Chapter 4 - Investigations and Inquest
Plo landed his craft and went to join the other pilots gathering outside of Anakin's ship.
"He flew into the hold, behind the deflector shield and blasted the main reactor…" marveled one of the pilots.
"Amazing… They don't teach that in the academy." Another wowed at the boy's exploits.
Plo almost laughed at his mention of the academy, but decided to stay silent and have some fun with it.
"We're all accounted for. Who flew that ship?" Ric Olie, the pilot known as bravo leader, asked.
As Anakin's ship came to a stop and the cockpit opened, Plo was rewarded with looks of shock on all the team's faces.
"I'm not going to get into trouble, am I?"
'Gosh, all that trick flying, and the boy chooses now to get shy.' Plo almost shook his head at the boy. Years of training younglings, however, taught him something, and the Jedi master schooled his face to compensate.
The droid designated R2-D2 beeped a response that Plo would insist sounded like "uh-oh!"
As Anakin got out of the cockpit, lifted onto one of the other pilot's shoulders, Plo saw that he was indeed well. No damage was done in either the firefight or the explosion. So Plo let him celebrate with the men and he went looking for the rest of his fellow Jedi.
After their victory a lot of work still remained to be done. The citizens of Naboo needed to be released from the internment camps and returned to everyday life smoothly and without a rush so no one got hurt. It was all a lot easier said than done, but with six Jedi on world, it was a lot easier than it could have been.
Of course, their party barely had to comm Coruscant to share a mission update before Grandmaster Yoda and the rest of the council were on their way to Naboo. Qui-Gon found it odd that the procession didn't even wait to talk to the new Supreme Chancellor after the election.
'Oh well, I guess they'll talk to him here on Naboo then,' thought the Jedi. The Queen had gotten word that Naboo's own Senator was selected to fill the role.
'Hmm, good for him. Though this does mean that Naboo will need to hold another election. And so soon after the invasion. That won't be easy.' Qui-Gon made a mental note to mention this to the young Queen, as he prepared to join the others and greet the council when they arrived.
The new Supreme Chancellor was due to arrive the following day, having made several press statements about how his heart was broken by what he'd heard from Naboo and his first priority was to see justice done and the leaders of the invasion arrested.
The Jedi's ship arrived that evening. Qui-Gon stood with Obi-Wan and Anakin in the courtyard, while Ki-Adi-Mundi and Yarael Poof waited on the other side of the ramp. Depa Billaba and Plo Koon had boarded their ship to confer with the council.
'Likely to tell them all the ways I've messed up on this mission,' Thought Qui-Gon. Though that was a bit dark of a thought for the evening. He scolded himself for it and tried to cleanse the negativity from his mind.
The doors opened and Grandmaster Yoda descended. As he walked down, Qui-Gon thought the old Jedi smiled at him and for a second he thought the council might be pleased.
Then Master Windu emerged with a scowl on his face, and Qui-Gon let that hope die before any disappointment could set in. "You will report with the boy before the council first thing tomorrow morning. We'd like to hear your account of the mission, and we have made a decision regarding Skywalker," Mace ordered.
Qui-Gon hoped this meant the council saw sense and decided to let him train Anakin. But then with the council, you never know.
The Queen generously allowed the council to use an interior turret room of her royal palace in lieu of a council chamber while the Jedi were on Naboo. It was there that the council waited to meet with Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and young Anakin the next morning.
The council sat in much the same seating arrangement as they were used to. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan entered and bowed, as was their fashion. Anakin even imitated a bow as well as any youngling could be expected to, Mace thought.
"First, recount the events of this mission, we must," Yoda started. "Unexpected company, you have had."
"Yes, my padawan was with the crew when they found him onboard," Qui-Gon passed the topic along.
"It seems Anakin was inspired by your own brave words, and he wanted to help." Obi-Wan said, much to his Master's defense.
"Um-hmm," Mace hummed. "The boy's idea, it was, to accompany you into enemy territory, then? To enter a hangar under enemy fire? To board a Naboo Fighter and join a space battle?"
For a moment Qui-Gon looked thoroughly chastised due to the scolding. And maybe Mace enjoyed that a bit too much. But then it was Qui-Gon, and the man definitely deserved it.
