Disclaimer: I obviously do not own anything related to Harry Potter or Star Wars. All properties therein are those of their creators. I am just a simple writer trying to increase my skills with worlds and characters that I love.
Part Two - A Jedi And A Sith Walk Into A Bar
"Gah!" Ventress fell onto her ass again as her wooden stick fell to the floor beside her. Her master called it a training staff, but in her mind it was just a random stick he'd picked up off the ground before boarding his ship Four weeks ago.
They'd been sparring every day for at least five hours since leaving Serenno. The rest of the time not spent eating or sleeping was spent on meditation and examining the holocron of Darth Zannah. Her master wanted the young Dathomiri to have a firm grasp of the concepts before teaching her the physical applications of certain abilities. That didn't stop him from also teaching her the easy tricks, like pushing something away or pulling it to her with only a thought, instead of gestures. She'd gotten a lot of use from those lately for pushing over that horrendous Sirius robot of Harry's. It liked to follow her around and make crude jokes. Internally she vowed to find the name of the person that programmed it and add them to her list of people to kill. It wasn't a great list yet but she was working on it.
"You need to keep your stance wider."
Her master's voice brought her back to the present and she stood. "My stance was wide, you added a counter clockwise swing! We never practiced that in the forms."
That insufferable man just smiled at her, "Your stance was not wide enough. Trust me. As for the extra swing, you need to keep your eyes open for surprises as well. There is a very good chance your enemies will try to trick you in combat, and as your master it is my job to train you to be able to predict the unpredictable." He spun his staff in the air for a moment before placing it gently against the wall.
"Why can't I train with my lightsabers? I've had practice."
He frowned. "Yes, that Jedi gave you the basics, and then he died, leaving your skills to be wasted on pirates. It wasn't his fault, but without worthy opponents the small things start to slip. Those small things will either save or kill you." He looked pointedly at the metal walls, "Also, practice between Sith can get hectic, and I'd rather we not cut holes in my ship while in vacuum."
After their first week of travel she had revealed some of her life story to her master. She hadn't meant to originally, but he was so damn persistent. He'd worn away at the barriers she'd put up until she told him about how she was given up to raiding slavers as a baby to protect her people, how a wandering Jedi had found her as a young child, freed her, and given her rudimentary force and combat training until his unfortunate death. Then she spoke of taking over a small pirate gang and forcing them to transport her back to Dathomir, where she'd reunited with her sisters and matriarch. Only to be offered the chance to gain her people greater power under Dooku.
Distantly an alarm began to sound and her master looked at the cockpit for a moment before nodding. "Put the training staves away and then meet me in the cockpit. We'll be landing soon." She nodded and got to work.
Harry meanwhile took his customary seat before the viewport and took in the new site of Coruscant. His records said that the entire planet was one big city, and he had thought it an exaggeration. Looking at it now, he could see that was definitely not the case. Hell, some of the skyscrapers were so high he could make them out even this far away from orbit.
"Beautiful isn't it?" Zannah asked from the seat to his right. She never announced herself when she entered a room, instead taking delight in trying to get a jump or gasp out of him. Given the fact that she was technically dead and had rather few pleasures in her new unlife, he wasn't going to begrudge her this.
Recovering from the surprise with as much manly grace as possible, Harry said, "Yes, Zannah, it is. I can't say I've ever seen anything like it." He'd stopped calling her master after he'd taken a student of his own. He'd thought that too many people saying it in the confined space would get confusing.
Ventress returned to sit in the seat to his left and stared with her own look of awe. This giant city was as different as it was possible to get from her home forest. She quickly wiped the expression away and looked out the side of her eye at her teacher. However, he wasn't angry at her display of emotion. When she'd first met Dooku she had been happy and exuberant at the chance to learn something new, and he had responded by slapping her and saying she needed to control herself. Later that day he was dead at the hands of her new master, and he never seemed to mind when she was emotional. In fact he encouraged it.
In his words, being in tune with the dark side was being in tune with yourself and what you are feeling. And the only way to know your feelings is to experience and recognize them. So she let her awe return and just enjoyed the view as Harry brought the Victory into an open spot in the central space port.
Her master was strange. Dooku had left the impression that the Sith were serious, cruel, and heartless; but Harry was none of those things. He joked, he cared, and he flirted like nobodies business. The amounts of compliments he had given her in their short time together would have made a lesser girl blush. Ventress just focused on the Jedi serenity her first teacher had tried to teach her and eventually the color stopped trying to rise. It wouldn't do to let the man know he was having an effect on her after all. She was Dathomiri, if anyone was going to be creating an effect in the other, it would be her. She smiled, it helped that he was handsome. Dathomiri women only ever chose the best for mates after all, and she was looking forward to seeing if he was worthy.
After they'd landed and the final shutdown procedures were completed, Harry instructed her to retrieve her lightsabers, a cowl,a change of clothes, and some body armor from the back, then meet him outside. He didn't expect trouble, but a little care never hurt anybody. So she did as she was told. When she strutted down the ramp to join her master and his droid she enjoyed the pleased and hungry look in his eyes as he inspected her. She was wearing skin-tight leggings along with a cinched tunic that was tightened to emphasize her bust. A hooded cloak hung around her shoulders and her twin, green bladed, lightsabers hung at each side of her waist. Both her arms and legs sported Mandalorian steel guards, but she'd forgone the chest plate of her master for better ease of movement.
"You look amazing apprentice." Harry complimented. "But I thought the plan was to avoid trouble? With you looking like that I'm thinking it might just find us."
She smirked at him, "Then we'll have some fun rectifying the situation, won't we master?"
With a flourish he bowed to her before offering his arm. She took it as the ramp closed behind her, and then they were off. Just two more hooded travelers among the crowd… and a rather large bodyguard droid. Most tourists would visit the senate building, or perhaps the high class market districts. Not Harry though. He wanted to see the true heart of the city, which meant going down.
The Jedi Temple - Council Chamber
Yoda's eyes widened in amusement and curiosity as he awoke from his latest trance into the force. What he had seen had not made a lot of sense, but it was interesting, and the force was giving him no sign of warning or imminent danger. Considering his visions had shown him a rather flirtatious Sith… that was saying something.
The grandmaster of the Jedi Order turned to address the rest of the council that had been waiting since his untimely vision had struck. To their eyes, the smile on his face did not match the words being spoken.
"A Sith, I've seen." he croaked with a laugh as the eyes of his fellow council members widened in shock and horror.
"What did he look like? Where was he? Did you get a glimpse of what he was planning?" Mace Windu, battle master of the order fired off his questions like blaster bolts. Each was more hectic than the last.
"Hm." Yoda took a moment to phrase his answer. In spite of Mace and council's unease he couldn't shake the feeling this Sith was not here to cause problems. Nor did he get the feeling that he was involved with whatever trouble he was sensing in the future. Finally he spoke, "Young, did he seem. Tall. Strong. Carrying a lightsaber he was. Down did he go." He tapped his cane on the floor a few times for emphasis, "Down, down, down. A companion did he have. A date, it seemed."
The council's collective eyes stared.
