Star Wars Rogue Knight - Chapter 84

=RK=

Part 7

Chancellor’s suite

Senate building

Coruscant

Just one more step – that’s all Mace needed. He was almost close enough to end it all. Windu could already taste his victory. All he needed to do was to take the last step and swing down.

The Jedi pushed through the Sith’s desperate onslaught. Ice daggers stabbed into his back as lighting forks glanced off his armor. A cold wave passed through Mace. He could sense Sidious’ Shatterpoint. Just a few more moments and he would uncover it.

It didn’t mater. The Sith wasn’t going to last that long.

Windu finally took the last step. For a split second he was blinded by a virtual wall of crackling lighting before the attack abruptly cut off and he swung down his blade. It took the Jedi a heartbeat to comprehend that the Sith had somehow produced a lightsaber and was holding the locked weapons a hair breath from his forehead.

Sidious used that small opening to regain the initiative. The blades became blurs that flashed when striking each other. Yet with every clash of the lightsabers, the Sith was forced a step back.

Mace’s hands moved guidedby the Force. He feinted, and then locked blades with the Chancellor for a brief moment before using a supreme effort to overpower the old man and push his weapon away, leaving the Sith open. Windu’s spirit soared when he saw the realization in Palpatine’s eyes. The Sith attempted to jump back, though both knew it was going to be too late.

The Jedi swung his weapon aiming for a killing blow. Sidious raised his hands up in the last possible moment and they were enveloped by lighting. The Sith unleashed it into a wide ark in a last desperate bid to save himself, all the while jumping back.

Windu’s purple blade went down a moment before a lighting bolt caught him in the left shoulder. The attack had enough power behind it to spin Mace in place and sent him falling on the ground.

He didn’t care. Before the lighting struck, Windu saw his blade slicing clean through the Sith’s forearms.

However, he cared very much when the floor lifted to meet his face and the world around him roared with the echo of an explosion. One quite powerful and close at that. The feeling of Jedi dying nearby came as an unpleasant confirmation that Mace was out of time. He had to finish the Sith now.

Windu got to his feet and looked at the Jedi in the room.

“I’ll end it. Secure us a way out!” Mace shouted. He hoped that they were able to understand him, because if the ringing in his ears was anything to go by, they were all half deaf at best.

Mace’s position – looking towards the Chancellor’s private office, gave him an excellent view of a wave of fire and screaming metal coming from the outer part of the residence. It was almost immediately followed by blaster blots and couple of missiles that detonated almost immediately after flying through the door.

Only a last moment warning coming from the Force prompted Windu to avert his eyes and avoid being temporarily blinded.

The Chancellor was in a sorry state. He was cradled his ruined arms in front of his ċhėst and glaring balefully at everyone. Yet, the madman had the gall to smile at him.

“It ends now!” Windu snarled and stalked towards the Sith.

With every passing moment more explosions could be felt. More Jedi dying.

The Sith’s lips moved, however Mace couldn’t make up the words. All he knew, or really cared about right then and there was the fact that Sidious had to die for everything he caused.

The Jedi didn’t consider, or really care that a cold current was flowing through him. He had surrendered to the Force. Became one with his Vaapad and now, he would be its instrument in bringing it closer to the prophesied balance.

Instead of feeling fear at his impending demise, Palpatine was shacking with laughter.

Windu scowled. No matter. He raised his lightsaber and prepared to finish it.

The Sith slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. Mace grinned savagely.

This – his enemy being on the floor waiting for the killing blow. It few fitting.

Windu’s lightsaber descended… and instead of cutting through the Sith, he was whirling around and parrying blaster bolts flying at his back. The first few shots went to the walls and ceiling, though then Mace sent the following barrage back at the fool who interrupted him.

The Jedi glared at a woman in scorched Mandalorian armor. She was using a wrist blaster to shoot at him while keeping two other Jedi at bay with a flamethrower built into her other arm-guard.

A surge of unrelenting fury rose within Mace. He didn’t have time for this nonsense. The Sith behind him wold recover any moment now and attack him!

