Beyond - Legends Saga - PT Beyond the Saga Anakin and the Darkness Within

Chapter 10: Family

Anakin was a nervous wreck. Padme had gone into labor nearly four hours ago. While the healers had repeatedly assured him that everything was alright, that nothing was wrong, that both Padme and the babies (and hadn't that been a shock when Padme told him they were having twins) were ok, he was still not doing well. He'd been able to push the memory of his vision to the back of his mind since that night, but now that it was actually time, it was front and center in his thoughts. No matter how much he tried telling himself that he hadn't had the vision since everything had changed, that that probably meant that the future had changed, he still couldn't shake off the feeling of terror. He tried letting it go into the Force, but was only partially successful. The fact that this was the first time in several thousand years that a known serving Jedi was having a child also wasn't helping.

Padme and the Healers had tried to convince him to wait outside, at least until she was farther along, but he wasn't going to let Padme out of his sight until both babies were born and healthy. When he had made that declaration, Padme just rolled her eyes and accepted the inevitable. Master Che, on the other hand, was a bit more hard nosed. And Anakin felt his inner darkness start to take hold. Only Padme squeezing his hand, hard, pulled him back. He took a deep breath, centered himself (as much as he could anyway) and as politely as he could, informed Master Che exactly where she could stick her opinion. That earned him a whack across the shins from Master Yoda who happened to be passing by at the moment and a stern lecture about his manners. Anakin really didn't care.

Six hours later, Luke and Leia entered the Galaxy, yelling and screaming for all they were worth. Holding them in his arms, Anakin knew, that they were the most important people in his life. And he knew, with out a shadow of a doubt in his mind, that he would never approach the Dark Side again. These two bundles in his arms radiated light. Just from holding them, he could feel how immensely strong in the Force they were. And that strength was pure, with absolutely no darkness within it. And Anakin would be damned if he would be the one to bring it into their lives.

Sitting in the room with Padme, Anakin felt a sense of contentment and happiness that was unlike anything else he had ever felt before. Smiling down at his wife and children as they slept, he knew that nothing could ever get better than this. How could he have ever even considered falling? Now that Palpatine was no longer playing with his head, everything seemed so crystal clear to him. How couldn't he have ever noticed what he was doing? Thank the Force that he had a rare moment of wisdom and spoke to Yoda about his vision. He nearly physically shuddered at what might have been otherwise. From beside him, he heard a quiet, "Hey."

Smiling at Padme, Anakin said to her, "Hi Angel. How are you?"

"I'm ok. Tired. How are you Dad?"

Grinning at her, "I'm great Mom." Laughing, "These two little bundles of joy are absolutely perfect."

Smiling her husband, "Ani, what happens now? I mean, with them?"

"We take the best care of them that we can. I have to talk to Obi-wan about how we're gonna handle them as initiates. They're immensely strong in the Force."

"But we're not going to be forbidden from seeing them, right?"

"No, you won't," she heard from the door, as Obi-wan entered the room. "The Council has already discussed it. With the exception we made for Anakin, it was decided that we couldn't exactly stop you from raising your children. Privately, we're reviewing the entire policy on attachment."

"See? What did I tell you Angel?" Anakin said to Padme.

Sitting up in the bed, Padme looked at Obi-wan, "Want to hold one?"

"I do."

Anakin handed him Leia and showed Obi-wan how to hold her. For Anakin, it was actually humorous to see Obi-wan like this. Obi-wan hadn't been to a Crèche in nearly 20 years. "Are you ok over there, Uncle Obi-wan?" he asked.

Looking up with a start, "Uncle?"

At this, Anakin couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. Of course, this woke up both Luke and Leia who promptly started to cry. Padme motioned for them both to be handed to her so she could feed them and Anakin and Obi-wan stepped outside after handing them to her.

"Obi-wan, you're my brother. You've always been my brother. I know the Order as a whole may not agree, but, you are. I know I wasn't the best student, I was arrogant and headstrong. And I never listened. But I wanted you to know, what you taught me, it did sink in. It took me awhile, but it did. And I want you know that, as far as I'm concerned, you're my brother. Till the day we die."

"Anakin, you're a fine Jedi. And I am very proud of you. More proud than I probably should be. Over the last few weeks, you've grown immensely. You've proven yourself to be the finest man I know. You've been my brother too, you know. And you always will be." Just as he finished saying that, Anakin grabbed him and wrapped him up in a big hug.

"So, have you decided on who your next Padawan is going to be yet?" teased Anakin. Obi-wan could only role his eyes as it had become well known that he had tried, and failed, to convince the Council that training Anakin was equivalent to training multiple Padawans, and therefore he should be exempt from the new policy.

