"It's not a thrilling climax; it's not the culmination of an epic struggle. Just the opposite, in fact. The Clone Wars were never an epic struggle. They were never intended to be. […] The Clone Wars have always been, in and of themselves, from their very inception, the revenge of the Sith."
- Revenge of the Sith novelization

Obi-Wan stared blankly at the blues waves of hyperspace before him. R4 was gone, so many Jedi were gone, Anakin- he couldn't think about Anakin right now. He and Ahsoka were still on Coruscant with the 501st. Ahsoka had practically moved into their barracks. He could only hope that she hadn't been there when the order had been given. An army commissioned by Count Dooku. And they had trusted them. Obi-Wan remembered an incident where one of Anakin's clones had gone rogue and killed a Jedi. How could they have been so foolish to overlook that? Or maybe the Sith Lord in the Senate had covered it up. They had been so close to discovering their identity, and now they never would. Maul was probably dead. The Sith would have never left such a loose end lying around at the pinnacle of their plot. Cody had heard some of it. The plan. That clones had been part of the plan. Maybe, if they'd had enough time they could have stopped it. If they had reached Coruscant and spoken before the Council they could have pieced it all together. That would never happen now. Cody was dead, preferring death to blind servitude. Maul was in the hands of the 212th. And the Jedi Council, they must have been destroyed. They all must have been destroyed. No loose ends. No survivors.

A series of beeps from his comm came to his attention. The Jedi recall code. It meant that the war was over, that it was time for the Jedi to return home. It was a trap. Obi-Wan reached for his comm.

"Emergency code nine-thirteen. This is Obi-Wan Kenobi." Silence greeted him. "Repeat, code nine-thirteen. This is Obi-Wan Kenobi. Is anyone out there?"

"Master Kenobi." A hologram sprung to life in his cockpit. It couldn't be-.

"Senator Organa. My clone troopers turned on me. I need help."

"We have just rescued Master Yoda. It appears this ambush has happened everywhere. We're sending you our coordinates."

"Have you heard from anyone else?"

A pause. Obi-Wan knew the answer before Bail spoke. "No."

"Coordinates received. Thank you, Senator Organa." Obi-Wan plugged the new coordinates into the hyperspace drive and set off to the rendezvous.

— — —

The Jedi Temple was in ruins. Fires ravaged its halls and rooms, caring not whether the things they consumed were inorganic or corpses. Dead clones and dead Jedi littered the floors. The living clones still patrolled for Jedi survivors and their wounded brethren. The medics had been the first to withdraw from the attack to treat their brothers. Now the wounded were being taken off-site. Commander Rex watched his brothers being carried out from one of the balconies in the main auditorium. His still posture betrayed none of his racing thoughts. It had been a long night, and the dawn would not bring him comfort. He didn't think that anything would bring him comfort for a very long time.

At the sound of approaching footsteps Rex turned to face his general.

"Commander, I have just received new orders. You and the 501st are to remain here and ensure that the Temple is secured. I am needed elsewhere. Answer to no one but myself and the Chancellor."

"Yes, sir!" Rex watched after his general as he strode out of the doors. Once Lord Vader was out of sight- when had he become Lord Vader to him?- Rex took off his helmet and set his forehead against one of the cold stone pillars of the Temple in an attempt to calm his churning mind. Anakin Skywalker, Lord Vader, when had they switched? Was it before or after he had given the order for Operation Knightfall? Did the difference matter?

He pressed his head harder against the stone as his stomach heaved. But nothing came up but bile. He hadn't eaten in the last rotation, there was nothing to vomit. He spat the bile out and turned to see Jesse standing behind him. Jesse had always been light of step, and his footfalls had been lost in the sizzle of destruction.

"Commander Rex, are you okay, sir?"

"I'm fine, Lieutenant. Just the smoke."

Jesse slowly took off his helmet and stepped closer to his commander. The effect of the inhibitor chips on the clones was beginning to wear off. His pupils had returned to a normal size, and his eyes were misty.

"Rex, do you really believe that the Jedi betrayed the Republic?" A whisper. Nobody but the dead was around to hear their voices, and the crackling fires that burned in the lower auditorium sheltered their conversation from their brothers below, but dread still hung in the air around them.

"I don't think it matters anymore, Jesse. They betrayed us. I felt General Kenobi kill Cody. And here, even their younglings and padawans struck us down."

"In self-defense, Rex. You can't tell me that this was justified. I killed children!"

"You killed Jedi." Rex wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Jesse, or himself.

"I killed children. I don't know why I did it." Jesse scoffed. "I mean, I do know why. I was ordered to kill them. But we've never listened to orders before. What changed?"

"Jesse." Rex closed the distance between them and lay his hand on Jesse's pauldron. "Not another word, I don't want to lose you too."

Jesse's eyes widened and he stiffened under Rex's grip. "Sir, yes, sir."

Rex's heart broke at the fear in Jesse's eyes. Jesse had never been afraid of him before. But he would have to be now, for his own sake. If Lord Vader had heard him questioning orders, he'd be dead. Rex had watched it happen to at least one of his men who had refused to fire on a youngling. There had been a snap, and his brother had fallen like a ragdoll. He didn't remember his name.

