- - -
Northern Tower, Upper Levels
- - -

Serra Keto moved as quickly as she could, racing up flights of stairs towards the youngling chambers, each tower held youngling clan quarters for the males and females of each clan. Serra had great difficult moving undetected through the main temple region towards the towers. The temple was burning; many of the corridors were now blocked by rubble and flaming debris. Clone Troopers were everywhere now and she’d stumbled across the bodies of more then three Jedi she actually knew by name. The Jedi Code ran constant through her mind, dampening the anger and outrage at the betrayal the Order had been dealt.

There is no Emotion,
there is Peace.
There is no Ignorance,
there is Knowledge.
There is no Passion,
there is Serenity.
There is no Death,
there is the Force.

She was forced to recall that last strand over and over to hold back the grief at the sight of so many of the Order lying dead in the halls and ramparts of their own home ground. All these thoughts raged in her mind as she raced up the flights of stairs as fast as she could, she was passing the western towers training chamber heading for the next stair well when she saw him. Anakin Skywalker, now the Sith Lord known as Darth Vader, standing in the training chamber staring with cold unyielding eyes as a young jedi slid off the tip of his saber and tumbled to the floor, the stab wound in his torso still smoking from the heat of Vader’s blade.

There is no Emotion,
there is Peace…

She had to keep going, she had to get to the younglings before Anakin did…

There is no Passion,
there is Serenty…

“Serra Kato… I’d wondered when you would arrive…” Vader’s cold voice, so different from the kind and boyishly humorous young Jedi Knight Serra had thought she’d known.

Serra watched as Vader ominously strolled out of the training chamber and into the hallway, blocking her path to the stairs with his blue saber humming in his mechanical hand. “You always were courageous Serra… You’re young, you’re spirited… You don’t have to die with the others, I can help you, the Order has grown corrupt, they want to over throw the Republic, and if we let them they’ll bring a new dark age to the Republic.”

Serra shook her head. “No… No… I don’t believe that… YOU don’t believe that… Anakin what’s happened? I know you, I’m your friend, it doesn’t have to be like this, just tell me what happened!”

“I saw it myself Serra… Master Windu attempted to assassinate the Chancellor right in front of me.”

“NO! Master Windu wouldn’t do something like that! Never!”

“They’ve blinded you Serra, with smooth words and deception… I can help you see the truth, we don’t have to fight.” Vader responded, lifting his free hand towards her. “Let me help you.”

“Anakin these are our FRIENDS, Our Family; you’re slaughtering! Look around you! You’ve killed them Anakin, this isn’t the way we were taught!” Serra screamed, trying to hold back tears, her sabers in her hands now, clutching them desperately as if they were all that stood between her and a web of entangling lies.

“It’s not the way we were taught because THEY taught us! They lied to us, tricked us, used us to get what they wanted! We don’t have to be like them Serra, we are a new generation of Force users, we can be different, we can be better!” Anger flared in Vader’s eyes, his outstretched hand balling into a fist as he growled menacingly. “Don’t make me destroy you.”

The dual snap-hiss of Serra’s twin blades snapping to life broke the silence lingering after Vader’s threat. “Get out of my way Skywalker… One way or another I’m going past you, whether you die in the process is up to you…”

“So be it…” Vader’s eyes narrowed, dropping into a combat stance in time with Serra.

Still moving as if linked by some unseen chain they lunged at one another in tandem, Serra’s two sabers clashing against Vader’s own. The whir and hum of the blades filled the air, sparks and flashes lighting up the dimly lit temple corridor as they circled each other slashing and parrying one another’s blows.

Serra had trained in Saber combat from the first day that Cin Drallig took her as his Padawan, she knew the ins and outs of saber combat, but most notably, she knew how to fight another Saber wielder, rather than simply knowing the defensive forms of how to fight a thug with a blaster. She was holding her own against the Sith Apprentice, teeth gritted and her long black bangs hanging down in her face, illuminated as it was by the crackle flashes of light emitted by her emerald sabers locked against Vader’s pale blue blade.

