Rise of the Phoenix

by Elfwarrior96

What if Skywalker wasn't the Chosen One? What if there was another maintaining the balance in the Force by whatever means necessary, protected by an order and a Jedi willing to die for them? What if that person came to restore the balance and revealed truths about the galaxy that had been ignored and forgotten by the Jedi for so long? Can they succeed? Or will they all fall?

43. 42: Final Confrontation

A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry I was away for so long, but Hurricane Ian made getting back to normal a bit difficult, and then classes got in the way and there were a few million other things I had to do. It's been really hard to have twenty minutes to read through a chapter, edit it, and post it. But I have twenty minutes now, and here is the big reveal chapter that explains a lot, but not everything. That will have to wait until later. On the bright side, the next three chapters are written; they just need some polishing before I post them. Hopefully it won't take too long, but long-time readers know I take forever to post things sometimes. Until next time, please read, review, and enjoy!

---

War wages on! The intergalactic conflict continues with no end in sight. With the Jedi occupied with the war effort, they are unable to address the unrest on Coruscant as the citizenry becomes more and more disillusioned by the war and the Jedi's part in it. The ever-elusive half-Nautolan has disappeared completely, as has Kit Fisto, and the search for answers has been sidelined – again. But now, as anti-war protests come to the steps of the Temple itself, forces move to end the Clone Wars, for good….

Watching as the protesters picketed outside the Temple and asked for the war to end, two figures hid in the shadows of one of the great statues marking the start of the steps leading to the Temple. They watched as the Jedi in charge of Temple security, a human by the name of Cin Drallig, spoke with the protesters and eventually got them to disperse and head back to their homes. The two figures couldn't hear whatever he said, but finally one of them asked the other, "Are you ready?"

The other said and did nothing for several long moments before finally nodding and saying, "Turning back was never an option, you know that."

"There is no going back now," the first said, turning to her companion and adding, "Whatever happens today determines whether or not the Sith win."

"I know," her companion said quietly, his Nautolan eyes staring at the Temple, "And I'm ready to face what happens next."

The half-Nautolan stared at Kit for several long moments before finally nodding and saying, "Good luck."

Kit nodded and stepped out of the shadows, walking towards Cin Drallig and the two Temple Guards standing either side of him. The Nautolan didn't look back once, and a few moments later, Seeker turned and disappeared into the shadows, heading for her fate as well. She had no way of knowing what would happen in the Temple, but she knew Kit would be able to deal with whatever came next.

They were all ready.

---

Cin Drallig was standing with his back turned to the city, speaking with the two Guards, when one of them looked over his shoulder and pointed down the steps. Cin turned around quickly, expecting to see more protesters, and was instead surprised to see a lone Nautolan climbing the steps. That surprise was replaced with apprehension and worry when he saw who it was. It had been almost four months since the last transmission from Home Base, and it hadn't shown the Nautolan in the best light. But now, as he climbed the steps, Cin was able to see that Kit Fisto was healthy and strong once more.

But that didn't change the fact he shouldn't be here, or anywhere near Coruscant. The Chancellor and the Senate had labeled him a traitor, to be arrested or killed on sight if he refused to surrender, and no Jedi wanted that to happen to him. It would have been better for him if he had stayed away, yet here he was, climbing the steps of the Temple. How he had arrived on Coruscant without anyone noticing was a mystery for another time.

Cin quickly started descending the stairs to meet him, followed by the two Guards. When they finally came close, Kit looked up and said quietly, "Master Drallig."

"What are you doing here, Kit?" Cin asked quietly, "You shouldn't be here. You do know what will happen if you're found?"

"Yes," Kit said, "I know. I need to speak with the Council. I know they are meeting right now," he added when he saw Cin's hesitation.

"That may be true, but I can't just let you into the Temple," Cin said, "You aren't considered part of the Order anymore," Kit's eyes became pained when he heard that, but that was all, "You can't enter unescorted. And if you do, I have to arrest you."

Kit nodded, "Then do so," Cin looked at him in surprise, and the Nautolan continued, "I am unarmed and have no intention of fighting back. You may arrest me if that is what it takes. I promised the Council an explanation," he looked more intently at the other Jedi, "I'm ready to give that explanation now."

Cin looked at him closely and finally nodded, turning around and heading into the Temple. Kit followed with the two guards behind him; one of their yellow double lightsabers ignited and held straight up in front of them. They entered the Temple and started heading for the Council chamber, ignoring the glances and murmurs of the Jedi they passed. As they walked, Cin glanced over his shoulder at Kit, but the Nautolan seemed lost in another world and wasn't looking at him. His eyes were distant and he was clearly deep in thought.

Cin shook his head inwardly; he had no idea how Kit planned to talk his way out of this, but hopefully it was an explanation the Council believed.

They hadn't gone far when they rounded a corner at the same time a squad of clones appeared farther down the hallway, and Kit drew in a breath when he saw who was leading the group. It was Tarkin, whose eyes widened in surprise at the sight before a smile came over his face. Kit frowned at the sight but said nothing as Tarkin and the clones came closer.

"It must be my lucky day," he said gleefully while Kit only glared at him, "Now you can answer for what you did."

"I would think embarrassing you in front of the entire Republic command doesn't take much explanation, Tarkin," Kit said quietly, "But I am not here to surrender to the Republic. I am surrendering to the Jedi."

"It doesn't matter," Tarkin said as he signaled his clones and they approached with a pair of binders. Kit allowed himself to have his hands cuffed behind him as the guards stepped back, but refused to move when the clones tried to pull him back the way they came, "The chancellor wants an explanation, and you are coming with us to give him one."

"No, I am not," Kit said quietly but firmly, "You have no sway over me and no way to get me to go that way. The only way I am going is forward to the Council. Barring that, I am not moving."

Tarkin glared at him but finally spat out, "Fine, if that's what it takes to get a confession out of you, let's go to the Council and see what they have to say. But if you try anything, the clones will shoot you."

Kit raised a sardonic eye-ridge, "I would expect nothing less from you. You had no problem stabbing me the last time we met," was all he said as he started following Tarkin and Cin Drallig. Two clones grabbed his arms and pushed him forward, Kit barely able to keep pace as they started hurrying towards the lift that would take them to the Council chambers. As they walked, Tarkin couldn't believe his fortune, even if Kit Fisto was still embarrassing him in front of everyone.

But perhaps his luck was finally changing.

---

The council was in session, without Shaak Ti as she was protecting the Chancellor. Even without her, the council was at full strength. It was deep in discussion about the war and how it was progressing, even if the citizenry believed it was unnecessary and the cost was becoming higher and higher than they were willing to pay. They were also discussing how Anakin and Ahsoka had disappeared on a recent mission and there had been no sign of them for over a week. Obi-Wan would be the first to admit his former Padawan wasn't the most responsible student he'd ever had, but not even Anakin would have gone this long without at least sending a message. And for Ahsoka to not respond to communications either was disturbing.

Not even Rex knew where they were.

Mace was speaking about how the recent clan of younglings was almost ready for their trip to Ilum when there was a knock on the door. Mace looked around, but no one knew what it was about, so he bade the person enter. They did, revealing Cin Drallig and Captain Tarkin. Also with them were a few clones and someone else who was hidden amongst the clones and their armor.

Cin Drallig didn't look entirely pleased about the situation but said nothing as Tarkin said rather smugly, "Apologies for interrupting, Master Jedi, but something came up that wouldn't be ignored and requires your attention."

"And what would that be?" Mace asked, warning in his voice for interrupting this meeting and ignoring the sanctity of the chamber.

Tarkin only smiled before looking over his shoulder as he stepped aside, Master Drallig doing the same. The person amongst the clones was pushed forward and lost their footing, crashing to their knees onto the hard floor.

It was Kit Fisto.

His hands were bound behind him, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but wince when he heard the sound Kit's knees made when they made contact with the hard stone. Kit didn't wince, he just clenched his jaw briefly and narrowed his eyes in annoyance, but that was all. He stayed where he had fallen, not moving or speaking or even straightening, while the Council got over their surprise that he was there.

It had been over four months since the last time anyone had seen him.

He looks better, Obi-Wan thought as he looked at the Nautolan. The last time anyone had seen Kit in the flesh, his skin had been a pale green and his body was hunched and seemed smaller because of the pain he had been in. And when he had woken on Home Base, he had been almost too weak to hold a knife, let alone walk. Now here he was, strong and healthy. His skin was darker and his eyes glowed with health and vitality. He had gained some weight, his muscles had filled out a bit more, and his connection to the Force was stronger than before. Now that he knew what to listen for, Obi-Wan was surprised that he couldn't hear Kit breathe at all. Before, his breathing had been a bit louder than normal, but Obi-Wan had attributed that to him being Nautolan. Now that he knew a towel had been removed from Kit's lung, he could understand why he didn't hear Kit breathe at all now. His breathing was completely silent now, and if not for his chest moving with each breath, Obi-Wan would have been hard-pressed to tell if Kit still lived or not. He was still dressed in his Jedi robes, but somehow they didn't look like Seeker had cut them to shreds on the Ghost, and his Republic vambraces were gone. Someone must have repaired them, and they had done an excellent job.

Kit didn't look like he was looking at anyone, his eyes on the floor in front of him, but in truth, he was using a Jedi skill to scan the room to see who was there. Oppo Rancisis had taken his place on the Council, and Depa Billaba was standing in for Shaak Ti, who was nowhere in sight. Kit's eyes narrowed at the sight; Seeker had been right.

Tarkin was enjoying the moment when he said, "General Drallig was escorting him here when I ran into his group. The Chancellor will be very interested in him finally reappearing after so much time. And undoubtedly has a few questions."

"As do we," Mace said, having gotten over the surprise that Kit was there, in the Council room. He was kneeling off to the side and not quite in the center, closer to the left side where his old seat had been that was now occupied by Oppo Rancisis. The Nautolan was clearly not happy about this situation, and when he heard Tarkin he moved his head slightly and glared out the corner of his eye; his displeasure and even anger easily felt. His dislike of his former captain was clear, and even Tarkin had to take a slight step back when he saw that glare, having never seen such a look before from a Jedi. Clearly much had changed in four months, and most likely not in a good way for Tarkin since Kit's ire towards the captain had gone up a couple notches in just a few minutes. Kit was definitely not happy about this, but had still come.

He was ready to tell the truth.

Obi-Wan cocked his head when he felt the anger Kit didn't bother to control, and turning to Master Tiin next to him, he could see his surprise at Kit's anger. Anger was not something Jedi were taught to hold on to, but here Kit was doing exactly that. Turning back to the conversation, Obi-Wan was in time to hear Tarkin say, "You're here now, just like you wanted. Are you ready to confess to your crimes?"

Kit was silent, staring at the ground now and not speaking to the captain. Tarkin frowned while Mace said then, "Silence isn't going to help you now, Kit. If you don't speak, there is nothing we can do."

Kit was still silent, and that was when Tarkin lost his patience and said, "If you're not going to speak now, then you will when we take you to the Senate. They are ready to charge you with treason," he turned to the clones, "Get him up."

The clones nodded and stepped forward, grabbing Kit's arms and trying to haul him to his feet. But Kit had decided he was staying there and refused to let his legs bear his weight. The clones tried twice, but each time Kit wouldn't stand. He just crashed to his knees each time, Luminara wincing when she heard bone make contact with the ground, but Kit still didn't make a sound. Tarkin's expression was one of pure anger, and after a third attempt was made, Kit finally said, "I surrendered to the Jedi. I did not surrender to the Republic. I will not be going to the Senate."

"Yes, you will," Tarkin said, but Kit scoffed in amusement as he said quietly, "You are welcome to try, Tarkin. But know that I'm no longer slowed down by pain or injuries. My senses are no longer dulled by drugs or pain, and I have no intention of being forced to do something I don't want ever again. I will leave when I decide to, not you. You don't have the ability to force me to go anywhere I don't want; you never had that ability."

Master Plo was impressed not only to hear that Kit was feeling better but that he was also willing to stand against Tarkin in such a way. He wasn't afraid of the captain, if he'd ever been in the first place, and looking around the Council he could see that everyone else was similarly impressed. Kit had always been quiet, never forceful or demanding, but now they knew that was because of pain and drugs. Now that neither was a factor, it was interesting to see this shift in his personality, and learn what it would mean in the future. And how much more dangerous he likely was now.

Yoda was also impressed to see this side of his old Padawan, a side with a bit more fire than he had shown in the past, but before he could speak, Tarkin had apparently had enough because he walked around and tried to pull Kit to his feet himself. The second Tarkin's hand made contact with his shoulder, though, Kit's head whipped around faster than lightning, and there was the sound of teeth clashing….and an animalistic snarl he didn't hold back. He had just tried to bite Tarkin, and only missed by the slimmest of margins.

