Chapter 2
"Should have known, you were involved. Always at the heart of a crisis, you can be found." The Grandmaster of the Jedi slowly says.
It might have been considered a backhanded compliment, if it weren't for his pronounced frown and narrowed eyes. Yoda was once again… less than pleased, with the way I ran headfirst into trouble, even if he didn't explicitly say so.
After nearly a millennium of being brothers, you can tell such things from a mere glance.
I unrepentantly shrug my shoulders, drawing in my Force presence closer to myself even as I simultaneously try to feel out the other Council members. Most of them are fairly neutral (or as neutral as they can be where I'm concerned) deciding that they'll withhold judgement on the current matter until they have more information available.
Considering that their orders to Qui-Gon had simply been "don't let the 14 year old Queen of Naboo blow herself up", the fact he came back with me, my apprentice and a body bag in tow clearly indicated things had evolved beyond the scope of what they had anticipated.
Some, like Windu and Saesee Tiin, were more guarded about the whole thing, mostly because of their distrust of me and my history of running around the galaxy without really bothering to listen to Coruscanti orders or dogma. My militaristic (or as my brother would put it "reckless bordering on the aggressive") attitude also had made some of the more passive Masters, like Oppo Rancisis, weary of how my involvement in matters had undoubtedly escalated an already very delicate situation.
Yoda was another matter entirely. Even though to many in the Galaxy he was considered mysterious, to me he was an open book and I knew, even as I drew my Force presence into myself, the reverse was true as well. Ever since we were children, not even trained in the way of the Force, we could always feel the other and this bond only grew over the many centuries, both in range and in detail. By the time we were 400 to 500 or so years old, we had become able to sense one another across continents and know what the other was feeling at any time.
For the last few centuries however, though the range has kept increasing to planetary levels, our bond has grown duller and unless we are face to face, we can no longer tell what the other is thinking. Part of that is Yoda's adherence to the old teachings of releasing his emotions and thoughts into the Force, part of that is my continued shifting towards serving a different aspect of the Force than he and part of that is simply because of the way we have been drifting apart.
But right here, standing a mere couple of feet away from each other? As much as we might want to, there was no hiding anymore and just as Yoda could undoubtedly feel my own brash irreverence, he could not disguise his own irritation.
We loved each other still, of course. We were family, brothers, after all. But over the course of centuries our views and opinions had shifted too far apart from each other, perhaps irrevocably so.
Which is why there was just the slightest hint of heat in my voice when I answered his unvoiced question after a few moments.
"Well, since I see it as a Jedi's task to always stand fast against whatever crisis threatens the innocent, I thank you for acknowledging my role in facing yet the latest one that has troubled the galaxy."
My unvoiced accusation that I always had to be the one running towards danger because the other Jedi present didn't do so didn't go unnoticed and I saw several of them bristle as the mood in the council room turned sharper.
Yoda didn't outwardly respond beyond a narrowing of his eyes, even though his presence in the Force swelled until it dominated the room, clearly broadcasting his disapproval.
In response, I released the tight hold I had on my own presence, allowing it to spill out of my diminutive form as it swelled against Yoda's like the rising of the tide, matching his in strength and willpower. Outwardly, however, I merely raised an eyebrow in challenge.
"This crisis was not one for the Jedi to interfere with, beyond that which we have already done. A matter between Naboo and the Trade Federation, this was. Naboo's plea for aid to the Senate didn't go unnoticed. A Master and his padawan were asked, a Master and his padawan were sent. Made sure the Queen and her Senator could address the Senate, they did, as was asked of the Order. Official channels-"
"Official channels would have done nothing! Are doing nothing, even as we speak! Instead of responding with actual aid, they are still in conference, hemming and hawing over the appropriate cause of action! Meanwhile, more and more droids were landed on Naboo's surface every minute that was wasted by the Repulic, its people rounded up and robbed of their freedom, or worse, their very lives! How is a Senate's meeting supposed to save them? How are a mere two Jedi, amongst the hundreds available, supposed to save them? If it weren't for the peace between the Gungans and the Naboo, which I have helped broker over the course of decades, then Theed would have been lost! The Trade Federation would have had their hostile take-over, but instead of a firm or a company, they would've stolen a planet! And the Republic would have let them!" I explode in response, causing the masters to tense as they shoot me wary looks.
Behind me I can feel Anakin stiffen, not having seen me this angry very often and never where he could feel its resonance in the Force so clearly. Behind him, Qui-Gon is clearly struggling to keep a calm expression, but Obi-Wan has gone completely ramrod straight, shocked at a challenge being thrown into the faces of the greatest governing body he acknowledges, and with such vitriol as well.
"This is blatantly untrue. The Republic would have responded in the appropriate fashion, responding through diplomatic means. The Jedi would have been sent, either to reinforce the chosen Senators or fulfilling the mission on their own merits. Reparations would have been demanded of the Trade Federation, and they would have acquiesced, allowing for peace-" Master Tiin tries, but I cut him off with a wave of my hand and a snarl on my face.
