Epilogue 2

ORDER 66 - The 501st and Operation Knightfall

Chopper looked around. The lines of the 501st were perfect as they marched. He wondered why he was getting that itchy feeling at the back of his neck. He usually got it on the battlefield.

"Fives," he asked, closed channel. "Where's the commander?" It was General Tano now but while she was waiting for her new command and reassignment, she was still 501st.

"Cut the chatter, sergeant." That was from Captain Rex and not closed channel.

Chopper's eyes narrowed. His audio had been closed channel; the blue light of open channel was still dark. The captain shouldn't have heard him.

That meant that the captain had overrides; that nothing could be spoken privately. Chopper's stomach churned. That wasn't like the captain. He didn't care about the chatter among the troops, so often only nervous talk and speeches of encouragement from brothers, squad leaders and sergeants. As now; voices wondering about rumors of traitors hiding in the Jedi temple. Eager voices about being heroes, about pretty girls, about everything and anything to drive away the fear and know that you were with your brothers as you went into battle.

Chopper had been down this street just yesterday. He'd gone to the temple to visit the commander. She had made Jedi Knight and general and he had wanted to be the first of her men to salute her and call her 'General Tano'. She'd be shipping out soon with some of his brothers, until then she was still with the 501st. He wanted to know which company she'd be getting; to see if he knew anyone there and let them know they'd be getting the best young Jedi ever.

Her orders hadn't come in but Chopper still told her he'd like to transfer and she told him he'd be welcome. They talked about the first things she would do to familize herself with her new company. He could see the small tendrils of anxiety in her eyes and teased her. When he left, she had hugged him, tight, taking uncommon comfort from his presence. "I'm worried, Chopper. Something dark is happening and I am afraid of what it might bring." He had never heard her speak of being afraid before.

"I'll transfer, commander," he had promised. "I'll come and guard your back like I've done for so long. Captain Rex will let me go" He had pressed a kiss to her forehead but didn't tell her that Rex's request for a transfer had already been denied by General Skywalker. He suspected she already knew.

But the captain had just told them all … if they had the brains to think about it … that all transmissions were being monitored. Why would there be overrides? What did that mean?

Captain doesn't like this assignment, thought Chopper. But he's got his orders. Means we won't like it either.

The only reason for the captain to listen to all troopers was if some of the troopers were suspect in some way; but as far as Chopper knew there'd only been one traitor. So why listen? Because a traitor was suspected among the troops? There were better ways to test for a traitor than listen to an entire company's private chatter. So why listen?

He glanced at Fives who was looking at the figures leading them: In the front was Lord Darth Vader, their old general with a new name, a new position. With him was the new head of the 501st, Commander Appo and Chopper wondered about that; wondered what Appo had done or known to take him from a shiny at Geonosis II to commander of the 501st. Captain Rex and the lieutenants were there too; weapons at the ready. Captain Rex walked stiffly, as if wounded. Chopper wished he could ask Fives about that but he'd just been told there was no privacy.

Chopper got the feeling he was walking into a trap, walking into the proverbial gundark's den.

Chopper got a chill down his spine as he suddenly knew. The traitors didn't know they were traitors. Not yet. They wouldn't know they were traitors until they went into the Jedi Temple and faced off against the Jedi. There were not traitors hiding in the Jedi Temple - it was the Jedi counted as traitors. He suddenly remembered one night when Echo, long-lost at the Citadel, was going over little know rules.

"Here's a few interesting ones," he turned his head to include Chopper in the discussion between him and Fives. "Order 65 and Order 66; lethal force to be used against either the Supreme Commander or the Jedi in the event..." Echo had muttered to himself for a moment. "That's odd."

"What's odd?" Fives asked.

"Well, to use lethal force against the Supreme Commander - that's Palpatine," Echo glanced up at both men. Fives sighed and Echo continued, "that needs either the majority of the senate or the Security Council to enact as well as authenticated orders. To authenticate orders is a complicated procedure..."

"Echo..." threatened Fives and Echo merely grinned at him.

"Anyway, to use lethal force against the Chancellor requires a complicated process involving several governing bodies but to use lethal force against the Jedi requires only specific orders from the Supreme Commander aka the Chancellor. No authentication or anything." Echo set the data pad on the shelf by his bed. "Why, he could just wake up on a bad day and send out a hologram to the GAR."

Chopper had grinned and Fives had laughed at Echo; it was well-known that the Chancellor Palpatine relied on the Jedi to run the government for him, that he ran to Mace Windu for any questions and advice.

Chopper glanced at Fives and knew by the set of his shoulders he was remembering that night, that discussion.

Chopper knew that's what this was. Ahsoka! Could he fire on his vodal'ika, little sister? Fierfik, could the captain? Fives? Coric? Kev? Chopper frowned and chewed his lower lip; this was going to be one kriffing mess. Among the Jedi officers - the only ones Order 66 applied to - were a lot of Jedi trainees and younglings, Jedi and non-Jedi civilians. Chopper wondered if there was a plan for getting them out of the way before or during Operation Knightfall. He'd check with the Captain as soon as the operation went into active phase.

He looked forward where Captain Rex was with Commander Appo and General Skywalker in black. Captain Rex walked a drunken man trying to hide his inebriation. A shiver ran down his spine and Chopper was suddenly afraid. He glanced at Fives again. The ARC had been looking at Chopper; when he saw Chopper's attention on himself, he nodded slowly.

