PART 2

Chapter 21

Pantora – Pantoran Assembly

"…and that is why the Republic has led us to ruin.", Teetee Minau gestured to the gathered Assembly members, who curled gracefully above him on a series of raised dais', "I move that we let them gather their own wounded soldiers and leave our system. Send them back to Coruscant. Pantora is already in enough disarray without their ships collapsing into our city and destroying our people."

"I invited the Jedi here.", Chairman Cho stood up from where he sat, "And I accept responsibility for the chaos afterwards. But this is not their fault for being attacked. The Republic are only here to give us medical aid and to evacuate the wounded. We all voted for this and may I remind you that…"

"We voted for this when the Republic was going to come and discreetly drop us supplies.", the minister of finance spoke up, "But now the galaxy will know they are here! We are no longer an independent system. It will appear that we have joined with the Republic."

Another minister added to that, "Our friends like Mandalore and Talugg may count this as an act of war."

Ful Man took that as his cue to speak again, "If it weren't for the Republic…"

Obi-Wan shook his head. The conversation was going in a vicious circle. Chairman Chi Cho had already gone through this same conversation as each of the other members of the assembly had their say. The bearded Jedi had joined the small team of delegates sent to help negotiate with the Assembly. The Pantoran leadership had requested a Jedi presence while they deliberated over the attack, and resultant destruction, on their medical frigates.

His fellow negotiators, three Jedi and a naval officer, were focussed on the discussion below. Mace looked worried. He had already taken his starfighter out of the system to communicate their situation with the Chancellor. He had returned looking both exhausted and frustrated. The Republic wasn't sending more supplies. They couldn't afford to anger either the corporations or their supporters who had been against helping Pantora from the start. Ord Einisense and Luminara Unduli sat writing notes on their datapads. The naval officer, an old balding man who looked like he had been eating too many helping of stew, leant back in his chair, eyes narrowed below. Rothman Veers was not a good tactician or a good soldier. His strength was motivation. Not only could he motivate the men under his control to do what he wanted, but he could see what really motivated an argument or action. He had been part of the recruitment office on Coruscant while off duty, Obi-Wan recalled.

They sat in one of the audience alcoves above the discussion floor, looking down at the entire chamber. Built in the centre of the assembly building, the meeting chamber was a large cylindrical room that took up an entire four storeys. On the highest level sat the Chairman, gazing down at the other assembly members. The chamber was designed so that each member of the Assembly stood on a balcony at a different level to the rest. Each of the twenty members represented a certain area of the planet, each governing their own city. These cities supplied the population with one of their crucial needs, be it water, food, transportation, or medicine. In the centre was a massive podium that the current speaker would lower themselves from their balcony and stand upon to address the others. Ful Man, the Chairman's aid, currently stood there, trying to quiet the room as Teetee Minau skulked back to his dais, still muttering about how the Republic had ruined the city.

"…and now I must question why we are keeping the Republic here. What consequences will the Republic face after the pain and torment they wrought by coming here.", the man turned back and yelled a final argument before he took the turbolift back to his own podium.

Obi-Wan shook his head, standing up and moving to the side of the viewing platform. He had finally had enough of this pointless argument, "What we wrought? My apologies, but I must object."

The assembly's eyes turned towards the Jedi's box, and Obi-Wan stepped forward, into the light. "I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight, member of the Jedi Order. Today I represent a part of the Republic delegation."

He looked over at the Chairman for permission before he continued to talk. Chi Cho only nodded.

"I, for one, am embarrassed by the fact that you believe we are responsible for this attack. We did not attack your cities here today. The same terrorists who have been bombing your city decided to attack us as we landed. I find it insulting that you would even think we would dare attack you. We came here on a humanitarian mission."

"You dare to speak in this chamber?", Minau frowned up at the Jedi, gesturing as though it was a ridiculous action.

"I dare to defend our actions.", Kenobi interrupted the politician's rant, "But you are correct, in a way. Our ships are the cause of your city's grief this day. That is in the past, but I may have a solution for the present."

Chairman Cho stood up, staring at them, "And what would you suggest? That we allow you to sully our lands. Answer me Jedi, have you helped or hindered us?"

"In our actions to help you, we have hindered you.", Obi-Wan answered. "I am a Jedi. Jedi train for years to follow the Force, and it has led us here. Let us help you, as I feel it want us to."

"What do you propose?", a voice cried. He didn't see who it belonged to.

"You allow us the resources to clean up the crash sites.", Windu stepped into the light, "We have already sent a discrete team to the Harshplains to try and find those who attack you; to try and help your people. I am still preparing our cruiser to take your wounded to our medical station. We will keep the Senate's promise to you."

A new figure stood up across the chamber, stepping forward across the balcony to challenge the Jedi. Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed as he studied the man. There was a sense of pride emanating from him, and the wealthy red robes seemed to glimmer in the bright lights.

"I am wondering if the Jedi could elaborate on the terms that the Senate promised us.", the Pantoran's gaze swung slowly around the other balconies, "Do they know that the Senate promised us an end to the bloodshed? Did they know your troops were not simply supposed to be a temporary hospital here? That you were to be our security? Our permanent defence?"

Obi-Wan and Mace exchanged a look. This was the first they had heard of it. Obi-Wan looked back at Luminara. She had the same look on her face that they did.

Ful Man spoke up again. "Presenting Senator Trav-iss Torn, representative for the Galactic Senate."

Chi Cho frowned at the man's accusing tone, "And what are you suggesting, Senator Trav-iss?"

