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Chapter Text

On the Respite… the Mygeeto System… 

CRASH!!!

That was the first thing that registered in Obi-Wan’s mind when he came to his senses. He was lying on the floor sideways, surrounded by numerous bodies of white and some colors of grey close by. As his vision cleared up, he came to the stark realisation that these are, in fact, his men. And as soon as he found that out, a sharp needle of pain struck his head like lightning. The loud sirens and the red glare from the emergency lights did not in the slightest. 

“G-general? Wh-what happened?” A voice groaned on the other side of the room. Obi-Wan got up to see more of the command center and saw that everyone was waking up from their unusual sleep. The bridge was dark from the lack of power and the command table was pitch black - not exactly how he remembered it being just a few minutes ago. He then saw the man who called out to him and responded in kind.

“Cody, you’re alright. All of you are.” Obi-Wan muttered with a sigh of relief. He was then seized by the blinding pain once more. He almost fell back to the floor, before being caught by one of his naval officers. The man was clearly distraught and in pain as well, but he still had the will to fight it to help the Jedi Master. 

“General, are you alright?” The officer asked with gritted teeth. Obi-Wan looked up to see that it was the new vice-admiral - the loan in from the 501st who was assigned because his own Admiral was on shore-leave. 

“Admiral Kossav. Forgive me for burdening you like this.” Obi-Wan chuckled weakly as they both settled into their own feet. Once the pain finally subsided, he checked on all the men at the bridge. All of them were recovering quickly, and Obi-Wan took this time to speak aloud to his men.

“Is everyone alright?” Obi-Wan asked the bridge. He turns to Cody and says, “What’s the status report of the fleet?”

“We’ve lost contact ever since we entered into emergency power, General.” Cody straightened up in attention, “I suggest we first restore our own ship’s systems and then figure out what happened from there, Sir.”

“Right, and that we shall do.” Obi-Wan mutters as he looks towards the captain of the ship, Captain Amos Malen.

“I’ve contacted the engineers, General.” Captain Amos said as he pressed his communicator. “It will take a while, since we do not know what caused this malfunction to begin with.”

“Which brings us to the heart of the problem…” Obi-Wan crossed his arms in thought. 

What caused all of this?

Obi-Wan took this time to look deeper within himself for the answers he seeked. He remembers a battle… somewhere within the Mygeeto System? Possibly on the planet itself? His fleet was sent there under the Chancellor's recommendation while Anakin stayed behind to muster up his legion. 

But he can't seem to remember ever getting to Mygeeto, now does he?

“Power's back online!” One of the helmsmen at the computers exclaimed. Indeed, the red emergency lights gave way to the bright white lights that illuminated the bridge as well as the vastness of space. Obi-Wan looked through the giant windows and frowned.

“Where are the rest of the fleet?” He asked aloud. 

Cody and Admiral Kossav looked towards him with worry. But before addressing them, Obi-Wan turned to Captain Amos.

“Captain, where are we right now?” 

“We’re above Mygeeto, Sir.” Captain Amos said as he looked towards two clone technicians running towards the holotable. “We’ll get a visual on the planet once we inspect our instruments.” 

“Set the ship to Condition 2.” Obi-Wan furrowed his brows as he massaged his suddenly aching temples. “I have a feeling that things are not what they seem.” 

“As you command.” Captain Amos declared as he went his way towards the communications officers. 

“Cody, walk with me.” Obi-Wan titled his head towards the door to the hall. The Clone Commander obeyed without pause while Admiral Kossav went ahead to aid the Ship Captain. As the door shut behind the two men, Obi-Wan turned to his right hand man and spoke.

“What do you remember before all this?” He whispered to avoid eavesdroppers. 

“As much as you, General.” Cody pursed his lips in confusion. “We were supposed to be headed to Mygeeto after a supply run. But as you can see…” 

“Do you remember our ship entering hyperspace?” Obi-Wan pressed his right temple. “All I remember is a bright light before waking up.” 

“No, sir.” Cody shook his head. “I don’t even remember the Respite leaving the supply hub at Orinda.” 

“This is worrisome, Commander… but I fear that this is just the beginning.” Obi-Wan spoke as he leaned against the wall to stabilise himself from the numbing pain. “There is a reason why we’re out here.”

“Sir?” Cody looked at the Jedi with concern. 

Soon enough, Obi-Wan fell to the ground. Only saved by the Marshall Commander grabbing onto his arms. The numbing pain became a sharp, electric-like shock that was closer to an aneurysm than a migraine. And with the pain came the Force rushing into him like an ocean unceasing. It flooded him with images, sounds, and emotions that were both his and not his. Screams, cries, yells - the combined agony of millions if not billions rang through his head like the blaring klaxons up above. 

