These will probably be the last two chapters for a little while since I have nothing else planned or written ahead, not even a little for this story or its chapters. I also have chapters for a few of my other stories that need to be finished, and I will finish them.
Without anymore delay...
Anakin observed the Masters seated around him. Beside him stood Obi-Wan, his Master, one of the Masters, was locked in his own session of quiet observation.
If Anakin were honest he had never been comfortable with these people. He knew that Windu and Yoda had expressed grave doubts about allowing him into the Order at the advanced age of ten.
He knew that even after Yoda and Cadus had swayed things, to allow him to begin studying under Obi-Wan, Windu and a few continued to hold the same doubts.
"I searched Rhen Var from the Citadels to one of the ancient hangars that had been built. It wasn't until I seen a platoon of battle droids moving about just below the surface that I realized they must have been inside of the planet itself, or underground."
Yoda nodded closing his eyes.
"Dooku was below the surface?" Windu asked, seeking clarification.
Yoda sighed softly, his mass of wrinkles growing. "On ancient knowledge, did Dooku rely on[6g5ry7."
Anakin felt his heart sink at Yoda's declaration, both because it was a confession that they used him, but it was also a confession that Palpatine had used him as well for something mysterious.
"There was a network of tunnels carved from the ice itself and below the mountains. They go on for miles and miles, it'd be almost impossible to map them out. Eventually they lead to an abandoned area where there must have been an excavation. Someone was trying to put something into the planet core itself, or was trying to take something out of the planet's core."
Windu's eyes narrowed. "Power to destroy a planet?"
Anakin frowned, not sure how to answer the question. Nothing was really capable of destroying an entire world, of course the surface and population could be destroyed, but as far as the actual planet itself was concerned...
"I'm not too sure."
"Rare crystals there are, deep in Rhen Var." Yoda noted.
Jai looked at Yoda, frowning a little. "Dooku was going through all of that trouble just to get a crystal for a light-saber? I find that hard to believe."
"If I remember right...Solaris crystals are on Rhen Var, but even though they are powerful and rare, someone like Dooku is beyond that...He was after something else." Mallie reasoned.
"Sith teachings..." Windu's brows furrowed.
"I believe so, Dooku mentioned something about an ancient Sith called Darth Mekhis that used the planet as her domain." Anakin supplied.
Yoda and Windu traded glances.
"Dooku had an entire army filtering through the whole area. The hive network they are starting to favor is a problem, if I almost didn't bring down the whole place I wouldn't have got those droids off of my back."
Shaak Ti only nodded, allowing Anakin to continue.
Mallie narrowed her eyes.
"I didn't find anything in regards to ancient Sith knowledge or teachings. Dooku may have found something there before I did and sent it off world. I can't be too sure."
Windu clenched the table. "You might be right."
"He got into a somewhat detailed account of events that happened four thousand years ago, or close to it. I tried to block him out because anything that comes out of his mouth is a lie or manipulation. He did say that Darth Mekhis was able to turn an organic into a droid, a droid into an organic, and could merge the two perfectly. Nothing like Grievous...It is hard to explain, Grievous was a failed experiment according to him."
Mallie looked at her hand again. She saw a pool of crimson ooze from her fingers, her whole hand, beyond her wrist was covered in blood. "Could Dooku be trying to use these recent battles...To amass a prisoner count large enough to initiate a new army that is nothing but experiments?"
"If Dooku did that, those monstrosities would be powerful in the dark side. If there is any merit to what Dooku said, it is the fact that Darth Mekhis used the force in order to power and utilize such technology..." Windu trailed off.
"Sorry, Anakin. Go on." Shaak Ti bowed her head a little.
"I confronted Dooku. We fought. He knew the layout of the tunnels, enough that he was staying three steps ahead of me when I began to pursue him. Even his droid army could navigate it far better than I could. He knew everything there was to know about that world."
Windu frowned. "Are you sure?"
Anakin could see with better clarity in hindsight. "He goaded me into chasing him. The droids led me to where he was scheming something up."
