The Dark Path
Once again Obi-Wan stood before the door to Anakin's room, already knowing there was no one on the other side of it. He activated the controls and the door slid upward, revealing the spare and unoccupied quarters of his apprentice. Obi-Wan went inside, leaving the door open behind him, and sat on the edge of the bed. He looked down at the lightsaber cradled in his hands.
"Looking for your apprentice, are you?" Master Yoda asked, his small form appearing in the doorway. Obi-Wan looked over at the wizened Jedi Master.
"I'm sure he's gone to see Padme," Obi-Wan said quietly. "He didn't waste much time disobeying the Council." Obi-Wan let loose a heavy sigh. "Maybe it's better that way," he said thoughtfully, his eyes returning to the lightsaber. "I'm sure he'll listen to her. He certainly won't listen to me."
"Obi-Wan," Yoda said, stepping into the room, his walking stick clacking on the hard floor, "let young Skywalker make his own choices, you must."
"He never seems to make the right choice though, does he?" Obi-Wan asked sullenly. "He lets his passions rule him." Yoda sighed.
"Unwilling, you are, to let him fail," Yoda said gravely. Obi-Wan looked askance at him, trying to understand what Yoda meant.
"Are you saying I should have let him kill Maul?" Obi-Wan asked, confused.
"Delayed Anakin's revenge, you did," Yoda answered obliquely, "but change his heart, you did not." Obi-Wan could hardly believe what he was hearing.
"And if he'd executed Maul?" Obi-Wan demanded. "Would his heart have changed then?"
"Impossible to say," Yoda said, pursing his lips. "A powerful emotion, regret is. Now, his anger has only grown."
"Then I was wrong?" Obi-Wan demanded to know, giving Yoda a hard look.
"Hmmm," Yoda pondered Obi-Wan's question, "said that, I did not." Obi-Wan started to ask another question, but Yoda held up a three-fingered hand. "No more questions can I answer now, Obi-Wan. Required, my presence is, far from here."
"You're leaving?" Obi-Wan couldn't believe Yoda would abandon him at a time like this. "Now?"
"An uprising on Kashyyyk, there is," Yoda explained. "They do not acknowledge the Separatist surrender. Old friends am I, with the Wookies. So I must go." Obi-Wan sighed and shook his head.
"I thought the war was supposed to be over," he said as Yoda began to walk away. The ancient Jedi Master looked back over his shoulder at Obi-Wan.
"Only those who are one with the Force are free from conflict."
Padme boarded the transport to the Senate building behind her chief of staff just as the tone warning that the doors were closing began to go off. The second of her committee meetings had run long and now everything was in a rush. The other member of her entourage let out a series of rude raspberries as the doors nearly closed on his metal frame.
"Artoo, don't fall behind," she admonished the astromech as a friendly stranger reached out to hold open the door for the droid.
"Spirited little thing," the man who'd held the door remarked as Artoo rolled past him.
"Quite," Padme said, raising an eyebrow at Artoo. "Thanks," she said to the door holder. "Come on Artoo." Artoo gave a friendly beep and followed her to the bench where Issiry was already seated.
"I'm still not sure what Director Organa was thinking when he gave you that astromech," her chief of staff said, giving Artoo a wary look.
"This little droid and I have been through a lot together," Padme told her, patting Artoo's dome.
"A protocol droid would have been more useful," Issiry mumbled, but Padme ignored her. She felt a distinct bond of kinship with Artoo after their misadventure in the Unknown Regions.
The transport whistled through the Coruscant traffic toward the damaged dome of the Senate Building. Padme peered out the window to check their progress, then glanced at her chrono.
"Well, I've missed the opposition leadership meeting" she said with a sigh, turning away from the window. "We're going to be very late."
"I'm sure we won't be the only ones," Issiry said, not bothering to look up from her datapad, but by the time Padme and her staff made it to the Senate the building's halls seemed eerily quiet. Where normally there would have been gaggles of Senators and staffers, now there were marching columns of clone troopers. Padme knew security was ramped up after the attack, but there hadn't been this many soldiers on hand at the last session. A chill ran down her spine and she stopped in her tracks as they approached the door to the repulsorpod dock.
"Something isn't right," she said as she watched another platoon of clones move past, their white armor glistening in the artificial light.
"What are you talking about?" Issiry said, confused. She gave Padme a concerned look. "Senator, the session has started. We need to go. I'm sure everything's fine." But Padme wasn't sure, not at all. The pit of her stomach filled with cold dread. But she couldn't name the source of her fear. It was just a feeling. So when Issiry opened the door to the Senate Chamber, Padme reluctantly followed her in.
