Chapter Nine
The Republic Cruiser moved down carefully onto the extended landing platform on the planet Anax. Its thrusters kicked in just metres before it touched down with a slight thud. The side ramp slowly extended and three Jedi and the pilots emerged from the bowels of the ship. They looked up from their robes to see an entourage ready to greet them.
"We'll stay with the ship if that's okay with you," Caldo told Forchess who nodded in reply. "Good. I hated this place the last time we were here. Didn't even offer us a post massacre celebratory drink," he added with a touch of irony. He hated the war just as much as everyone else but had managed to maintain his sense of humour. He went back into the ship with Cintel as the Jedi walked forward to greet the leader of the group.
"We're honoured you could make it," the tall man with dark greasy hair and a permanent smile that appeared false said. "I am Prime Minister Blars Neeton. These are my advisors. I wouldn't worry about them."
"Thank you, prime minister. I'm Master Forchess, this is my apprentice Se'line Dra'lik and my good friend Evajo Blabe."
Evajo smiled. He was a "good friend". He liked that. Forchess had to introduce him somehow but this pleased him a lot. The prime minister motioned for them to follow him to the Parliament House where they were to discuss the problem further.
Walking inside the structure, it became clear to Evajo that the Anaxians preferred the classic style of architecture. Ornate wooden coverings and decorations overwhelmed the high tech equipment of the place and the Jedi saw more statues and busts than there were even in the Jedi Temple. The walls were covered with old-fashioned paintings and it was as if they had never discovered holograph technology. Se'line seemed to be in awe. Everything she knew about the galaxy had been changed forever by this new world, which seemed to have abandoned traditional Republic technology.
"This way, this way…" Blars Neeton said as he ushered them into a huge hall with wooden benches sloping up either side and a pathway leading through to the other end where one large seat loomed over the others. Neeton glanced over to one of the assistants. "Lock the doors and make sure no one gets in here," he ordered before looking over to the Jedi. "This is the only place where we know there isn't any spy technology. We have serious matters to discuss you see, most serious matters indeed."
"What about the peace talks?" Forchess asked.
"They will come in time, Master Jedi… but first you need to know the background to the problem." Evajo could sense something odd in Neeton. He was hiding something.
"I thought it was a matter of several groups wishing to return to Confederate control."
"Yes, yes but there is also the problem caused by you."
"Us? The Jedi?" Forchess asked, getting a little confused.
Neeton looked around several times to make sure no one else was listening then moved in closer towards the Jedi until they could smell him. "You see," he began. "These riots really began because of what many considered to be harsh treatment by the Jedi during the liberation of the planet."
"You can't be serious…" Evajo started before Forchess patted him on the back to calm him down.
"Harsh treatment, prime minister?" the old master asked. "What exactly do you mean by that? As far as I know we were very careful not to endanger anyone. Our focus was to destroy the droids that were occupying your planet."
"True, true," Neeton continued, becoming shiftier by the second. "But there have been complaints… whether or not they are valid or not, I'm afraid I'm not in a position to say, but complaints nonetheless."
Forchess looked suspiciously at Neeton but tried to not make it appear too obvious. "And it has led to anti-Jedi feelings among the populace?"
"Yes, Master Jedi… and over the past few weeks things have got worse. They are out for blood, you see. They want revenge for what they claim went wrong during the reclamation of the planet."
Evajo looked nervously at Forchess who seemed to be remaining quite calm. "And so you felt it wise to send a message to the Jedi Council to send some of its own people here? Wouldn't it have been preferable to send an ambassador who was not aligned to the Jedi Order?"
"We felt it would be better to show the people that the Jedi are not the monsters they think you are. No offence."
"None taken," Forchess replied. "However, if their minds are set it will take much more than the three of us to change them. You know how stubborn people can be."
Evajo continued to watch with rapt attention. He couldn't believe that this was all because of the Jedi. It didn't make sense. If what Master Forchess was trying to say was true then how could the people believe that the Jedi did more than attack droids during the battle to send the Separatists off the planet? His Sith theories came flooding back to him but he tried to cast them aside. He should try to focus on the facts and not suspicion.
"Still," Forchess continued. "We must do what we can to keep things in order even if things have now become a little more complicated."
"So we're continuing this, master?" Se'line asked.
"Of course. We have been called out. It's our duty. You must never forget that, my apprentice." He looked over to Neeton. "So when are we to expect the leaders of this insurrection? You haven't forgotten to tell them that they're expected have you?"
"What? No! Of course not. They're coming. Soon."
Suddenly a buzzing sound came from Neeton's robes. He reached in and pulled out a commlink. "I told you I wasn't to be disturbed!" he hissed into it.
"My lord!" A voice on the other side exclaimed through the static. "We've got a transmission from the Jedi's ship. The captain wishes to speak to them!"
Neeton turned to Forchess. "Do you wish to speak with them?"
"Of course. Patch it through to my projector." The Jedi Master took a small, round palm-sized pad out of his robes and pressed a button on the side. A blue shimmering image of Captain Caldo appeared before him.
"I thought you'd like to know that some pretty annoyed people are heading your way. Look like a swarm of kouhuns on heat. They've broken passed the Anaxian defences and are…"
The image broke down just as fast as it had appeared. Forchess turned to the prime minister. "He's right. There's something wrong here. I sense a disturbance in the Force."
"Master, I'm detecting something outside this room…"
Just as she finished speaking a loud banging erupted from the other side of the door. Everyone turned around quickly. "Get behind us!" Forchess ordered Neeton as he ignited his lightsaber.
