The Very Public Execution Ceremony of Obi-Wan Kenobi
A/N this is an exceptionally long chapter, in which I would like to once again thank my beta-reader,
EzioAuditore1459 without which this chapter would have alot more mistakes in it than it does. Now without further adieu...I present...
The Execution for Jedi Councilmember and General of the Alliance to Restore the Republic was for T minus two hours just outside of the Emperor's Palace. There were three palaces on Imperial City which had been renamed from Coruscent after the Emperor ascended the throne turning the Republic into an Empire. The Emperor's castle was by far the largest and most opulence of all the castles on Imperial City, it had the most rooms and the grandest fixtures within it as a testimony of the power of the Empire.
The second castle which was shared by the Emperor's two pets, Darth Wrath and Dark Jedi Barriss Offee, it was the second largest castle, and since it was inhabited by former Jedi it was not nearly as opalescent as the Emperor's castle, the Emperor would not allow another castle to exceed his. Although Barriss only slept there while in Imperial City, which was to say only when the Emperor ordered her there. So the castle of Darth Wrath and Offee mostly accentuated Darth Wrath's opalescent tastes. Although he had spent most of his life as a Jedi, first as a youngling, then as a padawan, and then later as a Knight, and finally as a Jedi Master, once he shook off the restraints of the Jedi Order, he gave into his every desire, his desire for greed and wealth, desires that he had frowned down upon when presented with the fallen Jedi Master Tyrone Dooku, and yet they were desires he now indulged in.
And desires of the flesh, it seemed as if there wasn't a Jedi tenant of code that he didn't enjoy lavishing against. Right now Darth Wrath stood staring down at his once Padawan, Shaak Ti.
Darth Wrath's lips were pulled back from his face in somewhat of a snarl on his lecherous face as he imagined his former padawan's body underneath the robes of a Jedi Master. She was already binded for him, and some part of him delighted in seeing her so neatly caught, and submissive to him, as she should be. He was the master here, and soon, very soon she would be calling him master.
"Is it true?" she asked softly, memories fleeting by her like leaves in the wind, the harder she tried to catch them the faster they slipped away, yet, she had clearly got a glimpse of herself as probably a young Knight locked in an embrace with Plo Koon. What could this mean, she wondered?
"Just what are you referring to? There are many truths in this galaxy that you are entirely ignorant to," he said as he sat down stretching out his legs as the cushion underneath had been adjusted just to his weight and frame and seemed to hug his hard lines as he sighed in comfort.
"Master Plo Koon and I …..we broke the Jedi Code?" she asked, feeling her way around words that felt awkward and unreal coming from her. She had always supported the Code, supporting putting the mission before any personal feelings so as not to jeopardize all that the Jedi stood for, and the importance of the mission. A Jedi was supposed to put the mission above one mere Jedi, if it came a choice between the life of a Jedi and completing the mission, a Jedi was to complete the mission no matter what the cost. It had been what had made Skywalker so dangerous, though he had been more than capable, and once his secret was out, the anger that Skywalker had always emitted had seemed to fade into the Force, leaving in its wake the confident Jedi he was always meant to become, it was what head led many Jedi to changing the Code, and to the subsequensive changes. It made Shaak Ti wonder if there was more to Master Plo supporting Skywalker than she had always assumed. Was it because of her?
"I don't want to hear any more about Plo Koon," Darth Wrath said quietly, dangerously as his one visible eye flashed yellow.
"But Mace, how could I not remember such an important event in my life? What else have I forgotten," she pressed.
"That…name…no longer has any meaning to me," Darth Wrath said visibly shaking, and so the room around them shook as well with the Force of his anger.
"Calm your mind, and peace you will find," Shaak Ti said, quoting Master Yoda.
Darth Wrath turned to glare at her, "I am no longer a JEDI," he said, making Jedi seem like it was worse than any occupation and hobby that one could have.
