I do not own Star Wars or Ranma. Wah.
Yeah, I know it's not my best title, but the only other one I could think of was simply about Kashyyyk, it's hard to come up with one liner's to describe this entire chapter. I also realize my Yoda speech in this chapter is all over the place. If someone wishes to help me out with that in the future I would gladly send him or her the Yoda scenes/speaking moments to go over via email, but for now, it's just me, and my beta isn't a real SW fact man.
Thanks go to MilandaAnza for her help in the romance sections, and to ultimaflare0 for his help as beta. As always if you see mistakes, feel free to PM me with them and I will go back and correct them when I can.
Chapter 7: Jumping In Feet First Into Many Things
Sidious snarled almost losing control of his Force power for a moment, clenching his hands on the armrests of his throne in the hidden room overlooking the Jedi Temple. He had been busy for several hours today already with the Senate and had hoped to take a few moments to reach out through the Force to see what was going on Tatooine. When he did, Sidious discovered that not only could he not feel the deaths of any Jedi, but that both the Jedi and the Chaotic Focus were once again on the move. And that his apprentice felt barely this side of alive, so weak it took him a few moments to actually find his presence at all.
How, he thought coldly. How did all three of the Jedi on that planet survive? Maul should've killed at least one, possibly two even if he was forced to retreat because of the Chaotic Focus! Perhaps I have overestimated my assassin's abilities?!
It took Sidious a moment to rein in his anger enough to concentrate, but when he did, he sent his thoughts flashing out through the Force, entering Maul's mind from thousands of light-years away. It was a trick that very few Jedi could've matched, and none of them could've over that distance even from one master to another. The ability to send their actual thoughts rather than their senses that far out through the Force was lost to the Order, but not the Sith, made easier thanks to the Veil. Sidious still needed an anchor at the other end, but his apprentice's mind served for that.
"What happened apprentice!?" Sidious sent out, the thoughts thundering into Maul's head like an invading army. Even as he sent that thought out, Sidious became aware that Maul was barely cognizant, his eyes opened but unseeing. He was floating in the Scimitar's bacta tank, one of many such advanced items the heavily modified ship had been given to aid Maul's job as Sidious' agent of death.
Feeling his apprentice's wounds through their mental connection, Sidious realized that it was only because the bacta that he was using wasn't normal that he was awaken at all. One of his former teacher's skills had been Sith Alchemy, and thanks to his alchemical ingredients the bacta the Sith used was many times more potent than the normal variety. The side effects of this heightened the pain the user felt during the process, keeping the user awake. After all pain was always the best teacher.
Angry at his complete failure Sidious used his Force powers to send a jolt of agony through Maul's mind, heightening the pain he was going through even as Sidious began to catalog the number of wounds he had taken. The sheer number of them actually got through his anger enough so that he stopped after only a few moments, astonished that the strengthening technique had worked to keep Maul alive from wounds that would've killed even a Force user at least twice over.
"M,my maassster…." his apprentices voice's mental voice replied, the words almost slurring "taaake myyyy memories maaasttter… I cannot…"
"I do not need your permission apprentice!" Sidious replied coldly, before once again pushing almost all of his mental focus into his Maul's mind, ripping the memories in question. He was not gentle, but ignored his apprentice's spasms of agony, as he delved into the fight from Mauls perspective, watching through his apprentice's eyes the ambush. Watching the beginning of the ambush he n came away with a bit of approval for the planning behind it. With another burst of Force power Sidious shut down Maul's pain receptors for now, allowing him a moment of peace.
"Your plan seemed sound, and the use of the Greater Krayt Dragon was somewhat inspired. The rest of your tools let you down, unable to keep the Chaotic Focus' attention away from you until you had dealt with the Jedi. But despite that you did as well as could be expected. This will set us back, be certain of that, but you did one thing even better than the battle itself: You used none of our Sith abilities against them. Though the Chaotic Focus must have noticed that you had the strengthening technique, contingencies are already in place to lead the Jedi down the wrong path there anyway."
Pulling back slightly from his apprentice's mind, Sidious allowed Maul enough mental acuity to start forming his own thoughts once again. "Do you have anything beyond that battle you wish to add?"
Maul pulled his scattered thoughts together with difficulty, but this wasn't the first time his mind had been subjected to such tortures. They were after all a normal part of Sith conditioning, anything that didn't kill you made you stronger. "Twwo points master: The speed techniques of the Chaotic Focus were able to offset and even overcome the strengthening technique. But my own mastery of that technique was at a far higher level than his. Buuuut he is incredibly adaptable in combat, that is a d-daaangerous ability."
"True," Sidious mused, actually allowing a bit of approval to enter his mental voice. Jedi and Sith were not very adaptable in battle. Yes, most of the forms could be adapted to different styles of combat, but the ability to change complete styles midstream in a combat situation? Very few Jedi could do that, or would even be able to realize the need for it. "Anything else?"
"Not connected to the battle but a minor mystery master, an immensely powerful Force youth!" This time it was Maul who pushed his memories towards his master mental presence. It was the start of the battle when he initially got off his bike, specifically the image of the young boy with the Jedi.
Even in the memory the boy glowed with the Force to a level that Sidious had never seen before. It was obvious the boy was monstrously talented in the Force, if untrained. Could he be the vergence Plagueis created? His age seems to match up from what I can see, and the power of him! I need to find out more about him! Such a power in the Force, whatever his other abilities, he will be important in the future.
"That is interesting," he sent, "Very well. That is enough, heal yourself and get back to Coruscant. We will need to think carefully about our next move. Make no mistake, this was a setback!" he said, allowing his apprentice once again to feel the pain from the special bacta for just a moment before shutting his pain sensors down again and letting them that way. "Jedi should've died here, they should've died against the Yinchorri but they have not. We will need to address this."
Ahh, Revenge, one of the oldest and most powerful motivators, he thought as he felt Maul's rage and fury redouble while Maul focused down with all the power and control of the Sith. "Yes apprentice, you will have your of red revenge, possibly sooner than later. For now, heal yourself up." With that Sidious left Maul's mind, but not before turning Maul's pain receptors back on.
Once again in his physical body Sidious shook his head, breathing heavily as one hand rose to massage his forehead for a moment, a sign of irritation, even exhaustion that he would let no one see. Even for Sidious reaching out that far a distance for that long was a strain, and if not for the Veil of the Dark Side would've been impossible.
But Sidious wasn't done working on this problem just yet. His breathing evening out once again, he sent his thoughts out into the stream of the future. Could he in some way turn Maul's failure to his advantage, perhaps use it to center Jedi interest inward?
No, he decided, considering the ramifications of that thought carefully. It is too soon with all the other changes I've made to the Grand Plan lately to make the Jedi paranoid about interior threats just yet. My plans there must have time to ripen, along with the tools I've chosen for that task.
The Weequay's interest is plain but interest in the Dark Side is a far cry from being worthy of becoming a Sith. I can already influence the alien, and through him others. I can even reach out to a few others disaffected with the recent changes Yoda has pushed, but the Jedi must not become aware that the Sith have returned just yet, at least not in force. Damn Maul!
For a moment Sidious seethed quietly, before once more regaining control of his anger. A pity, their paranoia about it would have served my purposes in alienating them farther from both one another and from the universe of large. But it would be counterproductive now, uniting them rather than dividing them when so much else is already doing that task.
On the other hand, Maul's use is quickly coming to an end Sidious thought coldly. The Zabrak must be sacrificed. But that will need to wait until he is on Coruscant once more, where I can implant a few memories to further cover my tracks just in case, force him to drop a name or two. I will still stymie any and all efforts to bring in Republic forces to help against the Trade Federation, that remains the best chance to start cutting down the Jedi's numbers.
I will also still push Amidala to go to the Jedi for aid, as well as propose the vote of no-confidence. That plan thankfully is unchanged, and as Chancellor, my ability to influence events will increase dramatically. Perhaps another little push on my secondary plans there as well, but I have a few days to set that up.
Sacrifice Maul, allow the Jedi to find the trail that I had already prepared just in case his strengthening technique was found out, and one more. That will do to protect the secret of the Sith's return for now, but I will need a new apprentice in the interim before the Weequay is ripe enough to be plucked. And if my new pawn can be used to further my information on the Chaotic Focus' abilities...
With that thought he sent out a flick of Force power, activating one of his many communication devices. It opened to one of his underworld contacts who answered promptly of course. "Has there been any change on the bounty I posted several weeks ago?"
"Yes sir," said the voice on the other end. That voice's owner did not know Sidious of course, he just knew him as a powerful underworld boss, and that was enough. "The bounty Hunter Jango Fett has taken up the challenge, and is already on planet with the target."
Sidious actually smiled for a moment, a feeling almost like pleasure going through him. "Excellent! He is aware I want the target alive, yes?"
"Of course sir."
"Good." With that Sidious cut the connection, thinking about the bounty in question. He had plans for Jango Fett, who had first appeared on his radar during the Mandalorean Debacle a few years ago, and this would serve as an excellent test of his skills. If the bounty Hunter passed, Sidious knew great things were in order for him.
Yes, the plan is still sound, the Jedi still vulnerable despite Yoda's attempts at an interior reformation. This was a setback nothing more Sidious thought, his thoughts and anger once again centered, and he pushed himself out of his throne, heading towards the changing area where he would once again become the benign Senator many of his tools knew him as.
The future still belongs to me, despite the Chaotic Focus. But we must start doing more directly against that one and it's influence, a problem to address after the Nabooian problem has been squeezed for all its worth. For now, I have pawns whose egos need soothing, and other plots that need to be set in motion.
OOOOOOO
Ranma woke up in pain, her thoughts a jumble, her eyes, when she tried to open them, bleary, unable to focus. Despite that however, she was aware that someone was gently touching her forehead, and a soothing, welcome voice was speaking beside him. "Ranma, can you hear me?"
"Shaak?" Ranma groaned, trying to open her eyes only stopping when the hand on her forehead moved down to cover her eyes. "Can hear you, but, but my head…"
"The injury to your head is healing slowly, but your body seems to be trying to heal all of your wounds equally, that's slowing it rather badly I'm afraid. With the amount of pain you're in, are you able to direct your healing ability?"
"Doesn't work quite like that…" Ranma muttered, visibly stopping herself from shaking her head. That would be bad right now.
Shaak nodded her head slowly, castigating herself for not realizing that Ranma shouldn't have been allowed to sleep after getting a concussion, it was often a very bad idea. The head trauma that Ranma had gone through seemed to be impacting her body's ability to heal as well, almost as much as her body's desire to heal all its wounds at the same time.
And the redhead's ki reserves were nonexistent, the last of it tied into maintaining her ki space. Shaak had forced some emergency rations down her throat, military rations that were supposed to give the body all it needed routine but she couldn't sense any real response yet. That led her to one way to speed up Ranma's healing, at least the damage to her head and brain anyway. She didn't really think the later was needed, but head trauma was tricky. "I can help you but you have to let me in."
"Do, don't understand." Ranma muttered.
"I can't connect my Living Force reserves to yours Ranma, I don't know how. But I can use the Unifying Force to connect us, which will let me guide the Force to heal you. But you know with your odd abilities, you're not connected to the Unifying Force as we Jedi always are. So it has to be a conscious decision on your part to let that in."
It took a few moments for Ranma's scattered thoughts to come together enough to understand her, but she nodded, reaching out with her ki senses to the Unifying Force, vaguely feeling Shaak do the same. The Unifying Force connected the two of them for a moment, and Shaak immediately went to work, directing the Force through that connection into Ranma empowering her healing ability and directing it to her cracked cranium.
Ranma felt cool relief hit her almost immediately, her scattered thoughts becoming clearer as the seconds ticked by. She also felt an aching hunger that she had rarely felt before intruding on her thoughts. My body must've used all of my available ki to start the healing process, but I must've nearly run out before we began this. Damn I'm hungry, almost as much as when I arrived in this universe!
The growling of her stomach served as an exclamation mark to that thought, causing Shaak to chuckle quietly. Ranma didn't even have the energy to chuckle though, shaking her head very slightly. The damage wasn't completely healed, but her concussion was gone at least, and Ranma knew that the crack in her skull was almost gone as well. "Thanks, Shaak. That helped a lot," she muttered.
So saying Ranma tried to sit up only to fall back when Shaak gently pushed the redhead back down with a gentle hand on her chest. "Don't. I'll get you some food." Ranma nodded, closing her eyes for a few moments, opening them when Shaak returned.
She looked at the Togrutan noticing her slight smile. "Now, say aahhh…"
Ranma gave Shaak her best deadpan expression, but opened her mouth obediently. The food wasn't much, more ship rations, not any of the food that would take actual cooking to prepare, but nutritious all the same. "Thanks again Shaak," she muttered between bites.
Shaak laughed quietly. "Consider it my way of repaying those massages of yours. Above and beyond helping my fellow Jedi on Tatooine anyway."
"No way, Shaak." Ranma said with a smile, now feeling slightly better. Her stomach was still glued to her ribs, but she felt more human than she had a few moments ago. "Ya still owe me at least one massage of my own at some point."
"I can see you're feeling better." Shaak chuckled again shaking her head lightly.
"What about your own injuries?"
"You just worry about yours Ranma." Shaak replied very firmly. "My own are healing as they can, but that concussion of yours and the crack to your cranium worried me. They're mostly healed now, but the rest of your wounds will require more time." She sighed, taking one of Ranma's hands in her own, squeezing it. "Just, get yourself better all right?"
Her mouth currently full with her next bite Ranma replied by gripping Shaak's hand, but could barely put any energy into it. The two of them settled into a companionable silence, which strangely didn't feel awkward despite the nature of Ranma's injury and Shaak still feeding Ranma.
Shaak smiled watching Ranma's eyes close slowly as the redheaded human female fell asleep again, setting the food to one side. Shaak laid a gentle hand on Ranma's forehead, smiling slightly. Even with Ranma once again disconnected from the Unifying Force she could sense that her wounds were healing now. Ranma would still be hungry for some time, but Ranma would be on her feet far faster after such wounds than any Jedi would have.
"Mistress," Tune said, breaking into her thoughts, "We are coming up on our first hyperspace way-point, and the Queen sent a message just before our jump that she wished to speak to you."
"Very well, I'll be in the cockpit in a moment Tune." Shaak said, dropping off the remains of food in the kitchenette, before sticking her head into her room to check on Shmi and Aayla. Shmi was asleep in a chair next to the bed, and Aayla was twitching slightly in her sleep, but that was all. Shaak frowned slightly noticing that Shmi had rigged up some straps to hold her fellow Jedi down, and resolved to ask her about that later, but figured it was a good precaution against the danger of Aayla hurting herself as she came off whatever had been given her.
Moments later Shaak sat down in the cockpit. Looking to one side she noticed HK, or at least the head that was currently the entirety of HK, was still plugged into the weapons systems. The droid looked at her its eye pieces glowing. "Interrogative Query: Mistress, how long will we remain in hyperspace? I wish to search out my body or an acceptable alternative as soon as possible."
"I don't know HK, for now try to research your own memories, see if you can find a clue there as to what could have happened to it. If you can't find anything shut down for now." Shaak replied, sitting down. "This ship might have a hyperspace relay, but I don't want to use it continuously, not until we are in the Core at least, away from Hutt influence." She sighed faintly, shaking her head. "I also have to use it to send an initial report to the Jedi Council in both my and Master Qui-Gon's name."
Moments later the ship came out of hyperspace, and Shaak ordered Tune to open communications with the Nabooan yacht, which did not have a Hypercom relay. They were rather rare on non-military ships after all. "Can I help you your highness?" She asked as the queen's image came up on the screen.
"Why are we going to Kashyyyk?" Padme asked bluntly. "My astromech droid informs me it takes us at least two days out of our way, which doesn't consider how long we might be there for."
"We are going there because Master Yoda is there, and he has asked Ranma and I to join him there while also getting Aayla the aid she needs. Some of the slaves are also Wookies, and all of the slaves will be welcome there. I cannot anticipate the response of our showing up on Coruscant with this cavalcade, but you should know it would get in the way of your own reason for going there in the first place."
She shook her head. "Further, going to Kashyyyk does not take us that far out of your way. You will be allowed to use a hyperspace route from Kashyyyk the Jedi know about which will allow you to connect to a Trade Route which in turn will take you straight to Coruscant."
"You made this decision without consulting me." Padme said coldly. "Have you forgotten that my planet is under the boot of the Trade Federation, that time is of the essence!?"
"I have not forgotten your highness, but going to Kashyyyk does not take you that far out of your way," Shaak reiterated, before adding. "And you might find more certain allies there than on Coruscant."
"I must speak to the Senate! They must act against the Trade Federation!" Padme insisted.
If the Senate were going to, they would've done so already, Shaak thought to herself but did not say aloud. She wasn't a counselor, thank the heavens, she didn't need to deal with those 'illustrious fellows', she just had to keep up with Ranma, which while being difficult at least had a noticeable upside. And is rather enjoyable on many levels…
Shaking that thought off Shaak turned her attention back to the young royal. "Your highness, have you considered whether or not the attack on Qui-Gon and Obi-wan was simply a way to separate them from you? Are you willing to sacrifice your life and the lives of those with you if the warrior who ambushed you with the mercenaries on Tatooine was not acting alone? How far is the Trade Federation willing to go? This whole incident is beyond the norm for them, how much further will they go?"
Padme paused, frowning for a moment, but eventually nodding reluctantly. "Your arguments make sense, but realize I do not approve of this. If not for the fact my ship doesn't have its own weapons, we would breaking off now."
"You do not have to approve my actions are highness, you simply have to agree they are prudent." Shaak said bluntly, tired and in no mind to be diplomatic right now. "Now, how are Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan?"
The younger woman frowned again at the Jedi's tone but nodded, and went along with the topic change. "Qui-Gon is still in danger, but we can keep him alive until we reach Kashyyyk. Obi-Wan is surprisingly already awake and meditating, the painkillers we've given him and the bacta patch on his wound seems to have done wonders."
"I can only pray that you are correct and that going to Kashyyyk does not set my addressing the Senate back too far." Padme sighed, before going on softly. "I don't mean to sound callous, freeing the slaves of was an incredibly good deed. But I have an entire planet's well-being to consider. All of this has slowed my reaching the Senate and with every hour that passes my people suffer!"
"I realize that your highness," Shaak said equally softly, smiling at young woman, no the young girl really. A girl her age would be barely ready for the first round of Padawan testing, let alone be put in a position of power in the Order. "And your dedication to them does you credit. But passion and fire will not serve you on Coruscant, allies will. Believe me when I say that Grandmaster Yoda and the Council will stand with you."
Padme nodded, and made to cut the connection, but Anakin's head appeared pushing into the pickup. "Master Jedi, is my mother all right?"
Shaak's lips twitched slightly, shaking her head internally at the boy. Master Qui-Gon might think Anakin will is the Chosen one and will be a great Jedi, but I am uncertain if the rest of the Order will react similarly. "Don't worry Ani, we got her out all right, she's currently helping Aayla. As a former slave I am sure you know about drug addicts and addictions correct?"
Anakin sobered, nodding his head. "That's going to suck," he said bluntly.
"Trust me we figured that one out ourselves," Shaak replied dryly. That boy is going to need a lot of discipline and understanding, and no coddling at all. "For now, I need to call Terrik and make certain his crew are helping the other slaves which might be suffering similarly."
Padme and Anakin both nodded, and the connection ended.
"Snide tone: It is a sign of immaturity to believe that any politician will do anything but that which will allow him to rake in the most monetary gain. The entire subculture is good for nothing more than being used as fertilizer or emergency rations. And even at those tasks they perform poorly. Amused Statement: This one at least seems able to learn, indeed uou didn't even need to threaten the girl, such a pity."
"HK, not now." Shaak said firmly, thankful the psychopathic droid hadn't spoken up during their actual discussion.
"Amused statement: That is not a rebuttal mistress."
Shaak stared at the droid head for a moment, but whatever she was going to say, if anything, was interrupted when Tune opened up a link with Booster's ship. He responded promptly, telling her the Wookies had taken over caring for the slaves in conjunction with several of the slaves themselves, those who hadn't been born into it or drugged. He would however need medical supplies, his ship's reserves were not up to the task.
In response Shaak manually transferred over 2/3's of their medical supplies to the grateful former slaves. Dealing with their gratitude took longer than transferring the supplies, but eventually it was done and the ships parted. Shaak took a moment then to send a brief message to the council, telling them of the mission being accomplished that they had wounded and were heading to Kashyyyk before signing off, citing a worry they might be followed.
After the Wild Light jumped to hyperspace on its second leg of this journey Shaak sighed, leaning back in the pilot's chair and looking over at HK. "Shut down for now HK, I don't think we're going to need you for a while."
"Irritated response: Of course it's always shut down when we don't need you HK, it's always violence this violence that, don't speak up when we're having irritating conversations. Joyful announcement: I wouldn't have it any other way of course. Signing off."
"We are definitely going to have that head examined," Shaak murmured to herself. Shaking her head, she leaned back and closed her eyes eager to get some more rest, her mind going back to the same problem as it had hours earlier. While it actually makes some sense for that warrior to be after Padme, I have to wonder how that attacker knew Ranma's strengthening technique?
Shaak was not the only one wondering that. Despite having his eyes closed Ranma hadn't fallen asleep right away. I got lucky a time or two in that fight, he thought grimly. If that bastard was able to incorporate more of my techniques into his own, that battle could have gone the other way easy. I made a lot of mistakes, my being unused to using weapons, and my overall training nearly got me killed. And with me Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.
Can't let that happen again. Need to step up my training with a staff, get so used to it that it's not just part of my style but my combat instincts. Then start adding in other weapons including lightsabers. Could've ended that fight if I was able to better incorporate them into my instincts.
How in the hell did the bastard observe us anyway? The when is easy, and I guess with the tech in this universe the how is also easy, but how'd he get the tech in place without us noticing? Don't the Jedi have ways to feel if they're being spied on?
And besides that, what was the tattooed asshole after? Was he after the Jedi, me, or the Padme? He didn't actually go after Padme, but he had that ship. He could've ambushed her any time after finishing off the Jedi. Oh, and then there's the big question, where the hell did Mister Angry come from!? How did he know enough about me to actually spy on Shaak and I in the first place!?
After several hours stewing on them, since she couldn't figure out the answers to any of those questions, put them aside with a bit of difficulty. It was only when she thought about the way that his head was feeling much better that he left those questions entirely, a smile quirking her lips upwards.
It looks as if the distance between Shaak and I is gone now, though I can't believe I actually made a joke out of the massages! I'd never've been that forward back in Nerima. Gaah… just the idea of having Shaak's hands on me instead of the other way around… That thought should've sent Ranma to blushing, but frankly his body didn't have enough energy for that. Ranma fell asleep still thinking about Shaak, her touch on his forehead, the tender expression she wore as she helped heal him, and a wide smile appeared on his face even as he fell asleep.
OOOOOOO
The next time Ranma woke up wasn't nearly so pleasant. Rather than a cool touch to her forehead it was screaming that woke her this time. The screams went through his head like a nail through cardboard waking Ranma up with a jolt. Pushing herself up out of the sofa, Ranma fell back when Shaak moved past her, coming from the cockpit where they had just left hyperspace once more. Moving through the sitting room Shaak pushed the redhead back with an almost absent-minded Force Push to the chest, the sort that Ranma wouldn't even feel if she wasn't so weak.
With that done Shaak moved swiftly into her room, where Aayla had woken up. She was shivering and shaking, screaming at the top of her lungs, while Shmi held her down, pushing at her shoulders, having difficulty despite the constraints. Shmi turned to Shaak, shaking her head wildly. "She seems to be in the throes of some kind of nightmare. She's not awake, and it's not a response to coming off the drugs either. On the one hand that's good, but on the other…" she shrugged.
Shaak nodded, moving forward to take her friends hand, one her other hand moving to gently stroke the girls tentacles. Her voice was soft as she spoke. "Aayla, you're safe, safe. You're among friends, and Jabba is dead. We'll get you through this and whatever help you need, you will get, I promise."
As she was speaking Shaak had sent a small tendril of friendship and kindness out into the Force, hoping that it got through Aayla's natural mental defenses. Either her words or the feelings got through Shaak couldn't tell but Aayla's jerking and screaming subsided. Her eyes opened, locking on Shaak for one moment and she smiled faintly murmuring, "Safe," before falling back into sleep.
Shaak sighed leaning back from her friend to look over at Shmi. "Can you tell me how Aayla is doing physically?"