Yoda's reply pretty much ended that argument, "If take a new Padawan I have to, take a Padawan as well do you."

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On Kamino, Fox, CT-0000/1010 opened the crate he and his men had just brought in. "Have a good trip, General?" He asked Quinlan Voss.

"Fox, you know damn well I didn't. I get it, you're tired of the war. But did you have to hit every door on the way in here to show me your displeasure?" asked Voss.

"Did I have to, sir? No, Sir, I did not. But I did want to."

"I figured as much. Tell you what, why don't we just get our jobs done so we can get out of here without having to fight, huh?"

"Sounds like a plan, Sir." Pulling up a schematic of the facility, he highlighted a portion of it. "Here, sir. This is where the Inhibitor Chips are stored and programed before implantation. The problem is, each chip is inspected before and after programing and again before implantation. Any chips that are defective are discarded. So how do we disable these kriffing things without the Aiwha-bait finding out?"

"We don't. We always figured that the Kaminoans would be obsessive about checking the chips. We've studied the ones they put in you." Hearing that Fox absentmindedly rubbed where his chip had been removed "What we're going to do is, we're going to change how they work. Instead of them forcing obedience, we're basically going to render them inert. When they're tested, they'll show up as in perfect condition with all the correct data and while hooked up to the computer, they'll show fully functional. But once they're implanted, they won't do a damn thing."

"Very good Sir. Lets get to it. But you can't exactly walk around here in your robes. You'd be gunned down in seconds. Put on this armor. You're close enough to the same size I don't think anyone will notice. At least not until after we're done. Hopefully."

"Right. Lets get going." Voss hurriedly got into his "borrowed" armor and he and the men with him quickly made their way to the chip storage area. Fortunately Fox was very good and had managed to forge a set of orders for he and his men to take over guard detail. So at least he'd have a little warning if anyone approached. Quinlan was taken aback by the sheer number of chips in the room. Thank the Force he had come prepared. An hour later and it was done. Every chip had been modified and the storage racks rigged to modify every chip that was placed in them with a burst into each chip. "One down, one to go. Time to go play with the standing Orders."

This part was far easier. One sliced terminal later, and the standing orders were changed. The worst of the orders, if Palpatine ever tried to issue them, would result in the Clones believing that Palpatine had been declared unfit and was to be removed from office with lethal force. That completed, Quinlan, Fox, and the dozen other men with them slipped back out the way they had come in and headed for Kashyyyk. He had to get his wife and son safely to Tython before the Empire found them.

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For Nejaa Halcyon, the last few weeks had been exceedingly trying. First, the warning from Master Yoda. Then hearing Palpatine's speech to the Senate. Now he was being hunted by the Clones and planetary security. The one thing he was determined to do, however, was to get to his wife and son. Only then would he head to Tython. Unfortunately, that was proving more difficult to do than he'd expected. In the end, he found that actually landing on Corellia was just too difficult and he had resorted to comming his friend Rostek Horn. Rostek promised to get his wife and child safely off planet and to meet up with him after. All he could do now is wait.

After what seemed like years, but was in reality only a few hours, Nejaa's comm went off. It was Rostek. "I've got them. We'll be at the rendezvous in 15 minutes." A weight immediately lifted from his shoulders.

With a huge sigh of relief he replied, "Thank you Rostek. I owe you." 15 minutes later Nejaa, Scerra and Valin were on their way to Tython. Looking at his wife, he smiled. "Look on the bright side, the Order can't kick me out anymore."

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Jedi Explorer Seryana Ky was absolutely loving her job. She had managed to map out the entire Tython system and was now plotting new hyperspace routes into and out of the Deep Core. So far, she had found 3 routes that could be used, though only the first two were really viable. The last one skirted around the edges of four different black holes. A pilot really had to know her stuff to risk that one. Obviously, that one was her favorite. For her, the ExplorCorps had really sunk into her bones. While at first she had been disappointed, and a little angry, no one had chosen her as a Padawan, she now couldn't imagine any other life. She thanked the Force every day for placing her here. Her last jump had brought her to where her charts indicated another planet would be. She was supposed to see if it was capable of supporting life or not. It was. But the planet also reeked of the Dark Side. She could feel how cold it felt from orbit. Deciding to report it to the Council, she headed back to Tython and left Byss behind.

 

Hi there, I am so busy with RL issues at present, that I can be online just once a week. I do not have the time to produce so many updates like you..

But I really love what I have read in so far. (And luckily I have a fast reading pace as a former secondary-school teacher.)

People make reasonable decisions here - Jedi, some clones & politicians. And a lot of children get saved, not only Luke & Leia. (As a kindergarten teacher, working at the creché since a couple of months, I am very glad about all those developments.)

