Chapter 9
Reunion & Gambit
Poe peered at the masses of data, frowning and then scowling and finally a hairsbreadth away from smashing the screen with his bare hands. BB-8 warbled with worry at his side, raising his spherical body so that his dome shaped head became visible. The pilot, calming down at the sight of his partner, placed a hand on his head and offered a wan smile.
"Yeah, buddy. I know." His words seemed to have little effect on the droid.
"When was the last time you slept, man?"
Poe turned a half-hearted glare at his friend as he approached. "I managed a few hours while you two were asleep."
The former Stormtrooper turned a questioning look at BB-8, whose dome shaped head turned left and right. "Liar."
The pilot sighed, "Traitor."
"Whoa, easy there." Finn chastised as he came up to his friends side. "Turn it down a little or you'll wake the princess."
He spared a glance at the back of the cockpit, to see Aayla fast asleep on one of the chairs, a thermal blanket thrown over her which she unconsciously wrapped around herself when she tossed and turned. None of them had the heart to wake her. That was the first truly deep sleep she had since coming aboard the ship, so edgy was she that any sleep she gained was only in small bursts of an hour or more.
Poe sighed, reaching up with his hands to push back his hair. "Yeah, sorry."
"No worries," Finn shrugged, leaning against the pilots chair and peering at the masses of information flashing across the screen. "You able to read that stuff now?"
"Nope," Poe replied, leaning back. "It's still the same useless gibberish as when we started."
His friend made a face, "Then why are you still freaking out over it?"
"Because this information is different from the rest," Poe shook his head. "The ships computer won't talk to B about it, said it was spreadsheets and numbers and wouldn't elaborate further. It's behind the toughest encryption algorithms I've seen on this ship, and believe me some of that stuff was beyond military grade."
Finn raised an eyebrow at that. "B should be able to crack it though, right?"
The little droid moaned glumly.
"Does that answer your question?" Poe asked, stretching.
Finn blinked, eyes widening. "No way, B can't crack it? You're telling me that R2's student in all ways splicer and hacker can't crack this?"
"That's about it, yeah." Poe grumbled as he rubbed his face with his right hand. "Force me, I need a cigarette."
"How?" Finn exclaimed as he knelt beside the droid. "The little guy can crack anything."
"Because it's in a machine language he can't translate." Poe replied. "Someone doesn't want any wandering eyes to see these files, which just makes me and B want to break into them all the more. He's running diagnostics and translations now, so hopefully he should be able to piece the needed information together to crack the codes."
"We're getting close to Coruscant," Finn pointed out. "And the Jedi are going to want to look through this ship considering its the personal transport of a Sith Lord and all."
"Doesn't mean we have to give them the ship in the end." Poe countered, patting the computer console. "I like this ship, and once they clear out its databanks I think I'll be keeping it. I'll consider it the fee for bringing one of their own back."
Finn snorted, "As if you'd stoop that low just for a ship."
Poe considered for a moment. "Rey wouldn't forgive me for that anytime soon."
"Neither would you." Poe added, throwing a thumbs up BB-8's way who returned it with an extended welder and a flickering flame.
Poe sighed, "Yeah, neither would I. Besides have you ever known me to leave a potential damsel in distress?"
"That is a terrible stereotype."
"Bite me."
"Besides I doubt Aayla would be a damsel in distress." The former Stormtrooper looked at the sleeping Jedi . "Kind of reminds me of Rey a little, and both of them are just not the type."
"...True."
Low alarm claxons beeped and the cockpit's lighting turned from dark to bloody red. Poe scowled over the unreadable script before turning to BB-8 in time to see the droid translating the ships main computers information. Across from them Aayla stirred, blinking sleepily before looking around in bewilderment.
"What's going on?" She asked drowsily.
"Looks like we've arrived at our destination." Poe replied.
Finn turned to her and smiled, "Sleep well princess?"
