#Different Order 66

[fanfic-obsessed]

Unavailable

This started as the seed of a different idea, but it fit so well into this beginning that it was like they were made to go together.

Just before the intel starts arriving that would lead to the Rako Hardeen mess, the Force gets a warning to the Jedi. This warning, once translated, is very clear. Obi Wan Kenobi needs to be out of communication for a while (can’t be sent on a mission whose real purpose is to fracture the relationship between Obi Wan and Anakin, if Obi Wan is not there…).

So Obi Wan and Cody get sent undercover to infiltrate some criminal enterprise whose main base is on Endor (while they are undercover the 212th will be on leave-part of an initiative to prove that the clones are not actually being abused).  Their cover is married mandalorian bounty hunters, thus their faces can be covered. The mission is that they will arrive on Endor, find a place to live, and start taking bounties that would make them highly visible to the criminal enterprise. It is anticipated that this mission will be at least 4 weeks, and there cannot be any contact (Because this is not faking Obi Wan’s death, Anakin is warned the Obi Wan will be out of communication for a while, though he is still given no details) throughout this time. 

It all goes well at first, then three days in (due to Force shenanigans, and a Force artifact that was disguised as an antique) both Obi Wan and Cody wake up with no memories. They were just far enough into their mission to have found a place to live and all of their idents and paperwork is in the names of Ben and Kote Beroya, married bounty hunters. Ben (Obi Wan) is just aware enough of the Force to know that they both need to keep their armor on while they are not alone.  Not knowing about their other mission, they find a decent bounty, complete it, and leave the planet. 

Meanwhile on Coruscant Palpatine tries to go forward with the Rako Hardeen plan, in spite of his main goal (which requires Obi Wan Kenobi) being impossible.  Without the additional emotional damage to Anakin Skyalker to distract everyone, Palpatine is found out.  The high council, barring Obi Wan but with Anakin, goes to confront Palpatine. 

It is the middle of an emergency senate session. 

Palpatine activates Order 66(galaxy wide it should be noted) … for about 45 seconds before a Force fueled panic attack from Anakin disables all of the chips at once (also galaxy wide-incidentally giving Kote Beroya a headache from half a galaxy away).  Palpatine was planning on relying on the controlled clones and might have considered going quietly (with an idea to salvage the 1000 year plan) with the realization that the clones were now free. It was all a moot point, since moments after the clones (now very confused and more than a little horrified themselves with their new knowledge) were freed, Palpatine is fatally shot by Bail Organa (Bail has been up for five days working on a draft of the clone rights bills. He is tired, cranky, and pissed that this meeting cut into his scheduled Comm call with Breha). 

In the aftermath it is found that Palpatine used Dark Side Magic to partially (at varying degrees) control a number of people in the Senate. This includes Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala. In this one Palpatine’s control is what caused Anakin to slaughter the Tuskens.  Anakin is not the only one who needed specialized Jedi therapy (meant to deal with the topic of ‘so the Darkside fucked with your head/possessed you’). It very quickly became the most common type of therapy in the Senate

Palpatine also forced the relationship between Padme and Anakin. There was attraction there, and it was possible that the attraction would have grown into something more but their entire relationship was hijacked by Palpatine (Padme alone had been mostly controlled since she was 14 and needed to go through 4 Jedi exorcisms). More horrifyingly Palpatine used more Sith Magic to put Padme’s womb into stasis, which was currently occupied by fraternal twins, held at the three week marker (so that he could make her ‘become pregnant’ when he was ready to start his end game) that were biologically Anakin’s and Padme’s, though after the Sith magic controlling them was removed, neither remember having sex. 

Everyone involved is utterly horrified. It seemed impossible to conceptualize the level of violation on all parties.  The Jedi Order eventually bought an incubation tube from the Kaminoans and, with Padme’s grateful permission (who had been a bit conflicted, she truly did not want to be pregnant- especially in these circumstances- but did not personally feel comfortable with getting an abortion), moved the twins there for the duration.  The Twins would then become part of the Order and both Padme and Anakin would be allowed to decide how much the children would be told.

At this point Anakin requested that his Master be brought back from his mission. Anakin really needed Obi Wan, and a couple of dozen hugs.  The clones are doing their part cuddling their general and Ahsoka is trying too, but sometimes you just need your dad/older brother figure to tell you everything is alright. Especially when everything is fucked up. 

The Jedi Council agree and reach out to the secret Comm to contact Obi Wan and recall them (theoretically the whole operation became moot after the Chancellor's death). There’s no answer (as it was a hidden, secret comm neither Ben nor Kote knew to bring it along). The council looks at each other. They try again. Still no answer.  They manage to get in contact with the landlord of the place that was rented to Ben and Kote, who goes ‘Oh those guys. Good tenets, quiet. They left six weeks ago (two weeks into their mission). Think they said they were heading toward Corellia.’ 

Now the Jedi council are wondering just what happened that sent Obi Wan and his commander to Corellia and why they didn’t get in contact about the change. It is decided that this was a good mission for Anakin to go on, as it would help distract him, leading both the 501st and the 212th. 

So now Anakin is on the galaxy’s biggest scavenger hunt, being evaded by two bounty hunters that do not know they are being hunted. 

Back with Ben and Kote, they have been taking bounties and slowly learning about themselves and each other throughout (and what married means to them). They realized quickly that they had some specific standards (they DO NOT kill kids or innocents, but Kote has found that he takes a particular glee in bringing betrayers in and Ben has a hatred for anyone who would hurt kids). They have also found that Ben had a tendency to draw the attention of slavers, without fail. They had shut down an even dozen slavery rings in the middle rim.   Because they are always wearing a helmet, except for around each other, they have not realized that their faces are really famous.   They have also realized in that time that Kote is a hand to hand fighter and Ben can do some really weird things (lifting things with his mind) when he concentrates.

