Chapter 10
Anakin Skywalker hated being stuck on Coruscant. He wished his master would be assigned a mission…any mission. Each mission and each target made him feel a sense of accomplishment, like he was removing one more source of misery in the galaxy. He made a promise to himself long ago that he would never let anyone grow up in despair as he did. It was a silly promise in some ways but he didn't care. Whatever he could do he would, no matter what.
At first, he thought the Jedi were the perfect avenue for him to make good on his promise. The stories he heard, even on a far off planet like Tatooine, were the stuff of legend. And Master Qui-Gon lived up to many of those expectations when he first met him. His master was dashing and wise, not to mention a great wielder of the Force. For the first years of their relationship, he couldn't speak highly enough of his master and the Order.
Over the past several months however he was starting to chafe under (what he felt was) restrictive Jedi control. The Outer Rim was starting to boil over, especially certain systems where the Trade Federation and other similar groups held power. Yet the Jedi inexplicably seemed content to monitor many events from afar. Master Qui-Gon was fond of telling him sometimes a Jedi did the most good when they stood still. Seeing the Sith Lords and their puppet regimes setting planets on fire while the Jedi stood still made him feel sick.
Not all the Jedi were being held back of course. With more than a little resentment, Anakin followed the missions of his friend Harry and Obi-Wan from afar. What little he heard of Master Vilbum's group also made him wish he was also out there doing things instead of waiting on the sidelines. What was the point of being a bloody protector of the Republic if you didn't do everything you could to protect it when it was most vulnerable?
So consumed he was in his thoughts, he didn't notice the Chancellor approaching until the man set a soft hand on his shoulder. "Good afternoon Anakin. How are you today?"
In spite of his dark musings, Anakin smiled. "Hello Chancellor. I am doing well. How are you sir?"
"Oh foo Anakin," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "How many times have I told you that you don't need to use that formal nonsense with me?" His genial smile wavered just a bit. "And forgive me but you seem troubled." He gave a melancholy sigh and seemed to shrink a little. "I wonder if it is for the same reason I am."
"Why are you displeased Chancellor?"
"The news from the Outer Rim is worrisome my friend. Too many in the Senate are dragging their feet, tying up bills to bump up defense spending in committees. I truly do appreciate what the Jedi have done but I came today to beg for more assistance. Sadly I fear my overtures may have fallen on deaf ears."
Anakin scowled. "I know it doesn't mean much Chan…Sheev but I am sorry for Jedi inaction. I've been having similar feelings of late. I wish I could be out there doing something."
"Oh you don't need to apologize Anakin. I do not blame the Jedi. They have a code they must adhere to of course and it isn't as if the Jedi could solve this crisis alone. When people or groups of people see fit to betray civilization and justice, it is difficult to put them down unless the whole body of government and loyal elements of society marches together."
"That is my point. The Jedi should be in unison to act against these threats. For goodness sake, one of our own temples was attacked several years ago and we did nothing! It is mind boggling."
Palpatine smiled warmly and set a nurturing hand on his shoulder, a favorite gesture of his. "You are as wise as you are powerful my young friend. Sometimes I wonder what would have become of you if you were discovered by the Jedi sooner. Would you still possess the fire you do from your past life? For all the good the Jedi Order has and continues to do, I wonder if they don't appreciate the full experience of life that exists beyond this temple." He shook his head, as if reproaching himself. "But as I said my friend I do not fault the Council. I must simply work harder to convince certain senators to put aside their foolish self-interests and act for the good of the galaxy."
With one last smile, he turned to leave urgently, which belied how worried he was despite his calm demeanor. Turning back towards the vast cityscape, Anakin closed his eyes and tried to meditate, clear his mind. As he imagined the fire consuming the Outer Rim, he quickly realized he was failing miserably.
Later that evening, after completing his sparring sessions with Serra Keto, Anakin returned to the west courtyard. He largely avoided serious discussions with Master Qui-Gon about how he was feeling. A part of him wanted to talk with his mentor but he couldn't handle the inevitable excuses. Harry and Ahsoka waved him down before he could turn for his normal reflection spot.
"Hey Harry. Hello Ahsoka. I haven't seen you both in a while."
"What's up Sky Guy?"
Anakin shrugged. "Master Qui-Gon and I have been here at the temple for the past few days."
Ahsoka didn't sense his frustration but Harry did. "Hey sprite, give me and Anakin a minute please. I'll swing by your room to talk about our Force Channeling exercise in a few."
The young firebrand seemed ready to retort but catching Harry's eye she left without a word. "You have that look again Anakin, like a lion in a cage."
"Well so what," he said bitterly. "How would you feel in my position huh? Make me believe you'd be happy." He turned away in disgust. "The Outer Rim is a stone's throw from full blown rebellion and the Council is sending Jedi out in dribs and drabs. How many people are going to die before the Council gets off their high horse and does something?"
Harry said nothing for quite a while. Before Anakin could get upset he stepped next to him. "Have I ever talked to you about the first assignment Yoda ever gave me? It's still something he and I are working on to this day in fact."
"What does this have to do with anything? Are you saying I'm about to become some Dark Lord?"
He ignored Anakin's snap. "During every great conflict in the history of the galaxy, there were Jedi knights who chafe under what they feel is overbearing Jedi control. Sometimes they are right and the Jedi Council is truly dragging their feet but more often than not the Jedi's emotions are getting the better of them. That was what happened to Revan…"
"And he saved the galaxy by acting when the Council wouldn't," Anakin snapped, not caring for what Harry was obviously trying to imply. "And no…I don't think my situation is the same to his."
Harry wasn't the type to comfort people by touching them like the chancellor. Still when he looked at you it was impossible to miss the sincerity. "Anakin you are my friend. I know we haven't been as close these past few years as we were when we first came to the Temple but you have to know I would do anything I could to help those close to me."
