"Loyalty means everything to the clones."
– Anakin Skywalker

"He wiped his hyperspace travel and fuel records."

Wolffe growled and raised his comm. "Any update on the Separatist leaders?"

"No, sir. We think they may have fled the planet." One of his men responded.

"Keep looking." Wolffe huffed, resisting the urge to kick the burnt remains of General Grievous over the edge of the platform.

"Patience, Wolffe. I am sure that a solution will present itself." Plo Koon stepped out of the cockpit of the fighter and sat on the wing next to Wolffe. "Even if we fail in our efforts now, you did very well in destroying Grievous."

Wolffe took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. "Thank you, General Plo. It's been an honor to serve with you, sir."

"The honor has been mine, Commander."

A beep from a comm interrupted them. Wolffe reached into the hidden compartment on his belt and pulled out the holocomm that he had never used before, though he knew its purpose. "It's the Chancellor."

"Then you had best take it." General Plo patted Wolffe on the shoulder. Wolffe nodded and walked across the platform to take the call. The Chancellor appeared in his hand, at least, it should've been the Chancellor. He didn't recognize the hooded man before him, but he did know his voice, and he did know his command.

"It is time. Execute Order 66."

Wolffe felt strangely empty. "Yes, my Lord." The hologram of the Chancellor faded away and he put the holocomm back into the compartment. Clone Protocol 66. He hadn't thought about the contingency protocols in years. He was surprised that he remembered them. Then again, they'd been engrained in him through his training.

"Are you alright, son?" His general, the supposed traitor. Wolffe was suddenly aware of the blaster he had taken into his hands.

"Stay back!" If Plo was out of reach, he wasn't an aggressor. If he wasn't an aggressor, Wolffe didn't have to kill him. But those had been his orders, and good soldiers follow orders. Wolffe was a good soldier, he followed orders.

And yet, he could feel something else stirring. The feeling of dread that had been trickling down his spine reached a downpour. If General Plo was a traitor, he would've felt it. He knew his brothers were dying. He couldn't have explained how, but he knew that across the galaxy clones were being killed by the Jedi. His hand began to tremble. But not his Jedi. They weren't being killed by his Jedi, and they had fired first. This was all a misunderstanding. Any moment now a counterorder would be given and they could grieve. But the order didn't come. He was muttering something under his breath, a phrase that had been encoded in him for as long as he could remember, that was so familiar to him that he didn't register his chant.

"Wolffe. Let me help you." General Plo took a step in his direction, Wolffe scrambled backwards to keep the distance between them as he raised the blaster.

"Stay away from me." Maybe if he backed up then Wolffe could lower his blaster. He needed to lower his blaster. He needed to lower his blaster after he had fired it and obeyed orders like a good soldier. General Plo was lying to him, he would kill him too. But General Plo wasn't lying and Wolffe could feel waves of concern coming off the man. He wanted to help; the Chancellor was wrong. Wolffe couldn't breathe.

"Wolffe." He took another step closer, too close. His hands were at his side, his lightsaber could spring into his hand at any moment and he could kill Wolffe. He was going to kill him. The Chancellor was right, he wanted to kill him; the Jedi were traitors.

Wolffe had orders, and he was a good soldier. He followed his orders.

He barely registered the slight pressure he put on the trigger, the kickback of the blaster in his hand, or the tears falling from his eyes. The only thing he could see was the look of betrayal on his former general's face as he died.

— — —

Obi-Wan Kenobi stood side-by-side with Commander Cody, looking over Mandalore from the bridge of their Venator, watching the return of the last of their forces from the surface. A clone carrying a datapad approached from behind.

"General Kenobi, Commander Cody, the latest briefing has come in."

"Thank you, Wooley. We'll take it in the command center." Cody turned to Obi-Wan. "Want to have a look?"

