that can save everybody... then yeah, we're probably screwed.
Sobeck grabs a blaster from a droid and cackles as he points it at one of our troopers. "Really?" He blasts him straight trough the head. I wince and turn away from the sight. Obi-Wan looks shaken, too, but Master Piell stays unphased as Sobeck points the blaster at the next trooper in line.
"Sir, we have located the other group, and our droids are closing in on them," one of the droids says, completely monotone. Sobeck tosses the blaster back to the droid he took it from.
"Your Jedi resolve only delays the inevitable," Sobeck tells Piell. "Take them to interrogation. Torture them slowly." The commandos then lead us out of the control center. Two other droids then take over and lead us towards the interrogation cells, until two of R2's reprogrammed droids stop them. I smile to myself.
"We'll take them from here," it says.
"Uh, I think we have a—" one of the droids leading us away starts.
"We'll handle it."
"Yes, sir." The two other droids move to the side, and we walk away with ours. We suddenly hear R2 beep from down the hall and slide over to us.
"Artooey!" I say happily. He beeps a hello back.
"Good to see you too, R2. I wondered where you've been," Obi-Wan says as he pulls his hands out from over his head and back in front of him as he bends down to the droid. I do the same with my hands. R2 beeps at Obi-Wan as he helps the two of us from our handcuffs.
"The Commander is pleased to see you as well, sir, but would like to return to the shuttle as soon as possible," one of the droids translates.
"Yes, I couldn't agree more," Obi-Wan tells R2. We stand up and begin to walk towards the shuttle.
"What about General Skywalker?" Cody asks.
"Not to worry. He'll switch to plan B," Obi-Wan tells him jokingly. We exit the prison to the airfield and start towards our shuttle.
"Hold it," a droid guarding the shuttle stops us. "Where are you going with these prisoners?"
"We're transferring them aboard the shuttle for Citadel to Point Tarron," one of our droids answers.
"Point Tarron? There's no outpost there," the guard droid says. Obi-Wan and Master Piell share a look, then nod.
"Uh... it's new," ours replies. R2 beeps at his droid. "We have orders. We're coming aboard." The guard droids move to the side as we walk past them. One of them then holds their blaster in front of Obi-Wan and I, blocking our path.
"Wait..." he starts as he presses something on his head. His voice now comes out more muffled. "The prisoners are escaping with reprogrammed battle droids. Let no one on board that shuttle." Do they... do they really think we're that dumb? Obi-Wan and I share a smirk and pull out our hidden lightsabers, slicing the droid in half in two spots. Turrets from above begin to shoot at us as we make a run for cover. Half of us move behind a storage crate, while the others hide behind the one across from us. More droids come out as the prison, when suddenly, Anakin and his men show up from nowhere. Ahsoka and him crouch down by me, Obi-Wan, and Master Piell, followed by Tarkin.
"Sorry I'm late," Anakin says.
"How nice of you to join us," Obi-Wan replies sarcastically.
"The ship is surrounded," Ahsoka says.
"We need to launch a full forward assault and take that vessel," Tarkin tells us. I roll my eyes. Is he clueless to the situation around us? How in the world is he a captain?
"We may have a bigger problem, those turrets," Obi-Wan tells him, which is exactly what I was thinking. "If we don't take them out, the will use them to destroy the shuttle and prevent our escape."
"Which is precisely why we should get aboard that shuttle and use the weapon systems to decimate those droids," Tarkin argues.
"Whatever we're gonna do, we better do it fast," Anakin says as he stands up and points at the droids flying towards us on their air platforms. Ahsoka stands up next to him and fire near us. The five of us Jedi ignite our sabers and block the shots from the droids in the air. Master Piell hops up on Anakin's shoulders, then up to one of the droids as it flies above, chopping it in half. Anakin jumps up and pushes a droid off of the platform, taking it over and flying it himself. Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, and I stay on the ground and continue to block blasts. Ahsoka breaks away from us towards R2 while Obi-Wan and I continue to work together. Suddenly, the shuttle blows up. Obi-Wan and I dive out of the way.
