It's finally here - the two-part finale to this epic tale! Twenty months, nearly 160,000 words, and 633 pages have gone into this story, and even I find it hard to believe it's really finished!
Knightfall: Part 1 (Ep. # 21, Nov. 2012)
A war ending! At the hand of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, the evil Separatist commander, General Grievous, has been killed during the Battle of Utapau. With the battle droids leaderless, and the Separatist Council in disarray, the Republic celebrates the impending end to the Clone Wars.
But there is deception in the air, and a great evil is about to be unleashed. Something is about to happen that will end the celebration and change the galaxy for worse. It will begin at the Jedi Temple, where the unsuspecting Jedi prepare to welcome home their war heroes….
Ahsoka Tano was becoming frustrated by the string of recent events. Yes, the Battle of Coruscant was won. Yes, Count Dooku and General Grievous have been killed. And yes, the war was almost over. Everyone else was happy, but Ahsoka was hardly on top of things. And it was all because of Anakin Skywalker.
When he returned to Coruscant from the Outer Rim Sieges, Ahsoka thought she and her master would be able to spend more time together after all these months. But the moment he set foot on the planet, Anakin was assaulted by citizens and politicians who were grateful for his rescue of Chancellor Palpatine. Then, once the crowds parted, Palpatine appointed Anakin to be his personal representative on the Jedi Council. That meant whenever Anakin wasn't in an endless meeting with the council, he was in an endless meeting with the chancellor.
Ahsoka knew that patience was a virtue, but with so much happening, her patience was running thin. She could pass the time the way she always did; reading the Jedi Archive library's holobooks. But she was quickly running out of topics to research.
Now, she was strolling through the library, reading the shelves as she walked past them. Then she noticed a label she hadn't seen before: children's literature. Well, it was something to keep her occupied. She walked to the shelf and picked out a book. It was titled Galactic Nursery Rhymes: A Collection of Children's Poetry.
Ahsoka opened the book and skimmed the table of contents. One title immediately stood out: War. Curious, she flipped through the book until she came to the page with the poem on it. She read the poem as follows:
Once war starts, it never ends,
For neither side deserves to win.
Heroes rise and heroes die,
Then greater wars begin.
Ahsoka reread the poem, yet it still made little sense. "It never ends?" But the Clone Wars were already ending. "Neither side deserves to win?" How could the Jedi not deserve to win? They were the ones who did all good deeds. Those Separatist murderers were the ones who deserved to lose. "Heroes rise and heroes die." Well, that made perfect sense. But "greater wars begin?" How could there be another war even worse than the one that had just ended? And if the Separatists were destroyed, who would declare war against the Republic?
Ahsoka shook her head. This is just an old poem from before the war. It meant nothing. She replaced the book on the bookshelf and walked away.
As she walked past the window, something caught her eye. She looked out the window and saw a curious sight. Over four hundred clone troopers were marching up the steps of the Jedi Temple. They were being led by someone in a dark brown, hooded cloak.
What was going on? Clones aren't often seen in the temple, and certainly not in such immense numbers. Ahsoka tried to think of an explanation, but nothing seemed likely. She would just have to go down and see for herself.
As Ahsoka walked down the halls of the Jedi Temple, she passed several other Jedi who were just as confused as she was. No one knew what was happening, or why. This was certainly a mystery, and Ahsoka didn't like it. Something was wrong.
Everyone went to the entrance hall, where the clones were entering the temple. Ahsoka was standing on a balcony on the second floor of the hall. The cloaked figure in front of the procession held up his hand – or was it a her? Ahsoka couldn't see the person's face – and the clones abruptly halted, stomping their left feet as one, causing the room to shake. A deathly silence followed, and the Jedi could sense that danger was coming. Their hearts began to pound in their chests, and some instinctively pulled out their lightsabers.
That, apparently, was the cue for the clones to attack. Following the chorus of snap-hisses, the hall was filled with blue blasterfire. The Jedi swung their lightsabers to deflect the bolts, and the clones charged, firing at anyone and everyone. The mysterious figure stood still, holding a lightsaber of his –or her – own. He/she ignited it, revealing its pure blue blade.
Ahsoka was shocked. A Jedi was leading the attack? A traitor? Who would want to betray the Jedi? But she couldn't dwell on that question right now. Now, it was time to fight! She ignited her green and yellow lightsabers and jumped off the balcony to land amidst her fellow Jedi.
By this time the clones had spread out around the front of the hall and were providing a nearly constant stream of fire at their new enemies. The Jedi were packed together, deflecting the bolts back at the clones. Some of the clones were killed, but the others had taken cover behind the support pillars and were popping out to take shots at the Jedi. Ahsoka gasped as a Padawan standing next to her was hit in the chest and killed.
That settled it. It was a rebellion!