Obi-Wan smiled. "I'm sure it's more good news, but alright." He followed his commander to the briefing room, closing the door behind them. In the sound of the door, he missed the chime of a holocomm. "From what I understand, Master Plo has managed to retake Utapau completely. However, Separatist leadership is nowhere to be found on the planet. They must have fled when the Wolfpack showed up. Maybe this briefing will have more on information on-, Cody, are you listening?"

Cody stood still, holding his helmet in one hand and the holocomm in the other. He slowly returned the holocomm to his belt as he let his helmet fall to the floor.

"Cody?" Obi-Wan stepped forward. Cody's eyes were glassy and unfocused, his pupils dilated so much as to nearly hide the golden of his irises. "Cody, CC-2224, can you hear me?" Cody blinked slowly, as if it was an effort, then raised his blaster from its holster.

The first shot missed. The second would have hit its target had Obi-Wan's lightsaber not sprung into his hands. "Cody!"

"Good soldiers follow orders; good soldiers follow orders." Cody was muttering under his breath as he advanced upon Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan ducked under another blaster shot and raked his lightsaber across the door controls, sealing them in.

"Cody, you are a good soldier. Fight it!" Obi-Wan blocked the next two shots but was unable to block Cody's lunge. Cody's fingers wrapped around Obi-Wan's throat and pushed him into the wall. Obi-Wan reached into the Force and flung Cody across the small room. Cody's head made contact with the metal wall, and he fell limp to the floor.

Obi-Wan advanced slowly towards the clone, stopping and stepping back when Cody rolled over onto his side. Where his head had been was a smear of blood.

"Kill me."

Obi-Wan walked over to his commander with caution. Though Cody's blaster lay halfway across the room behind Obi-Wan the man was still exceptionally skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Obi-Wan knelt by Cody's side, tensed for an attack that never came.

"Obi-Wan." The sound of his name brought his focus to Cody's face. His pupils were no longer dilated, and his eyes focused on Obi-Wan's face. "Please kill me. I can't-," his body jerked in on itself, "-soldiers follow-" as he let out a pained gasp, "-I can't stop it."

Obi-Wan gathered his injured commander in his arms and pressed Cody's forehead into the crook of his neck, his hand resting on the nape as he tapped into Cody's presence in the Force. The commander's energy was weak and pained. And fading. Obi-Wan came to a decision. He found Cody's heartbeat with his sword-hand and shakily pressed the hilt of his lightsaber against the drumming.

"Please, Obi-Wan." A pained mutter into Obi-Wan's shoulder. He felt Cody grasp the lightsaber hilt below his hand, holding it steady. In the Force, Cody's energy began to flicker, disappearing into nothingness.

"I'm sorry, Cody." Obi-Wan ran his fingers through Cody's hair for a few moments before his hand stilled, holding the commander's face against his robes, and he pressed down on the activator of his lightsaber. Cody jerked once in his grasp, letting out a muffled cry, then was still.

— — —

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

Anakin looked horrible. He refused to look Rex in the eye, focusing instead on the right cheek. For many beings this would have been an imperceptible slight, but for a solider it was horrific. What orders could come from a general who was unable to look his men in the eye as he gave them a command? He waited until the door to the barracks briefing room closed before he spoke.

"I did, Commander Rex. I need you to prepare the men."

"Sir, what's going on?"

Anakin set a hand on Rex's shoulder and was finally able to make eye contact with his right-hand man. "You've been promoted, Rex, to lead the march on the Jedi Temple." Rex's mouth opened and closed as he tried to find the words to form a response. He was getting a headache. Surely, he had misinterpreted what General Skywalker had said? "The Jedi have betrayed the Republic, Rex. I watched Master Windu attempt to assassinate the Chancellor myself. We must subdue them before they make another attempt to overthrow the Republic."

"Yes, sir." It was all he could say. Rex trusted Anakin. The man had never lied to him, had entrusted him with protecting the secret of his marriage. Rex was prepared to give his life for his general, or for Padme, or for Ahsoka. It was what he was meant to do, but it was also the ultimate way for him to thank Anakin for his honesty, hell, for his friendship. But the Jedi, traitors of the Republic?