- - -
The Central Temple, 16th floor.
- - -

They were making progress, the hangar bay they were to meet Serra and the younglings at was in the southern wing of the temple, it was an extremely irritating place to attempt to reach when you were in a hurry, and thus the least likely place to have any heavy resistance from the rebelling clones. Shaak Ti’s Togrutian senses allowed them to avoid the halls that had too many troopers for them to engage and the jedi combined with the elite ARCs eliminated what little opposition they did encounter. They had only just passed the grand stairway leading to rolling stairs and turbo lifts that granted access to the central tower when Cin Drallig suddenly froze.

“Cin..? What’s the matter?” Shaak Ti asked, suddenly sensing the urgency and alarm welling in Master Drallig’s mind.

“It’s Serra… She’s in danger!”

“We’ll find her the-” Shaak Ti was cut off by a harsh snap from Cin in response.

“No! It is not worth all our lives, the Order must be preserved, go! I’ll find her and meet you at the hangar!” He replied turning quickly to head towards the northern tower.

Shaak Ti’s sloping brow furrowed in uncertainty at his words. To leave a friend, and his padawan in jeopardy was something she disagreed with in every fiber of her being, but at the same time she knew there was logic in what he said. Her forward lekku drooped limply in resignation as she bowed her head to him, letting the tips of her montrals touch his forehead in a Togrutian custom of kinship. “May the Force be with you Cin Drallig.”

“Be careful Master…” L’lara cautioned, looking mournfully at the old human.

The stoic Jedi gave a thin flicker of a smile to his two order sisters and bowed his head, then, unclipping his saber from his belt he darted down the hall with all the speed and agility the force could afford him.

- - -
Northern Tower, Training Chamber Corridor
- - -

“Commendable Serra, you always were skilled with a lightsaber.” Vader commented, his face impassive, almost disinterested as if she was wasting his time. “But I have more important things to do…”

Serra was growing distracted, clone troopers had been drawn by the sound of Saber strikes, they now stood at the door way to the corridor, blasters at the ready as they watched their General facing the young Jedi.

“It’s over Serra… Join me, or die.”

“NEVER!” She snapped lashing out suddenly, one blade swung high left to right towards his skull, the other low right to left to slice him through the middle. It was a movement of anger, of torment, the pain of every slain Jedi welled up inside her as she lunged for the Sith Apprentice.

The satisfaction of destroying this horrible monster would never be known to Serra, Darth Vader’s movements were methodical, as if he’d known she’d do this all along. His saber rose, reflecting the decapitating high arcing strike, while his free hand rose and gave a little flex of its fingers, sending Serra flying through the air to slam against the far wall. Her sabers slipped from her fingers as the air was knocked out of her lungs, never getting a chance to draw in more as she felt a tight invisible hand clamp around her throat. Vader stood before her, his saber pointed leisurely towards the ground, his free hand raised as if to clench something in his fist, slowly choking the last remnants of air out of her chest.

“Where is Master Drallig, Serra? Tell me and I will make this quick.”

She gasped and rasped, clutching at the unseen clamp around her throat, desperately struggling to get air. “I’ll... Never…” She coughed, struggling to speak. “Tell you... anything… you monsters…”

With a snarl of irritation and annoyance at the delay Vader began to clamp his hand fully closed.

“JEDI! BLAST ‘IM!” a clones voice shouted.

The hum of a saber filled the air accompanied by blaster fire and the thud of falling bodies. Racing down the corridor, slicing and hacking through wave after wave of troopers Cin Drallig charged to his padawans aid.

Vader nimbly dodged out of the way as Drallig lunged forward with a penetrating thrust which singed through the edge of Vader’s cloak. Vader lashed at Jedi’s back with his saber as Serra collapsed to the floor released from his vice like force grip; Cin Drallig’s arms lifted him, snapping his saber into the way over his head, deflecting Vader’s strike and then swinging his blade back up, and forcing Vader’s arm to swing up along with his own at an odd angle.

