ARCA Barracks

1089 days ABG

21:00 hours.

Maze left Ordo in the freshers, although he hadn't answered his question the inference was clear. He was deserting. It was the ideal time, the chaos and confusion would let the Nulls and any other Commandos disappear and with their range of skills, there would be no trace.

He wasn't yet ready to make that jump but he wanted to check on Essie, make sure they were all okay. He was about to go to his quarters when his com link went off.

"Execute Order 66!"

It was the Chancellor, verified by security encryption.

Maze understood now why they'd been made to memorise all 150 Contingency Orders since birth, especially the Officers. He swallowed, knowing immediately which one it was. The order to execute his Jedi Commander.

"Yes sir!" He replied, and went in search of Zey.

Maze obeyed orders.

.

Zey didn't know why he had come back, he had seen no troopers in the barracks as he had made his way from the temple. They were still in there, he assumed killing the stragglers. He used all his Force powers on persuasion and deception, to get back when he should have been trying to heal himself, to give him the best chance of escape.

He unsuccessfully tried to get the images of the Temple out of his head; the pain of the loss, every loss, when the men changed from human beings with actual thoughts and feelings to empty machines, with one goal.

Kill the Jedi!

They had no emotion as they fired on his friends and family; the only family he had. All he could sense was shock and pain from his fellow Jedi.

He stumbled into his office, surprised to see a Mandalorian in red armour going through his desk. Even more surprised to sense Ordo and Ordo didn't appear to want to kill him.

[1]"General, I'll be gone in a moment. Do you think it's wise to be here?"

"Ordo?"

The man removed his helmet; he was always polite.

"Hide while you still can."

"They killed us all Ordo, why?"

"Orders. You never read the GAR's contingency orders? They're on the mainframe. I suppose nobody thinks contingency orders will ever be needed."

Zey leaned against the door frame, struggling to get his breath. "But why?"

"Because," Maze's voice emerged from behind him, outside the doors, "it is neither your right nor your position to decide who runs the Republic. Who elected you?"

Maze's sidearm was primed.

Not Maze! Thought Zey.

Ordo picked up his belongings and took a few paces toward the doors.

"Maze, what are you going to do now?" He asked.

"I've never disobeyed an order," said Maze, frowning.

Zey didn't seem to have the strength to look at his former aide, shutting his eyes as if he was waiting for the coup de grâce.

"What am I supposed to do? Pick and choose which orders to obey? That's the irony. The Jedi thought we were excellent troops because we're so disciplined and we obey orders, but when we obey all orders and they're lawful orders, they think then we've betrayed them. Can't have it both ways, General."

Zey summoned up some effort and stumbled toward his desk to slump over it. Ordo put down his two helmets and slid the man into the chair.

Maze walked in. He was holding his blaster at his side, not aiming it. He wasn't the one who had originally shot the General.

"I really must be going, General. Just tell me, is it true that Windu tried to depose the Chancellor?"

"He's a Sith. A Sith! He's taking over the government, he's occupying the galaxy with his new clones, he's evil….."

"I said, is it true?"

"Yes! It was our duty to stop him."

"What's a Sith?" Maze asked, although he felt he should already know.

"Like a Jedi only on the other side." Ordo enlightened him.

"Palpatine's probably the one who had you created. Why couldn't you see what he was?"

Maze stayed silent.

"Why couldn't you sniff him out with your Force powers." Ordo asked. "And why the shab did you never ask where we came from?"

Maze watched as he walked away.

"General, I need you to come quietly. I'm arresting you for treason against the Republic." Maze paused, this wasn't due process, not like he'd discussed it with Essie all those months ago, "you might get a trial." He added.

"I'm dead already," said Zey. "Please, do it. I know you have no malice in you. End it for me. I know what'll happen if he gets me."[1]

Maze pointed the blaster, hesitated, a voice, Essie's, in his head, said this wasn't right, then he pulled the trigger.

Arligan Zey, former Jedi Master and General, closed his eyes, unable to look into the face of the man who was going to kill him— mercifully.

He heard the shot.

He opened his eyes.

Maze stood there, shoulders down; when he saw Zey looking at him he straightened.

"Orders General!"

"Maze? Are you sure?"

"Yes sir. This is not how the Republic operates! It's not right!" He closed the door behind him.

Zey sank even further in his chair.

"We need to get you treated. There's no one around. They're all either fighting or—deserted."

"Who?"

"Skirata and Vau, and the others. They're gone sir and the Nulls."

"I don't blame them. Skirata already told me he had adopted them."

