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Coruscant, 19 BBY
Shatterpoints.
He had always been able to see them. To trace their lines back to their point of origin and find where one small crack could shatter everything.
He had never thought to look for his own until he was hurtling through space—with the electric power of a Sith Lord coursing through his body.
The pain clouded his mind and he did the only thing he could do and instinctively reached out to the Force. He embraced his horrific pain and let it go.
He embraced the Sith Lightning and used its power combined with his own to create a shield around himself. It protected him as he fell through countless layers of transparisteel and permacrete.
Through his own will power and strength in the Force, he guided his fall and landed on his feet with all of the force of an asteroid hitting the ground. Buildings collapsed around him and the ground shook and he drew the Force into his body protecting him from a falling building. His arms up to shield his face, he imagined his hands in front of him.
He’s still not sure quite how it happened, but as the building fell on top of him and with the Force as his ally, he guided the Force and debris from the building into where his hands should be. Metal and permacrete were shaped by his Force and the Sith’s Lightning to create his new hands.
Finally, he let the lightning go and looked at his new hands. They were not shiny or new, but they would work. And he had much work to do—the fate of Coruscant and the galaxy was in his hands.
For in his fall, he knew where the Sith would strike next—at the very heart of the Jedi.
He ran with the Force as his ally and he became the wind. He reached the Temple faster than he ever thought he could.
“Master Windu?” It was one of the clone guards on duty who first saw his approach to the temple. He saw Windu’s burned and battered clothes and his hands. “Are you alright?”
Mace was breathless and at the point of collapse as the clone spoke to him. It took him a moment to realize it was Commander Adegan, leader of the clone contingent of Temple guards. He helped Mace to stand upright as he spoke into his helmet’s comlink.
Moments later, Jedi Temple Guards and Madame Jocasta Nu arrived to help as well. “Mace what has happened? I felt a terrible disturbance in the Force. Where are the others? Are you alright?”
He steadied himself with the help of Adegan. “The Sith. They are coming.” He said in between breaths.
“The Sith? Here to the Temple? They wouldn’t dare. We are thousands, they are two.” Her voice was stern and commanding, but one look from Mace told her it was very real. “I will ready our defenses.”
She was right of course, it did not make sense for the Sith to finally reveal themselves now after years of hiding and plotting in secrecy. Two men could not take on thousands of Jedi. They would need an army. Droids may number in the millions, but they are easily beaten and none were on Coruscant.
“Masters, my men and I will assist any way we can. I will contact the other commanders stationed here on Coruscant and we will combine our forces. We will be ready for them. With all of us, they don’t stand a chance.” Adegan nodded his head and held his gun at the ready, but something about what he said struck Mace.
He knew they were missing something. It didn’t make sense for the Sith to suddenly attack in the open like this, to finally reveal themselves, not unless they knew they could win. He looked at Adegan, not with his eyes but with the Force.
What he saw stopped him cold.
Thousands of shatterpoints radiated out from the clone commander in every direction. He would have followed them to find where they led, but he didn’t have to. He could see the lines connecting not just to him, but to Jocasta and the temple guards beside him and into the walls of the Jedi Temple itself.
And suddenly everything made sense. The clones, the Jedi and Republic’s most trusted ally, created seemingly out of nowhere ready and waiting for a war that had not even begun.
The Sith.
They were behind this. They were behind everything. “Master?” His eyes had been closed for some time as he thought. Adegan’s voice sounded far off as he came back to himself.
“Commander,” Mace said, “don’t move.” The commander came to attention and stood still at the intensity of Mace’s voice. The Jedi master reached a hand up to remove the clone’s helmet and touched the side of his head with his new hand. “Relax and let your mind go blank.”
Mace reached deep into the Force and probed Adegan’s mind. He found nothing of deceit or treachery, only unwavering faith and loyalty to the Jedi and the Republic. He kept searching.
Then he found it.
Something artificial in the clone commander’s head, something that had been put there.
A datachip. It was not activated but it could be. So he did and released his hold on the commander. What happened next confirmed his worst fear.
