The setting sun of the horizon spilled into the room through the large windows. Golds and oranges and reds and purples made their way to reflect off the white walls in a vibrant ocean of color. Obi-wan stood there with his hands folded behind his back, gazing into the distance beyond the glass. He could just see his own reflection of his face in deep wonder. Someone shuffled behind him, and he didn't need the force to know it was Cody.
"Are the other's arriving?" He asked. There was no hesitation from his second in command.
"Yes, most of them caught a ride together; Yoda said he just left his dressing room." Obi-wan lifted his hand to stroke his beard. "Today was pretty productive huh?" The clone continued, "I mean, wow- Ahsoka leaving the temple it was… dramatic."
"Yes indeed, those writers sure did throw a fast one…" The Jedi turned around to Cody, his yellow streaked helmet clipped to his belt and his arms crossed over his chest in a relaxed fashion. Cody has had his back through every mission, and their mutual relationship had definitely grown, they were family, everyone was. "Have you talked to the director?" He asked suddenly, "about your concerns that you weren't…. around a lot?"
"-And told them I barely said a whole line the entire season? Yes, but nothing came out of it….. Rex and other clones asked too. I'm guessing politics was the most focus this season." Obi-wan chuckled,
"Don't worry Cody; you'll get your chance for action eventually, in good time."
Cody's teeth shone in the evening light as he smiled, "I hope so Obi-wan, I'm getting tired of listening to Waxer back stage, you know, since he doesn't have anything to do now… His jokes aren't that great." Before the Jedi could reply the door behind them across the room opened with a hiss. Cody placed his hands behind his back again, moving to the General's side to face the door as a crowd of familiar faces emerged into the room. Obi-wan made a head count as the mass of members filed around the large conference table, standing behind their chosen seats.
The room was filled with voices. Obi-wan cleared his throat, everyone quieted down to look at him. He waved his hand out in the air, "please take your seats everyone," he asked politely. They did as told, pulling their padded wooden chairs back to sit. Fives placed his helmet on the table in front of his seat; he looked to his right to see Ventress touching the top of the chair. He jumped in,
"Let me get that," he wavered, pulling back her seat for her. The ex-sith bounty hunter pulled back a smile,
"Why thank you Fives, I almost forgot how well-mannered you clones are…" She sat in the chair as the Arc trooper behind her pushed the seat in.
Fives could feel his neck burn, "It's understandable. You have really been in character for the past week."
"Oh stop it, I'm blushing." Ventress waved at him with a smile. Across the table Hondo, who had carried in two large wine bottles, placed them on the table in a huff,
"Can we have glasses for this?" He asked impatiently.
Next to him Jessie chuckled, "I don't think you remember the last twenty meetings, no alcohol, this is a kids show we work on remember?" Padme on his right leaned in to whisper in the clone's ear,
"Maybe we should allow him to drink it; it's the only thing that keeps him quiet."
"Why must you all jump the blaster on me?" Hondo continued, waving his hands about, "I remember. This is sparkling cider! And it was paid for by me!"
"So by your standards this is cheap?" Count Dooku sat diagonal from the pirate with crossed legs and a sinister grin. Laughter filled the room. Obi-wan had asked for Cody to take a seat as well, and the commander found an empty one near Captain Rex, who was one of three to sit at the far end with Captain Tarkin and an empty seat to his right. And as Cody noticed, there were four seats still empty, four people still missing. Cody looked to the general at the far end to only find that Obi-wan had noticed the same thing.
"Well? Are we starting or not!?" Tarkin asked with agitation, drumming his gloved fingers on the table.
"It seems patience never did run through your veins…." Cad Bane muttered loud enough for the man across the table to hear. Next to him Barriss silently chuckled.
"Maybe you should take an anger management class with me?" General Grievous added in, wheezing through his mask, "It really helps… I haven't flipped a table in over a week."
"-Or killed someone," Jesse of the 501st informed everyone proudly. There was a murmur of agreement. Tarkin's hands slammed to the table as he stood to his feet,
"For the last time I will not go to those dumb classes! They are a waste of time and I certainly don't need them!"
"Hey! You better watch what you say, I have to sit next to you all meeting and I don't want to be itching for my pistols to aim at your face…" Rex crossed his arms over his chest with a frown. Cody followed his lead. Tarkin's eyes went wide before melting into anger; he turned slightly to stare down the clone Captain.
