Chapter Six: The Return
Melida/Daan hadn't seen such a tragedy since the last battle of Zehava. Since then, the Melida and the Daan had all put away weapons. There's was a peaceful society. The governor's brutal murder seemed almost impossible. But there was his widow, declaring his death and the emergency elections that would have to be held, since the planet could not be left without a ruler.
A strong candidate in the running was Mawat. He had seized his chance and he was the obvious choice for governor. Suddenly his talk of corruption and incompetence in the Senate and the Jedi didn't seem so irrational. After all, the Senate had sent the Jedi and Nield had been killed right under their noses.
As Obi-Wan and Anakin feared, Mawat was elected by popular vote at midnight the day after Nield's murder. He looked surprisingly regretful as he approached them the morning after the elections, the robes of office hanging oddly on him.
Mawat spoke sadly. "My old friend Obi-Wan, this should be a glorious day for me- and for the planet. But because of you and your incompetence, it is a day of mourning. You failed to save Nield as you failed to save Cerasi."
Obi-Wan fought the anger that rushed through him. "Neither death was my fault, *Governor*. One of them was yours, and I am unsure that the other wasn't as well."
"I would not kill Nield! I believe in what I am doing! The assassin that murdered Nield will be found and put to death, that I swear. But he will not be judged by your justice, or the Republic's. A formal notice of withdrawal from the Republic has been sent to Chancellor Palpatine. Now I want you and your trainee off of Melida/Daan." He looked Obi-Wan up and down after his speech and shook his head. "It is sad to see a hero come to such an end, Obi-Wan. You're fighting for a lost cause."
"As long as one person fights, no cause is lost."
Mawat scoffed in disgust. "Jedi riddles, as usual. You are no better than the master that abandoned you here so long ago. Now leave."
Obi-Wan forced a bow, and Anakin did the same, and they turned and headed to their ship. Once they were on board and safely into hyperspace, Anakin muttered, "This mission was a failure."
Obi-Wan corrected him gently. "No mission is a failure. What did we learn on Melida/Daan?"
"That the Sith are in league with the Separatists." Anakin's brow wrinkled. "But Master, we already knew that. Dooku is a Sith and he leads the Separatists."
"Where is Dooku, Anakin?"
"Reports place him on Dantooine, in the outer rim," Anakin answered automatically. Then he lowered his head. "Such a powerful act could not be carried out over such a distance."
"Exactly. There are always two Sith, a master and an apprentice. Perhaps Dooku has an apprentice."
Anakin smiled. "Perhaps Dooku is the apprentice."
Obi-Wan suppressed a chuckle at the thought of the old man with a Padawan braid. "Perhaps," he managed, before allowing himself a small laugh.
*
They landed on Coruscant two days later and went without delay to the council chamber to report the results of the ill-fated mission. The council received it with grave faces.
"This is unfortunate," Master Ki-Adi Mundi said. "Faith in the Republic- and the Jedi- has been shaken."
"All that could be done was done. Tightened security, two Jedi in the building, extra security cameras placed around the perimeter. If Nield hadn't gone outside, there is no way the assassination would have been successful," Anakin told them.
"Very unfortunate, this is," Yoda repeated Mundi's words slowly, shaking his head. "Comes at a bad time, this does."
Obi-Wan and Anakin exchanged glances. Windu sighed and said, "The battle on Dantooine was lost. We fear it too will fall to the Separatists."
"A dark time this is," Yoda murmured. "Have need of you again we do, Obi-Wan. With Bail Organa you will go to Dantooine. A Jedi is needed in there."
"Yes, Master."
"Forgotten about you, young Skywalker, we have not. Time it is for your Trials."
"I will not be accompanying my master?" he asked, looking at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan smiled slightly, sadly, and shook his head.
"Remain here you will," Yoda replied. "Your Trials you will take."
*
Obi-Wan met Bail Organa at the landing pad the next day. The senator and viceroy of Alderaan had been appointed to the rank of general during the beginning of the war, a title he still held. Organa was a noble man, a stanch Loyalist, a believer in democracy and the Republic.
It was no wonder then, when Obi-Wan and Anakin, who had accompanied him, found Padme saying her own farewells to one of her dearest friends. She greeted Obi-Wan and Anakin with a bright smile, but even that smile didn't conceal her paleness and obvious fatigue.
"Are you alright, milady?" Obi-Wan asked after pleasantries had been exchanged.
Padme smiled and glanced over at Anakin, who also looked concerned. "I'm very well, Master Kenobi. Its you I worry about. Dantooine is dangerous. I wish you and Bail the best of luck."
Obi-Wan smiled and Bail replied, "We don't need luck. Justice is on our side." He reached down to brush a kiss across Padme's cheek. "Farewell, Amidala."
Obi-Wan took the opportunity to turn to Anakin and say seriously, "May the Force be with you during your Trials, Anakin."
"And may the Force be with you on your mission, Master." Anakin smiled. On impulse, he reached out and hugged his master.
Obi-Wan tugged on his braid after they'd pulled apart. "Next time I see you, I'll be cutting this."
"I'll make you proud. I swear."
"You already have, Ani. More proud than I ever though possible." With another smile, Obi-Wan moved away from his apprentice and Padme, and walked with Organa up the ramp onto the ship. It lifted off, leaving the two on the pad watching them, uncertainty and fear in their eyes.
