29

AN/ first sorry for taking this long. And I'm also sorry to tell all your readers that unfortunately I won't be able to update for at least 3 months.

Again I'm really really sorry.

Chapter 29

Three days after the wedding the newlyweds along with Mara sat waiting for takeoff to Vjun on Vader's new star ship named in honor of Buffy's cousin Celia. The new ship was extensively modified by Vader; he couldn't resist tinkering with it, besides it was necessary to go through the entire ship with a flea comb. After all it was a wedding gift from Palpatine and neither Vader nor Buffy wanted any hidden eyes or ears spying. Mara was sitting behind Buffy bouncing with the excitement, while Palli who was not bothered by his bouncing bed, was contently curled on Mara's knees.

And in Celia's hidden compartment they had hidden a special guest.

Vader sighed in relief when the ship was finally free of traffic and able to jump to hyperspace. After making the jump he exited the cockpit to join Buffy and Mara who were already unbuckling their belts.

"Are we clear?" asked Buffy and at her husbands nod she tilted her head towards the set of concealed doors. "Better release our guest then" She let a small smile ghost across her lips "I only hope that our honorable guest doesn't have any heart conditions, because when she sees you...well...l."

"Just open the door, will you?" muttered Vader with a not so small amount of exasperation. Buffy seemed to take almost gleeful amusement with this whole situation in general…from the first light of day when she told him what she had done…he silently made a note to throttle Jix, Lands and Ferus for teaching his wife how to fly a speeder.

Entanglements with the Rebel Alliance was not something he wanted at all, but now it seemed that this had to be dealt with sooner or later…probably sooner, he thought wryly when the hidden compartment doors swished opened and a tall woman draped in white and with short red hair stepped out…and when she spotted him her blue eyes widened in shock.

Then again, Vader reflected when he recognized their guest, maybe this meeting won't be total loss.

"Senator Mon Mothma" he greeted with slight nod, watching when the woman straightened her back and regarded him impassively. Good. She wasn't afraid of him or his mask…which meant that fear wouldn't rule her decision…whatever that decision will be.

"Lord Vader." The senator inclined her head greeting Vader.

"I hear you had a little misfortune of being discovered as a traitor of the Empire." Her eyes narrowed a fraction but she made no move to contradict him. "And only a timely interference from my wife saved you from being, shall we say, apprehended by the Emperor's special forces."

Now her composure broke to reveal a shock, though he had to admit the senator's impersonation of a Guba fish on that tidbit of information was worth any future nuisance him being aligned with the rebels might bring.

"What…" Mon couldn't believe what she was hearing; the person who saved her from the Emperor's private guard was Lord Vader's wife, the same flighty girl she met on her wedding day to Vader and judged her to be nothing but a air headed courtier…questions swirled in Mon's head.

Why did Lady Vader saved her? What is Vader planning? She doubted that he intended to kill her, he would've done that already and if he wanted information on the Rebels she wouldn't have been saved in the first place…unless this was a plot for her to end the Rebel Alliance for good.

Or it could be that Vader is switching sides?

Who would've thought that her and Bail Organa plan could go so awry, when he warned her of her pending arrest as a traitor, she decided to take refuge in the lower regions of Coruscant where she knew of a small rebel cell led by a Jedi who managed to hide herself right under Palpatine's nose.

But the plan failed when she was intercepted and found herself surrounded by armed red clad men –Palpatine's personal guard.

Surrounded and with no available escape route she resolved herself with her fate…but as luck would have it…suddenly a small female figure dressed in a black cat suit and with a black shawl which covered everything but the eyes jumped right in the middle of the surprised imperial guards and proceeded to dispatch them before they were able to mount any kind of resistance.

And then the small shrouded female unceremoniously threw her over her shoulders and started to run…to think that now the same woman was currently laughing about watching her with impish amusement plainly seen in her hazel-green eyes.

"Don't worry," said Buffy who was, until now content in watching, and she had to admit that stumbling almost accidentally, almost because she was feeling restless and bored. After all she no longer had to patrol every night, no matter rain, wind or snow, in Sunnydale. And so she snuck out when Sky was otherwise occupied deciding to explore a little on her own.

After all it would be shame to let all that instruction in flying made by Jix, Ferus and Lands go to waste, wouldn't it?

That she gets to beat the crap out of some idiots who decided to harass someone was pure luck…only when one of them shouted something about being a traitor and when she looked at the woman more closely she knew exactly who the PTB decided to throw her way.

But now said rescue was watching her so she decided to alleviate her worries…somewhat.
"Don't worry too much; I didn't rescue you so that he could kill you. You know?" no sense in tipping the woman off that it was pure chance that she was in the right place in the right time…then slanting amused look at Vader she continued in mock reproach. "At least I better not have."

"Wife." Vader grumbled sternly.