On purpose.

The captain jumped back immediately, fear in his eyes, while Kit glared at him before saying quietly, "I don't have my lightsaber, but that doesn't matter. I still have everything else, and I will use it if I have to," before facing forward again and effectively ignoring Tarkin, his teeth becoming hidden again as he lowered his lips over his top teeth and larger canines. At that moment, he looked more like a predator than any other time the Jedi had seen him, and Mace shook his head inwardly when he saw this side of Kit he had never seen before. This wasn't a Jedi; this was an old-breed Nautolan who was more than ready to show just how powerful of a hunter he really was.

Tarkin stared at him with surprised hatred, while the Council was just shocked that Kit had done that and was more than willing to do it again. But there was no time to think about it as Tarkin recovered and said, "You're still going to the Senate. You need to explain your actions to the Chancellor and the Senate."

"If you take me to the Senate, no one will ever see me again," Kit said quietly, "If you take me to the chancellor, no one will ever see me again," he raised an eye-ridge, "I think I would like to live a bit longer."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Obi-Wan asked, not understanding why Kit would be reluctant to go to the Senate or speak with the Chancellor. The Jedi would help him defend his actions and explain them, and the Senate couldn't hold him responsible for the actions of his brothers or parents, or even Seeker. And the Chancellor wasn't a physical threat to Kit; that was clear, so why was he so unwilling?

What was he worried about?

Kit still refused to look at anyone when he said, "If you really want to know, Master Kenobi, check the feed from my lightsaber. The holovideo from a week ago should be very enlightening."

"You knew…?" Mace started to ask, and that was when Kit finally looked up and at him, the annoyance in his eyes but nowhere else as the Nautolan said quietly, "Of course I knew. Even though that bug weighed next to nothing, Seeker knew it was there. She learned how to fight with my lightsaber; there was no way she wouldn't be able to feel the different weight and the fact the balance was off. She told me, but in the end, we decided to leave it in so we could use it to our advantage. Like now. I can't explain my actions easily, but that recording can."

"Unless you forget that the droid was air-gapped and we can't see what happened," Tarkin said smugly, but the smugness went away when Kit said, "R6 was never air-gapped. We just turned him off."

"Then why didn't Ahsoka…?" Obi-Wan started to say before realization dawned and he asked, "You got Ahsoka to help you? Seriously?!" the other Jedi staring at Kit in shock as he settled on his knees and got comfortable, knowing he would be there for a while.

"I tried to talk her out of it," Kit said quietly, "so did Seeker. We've played a dangerous game, but we couldn't talk her out of it. We gave her every opportunity at every chance to walk away, but she refused. She wanted to help."

Obi-Wan shook his head when he heard that, and Tarkin said, "Why should we show the feed from a week ago? What good would that do? It might exonerate you!"

"No, it won't, it will only dig me a deeper grave," Kit said quietly as he looked over his shoulder at Tarkin, "But it needs to be seen, so you might as well."

Tarkin shook his head before looking at Mace and Yoda. The two senior members of the council both nodded, and Tarkin sighed as he called up the feed from Kit's lightsaber, wondering what he would do to Padawan Tano when he got his hands on her for lying so entirely to him. It took a few minutes to call up the feed, and as that was happening, Adi finally spoke up, deciding to ask a question that only one person in the room knew the answer to.

"How is Siri, Kit?" she asked quietly, unknowingly asking a question Obi-Wan had wanted to ask but unable to because of how shocked he had been at the revelation Ahsoka was helping Seeker and Kit. And the fact that surprise had made him forget didn't help either.

Kit smiled slightly and turned to look at her, saying quietly, "Strong enough to walk a ways. She'll be running soon enough."

Adi nodded in relief when she heard that, but just then Tarkin found the right holovideo and put it up in the center of the room. The video showed a large, circular table with only Kit and Seeker sitting at it, even though there were plenty more chairs. Seeker was resting her elbows on the table, and her chin on top of her folded hands, deep in thought, as Kit sat with his arms crossed and leaned back in his seat. It was still for a few minutes before voices could be heard, and that was when other people started to enter the room.

And they were people the Jedi knew.

First into the room were Captain Ackbar and Cham Syndulla, debating about the best way to lead their people while King Lee-Char followed silently behind and raised his eyes to Seeker at the argument the warriors were engaged in. Seeker only smiled slightly at the sight while Kit rolled his eyes toward the ceiling and was clearly asking for patience, knowing the two of them had been having the same debate for years. They were followed by Commander Monnk, Spitz, and a few more clone officers. Ventress entered next, taking the seat next to Kit as Kailan entered the room and sat on the other side of his twin, instinctively reaching over and grabbing his hand without even thinking about it. Kit didn't respond or react, just held his hand and continued to watch those coming into the room.

Tarkin paused the holovideo then and asked, "Where's your twin?" turning to Kit as he asked this since he remembered the last time he had been in the same room with one of Kit's siblings, knowing it was generally a good idea to at least have an idea where Kit's brothers might be.

Kit only smiled slightly and said, "Not too far, but not close either."

"You know he's a criminal, right?" Tarkin pressed, and that was when Kit turned to him slowly and said quietly, "I always knew. I know what my brothers do and how they get by in the galaxy, and I was never able to figure out what to do. Do I tell the Jedi about them and what they do, then watch my brothers hurt those I consider my friends? Which they would do if it meant keeping themselves and the clan safe and free, as they bow to no one. Or do I stay silent and let them do what they want, knowing that even if they are criminals, they live by a code with punishments more severe than the Jedi Code if they break it?" he raised an eye-ridge then, "In the end I chose silence, knowing my brothers are too dangerous for Jedi but not likely to cross blades with them and hoping I made the right choice. I was never told to stay silent; that was my choice. It may have been a bad choice in the end, but I would do it again. And knowing the code my brothers live by, I know they will never harm the innocent if they can help it."

"Your brother traded Master Skywalker's mother to the Hutts," Obi-Wan said quietly.

Kit froze before saying quietly, "I won't justify his actions, Master Kenobi, and I won't defend him. He can do that himself whenever he decides to. Malani and Ventress get along very well and are similar in personality, which might be why he was able to do such a thing. But," here he looked up at Obi-Wan, "I know he has no regard for mortals, so that might be it as well. My brothers and people will never intentionally hurt civilians, but they won't do much to stop others from doing so when they don't have much consideration for their lives anyways. And the one thing Taylora left out is that my brother transported slaves; he didn't sell them. His job was to get them from place to place. It doesn't make what he did any better, and he can explain himself all he wants if he ever shows himself on Coruscant. Something I doubt, by the way. Malani hates cities, more so than the rest of my brothers."

"If your brothers are so uninterested in mortals, why are they suddenly interested in me?" Tarkin asked, "Defending the Republic from a traitor shouldn't have produced this reaction."

"If I had been anyone else, it wouldn't have mattered," Kit agreed quietly, "But I am not. I am the youngest of eighteen brothers, with two over-protective parents, and I knew they would cause serious harm to anyone that hurt me. They could tolerate what Grievous did because it was during war, and they understand that, but what you did they consider mutiny and betrayal. They have no tolerance for that kind of disloyalty. And they already knew I didn't like you," Tarkin stared at him then, unable to believe the Nautolan was finally voicing what he had known the entire time, "My parents and siblings will always give me advice when I ask for it, but they won't fight my battles for me."

"They are now," Tarkin said snidely, and Kit raised an eye-ridge, "You were my problem for a long time Tarkin, and I was able to keep my brothers away from you for a long time. They wanted to teach you a lesson in respect, but I was able to stop them. Their lessons can be a bit….deadly….for those not strong enough for them," Tarkin's lips tightened when he heard Kit didn't think he was tough enough to handle his brothers, "Once you stabbed me, you stopped being my problem and started being theirs. And they don't like problems. Especially problems that hurt their family," falling silent once more and returning to stare at the floor, leaving Tarkin with no choice but to continue the holovideo as more people entered the room and sat down for the meeting.

Quinlan had entered with Ventress and sat two chairs down from Seeker, leaving a place for someone else on Seeker's other side. Also into the room came Ahsoka, who looked like she was feeling out of place, but a nod and smile from Seeker seemed to help as she sat next to Seeker. Next into the room were a few people the Jedi couldn't be more surprised to see: Bail Organa, Padmé Amidala, Riyo Chuchi, Mon Mothma, and the Kaminoan Nala Se. They all took their respective seats, Chuchi and Mon Mothma helping Padmé get into her seat with her pregnant stomach.

Next into the room was Siri Tachi, who looked up and able and was walking a bit shakily. She was helped by Myeko, who, after helping her sit down, went and stood against the wall behind her and watched her like a hawk-bat watching its chick learning how to fly for the first time. Siri sat next to Seeker, who looked at her critically before deciding a strong breeze wasn't going to knock Siri over anytime soon and she would be fine. Siri was still very thin and weak, but she was gaining strength and weight, and her hair was starting to grow back and was already gaining some volume. Whoever was in charge of the food at Home Base was clearly doing an excellent job since Siri was already looking much better than before.

Seeing her up and around was a welcome sight for Adi, but the next people into the room were surprises for everyone as Mina Bonteri, the senator from Onderron long thought dead, and her son Lux sat down in seats as well, prompting Mace to ask, "How did she survive the attack on her home on Raxus?" as he looked at Kit while Didi and Astri Oddo found their seats at the table. Lux smiled at Ahsoka, who returned it shyly, but that was all. The human Gibbs and his companion Ziva also took seats at the table, waiting quietly and alertly for the meeting to start. Santiana, Tzakara, and a few of their sons didn't sit but leaned against the walls as they waited.

The Nautolan only said, "A few of my troopers and I retrieved her so she wouldn't be hunted by Dooku's thugs after her home was destroyed on Raxus. She's been living at Home Base ever since. The other Separatist senators involved are represented by her."

Mace shook his head when he heard that; Kit was right. This recording wouldn't exonerate him if he used Republic troops to help a Separatist and other Separatists were helping him. Turning back to the holovideo, he and the others were amazed as the last two people joined the meeting: Satine Kryze and her sister Bo-Katan. The Duchess looked well, as did her sister, the two of them sitting side-by-side, and Obi-Wan glanced at Kit. The Nautolan Jedi had known where Satine was the entire time but hadn't said anything, revealing how deep into this he was and it was likely someone he knew and trusted that had gotten her off Mandalore. Kit only caught his eye for a moment before looking back at the ground, staying silent as the Council turned its attention back to the meeting that was apparently ready to get underway.

Turning back to the meeting, he saw that everyone had apparently arrived because Seeker had taken her elbows off the table and was looking around expectantly at everyone there, but there was an empty seat. Seeing this Obi-Wan turned to Kit and asked, "Who's supposed to be in that seat?"

Kit stared at the ground for a moment before saying quietly, "Onaconda Farr," sensing the way Mace was staring at him in surprise, he looked up then and said, "He had been a friend of Seeker's, and Senator Amidala, since they were younglings. He gave his help when Seeker asked for it, and she forgave him when he aligned himself with the Separatists briefly. He also gave her rides to different parts of the galaxy before she got the Ghost, and helped her get to Coruscant before the Zillo Beast. Even with him gone, she still wanted to honor him. And many of us involved in this respected him and felt it was appropriate," falling silent once more and giving Tarkin a chance to start the feed again, as he had paused it to let Kit speak.

Mace shook his head when he heard that, surprised at how widespread this was and how many people had been involved, but there was no time to think about all those involved since apparently the meeting was ready to start as Seeker was starting expectantly at those around her. Many sitting at the table were looking at her, but others were focused on the argument between Ackbar and Syndulla, which was becoming more and more heated. Seeker shook her head as she looked at Kit, who only shrugged at the sight but said nothing, indicating he would let her settle it. Seeker turned back to the two of them, and the Jedi could see her ire rising right before she suddenly surged to her feet and yelled, "ENOUGH! Can we please focus on the fact that the Chancellor is the most powerful Sith Lord that has ever existed, and then you two can get back to your arguing?"

Dead silence, not just in the recording.

The Council stared at the recording in surprise while Kit smiled to himself. Tarkin had to pretend he was surprised, which was made easier by the fact that Seeker had known who the Chancellor really was.

How had she figured it out?

Seeker was looking around at all at the table before saying more quietly, "Can we please focus on the fact the galaxy is teetering on a knife's edge, and we only have a few days to finish what we all started, or it will all be for nothing?" she turned to glare at Ackbar and Syndulla, asking quietly, "Do you want to see your people enslaved? Because that is what will happen if you keep arguing. You can figure out how to lead your people after the war, assuming there's anything left of this galaxy afterward."