"You dare speak of peace? Of reparations? What good will fines do for the bodies that now fill the freshly dug graves on Naboo? What good will new legislation do for the families that now feel the pain of loss? This blockade was a fiasco and no amount of diplomacy could have averted it. The only reason Naboo isn't a lifeless piece of rock and ash right now is because the Trade Federation valued its Tibanna Gas stores too greatly, and for all his greed and short-sightedness, Nute Gunray possesses sufficient amounts of low cunning to recognize the Royal Family for the bargaining chip that they could have been." I growl out, before letting my stare slowly slide from one Master to the next, until I finally let it rest on Yoda.
He's the only one who stares right back at me, the only one capable of maintaining eye contact.
"Make no mistake: if it were anyone else, the population of Naboo would have either been eradicated, or enslaved wholesale. Diplomacy would not have saved them, no more than it would have been effective if my group hadn't disrupted Gunray's plan at the last minute: with the population and the resources of Naboo under his control and with the army at his back, he could've come up with any number of unreasonable demands and the Senate would've capitulated. And through their weakness, the Jedi would've been taken out of the equation entirely, as it would probably be his first demand: it would've been mine had the positions been reversed."
"Then what do you suggest, Yondu? Hmm? That the Jedi become a collective of mavericks, charging headlong into battle without regard for rule or law? To protect the Republic, is our sacred duty. The Republic is governed through democracy, and so the Senate exists. To protect the Repulbic then, follow the Senate we must. Perfect it is not, but it has brought peace and stability. Deny this, do you?" Yoda is quick to answer.
This has become familiar over the course of centuries, after all. These types of discussions have been running hot between us ever since we both attained the Rank of Master and started taking on padawans, disagreeing on what we should teach them and which path we'd like them to follow. The discussion of the role of the Jedi regarding the Republic (or rather, its often ineffective governing body) has been one of the oldest and lies, amongst several others, at the root of my decision to distance myself, both from the Order and from him.
"It has brought peace for the Core World at the cost of rising mayhem in the Outer Rim, where the reach of the Republic falters and where the Jedi are more myth and legend than the peacekeepers you claim yourselves to be. It appears to have brought stability, but it is merely the chosen disguise of stagnation. The Jedi have tied themselves to the floating wreckage of a gargantuan starship and just because it keeps floating through space, they claim it's clearly functional because it's still fulfilling its primary function of movement. But drifting around isn't the same as moving forwards and now the Naboo crisis has shown the powerlessness of the Jedi and Republic both."
"Wreckage, you say. Powerless, you say. Tell me, brother, merely been staring at your feet on your approach to the Temple, have you? The Jedi now finally have regained the numbers not seen since the New Sith Wars. For almost a thousand years, we no longer have to act as soldiers and commanders, forced to fight against the horrors of the Dark Side, pain and death our most common companions. Once more, we are protectors and diplomats. No longer merely a tool of death and destruction, the lightsabre is, but a symbol of justice and freedom and our padawan are free to grow old and content. Tell me brother, is this not peace then?" Yoda challenges me, his fingers tightening around his gnarled walking stick.
The dig at my tendency to claim having fought Dark Side horrors in every forgotten nook and cranny of the universe, with pain and death as my companions goes unsaid, but not unnoticed and I can feel my large ears flatten themselves against my skull as I bare my two rows of small pointed teeth.
"And so we come to the crux of the matter. Even a thousand years after their defeat, the Brotherhood of Darkness can still claim victory, given how they have affected the Republic, and even your reasoning, brother. Even now, you fear the role we had to play in the New Sith Wars and in doing so you try and shun the idea of a new Army of the Light, disregarding all the good that they have accomplished. More so than you fear the Dark Side itself, you fear what will happen to those of the Light who dedicate themselves to fighting it in all its horrid shapes. You run from the fight, you run even from yourself! If the teachings of the Jedi weren't locked up in its duracrete towers on Coruscant, but spread across the Galaxy, if tyranny found its path blocked by lightsabres at every turn, imagine the peace that could be achieved! Not just for the Core Worlds, not this stagnation that stifles you all, but true peace!"
"And what is there to stop the new Force Adepts from abusing their position of power? Train people in the Force, train them to believe they have the right to police and punish their fellow beings, and how long until we have created our own Sith? Hmm? How long until the Exemplar Forces of our former student start controlling freedom instead of safeguarding it, hmm? Always speaking of Armies when you come back here you do. Caution us against the continued machinations of enemies long ago defeated, you insist. You would have the Jedi go back to being commanders and soldiers, thrust back into conflict. Back into fear and despair. You would have me place a lightsabre in the hand of every padawan and send them out to fight against the living shadows of your own paranoia! No. This is best. This is peace, even if you cannot see it. The Jedi as we are now are detached from all conflict and thus from the predation of the Dark Side, removed from any position of power and thus from any ambition for it. To be fair, to be impartial, to be truly neutral negotiators for peaceful resolutions and keeper of the tenets of the Republic, this allows us." Yoda replied, giving a firm nod and shooting me a challenging glare, daring me to refute his words.
