The Book of Clouded Visions
Jedi Master and Senior Council member Mace Windu stepped off the lift and glanced around the empty corridor. Casting out with the Force and scanning the halls he smiled satisfied that he was alone. It was still too early for the other Council members. Which was fine by Mace's standards. He enjoyed the bit of peace the council level offered him early in the mornings.
On his trek past the offices he paused at a window. The bright white sun cast it's cleansing light over the towers of the immense temple.
Taking in a deep breath, Mace relaxed and released the pent up air as well as any lingering anxieties. Certain he was ready for another day of discussions of theory, handing out and checking up on various missions, as well as all the other little things that made up the bulk of his administrative day.
A part of the council member wondered where he had stepped away from the life of a field Jedi and became a purveyor of red tape. Even though he missed the regular missions, he knew his place was serving on the Council where he could do the most good.
Slowly Mace turned his attentions from the distant cityscape back to the corridor that led to the Council Chambers.
Gently pressing his hand against one of the massive Force dampening doors he pushed. One of the few doors in all the temple that actually swung open. He rather enjoyed the two large doors. They made him think of a time before technology when the Jedi of long ago had only themselves to depend on. When the technological world didn't interfere with the workings of the Force.
He could only imagine what it was like to hear the whispers so clearly.
Hobbling across the patterned tile was Master Yoda. He thumped his gimer stick loudly as he continued to pace. "Late you are."
"I imagined I was early."
Yoda stopped and stared at the tall master for a moment. He exhaled loudly as he drew his ears back in agitation. "What news have you?"
"Well good morning to you," Mace said as he crossed the room in a few long strides.
The little master turned and sighed. "Morning it is." He leaned heavily against the crook of his walking stick and stared at the other man silently.
"Apparently you got what you wanted," Mace said slowly as he sat in his seat and stared at the small green figure in the center of the chamber. "Kenobi was sighted at the initiate training rooms."
"And?"
Mace slowly crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. "He didn't stay long."
Again Yoda sighed loudly as he shook his head. "Being difficult, he insists on."
"There is more, Master." Mace was silent for a moment as he studied the figure before him.
"Afraid of him, many are." It was a statement, one that Yoda had himself only begun to accept. In his extraordinary lifetime he had never seen a Sith. He like all the other Jedi only had written or spoken word accounts of what a servant of the dark side was like. For all the things he had seen or done in his lifetime, nothing could compare to the act of confronting a Sith, let alone killing it. That alone, he knew, was enough to cause great concern. "Driven a wedge between himself and everyone else, he has."
"We did not help in the matter," Mace said softly.
Large, sad eyes met Mace's. "At time, choice we had not."
"I agree," Mace said plainly, not offering to argue with the small master. "That decision is in the past. Nothing we can do to change it. But we both knew the Leotan Resistance would have killed those hostages. The holy war that would have ensued would have been devastating to the galaxy. Knight Kenobi was there and we knew he was capable of quietly removing the hostages safely."
Again Yoda sighed loudly. "Mistake we made."
"I do not consider that a mistake."
"Hmm," Yoda was quietly contemplative for a long time. "To continue in these missions, allowing him, was a mistake. Requesting these dangerous missions, he was. Stopped it, we should have."
"I agree." Mace shifted slightly. "Nor, for a time did we feel we had reason to be concerned," he said as if justifying the Council's decision. "His tactics, while harsh, have never been brought into question."
"Concerned about tactics, I am not." Yoda hobbled to his seat in the circle of twelve.
"Master, while appreciate your concern for Knight Kenobi, I do not feel this should be played out through the Council."
"Waste of time you think this is?" Yoda asked gruffly.
"Master–"
"Too busy, the Council is?" Yoda chuckled softly as he settled into his seat.
"I agree with you that he should not be allowed on anymore of those missions. At least for a while. I agree that he is becoming dangerous, not only to himself but everyone around him." Mace studied the little master for a long time. "I also appreciate the fact too many in the temple considered him a wild animal waiting for that moment to rip the arm off the first person to cross him. I understand these concerns because I also share them. We should see that he attends to the soul healers and be done with it. When he is ready for missions, we will send him on one. This is a game we should not be playing."
"Game?" Yoda squinted the agitation in his voice and animated actions all too apparent. "Game this is not." He roughly thumped his gimer stick against the side of his chair.
Mace warily straightened. Rarely had he seen Yoda anything but calm.
"Unsettling changes I have sensed," the small master said slowly.
"I thought you said the future was clouded?"
"Still it is."
Mace leaned against the side of his chair to better face the small master. "Yet you sense something."
"Clouded it is." Yoda closed his eyes and shook his head. "Things are not as it should be," he said softly. Then he spoke rather gruffly. "Always in motion, the future is. Accept that we must."
"But?"
"Concerned for Kenobi, I am. Lost he is. In the stream of things, his place hasshifted."
"I understand, but–"
"Still need him. Sensed this I do."
