"Assassination on Alderaan"
40 BBY
Alderaan. The sun shined on the snow-capped mountains. The grassy hills were greener than ever before, and the vast bodies of water were clean and clear. The wolf-cats ran through the terrain, and the birds flew through the blue sky.
A small Republic space cruiser entered the atmosphere of the emerald bright planet. The cruiser, equipped with its tri-engines, flat body, and squared-off cockpit, descended closer into the city of Aldera.
The cruiser's captain and copilot sat side by side at the forward console as they steered closer to the capital.
At the back of the ship, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn patiently awaited their landing. They had been sent by the Jedi Council to investigate the death of Cado Tokkara, a wealthy politician that resided in the capital.
Qui-Gon's blue eyes fixed on his Padawan, studying his facial expressions. Qui-Gon was tall and powerfully built. His beard and mustache were close-cropped, and his hair was long and tied back. He wore a tunic and hooded robes, same as his student.
"What is it, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked his appren-tice. He noticed Obi-Wan focused on something, as if he was trying to establish a connection with something or someone.
"I sense a strong presence," Obi-Wan responded. "Strong in the Force." Obi-Wan was in his twenties. He was shorter than Qui-Gon. His hair was short cut in the style of a Padawan learner, short and even, except the tightly braided pigtail that hung over his left shoulder.
"I feel it too," Qui-Gon acknowledged. "It could just be the Force itself. Remember, Obi-Wan, we Jedi are always in contact with the Force. It works in mysterious ways and it's a Jedi's mission to figure out these mysteries."
"I know, but this is different," Obi-Wan insisted. His facial expression revealed confusion. "It's like there is another Jedi with us, but there are no records of Force-sensitive children on the planet."
"When we land, keep an eye out," Qui-Gon ins-tructed. "We do not know what we might encounter."
Obi-Wan agreed and began to meditate as the shuttle made its final preparations for landing. This was his fourth year under Qui-Gon's teachings. Obi-Wan felt he owed everything to his master, who took him under his wing and rescued him from being sent to the Agricultural Corporations on Bandomeer. Even though Obi-Wan acknowledged Qui-Gon's wisdom, he also believed that his master was a little extreme in his ideals. Qui-Gon repeatedly defied the Council, something that frustrated Obi-Wan. His master was probably the greatest Jedi alive and deserved to sit on the Council, but his own peculiar vision of a Jedi's purpose had gotten him in a lot of trouble.
Obi Wan was interrupted by the shuttle's pilot, who asked him to disembark onto the landing platform. He got off the ship and met up with Qui-Gon and Bail Organa, Alderaan's representative in the Galactic Senate, outside the Royal Palace of Alderaan.
"You must be Obi-Wan," Bail said with a smile, as he looked at Obi-Wan. "I have heard you are quite the Jedi."
Obi-Wan stared at the senator and smiled. "I'm sure my master has exaggerated my abilities." Obi-Wan said, still trying to figure out where the presence he felt came from.
"Nonsense!" Bail exclamed.
"What happened here?" Qui-Gon asked.
"We believe Cado was poisoned."
"Poisoned?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Yes," Bail confirmed. "Follow me, I will take you to the crime scene. We were all gathered at my banquet and were having some drinks. After some time, Cado came to me saying he wasn't feeling well and immediately collapsed on the floor. We took him to the infirmary, but it was too late."
"When was this?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Two days ago."
The two Jedi followed Bail Organa through the palace to the dining room. Obi-Wan was amazed at all the riches the senator's palace held. He had never been to a politician's palace. He contemplated the gold painted columns and the royal paintings on the roof. The floor was made of marble, giving the palace halls a majestic look.
They arrived at the dining room and Bail Organa picked up the glass Cado had drank from. "This was Cado's glass," he said. "Our medics analyzed the fluid and found it to be Khysyl."
"Khysyl, very deadly," Qui-Gon said.
"We left the scene untouched, so you could investigate further. After you're finished, we will take you to the body," Bail informed the Jedi.
"Master, I can feel it inside," Obi-Wan whispered. "Stronger now."
"There is definetly a Force-sensitive being nearby," Qui-Gon confirmed. "We must be vigilant."
A guard interrupted the two Jedi and Bail Organa with news about Cado's son. "Senator, Hal and Marz have arrived. They are waiting in the guest room."
