I do not own Star Wars Rebels

Thank you all for your continuing support. I really appreciate it especially all the comments made in the reviews.

This story is a mix of the new Canon and the Legends Continuity just so you know.

Chapter 4 – Race against time

The shock of what she had just discovered froze Depa for a moment as she tried to come to terms with it. From the moment they were created the clones had been programmed to betray and murder the Jedi Order. The entire war as the Jedi had worked and even become close to their clone soldiers there had been a ticking time bomb right inside the clones and they didn't even know it. Then the true horror of the situation started to sink in, all across the galaxy nearly every single Jedi out of the main temple was surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of clones! And even the main temple on Coruscant was within range of thousands of clones too! If the Order was triggered then they would not have a chance. The Order would be completely decimated, maybe some would survive but they would presumably be hunted down not long after.

Depa quickly shook herself out of her horror and started prying deeper into the chip's programming looking for whoever had the authority to actually give the command to slaughter the entire Jedi Order in what might be a single bloody day. It had to be the work of the Sith Depa realised that much and it suddenly dawned on her just how little they actually knew about the clones. Sifo Dyas was supposed to have ordered them but there was no real proof it had really been him and in fact some evidence existed that it had in fact been Dooku who ordered the army which the Jedi had used to fight him and his own droid army. Why use Jango Fett as a template, a known Jedi killer? How had whoever had ordered the army known there would be a war just as the army was ready and the Jedi discovered them? All the questions that had seemed so unimportant because of the pressures of the Clone Wars now sprang into the Jedi Master's mind. Then suddenly the answers became so clear to Depa in a moment of frightening clarity.

A trap. The whole war had been a trap for the Jedi, to whittle down their numbers and make them all dependant on the clones who would turn and gun them down at the moment of the Dark lord of the Sith choosing. With that single move the Sith lord would have struck perhaps a fatal blow against the Jedi that would have left the order weaker than they had been in thousands of years worst perhaps than the Dark Wars of nearly four thousand years ago when the Order had been on the very edge of extinction especially as even back then the Republic had the Jedi Order's back and supported those few that had survived that purge. If the rumours the Jedi had heard about the sith controlling the Senate were true then without the Jedi to stop them they would take over the Republic from within turning it into their own…Empire as the words of the boy echoed in her head.

Turning back to her data analysis Depa pressed deeper into the programming of the chips that existed in the heads of every clone, including the thousands of soldiers on this very ship. She accessed the line of code that concerned who had the authority to give such a terrible command and she gasped when she saw the name Palpatine. And then the rest of the puzzle slotted into place in Depa's own mental landscape.

The Invasion of Naboo, Palpatine becomes Supreme Chancellor. The Clone Wars he gains emergency powers which he has only increased during the course of the conflict, making many amendments to the constitution to bolster his own power. The recent incident with Clovis, Palpatine gains control of the Banking Clan and all its finances and so many other small moves that the Jedi really should have picked up. Palpatine had played them all like fiddle.

As if this new knowledge had made a hole in the shroud of the dark side that had inhibited the Jedi's ability to see the future for so long Depa could see a vision of the future so clear that it must be days or even hours from now. She could see the Chancellor's office while her own former master Mace Windu fought with Palpatine who was wielding a red lightsaber and then him being blasted to his death out of a window with lightning. She could see a robed figure leading thousands of clones into the Jedi Temple. She saw all the younglings, the padawans, the Knights and masters many of them she knew personally as friends being overwhelmed by the sheer number of clones filling her with an immense feeling of horror. She saw the dark robed figure whose features she could not make out walk into the High Council room where she would sit with other masters to address whatever issue was facing the order at any given time. A clan of younglings no older than six standard years old cowering behind the seats as the robed figure advanced on them with a blue lightsaber drawn bringing tears to Depa's eyes.

Then she could see on hundreds of worlds spread across the galaxy Clones receiving the order that she had just discovered the existence of. Turning on their Jedi Generals and Commanders and gunning them down without warning or compassion. She could see her own apparent death on Kaller trying desperately to give her apprentice Caleb a chance to escape and not seeing whether or not he made it. There was many similar stories now flowing through her mind that she sank to her knees as the despair, all the misery and pain of that future filled her up inside. Tears ran freely from her eyes for the first time since she had been a little girl and her parents had been killed. She stayed there for a moment after the vision ended before wiping the tears from her face with the sleeve of her robe. The horror of what she had just seen so fresh in her mind that it was still filling her with dread but then Depa realised something important.