"Our galaxy requires leadership. Strong leadership," Mas Amedda was saying, addressing the Senate from the center of the chamber, his artificially amplified voice echoing in the cavernous space. Padme settled into her seat. "The Separatists have shown us that they will never stop, they will never surrender. Even in defeat, they are a threat to the safety of our galaxy. We must end this war now!" The chamber burst into applause, but Padme kept her own hands still in her lap.
"I believe, as many of you do, that there is only one man who can lead us to victory in these troubled times," the Vice Chair said, turning towards the thin, grey-haired man sitting next to him.
"Here it comes," Padme mumbled under her breath as her eyes flicked to General Palpatine.
"I nominate General Sheev Palpatine for Chancellor of the Republic!" The sounds of celebration filled the space as many of the senators rose to clap and cheer at Ameedda's words. Palpatine stood, granting his admirers a tight-lipped smile.
"No technicalities to save us from him this time," Issiry said quietly, checking her datapad. "A few hundred systems are missing but there's definitely a quorum."
"Rendar will stand against him," Padme insisted. "She has the backing to win."
"Are there any other nominations for the chancellorship?" Amedda asked. Padme looked around to the repulsorpod holding the delegation from Chandrila, waiting for Mon Mothma to nominate Senator Rendar per the arrangements they'd put in place earlier in the day. But as her eyes locked on the spot usually occupied by her friend Mon Mothma, she realized the pod was empty.
"Where's Senator Mothma?" Issiry asked, a note of panic in her voice. Padme's eyes darted to the seats of the other opposition leaders. They were all empty.
"Can you get anyone on the comm?" Padme asked.
"I can't get a signal," Issiry said, puzzled. "It must be a bad connection." Padme's stomach dropped.
"Or we're being jammed," she said softly, hoping she was wrong.
"I nominate Senator Juso, of Vardos," an Inner Rim senator announced. Padme shook her head. "Vardos. The manufacturing worlds will never back someone from there." She activated her console and punched the controls to request the floor.
"What are you doing?" Issiry asked nervously.
"Finding out if Rendar's been bought," she answered as their repulsorpod lifted into the air and drifted towards the center of the chamber. Padme stood as the pod drew level with the central platform bearing Mas Amedda and Palpatine. From this new position she could see Senator Rendar's face clearly. The Correlian senator was staring straight at Padme, frowning. As Padme stared back, she saw the senator ever so slightly shake her head. It was a warning, but Padme had no intention of heeding it.
"The chair recognizes Senatore Naberrie, of Alderaan," Amedda said, signaling for her to say her piece. Padme took a deep breath.
"I nominate Senator Rendar of Corellia for the chancellorship," she said. There was considerable applause for her nomination, and Padme kept her eyes on Senator Rendar. The senator stood and raised her hands, begging the chamber for silence.
"I am humbled and honored, Senator Naberrie," she said, not quite looking Padme in the eye, "but I must respectfully decline the nomination." Rendar returned to her seat as Padme's pod floated back to its position. Padme slumped back into her seat, defeated.
"Someone got to her," Issiry lamented.
"Someone?" Padme asked. "We know who." Her eyes wandered back to Palpatine. As though he sensed her gaze, he turned to look at her, and the corners of his mouth tugged upward in a smug smile. Padme clenched her jaw.
"Padme, look at this," Issiry said, holding her datapad up for Padme to see. "The entire third floor is on some kind of security lock down. No one in or out." Padme bent over the datapad to see what Issiry was showing her.
"The opposition meeting was on that floor," Padme murmured, beginning to understand. "Palpatine is going to win," she told Issiry, "he's made sure of it."
"The election of the chancellor will now commence!" Amedda announced from the central platform. Padme's console lit up with different icons for the two candidates. Knowing it was useless, she cast her vote for Senator Juso. Beside her, Issiry was bouncing her leg nervously. Padme reminded herself that her chief of staff had been offworld when Alderaan was invaded. She didn't know what it was like to have your whole existence upended in an instant, but Padme had a sinking feeling that was about to change.
The electronic voting system quickly tallied the votes of the senators as they came in, and before long Mas Amedda was signaling for quiet so he could announce the results. Padme braced herself for what was about to happen.
"It is my pleasure to announce that the newly elected Chancellor of the Galactic Republic is…" Amedda paused, drawing out the moment. Padme willed him silently to just get on with it. "Sheev Palpatine!" The chamber erupted in cheers, but Padme remained silent in her seat.
"My friends, I am humbled by this show of support," Palpatine said, rising to address the chamber. Padme almost admired the skill with which he displayed false modesty. "Stand with me, and we will occupy the Separatist worlds and hold them accountable for the blood they have spilled!" The cheers began again in earnest. Padme felt sick.
