Mace Windu walked into the Supreme Chancellor's office the next morning. Normally he would think of Palpatine's modern yet simple office as a cheerful place, but not now. The last time he had been in here, it had been filled with nineteen holographic corpses, each riddled with cuts from dull blades. He looked up and saw three people- Master Yoda, seated with his clawed hands folded on a hovering cushion, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, behind his polished desk, and another man he didn't expect to see there.
Standing to the side of the Chancellor's desk was a man he recognized from the last time he was in here- the Republic Intelligence agent from the base on Haruun Kal. His looks were quite different, though, the agent had combed back his brown hair and now donned an official-looking uniform with the Republic Intelligence symbol adorning it in at least three places.
Before Mace could ask, Palpatine said, "Mace, you've met Rai Dhurm." He looked at the agent, who had a smug grin on his face. "He is my new Personal Intelligence Aide." Mace raised an eyebrow. " 'Personal Intelligence Aide'? I've never heard of that position before." "Well," said Palpatine with a sigh, "that's probably because I haven't had one until now. It's not a necessary job, many Supreme Chancellors did not have one. Valorum had one, I believe, but fired him after a year or so because he found him unnecessary. Me, I just haven't gotten around to appointing one. But when Rai here" (he looked back at the agent) "came back from Haruun Kal, I decided to appoint him. He couldn't go back to Haruun Kal, his cover had been blown, and the Intelligence agency here wouldn't offer him a job, they think he's corrupt from working under Phloremirrla Tenk."
Mace glanced over at Rai. "Can we get started?" he asked. "Of course! Rai, you're dismissed." said Palpatine. Rai bowed and walked down to where Mace was standing. "Nice seeing you again, buddy." Rai said to Mace, and patted him on the back. Mace simply nodded.
When Rai had left the room, Palpatine said, "To business, then. Master Windu, I believe you wanted to tell us something." "Yes, yes, I did." said Mace. "I have been seeing in my sleep what can only be described as... visions." Yoda's eyes narrowed. "Visions? Visions of what sort?" "Well, Master Yoda," said Mace " they seem to be visions of... the future," at this Palpatine's eyes widened, "though I cannot be sure." "What did you see in these visions?" inquired the Supreme Chancellor. "I saw a planet, a living planet." said Mace. Yoda said, "Hmmm. A living planet. Of such things, I have heard rumors, but credible, none of these rumors were. Believe this planet is real, do you?" "It seemed real in the dream." said Mace. "The planet... spoke to me. Through the Force. It told me what I must do to win this war." Mace told them all he could remember of his subconcious chat with the planet.
When he was finished, Yoda said, "Tell you its name, did this planet?" "No." Mace said. "It spoke only through the Force."
Palpatine, who had been quiet for some time, now spoke. "I know the planet's name." Yoda and Mace both turned to look at him. "True, is this?" said Yoda. "Yes." said Palpatine. "What... is the planet's name?" asked Mace slowly. "The planet you speak of," said the Chancellor, "is known as Zonama Sekot."
Standing to the side of the Chancellor's desk was a man he recognized from the last time he was in here- the Republic Intelligence agent from the base on Haruun Kal. His looks were quite different, though, the agent had combed back his brown hair and now donned an official-looking uniform with the Republic Intelligence symbol adorning it in at least three places.
Before Mace could ask, Palpatine said, "Mace, you've met Rai Dhurm." He looked at the agent, who had a smug grin on his face. "He is my new Personal Intelligence Aide." Mace raised an eyebrow. " 'Personal Intelligence Aide'? I've never heard of that position before." "Well," said Palpatine with a sigh, "that's probably because I haven't had one until now. It's not a necessary job, many Supreme Chancellors did not have one. Valorum had one, I believe, but fired him after a year or so because he found him unnecessary. Me, I just haven't gotten around to appointing one. But when Rai here" (he looked back at the agent) "came back from Haruun Kal, I decided to appoint him. He couldn't go back to Haruun Kal, his cover had been blown, and the Intelligence agency here wouldn't offer him a job, they think he's corrupt from working under Phloremirrla Tenk."
Mace glanced over at Rai. "Can we get started?" he asked. "Of course! Rai, you're dismissed." said Palpatine. Rai bowed and walked down to where Mace was standing. "Nice seeing you again, buddy." Rai said to Mace, and patted him on the back. Mace simply nodded.
When Rai had left the room, Palpatine said, "To business, then. Master Windu, I believe you wanted to tell us something." "Yes, yes, I did." said Mace. "I have been seeing in my sleep what can only be described as... visions." Yoda's eyes narrowed. "Visions? Visions of what sort?" "Well, Master Yoda," said Mace " they seem to be visions of... the future," at this Palpatine's eyes widened, "though I cannot be sure." "What did you see in these visions?" inquired the Supreme Chancellor. "I saw a planet, a living planet." said Mace. Yoda said, "Hmmm. A living planet. Of such things, I have heard rumors, but credible, none of these rumors were. Believe this planet is real, do you?" "It seemed real in the dream." said Mace. "The planet... spoke to me. Through the Force. It told me what I must do to win this war." Mace told them all he could remember of his subconcious chat with the planet.
When he was finished, Yoda said, "Tell you its name, did this planet?" "No." Mace said. "It spoke only through the Force."
Palpatine, who had been quiet for some time, now spoke. "I know the planet's name." Yoda and Mace both turned to look at him. "True, is this?" said Yoda. "Yes." said Palpatine. "What... is the planet's name?" asked Mace slowly. "The planet you speak of," said the Chancellor, "is known as Zonama Sekot."
