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Chapter XI – The deceived
In a large room of the ancient Jedi temple sat the remainder of the council members. Obi wan, Yoda, Mace and Shaak-ti were seated in the familiar semi circle. The room was lit only by the light of torches placed around the room. The masters no longer sat on chairs with seats of leather but sat Indian style on soft mats. Looking around at each of master seated with him, Mace was reminded of how much loss the Jedi have suffered. He rested his arms on his knees and said, "All or most of the survivors have made it here. We need to decide what our next course of action should be. What is our position on this—", He gestured with his hand, "rebellion Bail and Mon Mothma have organized?"
"Our participation in the rebellion would be limited as our numbers have drastically decreased." Obi wan said.
"Shouldn't we look first to the survival of the order?" Shaak–ti asked. "I feel the Jedi should go into hiding."
"Agree with Shaak- ti, I do. But more difficult that will be if the Sith are not stopped." Yoda said pursing his lips. "Hunt us down they will."
"We are not in a position to assist in the rebellion." Mace said grimly.
Obi wan considered this for a moment and said, "We could select a small group, a few to represent the Jedi, to aid the rebellion." He paused again and said, "This group would have to have a way to contact the council on a regular basis."
Yoda nodded. "Great care we must take if successful this plan would be."
"Who would be chosen?" Mace asked.
"I think," Shaak-ti paused, considering her next words, "that Anakin's role in this has proven to be of utmost importance. We should not expel him from the order. Perhaps it is time to fulfill the prophesy."
Obi wan looked at her, "Anakin is not ready for that. It is too dangerous for him to face the emperor alone. He is at a point in his life where things are uncertain. He is confused between his loyalty to the order and his wife. You can't ask this of him now. It would be too easy for the emperor to turn him to the darkside." Obi wan said looking at Shaak – ti. "I sensed much anger in him regarding his twin and the emperor. He hates them. If tempted, he could use this in a fight and start down the path towards the dark side."
"If Anakin were to turn, wouldn't he have done so already?" Shaak-ti said thoughtfully. "I believe Anakin has enough strength to face Patruus and the emperor and resist darkside. Emotion can be a double edged sword, Master Obi wan. It can weaken his resolve and it can strengthen it."
"Which is why the Jedi encouraged to repress emotion." Mace said, "Anakin has violated the code by falling in love and getting married. His allegiance can not be split two in this instance."
"If emotions were allowed, much of the things Anakin was compelled to do, could have been prevented." Obi wan stated.
"Wrong were we to separate emotion from the code. Feel strongly I do that needed is a change." Yoda stated.
Mace looked at Yoda in restrained disbelief, "Master Yoda, you are suggesting we change a code that has been in effect for thousands of years. Are you willing to do this so that Skywalker can remain?"
Yoda blinked slowly, "Defeated thousands of years ago, the Sith were. Remained the same the Jedi have since then, never changing to accommodate for the changing times. However the Sith have. Arrogant and proud we have become. Underestimated the Sith we have. This is what has brought the order to such a pass. The Jedi's unwillingness to change and the Sith's willingness to adapt. Perhaps the first of a few to experience this, young Skywalker is."
"He has kept his marriage a secret, and was considering learning the darkside of the force in order to stop death. He fears the loss of his wife." Mace shook his head, "We cannot ignore that."
"If there is anyone who can bring balance back to the force, Anakin can. He is chosen one. It has been prophesied." Shaak – ti said clasping her wrists in her sleeves.
"It does not necessarily say that the chosen one would be a Jedi." Mace replied.
"And it doesn't say that he wouldn't be. That line of thought could be dangerous, master mace. Anakin has an exceptional ability with the force and his potential is unimaginable." Obi wan shifted in his spot.
"Expelling him could be the start irrevocable damage. It could push him toward the dark side. He would have not an allegiance to anyone other than his wife and his own purpose." Shaak – ti said.
"Anakin is not the villain here. He is a good person and a loyal friend. Other than violating the code for love, he has been a loyal and trustworthy Jedi. The restrictions of the code compelled Anakin. He felt he had no choice but to keep it secret. If he felt he could ask for help, I am sure we could have found a way to help him get through this." Obi wan said passionately.
