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Chapter 7: Falling shadows

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Part 1

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Chancellor's office

Senate Building

Coruscant

By the time transmission from Tatooine reached the capital, Palpatine had enough time to prepare for the day and call in an emergency meeting. Only Padme was present in the flesh, sitting in front of his desk and demurely sipping teal. Admiral Coburn and Jedi Master Windu appeared over holocom. They were respectively busy with assembling a fleet for immediate action and a Council meeting.

Finally, Skywalker's image came to life, joining the other two holograms above the Chancellor's desk. The transmission was blurry and flickering, a clear sign for disruptions in the holonet.

"Chancellor, Admiral, Senator." Skywalker nodded in turn, pointedly no acknowledging the Jedi Master. He had to speak aloud to avoid the whining of a speeder's engine from drowning it. "I'm sad to report that Jabba refused to cooperate. The only deal Jabba was willing to entertain, was taking my Padawan as a slave in exchange for letting me leave his palace. As a consequence, Jabba and his minions are dead, per my orders. I must further report that one of Jabba's slave Overseers detonated the explosives implanted in the slaves working in the palace, murdering them all." Skywalker reported in a grave voice.

"This is what we warned you about, Chancellor!" Windu pointed an accusing finger at Skywalker, who merely raised an eyebrow.

"That I would follow lawful orders even if it means I have to get my hands dirty?" Skywalker needled the Jedi.

This was better than Sidious could have hoped for. It was a given, that the Jedi would shoot themselves in the foot under the present circumstances. All he had to do, was to ensure they did it in such a way it further destroyed their credibility.

"Continue your report, General Skywalker." Admiral Coburn interrupted them before they could derail the meeting.

It was clear to Palpatine, that despite any misgivings Coburn might have, the Admiral's patience with the Order was running low, just as planned.

"I'm in the process of reviewing intelligence from Clone units deployed to Bestine and formulating plans to take the city. The goal is to deny resources to the Hutts, making it painfully obvious that continued opposition to the Republic would have personal and economic costs. Liberating a large number of slaves we saw in the town is a secondary objective. I must request enough shipping to bring them back to the Republic if we can achieve a diplomatic resolution to our Hutt issue. Leaving the liberated slaves behind will be a death sentence, or worse. Further, any liberated slaves we bring back could be a political boon – show the galaxy what the Separatists stand for and what kind of allies they consort with."

Palpatine allowed himself a small satisfied smile at that. It was clear that this was Amidala's influence, and so far, it had been a positive one. Further, Anakin continued to display unexpected, yet welcome military competence. It was all but guaranteed, that young Skywalker had gotten his hands on a very useful Sith Holorcorn and made good use of it.

"Anakin, I'll do my best to ensure you get as many evacuation ships as needed to Tatooine." Padme pipped up.

"Certainly! We can't leave those poor people to the Hutts!" Palpatine hurried to add.

"You have my gratitude, Senator," Skywalker nodded briefly, hiding his face and a possible smile from the camera. "We'll have a rough estimate of how many people will need evacuation when we secure Bestine. On a related note, I'll have teams of slicers and assorted specialists head for Jabba's palace. They will get us his information on his crime empire and any actionable intelligence on both the Hutts and Separatists he might have had."

"That's prudent thinking, General Skywalker. I'll appreciate any leverage you can give us against the Hutts. We'll be getting into talks with them shortly in an attempt to resolve the issue of free passage through their space." Palpatine forcefully entered the conversation. He was pleasantly surprised by the continued competence of his future Apprentice. They were going to do great things together!

"I'll do my best to gather useful intelligence. There a few more Hutt compounds on Tatooine we'll be assaulting after securing Bestine as a staging ground. What reinforcements can we count on?"

"Elements of Eleventh Core Army with attached Naval escorts will reach Tatooine in the next twenty-four standard hours." Admiral Coburn said. "You might be reinforced by units retreating in the face of overwhelming Separatist attacks as well."