"Who's Hal?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Hal is Cado's son," Bail responded.
"I would like to speak with the boy and his uncle."
"Very well," Bail said. "Talak and Caalin will take you to the safe room."
Obi-Wan greeted the two guards and followed them to the safe room. Along the way, Obi-Wan could feel the Force's energy growing around him. He looked around to see if there were any Jedi relics that could be transmitting the energy, but he didn't find anything.
"They are through this door." Talak said.
Obi-Wan thanked Talak and Caalin and entered the room. Inside, the boy and his uncle were sat down on a sofa. The kid had fair skin and dark brown hair. His young face portrayed his childish innocence. His brown eyes gazed at Obi-Wan from the moment he entered the room.
The man was in his early thirties. His sleek hair complemented his long beard. He wore expensive garments and jewelry. His face expressed an immense concern. He had been startled by Obi-Wan's sudden entrance.
"Hello there," Obi-Wan greeted.
"Who are you?" The man asked.
"My name's Obi-Wan Kenobi," Obi-Wan respon-ded. "My master and I were sent by the Republic to assist you. I just want to talk." Obi-Wan stared at the boy. "You must be Hal Tokkara."
"Yeah, that's me," The boy said. He also had a concerned look in his face.
Obi-Wan felt the boy's connection to the Force. He had found the Force-sensitive being they had sensed from the cruiser.
"My name is Marz," The man said. "I am Little Tokkara's uncle."
"Pleasure to meet you," Obi-Wan said. "Do you mind if we speak outside for a moment?"
"As long as it doesn't take much time," Marz said.
"It won't take long," Obi-Wan promised. He opened the door, inviting Marz outside and left the room.
"By any chance, do you know if your neph–"
"Yes," Marz interrupted.
"I beg your pardon,"
"The boy is special," Marz added. "He has a strong connection to the Force." He lowered his head, feeling somewhat ashamed.
"An extraordinary connection," Obi-Wan assured. "I could feel his presence when my transport was landing."
"His father always said it," Marz said, remembering his brother's words.
"There are no records of Force-sensitive children on this planet," Obi-Wan explained. "Why was he not on the Jedi Order's list of known Force-sensitive children?"
"That would be his father's fault," Marz said. "My brother feared the Jedi and hated the thought of losing his son to one of you, so he kept him hidden."
"A kid with this type of connection has to be trained. What if his powers fell in the wrong hands?"
"It was his father's decision," Marz said, "but I never approved of it."
"At least we're in the same page."
"I believe you should take the boy when you leave for Coruscant."
"And why is that?"
"Pirates have been trying to kidnap him for months. They probably plan to use his powers to their advantage and I have no doubt they're behind my brother's death."
"That is quite alarming. Where is the mother?"
"Hal's mother lives with his brothers on Coruscant," Marz said. "Hal hasn't really seen her or his brothers."
"Why?"
"Hal's mother also believed he should be taken to the Jedi Temple, so Cado thought living so close to the Temple would mean he joined the Jedi," Marz explained. "Our family would be honored to have a Jedi in our blood. If you take him, his mother would be thankful."
After finishing his talk with Marz, Obi-Wan returned to the infirmary to meet up with Qui-Gon. On his way to the infirmary, Obi-Wan pondered about Cado's decision to hide a Force-sensitive child from the Jedi. He understood that losing a child was hard, but it was for their own benefit. He wondered if there were other parents that did the same with their children. If those children fell in the wrong hands, bounty hunters or pirates, they could take many innocent lives. Even the Sith, but he had never seen one. He had only heard tales and legends about how they were the Jedi's enemies and used the Dark Side to gain power and conquer planets.
Obi-Wan reached the infirmary and met up with Qui-Gon and Bail, who were inspecting Cado's corpse and analyzing the areas the poison attacked.
"Master, I spoke with the boy," Obi-Wan said.
"And?" Qui-Gon asked while he used the Force to analyze the corpse.
"He is the one we've sensed," Obi-Wan confirmed. "Being inside the room with him felt like being next to a Jedi Knight or maybe even a Jedi Master."
"If what you say is true and his presence was indeed felt from inside the shuttle, he could become one of the greatest Jedi in the Order," Qui-Gon said.
"We must act quickly then," Obi-Wan urged. "The boy's uncle told me that pirates have been trying to kidnap him for months now. If he falls into the wrong hands, he could cause much damage."
