Oct 2002
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, all the characters (Except for Tasha) are property of Lucasfilm etc etc.
Hide Your Love Away
Chapter 34
Anakin stopped outside the council hall and waited politely for the doors to open of their own accord. The two Masters inside knew there were there; there was no point in announcing themselves.
The doors opened slowly, revealing the two leading members of the council, the rest of the seats empty. Anakin wasn't surprised in the least; none of the other council members were on Coruscant at the moment and would continue to be absent for the next few years. Fixing all of the damage Palpatine had caused would take a long time.
"Jedi Skywalker. A question you have, yes?"
Anakin waited until the four of them were facing Master Yoda and Master Windu, united against their meddling. "Yes, Master, I do. Several, in fact."
"Start with the first one, Anakin, and we'll see what we can do."
He flicked barely a glance at Mace, his eyes firmly on Yoda. "Why were the Healers trying to kill Tasha?"
Yoda and Mace exchanged glances before they both looked at the woman in question.
Tasha, at the back of the four, shook her head minutely. Obi-Wan turned to look at her, a question plain in his eyes.
"Tell them, you can. Punish you, we cannot."
Tasha took a deep breath, drawing all eyes in the room. "The reason they want me dead is what I told you. I'm a Jedi assassin. What I didn't tell you is that I've been working for the Jedi Council, Master Windu and Master Yoda in particular, the whole time."
Obi-Wan shook his head, "But, you were working for Palpatine, you were his apprentice!"
Tasha smiled sadly at him, feeling his hurt through the Force. "No, Obi-Wan. I was asked by the council, when you brought me here, if I would be able to work secretly for them. What you and Skywalker didn't know was that I was already trained to hunt Jedi by my former Master. It's where I learned all of my skills."
"Then... why the charade? Why not just tell us what was going on?"
"Would you have reacted as you did, Obi-Wan?"
He was silent. He knew if he'd known in advance he would have treated her differently. He swallowed hard. "No. Is that why Rykezzk tried to kill you?"
She nodded. "He caught me as I was coming out of the temple, after I'd just finished meeting with Master Yoda to give my monthly report. He almost got the better of me because I wasn't paying attention."
"But, then why did you continue after that?"
"I was in too deep. Palpatine trusted me implicitly and after two years of solidifying my position with him, I couldn't just drop it and walk away. I'd been given a mission to find and destroy the Sith lord. Could you have walked away at that point?"
He shook his head.
"But why seduce Obi-Wan?" Padmé's question was confused. "I don't get where that fits in."
Tasha took a deep breath. "That was an order made to me by Palpatine. One Master Yoda didn't want me to follow through with. You see, Palpatine's idea was to corrupt the incorruptible Jedi. You, Obi-Wan. You're the epitome of what a Jedi should be, or you were until I somehow managed to get under your skin. I broke from the Council after that, trying to come to terms with what I'd done. That was when I learned Palpatine's plan. He wanted to kill Skywalker, but keep you as stud."
"I can't say I enjoy being thought of as that."
Tasha's smile was faint. "I don't see why. Anyway, to make a long story short, I was given several sets of orders by the Jedi council that were not in the interest of keeping the peace, or maintaining order. By their direction I have assassinated many people, Jedi and non-Jedi alike. Mostly Jedi with Sith tendencies that leave the Temple before they're fully trained. I try to bring them back to the Temple. If that doesn't work, I'm to kill them. They're too dangerous to leave running loose. I've taken out senators that demand Jedi be extinguished from the galaxy, or exposed completely to the public eye. I've wiped memories, altered them, even planted new ones. This council is a hypocritical system, and only I knew that beyond their circle. To have me gone was in their best interest."
Anakin turned his gaze to Master Yoda. "Is what she says true, Master?"
Yoda was quiet for several moments. "To admit it, shames me it does. Yes. True it is."
"How could you?" Padmé's soft reprimand echoed in the room.
Mace sat up. "We do what we must to protect our order, milady. We uphold the Peace and order in the galaxy any way we must, even if it means one must die for the greater good."
"You're no better than Palpatine!"
"Wrong you are, Lady Skywalker. Desire domination, we do not. Peace. Order. Our only desires are they."
"But you're killing innocent people, altering them fundamentally. How can you live with yourself?"
"You would rather we allow a war to break out?" Mace demanded. "Jedi versus non-Jedi? You would see your husband slaughtered for having access to powers most people aren't even aware they possess? We do what we must, Lady Skywalker, just as you did when Naboo was invaded."
That stung. She bit back a sharp retort and took a steadying breath. "Master Windu, what happens now?"
He looked at the four of them before nodding to Yoda.
Yoda pushed himself up on his chair, carefully looking at each one. "Finished it is. Your price you will name."
Anakin blinked. "Blackmail?"
Mace smiled. "A reward, Anakin. The four of you have defeated the Sith lord at cost that was almost too great. You've broken a cycle the council had to protect because of its agent. She's been exposed. I'd say you're all deserving of a reward. Name your price. If it's within our power to grant, it will be yours."
Obi-Wan touched Anakin on the shoulder as Anakin grasped his wife's hand. Tasha placed a hand in Obi-Wan's before touching Padmé's shoulder. Telepathically, their Force senses strong enough to allow Padmé to speak, they discussed the situation. Finally they separated and Tasha stepped forward.
"Decided have you?"
She nodded.
Mace seemed to brace himself. "Name your price."