"As many of you know, the Jedi Order harbors Darth Maul." Jeers filled the room, and Palpatine let them go on for a while before quieting the senators. "As your new chancellor, I will not allow the Jedi to continue to harbor this traitor, this murderer!" Padme felt sure she would go deaf from the reverberating claps and shouts of approval.
"Even he can't make the Jedi give up Maul," Issiry insisted, shouting to be heard above the noise. "They won't stand for this kind of rhetoric."
"The Jedi have betrayed us," Palpatine went on, further whipping the senators up. "Those who were once peacekeepers are now warmongers. They prolonged this conflict for years and now they shield this Dark Lord of the Sith from retribution!" Padme saw senators pounding the sides of their repulsorpods in fury. Any voices of dissent were drowned out by Palpatine's supporters.
"In their arrogance, the Jedi have become a law unto themselves. They will not relinquish their hold on the galaxy. We must take it back from them by force." The senators' shouts of encouragement for Palpatine filled the air. Padme shivered with cold. "The Jedi cower in their temple, afraid to act," Palpatine said, "but I am not afraid. We will do what must be done!"
The very walls around her rattled with sound as thousands of senators voiced their approval. Padme could feel their anger, and their fear. Palpatine was preying on both, but everyone seemed blind to his ploy. Around the chamber she saw a few other Senators sitting in silent protest, or conversing with their staff in whispers, but none came forth to try and challenge Palpatine's claims. It was too dangerous now, and she knew it as well as they did.
"Where there was weakness, now there will be strength." Palpatine's amplified voice boomed across the chamber. "We will no longer tolerate our enemies, but seek them out and destroy them." He gestured toward someone beyond her line of sight. "Bring out the prisoners!"
From one of the chamber entrances a hover sled emerged, bearing five bound prisoners with a row of clone troopers behind them. The sled drifted into the center of the chamber, near Palpatine's platform.
"These Separatist murderers were captured in the Unknown Regions after they attacked this very building," Palpatine explained, letting his disgust show through. "Do they deserve our mercy?" Cries of "no" in Basic and hundreds of other languages were shouted in response. Palpatine allowed himself a small smile.
"No," he said, "no indeed." He turned toward the prisoners. "Now, let us show the Jedi the true meaning of justice." He signaled to the guards and the prisoners were shoved to their knees. Beside her, Issiry gasped and squeezed her eyes shut, but Padme did not look away. The sound of blaster fire echoed in the chamber and the Separatist prisoners crumpled. The senators resumed their cheering. "So will the Jedi pay for their treachery!"
"Death to the Jedi!" someone started chanting. "Death to traitors!" Soon it was a resounding chorus all throughout the senate chamber. Padme turned to Issiry, who had gone pale with fear. Padme knew it would do them no good to stay in the chamber. What would happen next was already a foregone conclusion.
"We have to get out of here," she said, taking her chief of staff by the hand and pulling her up out of her seat. "Stay close Artoo," she told her droid as she made for the door. The door panel slid open and she started through it, but stopped short. The way was blocked by a platoon of clone troopers.
"Senator Naberrie," the clone commander said, stepping toward her with a pair of binders, "I have a warrant for your arrest."
"How are you feeling Rex?" Obi-Wan stood at the foot of the bed where Rex lay, awake and propped upright. Shaak Ti stood on the other side of the bed with a datapad in hand as two med droids swooped around the clone.
"I'm...I'm all right, sir," Rex said, his voice raspy from disuse. "Thanks to the Jedi healers."
"Rex, what do you remember about your captivity?" Master Ti asked. Rex looked down, shaking his head.
"More than I care to," he muttered.
"I know it's difficult," Shaak Ti said softly, "but can you tell me about Geonosis?" Rex hesitated. His eyes were downcast, and he seemed nervous.
"It's alright if you aren't ready," Obi-Wan said, but then Rex began to speak.
"The battle was going well," he said. "We had the Separatists on the run until their reinforcements showed up. That…" Rex's voice caught. "That was when the order came in."
"What was the order?" Obi-Wan asked gently.
"Execute Order Sixty-Six," Rex said, swallowing hard. "That's what came through the comm. It was like...like a switch in my brain. I couldn't stop it, sir." Rex looked up at Obi-Wan, his voice growing frantic. "There was nothing I could do, I had no control."
"It's alright, Rex," Shaak Ti reassured him, "we are not here to place blame." Rex looked over to her, and after a moment, he nodded. "You were shot down?" she asked, nudging him back to his memories.
