Trial of the Times

Bonus Chapter - Fox

Commander Fox, one of the Coruscanti guard, might not fight in endless battles like his brothers, but he still thinks that he has the same finely tuned senses as many of them. And right now, his senses are tingling with warning, which is odd in and of itself. This has happened only a handful of times, all of which preceded something major, so he assumes this will be no different.

He turns to comment to one of the other nearby troopers, when his commlink beeps. He pulls it out, and instead of seeing anything, there's a strange, screechy static which sending a spearing pain through his head for a split second before it ends. Fox blinks in confusion as he sees the other troopers getting the same recording. And he feels different somehow, but he can't quite put his finger on how.

"What was that?" he says to no one in particular, seeing similar expressions of confusion all around him. "It was ranked important, but the... message was simply bizarre."

"I have no idea," one of the other troopers murmurs, "But something strange seems to be afoot."

"I'll see if I can't figure out," Fox decides, messaging some of his other brothers. They all reply with answers in the affirmative, which is even stranger.

"I think everyone got it," he declares sometime later. "It couldn't have simply been an accident. I think."

"Maybe we should contact the Jedi?" suggests someone.

"Just wait," suggests Fox slowly. "We can't be certain that it's not simply a mistake, but someone should look into it."

He waits silently, his sense of unease growing. Something is horribly wrong, and he doesn't know what. And then, his commlink rings again, and Fox wonders if he's not simply being paranoid. He pulls it out, and a hooded figure appears.

"Execute Order 66. Inform all the clone commanders," the person rasps, tone sinister.

Fox blinks, and then blinks again. He feels like he ought to know what that means, but he doesn't. "What is Order 66?" Fox asks carefully.

The resulting silence very nearly scares him. "The Jedi are traitors to the Republic," the figure cautions in a dark voice. "They must be destroyed. As Chancellor, my word is law. This is an order, Commander."

Fox is shaking his head almost before he finishes hearing the words. "I'm sorry, sir, but Chancellor or not, you do not have the authority to wipe out thousands of people without a trial. We can arrest them, but we cannot execute them." He knows that what he said is the truth, and he will stand by his morals.

The snarl which comes through the connection sends a chill down his spine, and the next thing he knows, he's gasping for air which won't come. "Do it!" hisses the Chancellor.

"He's... the... traitor..." Fox manages to gasp out, fumbling to disconnect the comm. He falls to his knees as the pressure on his throat suddenly disappears. After allowing himself a few precious seconds to breathe, he scrambles to his feet. "We must contact the Jedi immediately and go to the Senate to find the Chancellor." Somehow, he thinks it's already too late.