SW Chapter 6 (Patreon)

The Rendili Orbital PlatformRendili System, M-11

Bail Organa POV

Shock.

It was the only word I could use to describe my current state. Years of political upbringing and hard-earned experience allowed me to project a calm onto the room that had long fallen into a quiet panic.

Whispered arguments broke across the chamber as the panicked senators gestured wildly at what was unfolding before our eyes.

I could not blame my compatriots; we had just witnessed the nightmare of a Sith resurgence. Not that many would understand the nuance of it, but the violence that had erupted and ended within a minutehad shaken everyone.

It wasn't just the Sith that troubled me; it was the young Padawan I was staring at through the feed and the sheer destruction he had wrought, massacring his four attackers. Now, he stood before a blue-skinned, near-human woman who knelt in complete submission.

The young man had ripped apart a starship...

I took a deep breath as the boy levitated his enemy's weapon. Bringing the lightsaber to eye level, he unraveled the hilt, retrieving a pulsing red crystal before closing his fist around it.

"So this is it... then..." Senator Padmé said beside me, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts.

"Yes, everything has changed," I replied.

The diplomatic mission organized by leading voices of the Senate had been blatantly attacked. Nothing good would come of this. If what the young Jedi claimed before marching into battle held even a smidgen of truth regarding the Sith and the Separatists—which was highly probable—then I feared nothing but war.

They were, after all, the historic enemies of the Republic.

Senator Clovis appeared at Padmé's other side, erratically.

"Should we not leave now? It has become extremely dangerous."

The words seemed steady enough, though I could sense a faint tremor beneath them. Padmé did not answer him; her eyes remained fixed on the feed, clearly still trying to grasp the full ramifications of what had just been broadcast to the galaxy. I should have ordered the transmission cut the moment the ship appeared. In the chaos of the moment, I had not.

I had never cared much for the Banking Clan's representative. My mouth tightened as I cast a sidelong glance at the pair—the slightly disordered state of their clothing was impossible to miss. Padmé should have known better than to be so careless with her private affairs, especially now with everything that was happening.

I would have to speak with her privately when the opportunity came. Still, I could not entirely blame her. These were trying times, and the weight we all carried was heavier than most would ever understand.

Still, she should have known better...

Clovis's suggestion, however, had already begun to spread.

"Yes—" "We should leave—" "Who were those beings? Did the Jedi attack us?"

I frowned.

No, that would not do. The narrative must be set; the wrong idea cannot be propagated at a crucial time like this. I stepped forward and stood to my full height, raising my voice with practiced ease.

"Enough." My words had the desired effect as conversations faltered and all eyes turned toward me.

"We will leave this station, yes—but we will not leave in blind panic. Officer." I turned to the nearest station official.

"Begin escorting the delegations to the hangars in an orderly fashion. Priority to those who wish to depart immediately."

The man nodded quickly and began issuing instructions.

I continued, keeping my tone level. "However, I will not depart without answers. What we just witnessed requires explanation—from the Jedi who confronted those attackers. Those who wish to join me may do so."

A few voices rose in protest, but Duchess Satine Kryze supported my view.

"Senator Organa is correct. We cannot simply flee without understanding why this senseless violence has just occurred here."

I gave the woman a look. I did not like her; her views on pacifism were borderline detrimental to her own people, as it was to those who allied with them.

The irony of a Mandalorian preaching absolute non-violence was not lost on me. Still, I kept those thoughts to myself. She remained a necessary figure. Even if war proved inevitable, our bloc would need her support to shape how any future military might be constrained and overseen.

Quickly, resistance wavered, and several of the more agitated representatives reluctantly fell silent, though their bodyguards and security details remained visibly tense.

Through the open entrance of the conference chamber, the young Jedi appeared.

Anakin Skywalker walked toward us as though nothing was wrong, not a hair out of place. Even his armor didn't look scuffed from the battle. Behind him, the blue-skinned woman followed in silence, having fully surrendered.

Yet her presence sent waves of discontent amongst us all. I remained calm only due to the presence of the young Jedi. Still, this was an issue...

I discreetly ordered my staff to find and quickly cut off the broadcast. I had a feeling that the galaxy did not need to see what came after.

A Rendili officer strode into the hall with a small contingent of guards at his back. The man—Captain Varnis, if I recalled correctly—puffed himself up with self-importance. "Good work, Jedi," he declared. "Now, officers—arrest that woman."

A few of the guards shifted uncomfortably and began to move forward with clear hesitation. Skywalker did not raise his voice.

“I don't believe that will be necessary. Miss Tann will be coming with me to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.”

Captain Varnis turned an indignant shade of red. “That is highly irregular. This is a Rendili station. Jurisdiction—”

The young Jedi merely lifted a hand, waving the officer off. Everyone froze, knowing what the young man was capable of. “I was not asking.”

Skywalker's gaze flicked briefly toward me. I met it without expression.

Then he turned to Padmé.

"Senator. I would like to return to Coruscant immediately. I suggest we leave now. It would be better for everyone."

I stepped in before the murmurs could rise again.

"We will need answers first, Padawan Skywalker. What exactly just happened here cannot be left unexplained."

He inclined his head slightly, as though he had expected the request.

