Chapter 2 – Order 66

Author's Note: Look at the chapter title if you want details. :)

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~ Amina Gila

The hallways are swarming with clones, and from the sheer numbers of them here, it makes Anakin wonder, distantly, if the entire Coruscant Guard was brought here. All around him, he can feel the screams, the pain, the death. It hurts the Force, the Light, and it hurts him, too, the human part of him, that is. The Force part of him is satisfied, sucking in the sheer devastation as the Dark is fueled.

There is a reason that Anakin became one of the best Generals in the GAR, and that wasn't only because of his brilliant tactical abilities. Part of it was because of his strength with Force, because of how he could face seemingly impossible odds and survive. Never once did Anakin think that he would be forced to turn those abilities on his very own allies. Betrayal burns heavily within him, and he doesn't hold back as he stalks down the first hall, slaughtering his way through all the clones in his path.

He is good at stealth, and he uses that to his advantage. The longer he can stay hidden, out of sight, the better, because it will give him the element of surprise.

The clones know the Jedi well, but Anakin is… an outlier. He always has been. He has always stood out and been different, if not for one reason, then for another, but never did he think he would be grateful for it. These clones don't know him; they don't know him, don't know how to counter him, and he'll use that.

The Force is with him, the Dark Side is with him, and Anakin does not hold back. He moves through the Temple halls like a blur, a specter of darkness, a lethal killing machine. He cuts through blasters, limbs, and bodies alike, avoiding looking at the dead Jedi – and clones – lying all over the floors as he seeks out those who are still alive to give them a chance. He's tapped so deeply into the Force now that he can feel it, the ebb and flow of life, the pinpricks of fear and despair in the Temple as opposed to the blank spots of light that are now the clones.

Something is wrong with them, but he doesn't have time to think about it, to try and figure out what's wrong, lest by the time he has an answer, all the Jedi will have fallen. Anakin might be curious and desperate for answers, but not so much so that he'll put all those who are living in danger.

He pushes forwards, and the first living Jedi that he encounters is Cin Drallig and a few Padawans, one of which is his, standing back-to-back, surrounded by clones on all sides. At least two of them have already sustained blaster burns, and Anakin reaches out with the Force, wrapping it around the clones' necks and with a flick of his wrist, sending them crashing into the wall. He can hear the sounds of bones snapping as they limply collapse onto the floor, either injured, dead, or unconscious.

"Knight Skywalker," the head of the Temple Guard realizes, blinking, eyes wide with shock at Anakin's sudden appearance. "Thank you for coming."

"Think nothing of it," he answers dismissively. "What has happened? I do not understand why the clones are here. What is their objective?" Anakin feels strangely empty, devoid of emotions, though it's not an uncommon feeling for him to have in the heat of battle, the Force singing through him strongly enough to overpower whatever makes him… him. He is an extension of the Force in those moments and now as well.

And he needs answers.

"I do not know why they are here," Drallig tells him, "But they have been killing every single Jedi they come across, irrespective of age or health."

Anakin breathes out, nodding sharply, eyes flickering towards the Padawans, unable to stop overhearing their murmured, awed, fearful whispers.

"– using the Dark Side!"

"– eyes yellow, and –"

"– save us, though."

"Is he still a Jedi, then? Or a Sith?"

"– on our side, so it doesn't matter!"

He dismisses them as unimportant, especially when he hears the sounds of more footsteps marching down the hall. This is war. There is no time for idle observations. So what if he's using the Dark Side? So what if he Fell? So what if his eyes have turned yellow, or somewhat yellow? He's still doing what needs to be done; he's still the same person he was before.

"And the Temple Guards? I have seen nothing of their presences while fighting."

"They are… gone," Drallig tells him, subdued. "They were killed almost immediately by a traitor." Ah, yes, that one, then, no doubt.

"Run," Anakin orders the Jedi, shifting and raising his lightsaber to face the oncoming wave of troopers. "Get to safety. I will hold them off for you."

"But what about you?" protests one of the Padawans.

"He'll be fine," Drallig replies before Anakin can, and he wonders, momentarily, if he should be touched that the head of the Temple Guard has such faith in Anakin's abilities, or if he should be upset that the Jedi have no care whatsoever for his wellbeing. He doesn't look back at them as they run down the hall, disappearing through a door which closes only seconds before the first clones come around the corner and open fire.

There are no more than twenty of them.

The battle doesn't last very long.

**w**

Hours earlier

"The time has come," the hooded figure of Darth Sidious tells Balian Valor. Balian stands in a private alcove, his back turned to the hallway, so no one will be able to see the transmission and get alarmed. "It is time for Knightfall, Valor."

