Have no fear, Grubkiller is here.
Hey guys and gals, and people on the fence, here's part 20 of my story, 'Rise of the Empire', which i've noticed has exploded in terms of viewership. Thank you. But please be sure to also fav/follow/review this story. I enjoy your feedback.
(Also, I just saw the Episode IX teaser earlier today. Meh, not interested. But I'm excited for Clone Wars season 7, for it is the last remnant of the Lucas/pre-disney era)
Anyway, as the last two chapters focused on Ahsoka and the rogue clones on Mandalore, this chapter, and maybe the one after this, will be going back to the Episode three storyline.
I'll include some parts from the Episode 3 video game, and the movie's novelization.
Anyway, please enjoy.
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Coruscant, Low Orbit.
Coruscant.
A planet covered in one large city, once the center of galactic democracy and a champion of civil liberties, was now a planet under lockdown. In the wake of the Separatist invasion, Hundreds of Republic warships were guarding the hyperspace entrances into the system, sweeping them for mines, and carefully scrutinizing any ships entering or leaving the system.
And since the issuing of Order 66, the planet's home defense fleet was on much higher alert, as Republic fighters shot down any ship that didn't identify themselves quick enough.
Never in Obi-Wan's short career as a General had he ever thought that he would ever be on the other side of the Navy's guns. Yet here he was, sitting in the cockpit of Bail Organa's CR70, next to Yoda and Bail, and behind two pilots, who were working on getting them through the Republic blockade. It was quite easy since this was a friend;y ship belonging to a very well-liked politician.
But still, it broke Obi-Wan's heart that he had to feel cautious in the presence of the Republic Navy, which he had led into battle countless times along with Anakin, Ahsoka, and many other Jedi, whom he was close to.
When the Republic Star-Destroyer watching over them transmitted the clearance codes to the small diplomatic corvette, they carried on. But then they received another transmission, as they flew closer to the planet's surface, everyone being able to make out the silver rooftops even from up here.
One of the pilot's turned his head over his shoulder to look at his passengers. "We are receiving a message from the Chancellor's office, sir."
"Send it through." Bail said.
"Yes, sir." The pilot said as he pressed a button, and the Chagrian Vice Chair of the Galactic Senate, Mas Amedda.
"Senator Organa . . . the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic requests your presence at a special session of Congress."
The two Jedi looked at the screen with interest, and frowns on their face as they wondered what Palpatine had in store.
But Bail nodded in affirmation. "Tell the Chancellor I will be there."
"Very well. He will be expecting you." Mas Amedda said, before his image fizzled out and the screen went blank, signaling an end to the transmission, leaving everyone else to ponder what was just said.
Bail turned his chair to look at the two Jedi masters, exhaling sharply, yet subtly, showing his concern. "It could be a trap."
Obi-Wan shook his head slightly. "No, I don't think so. The Chancellor will not be able to control the thousands of star systems without keeping the Senate intact."
Bail nodded, just before Yoda spoke up. "If a special session of Congress there is, easier for us to enter the Jedi Temple it will be."
Everyone nodded in agreement, realizing that with the Chancellor about to address Congress, all eyes and security will be delegated to the Senate Building. As they began to discuss their next moves, the CR70 corvette flew over the skyscrapers and through the never-ending traffic on Coruscant.
Later, when their ship landed at the Senate Building, Bail and his delegation leave the ship, which both hooded Jedi behind them. But they were taken aback to see a squadron of Clones from the Coruscant Guard approaching them.
"Welcome back, Senator. May I see your clearance?" The lead clone asked.
"Certainly." Bail said as he showed his ID.
"Thank you, you may proceed." The clone said before he noticed the two jedi in the middle of the crowd of delegates. "We will take custody of the Jedi."
"It would be better if we stayed with the Senator." Obi-Wan said as he waved his hand in front of the clone's face.
The trooper froze for a moment and he simply stared off into space as if he were entranced. "It would be better if they stayed with you." The clone said as he and his squad walked off.
After that, Bail and his aides go into the Senate, while Yoda and Obi-Wan went to look for a way back to the Jedi Temple.
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Mustafar.
Darth Vader flew his green Jedi star-fighter across the molten surface of Mustafar, eventually finding the facility through thick layer of ash that floated above the surface.