"I'm telling you this because I would say Revan saved the galaxy twice myself: once from the Mandalorians and then from himself. And no one ever thinks they can do wrong but it happens. One of the ways you can do wrong is acting rashly or too emotionally. I know you want to be out there fighting Ani. I should after all; I'm the same way. But you need to understand that you won't be the best soldier for every battle." Harry held up a hand to forestall Anakin's retort. "You also need to understand that sometimes the worst thing you can do is charge off to fight every battle without thinking about the consequences."
Anakin shook his head forcefully, refusing to hear the same argument from Harry that he heard from Qui-Gon. "This is complete rubbish Harry and you know it! The Jedi Council isn't doing enough. The chancellor shouldn't have to come here to beg for help! The Jedi should already be doing everything they can to put down this rebellion, not wasting time deciding ways and means about who to send and why. We're letting people die for the sake of teachings!"
"This isn't about ways and means Ani. This is about finding out the truth behind this rebellion. The Jedi are not under the jurisdiction of the Senate or the chancellor, which is as it should be. Palpatine may be a good man personally but even so the Jedi are not beholden to his agenda, which is limited to stamping out a rebellion."
"Limited," Anakin said incredulously. "What else matters in the middle of a rebellion? People are dying out there Harry."
"You don't think I know that," Harry said, a bite of anger at last creeping into his tone. "When I was eleven—only two years older than you were when Qui-Gon found you—a dark wizard attempted to kill me. I was bloody eleven! By the time I was fifteen that same dark wizard had attempted to kill me three more times and started a rebellion in my country, killing people, including some of my closest friends and their families. Don't act as if I don't understand what is happening Anakin."
"That is what I mean Harry. I remember what you, Hermione, and Ron said about your world. So how can you stand aside now? You saved your world back then."
Harry shook his head. "I didn't save the world and I was never much of a strategist. When Voldemort started his war again, I couldn't read a newspaper without wanting to hit something. It was almost too much to take: the disappearances, the deaths, the betrayal among friends and family. But as the years went by, I started to understand why my mentor…"
"That was…Dumbledore I think."
"That's right. Dumbledore's methods sometimes seemed strange to me. I know why he never trusted government people. One of the oldest truths about politics is everyone who has power is afraid to lose it. I've seen very little in my life to show that isn't true. The few people who break that rule are either exceptionally principled or wildly blind to the power they hold so they can't imagine having more. Forgive me too but that is why I don't really trust any politician further than I can throw them, even Padmé or Palpatine."
He hid a smile at the dull flush on Anakin's cheeks. He hoped Ani didn't get hurt too badly when he realized his childhood crush wasn't interested in him that way. Padmé was a wonderful woman in all sorts of ways but she was almost obsessively dedicated to her job and the Republic. He highly doubted the idea of a relationship ever really entered her mind. Of course she had plenty of time to go before a family wasn't an option anymore. She was barely 25 years old.
Harry also could not bring himself to tell his younger friend that he actively distrusted Palpatine. The man was far too smooth a politician for his liking. His fawning reverence to the galactic constitution and deference to the Senate in the midst of a simmering rebellion were also highly suspicious to Harry. So far as he could tell, the Council was of two minds about the Chancellor as well. Anakin of course, being the fiercely loyal person he was, had an idyllic opinion of the Chancellor since he seemed to dote on him like a kindly uncle or surrogate father figure. To Harry, this was another reason to distrust Palpatine.
"But it isn't just politics I learned from observing Dumbledore. He preferred to operate indirectly against Voldemort. I never had the opportunity to discuss strategy with him but after he died leadership of the Order of the Phoenix passed to his old student and friend, Mad-Eye Moody. I have a high opinion of Moody but he couldn't be more different than Dumbledore. He went after Voldemort with everything he had. Unfortunately his actions caused a lot of people to die uselessly because he never thought to look past Voldemort's cape and see the sword. His hatred for Voldemort blinded his good judgment. I miss Mad-Eye but the war against Voldemort started going well again after he died and new people took over."
Anakin sighed. "I get what you're trying to tell me Harry. It is the same thing Master Qui-Gon has tried to tell me. But I'm not like that. I can't just stand by when other people are getting hurt."
Harry smiled and put his arm around Anakin's shoulder. No easy feat since Anakin had grown and was now a few inches taller than Harry. "I understand. But what happens if the Jedi and the Republic move heaven and Earth to put down this rebellion and afterwards, when the Republic and Jedi are weakened from the struggle, the Sith launch their true attack to conquer the galaxy? Have you ever wondered why this rebellion is happening in the Outer Rim and not closer to Coruscant? I mean there are many important systems in the Outer Rim but if the rebellion wanted to really hurt the Republic, they would strike systems closer to the Core."
"Whoever is behind the rebellion cannot have the strength yet though to take those planets. Republic strength is greater there."
"Exactly." Harry nodded. "They want to draw us out. And by us I really mean the Jedi. Whatever happens in this rebellion, the Sith need to thin the Jedi numbers if they are going to win."
Anakin sat down and closed his eyes. Harry could feel his frustration but didn't push his young friend. He was grappling with very strong feelings and needed to come to grips with them in his own way. "Is it wrong to sometimes wish I wasn't part of the Jedi Order?"
"Not to me, though I'm sure you'll hear differently from others. But there are many Jedi who have left the Order. I know you have reservations because you want to do more to help, which is noble. To be honest, I've always suspected you would leave the Jedi one day Ani."
"Where would I go if I left?" He wasn't asking Harry. As the horrible nightmares he had as a child resurfaced, he felt more adrift than ever.
"When that day comes you'll have to decide for yourself. Sharad Hett left the order to live with his wife's tribe and his son. Count Dooku left the order and joined the Sith. People leave for different reasons but this doesn't have to be a life sentence." Harry sat down beside him. "The only thing is whenever you do decide to leave, don't do it out of anger or hate. You're probably the most powerful Jedi in the Order, even more powerful than Yoda."
