Disclaimer: I do not own any of Star Wars, the right of ownership of Star Wars belong to Lucasfilm and I guess Disney too. The only thing I own is the characters you do not notice and the plot.
Chapter 3: Permission
The next day it was slightly raining on Coruscant as Mark rises from his bed. He walks out into the living room and kitchen area of the quarters that he shares with his Padawan within the Jedi Temple. He smells food was cooking or already been cooked as he opens his tired eyes.
He sees Rachelle placing plates of steaming hot food on the table. "Good morning Master. I took the liberty to make us some meal. I am just glad that I let Padme and Amelia teach me how to cook." say Rachelle with a smile on her face.
"Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming. My rough Padawan who loved action is doing a domestic and boring task!" say Mark on the brick of laughing. Rachelle just smiles slightly. "Hey, I thought I figure it is something that I would try. Like you once said to me, you never know what skills you might need." say Rachelle half honestly as she places a plate in the spot he usually sits. That is only part of the reason why she wanted to try her hand at a domestic skill and plus it will good to learn for her future with Mark. She really hopes that he will return the feelings for her someday.
"So what are you going to teach me after teaching your classes?" ask Rachelle looking at her mentor as she sits down in the chair across from him. She takes a bite and thinks she did pretty good at what she was cooking. She had made pancakes, sausages, bacon and eggs.
"Um, nothing but preparing. We need to visit Padme talk to her and then head out to Bakura, you remember that station that we were talking about." say Mark as he picks up his fork, Rachelle nods at this and he says, "Well it got destroy yesterday. It was attack and then got exploded. The Jedi that was aboard of it was killed by a Sith. We need to find out how they find out about it if it was top secret. You know that station was cloak to be hidden from the best sonar and had and can move out of the ways of ships. So it would be very hard to find without knowing the general location. Someone must have told the Sith."
Rachelle was surprise when she heard this. That station was supposed to be state of the art. It was mostly built by Bakurans who are top in the technology world. She thought it would be hard to find by anyone. Than again they thought the Sith was defeated and all they have to worry about is criminals that are well known in the Outer Rims.
How surprise she was about the station was not as half surprise as when Mark takes a bite of the food that she made. For being her first time, Mark would thought it would have been somewhat good, but what he tastes right now is far from somewhat good. It tastes almost like how Jobal and Padme cooked with a tiny mixture of how his mother cooks food.
"Well, that tastes way much better than I have thought. You have been paying attention to them well." say Mark. Rachelle nods as she blushes a little bit at the complement. She did not know her cooking would have been that good. When she took a bite of it, it did tastes well, but she did not know it would have been that good for her mentor.
"Um… Thanks. I am glad you like it." say Rachelle sound like she was shy and she was not a shy type of person. Mark looks up at her with slightly raised eyebrow. For him it is strange to see his Padawan being shy about anything. She always the type of person who is outgoing and can face anyone rather it was in the midst of a battle or being someone new that she have never meet in a peaceful environment.
"Is there something I should know that is going on?" ask Mark still looking at her. "Nothing really. It not really important." lie Rachelle as she looks at him. Lying straight to his face makes her feel very bad inside of her. It feels like her whole world would just explode to bits. She had lied before to her mentor, but it did not hurt as much and it was about the same topic.
She is just so afraid to tell him how she truly feels about him because she does not know what he will do. Will he stop teaching her or when he gives her trials and when she passes he will have nothing to do with her. That is her fear; she does not want to lose him. She is much closer to her mentor than she was with her first mentor. She loved her first mentor as if she was her mother or even sister, but with Mark she loves him on a whole different level.
Without any further words Mark shrugs his shoulders and they finish eating breakfast. After breakfast, Mark decides to do the dishes since Rachelle cooked. He was done with the dishes within a few minutes.
Mark got in contact with Padme over the Comlink to see where she is at to talk to her. Due to what she told him, they are at the 500 Republica eating breakfast. Mark figure by the time he get there, if he leaves right now, they will be done with eating breakfast.
Mark and Rachelle got into a Speeder that the Jedi Order owns and drives toward the 500 Republica through the already dense Coruscant traffic. Mark listen to what Rachelle was saying about some of the tests she is doing on some of the training droids that they have. "Serious, they needs to be improved. I already got permission from Master Windu, he says as long as they are being used by only me and you, that I am allow to do it." say Rachelle.
"You know if you ask the Council we could order some more advance ones." say Mark looking at her in the corner of his eye. He is usually the one who drives, because sometimes Rachelle can get crazy with driving or piloting. So more often to avoid the risk of getting into a crash or getting sick by her movements he drives.