Aayla gave the former Stormtrooper a piercing look, most likely at the term princess, before sighing. "Yes, thank you."
Poe called for them to take their seats and strap in as he placed his hand on the hyperdrive lever and pulled the throttle back. The long lines of flashing by stars turned back into their usual pinpricks, and a large sphere riddled with miniscule lights appeared in their path. Finn, Poe and BB-8 could do little more than stare at the planet, a world which to them seemed like a dream within a dream, a world which was once the centre of the Republic only to be turned into a twisted nightmarish substitute by the Empire.
This was Coruscant before the fall.
"Beautiful." Poe couldn't help but whisper.
"Yeah," Finn agreed breathlessly.
Aayla couldn't help smile at their awe, "Welcome to Coruscant."
Neither could respond, not for a time. Poe took a deep breath before shutting off the hyperdrive entirely and pushing forward the sublight throttle slowly, using the codes Qui-Gon had given them to bypass the long lanes of starships waiting to pierce orbit. They passed huge space stations, ranging from relics which had orbited the planet for millennia to newer sleeker designs, all a cacophony of life and light.
They saw it even as they broke through the atmosphere, a huge structure towering over all others around it.
Aayla's relief became clear the closer they got to the temple. The closer her home came the more she relaxed, the more she sagged into her chair, the more she looked young and scared and tired until she saw the great spires of her home with her own eyes. Finn picked up the speaker for the comlink and reached it out to her, smiling at her tired bewilderment.
"I think it'll be best if you speak to them, princess."
"Stop calling me princess," She snapped, snatching the comlink.
Words were exchanged, a few minutes of waiting and finally clearance was given for them to land in docking bay six. Aayla guided Poe to the opening and the pilot did the rest, hovering the ship into the bay, bypassing the haphazard array of parked starships and landed her smoothly on an empty space midway in. The moment the landing struts touched down on the decking he turned off the thrusters, listening as the whine of the engines died away leaving silence.
The three of them unbuckled and took the turbolift two at a time to the main floor, all of them in silent agreement that Aayla would take the lead. Finn stepped up to the landing ramps main controls and looked back at his friends.
"Well, ready?"
"To meet a legion of Jedi?" Poe asked bemusedly. "Sure, why not."
Finn shook his head and hit the button. The landing ramp descended with a whine of servomotors and hisses of steam, revealing a huge cavernous hanger bay littered with small starships, high pillars ascended to the ceiling from steel decking. Waiting for them a few meters away from the landing ramp was a small force of men and women wearing brown robes.
Jedi.
There were about half a dozen of them, flanked by two men bedecked in brown and white robes, hoods covering their heads and elegant white masks with golden markings covering their faces. Like their brown robed counterparts they wore lightsaber blades attached to intricate brown utility belts, double-bladed ones by their length.
Aayla led the way and was the first to step onto the temple grounds. She was immediately scooped up in a fierce hug by a grizzled man with shoulder length thick black hair, stubble covered chin and a yellow line running along his cheeks and across the bridge of his nose. The girl hugged him just as fiercely in return.
"You alright?" The man asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied, smiling.
The man released her, both looking sheepishly as the assembled Knights and Masters crowding around them, many she knew. The other Jedi waited until the heartfelt reunion ended, then smiled and greeted her in turn. Finn, Poe and BB-8 used the lull to disembark from the stolen starship and wait.
"The guy trying to crush her spine is her Master, Quinlan Vos." Finn whispered to his friends as they waited. "The guy with greying hair is Qui-Gon Jinn, younger guy beside him is his Apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The rest I don't know."
"You mean that kid is the Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Poe asked in a hushed whisper, not being obvious.
"Yeah." Finn replied as the group parted to allow a small shuffling form through. The former Stormtroopers eyes widened marginally. "Oh Force me."
Poe followed his friends gaze, and couldn't help his own widening orbs. There, hobbling ahead of the small group was the most legendary Jedi ever known, tiny, barely reaching up to the knees of everyone present bar BB-8 and yet he was the most powerful being there. "Holy shit."
