Don't normally like doing AN's at the beginning of chapters, but I feel like there are a few things I should address before getting back into the story.
First, there were a couple of folks who were concerned about Aayla's OOC antics in the last chapter. Now, she is several years younger in my fic than she is in canon/legends, but, after rereading the chapter once or twice, I will admit I was a little heavy handed with the 'blue-collar' comedy as one reviewer put it. HOWEVER, I don't view it as OOC for Aayla, and this behavior is not indicative of how she normally acts. She was laying it on thick because she found out about what happened between Darra and Tyris. Also, imagine a group of kids this age. Now throw in zero romantic experience, a magic power that can literally heighten every sense, and being around other people your age who are generally in incredible shape. Regardless of the teachings or personal feelings of the individuals, hormones are going to be running wild, and they won't know how to deal with them effectively.
Second, I want to touch on the romance angle of the story. I want to start off by saying that I have not decided the pairing yet, though I think everyone is smart enough to know that Darra and Aayla are both on the very short list of potential SO's, with 1 or 2 others also on there. This was also part of the reasoning for de-aging Aayla. Now, I can see several of you hardcore Legends buffs side eyeing me right now. For those unaware, in the original Legend's storyline, Kit Fisto and Aayla end up developing a romantic connection, which sort of makes this a little awkward, but I wasn't willing to budge on either of those characters' roles in this story. As for Darra, she didn't start as a potential love interest, it was more that she was basically a blank slate. I wanted a character who was around Tyris's age and whose name would be recognized, but who I could develop as a character alongside him. The rest of the characters in that age group all pretty much end up with their own storyline at some point, but she fit what I was looking for quite nicely.
Lastly, one reviewer correctly pointed out my inaccurate timeline on Dooku's departure. While researching when he actually resigned, one source stated that after Galidraan (which apparently has THREE different potential dates) his faith in the Jedi was shaken, and he left the Order. The review prompted me to look back into it, and I quickly realized that the Legends timeline for pre-movies Dooku is all over the damn place, but it seems to be agreed that he didn't leave until after the battle of Naboo. I haven't decided yet if I'll go back and retcon it, only because I find it a little unrealistic for Tyris and Dooku to not have any contact while they were both at the temple, considering Tyris's proficiency in Makashi, as well as his Mandalorian heritage. I'm not really interested in going back and rewriting the first couple of chapters. I'll need to think on that more. We'll just chalk it up to inexperience and lack of due diligence for now.
Sorry for the manuscript right off the bat, AN at the end will be much shorter. Enjoy the chapter.
Not long after the lengthy training session with Master Fisto ended, I received a message on my datapad that there would be a briefing in one of the Temple's ready rooms in one hour, and that we would be departing quickly after that.
I wasn't surprised about the short notice. There had been several attempts on the senator's life, and developing a transport plan too far in advance opened up the possibility of information leaking and putting everyone involved at risk. I shot off a quick message to Darra to let everyone know we were gearing up to leave, then jumped into the shower unit to clean up.
Forty-five minutes later, I was walking into a circular room with a long table. Situated on the table was, I assumed, a large holoprojector that would be used to show important information for the coming mission. I also wasn't the first one to arrive.
Master Koth was standing at the head of the table, on the opposite side of the room from where I just walked in, looking over a datapad. He looked up after a moment and smiled after noticing it was me.
"Tyris," He said, setting the datapad on the table and walking around the table to meet me. "I'm glad to see you, though I wish it were under different circumstances. It's been too long since we have spoken, and, unfortunately, we don't have much time to catch up. Once the others arrive, we'll get started."
I smiled and gave him a slight bow. It really had been too long since I'd had a chance to speak with the man who saved me from Nar Shadda. "It's good to see you as well, Master. Are you running the briefing?"
"Yes and no. I'll go over the general plan, but Captain Typho has far more security experience than I do. He'll be handling the details and contingencies."
I nodded, happy that there was a level headed individual overseeing this, rather than one of those 'Jedi know best' types.
"What's your take on the situation as a whole?" I asked, wondering what the perception was for someone who didn't have cheat codes like me.