"My engines were fried in the battle," Rex went on. "I went down and crashed on the surface. I was there for three days before the Separatists found me. They hauled me to an underground lab, I don't know where."
"Ryloth." Obi-Wan told him. "You were on Ryloth."
"They threw me in the cells with their bad batchers," Rex explained. "We were used for experiments. It was...it was…" Rex trailer off again, his eyes briefly going out of focus. Then he shook his head. "I'd rather not talk about it."
"I think that's enough for now, Rex," Shaak Ti said, making several notes on her datapad. "Thank you." She made for the door. Obi-Wan gave Rex a small smile, then turned to go himself.
"Sir?" Rex called as Obi-Wan reached the door. He turned back. Rex looked to be on the verge of tears. "I never wanted to let you down." Rex said, his voice choked with emotion. Obi-Wan walked back to Rex's bedside and put a hand on the clone trooper's shoulder.
"No, Rex. You didn't let anyone down," Obi-Wan assured him. "You aren't responsible for what happened, but you may be the key to finding out who is."
"Yes, sir," Rex said, straightening up, the soldierly demeanor Obi-Wan remembered returning. "I'll be of service any way I can."
"Obi-Wan." Shaak Ti poked her head back through the door. "We've found something." Obi-Wan followed her out of Rex's room to a lab table outside where several droids and a young apprentice were busy working on something. Shaak Ti picked up a glass slide from the lab table and held it up so Obi-Wan could see. Inside it he saw a small bit of organic matter. Obi-Wan took it and examined it in the light.
"What is it?" he asked.
"An inhibitor chip," Shaak Ti responded, "or at least, that is what it's supposed to be," she added cryptically.
"But it isn't?" Obi-Wan surmised, raising an eyebrow at her.
"It can inhibit behavior," she conceded with a nod, "but it can also instigate it. According to this diagnostic report, the order that came over the comm on Geonosis triggered a reaction in the chip that caused the clones to attack the Jedi."
"Rex said it was like a switch in his brain," Obi-Wan pointed out. "He was right on the mark. But...how did the Separatists encode that order in the chip?" he asked, puzzled. A shadow passed over Shaak Ti's face.
"I don't believe they did," she said. Obi-Wan furrowed his brow, not understanding. "The chips are implanted in the clones during the earliest stages of their development," she explained.
"You mean they were programmed to kill us from the beginning?" Obi-Wan asked, shaken. He put the chip back on the table, suddenly repulsed by it.
"It certainly looks that way," she answered sadly.
"If the Separatists had access to that kind of power they would have used it long ago," Obi-Wan reasoned, understanding Master Ti's conclusion. She nodded somberly. "Bail Organa said the Republic tried to cover it up," Obi-Wan told her, fitting the pieces together in his mind, though the picture forming there was truly grim.
"The Senate ordered the creation of the clones on the advice of General Palpatine," Shaak Ti said. Obi-Wan looked up sharply.
"Even for Palpatine, that would be a new low," he said, trying to convince himself there must be some other explanation, but the evidence was damning. "Still, he's never held with the Order's ideals," Obi-Wan admitted.
"And Valorum was never much more than his puppet," Shaak Ti added. "How much convincing would it have taken, I wonder, to persuade the chancellor he needed a failsafe? A way to control the Jedi?"
"Not much, I imagine," Obi-Wan mused. "But, Master Ti, if we're right, if the Republic is responsible for the clones turning against the Jedi…" Obi-Wan didn't even dare finish his train of thought.
"If it's true, then the Republic has already betrayed us," she said somberly, "and we were blind to it."
"We must debrief the Council," Obi-Wan said quickly, thinking of the current strained relationship between the Jedi and the Republic leadership.
"It will take time to gather them, "Shaak Ti said, shaking her head. "Half of my fellow Council members remain posted offworld. Master Yoda is about to arrive on Kashyyyk and Master Windu and Master Fisto were called to the Senate Building."
"Then we must act without them and send out a warning," Obi-Wan insisted "The clones can't be trusted. Thousands of Jedi are still scattered across the galaxy, surrounded by clone troopers."
"I'm afraid that isn't possible, Master Kenobi," an apprentice manning the communications console said. "Our communication systems appear to be malfunctioning," she said. Obi-Wan strode over to look at the console himself.
"Nothing is malfunctioning," he said as he studied the readouts over the apprentice's shoulder, "the signal from the array is being jammed." The apprentice looked up at him with wide eyes. He could sense her fear.
"We must lock down the Temple," Shaak Ti ordered. "This could be a sign that the Republic is moving against us already."
