If you want to read more chapters ahead from here you can visit my Patre-on.
[P] [A] [T] [R] [E] [O] [N]
https://patreon.com/kelly_over
____________
"…I will watch your future with interest," Chancellor Palpatine said, before turning away with a final pat to Anakin's head. Staring at the man somberly, then out to the ongoing revelry Mace gestured to Anakin indicating he was free for a moment and stood, watching the boy race off towards where the queen and the Gungan Boss Nass were talking. He rejoined Yoda and the other council members staring into the pyre of Qui-Gon Jinn. set up in one of the castle's towers.
Obi-Wan Kenobi's stomach, thighs and intestines had been pierced in multiple places. Mace had done what he could to stop the bleeding, and the young man was even now immersed in a bacta tank. He would live, but it would be a few days before he was allowed out. Bacta worked slower than normal on such delicate items such as the human intestinal system. After that, the young man would probably be given his test for Knighthood, as Jinn had recommended after bringing in Anakin.
Evan Piell looked over the crowd for a moment, his eyes taking in everything, including Anakin's small frame where he stood next to the queen's surviving handmaidens. "Is it true the youth was the one to destroy the control ship?"
"Yes. He was able to both pierce the Vutuun Palaa's shielding then get inside, and instinctively knew where to use target his proton torpedoes. I would estimate that the boy is already as good at using the Force to guide him in flight as many of our knights, though not up to Tiin's level of course. The Force knew what it was doing when it convinced Qui-Gon to bring him along." Mace replied, making no mention that it had been Anakin's idea not Qui-Gon's to bring him along, and that he had snuck aboard their ship to do it.
Judging by Yoda's eloquent grunt however Mace doubted the aged Grandmaster was fooled. But it was Piell who spoke up again. "And do we have plans for the youth? The way you speak of him, and his response to our tests, make it evident he would not fit in well with the youngling clans his formal training would put him in, and I doubt he would fit in any better with his own age group."
"He might not have formal training, but it is true that Anakin's sheer skill and power would set him apart. Best to begin that way and work any arrogance such might bring on from the start. I will take him on as padawan and see to it personally." Mace replied.
This would be part of his penance for the mistakes he had been making of late went unsaid. Mace blamed himself for what had nearly happened to Aayla, just as he did with the two Jedi sent to deal with the Yinchorri when that crisis began. Further, it had been his suggestion which had split the Jedi on this mission. He knew it had been the correct decision given what they knew and what the Force was able to tell them, but that didn't make it any more wrong.
But yet again Yoda's grunt and an equally telling glance up at the human Master of the Order told Mace that Yoda was aware of more than he had said. He however did not rebuke Mace, simply turning to stare once more into the funeral pyre.
A few moments of silence passed before, Yaddle, who had come along with Yoda, Piell and Yoda's new padawan Wulo, spoke. "This Dark Side user, more to him there is. Connected to the rising power of the Dark Side, you think?"
"I do." Mace replied simply. "He was here for us, for Jedi, not the queen, else he would have attacked her after murdering Qui-Gon. We might still have been targets of opportunity but the TF will need to be investigated for their part in this, and a trail of this Zabrak found and followed."
He shook his head. "Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon fought bravely, but this Dark Side user was trained solely for combat, even with the new techniques he was able to overcome them one at a time. If we had a hint of his presence I would never have allowed us to split up as we did. That was my mistake."
"Hrhrhrm, recrimination enough for now, plans we must make. Alone the Dark Side user might not have been." Yaddle said.
"He was certainly no true master, that is certain, he was a… a knife in the Dark, an assassin, not someone who could be the true source behind the growing power of the Dark Side." Mace replied, shaking his head. "The Order must be further prepared for the coming conflict, though I confess to having no idea how to best seek out the master that is still out there worries me. As does the fact he is still free to act, and we have no idea from where that next assault will come from."
"Much thought that will take, tip our hand we cannot afford to." Yoda spoke up for the first time, his eyes still closed. "Dark the future is, but give into its pressure we cannot. Lights there still are in this universe. Shine brighter we all must, to push away the dark."
$$$$$$$$$$_________$$$$$
"Despite still being rather concerned about the duplicitous nature of how you and Master Fay went about distributing the new techniques and knowledge from Harry and Lily Potter into the Order, this was a magnificent gift," muttered Master Tiin to himself. Having just withdrawn his finger from the pensieve, Tiin found himself once more in his own body, standing beside the bodies of the rest of the High Council as they continued to use the pensieve Master Fay and Lily Potter had created. The only one who was missing was Master Piell, who had remained on Naboo.
Currently the High Council was watching Master Windu's confrontation with the Dark Side user. The memory had walked them through from the moment he sensed the Dark Side user's presence to the final confrontation, though having seen how it would go Tiin had exited the memory before the end of the battle.
_____________
If you want to read more chapters ahead from here you can visit my Patre-on.
[P] [A] [T] [R] [E] [O] [N]
https://patreon.com/kelly_over