"It's perplexing to say the least," He said, taking a seat at the table and motioning me to do the same. "You definitely turned the Council on their collective head during the meeting. Everyone was quick to point the finger at the elephant in the room without really considering what the motive was. I don't think that any of us actually suspected that Dooku was capable of something like this, but it was slightly relieving to have a concrete reason for why he wouldn't."
I hummed in acknowledgement, before looking at him with a serious expression.
"I wouldn't be so quick to rule him out."
He gave me a perplexed look.
"That's rather interesting coming from you, considering that you are the one who convinced us to start looking elsewhere, Tyris."
I shrugged. "Master Fisto and I have run many investigations over the last ten years. An important thing he's taught me is that one of the most dangerous things you can do during the course of an investigation is make up your mind ahead of time. Innocuous things begin looking suspicious, and things you should be looking into look innocuous because they don't fit the narrative you've constructed. Don't jump to conclusions, but don't rule anything out either. Trust your instincts and let the evidence lead you on the path to the truth."
I could tell that Master Koth was really considering what I was saying, so I continued.
"We have one good reason why Dooku or the Separatists wouldn't want to harm the senator, while we have several more reasons why either one would want to."
Koth leaned back in his chair, bringing a hand up to cup his chin.
"Such as?" He asked.
"Well, for starters, on the political side, the successful assassination of a well-known senator would immediately legitimize the 'Confederation of Independent Systems'," I said, using air quotes around the formal name of the movement. I probably use those too much. "It would show the rest of the galaxy that they can stand toe-to-toe with the Republic."
"Would they be willing to accept the backlash? That would essentially be an act of war!"
I leaned forward in my chair, pulling a datapad from my cloak and linking it to the holoprojector. I pulled up a file I had saved.
"This is a listing of every confirmed government that is a part of the CIS. Any stand out to you?"
He looked over the list intently, eyes squinted while he considered the names.
"They are all mid- and outer-rim systems. Other than that, I'm drawing a blank," he said, looking back at me.
I tapped a few buttons and highlighted three names.
"Cato Nemoidia, Muunilist, and the Techno Union," Koth read out loud, before looking back at me, waiting for an explanation.
"Cato Nemoidia has incredibly close ties to a particular super corporation. One who has recently shown its lack of care for government oversight."
His eyes widened slightly in realization. "The Trade Federation."
I nodded. "Who has also demonstrated they have access to incredible resources, bringing to bear what resembles a military in all but name. Not to mention that these resources clearly violate the Ruusan Reformation."
I moved on to the second highlighted name. "Muunilist. An innocent enough planet, but when you take into account the fact that the governing body is literally the largest banking conglomerate in the damn galaxy, it becomes a lot more interesting."
I let that sink in for a moment, before Koth turned back to me, letting out a sigh.
"I'm starting to get the picture, but what about the last one?" He asked.
"The Techno Union is a galactic commerce guild made up of several high-profile manufacturing companies. It was one of the first entities to openly throw Dooku and the CIS movement its backing."
A few more taps on the datapad, and the highlighted name of the Techno Union expanded, now with several more names below it.
"These are the members of the Union. And when you start really looking at them, the entire movement starts becoming a lot more suspicious."
He leaned forward, gripping the side of the table, knuckles beginning to turn white. "Kuat Drive Yards, BlasTech, Baktoid, Mon Cala Shipyards…"
He eventually released the table, leaning back in the chair, and summed up his thoughts with one word.
"Sithspit."
I closed out the file, sighing.
"An organized military in the Trade Federation, bolstered by two of the largest ship yards in the galaxy, along with several arms manufacturers, all backed by nigh unlimited funding from the Banking Clan. Mix and season and you have the makings of a very powerful fighting force."
He swiveled in his chair until he was facing me. "But the Republic still vastly outnumber them."
I scoffed. "Do they?"
He quirked an eyebrow at me.
I leaned forward and continued. "What is the one truly organized force at the Republic's disposal that could realistically respond to an act of aggression?"
It took a moment, but when he came to the conclusion I was implying, his face paled.
"Us," he said, barely louder than a whisper.
I nodded. "Which loops us back around to Dooku."
"You're going to have to explain that."
I shifted back to my datapad and pulled up a different file.
The file was labeled Galidraan.
