Fracturing
Obi-Wan and Yoda were seated in one of the briefing rooms aboard the Sundered Heart with Bail Organa. Joining them by encrypted holotransmission were Jedi Chief Healer Vokara Che, and Commander Appo of the 501st Legion.
"Find Masters Unduli and Vos, unable to, I was," Yoda said. "Forced to flee Kashyyyk I was, when turn on me the clones did."
"If they are alive and uncaptured, hopefully they'll be able to get back to the Temple," Obi-Wan said. He looked at Commander Appo's holoimage. "Do you have any updates on the number of Jedi slain by this order, commander?"
"Yes, sir." Appo tapped on the datapad held in his hand then began to read. He paused and Obi-Wan see the distress on his face. The commander swallowed hard before answering. "We have confirmation of two hundred and forty-three Jedi masters and Padawans dead in the field. I . . . I can forward the list, if you'd like."
Stunned silence filled the briefing room. Obi-Wan could feel the grief of those present. His own heart ached with the mounting losses.
"Send me the list," Obi-Wan said.
Appo nodded. "There was one good bit of news; it seems that reports of General Secura's death were incorrect. She and Commander Bly are on their way to the Temple now."
"Thank you, commander," Yoda said. His voice was more gravely than usual and cracked as he spoke. He turned to Healer Che. "Master Che, how proceed your efforts to remove the chips from the clones?"
The female Twi'lek wiped at her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. "We're a little over fifty percent through the 501st clones. I've contacted a couple of doctors I trust at Coruscant Med and we're funneling the Coruscant Guard—and any other clones on leave here on Coruscant—through them, since the Halls are running at capacity right now."
Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully. "It seems that some of the clones are able to fight the effects of the chips. Boil managed not to shoot me back on Utapau, and Aayla's men didn't kill her. Commander Wolffe saved Master Koon."
"There is a trend that the clones that had more constant contact with Jedi are having a harder time killing them," Appo agreed.
This trend didn't necessarily carry across battalion lines though. When Obi-Wan and Yoda had gone to the Sundered Heart's medbay to visit Master Koon, Commander Wolffe had tried to attack them, seeming to lose whatever willpower that had allowed him to spare his general. Obi-Wan and Yoda had been able to restrain the commander and the medic on duty had sedated him.
"I've been in contact with the 212th's commander, Cody," Appo continued. "It seems that the commander was given special instructions from Darth Sidious to kill General Kenobi that he wasn't able to override."
Obi-Wan nodded. It eased the sense of betrayal that gnawed at him that Cody had needed to be specially ordered in order to fire on him. He hoped he'd get the chance to talk to his commander at some point. He didn't want to lose Cody's friendship over this.
"Speaking of Cody," Obi-Wan said, "has anyone been in contact with Rex or Anakin?"
Obi-Wan had been flummoxed to hear of Anakin's kidnapping by someone claiming to be the mand'alor. He didn't think anyone had properly held the title since Jaster Mereel. Add on to that the fact that Padmé had also been taken and that no one had had contact with Ahsoka or the Tribunal in several hours, and Obi-Wan was seriously beginning to worry about those he cared for.
"We finally got word from Mandalore that the Tribunal left with Commander Tano, Commander Rex, with Maul in custody," Appo said. "The Moderator and Alleviator were going to stay at Mandalore for another few rotations to help clean up the last vestiges of Death Watch and see to the wounded. There's been no word from the Tribunal itself, or from mand'alor Djarin."
Obi-Wan sat back in his chair and ran a hand over his beard.
Healer Che fixed Yoda with a serious look. "If we're planning to remove the biochips from the whole of the GAR, we're doing to need a more efficient way to do it. Whoever is controlling the clones is going to figure out what we're doing eventually, and put a stop to it."
"Have an idea, do you, Master Che?" Yoda asked.
"Nothing solid, but I have a team working on sequencing the DNA in the biological component of the chips. It doesn't belong to the clones, and it we could target it specifically . . ."