"That's Yoda." Finn hissed.
"I know." Poe muttered in astonishment. Not even decades of the Empires well placed propaganda concerning the Jedi could sully the name of the last Grand Master of the Jedi Order. Stories of his heroics and deeds were spread by word of mouth when it was forbidden to speak his name. "We should be prepared for this shouldn't we?"
"Yeah."
"I'm not."
"Me either."
Yoda seemed to notice their stupefied stares and chose to ignore them as he approached Quinlan and Aayla, stopping and looking up at the pair with wizened and relieved eyes. "Padawan."
"Master Yoda." She replied, kneeling down to his height as he took her slender cerulean hands in his ancient gnarled fingers.
"Describe words cannot. Relief I feel. Return to us safely, you have." He rasped, sharing her smile.
"Thank you Master," She replied, deeply touched. "It is good to be home."
The old creature smiled, patting her hand before beckoning her to rise, turning his ancient gaze upon them. "And your allies, these are."
"Yes," She nodded. "This is Poe Damaron, Finn and BB-8. I would not be standing here if not for them."
"Hmm," Yoda hummed as he studied the three of them, Poe and Finn made a rather pathetic attempt at bowing, even B lowered his head a little. "In your debt, we are. Thank you we must, for helping one of us home."
"It was no problem, Master Yoda." Poe replied.
"Friends of Rey, you are."
"Is she alright?" Finn asked.
"Resting, she is."
"Can we see her?" Poe asked.
Yoda closed his eyes, leathery skin crinkling. "Take you to her, we will. Master Vos, Padawan Secura, debriefed by the Council with Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi you will be."
"By the council directly?" Aayla asked, surprised.
"Off course Master." Quinlan replied, nudging his apprentice to remind her not to forget decorum. "We will be waiting."
Yoda nodded to them, "Rest your Padawan needs, Master Vos."
"Yes, Master."
Yoda then turned to Poe, Finn and BB-8, beckoning them to follow. "Come, come, follow you must?"
"Before we do," Poe intervened before the group could disperse. "It might be a good idea to place this ship in lockdown and see about translating the data."
"Why is that?" Master Jinn asked.
Poe's face morphed into a grin. "Because I have a feeling we stole this thing from a Sith Lord."
The silence which followed was deafening. Master Jinn was the one to break it. "The same one who attacked us, you think?"
"I believe so, our Jedi friend here admitted that she had never felt anyone like him in the Force." Poe replied.
"This is true, Masters." Aayla confirmed. "He was closing in on us before we were able to escape, and I have never felt anyone so encroached in the dark side as him."
Yoda hummed, unreadable before he turned to the Jedi present. "Under constant watch, this ship will be. Summon the Seekers, we will."
"Impossible."
Maul stood on the highest tower, but even this height brought him little more than eye level with the ground level of the Jedi Temple whose spires towered over him. He had been here before, watching when the Yinchoori stormed the Temples defences last year, but he had never thought he would be on this same perch again, not until their revenge was close at hand.
He looked down at the screen of his datapad, silently willing the scroll of information to be false but knowing that was not the case. The tracking device was still active, still proclaiming the location of the Scimitar to him as clearly as it possibly could.
The Sith Lord looked back at the huge cavernous monstrosity which was the Jedi Temple, teeth grinding together as he glared murderously at the structure. "It is impossible."
The Jedi had the ship, but did they know the information it contained?
That was the question, wasn't it? He doubted the Jedi who stole the ship knew its true value, by the communications traffic he had eavesdropped on before he left Tatooine one of the assailants involved in the murder of Jabba the Hutt had wielded a lightsaber. Were they the same culprits who took his ship?
He deposited his datapad back into his robes and fished out his comlink, thumbing the device on and holding it to his lips. He knew that he would regret reporting his progress to his master. The device thrummed a few times before a pop signified that the call had been answered and his masters voice, rasping and impatient, assaulted his ears.