"These pirates, I believe they will strike again. I have been sensing a disturbance for a while now."
"What do we do, Master?"
"We must finish our investigation and complete the Council's report," Qui-Gon instructed. "After all is done, we will speak with the boy's uncle and take him with us to the Temple."
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan agreed.
Qui-Gon summoned the security officer and ordered him and a squad to guard the room where Hal and Marz where located.
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were inside the room finishing the Council's report. The poison was confirmed to be Khysyl, a liquid that attacked Cado's lungs and disintegrated them, leaving him without air and killing him. The murderer was unknown, but among the suspects were the Shatterhorn Clan, a group of pirates that were known for kidnapping important politicians and ransoming them or even murdering them for money.
"You're uneasy," Qui-Gon told his Padawan.
"I believe we should leave with the boy now," Obi-Wan responded.
"Relax," Qui-Gon suggested, "I'm finishing up the final details and we can go speak with his uncle." He was almost done imputing information on his datapad when he turned around a looked at his Padawan.
Obi-Wan felt danger sneaking into the palace. A sinking feeling in his stomach dropped into his stomach, his facial expression changed, he began to sweat, and he heard a scream coming from one of the halls.
"Get to the room!" Qui-Gon ordered. "I'll protect the senators." Qui-Gon ignited his green lightsaber and stood in front of the senators, ready to defend them from any threat.
Obi-Wan paced through the halls of the palace trying to find Hal's room. At a left turn, he was confronted by two pirates. Obi-Wan ignited his blue lightsaber and deflected the pirate's shots. One of the shots hit a pirate in the arm and Obi-Wan slashed him down. Realizing what he had just done, Obi-Wan grabbed the other pirate with the Force and flung him against the wall.
He had been taught by his master to only kill when there was no other choice. Diplomacy was always a better solution, and if the enemy wasn't willing to negotiate, then violence was used, but mainly as a form of defense.
He entered the passages and again paced them. There was blood on the floors and corpses of both palace security and pirates. Obi-wan reached Hal's room and entered. He found four dead guards, but no sign of Hal or his uncle. A hole had been cut in the roof and the windows had been forced open. Obi-Wan heard a scream coming from the east side. He rushed through the palace and reached maids' room.
Inside, Obi-Wan encountered several pirates cornering various maids to kidnap them. The pirates were surprised by the sudden entrance of the young Jedi. They immediately opened fire, but Obi-Wan deflected the various laser bolts heading toward him. He Force threw a nightstand on a pair of pirates and taking advantage of their loss of momentum, he jumped at them. He gave them a chance to surrender, but they didn't and Obi-Wan was forced to slash them down.
"Are you ok?" Obi-Wan asked one of the maids.
"Yes, thank you for your help, Master Jedi," the maid responded.
"Do you have any idea were Hal is?"
"We saw him run into the storage room."
"He was being followed by many pirates," Another maid added.
"Thank you for your help. Stay in here and lock the door. Don't let anyone in until I come back," Obi-Wan instructed.
He left the room and continued his way to the storage room. "Where are you, little one?" Obi-Wan whispered. As he made his way closer to the east side of the building, pirate activity began to increase. There were more bodies on the floor and blood on the walls. I must be on the right track, Obi-Wan thought. Going from room to room, Obi-Wan worked his way closer to the east.
He finally entered a room that had a map of the palace. The room seemed to be set up for guests. Pink walls and cream-colored ceiling. The marble floor was so shiny that it acted as a mirror.
As he tried to figure out his location and where the storage room was located, Obi-Wan heard the door hinge moving, as if someone was trying to open the door. With his lightsaber in hand, he readied himself for the impending attack, but the door never opened.
He returned to examine the map and figure out how to get to the storage room. Obi-Wan was in the political guest room, almost at the end of the palace. In his desperation, he had run right past the storage room.
He left the room immediately and confronted a large squad of pirates. "How many of you are there?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Enough to take you down, Jedi."
They began shooting at Obi-Wan, who quickly ignited his lightsabers. He had no time to waste so he entered the room again. Inside, he cut a hole on the floor with his lightsaber and dropped to the floor beneath.
Qui-Gon had managed to keep Bail Organa and the other guests undetected all this time, but he was quickly running out of places to hide them. Pirates were beginning to surround the room, and in big numbers.
