Chapter 8: Rescues

Notes:

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Yelona 25, 13 GRS

Over the last week Master Yoda had found himself relenting more and more to Master Windu's decisions, observing his apprentice as every other day he is given more of the aged Jedi's duties. Master Yoda couldn't help being proud of what the younger master had been able to learn since beginning his new lessons. Soon Master Yoda would step down, and hand over leadership to the next generation.

This day was no different than the last few, Master Yoda sat in the chair he held representing the Grand Master of the Jedi Order and listened intently. As the meeting was winding down Master Yoda raised his head.

"Speak to you, I must. An urgent matter regarding the Jedi Order it is." the elder master announced.

"What is it Master?" Shaak Ti asked from her seat.

"Training, Master Windu has been. Learning from me, to take the reigns of the Jedi Order. Grand Master he will be, stepping down I soon will be." the wizened master announced.

"Why would you ever want to step down? You are the only leader the Jedi have known for hundreds of years. The face of the Jedi." Master Mundi asked as he leaned back in his chair, the shock evident.

"An old face it is, listen to me this council does not. Last Jedi to listen, Master Dooku was. Arrogant the Jedi have grown, not the Jedi to lead am I. When completed is Master Windu's training, leave on a quest I will. A more stern hand, the Jedi need, a teacher this council does not need." Master Yoda announced making the other council members look at the floor. "Feel guilty you should not, leadership you must give, strong Master Windu is, lead you wrong he will not." he told the council sternly.

As the Council session ended came to an end the council quietly exited, not sure of their future or what it held.

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"All who support bringing back the title of Jedi Sentinel?" Master Drallig asked the council who all unanimously raised their hands.

The Tython Jedi had set forth many changes thus far including the building of a physical training facility for the Jedi there to combat the Sith in the future, allowing a master to take two padawans at a time, reinstating advanced Jedi Classes such as the Vanguard and Sage, and opening up the Jedi Archives to all padawans as long as a master was present. After the Padawanship ended the former Padawan would have a week to choose a path, and study in which of the three classes they chose under a Jedi Facilitator.

"Next on the agenda is the rule on attachments. I know there has been talk amongst all of us here as to whether we should allow attachments, and I believe I have come up with a solution." Master Drallig, announced.

Obi-Wan had promoted Master Drallig to Master of the Order, his right hand and head of the Jedi Council the moment the first council was called, as well as promoting Knight Sitra as Chronicler of the Jedi Archives. These moves he hoped would start to give the Tython Jedi normalcy in their lives.

"What would that be?" Master T'Un asked leaning forward with his forearms on the table in front of him.

"I believe that no Jedi should be allowed to start a family without first being a fully trained Knight, Sentinel, or Consular. With that in mind I believe we should put more emphasis of our training on control, to keep the more rowdy padawans from turning to the dark side in the future. I believe the lack of training as far as control went was the main reason for so many fallen Jedi in the past. If we fix that mistake then we should be able to minimize any potential threat before it starts." Master Drallig explained as he scrolled through his data pad.

"Well we do have mostly younglings other than Master Drallig's padawans. We could start training them from an early age." Knight Keto added as she looked at her own data pad.

"And there is an older style Jedi Code that supports this." Knight Sitra backed.

"All in favor?" Obi-Wan asked calmly.

Four hands went up with Master T'Un the only one not voting for the amendment.

"Amendment passes. That is all for today." Master Drallig announced ending the session.

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"That fool, little does he know that when he thinks he is in control his end is coming far more swiftly than he ever believed."

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"Coming into Coruscant space, activating cloaking device." Master Kota announced as the Arcane Angel swerved into the atmosphere.

"We are through the barriers and in the atmosphere. It's all your Anakin." Master Kota announced allowing a small speeder with a canopy to release from the ship carrying Ahsoka and Anakin who was behind the wheel.

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Padme was brushing her hair as she was getting ready for a senate meeting when suddenly she was thrown off her feet by an explosion. The bedroom she was in was filled with smoke, dust, and debris that was thrown into the air. She didn't even know what had transpired before a man grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the wall.

"Where is Skywalker?" he asked menacingly.

"I don't know." she answered as she tried to pry the man's hand off her throat.

"I will not ask again. Where is Skywalker?" he asked a second time with his face even closer to hers.

This time the response Padme gave was to spit in the man's face. The man howled with rage before ripping Padme's gown down the front by the neckline which caused the senator to gasp in surprise as the man leered at her naked chest, before she brought up her knee, crashing it into his groin. Hissing the man grabbed his wounded crotch with one hand and threw Padme on the bed with the other.

"If I can't have Skywalker then I can at least have one good ride on his whore." the man said as he walked forward wrestling with his trousers.

Before the man took four steps he felt a heat in his chest and when he looked down he saw a purplish colored lightsaber coming out of it.

"My wife is not a whore Trenox." Anakin whispered in the man's ear before he fell dead on the floor.

