Life Of War

Chapter 82

"I was framed because I know the truth. The truth about a plot, a massive deception!" Fives stepped into the light.

"By whom?"

"Well, there's a sinister plot in the works against the Jedi. I have proof of it. I can prove that everything that I know is true beyond a shadow of a doubt!"

"Show me the evidence." Anakin demanded.

"The evidence is in here. It's in here. It's in all of us, every clone!" Fives pointed to his head. Organic chips, built into our genetic code to make us do whatever someone wants, even kill the Jedi. It's all in here!"

"Let's just get you some help first, then we can review everything. It'll be okay, Fives. We'll sort this out." Anakin promised calmly.

"You don't believe me!"

***

"The Chancellor will try to kill me! I promise you that!"

"The Chancellor?" Anakin questioned.

"He's in on it! I don't know to what extent. But I know he orchestrated much of this. He told me in the medical bay!"

"He told you? When you tried to assassinate him? You have gone too far, Fives. The Chancellor is incapable of what you claim." Anakin argued back strictly, blindly loyal to the chancellor.

***

"Stand down, soldier! Stand down! Get on your knees!" The Coruscant guard raced in with their blasters raised.

"No! No! No! Stay back!" Fives panicked.

"Don't do it! Don't do it, soldier!"

"Get away from me!"

"Fives, no!" Rex called out, but it was too late as he was immediately shot in the chest by Fox as soon as he had reached for the blaster. He grunted, dropping the blaster and looking down at the hole burning in his chest.

"Fives!" Rex gently moved to be at his brother's side. "Brother! Call for help! We need a medic!"

"Rex..." Fives choked out.

"Fives." Rex said his name.

"This... It's bigger than any of us... Than anything I could have imagined. I never meant to... I only wanted to do my duty." Fives whispered.

"Brother... Fives, stay with me, Fives! Fives!" Rex begged.

"The mission... The nightmares... They're finally over." Fives closed his eyes and fell back, dying with his last breath.

"Fives? No, Fives... Come on, Fives. Don't go! Stay with me. Stay with me. Fives! Fives! Don't go. No! Oh, no." Rex begged his brother as he held him in his arms, Fox taking off his helmet to witness his destruction.

***

"A tragic situation, indeed." Palpatine started.

"About the clone's breakdowns, have we discovered any new evidence?" Windu asked out.

"I've had my own personal doctors examine both bodies. It appears Nala Se did miss something in her examination." Palpatine told us.