"I'll appreciate any reinforcements. While Tatooine has a tiny population overall, it's spread out all over the planet. I lack the manpower, and resources to properly secure Tatooine and neutralize local resistance at the same time." Skywalker explained.

"Sending more troops for Skywalker to corrupt is a mistake." Windu couldn't contain himself.

"Even if we don't reinforce him from the Core, several surviving units from the Outer Rim will be falling back to his position over the next few days." Admiral Coburn pointed out. "I must note that at this time, General Skywalker still hasn't broken military regulations."

"As an individual trained in the Force and fallen to the Dark Side, that is cold comfort." Windu forged on, "He is already corrupting Padawan Tano as well. That slaughter he just admitted to is just a taste of things to come."

"That would depend on the tactical situation and my orders." Skywalker countered calmly.

"I'm relieved to hear this, General Skywalker." Palpatine made his position clear. Skywalker having so much control so soon after the massacre earlier that morning, told Sidious a lot. The mere fact that he could maintain it in the face of Windu blowing hot air, was even more impressive. Anakin was shaping to be everything Sidious hoped for and more.

"You're making a mistake, Chancellor! We need to bring the two of them safely to the Jedi Temple. We can contain them there and prevent them from causing any more death and suffering. We all will regret doing anything less!"

"General Windu, I believe that your contribution is no longer necessary. It is becoming counter-productive." Palpatine regretfully announced. "I hope that the next time we meet, you'll be feeling less angry about the situation." He jabbed lightly at the Jedi and cut him out of the conversation.

The Jedi Master's image flickered out, but not before showing his stunned disbelief at being dismissed in such a fashion.

"Now we can continue while acting like grown-ups, can't we?" Palpatine sighed. "I expected more from our Jedi friends. It appears that they aren't immune to the stress of the war." He lied. The Jedi were acting just like the fossilized fools they were, and that was to be expected.

Both Coburn and Anakin nodded with almost identical expressions on their faces – they didn't regret that Windu was no longer stirring things up. Only Amidala felt unsettled by this turn of events.

"I'm afraid that is the case, Chancellor. As you might note, my Padawan is right here, and she isn't a raving madwoman. Say hi, Snips?"

Skywalker's image shook and spluttered before stabilizing.

"Master! Watch where you're driving!" A young, exasperated voice exclaimed.

"There's nothing to worry about! I learned to pilot over dunes like these when I was six years old!"

"That's not reassuring at all!"

Coburn looked at Palpatine in confusion, who merely nodded at Amidala, who in turn grimaced.

"He was an experienced pod-racer at nine when I first met him on Tatooine," the Senator reluctantly admitted. "He had to learn how to drive somewhere."

"It appears that General Skywalker's young Padawan is all right," Palpatine concluded aloud.

"We're as fine as we can be considering the circumstances. Is there a change in our orders, sir?" Skywalker asked.

"Your orders stand, General Skywalker. Secure Tatooine and deny economic assets to the Hutts. We'll use your actions as leverage in negotiations." Palpatine ensured that his future Apprentice would have some time to get his Acolyte in a good enough mental state to pass muster.

"It's your call, Chancellor." Admiral Coburn noted. "The political dimensions of the conflict fall under your aegis and that of the Senate."

"That will be all, Admiral." Palpatine nodded and Coburn cut off the transmission from his side.

"Anakin, what did you do this time?!" Padme wasted no time in demanding answers.

"Precisely what I told you all! Jabba wasn't interested in making a deal with us. He reasonably pointed out that the Separatists could offer the Hutts more than would be politically acceptable to the Republic. Just to make a point, the sleemo threw his personal slave - a Togruta Ahsoka's age to his pet Rancor, then all but demanded I leave Snips to his tender mercies so I can save my hide!" Skywalker exclaimed. "That was when we made an example of the kriffing slug and his minions!"

Palpatine's estimate of Skywalker raised another notch. From what he experienced earlier in the morning, things happened more or less like Skywalker just said, from a certain point of view. He was lying and deceiving well enough to pass muster in the Senate, not that was a particularly high bar to clear these days...