As the clones continued to fire, the Jedi were pushed backwards. Some of them decided to retreat deeper into the temple. As they fled, the Jedi traitor pointed his lightsaber at the Jedi and charged, with the clones following him. One of the Jedi Masters, Keelyvine Reus ran forward to face him with her two green lightsabers. Their weapons clashed, and Keelyvine attacked swiftly and elegantly. But the traitor swung strongly but efficiently, using his anger as fuel. It was a fighting style few had seen before.
The traitor brought his lightsaber down over his head, but the master blocked the blow. The sabers locked, and both were pushing as hard as they could to disable their opponent. After a few seconds, the other Jedi sensed a fit of rage come over the traitor, and Keelyvine's head was cut in half down the middle and detached from her body. Several of the younger Jedi gasped in shock. This couldn't be a Jedi. It must have been a Sith Lord!
But how? Could this person have been a Jedi and suddenly turned to the Dark Side? No one had left the Jedi Order since nearly thirteen years ago, when Count Dooku became the latest addition to "The Lost Twenty." Nearly everyone knew who those Jedi were, as they each had a bronze bust lining the main hallway of the library. What Jedi would betray the order and join the Sith? Ahsoka couldn't think of anyone who would do such a thing. It was probably someone she didn't know.
More and more Jedi were falling back, and Ahsoka didn't want to be the last defender. So she ran, too. She ran through the door into the next hall. Once she was safe, she began to think. How could she protect herself from the clones? How could the Jedi protect the temple? And, if the clones took over, how could she escape? They were sure to shoot down any fleeing speeder or starfighter.
Ahsoka didn't know what to do, so she decided that she needed help from older, more experienced Jedi. And she knew just who to go to. She ran to the Jedi Archive library as fast as she could.
Four clone troopers ran through the streets of Coruscant near 500 Republica, the tower in which Chancellor Palpatine owned an apartment suite. These clones had red markings painted on their armor, signifying that they were part of the Coruscant Security Force. The clones each held a blaster rifle ready, just in case.
They had been navigating the streets for an hour now, but they hadn't yet found what they were looking for. Then, the squad noticed that one member had fallen behind. The three clones turned around and saw the fourth kneeling beside something. The clones returned to see what it was, and they gasped.
It was a severed brown-skinned hand, gripping a lightsaber. "He must be close," deduced the kneeling clone.
"There's another one!" exclaimed a second clone, pointing down the street. There was another lightsaber, small and gold instead of silver, and, thankfully, with no hand attached.
The squad leader ordered, "Put them in a box. We'll take them back with us." As the first clone carefully placed the items in a small box, the squad looked around some more. After a while, the leader said, "There he is!" The clones ran down the street and pushed their way through a crowd of people gathered in a circle. And in the center of the circle was a body.
It was Mace Windu, Jedi Master.
The citizens were all murmuring to each other in several different languages, surprised to see one of the leading members of the Jedi Council dead. He wore a brown cloak over his Jedi outfit, his right hand was missing, and his brown eyes stared blankly up at the chancellor's suite.
"All right," said the clone leader, "Break it up. We'll handle this. Everyone go home." As the crowd dispersed, the clones placed Mace's body on a stretcher and carried him back to their airspeeder. The speeder took off and flew back to the police station, where they would dispose of the Jedi Master.
Chancellor Palpatine watched as several clone troopers walked around his apartment, cleaning up after the attack. There were thousands of shards of glass scattered in front of his broken panoramic window. And then there were the bodies.
Several clones bore three stretchers out of the apartment, each carrying a body swathed in Jedi robes. The first was Kit Fisto, the second was Saesee Tiin, and the third was Agen Kolar. Three dead Jedi Masters who had paid the price for their betrayal. There was one more Jedi, Mace Windu, who had been thrown out the window, but Palpatine had already sent a clone squad to recover his body.
Following the Jedi's attempt on his life, Palpatine called the police, who were thoroughly working on the crime scene. Palpatine's aide, Senate Chairman Mas Amedda, had also been summoned and was speaking with the chancellor.
Palpatine had told the police that the Jedi had attempted to assassinate him, but he had been saved by his Jedi ally. The police never thought that the chancellor had killed four Jedi Masters, and since the Jedi ally had acted in loyalty and defense, they didn't even discuss whether or not to press charges.
Palpatine told the clones, "Smuggle the bodies away and dispose of them. I don't want any evidence of their attack." The clones obeyed without question, and they suggested that the chancellor take up temporary residence elsewhere until the suite had been secured. Palpatine complied, and asked that everyone else leave while he packed his things.
But, in truth, he actually didn't have to pack. He didn't need all of his personal things, save for a set of spare clothing and personal hygiene items, and he already had a suitcase packed with those things in case he needed to leave on short notice. The real reason he wanted them to leave was that he wanted to make a call.
No, he had to make several calls.
