Hey guys! Here's the next CH! Enjoy! Oh and thank you all who left reviews are following or have fav'd the story;P You guys don't know how happy reviews make me;P
CH 13
The council convened on Coruscant early the next morning. Master Windu, Master Galia and Qui Gon Jinn were present at the meeting from their starship currently en route to the Temple.
Ki Adi Mundi opened the floor. "The reports I received this morning were troubling. It appears that two senators were assassinated. The circumstances of their deaths however is more troubling. Whoever did this wielded a light saber and most definitely the force as well."
An intake of breath was heard through the force though the faces of all the Jedi councilors save Master Tahl Uvain's remained stoic. She had missed the previous session because due to a mission regarding house Organa's rule on Alderaan.
"Xanatos?" She gasped.
"According to the method of annihilation that is the most likely possibility." Ki Adi Mundi replied as his face clouded in sorrow.
"Such a shame," whispered Master Galia, "A power misused which could have saved many but is now only taking lives."
Master Windu frowned in the force, "What is the purpose of these attempts? Is there any connection?"
"It seems that whoever it was did not wish for senator Palpatine, Antilles nor Teem to become the supreme chancellor." Ki Adi Mundi replied.
Master Luminar Unduli sighed. "Perhaps the trade federation hired him as a failsafe if they could not take Naboo."
Qui Gon winced. "No, my former," he clicked his tongue omitting the word, "has no need of credits, as you recall his sire left him quite an extensive syndicate in the outer rims."
"Perhaps…But no that is absurd," muttered Tahl "The sith have been gone for a millennia!"
Mace Windu stole a look at Qui Gon and Adi Galia then looked back at the projector before him as if uncomfortable by a thought that crossed his mind. "Perhaps this was an initiation of sorts for an apprentice Xanatos procured. The evidence all points to two assassinations on very highly protected individuals. While one would require droids and hacking skills to erase all evidence the other is simple a straight on attack. Both infiltrations are poorly done for a master and both have a trail of pure carnage in their wake."
Master Yoda who had been contemplative during the entire session harrumphed. "Clouded the force has become, troubling it is."
"I suppose the attempts don't matter now," Master Luminara mused, "What is important is keeping Supreme Chancellor Palpatine safe."
"I'm surprised anyone would still want that position." Master Tahl rubbed her forehead as if trying to remove a migraine.
"What of the assassination attempt on senator Amidala?" Yan Dooku drawled. He had remained stoic and uninterested in the development in the senate. He had warned the Jedi Xanatos would return yet they had not heeded him choosing instead to believe that he would lay low after killing Kai a most promising young man. When would they learn? Were they blind? The force, the force would give them the "answer." Were they always so ignorant of reality? The force should be listened to but to use it as the answer to every problem that would be like having only one contingency plan in case of failure. And that of course always led to disaster. He would know, he had seen it happen with his own eyes.
"The assassination was rather sloppy in truth," replied Qui Gon, his most prominent failure by far, "it seems another house sent him. He was apprehended, but died before we could question him."
"I see," this was highly suspicious Dooku contemplated. No one especially nobility ever did anything half way. An idea crossed his mind. "Did anyone else die on that day?"
Master Windu's brow furrowed. "Negotiator Heck died of a cardiovascular failure." He answered. An interesting development, why didn't anyone else question this connection? He looked around at his fellow complacent Jedi and the answer disgusted him. The force did not tell them of one so obviously there was none.
"What have you decided for the boy?" Qui Gon asked. "I will train him without your consent." He reinforced the statement as if he possessed any sort of authority. He would soon learn what exactly the other master thought of him.
The masters glanced at each other. "Trained he will be," the old troll replied. "Master Tara Li Nas chosen was, teach the boy well she will."
"I, I see, of course masters." Qui Gon bowed slightly as if only now realizing that the boy would be trained though not by his own hand.
The council continued speaking of other matters. Matters that did not require all council members present. Yan Dooku left as soon as his presence was no longer required. He passed through the serene silent halls. He gripped a pillar suddenly the force ran through his veins. As he looked around he saw the temple and suddenly the image began to twist. It turned into a rook placed on the edge of a chessboard. The pawns were Jedi he knew, council members of the order. He had seen them only moments before, but their eyes! They looked ages older. On the opposing side a ghost army was assembled. Ghost because they had no force presence. A frail old hand reached out on his side of the board and moved a chess piece concealed in black robes. He heard cackling in the background and when he looked toward the center of the board he saw a dusty plain filled with corpses of faces that each looked like the other as if one man had been multiplied and turned to many. The force cried on this field.
The vision ended as swiftly as it had come. He heaved shuddering breaths as he wiped the sweat beaded on his forehead away. The force felt warped and tasted of an upcoming tempest. And then the feeling was gone smoothed away as if nothing had ever been out of place.
"Master Dooku?" Ki Adi Mundi questioned? "Are you feeling all right?" Dooku's eyes scanned the councilor. It seemed he had been the only one to see this. The question was why?
"Just old age catching up with me, Master" he brushed away the concerned look he received. More research would be required on the matter. Oh how he wished he had at least one competent padawan around. No matter. He would get to the bottom of this. After all he did the best of his work solo.
Else ware on Coruscant… Xanatos kneeled in front of the holo image of his master in a dark room. His red eyes the only thing visible under the hood of his black robes.
"My master will expect you apprentice." The voice was full of joy and elation.
"My lord!" Xanatos replied fervently. "What must I kill for your pleasure?"
A smile graced the hooded face on the holo. "I simply wish to send a message to my master. Tell him I have learned his lessons well.
"I see," a sickly passionate smile crossed Xanatos's features. It will be done.
"Do not fail me," the holo image replied, "I do not waste time on those who do."
The image faded and the apprentice slipped out of the room. A chess match had begun unbeknownst to even the players in the galaxy.
As a post note Master Tahl is alive in this one because she never had to go on the mission to Melida/Daan because she had to take a mission Obi Wan and Qui Gon were supposed to take in the original instead.
Also am I the only one who thinks that using just the force is a bad idea?
