Chapter 19: Order 66
Asori is standing guard on the command deck of the same ship as Jedi Master Mace Windu and General Grievous. She watches as her nation's capital planet is getting invaded with full force. She grinds her teeth in frustration. She has to-no, she wants to do something. She wants to start firing on the people on the ship and take control of it. She wants to protect her Nation. She wants to protect her home.
But she can not. Asori was thoroughly trained by Watcher to never compromise her identity, not even when her home is going up in flames. Even if she has to kill Watcher herself. She place her hand on the wall to steady herself when the cruiser took a hit. She smirk internally; she's glad that her Nation is not going out without a fight.
"Sir, enemies has boarded the cruiser!"
"I got it." Asori made sure her weapon is ready to fire. "Send the location to my communicator." Before anyway can protest she left the command deck.
Asori gingerly jog down the hallways, bumping into the walls as the ship does invasive maneuvers. All of the sudden, she get a call from her communicator that she uses for SOI. She skids to a stop and hides in random room. She checks the area to make sure it is clear. She holstered her blaster before answering it.
A mini hologram of Watcher appeared. "Is it finally time to attack, Watcher?" Asori said with devious grin.
Watcher nods in affirmation. "Yes it is Cipher 3."
"What would you have me-"
"Execute Ghost Protocol, Code-word: Empire."
From just uttering that last word, Asori's eyes dilated, her shoulders sagged, her grip on her communicator loosen. She has no idea what is happening and why she can not move. It's like her body is no longer hers.
"W-w-what is going on with me?" She is glad she can at least speak her mind.
"Simple brainwashing technique that my Master taught me." Watcher answered. "All agents of mine undergo the process during their training. Well, except for the clones."
Asori can not believe what she is hearing. "Wh-"
"Agent you are to eliminate all hostiles of the Galactic Empire alongside the clones. You are to lead them for the extermination of the Jedi or till I order you otherwise. Then, you are to kill yourself." Watcher coldly commanded.
Tears start running down her cheeks as she stood at attention, saluting to the hologram of Watcher. "Yes ma'am."
Watcher hung up and Asori pocketed her communicator. Against her own will, she took out her weapon and left the room. She was welcomed by two squads of clones that looked like they were in a trance. She started walking, with the clones right behind her.
"What was all this for?" Asori asked herself.
She can not believe this is happening to her. She can not believe she has been betrayed. She can not believe her fate is already sealed. As her body moves on automatic, more tears came pouring out. The equality she sought and promised was a lie.
Asori and her squads of clones are outside the door of the command deck. She made the hand gestures to clones to tell them to stack up on the door and be ready to breach. She took out a grenade and a EMP grenade from her satchel. Asori is trying with all her might to tell her body to stop. She does not want be anyone's slave.
Asori signals the clone across from her to open the door. She roll the grenades in the room and the clone immediately close it. A few seconds later explosion was heard from inside the command deck.
The clone open the door to show those inside the face of the Galactic Empire's Army so they can deliver merciless judgement of those whom the Emperor deemed a threat. As Asori fires upon the surviving soldiers in the command deck, she keeps on repeating three words in her mind.
Fuck my life.
Captain Joker, correction, former Captain Joker, is in an interrogation cell on Kamino. He is whistling to kill the boredom. He does not regret his actions. To him, what he has done was for the betterment of his brothers and himself. Though he wished no blood of his kind had be shed, he knows sometimes a little blood is necessary for change.
The door open to reveal Jedi Master Shaak Ti. She calmly enter the room. She wonders how such a good soldier could betray the Republic, or rather the Empire. She still does not understand why the Senate agree on such an idiotic decision.
"I'm so disappointed in you Joker."
"CT-19275."
The Jedi raised a eyebrow in confusion. "Excuse me?"
Joker narrow his eyes unto hers. "CT-19275 is the name you Jedi and the scientist labeled me. You don't deserve to call me by what my brothers named me."
She sighed. She folded her hands behind her back. "Brothers? From what you did today, I do not think you deserve to call them such."
Joker lean back in his chair. "You wouldn't understand. I did what I had to do. What I did was for freedom of my brothers."
