The Negotiator and the Fire Fang

The Interlude: Chaos and Order

Sahrea woke, choking down air. She took large, wheezing gulps. There were two clones standing above her. It took her a moment to realize what had happened.

"Consult!" one of the troopers said, a hand on her shoulder. He looked extremely alarmed. He helped her sit forward. Her was head pounding, either from whatever made her pass out, hitting her head after passing out, or both. Probably both. There was pressure, like her brain felt too big for her skull. She was very cold, even though a moment before she was at a comfortable temperature.

"Are you alright?" he asked her gently. She squeezed the bridge of her nose.

"Not really." she answered truthfully. The clone put a hand under her arm and lifted to her feet. She held onto him for a moment before releasing. A command came over the console. It was one she didn't recognize. The voice sounded unfamiliar as well, but that may have been from her aching head.

"What the hell is Order 66?" she asked grumpily, a hand to her temple. She winced as the pain began to recede slightly. Master Windu had made her memorize dozens of operations, code names, and attack patterns, but this one she had never even heard of. She looked up at the clone slowly through a lock of loose hair. The trooper made an odd face at her. Then he lifted a blaster at off console. Her eyes went wide.

"Trooper..." she growled threateningly. He didn't react. He raised the weapon his finger tightened on the trigger. Shan shot her hand out and wrenched the pistol out of his hand. She kicked his stomach and he stumbled back.

"What the hell!" she yelled angrily, tugging the ammo clip free. She slammed it and the unloaded weapon onto the floor. Sahrea looked to the other five clones. All were glaring at her with the same murderous glare. They got up. She stepped back. Her back was to the wall.

"Stand down troopers!" she shouted, her voice hoarse with fear. She had been through a lot in the last few months. She had been marooned on a dead planet, been infected by the Rakghoul Disease, and kidnapped and then almost stabbed by a former Sith Lord, among many, many other things. None of them terrified her like this. This was beyond all of those.

The other five pulled out blaster pistols. Shan's breaths came in panicked heaves. Her vision became spotty.

She Force pushed them into the opposite wall as hard as she could. Three collapsed and didn't get back up. The other two sat up groggily. Shan picked up a nearby crate using the Force and dropped it on their backs. They were pinned down and didn't make an attempt to stand up again.

She looked to the console, gripping the collar of her tunic with her shaking hands. There was a man in a cloak, his face covered with shadow. He repeated the command again, his voice low and dangerous.

"Execute Order 66."

A blinking light suddenly flashed to life underneath it. Shan selected the button, her trembling finger almost missing it. The cloaked figure was replaced by a list. She looked at it with wide, confused eyes.

KI-ADI MUNDI: DEAD

She blinked, staring at the sentence. Her brain couldn't process what she was seeing. She moved to the second one.

LUMINARA UNDULI: DEAD

She looked at the third. And the fourth. And the fifth.

MACE WINDU: MIA

PLO KOON: DEAD

SHAAK TI: DEAD

She was completely dumbstruck. What was she looking at? These Jedi... they were dead? How? Who killed them? Why was there a list? And why did the clones attack her? She kept reading. The more she looked, the more the knot in her stomach tightened. She put a hand to her mouth.

ANAKIN SKYWALKER: DEAD

A tear slipped down her cheek. There were hundreds of names on this list. She skimmed for ones that were MIA or ones she knew.

AHSOKA TANO: DEAD

A blur of names.

CALEB DUME: MIA

URA NAHZALEM: DEAD

CAL KESTIS: MIA

AAYLA SECURA: DEAD

JOCASTA NU: DEAD

Her shaking had migrated as she scanned. It was now in her chest, in her stomach, in her throat. She kept searching. That's what this had become. A search. For the dead and the unknown. There was still one name she hadn't seen.

YODA: MIA

EETH KOTH: DEAD

KYWA BERESK: MIA

More names. Her heart stopped.

SAHREA SHAN: MIA

She stared at her name. She was on this list. Why was she on this list? Her heart was pounding. Was that why the clones attacked her? Someone wanted her dead? Things didn't add up though. If the clones were out to kill Jedi, why didn't they take her out her when she had gone unconscious? It would have been much easier and safer for them than waiting until she woke up, yet they didn't take advantage. She scrolled down more.

KIT FISTO: DEAD

TERA SINUBE: DEAD

She stopped. There was the name. She bit her tongue. She had to know.

OBI-WAN KENOBI: MIA

This knowledge changed nothing. In fact, this is what broke her. She began to sob. She knew MIA was not the same as alive. MIA just meant missing. He could be dead somewhere on Utapau and she would never know. He could be dying this very moment. He could escape and hide somewhere and she would never see him again. She heard the door slide open behind her. She turned around. The draft that accompanied it blew icily against her damp cheeks.

"What is going on?" she asked Ice, composing herself. She wiped her face.

"What is Order 66? What is this list?" Her friend cocked his head at the question. Something wasn't right with him, the way his head moved, the look in his eye, the wrongness of his aura. He didn't feel like himself. Ice narrowed his eyes at her before letting off a shot from his pistol. Shan didn't even remember dodging it. It was pure instinct that saved her.

"Ice, please stop! Why are you doing this?" she pleaded. She took her silver saber out and slashed the door panel so no one else could enter. Ice used the distraction to grab her throat.

"You shouldn't be in here. That list was not for you to see. " he replied coolly. He didn't sound anything like his usual self. She reached down and knocked her purple colored hilt off her belt. She grabbed it through the Force.

Shan sent it straight into the side of Ice's head. He recoiled back, dropping her. She didn't want to hurt him, especially since she knew this wasn't him. She could sense it.

"What is going here?" she begged. "You don't want to hurt me!" Ice shook his head as he recovered. "I must kill the Jedi." he replied, regaining his bearings. She grabbed a fistful of her hair before releasing it.

"I'm not a Jedi though! You know this!" she countered, her anxiety surging once again. If he was brainwashed, she may be able to confuse him enough for him to snap out of it.

"Remember Nar Shaddaa, Canarath, Taris, Dantooine!" she begged. "Tal Rhona on the Ro-Ti Mundi!" He lunged at her. Shan grabbed his wrists, his face only a few inches from hers.

"We are friends Ice." she cried. He stared into her eyes. The snarl left his face. He relaxed and put a gloved fingertip to the side of her face. He shook his head and stepped back.

"But... I have to... he..." the trooper muttered. He leaned over and put a hand to his forehead.

"I am not a Jedi. Would you kill Dooku or Grievous?" she asked him, heart pounding. Ice stepped back, looking confused and uncertain.

She snapped her head to the right as clones began banging on the door. He looked at her, a pleading look in his eyes. He didn't want to hurt her. He had to kill her. She swallowed and reached out a hand to her friend. Tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Ice, are you with me or against me?"