Meanwhile, Darth Sidious was standing in a hangar in the industrial district of Coruscant. Before him, a figure, cloaked in very dark brown, was kneeling. Just next to him, there stood a native Kaminoan.
Sidious spoke, "Lord Vader, I have trained you for this. Now, go, exterminate the Jedi, and finish the grand plan that I started. The 501st legion on Coruscant shall be at your command."
The figure looked up, showing blazing yellow eyes, and spoke in a male voice, "Yes my Master. I will not show any mercy."
Meanwhile, Anakin and Mace Windu, after contacting Padme were searching the office for any more details. They had so far found a few other sets of sith robes, but nothing else.
They spent several minutes trying to get information from the Chancellor's holo devices, but all they had managed to obtain was a few conversations, the last one being between him and General Grievous.
Anakin felt his blood boil when he heard the last line of Palpatine,
The loss of Count Dooku was necessary; soon I will have an apprentice, much younger, more powerful.
And then suddenly, he remembered a particular incident, one where Fives, a clone trooper in his legion, the 501st had attacked the Chancellor and had accused him of treason. He had said something about the chips that were in the clones' heads, to make them less aggressive. He also remembered how before that, another clone Tup had killed Jedi Master Tiplar and had been chanting, "Good soldiers follow orders. Kill the Jedi."
Now that he thought about it, perhaps there was something to do with them. The Jedi knew that it was in fact Count Dooku who had commissioned the clones, and not Jedi Master Sifo Dyas, as had been presumed by the Jedi, including Obi Wan, although it was Sifo Dyas who had sought to achieve the creation of the clone army for the Jedi Order.
But if Count Dooku's master was Palpatine, then that meant that Darth Sidious himself had been behind the creation of the clone armies, and with those chips in their heads to make sure they were less aggressive, or rather controlled as the Sith would want them to be, it meant…
"What have I done?" Anakin cried out, "I should have helped you Fives, not accused you of attacking the Chancellor! I should have done something to save you, more than what I did back there! What have I done?"
Mace looked at Anakin and asked, "Anakin, what are you talking about?"
Anakin explained, "After the incident where Jedi Master Tiplar was killed, the Jedi found out about the clones having chips. Those chips are supposed to make them less aggressive. That's what we've been told. But then Fives did his own investigating and accused the Chancellor of treason. He said something about them and controlling the clones. I didn't understand what he meant. But if Palpatine is the Supreme Chancellor, then he has authority over the clones, and if he has commissioned the clones, then he's behind those chips! Chips! Of course, they're meant to control them, not make them less aggressive, and that means…"
"That he'll use those chips to turn the clones against us," Mace finished for him, "Of course, this is what he wants. It's too perfect! We should have seen this coming! We knew the Sith were behind the clones' creation and we just foolishly decided to play along! But now we can't let this get us down and blame ourselves. We have to warn as many Jedi as we can. Anakin, try and warn as many as you can! Get Kenobi and warn him! He needs to get away from the clones as soon as possible! Get Kenobi, contact Ahsoka, contact Master Koon, contact the Grandmaster; contact them all!"
Meanwhile, on Utapau…
Obi Wan Kenobi was sitting on his lizard mount Boga and Commander Cody was giving him a brief progress report.
Just after the Commander had finished and Obi Wan had told him to contact the troops to move up to the higher levels of the city, the clone commander handed him his lightsaber, which had been found a while ago, and said, "Oh by the way, I think you'll be needing this."
Obi Wan smilingly retrieved the lightsaber from Cody saying "Thank you Cody, now let's get a move on, we've got a battle to win here". Cody replied, "Yes sir," before Obi Wan slapped the reins of his mount and proceeded to start for the higher levels.
The commander watched him go before putting his helmet back on and pulling out his buzzing holoprojector to answer to whomever was trying to contact him, and it turned out to be none other than the Chancellor Palpatine, or rather Darth Sidious, wearing black robes and hooded.
"Commander Cody," Darth Sidious spoke, "The time has come. Execute Order 66."
"Yes my Lord," The commander replied.
Just as Obi Wan was riding up a slope, he suddenly felt his holoprojector buzzing and pulled it out to answer the call, and a hologram of Anakin Skywalker formed at once.
