Updates: Return of the Father is a lighter story I'm dabbling in because I missed Luke. My goal is to update The Queen Does Not Need to Know weekly on Thursdays and I can't thank the reviewers enough for your support. You're my patrons.
Timeline: Part I of this story time travels Rey in early 32 BBY, months before the start of the Phantom Menace, this chapter ends nearly four years later in late 29 BBY.
"They'll stall you," Organa said. "I know it's a horrifying situation, but you can't fight every evil in the galaxy."
"Evil?" Padme said. "I've fought evil and it was easy: I shot it. It's apathy I can't stand."
"You may be in the wrong profession."
~The Queen's Shadow, E.K. Johnston
Chapter 22 - A Change of Guard
"So he wasn't prosecuted?" Rey asked.
Only a few months had passed and Senator Palpatine had been seen on Coruscant. Ever backed by the IBC, Sheev Palpatine had managed to land on his feet despite it all.
"He's representing the planet of Telos," Padme said.
Master Jinn spit his tea. Putting a napkin to his mouth. he asked, "Pardon me, but what?"
"He's the new Senator of Telos, they are of course honoured, while he might have lost most of Naboo and some allies, his other alliances are coming to light, much to Telos's benefit and our horror. He has connections with the InterGalactic Trading Federation chief among them. He also resurrected some mining company that has been near destitute for decades."
Master Jinn squared her with a look, "Off World Corporation."
The Queen looked at him, "How did you know?"
He stood with a curse.
"Master Jinn, are you alright?" Rey asked.
He shook his head, "Xanatos, my fallen Padawan, that was his homeworld, that was his corporation. He had to have known, it cannot be a coincidence."
"Does it matter?" Rey asked. "I mean it's insulting, but does it affect us truly?"
"It might," Padme said, "Telos is small, and does not have a large foothold here in the Galactic Senate, but it is wealthy and fairly well known. Senator Palpatine has not lost all his allies. And Off World was an aggressive mining company when it was active, if properly spurred to productivity again, Sheev could implement a great many problems for the Republic throughout the galaxy."
Master Jinn pinched the bridge of his nose, "Padawan mine, I hate your father."
Rey raised her chin, "As Master Yoda would say, hate leads to the Dark Side."
He dropped his hand to give her a look.
She grinned.
He sighed, "I had hoped you would allow me to get away without the near constant quoting of doctrine now that Obi-Wan has graduated."
She shook her head, "I'm a product of both your teachings, I'm afraid. Also Master Yoda has just been teaching me to talk in riddles."
He scowled at her, "I'm the Master here, I have the paramount claim on philosophical phrasing of the inane."
"Whatever you say, Master."
Padme was smiling at them both, "Where is Obi-Wan?"
"Master Yoda assigned him on a mission with Master Mor and Asajj. Apparently, in need of positive influences, is Padawan Ventress."
"Will you both be assigned a mission soon?" she asked.
"Always possible," Master Jinn said, going to the stove for the kettle. "But Dooku wants me around to plot against the Senate while your lot is in recess."
Padme rolled her eyes, apparently in on the Jedi's opinion of politicians.
"And Master Yoda has extended my 'punishment' indefinitely," Rey added with a smile. "And by the by, I have money on who Obi-Wan is going to choose as a Padawan."
Padme tilted her head, "I thought the Jedi don't gamble?"
"Change is only natural," Master Jinn said wisely, setting down a fresh pot of tea before joining them on the cushions that served as seats at the low table.
"So is corruption, some might say," Padme teased him.
Rey laughed, "The whole High Council is in on it, and Master Jinn can't take credit for starting it."
"You?"
She shook her head, "No, Master Yoda."
Padme looked surprised, she wasn't a Jedi but even so, she had had her own preconceptions of the often mentioned Grandmaster. She asked them, "Does that mean you can't leave the Temple until you have a mission?"
"No," Master Jinn said, "we are free to go elsewhere off-mission, but I do have business on Coruscant presently."
"And Rey has to fulfil her 'punishment' with Master Yoda?"
He looked at the Queen a little more directly, "No, Rey may travel if she likes, though not so far that she can't be reached. Yoda said only when she is at the Temple does she have to study with the younglings."
Padme turned a genuine smile on Rey, "Then I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to Alderaan?"
Rey felt herself fit full to bursting, she turned to Master Jinn, "Could I, Master Jinn? Please?"
He looked at her with a raised brow, "If you wish it, I see no-"
She hugged him, "Thank you!"
He set his tea down giving her a one armed hug in return, "Is there a particular reason Alderaan is such a desired destination?"
Because of General Organa's homeworld! Rey almost cried aloud, and immediately felt her joy dim, a bit.
Ever the question, was she from the future or not? Were her memories real or fake?
"I heard it was a planet of almost absolute peace and honour. That Alderaanians upheld their laws and took care of one another," and also that it had been blown up by an evil Empire.
He looked at her for a long moment.
Padme interrupted, "I have to get back and help my escorts pack. Rey would you like to come with me or meet us at the platform?"
"She will meet you at the platform," Master Jinn said before Rey could answer.
Padme rose and bowed to them both, "A pleasure as always, Master Jinn."
"Safe travels, my dear, may the Force be with you."
"And with you," she said with another bow.
Rey had a feeling she knew what was coming and sure enough...
"We have given you space, Padawan, but your nightmares continue to disturb you."
"I don't wake up screaming anymore," she muttered.
He was unmoved by this statement.
She sighed, standing to wash her and Padme's teacups.
"Talk to me, Rey, and that is an order."
She rinsed the delicate cups, putting them on the small drying rack.
"Rey."
She didn't turn to him as she started with, "I keep seeing Obi-Wan dead. Every dream ends with…" her voice broke.