"Echo!" I hear Fives shout. All of us look at the disintegrated ship, and Echo's helmet that rolled on the ground nearby. I look at it sadly, then force myself to turn away.
"We have to go, now," Obi-Wan speaks up. We make a run away from the airfield, and Anakin leads us to the caves. Ahsoka and I tend to some of the officers as I over hear Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Master Piell's conversation. "We'll need to hold out until the Council sends a ship."
"Not a problem. We've beat them once, we'll beat them again," Master Piell states.
"This landscape is almost impossible to cross," Fives informs us.
"How are we going to get to the rendezvous point?" Rex asks.
Obi-Wan strokes his beard. "That is the trap of the Citadel. It was designed so it would be almost impossible for fugitives to get off the surface, even if they escaped the tower."
"How lucky we're not just any fugitives," Anakin says.
"I hope you're right," Master Piell says. Ahsoka and I help some of the officers up, then we walk off into the hellish terrain behind Anakin and Obi-Wan. My forehead drips with sweat from the heat of the lava around us. Rex scouts ahead.
"We're clear!" he calls to us as the four of us walk in front of him.
"What's our next move?" Obi-Wan questions as we stop walking and places his hands behind his back.
"We're going to have to fight our way off this rock," Anakin tells us.
"Contact the Council. See when they plan to rescue us," Obi-Wan says.
"I'll handle it," Master Piell replies. He turns to R2. A hologram of Master Windu appears.
"Master Piell, it's good to see you alive, my friend," Master Windu says.
"Likewise, Master Windu. Our escape route has been compromised and there are several squads of droids closing in on us," Master Piell tells him.
"When can we expect your arrival?" Anakin questions.
"Master Plo is already en route," Master Windu informs us.
"Gunships will arrive to evacuate you and your men, but do not delay," Master Yoda adds as he replaces Master Windu on the hologram. "Only a small window of opportunity, shall we have. Your rendezvous point will be this island."
"Understood," Master Piell says with a nod.
"May the Force be with you," Master Windu says as the call ends. Blasts from commando droids suddenly begin to be shot our way.
"Incoming!" Cody shouts. We pull out our lightsabers and block the shots fired at us. Fives hurls a detonator towards the droids as he leaps out of the way. The detonator goes off and destroys the droids, and Rex helps him back up. We turn off our sabers.
"No doubt, there's more on the way," Obi-Wan says. We run away once again out to the pathway on the cliff. Another crab droid climbs along the side of a cliff above while battle droids come from behind. The clones begin to fire at them.
"This is going spectacularly," I mutter as I reignite my lightsaber.
"They're boxing us in!" Ahsoka says.
"Lock in your cables!" Anakin tells Obi-Wan. They shoot out their cables to an open slab of rock. "R2, we need your droids to hold off the enemy as long as possible." R2 whistles in response. "Good, everybody follow me!"
"This is sheer madness!" Tarkin says as he gets on Anakin's back. Another officer gets on Obi-Wan's, and they climb down the cord while the rest of us cover them.
"Does that Tarkin guy ever shut up?" I ask Ahsoka, annoyed, while we deflect blasts back at the droids side by side.
"Not really, no," she replies. The two of us hop onto the cord and start climbing down, along with the rest.
"Keep moving!" Obi-Wan calls up at us. Suddenly, one of the cords is shot, and the two men still on it fall to the ground. R2 regroups with us as we quickly make it the rest of the way to the ground, his droids now destroyed up above. Commandos up on the cliff fire straight down at us.
"Keep moving, keep moving!" Anakin commands. He whips out his lightsaber and covers us as we all hop down into an underground cave. We walk through it and eventually come upon an exit. Obi-Wan leads the way and checks to make sure it's safe to exit, then waves the rest of us over. We walk out into a ledge right next to the yellow bubbling lava.
"What if your Jedi friends are not there when we arrive?" Tarkin questions from behind us. Ahsoka and I share a look, then roll our eyes.
"Keep moving and you won't have to worry about that, Tarkin," Master Piell retorts. I chuckle silently so only Ahsoka and I can hear.