"You are lucky my business is complete Lord Maul, report."
"I have located the position of the Scimitar." Maul replied, swallowing down his fear.
"Well? Where is it?" His Master snapped.
"It is within the Jedi Temple, sire."
There was a long, drawn out pause, and the silence only served to unnerve the Sith further. His master was known for bursts of anger, but he was truly dangerous when he was silent. "You will infiltrate the temple, and if you cannot take back the Scimitar then you must destroy it and the information it contains."
Maul paused for a moment, "Yes, Master."
"This is your one and only chance to rectify your mistake Lord Maul." Sidious continued over the line. "I shall leave it to your imagination. What will happen should you fail."
The words stung, but they were meant too. "Understood, Master."
He thumbed off the comlink, and took a deep breath, feeling something pulsating with his chest and not understanding fully what it was. It was not fear he felt, no, nothing as simple as fear. Then what was it? Nervousness, no. Euphoria, yes, now he was getting somewhere. It felt like a drug, a dangerous addictive drug which he had been fighting with ever since he had been chosen to be his Masters apprentice.
Maul couldn't help the smile which flashed across his tattooed features. It was excitement, a bone chilling, highly addictive excitement born of both fear and anxiety. A chance to prove who was better in this game of cat and mouse. Could he infiltrate the largest and most secure Temple the Jedi possessed, take back or destroy the ship which could spell the end of the Sith and escape again? Could he succeed.
His smile morphed into a monstrous grin.
Let the test begin.
A hooded figure stood over her. Rey looked up, eyes wide, fear gripping her chest. Her own weapon thrown well out of her reach. The hooded figure cackled, brought the crimson bladed lightsaber up over its head and then down with a flash.
Rey awoke with a gasp, eyes wide and a fresh sheen of sweat on her brow as she pressed a hand against her chest to try and still her rapidly beating heart. The nightmare had been so different, so lucid and real. It took her a long moment of lost befuddlement to realise that she was lying in a darkened room in the middle of the Jedi Temple.
It took her a few more precious seconds to realise she wasn't alone. Two faces she would recognise anywhere were at her bedside, speaking but without sound. It took her a moment to force herself to calm down, deep inhales and exhales of breath as she willed the ringing in her ears to subside. Only after a long moment of this did she begin to recognise their voices over the din, but they were far away.
"Rey?"
"You alright?"
"Rey!"
Everything felt wrong, everything felt foggy and far away. She knew that she should know these men, that she knew their faces but for a long time she could not place their names. The man bedecked in Mandalorian armour grabbed her shoulder and gave her a soft shake. A close look at his face, dark skin, deep eyes full of worry. Finn. This was Finn. The man across from him. All stubble and dark curly hair with the first signs of going grey. Poe. Poe Damaron.
"Finn," She whispered through half lidded glassy eyes, just hearing her own voice as raspy, weak and more than a little slurred. "Poe?"
Finn smothered her in a hug when she uttered their names, a hand which was Poe's wrapped around her arm and squeezed. It took a few precious moments for her to gather the strength to hug her friend back, and when Finn released her she was wrapped in Poe's strong arms in another tight embrace.
it was only then that she remembered. These were her friends. These were two men she had lived with, ate, drank, fought and protected for the last three years. How could she have possibly forgotten their faces? When had she last seen them? In a city in the middle of a desert. Tatooine. Poe had gone and gotten himself captured, and Finn had flown off to help him.
Why hadn't she gone too?
"Rey," Poe's voice was clearer now, his dark eyes piercing and mouth morphing into a worried frown. "Can you hear us?"
She tried and failed to nod, head feeling like an extremely heavy lead weight. Why did she feel like this? Oh yes, now she remembered. She had allowed not one but two Jedi to delve into her memories, a mind meld technique only a select few knew about, no wonder she felt so fatigued and poorly. Still, the fact that she was awake and beginning to remember meant that she had taken the whole ordeal rather well.