With a cry of pain and rage Anakin released his saber hilt, his nerves spasming uncontrollably on the odd angle his arm was forced into. He spun around to avoid a decapitating counter-strike from Drallig and threw out his uninjured arm sending Drallig and Serra both tumbling across the floor with a force push before summoning his own saber back to his hand and charging at them with a bellow of rage.

Calling one of her sabers she spotted lying in a corner back to her Serra engaged Vader along side her master, the two jedi dodging and weaving around the Sith Lords aggressive style of attack but finding themselves unable to over power him despite their advantage of numbers. Again and again the whirling blades slashed and clashed in the dimly lit hallway, the sparks flying upon their collision filling the hall with flashes of light that illuminated their faces again the harsh glow of the green and blue blades.

Suddenly from the darkness of the hall behind Anakin came a hoarse cry. A battered looking young Jedi came flipping into the fray with his blue lightsaber blazing, a heroic fellow guardian of the Republic intent to aid his brother and sister Jedi in defeating the Sith menace but his shout caught all except the Sith himself by surprise. Serra’s concentration broke as the other Jedi came flying through the air and in one smooth motion Darth Vader cut the emerald blade and the hand clutching it off at the wrist, her blue blade slipped from her gasp as he slid his blade straight through her middle, spinning it in his hand and suddenly thrusting it backwards, impaling the latest addition to the fray, spearing the knight through the chest and bringing his leg up to kick Cin Drallig back as the old warrior bellowed in anger, stumbling back and then lunging back at Vader in a furious display of Jedi capability, slashing and hacking, driving the sith lord back before ending in a swift swiping arc and a thrust that would have speared all but the best duelists without fail. Not the Chosen One however, he weaved around the attack, snapped his leg up, and crushed his heel into Drallig’s rib cage in a swift kick, knocking him off his feet.

Master Cin Drallig’s emerald green saber sputtered as it shutdown, the elegant silver handle slipping from his fingers as he slumped to the floor with a charred hole marring his robes in the very center of his chest. He struggled for breath, staring up at Vader in a mixture of acceptance and amusement. “To think… That one so respected would turn so easily… Your time will come... Skywalker… The Order... will not … fall…” The aged master’s head fell back against the marble floor and he breathed no more.
Cin Drallig, Master Duelist of the Jedi Order, was dead.

- - -
The Central Temple, 8th floor.
- - -

Master Ti stopped dead in her tracks, giving a sudden gasp and clutching at her chest.

“General?” Veta asked with concern, looking to the Togrutian jedi.

Shaak Ti’s large dark eyes watered, her lekku drooping in defeat as she bowed her head.

“Master…?” L’lara inquired worriedly.

“He’s gone…” Shaak said, her voice bearing a soft quaver. “Master Drallig… He’s failed…”

Tholme and Zasz turned there helmeted heads to look toward one another and Veta gently put his free hand on Shaak Ti’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, General.”

Shaak Ti lifted her head slowly, her jaw tightening. She swallowed the grief within her body, lifting one of her crimson hands to her waist sash, slipping her saber from its place hanging from a small golden ring upon the sash. “We can waist no more time attempting to avoid confrontation… We will not escape if we cannot move faster…”

“General, there are too many of them out there, we can’t defeat them all!” Tholme said in an almost shocked tone.

“I have no intention of fighting a war Tholme… But I have every intention of seeing the next sunrise, along with the three of you, and L’lara. Stay behind me, if it gets past me, shoot it until it drops. Do you understand your orders?” Shaak Ti asked calmly, looking to the three ARC Troopers with an unearthly calm she so often seemed to maintain.

All three soldiers straightened, bringing there weapons to the ready.

“Orders received and understood, General.” Veta responded for the three clones.