It takes another few months before they start to hear that Galactic General Anakin Skywalker is apparently asking for them by name. Rather desperately, at times almost violently. Ben’s instincts (supplemented by the Force) says that General Skywalker does not mean any harm. Both of them, in a fit of whimsy, decide to lead the General on a merry chase across the galaxy (incidentally giving Anakin more time to not focus on the body horror of…well everything to do with Palpatine or Padme). 

During this time the Galactic War ends. 

The chase eventually ends because Ben and Kote encounter another member of the Beroya clan (Obi Wan had been legitimately inducted into the clan when he protected Satine as a teen), who they are around long enough to take their helmets off around them.  

This being blinks twice and basically says holy fuck you are a famous republic general and his commander, you have been missing for months. Ben and Kote blink at each other, shrug and go ‘that explains Skywalker stalking us’ and admit their amnesia to the being.  

Anakin is greatly surprised that the next time his fleet comes out of hyperspace he is greeted by his former master, in armor, asking what took him so long. 

For a moment Anakin considered Falling right then and there. 

Then he considered it again when he met up with Ben and Kote and realized they had no memories.  

How the fuck was he going to explain this to anyone…

[fellthemarvelous]

It pisses me off to see the way some Star Wars fans are so dismissive of Reva, Third Sister.

She's complex. She's interesting. She's clever. She's intelligent. She's strategic. She's conflicted. She's traumatized. She's scared. She's angry. She's a survivor.

The Obi-Wan Kenobi series literally opens with her and her friends watching one of her Jedi mentors get gunned down by clone troopers during Order 66.

She was a FUCKING CHILD!!! They were in the middle of a lesson when the clones walked in and started shooting everyone!! These were Anakin Skywalker's troopers and they were executing every single Jedi around them.

These children had NO idea what was going on. They were scared and they tried to run to safety.

We remember this scene from Revenge of the Sith and we all immediately knew what it meant.

These are the same bodies that Obi-Wan Kenobi found when he and Yoda returned to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant after having to kill so many of Anakin's clone troopers just to survive.

These are children that the Jedi Council wasn't there to save.

Palpatine snuffed out the light of the Jedi in one swift act of terrorism and then blamed the Jedi for their own genocide after taking over the entire galaxy.

And in times of war, the weakest among everyone always suffer the most.

This is what Reva, Jedi youngling, remembers most about the end of the Clone Wars.

Anakin Skywalker, hero of the Clone Wars and former padawan of the great Obi-Wan Kenobi, murdered all of her friends and injured her.

She had to play dead amongst the dead bodies of her friends, and that's how she survived. She witnessed Anakin Skywalker murder all the Jedi in the temple with no one there to stop him because the other Jedi Masters were being executed in a war they had never wanted to enter into in the first place.

She blames herself for not being able to save her friends because she wasn't strong enough to fight back. No youngling was ever going to be strong enough to stand against Anakin Skywalker. She wanted revenge against Anakin Skywalker, and she was just as desperate to get to Obi-Wan Kenobi as he was. She wanted to kill Anakin Skywalker just as badly as Darth Vader wanted to kill Obi-Wan.

She was alone in a galaxy that tortured and executed surviving Jedi. She spent ten years plotting her revenge against Anakin. She was angry at Obi-Wan for not being there to stop Anakin, and rightfully so.

The Republic fell. Reva and her friends were left unprotected. She was the only person she relied on because everyone else failed her. She was only a child when she lost everyone.

And it's clear she was conflicted by her role as an Inquisitor. She doesn't have the training the other Inquisitors do because she volunteered to be an Inquisitor while all the others were tortured and terrorized into falling to the dark side. She only wanted access to Anakin so she could get justice for what he did to her and her family.

Unlike Anakin, Reva couldn't find it in herself to harm a child. She was seeking revenge solely against Anakin Skywalker. Luke and Leia are the same age she was when she watched her friends and family die in front of her.

Yes, she was prepared to torture Leia, but she consistently hesitated, and when Tala walked in, Reva turned away. She stopped. Yeah she was mad, but she didn't have to go through with it. She'd already planted a tracker on Lola. She was already planning on allowing them to escape so she could locate their secret base. She just needed to bait Obi-Wan. Her plan worked perfectly, and she didn't even have to hurt this child who was annoying the shit out of her (not realizing she was dealing with Anakin Skywalker's offspring).

She went to Tatooine to kill Luke, but she couldn't. She hunted him down without bothering to kill Owen or Beru. She only cared about one thing. Getting justice for what happened to everyone she had been unable to save at the end of the war. She was only a child, and when she realized she was about to kill a defenseless child just to get revenge, she couldn't do it. She saw her face when she looked down at Luke and cried when she realized she couldn't do it.

She was so horrified by what she had been prepared to do and returned him to Owen and Beru alive. She fell to her knees and sobbed because she thought she failed her family in the end.

Obi-Wan was there for her this time. He reminded her that by showing mercy, she was giving her friends and family peace. She was not going to become the monster that Anakin Skywalker was.

Obi-Wan helped her and reminded her that she gets to decide who she wants to be from this point forward. She refused to become Anakin Skywalker, and a weight was finally starting to be lifted from her shoulders. A weight she had been carrying for ten long years.

