Star Wars - Altered Path 2
Aaaaand I wrote more.
Here.
Have it.
Chapter 2
Phantom Death
Obi-Wan rubbed his sleeve across his sweaty brow and surveyed what he could see of the battlefield from Boga’s saddle. Streamers of smoke drifted up from various spots on the different levels of the vast sinkhole where the remains of wrecked battle droids burned. The occasional explosion and bursts of blaster fire still echoed against the rock walls, but it was much quieter than it had been several hours previously during the height of the battle.
But as in-control as the sinkhole seemed, there were several pockets in connecting tunnels and neighboring sinkholes where Separatist forces were still putting up a solid fight. Unless those pockets of resistance received reinforcements somehow, they would be taken care of by the clone troopers. It was simply a matter of time.
Utapau would be liberated.
“This is taking too long,” he muttered to himself, anxiously brushing his fingertips against the hilt of his lightsaber.
He had located General Grievous within hours of landing on the planet. He had engaged and slain the warrior cyborg shortly after that. And the last few hours had seen his forces grinding down the battle droids all over the sinkhole city.
It was his swiftest and most successful campaign of the war to date…and it was taking far too long.
Ever since that odd and terrible feeling struck him through the Force a formless and growing dread had settled over him. It made it very hard to focus on the present task of clearing out the Separatist forces. And with every passing moment it grew worse.
The Jedi Master knew that he ought to be checking in on the remaining battlefronts to see if his intervention could speed things along. Then, he ought to find out if the members of his contingent’s intelligence unit had managed to find out where General Grievous had sent the Separatist Ruling Council. And then, he ought to make plans to complete the pacification of the Separatists on Utapau and pursue the Ruling Council, pending the High Council’s permission.
Wearily shaking his head, Obi-Wan snapped Boga’s reigns and sent the Varactyl hurtling down the side of the sinkhole towards the central command post in the middle levels of the sinkhole where his commanders managed his clone troops.
“Hello General,” a helmet-less Commander Cody greeted as the enormous feathered lizard skidded to a halt by the cluster of communications equipment. “How was the view up there?”
“It was excellent,” Obi-Wan replied, hiding his worry behind a smile. “You and your brothers are doing very well, as usual.”
“Thank you, sir!” Cody nodded at the praise.
“How are the mopping-up operations going?” the Jedi General asked.
“There are a few trouble spots where the enemy has managed to dig in, but we’re moving in some artillery to take care of them. Unless something changes, I estimate we’ll finish the fighting before we lose the last of the sunlight, Sir.”
“Good,” Obi-Wan nodded sharply. “That’s very good news. I can leave things in your hands, then.”
“General?” the Commander immediately turned concerned. “Has something happened?”
“Yes. I don’t know what caused it but there was a terrible disturbance in the Force, and it’s left me with a bad feeling…” Again Obi-Wan reached out into the Force in hopes of sensing some kind of answer, but only a murky numbness responded to his touch. “I’ll be returning to Coruscant and some other Jedi will be dispatched to take my place as soon as possible. Contact Geenine and have him bring my Eta-2 to the nearest landing pad.”
“Right away, Sir,” the clone agreed and gestured to one of his subordinates to make it so. “Any further orders, General?”
“After the neutralization of all Separatist battle droids the next highest priority is determining where the Ruling Council has fled,” the Jedi general replied. “Any leads as to their location must be reported to the Jedi High Council on Coruscant immediately.”
Cody nodded. “Understood.”
“Excellent.” Obi-Wan managed a smile. “Carry on.”
The troopers gave him salutes and he sent his Varactyl mount bounding towards the nearest landing platform on the far side of the sinkhole and several dozen levels up.
Whatever is happening…please don’t let me be too late.
***
Jedi Master Tsui Choi gently urged his large Can-Cell insect mount to bank away from the beach battlefield and land on the sheltered tree platform that housed the central command node of the Kashyyyk campaign. As it landed, the Aleena Jedi leapt from its thorax and trotted into the shaded portion where Master Yoda stood leaning on his walking stick, eyes closed in a meditative trance. Tsui paused a meter away and waited patiently for the ancient master to leave his trance and notice his presence.
“Punctual, you are, Master Choi,” Yoda greeted with his eyes still closed.
“You summoned me, Master,” Tsui chirped, bowing respectfully to the slightly shorter Jedi.
“That I did,” the Grand Master replied, slowly opening his eyes. “Good your comprehension of Shyriiwook is?”
“I believe so, Master,” Tsui nodded. “I’ve not had any difficulties speaking to any of the Wookiee troops so far.”
“Good,” Yoda smiled faintly. “Introduce you, I shall, to the Wookiee commanders. Then depart, I must, for Coruscant. Leave command of this front to you, I will.”
“Master Yoda?” Tsui sputtered. “You’re leaving?! Has something happened?”
“Yes, something, indeed, has happened. What it is, however, I cannot discern.” The aged master frowned slightly and ran a clawed hand over his remaining wisps of white hair. “Know only that called back to Coruscant by the Force, I am.”
“I see,” the Aleena nodded, wide-eyed. “What of Master Unduli?”
“Busy, she is, countering a Trandoshan strike to the South,” Yoda explained. “A message I will leave for her when completed her mission is.”
“Ah,” Tsui Choi bowed slightly in response, signaling his understanding and acceptance. “I shall do my best to carry on the battle in your stead, Master.”
The Grand Master smiled in satisfaction and beckoned for the other Jedi follow. “Come. To the Wookiee leaders I shall introduce you.”
“Yes, Master,” Tsui Choi agreed with a bow and scampered after Yoda on his short legs.
A hundred half-formed questions buzzed through Tsui’s mind, but he set them aside. Kashyyyk was a vitally important world to the Republic and shortly the responsibility for defending it would rest solely on his own narrow shoulders. He needed to put his full focus on the task at hand, and leave Master Yoda to follow the Force’s call.
There would be time later for all his questions, and their answers.