"He just threw that girl to the Rancor!" The Acolyte's voice hitched.

Sidious could sense an echo of her unsettled emotions even over the holonet. Her anger and anguish were delicious.

"While tragic, I understand, my young friend," Palpatine put forth his best grandfatherly persona. "Some times, people simply can't be reasoned up in a civilized manner."

"Oh, Anakin…" Amidala sighed. "I'm sorry about what the two of you had to experience and do."

"I'm sorry too, Senator." Anakin pipped up. He sounded genuine, which was impressive considering Sidious knew how much fun the boy had earlier that morning.

=KoF=

Part 2

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Council Chamber

Jedi Temple

Coruscant

Times were changing, and the Jedi were ill-prepared for it.

Mace Windu stared at the space where several holograms just stood, stunned by the casual dismissal by the Chancellor. That was a frighteningly unthinkable turn of events. For as long as anyone could remember, through wars and temporary defeats, the Jedi Order and the Republic went hand in hand for eons now. The Republic government had always been an ally to the Jedi Order, backing them up. All the while, the Jedi safeguarded the Republic from both internal and external enemies, doing their best to keep the peace.

For centuries now, ever since the Reformation, the Jedi wisely stepped away from the mess that was galactic politics, only aiding the Chancellor or Senate when requested. That way, the Order could focus on what was important.

"Most concerning, this is," Master Yoda muttered. His ears drooped, and he stared in the distance with a far-away look in his narrowed eyes.

"No disrespect meant, Master Koon, but now we have official confirmation to your vision." Master Mundi's holographic image lowered his large head in regret. "I'm sad to say, I didn't want to believe that what you foresaw had already happened."

"We lost two of our best to the Dark Side, and the war just began." Mace summarized the situation, while his face flexed into a grave expression. "Now, we must face the hard truth that others might follow if we aren't careful. If we let Skywalker and Tano to their devices until it's obvious to regular people how far they've fallen, we might face disaster."

The veil of the Dark Side was heavier than ever, shrouding the future like never before. All the Jedi could perceive was that it was dark indeed. Several Jedi fell on Geonosis, more died in battle in the following days. Now, two Jedi fell to the Dark Side, which was immeasurably worse.

"This is Revan all over again! Skywalker follows in that madman's footsteps, complete with dragging his Padawan to the Dark Side as well. No, it is worse! Revan fell late in the Mandalorian Wars. This conflict is just beginning. If we don't contain Skywalker, the damage he could cause would be nightmare fuel for ages to come!" Windu continued.

Plo Koon raised his head from where he sat hunched, almost collapsed on himself, in his seat.

"I must regretfully agree. We lost Ahsoka to the Dark because of our hubris. We sent her there, in the naive belief that responsibility and stability might ground Skywalker!" The Jedi Master's words came out bitter and tinted with pain. "We have to put an end to this madness before they could drag another promising Jedi down a dark path."

"Losing the Chancellor's support and friendship we are. A dangerous path we walk." Yoda's tired voice gained everyone's attention. "Careful we must be. Dark the days grow."

"Of course, we're walking dangerous paths! We just lost the Chosen One!" Mace snapped, then caught himself up and muttered an apology. "Recent events have been distressing in the extreme."

Windu leaned back into his high-backed chair and forced himself to relax. Emotions running high wasn't the Jedi way, and it was the last thing this meeting needed now.

"More than you know, Master Windu." Shaka-Ti's image frowned. "The situation on Kamino is most disturbing," the Togruta Jedi began to explain in a pained voice. "The Clone Masters of Kamino," she spat the title in un-Jedi-like fashion, "do not consider their creations people. The Clones are mere equipment for them." Righteous indignation burned so strong in Shaak-Ti, that all the Jedi Masters sitting on the meeting could feel it! "They see nothing wrong in flushing out whole batches of 'defective' Clones to make a place to grow new ones! Those are our allies, the source of our army!"

