Chapter 10 - Order 66
Author's Note: I would put a warning, but the chapter title says it all. :)
~ Amina Gila
Walking to the bridge of the Star Destroyer alongside Rex feels right. Perfect. Home. It feels like he belongs here.
That doesn't stop the wary uncertainty burning inside him. Something is wrong.
He was hoping to talk to his master again. Never got the chance. Obi-Wan was off with Palpatine when Anakin's call came in. There's a stupid, childish part of him that wants to hit redial on repeat until he finally gets through to his master, because he needs to talk to Obi-Wan again. Doesn't want to wait. They can't afford to. Something's happening, and he desperately needs reassurance that his master is fine.
"He will allow Sidious to kill you, the same way he allowed your friends to die."
"He would never do that. He never has."
Fives.
"Something on your mind, kid?" Rex asks gently as they watch the ship streak into hyperspace, Maul safely secured aboard.
"I need to know what happened to Fives," Anakin says, "I think it's important somehow."
"To tell the truth, sir, it's not something any of us understand," Rex confesses, "But he went on an... unauthorized investigation. He claimed the inhibitor chips put in us had another purpose, one we didn't understand, but he lost his mind after removing his own."
Anakin winces. "And they – from there..."
"He tried to assassinate the Chancellor," Rex continues. "I don't understand why. The Coruscanti Guard tracked him down and shot him before he could finish explaining whatever his findings were to the General and I."
"Maul told me that Sidious... is trying to turn my master," Anakin admits, staring out the viewport in front of him. He can't look at Rex for this. "I'm afraid he might be right. And... I think it might involve the Chancellor. Maybe."
"I don't know what to say," Rex confesses, "We've never seen anything off about him, but politicians are..."
"Elusive?" Anakin supplies, "Generally unpleasant? Yes."
He throws a side glance at Rex, sighing softly. "When I came back, I honestly thought it would be easier. Better somehow. That... I don't know why I never realized how things went."
"It was nothing you could've helped, kid," Rex promises, "It would've been... easier if you were there after it happened, but it wouldn't have changed it." He believes that, too, and Anakin doesn't, but hearing it still makes him feel a little better. Marginally.
The door behind them opens, and someone tells Rex the next briefing is in. Not something Anakin needs to see, hopefully. Right now, he just... wants to be alone, which sounds ridiculous, considering he has been for seven months, but still.
Anakin is still there, watching out the viewport when he senses it.
It's a quiet whisper at first, rapidly growing and spiraling into something more. The words are indistinct, but he hears his master's "You can't kill him; it's not the Jedi way," and something – something else. It's happening, now, whatever it is – just like Maul warned.
There's a rapidly spreading darkness, something he can't understand, but it's hammering in his mind and ripping across the galaxy. Light and Dark will always exist as one, but now, it's like – like something's dying, and the Force is mourning, though it feels peaceful – like this was somehow always destined to happen.
It feels like something is shifting, clicking into place, and Anakin knows.
Everything he doesn't want to know.
Anakin spins around, sprinting to the briefing room, because Rex is in there, and Rex is always there. He always knows what to do, what to say to make it better.
"Rex," he blurts in a rush, skidding into the room, "I think it's – it's happening." He freezes at the sound of blasters clicking, raising towards him. Rex's helmet clangs onto the floor. "... Rex?" he repeats, heart hammering.
"No! I'll do it," Rex says, turning away from the holotable and drawing his blasters. He looks... terrified. Anakin has never seen that on him. Not like this. His hands are shaking, but his blasters are still aimed at Anakin. "Stay back! Find him. Find him. Fives."
Fives.
Fives.
The – what –
Anakin senses the moment something in Rex just changes, even if he doesn't make sense of it. Like his mind hazes over, going dark, and he starts shooting. Anakin dodges the shots, drawing his lightsaber.
He jumps over Rex onto the holotable behind him, deflecting their shots away. They're not stopping. Force. These are his friends, his vode, his brothers, his family, and they're trying to kill him.