Anakin was vain enough to believe that was true. "I don't think I'm there yet," he replied, a tad disingenuously.
Harry shook his head. "You don't understand what I am saying then. Power isn't everything. In fact if you're too arrogant about the power you have that is dangerous. Your choices, far more than your abilities, will decide your fate. And that is why I don't want you to leave the Order angry. If you put your mind to it Ani, you can do incredible good in the galaxy or you can bring unbearable darkness to it. It all depends where your mind is at. And since I don't think you will ever be able to do something without going 100% all out, you probably won't be stuck in the middle."
They sat together in silence. Anakin didn't know what Harry was thinking but his mind was jumping all over the place. Part of him wondered if Harry thought he would fall to the Dark side. But then part of him though of what he knew about the Dark side, which was very little. Master Qui-Gon talked about it being a corrupting evil that once it took hold of someone, it was hard to let go. The Jedi as a whole said that no one was beyond redemption but if that was really the case why did so many masters seem to want the three Sith lords dead.
But, however repugnant the Jedi portrayed the Sith and as much as they tried to paint involvement in the rebellion as an act of evil, he couldn't find fault with the Sith for acting on their beliefs. In a way, so far as he could tell, they were fighting for what they believed was right no less than he. It was at these moments when he really was conflicted about whether or not he place was with the Jedi. After living his childhood on a planet outside the Republic, he had come to view the Republic as the best hope for stability and justice in the galaxy.
On the other hand, as he talked with the chancellor—Anakin could never in his wildest dreams imagine he would go from slave to friend of the Supreme Chancellor—he wasn't sure if the Senate was the best government for the Republic. If even a good and strong willed man like the Sheev Palpatine couldn't reign in the conflicting interests in the Senate as chancellor, didn't that argue the chancellor needed more powers and the Senate less? And if the Sith were using this rebellion to wrest control from corrupt bureaucrats, was that truly terrible? Maybe a compromise could be reached if Palpatine was given executive powers to veto the Senate to curb the corrupt politicians and give more direct aid to the systems that felt trampled by the Senate.
That brought him back to the Jedi Order. The de jure mission of the Jedi was to serve the Republic. But sometimes it seemed like the Council at best served the Senate or certain senators, or at worse served their own interests and used certain senators to justify their agenda. If that was how the Jedi operated, were they really so much different than the Sith?
"I am going to head in Ani," Harry said, grunting as he got to his feet.
"Okay Harry." He tried to gather the strength to ask his friend a question to which he desperately wanted the answer. "Whydoyoustay," he blathered incoherently as Harry neared the doors to the temple. He wasn't' sure if Harry heard him and honestly a part of him hoped he hadn't.
But he had and he understood what Anakin tried to ask. "I stay with the Jedi because it is where the people I care about are. The longer I stay the more people I come to care about so I daresay I won't be leaving anytime soon." He walked back towards Anakin, who got to his feet and stared at Harry.
"Do you…believe in the Jedi?"
Harry considered the question, eventually shrugging his shoulders. "I've never been big on belief personally. Obi-Wan is a great friend. He believesin the Jedi in the way you're asking. For him, the Jedi Order is the guiding light in his life. For me, the Jedi aren't all that important. They remind me of a bigger, more expansive version of the Order of the Phoenix, which also didn't mean too much to me in and of itself. But like the Order, people I care about are here…so here I am."
That wasn't the answer Anakin expected. To him belief was everything. It wasn't that he didn't love people—his mom and Padmé jumped to mind. But if they ever became evil (which to him partly meant acting against when he believed in) he couldn't see himself standing with them anymore. When he said that to Harry, his friend laughed.
"I can see why it looks that way to you. You have principles and I mostly don't. And to be honest you're a better person than I am." Harry looked at him very seriously. "Principles can cut both ways Ani. Never forget that. One of the surest ways to fall is think you're ideals are the most important, or even worse they are better than the ideals of others. When that happens, when in your mind the line between good and evil becomes only whether people are 100% with you or against you…" Harry shivered. "It is very hard to come back from that."
Harry bade Anakin good night and left. Feeling more conflicted than ever, Anakin tried to make sense of what Harry said. No matter how he turned it over in his mind, it all came back to the same thing: Harry didn't believe in the same principles as Anakin, or possibly didn't even have any principles to guide him. His only motivation was being with the people for whom he cared. They were his weakness, just as Obi-Wan's weakness was a blind faith in the Jedi.
Had Anakin been more circumspect, he would have understood Harry wasn't saying he did not have principles or that he didn't believe in them. Harry was trying to explain to Anakin that while principles are important, if you don't have people you care about to keep you grounded; your principles won't mean anything in the end.
Yoda meditated, lost in the flow of the Force. The Temple was a massive conduit for the Force, powered by the hundreds of people living here and the dozens more who visited daily. For the uninitiated, it was quite overwhelming to wade into such a massive pool of energy, not unlike being suddenly awoken in the depths of an ocean. But the many varying and intersecting currents of the Force provided one a great challenge to center their thoughts. If one could find themselves within this whirlpool, they could learn much.
Deep within the reaches of the Force, Yoda sought the ever elusive shadow of Darth Sidious. It was a game of cat and mouse he often played with the Dark Lord of the Sith; he was honest enough with himself to know he was losing the game. In centuries past, Yoda could sense the gaping maw of the Dark Side and, while he could not penetrate it, he could glimpse the inner workings. Over the past century and a half, the glimpses became steadily more difficult to catch and twenty-five years ago even those glimpses were cut off as this new shadow spread across the Force, blinding even the Supreme Leader of the Jedi.