Windu raised a hand and channeled all the fury he was experienced through the Force without really thinking about what he was doing. The armored woman froze in place then she was lifted up by invisible grip. Mace’s clawed fingers clutched into a tightly gripped fist. The Force obeyed with some reluctance and the woman’s armor buckled then collapsed a bit around her ċhėst, breaking bones and driving them into her flesh.

Mace left her fall to the ground and turned to finish off the Sith. Hopefully the other Jedi would be capable enough to keep the enemies occupied for a few seconds.

“Fool!” Sidious cackled from the floor. “Do you think you just won?”

At least now Mace could hear again, though it wasn’t as if the Sith could say something worth listening to. Yet, Windu found himself compelled to answer.

“Yes. I really do.”

Mace used the Force to raise up Sidious and then slammed his lightsaber in the Sith’s gut.

“I might have lost…” Sidious hissed. “You haven’t won. The Dark Side has its due.”

Windu sneered. No matter what happens now, the Sith were done. He was convinced of it. There was no way that Veil would cold be more powerful than this monster and Sidious was done for.

“Can you feel it, Jedi?” The wheezed in a mocking tone. “All you did is ensure the Dark Side won.

Mace snorted. He pulled out his blade and stabbed the Sith again. And again. A monster like this shouldn’t be getting a clean death. Besides, Windu’s fury demanded something more.

A blaster bolt slammed into his back. The Jedi’s shield didn’t activate and the shot slagged a lot of his armor, making him stagger and let release the mauled Sith.

Windu’s furious gaze tracked the source of the blaster fire. His eyes fell on the prone figure of the woman whose ċhėst he just crushed. She was still somehow conscious and had defiantly raised a hand to shoot at him.

She had discarded her helmet and that allowed Windu to recognize her. It was that Mandalorian – the red head who married Veil. Despite being in obvious pain, despite the blood leaking from her mouth or the fact that she was likely already dead and simply still clinging to life of sheer stubbornness, she was glaring defiantly at him.

Then she shot at the Jedi again, though this time he contemptuously reflected her shot back, though it missed her face by a couple of centimeters, merely burning a bit of her hair.

Windu glared murderously at her. Bloody Mandalorians! There were more of the fools engaging the rest of the Jedi in close combat behind the crippled woman.

“Can’t you feel it, Master Windu? You just lost!” The Sith taunted again.

As if such lies could…

For the first time since engaging Sidious, Windu paused to properly think. Even through the red haze of his fury, he could sense the truth in the Sith’s words, but that couldn’t be! This was the Shatterpoint of the Sith! Of the Dark Side itself!

Mace frowned, then forced his will upon the Force for the first time. He needed answers, now!

The world around Windu shifted subtly. The Force obeyed, his talent finally had enough time to work too.

And he saw it…

The Shatterpoint of the Dark Side. Both of them.

He could have, should have just killed Sidious earlier. That was the best chance to break the Dark Side Mace would have ever gotten. Because, now that he was aware of what exactly happened in the last few minutes, he knew he kriffed up.

Mace Windu was the Dark Side’s second Shatterpoint. He could see himself right now. His path forward from this moment on.

That realization almost broke the Jedi, but not quite.

No. That was left for the third realization. For the last Shatterpoint he didn’t even knew was right here until it was too late.

Mace stared at the broken figure of Bo-Katan. Bo-Katan Veil, that was her name now.

She was the Shatterpoint of the Light. Veil’s too. And she was dying because of a Jedi. By Windu’s hand.

Mace let out a single, long scream that expressed all the desperation of a damned soul who saw their whole world die around them. He could hear the Sith’s mocking laughter. He could sense the promise of the Dark Side – all he had to do was surrender himself to it and the pain would be gone.

Windu blindly threw his lightsaber at the Sith. Even without looking, he knew the blade impaled Sidious in the ċhėst. With all his other wounds, the Chancellor was a dead man.

The Jedi paid no real attention to Palpatine. Instead his eyes were centered on the dying woman. While the Sith was finally silent, the same couldn’t be said about the Dark Side. Mace could still hear it whispering quietly in the back of his mind.

This… This madness was simply too much.

Bo-Katan began chocking on her blood.

Mace could feel the veil of the Dark Side falling upon the galaxy all because of his actions. He averted his eyes from the dying woman and fled.