"Dooku had always been a bit abnormal for a Jedi, but the lynch pin moment that lead to his departure was the battle of Galidraan. I'm sure you know the story. Afterwards, my theory is that he lost faith in the Council. Couple that with the failure of his apprentice at the time, fast forward a decade, his second pupil, one Qui-Gon Jinn, is nearly killed on a mission the Council refused to help with. Altogether, we have a compelling reason for him to hold a grudge against the Order."
Koth stopped looking intent, and shifted to incredulous.
"You think he's starting a Galactic scale war in order to get back at the Council?"
I was on a roll now. "Far-fetched, I know, but if we shift our focus and look at the Republic's leadership — "
The words died in my mouth.
I felt like I couldn't breathe. The most intense feeling of dread had just landed on my shoulders, and I felt like Atlas, doing everything I could to just make sure I wasn't flattened to the floor.
The door I had walked through earlier whooshed open, several figures making their way in, the tail end of a conversation being brought in with them.
"—onsense, Senator. I take the matter of your security seriously as well as personally. What good is my office if I can't help insure the welfare of those who keep it running?"
Holy fucking shit-piss, I thought eloquently, frozen solid in my chair.
I absent mindedly sensed a spike of concern from Master Koth, before he became more focused on the newly arrived party.
Anakin, Padme, and Captain Typho along with Sheev goddamned Palpatine. Two senatorial guards also stepped into the room and flanked the door.
I briefly regained enough sense to quickly close out the file on the projector and slide my datapad back into my pocket.
I did my best to discreetly take several calming, deep breaths, but Koth wasn't the only one to notice my distress.
Anakin was staring at me with a look of concern and puzzlement on his face. He was pale, and a clear sheen of sweat could be seen on his forehead. He must have gotten some blowback through our connection due to the intensity of my episode.
I gave him a very slight shake of my head, mouthing the word later before gathering my bearings and turning to the other members that had just arrived.
Master Koth and I both bowed to the Chancellor.
"Chancellor Palpatine," Master Koth began. "This is a surprise. I wasn't aware you would be joining us today."
"Master Koth, a pleasure. Well I do indeed have a busy schedule, Mas Amedda is more than capable of handling matters for a short time. I'm more concerned about these disturbing assassination attempts on Miss Amidala and the steps that are being taken to ensure her continued safety. I also wish it hadn't taken an executive order to make her see reason," Palpatine replied, looking over his shoulder at said senator.
I was three seconds from having a nervous breakdown. 17 years I'd been able to keep a relatively low profile. Yeah, I may have been considered one of the most promising Jedi of my generation, but I hadn't done anything to catch the eye of anyone outside of the Order, and considering the fact that Palpatine was so focused on Anakin, I wasn't too worried about it regardless.
That was all flying out the window now.
His eyes moved over to me and it was all I could do to hold a steady gaze in return.
"Well I'm familiar with the other faces in the room, I don't believe I've had the pleasure of making your acquaintance, my young friend."
I think I might vomit.
"Ah, yes." It was a good thing Koth stepped up beside. I needed another few seconds to steady myself before I could trust my voice. "This is Padawan Tyris Kelborn, apprenticed to Master Fisto. He will be assisting Padawan Skywalker with the senator's security on the trip and during her stay on Naboo."
A flash of recognition came to Palpatine's eyes when Koth mentioned my name. And wasn't that a horrifying thought.
"Yes, I do believe Anakin has mentioned you before. Always nice to meet his peers," he said. He smiled at me, and I'm sure it would have come across as charming if I didn't know that he was arguably the most evil person in the galaxy.
My silence was beginning to teeter on rudeness, so I decided it was best to finally speak up.
I nodded at the Chancellor. "The pleasure is mine, Chancellor."
He scrutinized me for several seconds before clearing his throat and turning back to Master Koth.
"Forgive me, Master Koth, and all due respect to young Kelborn here, but isn't sending two Jedi slight overkill? Might it not call more attention?"
I did my best to keep my eyes from narrowing.
Why would he care if I was also attached to the mission? There's no way he was able to plan on Anakin and Padme making a detour to Tatooine, and everything that happened on Geonosis was just a happy accident…. Ah. He's already trying to isolate Anakin from the Order as much as possible.