What disturbed him more than their game however was the way this shadow felt. The Dark Side was a disease, congealing like ooze and often dense and (relatively) easy to identify. When the dark taint touched somewhere, it left traces for him to follow. This shadow however was unlike anything Yoda ever felt before. It was a fluid, moving through the Force with astonishing speed. And the shadow would more often than not leave no traces. It was alarming, and made all the more so by the fact that when he approached it, the shadow felt like a powerful vacuum. It would consume the Force and regurgitate it as a nearly impregnable black cloud, tainting everything it touched. The energy on Coruscant was drawn to this syphon and he could tell the shadow grew more powerful as it fed off the life energy of over one trillion life forms on the planet.
Despite his difficulties tracking Sidious, he had no such difficulty with his minions. Count Dooku of course was his former padawan and no matter how corrupted Dooku became, he would never be a mystery to Yoda. This rebellion smoldering throughout the Outer Rim reeked of his former padawan, which troubled him deeply. Dooku once believed absolutely in the Jedi Order and the mission to protect the Republic. He grew to care too much for the Republic and viewed the corruption too personally. Yoda feared young Skywalker was coming to care too much for the Republic as well. His blossoming relationship with the Chancellor only exacerbated those fears. Yoda felt the Force was drawing Dooku and Skywalker to a fateful engagement where Skywalker would eventually kill Dooku. What he could not sense is if Skywalker would do this as a Jedi or as a Sith.
The third Sith Lord, Darth Krayt was truly and abomination in the Force. The physical and spiritual pain was a wound unlike anything he ever felt, unlike anything referred to in the history of the Jedi Order. The only comparison he could make was to Darth Sion. Meetra Surik replenished the Jedi Archives after destroying Malachor. Her history of the battle against the Sith Triumvirate was extensive and the parallels to the current Sith Lord were subtle but undeniable. The only major difference is how then the three major Sith Lords operated more or less independently as three distinct entities working towards a common cause but by different means. By contrast, the Triumvirate today was a clear pyramid. At the head was the Lord of Hunger (Darth Sidious) and the Lord of Betrayal and Pain (Darth Tyranus and Darth Krayt respectively) connected and dominated by the head.
With his two lieutenants, Sidious could hide within the Force as well as he could in the physical world. Because he could not hide his ambitions to live forever or his desire to conquer the galaxy and destroy the Jedi, he needed a failsafe to protect his plans through the Force. Tyranus and Krayt provided that protection. When Yoda pursued the shadow, Sidious would use the presence of his followers as a shield. Even a Jedi like Yoda couldn't simply ignore the presence of his followers and they would buy him time to escape.
Deciding to give up the job when the shadow fled again behind the pain-ridden monster he created, Yoda opened his eyes. "Wounded my pride is," he muttered softly. As he reached for his cane, he sensed Master Vilbum approach his door. With a wave of his hand, it opened for his comrade. "Hello Master Vilbum. Be of assistance may I?"
"Thank you Master Yoda. I'm sorry for the intrusion," he said, closing the door behind him. "I have news for you that may help stop this rebellion before it explodes."
"Hmm. Difficulty I have seeing how. Indeed, the reason why we haven't fully committed to the Chancellor's war effort is because hard to sense the Sith intentions are."
"Of course master. I believe we may have an opportunity to capture or defeat Darth Sidious soon though. My council received a coded report from one of our agents embedded in the TechnoUnion slave subsidiary. His name is Ahri Ktrame." Vilbum pulled a holoreader from his robes and handed it to Yoda. "As you can see, they have received an order from the High Councilor of Jaguada for roughly ten thousand slaves, give or take a couple thousand. The manifest shows them arriving in four shipments with the possibility of a fifth. The order requests all slaves arrive on Jaylsalm within three standard weeks."
"Hmm. Interesting that is. An old Sith redoubt is Jaylsalm. Several dozen Sith temples, in disrepair lay on the surface."
"Indeed. Logically it would make sense for the rebel leaders to use that system as a base. It isn't heavily populated and there is already a strong anti-Republic sentiment amongst the ruling systems. The reason I tell you this first is it gives us an opening we can exploit. Several agents have reported that Darth Sidious will be traveling through the Outer Rim. None of these agents have any contact with one another and the degree of specificity varies…"
"And of course mention Darth Sidious by name none of them do," Yoda interjected. He couldn't imagine any of them would but he wanted to verify.
"Of course master. I would immediately discount them if he was mentioned by name as you no doubt would as well."
"Correct my friend."
"My colleagues and I do not doubt the accuracy of these reports. Sidious either will be in the Outer Rim soon or is already there. Our only unknown is if he will definitely visit Jaylsalm and we feel it is probable."
Yoda reflected on this news. "Believe Jaylsalm can become strategically important yes?"
Vilbum nodded without hesitation. "I do master. Jaguada is a densely populated planet but it is largely a water world. Jaylsalm is large moon, larger than some planets in the system." Vilbum seemed to have come prepared, now pulling out a holoprojector. The image of the Republic's Mid Rim Quadrant 3 shone between the two Jedi. "Jaylsalm sits here on the edge of the border between the Mid and Outer Rim." He tapped a button on the projector and several yellow lanes crisscrossed the image. "These are the documented hyperspace routes the Republic controls; none touch the Jaguada system."
Yoda considered the map. "Necessary for one to unlikely the Republic would see it. Nothing of strategic value needs to be connected by hyperspace routes. Yet if developed Jaylsalm becomes, relevant that system can become."
"Exactly. If you look at the placement of Jaylsalm, you can draw a number of strategically valuable hyperspace routes into the Mid Rim and even to the Expansion Region. These would of course be hyperspace routes the Republic would not control. Master Yoda we do not have verifiable facts that say Sidious will be in the Outer Rim, or even if he does travel through the region he'll travel to Jaylsalm. But if our intelligence is accurate—and I have no reason to doubt my agents—the possibility of Darth Sidious traveling to that moon is too large to ignore."