"A date? A Sith lord came to Coruscant, and he's on a date? Are you sure?" Master Plo Koon asked. His normally stoic voice was almost creaking through his filter with disbelief.
Yoda nodded. "A female, had with him he did. Arm in arm they were."
Mace stood abruptly and waved his hand in anger, "That is irrelevant. The important thing to know is that we have a Sith on Coruscant." He turned to Ki Adi Mundi, "Gather every knight that is available, raise the temple guard, and alert the city watch to be on the lookout for this Sith. We need to capture him before he leaves the planet!"
"Give that order, did I?" Yoda's calm voice broke through the tirade of the younger man as he stared at his senior in shock.
"Master Yoda, you can't be implying that we let this man go? It is the mandate of the Jedi to fight the Sith."
"Maintain order and balance, the Jedi do. Not seek fights." Yoda emphasized his point by swinging his stick to the side and swatting the taller man in the shins. As he hopped around in pain and tried to retain what little dignity was possible, the grandmaster continued. "From this Sith, hostility, I do not sense. Malice, I do not sense. Intent for harm, I do not sense." His eyes hooded for a moment as he recollected his moments of clarity in the force, "Curiosity… I do sense. From far away he is, explore now he does. An opportunity this is."
Unable to keep quiet, Mace said "What kind of opportunity could a Sith- Ow!" Once more he was interrupted by Yoda's cane. He got the message this time and sat down.
"Saying was I, this is an opportunity." Yoda continued. "Know a Sith is planning something malevolent, we do. But shielded, they are. Knowledge of the Sith, we have not to plan. Learn, we must."
He tapped his cane again for emphasis. "This Sith, sense him I can. Hiding he is not. Answers, he could provide. Speak to him we should." He held up a claw to stop any further dissent to his next words, "Speak, not fight. Committed a wrong here, he has not. Know of any other crimes committed, we do not."
In a voice of calm that she did not truly feel, Master Shaak Ti asked, "You are suggesting opening a dialogue with a Sith. The ancient enemy of our order." Her calm wavered for a moment, so she collected herself once more before continuing, "Who would we even send?"
"Ah. Huhuhu." Yoda chuckled lightly. He didn't know why he was in a good mood. Nor did he know why he was so certain that talking to the young man was the right choice. He just did. "Master Kenobi, left for a border dispute, he has not yet. Him and his padawan, send to the meeting."
Arguing erupted once more in the room, though this time it was conspicuous by the silence of Windu.
"Something to say you have, Master Windu?" The green master asked.
The other man took a moment to make sure he was not going to be shinned with a cane once more, and then he spoke. "I don't like treating with a Sith. But if one of us has to do it, there are worse options than Kenobi. He has proven himself to have a keen mind, and a good head for diplomacy and negotiation. Also, he's the first Jedi in centuries to actually kill a Sith. If things get violent he'll be able to handle himself."
With his approval backing the grandmaster no one else wanted to argue, and Master Kenobi was sent for. As with all things, the proper man was council didn't even need to wait ten minutes before he arrived with perfectly arranged robes and a surly padawan in tow.
Mace eyed Anakin doubtfully. It had been several years now since he had been allowed, against the wishes of most of the council, to join the order as a padawan learner. In that time the battle master had not seen any patience in him. What he had seen was plenty of arrogance and even anger.
Obi Wan addressed the council with a respectful bow before speaking, "How may I be of assistance master's."
Yoda chuckled, but Mace answered. "Through the force we have been made aware that a Sith is currently wandering the streets of Coruscant."
Before he could further explain, Anakin decided to interrupt, "A Sith! Where? We need to get him!"
Obi Wan looked mortified at his student's antics, and the council gave him supporting looks of commiseration. Many of them knew how hesitant he had been to take the boy on, but as it was Qui Gon's final wish they understood him doing so anyway. Once he'd managed to silence and reprimand the boy, Mace continued.
"We do not want you to 'get' him as you have said. We want you to talk to him." Seeing the confusion on his fellow knight's face, Mace gestured to Yoda, "Master Yoda is convinced this man is not here to commit harm or carry out any evil plots. He says the Sith is not even hiding his presence, which speaks well of that theory. Then again he only noticed he was here because he was actively looking for any dark side energy, but that is neither here nor there." He leaned forward and steepled his fingers together, "This is a chance to gain actual intelligence on the Sith. The first fresh information in a thousand years. If that man is willing to talk to us then we might even be able to find out why the force has been so clouded. Be polite, don't demand anything but be willing to offer. If he wants compensation for information we can make that work."
Obi Wan's eyes were quite large now, but he otherwise managed to keep his composure. His padawan… not so much.
"You can't be thinking of making a deal with a Sith! They're evil!" The boy was nearly yelling now and his master had had enough of him. Kenobi's arm shot out, and then pulled back into his side. With a squawk of surprise and indignation, Anakin found himself pushed into the air and pulled back out of the chamber with its great doors closing in his face.
Immediately Kenobi knelt to the floor and bowed his head in shame. "Master's I am so sorry for the actions and words of my padawan. I take full responsibility for his actions and will accept any punishment you deem fit."
By this point all of the sitting masters were uncomfortable. They all held a great deal of respect for Obi Wan Kenobi, and seeing him there on his knees was troubling to say the least.
"Rise, Master Kenobi, Rise." Yoda intoned with a sad look on his aged face.
It was one that Windu also wore. "We know that his behavior is not your fault master Kenobi. Each of us has seen your lessons, witnessed you trying to discipline the boy and show him patience and respect. Some students refuse to learn, and that is not the fault of the teacher."
Obi Wan bowed his head. "I don't know what else to do with him masters. This was just the latest outburst of many. In terms of raw power and control he could take the trials now and pass with flying colors, but mentally and emotionally? I can't say with certainty that he's anywhere near ready." His voice became a whisper, "or that he ever will be."
Master Shaak Ti chose to speak up then, "Knowing the limitations of your student is not a crime master Kenobi, raise your head." When he did so she spoke once more, "I believe for this mission we will hold padawan Skywalker back. After today I don't think anyone will deny a simple psychological evaluation is in order. After all, it has been years since his last one was documented."
Everyone nodded their agreement as Obi Wan raised his head with a question on his lips, "If I am not to take Anakin with me, will I be approaching this Sith alone?"
They all seemed to ponder the question for a moment before master Mundi spoke, "I would suggest you take knight Secura with you. She is an excellent duelist as well as being fluent in over a dozen languages. If the man you seek does not speak Galactic Basic, then she'll likely be the best bet for communication."
Everyone else in the room nodded, Kenobi bowed, Yoda slammed his cane on the floor, and the meeting was done. As the master's went about their planned activities for the day, Obi Wan rushed to find his old friend Aayla. The two of them had a Sith to catch up to and it was almost noon!
The Senate Building - Chancellor's Office
For what seemed the millionth time since he'd taken the job, the soundproofing in Palpatine's office paid for itself as he smashed his desk chair into the wall over, and over, and over again. Wood splintered in his hands, blood dripped onto the carpet, but he did not care. Years, decades, of planning had gone out the window.
