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Phase 10: Thy brother's blood

=RK=

Part 1

=RK=

GAR CP

Senate building

Coruscant

The Chancellor and her security detail stood within a reinforced bunker hastily added to the Senate building. It was stuck into an expanded security station and had hardened links with every similar facility in the building. Clones manned multiple workstations placed around the walls and they all fed data into a holo-tank that bolted in the middle of the room.

"Ma'am, this isn't a good idea." Commander Cody implored.

"It all depends on your perspective." Satine smiled at her chief babysitter. Obi-Wan arranging the Clone Commander he knew best and trusted the most as the head of her overbearing security details was endearing in a sense. At least when it wasn't frustrating. "I can't be seen as running. The Mandalorian people won't respect me if I do so. For most intents and purposes I'm the Republic government right not. So once again, I can't be seen as running. Besides, by being here, I'm a nice juicy bait. Having the Senators present, why, that's just spoiling our rebelling friends."

"That might very well be the case, however..."

"It's all right, Cody. I'm confident that you and your brothers can keep me intact."

The Commander tilted his head to the side and remained silent. It didn't turn out that way for Palpatine didn't it? Cody was determined not to become the second Clone who lost a Chancellor. He really didn't look forward to explaining such a kriff up to Kenobi, especially not when the man finally shaped up in more than a competent general.

The universe seemed to conspire against him.

"We have multiple fast movers approaching the perimeter. They bypassed our outer sensor perimeter and we didn't get heads-up from Overwatch." A cone Reported.

"They used the tunnels to get close, didn't they? What about the sensor grid and our listening posts?" Cody pressed for answers.

"All green. They report no disturbances." A few seconds later another Clone answered.

"They're compromised then. Inform HighCom and the fleet. Scramble the CAP and ready fighters from the nearby bases." Cody ordered.

Multiple red triangles designating gunship and LAAT squadrons escorted by a flimsy screen of fighters appeared from multiple points inside the outer perimeter surrounding the Senate. What was their game? They lacked the numbers to crack the reinforced division stationed at the Senate, not to mention the ARC battalion under Cody's personal command that acted as the Chancellor's bodyguards. There were three more divisions spread around the immediate area and a significant amount of AA assets, not to mention the Senate Building's theatre shield.

"Raise the intruders and give them one chance to immediately land and surrender. Otherwise, lit them up once the inner perimeter has solid locks on them." Cody's words were final.

"I'm sorry." Satine muttered. "You shouldn't be forced to fight your brothers."

"They made their choices and so did we." Cody grit his teeth. That didn't make giving the order any easier. Why didn't those young fools see?! Supporting Satine and Obi-Wan Kenobi was in the best interests of the Republic! That's why he and most of his brothers chose to back them despite the irregular way the new Chancellor got her position. As far as he was concerned, if there were any traitors in the whole mess, those were concentrated in the Senate and were currently under armed guard in the Senate Chamber.

Yet... He could almost see where the youngsters were coming from. All Clones were taught to be faithful to the Republic. That they had to obey its laws, to follow lawful orders and no matter what to execute any Contingency Order given by legitimate authority. Cody was pretty sure that even as a fresh behind the ears' trooper when he was just deployed on Geonosis he would have done the same choice. After Order 66 was given and the fallout... Not following Chancellor Satine Kenobi and General Kenobi would sheer madness. Skirting the law by supporting them did grate on the Commander, yet he knew what was the sane choice. He did it both for the Republic and his brothers who were stuck on the front awaiting support that was unavailable due to Order 66.

It was the only one sane choice he had, as Cody continued telling himself. Why his youngest brothers couldn't see it?! The law surely wasn't a suicide pact!

A frustrated sigh escaped his lips. Now his hand was forced and he would have to kill his own brothers for being short-sighed fools!