The mining ore facility, owned by the Klegger Corp, and who served the Techno Union, was hald built into the mountain range, and half hanging over a Lava river that flowed beneath.
Vader's fighter shreaked towards the facility, and then landed on the platform.
He climbed out and walked over to the main entrance. Artoo beeped after ejecting out of the droid compartment, and was about to follow Anakin.
"Artoo, stay with the ship," he ordered.
He beeped a reply.
Vader walked inside, where he was met by a small party of guards and neimoidian aides. San Hill, the Munn leader of the intergalactic banking clan, was leading the group.
He had apparently beat his colleagues in being the first to greet Lord Vader.
"Welcome, Lord Vader," San Hill said, his elongated legs almost tangling with each other as he rushed to shake the hand of the Sith Lord, "On behalf of the Leadership of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, let me be the first to-"
"Very well. You will be the first," Vader said as he threw back his cloak.
San Hill recoiled, hands flapped like panicked birds sewn to his wrists. "You're... you're Anakin Skywalker." He managed to say before a fountain of blue plasma burned into his chest, carving through a loop that held all three of his hearts.
The other separatists watched with frozen horror as the corpse of the head of the intergalactic banking clan collapsed like a de-powered protocol droid.
"The resemblance... is deceptive." Vader said, before he turned on the others who witnessed.
The Dark Lord marched forward, using his saber to slash the other Neimoidian aides, who were chopped to pieces. The guards rushed to subdue Vader, only to be slashed as they got too close.
He raised his hand to levitate the rest of them in the air and crush their windpipes.
The whole display was on holo-cam.
Back in the control room, the CIS leaders were watching with shock and frozen fear.
"Darth Sidious has betrayed us!" Ruun Haako said.
"Security! Get down their and stop the Assassin!" Viceroy Gunray ordered.
As more droids and guards scrambled to stop Vader, Poggle the Lesser walked up to the holo-table.
"Do not worry. We are safe here," the Geonosian said.
Back at the front entrance, more guards and security droids went to confront Vader.
He raised his blade and went to work, cutting them apart.
Darth Sidious' plans will be fulfilled.
They have to if he wanted to save Padme.
And nothing would stop him from saving her.
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Jedi Temple, Coruscant.
Smoke from the smoldering shell of the once pristine Jedi Temple fills the air with a brown haze.
But as one got closer, they could hear the sounds of blaster fire erupting from inside one of the inner courtyards.
A dozen clone troopers from the 501st Legion had been standing guard at the entrance of the Jedi Temple, when suddenly there is a flash of two lightsabers, a flurry of confusion, and all of the Clone Troopers are thrust into a fight for their lives.
Yoda rushed to meet the charge of several clones, deflecting their blaster fire and jumping around to throw off their aim. He chopped off the arm of the first clone trooper, and threw his shoto lightsaber into the next clone's chest, thrusting it through his heart. Yoda jumped on his chest and pulled the sword out as the trooper fell to his knees, and then jumped off the dying trooper to attack the others.
Obi-Wan charged forward, swinging his sword back and forth as he charged through his group of troopers, deflecting their shots and chopping through them as he ran past them. When he was finished, he turned around just in time to see Yoda deflecting one more shot back into the last trooper, who died making a valiant last stand.
Both Jedi stand above the carnage that they created, before they went on with their task.
"With the Chancellor giving his address, most of the clones will be guarding the Senate Building. But there still must be several platoons of Clone Troopers on every level. Many are dressed as Jedi. I can only hope that we're not too late when we're done here. I'd rather not be the last of the Jedi."
"To the very summit of the Temple, we must go. That is where we shall find the beacon, and end this deception." Yoda said as he hobbled into the temple with his cane.
Obi-Wan looked down at Yoda, with concern on his face. "Master, I fear for Anakin. And Ahsoka."
"Hmmm," Yoda groaned, "Clouded is their fate. Concerned for them, I am. But quickly, Young Obi-Wan. Dismantle the coded signal quickly, we must. The clones we dealt with back there, soon discovered will they be."
They quickened their pace as they walked into the temple, only to come across a score of clones patrolling the walkway that led outside.