“No, No- Please! Not the childre-”

“Get to the ships, you must! Hold them off, I will.”

“Run, Caleb! Ru-AAAGHGHHH!!”

“Master Windu, there’s too many of them. What are we going-” 

“The clones have betrayed us. There are no answers to-”

“Where’s Master Yoda! We can’t leave-”

“Bail… please… protect my childre-”

“She was the only thing keeping him in the light-”

“-Do what must be done, Commander Rex. Execute Order-”

“It was YOU!!! TRUSTED YOU, YOU TRAITOR!-”

“-This is the only way to save your wife, Anakin please!”

“-Luke… Leia… I will make this right… For you both… For Pad-”

Soon enough, Obi-Wan willed it all away. Slowly, but surely, he regained his senses. He can move his limbs, slowly, but able to. Using Cody as a crutch, he got on his feet and looked around in annoyance.

“For how long have the sirens been on?” He said as he turned towards the door to the bridge. 

“30 seconds sir.” Cody said with such nonchalance that it caused Obi-Wan to turn towards him. In the Jedi Master’s head it felt like minutes. Hours even. But what exactly did he even see? Those were visions, yes. He saw Anakin, Rex, Padme, and Bail. But they looked older and more worn down than he’d last seen them. Anakin especially. He looked like he was on the verge of Falling. He wants to believe that they’re visions of the future. Because it gives him the chance to change it. To stop them from ever coming to fruition. However…

It feels like he’s seen what came to pass.

“General Kenobi. We are indeed located at Mygeeto. However, the situation has become more complicated than we initially thought.” Admiral Kossav exclaimed as the doors to the bridge opened for the duo. He looked concerned for the suddenly weakened General, but it appears his concern was more so directed towards the now activated holotable. Obi-Wan looked at it and found his pained expression turned into confusion. For the image before them was not of the planet as was expected, but a vast asteroid field that should not be there in the first place.

“I don’t understand. Where is the planet?” He looked towards the Admiral. He had Cody let go of him so that he could lean into the table to get a closer look at the projection. However, even that failed to provide answers.

“We do not know, Sir.” Admiral Kossav answered as he looked towards Captain Amos. “The Captain ordered his navigators to pinpoint our exact location, and according to them, we are supposed to be above the capital city.”

“...This can’t be right.” Obi-Wan turned towards the Captain once more and asked. “Surely our systems must be jammed by that? Can we dispatch a squadron to wade through this asteroid field?”

“General… I do not know how to tell you this, but…” Captain Amos turned towards the Vice-Admiral for support, to which he gratefully got.

“Sir, the scans show that there is no planet here… As well as any other celestial body in the system.” Admiral Kossav explained as the hologram expanded to show the Mygeeto System. From the closest planet to its sun to the farthest moon at the edge of the map, all of them are now but floating rubble with no source of life. 

“That’s not all, General. We’ve alerted the ship to raise the Readiness Condition to level 3 because we are detecting a massive number of ships about to exit hyperspace.” Admiral Kossav turned towards the shocked General with a grim look, “We aren't sure whose ships are these, and that combat might be inevitable.”

“How long will it take for them to get here?” Obi-Wan asked.

“2 minu-”

*Fwoosh Fwoosh Fwoosh!!!*

The moment the Vice-Admiral spoke, a whole fleet of ships facing the Respite appeared. Obi-Wan relaxed when he realized that they bore Republic colors, but his suspicion arose when he realized that these weren't Venators. They're bigger capital ship-types that he’s never seen before supported by cruisers and corvettes whose class was also lost to him.

“General! Incoming transmissions from the fleet.” A communications officer exclaimed at the console by the right side. “It's from the… the Indomitable, it says.”

“A fitting name, indeed.” Obi-Wan quipped half-heartedly as the largest ship at the heart of the formation before them came to view. Unlike the grey and whites of the screen ships, this one was pitch black. From his point of view, it looks like its length is nigh unending while its height puts Coruscant’s skyscrapers to shame. It must be the flagship. But where did the Republic find time and the resources for such a design? And why was it kept secret from the Jedi? From him, one of the High Generals?

The holotable flickered to life once more to show a prim and proper looking officer with the Admiral’s stripes above his left chestplate. He bore confidence in his shoulders, yet his eyes were dimmed by experience. Even his signature in the force rang true of such. But… there is something odd about this Admiral…

“He’s a brother!” Cody exclaimed in shock. Obi-Wan blinked and saw that he was right. There is no denying it, this Admiral looks like every clone in the bridge. But the question remains: who is this man ? And since when did they start promoting clones above Marshall Commander? Last time Obi-Wan heard from Coruscant, Cody’s the highest rank clone via his advisory position in Obi-Wan’s Systems Army.

