Thunder rumbled in the distance, heralding an oncoming storm. This went unheard by the homunculi of the 501st Legion. The only sound they could hear was the synchronized steps of their own feet, as thousands of them marched on the Jedi Temple under the command of Anakin Skywalker.
As impressive as their numbers were, it was not the entirety of the Legion. Half of the 501st had been sent to Mandalore to regain control of the country following a massive political upheaval. Anakin's former Padawan, Ahsoka Tano was with them, helping to lead the siege.
None of this mattered to Anakin as he led his soldiers into battle again.
Many things had been put into a different light after what had happened in the Chancellor's office. He had witnessed a paragon of an order supposedly dedicated to peace attempt to kill an unarmed man. More than that it had proven that the Jedi Council had indeed been planning to take control of the Republic.
More and more, Anakin examined the Jedi Order with a new perspective. Every youngling the Order had ever had was taken from their family, typically against their will. These children then grew up lacking any real free will and were taught that their emotions - what made them people - were dangerous and needed to be suppressed. The Jedi Order had stolen these children, brainwashed them, and turned them into soldiers.
The Jedi Council were so obsessed with their own power that they had denied him, their most promising Knight, proper accolades for fear of him growing too powerful to handle. Among them was Obi-Wan, always critical and overbearing. So often he kept knowledge of the Force to himself out of misguided fear that a fair amount of what Anakin knew, he taught himself.
Anakin seethed as more and more pieces fell into place. He hated them. The entire damn Order. He hated their hypocrisy. He hated their hubris. He hated how they had used him. And he hated himself for not realizing everything sooner.
It had started to drizzle by the time the front steps of the Jedi Temple were in sight. Anakin remembered the first time he had gone up those steps so long ago. It was a bitter memory now. How naïve he had been.
Anakin led a quarter of his soldiers up the Temple's front steps while the other three quarters divided themselves to advance on the other entrances. No Jedi were permitted escape. The rain picked up, washing away Anakin's tears. He looked up at the Temple's mighty dark wood doors, carved a thousand years before with scenes depicting examples of what it truly meant to be a Jedi.
Anakin didn't slow down to open them. Channelling his anger, he let out a blast of Force energy. The doors flew off their hinges and shattered like glass, scattering splinters across the floor of the entry hall.
Palpatine sat at his desk. This was the moment he had been waiting for - the moment he had been planning for all these years. He opened the panel on top of the desk to reveal his communication font. With a series of hand movements he made it so that his transmission would reach every soldier in the Republic military. He spoke only two words and a number. That was all he needed.
"Execute Order 66."
Despite the death of General Grievous, the automata of the Separatist army in Utapau continued fighting, but they were constantly being pushed back. The Republic Army had landed at-tés around the same time as Grievous was killed and the addition of these beasts along with cannons had been decisive at breaking through the Separatist lines. La'ats poured over the horizon carrying a seemingly endless stream of white armored reinforcements. It was only a matter of time until the automaton army routed.
Obi-Wan rode through Pau atop the varactyl in search of Commander Cody. He found him next to an at-té on one of the first platforms that had been cleared, updating his battle map with the latest reports. Cody and his fellow officers looked up as they saw the feathered lizard slide to a stop in front of them.
"Cody," Obi-Wan called down from the varactyl. "The tactical automaton has ordered the bulk of its forces to converge on the ninth level. I think it's planning a final stand there."
"So that's what they're doing. Thank you, General Kenobi. We'll adjust accordingly." He turned away then looked back. "Oh by the way, sir. I think you lost this." He held up Obi-Wan's fish jaws, the ones that Anakin had given him on the Invisible Hand. "One of the boys found them in one of the tunnels."
"Ah! Thank you, Cody," Obi-Wan said leaning over to take them. "Now, let's get a move on. We have a battle to win." He popped the reins with a "hyah" and took off, leading the varactyl to climb the wall of the pit.
As Cody watched Obi-Wan go, he heard his comm crystal chime. It flashed red three times. This intrigued him. A Senatorial emergency alert? The transmission played automatically. It was short, but it said all that was needed.
"Execute Order 66."