"Not sure if she can hear us." Finn's voice rolled over her.
"Yoda did warn us she wouldn't be very lucid." Poe replied, a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Can you hear us, Rey?"
This time she managed a nod in response, not trusting her own voice.
"Do you recognise us?" Finn asked, fervently.
Another nod, followed by sighs of relief by both men.
"Good, he didn't turn her into a vegetable." Finn sagged into his chair in relief.
"What would you have done if he had?" Poe asked.
"Shot him."
"You would have shot Yoda?"
A scoff, "Please as if you wouldn't have done the same!"
A pause from the pilot, "You got me there."
Rey couldn't help the tired giggle which hissed through her teeth. "You two... are impossible."
The expressions on both men softened upon seeing her laugh. It was only then that she noticed a dome shaped head peer from the side of the bed, constantly lowering and rising with a worried beep. Rey smiled as she pated BB-8's head fondly. "I'm alright little guy, how could I forget you?"
"The one person she remembers right away." Finn snarked.
The little droids squeaks echoed through the small room, much to the amusement of those within. Yet still Rey looked so tired, unable to keep her eyes at least half open. Poe placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back onto the bed, smiling softly. "Go back to sleep Rey. We'll be here when you wake up."
She blinked, "But."
"Back to sleep. We'll be here. I promise." Finn added, smiling.
She nodded, already feeling sleep winning her battle to remain awake. "You better... promise."
"We do." Poe smirked.
"We'll be here." Finn added.
BB-8's beeps in the affirmative were the last thing she heard before the darkness took her again.
"Tired, she is." Yoda muttered as he entered the room, ignoring the guarded looks of Finn and Poe as he made his way onto the bed so he could see her clearly. "A burden we have placed upon her."
"Will she awake?" Finn asked.
"Strong she is," Yoda replied, eyeing her intently. "Jedi, she is. Pull through this, she will."
it was unusual, to say the least.
These thoughts purveyed the mind of Mace Windu as he travelled across the long walkways, mezzanines and tubolifts towards the residential chambers, friend and fellow Council member Ki-Adi-Mundi flanking his right hand side as he walked. The two of them shared a look as they were both summoned by a nervous Padawan and told to report to the personal chamber of Master Jinn by Yoda himself.
The second they entered they found that they were not the only ones summoned to the maverick Jedi Masters chambers. Plo Koon was already there, seated on one of the worn chairs with his clawed hands clutched together on front of him thoughtfully. Windu's former apprentice Depa Billaba also sat on another of the vacant chairs, hands on the arms and eyes closed as she meditated, only opening when he entered and giving him a greeting.
Mace went straight to his old apprentice. "Do you know why Master Yoda has summoned us here, Depa?"
The woman shook her head, "I am afraid I will be no help there, Master Windu."
Koon looked to Qui-Gon Jinn then, standing alongside his apprentice, for though the humans efforts were considered unorthodox at best and heretical at worst he was still a proud Jedi, proven loyal to the Order and trustworthy of the most basic codes. "What can you tell us, Master Jinn?"
The elder Master shook his head. "Such words need to be left to Master Yoda. It is he who has called all of you here, so it is not my place to say."
The four Masters hesitated for a moment before falling back into silence, waiting until Yoda himself advised them on what he wanted them to know. It did not escape them that they were all members of the Jedi High Council, nor that they were permanent members of the institution, which meant that whatever the Grand Master wished to speak to them about was considered extremely important.
One of the bedroom doors opened with a quiet hiss and Yoda entered the main chamber, flanked by two humans Mace did not know. Yoda looked at the four of them quietly, humming and nodding to himself before he clambered up onto the only free chair in the room, waving off any offer of help from the two humans who entered the chamber with him.
"Thank you for coming, I do." Yoda declared as he made himself comfortable in the oversized armchair. "Wondering you are why I brought you here, hmm?"