The two men were silent, allowing Seeker to sit back down in her seat and say, "The purpose of this meeting is to play our final pieces in this war. They are in place and ready to be moved, but the players have yet to arrive. Those fighting know your roles, so I won't explain them or where you need to be to carry them out. Those who aren't fighting will coordinate the fighters and ensure we time it right. The only ones who don't have roles are you," glancing at Ventress, "and you," looking at Satine, "That's going to change now."

"What do you want us to do?" Satine asked, and Seeker said quietly, "You, Satine, are going to be helping your sister. She'll tell you what she needs you to do, and please do as she says. You may be a pacifist, but in this war, pacifists die first. I know you know how to fight," when Satine looked hesitant. After a few moments, Satine sighed and nodded as she looked up, indicating she would help her sister.

Seeker stared at her before nodding back and then turned to Ventress and said, "You're free to say no to this, Ventress, but when we get to Coruscant, I need you to do something you aren't going to like," Ventress narrowed her eyes but said nothing as Seeker said, "In a few days the Jedi Council will decide the Chancellor needs more protection than his guards and will send Shaak Ti to carry out this task. Unless you intervene, she won't return."

The Council was surprised to hear that Seeker had known their plan before they had, but there was no time to think about it as Ventress nodded, and that was when Seeker turned to Gibbs and Ziva and said, "I need you two to help Santiana, Tzakara and the brothers. We've finally found Rayla, and she's on Coruscant, but we will need your help to free her. You both have a skill set similar to the clan and the brothers, but are less likely to draw the wrong kind of attention. The police kind of attention."

Gibbs and Ziva immediately nodded in agreement while Tarkin paused the video to ask, "Who's Rayla?" turning to Kit.

The Nautolan only clenched his jaw and said quietly, "No one you need to know about. And don't ask about her again. She means nothing in this."

"And yet Seeker is making a point of sending those two and your family to find her," Tarkin said, not falling for Kit's reasoning, "So she means something to all of you. What does she mean to you?"

"Don't ask again," Kit said, the threat more than clear in his voice as he turned his head slowly to look at Tarkin, "No one will get that answer out of me until I'm willing to give it. Don't make me act on that previous threat, Tarkin, because I will if you don't drop this line of questioning. She means nothing."

Tarkin stared at him, while Yoda shook his head when he felt the Dark Side well up inside his old Padawan. This wasn't the Kit Fisto he had known before, this Nautolan was a stranger to him, and the threat he had just made hadn't come from anything he recognized. That threat came from a place of attachment and protectiveness that couldn't be clawed back or tamed. Kit wasn't the Nautolan they had known before, now he was someone else entirely, and it was something they would have to learn how to accept and understand fast.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat slightly then, Kit glancing at him when he said, "I'm assuming this response has something to do with Raojull Gon," seeing the way Kit tensed at that name, he added quietly, "We know what he did to you, Kit. That doesn't justify what your brothers did. The Monarchy was angered about that and wants someone to answer for it. More specifically….you."

Kit shook his head, "I won't answer for it. Neither will my brothers or my father, and my mother doesn't believe their laws apply to her. No one, in my clan or on Glee Anselm, would say he deserved to live. It wasn't just my clan he terrorized; he would go after anyone that defied the Monarchy. His betrayal stung deep, and I can guess what he did to Rayla. It may have been worse than what he did to my brothers and uncle," he looked up at Obi-Wan then and said quietly, "I do remember seeing them when they were found; I remember watching as they were buried. And I remember my mother saying how I would have to fight every day to keep that from being my fate, and how everyone in the clan knew it was Raojull Gon that did that to them. Knowing all that, I can guess what he did to Rayla. When she is found, she will be too hurt for anyone to put completely back together, if she can even be recognized. She is one who will kill herself to keep a secret, so the only way Gon got anything out of her was if she was in too much pain to realize what she was saying. For that, Gon deserved everything he got," voice hard and bitter as he remembered everything Gon had done to him and his family and his people and thinking about whatever he had done to Rayla, leaving Yoda to shake his head.

Obi-Wan stared at him before saying, "You've changed, Kit, and it isn't an entirely welcome thing to see."

Kit's smile was dark and slight when he said, "Like I said before, Master Kenobi, in many ways I am not a Jedi, and I will never be a Jedi. My opinions regarding Raojull Gon guarantee that," and was silent once more as Obi-Wan exchanged a glance with Mace and the rest of the Council as they realized how far away Kit had strayed from them and the Order without them realizing it.

Tarkin shook his head as he went back to playing the feed, knowing there would be many more questions after this that he would get answers for as soon as he got the chance. The holovideo continued as Seeker looked at those gathered in the video and said, "I know that many of you have thought over the years the small things I was asking of you weren't going to do much or win this war. Or much less, stop a Sith like the Chancellor from rising to the position of power he is in now. But believe me when I say that without those actions and the sacrifices I have asked of you, without you this Conspiracy would have failed from the beginning. Whether it was legislative action I wanted passed or stopped," nodding at the Senators on both sides of the fight, "or battles I wanted lost or won," glancing at Kit and the others with him, "or simply a few days to deal with personal issues," looking at Siri, "without all of you and all you have done, this galaxy would face a threat it has never encountered before without a way to survive it. No matter what happens, you have my thanks and gratitude, as well as my hope that we are successful in winning this fight."

That ended the meeting since she stood up, and everyone with her stood up, and it was silent as they all left the room, even though Bail Organa gave Kit a look that said he wanted to talk. Kit only nodded before he left the room, and that was where Tarkin paused the feed so that Mace could ask, "You knew the entire time the chancellor was a Sith?" turning to Kit and still unable to believe it.

Kit looked at him then and asked, "Who did you think it was that attacked me all those years ago?"

"Why didn't you say anything?" Obi-Wan asked, his shock wearing off.

Kit only shrugged and said, "Aside from Seeker telling me not to?" he looked at Obi-Wan then, "I don't remember the attack, and Seeker didn't want anyone looking for her. And after all this time, saying anything now wouldn't have helped my credibility. Considering how serious my injuries were back then, Darth Sidious could have made the credible argument that my memory was faulty. I do have proof it was him, but I couldn't show it without giving Seeker away," his gaze hardened then, "And that was the one thing I refused to do. I am oath-bound to keep my silence regarding Seeker until she tells me otherwise, and that is one oath I wasn't going to break until allowed to. And the fact she is an alpha female meant she could force her will over mine, and I would be powerless against it. She never did in that regard, because I never gave her a reason to. I decided an oath I had sworn to her and many others meant more than the oath to the Jedi, because she and those others are far more important to the survival of the galaxy than the Jedi. Protecting her has been my one task in life for a long time, and I had no intention of failing."

"Why?" Yoda finally asked, finally finding his voice after the unbelievable truth that had just been revealed, "Means something to you she does. What is it?"

"If you truly want to know, Master," Kit said quietly as he looked at Yoda, "Go to where Bail Organa meets with me. That explains everything, how Seeker was able to avoid you for so long and what she is. She isn't just a half-Nautolan."

Yoda stared at him for several moments before finally nodding and turning to Tarkin, who sighed and found the next video. It was the hangar for Home Base, which was more active than any other time the Jedi had seen it. Clones were getting ready to go, checking their armor and ammo while saying goodbye to the young children they had been protecting for so long, and the Jedi were shocked to see a few younglings from the Temple were in the mix. It explained where they had been taken, even if they still didn't know where Home Base was. Seeker was nowhere in sight, but the others involved in the Conspiracy were. Bo-Katan was getting herself and her warriors ready while Satine was helping as best she could. The senators were going over something on a datapad as Padmé sat nearby to rest her ankles. Siri was also there, sitting on the wing of Ahsoka's starfighter and speaking with the Padawan. Whatever it was about was out of earshot and impossible to hear over all the noise, but finally, Kit and R6 came out of the hallway. Kit leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms, resting his head back as he watched it all. A few moments later, Bail Organa appeared and looked it all over before turning to Kit and saying, "This is it, isn't it? If this fails, the galaxy fails."

"Yes," Kit said without moving, "It's an almost terrifying thought, isn't it? The fate of so many is resting on the shoulders of a few the galaxy doesn't even know exists."

"The Jedi don't know," Bail said quietly, "We've made sure of that, although I don't understand why. They could have helped."

"And let the chancellor know what we were doing before we were ready," Kit said bluntly, "It's easier to do this if only those we know aren't going to say anything are involved. And there's the fact the Jedi Temple is leakier than a rotted-out stump at this point. If I could get Grogu and the majority of the younglings and junior Padawans out without anyone noticing, as well as many of the elders, then a Sith lord would be more than able to slip in and start planting bad ideas and opinions in people's heads. Pong Krell was proof of that. Not only that, but Seeker's plan could have been compromised before we could do anything about it. Secrecy was the only way forward," he smiled somewhat bitterly, "We're good at that."

"Seeker killed Pong Krell," Bail reminded the Nautolan, who nodded and said, "Seeker is a Sith hunter. She sensed Krell fall to the Dark Side. Once that happened, she didn't view him as a Jedi, and there was no way I could stop her. She kills too well sometimes."

Bail shook his head when he heard that and was silent for a few moments as they watched what was happening around them. A few of Kit's brothers were there checking their ships and gear, planning to get Rayla back with Gibbs and Ziva as Santiana and Tzakara looked on, and that was when Bail turned back to Kit and said, "When we started this five years ago, you promised me an explanation about all of it. I know why we are doing what we are doing, but you still haven't told me anything about who and how. Padmé knows, but she won't say, no matter how much I press," he turned to look more carefully at Kit, "What is going on, really, Kit? Who is Seeker? What is she?"

Kit was silent for a few moments before sighing and saying, "She's a lot, Senator. Everything and nothing at the same time."

"Don't give me Jedi riddles, please," Bail said, "You can do that with the others, but don't do it to me. I've known you too long for that. Over ten years later, you still haven't given me the full truth. I wasn't there when you were attacked, but Padmé was. She still won't say anything," Mace and Obi-Wan stared at Kit when they heard that, but he was silent and still as the holovideo continued.

"I made her swear not to, Bail," Kit said quietly as he turned to look at the Senator, "And that oath is more powerful than even the one the Jedi swear."

The Council was amazed and confused to hear that but wasn't given anytime to think about it as Bail asked, "Do all Jedi speak in riddles like you do? Or can any of them talk plainly?" Kit turned to him with a raised eye-ridge and an amused expression on his face, but Bail wasn't having it as he said, "Don't give me that look. You've been holding out and denying me the truth for too long. I won't back out of the Conspiracy, not now, but you have to start telling me the truth. And that starts with Seeker. What is she? I know she isn't just a Sith hunter. She's proven she isn't. I know you know," when Kit looked hesitant for a few seconds.

Kit stared straight ahead for a few moments before saying quietly, "Tha an fhìrinn gad shaoradh," when Bail looked at him, he translated, "The truth sets you free," before saying, "I guess the truth can't hurt at this point, can it? We all might be dead in a few days."

Bail only stared at him, and Kit sighed and asked, "Do you know how the galaxy was created?"

"Of course," Bail said, his confusion clear, "It was created by an event that caused the universe to expand from an initial state of high density and temperature. After a long time, this galaxy was formed from debris in the universe. An enormous cloud of dust and gas collapsed to form the galaxy with a black hole in the center that everything orbits around."

Kit smiled when he heard what many scientists believed to be the prevailing theory of how the universe began to exist and then asked, "What if I told you that was wrong?" Bail stared at him in surprise, while the Council glanced at each other but said nothing as Kit began to speak again, while in real life Kit shifted his weight so his legs wouldn't go to sleep from the position they were in, "Billions of years ago, there was nothing for a long time. Time didn't exist, space didn't exist. But what did exist was the Force. It wasn't part of anything; it didn't bind life together because there was no life to bind together. All that there was was the Force. It was like that for a long time. But finally, the Force gathered itself into one location before suddenly exploding out in a burst of power. From that explosion came a single life. That life was all the Force created, and then the Force flowed into her, and she became the conduit for its power. She stayed in that space for a long time, gathering the Force to herself, until finally she was ready," he paused a moment before continuing, "The Force spread out from her in waves, creating the stars and the universe and starting time. It took eight days to complete the task, but doing so exhausted the being. She also didn't understand the power in her grasp, and it consumed her. Her body turned to fire and ash, but what came out of the ash of her death was another, who also gathered the power of the Force to her. But instead of creating the universe, she created the planets. That task exhausted her and she collapsed into the flame, but another was born again and she created the moons. And then another was born from the ash and began life on its course. It was then that her task was finished, and she was able to go into the universe. Every planet she visited was different from the previous one, and the life that began on those planets was all unique. But finally, her task was finished and she collapsed and died. But instead of turning to flame and ash, her body returned to the Force."

Bail was staring at him in surprise at that story, while Mace looked at Kit, but the Nautolan was still kneeling on the ground and refusing to speak since the entire story had been told a few days ago. Mace shook his head and turned back to the holovideo as Bail asked, "How do you know that's the truth?"

