Mistaken Identity: Order 66 Part 2 (35k words) (Patreon)

Sidious's command crackled through the communicator, and across the galaxy, the words "Execute Order 66" sank into the minds of countless clones. The response was immediate, mechanical, and chilling, spreading like a virus through Republic forces on planets, ships, and outposts. The Jedi—scattered, unsuspecting—never saw it coming.

On the jungle planet Felucia, Clone Commander Bly stood beside Jedi General Aayla Secura as she surveyed the dense foliage for Separatist droids. Her blue skin glistened with sweat from the humid air, and she turned to him with a nod, trusting him to cover her flank. The communicator in his helmet buzzed, and Sidious's voice hissed the order. Bly raised his head and said, "Yes, my lord." Before Aayla could react, he snapped his DC-15 blaster up and fired a burst into her back—she stumbled forward, gasping, and spun around as he kept shooting, bolts tearing through her chest and stomach. She screamed, "Bly, what are you—" but another clone joined in, unloading a barrage from the side, and her body jerked with each hit until she crumpled into the mud, blood pooling around her twitching form. Nearby, troopers turned on two Jedi padawans, who ignited their sabers and slashed through three clones in a frantic whirl of green light—spinning, ducking, deflecting blaster fire—but a fourth trooper lobbed a thermal detonator, and the explosion flung them into the trees, their broken bodies landing in a heap as vines caught fire.

Half a galaxy away, on the Republic cruiser  Enduranceorbiting Mygeeto, Clone Captain Rex stood on the bridge with Jedi Knight Ki-Adi-Mundi's hologram flickering nearby, discussing troop movements. The order came through Rex's comlink, and he stiffened, muttering, "Yes, my lord," under his breath and then signalled the clones down on the surface. Down on Mygeeto's icy surface, the Jedi sensed the shift too late—Rex's signal triggered the clones around him, and they unleashed a storm of blue bolts. Ki-Adi-Mundi swung his saber in wide arcs, deflecting shots and slicing through two clones' armor, their bodies dropping with wet thuds into the snow, but more troopers closed in, firing from all sides. He leapt onto a rocky ledge, kicking a clone off the edge and impaling another mid-air, yet the barrage didn't stop—bolts slammed into his legs and torso, and he roared, "No, stop this!" as he fell, his saber skittering across the ice. A clone sergeant walked up and shot him point-blank in the head.

Meanwhile, on Kashyyyk's beaches, Jedi Master Luminara Unduli led a charge against droid emplacements alongside Clone Commander Gree and a squad of troopers. Wookiee warriors roared in the distance, tearing into battle, while Luminara vaulted over a fallen log, her green blade slashing through a B1 droid's chassis. The order hit Gree's helmet, and he responded, "Yes, my lord," without hesitation. He spun, raised his rifle, and fired a burst at Luminara's back—she twisted, blocking two shots, but a third caught her shoulder, and she staggered. The other clones joined in, blasters blazing, and she flipped backward, landing in the sand, screaming, "Gree, why are you doing this?" He didn't answer—just kept shooting, and she deflected what she could, slicing one trooper's arm off, the limb hitting the ground with a spray of blood. A Wookiee charged to help, bowling over two clones with a swing of its massive arms, but a rocket from a clone's launcher exploded at Luminara's feet, hurling her into the surf. She crawled, gasping, as Gree walked up and fired into her chest until she went still, waves lapping over her body.

Farther out in the Outer Rim, on the desert planet Saleucami, Jedi Knight Stass Allie sped across the dunes on a BARC speeder, her cloak flapping behind her as Clone Commander Neyo rode beside her, leading a patrol. The order buzzed through his comlink, and he said, "Yes, my lord," his voice flat. He accelerated, pulling alongside her, and fired his speeder's cannons—blasts ripped into her bike, sending it spinning out of control. She leapt clear, igniting her saber mid-air, and landed in a crouch, slashing through a trooper's chest as he rushed her, his body collapsing in the sand. "Neyo, stand down!" she yelled, but he gunned his speeder around, firing again, and the other clones opened up with their blasters. She deflected shots, spinning and weaving, cutting down two more troopers—their helmets cracked open, blood staining the dunes—but a bolt hit her thigh, and she dropped to a knee. Neyo barreled toward her, ramming his speeder into her side, and she flew back, crashing hard. He dismounted and shot her in the stomach, then the chest, her screams fading as the wind carried sand over her corpse.

On the Republic frigate Valor drifting near Utapau, Jedi Master Depa Billaba sparred with her padawan Caleb Dume in the training bay, their sabers clashing in a blur of blue and green. Clones watched from the sidelines, but when the order came through Captain Styles's comlink, he muttered, "Yes, my lord," and signaled his men. They raised their rifles and fired—Depa spun, blocking shots, and shoved Caleb behind her with the Force, yelling, "Run, Caleb!" She charged the clones, her saber slicing through one's neck, blood spraying across the deck, and stabbed another through the gut, his body slumping as she yanked the blade free. Caleb bolted for the door, deflecting a stray bolt, but Depa took a hit to the arm, then the side, and screamed, "Please, stop!" The clones didn't—they kept firing, and she stumbled, cutting down one more before a barrage tore through her chest, dropping her to the floor in a pool of blood. Caleb slipped through the door, vanishing into the ship's corridors as troopers gave chase.

In the swamps of Nal Hutta, Jedi Knight Bultar Swan fought beside Clone Commander Deviss, wading through muck to flank a Hutt cartel outpost. The order hit Deviss's helmet, and he said, "Yes, my lord," turning his blaster on her without a word. She sensed it, diving into the water as bolts splashed around her, and surfaced with her saber ignited, slashing through a clone's legs—he fell, screaming. "Deviss, what's happening, why are you doing this?" she shouted, but he fired again, and the squad joined in, forcing her to leap onto a rotting log. She deflected shots, flipping over a trooper and cutting him down mid-air, his body sinking into the murk, but a bolt grazed her hip, and another hit her shoulder. She gritted her teeth, hurling a clone into the water with the Force, then sprinted for cover, disappearing into the fog as blasters lit up the haze behind her.

Across the galaxy, the slaughter unfolded—hundreds of Jedi falling under clone fire. On Ryloth, a Twi'lek Jedi deflected bolts from her squad, screaming for them to stop, before a sniper's shot took her through the eye, her body tumbling down a cliff. On a Republic destroyer near Dantooine, a Jedi knight dueled his own troops on the bridge, slicing through armor and dodging blasts, only to be overwhelmed when a clone tackled him into a console, stabbing him with a vibroblade as others shot him point-blank. On Shili, a Togruta Jedi ran through the jungle, her padawan at her side, deflecting fire until a grenade blew them apart, limbs scattering among the trees. Some escaped—slipping into shadows, stealing ships, vanishing into hyperspace—but most didn't.

So many deaths, such pain, it sent a shockwave throughout the galaxy. So many Jedi deaths caused such a shift in the balance that even those with little force sensitivity found themselves getting goosebumps; feeling a profound wrongness in their very hearts. Every Jedi out of harms way could feel the echos of the deaths of their fellow Jedi and knew immediately something terrible had occurred and the galaxy would never be the same again.

...

Jaden appeared with a loud crack and stumbled forward as his boots hit the deck of a narrow corridor aboard the ship. He went down hard, crashing onto the floor with Ahsoka and Vaylin's unconscious bodies tumbling beside him. Vaylin's head rolled to one side while Ahsoka's arm flopped across his leg. He sucked in a breath and scrambled to his knees as alarms blared overhead, loud and grating like a karking droid malfunction. The ship shook under him, bulkheads rattling from some explosion deep in the hull. He slapped a hand to his chest as a huge wave slammed into him—echoes of Jedi screaming, begging, then going silent. He squinted through barely open eyes and muttered, "No. What the kriff have they done?"

He got to his feet but the deck lurched, and he staggered into the wall, grabbing a support strut to keep from falling. The Force was churning, and he felt every Jedi death ripple through it—hundreds snuffed out across the galaxy. He sucked in air and tried to steady himself as the ship rocked again. Something big had happened, and it had Palpatine's slimy hands all over it, but he couldn't figure out what yet. He reached out with the Force, pushing his senses beyond the ship to get a read on things, but his head throbbed as pain flooded in—blaster shots and lightsabers and bodies everywhere. He grunted and pressed a fist to his temple because the galaxy's anguish was too loud to think through.

His communicator beeped, cutting through the chaos, and he yanked it up to answer. A hologram flickered on—Fay's face popped up, her silver hair framing her sharp features. She looked at him and said, "Jaden, the Force—it's screaming. You feel it too?" He nodded and croaked, "Yeah, I do." He straightened up and asked, "You got any idea what's causing this mess?" She tilted her head and said, "The Republic ships have turned their guns from the Separatists to us. Every cruiser's locked on our position now. The clones—something's twisted them." Jaden nodded because that tracked with the betrayal he was feeling through the Force. The hologram flickered as the ship took another hit, and Fay's voice hardened as she said, "Get back to the Revenant, Jaden. Both fleets are bearing down, and we won't last long in this fight." He exhaled and told her, "I'll be there soon," and she cut the signal.

He bent down and grabbed Ahsoka, slinging her over his shoulder, then hauled Vaylin up by the waist, her boots dragging as he got her upright. He shifted their weight and closed his eyes to teleport to the hangar—visualizing the bay, the shuttle sitting there ready to go—and called on the Force to jump. Nothing. He tried again, focusing harder, but the disturbance in the Force was like static, drowning out his control. He needed a clear head for a trick that big, and with the galaxy falling apart around him, he didn't have it. "Kriff," he spat and kicked the wall, then shook it off and started moving toward the hangar the hard way.

The corridor stretched out in front of him, and he trudged forward as the ship shuddered—lights dimmed and a conduit sparked as he passed. He kept a tight hold on Vaylin's arm and felt Ahsoka's steady breathing against his back while he pushed through the chaos. Another Jedi's death hit him through the Force—a quick, brutal snap—and he muttered, "Hang on, you two," under his breath. He turned a corner and ducked under a chunk of debris hanging from the ceiling, then kept going because the hangar wasn't far now. Blaster fire echoed ahead, and he gritted his teeth and picked up the pace, knowing he had to get back to the Revenant before Palpatine's trap closed tighter.

He kept moving through the ship's corridors, boots slamming the deck as explosions ripped through walls and showered sparks everywhere. He hauled Ahsoka over his shoulder and dragged Vaylin by the arm—her boots skidded behind him—and slid under a collapsing beam as fire erupted ahead. He ran smack into a cluster of B1 battle droids spilling from a side passage, blasters up and firing. He thrust both arms out and unleashed a Force shockwave that tore through the corridor—droids flew back, smashing into durasteel walls, and crumpled into scrap as the blast echoed. A droideka rolled up, shields buzzing, and unloaded its cannons—he swept his hand and ripped an entire ceiling panel free, slamming it down like a guillotine to crush the droid flat, sparks spraying across the floor.

He kept running, hitting a junction where four commando droids dropped from the ceiling, vibroblades slashing. He dropped Vaylin's arm and held out his fingers—a massive surge of Force lightning erupted, chaining between them, frying their circuits in a blinding flash—and they hit the deck smoking. A pair of super battle droids stomped forward, cannons blazing, but he reached out with both hands and crushed them together into a ball of twisted metal—gears screeched as he flung it into a squad of B2s, bowling them over in a heap. He grabbed Vaylin again and charged on, sweat pouring off him as the ship groaned and shook.

The hangar doors loomed ahead, and a full platoon of B2s marched out, blasters pumping red bolts. He leapt onto a stack of crates and pushed off, soaring over them while yanking a fuel tank cluster off the ceiling—he slammed it down with the Force and used a spark of lightning to ignite it. A fireball roared through the corridor, swallowing the droids in flames, and he landed running, dragging Ahsoka and Vaylin through the smoke. More droids swarmed from a gunship—dozens now—and he skidded to a halt, dropping his charges behind a crate. He threw both arms wide and summoned a Force maelstrom—wind howled as debris and droids lifted off the ground, spinning in a vortex, then crashed into walls and each other, shattering into pieces. He scooped up Ahsoka and Vaylin and bolted for the hanger.

He hit a hallway off the hangar, and the power cut out—red alarm lights flashed, bathing everything in a pulsing glow while the klaxon screeched. He slowed, shifting Ahsoka's weight, and gripped Vaylin tighter as shadows danced on the walls. The elevator at the end dinged, doors sliding open, and a figure emerged—Anakin, cloaked in a dark hood, his presence a now dark void in the Force. His boots thudded heavy on the deck, and his blue lightsaber ignited with a sharp hum, the glow cutting through the red haze. His face stayed shadowed, but his eyes glinted a cold yellow and the air thickened as he stepped forward, saber humming low.

Jaden grunted and spun to backtrack, but a clatter rang out behind him—a dozen B1s marched up with three magna guards, electrostaffs sparking. "Karking hell," he spat and set Ahsoka and Vaylin against the wall. He turned, eyes narrowing, and plunged into the dark side—reaching deep with Mechu-deru, his mind seized every droid in the hall. Power surged through him, raw and overwhelming, and he roared as he rewired their circuits—all twelve B1s and the magna guards jolted, optics flaring red, and charged past him toward Anakin, blasters firing and staffs swinging.

The droids swarmed Anakin, bolts streaking through the dark, and he moved—his blue saber spun in tight arcs, slicing a B1 in half, then deflecting a shot into another's chest. He grabbed a third with the Force, hurling it into a magna guard—both smashed against the wall—and stabbed a fourth through the torso, yanking the blade free as it fell. Two B1s rushed him, but he swung wide, cutting them down in one sweep, and a magna guard lunged—its staff crackled, but he sidestepped and cleaved its head off, sparks flying. The last droids fired wildly, and he batted bolts aside, closing in to shred them—metal clattered as they collapsed around him.

Jaden didn't wait—he snatched Ahsoka and Vaylin, slinging them over his shoulders, and ran back toward the hangar. Anakin's saber hummed behind him, but the droids bought him seconds, and he wasn't wasting them. He sprinted into the hangar. He glanced back every few steps—smoke billowed where Anakin fought the droids—and kept moving past wrecked gunships and sparking crates. Blaster fire echoed behind him, but he reached the shuttle, a beat-up Corellian transport parked near the bay doors. He climbed the ramp, dumped Ahsoka and Vaylin onto the floor, and slid into the pilot's seat. His hands flew over the controls—flipping switches, tapping the console—and the engines hummed to life as he punched the launch sequence.

Before the shuttle could lift off, Anakin stormed into the hangar, his dark hood flaring, blue saber glowing in one hand. He thrust his other arm out, and the Force gripped the ship—metal groaned as it froze mid-rise, thrusters whining against the invisible hold. The console sparked in front of Jaden, warning lights flashing, and alarms screeched through the cockpit. He cursed and leapt from the seat, running to the open ramp. He planted his feet and reached out with the Force, locking onto Anakin's grip—he pushed back, straining as sweat beaded on his forehead. Anakin's power pressed harder, stronger than before, fueled by the dark side, and Jaden's arms shook as he wrestled for control. He gritted his teeth, dug deeper, and roared—slamming Anakin into the hangar wall with a burst of Force energy. Metal dented around him, and the ship lurched free, engines roaring as it shot out the bay doors into space.

Anakin shoved himself off the wall, durasteel creaking, and ignited his saber again, blade humming as he stared after the fleeing shuttle. Anger twisted his face, and he yanked his comlink from his belt, thumbing it on. "Master, they've escaped," he growled into it, voice tight with frustration.

Sidious's hologram flickered up, his hooded face calm. "None of them will escape destiny, Lord Vader," he said, voice smooth, then cut the transmission.

Back on the shuttle, Jaden stumbled to the controls, boots slipping on the deck as he dropped into the pilot's chair. He punched in coordinates for the Revenant and locked the navicomputer—his eyes widened as the viewport showed Republic cruisers and Separatist frigates both pounding his ship with turbolaser fire. Blue and red bolts crisscrossed the void, hammering the Revenant's shields. He squeezed his fists until his knuckles whitened, nails biting into his palms. He grabbed the comlink and tried Fay—"Fay, you there? Fay!"—but static crackled back, and he slammed it down, cursing under his breath.

The shuttle jolted hard—blaster fire raked the hull as Vulture droids and ARC-170s swarmed in, Republic and Separatist fighters working together to blast him out of space. He gripped the yoke and yanked it left, spinning the shuttle into a barrel roll—bolts streaked past, grazing the shields. He wove through the chaos, diving under a Munificent-class frigate's belly, skimming its hull so close the proximity alarm blared. A pair of Vultures chased him, firing, and he pulled up sharp, looping over a Republic Venator—two ARC-170s slammed into the Vultures, exploding in fireballs behind him.

He banked hard, threading between two banking cruisers, and twisted the shuttle through a narrow groove along a Separatist destroyer's spine—cannon fire chewed the space he'd just left. He spotted a Venator's turbolaser battery tracking him, reached out with the Force, and seized its controls—twisting the barrels to fire on a nearby Vulture swarm. Droids burst apart in silent explosions, and he grinned, pushing the shuttle into a corkscrew to dodge a fresh wave of ARC-170s. He jerked the yoke, skidding past a Providence-class dreadnought, and forced two pursuing fighters into its hull—they smashed into the bridge tower, debris scattering.

The Revenant loomed ahead, shields flickering under the combined assault, and Jaden aimed for the hangar. A squadron of tri-fighters cut him off, lasers stitching the void—he rolled the shuttle sideways, slipping between their formation, and clipped one with the wing. It spun out and crashed into another, both erupting in flames. He reached out again, grabbing a Venator's turbolaser with the Force, and swung it toward a Separatist frigate—blue bolts punched through its hull, tearing it open. He floored the throttle, weaving through the wreckage, but a direct hit rocked the shuttle—alarms screamed as the starboard engine blew.

He wrestled the controls, smoke filling the cockpit, and aimed for the Revenant's hangar bay. The shuttle spiraled, hull scraping a Republic cruiser's flank, and he pulled up at the last second—crashing through the hangar's magcon field. The ship slammed into the deck, skidding across it, and smashed into a stack of crates—metal screeched as it stopped, sparks raining down. Jaden coughed, unstrapped himself, and kicked the console as the engines sputtered out, Ahsoka and Vaylin still sprawled behind him.

...

Master Fay stood on the bridge of the Revenant, hands clasped behind her back as klaxons blared and the deck vibrated under her boots. A bridge officer spun from his console and shouted, "Hull breaches on decks seven through ten—shields at thirty percent!" Another officer tapped her screen and yelled, "Engines took a hit—hyperdrive's damaged it won't be able to take another hit before it's gone completely, and sublights at half power!" A third leaned over his station and called out, "Deflectors failing—port side's exposed!" Fay nodded and pointed at the first officer—she said, "Seal those breaches and reroute power to the shields." She turned to the second and ordered, "Get repair droids on the engines now—focus on sublights." She faced the third and said, "Shift all reserve power to the deflectors—keep us in this fight."

She stepped to the central holotable and slammed her hand on it—calling out, "Charge the main cannon—full power to the railgun." The weapons officer punched commands into his terminal, and a low hum started building through the ship. Crew scrambled, rerouting energy from secondary systems—lights dimmed on the bridge as the hum grew louder, vibrating the deck. At the bow, conduits glowed as power surged into the Revenants massive railgun. Fay watched the viewport and said, "Target those cruisers—fire when ready." The officer hit the trigger, and the ship jolted—a hypersonic slug launched from the barrel, streaking through space. It punched through a Republic Venator's midsection, ripped into a Separatist Munificent-class frigate behind it, and smashed a third cruiser's bridge—debris exploded outward as all three ships broke apart, hulls crumpling in silent fireballs.