It hadn't happened…yet.

There was still time to try and prevent that future, if she moved quickly. Finding her resolve again Depa got to her feet and picked up the chip from the analysis table before opening the door and striding out at a fast pace towards the command deck.

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In the ship's infirmary a green skinned Twi'lek was still wired up to instruments that were monitoring her health while the bacta patches did their work. The medics were all distracted with other work and did not see her eyes flickering open slowly.

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Depa arrived on the bridge and saw Commander Grey and her apprentice both there. Good she thought to herself and she walked up to them. Sensing his master Caleb turned around and smiled but then frowned at the expression on her face knowing his master was now utterly serious about something and was not in the mood to answer any of the endless questions he had been known for asking. Commander Grey when he turned around too noted the serious expression on his General's face. While not the most expressive Jedi Depa Billaba still appeared calm and at ease outside of battle situations but now it looked like she was gearing up for a fight. She walked up to the internal announcement system and pushing past the clone on station there she made a speech to the entire crew.

"Attention to all clones, this is Jedi Master Depa Billaba. I have recently discovered that you each have a chip embedded inside your brains that is posing a very real danger to your health. All clones without exception are ordered to report to the infirmary and have the chip removed and I want those chips destroyed, set all controls to automatic station keeping. That is all." Master Billaba told the crew before walking up to the now very confused Commander Grey and Caleb Dume where she turned to Grey and told him. "You too Commander, get down there immediately." Her tone was as hard as steel and Commander Grey being the good soldier that he was nodded before heading for the infirmary. Depa watched him and some of the bridge crew leave after setting their stations to automatic before turning her attention to her apprentice who looked apprehensive as she told him sternly.

"Caleb I want you to go down to the hanger bay and prepare a hyperspace capable shuttle for take-off while I contact the temple."

"Yes master." Caleb said wanting to ask why but the gaze she was giving him made him skip his question for now but he did pluck up courage to tell her some bad news. "But the long range holo transmitter was damaged in the Separatist attack. We can't reach the temple."

Depa felt her anxiety rising again as she absorbed his words and realised they were cut off from warning the temple and the majority of the Jedi Order, thinking fast she asked him.

"Are there any Jedi who we can reach?" Caleb thought for a moment about how far their limited communications ability could reach and who might be close enough for them to talk too.

"Master Secura on Felucia is just within range."

"Good." Depa thought thanking the force silently for the opportunity to spread her new discovery to another Jedi who might be able to warn others. "Now go prepare the shuttle I will explain later." She told him and Caleb more confused than ever went to follow his master's orders, not understanding them but he thought to himself he trusted them because he trusted her.

Watching her apprentice leave the bridge Depa thought back on the vision she had had about what could have happened on Kaller. She was determined to try and prevent the future she had seen hence why she was having the chips removed from the clones but in case that didn't work she was preparing an escape route, for Caleb if not for herself. Once the bridge was clear, Depa went over to the long range communications system and accessed the network frowning at how much shorter the range was until it was repaired. Caleb was right though, Aayla Secura was just within range which was a relief. She sent out the alert to tell Aayla that she was trying to contact her and thankfully she did not have to wait long before Aayla responded.

"Master Billaba, is there something I can do for you?" The blue skinned Twi'lek Jedi Knight said after her hologram appeared on the bridge. Depa wasted no time before speaking.

"Master Secura I have discovered a plot to destroy the Jedi and time is really is of the essence so please just listen to what I have to say."

Aayla looked concerned at the urgency of her words and remained silent while Depa explained.

"The clones have been implanted with control chips to make them betray us at any given time worse I have discovered the identity of the Sith Lord. It is Chancellor Palpatine."

Aayla looked ready to say something but Depa held up her hand before she could speak and told her quickly. "I know it sounds incredible but it is all true, there is no time to go into detail but I was warned about the chips and had one analysed here this is a copy of the data. Only Palpatine can trigger them. Now my long range transmitter is not working properly I need you to spread the word to every other Jedi you can. Every clone has the chip Aayla all of them now please just do it! If you don't then it could be the end of the Jedi!" Depa said and plugged the chip she had cut out of one of the clones and displayed its programming on a holographic display.

Aayla Secura had never seen the Jedi Master whose calm was almost as legendary as Master Yoda's so emotional to the extent that she was actually calling her by her first name rather than her more formal manner. The information she had just sent seemed impossible but as each word had been given Aayla could feel them resonate in the force with truth. Not to mention the data that was being shown from the chip she had discovered. So she nodded while recording the data that was being sent before telling Depa who looked desperate for her to believe her and said.