Kit shrugged as he leaned his head against the door frame, "Because it is," he opened his eyes and stopped leaning his head back to say, "Once the Force knew life was beginning, it sent itself into one being. She became the next in a cycle that has continued throughout time. She became the next Phoenix, rising from the ashes of death to begin life anew," he turned to look fully at Bail then, "The Phoenix is the one who balances the Force now. She can create life at will, but also destroy it. She is the most powerful Force-sensitive being in the universe, and there is nothing beyond or above her power. She can bend the elements to her will, create new life like on Korriban or destroy it with a thought, and use the Force in ways Jedi and Sith are blind to. Mostly because if they attempted it, it would destroy them."

"She?" Bail asked quietly, and Kit nodded as he said, "The Phoenix is always female. She can be any race; she just is always female. There have been Phoenixes of every race, from human to Trandoshan to Pyke to Weequay to Geonosian, and everything in between," he looked at Bail then and said, "Seeker is the current Phoenix."

"I see," Bail said slowly as he started wrapping his head around all that Kit had told him before finally asking, "But what do you have to do with it all? How did you get involved with this, and her?"

"The Phoenix is never the same species twice in a row," Kit said quietly, "And just as she has gone from planet to planet and moon to moon, there have been those that know what she is and protect her. Whether they are driven by the Force or can tell she is more than she seems, I don't know, but there have always been those that protect her from those that would use her against the weak and the innocent. During her formative years she is vulnerable to the Sith. The Sith have always known about the Phoenix; the Jedi have not. That is how it's been for all time. And just as the Sith knowing has always been, the Order of the Phoenix has always existed to protect the Phoenix and the galaxy."

"I thought the Jedi protected the galaxy?" Bail asked, and Kit nodded, "They do, but the Order protects the galaxy from the Phoenix at times, while also fighting against the Sith in whatever capacity they can and helping the galaxy," he looked at Bail then, "The Phoenix is never completely good, nor completely evil. She just is, but she can be swayed from one side to the other. Sometimes that happens before she is born, and we know she will bring about great destruction and death to the galaxy. If the Phoenix enjoys killing small animals at a young age, it is clear whether she will be good or evil. The Order's task, as it has been for all time, has been to make sure a dark Phoenix doesn't come to power and doom the galaxy. Seeker, despite her faults," staring hard at Bail, "is not evil. She just is, like the Phoenixes that have come before her. She makes decisions both Jedi and Sith would be uncomfortable making for different reasons. One decision the Jedi might approve of but the Sith won't; another decision the Sith might approve of but the Jedi won't. That's just how it is."

Bail nodded slowly before asking, "This Order, how long has it existed? How many people are in it?"

Kit smiled slightly and said, "The Order was created independently on different worlds over the course of galactic history, known and unknown. They became dedicated to the Force and protecting the Phoenix. Over time it melded into one group that spans the galaxy. There are about 10,000 Jedi; there are over a billion people in the Order. Their dedication to the Order is matched only by their commitment to peace in the galaxy. They just go about it a different way than the Jedi."

"What do you mean?" Bail asked, and Kit sighed and said, "The Jedi are committed to the Force; the Order is committed to the Phoenix. They are bound by oath to help her however she needs it, whenever she needs it. The Order is the one thing that brings enemies together, even natural enemies like Wookies and Trandoshans. Bo-Katan and Satine are both part of the Order and must work together despite their different views. Captain Ackbar and General Syndulla are the same."

Hearing this, the Council was amazed that such a thing existed and had existed for so long without their knowledge, but still weren't given time to think about it as Bail asked, "How does this Order stay secret? How has it avoided the attention of the Jedi for so long?"

"The Order existed before the Jedi, Senator," Kit said quietly, "And will likely still be there after the Jedi are gone. Almost nothing lasts forever, but the Phoenix does, and so will those that will protect her. The Order is divided into two groups: the guards that will fight for and with her as necessary, and the guides that are there for anything she might need to get her to the next stop on her journey. Some of those guides you have met or at least heard of: Peli Motto, the mechanic on Tattoine is one, and the queen and governor of Naboo are others. You have met a few guards: Padmé Amidala for starters; my brothers and parents are others; Captain Ackbar and General Syndulla are others. All have sworn the same oath and will not break it. Many have died in protection of the Order and the Phoenix, and for some in the Order, her identity is a mystery, but they know her for what she is when they see her or meet her and will do whatever it takes to help her. It's avoided the attention of the Jedi by a few of the Order being part of the Jedi in secret. Those in the Temple keep the Council from getting suspicious of anything that could be the Phoenix's doing, even though most Phoenixes live peaceful lives and, in some cases never leave their homeworld. Their quiet lives mean the Jedi would never think to look for them."

"So there are people in the Temple who help you, and your position on the Council kept them from getting suspicious," Bail said thoughtfully, and Kit shot him a look before saying, "Yes, I did keep them from looking for her, for many years, but there aren't that many of us in the ranks of the Jedi. It doesn't take many to keep a secret such as this one, showing either we are too good at keeping the secret or the Jedi too naive to look for it. There are only about ten Jedi in the Order. There used to be more. The Force recruits Jedi to the Order's ranks, but it hasn't done so for a long time. You likely have heard a few names over the years: Siri is one. Bant Eerin, my former Padawan, was another. Bolla Ropal and Tahl were others. The others that are still alive prefer to stay hidden for now, and that will likely continue for quite a while longer. Ahsoka started helping us early in the war, and after I was injured and Quinlan Vos had to leave, she took over getting the younglings and junior Padawans out of the Temple. I wonder what it was like for her having Jedi Masters asking her for help or what the next step in the plan was?" he asked himself thoughtfully before shrugging, "Must have been interesting."

Bail nodded slowly before suddenly realizing something and asking, "How do you know all this?"

"The Order is led by a Grand Master and their Successor," Kit said, "The Force chooses the Successor to the Grand Master and sends a vision to the Grand Master naming their successor. Sometimes it is a Jedi, sometimes not," he looked at Bail then, "I'm the current Grand Master for the Order. Quinlan Vos is my Successor," nodding at the other Jedi who was speaking with his troops on the other side of the hangar, "My predecessor was a Jedi, but that isn't always the case. His predecessor was a Mon Calamari mechanic on Alderaan."

Bail nodded slowly while Yoda looked at his former Padawan in surprise that he had done so much without them catching on. Indeed, the entire Council was looking at him in surprise, but then Bail's voice came back, "How does the Order know who you are? The Force doesn't just send a transmission, does it?" trying to find some humor in the gravity of the information he was getting.

Thankfully, Kit saw the humor and smiled slightly before saying, "No, it does not. It leaves something more permanent," uncrossing his arms and rolling up the sleeve of his left arm. At first, there was nothing as Kit clenched his hand and shut his eyes, but a few moments later he hissed in pain as red lines of fire appeared on his arm. They traced intricate patterns and designs before settling into an image of a bird with a long beak and tail rising from the flames. That image stayed for several moments as Bail stared at it, but it faded a few moments later as Kit relaxed. The Nautolan turned to Bail then and said, "When the Grand Master dies, the Mark transfers to his Successor. When I die, the Mark goes to Quinlan Vos or whoever my Successor is at the time. When he dies, it goes to his Successor. When my predecessor died, it went to me. It was difficult to hide the fact that it was being burned into my flesh. I'm glad I was on a mission when it happened; otherwise it would have been hard to explain. It took days for the pain to fade, and I can always feel its presence in my mind, even when it is gone from my arm. It's similar to the feeling I have where my brother is in my mind: a warm, flickering flame that never dies and is always there when I need it. Getting the Mark meant my predecessor and friend was dead, and there was even more responsibility on my shoulders than before, but I wouldn't change anything now. Secrecy has allowed the Order to exist as long as it has, and so nothing was ever given away. Secrecy protects the Phoenix, as the Sith would corrupt her if they could ever find her," he looked at Bail closely then, "The Phoenix balances the Force simply by existing. The Jedi swear off attachments and commitments to others; the Sith do not. The Phoenix has to keep the middle ground between the two extremes. She is neither the Light nor the Dark; she is the Gray where they meet. If she becomes too much like one or the other the balance shifts and everything falls into chaos."

"So that prophecy about Anakin Skywalker being the Chosen One?" Bail asked, and Kit snorted in quiet amusement before saying, "Made by one of the Phoenix Order years ago, to throw both Jedi and Sith off the Phoenix's trail. The Force knows all and sees all, and started preparing for this war decades before Seeker was even born. Definitely before the previous Phoenix as well."

Bail shook his head, then asked a question Kit didn't want to answer, "Who was your predecessor?"

Kit froze for a moment before closing his eyes and not moving for several moments. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked at Bail, "Qui-Gon Jinn."

One could have heard a pin drop in the Council room, while Obi-Wan was staring at Kit in shock. So many people he had known growing up: Qui-Gon, Bant, Siri, Tahl, they had been part of something so much bigger than he could imagine and had said nothing to him.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Bail asked then, forcing Obi-Wan's attention back to the video, and Kit shook his head, "No, Qui-Gon never told him. When one joins the Order, there is the expectation you have to lie to the Council and be more than willing to bend the rules, if not break them entirely. Qui-Gon did that better than most, but he knew his Padawan wouldn't be able to and didn't want to force him into that position. Bant found out by accident, and so did Siri, while Tahl knew because she grew up with Qui-Gon and me. She knew we were keeping secrets from her, and Qui-Gon was never comfortable keeping anything from her. She became a great asset to us whenever we had to move Seeker during her younger years. She had plenty of ways to coordinate the Order from inside the Temple so that we could clear a planet or moon before bringing Seeker there."

"Sundali Abazza is part of the Order, isn't she?" Bail asked, and Kit nodded, while in real life Kit shifted his weight and narrowed his eyes, clearly not happy about this bit of information becoming common knowledge for some reason. Master Plo stared at him when he saw that, wondering what was going through Kit's head in that moment, while the other Jedi were more interested in the video feed and what was happening. They were finally learnign the truth about what had happened to her, as in the holovideo Bail nodded slowly before asking, "But why is she in hiding? Is it because she knows the identity of the Grand Master and his Successor?"

"That wouldn't matter," Kit said quietly, "The Sith have always known how to find me, and every other Grand Master that has come before me, and likely know who my Successor is. That is why Sidious made such an effort to capture and kill me. He wanted to know how to find and corrupt her, but I never said," he glanced at Bail then, "What he put me through when Grievous caught me on Vassek wasn't to learn Republic military secrets; he already had those. He wanted to know Seeker's weaknesses and who she really is. Seeker has maintained her secrecy because she knows if Sidious ever learned a thing about her, he could use that against her. That's why we have made sure not to use her real name where anyone can hear it. Sidious still wants me, not just to kill me. He knows I'm the only one who can control Seeker to any extent while leading the Order; without me, the Order falls apart for a bit while Quinlan finds his footing. It leaves the Order vulnerable and Seeker open to his threats. That's what happened for a few months when Qui-Gon died. I had no idea how to lead an Order like this or what was expected of me. Qui-Gon did his best to teach me, but there comes a point where the only way to learn is to do. And as for Sundali," he paused a moment before saying, "She's in hiding not because she knows my identity. She's in hiding because she knows how to find Seeker's family. The Sith would use them in a heartbeat to get her to their side, and she would yield if it meant her family stayed safe. That is one of the complications of being the Phoenix: you can have a family, and many have. She just has to be ready to roll a chance cube with them and hope they aren't found. Sundali is under Phoenix protection until Sidious is dealt with. By then, it should be safe for her to come out of hiding. She'll be glad of that, I think. She's been in hiding for over thirty years and can't stand others fighting her battles for her," a slight smile on his face as he said this.

Bail shook his head when he heard that but a few moments later asked, "Your brothers and parents have always been guards?"

"Yes," Kit said simply, "For as long as I can remember. They told me stories after I joined the Order; before that, they said nothing. They take their vows of secrecy very seriously. I think it's the only secret they kept from me over the years."

Bail nodded slowly before going back to watching the activity around the hangar for a few moments. Finally, he said, "Qui-Gon Jinn knew about the Prophecy but also about Seeker. He must have known Skywalker wasn't the true Chosen One?"

"He knew," Kit admitted, "But when the opportunity came up for him to throw Sidious off Seeker's trail for a few years, he took it. He knew if Sidious was focused on Skywalker, he wouldn't be paying attention to Seeker. It would give her a breather from his hunters and make it possible for the Order to better prepare for the war. Qui-Gon saw Anakin has a gifted Force-user but knew he wouldn't be anything more than that. He was just a means to an end for Qui-Gon, although I think he was fond of the boy for the bit of time they knew each other. And it worked; Sidious focused on Skywalker and thought he would be a useful pawn because of his emotions and lack of control. He never counted on Seeker deciding to get involved in the way she has, but then again, Phoenixes never like to be predictable. Sidious counted on Seeker doing what other Phoenixes have done in the past and just let war happen without getting involved; he had no way of guessing she would involve herself in this way or to this extent. She must have seen something in the Force that convinced her she couldn't stay hidden, not this time."

