Chapter 2. Galactic Chaos
The death of the senators was all over the holonet; when it flashed on the view screen Supreme Chancellor Julion Van Mont was receiving a massage from his young wife Aaneda Van Mont. The explosion was caught on holocam.
"Over ninety percent of the Senators had gathered together in the assembly hall when the explosion happened…"
Mont sat up and held Aaneda in his lap, "Oh my stars…" she declared. "…Senator Koviss."
Julion was speechless, he stood up and made a holonet call to Coruscant. He slammed his fist on the com box. "Damn!" He yelled.
"What happened?" She asked.
"I can't get through Admiral Quintess has called for media silence…"
That is when Queen Tauhlia came onto the balcony; "I just heard and I can't believe it… the press is saying it is Corellian terrorists…"
"That is ridiculous…" Mont shouted; "…I cry your pardon your majesty. I have to get back to Coruscant…"
Aaneda had already gone to their suit to pack, as she walked back into the lobby a droid passed her. "Begging your pardon sir… Grand Master Gaffeen Satell is on line for you…"
"Transmit it here…" a cylinder like droid floated onto the balcony and transmitted the Selkath's image. "Master Gaffeen I heard… We are packing now… I should be back on Coruscant within the next five days…"
["Your presence will be welcome… several systems are already threatening to leave the Republic… this incident has also started tensions between the Quarren and the Mon Calamari as well…"]
"I am trying to contact Admiral Quintess… but he isn't responding to any of my inquiries…"
["I shall contact him for you…"]
The transmission was ended, it took Julion and Aaneda thirty minutes to pack and shuttle to their ship in orbit. Queen Tauhlia saw them off.
Coruscant-The Jedi Temple:
All the masters with the exception of Lazz was gathered together in the council chambers. They all listened to Vandarr and Vrook as they described their fight with Caos-Lazz.
"I think this Darth Caos is responsible for the deaths of the senators as well…" Mia Shale said.
"We must hunt him down as soon as possible…" Vrook cried.
"We haven't seen the last of this Darth Caos… I feel this is only the beginning…" Master Kavar said.
["Yes we need to be on guard…"] Gaffeen said.
A chime beeped and Gaffeen hit a button on his armchair it was his apprentice, a human named Ramere. His holographic image shimmered into resolution. "Forgive me master, but Admiral Quintess and the head of the GRI are here to speak with the council members…"
["Show them in…"]
"This can't be good…" The Falleen Fiorra Hunn said.
The fifteen-year old Ramere led the human Quintess and a Bothan Named Xasar Bwe'Tau into the council chambers. He bowed to the masters then left.
["Gentlemen what can we do for you…"]
"This must be off the record because of the implications…" Xasar said.
Gaffeen had all recordings paused; ["You may speak freely…"]
Xasar cleared his throat; "We intercepted some damaging evidence in regards to the chancellor's office… some of this evidence is… shall we say is circumspective…"
"We have evidence in our possession that implicates Supreme Chancellor Julion Van Mont in the deaths of all the Senators…"
"That is ridiculous…" Vrook yelled.
"It gets better Master Vrook…" Xasar said speaking up; "…We caught one of the men responsible for planting the bombs… He confessed to being hired by Chancellor Mont…"
["We would like to interrogate him…"] Dainor said.
Xasar and Quintess looked at each other; "Nothing would give us greater pleasure… but the bastard killed himself…" Xasar said.
"Convenient…" Mia Shale said sarcastically.
"We were hoping that the jedi would lead the investigation to exonerate him… Someone tipped off the press, but some of them had the sense too keep a lid on this… We had to call for a media black out… I know a few journalistic big mouths who would love blast this about…"
"But you cannot guarantee media silence…"
They both sighed, but it was Xasar who answered. "No this is bound to get on the net…"
"Not to mention the fact that we have to arrest the chancellor as soon as he lands on Coruscant…" Quintess said in a sad tone of voice.
"A statement the council must make… to the press…" Vandarr said.
Gaffeen looked at Vandarr and sighed; ["Agreed… Masters Vrook, Mia Shale, and Fiorra Hunn will investigate… Masters Vandarr, Dainor, and I will make a statement to the press on these disturbing findings…"] he looked at Laon Tunell; ["Speak with Master Lazz and see if he remembers anything…"]
"One more thing…" Fiorra Hunn yelled; "…When you arrest Chancellor Mont, Vefar' Sanx will become acting supreme chancellor…"
Her words caused Xasar to sigh and with a heavy heart he said; "I don't trust him either and for the following reasons… when General Myac Fell escaped prison… we assumed he died, but we now believe Vefar Sanx is actually General Fell…"
"You are telling us this now…" Vrook said.