Cody looked up at Obi-Wan, then to the cannoneer on top of the at-té. He gave a single nod. The cannoneer turned the long gun towards the varactyl crawling up the wall and fired.
The shell screamed through the air and impacted the stone just a hair's breadth to the right of the lizard. Stone chips and iron shrapnel tore into the varactyl's underbelly and it fell from the wall. It wailed on the way down and Obi-Wan's makeshift repair of the waist strap broke under the sudden shock and he fell free.
The two of them tumbled down, landing in the pool of water that covered the bottom of the pit. The varactyl hit first, dying on impact but agitating the water just enough to save Obi-Wan from the same fate, but also stunning him into unconsciousness.
On the snowy moonlit battlefields of Mygeeto, Master Ki-Adi-Mundi was about to lead a bayonet charge against a formation of war automata. This was the final push they needed to break through to the capital.
Ki-Adi-Mundi raised his blue Lightblade and gave a battle cry. He took off running with his men right behind him. After a few strides, the homunculi's battle cries stopped as did the sounds of their charging feet. The Jedi Master turned confused and saw the entire front rank of soldiers training their muskets on him.
Master Ki-Adi-Mundi didn't get a chance to raise his Lightblade before scores of bullets riddled his body. He fell to the snowy mud, dead before he hit the ground. The homunculi resumed their charge, trampling his lifeless body as they advanced.
In the humid fungal forests of Felucia, Master Aayla Secura led her soldiers on a patrol mission. She sensed that something was amiss and held up her hand to stop her men. She looked around at the giant stinkhorns and toadstools suspiciously, expecting there to be an ambush at any second.
Aayla heard the homunculus commander shift his feet but thought nothing of it before his sword ran through her chest. She looked down at the chipped blade in disbelief seeing her blue blood smeared along its length.
As she choked on her own blood, the commander withdrew the blade. She collapsed to the ground and the last thing she saw were her former allies approaching, tightly gripping their swords.
In the foggy skies over Cato Nemoidia, Master Plo Koon flew towards the most recently liberated bridge city to oversee the occupation and governmental transition. Escorting him were four of his most trusted homunculi riding atop their arcwings.
Master Plo liked to refer to the homunculi under his command as his beloved sons, so it came as a complete surprise when they opened fire on his delsev. Point blank shots shredded the delsev and it plunged from the sky spiralling out of control. Whether or not Plo Koon was dead before he fell into the caustic Nemoidian sea is unknown, but what little remained of him afterwards was discovered the next morning.
Master Stass Allie, head of the Jedi Order's Circle of Healing and the foremost scholar of healing magics led a caravan across the Saleucami desert. Their mission was one of humanitarian aid, delivering much needed medicine to a city stricken by a plague.
Stass Allie had been meditating while riding for some time and was so focused that she didn't notice the homunculus caravan guards aim their carbines towards her. Shots rang out through the cold night air and Master Allie fell from her horse, her injuries far beyond the help of even her greatest healing magics.
The caravan continued onwards with the homunculi ignoring the dying Jedi reaching weakly towards them.
All across the world, it was the same. Jedi were killed where they stood or while they slept by the homunculi they trusted and had fought alongside for years. It took only minutes for thousands of Jedi to die. A handful were able to make valiant stands against the homunculi, but more often than not, these efforts were in vain.
As the Battle of Kashyyyk raged below him, Master Yoda's walking stick fell to the floor as the tidal wave of a Force disturbance crashed into him. He gripped his chest in pain and braced himself against one of the command center's support struts, feeling the wave of deaths in his very soul. There was something else he sensed; a change in the green armored homunculus commander behind him.
Commander Gree gripped the hilt of his sheathed sword and walked towards Yoda. The green Jedi master hurriedly retrieved his walking stick and waited until Gree was directly behind him. In a single fluid movement, Yoda twisted the head of his walking stick, pulled away his Lightblade, thumbed the activation rune, jumped, turned, and beheaded Commander Gree before the homunculus had finished drawing his own sword.
From the other side of the command center, Chewbacca and Tarfful cried out in alarm. Yoda noticed Gree's comm crystal flashing white with an incoming transmission. Out of morbid curiosity he leaned down and tapped it. Perhaps this would provide some answers.
