SW Chapter 8 (Patreon)

Jedi Temple

Anakin POV

"Kneel."

I dropped to one knee, my thoughts a torrent.

I was about to become a Jedi Knight.

It was something I had known was coming for a long time. Still, knowing it and living it were two different things. I held myself motionless as Grand Master Yoda stepped closer and drew the small shoto from his belt.

The green blade ignited with a soft snap-hiss. I felt its heat near my shoulder and did not move. This was a monumental moment, one that most people would never understand.

It was almost as if the Force itself was validating me.

A memory rose unbidden.

Little Anakin on Tatooine, staring up at Qui-Gon Jinn with wide eyes.

You are a Jedi Knight, aren't you?

That memory had always meant more to the original Anakin; it represented salvation to the little slave boy. Even I could feel the weight of it now. If Qui-Gon had never been brought to Tatooine all those years ago, Anakin Skywalker might never have reached this Temple at all.

I kept my eyes lowered to the floor.

The blade moved in a blur, so fast I could not follow it.

The speed of it was startling even when I expected it: a near tap against one shoulder, then the other, and in the same motion, Yoda snipped the Padawan braid. The small plait fell cleanly into my open, waiting hand.

"Knelt, you did, as a Padawan," Yoda said. "Rise, you will, as a Knight of the Jedi Order."

I stood.

The little green Master looked up at me, hummed once with a faint smile, and walked back to his seat without glancing behind him.

I closed my fingers around the cut braid.

Huh.

I kind of wished Obi-Wan had been here...

I blinked, realizing why, and pulled the Force back in tight around myself. Master Yaddle was the first to smile.

"The crystals," she said gently. "They are hurting, yes? Give them to me."

Realizing what she meant, I reached into my belt, lifted the kyber crystals I had taken from the fallen acolytes on the station, and let them rise into the air. In the High Council chamber, where the currents of the Force ran so densely, the presence of the corrupted crystals was more pronounced.

A sour, wounded presence clung to each one.

Yaddle inspected them as they drifted toward her, turning each crystal slowly in the air before drawing them into a small compartment built into her floating chair. Despite the situation, curiosity got the better of me.

"May I ask what will be done with them, Master Yaddle?"

"I will keep them safe," she said. "And in time, I will draw out the corruption."

"I see. Is it like Tutaminis?"

She smiled indulgently at me. I fluttered for a moment, realizing where I was. Master Yaddle had a way to lower your guard; her kind, grandmotherly nature made it dangerously easy to forget you were standing before one of the most formidable Jedi alive.

"You are right in part," she said. "It is an old art; it is a part of Purification. It takes a lot of dedication and patience. Perhaps you can join some of my students, when the Force allows it."

Students...? That was a weird term. Still, it was an invitation I would not refuse; there was so much I could learn from her. If I was not wrong, she was only a century or so younger than Yoda.

"Of course, Master, I would be honored."

Mace Windu took over after my acceptance.

"We shall now discuss the dark-sider's fate," he said, "and our actions regarding the situation." His gaze settled on me as he said the last word. I had to stop my mouth from twitching. I knew exactly what he meant: my Holonet footage of the fight.

Shaak Ti leaned forward slightly, focusing her precise, natural predatory eyes on me.

"What is your impression of her, Knight Skywalker?"

I bowed my head a little and spoke after gathering my thoughts.

"I believe she is an opportunist. She has a sharp grasp of survival and of reality. From what I have seen, she is not overtly gifted in the more direct applications of the Force, but she is skilled in obscure ones. She attempted to influence my emotions, and by her own account, she is gifted in astrogation. And from what I felt of her... she did not seem deeply corrupted."

A ripple of interest moved through the chamber as I gave them my honest opinion.

"Astrogation.... Shall we bring her in?" asked Master Oppo Rancisis. I stood a little uneasily but then moved to the side, noting that I had not yet been dismissed.

Windu signaled the guards and settled in to wait for them. The Masters settled into a state of quiet, half-meditation while we waited. It was something I had always found impressive, no matter what people from my former life liked to say about the Jedi. Barring a few exceptions, they were dedicated to the Force in a way most people could never start to fathom.

After a time, Tann was brought in.

She entered between two Temple sentinels. She walked forward confidently, yet subserviently; it was quite the conundrum. When she reached the center of the chamber, she knelt without reservation.

Tann lowered her head.

"I greet the Jedi Lords of Coruscant."

Master Oppo Rancisis was the first to correct her.

"We are not lords," he said. "The Jedi Order has not used such titles since the Ruusan Reformation."

Tann did not lift her gaze. "Then how do you wish to be addressed?"

"You may call us Master."

I had to withhold a sigh. To an ordinary person, that probably sounded just as bad. I kept the thought to myself.

"As you wish, Masters."

Mace Windu spoke coldly to her after.

"You are here, apprehended for the attack on a Senate-backed peace summit, the attempted harm of Republic officials, and the use of the dark side of the Force."

Is using the dark side itself a crime? I wondered. Tann said nothing.

Yoda stepped forward, his ears drooping slightly.

"Heard your story from Knight Skywalker, we have. Tell us now... who taught you?"

"A man who called himself Darth Tyranus," she answered dutifully. "You would know him as Count Dooku of Serenno."

Yoda's shoulders sank. Windu's jaw tightened until the muscle stood out along his cheek. Oppo Rancisis let out a long breath.

