note, edited 10:45 9/17/21- My first upload was from my phone b/c my computer was doing funny things, but my phone didn't do the copy-paste thing right, so I've had to come in and fix it. Sorry about that. Hmm, It's still not keeping italics. anything in ' ' is a thought and supposed to be italics too. anything in " " is a quote said outloud.

Chapter 21 - Overruled!

"Look at this, Master Yoda." Anakin held his hand out and concentrated. The learning block on the floor started to shake and rattle.

Yoda remembered when he used ordinary stones to teach Luke the very same thing. "Concentrate," he told him.

"Hold on a sec. I did it last night." Anakin concentrated his face even harder.

"Feel the Force. Flow through you, it does." Yoda remembered his son had the same trouble. He'd try too hard and forget to just do it.

After a while the block floated up in the air. When it made contact with Anakin's hand he opened his eyes wide.

"Yes, Master. Anakin practiced hard last night," Obi-Wan said.

"Aah, good. Quickly you learn," Yoda praised. Anakin smiled proudly. "Keep practicing, you should. Speak to your Master, I will." Yoda led Obi-Wan to the other side of the room. They were both within view of Anakin, but far enough away to talk privately.

"Your help, I would like, Knight Kenobi. A Crime Lord on Nar Shaddaa we are going to arrest. A shadow, hidden in his ranks, too, we have. Bring her home, we must. Help her to readjust back to Temple life, you can. Helpful to have a familiar face there, It will be."

"A familiar face?" Obi-Wan repeated, startled. "Who do I know that is on a Shadow assignment?"

"Know her, you will. This secret yet, I cannot tell. Not until, safely in our custody, she is."

"Okay, I guess. Uh, when are you expecting to bring her in?"

"The day after tomorrow, Fifteen hundred hours, they should arrive."

"Oh, uh." Obi-Wan shifted nervously. "I had plans, but I'll shift them. Yeah, I'll be there."

"Good. Good, this is." Yoda chuckled as his plans were coming together.

"So?" Anakin pestered. "What did Master Yoda want?"

Obi-Wan put a hand on his back as they walked back to their rooms. "Well, I'm not really sure, but he wants my help. Listen." He turned to face Anakin. "In two days Bant was going to give you a special swimming lesson in the Healer's pool. I will have to be helping Yoda then. You can still meet Bant and take her lesson, but I can also comm her and ask to reschedule."

Anakin looked down, then back up. "Well, I don't want to go without you, but It'll be nice to see Bant again. She's nice, and I wanna ask her about the girl."

"Hmm?"

"The fat girl from my dreams. It felt like Bant was in a couple of them. I think she knows her."

"You've had that dream again?"

"Um-hmm. Only it's a bit different sometimes. Sometimes she's with the spider instead of Bant," Anakin explained.

Obi-Wan nodded. They continued into their residence, and Anakin started his homework. Obi-Wan sat down with his datapad. He pulled up it's connection to the Archives and typed "Dreams," into the search box.

The next day, after spending hours pouring over books in the Creche, Obi-Wan knocked on Qui-Gon's door.

The door opened. "Qui-Gon is not here." Master Dooku stood in his place.

"Oh, Uh…" Obi-Wan stood there speechless.

"We were going to have a chat, but then he remembered a last minute engagement he had with the Council. I've had to leave him a note." The Master almost rolled his eyes.

Obi-Wan nodded. "That's funny, today Master Yaddle had to cancel her lessons with Anakin for a big council meeting. He's with a class of other younglings that Master Shaak Ti is teaching instead. Grandmaster, I had been researching something, and having some trouble figuring it out. Perhaps you could help me instead?" Obi-Wan had never had a strong relationship with his Grandmaster. He'd always felt the man was critical of him. But then he didn't want to go back to Master Nu. The elder librarian wasn't used to unconventional uses of the Force, and she was developing a tic in her eye from his constant questions.

Dooku thought about it for a second, then with a tilt of his head, invited him inside.

Obi-Wan ran in and placed his holo-books down on the kitchen table. "It's my initiate, Anakin. I don't know if Master told you about him."

"Initiate Skywalker, a Midi-chlorian count higher than Yoda. Supposed Chosen one. Yes, I heard the news."

