After they had disconnected the call to Bo-Katan, Kal sat down with his estranged sons Tor and Ijaat and explained what he had been doing for over a decade. He concluded his recounting with his faking of Ruusaan's death.
"That is good to know about Ruusaan," said Ijaat. "I regret how I went out of my way to hurt you when you didn't show up for Mom's funeral, so I am glad I got to see you again."
"As am I," said Kal. "Not going to her funeral was an extremely hard decision I had to make but as much as I wanted to comfort you, I knew you were strong enough to cope. The Kaminoans, they aren't just creepy, they are so obsessed with the quality of the clones they make that they are willing to kill up to a hundred if one in a specific batch of them is deficient. The Jedi weren't around back then, so there was nothing to stop them from doing so. The only time I know of that they backed down from doing so was when I stood up to them and protested. If I left, the Kaminoans would likely kill several of the clones I had stood up for."
"I know you had your reasons, Dad," said Tor. "I just didn't think they were good ones."
"I deserve that," said Kal. "I suppose you had no reason not to think I was just fighting in some border skirmish on a forgotten planet."
"I thought it was something like that," said Tor. "I just can't believe that is the life you wanted me and Ijaat to have."
"I suppose that it would seem a bit harsh but there is more to being a Mandalorian than fighting for someone else's money," Kal replied.
"As Bo-Katan and previously Vizsla kept hammering in," Tor commented. "The only reason he didn't kill us is because he thought that, because Mom divorced you, we never had a chance to learn how to be Mandalorian. He then made it clear he would kill us if we didn't try. Then, when he thought that we had learned enough, he strapped slave collars on our necks and threatened to blow our heads off if we didn't rob the Coronet Bank. And he told us not to wear gloves either."
"Well, you have been there many times, the Corellian Security Force will think they were left over from your prior visits and employment there," Obi-Wan said.
"He had us wear transparent riot helmets, Master Jedi," said Ijaat. "Even while we were wearing balaclavas underneath, one of the secretaries recognized me. When we got back to the ship, Bo-Katan sniped three CorSec patrolmen, and Vizsla used his sword and flamethrower on the SWAT team. Another one shot down their airspeeder with her jetpack missile before we took off."
"Well, that is a hell of a way to ensure you would never turn on them," said Obi-Wan. He knew that CorSec wouldn't see the difference between them and their accomplices who actually had killed the police who responded but if political necessity required that the surviving cop killer be given amnesty, Obi-Wan saw no reason for her accomplices who hadn't personally killed anyone to take the fall. If a spiteful policeman ignored the directive to leave them alone, Obi-Wan would not do anything to Kal for protecting his sons or to Tor and Ijaat for protecting themselves. "I suppose such things are not considered that notable among more traditional Mandalorians."
"I was shocked Jango got away with killing two hundred CSF and the senator they were guarding and then blowing up an asteroid with four hundred guards and twice as many prisoners," said Kal. "I am not planning to lose my sons because of something similar."
"If this arrangement happens, you won't have to," said Obi-Wan. "I shall contact the council about this meeting." Obi-Wan walked back to the Aay'han and activated the holoprojector. After a few moments, an image of Plo Koon appeared.
"Master Kenobi, how goes the negotiations?" the Kel Dor asked.
"Bo-Katan didn't like what she saw as political opportunism but she knows her movement won't go anywhere without our help," answered Obi-Wan.
"Not the attitude I was hoping for," replied Koon. "Perhaps that attitude will change later on but it will have to do for now. How does the Sergeant feel about reuniting with his sons?"
"They don't hate him but they hardly know him," said Obi-Wan. "Only time will tell if this improves. Neither of them have much chance of going back to their lives on Corellia, however." Obi-Wan proceeded to tell Plo what they had recounted.
"That could make cooperation with the Nite Owls harder than we thought," said Plo. "But they are the best bet we have for decisively removing Maul and his allies from power. Perhaps it will be best to keep their involvement with that robbery a secret."
"Agreed," said Obi-Wan. "We shall be returning to Coruscant shortly. May the Force be with us."
Back on Coruscant…
Ahsoka and Padme were heading for the Republic Executive Building. Ahsoka had initially planned to tell Anakin of Lux's marriage proposal at Padme's penthouse but Padme had received an important communique from Naboo that was directed toward Palpatine. Anakin and Palpatine were meeting at the Chancellor's Residence, so they changed course. After a short ride, they docked with the building. As they walked toward the office, they were greeted by Sate Pestage, Palpatine's chief of staff. He was talking with deputy chief of staff, Kinman Doriana.
"Chancellor, Senator Amidala and Jedi Knight Tano are right outside," Doriana said into his earpiece. After waiting a moment he looked up at them. "You and your friend may go in now, milady."
"Thank you, Kinman," said Padme. As the two women walked inside, they saw Palpatine and Anakin standing by the window.
