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"Execute Order 66."
Chapter XI
Sabé handed Anakin a glass of water and he quickly gulped it down. He gestured for more. Sabé took his glass and departed to get him another. He was drinking water like a stone camel at this point.
"Ani, are you, all right?" A concerned Padmé asked her husband.
Anakin nodded. "Yes, I'm just thirsty... And I can't stop thinking about what is happening in the Chancellor's office right now."
Padmé sat down next to her husband and ran a hand through his wavy hair. She rather liked how nicely it had grown out. Of course, in her eyes he would always be the most dashing man in the galaxy. As she sat next to him she could feel how tense he was, one didn't need to be Force sensitive to see it, and she wanted to calm him down.
"I'm worried too, but we must keep faith that Master Windu and the other Jedi Masters will be successful," Padmé said trying to calm her husband's fears, and her own.
Anakin looked over at Padmé, he wished he could share her confidence, but right now everything in his bones was telling him this would not end well, that somehow Palpatine would manage to overpower the four Jedi Masters and best them. Afterwards Palpatine would no doubt unleash his full fury against the Jedi Order, and that meant he was sitting at ground zero. He was also plagued by the day's events, Barriss Offee's disturbing reemergence, and now he was worried for his former Padawan, Ahsoka Tano who was fighting on Mandalore trying to capture the former Sith Lord Darth Maul. All in all, he was having trouble ordering his thoughts.
Anakin took hold of his wife's hand. "I feel lost..."
Padmé looked puzzled. "Lost, what do you mean?"
"I feel like... Like I'm not the Jedi I should be. Ever since Ahsoka left a little over a year ago. I feel like I failed her. Her departure from the Order, it unnerved me so much. Now you're all I have left Padmé, you and our baby," Anakin said as he squeezed his wife's hand tightly and ran his other hand over her baby bump.
"No, no Ani, you didn't fail Ahsoka. She chose to walk away from the Jedi for her reasons, it wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself for that!"
Anakin looked up at his wife. "She's always been like a kid sister to me. When she first became my Padawan, I promised I'd protect her and ensure no harm would come to her. She's on Mandalore now all alone..."
Padmé reached out and touched Anakin's cheek. He had had the "Chosen One" drilled into his head since childhood, and she knew the expectations he had of himself weighed heavily upon his shoulders because of it. "Ani, you expect too much of yourself. You trained Ahsoka well, now she is a grown woman and formidable warrior. I am certain she can take care of herself."
Anakin closed his eyes, a single tear now falling down his face as remorse overcame him. "And what about Talanta? She died because I was too weak to save her. I wasn't physically 100 percent, I was surprised by Barriss, she caught me off balance. I'll never let anyone get the drop on me again!"
Padmé's face turned to an expression of one of horror; her eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped slightly. She was pained greatly to see her husband, the man she loved more than anything else in the universe berate himself so much. Right now, his heart was completely exposed, and she saw just how vulnerable he truly was. She reached out and held his face with both hands.
"Anakin Skywalker, don't you ever talk so little of yourself! You are a strong Jedi, you are a great man and good person! You saved me! Without you, without your love I wouldn't have been able to break free from Palpatine's grip. So, don't say you're too weak to save anyone, because I am living proof that isn't true!" Padmé said earnestly to her husband.
Anakin leaned in and kissed Padmé tenderly on the lips. He knew she was right, and sometimes he did need a good kick in his behind to bring him back and keep him grounded. Padmé had become his armor and his shield. He hugged her and took comfort in her loving embrace as he rested his head on her shoulder.
"All I want is your love," she said softly.
"Then you shall have it forever my Angel."
Just then Sabé returned with another glass of water. Anakin perked up and released his wife.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt", Sabé said apologetically as she handed the glass to the Jedi Knight.
"It's all right, you're not interrupting, and thank you Sabé. I'm sorry if I am using you like a handmaiden," Anakin said as he downed another glass of water.
"I don't mind, just as long as you don't ask me to be your decoy," Sabé replied, looking over and smiling at Anakin and Padmé. Memories of the Naboo blockade were coming back to Sabé and how she had to play decoy for her cousin during much of the crisis. At the time, she looked uncanny to Padmé, and she still did 13 years later.
