Chapter 54 - Missing

Anakin leapt off the shuttle and bounded towards the apartment building. Normally he would've waited for Obi-Wan to pay their dues with his Temple issued credit chip, but he was excited.

Obi-Wan huffed an apology to the shuttle driver and rolled his eyes.

"Teenagers, don't worry about it," the Rodian replied.

"Thank you." With their transaction completed, Obi-Wan ran after Anakin. He knew exactly where the boy was going. They had been making weekly visits to the apartment since Anakin was ten.

"Master, over here," Anakin waved from where he was holding a lift.

"Padawan!" Obi-Wan used his firm voice.

"I'm sorry, Master. I got tired of waiting."

Obi-Wan nodded and Anakin breathed a sigh of relief. In truth, Obi-Wan wasn't that upset about Anakin's behavior. He had spent much of the last two days being a focused, attentive padawan, the Master figured it was bound to slide the other way sooner or later. The fact that he waited until their mission was over was good. "Owen will love to hear about your first mission."

"Really? It wasn't that exciting." Anakin diminished.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "Not every Jedi mission involves fighting darksiders, and flying into an enemy warship to deactivate their invading army."

"I know-www," Anakin drawled. "It's just that, all it was - was a negotiation over land. And they talked too much."

Obi-Wan let his cheeks puff a little with a smile, as the lift opened to their destination. This time Anakin waited and let Obi-Wan exit the lift first. He pressed the buzzer as he turned back to his Padawan. "That land is important to someone, and you will learn to appreciate the quiet missions where nothing exciting happens. They come too few, if you ask me."

The door opened and C3-PO bowed to them. "Greetings, young Master. Greetings Jedi Knight Kenobi. Master and Mistress Lars are inside."

"Thanks Threepio" Anakin ran around the droid and into the family room of the apartment.

Shmi was just walking inside from the balcony, where she keeps several planters, when Anakin ran in. "Hello Ani, how was your week?"

"Hi mom. Obi-Wan and I went on a mission. It was really boring, but Obi-Wan can tell you all about it," Anakin answered while hugging his Mom.

She laughed and released him from the hug. "Why don't you go play with Owen. He's in his room." As she let go, Anakin ran off.

"Obi-Wan," Cliegg greeted him. "I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor."

Obi-Wan looked up at him to hear more. The man turned and gestured to him to enter his study.

"As you know, when I came into office I started an investigation into my predecessor's seeming disappearance. These things take time, you see. And it seems like we've reached an impasse." He paused and Obi-Wan took a seat. "We've found records that Klitter Meck, my predecessor, owned eight ships. All of these ships were traced leaving Coruscant during a ten day window. We've tracked down five of the eight ships. They were sold at some point. Three we have yet to find, and we believe Senator Meck was on one of these."

"I know the assumption would be that he went back to Geonosis," Obi-Wan said.

"That is the shocking part. None of these ships went anywhere near Geonosis," Cliegg answered.

Obi-Wan opened his eyes wide in surprise.

"We have records of all three of them heading to Niro. When we contacted the banking clan, they were very reluctant to let us trace a vehicle with an active diplomatic status in their territory. The most we've gotten is a mention that they may have headed towards Murkhana, of all places.

"Murkhana, that doesn't sound likely. Have you tried contacting the Corporate Alliance?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yes, and you try getting a straight answer out of those pencil pushers. All they would say is they have no dealings with Geonosians Incorporated. And without the official records the banking clan refuses to give, I can't prove that he's even there."

Obi-Wan nodded, knowingly. "The Corporate Alliance is always stubborn about keeping their trade secrets."

"I would normally let it drop after this, but you see, I really need to contact the man. When I tried to open negotiations to allow Andooweel's miners into the mining guild, I was met with a flat out rejection. Apparently Meck had started something a while ago, and never finished the flimsy-work. They consider the matter still open, and either I wait for another five seasons for it to expire, or I find the flimsy to finish it. But it is not in his office or any servers I have access to." Cliegg sighed. "I know the Jedi have connections, and I was hoping you would mention the issue to your council. Perhaps if a Jedi went to the Banking Clan or the Corporate Alliance, they would open up to you more than to my weathered representatives."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, I can see how this is causing you trouble. I will bring it up to the Council, and hopefully a team can be sent there. Actually, I think my own Padawan will benefit from a little detective work mission, so we may take this one."

"Thank you," Cliegg replied.

"It's no problem. In our last mission, he had to sit still for four hours while politicians talked out a land deal. I think he will enjoy a more active mission. Plus, Murkhana has a lot of open fields for running. If things do get long and boring, I can always send him out to play."