=RK=

General Veil’s quarters

Corellian Cruiser Freedom

three hours from Kamino

Hyperspace

I was sitting cross-legged on my bed and meditating to gather my strength and clear my mind before the coming battle. I knew that no matter what we found at Kamino it was going to be ugly. My Battle Meditation might very well be needed before the day was over and I was going to need every bit of strength I was left in such a case.

However, my mind was far from Kamino right now. For the past hour the Force had been tremulous. The best way I could describe it was a real cauldron of storms, fury, fear and anticipation. Something momentous was happening and I was far away from a position to influence it.

Kriff Crimson, the fool who created it and Palpy for unleashing the never sufficiently damned thing!

A few minutes ago, the Force began practically shacking from tremors. Jedi were dying a lot of them. It was a sensation I was accustomed to from the war. The hell? Did Palpy decide to begin the purge far ahead of schedule or did the Jedi try something particularly unpleasant at the worst possible time?

I concentrated, pushed my will through the cauldron that was the Force and attempted to divine answers.

It took me some time, but eventually I was able to see some disjointed images.

A pair of Temple Guards falling upon a Clone patrol. A young Padawan – couldn’t have been older than twelve screaming in fury and charging a whole platoon who had an elderly Jedi woman surrounded and were pumping shot after shot at her. Something that suspiciously looked like Obi-Wan bleeding on the ground.

With each image I saw, my anger grew.

“Damn all Jedi! Honorless bastards, the whole lot of them!” I hissed and pushed yet further. I needed to know more.

A huge dark presence revealed itself in the Force. It was like a beacon and not hard to identify – Palpy had done hiding it seemed and bloody hell, the sheer raw power I could feel coming from him. Suddenly I was glad I didn’t do something dumb like confronting him without a lot of backup.

I dove through the Force towards Sidious’ presence and was ȧssaulted with another wave of images. I got glimpses of Palpy cackling madly and Jedi dying. Of Windu engaging the Sith Lord and somehow managing to push him back.

The Dark Side shook. It shifted and I could feel it watching me with anticipation.

The next vision was a clear one.

I saw my wife setting a Jedi on fire with a flamethrower – good girl. The perspective changed. I saw Windu glaring at Bo, raising his hand, no bloody hell, then he simply crushed her ċhėst.

All I knew then was fury, which I channeled right back into the Force. My mind gripped the image, which was trying to flee and I used it as an anchor to seek Bo through the Force. It tool almost everything I got, yet thanks to both the vision and Palpy’s fading presence acting as beacons I could locate my wife even if she was right across the galaxy.

My mind brushed hers. I could sense her pain, her anger. It stroked my fury into a blinding rage.

Not again! I wouldn’t lose another wife to the kriffing Jedi! I would see the galaxy burn before I allow it!

I used the wisp of a connection we had and poured all my power through it, with one directive – Heal! The Force surged through me, fighting to push even a tiny bit of energy through the vast gulf separating me from Bo. I felt as if my body was on fire and didn’t care, instead I grasped for more and more power.

I knew that a small trickle of healing energy somehow reached Bo, but that wasn’t enough. I needed more! I pushed further and every cell in my body lit up with agony. I screamed, but didn’t stop. I couldn’t!

Palpatine’s presence vanished, then the vision of Bo dying on the ground shattered and I my awareness was violently shoved back firmly into my body was so hot I felt like melting. Sweat was leaking from every pore in my skin and every rasping breath I could gasp sent red hot daggers of indescribable pain straight into my lungs.

I don’t know how long I writhed in pain on the ground before my body could bleed off all the Force energy I was channeling without killing me. I was vaguely aware that if I had not gotten my body rebuilt back in the day, this experience wouldhave killed me. It may still do it in the coming days and weeks.

No! I snarled. I couldn’t let myself die. I needed to find out what happened to my wife. If Bo died…

I used my fury to push the agony away. The pain didn’t matter. My wife did. Making sure the Jedi – both new and old pay for their crimes did!

I used the wall to pull myself into a sitting position. My gaze passed over my hand and what I saw gave me pause. I raised my arm, turned it around and looked at my fingers. My skin was leathery, shivered. For the first time since I could remember, my arm looked like my real age.