After all these centuries, he should've known better by now.
"I've never agreed with your adherence to the teachings of Cala Brin. You are always so fond of teaching 'fear is the path of the Dark Side'. I would ask you then: why do you fear fear? You fear what fear might do to the Jedi. You fear what power might do to them. You even fear what such fears will do to yourself and all you end up doing is releasing all these contemplations into the Force and continue along as you have for the past 600 years. Above all things, Yoda, you fear one thing: change. You fear the possibility that the current status quo following the Ruusan Reformation will shatter. I am here to tell you that it already has, if it ever did exist in the first place."
Mace Windu jumps into the discussion, bravely trying to keep things from escalating even further between me and my brother, shaking us both from our stare down. As he speaks and Yoda and I reign in our presence in the Force, I can hear Anakin and Obi-Wan (and funnily enough even some of the other Council Members) softly take deep gulping breaths now that the oppressive pressure has been lifted.
"You speak then of our ancient enemies? This change you speak of, it is because of the Sith then? Have you finally found proof of their involvement, a clue within the Naboo crisis?" the dark skinned human asks sternly, eyes focused like lasers on my own.
Mace and I have a… complicated relationship. Even in canon the man was weary for the return of the Sith and I have found him to be a man of action, one who sees the Republic as an ideal that should be protected with (purple) lightsabre in hand. Over the course of his rise through the Jedi's ranks, he has proven to be one of the more willing to listen to my warnings of the Sith still hiding in the shadows and he was one of my fiercest defenders after I was brought before the Senate following my very publicised killing of Rugess Nome. During his younger years, as he was struggling with creating and mastering his own Lightsabre Form, Vapaad, I gave him a few pointers whenever our paths crossed. While the other Masters feared his dabbling into his connection to the Dark Side, I taught him to fully embrace all of his emotions and aspects, even the negative ones, in order to fully master himself, and thus Vapaad.
On the other hand, the discrepancy between the amount of warnings I gave and the amount of concrete proof I could present to support those warnings was starting to chip away at his patience. He wanted to act, but felt that he couldn't unless I could present him with a clear target, one that was undoubtedly an enemy of the Order he cherished so much. The likes of Hugo Damask who had expertly kept his (figurative) nose squeaky clean hardly counted. Even though he was but a youngling at the time of my killing of Darth Tenebrous, Mace had still been (somewhat) aware of the gargantuan fall-out that entire debacle had caused and he wasn't keen on repeating my mistakes.
Additionally, while somewhat of a maverick in his own right (as the creation of Vapaad could attest to), Windu had a tendency to be a stickler for the rules and was fiercely loyal to my brother and the traditionalist teachings of the Jedi. My own complete disregard for the authority of both the High Council and the Senate as well as my practically exiled status within the Order went against every sense of propriety that he had.
In short, while I could trust Windu to always act in a way that he thought would benefit the Order and the Republic as a whole, I couldn't count on those acts actually aligning with my own goals and advice.
Still, in the canon timeline, the word of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had been sufficient in convincing the Masters that the Sith had returned, or at the very least someone very adept in the Dark Side. This had allowed them to identify that the Separatist Army had a Dark Lord as its overlord, even if they had been distracted by Darth Tyrannus drawing their attention to him until it was too late and Sideous had managed to take over the Republic from the inside.
With my apprentice firmly on the side of the Light, if not exactly on the side of the Jedi, and with Palpatine seemingly content with his position as a mere Senator, and of course Plagueis still walking around there was no telling how events would now unfold or how the Jedi would react to the threat of the Seperatists.
Fortunately, I finally had more concrete proof than some mere Sith artefacts that had been dismissed as mere trinkets in the collection of a wealthy collector, turning towards Mace as I answered his question.
"Indeed, young Master Windu. The Force had foretold me that my apprentice and I would need to assist our fellow Jedi on Tatooine. Following its will, we travelled there were we met Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan as expected. Qui-Gon confided with me that he had felt a Dark presence hounding their steps. While well hidden, it revealed the full depth of its fury when we made our escape, before it was smothered and once again hidden from our senses. We both believed this presence to be of the Sith, and since it was aided by another, he was probably part of the Order of Bane, following the Rule of Two."
Here I pause, glancing over my shoulder at the tall human in question, who calmly takes a half step forwards and gives a firm nod towards the other Masters. Judging from their lack of surprise, they had probably already covered this when he had gone to make his report while Anakin and I were waiting on Serenno.
While wary, most of them didn't seem fully convinced yet, which is probably my fault. I've been crying wolf for so long now (at least from their point of view) that they have become somewhat immune to threats of the Sith returning, even if I'm not the one doing the warning. After all, Qui-Gon had a reputation for being a rebel, and through his master Dooku was clearly connected to me and my views and teachings.
