Hey folks, Grubkiller here.

This is part 19 of my 'Rise of the Empire' story.

Hope you enjoy.

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Soulless One, Somewhere in the Inner Rim.

Far out in the middle of nowhere, a lone star-fighter, once belonging to one of the most notorious war criminals in Republic history, was flying through the Inner rim, on its way to a pre-arranged destination.

The Passenger was someone who was on the run from his own men, who attacked him, blindly trying to kill him like a wild animal.

When Obi-Wan was coming up on the co-ordinates that Bail Organa sent him, an alarm started to go off, signaling the need to drop out of hyperspace. Once the blue inter-dimensional tunnel was replaced with the still image of real space, another ship came into view.

Obi-Wan recognized it as a CR70 Corvette. It was the Tantive III, the personal diplomatic cruiser for Senator Organa.

When he received clearance to dock, he flew the ship underneath the cruiser's hull, where a hanger door opened up, allowing him to pass through and dock, before they closed underneath him.

Once the Soulless one was safely stored inside, the cruiser jumped into hyperspace, as the passengers discussed their next course of action.

Tantive III.

After touching down in the hanger, Obi-Wan powered down the engines and jumped out. The door to the main hallway slides open to reveal Master Yoda and Senator Organa.

"You made it." Bail said.

"Master Kenobi, dark times are these. Good to see you, it is." Yoda said.

"You were attacked by your Clones, also?" Obi-Wan asked as they all began to walk down the ship's main corridor.

"With the help of the Wookiees, barely escape, I did." Yoda said.

"How many other Jedi managed to survive? obi-Wan asked, looking between both men to find answers.

"Heard from no one, have we." Yoda said as he hobbled on his cane to keep pace with the two humans next to him.

"I saw thousands of troops attack the Jedi Temple. That's why I went looking for Yoda." Bail said, pointing to the much shorter, and wiser, Jedi Grand Master.

"Have we had any contact from the Temple?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Received a coded retreat message, we have."

Obi-Wan looked down at Yoda when he said this, and then all three men stopped dead in their tracks, so that they could explain to Obi-Wan the situation. Bail looked at Obi-Wan to answer. "It requests all Jedi to return to the Temple. It says that the war is over . . ."

By the look on his face, Obi-Wan was clearly taken aback. "Well, then we must go back! If there are other stragglers, they will fall into the trap and be killed."

Yoda groaned in deep thought, but Bail was much quicker with his answer.

"It's too dangerous to return." He said, shaking his head.

"Suggest dismantling the coded signal, do you?" Yoda asked.

"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan said, nodding his head anxiously, "There is too much at stake here, and we need a clearer picture of what has happened."

Yoda nodded.

"I agree. In a dark place we find ourselves ... a little more knowledge might light our way."

After all three men agreed, eventually, on their next course of action, Bail Organa contacted Captain Antilles to make best speed back to Coruscant. Moments later, the ship's pilot pushed a lever forward, and the engines began to power up. Seconds later, the stars began to elongate and propel the ship forward into hyperspace.

The mission of the passengers: Stop the Jedi purge, and save the future.

Nothing else mattered.

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Mustafar system, Outer Rim.

Mustafar.

A scorching hot lava-world situated between two gas giants, Lefrani and Jestefad. The two giants were in a tug-of-gravity with both trying to claim tiny Mustafar as a moon by pulling the planet towards them. Mustafar owes its hellish volcanic landscape to this battle as it causes massive tidal waves that heat the planet's interior. Jestefad's gigantic electromagnetic field swamps Mustafar, generating huge electrical storms on the planet.

The planet's native Mustafarian species lived in underground caves created by lava fleas as they ate through the planet's crust, and made their armor from the heat-resistant shells of the creatures. Only venturing up to the surface in order to collect valuable minerals from the lava flows, the short and strong southern Mustafarian subspecies carried out the heavy labor involved, while the tall and slender northern Mustafarian subspecies acted as guards and expert lava flea riders.[15]Due to the planet-wide lava surface, all buildings were held up by gravity supports.

Workers move across the lava beds, gathering the magma. A column of aliens riding giant lava fleas marched forward.

Normally, these miners worked for the different companies that extracted minerals from the planet's lava rivers and the soil. One of these mining companies, the Techno Union, owned a large mining complex that hung precariously over a massive river far below.

And since the Techno Union was loyal to the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and the atmosphere interfered with scanning technology, it was the perfect place for the main leaders of the Separatist Alliance to hide and ride out the storm that seemed to engulf the galaxy.