"I've never dealt with anything quite like this. I can say that the purgative's are working, and I'm very grateful that you thought ahead and brought along that medical diaper," Shmi said trying to lighten the mood. The medical diaper in question was a formfitting device that connected to a small reservoir which accumulated the purgative before burning it away. It kept the smell and the mess down. Putting it on had been tough, but well worth it.
"She's sweating as well, but not as much as a human would given she's a Twi'lek." Twi'leks could not afford to lose mh water on their home planet that was an evolutionary necessity on such a hot, dry world. "We need to keep her body heat up, keep her body sweating whatever this is out of her system. Frankly it's going better than I thought it would physically."
Shmi looked up now and saw the looks of respect and the questions in Ranma's face, who hadn't actually processed before this that Shmi was acting as a nurse thanks to his concussion. She snorted. "Did you think the life of a slave was all work around the shop and pod races? Even after a slave's somehow gained freedom or been pawned off from the Hutts no one wants anything to do with us, we slaves have to take care of ourselves."
She ignored the redhead's sudden frown at that, since it was just the way the universe worked on Tatooine, turning her attention back to the Jedi with a shrug. "I can handle her physical issues, her mental ones, which I note you didn't ask about…" Shmi shrugged. "That area I can't help you with. If a slave was broken in the head, there was very little any of us could do to bring her out of it."
"Hopefully there will be Masters on Kashyyyk that will be able to since I'm no mind healer either. All I can do is offer support." Shaak sighed, touching her young friend's lekku gently, running a finger up and down them lightly.
"Probably the best thing you can do at this point." Ranma's voice replied from the doorway. The redhead was leaning against it, and obviously still very weak, but game. "How long do you think this should go on for Ms. Shmi?"
"Given her body weight and the strength of drugs we've given, whatever she was given should be out of her system in another day. But I am not a trained physician, I don't know if there's going to be any long term lasting effects from what she was given, or the process of taking her off it, I'm just going by what I've seen from helping slaves off other drugs."
Shaak suddenly felt guilty as she remembered something. "Shmi, I have to ask you to talk to Booster when we next come out of hyperspace. The Wookies and whoever else had taken over looking after the former slaves might not know how to handle this as well as you do. I already gave them some of our supplies, but between you and the other former slaves you might also be able to think up ways to make them last longer. I should have thought of that as I was making the transfer, since now you'll have to wait for our next stopover."
"I'll be happy to, but right now, I would like something to eat and to wash up. Could you two watch Ms. Secura while I'm gone?"
Shaak and Ranma both nodded, and Shmi left the room. As she did Ranma wearily slid down the wall of Shaak's room, resting against it for a moment on the floor. She looked at Shaak sitting in the single chair next to the bed. "I gotta say with four people it's kinda crowded in here, I didn't really think ahead there."
"I rather like it," Shaak said shrugged. "It's homey, but then again my race has always enjoyed closeness." For a moment the two of them were silent then Shaak began speaking again. "I, I am sorry Ranma, the distance between us before we arrived on Tatooine, my trying to keep away from you physically at times, it was, it is nothing that you did, Just my… well I suppose I had a revelation that made the reasons behind my wanting to keep that distance seem foolish."
"I am still thinking about both sides of that, but I want you to know it is nothing that you did that caused my actions, at least not in a bad way." Shaak paused, her purple lips twisted into a wry grimace. "That sounded much more intelligible in my mind to be honest."
"I understood anyway," Ranma laughed, shaking her head slightly. "It hurt, I'm not going to lie, but I figured it was a Jedi indoctrination thing." Shaak winced at how accurate that guess was as well as Ranma's word choice, but thankfully Ranma went on to another topic. "Besides, we've got a lot more important things to worry about right now. I can't even remember what I already told you, my memory after that fight's kind of jumbled and blurry, but here's what Qui-Gon Obi-Wan and I ran into…"
From there Ranma went into an account of the battle against the tattooed Zabrak, Aura and the Trandoshans. Shaak smiled slightly, feeling a sense of justice long overdue at the bounty hunter's death. She in turn described in greater detail the fights she had getting the slaves out. But then the two of them turned to them real problem, the fact they had been observed, and that the mysterious Zabrak had somehow been able to recreate the toughness training and a goodly portion of Ranma's personal style.
"You haven't exactly made a secret of your greater than normal abilities Ranma, but even so it shouldn't have spread beyond the Jedi Order and perhaps a few observant members of the navies sent against the Yinchorri. This Zabrak's techniques and his Force abilities also concern me greatly."
"Concerns me too." Ranma said dryly.
"No you don't understand. While his skill with your techniques is worrisome, it is where he came from which concerns me the most. His appearance, the yellow eyes you mentioned, the skills, the anger and hatred you felt, even the lightsaber's color. All of it feels like I just stepped into one of master Halcyon's history lessons."
It took a moment for Ranma to understand and then she nodded. "The Sith, I hadn't made that connection. But what about his appearance told you that?"
"Giving in to the Dark Side impacts you physically, yellow eyes like that are certain sign of that, the more hate, fear and anger you feel the greater the impact to your body. And the Sith are the only ones who ever used artificial crystals, which always make red lightsabers blades." Shaak frowned. "If a Force user found some cache of Sith knowledge, he would have been tainted without even knowing it. Such a being could do incalculable harm before he is stopped."
"Should've figured that," Ranma muttered, shaking her head. "Anger ki and depression do the same in a limited way, bet fear and hatred would too. But still, what worries me the most is he was able to record us without either of us noticing."
"True, I didn't think we'd have to worry about such a thing on Dac, neither the Quarren nor the Mon Calamari are exactly known for their duplicity. But even without being on guard I would have felt it if anyone was actually watching us, even if they were watching us from hidden camcorders or sound devices. So the observation was completely automated. That's worrisome, and a weakness that I think all Jedi will need to address going forward, regardless of what type of mission we are on."
"Shaak…His strengthening technique was better than mine." Ranma said softly. "If not for my speed technique, he could've beaten me. I've overlooked something since coming to this universe, technology. The whole smashing you against rocks thing has nostalgic value…" the redhead smirked while Shaak growled playfully at her jabbing Ranma lightly with her toe. "But we need to figure out a way to both shorten the training time for that, and heighten the effect."
"I've already had a few ideas along those lines since you first told me about it." Shaak replied with a nod, pulling back her foot slowly. "It's not something we'd be able to do on the Wild Light, not unless we want to re-task one of the rooms." She blushed slightly, her red skin lightening somewhat around the cheeks as she looked away. Ranma did the same since that would mean they would be actually sleeping in the same room. Not that the idea didn't have some appeal, but neither one of them wanted to deal with that and the issues involved right now.
Quickly getting back to the topic on hand Ranma said, "That's good, but I need to step up my work on my staff. Blocking lightsabers with ki shields takes a lot out of me, and…" he sighed. "I need to figure out this whole Living Force, Unifying Force thing. I still don't like it, I still don't like giving up that kind of control, but that limits my ability to recover too much. Just figuring out a way to let some of it in for a few moments would be a step in the right direction."
Shaak rolled her eyes lightly understanding where Ranma was coming from and indeed acknowledging that in battle he had a point. But his ability to heal was still far greater than any Jedi's and far faster too when he had enough Living Force to call upon.
"We're going to step up your training too." Ranma went on. "More speed techniques, more strengthening, and we need to build up your Living Force reservoir."
As Ranma continued to speak about their training Shaak allowed his her words to wash over her, wondering about something else entirely. Because she knew that this Sith or whatever he turned out to be should not been able to find out about Ranma's abilities. That pointed to something far larger, at the very least a web of contacts beyond anything some mad Dark Side User should have had, which was very worrisome indeed, and something the Jedi needed to follow up on.
The next few days of their journey fell into a bit of a routine. Ranma would wake up, eat an entire day's worth of food at one sitting, which his body turned into fuel as he slept, pushing his healing process along as he slept. Shaak watched over the ship, helped Shmi and Aayla, and sat with her whenever she could, taking the rest of her time to heal herself, or to train under Ranma and master Halcyon's teaching whenever Ranma was up.
She would often sit and watch Ranma sleeping, watching the Living Force within Ranma heal her wounds. It was an amazing sight honestly, far different from Jedi healing, far faster and more uniform. Doing so forced Shaak to once again face her changing, or rather growing thoughts about Ranma. the fact he was in his female body at present had made it somewhat easier to ignore, but she couldn't do so entirely.
What am I going to do? I, I think I know what I am feeling now, but what to do about it? The Order says attachment is forbidden, yet Master Halcyon says that was not always the case. I know the Order will react badly to even the hint of a, a relationship between us. Can, am I willing to deal with that? I refuse to hide it, and if what Master Halcyon says is true, than I can argue against it intellectually, but in a battle between intellect and tradition, the outcome is impossible to predict.
Am I really ready for this? Not just the Order's reaction, but, but what it would mean for Ranma and I? Can I… how does one even act, or begin or anything in a romantic relationship!? I've seen such of course, but that is a far cry from knowing the nuts and bolts of it. Does, does he feel the same way? I've seen some of his looks at me, but am I reading too much into this?
Shaak's mind sort of went into a loop like this for a time, and she turned away from the sleeping redhead, absently noting that her shirt, a tight black thing he'd bought on Dac, had ridden up showing her stomach. The redhead had an actual six-pack, something few women could boast, but Ranma was so fit it carried over. The sight made Shaak smile for a reason she couldn't quite grasp, but her thoughts turned once again to the problem facing her.
What should I do? She thought again, this time sending the words out into the Force at the same time. She closed her eyes, sending out her senses further following up on that initial thought as she looked to the Unifying Force for an answer. And she got one, but one whose interpretation simply bounced the question right back to her.
All she got in return were disjointed images, a series of what Shaak's senses told her were 'what if' images of possible futures. Her ability to read the future not enough to discern which images were certainties and which weren't even with Ranma's small pillar Light (it had shrunk as his ki had, but was growing back towards its original point now) nearby diffusing the Dark Side's growing influence.
She saw what she knew would have been the scene of her death if Ranma had not come into her life. A young man with black hair and a cru cut his lightsaber flashing through her body over some kind of pit, the background that of a jungle world.
She saw herself and a young Zabrak girl training together, then standing against a tide of some kind of enemies, their numbers and faces obscured on the steps of the Jedi temple.
She saw her and Ranma, laughing aloud as they shared a joke, leaping through the branches on a jungle world along with some strange, small furry primitives.
She saw herself on the council, staring out of the windows, before turning back to some discussion or other, a faint smile on her face replacing some other emotion Shaak could not discern.
She saw the two of them standing alone saying words that did not come through the image. They stood on a mangled, battered vehicle of some kind, the background that of a massive battlefield as they went back to back, pulling out their weapons.
She saw the two of them locked in an embrace, the image so clear it made her blush.
She saw the two of them at the head of several others, their relationship unclear, just that the younglings in front of them were listening to their words carefully.
Shaak came back to her body, shaking her head. The images might not have had much of a background, but they were clear enough in their intent: whatever she chose, her future had already changed dramatically from what it might have been and whatever she chose now, she would be serving the Light side. So…So I just need to make my decision based on what will make me happiest?
That fact actually made Shaak smile lightly, and she shook her head slowly, dispelling the self-doubts, the indecision, the hesitancy. The serenity and calm that was at the center of her being came to Shaak Ti once more as she made her decision. I am a Jedi, but that does not mean I must remain apart. So be it. I will, we will face what comes together.
Shaak went to sleep later that evening with a far lighter heart, though she was still wondering how to broach the subject with Ranma, and when too. Those thoughts left her mind as Shmi informed her Aayla was beginning to wake up. Shaak quickly joined the two of them, along with a now healed Ranma.
"Knight Ti, I understand that I have you to thank for rescuing me?" Aayla said, her face and voice composed even as her lekku twitched violently, showing a far greater range of movement than Shaak's own could. The Twi'lek's had developed an entire language around the movement of their lekku, and how they wore them, but this was not an actual word or statement, rather a simple sign of internal distress that Aayla could not control.
"Shaak please Aayla, you know we're close enough to use first names." Shaak replied, smiling slightly even as she frowned internally. "And yes, Ranma and I were sent in once it was discovered you were out of contact."
"May I ask what happened? I was supposed to have another Jedi close by at all times, but that obviously did not take place." Aayla asked, her voice still a controlled monotone, utterly unlike her normal voice, something which made Shaak even more worried.
Shaak filled her in on what had happened, and watched Aayla's face, which remained stern and almost aloof, controlled. Shaak didn't have the skill to see what Aayla was thinking, but some of her feelings and emotions came through, and it worried Shaak even more than her young friend's tone. The feelings were being suppressed, pushed to the side or down, just like the Jedi Order taught them to do, but that wasn't the way something this extreme should be handled.
"I see. Well at least it's over now, though with Jabba dead most of the information I have is obsolete. Still, I know a lot of captain's names, and several of his contacts on Ryloth that can help the Order help shut down some of the illegal slave trade. I even overheard talk about a Senator Jabba had in his pocket, though the name was never mentioned." Aayla said musingly.
"Aayla, do, do you want, that is do you want to talk about what you went through?" Shaak asked hesitantly. She had never been very inclined toward the higher level healing arts, and didn't know much psychology either. But she could see the bomb waiting to go off behind Aayla's eyes.
"No." Ayla said sharply, shuddering and looking away, her lekku twitching even more violently. After a moment however she calmed down, looking back at Shaak then over her shoulder at Ranma. Her voice was noticeably more like her normal self as she went on, but it still sounded forced to Shaak. "No, I just want to put it behind me, just forget it happened. I'm much more interested in the redhead behind you. Ranma was it? I don't remember you from the Jedi Temple."
"Yeah well ya wouldn't considerin' you were sent on this mission before I even came to this dimension." Ranma replied with a shrug. "Me and Master Dooku met up during a… altercation I suppose and he and I eventually came to an understanding."
"Dimension?" Aayla asked weakly, before looking at Shaak. "Is she alright in the head?"
Oh Irony you are a bitch. "That is debatable, but Ranma is actually telling the truth. He and the High Council think he indeed came from a separate dimension, where the Force doesn't work as it does here." Thinking to lighten the mood, Shaak turned to Ranma. "And altercation? You mean after you instigated a fight with one of the five best duelists in the Order, which only stopped after your curse surprised him?"
"Meh, the old guy enjoyed it, don't doubt it. Besides it's not like your Order hasn't already profited from it." Ranma teased back.
"I seem to be missing something here." Aayla said, looking between the two of them. "And, curse?"
"Ranma's abilities all center around using the Living Force alone, not the Living and Unifying Force in conjunction as we Jedi do. They are also more based around combat and strengthening the body rather than altering the universe around us, well beyond even the Force Warrior sect and in a very different manner. Ranma and I have experimented over the last few months, and there are also distinct differences in how what he calls ki and chi act in comparison to the Force in this dimension, but the Living Force has enough in common with ki that his teachings can carry over."
Shaak's purple lips twitched as she looked at the redhead and Ranma had to fight a sudden desire to see what those lips would taste like, pulling her eyes off them with difficulty as Shaak went on. "As for his curse, you're looking at it."
Aayla tensed for just a second at the word 'his' something not lost on any of the three in the room, before relaxing as she stared at Ranma then Shaak. "Unless things in his dimension are different in a far more fundamental way, Ranma's not a male." She said, her tone making it clear she thought they were making fun of her, even as she fought off a yawn.
"You'll see what I mean eventually, and in this case seeing is the only way to believe, trust me." Shaak soothed, one hand touching Aayla's hand lightly. "For now, rest my friend, regain your strength. We're heading to Kashyyyk, and you will be back among the Order soon."
Aayla nodded, but her eyes were already drooping shut as she did. Shmi moved forward, helping Aayla to lay back down, sharing a look with Shaak and Ranma who shook their heads in turn. They left the room, picking up the remains of the meal Shmi had fed Aayla before their conversation, placing it in the washing machine before moving to prepare a meal of their own.
They were silent for a moment as they did so, until Ranma spoke up slowly. "…So, that wasn't normal right?"
"No. I'm not a mind healer or a psychologist Ranma, I can try to force her to talk about her ordeal, but I can't even tell you if that would be the right thing. Her attempt to just, just ignore her experiences bothers me, but how to get her to confront and overcome them without falling into despair or rage is beyond my power.
"Remember the backlash effect Ranma. Even if she tries, it's all too easy to see Aayla falling into the Dark Side and losing herself. I could try to establish a mental link between us, but I don't think I could get through to her even so."
Ranma nodded. "I wish I could help, but besides the happy effect of my curse I don't have any idea how to help her. The problems she's dealin' with is way beyond anything I've ever dealt with outside a few nightmares." And none of the books Tofu gave me have anything about dealing with trauma or anything like that.
The two of them fell silent, both of them wondering if or even could they help Aayla. They remained quiet until after the meal, one of the frozen steaks from Coruscant, was finished, and they were cleaning up once more.
This time though it was Shaak Ti who broke the silence. She took Ranma's hand as the redhead was about to turn away, halting her in place for a moment. "Ranma, I have to apologize. I, I have been dealing with a lot of ideas and concepts, and feelings, that I was not prepared for. I responded by trying to push those feelings, and you away, but that wasn't the right way to deal with them nor was it fair to you, and for that I apologize."
Ranma took Shaak's hand in both of her slightly smaller ones, squeezing gently even as she flushed, stuttering over her words, using all her willpower to keep eye contact with the beautiful Togrutan. "I figured it was somethin' like that, though I wondered what'd caused it. And um…did, did ya reach any kind of conclusion?"
They were interrupted then as Shmi came out of Aayla's room, shaking her head. "She's back asleep, there were a few bad moments there right after she fell asleep, but I gave her something to really knock her out after that. Her body's still very weak, and I really don't like how she is trying to… Is something wrong?"
Shaak and Ranma had jumped away from one another, with Ranma nearly slamming face first into the entrance to the door to the fresher station, and Shaak squishing her back lekku against the far wall of the kitchenette. "Nothing!" They both said then stared at one another before laughing. Shmi just looked at them for a moment, then shook her head, moving to prepare some food of her own.
Shaak and Ranma looked at one another then exited the kitchenette into the sitting room. "We'll finish this after we reach Kashyyyk." Ranma said softly. "I get the feelin' we should wait until we help Aayla and everythin' else is over with before we move on to more, um personal, things."
"I'll agree to that, and I do, have things I want to say to you Ranma. But you're right, now is not the time." Shaak said, sighing faintly, then she let out a little squeak as Ranma pulled her into a quick hug before turning away to enter the fresher station.
The next two days fell into a routine. While Tune controlled the ship, Shaak and Ranma would wake up, talk with Aayla or Shmi, then exercise. The room on the Wild Light was at a premium of course, so they couldn't go all out, but it was enough for now.
Aayla continued to ignore or reject any attempt to get her to talk about her experiences, retreating further into a cracked semblance of the normal Jedi unemotional attitude. Ranma got a little closer to the girl, bringing her out with a few tales from his time in his home dimension, but even while laughing she didn't let her rigid control go.
So time passed, until they came out into Kashyyyk's system to a reception none of them had expected.
OOOOOOO
Hyperspace communication was quick, and Hypercom relays were not a technology limited solely to the Republic. The Hutts had them as well, and while their local employers might be dead, both Jabba and Gardulla had servants who knew they could be paid by the rest of their clans for new about them. It was mere hours before the news of Jabba's and Gardulla's death reached the rest of their clans back in Hutt space on Nal Hutta.
Gardulla's death was seen as not really important. Yes she was influential, but her power base waned and waxed because she was such an inveterate and horrible gambler. Moreover she had never been a power in and of herself, rather her influence was in information and being a middle-female between clans and other crime syndicates. She had also provided excellent gladiators for those who couldn't provide their own security.
But Jabba was different. He was young, ambitious, and ruthless, an up-and-comer who had built his own power base with little in the way of aid from his clan. He had practically made Tatooine an offshoot of Hutt space despite being separated from it by several thousand parsecs. He had more men, money, and was the center of a growing crime and smuggling operation that was extremely profitable.
So Jabba's death was one his clan had to address lest they be seen as weak and be torn down by the other clans. A message also had to be sent to these Jedi, but the Council of Clans was leery of targeting the Jedi as a whole, knowing that would lead to further reprisals, possibly open war which would not be profitable for anyone. Instead they would target the specific Jedi involved, the Twi'lek slave with a connection to the Order, the Togrutan knight and the unknown human male seen leaving Tatooine. The slaves too could be targeted, for recovery or death at this point it was more important that others slaves didn't get an idea to turn on the matters.
Since there were Wookies involved, the Hutt in charge of this reprisal could figure out where the culprits might show up. And money always talked however far you had to reach…
OOOOOOO
Like many planetary systems Kashyyyk had places where they wanted incoming traffic to come in from, though in their case it was more because the Wookies were rather standoffish when it came to people living on Kashyyyk other than themselves than anything else. This wasn't because they weren't friendly, most of them were. It was just that living on their planet tended to kill other people rather quickly because it had a set of dangers and demanded a skill set most species couldn't deal with.
Because of the direction they had jumped in from, the Wild Light and its fellows were well away from these normal shipping lanes. Nonetheless, there were ships in the area but their presence was not exactly friendly. Not two minutes out of hyperspace Shaak, at a tingling from her Force sense, grabbed the controls and juked the ship twice in rapid succession, dodging incoming turbolaser fire. "We seem to be under attack."
"That whole Jedi calm thing you've got going can be really rather overdone y'know." Ranma muttered, pulling up the targeting systems for the quad lasers and powering them up quickly, her hands flashing over the controls. They'd practiced this very maneuver several times after the Wild Light had commissioned, and he/she was always a quick Padawan when it came to physical things. She looked at the scanner array, shaking her head, and powering up HK. "HK wake up and tell me what you can see." She ordered. "Label the ships firing' on us order of threat."
"Doleful response: Of course master. Irritated mutter: Of course the master would take the fun job for him, er herself, ergh, that is going to override my logic centers, I just know it. Professional tone: We have ten ships, nine of which appear to be Cloak Shape fighters. Heavily modified, some of them at least have targeting computers, possible concussion or proton torpedoes. The seventh seems to be a freighter of a design I don't have in my memory banks, but there are signs of heavy retrofitting. It's shields read as nowhere near as good as ours, and my word are ours quite good for our size master, but it's throw weight might be better. More data incoming now."
The 'more data' that was incoming was actually incoming fire from the freighter, which was to the port and slightly down from where they had come out of hyperspace. Four turbolaser batteries fired all at once, enough concentrated fire to rip most small freighters to pieces. But Shaak wasn't exactly new to this game, and she'd already begun the random walk that was a starfighter pilot's best friend.
Only one turbolaser blast actually caught the ship, and it didn't even make the shields of the Wild Light dim. "Good shields…" Ranma muttered, absentmindedly passing the controls. "Good shields." Then she concentrated on her own sensors, locking up one of the starfighters with the left wing quad laser, opening fire.
The shields of the enemy starfighter held, but wavered dramatically, forcing that fighter out of its attack run. Two others tried to line up similar runs, but Ranma stitched the space around them with quad laser fire, throwing off their attack.
"Master," Tune said, "We are being hailed by Kashyyyk Sky-Watch, I am informing them of what is going on as well as our reasons for our abrupt arrival. Is that agreeable?"
"Fine. Open up a channel after you're done with them to Booster and the Queen." Ranma replied, glad she had buckled in when Shaak took them around in an abrupt turn, nearly lining up another starfighter with two of the enemy starfighters. "Then when you're done with that, find a file on the music I downloaded into you, play something from the file fight songs."
"No Ranma, no theme music." Shaak said, even though her lips quirked upwards.
"Even if it's about dogfighting?"
"Hmm… while appropriate, still no."
"Spoilsport."
"Irritated tone: Agreed."
Both the yacht and the Starwaymanhad begun to break off from the Wild Light the moment it became clear that the Mon-Cal built ship was the main target for this group with the Queen's yacht shooting forward at a pretty damn good sprint, pulling away from even the Cloak Shape starfighters trying to follow it.
"The Nabooians make very good ships. A little too specialized, and they should've at least put some weapons on the Queen's personal yacht, but this isn't the time for that." Shaak muttered, pulling back on the stick once more. "Target incoming."
