Chapter 5
Qui-Gon Jinn was standing at the middle of the Council Chambers, it had been a while since he had a one-on-one meeting with the Council. And this was not just any Council Meeting, it concerned the Sith, which was not a common subject in the Temple, even during the Droid War.
Because of the war and the duties the Council have been given, they have not been able to put in new members into the group, so now, there were only five council members.
The curtains were closed as a hologram right in front of Qui-Gon displayed what the rumours of the Sith were so far. Interestingly, one random Senator, whom Qui-Gon didn't recognise, had found information about the Sith Lord, but then a terrorist group had bombed his ship, that group's involvement in the Sith was unknown.
"You claim you have a lead on the Sith, so that is why we decided you to put you on this assignment, Knight Jinn. Do you understand?" Master Sifo-Dyas, a friend of Dooku's, asked.
"I understand. I will do everything I can to unravel the Sith's mystery" Qui-Gon firmly stated, turning one of his hands into a fist, he needed to do this!
"Ask, may we, what lead, do you have?" Jedi Master Yaddle, a female Jedi Master the same species as Yoda, asked
"Oh… Not much, something about the Sith attempting to finish the final stage of their plans on the Core Worlds." Qui-Gon casually answered, that was true, the two leads he got from Damask and Da'atarka were related to the Core Worlds, Naboo was just just sanctuary and not very much part of the clue, in Qui-Gon's opinion.
"Good. Investigate, you now will. Dismissed." Yoda calmly told Qui-Gon, who bowed, then went out of the room.
Once he was out of the room, Qui-Gon smiled. Convincing them was very easy, one utter of the word 'Sith' and you had the entire council's attention. Now, he had a sneaking suspicion that meditating in the Senate might give some answers.
He quickly went to the speeder docks, where he found droids everywhere working on broken ships and speeders while people were running everywhere. Qui-Gon rolled his eyes, it was always like this.
Qui-Gon ran, to dodge the busy environment as he reached his speeder, it was green, his favourite colour, because of it's link to nature. He remembered the time where he chased an assassin with this speeder, almost three years before.
He hopped on and quickly started it. He heard the soft 'hum' of the engine and the burning of the jets. He put his hands on the wheel and started driving, shifting through the traffic lanes to get to his intended destination.
Damask was in the Chancellor's office, 'talking' to him. But not just any talking. He was manipulating the Chancellor! Damask was uttering words, putting a force weight on them, and the Chancellor was uttering the words back to him.
"The Jedi are distrustful, the only one you can trust is Dooku." Plagueis's voice echoed across the room, luckily, Plagueis had erected a force shield around the office so no one could hear him outside the Force shield.
"The Jedi are distrustful, the only one I can trust is Dooku" Kalpana repeated, his eyes, not just his irises, but his entire two eyes, were glowing red from the intense dark powers being used on him. Plagueis had rebuilt Kalpana inside out, while trying to make it so, that after all this would be done, it would seem that nothing had changed.
Plagueis then waved his hand. Kalpana blacked out. Plagueis snuck out through the door as he let down the force shield that he had formed, and the outside world could hear what was going on the Chancellor's office once again. Kalpana was now was his pawn, even if he didn't know it.
Qui-Gon suddenly sensed the dark spike, as he looked at the direction where it came from, in it's way was the Senate Building, making Qui-Gon's suspicions of a Sith in a Senate grow.
Qui-Gon saw the landing pad he was aiming for. He quickly landed, and turned off the engine, a Chametan guard came over towards Qui-Gon's speeder, then looked at the Jedi himself. Qui-Gon wasted no time getting into the subject at hand.
"I am looking for the Senator of Chameta." Qui-Gon hoarsely requested
"I am right here, Qui-Gon. What do you want?" Qui-Gon heard said Senator politely ask from his left.
"Ma'am, is he authorised?" The guard asked, confused
"He can come here anytime." Bethrilia motioned the guard to go, who immediately did so without any questions
"Senator." Qui-Gon bowed, smiling
"Qui-Gon. You came in here without the normal safety checks, is something wrong?" Bethrilia asked in concern
"I was merely… forgetful." Qui-Gon rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, as he turned serious, "It concerns what you told me about the Sith."
"The Sith? What about them?" Bethrilia asked, as she turned around and started walking towards the couches that faced the landing pad. Qui-Gon quickly followed
Both were silent, as they sat down on the couches, Qui-Gon glanced at his speeder. He was glad that Bethrilia had decided to set the couches like this, it gave him a good view if anybody was doing anything to his speeder.
"So, what are you going to say?" Bethrilia asked, curious about Qui-Gon's behaviour
"I spoke to the Council, they approved of me having an investigation of the Sith. I have a suspicion that the plans of the Sith have something do with the Senate" Qui-Gon confessed
"So… that's why you came here so fast? Curious. But I'll let this go for once, don't do it again" Bethrilia sternly pointed at Qui-Gon, he knew what she meant. She then accepted Qui-Gon's previous request, saying, "You may come to me every Senate session if you want, you know that if your reasons are good, I'll always let you in a Senate meeting."
