Order 66
(Shaak Ti's tale)
Dramatis Personae:
Shaak Ti; (female Togruta)
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader; (human male)
Maris Brood; (female Zabrak)
CHAPTER ONE
Meditation Chamber, Jedi Temple, Coruscant.
Shaak Ti felt Mace Windu glide into the Meditation Chamber like a cold wind on Ilum.
She also sensed something very, very wrong with him. Her eyes fluttered open, montrals flicking in agitation. "Mace," she said standing. Indeed, something was wrong, even with his dark skin tone, he looked pale as can be.
Windu walked up to her and spoke quietly, "I think I know who the Sith Lord is, Shaak Ti." Shaak Ti's eyebrows raised. They'd been hunting the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Just before the Battle of Coruscant a few months earlier, she and Mace had been in 500 Republica, following a fresh trail on the Sith. Unfortunately, the battle had drawn them away from the trail. When they finally got back to the investigation, the trail had gone cold. "Sidious?" she asked, "how in blazes did you find out?" Windu lowered his gaze. "Skywalker told me," he said. "He said Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith Lord." Shaak Ti backed away in utter shock. "Palpatine?" she asked hoarsely. "The Supreme Chancellor of the Republic?" she very nearly yelled. "How do you know Skywalker is telling the truth?"
Windu locked eyes with her. "I felt something in the Force...some complete certainty. We've been suspecting Palpatine's inner circle of the Sith, but never Palpatine himself! It all makes sense now," Windu said grimly. Shaak Ti vigorously shook her head. How had the Jedi fallen so far in the deception? It was this blasted Clone War. It was clouding the Jedi's foresight. Chancellor Palpatine was a Sith Lord. The man who had rewarded her a medal for her brave actions on Dagu. The man who had held the Republic together for over a decade. The man who didn't need to take over the galaxy, because he already had it.
Palpatine.
She looked up at Windu. "What are you going to do now, Mace?" she asked. Mace turned his back on her to look out the viewport toward 500 Republica. Where the Chancellor was. Mace turned to face her. "I and three other Masters will be going to deal with him. He can come silently and cooperate, or we will have to choice but to kill him," he said. Shaak Ti stood straighter grasping her lightsaber hilt. "Let me go with you, Mace, you'll need all the help you can get," she pleaded.
Windu shook his head. "No, you and Gate Master Jorukk will remain here and organize the Temple defenses in case Palpatine retaliates. Masters Fisto, Kolar, and Tiin will accompany me," he said and began walking to the door. Shaak Ti watched him go, a sudden feeling dread creeping into her. "May the force be with you then, Master Windu," she choked. She felt as if this would be the last time she saw her friend.
Mace stopped and turned slowly around, facing her for possibly the final time. "I don't know," he said, "if even that can help us now." Then he left the Meditation Chambers. The door slid closed behind him, and Shaak Ti was plunged into darkness, save for the glowing city outside the viewports.
A short while later, Shaak Ti composed herself and walked out of the Meditation Chambers. She found Master Jorukk outside the Temple, telling Temple Security to set up perimeters. Evidently, Mace had told Jorukk as well. Cin Drallig was there also, with apprentices Whie and Bene Malreaux. "We will go in doors and warn the Jedi of coming danger," Cin was saying. He took notice of her as she walked up. "Master Ti, we just heard, we're going to warn the Jedi now," he said. Shaak Ti held up a hand. "Wait, Cin. I think it will be better if we don't tell the Jedi of Palpatine. It will cause too much confusion. Besides, we don't even know if Palpatine will retaliate, or if he's truly a Sith Lord, for that matter" she said. Cin thought this over for a moment. The swordsman instructor nodded. "Good point, Master Ti, we will just warn them of a possible threat." With that, Drallig, Bene, and Whie all turned and jogged back to the Temple. Jorukk eyed her. "I have a very bad feeling about this, Shaak Ti," he said warily. She only nodded and said, "Come, we must organize security."