Chapter Text
General Anakin Skywalker, Knight of the Jedi Order, stood on the bridge of his Venator-Class Star Destroyer, the Resolute, as it flew through hyperspace. There was currently not much else to do, as battle preparations were already underway, and Clone Commander Appo was doing well. While they traveled, Anakin’s mind drifted to all that had happened up until now.
He’d been fighting with fellow Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi on Yerbana, when they’d gotten a call. The call, placed under the callsign of Saw Gerrera of Onderon, had been from his former padawan, Ahsoka Tano. She and the Nite Owl Bo-Katan Kryze had requested their aid in retaking the planet Mandalore from the former Sith Lord Darth Maul. Unfortunately, the Separatist General Grievous was attacking Coruscant, and had even captured Chancellor Palpatine.
After promoting Clone Captain Rex to Commander, Anakin had sent the newly formed 322nd Division to Mandalore under Commander Rex, while the remaining 501st Legion went to rescue the Chancellor. Ahsoka had been grateful, and the former master and padawan had left each other. She’d taken some of his best men, including Lieutenant Jesse and Captain Vaughn, but she would need all the help she could get against the Sith Lord who’d killed at least two Jedi Masters, one of whom being Obi-Wan’s master.
Preparations were going smoothly, and Anakin had just finished getting his Eta-2 Actis-Class Interceptor ready. They’d jump out of hyperspace and begin their rescue mission, with his air wing meeting up with Obi-Wan’s before making a run and boarding of Grievous’ ship, the Invisible Hand. R2D2 had gotten inside his astromech slot, and Anakin climbed into the cockpit soon after. He finished coordinating with Commander Appo and Admiral Wulff Yularen, and was now awaiting the go-ahead to launch.
Suddenly, the ship rocked and jolted, sending hangar crews flying and LAAT/I Gunships falling over. Anakin quickly activated his comlink, calling Admiral Yularen or Commander Appo or whoever is able.
“Admiral, what is happening?! Commander Appo, report! Anyone!”
“General, we seem to have hit some kind of obstacle or bump in hyperspace. We have been thrown out of hyperspace, and our sensors are having a hard time pinpointing our location” Admiral Yularen responded over the comlink.
“I have reports coming in,” Commander Appo replied, “We’ve lost long-range communications, the flight bridge has suffered minor damage, and the hyperdrive engine has torn itself apart. Casualty rates are low, with only three engineers killed, two missing, and about forty-three clones injured.”
Anakin hopped back out of his Interceptor, and put his hand over his face. This meant Obi-Wan would have to rescue Palpatine all by himself, or would have to survive until Anakin or another Jedi arrived. His thoughts subconsciously drifted to his wife, Padme Amidala. Was she safe? Had she been harmed during Grievous' attack? Surely the Senate security would ensure that, but Palpatine was taken.
Admiral Yularen interrupted Anakin’s spiraling when he announced, “Sensors have finally begun to work, and have gotten a fix on our location. It is not good. We are stranded in the Unknown Regions, about a nineteen-year journey without hyperspeed. We will not make it back to Coruscant in time.”
With the revelation at their circumstances, Anakin felt the anger welling up inside of him. Nineteen years. Away from his wife. He wouldn't know if Padme was safe. If Obi-Wan rescued the Chancellor. If Ahsoka would be OK. What if Padme died, or Obi-Wan? What if Maul killed Ahsoka like he'd killed Obi-Wan's master, Qui-Gon Jinn? The hangar walls and ships began to creak as his mind reeled, before a clone trooper yelled for help.
“General! There are men trapped under this AT-TE! An ARC fighter fell on top and crushed the crew working on it!”
This shook Anakin from his rage, and he immediately rushed to help the injured crew. He would have to deal with things as they came for the moment, but the thought that the Resolute was stranded, with no hyperdrive, in the far reaches of the Unknown Region, was still at the back of his mind.