Palpatine
"Young fool…Only now, at the end, do you understand."
Chapter One
Old fools, why do they not understand? I did what I had to. There was no other way.
"Young Ba'alin, your actions at Mefarlin were unacceptable, surely you must see this? Your reckless behaviour has brought you before us before, for far less than this, and no longer can we tolerate your lack of respect for your superiors, and failure to do as you have been commanded."
Ba'alin Palpatine stood unmoving, expressionless, fully aware of the twelve pair of eyes studying him intensely, but showing no outward sign of acknowledging them. He stood in the centre of the round chamber, surrounded by masters, surrounded by people who no longer believed in his loyalty. He was unconcerned. His eyes were fixed unmoving, unblinking on Master Windu. "I did what was necessary. My actions served the greater good."
Master Windu leaned forwards, his fists tightened ever so slightly. He was angry. "Your actions were in direct violation of the Jedi Code. You disobeyed your master, disobeyed us, disobeyed the mission, and as such you have lost the final chance that was given to you at your last hearing."
Ba'alin's eyes narrowed, as though his stare could pierce through Dacen Windu's very flesh. He spoke calmly, trying to keep his feelings of rage at bay. Despite his fury at his superiors, he must not let it affect his tone. "I was presented with a choice." He said, slowly, his eyes shifting around the room for a second, meeting the eyes of all the council. "A choice that was not a factor at the time of the mission briefing. Nobody could have predicted that Terag the Hutt himself would be personally overseeing that operation. Yes, I violated the orders, but I did what was necessary."
Windu raised his voice, his eyes widening as though he could hardly believe what was being said. "How many lives were lost, young Ba'alin? How many died for your 'choice'?"
Ba'alin continued speaking as though Windu had said nothing. "If I had chosen to save that small group of slaves, and allowed Terag to escape, how many more lives would have been lost in the future? How many more innocent citizens of the republic would be enslaved? Enslaved, to be taken away to some remote worlds and sold like Bantha?" Ba'alin's tone heated, he gestured openly with his arms. "Terag would still be out there, at large, causing terror and chaos."
"How many lives were lost, Ba'alin?"
"Terag the Hutt is dead. I killed him. It is over now. That is the important thing. I had a chance to kill him, and end his illegal slave trade once and for all, and I took it!" He shouted out loud, stepping forwards towards Master Windu, clenching my fists. His hand twitched slightly at his waist.
"Ba'alin," he said firmly, "how many died for your choice?"
The young padawan bowed his head, letting memories flood back to him. A cruiser, a large cruiser. Filled with prisoners, innocents snatched from their normal peaceful lives, being taken to be sold across many different worlds where the republic did not exist.
It had been an anonymous tip, but the council had deemed it appropriate that it should be investigated. He had been chosen to go, a simple mission to prove himself once again. His rebellious acts had landed him in trouble many times before, but the council gave him this chance to prove that he could still be trusted to follow orders.
He boarded the ship in secret, and was under instruction neutralise the hostiles and disable secure the cruiser so that the army from Mefarlin could move in and take over; a simple task for a much-accomplished student such as himself.
But things changed when he intercepted radio transmissions from the ship, which implied Terag the Hutt, leader of the Terag Organised Crime Alliance was personally overseeing this shipment. He resolved to track down and kill the notorious gangster.
But his arrival did not go unnoticed. Somehow his presence was discovered long before he could reach the Hutt, and the ship was sent into self-destruct… The Hutt knew what the Jedi would be required to do. Stop the self-destruct and save the prisoners. That would give him time to escape the ship.
This was Ba'alin's choice.
He did not stop the self-destruct.
What was more important? The life of the prisoners, locked inside the bowels of the crusier as it orbited Mefarlin; or stopping Terag escaping and repeating his vile deeds over, and over, and over. How many more would be enslaved if he allowed him to go free.
He returned to the ship's hangar, and arrived in time to stop the Hutt from escaping in an escape pod. Terag, along with many of his high-ranking associates were killed by his hand. Thereby ending the long, uncontrolled conflict between the TOCA and the Republic. And he, Ba'alin Palpatine was the victorious Jedi who had caused his downfall.
There was no time left to stop the self-destruct.
Even as his deactivated his blade, an explosion echoed from deep inside the cruiser, and rocked the entire ship.
He returned to his own small fighter, and fled with haste as the great cruiser exploded in flames that lit up the Mefarlin sky.
He had made a choice…
"Ba'alin?"
The padawan raised his head; he felt a chill run down his spine as he met eyes with Master Windu. "Eighteen thousand."
Master Windu fell back in his seat, letting out a long held breath, and though he had not thought it possible, the silence in the chamber fell even deeper.