Back in the entrance hall of the Jedi Temple, the last Jedi had either fled or been killed, and the clones had one moment of respite before they pursued. Star trooper Captain Rex inspected his men. Rumor had it that the army would be becoming much more disciplined soon, and Rex wanted to make sure the 501st legion was prepared for the transition.
His general impression; they were quiet. But he didn't blame them. They were going through a drastic new change, so it was expected that they would be nervous. Even Rex was a bit nervous. But he didn't let it bother him; he was much more experienced than the rest of his men.
But he had to admit that when Chancellor Palpatine issued Order 66, he was a bit surprised. Order 66 had been discretely taught to the highest-ranking clone troopers so that when the time was right, they could turn on their Jedi generals and eradicate them.
"Captain?" asked a shy voice.
Rex turned to face one of the newer clones and said, "Is there a problem, Shiny?"
The clone replied, "Well, it's just that… well… see, some of the men are a little bit uncomfortable with our orders. They don't feel like betraying the Jedi is the right thing to do."
Rex looked around and saw that several other clones were watching the conversation ensue. He spoke louder to address them all. "Is that how you're all feeling? That we're being traitors?" No one answered. "These orders came from the supreme chancellor himself. He said that the Jedi have threatened the Republic and must be stopped. Anyone who carries out the order will be rewarded. Fail to do so, and you will be punished, to a deadly degree."
The clones looked at each other in worry and whispered their thoughts. After they had quieted down, Rex continued, "Now, you can feel like traitors all you want, but know this; it is we who have been betrayed. Now let's move out, and stop the traitors! Don't hesitate, don't show mercy, and don't die."
So the clones picked up their weapons and ran further into the temple. They were glad that they were all wearing helmets, because then the Jedi couldn't see their expressions.
Ahsoka Tano's guess was correct. She did indeed find Jedi Master Jocasta Nu in the library. But, then again, it was an easy guess. Jocasta was the head librarian, and rarely ever left the archives. When she was younger, she was very powerful and easy to rile. No enemy wanted to mess with her, or suffer the wrath of Jocasta Nu.
But, as she grew older, Jocasta decided to step down from the Jedi Council and become the head librarian. Her decision was aided by her displeasure with Jedi assignments and her love of knowledge. She still got angry from time to time, mostly when a Padawan tried to trick her into doing their homework for them, or when someone insulted, or even questioned, the largest collection of knowledge in the galaxy.
Ahsoka found Jocasta at her desk, handing several datapads to a Jedi Knight. She said, "Hurry, take these someplace safe. I'm depending on you." Ahsoka noticed that the woman's usually cracked voice had a tone of worry mixed in, and her face betrayed her fear.
Of course, Ahsoka thought. She was worried that the clones would destroy the library and all the information. "Madame Jocasta!" she called, running.
Jocasta turned and offered a feeble smile. "Ahsoka, my dear. I'm glad to see you're alive."
When Ahsoka reached her, she said, "Me, too. You, I mean." Ahsoka inwardly ridiculed herself for her comment, but Jocasta appeared somewhat amused. "I realize that the clones will probably destroy the library. I'm so sorry, Master."
Jocasta appeared sad again. "Oh, I'm not worried that the clones will destroy the library. I'm sad that I'm ordering the other librarians to destroy it."
Ahsoka was surprised, "You gave this order?"
Jocasta nodded sadly. "The archive holds secrets that no one can ever know. The clones will search the database and plunder these secrets. But that must not happen. I have copied the most valuable information onto several datapads and sent one of the knights to hide them someplace safe. Meanwhile, the library must be destroyed."
Ahsoka sighed sadly. "You've made a very difficult decision, Master. And I'm sure it's the right one. We're all proud of you." This appeared to cheer Jocasta somewhat. Ahsoka decided it was time to get to the point. "We don't have much time. The clones are already on their way. Is there any way to stop them?"
Jocasta shook her head. "The Jedi Temple has never needed any defensive measures. We have always believed that we were capable of defending the temple with the Force."
Ahsoka sighed in exasperation. "Until now, you mean. There are four hundred clones out there. They outnumber us, like, six to one, and they know our every move. Some of them have been in the temple before. And they're being led by a Jedi traitor…"
"A Jedi?" repeated Jocasta, her eyes wide in disbelief. "Now this is unprecedented in all of history. The situation has become far more serious."
"In that case, there must be something we can do to stop them."
Jocasta thought for what seemed like three minutes. Ahsoka was beginning to wonder if even Jocasta Nu had run out of ideas. Then, Jocasta's face lit up. "It is possible that we can set a trap. Perhaps as simple as blocked entrances, fallen pillars, or collapsed rooms. Then, it will be easier to fight them."
Ahsoka liked the idea. The clones wouldn't expect the Jedi to destroy their own temple. They would be caught completely off-guard if the sabotage was executed at the same, precise time. "What did you have in mind?" she asked.