Padmé also began recollecting that time. "I remember it still like it was yesterday. Remember the difficulty we had dressing you as the Queen in a hurry when the Trade Federation was almost at the gates?"
Sabé laughed. "Oh Gods, yes! I remember Rabé running over with the makeup box and tripping over her dress and spilling all the cosmetics everywhere, and then Eirtaé was randomly picking them up off the floor while trying to apply my Queen makeup in a rush, and then you couldn't get yourself out of your-" Sabé stopped herself in mid-sentence, realizing Anakin was right there with them. She looked over at him, and he was listening intently.
"What?" Anakin said, looking over at the two Nubian ladies. "Oh Please, don't mind me."
Padmé gently slapped Anakin on the shoulder. "It's just embarrassing girl stuff Ani. And besides, it's not like you've never seen me naked before."
Anakin blushed and flashed Padmé one of his signature sheepish boyish smiles. His thoughts going back to the first time when he did see his wife naked; it was their wedding night, as he looked upon her Anakin thought if she was a real Angel, then Padmé was certainly the most heavenly celestial body he had ever laid eyes upon.
Padmé smacked her husband playfully again. "I know exactly what you're thinking Anakin Skywalker!"
"Oh, just completely ignore the handmaiden sitting on the other end of the bed here," Sabé added in a playful tone of voice.
Padmé's jaw dropped as she looked over at her cousin. "Sabé! Oh, my goodness!" Padmé then picked up a pillow and playfully threw it at her cousin. Sabé placed her hands out to shield herself.
Anakin could not help but laugh, if the two Nubian cousins were playing it up for him, he was thankful. Thankful to get his mind on something, anything, other than the war, Palpatine, and the other Jedi at the present moment. Their conversation however, was cut short by the rumble of a blast outside the Jedi Temple. The two women quickly stood up and gasped. Anakin, eased himself out of the bed.
I hope that's not what I think it is... Anakin thought to himself as he began putting on his Jedi tunic. A few moments later there was another explosion and then the sound of blaster fire could be heard. It is... The moment Anakin was dreading had arrived, the Chancellor was raining down his fury upon the Jedi.
"What's happening!?" Sabé asked, her eyes wide with alarm.
Anakin attached his Jedi belt and lightsaber as he stumbled, still feeling weak. He was running on the Force and adrenaline at this point.
"It means Master Windu failed, and now Palpatine is bringing the hammer down on us. We have to get out of here!" Anakin said taking the lead in front of the women. His chief concern now was for Padmé and their unborn child. He grabbed his lightsaber and activated it. A blue blade hissed and extended out from the hilt. "Stay close!" He said as the three began navigating the halls of the Jedi Temple. Their best chance was to make for a speeder and fly away from the temple.
Sabé pulled the skirt of her gown aside and grabbed her blaster pistol, she followed Anakin's lead and made sure her cousin was right behind her. Anakin came to a corner and stopped. Sabé attempted to suddenly stop herself but lost her balance, slipping on the heels of her shoes. She silently cursed herself as her footwear wasn't the most practical for sprinting. As Sabé fell to the floor beyond the corner she was greeted by three Clone Troopers of the 501st Legion who trained their rifles on her.
"Hey! This area's restricted!" One of them said.
Anakin emerged from the corner with his lightsaber at the ready.
"Skywalker!? Hey, you're under arrest!" Another Clone Trooper called out and fired a shot at the Jedi Knight. Anakin deflected the blaster bolt with his lightsaber and quickly sliced the Clone Troopers rifle in half, rendering the weapon harmless. Anakin turned to the other two troopers and Force pushed them into a wall, knocking them unconscious. "Not today," the Jedi Knight said.
With the way cleared, Padmé emerged from the corner and helped her cousin back on her feet. Sabé kicked off her shoes and decided to take her chance in bare feet. She rushed over to the unconscious Clone Troopers and picked up their rifles, handing one to her cousin.
"Just like old times," Sabé said enthusiastically. She then turned to Anakin. "Where to now?"
"Just above the stairway and to the left is a landing pad, we could get to a speeder there," the Jedi Knight said as the three made their way up and over to the landing pad. Anakin peeked his head around the corner and cursed. There were about 15 Clone Troopers guarding the landing pad. That was too much for Anakin to take on, even if he had Padmé and Sabé's help with blaster rifles. He didn't want to endanger their lives, especially Padmé.