Dooku was dead. He had only heard the news twenty minutes ago because after all the damage the fire caused to the man's castle, it took weeks to even identify his remains. The fool had burned to death in a house fire of all things! What kind of way was that for a Sith to go out?
With an immense level of self control the man managed to quite hammering his wall with what by now was a simple wooden club of a chair leg. He needed to get himself under control and figure out his next steps. First, he needed to get a new apprentice. His plans were important but if he died then so did the legacy of the Sith. Next he needed to choose another leader for his planned confederacy that the banking clans would agree to follow. One that would take orders when the time came. That was an area where Dooku had been a blessing actually. He was already well known and respected as a man of his word on Serenno, so when he told Newt Gunray and the banking clans that he would stand beside them through any fight to come they'd believed him. That loss of faith and loyalty could be crippling.
Finally, he needed to get in touch with the Cloning Collective on Kamino. Production of the clone army would need to be pushed back it seemed. As would the planned assassination of Senator Amidala. She was coming to visit his office sometime this week, so perhaps he could get her schedule for the upcoming year and choose a new time.
Seeing as he'd destroyed his chair, Palpatine chose instead to sit exhaustedly on his desk. He had always planned to dispose of his apprentice, but he'd hoped to get several years of worth out of the man first. The worst possibility however would be if the fire had not been an accident. If his apprentice was murdered then who knew what he might have said before the end. Palpatine decided he'd need an escape strategy prepared just in case as well.
Things were getting complicated again and he did not like it!
Taxiing Flight Pad Transport Center
Obi Wan and Ayla were waiting for a taxi craft to take them to the lower levels when a voice called out, "Obi Wan? Obi Wan Kenobi?" He turned to the source of the voice and saw Queen Padme Amidala. Or rather, Senator Amidala now. He kept forgetting that the position of Queen was an elected office on Naboo.
Regardless, the young woman was weaving her way through the crowd to him and when she finally arrived she was quite out of breath. He let her get it back before greeting her with a bow. Aayla followed his lead immediately. "Senator Amidala, it is so good to see you again." Internally he was ecstatically thanking the force that Anakin was not with him. The boy had maintained an unhealthy fixation on this woman since he'd met her all those years ago.
"I thought that was you." In a flash she was hugging him tightly while saying, "You left before I had the chance to give you a proper thank you. I know Jedi are supposed to be stoic and mysterious, but you could at least stay long enough a ruler to give you a thank you hug."
Coughing awkwardly into his hand the Jedi extricated himself and gestured to his companion. "Senator, may I introduce you to my companion, Aayla Secura." The two women exchanged pleasantries while the next transport finally arrived. He gave his partner a look and the two quickly piled in.
"It was good seeing you Senator Amidala." Obi Wan tried to end this interaction politely, but the younger woman gave him no chance. She hopped into another seat on the taxi and then they were descending. Normally in this situation Kenobi would tell the driver to turn back, but with the mass of traffic in the city all public transports were autonomous once you put in your chosen address.
He turned to the senator. "Padme, what are you doing in our taxi?" He just knew the answer was going to annoy him.
"Following you on Jedi business." He was right. She continued, "I've already finished my other tasks for the day, and Naboo's new queen is very interested in the going's on of the Republic's peace keepers." Seeing his eyebrow raise she answered the unspoken question. "The Jedi saved her home, she wants to know how to work to repay that. Since your order never takes monetary compensation, I and the other ambassadors for Naboo have been ordered to offer every assistance we can to aid your order. I was finished with my other work, you two were clearly about to go on a mission, it all worked out."
Obi Wan was about to argue his or any other Jedi's need for royal aid, when Aayla whispered in his ear, "Remember where we are going and who we are trying to meet. Another diplomat might be a good thing."
He didn't like it but he nodded. Then he opened his senses to the world and the living force around him. Through this method Yoda had been able to tell him that the Sith was traveling the lower levels of the city but not his exact location. Now that he was there himself and looking specifically for the dark side, his path was clear. He knew where the man was, but more importantly he knew what building he was in.
"Of course he's there." He sighed.
Aayla and Padme were intrigued by his reaction.
"What's going on Obi Wan?" Padme asked, "Who is where?"
Getting a hold of himself the Jedi straightened his shoulders and wiped some dirt off his robes and sleeves as he prepared to meet the second Sith Lord of his lifetime. "Our mission is to meet and open up a dialogue with a Sith Lord, Padme." He pointed across the block to a building where a glowing sign showed a particular gyrating image. Beside him Aayla blanched in embarrassment.
"And he is currently somewhere in that Twi'Lek dancing bar." He finished.
The Last Dance - Twi'Lek Bar
"Call, Rache." A blue skinned man with a wide brimmed circular hat pushed a stack of credit chips into the pile to join the rest as everyone else at the table looked back and forth between the two gamblers. By that point, everyone else had forfeited. Harry looked at his hand, his cards were good, but were his opponents? He could look into his mind and find out, but that would just be bad gambling, and he liked this guy. He slid enough of his own chips to match the bet.
"I call Bane." The smile he gave the obvious bounty hunter opposite him was predatory. "Cards on the table in three, two, one!" On the last number both men dropped their cards and drew weapons. Cad Bane's blaster was pressed into the human's forehead, while Harry's unactivated lightsaber was pressed between his opponents legs. Silence reigned for a whole three seconds before the two broke off and erupted into loud peals of laughter.
Beside them a dour man in Mandalorian armor dropped his own cards on the table and took a drink out of his mug. This was the third time in twenty minutes that those two had performed this act and it was still hilarious. "Rache won again Aurra. Pay up." Beside him a woman with a mostly shaved head, broken by a long ponytail in the back of her skull, grumbled before pulling a few credits out of her pocket and handing them to her associate.
"Someday I will win a bet with you Jango." Aurra Sing declared.
His response was a laugh as he said, "The day you win a bet against me is the day I finally sleep with you Aurra."
This friendly banter was new to them, and they both knew it had something to do with the mysterious young man that had joined them in the last hour. There they were, enjoying a serious game of Sabaac, and this hooded guy just walks up, throws some credits down, and starts roasting all the men, and flirting with all the women. He was so upbeat about it that none of them had been able to resist joining in.
Hoping to win some of their credits back from the incredibly lucky young man, the group of bounty hunters drew new hands and prepared to do table top battle once more… until they were interrupted by a new voice.
"Excuse me?" a remarkably cultured tone spoke up from across the group, "But would there happen to be a practitioner of the dark side at this table?"
Harry looked up and beamed at the dirty blond, bearded, Jedi before him. "Finally!" he exclaimed, "Another Englishman!"
"I'm sorry?" Obi Wan was surprised at the exuberance of the young man before him, and at the similarity to his own accent.
"Sorry," Harry got a hold of himself, "Your accent just reminds me a lot of my old home world. Think nothing of it." He stood up and held out his hand, being sure to keep his golden eyes locked on those of the older man. All around him the bounty hunters were starting to inch their own hands towards weapon grips.
Kenobi could sense the tension so he very slowly raised his own hand and grasped that of his target in a greeting. He could hardly believe this was the man he was looking for, but the force had drawn him right to him. The boy was so young! After completing the greeting, his senses let him know that the tensed bounty hunters were releasing their grips on the weapons. One problem was avoided.
