The abandoned city stretched before them like a graveyard of durasteel and stone, its skeletal buildings reaching toward the overcast sky like the ribcage of some massive, long-dead creature. Obi-Wan Kenobi moved with practiced silence through the debris-strewn streets, his weathered boots finding purchase on the broken pavement. Behind him, Commander Cody matched his pace, the clone's armor plates shifting quietly with each measured step. Above them both, Scott Lang rode his faithful ant steed through the air, his diminished form barely visible against the gray clouds.
The Jedi Master paused at a street corner, pressing his back against the crumbling wall of what had once been a marketplace. His blue eyes swept the empty plaza ahead, searching for any sign of movement. The Force whispered warnings of danger, but also something else—hope, perhaps. Or desperation.
"Where are they?" Cody asked, his voice carrying the weight of a soldier who'd lost too many good men. His helmet's visor reflected the desolate surroundings as he scanned the area with military precision.
"Waxer and Boiling haven't responded in over an hour," Obi-Wan replied, stroking his auburn beard thoughtfully. The worry in his voice was carefully controlled, but Cody could hear it nonetheless. They'd been separated from their squad members during the initial assault, and in a place like this, silence rarely meant good news.
Looking up toward Scott's circling form, Obi-Wan called out, "Scott, any word from Hope?"
Ant-Man's voice drifted down, tight with concern. "Nothing. Radio silence on all channels."
Scott knew better than most that Hope van Dyne could handle herself in a fight. The woman was tough as nails and twice as sharp, with reflexes that put most trained soldiers to shame. But they weren't dealing with ordinary circumstances here. This alien world crawled with killing machines that showed no mercy, no hesitation. Even the most capable warrior could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
The peaceful moment shattered as a thunderous rumbling filled the air. It wasn't the mechanical whine of battle droids—this was something organic, primal, and utterly massive.
Scott pulled up sharply on his ant's antennae, bringing the insect to a hovering stop. "Guys, we've got incoming! Something big!"
Obi-Wan's hand moved instinctively to his lightsaber hilt as he raised his other hand, signaling for silence. The ground beneath their feet began to vibrate with an ominous rhythm, like the footsteps of giants.
"What in the blazes is that?" Sergeant Woolley whispered, his voice crackling through the comm system.
Another clone trooper raised his DC-15A blaster rifle, the weapon's familiar weight reassuring in his hands. "Whatever it is, sir, it doesn't sound like it wants to be friends."
"Contact!" Scott's voice cut through the air like a warning siren. "Multiple hostiles, moving fast! Take cover, now!"
"Into the alley!" Cody barked, his command voice cutting through the rising panic. "Move, move, move!"
The small group scrambled toward the narrow passage between two collapsed buildings, their armor clanking against stone and metal debris. As they pressed themselves against the shadowed walls, the vibrations grew stronger, accompanied by an alien chittering that made their skin crawl.
The creatures that rounded the corner defied easy description. They stood nearly three meters tall on powerful bipedal legs, their bodies a nightmarish fusion of reptilian and insectoid features. Chitinous armor plates covered their torsos, gleaming with an oily sheen, while wicked mandibles clicked hungrily beneath compound eyes that glowed like crimson coals. Spinal ridges ran along their backs, twitching with predatory anticipation.
"Geonosians," Obi-Wan breathed, recognition dawning in his voice. "But not like any I've seen before."
The lead creature's head swiveled toward them, those burning eyes locking onto the clone troopers pressed against the alley wall. It released a sound somewhere between a roar and a hiss, and suddenly the entire pack was charging, their clawed feet striking sparks from the stone street.
"Open fire!" Cody commanded.
Blue plasma bolts erupted from the clones' weapons, painting the gray afternoon in violent streaks of light. Several shots found their marks, scorching the creatures' natural armor, but the beasts kept coming. Worse, their thick shells seemed to absorb much of the damage.