She did what she thought she had to just to survive. She had only been a child with no guidance because everyone she loved died. She survived by joining the ranks of the enemy so she could plot her revenge. Obi-Wan showed her mercy at the moment she needed it most. He wasn't angry with her. He was compassionate. She survived Order 66 just like he did, but she had been defenseless when they were thrust into a galaxy that tortured and killed Force sensitive individuals and those who helped them. He had failed Reva during Order 66, and he wasn't going to fail her this time.

She is getting a second chance at finding her path in life despite the bad things she did. Everyone deserves a second chance. She was robbed of her childhood and had to grow up overnight. She had to learn how to survive. And that's exactly what she did. Just not in the way she expected.

[shootingstarpilot]

What do you think Anakin Skywalker would be like if he were trained by the Jedi from birth? What would his personality be like? Because I believe that as a baby, Anakin would have a difficult temperament, but the Jedi would be able to help him with that if they could start when he was a baby.

Oh, gosh. This is a very interesting question!

@antianakin has given some thought to this, so I recommend checking them out if you haven't already, but I could see this going one of two ways. The one I prefer is that Anakin parts ways with the Jedi in a kinder manner. I could maybe see him still falling in love and wanting to marry, but in this universe where he was Temple-raised, he has enough maturity to know he can't pledge himself both to an individual and to the Order. It wouldn't be fair to the people he would be supposed to serve as a Jedi Knight, nor would it be fair to his spouse. Maybe he chooses to leave. He comes back to visit frequently, because these are his friends and his family and just because he left doesn't mean that stops, but he no longer serves as a Knight.

Alternatively, I could also see a Temple-raised Anakin remaining a Jedi. He's certainly one of the brasher ones- I don't think he'd follow Obi-Wan's footsteps as a diplomat- but he has control and compassion that he lacks in canon. I think he'd prefer non-political work. Something he can do with his hands, something where he can see the results of his work immediately- something where he can indulge in his desire to be the hero, because I don't think he ever quite loses that. First-stage disaster relief, maybe? His raw power would be very useful in an area like that, and I could see him finding satisfaction in a very physical job well-done. Shelters constructed, infrastructure repaired, areas cleared- things like that.

Thanks for asking this, anon, this provoked some Thoughts! If anyone else would like to share their opinions, I'd love to see what other people think!

[varpusvaras]

Leia had loved sleeping in her parents' room.

It was always like a little adventure, like something they weren't really supposed to be doing. Like a secret of some sorts, even though she was never unwelcome to their room either, not really. Sometimes they wanted privacy, but if she truly needed them, Leia knew she was always welcome.

It had exciting, to crawl under the bigger blankets and put her pillow in between theirs, and listen to them talk to each other in low voices as she drifted off.

In the dark, she could see the soft, golden glow on her Mama's chest. It was never too noticeable during the day, with the sunlight being so much brighter, but in the darkness of the night, Leia could see it.

It had felt almost magical, in a sense. Mama never minded if Leia burrowed herself against her, hands splaying across the glow. Leia knew that it was because Mama had gotten hurt, but it had been a long time ago now, and the glow was a reminder that she was alive, that her Mama was alive and was still the Queen despite it all.

Leia's Buir's back also glowed the same, soft gold in the dark. It started as a line from where his neck and the back of his head met, and travelled down, all the way to the small of his back, like his whole spine was made of the glow.

When Leia had touched it, her fingers landing at his neck, her Buir had flinched away.

She had not understood it back then, not the sudden flashes of fear that had felt almost like her own. She had flinched away herself at them, and had spent the night on her Mama's arms, while Papa had taken Buir into his, and they had spoken in hushed tones even as Leia had finally fallen asleep.

She had asked about it, carefully, the next morning.

"Buir got hurt, once", Mama had explained.

"You got too", Leia had said. "You're not afraid when I touch you where it glows."

Mama had looked almost sad, then.

"It's a different thing", she had said. "It's been a long time for me. I've forgotten most of it, no matter how much it hurt back then. It was an accident, after all. But sometimes-"

She had looked Leia in the eyes then as she spoke.

"-sometimes, when you get hurt when someone else hurts you, it's much more difficult to forget. He's a bit sad for scaring you like that last night, so do talk it out with him today, alright?"

"Of course", Leia had said, and then thought what her Mama had just said some more. "Did someone hurt Buir?"

Mama had been quiet for a moment.

"Yes", she had answered, finally. "Don't worry. He is safe now."

For some reason, for a reason Leia could not explain, she thought that her Mama had sounded afraid.

Leia hadn't wanted to believe that she would ever lie to her, so she had not said anything. She had climbed to her Buir's arms, later that day, and he had not felt afraid or sad anymore, so eventually, Leia had almost forgotten all about it.

But not completely, no, and she remembered it all too clearly now.

"No."

"Leia", Buir gave her a look, even though his voice was still level and calm. "Don't be too harsh on Luke. He needed to do it, in order for him to succeed in reaching him. He couldn't have anything weighing on him at that moment. He needed to do it."

"But I don't!" Leia tried to breathe, to calm herself down. "I don't have to do it! Luke can't ask me to do it!"

"I don't think he is truly asking for you to do it", Buir said. "Most likely he is just asking you to see his point of view."

"I do see his point of view", Leia said. "I also wish that he understands my point of view, and understands that I will never forgive him. He is not my father. You and Papa are, and he hurt you."

"He did", Buir said. "How would you feel like, if I told you that I have forgiven him?"

Leia looked at him. It was maybe unfair, to look into his feelings as well, but she was tired and angry, and she was especially tired of people in her life trying to soften their feelings for her sake.

"You don't mean it." She knew she sounded like she was accusing him. "Not completely."

Buir sighed, then shook his head.