"You really knew the war was coming so long ago?" Bail asked. Kit nodded, "There was an opportunity for Seeker to stop the war before it even began, but she decided not to. She knew it needed to happen, and wouldn't let anyone talk her out of it. For whatever reason, she decided to let the war happen. Even after all this time, I still don't know why she has allowed it."

"Hundreds of thousands have died in this war," Bail said quietly, and Kit nodded, "I know. I've witnessed more than a few of those deaths myself. But that is the price Seeker decided to pay for this war when she decided to let it happen. It's what sets her apart from the Jedi," he looked at Bail then, "Don't for a second think, Bail, that she is like a Jedi. She is not, and anyone who thinks she could become one is a fool and an idiot. Her task is difficult, and the choices she has to make can't be influenced by either side, Light or Dark. Not even I can influence them, and I know when to step back. The Jedi wouldn't step back and let her do what she must. That is the worst part about being part of the Order: sometimes you have to do and let things happen that go against your conscience because a being so much more powerful than you has decided those things have to happen for the good of the many. Seeker, as the Phoenix, will never do what's right for the few, but always for the many. What she will do when she is not the Phoenix is hard to say sometimes. That is the difference between her and the Jedi."

"But she's never shown herself before," Bail said, "Neither has any other Phoenix, as far as I know since I didn't even know they existed. What changed?"

"Sidious," Kit said, "He's too powerful. Normally it would take many Sith to throw the Force this far out of balance, but Sidious is so powerful he was able to do it on his own. With some help. The Jedi inadvertently helped him by agreeing to fight in this war. In their defense, though, they didn't know he was a Sith. He hid himself too well. Seeker, like most Phoenixes, was content to let the cards fall where they may, until she felt his power on Naboo during Qui-Gon's funeral. She had sneaked in and was hiding in the background, and could feel the power and Dark Side he was hiding from the Jedi there. It had increased quite a bit since their last encounter about twenty years before, too much for her to let him have his way. She knew he would only gain much more power as time went on while possibly discovering secrets of the Force that were forbidden to be known by anyone, Sith or Jedi, and she could see that the Jedi were oblivious to it because it was hidden too well. Once the war started, the Force became even more unbalanced, and Seeker decided the only way to restore balance was to stop Sidious, but she wanted the Jedi to survive the war. She's also seen her fair share of tragedies over the years and knew Sidious wouldn't spare children. That's why she had me and the others in the Temple smuggle the younglings out. When Sidious attacks, even if the Jedi still in the Temple are wiped out, the next generation is safe to continue and fight back when the time comes. As for Grogu, I think she wanted him and Mando to learn something from the experience, but if you can figure out what it is I have a bridge I can sell you," smiling at his attempt at a joke, which actually got a slight smile from Bail.

Bail shook his head before asking, "What about Adi Gallia? Seeker protects her, but I can't figure out why. Do you know why?"

Adi stared in surprise that the senator asked a question she'd been wondering for years, but Kit nodded as he looked at the senator, and there was pain in his eyes when he said, "Yes, I do. I was there when she decided to," he paused a moment before saying quietly, "Qui-Gon Jinn asked her to. It wasn't Siri that asked. Qui-Gon, over thirty years ago, approached me to be his Successor. At the time, I didn't know what it was or what it meant, but that night the Force brought visions to my mind and convinced me to do it. My twin also told me about the Order and what he knew, which wasn't much, but told me to trust the Force and have faith that Qui-Gon knew what he was doing," glancing at his twin, who was getting his weapons ready, "So I agreed, and Qui-Gon had me go with him to meet the previous Phoenix."

"I'm not seeing what this has to do with anything," Bail said.

Kit turned to him then and said, "The previous Phoenix was a Tholothian by the name of Amin Gallia."

Luminara gasped when she heard that, while Adi turned as white as a sheet. Yoda was so surprised his eyes were wide with disbelief, as were many of the Jedi in that room, but the holovideo wasn't about to stop and let them recover from the surprise.

Kit nodded in the face of Bail's surprise, "Every Force-sensitive being in this universe is a direct descendant of a Phoenix. Jedi or Sith makes no difference. Phoenix or dark Phoenix makes no difference. It comes down to choice in the end. The choice between good and evil, light or dark."

"You and your family are descendants of a Phoenix?" Bail asked, but Kit quickly shook his head, "No, we're not. Back when the galaxy was new, my family and people were some of the original Phoenix guards. My people have existed for so long and survived for so long the Force decided to give us long life in exchange for our commitment to protecting the Phoenix. My family's connection to the Force was also a gift, but like everything in the galaxy with free will, we can use it as we will, and so my family does. My mother uses it to predict what the Monarchy will do next when it comes to hunting us; I use it to anticipate Sidious' next move. I've gotten good at that over the years, but still need a bit more practice since he has done things I haven't seen coming and I wasn't able to anticipate everything he was going to do. Capturing me on Vassek was something I hadn't planned on happening, and therefore had no way to avoid it. My brothers use the Force how they want, but they never abuse it or its power. They are well aware it is a gift and a privilege, not a right," he shook his head with a self-deprecating smile before turning to Bail and saying, "Amin Gallia was the Phoenix before Seeker, and Qui-Gon counted her as a close friend and mentor. She taught him many things the Jedi didn't."

"So what happened?" Bail asked, "Why isn't she around anymore?"

Kit sighed and shut his eyes against the memories before opening them and saying, "Amin Gallia lived in a small house outside the capital city of Tholoth. She lived alone and didn't have many visitors. That is the way for many Phoenixes; they like their solitude. Amin was a wanderer in her younger years and explored the galaxy, as did other Phoenixes. They are much more similar to each other than you would think. The desire to explore is firmly rooted in their bones. She did enjoy the occasional visitor, though, and was more than happy to see Qui-Gon again and meet me. She hadn't seen him since his predecessor had brought him to meet her years before. But the Sith had followed us and attacked the house. A few of my brothers were there as Phoenix guards and helped us fend off the attack, but it didn't matter. Amin died in the attack."

"What does that have to do with Qui-Gon Jinn?" Bail asked, and Kit winced as he said, "Amin died defending him, something he never forgot. The Grand Master is supposed to die defending the Phoenix, not the other way around. At least, that's how he thought it should be. She took a blow that would have ended his life. He never forgave himself and blamed himself for the rest of his life. Nothing any of us said, nothing Seeker said, could change his mind or ease the guilt. In his mind, if he hadn't brought me to meet her, the Sith wouldn't have found her and she would have survived. It doesn't matter that they likely already knew she was there and were getting ready to kill her. He still blamed himself for her death, and started looking for death before Obi-Wan Kenobi came along and convinced him he still had something to live for. It eased the guilt, but not the blame," Kit looked at Bail then, "While the Order protects the Phoenix as best it can, sometimes it isn't enough. And there is the fact that she wants to live a normal life as best she can. The Order has learned to protect by not being too close. There were still guides on Tholoth that checked on her from time to time and made sure she was doing alright, but that was all. Sometimes the hands-off approach is the best. And once the Grand Master has been discovered by the Sith, the Sith know they can lead the way right to the Phoenix if they watch and wait long enough. There have been cases where only the Grand Master and his Successor knew where and who the Phoenix was, and visited her maybe twice in their and her lifetimes. Not often enough for the Sith to find her or even discover who the Grand Master was, luckily for us. This time was not one of those times."

"But why does Seeker protect Adi Gallia now?" Bail asked, "I haven't seen her fight, but I've heard stories about her skills. She doesn't need that kind of protection."

"True," Kit agreed with a slight smile, "I would be the first to admit I wouldn't want to cross blades with her. But that isn't it. When Seeker was ten, she predicted the Clone Wars and said she was going to let them happen. Qui-Gon asked her what would happen, and she said she didn't know fully, but it would shake the galaxy to its core. Qui-Gon then asked if Adi would survive. Seeker said she wouldn't, and Qui-Gon asked if there was a way to change that. There was, but it meant a price I didn't think he would pay. He also asked her to protect Adi, something she agreed to when she saw the guilt and grief he couldn't rid himself of. She didn't agree fully until after she met Adi, at ten and in her own way, and learned about her from Siri, and it was then she decided to do as Qui-Gon asked. She agreed to protect Adi, and agreed to the exchange; I just never thought Qui-Gon would willingly agree to the price."

"What do you mean?" Bail asked, and Kit shut his eyes and shook his head before saying, "Qui-Gon exchanged his life for Adi's," he looked up at Bail then, "Qui-Gon was supposed to survive the battle on Naboo and kill Maul, while Adi would have been killed by Grievous on Boz Pity. But because he exchanged his life for Adi's, he had to die on Naboo. It meant Seeker would save her on Florrum, but also keep her alive for the rest of the war. And shield her from her darker impulses, and the impulses of those around her. Like Ventress," revealing he knew about Ventress joking about jettisoning Adi into space, "Seeker isn't one to make a lot of compromises when it comes to the Force, but she knows Adi is related to her predecessor and decided to do what she could. And I think she has a soft spot for her. She likes Adi, and even though I can guess why, I don't think my guess is the right one. But once Seeker makes up her mind about someone, that's it. It's why she hates Tarkin and still hasn't met him. Although he's given her plenty of reasons to hate him."

It was silent for a few moments in the Council room, but Bail got over his surprise a lot faster and asked, "So Adi Gallia is Amin's daugh –" only to be cut off by Kit.

"Granddaughter," Kit said, "which is a surprise to me. The Phoenix is usually a few generations removed from their Force-sensitive descendants. Adi has the narrowest generational gap I've ever heard of."

"I see," Bail said, "So Seeker knows –" but was again cut off by Kit, who said, "No, she doesn't. She doesn't see Adi as a granddaughter or anything like that. Seeker has no memory of being Amin, or any other Phoenix. That is how it is: the Phoenix doesn't remember her past lives, but still knows what she is. I don't know if that is completely true, her not remembering a past life, because Qui-Gon would swear that Seeker would do and say things that reminded him of Amin. Maybe there's a shadow of a memory there, a shadow deep in her mind telling her she's supposed to care about Adi and protect her as part of her blood, but I don't know. That's a question for Seeker, but don't count on an answer. The last time I asked, she just stared at me like I was an idiot and walked away. Whatever the connection, she prefers to keep it to herself," he cocked his head then, "After the fight on Florrum, Seeker kept Adi alive until she was able to survive on her own. Adi had several intense visions of a past fight, the fight on Tholoth," Adi stared at Kit as he kneeled on the floor, surprised he had known, but he was silent as the holovideo continued, "Those weren't her memories, or Seekers. They weren't mine because I wouldn't have tormented her with them, and I still don't know where they came from. They might have been Amin's. When a Phoenix becomes one with the Force again they can go wherever they wish; maybe Amin wanted her granddaughter to understand what was happening, but Adi's mind wasn't strong enough to understand what she was seeing because of her wounds."

Bail shook his head before saying, "This is all too much."

"It is," Kit agreed, "I've been having to deal with it for over thirty years, and it's still too much. You've only known all this for about an hour."

Bail nodded before asking, "You trained Seeker, right?"

"I trained her to be a Sith hunter, but that's all. My brothers trained her to do everything else," Kit said, prompting Bail to ask, "What did they teach her?"

"Anything I couldn't," Kit said bluntly, "How to track, shoot, fix an engine, play sabacc, break into a house, wire surveillance, drink anyone under the table," he raised an eye-ridge then, "Avoid and hide from the Jedi and authorities," he looked at Bail then, "There were times where not even I could find her. My brothers taught her how to avoid and evade, and taught her well. They have taught me as well, but Seeker is much more adept. She may be the rarest being in the galaxy, but that doesn't stop her from hiding in plain sight, as she is skilled with disguises. She has slipped in and out of the Jedi Temple for years, and there were times when I knew she was there and never saw her once. She is too skilled sometimes," some admiration in his eyes when he added, "But everything she knows about the Force she learned either on her own or with help from past Phoenixes. The only thing I taught her was restraint; she's too dangerous to not have been taught that."

"Where would she have gone for that information if it wasn't available in her mind?" Bail asked.

Kit smiled then and said, "The Phoenix Records," he turned to Bail then and said, "The Records are the most complete compilation of knowledge in the galaxy. More so than the Jedi Archives. The Records have existed for so long there are some from a time when there was no written language for some cultures. It's about ten times the size of the Archives and has so much information it's hard to wrap your mind around. Madame Jocasta would be impressed if she saw them."