"This threat remained hidden until our group managed to slip past Nute's blockade and enter the Royal Palace, where he confronted us in person. A Zabrak, clearly well trained in the Dark Side, opposed the three of us in a running battle and came quite close to killing me." I continue, showing them the palm of my right hand which is covered in a slight smattering of already healing blisters.
I feel satisfaction rise within me when several of the Masters sit up straighter in their low chairs, attentive eyes flitting from my wounded hand to me and back again as I describe the encounter blow by blow. Three Jedi, all powerful for their respective ranks within the Order and yet our opponent not only managed to hold off our combined attacks but also managed to do lasting damage to me through my defences? That is a clear indication that whoever we faced was no mere novice in the Dark Side, a fallen padawan or someone who stumbled across a tome of forbidden knowledge.
No, this particular Zabrak has had training, a lot of it and high quality as well, no doubt from the second presence.
Yoda has stilled completely as his eyes are fixed on my wounded hand, though he clearly takes in the rest of my tale. As my words finally come to a halt after I've described how Maul chose to take his own life rather than be captured, he closes his eyes as his large ears droop low and he grows… smaller, somehow. He lets out a deep, tired sigh before focusing back on me and despite the fact that I know I'm closer than ever to actually winning an argument between us, that I can finally convince my brother than our people should act, I cannot help but echo his tiredness.
A victory, yes, but at what cost? My brother's worries were hardly unfounded after all, especially now that the scant knowledge I had for the coming years was getting more and more derailed.
"Proof of this, have you."
It wasn't really a question, so I didn't bother answering, instead turning back towards the closed door leading towards the Council chambers as I opened them with a wave of my hand. As they silently swung wide, I beckoned towards the two droids that had been patiently waiting outside, who at my command immediately moved into the room, dragging a low flatbed behind them, its repulsor engine giving out a soft but droning hum as it levitated the whole structure a consistent two feet off the ground.
On the flatbed was a zipped up body bag.
I make to move towards it, before I remember the child standing very still and quietly at my back. Turning towards Anakin, I school my features to be as kind as possible, reaching out towards my apprentice to the Force, shame lancing through me when I notice his anxiousness, which is partly aimed at the Council Members and Yoda in particular, but a not insignificant part is aimed at me as well.
I should have thought of him before I flew off the handle like I had. Both Yoda and I should've known better than allow the discussion to get heated like that, but we had a way of pushing each other's buttons in way that not even slimy politicians or hateful Dark Siders could manage.
"Anakin. Do you want to wait outside while we do this? I can tell you're tired, there are rooms prepared for us if you want to go and rest for a bit. I can answer any questions these Jedi might have regarding you, so there's no pressing need for you to remain here if you do not want to. And even if I prove to be incapable of doing so, we'll be staying at the Temple for a while still, so such discussions can be held at a later date." I say gently, trying to tear Anakin's gaze away from the body bag a mere couple of feet away from him.
After a few long deliberate moments, Anakin shakes his golden head before locking eyes with me.
"No, Master. I'd like to stay."
I give a slow nod, disregarding Shaak Ti's deep frown at letting such a young child be confronted so closely with death (no wonder she was chosen to train the clones in the canon timeline, her motherly instincts and great strength would've served her well in such a capacity) and turn back towards the body bag.
With a flex of my will and a sharp gesture of my hand, the zipper flies down the length of the black synthetic material and the bag smoothly falls open, showing the mangled corpse of Maul, son of Kycina to the Jedi High Council. Some of them reel back from the sheer extent of his wounds, and I can see Yoda frown deeply when he notices that the head is merely lying above the neck, though no longer attached to the body at all.
Given that my tale ended when Maul pierced his own heart, it's immediately clear to him that this was done by me after his death and he shoots me a dark look.
"Barbarous, this was."
"It was necessary." I reply immediately, before letting my gaze once again roam across the assembled Jedi.
"Make no mistake: even the wounds that you see here before you would not have stopped his master's attempts at raising him. Perhaps this young man's rage would've been great enough to even raise himself back to un-life: we are all familiar with the legends of Darth Sion, we know this to be possible. The magicks of the Nightsisters of Dathomir are interwoven in his very flesh and I have told you many times of the abilities that I fear Darth Plagueis possesses. I did not wish to do it, but I felt that this was the only way to guarantee that he would stay at rest, to deny him to the temptations of the Dark Side for good." I say strongly, and some of them, like Windu and Even Piell give strong nods as they take my words to heart.
"Hmm. Above all then, tragic, this is." Yoda finally responds, his tired tone returning in full force, and I can't help but agree with him.
"We can all feel the touch of the Dark Side on his person. No doubt the intense training that he has received, perhaps even more than that if what you say of this Darth Plagueis' skills are to be believed. But you also said that the magicks of the Nightsisters are involved? I'll admit, out of all of us here, you probably have the most experience with them. Giving how… tense things are between our two factions after your killing of their previous Mother, can we expect further aggression from them? Already they advertise "anti-Jedi" assassins and mercenaries, should we be wary of further conflict now that you have slain one of their sons as well?" Adi Gallia speaks up in a clear tone, her eyes focused and intent.