"Find me when the 501st is ready." Anakin squeezed Rex's shoulder, then let his hand fall as he left the briefing room.

Rex couldn't find it in himself to reach for his comm. His hands hung limply at his sides as he thought about what he would have to do. What his men would have to do. He reached back for the ache in the back of his skull and ran his hands along his close-shorn hair as he tried to pinpoint the location of the lingering pain. Then an agony exploded in his chest. Rex grasped at his breastplate as he fell to his knees, feeling as though his heart was on fire in his chest. Then as quickly as it started, the pain stopped.

Tears splashed down onto his armor, which remained white and uncharred. 'Cody.' His lips moved to form his brother's name, but no sound came out. They had just talked, he had just been alive, but the only difference between Cody dead and Cody alive was the burn of blasterfire on his breast.

No.

A lightsaber.

This time, he had no issue raising the comm to his lips.

— — —

Obi-Wan set the body down gently, trying not to look at the two wet patches on his shoulder, or the blood on his hand, or notice the tears that leaked down his own cheeks. He failed on all counts, and the pain of Cody's loss was added to the myriad of pain he was feeling through the force. He could feel Jedi being slain all across the galaxy, betrayed by the men who had served them for the past three years. He could feel the clones now too. A million voices in the Force. A wave of panic then silence in each battalion as they received the command. There was nothing he could do to help them. Obi-Wan lay Cody's hand over his ruined chest and pushed his hair away from his face for the last time. With the wound covered, he could have been sleeping. But the dark hole in the force around the body said otherwise.

"Commander!" There was a banging on the doors. Obi-Wan looked around desperately for an escape. He found one in the ventilation system above the command table. A tight fit, but he had no other choice. No sooner had he closed the grate behind him when the doors fell inward and clone troopers advanced into the room, blasters drawn. Not daring to move for fear of making noise, Obi-Wan watched as one knelt by Cody's body. Wooley set a hand on Cody's chest, the other reaching for the exposed skin of Cody's throat.

After a few moments Wooley rose and shook his head. "He's dead, Captain."

Another yellow-painted clone walked over and knelt by the body. He removed Cody's hand from his heart and examined the burn.

"The Jedi killed him." He stood up again. "Jettison the escape pods and send as many men as we can spare to guard the hanger. The Jedi must pay for his treason."

Obi-Wan waited until the clones had left the room before shimmying further into the air ducts. He went as far as the maintenance halls before he dropped down from the shaft. The maintenance halls were empty, but he was careful to keep his footsteps light so as to not alert the clone troopers below of his presence. They were out for blood now, not simply following orders but looking to avenge the death of a brother they had all looked up to. Obi-Wan could feel their sadness and anger radiating through the Force.

When he found himself above a deserted hallway he brought out his comm. "Arfour, I need you to start up my fighter." He stopped to listen to the string of beeps that came as a response. "If the clones ask, tell them that you have been ordered to destroy it."

If there was a response he would never know. He shut the comm off when he heard the sound of blast doors opening beneath him. After the clones had passed, he continued through the maintenance halls until he found himself standing on the edge of the hanger. A platoon of men awaited him, standing before the doors with their hands resting on the handles of their blasters. If he moved quietly, he could perhaps slip by unnoticed. His ship was only two bays down, he could hear the hum of the engines. Using the Force, he opened the grate covering the entrance to the hall, and slipped out into the shadows of the hanger bay. He replaced the cover just as softly, and moved quickly towards his fighter, keeping to the shadows and using the Force to boost his speed and muffle his footsteps. He was climbing into the cockpit when one of the troopers turned back in a stretch.

"The Jedi!" The platoon turned, raising their blasters as Obi-Wan flung himself into the cockpit. He began to take off before the canopy had fully shut, raising the shields as soon as it sealed around him. He managed to not catch any of the blaster fire himself but heard the unmistakable squeal of an astromech as R4-P17 was hit. As soon as the shields were raised he launched his fighter into the sky, the force of the engines flinging several clones across the hanger floor.

