Coruscant: 19 BBY
Senate Apartments
Riyo Chuchi
Sunrise had dawned across Coruscant once more. Smoke still billowed from the Temple as Riyo made her way towards Padmé's apartment. The holonet was full of nothing but news on the Jedi spread throughout the galaxy. Several had escaped. Many more had been killed. Regardless, they were all being hunted.
Riyo reached Padmé's apartment and entered quickly. Padmé, Mon Mothma, and Bail were seated nearby. She wasted no time in joining them. "Something must be done," Padmé was saying. "The reformation of the Republic has given Palpatine absolute power. He can do whatever he wants and there will be no one to stop him. The others may believe that good will come out of this, but I don't share their sentiment."
Bail sighed. "I agree. The war may be ending, but not in the way we anticipated."
"Do you think any Jedi survived the purge?" Mon Mothma asked.
Riyo shook her head. "Anyone who was at the Temple is definitely dead. I've seen reports of a few Jedi escaping, but the clones are quickly searching for them. Even if they do survive, I think they'll go into hiding."
Padmé appeared thoughtful for a moment. "If they believe they are alone, yes. We have to find a way to contact the survivors. We could organize a rebellion if there is a need for one."
Riyo bit her lip. I couldn't join a rebellion. The situation it would put Fox in...
"I suggest we speak more on this later," Mon Mothma said. "We can't risk gaining unwanted attention right now. We don't know who we can trust anymore." She stood and dipped her head to them. "I must return to Chandrila for a time. My people will need me now."
Mon Mothma left shortly. "Bail?" Padmé asked.
"I can't stay either. There is something I must go see to. Some old friends may have need of my assistance." Bail smiled before leaving as well.
"What do you think, Riyo? Do you believe a rebellion will be necessary?" Padmé released a sigh and dropped her head into her hand.
"I'm not sure. I hope not, but only time will tell."
"Would you support a rebellion if it came to that?"
Riyo pursed her lips for a moment. "I don't know. I have to think about the position Fox would be in. Given what Emperor Palpatine said yesterday, it doesn't sound like the clones will be going anywhere for a while. I can't do something that will jeopardize him or make him choose between me and the Republic." She hesitated, then corrected herself. "The Empire, I mean. Is Anakin all right?"
"I think so. He came by last night and said Emperor Palpatine had an assignment for him. He promised he'd be back soon but..." Padme trailed off and glanced out a window.
"Why wasn't he killed along with the other Jedi?"
"He remained loyal to the Republic and to Emperor Palpatine."
"Oh." Riyo stood and rested a hand on Padmé's shoulder. "I'm sure he's fine."
"What about Irel and Ziyah?" Padmé met her gaze.
"I haven't heard anything from them. I hope they escaped. I don't believe they betrayed anyone."
"I agree. I hope you hear from them soon." Padmé covered Riyo's hand with her own and smiled weakly. Riyo headed back to her own apartments shortly.
Coruscant: 19 BBY
Jedi Temple
Commander Fox
Fox removed his helmet for a moment and rubbed his eyes. He was exhausted, but there was still work to be done. Nearly all of the Jedi in the Temple had been killed. A few were still in hiding, though, and they had to be found.
"Sir!" A 501st trooper came running towards him. "Someone reported seeing Master Yoda in the lower levels of the Temple. He's attempting to reach a landing pad. We believe he might go to the Senate building and attack the Emperor."
"Contact the Emperor's guards and warn them. We'll try to stop Yoda here," Fox replied. The clone nodded and dashed off. Fox waved to a group clones and they followed him outside of the Temple and down to the lower courtyard levels.
Master Yoda wasn't hard to spot. He flipped about, his green lightsaber nothing more than a blur of light. Clones fell as they tried to block his path. Fox opened fire on the small green Jedi, ignoring his misgivings.
He couldn't help but remember the kindness Yoda had shown him. He had kept Fox's secret, not only for him, but for Riyo. Fox shook his head and forced the thoughts away. That doesn't matter, he told himself. The Repu...the Empire comes first.
Yoda whipped his head around and came vaulting towards them. His lightsaber sliced through the necks of two clones. Fox continued to fire. Yoda whirled towards him, then hesitated. He stretched a hand towards Fox. Instantly, his blasters flew from his grip. Fox hit the ground hard and coughed. Yoda stared at him with an anguished gaze before he disappeared from sight.
Fox picked himself up and switched on his comm. "All troops, be on high alert. Master Yoda has escaped the Temple. He may be headed towards the Senate building. Protect the Emperor."
