And here we are back again.
I realize it might be a bit if an oxymoron to have a climax that lasts this long but things are really going to be heating up after this one.
One of the challenges was writing this with a huge barrage of new SW content coming out that might affect established canon, but I think I've done pretty well on that front.
In any case, enjoy! And leave those reviews. I really want to know what you guys think:)
"We often need to lose sight of our priorities in order to see them."- John Irving
Chapter 42. End of the Clone Wars Part 3- Revelation
Darth Sidious despised loose ends. You couldn't trust anyone these days to do even the most menial of tasks. Dooku, Maul, the Senate, the Jedi... they all created more headaches and more problems.
All soon to be taken care of.
Anakin Skywalker, however naive and lovesick he might be, was at least one thing: loyal to those who gave him what he wanted. Such a powerful, yet impressionable young man could be molded quite easily if given proper incentive. The Force delivered the boy from the midi-chlorians themselves, a gift wrapped in a bow, an instrument for the Sith to execute their Grand Plan in all of its glory.
But to ensure nothing got in the way of its final implementation, certain measures needed to be taken.
Pressing a transmission link on his desk, the holo image of Commander Fox, clad in Coruscant Red, popped up.
"Commander Fox."
"Chancellor, sir. We've received word that General Kenobi, Captain Rex, and a contingent of the 501st has found Trooper Fives, but they have not returned him for questioning nor carried out the assigned termination."
"Unfortunate."
"Shall we pursue?"
"No, Commander," Palpatine dismissed with a minor wave of the hand. "I have another task for you."
"I am at your disposal, sir."
"Take a battalion of your finest troops and stand guard at all of the main power centers and the Executive Building. Should any unauthorized person attempt to enter either building, arrest them without bail."
"Very good, Excellency. And what about the Jedi? Shouldn't they be considered traitors?"
"They will be dealt with, Commander. But if any Jedi attempt to breach either...you and your men will execute Order 66 and march on the Temple."
Fox's response was devoid of any emotion or conflict.
"Yes, Lord Sidious."
The transmission ended leaving the Sith Lord to debate whether he should activate the inhibitor chips within the entire Grand Army of the Republic. Clone troopers, being engineered super soldiers, would catch the Jedi off guard throughout the galaxy. But the final piece had not yet fallen into place. Not even the most elite units would be able to take on the Jedi by themselves within their Temple. For that, a newly minted leader of the empire would need to take charge.
His automatic door opened as if on cue.
Right on time.
Anakin hadn't even bothered to knock. His expression was perhaps even more conflicted than the last time he was here. But the fear of losing Padme and the desire to save Padme were stronger than ever. His indignation and rage increased by the second. Sidious remained pleased.
"I'm sorry, sir," the brunette apologized as he approached the desk. "I won't bother denying it. I wasn't able to capture Fives. Obi-Wan and Rex got to him first. I failed you."
Sidious took a deep breath and allowed the dark side of the Force to dictate his next words. The time had now come.
"No, my boy. You did not fail me. The Jedi failed you and your wife." He rose from the desk and approached the young man as an old friend offering a gift. "But I can do so much more, Anakin. I can teach you many things, including the secret to immortality."
Anakin narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"And how would you know about any of that?"
"Because I was taught the ways of the Force by my own master before succeeding him. I offer you the same chance. Become my apprentice, learn to use the dark side of the Force and you shall have everything you desire and more."
Anakin fervently tried to organize the flurry of questions bombarding his mind.
"Wait, what about the Muun on Scipio? And how do you know anything about the dark side? What does-"
He stopped as pieces of the puzzle finally fit together in a perfect realization of horror.
"It's you! You're the Sith Lord!" he cried, igniting his azure blade and bringing it within an inch of Palpatine's chest. He slowly advanced, pushing him to the edge of the desk.
"Anakin…"
"You did this! You tried to kill my wife! She's on her deathbed because of you!"
Darth Sidious nervously twitched his right hand. Two lightsabers were hidden up the sleeves of his robe but he would rather not use them. He'd come too far to lose the boy now.
"Anakin, please listen to me before doing anything-"
"Rash? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut you to pieces right here, right now," the young man growled.
The pleasure Sidious felt at Anakin's increasing aggression and hatred was only tempered by the fact he found himself the target of said ire. Self preservation instincts kicked in as he began another web of half truths and lies to win the Jedi over to his side.
This is going to take a bit longer than I thought.
Ahsoka had refused medical care from Master Vokara Che upon being picked up and returned from the Temple. Luke hadn't given any health details other than being kidnapped and needing rest. Che tried to take her to the Halls of Healing, however, she insisted she was fine and was on an emergency mission for the Council. The Twi'lek didn't buy that for a second but could do little to stop her. It also wasn't a complete lie. The younglings needed the attention more than she did.
The halls of the Jedi Detention Center in the underground southwestern portion of the Temple were not the most pleasant of places to visit. Ahsoka learned later on in her life that the original Temple on Coruscant had been built on top of an ancient Sith shrine during the height of their Empire during the days of the Old Republic. It was by far the darkest, unsettling part of their home. But at its heart, their prize. And the origin of a very dangerous idea.
Truthfully, she didn't like her own idea. Releasing an enemy, a dangerous one at that, brought its own consequences. But anyone opposed to Sidious at this point had to be considered an ally…or at least a potential one. Luke did say they'd need every single one they could get.
She entered the cold, durasteel cell, very strong in the dark side of the Force. Whether due to the proximity to the Sith shrine or their prisoner's personal power, she did not know but it hardly mattered.
This would be a delicate operation.
"I need to speak to the prisoner," she said to the tall, imposing Temple Guards. To her relief, they didn't object and let her pass. Being the former padawan and grandpadawan of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi certainly had its perks.
The Zabrakian remained suspended in a containment field that binded his feet, arms, legs, and hands, unable to use his powers to break out or otherwise. Force resistant metals comprised the entirety of the cell. Unable to move or do much of anything the muttered sporadic ramblings to himself.
"Mother…was this part your plan? Why? No…yes…this must be the reason…but for how long?"
He saw a visitor standing in the middle of the cell. The knowing smile on his face almost gave Ahsoka second thoughts.
"So you have come back," Maul said, amusement in his soft spoken tone. "I had a feeling Mandalore wasn't the end of our little saga."
"Do you know the true identity of Darth Sidious?" Ahsoka asked forgoing any small talk.
"I do," Maul answered
"And if we let you out of this prison, would you be willing to help us defeat him?"
"I would."
Maul's yellow eyes glimmered in the darkness but no lie escaped his lips. Ahsoka could sense his hatred, anger, and thirst for revenge. The target of that ire was not the Jedi.
"Just know, I don't trust you."
"You have nothing to lose," Maul said, continuing to make his case. "The time has nearly arrived. Soon...very soon...Sidious will reveal himself and upon doing so, destroy the Jedi and remake the Republic into something unrecognizable. It is inevitable. That is why you must free me."
Ahsoka looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, arms crossed in skepticism.
"Do you not feel the same, Lady Tano?" Maul inquired almost playfully.
"More like you have a history of murder and intrigue," she responded acerbically. "Chaos follows in your wake."
"And yet, I sense you would not be here if a certain time traveler did not ask you to."
Gritting her teeth, Ahsoka used the Force to shut down the containment field, dropping Maul to the ground in a heap. The rogue Sith was as unpredictable as he was deadly. But desperate times called for desperate measures. Within the confines of his darkened heart, Maul felt no love, attachment or affinity for Sidious or the Grand Plan.