"What about Master Windu and the others who are away from the Temple?" he asked. And Anakin. Obi-Wan thought, his chest tightening. Where is Anakin?
"We cannot risk the future of the Order for their lives. We must secure the Temple before it is too late," she insisted as Obi-Wan made for the door. "Where are you going?"
"My apprentice is out there," Obi-Wan said, "I have to find him."
"If you leave now, you won't be able to get back into the Temple," Shaak Ti reminded him.
"I understand."
"Very well," she said with a slight nod. "May the Force be with you."
"Congratulations on your victory, sir." Admiral Yularen said, jumping to attention as the newly elected Chancellor entered the military briefing room above the hangar bay.
"Thank you, Admiral," Palpatine said with a small smile as two aides rushed forward to remove his military cape and replace it with the lavish robe of the chancellor. The gathered admirals and generals all hurried to offer Palpatine their congratulations. Tarkin stood as well, but remained silent. his hands clasped behind his back. "Has Master Windu arrived yet?" Palpatine asked the room.
"Yes, Chancellor," Yularen answered. "Master Windu reported with his clone battalion per your orders. Master Fisto is with him. They await you in the hangar bay." He gestured toward the viewport on the far wall, through which Tarkin could see row after row of white-armored clone troopers.
"Good." Palpatine dismissed the aides and shifted his eyes to Tarkin. "You proved a useful ally, Tarkin. In recognition of your invaluable assistance in the search for Maul, I'm granting you the rank of colonel as an officer in the Grand Army of the Republic."
Tarkin froze for a moment as Palpatine's proclamation sank in. Traitor, he thought. That is what I am now. Palpatine noted his hesitation, and once again Tarkin saw that dangerous flash of yellow in the man's eyes.
"Thank you, sir." Tarkin said, bowing slightly, What's done is done, he told himself, banishing the last of his doubts. You had no choice. This is the only way. Palpatine gave him a hard look, but then returned his attention back to the military leadership.
"Each of you must make ready for the last push of the war. We are going to root out the last of the Separatists and rid the galaxy of their filth once and for all." Palpatine turned back to Tarkin. "You will accompany Admiral Yularen and assist him in locating and putting down any remaining Separatist cells," Palpatine instructed him. "Any world that harbors Separatists or sympathizers will be subject to military occupation."
"Chancellor, forgive me, but the Jedi will certainly protest such tactics," General Zsinj pointed out, her brow furrowed.
"The Jedi won't be accompanying any of you." Palpatine stated. "Nor will they be of any further concern to the Republic."
"Sir?" Yularen asked, puzzled.
"The bond between the Republic and the Jedi Order is broken," Palpatine told them. "The Jedi have betrayed us. The Senate has formally severed all ties with them. They no longer have any power here." Tarkin glanced over at the viewport, knowing the two Jedi masters and their clone troopers waited in the hangar below. What is Palpatine playing at? he wondered.
"But...they're Jedi," Yularen stammered. "We can't control them, and we certainly can't fight them."
"Can't we?" Palpatine asked, raising an eyebrow. "Remember, Admiral, there is no weapon more powerful than fear." Yularen looked worried but Tarkin was intrigued, drawn in by the power of Palpatine's confidence.
Palpatine activated the large holoprojecter at the center of the room and brought up a map of the galaxy. "Most of the Jedi remain offworld, either not yet recalled from their last posting or recently assigned to new missions to facilitate the end of the war." The star map lit up, showing the locations of thousands of Jedi. "They are scattered and they are vulnerable."
"Their troops are fiercely loyal to them, sir." Ksinj pointed out. "If you mean to make war on the Jedi, the clones can't be relied upon." Palpatine gave her a thin-lipped smile.
"Let us see where the loyalty of our clone troopers truly lies." Palpatine switched the projector into communication mode and produced a chip from the deep pocket of his new robe, inserting it into the machine. From his vantage point, Tarkin could see on the console that Palpatine had activated an open channel to every clone trooper in the galaxy. "Execute Order Sixty-Six."
There was a brief pause, and then the hangar behind them exploded with blaster fire. Even the most seasoned soldiers among them jumped at the unexpected sound. Everyone ran to the viewport, including Tarkin. The troopers had scattered and taken up battle positions. There was carbon scoring everywhere. He couldn't see Windu, but near the center of the hangar he saw the lifeless body of Kit Fisto, his Jedi robes burned with blaster marks.
Anakin returned to the Jedi Temple with his hood pulled low. It was late and few Jedi were roaming the halls, but he wanted to avoid being seen. His heart drummed in his chest as he made his way through the Temple. circling around towards the Temple's shuttle dock.