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha already pointed out that she loved the teamwork and the changes about Padmé´s development.

All in all, well met.

But troublesome and hasty times are not over for me yet. So don´t be too sad, if I am not such a regular as Ny. But sooner or later, I will get back to this fantastic fanfic with a wee comment.

 

Ominous rumblings of upcoming crises blend superbly with the marvelous SQUEEEEEEEEEE of the first scenes

 

Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it!! Though I do have a confession to make. I'm not wearing this near as fast as I'm posting it. I've got this story on a couple other forums and I'm just adding it here now. Once I'm caught up, it'll slow down. There's currently 32 chapters. And more to come.

Thank you!!

 

Byss. That brings back memories.
And you can just feel the Darkness of it.

 

Yup. It's a planet that, for now, the Jedi will be avoiding. Maybe Yoda would check it out, but trying to cleanse the planet would be a massive undertaking and would probably alert Sidious to where the Jedi had gone.

 

Chapter 11: New Missions

After passing through multiple intermediaries and several cut outs and dead drops, Bail's message finally made it to the Jedi. Most of the Council wanted to act on it immediately. A few, however, suggested patience. For Master Zhurro, his reasoning was simple. Many Jedi were still raw and wounded emotionally. And asking them to reenter the fray, possibly exposing themselves to Sidious, may destroy them. Or worse, cause them to fall to the Dark Side and join with their enemy.

Master Yoda was in complete agreement with Va. That was definitely a risk. But where he differed in his opinion, was that not all the Jedi were in such a state that they would be unable to do their duty. Masters Sinube and She' agreed with that reasoning, but still felt that it may be unwise to risk being exposed so soon. The odds of being tracked back to Tython could be very high.

Predictably, Masters Koon, Fisto, Dralig, Mundi and Secura were all in favor of causing as much havoc for Sidious as was possible. Masters Kenobi, Nu, and Ti felt that they should be more circumspect and try to restore the Galaxy's confidence in the Jedi by being more involved with actually helping planets, not just leading strike teams to take out targets. Though they did agree that some targets would have to be hit. If for no other reason than to show that Palpatine wasn't all powerful and that the Jedi could still strike, and strike hard.

After much debate, it was decided that all had valid points of view and that each suggestion had something of value to add to the overall plan. Yoda then proposed that each individual Jedi be evaluated for fitness for field duty, that those who needed more time be granted it, with the worst affected to be assigned duties in the Temple until they felt ready or to be offered reassignment to the Service Corps. Those that were fit would be given missions as needed and that played to their strengths. Some would be given strike missions to secure imperial codes and documents, others to disrupt supply shipments, still more to prevent Palpatine from enslaving entire worlds.

This last was considered especially important as Bail's message had included a worrying report that Kashyyyk and Ryloth were to be put under Imperial Occupation and their populations enslaved. This, the Jedi Order could not allow.

After a discussion that lasted through the day and into the night, several missions were agreed upon by the Council pending conferring with the Jedi involved. The first was what to do about Kashyyyk and Ryloth. Master Yoda volunteered to lead the mission to Kashyyyk as he had had good relations with the Wookies previously. It was acknowledged that the Order didn't have the ability to outright defeat the Empire in open battle, but they could use guerilla tactics and make the occupation as costly as possible while saving as many as possible. This would be the plan for both planets. Master Secura would lead the mission to Ryloth. Having decided this, Master Skywalker and Captain Rex were called to the Council Chambers. Master Skywalker in his role as General of the 501st, and Captain Rex as his second in command and a representative of the Clones. Both of their opinions would be required.

Anakin wasn't exactly thrilled with the prospect of guerilla warfare. He had seen more than enough of it during the Clone Wars. Judging by the grimace on Rex's face, his friend felt pretty much the same way. Unfortunately, Anakin had to agree that guerilla fighting was their only real option to save as many Wookies and Twi'leks as possible. His concern, was how would the men of the 501st take being asked to possibly fight their brothers. He let Captain Rex answer the Council before saying anything himself.

"Generals, if that's what's required of us, then that's what we'll do. We all knew that this might be a possibility when we left with you," Rex told them. It was only after he finished that Anakin proposed a compromise.

"Masters, I believe I may have a solution that will be best for all involved," Anakin opened. "Instead of simply ordering the men to do this, we ask them. Make any offensive mission strictly voluntary. No member of the 501st is to be forced to fight their brothers. Doing otherwise makes us no better than the Sith. These are men, not slaves. They deserve the right to choose." Finishing his speech, Anakin could feel how grateful Rex was for it.

"Agree with Young Skywalker, I do," Master Yoda said. "Captain, speak to your men you will. Only those who wish it, to Kashyyyk and Ryloth, will go. Any man who does not, no punishment will he face. Left to defend Tython will he be."

