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 19: Change of Plans
It was in the evening at the Jedi Temple that Mark meets up with Rachelle and Padme in one of the meeting room. They were setting one of the benches that surround a holographic projection pod, which lays in center of the room. "During our search in Mas Amedda apartment in the 500 Republica we have found a secret room full… with… um. I think it just best to show you." say Mark cannot think of a fine and easy way to explain what the room was about. He plugs the device in as Obi-wan, Anakin and Maria walks into the room.
"Oh good, you did find something." say Anakin. Mark looks up at him with a plan face as he bites his bottom lip a bit. Mark plugs his Datapad into the hologram projector and turns it on.
"Like I was saying, there was a secret room within the apartment. There was a computer in there with bunch of information. I have not gone through all the information yet. I downloaded almost all the files that I thought was important. Padme, you remember all those assassination attempts against you and your family since 19 BBY. They all came from the computer and the hologram projector that was in that room. Apparently the Vice Chancellor had a very strong crush on you." say Mark.
Padme look as if she was going to be sick as she hears this. Mark knows for a fact that Padme had no interest in the Vice Chancellor and only sees him as a friend. She looks at some of the files that appear on the hologram.
"I also found out that our little trip to Bakura for the investigation of the stations, Mas Amedda had informed Darth Vader about you taking your kids along. I came to the conclusion that his crush on you were so bad that if he cannot have you then no on can. During my later research, I also have found through some holorecordings that if Mas Amedda did not help Darth Vader out he would expose his involvement with the Jabba the Hutt. He did this in attempt that he hopes that Anakin would search for them and you be alone in grieving come in comfort you, according to one of his journals. He was hoping that Anakin would die and Darth Vader gets the kids. Leaving you without them." say Mark.
Anakin look like he was getting slightly angry. "Oh wait until I get my hands on him." mumble Anakin as he tightens his hands into fists. "So look like you were wrong Master about him trying getting the Chancellor out of office." say Rachelle as she looks up at Mark. "I was somewhat wrong about that, because Darth Vader has evidence of him and the Hutts. He can use that to get Padme out of office." say Mark.
Padme looks down; she cannot believe a man she trusted greatly could betray her like that. She should have learned with her trusting Palpatine blinding after what happen. She looks back up at Mark. With that thought, isn't she trusting Mark blinding. She knows that he will never try to do anything against the Jedi Order or the Republic. Still out of all the people, she trusted blindly they turn out to be different. Could it be possible that her best friend could be the same way? It does not seem likely.
"So all this trouble because some greedy idiot let his crush for me to get way out of control." say Padme looking up at Mark. Mark nods a little. "He does his crush is big. Obi-wan, Maria and I had the misfortunate to see some of the pictures he have of you. There are some things that would embarrassed you." say Mark.
"Like what?" ask Anakin. "Something that only a spouse should see, if you cannot figure that out, I am not divulging anymore, we three are trying to get that out of our minds." say Mark. Anakin fists tighten greater as he got what Mark was saying. "Oh he is going to wish! I swear…" say Anakin before Padme slaps him in the face lightly. "Don't you dare! I already almost lost you to the Dark Side once! Yes I admit that is sick and gross to hear." say Padme.
"Anakin, she is right. You need to calm down. You wonder why the Council has not let you become a Master yet. You let your emotions get the better of you. I am not saying it is wrong to wish hurt on someone who been doing stuff like that to your wife. I believe any loyal husband would want the same thing, but you strike him down with your emotions like this, that raw power will lead you to the Dark Side. You need to restrain them better." addresses Mark as he crosses his arms over his chest.
Obi-wan decide it was time to defuse the dire situation that they have become into. He looks at Mark before he begin, getting his what he want to say before he speak. "Mark, what is the plan, I mean we now have a lot more information now." say Obi-wan.
Mark did not answer that quickly. "I think it is time. Darth Vader has a grip on the Vice Chancellor. I say we break it." say Mark. "How do you propose to do that?" ask Mark. "Doing what Vader threatens to do. Expose the Vice Chancellor." say Mark.