Deep inside this great mining fortress, amidst the battle droids and Neimoidian guards that kept the buildings secured, the Separatist leaders were coversing with a large hologram of Darth Sidious, who replaced a hologram that displayed the battlefields that were still taking place in the Outer Rim.

"The plan has gone as you had promised, My Lord." Nute Gunray said to the hologram of Darth Sidious.

"You have done well, Viceroy. When my new apprentice, Darth Vader, arrives, he will take care of you." Sidious said befroe his hologram disappeared, leaving the CIS war councilors to look forward to a long, peaceful retirement.

But they had no idea what they were in for, as a Jedi Starfighter entered the system, and flew towards the planet.

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Sundari royal palace, Mandalore.

As the clone troopers still loyal to the Jedi established a perimeter around the palace, Captain Rex was in a command post that was set up in the throne room. He and his officers were looking over a map of the city, as they contacted troopers that had responded to Order 66. As was feared, nearly every trooper squad in the city, and perhaps more outside of it had acknowledged it, and were now on the hunt for Ahsoka. This hunt made them break into buildings and come into conflict with the Nite Owls.

That's when the comm-table started to beep.

When Rex answered it, his men looked up to see a hologram of Ahsoka and Bo-Katan sanding above them.

"Rex?"

"Commander!"

"Boy are we glad to hear your voice, Ma'am!" Lieutenant Vill said.

"And I'm glad to see that some of my men are still with me." Ahsoka said, as she smiled and nodded to her men.

Suddenly, a hologram of Captain Autem materialized above them with his arms crossed and wearing a stern look of stoicism. His face said it already: "My men are firing on each other, the city is on fire, again, the occupation is compromised, a war criminal is on the loose, and now the Jedi have betrayed the Republic. I hope you can explain to me what in the Nine Corellian Hells is going on."

Ahsoka was taken aback. "What are you talking about? The clones attacked me, and then they chased me across the palace. They were trying to kill me and they tried to kill Rex and his men. I think you're the one who should start explaining, because I was only defending myself."

Autem frowned and looked down at her.

"I don't know what's happening! I get a message from Captain Rex saying that a battalion was tearing itself apart in the middle of the palace, and another one from the Chancellor saying that the Jedi have betrayed the Republic, and that Order 66 has been issued."

Ahsoka tilted her head and arched one eyebrow over the other. "What are you talking about?" She asked, dumbfounded.

Autem leaned in to look Ahsoka in the eye. "A couple hours ago, the Chancellor contacted and ordered the clones to issue Order 66, a contingency protocol to put down a Jedi uprising."

When Ahsoka frowned and averted her eyes, "What Jedi rebellion do you keep talking about?"

Her mouth hung agape, and her face convulsed into one of sadness and shock.

"The Chancellor says that the Jedi launched an overthrow of the senate, and has ordered the Grand Army to put it down. But that brings me to my next point..." Autem said as a hologram of the burning Temple flashed next to him, "...Why didn't you and a multitude of your men follow your orders, Captain?"

Ahsoka's hands shot up to her mouth before she dropped to her knees. She tried to suppress a sob, but to no avail.

Rex was in shock himself. He didn't know how to answer. He looked at Ahsoka, who's head was lowered, and tears began to stream down her face, dripping off of her nose. He then tried to search for an answer. He then started to think back to the Battle of Ringo Vinda, when clone trooper Tup seemingly went off the deep end, and executed Master Tiplar in the middle of a battle.

And as he remembered Fives, he realized that he was right about the conspiracy of the chips.

Anakin and Rex jumped out of their air-speeder and walked towards the warehouse that were given to them.

Anakin looked around. "Well, these are the coordinates Kix gave us. Let's hope Fives is inside."

Rex jumped out of the speeder and followed Anakin.

"Eh," Rex sighed as he shook his head. "I hope he knows what he's doing."

When they were inside the dark warehouse, Anakin ignited his lightsaber to give Rex and himself some light. Rex unholstered his dual pistols and followed close behind. In the dark room, there wasn't a sound except for their footsteps and the hum of Anakin's lightsaber.

A pair of ceiling fans slowly turned in an ominous fashion.

"Fives? Fives, we're here. Come on out. We just want to talk to you." Anakin called out.

No one answered.

But then, someone's voice started to echo around the room. A voice that belonged to Fives.

"General Skywalker, thank you. Thank you for trusting me. Now, have you come without troops?" Fives asked, sounding relieved, but also nervous at the same time.

Anakin and Rex stood back to back and started looking around the room.

"We have." Anakin said, while scanning the room, lightsaber raised and ready.

"Put down your weapons, then." Fives requested.

"I don't think so, Fives." Anakin replied.

"Please, sir! Please, I'm unarmed." Fives pleaded.