"Yes, General. I'll speak to them immediately. And thank you, sir." With that, Rex saluted, turned on his heel and headed to speak to his men.

Anakin, however was asked to stay. The council had a mission for him too. Though it wasn't exactly what he was expecting. The Council wanted him, Padme and Ahsoka to travel to Alderaan and Naboo. To reestablish ties to those planets. A message would be sent to Bail informing him of what was happening so he would expect them. They had two goals with the mission. First and foremost, Padme was to begin forming an alliance that could one day stand up to Palpatine. The second was just as important. Anakin and Ahsoka were to discreetly inquire about any Force Sensitive children on the planets and to try and get them into the Order. Any adults that they found who were Force Sensitive, they were to shield them to keep them from being taken by Palpatine and forced to the Dark Side. In this, they would need Bail's cooperation. Unlike when they could simply enter it into the holonet that the child had been given to the Jedi Order, they would instead have to fake a death certificate for the child so the Empire would never know what had truly become of the child. And to prevent reprisals against their family.

Anakin was slightly concerned with this, since the twins were only about 2 months old and he didn't really like the idea of both him and Padme leaving them at the same time. He mentioned this to the Council, but Obi-wan assured him that he would take personal care of both of them. The snort that came out of Anakin when Obi-wan said that was not exactly dignified, but even some of the other Council members had to hold back a laugh at that declaration. The look Anakin got from Obi-wan after that just added to it.

"Really, Anakin, I don't know what I'm going to do with you," Obi-wan said aloud.

"I'm sure you'll think of something, Master," Anakin replied. "In the meantime, I should inform my Padawan of our mission and also brace myself for my wife's reaction. I doubt she'll be thrilled about both of us leaving at the same time. Though she'll likely also see the need for it."

"Anakin, if it's any consolation, my wives would be just as upset," said Ki-Adi-Mundi. "I've found that keeping your head down and ensuring that she knows this wasn't your idea is the best policy to follow."

"Thank you, Master. I'll keep that in mind."

"May the Force be with you, Young Skywalker," said Master Yoda, in dismissing Anakin.

"And with you, Master."

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Anakin was, sadly, right about Padme's reaction. "Not pleased" was putting it extremely mildly. In the end, his only option was to ride it out and try to appeal to her sense of duty and doing what was best for the Republic. This was easier said than done of course. Eventually, she did agree that they couldn't stay hidden forever and would have to begin their work. But she still didn't like it. Of course, when Anakin told her that Obi-wan volunteered to personally watch Luke and Leia, she burst out laughing, Obi-wan's aversion to children was well known. Not that he was ever rude or unkind to them, he just didn't like having to deal with them too much. Anakin had apparently left quite a mark on him in that regard.

"So has Obi-wan finally decided on a new Padawan yet?" Padme asked.

Laughing, Anakin could only shake his head, "I think he's hoping if he puts it off long enough Yoda will just drop it."

"Somehow, I doubt that will happen."

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Ahsoka was more excited than she should probably should be she thought. It wasn't like this was her first mission. It honestly shouldn't even be that difficult. Yeah, they'd have to watch out for Stormtroopers, as the Clones had recently been renamed, but that shouldn't be that difficult. Well, as long as Skyguy kept focused on the mission and didn't let himself get sidetracked or caught up in battle fever. On second thought, maybe this was going to be a little more difficult than she thought.

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On Korriban, Sidious gloated as the first of the Jedi broke. Maw had always been a selfish individual. And Sidious had used that to his advantage. While he would never make a true Sith Apprentice, he would be extremely useful. Given time, the Boltrunian's hatred could be nurtured into something truly fierce. The fact that Maw had been a Jedi Shadow, committed to rooting out the Dark Side made his fall all the sweeter to Sidious. Soon, the others would fall as well. Once they did, he could turn his attention to finding his new apprentice. In the meantime, Sidious had one other problem to handle. Grievous. The cyborg slime hadn't been with the other Separatist leaders when Tarkin had executed them. His original plan had been for the Jedi to take Grievous out and then record them trying to arrest him. That plan had gone right out the window with the Jedi discovering his true identity. So now the problem was his to deal with. Fortunately, he knew just where the Cyborg was. And he would take great pleasure in personally cutting him down.

 

I adore how fast things are agreed upon as to the logistics and prioritizing! Kashyyyk and Ryloth definitely need attending to and gathering of allies. I applaud Anakin's suggestion relating to the 501st. It is fair to all involved.