"You've seen them?" Bail asked, and Kit nodded, "Only the Phoenix, the Grand Master, their Successor, and those guarding the Records know where they are, and those guards never leave them. The Phoenix is the one that decides if they stay where they are or if they get moved to a new location. Usually she moves them to a different location. Before you ask, they aren't here. Home Base isn't big enough," when Bail looked ready to ask a question. But that apparently answered it since he fell silent, and Kit added, "A part of the Records is dedicated to the journals Phoenixes write. Some are compulsive writers and write about anything and everything that comes to mind, while others just write about their adventures. Amin was one of those compulsive writers. There wasn't anything she didn't write down. Even her most personal thoughts were committed to the page."

"You read her journal?" Bail asked, and Kit nodded, "I did, with Seeker's permission as the Phoenix, but don't ask me what was in it. Some of it is about Adi, and it's not my place to reveal it. As for Seeker, she read those journals to learn what previous Phoenixes could do and what she would have to do in order to defeat Sidious. But the one thing that has always fascinated me is that there are parts of Amin's journal written after her death. It makes you wonder what Phoenixes are truly capable of and if people like the Jedi and Sith have only just scratched the surface when it comes to the Force."

"Hence why Seeker has such a powerful will," Bail said as he watched Seeker finally appear and head for her starfighter, "She is too powerful for her will to be broken."

"That's true," Kit said as he watched the half-Nautolan as well, "But she also is the living and cosmic Force made physical. A Jedi is just the living Force made physical. That difference is the difference between a Jedi or a Sith fighting over a planet and Seeker deciding to just destroy the planet."

"She can do that?" Bail asked in surprise, to which Kit nodded, "Without much effort. There isn't much she isn't capable of, and she will destroy a planet if she has to. She's already destroyed Exegol, which was a bit of a shame."

"Why is that?" Bail asked, "Wasn't it the homeworld of the Sith?" revealing he knew a bit more about the history of the Sith and Jedi than he had ever let on.

"It was," Kit said with a nod, "But before that, it was the first homeworld of the Phoenix. Caledonia, it was called, and it's written it rivaled Alderaan in its beauty. But the Phoenix from that time destroyed it accidentally when her power went out of control. She destroyed herself and then corrupted her world and destroyed all life on it, and now Seeker has destroyed it to the point all that remains is a field of asteroids. In time she might do what she did to Korriban and bring it and its former beauty back, something she is more than able to do, but that won't be for a long time. She won't do anything like that until Sidious has been dealt with."

"Do you think he'll surrender?" Bail asked, "You must know he doesn't stand a chance against a Phoenix as powerful as Seeker."

Kit thought for a moment before saying, "Phoenixes have differing levels of power. Some are more powerful than others. Amin was one of the stronger ones, while the one before her was a Wookiee that didn't have much power. But you are right; Seeker is definitely the most powerful the galaxy has seen since the first Phoenixes that created the universe. Thankfully she knows to control that power and only use it when she needs to. But I don't think Sidious will surrender. He doesn't know he's been completely outmaneuvered by Seeker and has almost no moves left, but once he figures that out, he won't go quietly. He is arrogant, like all Sith, and believes he is more powerful than the Phoenix. That is always the fault of the Sith: they overestimate their power and underestimate how far the Phoenix is willing to go to restore balance to the Force. Sidious won't surrender, and Seeker is more than ready for that."

Bail nodded slowly before looking over at where Padmé and Ahsoka were talking. He watched as Padmé hugged Ahsoka tight before Ahsoka headed for the ship that would take her to Coruscant. Seeing this, Bail asked, "Did you have to trick Master Skywalker the way you did? You could have told him what you just told me."

"I could have, if there had been time," Kit said as he watched Ahsoka board the ship for a few moments before going back to speak with Siri for a few more minutes, "and he might have listened. But there's just one problem, and that is Seeker. She really doesn't like him and doesn't trust him. She and Master Windu are a lot alike in that regard," Mace stared at the kneeling Kit, who only shrugged and said, "It was easy to sense if you knew what to look for. Seeker felt that mistrust halfway across the galaxy."

Mace shook his head as he went back to watching the holovideo as Kit in the video continued, "Seeker doesn't think Anakin will stand aside when she confronts the chancellor, and she will kill him if he gets in her way. I've had no luck talking her out of that. Tricking him to come here with Ahsoka and then keeping him drugged was the only thing I could think of that would keep him safe. Seeker doesn't want to hurt Padmé that much by killing her child's father, but she will do what she must to restore balance. If that means Padmé hates her while the galaxy survives, then she can live with that," Obi-Wan staring in surprise that the bond between Padmé and Anakin was much stronger than he had initially thought and his old Padawan had lied so completely to him.

And that Kit had known and not said anything.

"You knew the entire time they were married and didn't say anything," Bail said with a touch of admiration in his voice, "I don't know how you managed that."

"My secrets guard themselves, Bail," Kit said quietly, "Besides, I have a mate and a daughter and have been back with my family for decades. What do I care if Anakin breaks his oath? I broke mine long ago when I joined the Phoenix and found my mate."

Bail nodded slowly before looking around and asking, "Where is your daughter, anyways? She's usually right beside you."

"With her mother," Kit said simply, "I'm surprised you didn't hear the argument we had about her staying behind with Lorelei."

"I heard it," Bail admitted, "I just didn't want to say anything. Did you win?"

Kit stared straight ahead for several moments before smiling and scoffing slightly, "Have you ever, Senator, actually won an argument with your wife?" he turned to Bail then, "Have you ever made such sound arguments that she listened and knew you were right?"

"We don't argue much," Bail admitted, and Kit shook his head as he faced forward, "You are fortunate. My mate and I are too stubborn to get along easily sometimes. When I found my mate, my father told me that no matter how an argument ends, I am never right. Even when we both know I am right, I am never right. That is the situation right now."

Bail cocked his head in confusion, "I don't understand. What did you argue about? It was in your language, so I couldn't understand what you were saying."

Kit sighed, "My mate is a Phoenix guard and wants to fight. As the Grand Master, I can order her to stay behind and stay out of the fighting. I doubt she would listen to that, much less obey it. As her mate, I can't order her to do anything. That is a battle I will lose before it begins. Which brings me back to how I convinced her to stay behind," he stopped for a moment.

He stayed silent for a few moments longer, prompting Bail to ask gently, "How did you convince her?" knowing it likely hadn't been an easy conversation.

Kit said nothing for several long moments before saying quietly, "I told her that if something happens to me in the next few days, our daughter would need at least one parent," he looked at Bail then, pain in his eyes in response to Bail's surprise, "This could end badly, and I want our daughter to have at least one parent left. If my mate goes and we both die, my parents will raise Lorelei. They won't fail, I know that, but I would much rather Lorelei not be raised by them. Even they don't want that responsibility unless given no other choice. Hence why my mate and I fought. She wants to go but knows I am right and our daughter needs her."

Bail nodded slowly before asking, "So she will stay behind?"

"I think so," Kit said quietly, "But I know her. She's as stubborn as a rock and twice as unmoving and headstrong when she believes she's right. I can only hope she listens to her head instead of her heart, but I don't think that will happen. She's too determined," he smiled slightly then, "Which is probably why I love her. I wouldn't have her any other way."

Bail smiled slightly before going back to watching the hangar as Myeko suddenly appeared and headed for Siri and Ahsoka. Ahsoka nodded one last time before heading for the ship, and Siri looked up at Myeko. Whatever he said, they couldn't hear, but Siri nodded and he reached down. He was incredibly gentle as he picked her up and carried her out of the hangar, making Bail smile at the sight before asking, "You don't have a problem with them being together? As a Jedi?"

"No," Kit said, "I wasn't the one that approved it for the Jedi. That was Qui-Gon Jinn. He was the Grand Master when Siri joined our ranks. If anyone would have had a problem with it, it would have been him. Myeko met Siri on a Phoenix mission. Sometimes they overlap with a Jedi mission or are disguised as a Jedi mission. Once they met, it was set in stone for them, and I wasn't about to stop them when I became Grand Master. Besides, Siri was missing at the time and Myeko was tearing the galaxy apart to find her. He knew she was alive, so did Seeker, but I couldn't look for her. I had to keep up the appearance that I thought she was dead. She was taken on a Phoenix mission; I couldn't reveal the Order by looking for her," sounding a bit frustrated about it all and revealing he would have liked to look for Siri if he could have.

"But she was still found," Bail said quietly, "That's a good thing, right?"

"Yes, it is," Kit agreed, "And I've never been more glad for that. Seeker was furious when she was taken; they are close friends and met when they were younger. They grew up together in many ways."

Bail nodded slowly before asking, "You said Phoenix missions? What are those?"

Kit shrugged, "Similar to Jedi missions, but with far more resources at our disposal. In some cases, it is just getting food and medicine to struggling systems with the resources we have, which are limitless because of the collective wealth of the Order. In other cases, it is heading off threats to worlds and systems, using our influence in local governments to prevent war or mitigate natural disasters. When Siri was taken, she had just finished a Jedi mission and was on her way to help Peli Motto on Tattoine move from Mos Espa to Mos Eisley when she needed the help since those of the Order help each other with anything they might need. She never arrived at Mos Espa, missing her check-in with me, and I asked Peli to send a few guards on the planet to investigate. They found her ship, shot down, but no sign of her. We had to hide her ship after that to throw the Jedi off her trail, otherwise the question of what she was doing on Tattoine when she had no business being there as a Jedi would have come up, and we couldn't risk anyone in the Temple looking for or finding the answer. My brother still worked for Jabba at the time and listened around his palace, but whoever took her didn't brag about it. Lyzann sent his contacts out into the Dark to see what he could learn, and that was when we realized she had been taken to Zygerria. From there, we were always a few days or hours too late to get her back. After a while, we had to start preparing for war and scale back our resources to find her until only Myeko and Seeker were looking for her. Which is more than enough. Seeker is a relentless hunter, and Myeko has plenty of contacts to look around whenever he can. It took a while, but we finally found her, which is what matters."

Hearing how widespread the Order was and what it did was a surprise for the Council, and to hear the lengths they had gone to to find Siri was even more amazing, leaving Yoda to shake his head at the thought of such an organization operating under their noses without being noticed. Whatever tactics and strategies they had used, they had refined over the millennia, hence why they hadn't been heard of before then. It certainly explained a lot when it came to his former Padawan and his family, even if it left a few questions unanswered. But those questions could wait until later, when things were settled and the chancellor was dealt with.

"But you did in the end," Bail saying quietly caught his attention, and he looked up at the holovideo in time to see Kit nod, "With some help," seeing Bail's questioning look, he added, "Jenna Zan Arbor has always been an enemy of the Jedi, ever since she conducted experiments on Force-sensitive beings that led to their deaths. Qui-Gon and Siri told Seeker about her after they stopped her with Adi and Obi-Wan, and when Siri was taken Seeker decided to work the Phoenix Order contacts to her advantage. More so than usual. They are spread throughout the galaxy in the lowest and highest places and everywhere in between; it wasn't difficult for her to manipulate events and people to get Siri in Zan Arbor's hands. From there, it was easier for her to free Siri and get her back."

"What do you mean?" Bail asked, and Kit smiled slightly before saying, "She arranged for Zan Arbor to escape from prison and meet Count Dooku. Doing so allowed her to get into his good graces and convince him that she should be allowed to continue her experiments on the Force. Then Seeker was able to manipulate events and people so that Siri was eventually delivered to Zan Arbor. Without her knowledge, of course. If she had known, she would have never gone to the lab on Simpla-12. And if she had known, she would have killed Siri as soon as she had gotten her hands on her. Siri helped capture her the first time; this was about revenge as much as anything else. But she never caught on, and Seeker was able to get Siri back."

"Ventress killed Zan Arbor," Bail reminded Kit, who nodded, "Yes, she did. And there is no changing that. I had no control over the situation, and I don't think Seeker would have listened to me anyway. She wasn't happy about Siri being held captive, and even if she doesn't fully believe in revenge, she believes in it in some ways. She wasn't going to let Zan Arbor get away with anything. This wasn't just her version of justice for Siri; it was for Qui-Gon as well when he was taken by Zan Arbor," he looked at Bail then, "That's what sets Seeker apart from Jedi and Sith. She has no problem exacting some kind of revenge against those that hurt her personally, but she will never go after those guilty by association. The fact she is too dangerous of an opponent means if she wants to take revenge, there is no stopping her. I stopped winning practice fights against her when she was fourteen. She's too skilled for me, or any other Jedi for that matter. No Jedi can win against her," turning back to watch the hangar as the last of the clones loaded themselves onto the ships and the ships disappeared into hyperspace. The hangar was almost empty now, with only Seeker, Bail, Kit, and a few mechanics working on an old engine. Kit's brothers were still gathering at the far end of the hangar with their parents, Gibbs, and Ziva, going over whatever plan they had come up with to rescue Rayla, whoever she was.