Fives.
Find Fives.
"He claimed the inhibitor chips put in us had another purpose, one we didn't understand –"
He needs to get out of here. He won't hurt them, can't get away without running into the others. Anakin diverts the shots up into the ceiling, trying to aim them into a sort of circle enough to get out.
He jumps through the moment the blaster shots burn a hole through the ceiling, breaking into a run. There's no time to wait.
Anakin doesn't stop running until he reaches where the droids are, aside from the few times he stops to dodge passing clones. He – he needs someone who can help him, and Artoo is definitely the best choice. Artoo always has his back.
The droids are shut off when he gets there, and Anakin instantly sets about turning them all back on. The droids are as panicked as he is, and they circle around him, asking a long string of panicked questions.
"I don't know why the clones are doing this," he replies, "But I have an idea. Artoo, do you know what happened to Fives? About the inhibitor chips?"
Artoo beeps in confirmation.
"Good. I think that might have something to do with it, but if not, I need to go find Maul. He might know. I could use your help, but this could be dangerous."
The droids roll closer, beeping. They don't care. They want to help – they're as loyal as the clones always are.
"Okay. First, I'd like to see the report on Fives."
**w**
They go after Rex. It's hard to track him down, but the droids are as helpful as they can be. Anakin climbs into the vents over where the droids tracked Rex to, closing off the doors around him.
"Are you cross-wired?" Rex snaps irritably, glaring at Artoo, who beeps shamelessly, turning on the recording Anakin made for him.
"Rex, I know what's happening," Anakin's hologram says, "I saw the report on Fives. I think he was right. It's not your fault. The Kaminoans altered your mind before you were born. I think I know a way to help you."
Rex draws his blaster, aiming it at Artoo. "Where is he?" he demands.
Anakin drops down from the ceiling, landing behind him. "I'm here," he answers, and Rex whips around, blasters raising.
Artoo jabs his electric appendage into Rex's back, electrocuting him unconscious.
"Carful!" Anakin yelps, darting forwards to catch him before he hits the floor. "We're trying not to hurt him."
Artoo beeps innocently.
Make that the first thing he needs to apologize for once Rex wakes up.
The clones are already cutting through the door. It's a good thing the medbay isn't far.
Somehow, of all the things Anakin has ever done, this is by far the most terrifying.
He's fought his boys before, but that was always sparring. He's never had to fight them to the death. They know each other well, and they'll know what to expect. They're thorough, and they're coming fast. He doesn't want to leave any of them behind, but if he gets Rex back to himself, they'll figure something out.
Finding the chip in the first place is hard, but Anakin is able to. Somehow. He uses the Force to calm Rex's mind, and the chip finally shows up on scans. This could be dangerous, and Anakin is terrified of what could happen to him – if getting it out won't change it because the programming is too far, or if Rex doesn't even make it through the procedure. It's a brain surgery. It could easily go wrong, and Anakin has very little knowledge of this. He's not a medic. Barriss might've known, but she's not here, and Anakin viciously shoves aside all thoughts of her. It doesn't matter.
The door opens right as the droids get Rex under the machine.
Anakin turns to face the hall, drawing his lightsaber.
They start firing, and Anakin deflects the shots into the walls facing them, unwilling to actually hurt them. He Force-shoves them back, but there's just so many. He can't keep up with them. There's too many, and they're too good and too fast. It's not like stun bolts where he can be grazed and shake it off. These are lethal, and they could – Force.
A shot grazes his left arm, and he stumbles back into the medical equipment behind him, pushing himself up again.
There's no time to react. To fall.
A blaster fires from behind him, the shots taking down the clones in the doorway, and the door slams shut again.
Anakin turns back, wide-eyed.
Rex lowers his blasters, expression conflicted.
"Are you okay?" Anakin asks him finally. He doesn't look okay, and he just killed some of his brothers – exactly what Anakin is trying not to do – but he's... This isn't something either of them will be forgetting any time soon.