Making sure he was alone, he took a lift up to the mezzanine above the dock and crouched low, peering out over the rail. He could see the armored transport that would take Maul to the Jedi prison at the Citadel. Two Jedi came into view and Anakin looked away. He couldn't afford to doubt his choices. He knew he would have no peace until Darth Maul was dead. This is the only way, he told himself. You can't turn back now.
He ducked down and crept along the mezzanine and through a storage area to a small exterior loading bay that hadn't been used by the Jedi for several years. He pried open the electrical panel next to the door and pulled at the wires inside, reconnecting them so that the door hissed open. Appo and his troops were waiting for him on the other side.
"Sir." Appo gave him a quick salute as he and his company came in off the narrow dock. The loading bay was largely sheltered from view here by the new construction that crept closer and closer to the Temple each year, but as soon as the troopers were inside Anakin rewired the door shut. He had to hope it would read as nothing more than a brief malfunction in the security systems.
"Sir, I've got four more companies on standby, waiting for my signal."
"That is far more men than we need," Anakin told him, alarmed.
"I was told to bring half the battalion, sir," Appo countered. "General Palpatine wants to make sure the Temple is secured, in case there's retaliation." Is that why? A small voice asked in the back of Anakin's mind, but he shut it out. An order from the general was an order from the general. Still, he could take his own precautions.
"They can form a wide perimeter around the Temple, but they are not to enter it, understood?" Anakin told Appo, pointing a finger at the clone commander. Appo nodded. "This is an extraction, not an attack."
"Understood, sir." Appo made a quick call into his comm for the reinforcements to stand down and form a perimeter. When he was done, he divided the company of clones into squads and formed them into a column. Anakin took his position at the head of the column and prepared to lead the company into the Temple.
"Keep quiet, stay low, follow me," he ordered. He set off back through the storage area with the clone troopers in tow. He halted once again at the mezzanine to assess the situation on the dock below. He saw the two Jedi from before, and now two more joined them from beyond his line of sight. Maul was between them, his hands bound by magnetic binders. The prisoner and his guards halted as a shuttle technician emerged to discuss something with one of the Jedi masters. They're still prepping the shuttle, Anakin thought, now is the time."
"We should move," he said, turning to Appo.
"I thought we were to wait for General Palpatine's order, sir?" Appo asked, confused. "He said he would draw their attention away." Yes, Anakin thought, he did. But the general had not revealed any more of his plan than that. Anakin didn't like being left in the dark. There was something unfamiliar rippling through the Force that disquieted him.
"We outnumber them more than twenty-to-one," Anakin said, gesturing to the four Jedi. "They won't risk a confrontation."
"I admit, I don't much like the idea of having to fire on a Jedi," Cody admitted after a moments hesitation. He turned to his second-in-command, who nodded, then looked back to Anakin. "We're with you, sir."
"Send three squads down the south stair," Anakin said, pointing toward the other side of the mezzanine. "Everyone else, on me." The clones moved quickly, and Anakin no longer worried about trying to keep their cover. The Jedi would know all soon enough.
Anakin strode down the north steps with half a clone company marching behind him at the ready. The Jedi on the dock did not take long to notice, though Anakin sensed confusion rather than alarm as the clones surrounded them.
"Master Koth," Anakin addressed the most senior of the Jedi as the clones formed a perimeter. Appo remained at Anakin's side.
"We didn't send for any reinforcements, Skywalker." Koth said, his eyes narrowing. "What is this?" The civilian shuttle crew emerged at the sound of voices but stayed well back from the advancing troopers.
"I'm here under direct orders from General Palpatine," Anakin explained. His voice was calm but his heart was already racing. He could feel Maul looking at him with those hateful yellow eyes. "We're taking Darth Maul into Republic custody."
"Darth Maul is going to the Citadel," Master Koth said, stepping forward and fixing Anakin with a hard stare, "and last I checked, Jedi took their orders from the Council, not Palpatine."
"Maul must pay for his crimes," Anakin said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Surrender him to us now, and there will be no need for violence." Koth's eyes narrowed, and Anakin sensed he was weighing his choices. Four Jedi might be able to take on an entire company of clones. Or they might not.
"Don't try it, Master," Anakin said quietly, his eyes drifting to the young apprentice standing next to him. Koth followed Anakin's gaze. He understood the threat. "You know you can't win." Koth considered Anakin's words for a moment, then raised his hands. His apprentice and the other two Jedi followed suit, and the clones moved in to strip them of their lightsabers. Cody took Maul's weapons from one of his Jedi guards and handed them over to Anakin.