Rex glanced over his shoulder to see Anakin looking at him. They both nodded at each other, before Anakin deactivated his lightsaber.

"All right." Rex said, walking up to a supply crate, and placing his sidearms on top of it. "I'm putting my pistols down."

Then Rex kept his hands up, and stepped back away from the box.

"What are we here for, Fives?" Anakin asked.

"I need your help." Fives said.

"I know you do. We know you're not well. It's been rough for you these past couple days." Anakin said as he and Rex continued to look around the room.

"I'm not crazy! Please, please, just just hear what I have to say." Fives begged.

Anakin and Rex heard footsteps, and they heard Fives' echoes slowly die down, and they were able to register the approximate source of his voice, and they believed it to be behind some kind of power generator.

"We're here to help you, Fives. Just come with us." Anakin said as he and Rex started to walk towards the generator they believed Fives to be behind. "Let us take you back to the Temple."

Suddenly, a white ray shield activated, trapping the two of them where they were.

"No!" Anakin exclaimed, before slamming his fist against the shield.

That's when they saw Fives step out from behind the generator.

"I just need you to listen to me. Please." Fives said.

Anakin crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not really sure we have any other choice."

Fives stepped forward, about to speak with them directly. He literally had a captive audience.

"I was framed because I know the truth the truth about a plot, a massive deception." He said.

"By whom?" Rex asked as he took a step closer, standing shoulder to shoulder with Anakin.

"Well, there's a sinister plot in the works against the Jedi. I have proof of it. I can prove that everything that I know is true beyond a shadow of a doubt!" Fives exclaimed, becoming more agitated as he continued speaking.

"Show me the evidence." Anakin ordered.

The evidence is in here." Fives said, pointing to his head. "It's it's in here. It's in all of us, every clone."

"What is it?" Rex asked.

Fives' frown turned into a look of despair, before he leaned his head again a large supply crate. "Organic chips built into our genetic code to make us do whatever someone wants, even kill the Jedi." Fives said, looking back at his audience, Anakin, more specifically. "It's all in here." Fives said, pointing to his head again."

Anakin looked at Rex, without turning his head, and saw that he was scratching his head. He either wasn't buying it, or he found it hard to swallow. Anakin looked back at Fives.

"Let's just get you some help first. Then we can review everything. It'll be okay, Fives. We'll sort this out." Anakin said, trying to sound reassuring.

Fives's look of frustration turned into one of anger. "Ah, you don't believe me!" He shouted, before leaning against a crate, and holding his head. He was still trying to explain himself to his CO's.

"Fives, we are listening to you. We only want to help." Rex said.

"How do I know you're not tricking me? How do I know it won't be a trap? The Chancellor will try to kill me. I promise you that!" Fives exclaimed.

"The Chancellor?" Anakin asked.

"He's in on it! I don't know to what extent. But I know he orchestrated much of this. He told me in the medical bay!" Fives said.

"He told you?" Anakin asked, thinking that Fives' story was getting crazier by the minute. "When you tried to assassinate him? You have gone too far, Fives. The Chancellor isn't capable of what you claim."

"He is! I swear to you, General. You have no idea-" Fives tried to explain, before he was interrupted.

"Stand down, soldier! Stand down!" Fox ordered, as he and his men burst into the room, aiming their weapons at Fives. "Get on your knees!"

Fives turned around and started waving his hands. "No! No! No! Stay back!" Then, when he realized that the shock troopers weren't stopping, he looked at Rex's pistols on the crate.

"Don't do it! Don't do it, soldier!" Fox ordered.

"Get away from me!" Fives shouted before he reached for one of the pistols, and prepared to use it.

"Fives, no!" Rex shouted. But he and Anakin were helpless to do anything behind the shield.

Then Fox pulled his trigger, and blaster bolt went straight through Fives' chest.

Fives dropped the pistol, before he looked down at the searing hole in his chest. He reached up to his chest, then he started to cough and gag, before he started to fall over.

"FIVES!"

Back in the present, it all became very clear to Rex, that from the moment he was bred, he was meant to due one thing.

Kill the Jedi.

And it was all because of the chips in his brother's brains. Well... maybe not all of them.

"Sir, the reason me and my men didn't follow the order was because we removed our inhibitor chips." He said.

"Your what?" Autumn asked, his officers utterly confused as well.

"Our inhibitor chips. They're little bio-chips attached to our brains that are supposed to make us more obedient and less aggressive. But I think that they were put there to make us follow all orders without question, which includes executing our Jedi leaders."

"But why didn't you, and your men from Torrent Company, follow the order?"

