INTERLUDE III
"Every single Jedi, including your friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi, is now an enemy of the Republic."
Coruscant, 19 BBY
Republic Garrison
Xur wasn't in the best of moods. Being left out of the chance to destroy General Grievous on Utapau stung somewhat, even if he believed that Obi-Wan could finish the job. This war, however terrible, had been his duty, and to miss out on its possible end felt like unfinished business. Instead, he found himself stuck at the garrison, trying to pass the time with some of his men, namely Raven, Lockdown, who was mostly toying with his gear, and Mars, who seemed to be working on another design for his armor.
The zabrak lounged back in his chair, mumbling to himself. "Obi-Wan and Cody sent to Utapau, Ahsoka and Rex to Mandalore…Xur, Anakin, and the rest of their sorry band…restricted to sitting around."
"Ah, come on General," Raven urged from his own chair. "I'm sure they'll have an assignment for us in no time."
"The assignment of the century is happening right now," Xur insisted, huffing in annoyance. "And we've been benched."
Mars shrugged, using a marker to trace over his penciled in design atop his helmet. "I don't know. I think the rest will do us some good."
"Commandoes don't rest," Lockdown retorted, his voice deeper than the others. "The longer I sit here, the longer those droids get to continue functioning."
The zabrak grumbled with Lockdown's point well made, and then checked the time on his gauntlet, his eyes widening. Clearing his throat, he looked to Raven. "Hey, Captain…we need to do the thing."
Raven seemed baffled at first, until he remembered. "General…I'm not a huge fan of doing that thing."
"Come on, I'm already late," the zabrak insisted, rising to his feet. Raven was left with little choice but to follow him, leaving the other two alone at their round table. They paced to a secluded section of the garrison where his high-ranking troopers lounged, knowing he would not be disturbed.
"General Skywalker told me this isn't working for him anymore," Raven whispered as they came to the room door, handing Xur his helmet. "Are you sure about this?"
"Relax," Xur urged. "I'll be out in a minute."
He left Raven to stand watch at the door, closing it behind him and walking through the darkness to the center of the room. Setting the trooper's helmet down, he pulled out his handheld comm-link and placed it on the floor, activating it with a press of the button in the middle.
"Your punctuality, as always, needs improvement," Trilla joked as she appeared before him at full size, only barely not reaching his height by a couple inches. With her arms crossed, she looked absolutely incredible, all cleaned up and prepared for their call…while he had merely walked in as usual.
He cleared his throat. "Yeah…sorry. I lost track of time."
"Aren't you on Coruscant?" she asked, a smirk on her face as she popped her hips.
Xur sighed in embarrassment. "Sidelined…yeah, I know. The one time I'm stuck on Coruscant, you're not."
Trilla giggled. "Don't be so cross. I know you don't appreciate the downtime, but it could do you some good. You can't always be out saving the galaxy."
"I know, I know, I just…" he trailed off.
"You feel left out."
Xur let his head droop as he smiled to himself. She always knew what was on his mind, even with the smallest hints. "Yeah."
"Xur…I know you've been shaped by the war, but please," her expression became sincere, and in a less joking manner. "You should try to let go of your thirst for battle and enjoy the finer things."
He sighed. "Those finer things are no fun without you."
She didn't seem to expect that, and she could only smile as she blushed momentarily, running her fingers through her hair.
"I wish you were here," he confessed, stepping forward, wanting to take her hand into his, even if he couldn't.
She nodded, letting her head hang to one side. "Me too."
Outside, Raven stood guard awkwardly, saluting to 502nd members that passed by, truthfully hoping that the General would wrap up his conversation soon.
And then his eyes laid upon a familiar man approaching, his eyes darting away. Anakin gave a two-fingered salute in greeting as he approached, and Raven grumbled to himself.
"Son of a-," before banging on the door with his fist in a specific pattern.
Xur turned to the bang by the door, and Trilla looked over his shoulder. "What was that?"
The zabrak looked dumbfounded, and then grimaced as he returned to facing her. "Ugh, Anakin is coming. Why would he be bothering me now?"
Trilla observed his mannerisms for a moment, before shaking her head. "Something's bothering you, and it's not the fact that you haven't received orders."
Xur grumbled to himself, caught red-handed again. "It's Anakin…something is wrong with him, and he won't tell me. I can tell he's distressed…" he shook his head. "I don't know, Trilla. I'm worried about him."
She mulled his concerns, giving it thought before shrugging. "He's your oldest friend, and there's no one he trusts more than you. If you prod him enough, show some support, he'll let you in."
He sighed. "I hope you're right."
"Raven, have you seen Xur?" Anakin asked, looking somewhat in a hurry. "I need to talk to him as soon as possible."
Raven cleared his throat. "General! Ah, well…he's spot-checking my gear, sir."
Anakin deadpanned, crossing his arms. "I see…well, would you tell him to wrap it up? He and I need to have a chat."
"Right, right…uh right away, sir," Raven nodded, banging on the door again.