***
Jedi Master Shaak Ti sat in her quarters and meditated as the sun slowly crept over the horizon. She had not slept, nor would she be likely to get any sleep until after the Senate was apprised of the Supreme Chancellor’s demise. Instead, while Mace received more extensive medical attention in the Healer’s Wing, she reflected on the most recent events of the war, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine’s true nature, the loss of a full third of the High Council, the actions of Dar’ti Vader, and what she had learned from Jedi Knight Kepor Dacci.
Knight Dacci had found that the security station that monitored the security holos was manned by a droid attendant during the long night shift, and it had been a simple matter to deactivate it and tinker with its memory. The Mrlssi Jedi had then copied the entire day’s security holos for the Supreme Chancellor’s offices and introduced a simple but effective data virus that would corrupt the original recordings, as well as a few other security feeds and minor files to cover their tracks. He’d also set up the remote access into Palpatine’s office computers that Mace had requested, and he would do the same for the man’s private terminal’s in his apartment before the sun rose.
The tips of the Togruta’s striped head tentacles quivered as she contemplated the mysterious young Human who had saved Mace Windu from certain death and whose fate remained unknown.
She had been relatively new to the Jedi High Council when the scruffy youth had been brought before them by Obi-Wan Kenobi. Dar’ti Vader, as he’d decided to call himself, had been a fearful mess-untrusting, highly defensive, and rude. He was unpleasant and dangerous, and yet the potential information that he had possessed had been vital to the Jedi Order. And so, after much debate, the Council had opted to take a great risk and shelter the boy so that he would reveal the Sith to them.
It had not worked out as the Council had hoped. Vader clung to his secrets, revealing more by accident than on purpose. For years he did little concerning the Sith beyond claiming that they existed and desired him as a Dark Acolyte. And then time had run out for the Jedi Order with the Battle of Geonosis and the opening of the Clone Wars.
After Geonosis, where Vader had lost part of his right arm, he was a bit more forthcoming and certainly more engaged in his cover identity as a Jedi. The Togruta Master had initially viewed his participation in the war as an act of revenge for his maiming by Count Dooku. But as the war stretched past months and into years, her observations of his performance made her consider that guilt for the war was also part of his motivation.
Now this, she mused. He attacks the man that he feared the most to save Mace from death…
A soft alarm chime penetrated her light trance and Shaak Ti fluidly rose from her seated lotus position, ending the chirping sound with an almost absent gesture through the Force. After splashing cool water over her red face and arms, and her striped lekku to physically refresh herself, she exited her quarters and headed for the cafeteria. Once she had consumed breakfast she would seek out Mace Windu and update him on Knight Dacci’s findings.
However, just as she reached the doors to the mess hall, she was waylaid by a worried-looking Human Jedi clutching a message board in his hand.
“Master Ti, two high priority messages came in late last night and were just decrypted,” he informed her, eagerly handing over the electronic device. “Master Yoda has left Kashyyyk and put Master Tsui Choi in command, and Master Kenobi has left Utapau and requests that another Jedi be dispatched to take command of his clone forces. Both state that they are returning to Coruscant with all speed.”
“Thank you,” the Togruta replied demurely as she accepted the message board that contained the full original messages. As she skimmed the messages, a cool sense of relief washed over her. Soon two more of her colleagues on the High Council would arrive and assist her and Mace in finding a solution for the grave situation which faced the Republic and the Jedi Order. “I shall see to selecting Master Kenobi’s replacement shortly. Please see that I am notified when Masters Yoda and Kenobi arrive.”
“Yes, Master,” the other Jedi agreed as he took the message board back. Then, with a respectful bow, he departed to return to the communications center.
Some truly good news at last, Shaak Ti reflected as she joined the short line to receive food from the cooks. Obi-Wan no doubt sensed something through that unusual bond he shares with Vader. Whatever it was it must’ve been something very distressing for him to abandon his command without seeking permission first. And I suppose that I should’ve expected Master Yoda’s return; with his deep connection to the Force he would not have been able to miss the death of the Sith Master.
The early hour and her high status protected her from any interruptions as she enjoyed her high protein breakfast. Aside from a few lonely clusters of Jedi and several loners scattered among the long tables, the enormous room was empty. Her natural Togruta instincts were slightly disturbed by her solitude, but she was a Jedi and stronger than any primitive impulses.
Just as she was finishing her food an approaching presence caught her attention and brought a slight frown to her face.
“Shouldn’t you still be in the Halls of Healing, Mace?” she murmured in disapproval as the Haruun Kal Master stiffly settled down on the bench beside her.
“I’ve had all the treatment done that I can short of the surgery,” Mace replied as he awkwardly sipped on a cup of caf in his left hand. “That will have to wait until more members of the High Council have returned to help manage this crisis.”
“Then it is a doubly good thing that Masters Yoda and Kenobi are returning to the Temple as we speak,” Shaak replied, glancing over at the dark-skinned Human to watch as he ran through the same conclusions of logic that she had earlier.
“That’s good to hear… Although, they won’t make it in time to join us in addressing the Senate.” When the Togruta confirmed his statement with a nod, Mace sighed deeply. “Do you have any more information to share with me?”
Shaak Ti proceeded to share what she had learned from Knight Dacci. He was pleased to learn that the Senate Guard had so far respected the Jedi Order’s singular authority over the crime scene at the Supreme Chancellor’s offices. And he nodded in satisfaction when she told him that that Knight Dacci was currently tearing apart Palpatine’s files in pursuit of the Sith Lord’s many secrets.
“So, has Vader returned to the Temple?” Mace asked. “He never turned up in the Halls of Healing during the time that I was there.”
“No,” she shook her head regretfully. “He has not returned nor has any hint of his fate turned up. Shall I send more Jedi out to search for him again?”
“We should, although I fear the searchers won’t find anything,” he responded. “That explosion was so very intense that it is difficult to imagine that he was able to survive it.”
“Whether he survived or not, we must know for certain,” she insisted. “And if he is now one with the Force, locating his mortal remains is important for proper closure and grieving.”
“I agree-”
The sound of claws skittering on the polished floor and ripples of emotional distress in the Force cut off Mace’s words as they both jerked their gazes towards the source. The Mrlssi Knight, Kepor Dacci, scrambled through the mess hall towards them, moving with a frantic haste that was most unfitting of a Jedi of his rank and experience. Heedless of his shocking behavior, the short-statured avian alien was barely able to skid to a stop short of crashing into the highly-regarded Masters.