"Yeah," Rex answers finally, turning to the side and setting his blasters down, pressing a hand to the bandage on his head. "I'm okay, kid. I'm sorry for what happened earlier. I almost killed you."
"It's okay," Anakin promises, because he hadn't doubted that even a minute. "It wasn't your fault."
Rex doesn't look overly reassured, but he doesn't argue, either. Anakin steps forwards to hug him, though it's brief. He still needed it – he was so afraid Rex would die, that either of them would die.
"We gotta find help," Anakin says, "Do you know how widespread it is? The clones? The... orders?"
"Anakin," he says, meeting his gaze with way too much confidence, and the graveness of it makes him even more worried. "It's all of us. The entire Grand Army of the Republic has been ordered to hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights."
Oh, Force. They don't have anyone to ask for help, then. "They're still coming," Anakin replies, turning back to the door, because getting out of here is most important, After, they can worry about the galaxy. Survival always... has to come first. "Set your blasters to stun. I don't want to kill anyone."
"Tell that to them," Rex grumbles, but Anakin hears him doing it anyway.
Anakin raises his lightsaber, and Rex his blasters.
They wait until the clones finish cutting through the door before Anakin Force-shoves it, knocking them back. It'll hurt, but it won't kill them, and that's what he counts as most important. Anakin steps into the hall, through the lines of chaos, covering for Rex while he stuns them.
His aim is good – it always has been. That's why he's captain. That's why he's everything he is. He's good at what he does, and everything about this is so familiar, only... it's different. It's to the death, and Anakin knows he'll probably never see this cruiser again.
He's leaving, and this time, he won't have a home left to come back to.
The droids emerge from hiding once the hall's clear, and Anakin sends them to find a clear path out.
The boys destroyed all escape pods, which is so predictable, though it's still aggravating. The best they can do instead is find a shuttle – there's gotta be something useable.
"The boys are having a rough time," Rex murmurs, looking down at one of them as Anakin peaks around the corner, making sure they're clear. "Did you hear Maul also escaped?"
Anakin's gut flips. "What?! Bo-Katan said the contraption was impenetrable."
"We lost contact with the boys I sent to execute him," Rex says, and that at least, Anakin doesn't sense any regret over. He feels a little sick about it himself, though. Maul would've been defenseless there. Killing him would be wrong, no matter who he is or what he's done.
"Then we better get moving," Anakin replies, and they take off.
**w**
"Hangar bay doors are sealed. They've got everything locked down," Rex sighs, "If they weren't trying to kill us, I'd be proud."
"Seconded," Anakin mutters dryly, watching out the viewport overlooking the hangar. They'll have to move fast, and probably, there's a group of clones waiting just beyond the doors they have to open.
Arfour – he's Obi-Wan's droid, but Obi-Wan left him with Anakin anyway – rolls up, beeping worriedly.
"What do you mean the hyperdrive is offline?" Rex asks, freaked out.
Arfour beeps again.
"Destroyed? It's completely gone?" Rex demands.
A control on the panel in front of them beeps, flashing a warning. "We're in the gravitational field," Anakin says worriedly, "With the damage Maul's already done to the ship, I'm not sure they'll be able to pull out." Which means the cruiser is going down, and they need to evacuate as fast as possible.
"Artoo, open the hangar doors," Anakin requests.
They're definitely being slowly pulled into the atmosphere, and they don't have long. It feels wrong to abandon his men in this situation, but there's very little Anakin can do. If he stays, he'll die, but if he goes... no. He'll find a way to save them all. He always does, or at least, he'll never stop trying. His mother always told him never to stop trying.
The doors into the hangar slide open, and a group of clones instantly run in, taking up positions in front of them.
"They were waiting for us," Rex realizes grimly.
Anakin looks outside again, watching. They're standing on separate platforms, lifts, and that's probably the only chance they have at getting out. It's going to be tight.