Yoda sighed softly, opening his eyes finally. "Pulled in, we have been."
Cadus nodded, meeting Yoda's eyes, returning the sentiment.
"Rhen Var is right by Felucia, though. The CIS has had Felucia for over a year now, and the battles waged there are battles of attrition. There are more Troopers in the Core at the moment, and our own forces are not stretched far." Anakin shrugged.
"They are going to take advantage of that. We can't move without Palpatine's consent, even if it isn't in writing." Obi Wan said.
Windu froze, making no reaction or expression to the statement or the tremor that raged through him.
Yoda closed his eyes again, face wrinkling deeply.
Kento met Obi Wan's gaze. "Does he command us?"
"Going back and forth over jurisdiction and autonomy is pointless. The CIS is doing something, they are stretching across the galaxy at critical points. They can put choke points into the major trade routes. Is this what they want us to focus on? Dooku seemed confident and calm, maybe he seen this coming." Anakin put the topic back on course, in no mood for politics.
The whole thing had been orchestrated by him and Sidious. If Dooku wasn't in on it, Sidious was just using the older man. Of course the Jedi walked right into it. Their sheer arrogance blinded them. Rhen Var. The CIS was clenching its fingers around the galaxy, before it snapped into a fist and crushed everything as they knew it.
Jedi were being pinpointed from one end of the galaxy to the next all within the span of a heartbeat. Instead of focusing on that, he was running off halfway across the galaxy to Rhen Var, and other worlds that hold little significance.
Anakin clenched his fist, feeling a bout of frustration, but he took hold of the sensation and forced it to fade like a ripple in a pond.
"This is a direct attack on the Jedi. It is going to divert our attention, it is going to draw our forces out, so I believe we need to call all of the Jedi back." Anakin's tone dropped.
"Aware of this concern, I am, young Skywalker. True as you say, Jedi need to return. Much to think on, collectively, do we have."
Anakin nodded, not able to look at Yoda.
"The Chancellor has agreed to try and begin peace talks with the CIS Council. He has banished them from Republic space and the Senate, in order to maintain stability." Windu supplied.
Obi Wan's eyes widened briefly, a wave of shock passed over him. "Could that be it?"
Everyone stared at Obi Wan.
"You really entertain politics?" Jai asked.
"That could be what a lot of this is coming down to. If we go after Nute Gunray in order to find Sidious, there will be a lot of political observing involved." Anakin admitted, looking at the older man.
"I don't understand." Jai admitted.
"The Rotunda is a place even we don't dare participate." Xan said, tone stern.
"Go on with your thought, Anakin." Yoda said, swirling his stick in front of him.
Anakin closed his eyes, shuffling through his thoughts.
"We have Count Dooku who is the head of state of the CIS in our custody...Chancellor Palpatine will try to begin peace talks once things settle down. The CIS Council, primarily Nute Gunray will be a part of that. The actions of Maul, his brother, Grievous, Ventress, and any dark side adepts or Sith...Will, by technicality, not be on the hands of the CIS Council."
He let the thought sink in for himself.
"They force our hand, you mean? The GAR will not move against the droid army of the CIS once peace talks begin. The CIS forces will likely leave Republic loyal worlds in order to show they are willing to meet a mutual basis. But, those you mentioned can take a part of that infinite army and do some serious damage." Kento looked at the gathered Jedi, seeking clarity.
"Our battle, with the Sith, always has it been. So, it is." Yoda said the words, simply, calmly, almost logically.
Windu closed his eyes, exhaling slow. "Master Yoda is right...Our battle is with those trained in the dark side by Sidious and Dooku. The war won't be over until we either capture them or kill them."
"We won't have any support?" Shaak Ti asked.
Anakin furrowed his brows. "Not from the GAR, not even a little. And, worlds outside of the Republic could fall prey to the CIS. We do not occupy many where the lanes are unstable. The CIS is coming from these vectors that aren't stable, and that means they have charts we don't."
