The meeting was lengthy, seemingly endless to Palpatine. Two Jedi masters attentively stared at him. He wanted to leave. Palpatine longed to dive into his luxurious bed of the Youth Senate Apartment Complex and let sleep take him away from this tiresome world.
The pesky Jedi masters who had barely done anything to save him kept quizzing him over and over. Yoda's voice began to irritate him, reminding him of those cursed Gungans which plagued his beautiful home planet of Naboo.
Palpatine rubbed his temples, having difficulty containing his physical displays of annoyance. He tried to end the meeting by only responding in one-word answers: "Yes. No. Yes. No. Definitely no."
He tried to hint to Jaxious to end this nonsense (elbowing him or trying to catch his gaze), but the Gorrento Youth Senator caught none of the signals.
Palpatine had puzzled over what he would say and keep to himself on the way to the Jedi Temple. His politician mind colliding with his personal affairs. Palpatine was torn whether to tell the Jedi about the appearance or not of the figure who appeared.
And if he mentioned it, how much to reveal, the aura of power he sensed, the yellow eyes. To choose between telling the loathsome Jedi or keeping his savior confidential to avoid betraying his savior.
The attacker had injured a Jedi and had unlawfully murdered terrorists, all of which Palpatine could care less about. The attacker, his savior, had after all saved him. Had the attacker not been there Palpatine would surely be a dead man, his head to be shattered by a terrorist's blaster.
Palpatine chose to say as little as possible while he mulled this over. Sighing deeply, he sat back and nodded along as the proceedings dragged on.
Jaxious added that he had not seen the perpetrator since he was so focused on the dead bodies. Palpatine said he did the same.
Jaxious finally ceased his mindless blabbering after he ran out of things to say. Jaxious clasped his hands together and bowed to the Jedi Masters. "Well, I guess that's it, honorable protecters of the Republic." Palpatine internally rolled his eyes. Tsk, some protecters hm?
Jaxious and Palpatine strode towards the door to leave when the bothersome green thing asked. "Sheev Palpatine, something to say you have?"Palpatine stopped mid-step.
He pivoted away from the door to the wise Jedi. Palpatine smiled pleasantly. "No, Master Jedi." As soon as he turned away his smile faded. Palpatine accompanied Jaxious out of the room.
Yoda mumbled to himself. "Curious." He faced the window overlooking Coruscant. Dooku joined him by his old master's side. "Dooku, what discovered, have you?"
Dooku glanced back to see if the Youth Senators had lingered behind. They hadn't. The younger Jedi master withdrew a HoloGram and clicked the start button. It was less than a ten second clip, "This is a peculiar craft that was seen fleeing the scene."
It was a craft with strange symbols and grooves at the side. The red cloaked rider maneuvered the chaos after the blackout seamlessly. In a split second dived straight down into a tunnel leading to the lower levels. There were no cameras on the lower levels because the cameras had either been scavenged for parts or had been shot down by the unsavory.
"We have reason to believe this may have been perpetrator. Although with the HoloNet droids down whatever footage that may have proven valuable has been lost. It's a guess. The analysis had said the craft is of an unusual design, appearing to look like an average speeder to an untrained eye but if you look closely, it is obviously armed."
Yoda nodded, his eyes half-closed in reflection.
Dooku continued. "The craft was also seen by a witness hovering close nearby and it had infiltrated one of the docking bays according to a Senate Guard. The lights went out a few mere minutes after." Dooku pointed out at various points during the clip.
Yoda looked away from the clip and appeared to be reflecting to himself as he looked out the window. "In the turbolift the dead Cursed Coruscanti was. Ordered by Dravada he was to initiate blackout by giving the signal. Caused the blackout the attacker did by murdering him." Yoda paused and sighed deeply. "Curious this is. The Cursed Corsucanti death, the blackout, the burned bodies."
Yoda hummed to himself.
"The Cursed Coruscantis or Shadow Skulls fine I thought. In the deep core, light up this city and keep the reactors running, they do." Yoda paused and murmored. "Suffer they do. Enough, they had."