I slowly got up and dragged myself to the fresher. I was still burning and needed water. Mirror too.

It took me a minute to stumble into the fresher gulp some water and finally look at myself. An old man in his late eighties or early nineties looked back with two blazing yellow eyes.

Yeah, I practically burned through my body all right. I just hoped I gave Bo a chance, that would make it worth it.

Bo, damn it…

I glared at the mirror. Despite the agony I knew it was going to cause me, I used the Force to activate the comm built in just outside the fresher.

“Officer of the Watch, this is General Veil. Have Admiral Holt meet me in the Flag Bridge in thirty minutes.” I hissed and cut of the connection.

I could no longer afford to waste any time on Kamino so it was time to change the plans. But first I needed to brew myself an alchemy concoction that would allow me to operate without crashing for the next few days. With my body practically kriffed up, I no longer needed to particularly care about the nastier long term side effects of the more potent stuff I could create. My body wasn’t going to last more than a few months at this rate anyway.

=RK=

Part 8

Chancellor’s quarters

Senate building

Coruscant

Sidious was dying.

Even his mastery over the Dark Side wasn’t enough to sustain him his gutted body for long. It was only his anger, pain and glee fueling the Force within him that let him cling to life for so long. At least that allowed the Sith to see those Mandalorian fellas slaughter all the Jedi they could get their hands on. Sidious felt even more of the fools die outside of his sight, yet that force damned bastard Windu was getting away.

The Chancellor snarled at the thought. The man killed him. He had to die for that.

The bloody smile was back on Sidious lips when his eyes fell upon the dying form of Veil’s wife. That single fact somehow broke the light. The good general would be out for blood now. Sidious for once hoped that someone would succeed where he failed and kill Windu. Perhaps if he lived long enough he could personally slam the last nail in the Jedi’s coffin instead of relying on contingencies…

Sidious chuckled and that made his ruined lungs convulse sending his body into a shacking fit. H used the pain to draw a bit more of the Force, though he was already feeling his power slip through his grasp. It wouldn’t be long now. Yet, perhaps he could still have his chance. The fighting in the immediate vicinity was dying out.

The Chancellor sighed. All he could do right now was cling to his life for as long as possible and wait. Hardly a fitting end for a Sith Lord.

No matter. He would have the last laugh anyway. There were contingencies in place. One way or another Order 66 would go to the Clones across the galaxy and that would be just the beginning. Soon after he died all his blackmail material on the Senate would be released. In this situation it would be more than enough to at least paralyze the Senate, throw the Republic into chaos, perhaps shatter it.

Let Veil and whoever else was left pick up the pieces if they were strong enough. Sidious would have his revenge no matter what.

The Chancellor’s musings were interrupted by a new group of Mandalorians storming his private office. He saw most of them charge the few remaining Jedi who were fighting with their backs pressed to the wall where his desk used to be.

Damn it, that was one nice and comfortable desk!

Sidious chased that odd thought out of his mind and returned his attention on the Mandalorians. Two medics were busy tending Veil’s life.

“She needs a trauma center right now.” One shot at their apparent leader – another armored woman who was hovering nervously above them.

What drew Palpatine’s attention to her was the sheer fury he could sense coming from her. Ah. The Duchess. So much for her pacifism. Right now she felt deliciously murderous. Well, that at least proved that family was useful for something.

“That or a stasis pod.” The other medic nodded, though none of them slowed down their ministrations.

“Do what you can.” Satine snapped.

The battle behind the Duchess was finally over. Palpatine gleefully saw the Jedi being shot to pieces and immolated with flamethrowers. That image by itself was enough to buy him a minute or two – it was that potent fuel for the Dark Side.

“Ambassador…” The Chancellor wheezed. Now that the battle was no longer raging right on top of them, he could be heard. Barely.

Satine’s head snapped in his direction. She examined him for a moment, then shook her head. Yeah, his injuries were mortal. At least she deigned to come closer so she could hear him.

“We need more medics over here. Get some of the Clones in here now!” The Duchess ordered in her comm, then came and knelt to look him in the eyes. “Chancellor.” She nodded.

“Ambassador…” Sidious was wracked by another set of convulsions.

“You’re dying.” Satine bluntly stated the obvious.