The Republic Cruiser moved down carefully onto the extended landing platform on the planet Anax. Its thrusters kicked in just metres before it touched down with a slight thud. The side ramp slowly extended and three Jedi and the pilots emerged from the bowels of the ship. They looked up from their robes to see an entourage ready to greet them.
"We'll stay with the ship if that's okay with you," Caldo told Forchess who nodded in reply. "Good. I hated this place the last time we were here. Didn't even offer us a post massacre celebratory drink," he added with a touch of irony. He hated the war just as much as everyone else but had managed to maintain his sense of humour. He went back into the ship with Cintel as the Jedi walked forward to greet the leader of the group.
"We're honoured you could make it," the tall man with dark greasy hair and a permanent smile that appeared false said. "I am Prime Minister Blars Neeton. These are my advisors. I wouldn't worry about them."
"Thank you, prime minister. I'm Master Forchess, this is my apprentice Se'line Dra'lik and my good friend Evajo Blabe."
Evajo smiled. He was a "good friend". He liked that. Forchess had to introduce him somehow but this pleased him a lot. The prime minister motioned for them to follow him to the Parliament House where they were to discuss the problem further.
Walking inside the structure, it became clear to Evajo that the Anaxians preferred the classic style of architecture. Ornate wooden coverings and decorations overwhelmed the high tech equipment of the place and the Jedi saw more statues and busts than there were even in the Jedi Temple. The walls were covered with old-fashioned paintings and it was as if they had never discovered holograph technology. Se'line seemed to be in awe. Everything she knew about the galaxy had been changed forever by this new world, which seemed to have abandoned traditional Republic technology.
"This way, this way…" Blars Neeton said as he ushered them into a huge hall with wooden benches sloping up either side and a pathway leading through to the other end where one large seat loomed over the others. Neeton glanced over to one of the assistants. "Lock the doors and make sure no one gets in here," he ordered before looking over to the Jedi. "This is the only place where we know there isn't any spy technology. We have serious matters to discuss you see, most serious matters indeed."
"What about the peace talks?" Forchess asked.
"They will come in time, Master Jedi… but first you need to know the background to the problem." Evajo could sense something odd in Neeton. He was hiding something.
"I thought it was a matter of several groups wishing to return to Confederate control."
"Yes, yes but there is also the problem caused by you."
"Us? The Jedi?" Forchess asked, getting a little confused.
Neeton looked around several times to make sure no one else was listening then moved in closer towards the Jedi until they could smell him. "You see," he began. "These riots really began because of what many considered to be harsh treatment by the Jedi during the liberation of the planet."
"You can't be serious…" Evajo started before Forchess patted him on the back to calm him down.
"Harsh treatment, prime minister?" the old master asked. "What exactly do you mean by that? As far as I know we were very careful not to endanger anyone. Our focus was to destroy the droids that were occupying your planet."
"True, true," Neeton continued, becoming shiftier by the second. "But there have been complaints… whether or not they are valid or not, I'm afraid I'm not in a position to say, but complaints nonetheless."
Forchess looked suspiciously at Neeton but tried to not make it appear too obvious. "And it has led to anti-Jedi feelings among the populace?"
"Yes, Master Jedi… and over the past few weeks things have got worse. They are out for blood, you see. They want revenge for what they claim went wrong during the reclamation of the planet."
Evajo looked nervously at Forchess who seemed to be remaining quite calm. "And so you felt it wise to send a message to the Jedi Council to send some of its own people here? Wouldn't it have been preferable to send an ambassador who was not aligned to the Jedi Order?"
"We felt it would be better to show the people that the Jedi are not the monsters they think you are. No offence."
"None taken," Forchess replied. "However, if their minds are set it will take much more than the three of us to change them. You know how stubborn people can be."
Evajo continued to watch with rapt attention. He couldn't believe that this was all because of the Jedi. It didn't make sense. If what Master Forchess was trying to say was true then how could the people believe that the Jedi did more than attack droids during the battle to send the Separatists off the planet? His Sith theories came flooding back to him but he tried to cast them aside. He should try to focus on the facts and not suspicion.
"Still," Forchess continued. "We must do what we can to keep things in order even if things have now become a little more complicated."
"So we're continuing this, master?" Se'line asked.
"Of course. We have been called out. It's our duty. You must never forget that, my apprentice." He looked over to Neeton. "So when are we to expect the leaders of this insurrection? You haven't forgotten to tell them that they're expected have you?"
"What? No! Of course not. They're coming. Soon."
Suddenly a buzzing sound came from Neeton's robes. He reached in and pulled out a commlink. "I told you I wasn't to be disturbed!" he hissed into it.
"My lord!" A voice on the other side exclaimed through the static. "We've got a transmission from the Jedi's ship. The captain wishes to speak to them!"
Neeton turned to Forchess. "Do you wish to speak with them?"
"Of course. Patch it through to my projector." The Jedi Master took a small, round palm-sized pad out of his robes and pressed a button on the side. A blue shimmering image of Captain Caldo appeared before him.
"I thought you'd like to know that some pretty annoyed people are heading your way. Look like a swarm of kouhuns on heat. They've broken passed the Anaxian defences and are…"
The image broke down just as fast as it had appeared. Forchess turned to the prime minister. "He's right. There's something wrong here. I sense a disturbance in the Force."
"Master, I'm detecting something outside this room…"
Just as she finished speaking a loud banging erupted from the other side of the door. Everyone turned around quickly. "Get behind us!" Forchess ordered Neeton as he ignited his lightsaber.