"Came to me he did. Told me of his vision he did. Do not mourn I told him. Do not miss them I told him. Chosen poorly were my words." Yoda's ears drooped. "The actions of Skywalker, motivated by love and desperation they were."
"Master Yoda, you did not know that it was his wife he spoke of." Shaak – ti paused, "I think you are right though. Change is needed here. Emotion is a natural thing. We are all born experiencing these things. We have been training ourselves from the beginning to negate these natural feelings. Evolution has missed the Jedi. Perhaps there is a way a Jedi can peacefully co-exist with the part of him or herself that loves without attachment."
"There is a very thin line between love and attachment." Mace's face was wry, "Love can bring confusion, jealousy, fear and even possession."
"We can change the code to allow for love. Any negative manifestations of it can be managed through training and meditation." Obi wan said.
"I don't like this." Mace said tenting his fingers together. "That is opening a wider path to the darkside."
Mace remained silent and thought deeply on this point. He looked around the room and finally said, "Do we all agree that the code should be changed, allowing a knight to love?"
The other three masters said, "Aye."
Mace paused momentarily looking upon the floor of the room. He looked back up and nodded slowly, "I do not feel secure with the idea of permitting a knight to love. However I do understand there is a need to change some of the elements of the code." He sighed and said, "Very well. Code will be changed… and Skywalker will not be expelled."
Shaak-ti asked, "And of our position with the rebellion. Will we select a few to take part?"
The other three masters agreed.
"Will Anakin be selected?" Obi wan asked warily.
"We will decide that after a short recess." Mace said. "We must decide how many will go, how will they contact the council, and where the remainder of the order will go."
There was a long moment of silence.
"What has happened to the order, necessary it was for us to change." Yoda slowly said.
Darth Patruus ran a hand through his hair as a chime on his desk sounded off alerted him to an incoming message from the bridge. He pressed the receive button on the holoreceiver and watched the bluish image of Admiral Toslic appear.
"What is it admiral?" Patruus asked calmly.
"We have just received a report that Skywalker has left Tattooine in
his starfighter."
"Has he taken his wife?"
"No, my lord."
The dark lord leaned back in his chair and smiled. You're either foolish or devilishly clever. He spoke slowly, "Well done admiral. Await my orders." And closed the transmission.
He stood up from this desk and walked around the room, lost in thought. This feels too easy. He could be clever enough to have set a trap for me. He paced back and forth until finally he stopped. Grinning to himself he walked over to his desk. He had found a solution to his dilemma. He opened a channel to his master.
After a few moments, the head of the emperor appeared. "Lord Patruus, I trust there is some progress?"
"Yes, my master. Padme Amidala has been located."
"Good." The emperor said slowly. "Kill her immediately. We can use her death to fuel his rage. Only then can we turn him to the darkside of the force."
"Master, perhaps if she were killed in front of Skywalker, his rage would run wild and unchecked. He would have no time to think clearly. He'd act purely on emotion and grief. We'd have a better chance of turning him then."
The emperor paused momentarily thinking to himself. I will order Patruus to do the killing. Skywalker will see and kill him. He will then take his brother's place by my side. "Can it be done?"
"I will make it so my master."
"Then you will do it on Mustafar. You will meet me there. We have much work to do."
"Yes master."
Anakin walked through the halls of the ancient temple noting the differences from the temple he used to know. He took a deep breath as he continued walking through the poorly lit halls. He removed his hood and looked around as he sensed Obi wan's presence.
"Glad to see you made it alright." Obi wan said. Anakin looked to his left to see his former master appearing from an intersecting hall. "How is Padme?"
"She's fine." Anakin said, "She was under a lot of stress with the reports of me being dead. She's almost due to have the baby."
"Did you run into any trouble getting here?"
"No. I hope I didn't miss the meeting."
"As a matter of fact, it's about to start in a few minutes."