"Come sit, Padawan mine."
She came back to her seat, still not raising her gaze.
"That's not why you were afraid of him that first night."
She squeezed her eyes shut tight, fighting to keep her breaths even. The Force flowed through her, unhindered unlike how it was in her nightmares.
"How does he die in your dreams?"
"He doesn't die. I find him dead. Betrayed. His face is frozen in an expression as if I had betrayed him."
"Would you ever purposely betray Obi-Wan?" Master Jinn asked.
"No!" she almost yelled, looking at him aghast. "No, I would never betray him. I would never betray either of you. I would die first."
"Then why are you afraid of something you have control over?"
She felt shaken, but she let herself think the question through.
Why was she afraid?
Was she afraid of Obi-Wan dying? Of course, but it wasn't the all consuming fear.
Her fear was becoming someone or something that would intentionally, or even unintentionally, hurt him.
"What does Darth mean?"
Master Jinn stiffened, and she felt his own fear through their bond. But his voice was even when he asked, "In what context do you ask this?"
"Every dream starts the same. I'm a bird, a black bird. I'm soaring through a forest," she frowned, now that she was saying the words aloud, details were coming into sharper focus. "I was on Naboo. The foliage was the same. I get caught in a storm and I can't- I can only fly when the Force is with me, and a voice calls out, telling me to take hold of the Force despite the pain."
"Whose voice?"
"I'm not sure, it's familiar but I can't place it."
"Do you take hold of the Force, or is your subconscious trying to shield you? After all, your version of shielding is cutting yourself off from the Force, thus inventing your inability to reach it within the dream. Like swimming sluggishly slow in a dream, when your physical body is wrestling with blankets."
She blinked at him, a wash of shame overcoming her. She should have confided in him sooner. "The latter I think, ugh, that makes so much more sense."
"What happens in the dreams then?"
"I fall, and I'm starving. The voice calls to me. Calling me his little Carrion Crow, he tells me to eat. I eat."
She couldn't finish the rest, but Master Jinn was a smart man and the look of horror in his eyes let her know he had understood.
He put a hand over hers where she had them twisted on the table. "You are not a bird, Rey."
"I am a scavenger."
His fingers tightened over hers, "I do not think this a Force vision, it sounds like someone has been swimming in your mind, twisting your darkest fears. Whoever is doing this either knew or now knows of your inner fears. And has learned that the person that matters the most to you is Obi-Wan."
Her heart constructed, "I've put him in danger?"
"Obi-Wan Kenobi finds quite enough trouble without you convincing yourself you are to blame for it. We are Jedi, Rey, we put ourselves into harm's way on a regular basis."
She let out a breath, "You're right, I'm letting my fears get the best of me."
"I find these dreams disturbing," Master Jinn stated. "Not so much their content but their implication and purpose. Someone has reached your dreams, breached your mind, stirring up your fears and trying to push you to the Dark Side."
"Is this common?"
"No, it is not, but as your shields continue to be one of your greatest weaknesses, I am not terribly surprised to find it possible that someone could attack you like this."
She looked down at his hand where it covered hers, "I'm trying, Master, but I still don't understand quite how-"
"I am not angry with you, Rey. Considering how late you started your training, I am not at all surprised it is taking you so long, especially as it would appear you have been open to the Force all your life. It is a greater mystery to me how none of our Seekers ever found you. Tatooine isn't so far out of the way as all that."
She almost told him then, she almost told him she was really from Jakku and possibly from the future but impossibly not from the future as well. She just didn't want to admit that she had been hiding a much larger secret from them since the beginning. They would either believe she was a liar or truly insane.
She didn't know which was worse.
She had said she would never betray them, but had she already from omitting this conflict within her?
His next question stole her nerve, "Why did you ask about the Darth title?"
"It's a title?"
"Rey."
She knew, instinctively she knew that what she said next would be a bad omen, "Darth Carrion. The voice called me Darth Carrion."
And in her mind's eye, she saw the vision of herself from Ilum.
The woman draped in black, whose walk was thunder, who was as much the throne of great power in the galaxy as a slave to it.
The Carrion Crow, someone who feasted on the dead, who drew strength from distraction.
Master Jinn called to the Force, and she felt the Light fill her through their bond. Her Master threw their connections wide.
Through him, she felt Obi-Wan like a shimmering star. Their bonds as Master, Knight, and Padawan was a light of its own. And beyond them were other threads, other lights. Master Dooku was a shadowed planet, knowing both Dark and Light as he did, Master Mor too, was like a moon caught half in shadow, and Asajj was a full moon glimmering in the light of others as if she were still learning how to become a power on her own.
And in the Force, their connections went beyond what Rey could name. She could identify the Council, and some of the younglings she had begun to care for, together they were all a part of a greater whole.
They were the Jedi Order.
They were agents within the Force.
Master Jinn brought her awareness back in, and only then did she realize her eyes had shut in meditation. Before she opened them, she found one other thread. Almost forgotten because he seemed to give no light of his own, but the Force had not forgotten, and after months of training with him, she couldn't forget her friend either.
"You are a Jedi, my Padawan," Master Jinn said, "the Dark has no claim on you, whether it acknowledges you or not. Your fate is what you choose it to be."
"What does Darth mean?" she asked.
"Darth roughly translates to Dark Lord, Darth is the title of the Sith Lords."
Her mouth went dry, the mere memory of the Sith shades making her feel cold. She wrapped her grey robes around herself, feeling the Force around her like a strong wind.
She was a sail, that wind was hers to use, but the wind itself was as free as she was.
The Sith were fools who thought they could own the wind.
The wind could not be owned, and neither would she be. Her attacker could have her dreams, but they couldn't have her. She was spoken for.
