from his grasp.
"That is probably why I don't want you to be hurt either, " he sighed and looked at her. "What would I do if you didn't come back?"
"I'll be with Rex, Master," she laughed, her eyes dancing. "What would he let happen to me? He knows he'd have to answer to you and I don't think he would like that very well."
Anakin laughed, the anger inside of him leaving. Everything was easier to take, from a certain point of view. It was yet another lesson that he as the master was learning. "I guess we better get ready for that mission then," Anakin said standing. "I want you to be fully ready to take on those droids so that you make it back safely."
Preparing
Standing on the wing of his fighter, Anakin stretched himself out to touch the force, to feel the anticipation around him and all the minds which were busy trying to get everything done in he last minutes before the raid. The force buzzed loudly with all the minds thinking of the next steps to be completed. The hum resonated through his body, filling his cells with it's cadence. The air was tight with the prospect of battle, he enjoyed this time, right before a mission. The anticipation was like a drug which ran through his blood.
Watching from this vantage point, he could see the troopers scuttling around as they busied themselves with final preparations of all the fighters which had been lowered to the deck. Gold group was larger than normal, taking in three extra flights from the red group and incorporating several bombers which were the latest in technology. Previously all bombing had been done with the fighters, but this latest inception made the bombers more powerful and the fighters would be the escort, picking off targets as they came in. The bombers were slower and heavy with the multiple munitions that they carried. Leave it to the Republic to try something new when his butt was on the line.
"Master," Anakin heard and turned his head to take in Ahsoka, standing on the deck below his fighter looking all the small size that she was. Anakin jumped down and landed easily on the decking, using the force to cushion his fall.
"Ahsoka," Anakin said and nodded at her. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
Ahsoka nodded and smiled. He knew that she had just been waiting for a chance to prove herself. This was going to be her shining moment or her most heartfelt disappointment. Either way, Anakin would be there to teach the lessons that he was sure would come along with her mission. He had to be strong and to just surrender her to the force, hoping it would return her victorious.
"Captain Rex wants to have a word with you before you leave," she said relaying the message. Anakin would be leaving before the assault troops. The bombers and the fighters would make a short precision jump into Hypori's space before the infantry troops jumped in behind. The barrage would begin with the bombing. This would serve as the distraction of the landing of the ground troops.
"Thank you," Anakin said and headed towards the berthing area for the infantry men. Rex was standing at the head of a large group giving directions, pointing with his gauntleted hand at several of them and directing them where to go. The men scurried to complete the tasks he had assigned them. Turning, he smiled at Anakin.
"Rex?" Anakin asked and stepped near to the captain. Rex had recently shaved his head and the reflection of the glowpanels from the hanger deck on his scalp made Anakin smile. He had always said he wanted to bald so that anyone coming in from above would know him, without his helmet.
"General," Rex said acknowledging him. "If you don't mind, I would like a few words with you privately before you leave for your mission."
"Absolutely," Anakin said indicating a small office which was used by the receiving clerk of the deck crew. He followed Rex to the office and closed the door tightly behind him once they were inside. The room was merely a box with a neat and orderly desk square in the middle.
"What's on your mind," Anakin asked perching on the edge of the desk, swinging his free leg back and forth. Rex was usually very grave before a mission, but something about him now was even more serious than Anakin had seen before. Anakin's brows knitted together as he looked at the clone.
"Are you prepared?' Rex asked looking at Anakin in the eyes, not something he normally did. He showed Anakin respect, but didn't usually look him directly in the eyes when speaking with him.
"I've checked my fighter and the bombers have been double loaded," Anakin stated laying his hands out flat indicating he had done everything that was required of him. "Everything is running smoothly."
"No," Rex said gripping his helmet, which was sitting on his lap. "Are you prepared?"