"Stop, Jedi!" One called out.
"Stay strong, boys!" The lead clone officer called out, as they raised their blasters and prepared to fire.
Obi-Wan and Yoda activated their sabers.
"I preferred it when the clones were our allies." Obi-Wan said before the first rounds of plasma were fired.
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Senate Building.
The awesome Senate Building looms over the city. The endless traffic continues to clutter the skyline.
The Chancellor is in the podium in the center of the vast arena giving a speech, with camera droids floating around him, recording his speech, but then editing his image to make him look the way he was before he was attacked by the Jedi. Mas Amedda stands to the right of Sidious, and Sly Moore to his left.
Bail Organa walks through the hallway of the Main Senate Chamber. He enters the Senate Pod of Naboo and sits next to Padme. Jar Jar, Captain Typho and two handmaidens are in the pod also.
". . . and the Jedi Rebellion has been foiled." Palpatine said, in a voice that was raspier than normal, as Bail sat down during a round of applause.
"I was held up. What's happening?" He asked.
Padme turned away from the Chancellor's speech to speak to Bail. "The Chancellor has been elaborating on a plot by the Jedi, to overthrow the Senate."
"That's not true!" Bail said.
"He's been presenting evidence all afternoon." Padme said.
"And the Senate will go along with it, just like they always do." Bail said.
"The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated!" Palpatine called out, inciting a roar of applause. "Any collaborators will suffer the same fate." The Crowd erupted into more applause. "These have been trying times, but we have passed the test."
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Jedi Temple.
Deeper inside the interior of the Jedi Temple
Yoda and Obi-Wan make their way through the ruins, fighting through or avoiding the hundreds of Clone Troopers stationed here. They use the Force to distract the Clones when they can. But at one point, they ended up splitting up to cover more ground and divide the Clone defenses.
Obi-Wan slashed his blade through one final clone, and stood amongst a slew of other dead clones, and seemed satisfied that the Area was clear. But that's when a surviving clone, a heavy gunner, armed with a rocket launcher stood from a distance behind Obi-Wan, and aimed his heavy weapon.
But before he could fire, Master Yoda jumped out of nowhere onto a pillar of rumble and used the force to lift the trooper up. But before the trooper could be tossed aside, he fired a pair of missiles up at the ceiling.
Obi-Wan heard the commotion and turned around to see the trooper being tossed over the ledge by Yoda. But he also heard a pair of explosions above him, and looked up to see chunks of the ceiling falling towards him. The Jedi Master dove out of the way, just as piles of rubble smashed the spot he was just in, burying the clones he had just killed.
As dust began to cloud his vision, Obi-Wan used the force to push the cloud away, clearing his sight. He then looked at the rubble, relieved that it didn't crush him.
Behind him, he could here the taping sounds of Yoda's cane and turned to look down at him.
"A peculiar skill you have, Master Obi-Wan, for finding trouble." Yoda joked.
Later, Yoda and Obi-Wan walk through the ruins of the Temple until they come across the bodies of some students.
"Not even the younglings survived." Obi-Wan said as he leaned down to check on the padawans. "I've never seen anything so cruel. Why would the clones do this?"
"Killed not by clones, this Padawan. By a lightsaber, he was."
They moved on, and eventually found the body of Jedi Master Shaak Ti, surrounded by several dead, dismembered clones. "No" Obi-Wan said as he rushed up to the body to check for a pulse, and found that there were no blast marks. Shaak Ti was killed by lightsaber, just like the younglings they found earlier.
"An act of hatred, this was." Yoda said, shaking his head, "Strong, is the Darkside now."
Obi-Wan closed Shaak Ti's eyes and laid her to rest. Still crouched down, he looked over to Master Yoda. " . . .But who? Who could have done this?"
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Mustafar, Separatist Hideout.
Darth Vader continued to rush through the facility, cutting his way through droids and Neimoidian guards. Several droids fired on him, while guards rushed in to attack him with their stun sticks.
He merely deflected the droid rounds back into the guards that charged at him.
But the Droidekas were a different story. Their shields would be a problem for blaster fire and his saber. So he used the force to lift them up into the air, and send them into the lava below.