"There are more Jedi in the medical levels," someone said. Fox didn't know who.
"Let's go." He picked up his blasters and made his way towards a set of stairs. The lifts had long since short circuited, thanks to the fire. The clones had kept the fires burning in a few rooms, hoping to choke out the Jedi hidden within.
Fox reached the medical levels shortly. There were more clones up ahead. Smoke drifted from their blasters as they scanned the hallways and rooms for more Jedi healers. Several of their bodies already littered the ground. There weren't many dead clones.
Fox cautiously entered one room and held his blasters at the ready. The room was still dark, as it had no windows. He switched his helmet's light on. A glass vile splintered on the floor. Fox jerked around. A familiar woman raised her arms.
"Fox," Tilieu whispered. "Don't." Her crystal necklace glowed faintly.
He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing away more memories. "Thank you for what you did for Mairin and Riyo."
Tears sparkled in her eyes. "Wait. There's something I have to tell Riyo. Let me at least do that before you..." her voice caught.
His shoulders drooped in defeat. "Make it fast."
Tilieu grabbed a datapad off a table and quickly typed up a transmission to Riyo. She sent it and waited a few moments before clearing it from the transmission log. Tilieu cast it aside and met Fox's gaze.
"I hope you can live with yourself," she whispered.
"I'm past the point of hoping," Fox replied. He leveled his blaster and fired. She fell, her dark curly hair hiding the scorched hole in her forehead.
Fox fought the urge to vomit and ducked out of the room. He sealed the door behind him. "We've checked all the rooms," a clone reported. "There's no one left down here." He waited for a reply, but Fox gave none. "Sir?"
"Make a final sweep of the Temple and then get some rest. Tell everyone. Those are my only orders," Fox whispered. He turned away from the clone and returned to the upper levels of the Temple.
Coruscant: 19 BBY
Senate Apartments
Riyo Chuchi
Riyo lifted her head from her desk as her datapad beeped. She had a splitting headache and had fallen asleep momentarily without realizing it. Riyo picked up the datapad and opened the transmission.
It's from Tilieu! Her eyes widened in surprise. She read over the transmission quickly. "Ziyah and Irel are alive!" Riyo kept her excited voice quiet. "They're safe on Junalli." She let out a sigh of relief and scrubbed at her face. "What about Tilieu, though?" She read further down. "I hope this brings you some comfort during these dark times. I wish..." Riyo paused, then continued to read. "I wish I could be there to see your son born, but I'm afraid that's not possible. I know that you and Fox will be good parents. Take care."
There was nothing more. Riyo tried refreshing the feed, but nothing more appeared. A painful thought entered her mind. She was at the Temple. She was Force sensitive, a Jedi healer, Riyo thought. They killed her and she must have sent this to me before they did.
Riyo stiffened, hearing a door hiss shut. Her office door opened a moment later revealing Fox. She deleted Tilieu's transmission and switched off her datapad quickly.
"Are you all right?" Riyo stepped around her desk and hugged him.
"I'm fine. I think things are calming down now," he replied. His voice was oddly quiet.
"That's some small relief. You should clean yourself up and rest. You've been awake nearly two whole days."
Fox nodded and ducked into her room. Riyo grabbed her datapad once more and quickly went through all of her transmissions. She deleted everything she'd ever sent to the Jedi Temple and everything she'd received from it. Riyo hesitated to erase her few transmissions to Irel, but she relented at last and did.
I can't risk Fox finding anything that might jeopardize any survivors, Riyo thought. I love and trust him, but there's something not right about this.
Several minutes passed before Fox returned. He sat down on a sofa and dropped his head into his hands. Riyo sat down beside him and rubbed his shoulder soothingly.
"I can't stop thinking about that boy," Fox said at last. "And...Yoda was there. He could have killed me. He killed others, but he left me alone."
"He knows how I feel about you."
"He knows more than that," Fox replied. "I never told you, but the day Emperor Palpatine spoke to rioters outside of the Temple, Yoda had talked to me about you. He knew everything. He had pieced it together, but he told me not to worry and that he'd keep our secret."
"He has always been an understanding and kind person."
"I don't know where he went after he escaped the Temple. I think he might've gone to the Senate building to attempt an assassination on the Emperor. I haven't heard any news though."
Riyo's thoughts flickered towards Tilieu's transmission. "What about Tilieu?"
Fox stiffened. "She's dead," he said at last. "I saw her body."
Riyo blinked back tears and nodded. "I thought so."
Fox gripped her hand tightly. "It'll be all right soon," he promised.
"I hope so," Riyo sighed.