"No", he admitted. "Not completely. But I am still walking, am I not? I am alive and standing on my own feet. Is that not what's truly important?"

Leia thought about it for a long moment, before she could be sure of her answer.

"Yes", she said. He was still there, in front of her, as tall and strong as he had always been for her whole life.

"It's a start, then", Buir said, and smiled at her. "For both of us. The last thing I want is for you to be angry for me, for the rest of your life, when I am happy."

It had been a long time since Leia had let herself be just her parents' child again, instead of a Princess, a Rebel, or a General. But now she hugged her Buir back tightly as he held her, and let herself be free of it all, of everything else than what was most important.

[meebles]

sorry i'm not done i need to be genuinely satly for a minute. it's one thing if temuera morrison was busy or didn't want to do it or whatever. but he's said before that he wants to play other clones. he's also been shafted by disney before.

if he was totally up for doing live action as himself, and they didn't even give him the bare minimum of a few seconds face cameo?? that's fucking terrible imo. his character gave us the clone wars. to deliberately not show his face at all just feels... wrong.

[khryptid]

Piping Hot, Hot Take: Aayla Secura should have been Sabine Wren’s Master

Reason 1: both experienced the destruction of their home and learned how to live past it, but Aayla could help Sabine redirect and let go of any lingering anger

Reason 2: they have similar builds so Aayla could pass on her fighting skills against larger opponents

Reason 3: Aayla used Djem So which I think would suit Sabine well

Reason 4: Aayla’s Master Quinlan Vos was a Jedi Shadow, so she’s more likely to have further weapons training to help Sabine with (ex: use a blaster with the Force, use a blaster and lightsaber combo, etc)

Reason 5: between her and her Master, Aayla understands the Light and Dark influences that come with strong emotions and would help Sabine in tempering her Mandalorian passion and shereshoy into a finely Balanced blade

Reason 6: GIRL BOSS DUO GIRL BOSS DUO !!!

[underwaterspiderbird]

[pumpkinrootbeer]

i really do think the systematic execution of the jedi has kinda sorta ruined all future star wars media for in the sense that i am always going to be thinking about the space empath monks who were genocided. there used to be thousands of them and now there's like. 7. functionally an entire culture dead. they can show me all the grogus in the world, im always going to think about how they had to step over the dead babies.

[mayhaps-a-blog]

Rereading Heir to the Empire (for... reasons), and this time I found the 20th Anniversary Edition as an ebook (my physical copy is in storage :( ). Which means commentary from Zahn, which is fun, but I also get to hear about all the bits that got run over by the prequels... and the bits that didn't, out of sheer dumb luck.

And honestly, some of it fits surprisingly well! I ran into the first Clone Wars quote, and not only did Zahn save himself a retcon by using "faced" instead of "fought" (he'd assumed, logically, that the clones were fighting the Republic), but the reputation for early clones to be mentally and emotionally unstable actually makes perfect sense - if you consider the effect of Order 66.

Consider: men like Pellaeon, who value order and discipline and loyalty about all else, watched the clones fight well and truly and all that. But by the end of the war, cracks are starting to show - one clone shoots their general in the back, another goes mad, it's revealed the Kaminoans needed chips to control things like "aggression", and barely a few months - weeks? - later, the clones turn on their commanders in a second and massacre them all.

And then after, some of them panic and claim that they didn't mean to, they were controlled, it was the chips that made them do it.

Even if it was under orders, troops that turn on their commanders in seconds would make any commander nervous. And the easiest way to excuse the claims about the chips would be to counter claim that those clones are just unstable, paranoid, their minds breaking down under poor cloning practices. Working out the kinks in earlier models, cutting corners in the later, you know how it goes, right?

Twenty, thirty years down the line, everyone remembers the clones as unstable, untrustworthy soldiers - not like the loyal, upstanding stormtroopers - and who's left to say differently?

[lbibliophile-sw]

Terminal Velocity

Also on AO3 [810w] @ailesswhumptober - day 24: relapse @clonefandomevents - 501st bingo: chips activate AU Part of my Catching AU

The War has been hard on the Jedi. After three years, almost every one has Fallen, has had to be Caught a least once.

Anakin himself, well. Last he checked he was at twenty-three Falls, but he’s not convinced they didn’t lose count somewhere in the middle there; it was a bad campaign. By this point, the routine of Catching is comfortingly familiar, the process of drawing himself back to the Light becoming almost reflex.

As he is finding now.

It made sense to Fall, there in the Chancellor’s ­– Sidious’ – office. His mentor has always offered him advice when he is struggling. And he knows the power the Dark Side offers, is willing to bear another scar on his soul if it means Padme’s safety. He is exhausted and scared, and it was easy to lose himself in the false reassurance of the Dark.

It made sense then, but now that the initial rush of Falling is fading, now that he is away from Sidious’s stare and surrounded by his troopers, he can feel clarity returning.

And the first thing that he notices is that something about his troopers is wrong.

They are used to managing his Falls by now. They know how to direct his fury to where the destruction is warranted, and how to help him regain control when restraint is needed or when the threat is passed. When he draws on the Dark, he relies on them to tell him before he goes too far. Like…oh. Like marching on his home with intent to kill all those inside.

He stops, standing in the middle of the plaza and looking up at the Temple. This is wrong. Even from within the Dark, even with Sidious’s promises of knowledge and power ringing in his ears, he knows it is wrong.

And his troopers should know too. They should be stopping him or diverting him, not following his orders blindly, in silent lockstep.