Shaak looked to L’lara now. “You are to stay behind me young one, do not fight these soldiers unless you absolutely must, remain close to me at all times, do you understand?”

“Yes master…” L’lara said, unable to hide a faint quiver of fear within her voice.

Shaak Ti smiled that same soft smile she had so many years ago on the first day she met the young twi’lek. “Then let use leave this place… our desecrated home…”

Shaak Ti’s lightsaber hissed to life and she darted forward, turning at the first right corridor making for the main hall, the shortest route to the 7th floor where the southern hangar bay was located.

Cries echoed from the corridor as Shaak entered, shouts and orders from clone officers, all cut down to anguished cries and pleas. Every strike was perfect, one slice to every foe and none rose after a single blow. Shaak Ti’s movements were as graceful as a dancers, repelling blaster bolts, slicing through weapons, and limbs when necessary, clearing the path through every corridor they entered, she never paused, never seemed short of breath.

They were nearing the hangar with the final corridor cleared and no reinforcement’s insight when she suddenly came to a dead halt.

“No!” She exclaimed suddenly, seeming shock and defeated all in the same cry.

“General?” Zasz asked in confusion.

“An Ambush… Dozens of them waiting in the Hangar... Too many to face…” Shaak Ti said, deactivating her saber and looking around for an escape route now.

“What do we do?” L’lara asked, still staying close on Shaak Ti’s heels.

“We can walk in.”

Shaak and the others turned to stair at Veta.

“Er… Boss, you hit yer head or somethin’?” Tholme asked, canting his own head as he looked at Veta.

“Very funny… Really, we can just walk in. We put stun cuffs on the General and the girl, I’ll clip their sabers to my belt so they’re disarmed, we walk in and right past those soldiers with our prisoners.” Veta responded.

L’lara looked uncertainly up at Shaak, as did the other two clones. Master Ti could feel the hesitance broiling up in Zasz and Tholme, but a smile was now creeping across her face. “Unlike the three of you, the other Clones, while sentient, are still little more than organic droids with more thinking capability… They won’t even begin to suspect other clones might deceive them. It should work…”

- - -
Southern Hangar, 7th Floor
- - -

As the hangar doors hissed open several clones turned with guns raised.

“Halt!” A clone bearing an officer’s shoulder pauldron shouted moving forward from his squad. “Commander Veta, what’s going on here?”

“Direct Orders from Palpatine, he wants these Jedi brought to him for questioning.” Veta replied.

“We weren’t informed of any such transfer…” the clone officer said with a faint suspicion in his tone.

“Major, what you aren’t informed of could fill a cruiser. Do you honestly think the Chancellor is going to waste his time informing every single squad of his orders when this entire sector of the city is in Chaos, he has more important things to do than putting your mind at ease.” Veta snapped harshly.

The clone major shifted embarrassedly at the berating and nodded in agreement swiftly. “Of course, of course, commander. My apologies, please carry on.”

“All right scum, get moving!” Tholme snapped, pushing Shaak forward as they headed for one of the LAAT drop ship at the edge of the hangar; the broken shards of demolished jedi star fighters littered the hangar all around it, a testament to the clones intentions to make sure no ‘traitor’ escaped the temple alive.

The three ARC Troopers walked the two jedi to the ship and strapped them in.

“Do you require a pilot sir?” the clone Major inquired, approaching the ship.

“I wouldn’t trust one of your pilots half as much as my own Major, you do your job, we do ours.” The ARC Commander graveled back, adding an annoyed tone to send a hint to the major to back off.

“Yes sir, understood sir.” The Major replied, stepping back once more as Zasz headed up the ramp to the front cockpit seat of the gunship.

The engines roared to life and the ship rose up from the hangar floor and then out through the air, flashing golden and purple in the mix of colors caused by the sun just beginning to rise and the roaring flames of the burning temple reflecting of the gun ship’s exterior.