The commander’s demeanor and body language changed. His eyes rolled back into his head then refocused, but they were glazed over. His pupils were dilated.
“Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders.” The clone reached for his blaster when he saw the Jedi before him. “Good soldiers follow orders.” He took aim.
Mace gripped him in the Force once more and deactivated the datachip. Adegan collapsed and Mace held him up. “What happened? I can’t remember. It felt like a dream. Master, I wanted to-to-,” he trailed off when he saw the other Jedi had reached for their weapons and were staring at him. He looked down at his weapon and threw it to the side. “I would never—I couldn’t—I’m so sorry masters.” A sob broke from him has Mace held onto him.
He pulled away and looked Adegan in the eyes. “It’s okay Adegan. It is not your fault, my friend. But now we know how the Sith plan to win.”
Adegan was still shaken. “What can I do to help?”
“Gather your men together and bring them here.” Windu said.
“Bring them here?” Jocasta said worriedly. “They are time bombs, Master Windu. We don’t know when they will go off.”
“Very soon, I’m afraid.” Mace said.
“So why bring them here of all places?” She asked.
He was about to answer her when Adegan spoke up.
“Masters, in light of this revelation I will take my troops far away from here. I suggest you stun us, put us in binders, or even destroy us—“
Mace was shaking his head. “No, I will not let the Sith use you this way. And I will not order your death. We will deactivate the chips here.” He said in answer to Madame Nu’s questions, she nodded her agreement. “Call your men and anyone who will listen here. We don’t have much time.”
“Right away, Master Windu.” Adegan said and he put his helmet back on and began speaking into his comlink.
“Guards,” he motioned to the two temple guards that had been silently watching, “prepare our defenses for attack. Gather all Masters and Knights and any Padawans who are willing. We will fight.”
“Of course, Master Windu.” The guard replied. “We will be ready.”
Mace nodded his head and looked out at Coruscant’s night sky. He could feel the Sith gathering their power even now.
Jocasta stepped up to Mace and spoke quietly beside him. “What of the younglings? If it is the Sith, they are our future, we cannot let them be destroyed.”
He looked to her, a solemn look in his eye. “Hide them. This task I give to you Jocasta. Keep them safe. They will be frightened. Protect them.”
“With my life.” Jocasta said and bowed and walked away.
He bowed back to her as Commander Adegan returned. “Master I have contacted the other commanders. They are coming, sir. But I cannot get through to Commander Appo or anyone else in the 501st.”
Mace closed his eyes in sadness. “Anakin. I was afraid of that commander.” He looked back to Adegan. “We must assume their chips have been activated.”
Adegan removed his helmet—his face somber, his eyes were conflicted—but his chest puffed out in determination. “Sir, we will fight to defend the Jedi and the Republic, no matter the cost.”
Mace’s face softened and he placed a gentle hand on the clone commander’s shoulder. “I will not order your death commander. Nor will I order you to kill your own brothers. There is more than one way to fight. No one will die this night.”
A tear had slipped from Adegan’s eye. “I don’t understand.”
“You will.” Mace said. “Now you must help your men. Take them to the medical wing. Our medics are standing by to help with the removal of the chips. Hurry, there is no time to lose and there is one last thing I must get.”
“Of course, general right away,” Commander Adegan said, reverting to the military title under the stress.
—————————————————————
Hours later, Mace Windu, Jocasta Nu, and Commander Adegan stood on the temple steps. The night was quiet.
“You sent out the distress signal?” Windu asked.
“Yes, all Jedi have been ordered into hiding, far away from any clone troopers until further notice” Madame Nu said.
“Good.” Mace said. “Until we have the situation under control here, we cannot be sure when the Sith will choose to attack.”
In the distance, the quiet was broken. Not by shouts or screams, but by thousands of troopers marching.
“Commander, how goes the chip deactivation?”
“We’re only at 70 percent completion, sir” Adegan said uneasily. “There is still time to send us away.”
“No continue the operations.” Windu said.
“Madame Nu, take all willing troopers to help you defend the younglings. Make it clear it is voluntary. Not an order. They will be the last line of defense if I fail.”