One of the smaller creatures leaped with surprising agility, its claws raking across a clone trooper's chest plate. The soldier stumbled backward, crying out as the impact sent him sprawling. Another trooper moved to help his fallen brother, only to find himself face-to-face with snapping mandibles.
Obi-Wan stepped forward, his calm presence a stark contrast to the chaos erupting around them. Closing his eyes, he reached out through the Force, feeling for the primitive minds driving these creatures. They were operating on pure instinct—hunt, kill, feed. But even instinct could be redirected.
The Jedi Master extended both hands, his expression serene despite the violence surrounding him. The Force flowed through him like a river, touching each creature's consciousness with gentle but firm pressure. One by one, the attacking beasts began to slow, their aggressive postures shifting to confusion.
"Easy," Obi-Wan murmured, as much to himself as to the creatures. "There's no need for this violence."
Under his influence, the pack began to retreat, their movements becoming sluggish and uncertain. The lead creature shook its massive head, fighting against the mental compulsion, but even it eventually turned away from the clones.
Obi-Wan guided them deeper into the narrow alley, sweat beading on his forehead from the mental effort. Controlling one or two minds was manageable, but an entire pack pushed even his considerable abilities to their limits.
"Should we finish them off, sir?" one of the clones asked, keeping his weapon trained on the retreating creatures.
"No," Cody said firmly, understanding his general's strategy. "Wait for the order."
As the last creature shuffled into the confined space of the dead-end alley, Obi-Wan looked up at the crumbling stone bridge that spanned the gap between buildings overhead. Sometimes the simplest solutions were the most effective.
"Now!" he called out, pressing his back against the alley wall. "Shoot the bridge supports!"
The Ghost Company didn't hesitate. A concentrated barrage of blaster fire struck the ancient stonework, sending chunks of masonry raining down. The bridge groaned ominously, its structural integrity failing after centuries of weathering and neglect.
Obi-Wan released his hold on the creatures' minds just as the bridge began its final collapse. The beasts, suddenly free from the Force compulsion, spun around in rage and confusion. The lead creature lunged toward the Jedi Master, mandibles spread wide.
But Obi-Wan was already moving. In one fluid motion, he leaped onto the creature's back, using it as a springboard to bound to the next beast, then the next. His movements were grace incarnate, each jump perfectly timed and balanced. Behind him, tons of stone crashed down, sealing the alley and trapping the creatures safely away from the squad.
As the dust settled and Obi-Wan rejoined his men, a new sound caught their attention—metal scraping against stone, coming from beneath their feet.
Every weapon in the squad swiveled toward a nearby maintenance cover as it began to move. The metal disc scraped aside with a grinding noise that set their teeth on edge.
"Easy, boys," came a familiar voice from below. "It's just us."
Two helmeted heads emerged from the opening, followed by the rest of Waxer and Boiling's forms. The clone troopers looked worse for wear, their white armor scuffed and blackened with carbon scoring, but they were alive and grinning.
"Waxer! Boiling!" Cody's relief was evident even through his helmet's vocoder. "Where the hell have you two been? We thought you'd become droid scrap."
"Hey now, Commander," Waxer said with mock hurt in his voice, "we've been working. Following leads, gathering intelligence, you know—soldier stuff."
"And picking up strays," Boiling added with amusement.
Behind them, Hope van Dyne emerged from the tunnel, her Wasp suit's sleek design a stark contrast to the utilitarian clone armor. In her arms, she cradled a young Twi'lek child, the little one's head-tails wrapped protectively around Hope's shoulders.
Scott immediately flew down to normal size, landing with practiced ease. "Hope! Thank God you're okay." His relief quickly shifted to confusion as he looked at the child. "Though I didn't realize we were starting an adoption agency out here."
Hope rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's attempt at humor. "Really, Scott? Now?"
"Hey, we've already got Cassie," Scott said with a shrug. "What's one more?"
"Let's survive this planet first," Hope replied dryly, "then we can discuss expanding our family."
