Smoke from the smoldering shell of the Jedi Temple filled the air with a brown haze.
A couple of men in Jedi robes approached them.
Yoda started forward on the cloaked ones, flanked by Obi-Wan and Ahsoka.
"Master Yoda," The one in the lead said, ignoring Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. A few others surround them.
"Thank goodness you're safe. We've captured the Temple but we'd expect another clone attack at any moment." The lead one said.
"Hmm," Yoda started to say. "Quickly then-"
Obi-Wan shook his head, unimpressed. "You clones make terrible Jedi." He said.
The Jedi imposters grabbed their hidden blasters under their cloaks and started firing.
All three of them wielded their lightsabers and blocked the jedi imposters' strikes.
The dozen Clone Troopers that hid while seeing the three remaining Jedi at the entrance of the Jedi Temple, came out of hiding and fired at them.
In the flashes of a lightsabers, and a flurry of confusion, after a few moments suddenly all of the Clone Troopers lie dead on the floor with Yoda, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka standing in the middle of the carnage.
"There are several battalions of Clone Troopers on every level." Ahsoka recalled. "And many of them are dressed as Jedi. Like them." She pointed on the fallen Jedi impostors.
"Dismantle the coded signal quickly." Yoda said. "That group back there, soon discovered we will be."
Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka made their way through the Temple, avoiding the hundreds of Clone Troopers and used the Force to distract the clones when they can.
They walked through the ruins of the Temple until they came across the bodies of some Jedi younglings.
Ahsoka knelt beside a young boy's body on the floor. "Petro." She sighed sadly as she stroke his hair.
Obi-Wan knelt beside her. "Not even the younglings were spared." He turned to Ahsoka. "You know this boy?" He asked.
"He was one of the younglings who rescued me on Florrum." Ahsoka said, as she blinked back tears.
"Killed not by clones, this youngling was." Yoda said. "By a lightsaber, he was."
"But who?" Obi-Wan asked. "Who could have done this?"
. . .
Obi-Wan and Ahsoka stood in a large computer area as Yoda looked on, in the hatchway to the Main Control Center.
Ahsoka hacked into the computer and Obi-Wan changed the code.
"We've recalibrated the code warning all surviving Jedi to stay away." Obi-Wan said.
"Good." Yoda said. "For the Clones to discover the recalibration, a long time it will take. To change it back, longer still. Hurry we must."
Obi-Wan and Ahsoka entered the Main Control Center with Yoda.
Obi-Wan headed for the hologram area. "Wait, Master." He said. "There is something I must know."
"If into the security recordings you go, only pain will you find." Yoda said.
"Why is that, Master?" Ahsoka suddenly curious and she stood next to Obi-Wan.
Yoda looked down and never answered.
"We must know the truth, Master." Obi-Wan insisted.
Obi-Wan and Ahsoka moved to a panel and flipped some switches. They saw a hologram of Anakin slaughtering Jedi, including the younglings.
Ahsoka gasped. "No." She said in a small voice. "That can't be right."
Obi-Wan covered his mouth with his hand in shock. "It can't be..." He said in disbelief. "It can't be."
As Anakin surveyed the carnage, a dark-robed figure entered. Anakin turned to a dark figure and knelt before him.
"The traitors have been taken care of, Lord Sidious." Anakin said.
"Good...good..." Darth Sidious said. "You have done well, my new apprentice. Do you feel your power growing?"
"Yes, my Master." Anakin said.
"Now, Lord Vader," Sidious said. "Now go and bring peace to the Empire."
Obi-Wan watched in horror. Ahsoka had tears well up in her eyes.
Obi-Wan switched off the hologram. The three Jedi stood in silence for a few moments.
Yoda turned to Ahsoka. "Padawan, With Master Kenobi you will go." Yoda said, then he faced both of them. "Destroy the Sith, we must."
"Master Yoda," Ahsoka said. "Are you saying that we kill Anakin?" She asked in disbelief. "We can't do that."
"He's like my brother." Obi-Wan added. "I can't do it. Just send us to kill the Emperor." He suggested.
"To fight this Lord Sidious, strong enough, you are not." Yoda said.
Obi-Wan and Ahsoka looked down not knowing what to say.
"Twisted by the dark side, Skywalker has become." Yoda turned to Obi-Wan. "The young man you trained,"-He turned to Ahsoka-"And the young man who trained you, gone he is...consumed by Darth Vader." He reminded them.
Ahsoka shook her head. "How did this even happened?" She squeaked.
"To question, no time there is." Yoda said.
Obi-Wan sighed. "But we don't even know where the Emperor has sent him. Where do we even start looking?" He asked.
"Use your feelings, Obi-Wan, and find him, you will." Yoda said. "Visit the new Emperor, my task is. May the Force be with you."
"May the Force be with you, Master Yoda." Obi-Wan managed.
. . .
"How do we even find Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked as they sneaked to the Jedi temple Hangar.