When they released each other, the older man gestured to a nearby empty booth where two other women were waiting. The Sith nodded but raised a finger as he stood up and walked to a nearby stage where a pair of scantily clad twi'lek women were dancing for an audience of one. Or rather one and a droid.
"Ventress," the younger man said, "Stop spending our credits and come with me. We apparently have visitors."
The girl that had been avidly sitting before the stage growled at the interruption, but still stood regardless. she tipped the women several credits and then followed him to the offered booth. The droid stayed behind. Strange that.
Regardless, Obi Wan quickly took his seat at the end of the booth, next to Senator Amidala. Aayla was against the wall; the idea being that if things went south then they would have the only non Jedi protected from both sides. A moment later his target and the girl he had grabbed sat down on the other side of the booth's small table, but not before he saw the lightsaber's on the woman's belt.
He pointed to one in particular, and with steal in his voice said, "I recognize that blade. Where did you get it?"
Instead of answering him she turned to the man and said in a rasping voice, "Master you didn't say we were meeting Jedi. Are we fighting them?"
He shook his head, "Not unless they give us a reason to apprentice."
Obi Wan tried to reiterate his question but was again interrupted, "But Jedi are annoying, and the enemy of the Sith. Aren't we supposed to be fighting them?"
"Come now my dear, Jedi aren't just annoying, they are also incredibly self-righteous. We can't forget that. But no fighting. I like this place and I want to be allowed back."
She huffed and leaned back in her seat while the others across the table stared. What kind of Sith were these?
Trying to get a handle back on the conversation, Kenobi coughed into his hand. When that didn't work he slammed his palm on the wood before him. That finally got the boy to turn those disconcerting eyes on him.
"Was there something you needed Jedi? I thought we were here for a conversation, but that clearly cannot be the case since no names were offered. You were awfully quick to try and interrogate my apprentice however. Should I take offense?"
Cursing his impulsiveness the man said, "I am Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi. With me are Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo, and Knight Aayla Secura. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He gestured to each of his companions as he spoke.
Harry looked at the man with a smirk of understanding in his eyes. "Darth Rache, Lord of the Sith." He lightly bumped his shoulder into that of his companion, "This is Darth Jagerin, my apprentice." The girl was staring daggers at all three of them, but the boy looked curious, "What was that you sere asking about Jagerin's lightsaber?"
"I knew its owner. I'm curious how she attained it." Kenobi said evenly, mindful of not raising tensions.
Ventress huffed, "Fat chance Jedi. Pick another topic."
The man looked like he wanted to press the issue but knew he wouldn't get anywhere. So he chose a new one that had been on his mind.
"Pardon me if this is offensive, but you seem rather young to be a Lord of the Sith. I only bring it up because my padawan is your age. I'm curious when you began your training."
"You're not being offensive. I won't say when I started, but if my master trained me the way you Jedi train your students then I would probably still be one myself. Power and skill are what is required to be a Sith Lord, and I have both in spades. Through them I proved my worth in my trials and earned my rank. My age is not a reflection of my ability."
To anyone else, that statement would have sounded like bragging. From his own padawan it would have been a rather loud boast. However, this man… He simply breathed confidence into his words. He wasn't overstating his abilities. He decided it was probably better to get to the point now. "The council was made aware of your presence here upon your arrival, and they asked me to come and inquire if you would be open to an exchange of information."
Harry tilted his head, "Information? What kind? And furthermore, what is your pious little organization willing to trade me for it?"
Manfully ignoring the barb against the order he'd dedicated his life to, Obi Wan powered on, "You are the first Sith we have come across in centuries that hasn't been trying to murder us all. We have questions about your order, training methods, philosophies, and tactics. We want to understand you." I have been authorized to offer adequate credit transfers for any information you offer."
The boy seemed about to say something in response before he stopped, tilted his head, and seemed to ponder something. "You are not being entirely truthful." He muttered just loud enough to be heard. "Yes, you seek knowledge, but not for understanding alone. There is something you want to know, need to know, something specific. What is it?"
Kenobi was used to seeing force revelations, but not from someone with golden eyes. It was quite disconcerting.
Aayla answered before he could. "The council's ability to divine the future has been shrouded by the force. They fear another Sith Lord has something to do with it and is plotting something horrible. We want to ask you questions and see if anything you reveal can help us find and stop them."
Harry turned to the blue skinned woman, "Ah, Miss Secura, I must say that your voice is just as beautiful as the rest of you. And those perfect lips speak the truth that your partner dances around. Why haven't you spoken sooner?"
Aayla couldn't help but notice the way the apprentice's glare seemed to sharpen on her at his words. Regardless, she continued. "Master Kenobi is the negotiator. I'm just here to offer support. Nevertheless, now you know why we are here with you, but why did you come to this planet in the first place?"
"Tourism." He said in a flat tone, deeply amused at the looks of shock on the Jedi's and senator's faces.
"Tourism?" It was the first time Amidala had spoken. "A Sith comes to the center of the galactic government, shares a sabaac table with known bounty hunters and assassins, and he's here for tourism?"
"What of it?" Harry defended himself, "This place is amazing, and I'd never been to Coruscant before. I wanted to experience it."
The senator was getting angry now, "But you aren't experiencing it. Not really. You could have visited the senate building, the commerce center, or the market districts. Instead you're in a twi'lek strip joint!"
The Sith gave her a flat stare. "First, those places are interesting yes, but they are not a representation of what life actually is on this planet. Nor is it where things actually get done. Second, both my apprentice and I happen to like watching twi'leks strip, and we tip well." His eyes turned back to Kenobi, "Is she being serious."
The bearded man shook his head, "She is idealistic. It's an admirable trait."
Harry shrugged, "If you say so. Regardless we came to see the sights."
Aayla smiled at Kenobi, "Well we can at least tell Master Yoda he was wrong about why this Sith was here." When she saw the curious tilt of the boy's head she elaborated, "Master Yoda saw the two of you in the force and thought you were on a date."
"Oh." Harry was silent for a moment. "I could never ask my apprentice out romantically." He was facing forward so he didn't see the slight dip in Ventress's shoulders at his words, but Aayla did. "She's Dathomiri. They're a matriarchal society you know. If she ever desires me romantically then it's up to her to ask me out. Not the other way around." Those depressed shoulders jumped right back up at those words, and the female Jedi could swear she saw a predatory gleam in her eyes.
"And you're okay with becoming romantically involved with your student?" Kenobi was flabbergasted by the conversation they were having. It had nothing to do with the things they were here to find out. More than that, he was actually curious about the answer!
"But of course." The tone of Harry's voice made it clear he thought Obi Wan was an idiot for asking. "We're Sith, Jedi. We live and breath our emotions. That includes attraction, both physical, emotional, and sexual. Denying those would be denying ourselves like you do."
"We do not deny ourselves." Aayla argued, "We simply stand aside from our personal desires so we avoid the possibility of falling to the dark side as a result of those attractions."
"But the Dark Side is so fun! Regardless, you say stand aside, I say you aren't allowing yourselves to truly live. In the end I guess it's semantics. We'll just have to agree to disagree."