Yoda nodded. "Apprised of the situation, keep me."
"I'd like to unofficially offer Alderaan's assistance," Bail said. "If we can somehow funnel clones to the medical facilities on Alderaan to help with the dechipping, or even if the dechipped clones need a place to lie low once news of the dechipping comes to light. Let me talk to Breha and see if we can make it more official."
Obi-Wan and Yoda nodded to him.
An aide entered the room and whispered something to Bail. The senator grimaced and nodded, and the aide left. A moment later, a light began to flash next to the vid screen on the console in front of Bail.
"I have an incoming message from Coruscant, from the Chancellor's office," he said. He looked at Master Che and Appo. "I'll mute you but leave the line open so you can hear what's going on."
The holoimages disappeared as Bail muted the conversation and an image of Mas Amedda came up on the vid screen in front of Bail.
"Hello, Vice Chairman," the Alderaanian senator said.
Mas Amedda nodded. "Senator. The Chancellor has called a special meeting of the senate, and has requested your attendance."
"I'm just returning to Coruscant," Bail said. "I'll be there."
"Details are being sent to your assistant," the blue-skinned Chagrian said. "We look forward to your presence."
The Vice Chairman disconnected the call. Bail brought the call with the Jedi back up.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Obi-Wan said.
"Agree with you, I do, Master Kenobi" Yoda said, nodding. "Preparations, we must undertake."
Coruscant Guardsman Riot exited the Coruscant Medical building with his batchmate Raze after a brief surgery to remove the biochip in their heads.
"What do you make of all this, vod?" Raze asked, settling his bucket on his head.
Riot touched the bacta patch on his right temple. "I dunno. It seems surreal. Vode killing Jedi. Chips in our heads controlling us. It feels like a nightmare."
Raze reached out and pinched Riot on his arm between his armor plates.
"Ouch!" Riot slugged his vod.
"Well, you're not asleep," Raze said.
Riot could hear the grin in his batchmate's voice. "Di'kut." He slipped his bucket on and checked the chrono. "We're not on shift for another forty-five minutes. Want to get some breakfast?"
"Dex's?" Raze suggested.
There weren't many places aside from 79's, especially in the Senate District, that allowed clones. Dex's Diner was an exception. As long as you paid your bill—or had a good line of credit—and didn't mess the place up, Dexter Jettster welcome almost anyone into his diner. Riot and Raze set out on foot hoping to hail a cab a little farther from the crowded airbuses and speeders this close to the medical center.
They'd gone a few blocks when a disturbance down an alleyway drew Riot's attention. They didn't carry blasters when not on duty, but he and Raze each had a stun baton and some serious hand-to-hand combat skills learned through years of training on Kamino. Riot glanced at Raze, who nodded, and the two of them started down the alley.
About halfway down, a group of three Twi'lek males were clustered around a dumpster. One of the Twi'leks kicked at something on the ground that Riot couldn't yet see.
"If they've cornered a tooka—" Riot muttered over his in-bucket comm.
"Hut'uune," Raze growled.
They both reached for their stun batons.
"Good morning, gentlemen," Riot said.
The Twi'leks turned and Riot caught a glimpse of a humanoid form dressed in rags on the ground.
"Clones," one of the Twi'leks spat.
"Why don't you three move along?" Raze suggested, twirling his baton menacingly.
The Twi'lek who'd spoken looked like he very much wanted to fight, but his two companions managed to drag him away before things escalated. Riot went to the being still huddled at the side of the dumpster.
"Are you alright?" he asked, crouching down.
The figure didn't respond and seemed to be unconscious. Riot turned the being over. A dark-skinned, ravaged face was shrouded in the depths of a tattered hood. One of the man's eyes was missing and the skin Riot could see was covered with burns and blisters.
"Little Force gods!" Riot snarled. "Raze, get an ambulance here now!"