=RK=

Zone B-60

Garesh Sector

Undercity

Coruscant

Goosebumps rose all over Ahsoka's skin despite the medium armour that encased her from the tips of her lekku to her toes. She was in the open, surrounded only by a squad of her HQ section responsible for her security. Just a few meters away across a small hole in between platforms stood Clone Commander Ophis covered by multiple fire-teams. This was their seventh meeting in a futile attempt to resolve the impasse peacefully. At least the man was still willing to speak instead of making a futile last stand.

That was the best Ahsoka could say about the man, at least in public. In private... well, neither of her masters would approve of her language. She hadn't met a more dense obstinate fool in her life! That Clone made Separatist officers look like paragons of reasonable thought and understanding!

They were also less inclined to risk making doomed last stands... well unless they left their Droids to do the heavy lifting while they did their best to save their asses.

It wasn't like the man was buying time for something. The rogue elements of the fleet were agreeable on taking every single Clone who found it unacceptable to follow Satine's orders. Once on board, they would be free to leave and go to one of the systems that wanted to secede. Honestly, that was a great concession and it was in everyone's best interest!

"Have you made up your mind, Commander?" Ahsoka asked aloud.

"I have. We aren't going anywhere for the time being. Perhaps tomorrow." Ophis informed her in a cold angry voice.

Ahsoka crossed her arms above her armour's chest plate and glared.

"Do you intent to stave just to make a point?" She snapped in her best officer's voice. It was a good thing she figured out how to enhance it with the Force, because otherwise the effect was somewhat... underwhelming.

"We have enough MREs, thank you very much, Colonel." The Commander's sneer was clear in his voice.

Ahsoka didn't flinch. Though she wondered if she was cut off for that whole negotiating part of being a Jedi. Or an officer. Her forces were in place. He had the numbers to take out Ophis men. If she led as the tip of the spear, her Jedi skills would ensure as few of her own people would die or get injured as possible. She knew that for a fact and was torn. The Jedi part of her was glad that they were still at the talking things through stage even if it was going nowhere fast. The officer she trained to be saw things in a different light. Commander Ophis kept her command neutralized by his very presence. No matter if he really played for time or was simply a grumpy contrary pain in the ass because of his shiny personality, the effect was the same. Ahsoka, her Regiment and attached units were stuck here watching his legion like hawks instead of doing something else that might or not be more important.

How many other loyalist units on Coruscant were neutralized in a similar way or by still rioting crowds and protests? Sooner or later Ahsoka would have to make a decision. Was waiting Ophis and his men worth it the time? The same was true for going in hot. Would a quick but bloody and ugly resolution be worth the casualties her unit would take? What about the civilians and collateral damage?

Ahsoka glared at the Clone Commander and she was sure he did the same from under his helmet. How she wished things were as simple as they were a few months ago...

=RK=

Part 2

=RK=

Chancellor's office

Coruscant

This was weird. He couldn't recall how long he simply drifted through an endless peaceful expanse. All he could recall were dull grey colours and a sense of serenity that was simply unfathomable. It went against his very nature, he was sure of it, even if he couldn't recall what that nature was supposed to be. It made him uneasy, yet... While he didn't know what came before, he found himself filing solace in the peace. It was like a well deserved rest after everything... Everything that what?

A single tone echoed through the grey void and for the first time since he became aware, the silence clinging to the place broke. Another note came and another, then they were a crescendo of a familiar noise.

Blaster fire. Explosions. The screams of the wounded and the dying. He knew those sounds. They brought a happy smile to his lips.

Wait. He had lips now?

He blinked in confusion. One moment he was lost in the void and now he was in a large well lit room, familiar too, though some things were off. He knew that place. It was his.

Another blink. A strange sensation prickled against the back of his mind if that made any sense. It became an itch before transforming into a dull pain. It was unpleasant, nevertheless he welcomed it, because with it came recollection.

For a decade, this used to be his office, his home. It was also the place where he died. He looked around. The place didn't show any sign of the battle that claimed his life. Yet it was subtly different. While the furniture was replaced with replicas of what used to exist before, a lot of the decorations he chose for his office were gone – destroyed during the Coup.