Bethrilia then heard her datapad, which was on the armrest of the couch ding, she quickly picked it up with her wrinkled tan hands. She saw it, to see that there was a Senate meeting in an hour.
"Well, I guess I'm coming, right?" Qui-Gon eagerly asked
"Yes. 'Will of the Force', as you always say" Bethrilia joked, as both of them laughed at that.
Dooku had been motioned by the Force during meditation, as he looked up the 500 Republica Executive Residential Area, it was in fact, very huge apartments stacked on top and on the side of each other. The building was huge! He used his landing permission to get there. He opened the doors to the exquisite apartment, he was revealed to a lot of red and gold. There were red carpets, gold furniture with red and gold pots which had roses on them.
"Senators." Dooku muttered under his breath, in his opinion, they had no imagination by choosing red and gold to be the colours of their apartment, it's the colour of every major rich building.
He saw the lift, which was gold on the outside. He pressed the button on the right, and that action The elevator took a few seconds to get to him, since it was at a nearby floor. He quickly gone in, to be revealed to a glass window that showed the outside
He pressed the top-level floor, which led to Damask's suite. He sensed someone in the Force, tingling his senses for a bit, but then it muted, making Dooku confused. But he then shook the confusion off, it's probably nothing.
It took a few minutes for the lift to reach Damask's suite. He entered through the doors, which were also red. He entered to see a white atmosphere, and the secretary, a brunette woman named Marie, at the table.
Dooku politely approached the table, as the woman looked up and saw Dooku, she smiled slightly, Dooku saw the stress on her eyes and face, and wondered how much Damask was making her work.
"I want to see Senator Damask." Dooku requested, Marie flipped through a few holograms in her holobook, until she found Dooku's name, it said that he was welcome anytime.
"You may see Senator Damask now, Master Dooku." Marie calmly stated, as Dooku entered through the doors
Darth Plagueis had been expecting the one who just entered his apartment to come, he sensed both Qui-Gon and Dooku enter it, through different entrances. But with the Senate meeting an hour, the same Senate meeting which will be a huge part of his plans, yes, he would like the two Jedi to see his plans finally unfold.
"Senator Damask" Dooku bowed in respect, from behind Damask, who was looking out his window.
"Dooku. Nice to see you again." Damask commented, turning around, to see his friend, he then asked, "Why are you here?"
"Can't a friend see a friend?" Dooku joked, Damask chuckled, then, Dooku sighed.
"I can tell that you have something in your mind." Damask walked closer to Dooku
"Yes. It's about my wayward apprentice" Dooku replied, as his friend and confidant hummed in interest
"What about him?" Damask asked, sounding interested, but on the inside, Plagueis really didn't want to talk about that… Padawan.
"I feel like he's not telling me something, yesterday night, he was thinking about the Sith, and just today, only half an hour before now, he had a Council Meeting, and when I asked him about it, he did this…
Flashback
Qui-Gon and Dooku were walking alongside each other in the Jedi Temple corridors, where they passed by a few Jedi. A Padawan ran towards Qui-Gon, and then walked beside the two
"What do you want?" Dooku asked, trying to be polite
"Master Jinn has been summoned by the Council." The Padawan answered, Qui-Gon perked up at the mention.
"Finally. I've been waiting for this!" Qui-Gon turned his left hand into a fist in glee, he was finally going to be able to tell about the Sith mystery to the Council.
"Waiting for what, Qui-Gon?" Dooku asked, curious, and a bit miffed that Qui-Gon didn't tell him
"It's classified, Master" Qui-Gon mumbled in response, as he began walking faster, but then he felt Dooku clutched his shoulder.
"What is it?" Dooku sternly asked
Qui-Gon shook the arm off, and almost jogged, but not before answering, "The Council summoned me, and I don't want to disappoint them."
End Flashback
"…and that's what happened" Dooku finished, Damask raised an eyebrow
"It's not in his nature to be secretive, and I heard that he trusts you the most" Damask calmly stated, that made Dooku's temper flare, both knew that Dooku wasn't the person Qui-Gon trusted most. Damask then quickly changed the subject, "There is a Senate meeting in half an hour, I might appreciate company."
"Hmm… a Senate meeting, I guess that might take my mind off things" Dooku agreed to the offer.
Half an Hour. That's what it took for everyone to get ready for the meeting. The Vice-Chancellor shouted out 'Order', as all chatter stopped. Once everyone was silent, the session began, as the Chancellor Kalpana shifted through holos, everyone waited for the Chancellor's speech. Qui-Gon sensed that something was going to happen, no force sensitive in the room knew what, except Darth Plagueis, secretly Senator Damask.