"Commander, the Wookiees turned on us while executing Order 66. As of now, they are in violation and should be dealt with accordingly." A pause. "Commander? Commander, please respond."
Yoda looked up to his Wookiee allies. Something terrible had happened and there was more tragedy to come. "Go, we must before more arrive."
The Wookiees growled in agreement. Chewbacca leaned down and let Yoda climb on his shoulder. The furry warriors gripped their enchanted crossbows and left the command center.
The Jedi Temple had become a bloodbath. Bodies and severed limbs of homunculi and Jedi covered the floors. Blood stained every surface and pooled in the ruts left by a thousand years of foot traffic. Choking black smoke filled the halls and poured out of shattered windows as the Hall of Tapestries and sections of the Archives burned.
By sunrise, less than fifty Jedi still survived. None would live to see sunset.
Anakin had personally slaughtered scores of Jedi Knights, pouring every bit of his anger into the kills. He entered the Council chamber and for the first time that night hesitated at what he saw.
A group of Younglings, none older than Anakin when he had first arrived at the Temple huddled behind the chairs. They sobbed and shrunk back until they saw who it was that had entered the room. One of them, a boy no older than eight, stood from behind a chair.
"Master Skywalker! There's too many of them! What are we going to do?"
Master. That single word cut Anakin right to his core. The rank he had been denied. When he first saw the Younglings, he wasn't sure if he could bring himself to do what he had been ordered to do. That single word changed that, and his hatred burned.
He ignited his Lightblade.
From her apartment, Padmé watched the glow of fire and the column of smoke rising from the Temple. She hadn't been able to take her eyes off of it since Threepio had awakened her. Tears flowed in rivulets down her cheeks. She was terrified for Anakin's safety.
Threepio walked up to her slowly. "The Chancellor's office told me that Master Anakin returned to the Jedi Temple."
Padmé turned to him, lip quivering.
Threepio put a metal hand on her shoulder. "D- don't worry. I'm sure he's all right..."
Padmé sank to the floor and began sobbing. She wailed soundlessly and cradled her belly.
Senator Bail Organa flew towards the burning Temple on a borrowed wyvern. He wasn't sure what was happening, but he intended to find out firsthand.
There was a squad of homunculi on the Temple roost's landing platform. They watched the senator land while gripping their weapons, ready for whatever was coming. The soldiers relaxed somewhat when they saw who it was that had landed.
Senator Organa hopped down and approached the homunculi. "What's going on?"
The squad leader stepped forward. "There's been a rebellion, Senator. Not to worry, the situation is under control."
Bail stepped forward, hoping for a better look at what was going on. The homunculi brandished their weapons. "I'm sorry, Senator, but it's time for you to leave."
Bail nodded. "And so it is," he said bitterly. He turned to head back when he heard a scream.
From inside the roost, a Padawan no older than ten had started cutting through the squad of homunculi. The remainder of the squad charged while the squad leader opened fire with his pistol. A bullet hit the Padawan in his belly while he had his Lightblade mid swing.
Bail cried out in horror as the soldiers rushed over to the Padawan. The sight of them running their swords into the curled up child would fill his nightmares for the rest of the Senator's life.
The homunculi turned back to him and he bolted back to his wyvern. The white armored soldiers pursued him but couldn't reach him in time. Senator Organa took to the air without sparing a glance back. The sweat beading on his forehead cooled him as he flew, but he didn't notice for the thoughts racing through his head.
Obi-Wan came to as he nearly inhaled a lungful of water. He was upside down and drifting downwards. He reached into his pouch and groped for the fish jaw. Once fitted, he gulped down a few breaths of magically conjured air and tried to make sense of what had just happened.
There was no doubt that it was a Republic shell that had knocked him down. What's more was it had been purposefully aimed at him, but why? What would possess the homunculi to suddenly turn on him?
He thought back to what had happened to Master Tiplar at Ringo Vinda. Could whatever had caused that homunculus to go rogue have have struck again? But surely if it was just that one soldier, Cody would have ordered his men to see if he was all right. Something was wrong.
Obi-Wan swam to the surface and climbed onto a rocky ledge. He had to get away, but how? He suddenly remembered Grievous' belbullab. All he had to do was get to it unseen.
