[19 BBY]

[Executive Security Solutions City-ship/Capital-class Warship Stormcrow {II}, In Orbit Eriadu, Eriadu System, Seswenna Sector, Outer Rim Territories]

Order Sixty-Six

I'd expected something different really when the dreadful moment came. Yes, there'd been a ripple in Force, a disturbance, but it certainly hadn't been anything unusual, nor enough to drag me from my shower. The alert had come in minutes later, but that had been from crypto-analysts and command staff rather than through my more esoteric abilities. Oh, I felt concern, ominous dread at the edge of my awareness, at what I could have done; things I'd failed to do...

'Pointless to think about now, focus on unravelling the chaos' I reminded myself firmly as I sat studying the various holographic displays in the conference room. The ship was running hot, reserve reactors brought online as every bit of processing power was brought in to sort through the mass of contradictory orders, holo-news, and general demands for information coming down the hyper-comms. Order Sixty-Six had been issued, as had some repeating warning by Windu, along with a whole pile of confusing stuff that meant orders were coming through disjointed, out of sync, and sometimes without any context.

It'd only been a few hours...and we still knew very little beyond something crazy had Coruscant, hyper-comms were partially down, and lots of people were accusing others of treason. I'd expected the nightmare of Order Sixty-Six, I'd expected dear old Sheev to do his 'Imma the Senate' thing...what I had not expected was what looked like a Military Coup and the Sith Lord maybe, possibly, fleeing the Capital. Assuming this wasn't all an elaborate ruse to lead us into a false sense of security?

Not only that but now I had Stass aboard, along with a dozen younglings and two very young padawans, that needed to get gone somewhere else very, very, soon. I'd barely had a chance to talk to her before she had to get some rest and brief Master Gallia and the others, with the plan to talk today once everyone had a chance to recover their wits. Of course for me and Braika that meant being on high alert due to have a number more Jedi aboard my flagship, and potential orders to 'deal' with me...not that those would be coming now as I listened to the warning by Windu again. Did he make it out? Did they do the whole march in try arrest Palps that I'd warned against?

I sighed, rubbing at my face as my alert beeped indicating a further two guests were on the way. Pressing it with the Force I activated it, monitoring the progress down the armoured hallway "Open up and let them in, I've things to discuss with them"

"Understood Captain-General"

Braika glanced at me "Your adding more problems to our plate right now Daron"

I rubbed the bridge of my nose between my fingers. Gods it felt like we'd been here days and the day had really only started "I know, I know, but it needs to be dealt with now not later Braika. Looks like the Supreme Chancellor made his move or the Jedi their move on him...and there's arrest orders flying around for everyone and anyone. We'll be in battle soon and I don't want a horde of younglings and a bunch of traumatised Jedi when we go into that fight"

Some in on Coruscant calling themselves the Committee of Republic Safety and Defence was using GAR-HQ codes to order the arrest of the Supreme Chancellor, and more importantly Jedi so they could be 'investigated for loyalty' – whatever that meant. Meanwhile someone had issued Contingency Order Sixty-Six. I knew damn-well who had, but officially nobody was claiming responsibility even Darth Sidious apparently. Oh, and there were shape-shifting Jedi apparently...or maybe Vong part of my paranoid mind wondered.

My Mandalorian fellow general nodded at that, her hands moving in the air to switch between displays and information feeds and analysis "True, in its way. We could just arrest them Daron"

I gave her a look at that and she shrugged "I know, our big conspiracy just got proven true, and mind controlled Clone Legions are gunning down Jedi everywhere, or are in rebellion...oh, it looks like we've got a Civil War on as well. Just a different one than we'd expected when we decided to back the Tarkins and rest of the Outer Rim"

"Don't I know it, but we've Gods damned idea who's in charge of what right now, or who's back who..." I replied resting back in my chair "...but we'd planned in sending them off somewhere safe without this, so sticking to that plan. Even if just for their own safety, the only real unifying theme amongst these orders is arrest, kill, or distrust any Jedi who doesn't swear allegiance to the right side straight away. You had the same conversation with Moff Tarkin and General Kota that I and others did an hour ago"

"Hmph, I did, smarter than yer average Jedi weren't he?" Braika replied looking through holo-vid footage from somewhere showing a civilians holo-vid of a street battle somewhere between Clones and regular PDF soldiers after the Clones gunned down their Jedi "Isn't surrounded by a death trap. Not sure how many got that warning this Windu fella sent out"

"Better than no warning I suppose" I murmured, frowning. Communications were confused as hell, messages coming out in a stagger fashion, often out of sync from when they were sent. What was worse we were at the very end of the chain, through Confederate disputed territory, and it was pretty clear now that 'loyalist' {to whichever faction they were loyal to} elements were interfering with, and often amending or redacting orders as they did so. Not that we'd done any different;- we'd been ready for a Contingency Order issue against GAR-South so my Stormcrow and hundreds of other relay vessels were coordinating to cut out traffic opposed to our cause. Letting out a breath as the hardened doors opened and familiar figures entered.