Zey watched Maze for a reaction; there was none, "Not Sir now— Arligan."

Maze nodded.

Blaster in hand Maze led him to the med bay.

.

He strapped Zey's arm and shoulder up after putting plenty of Bacta patches on. There were no medics here now and they had to move out quickly. SOB had been a Jedi initiative and if they came looking for him, he wasn't sure how much use the General would be.

He packed a couple of packs with ration bars, water, medical supplies, ammo and whatever blasters were around.

They were pushing it to stay this long in the Barracks.

They headed to the speeder bay, through the still empty barracks, coming to the Ops Room. The door was open, blue light from the holotable spreading across the corridor. It had been off earlier, no one left to track.

Maze backed against the wall. There was no conversation.

Zey stood behind him; he raised one finger. He could sense only one person inside.

Maze drew his blaster ready to fire and leapt into the room, blaster raised.

He faced another blaster pointing directly at him.

"Support Officer Loea." He kept his blaster raised. "What are you doing here?"

"Captain Maze." She didn't waver. "My job, and you?"

"The same." Their blasters remained raised.

Maze eyes flicked to the Ops screen. Intel was being downloaded, or attempted to.

Ordo had scrubbed it, he hoped.

"Found any Jedi?" She asked, eyes narrowed.

"No. Zey was at the Temple. I assume the 501st got him."

She studied his expression, it gave nothing away.

"Yes. Probably. It was the 501st, after all." She watched his response.

There was none.

"I'll ask you again. What are you doing here? The Commandos are all out and will have received their Orders from the Chancellor. There's no one to supervise."

He kept his gaze on her eyes. This was not the Support Officer he knew.

"My job. RIA Loea."

"Republic Intelligence is that still a thing?"

"Yeah, I've heard all the jokes. The best oxymoron etc."

"I'm not joking. Have we even got a Republic any more?"

"Remains to be seen." Her eyes flicked to the screen.

"Someone has scrubbed the database."

"SOP. We were invaded."

"So we were."

"You don't seem that worried about it."

"It's over. Grievous is dead. The Jedi are dead."

"Not all!" Zey's voice rang out, surprisingly strong.

Loea turned and fired, Zey batted the bolt away with his lightsaber.

She never saw the blaster bolt from Maze.

Her body lay on the floor, eyes still staring at the Ops Screen. He checked for a pulse—none—unnecessary really.

"I think we found our mole sir. But it's time to go."

He blasted the computers and screens, and they ran down the corridor.

The hanger was empty, Maze jumped into a speeder; it was registered to SOB.

"Maze!" Said Zey, as he levered himself into the seat wincing at his injuries.

"Yes!"

"We need to get Ms Devro. I promised Jan— her Aunt— I would make sure she was safe."

"She'll be fine. She has a family. They're resourceful."

"You don't understand. She's force sensitive and if Palpatine and his followers find her. I can't imagine what would happen. But it would not be good for her or her family."

"Force sensitive?" Maze murmured, stopping what he was doing, remembering Order 66.

Zey felt the reaction now. Confusion. Betrayal.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Maze I thought you knew. I thought….."

He started the speeder, revving it up.

"She never said anything."

"We need to find her and her family. If Palpatine knows about her they'll target them all."

Zey straightened a little, now he had an objective in mind.

.

They negotiated their way through the sky lanes, keeping to the little used ones. Maze pulled into the Tualin Oola's landing pad and pulled the speeder under what little cover there was.

He looked around. It was fairly peaceful around here now but it was obvious there had been some fighting or looting and the current situation could change in a nanosecond.

Zey climbed off the speeder gingerly, as Maze tapped on the door. A little peephole flicked open and closed. Nat pulled them in and closed it behind them immediately. Sol stood in the corner in front of Del, blaster rifle pointed ready.

She let out a sigh of relief when she saw who it was.

"Maze what's happening?"

"Palpatine has extended his Executive powers. The Jedi attempted a coup and the Chancellor ordered them all killed."

"That can't be right." Sol declared, "Surely not all of them." She looked at Zey.

Maze looked around, searching.

"Where's Essie?"

"She's not a Jedi!" Nat declared, defensively.

"It won't matter to the Sith!" Zey answered, "but you know she's force sensitive."

Nat nodded.

"They will come after her. Force sensitives will either be with Palpatine or against him. There will be no middle ground."

.

Senate Administration Building.

Essie blinked, unsure what had happened; she could smell burning and spilt fuel.

"How?" She asked no one. The speeder had hit the wall.

"Hell's. I must have blacked out."

She felt something drip down her face and touched it.