“Unidentified Venator-class Cruiser, this is Admiral Chase of the 8th Fleet. You have trespassed Imperial lockdown borders. State your purpose or be boarded.” the Officer said with a stern voice. It’s a good thing that Captain Amos had the mind to not show anyone on live feed yet, because even he was caught with his jaw on the floor. 

“Imperial? Lockdown? Unidentified? Do they not know who we are?” Admiral Kossav exclaimed. 

“Let’s reserve judgement after figuring out who this Admiral is. Governor-General Vanko is supposed to be in command as well as an old friend of mine. ” Obi-Wan then thought of his friend, Bant Eerin, before turning towards Captain Amos, “Captain put me up on feed.” 

“Admiral Chase. We must have not had the chance to acquaint ourselves.” He smiled as the man with his signature confidence. “I am Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi, with the intent purpose of leading a systematic invasion of the Mygeeto System alongside the Third Systems Army and the attached Open Circle fleet. Well,” Obi-Wan looked around to emphasize the oddity that his ship is alone in space. “We’re definitely larger than we are right now, for sure. But I must confess, we-”

“Enough with the lies.” Admiral Chase suddenly snarled. “You will now be boarded for the insult of impersonating a fallen High General and the theft of Imperial Navy equipment. Surrender peacefully, and your lives might not be lost.”

“I-I beg your pardon??” Obi-Wan, for the first time in a while, was at a loss for words. If there was any input he had before the communication line was cut off, it was that impersonation of a dead man was a new accusation thrown at him. He would’ve been amused had it not been for the fact that the Force rang true with that statement. 

How in the blazes was he dead ?!

“General, there are a hundred squadrons coming our way.” a navigator panickedly blurted out. “They’re coming from all the cruisers and the big one in the middle.” 

“We can’t turn around fast enough before the fighters come close enough to fire at us, General Kenobi.” Captain Amos said as he sounded the alarm. “And even if we can, that capital ship has guns larger than anything I’ve ever seen! It’s going to turn us into rubble once we think about escaping.” 

“Same goes for close quarters combat.” Cody said as he ignored the comms of his junior army officers. “The boys are ready to pick a fight, but that’s just bringing a vibroblade to a tank brawl.”

“Then we must accept surrender and hope that they’ll treat us right.” Obi-Wan said without so much as a blink. Had this been any normal scenario where the enemy was droids and the Confederacy, it would have been a no-brainer to think of an out of the box solution like what Anakin does. But this is an Imperial Officer (he still has no idea what that means), a Clone officer to boot, telling them to stand down. The best course of action at this point, with all the information needed not known to him, is to just obey. For now. Until he can make sure that his men aren’t harassed in any way.

“Walk with me, Admiral, Captain, Cody.” Obi-Wan tilted his head to each of them to respect their seniority in rank. “We must present ourselves as amicable as possible to these ‘Imperials’”

Later…

“Never thought I’d be hearing you give up without a fight and mean it, General.” Cody remarked as he stood in front of the 1st Company of the 7th Sky Corps in parade formation. “General Skywalker would never approve.” 

“He wouldn’t, no.” Obi-Wan returned his right hand man’s smirk with his own. “But that’s Anakin for you. He would fight even if there were a hundred fleets against him.” 

“An admirable trait. But I still think I lucked out in being assigned to your command, Sir. ” Cody quipped.

“There is no such thing as luck, Cody. Only the Force.” Obi-Wan chuckled under his breath as he watched the Captain roll call his officers. He then took this moment to focus on the padawan he left behind at Coruscant. 

How is Anakin right now? Last he saw, he was clouded by his conflicting emotions. He seemed… troubled, but for what exactly he cannot say. He spoke to Padme about it, but even she seemed to be tight lipped about him. It’s exactly why he was discouraged by the Chancellor in bringing him to Mygeeto with the 501st. He is worried for his former padawan, but he cannot do anything about that right now. He only hopes that he can get back to Coruscant, set this misunderstanding straight, and then take care of that matter as soon as he can. 

“The officers are positioned and awaiting arrival, General.” Admiral Kossav said as he stood beside Obi-Wan and Cody who looked out into space through the main hangar bay. “The rest of the 7th Sky Corps is stationed at the barracks and the sailors are at their positions.” 

And armed to the teeth, the Jedi Master heard in his own mind. It was a precaution that he did not agree with, but is necessary should things go south. The Vice-Admiral was definitely cut from the cloth that Anakin wove, so this course of action was to be expected. At least he prioritised the arming of the escape pods, for obvious reasons.

Once Captain Amos assumed the position at the forefront of his staff, Obi-Wan turned around to see that from left to right the clone army officers and the naval officers were all looking at him with tension in their bodies. They were scarcely informed as to what was happening, only that they were surrendering to an enemy they haven’t put a name to yet. He frowned at the thought, they deserve better than that.

