1st place: Star Wars Fanfiction Awards
Luke Skywalker is turning 8 in just a few days on Empire Day. Unfortunately, the Empire has ordered a galaxy-wide census on Empire Day. Instead of heading to the pod races, like his Uncle Owen had promised him...
With his lightsaber extended to catch any surprise blaster bolts, Anakin hurried around a corner in the temple. He pulled back in shock. The corridor was empty. This part of the Imperial Palace was silent.
He motioned for Bail and Padmé to follow him.
Anakin ranged around him with the Force, locating Master Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka not far off from them. Their group had breached the palace, too, and they were rushing to reach their attack point.
Anakin's group rushed down the corridor, wary of an ambush.
When they reached the T intersection, Bail said, "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Padmé looked at Anakin. "Feels like a trap."
Anakin grinned at his petite wife. "Let's go spring it."
She hefted her blaster pistol and nodded for him to take point.
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"You heard me," Obi-Wan said into his communicator. "Fire your cannons until they overheat. Then ram the blastdoor while it's still hot, Cody."
The Jedi General pulled back into an alcove, turning his back to protect his eyes from the flying debris.
Ahsoka stood across the street, squeezed into a doorway with a few clone troopers. "We may gain entrance to the temple this way, but we'll never get to Sidious without breaking the codes on the turbo lifts, Rex."
The captain motioned a few squads forward to follow the tanks. The troopers sharing the alcove with them pushed their way out. Stormtroopers, Mandalorians, and clones littered the street.
Rex said into his comlink, "Red battalion, check the fallen. Finish off the enemy and start triage on our survivors. I don't want the walking wounded following us in."
"Rex, didn't you hear me?"
He turned to Ahsoka. "One problem at a time. It's retinal scans only to get to Sidious's throne room. It's in the central spire, in the old Hall of Knighthood. We won't get past by breaking a code anyway."
"Then this plan is not going to work." Ahsoka rubbed her lekku in deep thought. "Element of surprise. Obi-Wan was definite about that. What else has changed in the temple?"
"Not sure. How about the maintenance tunnels?"
"Climbing maintenance ladders for 120 meters? You've got to be kidding me."
Rex said into his communicator. "Clone troopers on point. Maintain a five-meter gap between you and the tanks. Vesh formation. Mandalorians staggered behind."
Ahsoka pulled on Rex's shoulder pad.
"Relax. We should be able to make it the first half via turbo lift. Cody can get us that far with his credentials."
