Part 1: Trial of a Jedi Master

Chapter 2

Home and Secrets

Commander Cody had been with General Kenobi practically since the war had begun. When introduced to the General, Cody had been surprised by the friendly nature Kenobi had addressed him. While there was no doubt Kenobi was a professional warrior and a skilled leader, he took to speaking with Cody as a person, rather than a member of a unit of clones. It was Kenobi who had recommended him for a promotion which had inevitably lead to his place as the General's right hand clone.

Now, after all their campaigns, all their work, it had lead to this. The cornering of General Grievous on Utapau. It was the day that they would end this war. He just hoped that General Kenobi was alright. As he surveyed the battle, he looked down at the lightsaber connected to his belt. In the General's pursuit of Grievous, the lightsaber had been dropped out of his grip and right next to Cody. While he didn't share the same level of friendship Captain Rex had with General Skywalker, his commanding officer's safety was a priority to him. They had just gotten word of Grievous' death, but without his weapon, Kenobi would be forced to rely on blasters and Kenobi had refused training on the basis that blasters were "uncivilized and clumsy." Cody disagreed, but what could he do? The General was in charge.

As he looked over the fighting, his clone brothers pushing the droid army back, he heard the sound of a yipping creature behind him. He turned around to see General Obi-Wan Kenobi astride his varactyl mount, Boga, coming towards him and his troops. Cody removed his helmet after giving himself a smile of relief. The day was still on track.

As Obi-Wan skidded Boga to a stop, he immediately got down to business. Cody always appreciated that about the General. "Commander, contact your troops. Tell them to move to the higher levels."

Cody nodded in acknowledgment. "Very good, Sir! Oh, by the way," he said as he began to turn away. "I think you'll be needing this." He handed over Obi-Wan's lightsaber with a wry smile that also said, "Make sure not to lose it again. I can't keep picking up after you."

Kenobi accepted it with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Cody. Now, let's get a move on! We've got a battle to win here!"

Cody nodded in agreement. "Yes, Sir!"

Obi-Wan stirred Boga into a run as the varactyl gave a yip and leaped towards the walls of one of many pit cities that populated Utapau. Cody was about to relay the General's command when his communicator let off a loud beep. Answering it, Cody was greeted by the image of Clone Commander Fox of the Coruscant Guard. Fox was more of an acquaintance to him and he was aware that things between Rex and Fox were tense in the aftermath of the execution of one of Rex' troopers, Fives, but he could not deny the Commander was dedicated to his duty as head of the Guard. He wondered why Fox was contacting him now as the battle was turning in favor of the Republic Forces.

"Commander Cody," Fox began. "Alert General Kenobi of this news: General Windu has turned himself in for the death of Chancellor Sheev Palpatine."

Cody was shocked. He couldn't seem to find the words necessary to convey how this made him feel. General Windu, one of the most commended and respected Jedi of all time, had killed the Chancellor. "Did... did the General give any reason why he killed the Chancellor?"

Fox's tiny image nodded. "According to General Windu, and General Skywalker corroborates this statement as true, the Chancellor appears to have been the Sith Lord Darth Sidious behind the Separatist Army. We have footage from the Chancellor's office that shows him killing three Jedi Masters that were with General Windu after the General advised him to surrender to the authority of the Senate. So the evidence appears to be in favor of the General's story. The footage is being authenticated as we speak, however."

Cody wanted to sit down, but his training forbid it. He was in battle and a moment's distraction could result in his death or a tactical disadvantage. He just couldn't believe it. He had heard of Darth Sidious in whispers. According to news and chatter among the ranks, Sidious was the recently deceased Count Dooku's master and immediate superior. During the course of the war, evidence had come up that it was the Sith, the Jedi Order's mortal enemies, that were behind the war itself. If what Fox said was true, then this war had been orchestrated by the Republic's very own leaders. It was insane. "Do... do you need anything from me, Commander?"

Fox shook his head. "Just for you to finish the battle, Commander. Contact General Kenobi and tell him to return to Coruscant as soon as possible. We have things under control here. We are just moving to interview and possibly arrest Chancellor Palpatine's Vice Chair, Mas Amedda, while the authorities examine the Chancellor's office for more evidence. Have General Kenobi contact us when he is on his way."

Cody nodded and switched off his comm. He had a lot to process, but first he had to win the battle. He would relay the General's orders to his troops to move to the higher levels and then... then he would tell the General the big news from back home.