Looking at her fingers she saw blood— now she could smell it— she wiped it away with the back of her hand.

And that headache—still.

She scrambled out of the speeder, and fell to the floor. Blood dripped onto the durocrete, she wiped it away again before pushing herself to her knees and grabbing onto the speeder, pulling herself upright. She inspected the damage, there was no way it was going to get her back home but she still had to get the datapad. She walked quickly through the speeder park to the lifts.

Pressing the button, she was relieved it worked and leaned against the side as it took her up to the office. The building was eerily silent and empty, all the staff had left when she did; exiting on her floor there was a red glow from outside, she walked quickly to the small window at the end of the corridor.

In the distance stood the remains of the Jedi Temple — alight— filling the sky with a red glow, flames lapped at the four towers. She didn't know what had happened but was thankful her Aunt was off planet or had been the last she heard.

LAATi's streaked through the sky lanes; there were white armoured clones everywhere and the sound of blaster fire in the distance. She had never seen so many clones except on the HoloNet .

"Can't worry about that." She muttered and hurried to the office, it was dark and looked empty. The door was slightly ajar. Den and Rik would never leave it open; pushing it carefully, she entered, the glow from the Temple fires illuminated the room. It should feel warm inside but all she could do was shiver from the chill and desperately try to ignore the headache that threatened to overwhelm her. She squinted in the darkness, wiping more blood from her face; she sensed something but it wasn't clear, the headache was getting worse.

The admin droid stood at the rear deactivated.

The room was untidy and dark; she stepped over some files strewn to the floor. It was never like this. Someone had been here, looking for something, it had been ransacked.

Den's office door was ajar, pushing it further open, she hesitantly stepped inside. It was just as dark. She activated the light on her wrist Com.

Essie didn't want to see what she thought was behind the large desk; she hoped she was wrong as she stepped closer to it.

She leaned over and looked.

Essie closed her eyes, certain they were both dead; shaking, she bent over them. They were still warm. No pulse. It looked like Rik had stood in front taking the first shot and then whoever had done it had shot Den. Twice. A head shot and torso.

Kneeling next to them, she closed their eyes; it didn't seem right that they stared out like that.

It was the first time she had seen dead bodies up this close. She sat back on her haunches unsure what to do next.

She needed to get her datapad, get out, back to Del, Nat and Sol. Then contact Maze.

Before that, she wiped away the tears she hadn't realised she'd shed and stood.

"Arms above your head!" A clone voice ordered, "Turn around slowly! No quick moves!"

Essie lifted her arms and turned slowly.

"Maze! Thank goodness it's you." She dropped her arms and looked back at the bodies. "This isn't what it looks like."

"I'm sure it isn't. Arms above your head—now!" He roared the command.

She raised her hands, realising he was not alone, as he turned to look behind him. "It's okay I have this under control."

The all white troopers looked at each other and hesitated.

"I said, I have this, now go! Do your duty!" He ground out. They finally saluted and turned away.

He put his forefinger to his lips and backed away to the office door, waiting until they had gone down the corridor before he checked it was empty.

"They were dead when you got here?"

Essie nodded, "They're still warm."

He walked over to look at the bodies.

"Hmm! Professional hits."

"Come on!" He grabbed her arm.

"My datapad." She pulled away, "It holds everyone's details including Janyne's."

"Too late now!"

"Maze!"

She stopped at her desk and retrieved it; pushing it quickly in her shoulder bag.

"All the Jedi have been targeted. They're also after Force Sensitives. Stay close!"

Essie opened her mouth and closed it again. She trusted him.

They crept along the corridor.

"There are squads of troopers searching all Coruscant for Jedi, some have managed to escape."

Essie stopped suddenly, she couldn't sense anything from him.

He knew.

"Where are we going?" she asked anxiously.

"To get your family. Zey's already there. He promised Janyne. But I have to get you there."

"You know, don't you?"

"Not now!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't tell you but…!"

"Yeah! Not now. Shhh!"

He stopped without warning. She hit his solid back.

"All clear. They're in the speeder park but that's where we need to go."

"Mine isn't drivable."

"It's okay. I have one."

They used the lift, it was quicker. There was chaos in the city, groups of troopers checking everyone trying to leave and the Temple still burning. The odd sound of a lightsaber being ignited followed by blaster shots ringing out, broke whatever silence there was.

They finally reached the speeder park and found Maze's speeder, still intact. Hers was, as she feared, undriveable.

They jogged quickly towards it when a figure walked out from the shadows.

"Captain!"

"Commander!"

Essie stared at the red and white armour of Commander Stone.

