The Acclamator-I rumbled as it adjusted course, moving with purpose toward the Separatist core ships that were attempting to break free from Geonosis' atmosphere. The massive vessels, crucial to the Separatist war effort, were heavily guarded and already preparing for a rapid departure, with some already having lifted off.
The Separatists responded quickly, their anti-air defenses coming to life, filling the sky with streaks of green energy. The Acclamator-I shuddered as the first barrage of laser fire glanced off its shields, but the ship held its course. The core ships had minimal weaponry when separated from the rest of its body.
Only a moment later the helmsman yelled over the coms.
"IMPACT!!!"
A resounding *BANG* was heard as Lelouch's Acclamator rammed its portside into a core ship. The impact was jarring, sending a tremor through the entire vessel, but the ship held firm. The Acclamator's reinforced prow sliced through the core ship's hull like a hot knife through butter, leaving behind a massive, jagged wound in its structure. Debris and fire spewed from the breach as the core ship faltered, its systems sputtering in the wake of the devastating blow.
Lelouch's eyes narrowed, a fierce determination settling over him. "Target the next core ship," he ordered, his voice steady despite the chaos.
The helmsman complied without hesitation, adjusting the ship's course. The Acclamator banked sharply to the right, engines roaring as it lined up for another strike. The Separatists' defenses scrambled to respond, but there was little they could do but continue firing. The Acclamator-I crashed into the next core ship with the same ruthless efficiency, carving a deep gash into its side.
The other Acclamators followed Lelouch's lead, each one executing similar tactics from different angles. The sky over Geonosis became a deadly dance of fire and steel, the Republic ships battering the Separatist fleet with relentless ferocity. Core ships were crippled one by one, their once-imposing forms reduced to wreckage scattered across the sky, slowly starting to paint the ground below piece by piece.
It wasn't long before the republic faced its own casualties though. The first to fall was the one ship Lelouch had dragged to specifically use as a battering ram, though one that didn't have any shields to shrug off the anti-air fire that the others ignored completely, which was why Lelouch had order it to slow down and come in behind them. It had bought them some time, but once the enemy forces realized this, they redoubled their efforts in taking down P7
"This is P7, we have full engine failure, directional thrusters have been smashed to bits. Attempting Emergency Landing!"
Lelouch responded promptly. "Negative, it's a worthless bucket of bolts now. They were expendable ammunition the moment we got our hands on them. I grant you permission to abandon ship."
"Understood general."
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"You heard the general, troops. Head to the LAAT in the hangar for extraction."
Before the clones could mobilize, one of them, studying a map, spoke up.
"Sir, we could overload the reactor. Given the trajectory, it should pass close to some core ships."
"Will it take them out?"
"Can't say sir. Those are big and durable ships, and overloaded reactor doesn't always mean a big explosion... but it'll make a hell of a mess."
"Then do it. We might as well show the general some fireworks."
---------------------
Lelouch's ship on the other hand was barely doing better. It had decimated 6 core ships already, but that came with its own consequences.
As the violent crash shook the ship, the helmsman as quick to make another report.
"General, we have lost port and starboard thrusters."
As he said this, another core ship came into view, slowly but surely rising towards the sky in front of them.
"So, you are saying we still have forward thrust, how about upward?"
The helmsman saw the rising Separatist behemoth and merely smirked beneath his helmet.
"Aye-Aye Sir."
"Excellent. Full upward thrust, engines to maximum," Lelouch commanded, his gaze fixed on the approaching enemy.
The Acclamator-I's engines roared to life, the ship's ascent becoming more pronounced as it angled upward, targeting the topside of the looming core ship.
However,...
*BOOM*
"Upwards thrust at 66%. One of the thrusters failed. Recalculating. At this rate, we'll hit it head on."
"Well... It was fun while it lasted. All troops move to the hangar for evac." Lelouch said as he rose from his seat.
A clone in his right immediately relayed the message to the forces outside.
"P1 is lost, I repeat, P1 is lost. K1 is moving to exfil, need immediate LAAT support for safe escort."
"R7 here, in vicinity and ready to provide support." The crew that had moments before exited P7, now aboard their LAAT spoke through the coms.
"R9 here, in vicinity and ready to provide support."
"O1 here. Sending any available units to provide escort." - The field commander said as he watched the ensuing chaos from far away on the ground FOB.