"Made a choice, this young Jedi has." Said a familiar quiet, thin voice. Ba'alin turned to face the small green form of Master Yoda, and gazed at him blankly. "Between orders, and his own ideals. Cost him, this decision will."
"I ask that you see this not as disobedience, Master Yoda, but as an unfortunate situation that could have been put upon an one of us. In my place, can you say with all honesty that you would not have done the same thing?"
Yoda's eyes widened, "Hypocrisy, you accuse me of?"
"No Master, I merely wish to express my feelings that-"
Yoda gestured his hands openly at the rest of the council. "See through you, we can, young Ba'alin. With your words, conflict your thoughts you do." He sighed, inclining his head slightly to Master Windu on his left side. Their eyes met, and Windu nodded. Yoda sighed once more, and looked up at Ba'alin with regret. "Contempt, disapproval, disrespect. Feel these, you do, yes? Yes, I sense much anger in you."
"Anger," agreed Master Windu.
"Anger," chimed Master Yaddle, a few seats along,
"Hate," said Master Lergil, from across the room to Yoda. "His heart is plagued with hatred."
All eyes turned to Master Lergil momentarily, all eyes except Master Yoda's and Ba'alin's. Yoda simply nodded. "Hate, yes. There is much hate in you. It is we that you hate, I believe.
"I do not feel hate. I do not hate my masters." He took a step back, defensively, taking in all of the council. "Have I not always shown respect and admiration for my masters?" He spoke confidently, he was not intimidated by them. "I feel hate, it is only for the enemies of the republic. I despise any that would stand between us, and a peaceful and secure society."
"Then you do feel hate," said Mater Windu, conclusively.
"No, my Master. I mean to say my hatred is not misplaced. It is shared by all of us, is it not?" Ba'alin's mind raced. What was their problem? Old fools, did they not see? How can the Jedi order survive if we will not take hard action against the enemies of the Republic? We cannot love our enemies; that is simple foolishness.
"Represent all living beings, we do," intoned Master Yoda.
Master Windu continued, "The Jedi are one with all life, and all living things are all and one with us. In the living force we are all one, good and evil. To hate others, is to hate the Jedi. To hate the singular, is to hate the many." He fixed me with a stare that I could not escape from. "There is much hatred in you. The council must convene now, without you."
"Master Windu, I-"
"Silence." He said, firmly.
"I must be heard!" Protested, Ba'alin, stepping forward again.
"Silence, you may leave!" He thrust his finger towards the doorway.
Ba'alin calmed, and smoothed his expression. "Yes, my Master." He bowed respectfully, and turned to leave.
He began walking towards the door, shaking his head in dismay, and slowed momentarily when he caught one of the masters eyeing him in a more than curious fashion. Master Lergil, the master who had first suggested that he felt hate. Ba'alin shot him a cold glare, it was his fault, burn him. Now the Council were going to decide whether or not to expel him from the order or not. The corners of Lergil's mouth turned upward slightly, as he exited through the doors.
As the doors shut behind, young Ba'alin, all eyes fell upon Dacen Windu, and he let out a long drawn breath. "Master Windu," said Yoda, "Anger, feel you?" There was concern in his voice, genuine concern for his friend. Dacen could contain his emotions as well as any Jedi, but something was wrong.
"Yes, anger, and fear." He leaned his head in one hand, elbow on the arm of his chair. "Not for young Ba'alin, he is the least of my concerns."
Yoda inclined his head and spoke softly, "Fears for your son, feel you?"
He nodded slowly. "I understand you had to have him tested, but I never imagined…" Yoda could see tears forming in Master Windu's eyes.
"Strong with the force, young Mace is." Said Yoda, quite sharply. "Very strong. A very powerful Jedi he shall become."
"He is just an infant, my Master, barely three years of age. And yet you wish that he be brought to the Temple for training. I do not wish this life upon him. I have lived as a Jedi all my life, and I have taken pride in what I have done, and I am proud to sit on the Council of Masters, but I prayed to the Force that my son would be born into a different life."
"Regret, feel you?" Said, Master Yaddle, leaning forwards in her chair, and eyeing him thoughtfully. "Wish you that he had never been born?"
"Yes, I do wish that." Admitted Dacen.
Master Klarn spoke out, as though speaking his own thoughts aloud, and not making eye contact with anybody. "Born from breaking the Code. Your love for Reyanna was too strong to be apart from her you claimed."
"I brought shame upon the order. Disgrace upon the Jedi. That I was not stripped of saber and robe is a blessing from the Force. I do not deserve to be here."
"And yet, you are. Mace's birth was the will of the Force, this I know. Great things, yes great things he is destined for."
A tear rolled down Dacen's cheek. "I cannot do this any more, my Master. Please forgive me…"
