Chapter 16 - Naboo's Final Act for Freedom
Daultay Dofine was standing by his commander watching his ships destroy the Naboo fighters around the ship. Suddenly a console started beeping loudly and the defences of the station turned themselves off.
"What is happening?!" He shouted.
"Sir, a command has come in from the Viceroy. All droid units to shut down."
"Re-activate them at once!"
"The viceroy has the master control with him. Only he can re-activate the droids. All our fighters are also disabled."
"How are our shields and defences?"
"They're still active, but without fighters assisting they are much less effective than they used to be."
"Try to get around the master command and re-activate the droids."
The Gungan army was being marched out of the valley they were previously fighting in suddenly came to a halt. The droids froze mid step and ceased moving, all the tanks and vehicles that transported the droids all halted as well.
"What isa happening?" Jar Jar asked looking around at the droids.
"The control ship might be malfunctioning." The General stated striking a droid and in falling over. "Everyone! Smash them now before they come back online."
The Gungan army began striking the droids all around them, others ran back to their weapons and launching them into the tanks before they came back online.
In the short span of one minute the entire droid army was destroyed before they could reactivate. Looking up into the sky they could then make out an explosion that faded almost as quickly as it appeared.
The ship from Coruscant landed in the middle of the plaza with Senator Palpatine, guardsmen and more Jedi exiting the ramp that extended down.
Nute Gunray, Rune Haako, Captain Panaka and Queen Amidala stood in the centre surrounded by the Jedi that had taken the four into custody. Haako was revealed to be alive with Panaka only firing a shot in the room to look like he killed him. However he and Gunray had their hands bandaged and wrists cuffed.
Chancellor Palpatine approached the group nodding slightly to his home worlds Queen. "I am happy to hear about your victory your highness. I just wish the method was not so harsh."
"We had no choice senator," Padme answered him not wavering in her answer.
"There is always another way your highness," Master Plo Koon answered her.
"None were available or possible," she answered. "I will not waste time on guessing what ifs or possibilities. Our world is safe and no more lives were lost."
"That might be true or might not. This will be decided by the senate now," Master Windu stated.
"I only ask that I be permitted to stay for the burial of my people and the Gun-Gun's that fought for my home world."
"Master Windu. She will stand trial for what happened, but she is not a danger to her citizens or anyone else." Qui Gon stated.
"You may stay here for the services and to pay your respect to your people. But you will need to return to Coruscant after," Windu answers her.
"Thank you Master Jedi," she replied with a slight bow.
The Jedi Masters all made council in one of the nearing rooms of the palace. Present were Qui Gon, Windu and Yoda.
"Discuss what has happened, needs to be," Yoda stated to the group.
"Yes, from what Gunray has stated the Sith that has ambushed the Queen's transport and Padowan Kennobi was here on Naboo." Windu stated to everyone.
"Then we have a lead on him and possibly on Anakin in turn," Qui Gon stated.
"Yes, but his arrival and departure were told to be at the time of the force disturbance we believed to be the boy, and his departure after your own from Tatooine. This is making it impossible for him to be the one that took him." Windu answered him.
"Always two there are. More than our own attention he has caught," Yoda answered.
The group grew solemn at that possibility, if Anakin was taken by the master then he was in far more danger than he was originally.
"Anakin needs to be found immediately then," Qui Gon told the group.
"Agreed, a child that is that powerful now in the hands of a Sith Master and his apprentice is not a path that will aid the child." Master Windu told the group. "He should be taken to the Jedi temple and aided in his recovery from being exposed to the dark side."
Qui Gon eyed Windu trying to figure out the Master of the Order's angle. "Master Windu, it is unlike yourself to state that a person in this situation would be above the order or its teachings. What are you trying to pull here?"
"Do not mistake my actions for sympathy here Qui Gon. I am talking about aiding a child, not training a Jedi."
"A child forced into extreme circumstances his entire life is not to be judged for being forced down a path he didn't choose." Qui Gon told him his anger growing.
"If true, choose a path he has." Yoda interrupted. "Aiding a person we have done, and shall always try to do. But never be a Jedi, when started down the path to the dark side."
"Anakin is not beyond saving, or redemption. Our orders teachings have always stated that we are not judge, jury and executioner."
"Executioner no, but jury and judges we are," Yoda stated.
"Master Yoda is right, we are not executioners. Anakin's fate will be decided when he is found and taking into account what he has done. But if he cannot be reformed into a normal life then he will be stripped of the force itself." Master Windu stated.
"The three of us know it will not be that simple. A child born from such a convergence in the force, as well as how powerful he is will not be abandoned by the force. Tatooine itself may have been the force itself ensuring that he would be found or noticed by everyone watching." Qui Gon informed the two heads of the Jedi order. "I hope the both of you Masters and the rest of the council make the right choice when I find Anakin."
"Since the Sith destroyed, not once have we made a wrong choice," Yoda quipped back at Qui Gon. "Remember what our order stands for, you must yourself Master Qui Gon."
Qui Gon did not respond only bowed curtly before turning and leaving the two masters in the chambers.
"Perhaps the timing was right for Padowan Kennobi to begin his trials for knighthood before Qui Gon became too bad an influence on him," Windu told Yoda.
"Perhaps, questioning always a good thing. Blindly following orders, Jedi do not."
"No, but knowing the answer already and not questioning it is also a part of our order. I fear Qui Gon may be right, if this boy and the force itself wished him to be found. We may have a powerful enemy in the future that will not listen to our order or be even willing to accept our help."
"Decide that when it happens we shall. We do not seek battle, or confrontation though. What will happen will all depend on Skywalker himself."
Thats the end of my very first Fanfic. I wanted to write the entire story out and post it weekly as not to let down anyone reading that liked the story and didn't want random updates. Also on re-reading some of my earlier chapters I have picked out certain things that I would like to change and may go back to re-write some of those chapters.
Thanks to everyone that was reading and please give me some advice on areas I can improve on.
Special thanks to DS2010 always enjoyed having someone update me on what they thought of each chapter.
This was already something I was doing in my spare time but I enjoyed it enough that I'm already working on the sequel. Keep your eyes peeled over the next few months for my sequel 'Episode II - Gathering Shadow and Light'