"Well, he's been having nightmares. They got better after he was able to see his mother, for a bit, but then they started coming back recently," Obi-Wan explained.

"Perhaps this is a problem better left to the Mental Healers," Dooku suggested.

"Yeah, it's what I thought, but then he said something to me yesterday. The dreams, they're repeating. And what's more, my friend Bant. He's met her only once, yeah. She's been in several of these dreams. So I've been researching it." Obi-Wan turned to move his stack of books around. "Force Visions are not uncommon among powerful Jedi, though usually you have to Meditate for a while to have them."

"Yes, although Anakin is stronger. It is, I suppose, understandable that he'd receive visions unlooked for. Like a subtle communication from the Force itself." Dooku scratched his beard. "It's very interesting theologically."

"Yes. The literature also warns that acting on these visions without proper caution could be disastrous. But he can't really remember much about them, only isolated figures or general ideas. That's why I wanted to see them for myself. I was researching methods all day. Here." Obi-Wan pulled out a book. "I was going to try to use a Force Meld. I know this is mostly used on the battlefield, but I was going to try to adapt the technique to use here."

"Does he have experience in dual meditations? He'll have to hold his own mind apart from a merged mind. This can be tricky for beginners." Dooku asked.

"No, but I was hoping I could hold them separate for him. It'll only be the two of us. It should be manageable."

"Hmm," Dooku thought hard with his eyes. "I think you're over complicating it."

"Say what?" Obi-Wan was confused now.

"You don't need to fully merge your minds. Not if all you want to do is see and hear what is going on in his dreams. You'll want to merge your senses."

"Wait." Obi-Wan paged through his document. "This is done on lesser life forms. Animals and such. Would it even work on a human?"

"A conscious human, no, but one who is asleep, with some added help, possibly." Dooku turned. "Come Padawan. Let's see what Qui-Gon keeps in his medicine cabinet."

"Hmm, No. Hmm, too strong." Dooku looked through the bottles one at a time. "Aah, here we go. One of these will do fine, but it needs a little something else." Dooku handed the bottle to Obi-Wan and walked back into the kitchen.

Obi-Wan read the bottle "Allergy relief pills. Standard ages six through twelve, take one tablet every four hours. Twelve and over, two tablets." Obi-Wan remembered these pills. They made his head spin. He followed Dooku back into the kitchen.

Dooku had somehow managed to unlock the Master's liquor cabinet. The one Obi-Wan, in all his years, had never been able to open. Dooku's head was stuck in it going through bottles. "Ah here it is. This will do."

"Master! That's Alcohol! Anakin is TEN!" Obi-Wan shouted.

"Oh a little bit won't hurt him. I gave some of this to Qui-Gon when he was a Padawan. Got him to sleep soundly."

'Well, that explains a few things.' Obi-Wan almost muttered out loud.

"Come here now. The theory is, we're dampening his mind's natural tendency to throw you out. That, combined with him being unconscious, will let you see into his dreams." He pulled out a piece of flimsy and wrote an amount. "This much should work for you. Mix it with some juice and he won't notice a thing. When you try this, if you have any success, comm me. I'll want to hear about it."

"I will, thank you Grandmaster."

"And when you see Qui-Gon again, tell him I left him a message, the secret way. I should be going now." Dooku looked at the time, then hurried out the door.

Obi-Wan pulled out a piece of scratch-flimsy and wrote a note. "I came by to see you but you were out. Dooku was here instead. He says he left you a message, the secret way. I'm borrowing a couple things, but will replace them next time I am able. Obi-Wan."

Leaving the note on the counter for his Master, Obi-Wan left and went to go pick up Anakin from his class.

Oppo Rancisis sat in his seat. Around him his fellow Masters were making their ways in. His second set of hands fidgeted under his robe as he stared at the closing doors.

Yoda made his first move to stand up and address the Council. "Called you all here…"

"Masters," Qui-Gon voiced from the door.

"What! What are you doing here?" Depa Billaba yelled.

"This is a closed session, Master Jinn," Mace said.

