Or he would have—had he not regained consciousness halfway into his decent.
He twisted in midair, his chest now facing the ground. The ground that was hundred of kilometers down.
Air whipped past his ears in a roar that almost drowned out the roar in Mace's heart.
Because he knew he failed. He knew Anakin Skywalker had fallen to the Dark Side of the Force.
But Mace had more pressing issues to deal with at the moment. He knew he was in shock. His eyes were dry because of the wind. Air cars sped by all around him.
He felt himself slipping into a dream-like state. And what he saw terrified him more than falling hundreds of kilometers...
He was in the Jedi Temple suddenly, in the Fountain room. Some of his friends were speaking amongst themselves, laughing and sharing jokes. Mace looked around, confused. This didn't seem right. Real. Like he was in a dream...He walked over to his friends and tried to speak to them. They ignored him completely. He started yelling at them now, at the top of his lungs. They still paid him no mind.
He heard loud foot falls. Boots. He turned to see clone troopers filing in to the room. The other Jedi turned to regard them. "Yes?" Cin Drallig, the Swordsmaster asked.
The blue-plated clone troopers raised their rifles. "You are under arrest," one of them said simply. One of the other Jedi stepped forward. "Excuse me?" She asked in bewilderment.
A blaster bolt caught her full in the chest the next instant. Fifteen lightsabers ignited in quick secession around the room.
The full platoon of clones opened fire on the Jedi.
Many of them were able to deflect the bolts. But the clones knew how to deal with Jedi. They concentrated on one target at a time, firing so many bolts at the single Jedi that he or she could not hope to deflect them all.
The smell of burnt flesh and fear filled the air. "NOO!" Mace cried uselessly. He tried to grab for his own lightsaber, but it was not there. Two more Jedi fell. The thirteen remaining Jedi retreated int othe next room. Mace followed them.
"What's going on?" one of them asked, panting. Cin Drallig looked to his fellow Jedi. "We were expecting something like this. Shaak Ti and I. Mace told us he and some other Master were going to arrest the Chancellor."
"For what?" They all asked him.
He told them. Gasps rose up from all around the room. "A SITH LORD?" One of them very nearly shouted.
Cin nodded. "We must keep moving, friends. Our defenses are organized, but we must be there with the other Jedi if we hope to make a stand."
A ghostly yellow light began emanating from the door. "They're getting through!" Someone called. Cin turned. "Come, my friends!"
The Jedi continued their flee. Mace followed them. Suddenly, more clones jumped out in front of them as they entered the next room...and none other than Anakin Skywalker was leading them, his lightsaber flashing.
Three Knights feel instantly. Cin looked shocked. "A...Anakin?" He cried in disbelief as blaster fire and lightsabers flashed all around him. "What are you doing!"
Anakin smiled wickedly. "Something I needed to do a long time ago." And then he lunged at Cin...
The vision ended suddenly for Mace. He came out of it gasping in the air. He didn't hear anything. Only the beat of his heart, slow, yet steady.
Thump-thump...thump-thump...thump-thump...
He had received a vision of the future from the Force. The very near future.
The Temple was being attacked by the very clones that had sworn allegiance to the Jedi. And they were being led by none other than Anakin Skywalker.
It was ironic, in a sick way, Mace thought. There were so many betrayals today, why not add the extermination of the Jedi Order to it?
The here-and-now suddenly slammed back to Mace. Air cars whipped by him at incredibly speeds, the wind howled, the rain beat down on him, his whole right arm ached...no, his whole ibody/i was killing him.
He reached into the Force to try to clear the fog that seemed to be surrounding his mind. He managed to clear it enough to twist out of the way of a passing speeder.
He shook his head. It became clear enough for one emotion to enter him, fill him up like a cup. Envelope every fiber of his being.
Fury.
Mace Windu took a calming breath, centered himself. His eyes closed, and he fell deeper into the Force. His mind became clear as day. He sensed each and every air car passing him by.
He methodically weaved through the air, almost hovering by the cars. He sensed for an air car with no roof. He found one.
He sensed the driver was upset at having this particular type of vehicle when it was pouring rain. And unfortunately, the retractable cover was jammed and would not protect the Trandoshan from the rain. Perfect.
Mace twisted in the air, eyes still closed. He used the Force to gently sweep him down into round air car's back.
The driver whirled around. "Hey! What the—how'd you get..." The driver seemed to bewildered to ask any more questions.
Mace Windu's eyes fluttered open and he waved his hand, putting the full power of the Force behind his words, "You will give control of this vehicle over to me. Now."
The alien did not even argue, only moved over to sit in the passenger's seat. "Thank you," Mace said stonily. He moved to sit in the pilot seat and reached for the steering wheel. The stump of his right hand met it and an explosion of pain nearly blinded him.
"Oh...right," he managed to gasp.
He blinked rain out of his eyes and tried to get his bearings. He threw the air car into a barrel roll and dived hundreds of stories down.
The Trandoshan beside him hissed between its scaled lips. Mace just stared ahead grimly. He dogded air traffic lanes and continued on an unimpeded course.
He needed to figure out what to do next. What he icould/i do next.
It hit him suddenly. He had to go back to the only home he'd ever known.
The Jedi Temple.