"Senator, Ahsoka, I was not expecting you here today," said the chancellor. "Has something come up?"
"Ahsoka was interested in aquatic creatures on Naboo and since Jar Jar wasn't here, I decided to tell her as much as I could," said Padme. "But something came up and I thought it would be best if you heard it from me." After a short pause, she continued. "The wreck of the Cosinga's Pride was found on the edge of the Taanab system. Sadly, there were no bodies present in the wreckage." Palpatine seemed somewhat surprised to hear this but he quickly regained his composure.
"To tell the truth milady, I never thought I would hear those words," said Palpatine.
"Sir, what is the Cosinga's Pride?" asked Ahsoka.
"My father's star yacht," Palpatine answered simply. Anakin seemed a little surprised as well. "I know, I rarely talk about my life before entering politics. House Palpatine was one of the older Royal Houses of Naboo. Though by the time I was a boy, the family had become less prominent and my father hated that, blaming people who weren't as isolationist as he was."
"Your father was an isolationist?" asked Anakin. "I was not expecting that given how your campaign slogan was "We are all connected."
"My father used that phrase to rail against the people he hated, alleging they had plotted to destroy the Gungans many years before I was born," the chancellor explained. "He could never understand how there was more to the universe than Naboo. I used what he said as a slogan for my reelection campaign because it was the one thing he said that actually resonated with me. He also said his grandfather Sheev had been killed trying to expose such corruption, which is how he came up with the name for his oldest son. But my father was a cruel little man frustrated by how his ambitions would never be satisfied, so he decided the best way to compensate was to control his immediate family."
"I never heard of such things," Padme said, rather surprised by this revelation.
"I didn't like to dwell on it and my few friends who knew honored my wishes to keep such things private," he went on. "But that is not to say it didn't hurt. I was the only family member he could never bully into submission and he hated me for it. I rarely go by my given name because, whenever my father called me that, it was to bring up how I didn't measure up to my great-grandfather, and more importantly, remind me of how I was an extension of himself."
"What happened to him?" asked Ahsoka.
"Almost forty-six years ago, when I was on an academic retreat on Chandrila, my mother contacted me," Palpatine said. "She called to inform me my father had a change of heart and wanted to take me and the rest of the family on a vacation to Chommell Minor. Out of either curiosity as to what my father would try now, or hope that my father might actually attempt to change his ways, I waited for him at Hanna City spaceport. They never arrived. The search was enormous but no trace of the ship was ever found. That is, until now."
"I am sorry to come to you with this, chancellor," Padme said. "I know you have a lot on your mind but this is your family we are talking about."
"Actually, we are talking about their starship," said the chancellor. "I went through all this many years ago, and I have come to terms with my grief. Five years after their ship was lost, their funerals were held, empty coffins with their names on them were cremated, and I scattered the ashes in the Solleu, where they went over the waterfall. Unless their bodies have been found, which you just told me they weren't, we all have more important things to worry about than holding a second funeral service."
"I understand chancellor," said Padme.
"Thank you, milady," said Palpatine, who then turned toward Anakin. "Anakin, I hope you think about what we talked about."
"I will, chancellor," said Anakin. As they walked back to the landing bay, Padme spoke up.
"I was a little surprised by how cold the chancellor was," said Padme. "Even if they weren't on the best of terms, they were still his family."
"It happened a long time ago, he has already grieved for them," replied Anakin. "Besides, like he said himself, the duties of the office must come first. But I have a feeling that you came here to do more than just inform the chancellor about finding his parents ship which has been missing for decades." At which moment, Ahsoka turned to Padme.
"I will catch a ride back to the temple with Anakin," she said. After parting ways and getting in Anakin's speeder, Ahsoka turned to him. "Lux just asked me to marry him." Anakin was rather surprised but he kept the speeder on course.
"Are you thinking of accepting?" he asked.
"I already did," she said. "I love him. I just wanted to you to hear it from me."
"Well, if he makes you happy and doesn't betray you, I am fine with that," he said. "Just let him know that if he does turn on you, I will kill him. Also, good work dealing with Durd. I have wanted to cross his card off for a while."
"Your welcome," replied Ahsoka. "It was about time he went down, so I dropped a Techno Union Hardcell on him. Let's see him come back from that."
"Hopefully he won't but he has a knack for coming back no matter what," Anakin said. "When is the wedding?"
"We haven't set a date, yet," Ahsoka joked. "Don't worry, I will tell you when it happens so you can be there, along with Rex and the others we can trust to stay quiet."
Sorry I have been away so long, life got in the way. I plan to continue this story. I love Star Wars Rebels and I love certain parts of the sequels, so I might do fanfics on them. Overall, while I didn't like certain parts, I did love the Rebels finale overall. P.S. Durd is dead, there will be no doppelgangers or clones of him, Anakin was just pointing out how Durd has a tendency to get away.