"So, what do we do?" Rex asks him, "Fight our way to the shuttle?"
Anakin sighs. The enormity of the situation is just starting to sink in. "There's too many," he replies, shaking his head, "And I'm not going to hurt them."
"I hate to tell you this, but they don't care," Rex throws back. He's talking sharply, but Anakin doesn't blame him. Nothing about this situation is easy. They're facing down their brothers, and this isn't going to end well. "This ship is going down, and those soldiers, my brothers, are willing to die and take you and me along with them."
Anakin reaches up, pulling his helmet off. Rex catches his gaze and turns his head away. He's crying. It hurts to see. He's – Rex is always so calm. Levelheaded. That's always been his role. The sheer helplessness is grating on them both, but Anakin is never one to give up.
"We'll be okay, Rex," Anakin promises, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I'll get us out of here."
"I was supposed to keep you safe," Rex says, still avoiding his gaze. "When we took you, I promised I'd take care of you."
"We're brothers," Anakin replies, "We take care of each other. Our brothers may be willing to die, but I am not going to be the one to kill them."
"So, we're just gonna surrender? Admit defeat? Is that it?"
"We'll figure this out, like we always do," Anakin promises, "Nothing in our lives has made sense, or I wouldn't even have been born."
That's something he learned from his mother. Something he'll never forget. He is the sun-dragon that will protect everything he loves. Shmi believed in him, and if Anakin had that, then he believes her. He'll do this, like he always has.
"What do you suggest?" Rex asks.
"I have an idea. Artoo, we're gonna need your help."
Anakin doesn't like this, but it's the best choice they have. They need a diversion, so the droids can get plugged in. Rex's blasters are aimed loosely at him, and it's unnerving, but Anakin trusts him. There's no one he trusts more than Rex, or ever could.
This is the only way out.
The Force is gathered around him, bracing for action. Anakin draws it around him, letting it guide him, lead him.
The doors slide open way too loudly, and Anakin and Rex walk out into the hangar.
"Hang on, we have Skywalker and the Commander," Jesse says into his comm. "Send all remaining troops to my position."
"I said hold your fire, Jesse," Rex interjects, "I have the situation under control."
"You have your order, sir. Now execute it or I will!" Jesse snaps back. It hurts so much to hear him talking like this. He's not himself, but it still hurts.
"The order was to execute the Jedi for treason against the Republic," Rex replies, "The problem is, Anakin Skywalker is no longer a Jedi. Hasn't been for some time."
"Sir, you said yourself we're under special order from Darth Sidious to eliminate Anakin Skywalker and any other clone who disobeys Order 66," Jesse replies,
Anakin's gut flips again. Sidious. The Sith staged all this, didn't they? The Sith really did stage the entire war, start to finish, and Anakin has no idea how everybody missed it. Sidious wants him dead. Is – is he Palpatine? That sounds ludicrous, but that would explain so much. Doesn't matter right now, though.
Artoo beeps from across the platform. They're still working. "Just a bit longer," Anakin murmurs.
"Jesse. Jesse, listen to me. We've known each other a long time. If we don't get this right, we will be the ones committing treason, not him," Rex argues.
Jesse lowers his blasters, momentarily considering before raising them again. "Commander Rex, you're in violation of Order 66. I accuse you of treason against the Grand Army of the Republic. You'll be demoted in rank from commander and subject to execution along with the traitor Anakin Skywalker."
"Rex outranks you," Anakin ventures. "I think he gets to make the call." He throws a glance back at Rex when the droids beep. "Ready?"
"Yeah. I didn't much like being a commander, anyway," Rex replies.
"Company, ready. Aim!" Jesse barks.
"Now!" Anakin yells, and Rex throws him his lightsaber.
The droids activate the lifts, dropping well over half the clones to the level below. Alarms are blaring, and everything is, well, chaos.
Anakin takes up lead in front of Rex, deflecting shots and Force-shoving the clones he's near over the edge.