Yoda looked at Cadus, the intense man remained quiet, only listening to the report and the back and forth. It was with a solemn nod Yoda accepted Cadus's quiet admission, that Sidious was the one they were to go after, but the report still had to be given.
But, no amount of words could describe what they felt.
Darkness was rising, and there was no way to stop it.
"Master Cadus." Yoda said, taking a sip of water. "Last piece, your report is."
Cadus looked at Yoda, his expression one of calm and contentedness. "Well, I will say it is evident the CIS has titans of destruction. Everyone on Naboo, even Queen Jamillia stands firm that Ventress had a warship that dwarfs anything either side in the war has right now."
He took a sip of water.
"By the time I got there the huge warship was gone, and Ventress had been amicable enough to send the rest of her legion away, as good faith in upholding the agreement."
"Agreement? What agreement?" Windu asked, tone growing sharp.
Cadus looked at his hands, closing his eyes as he drifted on his thoughts. "Nute Gunray and Rune Hakko were present as well, and they did the talking at first. They want Naboo, the Chommel Sector overall, as a means of directing their forces and trade."
"Naboo is just on the Outer Rim...If they were to take control of Naboo, they could go to Kashyyk in short order. From both of those points alone, they could navigate the wider galaxy. From Naboo they cover the far sides of the Outer Rim, and from Kashyyk they can make a clean sweep." Obi Wan clenched his teeth, his jaw firmed along his chin line.
The thought was enough to bring him towards cautious anger.
"We would have to reorganize the Republic. Half of the worlds in it right now would not be a part of it, nor would they be able to be a part of it. It would be worlds closest to the Core that are the Republic, and they would hold all of the power." Shaak Ti deduced.
"But, more to it there is..." Yoda nodded, still swirling his stick around.
"Yes. To answer Windu's question before. The agreement was Ventress and I fight, if I lost, Queen Jamillia would give in to the demands put forth by Nute Gunray, Rune Hakko, and Ventress about establishing a dynasty. If I won, Ventress had to leave the world and could never return." Cadus said, looking a little blank.
"Is that all?" Windu's eyes became piercing.
Cadus nodded, looking into the man's eyes. "Aside from Padme doing what she does best when it comes to Nute Gunray, that would be about it. No droids were deployed. Ventress didn't attack any of the cities."
"Why does Nute Gunray want Naboo to establish a dynasty?" Anakin asked, frowning the more he thought about it.
Cadus sighed, and took another sip of water. "Hundreds of years ago there was a dynasty on Naboo, but there were also civil wars on the world prior to, and during this period of time. The Viceroy is aware of this and used it to his advantage, he used Naboo's constitution against them. It just isn't a dynasty. It is a dynasty and every single person, is force adept or force sensitive."
Xan frowned. "I know how the Naboo are willing to die for their sovereignty."
"They want to control half of the galaxy and intend to use Naboo as their base of operations." Windu said.
"I don't think so. To do that would be to take aggressive action, and from what Master Cadus has told us so far, Nute Gunray and Rune Hakko were avoiding anything that could cause them trouble in the Rotunda. They never dispatched their troops to the ground. They want an agreement, in word and writing, and they want it to be good terms for both sides." Obi Wan pointed out, searching everyone's expression gathered.
"He is right. Normally the Viceroy doesn't waste any time deploying his armies." Jai conceded.
"So, someone powerful with the force is born on Naboo. A dynasty is established...The only way to achieve such a thing would be if a Jedi..." Mallie trailed off.
Windu looked at Cadus, eyes turning to stone. "Marriage. A lot of marraiges. Just not to one species, but multiple. Only a Jedi or a Sith would be capable of producing such powerful offspring. The Naboo will not welcome a Sith, so it would be a Jedi."
"They...Want a Jedi to marry?" Kento asked, a little confused.
Cadus nodded. "That's what worried Padme and Queen Jamillia the most. Not only did Ventress hold to this line of thought and didn't budge...Nute Gunray and Rune Hakko also held the same line of thought, though I imagine it is for different reasons, nonetheless they are of a like mind."