"You've done the right thing by coming to me," he said, picking himself off the ground. "Only together, can we destroy the Sith and rid the galaxy of a would-be dictator."
"Just a second," Ahsoka said to him, holding up a hand. "I am prepared to strike a deal: in exchange for confirming Darth Sidious's alter ego in the form of Chancellor Palpatine, we will look the other way in regards to some of the other crimes you have committed. Is that fair?"
Blue and yellow eyes gazed into each other carefully, the distinct lack of trust quite apparent.
"I serve no one's side but my own," Maul answered. "And while my history with the Jedi speaks for itself, there is no one I desire to skewer more than Darth Sidious."
He practically spat on the word 'skewer' to punctuate his hatred.
"Fine."
Maul clasped his hands together in mock celebration. "Excellent. So we are all in agreement. Now, follow my lead and listen carefully. There are several things-"
Ahsoka stopped him from exiting the cell.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's establish some ground rules here. First off, this isn't your mission to lead or your plan. Second, we're going to the Council first so they can properly aid us in destroying Sidious."
"And all this time I thought you had common sense," Maul snarled. "Make no mistake, the Jedi Council is of no use to anyone. Especially not to us."
"They have several powerful members, including Master Yoda."
"As I have said to you and Kenobi, the time of the Jedi as it currently exists has passed. Only those with the strength and will to succeed end up surviving. Yet again I ask do you have what it takes?"
"I am willing to do whatever it takes by the means at hand," she told him bluntly. "I'm not rooting for you. Got that?"
"So where is the son of Skywalker, hm?"
"Doing whatever it takes."
The tongue in cheek answer did not appeal to whatever sense of humor he may have had (if he had one to begin with). Ahsoka offered a slight consolation.
"You'll get your chance at revenge. I promise."
Maul considered her words, dissecting their sincerity through his gleaming eyes. Then she handed him his lightsaber to sweeten the deal.
"Very well. Let's waste no more time."
The two exited the cell. Ahsoka had opened her mouth to explain the situation when Maul Force slammed their heads against the wall, knocking them out cold.
"Okay, that's not going to help your case."
"Don't assume I won't change my mind," Maul snapped. "Especially if your precious Council decides that by striking a deal with me you are to be marked as a traitor."
"That's why a little luck never hurts," Ahsoka commented, taking a page from her master's book. However, Maul was right in one sense. They weren't out of the woods yet.
She sensed a great conflict was happening throughout the famed halls of the Temple.
Emerald and amethyst light flashed so quickly, the naked eye might have missed the two beings wielding that light. The two greatest duelists of the order locked themselves into a tight formation of spinning Ataru and precise Vapaad. Every leaping blow carefully deflected by tremendous force.
Master Yoda had lived so long, no one in living remembered the last time he lost a duel. But Mace Windu's raw strength and power in the Force came the closest to matching the Grandmaster pound for pound. The only known Jedi to have mastered a technique channeling the dark side against an opponent utilized that same discipline against his longtime friend.
A succession of flips and swings put Windu on the defensive. He could not draw upon the darkness of a user immersed in the light to fuel his own power, but the limited spacing of the room and the presence of other Masters prevented Yoda from outright victory.
"Masters! Please cease this at once!"
Ki-Adi Mundi's plea made no headway. Yoda tried to disarm Mace in a saberlock, but lacked the strength to dislodge his weapon. He flipped backwards, avoiding a mighty swing before propelling forward but a half second too slow. Mace's Force blast slammed Yoda into the backsteps of the room.
The room gasped. Many hoped for an end to the hostility. But then Mace stretched out a hand and clenched his fingers.
Yoda jumped out of the way in time, a giant gouge in the stone steps appearing where he was a moment prior. The Head of the Order attempted the same crushing motion again and again, with Yoda dodging, spinning, and leapfrogging his way around the room, which crumbled and shattered from the dents being made. Several Masters had to duck out of the way to avoid the crossfire.
"No!"
Adi Gallia tried to intervene but Mace Windu slammed her into the wall as well, his full power well on display. Where a firm, resolute display of cool once existed had been replaced by an angry, nasty scowl. This distraction allowed Yoda to jump down from the rafters and barrel straight into Mace's chest.
It knocked him to his knees and he gasped for breath. Yoda tried another disarming move but Mace recovered in time to block it. Their sabers hissed and cracked as neither side yielded.
"Fought enough, we have, Master Windu."
"I agree," he snarled.
He broke the lock and swung for Yoda's chest, but wasn't quick enough and Yoda already leapt out of the way and onto his back. Mace roared in an effort to rid himself of the little green troll but instead stumbled forward near the holotable where Yoda slammed his head into the glass, cracking it.
An enormous bruise was already forming near the forehead and Mace brought up his blade and tried to strike again. Eight rapid strikes rained down on the diminutive Grandmaster, including one that missed the side of Yoda's pointed ear by inches. Infuriatingly, the more aggressive Mace fought, the easier his blows were stopped. Yoda had no anger in his heart, no malice to channel.
Just disappointment.
"This has gone on too long!" Mundi tried again. The other members of the Council were paralyzed by indecision, torn between wanting to end the fight and fear of what would happen if they intervened. "Mace! No cause is worth this!"
"Not if there's one person left to fight for it!"
Yoda and Mace were interlocked for a third time as their signatures clashed like giants wrestling in the Force. A great fear arose in the room that someone may not survive much longer.
"Master Yoda!
The entirety of the Council felt two people enter the room, one almost entirely in the light but weakened, as though it had been temporarily displaced from that light. The other appeared as a violent storm cloud, unpredictable and dangerous.
Mace Windu turned to see Ahsoka Tano standing at the bottom of the steps, accompanied by none other than the former Darth Maul. It was enough to stay the duel.
"Knight Tano, have you lost your mind?" Mace Windu shouted far too aggressively for his normal demeanor.
"No, but you've clearly lost yours."
A few Masters ignited their lightsabers in preparation to subdue Maul.
"Calm down!" Ahsoka put out both hands to halt the massive amount of panic rising in the room. "He's here to help."
"She is correct." Maul, a Zabrakian male from a matriarchal society, became deferential to the Togruta half his age. "The one you call Palpatine is the one you also call Sidious. He was once my Master but is now my enemy. And the enemy of my enemy is…well a friend shall we say?"
"You are no friend," Mace snapped. The ire of his anger locked on to Ahsoka. "Do you realize what you've done?!"
Ahsoka crossed her arms and regarded him coolly.
"Perhaps you should ask yourself the same question."
"That defiance will not reflect well in the decision to expunge you from the Order," Windu told her, his tone most displeased.
"Hmph, says the guy who voted to expel me for a crime I didn't commit. I'm sure that doesn't reflect well either."
Something in the Force snapped and Mace charged headlong towards Ahsoka, teeth gnashing in utter fury as he sought to decapitate them both in one fell swoop. The Togruta stepped forward to meet his challenge, her emerald blades crashing into his violet one.
"I am going to end this once and for all!" he screamed.
Ahsoka saw the cold blooded zealotry in Windu's eyes as she struggled against the weight of his enormous strength. Her knees buckled and deadly purple moved closer to touching her nose. Too weak to push him off, panic amplified the dirty substance still lurking inside. Hot pain shot through her legs and arms.
A flash of crimson plunged into Windu's upper left thigh and he fell to the ground in a cry of pain. Maul pulled back with a silent sneer.