“Forgive me for my lack of proper report, but I am afraid that we, your leaders, have little to offer in answers.” Obi-Wan said with a calming tone. “I am aware that everyone experienced a state of unconsciousness that affected each and every one of us differently, but I can assure you the one thing we all share is that we found ourselves in the Mygeeto System… with not a planet in sight. Only a fleet that hails from a state neither Republic nor Separatist.” He paused to let the men speak to one another in hushed tones before continuing.

“I do, however, believe that we are in good hands.” He reassured the weary hearts of his men, “Admiral Chase is a clone like our brothers in the army. Unlike some certain instances, I have never met a clone who will purposely harm their own. And that we must put our best foot forward once we meet this man soon.”

Obi-Wan then turned around to regard the men beside him, who gave him nods of encouragement. He appreciated such a gesture, because it’s the only thing keeping him from the fear and anxiety that is clawing in his very core. He breathed deeply before casting his burdens into the Force, and then began the wait.

They waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Until 5 minutes later…

“Helmsman, repeat what you just said.” Captain Amos ran towards Obi-Wan whilst holding a holo-communicator. “General Kenobi is on the other line.”

“General! A ship came out of hyperspace from the same route we used from Orinda.” The helmsman at the bridge exclaimed, his body language showing complete disbelief, “Ever since this ship appeared fighters are just circling around the ship without doing anything.”

“Can you recognise the ship, Helmsman.” Obi-Wan asked impatiently. All this stress was getting to him, and it’s causing him to slightly be off-balance. But for the moment, he can excuse this lapse. He needs answers.

“It’s a Victory-Class star destroyer, sir. Console confirmed it." The helmsman then paused to regard something off-screen before turning towards the communicator once more. The Force around him is confused, worried.

“General, the star destroyer is hailing us. And you’re not going to like the sound of this. Communication is patching up the audio to the hangar right now.” the helmsman said. Obi-Wan, not taking any chances, took this advice to heart. Captain Amos then turned off the communicator and returned to formation. Instinctively, everyone looked up to hear from the speakers. 

“To Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi of the Respite, this is Prince Luke Skywalker of the Galactic Empire. We’ve received word of your abrupt arrival and will now take over from Admiral Chase.” Obi-Wan’s eyes widened like a youngling’s at that. “You might be confused a little, but you have nothing to be afraid of. We’ll take great care of you. See you soon. Negotiator out.”

The audio echoed in the hangar before disappearing into nothingness. But to Obi-Wan, it’s like he’s shell shocked with how loud his ears are ringing. There was so much to unpack there, but too little time to address it. ‘Prince Luke Skywalker ’??? Who- what-

“General, they’re here.” Cody elbowed the Jedi Master. Obi-Wan shook at the gesture, but composed himself as three ships flew into the hangar. The two at the left and right were, like before, models he’s never seen before. However, the centre one looks like a modified Arc-170 like what was used back in the Battle for Coruscant. 

That’s not why he’s so fixated on the fighter plane, though. Obi-Wan can feel him. It’s like being hit by a thermo detonator. And he was so bright in the Force that it’s almost blinding. He can tell that the pilot was force trained through some light prodding and being repulsed by strong shields. The cockpit flew open and saw that it was a young man, couldn’t be above 20, wearing black from shirt to toe, and the spitting image of the Jedi Knight that Luke shares his name with. It’s like he’s looking at an Anakin clone! But while his former padawan walks with the arrogance afforded to his reputation and status as the Chosen One, Luke over here is more subdued. Humble, with a kindness to his eyes that Obi-Wan only ever saw in one woman. 

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience Admiral Chase forced you in, General. He’s been having a tough time guarding his sector lately, and I don’t blame him.” Luke chuckled genuinely. “Oh wait, maybe I should start calling you uncle now that I think about it. What with how close you’ve been with dad and all that.” 

“...” For the second time today, the renowned Jedi Master was at a loss for words. He looks like a gaping fish with how stupefied he is right now. Cody would have taken this time to elbow his commanding General into consciousness, but he too was caught in a trance of his own. Whatever it is Cody is looking at, Obi-Wan failed to address at that moment. It was at this point that Admiral Kossav did the honor of nudging his heel on the General’s foot, causing the Jedi Master to jolt in alarm.

“Y-y-yes, I suppose that must be in order.” Obi-Wan coughed into his fist to regain himself. He then looked straight at the young prince and found himself floored all over again. The patient, kind look he’s being given by this Luke cemented the fact that this is indeed Padme’s son. He’s even got her practiced smile that she uses at the Senate! How-

“Now, I’m sure you have many questions. Like what happened when you died- err, were gone , let’s just say that. But I’m afraid there’s little time” Luke smiled sheepishly, “I just want us to take this time to get this ship up and running so that we can get back to the Capital to sort things out. Don’t worry, I’ll stay here to help you guys out in catching up. We uhh, we just need to get out of here real quick.”