A blur catches his gaze along the side of the hangar – Maul is making for the shuttle they need to get to. That's the only one they know of, and they need it. "Maul's going for the shuttle," Anakin says in warning, breaking into a run for the ship. He can't let the Sith escape.
Anakin jumps over the area, running after the Sith. Maul whirls around throwing a crate at him with the Force. Anakin ducks beneath it, not breaking his stride. They can't let him escape.
Maul Force-shoves him back, and Anakin stabs his lightsaber into the floor to avoid falling.
He slides over the edge, anyway, and Artoo shoots a cable down to catch him.
The clones are waking up below, though, which is the last thing they need.
Anakin scrambles upwards, deflecting the few shots Jesse makes at him before jumping over the edge onto the hangar floor again. There's only one way out of this. They need that ship.
He reaches out with the Force, wrapping it around the ship and pulling. Maul is fighting against it, putting more power to the engine, and making it hard to hold onto, but Anakin doesn't give ground. He's pulling the shuttle back, slowly, but he can't afford to stop. Their lives depend on it.
Rex starts stunning the clones again when they get the lifts back to Anakin's level. There's too many, and they're coming too fast. Anakin knows it without having to be warned. There's only so fast he can go without Anakin covering for him, and the risk of him dying is...
He doesn't want to do this.
He doesn't want to let Maul go.
If he lives, he'll hurt people, and this is the only way Anakin knows of escaping.
He reaches out, deeper, and the Force prickles with something else. There's a different path, something farther down. They still have a chance.
It's a choice between stopping Maul, between fulfilling his duty and saving his brother. His best friend.
There's not even a question which choice he'll make.
Anakin lets go.
The shuttle takes off out of the hangar, out of sight.
Anakin draws his lightsaber again, jumping in front of Rex.
He promised Obi-Wan, but as always, survival is more important.
"Come on," Anakin calls to him, and they sprint forwards for the opening to the lower level – there's too many clones here, and they need to move. They don't have time. The ship is crashing, and it'll only be so long before they're pulled to the surface and the ship rips apart.
He can't let everyone die here, but they – they need to get off, first.
Anakin jumps, and Rex jumps after. Anakin catches him, already standing, but Jesse and the others are already waiting for them up ahead, blasters raised.
Rex sighs.
"Not done yet," Anakin says, jaw clenched.
Artoo or one of the droids must have intervened, because the lifts activate, jerking upwards and taking most of the clones out.
The Force is pointing them in the direction of something, a way out. A path out. "There," Anakin says, pointing to a ship. It's not a shuttle – it's much smaller than that, but they only need a ship for two. At least it's a Y-wing, not a fighter, or Anakin would hafta sit in Rex's lap, and he wouldn't really mind, but that's just weird.
"Get me over there," Rex requests as more clones start coming in behind them.
Anakin turns back to cover for him as Rex runs for the ship. There's so many, though, and now, the lifts are activating, bringing Jesse and the others back down. Artoo was supposed to be covering for him. Anakin doesn't want to think too hard about what that might mean.
Anakin Force-shoves him towards the ship. To the side, after Rex, he sees Artoo now, though the rest of the droids are gone. Just the three of them, then.
There's too many.
A shot grazes his arm, and Anakin stumbles, but turns back around to keep fighting. That's all they've ever had, after all.
There are dozens and dozens of them, and he's been fighting for a long time now, and he's exhausted. Even lost in the Force, letting it guide his movements and all, he's starting to feel worn.
He has a split second of warning before the gravity starts shifting as the ship starts crashing.
And the Force shows him something. Another way. The way – perhaps the only way.
"Go!" Anakin yells to Rex as everything starts sliding. "Get the ship out of here!" Artoo whistles, panicked, rolling towards Anakin. He can fly. "Artoo, go with Rex!"
"Anakin!" Rex yells over the noise. He's panicking, but Anakin feels more calm and resolve over this than he has anything in his life. He knows it could kill him, but this is the only way.