“Masters!” he croaked in grating Basic, his black eyes practically bulging out of his feathered skull. “It’s terrible! I was checking over recently accessed files and- How did anyone miss this?! It’s just- We need to warn everyone! The-”
“Calm yourself!” Mace snapped, struggling to keep his voice low. “You are a Jedi, not a headless chicken!”
“Please,” Shaak interjected quietly. “Take a deep breath and start from the beginning. You were studying recently accessed files, and…?”
“Yes, yes,” Knight Dacci panted, rubbing a taloned hand over the featherless blue skin of his face. “I was examining the recently accessed files from the Supreme Chancellor’s computers. Most of it was innocuous things: speech drafts, memos, poll results, electronic mail, holo messages. But…” All of the visible feathers on his body puffed up and then flattened, and he shifted on his bird-like feet uneasily. “But one of the last things that he looked at were the various orders for contingency plans that the clone army is conditioned to respond to. There are just under a hundred specific orders listed, but he was studying one in particular. And…”
Dacci’s brightly-colored head crest twitched, flared, and then he thrust a datapad at the Masters, his blunt beaked mouth clacking open and closed without any more words.
Shaak Ti gently took the screen from the trembling Mrlssi and held it so that she and Mace could both read it. The datapad displayed the contingency plan in question and she noted that it was one with a higher number. With the suddenness of the war’s eruption and the short time between the clone army’s discovery and the first battle there hadn’t been adequate time to examine every aspect of the clones’ training. It was probable that whatever was so troubling about this particular order had been missed since all the earlier conditioned commands had been sensible and logical and the reviewers had most likely started to skim-
The Togruta woman choked on a curse in her people’s native tongue as a violent shiver raced downed her striped head tentacles.
This “Order 66”-he was going to murder us all! With our own troops!
“Thank you for bringing this to our attention,” Mace said, his dark face as hard as stone. “Please continue your computer survey and share your results with the High Council, and only the High Council.”
“But…” The Mrlssi’s eyes darted between their faces and his thin, scaly hands flexed anxiously. “Shouldn’t we warn everyone?”
“This is no need,” Shaak Ti said quietly as she forced herself to regain her composure. “The clone soldiers will do nothing without the order being formally given. The High Council has time to find a solution. Please calm yourself. Eat, drink, meditate, and return to your work.”
“Yes…” The Knight blinked owlishly before visibly getting a hold of himself. Calmed by the Master’s wisdom and confidence, he reclaimed the datapad, and bowed formally to them. “Thank you. May the Force be with you, Masters.”
The two Council Members echoed the formula, and the Mrlssi withdrew far more sedately than he had appeared.
“…It is a very good thing that the Supreme Chancellor is dead,” Mace remarked quietly. “He was the only one with the motive and the authority to set that order in motion.”
“I think…it is imperative that when the Council relinquishes custodianship of the Senate to a new Supreme Chancellor the Order insures that all emergency powers are surrendered,” Shaak Ti murmured. “Especially the chancellorship’s power over the Republic’s army.”
“Agreed.” Mace sipped at his cup of caf, grimaced at its cold temperature, and then set it aside to look at his Togruta companion. “Gather up the Jedi from last night and send them search the base of the office building again, then select an appropriate Jedi to take over Obi-Wan’s troops on Utapau. After that, come find me in the Room of a Thousand Fountains and we will discuss the Council’s announcement to the Senate this afternoon.”
“It will be done,” Shaak Ti promised. “Please try and rest,” she chided as she gathered up her used meal tray. “May the Force be with you.”
“May the Force be with us all,” he responded.
The Togruta bowed her head in agreement and departed to accomplish her assigned tasks.
May the Force be with all of us-the Jedi Order and the Republic, both. And may it speed Master Yoda and Master Kenobi’s return. We need both of them here now.
And may the Force be with Vader, wherever he is, and whatever his state…
***
Padmé scrubbed blearily at her eyes as she stumbled out of her steamy shower, not feeling particularly refreshed. She’d barely gotten any sleep the previous night as her unborn son had thrashed within her womb so violently it was like there was two of him inside of her instead of only one. It had left her sick to her stomach and sore, and when she had finally drifted off her dreams had been plagued by vague nightmares of smothering darkness, bolts of lightning, and explosions.
With a jaw-cracking yawn, Padmé shuffled over to her walk-in closet and drearily contemplated her collection of heavy, concealing gowns. She had no early meetings scheduled for the day but it didn’t hurt to be prepared. Besides, she still felt a bit ill from the previous night and the thought of breakfast didn’t appeal to her at the moment at all.
Ugh, I’m so tired…I can’t remember which gowns I’ve worn most recently. She yawned again and fingered a dark velvet sleeve. Gods forbid that I wear the same dress twice in the same week…
A sharp kick to her much-abused side made her wince and immediately drew her hand to rub soothingly at the sore spot.
“Didn’t you batter me enough last night?” Padmé groaned. “You keep this up and I’m going to complain about you to your father.”
In spite of her weariness, a faint fond smile tugged at her lips. Her unoccupied hand lifted up to grasp the carved Japor wood pendant that hung around her throat and she briefly indulged in a fanciful daydream. In it, she teasingly gave Vader a hard time about how strong and rough their son was.
But after a moment she returned to reality and her smiled faded as she bit her lower lip. Actually teasing Vader like that would make him feel awkward, or maybe even drive him into frantic apologies. He’d only just found out about her pregnancy the night before last and the shock had caused him to briefly break down on her couch. When he’d left her apartment yesterday morning he had seemed much better, but she had no illusions that he had completely adjusted to the idea that she was pregnant with his child. It would be a while before he would be able to gather to nerve to visit again.
I might not even still be here when he feels ready enough to face me again, she mused, rubbing harder at her swollen abdomen. Depending on how the next meeting in Bail’s office goes, and how quickly I can get my affairs in order, I might be on my way back home to Naboo before then. If that happens, I probably won’t see him again until I return to Coruscant.
