Teth Orbit – Republic Gunship "Twilight"
The rumble of the Twilight's engines echoed through the cramped gunship as Anakin Skywalker kept a tight grip on the flight controls, guiding the vessel toward hyperspace.
"Hang on, almost there—"
BEEP-BEEP-BEEP.
The warning klaxons erupted across the console. Red lights flashed violently.
Ahsoka's head snapped up from where she was checking on Rotta, the Huttlet squirming nervously in her arms.
"What now?!"
Anakin's eyes narrowed as he spotted the cause through the viewport — a Separatist Munificent-class frigate cutting across their path, engines flaring as its turbo-lasers opened fire.
Blaster bolts hammered the Twilight's shields, rocking the ship violently. One engine sputtered, smoke pouring from the rear thrusters.
"Separatist blockade!" Anakin cursed. "They must've been waiting for us."
He jerked the yoke hard, trying to angle away from the incoming fire. The ship shuddered as another blast caught the left wing, tearing straight through the stabilizer.
Ahsoka clutched Rotta tighter, bracing herself. "Shields are down! We're not gonna make it to hyperspace!"
Anakin's teeth clenched as he scanned the nav computer. "Closest system—Tatooine. Hold on!"
Crash Landing – Dune Sea, Tatooine
The Twilight screamed through Tatooine's atmosphere, smoke trailing behind it like a dying comet. Anakin fought the controls every second, steering desperately to avoid the jagged cliffs and sand dunes racing up toward them.
The hull groaned, metal straining as the landing struts blew apart on impact. The ship skidded hard across the sand, sparks flying, until it finally slammed to a stop against a sandbank, half-buried in dust and debris.
Inside, the cockpit was filled with smoke and the smell of burning wires.
Ahsoka coughed, waving the smoke away. "Skyguy! You alright?"
Anakin yanked free of the pilot harness, panting. "Yeah… I've had smoother landings."
His eyes snapped toward the rear compartment where Rotta whimpered, unharmed but frightened.
Anakin stood, pace sharp, mind racing. "We don't have time to repair this thing. Dooku's going to find us."
Ahsoka tightened her grip on Rotta. "What do we do?"
Anakin's expression hardened, the plan forming as fast as the danger closing in.
"You take the kid," he ordered, his tone commanding but calm. "Get him to Jabba. Find Obi-Wan and Jace."
Ahsoka blinked, surprised. "But—what about you?"
Anakin turned, grabbing a spare cargo container and quickly wrapping it in a blanket, mimicking the size and shape of the Huttlet.
"I'm going to make sure Dooku thinks I still have him."
Ahsoka's eyes widened. "You're gonna bait him."
Anakin gave her the smallest of smirks. "Exactly."
Ahsoka looked at him for a long moment, then nodded, respect plain on her face. "You're crazy."
"Crazy like a Jedi," Anakin replied, tossing her a transmitter. "Keep this on you. When you're close to Jabba's palace, signal me."
Ahsoka carefully secured Rotta to her back in a sling, giving the Huttlet a gentle pat. "Come on, stinky. Time to go."
She paused at the hatch, looking back one last time.
"Good luck, Skyguy."
Anakin's blue saber hissed to life in response. "I make my own luck."
Meanwhile, Tatooine Dunes – Separatist Approach
Count Dooku's shuttle descended smoothly toward the Twilight's crash site, BX commando droids disembarking first to secure the area.
Dooku stepped down calmly, scanning the wreckage as the droids reported.
"Life signs detected inside the craft."
Dooku's smile was slow and cold.
Moments later, Anakin emerged from the wreckage, cloak wrapped tightly around the cargo bundle.
Dooku's eyes gleamed at the sight. "Ah… young Skywalker. How fortunate. You've saved me the trouble of hunting you down."
Anakin narrowed his eyes, angling his saber forward.
"You want the kid so bad?" he snapped. "Come and take him."
Dooku stepped forward gracefully, removing his own cloak, his crimson blade igniting with a sharp snap-hiss.
"With pleasure."
Their sabers clashed violently as sand whipped up around them, blue and red sparks flashing with every strike. Anakin pressed forward aggressively, his blows powerful, fast, hammering Dooku's defenses with relentless force.
But Dooku, always the tactician, parried with precision, countering each wild strike with elegance.
"You are reckless as ever, Skywalker," Dooku taunted, spinning to redirect Anakin's overhead chop. "But you cannot defeat me."
Anakin's eyes burned with fury, but behind that — focus. Control.
"I don't have to defeat you," Anakin growled, locking blades with the Count. "I just have to keep you busy."
Dooku's expression shifted, a flicker of doubt crossing his face.
Anakin's grin widened. "Check your intel, Dooku. You're fighting the wrong Jedi."
(Next: Ahsoka races across the Dune Sea toward Jabba's palace, pursued by Separatist droids — while Anakin's duel with Dooku pushes both to the edge.)