Before the Jedi Temple blew its top, before utter pandemonium ensued, Grandmaster Yoda somersaulted in the air, landing with an authority that froze everyone in their tracks, even Maul.
Windu, wounded and reeling, could not resist the Grandmaster's sleep-induced suggestion. A wave of the claw and he fell unconscious. The Force sighed.
"For too long have we been the slaves of our own arrogance. Corrupted by our own complacency."
Yoda addressed the entirety of the Council but gestured for Ahsoka and Maul to come forward as part of the circle.
"In this desperate hour, time it is, for us to choose what we stand for…yes, to walk the path of righteousness."
Solemn heads bowed in shame seeing the state of their beloved Order. Fractured by division, chained from hubris, victims of their own power. They saw it with unabashed eyes, forced to witness what they had ultimately become.
Then the cracked holotable flashed orange.
"I...don't believe it," Saesee Tinn said, checking the coordinates and signature. "It's Dooku. What could he want?"
"Send it through," Yoda ordered at once.
Dooku's holoimage popped up, quite staticky but stable enough to hear most of the message.
"This message is for Master Yoda and the Jedi Council…"
The fallen Jedi did not look combative or carry a derisive sneer as he usually did. Instead, the look on his face could only be described as determined, dignified, and even a bit remorseful.
"My face is the last one any of you will want to see. No doubt it will stir feelings of ill will stemming from events of the past few years. But there is little time to reflect on such events. I have contacted you for only one reason: to reveal the truth in hopes I may deny a cruel, capricious man the power he seeks.
"The Sith Lord that you have fruitlessly tracked is Chancellor Palpatine himself. He and I have worked over thirteen years to orchestrate this war which is now at its final hour. I killed Master Yaddle before she could expose our plans. I took control of the project created by Sifo-Dyas to create a clone army for the Republic and arranged his assassination. I attacked Scipio, Saleucami, Felucia, Toydaria, Kamino and hundreds of worlds at the direction and benefit of Darth Sidious in the hopes that I could be a part of a revolution which would bring true peace and prosperity to all."
Dooku bowed his head in humility.
"It was a lie. Like you, I was deceived. We all have been. If allowed to succeed, Sidious will wipe out all those he deems unworthy to live in his new order. I give you this information in hopes that the Jedi finally do what must be done and fulfill their oaths as guardians of justice in the galaxy.
"Do not be sad and do not weep. The choices I've made are my own. I cannot take them back or change anything. May the Force be with you. And goodbye."
The transmission ended and the Force sang. A holofile appeared in Dooku's place, hovering about as though some trinket or holocron to be taken from a holy place. Tinn hesitated, then pressed the button to open its contents.
"By the Force…" Adi Gallia whispered. She was clutching her injured shoulder but stood upright, transfixed by the bevy of holoreports, financial documents, and personal records which formed a paper trail a mile long. Each one proved more damning than the last.
"There was no lie in Dooku's words," Oppo Rancisis said, as each document popped up in front of them one by one.
Master Yoda breathed a heavy sigh. He felt each member's pain and regret like a parent who knows their children have done wrong…and they are directly responsible for their errors. Ahsoka and Maul watched but said nothing, subdued by the emotional gravity, though the Zabrakian pursed his lips in impatience.
"What have we done?" came the small voice of Ki-Adi Mundi.
"There is more, I'm afraid..."
'He will be a great Jedi. Perhaps stronger than I am. A perfect way to reintroduce the Order into the New Republic. Our family will lead the way, Leia. I promise.'
'Luke, you're my brother. You don't need to make any special promises to me.'
The smile of his beautiful sister was only matched by the equally beautiful smile of the giggling toddler in front of him, clinging to his mother's leg. With jet black hair and dark brown eyes, he did not carry the name 'Skywalker' but it was the closest thing. The child was strong in the Force that much he could sense. But more importantly, it was his nephew and a part of the growing family that would only increase over time.
'Hey little guy,' Luke said, leaning down and tapping the little boy on the nose. 'How would you like to be a Jedi?'
A happy giggle was all he needed to hear.
'Ben. I'm your uncle Luke. I'm going to be looking out for you. Always.'
A single tear dropped from the eye of the Last Jedi as the memory faded away.
"I'm sorry Leia," he whispered. "Han, mother, father...Ben. I'm so sorry. I'm going to make things right."
The Executive Building drew closer and closer. As did the storm.
The rich, gentlemanly Coruscanti accent announced the arrival of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was not alone. Flanked on either side were Captain Rex and ARC Trooper Fives.
Obi-Wan took in the dramatic scene around him, his eyes scanning the Council, Yoda, an unconscious Windu, and Ahsoka, before settling on Maul.
"Hello there," he said offhandedly with a raised eyebrow.
Maul made no move of aggression, merely a noise of casual displeasure.
"Kenobi."
"As if this day couldn't get any weirder," Ahsoka muttered.
The awkwardness was so palpable throughout the room even Yoda was half tempted to laugh.
"Interesting how one man makes strange bedfellows of us all," Obi-Wan remarked dryly, before looking back at Yoda.
"Yes. Informed us of the true nature of Darth Sidious and his plan, Dooku did via holomessage. Also confirmed by Maul and Ahsoka."
"He's also Anakin's kid. In case anyone forgot that part," Ahsoka said, her own brand of 'I told you so' trolling on full display.
Obi-Wan's beard twitched. He knew the truth of Luke's parentage already. But Rex and Fives whispered to each other frantically.
"Did he just say General Luke is General Skywalker's son?"
"Hush, Fives."
The Great Negotiator knew by now that most of the crucial information had already been revealed, which he thanked the stars he wouldn't have to explain further. But there was one more bit of proof necessary to their fight against Sidious.
"I doubt I can top that as a conversation starter but I do have something else everyone in this room should know. Captain Rex, if you will."
Rex looked a bit uncomfortable at being in a room with so many powerful Jedi and one ex-Sith but being the consummate soldier, he straightened and did his duty anyway.
"Generals…Fives, General Kenobi, General Ti and myself discovered a terrible truth."
He reached into his belt, pulled out his own inhibitor chip and held it up for all to see.
"These were implanted in every clone from the time we were in our growth chambers by the Chancellor himself. They're linked to a contingency protocol known as Order 66 which upon activation will force every soldier in the Grand Army of the Republic to turn on their Jedi Generals and systematically execute them. Trooper Tup's malfunctioned which caused him to try and kill General…er um.."
Obi-Wan gave a humorous look of sympathy.
"Skywalker is probably appropriate at this point."
"And the Chancellor tried to cover it up!" Fives added. "When we came back with the evidence, he...started saying things inside my head. Claimed he was the one responsible for the chips and that I'd be killed along with all the Jedi. Then he tried to frame me for assassination!"
Rex placed a calming hand on his friend. He reached into his satchel and gave one of the encased inhibitor chips to Obi-Wan who then gave it to Yoda. The Grandmaster looked at it curiously for half a second before clutching it in his claw and giving a deep sigh.
"No further investigation does this require. Our enemy's designs are revealed to us."
No one on the Council disagreed, in fact most had moved beyond their initial shame. In its place was a profound desire to help. To survive.
Yoda carefully began moving the unconscious Mace Windu up and away to a safe resting spot in the upper stairway. He would be attended to later (the Grandmaster ensured his sleep would last a very long time).
"All of our strength, we will need," he said. He pivoted to Obi-Wan. "Where is Anakin?"
Obi-Wan had been so preoccupied with convincing the Council of truth surrounding him and his past, he'd nearly forgotten about his brother whom he now sensed was in great peril.