He looked back at Kenobi, "Back to your earlier thoughts though, you're probably right to be worried about that Sith." Before elaborating he waved a hand to a passing togruta barmaid and ordered a whiskey for both himself and Ventress. When his questioners made no move to order for themselves, he asked for three pints of Corellian ale to be brought out.
While they waited the others tried to get him to elaborate, but he held off until his drinks arrived and he managed to take a sip. Savoring the taste of the dry whiskey he said, "He's planning a war."
Kenobi had turned white at those words, Padme was gripping his sleeve with helpless nerves. "War?" He asked stiffly, "You're sure?"
Rather than answer Harry gestured to the untouched mugs in front of his fellow conversationalists. "If you want an answer start drinking. I hate drinking alone."
"But master," Ventress's voice was pure flirtation, "you're drinking with me. Isn't that enough?"
"You know what I mean apprentice." He gestured again and the three scions of the light drained their respective mugs. He ordered refills, and then spoke further. "I came into contact with another Sith not to long ago. He and his master, who I gathered was highly placed in your government, have been slowly fanning the flames of galactic tensions for years." He leaned forward and glared at them all. "I killed the Sith I found."
There were so many questions flying around inside Kenobi's mind. He settled on the first and asked, "Were you not working together with him? Why kill this man?"
"Just because we both practice the dark side we're automatically best friends? The Sith aren't the Jedi Obi Wan. We tend to go our own way and do our own thing. At least we do now, there hasn't been more than two Sith at a time for a while after all."
"Then you were trained by the second Sith!" Aayla accused abruptly, with a finger pointed accusingly at him. The dramatic pose was ruined by the arrival of the togruta, placing fresh mugs in front of them and retrieving the old ones.
When she was gone Harry replied, "No, I wasn't. My teacher's name was Darth Zannah. She died and became one with the force millennia ago." He took another sip of his whiskey, enjoying how it burned its way down his throat. He thought he'd have to get a bottle or two for the ship. "Through a series of events I will not go into now, I forged a sympathetic bond with her spirit and was graced with her tutelage. Of course my actions mean we're back down to two Sith, but I doubt it will stay that way. The Master will be looking for a replacement to the apprentice I killed."
Obi Wan didn't think it was possible to stare any harder than he was. Every negotiator's trick and sign he knew to look for said unequivocally that this boy was not lying in any of his statements. That was most troubling for many reasons, but chief among them was that it chafed against several aspects of Jedi doctrine. The idea of a Sith becoming one with the force meant that the dark side truly was a part of it, and not an insane abuse of it. Then there was the idea of being literally trained by a spirit. That brought about questions of the afterlife that he did not think he was ready to know. But enough with these thoughts, he needed to get back to the war!
Kenobi took a quick sip of his ale, which was becoming much better with every swallow, and asked, "It's no secret that the trade federation, banking clans, and several other systems have been voicing words of dissent in the senate. Are you saying that is all the work of this mysterious Sith?"
"Absolutely not."
"But you just-"
"I said he was fanning the flames, but for that to work flames need to actually exist. Face it, your republic is flawed, it is ineffective, and it likes to shit on the little guy."
"How dare you!" Padme made to stand up and rant, but couldn't quite find the room. So trying to reclaim what little pride she had left in the moment she grabbed her own mug and started chugging. When it was empty she raised her hand to the barmaid for more. To her credit, Harry actually was impressed.
"I dare because I've been paying attention to the news holos, researching the decisions made in the senate, and looking into its continuous fallout. You're in the senate Ms. Amidala, so tell me, when was the last time in your memory that a bill was passed that served a purpose of only benefitting the people, not the politicians passing it?"
The senator opened her mouth with a fire in her eyes that dimmed within moments. Several more times she opened and closed it before finally slumping down in her seat, defeated.
"As I said," Harry spoke softly, consolingly, "your republic has problems. The Sith lord is capitalizing off of them to make sure the war happens."
"Do you know when?" Obi Wan asked.
"Will you help us stop it?" Aayla questioned.
Harry looked at them both oddly for speaking at the same time. "The original timeline that I saw was for the war to start next year. With the death of the apprentice, that is likely going to change. So I can't say for certain." He looked next to the blue skinned beauty, "No, I will not help you stop it."
Aayla looked as if he'd slapped her, but Padme was the one who responded. "Why not? I thought you weren't working with this Sith?" She was leaning so far over the table that Ventress didn't even have to reach to put her hand around the other woman's throat and squeeze.
"Be careful how you address my master, and with what tone girl. I've let your past actions slide because he wanted to see what you were about. Now I've lost my patience." She hissed and released her hand, laughing internally at the way the senator stumbled back along into her spot, trying for all the world to look as if she was not scared.
While the Jedi looked on with disapproval, Harry responded. "I am not working with him, however I do agree that certain change is necessary. Your republic is weak, it is stagnant, and it is exploitative and slow. A war will force advancement and growth in new ways. I can promise you that I will not work to start this war, but I won't work to stop it either, because I do think it is necessary. Especially since the ones that would fight against your republic are bound to have really good reasons for doing so. Additionally, I am not a citizen of the republic, so why should I bleed for it?"
No one seemed to like his answers, but they were all too wary of speaking against him now.
"Do you at least know who the Sith Master is?" Obi Wan asked, with a touch of exasperation in his tone. "Will you tell us that at least?"
The young Sith tapped his lip in thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers as if he'd thought of something brilliant. Kenobi was instantly on guard.
"Yes I know who it is, but before I tell you that I want three things."
Ah, negotiation. That was a game the bearded Jedi knew well. "Name them." He spoke with a strong tone of formality. He hoped that would set the tone for the demands as well. If they were too farfetched after all, he might not be able to meet them.
"First, I want three hundred thousand credits for everything we've already talked about, and that we will talk about tonight, plus an extra fifty thousand when I give you the name."
Obi Wan flinched at the number. That was doable, but it would still hurt the order's coffers. "I can make that happen."
The Sith smiled and continued, "Second, I want a written assurance signed by your council that the Jedi Order will never hunt me or mine. I have no problems with you chasing other Sith, but I'd rather not worry about a random Jedi getting trigger happy."
Well, Mace wasn't going to be thrilled, but this was also doable. "Agreed."
A vicious smirk started to form on the younger man's face as a precursor to his final demand. "Finally, I am buying at least four bottles of this whiskey," he tapped his glass to indicate the amber liquid of which he spoke. "Before I leave Coruscant I'm going to walk up to the Jedi Temple, enter the Council Chamber, and every one of them, plus you, and the lovely Aayla Secura here, will have to share a drink with me."
All his carefully built up poise left the bearded negotiator in an instant, and his jaw literally dropped. Coincidentally this had the effect of sloshing the ale he'd been sipping all over the front of his robes.
He couldn't believe this. A Sith was literally holding the potential fate of the republic hostage, and what he wanted as payment was to make the entire Jedi Council his drinking buddies? That made no sense!
"That is going to be a bit more difficult." He tried to reason with the Sith, but he was having none of it.