 

Thank you! One side benefit of Anakin and Yoda's trip into the Force was that their Force Presences began to blaze so brightly that, combined, they burned away the veil that the Sith had cast over the Force. So now, the Jedi are hearing and feeling the Force much more clearly and are actually listening to what it says again.

 

Chapter 12: A New Apprentice

In his chambers on Imperial Center, Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith, sat deep in meditation. Letting the currents of the Dark Side speak to him while simultaneously imposing his will on them. Forcing them to bend to his desires. Compelling the Dark Side to do his bidding. He was searching for his new apprentice. Tearing into the fabric of the Dark Side, looking for that small eddy in the Force that would give away a powerful Force User. He had come across several already and had discarded them as unworthy. Though he still noted where they were as they would make useful additions to his lesser Sith. After hours in meditation, he finally found what he was looking for. With an evil grin, he summoned his Royal Guard and headed for the Unknown Regions.

Entering the system he had seen, Darth Sidious was bathed in the Dark Side. The entire system had been corrupted by the ancient Sith. And he reveled in it. Upon landing on the planet that the Force guided him to, he was met by a group of men dressed all in black. Knowing that they would object to what he was going to rip from them, Sidious never even spoke. He simply flew into the attack. Flinging Force Lightning at them with one hand while slicing through them with his blood red lightsaber in the other. Weak, pathetic, fools. Followers of a long dead Sith who had been banished because of his ideas. Who had fled in fear rather than stand and face his end as a true Sith. This fate was well earned.

Entering the dark temple that stood before him Sidious glided to the chamber he wanted and opened the door. The fifteen year old in the center of the room stared at him, fire in its eyes and hurled the Force at him in a wave. Sidious simply grinned at the child's display of rage.

"Child," he said softly. "If you truly wish for power, I alone can give you what you seek. Power beyond your wildest dreams. The ability to crush all those who oppose you, all who would dare raise themselves against you. Swear your allegiance to me child, and you shall become Sith."

"You lie," the child responded. "You want my power only to increase yours."

Laughing, Sidious looked at the child, "Gooooood. You have wisdom already young one. Yesssss, I will take your power. You will use what you have to serve me. But in return, you shall know the ways of the Force, the way of the Sith."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then you shall die."

Considering each choice, the child looked up at Sidious and said, "I accept. My Master."

"Gooooood. Come with me, my child."

Leaving the now empty temple, one of Sidious' guards approached and kneeled before him. "My Lord. One of them still lives. What are your orders, my Lord?"

"Bring him to me."

"Yes, my Lord."

Seeing the wounded man, the child with Sidious gasped. Sidious then said, "Yes, child. Your father. Strike him down. Show no mercy. And take your place by my side."

Having said that, Sidious held out his lightsaber to the child. The child took it in it's hand and, looking at the man that hung between the two Royal Guards, the child hesitated. The child hated this man. The man who had never acknowledged even having a child, heaped just as much, if not more, abuse on the child as the others. Still, the child hesitated.

"Do it," commanded Sidious, putting the Force behind his command.

With that, the child swung the lightsaber and it's father's head fell to the ground.

"Gooooood, my Apprentice. Very good." Calling his lightsaber back to his hand, he looked at the child again. "What is your name, child?"

"Sariss, my Master."

Sinking deeply into the Dark Side, Sidious let it's currents flow around him and inspire him. When he spoke, it was as if his voice was coming from the very depths of the Force itself, "From this day, you will henceforth be know as Darth Aella, Dark Lord of the Sith."

"Thank you, my Master." With that, Darth Sidious and his new apprentice boarded his shuttle and left Dromund Kaas and the ruins of The Prophets of the Dark Side behind them.

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On the other side of the Galaxy, Master Yoda sat deep in meditation as his shuttle hurtled through hyperspace on its way to Kashyyyk. At that moment he was deeply connected to the Force. It was then that he felt a tremor in the very fabric of the Force. Peering at the tremor cautiously, he saw events unfold on a distant planet in the Unknown Regions. Feeling his new Padawan enter the room, he pulled himself out of his meditation and opened his eyes.

"Master, what is it?" asked Caleb Dume.

"Disturbing developments, there are Padawan. A new apprentice does the Emperor have. Inform the Council of this we must."

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On Alderaan, Padme Amidala Skywalker sat in a hidden chamber of the Organa palace deep in discussion with Bail. Bail had managed to make a few contacts since changing his strategy. His contacts had all agreed that there were some worrying developments in the New Order. Particularly the restrictions on speech, the press, and assembly. Basic freedoms that were being restricted ever more. Padme was truly sorry to see how much the Galaxy had changed in just the few short months since that night at the Temple. Bail had told her a few of the more outspoken Senators he had been cultivating were already talking about ways to challenge Palpatine. Bail had done his best to reign them in, as they weren't ready for open confrontation, but he still needed to show them something. That steps were being taken to trip the Empire up as much as possible. On that score at least, Padme came equipped. The Council had authorized her to reveal to Bail what the Order was doing on Ryloth and Kashyyyk and that they had strike missions planned for a dozen different systems, all to hit simultaneously.