Above the planet Cato Neimoidia, Kel Dor Jedi Master Plo Koon flew his blue Delta-7 Jedi starfighter through the air, weaving in between the large mesas and bridge cities. Three clone ARC-170 starfighters followed him on a reconnaissance mission. The battle was over, but the Republic had to uproot any remaining Separatist forces and destroy them.
In the cockpit of the lead ARC-170, a hologram of Chancellor Palpatine popped up and said simply, "Execute Order 66."
The clone pilot nodded and answered, "It will be done, my lord." Once the hologram disappeared, the pilot took careful aim and fired several shots at the Jedi starfighter ahead of him.
Plo realized too late that he was being attacked, and tried to evade the shots. But a blaster bolt had already disabled his engine, causing the ship to drop in altitude. Plo realized that he was going to crash into a building, and pulled the throttle, hoping to avoid a collision. Another shot hit the ship, but the damage was far worse.
The fighter's engine exploded, and the cockpit was engulfed in flames. Not long afterwards, the entire ship was on fire, and plowed across the roof of the building. Needless to say, Plo Koon was killed in the explosion.
On the planet Kashyyyk, a large-scale battle was raging between the Separatist and Republic Forces. Although the clones were being aided by the native Wookiees, the droids outnumbered them on a five-to-one margin. The battle had already lasted several days, with neither side gaining significant ground.
Jedi Master Luminara Unduli of the Mirilian species was off to the side of the beach, discussing tactics with several clone troopers. As the clones listened, their commander received a transmission that was played through his helmet. He discreetly relayed the same message to the other clones in the circle. Luminara didn't suspect anything.
The commander nodded after the Jedi finished her sentence, as though affirming his understanding. But it was actually the cue for the clones to quickly raise their blasters and shoot the general. Luminara Unduli was hit by eight blaster bolts coming from all directions. She hit the ground before she could register the clones' betrayal.
Ahsoka Tano ran through the halls of the Jedi Temple, telling any Jedi she passed about Jocasta Nu's plan. Many of them believed it was a good idea and wanted to help. Soon, there were Jedi all over the temple planting thermal detonators above doorways, at the bases of pillars, and on the ceilings.
What confused them the most was that the clones were still in the entrance hall, setting up a command post and tending to their wounded. Why weren't they going after the Jedi?
In almost no time at all, the explosives had all been placed and were armed for remote detonation. Ahsoka returned to the library where Jocasta was waiting. "Is it ready?" she asked.
Ahsoka nodded. "Everything's set. We just need to wait for the clones to leave the entrance hall and walk into the trap."
Jocasta frowned. "You mean they haven't resumed their attack?"
Ahsoka shook her head. "No one knows what they're waiting for." But as time passed, they grew more and more suspicious. Finally Ahsoka stood up and said, "Something's not right. I'm going to go look around for any clues."
So Ahsoka left the library and walked down the hall. It was eerily quiet, and it unnerved her. Why would the clones be holding off their attack? This wasn't like them. If they didn't attack, the trap couldn't go off…
That's when it hit her. The clones aren't attacking so that they don't trigger the trap! They knew what the Jedi were planning! But that didn't explain much. Were the clones just planning to sit there and wait for the bombs to magically shut off?
Ahsoka passed one of the doorways she had booby-trapped. She looked up at the bomb to see if it was still working. But she couldn't tell because… there was no bomb! Panicked, Ahsoka looked around, just in case the bomb had been moved. She couldn't find it anywhere.
Ahsoka ran to the next trap, but that bomb was also missing! She stood and thought. Where could it be? Then, in the silence, Ahsoka heard a light, metallic clanking noise coming from the ceiling. But when she looked for the source she couldn't see anything. But she could definitely hear something.
She walked down the hallway to the next door, and the bomb was still there. Ahsoka sighed in relief. Maybe she could catch the bomb culprit. But then, to her surprise, the bomb floated off of the wall and disappeared. Then she figured it out. She ignited one of her lightsabers and said, "I know you're there! You can't hide from me!"
After she spoke, a probe droid disengaged its cloaking device and began firing its auto-defense blaster at Ahsoka. As Ahsoka deflected the bolts, she analyzed the droid. It was a distinctive ellipse-shaped probe droid with several manipulator arms hanging underneath its body. It was wearing a backpack with a few thermal detonators inside and it was still holding one in one of its arms. It adjusted the knob that turned the bomb on and off. But the droid was actually switching it to another remote channel.
Ahsoka, realizing what was happening, ignited her second lightsaber and used the Force to throw it at the droid. The blade sliced through the droid, which dropped to the ground in two smoldering pieces. Ahsoka clipped her lightsabers to her belt and grabbed the pack of bombs. She had to warn the other Jedi before it was too late!