Anakin Datapad beeped and he looks down at it. "Um, bad news Mark, I think something bad happens. Either Mas Amedda found the tracer while he was in the middle of space, or his ship just got destroyed." say Anakin.
Mark reaches out through the Force to sense the Vice Chancellor presence. It was no longer there. He is able to sense if Leia is alive even if he cannot track it. The Vice Chancellor presence is no longer there at all. "He's dead. I do not sense his presences in the Force." say Mark. Everyone looked at Mark when they heard this. They all are thinking the same thing. They have just found their link that might be able to tell them where Darth Vader is, but no it is no more.
Padme looks even more shocked then anyone. Sadness exploded within her as she hears this. They were so close to finding Leia and now they were blown back to the beginning again.
Anakin stands up and look at Mark. "Now what! You said Darth Vader needed him. Now that he is dead, how are we going to get Leia back!" say Anakin. Mark looks down to the floor. He has no answers for that. Then Mark eyes widen with a thought that just enter his mind.
Mark turns his back to them as he look through his Datapad. As he look through them, the holographic forms of the files on the Holographic projector change to show the files that are currently could be see on the Datapad. Hoping that there might be something that he copy that could help them. He hates to see how his best friends are looking at him.
Then a file appears on the hologram with a map of the galaxy. There were highlighted spots on the map. "I have found and link it with a map of the galaxy. These are the known locations which Darth Vader has received transmission from Mas Amedda. As I see it, we only have two options, hope there pattern in the locations and guess where the next one is or we could wait until Darth Vader makes a move. I have a feeling that he is behind the death of Mas Amedda. If that is true then, we must be careful and watch out for what he might do." say Mark.
"So basically we are back on the waiting side." say Anakin. "Sadly but yes. I have a feeling soon, we will have Leia back. Hopefully it is true." say Mark as he look at Padme and Anakin. Padme was studying the map of the galaxy. He does not need the Force to know what she was doing. She is hoping to find a pattern to the current location.
"Mark you say that it is possible Darth Vader order the death of Mas Amedda, maybe he is near the location where it happens." say Anakin looking down at his Datapad. "What is the planet he was near when it happens?" ask Mark. "The Mid Rim Planet of Kashyyyk." say Anakin looking at the device.
Obi-wan saw Mark crack a smile at this. "Vader just made another mistake. If he is on the planet of Kashyyyk, the Jedi have many allies down there. The Wookiees are friends of the Jedi. Master Yoda has a good relationship with them." say Mark.
"We going to head there." ask Rachelle. "So I will not make the same mistake twice, I am going to contact mother, see if she can have scouts around Kashyyyk, I want to know if we need an army before we go. I also want to take some more Jedi with us just in case, because if Vader have Dark Jedi with him. It will be better to have as many Jedi to make their job harder." say Mark.
"You cannot expect me to wait and know the location of where my daughter is." say Anakin. "You are no good to your daughter if you die trying to save her. Anakin I am making sure to not make a major mistake. You were out number on Bakura." say Mark.
Padme looks at Mark with a slight smile on her face. He is going to try to do the best he could to save her daughter. "What happen if they do send scouts there and Darth Vader leaves? We lose our chance to rescue, Leia." say Anakin as he looks at Padme. Mark shakes his head.
"No, we would not. I have faith in the Force. Right now, the Force is telling me whatever Vader has plan; he is going to be on the Kashyyyk. What we must do Anakin is gather our troops and get ready." say Mark. "Who should we take in case if there is an army?" ask Obi-wan looking at Mark.
"I was thinking the parts of the 3rd Legion and the 501st Legion. They seem to be the Republic best troops. Jedi wise, I say Master Yoda will be good since he is great friends with the Wookiees. Mace Windu is a great with a Lightsaber and the Force, so he could come. Master Rahm Kota, he is also great too." say Mark. "Master, you are forgetting Master Kota does not like Clones. He does not think they are fit for battles." say Rachelle.