Yoda sat quietly, retreating quietly into the Force as he considered what Vilbum told him. He could not deny the logic behind Vilbum's conjectures. And as Yoda learned over the centuries, the people who made up the Jedi Shadow were the very best at infiltration and espionage in the Order. Still this felt too much like a trap for Yoda's liking. "Peculiar it is Darth Sidious chooses now to step from the shadows. In its infancy his rebellion is and dangerous it still may be to reveal himself to the Jedi."
After decades of working together, Vilbum understood Yoda's concern as if he had shouted it. "We have discussed the likelihood that this is a trap and studied the planet and system accordingly. Don't misunderstand me my friend. I have no doubt Darth Sidious is trying to lay a trap for us. Of course traps can be reversed."
"As you said, the rebellion is young so any action the Republic makes can have severe political ramifications. That being said, if we can capture or eliminate Darth Sidious this rebellion will sputter out before it turns into a civil war. And unlike the Palpatine and the Senate, the Jedi can take action without hurting the Republic."
"Question isn't can we hurt the Republic. Will we hurt the Republic, tougher to predict that is. But agree with you I do that action we must take. Infiltration and patience the keys will be. Suspect I do that plans you have to intercept one or more of the shipments and sneak Jedi into them yes?" Vilbum nodded. "Wise move that is. Inform the Chancellor of this we will not. If involved the Republic Navy or soldiers are, only victors will be the Sith, if even Sidious we capture. With some of our Jedi amongst the slaves, easier it will be for a larger force to enter whatever temple or stronghold Sidious will hide in. Raise a revolt amongst the slaves they do, tie down the majority of droids it will."
"Once my council has completed appropriate battle plans, I will present them to the High Council. We should be ready tonight since you and I are already in agreement on the scope of the plan."
"Very good. Speak with Master Windu and Master Drallig I will first before the meeting with the High Council tonight. If any suggestions they have, present them naturally we can." Yoda sighed heavily. "A risk this mission will be. If fail we do, more enraged other systems will become and more dangerous the rebellion will be. To a dark place that can take the Republic."
"Whereas ladies and gentleman, the rampant corruption and rank partisanship of this once august body is a stain on the galaxy and has created a regime so openly hostile to the domestic institutions and to the peace and security of the people of Castell. The people of our great system have suffered many dangerous infractions, all of which clearly and egregiously violate the Constitution of the Republic. These infractions are such self-evident political wrongs and are so insulting and menacing in nature that the people of Castell sent me as their representative to come before this august body and seek a peaceful resolution of our grievances."
"The Senate has failed and continues to fail to accomplish the most fundamental purposes of our great galactic compact. Our people, and the countless trillions elsewhere throughout the frontier can not only no longer rely on the protection of the Republic for people on the frontier but in many cases even the Republic itself is the author of our woes! The galaxy can no longer view the Republic and the Senate as bulwarks against oppression when the Senate itself is twisting our laws and perverting the traditions of this government."
Senator Bail Organa closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Over the past 18 months, he had been forced to listen to too many of these speeches. As the representative of one of the most progressive systems in the galaxy, hearing the 'Prime Minister' of a plutocracy bought and paid for by a corrupt company like the Commerce Guild complain about imagined grievances was truly galling.
Of course whatever misgivings he had about the Commerce Guild, Bail was well aware and very weary of the threat hovering just beneath the surface this speech. It sounded like the draft of a secession ordinance. That worried him deeply since, whatever the Commerce Guilds faults, they owned or partially owned some of the most commercially important hubs in the Outer Rim and also owned several dozen significant factory planets in the region as well. If they decided they were done with the Republic, the systems they controlled would be a significant loss to the cause of galactic unity and peace.
As the minister stepped away and his pod returned to its place, perhaps a third of the Senate applauded and cheered his speech while the rest either booed or sat in stony silence. Bail leaned towards Senator Padmé Amidala. "So what do you make of this," he asked softly.
She had been listening even more aggressively than he had, her brow furrowed in intense concentration. He marveled at her dedication and focus. To call the young woman a prodigy was such a gross understatement it was almost an insult. He also wasn't afraid to admit she saw angles that he never even considered. If anyone may be able to see something positive from that speech, it would be she.
She sat back and shook her head. "I won't give the Commerce Guild more than a year before they coerce their systems to formally secede. If I were being perfectly honest, I don't find their demands particularly outrageous but even Chancellor Palpatine acceded to everything; they would come back demanding more. They are no different than the Trade Federation." She shook her head, eyes blazing with righteous indignation. "I don't see how we can avoid a galactic civil war Bail."
"I wish I could say you were wrong milady. As depressing a thought as that is I don't know what we can do to prevent that tragedy from happening."
"I don't know either. I've seen firsthand how the Trade Federation operates. I think we need to assume the rebellion is going to happen and focus on stamping it out as quickly as possible, with as little loss of life as possible."
"That is an admirable goal Padmé but war means fighting and fighting means killing. There is also the Sith to consider. From my conversations with Master Gallia and other masters, they fear the Sith are behind this rebellion, just as they were behind the Trade Federation occupation."
"In my opinion the Sith threat simply makes it more important to stamp out this rebellion as quickly as possible. As much as I hate to say it, the Senate has failed to provide an avenue for a peaceful transition. Until we can muck out the barn, we need to consider granting Sheev emergency powers."
Bail looked stunned. "You say that Padmé," he asked incredulously. "You want to give the chancellor more powers?"
Padmé shook her head. "Of course I don't want to. I just don't see what else we can do. Sheev's second term is over in two years. We don't know who his successor will be, especially if systems are seceding. He has been graciously subservient to the Senate, more so than I would reasonably expect someone to be in his position. Such men either hate or fear exercising power or they're sandbagging in hopes people will drop their guard and then they strike. I trust Sheev and think he is the best man we can trust with emergency powers."
Bail could not make himself approve of this plan but he couldn't deny he trusted Palpatine too. "That is an interesting strategy. Do you think Sheev staying in power would help? This rebellion is happening under his administration after all."