Hearing Anakin, Padme jumped up and was greeted with a strong embrace. When Anakin realized Padme was naked from the waist up he quickly released her and took off his vest, putting it on her to cover her nakedness.

"Ahsoka, get Senator Amidala and 3PO up to the Angel immediately. Then send down Master Kota and Aubrie with two shuttles for the senator's personal belongings. I will be packing them shortly. And make sure she gets checked out by Jolee and then the medical droids." Anakin instructed getting a confused look from Ahsoka.

Shrugging Ahsoka said "You're the boss, come on Senator. Let's get you checked out." she said taking Padme by the arm and leading her out of the wall where the shuttle was waiting.

A few minutes later a security dispatch led by Jedi Knight Qu Rahn entered the apartment with a security dispatch only to see Anakin taking pictures off the wall of the living area. Rahn was a middle aged dark skin Jedi Knight with short black hair and a goatee.

"Skywalker? What are YOU doing here?" Knight Rahn asked surprised to see his former colleague.

"I had a vision of Senator Amidala's assassination. I wasn't about to let it happen. As they usually are I knew the Jedi would be too late to act so I changed my course and returned here. I killed the assassin." Anakin explained as he took another picture of Padme and her family off the wall, putting it into a box.

Knight Rahn looked around seeing no body around before looking back at Anakin who continued what he was doing. "I see no assassin." Knight Rahn told him.

"His name was Trenox. He was one of Dooku's Acolytes. His body's in the bedroom." Anakin replied causing Rahn to send a security team into the room.

"Where is the Senator?" Rahn asked.

"On my ship. Master Kota and Aubrie will be down shortly in a shuttle to help me take her things back to the ship. She's coming with us." Anakin informed the Knight who raised an eyebrow to this.

"You cannot abduct a Galactic Senator and expect us to allow it to happen." Knight Rahn told Anakin.

"First off I seriously doubt that the Jedi Order could stop me if I wanted to abduct a Senator. Secondly she chose to come with my crew on her own free will." Anakin told the Knight while placing the last of the pictures in a box before moving to the bedroom.

"Would you be willing to speak of what you witnessed and did to the Council?" Knight Rahn asked.

"The Jedi Council will just call me reckless, voice for the Senators return to answer their questions, and possibly have me detained for some reason to further their own curiosity or fears. I don't really care what the Council thinks on the matter. The assassin is dead, the Senator is under the protection of my crew, and I have the situation under control. After I have the Senator's belongings we will be leaving, we don't need Jedi interference. Where the Jedi go they always bring unneeded complications and we are looking to avoid those. So go back to the council and give your report." Anakin told the middle aged Knight as he starter loading jewelry boxes and pictures into another box he had.

The Jedi sighed trying to convince Anakin to come back with him. "What if the Jedi could help you free the slaves?" the Knight asked hoping he could get through.

"They wont. They wanted nothing to do with freeing the slaves before the war broke out. They thought because I took down Krayn, something the Jedi Council thought an act of survival, that they had done enough when in reality they had done nothing. Quite frankly the Jedi don't care about the slaves or anyone within the Outer Rim unless they are ordered to care by the Senate." Anakin said placing the last jewelry box into a box and covering the lid.

The older Jedi sighed before turning around. "I will give my report to the council. THEY will summon you if they wish to ask you questions." he said before he started walking.

"By the time you give your report we will be gone." Anakin said as Knight Rahn walked out the door.

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"Do you believe Skywalker is still on planet?" Master Mundi asked Knight Rahn somewhat anxious about getting answers from Anakin.

"If he is I doubt he will be for long. He seems to hold great disdain for this council as a whole and showed a strong lack of respect, suggesting that the Jedi loyalty lied strictly with the Senate and nothing else. He also disclosed that Senator Amidala would be going with him, under the protection of his crew." Knight Rahn replied calmly.

"Abducting a Galactic Senator is a crime against the state. What would drive Skywalker into doing such a thing?" Master Ti asked not liking the sounds of what was happening.

"He said that the Senator agreed to go with him on her own. She was on her way to his ship when I arrived. He made mention that his crew was better equipped to protect her than the Jedi. I do not see why she would agree to go with him, as dedicated to the Republic as she is." the Knight reported.

"Since children, friends they have been. Surprising she would trust him it is not. In hiding we will tell the Senate she is, nothing more we can do." Master Yoda told the group.

"I agree, I do not believe Skywalker will do anything other than protect the Senator. Furthermore it is obvious by the assassin that Count Dooku is the person behind the assassination attempt so the investigation itself is only a formality. Telling the Senate that Senator Amidala is under Jedi Protection is the best course of action at this point." Master Windu voiced from his seat.

"Agreed, there is nothing more that can be done. We should send a team back to make sure Skywalker is gone and tell the Senate that the Senator has been taken under Jedi Protection." Master Leem suggested.