"I want you to take Sifo-Dyas's instructions on building your shields more seriously when you are on Alderaan."
She turned back to him, "You're still going to let me go?"
He nodded, "But you are to contact me immediately if the need arises. I trust that you are strong enough, but be careful."
She bowed to him, "Thank you, Master. May the Force be with you."
"And with you, Padawan mine."
"She was dreaming what?" the hologram of Obi-Wan asked.
Qui-Gon, who had no desire to repeat himself, went on, "I think it was an attack."
The hologram of Mor snorted, "Of course it was an attack. Unless your Padawan has been badly tortured in her life, it is doubtful she could ever imagine something like that. The question is who?"
"Her father, he is suspect."
"Bold of him," Mor noted, "Unless he truly has no clue we might be onto him. Which in and of itself is a good sign. Sheev undid our trackers in his systems, but not before we got a hold of his transmission records. The three most notable are the Trade Federation, Hego Damask of the IBC, and one to Kimino."
"You spoke with the Council already? And I met Hego Damask once, we did not see eye to eye."
"I did, that Sifo-Dyas was in contact with Hego Damask and Kimino as now, Sheev has been may prove to be a problem. The planet is beyond Republic regulation, but Dooku is reaching out to his own allies in the Outer Rim. Kimino appears to be gathering resources in mass."
"That can't be good," Qui-Gon mused, running his fingers over his chin. "Yoda was right, darkness is building, despite our efforts. We aren't changing fast enough."
"Master," Obi-Wan said in that tone he used when he was about to 'respectfully' reproach his senior, "Change is necessary, I will not argue that with you. But rapid change could befall its own issues. The Council is right to be cautious, we should not solve one problem by creating a dozen more simply because we are not taking the care to consider them."
Qui-Gon smiled, dipping his head, "You're right, of course, Master Kenobi."
He got a scowl in return.
Mor chuckled, "Oh, I see why the Council likes him so much. He might have a seat on it one day if you, Knight Kenobi, can keep it up."
Obi-Wan crossed his arms, "I argue quite enough with Qui-Gon without getting myself into that sort of position."
"Does that mean you would refuse a seat as I did, my once apprentice?" Qui-Gon asked.
Obi-Wan scowled harder at him, and Qui-Gon fought to suppress a grin until Obi-Wan asked, "What did you tell Rey to do about her dreams?"
"I tasked her with Sifo-Dyas's direction in mediation to hopefully build up her shields. She will be off-world for a time, but perhaps time away from the Temple would do her good."
"Where is she going?"
"Alderaan with Padme, Sabe, and their entourage. But Obi-Wan, you must be careful. I think someone might go after you to get at her."
"Please tell me you didn't tell her that?"
Qui-Gon crossed his arms, "What do you take me for, of course I didn't, but be careful. It is as you say, we are changing things in the galaxy and we are making enemies, personal enemies."
"Hence why the Jedi leave family and politics behind," Mor noted, "until now."
"I'll be careful, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan said, "We should be back at the Temple soon."
"Your mission went smoothly then?"
Mor made a disgusted noise, "We played it by the book. Asajj is enamoured with your most recently graduated protege."
"So the mission was a success?" Qui-Gon asked again.
Mor sighed, "The Council will have nothing to complain about."
Obi-Wan was fighting not to smile, "Master Mor is certainly one of yours, Master Jinn."
Qui-Gon didn't attempt to hide his own smile, "Why of course he is, he helped make me who I am today."
Mor smirked, "The real question is who Rey will take after?"
Qui-Gon shared a smile with Obi-Wan.
Rey would be like no other in the Order.
Padme's handmaidens had taken to Rey right away. They went as far as doing her hair and convincing her to wear a bit of cosmetics.
The transformation was almost startling, not because she looked like someone else, but because the cosmetics made her look so much older and mature. Her grey robes weren't the standard for a Jedi even if the cut was similar. She could have looked like, well not a noble from Naboo, she wasn't wearing near enough finery for that, but a noble from some planet whose climate was inhospitably hot.
She touched her hair, "I didn't realize how long my hair had grown, it's easier to take care of now when I have such ready access to running water."
"You look beautiful," Padme complimented.
She looked a little uncomfortable, "It is fun for today, but I don't think it's really me. I certainly couldn't have applied that all myself."
Sabe laughed, "Don't discount yourself, Dorme is an artist."
Padme herself was dressed in full queenly attire, the headdress heavy atop her head. Her gown today was lilac with layers of floating fabric undercut with cloth that could take blaster shots. Not that she expected anything to happen on Alderaan, but then all of the Queen's gowns were layered with such protections. Sabe was almost as dressed up, though her makeup wasn't a mask nor was her gown armoured.
"Do you think Queen and Senator Organa will like me?" Rey asked, showing an uncharacteristic amount of nervousness.
"Of course they will," Padme answered, "don't be worried. They are really quite wonderful."
"I know," Rey said with a grin.
This answer did not enlighten Padme as to why the Padawan was so jittery. But as they prepared for their landing she supposed she had only to wait.
Padme wasn't sure what she expected of Rey. The girl was certainly kind but what she did not expect what happened after all the names and titles had been exchanged.
Rey bowed almost completely at the waist to Queen Braha and Senator Bail Organa. Padme had never seen a Jedi show so much respect to a politician before.
When she straightened, her tone was both full of emotion and sincerity as she said, "It is an honour to meet you both."
Queen Braha smiled, "The honour is ours, rare it is for us to host a Jedi for a social visit."
Rey smiled, "I've always wanted to see Alderaan, ever since I was little and first heard of your planet."
Braha said, "We must give you a tour then."
"I would enjoy that, Your Highness."