Dooku ignored Yoda's pondering and tucked the HoloGram into his pocket. The younger Jedi Master went on. "There is more, Master Yoda. Master Coaro analyzed the remnants of incendiary device used on the bodies. A quite interesting find it was, indeed. Apparently, the device was homemade, nowhere to be sold on the black market at all." Dooku exhaled and drew out a HoloPad. "This hasn't been the first time this device has been used either."
"Other times there has been?" Yoda eyes alit with curiosity.
Dooku scrolled through the HoloPad, swiping left and right. "Yes, Master. Two similar incidents have occurred beforehand. One occurred a decade ago at the Higher Levels Uscru Primary School when an armed trespasser entered the premises of the school. The power from the school was cut, the trespasser was found dead and burnt to a crisp with the same incendiary device."
He paused and scrolled a bit more.
"There was another incident 20 years ago at the Galaxies Opera House when an assassin was sent to slay a few Senators. The same as before, power cut from Opera House, assassin dead, and body burned up." Dooku closed the HoloPad and told Yoda with a hint of victor. "It appears our perpetrator has a pattern."
Yoda sat in a chair but leaned forward on his cane. "Indeed, a pattern but an effective pattern. Emerges from the shadows this attacker does every decade. Became truly bold, only this time they have." Yoda hummed to himself. "Hm, evading the law for so long because of their skill. My old apprentice, wary we must be."
"Wary? Master, we must be more than wary. This attacker evaded the law for at least 20 years as far as we know. They were skilled, efficient, murdering two dozen in less than a minute. I would even say...their abilities are too good. Almost supernatural." Dooku hinted.
Yoda gave Dooku a stern look. "Dooku, you mustn't get ahead of yourself. Shadows you jump at. Crimson blaster bolts the young Jaxious spoke of not...crimson sabers."
Dooku crossed his arms, his dark brows furrowed as he looked upon his master. "But we mustn't out rule the possibility. The attacker was no ordinary assailant."
Yoda sighed deeply to himself and held a hand to his temple. "Ask you this, Dooku. The dark side did you feel?"
Dooku remained silent, an inaudible "no".
Yoda held his cane steadily in front of him and went on. "The Force is with all, some stronger in others and some weaker. The power of talent unlike the Force a few possess. The attacker may be such a person." Yoda locked eyes with Dooku changing the subject to a sour convent of the Force. "I assure you Dooku if...they ever returned. Know we would. The darkness is strong with those who wield it."
Dooku nodded along hesitantly resigning his argument. His determination returned as he requested of Yoda. "Master, I ask of you this. I wish to hunt down this attacker. I have a few ideas where to start already."
Yoda gazed up at him and was about to answer when someone burst in. "Master! Master, I would love to come too!" Dooku inhaled deeply as he turned to meet his eager padawan, Qui-Gon Jinn.
"Qui-Gon!" Dooku tried to restrain his frustration. "Again, with this nonsense? How many times have I had to tell you to not eavesdrop on secret Jedi missions!" Qui-Gon appeared indifferent and immune to his master's annoyance.
Yoda chuckled heartily and waved his hand dismissively. "You may accompany your Master, Qui-Gon." Qui-Gon leapt into the air with joy, but Dooku did not share his enthusiasm. "Tell Master Sincer to join you later once she has healed up, I will."
"Come Master, let's start right now!" Qui-Gon was up and about. Dashing down the hallway ahead of his weary master.
"What am I ever going to do with that boy?" Dooku grumbled to himself.
Yoda chortled once more earning a glare from Dooku. "Much like that boy in your youth you were. Forgotten you have, Dooku." Yoda paused. "Like that boy much you still are."
Dooku scoffed at that. "You jest, Master."
"Jest, I do not. For my old padawan, once you were." Yoda smiled pleasantly at his old apprentice. "Enjoy the years of Qui-Gon's merry youth. Last long they do not. Grow old and weary he shall, as you have and has I."
Dooku's face which had been creased with annoyance had transformed into a slight melancholy. He nodded and pledged. "I shall, Master." Dooku strode away into the hall where he called after his rambunctious padawan.