Ranma quickly took the shot that Shaak had so obligingly set up, both quad guns depressed is much as they could go then tracking the Cloak Shape fighter as Shaak followed whatever the other pilot could do. A few seconds of sustained fire shattered the ship's shield and riddled it with quad laser blasts. A second later a small explosion occurred in space, and the Wild Light fell off immediately, dodging further turbolaser fire from the main enemy ship.
"Any idea who these jokers are?" Ranma growled, now switching her attention from one gun to the other, trying to block out the knowledge that she had once again taken a life. "Incoming missiles! HK, take one of the quad guns controls, see if you can fire on the Cloak Shapes that haven't launched their missiles yet. I'll take out the missiles."
The Cloak Shape fighters had launched their concussion missiles from just a little too far away, and Ranma nailed three of the four missiles before they could impact his ship. The fourth smashed into the Wild Light shields, which noticeably dimmed but thanks to the Mon Calamari style of shielding that was all.
"Keep us away from that turbolaser fire, let our shields recover." Ranma ordered. The overlapping nature of the shields meant that even if one shield segment failed others took up the slack, but it was better to let them recover when you could.
Shaak nodded doing pulling further away from the retrofitted freighter asking, "Open up with our hidden weapons?"
"Not yet." Ranma shook his head. "Those are one ace in the hole I want to keep until we run into capital ships. If I'm reading the shielding of that ship right we can break through with just the quad lasers if we have to."
"Disappointed Wheedle: Master, I realize the strategy behind that move is sound, but couldn't you find it in your heart to let me at least try them out here? I promise I won't leave any survivors."
"No HK, besides, I'd quite like some survivors. I want to know what's behind this."
"Impressed tone: Ah, that makes sense master, it's always nice to know where the head of any operation is, makes it all the easier to slice them off at need."
During this interplay Shaak and Ranma had worked together to take out two more Cloak Shape fighters, while HK killed third without taking any more fire themselves. Two of the remaining starfighters however had not engaged the Wild Light at all, racing after Starwayman and the Queen's yacht.
That was a mistake. Not only were they not even going to come close to catching the Queen's yacht, but Booster's ship wasn't exactly unarmed. And he had a short way with pirates. He lured them both in close, slowing down as if something in his engines had failed, then suddenly slammed on the brakes of his ship, so that the torpedoes the other Cloak Shape fighters launched passed right by him, followed quickly by the ships themselves. His forward mounting guns took them both under fire one after another blowing through their shielding and shattering both ships with ease.
"This is Booster, you need any help? I don't want to have to tangle with those turbolasers, my shields aren't as good as yours but the Cloak Shapes are fair game." Came Booster's Corellian accented voice over the radio.
"Negative!" Shaak replied sharply. "You have too few combatants aboard your ship Booster, get out of here."
"Roger that. Helps on the way too, check out your long range scanners."
Shaak Ti smiled. As a Jedi she could concentrate both on her piloting and her Force ability, and could feel the minds of the approaching warships from deeper within the system. All of them were of course Wookies, and they were angry. An attack like this right on their doorstep would infuriate anyone, and the Wookies are not exactly the most pleasant sort of people to deal with if you had any connection at all with the slave trade or bounty hunting considering their hatred of the Trandoshans.
"Warning tone: Incoming fighters from five o'clock hard! Unknown type." HK declared.
Shaak quickly pulled the Wild Light around and down, then up in a hard arc. The Wild Light wasn't a fast ship in a straight line, but it was incredibly maneuverable. This move seemed to take the newcomers by surprise, as well as throwing off the targeting systems of the last two Cloak Shape fighters.
Because of that Shaak took a brief moment to glance at what the scanner array told them about the incoming fighters. "Four Z-headhunters, decent ships, okay shielding proton torpedoes rather than concussion missiles. The others look like cobbled together Uglies. No telling what kind of weapons they have, could be good could be very bad in every sense of the words. From their trajectory they came out of hyperspace on a predetermined coordinate at some kind of signal, typical pirate trick."
"Oh lovely." Ranma grunted. "Will they stick around once our new friends get here?"
"Doubtful, this entire attack is a well-executed ambush, and very few intelligent people want to stay around angry Wookies. Especially after ambushing their guests like this."
"Master, mistress, we are being hailed from the planet by Grandmaster Yoda." Tune broke in.
"Tell the little frog we're busy right now and why." Ranma said, taking out an Ugly with a very well-planned and aimed bit of quad fire when Shaak flipped the ship, forcing the incoming Ugly to face not the unprotected bottom of the ship as he had thought but the armed top. That Shaak was chuckling as she did this took nothing away from the neatness of the maneuver.
Shaak continued her barrel roll at the same time slewing the ship around, allowing Ranma to take potshots at several other ships, forcing them away from their own attack runs. A tone ran through the cockpit as she did, but stopped abruptly as she added power to the engines pushing them forward faster than before, breaking whatever weapons lock it been on them. Two proton torpedoes sped through the space they had just occupied, homing in on them quickly.
"Second verse same as the first." Ranma muttered. "HK you got one of the quad lasers, do something about the rest of those Headhunters, they seem better armed and piloted so keep them off us while I deal with the torpedoes!"
"Exultant voice: Roger that master. This is oh so much fun and I haven't even gotten my body back!"
"Yeah whatever." Ranma nailed both proton torpedoes, and then watched as HK was able to scare off the ships who fired them, even nailing a third. The Headhunter's shields held for a bit, then faded before the quad lasers struck its leftmost wing, shearing it off. The starfighter began an uncoordinated tumble through space, falling out of the battle zone quickly.
"The remaining ships are all breaking off," Shaak reported suddenly as the Headhunters and Uglies on Ranma's screen abruptly veered off, followed by the heretofore ineffective freighter with its turbolasers. "Our friends are getting close and our opponents no longer wish to play, but I think I want some answers."
Ranma nodded grimly understanding what Shaak wanted to do, and giving her consent. "Follow the big ship, get us close enough and I'll do the rest."
A few of the starfighters seemed to realize what their former targets were trying to do and turned back into the fight, while others continued on their courses. A few went to hyperspace quickly, avoiding the oncoming Wookie patrol ships unwilling to engage them, while others simply ran, their computers needing more time to compute the same jump. Two of the Uglies came apart suddenly, the ships unable to put up with the stress on their cobbled-together frames.
Others had turned away from their target only to run into the closing Wookie patrol ships. Though small, they were well armed, and their crews were very angry indeed at this attack in their own yard. None of the ships who hadn't already jumped would be getting away from them.
For their part Ranma and Shaak grimly stayed on the freighter's heels, dodging what fire they could from its few defenders and the freighter itself without losing any ground on it but simply taking the rest of the fire with their far heavier than normal shields. The Mon-Calamari design proved itself again, allowing them to weather the storm even as HK and Ranma killed three more starfighters before they were able the line up on the freighter.
Shaak was riding the Force as much as possible, aiding her ability to pilot and anticipate her enemies moves far beyond the normal scope of any but the best pilots. Because of this she was aware when the freighter suddenly tried to stop its headlong flight, slewing around slightly to bring its broadside to bear. And just as it did, all of its forward momentum stopping for a moment, she lit off the engines dropping the ship out and around the enemy ship, dodging the turbolaser fire before coming back underneath that ship even as it tried to roll to keep the Wild Light within the arc of its weapons.
Once again no words were needed, and Ranma took the shots swiftly, stitching up the aft section of the freighter with both quad lasers, taking down its shields in a few concentrated blasts and then blowing out its engines. What had been a controlled roll to keep the Wild Light within range of its weapons become an uncontrolled one, though the turbolasers were still dangerous.
The last of the Uglies still in-system blew up from sustained long-range fire at that point, the patrol ships of the Wookies having far better systems then anything currently in the battle save the Wild Light itself.
With their backs now secure Shaak and Ranma broughtthe Wild Light close to the larger freighter, pouring in quad laser fire to take out its turbolasers from the side one after another with controlled bursts of fire. They wanted the people inside alive to answer questions. When the last turbolaser fell silent Shaak smiled faintly, leaning back from the controls. "Tune, could you please find me the local commander, I think we're going to want to board that ship. Ask if he has any individuals who wish to join us."
"Angry lament: If only I had my body! This would be a perfect opportunity to get some close-in violence! All this ship-based warfare is nice, but it isn't as much fun as the unadulterated violence of close combat!"
"I believe we are well-cared for in that area." Shaak murmured, looking over at Ranma who gave her a thumbs up, pushing to her feet. It took a bit of control, but eventually the two ships were close enough for the Wild Light's airlock to link with that of the freighter. Ranma and Shaak waited in the interior of their airlock, until the cycle told them they the two airlocks had mated it correctly.
They then nodded to one another, and as soon as that door opened Ranma leaped into the air, bouncing off the interior bulkhead of the small entryway, dodging the incoming fire from the defenders, who'd had several minutes to set up. At the same time Shaak calmly activated her lightsaber, mostly deflecting the bits of compressed gas straight back at the incoming fighters.
Two of them tried to aim their guns up toward Ranma, but were far too slow to stop him bouncing off the roof and into them. Several punches and kicks laid them out, and Shaak charged forward, cutting down another three as they turned to try and fire at Ranma.
The attackers were mixed races, one human, one Trandoshan, and several different aliens that Ranma hadn't seen before, stocky sorts who seemed wider than they were tall with gray skin and blank expressions, another lizard looking alien, and a tall willowy creature which looked to be part tree. Shaak frowned, concentrating for a moment and pointing her finger in one direction, and the two of them raced off, with Ranma taking the lead. "We want prisoners, remember that."
"Agreed." Shaak nodded, knowing to let Ranma take the lead from now on.
When the next ambush occurred Shaak simply blocked the blaster bolts coming toward her with her lightsaber rather than attack, using Force pushes to smash or otherwise knockout the crewmen, while Ranma used his fists and feet to do the same.
The bridge was the only place that really put up stiff resistance, the captain and his bridge crew had the most time to set up and the most people. Seven crewmen were waiting with heavy weapons, along with ten others armed with blasters and vibro-weapons.
Shaak gestured peremptorily to Ranma stepping forward to block the incoming shots with her lightsaber with ease. "Surrender! You have no chance of escaping this system, the only hope you have for clemency is to throw yourselves on Jedi justice! Or would you rather face the Wookies?"
For a moment the fire faltered, the beings facing them looking at one another. Then one of them, a Weequay standing slightly beyond the defensive line, turned his blaster on one of his comrades shouting, "I'll have no cowards in my crew! Fight or die!"
One of the others turned to him, about to say something but the apparent captain of the ship blew his head off with a single blaster bolt.
Seeing that, Ranma and Shaak quickly closed, with Ranma crossing the intervening distance before any of the attackers facing them could blink. Ranma was in the captain's face immediately, a hard blow taking the man in the jaw shattering it and throwing him back to crash into the far wall with enough force to break bones.
The others tried to raise their weapons, but from right behind them where they had turned to face Ranma, Shaak gently wove a small circle in the air with her lightsaber letting the hum of it grab their attentions but not doing anything else with it. "Surrender?"
That at last broke the final courage of the remaining pirates. All of them threw down their weapons, before holding their hands above their heads.
Ranma and Shaak were still there a few minutes later when they were joined by several Wookies. Ranma looked on rather jealously as Shaak talked to them, easily understanding the Wookie language thanks to a Force trick she had described at one point, a slight mental connection Jedi could use to enable him or her to understand them. She gestured around, and it was obvious from the Wookie's body language though they weren't exactly happy. An attack like this in their own star system pissed them off royally, but they at least understood her point that live prisoners could better answer questions then dead bodies. They weren't gentle with prisoners, but that at least was better than what their former captain would've done.
By that point however Shaak had gotten a lot of information out of the prisoners already, since many of the Jedi's abilities dealt with ferreting out the truth and information. From them she learned that there was a bounty placed by an anonymous person on Ranma in both forms and that the Hutts had already learned about their involvement in Gardulla and Jabba's deaths.
The combined amount had been too much for this group, a pirate band called the Plasma Element for some reason, to pass up. To say the survivors were rethinking that decision was putting it mildly.
Walking back through the ship to the airlock Ranma smirked, nudging Shaak with an elbow, utterly unconcerned with the news the Hutts had marked him out for death. "Well, that was an amusing way to arrive, I wonder what else is going to happen here?"
"You get entirely too much joy out of chaos like this." Shaak replied repressively, but her dark purple lips were twitching even so, equally unconcerned. It wasn't the first time a crime lord had thought to set an illegal bounty on her after all. And after the past few days of going around in mental circles on where the mysterious Dark Side user had come from and what he could mean, having an opponent they could face physically had been a relief.
Leaving the ships and the prisoners to the Wookies, the two of them made their way back to the Wild Light, disconnecting from the freighter and rejoining Booster and his ship. Shaak made to transfer control of the ship to Ranma, but she waved Shaak off. "You can keep the controls for now, I want to look something up. Tune we're connected to the local net right, which is connected to the galactic one? I want to see if I can find the Hypercom equivalent of a phone number."
After a few moments of skimming through the information available on the Hyper-Net Ranma had a phone number, and within moments was calling it on the Wild Light's Hypercom relay.
"What are you up to Ranma?" Shaak murmured, staring at him, noticing that one seat was out of the pickup for the other for the first time. Ranma waved her to silence, a smirk on his face that both set her pulse to racing and made her very nervous for some reason.
If he was going to reply Ranma didn't get the chance as the other side of the line chose that moment to respond. The screen flashed some kind of logo for a moment then switched to showing a remarkably clean office, if rather a cookie-cutter sort of place, the kind of office that would seem right at home for either a high level functionary or a low level accountant. A second later it zoomed in on the face of the room's occupant.
The person sitting at the desk was the same type of alien as Master Tiin, an Ikotchi, and he looked almost bored as he replied. "Yes this is the Bounty Hunter's guild, local chapter, what can I do…"
His voice trailed off as he actually looked at Ranma, then down at a screen just barely visible as a piece of glass at the bottom of the pickup. "If this is about the multiple bounties on you human, you should know that this call being traced and that we take direct threats against the guild poorly. Further we never divulge the name of the individual who posts a bounty. We are a legitimate business allowed by the Republic Senate, the Hapes Consortium, the Corporate sector and the Hutt Cartels. Whatever you have done or why someone wants you dead or captured is no…"
Ranma interrupted the man before he could get further into what was obviously a practiced spiel. "I'm not calling' about that, I figured you wouldn't know the name of the real person behind that first bounty anyway. Nah, what I want is, is there any way to make certain that not every moron with a blaster and a compass can come after me? I only want your most dangerous and deadly bounty hunters to come after me. That way I might learnsomething."
"What?" The alien asked blankly, his face going entirely slack for a moment. "I, I don't, what?"
"I know you idiots are goin' to keep coming after me, but if I have to fight for my life or watch over my shoulder all the time I'd like to make certain that any attempt on me is at least interesting." It wasn't like that would be any different from life in Nerima after all, just with more ranged weapons. "I mean, Aura Sing seemed to have a bit of a reputation, but she really wasn't any real threat, nor were the Trandoshans with her except in numbers and not even then really. As for the last crew, the Plasma Element, they were even more pathetic, couldn't even scratch the paint on my ship!"
"Those, the Trandoshans who you met on Tatooine were certainly not part of the guild, no large band of Trandoshans is currently registered with us or any of our affiliates." The Ikotchi sputtered, sounding indignant for some reason. "As for the Plasma Element, they are a known pirate gang! You can't compare bottom-feeding mercenaries or pirates to our profession Bounty Hunters, we run a discrete, legitimate business here, none of that flashy, collateral damage nonsense."
"As to your claim to have killed Aura Sing so easily, that sounds like mere boasting to me. She's slain Jedi before after all, and is one of our up and coming members. You probably killed someone claiming to be her." The Ikotchi finished, now back under control.
"Heh, potato, potato man, as for Aura: short-ish, green skin, red hair done up in a ponytail, weird antenna thing coming out the top of her head, decent sniper skills, some okay lightsaber skills, wears a vest? Last known location Tatooine working for Jabba the Hutt, whose death apparently earned me and my associates a second bounty?" Ranma asked sardonically.
The Ikotchi fell silent, looking down at the second screen on his desk. He punched some buttons for a moment before he looked up, his eyes now even wider than they had been.
Ranma smirked at him. "So if you could make certain that any bounty hunters you send after me are worth my time, that'd be great, thanks." She reached forward and was about to cut the connection but stopped, her blue eyes hardening noticeably. "Oh, and if any of yer Hunters hurt any bystanders when they try to take me down, I'm gonna start doing some hunting of my own. Just a word to the wise, 'k?"
HK was the first to speak after Ranma ended the call. "Amused Awe: Master, you seem to have actually made an art form out of creating enemies, marvelous!"
Shaak stared at Ranma for a moment after she hung up then began to giggle uncontrollably, shaking her head as she laughed her lekku twitching. Yes, this would no doubt put the both of them in danger, but by the Force that had been hilarious, and though it went against the Jedi Code to hold grudges it felt good to see the Bounty Hunter's Guild taken down a peg. "Ranma, that was, that was just…!"
With Shaak seemingly unable to keep piloting, Ranma took the controls of the ship for a time, while Shaak after recovering her self-control began to translate the direction they were getting from the Planetary Space Control. They were quickly directed towards an orbit around the planet's equator, where they met up with the queen's yacht.
The three ships were then directed downwards into the atmosphere, blue and white as was normal on most life bearing planets, but with a hint of purple here and there in the upper clouds. It was when they broke out from the cloud cover that Ranma began to see what made Kashyyyk unique.
At first he didn't understand what he was seeing. All he saw was foliage as far as the eye could see, okay fine, simply a large forest with what looked like an ocean to one side and mountains on the other. Then they got closer, and certain details began to register. "Holy crap, those are trees! How big are those things!?"
"Big enough that a fully grown Wroshyr tree is large enough to house an entire clan of Wookies." Shaak replied smiling happily as the feeling of the Living Force of the planet washed over her. Shaak Ti had always felt a connection to nature and plants in particular, so feeling the Force of this planet after Tatooine was like night and day. Indeed, there were few planets that had such an abundance of Living Force energy as this one.
"They're nearly as big as mountains." Ranma murmured, the three ships slowing as they began to come closer to the top of the massive trees, entering a small break in the canopy, following a series of specific instructions as they dipped deeper. Now the cockpit's forward viewport actually came in handy, allowing Shaak and Ranma to see where they were going.
Green foliage as far as the eye could see, coupled with giant branches that looked wider than the ship, dominated the view. Here and there the trees had formed small pools of rain water, holding the water as easily as rock. Other places you could tell other plants were using the Worshyr trees as ground, dozens, perhaps hundreds of bushes and berry trees scattered through the tree's upper foliage in some kind of symbiotic relationship.
Animals too there were aplenty, all of them seemingly evolved to make the most of the arboreal environment. Much to HK's disgust Ranma and Shaak made a game of spotting them, and between them noticed several dozen bird and animal species. One of them looked like a fat flying squirrel with a tail that looked like a rattler's, and Shaak pointed out another which looked like an ape with green fur, elven ears and the legs of a kangaroo. She also spotted a group of birds which belonged to the first of two species she could actually name, calling them flarions, a name which made Ranma nearly perform a spittake.
Ranma also noticed a big beast that looked like a land dragon in shape, but with fur instead of scale's and an ape's face, and one other species that looked so much like a cat that it nearly freaked him out before he noticed it's tale looked like a cross between a rattle and a honeycomb. His favorite though was the second species Shaak could name, the ikov. It looked like a cross between an otter and a badger and seemed almost fearless as it moved through the top of the trees, flipping and cavorting and generally having fun despite apparently not being one of the top predators up here. It's attitude appealed to Ranma.
Some of the uppermost branches looked as if they had been cultivated in a specific way, marked here and there with scanner equipment. Several upward facing branches were dotted with what were definitely antiair weapons. Another further down held what looked like a control tower carved into the side of it, a few bits of equipment sticking out here and there, with a massive radar dish on the top. Around it were gun emplacements, so well hidden Shaak and Ranma could barely spot them despite Shaak's Force senses.
The deeper they went the more branches and larger there were, but beyond even the branches were the massive trunks of the trees themselves. They were so wide Ranma estimated you could stick a fair-sized town into them lengthwise, without considering height at all.
Finally was the most surprising of all: one gigantic branch, easily 12 times as wide as the Wild Light was jutting out from a tree that dwarfed it in size. The top of it had been smoothed out, with guardrails carved out of the sides, and even lights embedded into the wood. A large dividing line was left over from when the branch had been smoothed right in the middle of the span.
"Are you serious?" Ranma asked, shaking his head. "It's wood, won't it burn from our engine thrusters or something?"
"These are wroshyr trees, they are tough beyond belief. There has been more than one Wookie Jedi master that used the wood from these trees to make their lightsaber hilts. It is tough, durable and nearly fireproof once treated with a local compound of some kind." Shaak replied. "Don't worry Ranma even turbolaser fire would have trouble setting treated wroshyr wood on fire."
Ranma nodded, watching as Shaak finished the landing preparations, before turning off the main engines and switching over to the repulsor fields on the bottom of the ship. They settled in for a gentle landing, as Ranma shook his head, his fingers twitching with his desire to explore this magnificent world. It's like the entire world is a tree house, how freaking cool is that!? "We're going to have to make time to explore, you know that right?"
Shaak laughed quietly at his expression, sending him a warm smile which he returned. Watching Ranma's love of exploration and seeing new things had awakened similar feelings in her, for all that Shaak Ti had seen hundreds of worlds in her time already. "I suspected yes. Whether or not we will have time is debatable, but we shall see. For now," she said her smile widening slightly as she stood up gathering her Jedi robes around her. "We should go and greet the welcoming committee."
It was only then that Ranma was able to turn his attention away from the setting to the relatively large group of people waiting for them at the far end of the exotic landing pad. Besides several Wookies, stood several Jedi Masters, and at the head of the cavalcade stood Master Yoda, looking even more diminutive than normal next to one of the locals, who Ranma estimated must be at least six times Yoda's height at the shoulders. That Wookie was the first with gray fur Ranma had seen, which probably meant he was important in some way.
The ship came to a stop, and began to power down before opening its landing ramp as the other ships did the same, slightly faster in the yacht's case, and slightly slower in Booster's. The Wookie next to Yoda moved forward, along with one of the other locals. To one side of them stood several others, medical personnel and organizers by what they were carrying. Wookies didn't seem to believe much in clothing or uniforms, and considering their pelts that made sense to Ranma.
Shaak and Ranma exited the cockpit, followed quickly by Tune, though they left HK behind. This was a time for discourse and even HK admitted he had little talent in that area. "Factual statement: It is a sad fact that many sentient beings refuse to admit when they are intellectually outmatched, master. Interrogative tone: Besides, I can put this time to use by trying to find my body parts, or something equivalent."
"Have fun, just remember yer body isn't our main priority just yet." Ranma shrugged.
Shmi met them in the main room with Aayla standing next to her. She looked composed as always, the same front that she had been using since first waking up, though her lekkus' twitching had greatly subsided over the past few days, and she even smiled naturally at Shaak and Ranma.
Aayla was an Empath, she could sense the emotions of those around her through the Force, not their thoughts, but their emotions, to a level that few Jedi Masters could match. She was used to feeling those thoughts from everyone around her, something Aayla couldn't actually stop, which had added to her problems several times despite her teacher's aid in controlling it, especially on this last mission.
On the ship she had tried to shut it out occasionally, a habit she had gotten into on the mission to save her sanity. But occasionally her control slipped, when she was waking up or falling asleep, and in those moments the emotions of the three other people aboard the ship reached her. And those feelings, of friendship, affection, care, had helped Aayla begin to heal despite herself.
Nonetheless, both Ranma and Shaak moved to stand between Aayla and the other ships arriving with them, as they too disembarked their passengers and crews. Given how Aayla twitched, and stiffened up as the male slaves came into view this was a good move.
Despite this, Ranma had to hold back a smile as he saw several kids hanging off a few of the Wookies. Leaning over toward Shaak he asked, "I didn't think there were any kids among the Hutt's slaves?"
"Booster mentioned them once, apparently the contraceptives Jabba's slaves were fed sometimes failed, and there were even a few slave-guard families." Shaak replied, her purple lips quirking slightly. "I admit it did not occur to me at the time, but I'm happy it did to the ex-slaves in question."
"And I bet the kids got a kick out of the Wookies." Aayla said, speaking up for the first time in what Shaak thought was the closest to her normal town Shaak had heard from her since Aayla first woke up.