Mace closed his eyes and sighed, "Would you stop with the mystical gimmick Master. We all are wondering why you have summoned us so if you would just get down to business we would be most grateful."
Yoda scowled at him, no malice in it at all. "Wonder I do, why I made you second Master."
Mace's only reply was a shake of his head.
A quiet scoff of acknowledgement left Yoda's lips before he straightened himself to his full non-threatening height. "Very well, met someone today I have. A young woman, a Jedi named Rey Skywalker. From the future she is. Warned me of a great calamity she did. One which if we do not face soon, dire consequences will follow."
"You cannot be serious." Mundi asked, startled.
"Serious of this, I am." Yoda replied gravely.
"Why?"
"Because showed me her mind she did, without prompting and without hesitation." Yoda answered, looking at each of them with piercing eyes. "Returned, the Sith have. Deep, their claws have dug and quick we must be."
"Impossible." Koon countered, raising his hands. "The Sith have been extinct for over a millennia."
"I do not believe the Sith would not return without at least some warning, Master." Billapa added thoughtfully.
"Ah, hard to see the dark side is, hmm?" Yoda countered.
Mundi was thoughtful, hands clasped together and eyes closed in deep concentration. "Forgive me for asking Master, but is there any evidence this person is from the future?"
Yoda nodded, "Allowed into her mind, I was. Convinced of the truth I am."
"Impossible." Mundi countered, shaking his head. "The mind meld technique is highly dangerous even for one such as yourself to utilise Master."
"Against an unwilling subject, yes." The Grand Master replied. "But with a willing participant, no."
Mace looked at the Grand Master with a piercing gaze, searching, assessing and met with impassive eyes which held no doubt. Finally he sighed, deep in thought until he spoke. "You are sure, Master?"
"I am." Yoda nodded.
"Then I will believe you." Mace acknowledged.
"As will I." Plo Koon added. "You have never led us astray, and I see little that changes that. If you believe what you have seen then it will be truth."
"I am sorry Master, but I find it hard to believe still."Billipa allowed.
"See past your doubts Master Billipa, look to what I speak off with the Force." Yoda consoled. "Understand your caution I do, felt as such I did. The evidence brought before me is compelling, beyond doubt it is."
The woman still seemed troubled, then closed her eyes and concentrated. The Force thrummed around those who could feel it, and finally she opened her eyes. "You are certain this is the truth, Master. I will trust your judgement on this."
Yoda smiled softly at the woman, bowing his head."Humbled at your loyalty. Unworthy of it I am."
"You have to admit that what we have heard is certainly questionable, Master." Ki-Adi-Mundi pointed out. "Perhaps if another Master were to confirm-"
"Confirmed it already has," Yoda cut him off calmly but firmly. "Knight Vos has used the technique as well, and further usage on the girl will be dangerous at best."
"We can also offer evidence," the one dressed in Mandalorian armour spoke at last. "We have datapads with as complete a history between now and our time as we can possible give. With your leave we can give it to you."
The four Masters looked at the man as if for the first time, eyes only averting when the other human flanking Yoda cleared his throat. "I can confirm the information. With your permission we will be more than happy to supply this for inspection."
"And you are?" Windu asked.
"I'm sorry for remaining quiet." The man replied, bowing awkwardly. "My name is Poe Damaron. I am a friend of the Jedi whose trustworthiness you are questioning."
"And I am Finn, just Finn." The armoured human replied. "The four of us came from our time to yours together, so if you need another person to mind meld with I will volunteer. My knowledge of past history isn't as good as Rey's, but my memories of my time are crystal clear."
"You said four of you?" Depa asked, eyeing them intently.
BB-8 chose that moment to announce his presence, rolling past his friends and by Yoda's side.
"Astonishing." Koon muttered as he surveyed the droid, and he wasn't alone. The other three also watched with more than a little healthy curiosity. "You are certainly something I have never seen before."