The Republic Army in Kashyyyk spent the wee hours of the morning killing or capturing any Wookiees they could find while the battle against the Separatist Army wound down. Every Jedi in Kashyyyk save one had already been killed and mounted patrols had been assigned to hunt down Master Yoda.
Near the coast, a group of Republic cavalry spotted a downed Wookiee catamaran and moved in to investigate. One of the cavalrymen turned on a mage lantern. Four furry corpses lay in and around the wreckage.
"All these Wookiees are dead, sir."
"Very well. Group, turn eastward. Resume patrol."
"Yes, sir."
Unbeknownst to the soldiers, had they headed west they would have run into Master Yoda and his Wookiee companions. The three of them rushed onwards, heading to a rocky inlet. On the shore, hidden between a pair of large boulders, was a crudely made Wookiee catamaran. Chewbacca had been working on it in secret as a surprise gift for his wife, but knew that it was likely the only way his friend would be able to escape Kashyyyk.
After one last brief conversation, Yoda bid farewell to the two Wookiees. "Goodbye, Tarfful. Goodbye, Chewbacca."
They roared mournfully.
"Miss you both, I will."
They growled, softly and sadly as Yoda climbed into the catamaran's seat. The enchanted wooden wings fluttered and it rose off the ground before heading out to sea.
As the sun peeked over the horizon, Senator Organa left Coruscant's Grand Harbor aboard the white hulled Alderaanian corvette "Tantive". Whispers had been spreading all across Coruscant about what had happened during the night, but many details contradicted each other. The one thing every rumor had in common was the belief that there had been a Jedi rebellion against the Republic. Something else was going on and he was going to find out what it was.
The Tantive's captain, Raymus Antilles, knocked and entered Senator Organa's cabin. The senator himself was pale and his breathing was shaky. He looked up. "Yes? What is it, Captain?"
"Is... Is now a bad time, senator?"
"It's as good a time as any if you have a question."
"Where, uh... Where exactly are we going?"
"Anywhere... I'm just hoping that we can intercept and rescue any Jedi before they walk into this catastrophe."
Commander Cody stood blankly staring at the pool of water at the bottom of the pit. Order 66 was clear: all Jedi were traitors to the Republic and were to be killed on sight at all costs. Anyone found to be aiding the Jedi were to face the same treatment. It was just one of the contingency protocols that had been created for the homunculi to obey without question, but he couldn't help but feel as though he had done something wrong.
He kept telling himself that he was a good soldier. After all, good soldiers follow orders. He had obeyed Order 66, but he had fought alongside General Kenobi for nearly three years. Never once did he seem anything but loyal to the Republic.
"Commander?" The voice of one of his brothers snapped him back to reality.
"Yes? What is it?"
"There's no sign of Kenobi's body."
Cody thought for a second. "Call off the search. No one could have survived that fall." He hoped for all their sakes that he was correct. "Start the withdrawal."
"Yes, sir."
Obi-Wan had overheard everything from a nearby alcove. His suspicions of the attack being deliberate had been confirmed and it wasn't isolated to a single homunculus. What was going on? The Jedi waited until the area was clear and made a break up the closest tunnel, heading for the belbullab.
The half mechanical creature was right where he had last seen it, although now one of its wings was draped over Grievous' body. It took a Jedi enchantment and loading the corpse on the belbullab's saddle for it to agree to let Obi-Wan on. He waited for a gap in the departing la'ats and took off, heading towards the sea.
Using the belbullab's Hyperion Ring to boost the signal range of his comm crystal, Obi-Wan put out a distress call. "To all Masters of the Jedi Council, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi."
A distorted voice came through.
"Please, repeat."
"Master Kenobi."
Obi-Wan recognized that voice. "Senator Organa?"
"Yes, Master Kenobi. It's good to hear your voice."
"My homunculi turned on me. I need help."
"We have just rescued Master Yoda near Kashyyyk. The same thing happened to him. It appears that this attack has happened to Jedi everywhere."
Obi-Wan hoped that Anakin was all right. "Are you still near Kashyyyk?"
"For now, yes."
"I'll meet you there."