"OBI WAN," Anakin literally screamed in worry, "GET OUT OF THERE! THE CHANCELLOR IS A SITH LORD! I REPEAT, THE CHANCELLOR IS A SITH LORD! HE'S GOT CONTROL OF THE CLONES! GET AWAY FROM THE CLONES AS SOON AS YOU…"
"Blast him," Commander Cody commanded, pointing to Obi Wan, and a missile was fired at him from a tank.
Before Obi Wan could respond to Anakin, the cliff which he was scaling was struck by a missile and he and his mount fell plummeting into a lake.
Meanwhile, on Mygeeto…
Ki Adi Mundi was leading his men on against the separatist droids, despite the havoc the enemy was causing. Even as a republic tank was destroyed by a missile, the Jedi Master yelled to his men, "Come on," while continuing to run forward, braving the enemy's laser fire.
The group of clones behind him ran behind him but suddenly stopped. Ki Adi Mundi turned back to see what was happening and to his shock, saw his own men aiming their blasters at him.
They started to fire upon their own leader.
Ki Adi Mundi swung his lightsaber swiftly and managed to deflect some bolts, killing a few clones but was suddenly caught in the chest by a bolt, causing him to be weakened and easily hit by many more blaster bolts, losing his lightsaber and falling down to the ground, shot dead.
Meanwhile, on Felucia…
Jedi Master Aayla Secura was leading her men through a thick jungle, towards some separatist forces.
Just as they reached a clearing across which they could see the enemy battle droids waiting for them, the clones nodded to each other and raised their weapons. Aayla looked back just on time to see her clones pointing their blasters towards her. She tried to run, but it was too late.
She was mercilessly shot in the back multiple times and fell down, dead.
As if that was not enough, even after she fell down, the clones continued to pound blaster bolts into her, a cruel act.
Meanwhile, on Kashyyyk…
The Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, Yoda, dropped his walking stick and clutched his heart in pain, even as he sensed the deaths of several Jedi all over the galaxy.
Even as he reeled from the sudden horror of it, he could hear Anakin Skywalker's voice over the holo network yelling, "MASTER YODA, CHANCELLOR PALPATINE IS A SITH LORD! HE HAS CONTROL OF THE CLONES! GET OUT OF THERE AS FAST AS YOU CAN! GO NOW!"
Meanwhile, on Cato Neomoidia…
Jedi Master Plo Koon was flying his starfighter and was being escorted by a few ARC-170s when suddenly, he heard a buzzing sound and the hologram of Anakin Skywalker appeared before him yelling, "MASTER KOON, GET OUT OF THERE! CHANCELLOR PALPATINE IS A SITH LORD! HE HAS CONTROL OF THE CLONES! GET AWAY AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN!"
Meanwhile, the ARC-170 pilot who was flying right behind the Jedi Master also saw the hologram of Darth Sidious ordering, "Execute Order 66."
Clone pilot Jag declared, "It will be done my Lord."
He then pulled his joystick back a little and pressed the trigger against the one that had sincerely led and defended him and several other clones for the past three years.
Plo Koon was barely able to dodge the green blasts coming from his own men's fighters, but thanks to Anakin's timely warning, he was able to avoid getting hit unawares. He eventually managed to turn around and get away from his attackers, but not without shooting down three of them, with great pain in his heart.
Meanwhile, on board the Star Destroyer Tribunal…
Ahsoka had just had a vision, a strange vision, one where Mace Windu had been fighting Palpatine and Anakin had yelled at them to wait before yelling that he would never join the Chancellor. The vision had ended with the Chancellor shooting force lightning at Mace Windu and Anakin jumping in with his lightsaber and blocking the lightning to save Windu.
Believing that something terrible had happened to Anakin, but not actually knowing fully what she was feeling, she had rushed to the command centre and told Rex that she believed Skywalker was in trouble and that something terrible had happened to him.
Just as she had finished, she suddenly noticed his hand shaking and his helmet falling from his left hand.
"Rex?" Ahsoka spoke, confused at what was happening even as she noticed two clones behind pointing their blasters at her.
"No," Rex suddenly declared, turning to face Ahsoka, "I'll do it."