Rex couldn't remember who had died or who he had killed. He didn't want to remember. If he remembered, he couldn't live with himself. He almost couldn't bear it anyways. Fives. Fives had been right and he had been killed for it, executed under the order of the Chancellor. Perhaps, so was Kix. Rex hadn't been there for him as he had been for Fives. He had failed so many. Ahsoka. He'd never be able to look her in the eye again. Did she know what was going on? Was she still alive? If alive, did she know that he had killed her people? He had seen her leave the barracks but didn't know where she had gone. He could only hope that it was to a place where there were no clones. He couldn't believe that Anakin would send his padawan to be slaughtered. But Darth Vader, he just might.

"Commander, are you with me?" Jesse had both hands on his shoulders, he could feel his grip through the plastoid.

Rex blinked away his distress. He couldn't think of those things now. He had orders, and while the small voice in his head had grown weaker it still whispered to him that good soldiers follow orders. "Yeah, yeah I'm with you. Come, I want men stationed at every door and access point to this building. Nobody gets in, nobody gets out. No survivors."

— — —

"Anakin!" Padme leapt from the couch to greet Anakin at her balcony, followed closely by Ahsoka. "Are you all right? We heard there was an attack on the Jedi Temple. You could see the smoke from here!"

"I'm fine. I'm fine." Anakin took his wife into his arms and held her close. Before, Ahsoka would have looked away. Now, her eyes clung to the display of affection as if it was her world. If she focused hard enough, it could be. "I came to see if the three of you are safe."

"What's happening?" Padme pulled back slightly to look him in the eye.

"The Jedi have tried to overthrow the Republic."

"But you said it was just the Council?" Ahsoka stepped forward to bring some of Anakin's attention to herself.

"I saw Master Windu attempt to assassinate the Chancellor myself. But it seems that the treason of the Jedi ran deeper than we initially thought."

"But what about the other Jedi? Master Plo wasn't a traitor."

"Master Plo wasn't on Coruscant. Perhaps he has come around to see the error of his ways."

But Ahsoka knew he was dead. She hadn't yet tried to reach out to him in the Force, she'd been so overwhelmed by the numbing pain of the day, but there was something inside of her telling her that there was no point in trying. She knew the pain that killing any of his men would've inflicted on Master Plo. She wondered if Wolffe had been the one to do it. In a way, she hoped so. It would've been quick.

"Anakin, what are you going to do?" Padme asked.

Anakin took a step away from Padme, turning to gaze over Coruscant. Smoke from the still-burning Temple filtered across the horizon, the smell still permeating the cityscape. Ahsoka stopped her mind from imagining what it looked like inside. She wouldn't allow herself to grieve until everything was over. She needed to remain strong for Anakin, for Padme, for their unborn child. They were counting on her.

"I will not betray the Republic." Anakin finally said. "My loyalties lie with the Chancellor, with the Senate, and with you."

"What about Obi-Wan?" Padme reached back out for her husband, holding onto his hands.

"I don't know. Many Jedi have been killed. We can only hope that he's remained loyal to the Chancellor."

"Anakin." Padme's voice broke and he pulled her back into his embrace. Ahsoka stepped forward and lay her hand on Padme's shoulder. She could be strong for her. She had to be strong for her or the images of her burning home would take over. She let a tear slide down her cheek anyways. She wished that Anakin had brought Rex with him. She refused to imagine what Rex was doing now, or what he had done. But at the same time, she refused to imagine that he was dead.

"Have faith, my love. Everything will soon be set right." Anakin pulled back from the embrace, fixing his gaze on Ahsoka. "The Chancellor has given us a very important mission. The Separatists have gathered on Mustafar. We're going there to end this war."

"I shouldn't, Master. I should stay here with Padme."

Anakin shook his head. "I need you with me, Ahsoka. We can end the Clone Wars, this may be our only chance."

"Okay." She spoke softly and moved to stand by his side.

Anakin turned his gaze back to Padme. "Wait for me until I return. Things will be different, I promise." He moved in to kiss her, and now Ahsoka looked away. There was no plausible deniability there. "Please, wait for me."

The next thing Ahsoka knew was that she was sitting behind her master in the cockpit of a starfighter as the lights of Coruscant faded behind them.

— — —

Wolffe didn't look up as the door to the cabin slid open. Two of his brothers stepped inside, closing the door once more behind them.

"Commander?" Boost prompted. "Do you mind the company?"

Wolffe didn't answer, keeping his gaze on the lightsaber he held in his hands.

"We'll leave if you want us to, but we'd rather stay." Sinker added.

They both looked around the cabin as they waited for a response or any acknowledgement of their presence. A Jedi's robe still hung on a hook by the door. It would have to be burned soon lest it be seen as inspiring. If they looked in the trunk at the end of the cabin they would have found some of the very few possessions of their former general. But they didn't.

It took Boost shifting his weight towards the door for Wolffe to speak.

"Stay."

So they did.