"As you say, my Lord," he replies, bowing his head, feeling the first stirrings of excitement surging up within him. He might be a Temple Guard, but he has grown so very tired of the corruption and complacency among the Jedi Order. Throwing out an underage Padawan for a crime she never committed? It was the final straw for him, the final thing which pushed him over the edge, which made him see the truth and embrace the Dark Side.

He has hidden it well, of course, and no one is the wiser.

Over time, he and Darth Sidious have made plans for the final downfall of the Jedi, and he, Balian Valor, will be instrumental in their destruction. While he might not know everything of the plan, he knows enough. He knows that it is crucial that the Temple Guards be taken down as quickly and quietly as possible so they can't sound the alarm or raise the defenses, making it easier for the Jedi to be overwhelmed when they are attacked.

It's a good thing that he's such a high-ranking member of the Temple Guard, a Jedi Master, in fact, and one to whom many of the Guard answer.

"One more thing," Sidious declares. "I want you to find Anakin Skywalker. Subdue him and bring him to me by whatever means are necessary. He is… instrumental."

His brow furrows, though it is hidden behind the mask on his face. "You do not want me to kill him?" he asks, clarifying.

"No," Sidious affirms. "Alive and preferably unharmed."

"I will do as you command."

Balian ends the transmission, tucking away his commlink and walking towards the center where the Temple Guards are stationed; he's been here long enough that he knows all of the guard rotations and schedules.

He enters the room, shutting the doors, moving to a computer console, and entering a few commands, jamming all communications inside the Temple. It can be overruled, but once the fighting starts, who will take the time to do that? He tries not to wonder why Sidious is so adamant on Skywalker's capture. One that powerful could do immense damage. But… it is not his place to question his new master's orders, and besides, he has a suspicion anyways. Sidious wants Skywalker alive, because he wants him to be his apprentice, doesn't he.

And when Balian ignites his lightsaber, cutting down the Temple Guards around him almost before they realize what's happening, he feels nothing but a grim, sick sort of satisfaction.

It is time for one Order to fall and a new one to rise.

**w**

In her quarters, Shaak Ti kneels, drifting in the currents of the Force as she meditates. She has felt, of course, the major disturbances happening in the Force, and she knows of the attack on the Temple, the many Jedi dying all over the galaxy. It hurts, but she banishes those feelings, keeping her focus solely on embracing the Light and feeding it to those Jedi in the Temple who are still living, who are still strong, who need help and support.

It is a form of battle meditation, and it's the only thing that might buy some of the Jedi enough time to flee. Though she knows it would probably help if she was to join in the fight, she feels that her mission is here. By embracing the Light and feeding its warmth and strength to those Jedi in need, she can amplify their power by sharing her own. It might give them a greater chance, even if she herself falls.

She can feel the clones drawing closer, but she doesn't waver, doesn't let herself come out of her meditative trance. The door behind her opens – Shaak Ti can feel it, though she is too deep in the Force to actually hear it – and a myriad of thoughts race through her mind. She can withdraw from the trance and fight back, defending herself, or she can remain, offering the last vestiges of her power to her fellow Jedi.

It isn't a very hard choice, especially since she can't truly imagine raising her lightsaber against the clones she watched on Kamino. They were hers as much as they could be given their… situation and her position as a Jedi. But she watched them, trained them, ensured that they would be the best soldiers they could be for the Republic.

Maybe she doesn't understand why this is happening, but she doesn't need to, anyways.

She cannot turn her lightsaber onto the clones. She can't.

A sudden flare of fear and pain and darkness draws her attention, and Shaak Ti opens her eyes, the flow of power evaporating as she emerges from her trance in time to hear the clones choking. She jolts to her feet, whirling around to see Skywalker himself standing there, arm outstretched as he strangles three clones with the Force. He crushes their necks with a sickening crunch, dropping the lifeless bodies onto the floor.

"Skywalker," she says intelligently, feeling something akin to fear when she feels the sheer darkness pooling around him, and when he turns towards her, she can see that his irises have bled yellow. He – he is Fallen. He is a Sith in every way that matters, and he doesn't even seem to realize it. Or maybe he just doesn't care.

"Master," he answers, dipping his head in a fleeting gesture of respect, "You should run. Do not sacrifice yourself here for nothing. If you survive, you can carry on the fight. I will remain here."

Shaak Ti can't help but feel a flicker of surprise at his words. It's especially unsettling given that he is so dark, but it doesn't seem to change his behavior – Skywalker has always been far too self-sacrificing for his own good, from what she's heard – which goes against everything she has been taught about the Dark Side. Shouldn't he be more… selfish? Trying to save himself at the cost of others?

"You should leave too, while you still can," she tells him, careful to keep her distance. While she is grateful that he saved her, it is still very unsettling to see him like this.