Tears welled in L’lara’s eyes as she looked out at the temple through the open side door of the gunship, she glanced up at the hand on her shoulder, managing the faintest hint of a smile as Shaak Ti looked down at her reassuringly.

“What now Commander?” Zasz called from the pilot seat.

Veta looked to the General for instructions and Shaak Ti closed her eyes, lifting a hand to rub at her temples as she tried to think of what to do next.

“L’lara and I cannot stay here, or anywhere in the core, it isn’t safe… We will have to go far from here, somewhere we can get away from this new order Palpatine is creating…” Shaak muttered softly, her front lekku twitching in thought.

“As long as you’ll have us general, we’re with you.” Tholme added while Veta nodded his head in agreement.

Shaak smiled faintly at that. “I wouldn’t have it any other way Tholme… We owe our lives to you.” She finally nodded, taking a breath before speaking again. “We can’t stay in this transport, it’s got too many ties to the military, there’s any number of ways they could trace us… We’re going to need find someone who will get us safe passage… A civilian ship, maybe an old freighter… Something that can get us off world without trouble…”

Veta tugged off his helmet and smirked faintly. “Commandeer a civilian transport… I think we can manage that.”

- - -
Coruscant Atmosphere
- - -

“Roger that Remembrance, transmitting our cargo manifest and authorization clearance codes now…” the pilot of the Golden Wind announced over the comm line established with the VSD Remembrance, one of several Republic cruisers on constant patrol around Coruscant.

The Golden Wind was a Corellian Transport, these ships were used all across the galaxy, by the government and civilians a like, Corellian transport ships were fast, dependable, and most notable of all, completely below radar when it came to suspicion. They were outdated by the new Corellian Corvettes now, and luckily for the fleeing Jedi there were plenty of people who didn’t by the information suddenly running rampant about a Jedi rebellion. One of them was Captain Madison and his three crewman, they’d actually come to Shaak before she went to them, and might well have shot the clones dead had it not been for her intervention.

When she explained the situation Madison had immediately agreed to provide them a way off world free of charge. Under any other situation Shaak would have been rather displeased at the number of illegal commodities in Captain Madison’s cargo hold, but in this case it really didn’t matter anymore. The Government she served was no more, the truth weighed heavy on her as she, L’lara and the ARCs sat in the cargo hold pondering what they would do now. They were bound for a world called Gaianis, Madison had never even heard of it, which pleased Shaak immensely. She herself had come across it completely by accident during one of her missions when her ship crash landed on the world. It was a very beautiful place and was so far in the outer rim that it wasn’t even on Republic star charts, it was inhabited by near human people, their technology was on par with the republics, but unlike most races they had no interest in space travel and had little in the form of ships beyond what was need for the defense of their own planet. At the request of the people of Gaianis she had made no mention of them when her ship was repaired and she returned to Coruscant and she hoped now that in return for her kindness then they would harbor she and her friends from the galaxy that had turned against them.

“Stand by everybody. I think we’re gonna make it.” Madison announced over the ships internal comm.

All five of the stowaways in the cargo bay subconsciously held their breath, the only sound heard now was the distant rumble of the engines. A minute passed, two, five, ten.

“That’s it! We’re through, setting hyperspace coordinates now!” Madison called triumphantly over the speakers.

Zasz let out a sigh of relief he didn’t even realize he was holding. L’lara gave a soft “yes!” of excitement at having made it through while Shaak Ti gave a faint smile. They had done it. They were past the defense fleet and leaving Coruscant behind, along with everything they’d ever had to call home…

- - -
Epilogue

- - -

In the months after Order 66 Shaak Ti managed to make with a few of the Order, all, like her had forsaken Coruscant and slid away into hiding knowing that if they were to reveal themselves they would be struck down. Even on Gaianis they were able to learn of the rise of the new Empire. It quickly became apparent just what had happened. The Jedi grew cold and sterile as the Republic defenders, while time moved on the Order stayed the same, never adapting or changing to fit with the times and Palpatine, who they now knew to be in truth the master of the Sith, Darth Sidious, used this frailty in the order to bring about their demise. The Jedi Order took the fall in order for the Republic to crumble replaced by a cold and merciless Empire reigned over by one of the wickedest beings to ever be brought into the galaxy.