Fully distracted from his mission, he turns to Commander Appo – not Rex, he’s off protecting Ahsoka – behind him. It is Appo, but if he wasn’t so familiar with his Commander’s Force signature he might have doubted. In the force, the man’s presence is flat, stilted, showing none of the uniqueness that usually shines so brightly in his senses. A quick brush over the minds of the other troopers arrayed behind him shows the same blank focus.

Turning his back on the Temple and its tensed guards, he places his hands either side of Appo’s head, delving deeper. Darkness calls to Darkness, and he feels something shift inside the trooper’s mind. No, not mind – head. It is not Darkness like a compulsion, but anchored in something physical. A physical object directing Appo’s thoughts, supressing his personality; the situation generating Darkness not feeding off it. Anakin wraps himself around the object – a chip? – and squeezes.

Buried so deeply in his mind, Anakin feels the moment when Appo wakes up. First there is confusion. Then realisation seeps in, followed by horror, helplessness, fear, anger desperationgshamepanic… Anakin’s grip slips, the torrent of emotion cut off as the glassy stillness returns.

Anakin carefully withdraws from Appo’s mind. Appo, and presumably the others, are still present beneath whatever it is currently controlling them; good. But they are also clearly going to have the mother of all breakdowns when they are freed, and he doesn’t have time to deal with that as well as the rest of this situation. Which is… for the first time he pauses to fully consider.

The situation is: The war with the Separatists is all but won, and Chancellor Palpatine is about to declare himself Emperor. Chancellor Palpatine has revealed himself as the Sith Lord, and claimed Anakin as his Apprentice. Chancellor Palpatine has declared the Jedi as traitors, and ordered Anakin to help apprehend – kill – them. And Sidious is the one who told him to use the 501st against the Temple, except someone has been tampering with his men leaving them weirdly brainwashed and compliant… And he’s doing all this because Padme is pregnant and Anakin knows she is going to die in childbirth, and Sidious is the only one who can help him save her, because unspecified Sith magic is better than the modern medicine they haven’t actually tried or investigated properly…

That sounds rather like Anakin is being manipulated, being used. Like they all are. Even with the single-minded focus of the Dark, he doesn’t like that.

 So. Anakin will deal with Sidious. And then he will find Padme and make her book a healer’s appointment. And then he will free his troopers. And then he will gather everyone together into a big post-Catching cuddle pile so he can know that they are all there and safe and he has protected them.

He nods to himself and begins leading his men back to the Senate Dome. First, Sidious.

[fanfic-obsessed]

For the Republic

Here’s an order 66 fix it that is the confluence of several coincidental misunderstandings. Also why outsourcing your brainwashing is overall a bad idea. 

Let's set the stage, ok?

The first misunderstanding is relatively simple, near the beginning of the war.  A case of similar words causing confusions that is never cleared up.  In this case a series of conversations between various clones and their Jedi about the Jedi’s relationship with the Republic. These conversations leave the Clones, all of them, convinced that the Jedi Order belongs to the Republic, instead of being part of the Republic. You know, in the same way that the Clones belong to the Republic (No matter which side you argue is true, this was not what the Jedi meant). This confusion is so deep that when Slick betrays them all to Ventress, his rants are specifically toward the Republic, and do not mention the Jedi Order at all.   

The second misunderstanding is a bit more complex. It starts with the earliest flash training for the clones, the basics that are pushed so deep that none of the clones have any conscious memory of them, but are buried in the subconscious. Along with the Orders that would be enforced by the chips, there was the phrase ‘Jedi have Power’.  There are other trainings that get layered on top of it, but in the deepest part of the Clone psyche the most basic definition that they have for Jedi is ‘Jedi have Power’. But Power, as a term, is an abstract that can mean so many things.   And though they never realized it, the Trainers and Jango Fett and the Kaminoans taught the Clones a very specific definition of Power.  Power cannot be had by someone who belongs to the Republic and Power only belongs to those who use it (specifically those who use it to abuse others). 

By that definition their Generals and their Padawan Commanders and what is known as the Jedi Order are not Jedi. Instead the Clones view these beings as brothers (having very little grasp of gender) of a higher rank. Again this knowledge is buried so deep the Clones do not realize they think this.  It is instinct. Frankly the distinction is somewhat subtle, and is closer to how the Jedi wish to be treated (without the higher rank part) so no one notices the shift.

When Umbara happens the anger that the clones feel toward Krell is not the disbelieving anger of an idol's pedestal crumbling, but the same anger felt for Slick’s betrayal. 

When Order 66 happens, the Jedi become traitors. Except…the people that Palpatine intended to be killed were not considered to be Jedi. For Jedi had to have Power, and Power only belonged to those who were free, and only those who showed their Power. 

The way that many of the Natborn officers did. 

So the Clones immediately turned their weapons on the Naval officers who had been abusive, primarily to Clones or Jedi, but also some instances of civilian abuse as well. 

On Coruscant, Anakin begins to lead the 501st to march on the temple. Only, as soon as they realized where they were headed, they stopped their general, confused. There are no Jedi there, they say.   Anakin says something about Palpatine having the Power to save Padme. This leads Appo to the conclusion that Palpatine is a Jedi Traitor, who has done something to their General (which yes, but also no). The 501st stuns Anakin, with some taking him to the temple for deprogramming, or whatever needs to be done to counteract whatever the Jedi Traitors did. 

The rest march back into the Rotunda to hunt the Jedi Traitor Palpatine. They are met by Fox, who shrugs and goes with them (with his own platoon of CG) without argument when Appo says that Palpatine is a Jedi.  The active chips do muffle the Clones in the Force, a deliberate feature that Palpatine never thought could be used against him. 