In the Former Chancellor's office on Coruscant, Jedi Master Shaak-Ti looked over the state of things in the aftermath of the Chancellor's- of Sidious' battle with Master Windu. It had been so obvious in hindsight. The suppression of the Jedi's ability to see through the Force? The Sith had been undermining them at every turn. Everything pointed to Palpatine. He had been their ultimate enemy in all of this and they had been the closest of allies. Shaak Ti remembered the Battle of Coruscant as if it were yesterday. She and four other Jedi Masters had fought so hard towards Palpatine's bunker to protect him from General Grievous' assault and attempt to capture the Chancellor. In the end, it had ended with Shaak Ti wounded and her fellow Jedi slain by Grievous' metallic claws. And yet, it had been a trick. The Chancellor had meant to be captured all this time. All this... a lie.

What had been his end game with that? To throw suspicion off of himself as a possible suspect for the identity of the Dark Lord? A secret plot to capture Coruscant and to observe the battle from Grievous' flagship? Or had it just been spite? Hatred against the Jedi Order and an attempt to deal them a blow? She had no idea and quite frankly, it was taking everything she had not to tear this office apart in retribution for her fellow Jedi's lives. That was not the Jedi way. Anger, rage, hatred, fear, all were paths to the Dark Side of the Force.

"It won't bring them back," she told herself. "They are gone. They are gone and that is that." Sidious was dead and their deaths had been avenged by Master Windu. She looked over to the corner of the office where Clone Captain Rex, Anakin's right hand Clone, was standing with two other troopers. Between them stood Master Windu in handcuffs, his lightsaber hanging from Rex's belt.

When Anakin had called the Coruscant Guard to tell them what had happened, he had specifically requested Rex be the one sent to the office. Fox's reputation and loyalty to the Government Body of the Republic was known to surpass his loyalty to the Jedi Order so it would figure to have a sympathetic ally. Mace had surrendered himself to Rex's authority under the condition that he be allowed to stay and make sure that all evidence was gathered.

"For the sake of my fallen fellow Jedi, I must see this through, Captain Rex," Mace had said. Rex was a clone that understood that loyalty and had agreed under the condition that Mace surrender his lightsaber and remain under guard while Shaak Ti and Anakin surveyed the crime scene.

While Shaak Ti didn't like the idea of Mace being under arrest, it made sense for the moment. The death of a high government official, even if he was incredibly corrupt, was something that had to be investigated. And until it was definitively proven to the Galaxy that the man that had lead the Republic through a three year war was not innocent of the crimes he had been killed for, Mace was to be treated as a suspect for his death.

She looked over at Anakin staring out the shattered window. She felt sorry for him. While she had her suspicions about Anakin's loyalties at the moment, she could feel his sadness radiating off of him. He was a reckless Jedi at the worst of times, but she couldn't deny his caring for others and it was clear that the death of Palpatine had affected him.

She walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, eliciting a shocked response from the young Knight. "Sorry, Anakin. I didn't mean to scare you like that. Are you okay?"

Anakin shook his head. "With respect, Master, I have a lot to think about right now."

"I understand that, Anakin, but given the current situation, I feel like it would be best to talk about your feelings."

Anakin turned to the Togrutan Master, tears welling in his eyes. "Shaak Ti, my entire career as a Jedi may have been manufactured by a Sith Lord. A man I respected and cared about was more than likely manipulating me into becoming his apprentice! How do you think I am supposed to be feeling?!"

Shaak Ti took a few steps back in shock at Anakin's outburst. She had to admit, he had a point. "Believe it or not, I do understand your feelings. Palpatine watched as my fellow Jedi died protecting him in a battle that was designed to fail. I fought to protect a Sith Lord and he was probably laughing about it. I understand your anger at being used."

Anakin hung his head. Thirteen years and in many ways, he was still the child he had been when he'd arrived at the temple. "At least you were late," she said with a smile. "Who knows what would have happened if that elevator hadn't stopped."

Anakin was about to respond when they heard a voice from across the room. "General Skywalker, General Ti!" The Jedi turned to see a Clone Trooper, Rover, standing in front of a painting. He signaled for them to come over. Observing the painting, Shaak Ti couldn't see anything that stood out about it. She had some appreciation for art, but didn't think a Clone Trooper had the eye for it.

"Well, it's an interesting painting, Trooper, but what is it that you called us for?"

"It's not the painting, General. It's the placement of it and the wall behind it." Rover motioned at the painting's frame and the surrounding paintings. "Its bottom left corner is sticking out an inch or two from the wall compared to the others. I think it's hiding something."

Shaak Ti narrowed her eyes. Rover had a point. It was small, but noticeable when you knew what you were looking for. She motioned for Rover to remove the painting from the wall and sure enough a small panel with a switch had been hidden behind the painting. Anakin pressed it and a whirring sound could be heard as part of the wall slid back and to the side, revealing a passageway.

The two Jedi looked at each other and Anakin turned to Rex. "Bring Master Windu. I think he'll want to see this as well."

