NOBLE: The Bad Batch

𝟏𝟏: Anaxes - 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟏

19 BBY | Month 2, Day 27-30 | About 10 months later
Coruscant, Federal District | Previously
Grand Republic Medical Facility

A group of medical professionals and guards escorted a heavily drugged clone trooper inside, much to their lack of knowledge. Fives, disoriented but clinging to the fragments of truth he held, was their clone—one of vital importance. His mind spun, dulled by the drugs secretly administered by Nala Se, who trailed behind. She carried her own secrets, protecting her work at all costs, especially now that her sister, Lina Ru, was loose somewhere in the galaxy, plotting destruction or who knows what...

At the heart of this tense meeting, Chancellor Palpatine waited. His posture exuded patience, though beneath the surface, his mind worked faster than anyone could know. He turned slightly as Jedi Master Shaak Ti arrived beside the hoverbed, her calm demeanor masking the complexity of the situation; she had no idea what Nala was up to on that vessel on the way here to Coruscant.

Palpatine's gaze flickered between her and the barely conscious Fives, noting every detail. Then he joined her in a brief stride.

"I trust you've kept this matter extremely confidential..." Palpatine's voice, smooth and almost a whisper, carried an air of casual authority and feigned kindness.

"Of course, Chancellor," Shaak Ti responded evenly, ever the model of Jedi composure, who are meant to be calm at all times.

Palpatine's lips curled into the faintest hint of a smile. "Good. So, this is the clone causing such a stir?"

Fives groaned, slowly awakening, his thoughts murky, yet one clear truth burned in his mind. He struggled to form words, the drug still clinging to his system. He mumbled about being drugged but couldn't pinpoint who did it, his eyes darting, trying to focus. Nala Se, of course, was the one responsible, as she barely glanced around the medical facility.

Palpatine raised a hand, as if calming a child, trying to grab the attention of the clone soldier of the 501st. "There, there, soldier. Don't strain yourself."

Fives blinked, forcing himself upright, though his head swam. "Sir," he muttered, regaining some composure.

The Chancellor then signaled the guards to release him from the restraints, and Fives stumbled off the vertically tilted bed, unsteady but resolute. "Now, trooper," Palpatine said, his tone soft but insistent. "What brings you before me?"

Fives took a deep breath, his mind clearing just enough to focus. "The chips, Chancellor." He turned, his eyes landing on Nala Se, who stood rigid and silent at the edge of the room, hiding her frustration that the drugs hadn't silenced him completely.

"The chips-?" Palpatine feigned confusion, his eyes flickering momentarily toward Shaak Ti for clarification.

The Jedi Master Shaak Ti stepped forward, holding out the two small inhibitor chips, both from Tup and Fives. "These were both removed from the clone troopers. Clone trooper Fives claims they are the cause of the problem—"

Nala Se stepped in, her tone cold and clinical as she interrupted. "Which are placed in the clones to make them less aggressive and more compliant to orders. I tried to explain to this clone that they are for his own good, but he removed his chip nonetheless."

Fives bristled at the accusation, glaring at the Kaminoan. "This thing malfunctioned in Tup! And Noble, the clone medic from Marce Company, had one with a bomb! A Rhydonium bomb...! It almost killed her! Her chip was faulty too, and it was never properly investigated!" His voice grew frantic, the weight of his words filling the room. "These chips—they aren't keeping us safe! They're controlling us! And they're dangerous. I had to reach out to Noble about how to remove them because someone erased the data! Thankfully her droid offered help!"