Bail was certainly impressed. He had hoped for maybe one or two missions, maybe. Just to show something. This was more than he could have ever dreamed of. When the Jedi decided to act, they didn't mess around. That line of thought then triggered another, less comforting thought. If the Jedi were capable of doing this, why couldn't they have done something like this a long time ago? The concerned look on his face must have given it away, as Anakin Skywalker, who was there with Padme, spoke up.

"Senator, I can feel your confusion through the Force. We weren't able to act like this before because the Sith had clouded the Force. It was something that was only realized around the same time that I became a Jedi. The Sith had, in essence, reduced our ability to use the Force to guide our actions. That has recently changed. We now are able to feel the Force much more clearly and it is guiding us in everything we do. I know this may not be exactly the answer you're looking for, but that is what has happened."

"No, actually that does help to know," replied Bail. "One of the chief complaints that I've heard about the Jedi was their perceived arrogance and inability to admit when they were at fault. Knowing that the Order is willing to admit when it wasn't able to act in the way it should have will actually help our cause. I think more beings could relate to the Jedi if they understood that the Jedi aren't so different from everyday beings."

"For what its worth Senator, the Order agrees with you. That's actually one of the reasons I'm here. We need to reconnect with normal, everyday beings. Let them see that the Jedi are a force for good. Obviously, we need to be covert in our actions, but its something we can do to at least begin to rehabilitate the Order's image after the damage that we did to it during the War."

"You said that's 'one of the reasons.' What are the others?"

"With your permission, my Padawan and I would like to check hospital records for Force Sensitives. We have two reasons for this. First, we'd like to take any children with us back to Tython to train as Jedi. This also protects them as it will keep them out of Palpatine's clutches. Secondly, if there are any adults that are Force Sensitive, we'd like to shield them so that they won't appear to be Force Sensitive should Palpatine or his eventual apprentice come across them."

"I see. You have it, Master Skywalker. Alderaan and House Organa have always supported the Order. And we will continue to do so now in these troubled times. Whatever you need, you have it."

"Thank you Senator. We will need your help with several things. Any Force Sensitives we find, we need to change their records to show that they either were not Force Sensitive and the child was given up for adoption, or that they were Force Sensitive, but died as infants. This is the only way we can protect them and their families."

"Of course, I understand. You'll have my full support Master Jedi."

"The Order is in your debt, Senator." Saying that, Anakin and Ahsoka headed out on their mission while Bail and Padme got to work on theirs.

 

Promising developments with the Senator and yikes, Sidious has a new apprentice! Of course he doesn't stop scheming and plotting.

 

Sidious? Scheming? Noooooo, never! Yes, he has secured his new apprentice. And in the process, destroyed the Prophets of the Dark Side.

 

Chapter 13: Younglings

Padme and Bail had spent the last week working on cultivating their new alliance. So far, they had managed to get a few of the more timid Senators to agree to their coalition by showing them that Padme wasn't dead, that the attack launched on them was ordered by Palpatine and that the Jedi were most certainly not destroyed and were in fact hitting back and hitting back hard at the Empire. This gave those Senators who were worried about reprisals from Palpatine the demonstration they needed to see that he wasn't all powerful. Plus there were the assurances given by Bail, Padme and the Jedi that they were not calling for open insurrection. At least not yet. The work was tiring, but they had managed to convince nearly fifty Senators to join them.

Ironically, it was the ones calling for open opposition to Palpatine that were the most difficult to convince. While they would certainly be invaluable when the time came to move into the open, that would only be the case if they were still alive then. And the way they were going, Palpatine would have them killed long before then. Getting them to agree to a more deliberate pace and convincing them to tone down their rhetoric was something of a minor victory. All in all, both Padme and Bail were very pleased with what they had accomplished. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

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Anakin and Ahsoka had been busy as well. In the last week, they had managed to find nearly forty children from three months up to six years that were all Force Sensitive. Fortunately for the Jedi, rumors had begun to circulate of Force Sensitive individuals disappearing on a number of worlds and many of the parents were extremely worried about their children. Each and every family agreed to send their child with Anakin and Ahsoka to be trained. Mainly it was out of concern for their children. But a few recognized Anakin as the Hero with No Fear and imagined their children performing similar feats and practically begged the Jedi to take their child.

They had also found another eighty or so older individuals who were also Force Sensitive and proceeded to shield them to hide their Force Sensitivity. The Jedi were actually very pleased with what they had accomplished in their time on Alderaan.