Sabe gave Padme an amused look, Rey was kind to them, but she had never been awestruck by their presence.
Padme wasn't jealous, she had seen Rey treat some of the Masters in her own Order like this, but she was bothered nonetheless. Alderaan had many similarities to Naboo, but Padme supposed she could appreciate why Rey might prefer this planet. The Horizons here were cut by impressive mountain ranges, and if Naboo was a planet of oceans and jungle pools, then Alderaan was a planet of waterfalls and rivers that fed into clear lakes.
"The architecture is so open," Rey said as they walked, showing more interest in the landscapes than the paintings and sculptures that held Padme's own interests.
"Indeed, our people built out rather than up, but we still maintain our green spaces," Bail said, "Our nature reserves are important to our people. It's why many of our streets are designed for walkers and single person bikes."
"The streets are lovely too," Rey noted, "Tatooine doesn't even have paved streets. Not that it matters, nothing grows naturally there other than a few shrubbish plants I'd be wary of going near."
Bail smiled, then shot Padme an amused look before he asked, "Do we out shine Naboo? Their planet is filled with grand architecture and an abundance of greenery."
Rey shrugged, "Naboo is quite beautiful as well, but not as stable, I think."
Padme felt the remark like a bucket of ice water poured over her head. She had been meeting with Master Jedi for over a year now, and while she had come to know Master Dooku as the closest person the Jedi Order had in the way of a politician, she had grown quite fond of the way Master Jinn did mince words.
But Rey? There was nothing political about her speech, but neither was she cruel or purposefully hurtful. Her words were simply earnest -which is what made her assessment of Naboo so jarring. Rey was technically a native of Naboo, and it offended some core part of Padme that Rey would prefer this not dissimilar world to their own.
Not as stable.
Meaning what exactly? That her people were greedier? More afraid? Had a more uncertain future than those citizens and visitors to Alderaan?
The sad part was that Rey was correct if that is what she meant. Not four years ago Padme's people had almost starved because of a foreign power taking them over, a power invited by the greed of plasma mining. Unlike Padme's guard, Braha's guard weren't even armed with weapons.
She caught Sabe's gaze and knew she was thinking the same thing, or at least knew what Padme was thinking.
They needed to do better for their people.
Bail and Braha were regaling Rey with Alderaanian history of which she seemed to be completely transfixed on their every word of. It was only because Padme knew them so well that she could see that her handmaidens were growing weary of the history lesson. Unlike Naboo's history, there were no wars or major conflicts in Alderaan's recent history, just minor scandals and debates on how best to preserve peace and prosperity for everyone.
Padme supposed it was a mark in Rey's favour that she was so attentive to such a history. Though the Jedi were often deployed into conflict, their goal was to promote peace. Her interest in the actuality of peace was admirable, here was a woman whose heart was in the right place. A woman who had found her calling among the Jedi.
Naboo, Padme was sad to acknowledge, had fallen short of the expectation of sustainable peace. It made her all the more determined to do better for her people.
Maybe one day, Jedi Rey Palpatine would look on Naboo with the same reverence.
Asajj watched her Master carefully. She had recently convinced him that she wished to become one of the Jedi Shadows.
It wasn't a choice most Padawans could make, but then, she was not most Padawans. The Council had approved of her pursuit, though Master Yoda had stipulated that she would have routine meetings with Master Windu to check in on her progress. However, she had yet to earn Mor's approval, and he seemed put out that she had addressed this with the Council during their mission report before he had cleared it.
But she would earn his consent with this path she had chosen. She didn't want to become a Shadow because she was addicted to the Dark, she had chosen this path because she didn't want others to face the choices she had.
Her training on Serreno had been both a gift and a torture. Mor had guided back not just to the Light but back to herself. Almost every Jedi Shadow had to face their own Darkness, therefore she was qualified, she knew it deep within and the Council knew it as well.
Mor, however, seemed to want her to be better than she was. He saw in her his own redemption, but she saw nothing in him that needed to be redeemed. Her Master was someone who had been tested by fire and come out hardened, but not unworthy.
He was as much a Jedi now as he ever had been before, and she believed in the work of the Shadows, even if she knew not every person could be tried as such.
Asajj just knew that the Dark and the Light were not meant to be wholly kept apart and that she was strong enough to handle them together.
"The corruption goes deeper," Mor was telling Masters Yoda, Windu, Koon, and Fisto.
Master Mor wasn't the oldest Shadow in the room, but he was the most highly regarded and skilled.
The Temple Guard were here in full number as well, anonymous under their masks, yet Asajj could feel their discontent. The Jedi Sages, the opposite of the Shadows, wisdom seekers, individuals who sought the Light in the darkest corners of the galaxy, exploring realms sometimes far beyond the Outer Rim.
"How deep?" one of the Temple Guard asked.
"Foundational," Mor said, "We've been going to the underworld and it is definitely coming from the Temple itself."
Librarian Lene Kostana (or as Asajj referred to her, the old hag) crossed her arms, "You already had all my artefacts destroyed, and all the Sith texts transcribed and the original copies destroyed. There is nothing left in the archives."
Fey, a Sage who was nearly as old as Yoda and thousand times better preserved, remarked, "Aside from the thousands of Jedi artefacts and the thousand more objects and texts gathered from cultures across the galaxy and beyond, you mean."
The old hag waved it away, "What was the point of destroying my and Master Dooku's collection if the Temple is still, and I quote, 'infected'?"
"I don't know," one of the other Shadows remarked acridly, "because some of those objects contained parasitical Sith Lords and others which carried actual poisons that could drive most species to violent madness?"
Kostana tsked, "That's why they were kept safely in the archives."
Several sighs filled the room.