A capable warrior and surprisingly straight forwards for a Council Member, she was one of the Jedi who could tentatively be classified to be in my corner, so to speak. Not as much as the likes of Qui-Gon or Syfo, or Dooku before he left the Order, but she was usually one of the more willing to see things from my point of view.
"No more than what we can expect in retaliation from his Sith masters, I suspect. At least for now. As I have said, given the current divide between the Core Worlds and the Outer Rim, I cannot help but see the Naboo Crisis as a prelude to a galaxy spanning conflict. When it breaks out, I can guarantee that they will side with our enemies. Our only advantage in this is that I hardly doubt there's any love lost between the Nightsisters and the Sith who trained this youngster. Especially if they blame each other for his failure and lacking strength, as they will undoubtedly call it." I say grimly.
"We know the Witches are based on Dathomir, even if the place is a death-trap I would hesitate to send even a battalion of Jedi Knights into. Still, we can locate them if we must. But these Sith masters you speak of. What do we know about them? You have been claiming for years that Damask II was the apprentice of Darth Tenebrous, who you say you killed by slaying Rugess Nome. Both of these claims have hardly been validated over time due to a continued lack of evidence. How does this corpse change that?" Windu asks, mind flitting from one possibility to the next, firing away as he tries to come up with a concrete plan of action, something that he can immediately implement to safeguard his people and destroy our enemies.
No doubt he's been trying to find some of his famed Shatterpoints, though nothing on his face or in the Force indicates how successful he's been in finding any.
"He was carrying nothing identifying on his person and the fabric of his cloth is so common that it can likely be traced back to hundreds of potential manufacturers. I'll leave samples for you to study of course, maybe the Force may guide us where spectrometers fail, but I'm not counting on it. What I do have, however, is this."
And with those words, I take Maul's double-bladed lightsabre from my wide robes, floating it upwards towards the centre of the room before allowing both crimson beams to extend with the familiar snap-hiss.
"Further proof that this Sith had a Master. Beyond the skills of a mere apprentice to create, this blade is." Yoda says softly, eyes narrowed at the intimidating weapons that casts the room in a slight reddish hue.
Rugess Nome (or his apprentice) had been either been very clever or just very nostalgic, but his lightsabre had been positively ancient, possibly older even than the New Sith Wars. Since my confrontation with him had basically been me storming his office and him throwing bolts of lightning at me in turn, there hadn't really been any time to question him, so I had no idea why he used the damned thing. He had probably stolen it from some forgotten Sith Lord's tomb or something and kept it around as a memento of his own rise to power.
Whatever the true reason may have been, it had proven to be a pain in my ass when I was put on trial before the entirety of the Senate. Intentional or not, the lightsabre's great age and ornate decorations had allowed my prosecutors (a team of litigators hired by Nome's starship company and either paid or influenced by the Sith) to successfully argue that the famous designer only had it in his possession because he had a love for antiquity and was unaware of the thing's actual status as a highly dangerous weapon.
Combined with my blatant disregard of the Jedi's official authority and inability to provide any further hard evidence beyond pointing towards equally ancient Sith-y artefacts (which were equally easily dismissed), I had never been able to make my accusations stick, though I had caused enough doubt that I wasn't truly punished for Nome's death beyond paying a fine and handing my own lightsabres over to the Jedi Council for a period of fifteen years.
Given that I have made several over the last few centuries, this was hardly a loss, but it still stung somewhat that the evidence I was banking on hadn't been enough to sway either the Senate or my own brother.
Now however, they couldn't make such excuses. While the model for the lightsabre was very old, the actual weapon itself was very clearly brand-spanking new, probably created by Maul during the final stages of his apprenticeship, which might have been as a recent as only a few years ago.
And, as Yoda has immediately recognized, it would've been impossible for him to create it entirely from scratch on his own. Someone must have either shown him extremely detailed designs and/or guided him through the creation process.
I finally had my proof: the Sith were still alive and even now they were active, fashioning weapons and training others in the power of the Dark Side.
"I see. I'll admit that this is compelling proof that this acolyte has a master, but how does this confirm that the Muun banker is said master?" Windu presses, hitting the only snag in my arguments.
"It doesn't." I admit readily to the surprise of the others present.
"If you were to break open this lightsabre, you'd find that it is powered by twin synth-kyber crystals, the same power source that has been present in all Sith lightsabres since the reign of Darth Revan and Darth Malak. The creation of these type of kyber crystals is dangerous, but not particularly difficult as its base components are readily available throughout the universe. So I will not push for yet another investigation into the holdings of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, though I will hold on to my own suspicions. No, the main point I will argue today is the fact that this apprentice was capable of creating two such powerful crystals without blowing himself to smithereens. As my brother said, this should be beyond the scope of a mere novice's abilities: he has a Master, who was strong enough in the Dark Side to almost utterly shroud his apprentice from the senses of a Jedi as accomplished as Qui-Gon, even across interplanetary distances." I continue, watching as realization sets in with the other Jedi.