Towards the end of their time on the planet, they also spent some time mediating several disputes that had come up. By helping normal, everyday people with their issues and being as approachable as they were, they managed to increase the Order's reputation immeasurably. There was still a great deal of work to do, but it was a good beginning and something they could be proud of.

On the ship heading to Naboo, Anakin and Ahsoka were sitting with the children they had gathered and were beginning their basic training. Helping them to touch the Force for the first time. For both of them, seeing the children's faces light up as they felt that first exhilarating touch of the Light was more fulfilling than anything either of them could imagine. It also brought back fond memories of when they had first consciously touched the Force. Even for Padme, who had barely touched the Force, it brought a warm feeling to her seeing them.

This trip had also answered some questions about Padme's Force Sensitivity. While she could still feel the Force, it had slowly receded into the background till it was just a whisper for her. Still, this was more than she had ever felt before going to Tython. Or, maybe she just knew what to listen for now. Either way, she was pleased with it.

Upon landing on Naboo, Anakin and Ahsoka quietly spirited the Children into a safe house that was set up by the Queen, who was a close friend of Padme. It had been decided while they were on Alderaan to send a message to Tython asking for several additional Jedi to come to Naboo to help them with the Younglings. The Council had responded that they would send three Knights with their Padawans. Knights Huulik, Zubain Ankonori and Nuhj along with their Padawans, Whie Malreaux, Bene and Kyr Zzarn arrived on Naboo shortly after Padme and Anakin. They were tasked mainly with watching over the children as they didn't want their presence to become too widely known.They had already pushed their luck on Alderaan and had no desire to push it farther.

Anakin and Padme met quietly with the Queen to build more and stronger ties with Naboo and expand their alliance. Like he did on Alderaan, Anakin gave what could best be described as the Order's Mea Culpa to the Queen for her to relay to those she trusted. She could use it to show that the Jedi knew where they had failed, acknowledged their failure and swore to correct it. He likewise requested permission to look for Force Sensitive children and adults on the planet, which was given after brief consideration by the Queen.

As they did on Alderaan, the Jedi scoured hospital records and used the Force to find children who were suitable. They ended up finding twenty-five such children. Of these, twenty of their families consented to their being given to the Jedi. Of course, Anakin made sure to alter the records of all twenty-five children and to shield those that stayed with their families. They also found a number of adults that they shielded as well. Though not as successful as their mission to Alderaan (Sidious not withstanding, Naboo had never been particularly known for Force Adepts), Anakin and Ahsoka were still quite happy with the results. They were bringing back sixty new Younglings to the Temple to train as Jedi. Their only concern was making sure the Empire didn't find out about it.

"I'm really not comfortable with leaving the families behind like this Master," Ahsoka said once they had returned to their safe house.

"I agree with you Snips. I don't like it either," Anakin told her. "But until the Council says otherwise, we don't really have any other option. Maybe we can speak to the Council when we get back. See if there's anyway we can take their families with us."

"Good. I really think we should."

"Ok. You're so sure this is the right thing to do, convince me."

"What?"

"You heard me. Convince me." Calling over the three Knights with their Padawans, Anakin looked at Ahsoka. "Pretend we're the Council. You have to convince us that taking the families with us is the right thing to do. What would you say to make your case?"

Gulping, Ahsoka launched into her arguments. "Well, first off, leaving the families behind allows the Empire to exact reprisals against them."

"But shouldn't our changing of the records prevent that?" asked Zubain Ankonori.

"In theory, yes. But only if no one notices that the records have been changed and only if the families never say anything about their children being taken by the Jedi, even accidentally. This is a government ruled by the Sith. I doubt due process of law will be very important to them."

"A valid point," responded Huulik. "But I still believe the measures we are taking will be effective in that regard."

"What of their neighbors, though? Surely some of them will notice that the children the family next door had are suddenly gone. I doubt they will buy the 'we gave them up for adoption' bit. Not to mention, what if one of them saw us take them? It doesn't take a hyperspace motivator designer to know what's going on. One message to an Imperial patrol, and Stormtroopers will descend on that family like a ton of durasteel."

"Now that, is a good argument to make Padawan Tano," said Huulik.

"What of the prohibition on attachment?" asked Nuhj. "Master Skywalker's exception aside, attachment is still prohibited by the Order."

"That is true. But this is a unique situation. What kind of beings would we be if we allowed innocent beings to be tortured or killed simply because Jedi are not supposed to have attachments?" Growing slightly heated at this, Ahsoka continued, "It was by being that cold in the first place that got us into this mess to begin with."

"Padawan," Anakin said sternly, "while you may be right about that, that is most definitely not an argument I would suggest you put before the Council. No matter how accurate it is."

"I'm sorry, Master."

"Understand, I'm not trying to censor you. But there is a time and place to make that argument. And while you're trying to convince the Council to do something is neither." Unable to maintain his stern look any longer, Anakin's face breaks in to a grin, "though I would like to see the looks on the Council's faces if you did tell them that."

Grinning back at her Master, Ahsoka replied, "I understand, Master."

"Padawan Tano," said Knight Ankonori. "I would like you to elaborate on why you feel the restriction on attachments should be loosened. This has been a tenet of our Order for thousands of years."

"Yes it has. But for thousands of years before that, it was not. I'm not trying to argue that the restriction should be done away with permanently. But considering the circumstances we find ourselves in, and the extreme danger that the families of Force Sensitive children could find themselves in, I strongly believe it is our duty as Jedi that we should do more for the families than simply change a few records on the holonet. We're supposed to be the Galaxy's protectors and Keepers of the Peace. How are we either of those things if we let these families suffer just because their children are Jedi?"

"That was very well said Snips," Anakin told her as he beamed at her. To all those in the room, it was very obvious he was extremely proud of his Padawan.

Leaning over next to Anakin, Huulik asked him, "Remind me again, why is she still a Padawan?"

Laughing Anakin could only shrug his shoulders and tell him, "Beats me."

Ahsoka could only smile widely at the praise she was receiving. She did wonder sometimes why she was still a Padawan, when Master Koon had all but told her she was worthy of being a Jedi Knight after the Bombing of the Temple. But, she did like working with Anakin. So there was that. There were definitely worse things than being the Chosen One's Padawan.

Anakin, as head of the mock Council, called for a vote. It was unanimous. Every Jedi present felt that they should get the families out of harms way as well. Anakin, Huulik, Ahsoka and Bene all wished they could do it right away. They even discussed what options they would have if they did decide to act. In the end though, it was decided to report the matter to the Council and try to sway them. There really wasn't anywhere on Tython to house that many people anyway.

"You know," said Anakin, thinking out loud. "I've been thinking. The older children that we've found and the adults. What if, instead of training them to be Jedi Knights, we train them to serve in the Service Corps? The Corps are always complaining, or rather, they have been complaining, that they aren't getting enough personal to fulfill their mission. This would seem to be an ideal way to swell the Service Corps while ensuring the ranks of the Knights grow as well." Looking at the other seven Jedi present he continued, "I want your opinions."

Judging by the shocked and somewhat surprised feelings Anakin was getting through the Force from the other Jedi, he figured their reaction was much like his when the idea had popped into his head: why hasn't anybody ever thought of this before? The discussion that followed confirmed it.

____________​

Padme's time on Naboo had been every bit as productive as the Jedi's. Old contacts had been remade, new contacts had been established. A number of intelligence resources had been secured. Not because anybody doubted what Bail was telling them, but because it was always a good idea to be able to independently verify what you're being told. Just in case someone decided to stage a leak and set a trap. While Anakin and Obi-wan were big fans of springing traps that had been laid for them, she was a bit more circumspect on the issue. On the other hand, she couldn't use a lightsaber like they could either, so that probably had something to do with it.

The one downside to her trip to Naboo was that it had been made in secret. No one outside of the Queen, Captain Panaka and a handful of very trusted people even knew she was there. She couldn't even see her family. And it really pained her to know that they believed she was dead. Oh, she agreed with the reasoning behind it. It was definitely safer for them this way than if they thought she was still alive. She wouldn't put it past Palpatine to use them to get to her or Anakin, or their children.

The thought of Luke and Leia brought a smile to her face. If she really concentrated, she could almost imagine that she could feel them connected to her in the back of her mind. Maybe this increased Force Sensitivity thing wasn't all bad after all.

The day they left to head back to Tython, Padme, Anakin and the three other Knights were saying goodbye to the Queen when a messenger arrived. Judging by the look on the messenger's face, it was bad news. Tensing for the worst, the Jedi were, shamefully, relieved to learn that it had nothing to do with them. Rather, it was official notification to the Queen that the Senator from Naboo, Jar Jar Binks, had been killed in an accident in the Senate when he tripped over a mouse droid and was electrocuted when he landed in an open electrical circuit that was being worked on at the time. Expressing their sympathies and regretful that they would not be able to stay they were about to leave when the Queen informed them of the rest of the message.

"Due to Senator Binks being from his Excellency's home world, His Royal Highness the Emperor will be in attendance at the State Funeral."

 

Yay for brilliant Ahsoka and cool for the Naboo visit. Palpatine in attendance, glad they got a heads up, hope it's in time.