Ranma laughed grinning at the Rutian Twi'lek, who replied with a faint smile of her own, the biggest she'd shown since that first time she had realized she was among friends. "You better believe it, what kid wouldn't like having a big, furry friend? Or is it only humans who like teddy-bears?"
"What's a teddy-bear?" Both Jedi asked, cocking their heads to one side in almost eerie unison.
"Nevermind…" Ranma groaned.
Booster moved forward at the head of his crew, bowing grandly to the Queen as he did before taking up a position beside Captain Panaka, following Amidala as she made her way forward. Her entourage spread out, with one of the guards leading the medical gurney over to two Jedi Masters who had moved ahead of the welcoming party.
The sight of one of those worthies in particular made Shaak smile. "Excellent," she said breathing a sigh of relief. "Either someone thought ahead, or the Force truly is with us." Aayla too seemed to lock her eyes on the Jedi in question for a moment, but then looked away, her mask still in place unbroken.
Ranma cocked an eyebrow at Shaak, and she shrugged in a way that suggested she would explain later, to which he nodded before moving forward with the others. Yoda met them with the lead Wookie, and he gestured at the larger creature to speak first. "Formalities get out of the way we must."
The grey-furred Wookie wore an intricately jeweled harness around his chest, along with a heavy belt made of some kind of plant. He stood forward, roaring something his own language, addressing the Wookie prisoners one after another, who all nodded, and seemed to gesture at the prisoners behind them. Gently removing the children they had been carrying, each former prisoner clasped forearms with the elder one after another.
Shaak began to translate for Ranma quickly. "Wookie clans often don't get along, Wookies hold a grudge like no one's business, and they've often got old feuds and hatreds flaring up between family or clan groups. But being captured like this one of the few things that will allow the captured to honorably postpone such conflict. The Wookie speaking is named Kashkyyrro. He's the leader of the capital and he's demanding that they give over their feuds for a time, until they're well outside the city. The capital is a neutral territory for the clans and family's so no conflict is allowed here."
The Wookie continued, looking towards the non-Wookie slaves, speaking to them in a warmer, far friendlier tone. "He just now gave the slaves formal welcome to Rwoookrrorro, that's the name of this city, it's the capital of the planet. Given that hospitality is very important among Wookies that's the same as saying Kashyyyk's government has given them asylum for now. Kashkyyrro promised to either repatriate the prisoners, or see that they are given housing here if they have any skills or can be taught any. It won't be free or easy, but it will certainly be better than slavery."
"Wouldn't take much." Ranma muttered, but nodded his head nonetheless, even as he spotted Anakin at the back of the group of the yacht fidgeting in place, looking torn between staring at where Padme stood and his mother, who was standing quietly behind Ranma and the others. "I doubt many of them want to stay here though, at least the ones that weren't born into captivity."
"True, but there were more who had been born into it than I had anticipated among Jabba's slaves. I had not thought that the slave trade was so widespread in the Mid-Rim Territories. Outer territories yes, but the Mid Rim?" She shook her head, glancing sideways at Aayla whose lekku had twitched violently at that before going on, Shaak's lips twisting into something just this side of a snarl. "The idea of making war on the slave trade is looking better and better to me, even if we don't actually have the resources."
Shaak paused as she noticed the group of alien soldiers marching up to Master Yoda, bowing their heads formally. For a moment Yoda simply stared at them then nodded his head speaking in a language Shaak hadn't heard before. It wasn't common, there was much more clicking and hard vowel sounds in it than most languages she knew. There was also a certain aggressive, martial air to it.
"Evidently the Nova Guard might be more important than I thought," she murmured to the others. "It appears they have a tale to tell, and one they wish to tell the Council before heading home. They also asked master Yoda rather bluntly if they would have Jedi aid if the Nova Guard, whatever that actually is, I'm getting the impression of a large military force, were to start war on the Hutts…"
She trailed off slightly, shaking her head. "I just don't have enough information to guess if that's a literal translation of what I'm seeing in their surface thoughts, a figurative one or just a wish and not something they can really promise."
"There was also a bit about you and your skills and there, something about the Jedi having held back, but they didn't actually speak those thoughts aloud." Shaak murmured even quieter than before, her voice not even carrying back to Shmi now. She frowned thoughtfully looking at Ranma, and Ranma knew what she was thinking. Unlike Jedi Force techniques, many of his skill set could be learned by a mundane, but it was a worrying idea for that to spread.
Ranma quickly put Shaak at ease shaking her head tapping her hand lightly against Shaak's. "No chance. I won't share anything with someone who doesn't earn my trust first, and just helping to break out the rest of the slaves isn't enough for that."
"You might actually grow some common sense eventually Ranma," Shaak smiled at him slightly, shaking her head mock-sadly. "Of course this is coming immediately after you pulled that stunt with Bounty hunters Guild, so I would put it down as a work in progress."
"That hurts right here." Ranma said tapping his stomach. She laughed shaking your head at the joke while Aayla looked at them both, her brows furrowed. Shaak then turned her eyes to the soldiers once again before they were led off by two more Wookies heading towards some kind of temporary habitation or perhaps communication gear, or both.
With the slaves taken care of, the wounded being seen to by an elderly human male Jedi and a few of the others, it had become time for Yoda to turn his attention to the true issue at hand. He waved the Queen forward, nodding his head to her. "Queen Amidala, welcome you are. Aid and protection you will have here." He said before going on to translate for her what Kashkyyrro was saying to her.
"Thanks you have from him for helping in freeing his people. Thanks to your aid of our Jedi do I add from the Jedi Order. Protect you they were supposed to, aid in return always welcomed."
Padme and Yoda exchanged a few more words, though Ranma wasn't listening any further, he was looking at Aayla, who was in turn twitching slightly, though seemed to calm down now that all of the prisoners had been let off, and the only men close were the locals and Yoda. They were soon joined by two other Masters, peeling off from the small group transporting the wounded. Ranma recognized both of them from the Jedi Council, and he suddenly wondered what Yoda and the two of them were doing here.
With a few more parting words to Booster and Padme, let them move off, leaving behind Anakin who quickly joined his mother. One of the locals made to stop him, but stopped at a gesture from Padme, who smiled at Anakin, bowed her head and turned away without another word. Ranma noticed Anakin's eyes lingering on her for a time, before turning to regard the Jedi, his young face serious.
Kashkyyrro turned to Ranma and Shaak, bowing deeply from his waist and thanking them for freeing his people and striking a blow against the slavers. "More should be done about them Republic-wide, but too many hands are tied by too many rules, the call of personal arrogance, ego and other things." Shaak translated. "It is good to see that such will not stop good people from stepping up to fill the breach."
At this point Anakin seemed to have enough waiting around, and he moved forward, staring first at Yoda then at the other Jedi. "Are you all Jedi too? You feel more like Obi-wan and Qui-Gon than Ranma, what is he, er she anyway?"
"Oy!" Ranma growled, thumping him lightly on the top of the head. "I ain't a what kid, I'm just me."
Anakin scowled at the redhead rubbing at the top of his head for a moment, then looked back at Yoda. "Well?"
"Master Yoda, this is Anakin Skywalker and his mother Shmi. Master Qui-Gon befriended the pair on Tatooine. Anakin was the reason they were able to acquire the parts needed to repair the Queen's yacht." Shaak supplied her lips quirking slightly at Ranma and Anakin's antics before going on delicately, not wanting the boy to get a swelled head. "Master Qui-Gon felt the boy had the potential to be a Jedi, his Medichlorian count is respectable for someone his age."
"Hrhrhm…" Yoda said thoughtfully, knowing there was more behind this than what Shaak was willing to say. Staring at the precocious youngling, Yoda felt the Force potential in the youth but was unhappy with his age and obvious connection with the woman at his side who had previously been standing with Ranma and Shaak. Still, changing times these are, talk with Qui-Gon I will once healed, full story I will get.
"Tested, the boy shall be. Decision made then. Follow Master Sr'kesh you will now." He gestured at one of the masters behind him, an older looking human male with wide shoulders and a short cropped beard.
"I will be a Jedi." Anakin said, his face serious and his tone certain. "I have seen it."
Yoda didn't reply, watching as the boy was led off with his mother before at last turning his full attention on Aayla who had waited patiently beside Ranma and Shaak. He took a few tottering steps forward, until he was standing directly in front of her staring up at her, his eyes deep and calm. "Padawan Aayla, much you have suffered. Much we have, the Order have, the Council have, to apologize for. Failed you the Order has, failed you I did."
Aayla made to speak, but Yoda's strangely powerful voice stopped her, as he went on. "Grandmaster I am, know of your mission I should have, know the Council should have entire. Suffered you have in our service, suffered far more than could be asked. Apologies never enough will be, but aid you will have, time you will have. Patience you will have. Recover you will from this, vow it I do."
The ancient grandmaster held Aayla's eyes, and the facade of control and Jedi dispassion that Aayla had kept up for the past few days collapsed with the suddenness of an avalanche. She dropped to her knees, sobbing as she flung her arms around the ancient Grandmaster. Huge racking sobs shook Aayla's body from lekku tip to foot as the emotions, the fears and the memories of her ordeal overcame her compulsive, self-destructive control at last.
Her hug/tackle should have knocked over the ancient Jedi master. But Yoda didn't even move. It was as if he was an oak stump, immovable, absorbing all of her emotions and tears simply letting her get it all out. Ranma smiled faintly, looking at Shaak, who nodded her head, thankful beyond words that Yoda had been able to find the right words to get through Aayla's self-control.
The two other Council members both looked uncomfortable at this outpouring of emotion, but the short one looked like he at least understood. Indeed, he looked almost grief-stricken himself, his ears were literally drooping, his aura of assurance and self-possession badly eroded from what they had been when Ranma had seen him before. Ranma wondered why, but decided to wait and see.
Next to that one, whose name Ranma couldn't remember, Koth, or the asshole as Ranma remembered him, simply looked uncomfortable. Not censorious, which at least told Ranma that someone had made him open up a thesaurus and maybe watch the local news, but still uncomfortable with the emotion of the moment.
Given how weak she still was from purging the drug she'd been given Aayla couldn't sustain this outpouring of emotions for long, and it wasn't more than a few moments before she simply fell into a deep sleep slumping against Yoda's small shoulder as if it was the most sturdy of mountains. Looking over the young Padawan's shoulders at Shaak and Ranma the Grandmaster nodded slowly. "Now healing, begin it can."
He gestured, and Aayla was suddenly lifted off his shoulders hovering there in the air from moment as the Jedi master whose presence had so pleased Shaak moved forward, placing a small gurney underneath Aayla allowing Yoda to gently lower her down.
"Luminara, I am pleased to find you here. If anyone can help Aayla you can." Shaak said, stepping forward with a smile on her face holding out her arms.
The other woman clasped them, smiling at Shaak in a slightly warmer than normal way from a Jedi. "Hello Knight Ti, I am glad to see you."
Ranma stepped back slightly, cocking his head as he took in this new Jedi Master's appearance. She had dark, dusty green skin blue eyes black lips and an odd tattoo consisting of black dots on her chin but other than that seemed human in appearance. Besides a set of robes that looked a bit more formal than the normal Jedi sort she wore some kind of high headdress that added half a foot to her height, which was nearly as tall as Shaak Ti, covering the back of her head and falling to either side of her face. She was thin and looked like she was built for agility.
"We will do what we can for Aayla. I personally will do what I can for her. Master Yoda was correct; the Order has wronged young Secura far too much for any efforts to be stinted in this, if ever we would have in the first place. Can you tell me what her symptoms were?"
Ranma and Shaak exchanged a glance before shrugging. "We can tell you some of it, but the person you should really speak to is Shmi, Anakin's mother. She was the one that helped Aayla through the worst of her moments of coming off whatever it was Jabba gave her. None of us could do anything about her mental faculties, but we think she's on the mend physically. I can give you some details about how I fought off the same substance, but I don't know if that will help you in healing Aayla's mind or body further."
Luminara nodded slightly, with none of the condescension that some Jedi felt towards anyone trying to heal one of their own. "I see. In that case I shall leave you here and talk to Shmi now. Although I do want to talk to you later, Shaak." Luminara's black lips quirked into a serene smile which carried up into her blue eyes. "I've heard about your adventures both on Coruscant and Dac. And about this one," she said flicking a few fingers to the redhead. "I have to say what I've heard about your Force curse sounds fascinating Ranma. When was the last time you had a checkup though? I can't imagine changing forms like that is easy on the body, if only at the cellular level."
"Less than two days before I arrived in this dimension." Ranma replied dryly. "And you can question me about it all you like, provided you do so while I'm exploring this amazing planet." he nodded to the Wookie, who chuffed, smirking and nodding his head. "Kashyyyk looks phenomenal, and I can't wait to explore." Ranma sighed. "But I suppose we have to go and talk to the old fuddy-duddies about what we've seen first."
She hung her head and looking so much like an errant teenager that Shaak chuckled, while Luminara merely raised an amused eyebrow. "Ranma's sense of humor is sort of an acquired taste I'll admit," the Togrutan replied with a smile, to which Luminara nodded, leaving the scene with Aayla, heading in one direction, while Yoda motioned Shaak and Ranma to follow him in a slightly different one. It turned out later they were going to the same destination, but Yoda, knowing about Ranma's desire to explore, took the two of them and many of the others the scenic route this time.
As he and Shaak were led through the city, Ranma could not stop from looking around her in awe. In some ways it looked like a regular, if small, city with streets thorough fairs, walkways and buildings of varying heights. It was only when you realized that all of that was carved into the sides and interior of gigantic trees, and that said tree's branches connected to other branches to make the ground that your perspective changed. Indeed, Ranma stopped and looked at the floor occasionally, noticing that it looked as if the limbs from the different trees merged, melding together. The basic ground of the city also had artificial parts created by wooden slats, but those bits didn't seem to be the majority.
The style of the city also looked primitive at first, after all wood wasn't exactly an advanced construction material. Yet some of the houses or buildings were very beautiful. One in particular grabbed Ranma's attention, a large bar or meeting place with several tears of varying size, all of it painted in splashes of green and blue while also letting the natural tree color through in places.
The Wookies were quite at home with technology too. Many of the large Wookie-made sections had repulsors built into them just in case, many of the houses had receiver arrays sticking out of the top of them, and there were also some small hover-trucks moving through the city.
Everywhere he looked Ranma saw Wookies moving around, climbing one tree, climbing down from another, walking to and fro, coming up from small or large holes set into the wood of the walkway from deeper down in the city. Ranma could tell that the city might not cover as much area, but it was probably far larger both in depth and height than most. This would have stopped most offworlders, who would have had to use the rail cars Ranma saw in places or the hover trucks.
Jedi however could make their way just as easily through the foliage as the Wookies could. They came to the end of the city serving the landing zone, and hopped out onto a small branch, then up to another, then a third hopping up and out towards another, slightly smaller Wroshyr tree that was only connected to this one by a small roadway well below the level they were currently on.
Ranma followed the others, laughing at the sight of Yoda hopping through the trees with an alacrity and ease that belied his age. "Damn now you really do look like a giant frog, hoppin' round like that."
Yoda suddenly flipped himself around, coming back fast towards where Ranma was trailing after the others, his glimmer stick flashing. Ranma ducked where the blow was coming toward her, changing her direction between one jump and the next with the ease of a master of the Saotome Aerial Style. However Yoda was a past master of Force Precognition, and had taken it to a level even Dooku could not match despite his greater physical abilities.
He also cheated outrageously, using the Force to change his avenue of attack midair faster than Ranma could, intercepting Ranma before she could change her direction a second time. Yoda's glimmer stick smashed into Ranma's forehead with enough force to flip Ranma around midair, and smashing the tip off the stick.
"Ow, ya damn midget, that freaking hurt!" Ranma groused, even as she grabbed a nearby vine, flipping herself up and back onto a branch. She turned and glared at a small monkey-mouse thing which was sitting on the same branch, making chuckling noises before jumping away as Ranma narrowed his eyes at her.
The closest Jedi all stopped and stared, some with surprise or shock, some with amusement like Shaak Ti who chuckled, shaking her head as she jumped back toward the redhead. Yoda ignored her landing on a nearby shaking his aged head. "Respect, you have not learned yet. Frog I am not, though amphibian my ancestors might have been."
"Midget, an insult also is not. Short aliens many there are, great things in small packages proven they have. A new insult you must find." Yoda went on then looked at his warped glimmer stick. Though it had been a reinforced stick rather than simple wood, it had bent badly under the impact with Ranma's forehead. "As must, a new gimmer stick I must find."
"Oh my heart freaking weeps you… you…" Ranma paused, scowling. "Yeah I got nothing that ya wouldn't need some cultural background to get. Damn."
"Poor baby," Shaak cooed, shaking her head as she looked at the small red bump on Ranma's forehead, though she was semi-serious as she went on. "And master Yoda, if you're going to hit him, please don't aim for the head. Given the concussion and cracked cranium he got on Tatooine even Ranma's amazing healing ability might not be able to repair anymore damage there for a few weeks."
"Humph, manners, sometimes must be drilled into the young." Yoda retorted but not taking his eyes off his wrecked glimmer stick until he turned away, rejoining the other Jedi.
"Nice ta know ya care there Shaak." Ranma said, shaking her head, though her eyes told Shaak the redhead had caught her real concern hidden under the joke.
The two shared a brief smile before Shaak shook her head. "I do care Ranma, and you know you asked for it. In fact if I didn't know better I'd say you goad Master Yoda on purpose."
"Not telling." Ranma replied now smirking as she looked from Shaak to Yoda. "Though I will say that Yoda's probably had more exercise since he met me than in the last two decades."
Shaak turned away with a chuckle, and Ranma waited until she had leaped away to follow. As she did, Ranma couldn't tear his eyes off her back and rear moving under her Jedi robes. Shaak paused two branches away, and she looked over her shoulder, a small, if somewhat embarrassed smile on her face before she turned away, leaping off even faster. Ranma blushed hotly at being caught then she shook her head and followed quickly.
About twelve minutes into their walk/climb, the climb began to be much easier, the group having apparently come to another small living zone. Ranma also began to see more aliens, that is non-locals, and all of them looked to be Jedi. There was a group of about a dozen younglings, very young children ranging from age 10 and down. going through some calisthenics exercises along one very thick branch about the size of a large gym.
To one side and on a slightly higher, far narrower branch was a slightly older group being shown something by a Wookie, some kind of plant or something Ranma couldn't tell from where they were walking by. The Wookie had a translator next to him (Ranma had no idea how to tell genders among the Wookies so just went with him) a human female Jedi with long black hair and the robes and lightsaber of a Jedi Knight.
Ahead of Ranma Shaak landed on the main thorough fair branch a far longer branch than the other two. She stopped for a moment, cocking her head thoughtfully to one side as she stared at one of the youngest younglings, a Togrutan girl who could only be four or five years old at best.
"Shaak?" Ranma asked, nudging her side lightly. It was only then that he realized that the girl had turned away from the instructor to stare at Shaak.
Shaak smiled at the girl, bowing from the waist with her hands together before winking and turning away. Ranma glanced at her and then at Yoda, who chuckled. "Start of a master-padawan bond you have seen," he said a warm smile on his face. "Young Ahsoka Tano is, but a note of it make I will."
"Thank you Master Yoda." Shaak said solemnly, bowing her head with extreme formality towards the Grandmaster as she made a note of the name. "May I ask though, who brought her in? Ahsoka wasn't in the Temple before Ranma and I left for our mission on Dac."
"She was not, no." Master Koth said, also smiling slightly for some reason. "Master Koon brought her in a few months ago. He apparently began teaching her some meditation exercises right away because she is quite strong in the Force and apparently needed it. Plo also put in a notice that if no one else felt a bond towards her, he would be pleased to take Tano so long as when she reaches the age to be chosen he doesn't already have a padawan."
Ranma smiled, easily bringing Master Koon to mind, one of the Jedi Masters who had apparently begun to question the way the Order ran things before Ranma turned up. "I liked Plo a very subtle sense of humor at times, but very open and…" he fumbled further right words. "Friendly I suppose is the closest I can get to a single word."
"Master Plo Koon friendly is, also observant." Yoda replied dryly. "Much behind that mask going on there is. Worthy addition to the Council he has proven. But that in your mind, main question it is not."
Ranma and Shaak exchanged another glance then Ranma shrugged lightly, indicating she should talk while he continued to look around. They entered the interior of the wroshyr tree, and Ranma realized was a tower carved out of the interior of the tree.
"I believe we are both wondering what is going on here master Yoda." Shaak said smoothly, smiling slightly as she saw Knight Luminara join them from a side passage. Her friend quickly moved to walk with her, bowing her head slightly. "This number of younglings, padawans, Knights and Masters all being off of Coruscant at once?"
"Experiment this is in a way." Yoda said, walking forward, scowling at his bent glimmer stick as he tapped it on the floor. "Decided it was Jedi spread from Coruscant, we would. Open on various worlds, new temples we will. Kashyyyk first it will be. Dac, third. Corellia, second, Alderaan, fourth. Already agreed all but Corellia have. Jedi there, help locals, connect to the common people we will."
There were other planets in consideration, many of them in the Mid Rim Territories rather than the Inner worlds. Yoda and the others who had understood the need for this wanted the Jedi to spread their influence and numbers as far as possible without weakening them so much they could be destroyed in detail. The Dark Side was still rising, the future still unreadable more than a few days into the future with any certainty. But the idea of having several smaller, self-sufficient temples rather than a single temple made sense to a majority of the High Council after Yoda had shared the vision he'd had while following Ranma on Coruscant.
That wasn't to say everyone was happy about it. There was a great deal of resentment from the Council of Relocation and Knowledge about the new path the Order was taking, and many teachers in the main Temple also were not pleased on how much more emphasis there was on actual combat skills rather than meditation and becoming one with the Force.
Master Giiett was also facing quite a bit of passive aggressive opposition in trying to redesign the teaching curricula and how emotions were seen both by the younglings and by the Order in general. It was most definitely an uphill battle, and frankly one that wasn't really gaining any ground yet. The Order was very slow to change despite Yoda and his allies' best efforts and even the rumors of the vision which had forced his hand.
"I have to say you picked one hell of a planet start the project on." Ranma said, closing her eyes for a moment and stopping in place. The rest of the Jedi turned to the redhead as they felt the massive font of Living Force that was Ranma reaching out to the Living Force all around them. She seemed to be soaking it in as much as she was giving of himself, and they felt the echoes to their senses, a bright joy going either way.
Chuckling Yoda slapped his ruined glimmer stick lightly against Ranma's leg. "Time enough for experimentation later, yes? Questions we have for you and for Knight Ti."
"Yeah." Ranma said shaking her head in coming out of it, smirking at the diminutive alien for a moment. "Yeah I figured you all would. Doesn't mean it's going to be fun answering them though."
"Wisdom gained, often painful it is. Know this well you do already." Yoda said with a nod, staring into Ranma's blue eyes with his own, causing Ranma to reevaluate again how much the old Grandmaster could tell about him/her even without being directly told. Dooku had figured out the same thing, but it had taken him several days of interaction, while Yoda had done the same thing in a few brief interactions.
After a moment Yoda broke their locked gazes and moved on, stopping only once to grab a cup of hot water for Ranma to change his form. Every Jedi in the temple and many of the younglings looked up as they felt the chuckling laughter of the Force as Ranma changed back to the body he had been born with after spending the last four plus days in his female body. Some of the younglings even giggled as the feeling washed over them, others simply grinned.
Ranma grinned too, stretching his arms above his head, his shirt riding up slightly, cracking his neck explosively. "I know it's all in my mind, but whenever I spend a lot of time in my girl form I always feel like I need ta stretch when I return to my real body." He looked to the side noticing Shaak had glanced at his bare stomach for a moment before looking away.
The masters and knights around them who hadn't previously seen Ranma's curse in action had all stopped what they were doing and were now staring at Ranma. Even Koth and Piell were looking at him, shaking their heads at both the sight and the feelings of the change.
On the other hand Yoda simply chuckled for a moment before once again leading the way through the rest of the Temple, or perhaps would-be Temple. As they ascended through the temple they saw more knights and Masters spread out everywhere. Most of them seemed to be moving furniture either through the Force or by hand, working on the electronics with some of the locals or doing other things to make the tower more livable. All told there seem to be around 100 or so, maybe a little more mixed between padawans, younglings, knights and Masters, and Ranma knew that there would be more he couldn't see.