"From the…unofficial conversations I've had with the Commerce Guild, Banking Clan, and other groups they respect Sheev. He has made every effort to seek compromise between the disaffected systems and the Republic. Every compromise is either killed or mercilessly bogged down in committees, thanks to certain senators. I'm willing to wager if Sheev wasn't chancellor, we'd already be engaged in a full blown civil war."
"If Sheev agrees to an amendment, do you think there are enough votes to pass it?"
She nodded without hesitation. "I've already spoken with certain senators. If he allows the vote, it will pass. The question is if he will allow the vote or is he ready to leave."
"What would be your next move? Even if the Senate votes to allow Palpatine to stay in office, I highly doubt they'll give him more powers right away." He personally hoped Palpatine wouldn't even agree with staying in office. It was a forlorn hope he knew; he'd never met a person who didn't want more power. But no matter how much strategic sense it made to keep Sheev in office, he couldn't get behind giving the chancellor more powers. The odds were stacked heavily against them getting the powers back.
"When the Trade Federation occupied Naboo, we were overwhelmed because we had no real army. If it wasn't for the Gungans my planet would still be occupied. The Republic is in as poor a condition now as my planet was then. The Army and Navy aren't large enough to handle this threat. Before we even consider giving Sheev more powers, we need to boost the army and see if we force the rebels to the table. If we delegate Sheev more powers to negotiate a peace without giving him war powers, we minimize the risk of the senate becoming too weak."
It still wasn't an ideal plan but he was relieved that Padmé didn't trust Palpatine so much she would push to grant him war powers. No matter how high an opinion he had of the chancellor, he didn't trust him enough—or those around him—to delegate war powers. He knew from experience that it was easy to give up those powers and it could be terribly expensive to take them back.
Sheev Palpatine sat quietly, listening to the proposal from Padmé Amidala. To his right sat one of his oldest friends Sate Pestage, who granted the late night audience to Padmé.
After she finished, he extended his hands, laying his palms flat on the gleaming surface of his rosewood desk. "My dear senator, I am very grateful that you implicitly trust me but I am afraid I cannot support such an amendment. First it would be viewed as overtly self-serving. Even if some of the representatives who are contemplating secession respect me, they may view my support for this amendment as a sign of weakness." He sighed glumly. "After all it isn't as if I am holding them to allegiance."
"Chancellor that is the very reason you should allow this amendment. Do not think of it as supporting…"
"Please my dear," he said, cutting her off. "If I allow this amendment a vote on the floor, how can I not be supporting it on some level? You're not proposing it so my successor doesn't have to worry about reelection."
Since that was such an obvious truth, she conceded the point. "I suppose you're right. But I say again, by supporting this amendment, you send a signal that you want to continue working for a peaceful resolution. This is imperative since I also recommend introducing a bill expanding the army and navy. I don't believe a draft would be an option, and I wouldn't support it anyway. However the rebels have droids; we should purse similar means to boost the army. We also can expand recruitment for volunteers."
"You understand that creating such an army would not be easy or cheap milady. It would take time as well, time I am afraid we do not have. There are too many interests in the Senate, even among loyal systems, that would acquiesce to the creation of a grand army of the Republic. As soon as a bill is introduced to create an army, it will enter committee and either die or languish."
Padmé frowned; disappointed she hadn't considered that possibility. Palpatine was of course 100% correct. The Senate may allow him to run again but asking them to swallow a bill to authorize expanding the armed forces was hard to imagine. "Perhaps if we tie the creation of the army to the amendment eliminating term limits we will succeed."
The chancellor shook his head. "Forgive me milady but perhaps you did not think this through as much as you thought. The only viable way to secure the passage of a military expansion is if you grant this office executive power to determine the size of the military. Since that power is reserved to the Senate that same body would need to pass a measure acceding that power to me."
"And that is my second concern. I cannot in good conscious accept powers not specified by our Constitution, even if the Senate votes to grant them to me. The precedent it would set, even assuming I would accept the additional powers and eventually surrender them, would be dangerous. You say you can trust me—which again means more to me than I can say—but will you trust my successor or my successor's successor? Besides, who will decide when the emergency is over? Will I decide or will the Senate? And if I have more powers than the Senate, will it matter what the Senate wishes when set against my desires." He jerked his head in frustration. "Once you give me those powers, it may not be so easy taking them back."
Padmé smiled warmly. "My dear sir that is why I want you to be chancellor during this crisis. I've known you since I was a young princess. You were my ambassador to the Senate during my reign. There is no man on this or any planet to whom I would more willingly trust my life. If there is a politician anywhere in the galaxy who will surrender emergency powers after the crisis is over, it would be you. My colleagues will recognize that...as will the rebel leaders."
"You are very kind to an old man," he said, blushing slightly. He quickly sobered however. "This is not a matter to be considered lightly Padmé. Please allow me a couple days to consider."
"Of course chancellor," she said, getting to her feet. "I will speak with a few more colleagues who can be discreet. When you're ready to call the amendment, you have my word it will pass with no undue difficulty. Then we can work together to expand the army and build the force we need to help bring peace to the galaxy." Without saying good-bye, she nodded brusquely at Pestage and left.
Sate Pestage waited until he received word that the senator was in the elevator before laughing. "Retire Sheev," he said between guffaws. Palpatine's face suddenly went very still and he walked robotically into a locked and warded antechamber to rest. Pestage stepped behind the desk and entered a private comm channel.
Darth Sidious' hologram winked to bright blue life. "What is it Pestage," he asked sharply.
"Milord Senator Amidala just left your office. She wishes to convince you to allow an amendment in the senate to eliminate term limits for the chancellor."
Sidious grinned. "Oh this is wonderful. I expected it would take at least two years to convince her to approach me. She came around a few months quicker than expected."
Pestage nodded. "I must say sir your clone performed spectacularly. The Kaminoians are truly gifted. If I did not know it wasn't you, I would never have known the difference."