A tactical officer spun from his station and shouted, "Separatist frigates inbound—ramming speed, five klicks and closing!" Fay gripped the holotable and barked, "Reverse engines full—blast those ships with everything we've got." The helmsman yanked the controls, and the Revenant shuddered as thrusters fired, pulling the ship back. Gunners opened up—turbolasers and ion cannons roared, hammering the incoming frigates with green and blue bolts. One Separatist ship took a direct hit to its prow and veered off, leaking atmosphere, but two more pressed on, engines flaring. At that moment, a comms officer leaned over and said, "Shuttle just crashed into the hangar bay—came in hot!" Fay closed her eyes and reached out with the Force—pain screamed through it from Jedi dying galaxy-wide, and she gritted her teeth but pushed past it. She stretched her senses to the hangar and found Jaden—alive, moving, hauling Ahsoka and Vaylin.

Her eyes snapped open, and she turned to the helmsman—shouting, "Set course for Naboo—get us out of here now!" The officer punched in coordinates, hands flying over the navicomputer, while the weapons crew kept firing—turbolasers raked a Separatist frigate, blowing its engines apart in a shower of sparks. The Revenant lurched as sublights kicked in harder, pulling away from the ramming ships. The tactical officer yelled, "Twenty seconds to impact!"—but the helmsman slammed the throttle, and the ship surged forward. A frigate grazed the stern, scraping hull plates off with a screech, but the Revenant broke free, engines roaring as it cleared the battlefield. The navicomputer beeped, and stars stretched into hyperspace lines—blasting them toward Naboo before the enemy could close the gap.

Fay exhaled and steadied herself against the holotable while the bridge crew worked to stabilize systems—officers shouted updates as damage reports scrolled across screens. She kept her focus on the Force, tracking Jaden's presence below, and muttered under her breath, "He made it—thank the force." The ship rattled from lingering strain, but they were out—for now.

...

Sidious stood on the bridge of the Invisible Hand, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed out the viewport at Coruscant's glowing sprawl orbiting below. Footsteps echoed across the deck, and Lord Vader strode in—his dark cloak swept the floor as he approached and dropped to one knee before his master. He bowed his head and said, "The Revenant has escaped, my lord—Jaden and his companions with it."

Sidious kept staring at the planet and said nothing. Then he turned his head slightly and spoke, voice low. "It matters not—let them crawl back to Naboo. Jaden and his band of travelers flee like cowards and they will not dare rise against us—we shall crush them when it suits me."

Vader lifted his gaze and replied, "Yes, my Master."

Sidious pivoted fully now, facing Vader—his hood shadowed his face as he stepped closer. "Your former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, slipped through our grasp—he reached an escape pod and descended to the planet below."

Vader's hands twitched at his sides—fingers curling briefly—but he stayed still and kept his breathing even. He tilted his head up and asked, "Would you have me hunt him down and destroy him?"

Sidious paused—his yellow eyes narrowed as he studied Vader for a beat. "No, not yet. First you must travel to Mustafar—the Trade Federation leaders gather there awaiting their reward. Dispatch them all and return to Coruscant—together we will bring order to this fractured galaxy."

Vader nodded and said, "Yes, my Master," before rising to his feet—his boots thudded on the deck as he turned and marched off the bridge. He clenched his fists as he walked—corridor lights glinted off his armor—and repeated to himself under his breath why he did this: for Sabe, for his children, to bring them both back and give them the peace and security they deserve to have a good life. The doors hissed shut behind him and he strode toward the hangar to commandeer a shuttle for Mustafar, his saber hilt tapping his thigh with every step.

___________________________

Jaden stepped out of the medbay after leaving Vaylin and Ahsoka with the medical droids. He had hooked Vaylin up to a drip and dialed in enough sedative to keep her unconscious until they reached Naboo, then told the droids to monitor them both and let them rest. He turned and headed for the bridge, boots clanging on the deck as he moved through the Revenant's corridors. Sparks flew from busted conduits overhead, and he ducked under a collapsed support beam while crew members shouted orders and hauled debris aside. He stepped over a pile of shattered plasteel panels and dodged a medic carting a wounded trooper past; smoke hung thick in the air as he climbed a ladder to the next deck.

He pushed through a half-jammed blast door and saw more damage; consoles flickered, spewing static, and a gaping hole in the hull showed light streaking by in hyperspace, only being stopped by force fields. He kept moving, sidestepping a team welding a bulkhead shut, and reached the bridge turbolift. He punched the controls, stepped inside, and rode it up; doors slid open to reveal the command deck buzzing with activity. Fay stood at the holotable, barking orders, but she turned and spotted him. She froze for a split second, then rushed over; her silver hair bounced as she closed the gap and threw her arms around him, squeezing tight.

She buried her face in his shoulder and started sobbing; tears soaked his tunic as her body shook. She pulled back just enough to speak and said, "So many Jedi, hundreds, thousands, gone. I felt them all die through the Force." Jaden gripped her arms and pulled her close again; he rubbed her back and said, "We've got to stay strong, Fay. We'll get through this." She nodded against him and cried harder for a moment; her hands clutched his shirt, but then she sniffed and stepped back, wiping her face with her sleeve. She looked up at him and said, "I'm okay now."

Jaden leaned in and kissed her; his lips pressed firm against hers as he cupped her face with both hands. He pulled back and said, "We won't let Palpatine get away with this." She managed a small smile and nodded; her eyes still glistened.

A bridge officer interrupted them; he stepped forward with a datapad and started listing off systems. "Port turbolasers offline, sublight thrusters at forty percent, shield generators overheating, life support flickering on decks twelve through—" Jaden cut him off and said, "Enough. Patch me through to Naboo." The officer frowned and replied, "We've been trying, sir. Comms are spotty since the fight." Jaden moved to the comms panel; he shoved a chair aside and pried open the access hatch. He yanked out a fried relay, rerouted power through an auxiliary circuit, and spliced two cables together with a vibrotool from his belt. The console beeped, and static crackled through; Padmé's voice broke in, faint at first.

He twisted a dial and tapped a sequence into the keypad; her signal sharpened, and Fay leaned over and called out, "Padmé, can you hear us?" Padmé's hologram flickered on and she said, "Yes, I can. Fay, Jaden, what's happening? The Holonet's a mess; reports everywhere." Jaden squared his shoulders and said, "We fell into the Sith's trap. Palpatine's the Sith Lord behind it all, I don't know how but he managed to turn the clones against the Jedi."

Padmé gasped; her hand flew to her mouth, and she stared at him through the hologram. She lowered her hand and asked, "What about Luke and Leia? Anakin?"

Jaden paused; his jaw tightened, and he forced the words out. "The children are dead. Anakin's Lord Vader now; Palpatine's apprentice."

Padmé's eyes widened; she whispered, "No," and tears spilled down her cheeks as she shook her head.

Jaden swallowed hard; he pushed his own grief down and said, "Padmé, listen. Ready Naboo's defenses. Recall every ship to our space. Palpatine won't stop; he'll come for us, so activate the planetary shields, the turbolaser batteries, everything."

She nodded and wiped her eyes with her fingers; she sniffed once, then straightened up and said, "I will. I'll see you soon." She reached forward and cut the transmission; her hologram blinked out.

Jaden stepped back from the console and ran a hand through his hair while Fay watched him; her face set hard now. She stepped closer and folded her arms across her chest. She looked him in the eyes and asked, "What do we do now, Jaden?"

He paused and dropped his hand to his side; his shoulders slumped as he exhaled through his nose. He shifted his weight to one leg and stared at the deck for a moment, then lifted his gaze to meet hers. He shook his head slowly and said, "I'm not sure, Fay. For the first time, I'm lost." His voice came out low and rough; he clenched his fists briefly before letting them relax, and he glanced at the holotable where Naboo's coordinates blinked continuously.

...

The journey back to Naboo didn't take long in hyperspace, but a lot happened while the Revenant streaked through the stars. Jaden stood on the bridge next to Fay when a comms officer spun around from his station and said a signal was coming through. He tapped his console and played it; an automated voice crackled over the speakers, repeating a message from the Jedi Temple. It said the temple still held, but clones surrounded it and pounded the defenses with blaster fire and cannons. The voice ordered all Jedi to go into hiding and stay away from Coruscant; no rescue attempts, no returns. Jaden listened and clenched his jaw as the message looped; he grabbed the comms panel and patched through to Padmé again. He told her, "Send a signal out. Naboo's offering sanctuary to any Jedi who can make it." She nodded through the hologram and said she'd do it right away; then her team broadcast the offer galaxy-wide, a beacon cutting through the chaos.

Right after that, a medical droid buzzed Jaden's comlink and reported Ahsoka was awake in the medbay. He told Fay he'd check on her and left the bridge; he took the turbolift down and jogged through the damaged corridors. He stepped into the medbay and saw Ahsoka sitting up on a cot; her orange skin glistened with sweat as she stared at the floor. She looked up at him and her face crumpled; she slid off the cot and stumbled into his arms, tears spilling down her cheeks. She gripped his tunic and started talking fast; she told him everything that went down on the Invisible Hand. She said she and Anakin had been fighting side by side when Dooku showed up with Luke and Leia in tow. She watched Dooku ignite his saber and cut the kids down; Luke first with a slash to the chest, then Leia with a stab through the back; both dropped dead before anyone could move.

Ahsoka shook as she kept going; she said Anakin lost it and charged Dooku, hacking through him until the count's body hit the deck in pieces. Maul and Savage Opress jumped in next; blades spinning; but Anakin took them out too, choking Maul with the Force until his neck snapped and smashing Savage into a bulkhead so hard his skull cracked open. Ventress tried to flank him, but he spun and drove his saber through her gut; she gasped and fell, blood pooling under her. Then Palpatine stepped out of the shadows. He told Anakin he could bring the twins and his wife back to life if he joined him; promised power over death itself. Ahsoka yelled at Anakin to stop, but he turned away from her, and knelt to Palpatine. She lunged at the Sith Lord, but he laughed and raised a hand; lightning blasted from his fingers and slammed into her chest. She flew back, hit the wall, and blacked out; waking up later with Jaden's rescue.

She clung to him now, sobbing hard; and Jaden wrapped his arms around her tight. Fay came in behind him and joined the hug; she rested a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder as the Togruta wept for hours. She kept muttering between gasps, tears soaked Jaden's shirt; and he held her steady while whispering it'd be okay even though he didn't know if it would. Fay stroked Ahsoka's lekku gently and said they'd figure this out together; her voice stayed calm despite the pain they all felt through the Force.

The Revenant dropped out of hyperspace not long after; Naboo filled the viewport with its green curves and blue seas. Jaden looked out from the bridge and saw a fleet already in orbit; Naboo starfighters zipped around frigates and corvettes, shields up and guns primed to defend the planet. Padmé had moved fast; every ship she could muster hung there ready for a fight. He turned to Fay and said they needed to get planetside; she nodded and called for a shuttle prepped in the hangar. They headed down together; Jaden carried Vaylin's unconscious body over his shoulder while Fay walked beside Ahsoka, who leaned on her for support. Jaden had healed them up, but Vaylin stayed out cold; sedative still pumped through her veins; and Ahsoka shuffled slow, eyes red from crying.

They piled into the shuttle; a sleek Nubian transport, Jaden settled Vaylin across a bench before strapping in at the controls. He fired up the engines and lifted off; easing out of the Revenant's battered hangar bay; and angled toward Naboo's atmosphere. Ahsoka sat behind him; staring out the viewport; and Fay took the copilot seat, checking the nav readings. The shuttle dipped through the clouds; vibrating as it hit the air; and Jaden guided it toward Theed, the capital sprawling below with its domes and waterfalls. He glanced back at Ahsoka and saw her wipe her face with her sleeve; still shaken but holding it together now.

Jaden knew there was still much to do however r. Palpatine wouldn't let Naboo stand as a refuge for long.

___________________________

Lord Vader sat in the cockpit of his interceptor, the sleek black and yello fighter humming through hyperspace as stars streaked past the viewport. He slumped in the pilot's seat, head tilted back against the headrest, eyes closed as sleep took him under the low drone of the engines. Nightmares clawed into his mind, he saw Sabé, his wife, standing in the Naboo palace throne room, her dress flowing as Maul ignited his double-bladed saber and stalked toward her. She turned to Anakin and screamed for help, but he couldn't move, his boots stuck to the floor, and Maul swung, slicing her in half at the waist. Her body fell in two pieces, eyes staring blankly at him, and then the scene shifted. Luke and Leia stood before him, tiny and fragile, as Dooku loomed behind them, his red blade flashed once, cutting Luke's head clean off, then stabbed through Leia's chest, pinning her to the ground. Their corpses twitched and looked up at him, mouths moving as they wailed, "Why didn't you save us, Daddy?" He lunged forward and grabbed them, desperate to hold them, but their bodies melted in his hands, skin sloughing off into a puddle of flesh and bone, and he screamed, voice echoing in the void.

He jolted awake, chest heaving as he gripped the armrests, sweat beading on his forehead under the dark hood. The cockpit lights blinked steadily, and he sucked in a breath, realizing it was just a nightmare, but the waking world offered no relief. Sabé remained dead, lost to Maul on Naboo, and Luke and Leia were gone too, cut down by Dooku on the Invisible Hand. He clenched his fists and shoved the pain down deep, channeling it into raw power, letting it harden his resolve. Sidious had promised he could bring them back, and he'd do whatever it took, kill whoever stood in his way, to make that happen.

R2-D2, socketed into the starfighter's wing, swiveled his dome and beeped at him, a series of short, worried chirps.

"Are you okay, Anakin?" the droid's tones translated. "You were thrashing, I can help if you need it."

Vader stared ahead, jaw tight, and said nothing as the astromech kept going.

"Do you want me to contact Jaden? Or Obi-Wan? They might know what to do." The beeps grew softer, more pleading, but Vader kept his hands on the controls and stayed silent, eyes fixed on the hyperspace tunnel.

R2-D2 rolled his dome back and forth, then let out one last string of slow, mournful whistles. "Just tell me if I can help, please." The droid's lights dimmed slightly, and he fell quiet, leaving the cockpit heavy with unspoken grief.

Vader ignored the ache in his chest and adjusted the yoke, fingers flexing as the navicomputer beeped, signaling the drop from hyperspace. He pulled the lever, and the stars snapped back into focus, Mustafar glowed below, a red and black ball of lava and ash spinning in the void. He tilted the fighter downward and punched the thrusters, diving through the atmosphere as heat shimmered across the hull. Smoke plumes rose from volcanic craters, and he banked left, skimming over rivers of molten rock until a Trade Federation facility came into view, its angular towers jutted from the scorched landscape. He brought the ship in low, landing gear hissing as it touched down on a platform, and popped the canopy, climbing out as R2-D2 detached and rolled up beside him.

Two Neimoidian servants scuttled forward, robes flapping as they bowed low. One raised his head and said, "Lord Vader, welcome. Lord Sidious informed us of your arrival."

Vader nodded once and followed them, boots thudded on the durasteel walkway, as they led him inside the facility. They passed through a blast door into a wide chamber where the Trade Federation leaders waited, Nute Gunray, Rune Haako, and a dozen others stood around a holotable, their bulbous eyes tracking him.

Gunray stepped forward and clasped his hands, voice oily as he said, "Lord Vader, we greet you with respect. Do you bring the reward Lord Sidious promised?"

Vader stopped in front of them and said, "Yes, I have your reward." He unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it, the blue blade snapped to life with a hum.

He swung without warning, slashing across Gunray's chest, and the viceroy crumpled, body smoking as he hit the floor. Haako shrieked and stumbled back, but Vader lunged and stabbed through his gut, pulling the blade free as the Neimoidian collapsed. The others scattered, shouting, and he moved fast, spinning to slice one's legs off at the knees, then thrusting upward to impale another through the chin. He grabbed a third with the Force, slamming him into the ceiling, bones crunched as he dropped, and kicked a fourth into the holotable, shattering it. Two tried to run, but he reached out and choked them, lifting them off the ground until their necks snapped, and let their bodies fall. He carved through the rest in seconds, blade flashing as he hacked limbs and torsos apart, until the chamber fell silent except for the saber's hum.

Lord Vader deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it back to his belt, breathing steady as he turned toward a side door that slid open with a hiss. Inside stood the wives and children of the Trade Federation leaders, Neimoidian females clutching hatchlings close, their wide eyes locking onto him as he stepped forward. He gripped his saber again, fingers curling tight around the hilt, and paused for a moment because one of the children looked up with Leia's face staring back at him. A mother dropped to her knees and begged, "Please, spare us, we've done nothing!" Another clutched her child and screamed, "Mercy, Lord, mercy for the little ones!" He ignited the blue blade with a snap-hiss and charged, slashing down hard through the first female's chest, her scream cut short as she crumpled, then spun and hacked into a second, severing her arm before slicing through her torso, her hatchling tumbling to the floor with a wail. He stomped forward and stabbed the fallen youngling through the back, silencing its cry, then swung wide and chopped two more females across their waists, their bodies splitting apart as they shrieked for mercy that never came.

He moved to the next, a female who threw herself in front of her child and sobbed, "No, not my son, take me instead!" He grabbed her with the Force, lifted her off the ground, and slammed her into the wall, her skull cracking against durasteel before he slashed through her dangling form. The hatchling scrambled away, pleading, "Stop, please stop!" but he lunged and drove the saber through its chest, pinning it to the floor. Then the room shifted—Luke and Leia appeared in his vision, standing among the bodies, their small forms trembling as they cried out, "Daddy, why are you doing this? Stop, please!" He froze, blade hovering, and shook his head to clear it, but their voices echoed louder, "You didn't save us, now you're killing us again!" He roared and swung at a fleeing female, cutting her legs off at the knees, then stabbed down through her back as she crawled, her pleas turning to gurgles.

The hallucinations grew stronger—Luke ran at him, arms outstretched, and melted into ash when he swung through the mirage, Leia's face flickered on a youngling who begged, "Daddy, no!" before he sliced its head off with a single stroke. He spun to a mother clawing at his boots, shrieking, "Spare my daughter, I'll do anything!" He kicked her back, lifted her with the Force, and snapped her neck mid-air, then turned to her child and slashed through its tiny body, splitting it from shoulder to hip. Another female charged him, claws slashing, and screamed, "You monster, leave us!" but he sidestepped and drove the saber through her side, twisting it as she collapsed, then yanked it free and hacked through two more hatchlings cowering behind her, their cries fading fast. The last female stood alone, clutching a hatchling, and as he raised his blade, her face morphed into Sabé's—she looked at him and whispered, "Anakin..." He hesitated, hand trembling, then roared and swung down, cutting her from neck to groin, her body falling in a heap as the youngling tumbled free, and he stabbed it through the chest without looking.

Vader dropped to his knees among the charred corpses, chest heaving as he screamed, guttural sound that shook the room"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!." . The Force erupted from him, unchecked and wild, and the walls buckled, durasteel panels ripping free, consoles exploding in showers of sparks, and the ceiling caved in, chunks of debris crashing around him. He knelt in the wreckage, hands shaking, and noticed something glinting in the rubble—a small bracelet, woven from colored cords, the one Luke and Leia had made for him on Naboo. He picked it up, cradling it in his palm, and a few tears slipped from his eyes, splashing onto the metal floor. Then he clenched his fist around it, tears stopping as he stared ahead—his blue eyes flared yellow, glowing in the dim light—and he whispered, "I'll bring you back. I promise." He pushed himself up, legs steady now, and stepped over the bodies, brushing ash off his cloak as he accessed the comms panel on the wall.

He tapped the controls and spoke into it, "Master, the task is complete." Sidious's hologram flickered on, hood framing his face, and he nodded once before saying, "Well done, Lord Vader." He leaned closer and added, "Return to Coruscant now, take command of the siege against the Jedi Temple." Vader bowed his head and replied, "Yes, my Master," then shut off the comms and turned, striding out of the ruined chamber. He walked back through the facility, boots crunching on shattered plasteel, and reached the landing platform where his interceptor waited. R2-D2 rolled up beside him, beeping softly, but Vader ignored the droid and climbed into the cockpit, settling into the seat. He powered up the engines, hands moving over the controls, and lifted off—thrusters roaring as the fighter shot into Mustafar's smoky sky. He punched in coordinates for Coruscant, pulled the hyperspace lever, and watched the stars stretch into lines, leaving the planet's red glow behind as he headed to finish what he'd started.