"Okay I'll do what I can." And on her own end Aayla closed the link down before looking out at the strange landscape of Felucia for a moment before she had a sudden vision of herself being shot in the back by her own clones. Shaking off the vision she turned to her own Clone Commander Bly and told him.

"Get the men down to the medics, you all have a chip in your heads that needs to be removed."

"Yes General." Bly said efficient as always before walking off to organise the removal of the chips Depa had told her about. He had fought alongside her for years and she would never have imagined that he would be forced to betray her at the moment someone activated that chip or any of her troops under her command would do the same. She only hoped that she could have all her men cleared before Palpatine found out.

She then accessed the long range communications system and called the Jedi Temple on Coruscant as well as any other generals that would respond immediately. She breathed a sigh of relief when Master Shaak Ti appeared in holographic form in front of her as did Jedi Masters; Plo Koon, Stass Allie, Sian Jeisel, Simms, Etain Tur-Mukan, Saras Loorne and Traavis.

"Masters I bring a dire warning about a new threat to the Jedi Order." Aayla said and she launched into a very rapid briefing about what Depa Billaba had told her and showed them the information that Depa had sent from the chip she had analysed. To say that her audience was shocked at this sudden warning was an understatement but they acted like the Jedi Masters they were known for being and started moving quickly. Masters Traavis, Etain Tur-Mukan, Saras Loorne, Simms, Stass Allie and Plo Koon all said they were going to have as many of their troops remove their control chips while preparing escape routes if the Order was given before they had gotten all the chips removed and in case some soldiers obeyed the order even after the chips were taken out. Before signing off they said they would tell as many other Jedi as they were able before leaving the quick holographic conference. Now Shaak Ti and Sian Jeisel alone remained in the conversation with Aayla.

"I'll organise an evacuation of the Jedi Temple." Shaak Ti told her fellow Jedi sisters while inwards worried about how much time that would take when Master Windu had just left to confront Palpatine. They had enough ships for everyone in the temple but whether they would have enough time was the major concern not to mention moving all the relics and artefacts plus the archives themselves. It was going to be an impossible task to get everything away in the short time they probably had given what Master Windu was planning to arrest Palpatine if he did not stand down meaning Palpatine probably would give the order at the first opportunity. Sian Jeisel at the Jedi training facility on Bogden 3 was worried herself but given her facility was much smaller it shouldn't take too long to evacuate everybody.

"Save what you can, but the Younglings come first." Aayla said and the two Jedi Masters nodded in agreement before shutting down the small conference completely. Once done Aayla started trying to reach any other Jedi she could to past on the warning.

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Caleb Dume was returning to the bridge after he had finished preparing the long range shuttle for take-off although he had no idea why he and his master would need it. He walked past the infirmary level and saw the long line of Clone troops queuing up to go in and get that chip thing removed as his master had ordered. Caleb had no idea as to what was going on but ever since that small freighter had shown up his master had been acting so weird. He started walking again back towards the bridge hoping to get some answers from his master when he got there.

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"Right quickly Knight Olana Chion get the youngling clans to the transports docked at bays three through six with Knight Serra Keto and Padawan Bene assign all junior knights to help. Jocasta I need you to get all the holocrons and relics and take them to bay seven and eight get some of the more senior Knights to help you." Shaak Ti said to some of the more experienced Jedi at the Temple, thankfully she was the most senior Council Member here right now without Master Windu and Yoda present so she had the authority to evacuate the Temple without a long debate although the Jedi around her were puzzled at the sudden hurry. She was getting every Jedi in the Temple to help with the evacuation, even the senior apprentices were helping out carrying objects they wanted to rescue and directing the younglings to the transports alongside the Knights while the Masters readied every ship they had and tried to find a place where they could go. Shaak Ti was thankful that the Jedi preached calm as no one was panicking only confused and it was moving quickly enough that she should be able to get the first transports containing the youngest students in the temple away in the next five minutes. She would have to show them the data Aayla had sent later when they were safe.

She saw the latest addition to the Council Knight Anakin Skywalker rushing down from the High Council Room and was about to call him over to help when he pushed past a group of small younglings behind led by Tera Sinube knocking several of them to the floor before rushing towards the waiting speeders.

Watching him jump in one and take off at very high speed in the direction of the Senate Building Shaak Ti felt a tremor in the force that made her feel very uneasy.

"We need to move fast so get to it people." Shaak Ti said urgently feeling that they were up against the clock.

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