"I thought Kenobi taught you better than this," Koth hissed at Anakin as the clones herded the Jedi and the shuttle crew over to a corner. A squad of clones took over guarding the Sith Lord, who continued to fix his gaze on Anakin. Doing his best to ignore the unnerving glare of Darth Maul, Anakin tucked his mother's vibroblade into his belt. The hilt of Maul's lightsaber, severed in half by his master's blade, no longer had a belt clip, so he continued to hold it.
"Bring me Maul," Anakin ordered, and the squad of clone troopers prodded Maul forward. The old fury returned as Anakin's eyes met Maul's. He clutched the Sith's lightsaber tightly in his hand. Palpatine had given him the free reign the Jedi would not: he could execute Maul here and now, and he meant to.
And yet, there was something else in his mind, some feeling of unease he could not place. Maul locked eyes with him and smirked knowingly, and as he did, Anakin felt goosebumps shiver across his skin. His gaze was drawn back to where the clones were holding the captives. Everything seemed to be in order. Anakin tried to shake the feeling and started to turn away.
The alarms went off first. The sounds was deafening as a wailing warning sound emanated from the Temple. Then the blast doors between the dock and the Temple began to slam shut. Anakin looked to Appo, only to see that the clone commander had raised his blaster to a firing position.
"Wait, no!" Anakin screamed as the shooting started. Koth's apprentice dropped to the floor first, but the other Jedi managed to dodge the initial barrage. Instinctively, Anakin ignited the lightsaber in his hand, but before he could move Koth was on him, knocking him to the ground and trying desperately to wrest his weapon away. Then a flurry of blaster bolts rained down on them and Anakin felt the lifeforce leave Koth's body as it slumped down on top of him.
White-armored hands reached down and pulled the body away from him. For one awful moment Anakin thought the clones would attack him too. But instead Appo extended a hand to help him up.
"All right sir?" the clone trooper asked. Anakin nodded shakily as Appo pulled him to his feet, but he was not all right. The bodies of four Jedi lay strewn across the hangar, each singed by dozens of blaster bolts. The terror-stricken shuttle crew remained huddled in the corner, though one of them had also died in the barrage of fire.
Anakin could feel the same scene playing out all over the galaxy. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the suffering of his fellow Jedi, but they were dying in droves and through the Force he felt it all. The alarm continued to blare. He was sure he would be sick. He opened his eyes and looked again at the dead bodies. I did this, a terrified voice whispered in his mind, I did this.
"Who gave you the order?" Anakin demanded, turning to Appo. When the clone didn't answer quickly enough Anakin grabbed him by the shoulders. "Who?!" he shouted above the sound of the alarm.
"General Palpatine, sir," Appo answered, as though it were obvious.
"No." Anakin shook his head as he released the clone commander and turned away. "No, that's...that's impossible." He looked back at Appo, sure there must have been a mistake. But before he could ask any more questions, the clone commander suddenly rose up into the air, clutching at his throat. Anakin whirled around and saw Maul behind him, grinning maniacally. Before Anakin could make a move, Maul flung Appo off the edge of the dock and into the abyss below.
Chaos reigned on the dock as the clones executed their Jedi captives. Maul saw Anakin spin away just as the firing started. His guards opened fire too, and no longer seemed particularly pre-occupied with him. Maul ducked low beneath the line of fire. He watched as one of the Jedi who managed to break away wrestled a blaster rifle off one of the clone troopers and started firing back. The Jedi dropped a trooper and Maul heard a gently clinking sound as one of the Jedi lightsaber hilts rolled away from the body. He took a subtle step backward from his guards and reached out with the Force, drawing the weapon to him.
A Jedi suddenly came flying at Anakin and for a moment Maul thought his young enemy would die at last, but the clones came to his aid. Then the firing stopped. Maul stood up straight and kept the lightsaber tucked behind his binders, waiting. Anakin grabbed the clone commander, demanding to know who gave him the order. When he heard his masters name issue from the clone's helmet, Maul smiled. Then he reached out with the Force and tossed the commander off the dock and to his death.
Anakin whirled on him, rage burning in his eyes. The boy held Maul's lightsaber and the red blade snapped to life in his hand. The attack was swift and aggressive, but Maul ready. He side-stepped then ignited the Jedi's green blade, freeing himself of his binders with a careful twist of his wrists. The clones surrounded him but they were disinclined to fire while he and Anakin battled in close quarters. Maul could sense the young Jedi's rage and confusion, and he played both to his advantage, working his way around until he had a clear path to the edge of the dock.
Dodging another slash from the red blade, Maul sprinted past Anakin toward the ledge. The clones fired on him, but no shot found its mark. He leapt into the Coruscanti traffic and used the Force to guide himself to the top of a rickety old public transport.