"I'd agree with you, Chancellor, if Tyris was also going to be shadowing Senator Amidala. His concern is mitigating opportunities any potential assailants might have. He'll be more focused on overall security, so Anakin can focus on protecting the senator."
Palpatine hummed in acknowledgment, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. That didn't bode well for me.
"Very well, Master Jedi. I'll defer to you on this matter." He turned back to the others.
Anakin and Typho didn't seem overly perturbed by the exchange, but Padme's eyes kept darting back and forth between the Chancellor and me. It seemed that she had picked up on the weird tension in the room.
Smart girl.
"Shall we proceed, then?" The Chancellor asked, motioning to the table. He took a seat at the head closest to the door, motioning Anakin to the seat directly to his right. I rolled my eyes.
Padme took a seat next to Anakin, with Typho remaining standing directly behind her. I chose to stand next to him, clasping my hands behind my back, waiting for Koth to begin the briefing.
My eyes kept unwittingly darting to the back of the Chancellor's head. I would have much preferred him not knowing the ins and outs of our plan, but there wasn't anything I could do about it at this point.
Koth cleared his throat. "Alright, to start, the three of you will be departing the planet tonight at 1800 hours. Once on Naboo, you'll be staying at Varykino, a lake side retreat outside the city of Theed. Captain Typho will now go over the particulars of each leg of the mission." He nodded at the captain.
Typho pulled out a datapad, linking it to the holoprojector, and cleared his throat.
"The ship you will be traveling on is a public freighter transport." An image of said freighter displayed over the table. "Anakin and Padme will be masquerading as a refugee couple while in transit. Tyris, for this leg of the journey, you'll be traveling separately. Secrecy is tantamount, so myself and one of the senator's handmaidens will be remaining here, keeping up the appearance that Senator Amidala is still on planet. Tyris will publicly depart several hours after the freighter leaves, though in a much faster ship."
Huh. Guess I better tell my friends to keep their mouths shut.
"I know just the ship for the job," I chimed in.
Typho nodded at me.
"Both parties will arrive on Naboo at roughly the same time. Anakin and Padme will meet with the Queen immediately upon arrival, and the senator has made plans to dine with her family in the city." The image changed to one of a rather luxurious compound situated on the shore of a large lake. "Tyris, you'll head straight to the lake side retreat to inspect the residence, where you'll be joined by Anakin and Padme once they've concluded their business in the city."
The holoprojector shut down, and Typho turned to me. "I'm sending the blueprints and details on your departure to your datapad." He tapped away at his datapad, and I heard mine chime in response.
I nodded at him, and began reviewing what he'd sent me as Koth spoke up.
"Communication will be kept to emergency needs only. You'll effectively be on your own once you depart. If any major breakthroughs come from your masters' investigations, you will be updated when deemed necessary. Are there any questions?"
"Why aren't we all just traveling on the ship that Padawan Kelborn is using?" Padme asked, speaking up for the first time since entering the room.
I cleared my throat, and Master Koth waved for me to continue.
"During my public departure, I'll be seen speaking with your body double and Captain Typho. This will add credence to you actually still being on planet, hopefully keeping any eyes that mean you harm firmly focused here on Coruscant. Hopefully by the time anyone realizes it isn't actually you, which someone will eventually figure out, we'll all be safely on Naboo."
She nodded, satisfied with the answer. Koth looked around briefly, waiting for any more last second questions.
"Alright, there are still a few hours before the first departure, so make sure everything is squared away and be ready to move. May the Force be with you all." With that, he gave me a nod, and made his way out of the room as everyone stood from the table.
"I will take my leave as well," Palpatine said. He looked to Anakin and then to me. "I trust the senator's wellbeing to you, Anakin, and you as well, Padawan Kelborn."
He then turned to Padme. "My lady, I know you are cross with me, but I couldn't bear the thought of anything untoward happening to you. Look at this as a chance for a vacation." By the look on her face, I felt that she was struggling not to roll her eyes.
I feel you, girl.
With that, Palpatine nodded to us, then turned and left with his bodyguards.
I walked up to Anakin and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't go anywhere yet," I said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. He gave me a look before nodding and turning back to Padme.
