Chapter 11. Yoda

His name is Yoda, a diminutive alien very strong in the force and the current grand master of the Jedi order. Yoda was over six hundred years old and many Jedi had been trained, tutored, and mentored by him, most of them sat on the Jedi council. He sat on his hover lift in the back of the court of justice watching the prosecutor swear in his first witness, Gardolla the Hutt.

"Thank you Lady Gardolla…" The General Prosecutor a well renowned Twi'lek gave the Hutt a datapad. "Would you please read the following for the court…"

Her words were translated through an automatic language modulator. The device hovered in the air a few feet from Gardolla. "I Gardolla the Hutt do hereby agree to testify in the case against one Council Vaen of the banking clan's circle of nine in exchange for judicial and diplomatic immunity…"

The Twi'lek took the data-pad from her, "Thank you lady Gardolla… Are you a crime boss among the Hutts?"

"Yes I am…"

"In what capacity?"

"I am the head of the Juchar family…"

He took a sip of water before continuing, "Can you tell this court about your associations with the following people… One Senator Palem, Council Vaen, Desav Sing, Jharmen Lok, and Calladen Hart…"

When the General Prosecutor mentioned his former apprentice's name Yoda's ears twitched and he exchanged looks with the other Jedi Master seated beside him, Master Shofan a Gran. Derjon Wells was there as well but the Barabel remained impassive to the name thrown out. It was all over the holo-net, the arrest of Council Vaen. The charges were, conspiracy against the Republic, manipulation of Republic funds and the banking clan.

"Calladen Hart a former Jedi gone bad was the master mind of some grand scheme to bring down the Jedi… He was running the show along with Vaen and Palem… Hart was in charge… Vaen had the credits… and Palem had the connections…"

That is when Vaen jumped up from his chair, "That is a lie… I have never met with that fat disgusting blob…"

When the court broke out into an uproar the Judge a human of brown complexion banged his gavel. "Order in the courtroom… Council instruct your client to reframe from outbursts…"

"How was Vaen involved?" The Twi'lek asked after things had settled.

"He wouldn't dare meet us in person, but he would contact his allies via holonet…" When Gardolla said this, the general prosecutor entered evidence of recorded holo-tapes. Then Gardolla continued her testimony, "…Vaen arranged for the credits that were stolen to be used to create the trade federation. Ambassador Taugh wanted to back out of the deal, my enforcers saw him dead…"

"What about Gurn?"

"Gurn was legit as Viceroy, but it was Hart who used the force to make sure that Gurn and Sing were friends… So when Gurn retired of course he would nominate Sing for the job… Then Sing got greedy… He crossed us all and hired a war lord to over throw the rebels on Valor…"

"Why was it so important that Valor join the Republic?"

"Hart's plan was to use the trade federation to fill the senate with enough votes to have the Jedi religion outlawed and banned… He found some ancient scrolls about a force sensitive race that believed in the force, but also believed that the force should not be used by anyone…"

"Why are you testifying?"

"This venture is no longer profitable to me as some of the planets bought into the republic by the trade federation learned of the plot and have denounced Sing and his cohorts… They tried to bring Barto Gunry in, but he refused and they tried to assassinate him in order to replace him with someone they could control…"

"Thank you Gardolla for your testimony… I have no further questions… Your witness…"

The defense attorney was a female Muun of high rank among the Muuns and she was a long time friend of Vaen's. As she stood up Emera picked up a data-pad. "Lady Gardolla is the planet Tatooine still under your control…"

"Objection your honor relevance…"

"Your honor this witness is under judicial and diplomatic protection therefore there are no questions that are off limits and this line of questioning is pertinent to discrediting the witness…"

"Objection overruled… the witness will answer…"

"You are correct, Tattooine is no longer under my control…"

"Who rules the planet now…"

"Jabba the Hutt of the Disark clan…"

"And how did Jabba gain control of your territory?"

"I am not a liberty to say… Crime bosses don't snitch on each other…"

"Is it true that you were paid by Jhermen Lok to keep the pod racing track on Tattoine closed…"

"Yes…"

"And when Jabba the Hutt gained control of Tattoine he opened the track…"

"Yes he did…"

"Well would it be a foregone conclusion that Jabba the Hutt is the real master mind behind all this and that this Jedi Hart is nothing but a patsy in an attempt to frame my client…"

"Objection your honor…"

"Objection overruled…"

"Gardolla was there anyone else involved with you and Hart… Someone not mentioned by the prosecution…"

"None that I recall…"

"What about the sith…"

"Objection your honor we all know that the sith no longer exist…"

"Your honor is my intention to call forth Jedi who will testify that the sith exist and their connection to all that is happening…"

Shofan leaned over to Yoda, "Master Yoda… did you know about this…"

"No I did not…"

The doors opened and a padawan entered the court and whispered into Yoda's ear. He followed the young human out to the lobby where Senator Renu of Malastare was waiting. "Master Yoda there is a situation on Malastare that I need to speak with the Jedi Council about…"

Before Yoda could speak Shofan said; "We shall assemble the council at once…"

Yoda didn't approve with Shofan's rash words, but he felt in the force that a meeting was necessary. An hour later Renu was standing before the Jedi Council to address his concerns. "Honored members of the Jedi Council, I thank you all for seeing me on such short notice… There is a situation on Malastare and it has a lot to do with the trial… As you know Lok was the leader of the black sun well they are supplying the dugs with military grade weapons… The dugs are holding Kesh city hostage… I have been asked by the prime minister of Malastare and the King of Kesh to approach the Jedi Council…"

"What is it that you expect us to do?"