He frowned. Who killed him? Why? What coup? More importantly, who was he!?

He looked down at himself and frowned. That was strange. He saw familiar, comforting even expensive black robes, yet they were transparent, like a hologram. Raising his hands, he found them covered by leather gloves and he could see through them too. What was happening!? Wasn't he supposed to be dead?

The room lightly shook. Now that he finally paid attention, the noise he heard before was all around him. There was a battle raging right on top of him. He went towards the next room where he knew a large window overlooked the vista in this part of Coruscant.

The door refused to open when he neared. When the tried to hit the manual release, his hand went through the wall. His frown deepened. This reminded him of something he had heard or read about... ghosts? Ah. A Force Ghost. Was this what he was now? What did that even mean?

Unable to recall, he slowly walked through the door as if it wasn't there. The Chancellor's office itself was almost the same as he remembered it, though there were a few out-of-place decorations. Mandalorian? What were they doing there? He shrugged and went to the window.

There was a battle raging outside. Fighters skirmished in the air, small ships raced towards the Senate and their weapons raked everything in their paths; missiles and green beams descended to blow up or slice anything and anyone unlucky enough to find themselves in their path. Rapid fire blasters and guided missiles streaked up in the sky and broken ships rained burning wreckage, men and part of men all over the huge plaza below the Senate.

He walked through the window and found it ridiculously easy to move up the outer wall of the building so he could better see the carnage. There was something beautiful in the battle. It called to him in a way he couldn't explain.

Despite the best efforts of the defenders, some gunships did reach the Senate and managed to disgorge their loads of soldiers before fighters or AA fire could engage them. More explosions came from the far end of the plaza where a ragged line of walkers screened by hover-tanks advanced at a steady pace.

A transport screamed overhead and banked towards a raised platform that overlooked the grounds below. It's side doors slid back and eight armoured men rappelled down before their ride headed towards the plaza and unleashed a punishing missile barrage against the dug in defenders. Two projectiles struck a walker in the middle and the ensuring explosion cut it in half. Fire and debris cut through soldiers scattered by the blast-wave. Another position went up in flames, yet that strafing run simply couldn't last. An AA emplacement locked on the LAAT and its rapid-fire blaster cannons sheared through its rear. It spun out of control and splattered itself over the metal floor of the plaza.

Meanwhile, the soldiers delivered by that LAAT stood froze, their weapons levelled at a singe cloaked figure. That sight took all his attention. This was important! He knew that man!

The figure grabbed his cloak with his left hand and threw it away to reveal a tall young man with a face framed by wild bond hair. He had a cylinder gripped in his other hand and he pointed it at the soldiers. From where he stood, he couldn't hear what if anything was said. The leader of the armoured men shook his head and they opened fire. A hail of blue blaster bolts rained upon the lone man who was revealed to wear an armour identical to that of his attackers.

'Was this a civil war?' A distant part of the observer's mind wondered. The rest of his attention was concentrated upon a vibrant blue energy blade, which came from the cylinder held by the blond. He moved in a blur that should have been hard to follow. His blade intercepted every single shot sent his way and most flew straight back at his attackers. They didn't flinch and let the fire splash over previously invisible deflectors. In response, the soldiers merely spread out to surround their targets.

The blond raised his free hand and the closest soldier on that side flew over the edge of the platform as if struck by invisible aricar. He followed with a pulling motion that disrupted the incoming fire as his enemies struggled to hold on their weapons. Two of them failed and a pair of long blasters flew past the young man... The Jedi... That was the term, right? Why thinking about it made him angry?

The man made a pushing motion at the soldiers and they braced themselves in response as if struggling against hurricane wind. Before they could recover and continue firing, he made an impossible jump at them, which for some reason didn't surprise the observer at all. On his way down, the Jedi slammed his blade into the closest soldier. The deflector held for a moment before popping off and the energy field slammed into his chest plate right above the breastbone. The armour ablated and melted, buying its wearer a moment to save himself, however his reaction was too slow. By the time he jumped back, there was a glowing hole in his breastplate and melted metal burned through his chest.