Shaak Ti sat down in the chair across from Joker. "How does killing your own make you free?" She asked. Before she starts the interrogation, she wants to know why he did what he did. If he felt such strong convictions, then maybe even more clones feel the same thing.
He smirks at his former General. "You would understand if you met him."
"Him? Who is him?" She wonders which enemy he is talking about. Dooku? His son? Or perhaps someone they have yet to meet?
Just as Shaak Ti was about to press further, the door open. She sighed; she had told them not to interrupt her. She stood up and turn around to only be face-to-face with a barrel of a blaster. The clone fired a clean headshot on Shaak Ti.
Joker jumps in his seat from the sudden blaster fire. What the hell is going on? Why did his brothers kill the Jedi? A clone place a holocommunicator on the table and hit the button to commence the transmission.
Joker watches his brothers in confusion. They are standing at attention like they are awaiting orders. It is creeping him out. "Uh, guys?"
"Cipher 12."
Hearing his code-name, Joker focuses his attention onto the holocommunicator on the table. "Watcher?" How did his brothers get a hold of Watcher? Are they agents of SOI also? "Watcher, I guess I have t-"
"Execute Order 66."
Somewhere in Joker's brain, something clicked, awoken if you will, upon the order that was given. He stood up and saluted to Watcher. "It shall be done Mistress." The call end after that.
A clone handed Joker a blaster rifle and a helmet. He don the helmet and ready up his weapon. He lead the clones out of the cell. They surgically started to remove all hostiles in their home. Jedi that gave them freewill, scientists that gave them life, bounty hunters that taught them how to fight. All who oppose or may oppose the Empire. No survivors.
As Joker execute some padawans that was station at his home after Operation: Tremor, he, alongside his brothers were chanting the same sentence over and over.
Good soldiers follow orders.
Ahsoka just killed another squad of clones that had fired upon her. She questions why they had attacked her. She told them she is a padawan but they did not listen. It was like talking to a wall.
She stops for a second to catch her breath. Ahsoka had been running for about a hour and that fight with Ventress and the little skirmishes she had with enemy troops had made her extremely tired.
She places the heel of her hand in her eyes. "What the hell is going on?!" Ahsoka can feel thousands of Jedi connection to the force ceasing one after another. Tears start running down her cheeks. "Coquer, I'm scared." She whispered.
Ahsoka heard the familiar sound of a lightsaber being lit. She remove her hands from her eyes to look at the individual who she knows she has to fight. It was Dooku and based on how he is breathing, he is also exhausted. But what surprised her is that he was holding the person she was looking for.
She stood up and activated her lightsabers. "Let go of him!" She barked.
Dooku gently place his son on the ground. "I'm sorry Jedi but I prefer my son alive." He got in a fighting stance.
"So do I." She hissed, getting in her fighting stance, looking for an opening.
He raised a eyebrow in shock. He did not expect someone wanting his son alive. "In that case," He deactivate his weapon. "Let's work together."
"Wait, what?" Did she heard him correctly? She picks her ear to clean out any gunk in there. "I was pretty sure I cleaned my ears today." There's no way Dooku would want to work together with someone of the Jedi Order.
"Humorous." Dooku pick up his son, trying put his weight onto him. "Let's go, my ship is close by. Defend us until we reach there."
If you told Ahsoka that she would work together with a Sith Lord to protect another Sith Lord, she would probably call the police because you are mentally insane. She guess she is the insane one now.
She sighed; putting her weapons away. "Lead the way."
Anakin and Shilia are walking side by side, with Anakin donning a frown while his co-hort has a gleeful smile on her face. Since they want the same man dead, they had reached an agreement. They shall work together to eliminate the thorn they had at their side for so long. And since Shilia actually adore the idea of the Empire, she decided that she shall join them. She had always wanted more power.
"Skywalker, since we are probably going to be working with each other for a long time, I suggest we kill those of my Order after dealing with him."
"We shall if my Master bids it." He stated.
She rolls her eyes. "Of course." She can already tell this relationship is going to be riveting.