Rex nodded and signaled for his soldiers to bring Mace with them. As they moved down the passage, the troopers stayed ahead of the Jedi and began to scan it for traps, just in case. "General," Rex began while looking at his scanner. "We cannot detect any traps, but this passage way is definitely shielded from our scans. If it wasn't for Rover here, we would never have noticed this existed."

"Palpatine must have had this built after he won the election against Velorum," Shaak Ti noted. "Makes me wonder what he did to the ones that built it."

"I don't think we want to find that out, General," Rex advised.

As they made their way through, Shaak Ti felt a presence growing. A presence of the Dark Side. This was definitely the lair of a Sith Lord and it was not a safe place.

After a short walk, they finally entered into an anteroom that was filled to the brim with objects that radiated the Dark Side. It was a domed room that was large enough for at least twenty people with the walls covered with weapons that looked as if they were from the early days of the Republic, paintings and tapestries of what looked to be Sith Lords of the past, and, finally, a wall full of Sith Holocrons.

Holocrons. The containers of knowledge of the past users of the Force. Both Jedi and Sith had utilized them for millennia to record replicas of themselves to pass on what they had learned to future generations. The Jedi Holocrons were cubed while the Sith's were pyramids. While the Jedi's were blue, the Sith's were blood red. While the Jedi Holocrons gave Shaak Ti a sense of peace and calm, the Holocrons of the Sith filled her with dread. They were filled with the essence of evil. With the knowledge of those that used their power to subjugate those that they felt were inferior. To cause harm to those that sought to use the Force to protect. They were evil and Shaak Ti knew they had to be destroyed.

She looked over at Anakin and saw the recognition in his eyes. He knew it to be true. The Sith had been on Coruscant for years and he had the proof. She saw him walk over to a painting of a hooded Muun with two lines on the frame. The top one read "Hego Damask II" and below that read "Darth Plagueis".

"His master," Anakin muttered. "This was his master that he slew in his sleep, Shaak Ti."

"How do you know that," Shaak Ti asked.

"Because he told me. The night he told me about Grievous' location on Utapau, he told me a story about a Sith Lord named Darth Plagueis the Wise. He was a Sith Lord so powerful that he could influence the midi-chlorians themselves. That he could even save people from dying. Palpatine killed him in his sleep. He told me this story to tempt me. To tempt me into joining him."

"So you could save the one you love," Shaak Ti said.

Anakin turned to her in surprise. He looked as if he was about to deny it, but Shaak Ti held up a hand to stop him. "Anakin, I may be a Jedi and untrained in the ways of the romance and passion, but I can read men. I was young once too, you know."

Anakin opened and closed his mouth and finally turned away. "I will resign from the Council. I will leave the Order," he muttered. "I have been compromised. I am not a Jedi Knight."

Shaak Ti gave a chuckle. "Anakin, I was against you becoming a Knight when it was first proposed. I said you were reckless with your gifts and you have proven that many times over this war. However, you are a caring person, reckless as you are. You fight for the lives of the innocent and you care for all. Whatever you choose to do with your path, you will have a friend in me. I promise that. And I promise to keep your secret. It will be yours to tell."

Anakin didn't turn to face her, but she could see the edge of a smile on his face. "Thank you, Master."

"Sir! I wouldn't touch that," Rex's voice shouted out. The two Jedi turned to see Mace standing in front of the Holocron wall, two Clone troopers pointing their rifles at him.

As the two Jedi walked over to get them to lower their weapons, Mace shook his head, as if he was coming out of a trance. "I apologize, Captain Rex. It's just that... I thought I heard a voice calling to me."

Shaak Ti put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Master Windu. I feel it too. The Dark Side is strong in this place. We have to withdraw, Captain."

"You're right, General. This place gives me the chills." He signaled to Rover and his fellow Clones to take Mace out of the chamber, following suit soon after. Anakin breathed out a sigh as soon as they were gone.

"At least we have something to support Master Windu," he said with a note of optimism in his voice.

"Still," Shaak Ti said with resignation in her voice. "This does put Master Windu's future with the Order in doubt. Even if he is found innocent of murder, the Senate will probably not feel comfortable with him remaining on the Council."

"But he saved the Galaxy," Anakin countered. "He killed the Lord of the Sith."

"And the Chancellor of the Galactic Republic," Shaak Ti pointed out. "Palpatine had supporters. Hundreds of supporters. The Order is about to go through a trial, Anakin. And I can only hope we come through it safe." She shook her head, trying to free herself of the negative thoughts clouding her mind. "Let us leave this place. It is a poison on the Living Force."

As the two Jedi departed to notify the Coruscant Guard, neither of them noticed that the wall of Sith Holocrons, lined with closely packed together crimson pyramids, had a very noticeable gap on one of its shelves.