Obi-Wan approached the small group, kneeling down to bring himself to the child's eye level. When he spoke, it was in fluent Ryl, the musical language of the Twi'lek people. The little girl's large eyes widened with surprise and relief as she heard her native tongue.
Their conversation was brief but intense, the child's animated gestures painting a picture of hiding, fear, and hope. When Obi-Wan finally stood, his expression was grim but determined.
"Her name is Numa," he explained to the others. "She knows these tunnel systems better than anyone. She can guide us to where the other villagers are being held, but..." He paused, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "The droid forces have established a significant blockade. We'll need a distraction to get through."
"The droids have positioned several AAT tanks at the village entrance," Cody reported, consulting his tactical display. "Plus infantry positions on the high ground. It won't be easy to punch through their lines, sir."
Hope stepped forward, her helmet retracting to reveal a confident smile. "Scott and I can handle the distraction. We've been wanting to field-test some techniques my father taught me."
"If you don't mind, sir," Boiling interjected, drawing Obi-Wan and Cody's attention. "Waxer and I would like to assist Ms. van Dyne and Mr. Lang with this operation."
"Count us in," Waxer confirmed with a sharp nod. "We've seen what these two can do. Could be fun to watch up close."
Hope's smile widened. "Scott will draw their attention while you two provide backup support. If things go sideways, we'll need covering fire."
"Very well," Obi-Wan agreed. "But remember—we're not just trying to win a battle here. We're trying to save lives."
In the depths of the droid command center, a single B1 battle droid knelt on the polished floor, methodically scrubbing the surface with a cleaning sponge. Of all the assignments in the Separatist army, janitorial duty had to be the absolute worst. The droid's photoreceptors dimmed with what could charitably be called resignation.
A low buzzing sound made the droid look up from its thankless task. Standing in the doorway was a human male with reddish hair and a beard, holding a small Twi'lek child. Beside him stood a woman in an unusual black and yellow uniform, and behind them lurked two clone troopers in white armor.
The droid opened its vocabulator to sound an alarm, but before it could speak, an invisible force slammed into a wall switch. Emergency blast doors sealed the corridor, trapping the surprised droid in the chamber.
"Roger, roger," the droid muttered dejectedly, slumping its metallic shoulders in defeat.
Obi-Wan raised his wrist communicator, pressing the activation button. "We're in position. Report status, all units."
Static crackled for a moment before Cody's voice came through clearly. "Ghost Company standing by, General. All units are in position and awaiting your signal."
"Ant-Man here," Scott's voice followed. "Ready when you are."
"Excellent. Scott, you have the honor. Begin the show."
Scott rubbed his hands together with barely contained excitement. There were few things in life that gave him as much satisfaction as a perfectly executed surprise, and this was going to be spectacular.
He pressed a series of controls on his wrist device, and the air in front of the gathered clones began to shimmer. Reality seemed to bend and twist as subatomic particles realigned themselves, growing from microscopic to massive in the span of heartbeats.
A full-sized AT-TE walker materialized before them, its six legs and rotating cannon turret casting intimidating shadows across the battlefield. Several clones jumped backward in surprise, their training warring with the impossibility of what they'd just witnessed.
"Sweet mother of Coruscant," Sergeant Woolley breathed, staring up at the imposing war machine. "That never gets old."
"Oh, we're just getting started," Scott said with a grin that would have made a Corellian smuggler proud. He activated his device again, and three TX-130 Saber-class fighter tanks appeared on the ground around them, each one growing from the size of a pebble to full battle-ready dimensions.
The clone troopers didn't need to be told twice. They scrambled into the vehicles with practiced efficiency, their movements sharp and purposeful. Engines roared to life, weapons systems activated, and targeting computers began acquiring locks on distant droid positions.
Above them, Scott's reconnaissance ants created a living surveillance network, their compound eyes providing a bird's-eye view of the battlefield that would make any military commander weep with envy.