___________________________

A few days had passed since Jaden landed on Naboo, and now Padmé stood at the head of a long table in the Theed palace conference room, flanked by Fay and Aubrie who stayed quiet beside her, while various advisors and key Naboo officials filled the seats, voices overlapping as they debated the mess they'd landed in. Jaden sat in the corner, legs crossed, with Ahsoka perched on his lap, her arms wrapped around his chest, face buried against him as she clung tight, still shaken from watching Anakin turn and the twins die on the Invisible Han. The holonet had been buzzing nonstop since Palpatine's broadcast went galaxy-wide—Chancellor Palpatine had declared the Jedi traitors to the Republic, claiming they'd engineered the war to seize power and sent a task force of Jedi and Travellers to assassinate him in his office. He'd survived, he said, and now branded any Jedi—or anyone offering them shelter—enemies of the state, promising swift justice to all who defied his new order.

Padmé tapped the table and tried to steer the room. "We've got dozens of Jedi landing here already seeking sanctuary, we need to find a way to hide them."

Captain Panaka leaned forward and folded his arms as he spoke. "We should turn them away. Palpatine's already got the Republic fleet on high alert, and harboring fugitives just paints a bigger target on Naboo."

Ambassador Jar Jar waved his hands and shook his head fast. "No no no, dat's a bad idea. Palpatine gonna come for us anyways, mesa tinks. He not gonna let Naboo slide, Jedi or no Jedi."

Governor Sio Bibble slammed his fist on the table and glared across at Panaka. "Exactly. Turning the Jedi away won't save us, it'll just delay the inevitable."

Ric Olié, head of the starfighter corps, leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. "Then we hit him now. Coruscant's still reeling from what's happened, with the siege still happening on the Jedi Temple, Palpatine's grip isn't solid yet. We take the fight to him before he can dig in."

Captain Typho shook his head and pointed at Olié. "That's bantha fodder and you know it. The Revenant took a beating, it's still in drydock getting patched up. We don't have the ships or the firepower for an assault right now."

Panaka nodded and jabbed a finger at Typho. "He's right. We'd be flying into a meat grinder with half a fleet. We need to focus on defense, not some suicide run."

Jar Jar flailed his arms again and started pacing behind his chair. "But if weesa just sit here, dey gonna blast us to bits! Mesa sayin we gotta do somethin, not just wait!"

Sio Bibble stood up and raised his voice over the noise. "Enough with the arguing! Attacking's out, but so is sitting still. We need to negotiate, buy time, figure out what he's planning!"

Typho snorted and leaned forward. "Negotiate? With a Sith Lord? He'll laugh in our faces and kill us all!"

Padmé raised her hands and tried to cut through the shouting. "Everyone, please, let's focus on what we can do here, not just yell about what we can't!"

Panaka ignored her and turned to Typho. "You think you've got all the answers? Defense won't hold if he brings the whole fleet, we need to scatter, spread out!"

Olié jumped up and pointed at Panaka. "Scatter? That's coward talk! We hit him hard or we're done, no middle ground!"

Jar Jar tripped over his chair and yelped. "Mesa tinks weesa doomed if weesa keep fightin like dis!"

Sio Bibble shouted back at Olié. "And your attack plan's gonna get us all killed! Use your head, man!"

The room erupted louder, voices piling on top of each other as Padmé slammed her hand on the table again, but no one listened. Jaden sat still until he'd had enough—he eased Ahsoka off his lap, setting her gently in the chair, and stood up, stepping forward. He raised his hand and called on the Force, amplifying his voice so it boomed through the chamber. "That's enough!" Everyone froze, heads turning as he walked to the table and planted his hands on it, looking around at the advisors one by one.

He stared at Panaka and said, "You're squabbling like younglings, not leaders." He shifted to Olié and added, "This isn't the Senate, we don't bicker and posture here." He straightened up and kept going, "Typho, Sio, Jar Jar, all of you, stop it. This isn't the time to argue, we need to stand together now. The Republic's gone, Palpatine's turned it into his toy, and Naboo's in more danger than ever." Heads nodded around the table, murmurs of agreement rippling as he spoke.

He folded his arms and leaned forward. "Our focus is Naboo, protecting this system. We start by evacuating all supplies and people from our protectorates, bring them here where we can defend them. Then we fire up the old shipyards, outfit every trade ship with blasters and shields, and start building new ones fast." He pointed at Ric Olié and said, "Get on the comms to our contacts in Hutt space, we'll need ships and gear from the black market, whatever they can smuggle." Olié nodded and scribbled on his datapad, Panaka leaned back and said, "We can reinforce the planetary shields too, double the power grid." Typho chimed in and added, "I'll get the N-1 squadrons drilling around the clock, they'll be ready." Sio Bibble tapped the table and said, "We've got Gungan tech in storage, plasma cannons we can rig up planetside." Jaden nodded at each suggestion and said, "Good, do it, meeting's over, get moving."

Padmé sighed and walked over to him as the others filed out, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight, resting her head on his chest. She looked up and said, "Thank you, Jaden. That was getting too much like the Senate, all noise and no action." He hugged her back and rested his chin on her head.

Jaden held Padmé close as the conference room emptied out and rested his chin on her head while she pressed against him. He pulled back just enough to look at her and said, "We'll be okay, Padmé, we've got this under control."

She paused and stepped back, folding her arms across her chest as she looked up at him with a frown before saying, "I know we will, Jaden, but what about the rest of the galaxy?" Her words lingered in the air and weighed heavy between them as she stared at him, waiting for an answer he didn't have.

Padmé shifted her weight and softened her voice as she asked, "Will you sleep with me tonight? I don't want to be alone."

Jaden nodded and squeezed her shoulder while saying, "Yeah, I'll stay with you, I think we could all use some rest after today." He glanced over at Ahsoka who sat curled up in the chair, and Aubrie stood next to her, both watching them.

Aubrie crossed her arms and nodded as she said, "That sounds good, I could use a break from all this planning."

Ahsoka lifted her head from her knees and wiped her face before saying, "Yeah, I'd like that too, just to feel safe for a bit."

Jaden let go of Padmé and walked over to Ahsoka, helping her up from the chair as Fay stepped back to let them pass, and they all headed out of the room together, moving through the palace corridors toward Padmé's chambers. They reached the doors, and Padmé punched in the access code, letting them slide open before they stepped inside and locked it behind them. Padmé kicked off her boots and started unbuttoning her gown, letting it slip to the floor, revealing her body—slender legs stretching up to rounded hips, flat stomach leading to full breasts that swayed slightly as she moved. Aubrie shrugged off her tunic and pants next, stepping out of them to show her lean frame, toned arms and legs from years of training, small breasts sitting high on her chest, and a faint scar running across her hip. Ahsoka peeled off her shirt and leggings last, her orange skin gleaming under the soft lights, muscular thighs flexing as she bent down, narrow waist curving into modest breasts that shifted when she straightened up.

They all climbed into the wide bed, Padmé sliding under the covers first and scooting to one side, then Ahsoka followed and settled in the middle, pulling the blanket up to her chin. Aubrie slipped in behind Ahsoka and wrapped her arms around her, pressing her chest against Ahsoka's back and pushing her closer to the center. Jaden kicked off his boots and stripped down to nothing, tossing his tunic and pants onto a chair before climbing in last, sliding under the covers next to Ahsoka. Padmé turned and curled up against his side, resting her head on his shoulder and draping an arm over his chest, while Ahsoka nestled into his other side, her lekku brushing his arm as she tucked her face against him. Aubrie tightened her grip on Ahsoka, hugging her from behind and sandwiching her between them, her legs tangling with Ahsoka's under the sheets. They all lay there, bodies pressed close, breathing slowing as the weight of the day faded into the quiet of the room.

...

Morning light filtered through the curtains of Padmé's chambers as Jaden stirred awake, blinking slowly and rubbing his eyes with his knuckles. He shifted under the blanket and looked down, noticing his cock pushing the fabric up high, and sighed through his nose, shaking his head slightly. He closed his eyes and focused, using a quick mental trick he'd picked up from years of Force training—breathing deep and redirecting his energy until the tension eased and the blanket settled flat again. He opened his eyes and turned to his wives sleeping beside him, reaching out to touch them gently—his fingers brushed Padmé's hip, tracing up her side, then slid over to Ahsoka's shoulder, rubbing her orange skin softly, and finally grazed Aubrie's arm where it draped over Ahsoka. He leaned in and kissed Padmé's forehead, then Ahsoka's cheek, and Aubrie's temple—each one stirred, moaning softly as they woke up to his touch, their bodies shifting under the covers.

Padmé stretched her arms above her head and yawned wide before smiling at him and saying, "Good morning, Jaden."

Jaden grinned and kissed the tip of her nose before saying, "Good morning," then swung his legs off the bed and stood up, stretching his arms as he walked over to grab his tunic from the chair.

Padmé sat up and pulled the blanket around her chest before asking, "Will you have breakfast with us? I know I probably won't see you much today."

Jaden nodded and tugged the tunic over his head while saying, "Yeah, I'll stay for that." He glanced back as Ahsoka pushed herself up on her elbows and Aubrie rolled onto her side, both blinking sleep from their eyes.

Ahsoka rubbed her face and muttered, "Breakfast sounds good, I'm starving after yesterday."

Aubrie propped herself up and nodded as she said, "Same here, I could eat a whole bantha right now."

Jaden pulled on his pants and laced his boots while the girls climbed out of bed—Padmé slipped into a loose robe and tied it at the waist, Ahsoka grabbed her leggings and shirt from the floor and tugged them on, and Aubrie stepped into her tunic and pants, buckling her belt last. They all shuffled out of the bedroom and into the dining room attached to Padmé's chambers, settling around a wide table as Padmé waved at a servant droid hovering near the wall. She signaled it to bring food, and it whirred off, returning minutes later with trays of fruit, bread, and nerf sausage. They dug in, passing plates and eating in comfortable silence—Jaden speared a chunk of sausage with his fork and chewed thoughtfully before swallowing and saying, "I'm waking Vaylin up today."

Ahsoka froze mid-bite and set her fork down before saying, "That's a bad idea, Jaden. Remember when she attacked Naboo, kidnapped Luke and Leia, handed them over to Dooku, you can't trust her."

Padmé nodded and leaned forward as she added, "She's right. Vaylin's dangerous, we barely stopped her before, and that was with all of us here."

Jaden wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, "She wasn't herself then, Palpatine's got his claws in her, I know he's behind it."

Ahsoka crossed her arms and shot back, "Doesn't matter who's pulling the strings, she's a kriffing powerhouse with the Force, if she gets loose there's no telling how much damage she'll do."

Padmé stood and paced a step before saying, "Exactly, Jaden, she could level half of Theed before we stop her, we can't risk that again."

Jaden sighed and rubbed his temple because he knew they had a point—Vaylin's power rivaled his own, and last time she'd caught him off guard, nearly killed him before snatching the twins and bolting to the Invisible Hand.

Aubrie set her cup down and looked around the table as she said, "Hold on, Vaylin's our sister-wife, she's family, and if there's even a chance Jaden's right about Palpatine controlling her we have to try. We don't abandon our own, not ever."

Jaden smiled at her and reached over to squeeze her hand before turning back to the others and saying, "She won't escape this time, I've got her locked down tight in the medbay, and she caught me by surprise before, that won't happen again."

Padmé walked over and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pleaded, "Just be careful, Jaden, promise me that." She leaned in and kissed him deep, her lips pressing hard against his for a long moment before pulling back.

Jaden rested his forehead against hers and said, "I will, I swear."

Ahsoka pushed her plate aside and stood up as she said, "I'm coming with you, you're not doing this alone."

Jaden shook his head and said, "No, Ahsoka, the Travellers are going to be flooding the temple with questions about what's happening, they'll need you there to keep things steady."

Ahsoka crossed her arms and argued, "Aubrie can handle it, she's been running things fine without me before."

Aubrie rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair as she said, "Yeah, I can cover her duties, let her go with you, Jaden, she's stubborn anyway."

Jaden sighed and rubbed his face with both hands before nodding and saying, "Fine, you can come." He stood up, lifting Padmé off his lap and setting her on her feet and kissed her again, before turning to Aubrie and kissing her cheek as she smiled up at him. He stepped back and said, "Take care of things here, I'll check in when we're done." Padmé nodded and hugged him once more, Aubrie waved as she started clearing the table, and Ahsoka grabbed her gear from the corner before following Jaden out the door, their boots echoing down the palace hall as they headed for the medbay.

...

Vaylin drifted, her mind painting a scene of peace as she stood on a cliff overlooking a Naboo lake, the sun dipping low and casting golden light across the water. Jaden stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close as he rested his chin on her shoulder, and she leaned back into him, feeling his warmth while they watched the sunset together. Padmé walked over and took her hand, squeezing it gently, then Ahsoka joined them and bumped her shoulder against Vaylin's with a grin, and Aubrie linked arms with her on the other side, laughing about something silly. Fay appeared last and stood beside Jaden, resting a hand on his back as she smiled at Vaylin, and they all stayed there, content and whole, the breeze rustling their hair while the sky turned orange and purple. She felt safe, surrounded by her sister-wives and Jaden, and for once her mind stayed quiet, no anger or pain clawing at her.

Then a shadow moved at the edge of her vision, and a man in a dark hood stepped out from the trees, his presence chilling the air as he ignited a red lightsaber with a sharp hiss. He swung without warning, slashing through Aubrie's chest, and she collapsed with a gasp, her body hitting the ground hard. Padmé screamed and tried to run, but the man thrust his blade through her back, pinning her to the dirt as she twitched and went still. Ahsoka ignited her own sabers and charged, spinning fast, but he sidestepped and sliced her legs off at the knees, then stabbed down through her neck as she fell. Fay raised her hands to push him back with the Force, but he grabbed her throat from a distance and snapped her neck with a flick of his wrist, letting her crumple in a heap. Jaden shoved Vaylin behind him and drew his saber, lunging at the hooded figure, but the man parried and drove his blade through Jaden's stomach, twisting it before yanking it free as Jaden dropped to his knees and fell face-first into the grass. Vaylin tried to move, to scream, to fight, but her body wouldn't budge—she stood frozen, powerless, watching them all die while her heart pounded in her chest.

The hooded man turned to her and walked closer, boots crunching on the ground as he reached up and lifted his hood, revealing the sharp, lined face of her father, Valkorion. He looked at her and said, "I'm disappointed in you, daughter," his voice cold and cutting as he raised his saber high.

Vaylin screamed, "No, you're dead!" Her voice cracked with panic, and she thrashed against the invisible bonds holding her, but they didn't break.

Valkorion stared at her, his eyes narrowing as a faint smirk tugged at his lips, and he swung the saber down, slicing through her chest in one clean stroke—she felt the burn for a split second before everything went black.

She jolted awake, gasping and panting as her eyes flew open, her hands clutching at the sheets beneath her. She sat up fast and swung her legs off the bed, boots hitting soft grass instead of durasteel, and blinked hard as she looked around—a wide green plain stretched out in every direction, flat and empty under a clear sky, no trees or hills or buildings for miles. She stood and spun in a circle, breath still ragged, and spotted two chairs and a small table a few steps away, nothing else breaking the endless field. Jaden sat in one of the chairs, legs crossed, hands resting on his knees as he watched her.

Vaylin stood in the endless green plain and took a slow step toward Jaden, her boots sinking slightly into the grass as a small smile tugged at her lips, and she kept walking until she reached the table, pulling out the empty chair to sit across from him. She folded her hands in her lap and looked at him, eyes softening as she settled into the seat.

Jaden leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees before asking, "Still having those nightmares?"

Vaylin nodded and offered a sad smile as she said, "I always do when I sleep alone."

Silence stretched between them for a moment, and she shifted in her chair before breaking it and saying, "So I lost."

Jaden tilted his head and nodded slowly while keeping his gaze steady on her.

She exhaled through her nose and said, "I guess you always were stronger than me, even when I tapped into the dark side."

Another silence fell, and she stared at the table for a beat before lifting her eyes and asking, "Are we back on Naboo?"

She didn't wait for an answer and kept talking, "I'm surprised the others aren't here," referring to her sister-wives, but then closed her eyes and reached out with the Force for a second before opening them again and saying, "Oh, Ahsoka's here," as she turned her head slightly in the direction she sensed her.

Jaden leaned back and crossed his arms while saying, "She didn't want me to meet you alone."

Vaylin frowned and said, "She thinks I'm dangerous, they all do."

Jaden nodded and said, "They're right."

Vaylin's shoulders slumped, and she struggled to keep her face steady as sadness welled up inside her—she bit her lip and looked down at her hands, twisting them together in her lap while her chest tightened, and after a few minutes of fighting to hold it in she lifted her gaze to Jaden and said, "I'm sorry."

Jaden reached across the table and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently as he said, "It's okay, I know you were being forced, Palpatine must've twisted you into doing his bidding."

Vaylin hesitated and pulled her hand back slightly before shaking her head and saying, "He didn't force me."

Jaden froze, his fingers still hovering over hers, and stared at her without blinking.

She swallowed hard and said, "I chose to do it all."

Jaden yanked his hand back and said, "That's not true," his voice tight as he shook his head fast, refusing to believe it.

Vaylin met his eyes and said, "It is true."

Jaden leaned forward and said, "You attacked Naboo, our home, killed hundreds of people, kidnapped Anakin's children, kids you've known since they were born, you did that all of your free will," his tone turning cold though his hands shook slightly on the table, emotion threatening to crack through.

She nodded and said, "I did."

Silence hung heavy for a moment, and Jaden clenched his fists before asking, "Why," his voice breaking with deep sadness as he looked at her, searching her face.

Vaylin exhaled and said, "Because Darth Sidious is the most powerful Force user there's ever been, no one in the galaxy can stop him, and I made a deal with him that I'd help him get his new apprentice if he promised to never touch Naboo or any of you."

Jaden stared at her in disbelief and then said, "You helped Sidious murder Luke and Leia..."

Vaylin's eyes widened, and she leaned forward fast, shaking her head as she said, "No, I didn't, Sidious guaranteed me the children would be safe and hidden, I made sure of that!"

Jaden surged to his feet and grabbed the table with both hands, flipping it aside with a shout—it crashed into the grass and rolled a few feet as he stepped closer and gripped her tunic, pulling her up slightly while yelling, "You should know better than to trust a Sith Lord who's orchestrated the downfall of the entire Republic!"

He tightened his grip and kept going, "Sabé is dead, Luke and Leia are dead, the Republic's fallen, and the Jedi are being hunted across the galaxy, you not only helped Sidious get a new apprentice, you helped him build a Galactic Empire!"

Vaylin opened her mouth and said, "I didn't—"

Jaden cut her off and shouted, "Do you think Darth Sidious will leave us alone, a temple full of Force users, one of whom is powerful enough to challenge him?"

He gripped her tunic harder and dropped his head against her chest, breathing fast for a moment before lifting it and saying, "I love you, Vaylin, Force help me I do, and this betrayal breaks my heart more than words can say."

Vaylin's eyes filled with tears, and she started crying as she said, "I'm sorry, Jaden, I'm so sorry," her voice cracking while she reached for him, but he let go of her tunic and stepped back, letting her slump into the chair.

Jaden looked down at her and said, "You're free to roam here, but if you contact anyone off-planet or hurt anyone, I'll kill you," his eyes flickering yellow as he spoke, the dark side pulsing through him for a second.

He turned and walked away, boots pressing into the grass as he left her sitting there—tears streamed down her face, and she buried her head in her hands, sobbing into the empty plain while his figure grew smaller in the distance until he vanished over the horizon. Jaden trudged back toward the palace across the grassy plain, boots sinking into the soft earth as he kept his pace steady, hands shoved into his pockets while the wind tugged at his tunic. He heard a rustle off to his left and glanced over as Ahsoka stepped out from behind a cluster of bushes where she'd been hiding, her orange skin catching the sunlight as she rushed toward him. She threw her arms around his waist and hugged him tight, pressing her face into his chest before pulling back slightly and saying, "I can't believe Vaylin would do those things, Jaden."

