Monitoring the Separatist advance from the CIS forward command center a battle droid commander reports, “Our reserve forces have overwhelmed the Republic forces, Mistress Ventress.” .
Ventress callously answers, “Good, order the unit commanders to show no mercy. I have no use for prisoners.”.
Pulling alongside Ventress ES-B5 reports, “Mistress, all Republic units aboard the gunship perished upon impact.”.
Ahsoka lands atop the AAT and gloats, “Surprise!”.
ES-B5 throws up his hands in terror and starts, “Does not compu-!”, but is cut short as Ahsoka impales him.
Ventress calmly greets, “How fortunate you survived the crash, now I will have the pleasure of killing you myself.”.
“Not likely, bogwitch!”, Ahsoka answers .
Just then the droids next to Ventress explode...
...the first victims of the 501st Legion's surprise attack!
Shocked, Ventress turns to see Barriss appear behind her and state, “You will find we are not so easily defeated.”.
Regaining her composure Ventress snarls, “That remains to be seen.”.
Ventress brutally attacks the padawans, prompting them to drop the illusion clouding their force presences.
Meanwhile, on the Pulstar bridge the Republic seeks to hold back the surging Separatist reinforcements.
Sensing his padawan in the force Anakin tentatively questions, “Ahsoka...?”.
Luminara continues to deflect fire from the oncoming droids and agrees, “I sense them as well, Skywalker, but we must keep our minds in the here and now. We cannot afford to worry for the padaw-!”.
“They’re in danger!”, Anakin burst. Luminara yells, “Skywalker wait!”
Overwhelmed by relief and fear Anakin rushes forward...
...cutting a deadly swath through the droid lines.
Coming to the shoreline Anakin's savage advance is halted by a lumbering retail droid.
Anakin raises his hand in a powerful force push, which overwhelms the massive droid.
“All to easy.”, Anakin menacingly chuckles.
Rex and the Clones of Torrent Company continue to battle with the droids surrounding the Separatist forward command center.
“Rollers inbound!”, shouts Denal.
A trio of deadly destroyer droids deploy surrounding the clones...
... mowing down several troopers!
“I have a plan, cover me!”, Echo shouts.
Fives groans, “This had better be good.”.
Together Echo and Fives rush the Separatist lines...
...letting nothing stand in their way.
Having reached his intended target Echo scrambles aboard the AAT.
Overwhelmed by the droidekas Rex shouts, “Hold the line!”.
Unaware of Echo and Five's heroics, Rex panics, "Brace yourselves!", as the AAT lumbers forward.
Amazed, Rex and the surviving troopers watch as the remaining droids are destroyed in a mighty blast from the AAT.
Echo pops out of the gunner’s platform and reports, “CT-21-0408 reporting for duty, Captain.”.
Seeing an opportunity to turn the tide of the battle Rex orders, “Well done kid. Now scrap the clankers onshore!”.
“Copy that, sir!”, Echo replies.
Plo and Wolffe Pack take cover behind a fallen AT-AP...
... as the droid tanks continue advance.
“We won’t last long against that tank!”, Sinker laments.
Wolffe barks, “Keep fighting!”.
Plo warns, “Sinker is right, Commander, we cannot defeat the tank alone.”.
The group takes cover as a massive explosion sounds!
Shocked, Boost cries, “What was that!?!”.
“General, the tank has been destroyed!”, Sinker points out.
Stunned, Boost questions, “But... how?”.
After scanning the battlefield with a pair of electrobinoculars Wolfee steps forward and reports, “An enemy AAT has begun to open fire on Separatist targets.”.
Plo raises his head, opening himself to the force, and whispers “Ahsoka...”.
Ventress and the padawans continue to exchange savage blows.
Ventress sneers, “You children are no match for the power of the darkside.”, as the padawans struggle to defend themselves against the Dark Acolyte's assault.
Ventress surges forward, catching Barriss with a brutal blow across her abdomen.
Barriss flies backward, the victim of Ventress' powerful force push...
...crashing into debris from the battle.
Ahsoka stands alone, lightsaber at the ready, as Ventress laughs manically and attacks.
Without the aid of Barriss, Ahsoka is no match for Ventress and is quickly felled by the power of Ventress' assault.
Ventress stands over Ahsoka’s crumpled body and gloats, “Your Master can’t save you now.”.
"Don’t be so sure.”, Anakin calls out from behind Ventress.
Ventress turns and loathes, “Skywalker!”.
Ventress attacks Skywalker...
... unleashing the full power of her hate and anger.
However, Skywalker fights with a single minded determination to protect Ahsoka...
... which proves to be too much for even the Dark Acolyte.
Skywalker advances on the dazed assassin and demands, "Surrender or die.”.
Ventress shrieks, “Never!”...
.... summoned by Ventress, a pair of assassin droids appear, firing on Anakin.
“Master, she’s escaping!”, Ahsoka cries...
... as Ventress speeds away aboard a separatist speeder.
Enraged by his enemy's escape, Skywalker redoubles his attack on the droids, sheering one in half...
... and then force pushing it into the second droid.
Both assassin droids fall to the ground in a smoking heap.
Anakin thrusts his lightsaber through the pair, ending the brief engagement.
Anakin drops his lightsaber and rushes to Ahsoka's side.
Kneeling beside Ahsoka, Anakin props her up as she burst, “Skyguy! Did we win?”.
Amused, Anakin begins, “Yes Ahsoka, we won, in no small part due to your bravery. "
"More importantly I learned that I should have never doubted you. You saved countless lives today, including mine, with your quick thinking and I am honored to learn with you.”, Anakin concludes with a meaningful look at his padawan.
Following the battle Obi-Wan and Plo walk along the bridge, surveying the carnage.
“Your padawan has become a fine Jedi, Qui-Gon would be proud.”, Plo states.
Obi-Wan sadly muses, “I often wonder if Qui-Gon might have served him better. Anakin is still reckless and clings to his attachments, could Qui-Gon have trained him to control his impulses?”.
Plo slowly answers, “Perhaps, but if young Skywalker is the chosen one you are no less chosen. The force has a way of guiding us to the individuals which will help us to achieve our destiny. You, Qui-Gon and Ahsoka, were all chosen to direct Skywalker down his path, light or dark.”
“Which path is Anakin destined to take?”, Obi-Wan questions.
Plo gravely replies, “These are turbulent times, soon we will all be forced to take a side, only then will we discover Skywalker’s true destiny”.
