 |  |
Warning: This infobox is missing the following parameters: unit1, unit2, unit4, unit3
- "Well, there's a sinister plot in the works against the Jedi! I have proof of it! I can prove that everything I know is true beyond the shadow of a doubt!"
- ―Fives attempts to explain his findings to Skywalker and Rex
Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and Clone Captain Rex undertook a mission to Coruscant's Level 1325 during the Clone Wars to find rogue ARC trooper Fives, who was on the run after being framed for an attempted attack on Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine.
Prelude
During the Battle of Ringo Vinda, CT-5385 — a clone trooper also known by his nickname "Tup" — unexpectedly shot and killed Jedi General Tiplar.[4] The attack was due to a premature execution of Order 66, caused by a failure in Tup's control chip,[5] an organic chip incorporated into all the clones to make them follow the order.[1] Tup was brought back to Kamino as the Republic authorities and Jedi investigated the matter. The Kaminoans, aware of the control chips and Order 66 but believing it to be a contingency against rogue Jedi, attempted to cover up their existence. However, the ARC trooper CT-5555 "Fives", Tup's best friend in the 501st Legion, was determined to find out the cause of the attack and save Tup's life, and thus discovered and removed the malfunctioning chip.[6] Although Tup died shortly after his chip was removed, Fives still intended to find out what was going on, and eventually went rogue in Tipoca City with medical droid AZI-3, having his own chip removed and discovering that all the clones had them.[5]
Fives persuaded Jedi Master Shaak Ti, who oversaw clone training on Kamino, to let him plead his case about the chips to the Supreme Chancellor in person, although Kaminoan doctor Nala Se claimed that the chips were merely intended to inhibit the clones' aggression and any insanity inherited from their genetic source, Jango Fett.[5] As their shuttle approached the Republic's capital planet of Coruscant, Nala Se covertly drugged Fives with a compound intended to increase his aggression and paranoia. Upon arrival at the Grand Republic Medical Facility, Fives and Shaak Ti were met by Speaker Mas Amedda and troopers of the Coruscant Guard, before being escorted inside to see Chancellor Palpatine.[1]
However, Palpatine was secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, and the architect of the entire conspiracy surrounding the control chips. After requesting Shaak Ti leave as Fives might be more comfortable explaining himself without her there, leaving only himself and his loyal shock troopers, Palpatine told Fives the truth about what the control chips were intended for and that he was behind it before ordering the shock troopers to kill him. Fives counterattacked in his own defence and attempted to kill the Chancellor just as Shaak Ti burst in, alerted by the sounds of fighting and Palpatine screaming in apparent fear. The Togruta Jedi Force-threw Fives away from Palpatine, and Fives escaped with her in pursuit. Although Shaak Ti shouted for Fives to stop as she was willing to listen to him, the combination of Palpatine's revelations and Nala Se's drug meant he didn't listen, managing to flee through a closing blast door ahead of the Jedi General.[1]
Fives was subsequently the target of a manhunt, as he had apparently attacked the Chancellor for no reason. Although the Jedi were not officially asked to help, the Jedi Council decided to send Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, Fives' commanding officer, to look covertly as Skywalker had volunteered. Skywalker was accompanied by his subordinate Clone Captain Rex. Fives managed to make his way to the clone bar 79's, swiping a hat from a drunk clone officer outside to hide his "5" tattoo, the primary distinguishing mark being used to identify him in the manhunt. Inside, he saw 501st Legion members Kix and Jesse, learning that the unit had returned to Coruscant. When Kix went into the refresher, Fives followed him and, using the opportunity for privacy, told Kix that he had been framed and that he knew vital information. He gave Kix the coordinates for a location where he wanted to meet with Skywalker and Rex before departing. Although Fives managed to avoid the attention of the Coruscant Guard troopers who had arrived to question 79's patrons about whether they'd seen him, a probe droid spotted him as he left on a speeder bike and followed him.[1]
The mission
- "Rex…"
"Fives…"
"This is bigger than any of us, than anything I could have imagined. I never meant to… I only wanted to do my duty…"
"Fives, stay with me Fives. Fives!"