"Excellent! If it can fool Padmé, it should have no problem fooling the rest of the Senate when the time comes." Sidious scowled. "They have failed thus far to create the clone I truly need."
"I understand your frustrations. Remember however what you desire has never been attempted. For now, how do you wish to proceed with the amendment?"
"Wait three standard days before having Padmé meet with my clone again. Since Padmé approached me sooner than expected, we will take this slowly and let them serve up additional powers as they feel comfortable. Once the rebellion has a face and a name, the powers will come quickly."
"Yes sir. I will do as you command. You should be aware that she seems intent to give you executive power to determine the size of the military quickly, perhaps within the next few months."
Sidious cackled again. "The timing of this could not be better. When the Jedi learn of Amidala's request, they will push harder to capture me and play right into my hands."
Hermione sat alone with her padawan, Isachr Billong, meditating together as they searched the Force for rumblings of the Dark Side. Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far, away, she always thought of meditation as a waste of time. As she neared her 10th anniversary with the Jedi, she reflected on how unfortunate it was meditation wasn't taught at Hogwarts.
When she was younger, she pursued knowledge through books with an almost obsessive thirst. But there was ignorance in that approach that she never really appreciated until she, Ron, and Harry went on the run to search for Voldemort's horcruxes. Behind the (relatively) safe walls of Hogwarts, book learning never seemed to be a handicap. She had the best grades and was called the smartest witch of her age. But as they trekked through different countries, chasing leads that often led to threats they never imagined, she learned that experience was a better teacher than books and intelligence wasn't everything.
As a Jedi, she learned that reflection followed experience as the best source of knowledge. Ron instinctively knew the power of reflection, even if he never would be called insightful when he was younger. But for Hermione, being forced to meditate turned out to be the most rewarding experience of her young life. As her abilities grew and her connection with the Force deepened, reflection became a game of sorts, forcing her to assess every angle of what she did to identify strategies for the future. It paid to be a step ahead whenever possible.
As she reached out for the presence of her padawan, she smiled proudly. Isachr in many ways was an amalgamation of her and her friends. As a Jedi Counselor, he was naturally cerebral and circumspect, much like herself. She wasn't ashamed to admit he was far more comfortable with Force techniques than she was and taught her as much as she taught him. And he was also proficient in her brand of magic, mixing the two in his own formidable style.
But he certainly was brave and quite natural at reading people and situations like Harry and Ron. She recalled how well he handled himself when they were sent to investigate the crash of the Radiant IX and the murder of everyone on board save two Jedi. As they interviewed the captured Jedi, Et Rex and Alysun Celz, Hermione deduced that Celz was the true murderer as she probed her mind. While she would feel guilty later, she decided to use the moment as a test for her padawan. As she and Rex left to search the ship for the nest of mynocks Celz commanded, Celz and Isachr stayed in the command room to review the security tape. She made sure not to stray too far from him but she needn't have worried.
Celz waited until she thought Hermione was distracted enough before she admitted to Isachr that she was the true murderer. Her padawan said afterwards he sensed her duplicity as he felt her moving about the room after Hermione left. Before the fallen Jedi could strike, Isachr disoriented her by manipulating the spare parts and electronic wreckage into a whirlwind she had to fight through. As she was distracted, he captured her with a well-placed Incarcerous spell. That was one of the moments she looked back upon with pride in her padawan.
Hermione called a soft voice through the Force. Hermione please come to the High Council chamber immediately.
I'll be there at once Master Gallia.
"Come with me Isachr. Master Gallia needs us in the High Council chamber."
"What do you think has happened master? It looks like we're not the only people summoned." He wasn't wrong. As they walked to the central atrium, they fell in with perhaps two dozen more Jedi all moving urgently.
She tried to connect with her master but found Gallia occupied. She sensed her worry however and a fog of urgency and concern lay thick over the High Council chamber. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "Whatever has happened though must be serious. Do you sense the mood in the High Council?"
She watched him and she saw in his eyes as he tried to reach out through the Force. "I sense…something. It feels like the Force is moving very fast but the current feels very heavy too." He frowned. "How do you know what that means when you feel it?"
"We'll discuss that tomorrow. Don't feel bad but it comes with experience." She felt his disappointment but she couldn't console him further.
When they reached the central atrium, they nearly ran into Anakin and Qui-Gon. "Good evening Master Qui-Gon," Isachr said formally while Hermione greeted Ani with a smile. "Are you coming to the High Council chambers too?"
Qui-Gon smiled but she sensed he was worn and weary. She felt it was tied to Anakin, who tied to look impassive but she felt a great deal of bitterness flowing through him. "We are young padawan. I suspect you both were as well."
She nodded. "Master Gallia summoned us." She motioned to the door. "We shouldn't keep them waiting."
The High Council chamber was a large, spacious room overlooking the Senate and surrounding residential district. Hermione wasn't sure how many it was capable of holding normally; even so, she felt the charm designed to expand the room to fit the occupancy. So far as she could tell, there were maybe a hundred Jedi assembled already with more coming. Each of the four Jedi Councils was represented among the masters as well. She recognized Master Vilbum from the Council of First Knowledge. With him was another master, a small, pale man who looked like a goblin. She couldn't help but notice his left eye was missing and a pale scar ran perpendicular with his sealed eye socket. Masters Sabla-Mandibu and Oppo Rancisis were there representing the Council of Reconciliation while Master Keyoadit Clarick represented the Council of Reassignment.
She saw Harry and Ahsoka standing on the other side of the chamber. It was too crowded to join them but they both waved to her and Isachr; her padawan waved back excitedly. Obi-Wan was chatting with Serra Keto and Aayla Secura behind the High Council. Obi-Wan as usual seemed calmly detached to the mood of the crowd. She sensed some distress in the other knights; like her they didn't know what was happening but felt it was serious.