He laughs, short and hard. "Me?" he echoes, sounding amused, incredulous, and surprised at once. "No. I am staying." He twirls his lightsaber, golden eyes flicking to the halls outside her quarters. "I am – I can fight, Master. I will not die here."

The Force itself seems to echo those words, drawing in around him with a level of power that is both staggering and terrifying. Never before has Shaak Ti seen Skywalker like this, and she doesn't know if she ever wants to, again. It wasn't until now that she truly grasps what it means for him to be the Chosen One. At his words, the Force bends, yields, as if he can will something into existence merely because of who and what he is.

"Go," he says again, a little more gently, "Help those who you can. Flee this place. I will cover for you."

Skywalker steps back into the hall, treading so lightly that she can't even hear him, moving with a swiftness and speed that should be impossible for someone of his size. He is a predator on the prowl, and she has no desire to be anywhere nearby when he goes for the next kill. Casting him one final glance, Shaak Ti turns and hurries the opposite direction, heading for a secret exit from which she might be able to successfully escape.

He is right. All she can do now is run and hope for the best.

**w**

The stench of death hangs heavily in the air, in the Force, smoke from blasterfire and explosions clouding the hallways, but the battle is far from over. It's been hours with little to no reprieve, and while Anakin has some minor injuries, he's mostly unscathed, though that's probably thanks to his new power boost.

The clones have realized how big of a threat he is, and they're compensating accordingly. No longer are they coming after him with stunbolts, when they recognize him that is, but rather, they're shooting to kill. They've used all sorts of tricks, but Anakin is ready for them. He's been fully expecting them to try using explosives and lure him into traps with other Jedi as bait. He has always had a policy about springing traps, though, and with the Force this strong, speaking to him more clearly than ever before, it is all for naught.

He can feel the clones' lives in the Force, and he can feel where they are. He knows when they're coming and what they're planning. With his level of foresight, there is nothing they can do against him. Nothing at all. Except die, of course.

And there's another trap ahead of him now.

Boring.

Are they just going to march straight towards him in a straight line and start shooting? Again? Seriously. His own men would have been far more creative, and it's for that reason that Anakin is really grateful they aren't here. Aside from how dangerous it would be to him, personally, it would also make it that much harder to kill them. As it is, slaughtering his way through the clones is extremely taxing on his… mental state, but he doesn't stop, because he can't. He failed the younglings, and he won't fail anyone else. Not if he can help it.

He extinguishes his lightsaber as he waits in the middle of the hall, hood pulled over his head to help him blend into the darkness better. Inhaling slowly, Anakin taps into the Force, letting its power flow through him, washing away the exhaustion that's nagging at him. He's been killing for what feels like hours. It probably has been hours by now; it's pitch-black outside, and the attack began towards evening.

And then, the clones approach, swarming him from all sides as they open fire. It's a well-set trap, to be sure, but Anakin has the Force as his ally, and it is telling him that he will not die this day. If he does, he thinks he might be alright with that, too, so long as he can cover for the surviving Jedi who are escaping. Every single Jedi he's come across, he's told the same thing: run. They are; he can feel it. Some of them, he's been able to track until they reach outside the Temple. The building is massive, and no one knows it better than those who live here.

Even though dozens of blaster bolts are speeding towards him, it's as though everything is moving in slow motion as Anakin throws out a hand, temporarily slowing the bolts of energy with the Force. It's not something he's ever done before, at least not to this degree, but with this kind of power flowing through him, with the Dark Side whispering seductive promises to him, he feels unbeatable. And then, he spins through the moving energy like a whirlwind, deflecting each of them backwards with a precise aim that is sure to injure – if not kill – the troops who are attacking him.

As he cuts through the clones attacking him, he sees, up ahead, a group of younglings lying dead. These are distinctly not Padawans, because they don't have the Padawan braids that the ones he encountered earlier do. And from somewhere, somewhere not far, he can feel fear. He reaches towards it, pulling it into the dark vortex whirling around him in the Force as he Force shoves the last few clones backwards so hard that he can hear their bones breaking on impact with the wall.

He hates feeling their pain and fear as much as he drinks it in, and he breaks their necks, giving them a fast, painless death. Smoke and debris hover in the air as everything falls silent again. Another fight has been won, and it's probably one of the last, too. Even though he strains his ears, he cannot hear blasterfire anymore, not like earlier. And the feeling of death, while still smothering, is lessening as fewer people die.

But he can still feel that fear.

Closing his eyes, he looks around himself with the Force, tracking it to its source, moving slowly, and when he opens his eyes and looks down, there's a child at his feet, one of the younglings, except this one… is still alive.

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