Anakin blinked in shock. "A Jedi, marrying?"
Windu took a sip of water.
"Not just any Jedi marrying. He or she will be powerful and prominent. It will be a blow to the Order to exile or expel such an austere and powerful Jedi over something as trivial as a marriage. It could cause a schism, and that is something we do not need right now. The Queen of Naboo will marry this Jedi, when others hear of this, they will send their daughters to marry the Jedi. Perhaps they've already put things into play."
"So we have a bunch of force adept and force sensitive offspring on Naboo?" Obi Wan questioned, not seeing the point of it.
"Outside of the Jedi Order, raised, trained, and honed they will be. Potential for the dark side, too much, there is." Yoda said without hesitation.
Anakin frowned, biting his tongue not to retort. "If they are born on Naboo, I doubt any parent there would give up their children. Queen Jamillia would scoff and outright refuse, and the same can be said of any kings or queens that come after her."
"Exactly. Naboo would dictate things and be the powerhouse that keeps both the Republic and the CIS in line." Windu pitched his gaze downward, narrowing his eyes.
If that happened...
"A new Order of force adepts?" Mallie ventured.
"I don't think so..." Anakin trailed off.
"It would be a dynasty. Bloodlines of those strong in the force and adept. They would all be centered on Naboo, and they wouldn't adhere to Jedi or Sith teachings." Cadus said.
"I get it now. They want a dynasty established to ensure something in the far future." Shaak Ti ventured, eyes narrowed.
Cadus shrugged. "I can't be too sure. Perhaps Sidious has such a thought. Nute Gunray just wants to use the world for a trading and transportation hub. He can't see past his credits and wealth. It is Ventress's motives, and ultimately Sidious's that concern me."
"I know Naboo suffered from a period of civil wars, but that was a long time ago. The dynasty back then had to be done away with because the heir was killed in battle. Naboo has been a democracy since, mostly out of necessity." Jai remarked.
Mallie studied the ice water. "Could it be they want such a time to return to the world? Perhaps the galaxy as a whole?"
Cadus met her gaze. "The people of Naboo would sooner die than go back to that period of suffering, and they've all sworn to ensure such a time never falls upon them again. I think many in the galaxy would agree, but too many would die making that known."
"Maybe we are thinking too much in the short term...If I wanted one of my enemies to establish a dynasty it would be to ensure that whatever I have planned is streamlined..." Anakin trailed off, rubbing his chin.
Cadus cleared his throat, nodding. "If this era is ending, what is coming after it...That is what Sidious is trying to secure. No Jedi. No Sith. No species he views contemptible. Only he will have power and rule."
Anakin shuffled through his thoughts, trying to piece it together. "Then Naboo would be a central axis of power, perhaps greater than the Republic and the CIS themselves. This whole war has been one big trap meant for the Jedi, if that is true."
"Yes..." Yoda said, eyes slowly opening.
"What do we do?" Obi Wan asked, eyes narrowed.
"Our duty..." Yoda paused, clenching his fingers tighter around his stick. "Find Sidious, we must..."
Cadus frowned, folding his arms over his chest. "That is just the problem. His network is too diverse and ranging to pinpoint anything. I know Nute Gunray speaks to him, but through what means, I cannot say. If I knew that we could narrow it down to just one thing."
Everyone stared at Cadus.
"Should we really go after the Viceroy?" Mallie asked, eyes flashing with uncertainty.
"That may do us more harm than good, even if he is an enemy. If we were to forcefully take him captive, it could lead to political problems." Shaak Ti seconded.
"We are not politicians." Windu said, tone breaking no argument.
"Everything is politics, especially now." Cadus nodded, calm. "So, it will be."
Kento shook his head, not liking the idea of Jedi being in the political body.
"If we can track down Nute Gunray and use the element of surprise, he may run like he always does and leave something of value behind...Whatever that is, we can be certain it will lead us to Sidious, or whoever is pulling the strings." Anakin reasoned.