"I have grave news on that front," he informed grimly. "He attacked Rex, Fives, and myself under the orders of the Chancellor. We only just managed to escape."
"Lied Sidious did to win Skywalker to his side," Yoda surmised.
"It's worse than that," Ahsoka interrupted as she stepped forward. "He's been feeding Anakin lies for years. Luke and I bugged Palpatine's Office. There's hours of recordings."
"And why did you not inform us of this?" Tinn asked.
"We were," Adi Gallia said with a hint of irritation. "You chose to not believe him when the opportunity came."
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news," Maul suddenly interrupted, irritation stretched across his tattooed face. "But there is still a Sith Lord that wants us all dead and we have no plan to defeat him."
There was no denying that and Obi-Wan coughed awkwardly.
"Well...there is sort of a plan. The problem is, there are a lot of moving parts."
"Which is another way of saying you have nothing," Maul critiqued sarcastically. Saesee Tinn was the first to offer a suggestion.
"The only recourse available to us is to confront Sidious. He would not be powerful enough to take on every Jedi Master."
"It's not that simple," Ahsoka argued back. "The Sith have been plotting out this moment for a millennium. You just heard the evidence given by Dooku and Rex. At any moment he could wipe us out."
"The only reason we're still alive is because Anakin hasn't turned yet. I can sense it," Obi-Wan stated confidently. "But for once, Maul is right. If this is to work, we must come up with something comprehensive."
"In Luke's timeline the Jedi were wiped out because they were spread thin across the galaxy and caught unawares when Order 66 came down," Ahsoka explained. "That's the first thing that needs to be taken care of."
Yoda nodded in agreement.
"Send word to the Jedi offworld we will. Warned, they must be."
Rex spoke up now, his opinion much valued even in a room full of powerful Force wielders.
"All due respect, General, that won't be enough. Only about half the 501st and 212th have had their chips removed. If Sidious gives the order to execute the Jedi, it won't matter if the army has stood down or not. The men, my brothers, will carry it out anyway."
Obi-Wan acknowledged the point. Rex had a knack for the hidden details. Of all things he tried to change, finding a solution for Order 66 had been the one least accounted for when it was arguably the most important aspect of defeating their enemy.
"Luke…" Ahsoka said slowly. "He told me all about those contingency orders. How there was a mainframe that contained all Senate records and military data."
The light switched on for the Togruta.
"That's it!" she exclaimed excitedly. "We can break into the Republic military archives, hack the system, and delete the data on protocol 66. If it can't be physically activated then the chips are essentially useless."
Fives gave some level of skepticism given the circumstances.
"Are you sure that will work, ma'am?"
"I'm not," Ahsoka admitted. "But it's the best bet we have. No clone trooper would willingly obey that order with their free will intact."
"Aye, General," Rex affirmed. "None of us would."
"That is only part of the equation," Ki-Adi Mundi said, joining the conversation as a full participant. "What of Senator Amidala? She is integral to the Republic. Surely we could send a healer?"
Obi-Wan chimed in. "No one is being allowed inside her room at the moment. Not even I was granted access and I doubt one of our healers would be an exception. Thankfully, Shaak Ti is still at the Medical Facility and she is assisting the attending doctors. We must hope that Padme pulls through before additional help can be sent."
"Tell her to watch out for the shock troops," Rex warned. "They're good men, but I'd wager a lot of sabacc money that they're under the control of those chips."
Suddenly a mighty fist slammed down on the projector table causing everyone to jump at least a couple inches. Maul looked absolutely livid, yellow teeth gnashed, breathing heavily.
"Have you all forgotten the key to victory?" he seethed. "The Menace and the Betrayer the Prophecy speaks of. Skywalker is currently being ensnared by Sidious as we speak. They are the two most powerful beings in the galaxy. Paired together, they would be unstoppable."
"Prophecy?" Ki-Adi Mundi asked, still quite wary of Maul's presence among them.
"Through the Force, a second prophecy foretold it seems," Yoda clarified rather quickly. Even the normally deliberate, slow moving Grandmaster had a greater sense of urgency.
"The Prophecy states that it is the duty of the Chosen One to bring balance. It does not state whether that is the Hero or the so-called Betrayer," Obi-Wan said, clearly on guard in case his old enemy suddenly turned on them.
Maul's permanent yellow eyes flashed dangerously.
"Semantics!" he snarled. "The point is, Sidious is unlike anything you've ever faced before. He's had years to build up his power. Skywalker is not far behind. You will need a seasoned combatant with knowledge of the dark side in order to defeat them."
"No."
Yoda's answer was decisive as it was commanding. Maul might have been a legendary warrior but the Grandmaster was one of the few Jedi he could not outduel.
"A danger you still are," he said bluntly. "If defeat Sidious, you do, take his place you might."
"I will not be denied my revenge! He killed my brother! He left me to rot, tortured and isolated on a desolate world!"
Obi-Wan squashed his hopes further.
"That may be so, but it doesn't change the fact that raw power alone will not be enough to overcome Sidious. If anyone is to succeed, it is the Skywalker lineage."
Maul's indignance switched over to Ahsoka, who shook her head, denying the rogue dark sider what he sought.
"Don't look at me. I told you what this deal would entail."
"Then we're all doomed!" Maul screeched. "What was the point of freeing me if you won't do what needs to be done?"
For a brief second, the blond thought the situation might devolve further. There was no way Maul could take everyone in the room but disrupt and potentially sink their plans? Most definitely.
Surprisingly, Ahsoka intervened on the ex-Sith's behalf.
"Perhaps there's another way you can help. I'm not strong enough to take on Sidious, but I can break into the Republic archives and delete Order 66."
"And why would you need me for such a task?" Maul practically sneered.
"I'm going to need backup in case something goes wrong."
"If you truly care about defeating Sidious beyond your need for vengeance, you'll help us," Obi-Wan stated firmly. His lack of barbs and possible jokes at the Zabrakian's expense underscored their collective mortal peril.
Maul looked as though he wanted to protest, but pragmatically speaking there was no way he could refuse. A milky white cloud flooded his pupils and he began speaking to something that wasn't there.
"What?..." He looked up to the sky. "He must be defeated! I cannot…very well…if that is what you desire…our time has not yet come…."
Maul's eyes fluttered open to the bewilderment of the Jedi in the room.
"As long as my freedom is guaranteed, I will accept this piece of grunt work."
"Done."
Obi-Wan didn't care if anyone on the Council objected. Bargaining with his chief rival seemed like a small price to pay to save his brother's soul. He could sense trepidation within a few of the Masters. But Yoda made clear that it was a bargain they must accept for the time being. He hummed in reluctant approval.
"Settled, it is," Yoda said decisively. "Ahsoka and Maul will disable Order 66. Message Shaak Ti we will in order to protect Senator Amidala and warn the rest of the offworld Jedi. To confront Sidious, I will go."
"Master, you will need all the help you can get," Adi Gallia tried to argue.
"Strong enough, most of you are not. Only Master Windu would I trust to fight Sidious alone and he is currently indisposed. Put more lives in jeopardy, I cannot. Stay here you must, Master Gallia and protect the younglings and those who cannot fight back."
Oppo Rancisis slithered forward, speaking in an elderly voice befitting his white, bushy beard.
"I shall speak to Master Drallig and set up a defense. The younglings can stay in the safe rooms to prepare for a possible evacuation in case there is an attack."