There was obviously still quite a bit of work to do here, but many of the Jedi who would live here were all in place already. Ranma watched Yoda stop occasionally to exchange work words with some of the locals and he smiled faintly shaking his head. "Is it just me, or do the locals respect the little gremlin more than normal for you Jedi?"
Shaak's rolled her eyes, while some of the others looked slightly insulted at Ranma's flippant manner. "You really do go out of your way to antagonize him don't you? And no, it's not just you. Master Yoda was the sector Jedi for this area of space for, what was it, 120 years or so?"
"Something like that." Luminara said, cocking her head as she stared between her friend and Ranma for a moment, before turning away. "It made this planet an obvious choice to be the first recipient of the new outreach program. The esteem master Yoda is personally held in, as well as the general respect and even affection towards the Jedi Order that the Wookies have made it an obvious choice."
Ranma chuckled, remembering how the kids back on the landing strip had acted with the Wookies. "Yeah, I can see that."
Moments later they entered a small circular area that looked as if it was being made into a counsel room like that on Coruscant. There were seats literally carved out of the walls of the large branch which was an offshoot of the main temple. In the center of the room was a communications device which seemed to have several hologram projectors connected to it, which would project in every direction towards the seats all around it.
Yoda moved towards one seat, clambering up into it before gesturing the others into their own with Ranma, Shaak, and surprisingly Knight Luminara sitting in one area facing the rest of the Council present on Kashyyyk. They were quickly joined by Obi-Wan, who was using a crutch to get around. A few seconds after they sat down, the center device activated, projecting holograms out from each of its small apertures, filling in the missing spots quickly with those Masters that had remained on Coruscant, along with a few others, though they were also missing Giiett and Plo-Koon. Ranma figured they were out on missions or something like that.
He was happy to see master Dooku among those present and quickly stood up, bowing his head to the older man who replied in the same gesture. Shaak however smiled slightly at another master, an older human male but still slightly younger than Master Dooku in appearance, with dark eyes and black hair slowly changing to gray. "Master Tholme."
"Knight Ti," the hologram replied, the man in it bowing his head formally. "If my former padawan was here, he would no doubt thank you for defending his padawan. As it is I will do so in his stead."
"Understand we do unusual things, on Tatooine occurred." Yoda began without preamble. "Knight Ti, a report you did send. Much questions we have, about this individual you faced. Questions about Padawan Aayla we also have."
Ranma and Shaak exchanged a glance, and Shaak stood up quickly, placing her hands together in her long-sleeved robes as she gathered herself. She quickly outlined the operation against the two Hutts confirming that both of them had died, Jabba to her lightsaber, and Gardullato a group of her own gladiators. She outlined the battle from beginning to end.
When Shaak mentioned Booster's aid and how Qui-Gon secured it, there were some grumbles from her audience before Tholme spoke up in favor of it, telling the other masters that Booster was a good source of information and not someone likely to do anything too far beyond the law in any event. Shaak went on from there, mentioning the fact that while they had spotted her before the battle, Sing hadn't been involved on Shaak's side of things and then going in to what had occurred to her personally, describing the effects of the aerosol-based drug that the Falleen had tried to use on her.
There she was questioned by Luminara and two of the other Jedi Masters not in the Council, who Shaak recognized as being among the most learned when it came to healing. Surprisingly Master Tholme also questioned her then looked towards the others in particular Luminara, though he didn't say anything just yet.
For a moment after Shaak stopped speaking, they were all silent, simply contemplating what had been told then Yoda turned to master Tholme. "How likely is it, see more of this substance will we?"
"Not very," Tholme replied promptly. "It sounds as if it was still in the product testing stage, though I will head to Tatooine myself to make certain there were no plans for any kind of mass production in the works. Jabba was venal, not stupid. But without a Falleen to actually help the process it's unlikely to get very far even if they are trying to mass-produce it. If they do, we may see further successful slave raids in the Mid Rim."
At a gesture from master Tholme a hologram of the known galaxy popped up, and he quickly outlined all that was known of the slave trade, both the so-called legal trade which included the Hapes cluster, the Hutt worlds, and the Corporate Sector. Then he began to outline another layer, the illegal or large scale kidnapping and slave-taking and trading. Here Ranma leaned forward, noting how little information there was about this one in relation to the other, but also the similarities between them, and the planets where it was known even this second slave trade operated almost openly.
"I would recommend that we at least station a permanent presence on Ryloth." Tholme finished, gesturing to the most prominent planet among those Ranma had noticed. "I would ask for a larger military presence if I could get away with it but I talked to master Gallia before this meeting and I was told that the Senate would probably not allow such a thing."
"You have talked to me and several other Consulars about it several times." Gallia said, but there was no censure in her tone, simply resignation and weariness.
She exchanged a glance with some of the Masters who'd stayed behind on Coruscant and Master Poof took up the tale. "Unless I'm very much mistaken, the Ryloth Sector Senator hasn't even noticed the uptick in illegal slaving, remember that slavery is legal on Ryloth for a given value, since the planet really doesn't have any other trade goods."
Here Windu broke in before Ranma, who had visibly swelled, could blow up on them. "Ryloth also doesn't have the infrastructure needed to base a large military presence there. And far too many senators have dealings with the various criminal gangs that have station there."
That didn't make Ranma any happier, but he subsided for now.
"While the legal loopholes exist, there is little we can do." Master Poof said. "But I agree that we should have a larger Jedi presence there. We cannot make war on slavery itself, but the slavers, them we can target I think. By which I mean the transportation and acquisition of slaves rather than the actual owners. If we make it too expensive to acquire slaves then at least the Hapans, the Corporations, and yes, even those senators who have 'legal' slaves, will no longer wish to do business with the trade. We could even continue the media blitz against slavery that Senator Antilles began after you and young Ranma broke up that Malastaran pirate ring. The Hutts are another matter, since their entire economy is based off illegal activities elsewhere and slavery at home."
Ranma tuned them out for a moment, still unhappy with what he was hearing but admitting that given the sheer size of the Republic and how few Jedi there really were, they couldn't do everything. He tuned back in however when master Ranicisis spoke up. "Actually, we might be able to do more. You mentioned a group of slaves which were former soldiers of the Ailon Nova Guard?"
"That was what they called themselves," Shaak said with a nod. "I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with that organization."
"No reason you should be, the Jedi do not have many dealings with their home system and as far as I know none of their race has ever had Force ability. But the Alioni are an incredibly militant race, almost on the level of the Mandalorians, but not quite up to their skill level, nor have they ever had the Mandalorians numbers or expansionistic attitude. Yet they have been around for thousands of years, and their military is very good."
Ranma smiled faintly. This wasn't the first time he'd heard of the Mandalorians, Dooku had spoken of them and Ranma looked up what he could about them. Their current pacifist leader was a bit of an off-putting to Ranma frankly, since that was like fighting their entire culture without trying to create the popular aid you'd need for it. Still, they sounded like an interesting group.
"I would urge one of you to question them closely on how they came to be gladiators under Gardulla, that could be an interesting tale. And if it was through dishonor on Gardulla's part, I would think that the entire Nova Guard might take offense at it. They have about 52 regiments as a standing army, along with two large armadas, though few true capital ships. Not enough to invade Hutt space, but certainly enough to do the Hutts a lot of damage if they decide to become obstreperous about what happened to their people. But they follow the idea that the strongest should rule, which might mean if we ask for help, they won't give it and will instead either sit out, or join the Hutts if the Hutts declare open season on us in some fashion."
Shaak chuckled quietly shaking her head. "Masters I don't think you need to worry about that." She gestured to Ranma and herself. "The Nova Guard members seemed rather taken with Ranma's skills and my own abilities. For example they joined the battle in Jabba's palace and saw a few blaster bolt hit me and not do anything, despite my not trying to shield myself in any way. Ranma's toughening technique does indeed work for Jedi."
There were some murmurs of shock at that, and more than one master set up, looking intently between Shaak and Ranma, but master Ranicisis merely nodded, glancing at Dooku who smiled thinly. Ranma caught that, and smirked at the older man, who smirked right back.
But Ranicisis was still concentrating on the main issue. "Good, in that case I will contact them personally. If we can have a transport ready to take the former prisoners among the Nova Guard to Coruscant, they and I can transfer from there to their home world, where we can learn what they will plan in the future."
Yoda nodded, and for a moment the Council fell silent as they all waited for someone to speak up or ask questions about that what they had learned so far. When it was clear that no one would, Yoda turned his old eyes upon Ranma and Obi-wan, in his hover chair. "Of this dark stranger, the ambush on you, tell us you will."
Ranma nodded exchanging a glance with Obi who nodded firmly and began to explain the ambush from his perspective. e first described the rest of the ambush then went into the 'dark stranger' specifically, trailing off for a moment before giving a brief account of his fight with him.
There Ranma took up the tale, his words blunt but heartfelt. "Wherever he came from, whatever his reason for attacking us, the clown lookin' Zabrak was something else. He was tough as hell, stronger, faster than he had any right to be. He knew about some of my tricks, especially the toughening technique, and had mastered it to a level I frankly didn't think was possible."
Many of the master sat up abruptly at that, all of their attention suddenly on Ranma rather than what Shaak had said before. He nodded at them all grimly. "I wasn't able to hit him with a lightsaber for long, but I'd bet that I'd have to hold the damn thing in place to burn through his armored skin. The bones in my hands began to break before I could do much damage on him, it was only my own speed techniques and healing factor that allowed me to do much damage."
More than one Jedi master began to knead their foreheads or perform their species' version of the sign of irritation.
"Masters," Obi-Wan spoke again, nodding to Ranma as he once more took up the tale. "I do not know if Ranma could tell, but our assailant had a grasp of Battle Precognition that was simply phenomenal, well beyond anything I've faced in spars with other padawans or even my own master. His double bladed lightsaber was an impressive weapon as well, and very hard to counter. My master and I were not able to hit him, his Battle Precognition allowed the Zabrak to keep one step ahead of us. If not for my training in Soresu, we would've lost before Ranma could come to our aid. His style was aggressive, yet also made to use his opponent's aggression against them, and his endurance was simply phenomenal."
"I didn't know you used Form 3," said one of the Masters on Coruscant, frowning thoughtfully not in condemnation but as if he was taking in the padawan's words carefully.
He fried a few questions about Obi's style at him as well as how it had changed the dynamic of the battle which Obi-Wan fielded easily. He ended with, "I had begun to learn it with Master Qui-Gon's approval after I began to believe it matched my personal combat style better than Ataru. We had begun to mold our combat styles into a synergistic whole, but even so our assailant overcame us. And… masters, he was completely given over to the Dark Side."
Ranma nodded. "He was like a berserker, he was so insanely angry and filled with hate it reverberated in the 'Force' around him." He smirked lightly at Shaak as he used the word Force, but she simply made a 'get on with it' gesture and he did so, his voice and face serious once more. "He was so filled to the brim with it, but he was also in near total control over himself. It had even changed his appearance, gave him yellow eyes. That and the red twin lightsaber, when I described that Shaak thought he sounded like a Sith. We shared his description with the holocron's Master Halcyon, and he agreed."
"His powers, describe them you will," Yoda ordered. His eyes were closed, but it was obvious he was listening intently, stretching his senses out almost as if he was trying to picture the events in his mind as he listened to Ranma and Obi-Wan.
Ranma cocked his head thoughtfully, counting on his fingers. "Force telekinetics, Battle Precognition, insane speed and durability, and I think he might've had something to do with influencing a Greater Krayt dragon that tried ta eat me."
"That's about right," Obi-Wan said with a nod. "It was his ability to use Force telekinetics without gestures that caught my master off guard, and allowed him to concentrate on me for that brief moment when I lost my leg. After that, the Zabrak's style, which resembled a personalized style somewhere between Makashi and Ataru designed around his double bladed lightsaber, overcame my master's use of Ataru. I do not mean to imply any criticism," he added hastily, "but it seemed as if the Dark Side user had problems facing a Soresu user."
"Too much aggression against defensive style, known it is to cause issues," Yaddle's hologram replied dryly. "Turning his attacks against himself that style is known for. Further Ataru, debilitating form it is, long battles, turn against the user they do."
Shaak glanced at both of the young men, and spoke up. "Masters, I don't have any idea why he would attack Obi-Wan and Master Qui-Gon, but could this Zabrak be a Sith? I realize he didn't use any true Dark Side powers, but the eyes, the focused hate, the control over his anger, the red lightsaber blades, only the Sith have ever have made use of replicated crystals like that, and only a person lost entirely to the Dark Side would have yellow eyes."
"I do not believe the Sith could grow again without us knowing about it." Mace replied from Coruscant, shaking his head.
Most of the others seem to agree with him, and given that the Dark Side user didn't use any Sith powers, it did seem a little far-fetched to the ones on Kashyyyk as well. Yoda was worried, but he was more worried about how this mysterious Zabrak was able to learn about Ranma and further Ranma stuffiness technique than anything else.
"No, I think that this Dark Side user is connected with one of the Lost 19. One of them might have fallen to the Dark Side, or possibly have found a cache of Dark Side knowledge and been tainted with it against their will before taking on this Zabrak as an apprentice." Mace went on. "We will have to get in contact with them all, or hunt down their last known locations to make certain."
"But what was he after? It doesn't make sense that he would've simply randomly targeted the two of you young padawan" Ranicisis said looking at Obi-Wan before looking at Ranma. "This ambush from what you described it was well-planned and well executed, but obviously came from two different minds: one person planned it, while this Zabrak simply took advantage of it. So why you two? Especially why while Ranma was around if he knew about Ranma's capabilities?"
"Ranma," Dooku said slowly. "…Do you think you could've won against him if he had concentrated on you right away?"
"Definitely," Ranma said with a firm nod. "Without Aura's stepping in, I could've handled him much easier," Ranma went on, having thought about that point himself.
"So he wasn't there for Ranma, instead using the Trandoshans, Sing and the animal to separate him from the others. Could he have been hired to attack Amidala? The Queen was with you when he began to engage you two correct?" Obi-wan nodded and Dooku nodded in return. "Then he could have simply been sidetracked against you Obi-Wan and your master, even the most controlled Dark Side user can be blinded by his own hate."
"It's possible…" Obi-Wan said nodding his head slightly as he went over those first few moments of the attack. "He could have assumed that there were more Trandoshans in the area to keep Padme in position. But I'm afraid I can't tell you his motivations master. Only that he seemed to hate us in particular." Obi-wan finished, trying to subtly say they should not be trying to figure out the attackers motivations, rather where he came from.
"Not enough information we have," Yoda grumbled. "Cover all bases we must. Personal this could be, but safe enough Qui-Gon will be here. Guards we will send with queen Amidala."
"Masters…" Obi-Wan said slowly, "I would like to be on that detail if I may. I realize I won't be able to get back to 100% for a time, but I feel that my master would like one of us at least to see the mission through regardless of our injuries."
"Talk upon this we will, plans going forward we must make now. Master Koth," Yoda began, turning to thatworthy. "This duty fall upon you it will. Another Jedi Knight you may appropriate, go to Coruscant with the Queen you will. Speak to the Senate she will, aid her we will."
"I'm almost hoping this Zabrak fellow will try for her again." said Dooku thoughtfully one hand caressing the top of his lightsaber. Looking at that Ranma realized the old man must've really been stressed with all the political crap he'd been dealing with lately. "If he does, obviously she was his target all along. If not, he could simply disappear again. Tracking a single individual, especially with no starting point is next to impossible even for us."
Yoda snorted at his former apprentice, but did not comment, pointing his stick at Master Poof. "The Senate aiding Naboo, likelihood tell us you will."
"The mood in the Senate is becoming more and more argumentative, deadlocked and unwilling to act on anything as a whole. It is not this issue alone, but others as well, including several undercurrents that are hard to pin down. Among them is a murmur of out and out racism growing between human-kind and other races, something I've reported before this." Poof said, his flat oval face creasing in worry.
Gallia nodded, sharing a glance with her fellow Consular before taking up the tale. "We can say with certainty that the Trade Federation owns too many senators for any unilateral action to be taken against them quickly. They will simply say that they are well within their rights to enforce the trade treaties with the Mid Rim planets that look to them for trade. Senator Palpatine is well known and respected, and he has been trying to gain ground on this issue ever since the invasion was reported to us, but has not made much headway. Worse is Valorum's eroding popularity. I'm afraid we just cannot say that the Senate will step in."
For a moment the Jedi Knights and Masters were silent, more than one of them shaking their heads. It was a sad day when the Republic's ruling body would not act to curtail the power of one of its constituents to save another.
"If the Senate will not step in, what recourse do we have?" Obi-Wan asked, unwilling to do nothing to aid the queen, who had impressed him in many ways, or her people.
"Jedi aid will be sent." Yoda said affirmatively. "Further allies we might seek." He exchanged a glance with master Ranicisis and another one of the Masters who Ranma hadn't met, a short blue skinned alien that he hadn't been introduced to and who wasn't on the Council as far as he knew not having been among one of those he'd seen before.
Both of those worthies nodded and Yoda went on. "Take this chance, we might curtail the Trade Federation's military powers. Backlash that might cause, but worth it, it would be. But arrive on Coruscant the Queen must be as soon as possible. Leave you will now master Koth, along with Obi-Wan and your chosen knight."
"Master…" Obi-Wan said, seeming even more hesitant to speak up now. "I am pleased that you acceded to my possibly selfish request, but nevertheless I have to bring up something that I know my master would want me to. The young boy Anakin, who helped us on Tatooine and spoke up on the runway: my master promised that he would be taken in as a Jedi, and from what I was able to sense, he certainly has enough power for it. Master Qui-Gon called him, he believes the boy to be the Chosen One, he was certain of it in fact."
Yoda nodded slowly as did the other Masters who had been present when the prisoners and the rest of the cavalcade arrived, while several of them frowned or showed other signs of shock at that idea. "Young Anakin tested he will be, remain here he will for that."
Master Koth however shook his head. "The boy is too old, and far too connected to his mother, it will be hard very hard to wean him off that."
"If you think you have to at all, there's something wrong with you," Ranma muttered shaking his head.
Dooku seemed to think the same. "I was old when I was taken in, and not to seem too egotistical, but I think I've turned out all right." He said mildly, causing Koth to look away along with a few of the others. "It will be hard, but it will also possibly be rewarding, so long as no special reservations are made for him."
He hesitated and shook his head. "I do not like the emphasis you put on my former Padawan thinking that this young boy is the chosen one, then again I have never subscribed to that belief. Certainly that belief cannot be allowed to effect how he is treated by the Order. It should be kept both from the boy personally and his peers, less it effect their interaction and his own ego."
Yoda nodded. "Another master, chosen for him when it becomes time probably should. But another matter, talk about now we must. Knight Luminara?"
TheMiralian knight stepped forward lightly, bowing her head to all present. "Shmi and I have talked Masters, and I have conducted an initial physical of Aayla. Shmi did very well weaning her physically off whatever she was given. Mentally however is a different story entirely. It will take time a lot of effort and a lot of care to help Aayla regain her mental equilibrium. And I must emphasize this: she needs to be kept away from any and all males of whatever species for now."
More than one master there nodded slowly, and Yoda's eyes closed in sorrow. So did master Piell, his ears drooping even more and looking as if he had just taken a body blow. And when he spoke, for the first time during this council his voice was far more hesitant than normal. "S, so she was…"
"Oh yes, even after a few days of healing from the drug the signs are still there of the physical and mental tortures Aayla was put through." Knight Luminara replied grimly. "I have never dealt with a Jedi who has gone through such things before, but I've worked in hospitals to aid extreme examples of such. Until I am certain that she is on her way to recovery, I will not let a single male in her presence."
"Except for possibly Ranma in his female form," she said, actually smiling slightly over the young man, who shrugged his shoulders. Like all the other Jedi in the temple she had felt the feeling of laughing joy in the Force when Ranma had changed back to his male body, and had found it utterly fascinating.
Master Tholme sighed faintly. "My former padawan will not be happy."
"If she recovers she wouldn't be assigned back to him in any case," said master Gallia softly. "While the Council and in particular the Council of Relocation was wrong in separating them, Quinlan Voss has shown that he has severe angerissues. Master Bulq kept him from becoming a murderer, but he needs to be retrained, and despite the fact there was no basis in fact to the original rumor, I think Aayla would react poorly to any male, unless you believe her master's presence could help her recovery?"
Knight Luminara quickly shook her head. "It might on the surface seem like a good idea, but simply being close to any male now… I'm afraid not. I will do everything I can to help Aayla, no matter how long it takes." She then smiled slightly. "Besides, there is a youngling here that I have my eyes on in any event."
"When the lights went off on the ship seemed to be the worst times for Aayla, if she woke up while they were off I mean. And you probably should give her an outlet for her anger, it ain't like she don't have a good reason to be angry." Ranma said sadly.
He looked at Shaak who shrugged, a silent communication built up over the months the two of them had lived together. Stepping forward, she once again folded her hands in her Jedi robe, looking at each master of the council in turn before speaking, her voice calm, yet at the same time intense. "Masters, as this council asked me to I have been learning from Ranma, as well as teaching him in turn about our Order, the Republic and history. The holocron Master Yoda gave us of Master Halcyon has been helpful in that task, as well as aiding our training."
"But the training was actually secondary to the way Master Halcyon helped our intellectual pursuits. It has helped both show us how the Order has changed over time, why it might have changed, and, in particular, acted as the mediator in debates the two of us have had on why the Order has the rules and Oaths it does today. I regret that I did not win many of those debates."
All around her the council members stiffened, staring at her and Ranma sharply. Most of those looks were condemning, though Yoda, Windu and a few others looked calmer simply taking her words in. One of the masters Ranma didn't know, possibly a representative from one of the other councils who had questioned Shaak closely about her part in the battle on Tatooine and Obi-Wan about his part of the battle against the Dark Side user, spoke up now, her voice sharp. "I warned you that it was a bad idea to give newly inducted knight the task of watching the Chaotic Focus! She has obviously been contaminated by his way of thinking."
"Or perhaps in an intellectual debate I could not defend the Order's position," Shaak replied calmly, her face still serene, her presence in the Force echoing that serenity.
"It is not your place to say if you could or could not defend the Order's, as you put it, position." Another master said, one from Coruscant that Ranma recognized but had never been introduced to by name. "The Order's laws, the Oath, they are the way they are because they must be that way. The Sith Wars taught us how easy it is to fall to the Dark Side, and if we might have lost some knowledge, then it is a price we must pay not only for the Order but for the universe as a whole."
"The Ruusan Reformation was not about stopping Jedi from falling to the Dark Side Master, it was about disbanding the Army of Light, and returning power to the Senate after the Sith were dealt with. Recall masters that many of the rules we follow from that Reformation were placed upon us by the Senate. The High Council might have agreed, but do not delude yourselves into believing it was a unanimous decision among all the Jedi." Shaak's voice was still calm, her lips actually quirking upwards in a slight smile, as if she was enjoying this somehow.
Led by Koth other masters clambered in to argue against the idea that the Order could ever be wrong. But it was the ones who didn't speak up which was telling, Ranma thought. Gallia looked troubled, but wasn't saying anything, Piell also looked worried but unwilling to speak up. Ranicisis was silent, as was Windu, though he looked very troubled, so Ranma figured that was a matter of not wanting to speak up from his position as Master of the Order rather than wanting to truly stay out of the debate. But Yoda too was silent, and Yaddle, who had opened her mouth to speak, subsided when she too noticed that.
Staring at the young knight with his Force senses, Yoda could only smile slightly. Shaak Ti had always been centered in the Force, her calm control and understanding of the Force one of the best of her age. Now looking at her, the deep well of calm had expanded into a pond, its depths even deeper, yet there was movement in the water, more individual power and emotions. Despite that, despite her Living Force having grown tremendously, it was obvious that she was still in control, still connected to the Force as a whole, letting it guide her actions and abilities, but not effecting her mind and emotions.
Looking at her Yoda could tell Shaak Ti had taken in what Ranma had taught her, yet had not been changed, for at her heart she was still a Jedi, still a servant of the Light Side of the Force. "Hrhrhrm, Debates you did have, context of them, tell us you will." He ordered, his quiet tone cutting through the ongoing attack on Shaak's initial statement.
Shaak did so, going through each debate they'd had while on Dac, describing their points one by one on either side. At times one of the masters or the other would interrupt, but most of those present could tell they were simply reiterating the points Shaak had brought up at the time. This didn't mean they were happy about it, or were willing to concede they were wrong of course.
