Love of a Jedi II

Chapter Seventeen

A few days after his meeting with his co-conspirators Naes was at the controls of the Maverick, Rhea and Tara at the controls of the Knightfall. Shortly after the meeting concluded Naes contacted Dex, instead of smuggling people off-planet, Naes was smuggling a few hundred people onto the planet. Approximately forty of his Force sensitive followers. As well as assorted Mon Cala, Wookies, and Bothans. In two days at the height of the celebrations he and his group would make their move. Naes revised plan to hopefully bring balance to the Force was to convince Vader to return to the Light. He was neglecting to inform Yoda or Obi Wan about that part of the plan. If he could turn Vader, then he and Vader would confront Palpatine. If Vader did not turn, then he would be dealt with and Naes would confront Palpatine alone.

Currently Naes was slicing into Imperial records for the latest whereabouts of the Inquisitors. It was just as he had hoped, the majority were on Coruscant. Palpatine would want as many sycophants near him during this most auspicious of occasions. Two teams were offworld; Kenobi had agreed to leave Tattooine and take a small group of Force trainees and Naes Ace card was Ahsoka, when he sent out Rhea to find the Force Sensitives for training, Ahsoka came to him in secret and offered her services to him. Bail had just approached her about helping him, but she opted for Naes and Garm. Naes could understand that, in spite of their differences he and Anakin tended to be action first questions later. It was only the last year before the destruction of the Jedi Order that Naes began to see the value not rushing headlong into a situation. Ahsoka had under her command a second group; Naes would send Obi Wan and Ahsoka after the two groups. He appreciated having an additional individual that would qualify for Knighthood.

In order to keep Palpatine and Vader either one from suspecting anything, Naes had his group of Force sensitives to scatter across the planet, if they grouped together they would become a beacon of light that would easy to find on Coruscant. Next Naes began reviewing the latest layout of the Imperial Palace. Palpatine was almost finished in moving the last of his dark side artifacts into the Temple. To celebrate, he was hosting the party at the site of the former Jedi Temple. Naes decided that he needed to do some personal recon of the site. He wanted to make sure that a couple of the secret rooms not shown on any planning documents was still there. That was fine, the secret entrances from the tunnel network should be accessible.

Two Days Later…

Everything was in order, Obi Wan and Ahsoka both had neutralized the Inquisitor teams they were sent to deal with. His Forty were making their way to the Temple, for the few hours they would be in close proximity Naes had taught them the basics for hiding ones Force Presence. The students would not be able to keep it up for long, but they didn't have to. Naes did not feel comfortable in formal clothing that he was wearing, fortunately his jumpsuit was on underneath. To his relief the secret rooms had remained undiscovered. After dealing with Vader, Naes would go to the Council Chambers Which had been converted to Palpatine's Throne Room and begin broadcasting himself in the Force. Palpatine would have no choice but to come and deal with Naes himself. Palpatine's ego would not permit anything else.

That evening…

Tonight was a toss of all the Sabacc Cubes. No matter what happened this evening, Naes life would change irrevocably. He figured that might be for the better, he did not enjoy hiding and was not very good at being quiet. It took someone with the patience of Master Salguod to deal with him. Frater and Ezriel were standing by in a side room that was unknown by anyone except the Jedi. Naes had five droids setup to fire up to two hundred tranq darts. Should only take a couple to knock out Vader, which gave Naes a lot of padding for dealing with resistance and the Force. He figured it would take the three of them to deal with Vader.

The celebration was going well. The celebrations for tomorrow on Empire Day would be even bigger. Naes teams were out dealing with the Dark Side Adepts and Inquisitors. Finally Vader made his mandatory appearance. Naes saw a few people go up and attempt to engage him in conversation. He mostly spoke to military officers; doing his best to studiously avoid any of the other Imperial bureaucrats or the Imperial Senators. Looking at it, Naes could see a lot of Anakin in Vader's actions. Even after the fall to darkness, similar in temperament; that could be helpful in a few minutes.