On the jungle planet Felucia, a convoy of Republic AT-TE tanks, AT-OT troop carriers, and AT-AP attack walkers marched through the bizarre trees and plants. They were being led by Twi'lek Jedi Master Aayla Secura and her faithful second-in-command, clone Commander Bly. A squad of clone troopers followed closely behind them. The Separatists still had forces scattered across the planet, and the Republic wanted to make sure the droids were all destroyed.
Aayla turned a corner and came to a large clearing, at the opposite end of which several NR-N99 droid enforcer tanks were sitting. Aayla unclipped her lightsaber from her belt and turned around to give the order to attack. But, to her surprise, the clones, including Bly, had already drawn their blasters and aimed them – at her!
Before Aayla could even ignite her weapon, the clones fired and she hit the ground, dead, yet the clones continued to shoot her body. They didn't want to take any chances.
On Mygeeto, a war-torn ice planet, Jedi Master Ki-Adi Mundi led the Republic forces in a battle against the Separatists. They were on a bridge connecting two city blocks, hoping to capture the bridge and secure the city. The clone troopers and hovering UT-AT tanks were firing at the battle droids, while Ki-Adi deflected enemy blasterfire with his lightsaber. The Separatists were on the other end of the bridge, and were backed by battle droids and towering octuptarra combat tri-droids.
One of the octuptarra droids had launched a missile that collided with the underside of a UT-AT, and the ensuing explosion launched the tank into the air and brought it crashing back down. But the tri-droid that had fired the shot slowly succumbed to artillery fire from the other Republic tanks. The droid toppled over the bridge, and the other droids fell back.
Ki-Adi rallied his troops and led the charge forward. But he became aware that the clones had stopped running. He turned around in confusion, and saw that the clones were pointing their blaster rifles at him. Sensing what was about to happen, Ki-Adi blocked the blaster bolts fired by his men. Three clones were soon hit by deflected bolts and fell, but the Jedi missed a bolt fired by Commander Bacara, breaking his concentration. Ki-Adi screamed as he was peppered by seven more shots and dropped dead.
Ahsoka Tano returned to the Archive library, gasping for breath. Jocasta Nu was waiting, along with several other Jedi, including Tyzen Xebec, a pale-skinned Zabrak teenager with small vestigial horns on his bald head. He had been the apprentice of the late Keelyvine Reus, and had been on a few assignments with Ahsoka. She greeted them with two words: "Probe Droids!"
"What?" asked Tyzen.
Ahsoka explained, "The clones sent camouflaged probe droids to spy on us, and then they took the bombs and have switched the channel to another remote, so we can't detonate them!"
A mixed look of surprise and confusion crossed Jocasta's face. "They've turned our own trap against us. That is what they've been waiting for. They wanted to deplete our resources so that we'll be easier to defeat."
"So, what do we do now?" asked Tyzen.
Before anyone could answer, the distinctive sound of blasterfire erupted outside the library. Ahsoka slowly ignited her lightsabers, preparing for the fight ahead. "This temple is ours, and we won't let it fall without a fight!" Jocasta reached onto her key ring and pulled out a rarely-used blue lightsaber. Tyzen also activated his weapon, and all of the other Jedi followed suit.
Everyone turned to face the large wooden doors that led into the temple's hallways. Blaster bolts hit the wood, and it began to splinter. The clones had arrived, but not as allies, but enemies! Tyzen thrust his lightsaber into the air and yelled, "For the Jedi!"
The other Jedi repeated the rallying cry, except for Jocasta, who simply said, "May the Force be with us all."
The doors broke free of their hinges and crashed to the floor. Clone troopers began to run into the library, firing their blasters. The Jedi deflected the bolts with their lightsabers, but as more clones came, there was less the Jedi could do to defend themselves.
One Knight leapt on top of the first bookshelf and knocked it over. Some of the clones were crushed by the fallen shelf, and the Jedi began to slice through or stab the rest. He had succeeded in killing five more clones before he was shot to death. Another Knight used the Force to pick up one of the bronze busts and throw it at the clones. Ironically, it was the bust of Count Dooku.
A Padawan boy was swinging his lightsaber quickly to defend against the blasters. But Ahsoka could sense that he was getting anxious, and his movements were becoming stiff. In the boy's effort to stop one blaster bolt, another bolt hit him just underneath his chest. He yelled once in pain, and then dropped to the floor.
In response to the Padawan's death, Ahsoka threw one of her lightsabers at the clones, slicing through the chests of four of them. She felt a slight sadness inside of her when the soldiers died. They were the first clones to die at Ahsoka's hand, but they wouldn't be the last.
Jocasta had retreated to the back of the line and was using the Force to summon all of the holobooks from their shelves, and then she threw them, pelting the clones and temporarily distracting them. By the time they had recovered, the clones realized that the Jedi had taken advantage of the diversion and were quickly advancing.