From there Shaak expounded on the experiments they had done with Ranma's connection to the Force, as well as his techniques, and Shaak's own growing use of the Living Force within her rather than reaching through it to the Unifying Force for everything. Ranma joined in here, giving his side of things, along with what he felt during the experiments. Neither of them went into detail on anything, unwilling to trust the Holonet connection with Coruscant to be secure after they had been spied on while on Dac.
Despite that lack of detail, they dropped on of the biggest bombs they possibly could have. "Wait," Gallia said, holding up a hand. "What do you mean reverb effect?"
"You Jedi are so connected to the Force as a whole you are so connected to the Force your emotions effect it and vice versa. But it doesn't quite work like that. The Force multiplies the feeling back at you." Ranma explained. "But when Shaak began to grow her own Living Force, she could concentrate on that connection. When she did, the Force could no longer influence her emotions, and she had a much easier time of controlling them."
There were some mutters about that, the idea of controlling rather than abstaining still anathema to many, particularly a few of the non-human masters who didn't come from races which had a similar mentality to humans. But for the most part that news simply astonished those hearing it. Focusing inward like that was so different from what the Jedi had always done before that it had simply never occurred to any of them that the Living Force within them was so important. Even Master Halcyon had never heard of that, or many of the things Ranma could do, so it wasn't that surprising.
The implications however, on top of what Giiett had been saying for years and Shaak's earlier statements, were huge. Many of those present were simply stunned, and when they got over it would reject what Ranma told them out of hand. They would refuse to believe the Order could have missed something so fundamental, refusing to believe it as they did Giiett's psychological arguments against the Oath. It was simply a reactionary response to the idea of change.
For now however their silence allowed Yoda to dominate the meeting without interruption. "Implications, this has, too large to discuss in one sitting, research we must do, careful about it we must be. Moving away from the topic we have been, a reason you had to bring this up now."
"I felt that perhaps the new methods of mediation Ranma and I came up with to concentrate internally could help Aayla from being effected by the reverb effect."
Luminara had remained silent throughout the debate, feeling it was at a level she really didn't have enough experience to involve herself in. Now she spoke up, her voice soft but somewhat excited. "With Padawan Secura's current mental state it might not only be an aid but a necessity. With what she has gone through, simply telling her to avoid being angry or to not hate those who tortured and abused her won't work, I've studied enough psychology to know that much."
There were some mutters about that, and more than one master there frowned, not believing that mere psychology had a place within the Jedi Order even now with Giiett pushing for it to become mandatory learning. Luminara ignored them with all the disdain of a healer talking about her patient. "And with the reverb effect you describe allowing Aayla to simply act it out even for a short time in a controlled setting, would be a horrible idea."
"In your hand, we will leave this matter young knight." Yoda declared. "Anything more to add does anyone?" His tone made it clear this was not an invitation to continue the previous discussion. Yoda knew they would be talking about that and its implications for years, if not longer, but they had things they needed to discuss now, in particular the Dark Side user, whose presence Shaak and Ranma's bombshell had rather taken his fellow's minds off.
Again Ranma and Shaak exchanged a silent glance but this time it was Ranma who spoke up. "With the chance of the Dark Side user not having been there only for the Jedi, but Padme, I, we that is, volunteer to join whatever kind of aid is sent to Naboo." Shaak smiled as Ranma corrected himself, but did not interrupt. "I think he'll show up, and if he does, ya might need me."
Dooku nodded, speaking up before anyone else could. "Agreed, it does seem more logical that this Zabrak was there for the queen as well as the Jedi, and simply got sidetracked due to his emotions getting the better of him. As for Naboo, if the Senate fails in its mandate to defend the Republic's citizens, then it falls to the Jedi to do so, as it always has, and far too frequently of late."
There were some looks of concern at that open attack on the Senate, but with the Consulars earlier testimony, it did indeed look as if that would be the case here. Yoda nodded, suddenly looking all of his 900 plus years as he waved his glimmer stick slightly. "Enough discussion for now, quarters set aside for you there have been. Young Padawan outside, guide you he will. Talk more we will."
With that the meeting broke up, with Obi-Wan and Koth exiting first, eager to get on their way as soon as possible, with Koth already contacting Queen Amidala and informing her they would be ready to leave soon. Ranma too exited quickly, eager to find something to eat and get away from more discussion. The holograms cut off, while most of the masters left on Ranma's heels, eager to return to their rooms and meditate about what Ranma and Shaak Ti had told them still shocked and disbelieving.
Ranma paused though when he noticed Shaak hadn't moved. She waved him off though, indicating with a glance she wanted to talk to Yoda for a moment alone. Ranma nodded, and left the room.
Moving once more into the center of the room, Shaak knelt there, waiting silently as the council room emptied. As did Yoda and the two other masters who had remained, though Yoda had to wave his stick a few times to make the others keep going when they noticed Shaak was staying behind. One of the two remaining was a human male Healer who had remained silent throughout the discussion save for questioning Shaak about her experiences with the aerosol drug. The other was Piell, who had been far more silent than normal in these discussions, speaking up only the once.
At last they were left alone and Yoda spoke up, his voice gravelly and stern. "More to say you have young Knight. Through the Force, feel it I do, changed have you, decision reached, hrhrhrm? Question, what this decision about is?"
"Masters, as I said, I found myself unable to logically or even via historical records defend the Oath the Order has used since the Ruusan Reformation. I looked closely at the oath, and found it wanting, not just intellectually, but emotionally. I, I also have begun, begun to feel things towards Ranma that, that I should not allow myself to feel if I follow the rules laid down by that Reformation and the oath."
Shaak blushed at finally admitting that aloud, her red skin paling over her checks even as the skin around her eyes darkened. Worse she was doing this in front of the Grandmaster of the Order, a Jedi who had been in the order for nearly the entire thousand years since the Reformation had been made into law.
Nonetheless she plowed on, looking from one master to the other before concentrating on Yoda. "I can bring myself to ignore much of the Reformation, seeing it as an exterior attempt to limit and control the Jedi. But I cannot in good conscience ignore the fact it is also against the Oath I have sworn as a Jedi. Therefore I would like to retake my Oath in the Old Way."
Piell now looked very uncomfortable for a moment then his face solidified as if he had just made a decision of his own. Yoda's eyes twitched to him, then over to the still silent human master, who bowed his head slightly, making no move to say anything even now.
After a moment of very awkward silence Yoda finally spoke. "Hohm… grave issue this is, admit you have to making an attachment, becoming emotionally connected to another person. By the Oath, and the rules, expel you we should. Yet times, changing they are. Points you made, well-thought out, and understandable it is. Micah, pushing for this very thing he has been."
He suddenly chuckled, shaking his head. "Herherhermm, understand I do not, attachments or romance, my species do not have these things. Upfront you have been, hiding you are not."
He stared at Shaak Ti, who suddenly felt like Ranma had earlier, that Yoda could see a lot more of her than what was on the surface though whether that was Yoda's ability with the Force or simply his experience, she couldn't tell. After a long even more awkward silence he finally nodded. "Emotions, sense them I do, anger, hatred, even fear I do not. Allow this I will, as an extension of the 'Ranma experiment'."
The solemnity of the moment broke for a moment as Shaak chuckled. "That last should really be capitalized, possibly even trade-marketed master."
Yoda chuckled too, as did the still-unintroduced human master. Piell's voice however cut through the moment of levity. "I however have severe reservations about this."
The others turned to the Lannik master, and he frowned down at Shaak. "Yoda says times are changing, and I will say they are, and indeed they must given the vision of the future he shared when the Chaotic Focus was on Coruscant. But I have made no bones about how uneasy I am about many of those changes, and this, this attacks the very root of what I consider one of the foundations of the Order. But… I have been wrong before."
He sighed, his eyes closing for a moment before he opened them to stare hard at Shaak. "That is why I was so silent during this council and before. You see Knight Ti, it was I who signed off on Padawan Secura's mission among the slavers. It was I who agreed that Knight Vos was too close to his Padawan, and the two needed to be separated."
Shaak stared hard at the Lannik, her eyes darkening noticeably as she frowned, before taking a deep, shuddering breath. When she spoke, her voice was still serene, still calm even as her fingers and the tips of her lekku twitched lightly in reaction to her inner turmoil. An inner turmoil that she did not allow to impact her connection to the Force. "May I ask how and why that came about master Piell?"
Piell stared into Shaak's eyes set into the white marks that dominated her face above the jawline, the dark of the iris a stark contrast to the whiteness of the markings, yet still surprisingly calm even now. "I had worked alongside knight Vos and Master Tholme some time ago, and knew the severity of the slaver's depredation in the Outer Rim. When the mission was proposed to me I signed off on it not thinking of what could occur, not even reading much of the details after I saw what the mission was supposed to address."
"And when the idea to separate the two of them was proposed, I too thought it a good idea, as again I had worked with them both, and felt them too close, I have never been happy with Vos's ascension to knighthood, feeling he was not ready for it, that there was too much darkness in him from his past among the Kiffar, and did not want him to pass to his Padawan. It never occurred to me that without Knight Vos nearby, that would leave Padawan Secura without anyone nearby to help her should the mission or her be compromised."
Piell sighed, his expressive ears drooping for a moment as he finally looked away from Shaak. "A combination of unwitting disinterest, unfounded worry and simple arrogance led me into agreeing to a decision that could have cost us the life of Padawan Secura or worse. It is something I must atone for, and will do so in the coming days. It is something I will also apologize to Padawan Secura for when knight Unduli says she is ready to hear it."
"I see." Shaak said softly before sighing. "I will not absolve you of your guilt over this master. It was not me, my body or mind that suffered through your decision. But I will say that I feel no hatred towards you myself. You might have signed off on the mission, but it was not you who proposed it, and there is a fast difference between signing off on such without actually reading through the mission in detail out of disinterest and writing a mission to send a young woman into a situation where she will be abused through ignorance and arrogance."
Piell stared at Shaak for a few silent moments then looked over at Yoda. Not once had he felt the Force responding to Shaak's anger, and indeed even that anger had faded quickly. The control the Togrutan had on her emotions was obvious, and he nodded formally. "Despite my reservations I will lodge no objection to extending the Ranma Experiment further in this manner."
"Hrhrhm…" Yoda grumbled, nodding in return, thought he too was rather surprised at how well Shaak had responded to that little ambush. Shaak Ti truly had absorbed everything Ranma had taught her yet retained the inner serenity that had been a part of her for so long. "Very well, recite the Old Oath you will."
Shaak nodded, closing her eyes and letting her Force senses flow not just outward, but inward, touching both the Unifying Force and the Living Force within herself. As she opened her eyes Shaak Ti smiled and began. "There is emotion, yet peace." I acknowledge and internalize my emotions, I will not run from what they show me, but nor will I let them control me.
"Ignorance, yet knowledge." I know there is still a lot to learn not only from Ranma but together with him about the Force itself. I will continue to learn, continue to grow but with open eyes so that the knowledge does not lead me astray.
"Passion, yet serenity." I recognize my growing feelings toward Ranma both physical and emotional, but I will not let them affect my duty to the Order or how I serve the Light Side of the Force.
"Chaos, yet harmony." I have no idea where the future will lead, but whatever happens I will accept it, face it, and stay true to myself, the Light, and to my ideals.
"Death, yet the Force." I am a Jedi, a servant of the light, yet also an individual. I accept both that I may die, and that I am a small blade of grass in the grand universe, yet I will still strive to be all I can.
As Shaak finished the Oath, the Force once more shifted, a bright pealing note of Light rippling outward as once more the future changed. Yoda, his Force senses stretched to the max, tried to ride it as he could but even so learned a master could not get anything specific out of the change. After giving the young knight his blessing, Yoda waved off his two fellow masters, sinking deep into the Force as far as he could, but even so learned nothing specific, those changes still uncertain as the Dark Side flooded back in.
The only thing he could say for certain, the feeling filling him like water would a cup, was that the Light Side felt it was good indeed, which erased the last of his own reservations about this rather easily. The rest of the Order might reply negatively to this once it got out, but here and now, Yoda knew that he had done the right thing.
OOOOOOO
Yoda wasn't the only one who felt the future shift of course. Deep in discussion with one of his servants, it was all Sidious could do to not break off the discussion precipitously. By the time he was finished with Pestage and his political spies and once more in his hidden sanctum the ripples had finished, spreading out to join the ever growing chaos of the future centered on the Chaotic Locus.
All Sidious could tell was that his task, the Great Plan, had just become noticeably harder. It was still viable, and the Dark Side was still rising, the Veil still in place, his power base increasing. But even so…
"Force curse the Chaotic Locus!" Sidious snarled, before activating his lightsaber. He normally could control his anger, his hate for the Jedi and all they stood for so much he didn't need to let it out, feeling that doing so diluted the power of it. But right now, he desperately needed to cut something.
OOOOOOO
Later that night Ranma was wondering the temple area alone. Shaak was busy talking to Luminara about Aayla, as well as transcribing for the Miralian and the other healers the memory of what she had gone through in cleansing her body of the drug used on Aayla and her. That the two women were also taking this moment to catch up and gossip was understood without having to be stated.
Ranma wasn't thinking about anything in particular, just taking in the sights, unable to sleep just yet. Even so he was somehow unsurprised to hear Yoda's voice hailing him from nearby. "Troubled young one you are." The ancient Grandmaster said, hobbling up to him and staring up at Ranma with his ancient, intelligent eyes. "Come, talk we will."
Ranma nodded and followed the green gremlin through the temple. They mounted the stairs higher and higher until they came out on to an unfinished observation area set on top of the temple. The top and sides had been paned, but it didn't have any electronics yet. Nonetheless, it afforded an excellent view of the area around the small temple, with both the city and the wilds of Kashyyyk visible.
Looking out over the vistas, Ranma waited in silence for a few moments as Yoda set up a small portable device of some kind, him grunting and muttering to himself smacking it occasionally with his glimmer stick. A glimmer stick which Ranma was amused to see was seemingly brand new, a replacement for the one Yoda had wrecked smacking Ranma on the head.
"Ya want some help with that I don't think yer new stick'll be enough to beat that thing inta submission."
"Humph, Grandmaster I have been for more years, hot meals than you have had." The old grandmaster replied grumpily. "Technology eventually obey it will."
"You got that old curmudgeon act down pat don't you?" Chuckling Ranma set down on his haunches, staring out into the vista beyond the temple, narrowing his eyes after a moment.
During the day the Wookies had been moving everywhere in sight singly or in small groups, the planet alive with noises of various birds and beasties. Now that it was dark, the lights of the city was visible through the canopy, and there was some movement there, but that was all. There was little to no noise out there, and Ranma couldn't detect much movement outside of the city either. Interesting, so on this planet civilized doesn't mean safe huh?
"This," he said gesturing with one hand, "This was an amazing idea, though I gotta wonder why it occurred to you. I don't think anything I said to you or the Council could be taken as a suggestion to this kind of idea."
"Your words alone, enough to cause this they were not. A factor your point, not being connected to the common man." He looked up from his work for a moment, his eyes hardening slightly. "Other half, old saying is. Put all eggs in one basket do not, yes?"
Ranma frowned, looking down at the temple under his feet then at Yoda and nodded slowly. "You saw something in the future, some danger through your Unifying Force."
"Tough to read the future always is. But the Dark Side, rising it is. Your arrival, combating that it is, future always changing, but still Dark Side rising it is."
"I see," Ranma said frowning faintly. He didn't like the idea of being part of some grand plan now any more than he had when Dooku stated he was here to answer Dooku's questions about his path. But he had to admit he didn't like the idea of the Dark Side any more than then either.
He fell silent again, staring out over the forest of tree branches and bits of other diverse foliage sticking out from the Wroshyr trees that covered Kashyyyk seemingly from one end to the other. He turned away when Yoda made a triumphant noise, and a light buzzing sound caught his attention. A moment later the hologram of Master Dooku appeared, standing beside Yoda who sat down across from Ranma on the ground as Dooku's image did the same. "Troubled you are," Yoda said, "Hrmhrm listen we will."
Ranma looked at them then nodded slowly. "I screwed up on Tatooine. I didn't take Sing seriously enough from the get go, didn't think she could get others to help her ambush Obi-wan and the others. And when the Dark Side user appeared, even there I made mistakes. I didn't go for the kill right away, I thought I could handle him like I did all my old rivals, with kid gloves. Going over the battle I can remember several times I could've ended it if I was more ruthless. And that bothers me, it bothers me that Zabrak'll continue to be a threat to other people because I couldn't end him and it bothers me that if I had dealt with Sing and the dragon quicker, I could've saved Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon before they got injured."
"Hindsight always 20-20 it is." Yoda said sharply, smacking Ranma's foot with his glimmer stick hard enough to leave a bruise on most, but only enough to send a brief tingle through his hands and cause Ranma to wince slightly. "Hrhrhrm, youthful folly it is to believe perfect you are. Did well enough you did, two Jedi lives saved, murderous assassin dead. Safer place the galaxy you have made, for Jedi and for all."
"I can understand where you're coming from Ranma." Dooku said, not disagreeing with his master, but he had fought Ranma several times, he understood the true worry here. "You're martial arts style is based upon the use of nonlethal force, and I can understand that sometimes your training will get in the way during one on one battles and you do need to get better at realizing when that is. You also need to start incorporating lightsaber weapons into your personal repertoire. Though I doubt I have to tell you that." Dooku said smiling faintly.
Ranma nodded his head. "I'd already figured that, and've stepped up my lightsaber construction and my training with a staff though I need a few more crystals ta finish my design. Now that we're on planet again, Shaak and I will be sparring as often as possible to get me used to using that weapon and thinking about it."
"Good." After replying Dooku fell silent for a moment before sighing and shaking his head. "Ranma, I approve and actually respect that your styles emphasizes the preservation of life rather than taking it. But here comes a time when you have to realize going into battle that you need to set that aside. You did that during the battle against the Yinchorri and even, though you don't seem to think you did it soon enough, on Tatooine. I trust, we trust that you can do so and not be changed by it."
Dooku shook his head. "Ranma, I have no doubt that you and this Zabrak will meet again, that is unless he crosses my path before that." He smirked, and Ranma answered with his own before the older man went on more seriously. "He does not seem the type to give up his mission whatever that might have been, and I know you will seek him out if you can. And when you do meet him again", only one will come out. Make certain it is you."
"Inside, warrior you are," said Yoda quietly. "Warriors in the coming days, needed will be. Gentleness, set aside in battle it must be, pick it up again after you will. Kindness, need to defend, the fuel to your strength, they are. Guide you the Force cannot, only your own heart, but guide you true, it has, and will."
With that statement silence once again descended on the rooftop for a moment before Ranma nodded his head slowly, and turned away, heading down to bed, some of his worries dispelled, replaced by resolve.
OOOOOOO
While going to Kashyyyk took Padme's ship well out of their way from a straight run between Tatooine and Coruscant thanks to the hyperspace trade routes nearby Shaak's prediction of it only being a few hours out of the Padme's way had proven accurate. So while Ranma and the others went to sleep, the Nabooian royal yacht moved on to Coruscant, finishing the journey by around midday Kashyyyk-time. On Coruscant it was about morning as they made their way down from orbit into the senatorial sector of Coruscant, alighting on the Jedi Temple's own landing pad.
With Padme once again hidden among her maid/body doubles and her friend Sabe taking her place, the whole entourage moved forward. At the end of the landing ramp Master Koth moved ahead of them with the two Jedi Knights he had brought with him moving to either side. Obi-wan followed them all in his hover chair, but his lightsaber was in his hand, and he was scanning the area all around them with both his natural and Force senses.
Obi-Wan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the Masters waiting for them. He made to bow his head formally, the move nearly overbalancing him despite the days he'd had to get used to his missing legs. But Master Dooku waved him back in pushing him upward with a gentle Force Push. "A sense of propriety is all well and good young padawan, but so is a certain amount of self-preservation. Please, follow healer Savine, she will have you out and about as soon as possible, then you can once more take on the task of protecting Queen Amidala."
"Of course Master Dooku," Obi-Wan bowed, then bowed to the Master standing silently next to Dooku, master Poof. The long-necked master bobbed his head, a very elaborate act coming from a Quermian, and he sent Obi-Wan on his way with a wave of his hand.
To one side of these Jedi greetings there was a political one taking place. "Your Majesty, I am overjoyed to see you alive and well," Sheev Palpatine said coming forward and clasping Sabe's hands warmly between his own, shaking his head, a warm smile on his aged, almost grandfatherly face. "When I had heard that your ship had been damaged trying to run the blockade on our world, I'd feared the worst." He sobered quickly however. "Would you like a report on the political situation here now, or do you require a few hours rest from your journey?"
"Our people have waited long enough for aid already Senator," Sabe replied, her eyes not even flicking over to where Padme and the other body doubles followed her. "But this is not the setting for such a discussion. Take us to our quarters, and we will discuss things there."
"Of course," Palpatine replied. "Follow me. Master Jedi?" He asked, cocking his eyebrows at the Masters who had come out to meet the ship with them.
Dooku nodded crisply. "Master Poof and myself will join you for the entirety of the journey, Master Koth, Knight Gla'cie I believe you can show the good Captain and his fellows to their quarters in the senatorial areas? Knight Ba'ren, remain with the ship. I presume you have also left a guard inside?"
"Of course Master Jedi," the captain replied, sounding somewhat affronted at what he saw as an attack on his prerogatives. Moments later the cavalcade was on the move again, leaving the Jedi Temple and entering the senatorial district proper, moving out in the open for a few moments before entering one of the massive mega-spires that covered the entire planet.
The group talked among themselves as they walked but for the most part not touching on any serious subjects as they entered the building, moving through it and towards the elevators that would take them higher into the building and to the senatorial suites assigned to Naboo and other Mid Rim planets and the suite of rooms that had been set aside for Padme. They were next to his own, Sheev told her, part of the group of rooms that he used for delegates from other planets within their sector, but as none of them were on planet right now, they were free for her use.
About halfway to the elevator master Dooku stopped, holding up his hand quickly his lightsaber appearing in his other hand as if by magic activating swiftly. Master Poof was quite a bit slower, but master Koth and knight Gla'cie hadn't broken off yet with the captain and his men, and both of them were much more on the ball, their lightsabers activating and moving to take positions at the back of the group as fast as Dooku. "I sense hostility," he said calmly, "we…"
That was as far as he got before the elevator opened at the far end of the hall and seven gunmen dressed in black from head to toe opened fire on them with blasters the moment the doors were open. At the same time from the way they had come four droidekas, battered looking and with heavy modifications rolled their way out of the doorways they passed, taking Koth and Gla'cie under fire. "Stay behind us!"
Padme quickly pulled out her holdout blaster, lining up a shot even as Dooku swiftly pushed ahead, knocking the blaster bolts back into their attackers, moving with speed and fluidity she had never seen in a Jedi before this. Only the speed with which Ranma had seemed to move at times came close, but this was a far more elegant style than Ranma's. "Hmm… rather more overt than I had expected," Dooku mused calmly, stepping ahead of Master Poof and their charges.
Four of the gunmen in the elevator were down already because of their own blasts being returned to them, and one of them made a break for it down an intervening hallway away from the elevator and the Hall they were taking towards it. The other two held their ground grimly, until Dooku, while still blocking their blasts lifted up a small pottery plant set along the walkway for a bit of color. It smashed into one man's head, sending him careening into his fellow. "Now captain!"
Captain Tanaka needed no urging, and three of his men who had been right behind the Jedi master raced forward, stun bolts blasting out the moment they cleared his defense. "Master Poof," Dooku went on, "come with me, the rest of you cover Master Koth and Gla'cie."
At the back Koth charged forward, trying to get in among the droidekas, but halted, swinging his lightsaber this way and that, blocking their heavier blasters to protect himself as the droidekas moved in an elaborate dance around one another covering each other. This gave their shields seconds to recover on a planned rotation. Gla'cie raced past him, ducking under his lightsaber, rolling forward, his lightsaber coming up in a slash. "Wait Gla'cie no!"
Gla'cie's lightsaber impacted the droidekas' personal shield with a sizzling sound. It held there for a moment, the knight too surprised to use the momentum of the block to turn away. The second and third droidekas turned their weapons on him, only getting off a single shot before having to put more power to their shields to deflect the blaster fire from Panaka's men.
That single shot caught the young knight in the pectoral, burning clean through. He gasped, but twisted around, cutting at the droideka that was taking the brunt of the incoming fire. It's shield failed, a brief flash accompanying it's disappearance, and the incoming fire smashed the killer droid into pieces. Gla'cie had to dodge away from more fire, but then the shields on the remaining droids started to fail.