Melida/Daan hadn't seen such a tragedy since the last battle of Zehava. Since then, the Melida and the Daan had all put away weapons. There's was a peaceful society. The governor's brutal murder seemed almost impossible. But there was his widow, declaring his death and the emergency elections that would have to be held, since the planet could not be left without a ruler.
A strong candidate in the running was Mawat. He had seized his chance and he was the obvious choice for governor. Suddenly his talk of corruption and incompetence in the Senate and the Jedi didn't seem so irrational. After all, the Senate had sent the Jedi and Nield had been killed right under their noses.
As Obi-Wan and Anakin feared, Mawat was elected by popular vote at midnight the day after Nield's murder. He looked surprisingly regretful as he approached them the morning after the elections, the robes of office hanging oddly on him.
Mawat spoke sadly. "My old friend Obi-Wan, this should be a glorious day for me- and for the planet. But because of you and your incompetence, it is a day of mourning. You failed to save Nield as you failed to save Cerasi."
Obi-Wan fought the anger that rushed through him. "Neither death was my fault, *Governor*. One of them was yours, and I am unsure that the other wasn't as well."
"I would not kill Nield! I believe in what I am doing! The assassin that murdered Nield will be found and put to death, that I swear. But he will not be judged by your justice, or the Republic's. A formal notice of withdrawal from the Republic has been sent to Chancellor Palpatine. Now I want you and your trainee off of Melida/Daan." He looked Obi-Wan up and down after his speech and shook his head. "It is sad to see a hero come to such an end, Obi-Wan. You're fighting for a lost cause."
"As long as one person fights, no cause is lost."
Mawat scoffed in disgust. "Jedi riddles, as usual. You are no better than the master that abandoned you here so long ago. Now leave."
Obi-Wan forced a bow, and Anakin did the same, and they turned and headed to their ship. Once they were on board and safely into hyperspace, Anakin muttered, "This mission was a failure."
Obi-Wan corrected him gently. "No mission is a failure. What did we learn on Melida/Daan?"
"That the Sith are in league with the Separatists." Anakin's brow wrinkled. "But Master, we already knew that. Dooku is a Sith and he leads the Separatists."
"Where is Dooku, Anakin?"
"Reports place him on Dantooine, in the outer rim," Anakin answered automatically. Then he lowered his head. "Such a powerful act could not be carried out over such a distance."
"Exactly. There are always two Sith, a master and an apprentice. Perhaps Dooku has an apprentice."
Anakin smiled. "Perhaps Dooku is the apprentice."
Obi-Wan suppressed a chuckle at the thought of the old man with a Padawan braid. "Perhaps," he managed, before allowing himself a small laugh.
*
They landed on Coruscant two days later and went without delay to the council chamber to report the results of the ill-fated mission. The council received it with grave faces.
"This is unfortunate," Master Ki-Adi Mundi said. "Faith in the Republic- and the Jedi- has been shaken."
"All that could be done was done. Tightened security, two Jedi in the building, extra security cameras placed around the perimeter. If Nield hadn't gone outside, there is no way the assassination would have been successful," Anakin told them.
"Very unfortunate, this is," Yoda repeated Mundi's words slowly, shaking his head. "Comes at a bad time, this does."
Obi-Wan and Anakin exchanged glances. Windu sighed and said, "The battle on Dantooine was lost. We fear it too will fall to the Separatists."
"A dark time this is," Yoda murmured. "Have need of you again we do, Obi-Wan. With Bail Organa you will go to Dantooine. A Jedi is needed in there."
"Yes, Master."
"Forgotten about you, young Skywalker, we have not. Time it is for your Trials."
"I will not be accompanying my master?" he asked, looking at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan smiled slightly, sadly, and shook his head.
"Remain here you will," Yoda replied. "Your Trials you will take."
*
Obi-Wan met Bail Organa at the landing pad the next day. The senator and viceroy of Alderaan had been appointed to the rank of general during the beginning of the war, a title he still held. Organa was a noble man, a stanch Loyalist, a believer in democracy and the Republic.
It was no wonder then, when Obi-Wan and Anakin, who had accompanied him, found Padme saying her own farewells to one of her dearest friends. She greeted Obi-Wan and Anakin with a bright smile, but even that smile didn't conceal her paleness and obvious fatigue.
"Are you alright, milady?" Obi-Wan asked after pleasantries had been exchanged.
Padme smiled and glanced over at Anakin, who also looked concerned. "I'm very well, Master Kenobi. Its you I worry about. Dantooine is dangerous. I wish you and Bail the best of luck."
Obi-Wan smiled and Bail replied, "We don't need luck. Justice is on our side." He reached down to brush a kiss across Padme's cheek. "Farewell, Amidala."
Obi-Wan took the opportunity to turn to Anakin and say seriously, "May the Force be with you during your Trials, Anakin."
"And may the Force be with you on your mission, Master." Anakin smiled. On impulse, he reached out and hugged his master.
Obi-Wan tugged on his braid after they'd pulled apart. "Next time I see you, I'll be cutting this."
"I'll make you proud. I swear."
"You already have, Ani. More proud than I ever though possible." With another smile, Obi-Wan moved away from his apprentice and Padme, and walked with Organa up the ramp onto the ship. It lifted off, leaving the two on the pad watching them, uncertainty and fear in their eyes.