"The mission… the nightmares… they're… finally over." - ―Fives and Rex, upon the former's death
Fives traveled to an abandoned warehouse in Level 1325 of the Coruscant underworld. There, becoming increasingly paranoid due to the drug administered by Nala Se, he set up a ray shield. After receiving the coordinates from Kix, Skywalker and Rex headed for Level 1325 in an LAAT/le gunship. Clone Commander Fox of the Coruscant Guard, alerted by the probe droid, also headed for the warehouse with a squad of his shock troopers.[1]
When Skywalker and Rex arrived at the warehouse, they landed outside and walked in. When they were a ways inside, Fives addressed them from a hidden location, asking them to put their weapons down before they came any closer, as he couldn't afford to take any precautions. Wanting to help Fives, Skywalker and Rex acquiesced to the request, leaving Skywalker's lightsaber and Rex's DC-17 blaster pistols on a crate before continuing forward. At this point, the two were trapped inside the ray shield Fives had set up, after which the rogue ARC trooper approached them. Skywalker demanded to be released from the shield as he couldn't help Fives otherwise, but Fives refused.[1]
Fives attempted to explain what he had discovered about the control chips and Palpatine's involvement in the conspiracy — a conspiracy to make the clones do anything, even kill the Jedi — but was hampered by his earlier drugging by Nala Se making him increasingly inarticulate, as well as Skywalker's refusal to believe Palpatine, who he trusted, was capable of doing any such thing. Meanwhile, Commander Fox and the Coruscant Guard arrived outside and entered the warehouse. They eventually surrounded the area where Fives, Skywalker and Rex were, at which point Fox confronted the rogue ARC trooper. Fives, in a state of paranoia, went for Rex's pistols and was shot by Fox. When the ray shield was shot out by the Coruscant Guard, Rex went to the dying Fives, who seemed relieved to at least know the truth about the control chips before he died. Many of the shock troopers removed their helmets and stood around Fives' body.[1]
Aftermath
With Fives and Tup both dead, Palpatine attributed the cause of the entire situation to parasites the two had supposedly picked up on the Ringo Vinda space station, announcing that a vaccine would be distributed among the Grand Army of the Republic to prevent any further incidents. Fives was further discredited by making it seem that his removal of his "inhibitor" chip had made him a danger to himself and others. With the two clones' removed control chips winding up in the hands of Count Dooku, leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and Palpatine's Sith apprentice, known to the Kaminoans as "Tyranus", all evidence of the Jedi's intended demise was kept from them — the Jedi were now aware of the chips' existence, but believed the cover story about their purpose to inhibit aggression.[1]
The cover-up did not alleviate everyone's suspicions, however. Kix decided to carry out his own investigation of the circumstances of Fives and Tup's deaths, eventually managing to discover more about Order 66 than Fives ever had but also drawing the attention of the Sith. He was captured on Coruscant by Separatist forces on the orders of Count Dooku, but an attempt to transport him to Serenno for interrogation failed when the ship his cryo-cycle stasis pod was being transported on, the Obrexta III, went off-course after being attacked by Republic forces, eventually crashing on the remote planet Ponemah, where the wreck would not be discovered for decades.[7]
Eventually, at some point before the beginning of the Siege of Mandalore, Captain Rex discovered the existence of the control chips and, along with Commander Wolffe and commando Captain Gregor, had his own chip removed. When Order 66 was issued, this allowed him to save the life of former Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano, whom he was serving under at the time.[8][9]
Behind the scenes
The mission to Level 1325 first appeared in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 6 episode "Orders".[1]
Appearances
Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Orders" (First appearance)- The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku (Indirect mention only)
Sources
- Star Wars: Galactic Atlas (Indirect mention only)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24
Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Orders"
- ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "An Old Friend"
- ↑ Star Wars: Galactic Atlas dates the events of "The Wrong Jedi" and the Battle of Coruscant as being in 19 BBY. Star Wars: The Clone Wars Chronological Episode Order on StarWars.com (backup link) puts the events of "Orders" after "The Wrong Jedi," but before the events of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith which means that its events would take place in the same year as both.
- ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "The Unknown"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Fugitive"
- ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Conspiracy"
- ↑ The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku
- ↑ Star Wars Rebels — "The Lost Commanders"
- ↑ Ahsoka