They were inside the dining room, but there were no locations to hide. There was an entrance to the kitchen, but the kitchen had no exits, so they would be trapped either way.
"What are we going to do?" Sodi Mhuin, of Corellia, asked. The senator suffered from hypertension and was beginning to feel dizzy.
"We'll find a way, but for now, stay close to me," Qui-Gon said.
"I can fight," Bail said. He pulled a blaster and stood next to Qui-Gon.
"No," Qui-Gon disagreed, "It's too dangerous."
"Master Qui-Gon, this is my palace. I will not let pirates barge in and do as they please. I will defend my home."
The Jedi and Senator stood tall in the face of danger. Bail Organa told the other guests to hide anywhere they could while he and Qui-Gon faced the pirates, but they refused.
"We're helping," Tnay Shurn said. "We're not intimidated by low-life pirates.
"I will stay with Sodi," Kharla Tokkara, Marz's wife, said.
"Very well, take him and hide inside the kitchen until this is all over," Bail instructed.
"Do you have any other weapons?" Tnay Shurn asked Bail.
"No."
The pirates barged into the room in a matter of seconds and tossed a smoke grenade. Bail Organa opened fire before the pirates were visible and they immediately returned fire. Qui-Gon quickly advanced at them while deflecting their fire and vanished into the smoke.
Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber and descended into the storage room. The room was dark, only a few lights illuminated it. Rows of shelves filled with materials and piles of crates and supplies made up the first section of the room. The second section was a small passage of storage lockers filled with constructions materials and machines.
He looked around and tried to get a sense of his surroundings. His senses were clouded by the never-ending sensation of danger looming over him. As he inspected the shelves, two pirates attacked him from behind. He reacted quickly, thanks to his Jedi abilities, and deflected one of the shots, however, he wasn't quick enough and one of the shots caught him in the shoulder. Obi-Wan charged at the pirates and engaged them in hand-to-hand combat. Obi-Wan landed a few punches on the pirate and knocked him back, but he was caught off by the second pirate. The pirate jumped Obi-Wan and tried to stab him, but Obi-Wan was first to react. He caught the pirates hand and pulled him to the ground. He then Force pushed one of the pirates against the shelf and kicked the other against some crates.
"Glad that's over," Obi-Wan said out loud.
But his break was short-lived.
More pirates emerged from the shadows and began shooting at him. Obi-Wan dodged the bullets and summoned his lightsaber with the Force. "Why do you keep coming?" He used his lightsaber to deflect the blaster bolts and killed one of the pirates. While he was occupied with the shots, one pirate grabbed Obi-Wan from behind, causing him to be shot in the arm this time.
The pirates started beating the life out of Obi-Wan and when the Padawan was almost about to pass out, they stopped. They left him a few moments dropped on the floor. Blood poured out of Obi-Wan's mouth. His face was filled with cuts and bruises.
One pirate approached Obi-Wan and pulled him by the head. He smiled and pointed his gun at him. He placed his finger on the trigger, and as he went to pull it, he was flung across the room.
Obi-Wan gathered whatever strength he had left and rolled over to his lightsaber. He ignited it and killed the two remaining pirates, who had been too startled by the previous event to even realize that Obi-Wan had moved.
Obi-Wan dropped to the floor, hands on his face, wiping out the blood from his nose. The extreme discomfort of two laser shots to his left arm, and the feeling that half of his bones had been shattered were too much to bare. The thought that he had been too late to save the young child, that he had failed him and his family. The Padawan didn't want to move a muscle.
As he stared into the darkness in front of him, he noticed a figure emerging from the shadows behind the crates. Hal revealed himself from behind a crate and walked up to Obi-Wan.
"Are you alright?" Hal asked.
"Not so much." Obi-Wan moaned. "I could do with some medical help."
Hal furrowed his brows and examined the Jedi. He definitely wasn't ok. He almost had the life beaten out of him by several pirates. "Uncle Organa can help. This is his palace."
"Go find him. He is at the dining room with the rest of the guests."
Hal nodded in understanding and speeded up the ladders. Hal had been to Bail Organa's palace more than one hundred times. His connection to the Force had allowed him to learn almost the entire palace. He ran through the halls and passages, being careful not to run into any more pirates. He reached the dining room in record time.