Anakin jumped after him, but alighted on the back of a fast moving speeder with an ornery, and armed, driver. Taking advantage of the delay, Maul ignited the stolen lightsaber and cut through the transport's roof, dropping into the hold.
There were only a couple of Rodians on the transport, and a driver. The passengers looked briefly shocked at the appearance of the Sith Lord, but then had the good sense to retreat to a corner. Maul kicked in the door to the cockpit and pointed his lightsaber at the driver's throat.
"Take us to the Senate Building," he ordered. The driver hesitated for a moment and Maul let the green blade burn his neck ever so slightly. "Do it!" The driver jerked back as the lightsaber singed his flesh, but the tactic worked as he turned the transport in the direction of the Senate district. A few moments later, Maul heard a loud thud above and raised his weapon, waiting.
As soon as Anakin's feet hit the transport floor, Maul attacked. Anakin brought the red blade up in a flash, just barely blocking Maul's strike. He saw Anakin glance back at the two Rodian passengers pressed against the wall at the rear of the transport. Maul looked from the Rodians to Skywalker and smiled sinisterly.
"Get out of here!" Anakin shouted at the two trembling passengers as he pushed Maul away, but he quickly realized there was nowhere for them to go. Maul advanced again, and Anakin raised his blade. He couldn't let anyone else die on his account.
"Open the rear door!" he told him as Maul took a vicious swing at his legs. He heard the door hiss open behind him and the wind picked up. He kicked Maul hard, sending him skidding back into the front half of the transport.
"Jump!" Anakin shouted, "now!" Anakin used the Force to push them out the door, then ran to the opening and reached out to guide their landing. Their descent slowed as he nudged them toward a nearby loading dock. They were over it when the door slammed shut on his outstretched right arm.
Anakin cried out as his limb was nearly crushed by the pressure. The pain was excruciating. To his relief, he could see through the gap in the door that the two Rodians had landed safely, if somewhat ungently. Behind him, Maul cackled as he lowered his hand.
"Foolish boy. Guilty conscience, perhaps?" Maul taunted him. "You betrayed your precious Jedi Order for your chance at revenge, but you are too afraid to take it!" He lunged forward and Anakin had to parry awkwardly with his left hand. "You are sentimental and weak. A true Jedi after all. And everything you have done has been for nothing." Anakin tried to yank his arm loose, but it wouldn't budge. Maul edged closer to him. "Now, the only thing left for you to do is die." But as Maul stepped forward, the sound of the engines changed and the transport began to tilt.
"What did you do?!" Maul snarled, rounding on the driver. Anakin saw the man was standing in the smashed doorway of his cockpit, clutching a small blaster pistol and pointing it at Maul. The pilot tried to fire at Maul, but the Sith Lord blocked the shot, sending it back into the cockpit and shattering the windshield. He then charged the terrified man.
The green lightsaber ran the driver through and Maul tossed him aside, lunging into the cockpit as he tried to regain control of the transport as it pitched ever farther forward. A series of alarms started to go off in the transport, and Maul abandoned his efforts, opening the side door as the vehicle began to pick up speed.
"A fitting end for you, Skywalker," he said, looking up at Anakin as he stepped to the edge of the door, "trapped by your own folly." Anakin watched as Maul jumped and gracefully somersaulted through the air to land on a walkway below.
The transport continued its unstoppable downward trajectory. Anakin's boots began to slip on the floor as it shifted away from him. He shoved Maul's into his tunic and grabbed onto the edge of the door with his free hand. He tried to wrench his arm loose, but it was firmly wedged between the two-halves of the blast door.
He retrieved the lightsaber and plunged Maul's blade into the blast doors, trying to cut as small a circle as he dared around his trapped arm, but, handicapped by his suspended position, he made little progress. The wind shrieked around him as the transport continued to plunge downward. Eventually it would hit something. He was running out of time.
Tamping down his fear, Anakin pulled the blade from the door, knowing he would never cut through it before the transport crashed. There was only one way he was getting out of this alive. Steeling himself, he raised the red blade and brought it down through his own arm, severing it just below his right elbow.
There was a moment of searing pain and then he immediately began to drop toward the gaping hole in the windshield below. Anakin managed to fling himself sideways, landing on the edge of the row of seats. Still clutching Maul's lightsaber in his surviving hand, he slashed forward, breaking the transpirasteel of the window in front of him. Coruscant's skyscrapers and traffic whizzed by at a dizzying rate. He wasn't sure he would survive the jump, but he knew he had only seconds to escape. He tightened his grip on the lightsaber hilt, then bent his legs and threw himself into the open air.