Veta, Tholme, and Zasz found themselves incredibly comfortable on Gaianis. The people of this world were strong and hearty, and Veta even suspected that perhaps some of them may have been influenced by the Mandalorian culture; their similarities were remarkable, family and honor held presidence over all other matters and the three ARC’s loyalty and devotion to Shaak Ti earned much respect for them in the eyes of the planet’s local population. None of them had ever expected to experience anything more than the life of soldiers, and perhaps after the war guns for hire; but they soon found themselves adapting and even settling down upon this lush fertile planet.

L’lara was proving to be an incredibly skilled young padawan, and both Togruta and Twi’leks had a life span nearly a hundred years longer than humans and even longer when trained in the use of the force. But there was even greater knowledge for Shaak Ti to learn, after only a few days on Gaianis they had settled in a modest house at the edge of one of the larger villages on the peaceful world. There house looked out over the rolling green highlands, speckled with trees and graced by a long winding stream which sparkled each morning like a trail of diamonds when the sun hit it.

Shaak Ti marveled at the beauty of the world which she recalled being just as awe struck by the first time she came to it so many years ago. It was this beauty that surrounded her as she meditated one morning, the lush green hills and valleys blanketed in the fog that always lingered as the sun began to rise, giving the world an almost ghostly appearance. As Shaak Ti meditated, seated upon the porch of she and L’lara’s home with her eyes closed and her senses open she found herself feeling a presence, as if someone were approaching out of that fog.

It has been a long time Shaak Ti…

Shaak Ti’s lekku twitched subconsciously in recognition of the voice.

“Qui-Gon…”

It’s good to see you again my friend… Listen carefully, I’ve had a difficult time reaching you, and I will be a very irritated being of light if I have to attempt to contact you again through such troublesome means. The long deceased jedi quipped in his usual bemused fashion.

“How… I don’t understand…” She spoke out loud once more even though she could now tell his voice was located only in her mind as she meditated.

One of the most cunning Jedi in the order and you do not understand? I think you do, it’s just a matter of coming to terms with it… Existence beyond our bodies… Master Yoda was the first I contacted, and then Obi-wan.

A sudden gasp escaped the Togruta. “Kenobi is alive?”

He, Master Yoda, and a few others aside from the ones you’ve already managed to contact. I’ve come to teach you Shaak, to show you how to become one with the Force and can teach you’re new Padawan the same.

“But what good is it…? We’re scattered, decimated… The Republic has fallen… We’ve failed…” She bowed her head, feeling grief swell within her in spite of her training.

You have only failed if you accept defeat. There is always hope Shaak… Anakin has a son, and a daughter.

Once more a gasp of surprise escaped her. “Then!”

Yes, there is still hope, there will always be hope. Obi-Wan watches over the boy in safety on Tatooine, the same place where his father was, before the dark side took him. Anakin’s daughter has been adopted by Bail Antilles. I cannot think of better guardians than these two.

For the first time in weeks joy swelled within the red skinned beauties heart, all three of her head tails quivered in excitement and she could sense a smile from the aura of Qui-Gon’s spiritual essence.

The prophecy will yet be fulfilled Shaak Ti, but for now, I have much to teach you, and you will have much to teach your Padawan… You still have a great deal of work ahead of you my friend…

The End . . .

Author’s Notes: Well there we go, after months of delays I finally finished this! I hope everyone enjoyed it; and lest you all worry, no, Shaak Journals are not over, I will be starting up on Entry 10 ASAP back from where we were.

I do apologize for how long it took to finish this, but my school work just swamps me these days so I don’t get much time to write anything besides term papers and reports. Hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing!