Spectre: I gathered your reviews. And by popular vote, the answer will be shown as it be read
Chapter 23: At the Darkest Depths
"You have to be impressed, Skywalker. He saved her many times already, so this was just bound to happen", Kit Fisto told the still-mumbling form of Anakin.
"This isn't right! Han is a smuggler while she is the leader of the Rebel Alliance! He'll sell them out for credits, just for sure!", Anakin reasoned out while some members of the audience could see his visible worry for the Princess.
"Come on, Master. If he did have an ulterior motive, he would've sold out the Alliance to the Empire long ago", Ahsoka chimed in. "So Han is loyal to them by bond, not credits. So you don't have to worry about that!"
Per Vader's orders, the Imperial fleet moved into the asteroid field. The heavily armored destroyers could easily stand up to the pelting assault of the space rocks, for the most part. Vader himself stood on the deck of his flagship before a trio of holograms, the captains of the other ships.
"And that was the last time they appeared in any of our scopes." The middle hologram said, as the one on his right winked out. "Considering the amount of damage we've sustained, they must have been destroyed."
"No, Captain. They're alive." Vader said firmly. "I want every ship available to sweep the asteroid field until they are found."
"While I get that he wanted Luke for what did to the Death Star, his obsession could risk the lives of those who serve under him", Mundi said with a frown towards the Dark Lord, clearly stating his disapproval.
"The Sith are known to pursue their goals no matter the cost", Windu added. "Even if it meant risking the lives of their allies"
The two holograms bowed to him as they winked out, to reveal Piett walking up to Vader. "Yes, Admiral. What is it?" Vader said casually. "The Emperor commands you to make contact with his." he said.
Vader wasted no time. "Move the ship out of the asteroid field so that we can send a clear transmission."
"They're already on it, my Lord."
"Good."
"The Emperor? Could it be Count Dooku?", Plo Koon suddenly spoke up in anticipation. The Jedi's ears perked upon hearing the head of state of the Empire.
"We are to witness who he is.", Windu said, his chest beating in an increasing rate. "Once we do, we apprehend him as soon as we finish the rest of the presentations"
Vader returned to his chambers as the ship left the field and stepped onto a small holo-platform behind his meditation pod. He knelt on the platform and spoke with reverence as the image of the Emperor flickered to life before him.
"Is that-?", Anakin began, his heart skipped a beat at what he couldn't see that was possible. "No...it can't be..."
The Jedi widened their eyes in both horror and of dismay, having a similar mindset as Anakin.
"What is thy bidding, my Master?"
The holographic face before him may have once been called venerable, now it was anything but. The eyes were sunken into his face, only his yellow eyes. His white slicked-back hair was covered by his black hood and his white skin was wrinkled.
What the audience saw was like a tidal wave crashing down their senses. All of them could not find the strenght to comprehend the sight in front of them, with some feeling that they are like having a heart attack. They all had a mixed reaction of shock, outrage, anger, dismay and disbelief.
Anakin's mind almost shattered at what he was seeing in front of him, denying the truth that was presented right in front of him. He couldn't...not ever...
The Jedi fared no better. From all the wisdom and experience they had through the Force, what they thought that was not possible, became their worst nightmare.
All this time...the answer was just right below their noses. But their arrogance, their unwillingness to believe the Sith had returned, and the war had blinded them into following him unwittingly. Like pawns at that matter.
"PALPATINE?!", shouted almost everyone inside the chamber. They couldn't believe what they saw next, not when the face of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was shown in front of them, who was now Emperor the Galactic Empire.
"It...it can't be...", Kit Fisto spoke, barely uttering the words to the sight front of him. "He...is the Emperor?"
"By the Force...", Ki-Adi spoke, breathing heavily out of shock of the revelation. "Have we been...blind this whole time?"
"Chancellor Palpatine...", Shaak Ti began, trembling at the sight. "...is a Sith Lord?"
"The one Dooku had told me at Geonosis...", Obi-Wan muttered, not taking this news as well. "The one who had control over the Senate..."
Anakin trembled before he fell to his knees, holding his chest in pain emotionally. The man who was like a father to him, was the very being he had sworn to destroy. He slammed his fist to the floor out of frustration, now knowing what the Chancellor's true colors are.
Padmé covered mouth with her hands, seeing that her mentor turned out to be something else, one that is bent on putting the galaxy on his thumb. She now knew why he convinced her to put a vote of no confidence to Chancellor Finnis Valorum.
Rex however, looked at the screen with a blank and obedient look. Ahsoka nudged the Clone Captain by the elbow to try and get him back to reality, but it looked as if he was hypnotized at this point.
"There is a great disturbance in the Force." he said, his voice calm and powerful.
"I have felt it.""We have a new enemy; the young rebel who destroyed the Death Star. I have no doubt this boy is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker.
"How is that possible?"
"Search your feelings, Lord Vader. You will know it to be true. He could destroy us."
"Palpatine...you better not get near Luke...", Anakin warned the screen, using every fiber of his body to restrain himself and end the Chancellor there and now.
"He is just a boy. Obi-Wan can no longer help him."
Said Jedi Master clenched his fist. "I will protect him, even beyond the grave...", he growled as Luminara held his shoulder to calm him down.
"The Force is strong with him. The Son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi."
"If he could be turned, he would be a powerful ally." Vader suggested.
Anakin glared at the Dark Lord in front of him. "Stay away from Luke, you monster!", he shouted, after he had seen what had happened to Ahsoka and to Obi-Wan.
The Emperor considered the idea briefly. "Yes. He would be a great asset. Can it be done?"
Vader bowed. "He will join us or die, Master."
Mace Windu paused the holovid all of a sudden and stood up. "Master Windu?", Luminara inquired worriedly.
"If the Republic and the Jedi are going to survive, we must act quickly", he declared, his eyes filled with anger that was not mustered before.
"You have my aid, old friend", Kit Fisto seconded, preparing to join the Korum master. His dismay was replaced by frustration and anger, miffed that the Chancellor used the Jedi for his own ends.
"Master, if you may, I want come with you", Anakin requested, also standing up. "The Chancellor, for all I knew was like a father to me. But to him, I was nothing more than his tool. I wish to confront him"
Mace, and the rest of the Jedi looked at him They knew that Anakin had a close relationship with the Chancellor, and this revelation weighed upon him heavily.
Yoda spoke up, shaking his head. "Approve of this decision. I do not"
The Jedi turned towards at him, gobsmacked at what they just heard. They know who Palpatine is behind that kindly visage, so why doesn't he want to act now.
"Master Yoda, with all due respect", Mace began in a pleading tone. "The survival of the Republic and of the Jedi is at hand. We must act quicky before he and Vader could destroy the Jedi"
They now knew that Palpatine was Dooku's Master. But to what had actually happened during the end of the war is still unclear to them.
Yoda shook his head. "Rash as always, my apprentice", he said before giving them a firm look. "Sent these holovids, the Force have, to know what wrong we had done. Jeopordize the future because of impatience, you could."
All the Jedi looked at one another and saw Yoda's point. If they acted now without knowing what Palpatine had in his sleeve, it would put the Jedi in a dire state than it is now.
Shaak Ti spoke up. "I concur with Master Yoda. If we act now without any evidence or any proper jurisdiction, the Jedi could be branded as traitors."
She then gasped in realization. From what elder Ahsoka told them, the Jedi were accused of the crime and was likely the result when they found out about his identity and rushed towards him. And it may serve as the basis for Palpatine to declare them traitors. The rest of the audience got wind of it as well.
"Master, are you sure about this? We simply can't let Palpatine go free", Anakin asked, anxious of their next move and worried for Luke's safety.
Obi-Wan lowered his head. He knew that Palpatine had a close relationship with Anakin. And if that could say anything-
'NO!', Obi-Wan thought to himself. There is just no way. It could have been that Anakin resisted Palpatine, and that is where he sent Vader as a mole, thus causing the death of the Jedi and of Anakin as a whole.
"Always wise, the Jedi are not", Yoda admitted. "An example is, Padawan Tano's trial. Wrong to convice her we were. Out of impatience, should we act now, destroy the one chance to change the future it could."
All the Jedi looked at one another and obliged to Master Yoda's wishes, and those who stood up returned to their seats. Anakin held his temples as he couldn't believe it, as Palpatine proved to be no better than the Jedi for all that he had done.
'Once we know the truth, I will come after you, Palpatine. Even if I were to die by your hand, I'm taking you with me!', Anakin proclaimed mentally.
"Commander? What happpened?", Rex asked Ahsoka, who held his shoulder.
"I don't know Rex, it looked as if you hypnotized at the sight of the Chancellor", Ahsoka told him, but couldn't help but wonder. Why is Rex acting like this? What does Palpatine's appearance had to do with it?
It had begun to rain on Dagobah, much to Artoo's dismay. He had disobeyed Luke's order and followed after his master to the Hermit's hut and had been left outside as punishment. Luke conveniently left out the fact that there was no way Artoo would even be able to make it inside without knocking out a wall first.
"Look, I'm sure it's delicious, but I don't understand why we can't see Yoda now." Lule said, trying hard to keep it from sounding like whining.
"Patience!" his host told him, "For the Jedi it is time to eat as well."
"Hopefully Anakin's impatience is not passed on", Obi-Wan teased to Anakin, in an attempt to calm him from the shocking revelation earlier.
"Come on, I'm sure he's different!", Anakin reasoned out.
Luke sighed and walked over to the fire, spooning some the food into a bowl. The stuff hardly looked like food, which was saying something since he had been mostly living off of military food for the past two years. He took a bite and grimaced. He suddenly wished he had some MREs right now. At least those lacked any real taste."Good food. Hmm? Good food." The Hermit said.
"Someone doesn't like Master Yoda's cooking", Ahsoka whispered to Padmé, who giggled.
"Heard that, I do!", the Grandmaster called out to Ahsoka, a little offended.
"How far away is Yoda?" Luke said, changing the subject as he quietly added some sugar he always kept on hand to the food "Will it take us long to get there?"
"Not far. Yoda not far." The Hermit assured as he joined him by the fire. "Patience. Soon, you will be with him. Why wish you become Jedi? Hmm? Hmm?"
Luke shrugged. "Mostly because of my father, I guess."
"Ah, father. Powerful Jedi was he. Mmm, powerful Jedi."
Anakin smiled at the Grandmaster, who acknowledge him by who is he is, unlike many of members of the Council before.
"Oh, come on, how could you know my Father? You don't even know me." Finally, everything boiled over and he lost it, "I don't even know what I'm doing here. We're wasting our time!" The Hermit sighed. "I cannot teach him.." he said, "The boy has no patience."
"Wait, what?" Caleb said.
The other Jedi sighed in relief, glad that Master Yoda's persona is merely a facade. It would have been really weird to see him like that.
"He will learn patience."
The spectral voice of Obi-Wan said, making Luke start and the Hermit scowl before he turned and faced him, all trace of the eccentric hermit gone."Much anger in him, like his father." He said.
"Was I any different when you taught me?"
"No. He is not ready."
"I will be truthful to you, Skywalker. But Master Yoda is right. Luke needed patience to have the proper training of a Jedi Knight", Windu commented to Anakin, who sees it to be reasonable enough.
Luke's eyes widened. "Yoda…" he nodded. "I am ready. Ben- I can be a Jedi. Ben, tell him I'm-" he tried to stand but forgot how low the ceiling was.
"Ready are you?" Yoda questioned, "What know you ready? For 800 years have I trained Jedi."
"He is nearly 900 years old at this point", Obi-Wan observed, fascinated on the Grandmaster's species' lifespan.
"I wonder if there are more like Master Yoda out there", Ahsoka thoughtfully said.
"My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained. A Jedi must have the deepest commitment. The most serious mind." He turned and began speaking to the air, specifically Obi-Wan, "This one, a long time have I watched. All his life, has he looked away. To the future, to the horizon. Never his mind onwhere he was.Hmm? What he was doing! Hmph. Adventure. Ha! Excitement. Ha! A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless!"
"Master Yoda just described every Youngling at best." Mundi mused.
"So was I, if you remember."
"He is too old." He said with finality. "Yes. Too old to begin the training."
"But I've learned so much." Luke pleaded.
Yoda sighed. "Will he finish what he begins?" he asked of Obi-Wan.
Luke answered instead. "I won't fail you." Yoda looked at him critically. "I'm not afraid."
"Oh, you will be." He nodded to himself. "You will be."
"I just hope Luke will learn a lot from him", Ahsoka thoughtfully said.
"Under the Grandmaster of the Jedi, I would think so, Snips", Anakin assured her, hoping that under Master Yoda's teachings, Luke would be capable of facing Vader and Palpatine on his own.
The Imperial fleet had taken up a new tactic in searching the asteroid field, having the Destroyers hang back and destroy any asteroids that posed a threat to them from range, while sending out TIE bombers to the larger ones in order to flush their prey from their hiding place. Too bad for them that their prey was hidden deep within one of the largest asteroids, so the bombs were nothing more than loud pops to them.
Leia was sat in the co-pilot seat of the Falcon's cockpit, listening to the bombs drop, when they suddenly stopped. He looked up, waiting for the noise to resume, and saw a shadow pass by. She stood up to get a better look and was greeted by the sudden appearance of a leech-like mouth on the cockpit window. She yelled in alarm and ran for help.
"Well, so much for surprises", Depa said, though a little startled along with the audience.
Meanwhile, Han, Chewie and Threepio were continuing with repairs without any Imperial interruptions.
"Captain, if I may venture an opinion- " Threepio said, but Han cut him off.
"Not really interested in your opinion, Threepio."
"There's something out there!" Leia said as she entered the ship's common room.
"Where?" Han asked.
"Outside in the cave."
A loud banging from outside gave her statement validity, and Han and Chewie grabbed their weapons.
"Let's go, Chewie."
"Are you crazy?" Leia asked.
"I just got this bucket of bolts back together." Han told her, "I'm not gonna let something tear it apart."
"Then I'm going with you." Leia growled, grabbing one of the rebreathers Han and Chewie had grabbed and followed them outside.
Han walked down the entry ramp with his pistol at the ready and the rebreather mask over his mouth and nose. Leia followed close behind and Chewie bringing up the rear with his bowblaster.
"This ground sure feels strange." Leia commented as she stepped onto the cave floor. "It doesn't feel like rock."
"You just have to say it...", Kit-Fisto muttered with a face-palm.
"There's an awful lot of moisture in here as well." Han added, noting the light fog that hung on the ground.
"I don't know. I have a bad feeling about this."
"I'll have to agree with you Solo", Anakin admitted with a sigh.
"And I have a guess at why." Obi-Wan groaned.
"Yeah. Me too." Han turned and his eyes widened. "Heads up!" he yelled, and fired. Chewie, hearing this, called out to his partner.
"It's all right." Han assured him. "It's all right." she got a look at what she had killed. "Yeah, what I thought. Mynock. Chewie, check the rest of the ship and make sure there aren't any more attached, chewing on the power cables."
"A Mynock?" Leia said, confused.
"Go on inside. We'll clean them off if there are anymore."
Leia screamed when she felt some fly past her head, and yelled for Han. Chewie shouted at one that had latched itself to the front of her weapon, and Threepio yelled ineffectually from the cockpit at one that stuck itself to the glass. Han fired at one that passed by, but missed and hit the wall. Suddenly, the entire cave shook briefly.
"They're not on solid ground. Are they?", Padmé asked, worried.
"It could be said so, Senator", Rex answered in a dejected tone, sighing.
Han's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute." he fired again at the ground before his, eliciting the same response as before, but far worse. Everyone grabbed onto something in an attempt to stay upright. That was enough to convince Han of his theory. "Everyone inside, now!"
"Trouble always finds its way to them", Luminara said.
"Reminds me of Anakin and I during the campaign. Except this was a whole different case", Obi-Wan told her.
They all ran as quickly as they could as the cave continued to move under their feet, making it back to the ship.
"Chewie! Let's get out of here!" Han yelled.
"The Empire is still out there!" Leia argued, "I don't think- "
"No time to discuss this in committee."
"Oof! I am not a committee!"
Han successfully made it back to the cockpit and slid into his seat next to Chewie, Leia hot on his heels.
"You can't make the jump to light speed in this asteroid field." Leia told him.
"Sit down, sweetheart. We're taking off."
The floor finally stopped moving as the Falcon lifted off and began to make it's exit. Threepio entered behind them and pointed ahead of them.
"Look!" he exclaimed.
"I see it, I see it." Han growled.
"The cave is collapsing!" Leia said.
"This is no cave."
Han was proven right as the Falcon roared out of the hole, followed by a massive eyeless worm with a huge mouth that tried to snap at them, barely missing. As the ship blazed into the void, the worm retreated into its hiding place with a grumble.
"An Exogorth", Saesee Tiin marvelled at the huge monsters. "They had been very rare nowadays.
"Thankfully none of our ships had ran into them. Or that could explain why they all vanished all of a sudden", Obi-Wan guessed.