"Why did Master Piell have to share half the intel with that guy?" Ahsoka asks Anakin, who walks right in front of us, quietly. "It's like he's not even grateful we rescued him."
"That's probably because he isn't," I say.
"Captain Tarkin feels the Jedi should be... relieved from the burden of leading the war effort," Anakin tells us.
"That's ridiculous," Ahsoka says. I nod my head in agreement.
"Maybe, but we aren't soldiers. We're peacekeepers. The Jedi Code often prevents us from going far enough to achieve victory."
"A rather simple point of view," Obi-Wan says from just in front of him.
"Either way, he is a good captain," Anakin tells us.
"And a rather cranky one, at that," I add. Ahsoka laughs while Obi-Wan shakes his head, but I can see the beginnings of an amused smile creep across his face. "Just laugh, Master, I'm trying to lighten the mood here."
He chuckles softly. "That's a first." A strange howling noise suddenly sounds. We scan our surroundings.
"Did you hear that?" Ahsoka asks us.
"Yes," Master Piell answers. "We're going to have company."
"Of course we are," I mumble to myself as we continue across the trail. I now walk next to Obi-Wan behind Master Piell.
I listen into the argument going on in front of us. "I stand by my principles, no matter what," Tarkin says. I look at Ahsoka next to them, who shakes her head in disapproval, then continue listening as I step up onto a small rock step. "Besides, I needn't worry about my career. I've fallen into favor with the Chancellor. He shall support me."
"Oh? I happen to know the Chancellor quite well myself," Anakin tells him.
"Oh, really?"
"Really." They stop walking and glare at each other as Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and I walk in front of them.
"Let's keep moving," Obi-Wan tells them as we step down a few rocks. "If we're not at the rendezvous at the exact time, we'll miss our window." The howling noise rings out again.
"Those creatures are gaining," Fives tells us as we turn to where the noise is coming from.
"If they've caught our scent, they'll lead the droids right to us," Master Piell says.
"Or they'll just attack us themselves. Who knows what they might be?" I add.
"We're gonna have to deal with them," Anakin says.
"What about using this cave to surprise them?" Ahsoka suggests, pointing to a nearby cave.
"If we can get them to pass by, we can attack them from behind. But we need a distraction," Master Piell tells us.
"Leave that to me," Anakin says. Obi-Wan looks at Anakin, then at me, and shakes his head. I hold back a small laugh as he clears his throat. Anakin turns towards him. "And Obi-Wan, of course."
"Okay, the rest of you, follow me," Master Piell says. Obi-Wan pats my shoulder as we break off in separate directions. Ahsoka and I walk directly behind Master Piell, followed by all of the others. We peer over a corner and see the howling beasts and droids going off in Anakin and Obi-Wan's direction. Master Piell looks back at us and nods at us to follow him. We follow to where the creatures ran off to when crab droids suddenly climb up the cliff we're on and start a suprise attack on us. It shoots down one of the officers, but Master Piell ignites his saber and chops it up like it was nothing. More begin to crawl towards us. "Keep going," he commands the troopers. "Ahsoka, Arlo, and I will take care of the droids."
"Damn straight we will," I say as I ignite my saber. Ahsoka does the same with her own two blades. We take one one while Master Piell takes the other. The large crablike droids begin firing at us. We block the rapid blasts quickly. I hear a loud sizzle and clank as Master Piell chops his droid right in half, then he gets to work on another. I approach the droid and stab it in the eye. Ahsoka hops on top and sticks her saber right through the middle of it. Suddenly, we hear a growl and a grunt, and turn to see Master Piell on the ground, being attacked by the monster.
"Master Piell!" Ahsoka shouts. The creature shakes Master Piell around like a toy and then throws him into the air as Ahsoka and I jump towards him with our sabers. He leaps back then begins to prance at us again. The two of us turn off our sabers and push it back with the Force together, then kneel to Master Piell, who lay dying on the ground from the attack. "We have to get help," she tells me. I nod and begin to stand up to go looking for our masters.