"Take the left one!" Koth ordered, pushing forward into the droid's fire, deflecting more bolts at first one then the other. The droids, now with one of their number down, and the two Jedi so close, could no longer switch off to guard themselves from the amount of incoming fire. Their shields failed, and Koth downed them one after another within a few seconds.
The two of masters at the front moved down the corridor, now looking into every room they passed, many of which were opening as senatorial aides, delegates and various hangers-on opened doors to gabble in thousands of different languages asking what was going on. Coming down from his adrenaline rush, Poof began to reach out to calm himself with the Force, shaking his head. It had been years since he'd had even a brush with combat.
It had not been pleasant in many ways with Dooku leaving him behind so easily, reacting faster and better than Poof had, on top of the entire event. I need to start retraining myself. Even Consulars need some skill with their lightsabers and combat. Dark days indeed.
Poof barely had time to squawk before his senses warned him to step back rapidly from the door he was approaching. It exploded outwards, and it was only a hasty Force push that flung the doorway which might have smashed into him away. For a moment it was all he could do to block the next few blaster bolts that came his way, but he was pushed into the side of the corridor off-balance and unable to get between the attackers and Padme and her group.
Dooku had gone down the other corridor but turned rapidly, moving through the now crowded corridor towards the attackers, but Koth and Gla'cie were well out of position, and then taken out of the equation for a moment as several more attackers charged out of two more rooms.
For a moment Panaka and his men held the line against strange knife wielding attackers clad in black. Padme gunned down two of them herself, and Senator Palpatine of all people grabbing up a blaster of his own killing another two with well-placed shots. But Panaka and his men had to meet the charge head on.
Shaking his head at the screaming, shouting bystanders blocking him from the action, Dooku Force Jumped over the heads of the crowd bouncing off the ceiling as he thought, Ranma would be rather amused by me at this point. Or perhaps demanding some compensation for stealing his moves.
A second later he landed between the guards and the charging group of knife wielders. He smiled thinly, bringing his lightsaber up into an en-garde position, before dancing forward, his lightsabers flashing in, out, around, faster and faster slicing into and through the attackers, cutting apart limbs, heads and weapons with equal ease.
This explosion of violence on top of the recent actual explosions at last cleared the corridor of all of the gawking onlookers, but Dooku ignored them, forcing his way towards the beleaguered master Poof who had taken position in a small doorway, holding it against another group of blaster wielding fellows. With the two of them now working in concert, they cut these last attackers down as well.
For a moment the corridor was silent save for the groaning of the wounded and a distant alarm sounding off as the security of the tower belatedly began to realize that there had been an attack in its environs.
Warily Palpatine stood from where he had crouched behind the body of one of Captain Tanaka's men, a smart move Dooku thought, if rather cold, nodding his head at his friend. Sheev nodded back and looked down his gun, convulsively dropping it after a second shaking his head and wringing his hands together. "Attacked, attacked here in the Senatorial Sector? Does the Trade Federation truly have that long an arm?"
"That large a purse certainly Senator," Padme said, moving forward now placing an arm around her body double, who had also taken up a blaster. Sabe smiled at her, hugging her friend close for a moment before regaining her 'royal pose'.
Sheev Palpatine stared at them both, then laughed quietly and nodding his head. "An excellent ruse your Majesty, keep it up I believe it will become necessary more than once in your tenure." He said quietly.
Padme nodded her head at the old senator before moving away from Sabe quickly. They all looked at Master Dooku, who had stopped by one of the attackers pulling off his mask to reveal a Devaronian, his face heavily marked by tattoos. Tattoos which Dooku had seen before. "Death cultists," he said distastefully, looking over to where Panaka was securing two prisoners. "Do they all have the same marks?"
The dark-skinned Captain nodded grimly, staring at the numbers of dead. Four of his guard was dead and two wounded, most of them lost in that final push. "Your highness," he said looking at first Sabe and then the senator. "Senator, I cannot guarantee your safety if this is but the first of such attacks here on Coruscant. I'd dearly love to start trying to get to the bottom of this and everything else, but I don't have the men to spare to do that and guard you."
Palpatine turned to the Jedi. "Master Dooku, can we prevail upon you to do the investigating?"
"Certainly, this it did happen while the Queen was under our protection after all, and such a blatant assault needs to be looked into anyway." Dooku thought for a moment then frowned slightly. "I'm afraid your highness that we neglected one thing when we made up this guard detail: none of my fellow Jedi are female. I will send Knight Gla'cie back to the Jedi Temple to get his arm looked at and to a request a female Jedi to join you in your quarters this evening. She will stay with you for the rest of your time here. With that, and Captain Panaka guarding your doors along with master Koth, I believe that myself and master Poof will be free to get to the bottom of this assault."
"I'll head back to the temple with Gla'cie and start getting on whatever kind of paper trail we can find using the faces of these people." Poof said, moving from one to another of the bodies taking pictures of their faces for later use on his dataslate. He was still shaken somewhat, but as a Jedi he wasn't showing it and was quickly centering himself becoming more determined to look into retraining his skills. He had been next to useless in this fight, and that didn't sit well with them.
"Wait until you and master Koth see the Queen and her fellows to their rooms." Dooku said sternly. "Another attack on the way isn't entirely out of the realm of possibility, and I don't trust senatorial security any longer."
"Indeed not," Sheev cut in grimly, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at a group of Senatorial guards clad in their traditional blue armor with the tall helmets making their way down the corridor towards them. "Either someone was doing something with the intercoms, or another someone was bought off. They're not supposed to be able to be bribable, but…"
Padme smiled gently, nodding at Sabe who touched the older man's shoulder. "I'll leave that bit of the investigation to you shall we?"
"You're highness is most gracious," Palpatine said, smiling lightly and patting Sabe's hand. "But for now we need to get you to your rooms."
Master Poof moved to deal with the officious fellows as the rest moved into the elevator. Dooku remained standing there for a moment, staring at the prisoners before he waved a hand at them, causing them to lift into the air and hover behind him for a moment, then following him in that same direction.
Moments later Palpatine closed the suite's door behind him then turned to the real Amidala, smiling slightly as he looked at the young woman. She had impressed him somewhat today. Women were naturally weaker than men and lacking in fortitude, but still she had performed well enough under fire. And there was something about her, not the Force, there was no hint of Force Sense in her, but something.
This had gone almost as well as he could've hoped. The two prisoners would of course be an issue for the splinter cell he used for this operation, but there were so many layers between that and even his underworld contacts that Palpatine was secure. He'd also seen firsthand how good Dooku was, and had walked away with a great deal of respect for the other man. It was obvious that he too had trained with Ranma, though Dooku had recreated the speed techniques rather than the body toughening ones. He would be a major threat going forward, but one that could be dealt with, after being used for the Great Plan's purposes of course.
And this and the paper trail will lead not just to the Trade Federation but to a splinter group within it which will muddy the waters further, which is precisely what I want at this time. "I do not know about you your highness, but I could do with a drink," he said aloud, moving towards a tray where several different carafes stood.
Amidala settled into one of the sofas, while Sabe moved quickly into the other room intent on taking off her garments. They were necessary for her 'queenly status', but they weren't exactly comfortable. Padme's real bodyguards all moved around the room, securing each access point, and running scanning devices over all of the different areas of the room.
Again Palpatine was impressed. He had thought them all flighty handmaids, a more decorous version of the whores the last king had kept around him. But it appeared as if Amidala had done quite a bit more recruiting than he had anticipated she could in a few months she'd been Queen. She might become a formidable tool in time, good.
Across from him Padme took the drink offered her, sipping slowly, staring at Palpatine all the while. "Now that this latest bit of excitement is dealt with Senator, please tell me about the mood in the Senate."
Palpatine sighed theatrically, shaking his head. "Not good." From there Sheev described the various factions all working at loggerheads here, with no clear impetus one way or another.
"The Chancellor could order a unilateral move by the Navy, but I am afraid Chancellor Valorum's position is not very secure. Too many things have blown up in his face recently, the scandal for corruption a few weeks before this all began, the entire reason why the Trade Federation was allowed to build its army in the first place, the terrorist attacks in the Mid Rim and even Inner Systems. And of course there are several planets blaming the damages they took to the Yinchorri on Valorum's slow response to their threat. And the fact that it was the Jedi who brokered an agreement to deal with the Yinchorri also made him seem weak. He has allies of course, and I do like the man but…" he shrugged.
Amidala had stayed silent throughout his explanation. Now she began to ask questions about this or that specific faction, Senator and group, impressing Palpatine once again with her acumen. All of 14, she had drive and a certain level of experience which was easily seen here. Not enough to know when she was being played of course, but since Senators many times Amidala's age couldn't tell when that occurred, it was hardly a mark against her.
That Amidala was unhappy with what he was saying was also obvious, and sent a small shiver of a thrill through him. He was careful to keep it out of his face of course. It wouldn't do to let anyone realize how much they were puppets dancing to his designs.
"I do not like this Senator," the young girl said coldly. "We are part of the Republic, because our ancestors thought that the Republic could serve the best interests of our planet. And now when we are invaded by another Republic power the Senate is unable or unwilling to do anything about it? What good is power if you cannot use it?"
"The Trade Federation has been allowed too much leeway in the Outer Rim sectors. Their military strength has grown it is true but it is their monetary power that makes the Senate unable, or, it is said, without the will to really fight them. We have allies your highness and perhaps if we could provide certain proof that their invasion is a bloody affair we could force the Senate to do something. But I am afraid nothing is getting out of Naboo at this point."
He paused, looking towards the door. " There is one way we could gain some aid. Chancellor Valorum is as I said rather a bit of a lame duck at this point. He lacks the will to act on his own, and indeed the influence to do so. But the chancellorship is still a meaningful position. We could call for a vote of no-confidence on him, the entire Senate would need to vote on it of course, and the debates for who would take his place would take days. But after which the new Chancellor would act decisively, no matter who he was. He would have to be seen to be a decisive individual, and thus would act in our favor."
"How can you be so certain of that?" Amidala asked though it was obvious she was already thinking about the merits of Palpatine's proposal.
"Because Naboo will get sympathetic votes swiftly your highness if you are the one to push for it. Especially with this," he said tapping the small disk she had handed to him during their walk. "Proof of the Trade Federation's actual invasion? Their proponents might challenge it and the naysayers and the anti-human faction of course will still look down their noses at it. But even so it will be enough to sway the new Chancellor in our direction whoever he is."
Palpatine sighed sadly. "Frankly whoever he is he will have to be in a stronger position than Valorum at this point. I still believe he is a good man, a good friend, but his will has been sapped by events of late. He lacks the willpower to continue in his office or even to bow out gracefully. He may even thank us in a few years for ridding him of the burden."
Amidala waved that off. "I do not care about the feelings of the current Chancellor or indeed any Senator save yourself. How long would it take until a new Chancellor is chosen?"
"I wish I could tell you, it could take as few as an hour or three, or as long as several days. Or even longer perhaps."
"In which time our people suffer!" Amidala snapped, slamming her glass down hard enough to crack the delicate glassware on the metal table. "I refuse to think that waiting is our best option!"
Palpatine sighed, shaking his head. "I understand, and I too wish we could act faster. But if we are to look at the Senate for aid, it will take time, effort, and a lot of political capital."
Palpatine watched, as the young female stood up abruptly, pacing around the room as she thought. It probably wasn't something she did normally he judged, but having been cooped up on a ship for so many days and the current crisis could do this to one. I wonder when it will occur to her to ask for the Jedi's aid? Will it occur now or later? Either way, the Jedi will be placed in a position where some of them may die.
He watched as the young female suddenly paused, staring out past the door to where Jedi master Koth was guarding the doorway to the suite. "If the Senate cannot be trusted to aid us," she said softly "then maybe some others can."
Palpatine cocked his head looking confused while inside he allowed himself a smile. Like puppets on strings…
OOOOOOO
Ranma woke up the next morning and exited the quarters he'd been assigned, stopping by the commissary heading out into the training area as he watched the classes go through their exercises and meditations. Yeah I don't think I could've ever been a Jedi, sitting still for that long? Just not for me.
He noticed a few of the younglings seemed to be having similar issues staying still, but most of them were remarkably good at it which he supposed was because of years of practice. Regardless, he stopped in to the commissary for a moment, grabbed some food and then went back outside wondering where Shaak was. It felt…odd being away from her.
She had become so important to him as a friend, as a companion, and maybe something more that not having her around bothered Ranma. He knew that despite their discussion a few days ago there were a lot of issues still between them, but that discussion they had the morning Aayla first woke up showed that maybe, just maybe there could be something more between them than friendship. If there could be, Ranma was eager to see where it led. He had no idea if what he felt was love, but he did know whatever it was, it was more than he'd felt for Akane at any point back in Nerima.
Moving around the temple towards the far side of it which faced away from Rwoookrrorro he found several Jedi going through a series of exercises that he recognized as being one of those taught in Shaak's own lightsaber style. Shaak was there but not taking part in the actual exercises, simply meditating to one side. Her eyes opened when Ranma rounded the Wroshyr tree, turning to face him with a faint smile, who answered with his own, his blue eyes locking on hers.
Her smile widened however when she broke their locked gazes and saw Ranma carried a staff with him. Moving over to an unused training area she bowed lightly towards him. "I take it you wish to start integrating a staff into your style further now?"
"Yeah, I also want to get you used to training and someone who uses an unusual weapon. We've done well enough so far with that kind of idea, but with that Dark Side user still out there…" Ranma shrugged.
Shaak nodded, unclipping her lightsaber from her belt powering it down slightly to the training level before activating it. That's wasn't something her lightsaber had originally, but she had added it last night while talking with Knight Luminara about Aayla. And admittedly answering a lot of her friends questions about Ranma himself.
Though Shaak hadn't noticed, she had begun to radiate in the Living Force, not just the Unifying Force like most Jedi. It was a startling change, even though Shaak's general mannerisms haven't changed overmuch. She was slightly quicker to smile, but that sense of deep serenity and calm that was at the center of her being was still there.
It was however Shaak's comments at the meeting the evening before and both her and Ranma's explanation of what they had discovered about the feedback effect of emotions that Luminara truly was interested in. While she had no wish to go through the hardship training that Shaak had to build up her Living Force enough to allow her to actually separate her mentality from the unifying Force, it was still a fascinating concept, and one that could have a major impact on Aayla's treatment.
Across from Shaak Ranma followed suit, one end of the short staff he carried lighting up with a lightsaber blade around the same size as a shoto's, its color bright green. Looking at the weapon Shaak cocked her head thoughtfully. "That is not your design, is it?"
"Master Yoda brought along several hundred different weapon types apparently." Ranma said with a shrug. "Little midget seems able ta somehow anticipate small things like that even if the whole 'see the future' mumbo jumbo of yours is being blocked. I just grabbed this from the mass of them since the size almost matches my design. 'Course, it doesn't have any of the little tricks I'm buildin' into my own staff…"
With no warning Ranma took to quick steps forward, thrusting out before whirling away into a slash at waist height. Then when those didn't work he used the end of his light pike to balance himself as he kicked out rapidly.
Shaak bent her body practically backwards to dodge Ranma's initial thrust then helped his slash on its way, her lightsaber pushing lightly against his to add to his momentum, before matching his kick with one of her own. The both of them kicked off hard against the other's lower leg, flipping themselves in midair to land once again facing one another. Now it was Shaak's turn to charging, and she feinted as Ranma had, moving to jump up, but instead using a Force Push to push Ranma off-balance when he tried to respond, closing quickly with her lightsaber.
Ranma wasn't fooled by her attempts, knowing Shaak wasn't stupid enough to challenge him in midair combat. Her Push did take him off balance, but he responded quickly, flashing his ki lightly to break her push, bringing up his staff to smack her lightsaber aside. From there the two settled into a series of exchanges, dancing around one another in an intricate display of combat.
It even incorporated kicks and punches at times. Though Shaak was noticeably not using them as often as Ranma, and almost never using kicks. Her Jedi robes made kicking incredibly tough after all, nor did she have his ki shield, which flared up occasionally when he used it to block her lightsaber. The sight at first didn't register with the Jedi and learners around them but it did eventually, and soon they had gathered an audience. Not that either of them noticed.
For several moments neither of them could gain the upper edge, with Ranma matching Shaak's battle precognition with his natural speed and leaving his strength at a low level for now, after all this was just a spar, mostly to train his mind to incorporate the pike into his style. Shaak in turn replied with several attempts at Force grabs with her free hand, trying to unbalance or otherwise trick Ranma into making a mistake but none of her tricks succeeded. Brute assaults worked occasionally, but not for very long given Ranma's endurance and durability.
Their blades locked, with Shaak holding her lightsaber with both of her hands for a moment, before releasing one to launch a punch towards Ranma's face which he blocked with his hand, grabbing her wrist and twisting lightly. A focused Force Push allowed Shaak to regain control of that hand and release herself, swinging away and back quickly.
Ranma laughed, blocking the blow smiling at Shaak. "That was new!"
"I'm trying to incorporate different types of strikes into my style Ranma you should know that by now," Shaak replied almost absentmindedly, concentrating on the exchange then blinking slightly. "Oh, you mean breaking your grip with a Force Push, again trying to keep up with you forces one to adapt. I'm glad it worked."
"It did, just happy to see you pushing the envelope there." Ranma said then his own hand flashed out. Shaak blocked it with the bottom of her lightsaber, pushing it to one side and responding with a hand chop of her own which Ranma ducked under, but this allowed Shaak to almost catch him with a knee to the face. He blocked that, pushing off and into the air before launching his own attack, which halted when Shaak used the Force to hurl him backwards not allowing him to take advantage of being in midair and within range of her.
He rolled as he landed, but Shaak didn't close this time instead circling warily. Then as Ranma settled into a stance she moved forward into her own series of stabs, slashes and whirling attacks, incorporating both unarmed combat and moves from Makashi, Ataru and even a few ripostes from Soresu this time. Ranma blocked, dodged, or riposted each in turn.
Changing his own style suddenly, the end of his lightsaber staff came up intending to slam into Shaak's stomach in a move taken from Dooku's variant of Makashi. But used to his ability to change to different styles Shaak saw it coming with her Force Precognition and batted it aside with one hand, coming up with a kick that caught him in the side of the chest, her Jedi robe flashing upward. Though Ranma replied by smacking her visible thigh several times with his other fist even as he was sent aside, their blades negating each other for a moment.
Shaak winced a little, backing away slightly and rubbing at her thigh with her free hand while twirling her lightsaber in front of her in a defensive maneuver, not trusting Ranma to try to press the advantage. Ranma backed away too letting her look her injury over for a moment before charging in again.
Neither of them had noticed their audience before this. By now every knight, more than a few of the masters and even the few advanced students nearby had stopped what they were doing or come out of the temple to stare at the spar that looked all too real to them. Luminara, Piell and Yoda were there as well as several others.
All of them stared, surprised and some were even awed by the martial display the two of them were putting on. Shaak was known as one of the up-and-coming knights but even so, this looked more like one would expect from an experienced master. And Ranma's skills, while having been rumored about in the Order were not well known yet beyond a few of his techniques.
Yoda chuckled as he watched the display, his eyes sharp as he analyzed Ranma's skills and speed. After a few moments he decided that in an all-out fight Yoda could possibly beat him, his small stature and speed along with Battle Precognition could give him a slight edge. But it certainly wouldn't be enough of one for him to get complacent, and damaging Ranma in any significant fashion would be difficult in the extreme whereas Yoda would have to be careful with every one of his blows. He could use the Force to slow or even dampen the impact, as he had done in their brief exchange when Ranma first appeared on Coruscant.
But eventually even a single series of blows or even one full power blow could put Yoda out of action. And if the fight wore on for too long, Yoda's endurance would also begin to fade while Ranma would still be good to go. If not for the weakness of using his own 'ki' to power his 'ki' shields, Ranma's endurance would match any four Jedi. And even as the spar went on Yoda saw Ranma changing his style, dodging and using his light pike more instead of his ki shield.
Others were not nearly so analytical in their appreciation. Knight Luminara for example was astonished at the amount of skill her friend was showing. A decent blade herself, Luminara knew such a display was beyond her. Shaak was telling the truth about Ranma's training making her better, it's an amazing display. I might have to look into getting some training under Ranma myself.
The two combatants paused for a moment, leaping away from one another to stand at either side of the training area. The onlookers took this moment to slowly clap appreciatively. Shaak and Ranma both looked at one another then away rather embarrassed that they hadn't noticed everyone looking at them then Ranma suddenly smirked realizing where he was in relation to the edge of the temple area.
He looked over the edge of the large branch they had been fighting on staring down and further down. He couldn't see anything below them but more Wroshyr branches and leaves, ranging in size from normal sized to gargantuan, and he smiled. "Catch me if you can!" With that he turned off his light pike, turned and literally dived over the edge with a loud whoop.
"…Well, that was random." Knight Luminara said, staring. "Good grief, Ranma is rather…" Luminara trailed off, words failing her as she looked from between the spot Ranma had disappeared and Yoda, who had begun to chuckle wildly.
Shaak stood still for a moment, staring at where Ranma had been then laughed, shaking her head. "Of course, Aerial style I should have figured he was a height junkie. I suppose I really did do him a favor smashing him through that shower wall, hehe."
Moving towards the edge, Shaak suddenly pulled off her Jedi robe, leaving her in her tight training shift. The shift consisted of a single piece of brown cloth which fell below her waist in a single piece before splitting above her waist to head up her body in two wide bands to cover her breasts, tied below them with one of the pieces of string. Those bands continued over her shoulders, meeting up again and going back down in a single piece near the middle of her back, her lekku covering up where that joining occurred. Here and there along it's length the shift was tied down by rope.
The entire outfit was designed to cover up what had to be but also to emphasize the minimalist nature the Jedi Order pushed on its member, not understanding, or perhaps refusing to acknowledge that even if the cloth was made of the meanest cotton the body underneath was on display, and that body mattered more than the clothing. Suffice to say that despite having seen her in similar outfits before it would have still stunned Ranma enough so that Shaak may have beaten him in their spar.
Not acknowledging the shocked, blushing (mostly from the younglings and padawans around her), or stunned looks she was getting Shaak turned, bowing formally to Yoda. "With your permission Master Yoda?"
Yoda however couldn't reply, chuckling too hard. The only words anyone could get out from that was "chaos lives up to, his name it does."
With no answer of forthcoming from the ancient Grandmaster or from any of the others Shaak laughed again before hopping over the edge herself waving cheerily at Luminara and the other Jedi before she disappeared from view.
OOOOOOO
"…my people cannot wait that long! If this establishment cannot do what needs to be done, then perhaps it is time for a change! I call for a vote of no-confidence on Chancellor Valorum!"
OOOOOOO
With Shaak in hot pursuit Ranma fell through the Wroshyr trees, bouncing off branches and even leaves occasionally. Now that it was day once more the Wookies were out in force throughout the area even around the temple, and they both bounced or fell through bits and pieces of traffic. Ranma once stopped entirely, grabbing a nearby vine to pull himself out of the way of an oncoming group of Wookies who climbing up the side of one of the Wroshyr he had been skidding down.
He waved at them, and several of them pulled their clawed hands away from the tree for a moment to wave back, huffing in laughter at the crazy human. A second later he proved their point letting go of the vine and simply falling straight down for a moment before grabbing a small branch to flip himself in an entirely different direction for a moment when Shaak dropped down right onto his previous position.
Shaak nearly caught up to him a few times, and was right on his heels several minutes when they began to see signs that they had begun to leave the inhabited areas behind. Down at this level there were fewer habitations, plus a generally darker atmosphere with the massive leaves and branches of the Wroshyr trees above them starting to obscure the sun. On an unspoken agreement they stopped on one of the largest, calling it a branch was not doing it justice, massive wooden bridge was better, between one even larger even more massive Wroshyr tree limb and the next, staring further down.
"We're still in the second level of the planet," Shaak said, moving to stand close to Ranma as they looked around. "The topmost two levels have a somewhat intermixed ecosystem, but the planet has several nearly distinct ecosystems, each separated into levels according to Wookie lore. Each level is more dangerous than the one above it."