He kept himself on the opposite side of the room from Vader, and he kept his Force presence tamped down as well. During that time, the Emperor made his appearance and left shortly after, it was expected of him to appear at multiple officially sanctioned parties; especially by the upper members of Imperial hierarchy. Even with both Sith Lords in the same room, they did not seem to notice Naes. That meant that his disguise and efforts to disappear into the Force were working.

After a couple of hours, things began to wind down a little, Naes could feel Vader's patience wearing thin and his attention wondering, knowing Vader, that meant that he would be leaving in a few minutes. Time to spring the trap. He tapped his comm, alerting Ezriel and Frater to be ready. He then walked past Vader just to his side, and as he was passing him Naes relaxed his thoughts for just a moment and gave off a Force flare. Sure enough, Vader's head snapped up and snapped over to look at Naes. There was a large crowd separating them. He paused and looked at Vader and smiled and walked right through the door. Once in the hallway he quickened his pace and headed for the sideroom.

Vader felt the flash in the Force and immediately recognized it as belonging to Naes Nemelc. Vader had still not forgotten his embarrassment at the hands of Naes Nemelc two years ago. To show up here on Coruscant, after all the trouble he had been fomenting throughout the galaxy. Vader himself suspected Naes as being the mastermind behind all the thefts that had taken place in about the past year. It would require someone with his daring and flare for the unorthodox. He was going to end him tonight right here and now, and present his lifeless body to the Emperor. He spun on his heel after Naes immediately started growling "Make way, Imperial business."

Vader strode out the door and into the hall. This was in a little used section of the Temple, only someone that was familiar with the Temple would have gone this way, and Naes was certainly familiar with the Temple. Vader stopped and searched the Force for any hint of which way his query went. With the exception of taking out Obi Wan, defeating Naes Nemelc would be a great day for the Empire. Vader was still galled he had escaped Coruscant the night the Order fell. He felt the briefest tinge of the Force to his right. Vader followed the tendril without even thinking it might be a trap. Any other time a Jedi had tried to trap him, he had bested them. There was no reason this time would be any different. Vader was perfectly willing to commit to wholesale destruction in order to defeat any Jedi.

He found himself walking down a little used corridor. He stopped, he felt the briefest of Force flashes; Naes was leading him that he was certain of now. That was fine, this Jedi would pay like all the others before him. Vader stopped, he knew from his knowledge of the Temple that there was a hidden room behind this wall section. Vader stood and motioned for the door to open.

Standing in a pool of light with his hands clasped behind his back his opponent Naes Nemelc, stood and calmly said, "Anakin I must speak with you about balancing the Force." Vader looked at him and said, "That name no longer has any meaning for me."

Naes looked at him and sighed and said, "I was afraid that you were going to do this the hard way. Men, go." With that the trap sprang, two tranq dart cannons began firing at Vader. To prevent Vader from stopping them, Naes reached out and grabbed both of Vader's arms with the Force and pushed them apart. At the same time Ezriel and Frater were grabbing ahold of him as well with the Force. They were able to hold him just long enough for a couple of the tranq darts to knock him out.

Naes immediately stopped the cannons and hurried over to Vader and placed Force cuffs around his wrists and immediately hacked into the suit systems and reduced the oxygen feed. While he was in there he decided to take a look at the suit's programming. Immediately he noticed purposeful glitches in the electronics. Even the oxygen supply was set very low, everything on the suit was purposely set to keep Vader enslaved and on a short leash. Naes reset the parameters to stop glitching and was able to add a little extra insulation to the capacitors and electronics. Give Naes a couple of hours and a fully equipped workshop and that suit would be twice as efficient and half as cumbersome. He made notes of his changes and documented where in the system those changes were.