I made my way over to where Typho was standing, snapping off a quick message on my datapad on the way.
I extended a hand. "Nice to meet you, Captain. Tyris Kelborn. Sorry it's not under better circumstances."
Typho took the offered hand and gave it a frim shake. "Likewise. It's good to have another Jedi on this. I was confident that Skywalker would have been able to handle the assignment, but I was still relieved when I heard they were assigning another to assist. You have security experience?"
I nodded. "My master and I have run a security detail or two. Though nothing as high profile as protecting a galactic senator." The most recent one had been an eye witness on Corellia my master and I had been assigned to guard. They were set to testify against a local mob. That had been an interesting 48 hours to say the least. Suffice it to say, said mob was many members smaller by the time the trial actually began.
"That sets me more at ease. These recent attempts on her life have caused me many sleepless nights."
"We'll get to the bottom of it, Captain. I just wanted to introduce myself, figured it would make it easier for you to know who you were trusting her safety with."
He nodded at me, before furrowing his brow. "Kelborn, you said? I feel like I've heard that name before…"
I was surprised. The Kelborn clan was pretty famous in its own right, but I figured that was only in Mandalorian circles.
"Rhydis Kelborn," a soft voice said from behind me.
I was halfway turning to the voice before what was said registered. Everything started moving in slow motion. It felt hard to breathe.
That was a name I hadn't thought about in over a decade, even though I carried a reminder in a thigh holster almost everywhere I went.
"What did you say?" I whispered, turning fully to look at Padme.
"That's where Gregar has heard your surname before. Rhydis Kelborn."
My head was spinning.
"Ah, that's right," Typho said, pointing at the senator. "The Mandalorian that saved Uncle Quarsh."
Padme nodded, and looked at me with a smile. "I'm not too familiar with how Mandalorian clans work. I'm assuming you're related to him?"
I sat there, stunned, mouth agape, unable to form any words in response. Padme's face grew concerned.
I tried to gather myself and answer her, but before I got the chance, that damn door opened again.
"Jax? Darra?" Anakin asked in confusion, looking at the group that was walking through the door.
A blue arm shot up behind the two named individuals.
"Aayla and Bardan!" Aayla shouted, rounding out our group of friends.
I shook myself out of my stupor. That was enough life altering surprises for one day. I'd have plenty of time over the next few weeks to speak with Padme about how she knew of my father.
"What are you guys doing here?"
I walked up behind Anakin and put a hand on his shoulder.
"We all got together yesterday after I got back, but it felt weird not having you there. So we decided to get everyone together, even if it was brief, before you and I left again."
Anakin looked at me with surprise, before smiling and looking back at everyone else.
Jax spoke up. "And by 'we', Tyris actually means that it was all—,"
I gave Jax a very sharp glare, and he thankfully got the hint. I wasn't going to perpetuate this idea that I was in charge.
Jax cleared his throat. "Yeah, we just wanted to make sure to see you before you left."
I checked the time on my datapad.
"We've still got several hours before the departure time." I glanced between Anakin and Padme. "I'm assuming the two of you are ready to walk out the door, so to speak?"
Anakin gave me a firm nod.
"Great. Let's head to the refectory and grab something to eat. We can catch up for an hour or so before it's go time."
There was a snort.
"Who the kriff says 'go time'?" Aayla said, trying to stifle her laughter.
"What?" I demanded, feeling my cheeks heating up. "That's a normal, cool thing to say!"
I felt a poke in my side.
"It's also something a leader would say," Darra said, barely restraining her own laughter. I heard a suspect cough and realized even Anakin was having a hard time not laughing at my expense.
I sighed. "Whatever, can we go please?"
"I'd follow you anywhere, Tyris," Bardan said in a sarcastically serious tone, throwing me a mock salute.
That broke the dam, and everyone was laughing at that point, including Padme.
Even I was having a hard time keeping the smile off my face. I don't know when it happened, but at some point, these people I had met had stopped being characters from my favorite universe, and had become my closest friends.
"Are we done?" I asked in an unimpressed tone, which was completely ruined by the smile plastered on my face.