"I invited him," Oppo spoke up. "Yesterday, I overheard you and Yoda discussing the plan for today, and I thought he would be able to provide us with expert testimony. Since Master Gallia is away, he's the only one of us who knows Kenobi and Tachi well enough to say how this proposal would affect them." Yoda could be as stubborn as a youngling at times, and Oppo thought the opinion of a Jedi from his own lineage might just sway him. Of course it also helped that Master Jinn was so against telling Obi-Wan when this last came up. Oppo had no doubt the Master will be appalled by the idea that Yoda will suggest. He just wished Qui-Gon would've shown up on time, and he would've been able to prepare him for this.

Mace took a breath. "Very well. If there are no objections, you may take Master Gallia's seat. Speaking of which, since Master Piell is still on Tatooine, and Adi is on a mission, I will be transcribing the minutes for them both."

Thank you, Master Windu." Yoda stood back up and hobbled back into position to address the Council, as Qui-Gon sat where directed. "Called you all here, I have, to present a plan for change that is needed. A vision, before Anakin arrived, I had. Told me, the Force did…"

'Hmm, did Yoda just glance at Qui-Gon? Whatever could that mean?' Oppo thought.

Yoda, meanwhile, continued his explanation, "...New ways of teaching, the chosen one will need. Family, he will require. An exception, we will give him. Attachments, Skywalker will form. Allow this, the Council will."

This statement was met with confusion. 'Didn't we already cover this?' The question was clearly coming to mind across their circle.

Depa scoffed, and looked to Master Windu, expecting him to launch the first objection at the word attachment alone, but as Oppo knew to expect, the man remained calm and silent.

Qui-Gon nodded in agreement. "Yes, what good news. Anakin will do well with his mother and family in his life."

Oppo suppressed a smile. 'Just you wait. You haven't heard half of it!'

"What my Master is alluding to." Mace started. "Right now, Skywalker's connections are parental and friendly. As he grows we see them becoming more mature as well."

Depa looked confused for a minute and then she blushed as she realized what her Master was saying.

"We expect him to form romantic attachments and, one day, to want to marry and have Younglings of his own." Mace went on, ignoring the scalding looks even his former Padawan was giving him. "These Younglings will probably be Force Sensitive and we will want to train them. So will their father."

"New to us, this will be. No attachments since I was a youngling, Jedi have had. Test this, we will."

"It's against the code! You won't say it, so I will." Depa finally popped.

"The Grandmaster has designed an experiment to test how our proposed methods of including this will work out. I guess it's fortunate for us that we have two members of the order who already have a Youngling together, Knight Kenobi, and soon to be Knight Tachi."

"We already decided their case," Saesee Tiin stated.

"Reverse that decision, this council does. Allow them to bond with their Youngling, we shall," Yoda pronounced.

"Master, I am impressed with the idea. If the subject were not so serious, I would be all for it. However…" Yarael Poof left his line hanging.

"I'm sure there are other, less drastic solutions," Depa said.

"I would be concerned how other knights will react. Will there be a surge of pregnancies in the order because everyone expects the same treatment?" Plo Koon suggested.

"More concerned with the Youngling, I am. An experiment, you make her," Yaddle barked.

"I'm concerned you are making an emotional decision. Have the both of you become attached to the boy?" Eeth Koth asked.

"Please, don't put this responsibility on them. They do not have the training to resist this attachment. And once they start to feel attached, it will be very hard to undo," Ki-Adi-Mundi pleaded.

"You all don't need to ask about my position. We agreed to allow Anakin his mother and step family for his mental health. Now that we're talking about a spouse and younglings. It is so far against the code, I don't see it as being Jedi anymore. But this is why I've brought Master Jinn, here. I trust he has an opinion on this too." Oppo turned to look at him.

"Yes, uh…" Qui-Gon's inexperience in Council sessions showed in his unprepared reaction. "I am in support of it."

Oppo nearly fell off his seat. He turned to stare at the unpredictable Jedi sitting beside him.

"Obi-Wan has a big heart," Qui-Gon added.

"What does the size of his pulmonary muscle have to do with it?" Oppo exclaimed.

"I didn't realize it until I saw him hold the Youngling. He didn't know anything about the situation, but it is his natural state, nurturing. I'm sure you have all seen something similar with him and Anakin. Now that I see this, I believe that we made a mistake. Now..." Qui-Gon continued to talk over the din that objected to his words. "I'll admit that a portion of that mistake was my own. I will take responsibility for it. But it was a mistake, and one I'm glad we are correcting."