"Simple, Master. Like I said earlier, you told me the more skills I know the better. I am practicing my mechanical skills. Which I think they are pretty impressive if you ask me." say Rachelle sounding proud about herself. She knows how to work on droids and vehicles from a young age at the temple.
"The thing about practicing is to practice the skills you lack in." say Mark. "Still if you do not practice the skills you are skillful at, you will lose them." say Rachelle. "True, but once you begin practicing those skills, it would not take you as long to get back to pace as it would about learning a new skill." say Mark as he made another turn.
Now thinking about the math he did in his head after talking to Padme, he thinks he forgot to put the usual Coruscant traffic into mind when he thought about it. Rachelle press a button on the dash of the Speeder and Holomap appears over the screen. Rachelle looks at the map.
"There is a less travel road between those too buildings that will cut our time considerable." say Rachelle. Mark turns on some signals and made the turn and drive downs the road.
"So exactly why do we have a BBY calendar again, you told me before and I think I forgot." say Rachelle. Mark sighs he gets tired of explaining this. "A Jedi long time ago had a vision about a battle at Yavin and the years leading up. He predicted a date in the way distance future when the battle will take place due to his vision. How he set it up is that until that date it will go down. So if his vision is right in 15 going on 14 years the battle will happen." say Mark.
Rachelle sighs as she pinches her nose. "I know that part, but just because a Jedi had a vision why do we go by it?" say Rachelle. "Oh, because he was not the only one. There were 10 other Jedi. I bet most people do not know why. It happen when the Republic was form and that what the government went by ever since. I think it was of something very big battle. It was the only thing they have at the time to keep track of years and that what they went by. 0 BBY will share the year with 0 ABY. They stated that year will be one year but split into two. When the battle happens, that when it will change over to ABY." say Mark.
"So I will have 2 birthdays that year?" ask Rachelle laughing a little. "No, it will count as one year. They should have taught you this stuff back when you were a Youngling." say Mark as they begin to see the 500 Republica.
Mark park beside the walkway of the 500 Republica. Rachelle got out before he did. Mark made sure everything was off and locked before stepping out on platform. There have been a raise of Speed thieves around this area because people would hope that Senator will have some expensive stuff to sell and hope that their Speeders were expensive.
They walk through the halls and to the lift that will take them up to the floor where the Skywalker family lives while they are on Coruscant. The lift has an opening of glass that shows the city around the building. Mark counted the time as it goes by. He senses that Luke and Leia already know he was on his way up and they were waiting by the door. Most likely try to tackle him into a group hug.
The lift stops and the doors slide out of the way. Mark walks down the hall and knocks on the door. As soon as he stops knocking the door slides slide sideways. Just as he suspected the twins tackle his legs and hug him. "Uncle Mark!" shouts Luke and Leia happy.
"Hey there, where is Mommy." ask Mark bending down and hug Leia first and than Luke. Leia grabs Mark's hand and lead her to the kitchen where Padme was at. Mark had to bend down so she can hold his hand without straining her little form that much.
Padme was cleaning some of the dishes. "Mark, I thought you say you would be here an hour ago. Anakin just left." say Padme looking up at Mark. "You know Coruscant traffic, I happen to take one that was the longest on the way here. Would still be coming here if it was not for Rachelle." say Mark.
"You really did not say much when you were talking to me over the Comlink. What do you want to talk about?" ask Padme looking over her shoulders. Leia figure this is something she should not hear and decide to walk out of the room. Plus she was getting bored with nothing to do in the room.
Mark slides a chair out and sits in it. "You heard what happen to that station that we place in the middle of the Outer Rim to help bring some order to it." ask Mark. "No what happen?" ask Padme abandon the dishes, drying her hands off and sitting down at the table besides Mark. "Apparently the Sith are still exists, they must have some sort of an army and they attack the base. They killed the Jedi that was protecting the base. Then they exploded it up. Now if this was any other base, it wouldn't have been such a big deal, but since this was top secret and it is cloaked so good that no one can see it when it pass it. There must be someone working on the inside. I need to head to Bakura where the meeting was hold and to see who blab." say Mark.
Padme leans forward than backwards in her seat as she looks at Mark. She rests her back against the wooden back of the chair. "You know you do not need my permission for you to investigate. I just need to know that you are doing one. The Jedi Order have a right to investigate things that involve there member or their order. Why come all the way here to tell me this if you can do over the Comlink?" ask Padme.