"The Force still runs through you, as it does us all. It connects us, binds us together, as we are all part of the Force, and the Force is part of us." Once again he glared at her, striding purposely to her side, and then his comlink went off.
"Lord Wrath," came the slow elegant voice of the Emperor, "I am need of your services, my most loyal apprentice," he spoke, with an air of command, as if all the power in the universe was his and he had absolute power. Darth Wrath remembered an old saying, something about power corrupting but it didn't seem important to Darth Wrath as he listened to his master for what he hoped was the final time.
"Yes, Master," Darth Wrath said, his voice filled with contrite and humility as if he still feared the elder Sith Master, "How can I serve you, my Master."
"It brings joy to my heart to see how faithfully you serve me, my apprentice," the Sith Master intoned, suspicion in his voice, "But alas, back to the task at hand. It seems we were correct in assuming that the Jedi would arrive to free General Kenobi," there was glee in the Sith Master's voice. "I need you to find Barriss and get down here as soon as possible we are still less than an hour away from my celebration, and I won't see my celebration ruined, am I understood?"
"Absolutely," Lord Wrath replied automatically, it was an automatic response after serving the Emperor for years and years of faithful service. "What is the problem at hand, my Master."
"If you would pay attention to the lessons I have given you, you would know," the Emperor snapped back, his mood darkening. "The Jedi have sent a rescue team, I haven't been able to make out which Jedi," he sneered at the word, "But it appears they are younglings, you should be able to do it, you know that I am here to conduct the ceremony and cannot be seen doing such…unsavory acts."
Lord Wrath sneered, no, he thought, it wouldn't do for the Emperor to be seen actively hunting down younglings and dispatching them on sight, but it was alright for the Emperor's second in command to do so. The Emperor to his knowledge had never got his hands dirty, and nothing had ever been publically traced back to him, at least not with proof. "Of course, my Master. Barriss and I will defeat the younglings, you have my word."
"I know that I can count on you, my apprentice. And do be quick about it," The Emperor said before disconnecting the comlink and staring out at the growing crowd.
The once Queen and Senator of Naboo Padme Skywalker nee Amidala stared out at the once named Coruscent toward the Five Hundred Republica which was just a shadow of its former self. Padme couldn't help but gasp at what she saw through the artificial daylight of the great City that had once been the center of the galaxy, politically speaking. The Jedi Temple was all but destroyed, what hadn't been destroyed…..was left at the bottom of what was now the Emperor's castle. The Emperor's castle which nestled on top of the gold and white remnants of the Jedi Temple, was black, the whole exterior was black as if it symbolized the Dark Side overcoming the Dark, which Padme guessed was pretty accurate. If only she had known, Padme shivered remembering how he had been her Senator during her reign as Queen. She wrapped her arms around herself as Leia came to put her arms around her mother.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Leia asked, concern feeling her voice as Mara went to take her place in the co-pilot chair.
"Oh, Leia," Padme said as she accepted her daughter's embrace. "All this…it's all my fault, it all went so terribly wrong, but we can't let him win. I can only imagine…." Padme trailed off before continuing, "how Obi-Wan is doing there," she pointed to the castle that stood upon the broken Jedi Temple. "It's a symbol of the Sith's dominance over the Jedi. Why couldn't I have seen what he was up too?"
"Mom," Leia said soothingly, "Didn't the Emperor spend most of his time surrounded by Jedi?" Leia asked as Luke traded places with Galen coming to stand by Leia and his mother. Jix stood not far away watching his aunt and his cousins.
"Yes, that's true," she said, "But it was me, I called for the vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum."
"Aunt Padme," Jix said stepping closer to the family unit. "I have heard this story before from Mom and Dad, from Pooja and from Grandpa; the people of Naboo were starving, the blockade preventing the citizens from getting medical supplies and food."
"Yes, I know, but I was elected Queen, it was my duty to do what was right not just for Naboo but for the entire Galaxy, and I failed. Look, at what has become of the Jedi Temple?" Padme said to the twins.