A quick check showed the man had a pulse and was still breathing. Feeling gently along the man's arms, abdomen, and legs he could feel broken bones.
Raze spoke into his comm, calling for an emergency vehicle and describing the injuries as Riot relayed them.
Riot looked up the alleyway, but the Twi'leks were gone. He swore. He doubted they'd be able to find the Twi'leks to arrest them for assault.
On the ground, the man groaned.
"Sir, just lie still," Riot said. "You've been badly injured. An ambulance is on the way." He could hear the sirens already.
The man's fingers wrapped around Riot's wrist in a surprisingly strong grip, and he tried to say something, but his jaw didn't seem to be working right.
"Don't worry, sir. You'll be in good hands at Coruscant Med. The doctors there are the best."
Chancellor Palpatine had been talking for over an hour. Between welcoming the senators and thanking them for their time and apologizing for requesting their attendance at such an unusual meeting, Bail had wondered if the Chancellor would ever get to the point. Then the Chancellor had launched into an account of the Jedi Rebellion.
After a description of several masters of the Jedi Order storming into his office demanding he step down in favor of their rule, and the deaths of his guards as they tried to defend him—and Palpatine's own, brief attempt to defend himself with a fallen guard's electropike—the Chancellor launched into long and poignant praise over Knight Skywalker's sudden appearance and rescue of his person.
"The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed," Palpatine said. "But I assure you, my resolve has never been stronger!"
Applause thundered around the senate dome from the gathered senators. Bail hadn't gotten a good look at the Chancellor, not with the voluminous robe he wore with the hood up, but if the brief glimpses of chalky white, desiccated flesh were any indication, he didn't want to see more.
"In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and prosperous society."
More applause broke out.
"So, this is how our democracy dies," Mon Mothma said. The Chandrilan senator had joined Bail in his repulsorpod for the special session. There was a worry line becoming permanently etched between her fine brows.
"To thunderous applause," Bail agreed softly. He ran a hand over his face and tried to focus.
"The Jedi Rebellion is being handled by our brave clone troops," Palpatine continued.
Bail felt a deep unease settle over him. Nothing about the previous night sat well with him, but he had the sudden feeling that things were about to get so much worse.
"The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and brought to justice, where possible. We all know just how dangerous a Jedi Knight or Master can be."
Murmurs of agreement ran around the senate dome.
"Every attempt will be taken to bring them in alive," the Chancellor continued. "But our heroic clone troops will take whatever action they must to thwart this uprising. Starting with those at the Jedi Temple here on Coruscant."
The applause was slightly less deafening this time, but Bail saw far too many senators supporting the Chancellor's claim of a Jedi Rebellion. Senators whose worlds had been defended by Jedi generals and commanders in recent months.
Unable to stay silent any longer, Bail reached for the repulsorpod's voice amplification unit. When the green indicator light came on, he sent a quick prayer to the goddesses for whichever technician had overlooked turning the function off during the Chancellor's grand speech.
Bail spoke. "Chancellor, what of the younglings in the Jedi temple? Surely they are too young to be considered part of a . . . rebellion."
A pregnant silence hung in the air.
"The chair does not recognize—" Mas Amedda began.
"Yes, what of the younglings?" the Mon Cala senator spoke up.
Mon Mothma squeezed Bail's wrist, then slipped from the Alderaani pod, no doubt hurrying to Chandrila's pod to add her voice. More cries went about the younglings went up, and Mas Amedda tried to quell the senators.
On a sudden impulse, Bail pulled out his personal comm and started recording.
"Ah, yes," the Chancellor said, drawing out the 's' into a hiss. Silence fell around the dome. "The younglings."
A shiver crawled its way down Bail's spine and lodged a ball of ice in his gut.
"They should be sent back to their families," Evrid, the senator from Rodia said.
"Maybe the families didn't want them," the senator from Bith said. "The younglings should be put into the government's care."
"Chandrila would willingly take any former Jedi younglings that wish to relocate," Mon Mothma said.