Yoda 'hmmmed' in a distinctive manner that always meant 'yes'. He jabbed his gimmerstick towards three people.
"Master Obi-Wan, Master Mundi, and Master Tinn shall accompany me."
Ki-Adi nodded, accepting the task as stoically as a Jedi of old. "And what of the Senate? Should they not be informed of Dooku's confession? They are currently meeting to discuss granting Palpatine more power."
In Ahsoka's opinion it was the only thing out of the Cerean's mouth that had proved to be useful. Fortunately Obi-Wan had an easy solution.
"Send it to the Liberal Caucus led by Senator Organa. It is a confession the Senate cannot ignore."
"I have direct access to Lux Bonteri's comlink and data pad," Ahsoka also noted. "I can transmit the message to him."
"Then we have a plan?" Obi-Wan put forth to the entire group. It was almost comical to see the reactions of those who up until the prior day had no idea they'd be in league with a rogue dark sider, a time traveler, and more. But no one voiced any dissent. Not when their very lives depended on it.
Master Yoda ignited his lightsaber. So did several others: Knights of the Jedi Order protecting the Old Republic one last time.
The Senate Building- Senator Organa's private office
Satine Kryze was beginning to have second thoughts.
Not about her relationship of course, but her decision to abdicate as the Duchess and become Senator of the Republic was beginning to look like a rather poor investment. Her sister certainly thought so.
"Are you telling me that instead of meeting to get rid of this prick, the Senate is going to give the Chancellor more powers?" Bo asked her over the holonet.
Bail had graciously lended her his personal office to take the call. He had been rushing around for the last few hours in vain attempting to ward off the majority vote that would essentially strip them of any remaining authority, relegating them to a ceremonial, symbolic body with no ability to do anything beyond clapping for Palpatine's speeches.
"It looks that way unfortunately," she replied, unable and unwilling to lie to Bo.
"Satine. I didn't agree to join the Republic only to become enslaved to a wannabe Emperor. Your boy toy promised we'd be left alone."
"Don't call him that," Satine replied sharply. "Obi-Wan doesn't break his promises."
Bo-Katan crossed her arms in deep skepticism.
"Consider that the situation may be out of his hands. And I am not going to not break my promise to our people. If the Senate goes through with this, Mandalore will cease its application to join the Republic."
Knowing her sister was well within her rights to make that decision, which meant she had the blessing of the ruling Council. Satine had no choice but to acquiesce. The only thing to do was play her part and prevent such an outcome from occurring despite the odds.
"Very well. I shall keep you informed."
The transmission ended. It was just as well as Senator Organa and the leading members of the Liberal Caucus came back into the room looking quite put out.
"I take it your attempts to win over potential allies did not go well?" she asked. Bail deflated a bit.
"We've managed to convince a few. But not enough to prevent an outright majority from endorsing the motion. No one wants to be the Senator that opposes the most popular Chancellor in our lifetimes."
"My sister has not taken the news well. She is threatening to secede if the Chancellor succeeds in this latest attempt to consolidate power."
"That will cause yet another Civil War," Mon Mothma stated in an exasperated tone. "Mandalore represents too many neutral systems."
"It is unthinkable!" Lux Bonteri yelled out uncharacteristically, his youth and relative inexperience showing a bit. "People are tired of this war and they don't want it to continue for a second longer."
"Which is exactly why the Chancellor is doing this," Bail explained, ever the wiser statesman. "He is positioning this as a way for him to end the war more quickly in contrast to the bureaucratic, ineffective Senate when in reality the opposite is true."
"So what can we do?" Satine asked. "Senator Amidala clings to life by a thread. If what you say is true, Palpatine intends to use her illness as yet another excuse to control the narrative: that the Separatists are still a threat and only he can stop it."
"I don't know," the Alderaanian admitted, running a tired hand through thinning, black hair. "It seems we've run out of options."
"Have we received any word from the Jedi?" Mothma asked.
"Nothing. I've tried to contact Master Yoda and the Jedi Council in the last hour but both of my calls were unanswered."
"Ahsoka promised me she would contact us with news," Lux said hopefully. "She won't let us down."
"I must admit, their silence worries me," Organa said, looking out the window of his vast office as the last light of the sun left Coruscant and disappeared beyond the horizon . "I am a peaceful man and despise bloodshed but…" he clenched his hand in a rare moment of anger before taking a deep breath and letting it out. "Never have I felt so afraid for our democracy...for every being in this galaxy, regardless of which side they're on."
Satine had only known Bail Organa for a short time and in that space she'd learned a great deal, second only to her personal friend, Padme. But the Alderaanian symbolized the true essence of what it meant to be a true Senator: honest, principled, and charismatic mixed in with a healthy degree of pragmatism, enabling effective governance. That a man with such traits suddenly found himself at a loss spelled doom for them all. He was their leader, a rallying cry in the dark.
Suddenly, Bail's desk began beeping, signaling a call from the holoprojector.
Rushing over, Satine was overjoyed to see it carried the symbol of the Jedi Order and pressed to accept it.
To her further delight, she saw her handsome man standing in what looked like a gunship, bearded face grim but cracking a slight smile at the recipient.
"Hello, my dear."
"Obi," she said happily. "I do hope you bring good news."
"That depends on your definition of 'good news'. Is Senator Organa there?"
"Master Kenobi," Bail said, the spark of hope returning to his voice. "What do you have for us?" He, Mon Mothma, and Lux rushed over in frantic anticipation of the newfound information.
"We are moving to remove the Chancellor from Office. A task force consisting of Masters Yoda, Mundi, Tinn and myself."
The drastic 180 from only hours earlier threw everyone in the office for a brief loop before experiencing the intensity of relief.
"You must inform the rest of your colleagues immediately. And issue Order 65."
"Master Kenobi, we still lack the evidence linking Palpatine's crimes to that of Darth Sidious," Bail responded. "Otherwise, your actions will be considered illegal."
"A good thing that we have that evidence."
"I've got it!" Lux exclaimed seconds later, grabbing his data pad which began flashing blue. "I…I don't believe it. This is from Count Dooku."
"Play the recording," Mothma said hurriedly.
It took less than a minute for the message to be replayed and for every perfectly rehearsed political face to go white.
"Kad," Satine whispered.
Lux looked as though he might fall over, Mothma's jawline was set so tight it was a wonder the bone didn't crack. Organa's expression could only be described as shell shocked.
"We're sure this isn't some trick?"
"It isn't," Lux said, holding up the pad as more files trickled in. "Look at these files!"
Mon snatched the pad and pressed a hand to her mouth.
"Tax evasion, secret slush funds, slavery, murder for hire, links to Separatist corporations and industry…even Palpatine's personal bank account."
It was a personal gold mine. A full display of the war and its terrible manufactured origins. A trail of money, blood and carnage.
"Yes. But there's more."
"More?" Bail asked weakly.
"On your data pad you'll see a full diagram and analysis of the inhibitor chips inside every clone trooper. We have managed to decode the list of contingencies they would be forced to follow."
Satine would have paled further were it even possible. Reading down the list of orders, some were incredibly gruesome in nature if not downright illegal.
"There's one in here charging the Grand Army of the Republic to eliminate the entire Senate!" Lux yelled out furiously.
"And another designed to liquidate entire planets," the Mandalorian Senator said, holding a hand to her mouth at the sheer brutality some of the contingencies planned for.
"That is but a taste of the terror to come if we don't remove Sidious once and for all. He is that dangerous."
