Prologue 2
Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker stood in the turbo-lift side by side as they waited to reach the floor of the main council chambers. They could not contrast anymore if the hidden hand of fate tried its hardest. The older of the two Jedi, Obi Wan, had light-brown hair was of medium build and wore an neatly trimmed beard. His pristine brown robes fluttered as he shifted nervously. Despite his bright appearance, his eyes glittered with concern as he watched the indicator on the turbo-lift light up with each passing floor.
The man standing next to him on the other hand, Anakin, was clad in black robes and wore his dark brown hair loosely near his shoulders. Despite his grim appearance, he wore a playful smile on his lips as he turned to his master and friend. "Master, why are you so concerned? This isn't like you."
Shaking his head Obi Wan said, "I sense a great tremor in the Force my friend. Quite frankly, its got me concerned." He paused and turned to look at Anakin. "You're right, normally I am more composed; we've face many a danger in the past but there's something about this particular feeling that has me quite spooked."
"Yes, I've sensed that same tremor too, but I wouldn't worry about it." Anakin replied in a reassuring tone. "Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it, like we always have.
"Careful Anakin, that arrogance will be the end of you." The remark made Anakin flinch slightly. It wasn't lost on Obi Wan that the roles in this conversation were reversed. Usually it was Obi Wan telling his former apprentice to try not to be so apprehensive. He sighed than laughed. "Maybe you're right, maybe I'm just becoming an old worry-wart in my old age."
"Well you're not that old, Master. Though I thought I did hear the creak of bone when you turned towards me..."
Shooting him a look of mock annoyance, Anakin laughed heartily and Obi Wan joined in. "That's a lot truer than I'd like to think about unfortunately. Still, it should be I who practices wisdom and wait to see what the council has to say. It looks like the student has taught the master a lesson." He chucked Anakin on the shoulder an instant before the turbolift doors opened up.
The two Jedi strode across the vast expanse of the council chambers before coming to a stop in the middle of the room. Despite the many times they have been in that very room, the enormity of its scope and purpose never failed to make either of them solemn. They bowed in unison at the figures seated at the rear of the room on various chairs. Despite the enormity of the room, the chairs were designed to be comfortable, not to display an image of imposing power like a throne would.
Twelve different looking people of various species sat upon the chairs. In the middle, a small green humanoid with large ears that protruded from either side of its head and had large but wise looking eyes, nodded at the two individuals in the center of the room. They nodded in response.
"Greetings Master Yoda," Obi Wan said, to the green alien and then, "Masters" to the rest of the council who also nodded toward them. "How may we serve the Council today?"
"Masters Kenobi and Skywalker, please direct your attention to the holo-vid and you'll see why you were summoned here." Said the man known as Mace Windu, who sat adjacent to Yoda, with a wave of his hand. He was dark skinned human with a bald head and stern face. Like the rest of the council, he projected an air of power and wisdom.
Dimming lights heralded the activation of the holo-vid, a three dimensional imaging device that that sprung up in the middle of the chambers. The images showed a red, armored clad figure wielding an energy sword like the lightsabers the Jedi used but different in its design. The armored man was shown mowing down troopers of the Republic which the Jedi served, with ease.
"Who is this? Some sort of mercenary?" Anakin said, studying the images intently.
"Unknown this assailant is." Yoda replied with his strange syntax. "Killed multiple clone troopers and stolen millions of credits from the Coruscant Treasury he has."
Shaking his head, Obi Wan struggled to try to place an identity on the figure in the images but failed. "He's nothing live I've never seen before. Even his weapons are new to me. He moves with great skill and power however. Maybe he's some sort of droid?"
"It's possible, Master Kenobi. The Council has considered that but at the same time, a droid doesn't act with this kind of...murderous glee." Mace replied. Not only that, it doesn't seem likely that a droid no matter how sophisticated, could do...this."
Mace Windu motioned to another image of a dead, blue skinned being clad in the familiar brown robes of the Jedi. In the center of the Jedi's chest was a deep, cauterized gash.
"No, Master Pedia!" Anakin blurted out in shock. "That...thing killed Master Pedia?" To Anakin, Master Windu was right, droids maybe very advanced but it would take someone extremely powerful and skilled to kill Master Pod Pedia, in single combat. Pedia was an excellent swordsman and extremely strong in the Force. Try as he might, Anakin just couldn't buy the droid theory.
Simultaneously, the lights came back on and the holograph shut off. The room was silent as the occupants in it mourned the death of their comrade and tried to make sense of it. After a few moments, the Council returned to business.
"I think its obvious why we've summoned you. We want you to find this individual and bring him to stand trial for the various crimes he has committed. Anybody powerful and skilled enough to kill a Jedi Master is much too dangerous to have running around the galaxy." Mace Windu said. "We will send you all the files we have about Master Pedia's...murder" Mace said with barely controlled disgust. "And any support you may need."
"Know that you are already extremely with the Clone Wars you are, but of utmost importance this is." Yoda said.
Both Anakin and Obi Wan nodded in agreement as well as the rest of the council. "Yes Master, it is as you've said, anybody with the ability to kill a Jedi Master is much too dangerous. If he's an ally of our droid enemies or the Sith, that spells danger." Obi Wan said.
"Or he could be a yet, undetermined third party. The last thing we need right now is yet another entrant into this conflict." Master Windu replied. "We have kept murderer of Master Pedia a secret. There was nothing we could do to prevent the news of his death from becoming public knowledge but we can control the intimate details. The last thing the Separatists need is intelligence on a member of our order who's fallen. If this person isn't working for them, why tip the 'Seps' off?"
Again the two Jedi in the center of the room nodded in agreement. "Whatever or whoever this is, we shall seek him out and stop him. And you don't need to say it masters, we will exercise the utmost caution." Anakin replied.
"Only a name we have, given freely the assailant did give. Danzaiver the name is." Yoda said, his eyes narrowing grimly. "May the Force be with you." Yoda said. Anakin and Obi Wan nodded and exited the chambers.