So Palpatine, the shiny new Emperor, is Emperor for about 20 minutes before he is shot through with so many bolts that he is basically left a goo on the floor. This bypasses every single one of his backup plans, many of which could not be fully put in place until he was Emperor, so there is no ‘Palpatine returns’.

 At the temple roughly a dozen members of the 501st enter the Healing Halls, carrying a stunned Anakin Skywalker. Even stunned the healers can tell he is in some kind of mental breakdown. The healers (who do filter out anything that is not helpful o figuring out what is wrong with their patients, so ignore the whole ‘Palpatine the Jedi traitor’ thing) take from what the troopers have to say that they believe that Anakin may be possessed by something and that he is worrying about Padme Amidala’s health, both of which are causing the breakdown.  

So Padme is collected by the rest of the 501st and brought to the healing halls, and it is decided that Anakin will be kept unconscious until his former Master, Obi WAn,  is back on planet (if he is possessed then having his loved ones there is the best bet for breaking through and of Anakin’s loved one Obi wan would be the best equipped to not be killed). The healers, upon seeing Padme’s pregnancy, insist on a full exam. During this exam it is discovered that, due to a growth on her pelvic bone, a natural birth would likely be fatal to her and possibly the children (I do love the idea that Palpatine was feeding Anakin those visions, or that the visions were caused by Palpatine or Anakin causing Padme’s death, but it is also interesting to think that the visions were legitimate and the cause was something natural). Padme is scolded for not seeking out proper prenatal care, which would have noted the problem. The healers schedule her for an induced c section closer to her due date and ask that she check in daily (or sooner if she starts feeling anything weird) to make sure there is nothing else.

 The Coruscant Guard continues to hunt through the Senate for ‘Jedi’, of which there is less than you would think. Yes a couple of hundred who meet the clone definition, but that is out of more that 100,000 beings in the building at any one time (with almost 25,000 systems represented, if  assume an average of 2 senators per system, that is 50,000 senators. With a retinue of aids, guards, interns, and others that easily clears into 100,000). 

And there is just…so much confusion (I find that I love pairing ‘Order 66 happened differently’ with ‘and everyone is confused’, it gives me great joy). 

 From the point of view of the Jedi, between on moment and the next the clones decided it was time to mutiny and the only explanation that is given is ‘The Jedi are traitors, we must kill the traitors’ as the clones continuously fail to shoot any Jedi (Like even the stormtroopers of canon do not fail to hit their stated targets this badly), though the clones have shot many people.  

From the point of view of the Senate, between one moment and the next the Clones chose high treason with no explanation (Because no one conscious on Coruscant knew that Palpatine was a Sith and the beings that knew about the chips and Order 66 ended up pretty high on the ‘Traitor Jedi’ list and killed).   

In the Force, and the Manda, respectively, Palpatine and Jango Fett were watching this happening with their own confusion. This was not the plan. 

 The Generals do eventually get an order to the clones to capture instead of kill the ‘Jedi traitors’.  By this point the Coruscant Guard had cleared the Senate and were just starting to descend levels of Coruscant in search of Jedi traitors. It is not too long after this that Mace Windu is found and brought back to the Temple, near death.  They also figure out why the Clones do not consider the Jedi, Jedi. It is decided that they cannot correct the Jedi definition issue until they figure out the ‘shoot the Jedi’ issue. 

In this version the chips do not do anything to the personalities or memories of the clones, they simply reinforce the flash training for the Orders and remove any ability to disobey. 

With the 212th, Obi Wan had spent a decent amount of time over the course of the war finding excuses to get rid of nat born officers that treated the clones as less than sentient. With his mindset of ‘a certain point of view’ he was pretty successful. There were still a handful in the higher command (the higher the officer was in the command structure, the harder it was to get rid of them) but none of the natborn officers that would be on the ground, or even in communication with the forces on Utapau.  Though the activation of the chips and the death that followed caused a bit of a shiver in the Force, it was not the screaming darkness of Canon and was lost in the madness of battle.  

So it was not until they were being transported back to the Resolute that Cody, quite proudly, announced that the Jedi traitors had been routed from the 212th.  Obi Wan had questions.  Cody answered with things that explained nothing 

Obi Wan: Jedi…Traitors?

Cody (nodding): The Jedi have been discovered as traitors to the Republic, Sir,  a kill on sight order is now in effect.

Obi Wan: I don’t remember anyone trying to kill me?

Boil (Visibly offended, even through his bucket): You’re no Jedi, general.

Obi Wan: I’m…I’m not?

Every Trooper on the ship in unison: Jedi have Power.

Obi Wan (Internally):What does that mean? WHAT DOES that mean? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Cody (Now looking a little concerned): Sir, you've gone really pale. Do you need a medic? 

They head back for Coruscant.  On the way Obi Wan receives a series of messages.  First, there are no high council members currently conscious on Coruscant. There should have been five. Anakin had been stunned by his own trooper, is possibly possessed, and is being held unconscious just in case. Agen Kolar, Saesee Tiin, and Kit Fisto have simply vanished. Mace Windu had been missing but was found and is now in Bacta with extensive injuries sans one hand. 

No one had been told that those four members had been going to confront Palpatine and as soon as Palpatine had been killed (in a hallway), his office had been automatically locked down. So no one knows that behind the shielding are the bodies of three Jedi Masters. 

Second, not only was the 212th not the only battalion to commit some form of mutiny, the 501st and the Coruscant Guard had apparently abruptly decided that high treason was a reasonable action. All the while claiming that they are hunting Jedi Traitors (with not a single person they shot being a Jedi).  The senate had also apparently realized that without the Coruscant Guard, there is not enough manpower to stop the Clones from killing whomever they wished (Much of the Senate had been so proud of the cost cutting measure of reducing the non clone security forces).