"Obi-Wan," Organa said, steel flashing in his normally tranquil brown eyes. "I'll make sure every member of the Senate is given a link of this information during the upcoming session. But you must hold off on arresting him until Order 65 is issued by the Senate."
"I wish that we could but there is no time, I'm afraid. Palpatine seeks to turn Anakin to the dark side. That cannot wait."
Bail allowed disappointment to pass through him. This was politics after all. Messy and never convenient.
"And where is Luke?"
"Helping us to prevent that very outcome."
Obi-Wan's hologram softened as he gave a touching departure.
"Stay the course my old friend. If all goes well, the Sith will never again threaten the galaxy."
He turned towards the ex-Duchess, who by now felt her own resolve stiffen in the face of annihilation. Being a pacifist did not make one any less Mandalorian and Mandalorians did not cower in the face of the enemy.
"Satine, I'd be remiss if I didn't warn you I may not make it out of this fight alive."
"Obi-Wan don't you dare-"
"I'm only saying it because the Senate and the galaxy will need you in the event of success or failure. However, there is one more favor I must ask."
Swallowing a lump in her throat, the blonde nodded.
"Name it."
"Once the Senate session has concluded, go to Senator Amidala's room in the Republic Medical Facility. She will need support and company as well as a trusted ally."
"I shall. And whatever happens, please be careful my darling. I love you."
Satine didn't care that her colleagues were watching and placed her hand against Obi-Wan's holographic one in a show of heartfelt devotion.
"I love you too."
After the image disappeared, she saw Lux gazing at her with both eyebrows raised, clearly not aware of the secret relationship between them.
"Don't look at me like that. I know you have feelings for Ahsoka Tano."
It was Mon Mothma's turn to give a rather nonplussed look. Bail Organa gave a humorous chuckle at the reveal of so many secret romances.
"It's a wonder why the Jedi have a celibacy rule in the first place. But we cannot delay further. The session is about to begin and this evidence is imperative to our cause."
His normally regal and political demeanor gave way to a softer tone, yet no less sincere in its bravery.
"May the Force be with us all."
Satine was not of the Force, but that night, she swore a bit of that ancient power flowed through her as well.
Dusk had fallen by the time the group of seven- Yoda, Obi-Wan, Ki-Adi Mundi, Saesee Tinn, Ahsoka, Rex, and Fives- exited the Temple to Pinnacle Point. There were so many thoughts and emotions buzzing in the air, Ahsoka briefly wondered if Jedi methods of self control were less effective than presented. Or at least, flawed in their application as opposed to theory.
I hope we get a chance to fix things.
Yet she was still a Jedi through and through. Flaws and all. The vision might not be perfect, but the heart was still true. Still worth fighting for.
There was little time to talk. Obi-Wan offered brief parting words before an LAAT transport was due to take them straight into the den of the beast.
"Are you alright?" he asked kindly.
"Yes, I think so."
Occasional muscle spasms prickled around her body and there was a small amount of fatigue but she was not about to sit this one out.
"I'm sorry you experienced such barbarity at the hands of Sidious. Or that you were put into that position in the first place."
"I imagine there's a lot we all have to apologize for," Ahsoka said shortly, knowing time was running short. "It wasn't your fault."
She looked into the distance where the eastern sky was now black as the deepest night. The rain had stopped but the storm thundered on, beckoning towards them as Sidious awaited.
"We shouldn't have let Luke go alone. I should be there with him."
"There is nothing that can be done to change that," Obi-Wan advised in the wisest tone befitting a Jedi Master. "He had to do what was right. What he was meant to do."
Ahsoka really didn't like the idea of pre-destiny, as though every little thing in one's life could just be explained away by some higher power beyond their control. The Force didn't work like that. They all had a choice. Once upon a time in another span of existence, everyone alive made the wrong one.
Luke never showed her visions of the future. Maybe that was a good thing.
"I-I…don't want to lose Anakin. Or Luke. So why does one have to die?"
"I know very little of prophecies, Ahsoka. But I do know that relying on them to predict the future is folly at best, disastrous at worst. Best to focus on the present and trust in the Force."
Trust in ourselves, came the unspoken line.
"Obi-Wan." Kriff, she hated it when her voice came out so vulnerable like that. "Whatever you do, don't kill him. Even if he falls, don't kill him."
A lump in Obi-Wan's throat bobbed up and down as watery emotion seeped through the cracks of his stoic front.
"I couldn't do it in one lifetime. I can't now."
They both willed themselves to stay composed. Obi-Wan cleared his throat and tilted his head upwards.
"You must look to another family. One just as powerful and ever present. For their fate is intertwined with ours."
She saw the clones, all of whom were waiting on the other side of the Point where Clone Force 99 had landed their personal ship. So alike and yet so uniquely themselves.
The low hum of the transport arrived and Obi-Wan bowed deeply.
"Good-bye, Ahsoka. We will see each other again this night. I'm sure of it."
She saw the four most seasoned Masters left at the Temple fly off into battle, leaving her the youngest Jedi present, but no less important in her role. Obi-Wan, Yoda, Luke, Anakin, all believed in her. A child of the Clone Wars, battle tested and ready.
Ahsoka didn't know quite what to say after what they experienced in the Jedi Situation Room. Where to begin? They were clones after all, hardy folk accustomed to seeing the world in black and white terms by the virtue of their occupation. But the flurry of revelation was staggering: their head of state being a Sith Lord? Time Travel? Order 66? Their commanding general the son of their former commanding general?
She heard Rex and Fives talking meters away from the rest of their brothers.
"What are we going to tell everyone else? Are they even going to believe us?" Fives said in a low voice as they approached the west end landing platform at the Temple.
"I have no idea."
"And time travel? That's a tale too tall for most of our brothers."
"We don't need to go into every detail." They both turned to her and straightened out of respect. "But they do need to know who it was that tried to turn them against their friends."
"And stopping Order 66," Rex said adamantly.
"Sidious," Fives murmured, though it sounded more like the low growl of a massiff.
Ahsoka nodded and motioned for them to follow where Echo, Jesse, Hardcase, and the Bad Batch awaited with a high degree of anticipation.
"You guys took forever!" Wrecker cried. Crosshair rolled his eyes.
"It was twenty minutes Wrecker. You've waited longer for Mantell Mix."
"Is everything alright, Captain?" Jesse asked. He looked concerned as did everyone else. Even the unflappable Crosshair, the cool, smokey voiced Hunter, and fact spouting Tech. No amount of bravado hid anxiety in Hardcase or ARC training for Echo. They stood attentively with their helmets removed, eyes burning with curiosity. Ahsoka felt tempted to speak, but let Rex take the lead. They deserved to hear it from one of their own.
"There's something you should know. It's about the Sith Lord."
Naturally, questions abounded. Or in Ahsoka's opinion, 'bombarded'.
"Do you know who he is?"
"Did he create the chips?"
"Is he in league with the Chancellor of the Republic?" Tech asked, pulling out his personal datapad. "If my theory is correct-"
"He is the Chancellor you big nerd," came the bitter tongue of Fives.
Tech's eyes widened, comically enlarged by his goggles.
"Well…that certainly wasn't one of the seventy six scenarios I'd planned for."
"A Sith Lord?" Ahsoka saw the tattooed leader's face frown in disbelief. "Palpatine himself?"
"Yes."
Rex stepped forward.
"Ever wonder why every time we scored a victory against the Separatists, they somehow got ahold of critical information that set us back months? How after we liberated a world, another one fell? Count Dooku knew our every move because the guy he worked for was in charge of the Republic. Of everything."