"Whoever his master is, whether or not it is actually Damask or not, is not the issue. The issue is that the Sith are still around, and they are strong. Stronger perhaps than ever before, even though their numbers are probably, hopefully, at an all-time low. A necessity, in order to keep the amount of anonymity they have enjoyed for so long."
For a moment, an oppressive silence hangs over the room, before it's broken by Yoda.
"The Sith still live. The Outer Rim is growing desperate. And even in the heart of the Republic, of the Order, Darkness clouds our senses. Perhaps… perhaps it is time then. Perhaps, as I feared, it shall prove to be: change shall sweep the galaxy." My brother slowly says, and internally I wince a bit when he glances at me during his last sentence, referencing my earlier outburst.
Still, I press on.
"Then how shall the Jedi react? What would you have our people do?" I implore, but Yoda raises a claw and gives a small shake of his head.
"For now? Think on this, we all must. If your claims prove to be true, ready the Jedi must be. But I will not have us run around the Galaxy, uprooting rock and tree in a desperate hunt. No. We shall meditate. Look to the Force for guidance, we shall, and the Force will answer. Peace must be kept, and our people safe." He intones, and I bristle, something that doesn't go unnoticed.
"Trust me in this, Yondu. Trust in the ways of the Order that has stood for a thousand generations. Believe you now, I do, but share your reckless zeal I do not. Our people, we must think of, and the Senate as well. From within the Republic there is also the threat of the Dark Side: the Order must be careful if we don't want to give it an advantage to strike against us from the shadows. In this case, follow my orders you will. Wait, at least until the Council has reconvened. And only then, after hearing all of our thoughts, you may decide whether or not you'll heed the Council's course. Should you choose to run off still… the Jedi will not stop you." He says with quiet determination and I have no choice but to grit my teeth and back down.
I was hardly going to prove myself a hypocrite after telling Qui-Gon we must band together not even two days ago after all. As much as this continued slowness to act from the Jedi annoyed me, even after they've finally accepted the point I've been trying to make for centuries, I must accept that, just because they no longer disagree with me, they have given up on their own opinions or ways of thinking.
Yoda clearly seems to think that slow and steady will win the race, that a deliberate and measured response is the way to act against the threat hidden inside the multitude of cracks of the waning Republic and so that is how the Jedi Order will proceed, whether I like it or not.
Feeling that this particular discussion has come to a close, I shut off Maul's lightsabre and catch it in my hand before slipping it into my wide robes again. A flick of my wrist, and the body bag zips itself shut again, and behind me I can feel Anakin give a slight breath of relief now that the gruesome sight is hidden from view.
Death is still new to him, and I don't think that he has fully comprehended that his own attack on the Trade Federation Droid Control ship has likely led to the death of several dozen organics as well. It is a subject I'll have to discuss with him in the near future, but I'm willing to let it rest for now until things have calmed down a bit.
'After the Council has made its decision. Then I'll know what path the Force will want me to follow, whether or not he and I shall stay here on Coruscant or venture out into the galaxy again. I'll bring it up when I've decided on a course, give him some stability first.' I think to myself, before turning towards Yoda who has also been looking at Anakin with a worryingly knowing gaze.
He doesn't say anything, but the look he sends me tells me enough: he knows.
For a moment, we're locked in a brief staring contest, before Yoda glances at his fellow Council Members.
"Much to contemplate, we all have. Dismiss this meeting for today, I propose. But before you all go, Obi-Wan, step forwards please."
With the rest of the Council distracted as the wide-eyed padawan steps forwards, I take the hidden opportunity that my brother gave me and quickly and quietly order the droids to leave the room, stepping backwards towards the entrance as I drag Anakin with me, away from the centre of the floor where a nervous Obi-Wan now stands ramrod straight.
With the spotlight now removed from me and, more importantly, Anakin for just a little while longer, I allow myself to relax, letting the Force flow into my very being, both physical and metaphysical. While I've always criticized my brother for his dependence on surrendering all his emotions and attachments to the Force, I can't argue that it feels good to let my weariness and worries smoothly flow out of me and into the vast unifying force of the universe.
I'll meditate on them later in the privacy of my room, but for now it feels good to feel less… heavy, than I did following my arguments with Yoda and my desperate attempts at convincing the High Council.
As energy courses through me like a caffeine shot, clarity returns to my thoughts and I fully focus on the nervous form of Obi-Wan, who's back is turned towards us so he fails to spot Qui-Gon and mine's knowing grins.
With the present Jedi focusing their attention on the prim and proper Padawan, the general mood lightens up considerably and I can even see some of the more laid back Masters sport small smiles of their own.
To Obi-Wan, Yoda's face is an inscrutable craggy plateau, but to me his amusement is clear to see, his fondness for his Jedi his greatest redeeming quality.