R4 had already opened the hanger doors in preparation for the supposed destruction of the fighter and Obi-Wan set his course back towards Mandalore. Several ARC-170 fighters and some Y-wings that had accompanied the Venator turned to follow him. Obi-Wan grimaced as the fighters opened fire. Some shots collided with his starfighter but were held off by the shields. For now. He needed somewhere to go. Obi-Wan found himself punching in the coordinates for Coruscant out of habit. He would have time to think on the journey and perhaps change his destination. But if he stayed over Mandalore, he would be shot down by the men he had once commanded. Once the jump had been calculated he swerved back towards the Venator, passing through the line of fighters that pursued him, aiming for his hyperspace ring. One of the ARC-170s swerved off to pursue him, no doubt realizing his intention. But they were too far behind. Obi-Wan always kept a hyperspace loop active in case he was needed somewhere away from his fleet, and he was thankful for that preparation now. The loop locked around his fighter. With the pull of a lever, Obi-Wan left Mandalore and the 212th behind.

— — —

Ahsoka knew something was wrong. She sat in Rex's bunk with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. When she had returned from the showers Rex had been gone. So, she'd waited. The words she had heard rattled around inside her head. Anakin was in such pain. She didn't know what to do. Rex always knew what to do. Then another wave of pain hit her. Rex. He needed her. Sensing a presence at the door she stood up.

The door slid open, but instead of Rex she found Anakin standing before her. With a soft cry she flung herself into her master's arms and he wrapped his arms around her as she let out a loud sob. Anakin ran his hand down her back headtail and held her until her breathing evened out.

"Ahsoka, something terrible has happened. The Republic has been betrayed."

"Betrayed? By who?" Surely not-

"The Jedi Council."

Ahsoka wanted to push Anakin away. She wanted to scream. And yet, she believed him. The Council had been so willing to throw her out without hearing her side of the story, even Master Yoda had admitted how the Dark Side of the Force was clouding their judgement. It was not impossible that they had fallen to its manipulations. Besides, Anakin had never lied to her. He had always had her back, unconditionally, and had trusted her with so many of his secrets. She couldn't believe that he'd turn on her now.

"I want you to go to Padme and protect her for me. I would go myself, or send Rex, but we're needed elsewhere. I need you to keep her safe. I'll explain everything when it's over."

And how could she say no to that? She pulled away from his arms and nodded. "Yes, Master."

Anakin escorted her out of the barracks to a waiting speeder. They didn't pass anyone on their way out and she wondered where the clones were. Surely they were rallying to protect the Senate or the Chancellor.

"Take my speeder, I'll find you when this is over."

She nodded again, slipping behind the controls. Before she took off from the platform she looked back. There was Anakin, robes billowing in the wind. Behind him she saw Rex step out of the door to the barracks. She couldn't read his helmeted expression and for a moment she felt guilty about leaving him behind, but Anakin would be there for him, as he always had been. Right now, Padme needed her.

— — —

Anakin watched the speeder shoot off into the Coruscant sky. Once it was out of sight, he brought out a holocomm.

"My Lord, my apprentice is out of our way."

"Well done, Lord Vader." Responded the hologram of Darth Sidious. "Are your men ready?"

Anakin gestured for Rex to join them and he approached. At Anakin's side he stopped and saluted Sidious. "The 501st is ready, sir."

Sidious nodded. "Commander, it is time to execute Order 66."

Since I've been posting this from a previously completed story I've left out the author's notes up to this point, but I would just like to extend my apologies at this point in the fic and would like to assure those who continue to read this story that I will be posting a much happier alternate ending to the story as the last chapter to cleanse your palate.

But while we're here, I just want to drop my favorite foreshadowing line from chapter 6: "If [Obi-Wan] couldn't save Cody, the least he could do would be to hold him as he died."