"Stass, Master Gallia, please, have a seat..." I told them gesturing at chairs waiting at the conference table "...we may not have much time, and matters need to be sorted now"

"How can you be so calm..."

"Adi" Stass cut off the haggard looking Adi Gallia, both a swirl of tightly controlled emotions and confusion after having access to various feeds, and speaking to Knight Kota before coming to me. Stass was stressed, but calm, but then again she had known this could happen, understood it intellectually, and Master Adi Gallia had only gotten the briefing a little after the nightmare started "Now is not the time for emotion, it is time for logic and trusting in the Force. Thank you Daron, there has been more information I assume"

Braika snorted as the bustle of activity around us continued "Too much information, all telling us nothing and making it even more confusing"

I nodded, gesturing at Braika with my right hand "As General Chorn said...there are great quantities of data starting to arrive in, but it's still only telling us variations of what we got out of our corporate offices before the lines went down. Somebody launched a coup on Coruscant, Chancellor Palpatine's revealed as a Sith, there is heavy fighting in orbit and planet-side, someone set off atom-splitters, and most importantly, all our fears have been realised in regards the Clones. At least the ones that got the ungarbled orders anyway, it's a mess out there and everything's in chaos, with even the Confederates have no clear idea of what's going on"

The nukes were a strange one actually as they were pitiful weapons by and large in the modern era, used by primitives, or by the Mandalorians as some of a terror weapon. My credits bet on Darth Sidious as they were a 'cheap' way to target someone if he'd laid them patiently, and it wasn't like out here in the Rim where such checks were common after all. Poverty and primitives, and Mandalorians of course, were more common out here after all. Still it was worrying, but far less so than the galaxy shaking events as I brought up the brief clip of Venators and star-fighters blasting each others to smithereens than had been a captured, and transmitted, by a freighter before it'd jumped out of system.

My former Jedi instructor nodded, almost herself, as she and her kinswoman sat at the indicated chairs "Force Daron I didn't think it would actually happen"

"I know...have you told the others yet...Bariss and the younglings?"

Stass shook her head "No, only Knight Secura for now as Knight Bultar is still in healing with Master Luminara and Padawan Offee. Though they know something is wrong, we can feel it in the Force, this darkening glimmer and shadow of pain"

I let out a breath "I'll...talk to Bariss and Master Luminara, I'd wanted to, but matters have demanded I do my duty first and foremost. The other reason is;- it's not just the Sith Lord that is our Chancellor calling for Jedi heads. GAR-HQ, who are apparently fighting him, believe many Jedi are siding with him..."

Master Gallia shook her head "They would not, we would not"

"It doesn't matter whether some did or didn't..." I replied calmly but as politely, kindly, as I could "...what matters is the anti-Sith side clearly believes some Jedi were involved. That's fine, for now, as GAR-South is..." I glanced at Braika who shrugged "...let's go with quasi-independent. We were expecting orders coming down to crush us, and the Jedi, not what looks like a potentially successful coup by loyalist elements of the Republic military"

Stass looked at me, studied my face before resting back in her chair "You are thinking of siding with them"

I paused, sighed "Yes, maybe...it truly depends on what the gaggle of politicians and military leaders gathered around the Tarkin family banner decides, but Stass...it may be the only way to secure the Republic against the Sith if they are truthful in what they say"

"They are call for the arrest of Jedi Daron" there was no anger or concern in her voice, just weary unhappiness masked by false serenity. I shook my head.

"Disloyal Jedi, and you are all loyal to the Republic, as attested to by the Republic Aegis Guard" I stated firmly, then brought up a map of the southern galactic rim "But it is a danger, and it's best not tempt fate by having you and the younglings remain here, or on a warship about to leave for battle soon I imagine. Right now we don't know what's going on, but some Sectors are already declaring for the Supreme Chancellor, Sith or no, while large swathes of the GAR are either swearing to GAR-HQ's orders, or simply doing like us and taking a wait and see...though we've at least locked down the Clone forces in our particular area of control"

Braika grinned "Blocked their communications, issued false commands. Hopefully they'll be de-chipped before the four of'em realise their Legions are being told something other than what Darth Old Kriffer wants"

Adi Gallia nodded slowly "That...that maybe for the best, the younglings...but where can we go, with the whole galaxy against us"

"Not the whole galaxy Adi..." Stass stated looking at me "...Daron?"

I brought up the end of the Lipec trade route, the far end of nowhere, and my home sector "My home-world Solem, or Shesagora's Karksis are one option. Our Aegis Guard controls several large bunker and training facilities there since the war began, and they are distant, safe, and less likely to attract unwarranted attention from Eriadu if trouble comes. Yes, I've spoke to the Moff, but best not to tempt fate by staying on..."

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