Jocasta smiled sadly and Adegan spoke up. “They are already gathered together, sir. We will not see the Jedi die this day.”
“Thank you commander, Madame Nu.” He bowed to each as he thanked them. “The Force will be with you.”
They both bowed deeper in turn to him. “The Force will be with you as well, Master Windu.” Madame Nu said as she and Adegan departed from Mace.
The marching was closer and it was only a few more minutes before Anakin Skywalker and a contingent of the 501st stood before him. They stood with their weapons aimed at him and he was very aware of his lost lightsaber.
“Stand down, Skywalker. You don’t have to do this.” Mace spoke loud and clear for all to hear.
“Move aside, Master. You don’t understand why I have to do this.”
“I understand, Anakin.” Mace said. “You don’t want Padmé to die. Let me help you. I will not let her die.”
His words only made Anakin angrier. “You know nothing! How dare you speak her name!”
“She would never forgive you for this, Anakin. Can’t you see that?”
“No one would be alive to tell her.” Anakin replied. He moved fast then. But Mace had expected it. Anakin came at him with all the rage and fury of a Sith, but he was unbalanced and he could not control it.
Mace had no weapon but he didn’t need one. Anakin struck at him, but he dodged each blow. He moved with all the grace and calmness that Anakin lacked. The Force moved within and around him as Anakin kept coming.
Anakin was an excellent fighter and warrior but Mace had seen him fight and knew his moves. Anakin would strike where Mace had been only moments before. He could feel Anakin’s frustration growing. He had to end this now.
When Anakin struck down at him, Mace caught the hand that held the lightsaber and twisted just enough to make Anakin drop his weapon.
Anakin was stunned and fell back on his knees, knowing he was beaten. His troops took aim at Mace Windu.
Before they could fire, Mace reached out with his hand and deep into the Force. He touched the minds of each and every trooper before him and deactivated their chips.
Some of the troopers collapsed, others shouted their horror at what they had almost done. Some threw their weapons to the side. But they all looked at the scene before them.
Anakin Skywalker—the hero with no fear—kneeling and sobbing before Mace Windu—Jedi Master of the Jedi High Council.
“Are you going to kill me now?” Anakin finally asked. “You’ve doomed Padmé, so you might as well.”
Mace walked closer to him and kneeled to meet Anakin’s eyes. “No, Anakin. I want to help you.”
Mace Windu move aside to reveal Padmé Amidala standing behind him and at the same time he looked into the Force and saw one singular line leading from Anakin to Padmé.
Anakin’s shatterpoint. He should have seen it sooner.
She went to him, slowly and embraced him in her arms. He held on like his life depended on it and in a way, it did.
“The Sith know only death and betrayal Anakin. You know this. To save someone from death itself—it is not the way of the Sith. No one has that power Anakin. The only compassion the Sith have is for themselves.” Mace Windu spoke from beside the couple.
“He said he could give me the power to save her.” Anakin said.
“He lied.” Mace said. “That kind of power does not exist. Here in the temple we have the best medical facilities, that is what will save her. Not some unknown dark power.”
“And if it can’t?” Anakin asked.
“Anakin, my love, the only thing that would kill me is if you break my heart. And doing this,” she gestured to the troopers and the the Temple behind her, “would destroy us both.” Padmé said.
“Forgive me.” Anakin said to her.
“I can love you no less that I ever have.” She said.
Anakin nodded and stood slowly. He looked Mace in eyes and bowed deeply before him. “Thank you Master Windu.”
In the distance, there was an angry and feral scream. The sky darkened and lightning began sparking as a dark shape made its way toward them.
“It’s not over yet,” Mace Windu said. Anakin Skywalker stood beside him as they looked at the shadow moving toward them.
“Commanders,” Anakin spoke to his troopers and the clone guards, “get everyone inside.”
There was a chorus of “yes sir” as the troopers filed inside. Madame Nu had appeared at the sense of darkness hurtling towards them.
“They were hidden for a thousand years, it’s time to send them back into hiding.” Jocasta Nu said.
Together, the three Jedi ignited their lightsabers as the dark shape landed before them—red lightsaber ignited.