But then he ruined the moment by pointing his finger at the council. "Now, I did instruct him to find a place to hide when we got to the hangar. And once he was on that ship, I told him to stay there. It looked safe."
"But stay there, he did not," Yoda noted.
At this point Anakin protested, "Hey, all he said was not to leave the cockpit. I didn't! I was in the cockpit the whole time."
"Of course. Master Jinn said nothing about not leaving the hangar, or entering orbit," Mace said seriously.
"No. He didn't," insisted the youngling.
"Thank you, Anakin." Qui-Gon muttered.
"You're welcome," said Anakin, like he actually thought he was helping.
"Of course, we didn't have any other options. By the time we discovered him on the ship, it was too late to turn back," Qui-Gon tried.
"You could have left him in the swamps with a Gungan family, or left him with one of the Queen's handmaids. Anywhere but an active war zone!" Mace scowled.
"Now, he's already displayed a resistance to saying back and following orders. If I had, he might have followed anyway," Qui-Gon stated.
Mace was about to protest this when young Anakin did it for him. "I would have stayed with Padme."
"Padme is the Queen," Qui-Gon breathed.
"Now she is, but back then she was pretending to be a handmaid while that other woman pretended to be Queen. I would've stayed with her, and I'd have protected her too. Whether she was the queen or not, because that's what a good Jedi does. Right, Master Qui-Gon?"
Behind this, Obi-Wan looked like he was about to burst. Based on the faint chuckles Mace could hear around the room, the Padawan wasn't alone in his struggles. Yoda, in particular, found it quite amusing.
"Very true, youngling Anakin. A Jedi's job, that is," Yaddle spoke up.
"Enough of what if's. Let us move on. The Sith. Tell us of its demise," urged Saesee Tiin.
"Yes, he was a very skilled fighter, and was militant from the start. We would not have been able to capture him. It took a combined effort and a mind trick to take him down. I am proud to say that it was my padawan who made the fatal blow." Qui-Gon's chest puffed up to say this.
"Our next business, this brings us to. Padawan Kenobi. Much valor, you have shown. A Sith, you have killed. And skills as a knight, you have demonstrated," Yoda began.
"Therefore, it pleases the council, we'd like to offer you knighthood, and consider all trials passed," Depa Billaba finished with a warm smile.
"Knight your Padawan, would you like to?" Yoda turned to Qui-Gon and offered him the honorable position.
Qui-Gon smiled brightly. "Yes, I would."
Yoda stepped back and Qui-Gon stood at the head of the circle. Obi-Wan bowed in front of his Master, and the lights were dimmed. All around the room, the Master's lit their lightsabers and held them aloft.
"By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, you may rise." As Qui-Gon spoke these words, he moved his lit saber over the former padawan's shoulders, and up to cut the braid from his head.
As the council deactivated their lightsabers, and someone went to turn the lights back on, Anakin clapped his hands and whistled. The new knight blushed and smiled at the untraditional reaction to his ceremony. Qui-Gon returned to his place in the middle of the room, and Yoda stepped back into his position.
Mace stepped out next, and eyed the youngling skywalker. "Now's my turn. Young Anakin, it has been requested on your behalf that this council allow you to join our ranks and train you for knighthood under the order. We, the Jedi council, would like to fulfil that request. Initiate Skywalker, do you accept?"
"Uh, yeah!" Anakin excitedly replied.
"Good for you, young one," Qui-Gon congratulated. "Then, shall I claim him as my next Padawan?" he looked up to the council with expecting eyes.
"No," Mace rebuked.
"What! I thought I was clear. I want to train him." Qui-Gon was not happy.
"Approve your padawanship, this council does not," Yoda ruled. "Another knight, we have in mind."
"Wha-aaah! Who?" Qui-Gon demanded.
The council's eyes all turned to Obi-Wan. "Knight Kenobi, step forward, will you?" Yoda summoned the startled and confused knight.
"Masters?" Obi-Wan bowed again. Not because it was traditional, but perhaps because he hadn't had a better idea what to do.