"That last one is non-negotiable. Besides, getting a bunch of old geezers together to drink a few glasses of nice whiskey cannot be as hard as procuring all of my credits." To emphasize his point, Harry drained the last of his glass and waved for another.
This pattern of conversation, questions, and drinking continued for the next two hours before the Sith stood up with his apprentice by his side and claimed they were leaving. He said that he would be at the temple the day after tomorrow and wished Jedi Secura luck carrying her companions home. Then without another word they were gone, as was the strange robot with the dancer fascination.
Looking aside, she figured out pretty easily what he had meant. Both Obi Wan and Padme were clearly in their cups. Kenobi's head wouldn't stop drooping and moving side-to-side like a pendulum, while the senator was curled up in her seat and snoozing like some kind of feline. She sighed, and used the force to hoist them both into the air behind her as she walked out the door as well.
The council needed to be told they were going to be having a visitor soon, and clearly as the only responsible drinker in their group it was now her job to do so.
The Next Day
Jedi Temple - Council Chambers
A giant bantha was stomping around in Obi Wan's skull, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't strangle it with the force. Something about that fact seemed unfair to the man. He was sure, after all, that that horrible Sith could probably do it, somehow he was sure that the man was waking up bright and chipper while he was relegated to suffering. And he was being relegated to it. That very morning upon waking the bearded man had gone to the medical wing of the temple and asked for a gel to ease the mental strain of his predicament. The medic on duty had just laughed in his face and told him he had been instructed to provide nothing for his hangover by the council. If he was willing to get drunk then he must be willing to live with the consequences.
Now he was moving up the central elevator to the council chambers and he could barely think straight, let alone give a report. What was he going to do?
When the lift stopped and he stepped out, it was to find master Yoda standing there waiting. The little creature had a large smile on his face as he waved for the man to come closer. When he did, the grandmaster placed a hand on his head and the thundering hoofbeats stopped. As did the constant buzzing and feeling of the world moving around off its axis. The dreaded hangover was gone!
Obi Wan looked down at the most venerated of masters and began a long winded and profuse thank you before the master raised his hand to stop him. "All suffered a day after drinking, we have." The alien croaked out. "Method to fix, I will teach you. But later, first, a report to give you do."
Kenobi nodded and swiftly followed behind him into the chamber, where the rest of the council was seated and waiting.
"Master Kenobi," Mace Windu began, "we have heard a general overview of events from knight Secura, but we would like to hear it again in detail from you. She also mentioned something about a deal, but said it was not her place to provide any details."
"Of course she did." the bearded Jedi grumbled. Then he turned to address the council and gave as detailed a story of events as he could. For the most part everyone in the room seemed to be taking the information well. Even the bits about the force ghost teacher and how it became one with the force. The problem came with the terms of Darth Rache's deal.
"That is a great deal of credits Kenobi." Ki Adi Mundi spoke while rubbing his chin in contemplation.
The bearded man defended his negotiation, "Yes, but if I had argued he would have increased the price just to mess with me, and I believe it is worth it to gain the identity of a Sith that is trying to incite war."
The older master nodded. "Fair point. Carry on."
The second condition came up, and quite a few masters grumbled about some upstart Sith dictating terms to them, but none could dispute the validity of the request.
Then the third condition was explained and the room erupted. Masters were shouting and waving hands in the air. The tension of the force was growing painfully oppressive, and Obi Wan could feel the weight of every member staring daggers at him for the unfortunate fate of being the messenger.
Finally, Yoda slammed his walking stick into the ground, and everyone stopped. The noise was gone in an instant, the pressure disappeared, everyone was looking everywhere but at another living person. Except for Kenobi, who was looking at the visage of the grandmaster with awe. He hadn't even spoken and he commanded this much respect.
"Agree, I do." Yoda huffed a chuckle at the startled looks his answer brought from those around him. "Good Drinks, I have not had in a long time." He gestured to his fellow councilors, "Abstain, most Jedi do."
"With good reason!" Mace exclaimed… only to get whacked once more with the stick. He stopped talking after that.
"Arrive when, will this Sith?" Yoda inquired with a curious head tilt.
Relieved that everything was now sorted, Obi Wan said, "Sometime tomorrow. I'm sure we'll know when he's arrived by his entrance."
The councilor's nodded, and the bearded Jedi was turning to leave, when master Plo Koon raised a gloved hand, "Stay a moment longer Master Kenobi. There is another issue for this council to discuss and it involves you directly."
The words brought a tangible sense of unease to all gathered, but none more so that Kenobi. To his mind there was only one other issue that the council would want to discuss with him. He was right.
Plo Koon waved his hand across the floor and a series of large documents enlarged with holograms became visible to all present. "These are the reports from the temple psychologist that analyzed padawan Skywalker. An appointment was made shortly after you left and he was evaluated thoroughly. The findings are not good."
He trailed off then, clearly hoping someone else would continue his task for him. None did, so he took a deep breath through his respirator and carried on. "Preliminary findings show deep psychological issues from his time as a slave on Tatooine. This is found in conjunction with deep seated fears of abandonment and loss. After all this time his attachment to his mother is still present and dominant in his mind, and he shows clear attributes of overwhelming arrogance and pride."
He looked directly into Obi Wan's eyes. "The psychologist caught all of this in the first hour. The rest was spent asking him questions that helped to verify her findings. What do you think about all of this Master Kenobi?"
To say that he was shocked by this new knowledge would be a lie. Obi Wan had been noticing progressively more worrying behavior from his padawan for months now, and nothing he said or did seemed to do anything to curb him.
"I think your psychologist is very good at her job."
"She is." Plo Koon agreed before dismissing the holograms and addressing the council at large, "In her professional opinion, Anakin is not going to get over these issues. Moreover, he shows no interest in trying. If his training is completed then we run the very real risk of this padawan going dark. If even his own master cannot get him to change his ways then I believe we have no choice but to call for a vote of expulsion."
With a somber look on his face Yoda addressed the bearded man before them. "Before vote we do, your opinion we'd hear, Master Kenobi."
Kenobi cleared his throat. It felt like his heart was beating out of his chest, and in his mind he begged Qui Gon to forgive him for doing what he believed was right in this moment. "Over the years, his problems have built and become worse. I've tried to teach him, lead him, and offer guidance to a better path. He refuses to listen to me or anyone else."
He looked into the grandmaster's eyes and saw only understanding in them. Understanding of the burden that Gui Gon Jinn had placed on the young man before him.
"I tried everything I could with him. Everything I know and it hasn't been enough. So I will say this," his shoulders were shaking with contained emotion, "If the vote here is for expulsion then I will not fight it, but if the vote fails, then I would request that Anakin's training be taken over by another. If he can be made a Jedi, then I don't think it will be by me."
Unable to take being in that room any longer, the bearded men left the chamber. Behind him understanding eyes and sympathy followed his steps. Every master present had known what it cost Obi Wan to say that. To admit that, in his mind at least, he had failed as a teacher.
Mace spoke first. "When that Sith arrives Kenobi gets the first drink, and the second, and the third. Any objections?" No hands were raised.