While he was doing that Ezriel was setting up a display so that Naes could show Vader what he had shown Bail and the others. Naes was not about to trust a Sith Lord inside his head. He motioned for Ezriel and Frater to step back in the shadows and tapped a couple of things on his com and increased the oxygen supply to wake Vader, who he had the forethought to strap into a chair, better able to communicate with him if he was relatively comfortable. He could hear him coming around, the masked face looked at him and asked, "What do you want with me Naes?"

"I wanted to have a civilized conversation, but knowing your lack of civility for anything Jedi related, I took precautions. I know you, you have to be like the rest of us, horrified by the death and destruction in the galaxy. I recently had a Force Vision on a possible future for the galaxy. Let me show you the highlights, I created this small film for some non-Force individuals to explain to them why I was felt impelled by the Force to start taking action." With that Naes showed Vader the projection for the next forty-five years. The superweapons, the knowledge that he had a son that he would sacrifice himself in order to save him and defeat the Emperor in the process. The plans within plans of Palpatine the wholesale destruction of entire planets and star systems. The vengeance Palpatine would wreak on Anakin's bloodline, the complete hatred and lack of respect Palpatine had for Skywalker's.

After showing him all of those things, Naes looked at the mask and said, "You think that you are lost and have no choice but serve Palpatine, you are wrong. I am here right now offering you a way out. It is not too late; repent now and help us, bring balance to the Force now, not later when it is temporary and Palpatine is much stronger. He cannot have all of his plans in place yet. I will also tell you something else, Palpatine has purposely kept your suit inefficient and cumbersome. While you were incapacitated, I checked a few things and your suit should not be as cumbersome and ponderous. I will let you out of your chair and let you see for yourself. Though you will forgive me for not releasing your hands just yet."

Naes punched a button and the restraints released Vader, he stood up and twisted his body in place, stretched, took a few steps. "I feel more like my old self. I was told it was impossible."

"Give me a few hours and a decent workshop and I could really improve things. There are structural mistakes purposely made in the suit to disrupt and weaken you. Again the lack of respect that Palpatine has for you."

"You make a convincing argument Naes, but I am not convinced."

"Yes, I figured that might be the case. I have prepared for your viewing pleasure two visions that I have had over the years." With that Naes showed Vader the vision he had of the two of them on the Jedi Council together acting like friends, their son's often partnered together on missions. Their daughters working together as up and coming Knights. The clincher, Padme serving as Chancellor of the Republic; leading it into a new golden age of peace because the threat of the Sith had been removed once and for all.

Next Naes showed to Vader the vision of how the original confrontation with Palpatine should have gone, with Naes, Anakin and Mace all three working together and Anakin finishing up and destroying Palpatine. "Anakin, you let Palpatine corrupt you, walk back into the light, yes Padme is dead, you will have to live with that for the rest of your existence. You have to see how Palpatine has used you and even now you are his slave. If he could replace you right now, he would. You don't owe him any sort of loyalty. You have a son and daughter that need you."

"What is to stop me from taking them as my own to raise as I see fit?"

"Simple, do you think Palpatine would allow the children of Anakin to live? Their existence is a threat to his rule. You could hide them, but how long before Palpatine finds them and destroys them? We both know that his reach is too great, and will only grow greater as time progresses."

"You saw the future where we do not stop Palpatine, your children succeed temporarily but at great cost, premature deaths for both of them. Lives with greater pain and sadness than is needed. We stop Palpatine tonight, they can grow up to become balanced Force Users. I am not resurrecting the Jedi Order, I am working to bring forth an Order that is more balanced and that serves the Force. Help me do that. I will need your help to help unite the galaxy." Naes reached out in the Force to get a feel for what was going on inside the mind of the man before him, was this going to be Anakin or Vader. Finally the thinnest of margins the light won out; for at least now. The person in front of him was Anakin Skywalker. Naes motioned with the Force and the stun cuffs on Anakin fell to the ground.

He raised his hands and rubbed his wrists, to Naes that was such a human reaction considering the wrists like the hands were artificial. He fixed Naes with his gaze and said, "Thank you. So what is your plan for defeating Palpatine?"