Buffy just scowled and retaliated in kind. "Husband"

Mon Mothma observed the byplay with bemusement but it also put her at ease somewhat…at least Vader didn't seem in the mood to kill her, or looking for any information at the moment at least….but if her observations were correct she was fairly sure that Vader was acting on his own.

This supposedly meant that either he intended to use the rebels to gain power or he was really switching sides and that will unfortunately became clear at the later date.

But until then…

"Lord Vader, what is it that you want of me?"

***

Meanwhile on Vjun Ferus Olin was watching a discussion of its new and old inhabitants who grow considerably. Some were Jedi that were rescued from Kashyyyk, some joined them later on and some were just normal beings human and alien alike who were hunted by the Empire.
All those people, much to Mace Windu's annoyance were now privy to the discussion that Mace believed concerned Jedi and Jedi alone.

To make matters more irritating to the Jedi Master, it was Anakin who set it up so that all inhabitants could hear anything that was discussed in the conference room of Castle Bast.

Jedi Master Mace Windu, along with three others, was stubbornly insisting that the Jedi should keep adhering to the code, but considering that they had nothing else to embrace like some Jedi that moved on with their lives. Like Padawan Olee Starstone who seems to harbor a not so hidden attraction to a young slicer named Filli Bitters, currently sitting right beside her, earning some disapproving and approving looks from assembled Jedi.

"I still think that we should keep…" Mace started yet again appealing to the assembled Jedi, with slight aggravation in his mind at the presence of people that weren't Jedi in the room.

"Yes because that worked so well in the past" snark-ed Roan who after listening to Mater Windu discuss things for a while now still couldn't believe Ferus was part of such…quickly forestalling the not nice thought he turned his attention back to matters at hand.

"Not only you were standing near the Sith that wiped your Order from existence but you also protected him and help him to rise to power…all because you lost contact with the real world that every other being lives in."

Mace glared. "Mr. Lands you are not a Jedi so you can not presume what the Jedi did or didn't do. I see you were discussing things with Miss Summers."

At that Roan smirked. "Actually it's called logic, and presumption that you didn't know that Palpatine is a Sith Llord, of course if you say that you did know…so which is it? Also Miss Summers is no longer a Miss; she was married three days ago."

Ferus leaned forward. "If Jedi are to survive they must adapt. I adjusted. Siri used to always tell me that I must accept change. Welcome it, she said—change is what keeps the galaxy spinning. And if Jedi don't adapt they'll disappear from the Galaxy altogether. Besides there is nothing in the code says that attachments is forbidden." He then proceeded to recite:

"Emotion, yet peace.
Ignorance, yet knowledge.
Passion, yet serenity.
Chaos, yet harmony.
Death, yet the Force."

He finished and took a deep breath. "I am not saying we should forget the code…simply rewrite it."

Master Hayclon lean forward dark eyes amused, "It seems you've thrown some thought in this direction Ferus…lets have it."

"As always Master Hayclon, your perception is correct. I did give some thought and with help from Force Ghosts I was able to come with this improved Jedi Code:

Emotion, yet peace.
Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy.
Ignorance, yet knowledge.
Jedi use their powers to defend and to protect.
Jedi respect all life, in any form.
Chaos, yet harmony.
Jedi serve others rather than ruling over them, for the good of the galaxy.
Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training.
Death, yet the Force. "

"Well now that is definitely better and it does describe what Jedi should be don't you think Master Windu?" Master Hayclon turned to his colleagues who give a short but reluctant nod.

"But before we decide anything we should discuss things with Masters Yoda and Kenobi."

"Agreed."

"But where are they?"

A voice came from the doorway. "Obi-Wan is on Tatooine."

"Hey Anakin, you're back" Ferus shot a look at Anakin's companions, Buffy give him a wink and an eye roll, which pretty much meant that something was going on that both amused and annoyed her.

Probably tied to that Senator that was with them. Who seemed in a daze, she probably got a shock when Anakin removed that breathing mask of his…how childish of him.

"Way to state the obvious Ferus." Anakin grumbled.

"Hey baldy." The merry voice of Jix piped from way the back of the room, where he was currently amusing several younger Padawans with something or other.

"Shut up Jixton"

"How do you know Obi Wan is on Tatooine?" Master Hayclon queried intent to bring the matter back on topic. No mater how amused he was at the interruption, he wanted to make attachments available, after all he himself was married in secret years before the Jedi Temple was destroyed.

"Simple there is one place I wouldn't step on even if Palpatine ordered me to…and that is my home planet." Because Qiu-Gon has told me. Then he looked at the assembled.

"I don't know where Yoda is but I bet Obi Wan does, so who will go with me? Also, someone has to escort Senator Mothma to Alderaan secretly; she is wanted for treason by the Empire."

To Be Continued...when I'll be able