"Yes, that will come in handy." Cliegg smiled and laughed. As a father he could definitely empathize with that.

"As you can read on the screen, Representative Meck has been missing for three years. Well past the limits to instigate a search. Representative Lars has begun his own private investigation, in addition to filing the paperwork with the Republic. He has turned over his findings to us." Obi-Wan stood in the council chambers presenting his argument. He had a rather well-prepared presentation, he thought.

Anakin wasn't with him now. He was in class, but he had stayed up the night before to listen to Obi-Wan's presentation. If the thirteen year old could follow it, he figured, It must be good.

"Yes, I can see why it would benefit the peace to get involved," Mace said. "If there are no objections, we shall look for a team to send to Niro. With the authority of an official investigation, they should be able to give us their port records to confirm that he did in fact leave for Murkhana."

"Yes, actually, I wanted to volunteer," Obi-Wan spoke up.

"Hmm. Returned from a mission just now, did you?" Yoda asked.

"Yes, but there wasn't a lot for my Padawan to do. I think Anakin got more schoolwork done on the mission than in his regular classes here at the Temple. I would be negligent if I didn't take the opportunity to teach him more. It wouldn't be too much trouble to take him out of his classes for another little while." As Obi-Wan finished, he wished he had rehearsed this part. He hoped he made a decent argument.

There was a pause, in which the Council mumbled to themselves. It seemed an argument was taking place. Yoda shook his head and Mace whispered to placate him. Some of their argument happened over an unspoken bond, as there was a whole minute when neither man's mouth opened, but their eyes continued to dart back and forth.

After a minute, Mace spoke up, "The council will discuss this mission and your offer. If we have any news, we will contact you tomorrow. You are dismissed."

"Thank you, Masters." Obi-Wan bowed on his way out of the chambers.

"Too dangerous, it is." Yoda was adamant, Mace felt it over their bond.

"Master," Mace began. "This isn't the same universe you came from. There isn't a separatist movement here. It's just a missing Politician. They're probably going to find he went off to do something questionably legal, and he either got in trouble for it, or he's still embroiled in the affair."

"A bad habit, Kenobi and Skywalker have. Find them, trouble does."

Mace rolled his eyes. "Tell you what. We'll put them on a joint assignment. Kenobi and Jinn. That way their Padawans can learn to work together. Cooperation is an important skill," He said out loud. Yoda opened his mouth, but Mace kept talking. "And, if it makes you feel better, I'll take my padawan to Mimban, to meet with an old associate. Then we'll go to Ossus and visit the old temple there. That way, should they find an army ready to break away from the republic or other such trouble, I will be in the sector."

Yoda huffed.

"Oh, you're visiting Ossus." Plo added. "Can I come along?"

Mace looked into his eager eyes and smiled. "Why not?" Then privately to Yoda he said. "Come on now. Two Master Padawan teams would be in reserve nearby. What trouble can they find that we can't solve?"

Yoda sighed and he nodded. "So be it. On your heads, it will be."

Mace wrote out a few notes to put onto the briefing they will send to Kenobi and Jinn about the mission. He had a feeling this was only a partial victory. If anything did happen to Kenobi or Skywalker, he'd never hear the end of it.

"Hair on Mygeeto me will find da next clue," Jar Jar said over the comm.

"But. We could use your presence, Master." Dart Tyranus begged. He'd gotten rather insistent lately about Jar Jar following him around to whatever planets they were playing their game on. Jar Jar was on a treasure hunt, didn't he understand.

"Nosa, me can't gos yet. Da lasten clue said disa una has to besa opened now. Me no wanten to lose da treasure."

Dart Tyranus sighed into the comm.

"Dat's good. Yousa and Qymaen will win disa una. Me believen yousa can do it." Jar Jar praised. "Me will joinen yousa when me have da wangzapper boss manen hid." Jar Jar signed off.

He felt, as he was looking for it, that that was the end treasure, at least in part. A Wangzapper that would defeat the opposing team and win him the game. As he entered the last underground tomb, he felt a renewed sense of focus, and he couldn't stop now if he tried.

Jar Jar went to leave his ship, hoping to get a ride out to the site soon. The crowds of people looked up and were filled with glee. Jar Jar didn't know what kind of attention their game was getting. Dart Tyranus must be posting something somewhere, because in his travels, he was getting noticed a lot. He was becoming quite popular, actually. On the last Planet, villagers paraded him around the city, before providing him with very luxurious accommodations. And they almost refused to accept his payment for it when he left. This time, Jar Jar noticed a few youngsters in the crowd were wearing what looked to be home-made versions of what he wore. The once all black robe, which he'd had redesigned to suit him more, now had colorful tassels and a violet trim around the hood. Jar Jar smiled and waved to the younglings.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH" Plop. There was a weird sound effect as Palpatine fell from the balcony, and suddenly, he was not on Naboo at all. He fell a few more feet and then landed, quite comfortably considering he was falling moments before, onto a chair. He opened his eyes, and he was sitting in what looked like a Theater. There was a crowd around him full of faces he didn't recognize, and the screen they were facing was blank. No one seemed concerned that he had fallen out of the ceiling, or to have noticed him at all.