Master Kit Fisto, a practical and compassionate Council Member asked, "What do you suggest we do, Master Shadow?"
Mor sighed, "Honestly?"
Windu crossed his arms, "That would be ideal."
"Move everyone out and burn the place down. Maybe with high level contained explosives, in order to make a crater, just to be sure we get everything."
The room went deathly silent.
Fey laughed, "I have missed the Shadows."
Windu scowled, "We can't blow up our own home."
Mor sighed, "I don't know what else to tell you, the Darkness has seeped into the entire Temple from the foundation, and it is growing."
"Could this not be from the growing Darkness in the galaxy?" another Sage -who Asajj didn't know the name of- asked.
"No," another Shadow answered, "It is very specifically centred in the Temple. Though to be fair it doesn't help that we are this planet."
"What's wrong with this planet?" one of the Temple Guard asked.
The Sages and Shadows exchanged looks.
"What?" Windu asked harshly.
Mor shook his head, "Coruscant is not Nar Shaddaa, but to be honest with you Council Members, Temple Guard, it is not much better. The main difference is that laws are sometimes enforced here and the Jedi are here. But there is precious little that grows on this planet, no unpolluted or unfiltered water, nothing that is not in some way manufactured. Thus there is nothing left on this planet that might naturally defuse or balance concentrations of negative energies."
"So we should move our people elsewhere," Fey said, "The galaxy is large, we could find our own planet."
Yoda shook his head, "This is where the Jedi have been for four thousand years, remain here we will."
"And as far as we know, Grandmaster," Mor interjected, "This problem could be four thousand years old. The Jedi Order's history was not always one of peace. The Sith are not just our enemies, they originated from us. Tradition is far from infallible."
Windu sighed, "There was a reason we didn't invite Masters Jinn and Dooku to this preliminary discussion."
"Well, I'm afraid Master Windu, I agree with both of them," Mor retorted with a dimpled smirk.
"And the Shadows agree with Master Mor," one of the other Shadows said.
Asajj fought not to smile at the perturbed scowl on Windu's face.
"Master Jinn?" Fey asked. "I heard some rumour not long ago about him. He acquired a new Padawan from Tatooine, did he not?"
"He has," Plo Koon affirmed, "Padawan Rey Palpatine. I think you would like her, she is nearly as connected to the Force as you are."
"Hhmm…" Fey mused, "the Mandalorians seem quite taken with her. And in my entire life, I have never heard a Mandalorian ever willingly say something positive about a Jedi."
Asajj wasn't surprised to hear this, Rey was… different. Though Asajj found herself warming up to the hyper Padawan, especially after being on mission with Kenobi. It was hard for her to believe people being so wholly good natured. But there they were.
"The lineages of Dooku and Jinn aside," Windu said, "what are our other options for Temple other than blowing it up or leaving it."
Again, the Sages and Shadows exchanged looks, finally one of the Sages offered, "We could attempt to heal it."
Mor shook his head, his long hair shifting over his shoulders with the movement, "No, we cannot afford to waste such resources, not now."
"We are never going to convince the Order to abandon this Temple," Windu argued.
"Then don't convince," Mor said dryly, "command them. There is a reason we have a High Council after all."
"Is the threat of staying here immediate?" Plo Koon asked.
Mor exchanged a glance with another Shadow who scratched his ridged head before saying in high pitched voice, "The Jedi Order is in immediate danger, yes, but… well, if this problem has been here for four thousand years then no, I suppose staying here isn't dangerous per se. Except perhaps to those of us who struggle with intense visions or who are touch-clairvoyants."
People like Rey in other words, Asajj thought.
"But why risk it?" Fey asked.
"Other dangers we face, if move we do," Yoda said.
"What are our immediate dangers?" Fisto asked.
"The Sith," Mor said, "we have all discovered enough evidence to conclude that the Sith are on the verge of toppling the galaxy into a civil war."
"War?" Fey asked, "I have seen discontent in the outer regions, but have things become so dire in the inner rings?"
"While the Order has made steps in mitigating what looks like a well thought out plan of war fought between droids and clones, the Republic is caught internally. Master Sifo-Dyas, several other Council members, and additional Masters have been sent to Kimino to try and convince them that the clone army they have been taking steps to grow is inadvisable. Yet everything we are doing seems to be retroactive. With the Jedi resources and connections increasing in the Senate, the more corrupt systems are becoming as dissatisfied as those planets who were previously considering joining the Separatist movement."
"We caught on too late," Plo Koon remarked sadly.
"Not too late," Mor assured, "But if we have learned anything from history, the Sith are not simply going to back down. We believe that there are only two, a Dark Lord and their apprentice but we can neither count on that tradition being true nor if they catch wind that we are onto them that their numbers will remain so."
"That rift," Fey said suddenly, "that rift we felt years ago. In the Light we have been shielding the galaxy with."
A Shadow snorted, "A rift? Jinn's Padawan popped that bubble when she shoved all the Sith shades into the Light. She made much more than a rift, she's the reason the Force itself changed."
Fey looked astonished, "A Padawan brought balance to the Force? Who tasked her with that, the Sith shades could have destroyed her, should have… so much darkness."
"No one tasked her with it," Windu said, "she encountered the Sith shades in her Ilum vision."
Fey raised her brows, "You're telling us that a Padawan 'accidentally' balanced the Force?"
"She is quite the study," Fisto remarked with a smile.
Asajj rolled her eyes, she liked Rey, but she was never going to understand her.
"So what are we going to do about the Sith?" a Temple Guard asked.
"Hunt them," a Shadow answered.
"You've been hunting them for years," a Sage countered, "how do we find them when they've clearly learned to mask themselves so thoroughly?"
"Prepare we must," Master Yoda said, "to be attacked directly."