"I will reiterate what I said before the attack. There are those within the Jedi Order who believe the Sith are influencing the Separatist movement. I need to return to the Temple and report what has occurred."

I withheld a sigh.

Duchess Satine's voice rang out with her concerns, "Are you certain of that, young Jedi? We must not leap to conclusions. This could be the work of a third party with its own interests."

Skywalker gave a small shrug. "It's possible."

Senator Clovis seized the opening. "Should we not at least question her?" He gestured sharply toward the woman. Several others quickly agreed that she must be detained, interrogated, held accountable.

The young man remained entirely unperturbed.

"Senator Amidala," he said again, ignoring the crowd, "if we could leave now, it would be best."

Padmé drew a slow breath, then nodded after collecting her thoughts.

"Very well. Captain Typho, prepare our ship. We depart immediately. I'm certain we can get our answers back on Coruscant." She looked at Skywalker. "And if we are to take a prisoner, then she will be given due process and proper medical care."

Skywalker furrowed his brow; he hesitated before turning and studying the woman behind him. Even from where I stood, I could see the damage—her throat was badly mangled, the injury clearly severe. And yet the warrior woman stood with a strange composure; she had a faint smile on her lips even as she wheezed for each breath.

Without a word, Skywalker closed the short distance between them. The entire chamber seemed to hold its breath as he raised a hand and placed it gently against her ruined throat. A subtle glow gathered beneath his palm. Before our eyes, the torn flesh knitted itself back together.

When he lowered his hand, the woman drew a full, clear breath.

"Thank you, my lord," she said in a low, smoky voice.

I narrowed my eyes at the exchange. Lord, huh...

Anakin's POV

"Thank you, my lord."

I gave the Chiss a flat look. That was going to be troublesome. The uncertainty radiating from the room was obvious, and I did not begrudge them for it. Still, they were not the priority right now. I needed to focus.

I had done it. The fight, while relatively straightforward with me uninjured, was completely different from fighting a fellow Jedi. The Sith were fundamentally more aggressive in combat and had a tendency to ignore or use their pain as

fuel. This would give a Sith an advantage if their opponent were unaccustomed to it.

I had to reach the Temple as quickly as possible. Most of my carefully laid plans had already been reduced to space dust. Originally, I had intended to follow the path I remembered — wait for the pieces to fall, and if Obi-Wan was captured (which I highly doubted would happen), somehow engineer a confrontation with Dooku alongside the other Masters on Geonosis. Whether removing the Count as the public face of the Confederacy would have helped or not, I didn't know.

But now...

If the Sith were breaking their old traditions far enough to train visible acolytes, the game was already different.

I needed to report to the Council and revise everything. The multiple kyber crystals I had salvaged from the dead acolytes' sabers — and from Tann's — pressed uncomfortably against my senses. All of them felt tainted. I turned away from the blue-skinned woman and exhaled, releasing the tightly gathered Force that still clung to me, finally relaxing.

Things were going to be fine for the time being...

Tann's gaze was probing, which I ignored as I knew the woman would do nothing against me, at least for the time being. Padmé walked up to me with a strange expression and stole a glance at

Tann, who didn't react.

"We should leave," Padmé said quietly. "But she must be properly detained and isolated on the ship." She studied me for a moment. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I am, Padmé," I said, looking at her. I noticed Clovis start to approach but thought better of it and stopped.

I gave a brief nod to both Satine and Bail, then turned toward the exit.

"Lead the way, Senator."

Padmé, Sabé, and Typho, who kept his charge in front of him, moved. I followed a step behind her, with Tann trailing silently in my wake. The corridors passed in a blur of tense station personnel and hurried delegations. It did not take long to reach the ship.

Once aboard, Captain Typho intercepted us before we had fully cleared the ramp. He directed Padmé and Sabé a few steps aside, then looked directly at me.

"The prisoner will be restrained and secured in the detention compartment," he said, giving the woman a wary look. It must be hard for the man, I thought to myself. "That is non-negotiable."

"I agree; that was the plan." I had no intention of arguing. I wanted Tann as far from the others as possible. I did not expect her to attack me, but I did not trust her either.

I heard Padmé's voice as I directed Tann towards the interior of the ship. "Anakin. We need to talk once you've settled her."

I nodded to the Senator, who seemed to have a lot on her mind. I had no doubt that this incident would be known to the wider galaxy in no time, and its ramifications would be huge.

For good or bad, people's outlook on the Jedi would more than likely change. Huh, I snorted in my mind at what some of my naysayers would say after this event. Maybe I will be knighted...? I thought. After all, my own master was after he had slain a Sith; it would give me more freedom than what I now possessed.

Forget about it; focus on the present.

I guided Tann deeper into the ship. She walked into the detention cell without resistance and sat on the provided bench. The gate sealed with a low hum, the force field locking into place. It would not stop a determined Force-user, but she seemed pliant enough for now. I would be watching her for the entire flight back regardless.

Studying her for a moment, I recognized the opportunity for what it was: a chance to understand the enemy before I handed her over to the Council.

I folded my arms and questioned the red-eyed woman.

"Tell me about yourself, Severance."

"As you wish, my lord..."