Everyone gathered themselves after a few more moments of merriment, and we began filing out of the room. I stopped when I realized we were a pair of feet short. Anakin seemed to notice at the same time.
We both turned and looked at Padme, who hadn't moved.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"I don't want to impose. I'll be fine while you catch up with your friends," she replied.
"Well, that's the dumbest thing I've heard today," I said.
The senator looked taken aback, and I felt a flash of irritation from Anakin through our link. I rolled my eyes.
I felt a sharp elbow impact my side, and then Darra was moving past me and walking up to Padme.
"Tyris is an idiot sometimes, but his heart is in the right place. We'd love it if you would come with us, and I'm pretty sure Anakin would flat out refuse to attend if you weren't there anyways," Darra said, grabbing Padme's hands and giving her a smile.
Padme still seemed unsure and glanced over at Typho, who raised his hands and shook his head.
"No complaints from me, my lady. If you aren't safe with a group of Jedi in the heart of the Temple, then you aren't safe anywhere. I'll make sure the preparations are all taken care of, and meet you at the landing pad when it is time to go."
I chimed in again. "Not to mention it would be a stupid–"
My voice died in my throat as another feeling of dread came over me. Not as intense as with Palpatine, but while that was a more oppressive blanket, this one was like a stab directly at my heart.
I felt a slender hand grab my arm, fingernails digging painfully into the inside of my bicep, and another around my forearm pulling me down, forcing me to lean slightly to the side. A chin planted on my shoulder, and a sickly sweet voice whispered in my ear.
"If you continue to make idiotic comments, I promise there will be pain in your near future."
I felt a shiver run down my spine. Aayla was usually one of the nicest people you could ever interact with, but if you upset her in any way, she could also be one of the most frightening. My teeth clicked from the force of me closing my mouth.
The pressure from the fingernails lessened, and I felt a pat on my forearm.
"Good boy."
She backed away, and when I looked around I realized that the other occupants all wore expressions of differing levels of amusement. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes again.
"Ok, now that we've established that the senator is coming with us, can we please go? I'm not sure how long we'll be gone, and I'd rather not waste the time we do have getting threatened by Aayla."
Said Twi'lek snickered.
Jax raised an eyebrow at me. "What, no slick one liner to send us off? It's not 'go time' yet?"
Bardan chimed in. "I was expecting a 'Let's move' at the very least."
"Nah, that's so uninspired. Perhaps 'Let's get to work'," Darra added.
I sighed, and couldn't help but smile at the laughs they were having at my expense. But I was going to get the last one.
I smirked and walked out the door, shouting over my shoulder, "Come on, you apes, you wanna live forever?"
I didn't stop or look back, but the stunned silence I left behind was loud enough to be heard out in the corridor. I smirked.
They might not get my references, but I know I'm funny.
This is a line break
Walking down the boarding ramp, I sighed in relief, greedily sucking in a lungful of the Naboo air. Realistically, I knew that I couldn't really tell the difference between the recycled air from the O2 scrubbers and what I was currently breathing, but the combination of the smells, the sun, and not being cooped up in the Mythosaur, it really did feel different.
The transit from Coruscant had gone as smoothly as any of us could have hoped for. The trip had taken a few days, and I spent most of it reviewing all the files I'd compiled on the CIS, as well as touching base with some of the contacts I'd made throughout the galaxy during my travels with Master Fisto. I got confirmation from Ichem that my message had been delivered, as well as a message from his daughter asking after me. He'd also sent some info that he'd managed to find out about the group that had taken his daughter, which I would review at a later date. A war was about to break out, but that didn't mean there weren't other concerns worth looking into.
While communicating with my contacts, I also checked on the status of several of the plans I had set in motion. One of which I was going to need to address sooner rather than later.
Don't worry, Pops. Mandalore hasn't seen the last of clan Kelborn.
I came out of my reverie and glanced at the beautiful estate in front of me. Varykino was definitely a sight to see. Situated right next to a massive lake with a glass like surface, the estate was all curves and soft edges, giving off a very organic feel to the design. Back on Earth, a place like this would be a wealthy business person's summer home, and would cost somewhere in the tens of millions. I ended my admiration, and immediately began looking at it from a tactical perspective.
It was a nightmare.