The clones began to walk backwards away from the Jedi, while continuing to fire their blasters at them. But the Jedi had gained too much ground. The clones knew that if they wanted to survive, they had to find better cover. So they turned around and ran back through the library doors, with the Jedi in pursuit.
When she entered the main hallway complex, Ahsoka froze in place, stunned by the scene unfolding before her. Everywhere she looked, clone troopers and Jedi were fighting each other, leaving the temple strewn with bodies. Stray blaster bolts were blowing chunks of stone out of the walls, pillars, and ceiling. Balconies and bridges were collapsing, sending the unfortunate beings on them to their deaths. Others were crushed by falling debris and pillars. Smoke filled the air as thermal detonators exploded, also setting the temple, and even some of its occupants, on fire.
No one had ever thought that one of the most tragic battles in Republic history would take place in the Jedi Temple, when the Republic's loyal soldiers turned against their Jedi commanders. So much blood would be spilt, staining the elaborate temple that had stood for thousands of years.
All of the mayhem, the chaos, made Ahsoka wonder if Jedi were being slaughtered in other places.
Mirilian Jedi Knight Barriss Offee and a handful of her clones were being attacked by super battle droids on Felucia. As more and more droids swarmed in around her, she became desperate for help. In almost no time at all, all of her clones were dead, leaving her to fight the elite droids alone.
Just when she feared that she had lost, a nearby explosion destroyed several droids. It was caused by artillery fire from an AT-TE that was poking through the foliage. The walker was flanked by four fresh squads of clone troopers.
"Quickly!" she called, "Open fire on those droids!"
The AT-TE did fire, but not at the droids. Barriss was consumed in an artillery explosion, leaving nothing behind.
On Saleucami, Stass Allie and two clone troopers were riding BARC speeders over the barren landscape, intent on searching for any more enemy droids and secure the planet for the Republic.
But then Commander Neyo received a transmission through his clone helmet. He listened to the message that came in and nodded, acknowledging the order. On cue, both clones hit their speeders' brakes and fell behind the Jedi General. Then, using the blaster cannons, they shot the speeder, killing the Jedi riding it.
A group of ten Jedi Younglings had hidden in the Jedi Council Chamber, trying to hide from the clones. At only five years old, these children had only just begun their training. And, of course, they were afraid. When the attack began, they ran to the elevators that took them to the chamber where the Jedi Masters made the biggest decisions.
The children were huddled behind some of the chairs when they heard the doors slide open. They stiffened in fear, thinking that perhaps the clones had found them. But one boy spared a peek from behind the chair to see who it was. He sighed in relief and sent calming emotions to the other Younglings.
It was a Jedi Knight, but not just any Jedi. This particular Jedi had saved four of the Younglings from a bounty hunter about nine months ago. And now he was here to save them again! This truly was a great man.
The Younglings stood from their hiding place, and the boy said, "Master Skywalker, there are too many of them. What are we going to do?"
In another part of the Battle of Kashyyyk, Quinlan Vos stood on the overseer's platform of an HAV-A6 Juggernaut, surveying his clone forces. He was a skilled Jedi General, but he openly showed his contempt towards the clones. He was suspicious of their origins, their priorities, and their futures. The Force only told him to be cautious, and so he would be.
Quinlan suddenly felt a disturbance in the Force. He feared that something terrible had just happened. Not too long after the Force mentally hit him, something else physically hit him. Or, more precisely, his tank. The juggernaut was consumed in a fiery explosion in which the Jedi was caught.
But, to his astonishment, Quinlan didn't die. The fire subsided and he landed amidst the forest of Kashyyyk. One of his arms was broken, and he was covered in serious burns, but he was alive.
It didn't take Quinlan long to realize what had happened. The clones blew up the tank, trying to kill him! He was right about them. They were all traitors! That's when it hit him; they had killed other Jedi. That must have been the disturbance in the Force. Clone troopers across the galaxy must have been turning against their Jedi commanders.
As the pieces clicked into place, Quinlan stood up and limped into the jungle. He knew that the clones would be looking for him, so he had to get as far away from them as possible. He would survive the jungle, and then…
…then he would solve this mystery.
No words could describe the emotions flying through Captain Rex's head. He wasn't sure there were even names for them. For one thing, his energy level was heightened to meet the physical demands of fighting Jedi. And then, there was a sense of… well, ironic pleasure, if that even made sense. But at the same time, he felt a bit sad, and maybe even conflicted.
He had fought a Jedi before, the traitor Pong Krell on Umbara, but he was only one Jedi, and almost all of his men were killed on that occasion. Rex would never forget the pain he had felt. Krell had ordered Rex to execute two of his best men for disobeying orders, but Rex had ended up disobeying that order himself. As a result, Krell had tricked the clones into killing each other. That, perhaps, was the most painful experience Rex had ever had. Finally, after capturing and interrogating Krell, the clones were forced to execute him.