Chopper felt slightly better. Whatever happened, he and Fives were in it together.

It was a kriffing mess.

Order 66 came through almost exactly as Echo had said - the Chancellor ordering via hologram, the verification on live broadcase, and the troopers of the 501st firing.

"Captain," called Chopper through the channels, "What's to be done with civilians? Younglings?"

Captain Rex didn't answer, but Appo's voice came through hard and stern. "They're all Jedi, kill them all."

"Order 66 pertains only to Jedi officers," came Captain Rex's voice over open channels, "the civilians..."

Appo overrode those orders. "The Jedi are all traitors. They all die."

Chopper turned the face of his helmet toward the captain he had followed so long but General Skywa... Lord Darth Vader's voice came over the troopers helmets. "Take all the Jedi down. There are no civilians." He whipped to face Captain Rex, his eyes red and his body tight with anger. "With me, Captain Rex."

And that was an order Chopper knew Rex couldn't disobey.

Chopper turned toward Fives, "With me Fives. Squad, backup Zeer's squad toward the main hall." He raced through the corridors of the Temple. He'd been here several times; the one time to be questions by the council and the remainder to visit Ahsoka or, even once, General Kenobi. He knew where he was and where he wanted to be. ARC Fives followed and no one got in their way.

Chopper spun around the corner to see Ahsoka staunchly holding off four troopers without injuring them. Oddly enough, their targeting was lousy; any less accuracy they'd be shooting the floor.

"We'll take care of this one." Fives used his best ARC voice and his body language to take command. He'd grown darker since Echo's death on the Citadel. The four troopers simply nodded and moved away, glad to go. This was ARC Sergeant Fives and Sergeant Chopper, two troopers that exemplified the 501st.

Ahsoka wept to see Fives and Chopper. She deactivated her light saber and slipped it into her belt. She moved toward Fives and put her arms around his neck.

"If it has to be done," she whispered, "you two are who I choose."

"No one else," said Fives. "No one else." It was ambiguous enough to be heard by anyone and not understood. Fives took her hand and slipped her fingers beneath his helmet; impossible to do unless the trooper permitted it by tilting his head just so.

"It will be ok, Fives," Ahsoka smiled through her tears. After a moment, Fives turned and left her alone with Chopper.

Chopper took Ahsoka's wrist and pulled her into the corridor. He touched a gloved finger to the outside of his helmet for silence and she nodded. He'd need to avoid other troopers and only by listening to the chatter over the helmet could he tell where they were.

Not until they reached the port, did Chopper remove his helmet. Still, he said nothing as he went to the Athualla Freight office and presented the small token that Ash had given him just over a year ago. "I owe you, Chopper," she had said, "it's good for anything Athualla can provide." They waited together in the small office and he escorted her to the Athualla ship. It wasn't Ash piloting.

Watch out for him, Chopper. Protect him for me. It wasn't spoken. She simply turned toward him with stricken eyes.

Chopper gave her bittersweet smile and nodded. Of course. That wasn't spoken either. He took her hand and held it to his face. He knew that Fives had been crying inside his helmet. He had tears in his eyes as well. Slowly, he bent his head and kissed her forehead. A promise like so many he'd made her before. A promise that she'd survive all this. Somehow.

He wanted to stay until she was on the ship, to make sure she escaped, but his absence would be noted by someone besides Fives and Captain Rex if he stayed much longer. They wouldn't be searching the port, not yet, and she'd be gone by then, as crew, not on any manifest list as a passenger, and headed to the Outer Rim.

He scratched his chin, wondering how he was going to stay out for trouble for what his helmet vids would show.

He heard the soft hum of the light saber behind him and smiled. It was difficult to not turn around so he shut his eyes.

Chopper woke with a headache in the Coruscant med unit with Fives at his side.

"They're going to interview you, Chopper. They don't trust my vids and yours don't exist. It's known you had a special friendship with the Jedi traitor." Fives turned to Chopper, his face as blank as stone.

"Shouldn't they have kept you away? Interrogated us separately?" Chopper's voice was scratchy and he reached for the water. He frowned at his trembling fingers. Fives handed the bulb of water to him. Fives smiled. "They're not worried. It will be interrogation under drugs. Only they aren't calling it that, of course."

Chopper tensed for a moment then frowned deeper as he searched his memory of what had happened.

Fives had gone into the room first, Jedi General Tano had flashed her light saber to deflect his shots and that had hit Chopper's helmet, destroying the electronics, giving Chopper the concussion but he'd kept on, giving chase, shooting her down in the street in a crossfire with Fives.

Fives voice had spoken harshly over the open channels to the command group. "Jedi Tano is no more. She's been taken out."

But she'd been their commander and for that, they'd set her body in the flames of the Temple. Fives had said a few words, "she was the best Jedi, it's only fitting she and the Temple should be destroyed together." Afterwards, they had separated and Chopper had gone to find a medic, but the effects of the concussion worsened and he had passed out in the street. He remembered the cool, dampness of paving stone against his scarred cheek as he had passed out.

"My memory's playing tricks on me," growled Chopper.

Fives nodded. "Concussions are like that."

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