Shadow's Odyssey: A Star Wars Story

Rex ran out into the rain, followed by a few dozen members of the 501st. "Come on, we've gotta hurry! He could be…" The clone captain registered the figures already on the landing platform. "…already here.

Anakin waved. "Hi, Rex."

"Sorry, General. I didn't want to leave you. They knocked me out and dragged me away."

"You don't have to apologize for anything. I should be the one apologizing to you."

Rex blinked. "Sir?"

Anakin looked guilty. "All my life I've hated slavers. Now I feel like a huge hypocrite. I can't believe I never thought of it before. Maybe because I didn't want to."

Rex realized what Anakin was talking about and shook his head. "General, I already had my chip removed weeks ago. You earned my loyalty. Many times over."

The clones behind Rex chorused in agreement.

"Skywalker, can we have a word with you?" Mace Windu asked. "Do you remember the last clone that had his chip removed? He went insane!"

"Fives was not crazy!" Edge snapped.

"He tried to kill the Chancellor!" Mace pointed out.

"Probably because he's keeping us enslaved too!" Edge argued. "He approved of the clone army!"

"He was unstable and violent!"

"Enough!" Anakin yelled. "What happened with Fives clearly hasn't happened to Rex. Or any of these other clones. So, removing the chips is not dangerous. We need to contact the rest of the clone army and get them back here to have their chips removed."

"Those clones are defending key Republic locations. We can't just have them abandon their posts." Mace objected.

"Then we'll bring the surgical droids to them." Anakin suggested. "Fire up the long-range transmitter. I want to speak to them. Rex assemble all the clones that are here. They need to hear this too."


As Shadow walked over to a likely ship, he looked at the lightsaber still in his hand. It would be a useful thing to have when fighting other people with lightsabers. Using his quills was too dangerous, Chaos Spears could be deflected, and Chaos Blast caused a lot of collateral damage as well as using up a lot of energy. Plus, he liked its unique color.

Shadow had never flown a space craft before. But with all the Mandolorians dead, he had no choice but to figure it out. He managed to make it beyond the atmosphere, before realizing that didn't know which direction to go in. Shadow tried looking for a map of some sort. He pulled up a screen that said there was a hyperspace lane that led… somewhere. He decided it was better than nothing and jumped into hyperspace.

After a few minutes, the computer said that he was arriving at his destination, and he dropped out of hyperspace. Shadow could tell right away that the planet beneath him wasn't Kamino, but maybe he could get some directions. He descended towards the planet.

Shadow kept flying at a low altitude until he spotted civilization. When he attempted to land, a horrible screech of metal told him he'd screwed it up somehow and he teleported out as the ship started rolling. When it came to to a stop, it was completely totaled.

"Great."


"General Skywalker! What can I do for you?"

"Fox, I have an important announcement that I want you to pass on to all the clones on Coruscant. On behalf of the Republic and the Jedi Order, I apologize. Of course, currently neither the Republic nor the Jedi approve of this message, so really just on the behalf of myself."

"Uh, sir? Is something wrong?"

"Yes, I'm afraid something is very, very wrong. Your loyalty to the Republic, it's a lie."

"Sir?"

"There's a chip in your head that keeps you enslaved to the Republic. I'm preparing a shipment of surgical droids to send to Coruscant to remove the chips from every clone stationed there."

Commander Fox didn't know what to say. However, his thoughts were interrupted when another trooper ran up to him.

"Sir! Scanners have picked up hundreds of Separatist ships entering the system!"

Fox turned his attention back to Skywalker. "The Separatists have launched a massive invasion of Coruscant. We need reinforcements!"

Anakin's mind was racing. Coruscant. That's where Padme was. And Obi-wan. And maybe Ahsoka. He wasn't sure about her.

He turned to the other clones in the room. They had been listening to Anakin's conversation with Fox, and the apology was for them too.

"I need volunteers to come with me to defend Coruscant!"