"We certainly seem to be stirring them up by changing as much as we are in the Republic," Windu remarked.
Asajj watched her Master's body language change, he was suddenly more than he had been a moment again, "Masters, if I may?"
"Speak, Master Shadow," Yoda commanded.
"All of us have been trained as individuals, even the Temple Guard, each of us is uniquely powerful and singularly dangerous, however…" he sighed, "However, we should expect that the Sith are more powerful than us individually. Darth Bane's Rule of Two stripped them of their numbers. Numbers that the Jedi of our history were able to match. But the Jedi are no longer an army, and we have to expect that the Sith have taken only the best of the best and where we looked to the past… the trails we have found indicate that they have looked to the future, taking both radical and sadistic measures to advance themselves."
Every face was turned to him, their expressions grim.
"For those of us who are extraordinary, we cannot guarantee we will be where we are needed. The Jedi are diplomats, but if the Sith are mobilizing again, we must advance beyond that."
The Sages seemed most disturbed by this, and Master Yoda seemed grieved.
Fisto asked, "You're suggesting we train our people to be ready for war?"
Mor nodded, "I would suggest we start sending our people out in larger numbers, in fours rather than twos. Those Masters who would rather work alone must adjust. I realize it may limit us. And I also…" he cut himself off with a sigh.
"Know, I do, what you have thought of, Master Mor," Yoda said, "Grieves me it does, but speak you must."
Mor straightened, "I also think that the Shadows, Sages, and Temple Guards should train together. Individually we are vulnerable, but together, if we truly train in the goal of combining our strengths rather than simply fighting side by side, there is no power, no matter how great or how Dark, that could defeat us united."
"The Sages have always been individuals, and our purposes are for knowledge, possibly offering peace to those far from the Republic's reach, not fighting," a Sage protested.
"But we do not know where the Sith are," Mor countered, "For all we know, the outer territories may be the front lines. If someone began to pick off the Sages we wouldn't hear about it until it was too late to send aid. Shadows and Sages have only been a part of each other, a two sided coin, one that seeks Light, one that chases Darkness, together we could do more."
Discussions broke out between the groups and between them.
Asajj observed them all, feeling a kinship to them in ways she hadn't felt with the more standard of the Order. The Sages and Shadows were clearly more used to following their own advice than taking Orders, whereas the Temple Guard were nearly as paranoid as the Shadows.
Finally, Windu called them to silence and Master Yoda spoke, "Sorrow, I do, for this request, but follow Master Mor's advice we must. Units shall the Shadows and Sages form, alone shall you travel no more. And to those who would remain to protect the Order's centre, trained to be an army, will we ask of you. Lightly we do not ask, for sacrifice it is, but a sacrifice that means that require of the entire Order, we need not."
Sages, Shadows, and Temple Guard bowed to the Council members, and the Council bowed in return.
Asajj could feel something shift in the Force, perhaps not between Dark and Light, but something, as if destiny had just been irrevocably changed.
When the room began to empty, the Masters departing to find places to mediate or work off their thoughts in sparring matches, only a few remained to further discuss qualms with the Council members. And Asajj was left waiting at her Master's side.
Mor's face was not amused when he asked, "And this is what you want to be a part of, Asajj? An army? You know it is not the fate Ky would have wished for you. The Jedi do not raise their younglings to be soldiers."
"Only warriors who get into untold amounts of danger."
Mor's expression grew, if possible, more dangerous, "We do not require our people to kill. As for danger, most Force sensitives find danger, attracted to it like moths to flame. It is why our Seekers are considered so necessary, not to keep the Jedi numbers high, but because the Force will influence them with or without guidance. History has shown that with guidance, they gain more freedoms, are less likely to be swept away with the tide, the ebb and flow of the Force's whims."
She frowned at him, "That's not how you usually speak of the Force."
"The Force is the Dark and the Light, Padawan, in these times, that cannot be denied."
"Then why are you so upset with me for choosing this path, for following the path you yourself chose?" she asked, fighting to keep her voice from rising.
"Because it almost destroyed me! And I don't want you to go through the same. You found your way back to the Light and I am so proud of you. Why put temptation back in your path?"
"Because I belong to the Light and the Dark. Because there is a line I know I should not cross, and that knowledge was hard won. It is my strength to know the Dark but remain in the Light, as it yours, as it is for every Shadow."
"I thought you were impressed with Knight Kenobi," Mor countered, "I thought you would aspire to be a Jedi Knight like him, not a Jedi Shadow after our latest mission."
"I was impressed, and it showed me that I could never be him," she said, wanting him to understand.
"Most Jedi are not that good at negotiating, Padawan mine. We are all individuals, we have different talents to offer as Knights."
"Exactly! But negotiation should be what the Jedi aspire to. I'm not that eloquent with words, I'm not good with people, but I am a warrior, and with the right training, I could be exceptional."
Mor sighed, "You are exceptional, Asajj. If you are certain about becoming a Shadow, I cannot be soft with you."
She gave him a look, "Soft? Is that what you call punching me out, or soft like the time you pushed me off a cliff?"
Master Windu paused mid-conversation to look over at them.
Master Mor put his hands on his hips like Master Jinn did so often, "I can be worse. You will have to get closer to the Dark for this career and I will be damned before I let you slip."
She smirked, "I would expect nothing less, Master mine."
Windu was still watching them sceptically, she could only imagine what he was thinking.
Padme had convinced Rey to come back to Naboo with them, and her Master had granted her that freedom, especially as her father had moved to Telos.
And as it turned out, having a Jedi with them, saved all their lives.
Padme found herself and her people thrown back into the water that was under the dock they had landed on.