“If that is what’s necessary…” Obi-Wan said as he turned towards both Admiral Kossav and Captain Amos. The Captain then took this time to assist the newly arrived guests up to the bridge in haste. Suddenly, the silence in the hangar turned into loud footsteps as the men were ordered to return to their posts. Through all of this, Obi-Wan couldn’t keep his eyes off the boy who is clearly Anakin’s son. And as he’s talking to Luke, the Jedi Master couldn’t help but think of one thing alone:

What sith-hell did he find himself in now?

Chapter Text

Mere moments later…

Knowing that you’ve been sent twenty years into the future is a lot easier than accepting the fact, Obi-Wan grimly concluded. This… Prince Skywalker was very helpful and totally unhelpful in the pursuit of this truth. 

The two of them found themselves within Obi-Wan’s private quarters - the only place where they can safely converse unhindered. Luke was, in the short time he’s talked with him, a well meaning boy. Smart, charismatic, more humble than his rank demands, but still a boy. His hamfisted attempt at a ‘simple’ explanation of what he ‘missed’ gave him a headache equal to what Anakin’s been giving him the past two years… twenty-two, now that he thought about it.

“I know it’s a lot, Galactic Politics does that to me sometimes.” Luke added as he finished explaining how the ‘Empire’ came to be. “Mom died, Dad took over, Leia’s in the senate, but look at the bright side: it’s a lot better than Emperor Palpatine’s reign, that’s for sure.” 

Obi-Wan can’t help but smile mirthlessly at Luke. To him, it was history. But to Obi-Wan, everything he once knew is all but gone or warped into something he couldn't even recognise anymore. He can’t even think of a proper comparison to something like this.

“Luke, let me summarise what you’ve said.” Obi-Wan sat on his bed as he watched the boy stop his pacing by the window of his room. “The Clone Wars have ended not in victory nor defeat because the Chancellor used this to gain power as Emperor. The very same Chancellor who is the Sith Lord that the Jedi have been finding for years. And that Anakin destroyed him with the help of the Jedi Order that is still alive? After all these years? But above all that, Anakin took the throne for himself?? With the Jedi accepting such a thing?”

“Yes… In a way, that’s what happened.” Luke scratched his head at how simple his 2 hour explanation sounded when Obi-Wan gave it back to him.

“But why would the Empire still stand? Why hasn’t the Republic returned? Padme would never allow this Empire to live any longer than this.” Obi-Wan asked with a hint of despair at the back of his mind. He refuses to give that despair a voice, or else he’ll never escape it.

Luke twitched at the mention of his mother, causing Obi-Wan to repulse at his poor choice of words. Right, the boy said she died in childbirth. He curses in silence as Luke shakes his head in despondence, looking every single bit the teenager he still is.

“Dad said that Mom would’ve wanted him to set things straight before democracy can come back. He’s been telling me that ever since I was young, so I believe him. Leia’s at the Senate to give the push back to the way things were a lot of strength, so there’s that.” Luke shrugged as he turned to Obi-Wan. “It’s not like we’re dictators or something.” 

“No, I can see that you’re not.” Obi-Wan agreed with a small smile. He then addressed the antsy teenager with a grim look. “But you must forgive me for being against the idea of an Empire. From where I’m standing, the Republic I fought and bled for disappeared without me having any say in the matter. And I can assure you that my men also feel the same way in all of this.” 

“Yeah… but it’s a good thing Rex is here to help smooth things out while we’re here.” Luke took a seat beside Obi-Wan by his bed and sighed. “I was expecting this to be a lot more difficult, but here you are taking all this like it’s nothing. Well, almost nothing.” He amended as he received a pointed stare from the General.

“Yes, I was about to ask about that.” Obi-Wan brushed his chin in thought. “Tell me more about what happened to the clones after the war.”

“Well, about that…” 

Somewhere by the barracks… 

Cody never withheld trust for one of his brothers. Slick, traitor he may be, was even afforded some level of discretion before his arrest. So why… Why is it that he could not even find the strength to look at the men he called brothers in the eyes? Is it because they look different? Sure, their armour was definitely changed. The colours are a lot darker and their weapons look advanced, and their postures are a lot different than standard training. But Cody isn’t delusional enough to chalk up his gut feeling to something as pointless as that. He shouldn’t be acting this way, but his instincts are screaming at him to be cautious around them. He turned towards the other clones in the room, Boil and Gregor, and saw that they were looking at him as if they were waiting for him to say something. But what could he say? Where can he even start?