The overwhelming sense of tension however came from the masters at the front of the room. It was distressing since she couldn't imagine much that would affect the Jedi Council to the point they could not mask their feelings and it would be palpable in the Force. The first absurd thought she had was they discovered Darth Sidious was actually Chancellor Palpatine. She couldn't help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of that idea. True she didn't trust the man very much (like Harry she placed very little trust in politicians) but the idea he could masquerade as the Supreme Chancellor with the Jedi none the wiser was laughable.
After a few minutes and a couple more people entered, Master Vilbum walked to the center of the chamber. "Thank you all for coming. We have much to discuss this evening…sadly too much." He shook his head. "Before I give the floor to Masters Gallia and Sabla-Mandibu, I wish to inform you all that the Council of First Knowledge learned that Darth Sidious is traveling through the Outer Rim. Over the past ten days, with the help of the High Council, we've planted approximately 300 Jedi into a slave force en route to Jaylsalm, a small moon in the Jaguada system."
"The second part of our attack will be comprised of the Jedi in this room. We will have a small presence at the Temple for the younglings and to keep appearances but otherwise we're committing our people here rather than pull them from stations across the galaxy. We will present the full details of the operation momentarily. Before that, tonight the Council of Reconciliation has received news that makes our operation much more urgent." He stepped back and allowed Masters Gallia and Sabla-Mandibu to step forward.
"I don't wish to keep you all in suspense," Master Sabla-Mandibu said. "Today the Senate passed an amendment to the Galactic Constitution repealing term limits for the Supreme Chancellor. We've also received news that the same senators that pushed for Chancellor Palpatine to allow this amendment are also arranging a vote to give him complete control over the size and scope of the Republic army and fleet."
Hermione was absolutely stunned. How in the bloody hell could the majority of the Senate be so foolish? "Excuse me master but who was behind this vote," she asked.
Master Gallia sighed. "Senator Amidala was the main catalyst for the vote. She is also working to ensure the vote to accede this new power to the chancellor."
"Why the bloody hell would she do such a thing," Hermione blurted out. She didn't mean to sound so surprised. It was just that she had enormous respect for the young senator; she just couldn't imagine why she would do such an evidently foolhardy thing.
"Why shouldn't Sheev stay in office," challenged another voice. Hermione was taken aback by how angry Anakin sounded. "He is a great man and this gives him a chance to end this rebellion and save lives. Padmé is doing the right thing and it should be plain to anybody."
"This isn't about Palpatine," Isachr retorted hotly. "You can't trust politicians enough to just give one person so much power. What if the power corrupts Palpatine? Or what if he is compromised by someone in his inner circle?"
Hermione squeezed her young padawan's shoulder. She was proud of his reasoning but she didn't want him openly challenging Ani in such a public setting. She knew how much he valued personal loyalty and, whatever feelings she had for Palpatine, Anakin trusted him.
"Debate the character of Chancellor Palpatine we will not," Yoda said, his voice carrying through the entire room. He caught Anakin's eye and quelled the boy into silence, though he still looked mutinous. "Correct padawan Billong is. On merits, very shortsighted this amendment is. Dangerous it is to concentrate so much power in one individual. To a dark place that may lead the Republic. But argue politics we will not."
"Master Yoda is correct," Master Windu interjected. "If the Senate is determined to delegate their powers to the chancellor, this establishes a dangerous precedent and gives the rebellion more power over the Republic than these senators understand. We must capture Darth Sidious before this rebellion destroys the best chance for preserving civilization in the galaxy. We must save these politicians from themselves before they transform the Republic into something dangerous for all."
"When do we move against Sidious," someone called out.
"In 2 standard days, in place all Jedi will be amongst the slaves. Travel for Jaylsalm the rest of us in three hours we will. Planned we did to wait until our brethren were in place and determine if Sidious would be there but with the Senate developments, decided it was to move us in place sooner and assume he will be there."
"Joining us will be fifteen of our most powerful Sage Masters. Right now distracting Sidious they are, trying to pursue and corner him through the Force to keep him ignorant of our mission. Take part in the upcoming battle, naturally they will not. Instead cloak the presence of our brethren in the slaves they will. Challenge and pursue through the Force Darth Sidious I will to distract him as well until we arrive. If discovered our brethren are, dead they most certainly will be."
Master Vilbum levitated a holoprojector in the center of the room and activated it. "Jaylsalm is a moon orbiting Jaguada. The system was a Sith stronghold during the Great Galactic War and several temples were erected throughout the moon." He waved his hand and three spots on the map glowed red. "Based on deployment of the slaves, we believe Sidious is likely using one of these temples as his residence on the moon. When we arrive to the moon, Master Yoda or one of the Sage Masters will pinpoint his exact location. The attack is relatively straightforward after that point. Our agents will instigate a slave revolt to distract the droids. After the droids are committed, we'll descend, surround the temple, and break in to capture Sidious. When we have more information on which temple he is holed up in, we'll have more detailed assignments for each strike team."
"Do we know if Darth Krayt and/or Count Dooku will be with Sidious," asked Harry.
"We expect Darth Krayt to be with his master but not Dooku. He is actually scheduled to meet with a Republic diplomatic delegation on the Balmorra Orbital Station to discuss an agreement for refugee aid," answered Master Gallia.
When no more questions were asked, Master Piell—the other member of the Council of First Knowledge Hermione didn't recognize—gave them the information for their strike team. Hermione and Isachr were part of Strike Team 3 with Obi-Wan and Serra Keto (among others) and their team was led by Master Drallig. They had different objectives for each possible temple; if Sidious was holed up in Temple A or C, they were part of the infiltration team and if he was in Temple B, they would be part of the defense team to guard against droid reinforcements.
"Return to your quarters and prepare yourselves," Windu called out. "We'll be gathering in Hanger 10 in two and a half hours."
"May the Force be with us all," Yoda rasped softly.