And she did.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, all the characters (Except for Tasha) are property of Lucasfilm etc etc.
Hide Your Love Away
Chapter 34
Anakin stopped outside the council hall and waited politely for the doors to open of their own accord. The two Masters inside knew there were there; there was no point in announcing themselves.
The doors opened slowly, revealing the two leading members of the council, the rest of the seats empty. Anakin wasn't surprised in the least; none of the other council members were on Coruscant at the moment and would continue to be absent for the next few years. Fixing all of the damage Palpatine had caused would take a long time.
"Jedi Skywalker. A question you have, yes?"
Anakin waited until the four of them were facing Master Yoda and Master Windu, united against their meddling. "Yes, Master, I do. Several, in fact."
"Start with the first one, Anakin, and we'll see what we can do."
He flicked barely a glance at Mace, his eyes firmly on Yoda. "Why were the Healers trying to kill Tasha?"
Yoda and Mace exchanged glances before they both looked at the woman in question.
Tasha, at the back of the four, shook her head minutely. Obi-Wan turned to look at her, a question plain in his eyes.
"Tell them, you can. Punish you, we cannot."
Tasha took a deep breath, drawing all eyes in the room. "The reason they want me dead is what I told you. I'm a Jedi assassin. What I didn't tell you is that I've been working for the Jedi Council, Master Windu and Master Yoda in particular, the whole time."
Obi-Wan shook his head, "But, you were working for Palpatine, you were his apprentice!"
Tasha smiled sadly at him, feeling his hurt through the Force. "No, Obi-Wan. I was asked by the council, when you brought me here, if I would be able to work secretly for them. What you and Skywalker didn't know was that I was already trained to hunt Jedi by my former Master. It's where I learned all of my skills."
"Then... why the charade? Why not just tell us what was going on?"
"Would you have reacted as you did, Obi-Wan?"
He was silent. He knew if he'd known in advance he would have treated her differently. He swallowed hard. "No. Is that why Rykezzk tried to kill you?"
She nodded. "He caught me as I was coming out of the temple, after I'd just finished meeting with Master Yoda to give my monthly report. He almost got the better of me because I wasn't paying attention."
"But, then why did you continue after that?"
"I was in too deep. Palpatine trusted me implicitly and after two years of solidifying my position with him, I couldn't just drop it and walk away. I'd been given a mission to find and destroy the Sith lord. Could you have walked away at that point?"
He shook his head.
"But why seduce Obi-Wan?" Padmé's question was confused. "I don't get where that fits in."
Tasha took a deep breath. "That was an order made to me by Palpatine. One Master Yoda didn't want me to follow through with. You see, Palpatine's idea was to corrupt the incorruptible Jedi. You, Obi-Wan. You're the epitome of what a Jedi should be, or you were until I somehow managed to get under your skin. I broke from the Council after that, trying to come to terms with what I'd done. That was when I learned Palpatine's plan. He wanted to kill Skywalker, but keep you as stud."
"I can't say I enjoy being thought of as that."
Tasha's smile was faint. "I don't see why. Anyway, to make a long story short, I was given several sets of orders by the Jedi council that were not in the interest of keeping the peace, or maintaining order. By their direction I have assassinated many people, Jedi and non-Jedi alike. Mostly Jedi with Sith tendencies that leave the Temple before they're fully trained. I try to bring them back to the Temple. If that doesn't work, I'm to kill them. They're too dangerous to leave running loose. I've taken out senators that demand Jedi be extinguished from the galaxy, or exposed completely to the public eye. I've wiped memories, altered them, even planted new ones. This council is a hypocritical system, and only I knew that beyond their circle. To have me gone was in their best interest."
Anakin turned his gaze to Master Yoda. "Is what she says true, Master?"
Yoda was quiet for several moments. "To admit it, shames me it does. Yes. True it is."
"How could you?" Padmé's soft reprimand echoed in the room.
Mace sat up. "We do what we must to protect our order, milady. We uphold the Peace and order in the galaxy any way we must, even if it means one must die for the greater good."
"You're no better than Palpatine!"
"Wrong you are, Lady Skywalker. Desire domination, we do not. Peace. Order. Our only desires are they."
"But you're killing innocent people, altering them fundamentally. How can you live with yourself?"
"You would rather we allow a war to break out?" Mace demanded. "Jedi versus non-Jedi? You would see your husband slaughtered for having access to powers most people aren't even aware they possess? We do what we must, Lady Skywalker, just as you did when Naboo was invaded."
That stung. She bit back a sharp retort and took a steadying breath. "Master Windu, what happens now?"
He looked at the four of them before nodding to Yoda.
Yoda pushed himself up on his chair, carefully looking at each one. "Finished it is. Your price you will name."
Anakin blinked. "Blackmail?"
Mace smiled. "A reward, Anakin. The four of you have defeated the Sith lord at cost that was almost too great. You've broken a cycle the council had to protect because of its agent. She's been exposed. I'd say you're all deserving of a reward. Name your price. If it's within our power to grant, it will be yours."
Obi-Wan touched Anakin on the shoulder as Anakin grasped his wife's hand. Tasha placed a hand in Obi-Wan's before touching Padmé's shoulder. Telepathically, their Force senses strong enough to allow Padmé to speak, they discussed the situation. Finally they separated and Tasha stepped forward.
"Decided have you?"
She nodded.
Mace seemed to brace himself. "Name your price."
And she did.