"Go!" Anakin yells back, stabbing his lightsaber into the floor to slow his fall. He won't be able to focus as long as Rex is in danger.
They don't even have time. An explosion rips the ship free of the Star Destroyer, taking them apart. He hears Rex's voice yelling his name, and Anakin reaches out with the Force, hauling himself upright and reaching out.
The Force gathers around him, whispering of safety.
He reaches deeper. Farther.
Holding a shuttle is far from what he's fully capable of.
His mother believed in him.
So did Rex.
And Obi-Wan.
And Qui-Gon, who might be gone, but he still lives inside him.
Anakin believes in himself.
He lets himself feel through the ship, wrapping his mind around it and holding, willing it to slow. To stop. The moon's surface is nearby, and Anakin lets that fuel him. Remembers his mother's face, the softness of her voice and the warmth of her embrace. Remembers Obi-Wan, who trusted him enough to let him leave, cared for him enough that he was willing to let him go, if it meant his survival. Who was responsible for him, the same way Anakin is for all these men.
He can already feel the death. The destruction. And he won't let it stay true. He won't let Maul win this, won't let him claim his brothers.
He won't let anyone.
Not even themselves.
Anakin doesn't remember much of it, actually. He just remembers the crash of the ship striking the surface. He remembers the crushing and tearing of metal, the explosions, but he doesn't stop holding.
He feels the death. Doesn't know how many it was.
Anakin drops to his knees, panting. He doesn't want to move.
Something cold and metal runs into his shoulder. The blue and silver coloration is familiar. Artoo's beeping filters in from far away. He's still here. He stayed. Came back.
"Thank you," Anakin whispers, pushing himself up and wrapping his arms around the droid. He pulls himself half onto it, and Artoo fires his boosters, flying out of the hangar before the clones can attack him again.
He catches sight of the familiar ship right above, and Force-jumps into the open, back hatch. Artoo flies after.
Anakin sinks into the seat as Rex turns the ship away, aiming it upwards as sharply as they can.
The cruiser landed. He doesn't know the survivor counts, the death counts, but – but he saved some. He felt it. That's all that matters. He still saved them, and after everything else that's happened, he just feels relieved.
No matter how tired he is.
"We did it," Anakin says finally, eyes closed, Artoo balancing awkwardly near him.
"You did it," Rex corrects, "You saved them."
"I promised, didn't I?"
"I didn't know you could do that."
"Neither did I."
He tilts his head back against the seat, trying to just breathe.
"You're bleeding," Rex says, turning back to look at him.
Anakin blinks a few times, snapping back to the present. He wipes his face off on his sleeve. Huh. Yeah, his nose is bleeding for some reason. Didn't know using the Force so deeply could cause that, either. Be nice if it'd slow down a little.
"Set course for Coruscant," Anakin requests. "We might as well go back to where it all started."
"Are you ready for that?" Rex asks worriedly.
Anakin blinks at him, tiredly, but present. "I'll be fine. I know some people there who will help hide us for a short time. I've been in the Underworld for a while, remember?"
"Right," Rex agrees, setting course.
**w**
Coruscant looks the same. It feels wrong, but it's just like it was when Anakin left, like nothing went wrong. It feels so empty, though. So dead. The Temple is partly burned, showing signs of damage even from the air, and the air is still smoky. The Temple is still smoking.
Rex flies them to Rafa and Trace's garage, where they land and finally clamber out.
It's early morning here, and Anakin doesn't want to... anything.
They go inside, sinking onto the edge of a crate, Artoo rolling after.
Rex looks at him, but he doesn't say anything. There's not much to say, but they need to figure out how to go forwards, where to go.
Anakin takes his hands, pressing their foreheads together. They're all each other have left now.
He and Rex have... a balanced relationship, where they always try to be strong if the other needs it. Right now, though, for the first time, they're both breaking down. There's no time for it, to grieve, but he can't help it. They just lost everything.
It feels like they deserve this. At least for a few days.
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