Star Wars : Arise In The Future

Caleb Dume continued to run for his life in the snowy plains of Kaller, away from his former comrades right after they executed Depa Billaba. But unfortunately, he gasped as he encountered five figures approaching him.

"Is that...", Anakin recognized the figures on the screen.

"The Bad Batch?", Rex finished for him, completely caught off guard of their sudden appearance. "What are they doing at Kaller?"

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!", Caleb shouted to the defective Clones in front of him as he turned back towards another direction.

Depa only gripped her Padawan's shoulder, fearing of what is to come for him. Said Padawan only braced himself as he was going to witness getting shot at like his own Master.

"Kid, wait!", Hunter cried out trying to reach out to him, but he was already too far away when he did.

"...they didn't follow the order?", Kit Fisto queried, surprised as the rest of the Jedi who thought that Clone Force 99 would follow the rest of their brothers at fulfilling Order 66. "But how?"

"Whatever it may be...at least it had saved my Padawan", Depa breathed out in relief, but Caleb wasn't so certain.

"What...what just happened?", Echo was the first to ask.

Tech looked up to his datapad. "The com-channel reveal one directive: Execute Order 66"

"Yeah I heard that too!", Wrecker chimed in. "What's Order 66?"

"It appears they do not have any knowledge as to what Palpatine had given them", Plo Koon spoke out, seeing this as a welcome relief that not all Clones have followed the directive.

"I..am not so certain", Tech admitted before Hunter stepped in. "Echo. Tech. Talk to the Reg Captain, find out what you can. Crosshair and I will go after the kid and make sure nothing happens to him. Wrecker stall anyone who tries to follow us"

...

In a midst of the screams of Jedi and Clones alike as well as lightsabers and blaster fire, Vader walked silently towards the upper levels of the Jedi Temple. His hood made it difficult to show what he truly felt in his own decision. Until an illuminating ray of light that came from the open windows, show hesitance, uncertainty and a tint of regret as he walked through the hallway towards his desired location.

Anakin could see the horror that he had inflicted, but at the same time hated himself of his dark deeds. Yoda observe the knight more clearly, giving him the theory that was tipping between light and dark.

"Where are the Younglings?", Kit Fisto asked in a slightly frightened tone. "Surely we have evacuated them, did we?"

Everyone was silent, the thought of any of the Clones near them was appalling enough. But for now, they have not yet seen what has happened to them. Until one of them spoke. "I am not used to saying this, but I am desperate to hope that they are spared...", Depa spoke in an equally concerned tone. "They are just children..."

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan however, felt their systems to be violated as the two watched Anakin silently walking towards the Council chambers.

Lord Vader continued to walk towards the Chamber, the words of Lord Sidious still echoed within his mind. The Jedi must be destroyed for their treason.

A Youngling, filled with both relief and happiness upon seeing their savior, emerged from his hiding spot as he approached Anakin, with more than a few of his fellow Classmates also emerging from their hiding spots.

"Master Skywalker, there are too many of them! What are we going to do?"

Can I do it?, Anakin thought to himself, his heart rapidly accelerating of the choice he was about to make. They're just children but...I needed the Dark Side to save Padme...but this isn't right...

"It's never right to begin with!", urged Master Fisto. "Turn your course, Anakin!".

Obi-Wan covered the lower part of his face with a free hand. "Master Qui-Gon...where have I gone wrong?", he uttered to himself, trying to know why he had failed Anakin.

Kill them..., a shadowy voice within Anakin spoke, which added to his already appalled mental state. They are only Orphans and nothing more...

Every Jedi's eyes widened upon hearing who this was. "Is this..."

"The Dark Side within Skywalker...", Yoda answered them. "Speaking through the Force...it has"

No...they didn't have to die..., Anakin's thoughts answered back. Master could spare them, would he?

They are without any friends or family..., the voice in his head continued. Nor any other fate that awaited before them....

You're wrong!, Anakin's mind spat back. They've done nothing wrong-

As if the Jedi were better?, the voice challenged him. As it is said, they have nothing. They were stolen by them. Took their futures. Their emotions. Their very purpose. What could you do for them if the others beside you think otherwise? What would be better than to spare them from whatever fate that lies before them?

