Thank you for the continued support, feel free to share it with friends :)
It wasn't easy traversing back to the ship without running into clone soldiers, but Stratus is determined to pursue the former general before he leaves. He plunges his fighter into the sea then shortly after soars out far away from the city and through the thick rain clouds of Kamino. He looks around then gets in tune with his Jedi senses to see if anyone was leaving, he could sense mass movement at the planet below imagining the fleet Nute Gunray said would follow them. Stratus asks R5 to find the coordinates for Geonosis when the droid beeps back in struggle.
"What do you mean it's off the charts? The beacon...got lost in hyperspace. Blast! R5, scan the charts a few more times."
The droid releases a high pitched squeal of protest. The Jedi sighs in frustration then realizes hood failure to keep his emotions under control. He then takes a deep breath and sighs, "R5, set course for Coruscant, I have a council to report to."
At Alderaan, Bail Organa and Obi-Wan get distracted in conversations about the living Force, Obi-Wan fulfilling the King's curiosity. Meanwhile Anakin and Padme walk out to the balconies once escaping the gossiping politicians.
The two participate in agreed silence until Padme breaks it, "So how's training? To be a Jedi I mean."
He shrugs, "I guess it's like everything else, except for the lifetime commitment part."
She replies, "You could leave like Dooku."
"I'm not really a fan of that. I mean, I like being a a Jedi, I just wish we'd go out more, not dealing with all these politicians."
He then realizes his listing complaints and he sighs, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"Oh no it's ok. I know what you mean when it comes to politicians. Honestly, I never really wanted to be a senator."
He looks over genuinely shocked, "Really, I thought you'd love it."
"The difference between being Queen and being the senator is that being the Queen, I could actually help my people directly. Being a senator, I knew it'd be a ridiculous pattern of satisfying the right groups. I mean if Palpatine wasn't the Chancellor, Naboo would still be a war zone."
"How is the recovery, if I may ask?"
"I was able to sell the scrap as Queen to have money poured into the planet's recovery. We still have militias here and there to deal with, but it's fairly stable again."
Anakin looks over to see his hand being brushed over by soft hands. The man smirks, "You do know it's forbidden for Jedi to love right?"
She bites her lower lip, "And who says it has to be love?"
The Jedi looks over, "Didn't you almost shoot me for being a peeping tom?"
She laughs, "I didn't know that's all you were."
Anakin laughs but then recomposes himself, "I'm afraid though I can't participate in such acts with you, Senator."
She looks towards the darkening landscape, "I understand."
"It's nothing against you, Senator. You're a very..."
Anakin's head jerks towards the lighted room as he feels the Force give him a warning. He says, "Senator, I have to go!"
The padawan walks briskly into the room joining Obi-Wan who's also walking the same pace towards the Ball Room entry, in sync on what their objective is as they near the growing darkness. Suddenly Obi-Wan receives a mental message, "Remember me, I certainly remember your master!"
The Jedi Knight then stops before the large entrance door when Anakin looks to his master, "What do you see, Master?"
"Anakin, prepare yourself!" The Knight removes his weapon and has it in place while Anakin retrieves his own blue blade reflecting his Master's. The doors open to the dead bodies of guards strewn everywhere except one who was forced to his knees and ended with a quick swipe to the neck. The dark figure looks up through his Sith war mask. He then ignites his other end swinging his blades in a fan. Anakin leaps towards the Sith slashing down only to cause the blades to swing and give Anakin more difficulty. Obi-Wan quickly intervenes having the Sith parry two blades aimed for him. While the Jedi constantly try to slash the weapon itself without harming each other, Maul is in a flurry of movement leaping and swinging his blade in every direction imaginable, understandably exhausting the Jedi who even had difficulty reaching into the Force for endurance. Finally, Obi-Wan sees an opening and slashes the middle of the Saber staff, but only to cause the Sith to back flip and wield two blades.
The Sith leaps forward releasing a wave of lightsaber wrath upon Obi-Wans singular blade. Anakin repeats Maul's action when the Sith tosses his saber in the air above him and releases an arc of lightning into Anakin, sending him flying into a column. However in the Sith's distraction Obi-Wan manages to strike the hilt leaving the Sith with only one blade to work with. The Sith does not continue the fight, instead he lifts Obi-Wan from the ground using the Force until a blur of a body runs into the abdomen of Darth Maul, having Obi-Wan dropped to the ground. Once again though the Sith uses lightning and flings Anakin straight into his master. The Sith retreats though as Alderaanian soldiers pursue after the intruder. Obi-Wan and Anakin get up with the Chancellor running towards them.
"Master Jedi, are you alright! I've witnessed part of the battle and saw this young Jedi defend you! What is your name, son?"
"Padawan Anakin Skywalker, your excellency." Even after battle Anakin regains his composure as a Jedi.
Obi-Wan pants as he brushes the dust from his robes, "Yes, it takes a lot to scare my young padawan."
The man warmly greets, "Well I'll say this young man is the embodiment of security. He's taken on a Sith Lord from what I've seen."
"Chancellor, I..." Obi-Wan interjects only to be interrupted.
"Obi-Wan you must contact the Jedi Council immediately!"
The Jedi replies with a smile, "I was just about to do that, but my suggestion would be to have everyone go else where until we get the situation under control."
"Very well, Senator Organa, relay that order to everyone here."
At the Jedi temple, within a darkened room, Master Yoda is deep in meditation. Master Windu stands by looking out the tinted window out at the city scape, the air traffic in a constant flow when he feels a great pain causing him to buckle over.
Yoda also feels this pain, "Felt this darkness in a long time I have not."
The other Jedi recovers, "What does it mean master?"
"The darkness rises, the clouds shroud the source...returned, the Sith have."
Master Windu then contemplates, "Then that means the Sith Lord Qui-Gon encountered..."
"Yes, and revealing themselves they are."
Suddenly the comlink bleeps bringing Yoda out of his trance. Master Windu answers the comm, "Master Stratus, you bring news of your investigation."
"More questions than news."
Will there be more complications?