The Jedi whirled around and his blade swung gracefully shattering shields and cutting through weapons. A soldier discarded his now useless blaster and attacked with a vibroblate build in his arm-guard only to has his arm caught and crushed with contemptuous ease.

The remaining Clones didn't last long. He nodded in approval. This Jedi... he was different. The blond didn't instil the same hatred and distrust that his tittle did. He stared at the younger man and strained to remember. The distant face snapped in focus, though it was a bit younger now.

Anakin. Anakin Skywalker – that was the blond's name. He was a Jedi destined to become something more. He was meant to be his apprentice!

He stared at the Jedi until the younger man jumped over the edge. It should have been suicidal, yet the observer knew that a Jedi could survive such a drop.

Soon he was on the platform and looked at the battlefield below. Walkers and tanks clashed against dug-in infantry and half their number of the walking tanks. The battle in the skies was still ongoing and another wave of LAAT's descended upon the Senate, this time coming from a different direction. The defenders protecting that zone opened up for all they were worth and more wrecks rained from the sky.

Watching this slaughter unfold without a care in the world was liberating! It was fun and that was something he knew he had seldom experienced before ending up in the void.

A blinding flash of light followed by deafening thunderclap and a shock-wave that would have thrown him like a rag-doll if he was still made of flesh and blood came from behind. He turned around and stared. There was a huge gaping hole in the Senate building that bellowed thick clouds of oily black smoke. The metal shell of the building was cracked for hundreds of meters around the crater – a testament for the power of whatever weapon was responsible. There was a huge gap in the defensive line on that side of the building and it soon became clear what happened.

It was obvious really – the latest aerial assault had been a mere cover to allow a weapon to sneak in through the defenders. He looked beyond the smoke and nodded. There was a small but swift group of fast fliers screaming towards the breach. All told, it was a decent stratagem.

The fighting paused for a moment. Then it intensified into a desperate abbadon.

=RK=

"How did they get anti-ship ordnance!?" Obi-Wan spat a mouthful of blood from a bitten tongue. His ears rang and he could feel blood leaking from his nose and ears despite the fully enclosed helmet. If it wasn't for it and the last moment warning from the Force, he was sure the shock-wave would have killed him along with his security detail who laid dead on unconscious all around him. "This is General Kenobi! The Senate is breached. Case Black. Bring the hammer down. Yularen, if the rogue fleet elements even blink in our direction, put them down, hard." Obi-Wan's voice sounded weak and distant in his own ears. His comm cracked and he though he heard a confirmation but wasn't sure.

The Force whispered another warning. His wife and unborn child were in danger. He spat a curse and ran down a devastated corridor. He should never had agreed to this plan. Who cared if the government wasn't supposed to hide or run!? Satine shouldn't be in this place acting as a bait along all the problematic Senators! The same went for Padme.

As he ran, Obi-Wan cursed himself for ever entertaining the thought of this plan. It was sheer madness!

The buckled floor under his feet shook and he heard loud metal screech coming from behind the corner along with billowing pitch-black smoke. He pulled out his lightsaber and ignited it just in time for the outline of an armoured figure to step in sight. The rebel levelled a blaster cannon at Kenobi and let lose. A large bolt of plasma flew at the Jedi who acted on instinct and lashed with a telekinetic push. Debris, smoke and two cannon shots flew back towards the armoured soldiers who had no time to get out-of-the-way. He vanished in the blinding glare of dual explosions, but soon more intruders took his place.

They were here for his wife! That was the only think that Obi-Wan could think at that moment. He charged and in seconds tore them apart.

Beyond the corner, there as a huge rend in the wall that revealed just how large a sky darkening with gunships and assault shuttles that the loyalists sneaked close to the senate while the rebels were busy regrouping and making their way there.

The trap was about to close its jaws around the Clones most eager to die. Somehow, Obi-Wan didn't believe it was worth it.