"Master, I'll have to leave right after this is over. I find coordinates to a safe place to meet her." He paused, "We plan on going into exile."
"Everything you'll need for that is in the atlas room. But," Obi wan paused and said, "you may change your mind after the meeting is over."
"Why?"
"Many things are going to change, Anakin. These changes will affect every single Jedi, including you."
"Including me?" Anakin asked surprised. "Am I to understand that I have not been expelled?"
"Yes."
Anakin took this peculiar news in and pondered it in silence. Part of him was glad to still be a Jedi Knight and other part dreaded what he thought would happen as a result. He thought about his time being divided amongst the Jedi order and his family. He sighed as these things revealed themselves to him and continued walking with Obi wan in silence to the briefing room.
Padme sat in her room gazing at herself in the mirror as she brushed her hair. She revisited in her mind the moment she saw Anakin sitting beside her on the bed. She smiled knowing that there was a chance of them having a future together. Padme put down the brush and looked down at her swollen belly.
"Everything will be fine, sweetheart." She rubbed her stomach, "Your father will be with us again and we will be happy."
There was a knock on the door that startled her. "Yes?"
"Padme, there is an incoming transmission for you." Beru said through the door.
Padme instantly smiled knowing it was Anakin. "I am coming Beru."
She jumped out of her chair and ran out of the room. She went into the livingroom and played the message. The bluish form of her husband appeared. "Padme." He said with a twisted smile.
"Ani, did you have your meeting already?"
"Yes." He paused, "Are you alright?"
"I am fine. The baby is fine. What happened at the meeting?"
"I can't talk about that right now. I have to make this quick. I want to you meet me on Mustafar."
"Mus- Mustafar? Why?"
"Meet me there my love. I know its sounds strange but from there we can go to another system and find a more suitable place to raise our baby."
"Are you sure?" Padme had a feeling something wasn't right.
"Yes, the empire wouldn't consider that to be a place I'd take you. So they will not look there. There imperial guards everywhere else.
"I'll prepare to leave now. It's going to take me aleast three or four hours to get there."
"That's fine I can wait." He had a gleam in his eye that struck Padme as strange.
"Ani, are are you alright?"
"Yes, why?"
"You seem alittle off."
"Don't worry about me. It's probably fatigue."
"Right." Padme said thoughtfully.
"I'll see you later." He said before closing the channel.
Patruus turned to Captain Narsmet who was standing behind him. "Set a course for Mustafar. Get us there as quickly as possible."
The meeting lasted for two hours and the surviving members of the Jedi order discussed the changes and the effects, the Jedi assigned to assisting the rebellion and the exile of the Jedi order. A very tired Anakin Skywalker slowly made his way towards the holotransmission station in the atlas room. He ran his gloved hand through his hair and punched in a channel to the Lars' farm. Owen's face appeared above the projector. "Hello Anakin."
"Hi Owen, how is everything?" Anakin smiled half heartedly.
"Everything is alright. I had some trouble with one of the evaporators here. Wish I had your hands around. How's Padme? Did she arrive yet?"
Anakin blinked, "What?"
"Did she arrive yet?"
"What do you mean, 'did she arrive yet'? Where did she go?" Anakin's eyes narrowed.
"You contacted her and told her to meet you on Mustafar." Owen shrugged.
"No I didn't. It wasn't--" Anakin was silent for a moment trying to contain his panic and his rage, "When did she leave?"
"An hour and a half ago." Owen said realizing what happened, "Anakin, I am so sorry."
Anakin ended the transmission and raced out to his ship. Once in his ship, Anakin raced to enter the coordinates to Mustafar and he started his engine. Obi wan voice squawked over the comlink headset.
"Anakin, what's wrong? You ran out of here like you were on fire."
"It's Padme. Patruus tricked her into leaving the farm. She left an hour and a half ago to meet him on Mustafar. I am going to try to intercept her."
"Anakin wait! You'll need help. I'll go with you."
"I can't wait Master. I am sorry. You'll have to meet me there."
Anakin end the transmission and said a silent prayer for Padme and the baby's life.