Chapter 37

Toshiro and Master Windu were the only ones standing. Master Windu was pacing behind his chair. The Council had migrated up to the High Council Chamber to discuss this matter further.

"If the Chancellor really is a Sith, then we'll have to arrest him and put him on trial," Master Windu said. "Although, it will be difficult to find any sort of substantial evidence against him…"

"Are you serious?" Toshiro was beyond frustrated. "Put him on trial with the same people who elected him, with no evidence to back up your claim? That doesn't make any sense."

Master Windu almost glared at him. "Do you have any other suggestions?" he asked.

Toshiro thought for a moment. "The only solution I can see to this… is to get rid of him now, when he's not expecting it."

"You mean kill him?"

Toshiro nodded. "Exactly."

"I can't see how that would work. If one of us were to kill the Chancellor, the entire Republic would turn against us. The public's trust in the Jedi Order is already beginning to teeter as it is."

Toshiro twitched. He could tell that Master Windu's last comment was alluding to the ice incident.

Calm yourself.

Toshiro blinked at Yoda's quiet, telepathic suggestion. He glanced at the old Jedi, then took a deep breath.

"…I'll go."

All eyes rested on him, with expressions ranging from surprise, to deep concern, to skepticism.

"…What?" he retorted. "It makes the most sense, since no one with low spirit-power can see me. I can mask my reiatsu, follow him until he produces some evidence, kill him, and leave the evidence out to be found when you guys investigate the scene."

There was a moment of thoughtful silence. Yoda and Master Windu exchanged knowing glances.

"It's a good plan, I'd say." Toshiro turned to see that a large snake-like creature with a long white beard was the one who had spoken. "True, the public may be slightly upset at the Order when we won't be able to explain everything again, but I think they'll be even more outraged by the fact that a Sith lord was running the republic, and that should soften any criticism they'll have of the Order."

Yoda sighed. "Dangerous, it will be," he said quietly, his gaze lifting to match Toshiro's.

"You think I don't know that?" Toshiro replied. "Look, part of being a Captain of the Gotei 13 is accepting the fact that all of the most dangerous assignments will fall to you. You go into each battle knowing that there is a good chance of you getting killed. It doesn't matter how 'dangerous' an assignment is; if it needs to be done, it needs to be done." His voice lowered, and his eyes dropped a bit. "This situation is no different."

"Realize, you do, that expect you to do this for us, none of us do?" Yaddle asked. The worry she felt for him was obvious.

"What is it with you guys? I'm offering to take care of a problem that you aren't able to take care of yourselves without dire consequences; this isn't any different from my job as a Captain!"

"Wrong, you are."

Toshiro blinked at Yoda, who was staring at him. "What?"

"Very different, this situation is."

"How?"

"If the Chancellor really is a Sith," Master Windu said, "then the first thing he'll try to do, especially with someone with your kind of power, is lure you to the Dark Side."

…Oh. Right. The "Dark Side".

"Tell you now, I will, that only a small taste of the Dark Side you received during your battle with Dooku," Yoda said. "Only an apprentice, Dooku was. A Sith master you are going up against. Uncover and exploit every single weakness that he possibly can, and in the most persuasive, cunning way, he will. Attack your weaknesses and your strengths, he will. If through one route, turn you, he cannot, another route, he will find, until every single vulnerability in you, he has exploited. Then, if able to defeat him after that, you are not, kill you in the most painful, horrific way possible, he will."

Yoda's words were said with such stark certainty that there was little doubt in Toshiro's mind that the old gnome was speaking strictly from personal experience. Toshiro swallowed, taking a moment to fully digest what Yoda had said. With everything that had happened in this dimension, was Toshiro really ready to take on a full-frontal attack of his emotions?

When the Grand Master spoke again, his stark tone was mixed with concern. "Still want to go through with this, do you?"

Toshiro closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded. "I have to. Not just for you guys, but… I need to know for myself, that I can resist whatever he throws at me."

The room filled with a heavy sense of reverence. Yoda closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath. "If your choice, that is…" He opened his eyes, gazing directly at Toshiro. "…then believe in you, and help you prepare in any way we can, we will."