…That is, if I can return to Coruscant again.
Shaking off her suddenly dark thoughts, she impulsively selected one of her blacker gowns and took it from the closet to lay out on her bed. With one hand resting on her pregnant belly she waddled out of her bed chambers and towards her kitchen. As terrible as she still felt, it was important that she eat for the sake of her child.
As she sorted through the things in her pantry with great reluctance, her tired, scattered thoughts swung back to her one-time accidental lover.
I wonder what else he has to tell me. There’s a lot about him that I don’t know. When he visits he usually just lets me talk. He doesn’t say much about himself at all. Could…it be about his family? Something about his past, before we met? Or maybe something that happened to him during the war?
Padmé studied a box of nutrient bars when a fresh question made her frown.
I wonder…what held him back from sharing his secret with me yesterday?
The Senator removed a bar from the box and slowly tore open the wrapper as her mind picked at the question. What could stop a Jedi Knight who had survived the bloody crucible of the Clone Wars from sharing what had clearly been eating at his mind with her? What was-
A sudden chime from the lift at the back of her penthouse apartment made her freeze and her heart skip a beat from a burst of nerves.
“Senator?”
Relief loosened her tense muscles as she recognized the voice of her chief of security calling out to her.
“I’m in the kitchen, Captain,” Padmé called back. “What is it?”
He didn’t immediately answer, but she heard his boots as he hurried to her. She started to smile in greeting as he stepped into the room…but it instantly died half-formed when the expression on his face registered. He looked grim with his mouth set in a firm line and his one eye was tight with worry.
“What is it, Typho?” she asked again, the nutrient bar in her hand completely forgotten. “What’s wrong?”
“The holo-net is buzzing with rumors about an attack or a terrorist strike near the Senate Rotunda,” the dark-skinned security man informed her grimly. “I haven’t been able to find out anything concrete. The Senate Guard doesn’t seem to know anything; they claim that the Jedi are handling the situation.”
Padmé studied the captain’s face and, sensing that there was more, gestured for him to continue.
“I’ve just received word that there will be a special session of the Senate this afternoon, and all Senators are highly encouraged to attend,” Captain Typho informed her, looking very unhappy. “Shall I have Sabé made up to go in your place, Milady?”
“No you will not,” the Senator replied with a scowl. “Unless you have proof that there is a direct threat against me, personally, I see no reason to use decoys, Captain. Please send for Sabé, Moteé, and Ellé so that I can be prepared for the Senate.”
“But, Milady,” he protested, “you-”
“No decoys,” she insisted firmly. “Take whatever other precautions you feel necessary, but no decoys. Please send for my Handmaidens and continue to monitor the situation for me.”
“Yes, Milady,” the security captain sighed with a slight bow. “Right away.”
As he left to carry out her instructions, she recalled the nutrient bar in her hand and took a bite of it, grimacing as her stomach churned at the taste.
I have a bad feeling about this…
***
He was so very, very tired. The Darkness had been after him for what felt like an eternity now. Its sticky tendrils were now sharp hooks that dug into him and were so much harder to remove. He felt shredded and fatigued, and slowly the Darkness was overtaking him.
Why struggle, Lord Vader?
He didn’t like that name. It felt wrong. But he couldn’t remember any other name. Surely he had another name…didn’t he?
If you just surrender to me, I could be persuaded to allow your consciousness to remain and watch as I use your body to bring glory to the Sith and crush the Jedi once and for all.
He didn’t trust the Darkness’s promise. It didn’t sound like a good deal, anyway. He just wanted it to go away and leave him in peace so that he could rest. But it kept up its relentless, grinding assault against him. The shadow-hooks dug deep to anchor the Darkness so that it could encircle, smother, consume…
Your stubbornness would be admirable if it wasn’t so irritating, and ultimately futile…
The amorphous Darkness pressed ever closer-cold, oily, toxic, boundless. He felt so alone. If only someone would come and help him. Why wouldn’t anyone help him?
There is no escape from your destiny, Lord Vader.
Hazy blue smoke started to seep up from somewhere, but he was too tired to wonder about it. All he could do was shove fruitlessly at the Darkness and rip out its hooks. The Darkness didn’t seem to pay it any mind either, it was too focused on defeating him.
It is long past time that you accept your fate. Submit to me, Lord Vader. There is no escape. You are mine. You belong to me.
Anakin Skywalker belongs to no one but himself.
The bluish smoke was thick now, and it swirled between him and the Darkness like a shield. The voice it spoke with was deep and strong, but not menacing like that of the Darkness. Its presence felt distantly familiar and warm and kind. The blue smoke soothed the parts of himself that felt torn up by the Darkness’s hooks, and the weariness he felt was eased by a fresh sense of hope.
Who are you?!
I am a servant of the Force.
How dare you interfere?!
How dare you cheat death.
I will destroy you!
You will try.
The Darkness raged and slashed at the blue smoke, but it was no more effective than trying to cut a cloud with a sword. The Darkness boiled and roiled and tried to force its way through the smoke to renew its assault on him, but the smoke barrier matched the Darkness’s moves and did not break. The Darkness roared and blustered, but the blue smoke remained unaffected.
You will not stop me from claiming my vessel!
Anakin is no object to be possessed.
That name again… Was that his name? It felt much nicer than “Darth Vader”, more right somehow. And how did this new presence know him?
We met once, long ago. I am sorry that it took me so long to find you, Ani, but now we can fight him together.
You cannot banish me!
No, but neither can you succeed in your aims.
You cannot withstand me indefinitely. I will grind you down, I will tear you apart, I will not rest until I have achieved my goals. I am Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith, and Master of the Dark Side of the Force. There is no prevailing against me, I have foreseen it!
The future is always in motion. Your victory is far from assured. Arrogance will be your undoing.
He wanted to believe the newcomer, wanted to believe that the Darkness would fail. He was glad of the blue smoke’s protection-so glad that he could weep. But, while reinvigorated by the comforting presence, he was still so tired of struggling and ached to rest…
Stay strong just a little longer, Ani. More help is coming. Just hold on with me. We’ll take him on together.