Poe smiled. "If you have some of your techs look over B here I think you'll find that he's considerably more advanced than your average Astromech droid."
B chortled in agreement.
"Very well," Mace allowed. "Please, tell us everything you know."
They did just that. Poe and Finn told them of what they knew, corroborated by Yoda himself when disbelief seemed imminent. They told them of the rise of the Empire, the abolition of the Republic and the purges against the Jedi and their allies, of two decades under the Empire's and the Sith's rule before the peoples of the galaxy rose up against them. They told them all they dared, all that Yoda and Vos could confirm.
Then they explained what would happen over the next few months. The identity of the Sith Lord as Darth Sidious, currently imbedded within the Republic as the influential Senator Palpatine from Naboo. That he had been slowly and surely building support through a number of strategies in the Senate for many years, support which he would use when he convinced the Queen of the Naboo to declare a no confidence vote against Valorum, who had seen several attempts on his leadership over the last few years. He would sweep to victory as the next Supreme Chancellor, publicly uniting the Republic while secretly ripping it apart.
The current Supreme Chancellor was in a weakened position, many were dissatisfied with the current inaction of the Senate and held him responsible. If a vote of no confidence came he would not have the support to stop it.
"It is tomorrow, yes?" Billipa asked.
"It is." Obi-Wan confirmed.
"We have to stop it, call for a postponement."
"The Naboo won't stand for it, not with the current situation." Mundi shook his head. "Then there is the Trade Federation. If the postponement goes through they will use whatever dealings they could to make sure it never makes it to the Senate again, strengthening their own claim of a legal blockade in the process."
"It would be a political nightmare." Koon nodded.
"Then we step in, side publicly with the Naboo." Mundi ventured thoughtfully. "Surely we still have some clout in the Senate?"
"We do, but not enough." Windu allowed. "If we back her publicly it will strengthen a call for an investigation instead of a senatorial committee, but we won't be able to guarantee the safety of our ambassadors especially after what happened the last time. Many senators will point this out."
"Can't we use that?" Billipa asked. "The Trade Federation attacked a Judiciary transport in their own hanger, and tried to kill two Jedi in the process. Master Jinn may be something of a maverick but he is still a man of strong moral code and character. They must take that into account."
"Your words are too kind, Master Billipa." Jinn allowed, he and Obi-Wan bowing.
"Use that, we can." Yoda nodded thoughtfully.
"But not immediately." Koon pointed out.
"What if the Queen called on individual members of the Republic for help, instead of the Senate as a whole?" The Jedi all turned to Poe, eyeing him intently. The pilot had been thinking out loud, all knew it by his widening eyes. "I apologise for interrupting."
Yoda was thoughtful for a moment, then a small, almost embarrassed smile crossed his withered features. "Interesting, continue yes?"
Poe hesitated for a moment, before straightening. "You are all thinking of the Republic as one single entity, but in reality it is a supranational state whose members enjoy considerable freedoms. What if instead of the Queen calling for help from the senate she called for independent members for help instead?"
"Impossible." Mundi shook his head. "It has just never been done. The Senate was founded as a united voice of the Republic. To call upon individual members is unheard of."
"Indeed, and who would even agree to side with the Naboo against the likes of the Trade Federation. They are a trading conglomerate stretching across countless worlds with influence in many governments." Billipa added. "There are no member states willing to suffer the economic backlash."
"You would think," Poe continued, smiling as an idea based on his own readings entered his mind. "But there were many powerful planets which were outraged by the Trade Federations blockade of the Naboo, planets who have been on the receiving end of their ire for many years. All they will need is a push and they will act."
"Like Corellia," Finn said suddenly before any of the Jedi could ask, eyes widening as he remembered. "Corellia is a major shipbuilding hub which has been suffering from Federation tariffs for decades. The Federation has never been able to stop them because they have many allies of their own."
