Sub-level 5 - Coruscant
By some miracle Captain Fordo's clearance codes were accepted and the Forward Unto Dawn was allowed through. Landing just below the surface, the two teams split off, with Kenobi's team heading for the Senate apartments and Blue Team heading towards the Jedi Temple. Blue Team definitely had the hardest part of the assignment, being tasked to infiltrate the Temple and gain access to the holocron vault. Afterwards, they would have to somehow make it over to the Senate building and hack into Palpatine's servers without being detected.
Chances were that Commander Fox was probably waiting at either location for them along with the full force of the Coruscant Guard. Making this mission even more challenging. Deciding that their best chances of success at either location was to split up. Chief along with Fives, Static and June would go to the Senate district while the rest were tasked with the Jedi Temple.
As Blue Team went their separate ways, the wished each other luck with full faith that the other side would succeed. Meanwhile; Kenobi, Tano and the 501st captain were already on a speeder making their way to the Senators' apartments where they hoped to find their 'big gun' in turning Anakin back to the light.
Time skip
The Senate Building - Coruscant
With June station with a sniper on a nearby building providing overwatch, the other three made their way through the service hallways. Although it was a very tight fit for Chief, with his hulking frame barely making it through the narrow passages. Finally reaching their desired point, Chief split off from the group and headed for Palpatine's office while Fives and Static would go for the server room.
If there was any physical evidence of Palpatine conspiring against the Republic, it had to be in his office. Quickly drawing his pistol and stunning the two Coruscant Guard clones that were standing guard, 117 made his way into the Chancellor's office. Looking around for anything in the open, Chief was out of luck. Out of frustration, the spartan slammed his fist into the wall.
But to his surprise, it went right through with ease. Yes, he was strong but he had punched a granite wall art that should've easily withstood his blows. Looking into the hole, Chief found a collection of Sith artifacts that included an old Sith lightsaber that Chief didn't recognize, Count Dooku's Jedi and Sith lightsabers, along with a double bladed saber that closely resembled Mauls. However, the prize of this collection was a Sith holocron that emitted a dark red aura within the small compartment.
And although this wouldn't prove anything against Palpatine other than being a Sith Lord, which wasn't a crime according to Republic Law. However, these were still very valuable items that could be wielded by the Jedi back at the fleet. Clipping the lightsabers to his waist, Chief swapped out the holocron for a thermal detonator, storing the valuable data cache in his suit. Placing the explosive inside the hidden compartment as rigging it to blow if the compartment was opened again, 117 left the room for the rendezvous point that was established by Blue Team.
It wasn't long before Fives, June and Static joined him with good news. They had successfully hacked into the Chancellor's private server and although there were no ties linking him with the CIS, there were top secret military files that the Jedi were probably never even made aware of. Most of these were experimental prototypes and secret transactions between some of the largest military manufacturers. But unfortunately there was no time to review these files in the field as the rest of Blue Team came speeding towards them with the Coruscant Guard in hot pursuit.
Just as Chief and the others started laying down suppressive fire, the Forward Unto Dawn came charging in; blasting away with its two twin laser cannons while opening up the front ramp. As everyone ran onboard, Fives, Jesse and Thermos tossed as many smoke and flashbang grenades as they had.
Once everyone was onboard, the Dawn blasted off as it deployed counter-measures to throw off the swarm of surface-to-air missiles coming at it. Getting past the Coruscant Defense Fleet wasn't any easier, with Blitz and Streak being pushed to their absolute limits. Luckily, the Forward Unto Dawn managed to escape Coruscant. However, the other team had to find another ride back to the fleet.
Looking around, Chief saw that there were some new people onboard that came from the Temple. 6 out of the 20 Temple Guards protecting the Holocron vault had made it back with Blue Team along with the Temple librarian Jocasta Nu. Hardcase and Midas had also managed to rescue a youngling that looked like a baby version of the Grandmaster. Fair to say, the little green guy was getting all the attention from the clones.
Time skip (Back to when the two teams split up)
Senate Apartments - Coruscant
This was not going to be an easy conversation, Padme Amidala was the love of Anakin's life and soon to be the mother of his children. Obi-wan hated that it came down to this but he had to try. With Rex and Ahsoka waiting outside, Kenobi went into the Naboo Senator's apartment and explained to her what had happened with the Jedi Order and what Anakin had become.