Jaden wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back, resting his chin on her head for a moment before saying, "I can."

Ahsoka tilted her head up from the hug and looked at him, brow furrowing as she said, "What do you mean?"

Jaden met her gaze and said, "Vaylin never had a family before us, her father Valkorion feared her power and tortured her until she broke, drove her into insanity, and her biggest fear has always been losing us." He lifted a hand and cupped Ahsoka's face gently while continuing, "Whatever she saw from Palpatine must've terrified her enough to think this was the only way to protect the ones she loves, so don't think she doesn't care about us because she does."

Ahsoka frowned and said, "How can she love us? She attacked Naboo, stole Luke and Leia away, handed them to Sidious."

Jaden nodded and said, "She did, but she did it because she thought it'd keep us safe, and no matter how twisted and misguided her actions were I have no doubt she still loves us."

He sighed and stepped back from the hug, running a hand through his hair as Ahsoka crossed her arms and asked, "What will you do with her now?"

Jaden shrugged and said, "I don't know."

Ge wouldn't dwell on Vaylin now though, there were much more important things to think of. He looked toward the palace in the distance and said, "Come on, we need to get to the temple, see how many Jedi have shown up looking for sanctuary."

Ahsoka uncrossed her arms and nodded as she said, "Yeah, let's go, they'll need us there." She fell into step beside him, and they started walking together, cutting across the plain toward Theed, boots treading up dirt as they passed scattered trees until the temple came into view. They approached the main entrance and stepped inside, boots echoing on the polished floor, and stopped short because an argument filled the central hall—over two dozen Jedi stood on one side, shouting and gesturing at a larger group of Travellers who faced them across the room.

A Jedi in brown robes stepped forward and yelled, "You're cowards, all of you, sitting here on Naboo while the Jedi Temple on Coruscant burns, you're no better than Sith servants!"

Another Jedi, a Twi'lek, jabbed a finger at the Travellers and shouted, "Hundreds of younglings are trapped in the temple, they'll die because you won't lift a hand to help, you're abandoning them!"

A Traveller in a grey cloak folded his arms and shot back, "We're not soldiers, we don't fight wars, we're keepers of peace, and asking us to march into battle goes against everything we stand for!"

A human Traveller stepped up beside him and added, "What's happening to the Jedi is kriffing awful, but we can't become warriors just because you demand it, that's not our way!"

The Twi'lek Jedi clenched her fists and said, "Your way? Your way lets children die while you meditate and hide, you're useless!"

The first Traveller shook his head and said, "We offer sanctuary, not blasters, and if you can't see the difference then you're the ones who've lost your path!"

A third Jedi, a Zabrak, pushed forward and said, "Sanctuary won't save the Order, we need action, not your platitudes, you're letting the Sith win!"

Another Traveller raised her hands and shouted, "We're not letting anyone win, we're surviving, and throwing ourselves into a slaughter won't bring your temple back!"

The arguing grew louder, voices overlapping as the Jedi pressed closer and the Travellers stood their ground, and Jaden noticed hands twitching toward sabers on both sides—he stepped into the middle, raised both arms, and called on the Force, pushing out with a wave that shoved the groups apart, sending them stumbling back a few feet. The Jedi glared at him, but the Travellers turned and shouted, "Grandmaster!" bowing their heads in unison while the Jedi stayed stiff and silent, watching him with narrowed eyes.

Jaden lowered his arms and stood between them, breathing steady as he looked from one side to the other, Ahsoka stepping up beside him and folding her arms while the tension crackled in the air. "That's enough!" He lowered his hands and stepped forward, looking from one group to the other while saying, "This is a place of peace and learning, not some cantina where you can start a brawl." He glared at them all, his tone sharp as he kept going, and the Travellers bowed their heads and shuffled their feet, shame washing over them, but the Jedi held their ground, chins lifted and eyes locked on him. He took a step toward the Jedi and said, "You're guests here, I'm offering you sanctuary, and you have no right to demand anything from us, we're already sticking our necks out by keeping you safe."

The Twi'lek Jedi opened her mouth and said, "But we need help, the temple on Coruscant is under siege, we can't just sit here!" Jaden cut her off and shook his head as he said, "The people here aren't warriors, this temple isn't built to train soldiers, it's here to deepen our understanding of the Force and life itself, and that's not changing."

A human Jedi, the one in brown robes, stepped forward and dropped to his knees in front of Jaden, hands clasped as he pleaded, "Please, Grandmaster, thousands of Jedi are still at the temple, padawans, younglings, they'll die without aid!" His voice cracked, and Jaden looked down at him, chest tightening because he felt the man's desperation through the Force, but he sighed and said, "Their fates are in the hands of the Force now." The Jedi's shoulders shook, and he broke down, tears streaming down his face as he wept—a rare sight for a Jedi trained to bury emotion—and Jaden couldn't blame him, not after the galaxy had shattered around them with Palpatine's betrayal and the clones turning on the Order.

Jaden turned to the rest of the Jedi and raised his voice so they all heard, "You're welcome here, we'll protect you, and if the Sith come we won't hand you over, but I won't command anyone in this temple to march off to war and get slaughtered." He paused and added, "I'm sorry, I truly am, but that's the best I can offer," then turned and walked away, boots echoing on the stone floor as he headed deeper into the temple, leaving the Jedi and Travellers standing in stunned silence behind him. Ahsoka fell into step beside him, and he glanced at her, sensing the conflict swirling in her through the Force, so he slowed his pace and asked, "What's wrong?"

Ahsoka kept her eyes on the floor and said, "There are good people at the Jedi Temple, Jaden, innocent kids, a lot of them, and it feels wrong to abandon them to whatever's coming."

Jaden nodded and said, "I know, I feel it too, but I can't ask anyone here to risk their lives for it, so many came to Naboo to escape the war, and sending them into near-certain death would betray everything they trust me to uphold."

Ahsoka let her head hang lower, and she nodded as she said, "You're right, I get it, but that doesn't make it any easier." She lifted her gaze slightly, lekku shifting as she walked, and stayed quiet while they kept moving through the temple corridors, passing Travellers who bowed their heads in respect and Jedi who watched them with wary eyes.

They reached Jaden's private meditation chamber—a small, circular room with smooth walls and a low platform in the center—and stepped inside as the door slid shut behind them. Aubrie and Fay were already there, sitting cross-legged on the platform, and they looked up as Jaden and Ahsoka entered, rising to their feet to greet them. Aubrie walked over and kissed Jaden's cheek, then hugged him tight, her arms squeezing around his waist, while Fay stepped up and pressed her lips to his forehead before wrapping her arms around both him and Ahsoka, pulling them into a group embrace. They stepped back after a moment, and Fay tilted her head as she asked, "How did it go with Vaylin?"

Jaden rubbed the back of his neck and said, "It didn't go well, she admitted she chose to help Sidious, thought it'd protect us."

Aubrie frowned and said, "That's kriffing insane, how could she think that?"

Jaden shrugged and said, "I don't know, but it's done." He looked between them and asked, "Any good news? I could use some right now."

Aubrie glanced at Fay, and they exchanged a look before Fay stepped forward and said, "We've got a message from the Jedi Temple, came through just before you got here, and it's directed to you."

Fay stepped away from the group and walked over to a holotable tucked against the wall, her silver hair catching the dim light as she moved. She glanced back at him and said, "Come here, you need to see this." He followed her, boots scuffing the stone floor, and stopped beside the table while a cold feeling settled in his gut because he could already sense through the Force that whatever waited in that message would twist the knife deeper into an already rough day. Fay reached down and tapped a button on the console, her fingers steady as she activated the recording, and the holotable hummed to life, projecting a flickering blue image into the center of the room.

The hologram solidified, and Jaden blinked because someone he hadn't seen in years appeared—Scout, her short red hair framing her face as she grinned into the recorder, waving a hand like they'd just bumped into each other at a cantina. She started talking and said, "Hey, Jaden, bet you didn't expect me in this message, huh? Well, surprise, here I am, lucky I still remembered your personal ID code or this wouldn't have made it to you." She laughed, but the sound didn't reach her eyes, and she shifted her weight before her cheery tone slipped as she said, "I'm sorry about this, I didn't want to send it, the Council banned anyone from contacting Naboo for help, Master Yoda—or I guess acting Grandmaster Yoda now—told us we have to respect the Travellers' stance on staying out of the war."

She paused and ran a hand through her hair, her smile fading as she said, "I want to respect that, Jaden, I want to leave you out of this mess, but I can't." Her voice dipped lower, and she looked straight into the recorder while saying, "The Jedi Council are powering the shield around the temple, but it's taking everything they've got, and it won't hold forever—not with blaster cannons pounding it day and night."

Her face twitched, and the facade cracked—she clenched her fists and said, "I'm sorry for sending this, I'm sorry for asking, but I can't do it anymore, I can't keep looking at the younglings and telling them everything's going to be okay when I know it's a lie."

She swallowed hard and said, "I'm sorry for this, Jaden."

Then she straightened up and said, "But please help us," her voice breaking on the last word as she stared into the recorder for a beat longer before reaching forward and cutting the feed—the hologram blinked out, leaving the room silent.

Jaden stood there, staring at the empty space where Scout's image had been, his face blank as he kept his hands at his sides and his breathing even, though his mind churned with her words looping over and over. He didn't move, didn't speak, just stayed rooted to the spot while Ahsoka shifted beside him and Aubrie fidgeted with her sleeve, both watching him closely. Fay stepped up after a while and touched his arm gently, her fingers brushing his tunic as she asked, "Are you okay, Jaden?"

He turned his head slightly and said, "I need to meditate, I'll see you all later," his voice flat and hollow as he stepped away from her touch and walked to the center of the room, lowering himself onto the platform without looking back.

Ahsoka opened her mouth and started to say, "Jaden, maybe we should—" but stopped when Fay shook her head and grabbed her elbow, pulling her toward the door.

Aubrie lingered a second longer and said, "We'll be around if you need us," then followed Fay and Ahsoka as they walked out, reluctance dragging their steps while they glanced back at him one last time—Jaden sat cross-legged on the platform, hands resting on his knees, eyes closed as the door slid shut behind them, sealing him in the quiet chamber alone with his thoughts.

___________________________

Lord Vader left Mustafar behind after slaughtering the Trade Federation leaders and their families, climbing into his Eta-2 interceptor as R2-D2 socketed into the wing, and he fired up the engines, lifting off from the volcanic platform with a roar of thrusters that sent ash swirling in his wake. He punched in coordinates for Coruscant and pulled the hyperspace lever, watching the stars stretch into lines as the fighter blasted through the void, his hands steady on the controls while his mind churned with images of Sabé, Luke, and Leia—their deaths fueling the dark resolve Sidious had stoked in him. The journey didn't take long, and when the navicomputer beeped he dropped out of hyperspace, Coruscant's glowing orb filling the viewport as he angled the ship down through the atmosphere, weaving past speeders and towering spires until he spotted the Jedi Temple in the distance, smoke rising from its base where the siege raged on. He guided the interceptor to a makeshift war camp sprawled in front of the temple's steps—tents and artillery platforms dotted the plaza—and touched down on a cleared landing zone, popping the canopy as clones snapped to attention around him.

He climbed out and strode forward, cloak billowing behind him as he moved through the camp, and clone troopers saluted crisp and fast—fists thumping against chest plates—while he kept his eyes fixed ahead, boots crunching on the duracrete until he reached the command tent at the camp's center. He ducked inside and walked straight to the communications room, a cramped space lined with consoles and flickering screens, and stopped in front of a holoprojector where Sidious's image already shimmered, the Sith Lord's hooded face gazing down at him. Vader dropped to one knee and bowed his head before saying, "What is your bidding, my Master?"

Sidious tilted his head slightly and said, "You are here, Lord Vader, good."

He stepped closer in the projection and folded his hands as he said, "The Jedi Council have activated the temple's war defenses, one of which is a machine that generates a shield around the entire structure, and it draws its power directly from the Force itself, keeping our forces at bay."

Vader lifted his head and asked, "What would you have me do?"

Sidious leaned forward and said, "Destroy the machine."

Vader nodded and said, "It will be done," then stood as the hologram flickered out, leaving the room dim and quiet.

A clone commander stepped up beside him, DC-15 rifle slung across his chest, and said, "Orders, Lord Vader?"

Vader turned and pulled a datapad from his belt, tapping in coordinates—X-47, Y-19, Z-03—before handing it over and saying, "Focus all artillery on these coordinates, I know this machine well, and it's got a weak spot where the power conduits link up." The commander saluted and relayed the orders through his commlink, and Vader walked out of the tent, stepping into the open air as he moved to the edge of the camp, stopping where he could see the temple's massive silhouette looming ahead, its spires piercing the smoky sky while the shield shimmered blue around it.

He stood there and watched as dozens of AT-TE walkers pivoted their cannons, barrels locking onto the spot he'd marked, and turbo tanks rolled into position, their heavy guns whining as they charged up. The air shook when they fired—blaster bolts and plasma shells streaked across the plaza, slamming into the temple's base where the shield met the ground, and explosions bloomed bright against the barrier, sending shockwaves rippling through the camp. Vader knew the machine's design from his days as Anakin, back when he'd studied the temple's defenses with Obi-Wan, and he'd seen the shield stutter before—a five-minute window opened when the conduits overheated, just long enough for the Jedi to scramble repairs before it powered back up. The barrage kept pounding, and after a minute the shield flickered, gaps flashing open and closed, then collapsed entirely for a brief stretch—five minutes ticking down fast—and he clenched his fists because that gap would let him flood the temple with clones and end this once and for all.

He turned to the nearest clone officer and said, "Get the troopers ready at the temple steps, we're marching in now." The officer barked orders into his comm, and clones scrambled across the camp—grabbing rifles, checking ammo, forming ranks as they jogged to the foot of the temple's grand staircase, their white armor gleaming under the flickering lights of the siege. Vader walked forward and joined them, standing at the front of the line as thousands of boots stamped into position behind him, and he tightened his fists until his gloves creaked, a deep weight settling in his chest because he knew what he was about to do—wipe out the Jedi, the Order he'd once called home, the people he'd fought beside for years. He muttered to himself, "I've come too far now," his voice low under the hum of artillery still firing in the distance, and he squared his shoulders because Sidious had left him no choice—Sabé, Luke, and Leia depended on this path, on the power he'd been promised to bring them back.

He raised a hand and signaled the clones to advance, leading them up the steps as the shield stayed down, their footsteps echoing like thunder while blaster fire from the camp covered their approach—today the Jedi would fall, and he'd make sure of it, no matter how much it tore at what little of Anakin Skywalker still lingered inside him.

...

Jedi Master Scout stood in the dimly lit communications room of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, wiping her eyes with her sleeve after sending the desperate message to Jaden, and she took a shaky breath before slapping both cheeks with her hands, forcing a smile onto her face as she muttered to herself to get it together. She straightened her robes and turned, pushing through the door to head back to the younglings, her boots clicking on the polished floor as she moved down the hallway toward the Room of a Thousand Fountains where they'd been gathered for safety. She rounded a corner and froze because a massive explosion roared outside, the walls trembling under her feet, and dust trickled from the ceiling as her eyes widened—she felt the blast through the Force, a sharp jolt that screamed danger. She bolted forward and leapt onto a railing, flipping over it to land on a lower walkway, then sprinted toward the nearest window, vaulting over a bench and sliding across a table to reach it faster, her heart pounding as she pressed her face to the transparisteel and looked out—the temple's shield flickered wildly, gaps flashing open before it failed completely, leaving the structure exposed under the smoky Coruscant sky.

She yanked her comlink from her belt and thumbed it on, shouting into it, "All Jedi, the shield's down, knights and masters get ready now!" Her voice cracked with panic as she clipped the comlink back and pulled her lightsaber from her hip, igniting the green blade with a snap-hiss before spinning and jumping from the window ledge, dropping three stories into the Grand Hall below—she bent her knees and rolled as she hit the floor, springing back up in one smooth motion. She raced to the control panel near the main entrance and slammed her hand on the controls, activating the blast doors—thick durasteel slabs slid shut over the Temple Gate, the West Entrance, and the Processional Way, locking them down with a heavy clang that echoed through the chamber. Dozens of younglings huddled in the center of the hall near the central fountain, wide-eyed and clutching each other, and she turned to a nearby padawan—Katooni, a young Tholothian girl—and grabbed her shoulder as she said, "Take them to the Council Tower, deep inside, keep them safe, go now!" Katooni nodded and started herding the younglings away, shouting for them to follow her as they scampered toward the turbolifts, while other Jedi rushed around, grabbing gear and calling out orders, their voices tight with barely contained panic as the temple shook again—artillery slamming into the outer walls, rattling the ancient stone.

Scout spun toward the blast doors and steadied her breathing, but her comlink buzzed on her belt, and she snatched it up, answering it as Master Windu's voice crackled through, "Master Scout, the shields are overloaded, we can fix it, but it'll take five minutes, hold them back, they can't get inside the temple."

She gripped the comlink tighter and asked, "What if he shows up?" referring to Anakin, her stomach twisting at the thought of facing him.

Windu paused for a split second and said, "Do not engage the former Grandmaster, the Council will handle him once the shield's back online."

Scout nodded to herself and said, "Got it," then clipped the comlink back and ignited her lightsaber again, stepping forward to join several dozen Jedi Masters already forming a line in front of the Temple Gate's blast door—the metal groaned and dented inward as something massive pounded it from the outside, clone artillery and battering rams working to break through. She planted her feet and held her saber in a ready stance, sweat beading on her forehead while the others beside her—Masters like Cin Drallig, Cardo Vasni, and Jocasta Nu—gripped their own blades, their faces set hard as the pounding grew louder, each hit sending tremors through the floor and up her legs, the sound of thousands of clone boots marching closer filtering through the walls. She glanced left and right, meeting the eyes of her fellow Jedi, and tightened her grip because five minutes stretched ahead like an eternity—and with the shield down, Anakin could be leading the charge himself. The door buckled again, a crack splitting the durasteel, and she braced herself as the noise outside swelled into a deafening roar.

They were fucked.

___________________________

Jaden sat cross-legged on the platform in his private meditation chamber deep within the Naboo temple, eyes closed and hands resting on his knees as he sank into the Force, searching for an answer to the question tearing at him—should he risk the lives of everyone here and lead them to Coruscant to save the Jedi Temple, or should he stay put and let Scout and the others die under Sidious' siege? He slowed his breathing and pushed his mind outward, letting the currents of the Force flow through him, but the choice gnawed at his gut because either path carried a weight he couldn't shake—send his people into a slaughter and break the trust they'd placed in him to keep Naboo a sanctuary, or abandon thousands of Jedi, including younglings, to a fate he could feel unfolding through the Force even now. He focused harder and reached for clarity, picturing the temple on Coruscant and the Travellers here who'd fled war to find peace, but no vision came, only a murky swirl that pulled him deeper as he tried to find something solid to grasp.

He pressed further into the Force, diving past the surface ripples, and hit a wall of pain that nearly knocked him back—death screamed through it, a howling storm of Jedi lives snuffed out across the galaxy, their echoes clawing at him as he fought to keep his focus, sweat beading on his forehead while his chest tightened. He gritted his teeth and pushed through, shoving aside the anguish of Aayla Secura falling on Felucia, Ki-Adi-Mundi gunned down on Mygeeto, Luminara Unduli drowning in Kashyyyk's surf—each loss stabbed into him, and he clenched his fists because the Force felt like a wound bleeding out, drowning him in grief that wasn't his own but still crushed his lungs. He went deeper, past the pain wnd betrayal of Order 66, searching for a sign or a whisper from the force to guide him, and stretched his senses toward Coruscant where Scout's plea still rang in his ears, but the deeper he went the less he found—only silence greeted him, a vast empty void where answers should have been, and he kept reaching because he couldn't stop now, not with so much hanging on this.

