Star Wars: The Hero's Descent

Chapter 9: Call to Arms

Obi-Wan dragged Anakin's unconscious form out of the water, trying to make as little noise as possible. The idiot hadn't even tried to turn his fall into a dive like Obi-Wan had and as a result, could have broken his neck. He didn't, though, and once the water had been evacuated from his lungs the young Jedi coughed his way back to consciousness.

'Obi-Wan?' he asked as his eyes opened.

Obi-Wan just sent him a stern look. 'You're an idiot,' he said. 'Does this mean that we're even as far as life-saving goes?'

Anakin sat up and had the gall to smirk. 'Not even close.' Then his face turned serious. 'Your clones shot us,' he said darkly, as if he was just remembering something that made him angry - which was never a good sign. 'I saw them take aim. It was deliberate.'

Obi-Wan nodded gravely. 'I know,' he sighed. 'We need to get out of here. If my clones turned on us, they'll want to make sure we're dead.'

'You don't really think the clones would mutiny, do you?' Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan's blue-grey gaze was the most serious Anakin had ever seen it as he thought. Finally, he said, 'We've seen clones turn on the Jedi before. Their programming isn't perfect.'

'Or maybe it's too perfect.'

Obi-Wan sighed. 'Either way, we need back-up.'

When Anakin and Obi-Wan finally returned to Anakin's starfighter, it was to see that Obi-Wan's had joined them on the small ledge.

'When did that get here?' Anakin asked R2D2 when he saw it. R2 beeped an explanation that left Obi-Wan looking confused. Anakin shook his head in disbelief. 'Great job, R2. We need to get out of here.' To Obi-Wan, he explained, 'R2 says that he saw us go down and guessed that you'd need alternative transport to what we had planned so he contacted your droid to get down here.'

'Thank you, Artoo, you can get a medal later,' Obi-Wan said, climbing into his fighter. 'Lets leave first.'

R2D2 beeped urgently. Anakin's expression turned wary. 'Play the message, R2.'

R2's holoprojector glowed into life and suddenly a clone trooper, looking thoroughly worse for wear, stood in front of them. He glanced furtively from side to side before he spoke and when he did, it wasn't in his usual commanding drawl, but an agitated almost-whisper.

'This is a message for General Skywalker. The Jedi have been declared enemies of the State.' Captain Rex, Anakin's second in command, was crouched, as if he was hiding. 'Sir, the 501st is going to march on the Jedi Temple. I can't stop them. I tried and they turned on me too. It's like they're under some sort of mind control. Someone called it Order 66. They're being lead by a Jedi, but I can't tell who. I didn't get a good look. I...' Something crashed out of sight of the holorecording. Captain Rex winced and ducked. 'I gotta go, sir. I'll try and find others like me, but for now. I think you're on your own. Good luck, sir.'

The message ended and Anakin looked to Obi-Wan, whose face had paled behind his auburn beard.

'I have a bad feeling about this,' he said. As always, it was understatement of the year.

'Master, we have to help them!' Anakin protested. 'Most of the Jedi aren't even on Coruscant except for the younglings. The 501st are good at what they do. They'll slaughter everyone in there!'

'Anakin, didn't it occur to you that this is a trap? Can you trust Rex right now?'

'You heard him!' Anakin retorted and then seemed to realise he hadn't answered the question. 'I trust Rex with my life.'

'I thought I could trust Cody too,' Obi-Wan said sadly. Anakin climbed into his his own fighter. More forcefully, he said. 'We can't just rush into this.'

'Maybe you can't,' Anakin snapped and closed the cockpit, taking off without another word.

'You're going to get yourself killed,' Obi-Wan yelled as the yellow starfighter rose into the Utapauan sky.

Anakin didn't hear him. He had turned his commlink off.

The yellow-and-silver starfighter touched down in the Jedi Temple's hangar bay. It seemed eerily deserted, there was not a sound save for the starfighter's engines powering down and the marching feet of an entire battalion of clones marching through the front entrance over a hundred meters below.

His clones.

Anakin wasted no time in leaping out of the ship and tearing down the hall. The clones would move upwards, and if he and Obi-Wan were right, they would kill any Jedi they came across. Masters, Padawans, younglings. Anakin swallowed, mind subconsciously flicking back to his own growing family, and went up.

As he paced the turbolift, a plan began forming in his head. The clones would flush any Jedi that couldn't or wouldn't fight upwards until they had nowhere to run. Most of the masters were off-world fighting so the majority of the Temple's occupants would be children who couldn't fly away or even defend themselves and the Jedi not on active duty. Not nearly enough to make a stand against so many clones. They'd be slaughtered. Anakin felt a hot rage building up within him. They were just kids.

Finally, the turbolift came to a halt. The encroaching footfalls of over a hundred battle-ready clones greeted his ears, but they were a little further away now. They wouldn't be able to get up here as quickly as Anakin did. He was only one man and had a head start.

The Force or luck or his subconscious took him to one of the training classrooms first. It was of a similar layout to the Council chambers, a large circular room in one of the five towers that made the Temple such a distinctive landmark in the Coruscanti skyline, with nearly three-sixty views of the city below.

Now, the room was dark, the only light coming from the traffic and buildings outside, not much brighter than starlight this high above the surface of the planet. It was so dimly lit, Anakin could barely see, but he could make out the Force signatures of at least ten younglings huddled behind chairs and cowering in the shadows. As he entered, a youngling stepped out. The boy was no older than five years, he guessed, and he looked up at Anakin with wide fearful eyes. He was holding a training lightsaber, but it was sheathed and shaking a little in his tiny grip. Still, he stood tall as his tiny frame would allow, as he faced the Jedi Master.

'Master Skywalker! There are too many of them,' the child gasped, but there were no tears in his eyes. 'What are we going to do?'

In answer, Anakin's lightsaber burst into life.

'Quickly, this way!' Anakin lead the group of younglings back down the hall. 'I need you to help me with the kids in the creche,' he explained quietly to the children as they ran. 'We need to get them out before the clone troopers arrive, okay? You will all need to make sure no one gets left behind.'

'Master, what if they find us?' it was the same blonde boy from earlier. Anakin slowed as they reached a corner and looked around it, checking for an advanced patrol. Once he'd ensured the coast was clear, he turned back to the boy, who seemed to be the leader of the group.

'Do you know where the hangar bay is?' he asked seriously. The boy nodded. 'Well, if they find us, I will take on the clones while you get everyone to the hangar bay. Can you do that?'

'Yes, Master.'

'Good,' Anakin tried to smile, but it probably looked more like a grimace in the darkness. 'Once you get there, get everyone to hide, wherever they can. In ships, behind crates, anywhere and then stay silent. I'll meet you there and get you out okay?'

'Yes, Master.'

'You'll make a fine Jedi one day,' Anakin said and straightened up. If we make it through the night, that is. Again, he flashed back to Padmé. Their apartments have the perfect view of the Temple. She must be so worried. Anakin shook the thought away with difficulty, returning to the moment. He looked over at the ten children currently in his care. 'Right. Let's go.'