"Hello Sheavey," came a disturbingly familiar voice.

"M-m-m-Master," Palpatine reluctantly turned towards the voice. The sight that met him would've made his heart stop. It was he, Damask, or Darth Plagueis depending on whether he was killing you or not. The very master Palpatine had killed in his sleep years ago, only now he looked bright and alert, and very much alive.

"Excuse me," He carried a tray of food past two other seated persons and sat down next to Palpatine. "Welcome, my boy, to the after-life."

"The Force." He'd grown up subscribing to the theory that dead men's souls were reabsorbed into the Force after they die. He did not expect it to be so… This.

"Not exactly. We're too dark to be absorbed into it all at once. We're kind of in a bubble, of sorts," Damask filled him in. "This is the cool part. We get to watch what happens next."

Palpatine pretended to look at the screen which was beginning to be filled with images of mourners at his own funeral. 'Wait, does he know that I killed him?' One would think, to a Sith, when he turned up dead, it would be obvious who killed them. Apprentices killing their Masters was kind of expected, after all.

"Course, when you take three doses of sleeping aid and still wake up nine times, the time you finally don't is hardly an accomplishment."

Palpatine held his breath. Could Damask have heard his thoughts? He'd been successfully shielding his mind since he learned to float rocks with the Force.

Damask laughed. "There's no shielding yourself here, I'm afraid. You have Granddaddy Bane to thank for that." He pointed up a few rows at a gruff looking man who glared at Palpatine. "It's a tradition here, you watch your next video with me, Master and Apprentice, bonding over old times. I remember when I watched mine. We watched what happened to you, and we laughed and laughed. Or I think we were laughing. There were tears in Rugess's eyes, so it may have been the other thing." Palpatine looked over Damask at a Bith who was still looking quite bitter.

The screen was getting fuzzy again and one of the sith got up and slammed his fist against the screen.

"The viewer is a bit out of focus. It usually focuses on the darkest presence in the galaxy, thus your apprentice," Damask explained.

"Aaaaaaah, yeah…" Palpatine put on his innocent eyes. He was not going to be the one to say that he died without an apprentice. He felt the bitterness from Bane hitting him in waves. Gosh, he almost wished there had been a Sith Hell. It wouldn't be worse than this.

"Don't worry, it will focus eventually." They sat there staring at the screen, occasionally interrupted by the loud crunch sounds of Damask munching on his snacks. Palpatine was reminded of the reason he hated eating anywhere near the man.

"Ooh, look at that. You're the first of us to start a designer trend that isn't all black." Damask poked Palpatine in the side.

Palpatine would rather he be allowed to hide from the screen forever. He did not like that this was the sum total of his influence. All the darkness he imbued, all the power he gained, he had to watch a Gungan bumble across the galaxy in his name.

"Of course it's your own fault. You know you're supposed to train your apprentices to one day replace you." Damask lectured.

Palpatine rolled his eyes. "Let them kill me, you mean." He always considered it foolish, how his master had shown him everything he knew.

"Everything… Ha." Damask chuckled. The room rose to a roar as the sith around him laughed as well. "Remember what I always taught you about having second and third backup plans…" He broke into another laughing fit. Palpatine was becoming very annoyed with this.

Hello Readers,

Well, the stage is set, I'm about to go into the final story arch. I hope you will find it as entertaining as I do. Though, I don't know how many chapters it will take to finish it.

The last part was inspired by an idea I had after chatting with some of your comments earlier on in the series. When I came up with the idea, I had just been watching Food Network's BBQ Brawl. And as often happens when my imagination runs after watching something on TV, things blend. And the characters sometimes take voices that are not their own. Anyways, when I was forming this idea, Damask had the voice of Carson Kressley, one of the judges of the cooking competition. Usually I drop it after it fades, but in this case, it actually helped the humor in it all. So do with that what you will.

Annoyingly, I've had the inspiration bug bit me again with an idea for a separate story, non fanfiction, that I may have to start. Unfortunately it will have to begin with a bunch of research first, and the legends/ historical facts may not even line up, but I hope it will make a good tale once finished. I will try to finish this story too, but there may be bigger gaps between chapters. I can't predict it yet.