"Allow me to go and finally speak our case to the Senate.", Trav-iss raised his hands above his head, "They must realise that while we are grateful for their belated medical aid, what we really need is permission to amount a decent army. Access to the Baktoid droid foundries to secure our resources. I have been forced to stay here and look after our citizens, instead of getting us the help we require. We need the security that was promised to us!"

The chamber filled with the echoing voices of the twenty members of parliament. None of them agreed with the other. It was a perfectly equal split down the middle. Obi-Wan shook his head and stood down. He could already see where this was going. Another round of the same conversation. Looking over at his fellow Jedi, he studied their reactions. Ord was twirling his lightsabre on his fingertip as he watched the proceedings. Mace leant back into his chair and rubbed his temple, clearly exasperated by the assembly's words. Both were clearly tired of pointless diplomacy. Luminara still showed some interest, but not in the argument itself. She was more concerned about reading the representatives themselves.

"You are suggesting that you travel to Coruscant to plead our case before the Senate?", Chi Cho's voice stopped the Assembly's argument, "We already denied this request. With pirates and rebels plaguing hyperspace lanes, you would be vulnerable. Pantora…"

"…is at an unstable part of our history.", Trav-iss finished, "I've heard that before, Chairman Cho. But now we have Jedi who could protect me, not to mention a massive cruiser in orbit that I could travel in."

"He would be safe.", another of the men nodded enthusiastically. Three more representatives joined in with cries of support.

The chairman looked up and met Mace's eye. "We would have to discuss that with the Republic ambassadors. However, for now, this meeting is adjourned while my private council and I discuss this proposal. May the thoughts of our ancestors guide our hand. May the wisdom of our past guide our minds."

Tents surrounded the fountain in front of the crashed wreckage of the Gonzalis. The ship's shell had stopped about a metre from the decorative piece, the twisted metal a sharp contrast to the beautiful stonework around it. Republic troops, a mixture of blue uniformed Senate Guards and brown/grey uniformed volunteer soldiers, patrolled the area, their DT-12 rifles at the ready.

The small team of Jedi who formed the temporary chain of command stood in the main tent. It was far larger than the others, and came with a holotable and a few racks of tech modules and communication equipment. Next to the tent was a huge satellite that would be used for interplanetary communication. At least, it would be if the signal could get through the jamming field surrounding the planet.

Right now, the Jedi were haphazardly standing around the table, studying the hovering figure above it. Kit Fisto was in charge of the base while Mace was away, and at the moment he was attempting to coordinate three different teams of Jedi at three different crash sites. Fay leant against the far wall, holding her personal holocron tightly in her palm. A transparent green hologram flickered around it, a system map, by the looks of it. Which system was hard to tell, but it might have been the Tashtor or maybe the Shili system.

Aayla Secura was flicking through the reports that had been gathered around the planet by dozens of Crime Scene Investigation droids and probes. The figure hovering above the holotable was Master Windu himself, reporting in from the Assembly building. The final member of their group was conversing with the Jedi Master now. Hun'tmen Dray was a Togorian, one of the oldest members of his species to date. His whiskers had greyed with age, and his fur had dulled to a dark white. He leant on a heavy cane, made of polished cenerium, the ornate carvings depicting a story whose meaning was lost to time.

Mace was currently in the middle of explaining the meeting he had just witnessed. "I want you to get Admiral Yularen to prepare a guarded transport. The Senator is wanting to travel to Coruscant as soon as the Assembly votes. I would prefer if we were ready for a quick getaway."

Kit bit back a curse. "What? He didn't want to take the Venator?"

"He did indeed.", Mace rolled his eyes, "But I convinced the Chairman that it would take away from what little security we do have, and place his wounded citizens in harms way while they waited for Yularen to return. That is how he needs to sell it to Trav-iss."

"Very well, Master Windu.", Hun'tmen tapped his metal cane to the floor in thought, "There is a Tasha-class cruiser that we brought with us. It was supposed to be a second transport for the wounded, but it will do for this as well. Is there anything else?"

"There is.", the Council Member turned to the Nautolaun he had left in charge, "Apparently, the Senate promised that our forces would become the Pantoran's security force until this crisis was over. Can you ask Admiral Yularen about that?"

"I will go personally and talk with him.", Kit answered. "I might organise the first shipment of injured too. Most of the doctors are settled into the main hanger of the ship already."

"Good.", Mace finished his call abruptly and flickered away.

Hun'tmen frowned at the now empty holotable. "How are our humanitarian missions going, Fisto? Have they begun?"

"We have managed to recover some of the supplies from the fallen transports.", Kit answered.

"Including the supplies from the Helios?", Hun'tsmen referred to his charts, "We have around ninety crates. Enough to supply at least sixty of the worst cases we were made aware of. How many were recovered?"

"It is only half of what was promised.", Aalya unhelpfully shrugged.

Kit rubbed his head with a sweaty hand as he thought over their options, "I want all of our forces back on the beat. Set up distribution centres around the city. I want those supplies guarded well. Send the Senate Guards with them. We'll give them to hospitals as they need them. Also, set undercover troops to patrol the public areas around the Capitol, just in case."

"I can join them.", Aayla added, "It would give the troops courage if their new commanders are with them."

"This feels too much like a military operation to me.", Kit muttered, "I don't like being a commander."

"It is where the Force has led us.", Fay closed her holocron, looking up. "I have a way to get more supplies. An old friend who owes me. She should be nearby."

Kit raised an eyebrow at that, but he remained silent.

"Very well.", Hun'tmen tapped his cane. "I shall get all troops ready for their new assignments."

MERRY Christmas

Two chapters today. Hope you like.