"At ease, both of you. Kill Each other- we can't have you do hmm?" The room dimmed to silence as everybody turned to see Jedi Master Yoda standing in the doorway with Chancellor Palpatine. Tarkin made a face before breaking connection with the soldier and sitting down. The two figures made their way inside the conference room. Palatine immediately took the seat next to Tarkin while Yoda began his slow walk down to Obi-Wan. The doors behind him closed, but a second later they opened again with two large trays of wine glasses levitating into the room. Barriss gasped,
"Master, how did you know we needed those?"
"Complains every week, Hondo does," Yoda began, "This time, need something to drink, we do."
Obi-Wan sat up in his chair as he felt something in the force, "Is something wrong Master Yoda?" For a moment the short green Jedi said nothing, with the room still quiet he continued to walk through the room towards the chair at the end. The colors of the room were darkening, and the only sounds were of the trays with the glasses lowering to the table.
As Yoda got in his chair he nodded to Obi-Wan, who waved his hands out to use the force, lift the glasses up and place them gently at each seat. Count Dooku caught this as a signal and waved his hands out as well to levitate the glass bottles from Hondo, who made a small gasp of disappointment. The Count used the force to open the bottles and, one the glasses were placed by Obi-Wan, carefully filled each to a specific half-glass amount.
Master Yoda, now sitting in his seat, looked around at everyone who had so-far showed up. He closed his eyes for a moment, "Approach, Ahsoka and Skywalker do."
Strong with the force the Jedi was right, a second later the doors opened once more. As Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker followed by his padawan Ahsoka Tano entered the room the people around the table took the moment to pick up their glasses and raise it into the air,
"Hey hey hey! The Jedi of the hour!" Fives cheered.
Ahsoka paused to blush, "Awww thanks guys!"
"Now now, I guess she was O.K., but… come on what about me?" Anakin asked with a smile. Rex looked away from his officer to take a sip of the cider in hope it would keep him from answering. Obi-Wan and Yoda looked to the two cast members with a blank face. Anakin and Ahsoka got the message. As the room quieted down once more they took their seats. Skywalker sat down next to Ventress and Ahsoka sat with the four armed robotic separatist leader.
Yoda looked to the Togruta, "Ahsoka, done well you have. Acting, you have gotten better at lately."
Ahsoka took a sip of her cider with a smile, "Thanks master Yoda, I'm still pretty pissed on how much of a- excuse me- di'kut I was." She placed down her glass before reenacting her character, ""Oh look there are clone bodies on the ground, I'm just gonna wait here for someone to see me."" She made a face and sarcastically looked around the room while the room was enlightened with laughter.
Her scene partner Barriss jumped in, ""Hey look my lightsabers are on the ground and I'm not even going to think that maybe somebody is framing me!"" She said, acting like Ahsoka from the episode.
This was when Hondo sat up in his chair and leaned towards Jesse to put a hand on his shoulder, ""Hey guys, apparently Ahsoka is a clone killer, too bad she isn't attacking us as we chase her to oblivion! Let's just stun her!"" The roars of laughter rose, even Master Yoda couldn't hide a smile while witnessing how far the cast has come together. Rex made the mistake of taking a sip while laughing and choked on his drink so that Cody had to pat his back during the commotion. It took about a minute for it to die down as everyone caught their breath.
"So when am I going to be back on the screen?" Anakin suddenly asked, changing the subject. "I mean, I am the show favorite. And the chosen one." The Count scoffed,
"Please Skywalker, you are the annoyance, it is quite obvious that Captain Rex is one of the most beloved characters, one of my favorites as well if I shall be honest…" Rex leaned forward as Anakin's face lit with unexpected surprise,
"Sorry General," He smiled.
It was at this moment that Yoda had risen from his seat to stand on the table, his shadow casting down over glasses and reaching as far as Tarkin at the other end. He rested his hands on his cane in distress.
"Another episode, there won't be. Changes, Disney has made…."
There was a moment of silence.
"I swear if they make me sing…." Captain Rex warned in objection, but it was Jar-Jar Binks who cut him off,
"Meca would LOVE to sing!" The room groaned, telling him to shut up as Yoda raised a hand to silence them.
"Doomed to make war a musical hmm? No…Cancelled, our show has been."