"Padawan Kenobi. Instrumental in the liberation of Naboo you have been, your Master says. Even got a medal for your efforts, I notice." Yoda dryly remarks and Obi-Wan nearly burns red as he subconsciously lets his hand rest on the front pocket of his tunic, where the golden plaque that Padme hung around his neck hangs heavy in the soft cloth.
"I merely did as was required of any Jedi, Grand Master. I tried my best to fulfil the duty of the Jedi, something that I could not have done without the aid of my Master and the aid of Master Yondu." Obi-Wan is quick to respond and admirably does so without a hitch or waver in his voice.
"Hmm. A humble one, you are. The first padawan in a thousand years to have faced a Sith in battle, without a even mark upon you. Strong in the Force you must be then. Feel it even now, I can. Much to learn still, you have: your journey is only now beginning. But, a next chapter, this will be. You are no longer a Padawan: you are now Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight of the Order." Yoda says, allowing a smile to fully show on his face.
Obi-Wan's shock is clearly felt by all Jedi present, before the young man manages to reel in his Force prescience and regain control of his emotions. He gives a deep bow and his gratefulness shines through clearly in his voice as he thanks Yoda and the rest of the Council, who all nod approvingly for his promotion.
"Make us proud, you shall. Now, free to leave you all are. Rest and meditate and think on the future that awaits us all. Yondu. Stay please." Yoda's gravelly voice rings out through the room, and as the other Jedi all rise and begin to make their way out of the room, some of them pausing to give their congratulations to a star-struck Obi-Wan, a small hand tugs on my wide sleeve.
"Master?" Anakin asks in a small voice, eyes wide, clearly uncomfortable with navigating the humongous Jedi Temple by himself.
"It's alright Anakin, I won't be long. Qui-Gon here will lead you towards your room. My own is not far away: once I'm done speaking with my brother, I'll come find you, alright?" I say gently, shooting the tall human a questioning look from the corner of my eye.
Qui-Gon readily gives me a nod and a small smile in return, before stepping closer to the young child.
"It's alright Anakin, we're amongst allies here. Come, why don't I show you to your room: perhaps some of the other younglings are still up as well, you could meet them if you want?" he says in a warm tone of voice as he lays a comforting hand on Anakin's narrow shoulder.
At the presence of a Jedi he knows and trusts as well as the prospect of making new friends, Anakin's face lights up. Shooting me one last look, which I respond to with a warm smile, the young child happily trots out of the room, Qui-Gon right on his heels. He glances back towards me, before letting his eyes slides towards the slightly stunned Obi-Wan, before looking back at me again, one eyebrow raised in question. As I give him a confirming nod, he relaxes somewhat, before lengthening his strides in order to catch up to my overly excited student.
"Anakin. Perhaps it would be wise if I were walking in the front?"
"Huh? Why?"
"Well, do you actually know which way you're going right now?"
"… uhhmmm…"
"Follow me then, if you would. The Temple is a large place, and it wouldn't do to get lost on your first day here, would it?"
"Nah I guess. Sure, lead on then!"
As their voices fade from my hearing the last of the Council Members walks out of the chamber, a contemplative Obi-Wan right on their heels. I stop him in my tracks my lightly clearing my throat, followed by an overly exaggerated cough once that one fails to catch his attention. Jumping nearly a foot in the air out of surprise, a somewhat contrite looking Obi-Wan turns to look down towards me.
"Ah, apologies Master! I was… somewhat deep in thought."
"Understandable, Knight Kenobi. Congratulations on your promotion, you've more than earned it after aiding me in the battle against the Sith assassin." I reply with a forgiving smile, before continuing.
"Right now however, you should speak with Master Qui-Gon. While Knights usually stay a team with their former Master, the bond they share has fundamentally changed: while he'll still be able to teach you much, you are no longer a mere student and this is reflected in the Force. Discuss this with him, know and try to truly understand how your relationship has changed."
"Of course Master, I shall do so at once." The young Knight responds with a short bow.
"Very well. He is currently escorting my student towards the guest wing of the Temple, you will find him there." I explain, and after getting another nod from the young human, I send him on his way.
And then it's just me and Yoda left inside the room. For several, long and tense moments, neither one of us speaks up, before the silence is broken as Yoda lets out a long-suffering sigh as he gets off his chair.
I hate the damned things. Most uncomfortable thing I've ever sat on.
He turns and walks towards one of the large windows which give an excellent view of the Coruscanti skyline, a spectacular sunset bathing the room in a golden light as the sun slowly dips beneath the uncountable high-rises lined across the horizon. As much as I don't really care much for the planet-spanning city and the subsequent smog and noise that it entails, I have to admit that it's imposing to look at nonetheless.
When he remains silent I walk forwards, stepping up to him until we're side by side. As I look out over the beating heart of the Republic we've both sworn to protect, each in our own way, he slightly turns towards me his gaze tracking me up and down as he scrutinized my appearance, and I can't quite stop myself from shuffling my feet or tugging on my sleeves. While he wears the simple brown robes of the Order, I can't help but feel underdressed for some reason, or dishevelled, despite the fact that I'm wearing similar cloths as he is (the robes that got covered in Sith-blood were burnt back on Naboo).