Jesse looked close to vomiting.
"You and Fives questioned what the point of all this was on Umbara. I never would have thought…so many brothers…" he trailed off. Hardcase suddenly punched the side of the Marauder.
"Hey! Watch it!"
"Easy guys," Ahsoka stepped in, the heavy emotions of the clones creating an enormous weight in the Force that threatened to sink them beneath the waves. "We're all fighting for the same thing. We have a plan to break into the Republic Military Archives and delete Order 66 before it can be activated."
"That won't work."
Everyone turned to Tech. He quickly delved into 'information mode'.
"I've done some analysis on the inhibitor chips in my spare time. It seems that Protocol 66 is hardwired into the programming of the chips themselves. It is a voice activated command and only those with access to its coding are able to give the order. The Kaminoans adjusted the cellular structure inside organic brain matter-"
"Speak Basic, Tech," Hunter urged him.
"It cannot simply be deleted from a database to be rendered inactive."
Ahsoka's heart skipped a beat. Could they really do nothing?
"But we can block the signal from reaching the communicators built within each clone's helmet."
Fives perked up at this.
"How?"
"It involves a similar strategy. Instead of the military archives, we break into the city's main communication center, hack into the mainframe, and crash the system. This would knock out all transmissions throughout the planet."
"Palpatine wouldn't be able to give the order," Echo said slowly, eyes alighting with hope.
"Are you positive this can be done?" Hunter asked.
"As certain as I can be."
The Sergeant sighed in resignation.
"I guess we have no choice."
"So what are we waiting for?" Hardcase asked. "Let's do this already."
Tech was eager to answer. "Because there are multiple layers of security at these kinds of centers due to the combined effects of the planet wide curfew and the war. Even for soldiers with genetic enhancements such as ourselves, breaking in and leaving alive will be difficult."
"That is where I come in."
Darth Maul emerged from the shadows, yellow eyes illuminated by the coming nightfall. Ahsoka intervened as weapons clicked and aimed at their target.
"Don't shoot," she ordered. "He's with us."
"What the hell are you?" Wrecker blurted out.
"Muscle," came the dry response.
"You must be joking," Jesse said.
"Lost your sense of humor already?" Fives chuckled.
"Listen up!" Rex barked in a tone he rarely used. Everyone else snapped into place. "No more wisecracks, no more debate. The fate of the galaxy and every brother in it is depending on us to get this right. You'll work with a Geonosian maggot if I say so. Understood?"
"Sir, yes, sir!" came the automatic response.
"Good. Lock and load and climb aboard."
Even the normally transient Bad Batch, averse to any sort of rule or regulation, complied. Maul gave a light snicker as he boarded the Marauder, the rest of the men looking quite uncomfortable. Echo eyed the double bladed lightsaber and ducked behind Fives.
"I've never heard you yell like that. Not even at me when I first started," Ahsoka said with a small smirk.
"Never had to," Rex grumbled. "Despite the fact you were a youngling."
"Padawan."
The automatic correction almost made both of them laugh. A mutually affectionate look sufficed. They turned to board.
"I need a favor," Rex said.
"Name it."
"On the way, drop me off at barracks. I just had an idea."
Ahsoka eyed him closely.
"I'm going to need you on this one."
"I know. But if my idea works, it could win the war."
She almost said no. But instead she remembered Obi-Wan's advice. Focus on the present, listen to the Force. And the Force, for all the torrential darkness circling in it, told her that Rex should follow his path.
"Alright. But only because you have the experience."
"In my book, experience outranks everything."
"Then I definitely outrank you by now."
Rex didn't say anything, but his eyes did lower just a bit. As though he saw that raw, snarky, fourteen year old again.
"Yeah. Which is why I know you're going to be fine."
They stopped talking upon entering the Marauder leaving only the sound of the engines roaring against a backdrop of dead quiet. No one said a word as the silence spread its tendrils among every man present.
Not a sound was uttered. Not even a joke from Hardcase.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut you to pieces right here, right now."
Sidious summoned the best of his charm and began the process of swaying Anakin from impaling him.
"For one thing you'd be killing the only person who knows how to save her," he answered, eyes unmoved from the blue lightsaber still pointed directly at his heart.
"She's lying in a bed, barely breathing from an unknown poison," Anakin snarled. "I have no doubt you could fix that. And I suggest that you do."
The boy relished using threats backed by brute force. Sidious could have summoned his own lightsabers and engaged in battle but it would be counterintuitive to his designs. He sensed hurt and betrayal in Anakin and there was ample opportunity to redirect it.
"My boy, think for a second. Would I try to harm the wife of a person I sought to assist? That doesn't make sense."
His words appeared to shift something in the brunette's thinking as the lightsaber lowered ever so slightly but remained in proximity for a killing strike.
"Everyone's tried to warn me about you," Anakin said, unable to control the conflict raging within, thinking back to countless conversations of people who told him the same thing.
'The Chancellor is trying to turn you against us.'
'Master, have you considered that the Chancellor may not give up his power?'
"He's a monster ruining our family!'
But even now, they didn't understand. Obi-Wan didn't love Satine the way he loved Padme. Or he was lying. He was sure of it.
"Warn you about what?" Sidious asked pleasantly, still using his reasonable politician's voice. "About taking what's rightfully yours? That is a chain, Anakin. A chain I will see broken if you follow me."
"The Sith don't have anything to offer me."
But Sidious could hear the hesitation behind that seemingly bold statement. The young man didn't fully believe it. Resisting the urge to smirk, the Sith pressed his advantage.
"On the contrary, I have much to offer as I stated earlier. Do not concern yourself with the opinions of Banthas. Morality is a construct best left to those foolish enough to believe in it. Follow your passions, your heart...where does it lead?"
Anakin's lightsaber lowered all the way to the ground as he responded.
"Padme. She's the only one that ever made me truly happy."
"That is the path of the Sith," Sidious seduced further. "Not the cold, unfeeling way of the Jedi which disregards any depth of feeling in all their hypocritical cruelty."
"You're wrong," Anakin insisted stubbornly. "The Jedi show concern and compassion for others."
"Really? Who would they be?"
"I..." he said with deep uncertainty, clenching a fist, willing himself not to feel a fresh round of renewed anger at the thought of Luke. The Sith Lord read him like an open scroll.
"You believe that Luke Ahch-To holds your best interests at heart?" Sidious challenged, a hint of an annoyed growl passing into his politician's voice. "Where is he in all of this? Wasn't he the one spending a great deal of time with your wife? The one who put her in danger in the first place."
"He…" Anakin didn't want to say Luke betrayed him even though he said as much earlier. Seconds ticked by and he struggled to get ahold of himself, searching for proper words to argue back against the poison of the Sith, desperately trying to remember the chant taught to him.
Don't give in. Focus on the light. Those you care about. The Force is with me and I am one with the Force.
The faces of those he loved came into view. But seeing Luke and Obi-Wan only served to remind him what happened half an hour prior: ambushed by his own men. Distracted by words of understanding and empty promises about saving his dying wife, who lay almost lifeless in a sterile medical facility.
Any semblance of positive emotion became engulfed by singular black rage so powerful, it consumed his entire mind and body. Not even the death of his mother had induced such a force. It both frightened and mesmerized him simultaneously.
This is what Luke warned you about! a reasonable voice tried to tell him. But another urged further exploration of this sensation. A dark voice.
Luke doesn't care about you. None of them do.