.

Tualin Oola.

Sol checked Zey's bandages, tightened them up and added more Bacta. Nat was checking through the holes in their battening down.

"So what's this all about?" Asked Nat. "It's not usual for Jedi to overthrow governments is it?"

"The Chancellor was a Sith."

"That's one kind of Jedi thing that Janyne was always after from what little she said."

Zey nodded. These two did not seem surprised by the revelation.

"She was always telling us to get off this planet. It was bad news here but we always thought it was a load of rubbish."

"You know about the Sith?"

Nat nodded, "Know of them. Been about a bit. But how come you didn't sense him?"

It was the second time he'd been asked that and would wonder why all his life. He shook his head, "I don't know."

.

Senate Administration building.

She's under arrest. Hand her over!"

"I have this in hand, Commander."

Stone cocked his head.

"I don't think so, Captain."

"You know she's not a Jedi." Maze tried again.

"That doesn't matter, she's on the list."

"What list?" Asked Maze, it was the first he had heard of it.

"Clearance not high enough Maze? SOB was a Jedi initiative. This didn't go to any of those. She has to be taken in."

"Arrested?" Asked Maze.

"Unless she tries anything."

"Maze…" Essie started.

"Quiet!"

"Stone, what have I done?" She appealed to him.

"It doesn't say. You just have to be brought in."

"That's not right, Stone, just think. Which order is it under?" Maze asked.

Stone hesitated, shaking his head.

"There is none!"

"Is it from Fox?"

"No!

"From who then? The chancellor?"

"No!"

"Is it even a valid order? You need to check that first."

Essie felt more clones enter, she looked to the left. Three, in black.

"Maze…"

"I see them." His voice was low.

They weren't like any he had seen before, wearing what looked like Katarn armour but it wasn't and his helmet couldn't get a read on them, as if they were jamming him.

"Stone! Yours?"

"No!"

Stone turned to the newcomers, blaster raised. "Identify yourselves!" He demanded.

Maze pushed Essie behind him.

The new clone troopers ignored Stone and headed towards Maze and Essie, blasters raised.

"Trooper answer me!" One turned towards Stone, blaster raised. Stone dove behind a speeder as the trooper fired, only just missing him.

"Maze, get her out of here! I don't know who these are but they're not us."

Maze backed them out, firing at the new trooper who was targeting them.

They reached the exit and were in the corridor. He blasted the door closed. It wouldn't last long. He had to think of something quick.

"Do you trust me?"

Essie nodded, "A bit late to ask though."

He sent the lift upwards and prised open the doors to the shaft then blasted the controls.

"Hang onto me!"

Leaning out he fired his rappel line up to the lift car; Essie grabbed hold of him, locking her hands and Maze pushed away. The motorised rappel line took them up. When they reached the emergency hatch, he opened it and pulled them through into the floor of the car.

"Stay quiet. Keep to the side."

She moved silently.

He pulled up the hatch and nearly closed it.

"When I say so. Hit the down button."

He watched, and as he thought, one of them came, and automatically looked down.

"Now!"

Essie hit the button.

They dropped like a stone for several seconds.

Then the emergency brakes cut in.

Maze stood, blasted the ceiling emergency hatch and climbed up, he lowered his hand. she clasped it and he pulled her through. They were between floors; she tried not to see the smear of blood and whatever on the shaft wall.

"I'll go first!"

He pulled himself up and a few seconds later reached down. Again she took his hand.

"Stay behind me!"

"Stone?"

"What about him?"

"We have to help him! And we still need the speeder."

Maze's chest heaved.

"Okay." He agreed and they headed back up.

.

Once again, Essie knelt next to the body of someone she knew. She pulled off his helmet, another set of eyes stared at her. She closed them.

"I'm so sorry!" She whispered.

Maze yanked her up by the arm. "We don't have time for this. The others are dead. We need to go now!"

"We can't just leave him like this."

"We have to." he pulled her around, "We don't have the bloody luxury to do anything else. We never have!"

He dragged her over to a speeder she didn't recognise, and pushed a slicing spike in, it opened, he reached under the controls and started it up.

"Get in!"

Essie climbed in without thinking.

"Strap in!"

Essie hesitated, Maze leaned over and strapped her in himself. He started up the Speeder and they lurched forward.

He wove his way through the devastated buildings, demolition droids already finishing off the job that the Separatists had started. Monitoring each speeder as it came near them.

Neither spoke.

LAATi's were heading to what looked like Shincarnan Bridge. There was a mass of people there trying to get across. They veered away heading in the opposite direction.