"As would Corellia," the senator for that planet chimed in.
Bail was about to add Alderaan's offer of assistance, but the Chancellor held up his hands, and silence fell again.
"Force-sensitive younglings take special care," Palpatine said. His eyes gleamed from within the shadows of his hood. "Senator Evrid, how would you handle a youngling who could throw a boulder with his mind? Or an infant who could project her nightmares into your head while you were sleeping?"
"I . . . " The Rodian senator foundered.
"With the Jedi no longer able to shelter and train these talented younglings, a new body must be put into place to support future generations of Force-sensitives," Palpatine said with rising conviction. "I propose an Academy, overseen by the government and a group of vetted Force users with no ties to the Jedi, to help these gifted children learn how to use their powers for the good of the Empire."
A cheer went up from the senators.
"There will be no more Jedi," Palpatine continued. "But a collection of exceptional beings dedicated to the good of all the Empire, not just the few planets and peoples the Jedi deem worthy."
The subsequent roar of support and applause filled the room.
Bail felt sick. Not only where the Jedi in mortal danger, but now Palpatine was claiming dominion over the Jedi younglings—and any future Force-sensitives—under the charade of helping them. He stopped his comm recording and encrypted the message, then sent it to the remaining members of the Jedi High Council and Commander Appo with the attached text:
Get the children out, now!
Rex looked up and shaded his eyes against the glare of the sun as engines roared overhead. A dozen or more ships of different designs, but bearing the same colors and a common signet, were landing not far from the downed Venator. A group of about twenty to thirty beings approached; mostly Nautolans with Twi'leks, Togruta, and humans in the mix. They all seemed to be carrying bags or packs with the universal medical symbol on them.
An orange-skinned Nautolan female with wine colored speckles across her cheeks and down her neck and lek-tresses approached him. Her large black eyes regarded him.
"Captain Rex of Torrent?" she asked.
Nonplussed, Rex just nodded.
"I'm Clan Leader Irresset Linnar, of aliit Linnar. The mand'alor asked me to come."
Rex had to wrack his brain for a moment to parse her meaning. "Bo-Katan sent you?"
"No. A . . . friend . . . of General Skywalker's. Your general is on his way but sent us ahead to see to your vode."
Hope kindled in Rex's chest, but he hardly dared trust it. Not after the nightmare he'd been through. "I'm going to need more than just your word on it, clan leader."
The Nautolan woman nodded and held up an imagecaster. "Your general thought so too."
A little image of General Skywalker hovered over the imagecaster.
"General!" Rex said. "Is it really you?"
"It's me, Rex. You can trust Clan Leader Linnar. She's there to help."
A profound sense of relief swept through Rex and he had to brace his hands on his knees as a wave of dizziness washed over him. Tears blurred his vision. He didn't have to do this alone anymore.
"Rex!" General Skywalker called out.
The clan leader must have given her people a sign, because they streamed past him, hurrying to see to the wounded troopers.
"Easy there, verd," Irresset said, laying a steadying hand on his back. "You should rest. You look pretty haggard."
Rex straightened. "I can't. My men—"
"Take a rest, Rex," the general said. "That's an order."
"We'll take care of them," Clan Leader Linnar assured him, guiding Rex into the shade of the Venator. "Gar shuk meh kyrayc."
"Vor entye," Rex said sincerely, sinking down next to Ahsoka.
He saw more if the Linnar clanspeople hurrying toward the Tribunal, rigging up ropes and stretchers for quick ascent/descent.
Irresset smiled and handed Rex a canteen of cool water. "Kih'entye, verd. Udesiir."
Mando'a:
Di'kut - Idiot
Hut'uun - Coward; plural - hut'uune
Aliit - clan, family
Gar shuk meh kyrayc - You're no use dead (said to encourage someone to rest; rarely literal)
Vor entye - Thank you (literally: I accept a debt)
Kih'entye - There is no debt
Udesiir - Relax, take it easy