Brotherhood

Chapter 69 - Order 501

Author's Note: Enjoy the chaos as it unfolds! :D Also, Anakin is fully redeemed now, which means he's balanced the way he was post-ROTJ. I thought it would take him longer, but he disagrees. Lol.

~ Amina Gila

Sidious had calculated everything from the moment he sensed the shift in the Force, telling him that the Jedi had returned to Coruscant. And as always, his calculations have paid off. The Jedi who came expected him to fight; they expected, and planned, to kill him. They didn't anticipate he might flee as he did, and because of that, he was able to make an escape through an emergency exit.

He knows better than to overestimate his abilities, and he knows that in a duel against Windu and Yoda both, he would lose. Better to leave and let them chase him, falling back to regroup and garner support. Better to wipe out the Jedi under charges of treason before they can destroy everything he has sought to build.

The Red Guards are with him, the ones he'd hand-picked personally, as is Olin, who has chosen to support him over the Jedi. Sidious cannot deny a surge of smug pleasure at that, at the knowledge that he was successful in getting the young, vulnerable Jedi on his side – along with several others. And that means that he'll be relatively safe, for now, while they go to a secret, secure bunker in the Works. It's not the place where he has Vader staying, but it's nearby.

During the flight – his guards know where to take him – he sees flashes on the news of a live transmission by Senator Organa, and a bad feeling slowly rises as he remembers what Tachi had said, taunted really.

"Who says we haven't?"

Hastily, Sidious pulls up a datapad, scanning the headlines, and white-hot rage washes through him. The Jedi got Organa in on it – probably through Amidala, who he is certain came to Coruscant with the Jedi. That... will complicate things, and though it's nothing he can't handle, it will still make this significantly more difficult.

He lifts his comm, pressing the emergency frequency for the clone commanders. It jams, and no matter how much he pushes the button, Sidious can't hear anything but static. A transmission block then? No doubt. Oh, the Jedi were thorough, and he will take great pleasure in wiping out each and every last one of them.

Instead, he contacts Commander Fox. "Execute Order 66," he orders, fury and satisfaction whirling through him in equal measure. "Gather all the clones you can. Spread the word. I want the Jedi Temple to burn."

Probably, it's a good thing that Olin is in the cockpit of the shuttle so he didn't hear and start asking questions.

Then, he comms Vader. "The Jedi have committed treason," he says as soon as Vader picks up. "I want you to lead the clones to the Temple. Do what must be done. This is what we have prepared for. Do not fail me, Lord Vader."

Vader doesn't acknowledge him, doesn't respond. "The Jedi deserve to be destroyed," Vader says, finally, "But they do not deserve to die. I will not kill them, Sidious, and I will not let the clones kill them either."

Sidious is struck speechless at the words, at the sheer disrespect of them. "After everything I have done for you," he snarls heatedly, "After everything I have given you, this is how you repay me? By betraying me?"

"I am not betraying you," Vader answers, and the unflappable calm in his voice is maddening. "I did not help the Jedi come for you. I do not want to fight you, much less kill you."

"You are weak," hisses Sidious coldly.

"No," Vader demurs, and the quiet strength and certainty in his voice would be impressive if Sidious didn't hate him quite so much in this moment, "It takes strength to let go of the wrongs that have been done to you. It takes courage to move beyond them, to be better than them, than those who have brought you down." He doesn't need to say it for Sidious to know he's talking about him.