Mace actually looked over at Jinn, and gave him an impressed nod. Rarely do they both argue the same way on an issue.

"Thank you, Master Jinn." Yoda looked back to the group. "Need to vote on this, we do not. Decided, I am. Try this, we will."

Worried looks spread throughout the room, many sent to Mace, as he alone had the power to overturn the Grandmaster's decision. And he'd be backed by a unanimous vote of the council, Oppo had no doubt.

"I will not challenge the Grandmaster's decision," Mace proclaimed.

But Oppo was not worried. There was still one more way he could seek to overturn this decision. It would require a petition of at least fifty Masters' and two hundred knights' signatures. It would be permanent, and would throw Yoda off the Council. Extreme, but if it was ever called for, now would be the time.

After the Council session ended, Qui-Gon stayed behind to have a private word with Yoda.

"Grandmaster, I am sorry for interrupting you today. I know I was brought in to oppose you."

"Too bad, predict your opinion, they could not." Yoda laughed. "Let them settle, I will. Lay out the details tomorrow, we will have to. Come back then, you should. Like you here, I would. Helpful, your thoughts will be."

"Yes, of course Grandmaster." Qui-Gon shifted nervously. "Um, will you be telling Obi-Wan, then, or should I…"

"No. Our secret, it is not. Returning soon, Siri will be. Tell him, she will," Yoda concluded.

Hello,

I hope you all are enjoying the story.

Yoda refers to his "Vision" in this chapter. When he and Mace were trying to convince the council to accept Anakin, Mace Windu lied to the Jedi, telling them that Yoda had a Vision. Here Yoda is basically expanding on the lie to get his point across. Before he time-traveled, the Force Ghost of Qui-Gon Jinn told him two things: Anakin must have children, and he must not leave the order. This naturally creates a few problems for the Jedi, because under the traditional system, he would have to have his family in secret. Even if Yoda decided to look the other way, Anakin would still be tempted to leave the order and settle down. But then if he allows them openly, it creates a whole bunch of other issues: Who has custody of the younglings? The Jedi order isn't used to sharing custody.

I had to do some research for this, and both the Force Meld and the Merged Senses, that Obi-Wan considers using, are canon (legends) Force powers. Of course I had to think creatively about their application. Force Meld is typically applied in Battle, and it merges the minds into one shared mind. Merged Senses is supposed to only work with animals and other lower lifeforms. It lets you see what they see.

I also had to do some creative thinking with the Council in this. There is no Canon version of laws for how things work. First, in The Phantom Menace, when Yoda declares that Obi-Wan will train Anakin at the end. He does so as if it is a council vote, but he was the only council member there. Either the council used a Force Meld to make decisions at times, or Yoda's decision counted as more than one vote. GrandMaster is a position he has because he's the eldest member on the council. Master of the Order, on the other hand, is less clear. It seems Yoda and Mace Windu have the title at different points. It might be an elected position, or something like that. I'm not sure. Anyways, with most democratic, or council driven political systems, there are usually checks and balances. So here's what I've decided:

Decisions of the council are usually made unanimously, (yes that means a lot of talking,) unless an emergency decision needs to be made, where either Yoda or Windu will call for a vote. The Grandmaster or the Master of the Order can make a decision that overrules the vote of the Council. If it ever came to it, if there was a disagreement between the Grandmaster and the Master of the Order, a majority vote of the rest of the Council would decide. And, If there is enough reason to doubt a Leader's intentions, a Petition of other knights and Masters can have them booted off of the council, even if they are the Grandmaster. Don't ask me how it worked when Yoda held both positions, the only thing I can suggest is that it was a time of war, and things tend to always play differently during times of war.

In this case, if Oppo successfully boots out Yoda, that would make Yaddle the Grandmaster, since she is, or would be the eldest. And Oppo was Yaddle's Padawan. You all will have to wait for the next chapter to see if Oppo has any luck with his petition. And what will be the results of Obi-Wan's little experiment? Will they interfere with Yoda's plans at all?