Mark looks at Rachelle. She is stating something he knows about his own mentor. Mark knows how Rahm Kota thinks because he been his Padawan for a long time. "Yes, I do know that, Rachelle. We also will have me, Anakin and Obi-wan. That should be more than enough." say Mark. "Do not forget about me, Master. I am not sitting this one out. You say I am ready to become a Jedi Knight, and then let me help. A Jedi Knight does not seat around while others are in danger." say Rachelle.
Mark looks like he was about to object. Mark sighs as he could not think of anything. There is more than enough evidence to prove Rachelle is soon to be a Knight. "On one condition, you say far away out of Vader's way. He will kill any Jedi rather there are armed or not, besides me. That goes for you Obi-wan and Anakin. I will face Vader if it comes to it, because he only wants to kill me when I am on top of my game, as he would put it." say Mark as he put his hands on his hip.
"That sounds easy enough. What happens if he engage me in battle?" ask Rachelle. "Run." say Mark simple. Obi-wan smile it seems like their old friend is back to his usual self. He does not sense any regrets in Mark as he have been lately. That is good for them, but could be bad for the Sith.
Mark walks out of the room to get in contract with his mother on Bakura. Rachelle follows him out of the room. "Your back." say Rachelle. "I never left." say Mark. "Not what I mean, mentally you were gone since Leia was kidnapped. Mentally you are back." say Rachelle with a smile on her face. Mark looks at her and shakes his head and smiles a bit.
Above the planet of Kashyyyk, Darth Vader smiles as he watches the ship that was carrying the Vice Chancellor, Mas Amedda, of the Galactic Republic swells up and exploded do to the guns on his Imperial 1-class Star Destroyer, which is Imperator-class Star Destroyer as the Republic calls it. The only difference is his has more firepower than the Republics. He knows half of the ships he have are years advance to what the Republic has. Some of the ships he currently has in his whole military are most likely being thought up by the Republic.
The reason he had Mas Amedda killed was because, his secret was already found out by Master Zane. Therefore, Mas Amedda was no use for him. He also knows that Master Zane was in Mas Amedda apartment and found more evidence of the Vice Chancellor trying to kill Padme.
Darth Vader smiles at the thought how the Vice Chancellor thought he could use the Sith to take away the twins and the Sith so he can have his pathetic love with the Chancellor. It makes Darth Vader sick that people as that will do something for love. Who needs love? What can love ever do? You cannot achieve anything with love.
Darth Vader looks out of the viewports in his throne room. He sees bunch of warships around him. There are of the same class as the one he is in, but there are some different classes. He knows whatever the Republic throws at him even if they know about an army, he could win. Still the ships that are already in the fleet or being made are nothing compare to the weapon that he have found that Sidious had hidden by the planet of Despayre. It was a weapon that Sidious that had Geonosian build over their home planet during the Clone Wars.
Due to the involvement with Master Zane during the later part of the wars, Sidious fear that the Jedi might found out about it and move it Despayre where it would be built. This in fact turns out to be a great idea, because Count Dooku would have told the Jedi Order about it when he was capture and then he would never got it.
There are many things that Darth Vader despise about his former Sith Master, but he has to admit the weapon he have created that has the power to destroy planets will be a good tool once it is completed. He wished it would be ready now, but even with the advance construction droids working non-stop on the weapon, it will take awhile before he can uses it.
With that power under his control, he would be unstoppable, because who would dare to take on a weapon that can destroy a planet with a single blast. He knows if he were going against it, he would be scare out of his wits.
He put his fingers together as he watches as the ship that had the once living Vice Chancellor Mas Amedda falls down out of space and into the jungle world of Kashyyyk. Now all he has to do is wait for the right time to put his no plan in action, and Chancellor Skywalker would be a fool for not taking if she wants to avoid war with his Empire.
Okay it looks like the main problem of this story is boiling down a bit, or is it. We will see. It took me awhile with this chapter, because I was going one way and I didn't like and had to redo half of it.
Okay, another little quiz, I guess you can call it that. At the end of this chapter, I mention (not by name) of a weapon that existed in the Star Wars Saga which is used in Star Wars Episode 4 and a newer one in Episode 6. Base on that and the description I give you in the chapter.
Till next time, enjoy.