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“Stand down, soldier!” Fox barked. “Stand down!”
“No, no, no!” Fives cried, his hands up. “Stay back!”
“Don’t, Fives,” Rex pleaded, his hands slamming against the shield.
“Get this ray shield off!” General Skywalker ordered.
One of the Corries looked around briefly before aiming his rifle at the shield generator above them, disabling it immediately.
Rex tackled Fives as Fox and the Guards closed in.
“Rex!” Fives begged as Fox secured binders around his wrists. “You can’t let them take me! The- the chancellor– he’ll kill me!”
“Stow it,” Anakin scowled. “The chancellor wouldn’t do that.”
“It’s alright, Fives,” Rex assured him, his hand never leaving his brother’s shoulder. “We’re going to get you the help you need.”
The Guards hauled him to his feet and led him away while Fives sobbed protests.
“General,” Fox stood at attention. “Will you be needing transport?”
“No, Commander,” Skywalker shook his head. “But keep me posted on his status.”
“Yes, sir,” Fox answered, giving a nod to the General, and another to Rex, before turning away and getting on the transport.
Rex watched helplessly as the Guard took him. His heart was pounding. Something wasn’t right in a way he struggled to articulate.
He shuffled to a crate and sat, holding his head in his hands.
“Rex,” Skywalker said.
“I don’t understand,” Rex murmured. “Fives is a good man– a good soldier. I- I don’t understand what happened. What happened on Kamino?”
Skywalker sighed. “He’s sick , Rex,” he said. “Whatever infected Tup must have gotten to him, too.”
Rex shook his head. “No, something isn’t right,” he insisted. “Fives wouldn’t try to kill the chancellor– he just wouldn’t .”
-
Fives was surprised when he woke up. He’d expected that when the medic at the detainment center injected him, it would be some merciful, yet lethal substance, not a sedative.
His head spun as he looked around the room. It was all too familiar.
“N-no, wait,” he muttered.
This was the room . This was where he begged the chancellor to listen to him. It’s where Palpatine revealed so much to him.
“Let me out,” he begged the members of the Coruscant Guard he could see. “He- he’ll kill me! Please, brothers!”
“They cannot hear you and will not be releasing you, trooper,” a calm voice snarled from behind him. He strode in front of him. Palpatine.
“In fact,” he said, turning to his security team. “Wait outside.”
One of the guards seemed to startle. “But, sir -”
“The trooper has been adequately secured,” Palpatine waved off his concern. “I will be fine .”
“Yes, sir,” the guard said, and he and the others left.
Palpatine watched them go until the doors closed behind them. He then turned to face his prisoner.
“You’ve caused quite a stir, trooper,” he said pleasantly. “You’ve nearly created a mess for me to clean up. Nearly .”
“Why haven’t you killed me yet?” Fives grunted, pulling slightly at his restraints.
“Don’t you worry ,” Palpatine cooed, his voice as sweet as honey. “We’ll get to that part all in due time.”
Fives watched as the chancellor took a seat in a chair that had been set for him.
“First, however, I wanted to grant your wish.”
Before Fives could ask what he meant, Palpatine produced a data stick from his sleeve.
“This is an audio recording of our previous conversation,” he explained.
Fives’ eyes widened.
“Now, where were we?” the Chancellor hummed. “I must tell you; you’ve created quite the problem for me.”
Fives blinked. “Sir?”
“You see, you’ve nearly uncovered a plot that dates back to before you were even created,” he said, holding up the slides containing Fives and Tup’s chips. “I had these organic chips created by the Kaminoans to be implanted into every clone trooper created for the Republic.”
Fives’ head was spinning. “Sir, I don’t–”
“Every clone trooper in the galaxy has one of these in their head. Save for you, now,” he tipped his head to Fives. “You’re probably wondering ‘why’, yes?”
“Yes,” Fives repeated breathlessly.
“It’s simple really,” Palpatine sneered. “I wish to see the downfall of the Republic, and with it, the entire Jedi Order.”
Fives felt like all the air had been sucked from his lungs. This man wanted to destroy everything he and his brothers were built to protect .
“These marvels of bioengineering are to help with this plan. You see, this entire war between the Republic and the Separatists; it’s all a farce. Think about it. An entire army, trained and ready to fight at the very moment the Separatists attack? Your entire existence is all a part of my grand plan. You and all the other clones were created for one purpose and one purpose only; to kill the Jedi.”
Fives felt like he was going to be sick. Clones killing the Jedi? They were their Generals, their commanders, their friends ! They couldn’t just betray them like that. “Why- why are you telling me this?”
“Because you will not live long enough to tell a soul, not that anyone would believe you,” Palpatine grinned. “Guards, kill him.”
If Fives couldn’t get the chips, he could get this data stick as evidence. General Ti and General Skywalker would have to believe him then. He pulled harder at his restraints.
“ This is all you need to clear your name, and save the galaxy from falling into the hands of a Sith Lord,” Palpatine sneered.
Fives watched as the self-proclaimed Sith dropped the data stick to the floor, his heart and hope shattering along with it as Palpatine smashed it beneath his foot.
“I warned you,” Palpatine snickered. “You weren’t believed, were you? And now? Now you will die. Not as a hero, but as only a number . A clone who went mad.”
The last thing Fives saw was a flash of lightning.