"I think we might need to bring some Clones and use one of the Attack Cruiser. For safety and just in case. Plus the Bakura police are looking into it. The Order contacts my mother and she got the police involve." say Mark.
"You got permission to take one Attack Cruiser and some members of the 3rd Legion along with Captain Kia since you and him work great together during the Clone Wars, on one condition, you take me along. I want to find the traitor. There could only be a few handfuls that know it. Plus the twins haven't see Amelia in a year and they been begging to see her." say Mark.
When she utter the name Amelia the twins rushes into the room. They eyes seem to wonder. Mark look at them he had a feeling they were listening on the conversation, but was two young to understand. He senses that Leia did not find anything interesting to do, so she just joined in with her twin brother on listening on to their conversations.
"You know Luke and Leia, it not good to eavesdrop on people conversation, and if you wanted to you need to gain much better understanding of the Force." say Mark. "Hey, I only did because Luke was! He was doing it first!" say Leia pointing at her brother. "Hey!" say Luke look down blushing slightly.
"Still it does not matter; you really should not be eavesdropping. If you wanted to hear it you could have asked and see what we think about it." say Padme crossing her arms. "I know she was going to say that." mumble Leia as she starts to feel bad.
"So are going to see Ami?" ask Luke. Mark smiles at the twins nickname for his mother Amelia. Since Amelia is such a hard name to pronounce for 4 year old children. Padme looks at Mark. Mark sighs as he looks at Rachelle. He knows he sounded perfectly calm talking to the High Council, but if there are dangers he hate to put Padme and the twins in harms way. Once they are on the planet they could be safe.
Rachelle give him the look that tells him not to look at me, you are the one in charge. Mark sighs as he looks back down to his hands on the table. "I cannot deny anything. You are the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic." say Mark. "And if I was just a Senator or civilian?" ask Padme. "I know nothing I would say would change your mind, but I would advise against it, but the decision is yours to make." say Mark.
Padme looks at Mark with a smile. "Than I am going, and so are the twins, if we take the Attack Cruiser that you commanded during the Clone Wars than we should be perfectly fine, plus didn't we added more shield generators on that thing. The Attack Cruisers have been updated as well as getting new warships due to the Vice Chancellor." say Padme saying the last part lowly.
"Yeah I have notice the upgrades the Attack Cruisers have gotten. I still say the Attack Cruisers are more better than some of the other ships that have been made." say Mark.
"So it is decided, let's go to the base and get Kia and some troopers." say Mark. "Actually I already contact him, Anakin sense that you would have come over asking something along the lines of needing troops. I already got them ready." say Padme with a slight smile on her lips. Mark leans back in his chair and laughs.
"We need to pack, Uncle Mark!" say Leia as she rushes out of the room. Mark sighs as he walks into Leia room and notice she is packing some clothes, toys and her favorite pink blanket that Padme made when Leia was just a baby.
Mark got down on one knees as he took one of the bags. "Does the Princess need a Knight to help her with her bags?" ask Mark laughing slightly. He remembers one time at the Jedi Order, Leia was playing princess. He got done on one knee and she took a training Lightsaber and put it over his shoulders to knight him.
"Yes, you may." say Leia with a smile as her eyes widen with joy. Mark grabs one of the duffel bag and throws it over his shoulder and pick up the other one with his left hand. He walks out the room and Padme was caring Luke's bags. Each twin has a bag for toys and one for clothes and all the other stuff they need.
"You two sure you have all you need, Leia you have your favorite teddy bear and blanket?" ask Padme knowing her daughter could not sleep without her teddy bear and blanket. Leia nods as she point to the bag that have her clothes and other stuff she needs. The teddy bear was sticking out a pocket.
"Is Daddy coming?" ask Luke looking at her mother. "Yes I am, just got permission with the Council." say Anakin walking back into the room. "What about Ahsoka?" ask Mark. "The Council wants her to stay at the Temple. I think it is about time for her trials." say Anakin. Mark nods as he looking at Rachelle who was standing near the door. He has the same thoughts about Rachelle. Something in the Force tells him even after she becomes knighted he will be working with her a lot in the future. They do make a great team.
I know I have explain why I go by BBY and ABY within the story as there was a battle to prediected at Yavin in my last story, in this chapter Rachelle was asking why they go by it.
The true reason I go by it (outside the story) is that it is the most simple way of doing so. Wookiepedia does BBY/ABY.
Till next time, enjoy.