"What do we do now?" Padmé asked.
"Plan B?" Sabé questioned.
Anakin could then spot a speeder approaching the landing pad through a cloud of smoke. Padmé pointed up.
"That's Senator Bail Organa, I recognize his speeder! But, what's he doing here?" Padmé said curiously as the three watched his speeder land.
Alderaan Senator Bail Organa stepped out from his speeder and approached the Clone Troopers.
"What's going on here?" He demanded.
"It's all right Senator, there's been a rebellion, the situation is under control," Appo, commander of the 501st Legion said.
Bail Organa attempted to move past them on the landing pad but was greeted with raised rifles.
"I'm sorry Sir, it's time for you to leave," Appo ordered.
"And so it is," Bail Organa conceded.
As the Senator turned to leave a Jedi Padawan emerged with his lightsaber drawn.
"There's one, get him!" A Clone Trooper said as they opened fire on the Padawan. The Padawan was a human boy who appeared to be around the age of 12 or 13.
Anakin turned to Sabé and Padmé. He recognized the Padawan as Zett Jukassa. "We have to help him! See if you can snipe a couple of them, I'm counting on you girls!" Anakin then ran off towards the Clone Troopers, hoping he could draw their fire.
Padmé and Sabé raised their blaster rifles and looked down their scopes. Taking aim and firing; their shots hit two Clone Troopers in the face and they dropped to the floor. The pair then took aim again.
Bail Organa watched the scene in front of him unfold from the cover of his speeder, only keeping his head high enough so he could see what was happening. He first saw a Jedi Padawan emerge out of what seemed to be nowhere and attack the Clone Troopers, the boy was clearly outmatched, and he couldn't understand why he would do such a thing, it was pure suicide. Then he saw Anakin Skywalker charging in to help the boy, but despite assistance from Skywalker, the Clone Troopers numbers were just too great; the boy took a hit from a blaster bolt.
"No!" Bail shouted as he watched the mortally wounded Jedi Padawan collapse on the landing pad. One of the Clone Troopers heard him and aimed his rifle at the Republic Senator, but before he could fire his weapon the Clone Trooper took a blaster hit square in the helmet. He collapsed to the ground, dead. Bail looked up and he could see what appeared to be Senator Padmé Amidala and her cousin, Nubian Ambassador Sabé Naberrie with blaster rifles, the two women lowered their weapons and Sabé gave a thumbs up. Anakin returned her gesture and then motioned for the two to come over. As Padmé approached Sabé turned around and held her rifle at the ready and walked backwards, covering her cousin's blind spot. Anakin watched and was not surprised in the slightest that Sabé carried herself like a professional soldier right now. During her time as handmaiden while Padmé was Queen of Naboo, all of Padmé's handmaidens, including Sabé underwent rigorous weapons and martial arts training to ensure the protection of their Queen. She's protecting her Queen. Anakin thought as he watched the pair of women approach.
When Anakin was sure it was all clear he sheathed his lightsaber, and walked over to the fallen Jedi Padawan Zett Jukassa. He checked for a pulse and found none. Anakin looked at the boy and shook his head. Damn you Palpatine! Anakin then took a deep breath and looked over at his wife and Sabé.
"Are you two all right?" The Jedi Knight asked.
"Yes," they both replied.
Bail walked up to the trio. "I think we should get out of here, we can use my speeder."
"The most sensible thing I have heard all night, let's go," Anakin said as everyone walked up to Bail Organa's speeder. The Alderaan Senator pressed a button on his speeder and a compartment folded away, revealing a back seat. Anakin climbed into the front seat, Padmé and Sabé took the back seat.
"Hold on!" Bail said as he took hold of the steering column and took off into the night sky, leaving the Jedi Temple in flames behind.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was flying away from the planet Utapau as fast as his commandeered starship could take him. He had destroyed General Grievous and had resumed fighting the Separatists Droid Army when Commander Cody and his Clone Troopers fired upon him. He barely managed to make it off the planet alive. He hoped and prayed this was an isolated incident, but his feelings told him otherwise. Right now, he needed to get to safety and find answers. Obi-Wan tapped a comm panel inside his starship, activating the emergency hailing frequencies.
"This is Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Emergency code 913, I have no contact on any frequency, to anyone friendly out there please respond," he said hoping to raise someone friendly.