"Training a Padawan is a difficult task. Training this padawan, we feel, will be even more so, for any Knight or Master. Therefore, the council has decided to oversee Initiate Skywalker's training themselves, and have chosen you, Knight Kenobi, to coordinate our efforts and to help train Initiate Skywalker. With the will of the council and of the Force, do you accept this assignment?" Mace decreed.
Kenobi looked nervously up at Qui-Gon.
"You should know, young knight, that your decision here and now does not affect whether your former Master will get this role." Oppo Rancisis stated. "The council has already decided on this."
Qui-Gon nodded at Obi-Wan, who turned back to look at Anakin for a couple of seconds. Then with a decision made, Obi-Wan looked back at the Master of the Order. "Yes, I accept Padawan Skywalker and will train him with honor until his Knighthood."
"A Padawan for a few more years, Skywalker will not be." Yoda said, inciting a chuckle around the room. "Still. Your oath, we do accept."
"Thank you, Masters," Obi-Wan said.
"Good," Mace smiled again. "Take Initiate Skywalker to our ship. I've brought some supplies for him. Our pilot will show them to you."
Qui-Gon turned to follow them out, and Mace stopped him with a hand.
"Not you," he ordered.
"Pardon, what other business do we have?" Qui-Gon asked innocently.
"Your disciplinary hearing," Mace responded as soon as the other two had left.
"Dis-discipline," Qui-Gon stuttered in shock.
"To do this, I did not want. But reckless, you have been, and a youngling, you have endangered," Yoda spoke grimly.
"Masters, I was not alone on this mission."
"We've heard their take on things." Mace said. "We've also heard your own take. Is there anything else you'd like to add for the record?"
There was a silent pause for nearly thirty seconds. "N-no, I don't believe there is," Qui-Gon answered. His voice was quite high.
"They have stated that upon finding him, you were more concerned with teaching him than…" Mace started.
Qui-Gon raised his hand here, in objection. "I did not teach him."
"Still a form of instruction, observation is," Yaddle said coolly. This surprised Mace, as she's usually the first to assist the defender in these sessions. Not when it involves a youngling, apparently.
"... More concerned with teaching him than listening to their objections and worries for his safety," Mace finished.
Qui-Gon responded in a low voice. "I was merely taking advantage of a difficult situation in the best way I knew how. There were few other options."
"Oh," the council rolled their eyes. "Defeated, this argument already has been," Yoda stated.
"Getting the Queen to agree to youngling-sit. Are we really arguing this." Qui-Gon tried to laugh.
"Supposed to defend the Queen, you were." Said Yoda.
"And yet, you brought her to the same battleground. How old is the Queen here?" Mace asked.
"Queen Amidala is fourteen standard years old," stated Adi Gallia. "A minor by Republic law."
"Is this a pattern, Master Jinn?" Mace asked.
Qui-Gon gasped, as he thought frantically for a defense.
"Just tell me one thing," Mace moved on. "Since you left Tatooine, has that boy once changed his clothes? Had a shower? A proper meal?"
"Now, yes. The pilots gave him some rations during the flight." Qui-Gon said. "Look, it's nothing I ever had to worry about with Obi-Wan. He was thirteen. He bathed himself. He dressed himself."
"Correct you were, I think." Yoda spoke up. "Know differently, you do not. Correct this, we shall."
Qui-Gon returned to his and his padawan's shared suit in the palace. After the impromptu hearing he was seeking time alone. Alas the force does not always provide exactly what one wants. What he found was his former Padawan trying to show a nine year old how to put on Jedi garments.
"And that is your robe. Put on your Tabard first."
"Hey, Qui-Gon is here!" Anakin called out from one of the bedrooms.
Qui-Gon walked up to the door to watch silently.
"Yes, Let's put this on, then you can show him your new outfit," Obi-Wan said. His request bought him a few seconds of stillness before the boy was wiggling and trying to pull his way out again.
Qui-Gon laughed at his former padawan who was left standing there holding Anakin's belt as the youngling ran up to him to pose. "Yes, now I will share with you a little secret. You need the belt so you have somewhere to put your lightsaber when you get one."
"Oh, when do I get one?" Anakin ran back to Obi-Wan to participate in the rest of the dressing.
"That's something you'll have to ask your Master," Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan gave him a pointed look.
"Master like- you Master? Not a slave master?" Anakin's eyes became anxious.