He sank lower, letting go of his body entirely, and floated in the Force's currents, willing it to show him something—anything—to point the way, but the emptiness grew heavier, pressing down until it felt like he'd lost his tether to Naboo, to his wives, to himself. He called out with his mind, a silent shout into the dark, "Help me, please, I need guidance," and waited for a response, a flicker of insight from the Force, but nothing answered, just a hollow quiet that swallowed his plea and left him drifting.

He pushed harder, desperation creeping in, and stretched toward the cosmic balance he'd always trusted to steer him right, but the Force stayed mute, its silence louder than the pain had been, and he felt lost, unmoored in a way he hadn't since he'd first touched its power as a teenager—every choice he'd made for the Travellers, every stand against the war, now questioned itself in his head with no one to answer.

He floated there, empty and aching, and tried one last time, shouting into the void again, "Please, show me what to do, I can't let them die, I can't lose everything here either!" His voice echoed in his skull, but the Force didn't shift.

"What am I supposed to do?"

Then a soft voice whispered back, "You've always known what to do, we both know that," and he jolted, spinning his head around in the void to find where it came from—his eyes caught a faint glow in the distance, a bright light piercing the black as it drifted closer, growing sharper until it took shape, revealing someone he'd long thought dead, Daughter, his wife from years ago, the light of the Ones who'd sacrificed herself to save him and countless others.

He stared at her, tears pricking his eyes as he said, "D," his voice stuttering while his chest tightened with emotion he couldn't hold back.

She floated toward him and smiled, reaching out to cup his face with both hands.

He blinked hard and asked, "How are you here? I thought... I thought you were gone."

She tilted her head and said, "I never left, Jaden, not in the ways that matter." Her touch felt warm, and he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her, hugging her tight while she hugged him back—his shoulders shook as he pressed his face into her neck, feeling her heartbeat against his chest, and she squeezed him harder, her fingers digging into his back like she'd never let go, the reunion flooding him with relief and grief he'd buried since her death.

He pulled back after a moment and wiped his face with his sleeve before asking, "What are you doing here? Why now?"

She kept stroking his cheek with her thumb and said, "You asked for help, and we heard."

He nodded and said, "I did, I just... didn't expect you." He opened his mouth and started to say, "I'm sorry, I should've saved you, I let you—" but she pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him, then leaned in and kissed him—her lips soft against his for a long heartbeat—before pulling away and saying, "I won't hear any more of that talk, it wasn't your fault, it never was."

He swallowed and said, "But I still feel it, every day."

She shook her head and said, "And I'm telling you to let it go, you did the right think that day."

She tilted her head and asked, "now tell me why did you call for help? What's pulling at you so hard?"

He paused, guilt still gnawing at him over her death, but he swallowed it down because she'd asked him to, and he said, "The Jedi Temple on Coruscant is under siege, Scout begged me to help, thousands are trapped there, younglings too, but if I take the Travellers to fight I'm risking everyone here, breaking the peace they came to Naboo for, and I don't know what to do." His voice trembled slightly as he laid it out, the weight of both choices crushing him.

She smiled at him and said, "The Jaden I knew already would've known what he had to do."

He chuckled without humor and said, "That Jaden didn't have so many people counting on him, thousands are going to die no matter what I choose."

She nodded and said, "Perhaps."

She took his hand, her fingers lacing through his, and said, "Let me show you something," then pulled him forward through the void—darkness parted around them as she guided him deeper, and they emerged into a breathtaking expanse filled with millions of dazzling lights, each one shimmering like a star, connected by thin glowing strings that stretched and pulsed between them, forming a vast web that hummed with life.

He looked around and asked, "What is this place?"

She kept walking, leading him through the lights, and said, "These are Force sensitives, I've shaped this space so you can understand it."

He followed her and said, "It's beautiful," then added, "I've never seen anything like it."

She glanced back and said, "It's always been here, just beyond what you usually touch." They came to a stop near a massive spherical area outlined in red, its edges expanding outward, and he froze because it felt wrong—darkness pulsed from it, twisting the strings around it into knots, and fear crawled up his spine as he asked, "What is that?"

She frowned and said, "That is Sheev Palpatine."

He took a step back and said, "Palpatine? That's him?"

She turned to him and said, "I've told you this before, Jaden, with dawn comes dusk, with good comes bad, with light comes dark—the dark side is as natural as the light, but what Palpatine has done goes beyond that, he's become a wound in the Force, one that keeps growing."

He nodded and said, "I remember you saying that, but this... it's wrong."

She stepped closer and said, "He's absorbing the pain and suffering from the entire galaxy, pouring it into himself, growing stronger and making the wound wider."

He swallowed hard, stomach churning, and said, "Like Darth Nihilus."

She shook her head and said, "Worse, he's taken in nearly every Dark Lord of the Sith's spirit into his body."

His eyes widened, and he said, "Every one?."

She nodded and said, "Yes, even Darth Vitiate."

He exhaled and said, "No wonder he was stronger than me."

She nodded again and said, "Indeed, Vaylin was right to be scared, don't judge her too harshly."

He thought about Vaylin for a moment—her betrayal, her deal with Sidious—and said, "I know... but she still caused a lot of people pain."

She sighed and said, "Fear makes people do things they wouldn't otherwise, you know that."

He hesitated for a moment before looking up at Daughter and asked, "Why are you telling me all this?"

She snapped her fingers, and they shifted back to the empty void they'd started in, and she said, "Because this is the answer, Jaden—if you want to save everyone, this is what you need to do."

He blinked and said, "What do you mean?"

She looked him in the eyes and said, "You need to kill Darth Sidious."

He stared at her and asked, "How? He's stronger than me, even at my peak I don't think I'd win."

She gave him a sad smile and said, "Some sacrifices must be made for the greater good, you learned that long ago, didn't you?"

He looked down and said, "I did, but I don't know if I could do it again... I don't know if I could go through losing you twice.

"You're stronger than you know Jaden," she whispered. She then reached out and lifted his chin, forcing him to meet her gaze, and said, "You have the power to win, but it'll always be your choice to use it."

He stood there, saying nothing as turmoil churned inside him—love for her clashing with the fear of losing everything again, the Travellers' trust warring with the Jedi's cries for help—and his hands shook while he wrestled with it, unable to find words. She frowned and said, "I know it's hard, Jaden, and I know the cost of what I ask you to do."

A faint rumble rippled through the void, and Daughter stepped back as she said, "I need to go."

He grabbed her arm and said, "No, don't, please stay," his voice breaking as he begged, pulling her closer and adding, "I can't lose you again, not now."

She smiled and said, "I'm always here," pointing at his heart with her free hand, then started to fade—her form dissolving into light—and he reached for her, fingers grasping at nothing as he said, "No, wait, please!" but the Force yanked him back, pulling him out of the void and into his body on the meditation platform.

He opened his eyes, tears spilling down his cheeks and splashing onto the stone floor, and he wiped his face with his sleeve, sniffling as he pushed himself up to stand—his legs wobbled for a second, but he steadied himself and took a deep breath. He stepped off the platform and walked over to a blank section of the wall near the holotable. He raised his hand and knocked twice on the upper left corner, then once in the middle, and three times on the lower right—each tap precise—and a faint hum vibrated through the stone as a keypad slid out from a hidden panel, its buttons glowing soft blue in the dim light. He punched in a six-digit code—7-3-9-2-1-8—and the keypad beeped, retracting to reveal a handprint scanner that pulsed faintly, waiting for him.

He pressed his palm flat against it, fingers spread wide, and felt a tingle as it scanned his skin—another beep sounded, and a retina scanner unfolded from the wall, its red light flickering on. He leaned forward and stared into it, keeping his eye steady until it chirped approval, then a small speaker emerged, crackling as it prompted a voice code. He cleared his throat and said, "Mortis," his voice firm despite the ache in his chest, and the floor beneath where he'd meditated rumbled, splitting open with a low groan as a stone altar rose up, grinding to a stop with a thud.

He stepped toward the altar and stopped in front of it, gazing down at the object resting there—a dagger, the Dagger of Mortis, its blade curved and sharp, forged from a dark metal that shimmered with an eerie green sheen, its hilt wrapped in ancient leather etched with runes that pulsed faintly with power.

He reached out with the Force and felt it—raw, overwhelming energy radiating from the weapon, a mix of light and dark that thrummed against his senses like a heartbeat, and he muttered to himself, "The Dagger of Mortis." He shook his head and added, "I hoped I'd never have to see this again," his voice low as he remembered the last time he'd held. He reached down and picked it up, fingers curling around the hilt as the power surged through him, prickling his skin, and he tucked it beneath his robes, securing it against his chest before smoothing the fabric to hide it.

He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath, composing himself as he turned and walked out of the chamber—the door slid open with a hiss, and he stepped into the corridor, pulling his comlink from his belt while his boots echoed on the stone floor. He thumbed it on and said, "Padmé, get my personal ship ready, I need it now." Static crackled for a moment, and he waited, staring at the wall as his stomach twisted because she knew what this meant—going after Sidious, risking everything.

She finally answered, her voice soft but fearful as she said, "I love you, Jaden, make sure you come back."

He opened his mouth and almost said, "Always," but the word caught in his throat because he couldn't promise that—not this time—and he cut the link instead, clipping the comlink back to his belt as he closed his eyes and reached out with the Force, sending a telepathic summons through the temple—a sharp, clear call that pulsed into every mind within its walls, "Come to the Grand Hall, all of you, now."

He opened his eyes and started walking, moving through the winding corridors as Travellers and Jedi alike stirred around him, their footsteps joining his in a growing chorus while he headed for the main hall, the Dagger of Mortis pressing against his ribs with every step, a constant reminder of what he was about to do.

He reached the Grand Hall and stepped into the wide, open space, its high ceiling arching above him and the central fountain gurgling softly as he walked to the middle and stopped, planting his feet on the polished floor while people began filing in from every entrance—Travellers in their grey cloaks shuffled forward and took up positions along the walls, Jedi in brown robes clustered together near the fountain, their faces tight with tension after the earlier argument, and he stood there, hands clasped behind his back, watching them all pour in.

Ahsoka pushed through the crowd and jogged over to him, her lekku swaying as she stopped at his side, folding her arms and glancing up at him with a question in her eyes, and Fay followed close behind, her silver hair catching the light as she moved to stand on his other side, resting a hand on his shoulder. Aubrie came last, weaving through a group of padawans to reach him, and she crossed her arms, nodding at him as she settled next to Ahsoka—his wives forming a quiet circle around him while the hall filled up, voices murmuring low as Travellers and Jedi alike waited for him to speak.

"Thank you all for coming, I know this summons caught some of you off guard, but we need to talk about what's happening out there." He swept his gaze across the room and continued, "You've probably all heard the news from Coruscant by now—Chancellor Palpatine revealed himself as Darth Sidious, the clones turned on the Jedi with Order 66, and now the Order's being hunted across the galaxy, temples burning, brothers and sisters falling every hour." The Jedi in the crowd tensed—hands twitching toward sabers, shoulders squaring as they shifted their weight—while the Travellers stayed still, heads bowed slightly, listening to him lay out the chaos they'd all felt through the Force.

He paused and looked down at the floor, boots scuffing the stone as he gathered his thoughts, then lifted his eyes to meet theirs and said, "I never wanted to be a leader, never asked for this role, and I pray none of you ever feel the weight of ordering someone to their death because it's not easy, the choices we have to make are never easy." He clasped his hands behind his back and kept going, "These past few days I've been wrestling with a choice—to take this order into war, to take people who came here for knowledge and peace and command them to pick up blasters and fight, or to sit here and let thousands of men, women, and children be slaughtered by the Sith on Coruscant and beyond."

He straightened up and said, "Choice and free will define us, they shape who we are and what we stand for, and I've spent hours in meditation searching for what the Force wants, what my heart tells me, because I can't ignore either—not when lives hang on it—and I've made my decision, one I've chosen for myself after everything I've seen and felt." He took a deep breath and said, "I'm resigning as Grandmaster of this Order." Gasps echoed through the hall—Travellers stepped back, mouths open, and Jedi froze, hands dropping as they stared at him—and even Ahsoka turned sharply, Fay's hand slipped off his shoulder, and Aubrie muttered something under her breath, all three of his wives caught off guard by the words he'd just dropped into the room.

He raised a hand and said, "Quiet, let me finish," silencing the rising chatter before it could swell, and he looked around as he continued, "I'm doing this because I can't let the Jedi be wiped out, I can't sit here while Scout and the younglings and everyone else at the temple face Vader and Sidious alone, but I also can't force the people who came to Naboo to heal—Travellers who fled the war, who trusted me to keep them safe—back into a fight they didn't choose, so I'm stepping down to honor both paths."

He squared his shoulders and said, "I won't command any of you to come with me, I won't drag this temple into a war it wasn't built for, but I'm going to Coruscant to face Sidious myself, and those who want to join me can do so of their own free will—no orders, no guilt, just your choice." He paused and added, "My ship leaves by the end of today, anyone who's coming should be at the hangar by then, I'll be there waiting." He gave them one last look—Travellers whispering among themselves, Jedi exchanging glances—and turned, walking out of the hall with long strides.

Ahsoka broke from her spot and rushed after him, her lekku swaying as she called out, "Jaden, wait!" Fay followed close behind, silver hair bouncing with her steps, and Aubrie jogged to catch up, shouting, "You can't just drop that and walk off!" They spilled out of the temple doors behind him into the warm Naboo air, and he kept walking, cutting across the courtyard toward the palace landing pads as they flanked him.

Ahsoka grabbed his arm and said, "You're resigning? You didn't even talk to us about this!" Fay stepped in front of him and said, "Jaden, slow down, we need to understand what's going on," and Aubrie crossed her arms beside her and said, "Yeah, you're not ditching us that easy, what's the plan?" He shook his head and kept moving, pulling his arm free as he said, "I'll explain later, I need to get to the ship, just trust me for now," and they fell into step with him, their voices overlapping with questions he didn't answer while he focused on the oath in front of him.

...

Jaden strode across the courtyard toward the palace landing pads with Ahsoka, Fay, and Aubrie hurrying after him, their voices overlapping as they bombarded him with questions he didn't answer, their questions started piling up unanswered as they cut through the palace grounds, passing guards who nodded and servants who stepped aside. They reached the landing pad, a wide duracrete platform nestled between two domed towers, and Padmé stood there waiting, hands clasped in front of her, worry creasing her face as she watched them approach—she stepped forward when Jaden got close, and he opened his arms, pulling her into a tight hug, holding her against him for a long moment before stepping back and looking up at the ship he hadn't flown in years.

The Baudo-class Star Yacht loomed above them, its sleek, teardrop-shaped hull gleaming silver under the Naboo sun, stretched longer than a standard model at forty meters, with a curved nose tapering back to wide, swept-back wings that gave it a birdlike grace. Jaden had modified it heavily over the years—blaster cannons jutted from turrets along the sides, a dorsal ion cannon swiveled on top, and a rotating triple shield generator spun slowly at the rear, cycling energy fields he'd scavenged from a Mon Calamari cruiser wreck. He'd built a warp core into its belly himself, a compact engine cobbled together from salvaged tech and his own designs, capable of bending space for short jumps without hyperspace—though the ship still sported a standard hyperdrive tucked beneath the cockpit for longer hauls. He ran his hand along the hull as he walked toward the ramp, feeling the hum of its systems through the metal, and led the way inside, boots clanging on the boarding ramp while Padmé, Ahsoka, Fay, and Aubrie followed him into the main cabin—a wide space with a holotable in the center, control panels lining the walls, and a viewport stretching across the front.

He stopped near the holotable and turned to face them, taking a deep breath before saying, "I saw D again, in the Force, during my meditation." Their eyes widened—Ahsoka's mouth dropped open, Fay's hand flew to her chest, and Aubrie leaned forward, all three staring at him as Padmé stepped closer and grabbed his arm—and he kept going, "She came to me, showed me what's happening, told me Sidious isn't just a Sith Lord anymore, he's a wound in the Force, absorbing pain and death from the whole galaxy, pulling in the spirits of every Dark Lord to make himself stronger."

He swallowed hard and said, "She told me the only way to save everyone—Jedi, Travellers, all of us—is to kill him." His voice cracked on the last word, and he looked down, the Dagger's presence burning against his ribs as the memory of Daughter's touch lingered in his mind.

Padmé tightened her grip on his arm and said, "Jaden, no, you can't go, I don't want to lose you, not after everything," her voice shaking as tears welled up, but she took a breath and added, "I know you have to, I see it in your face, just... please don't leave me alone."

He looked at her and said, "I don't want to, Padmé, I'd give anything to stay," then hugged her again, pressing his forehead to hers while his chest ached because he couldn't promise he'd come back—not with the Dagger in play, not with Sidious waiting.

Ahsoka stepped forward and said, "The Path would've followed you, Jaden, if you'd ordered it, every last one of us would've gone to Coruscant with you."

He nodded and said, "I know, but I won't, and I never will—I won't turn healers into soldiers, not after they trusted me to keep them out of this war."

Fay walked to the viewport and said, "It's good you won't need to," her voice soft as she stared out, and Jaden frowned, stepping over to join her—his boots thudded on the deck as he reached the window and looked down, freezing because hundreds of figures streamed across the landing pad toward the ship, Travellers in grey cloaks and Jedi in brown robes moving together, their numbers swelling as more poured out of the temple and palace grounds, every single member of the Path converging on his yacht.

He pressed a hand to the transparisteel and said, "They're all coming," his voice breaking as awe and fear choked him—he realized every Traveller and every Jedi who'd taken refuge here had chosen to join him, not out of duty but out of their own free will, and tears stung his eyes because he'd never expected this, never thought they'd follow him after he'd stepped down.

Padmé slipped her hand into his, squeezing tight, and Ahsoka moved to his other side, resting her head on his shoulder as she whispered, "They believe in you, Jaden, we all do." Fay and Aubrie stepped closer, Fay wrapping an arm around his waist and Aubrie gripping his free hand, and they stood there together, watching the crowd grow—faces he knew and faces he didn't, all ready to board and face Sidious with him.

___________________________

The Jedi Temple on Coruscant descended into a brutal slaughterhouse as thousands of clone troopers smashed through the shattered entrances with blasters roaring and vibroblades slashing, their advance meeting Jedi who fought back with lightsabers swinging and the Force rippling through the halls—battle swallowed everything as the 501st Legion turned stone floors into a graveyard.

A Jedi Knight ignited his green saber and lunged at a squad, slashing a clone's chest open and Force-pushing two others into a pillar, but a trooper lobbed a thermal detonator that exploded at his feet, shredding his legs and torso, and he collapsed in a smoking heap, clones stomping past without a glance. Nearby a Twi'lek Jedi deflected a storm of DC-15 bolts and leapt onto a balcony, grabbing a clone with the Force and snapping his neck mid-air—she landed and stabbed another through the gut, twisting the blade free as he fell, then ducked a vibroblade swing and slashed the attacker's knees out, leaving him writhing as she moved on.

A Zabrak Jedi charged a line of clones and swung his double-bladed saber, carving through three in a single sweep—arms and legs dropped—and he reached out with the Force, yanking a DC-17 pistol from a trooper's grip to shoot another in the faceplate, the clone crumpling as he advanced.

A flamethrower roared from the side, and he rolled under the flames, stabbing upward through the trooper's chest—fire sputtered out as the clone fell—but a sniper's slugthrower barked from above, punching through his shoulder—he grunted and staggered, slashing another clone down before a second shot took his head off, body thudding to the floor.

Across the hall a human Jedi faced a dozen troopers with rotary cannons blazing—she raised both hands and Force-pushed the front rank back, their weapons clattering as they slammed into their own squad, and she leapt forward, slashing one's throat and stabbing another through the helmet, dodging a vibroblade thrust to kick the attacker's knee in—bone snapped, and he fell—but a rocket streaked in, blasting her into a wall where she slid down, motionless, armor smoking.