The Next Day
"Are you sure about this master?" Ventress asked for what had to be the twentieth time that afternoon. "Going into the seat of the Jedi's power, what if they try to capture you?"
To her consternation, the frustrating man she was following had the gall to chuckle. "I have several tricks up my sleeve that can get us out of such a situation apprentice. Do not worry." They were approaching the gates to the temple now. "Besides, this serves three purposes. First, good whiskey should be shared, so I'm doing so. Second, I want to see if these Jedi will keep their word. They've promised us immunity from them, so walking into their council will serve as the ultimate test of their restraint. Third, I really want to see if I can get any of them drunk. Kenobi was hilarious!"
Though she didn't like the risk, Ventress couldn't help but understand and agree with her master. They did need to know the sincerity of a potential foe, and a drunk Obi Wan was a balm to the soul.
They'd passed the gates and entered the main chamber. By now several passing Jedi, and small students with braids in their hair, were staring at the strange visitors. And why shouldn't they? Both wore heavy hooded cloaks, unfamiliar lightsabers, armor, and looked out at the residents with golden eyes. They were the picture of the stereotypical Sith.
Unperturbed by all the staring, Harry calmly walked forward until he was in the center of the room. Then he placed two fingers into the side of his throat, breathed in deep, and intoned in all seriousness, "The council's whiskey delivery has arrived!" his voice was like a cannon blast, echoing over the chamber, down the halls, through the air ducts to different sections of the building. There was no doubt in Ventress's mind that those words had carried to every room and chamber in the temple.
She smirked. Now even if those old stooges on the council refused a glass every Jedi under them would still assume they drink. His actions were absolutely devious. Once more admiration for the man she'd sworn to serve grew inside her. She'd been on the fence before but now she knew. This man was truly a worthy mate. She'd need to stake a claim before anyone else wised up to his value. Dathomiri women were polygamists so she was open to others in their relationship as well, but she refused to be less than first among them.
Stunned silence had met Harry's words, but eventually a rather tall teenager, that looked to be around, or perhaps a year younger than, Harry's age broke through the stunned crowd and marched up to them. Both Harry and Ventress could see the padawan braid in his hair, and assumed he was sent to escort them inside. They were therefore shocked when a look of pure anger appeared on the boy's face, and a blue lightsaber activated in his hand.
"How dare you come here and insult our ears Sith!" The boy spat the words with pure vitriol. "Prepare yourself!"
Harry blinked. "For what?"
"To die!" The boy screamed as he ran at the pair before him. His blade an azure arc of light as it swing toward Harry's head, only to be interrupted by an answering blade of Green Light.
Ventress pushed her own blade against the attacker's and he was forced to retreat a few steps. Once she had a breath to give, the woman looked at her master and saw he hadn't moved a muscle. He'd no weapon on hand to defend himself from the attack, instead he'd chosen to trust she'd protect him. That warmth in her chest grew once more.
As she was pondering this strangeness, he spoke, while adjusting the bag with the bottles in his free hand. "Apprentice, can I trust you to handle this one while I proceed?"
She sized up her opponent for a moment before nodding. Everything she saw confirmed he would be a miserable opponent compared to her master. A snap-hiss announced the activation of her second blade as she settled into a low guard.
"Do not kill him." Her master said in a low voice only she could hear. "That might leave a bad impression. Just tire him out and then join us up top. I'll save you a couple glasses."
The Sith woman was smiling now in both anticipation of a fight, and joy at the fact that her master had so much faith in her victory. This was going to be better than she'd thought.
As she distracted the young man with combat, Harry approached the main lift, where he was blocked by several other Jedi with unactivated lightsaber hilts in their hands.
Seeing nothing to gain from beating them all bloody, he instead said, "I am expected by your council. One of you should call them."
They looked doubtful, but one of them still stepped aside and activated a comlink on his wrist. Seconds later he waved the others away and the Sith was riding the elevator to the top of the tallest tower. The fairy tale reference made the boy chuckle. When he walked into the chamber with his bottles it was to stony silence. Aside from a small green alien, that from Dooku's memories he knew was Yoda, every council member was glaring at him. Off to the side, Kenobi and Secura had hands over their mouths, clearly trying to contain their laughter.
Not one to draw things out, Harry pulled two bottles of twenty year old Kashykk Whiskey out of his bag and said, "Who wants the first drink?" Surprisingly enough Yoda was the first to hobble over with a glass in his hand.
"Long time, since a good drink I've had." The small being said in his usual backwards vernacular. "First glass, I will take."
Taking this in stride, Harry poured some whiskey for the alien, who strangely levitated it over to Kenobi, before requesting one for himself. Harry just shrugged and did so, before retrieving a glass from his bag and pouring himself one. Then with a bit of focus he crossed his legs and sat down, two feet off the ground, and clinked glasses with the aged Jedi while everyone else looked on in confusion.
"Hmm." Yoda savored the taste of the liquor before stating, "A chair it seems, you do not need."
"The force provides what is needed Yoda. Surely you know that as well as I?"
"Hm. Indeed." Then, to the consternation of the rest of the council, the grandmaster did the same thing! Sure enough now there were two people sipping whiskey while levitating off the ground.
Rubbing his eyes Mace just had to ask, "Why Master Yoda?"
"Huhuhu." The being chuckled, "Why not? Now drink, you take Master Windu."
The man grumbled about the impropriety of this whole series of events, but nevertheless he stepped forward and retrieved a glass. This led to everyone else doing so and as always seems to happen with drink, conversation followed.
"By the way, where is that lovely apprentice of yours?" Obi Wan said the word 'lovely' with clear sarcasm, but Harry decided to ignore it.
"Down in the central chamber. Some asshole padawan decided to attack us with a lightsaber the moment we walked through the front door so she decided to teach him a lesson."
The Jedi were not pleased to hear this. "This padawan just attacked you out of nowhere?" Plo Koon asked.
"Well he insulted us first, but pretty much."
There was silence for a moment before Ki Adi Mundi asked, "What did they look like?"
The description was provided and by the end Obi Wan was holding his head after draining the entirety of his glass in a single gulp.
"I take it he's your student?" Harry asked sympathetically. When he received a nod he said, "Aren't Jedi supposed to be calm and reasonable?" He nodded again and reached out his arm for a refill that was quickly granted.
"Don't worry Kenobi. If I know my apprentice it will be over quickly and soon we'll be blessed by her presence once more." The bearded man drained his second cup faster than the first.
Jedi Temple - Main Entrance Hall
"Why. Won't. You. Fall?!" Anakin was nearly shouting now as he hammered relentlessly at his opponents interlocking blades. Every time he went in for a strike she either crossed her blades to catch his own, or redirected his strike wide enough to set him off balance. Every time that happened she followed up with kick that always seemed to hit his ribs or his ass. His body was a pile of bruises now and he was getting sick of it. "Fight me seriously!"
She smirked cruelly at the boy before her. And that was exactly what he was to her. A boy. Sure he might have been similar to the age of her and her master, but in terms of both maturity and actual skill, he was nothing. "You don't want me to fight seriously padawan. I'm Sith, we fight to end threats permanently."