“Thank you, I hadn’t noticed.” Palpatine’s sarcasm was cut through by a coughing fit. “Do you have a recording device? I have one last order to give. This treason can’t be allowed to prosper. How did you know to come?”

“Yes. They struck GAR HQ first. A few troopers managed to get away and tried to raise the alarm.” Satine answered.

“The Jamming.” Palpatine nodded.

“Kriff. We need more medics now!” A Clone shouted. “The Primary needs a hospital.” A pause. “No, I don’t care. Get us reinforcements right now and shoot everything and everyone that gets in your way!” The soldier snapped, then he made his way in the smashed living room.

“Sir…” The Clone trailed off when he could clearly see the Chancellor’s state. “I’m sorry, sir. We’re too late.” He added numbly.

“No matter. You stand as witness. I have one last order…” Sidious rasped. “Make sure it goes to the GAR at large.”

“I will, sir!” The Clone straightened up.

“This is Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, identification…” It took almost everything he had left to dictate his codes without interruption. Most of the rest went into suppressing his coughing for long enough to actually give the order. “The Jedi are executing a coup on Coruscant. I’m myself mortally wounded. GAR HQ has been attacked in an attempt to decapitate the military.” Palpatine coughed out a coagulating glob of blood. The world was getting dimmer, distant. He put everything he had left to strengthen his voice. “All GAR personnel, execute Contingency Order 66. This treason can’t be left to succeed…” Sidious rasped.

Why was so dark? The veil of the Dark Side embraced him like a warm cloak and there was no more pain.

=RK=

“You heard the Chancellor. Make sure that his orders gets to the troops.” Satine sighed. “Am I correct to ȧssume its meant for precisely this kind of thing?”

“Yes, ma’am. We’re to deal with the Jedi if they betray the Republic.” The Clone answered.

“This counts I think.”

“Yes. Excuse me, ma’am.” The Clone nodded at Satine. “You two, stay with the Chancellor and do what you can for him. The rest of you, follow me. We need to get to a comm unit that can burn through the jamming.”

=RK=

GAR HQ

Coruscant

Finding Tiin wasn’t hard. All Anakin and the Clones behind him had to do was follow the sound of battle and the bodies.

There were dozens of gunned or cut apart Clones they had to run over. Even more dead or wounded, not all of whom were part of the security forces. From what Skywalker could see, at least a third of the casualties if not more were either officers or technicians who simply worked in here. A lot of them weren’t even armed. They were just gunned down for being in the way.

As if that wasn’t enough to anger the young Jedi even further, what he could feel through the Force would have guaranteed it anyway.

Jedi were dying on Coruscant. A lot of them and some were people who he knew well. People he trained with.

Friends.

When Anakin finally caught up to Tiin and his traitors, he was furious. He didn’t bother offering them a chance to surrender. Even if he could, even if they hadn’t been bust taking apart the last squad of a platoon that stood its ground in a futile attempt to stop them, Skywalker wouldn’t have done it.

He was too angry to even consider it. Instead he went on the offensive. Just as Tiin cut through the last Clone in his way, Anakin jumped forward and slammed his lightsaber in the back of a traitor obviously backing the rogue Jedi Master. Skywalker used the corpse to cushion his fall and whipped his blade up, thus cutting off the left arm of another traitor.

The rest of the enemies finally comprehended that they were being hit from behind, however it was too late. Anakin used the Force to sent them all tumbling on the floor behind him, where the sergeant following him and his men could gun them down at their leisure. That left him facing Tiin.

“I should have known. You’ve chosen the Sith.” Tiin shook his head and went on the offensive.

Those bizarre words caught Anakin off guard and made him pause for a moment. The hell? What Hutt spawned madness was this?!

The brief confusion was enough to give Tiin the initiative. Their blades clashed and Anakin was forced to take a step back, then another.

Mad or not, Tiin was actually quite good. That much Anakin had to grudgingly admit to himself. The man might have less talent for lightsaber combat than him, yet the Jedi Master made up for that with sheer experience.

Skywalker scowled. That bastard attacked Obi-Wan and left him for dead! He couldn’t be let to get away!