Xur groaned from the constant banging. "What the fuck? He knows what I'm doing. This is a serious bro-code violation."
Trilla giggled. "You always knew how to make things simple."
Xur giggled back, reaching out to hold her holographic shoulder. "When this is over, we should…do something."
Trilla nodded with a blissful smile. "We will. Goodbye, Xur."
"Goodbye, Trilla. Stay safe. Please."
When she disappeared, his heart sank again. Picking up Raven's helmet and pacing to the door, he opened to see Anakin waiting with his arms crossed. Giving him a trying look and tossing the captain his helmet, he flicked his head away from the barracks, prompting Anakin to walk beside him while he waved Raven off.
"Congratulations, you've ruined the one good part of my day," Xur remarked annoyedly. "This'd better be worth it."
"You need to listen to me," Anakin insisted as they walked away from the crowd, all the way towards the storage area. "I've learned something and I…need your advice."
They stopped in an obscure corner, well away from any prying eyes. Xur turned his head, caught off guard by his statement. "My advice?"
Anakin looked extremely troubled, even more so than he had recently, and he hardly ever asked the zabrak for advice. Usually neither of them had much to teach each other, being at the same level in most everything, despite the three-year age difference. Sure, Anakin's connection to the Force was unmatched, but that was a given.
"The Dark Side," Anakin almost whispered. "What's it like?"
Xur leaned back slightly. "It sucks."
He huffed in slight annoyance. "I'm being serious."
"So am I," Xur insisted, his tone low. "Anakin, what's going on? You've looked like you're about to walk into a funeral for the past couple weeks. Talk to me."
Anakin grumbled deeply, looking unsure of himself as his hands fell to his hips, and Xur felt his trust finally earn his ticket in. "Listen to me. You keep this to yourself, understand?"
Xur leaned in, crossing his arms. "Anakin, when have I ever ratted you out?"
He paused for a moment, before nodding, his voice falling almost silent. "It's Padme…I think she's going to die."
His eyes widened. "What? How?"
"Childbirth," Anakin answered. "I need to know if there's a way to save her."
"What makes you think she's going to die?"
"I've seen it," he admitted. "Nightmares. Same ones I had about…"
Xur sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fucking hell," he cursed, knowing the severity of the situation. "Alright, I get it. The Dark Side…I don't know. Saving someone from death is beyond my knowledge."
"Do you think it's actually possible?" he asked, his interest paramount.
Xur shrugged. "Maybe…but I don't know if it's worth the risk Skywalker. And who knows? The future isn't set in stone."
"No, it's…" Anakin denied. "I can feel it. It's real. I have to know."
"Listen to me…" Xur pulled his attention. "The Dark Side…it changes you. Yes, it grants you power, but…you're not you anymore. And once you feel it…it's there forever. I've tried my best my entire life not to be a piece of shit, but despite all my natural ability, it's always there.
"I'm telling you…it's not worth it."
"I don't care!" Anakin growled. "I won't lose her!"
"Anakin!" Xur urged him to keep his voice down.
"If it were Trilla…what would you do?" he asked. "Hm? Tell me. If Trilla was about to die, look me straight in the eye and tell me you wouldn't do anything."
Xur wanted to tell him no, and make him forego this insanity, but he never lied to Anakin, not with something this serious. If he thought Trilla would die, he'd burn half the galaxy to get her back, and he knew Anakin felt the same about Padme.
Which made this even harder.
"I can walk back, Anakin," Xur frivolously explained. "If you go, that's it, you're done. Anakin Skywalker is gone forever, and I'm telling you, you'll spend the rest of your life wishing you never did it, no matter what it brings."
Anakin's stance didn't change, and his eyes looked away, slanting in a menacing fashion. Xur pointed.
"You're giving me the face you make when you're about to do something stupid."
He growled, swiping his hand through the air. "If you won't help me, fine. I'll do it myself."
"Hey! I never said I wouldn't help you!" Xur grabbed his shoulder before he could walk away. "But you need to listen to me, Anakin. I'm telling you…"
Anakin batted his hand away and pushed him against the wall with an outstretched hand, leaving the zabrak to grunt from the hard impact. The brown-haired Jedi then stomped off, while Xur only watched him go with a pressing look of concern.
He was changing…already, and it wasn't until then that Xur felt a wave of the Dark Side rip across the landscape, shivering him to his core.
Something was happening.
His commlink chimed as he picked himself up, quickly activating it to reveal the image of Reyna Vorchenko, her expression stern. "Reyna? What's up?"
"General…I need to speak to you and your fireteam, alone. Where can we meet?"
Kamparas, 19 BBY
Jedi Training Center
"Concentrate…focus your mind."
Cere's words hardly registered within Trilla, who sat cross-legged in the circle of younglings, while her master lead the meditation. Her mind was simply elsewhere, tentative excitement roaring through her in an uncontainable fashion.
Xur had asked her out on a date.