"All units, this is Ant-Man," Scott announced over the comm system. "You are clear to engage. Light them up!"
The canyon erupted in fire and thunder. Tank rounds screamed through the air, impacting droid positions with devastating accuracy. The Separatist forces, caught completely off-guard by the sudden appearance of Republic armor, scrambled to respond to the unexpected assault.
"Sir! Sir!" A B1 battle droid stumbled into the tactical droid's command post, its photoreceptors flickering with panic. "Republic clones are attacking with heavy armor support!"
The tactical droid's head swiveled toward the panicking subordinate with mechanical precision. "Impossible. Our intelligence indicates no Republic armor in this sector. Recalibrate your sensors."
"I—I'm not malfunctioning, sir! They have tanks! Lots of tanks!"
Before the tactical droid could process this information fully, the sounds of combat erupted from multiple directions. Clone troopers were emerging from positions that should have been empty, their coordinated fire decimating droid patrols with ruthless efficiency.
"Recall all scout units immediately," the tactical droid commanded, its processors working overtime to analyze this new tactical situation.
"We're trying, sir, but they're either not responding or reporting heavy contact with clone forces!"
The carefully orchestrated droid defense began to crumble as confusion spread through their ranks. The element of surprise was a powerful weapon, and the clones were wielding it with devastating effect.
Deep in the underground prison complex, Obi-Wan's lightsaber hummed to life, its blue blade casting dancing shadows on the stone walls. The last droid guard never had a chance—one swift stroke separated its head from its shoulders, sending sparks cascading to the floor.
"Clear!" Hope called out, her voice echoing through the prison corridors. Waxer and Boiling flanked her, their weapons trained on potential threats while they methodically checked each cell.
Numa had proven to be as valuable as promised, leading them through a maze of maintenance tunnels that bypassed the main droid checkpoints entirely. The little Twi'lek girl had an uncanny knowledge of the underground systems, gained through months of hiding from the occupying forces.
As the prison doors swung open, dozens of Twi'lek civilians emerged blinking into the corridor lights. Adults clutched children close to their chests while elderly prisoners leaned heavily on younger relatives. The relief on their faces was palpable—for many, this was the first glimpse of hope they'd seen in months.
Among the freed prisoners, Obi-Wan watched as a male Twi'lek rushed forward and swept little Numa into his arms. The reunion was wordless but profound, the kind of moment that reminded everyone present why they fought.
"Her father," Obi-Wan explained quietly to the others. "Her mother is still missing, but at least part of her family is whole again."
The touching moment was interrupted by the distinctive sound of blaster fire echoing from above. The battle was intensifying, and they were running out of time.
On the surface, Commander Cody ducked as a blaster bolt sizzled past his helmet, leaving a glowing score mark on the wall behind him. From his position behind an overturned speeder, he could see the droid artillery positions that had been preventing Republic reinforcements from landing.
"Woolley!" he called out over the din of battle. "Concentrate fire on those blaster cannons! We need to clear a landing zone!"
The AT-TE's main cannon swiveled toward the target, its targeting computer calculating distance and trajectory with mechanical precision. "Firing!" Woolley announced.
The heavy turbolaser bolt struck one of the droid artillery pieces dead center, reducing it to twisted metal and sparking circuits. But even as they celebrated the hit, disaster struck nearby.
One of the TX-130 tanks erupted in a brilliant explosion, its fuel cells detonating in a chain reaction that sent shockwaves across the battlefield. Clone troopers caught in the blast radius were thrown like rag dolls, their armor providing little protection against the intense heat and pressure.
"What hit us?" someone screamed over the comm system.
"Droid reinforcements!" Woolley's voice crackled with static and urgency. "AAT tanks, moving in from the eastern approach! At least a dozen, maybe more!"
"Take cover!" Cody ordered, but even as he spoke, he could see the tactical situation deteriorating. They were being flanked by superior numbers, and their improvised defensive positions wouldn't hold for long.