Afterwards, Rex remembered questioning the clones' purpose in the war, and even the purpose of the war itself. He used to believe that being a good soldier meant doing everything they told you to, but, after the incident with Krell, he learned that, sometimes, you have to make your own decisions.
That thought led him into another thought: did he have to kill the Jedi? Could he disobey orders, as he had done on Umbara? But the chancellor had been strict. If he tried to run away, he would be hunted down and killed. He didn't feel that that was a risk worth taking.
So he kept firing his twin concussion rifles, killing Jedi he had fought alongside of, and watching clones he had fought alongside of being killed. With every kill, he felt an odd pang in his head. It was as though his conscience was telling him, "Don't do it!" while the rest of his brain said, "Do it!" Which part of him should he listen to?
Yoda, the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, was commanding the Battle of Kashyyyk from the safety of the conference hall, perched on the giant Wroshyr tree. The open-walled wooden building was being used as a Republic command center as the Separatists continued to attack the Wookiees. Yoda stood near the edge of the platform with his two Wookiee guards, Chewbacca and Tarfful, standing behind him.
But Yoda wasn't concerned about the battle. There was a great disturbance in the Force unlike anything Yoda had felt in his 800 years as a Jedi Master. Earlier, he had felt the deaths of three Jedi almost at the same time. A fourth Jedi followed, and then a fifth. But the last Jedi didn't die. Yoda could feel that something much worse had happened to him.
And now, Yoda felt faint from the wave of emotions that washed over him. Jedi were dying nearly every minute. And with each death, Yoda's sickness increased to the point that he had dropped his gimer stick and fell against a pillar, clutching his aching head. Somehow, the Jedi were being exterminated.
He stood back up and tried to focus on the battle. Then he felt two presences near him. They were clone troopers; one of whom was Commander Gree. But the normally friendly feelings that came with them had been replaced by warnings. The Force was telling Yoda that the clones were a threat to him. So, in one swift movement, he ignited his lightsaber, jumped, and twirled.
When he landed on the ground, two helmeted clone heads rolled off their armored bodies, which fell on their backs. Chewbacca and Tarfful roared in surprise, and then began conversing with each other in their language of roars and growls, figuring out what was wrong. As they talked, Yoda stood, thinking. The clones were executing the Jedi. But why?
He explained the situation to the Wookiees, and, after a brief discussion, they offered the Jedi one of their escape pods hidden in the jungle. Yoda accepted their offer, and climbed onto Chewbacca's back. The two Wookiees ran out of the meeting hall.
And not a second too soon. For immediately after they left, the hall exploded behind them.
Another clone body crumpled at Ahsoka Tano's feet. Ahsoka hadn't caused the deaths of many beings in the past, and used to feel sorry for her victims, but, after all of the killing she had done today, it was becoming easier handle. What she really wanted to do, however, was pin one of the clones against the wall and interrogate him until she learned who was behind this attack. But, as so often happened, that was not an option. If she stopped fighting, she would be killed before she learned anything.
Ahsoka had somehow fought her way through the temple to the security center, where she was mopping up any clones she could find. She had been separated from the other Jedi, and hoped they were okay. After the last clone in the room was dead, Ahsoka moved towards the door to move on to the next area. But something caught her eye. There were live security hologram feeds covering many parts of the temple. She decided to look at them and see if she could find anyone she knew.
There were a few familiar Jedi, and many unfamiliar ones, but there was no sign of Tyzen Xebec. Ahsoka was slightly optimistic that he was in an area not being displayed. Then she looked at the Archive library and saw a sight that made her gasp. It was the cloaked traitor, only his back was turned to the camera, so Ahsoka couldn't see his face. But she instantly recognized the person he was dueling: Jocasta Nu!
Despite her age, Jocasta still had some skill with a lightsaber, and was holding up against the traitor well. She twirled her saber quickly in circles around her, attempting to knock her enemy's weapon from his hand. But he was strong. In fact, he may even have been too strong. He was obviously beginning to get frustrated by Jocasta's refusal to give in, so he unleashed a Force blast, using all of his rage to back it. Jocasta flew backwards across the room, and out of sight of the camera. The traitor ran after her, hoping to make the final move.
Ahsoka gasped in sudden fear. Jocasta was in danger! Ahsoka didn't waste any time. She ran as fast as she could back to the library, ignoring the clone troopers she passed on the way. Her only emotion at that moment was hope – hope that she wasn't too late.
The clones had almost won the Battle of Utapau. Even though General Grievous was dead, the remaining droid forces continued to defend their base. But without an organic commander, they couldn't move to any other areas or target specific enemies. This allowed the clones to take out their literally stupid enemies easily.
Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Grievous' murderer, was riding a veractyl lizard named Boga through the battle, looking for Commander Cody, Obi-Wan's loyal second-in-command. Obi-Wan eventually found him on a landing platform. The Jedi slowed Boga to a halt and Cody walked up to hear his orders.
"Commander," said Obi-Wan, "contact your troops. Tell them to move to the higher levels."
Cody nodded. "Very good, sir." He had turned back to the rest of the clones when he suddenly remembered. "Oh, and by the way, I think you'll be needing this." Cody pulled an object off of his utility belt and offered it to Obi-Wan. It was Obi-Wan's lightsaber, which he had dropped while chasing Grievous.
Obi-Wan took his weapon and ignited it. "Thank you, Cody. Now, let's get a move on. We've got a battle to win here!"
As Obi-Wan urged Boga forward, Cody replied, "Yes, sir!" He watched as Boga ran onto the dirt highway that encircled the sinkhole-city.
At that moment, Cody's holoprojector beeped. He removed it from his belt and activated it. A hologram of Chancellor Palpatine sprang up. "Commander Cody," he said, "The time has come. Execute Order 66."
After a second's hesitation, Cody nodded. "Yes, my lord." He pocketed the device and pointed at Obi-Wan. "Blast him!"
The gunner atop the AT-TE complied, and fired two artillery shots at the cliff where Obi-Wan and Boga were. The first shot landed just in front of the pair, and Boga panicked. She reared up in fear, and Obi-Wan nearly fell off the lizard. The second shot scared Boga enough to make her slip and fall off the cliff.
Obi-Wan and Boga fell hundreds of meters until they hit the surface of the subterranean ocean. Cody looked down to make sure Obi-Wan didn't resurface. After a few minutes, Cody was satisfied that the Jedi had drowned. But he knew it never hurt to make sure. So he decided to send probe droids to the bottom of the sinkhole to search for Obi-Wan's body.
But Obi-Wan hadn't died. As he sank into the water, he fumbled for the small rebreather device on his belt. He slipped it into his mouth and began breathing again. He would wait maybe half an hour, and then he would climb up the sinkhole's walls.
Ahsoka Tano felt a disturbance in the Force. A strong presence had been suddenly extinguished. This made her even more afraid for Jocasta Nu. She arrived at the library, on the second floor. She darted towards the staircase and took the steps two at a time. Her heart was pounding heavily in her chest, and she felt as though she was about to have a panic attack. If Jocasta was dead, who else would be left to help Ahsoka overcome this tragedy? All of the other Jedi were spread across the galaxy, probably being attacked by their troops, too.
As the bottom of the stairs loomed closer, time seemed to slow down. Ahsoka wanted to reach her friend as fast as she could. She wanted to help her, to save her. As soon as she touched the floor, time resumed its normal flow. Ahsoka turned the corner and jumped back in shock. Lying on the floor in front of her was Jocasta Nu, with a burning hole through her chest. Her face, though lifeless, had an expression of shock burned into it, a ghost of her last emotion.
Ahsoka was leaning against the wall, her heart still pounding. Her breathing came in short gasps, her legs seemed to go numb, a strange lump formed in her throat, and tears stung her eyes. She couldn't believe this. Jocasta Nu was dead. Dead! One of Ahsoka's mentors had been killed in cold blood!
Ahsoka approached the body cautiously, half-afraid that the moment she came too close, it would suddenly jump up and strangle her to death. Which was nonsense, of course. Satisfied, Ahsoka dropped to her knees and knelt beside the librarian. She checked for vital signs, just to make sure. There were none.
All of the grief Ahsoka had felt at that moment was, naturally, replaced by anger. She was positive now that the murderer was a Jedi who had turned to the Dark Side. Only a Jedi Knight or a Sith Lord could have done this despicable act. It was highly unlikely that the clones would suddenly decide to take orders from a Sith Lord, and even more unlikely that a Jedi would kill one of his own kindred unless he had been corrupted. Yes, it was definitely a Dark Jedi. But the question was, who? Who would have left the Jedi Order and turned to the Dark Side?
While Ahsoka was thinking, she became suddenly aware that she was in immediate danger. With the help of the Force, she whirled around and brought up her lightsaber just in time to block an attack by another lightsaber. It was the Dark Jedi, but now Ahsoka could see his face clearly.
She was horrified! She hoped it was a hallucination, a nightmare! All of the emotions she had felt upon discovering Jocasta's body were instantly doubled. No, tripled! She wanted to die. She wanted to curl up into a ball and die right then and there. She would much sooner accept death than this terrifying truth. "Master!" she screamed.
But it wasn't just any master, it was her master. Yes, Anakin Skywalker, a champion podracer, hotshot pilot, powerful Jedi Knight, hero of the Clone Wars, and teacher of Ahsoka Tano, had turned to the Dark Side!
To be continued…