It was certainly his style; unsure of himself, bashful and somewhat oblivious to what he was entailing. She figured he never intended his request to be a "date" so to speak, but in his heart, that was what he wished, and that was what came out of his impulse-guided mouth. Trilla had loved that about him, making it impossible for him to keep his true feelings from her detection.
She could hardly bear the wait. With the togruta finally out of the way, reconciled with the Separatist super-soldier, she could at last have what she'd always desired.
Now she just needed an excuse to return to Coruscant.
"Trilla."
She opened her eyes to Cere's voice, and every other pair was on her, especially that of her master. "What?"
"Your mind is racing. It's affecting the others," she remarked. "I need you to focus."
Trilla nodded, mostly to get her attention away. "Yes, Master."
Once Cere once again began to speak her words, Trilla sighed in hopes that this would go by any faster. In her mental solitude, she felt a dark wave roll through the Force, and when she opened her eyes in confusion, no one else had reacted.
Whatever that was, it was long gone now.
Demeter, 19 BBY
Over Coruscant
"Did the Commodore tell you why she needed us on her ship? Little strange, don't you think?" Raven asked, pacing just beside Xur while Lockdown and Mars followed behind. It didn't take long for them to catch a gunship and hit orbit, since Xur could essentially request one at his leisure…but Vorchenko already had one ready to dust off on the ground.
"Whatever it is, it must be important," Xur figured. "You know her. Doesn't like to talk much."
Mars nudged the commando with his elbow. "Neither does Lockdown old boy."
Lockdown grumbled. "Ah, what's there to talk about? Tell me we found that Wraith bastard, then you'll get me talking."
"Damn right," Raven agreed while Xur kept quiet. "Whatever happened to him, General?"
The zabrak shrugged. "Beats me. Vorchenko's actually put a lot of thought into finding him, but nothing. The guy's a myth."
That was a lie. Shortly after Tranbir IX, the GAR tried to sic him to the super soldier, practically begging him to focus all his efforts on tracking him down. For whatever reason, despite Anakin's uneasy past with him, the brass thought he was the only man who could pull it off, which may have been true.
What they didn't know was the implications that came with it. If Xur ever did find him again, it'd be like trying to beat an idiot's array with another, a brutal stalemate that'd just end up splitting the pot in the end. He and Vorchenko understood the necessity for him to actually be as far away from the Wraith as possible, so as not to stall out the advance of the 502nd into the outer rim. Since Operation Countdown began, he and Anakin had been far and away the most successful campaigns of the multitude that had been initiated, nearly splitting the Confederacy in two by now. Hunting the Wraith would be exactly what the Separatists needed to catch their breath and regroup.
So Vorchenko had been crafty, tracking his movements to the best of her ability, whilst assembling an algorithm that kept their invasion path away from his rampage. How she achieved that was with…less legal means than the Republic was aware of…and she merely informed her superiors that he was elusive; a narrative not new to anyone, and it stuck.
Besides, he'd rather not be forced to kill the man Ahsoka cared for so dearly. He was only one man, and as far as Xur could tell, no commander. A super soldier could only do so much in such a massive galaxy.
"Did you hear what he did on Anaxes?" Mars asked as they approached the Demeter medical bay, where they had agreed to meet the Commodore. "Wiped out an entire platoon."
"They had an algorithm," Lockdown downplayed. "I could take him."
Mars scoffed. "Fat chance, soldier. He's killed Jedi!"
Xur chuckled to himself. "Don't tell me you're a fan, trooper."
"Absolutely not, sir, but I respect his ability," the arc trooper admitted. "If you don't, it'll just get you killed."
The zabrak could get behind that.
As soon as they walked into the bay, Vorchenko was already there, conversing with her chief medical officer.
"I want it cleared," she affirmed, noticing them approaching as well. "I need a personal inspection, and to debrief our General."
The clone CMO tipped his head. "If you say so, ma'am."
"That will be all," she turned away, enticing him to leave as Xur and his fireteam entered, a tap on her datapad shutting the door closed. "Thank you for coming, General, Captain and special forces."
All three clones saluted, while Raven carried out the words. "You've earned your respect within the 502nd, Commodore, and if the General trusts you, so do we."
"You will not find it misplaced," she saluted back, and then returning her attention to her datapad. "But I am afraid this may not be a pleasant visit."
"Is it ever?" Xur asked, but she didn't seem to appreciate his joking demeanor. Clearing his throat, he shaped up. "Well Commodore, give it to us straight."
Vorchenko sighed, turning towards a small screen as her datapad interfaced. "Rava, if you will."
From behind the Commodore rolled out a black spherical droid with a singular red optic on its half-sphere head. How it managed to move around efficiently was beyond Xur's knowledge, as he had never witnessed such a droid construction before.
"Gentlemen," Rava spoke in greeting.
"It talks?" Raven asked, stunned.
"It is a she," Vorchenko corrected. "And Rava is a Virtual Intelligence construct, more advanced than even the most intricate tactical computer. Why she looks the way she does is for safety, and none of you will reveal what is discussed in this room…understood?"