In a flash she darted forward, slapped his blade away and pushed him over onto the floor, where her second blade was leveled at his throat. "Your stance needs to be wider." She said smugly, before deactivating her blade and walking away.
"Wait," the boy was back on his feet with his blade once more in hand. She didn't stop. "I'm not done with you yet!"
"But I'm done with you." She didn't even look back as she called for the lift. The other padawans were looking between the two with even more curiosity than before. Why would a Sith leave a defeated enemy alive? "You lost, get over it."
"I didn't lose, and I can't let a monster like you enter the council chamber. It's wrong."
"I had you disarmed, on the ground, with my lightsaber at your throat. You. did. not. win. Get that through your head." The elevator dinged, and she stepped onto it, "Additionally, my master and I are here at the council's invitation. Have fun explaining all of this to your master."
The boy ran at her with a scream, but with a silent command of the force Ventress pushed him back as the doors closed. As she rose through the levels of the vast temple she clipped her hilts back to her waist, smoothed her tunic, and looked at herself in the reflective glass of the lift. It wouldn't do for a Sith apprentice to not look her best when meeting potential adversaries.
When the elevator finally arrived and she stepped into the chamber, the last thing she expected to see was her master, along with a small green creature, Obi Wan Kenobi, and some black guy holding each other about the shoulders and singing some bawdy tune about togruta girls. A quick glance to a red cheeked Shaak Ti showed that the older woman was definitely not impressed.
When he saw she'd returned, Harry pulled Ventress into a tight hug and exclaimed, "My beautiful apprentice has returned. Now we can really get this party started."
Ventress wanted to complain about the embarrassment he was providing, but two things stopped her. First, her master was a hilariously happy drunk, and she was looking forward to whatever antics he came up with. Second, she rather enjoyed it when he held her. The experience made her feel warm and safe.
For the next hour everyone continued drinking, and laughing, and telling stories, but eventually all good things had to come to an end. Yoda made his way to everyone in the room, including the Sith, and with a small twist of the force cured everyone of their inebriation. Some were happy, some were mortified, and some , AKA Harry, really wanted to do it all over again.
"For a bunch of stuck up monks you guys sure do like to party." Harry mused from his position floating above the ground. At some point during the revelry Asajj had ended up in his lap, and even sober neither of them felt inclined to move. They received disapproving looks, but they didn't care. They were comfy.
"So," Mace was back in chair and trying incredibly hard to forget singing that song, "The credits have been transferred, you have a copy of your immunity, and we've partaken of your liquor. Tell us who the Sith inciting war is."
"Party poopers the lot of ya." Harry groused. "Fine, his name is Shiev Palpatine. The ambassador for Naboo."
The room fell into stunned silence. "That can't be true." Kenobi whispered.
"It is though. And as a sign of good faith I'll tell you this too. The plans I saw included creating a clone army for the republic on Camino. I'd recommend grabbing them quickly so he can't. They were ordered by a Jedi, and paid for with republic subsidies, so you have the primary right, and you definitely don't want it in the hands of a Sith."
"Consider this we will." Yoda's voice was grave.
Harry wasn't done. "Also, when you retrieve them, have them all scanned for command chips in their brains. I believe the plan was to lay latent programming in them and eventually use the army to destroy the Jedi completely and seize control of the republic so the Sith could become an emperor."
"Palpatine cannot have thought that would work." Aayla Secura thought out loud. "An army just appearing out of nowhere when we need it, and then us trusting it out of hand. On top of that why would the Jedi even be in a position to be killed by these soldiers? We're peacekeepers, not military."
"You'd be surprised how easily one can accept something when it's convenient. Regardless, I have kept my end of the bargain, and I think we'll be off."
Instead of walking, and risk Asajj moving from her position, he levitated them both toward the lift.
"Wait!" Plo Koon shouted, worried that this man was leaving before he could ask his most important questions. "What if we have more questions about the Sith? What if we have to reach you? What do you even want?"
Harry stopped. "For the first two, just send out Kenobi to find me. I'll happily talk to my drinking buddy anytime." Kenobi groaned and held his head in expectation of future hangovers. "For the last, I'll admit my goals aren't those of the Sith you know. For that, I blame the perversion of the true way of the dark side."
This caught their attention. "The true way? What is it?" Shaak Ti, ever a seeker of knowledge, was ravenous to hear the answer. She'd heard from Obi Wan about this man's ghostly teacher, and if she truly was from the golden age of the Sith Empire then she could be an untold source of information.
"Think about it. The Jedi creed is all about restraint and self control. As an obvious opposite it should be rather clear that the original Sith mentality was all about freedom, and self expression. It was about accepting and feeling every part of who you are to the point of living freely in every moment and breath. That is what I want Plo Koon. Not to dominate, not to control. I want to be the most free person in this galaxy. To go where I want, do what I want, and be who I want. In my mind, that is the greatest example of a Sith."
Before anyone else could respond to that intense explanation, there was a loud popping sound, and the two Sith were gone. They hadn't gone to the elevator, or jumped out of the windows… they'd simply disappeared.
"Interesting, this Sith is." Yoda rumbled.
"Are we not going to talk about the fact he seems to have teleported?" Mace cut in.
"No." Plo Koon spoke up, "He's gone now. We need to focus on the apprehension of Ambassador Palpatine. If he truly is the Sith we've been looking for then we need to act now!"
Coruscant Spaceport - Outside the Victory
A popping sound startled the silence of the air, and suddenly two people were standing before the ship.
"Ugh. A little warning next time would be appreciated master." Asajj was taking deep breaths and leaning on the bulkhead to steady herself. Nearby Harry was doing something similar.
"My apologies Asajj. In the future I'll give some kind of signal, but they gave us the perfect opening for a dramatic exit. How could I not take it!"
Ventress entered his personal space and jammed a finger at his face. "You are lucky you're cute."
Harry blinked, "I'm cute?"
Ventress' eyes glowed for a moment, and then she pushed him into the bulkhead and shoved her tongue into his mouth. She moaned as he returned her gesture ecstatically for five whole minutes before pulling back.
"Asajj-" he tried to get a word in, but his apprentice would not let him.
"You said as a Dathomiri, I need to make a move for something to happen between us, well here it is. I'm interested in you. I want you. And when we get to whatever planet is next on your list you are taking me on a date." She grabbed his throat in her hand, "Is that understood?"
Her master smiled serenely and leaned forward for another kiss. She did not stop him. When they pulled away again he said, "Understood. Thank you Asajj. I wanted to make a move, but I didn't want to disrespect your culture."
"It's alright. We have it sorted now, but where are we going next?" She asked brightly. Laying a claim to her man had put a bit of a skip in her step.
"Hm. How about we get into space first, and then you can decide?"
"Sounds like a plan." She suddenly pulled away from his arms and ran up the ramp, shouting behind her, "What are you waiting for master?" He just chuckled.
Life with Asajj Ventress was never dull.
Next Time:
-The fallout of Anakin's actions and psychological testing.
-Enter Ahsoka Tano.
-Dathomir: Ventress brings her man home to meet the matriarch.
-Palpatine deals with a blown cover and brings forth new plans to start the war.