Archive of Our Own ^beta

"And you're certain this was a Sith?" Jedi master and High Council member Ki-Adi-Mundi inquired as the hologram of Quinlan Vos flickered slightly in the middle of the council chambers.

Vos' report was concerning, yet not exactly surprising. 

The Sith were arrogant, stubborn sons of nerf herders who refused to go away.

Like a fungus, or bed bugs, or roaches...

...

They refused to disappear, point made.

"Black robes? Red skinned zabrak with yellow Sith eyes? Lightsaber hidden under the robes? The way his eyes followed Obes especially from afar? Yep, I'm sure." Vos replied, tone chipper and unbothered.

Yoda hummed but frowned, ear twitching at this.

"Yes, a Sith he is." 

And most of everyone else voiced their agreement.

"How do you figure?" Mace questioned as he and Ki-Adi both looked at Yoda, unamused.

"Stalk my great grandpadawan, only a Sith would." Yoda replied, and apparently it was decided.

Ki-Adi loathed admitting it, but the little green gremlin had a point.

But he'd sooner freeze to death on a bridge than ever admit that. 

...

That gave him an odd feeling briefly, but he shrugs that off.

"So...we can use Padawan Kenobi as bait?" Eeth suggested uneasily, only to be met with death glares from nearly the entire council.

The poor, innocent soul.

He'd yet to learn.

"Very funny." Vos deadpanned, before grinning. "But I already have a tracker on his ship. Honestly, only an amateur would leave their ship open and unguarded like that." 

"The current coordinates, you have?" Yoda inquired innocently, which had everyone suspicious about what the gremlin was planning.

"Siri is on it." Vos replied with an evil grin.

Oh, if Tachi was on the case then...force help anyone who tried to harm Padawan Kenobi. 

Tachi had a shameless overprotective streak when it came to him, she even founded 'The Cult of Kenobi'.

... Ki-Adi himself had joined, not that anyone other than the council knew.

Yoda smiled darkly.

Briefly Ki-Adi questions if they'd all secretly become Sith and hadn't noticed yet.

"Quick, this will be."

As in Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and everyone on Queen Amidala's ship arrived to Coruscant, while Tachi had been joined by master Dooku as they tracked the Sith's ship to the industrial sector.

"It is possible that he was conceived by the midichlorians." Qui-Gon spoke to the council about Anakin Skywalker, whom was apparently dubbed 'The Chosen One'.

Ki-Adi personally had nothing against the child, but he was highly skeptical of Qui-Gon's claim there.

Especially since many were convinced that either Yoda or Obi-Wan held that title.

But the boy's midichlorian count surpassed Yoda's own.

Though that didn't mean he was the Chosen One.

Depa and Eeth shared a look, their own skepticism apparent before looking back to Qui-Gon.

"Master Jinn." Togruta Jedi master Aria Wurhui began. "While I do not doubt your judgement..."

"I do." Saesee muttered but was ignored.

"It is not unheard of for someone to possess a midichlorian count as high as young Skywalker's. Rare yes, but not unheard of." 

Which...was a valid point. It was Extremely rare, but it has happened in the past, albeit thousands of years ago.

"Not to mention you're basing this off of an ancient, and highly questionable prophecy. One that could easily have many different interpretations." Aria's sister, Mira, added evenly.

This proceeded into a conversation where Qui-Gon asked the boy be tested, which the council did then and there because why would they wait till later? And yes, the boy was indeed highly force sensitive.

Though his fear was a problem.

Not the emotion itself, but how the boy would probably handle it.

And he feared loss especially, which...could be an issue, again, with how he'd possibly handle it.

"Where did you say he was from?" Saesee inquired, tone gruff and even but his interest in that was clear.

"Tatooine." Qui-Gon replied.

Ki-Adi looked at Yoda, whose ear twitched, before he looked at Qui-Gon with a frown.

Clearly everyone knew Jinn was leaving things out again.

Ki-Adi was not about to tolerate that.

"Where on Tatooine?" 

"Mos Espa."

"Where in Mos Espa?"

When Qui-Gon didn't answer, Plo interjected, but spoke to the boy himself.

"Young Skywalker, I am Jedi master..." The boy suddenly looked more obedient, which none of them liked, so Plo changed his wording. "...teacher Plo Koon."

"Oh...hi teacher Koon."

"You may just call me teacher Plo."

"Okay."

"Where did master Jinn find you?"

"Well I was working at Watto's shop, my mom and I are slaves...or at least, my mom still is, cause master Qui-Gon had to make a bet on a race I was in to free either me or her, Watto wouldn't let us both go." Anakin dropped what he didn't even know was a bombshell.

...

What? 

...

Well, impossible to ignore the issue of slavery since it was literally staring them in the face.

They only haven't acted on it because they needed support and resources from the Republic, which they sadly don't have.

So they haven't acted simply because they don't have the resources.

"...slaves, you say?" Eeth mumbled lowly and quietly.