"Don't have to tell me twice, ma'am," Mars accepted.
Xur felt uneasy already. "Reyn-…Commodore…you're looking anxious. You never look anxious."
"There is good reason," Rava answered for her, her voice accented slightly and in a feminine tone. "Captain, if I may, I would like to you take a seat on this medical stretcher."
Raven hesitated for a moment, until Vorchenko nodded to second the VI's request. Setting his helmet aside, he took a seat while Rava entered a contraption that lifted her form to his eyelevel, able to shift around the bed via a crane latched to the ceiling.
Vorchenko activated the screen above, and pointed, leading to Rava beginning a scan of the clone's head.
"What's this?" Xur asked.
"A test," Vorchenko answered, watching the screen closely, with her hand grasping its corner. Xur could only best make it out as a brain scan, as Raven's cranium was displayed much quicker than usual.
"Don't brain scans usually take a few minutes?" Mars asked.
"Done," Rava remarked, her optic's light fading. Everyone's eyes turned to the screen, and then waited for Vorchenko's answer as she studied it.
"Bloody hell," she huffed, shoving away the screen in a fit.
"What? Bloody hell what?" Raven asked, concerned about his own well-being.
"It's the same," Rava confirmed. "Just like the other files we datamined on Kamino. They're hiding something."
"Dammit," Vorchenko cursed. "Scan the others."
Mars and Lockdown were both confirmed to have a similar ailment, to which Xur still did not understand.
Once they were done, the Commodore highlighted the similar anomaly in all their brains. "Organic chips in all three of you."
"What?" Raven gasped, holding his head. "What the hell for?"
"Wait…" Xur raised his hand. "Didn't Anakin tell us about what happened to Tup, and subsequently Fives? Wasn't this…the same?"
"Yes. This is what Rava and I have been researching quietly," she admitted. "I don't know what they do, but when one of these malfunctioned, Tup executed a Jedi."
Silence filled the room as everyone contemplated the implications…until Lockdown pointed to his head.
"Take it out then," the commando insisted.
"Lockdown…" Xur waved off, unsure of the risk.
"I'm not letting some mind control chip overheat and make me kill you, General," Lockdown insisted. "Take it out."
Xur looked to Vorchenko, who in turn nodded to Rava.
"I can do it," Rava assured.
Xur sighed, and was about to confirm, but a searing pain ignited his brain as the Force relayed a horrible message to him. There was lightning, a blue blade…and a perilous drop. The zabrak gasped as he fell forward, grabbing ahold of the nearest support as the images flashed by…and he knew what they meant once they passed.
"M-…Master," he heaved, nothing but a whisper.
"Sir!" Raven held him up. "What's wrong?"
His Master, Mace Windu, was dead…and he had no idea how.
"Get them out," he urged, fury present on his face. "Now!"
Coruscant, 19 BBY
Jedi Temple
Effa paced the halls, followed by two younglings that persisted to ask her questions, each of them bringing a smile to her face. She had always loved children, entertaining them especially, but to watch them adorably beam to her was empowering. Most of her life she had spent it looking up to others, and to have her own to be an example for was ever more satisfying.
"Have you ever seen a gundark?" one of them asked. "I've heard they're massive!"
Effa giggled, falling to his eyelevel as she bent her knees. "No, but I'm sure you'll tell me when you do."
"Aw!" the other complained. "I want to see one too!"
"I'm going to be first!"
"Now, now," Effa eased, holding the two young boys back. "What's the need for a competition? You can both see one together, can't you?"
They both met her eyes with looks of worry that eventually softened, seeing her point. "Sorry Master Azulia," they both apologized.
"It's fine," she smiled, rising back to her full height. "Now, why don't we…"
Effa hadn't realized how close they had come to the Temple entrance, but the sound of distinct marching began to echo towards the line of pillars. She could sense an intense amount of energy coming from outside, and her curiosity got the better of her as she walked forward and was granted with an unsettling sight.
A hooded Jedi was leading an entire legion of clone troopers through the Temple doors, and the increasing amount of animosity she felt made her fall back, while other Jedi came from their respective rooms and duties to examine the commotion. There were gasps of confusion, followed by occasional sighs of relief at the less-than-threatening sight of the men they had fought beside for the past three years.
Effa peered through the hood and felt that relief come. "Anakin…"
Then the clones started shooting.
Demeter, 19 BBY
Over Coruscant
"…got it," Rava pulled her prod from Mars' skull while Vorchenko quickly applied a bandage to stop the bleeding. The arc trooper grunted in pain, but breathed slowly as it ebbed away, the procedure over.
Raven grasped his shoulder, his head already patched. "You alright?" he asked.
Mars nodded, rising to his feet. "Better, now that I don't have that thing in my brain."
Xur was hovering behind Vorchenko as she disposed of the three chips, pulling the disposable medical gloves from her hands. "What do you think those were?"
The Commodore shook her head, visibly distressed as she reapplied her own gloves. "I only have theories. Not even Rava can dissertate why, and she has access to the entire Republic database."
As Rava was lowered back to the ground, the VI paused, her optic flashing as she seemed to notice something. "I'm picking up heavy comm traffic…all originating from a single point of origin."
Just on cue, Raven's commlink flashed. Eyeing it cautiously while all eyes fell to him, Xur gave him the nod to answer. What appeared was a hooded and gnarled figure, no one he had ever seen before.
In a raspy and horrid voice, he said, "Execute Order Sixty-Six."
Xur felt the galaxy die around him.
Kamparas, 19 BBY
Jedi Training Center
Trilla reached out for Amelia in vain as the youngling ran outside to the clone commander, trying to spook him. The Padawan could only smile at her attempt, as well as bask in the beauty of the day outside. Kamparas was chosen to train younglings for good reason, as the weather was hardly ever bad near the center but could up the ante near the swamp areas or tall mountains.
"Boo!" Amelia spooked, and the commander didn't flinch, but laughed at the attempt.
"Almost had me that time," he pointed. "You'll have to do better."
Trilla decided to leave them be, pacing away so Amelia could bother her best friend. It was good for her, definitely being the most anxious of all the younglings, so time away from the blazing emotions of the others was helpful.
Besides, Trilla wanted to keep her mind on Xur at the moment. Just the thought of him made her smile, his attitude, his adorable bashfulness…his great ass.
But there was more to it than his looks, which were there, certainly. He had always made her feel special, even if she didn't deserve it, and the euphoria that ran through her veins at his side was second to none. Ever since Tranbir IX he had been on her mind, and when this war was over, she wanted to do something about that.
She wanted to tell him she loved him…and hear him say he loved her back.
A splitting headache ravaged her skull…but quickly she noticed there was more to it. There was a message…a warning.
When she turned to Amelia, the commander raised his blaster and fired a bolt straight through the young girl's skull.
Trilla didn't know how to react to such an atrocious sight. All that came next was raw instinct as she unleashed a harsh scream in horror from her throat, and the commander pointed his blaster her way next. The gold blade at her belt ignited, and with two flicks of her wrist, Trilla deflected both bolts back to their owner, and the commander dropped dead.
"Amelia!" she screamed, running to the child's body, flipping it over only to see her lifeless eyes stare into the sun. It was an image straight from her worst nightmare, and she couldn't even heal the youngling's wound…not if she was already dead. All she did was shake in terror as she ran her shaking hands over her face to shut her eyelids, and immediately tears fell from her eyes.
Why would the commander do that? Why would anyone execute a helpless little girl? Amelia had never been a threat…in fact she had been perhaps the purest heart Trilla had ever encountered, certainly purer than her own…and she was just dead.
Her only responsibility was to protect this girl, and she had failed. Why should she pay for her mistakes…with her life?
Trilla vomited on the spot, feeling herself fall into a state of shock as cold sweat covered her face. She felt weak…unable to move as Amelia's dead body hung over her head, her vision tunneling into blackness…fading away.
It's what she deserved.
The clicking of another blaster sharpened her senses, and with a burst of adrenaline, she rose to her feet and deflected another bolt back to her assailant, dropping him dead as more clone troopers charged at her. Faced with no choice but to leave her body behind, Trilla fell inside the training center and shut the door, pulling the locking mechanism shut as blaster bolts riddled it in retaliation.
"Leave the body! That Jedi is already dead!" she heard one shout…almost sounding entranced.
"Get this door open!"
Trilla stepped back and deactivated her blade, running back down the hall to find Cere and warn the others.
Demeter, 19 BBY
Over Coruscant
It was like a standoff, but Xur wasn't sure why he was on edge, aside from the crippling intensity of the feedback the Force was granting him. Whatever was happening, Jedi were being slaughtered across the galaxy, and he only had one question for everyone in the room.
"What the fuck is Order Sixty-Six?"
Vorchenko was quick to answer, her grip firmly on his shoulder. "The execution of all Jedi across the Republic. We need to get you out of here, now."
"That was only for rogue Jedi…" Raven noted. "Why the hell would the Chancellor tell me to kill you?!"
"Fuck that," Lockdown added, which was the first time Xur had ever heard him curse.
"You said it, brother," Mars agreed. "The Chancellor can take his order and shove it up his rectum for all I care. I know you, General. You're not a traitor."
Xur scoffed. "Then why is everyone else getting gunned down?!" Instantly his mind wandered to Trilla, searching the Force desperately for an answer, but he felt nothing…nothing at all. His hatred built like a bonfire, and he probed for a face to pin to this catastrophe…this grievous betrayal by the very system he had fought so hard to preserve.
"General!" Vorchenko shouted, making him look into her fierce blue-violet eyes. "If these chips that we pulled out of your men are the cause, then everyone on this ship will try to kill you. We need to get you someplace safe."
Safe…yeah that sounded great right about now…but what about everyone else? He was one the most powerful Jedi in the Order, second only to one, and they were being actively exterminated. Who would he be if he ran and hid when they needed him most?
He never ran away from a fight, and this was the prize match, the main event. It was all he had ever trained for: armageddon…the end of the galaxy as anyone would know it. Xur Eon was the contingency should all else fail, when all other options had been exhausted.
That time was now.
"No," he shook his head, and she almost grit her teeth in annoyance. "You all need to chase me. You all need to look like you're along with it…and that is the best chance any of us has right now. If the Jedi are going to fall, then so will the Republic with it, and I need people I trust on the inside."
"General, that's insan-," Raven protested, only to be cut off.
"It's the only way. I'm going back to Coruscant, and I'm going to figure this out."
Vorchenko looked distressed. "You don't need to be the bloody hero! We can work together, just as always!"
"And we will!" Xur insisted, grasping her shoulders. "Reyna, I need you to trust me. Do you?"
Her eyes shut with distaste, but her resolve finalized. "Always."
"Good," he let her go, backing off towards the door. "Call it in. Boys, it's been a pleasure," he saluted, to which they returned whole-heartedly.
"We'll find you again, General," Raven assured. "I promise!"
"I'm counting on it," he smirked, and exited the medical bay, running off.
With deep sorrow that Vorchenko expertly hid, she activated a ship-wide alert. "All crew of the Demeter. Order Sixty-Six has been enacted. Xur Eon is a traitor to the Republic. If you see him, shoot on sight."
Coruscant, 19 BBY
Jedi Temple
Effa had never seen so many dead children in her life. Each glossy-eyed and lifeless youngling increased her nausea exponentially, beginning to feel helplessly sick as she entered the turbolift to the Council Chambers. That was where the rest of the younglings were told to hide, and while she had promised to be there with them, the thousands of clone troopers coming her way had separated them. Only after careful movements was she able to sneak her way to the turbolift…but each step felt like another dead soul entering her vision.
When it reached the Chambers and opened, what she saw finally unleashed the vomit dwelling within her.
Anakin cut down the last youngling she had been sworn to protect, fear stricken in their eyes as they couldn't comprehend why he would suddenly kill them. Effa could no longer discern reality, her vision hazy and mind scrambled. Everything she had seen felt like a falsehood, a horrible nightmare, but it felt so real. Every death in the Force was distinct, perceivable, and most of all…intense.
When she looked up, Anakin's yellow eyes plagued her as they bore into her soul, and all she could do was cry, not caring about the vomit pool below her.
He said nothing, just standing above her with that cold stare, and Effa desperately searched for anything within him. All she felt was cold rage, fueled by an innate desire to preserve something she could not identify. She didn't feel any hatred for him…she just wanted to know why.
"I've known you since we were children…Anakin," she whimpered. "What happened?"
The hooded figure of raw darkness remained silent, his blue blade twitching.
Effa bowed her head, feeling the end upon her. The Jedi Order would die today, and Anakin would be accomplice to its death. There was no explanation, but something within her stirred. It was then that her hatred ignited, fueled not by what Anakin had done…but at what had made him feel such a way.
"Who did this to you?" she asked, looking up as her brow slanted. "Who made you suffer so much pain?"
Anakin could sense her change in demeanor, and he steadied his blade, finally gracing her with his voice. "The Jedi."
Effa grit her teeth. The Jedi had ignited this blaze of hatred within Anakin, and they had taken him away. A darkness within her consumed her essence until her rage was absolute…and that was when Anakin extinguished his blade.
"Anakin…all I've ever cared about…was you," she admitted, seething. "I don't…I don't care about the Jedi. If they have betrayed you, then they have betrayed me."
Her pain dissipated, the images of all those dead becoming easier to bear…until she felt no pain at all. Anger had become her ally, pain its fuel, and in turn, it had freed her from her suffering. Slowly rising to her feet, her eyes tinted yellow, and Anakin pulled his head back in observation.
"Whatever path you walk, Anakin. I wish to walk it at your side," she pledged.
Anakin's cold stare loosened upon her, and with a stark nod, he paced past her, moving to the turbolift. "Head to the Temple depths. Wait for me. If you survive, I will find you, and we may begin."
Temple depths, survive, and she could begin. "I will," she promised, watching him cross his arms in the lift.
"Things will be different," he assured, before the door shut, leaving her alone.
Things will be different.
Effa smiled blissfully. At last, Anakin had seen her worth.
Xur heaved up the Temple steps, closing his fist as two necks snapped, 501st Legion clone troopers dropping dead beside him. The Dark Side within him was palpable, fueling his every ascending step as the trail of bodies behind him grew longer. His view was that straight out of a horrible nightmare: the Jedi Temple ablaze, the bodies of his Jedi brothers and sisters sprawled out in horrible fashion. No tears fell from his eyes, only blinding hatred corrupted his irises as he reached the top step.
Anakin was there, stopping as his own yellow eyes met with the zabrak's. Within moments, all of Xur's worst assumptions had been realized, and his fist clenched around dual hilt. The flames that destroyed his home since he was merely three years old was the only sound either of them heard, the noxious smoke covering the space between them as each breath blew it away.
"I had a feeling I'd find you here," Xur shouted across the distance, stepping forward. "I hoped and prayed that I wouldn't…but here we are."
"Here we are," Anakin echoed, his hilt still in hand. "I see your troops didn't kill you."
Xur grit his teeth behind his lips. "Oh, they tried. As did yours."
Anakin had no answer for him, and Xur's hatred intensified as Anakin's betrayal took root, solidifying itself into his reality.
"After all that…all we've done…why?!" he asked, probing for anything. He had warned him about the Dark Side, but it appeared his warning had fallen upon deaf ears. Even so…this…this atrocity was beyond anything he could've envisioned. The entire Jedi Order, dead, because Anakin was afraid.
No…there had to be more to this. That jump…it just wasn't possible.
"There's still a chance for you to make the right choice," Anakin offered, stepping forward with his hand outstretched. "You can join me. Together, we are more powerful than the Chancellor!"
The Chancellor?
Execute Order Sixty-Six.
Yes, that was his voice. Mace Windu, his Master, could've only been killed by one kind of man: a Sith Lord. All this time, the Republic had been under the control of the Dark Lord of the Sith, and not a single Jedi had been able to decipher that. His deception had been paramount…absolute, and in the end, totally fatal to the Jedi Order.
And Anakin had spurred it along. His Master, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Kaidan, Effa…Trilla. They could all be dead by now, and he only had one man to blame.
His hatred manifested, adopting a face that he could recognize, and forever he could see that face imprinted in his mind. Anakin Skywalker had been his most trusted ally and closest friend, and he had destroyed everything he ever cared about.
"And then what?" Xur seethed. "Rule the galaxy?! Fuck that, murderer."
Anakin's brow slanted, beginning his march forward. "Last chance. Join with me…or become my enemy."
"That's easy," Xur spat, twisting his blade to separate the hilts, igniting two orange blades of fiery fury. "I've known the Dark Side far longer than you ever will. You going to pay for all the Jedi you've slaughtered!"
Anakin's blue blade followed suit, and he pointed. "Know this…after I kill you, you know who'll be next. Even if you survive this day, I swear to you, you will never see her again!"
Xur exploded. "Touch her, and I'll kill you!"
"Maybe she'll have the sense to join me…or not."
"I hate you…SKYWALKER!" he shouted and rocketed through the air, his leap cracking the ground beneath him as he collided into the new Sith Lord. They rolled end over end until Anakin planted his boots into his chest and kicked him off, sending the zabrak across the hall. Xur roared as he flipped to his feet, lifting massive chunks of rubble from the ground as the Force reverberated in a deep hum, hurling them towards Anakin. His adversary reached out, dodging one but stopping the other mid-flight and hurling it back, forcing Xur to roll away from the intense retaliation.
The zabrak barely looked up in time to cross his blades with Anakin's as he descended upon him. As Jedi, they had been equals in every aspect of dueling, and their connection to the Force was nearly the same, but Xur quickly noticed that Anakin's power with the Dark Side was beyond anything he could possibly muster on his own. Not even his unorthodox use of Form VII Vaapad was enough to throw Anakin off, and eventually he had one blade batted from his hand, falling to one knee as he held his overhead swing back.
"This is the end for you, Eon," Anakin declared.
He struggled, but his hatred returned in full force, sharpening his focus and intensifying his power through the pain he felt. It siphoned from his chest and through his arms…feeling his blade push back. Anakin struggled to hold him down, and when Xur flipped from his blade, he outstretched both hands, engulfing the former Jedi in a torrent of lightning, electrocuting him ten-fold as the blast fired him through the air, landing a static mess across the hall.
Commotion built, and Xur could hear footsteps echoing from above. "Lord Vader! Are you alright?"
Lord Vader.
Anakin heaved, visibly hurt from the attack, and through his searing yellow eyes, he pointed. "There's a Jedi. Kill him!"
Xur knew better than to stick around. He'd have the entire 501st on top of him in time, and with one last relish of Anakin's pain, he turned and ran, his blades slicing through the pillars on each side of him. Clones screamed as the above section collapsed, burying the path behind him in rubble as he continued to run.
Anywhere but here.
Kamparas, 19 BBY
Stone Ruins
Days passed as Trilla and Cere fled from the training center, taking what surviving younglings they could into their contingency shelter, only to realize the clones would know where it was. When that failed, and they lost two younglings for their failure, they had fled to unmapped ruins in the swamps of Kamparas, and it was only a matter of time until the clone squads closed in.
Running through the stone halls as mortar fire blasted their position, Trilla wiped the blood from her forehead as it leaked into her eyes, the wound not serious enough for her to risk tending to it. Beside her ran Petro, his blue hair sullied and matted as he tried to keep up. She desperately needed to find Cere, as the back of the ruins had been overrun…and she had lost yet another youngling to clone blasterfire.
