Cadet Captured

21. Runaway

An announcement is made throughout the ship, saying we have arrived on Coruscant. I glance back from where I stand with General Shaak Ti, to see Fives, who is under the care of Doctor Nala Se, pass out again. I worry for him, ever since his chip was taken out, but he's as tough as clones come.

The ship lands, and I walk beside Fives' gurney as we exit.

"Welcome, Master Jedi," an assistant of the chancellor greets. "The chancellor is waiting inside."

We are lead into the building and to a room where the chancellor is waiting.

"Master Shaak Ti," he greets. "It is good to see you again. I trust you've kept this matter extremely confidential."

"Of course, Chancellor," General Shaak Ti answers.

"Ah, good," the chancellor smiles. "So these are the clones who caused so much alarm?"

I stand in attention, and fight to stay that way as Fives speaks.

"No, you drugged me," Fives groans as his gurney is lifted into a vertical possition. "She-"

What is he talking about?

"There, there, soldier," the chancellor soothes. "Don't strain yourself."

"Sir," Fives says, then attempts to stand in attention.

"Guards, let him down, please," the chancellor orders. The guard troopers obey, and Fives steps down weakly.

"Now, trooper, what brings you before me?" the chancellor asks.

"The chips, Chancellor," Fives states.

"Chips?" the chancellor questions.

"These were removed from both clone troopers Tup and Fives," General Shaak Ti explains, holding the chips up. "Clone troopers Fives and Blitz claim they are the cause of the problem."

"Those are inhibitor chips," Nala Se insists, "which are placed in clones to make them less aggressive and more compliant to orders. I tried to explain to these clones that they are placed in them for their own good, but he removed his chip nonetheless, and she planned to."

"Our own good?" Fives snaps. "This thing they put in us malfunctioned in clone trooper Tup. We removed his and analyzed it. There were signs of rapid decay."

"And we're positive this has nothing to do with a virus?" Chancellor Palpatine questions.

"No, we still do not know for sure what caused trooper Tup to kill," Nala Se tells him. "We only know that his chip failed, and now this clone has removed his own chip, which makes him a risk to himself and others."

"I'm not at risk," Fives responds. "Sir, they're covering something up. I know it. If it's not them, then it's a Separatist plot. They use this chip against us to make us more violent than less. That's why Tup killed General Tiplar!"

"A Separatist plot from before the war even started?" Chancellor Palpatine muses. "That seems unlikely. Don't you agree, Master Shaak Ti?"

"It does, Chancellor," the general says. "It seems very unlikely."

"But not impossible," I put in, unable to stay silent any longer. "This just proves that somebody saw a way to use clones to their advantage without our consent before we were even created. What kind of twisted person could think like that, except a greedy-for-power Separatist!"

"It is absolutely impossible," Nala Se insists, glaring at me. "What we have here is a single malfunction to one clone's inhibitor chip caused by a virus, Separatist plot or not."