Author's Note: Another short chapter before we move onto a much longer one. As G-Anakin 13 is told in his review response, there are no more elements of the film in this episode. The remaining twelve chapters (not counting this one) are purely original work. And thanks for the reviews. Keep 'em up!
Chapter 73 responses:
Booksaboutnothing: Of course Yoda doesn't die. Not until a much, much, much later episode. The same with Obi-Wan.
G-Anakin 13: We are. There aren't any other elements of the film in the rest of the episode.
Sica Meni: That's okay. Thanks for the review.
TnTornado: I promise it won't be too dark until we reach some later parts Episodes 6 & 8. Episodes 9 & 10 will be the extremely dark though, but we still have a while until then.
The Lure of the Dark Side: Chronicle 1-The Turning of an Era
Episode V: Revenge of the Sith
Chapter 29: Madness in the Hallways of Five Hundred Republica
Yoda successfully escaped the Senate Building by first comming Senator Organa, than climbing through the buildings' ventilation shafts. By the Jedi's homing beacon, Bail was able to locate the small master inside and lower his airspeeder underneath where one of the shafts ended. Yoda dropped inside with their destination being Bail's apartment in Five Hundred Republica.
"Into exile I must go," the hoary Jedi said mournfully. "Failed I have."
Bail nodded, not entirely sure what to say to that. "Where is Master Kenobi?" he finally asked.
"Held captive Obi-Wan is," Yoda informed. "In the prison block beneath the building."
Bail was horrified. "There's a prison block beneath the Senate building!" he repeated, hoping he'd heard wrong.
Yoda nodded.
"Why I wonder?" He pondered.
Yoda heaved a sigh. "Know I do not Senator."
Bail glanced over at the small Jedi and was dismayed to see him so downhearted and defeated. "You are more than welcome into my home until I can take you off planet Master Yoda."
"Thank you Senator," Yoda said graciously. "In great debt to you I am."
"Nonsense master," the Senator dismissed. "It is the galaxy that is in debt to you."
500 Republica, located in the Ambassadorial Sector of the Senate District, was home to many wealthy citizens and politicians alike. To ensure the privacy of the building's high profile residents, it featured hundreds of private turbolifts and was also equipped with fifty-three individual skydocks built in the facade of the building. This guaranteed that access was only allowed to the residents and their guests. Finally, security holocams and hidden weaponry guarded the building's entrances, doorways and corridors. However, several days previous, a passageway in the sub-basements of the building that led to another building in The Works had been discovered by the late Master Windu and a squad of clone troopers. That, like the rest of the building, was also guarded now.
Arriving at Bail's apartment via one of the skydocks, fellow Senator and friend of the Jedi, Mon Mothma was soon invited over and the three of them talked. Yoda told them about his and Obi-Wan's encounter with the Emperor, the holograph they saw of Anakin Skywalker, Padme Amidala, and the Grievous twins slaughtering countless Jedi inside the temple, and going over to Amidala's house to see that she and her husband were gone.
"But Palpatine said the Jedi attacked Padme at her home," Mon protested. "And that's why she wasn't able to attend today's session of congress because she was at home recuperating."
"Lying Palpatine was Senator," Yoda said, "on Coruscant Padme Amidala is not. Attacked by Jedi she was not."
"I will admit the fact that she's Palpatine's daughter came as quite a shock to me and everyone else," Bail said. "It makes me glad we never told her about our real plans; though we did hint at them a few times."
At Yoda's raised eyebrow both Senators told him of their plans for a resistance force in opposition of Palpatine, and now the empire, called the Alliance to Restore the Republic. With it, they hoped to restore democracy and justice to the galaxy and even offered him a chance to help if he wanted to. To their surprise, Yoda declined, wanting to simply accept defeat and suggesting that the others to do the same.
"But Master Yoda, we can't give up," Mon remonstrated. "Not when there are so many still who want justice restored in the galaxy."
"Another war your Rebel Alliance would lead to Senator," Yoda said gravely. "Do not need more innocent lives killed in cold blood do we."
"But surely-"
"Sorry I am Senators," Yoda apologized, giving a nod to each of them, "but help you I cannot."
The small Jedi left the room and went to the back room he'd been given by Bail to stay in.
The two Senators, meanwhile, began to argue back and forth about the alliance and what Yoda said.
"Bail, we can't just sit idle while Palpatine and his daughter do their treachery," Mon contended.
"I suggest we just bid our time for now," Bail reasoned. "Like Master Yoda said, we don't need another war right after the end of the Clone Wars."
"If you want to bid your time, you can do so." She rose from the living room sofa. "But I will not remain silent while Palpatine continues to destroy everything we have fought our whole lives to accomplish."