"We would like to avoid bloodshed… If anyone can use diplomacy to defuse the situation then it is the Jedi…"

"Go I shall to Malastare with a team of Jedi… Defuse the problem we shall…" Yoda said.

Renu bowed to the Council, "Thank you master Jedi… I shall inform the prime minister at once…"

"I don't think the Grand Master of the Jedi order should be involved in something so petty…" Master Corma said.

"Title is not an excuse to stay Master Corma…"

"Shouldn't we consult with the Supreme Chancellor…"

"Of course…"

Geonosis:

Meanwhile across the galaxy Farmer was inspecting the new droid prototypes constructed by the Geonosians. "Very impressive… My master will be pleased…"

"Thank your master for rebuilding our factories… I can't believe the Senate is so lazy as not to check our world for duplicity especially after it was the trade federation that set this deal up…"

"You must not think so ill of the republic… It is a stagnant beast whose time has come…"

"You will also be pleased to know that the Dugs have received their order of droids though I have no idea how they paid for them…"

Farmer smiled because he knew how the Dugs paid for the droids, it was the black sun that gave them the credits to insure victory with a droid army.

"What about the cyber-droid…"

"We have a fully functional unit and as you requested the droid was sent to lead the battle for the Dugs…"

"Good… very good… The observation units are they in place…"

"Yes and they will record the droids effectiveness against the Jedi…

Malastare:

The Jedi Star cruiser hope came out of hyperspace with an escort of twenty capital ships and one hundred Jedi fighters. They took up orbit around Malastare then Yoda and his Jedi shuttled down to the planet. The two opposing sides met in a neutral place, an ancient temple built by the Dugs long ago.

"Master Jedi may I present General Rahma…"

The general was dressed in heavy armor with a vibro-sword across his back. A female Dug dressed in armor for a woman was also there along with four battle droids.

"An honor it is to meet you…" Yoda said.

"Honor… We know the honor of the Jedi… it is the Gran who have no honor…" Yoda was about to speak, but the Rhama stopped him. "…We hold Kesh city… We demand that the Dugs have separate but equal representation in the Senate and that Gran pay reparations to the clans… We demand that everyone involved in the Valor incident be executed…"

"You are demanding a lot…" The Gran official said.

Before things could get out of hand Master Dekoda spoke up, "We will have to present your terms to the Supreme Chancellor and get back with you… can we meet tomorrow morning…"

The next day, an hour after sunrise they met. General Rhama and his retinue seemed angry about something. "I didn't know Jedi could be so devious…"

"How dare you… You are addressing Yoda… Grand Master of the Jedi order and leader of the high council…"

"Last night two Jedi star fighters flew over the city and shot down five of our fighters and killed two hundred Dugs before we could shoot them down…"

"Sense I do that you speak the truth…"

"Even so Master Yoda we gave no such order…" That is when the droids raised their guns at the Jedi.

"I figured that if we hold the Jedi hostage then the Chancellor will give in to our demands…"

Yoda shook his head in disapproval, but it was Dekoda who said; "You have just made a big mistake…"

With just a glance Yoda ripped the guns from the droid's hands, but they pointed their arms at them producing arm guns. This time Yoda threw out his hand unleashing a force wave that threw all ten droids and the two Dugs to the ground.

"We need evac… we need immediate evac…" Dekoda said screaming into his arm com.

Several dozen droids came out of the forest firing at the group of Jedi. The Gran representative died in the first volley as Yoda, Dekoda, and six other Jedi Knights deflected the blaster shots back. Then three different looking droids joined the battle. Two were armed with shock sticks and the leader who was taller had a human heart hidden behind a metal chest plate in a plasteel casing. One of the Jedi lept forward and swung his lightsaber, but the cyber-droid leaned back until its arms touched the ground and grabbed the Jedi by the foot. When he was on his back the cyber-droid grabbed his arm and broke it. The Jedi screamed out in pain as Dekoda ran towards the lead droid, but his path was blocked by another droid with a shock stick.

While Dekoda battled the droid the lead droid broke the Jedi's neck and took his lightsaber. That is when Yoda threw out his hand force shoving the cyber droid into a stone pillar. He brought the pillar and crumbled ceiling it was holding up down on the cyber-droid.

"Master Yoda look out!" Another Jedi screamed.

Yoda leapt backwards decapitating the warrior droid, but it still kept fighting without a head. That is when Dekoda grabbed the droid he was fighting in the force and threw it on the one attacking Yoda, then he threw his lightsaber like a spear and impaled both droids.

"Commander report we need pick up!"

There was no answer because the blockade fleet was fighting a mercenary fleet sent by the black sun to aid the Dug. Malastare's orbit was a battle ground as republic capital ships piloted by para-military troops traded turbo-laser cannon fire with a ragtag group of capital class warships. The Jedi were able to out fly the mercenary pilots and Jedi Master Bonada Vad was on board the Republic flagship using his battle meditation to ensure victory. Within three hours the space battle was over and the Dug clans surrendered Kesh city to the Jedi.

The Gran wanted the Dug clans to be placed in concentration camps, but Yoda wouldn't allow and finished the peace agreement. The Dugs were give separate but equal representation in the Senate and they were allowed to govern themselves separate from the Gran.

Master Dekoda walked the battle of mangled battle droids and stopped when he came to a young Jedi engineer. "Well…"

"Master I have never seen droids like this… Nor can I tell where they were manufactured… And this one was crossed with human body parts… Some type of new borg droid or something…"

Dekoda sighed, "Report to Master Yoda then prepare to leave…"

Yoda stood on a hill with the other masters and Jedi as they memorialized their fallen comrade. They burned the Jedi's body and as they did Yoda felt a shadow fall over Malastare. Someone very dark and powerful was laughing at the devastation that had taken place here.