She cursed her layered skirts as Rey dived in beside her to pull her upwards. Captain Panaka had Sabe in his arms when they rose to the surface. Her handmaidens and the other guards weren't wearing dresses heavy enough to drown them.
They got to watch the fiery explosion of their ship on the dock.
"I miss Alderaan," Panaka quipped.
"Where's your sense of adventure?" Sabe asked.
He gave her a dark look.
Padme hated that she had to continue to cling to Rey as they began to swim to the far shore.
"Obi-Wan is never going to let me forget this," the Padawan bemoaned, "I can just hear him now, going on about how much trouble I get into."
"To be fair," Padme said, "I think they were aiming for Sabe and I, you were just in the wrong place at the right time."
Rey grinned, "It's a talent of mine."
Rey was right about Obi-Wan's reaction, and he nearly squeezed the life out of her in a hug when he joined her at Padme's parents' house.
"I'm okay, Obi-Wan, promise," she said, hugging him back.
He pulled back, "I'm beginning to think Tatooine is a safer planet."
"Don't say that to Padme's parents, they are very proud of their home."
"Yes, and I am sure they are just delighted with recent events."
"They don't approve of politics, they had hoped their daughter had gone into music instead."
"I like them already," he said with a smile.
Padme had heard the last comment as she came in, wearing a dress that was more suited for the warm weather.
"My parents, Knight Kenobi, I am sure will be delighted that you agree with them."
"Don't take it personally, my own Master and his Master have been a bit too involved in politics for my tastes as well."
"Says the Negotiator," Padme shot back, "Your first mission alone and you already earned yourself a nickname."
"Did you really?" Rey asked, interested, "Details, Obi-Wan, details."
"It went well," he said, fighting back a smile, "Nothing exploded and no one wanted to kill us."
"Must be Master Jinn then who incites homicide," Rey said thoughtfully.
"Says the one who lands on a planet and nearly gets incinerated on the platform."
"Hey! It isn't my fault Padme and Sabe are good at their jobs."
Padme raised her chin, "Why thank you, Padawan."
Obi-Wan shook his head, "In sum, our mission was short, uneventful, and the Council was pleased."
"How disappointed was Master Jinn?" Padme, not Rey, asked.
They all laughed.
"Come," Padme said, "My family is eager to meet you. And I cannot thank you both enough for being here. Not only have you both saved our lives, repeatedly, but your presence allows my entourage to visit their own family during the recess."
Obi-Wan bowed to her, "It is our honour to be of service, Queenie."
Padme rolled her eyes at him, and Rey noted, with flushed cheeks.
oOo
Rey and Obi-Wan took turns, one of them always awake and on alert. But over the days they stayed at the Naberrie Amidala residence, she began to warm up to Naboo.
She liked Alderaan because it was where General Leia had been from, and meeting her hero's parents had been a true honour, but Rey had never imagined actually living there.
Day by day, she was beginning to remember tiny pieces of her childhood, the smells, the feel of the humid air, and even the sounds of birds.
And Padme was fast becoming a dear friend. As all her other friends were Council members, it was interesting to have someone close to her own age to speak with. It helped that Padme got along really well with Obi-Wan as well.
Rey half wanted Obi-Wan to meet Maul, and knew deep down that they would probably hate each other. Maul wasn't the sort of person who socialized with smiles and light hearted banter.
Maul was the sort who bared his teeth, grumbled about the existence of people, and was happiest teaching Rey how to kill things with a double bladed saber.
With Padme, Rey spoke of galaxy histories and languages. Rey had a fondness for learning languages, even if Obi-Wan sighed loudly when she remarked on Tolkien contacting her to help her learn Mandalorian.
Padme had thought it was fascinating and only restrained herself from trying to reach out to the Mandalorians to try making connections when her mother walked in and reprimanded her for working during her break.
The only reason why Padme wasn't at work was because the Nubain guard were investigating the assassination attempt. The Queen's duties were put on hold for the two weeks they had remaining. Padme would be returning to Coruscant while Sabe would remain on Naboo for this term. The Jedi Council itself had stepped in with their clearance to swap the records of Padme and Sabe's eye, fingerprint, and blood records. It would be switched back after her second term as Queen had passed and if anyone had personal files on them it wouldn't work, but Padme had been working closely with the Jedi and the Jedi needed all the allies it could manage in the Senate.
If the Republic got wind of the switch or the Naboo people for that matter, it might spell trouble. But Rey got the sense from both Padme and Sabe that for them that just made the deception more fun. She was pretty sure both young women were adrenaline junkies, and Rey really couldn't throw stones at this observation.
But as well as she enjoyed her time on Naboo, and as much as she disliked the Temple, Rey was grateful to return to her Master's side.
Padme was given a different Jedi guard detail the moment they landed at the Temple as the Council had requested him for another mission.
Master Jinn smiled at her as she entered his apartment, "Ah, Padawan mine, welcome home."
She smiled in turn, before bowing her head, "Master Jinn."
"I have tea, sit and tell me of your adventures. I heard there were explosives."
"It was pretty calm after that," she said, accepting the cup he poured for her, "Alderaan was amazing, I didn't know anywhere could be so peaceful."
"Yes, Alderaan has few equals, at least among those places habited by humans," he looked at her, narrowing his sapphire eyes before a light entered them. "Well done, Padawan Palpatine, you have begun to build your mental shields."
She flushed, "They are terrible, I know, but I have been practising."
"It is a start, which is a good sign," he praised, sipping his tea. "How was Naboo?"
"More pleasant away from the Theed palace, and I got… well, some of my memories have been emerging."
"Pleasant ones?" he asked, sounding hopeful.
"All pleasant, though… I don't know, I was so young, I got the sense we were hiding from something. But what I remembered most were the sounds and feel of the planet itself. Padme's parents taught me some of the names of the birds and the plants there."
