Chapter 352 - Order 66

"Execute Order 66."

The voice was cold and calm. It incited fear in Dageer as he had never felt before. And there was one single reason for that. It was the same voice he heard in his dreams every night.

Images of blood, destruction, and death drowned his mind. His hand shook, and he almost let the hologram projector fall. But suddenly, he calmed down. It all made sense now.

The Jedis he had been fighting alongside for so long, the Republic so many of his brothers died to protect, they were all traitors. Every single one of them. Even...

Dageer looked at the young Togruta that was talking to the two freedom fighters. Until a few seconds ago, he considered him his general. His friend, even. To think he was just another lying Jedi sc.u.m.

"Will be done, my lord."

He looked at his brothers. There was no need to tell them anything. Hell Squad, as well as Grey and the two captains, lifted their blasters and aimed at Ragout, who turned around with a shocked expression.

"Dageer? Brain? What... What are you doing?"

"For treason against the Republic, all Jedis shall be executed immediately."

His voice was monotone, almost mechanic. Many emotions crossed Ragout's face in an instant. Shock, surprise, pain, sadness, betrayal, and... Compassion?

"I see... So that's how it is..."

For some reason, seeing the betrayal on Ragout's face pained Dageer's heart. That was wrong. He was the traitor. The clones that should be feeling like that, not sc.u.m like the Jedi.

Under the horrified glances of Syndulla and Gobi, Dageer let anger take over, and pressed the trigger.

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In the distant planet of Utapau, the 212th Legion, as well as the 7th Sky Corps, were fighting the Separatist occupation. General Kenobi had just killed General Grievous, putting an end to the abomination that had murdered so many clones. Morale was at it's highest.

Commander Cody watched as his general rode a Varactyl through the narrow mountain roads and trails of the planet. Then, he picked up his hologram projector, which had been blinking for some time. He had a bad feeling.

"Commander Cody... The time has come. Execute Order 66."

"Yes, my lord."

Without any emotion on his face, Commander Cody turned off the hologram projector, and gestured towards General Kenobi.

"Blast him!"

An AT-TE fired, the explosion throwing the Jedi and his mount in the abyss hundreds of meters below.

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Bariss Offee was dragged out of her prison cell by two clones, and thrown on the ground. With her hands tied, and surrounded by over twenty Coruscant Guard members, there was nothing she could do.

"What are you doing?!"

No one answered her. Instead, they just formed two rows, one standing up, one kneeling in front of them.

"Ready! Aim! Fire!"

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In Mygeeto, General Ki-Adi-Mundi and the Galactic Marines advanced through a bridge, pushing back the droids meter by meter.

"Come on!"

Seeing an opening, the old Jedi lifted his lightsaber and ran forward, while ordering his troops to follow him. But they didn't. Instead, they formed a line, and fired at him.

Confused as to why the men who he had commanded for so long, and fought with, were turning against him, General Ki-Adi-Mundi couldn't muster a reaction. He managed to reflect one or two lasers back to those who fired it, but it was all too unexpected.

The marines only looked at his body for a moment, feeling nothing, and then proceeded to continue fighting the seppies.

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Cal Kestis watched as his master tried to hold back the troopers that were hunting them. He didn't understand why they were attacking them. They were his friends, weren't they?

His eyes widened in shock as two lasers hit his master's chest, and he fell inside the escape pod. The door closed, and they were launched off the cruiser.

"Trust... Only... In the Force..."

"Noooooo!!!"

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In the jungles of Felucia, General Secura, Commander Bly, and the 327th advanced through Republic territory, going back to the frontlines after a resupply mission.

The Jedi didn't notice when Commander Bly stopped to hear something on his comlink. Neither did she notice when he and his brothers aimed their blasters at her back and squeezed the trigger continuously.

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In the skies of Cato Neimodia, Jedi General Plo Koon flew with two of his pilots, chasing down Hyena-class bombers and Vulture droids. He was unaware that at the moment, Jag, one of the veterans of his legion, who had been with him since the First Battle Of Geonosis, was receiving new orders.

When the Republic starfighters attacked him, he tried to dodge, and controlled his own ship to dive between the buildings. However, before he could escape, his engines were hit, soon followed by an explosion.

After confirming the job was done, Jag and the other pilots turned around, returning to their cruiser.

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Commander Fox, Sergeant Hound, and Lieutenant Thire looked at each other, and nodded. Hesitating for a split-second, they lifted their blasters under the confused glare of two padawans.

When the young human and Nikto noticed what was happening, it was too late. The civilians walking on the streets of Coruscant were horrified to suddenly see two kids - Jedi apprentices, on top of that - being gunned down, but, before anyone could say anything, several dozen members of the Coruscant Guard stepped forward and arrested them.