“You haven’t changed a bit, Cody.” Cody looked up to the other side of the room where the second clone trio stood idly. Guarded, but idle enough to pass as casual.

“I can say the same thing about you, Rex. When did you get those wrinkles on your face?” Cody hazarded a joke. To his credit, the Former Clone Captain chuckled and his group snicked at the jape before answering.

“Ahh, well. You’ll get them too once you become the glorified nanny to the General’s kids.” Rex answered light heartedly. “It’s a whole lot better than being holed up in some office of the Admiralty, I’ll tell you that.” 

“You’re all supposed to be dead by now.” Gregor huffed with a blunt tone. “We aren’t made to live as long as you have.”

"Especially not while looking so... young." Boil added with hesitation.

Ah, there’s the reason why Cody felt so wary towards his closest brother. Other than looking worse for wear from the last time he’s seen him, Rex doesn’t look like he’s aged much. If anything, he looks like he’s in his mid to late thirties just like the other two with him. Which doesn’t make sense considering clones age twice as fast than nat-borns. It’s just unnatural for him. No amount of mental math could help Cody make this discrepancy add up.

“Thank General Skywalker for that one.” Cody turned towards Rex’s right and saw Jesse smiling with gratefulness all over his body language.

“What did he do?” Asked Boil, his presence looked as tense as Cody’s but it was more visible than the Marshall Commander. He’s clearly suspicious, which is understandable considering the circumstances. At least he’s not twitching to reach for his blaster in case of any sign of hostility, a feat that Cody can’t quite boast yet.

“We can have the small talk for later.” Vaughn interrupted with a terse look towards Cody. “We need you to tell the truth, Commander Cody: how in the sith-spawned-hells did you survive the Massacre?” 

“What massacre? We didn’t experience any fighting before coming here.” Boil asked in Cody’s stead, as the Marshall Commander was shook to the core at the question. 

“Impossible. Reports say the entire Open Circle Fleet except the 501st was wiped out at Orinda. How could you not remember something like that?” Jesse blurted out in confusion. The exchanging of questions did next to nothing in abating the total loss of understanding between the two groups.

“Rex,” Cody looked up towards the conflicted clone. “Start from the beginning. Leave nothing out.” 

“...” Rex looked at the men of the 7th Sky Corps and then glanced at his own men, who nodded in support of what he was about to do. With a heavy sigh, Rex recounted the entire tale of the end of the War. Cody can tell that 20 years wasn’t enough to heal the wounds that were wrought from that period. A period that was just hours ago in Cody’s perspective.

“Do you remember that the 501st were placed on shore leave by General Kenobi?” Rex asked, to which he got slight nods from the three men. “General Skywalker said that it was a short resupply before moving onto Mandalore to help Commander- Advisor Ahsoka Tano with the Siege.” Rex’s voice hitched at the name, causing Cody to narrow his eyes but said nothing.

“The whole Legion?” Gregor raised an eyebrow. “Mandalore isn’t even republic space, why would the GAR send you boys there?” 

“It was supposed to be just the 332nd Division who was already there under the command of Appo.” Rex affirmed Gregor’s question. “The Chancellor wouldn’t give the General much leeway in helping out his former padawan. Whatever plans were put in place for the whole 501st are lost to time or kept secret by the General. It doesn’t matter anyways, we didn’t step foot on that blasted planet until it was too late. Because news suddenly came up confirming the Massacre of Orinda. You, General Kenobi, and the rest of the Open Circle Fleet were caught unawares by an unexpected Separatist attack that wiped out the entire Supply Hub and wasted the entire population of the planet and the rest of its system. We didn’t see much wreckage other than the Hub, but we assumed the Seppies took everything they could for scraps and reused it for the horrors to follow.” 

“The Seps used Mygeeto as a starting point for their new offensive.” Vaughn took over as Rex struggled to get out of the trance he found himself in. “We don’t know how, or what, or when, but someone must’ve gotten word of you mustering forces at Orinda and took advantage. It wasn’t Grievous, because he was at Utapau - not Mygeeto as the Chancellor suspected - he said in the official reports that they weren’t following his orders to stay put. But someone did take command under Grievous’ nose and rallied the northern confederate systems to push back. And it was a clever push too, the Seps finally got the full support of the Corporate System at the edge of the Republic and used them like new batteries.”

“It was horrible .” Jesse spoke up as he shivered at the memories of that period in the war. “The 8th, 9th, and 10th Sector Armies were crushed and the Jedi reinforcements didn’t do any better. General Unduli and the 3rd Steel Blade was confirmed KIA with barely a fifth of all the Sector Army surviving the encounter. Generals Mundi, Koth, and Secura were also KIA by the end of the next 3 weeks. The casualties just kept mounting up but we couldn’t do anything to help since we were forced to quell the riots in Coruscant with the help of the Guard.”