"No. Don't leave," Master Piell tells me. "Listen to me carefully, children. The information, I need you to deliver it back to the Council." His voice is weak and shaky.
"We should find Anakin or Obi-Wan," Ahsoka tells him.
"Yes, they need to hear this," I agree.
"No. You must listen."
"But we weren't assigned to the team," Ahsoka confesses. "We lied just so we could be a part of the mission."
"Whether you were meant to be on this mission or not, you are now the most important part of it. Remember this... and see to it that the information I'm about to give you is revealed to no one but the Jedi Council." Ahsoka leans down as he whispers the coordinates in her ear.
She moves away as he finishes and nods. "Got it."
"You both have done well. Now continue... to do... so... and get that... to... the..." He exhales one last time.
"Master Piell? Master Piell, wake up!" I shake his shoulder. I check his pulse to be sure. "He's... he's gone." I close his eye as Ahsoka and I share a solemn look. "Now what?"
"What he said. Get the information to the Council."
"Let's go find Obi-Wan and Anakin, then, and get the hell out of here."
"We should bring Master Piell with us."
"I agree." I pick up his lifeless, now-more-mangled-than-before body into my arms as we start in the direction of the others. Hopefully they had fended off the beasts better than we had. We walk a short was as we see the silhouettes of our troopers. I see Cody first, then Obi-Wan jogs towards us in the smoke, along with Anakin. The troopers and officers surround us as we walk towards them. I hand Master Piell's limp body to Anakin, who lays him carefully on the ground.
"He died honorably," Ahsoka says sadly. Obi-Wan puts a slightly comforting hand on my shoulder.
"What about the information?" Anakin asks.
"I have it," Ahsoka answers him. "He told me just before he died."
—
Soon we find ourselves standing on a small cliff just above the lava. Master Piell's wrapped-up body lies on the edge. I examine the group around me. It's gotten much smaller. All that's left is me, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka, Cody, Rex, Fives, Tarkin, R2, and two officers. I revert my focus back to Master Piell's body.
"We don't have much time," Obi-Wan addresses us. "Let's take this moment to honor him, then we must move on. He would have wanted us to complete our mission." He and Anakin lift the body using the Force and slowly pushes it out and down into the lava. It catches fire and floats off into the fiery river. We gaze off into the distance for a few moments, then continue on in silence. We stop at a dead end and Obi-Wan points in front of us. "There's the extraction point." Cody and Anakin shoot cables at the island of rock in the middle of the lava. Rex and Tarkin carefully climb across first. Rex points up as Cody and Ahsoka begin to cross.
"Incoming!" We turn to see commandos racing towards us on their air platforms. I whip out my saber and begin blocking blasts from beside Obi-Wan.
"Look what I found," Sobeck sneers. Anakin and Obi-Wan hop onto the droids' platforms and begins working from up there. Sobeck begins to shoot at the ones who are already at the extraction point, so R2 sets off smoke to distort his vision. Fives manages to shoot down his platform, causing him to fall to the rocky ground. I Force jump over to the island and hold my saber out towards him so he doesn't run away as Anakin and Obi-Wan rush back to the ground. "You wouldn't kill me. That's not the Jedi way."
"And you're certain of that?"
"Oh, move," Tarkin commands as he pushes me to the side and tries to shoot Sobeck himself, but he's easily overpowered and held over the lava.
"If I can't have the information, it will die with you!" Ahsoka suddenly ignites his saber through Sobeck, saving Tarkin. He sighs and brushes himself off. "My thanks, Padawan Tano. I see you've trained her well," he tells Anakin as he walks off.
"The rescue ship should be here by now," Obi-Wan tells us.
"So should the rest of the Separatist army," Anakin adds.
"Then where are they?" I question. A Republic gunship suddenly flies over us. Obi-Wan and I share a look and smile. "Impeccable timing on their part."
"I believe you've worn out your welcome," Master Plo calls down to us from the ship. An enormous swarm of crab droids begin to surround us from all sides. We ignite our sabers and block blasts shit our way as the ship lowers and we board it, flying away from the hellhole as quickly as possible and boarding a star destroyer.