Third, since the remaining members of the council were spread throughout the galaxy (with Obi Wan being the closest), as soon as he arrived on Coruscant Obi Wan would be in charge of figuring out what was going on with the Clones, before the Senate found enough people to capture them. Then deal with the political clusterfuck of mutiny and high treason (as the Clones were considered part of the Order). Find time to help Anakin. 

Killing Grievous was supposed to give Obi Wan less to do, not more.  With the knowledge that there is something wrong with the Clones, he cannot even flirt with Cody (They had an understanding about exploring a romantic relationship after the war ended, but as stress relief both would flirt back and forth and see how explicit they can get before someone called them on it-The only reason no one had yet is because the 212th had a bet going on CodyWan admitting they are together and no one wants to be disqualified by influencing the results).  

It should be made clear, Obi Wan still does not know at this point that Palpatine is the Sith. He does not know that there are chips in the clones. He has no idea that Anakin had chosen to fall (though it did not really go anywhere) and is likely going to wake up half willing to slaughter everyone. He doesn’t even really know that Padme is a week away from being induced (still early but the healers do not want to wait any longer).

So even as he is contemplating everything on his plate, Obi Wan does not even know the half of it. 

By the time Shaak Ti, who had to corral Kamino (in which roughly half the Kaminoans in Tipoca city and a third of the remaining trainers were accused of being Jedi by both the battalion stationed there and the cadets), is back in contact, the bodies of the missing Masters were found.  She is the one to float the idea of a malfunction to the chips (the report about Tup and Fives was still in the ‘to be reviewed’ queue for the Jedi Council-The Council is about 12-18 months behind on reviewing mission reports).  

The news of the chips…does not make things better.

[find-the-path]

Season 2 opens with Rex's Moving Castle I see.

[heyclickadee]

I want to know how Phee met the Hazard family. Did she meet them on Pabu, after making her way there as a refugee? Were they all refugees who happened to be looking for somewhere safe at the same time, and they met that way? Did Phee meet Shep a long time ago, before he even had a kid? Did Lyana grow up on Pabu? Did Shep grow up on Pabu, for that matter? Because it seems like they are people who come to Pabu late fleeing one violence or another, and others who have been there their whole lives, and I feel like Shep could fit into either category. Just. Generally, how did Phee end up being an honorary part of that little family?

[looseleafteeaves]

Balance-Week 2 of Jedi June

This is part of the Desert Speaker Universe, which doesn't currently have a ton out. Remeber that most of my universes have multiple jedi who survive, and that Luke never has to rebuild the jedi alone. Just know that it is a minor scene in that world.

Ben Kenobi has been gone for almost 3 days when the figure begins to approach. The figure was wrapped in deep brown robes, and the hooded cloak shaded they're face.

Ome opened the door, and took a seat on the stoop, walking stick laid beside them.

The figure paused, shuffling around 30 steps away.

"I have heard of a... Ben Kenobi who lives here?" The voice is older than Ome would have expected, but still not as old as Marrat Kenobi.

Ome tilts their head, bird-like. "I live here."

The figure winces, before gently lowering the hood, the sunset of of Tatooine painting green skin with a golden tinge. "Then may I ask for shelter tonight so I may travel further into the Jundland Wastes to seek him out? I haven't any other options, traversing from Mos Eisley took the majority of these past two days."

Ome plants their walking staff, turned slightly so the sunny yellow and deep blue kyber crystals dangling from the wrapping are visible. "What is your name, Wanderer? I will grant you one night's shelter."

As Ome rises to thier feet, they watch the firgure with steady eyes.

The figure's interlocking circular tattoos rippled as he tried to control his expression of mixed hope and dread. "Jimyali Aneti. Thank you, Dweller of This Place, for granting me shelter."

Ome turns and gestures Jimyali ahead of them. "You may hand your cloak on one of the knobs by the door, and please put your shoes on the rack. We are hoping to minimize the amount of sand that makes it into the house."

Jimyali pauses as he reaches to remove the cloak, watching carefully as he turns, revealing a lightsaber hilt. Ome smiles, and welcomes him in.

As Jimyali begin to settle into the living area, Ome carefully braces a tea set on their hip as they step back into the living, three teacups set out. With his eyes watching her, Ome begins to measure out several servings of a Mirialan gold tea blend.

"While the water heats, and this tea steeps, we can talk. Marrat should be back by then."

Jimyali, with trembling lips and fingers, nods. "Would you- would you like me to see if I can heal more of whatever injury is causing you to struggle?"

Ome looks at him, a soft smile growing. "Let me be a fair host before you try to repay me, however, in the morning I would not say no to you taking a look."

Jimyali gives a fragile grin, and Ome wanders towards the door, opening it just as thier Marrat stepped onto the stoop.

"Hello, Marrat. We have a guest who has wondered a long time to see you."

Ben Kenobi freezes in the midst of his motions to pull of his boots.

"Marrat, the guest has asked for shelter, and I have granted it. He will not cause you harm."

Ben breathes out and finishes removing his sandy boots. Ome wanders back into the living room, and begins to serve the tea.

Jimyali jerks as Ben Kenobi walks in.

"Master Kenobi! You- You are- I finally found-" He begins to silently cry. "I am not the last of us. My padawan will not bear the burden of reviving us."

Ben Kenobi's own eyes spill over with tears. "Master Healer Aneti... I was so sure I was one of the last. So many lights have been swallowed by the Dark. I was sure that there would be none left."