Obi-Wan emerged from the underground complex just in time to witness the Republic forces being pushed back. The droid artillery was repositioning to target their remaining vehicles, and without air support, they would be overwhelmed within minutes.
"Waxer, Boiling—with me," the Jedi Master commanded, his lightsaber already in hand. "We need to eliminate those artillery positions before they finish off our armor."
"Go!" Hope shouted, shrinking down to wasp size as she spoke. "I'll buy you time!"
She became a blur of motion, zipping between the advancing B1 and B2 battle droids with incredible speed. Her bio-electric stingers found gaps in armor plating, overloading circuits and disabling targeting systems. What she couldn't disable with her stingers, she dismantled with precision strikes from her enhanced strength.
High above, Scott coordinated the battle through his ant scouts while simultaneously engaging targets of opportunity. "Cody, I'm seeing massive droid movement from the north! Hope's got her hands full down there—I'm going to support her!"
"Do what you have to, Scott," Cody replied, narrowly avoiding another barrage of incoming fire. "Just keep those cannons off our backs!"
Scott leaped from his ant mount, growing to full size as he fell. He landed directly on top of a B1 battle droid, his boots crushing the machine's torso as his momentum carried them both to the ground. Around him, more droids converged, but Scott was ready for them.
He grew to giant size for a brief moment, sweeping his arm in a wide arc that sent half a dozen droids flying into the canyon walls. Then he shrank again, becoming too small and fast for their targeting computers to track effectively.
Hope appeared beside him, breathing hard but grinning with combat adrenaline. "Show off," she said affectionately.
"Says the woman who just took out an entire squad single-handedly," Scott replied, ducking as a blaster bolt whined over their heads. "Though I have to admit, I worry about you when things get this intense."
Hope's expression softened slightly. "I can handle myself, you know."
"I know," Scott said seriously. "But that doesn't mean I have to like watching you in danger."
Their moment of connection was interrupted by the sound of more explosions as Obi-Wan and the clone troopers pressed their assault on the artillery positions.
The battle had reached its crescendo when something unexpected happened on the far side of the droid lines. B1 battle droids began flying through the air as if launched by some invisible catapult, their metallic bodies clanging against canyon walls and rocky outcroppings.
"What in the blazes—" one of the clones began to say.
A figure moved through the droid ranks like a force of nature, too fast for the human eye to follow clearly. Blue and silver streaks marked his passage, leaving behind only sparking wreckage and confused mechanical voices crying "Roger, roger!" in increasingly panicked tones.
The blur came to a sudden stop near the Republic positions, resolving into a young man with distinctive silver hair and a cocky grin. He wiped sweat from his forehead with casual nonchalance, as if he'd just finished a light jog rather than single-handedly dismantling an entire droid platoon.
"Sorry we're late," Pietro Maximoff called out cheerfully. "Traffic was murder getting through the droid-occupied zones."
From above, more figures rappelled down the canyon walls on military-grade cables—clone troopers in different armor markings, accompanied by armed Twi'lek resistance fighters. The reinforcements immediately began laying down suppressing fire, catching the remaining droids in a devastating crossfire.
"Pietro?!" Scott's voice carried across the battlefield, filled with disbelief and joy. "Pietro, is that really you?!"
Before Quicksilver could fully turn around, Scott tackled him in an enthusiastic bear hug that nearly knocked them both over. The reunion was fierce and emotional, two friends who had been through hell together and never expected to see each other again.
"Scott! Scott, I can't believe it!" Pietro laughed, returning the embrace with equal enthusiasm. "What are the odds of running into you in a galaxy far, far away?"
"Pietro!" Hope's voice joined the celebration as she flew over to them, her helmet retracting to reveal her own amazed smile. "You're here too?!"
"Hope!" Quicksilver swept her into the group hug, his enhanced metabolism making him practically vibrate with excitement. "This is incredible! How long has it been? And how did you both end up in this vast galaxy?"
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