As Lelouch made his way to the hangar, the ship trembled with force. His calm demeanor never wavered, even as the corridors echoed with the sounds of hurried footsteps of the soldiers preparing to leave.
In the hangar, the remaining troops entered the LAAT with practiced ease. The LAATs hovered at the ready, their engines rumbling as they prepared to take on the influx of clones.
Lelouch boarded the aircraft, and just as the helmsman behind him moved to do the same a massive tremor shook the ship. It mad ethe clone stumble and fall from the LAAT on the hangar surface. The Acclamator began to tilt, making the clone start to slide away. In a final attempt the clone jumped for the transport ship as Lelouche's arm reached out to grab him.
'This will look great on the evening news. Not to mention you'll basically become the clones' favorite general. Let them serve for a year under their "Jedi Generals" and each of them will have a poster of you under their pillow.'
Lelouch ignored the voice in his head as he leaned outward of the LAAT.
Immediately three clones reached for him as they pulled with all they had, pulling their general and the helmsman of the P1.
"We got them, get us out of here."
The pilot merely nodded in response before turning to face the tilted and close hangar door.
A moment later 2 missiles left the transport as they blew apart a hole in the base of the hangar door.
The ramp quickly fell off, the acceleration making sure to tear it off its hinges.
Once outside, they were quickly joined by half a dozen more LAATs, heading promptly for the Republic forces FOB on the ground.
------------------------
The Acclamator-Is, visible through the open doors of the LAAT, were looming shadows in the sky, diving into the heart of the Separatist fleet. They had already taken out dozens of core ships with ruthless efficiency, but the battle was far from over. Anakin's heart pounded with the rhythm of the gunfire and explosions echoing across the battlefield.
The LAAT shuddered as it entered the fray, weaving through the sky like a needle through fabric. The Separatists' anti-air defenses were relentless, green bolts of energy streaking past them, some striking too close for comfort. Anakin felt the familiar surge of adrenaline, a mixture of fear and exhilaration, as the LAAT dodged incoming fire.
"Impact!" the pilot's voice crackled over the comms, cutting through the din.
Anakin's gaze snapped to the side just in time to see Lelouch's Acclamator-I slam into the side of a core ship, the force of the collision sending shockwaves through the air. The core ship's hull buckled and tore, spewing debris and fire into the atmosphere. Anakin's watched intently as the Acclamator, battered but unyielding, continued its assault.
The Acclamator twisted through the sky, its prow carving through another core ship with ruthless intent. Anakin could almost feel the impact as the Separatist vessel crumpled under the assault, a gash of destruction left in its wake.
But the Republic wasn't without its losses. Anakin watched as one of the Acclamators, heavily damaged and limping through the air, began to falter. The comms buzzed with frantic voices, the crew struggling to maintain control, and evacuations orders being given left and right.
"P1 is lost, I repeat, P1 is lost. K1 is moving to exfil, need immediate LAAT support for safe escort."
Multiple replies came through but at that moment Anakin turned to the pilot.
"Turn us around."
At that moment it was Kenobi who intervened.
"Anakin, NO."
"Lelouch is up there."
"And he'd want us to put a stop to this war before it can truly begin. Stopping Dooku is the only way to do that."
"Anakin, calm down and think. Don't let your personal feelings get in the way."
Anakin scoffed at that. Kenobi was raised in the order, he couldn't possibly understand.
'He understands... even more than you know...' a voice whispered in his head.
Padme was the second one to speak. "Anakin, Lelouch would go after Dooku and finish this war here and now."
Flashes of his mother's death, of his own helplessness flashed before Anakin's eyes before he shook his head and pushed them out of his mind. He had failed to save her, and now the fear of losing someone else threatened to consume him.
He shook his head, trying to dispel the dark thoughts clouding his mind. He couldn't let his emotions control him, not now. He had to stay focused on the mission, on stopping Dooku before he could escape and plunge the galaxy into a full-scale war.
With a deep breath, Anakin forced himself to turn away from the viewport, away from the sight of the burning Acclamator and the chaos above. His voice was quieter now, tinged with a sorrow he couldn't fully hide. "Let's go."
But the voice wasn't so fast to go away. 'If it was his former master up there, he would be urging you to turn immediately... but it isn't... so you see, it isn't that he doesn't understand. It's that he simply doesn't care...'
And with that last sentence that repeated like a bell ringing inside his head... the voice faded away from where it came from.