A Mirialan Jedi stood her ground against a wave of clones and ignited her blue saber, deflecting a hail of bolts while she Force-lifted a chunk of fallen stone and hurled it into a trooper—his chest caved in, and he dropped—then spun and slashed another's legs off, leaving him screaming as she advanced. A clone swung an electrostaff, and she parried, stabbing through his stomach, but a thermal detonator rolled up—she Force-pushed it back, and it blew three troopers apart, their bodies scattering in chunks—then turned as a flamethrower sprayed her side, cooking her arm and robes. She gritted her teeth and slashed the clone's arm off, finishing him with a thrust to the chest, and kept fighting, panting through the pain.

A Kel Dor Jedi faced a squad with vibroblades and raised his hand, choking two troopers until their necks snapped—he dropped them and swung his saber, slicing a third's torso in half, then leapt over a fourth's thrust and stabbed down through his helmet, pinning him to the floor—but a rocket launcher fired, and he dove aside, the blast shattering a pillar behind him as he rolled back to his feet, unharmed.

A young Jedi sprinted through a knot of clones and slashed one's back open, spinning to Force-pull another's blaster away—he shot the trooper with it, then ducked a vibroblade swing and stabbed through the attacker's gut—but a dozen clones swarmed with DC-17 pistols, unloading bolts into his chest and legs—he stumbled and fell, gasping as they stomped his skull flat. A Nautolan Jedi swung his saber and hacked a clone's arm off, then Force-lifted two others and smashed them into the ceiling—helmets crumpled as they crashed down—and spun to slash a fourth's legs out, leaving him twitching. A flamethrower blasted from behind, and he jumped over the flames, landing behind the trooper to stab through his back—but a vibroblade caught his side, slicing deep, and he grunted, slashing the clone's throat before staggering away, clutching the wound. A Jedi Master deflected a barrage of rotary cannon fire and leapt into a squad, slashing one's head off and Force-pushing another into a group—armor clattered as they fell—then stabbed a third through the chest, but a sniper's slug punched through her spine—she dropped her saber and hit the floor, clones kicking her aside.

Scout sprinted toward a knot of Jedi pinned down by a squad near a shattered pillar—three clones fired DC-15 rifles at a young human Jedi who deflected bolts with his green saber, but a fourth trooper swung a vibroblade at his legs, and Scout leapt forward, grabbing the clone with the Force mid-swing—she yanked him back, smashing him into a wall where his helmet cracked, and the Jedi spun, stabbing another through the chest as she landed beside him. A Twi'lek Jedi nearby ducked a flamethrower blast, but two clones tackled her with electrostaffs buzzing—Scout reached out and Force-pushed both troopers off, sending them crashing into a group firing rotary cannons, their weapons clattering as they fell, and the Twi'lek scrambled up, slashing a third clone's throat with her saber before nodding at Scout.

Another Jedi blocked a hail of pistol shots, but a thermal detonator rolled toward him—Scout dove and Force-pulled the explosive away, hurling it into a cluster of clones where it blew, scattering bodies in charred heaps, and she thrust his saber through a trooper's gut, pulling it free as she got back to her feet.

She turned to the Jedi she'd saved and shouted, "Keep it up, push them back, we can't let them take the temple!" Her voice carried over the blaster fire and saber hums, and the human Jedi nodded, deflecting a volley as he advanced, while the Twi'lek swung her saber and cut down a clone, stepping forward with gritted teeth, and the Kel Dor Force-pushed a trooper into a pillar before stabbing another, moving up beside her—they rallied, pressing against the clones as Scout swung her saber, slashing a trooper's chest open and kicking his body aside, urging them on with every step.

Then a chill ran down her spine, sharp and cold, and she froze mid-swing—her saber hovered as she felt a dark presence flood the temple, heavy and suffocating through the Force—and she turned toward the breached entrance where Lord Vader stepped in, his black cloak billowing and blue lightsaber igniting with a snap-hiss, his boots crunching on shattered stone as clones parted for him, their blasters lowering in his shadow while her stomach dropped.

Four Jedi Masters—two humans, a Zabrak, and a Twi'lek—rushed him with sabers flashing green and purple, their blades swinging in unison while he met them head-on without slowing. He swung his saber and slashed the first human's chest open, spinning to stab the Zabrak through the gut—yanking the blade free as the Jedi dropped—and raised his metal hand, grabbing the Twi'lek's throat, lifting her off the ground while she clawed at her neck. He squeezed until her neck snapped, then flung her body into the second human, knocking him back and charged forward, slashing down through the human's shoulder, cutting him in half from collar to hip, the pieces thudding apart.

He turned back to the Zabrak still writhing on the floor and stomped his boot onto his skull—bone crunched and caved in—then reached out with the Force, ripping a pillar from the wall and hurling it into another Jedi trying to sneak on him, smashing it into a pile of rubble and flesh against the far wall. The first human twitched nearby, and Vader grabbed his saber arm with the Force, twisting it backward until joints popped and the limb bent unnaturally—he screamed, and Vader stabbed through his back, pinning him to the floor before yanking the blade up through his spine, splitting him open as he went limp.

Scout watched from across the hall, her chest tightening with fear as Vader carved through the Masters like they were nothing, and she sprinted forward when she saw a young Jedi Knight stumble near him—Vader raised his saber to stab down through the Knight's chest—but she reached out with the Force and pulled the Jedi back, dragging him across the floor toward her.

Vader snapped his head around and thrust his hand out, stopping the Knight mid-slide with his own Force grip—Scout pushed harder, straining as sweat beaded on her forehead, but Vader's power overwhelmed hers, and he yanked the Knight back, slamming him onto his lightsaber—the blue blade punched through his stomach, and he gasped, legs kicking as Vader twisted it and flung him aside, body crashing into a clone squad. Scout screamed and charged, igniting her green saber as she leapt into a flip, spinning mid-air to slash at Vader's head—he parried with a flick of his wrist and swung back, forcing her to cartwheel away, landing in a crouch.

She darted forward and flipped over him, slashing at his back—he spun and blocked, the sabers clashing with a shower of sparks—and she landed, rolling to dodge a thrust, then sprang up, swinging at his legs—he sidestepped and grabbed her with the Force, slamming her into the ceiling—she grunted and fell, twisting to land on her feet, and swung again, aiming for his arm—he deflected and kicked her chest, sending her skidding back across the stone.

She gritted her teeth and pushed everything she had into the fight—leaping high and spinning to slash his shoulder, then ducking his counterstrike to stab at his side—he blocked and swung down, forcing her to roll aside, and she Force-pushed him, staggering him a step before flipping backward to gain distance. She swung and stabbed and spun, her saber a blur as she danced around him—flipping over his thrusts, cartwheeling past his swings—but he matched her move for move, his saber crashing against hers, and he grabbed her leg with the Force mid-flip, twisting it until cartilage popped—she cried out and hit the floor, rolling to dodge a stab that cracked the stone where she'd been.

She sprang up and slashed at his neck—he parried and punched her face with his metal fist, snapping her head back—then swung his saber, and she blocked, arms shaking from the impact. He pressed forward and swung again—she ducked and stabbed at his chest, but he sidestepped and grabbed her saber arm with the Force, yanking it aside—her blade flew from her hand, skittering across the floor—and he raised his saber to finish her, the blue tip hovering over her throat.

Cin Drallig and Jocasta Nu burst from the chaos—Drallig swung his green saber and parried Vader's strike, pushing him back, while Nu leapt in and slashed at his legs with her purple blade—he jumped over it and swung at her, forcing her to roll away. Drallig stabbed at his chest, and Vader blocked, kicking Drallig's knee—bone cracked, but he stayed up—and Nu swung at his back, grazing his cloak as he spun to face her. They shouted at Scout, "Get the others, retreat to the library!" and she scrambled to her feet, grabbing her saber as she stood.

She yelled back, "I can fight, I can help you!"

Drallig parried another swing and shouted, "No, the others need you," as Nu ducked a stab and slashed at Vader's arm—he blocked and Force-pushed her into a pillar, stone crunching.

They both yelled, "Go!" and she hesitated, fist clenched around her saber, but eventually she Scout turned, shouting, "Everyone, retreat to the library, now!" She ran toward the fleeing Jedi and padawans, herding them toward the archive halls, but glanced back as she reached the blast doors, watching the fight unfold—Drallig and Nu held their own, Drallig deflecting a flurry of swings while Nu flipped over Vader, slashing his shoulder—he grunted and swung back, forcing her to land and block.

They traded blows—Drallig stabbed and Nu swung, Vader parrying and countering easily—and it looked even until Vader roared, grabbing Drallig with the Force and slamming him into Nu—both stumbled, and he swung his saber, slashing Drallig's chest open, then spun and stabbed Nu through the stomach, twisting the blade as she gasped—he yanked it free and swung again, cutting Drallig's head off mid-recovery, the body dropping as Nu fell, clutching her wound.

Scout slammed her hand on the controls, tears streaming down her face as the blast doors to the library slid shut—Vader stepped over the bodies, saber humming, and she locked the mechanism, choking on a sob as she led the surviving Jedi deeper into the archives of the Jedi Temple, her boots pounding on the stone floor as she waved them forward—padawans and knights stumbled behind her, some clutching wounds, others almost collapsing—while they pushed past towering shelves packed with datacrons and holobooks, heading for the central chamber where they could make a stand.

She shouted orders and pointed at a row of tables, telling a group to flip them over—six Jedi grabbed the edges and heaved, stacking them into a makeshift barricade across the main passage, while others hauled chairs and crates, piling them high to block the way. She grabbed a shelf with the Force and yanked it down, crashing it across a side entrance—metal groaned and datacrons scattered—and stepped back, wiping sweat from her brow as she tried to steady her breathing, but her hands shook because the echoes of Drallig and Nu's deaths screamed through the Force, mixing with the dozens of Jedi she'd seen cut down in the halls, and she clenched her fists, fighting to keep her voice even as she turned to the group and said, "Hold it together, the Council will be here soon, we just need to buy time." Her tone cracked, and she swallowed hard, forcing a nod while the others glanced at her—some nodded back, others stared blankly, their sabers trembling in their grips.

A human Jedi Knight jogged up and grabbed her arm, saying, "Scout, the shield's back online, I saw ir through the west window, the Council must've got the machine running!" She froze for a second, then exhaled sharply—hope flickered in her chest because five minutes had passed, and if the shield held, the clones couldn't bring in more artillery or reinforcements—and she clapped his shoulder and said, "Good, that's good, it means we've got a chance, tell everyone to get ready."

He ran off, shouting the news, and she turned back to the barricade—Jedi took positions behind it, igniting sabers as they formed a line, while others stacked more crates and dragged a busted holoprojector over, wedging it into a gap. She gripped her own saber and ignited it, stepping to the front and planting her feet while her heart pounded—the shield might stop the tide outside, but the clones already inside wouldn't quit, and she muttered to herself, "We can do this, just hold the line," trying to believe it as she squared her shoulders and waited.

A loud explosion rocked the archives—stone dust fell from the ceiling, and the blast doors shuddered—then silence stretched for a beat before clones burst through the breach, DC-15 rifles firing as they charged the barricade, bolts sizzling through the air while Scout swung her saber and deflected shots, shouting, "Push them back, don't let them through!" The Jedi beside her swung sabers and deflected bolts—two clones dropped with holes burned through their chests—but more poured in, blasters firing as they climbed over the tables, and a Jedi stabbed a trooper through the gut, yanking his blade free only to catch a blaster bolt in the throat—he fell gurgling, and Scout leapt forward, slashing a clone's legs out before Force-pushing another into a shelf—it toppled, crushing him.

The clones kept coming—dozens turned into hundreds—and a Jedi swung his saber, cutting a trooper down, but a vibroblade stabbed his back—he grunted and fell, and three clones gunned him down as they advanced, forcing the line to buckle.

Scout grabbed a padawan and pulled him back as bolts chewed through the barricade—wood splintered and metal bent—and she shouted, "Fall back, tighter position, now!" They retreated, dragging wounded as they went—a Jedi swung his saber and slashed a clone's arm off, but a rotary cannon opened up, shredding his chest, and he dropped, body jerking—and Scout deflected shots, covering a Twi'lek who stumbled, clutching her side where a bolt had grazed her.

They pulled back to a narrower passage between shelves, and she shoved a crate into the gap, yelling, "Hold here, reinforce it!" Jedi piled debris—chairs, datacrons, a busted console—while clones fired through, bolts punching holes in a padawan's legs—he screamed and fell, and a trooper stabbed him with a vibroblade, finishing him as they pressed closer.

She swung her saber and cut a clone down, Force-pushing two more back—they crashed into their squad—but a flamethrower roared, forcing her to dive aside as flames licked the shelves, and another Jedi leapt in, stabbing a trooper through the helmet, only to catch a bolt in the face—he dropped, smoking.

They couldn't hold this position so they retreated agai. A Jedi swung his saber, slashing a clone's throat, but a thermal detonator blew nearby, blasting him into a shelf—he didn't get up—and Scout grabbed a wounded knight, dragging him as they fell back to the archive's core, the last choke point before the younglings' hiding spot in the Council Tower access. She shouted, "This is it, hold the door, we can't let them past!" Jedi formed a semicircle around the entrance—sabers ignited, hands raised to push with the Force—and clones charged, blasters firing as a Jedi deflected bolts and stabbed a trooper through the chest, but two more tackled him, vibroblades jabbing his ribs—he grunted and fell, and Scout slashed one's legs out, Force-choking the other until his neck snapped.

A padawan swung and cut a clone down, but a bolt punched through her stomach—she dropped, clutching the wound—and clones swarmed over her, boots stomping as they pushed the line back to the door, the Jedi thinning out while Scout swung and stabbed, holding what ground she could.

She panted and glanced at the survivors—less than twenty now—she gritted her teeth and swung her saber, slashing a clone's arm off as they held the door, hoping the Council could reach them before he did—blasters fired and vibroblades swung, and she deflected shots, shouting, "Stand firm, protect the younglings!" knowing all they could do was buy time with their lives against the endless wave hammering at their last stand.

___________________________

Lord Vader stood in the Grand Hall of the Jedi Temple, his boots on cracked stone as Cin Drallig's headless body slumped nearby and Jocasta Nu lay crumpled with a hole through her stomach, his blue lightsaber humming while clone troopers shifted around him.

He turned to the clone commander and said, "Go after the Jedi, hunt them down, leave none alive." The commander saluted and shouted orders, troopers forming up and jogging toward the blast doors to the archives, a squad hauling a rocket launcher and aiming at the durasteel barrier Scout had sealed.

They fired, the rocket slamming into the doors with a boom, metal splitting and chunks flying as the breach opened, clones pouring through with blasters firing while Vader took a few steps after them, saber in hand. He stopped, a warning pulsing through the Force, danger tingling his spine, and turned back as turbolift doors opened along the walls, High Council members stepping out onto the blood-slicked floor with sabers igniting.

Mace Windu stepped from the first lift, purple saber snapping on, followed by Kit Fisto gripping his green blade, then Shaak Ti slipping out with twin blue sabers humming. Plo Koon emerged next, orange saber buzzing, mask glinting, and Coleman Kcaj followed with his green blade steady, Agen Kolar coming last with purple saber raised. Clones spun, raising DC-15s, but Vader thrust a hand out and said, "Go, I'll handle them." Troopers hesitated then obeyed, filing toward the archives as he walked to the hall's center, boots crunching debris while the Council circled him, sabers glowing across scattered bodies.

He tightened his grip on his lightsaber, metal creaking, and watched the last turbolift descend, Obi-Wan Kenobi stepping out, blue saber igniting as he joined the circle, eyes locking onto Vader's. Vader stood firm and said, "Throw down your lightsabers, join me, bow to the Emperor, and he'll let you serve his Empire, resist and die." His voice echoed, cold and flat, but no one moved, sabers stayed up, silence stretching until Mace Windu stepped closer and said, "Anakin, is this what you wanted?" pointing at dead Jedi sprawled around, limbs severed and chests burned.

Kit Fisto shook his head and said, "You've caused this pain, every death here is on you, Skywalker."

Shaak Ti stepped up and said, "All these lives lost, clones turned, galaxy tearing apart, you did this, was power worth it?"

Vader growled and said, "My wife and children are dead, Sabé, Luke, Leia, gone, and power's the only way to bring them back, Palpatine promised me." His voice shook, free hand clenching while the Council paused, Plo Koon tilting his head, Coleman Kcaj frowning, Agen Kolar shifting, surprise flickering because most didn't know his family, Obi-Wan staying silent, already aware.

Plo Koon lowered his saber slightly and said, "It's not too late, Anakin, come back, we don't have to fight."

Coleman Kcaj nodded and said, "Drop the saber, step away from darkness, we can find another way."

Mace Windu kept his blade up and said, "You're not lost yet, Skywalker, but keep this up and there's no return, think about it."

Vader shook his head and said, "I don't have a choice, Palpatine holds the key, I'll cut through anyone to get it." His grip tightened, knuckles whitening, staring them down.

Obi-Wan stepped forward and said, "Sabé wouldn't want this, Anakin, she'd hate this, please let me help you." His voice cracked, soft and pleading, lowering his saber a fraction, reaching out with his free hand.

Vader looked up at Obi-Wan, yellow eyes flickering blue for a moment, memories of Sabé and the twins flashing, then hardening back as he said, "She's gone, they're gone, words won't change that." He ignited his lightsaber with a snap-hiss, raising it while the Council tensed, Mace lifting his purple blade, Kit gripping his green, Shaak Ti spinning her twin blues, Plo Koon raising his orange, Coleman Kcaj steadying his green, Agen Kolar bracing his purple, Obi-Wan reigniting his blue, stepping into guard as they closed in, sabers humming around Vader in the center, ready to strike.

Vader lunged first at Mace who parried with his purple blade while Kit leapt in with his green saber slashing at Vader's legs. Vader jumped and kicked Kit into a pillar, then swung at Shaak Ti who spun her twin blues to block as Plo Koon stabbed with his orange saber. Vader dodged and Force-pushed Plo Koon into Agen, both stumbling, and Obi-Wan charged with his blue saber swinging at Vader's head. Vader blocked and slashed back, Obi-Wan flipping aside as Coleman stabbed with his green blade, forcing Vader to spin and parry while the clash cracked the floor. Mace leapt over them and swung down, Vader deflecting and Force-throwing a statue at him, Mace slicing it apart mid-air as Shaak Ti flipped in and stabbed, Vader sidestepping and kicking her into a wall.

Obi-Wan ducked in and said, "Anakin, stop this, we're your family, come back!"

"My family is gone!!!" Vader roared and swung, Obi-Wan parrying as Kit recovered and slashed at Vader's back. Vader spun and stabbed Kit through the chest, yanking the blade free as Kit dropped, and the temple shook from the Force surge. Mace charged and swung his purple saber fast, Vader meeting it blow for blow, then Force-jumped to a balcony with the Council chasing. Shaak Ti and Plo Koon teamed up, Shaak Ti spinning her sabers at his legs and Plo Koon slashing at his head, Vader blocking both and Force-hurling a railing at them. Plo Koon caught it with the Force and threw it back, Vader slashing it apart as Agen leapt over and stabbed with his purple saber, Vader parrying and kicking him into Coleman who flipped him back into the fight.

Mace shouted, "I knew we should've sent you back to Tatooine, Skywalker, you're a mistake!" and swung his saber in a powerful arc, Vader blocking and Force-pushing him into a holoprojector that shattered.

"Now your weakness will be your own undoing," Vader said as he looked coldly at Mace. Obi-Wan leapt beside Mace and stabbed at Vader's chest, Vader deflecting and slashing Obi-Wan's arm, Obi-Wan grunting but swinging back as Shaak Ti flipped over them and stabbed with her twin blues. Vader blocked and Force-threw her into a turbolift, denting the doors, then swung at Plo Koon who parried and kicked his leg. Vader stumbled and Force-lifted a chunk of balcony, slamming it into Plo Koon who crashed through a wall into the Room of a Thousand Fountains below.