While Varykino was indisputably stunning, a fortress it was not. Too many windows, at least seven access points from the outside, mountains surrounding it within sniper range, and plenty of woods surrounding it to hide potential assailants. About the only advantage we can hope for is the remoteness of the estate, and the subterfuge we used in getting here. Which was honestly a joke, considering who literally sat in on the goddamn meeting.
I took a calming breath. Emotion had its place, I'd decided, but tactically analyzing a defensive position was a clinical exercise, and I needed a clear mind for it. In canon, Anakin and Padme were never bothered while here, but I couldn't foresee the kind of spanner my presence was going to throw into the works. I needed to be vigilant.
I started by walking the perimeter, pulling up the security camera feed on my datapad, using the access codes Typho had sent to me. I verified myself on each camera, walking back and forth to see if there were any holes in the coverage. I discovered at least three areas with gaps more than big enough for a single person to slip through. I noted the locations down, and would set up additional cameras I had brought to rectify the breaches.
After I finished the perimeter, I then moved into the estate itself, taking note of the entrances, sight lines on the windows, and again reviewing the camera footage within the building itself. There were far too few for my liking, and I stopped in the middle of my walkabout to retrieve my extra cameras. They were small and nondescript, basically half-moon discs that would adhere to whatever surface I attached them to, giving me a customizable angle of whatever I wanted it covering. Once I was satisfied with the cameras, and that they were on and functioning, I pulled out my datapad to check the connection with the Mythosaur. The cameras worked on a redundant system, containing a physical hard drive that had the last twelve hours of footage stored, while simultaneously sending all recorded footage to my ship, which was then beamed to an offsite data bank for safekeeping in case the cameras were destroyed and the footage needed to be reviewed.
Once that was taken care of, I put away my datapad. Placing both of my hands on my lower back, I leaned back and stretched until I heard a satisfying crack. With the traveling, checking in with contacts, and making sure all my bases were covered for this mission, I hadn't had much time to be active. I was sorely in need of some physical activity.
I still had a while before Anakin and Padme were expected to arrive, so I made my way out to the courtyard. I started by doing some light stretching, until my body stopped popping and clicking, signifying I was properly limber. I then activated my blade, basking in the viridian glow, and began slowly going through the stances and velocities of all the lightsaber forms I knew. Over the years with Master Fisto, I had become proficient in all 7 of the forms to varying degrees. I was considered a master of both 2 and 3, Makashi and Soresu respectively, something almost unheard of for someone who was still a Padawan. Though Master Fisto made it very clear that I was nowhere near the level of Dooku or Master Windu, who were considered the most formidable swordsmen of this time. I also had a very strong grasp of Form 1, Shii Cho, mostly due to the fact that I was apprenticed to arguably the greatest user of the form the Order had seen in a great number of years.
I was proficient in the rest of the forms, though was in no rush to master them any time soon. Form 4, Ataru, was an acrobatic form that was considered the most tiring of the lightsaber forms. While it had its benefits, I felt it was more effective as an addition to my main forms. Knowing the basic movements allowed me to slot parts of the form I found useful into my mastered forms, such as Makashi, adding an element of surprise to what is traditionally a very grounded form.
Form 5, Shien or Djem So depending on the variation, was a form I was very interested in, and was the form that Anakin favored. It was very similar to Form 3, although it traded off some of its defensive capabilities for a far more aggressive offense. My only hesitation about the form, specifically Djem So, was that alot of the movements required the blade to be held in a reverse grip, which I felt completely negated my natural advantage of being so large.
Form 6, Niman, would probably be the last form I got around to mastering. It was a form mostly used by those who had no interest in devoting a lot of time to lightsaber combat, but wanted to cover their bases, as it was a form that sought to combine the benefits from the other forms.
Form 7, Juyo, was easily my most proficient, non-mastered form, though I used it almost exclusively with my double bladed saber. The hyper aggressive form was well suited for the wider range the double bladed saber gave me, especially if I was fighting multiple opponents in close quarters.
About the time I moved on from my Form 2 movements into the stance of Form 3, I began to think about my more unorthodox combat forms.