Anakin raised an eyebrow at his Captain. Rex wasn't a cryptic person, that was more Obi-wan's responsibility. Something was eating at Rex. Anakin's face turned very somber and he spoke slowly. "You all wanted this," he said and held up his index finger to hush any words which might escape Rex's mouth before he had finished his thought. "I was the one who said it was not the right thing. Now you go back on what you said? I can't win with you people."
"I'm not trying to be brash," Rex said quietly. "I know that I've had to mentally prepare myself. I mean I'm going to be there, standing beside her if something goes wrong. So if I have to prepare, I know you do too. Don't give me this jedi stuff about being able to let go. I know better. You can't change who you are this easily."
Anakin sighed and stood regarding the man before him. There were no easy answers here, he just had to trust the force that Rex and Ahsoka would be fine and that they would do well as a team. It was something he couldn't explain, because he knew that Rex didn't even have a god. Someone who was a higher power, with which he could compare these things. He placed his hands on his hips and stared at the clone trooper.
"The force will guide you," Anakin finally said. What was he supposed to say anyway? Luckily the words that came out of his mouth sounded very jedi. The decision had been made and all the plans had been set into action. Things were moving. The future was shifting. He didn't have the ability of foresight which some other jedi had, unless it came in dream form and he hadn't dreamt in many months now.
Rex nodded his head in agreement. "Remember you can scramble call me at any time," he said standing to leave the room. Anakin nodded in the affirmative. Rex turned to leave.
"Make sure you come back with her," he said before Rex could depress the door switch.
"Will do sir," Rex said and left.
Anakin plopped back down on the desk and studied the gray floor beneath his boots. Let go, he repeated in his head. All you have to do is let go. Grinding his teeth together, Anakin used the force to open the door back to the hanger deck. Things were about to get ugly and his padawan would be in the middle of it.
Surrendering
The thunk, thunk, thunk, of the bombardment almost lulled him into a false sense of security. There weren't really that many tri-fighters who were coming towards the bombers and posing a threat. A few here and there peppered Anakin's display screen as he juked left and right, keeping them from getting hot on his tail. He was pretty sure they weren't really trying that hard either.
The targeting tone beeped loudly and Anakin pulled on the trigger of the fire control releasing two laser blasts towards the fighter. It erupted in a plume of fire and sparks which showered through the atmosphere. Anakin felt satisfaction and he smiled to himself. Alone in a cockpit, he could be who he had to be and make sure to take care of those who he had been assigned to protect. He could remove from his mind those people on the ground, well underground, who were fighting the dirty part of this invasion. The part that he wished he was in the thick of right now.
"Gold two," Anakin snapped on his comm. "Pull closer, there is another wave just ahead."
"Affirmative General," the voice came back through the speaker crackly and distorted. That tended to happen in the magnetic field of planets.
Anakin moved to the left, letting the bomber continue it's run straight through and headed at break neck speed towards the incoming fighters. Not much of a fight considering there were only a handful of the enemy
and he had five of his own flyers who were extremely skilled pilots. He passed through the fighters and threw his fighter into a steep climb, circling back towards the fighters with a twisting maneuver. Anakin never let off the thrust and could feel it pushing him into the seat. Good thing these had dampeners, or he would be completely squished flat.
Letting the force guide his hand, Anakin hovered over the first fighter's target mark. He waited for the tone and then pulled the trigger. He was rewarded with the explosion of the fighter and another fighter straight ahead had been hit with the shrapnel from the first. It was now spiraling down through the atmosphere towards the ground. Anakin was sure it would make spectacular mark on the planet when it finally hit, but he wouldn't get to see it from this vantage point.
"Just like podracing," Anakin said under his breath, hitting several switches and using his rudder peddles to bring another fighter into his sights. The tone shrieked and he hesitated to pull the trigger.
"Leave some for us," a voice crackled through the comm. A smile spread across Anakin's face and he switched on his comm.
"The rest are yours, boys," Anakin said disengaging the target lock and neatly tucked himself back into guarding the bomber. He hated to take away from the clones what they did so well. It just felt so freeing to be in the