Bail shook his head when he heard that Kit stood no chance against Seeker but said nothing more as Seeker finally looked up from where she was making last-minute modifications to her starfighter and nodded at Kit. Kit sighed then and said, "Time to go," he stopped leaning against the wall then and uncrossed his arms, turning to Bail and saying, "No matter how this ends, Senator, thank you for everything you have done for us. No matter how this ends, the Order won't forget. Even if the galaxy does."

Bail nodded and grasped Kit's offered forearm before watching as Kit and R6 left him to head for their ship. They had almost gotten there when a small blur raced into the hangar, and Kit turned and crouched down as Lorelei barreled into his arms. He held her close, her head buried in his shoulder and her arms around his neck, and she was clearly crying. Kit held her for several long moments before finally pulling back, wiping her tears away and speaking softly in their clan language. Whatever he said, the Jedi watching didn't understand, but a few minutes later, Lorelei nodded, but the tears were still in her eyes. She stared at her father as he smiled gently at her, then he looked over her shoulder down the hallway she had come from. He said, "Your mother is waiting for you; go on."

Lorelei looked at him before nodding, giving him one last hug before running down the hall back to her mother, who the Jedi still couldn't see. Kit watched her go before sighing and shaking his head, closing his eyes for a long time before opening them and heading with R6 to where Seeker was waiting, looking empathetic and sad for Lorelei. But she didn't say anything about it as Kit and the droid approached. When they got there, R6 went with Seeker while Kit said, "I'll meet you on Coruscant."

"I'll be there," Seeker promised, "I just have to make a stop first."

Kit nodded and headed for the Ghost, and seconds later, Seeker activated her hyperdrive and disappeared into hyperspace; the Council unable to see what Kit was doing since Seeker had his lightsaber and his droid.

Tarkin stopped the feed then and started looking ahead to where Seeker was going while Mace and Yoda turned back to Kit, and Mace asked, "That is what you have kept from us for so long?" Kit nodded, leaving Mace to ask, "Why didn't you say anything when you had the chance?"

Kit looked up then, "Would you have believed me? Even knowing everything you have learned about Seeker, would you have believed me if I told you all this now? There is no way to corroborate anything I just said; I won't take you to the Records, and much of what I said the proof has been lost to time. And the secrecy of the Order has always been paramount. I couldn't reveal it existed, or who is involved. The Order unites across social norms and cultures, more so than the Jedi, because it is made of everyday people who have no talents beyond what they can do with their hands and their heads. There may be over a billion people in it, but it is the best-kept secret in the galaxy, and that secrecy has kept it going for so long we don't know any other way. The Conspiracy working to stop Sidious are those in that room; the Order is so large it could easily populate a small world or moon."

"But Anakin's on Home Base right now?" Obi-Wan asked, and Kit nodded, "He's probably going to stay there until this is decided. Seeker will kill him if she sees him on Coruscant before this is settled. She won't care what he's doing. She won't take the chance of him getting in her way. I wasn't able to change her mind."

Obi-Wan shook his head, and that was when Kit added quietly, "Padmé was in labor when I left, so perhaps Tristan will wake him up for that. It should be a decent distraction. And since Home Base is secured to keep transmissions from going in or out without protocols in place, he won't know what's happening here until after it's over," he looked up at Obi-Wan then, "I don't want Skywalker to die, but stopping Seeker from killing him isn't something I could do. I tried as hard as I could, and this was the compromise. One thing you learn quickly dealing with Phoenixes, there is no doing. You just keep trying until you get the ghost of an outcome you want. And if they're as stubborn as Seeker, it's usually not worth the effort."

Obi-Wan shook his head while Luminara asked, "Why kill Amin Gallia? That makes no sense."

"Yes, it does," Kit said, "It starts the Phoenix cycle all over. Amin was too set in her ways to be corrupted to the Dark Side, and because she cut her family off, the Sith had no leverage over her. Her daughter knew what she was and what it could mean, so as soon as she was old enough, Amin told her not to come back or contact her at all, even if it broke her to do so. Her daughter was a secret from the Sith, so they didn't have anything to leverage against her. Killing Amin starts the cycle over and sends everyone scrambling, looking for the next Phoenix. The only one who can know where to find them is the Grand Master, and the previous Phoenix might know, but that's never a guarantee. Killing the Phoenix means that if the Sith find the next one quickly enough, they can corrupt her and turn her into a powerful weapon that no Jedi, or Phoenix Guard, has a chance to stop. She could destroy the galaxy and create it again in whatever image the Sith want. Thankfully that didn't happen this time because Qui-Gon was a bit more paranoid than anyone would have given him credit for. Seeker was safe for a few years on Naboo, but once that became unsafe he started moving her from place to place to keep the Sith off her trail. And that worked for a very long time, especially when we found an inhabited planet in another galaxy the Sith didn't know about. She's lived there for decades, with infrequent visits back here to get everything ready, but that was all."

Luminara shook her head and sat back, while on the other side of Kit, Oppo Rancisis was able to see red lines suddenly appear through Kit's sleeve a few seconds before Kit turned to look at his arm as the lines burned. A few seconds later, it settled and Kit shook his head as he turned back to Mace, who had also seen it. Kit only said, "When Seeker expends more power than normal, it glows and burns. You get used to it after a while."

Mace nodded while Yoda finally asked, "Defeat Sidious; you think she can?"

"I don't know," Kit said thoughtfully, "She certainly is going to give him everything she's got short of destroying Coruscant."

"But she's still injured," Master Tiin said suddenly, remembering what they knew about her, "That scare on her side still looks terrible, and her back –"

"Is broken, I know," Kit interrupted quietly, "It's broken in three places. She was too close to a landmine when it blew. Any other sensible being would have the sense to not be able to walk right now, let alone run or fight, but she is too determined to let something as small as broken bones stop her. As for that scar," he looked at Master Tiin, "Old-breed skin turns black when it's burned. After Ventress picked her up on Florrum, they landed a few klicks away from the compound, and Ventress started a fire. Seeker put one of her knives in the fire. Once it was hot enough, she cut her side open to get the metal out and then burned it closed so she wouldn't bleed to death. It kept her alive until she could get to a nearby safe house with the equipment she needed to treat it. They are set up all over the galaxy by my clan, and they are open for Seeker when she needs them. After that, she went to Home Base to recover," seeing Master Tiin's shock, he added quietly, "It isn't the worst thing she's done to herself. You know this. You were there on Lothal; you saw what she did to herself," Master Tiin nodded slowly while Kit suddenly cocked an eye-ridge, "And now she doesn't have a good leg to stand on."

"What does that mean?" Tarkin asked, his attention caught by that for a few moments, and Kit smiled slightly, "Her left knee was damaged years ago and doesn't bend correctly sometimes. The rest of the time, it can't stay bent without causing pain. And she broke her leg on Lothal. She didn't set it right; now it's a few centimeters longer than the other. It also causes her pain, but that is more of a dull ache than anything else. Her right leg were the last long bones that weren't damaged. She's broken or fractured everything else, some several times, over the years," seeing the way Yoda and Mace were staring at him in surprise, he added quietly, "She's put her body through all sorts of abuse, mostly to keep herself alive and fighting for one more day, and there's no denying old-breeds are tougher than most and have an incredibly high pain tolerance. Half-Nautolans have an even higher pain tolerance, and are probably even tougher, but that's because they have to be from the moment they're born. They die otherwise."

It was silent for a few moments as Tarkin shook his head and went back to looking for the holovideo that would show them where Seeker had gone, but then Master Plo had a thought that led to a question, "Where are they?" Master Plo asked suddenly, "Your brothers?"

"I don't know," Kit said, "They're Phoenix guards and fought in the Old Republic wars to protect the Phoenix, who was a Jedi at the time. Perhaps they'll come back to help, perhaps not. First they are going after Rayla and getting her back, and then a few of them will likely come here to help me. Not many of them are fond of Jedi, but Sith they hate more. But guessing what they are going to do is like guessing what Seeker is going to do. You'd have better luck getting a gundark to become a vegetarian."

"I thought you said the Phoenix wasn't supposed to be a Jedi?" Mace asked, and Kit shrugged, "I guess that one decided to be. That's the interesting thing about Phoenixes: they do what they want and the rest of us are just along for the ride."

Mace shook his head when he heard that before Ki-Adi asked, "Where is Home Base? You must know you can't keep it a secret forever."

Kit stared at the floor for a few moments before scoffing slightly and looking up, "Beyond your reach. Beyond the reach of anyone that doesn't know where it is. I've already been tortured for its location, and that yielded nothing. Grievous couldn't get that information out of me because Seeker forced her will over mine and protected that information in my mind. She effectively gagged me with her will so I wouldn't reveal it in a moment of pain and weakness. I didn't reveal it then, and I won't reveal it now. Grievous let a kath hound rip my leg to shreds, and I still didn't say a thing. And the Jedi won't condone torture of any kind, so the location is safe."

"The Jedi don't," Tarkin said suddenly, "But the Republic could make you talk."

Kit shook his head slightly when he heard that, "Nothing you or the Republic does will compare to the last thirty years. Every minute of every day was torture. My insides felt like they were rivers of acid and lava, and there was never any relief. In time I learned to live with the pain, but it didn't make it any less. Seeker could block it, and there were times my twin took it on so I could have a slight reprieve, but it never went away," he looked at Tarkin then while the Council couldn't believe he had lived with that pain for so long, "If after that, you think you can find worse pains than your body taking thirty years to kill you, I'm interested in what you come up with. Perhaps it will be as productive as what Grievous did; perhaps not."

"You should have said something," Master Kenobi interrupted then, "We would have helped you."

Kit froze a moment before saying quietly, "I know," he looked at Obi-Wan then, "But I couldn't reveal how it happened. Not to anyone. And once I adjusted to the pain, instinct took over. Instinct honed by millions of years telling me not to complain or even acknowledge the injury. Once that happened, there was no way I could reveal how bad the pain was, not easily anyways. My parents could guess, and so did the majority of my brothers. The only ones who truly knew how bad it was were Seeker and my twin. Seeker because she took on my pain every once in a while when she blocked it, and my twin because he's always in my mind," jerking his head as he said this, "I can always feel his presence in my mind. Usually, he stays on the periphery, never intruding or distracting, but always there when I need him."

"Like when?" Tarkin asked with a sneer, and Kit smiled slightly, but it was more of a grimace when he said, "Like when Grievous let that kath hound rip my leg to shreds," he looked up then, "The only reason I didn't lose it was because I let my brother come to the fore of my mind. He healed what he could with his strength, since mine was about gone. He kept me from losing my leg and stayed with me until I was rescued. Only then did he retreat back. He was there and ready when I tried to leave the cruiser and was more than willing to come on board and get me if I couldn't make it. But Ventress took on that responsibility, while my brother did everything he could afterward," he cocked on eye-ridge then, "And it frustrated him to no end that there was next to nothing he could do."

Adi shook her head when she heard that while Luminara cocked her head, none of them able to understand a bond like that but guessing it was similar to the bond shared between Master and Padawan. But Tarkin wasn't interested in that kind of a bond and had seen an opening when Kit talked about his brother, enough of an opening to ask, "And if we were to find your brother and arrest him for his crimes?" Tarkin asked, "What would you do?"

Kit didn't have to think about it before he said, "Likely do what I did the last time he was in danger: forget I was a Jedi and act without a second thought. It would mean never setting foot on Coruscant again and spending my life on the run, but I guess that would be keeping with family tradition," he cocked an eye-ridge suddenly, looking faintly amused, "But that is assuming you are able to catch him again. And while it seems like a few of my brothers are incapable of learning anything new, they never forget. They remember each time they are captured and how it happened and then use that knowledge to not get caught again. It's how they have stayed ahead of the Jedi and the authorities for so long."

Tarkin glared at him when he saw that the Nautolan wasn't impressed or intimidated by any of his threats, while Mace only said, "Your brothers are dangerous, Kit, you know this. Why not help us understand them?"

"There's nothing to understand, Master Windu," Kit said softly as he looked at the Jedi master, "My brothers are criminals and warriors, like many in the clan. They do what they have to to survive, as do many others in the galaxy, and they don't care what laws they break in order to do so. They are people that see laws as temporary things, not worth the time or effort to learn about before they are gone, and living the life of a wanderer guarantees you don't familiarize yourself with the laws of a planet or moon before moving on. And when you're an outcast, like my brothers, but dedicated to the protection of your people and family, you do what you must to keep credits coming in. Those credits paid for medicine and food the clan couldn't get on Glee Anselm before it left. The Monarchy spent the last few thousand years starving the clan out until the clan started smuggling itself off the planet and coming back with food and medicine. When I became the leader of the Phoenix Order, I had scouts and guides start looking for another planet, knowing my clan was running out of time. Once Lorelei was born, we started looking harder. I didn't want her growing up in that hell. I still remember burning my arm when a heat vent went off before I knew how to tell it was about to go off. I didn't want that for my daughter," he looked up at Mace then, "That is the purpose of the Order more than anything else: help individuals and groups the galaxy, and the Jedi, have left behind and try and make their lives a bit better. We may fail, we may succeed, but we do more than most by just trying."