The fight spilled downward, Vader leaping into the fountains with the Council following, Mace swung his purple saber while Obi-Wan slashed from the side, Vader blocking both and Force-pushing a wave of water at them. Mace jumped over it and stabbed, Obi-Wan rolling aside and swinging, Vader parrying and kicking Obi-Wan into the pool as Shaak Ti landed and spun her sabers at his back. Vader spun and blocked, grabbing Coleman with the Force and hurling him into a fountain statue, stone cracking as Agen charged with his purple saber slashing. Vader ducked and stabbed Agen through the stomach, twisting the blade up through his chest, then flung him into the air where he crashed into a ledge, snapping it off as he fell dead into the water below.

Shaak Ti and Plo Koon rushed in, Plo Koon swinging his orange saber and Shaak Ti stabbing with her blues, Vader blocking Plo Koon and Force-pushing Shaak Ti into a pillar, then slashing at Plo Koon who ducked and stabbed back. Vader sidestepped and Force-lifted a fountain basin, slamming it into Plo Koon who raised his saber to block but got crushed against a wall, the basin shattering as he slumped, Vader quickly jumped piecing his lightsaber through the Masters face ending his life.

Mace leapt in and swung his purple saber, Vader parried and threw a stream of water at him, Mace pushed back with the force as Obi-Wan charged and slashed at Vader's legs. Vader jumped and kicked Obi-Wan into a fountain, then swung at Mace who blocked and stabbed, the clash shaking the chamber.

They fought upward across the temple, Vader leaping onto a platform with the survivors—Mace, Obi-Wan, and Shaak Ti—chasing, and Mace swung his saber while Shaak Ti flipped over and stabbed with her twin blues, Vader blocking Mace and parrying Shaak Ti mid-air, then Force-pushing her into a holoscreen that sparked and fell. Obi-Wan swung and said, "Anakin, think of Sabé, she'd hate this, let me help!" Vader blocked and Force-lifted a turbolfit, hurling it at Obi-Wan who sliced it apart and stabbed back. Mace leapt over them and swung, Vader deflecting and kicking Mace into a wall, then slashing at Shaak Ti who spun her sabers to block and stabbed at his side, Vader sidestepping and Force-throwing a desk at her, Shaak Ti dodging but catching a bolt graze from a ricochet.

Vader Force-jumped to a higher spire, the three following, and unleashed larger attacks—he raised both hands and ripped a massive section of ceiling free, hurling it at them. Mace and Obi-Wan Force-pushed together, shattering it mid-air, debris raining as Shaak Ti leapt through and stabbed with her twin blues, Vader blocking and swinging back, the platform cracking under the force.

He grabbed another turbolift car with the Force and slammed it into them, Mace slicing it in half while Obi-Wan and Shaak Ti dodged, pieces crashing into walls and shaking the spire. Mace swung his purple saber and grazed Vader's arm, Vader roaring and Force-pushing a wave of stone shards at them, Obi-Wan and Shaak Ti raising a Force barrier to deflect it as Mace leapt over and stabbed at his chest, Vader parrying and kicking him back.

Vader swung at Shaak Ti, she blocked with her twin blues, and he Force-lifted her into the air, slamming her into a spire beam—she grunted and dropped one saber, Vader slashed with his blade and cutt her arm off, then stabbed her chest as she fell, pinning her to the floor where she twitched and died. Mace charged and swung his saber, Vader blocked and Force-threw a storm of debris at him, Mace deflecting pieces as Obi-Wan leapt in and stabbed at Vader's back, Vader spinning and parrying both, the clash splitting the platform. He raised a hand and Force-ripped a wall section free, hurling it at them—Mace and Obi-Wan pushed back with the Force, cracking it apart—and Vader swung at Mace, grazing his leg, then slashed at Obi-Wan who ducked and stabbed back, nicking Vader's side.

Vader roared and unleashed a massive Force wave, tearing the spire apart—stone flew and floors collapsed, Mace and Obi-Wan leaping to a lower level as the debris fell, and Vader jumped after them, landing in the Archives with a thud that cracked the floor. He swung at Mace who blocked and stabbed, Vader parried and Force-lifted shelves, slamming them into Obi-Wan who dodged and swung back, grazing Vader's arm. Vader grabbed a holobook stack with the Force and hurled it like a spear, Mace slicing it apart as Obi-Wan leapt over and stabbed, Vader blocked and kicked him into a wall, then slashed at Mace who parried and swung, the clash shattering a console.

Vader raised both hands and Force-pulled the ceiling down—tons of stone crashed toward them—and Mace and Obi-Wan pushed back together, holding it up as Vader swung his saber, Mace ducking and stabbing his leg, Vader grunting and slashing back, Obi-Wan leaping in and swinging at his head. Vader blocked and Force-threw a wave of datacrons, Obi-Wan deflecting them as Mace swung and grazed his chest, Vader roaring and slashing Mace's shoulder, then stabbing through his stomach—Mace gasped and swung one last time, cutting Vader's arm off bedote dropping dead, purple saber clattering to the ground.

Obi-Wan shouted, "Anakin, no!" and swung, Vader parried and Force-pushee him into a shelf—it collapsed, burying him in rubble—Vader stumbled, clasping his missing stump, breathing heavily as he fell to one knee, saber dropping while the temple groaned, walls cracking around him and Obi-Wan struggling free, panting but alive.

He Obi-Wan struggled under a pile of rubble nearby—stone and twisted metal pinned his legs and chest. Obi-Wan gasped and pushed with his hands, shifting a slab slightly, but more debris slid down, trapping him tighter, and he groaned, sweat streaking his face as he fought for air, kicking against the weight for long moments before closing his eyes and reaching out with the Force. He focused and drew the energy in, then shoved outward with a shout, hurling the rubble off in a burst—stone crashed against the walls—and rolled free, stumbling to his feet with his blue lightsaber gripped in his shaking hand, wincing as he clutched his wounded shoulder and limped toward Vader who stayed still, head bowed.

Obi-Wan stopped in front of him and said, "I failed you, Anakin." His voice broke, and he paused, tears welling in his eyes as he took a shaky step closer. "I worried what might happen if you lost your wife and children, I saw the risk, and I said nothing to the Council because I wanted to believe in you, I wanted that so much."

He stood over Anakin, his chest heaving, and shouted, "You were the Chosen One!" The words echoed through the ruined hall, and he raised his saber, trembling. "You were meant to destroy the Sith, not join them, meant to bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness—look at everything you've caused, we took you in, gave you a family, and now thousands of us are dead because of you!"

Vader looked up and said, "I had to." His voice cracked, and he paused, clenching his fist. "Sabé..."

Obi-Wan froze, saber hovering, and opened his mouth to speak, but a rumble shook the temple—dust fell, walls groaned—and he turned his head as the air shifted.

Outside, Darth Sidious floated on a platform above the temple, his black robes billowing as he raised his head and said, "You have failed me, Lord Vader." His voice cut through the chaos, cold and sharp, and he paused before adding, "But it is no matter, I've entertained myself long enough." He lifted his hands and unleashed Force lightning—jagged blue arcs slammed into the temple's shield, the barrier flickering and straining before shattering with a boom, fragments of energy dissipating into the smoky sky.

Palpatine laughed, a harsh sound piercing the air, and tilted his head as he felt Master Yoda—the lone Jedi powering the shield—struggle against him, then raised his arms higher, gripping the temple with the Force and ripping the top floors away—stone and steel tore free, exposing the Grand Hall to daylight. Vader seized the moment and Force-pushed Obi-Wan through a wall—the Jedi crashed through debris and landed hard—while Vader staggered to his feet, clutching his side.

Scout held the archive door partially shut with a handful of Jedi, her arms straining against the durasteel as clones pounded and fired from the other side—blaster bolts scorched the frame—and she shouted for them to brace it, sweat dripping down her face while the last padawans huddled behind her, sabers shaking in their hands. The clones paused, heads turning upward, and she looked up as the entire roof lifted off—stone cracked and fell away, revealing the sky—and Palpatine's voice boomed, enhanced by the Force, "The time of the Empire is here, the age of the Sith has begun, I will be the last Dark Lord, and you will join me or perish."

He paused, mid-speech, as a ship decloaked off the temple's side—Jaden's Baudo-class Star Yacht—and fired blasters and ion cannons, shredding Palpatine's platform in a barrage of explosions, launching him tumbling through the air. At the same time, the upper atmosphere flared with the Naboo fleet dropping from hyperspace, turbolasers pounding Republic ships in orbit.

Scout shouted, "Jaden!" The yacht hovered over the wrecked temple, and Jedi and Travellers leapt from its ramp—Ahsoka swung her twin green sabers and cut down three clones, Aubrie slashed a trooper with her blue blade, and Fay Force-pushed a squad into a wall, their armor cracking. Dozens more poured out, engaging the clones swarming Scout's position, and reached her, shoving the door wide—sabers flashed as they felled troopers, blasters fired and vibroblades swung, but the reinforcements carved through, pulling Scout and the survivors back from the edge as clones fell around them.

Vader stumbled upright in the archives and raised his lightsaber as Travellers and Jedi surrounded him, sabers igniting, but a voice cut through, "No, he is ours." Ahsoka stepped forward with Aubrie and Fay, green, blue, and orange blades snapping on as they faced him. Vader tightened his grip and said, "Ahsoka." His voice came low and strained, and he paused, staring at his old padawan.

She narrowed her eyes and said, "Master... no, Vader." Her tone sharpened, and she shifted into a stance, blades ready while Aubrie and Fay flanked her, sabers humming in unison.

Jaden dropped from the yacht into the Grand Hall, landing with a thud as Palpatine rose from a smoking crater, robes singed, and laughed—a grating rasp—and said, "Foolish, Jaden, returning here instead of hiding on your little planet, you've handed me your power." He paused, sneering, and added, "Once I take it, no Force in the galaxy will challenge me." He raised his hands, and space warped around him—air twisted, clouds churned overhead, lightning flickered in the dark swirl.

Jaden faced him and unsheathed his lightsaber, igniting the blue blade as Palpatine drew his red saber and ignited it, and said, "When will you learn that the more you take, the less you have." His voice stayed steady despite the fear, disgust, and pity knotting his gut.

...

Jaden had stood firm in the Grand Hall, facing Palpatine with his blue lightsaber ignited, and balanced himself in the Force, drawing on both light and dark until his eyes turned purple, a steady glow flickering in them as he tightened his grip on the hilt. Palpatine had tilted his head and laughed, a sharp rasp slicing through the smoky air, before he said, "You thought mixing sides made you strong, Jaden? True power lay only in the dark, not in your pitiful half-measures."

Jaden had taken a step forward and replied, "Your dark was a perversion of the Force, and I'll correct it." His voice remained calm.

But Palpatine's laugh grew louder, reverberating off the cracked walls, and then he leapt into a corkscrew dive—his red saber spun as he stabbed toward Jaden's chest. Jaden raised his blade and blocked the strike, the clash sparking in the dim light, before he slashed sideways at Palpatine's ribs. Palpatine twisted in mid-air and parried, landing with a skid, and then swung low at Jaden's legs. Jaden leapt over the blade and stabbed downward, forcing Palpatine to roll aside before thrusting back up as Jaden touched the ground.

Their fight carried them across the Grand Hall, sabers meeting in sharp bursts—Palpatine swung overhead, and Jaden ducked, slashing at his knees, only for Palpatine to flip backward and slash mid-spin. Jaden sidestepped and swung at his arm; Palpatine blocked and stabbed forward, prompting Jaden to spin around the thrust and aim for his back. Palpatine turned and parried, kicking a chunk of debris toward Jaden, who Force-pushed it aside and lunged, stabbing at Palpatine's shoulder. Palpatine dodged and swung wide, so Jaden leapt over the blade and slashed downward—Palpatine blocked and Force-shoved him back, sending Jaden skidding across the stone, but he steadied himself and charged again, swinging at Palpatine's neck. Palpatine ducked and stabbed at Jaden's gut, and Jaden twisted aside, slashing at his legs—Palpatine jumped and swung down as Jaden rolled forward, stabbing upward just as Palpatine landed.

The duel spilled out through the shattered Temple Gate onto the front steps—Palpatine leapt and spun, slashing at Jaden's head, and Jaden ducked before swinging at his chest, Palpatine landing and parrying with a backhand swing. Jaden flipped over him and stabbed at his spine, but Palpatine spun and blocked, then slashed low—Jaden hopped back and swung overhead, Palpatine sidestepping and thrusting at Jaden's side.

Jaden twisted and slashed at his arm; Palpatine blocked and leapt onto a broken pillar, swinging down as Jaden parried and Force-pushed him off—Palpatine flipped mid-air and landed with a stab at Jaden's chest, but Jaden deflected and slashed at his legs. Palpatine jumped and swung mid-air; Jaden rolled aside and stabbed upward, Palpatine blocking and landing before swinging wide, Jaden ducking and slashing at his back, Palpatine turning to parry with a thrust.

They battled down the steps—Jaden swung and stabbed as Palpatine dodged and slashed back, and Jaden flipped over a swing, kicking at Palpatine's face. Palpatine leaned back and stabbed upward; Jaden twisted aside and slashed at his neck, Palpatine blocking and swinging low.

Jaden leapt over and stabbed down—Palpatine rolled aside and thrust, Jaden parrying and swinging at his arm, Palpatine ducking and slashing at Jaden's legs. Jaden jumped and spun, slashing mid-air; Palpatine blocked and stabbed, Jaden landing and swinging back, their sabers locking for a moment with sparks flying. Jaden broke free and swung overhead, Palpatine parrying and slashing at his chest—Jaden sidestepped, spun behind him, and kicked hard, sending Palpatine tumbling down the long temple steps, his red saber clattering away as he rolled and crashed at the bottom, dust rising around him in a thick cloud.

Jaden had watched as thousands of clone troopers from the war camp below had surged forward, boots pounding the ground as they rushed to Palpatine's defense with blasters raised. Jaden tightened his grip on his blue lightsaber and shifted his stance, ready to face the onslaught, but his Baudo-class Star Yacht roared overhead, blaster cannons and ion turrets firing into the clone ranks—bolts tore through armor and scattered troopers across the plaza, pinning them back from the steps. Jaden glanced up and whispered, "Thanks, Padmé," knowing she piloted it now, even if she couldn't hear him.

He turned back to Palpatine, who had risen from the ground, red saber reigniting in his hand as he shook off the dust. Jaden stepped forward and said, "Surrender, Palpatine, give up now and we can fix whatever you've done to yourself." His voice cut through the distant blaster fire, steady and firm.

Palpatine laughed, a grating rasp, and shouted, "Fix? You think I need fixing?" He paused, then growled, "You think surpassing me in lightsaber combat puts you above me?" The air thickened, the ground trembling and splitting across the temple plaza as he gathered power.

He roared, "I am power!" and unleashed a Force Shockwave—energy blasted outward, hurling Jaden back through the air and smashing him into the Senate Rotunda, duracrete shattering as he crashed through the wall and landed inside the chamber. Jaden stumbled to his feet and swung his blue saber as Palpatine leapt through the hole, red saber stabbing—Jaden parried and slashed at his chest, Palpatine blocking and swinging back, their blades clashing amid the cracked benches. Jaden stabbed forward, Palpatine dodged and kicked a podium at him—Jaden pushed it aside with the Force—and swung again, Palpatine parrying and summoning a burst of force that cracked the entire chamber. The building groaned and collapsed—Jaden leapt out, sliding down the crumbling facade as Palpatine followed, swinging his saber mid-fall—Jaden blocked and stabbed, Palpatine twisting aside and landing in the speeder lanes below.

They fought among the traffic—speeders swerved as Jaden swung his saber, Palpatine parrying and slashing back, both dodging vehicles zipping past. Jaden leapt onto a speeder and stabbed at Palpatine, who jumped to another and blocked, then pushed a transport at Jaden with the Force—Jaden flipped off as it crashed into a lane divider, exploding in flames, and swung his saber, Palpatine dodging and hurling a taxi speeder back—Jaden pushed it aside with the Force, stopping jt from smashing into a support beam. Palpatine swung his red saber and stabbed, Jaden parrying and moving to a cargo hauler—Palpatine followed, slashing at his legs, Jaden jumping over and swinging back, their blades sparking as speeders honked and veered around them. Palpatine roared and unleashed a shockwave of lightning—blue arcs exploded outward, blowing speeders apart in mid-air and hurling Jaden off the lane, crashing through a commerce guild tower's window as debris rained across the district.

Jaden landed hard, ribs cracking, and healed as he stood—bones mended—while Palpatine soared in, red saber swinging—Jaden blocked and pushed him with the Force into a residential block across the plaza, duracrete shattering. Palpatine burst out and gripped a Judicial Tower with the Force, ripping it from its foundation and hurling it at Jaden—Jaden dodged, running across its surface as it flew, leaping to a galactic bank building Palpatine threw next, jumping from one to another as Palpatine laughed, summoning more power and tossing an entire Senate annex—Jaden flipped above him mid-air and pulled a factory complex up from the ground with the Force, smashing it into Palpatine, lifting them both skyward amid the collapsing structure. Jaden channeled force energy into his palm—his hand glowed—and slammed it down into Palpatine, obliterating the building in a blast of Force power, crashing Palpatine into the plaza below with a thunderous impact that cratered the ground.

Palpatine rose, snarling, and went wild—his hands shot upward, summoning a Force Storm that engulfed the sky—black clouds swirled, winds tore spires from their bases, and lightning cracked across Coruscant, leveling entire sectors. He swung his red saber and stabbed at Jaden, then thrust both hands forward—lightning poured from his fingers and the sky, blue arcs striking Jaden from above and below. Jaden caught the energy with his hands, redirecting it into a nearby tower that exploded, but the force slammed him back—his body broke, arms snapping, legs twisting—and he crashed into the Grand Hall, tumbling through rubble as the temple groaned around him.

Palpatine floated over him, laughing while the storm raged—lightning shattered districts, winds uprooted buildings—and said, "You're nothing, Jaden, I'll crush this planet and take your power, the galaxy bends to me!" His red saber spun as he stabbed down, energy crackling around him.

Jaden healed—bones knit, muscles reformed—but too slow, and Palpatine closed in, lightning sparking, until a push with the Force sent him staggering back. Jaden lifted his head and saw a shadow stretch across the hall—Yoda stepped inside, cane tapping the stone, and said, "Assistance you need, hmm?" chuckling as he stopped beside Jaden, eyes glinting while Palpatine snarled and straightened, the storm howling louder overhead, shaking the city to its core.

...

Palpatine stood amidst the rubble of the Grand Hall, glaring at Jaden and Yoda with a scowl twisting his face, and said, "The two last Grandmasters there will ever be, how fitting that you die together." His voice carried a venomous edge as he clenched his fists, red lightsaber still humming in his grip, the air around him crackling with tension.

Yoda let his walking stick fall to the stone with a soft clatter and raised his hand, summoning his green lightsaber from his belt—it snapped into his grasp and ignited with a sharp hiss—and tilted his head at Palpatine before saying, "Mighty you think yourself, hmm? A shriveled womp rat leading this galaxy to muck, more like."

He chuckled, a raspy little laugh that bounced off the broken walls, and added, "At an end your rule is, and not short enough it was." His eyes flicked to Jaden, who nodded back, tightening his hold on his blue lightsaber.

Palpatine sneered and said, "You think this will make a difference?" His voice rose to a shout as he thrust his hands forward, "You will die together!" and unleashed Force Lightning—jagged blue arcs surged toward them, splitting the air with a deafening crackle. Jaden and Yoda flipped sideways in unison, rushing Palpatine as more lightning bolts rained from the stormy sky and erupted from his hands—they wove through the barrage, Jaden sliding under a searing blast that scorched the stone behind him, Yoda leaping over another that left a smoking trail in its wake. Yoda landed on Jaden's outstretched hand, and with a grunt, Jaden launched him forward—Yoda soared through the air, letting out a piercing scream, and swung his green lightsaber in a whirlwind of rapid spins and stabs, slashing at Palpatine's chest.