"Mon, if it's your wish to proceed with the alliance, I'm not going to stop you ." Bail was desperately trying to win this debate, but he wasn't going to force Mon not to do something if she felt so strongly about it. He would simply offer some level headed advice. "But I don't think it'd be a good idea. At least not yet. It's like I said during the Senate session, Mon: we need to put Palpatine under the illusion that we support his new empire. Padme's bound to have told him about our secret meetings so he's already going to be suspicious. If we lay low for a year or two and make it look like we agree with him he'll stop watching us. Act now and we'll either be arrested or killed for treason."
"But Bail that's just it," she demurred. "This empire of his is a dictatorship. If we don't agree with something we should have the free speech to say so."
"Mon, please for the sake of the remaining Jedi – Yoda and Obi-Wan, good people who've had terrible things come to them; being named traitors of the galaxy and back stabbing murderers. Please let's just bid our time."
Mon gave a defeated sigh. "Perhaps you are right Bail. But what am I to tell the other Senators who feel the way I do? That we should act now."
"Send them to me. I'll talk to them."
Mon left the apartment not long afterwards and Bail went to check on Yoda. He found him in deep meditation and, because of this, did not bother him, but returned to his study to go over several senatorial reports.
It was about a half-hour later that a scuffle seemed to be taking place outside the apartment in the hallway. Bail merely raised his head slightly at the elevated voices and went back to his reports, thinking nothing of it. It wasn't till he heard the sound of blaster fire a moment later that he dropped his papers and rose his desk chair.
Leaving the office, Bail raced into the living room. Yoda joined him an instant later.
"Clones," the small Jedi murmured.
"But what are they doing here at an apartment complex?" Bail asked in confusion. And than it came to him. He glanced down at Yoda, who nodded gravely.
From the commotion outside it seemed the clones were barging their way into apartments without knocking, simply shooting the doors down.
Quickly telling Yoda of a back closet he could hide in, Bail made for the front door before it could be blasted down. Getting to it in time, he opened it and stepped into the hallway. A gasp escaped his lips at the vision before him. Numerous species of civilians were sprawled all across the marble hallway floor with blaster blot scorchings to the chest. They were obviously the ones who held up some kind of resistance against the clones barging into their homes. Screams could be heard as people ran out of their rooms, some clutching possessions, some not. Most of the ones who ran were quickly shot down however. Clones were shouting out various orders and continuing their barrage into people's rooms. Everyone's door was open now, curious as to what all the commotion was. The clones took advantage of this by simply barging past the people into their rooms. The same was done to Bail when three clones pushed their way into his residence. Though, he was disgusted and saddened by all this violence, Bail said nothing as the clones searched his home, picking up or throwing many of his possessions about such as tables and chairs. He could only hope that Yoda successfully made it into the back closet he'd suggested.
Bail needn't worry. Yoda did indeed make it safely into the back closet the Senator had mentioned. Climbing into a large coat pocket that fit him just right for his small form, the Jedi fugitive awaited the clones to come into the residence. He sensed them when they did. There were three of them. Yoda was happy that the Senator simply stood by while the clones searched his home and didn't put up a resistance. He'd sensed far too many deaths already in the building at people not wanting their places of residence searched and it would be sad if Bail died just because of him.
Some time later, the door of the closet opened and the light switch was turned on. Coats were instantly off their rack hinges, thrown about on the floor and searched. After several moments of this, the light was turned out and the door closed.
About five minutes after they'd first barged into his residence, the clones finally left telling Bail that if he saw or came across a small Jedi traitor by the name of Yoda to report on it immediately.
"Of course sirs."
The clones left and he closed the door behind them. Going back to his office, Bail inwardly snarled at the sight of his once neatly filed paper work sprawled all over the place. Sighing heavily, he rearranged it to the way it'd once been. He wanted to go back and check on Yoda, but decided to wait a while first.
Once the files were successfully rearranged and he finished reading the papers he'd been occupied with before the commotion – about an hour later – Bail went in the back and entered the corridor that led to the closet. The door to it was open and Yoda was climbing out of a pile of coats sprawled all over the floor.
Bail was relieved. "Master Yoda, I'm so glad they didn't discover you."
Yoda nodded. "The sooner I leave Senator the better."
"It'll have to be sometime late tomorrow after Padme's coronation ceremony," he said as they made for Yoda's appointed room, two halls away. "All Senators are required to attend. It's mandatory." He paused a moment before continuing. "Are you sure you don't want to think of a way to break Obi-Wan out of the Senate Building? You could try to do so during the festivities. It'll be taking place in Monument Plaza in the Manarai Mountains and than the after party will be at Padme's. Everyone will be preoccupied with that. It'd be the perfect chance."
"Hmm, a wonderful suggestion that is Senator but no. Have faith in young Kenobi I do. A way he will find out. And when he does come to us he will."