A holographic communications image began to take shape in front of him, it was blurry and distorted, and he could not make out the garbled voice. He made a few adjustments on his comm channel and repeated his transmission.
"Master Kenobi? Is that you?" A female voice said as the image began to clear up.
"Ahsoka Tano?! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes! My clone troops turned on me and I need help."
"I have just rescued Master Yoda, it appears this ambush has happened everywhere! I barely managed to escape myself, I had to fake my own death even! I'm sending you our coordinates, rendezvous with us as soon as you can!"
The transmission ended and Obi-Wan breathed a small sigh of relief. He was glad Ahsoka and Master Yoda had survived, he only hoped Anakin, Padmé, and Sabé were all right. His computer console beeped with the coordinates Ahsoka had just sent him. He set a course and engaged at the maximum speed.
Senator Bail Organa navigated through the night traffic over Galactic City as Anakin Skywalker explained to him everything that had happened over the past few days, including the revelation that Chancellor Palpatine was a Sith Lord, and the grand orchestrator of the Clone Wars. He also explained that him and Padmé had been secretly married and she was pregnant.
"It all makes sense now. I feared in the back of my mind the Chancellor wanted absolute power, but I never imagined he was a Sith Lord," Bail said with almost disbelief.
"It shocked all of us Senator Organa, and now with the Jedi out of the way and with him commanding full control of the Republic military he has no opposition," Sabé said starkly.
Padmé was holding onto her stomach in the back seat and looked discomforted. Sabé turned to her cousin and put an arm around her. "Are you, all right?" She asked.
"I'm feeling a little nauseous, I don't think baby agreed with that little adventure back there-" Padmé began to say before she leaned over and vomited over the side of Bail's speeder.
Bail grimaced as he heard Padmé. Anakin turned around and looked at his wife. "I pity the poor man who might be under that."
Gross! Sabé thought as she pictured what Anakin said in her mind.
"Are you going to be all right Angel?" Anakin asked with concern while looking at his wife.
Padmé nodded while wiping her mouth on the long black glove covering her arm. As she did so it just dawned on her that she was still wearing the same black and red lace gown from the start of the day; the gown that represented her enslavement to Sheev Palpatine. She turned to Sabé.
"I have to get out of this gown," Padmé said quietly to her cousin.
Sabé smirked. "Wanna trade places again? Except you keep the baby!"
Padmé managed to laugh slightly in response. She had always appreciated her cousin's humor and could always count on her to elevate her spirit.
"Don't worry, we'll get you some new clothes at our earliest convenience," Sabé added while rubbing Padmé's shoulder gently. Padmé nodded, that was good enough for her.
As they continued their way through Coruscanti traffic every holo and video board on the cityscape changed to an image of Chancellor Palpatine, he was giving a speech at the Senate Rotunda.
"Bail, pull over, we have to hear this!" An eager Padmé said while tapping Bail on the shoulder. He complied and pulled over alongside a skyscraper. While watching a giant holoboard everyone noticed the Chancellor was wearing a hooded robe and his face appeared disfigured and pale white.
"Look at him, he looks deformed in some way," Anakin pointed out.
"-And the Jedi rebellion has been foiled! Let it be known that the remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated! The attack on my life has left me scarred and deformed, but I assure you, my resolve has never been stronger!" Palpatine's voice thundered throughout the cityscape like some sort of deity.
Everyone in Bail's speeder exchanged looks as they continued to watch the Supreme Chancellor give his speech.
"-To ensure the continuing security and stability, I declare a New Order! The Republic will be reorganized into the First Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society, ruled by this august body and a sovereign leader chosen for life!" Palpatine exclaimed, declaring himself emperor for life as he raised his hands up to the ceiling of the rotunda as if he were some sort of God before a cheering Senate.
Sabé raised a hand to her mouth and gasped in horror. Bail was absolutely repulsed at the sight of Palpatine's megalomania on full display before the galaxy now. Padmé shook her head. "So, this is how liberty dies, with a thunderous applause...
Anakin grabbed one of the blaster rifles the Nubian women brought into the speeder with them and he took aim at the holographic display of Palpatine from one of the holoboards and fired; the blaster bolt hit the holoboard and it erupted in a shower of sparks before the image faded. Bail looked over at Anakin with a raised eyebrow. Anakin threw the blaster rifle down inside the speeder. Padmé and Sabé exchanged a look and Sabé mouthed the word "wow".