"Where are we going next, sir?"

"To the Senate. We are to take care of any troublemakers."

"What about the Jedi Temple? There are hundreds of traitors there."

"Someone else will take care of them."

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Caleb Dume and his master, Depa Billaba, managed to escape when their troops suddenly turned against them. However, she was mortally wounded, and wouldn't be able to last for long.

While deflecting some lasers, she looked at her terrified padawan, and smiled.

"Go! I will hold them!"

"Master!"

"Don't worry, I will be right behind you."

He ran. And ran, and ran, and ran. But, after who knows how long, when he turned back, he didn't see her anywhere. Instead, he saw two clones barring his path. Yelling, he cut them down, holding back his tears. And then he ran again.

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Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex were slowly walking away from the remains of a Venator-class cruiser. She had managed to take off the chip that controlled Rex. As for the others... The helmets in the snow told a sad story.

"Fives was right... All this time, we were never supposed to fight for the Republic, but to destroy it."

"Don't think about that now, Rex. We have to get somewhere safe, and find survivors. That's the galaxy's only hope."

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In the forests of Kashyyyk, General Unduli was crouching while helping an injured clone. The soldier was groaning in pain while holding his chest.

"Shh... Calm down, Cross. You are between friends... Agh! What..."

She suddenly felt all the deaths, and it was too much. Her head hurt, as if someone was hammering it. So many dead, and all at once.

"Understood, my lord."

General Unduli heard one of the troopers speak, and saw a blaster aimed at her face. Behind it was one of her most trusted men. Slowly, she realized she was surrounded by the people was was treating.

"Sorry, general."

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It was night, but Coruscant was awake like never before. Dozens of thousands of clones walked the streets, killing any Jedi they saw. Thousands were arrested, and the word on the streets was that the Jedi Order had betrayed the Republic.

The rumor was slowly gaining strength, as a hooded figure led part of the 501st legion inside the Jedi Temple.

Fighting broke out as the younglings - some almost Jedi Knights, others barely more than children - tried to defend against the Clone Army, but failed. No mercy was shown, no matter their age.

General Shaak Ti, who had left Kamino to teach the younglings while General Yoda was on Kashyyyk, tried to send a warning to the Jedis around the galaxy. Before she could do so, a blue lightsaber destroyed the panel she was using.

She managed to fight back for a few minutes before the weapon pierced her stomach. Looking up, shock filled her eyes as she saw who the person butchering the new generation of Jedis was.

"You... Why?"

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Three dozen padawans were locked in a room, too scared to go see what was behind all the noises. They could feel, untrained as they were, many waves in the Force, and many deaths.

Suddenly, the door opened, scaring them. However, they soon calmed down when they saw who it was.

"Master Skywalker, there are too many of them! What are we going to do?"

The hooded figure didn't answer. His eyes burned with anger and hatred. With an ominous sound, his lightsaber was turned on.

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General Yoda let his stick fall, and grabbed his chest. An intense wave of pain and sadness assaulted him. He could fell thousands of Jedis dying, all at once. Even... Even the padawans.

He almost fainted, overwhelmed by his emotions. He was older than anyone else, and had seen the fall of the Old Republic and the ascension of the new one. He had gone to every corner of the galaxy, and faced everything it had to offer. But nothing like this.

As the Separatist and Republic forces clashed on the beaches of Kashyyyk, he saw his troops turn against the unprepared Wookies, and kill them, until not a single one was left.

He felt the same killing intention behind him, and didn't hesitate. Showing agility someone his age shouldn't have, he did a backflip, and decapitated Commander Gree and another clone, who were about to shoot him. The two Wookies next to him roared, angered.

Still feeling every death, the small Jedi followed the two Wookies. The galaxy was changing. The Jedi Order was no more.

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Dageer pressed the trigger of his blaster three times, putting all his anger, pain, and hatred on it. All he could see was the betrayal in Ragout's eyes, someone he had sworn to protect.

Without being able to make a sound, Grey and the two captains dropped to the ground, a hole on their chests.

Dageer looked at his three brothers, breathing erratically. He had killed them. He had killed his brothers. Besides him, Hell Squad was frozen on the spot, their hands shaking while still aiming at Ragout. But just like their commander, they couldn't do it, no matter how intense the pain that assaulted their minds was.

The room was completely silent. Neither the Twi'leks nor Ragout said anything. A muffled sound marked Dageer's blaster falling off his hand, followed by him dropping to his knees.

He couldn't take his eyes off the small column of smoke rising from Grey's chest. And he screamed.