"Well we don't have any evidence and my friends on Bothuwai have been watching the senator… Perhaps with you jedi we can unmask him…"
The council agreed and adjourned, they all went to their assigned duties. Since Masters Vrook, Mia Shale and Fiorra Hunn went with the admiral and director to arrest Julion Van Mont.
They allowed Mont to land on Coruscant and on the ramp of his starship chancellor one he gave a statement to the press. Then he made his way to ambassadorial palace that was used for visiting dignitaries.
"Has the Jedi council responded to my requests for aid…" He asked his new assistant; a female Bith named Gyreel.
["No sir… it seems everyone in government has taken a vow of silence… Senators Sanx, Desstar and Pior are here they were the only ones to survive because they arrived late.]
"Show them in…" He took a seat at his desk and looked at Aaneda; "…I need a drink."
"Some tea…"
He smiled; "No I need something with a little more kick…"
The doors swooshed open, but instead of the surviving senators Gyreel entered with Director Xasar, Admiral Quintess, and Jedi Masters Vrook, Mia Shale, and Fiorra Hunn.
Mont was about to speak, but Xasar stopped him; "We need to talk…"
Mont listened as the Bothan told him what they had discovered and why they were there with fifty members of the Republic security force.
"That is ridiculous…" Aaneda said when he finished his tale.
"It is that is why we the Jedi council will be personally handling the investigation…" Vrook said.
"We need your full cooperation sir… You will be placed under house arrest…"
"Among your body guards will be Jedi Knights… You will be perfectly safe until we uncover the true villains behind this plot…" Vrook said.
"I will cooperate… but I don't trust Sanx either try to put someone else in charge like Senator Pior… He is an ally of mine…"
"It is settled then…" Mia Shale said.
"Nothing is settled… I won't sit still for this…" Aaneda said.
"Lady Mont please…"
"No…" She yelled.
Mont stood up; "Wife…" He gently said trying to take her in his arms, she jerked away from him. "…Where is that strong little urchin who stole my credit clip…" He cupped her face, "… I need her now, more than ever…"
"I will do everything in my power to exonerate you…" She replied, he kissed her on the lips.
"I know…" He turned to Xasar, "…I am ready…"
"Supreme Chancellor Julion Van Mont… I am placing you under arrest for conspiracy, treason, consorting with the sith, and mass murder… anything you say will be used against you in a court of law… Have you understood your rights as I have said them to you…"
"Yes…" he replied as Xasar placed binders on him.
"Is that necessary?" Aaneda asked.
"Only a formality ma'am… as soon as he is settled in I will remove them…" Xasar turned to the captain of the guard. "Captain take him to the east wing…" A detail of fifty men formed around Mont and took him to the east wing in the palace.
"I want to be alone now…" Aaneda said as Mia tried to comfort her.
"If you need anything the Jedi is ready to serve."
As soon as they all left the office Aaneda searched her bags until she found a GRI operative transmitter, she placed a code in desert scorpion and then she waited. Five minutes passed before the device chimed and it projected a miniature hologram of Mission Vao.
"Well hello… Mrs. Mont or should I say Mrs. Chancellor…" The Twi'lek said.
"Hello Mission… have you heard about…"
"I know everything including the chancellor's arrest…"
"I know you are retired, but could you put your team together and…"
She smiled; "For a friend anything… It will take eight days…"
"If you are caught…"
"I know… You will hear from me in eight days from now… Mission out…"
The guards were escorting Mont up the east wing down a hall on the fifth floor. It was mainly disserted with the exception of some cleaning droids and a few engineers. As they passed the droid and a couple of engineers the droid popped open to reveal an assassin on the inside and the man servicing the power conduit leapt off of his hover stool igniting a lightsaber. The security guards jumped to action; they opened fire on the man who leapt out of the droid, but he had a personal shield generator and a golem flechet heavy repeater. The weapon fired molten pieces of metal in wide burst; two guards were burned badly as the molten led went through their blaster armor. One of the guards extended his hand and force ripped the weapon from him. He slammed the man into the wall knocking him unconscious. Then he fought a dark jedi named Serall Hass who had killed his former master and was hired by Darth Caos for this mission. Hass managed to cut the leg off the Jedi and would have killed him, but another Jedi a woman dropped kicked him and then stabbed him with one of two of her lightsabers. She blocked blaster fire from all directions as more assassins tried to kill Mont. A man burst from another droid and pointed a micron-forty rocket launcher at the group. The missile flew from the weapon but the woman extended her hand and the missile looped around and killed the man and three others. Two more assassins this time sith assassins joined the attempt on Mont's life.