"Knight Rahn will lead the followup team. He will determine if there are any more threats to the Senators on planet. If anything is found on the corpse we can proceed from there." Master Windu instructed getting a nod from the rest of the Council.

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"Are you sure it was Skywalker, Lord Tyranus?" A mysterious cloaked figure asked Dooku.

"My spies saw him kill the assassin with a purple lightsaber. His padawan was also with him. He also mentioned a Master Kota was on his crew. Skywalker seems to be preparing for something while collecting Force Sensitives along his way. The question is what is he preparing for." Dooku answered

"I see, and there was no possible way Skywalker could sense your spy?" The cloaked figure asked.

"Unlikely. Skywalker was per-occupied with the assassin, the assassin was sent because he had lusted for our good senator. I felt that if he could use his lust for her to traumatize Amidala he would have been just as effective as if he would have assassinated her, she would be too damaged to successfully do her duty as a senator. I doubt Skywalker would do anything to jeopardize her safety, let alone look for a spy he knew would have no chance to track his ship." Dooku replied.

"Excellent Lord Tyranus. I wish for you to wait three days until Skywalker is out of the system and send another assassin to Naboo. Once there the assassin will kill the entire Naberrie family. Have your assassin use the same techniques on all of them. The coroners reports should leave Senator Amidala more than shaken enough to leave the Senate. Leave none alive Lord Tyranus. Perhaps then our good senator will come out of hiding." the cloaked figure added.

"It will be done my master." Dooku responded with a slight bow.

"Do not fail me Lord Tyranus." the figure told Dooku before the transmission ended.

Anakin stood up from where the crew was watching the transmission on the projector in the meeting room and addressed them.

"Aubrie, go set a course for Naboo, maximum speed. Master Kota, I want you to get in contact with the Jedi Temple and tell them to expect a coded transmission from us within the next three weeks. I'm going to find out just who was in that cloak." Anakin told the group.

"How are you going to do that Anakin?" Padme asked, worried for her family.

"The Angel has the most advanced computer in known space for it's size. She also has investigative programs more advanced than anything else in the galaxy, many I designed. We'll get the person trying to kill you and your family." Anakin assured her before leaving the room to fetch the droids.

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"After we picked up the transmission we believe that Dooku is only the public face of this war. He is taking orders from another Sith and I believe that Dooku is nothing more than a pawn at this point. Unless he finds a way to successfully kill his master I doubt Dooku will be much of a threat in the long run. Anakin and the droids are using this ships investigation equipment to try to narrow the search for the Sith Lord. While Anakin holds no love for the Jedi as a group he does hold a fierce loyalty to his few friends in the Order as well as Senator Amidala, and her family. I believe he feels that with himself out of the way the Jedi are the only way to stop the Sith from killing everyone close to the Senator. We will send you our findings within three weeks. Our belief is that the Sith Lord doesn't leave the capital and is hiding within the Senate. If we are correct the search for the Dark Lord of the Sith may be far more simple than the Jedi ever realized. May the Force be with you." Master Kota's recording said before cutting off.

"We have been searching for this Sith Lord for over a decade and suddenly with a wave of his magic wand Skywalker intercepts a transmission from the Sith and has equipment advanced enough to figure out who it is? I seriously doubt his claims." Master Mundi told the group.

"Yet he had Correllian Engineering custom build that ship with assistance from Kuat Shipyards and Seth Raener. It is also well known that Anakin oversaw much of it's creation. It is safe to say it may be the most advanced ship in the galaxy for it's size. The chances that he find through traditional investigative work with advanced technology to work with that we have not been able to through the Force is possible." Master Ti explained passively.

"And we all know that he had to kill several Hutt's to gain the funds that he has. Not to mention that he cleared out Krayn's accounts after killing him." Master Leem told the group. "We don't know how much equipment he has on that ship. It is a strong possibility that he has the capabilities of at least narrowing the search." he continued.

"I agree. If Skywalker is willing to send us what results he comes up with it would be a mistake to turn it down, no matter what this collective council thinks of him." Master Secura added with a bit of authority.

"I too agree. We have made no progress in finding the Sith Lord through means known to us. Perhaps Skywalker has another way. No matter what his personal reasons for wanting this Sith Lord found, if he wishes to aid us in our search it would be unwise to refuse." Master Windu informed the group.

"What is your exact problem with Anakin Skywalker, Master Mundi?" Master Leem asked politely.

"If he is able to help us find this Sith, then he will have gained some measure of trust from me. However for now his reckless disregard for this council will be what I look at when judging Skywalker's actions." Master Mundi told the group.

"Understandable. Let us hope that Anakin has more success with his method than we have had over the last eleven years with ours." Master Fisto told Master Mundi, getting nods from the rest of the Jedi Council.

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Note: Had surgery yesterday, my new job is tiring, and I want to finish Twisted History soon. The next chapter will be Rescues Part 2, hope you enjoy.