"I don't know." Ahsoka shrugged. "You know Anakin, he could be anywhere."
They sat on an airspeeder and thought about where to find Anakin. They asked themselves. At a time like this, where would Anakin be? With the on-going chaos and the Jedi being slaughtered, he'd be checking on the people he was close to, people he cared about, people outside the Jedi Order.
A thought struck them both and they exchanged looks. "Padme!" They said at the same time.
Obi-Wan grasp the airspeeder's controls. "Let's go see the Senator."
. . .
An airspeeder pulled up to the veranda landing of Senator Padme Amidala's apartment.
The cockpit of the sleek yellow Galactic Speeder opened, and a two hooded figures emerged and walked onto the veranda.
An alarm goes off deep in the apartment. The two figures stopped before a security curtain that protected the veranda.
The protocol droid, C-3PO entered the veranda and approached the figures.
"Hello, might I help you?" Threepio said, then took a peak behind the hood. "Oh, it's you, Master Kenobi, Padawan Tano." He gestured for them to follow him. "Come in, quickly."
The security curtain disappeared, and Obi-Wan and Ahsoka pulled down their hoods.
"Has Anakin been here?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Yes," Threepio said. "Right after the attack on the Jedi Temple."
Padme came down the stairs in a robe. "Master Kenobi!" She said in surprise. "Ahsoka!"
She embraced Obi-Wan. "Oh, Obi-Wan, thank goodness...you're alive." Then she hugged Ahsoka. "Ahsoka, you came back."
Ahsoka managed a pained smile. "At a bad time, that is." She said.
"The Republic has fallen, Padme." Obi-Wan said. "The Jedi Order is no more."
"I know, it's hard to believe everything to which we've dedicated our lives is gone." Padme said.
"I believe we have been part of a plot hundreds of years in the making." Obi-Wan said.
"The Senate is still intact." Padme said, hopefully. "There is still hope."
Ahsoka shook her head. "No, Padme. It's over." She said.
"The Sith now rule the galaxy as they did before the Republic." Obi-Wan added.
Padme frowned. "The Sith?" She asked.
"Look, we're here looking for Anakin." Obi-Wan said, changing the topic. "When was the last time you saw him?" He asked.
"Yesterday." Padme said.
"And do you know where he is now?" Ahsoka asked.
Padme looked down. "No." She said.
Ahsoka and Obi-Wan exchanged looks. She's lying. Padme's lying.
Obi-Wan put his hand on Padme's shoulder. "Padme, we need your help." He said. "He's in grave danger."
"From the Sith?" Padme asked.
"From himself. "Obi-Wan held both her shoulders. "Padme, Anakin has turned to the dark side." He said slowly.
"You're wrong!" Padme argued, shaking off from Obi-Wan's grip. "How could you even say that?" She said in disbelief.
Obi-Wan turned away. "We have seen a security hologram of him...killing younglings." Obi-Wan choked, remembering the holovid he saw earlier.
"Not Anakin!" Padme insisted. "He couldn't! And he wouldn't!" She argued.
Ahsoka sighed. "I wouldn't believe it either if I hadn't seen it for myself, Padme."
"He was deceived by a lie." Obi-Wan continued facing her. "We all were. It appears that the Chancellor is behind everything, including the war. Palpatine is the Sith Lord we've been looking for. After the death of Count Dooku, Anakin became his new apprentice." He explained.
"I don't believe you." Padme said, her voice shaky. "I can't."
"Padme, we must find him." Obi-Wan insisted.
"Padme, please." Ahsoka pleaded.
Padme faced them. "You're going to kill him, aren't you?" She guessed.
Obi-Wan and Ahsoka exchanged sad looks.
"He has become a very great threat." Obi-Wan said.
Padme sat down on the sofa, unintentionally revealing her pregnancy. "I can't." She said.
Obi-Wan nodded. "We must be going then. We need to find him." Obi-Wan started to walk back to the Speeder. "Come on, Ahsoka."
Ahsoka followed after him and stopped halfway. She glanced back at Padme. "Anakin is the father, isn't he?" She asked.
Padme didn't answer and looked away.
"I'm so sorry." Ahsoka said.
Ahsoka turned and hopped into the Speeder with Obi-Wan and the Speeder took off.
"What do we do now, Master?" Ahsoka asked.
"We wait." Obi-Wan said.
. . .
A small Naboo Starskiff was docked on a landing platform in the vast congestion of Coruscant.
Padme got out of her airspeeder, followed by Captain Typho and C-3PO.
"My Lady, let me come with you." Typho suggested.
"There is no danger." Padme assured. "The fighting is over, and...this is personal."
Typho bowed. "As you wish, My Lady. But I strongly disagree." He said.
"I'll be all right, Captain." She said. "This is something I must do myself. Besides, Threepio will look after me."
Typho bowed again and took off in a Speeder.
Padme and Threepio boarded the small Naboo Starskiff.
Before the boarding ramp went up, two brown cloaked figures went out of hiding and jump into the ship.
