Ahsoka turned to her Master. He was frozen on his box. His eyes were closed. Suddenly, he jerked, and a trickle of blood ran from his nose.
"Master?" Togruta immediately rushed to him, but he reassuringly squeezed her shoulder, raising his voice at the same time.
"Attention! Enemy bombers! Everything you've got, fire it up! We have seven minutes!
Blam rushed to the communications console, snatching the headphones from the operator.
"Everyone, everyone, everyone! Air-THREE! I repeat, Air-Three! Prepare to repel an air attack! Five minutes to readiness!"
Asoka moved to the wall panel displaying data from the radar installation. Sumeragi stood next to her. Leaning toward the Togruta, she whispered:
"Commander, how does the general manage to predict the enemy's actions?"
"Well, we Jedi can foresee attacks in battle. I can see a whole second ahead," the Togruta replied in a whisper. "But I'm far from being a master, and it requires a lot of concentration."
"The enemy forces have begun their attack!"
Everyone rushed to the tactical table, except for the Jedi, who remained seated.
For the next five minutes, Ahsoka watched with excitement as the droids' battle formations crashed into their defenses. What are they hoping for? However, in the next moment, the alarm siren blared at its highest pitch.
"Targets approaching! Identifying... it's the enemy! Sixty... one hundred... one hundred twenty... one hundred forty-three... one hundred seven... two hundred forty!" The operator's voice monotonously reported the situation."
I don't like this.
At that moment, Ensign Mirro's voice rang out:
"Two frigates have left orbit! They're heading straight for the base! Course... approaching from two sides, descent sixty!"
"Do they want to land?" Blam asked in surprise.
"Perhaps they plan to fire on the base with their heavy weapons! However, I don't understand, because our space defense system is very powerful!" Sumeragi objected.
"Attention, targets have separated from the frigates! Twelve from each! Are those... escape pods?!" the operator stared at the monitor in surprise. "Confirmed, those are escape pods! Do not fire, I repeat, do not..."
"No!" the Jedi's voice interrupted their argument. "It's a trick! Open fire!"
"But they're rescue... Hutt! It's landing force! Open fire immediately!" Blam shouted, finally realizing what was happening.
"We won't make it in time! Ahsoka, take two platoons! Run!"
"Yes, Master!" The Togruta didn't have to ask twice.
At that moment, the bombers reached the base.
***
Zero-Seven nodded with satisfaction. His plan had succeeded. The bombers, though they had suffered significant losses, had managed to destroy most of the fortifications and infrastructure of the Republic base. The frigates successfully landed forty-two BX series saboteur droids and the same number of B-2s in twenty-four rescue capsules. Ground troops continued to storm the forward positions. Soon the clones would lose command, and the outcome of the battle would be decided.
However, TX-07 ordered the Hyenas, which had returned from their combat sortie, to reload their launchers. If the defenses were not breached within the next half hour, the bombers would launch a second strike.
***
Rinaun stood on the bridge of his flagship, flying in hyperspace. The commander grunted — it was becoming a habit for him to save the ass of this Jedi, Vikt.
But now the wait was over.
"The squadron has come out of hyperspace!"
Two dozen ships, including a dozen Acclamators, froze in space. The enemy squadron was in low orbit, blocking the approaches to the planet. The man smiled. Gone were the days when he had to run away from even slightly larger enemysquadrons — now he had the most powerful fist at his disposal, which he couldn't wait to unleash.
"Commander Rinaun speaking! All ships! Maneuver D-45! Launch fighters! Attack the enemy!"
The squadron's ships turned into battle formation and rushed towards the enemy. Turbolaser bolts streaked across the airless space, enlivening it with a riot of colors and filling it with rivers of energy.
The CIS ships began to move and returned fire. Hundreds of fighters rushed towards each other. The Acclamators slowly closed in on the Separatist battle formations, firing steadily, while the frigates covered them from behind, seeking to protect them from attack and at the same time avoid exposing themselves to enemy fire.
"Sir, we have identified the Separatist flagship. It is the same ship that commanded the enemy squadron in the battle in Togria's orbit."
"Oh, that's a pleasant surprise. I hope we can avenge our escape."
***
KS-13RT-7047 rolled across the ground, dodging the droid's shot and firing a blaster bolt into its hull in return. The grenade launcher's ammunition had been used up, and now the useless tube lay next to the remains of Forty-One, from whom he had borrowed the DS-15. Bad luck. However, Forty-Five's cell had been hit directly by a proton bomb. Forty-Seven doubted that anything had survived there.
Rolling into the trench, he changed his power cell and prepared to continue the fight. After all, it was his duty.
From somewhere behind him, a surviving blaster cannon fired steadily...
***
The explosions stopped shaking the headquarters building. Enemy bombers had managed to break through our dense anti-aircraft fire and drop their deadly cargo. Each aircraft carried six proton bombs, and now most of the fortifications lay in ruins.
However, things should get easier now — reinforcements had arrived. Finally, Rinaun has arrived. Now the fun can begin. I finally got up from the box and headed for the tactical table.
It clearly showed two squadrons heading towards each other. There was no need to fear another attack. But the enemy landing on the base's territory made me nervous. Each capsulecontained saboteur droids, the very ones whose ancestors were the long-suffering B-1s. However, the engineers had worked hard on them, and now these droids were universal saboteurs. I hope Ahsoka can handle it. But what am I saying? First of all, she's a Jedi. Secondly, Ahsoka is Ahsoka, she'll enjoy it.
***
TH-07 watched as one of his frigates turned into a cloud of plasma and concluded that the mission had failed. The reinforcements that came to the rescue of these bags of meat thoroughly battered his squadron. However, based on his calculations, the tactical droid decided that all was not yet lost.
"Squadron, jump to a friendly system! Frigates one through six, follow the flagship! Jump coordinates are E-4-4-2-1!"
"Roger Roger!"