The foundations of the Republic shake. Many systems along the Rim express their dissatisfaction with the Galactic Senate.
The Senate calls for negotiated settlements and punitive tariffs to bring the Separatists back into line. These measures entrench the ill feeling in the Outer Rim. Many of the powerful corporations, among them the Trade Federation, win goodwill by refusing to collect the additional taxes. As tensions rise, there are signs of military buildup.
In the midst of it all, the Jedi receive a perplexing distress call, signed with the code of someone long missing and presumed dead. Jedi Master Elesse Vendar and her Padawan Anakin Skywalker are dispatched to investigate the coordinates in the mysterious message...
" - Chance there's or will be a ground assault on the Temple - " she says, voice distant from herself. She tries to reach for more - visions are frustrating, here and there and almost never exactly when she wants, but she gets them so easily - and she usually has a good sense of how they relate to her - is she in this vision? Is she present at the assault? What is the her in the vision feeling, that's a good hook - and Anakin almost never has visions she's not in -
Not much.
Still, it seems to be actually this engagement rather than some future one.
"Not getting much more."
The ship comes out of hyperspace. Before them hangs Coruscant, and the besieging fleet. The enemy is a hodgepodge of sorts of different shapes and sizes, mostly Outer Rim designs. As the IFF signals come online in the tac display, they're all carrying a Separtist label.
There are bright blooms of fire on the planet's surface.
"How soon until we're in landing distance, commander?" Elesse asks.
"Ten minutes if nothing gets in our way, sir," one of the clones replies.
"See that it doesn't. And make sure the gunships are ready. We will be joining them."
"Yes, sir!" The order is disseminated through the fleet, and the space ahead begins to fill with turbolaser bolts. The Separatist fleet begins to scatter and wheel to face the new arrivals, the response slow, uncoordinated.
She keeps an eye out, keeps calm, scans the displays - and keeps her mind open to nudges, to visions, to ideas...
Of course, even with time dragging like it is, they'll have to get in the gunships soon enough...
Are Anakin and Elesse going down together?
Yes.
The Senate Tower and the Jedi Temple are their two primary concerns, and both are under assault. The Senate Guard is holding for now, so the plan is to take the pressure off the Temple, then rescue the Senate.
Once a secure channel has been established, Elesse contacts the Jedi and lets them know to expect reinforcements. Then it's down to the hangar.
The clones who will be joining them are arrayed in ranks, white armor shining, helmets tucked under their arms. They come to attention and salute sharply, the uniform stomp of boots echoing in the bay.
She... Really does not like this military thing.
She keeps her expression blank, though, nodding to the clones.
Elesse nods at the lieutenant, and she snaps out a sharp command to board.
Into the shuttles.
Into the shuttles.
Anakin is - as ready as she can be, for whatever they'll face when they land.
The ride down is bumpy, but they survive it. Once they're low enough, the sides of the ship slide open, and they can get a view of what awaits them. There's a line of smoke trailing the route from the Jedi Temple to the Senate Dome.
"The planetary shields were raised in time to prevent a larger-scale landing. This is salvageable."
She nods.
Any indications of where the attackers' forces are currently concentrated?
She takes a deep breath, considers her troops and theirs - getting in behind the attackers should be possible -
She doesn't like the military aesthetic, but she has a keen mind for violence. Plans quickly slot into place in her mind - she can see, almost like it's happening in front of her, how the unit - as a whole, as individuals - is best placed, where she should be in this, what her opponents are likely doing given the information she has on their tactics from this distant view -
Humans are easy, though, limited in their capacity for war, most of them bound to narrow doctrine honed over millennia -
She starts relaying her ideas, voice firm, uncertainty gone as her focus narrows to the upcoming fight.
Anakin keeps to where she has a good view of the battle, but doesn't shy away from combat when it comes to her -
She's good. Vicious. Efficient.
(Enjoying herself, even. This - is a better focus than any meditation she's ever managed.)
She never stays under threat for long, and keeps her focus on the wider tides of battle, nudging this order here, that squad there - the only difficulty is in needing to use her words, she distantly feels like it should be possible to simply be the army, they're trained well enough as a unit - her light saber is an extension of her body and for a second it feels ridiculous that the entire battle might not be -
Still, she's prepared for when the enemy starts to regroup, anticipating their movements well ahead of time.
Elesse puts a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "They're retreating. We need to pause, take stock. Call them back."
She does, effortlessly.
( - But an enemy in rout is at their most vulnerable - )
Still, she listens to Elesse.
Yeah, they're going to have to have a talk about this.
"Yoda would like to speak with us. Let's go."
Yoda is speaking with one of the clones they brought, a commander's red stripe on the left shoulder of her armor. Nearby, the dead are being sorted into piles. When their helmets are removed, it is clear the attackers are also clones, at least three distinct groups.
Yoda turns. "Master Vendar, Padawan Skywalker. Timely your arrival was, and welcome the aid you brought. More Jedi would we have lost, without them."
She nods, analyzing the scene - less surprised than she should be, at the dead attackers' faces.
Something - strange is going on.
"I doubt this mess is over just yet, though," she says, a bit quietly.
"Over, it is not," Yoda agrees. "Deeper currents, there are. The leader of our foes, Yan Dooku is."
"-He retired," Elesse says.
Yoda frowns. "From the Jedi. Not done with politics yet, he is. And more, there is. A red lightsaber he displayed."