Droids and guards lay dead at his feet. He came up on the door that led to the central control room. Three battle droids guarded the door.
They looked terrified.
"You said we'd be safe back here," one droid said to the others as he ran to the door.
"Come on. There's three of us and only one of him," the lead droid said.
"It won't matter," the third droid said in defeat.
The dark sider cut the two droids apart and moved on the last one.
The last droid pressed a button on the door and spoke into it.
"Uh sir. A J-Jedi is coming. He looks very unhappy," he said as Vader raised his blade. "Gah, Nooo!"
The Separatist leaders are starting to panic when they realize that Vader is right outside. Suddenly, the main entrance flew open, and a Dark cloaked figure enters the room. The leaders are all frozen with fear.
Lord Vader stepped inside and made a gesture with a gloved hand. Blast doors slammed shut across every exit. The control panels exploded in a shower of sparking wires.
Within the separatist leadership bunker's control center, there were many battle droids. There were armed and armored Neimoidian guards. There were automated defense turrets that lowered out of the ceiling. There were screams and tears and pleas for mercy.
But none of them mattered.
None of them mattered at all.
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Senate Grand Rotunda.
Chancellor Palpatine continued to give his speech to the members of the Senate, who continued to listen, hanging on his every word.
"The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed, but I assure you. . . my resolve has never been stronger."
He was met by another round of applause from his supporters. Although, not everyone was clapping. But the cameras didn't show that.
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Mustafar, Separatist stronghold.
Poggle the Lesser, archduke of Geonosis, scrambled like an animal through a litter of severed arms and legs and heads, both metal and flesh, whimpering, fluttering his ancient gauzy wings until a bar of lightning flash burned his own head free of his neck.
Shu Mai, President and CEO of the Commerce Guild, hands clasped before her, tears streaming down her shriveled cheeks, begged for mercy before the Sith Lord.
"We were promised a reward," she gasped, "A... a handsome reward!"
"I am your reward," the Sith Lord said, "You don't find me handsome?"
"Please!" She screeched through her sobbing, "Plea-"
The blue-white blade cut into, and out of her skull, and her corpse swayed. A negligent flip of the wrist slashed through her column of neck rings. Her brain-burned head tumbled to the floor. The only sound then was a panicky stutter of footfalls, as Wat Tambor, Nute Gunray, Rune Haako, and others, scampered along a hallway toward a nearby conference room.
But the Sith Lord was in no hurry to pursue. All the exits from the control center were blast-shielded, and they were sealed, and he had destroyed the controls.
The conference room was, as the expression goes, a dead end.
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Palpatine continues his speech at the podium.
"The war is over." Palpatine said, before being met with another round of applause. "The Separatists have been defeated," And again, even more applause, "And the Jedi rebellion has been foiled. We stand on the threshold of a new beginning."
After another pause in the Chancellor's speech, another round of applause keeps him from going any further.
Padme and Bail, and many other critics of Palpatine, were carefully observing him, trying to see what he had up his sleeves. "Well, this is the moment we discover if he intends to return the Republic to a democracy." Padme said.
"In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire!" Palpatine shouted out, causing more applause, while Padme put her hand over her lips, completely taken aback, "For a safe and secure society which I assure you will last for ten thousand years."
There is a loud, sustained cheer from the Senate. But Bail and Padme sit, absolutely dumbfounded.
But still, Palpatine continued.
"An empire that will continue to be ruled by this august body, and a sovereign ruler chosen for life . . ."
The Senate cheers again. But Bail and Padme are devastated. Padme begins to cry.
". . . An empire ruled by the majority . . . Ruled by a new constitution . . ."
The Senate applauds and cheers even louder.
"So this is how liberty dies," Padme said in disbelief, causing her colleagues to look at her, as she looked around at the corrupt senators around her, "with thunderous applause..."
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Mustafar, Separatist control center.
Darth Vader left nothing living behind him, when he walked from the main room of the control center. Casually, carelessly, he strolled along the hallway, scouring the durasteel wall with the tip of his blade, enjoying the sizzle of disintegrating metal as he had savored the smoke of charred alien flesh.
The conference room door was closed. A barrier so poultry would be an insult to the blade in his hand. A black-gloved hand made a fist. The door crumpled and fell.