Anakin’s anger began enhancing his blows. His speed grew when instead of trying to clear up his head he embraced it and used it as fuel.

The lightsabers slammed in each other with enough power that the hilt in Skywalker’s hands actually shook. The blades met again and again – every attack was anticipated and either parriedor avoided by a hair breadth. Anakin had seldom felt stronger than he did right now, yet Tiin was meeting every swing with a ferocious blow of his own. The young Jedi could feel the anger coming from the older man. They were both using that emotion and to his uncomfortable surprise, they were currently evenly matched.

Skywalker grimaced. He needed more power. He had to win, to make sure the madness was over so he could go check on Padme!

The moment he thought about his wife, his anger shifted. It was a cold thing now, full of determination. What’s more, the very thought about Padme, the emotion coming when it recalled a fleeting image of her, it gave Anakin even more strength. He embraced it, welded it to his anger and pressed forward.

For a few seconds Tiin managed to hold his ground, yet then the initiative shifted. Anakin became subtly faster. Stronger. This time it was Tiin who took a step back. Then another and the Jedi Master finally lost the initiative. Tiin had to continue retreating to avoid Anakin’s blade.

=RK=

Republic cruiser “Pillar of Eternity”

High orbit above Coruscant

“Captain, we just got a tight beam transmission from GAR base Keito. GAR HQ is under attack. They’ve got unconfirmed reports of attacks on the Senate and our R&D facilities planet side and require immediate reinforcements on those locations. Their QRF is already on the way and they’re mobilizing.” The Comm officer reported.

“I see.” Captain Pharl McQuarrie nodded. “Launch the CAP. I want every Clone Trooper we have head for the armories and then the hangar. They’ll be going planet side soon. Comms, give me a fleet wide channel. Patch those ONI people in too.” The captain ordered.

He might have been in charge of a just a light cruiser recently, a new hand in running a major vessel, not to mention one of the more junior captains in the Coruscant defense fleet, yet none of that meant he didn’t know his duty. Their people on the ground needed help, now and he wasn’t content to sit by while someone was probably trying to pull off a coup – no matter if it was really the Jedi, the Separatist or even ONI.

“You’re on, sir.”

“Thank you. This is captain Pharl McQuarrie. My ship just received a reinforcements request from GAR base Keito. We’ve got confirmation of an attack on GAR HQ as well as possible ȧssault in progress upon the Senate and other vital facilities. I’m dispatching my ground compliment with fighter escort as we speak and I advise you to do the same.” McQuarrie paused. “Director Yle, I advise you that the force under your command shouldn’t interfere with my small craft.”

“Sir, we’re being targeted by the ONI squadron!” The Clone in charge of tactical exclaimed in disbelief.

“Return the favor. Is our squadron ready to back us up?”

“Renown stands by us.” The Comm officer reported. “Warrior too. The escorts are moving in to screen us.”

“What about the rest of the fleet?” The Captain asked while examining the tactical plot.

“Magnificent is launching fighters and ȧssault shuttles. Vice Admiral Grad is demanding that the ONI ships stand down…”

“Damn it…” McQauirre cursed.

He could clearly see a whole bomber wing swing from their station near the ONI ships and had straight for the Magnificent and Grad.

“Sir, admiral Grad is hailing the fleet.”

“Put him on speakers.”

“This is Vice Admiral Grad. I’m ȧssuming command of the fleet. Director Yle, order your bombers to break off and stand out, I won’t warn you again. All GAR elements in orbit, launch your ground units ASAP. Priority is securing the Senate, GAR HQ and all vital Republic military government and civilian facilities planet side. We’ll sort out this mess when order down there is restored.”

“That’s negative, admiral Grad. You’re interfering with an ONI operation. Stand down, or your action will be considered treason and I will be forced to open fire!” Yle snapped.

There was a long pause.

“This isn’t your call to make. ONI answers to GAR High Command and the Navy. You will stand down now, Director.” Grad shot back.

McQauirre could see the Magnificent’s escorts move in to block the bombers path. The cruiser was launching fighters too and the captain was sure that its Guardian system was already targeting the incoming small craft.

“Magnificent, Pillar of Eternity, this is your final warning. Stand down or we’ll open fire!” Yle ordered.