Shaak pointed at one group of Wookies who were marking something out on a tree, seemingly arguing with one another about it, then down and around them. "The Wookies tend to keep to the upper two levels, with hunters routinely going down into the four and fifth for delicacies, medical ingredients and other reasons. I think there's also some kind of rite of passage where pre-adult Wookies challenge themselves to go as deep as they can or something similar. Very few go below what they term to be the sixth, and they are highly honored for their courage and skill as hunters. The last level, the seventh, is called the Shadowlands, and no one goes down that far save near the shores, where it isn't nearly as dangerous."
"This is all so awesome," Ranma muttered, looking around then then down before turning, cocking his eyebrow at Shaak.
At his unspoken question she shrugged, smiling faintly. "Where every we go is fine with me Ranma, the feeling of this planet is just… I can't describe it."
"Don't think you have to," Ranma replied sighing as his senses told him what they could of this planet and its chi, or its Living Force. It was incredible, so much chi in one place, the power of living things was so concentrated on this planet it was almost like it had been designed to be perfect antithesis of Coruscant.
When he spoke that thought aloud Shaak laughed shaking her head. "Your way of describing the energy of the universe is certainly different than ours, yet I can't say it's inaccurate or wrong. But it is still your choice where we go from here."
Ranma shrugged again then jumped once more over the edge, bouncing off the tree limbs below still heading downwards, stopping occasionally, his fingers digging into the wroshyr trees as if they were claws so he could look around. Above him Shaak laughed and followed him.
Their descent continued until the light from the sun was barely visible through the trees, with Ranma stopping himself by bouncing off a nearly rubber leaf sideways onto a medium-sized wroshyr branch connecting two trees. Shaak halted above Ranma, twirling herself around and around one of the smaller tree branches to slow her forward momentum until she could stop, using the Force to balance lightly on it for a moment. All around them was green and verdant growth, the sound of distant animals, a rustle here or there closer but no sign of any of the locals as far as they could see. That wasn't far down here of course, the foliage was dense the extreme but even so it was obvious they were alone down here.
"What level are we on now do you think?"
"If I had to guess right at the intersection between the fourth and fifth, any deeper and we'll start to lose any light at all, the sixth and seventh are entirely shrouded in darkness." Shaak replied. "We should be on the lookout for dangerous animals on this level."
Ranma turned, staring up at her, trying hard not to stare at Shaak's legs toned stomach or the rise of her breasts above that, which from this angle was even more difficult than normal. Shaak's comment however made it easier and after only a brief look Ranma shook his head. "Why'd you have to tempt fate like that?"
Before Shaak could question Ranma on that comment she felt a sudden spike of intent through the Force from behind her. A split-second Force assisted jump saved her from a mass of green scales barreling through the place Shaak had been standing a second ago. Ranma too dove aside, watching as the biggest damn snake he had ever seen lunged toward him in turn.
"See! Fate is like a freaking magpie reacting to something shiny whenever someone uses phrases like that around me." Ranma interrupted himself for a moment grunting as his Light Pike flashed forward, only to penetrate a few of the outer scales before stopping. "Word to the wise, if ya ever say 'this can't get any worse', 'or the worse is over now', I will spank you!"
"… I honestly have no reply to that." Shaak muttered, activating her lightsaber, the green of it casting odd shadows in this world of brief sunlight and green foliage. She reached out in the Force trying to touch the beasts mind, only to frown as she pulled away. "I can't influence it, it's mind is shut down to anything but the desire to eat us, and it's using both scent and our body heat to hunt us, I can't do anything about confusing those, not without something else nearby to use."
"Great, just great." Ranma groaned, dodging to one side, his fist flashing out this time to hammer into the thing's side. Even as he did though, the thing thrashed sideways, pushing against the blow while rearing up to attack Shaak. She dodged once again, watching as Ranma was sent flying by a full-body shrug. And still the thing kept undulating out of the surrounding foliage, more and more of it appearing as whatever camouflage it used gave way under its movement.
It was a giant snake of some kind, its head wedge-shaped, with a slightly over-slung jaw, large fangs but not so large they were visible with its mouth closed. The thing had two eyes guarded by massive eye ridges, it's scales were not smooth at all, rather they were ridged and some of them even had what looked like sharp edges to them. The wound Ranma had given it showed on its side as a small cut, the equivalent of a paper cut on something its size.
Shaak leaped forward, using the Force to then pull her out of the way of the thing's return lunge, her lightsaber flashing out at a series of lightly colored scales right behind the neck. The thing twisted out of the way showing a remarkable amount of self-preservation, its tail, a tail which looked like it had spikes popping out of it, came up with amazing quickness, aiming for her.
Those spikes were not lightsaber proof, and even as Shaak slashed three of them away she pulled herself backwards and out of the range of the main blow. Then Ranma came in, leaping up onto the thing's back, his light pike flashing out to either side, scoring blows while he raced up its length. "Keep distracting it Ranma, I think I found a weak spot!"
"Irritated Tone, yes mistress!" Ranma shouted back snarkily, while the thing coiled back along its body's length, its jaw open and snapping. The snake thing surprised him however by spitting out something at him. He quickly jumped out of the way of the spit, only to bring his light pike around to try and impact the thing's snout. The scales on its nose blackened and bled lightly, but the snout came on bettering forward, smashing into Ranma's lower body.
Flipping with the blow, Ranma placed a single hand on the back of the thing's head, pushing up and around to try and land on the thing's back once again. But instead of coming back into the attack it kept going, slithering away to the right. At the same time, it spat once more along its' length looking over its body while continuing forward.
This forced Ranma to change his direction so he landed on the wroshyr branch rather than its back. He turned watching as Shaak nearly met the thing's spit herself, before it was away, slithering around the branch the fight had started, its body once more hidden in the surrounding foliage. Shaak joined Ranma quickly, a single Force Jump bringing her to his side. "I thought you said it would keep hunting us? Did that last hit put it off?"
"No I can still feel it's intent on us, but the snake, whatever it is, is quite a bit smarter than I thought. If only I had noticed it, I could have influenced it before it concentrated on us so much, but," Shaak paused as the intent of the beast spiked again and she brought her lightsaber up. "Here it comes!"
From out of the foliage directly behind them came dozens of small, spear-like spikes, the same spikes which Shaak had noticed coming out of the snake's tail. Human and Togrutan turned as one, lightsaber and light pike flashing. Neither were the most defense minded of combatants, but that didn't seem to matter for the moment. Their blades flashed as one, slicing around in an intricate dance of destruction, cutting or smashing aside the spikes which looked to be of bone and scales slightly less tough than the snake's outer layer.
The dance continued for a few seconds until the rain of projectiles ended. Another spike of intent, came, and Ranma and Shaak leaped upwards as the snake came up over the edge of the wroshyr branch, it's head coming from one direction, its tail, now devoid of spikes, smacking out from the other.
A Force Push flung the spit of the beast to one side as Shaak jumped forward, her lightsaber flashing out in a thrust toward the things eye, causing it to veer off for a second before it convulsed in agony, making a low hissing sound, the first noise it had made since it attacked them.
Behind Shaak Ranma had used one hand to flip himself just above the slap coming from the snake's tail, before his light pike flashed down and around in a slash aimed at the softer looking tissue which had previously held the spikes. Blood and ichor flew, and Ranma pushed himself off in a different direction, leaping up to another, smaller branch before flipping himself back down toward the snake's wedge-like head as agile as a Wookie.
Shaak too was moving, coming up and around the thing's head, instinctively knowing Ranma would attack it from above. He did, and the snake turned, not to get away or hide once more, but to attack the prey thing which had wounded it so. It hissed once more, pushing itself up and into a lunge towards Ranma.
Who watched as several long, heavy vines nearby suddenly twitched sideways, catching it in a noose which hampered its upward lunge. This opened its neck to Shaak, who let her free hand fall before moving quickly, slashing forward. The snakes scale's directly below its head were not as strong as the others, and they gave way, parting under the lightsaber's plasma like steel would have, slowly and with quite a bit of bubbling, but surely.
At the same time, Ranma adjusted his course to land on the snake's snout. Stabbing forward, he caught it in one eye, plunging his light pike deep into its' eye.
The snake spasmed, throwing Ranma away despite the vines still encircling its body, breaking Ranma's grip on his light pike and nearly flattening Shaak, who dodged up and away, another nearby almost seeming to reach out and pull her to safety . She quickly joined Ranma on his wroshyr branch, staring down at the snake in its death spasms.
The two of them stood watching for a moment, with Shaak breathing deeply, stretching her Force senses to the max to make certain there were no other predators around. Luckily there didn't seem to be any predators dangerous to humans, no other large predator having wished to share the same territory of the giant snake creature.
At the same time Shaak realized this Ranma shook his head ruefully. "Damn that thing was tougher than it looked, and smarter too."
"Indeed. Pity though." Ranma looked at Shaak at that and she shrugged. "Not only do I dislike killing animals when I can help it, but I wanted to use that little trick of mine with the plants on you at some point in our spars." She pouted slightly, shaking her head, a ray of light through the trees catching the akul tooth headdress on her forehead twinkling off the small pearl at its center. "Now you'll be on guard for the little tricks I can pull with plants."
"Heh, true I suppose, though it was a bit of a shock to see here." With that he jumped down, landing on top of the large corpse, examining it closely, peeling off small scales to examine it closer.
Shaak joined him, kneeling directly next to him, their arms brushing against one another causing him to flush slightly and almost move away but since she didn't, he remained where he was. Shaak smiled at him, then down at the snake. "These are supposed to be very good eating now. And it does make a certain poetic justice…"
Ranma laughed. "If you can rustle up some kind of sauce or garnish to add to it I'm all for that! I'll do the actual cooking if find the ingredients t the sauces and side dish." Ranma said with a faint smile, and Shaak nodded, all her lekku twitching in eagerness at the thought of fresh meat.
OOOOOOO
"You appear to be almost entirely healed, good." Sidious said to his apprentice, staring as the Zabrak moved through a series of exercises, his jaw bunching slightly when his wounds pained him. He had only been let out of the bacta tank a few hours ago after all. But the pain was fueling his fury, which would in turn fuel his abilities in the Force which was good.
As was the fact that while he was unconscious in the bacta tank, Sidious had done what he had to prep Maul for his coming sacrifice. Now if the Zabrak died, it would lead back to the Night Sisters or one of the Lost 19 whichever clue the Jedi found. Ironically it would lead to the same lost Jedi master, Siolo Ur Manka, who had forced Maul to create his double-bladed lightsaber.
"Yes my master, I am nearly back to my previous strength. I will be ready to serve you once more whenever you wish it." Maul replied aloud, using more words in a single statement than he had normally would in a week.
"Good. I have set events in motion again, the Senate will not act in time for the Queen. She is young, headstrong, and foolish, a malleable tool. She has gone to the Jedi for aid, and they have agreed to send it. Count Dooku himself will lead the mission, along with twelve others. Their plans matter not, though I will send on what I know when it becomes time."
Maul nodded his head part acknowledgement part submission and Sidious went on. "You however need to leave for Naboo immediately. I want you in place as soon as possible. You will relate my orders to the Trade Federation's Viceroy. The blockade is nothing, he and his fellows need to be shown how strong their military is but that is all. And Jedi must die."
"Do not fail me again." Sidious finished, and suddenly a small bolt of Sith Lightning arced from one of his hands impacting Maul, causing him to bend forwards grunting a little, but not screaming. He knew his master would take that as a sign of weakness and redouble his punishment. "Understand?"
With that word the lightning cut off, and Maul bent his head forward even further, even going down to one knee as he had not under the assault. "I will not fail you my master. The Jedi will die."
"Good. And to help you along in that endeavor, I'm going to be sending these with you…" Sidious said, opening the far door with a Force gesture. Beyond the doorway, several shadows moved and red lights glinted in the darkness accompanied by faint whirring sounds.
OOOOOOO
It had taken only about half an hour for the two of them to create an impromptu meal. It turned out that once you peeled away the outer scales, a light pike could be used to fillet the snake's actual body quite easily. By the time Shaak returned, Ranma had set up a small heater, stuck several large slices of snake meat over it with thin branches, and was turning the spits slowly as she arrived, jumping down from another large branch.
Something about the two of them being alone with the nearest sentient being several kilometers away (straight up) made Ranma almost painfully aware of Shaak's body. He watched nearly mesmerized as the lithe Togrutan landed, her long, perfectly muscled legs shifting as she walked, his gaze trailing up her body before locking on her eyes. Only then did Ranma notice that Shaak had noticed him looking, and was both pleased and embarrassed with his regard, just as she had been the day before.
When she spoke her voice was slightly deeper than normal, and her purple lips twitched into a faint, nervous yet warm smile. "I found several different plants known to make meat sauces, though I recommend we only use this one," she said, holding up a plant that looked like an elongated garlic pod in shape but which was violet in color. "It is supposed to dampen down the spiciness inherent in most of the meat found on Kashyyyk. I've heard tell that a lot of Wookie dishes are so hot that they could actually damage our palates."
"Gotcha. And the rest?" Ranma asked, taking the plant from her and crushing it quickly with a stone into a fine paste before slathering it on the meat with a wroshyr leaf.
"Different types of edible berries. They are supposed to be very good, and I know one of them is used to sweeten local children's medicines. They should offset the spiciness of the snake easily."
Ranma nodded, then reached into his ki space, pulling out a canteen of water. "We can share this too. Your slab of snake stake should be done in a few moments, rare right?"
Shaak nodded with a laugh, sitting down next to him. After a moment of silence she almost hesitantly began to lean against Ranma's side. He in turn blushed, stiffening slightly, but did not pull away. Indeed, after another moment he put an arm around her waist, leaning back against the massive bulk of the larger wroshyr branch behind him. "S, so, as um, well, this is nice, ya know? How many days do you think we'll have to explore the rest of this planet, 'cause this was a great start. A fight, exploration, food, a-and, the company is great."
Though hesitant, Ranma's words and the emotions behind them were clear enough and Shaak smiled, blushing a little as she did. "I don't know how many days we'll be here for I think that will be determined by how long it takes Padme to either get the Senate to send a military mission to her planet, or for her to realize it won't happen. Anything from two days to a week I imagine. But, but you're right, the company on this trip is wonderful. It has been since we first met."
Both of them were flushing now, looking away from one another. Ranma reached forward, pulling the first skewer away from the fire before holding it out to Shaak. She bit into hit, her sharp teeth digging in as he watched, her purple lips baring her teeth for a moment that caught his attention for some reason.
He broke off staring to grab a handful of the berries she had found, popping them into his mouth one by one while listening as Shaak made a pleased humming noise at the meat. "Very spicy, but quite tasty, I think you'll like it too Ranma."
Ranma nodded, tossing a berry into her open mouth, smirking as she chewed automatically. "Those are good too, nice find Shaak."
He waited a few minutes more until his bit of snake steak could be termed medium rather than full on rare before pulling it off the flame. To call it very spicy was a bit of an understatement. It was so hot even with the sauce smeared on it Ranma had to blink water from his eyes despite all his previous experiences with Akane's cooking and various eating contests. But it was also very tasty and for a few moments the two of them concentrated on eating, occasionally exchanging bits of snake or berries and leaning into one another in a moment of intimacy that needed no words.
Eventually Shaak set aside her last skewer, leaning slightly away from Ranma now as he ate the last one. Licking her lips not to get the last bit of sauce but because of nerves, she grabbed her courage and began to speak. "I, I told you the day Aayla woke up that first time that I had tried to keep a distance between us because I was, was wrestling with certain ideas and feelings I was ill-prepared for. That I had tried to keep a distance between us as a reaction to that."
Ranma gulped, flushing nervously as he set the last of the meat aside to look at Shaak, staring into her eyes. "I remember, I, I also remember asking if you'd … come to a decision."
"I could no longer follow the Code as it is today, not after learning from you, from Master Halcyon and the way the Order had been in the past. I, I decided not to, to run from my…" Shaak paused her courage failing her.
But Ranma stepped into the void reaching forward to take Shaak's hands in his one, squeezing. "The feelings growing between us Shaak? Or is that just my own feeling's speaking to me?"
"No, it is not just you." Shaak said, smiling and squeezing his hands back. "I do not know if I love you Ranma, I do not know if I could tell the difference between love and a mix of affection and, and lust. But I do know I feel closer to you, more comfortable around you, than I have ever felt around anyone else, even my closest friends in the Order, even my old master!"
"Me too." Ranma said, nodding his head. "I mean, I'm not an expert on love Shaak, ya know that, I told you about everything that happened to me in my old dimension. But I feel closer to you than I have to anyone before. I've, er, been aware for a while that I'm attracted to ya. Those massages I gave you were pure torture sometimes!"
Shaak surprised herself by laughing aloud, squeezing Ranma's hands while shaking her head as she mentally promised to return the favor for those as soon as she could. But before she could verbalize that thought Ranma went on. "And, and I, I like having you around, I mean, you make everything more fun, more interesting, and being around you, I just I just seem to enjoy everything more when you're a part of it."
At those words Shaak blushed brightly, her normally red cheeks turning nearly pink as she looked away shyly. Ranma did the same, and the two of them were silent for a moment, trying to get over the emotional moment. They both busied themselves cleaning up the area, dousing the fire and erasing most of their presence from their impromptu picnic area.
By the time they were done the embarrassment had faded, and Ranma frowned, turning to look at Shaak. "Shaak, are you sure about this? I mean, we talked about how hiding their relationships might've contributed to a few Dark Jedi becoming Dark, and I know the Oath doesn't allow any sort of attachment, let alone, let alone an actual relationship, which is what this is about. Right?"
"It is Ranma, and that is why I was loathe to bring this all up before we arrived on Kashyyyk, I needed to talk to Master Yoda and admit my feelings toward you to him. I refuse to hide this, hide what we are now?" The words ended on a question but Shaak laughed aloud as Ranma bobbed his head so fast it looked like a blur.
"I retook my oath but this time in the Old style, which allows for relationships. Yoda also gave his blessing, if in a very backwards sort of way." She made no mention of Piell or what he told her. Ranma didn't have her self-control, and his putting the Lannik master into traction would serve no one.
Ranma raised an interrogative eyebrow, and Shaak shrugged. "He gave me special dispensation as part of the ongoing 'Ranma Experiment'. Added to that is that Master Giiett is apparently still pushing for more psychology and 'mental health' to be allowed for in the Order rather than the rigid Code."
"Get that name trademarked," Ranma said seriously, those his lips were twisting into a grin as he said it, and he sighed happily. "Okay, that's fantastic. I mean, I'd prefer the Order to've already had an allowance in its present Oath for relationships, but, but it's good to know that, that this is a real thing. So from here on, whatever we do, we do together?"
"Yes," Shaak said softly, moving to stand in front of him. For a moment they were both quiet. Ranma knew what he wanted to do, but had no idea how to actually start the ball rolling, never having instigated one before. While all Shaak knew was that she wanted something else to happen, something to signify both the end of their impromptu date and the start of this new phase of their relationship. But eventually Ranma just decided to go for it, and leaned forward.
The kiss was hesitant at first. Ranma had a few kisses before this, but he had never actually instigated one. Shaak had never kissed anyone, at least not on the lips like this. A peck on the cheek shared with her friends when she was a younglind did not count. But having seen people kiss occasionally Shaak knew she had to lean slightly to one side so that their noses wouldn't bump into one another at least.
It was a hesitant kiss yet it was an incredibly meaningful one too. Their lips touched, first brushing, then pushing against one another as the two of them began to get a feel for it. At the same time Ranma put his arms around Shaak, one hand on the small of her back. The other gently touched her back lekku lightly, rubbing up and down its length, causing a shiver to go up her spine.
This was one of the most intimate touches a Togrutan woman could allow in public or even in moments like this, anything to do with lekkus was, and Shaak had stiffened when she first felt his hand on it. But Ranma's touch was so gentle, so tender, it took her breath away. Indeed Shaak had to stop herself from moaning as his hand rubbed the lekku tip and up from there, but thankfully for Shaak's self-control her back lekku wasn't nearly as responsive as her front lekku.
In return Shaak place one hand similar to his own on the small of his back, while the other road up his neck before tangling in his hair. Doing so once more brought to mind that Ranma was human rather than Togrutan, which for many would have been a wakeup call. But Shaak had fallen for more than Ranma's body, and the feel of his hair in her fingers the silky smoothness of it coupled with the almost tickling sensation of the hairs, the otherness of it added to the emotional connection was sent a small thrill through her.
After a few seconds they pulled back momentarily, looking into one another's eyes. Ranma's eyes sparkled as he stared into Shaak's otherworldly but beautiful face, the marks of white around her eyes, the purple lips, the sides of her banded montrals,. As he did, he thought about all they had already done together, all they had seen, the jokes they had shared, the training, the tender moments. All of those moments combined to bring them to this moment. She was wholly different from any woman in his past, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, and all of it had conspired to make Ranma fall for her.
Shaak was doing the same, noting his mussed up hair, his slightly pink lips his high cheek bones, those bright blue eyes, so expressive and so warm right now. She too thought of their months together, their debates, their fights, the tender moments, and when she had begun to realize her feelings towards Ranma were changing. He was so unlike anyone she had ever met before, so open and free, and that, his mind and everything they had shared had brought Shaak to this moment. She still didn't know if she could use the word love for what was going on between them, but right now it was really hard to convince herself of that.
Their foreheads leaning against one another, the two of them stared into one another's eyes, breathing deeply as they tried to communicate the depths of their emotions to one another without words. The moment was too emotionally charged to last. Shaak made the first move, closing her eyes and moving across the scant inch that separated their lips, kissing him.
The kiss went on for a few moments before they pulled back. The break didn't last as long this time before Ranma leaned down to initiate another kiss. They broke off after a second, before leaning in to kiss again, and again. Each kiss was longer in duration, deeper, more forceful. Until Ranma, acting on an instinct he didn't know he had, just that he wanted more, lightly opened his mouth. His tongue flicked out, hesitantly tapping against Shaak's lips, asking, begging for admittance.
At the feel of his tongue against her lips Shaak gasped lightly through her nose then after a second opened her mouth. As she did, her own tongue flicked slowly to rub against his, her body now on full autopilot.
The two mouths remained joined as their tongues began the oldest dance in the universe.
Ranma's tongue ran along Shaak's teeth, which were all pointed. He also could feel her tongue was slightly tougher seeming then his and slightly thinner too. Despite the meal of snake meat they had just eaten she tasted of lemonand some other kind of spice, wholly foreign to his senses yet intoxicating as was the feel of her body against his, her tongue against his. He couldn't stop a low moan escaping and he hugged her closer, their kiss deepening.
Shaak too found herself exploring Ranma's mouth with her tongue. The feel of his molars and teeth brought to mind once again that Ranma was human rather than Togrutan. His tongue was slightly more dexterous than hers too. The feel of his tongue on hers, rubbing against one another sent shivers up and down her body. It awakened desires that Shaak had only previously been able to conceptualize intellectually, but now she felt them at a far more visceral level, both emotional and physical.
The two clung to one another, pulling one another's body tighter as their mouths continued to kiss deeper and deeper for a moment before they had to break for air. They pulled back, with Shaak leaning her forehead gently against Ranma's as they both gasped in air. Once more Shaak stared into his eyes as her lips, now a slightly darker purple than normal due to a slight bruising, quirked upwards into a faint but warm smile. Ranma's face mirrored hers, and they stood there for a moment staring into one another's eyes, neither wanting to take this further right now but also unwilling to walk away just yet.
The rest of the universe would eventually intrude, they had their friends and acquaintances, responsibilities, ambitions, enemies to deal with, dreams to follow. But for right now, in that small glade on the Kashyyyk none of that was important. They were together now, and that was the only thing that mattered.
End Chapter
So not a lot of meaningful combat, and i know tactically speaking it seems that Ranma and the Jedi are having it all their own way but um... lets say this is the call before the storm ok? heh.
I am not really happy with the Jedi discussion section, but am also uncertain how to make Shaak's big reveal go any better without it dominating the entire chapter, which I didn't want. Frankly the need for such philosophical discussions is the only drawback to writing in this universe, i love everything else.
Hope you liked the romance - I am going for a slow burn to the relationship in this work, i think that makes a lot of sense given where the two of them are coming from. As to the old question of adding more girls to the relationship, I am still debating it in my mind, but it probably won't be Aayla. Luminara is a possibility, but that's all. And regardless, I would want Ranma and Shaak to have at least two or three adventures by themselves before adding more characters to their group.
Oh, and yes, HK and Tune are my story's Artoo and Threepio, i think my version is a lot more amusing. If Threepio appears at all he will be mentioned only in passing.
Anyway, hope you all enjoyed it, and as always please review and check out next month's poll.