"We have little choice but to use this Clone Army." Master Tiin grumbled from aboard his flagship. "Dooku is a Sith now. Without the Clones, the Separatists will win and plunge the galaxy into an age of darkness."

"Master Tiin is right. We aren't fighting because we want. We do it because we must! Doing so is the best of the bad choices we have available." Windu's voice cut into the momentary silence following Saesee's words.

"More about this Clone Army of ours, find you must, Master Ti," Yoda ordered. "Foresaw something, Master Dias did. Disturbed before his end, he was."

"However, such conduct by the Kaminoans is unacceptable. Talk with them, persuade them, order them if you must, Master Ti! We should not lose ourselves in this war." Tiin continued, once again, proving himself a voice of reason, so unlike the daemonic visage, his species was known for.

"Right you are, Master Tiin!" Yoda briefly smiled for the first time in days. "Lose ourselves, we must not! Dangerous the was is! Undermine our foundations it does! Victory, Geonosis was not. The beginning of dark times it was," Master Yoda concluded.

"The disturbing issues with the Clone Army aside, what are we going to do about Tano and Skywalker?" Shaak-Ti asked.

"Master Nu looks through Republic law now. Join her you must," Yoda pointed his favorite walking stick at Mace, then Master Koon. "Jedi Business Skywalker and Tano are. Handle them ourselves, we must. No more suffering should they cause. Prevent it, we must."

"Dealing with such issues has been historically our prerogative." Master Tiin added. "There must be many laws in place backing it up. We've been working with the Republic almost since its foundations. If you believe some legends, our ancestors were among its founding members."

"Complicated Republic law is. What the courts say it is, it could be." Yoda reluctantly admitted.

In practice, the meaning was simple and sometimes disheartening. With the backing of the Chancellor and Senate, the courts would usually fall in line behind the Jedi Order. However, for the first time in remembered history, the Republic government and the Jedi found themselves on opposing sides. That was simply something that didn't happen, that not only couldn't happen, but shouldn't happen in the first place! They were the guardians of the Republic!

"What will we do, when Skywalker comes back into our reach?" Master Koon asked quietly.

"Detain him we must," Yoda admitted. His ears drooped, and he looked at the floor. "Failed him we did. Fail the Republic and the Order, we must not. Stop him we must."

"What will we do if he resists, claiming self-defense?" Master Tiin inquired. "So far, Skywalker seems keen to use the law in his defense."

"Detain him and Tano. Investigate his actions on Tatooine and use the 'example' they did as proof of how far they fell. We must find a good way to explain to regular people what it means to fall. They must comprehend that it is only a matter of time before Skywalker causes a disaster that no one could close their eyes about!" Windu explained. In other words, the Order had to succeed, where he failed to convince the Chancellor and the military.

"We search the archives for the appropriate laws to cite when arresting them. This is indeed a Jedi Business! The Republic has no right to intervene when we're trying to deal with fallen Jedi." Plo Koon noted. His voice rang with unexpected conviction, and he sat straighter, reinvigorated by the need to right past wrongs.

"The Chancellor might not see it that way. By all accounts, Palpatine still sees Skywalker both as a friend, and as the boy who helped save his homeworld ten years ago." Master Tiin warned.

"In that case, Chancellor Palpatine is emotionally compromised by his bond with Skywalker. We can't allow the emotions of one man to put the galaxy in peril." Mace decided. "The same is true for the military. All they see is that Skywalker can win, they don't care about anything else as long as he is technically on our side. I'm afraid that GAR High Command would refuse to see the truth until it is too late."

Mace could see it now. Sadly, the truth didn't matter. Those people weren't Jedi, they couldn't sense the Darkness in Skywalker. All they had to go by were mere regulations, emotions, and bonds of friendship. While those worked for regular people all the time, it was never that simple when Force users entered the equation. He only hoped that they would be able to heal this inevitable breach of trust when Skywalker showed his true colors.

=KoF=

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