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon shared another pointed look.
"Master, as in teacher. Obi-Wan will be your teacher, your master now. You will never be a slave again, Ani," said Qui-Gon.
"Oh," Anakin's mood seemed to improve. He went back to fidgeting with his tunics and robe.
Obi-Wan leaned over closer to Qui-Gon and whispered. "I'm sorry, Master. I didn't ask them for this, honest."
Qui-Gon put up a hand to stop him. "Don't worry. After that inquest, I think I'm the last Jedi they'd let train him. And the truth is, I couldn't imagine them picking a better Jedi." Obi-Wan looked away in embarrassment. "No, really. You are wise, gentle, and I taught you everything I know."
"Looks like I'll get to fulfill your dying wish after all," Obi-Wan joked.
Qui-Gon smiled and laughed too.
"They weren't too hard on you, were they?" Obi-Wan asked. "I noticed they kept you after we finished. More scolding from the council I presume."
"Yeah, I have to do a hundred and forty hours of Creche duties when we get back." Qui-Gon covered his face with his arm. "Master Yoda doesn't think I understand youngling's enough." His tone shared just what he thought of that punishment.
Obi-Wan had the professionalism to nod and hold a serious look, but inwardly Qui-Gon knew his former Padawan was laughing at him. "I'm sorry about that."
"I bet you are!" Qui-Gon wrestled Obi-Wan, and tickled the man until he laughed. "Give me a hand here," he summoned help from Anakin.
Mace left the council session pleased with how it went. The Grandmaster was clearly no longer having doubts about their plans. As he left the session, he remembered their discussion over this the night before.
"Grandmaster, you summoned me?" Mace had greeted. It was the middle of the night, and one of the Queen's servants had awakened him saying Yoda was getting insistent.
"Sure, you are? The Galaxy's fate, this decides." Yoda stopped pacing to look up at him.
"Yes Master. Let's go over the facts again." Mace sat down on the floor near Yoda. He knew unless they fleshed this out in full, neither of them would be getting any sleep. "As Master Plo's report today confirmed, training Anakin will be a big job."
"And pawn this job off on a single knight, we cannot." Yoda confirmed.
"Yet, according to the code, each padawan must have a single Master," Mace went on. "Therefore whoever we choose must be willing to have a lot of council involvement in his or her Padawan's training. Would Qui-Gon allow this?"
"No, no he would not," Yoda confirmed. "Fight us, he would."
"No, but Padawan Obi-Wan will," Mace put forth. "He's always been open and honest with the council."
"That future, I have seen. A new knight, Obi-Wan will be. Mistakes, he will make." And thus, the reason for the old Jedi's nervousness.
Mace sighed. "By your accounts, he had recently lost his own Master, and was given sole responsibility over a Padawan in such a short time. Of course he made mistakes. I don't know any Jedi Master who hasn't made a few mistakes with their Padawans. But with our help, we will minimize those."
"One of us could…" Yoda started to say.
"Master, if one of us takes him, they would trump the influence of all the others. Perhaps not without realizing it. It would create conflict on the council to train the boy. If there's anything that boy needs less of, it's conflict," Mace shared his wisdom.
The grandmaster nodded along, but his eyes still looked distant and anxious.
"Besides, with your insistence on giving him a breeding exception, Obi-Wan will make a perfect example.
Yoda looked up with surprise at Mace.
"No, I don't intend to veto your ruling. I'm just saying: After that thing with knight Siri that you and Master Jinn tried to persuade him against, after those rumors that the council had to tie up following his mission on Mandalore, and especially after the DNA test the council ordered to settle our own suspicions, at least we know he knows how to get the job done." Mace teasingly raised an eyebrow.
Yoda's Gimer Stick came down with a hard whack towards Mace's posterior. "Aah!" Somehow after years with the old man, you'd think one would learn to avoid such whacks. But alas, no. Mace was still caught unaware.
"Unnecessary, your crude jokes are… Perhaps, fulfil a sense of family for Anakin, this arrangement will," Yoda observed.
"Perhaps it will, though I wouldn't be using that argument with the council yet." Mace suggested.
Yoda looked up, startled.
Before he could speak, Mace pointed out, "They already find this arrangement unconventional."