Rex turned his head so that they could see the scar on the side of his head. "Because I removed it myself. I also convinced a few other clone commanders to remove theirs and spread the word to their men. I've spent weeks convincing some of my men to remove their chips," Rex said, while looking at some of the officers in the room, who had patches of hair missing where they removed the chips, and to Jesse, Kix, Hardcase, and Echo, who had scars on the sides of their heads.

Autem was taken aback, and he started to swiftly check his officers and security troopers, and indeed found that these men indeed had scars on the sides of their heads.

"And if you check the heads of the other clones who fired on us, you'll notice that they still have theirs." Rex finished.

Everyone in the room, including Ahsoka's hologram, who's eyes were still watery, stared at the veteran clone captain with shock and awe.

When Autem finished checking his officers frantically, he turned back to Rex. "You realize that you're violating the Chancellor's orders by helping her, right?"

"Sir, I am doing my duty, to protect my brothers, and keeping them from turning into machines. We are not droids. We are not programmed. The Jedi have led us to victory time and again, and the fact that they've been branded as traitors is foolish. The Republic would be drowning in clankers if it weren't for them. And just because a few Jedi may have committed treason, doesn't mean that the rest are guilty. But sir, I understand that you have a sense of duty, just like my men, and you've been following orders up until now. So I won't fault you for whatever decision you make next."

Autem's holographic image just looked at them with a stoic look. He looked around him and saw that everyone, including Bo-katan's people, was looking at him.

And then, after what seemed like an eternity of silence, Autem finally said: "Maintain the comms blackout and get back to your posts. I can't run an occupation with half my top officers in the brig.

Rex smiled. "Thank you, sir."

"Don't thank me yet trooper. I may have just doomed this entire task force and the rest of the 501st to their fates." Autem said with concern, "We're going to get to the bottom of this."

"What about me?" Ahsoka asked.

Autem looked at Ahsoka. "Ma'am, you're going to do what you brought us here for: You're going to find that Zabrak son of a Kriffer, and bring him to justice."

Ahsoka smiled.

"It will be my pleasure, sir."

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Coruscant, Chancellor's office.

Darth Sidious, wearing his red-hooded robes, was sitting in his office beneath the Senate Rotunda, ready to give the speech that he's been waiting for his entire life. It was time for him to solidify his base of power and, at last, ensure Sith rule over the galaxy.

Mas Amedda and Sly Moore were standing on either side of him.

But before he was ready to give his speech, a Republic intelligence officer wearing a red uniform stepped into the room.

"Ah, Director Isard, I am eager to hear the news from the front. Leave us," he said to his colleagues.

When the guards and politicians left the room, Isard gave his report. "Your excellency, with the deaths of Count Dooku and General Grievous, the droid fleet is still retreating into the outer rim. And their armies have been driven from Kashyyyk, which ensures that the droid fleet is denied access to key hyperspace lanes, and are in disarray, and their territories are isolated from one another. So the siege is going well."

Palpatine smiled. "Good, good. And what of the Jedi agitators?"

"The clones are executing the order to near perfection. Almost every unit is reporting back that their targets have been successfully eliminated, and the Jedi Temple, and the surrounding districts are under our total control. Our projections show that 99% of the Jedi have been dealt with."

"Excellent."

"However, this brings me to the bad news I've been meaning to share." Isard said.

Sidious leaned back in his chair and looked at Isard. "Oh... and what might that be?"

Isard answered. "We are receiving isolated reports of Clone Troopers, mostly spec ops forces, refusing to comply with the order, and are actively assisting Jedi fugitives in their escape."

"What?"

"There's more." Isard said. "We've lost all contact with the fleet above Mandalore. At first we believed them to be destroyed, but one clone trooper officer made contact and has reported that Captain Autem's entire flotilla have actively cut communication with Naval command, and some of the clones in the occupation are actively protecting Ahsoka Tano from loyal troopers. Darth Maul was also lost in the confusion."

Darth Sidious became angered and nervous. But then his resolve hardened. "Find these rogue clones and eliminate them. And then send a fleet to the Mandalore system, and tell this clone officer to use any means necessary to disrupt their little rebellion. The mutineers and the Mandalorians will submit to you or be destroyed. And then bring Ahsoka Tano to us."

Isard bowed his head and went to go carry out Palpatine's orders, leaving the Chancellor alone with his thoughts.

These clone rabble-rousers could not be allowed to persist. Their defiance threatened to tear his New Order apart before it even started.

Their fire had to be snuffed out completely.

And it soon will be.

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Well folks, that was part 19.

Part 20 will be around the corner soon.

Until next time, this is Grubkiller, over and out.