Most of the clones remained seated and quiet. Not only did they not want to help the Republic in any way, most of them also felt that going in to save their brothers was far too risky and there would be more clone deaths if they tried. Plus, with so clones the Republic would be forced surrender a lot sooner. However, every member of the 501st stood up and saluted Anakin.


The droid commander stood at attention, awaiting his orders from the General.

"Deploy all ground troops. Focus attack on the Jedi temple." A harsh cough followed the order. "Do not allow a single ship to escape the planet."

Grievous was particularly excited for this battle. He'd waited a long time to attack the Jedi on their home planet.

"Sir should we jam their communications?"

"Don't bother. They have no one to call."


Obi-wan Kenobi watched the droid ships as they landed on the planet, deploying their troops. He turned to his troops, the 212th who thankfully had not been turned.

"Men, I am not going to lie to you. We are facing impossible odds. The Separatists are coming at us with everything they got, and there's no one we can call for reinforcements. But if Coruscant falls, then so does the Republic. But if this truly is the last day of the Republic, then we're going down fighting!"

The 212th cheered.

"Everyone! Take defensive positions!"

A massive wave of blaster fire hit the temple. The clones fired back, mowing downing hundreds of droids. But no matter how many droids they shot down, more kept coming. Clone troopers began dropping like flies. Suddenly a powerful Force push sent every droid flying back

Obi-wan turned and saw Yoda and the rest of the Council emerge from the Temple.

"Did you find a safe place to put the younglings?"

A Jedi with a huge forehead answered. "We put them in the holocron vault. If they're not safe there, they're not safe anywhere."

More droids approached the Temple, and the Jedi ignited their lightsabers. The Jedi blocked the attacks from the droids while the clones shot back. But there were only so many Jedi.


"Status report."

"We have the Temple completely surrounded. All the Jedi are trapped inside. However, they're putting up a strong defense."

"Deploy all of our bombers. Turn that Temple into rubble!"

"Uh, sir? We've detected a Republic vessel entering the system!"

The General turned his attention to the scanner and saw the Republic cruiser approaching.

"The Resolute! Skywalker! Do not let that ship through!"

All the Separatist ships aimed their cannons towards the incoming vessel.


"Sir, I'm assuming you have a plan?" Rex asked.

"Yep!" Anakin replied.

"And I'm assuming it's super dangerous?"

"Also, yes. Our biggest challenge is going to be getting past the Separatist fleet."

Anakin knew his hyperspace trick wouldn't work this time. He had only survived last time because he had landed in water and because finding a gap in the blockade big enough to fit his tiny starfighter through had been easy.

"We're going to get as close as we possibly can, then we're going to abandon ship. We'll use all the starfighters, landing ships, and escape pods to get down to the planet."

"Sir, won't their fighters just pick us off?" Rex asked.

"Nope! Because all their focus is going to be on me crashing into them!"

"Oh, so it's going to be that kind of plan again."

"It worked last time didn't it?"


"Sir, the Republic ship is within range!"

"Fire!"

The Separatist's turbo lasers pounded against the Resolute's shields. Starfighters and escape pods began fleeing the ship. Grievous saw this and knew what they were doing. Or so he thought.

"Send our fighters to intercept them."

"Uh, sir? That ship is getting awfully close to us."

Grievous saw that the Resolute was coming straight towards his flagship at full speed.

"Stop that ship!"

The Separatists threw everything they had at the approaching cruiser.

"It's still coming sir! We can't stop it!"

Grievous snarled and punched the droid, knocking its head off. Then he ran for the hanger and his personal starfighter.


Anakin hopped in the last remaining escape pod and launched himself towards Coruscant. He looked back as the Resolute crashed into the enemy ship. However, he saw a single fighter exit the ship's hanger.

"Grievous."

How wished that his escape pod was equipped with weapons or that he hadn't crashed his starfighter in the ocean.

His pod landed on Coruscant and he met up with his men.

"Those of you with starfighters, protect the Temple from those bombers. The rest of you, sneak up on the droids attacking the Temple and pick them off from behind."

"And what are you going to be doing?" Mace asked.

"There's a few people I need to find."