"Mom, everything's going to be okay," Luke said taking his mother's hand in his own. "I promise you the Emperor's reign will come to an end." Padme nodded and smiled at her son, looking at him, he looked so much like his battle-worn father except so much more delicate, so less rugged, and those eyes, those Skywalker blue eyes, they made her smile with love and with loss.
"I know, Luke, it's just hard being back here, seeing what the Emperor has done."
"You could stay on board; you don't have to with us?" Luke suggested, trying to protect his mother.
"Luke," she smiled and hugged him to her. "What kind of mother would I be to abandon my children at the eleventh hour; you don't know this planet like I do. I spent most of my term as Senator in the Five Hundred Republica, it's where your father and I spent the early part of our married life, and I will not sit this one out," she said, making herself heard to her son and daughter. She saw as on either side of her they shared a look, and rolled their eyes. Padme chose not to comment on it, she chose her battles carefully and this one was good-natured obviously and old joke shared by the twins.
Luke and Leia watched as the artificial daylight descended on the planet below. They had grown up between Tatooine and Dantooine, and had spent months of their young lives on Naboo. Even their recent adventures with the Rebellion on Yavin IV, hadn't prepared them for this. They had grown up around the natural elements of life, and to see the artificial daylight, to see a part of life that had always been so natural become artificial was a new experience for the twins.
Luke and Leia stared past the Emperor's castle toward the third castle, a castle that it was said was inhabited by Sate Pestage, though no one seemed to know much about him, he seemed to have sprung from nowhere with the birth of the Empire. There were rumors, however, and Padme didn't give much credit to rumors she preferred to judge someone by their own merits not by the rumor mill, but still she had heard. There were those that believed that Sate Pestage was the only child of the Emperor, but Padme dismissed it completely, if that were so would he not be second in command, a position that belonged to the once powerful Jedi Master who was now a Sith Lord, and two he would have the presence that something extra that she had learned to associate with those that were strong in the Force, although Padme wasn't wasn't Force sensitive herself, she had learned that the presence, or aura as some called it of a Jedi or Sith felt differently than the average person.
Sate had always seemed nearly invisible beside Palpatine, so non-descript were his features, and beside Palpatine he had always faded into the shadows. He had risen beside the Emperor, but what Padme couldn't seem to figure out was that if Sate was Palpatine's son, why all the interest in the Jedi and especially Anakin. Oh, Anakin, she thought she was so glad he wasn't here to see his beloved Jedi Temple crushed beneath Palpatine's might. Sate was now the Grand Vizier and had a position of power just underneath Barriss Offee. There were other rumors, rumors in which the so-called Grand Vizier would hold no real power if proven true. There were rumors that stated that he was the Clone of Emperor Palpatine, and clones in the Emperor belonged solely to the Empire, they could not own possessions, or hold power or position.
Padme had conferred with Jix who had once served in the Empire undercover on many of the Empire's deals. He still had contacts in the Empire which was how they had entailed many of the details of their mission. Jix had even taken the Director of Imperial Intelligence out on several dates. The information she had unwittingly passed on to Jix was invaluable to the Republic, it was how they knew about the DNA scans.
"Alright," Mara said, breaking into Padme's thoughts as her family gathered around her, "So how are we planning on rescuing Dad," she asked as Galen moved out of the way so that Galen could enter a planetary landing code, without it, there rescue would be very short-lived.
"Well, our first obstacle," Jix said, pulling up the plans of Imperial City, plans that he had stolen from his semi-girlfriend, Ysanne Isard, is to get past the stormtroopers. Once we disembark, there will be a DNA scan so that they can keep track of every citizen on the planet." Padme groaned at this, but Luke smiled as he headed toward the crew's quarters where he had left his knapsack. Within moments, Luke had returned with a small box as Jix continued, "Even though I share DNA with Aunt Padme, I was cleared long ago, they never suspected me as a double agent," Jix finished.