“Target her Flagship. Weapons, if they open fire, respond in kind.” McQauirreordered.

In the end it was the admiral who acted first. The bombers flying at the Magnificent crossed an invisible line and the cruiser’s Guardian opened fire. Couple of seconds later, the ONI squadron andtheir allies began firing.

“Fire at will.” McQuarrie ordered. “Launch the transports when ready and move in to screen them.” The captain frowned as he watched the tactical plot.

Most of the fleet chose to remain neutral, though almost a third of it was converging on the ONI ships. At least there were dozens of ȧssault shuttles and LAATs heading for the surface from the ships whose captains were prudent enough to have them prepare earlier. If he got away clean from this mess, McQauirre was going to keep a QRF ready in or near the hangars so they could be deployed at a moment’s notice.

Then he dismissed that thought and concentrated on the unfolding space battle. Most of ONI’s ships were light cruisers and other escorts. Their Cathar and other allies were in fact more dangerous and the only reason why they might last longer than it would take the ships backing the Admiral to get to grips with them. At least the spooks would be too busy surviving to mess up with the reinforcements dashing to Coruscant.

=RK=

Security Center

GAR HQ

Coruscant

“Colonel, the jamming is gone! Our comms are still kriffed up but we can at least receive transmissions!” A technician exclaimed.

“Good. Get them fixed. Try figuring out what the kriff is happening outside!” Zack ordered and went over to check for himself.

“We need reinfor…argh…”

“This is captain Felix Noon of the Senate Guard! Case Black, I say again, Case Black! We’re under attack by Jedi and Cathar forces and need immediate reinforcements! All loyalist GAR personnel, be advised, ONI units are ȧssisting the coup attempt!”

“This is captain McQauirre, from the Pillar of Eternity, reinforcements are on the way…”

“This is Commander Asp, identification… Primary is secure. We need reinforcements and medical personnel on site ASAP! The Primary is critically wounded! Be advised, we’ve got Mandalorian personnel on site and they’re friendly. I say again, the Mandos are friendly! Further, I’ve got an order to transmit from the primary…”

From what Zack could gather, things outside were just as chaotic as withing GAR HQ itself if not more so. He was about to ask the tech again about the comms, when he heard the Chancellor’s voice come over an open channel from the Senate.

Zack heard the confirmation about a Jedi coup being in progress. Heard Palpatine’s authorization and identificationcodes. Though what really mattered in the end was just one sentence: “Execute Contingency Order 66.”

It came from the Chancellor. It was lawful and that’s all that mattered.

Zack and his brothers were trained even from before birth to obey orders, especially the contingency ones. While technically he had the freedom to disobey, he wasn’t really capable of it. Nor did he want to given the circumstances.

“Get me the comms operational, now!” Zack snapped to the technicians. “And get me on all loudspeakers and comms within the building.”

=RK=

“This is colonel Zack. We just got a transmission from the Chancellor. A Jedi coup is confirmed to be in progress. The Chancellor authorized Contingency Order 66. I repeat, execute Order 66!”

Palpatine was still alive, good! Anakin smiled briefly just as Tiin stiffened. A moment later Skywalker followed suit when the sergeant behind him spoke.

“Stand the kriff down, both of you, or we’ll open fire! You’re under arrest!”

“What?!” Anakin exclaimed. He dared to glance back and froze when he saw all the Clones pointing their blasters at him and Tiin.

“Order 66 is in effect. You’re under arrest. If you resist we’re to terminate you on the spot, Jedi.” The sergeant snapped back.

Tiin bolted and the Clones opened fire at him. Anakin was forced to deflect a few blaster bolts coming his way, which prompted the soldiers to concentrate on him.

“I’ll stand down, just stop shooting at me!” Skywalker exclaimed. He felt that something was terribly wrong and somehow knew that right now he was on a cross-roads that would determine his future.

The Clones continued to fire at him, making him slowly fall back. It was only thanks to the armor he wore during his training and the built in shield that the few shots that passed through his lightsaber didn’t prove fatal.

Anakin scowled and unleashed a telekinetic wave that sent the Clones off their feet. He was torn. What was the right call? Go on the offensive? Retreat? Surrender? Chase Tiin?