"Go I will hold them off…" The woman yelled running along the wall and landing in front of the two assassins. As she fought the two masked warriors the captain and his men surrounded Mont and led him to safety. When Mia Shale showed up with a hundred more security officers the female Jedi was returning to the east wing lobby carrying her fellow Jedi.
"Well done…" Mia said.
"Thank you master… they were well organized… members of the brotherhood of the krayt dragon…" The brotherhood was started by the sith lord Darth Sion.
"Well it looks like the order needs to go hunting again…"
"There were also two sith assassins…" The woman said handing Mia their lightsabers. "…And the traitor Serall Hass dared to show his face… Jedi Cren was able to knock a man out before he was maimed…"
"Well done Jedi Vella… Carry on…"
The man they took alive killed himself with a pill he had in his mouth so there was no interrogating him. It was Mia Shale who suggested that it be announced that Julion Van Mont had been killed in the attempt and that all the assassins died trying to escape. Director Xasar agreed and Mont was taken to a secure location. When Gaffeen and the others made their statements to the press he informed the galaxy that Julion Van Mont was dead. Pior Gathar a Wookie was chosen to be acting supreme chancellor.
Desstar the Senator of Corellia was on his way to meet with the acting supreme chancellor when he was killed by a runaway speeder car. He was taken to the medical center where he died later. Senator Vefar Sanx was in his office when several assassins tried to kill him, but his private security team miraculously defeated the team of assassins.
The acting supreme chancellor was in his office writing proposals to those member worlds threatening to leave the republic. His security had been increased and two Jedi had been assigned to him, but it was no use. A mouse droid filled with a poisonous gas made from plants that could only be found on the planet Felucia was used, he died instantly. The media speculated on the deaths and the chaos was spreading through the galaxy as even the wookie chief ten was threatening to leave the republic if the true villains weren't found immediately.
The Jedi Temple:
"Master Lazz I am sorry to make you relive that, but if there is anything you can remember…" Laon Tunell said. Lazz had awakened several hours ago and had tried everything to cleanse himself, but he felt lost.
"I am sorry Master Tunell… I don't know anything…" He hesitated. "…It was like being locked in a room with no windows or doors… I knew what was happening on the outside, but I couldn't stop myself… I am ashamed of myself…"
He smiled feeling nothing, but compassion for the Jedi Master; "I know you fought him with everything on the inside of you… May I suggest that get back up and into your old routine…"
He shook his head in fear; "I don't know if I can…"
"You have to try my friend… If you don't then Darth Caos has already won…"
He looked at him with great fear in his eyes; "I feel as if a part of myself is missing… I am tainted…" He grabbed Tunell by the arm; "…I will say this. Darth Caos is far more powerful than you can imagine… he may even be more powerful than Darth Arachni…"
"And as powerful as he was… Darth Arachni was killed by a Jedi…" He tried to send comforting thoughts to Lazz; "…Be strong my friend."
Lazz watched Laon Tunell leave the medical wing and as he did he looked inside himself and saw the taint that Darth Caos left behind and apart of Lazz felt as if he wanted to taste more of the dark side.
["How is he…"] Dainor Rimjall asked standing in the lobby with Masters Vandarr, Kavar, and Galo Helm.
"He is afraid… Master Lazz will need our support…"
"Contact Master Wendu… Double his efforts he must to find and stop Darth Caos…" Vandarr said.
"Maybe we should consider sending more Jedi to help him… He and his team have been searching for the past five years with no headway…" Helm said.
Kavar shook his hesd; "I disagree Haal Windu is strong in the force… he will not fail us…"
As they talked they were joined by Master Vrook; "There is something you all need to see…" He pulled out a mini-projector that showed Vefar Sanx accepting the post of acting supreme chancellor. That announcement left a sour taste in the mouths of the Jedi.