"And...master Jinn bet on something with a slaver to get your freedom while leaving your mother behind?" Depa spoke, glaring at Qui-Gon, who for his part looked to be wisely fearful for his continued existence.

"Because we needed a hyperdrive engine for the ship given the one it had before was damaged beyond repair." Padawan Kenobi spoke up dryly, looking at his master dully. "My master, in his infinite wisdom, decided to make a bet with a slaver, the kind of individual not known for keeping their word..."

"...he did in the end." Qui-Gon replied, though clearly starting to doubt his own judgement on that.

"Only after you threatened to get the hutts involved." Kenobi pointed out. "Had you not, he would have kept Anakin anyway, and wouldn't have honored the deal, and we'd still be stuck on Tatooine right now, or probably killed by a Sith if what Quinlan told me was of any indication." 

"He told you?" Mace inquired.

"Of course master Windu, Quinlan is effectively my begrudgingly adopted older brother, why would he not tell me?" 

"The entire council knew he was a Sith?" 

"Point taken." Mace replied while ignoring Qui-Gon.

"The apprentice, by the way."

"Obi-Wan how did you know which was which?"

"Noted." Mace replied to Obi-Wan's addition to their information before looking to Qui-Gon with an expression that read 'I'm so disappointed in you' and 'I'm so done with you at this very moment'. "And honestly Qui-Gon, it's not that difficult to figure out."

"How?" Qui-Gon asked.

"You're a Jedi master, are you not? Surely you can figure it out yourself." Mace replied in that tone that said if he didn't move to the next topic then someone was going to get thrown out the tower.

Which has become somewhat of a normal occurrence to the council, and normally results in Yoda being utilized as a flying projectile.

"We'll handle the matter of you leaving out key details from your report for later." Mace added. "For now..."

Where the wine bottle came from, no one knew, and nobody questioned it.

...

Except.

"Mace...where the kriff did that come from?" Qui-Gon asked, not knowing the danger he was now in.

Mace looked to Qui-Gon and stared.

Qui-Gon stared back.

The other 11 council members waited for the inevitable.

So it was...quite a sight yet not all that surprising to the temple gatekeeper Jurokk and a few temple guards below when one of the windows of the high council tower broke and master Qui-Gon Jinn flew out, along with Yoda, who repeatedly whacked him across the kneecaps with his gimmer stick as they fell.

"Was that really necessary?" Ki-Adi sighed.

Mace took a drink before shrugging.

"Felt deserved."

"Fair enough. Though I feel perhaps it should have been done a long time ago, after Obi-Wan's situation involving master Jinn's idiocy." Ki-Adi replied, unconcerned.

Sure, it's not like two people (or rather one person and one gremlin) just got yeeted out the High Council tower.

"Oh I already did that."

"Really?"

"A few weeks back."

...

...okay.

"...your timing is off Mace." He pointed out.

Mace just hums indifferently.

"Had I done it back then, he would have seen it coming, so I wanted to surprise him."

"It's only his second yeeting, isn't it?" Depa asked with her amusement showing on her expression.

"He'll live." 

...

Oh wait, the child.

And...young Skywalker actually breaks down in laughter while talking about how he's glad he's found his unhinged adoptive family.

...

When did they decide to keep him again??

...

...

Eh, doesn't matter.

"Master...Mace threw me! Threw me through the window, as if this is WrestleMania!" Qui-Gon ranted as he stood up perfectly fine from where he'd landed on his feet.

"Deserve worse, you probably did." Yoda replied with disappointment.

As if he hadn't just been traumatized.

Sure Mace has done it before, but still.

"Grandmaster! I could've died!"

"Broken bones, do you have?"

"No, but that's-"

"Dead, are you?"

"Obviously not but-"

"A Jedi, are you?"

"What does that-"

Another whack across the kneecaps later...

"Yes."

"Then live, you will."

...

What??

"Tell me, my former Padawan, what is this I hear of you betting with a slaver to free a child but leave his mother behind?" 

Qui-Gon freezes and turns around to find Dooku standing there, arms clasped behind his back with a frown on his face, but a dangerous glint in his eyes.

...

Force forgive him for all his sins.

Mace was one thing.

Dooku however was completely different.

Yoda looked between them and smiled innocently, as if Qui-Gon's life wasn't in jeopardy.

"Perhaps hasty in my last assessment, I was." 

A few hours later, while the Senate held a vote of no confidence and ousted Valorum and soon replaced him by electing Sheev Palpatine of Naboo, the Jedi Council found the ship of the Sith apprentice in some old tower in the industrial sector.

From there they discovered it was a Sith hideout.

Joy.

And from there they followed a trail to 500 Republica, and from there the Republic executive building, with the council splitting up to search each.

They were not surprised by all that they found.

And somehow Valorum's ousting made more sense.

A manufactured ordeal.

One that the Senate fell for too easily.

Maul expected many things in his life as a Sith.