It will be all right, I promise.
Here.
Have it.
Chapter 2
Phantom Death
Obi-Wan rubbed his sleeve across his sweaty brow and surveyed what he could see of the battlefield from Boga’s saddle. Streamers of smoke drifted up from various spots on the different levels of the vast sinkhole where the remains of wrecked battle droids burned. The occasional explosion and bursts of blaster fire still echoed against the rock walls, but it was much quieter than it had been several hours previously during the height of the battle.
But as in-control as the sinkhole seemed, there were several pockets in connecting tunnels and neighboring sinkholes where Separatist forces were still putting up a solid fight. Unless those pockets of resistance received reinforcements somehow, they would be taken care of by the clone troopers. It was simply a matter of time.
Utapau would be liberated.
“This is taking too long,” he muttered to himself, anxiously brushing his fingertips against the hilt of his lightsaber.
He had located General Grievous within hours of landing on the planet. He had engaged and slain the warrior cyborg shortly after that. And the last few hours had seen his forces grinding down the battle droids all over the sinkhole city.
It was his swiftest and most successful campaign of the war to date…and it was taking far too long.
Ever since that odd and terrible feeling struck him through the Force a formless and growing dread had settled over him. It made it very hard to focus on the present task of clearing out the Separatist forces. And with every passing moment it grew worse.
The Jedi Master knew that he ought to be checking in on the remaining battlefronts to see if his intervention could speed things along. Then, he ought to find out if the members of his contingent’s intelligence unit had managed to find out where General Grievous had sent the Separatist Ruling Council. And then, he ought to make plans to complete the pacification of the Separatists on Utapau and pursue the Ruling Council, pending the High Council’s permission.
Wearily shaking his head, Obi-Wan snapped Boga’s reigns and sent the Varactyl hurtling down the side of the sinkhole towards the central command post in the middle levels of the sinkhole where his commanders managed his clone troops.
“Hello General,” a helmet-less Commander Cody greeted as the enormous feathered lizard skidded to a halt by the cluster of communications equipment. “How was the view up there?”
“It was excellent,” Obi-Wan replied, hiding his worry behind a smile. “You and your brothers are doing very well, as usual.”
“Thank you, sir!” Cody nodded at the praise.
“How are the mopping-up operations going?” the Jedi General asked.
“There are a few trouble spots where the enemy has managed to dig in, but we’re moving in some artillery to take care of them. Unless something changes, I estimate we’ll finish the fighting before we lose the last of the sunlight, Sir.”
“Good,” Obi-Wan nodded sharply. “That’s very good news. I can leave things in your hands, then.”
“General?” the Commander immediately turned concerned. “Has something happened?”
“Yes. I don’t know what caused it but there was a terrible disturbance in the Force, and it’s left me with a bad feeling…” Again Obi-Wan reached out into the Force in hopes of sensing some kind of answer, but only a murky numbness responded to his touch. “I’ll be returning to Coruscant and some other Jedi will be dispatched to take my place as soon as possible. Contact Geenine and have him bring my Eta-2 to the nearest landing pad.”
“Right away, Sir,” the clone agreed and gestured to one of his subordinates to make it so. “Any further orders, General?”
“After the neutralization of all Separatist battle droids the next highest priority is determining where the Ruling Council has fled,” the Jedi general replied. “Any leads as to their location must be reported to the Jedi High Council on Coruscant immediately.”
Cody nodded. “Understood.”
“Excellent.” Obi-Wan managed a smile. “Carry on.”
The troopers gave him salutes and he sent his Varactyl mount bounding towards the nearest landing platform on the far side of the sinkhole and several dozen levels up.
Whatever is happening…please don’t let me be too late.
***
Jedi Master Tsui Choi gently urged his large Can-Cell insect mount to bank away from the beach battlefield and land on the sheltered tree platform that housed the central command node of the Kashyyyk campaign. As it landed, the Aleena Jedi leapt from its thorax and trotted into the shaded portion where Master Yoda stood leaning on his walking stick, eyes closed in a meditative trance. Tsui paused a meter away and waited patiently for the ancient master to leave his trance and notice his presence.
“Punctual, you are, Master Choi,” Yoda greeted with his eyes still closed.
“You summoned me, Master,” Tsui chirped, bowing respectfully to the slightly shorter Jedi.
“That I did,” the Grand Master replied, slowly opening his eyes. “Good your comprehension of Shyriiwook is?”
“I believe so, Master,” Tsui nodded. “I’ve not had any difficulties speaking to any of the Wookiee troops so far.”
“Good,” Yoda smiled faintly. “Introduce you, I shall, to the Wookiee commanders. Then depart, I must, for Coruscant. Leave command of this front to you, I will.”
“Master Yoda?” Tsui sputtered. “You’re leaving?! Has something happened?”
“Yes, something, indeed, has happened. What it is, however, I cannot discern.” The aged master frowned slightly and ran a clawed hand over his remaining wisps of white hair. “Know only that called back to Coruscant by the Force, I am.”
“I see,” the Aleena nodded, wide-eyed. “What of Master Unduli?”
“Busy, she is, countering a Trandoshan strike to the South,” Yoda explained. “A message I will leave for her when completed her mission is.”
“Ah,” Tsui Choi bowed slightly in response, signaling his understanding and acceptance. “I shall do my best to carry on the battle in your stead, Master.”
The Grand Master smiled in satisfaction and beckoned for the other Jedi follow. “Come. To the Wookiee leaders I shall introduce you.”
“Yes, Master,” Tsui Choi agreed with a bow and scampered after Yoda on his short legs.
A hundred half-formed questions buzzed through Tsui’s mind, but he set them aside. Kashyyyk was a vitally important world to the Republic and shortly the responsibility for defending it would rest solely on his own narrow shoulders. He needed to put his full focus on the task at hand, and leave Master Yoda to follow the Force’s call.
There would be time later for all his questions, and their answers.