His eyes sparkled at her as he commanded her, "Teach me."
They spent the next few minutes talking about plants and wildlife, Master Jinn was in the middle of an anecdote when her comm alerted her to a call.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Apprentice."
"Maul?"
Master Jinn watched her closely, she wasn't quite sure if he knew or not how often she met with Maul. Even Obi-Wan didn't always assume when she left the Temple that she was meeting with him.
"Your Obi-Wan, is Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi," he made the statement into a question.
"Yes," she answered warily. Maul almost never called her, in fact, she couldn't remember a time when it hadn't been her reaching out to him. So his call and his tone sent off her warning flags.
"Someone wants him dead."
"How much is the bounty?" she asked.
He said a number.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't have heard you correctly."
He repeated it.
She stood. "Send it to me," she said, giving him the contact to Master Jinn's datapad that she took from his desk, "Who posted it?"
"They went through the guilds, it would be near impossible to discover, there are too many intermediates, not usually a problem, but the sum is its own holder."
He wasn't kidding.
Rey flipped the pad to Master Jinn.
His eyes went huge, "Obi-Wan is with the Council now, Rey, he can't leave the Temple."
"I have to go, Maul, thank you."
"Force be with you, Apprentice," he said, hanging up first.
She took the pad with her as she darted from the room. She barged into the Council room just as Obi-Wan was bowing to the Masters in parting.
"Padawan Rey," Master Fisto greeted warmly, even as Master Windu frowned at her.
The Vaapad Master told her firmly, "No, you can't go with him."
She shook her head, "Obi-Wan can't go."
Obi-Wan was frowning at her too, "Rey-"
"Why ever not, child?" Plo Koon asked, his tone not unfriendly.
"It's too dangerous," she stated, unsure who to show the datapad to first.
Master Yoda made the choice for her, "Have something for us to see, do you, Padawan Palpatine?"
She bowed to him, and handed over the datapad to him.
Master Yoda was rendered silent as he read over the information, Master Windu took it impatiently, and he too was rendered momentarily speechless.
He passed it around to the other Council members and finally, Master Windu asked, "Kenobi, what did you do?"
Obi-Wan's patience finally broke, "What do you mean, 'what did I do'? And Rey, why would it be too dangerous for me to go on a mission that you know nothing about?"
Master Yoda floated the datapad to him, and Obi-Wan gaped at the screen.
Rey folded her arms in her sleeves and said sagely, "Because you're too expensive."
He shook his head, "This information is defunct, there are far too many zeroes on this screen."
"Defunct, it may be," Master Yoda said, "But on active duty, you may not be, until resolved this is."
"Um, Master," Rey said hesitantly, "Bounties like this don't resolve until the target is dead."
"Solution, Obi-Wan must find."
"May the Force be with you," Plo Koon offered in a wry tone.
"And with you," Rey said, looping her arm with Obi-Wan's and leading him out.
His face was growing increasingly red as they walked through the Temple.
"I'm under house arrest, aren't I?" he asked, sounding slow, but she knew his mind was spinning through a million scenarios.
"Lucky for you," Rey said, "we know a few people who might be able to help."
oOo
"I think you look good," Rey encouraged, trying not to smile too hard.
He glared at her then glared at Master Jinn who remarked, "As disguises go, it's fair."
"You should definitely grow out a beard, which we will have to colour too, but the fitted uniform is so different from Jedi robes that it will be hard to identify you that way," Dorme noted.
Padme smiled, "Despite the bounty on your head, Captain Panaka is pleased to hear you will be joining our entourage. He said with both of us having targets on our names it doesn't make the situation worse to have Jedi on guard duty."
"And Lieutenant Kenobi is pleased to be helping you in all your political endeavours," Master Jinn said.
Obi-Wan looked as if he had just bit into a lemon.
Rey, Padme, and Dorme laughed, and he glared back at them, "Why," he began, "did you have to make me a ginger?"
"Because," Dorme stated, "nobody in their right mind would ever choose to have that hair colour, and there is absolutely nothing covert about it, so everyone will assume it has to be natural."
Obi-Wan sighed, "I suppose it is better than being trapped in the Temple until this blows over."
Rey didn't want to be the one to break it to him that 'blowing over' would likely take years, a bounty that high was akin to winning the lottery. Jedi or no, there would be people willing to die for that price.
It made her worry, but the Force blew through her flimsy shields and she took a breath.
The Force was with them.
Dorme looked at her datapad and cursed, "We are going to be late. The party is an hour away from the Temple."
"Do have fun at the party, Obi-Wan," Master Jinn teased.
Obi-Wan huffed, securing his new blaster at his side making sure his saber was hidden in a cleverly cut fold of cloth at his back. Dorme really was an artist. "Do try not to get into too much trouble while I'm gone," Obi-Wan said in parting.
Rey grinned, "No promises. May the Force be with you all."
"And with you," the group of three chorused as Obi-Wan stepped into place in front of Padme.
Master Jinn began to prepare tea after the door shut, "Well, Padawan Palpatine, it looks like it is just you and I for the time being."
Rey put her chin in her hands as she waited at the table, "How much trouble do you think we can find ourselves in without Obi-Wan?"
His smile was nothing short of wicked, "I do believe we will find out, Force willing."
Rey was quite sure that becoming this man's Padawan had been the best thing in the entire galaxy to ever happen to her.
End of Part I - The Will of the Force
AN: First chapter of Part II will be posted as Chapter 23 in this story next Thursday. Thank you to all the reviewers supporting this story. Please, if you have any thoughts, reactions, ideas, or feedback please take a moment to drop a comment or review, it is why I post. Stay safe and much love~