"Perhaps, but if the peace talks with Palpatine and the CIS Council happen we will be interfering, and could be seen as aggressors and mongers of war. It could be seen as an act of treason." Cadus pointed out.
"So someone on our side has to move with stealth. The mission can't be on the record." Kento stated, but looked at his fellow Jedi for support on the thought.
"Precisely. The sooner we trace this back to Sidious the sooner we can end this war." Jai said.
"The more we keep to ourselves about this, I believe the better off we are." Xan stated her agreement.
Cadus couldn't help but remember Rune Hakko...The being had been skittish in comparison to Nute Gunray, and there was an unusual amount of fear permeating from the alien like sweat on his mottled skin. Uncertainty. Like he took a gamble that he shouldn't have-he knew it was bad from the beginning, but he did it anyways.
There was something going on within that Council.
Sidious was manipulating them, of course, but they had to find something that could lead them back to the lord of darkness himself.
"Maybe this was all just a smoke screen meant to divert our attention from the Core and Coruscant. Perhaps our focus should be here, and not elsewhere." Obi Wan suggested, gaze growing intense as he sought out like minded individuals around him.
"Perhaps we can speak with Rune Hakko...If we promise him certain things in return." Cadus ventured.
Xan turned her gaze onto the older man. "Speak to him about what? I doubt there is anything worthwhile he has to say?"
Cadus shook his head. "Years ago there was a fourth Neimodian, but he was killed, and his message was never delivered except to just a few by fate. It would seem that history is repeating itself...Rune Hakko is wary of what is happening and he wants out...We have to provide him with a way out before he acts on his own and gets himself killed."
Mallie looked at Cadus, her lips drawing downward. "You are speaking of...Helping one who has..."
Cadus nodded, meeting all of the Jedi's gazes. "We have to accept the fact that Nute Gunray and the whole Council has been manipulated up to this point. They are a means to an end...An end, actually."
Windu exhaled sharply. "They're supposed to be slaughtered. Is that what you are saying?"
Cadus nodded.
"Right, you both may be...The one called Rune Hakko may hold all answers, but Nute Gunray, also holds a piece of the puzzle. Jedi close to the core, only we will be." Yoda said.
Obi Wan nodded, rubbing his beard. "So, we question Rune Hakko and promise to protect him in return? We pursue Nute Gunray until he contacts Sidious?"
Windu nodded. "Sounds as good a plan as any. In the meantime we wait for the other Sith to show themselves, which they will."
"What if a world is attacked in the Outer Rim again?" Cadus asked.
"And more species are the victims of being butchered?" Anakin seconded, struggling not to speak heatedly about the topic.
Yoda studied the faces of the two younger men, each of them familiar to him. His ancient eyes fixed them both each in turn, constantly searching.
"When time comes, act we will. To anticipate, useless it is. Last piece of the puzzle we have now. Sidious, must be destroyed or captured. Those who he or Dooku trained, must also be captured or destroyed." Yoda said.
"But..." Anakin trailed off.
"Wherever they reveal themselves, go to them we will. No world outside of this one, will we race to. Exceed our mandate, we will. The Chancellor, made clear, Core, and right here is our priority. Our brethren return from far away."
Cadus nodded, clenching the sleeves of his haori a little tighter. "I understand, Master Yoda. That is all for my report."
Anakin blinked, a little shocked. "Jedi are returning?"
Windu met the young man's gaze like a stone wall, his expression hard and betraying none of the inner turmoil he felt.
"Yes, soon enough all will be back in the Temple. For now, only those who are on worlds that no battle is taking place, or that isn't being liberated can return. Once the peace talks begin...The CIS armies should leave the worlds, the GAR will return, and so will rest of the Jedi."
Anakin frowned. "What about Grievous and the rest?"
Cadus met Anakin's gaze, remaining calm. "They are our problem, and we will get no assistance or help outside of ourselves."
"Are you sure? What about Bail Organa and Mon Mothma? What about Fang Zar?"
Yoda shook his head, closing his ancient eyes.
"All have been manipulated by this Sidious, even the Chancellor, only our burden, this is."