Mace was silent when he heard that, as were the other Jedi, only now beginning to understand just how committed Kit was to the Phoenix Order and his family, and that became more clear when he added quietly, "My brothers may come because I am here, and I'm sure the entire base heard the argument between myself and my mother about coming back here. She didn't want me to come, but I refused to listen and told her I was returning whether she liked it or not. Depending on what happens today, my brothers will either come here to get me out or fight their way to me to get me out. They won't be fighting Jedi, though. Either way, she wins, because it means I leave the Jedi, for good. If they do come, be prepared for quite an interesting fight. The only ones that will come are the ones battle-tested against Jedi or Sith. The others don't care what happens to the Jedi and will likely come close but not too close in case they are needed. They are the ones rescuing Rayla."

"That doesn't tell us anything and doesn't tell us what you are doing here if Seeker is planning on exposing the chancellor," Ki-Adi said, "And it doesn't explain what you want from us. You can't just be here to tell us about this Order and the Phoenix. What do you really want?"

Kit looked at him, but before he could answer, Tarkin said suddenly, "I found the video of where Seeker went. Coordinates put her in the Tashtor sector on the planet Takodana," he looked at Kit then, "What was she doing there?"

"No idea," Kit said with a shrug, "Seeker has the bad habit of telling me her plans after she completes a mission. It guarantees I can't talk her out of doing something stupid."

"Sounds vaguely familiar," Obi-Wan muttered as he thought about a certain Padawan of his doing the exact same thing, which was probably what got him caught by Seeker and Kit at Home Base. Kit glanced at him but said nothing as they watched the feed of Seeker piloting her starfighter down for a landing near an ancient castle. R6 stayed where he was as she went inside the castle, which was bustling with patrons drinking, gambling, and arguing. A few pirates were sitting and drinking in the corner, and Obi-Wan rolled his eyes when he saw Hondo. Seeker paid the Weequay no attention and instead focused on someone else, but whoever that was was out of range of the bug. But whoever she was staring at apparently saw her since Seeker nodded slightly and left the chaos and the noise. She headed away from the castle and into the surrounding forest, R6 tagging along for a few minutes. Eventually, she stopped where a fallen tree was leaning against another and sat down on the tree, waiting.

She didn't have to wait long as a humanoid female with orange skin and small eyes joined her. She was wearing coveralls and was about as tall as R6, who beeped a greeting when he saw her. She patted the droid's dome before joining Seeker, who was staring at some blades of grass she was playing with between her hands. It was silent for a few moments before the humanoid said, "The last time I saw you, you were a Tholothian named Amin Gallia. Before that, you were a Wookiee named Wuahom. And before that, a Mikkian named Sevrin Zlel. Now you call yourself Seeker, but that is not your name. You certainly wear many faces," as she settled above the half-Nautolan so that Seeker had to look up at her. Kit glanced at the feed sharply, wondering what was going on and who this person was, since as far as he knew Seeker had never met her before.

But there were some things that were kept from him, that he knew and accepted as best he could.

Seeker shrugged before saying, "And those faces are never the same, but always similar to each other. I never saw Amin Gallia, but Qui-Gon told me her granddaughter looks similar. But I don't know why I'm here," she looked up at the other woman then, "Something told me to seek you out, Maz Kanata. Something said I needed to find you."

Maz nodded slowly, "Like you needed to find your Jedi friend after those monsters took her. I am no Jedi, but I know the Force. I have no love for Jedi, but what those monsters did to her warrants everything that Fisto brother did to them."

"It's why I didn't stop him," Seeker said quietly, "I would have done the same," leaving Yoda and Adi to look at Kit, who only said quietly, "You don't want to know, trust me," before turning back to watch the feed.

Maz nodded slowly before saying, "You are powerful and wise in the Force. Wiser than your years suggest. Why do you come here? Is it to run the gauntlet as Amin Gallia did before you? Wuahom and Sevrin did not, but Amin did, and she told me her death was set and she would not fight it. Forty years later, it came to pass, and here you are almost forty years after her death for some purpose. Do you dare run the gauntlet?" gesturing behind them to where a dark trail disappeared into the depths of the forest.

Seeker stared at it a moment before saying, "No, I don't," she turned back and looked up at Maz, "My death is set, and it comes for me faster than it did for Amin. In a few days, I will meet it."

Kit looked up sharply when he heard that, eyes narrowed and alert as he heard this, but he said nothing as Maz said, "You plan to do what your predecessor did thousands of years ago when another tried to have the same power Sidious did. He didn't come close, but your predecessor destroyed herself to keep him from rising to Sidious' level," she looked closely at the half-Nautolan, "That is what you are going to do. You will destroy yourself to defend this galaxy from a darkness the likes of which it has never seen before."

Seeker was silent and still for a few moments before finally nodding, and Maz shook her head while Kit's eyes widened in shock and surprise when he heard that, almost unable to believe it but knowing it wasn't the first time a Phoenix had sacrificed in such a way. The older woman leaned forward then and put her hand under Seeker's chin, forcing her head up. Looking deeply into her dark eyes, Maz could see her determination. Maz smiled suddenly and said, "Go, child. Prove you have every bit of your father's determination and all the strength of your mother's character and end this threat. Show Sidious the only thing more powerful than him is the Force!" reaching forward and gently kissing Seeker's forehead before saying more quietly, "I will watch for you in the Force like I have all those that came before you. Even if I hope you don't see your end so soon."

Seeker bowed her head then and stood up, heading for her ship with R6. They were soon on their way, and that was when Tarkin ended the holovideo, knowing there was nothing else to see. The Council was silent as they absorbed this news, and finally Mace turned to Kit and asked, "You didn't know?"

Kit shook his head before saying quietly, "I didn't even know about this Maz Kanata," and Obi-Wan asked, "She's already here, isn't she?"

Kit nodded before finally saying, "And heading for the Senate as we speak. She had plenty of opportunities over the years to confront him, but she wanted it on her terms and when she was ready. She's been building her strength and her power for decades, knowing she would only have one chance at this," he looked up then, "She's ready now, and now I know she won't stop until he's gone. If it costs her her life, so be it," pain flickering in his eyes that he was quick to hide. But Obi-Wan and Adi saw it and wondered what it was, Obi-Wan suddenly realizing that Seeker might be Kit's most dangerous attachment. Even more dangerous than his attachment to his daughter and his people.

"But the guards will stop her," Tarkin said suddenly, but Kit shook his head, "They won't stand a chance against her, and she won't let them stand in her way."

"Help her, we should," Yoda said, getting ready to stand up, but Tarkin quickly said, "This could be a trap, Master Jedi."

"It's not," Kit cut in, "The trap is the one the Jedi walked into five years ago when they agreed to fight in this war. The only saving grace any of us might have is the fact Seeker planned this day out more than you think. And with a bit of luck, we might just survive it. The war couldn't be more unpopular, and soon Sidious would have made a move that would have brought the Jedi Order to its knees. But he can't make that move completely without Skywalker. Even if he isn't the Chosen One, he still is a powerful and easily manipulated piece in this game of war we've been playing."

"You disagree with the war?" Tarkin asked, trying to bait the former Jedi, but Kit wasn't falling for it as he asked, "You want to argue that out now?"

"What better time like the present?" Tarkin asked snidely.

Kit stared at him before his eyes rolled up in his head for a few moments, and the Jedi could feel the Force respond to him in a way it never had in the past, proving he was now much stronger in the Force than ever before. Kit stayed like that until finally, he said, "We're out of time," seconds before exploding into a fury of movement as two things happened at once.

First the door to the chamber was thrown open with the Force as a being dressed in black leaped into the room with a red lightsaber drawn and ready. Seconds later, another being flew through one of the windows, smashing it to pieces and leaping for the Sith. As they did this, Luminara and Adi could just make out the familiar cowl and hood that went with Seeker's Sith hunting partner. That partner leaped onto the Sith and sent them back into the antechamber while Kit rolled clear, coming up with his hands free, the binders falling free and open from his hands, making Obi-Wan shake his head and make a mental note to ask Kit how he kept doing that. The clones had been run over by the Sith hunter as they fought the Sith out of the room, the Temple guards unable to do anything without accidentally injuring someone in the mix, and even Tarkin had to pick himself up from the chaos that had come with the Sith and hunter's arrivals.

The Council was on its feet by now, and Kit turned to Mace and said, "Sidious sent his remaining Sith to attack the Temple. The ones that weren't there on Exegol when Seeker destroyed it are now here. They will be joined by clones whose inhibitor chips will force them to turn on the Jedi soon enough. Seeker was able to short out most of them over the years, but there might be a few left who will be forced to act. We need to secure the Temple. The only ones left are Masters, Knights, and senior Padawans. All the rest have been evacuated," Mace shaking his head at how carefully Kit and Seeker had planned everything as the Sith hunter came back into the room, sheathing their green lightsaber as they did so.

They tossed their head before reaching up and pulling the cloak and cowl off, revealing a white Nautolan. Like Taylora had said, his head-spots were silver, but the one thing the Jedi were surprised to see were his eyes. One was blue and piercing, a human eye, while the other was a milky, cloudy color surrounded by a black scar that went all the way back to his ear and barely missed his left gill plate. Seeing him, the Jedi thought he looked familiar, but then he turned to Kit and said, "The Sith have breached the entrance and are heading this way. That one," jerking his head behind him, "was a scout. There are at least four hundred more, but Seeker thinks there may be as many as a thousand," his Basic surprisingly unaccented. He was dressed in tunic and trousers with strong boots, and his lightsaber was made of a darker metal with gold inlaids around a hilt covered in tribal markings, similar to Seeker's. All it was missing was the water. Almost as an afterthought, he tossed Kit a lightsaber, and Obi-Wan's stomach clenched when he recognized it.

It was Qui-Gon's.

Kit didn't say anything about it as he nodded before asking, "Where's your sister?" as the hunter started turning around.

The white Nautolan only froze and turned back to say, "Doing what she has to. She told me to be ready for whatever happens today, and think creatively," he shrugged slightly, "Whatever that means."

"She's made it to the Senate?" Kit asked, to which the white Nautolan shook his head, "Not yet. A few more minutes and she'll be there. She also said to keep an eye out for enemies in unlikely places. Which reminds me…." giving no other warning as he suddenly whipped around and sent a fist flying towards Tarkin. The captain jumped back slightly in surprise, unable to do anything as the Nautolan's fist flew for his face with deadly accuracy.

But that fist was stopped by Kit, who grabbed his wrist and said, "Not now. You can break his jaw later," before letting go and heading for the door. The white Nautolan hesitated for a few moments, staring at Tarkin emotionlessly before Kit looked over his shoulder and said, "Avery!" his voice hard and sharp, clearly a command he expected to be obeyed. The white Nautolan only bared his teeth slightly before turning around and heading for the door. He left the room ahead of Kit but said nothing, and once he was gone, Kit shook his head before Luminara asked, "Who is that?" trying to understand who had just saved their lives and was now fighting for the Temple. And why he was so unpleasant.

Kit replied, "Seeker's twin brother, Avery. Not quite as Force-sensitive, but still strong in the Force," he turned back to look at Luminara, "I trained him to be a Sith hunter, and he does the task well. The two of them are not easily separated, and he refused to let her do this by herself. He listens to me, sometimes, but that's about it. He has what Seeker calls selective hearing, and will only listen if it is something he wants to do. He's also generally unpleasant to be around," he cocked his head, "His personality doesn't really allow for him to make friends. At all. And he doesn't want to be friends with anyone here, so don't try. He isn't above killing just for the sake of it," the warning more than clear, and the Council understood it. Whether they liked it or not, Kit had trained both these half-Nautolans and knew their personalities and behavior better than they did or ever would. Ignoring his words regarding them would be the most dangerous thing they could do today.

Obi-Wan shook his head when he heard that but only said, "Let's follow him and make sure the Temple is secured before he goes on a rampage. Hopefully, that training of his holds out," Obi-Wan said as the Council ran from the room and avoided the dead Sith, "Otherwise, this fight will be much harder than it's already guaranteed to be."

Kit said nothing as he followed Mace and the others, Tarkin and the clones coming along as well to help as much as they could or be in the way, knowing that now was the time for the most challenging fight he had ever fought before.

The battle for the Republic and the galaxy had begun.