"Easy, you and I and Rhea will go up to the throne room and I will broadcast my presence in the Force, with his ego he will have to come face me. Whereupon the three of us will face him with possible assistance from Ezriel and Frater who will otherwise guard the door and my other initiates are out dealing with the Inquisitors and Dark Side adepts here on Coruscant. I have visited Tython and Thule and Korriban and received some training from Revan. So hopefully I can face any darkside attacks he may use. You are an integral part, you have to strike him down in order to bring balance to the Force, I can't do it, if I do it things will probably remain out of balance. You are my equal in this endeavor going forward."

A few minutes later…

Naes was standing in the middle of the throne room, radiating in the Force. A beacon of bright light. He wanted Palpatine to come and he knew that kind of radiance in the light would only serve to antagonize Palpatine. Vader and Rhea were concealed separate corners and Ezriel and Frater were hiding on either side of the door. All four of them had concealed their presences in the Force.

Sure enough, Palpatine came through the door wearing a larger scowl on his face than normal, hatred and darkness flowing off of him. "Naes Nemelc, I heard you had survived. How foolish of you to appear before me tonight." Palpatine reached into his pocket as he walked towards Naes; pulling out a comlink. He pushed a button on one side and spoke into it and said "Lord Vader report to the throne room immediately and be sure and bring the Inquisitors with you."

"That is a futile attempt your highness, my Order of Balance has already dealt with your Inquisitors and Dark Side adepts. As for Vader, he left but please let me introduce you to my good friends and colleagues, Anakin Skywalker and Rhea Sirgon." Rhea and Anakin stepped out of their shadowy corners to reveal themselves.

"Lord Vader, it is treason then."

"I am Anakin once more, the treason is allowing you to destroy the Jedi Order and destroy the Republic from within. I am going to rectify those mistakes today."

At once Palpatine raised his arms and shot lightening at Anakin and Rhea, knocking both of them down. Naes immediately took his saber and started running towards Palpatine. Palpatine then turned his attention to Naes, "Such a rush to meet your doom."

"No, a rush to defeat a great evil."

Palpatine shot lightening at Naes with both arms, Naes stopped and raised his free hand up and raised and lit his lightsaber to absorb the lightening. Naes immediately began channeling the lightening he was absorbing with his hand and then he tipped his saber over to absorb both streams. As soon as he did that, he blasted Palpatine with a lightening pulse, all the energy Naes had absorbed with a little extra. Palpatine got knocked up against the wall and Naes continued to advance toward him. He could hear Rhea and Vader both getting up.

"That was a doozy. I don't want to repeat it again." Rhea said as she lit her saber.

"Why did that not hurt as much, half my circuits should be fried from what I got hit with?" Anakin asked.

Naes replied, "While you were out I added some capacitors and extra insulation to protect against lightening. I know that is Palpatine's go to gig." Naes could see Ezriel and Frater both edging towards Palpatine, thinking to strike while he was preoccupied. Naes gave the slightest shake of his head and both stopped.

"How smart of your Palawan's, I was about to kill them."

"You will find that they are better trained than you believe." He motioned for Palpatine to come towards him and Anakin and Rhea and said, "Now Your Highness, why don't you come over this way and we can end the galaxy's misery."

With that Palpatine let out an animalistic roar, it chilled Naes to his bones how evil it was. Until that moment it had only been a roar he had heard in his visions. Naes and his two compatriots advanced on Palpatine. Without even thinking about it, Naes and Anakin stepped forward back to back in Djem So stances. They had dueled against each other and together at the Temple before the fall enough times to know the other's moves. Rhea stepped over to the outskirts of Naes side; she knew that this would fall primarily on Naes and Anakin.

Palpatine launched himself through the air towards his opponents; Naes and Anakin broke and swung around to face each other their swords crossed with Palpatine's in the middle. A grin broke out across Naes face, he knew that his life had been building to this moment. He could feel the same thing coming off of Anakin. The joy of combat against a powerful opponent, saving the galaxy in the process. Palpatine snarled, the hint of a grin on his face as well.