"Then there's Kuat, a planet where trade is so important that their leadership is made of prominent trading families. They have also been suffering from competition and backroom dealings from the Federation, lost several major contracts because of it if I remember." Poe continued. "Other planets who have suffered similarly include Dac, and the Empress Teta System in the Deep Core. What do these worlds have in common?"
"Major independent trading hubs, shipbuilding hubs." Mace pondered, frowning.
"No loyalty to the Federation." Billipa added.
Plo Koon saw it first. "Huge Planetary Defence Forces. They basically provide defence and security to surrounding sectors in place of the Judiciary."
"They are the main reason why the likes of the Trade Federation and the Techno Union have not been able to expand beyond the Mid-Rim and the Colonies into the Core and the Outer-RIm." Billipa finished. "Corellia, Kuat and Teta have dominated trade in the Core regions since the founding of the Republic, and Dac is so powerful that it can influence other trading worlds in the Outer-Rim. Corellia and Kuat especially have just signed trade agreements with the Naboo since the tariff bills were passed."
Dameron smiled, leaning forward. "You're getting it faster than I thought. So if the Queen asked for aide from independent systems instead of the Senate I am sure that the likes of Kuat and Corellia will respond. It is even considered legal, the first amendment of the articles of the Republic proclaim that independent member states can protect themselves as well as each other against an invading force. They never stopped to consider if that invading force was also a member of the Republic because they never thought one member world would invade another. That same amendment also protects the sovereignty of member worlds."
"It makes the Federations blockade and invasion of Naboo illegal by default." Windu allowed. "We will need to check over this information, make sure it is airtight."
Yoda hummed, silent until now. "Master Jinn, Padawan Kenobi. Go to the Naboo you will. Inform the Queen of our plan, request that she follows it and not reveal it to her senator. On her side the Jedi are, and trust in us she must. return with young Skywalker, you will."
"Yes, Master," Both Master and apprentice responded, bowing.
"Knight Vos, we will contact. Be guides, he and his apprentice will." Yoda turned to Poe and Finn, watching them imploringly. "Follow their instructions, you must."
"Yes, Master." They both replied.
"Master Koon, remain with them for now, you will. Master Mundi, summon Knight Vos and Padawan Secura."
"Yes Master." The two council members intoned, bowing their heads.
It took a moment for the words to sink in, and it was Master Windu who noticed. "There is another Skywalker?"
"From the future she is, did I not say?" Yoda asked, amused. "Brought with the Naboo. Strong in the Force, he is."
"How strong, Master?" Billipa asked.
"His Midichlorian count is larger than any Jedi in the records, even Master Yoda's." Qui-Gon interjected.
The Council members in the room looked amongst themselves, frowning, contemplating. Yoda broke the silence, "Bring him before the council, you shall."
Qui-Gon bowed. "Yes, Master."
It turns out that my week off has given me enough time to get some chapters rolling. I am now a comfortable three chapters ahead so disregard my last note. The chapters will once again be updated on Friday, if I fall behind again I will let you know.
Wow, I'm now over the two hundred review mark. Thank you to everybody who has read, reviewed, favourited and followed this story. When I first started writing it I had no idea it would get the attention it actually has, nor did I think that I would get this far. It is amazing what happens when you have a lot of people providing positive or constructive feedback.
As always leave a review. If anyone feels that I am going too fast or doing something unrealistic let me know. I kind of used my own imagination for the plan the Jedi are concocting. I just looked at the Republic and thought, from my own readings, that it sounded like a supranational body, and member worlds would be able to have considerable freedoms in their own internal governance so long as they follow a strict set of rules. Also, for a young state, other members have the right to defend themselves and fellow member worlds should they be attacked by an outside force.
This is just my opinion as to what the Republic might actually be. It doesn't sound like a centralised group of states like the USA, but more like the EU in that its members have the internal freedom to govern themselves. It explains why some planets are Republics, while others are monarchies or run by conglomerates.
Anyway I'll end this large authors note here.
Peace!