In disbelief, Padme was furious that Obi-wan would tell her something like that. Yelling at him to get out and dialing Anakin on her comm, Kenobi Force pulled the communicator from her hand and sliced it in two just as Anakin picked up. Now they were against the clock and any means of having Anakin come into this conversation in a calm manner was long gone.
Stepping into the room, Ahsoka went to greet her friend with a warm hug, but Padme pushed her away. Asking if what Obi-wan says is true, Ahsoka sadly nodded her head in affirmation. Telling Padme that not only did Shaak Ti literally see him mowing down Jedi at the Temple, but Master Windu was directly attacked by Anakin.
As tears started to flood Padme's eyes, Obi-wan saw Anakin's starfighter land two floors down. Feeling the immense dark side presence enter the building, both Kenobi and Tano felt the heat being taken away from their bodies as the dark side of the Force blanketed the skyscraper. Telling Ahsoka and Rex to calm Padme down and protect her, Obi-wan went to face his old apprentice.
Going down the elevator, Obi-wan reached Anakin's floor within seconds but as soon as he got out, what he saw was no Anakin. Golden eyes burning with hate and the once happy smile gone as if it never existed. In the Force, all Kenobi could feel was hate, jealousy and fear. No, this was no Anakin Skywalker, this was Darth Vader.
Watching in horror as his fallen brother ignited his saber, Kenobi barely managed to ignite his own in time as Vader covered the 50m hallway in less than a second. The pair used to spar together for practice and would usually be fairly even, but now Obi-wan was out of his depth. Vader was fueled by the dark side and wasn't holding back anymore. As powerful slashes with the force of cannon rounds pummeled Kenobi's defenses, the Jedi was being rag dolled.
The only thing that Obi-wan could do was rely on his mastery of Soresu, the most defensive lightsaber form of them all. But Vader was just too powerful, channeling his immense Force power into every strike, creating an unrelenting onslaught that even one of the best duelist in the Jedi Order was succumbing to. As the pair fought their way up the stairs, Vader gave out a massive Force push that sent Obi-wan flying through the reinforced door of Padme's apartment.
Getting backup and nursing his broken ribs, Obi-wan wasn't done fighting yet. But Vader was, he wanted to kill his former master with every fiber of his being. With one unstoppable slash, Vader knocked out Kenobi's lightsaber from his hand, sending the chrome hilt flying across the living room. Outstretching his hand and Force choking Kenobi, but just as Obi-wan was about to draw his last breath, Padme burst through the door. "ANI STOP!"
Instantly dropping Kenobi to the floor, Anakin's eyes went back to blue as he looked at his wife. Deep down, he didn't want to kill Obi-wan, Windu or any of the other Jedi, but he needed to save his wife. "It's okay Skyguy, we're here now."
"Yeah General, we are here for you." On either side of Padme was Anakin's brother-in-arms and the padawan he loved like a daughter. At his feet was the master that raised him since he was a boy, who fought for him in front of the Council when he messed up, the closest thing he ever got to a father.
"How is this possible, the Chancellor told me that you died on Mandalore, that the Mandalorians betrayed you and destroyed your ship? And you, you were gone, I thought you were dead 'Soka." Anakin spoke, his eyes flickering between gold and blue as the tendrils Palpatine put in his head over the decades tried to take over. As the waves of guilt and fear washed over him like the waves of Kamino, Anakin fell to his knees in agony. "What have I done?!"
Getting up from his defeated position, Obi-wan held his old apprentice in a tight hug and was soon joined by Padme and Ahsoka. Rex wanted to keep things professional even though he secretly wanted to be part of the group, but when Ahsoka stared at him straight through the visor, the captain yeilded. Dropping his helmet and encompassed his friends in his arms.
"You did what you thought would save Padme. But it was all a lie Anakin, Palpatine is evil and has been manipulating you for years because he saw what you could become." Obi-wan said with tears in his eyes and a very coarse voice, his vocal cords and throat still hurting after the Force choke.
"So what's the plan Ani?"
"Let's go home."