"Rex," Ahsoka asked, "What's happening?"
Rex suddenly pulled out his own blasters and pointing them at her, he shouted, "Stay back!"
Ahsoka looked at him in confusion and horror as she observed his hands and whole body shaking.
She was so shocked at what had happened that she didn't even hear Anakin's hologram on the holotable yelling, "AHOSKA, GET OUT OF THERE! PALPATINE'S A SITH LORD! HE HAS CONTROL OF THE CLONES! GET AWAY FROM WHEREVER YOU ARE…"
"Find him," Rex spoke, torn between not wanting to kill his commander and the control of the chip that was forcing him to follow Darth Sidious' order to execute Order 66, "Find Fives. FIND HIM! AH…"
He lost control over himself and opened fire.
Ahsoka managed to duck, then ran towards Rex and tackled him, igniting her lightsabers to defend herself from the other two clones, managing to kill them before using the force to close the doors to the bridge.
It was only then that she noticed Anakin's hologram, yelling at her to run.
However, more clones rushed in from the opposite direction and began to fire upon her.
Ahsoka, twisting and turning as she stood on the holotable, managed to deflect the oncoming blaster bolts, but there were too many of the clones for her to keep going on forever.
Pointing one of her lightsaber upwards, she cut a hole in the roof and jumped up into a vent above.
Meanwhile, on Coruscant, in front of the Jedi Temple…
A dark cloaked figure marched up the steps of the Jedi Temple, followed by clones from the 501st legion, being led by Commander Appo.
Some of the other clones from this legion had gone to Mandalore to deal with Darth Maul, but this army would be more than enough for the purpose they, along with their dark cloaked leader were to execute tonight; to massacre the Jedi within their own home, and thus take over the Jedi Temple.
As the figure approached the entrance, one the Sentinel Guards raised their double yellow-bladed lightsabers and spoke, "Who are you? What do you want? We sense much darkness in you."
The figure looked at them, exposing his face a little under the hood.
Another guard looked at the figure and spoke with confusion, "Skywalker?"
The figure showed his yellow eyes and declared loudly, "You may think you know who I am, but you Jedi fools are mistaken. I am not the weak Anakin Skywalker you may see me as! I am Darth Vader and tonight, the Jedi shall die!"
With that, Darth Vader pulled out a lightsaber, ignited it, revealing a blood red blade, and quickly sliced through them, sending them to their deaths even as the clones behind entered the temple and began to fire upon the Jedi assembled within.
Anakin clutched his heart even as he felt the deaths of several Jedi. And worst of all, Ahsoka was in the crossfire.
And then suddenly, he heard Mace crying out, "Anakin, we have to get to the temple. I've got a feeling something's going on in there."
Anakin looked at Mace and replied, "Let's go. We'll use my speeder."
The Jedi ran towards Anakin's speeder and took off towards the Jedi temple.
They got to the hangar and saw several clones firing upon the Jedi in the nearby hallways.
Even as Mace pulled out his lightsaber to defend himself from a clone that had spotted them, Anakin cried out, "Master, the younglings! I'm going to find them!"
Before Mace could utter a word, Anakin had sprinted off.
A few minutes later, several children gathered in the council chambers saw a figure entering the room and closing the doors.
One of the younglings, a boy around six or seven stood up and said, "Master Skywalker, there are too many of them. What are we going to do?"
The figure looked at them with burning yellow eyes, and pulled out a lightsaber.
He ignited it, and the blade turned out to be blood red, to the horror of the younglings, some of whom screamed out in fear.
The figure shouted, "YOU ARE ALL JEDI, ENEMIES OF THE SITH, WHO DESERVE TO DIE! I AM DARTH VADER, AND I AM GOING TO KILL ALL OF YOU!"
Suddenly, he heard an innocent cry, "Master Skywalker will save us!"
Darth Vader turned to look in the direction of the voice, and to his left, backed against the wall, was a small girl, looking around four or five years of age, the one who had just spoken.
He glared at her murderously and began to advance menacingly towards her with a snarl.
Seeing this demon in front of her, about to slay her, she screamed out in fear.
Vader reached her and raised his lightsaber to kill her, but just as he began to swing it downward, he heard a male voice, similar to his own, yelling, "NO!"
And the next moment, right in front of the girl, was a jedi with a blue blade, none other than Master Skywalker, blocking this Vader's red blade, even as several younglings cried out, "MASTER SKYWALKER HELP US!"
Anakin, who had felt the presence of the younglings in the council chambers and had rushed up there to save them, had been just on time to prevent this figure, whoever he was, from slaughtering that poor innocent girl in front of him.
"LEAVE THEM ALONE!" Anakin cried out, "SHOW ME WHO YOU ARE, YOU COWARD, MURDERING A CHILD LIKE THAT!"
Suddenly, he noticed something about the figure.
The figure had the same face as him.
And then, the figure replied, "I am a clone of you, Anakin Skywalker. I was created by my master and trained in the ways of the dark side, unlike you, who studied under the weak Jedi. I am your clone, Darth Vader."
Anakin gasped in horror as he heard that.
Palpatine hadn't just been manipulating him.
Palpatine had clones him.
He had been prepared for Anakin not to fall.
Anakin cried out, "No, it can't be!"
Darth Vader continued, "I know about your life as a Jedi, how you have always been held back. Join me. We are brothers of the same face. Join me, and together, we shall save your wife Padmé from certain death!"
Anakin cried out, "I will never join the dark side! I've had enough of being manipulated by Palpatine, and you're just one more part of it all! Padmé would never want help from a Sith Lord."
With that, Anakin swung his lightsaber, attempting to decapitate Vader, but Vader deftly blocked the blow and swung ferociously at Anakin.
Anakin managed to duck and blasted Vader back with a force push into the wall before causing a pillar to fall on him. The last thing he saw of Vader was him raising his hand to cushion the impact with the force.
Anakin knew that this was only temporary. Vader would not be held under that pillar for long.
Anakin grabbed the girl whose life he had saved and pulled her into his arms even as she sobbed in fear. Even as he rubbed her back, he heard some of the other younglings asking, "Master, save us! What shall we do?"
He held the girl tighter and turning to the other younglings, he said, "That monster won't be down for long! The clones are attacking all of us! We need to get out of here. Everyone come with me. I will be by your side and protect you. Master Windu should have a ship for us to get out of here."
He then readied his lightsaber even as the girl sobbed into his shoulder even harder.
Meanwhile, on a landing platform at 500 Republica…
Padmé was standing near her star skiff waiting for C-3PO and a few handmaidens to finish bringing the last of her things that she definitely would need. She couldn't help feeling worried about her husband who probably was at the Jedi Temple, which looked like it was being attacked, from the smoke rising upwards.
Just then, she heard a male voice calling out from behind, "Senator, I think I should give you this."
She turned around and saw Captain Gregor Typho and her friend and handmaiden, Sabé. Typho was holding something in his hand towards her.
It was a binary beacon.
"Keep this binary beacon with you. I have given the other one to Sabé," he explained, "If something terrible should happen to you, then Sabé will give it to Anakin, who should be able to come save you."
Padmé took the beacon and said, "Thank you but I'm more worried about Anakin."
Typho said, "I understand, but if what he said is true, then your safety is even more paramount than…"
But before Typho could say another word, they were interrupted by the sound of an approaching ship, and looked up to see one hovering just above them.
They heard the sound of a ramp opening.
And then, before anyone could do anything, a blue Duros jumped out of the ship, right behind Padmé and pointed a blaster at her head.
Everyone gasped as they realized who it was.
"Let her go!" Typho shouted.
"Anyone moves," Cad Bane shouted, "And your precious senator dies."
"Haven't you already tried to kill me before?" Padme suddenly asked, "What do you want with me?"
Cad Bane hissed, "Lord Sidious wants you for his apprentice Darth Vader. Be grateful that I'm taking you in alive this time."
Padmé gasped at the mention of that. If the Sith found out about her child, who knows what they would do.
Even as the ship lowered itself till it was level with the platform, Cad Bane hissed, "Now, everything is over. No one will hear you cry."
And with that, he pulled Padmé inside his ship, closed the door, and left for Mustafar, leaving behind a horrified group of friends.
Typho was horrified at what had just happened.
How he wished he had just been a little more attentive.
What would Anakin say?