Anakin presses the button on his communicator. "Miram, do you read?"
Miram? Shilia wonders who is that. His handler perhaps?
"Yes, Lord Vader?" Miram answered.
"So that's Miram, huh?" Shilia commented. She won't lie, Miram's voice sounds quite lovely. It reminds her of a singer she once knew.
"Who is that?"
"Shilia Norsrus of the Knight Order. She decided to work with the Empire." Anakin answered.
"..."
Shilia glance at Anakin in the corner of her eye. "It seems she does not like new friends."
"I do not like unknowns, Miss Norsrus." Miram stated.
"Please, call me Shilia."
"I rather not." Miram stated rather coldly.
"Miram." Anakin does not want their squabbling to interfere with his mission. "Where is Dooku and his son?"
"One moment."
Anakin and Shilia patiently wait for the information. They walked by a soldier who was begging for help. Shilia broke his neck with the force without a second thought. They continued with their stroll after that.
"Lord Vader, he, alongside your padawan, are on their way to the far east exit of the base." She stated. "You best hurry my Lord, they are getting close to Dooku's ship."
"Ahsoka?" He is quite shock to hear about his padawan being here. Why is she here? Does not matter. She is of the Jedi Order and they all must be eliminated. No matter how much he does not want to kill her.
"We understood Miram." Shilia said, noticing that Anakin is not confirming what they heard.
When Anakin ended the call, they took a left turn. Ventress is on the opposite side of the hallway from them. They know they do not have time for this. Anakin was about to light his lightsaber until Shilia stop him.
"I got this. You stand a better chance of defeating the two than I." She shook her stump of arm that was cut off to prove a point.
He nodded in affirmation before taking off. Ventress was about to attack but was pushed to the wall, giving Anakin time to run away. Shilia grabbed hold of her lightsaber and activated it. She got in a defensive stance. She needs to be more careful than usual since she no longer have her dominant hand.
Ventress got up from the ground. She does not think she can escape from this one. Her stamina still has not recovered from her fight with Ahsoka. She activated her lightsabers.
"Why does everyone get in my way." She charges at Shilia.
Shilia blocks a attack that was sure to behead her if she did not have good reflexes. "I was thinking the same thing."
Dooku and Ahsoka finally arrive at his ship. They were lucky they did not have any skirmishes on the way to their goal. Dooku used the force to open his solar sailer's door, automatically bringing down a ramp.
"Let's hurry."
Ahsoka nodded and followed Dooku on the ship.
"Ahsoka!"
Ahsoka stopped in her tracks. Her heart is racing for she knows who said her name. She had hoped that she would not fight her Master. She started making a fist with her hands. Ahsoka curtly turned to face her Master; Anakin Skywalker.
"Master." She solemnly said.
Anakin began walking towards her. "Why are you here, and why are you with them?" He asked.
Ahsoka avoided looking into his eyes. It hurts too much to do so. What she is doing is basically treason to the Jedi Order. She knows her Master would not understand.
"Ahsoka!" She flinched when he yelled her name.
"I think that is enough Skywalker." Dooku came from inside the ship. He had to make sure his son is secure inboard his sailer before confronting the fallen Jedi.
Anakin's face scrunch up in anger. "You!" He snarled. "You and your son are the cause of this!" He declared. "If you two weren't alive, none of this would had happen!"
"Perhaps." Dooku began walking down the ramp. He walked right past Ahsoka as he activated his red lightsaber. "But as the only and last good deed I would do for my son, I will not let you pass."
Anakin lit his lightsaber. "I have become more powerful than you can imagine." He point his blade at him. "I will pay back what you did to this galaxy with your death."
Ahsoka can't believe what she is hearing. Her Master was never like this before. What happened to him she wondered?
"Jedi." Ahsoka look at the back of Dooku. "Take my sailer and go. Coordinates of one of my hideouts are already inputted." He glanced at her in the corner of his eye. He smile softly. "Please take care of my son."
Anakin focuses his attention to his padawan. "Don't you do it Ahsoka! That man needs to die for my Empire!"