—
The ride back to the temple was mostly quiet. It was obvious that we were all quite shaken from the experience. And no one really wanted to talk about it. I just sat next to Obi-Wan as I tried not to doze off next to him. Usually Obi-Wan would tell me to get some rest, offer his shoulder as a pillow, maybe even go find a blanket, but even he knew that sleep was impossible now. Closing my eyes was the last thing I wanted to do.
Part of me regrets going in the first place. It was stupid and dangerous. And if Obi-Wan tells me I'm not coming on a mission with him, I know it's for a good reason. But the other half of me thinks that if Ahsoka and I weren't there, we would have failed. If Master Piell had died and we hadn't been there with him, it would have all been for nothing. But I can't change the past. I don't like living in 'what if's'.
We stand before Masters Yoda, Windu, and Fisto on the landing platform.
"Of Master Piell's loss, we are sorry to hear," Yoda starts.
"He will be missed," Master Windu says solemnly.
"Because of his great sacrifice, we now have the Nexus Route coordinates," Master Plo says.
"Captain Tarkin and Ahsoka have each memorized half," Obi-Wan tells them.
"Debrief them both, we must," Master Yoda states.
"With all due respect, Master Jedi, I was instructed by Chancellor Palpatine to bring the intel directly to him for debriefing," Tarkin tells Yoda.
"Wait, no," I intervene. "That's not what Master Piell said."
"Right. We promised Master Piell that I would deliver it only to the Council," Ahsoka tells him.
"And that's what she will do," I say.
"Hm. Personally meet with the Chancellor, I will. Decide what is best to do, we shall," Master Yoda decides. He and the others begin to walk away, along with Ahsoka. I stay behind with Anakin and Obi-Wan.
"Master Plo, there's something we want to ask you," Anakin suddenly says. Master Plo stays behind from the other masters. "Did you assign Ahsoka and Arlo to the mission?" Ahsoka freezes in her tracks and looks at the ground as my eyes widen. Obi-Wan looks at me and barely chuckles.
"Sorry, but I'm still not helping, little one," he says to me through the Force.
"I know, I know."
"By the way, you're playing with your shirt again." I look down and notice my fingers picking at the grey hem. I automatically stop and clasp my hands together instead. Obi-Wan shakes his head with an amused smile.
Master Plo looks between me and Ahsoka. "It appears I did." My jaw drops slightly. He and Ahsoka then walk off with the others.
"Maybe not tell Anakin the truth about this?" I ask Obi-Wan.
"What do you mean? You were assigned to the mission, were you not?" He winks, and I grin.
"A job well done, General Skywalker," Tarkin then says. He holds out his hand, and Anakin takes it and shakes it firmly. "I wish more Jedi had your military sensibilities." He begins to walk away. Obi-Wan crosses his arm and strokes his beard, but in a more annoyed manner than usual. His brows furrow. "Perhaps I can inform the Chancellor of your valor." And with that, Tarkin walks away into his transport.
"I'm not sure what to think of your new ally," Obi-Wan admits.
"I do. He's a—" I begin.
"Oh, I know what you think, Arlo. You were sure to not be subtle about it at all," Obi-Wan stops me.
"Well I think we need people like him," Anakin says. "This is a war. If we aren't willing to do what it takes to win, we risk losing everything we try to protect."
"Unfortunately, war tends to distort our point of view," Obi-Wan tells him. "If we sacrifice our code, even for victory, we may lose that which is most important... our honor."
—
and now we're onto part 4! this is where the fun begins...
except not actually. i'm already going through it by just thinking about it. all i have to say is... poor arlo.
oh, and a small note for the start of part 4: the first chapter will start right before season 4 episode 1 (water war) begins, and you'll quickly figure out that it's not an actual episode. it's pretty much just something kinda fun that i wrote when i was bored during class this week. i figured we needed a fun chapter to start it off with before it just automatically goes 📉📉📉. because if you all remember anything that happens in season 4... you know what i mean. but i hope you all enjoyed part 3!
and as always, thanks for reading! (it really does mean a lot to me 😁) -a 🪐