“What about Mandalore? Did the seppies go there too? What happened to Commander Tano?”  Boil asked with fear in his eyes. Cody and Rex looked at one another and silently despaired. The answer was clear as day.

“The Commander’s ship was never found. But the rest of the fleet lay scattered around the planet and fell into its moons. It was as sorry a sight as you can imagine.” Rex answered solemnly before his face hardened in pain. “General Skywalker was never the same. He lost his master, his padawan, and almost all of us too after…” Then, a panic bloomed in the faces of the former 501st clones. Cody noticed the shift and unconsciously stepped back in alarm. Suddenly, the room feels as cramped as it really was. 

“What’s wrong?” Gregor narrowed his eyes. Jesse and Vaughn looked towards Rex for any idea of what to do before the former captain stood up from the bunk bed adjacent to the one Cody and his men were sitting on with eyes that looked possessed.

“We need to contact Prince Luke, now !” Rex ran out of the room without any pause or explanation. Cody and co. followed suit. He no longer finds his friend suspicious after the long explanation, but with this strange act it seems like he’s back to square one. The fragile trust shattered into pieces. 

Obi-Wan’s Room…

Bzzztt!!!

Ping!

Both Obi-Wan and Luke turned towards their comlinks and excused each other to answer it, but it appears that that was all for naught since the callers were both in the same place. 

“General!” “Prince Luke!” Cody and Rex yelled. The holograms showed that both were running towards what Obi-Wan presumes to be his room judging by how urgent their names were called.

“Rex, what’s going on?” Luke asked first in worry.

“The chips sir! The clones still have their chips!” Rex answered without reservation causing Obi-Wan to widen his eyes in alarm.

“The inhibitor chips? Why are you concerned about that?” Obi-Wan looked towards Luke, who paled as the realisation set in. “Luke?” Obi-Wan asked.

“This is bad.” Luke got up to leave, but stopped to look at Obi-Wan looking very confused.

“What is the matter, Luke?” Obi-Wan got up and guided the boy outside his room. 

“The clones’ inhibitor chips are dangerous, Obi-Wan.” Luke said as he ruffled his hair in stress. “It has over a hundred contingency orders that only the Chancellor can activate. It literally brainwashes the clones into mindless drones!” 

Obi-Wan’s eyebrows furrowed at the explanation. The Kaminoans told the Jedi Order that they are used to inhibit aggressive behaviours in the clones. Obviously, that was a lie. But after having his entire galaxy turned upside down, the Jedi Master has no surprise or shock left to give. Instead, Obi-Wan grit his teeth as the thought that they were complicit in commanding a slave army by none other than the Sith Lord crossed his mind. It was a righteous sort of anger. One that burns bright when he remembers that his own padawan was once a slave. Ironic, Obi-Wan thought darkly, that the day would come that a slave would be a slaver. It also wasn’t lost to him how he , Jedi Master and all, was made unwittingly a master of the worst sense as well.

“What must be done?” Obi-Wan regained himself as Cody and Rex appeared before them with their men in tow.

“We have to alert the capital to prime the hospitals…” Luke then held his breath before saying, “And then we have to quarantine the clones. For now, only. We have specific procedures to take the chips out before things go wrong.”

“Go wrong?” Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. “Is there still someone who can access these chips and command the clones through these contingency orders?” 

“Well, technically me because I’m the Crown Prince.” Luke explained as he shuffled his feet. “But that’s beside the point, we need to get these chips out as soon as possible.” 

“Then lead the way.” Obi-Wan offered as he led the men into the bridge.”

Later…

“General, the Clones have been detained.” Saluted Admiral Kossav as Obi-Wan and Luked finished discussing what must be done. Obi-Wan looked around in dismay at the barebones crew he found himself with. A collection of natborn naval officers under Captain Amos and clones who were with Luke under Rex now manned the bridge. A clear divide can be seen between the two groups, but since neither wanted to open up that can of worms Obi-Wan is content to leave that in the dark. He looked towards Luke, who crossed his arms in worry.

“How long until we reach Coruscant, Admiral?” Luke spoke up as he looked up at the rather tall navy man.

“5 minutes… your highness.” Admiral Kossav answered as if swallowing a pill. Obi-Wan was thankful that the Admiral and the officers in the bridge weren’t outright hating the boy for being the very opposite of what they stood for, but if the sideglance he received from the Vice-Admiral said anything at all it would tell him that this compliance wouldn’t last long. So, like what he’s been doing lately, he’s going to ignore that thermal detonator for now.