***
Jedi Master Shaak Ti sat in her quarters and meditated as the sun slowly crept over the horizon. She had not slept, nor would she be likely to get any sleep until after the Senate was apprised of the Supreme Chancellor’s demise. Instead, while Mace received more extensive medical attention in the Healer’s Wing, she reflected on the most recent events of the war, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine’s true nature, the loss of a full third of the High Council, the actions of Dar’ti Vader, and what she had learned from Jedi Knight Kepor Dacci.
Knight Dacci had found that the security station that monitored the security holos was manned by a droid attendant during the long night shift, and it had been a simple matter to deactivate it and tinker with its memory. The Mrlssi Jedi had then copied the entire day’s security holos for the Supreme Chancellor’s offices and introduced a simple but effective data virus that would corrupt the original recordings, as well as a few other security feeds and minor files to cover their tracks. He’d also set up the remote access into Palpatine’s office computers that Mace had requested, and he would do the same for the man’s private terminal’s in his apartment before the sun rose.
The tips of the Togruta’s striped head tentacles quivered as she contemplated the mysterious young Human who had saved Mace Windu from certain death and whose fate remained unknown.
She had been relatively new to the Jedi High Council when the scruffy youth had been brought before them by Obi-Wan Kenobi. Dar’ti Vader, as he’d decided to call himself, had been a fearful mess-untrusting, highly defensive, and rude. He was unpleasant and dangerous, and yet the potential information that he had possessed had been vital to the Jedi Order. And so, after much debate, the Council had opted to take a great risk and shelter the boy so that he would reveal the Sith to them.
It had not worked out as the Council had hoped. Vader clung to his secrets, revealing more by accident than on purpose. For years he did little concerning the Sith beyond claiming that they existed and desired him as a Dark Acolyte. And then time had run out for the Jedi Order with the Battle of Geonosis and the opening of the Clone Wars.
After Geonosis, where Vader had lost part of his right arm, he was a bit more forthcoming and certainly more engaged in his cover identity as a Jedi. The Togruta Master had initially viewed his participation in the war as an act of revenge for his maiming by Count Dooku. But as the war stretched past months and into years, her observations of his performance made her consider that guilt for the war was also part of his motivation.
Now this, she mused. He attacks the man that he feared the most to save Mace from death…
A soft alarm chime penetrated her light trance and Shaak Ti fluidly rose from her seated lotus position, ending the chirping sound with an almost absent gesture through the Force. After splashing cool water over her red face and arms, and her striped lekku to physically refresh herself, she exited her quarters and headed for the cafeteria. Once she had consumed breakfast she would seek out Mace Windu and update him on Knight Dacci’s findings.
However, just as she reached the doors to the mess hall, she was waylaid by a worried-looking Human Jedi clutching a message board in his hand.
“Master Ti, two high priority messages came in late last night and were just decrypted,” he informed her, eagerly handing over the electronic device. “Master Yoda has left Kashyyyk and put Master Tsui Choi in command, and Master Kenobi has left Utapau and requests that another Jedi be dispatched to take command of his clone forces. Both state that they are returning to Coruscant with all speed.”
“Thank you,” the Togruta replied demurely as she accepted the message board that contained the full original messages. As she skimmed the messages, a cool sense of relief washed over her. Soon two more of her colleagues on the High Council would arrive and assist her and Mace in finding a solution for the grave situation which faced the Republic and the Jedi Order. “I shall see to selecting Master Kenobi’s replacement shortly. Please see that I am notified when Masters Yoda and Kenobi arrive.”
“Yes, Master,” the other Jedi agreed as he took the message board back. Then, with a respectful bow, he departed to return to the communications center.
Some truly good news at last, Shaak Ti reflected as she joined the short line to receive food from the cooks. Obi-Wan no doubt sensed something through that unusual bond he shares with Vader. Whatever it was it must’ve been something very distressing for him to abandon his command without seeking permission first. And I suppose that I should’ve expected Master Yoda’s return; with his deep connection to the Force he would not have been able to miss the death of the Sith Master.
The early hour and her high status protected her from any interruptions as she enjoyed her high protein breakfast. Aside from a few lonely clusters of Jedi and several loners scattered among the long tables, the enormous room was empty. Her natural Togruta instincts were slightly disturbed by her solitude, but she was a Jedi and stronger than any primitive impulses.
Just as she was finishing her food an approaching presence caught her attention and brought a slight frown to her face.
“Shouldn’t you still be in the Halls of Healing, Mace?” she murmured in disapproval as the Haruun Kal Master stiffly settled down on the bench beside her.
“I’ve had all the treatment done that I can short of the surgery,” Mace replied as he awkwardly sipped on a cup of caf in his left hand. “That will have to wait until more members of the High Council have returned to help manage this crisis.”
“Then it is a doubly good thing that Masters Yoda and Kenobi are returning to the Temple as we speak,” Shaak replied, glancing over at the dark-skinned Human to watch as he ran through the same conclusions of logic that she had earlier.
“That’s good to hear… Although, they won’t make it in time to join us in addressing the Senate.” When the Togruta confirmed his statement with a nod, Mace sighed deeply. “Do you have any more information to share with me?”
Shaak Ti proceeded to share what she had learned from Knight Dacci. He was pleased to learn that the Senate Guard had so far respected the Jedi Order’s singular authority over the crime scene at the Supreme Chancellor’s offices. And he nodded in satisfaction when she told him that that Knight Dacci was currently tearing apart Palpatine’s files in pursuit of the Sith Lord’s many secrets.
“So, has Vader returned to the Temple?” Mace asked. “He never turned up in the Halls of Healing during the time that I was there.”
“No,” she shook her head regretfully. “He has not returned nor has any hint of his fate turned up. Shall I send more Jedi out to search for him again?”
“We should, although I fear the searchers won’t find anything,” he responded. “That explosion was so very intense that it is difficult to imagine that he was able to survive it.”
“Whether he survived or not, we must know for certain,” she insisted. “And if he is now one with the Force, locating his mortal remains is important for proper closure and grieving.”
“I agree-”
The sound of claws skittering on the polished floor and ripples of emotional distress in the Force cut off Mace’s words as they both jerked their gazes towards the source. The Mrlssi Knight, Kepor Dacci, scrambled through the mess hall towards them, moving with a frantic haste that was most unfitting of a Jedi of his rank and experience. Heedless of his shocking behavior, the short-statured avian alien was barely able to skid to a stop short of crashing into the highly-regarded Masters.
“Masters!” he croaked in grating Basic, his black eyes practically bulging out of his feathered skull. “It’s terrible! I was checking over recently accessed files and- How did anyone miss this?! It’s just- We need to warn everyone! The-”
“Calm yourself!” Mace snapped, struggling to keep his voice low. “You are a Jedi, not a headless chicken!”
“Please,” Shaak interjected quietly. “Take a deep breath and start from the beginning. You were studying recently accessed files, and…?”
“Yes, yes,” Knight Dacci panted, rubbing a taloned hand over the featherless blue skin of his face. “I was examining the recently accessed files from the Supreme Chancellor’s computers. Most of it was innocuous things: speech drafts, memos, poll results, electronic mail, holo messages. But…” All of the visible feathers on his body puffed up and then flattened, and he shifted on his bird-like feet uneasily. “But one of the last things that he looked at were the various orders for contingency plans that the clone army is conditioned to respond to. There are just under a hundred specific orders listed, but he was studying one in particular. And…”
Dacci’s brightly-colored head crest twitched, flared, and then he thrust a datapad at the Masters, his blunt beaked mouth clacking open and closed without any more words.
Shaak Ti gently took the screen from the trembling Mrlssi and held it so that she and Mace could both read it. The datapad displayed the contingency plan in question and she noted that it was one with a higher number. With the suddenness of the war’s eruption and the short time between the clone army’s discovery and the first battle there hadn’t been adequate time to examine every aspect of the clones’ training. It was probable that whatever was so troubling about this particular order had been missed since all the earlier conditioned commands had been sensible and logical and the reviewers had most likely started to skim-
The Togruta woman choked on a curse in her people’s native tongue as a violent shiver raced downed her striped head tentacles.
This “Order 66”-he was going to murder us all! With our own troops!
“Thank you for bringing this to our attention,” Mace said, his dark face as hard as stone. “Please continue your computer survey and share your results with the High Council, and only the High Council.”
“But…” The Mrlssi’s eyes darted between their faces and his thin, scaly hands flexed anxiously. “Shouldn’t we warn everyone?”
“This is no need,” Shaak Ti said quietly as she forced herself to regain her composure. “The clone soldiers will do nothing without the order being formally given. The High Council has time to find a solution. Please calm yourself. Eat, drink, meditate, and return to your work.”
“Yes…” The Knight blinked owlishly before visibly getting a hold of himself. Calmed by the Master’s wisdom and confidence, he reclaimed the datapad, and bowed formally to them. “Thank you. May the Force be with you, Masters.”
The two Council Members echoed the formula, and the Mrlssi withdrew far more sedately than he had appeared.
“…It is a very good thing that the Supreme Chancellor is dead,” Mace remarked quietly. “He was the only one with the motive and the authority to set that order in motion.”
“I think…it is imperative that when the Council relinquishes custodianship of the Senate to a new Supreme Chancellor the Order insures that all emergency powers are surrendered,” Shaak Ti murmured. “Especially the chancellorship’s power over the Republic’s army.”
“Agreed.” Mace sipped at his cup of caf, grimaced at its cold temperature, and then set it aside to look at his Togruta companion. “Gather up the Jedi from last night and send them search the base of the office building again, then select an appropriate Jedi to take over Obi-Wan’s troops on Utapau. After that, come find me in the Room of a Thousand Fountains and we will discuss the Council’s announcement to the Senate this afternoon.”
“It will be done,” Shaak Ti promised. “Please try and rest,” she chided as she gathered up her used meal tray. “May the Force be with you.”
“May the Force be with us all,” he responded.
The Togruta bowed her head in agreement and departed to accomplish her assigned tasks.
May the Force be with all of us-the Jedi Order and the Republic, both. And may it speed Master Yoda and Master Kenobi’s return. We need both of them here now.
And may the Force be with Vader, wherever he is, and whatever his state…
***
Padmé scrubbed blearily at her eyes as she stumbled out of her steamy shower, not feeling particularly refreshed. She’d barely gotten any sleep the previous night as her unborn son had thrashed within her womb so violently it was like there was two of him inside of her instead of only one. It had left her sick to her stomach and sore, and when she had finally drifted off her dreams had been plagued by vague nightmares of smothering darkness, bolts of lightning, and explosions.
With a jaw-cracking yawn, Padmé shuffled over to her walk-in closet and drearily contemplated her collection of heavy, concealing gowns. She had no early meetings scheduled for the day but it didn’t hurt to be prepared. Besides, she still felt a bit ill from the previous night and the thought of breakfast didn’t appeal to her at the moment at all.
Ugh, I’m so tired…I can’t remember which gowns I’ve worn most recently. She yawned again and fingered a dark velvet sleeve. Gods forbid that I wear the same dress twice in the same week…
A sharp kick to her much-abused side made her wince and immediately drew her hand to rub soothingly at the sore spot.
“Didn’t you batter me enough last night?” Padmé groaned. “You keep this up and I’m going to complain about you to your father.”
In spite of her weariness, a faint fond smile tugged at her lips. Her unoccupied hand lifted up to grasp the carved Japor wood pendant that hung around her throat and she briefly indulged in a fanciful daydream. In it, she teasingly gave Vader a hard time about how strong and rough their son was.
But after a moment she returned to reality and her smiled faded as she bit her lower lip. Actually teasing Vader like that would make him feel awkward, or maybe even drive him into frantic apologies. He’d only just found out about her pregnancy the night before last and the shock had caused him to briefly break down on her couch. When he’d left her apartment yesterday morning he had seemed much better, but she had no illusions that he had completely adjusted to the idea that she was pregnant with his child. It would be a while before he would be able to gather to nerve to visit again.
I might not even still be here when he feels ready enough to face me again, she mused, rubbing harder at her swollen abdomen. Depending on how the next meeting in Bail’s office goes, and how quickly I can get my affairs in order, I might be on my way back home to Naboo before then. If that happens, I probably won’t see him again until I return to Coruscant.
…That is, if I can return to Coruscant again.
Shaking off her suddenly dark thoughts, she impulsively selected one of her blacker gowns and took it from the closet to lay out on her bed. With one hand resting on her pregnant belly she waddled out of her bed chambers and towards her kitchen. As terrible as she still felt, it was important that she eat for the sake of her child.
As she sorted through the things in her pantry with great reluctance, her tired, scattered thoughts swung back to her one-time accidental lover.
I wonder what else he has to tell me. There’s a lot about him that I don’t know. When he visits he usually just lets me talk. He doesn’t say much about himself at all. Could…it be about his family? Something about his past, before we met? Or maybe something that happened to him during the war?
Padmé studied a box of nutrient bars when a fresh question made her frown.
I wonder…what held him back from sharing his secret with me yesterday?
The Senator removed a bar from the box and slowly tore open the wrapper as her mind picked at the question. What could stop a Jedi Knight who had survived the bloody crucible of the Clone Wars from sharing what had clearly been eating at his mind with her? What was-
A sudden chime from the lift at the back of her penthouse apartment made her freeze and her heart skip a beat from a burst of nerves.
“Senator?”
Relief loosened her tense muscles as she recognized the voice of her chief of security calling out to her.
“I’m in the kitchen, Captain,” Padmé called back. “What is it?”
He didn’t immediately answer, but she heard his boots as he hurried to her. She started to smile in greeting as he stepped into the room…but it instantly died half-formed when the expression on his face registered. He looked grim with his mouth set in a firm line and his one eye was tight with worry.
“What is it, Typho?” she asked again, the nutrient bar in her hand completely forgotten. “What’s wrong?”
“The holo-net is buzzing with rumors about an attack or a terrorist strike near the Senate Rotunda,” the dark-skinned security man informed her grimly. “I haven’t been able to find out anything concrete. The Senate Guard doesn’t seem to know anything; they claim that the Jedi are handling the situation.”
Padmé studied the captain’s face and, sensing that there was more, gestured for him to continue.
“I’ve just received word that there will be a special session of the Senate this afternoon, and all Senators are highly encouraged to attend,” Captain Typho informed her, looking very unhappy. “Shall I have Sabé made up to go in your place, Milady?”
“No you will not,” the Senator replied with a scowl. “Unless you have proof that there is a direct threat against me, personally, I see no reason to use decoys, Captain. Please send for Sabé, Moteé, and Ellé so that I can be prepared for the Senate.”
“But, Milady,” he protested, “you-”
“No decoys,” she insisted firmly. “Take whatever other precautions you feel necessary, but no decoys. Please send for my Handmaidens and continue to monitor the situation for me.”
“Yes, Milady,” the security captain sighed with a slight bow. “Right away.”
As he left to carry out her instructions, she recalled the nutrient bar in her hand and took a bite of it, grimacing as her stomach churned at the taste.
I have a bad feeling about this…
***
He was so very, very tired. The Darkness had been after him for what felt like an eternity now. Its sticky tendrils were now sharp hooks that dug into him and were so much harder to remove. He felt shredded and fatigued, and slowly the Darkness was overtaking him.
Why struggle, Lord Vader?
He didn’t like that name. It felt wrong. But he couldn’t remember any other name. Surely he had another name…didn’t he?
If you just surrender to me, I could be persuaded to allow your consciousness to remain and watch as I use your body to bring glory to the Sith and crush the Jedi once and for all.
He didn’t trust the Darkness’s promise. It didn’t sound like a good deal, anyway. He just wanted it to go away and leave him in peace so that he could rest. But it kept up its relentless, grinding assault against him. The shadow-hooks dug deep to anchor the Darkness so that it could encircle, smother, consume…
Your stubbornness would be admirable if it wasn’t so irritating, and ultimately futile…
The amorphous Darkness pressed ever closer-cold, oily, toxic, boundless. He felt so alone. If only someone would come and help him. Why wouldn’t anyone help him?
There is no escape from your destiny, Lord Vader.
Hazy blue smoke started to seep up from somewhere, but he was too tired to wonder about it. All he could do was shove fruitlessly at the Darkness and rip out its hooks. The Darkness didn’t seem to pay it any mind either, it was too focused on defeating him.
It is long past time that you accept your fate. Submit to me, Lord Vader. There is no escape. You are mine. You belong to me.
Anakin Skywalker belongs to no one but himself.
The bluish smoke was thick now, and it swirled between him and the Darkness like a shield. The voice it spoke with was deep and strong, but not menacing like that of the Darkness. Its presence felt distantly familiar and warm and kind. The blue smoke soothed the parts of himself that felt torn up by the Darkness’s hooks, and the weariness he felt was eased by a fresh sense of hope.
Who are you?!
I am a servant of the Force.
How dare you interfere?!
How dare you cheat death.
I will destroy you!
You will try.
The Darkness raged and slashed at the blue smoke, but it was no more effective than trying to cut a cloud with a sword. The Darkness boiled and roiled and tried to force its way through the smoke to renew its assault on him, but the smoke barrier matched the Darkness’s moves and did not break. The Darkness roared and blustered, but the blue smoke remained unaffected.
You will not stop me from claiming my vessel!
Anakin is no object to be possessed.
That name again… Was that his name? It felt much nicer than “Darth Vader”, more right somehow. And how did this new presence know him?
We met once, long ago. I am sorry that it took me so long to find you, Ani, but now we can fight him together.
You cannot banish me!
No, but neither can you succeed in your aims.
You cannot withstand me indefinitely. I will grind you down, I will tear you apart, I will not rest until I have achieved my goals. I am Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith, and Master of the Dark Side of the Force. There is no prevailing against me, I have foreseen it!
The future is always in motion. Your victory is far from assured. Arrogance will be your undoing.
He wanted to believe the newcomer, wanted to believe that the Darkness would fail. He was glad of the blue smoke’s protection-so glad that he could weep. But, while reinvigorated by the comforting presence, he was still so tired of struggling and ached to rest…
Stay strong just a little longer, Ani. More help is coming. Just hold on with me. We’ll take him on together.
It will be all right, I promise.