Sidious cracked an evil smile now as the azure blade vanished and Anakin's soul became further twisted.
"What...what's happening to me?" Anakin said through heavy breathing.
"That is the dark side flowing through you, my boy. The power to save Padme."
Sidious, now assured he was not about to be stabbed, took three steps forward and looked intently at the apprentice in waiting. He had a taste of the dark side and would no doubt want more.
"Tell me, Anakin. How does it feel?"
"Like...like...I'm unstoppable."
"Good. That is merely the first step of many that awaits you as a Sith. Because the truth is, you cannot be stopped except by those who would seek to deny you that feeling. As one's power in the dark side grows, so does the ability to control the midi-chlorians. That is the secret my master taught me many years ago."
"It can save Padme?"
Sidious nodded in the affirmative, knowing his fib fooled Anakin completely.
"It can."
Anakin felt a kind of rush he'd never experienced before. The emotions he worked so long to suppress now came back with a vengeance, but instead of all the horrible things Master Yoda and others told him would happen, it only increased his awareness and perception in the Force. In a strange way, it felt similar to being drunk or high except instead of an intoxicated buzz, there was a heightened clarity.
"Your anger and hate are weapons to be used against your enemies. The passion for your wife? A gateway to becoming invincible."
The brunette opened the floodgates of the heart as he allowed the attachment for his wife to spill over like a cup of wine, its scarlet contents becoming a river leading to innermost desires long denied to himself. He wanted more.
"Gooood," Sidious crooned, coaxing the swirling dark side out of the Jedi with each passing second. "You are a born natural, Anakin. There is only more to come."
Anakin delved deeper into the darkness when suddenly a surge of pain coursed through his head like a painful electrical shock. A horrible, ugly black mask flashed before him. The same one that he'd seen while meditating with Luke, who's voice called to him.
No, father! Resist the temptation! It is not who you are.
"This…this is wrong," he gasped, clutching his head.
"Tell me," Sidious asked. "Would the Jedi ever accept your family? Would they ever take you back after tonight?"
By now the thought of the Jedi only infuriated Anakin, and the temporary distraction subsided into further hate and anger which in turn fueled greater power. The Council didn't care about him. All they did was belittle and lie, kriff they wouldn't even so much as give a compliment. Whatever his actions or what happened next, he didn't care. As long as Padme lived, nothing else mattered.
"No," he whispered, barely containing the rage which almost seemed to crackle about the room.
"Then there is only one option available. Join me, Anakin. Know the dark side of the Force as I do and it will set you free. Pledge yourself and this power you feel is yours to command forever."
Even now, a part of Anakin Skywalker did not want to accept the offer, screaming that he was turning into the very thing he swore to destroy. What would Ahsoka think? Obi-Wan? Yoda? His mother? Padme would also be horrified. He felt as though some other entity was trying to take over, a separate being made of nothing except malice, cruelty, and an insatiable lust for revenge. He feared this towering shadow of darkness.
But Sidious was right, the only viable option was the path currently before him. It offered a chance at the life he always wanted but never allowed to even conceive of. The galaxy would be his to command. The very name Skywalker would strike fear into the hearts of those who preyed upon others- slavers, conmen, swindlers, and greedy bureaucrats who only thought of themselves. What the Sith offered was a way out of the muck. A world where no one had to shut away their feelings or live out lies: only peace, justice, and passion. And the ability to achieve what he deserved.
The Jedi could not see that. There was no other choice.
"Do you promise to help me save Padme's life?" he asked once more of the Sith Lord.
The smile upon Sidious's face only grew more twisted, by now a far cry from the benevolent persona put on as Chancellor.
"I do."
It was all he needed to hear. Slowly, Anakin began falling to his knees in deference.
"Yesss," came the serpentine hiss of the Sith.
Anakin never took his eyes off Sidious, blue-gray eyes gazing at him hungrily.
"You are fulfilling your destiny."
He would save Padme. And the galaxy.
"The power is yours for the taking."
He'd take it all. Nothing would deny him anymore.
"Through your power you gain victory and the chains of Jedi oppression are broken. Take your place at my side."
His knees hit the bottom of the carpet flooring and Sidious's eyes turned a feral yellow; triumphant in their horrid glow of ensnaring the Chosen One.
"The Force is strong with you, Skywalker," he said, his voice taking on a deeper, more sinister inflection. "You will become a Sith Lord like no other. Henceforth I dub thee-"
He stopped and both men suddenly turned towards the doors of the office, currently closed shut. They both sensed a presence behind it, one so powerful, it's signature was unmistakable.
Slowly, the durasteel began creaking and denting, giving ugly groans as the metal caved in on itself. The very fabric of the Force seemed to bend with it.
Suddenly, Sidious knew what was going to happen before it did and jumped out of the way just in time. The crumpled remains of the doors blew past right where he'd been standing, shattering the glass of the windows in the back.
It didn't take long for the assailant to reveal himself. Luke Skywalker strolled through the door, green blade humming in his hands. Two Red Guards lay beheaded behind him.
"Say the name 'Darth' and you'll be the next thing I send through that window."
The Sith Lord's shock turned into an ugly snarl. He'd had just about enough of the meddlesome fool interfering in his plans.
"Luke Ahch-To," he spat.
"Skywalker," the blond corrected with a heavy dose of sass. "One who's going to see you dead before this is over."
"You dare-"
Luke reached out with the Force and shut the Sith's mouth before it could speak more ruin. He turned his attention to Anakin, who'd ducked to avoid the doors as well though they were not aimed at him.
"Anakin," he said, seeing the confused, bewildered expression. "Don't listen to him. I'm sorry I wasn't here to help but I am now. Don't forsake everything you are and love for this deceiver."
The brunette stood back up and narrowed his eyes.
"And why should I listen to you?"
"Because I'm your son. I am Luke Skywalker. I've come back fifty years to set things right and destroy the Sith…to destroy him."
He pointed his lightsaber towards Sidious (still inwardly fuming at being silenced).
"Come with me. We can take Sidious together…please."
But the revelation did not have the intended effect, if anything it only seemed to infuriate Anakin further. Underscoring this was the cackling, spine shivering laughter of Darth Sidious, breaking the spell on his tongue.
"Have you ever heard of a more far-fetched tale? Anakin...dispatch him for us."
Luke hoped that his father wouldn't listen, that the toxic influence of the dark side hadn't taken hold yet.
He was wrong.
Anakin ignited his lightsaber, handsome features twisted into a livid contortion of fury.
"You're going to regret lying to me, Luke."
"Father no!"
Too late. Quicker than was thought possible, Anakin leapt through the air and struck the first blow which put Luke on the defensive. The battle between father and son, two of the most powerful Jedi who ever lived, had begun.
A/N#1- I struggle with technical lingo so if someone has a better idea for how to explain the inner workings of transmissions and communication, let me know.
A/N#2- The long awaited confrontation has arrived. But one of our 'Guest' reviewers is correct, prophecies can be interpreted in a number of ways and can be fulfilled in an equal number of ways. The visions seen by Anakin, Luke, and Yoda are only glimpses, shadows, of what may come. It's the choices they've made that led to this moment. I know I've built this up quite a bit but I just wanted to add that in real quick.
A/N#3- For anyone questioning why Maul wasn't allowed to fight Sidious alongside the Jedi other than the possibility of him becoming the next dark lord, there's an extra reason which will factor in later aka the sequel.
Three more parts everyone. Three more. A few tweaks here and there and everything will be done. Then the aftermath.
Rock on!
~The Wasp