Facing off against nearly all of the Jedi Council was not one of those things.

Sidious never prepared him for this.

Darth Maul was dead within seconds, which to the Jedi only proved the Sith lord's overconfidence in this situation.

Now, one more to deal with.

Sheev Palpatine, aka Darth Sidious, self proclaimed Dark Lord of the Sith, had been celebrating his recent victories.

And finally, no more Plagueis. He'd gotten the old fool drunk and then electrocuted him to death with Sith lightning in his sleep.

He would finally do everything his way now.

No one could stop all that was to come.

The force itself hums, not bothering to conceal the pity if feels for Sidious in this moment.

Oh how pride cometh before the fall.

By the time Palpatine had his victory lap and journeyed back to 500 Republica, a few more hours had passed.

But his plans were all for nought.

He had not anticipated being surrounded and jumped by all twelve members of the Jedi High Council, along with Dooku, and Siri Tachi.

Dooku cut off his hands and sent him to his knees.

When he tried to tell them all that he'd be sure the Republic knew of the Jedi order's treachery, they simply explained to him all the evidence (including physical evidence and verified holographic transmissions) they had recently acquired.

All because his own idiot of an apprentice didn't lockdown his ship.

All of Sidious' years of planning and manipulation.

All undone.

By one simple action (or probably inaction).

Darth Sidious fell to the ground dead moments later. 

The sheer amount of rage he had been feeling towards Maul for ruining all of his plans (unintentionally) was far too much even for him to handle.

Dooku simply sneered at the corpse.

Honestly, did Palpatine really believe Dooku would've fallen for his little act? Dooku was highly respected by all the order's shadows for nothing, his acting skills were quite perfect, so he'd been told.

The Jedi didn't tell the Senate about any of this in the end, cause why would they? If anything the Senate would simply try to claim the Jedi committed treason when in reality they were simply doing one of their sworn duties.

The Sith were extinct, the dark side lifted from Coruscant as the Sith temple beneath the Jedi temple collapsed in on itself, and the force felt light for the first time since the High Republic.

Over the coming months, the Senate assumed Palpatine had gotten cold feet and vanished, so new elections were held.

None of those elected as the new chancellor lasted long, all lasted very briefly.

Po Nudo was ousted following a corruption scandal and thrown in Republic prison.

Gume Saam followed for similar reasons.

Aks Moe suggested a bill that would limit the powers of the Senate and increase the powers of the Chancellor. He was subsequently removed with a vote of no confidence.

Mas Amedda disappeared without a trace, no one knew where he was (in prison, following the Jedi taking him in and exposing him for his close connection, and knowing connection, to a Sith Lord who'd been plotting a genocide and death of democracy).

Lott Dod only lasted a day before he was assassinated (Palpatine had a secret failsafe there, apparently even he didn't want to risk Dod being in control of the government).

Nute Gunray wasn't even considered given his involvement in the entire fiasco on Naboo (The Jedi Council helped Amidala and the Gungans free Naboo from the Trade Federation).

Eventually Bail Antilles of Alderaan was elected, and was the only one who wasn't killed or ousted.

A decade later, Anakin Skywalker was the 19 year old Jedi Padawan surprisingly apprenticed to master Ki-Adi-Mundi.

Sadly Anakin and Etain had gotten along immediately and far too well, so Ki-Adi now rivalled Mace in terms of migraines.

Mon Mothma of Chandrilla was now acting Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, which had reformed, mostly, by this point.

Dooku journeyed with Ki-Adi and Anakin to Kamino after the council received a call from the Kaminoans about clone troopers and payments.

Immediately after arriving, The Jedi decided to adopt all the clones, and also decided they didn't like the Kaminoans (save a few like Taun We, one of the very few nice and good ones).

An investigation was launched, revealing Sifo Diyas had commissioned the clones and that Sidious later manipulated the situation to have Jango Fett be the template.

Fett was not paid enough to deal with his continued involvement in this entire situation and so, against the Kaminoans wishes, he left with Boba.

The inhibitor chips and all orders (including orders 37 and 66) were discovered, Lama Su and Nala Se implicated, and the whole thing revealed as part of the Sith plot to kill off the Jedi in one move.

Safe to say the clones had not been happy to learn of all that.

The uprising was short lived, with most of the Kaminoans thrown into cells as the Jedi sent in reinforcements.

The chips were all removed, and the clones were much happier with that.

No one was surprised when Plo Koon and Shaak Ti arrived and promptly adopted all the clones on sight as their children.

The republic, under Mothma's leadership, moved forces and resources with the Jedi into the outer-rim, ultimately leading to the fall of the crime families including the hutt empire.

The galaxy felt calm and at peace.

And the galaxy rested easily.

...

...

Except Lama Su and Nala Se, who now lived on the surface of Kamino's oceans, with no one knowing how they were surviving.

...

Whether or not Shaak Ti yeeted Lama Su and Nala Se into the ocean will forever remain a mystery.