The conference room was walled with trans-parasteel windows. Beyond, obsidian mountains rained fire upon the land. Rivers of lava embraced the settlement.
Rune Haako, aid and confidential secretary to the Viceroy of the Trade Federation, tripped over a chair as he stumbled back. He fell to the floor shaking like a grub in a frying pan, trying to scramble beneath the table.
"Stop!" He cried. "Enough! We surrender. Do you understand? You can't just kill us!"
The Sith Lord smiled. "Can't I?"
"We are unarmed. We surrender. Please, please, you're a Jedi!" Rune pleaded again.
"You fought a war to destroy the Jedi" Vader stood above the shivering Neimoidian, smiling down above him, then fed him two feet of plasma, "Congratulations on your success."
The Sith Lord stepped over Haako's corpse to where Wat Tambor clawed uselessly at the tranparasteel windows with his armored gauntlets. The head of the Techno Union turned at Vader's approach, cringing, arms lifting to shield his faceplate from the flames in the dragon's eyes.
"Please?! I'll give you anything. Anything you want!"
The blade flashed twice. Tambor's arms fell to the floor, followed by his head.
"Thank you," Vader said.
Darth Vader turned to the last living leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Nute Gunray, who had tried to kill Vader's beloved wife on multiple occasions, giving him the most bitter of hatreds for this wretched soul.
The Viceroy of the Trade Federation stood trembling in an alcove.
As Vader approached, Gunray bolted out of cover and tried to make a run for it. Vader pursued the viceroy, only to see that he was running towards another door. This one suddenly opened up, and a squad of battle droids, guards, and a pair of Droidekas entered the room, having sliced their way in from the outside.
The Viceroy disappeared inside the hallway, as the droids went to slow Vader down. The droids and guards opened fire, completely demolishing everything in the corpse-filled room.
Darth Vader dashed for cover and began deflecting blaster bolts away from him. But then, he used the force to pull the pins on several grenades that hung from the belts of the guards. The Neimoidians desperately pawed at their own beeping belts, only to be vaporized by their own weaponry, including their mechanical comrades.
That's when Vader vaulted over cover and rushed down the hall, demolishing anything that got in his way, whether metal or flesh.
Eventually, Vader made it outside in time to see Gunray about to toward a Sheathipede-class shuttle. But before he could, an invisible force pushed the ship off of an edge, and it tumbled down into the lava below.
Gunray turned around in time to see Vader moving towards him. His guards tried to stop him with sniper rifles, only to have them deflected back into them. Other guards tried to move in and subdue him up close, only to be chopped to pieces.
With all of his guards dead, and his only escape route sinking to the bottom of a river of molten lava, Gunray tried to make a run for it. But then Vader jumped across the platform, landing in front of the trembling Viceroy.
Blood-tinged tears began streaming down his green model cheeks.
"The War," he whimpered, "the war is over. Lord Sidious promised. . . he promised we would be left in peace."
"His transmission was garbled," Vader said.
His blade came up.
"He promised you would be left in pieces." He then slashed it across the Viceroy's chest, slicing through his organs, and letting out a pained scream before he collapsed to the ground in a crumpled heap.
Satisfied that the job was over, Darth Vader deactivated his lightsaber and walked back inside the building, just as the shuttle at the bottom of the river unleashed a large explosion that shot a plume of lava into the air, and had cinders showering down all around him.
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Emperor Palpatine's office.
Underneath the Senate Rotunda, Palpatine said down in his private office, just after christening the Republic into the Empire, and crowning himself Emperor of the Galaxy. A hologram of Darth Vader appears before him on his office desk.
"The Separatists are taken care of, My Master."
Sidious smiled. "It is finished, then. You have restored peace and justice to the galaxy. You have done well, Lord Vader."
"Thank you, My Master." Vader said before his hologram disappeared, leaving his master to reflect on all of his fine work.
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Well folks, that was part 20 of my story. I hope that you enjoyed. Fav/Follow/Review if you enjoyed.
The next chapter, part 21, might focus on Ahsoka, or will continue the Episode three plot line. Not sure yet.
Either way, I hope to see you next time.
Until next time, as always, this is Grubkiller, over and out.