"It's twisting Anakin's moral compass", Plo Koon observed his mental state. "As if it was comforting him in the decisions he had taken"

"No, Anakin can change his mind!", Ahsoka vehemently denied that possibility. "He wouldn't do this!"

Remaining silent, yet determined, Anakin only ignited his lightsaber, to the shock of the children inside the Council Chamber.

"No .. no ...no. NO! ...DON'T DO IT!", shouted Anakin, desperate that at least a part of his conscience would spare the Younglings from whatever horrors that lies ahead and let them go.

Everyone's jaws were wide open in complete horror and shock, trembling as they realized the chamber they were in, will be the site beyond the horrors that they could ever imagine.

Raising his lightsaber, Anakin swung his blade. And the screen went to black right after.

...

Everyone was silent, they were frightened, outraged, and aghast at the morbid act that Skywalker had performed. Anakin buried his face on both of his hands, weeping profusely in anger and regret to himself. They were children. Innocent children who believed that he was there to save them. It didn't matter whether or not what he did was mercy, he would never do this to them, not when they looked up to him the most.

And he could feel harsh blows delivered to his arm as he saw his own wife hitting him angrily, tears drenching her eyes on what she just saw. "Anakin...WHY?!", Padme shouted at him, desperate for any explanation as she struck her hands towards her husband's arm.

"The Younglings...weren't spared either...", Shaak Ti spoke out, feeling as if she was going to faint at the horrific deed. Where was she when this was happening? She didn't saw herself dueling Skywalker either where she may or may not have stopped him when she had the chance.

"I...I can't watch anymore...", Obi-Wan uttered to himself, the betrayal of both Cody and Anakin was weighing heavily on him

"I...I cannot believe what we just saw back there...", Master Mundi spoke in a low tone, as if he was already demoralized of the recent footage that they were made to see. Most of the Jedi could not apprehend the panic that was building up inside them, and they were replaced by shock and finally grief, on what happened to the children.

Rex and Ahsoka were trying to convince themselves that man wasn't Anakin who entered the very chamber they were in right now.

However, one of them could not help but express his anger more thoroughly. "Destroying everything that we live and stood for is one thing!", Windu furiously shouted, pointing his finger at Anakin accusingly. "But I never thought he would stoop so low as to murder innocent children because his attachment to the Senator!"

Gathering his courage to speak up, Anakin snapped. "I never wanted any of that to happen! I wouldn't want to hear anything that came out of Palpatine's mouth after realizing who he was! AND I WOULD NEVER HARM INNOCENT CHILDREN!"

Before they could continue, they heard a cane thumping towards the ground, and they saw Master Yoda's authoritative image, trying to restore order inside the chamber. "Enough!", Yoda ordered them. "To a future not set in stone, fight over you will? Stop Sidious with your bickering between yourselves, will it?"

"Master Yoda, you saw what I did back there", Anakin pointed out, almost pleadingly. "Why aren't you trying to change your stance?"

"Guarantee their safety, could you have?", Yoda questioned him, now in a calm tone. "With Clones and Sidious in the way, make a difference for them you could?

Everyone within the Council became silent, deciding to hold their opinions at the matter further as they recalled the dire circumstances surrounding the Temple. If Anakin didn't come after them, they would be gunned down mercilessly by Clone troopers. And if he did, the Clones would still have done it themselves because of Order 66. And then if they were spared...what would happen to them next?

"Anakin...", Obi-Wan first spoke up, completely shaken at the darkest deed he had ever seen. "Couldn't do anything, not when Coruscant is essentially a trap for every Jedi residing there..."

"And what if they were spared?", Shaak Ti added this time. "If they were not shot down by the Clones then...the Force please forbid it, Sidious would mold them into whatever Dark Side experiments that his twisted mind could think off..."

Everyone remained silent...trying to find peace at this dark hour knowing what lies before them. The Holovid's screen shows an interface saying whether or not they want to continue to view the screenings.

For the moment, uncertainty struck everybody. Unsure of the choice they would follow right after...

...

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