Jaden darted to the side and swung his blue lightsaber from behind—Palpatine twisted, throwing his free hand out to summon a second red lightsaber from his robes, igniting it with a hiss, and parried both strikes, the clash of blades sparking in the dim hall as they pressed him back step by step. Jaden stabbed low, aiming for Palpatine's legs, while Yoda flipped overhead, slashing at his shoulders—Palpatine blocked Jaden's thrust and swung upward at Yoda, who twisted mid-air and landed behind him, stabbing again. Palpatine spun and countered with both sabers, slashing at Jaden's chest and Yoda's side—Jaden ducked and Yoda leapt over, their blades meeting Palpatine's in a flurry that echoed through the hall. Palpatine roared and unleashed a burst of Force energy—Jaden and Yoda flew backward, crashing into the walls with a thud—and he ripped the Grand Hall apart with a sweeping gesture, hurling massive chunks of stone and durasteel at them like missiles. Jaden flipped over a slab mid-air, grabbed it with the Force as he spun, and flung it back, while Yoda rooted Palpatine to the spot, pouring all his strength into holding him—Palpatine strained, his arms trembling, but the pillar smashed into him, cracking through his chest as he screamed. When he reermeged red sparks burst from his body like a broken conduit.

His speed surged—Palpatine shot toward Jaden, slamming his red lightsaber down with blinding force—Jaden blocked but skidded back, crashing through multiple walls, stone crumbling around him as he tumbled across the hall. Palpatine turned on Yoda and swung both sabers in a vicious arc—Yoda parried with quick flicks, redirecting a thrust into the ground where it scorched the stone—he knew he couldn't take the full power head on so he redirected the power—then pushed a slash aside with the Force, leaping and spinning to slash at Palpatine's legs. Palpatine stumbled but swung back—Yoda flipped over the blade, landing steady, and stabbed upward, Palpatine twisting aside and slashing down—Yoda dodged and swung again, keeping Palpatine on the defensive.

Jaden healed his broken shoulder and arm—bones snapped into place—and stood, realizing he couldn't keep fighting and healing indefinitely; his hand brushed the Dagger of Mortis in his robes, but he shook his head—there was still a chance, and he held off using it.

He leapt back into the fray and saw Yoda slammed across the hall, tumbling out into the temple gardens—Jaden followed, sprinting through the shattered doorway, and blocked a saber strike aimed at Yoda's neck, twisting his blade around to lock Palpatine's, then kicked his side with a solid thud. He unleashed emerald lightning from his hand—green arcs blasted Palpatine across the gardens, scorching the earth and uprooting trees, but Palpatine countered with his own blue lightning, pushing back with a snarl.

Their power clashed in a powerul struggle—Jaden's arms shook as he lost ground, the energy searing his hands—until Yoda joined him, lending his strength; together, their combined power surged forward, overwhelming Palpatine—his robes caught fire, skin blistering as he staggered and fell to one knee, clawing at the ground.

Yoda climbed onto Jaden's back and said, "Together, hmm?" his voice steady despite the chaos.

Jaden nodded and said, "Together," then rushed Palpatine, who struggled to stand—Jaden flipped sideways, dodging a lightning blast that shattered a stone bench, redirected another with his lightsaber into a tree that burst into flames, and leapt high, slamming his fist down with a Force Shockwave—energy erupted outward, obliterating the gardens and every level beneath, stone and soil collapsing into a vast chasm.

They fought across the falling debris—Jaden swung his saber as they leapt from chunk to chunk, Palpatine parrying with both blades while Yoda poured power into Jaden; Jaden slashed at Palpatine's chest, Palpatine blocked and stabbed back—Jaden twisted aside and swung again, Palpatine dodging as a slab tilted beneath them. Jaden leapt to another piece and stabbed forward—Palpatine parried and swung low, Jaden flipping over and slashing mid-air, Palpatine blocking with a grunt as cracks spread across the debris. Jaden pressed the attack, swinging faster—Palpatine's blocks faltered—and cut off Palpatine's hand, his red saber spinning away; Jaden grabbed his throat with the Force, crushing his chest inward—bones snapped—and leapt upward, slamming Palpatine through multiple ceilings into the Archives, smashing through data stacks that toppled in showers of sparks and shattered holocrons.

Jaden landed on the ground, lightsaber raised to finish it—Palpatine crawled back, clutching his stump, and rasped, "Is this the Jedi way, to murder an unarmed man? Is this how far the Order has fallen?" His voice wheezed through the smoke-filled air.

Jaden looked down and said, "I am not a Jedi." He paused, steadying his breath, then added, "And you are not a man," lifting his saber—but the doors burst open with a crash, and Anakin flew through, hurled by Aubrie, Ahsoka, and Fay, tumbling across the floor in a heap.

Palpatine seized the moment, thrusting his remaining hand out—lightning blasted Jaden and Yoda, slamming them through a data stack and into a wall, durasteel crumpling behind them. He stood, laughing wildly, and said, "A moment of hesitation, that was what it took, a moment of hesitation has solidified my Empire!" His cackle rang out as he turned to Aubrie, Ahsoka, Fay, and the Jedi and Travellers pouring into the Archives—Jaden, burned and smoking, tried to shout, "Run!" but his voice broke, barely audible over Palpatine's laughter.

Palpatine faced Anakin and said, "Lord Vader, you disappoint me, I thought you worthy of being my apprentice, it seems I was wrong—now I must find another." Before Anakin could reply, red sparks erupted from Palpatine, engulfing him—Anakin screamed as Palpatine drained his life, flesh shriveling into a dry husk that collapsed to the floor. Palpatine turned to Aubrie, Ahsoka, and Fay, red tendrils stretching out to pull their energy—they gasped and fell, bodies turning to husks—then swept through the others, every Jedi and Traveller dropping as he absorbed their power, leaving Jaden and Yoda shielding themselves with the Force, their hands raised against the onslaught.

He screamed, "Power!" his body pulsing with newfound energy—stronger than ever—and said, "I didn't want to pollute myself with Jedi filth, but you left me no choice, Jaden, it is time for you to die"

He grabbed Jaden and Yoda with the Force, throwing them through multiple walls across the temple—stone shattered as he dragged them downward through floors, then flung them upward, smashing them into ceilings; he laughed, a manic edge to his voice, and toyed with them, hurling them high into the sky before slamming them into the ground outside, the impact cratering the plaza.

Jaden lay in the cratered plaza outside the Jedi Temple, his body shattered from Palpatine's last assault, and pushed himself up with trembling arms—stone shifted beneath him—but Palpatine raised a hand, lifting him into the air with the Force and slamming him back into the ground, cracking the duracrete. He lifted Jaden again and slammed him down once more, then again, each impact shaking the earth as Jaden's limbs twisted and bones snapped, until Palpatine held him upright in mid-air, dangling before him like a broken toy.

Palpatine stepped closer and sneered. "Your balance, Jaden, will it save you now?"

He paused, his voice thick with mockery. "This precious harmony you cling to—where is it when you need it?"

Jaden screamed, his voice raw, as Palpatine clenched his fist—Jaden's arms and legs bent at unnatural angles, bones shattering with sharp cracks—and then slammed him into the ground again, the force splitting the plaza further. Palpatine cackled and turned to Yoda, who knelt nearby, burned and panting.

"Now what to do with you, my old friend?" he said, his tone shifting to a twisted glee.

He tilted his head with a grin. "Perhaps I'll keep you as a pet, a little green trophy to amuse me."

He thrust his hand out, unleashing Force Lightning—blue arcs surged toward Yoda, who raised his hands to block, absorbing the energy with a grunt, but the power overwhelmed him, forcing him to his knees as his small frame shook, smoke rising from his robes while Palpatine laughed, savoring Yoda's suffering.

Jaden, sprawled in the rubble, focused inward and healed—his bones knit back together, muscles reformed—and stood, knowing he had no choice left; he drew the Dagger of Mortis from his robes, its dark hilt cool in his hand, and started walking toward Palpatine, silencing his steps with the Force. He caught Yoda's eye across the plaza—Yoda nodded faintly, understanding—and pushed against the lightning harder, groaning to keep Palpatine distracted. Jaden moved closer, step by careful step, the dagger gleaming faintly in his grip, but froze as Palpatine's head snapped toward him.

Palpatine laughed, a harsh bark. "Do you truly believe I wouldn't see you?"

He slammed Jaden into the ground with a gesture, then turned fully, ripping the dagger from Jaden's grasp with the Force—it flew into his hand—and shouted, "You think such a puny weapon could defeat me? ME?"

He raised the dagger and began torturing Jaden—lightning poured from his fingers, searing Jaden's flesh as he writhed, the plaza trembling under the assault. Palpatine floated down and landed in front of Jaden, his boots crunching on the shattered stone.

"Your friends have died," he said, his voice cold and final.

"Everyone in the temple has died," he continued, stepping closer.

"And now you will die," he finished, gesturing sharply to stab the dagger into Jaden's chest—Jaden gurgled, blood filling his mouth, and whispered, "Padmé, Ahsoka... everyone, I'm sorry," his vision darkening as the pain consumed him.

Palpatine leaned close and mocked him. "Look at you, Grandmaster, undone by your own weakness."

He turned to Yoda, who lay heavily burned and breathing in shallow gasps, and grabbed him with a Force choke, lifting him off the ground—his small body dangled as Palpatine said, "Our little game has come to an end, my old friend."

He paused, tightening his grip slowly. "Perhaps one day the Force will bring you back to entertain me again."

He choked Yoda deliberately, prolonging the suffering, relishing each rasping breath as Yoda's hands clawed weakly at the invisible hold. A pulse rippled through the Force and Palpatine shivered, loosening his choke for a moment as his eyes darted around.

He screamed, "What was that?"

He shook Yoda and shouted, "Tell me, you wretched creature!"

Yoda stayed silent, gasping, while Palpatine spun, searching the plaza—his gaze landed on Jaden's lifeless body, which twitched and began to move. Palpatine unleashed a torrent of power—lightning and raw energy blasted from his hands, destroying the entire landing in an explosion of stone and dust; Yoda leapt to safety, tumbling across the rubble as the ground collapsed beneath them.

Palpatine floated midair above the ruined plateau, breathing heavily, his robes billowing in the storm's wind—another pulse hit, stronger, raising the hairs on his arms. A voice spoke behind him, "The dagger was not meant for you, Sheev Palpatine."

He turned, true fear gripping him for the first time—raw and unfamiliar—and saw Jaden standing there, the dagger still buried in his chest, but transformed: grey robes draped his frame, his hair now silver, a grey aura shimmering around him. Jaden gripped the dagger and pulled it free—blood ceased flowing, the wound sealing instantly—and said, "The dagger was for me."

Years ago, Jaden had found himself on Mortis, standing before the Father, one of the Ones who governed the Force's balance. The Father had offered Jaden his place, explaining that the Force needed a guardian to maintain its equilibrium, and Jaden, with his unique connection to both light and dark, could serve that role—but Jaden had declined, unwilling to abandon his life and take on such a burden. Before the Father perished, he had given Jaden the Dagger of Mortis, infused with his essence, and told him that merging it with his own would allow him to assume the Father's mantle whenever he chose.

Jaden stepped forward and said, "Sheev Palpatine, you have broken the balance, you need correcting." His tone carried deep disappointment as he met Palpatine's gaze.

Palpatine screamed and unleashed massive power—lightning surged from his hands, entire buildings tore from their foundations and hurtled toward Jaden—but Jaden raised his hand and swiped it right, obliterating the attacks in a wave of energy that shattered the lightning and reduced the buildings to dust mid-air.

Palpatine growled, "Who are you?"

He trembled, his voice cracking. "How do you have so much power?"

Jaden replied, "I am The Father, and I am Balance," then raised his hand and pushed with the Force—Palpatine launched away at blinding speed, crashing through skyscrapers and spires across Coruscant, the planet blurring beneath him as Jaden's power propelled him around the globe; Jaden turned and raised his hand again, stopping Palpatine just before he could collide back into him—Palpatine's body hung battered and broken, limbs twisted, but he snarled, healing himself with rage-fueled energy. He reached out to absorb Jaden's power—red tendrils stretched toward him—but Jaden flicked his hand down, slamming Palpatine through every level of Coruscant, from the top to Level 0, duracrete and steel parting like sand, then pulled him back up to the surface in an instant, leaving him crumpled in the Grand Hall.

Jaden floated down and said, "You are a sickness that I will cure." His hand glowed as he reached into Palpatine—his fingers sank into the Sith's chest, pulling out the stolen essence and power in shimmering strands, sending it back to its owners across the temple and beyond—Aubrie, Ahsoka, Fay, Anakin, and the others gasped awake, breathing heavily as life returned to their bodies, scattered among the ruins.

Palpatine ignited his lightsaber and stabbed at Jaden—Jaden extinguished it with a gesture, the blade winking out—and said, "You were granted a gift when the Force chose you, and look at what you've done with it." He grabbed Palpatine by the throat, lifting him off the ground, and severed his connection to the Force—Palpatine's eyes widened as the power drained away, leaving him hollow. Jaden threw him down, and Palpatine scrambled back, hurling small chunks of debris.

"Get away from me!" he shouted, his voice frantic.

Jaden looked down and said, "After all you've done, I find you a pitiable man—born with everything, yet it was never enough."

Palpatine crawled to Jaden's feet, seizing the moment, and begged, "Help me, the dark side took my mind, I couldn't control it!"—his voice desperate as the revived Jedi and Travellers entered the hall, staring at the broken figure before them.

Jaden shook his head and said, "This is the end." He paused, his gaze steady. "I hope you find peace wherever you end up."

Palpatine's face twisted, and he roared, "I'll come back, I always come back!" swearing and spitting as Jaden clicked his fingers—Palpatine's body began to disintegrate, dissolving into ash that scattered across the ruined floor, his final scream fading into silence as the storm above quieted at last.

Jaden stood in the ruined Grand Hall, ash swirling around his feet where Palpatine had disintegrated, and heard rapid footsteps echoing through the debris—Ahsoka, Fay, and Aubrie ran toward him, their faces streaked with dust and relief. They reached him and threw their arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace; Ahsoka's lekku brushed his shoulder, Fay's silver hair pressed against his chest, and Aubrie's hands gripped his back. Jaden wrapped his arms around them, holding them close, feeling their warmth and the steady thud of their heartbeats against his grey robes.

They pulled back slightly, still clinging to him, and Ahsoka looked up, her eyes searching his. "Is it over, Jaden?"

Fay echoed softly, "Is he gone?"

Aubrie tightened her grip and added, "Please tell us it's done."

Jaden nodded, his voice calm but heavy. "It's over. Palpatine is gone." He paused, meeting each of their gazes, then gently disentangled himself from their arms, stepping back as his hands fell to his sides.

There wa sa moment of silence between them as they all breathed a sigh of relief. Palpatine was a threat to the galaxy and now he was gone. Jaden smiled as he looked at them—his wives, his family—and said, "The greatest gift in my life was meeting you all. If I had to live it again, I'd pray every day that our paths would cross, just as they did."

He took a breath and added, "I love you all."

Their faces shifted, concern flickering in their eyes. Ahsoka tilted her head, frowning. "Jaden, what's going on? Why are you saying these things?"

Aubrie stepped closer, her voice trembling. "Is everything okay?"

Fay, however, stood still, her gaze locked on him—tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks, cutting tracks through the grime on her face. Jaden smiled at her, a sad, knowing smile, and she whispered, "You can't stay here, can you?"

Ahsoka snapped her head toward Fay, her voice sharp with shock. "What do you mean?"

Aubrie turned too, her eyes wide. "What are you talking about?"

Jaden sighed and stepped forward, his grey aura pulsing faintly around him. "I am the Father now. The Dagger of Mortis—it merged me with his essence, and I've taken his place. I have to maintain the balance of the Force, and that duty calls me to Mortis. It's where I belong now, where I can keep the galaxy steady."

Ahsoka shook her head, her voice rising. "Why can't you do that here? Why can't you stay with us?"

Aubrie grabbed his arm, tears brimming in her eyes. "Please, Jaden, don't go. We need you—we just got you back!"

Fay reached out, her hand trembling, and added, "There has to be a way, some way you can stay."

Jaden smiled at them, soft and pained, and cupped their faces—his hands rested gently on Ahsoka's cheeks, then Aubrie's, then Fay's, his thumbs brushing away their tears. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice breaking. "I wish there was another way, more than you'll ever know, but this is what I have to do—for the Force, for the galaxy, for all of you."

“Let us come with you!” Ahsoka pleaded.

“Yes! Let us come we can be together!” Aubrie said grabbing his robes.

Surprisingly it was Fay who spoke instead of Jaden. “No… you can’t go with him.”

“What why!” Ahsoka shouted looking at her sisterwife.

“Because Jaden would then have to watch all of us grow old and die, how could we do that to him…” Fay said with tears streaking down her face as she looked at him.

Their tears fell faster, and they surged forward, wrapping him in another hug—Ahsoka buried her face in his chest, Aubrie clung to his side, and Fay pressed her forehead against his shoulder, her sobs muffled in his robes. Jaden held them tightly, his arms encircling them as their grief shook through him, and whispered, "No matter the distance, I'll always be with you. One day, we'll find each other again—I promise you that."

Ahsoka choked out, "I love you, Jaden."

Aubrie nodded against him, her voice thick. "I love you too—we'll always be waiting for you."

Fay lifted her head, tears streaming, and said, "I love you, always."

They leaned back, their hands lingering on his arms, and Jaden bent forward, kissing each of them—first Ahsoka, a soft press of his lips to her forehead, then Aubrie, a gentle touch to her cheek, and finally Fay, a lingering kiss on her brow. He stepped back and turned to the Travellers gathered in the hall, their faces a mix of awe and sorrow, and said, "Keep the Path alive. Keep striving for knowledge and peace—don't let it fade."

He then faced Yoda, who stood leaning on his recovered cane, and said, "Be better."

Yoda bowed his head and nodded. "Better, we will be."

Jaden stepped away from them all, his grey robes fluttering as he began to float, rising above the shattered city—his hands glowed with a soft light, and he waved them outward, the Force flowing from him in waves. Across Coruscant, the damage Palpatine had wrought reversed—collapsed spires rebuilt themselves, stone by stone; uprooted districts settled back into place, duracrete knitting together seamlessly. The storm clouds parted, sunlight breaking through to bathe the restored skyline, and the Travellers, Jedi, and his wives watched in silence, their breath catching as the city healed before their eyes.

Jaden hovered there, high above the temple, and looked down at them—his family, his friends, the people he'd fought for—and said, "Goodbye." His voice carried across the distance, and tears welled in his eyes as he began to fade then dissolve, his form vanishing into the light until nothing remained but the echo of his words.

Ahsoka sank to her knees, her hands covering her face as sobs wracked her; Aubrie clutched Fay's arm, tears streaming down her cheeks; Fay stared upward, whispering his name into the wind, her voice lost in the quiet that followed.

The Travellers and Jedi stood in stunned silence, some bowing their heads, others wiping their eyes—Anakin, restored but shaken, leaned against a broken pillar, watching the spot where Jaden had disappeared.

Yoda hobbled forward, cane tapping the stone, and gazed at the sky, murmuring, "Balance, you have brought, thank you my friend." His words were soft, a farewell to the man who had given everything to save them.

(AN: So yeah the flow in this chapter is kinda off. But it’s only cause there was so much more that could’ve been included. So much in fact that I could’ve made part 3. but I didn’t think you guys would want that especially since this part would mainly be character development. Plus this story is like 35k words now. If I made a part 3 it would be 90k. Bruh that’s not a short story. Anyway I hope you enjoyed it.)