"I was getting mighty tired of looking at Palpatine's face," Anakin angerly stated.
"Hear, hear," Bail said as he resumed driving through Galactic City.
Padmé gazed over at Anakin, a look of worry and concern falling across her face. She thought back to their earlier conversation about how he was struggling with the darkness within him, his current display of anger worried her. It just didn't seem like a very Jedi thing to do. Then again Padmé knew Anakin was always an unorthodox Jedi, in fact marrying her also wasn't a very Jedi thing to do, but Anakin found happiness and peach outside part of that Jedi box that he had to live in. Now, she just hoped and prayed he would remain in the light and not be ensnared by the darkness' grasp.
Nadara, Dark Lady of the Sith had just landed on lava world of Mustafar, she climbed out of the cockpit of her Eta-2 Actis interceptor and marched towards the main building where the Separatist leaders were. She had only a singular purpose on this hell hole; to eliminate all of them. She could instantly feel the intense heat from the planet the moment she landed, she began to sweat, and her clothing was beginning to stick to her. If there was one thing Nadara hated, it was feeling sweaty and grimy. The sooner she completed her mission the sooner she could return to a cooler world.
Nadara entered the central area where the Separatist leaders awaited her. Nute Gunray was the first to greet her. "Welcome Lady Nadara, we've been expecting you."
She did not respond to Gunray, instead she reached out with the Force and began to close off the exits.
An alarmed Gunray looked around, trying to make sense of what was happening. "What are you doing!?" He asked, in a panicked voice.
"This war is over," Nadara said as she reached into her cloak and pulled out the stun grenade Darth Sidious had given her, she threw it in the direction of Gunray and dove for cover as it exploded into a shower of sparks and a large plume of smoke. Most everyone in the room grabbed their eyes and screamed. The entire room was now filling with smoke. Nadara grabbed her lightsaber and activated it. She had trouble seeing, but as a former Jedi she didn't need to rely on her eyes. She reached out into the Force and could feel the panicked Separatist leaders, she began cutting them down one-by-one.
"Why!? Why are you doing this!? Lord Sidious, he promised us peace!" Viceroy Gunray said, but he should have known better than to trust Sidious again, he was betrayed not once but twice now. Nadara approached Gunray, her lightsaber at the ready.
"Then you shall heave your peace, in death," she said in response as she slashed Gunray across the chest; killing him. Nadara sheathed her lightsaber and clipped it back onto her belt. She looked around the room and smiled at her handiwork.
They're all dead, and I have brought peace to the Republic. She thought as she stepped over Gunray's now lifeless body and tapped a few buttons on a nearby console. After a few moments a holographic image of her master, Darth Sidious, the alter ego of Sheev Palpatine appeared.
"The Separatists have been taken care of my Master," she said proudly.
"Splendid. You have helped me restore peace and justice to the galaxy. Now Lady Nadara, send a transmission that all Droid Army units are to shut down immediately. When you finish return to Coruscant," Sidious responded from his office in Coruscant. He tapped a button and ended the transmission. He then eased back into his chair, a satisfied smile forming over his face. He had succeeded now where all other Sith Lords have failed; he had destroyed the Jedi Order and taken control of the galaxy as the newly anointed Emperor of the Galactic Empire.
However, despite achieving total control over the galaxy one final piece of the puzzle was missing; a new worthy apprentice who would be his right hand. He was about to rectify that however. He tapped a button on his desk and a holographic image of a Clone Trooper of the 501st Legion appeared.
"Have your troops secured the Jedi Temple?" Sidious asked.
"Yes Milord, but we've lost commander Appo, I'm in command now. We're just sweeping the temple for stragglers," the Clone Trooper replied."
Activate the beacon on the Jedi Temple, send out a signal telling all Jedi to return and that the war is over. Eliminate any who enter the temple. I am also sending your way Doctor Desai, see to it you give him protection and your full cooperation," Sidious instructed.
"Yes Milord!" The Clone Trooper said as he ended the transmission.
The self-appointed Galactic Emperor then proceeded to call Doctor Jayce Desai, Chief of Coruscant Medicine. He had a very special mission in store for him.