I had very briefly dipped my toe into Jar'Kai, though there was a reason it wasn't practiced very often in the Order. Not only was it incredibly hard to learn, very limited in defense, and required the construction of a second lightsaber, but also in the event one of those sabers was lost, the user would be incredibly hampered depending on how much time had been devoted to a back up lightsaber form.
As I continued through the movements of Form 3 and pondered my martial skills, I took in my surroundings. The scenery here was honestly breathtaking. The green mountains that surrounded the estate, the bright blue sky, the sun hanging low on the horizon. Even the architecture of the estate itself was beautiful, and I took it all in as I spun in a full circle. The inlaid brick of the surrounding wall, the tranquility of the cobblestone courtyard, which had overgrown vegetation in some places that added to the overall aesthetic of the place so well I had a hard time believing it wasn't intentional. Even the buildings themselves, with the soft curves and rounded edges, the slanted roofs, and even the figure in the window facing the courtyard. My mind drifted to my last combat form, one that was born through the combined efforts of my master and I, which required the use of —
I completely halted all movement, nearly rolling my ankle from the force with which I had planted my foot, and immediately spun back to face the main building, my eyes glued to the window that overlooked where I was.
There was nothing there, but I knew what I had seen. I trusted my memory to the point that if the reflection off the window had played a trick on my eyes, I would've been able to think back and realize it for what it was. That was not the case here.
I immediately sought out Anakin in the Force, knowing it wasn't likely, but not ruling out the possibility that I had been so engrossed in my exercise that I hadn't noticed them arrive. I found him rather quickly, and while I wasn't familiar enough with Naboo to be able to place his exact location, he very clearly was not here.
He must have felt me seeking him, as I noticed his presence become more clear, indicating that he was also opening himself more to the Force. Our connection wasn't to the point where we could communicate in the traditional sense, but we could broadcast feelings and ideas to each other. He immediately noticed my anxiety.
Trouble?
I sent back the equivalent of a mental shrug, but knew that my trepidation was bleeding through.
Coming.
No. I sent back. Stay. Protect.
While I would have felt infinitely more confident about this situation knowing Anakin was on his way, it would have defeated the purpose of our mission here. Padme was the priority, and bringing her here was just plain idiocy, and Anakin leaving her there and coming anyways wasn't any better.
I could tell that Anakin wanted to argue, but I cut the connection and focused on my surroundings. Other than the initial sighting, there was no sign that anyone else was on the premises. No movement through the windows, no presence in the Force, and, the most worrying of all, none of my cameras had pinged any movement. Anakin, Padme, and I all had datapads that acted as the equivalent of IFF transponders for the camera system. If the camera detected movement and also detected one of the datapads, it would still log the movement, but I wouldn't get a priority ping to my datapad. If there was movement and it couldn't detect the transponder, the priority ping would essentially lock my datapad out of every other function until I reviewed the footage the camera had taken.
I quickly flipped through all the cameras anyways, keeping one eye on my surroundings for any movement.
Nothing.
I felt the uneasiness in my gut grow. I typed out a message on my data pad, and had the Mythosaur tight beam it to a comm buoy I had dropped at the edge of the system before I arrived on the planet. The message was on a timed release. If I didn't cancel it, it would send to several people with the details of what was going on, including the Council and Master Fisto.
With my bases covered, I took a deep breath, loosened my S-5 in its holster, and gripped my lightsaber as I began making my way to the main building. The best place to start would be the window that I saw the figure in.
I was not prepared for what I was going to find.
AN: Well, so much for the more consistent uploads, huh? I started a new job as a police officer, and life kinda got out of hand after that. I apologize, both for the length of time between this chapter and last, as well as for the quality of this one, which I feel is not quite up to snuff. Heavy exposition, especially on Tyris's ideas about the CIS, as well as the lightsaber forms. A tiny hint at Tyris's father's past, which will be expanded upon further down the line. Next chapter will have major plot implications, though not sure if everyone will pick up on it right off the bat. It will also lead right up to Tyris and co heading to Tatooine, and from there we will very quickly hit the climax of Episode 2.
What do you guys think of the lighthearted moments between Tyris and his group? I usually get a laugh or two out of myself when I'm writing some of the moments, but I'm not sure how well the comedy is actually translating. Let me know!