Petro was visibly distressed, and she had told him to keep it at bay, even if she was terrible at hiding her own. It almost felt hypocritical to ask such a thing, with the galaxy falling around them.
After minutes of non-stop sprinting, Trilla rounded the corner to the front of the ruins, spotting Cere with the rodian youngling, Ganodi. She ran forward at the sight of Trilla, hugging her leg in desperation as the shouting outside only grew louder.
"Trilla, I'm scared!" she plead, and the Padawan did what she could, catching her breath while Petro stayed back. Cere was looking towards the light at the end of the tunnel they had chosen to hide within. Holding Ganodi's head in efforts to calm her, she had grown tired of the two of them splitting up while more younglings died.
When Cere approached, looking as if she was about to do something foolhardy, Trilla grasped her arm furiously. "Don't go. We need to stick together!" she protested.
Her words were regarded by her Master, but Cere made another backwards look, seemingly at the precipice of an outrageous decision. "No," Cere denied. "I'm going to lure them away, and then I'm going to circle back," she decided, and Trilla felt her soul ripped from her body, a stark helplessness at the prospect of being without her mentor. "Stay with the younglings, Trilla."
Stay with the younglings? Are you fucking mad?!
She wanted to say it, and there was an undeniable hatred that aroused within her. Cere was about to abandon her, foolishly risk her life against suicidal odds…leaving the remaining younglings to her responsibility…and she couldn't protect them. She knew it.
"May the Force be with you," Cere said, before sprinting through the tunnel, leaving Trilla to only reach out in vain.
"Master! Don't leave us!" Trilla begged, hoping to see her stop and come back, but she never did, disappearing into the light as the shouting increased at her sight. Now Ganodi looked up to her, the rodian's eyes filled with fear.
"Trilla…what's going to happen?" she shivered.
She had no idea, and Petro's stunned look said it all, but she had to look strong for them. If she began to panic, they would begin to panic, and soon they'd all be dead.
"It's okay, it's okay," she lied, holding her head. "I won't let anyone touch you."
She had said that so many times, it already felt like a blatant lie when she had said it once again. Trilla had no idea where to go from here, and Cere could only buy them so much time.
Petro stepped forward, grasping the Padawan's own shivering shoulder. "We're in this together Trilla," he assured. "We can do this!"
No…we can't.
It was only a matter of time now.
Ventooine, 14 BBY
Mesa Outskirts
"She told me to run," Petro recounted from his makeshift bed only a few yards from where Brutis had camped out, his eyes locked on the stars. "Instead of staying behind and fighting with her…I ran…I ran faster than I ever had…and here we are."
Brutis huffed. "You were smart."
Petro narrowed his eyes. "I was a coward!"
"There's cowardice, and then there's strategic retreat," he argued. "I told you to abandon all that self-sacrifice blurrg-shit, didn't I?"
Petro sighed, remembering his words. "I know."
"Then what are you whining about?"
He scoffed. "I'm not whining!"
"Your lips are moving and you're complaining about something. That's whining," Brutis explained, shifting in his own spot. "Your harpy of a guardian is an inquisitor now, so if I were you, I wouldn't feel so bad about what happened."
Brutis had already told him that, and it still was tough to process for him, but he had admittedly lost a lot of his soft feelings during his time under the former purge trooper's tutelage. Admittedly, the former youngling was seeing improvement, and it had shown in the various skirmishes they had fallen into. Where they were going was beyond him, but who they ran into was more his concern.
"If I ever saw her again, what should I do?" he asked.
Brutis grumbled, turning over. "I would tell her to shut the fuck up so I can get some sleep."
Petro didn't react to his harshness. In fact…he found a stupid grin making its way across his face.
Just another day at the edge of the galaxy.
Yay, Order 66, all nice and cheery for you guys.
On another note, 10,000 views! As a treat, I'm releasing TWO chapters today, so another is coming up! Thank you all for your incredible support so far, and I hope it's only getting better as we go on.
Also, Xur Eon is appearing in DFM23's Rise of the Wraith! His story is in my favorites tab, if you're interested (which I strongly recommend!).
And I feel like, as a human being, I should address COVID-19, which seems to be a conduit of mass hysteria, perpetuated by a false narrative. All major sports have closed in the United States, schools are shutting down, the works, but listen to me: THE WORLD IS NOT COMING TO AN END. Should we respect it? Absolutely! Should we fall into a state of madness because the media looks to profit off of it? No! People are fighting over toilet paper for fuck sake. Relax! It is infectious, but it has shown to not be nearly lethal enough to warrant this much panic. We're going to be alright.
Don't be pulling up to the grocery store like Trilla, alright? Pull up more like Greez, or Merrin (who don't put up with nobody's bullshit), chillin.
That's my spiel on that, and I'm done talking about it. Next chapter coming up!