“Oh, thank the Force.” Luke wiped his forehead in relief. “I managed to get through with the Negotiator too. I got news that the Respite has Imperial level authorisation and will be docking on Imperial Base 003.” 

“It sounds new. When was this base created?” Obi-Wan glanced to his side expecting Cody, but remembers that he was quarantined with the rest of the clones in the barracks. It’s rather odd not hearing a smarmy remark from his right hand man when it comes to something like this. 

“Sometime before the rise of the Empire. Dad found out it was being used for nasty experiments on clones and children, so he had it taken over and restored to an actual military base. But he kept it secret still because he needed some sort of backup base when something bad happened to the main docks.” Luke answered as he punched the codes to authorise the holograph of the base. “There, on System Sector Grid L-9, it looks similar in appearance to an enlarged ICM-092792 construction module and it can host multiple hangar bays and could dock up to eight Venator-class Star Destroyers in external docking arms. We’ll be docking on bay 7.” 

“I’ll have the men ready the ship.” Obi-Wan turned towards Captain Amos, who nodded in return. His men then moved like clockwork, but with the limited number within the bridge the difficulty of manning the many stations was made evident rather quickly. Unfortunately, Rex and the clones felt the air in the room and made no move to assist. Obi-Wan would have said something about it, had it not been for Luke jumping the gun first.

“Let my men help yours, Obi-Wan.” Luke offered a branch of peace. “I know that we don’t look the most trustworthy sort. I mean, look at them.” Luke pointed at their dark uniforms with dissatisfaction, “I always knew that dad’s fashion choices would bite me up my butt at some point, but you gotta let them have a chance to prove themselves. It’s the least they can do to help.”

Obi-Wan did not say anything except looking towards his naval officers, who were also looking back at him with alarm bells above their heads. Even Captain Amos was hesitant in looking straight at the Jedi Master’s eyes. He then looked back towards Admiral Kossav, who knew exactly what to do in this situation.

“Well what’re you looking at, boys? Get to it! I haven’t signed any form saying I’m not your Admiral anymore, so you’d best listen to me.” Admiral Kossav huffed at the clones, who were clearly former members of the 501st seeing as they straightened up at the sight of him.

“Can’t say I missed you, Vice-Admiral.” Rex laughed as he turned towards his men. “Well boys, you heard the Admiral. We got our orders!” 

The clones cheerily went their ways and moved like water amongst the naval officers. Seeing as they’ve been bred for war, the clones assumed their places at the comms stations and the helm where Captain Amos and his First Mate were giving orders to prepare the ship for docking. It’s like nothing ever changed, thought Obi-Wan as Admiral Kossav approached Rex to properly greet each other with a hug.

“Haaahh, I wish things were this easy in the City. Dealing with army things like this is way better than that mess.” Luke huffed in relief. Obi-Wan smirked at the young prince.

“The Senate is the closest thing to a battleground for those who have never seen it.” He said with amusement. Luke looked up and chuckled at that before saying,

“Dad once said that you were the best politician the Jedi ever had. I’m not sure if it’s a compliment or not.” Luke crossed his arms. “If you think it’s closer to war than most, then yeah I agree.” 

“...How is Anakin? Where is he now?” Obi-Wan asked gently. Suddenly, Luke’s posture slackened. His shoulders weighed by the memory of his father. It confused the Jedi Master, who thought that his padawan was well thought of by his own son. Wasn’t Luke fondly mentioning him mere moments ago? What happened between them?

“That’s… classified .” Luke sighed as the ship exited hyperspace. “He took half the army to some campaign in the unknown regions and the Death Star and left me to rule the Galaxy. At least he calls half the time. I don’t know what he’s doing over there, but at this point I don’t even think I’ll ever know.”

“How long has he been outside of the R- Empire ?” Obi-Wan asked in alarm. There was too much to process there. Anakin leaves Luke and his daughter alone to rule the Galaxy on their own, this Death Star, but keeping it a secret from his children was what matters most to him. Why would Anakin do something so foolish?! 

“About 6 months now.” Luke shrugged. “First thing he ever did was relocate the people of the Mygeeto System to Orinda, since no one’s living there. Then, he destroyed the Mygeeto System itself. It took a lot of damage control, but nowadays no one really thinks of it anymore.”

Obi-Wan still had the sense of self to look horrified at those words. How Luke managed to utter the total annihilation of an entire system like it was the weather news was beyond him. He looked towards Rex to see that while he was grimacing at the revelation, it appears that he wasn’t all too shocked at such wanton destruction that was without clear cause. But, like all things, he does not know the whole truth. So, he just shut up and watched the ship dock into the Imperial Base.

“Identification code recognised:” a robotic voice said through the speakers, “Welcome, Prince Luke Skywalker. All Hail the Empire.”