Qui-Gon saw the boy at the entrance and tilted his head in curiosity. He hadn't met Hal, so he had no idea this was the boy Obi-Wan had spoken about. What he did know was that his Padawan was in danger. He could feel it.
"Hal!" Bail shouted. He signaled the boy to enter the room. "You're alive! What a relief."
"Bail! The Jedi!" Hal cried out. "He needs help."
"Where is he?" Qui-Gon asked immediately.
The boy motioned for Qui-Gon and Bail to follow him. "He is in the storage room."
They reached the storage room as quick as they could and found Obi-Wan laying on the floor, almost passed out. Qui-Gon ran to his apprentice and picked him up.
"We need to get him to the infirmary right now," the Jedi Master said.
"Of course," Bail responded. "I'll clear the room for him." It was clear that what he meant was removing Cado's corpse from the infirmary, so Hal couldn't see it. He left the room immediately and rushed to the infirmary.
Qui-Gon, meanwhile, gave him time to remove the body. He looked at Hal. The boy was just standing there, staring at the tall man next to him.
"You must be Hal," Qui-Gon finally said.
"Yes." The boy looked around, checking his surrounding areas for any danger. "Are they gone?"
"I believe so. The last ones fled or were arrested."
Hal let out a sigh of relief. "I think he needs help." He looked at Obi-Wan, his face cut, and his body filled with bruises.
"I think so too. Let's take him to the infirmary."
Qui-Gon and Hal arrived at the infirmary with Obi-Wan. Bail was waiting with a couple of doctors and a bed reserved for the young Padawan.
Qui-Gon placed Obi-Wan on the bed and watched as the doctors immediately got to work. They cleaned his cuts and checked if he had any broken bones.
"He has a lot of bruises, but none are as severe as they look. He passed out due to fatigue and loss of air," the doctor explained. "He'll survive."
Qui-Gon watched as his Padawan regained his consciousness. Obi-Wan opened his eyes and looked at his master, who was sitting next to his bed.
"Master, what happened?" Obi-Wan asked.
"You were almost beaten to death by pirates. Luckily, your new friend saved you."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "My head hurts."
"You took quite some hits. You'll be fine."
Obi-Wan sat up and began to feel his arms and legs, trying to find out which ones hurt most. "What about the boy?"
"He's with his uncle. Quite the child you've discovered. He has a very strong connection to the Force."
As they finished their conversation, Marz and Bail entered the room. They greeted the Jedi and asked Obi-Wan how he was feeling.
"I'm feeling better," Obi-Wan responded.
"Good to know," Marz said. "I have some news. I've spoken with Hal and he will leave with you tomorrow. Take him to Coruscant and train him."
"Did his mother agree with the decision?" Qui-Gon asked. "We can't just force his mother to give up his child."
"I spoke with his mother. He was supposed to go live with her anyway, so she said that she preferred him with the Jedi Order."
"I'm sure the Council will accept him," Obi-Wan assured. "He's very special."
"You have my gratitude," Marz said. "We will leave you to recuperate for your trip tomorrow." He and Bail exited the infirmary and left the two Jedi to finish their conversation.
The next morning, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Bail Organa gathered in the main office to finish the Council's report. Obi-Wan was still hurting, but his young age meant his recovery was faster than most. He could walk, albeit with some discomfort, and the cuts on his face were beginning to heal.
The report stated that Cado Tokkara had been poisoned by the pirates using Khysyl. The reason was suspected to be the capture of Hal Tokkara, his Force sensitive child that had been kept away from the Jedi due to his father's fear of losing him. The report also related the events that had occurred during their mission. The pirate attack and Hal's use of the Force to save Obi-Wan.
After finishing the report. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon returned to the palace's entrance, where they met up with Hal, Marz, and several palace guards.
Marz left Hal with Bail Organa and approached Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan for a few questions. "How will we be sure that he won't remember me or his father?"
"There is no guarantee. He's still very young, but he might remember a few things." Qui-Gon answered.
"He might remember he had brothers and small details like that." Obi-Wan added.
"I understand."
After finishing the departure preparations, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Hal boarded the transport. Inisde, Hal sat next to Obi-Wan and happily waved goodbye to the palace. Not even knowing where he was going, Hal could somehow feel this would mark the beginning of a life full of adventures, friendships and dangers that he could never have imagined.