Yoda looked thoughtful, but said nothing. After this, Mace had left and gone back to sleep. Mace was glad his Master was able to see reason. He just hoped the old Jedi didn't get any other crazy ideas.
Later that day Sheev Palpatine arrived onboard the grand cruiser his position provided. Yoda went alone to greet him. He'd made sure everyone else, especially Anakin, was otherwise occupied.
Also gathered to greet the Supreme Chancellor were the Queen and several other members of her court. Yoda felt bad, not being able to protect her from his influence, but at least he knew no harm would come from this.
"Congratulations on your election, Chancellor. It is so good to see you again," said the Queen.
"It's good to be home. Your boldness has saved our people, Your Majesty. It is you who should be congratulated. Together we shall bring peace and prosperity to the Republic," Palpatine lied.
Yoda made sure to cleanse his mind of all negativity and to have his shields up before the Chancellor turned to him.
"And Greetings to you, Grandmaster. I had hoped to meet with you before I left Coruscant. It is good to know we both have priorities here. Perhaps we can sit down together while we are both on World. I'd like to discuss…"
"Aaaah," The Chancellor was interrupted by the scream of one of the palace servants.
They both looked around them at that moment to see the severed head of a Zabrak had rolled off of a stretcher as two crewmen carried the Sith's body to a freezer on the Jedi's ship. It had only taken a subtle push with the Force to send it on it's path and it now sat by the shoes of Maul's former Master.
Yoda ignored the reactions of the majority of his audience here and focused on Palpatine.
"Oh, ah." Palpatine stammered awkwardly, but there was no fear in his eyes.
"Oh, I am sorry, sir," The crewmen who were responsible for the body rushed to take it away.
"I mean to say that we can discuss ways the Senate and the Jedi can improve our relationship. While I am Supreme Chancellor, I would like for us to work together to better support the republic." And he moved on, seemingly without a second thought.
"Yes. Like that, I would." Yoda hummed.
The results of this little experiment were not surprising to the Grandmaster. He'd long ago presumed the Sith Master lacked any empathy or guilty conscience. So then why did he test him so? Perhaps you might say it was petty. 'Good, sometimes petty feels.'
Hello,
And the answer for who will teach Anakin is: All of them. I am a fan of the (non-romantic) Anakin x Obi-Wan pairing, and if Yoda hadn't come up with this solution I would've written myself into the story to knock him over the head so I could make it happen. The rest of the council, too, will be spending a lot more time training Anakin than they did in the Canon Universe. And while the Council may think they've decreed Qui-Gon out, the man is Anakin's Grandmaster now. You know he's going to be popping back in here just to drive them nuts.
Giving Qui-Gon the Jedi equivalent to Community Service was fun too. When you think about it, his decisions in the movie really weren't the best. Viewing the movies you can easily forget Padme is supposed to be fourteen. The actress was, according to google, sixteen when it was filmed, and I understand the practicality of that. There is still a big age gap, in those two years children grow and develop a lot. And I thought I should mention Anakin's same outfit throughout much of the movie. Though this was done for continuity, instead of any storytelling reason. I find it helps my story here, and I will use it.
In the movies it looked like Yoda and some of the council hitched a ride with the chancellor. I think that hours (possibly days) in hyperspace with a Sith, future emperor, and Jedi killer would be too much to put Yoda through. So I rewrote it so that they arrived ahead of him because Yoda knew ahead of time they'd want to go to Naboo. And having the whole council travel there together seems odd, but I thought a Sith would be a priority for the order. There are other people who can lead the day to day back on Coruscant. It didn't feel right having some members only there in Holo-form.
And I know I just teased a possible 'nother Kenobi running around. I am not sure I want to open that can of worms in this AU. I just couldn't resist having Mace make the joke and having Yoda Whack him for it. My lips are sealed on which affair the DNA test was for, exactly.
Next chapter will likely involve a mixture of POV's too. Anakin may be mentioned, but the focus will be on Yoda and one of his plans [evil smirk]. And Jar Jar will play a role too. I'm not sure if I'll get as far as the Jar Jar Pov section, but I do intend to write one sooner or later. After this we'll be heading back to Coruscant where Anakin's training will be the focus of a lot of the chapters.