Jimyali reaches out and drags Ben towards him, embracing him with shaking arms and a joyful force. "I am so glad to have found you. Veadu- I must call for him. He is in Mos Eisley, hiding. He can-"

Ben Kenobi continues to weep, and Jimyali makes the call.

---

Master Healer Jimyali and Padawan Healer Veadu remain in the small dwelling place for almost 3 weeks. Healer Jimyali is able to heal and improve the function of Omi's leg, and even is able to reduce the scar tissue where their slave chip blew. Omi is quite happy that he was able to do that much.

Veadu and Omi have long conversations, sharing what thier padawanships have been like.

"Padawans, please come join us."

Siting in the lotus postion in the small underground room, are Jimyali and Ben.

"We are in a time of great darkness..." begins Ben- no, begins Obi-wan.

"But as always, we stand as bastions of light." Continues Jimyali.

"We must balance ourselves against this new age of horror and fear."

"Against the workings that destroyed our people."

"The rage and fear and helplessness that remains inside us is not wrong."

"But it is not useful either."

"So now, we invite you to partake in our celebration of light. We are few, we are hidden, and we are light."

"Open your hearts and let the Force take the infection from our souls, lancing our wounds, and allowing our community to heal."

"Together, we find our new balance."

"Together, we make our new balance."

"Let us meditate on the years ahead."

And if Ben and Omi both dream of a day in the future when the caves of Tatooine are filled with the ringing of the light side of the force, they keep silent.

And if Jimyali and Veadu dream of the days when they are able to openly heal and help people once more, they keep silent.

After all, that day is not today. And the future is always in motion. Nothing you see is guaranteed. But the hope those images inspire... That is something they had need of.

The Force Provides.

Balance will come.

[zeb-z]

Do you ever think about how almost all the clones have no idea of the existence of the chip, and think they’ve killed the Jedi of their own free will? Thinking that the Jedi are traitors?

And that’s all well and good until they work for the new Galactic Empire for more than 5 minutes, and then there’s a question of what, or who, exactly is calling them traitors. If this Empire is like this, killing without thought, ruling by force, tyrannical and brutal, then was it really that bad if the Jedi were traitors?

And when the clones in question become traitors themselves, they have to live with the consequences of what they believe are their choices. Of killing their Jedi.

Do you ever think of Cody, who so badly wanted to believe that this self instated Empire was bringing about peace, that this was just the Republic he had fought for, what he had killed Obi-Wan for - having to believe he chose to kill Obi-Wan and follow the Empire in the first place?

He’s not some mindless order following man that we see Crosshair as, who supposedly has his chip out. He’s still fundamentally Cody - a damn good commander, headstrong and kindhearted, always questioning authority, if quietly, and ultimately believing in bringing peace to the galaxy. And he doesn’t lie to himself when it’s obvious, like Crosshair does. He doesn’t pretend like his actions aren’t wrong. When he’s finally disillusioned and can accept the cause he has been fighting for isn’t right, he leaves, with one last word with Crosshair about having to live with your choices.

Do you ever think about how Crosshair has had every opportunity to make any choice other than the ones he’s making, and yet still he hides behind the excuse of being a good soldier, and “good soldiers follow orders”?

Do you ever think about how Cody (hopefully) lives on, thinking he’s killed Obi-Wan, having to live with that as well as what he’s done with his short time with the Empire? Do you think he blames himself for not being able to stop Crosshair?

[wanderingmirror]

Priority Alert

The moment Palpatine had opened his mouth to give that fatal order, his small blue figure glitched out and a Republic Admiral named Shigga Mori took his place. A few of the other 212th troopers made a noise of confusion as their comms were called all at once.

{Priority Alert. Order 65 is now in effect. Repeat; Order 65 is now in effect. Be advised, any and all orders given by Sheev Palpatine are to be disregarded from this point on and seen as an act of treason. All units currently serving on the front with any Jedi are to carefully and quickly secure their Jedi and evacuate to their Venator. Those closest to Coruscant are to return here immediately for emergency evacuation of both Jedi and Coruscant Guard Personnel.}

The order washed over the 212th like a soothing wave. The men reacting without even waiting for the order to end. The same was followed by any battalion currently engaged in combat. The message continued.

{Those not close to Coruscant are to report to Kamino. All Non-Kaminoan personnel are to detain and contain all Kaminoan personnel until further orders are given. Be advised any and all trainers who also resist the takeover are to also be detained and contained until further notice. Chain of command on Kamino is to fall to the Jedi General or Generals on sight. Further information will be attached to a chain code after this message is completed.}

The figure of Admiral Mori flickered for a moment before the Chise male continued to speak.

{To any unit in this area, you have new orders to find and retrieve this trooper for immediate medical treatment. Any Natural Born officer that attempts to take command are to be detained and contained, then relocated to a Republic outpost.}

The image of Kix appeared, and several smaller battalions readied up to head to that area. As the message continued, people were both panicked and confused by the sudden demand for Jedi and clone evacuation. The Coruscant Guard had already been given their own version of this message as they carefully removed the members of the council from the traitor's office. Commander Fox and a few others took care of General Windu at the bottom of the window.

{For further information and questions please contact Admirals Ayo, Segura, Hinami, or myself. Comm numbers are attached to the same chain code previously stated. As of this moment onward any and all orders not given by the Admirals previously stated or the Jedi Generals and Commanders are to be disregarded and seen as an act of treason. Report into Admiral Segura once you have either reached Kamino or Coruscant. Good Luck to you all, and may the Force be with you.}

The figure of Admiral Mori vanished, and Cody immediately turned off the comm call with the traitor before he could get a word in.

--

You can add to that if you want. I kinda ran out of steam.