As they always do after we've not seen each other for years, his eyes slowly track over the obvious stiches in my old and often repaired robes (a testament to my often hermit-like lifestyle), to every small scar that's visible on my body (a testament to my many battles with the Dark Side and the underbelly of the universe).
His gaze briefly pauses on the familiar ones, the long thin line that goes across my scalp, coming just short of reaching my right eyebrow, courtesy of one very pissed of Mando's vibroknife. The frayed hole in the middle of the flap of my left ear, courtesy of a bolter-blast aimed at my head that I hadn't quite managed to dodge.
Eventually, it lingers longer on my right hand, the smattering of blisters clearly visible even after they've already begun healing.
He gives a disapproving shake of his head, before speaking up in the language of our homeworld.
"You are far too reckless for your own good, you know?"
I don't really have an answer for that (it's not as if he's wrong after all), so I settle instead of giving him a rogueish grin and a nonchalant shrug of my shoulders.
"I'd like to think I wreck plenty of stuff. You've chewed me out often enough over it after all." I cheekily respond, causing my brother to roll his eyes, before looking away from me.
Once more silence returns, though this one is more comfortable than the one from before, when we were arguing in front of the assembled Jedi High Council.
Yeah, looking back on it now, not exactly our brightest moment I think with a wince. Thinking of said Council, I think of someone who wasn't there during the meeting even though my faded memories insisted that she should've been.
"Where's Yaddle? Her seat was empty, so I presume she hasn't been replaced yet."
Mentioning the third member of our species that's currently a Jedi causes a deep frown to appear on my brother's face.
"We haven't heard from her for several weeks now. Not entirely unusual for her, I'll admit, but not even Oppo has had any contact with her whatsoever for some time now. You and me both know how she has been considering stepping down from the Council and lessening her involvement in the Order. My hope was that she had simply retreated for some private meditation of some kind. Now that I have no choice but to accept that the Sith are still present in the galaxy however…" he softly muses, and I can clearly feel his worry over our younger fellow Jedi.
"Have you checked with Kamparas?" I quickly ask, my own worry growing when he sadly shakes his head.
"The last time she was at the training centre was close to a decade ago now. We don't have much else to go on: the last I've heard of her, she was travelling across the Braxant Run."
Ice seems to grow in my gut as realization dawns on me, my expression grim.
"That would lead her-"
"-through the territory of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, yes. The Braxant Run is large, and runs through many sectors: I thought nothing of it before today." Yoda says in a low voice, before turning to face me fully with a deep frown marring his craggy face.
"We still disagree on many things, something that will undoubtedly come to a head at the next Council Meeting. And I still don't know whether I believe your claims about Hugo Damask II's true nature or not. But I will concede to your proof that the Sith still exist. And if that is true…" he trails off, but the implication is clear.
Even as we speak, Yaddle might be in the clutches of some of the most powerful Sith the universe has seen for the past couple of millennia.
"I've said it before Yoda: change is sweeping across the Galaxy. The Ruusan Reformation brought a status quo, but as you can see now, that was merely an illusion. The time has now come where the champions of the Dark Side have grown sufficiently in strength that they will once again try to impose their will upon the galaxy. The Republic as it stands now cannot face them, and so neither can your Jedi Order. You must act. I'll stay until the next meeting of the High Council, then I will be off to search for Yaddle. I'll leave Anakin in the care of the temple: Qui-Gon isn't getting any younger, and Obi-Wan is strong enough to stand on his own two feet, at least for a little while. This is where he'll be safest. And while I travel to oppose the Sith hiding in the Outer Rim, I trust you and your Jedi to do the right thing in combating the Sith hiding in the Core Worlds." I state firmly now that I know where the Force wants me to travel next.
With a plan in mind, I stalk outside of the room, leaving my brother standing at the window still overlooking the night-time skyline of Coruscant in deep contemplation. However, before the double doors fully close behind me, his voice softly floats towards me, his words crisp even as his tone is trouble.
"I hope we will. I truly hope we will."
Fun Fact: After watching Star Wars, James Cameron decided to quit his job as a truck driver and entered the film industry.
AN: Blegh, I hate this chapter. It just doesn't flow like I had imagined it to. It feels like it's all over the place and hardly coherent at all. I blame the fact my head is killing me: I haven't been able to sleep for over two days now. Anyways, let me know how I could improve this chapter! Cheers!
As always, I want to thank all of my patrons. I cannot thank you enough for your aid, I truly appreciate every single one of you: IronmanMarkIV, Shaman95, justlovereadin, Daniel Dorfman, Luis Zepeda, DoctorTortoise, DavidJ, CJ Elsen, Carn Krauss, ReaperScythe, RC Oprea, Devon, Kyle Reese, Josh Tucker, RLStrained, Vu, Roman Krupkin, thanks to all of you. Make sure to contact me through my page or through PM's if you have any further questions or suggestions, Cheers!