Ahsoka eyes widen in shock. His Empire? Tears start building up. She closes her eyes in an attempt to stop the tears from pouring out. He is no longer her Master. Her Master is dead. He is someone else now.
She opens her eyes with newfound determination. "I will not let anything happen to him Dooku." Ahsoka ran inside the ship, closing the door, ignoring her former-Master's pleads.
She ran to the pilot seat. She took control of the helm and lifted off. She uses some of her fancy flying skills to dodge enemy fire. Once she got a clearing, entered into hyper-space to the coordinates Dooku previously inputted.
Emperor Palpatine is waiting to hear the success of his plan. It has been almost twelve hours since he gave Miram the order to execute Order 66. He turned his chair to face the window to be bestow the sight of a lifetime. The Jedi Temple in flames. After so many years of waiting, plotting, and backstabbing, the Jedi and the Republic are no more. His Master, Darth Plagueis, would have been pleased to hear of his success. Too bad he had killed him.
He brought his attention to his beeping communicator. He answered it; "Is it done Commander?"
"Yes my Lord. No survivors, not even the younglings." The clone commander answered.
Palpatine can not help but to smile from hearing the good news. "Good. Good. Now Commander, destroy everything of the temple. I don't want any evidence that a Jedi exist, but save the holocrons."
"It shall be done my Lord."
His personal holocommunicator started beeping. This day can not stop getting better. He ended the call with the clone to answer the call from his apprentice, Darth Vader.
A mini hologram of Anakin Skywalker appeared on the table. "Lord Vader, I assumed the deed has been done?"
"Count Dooku has been slain… but his son, alongside my former padawan had escape."
Palpatine growl in frustration. His apprentice had one job and he already fucked that up. The son of Dooku must not be allowed to live. He might start a rebellion and ruin his newly made Galactic Empire. "Find them and destroy them Vader. I will not accept failure for this."
Anakin bowed. "I will not fail you."
"See that you don't Lord Vader." Palpatine menacingly stated.
Anakin stood up. "I also have some good news Master." Shilia appeared in the hologram with a chained and beaten Ventress. Shilia pushed her to the ground.
Shilia bowed to show respect. "Hello Darth Sidious. My name is Shilia Norsrus of a secret order of force users." She stood up, still having a gleeful grin plastered on her face. "And I like to join you."
Palpatine cup his chin. Secret order of force users? Is she of the same order of the man he had killed? Is it worth the risk of having another force user under his banner? She and his apprentice might usurp him of his power.
"Why do you want to join us?"
She chuckled. "Simple. I want power. That's the reason why I joined the order in the first place. Keeping balance to the force was to make me feel good at the end of the day."
Hmm? Palpatine needs to eliminate any other force using orders if he wants his Empire to last. It seems she is a must since he has no idea that another order existed in the galaxy. Though he will need to keep a close eye on her in case she proves to be more trouble than she is worth. "Very well Miss Norsrus. You shall, for now on, be our Grand Inquisitor, tasked to eliminate any remaining Jedi or those of your order." He declared. "Your first mission is to head back to your order and kill them. Spare no one."
Shilia bowed. "Gladly." She left after receiving her order.
Ventress tries to get away but Anakin stop her. "What about her?"
"Interrogate her for any information that pertains to the boy, then place her in prison." Palpatine grinned. "He will come for her."
"I shall start the interrogation right away." Anakin end the call after that.
Palpatine turned his chair around to resume his outlook on the burning Jedi Temple. "Long live the Empire." He starts laughing like a villain of comic who had finally killed the hero.
Miram is calmly walking out of the ruins of the home base of the Inizi Nation, humming a tune. Everything had gone as planned. The Jedi and the Separatist had or soon to be slaughter by their own troops. And since they are in every single system that the Inizi Nation is in, they are too spread out to help each other. The Inizi Nation is done for. The Republic is no more. The Confederacy has dissipated. Now the only thing left standing is the Galactic Empire.
"For peace." She said to herself, smirking.
THE END
A/N: So, yeah. I don't really have anything to say. A epilogue is going to be posted probably by Monday or Wednesday.