"How far have you fallen, old friend..."

I stood there awkwardly. To me, Dooku was an enemy that would have to be dealt with. To them, he had been a friend. A fellow Jedi they had known for decades. Especially Yoda. Dooku had been his Padawan. Yoda had taught him everything he knew.

How would I feel if it were Falon? Or Faora?

I grimaced and pushed the thought aside.

Windu recovered first; his tone was as cold as before.

"She should be imprisoned in the deeper levels of the Temple."

I found myself nodding. It was probably the safest decision. Even if Tann was compliant now, she was still a dangerous element.

Yaddle rubbed her chin. "Corrupted, she is not."

And that was also true...

Yoda straightened. Then he went silent for so long that the quiet began to border on awkward.

What followed truly surprised me.

"A mistake of mine, Dooku is. Clear it, I will. Take Tann as my Padawan, I shall. Responsibility for her, I accept."

What?

I stared at him, baffled.

To my surprise, even Master Windu shared the look.

"Grand Master," he said. "Why?"

The other Masters were more restrained, but even they were surprised by Yoda's decision, though they kept silent in respect for the little green being, who stared resolutely at the Chiss woman who lowered her head in compliance.

This is really starting to get out of control...

I stared at Grand Master Yoda, Taking Tann as a Padawan. Being apprenticed to the Grand Master of the Jedi Order said a great deal. It also had the potential to land the entire Order in controversy.

Tann had been part of a strike group that attacked a peace summit. The entire thing had been broadcast across the galaxy. Even now, different factions would be clamoring for answers. The political fallout had the probability to be enormous, especially in the current political environment. If I remembered right, Padmé and other senators and Judicial officers were coming here for that very reason.

Even if I wanted to question Yoda, I realized I had no place to do so. I had spared Tann myself. The Jedi Order did not answer to me.

But perhaps he saw something I did not, at least I was not the only one who thought so.

"Are you certain, Grand Master?" Windu asked. "There will be repercussions."

Yoda's ears lowered slightly. "Certain, I am not. Necessary, it is. A right path, she must be given. Hide from consequence, we will not. Face it, the Jedi Order will."

Windu was silent for a moment. Then he inclined his head, accepting the centuries-old master.

Yoda turned back to Tann.

"Rise, you may," he said, his voice gentler now, though no less firm. "A Padawan of the Order, you are. Restricted, your movements will be. Watched closely, you will be. The dark path again, you will not walk. Understand this, do you?"

"Yes, Master," Tann said, and rose.

Windu looked to Shaak Ti.

"Master Ti. Senator Amidala is waiting on this level with her party and the accompanying officials. Please handle them." Then his gaze shifted to me. "Knight Skywalker. Is there anything we should know about what the Senator wants?"

"I believe they want answers, Master," I said. "They want to understand what happened with the Sith. And if I had to guess, they also want an explanation for why I brought Padawan Tann here instead of surrendering her to planetary authorities. I'm certain this is not normal procedure. This will have to be handled carefully."

Shaak Ti nodded. "I will handle the matter."

I knew this was my chance. I could not afford to remain passive any longer. I had to assume I would be off Padmé's bodyguard duties. At least she wasn't against the military bill. I wasn't certain how the original Anakin had left the mission. Perhaps the war had just begun and more important tasks had appeared.

Still, this was my chance.

"Masters," I said. "What are we going to do about the Sith?"

The Council members looked at one another, communicating between themselves in silence.

I continued. "I believe the galaxy is about to be embroiled in war. The Military Creation Act may pass. If the Sith are already moving in the open, we cannot treat this as an isolated incident."

Shaak Ti regarded me for a moment, then inclined her head after finishing whatever conversation they all had.

"And what do you believe we should do, Knight Skywalker?"

"I believe we need a strike team," I said. "One that can search, confirm what we are dealing with, and act if necessary. Waiting for the next attack to find us is not a strategy."

Yoda's presence settled on me fully at my words. I felt like I was standing in front of a mountain of light, yet I didn't look away.

I would do what I must.

"Defeat Dooku, you believe you can?" he asked.

"No, Master," I answered honestly. There was no point in pretending otherwise. "But I would not be fighting alone."

He nodded, accepting that.

Shaak Ti regarded me again.

"Then assist me for now," she said. "We will handle the Senator and the authorities first."

"Of course, Master."

I followed the Togruta toward the doors. Yoda's voice stopped me before I reached them.

"Knight, you are now. A Padawan, you will take. Immediately."

I paused. I had only just been knighted. The last thing I wanted was a student of my own.

"I believe it is still too early for me to teach anyone, Master."

Yoda's expression turned faintly impish.

"A Padawan, you need now. A condition of your knighthood, it is. Else revoke it, I will."

What?

I stared at him, then at the remaining Masters. They looked faintly amused, like this had already been decided.

"I... I must protest, Master. I do not think a knighthood has ever been revoked."

At least, I did not think so. I was still too baffled to be certain.

Yoda only smiled, clearly satisfied.

"Protest, you may. Grand Master, I am."

I had to stop my mouth from twitching.

"Very well, Grand Master."

"Hmmm. Discuss this later, we will. Confer with Obi-Wan, you must."

I nodded and followed Master Shaak Ti out of the chamber. I let out a quiet breath once the doors closed behind us.

So it has begun.

A/N: And what do you all think of Shakk Tii? not as a main romantic interest but something temp ?