Palpatine jumped back, Force Pushed Naes and Anakin both and then he shot lightening at Anakin. "You will pay for your betrayal soon enough Vader, but first I must deal with your comrade."

He rasped through the mask, the breathing equipment damaged from the latest lightning strike against him, "I am Anakin."

Naes picked himself up and leapt towards Palpatine, his saber in an overhead grip. He landed right in front of the Emperor and brought his saber down full force. Palpatine barely deflected, the blow rattling him. With that Naes and Palpatine began trading saber blows. Rhea took that as a cue to go and help Anakin as did Ezriel. Naes switched into his combination of Djem So and Vaaped; letting the darkness flow through him and back against Palpatine. He slashed and blocked and jabbed. Neither giving an inch, both evenly matched. The throne room began to shake from the strength both were pouring into their duel. Frater, Ezriel and Rhea could only watch, and lend Naes strength through the Force, while Anakin worked to recover from that last lightning strike.

Then Naes felt the Force to direct him towards Anakin and the group; Rhea, Ezriel and Frater jumped towards Palpatine distracting him. He cackled and Force Pushed them away, but at the same time Naes gave Palpatine a Force Push back. He stumbled and turned and fell on Anakin's glowing red blade. Master and Apprentice impaling each other with their own sabers.

Naes ran to Anakin, and he said "Naes, thank you for bringing me back into the light. Please teach my children the ways of the Force and of Balance." His chest and breathing rattled and he whispered with a questioning voice, "Qui Gon?" And with that, his armor fell flat as he became one with the Force.

Naes stood up and looked at his comrades, "Thank you for your help. Now we have the hard part, rebuilding the Republic and the Order, we are going back to our original name on Tython, Je'dai." Just past his friends he saw two glowing forms, Anakin restored and Qui Gon; both looking at him with a pleased look on their faces. He would discuss what he saw with Obi Wan and Yoda.

A Year Later…

Naes stepped off his transport from Coruscant to Ossus. The Je'dai still kept a presence on Coruscant, it was the political center of the galaxy and the Je'dai wanted to make sure that their interests were represented. But primary training occurred on Ossus now. He smiled, waiting for him was his wife Astra, a more caring and understanding woman he did not now. Standing with her were their children; Naes Jr 8 years old, Amalie 6 years old, as well as Luke and Leia both just turning 4 years old. After defeating Palpatine, Naes with Astra moved stars and badgered Bail Organa and Owen Lars. Naes was bound and determined to keep his word to Anakin, and he felt the best way was for him and Astra to raise the children themselves. Both men eventually relented; with help from Obi Wan and Yoda.

The Empire after a year of transition had given way to a revamped Republic with multiple new laws in place curbing the power that commercial and banking interests could accrue. Laws breaking up monopolies, and creating a stronger Executive Branch Separate from the Senate with a President elected at large from the galaxy. The Je'dai still acted as mediators for the Republic but there were more Je'dai Sentinels, scattered throughout the Republic, living their lives concentrating on balancing the Force with non-Force practices.

These primarily served as law enforcement on their planets. Overseen by a Sentinals Council here on Ossus, these Sentinals were required to submit weekly reports and to spend two weeks a year on Ossus for Force meditation to remain balanced. Naes himself had become the Grand Master, with Yoda still on the Council providing his wisdom and insight. Other than the Sentinals and acting as mediators, the Je'dai were rebuilding themselves and working with the Republic to develop a new relationship that would keep Je'dai servants of the Force and not servants of the Republic. He was happy and at peace with himself and the galaxy was at peace and healing. There was still much work to be done undoing Palpatine's evil, but the Je'dai and Republic were up to the task.

That evening, Naes was working was working in his office at home and Luke and Leia came running in, "Uncle Naes can you tell us about our mommy and daddy?"

"Of course. First you need to know that both of your parents were two of the bravest people I knew."

The End