"Well, I have the solution for me and Galen," Luke said with a smile as he took out a small dark glass and a small fine paintbrush. He stuck the paintbrush into the bottle. "This was Dad's, it's the DNA of Jango Fett," Luke explained. "This should fool the DNA processors since they only do an initial fingertip sweep," he said, looking over at Jix who nodded his assent. Galen splayed his hands wide while Luke painted them, it wouldn't do good for either of their DNA to pop up. Galen was the son of two lesser known Jedi, but Jedi nonetheless and Luke, Luke was Luke Skywalker, that very name would have Imperial City on lockdown. Luke frowned as he looked at Leia, Mara Jade, and his mother there was only one way they wouldn't be scanned.
"No, Luke, there is no way I'm doing that," Leia said, backing away and putting her hands in front of her, "How can you even think to do that to us? I'm your sister," she said glaring at her brother. "I will not….serve that slime."
"It's the only way, Leia," Luke said kindly, "I wouldn't have you do it, but you know as well as I do that the only ones that aren't scanned are the ones that are offered as a gift to his majesty," Luke explained.
"And what about my lightsaber?" Leia asked, "Exactly where am I supposed to stick that, down my bosom?" she asked and Luke reddened.
"It's the only way, Leia that you and Mom can get out of being scanned."
"There must be another way," Leia said, "Why didn't you tell me this was your grand plan?" she asked her brother.
"I'm not doing it," Mara said, "You would like to see me degraded and serving the Emperor wouldn't you farmboy?" she sneered at him, as she went to the crew quarters. She changed from her robes into skin tight leather outfit. "There is another option, Farmboy," she glared at Luke as she spoke to him. "I am an assassin for the Empire, a bounty hunter, Farmboy; I will not be a part of his harem."
"I'm with Mara Jade," Leia said as she and Padme went to change and Luke scratched his head, perhaps he had been hanging around Obi-Wan too long, but Obi-Wan always said that the seedier the occupation the less they checked. He shrugged his shoulders, he hadn't meant to offend anyone, but it had seemed a good idea at the time. Luke patted Artoo, who whirled at him sadly.
"You miss Dad too, don't you boy?" he asked and heard the affirmative whirl. Why he didn't believe Artoo had been separated from his father since the First Battle of Genosis. Artoo beeped and whirled again, and Luke shook his head sadly, "I know, Artoo," he said, responding to the binary message about how Artoo would have saved Anakin if he had known what was going on. "I miss him too," Luke doubted anyone but his Dad had ever showed Artoo much affection, and the Skywalker family had sure been distracted lately. Luke watched as his sister wore an outfit much like Mara's black one, except it was in a deep midnight blue. She attached her lightsaber and a blaster on her hip.
If Luke was surprised at Leia's transformation, he was even more shocked at his mother, who appeared in a pilot's helmet and suit, and yet there was something formable about the outfit. Leia was young enough that the attention could easily be taken off her face, but Padme was under no such allusions, and if the Emperor saw her he would know her at once. So Luke, Galen, and Jix would go through the DNA analyzer while his sister, mother, and Mara would go the back way, as bounty hunters. Luke shot a look at Mara Jade Kenobi, and couldn't believe what a skin-tight leather outfit and heavy make-up did to her. She didn't even look like the child of a Duchess and Jedi Master, and her red hair glowed almost like the fake light he had seen on this planet. She was….a stunning creature, he grudgingly admitted.
Luke shrugged those thoughts away as he watched Mom put her arms around Leia and Mara Jade in a familiar way, almost groping the two other girls and then Luke realized why, Mom wanted to be taken as a male bounty hunter, she was doing all she could to protect her identity. Luke ushered Artoo after him. "We have to find Uncle Obi-Wan," he told the small astro-droid. Luke drew up his cloak to cover his features, lest he be recognized as the Son of Skywalker. Luckily, his face hadn't been blaster over the Holo-News as his father's had. Luke turned to his cousin. "Thanks, Jix for everything," he said.
"No sweat, Luke, we're family, that means we're binded together throughout our life, even in death," Jix said with a smile.
"That's comforting," Luke said, somewhat sarcastically.
"I've got your back," Jix replied as Galen rolled his eyes.
"Come on, let's see if your plan worked Luke," Galen said as he stood under the DNA analyzer. "DNA of Jango Fett approved," he heard the scanner say, "Step right through," and he let out a sigh of relief, perhaps Luke did have some of his father's skills. Galen stepped aside, and waited for Luke and Jix to come through, although Jix's was quite different than his and Luke's.
"DNA of Jix Wrenga Naberrie, son of Sola and Darred Naberrie, officer of the Galactic Empire, clearance approved." Galen and Luke shot him a look. Jix shrugged his shoulders, as he led them to the square where they could just make out the appearance of Obi-Wan Kenobi, holo-cameras faced all sides as the countdown clock made sure everyone knew they had less than two standard hours to by a T-shirt that said 'I attended the Execution of Rebel Leader Obi-Wan Kenobi' and other such nuisances. It made Luke sick, to see how the public was trying to turn a profit off of the execution of a great man.
Though Luke didn't care much for Mara Jade he wondered if she had seen it, and how she was reacting to it. There were even Kenobi dogs, which had Obi-Wan's face on them, with him getting boiled, it was sickening, and the citizens clamored for more. How could anyone in his right mind endorse this, Luke wondered? Jix had bought an Obi-Wan doll to give it to the Jedi Master later, but he hid it from Luke.
Luke couldn't believe the crowd of people that had come to see Obi-Wan put to death, did this many people really hate and despise all that his aunt, uncle, and father had done for them. Did they despise their Hero With No Fear, and the Negotiator, Jedi they had once hailed as heroes as if they had supernatural powers that went beyond the mere powers of even Jedi, as if their presence alone could turn the tide of a battle, and many times they had been right, and yet now they gathered around perhaps not to see him put to death, but to see if he could die. If he was mortal or made of something stronger, to see if a hero could die. Luke looked up only to see Leia, Mara and his mother standing in the background behind not just the Emperor, though it was the first time Luke had seen him and even from a distance, he could feel the cold dark presence that seemed to envelope the force.
Luke tightened his mental restraints, but he was afraid he had been too late, had the Emperor sensed a Jedi among them. He watched as Grand Moff Tarkin stood up and began listing Uncle Obi-Wan's crimes against the Empire as Palpatine stepped away, and Luke frowned bringing down stronger shields as he awaited the right time to act. He, Galen, and Jix were at pivotal points in the crowd and Mom, Mara and Leia were right near the Emperor along with Admiral Yularen and Moff Tarkin. Luke wondered where Wrath and Barriss were and what had happened to Shaak Ti?
Pooja Naberrie, Senator of Naboo, wondered why the Emperor had personally informed her she would be attending his little celebration. Pooja did not see the execution of a Jedi a celebration at all. But when one was ordered by the Emperor to attend, one did not refuse without suffering for it. Pooja lived in what had once been the home of her aunt, Padme Amidala, and for now donned on a classic black assemble with a matching cloak. She had her hair artfully done by employing some of the same handmaidens that her aunt had once used. There were many secrets buried within this place, secrets that Pooja was careful not to disturb. Pooja missed her family; she missed her aunt and uncle. She remembered when she was a little girl, when Aunt Padme had been come to reveal her marriage and Uncle Anakin had told her that he had seen her becoming a wonderful politician like her aunt. She was a politician but she didn't know if she was good at it, she wondered if her aunt would wield to the Emperor's demands as she had been forced to. Pooja took a deep breath as Admiral Paneka arrived at her side along with her handmaidens and she made her way toward the Emperor's celebration.
