For the first time in his life, Qui-Gon sat in a Master's chair in the Jedi Council's chambers. Granted, it wasn't his, as more than half the Council was out leading various search parties for Obi-Wan and Anakin. As much as he wanted to lead one of his own, Yoda insisted the Force told him that Qui-Gon needed to stay put. He even threatened to sleep-suggest Qui-Gon into unconsciousness if he didn't obey. Qui-Gon reluctantly agreed, joining him and Mace in the Council chambers as search parties began to take shape and head out, combing early morning Coruscant with their senses, searching for something abnormal.
The feeling of actually sitting with the remaining Masters as an equal, and not simply another Master under their guidance, was a little odd. Even though he had no desire to join the Council, he never thought it could be a touch exhilarating to sit among them, able to issue commands to the reporting party leaders and not have them instantly rebuked. Whoever said that power was the headiest drug certainly had it right.
It helped that the chairs were much more comfortable than any of the others in the Temple.
"We're beginning our search of sectors alpha nine through fifteen," a hologram of a Jedi Knight reported, one Qui-Gon assumed was relatively new considering he'd never seen him before. "We will report to you immediately should we find anything."
"Very good, Jedi Niell," Mace said, and the hologram flickered and died. Two more appeared in its place, with news of more search parties setting out. Qui-Gon sat back in the chair, his elbows resting on the arms and his fingers threading together. He had been up for hours, barely daring the few snatches of sleep he managed after talking with Mace and Yoda. The bond remained as silent as ever, sending uncharacteristic thrills of apprehension down his spine.
"We will find them, Qui-Gon," Mace said quietly, his expression grave. He had slept even less than Qui-Gon, as he'd been the one to shake the other Masters awake, ordering them to convene for an emergency mission. Thankfully either all of them had been too sleepy to question the footage of the Sith taking Obi-Wan and Anakin, or decided that they could ask as many questions as they wanted later, because they mobilized within the following hour.
Now Qui-Gon sat in the Council chambers, with the dawn steadily creeping in through the windows, rubbing his eyes occasionally to rid them of the gummy sensation that settled in them. Part of him was running in circles hysterically while another was successfully getting it to relax by degrees, calling on the Force to loosen the tension building inside him. He kept telling himself that Obi-Wan was resourceful, that he could handle himself, but Qui-Gon still worried.
A few hours later saw no new developments, as Mace gently prodded him awake when several of the search parties reported that they'd completed their first scan and found nothing to suggest any irregularities. It was rather disheartening, to say the least, and they hadn't even been able to assign any Jedi to search out-going ships, relying on the good faith of the Republic navy to do so.
They'll be useless against a Sith using mind tricks, Qui-Gon thought, his mood steadily darkening, and he barely resisted the urge to start pacing back and forth across the chamber, which Yoda was already doing.
Another hour saw still nothing, and Qui-Gon felt all hope he had fade slowly, leaving behind an empty, sick sensation that ate at him. Mace took up the pacing vigil, which Yoda abandoned when even more search parties turned up empty handed. His ears drooped and his thin lips pressed themselves together, his eyes narrowing with each negative report.
"Give up we must not," he said, turning his somber gaze to Qui-Gon, who'd only felt this distraught a few times in his entire life. It was the sensation that filled him when he realized Xanatos had turned, when Obi-Wan went against him at Melida/Daan, and finally when Tahl died, possibly the three lowest points in his life.
It was a feeling he didn't care to experience again; hadn't he lost enough?
"I'm not giving up," he replied, his tone weary, and Yoda favored him with an incredulous look.
"But you have," the old Master said quietly. "On some level, you have."
Before Qui-Gon could argue, Master Ithara and Master Sherizyl reported from their posts around Queen Amidala that the Senate was about to hold its no-confidence vote, and that they'd reached the Senate building with no problems. Senator Palpatine had yet to join them, but he had informed them that he was on his way, as he had been delayed slightly by some unexpected guests, and the situation was otherwise normal.
Something itched at the back of Qui-Gon's mind when he heard that little bit of news, like there was something he was missing and needed to realize as soon as possible, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what it meant. He rubbed his eyes with a thumb and forefinger and he sighed heavily.
There was a flicker along the bond that made him start in surprise, and he felt everyone's gaze snap to him. He quieted his suddenly racing heart, reaching along the bond tentatively to try and discover what had caused it.
-Obi-Wan?- he sent, part of him holding his breath, but it remained as silent as before.
Plopping back into the chair, he uttered a soft huff of frustration, the small flame of hope that had reignited swiftly burning itself out.
It had to have been him though, part of him reasoned. They must have him shielded, and that was him trying to-
Qui-Gon's thoughts abruptly died when a powerful wave surged through the Force, practically knocking him senseless and making all the other Masters around him freeze as they listened to its message.
MASTER! It shrieked in a chorus of Obi-Wan's and Anakin's mental voices, making Qui-Gon clutch the armrests of the chair as he gasped.
We're on Coruscant! In a basement below the Senate building! they yelled. It's Palpatine! He's the Sith Master! He's the one who had us taken!
"Senator Palpatine?" Mace breathed as the wave passed, all the Jedi staring at each other in wonder, and Qui-Gon froze.
So that was why Obi-Wan had reacted so strangely to the senator when they'd landed. He had known Palpatine's secret, but had been unable to confront him at that point in time.
"What are we waiting for?" Qui-Gon said as he got to his feet. "You heard them as well as I did. They've given us our location, and have an order for Palpatine's arrest sent out."
Mace nodded, motioning for a Council comm link that was capable of broadcasting to all Jedi in the vicinity, so long as they had their own unit turned on. It flew to his hand and he began speaking into it, relaying Qui-Gon's orders, his voice echoing through each of the Master's own communicators.
"Told you, I did," Yoda said to Qui-Gon as he hobbled up to the tall Jedi. "A reason there was."
"I did not doubt you, Master Yoda," Qui-Gon replied, releasing his impatience into the Force. That warning must've cost Obi-Wan dearly, as he'd had to break through the shields surrounding him, and surely the Sith had heard it as well. Every second the rescue party delayed meant less of a chance to save them from being moved again.
Or worse, killed, he thought with a grim twist to his mouth. We have got to hurry.
"Let's go," Mace said once he replaced the comm link, and the remaining Masters rushed to the Temple landing pad.
Queen Amidala stopped walking the moment her Jedi escorts halted abruptly, her handmaidens and normal security freezing and looking around for possible attackers. They'd just entered the Senate building after running the gauntlet of the media outside, with holocameras hovering around her and reporters yelling to try and get her attention. She had remained as stoic as ever, ignoring everyone and letting her security tell off particularly stubborn journalists.
The Council had been most generous, assigning four Masters for her protection, and they traded off shifts. Her current guardians were a rather mismatched sort of pair. The female Human, Master Elsea Sherizyl, was easily only a meter and a half, with a powerful build and light brown hair she wore in three thick braids down her back. Her blue-grey eyes were piercing, framed by thick brows that gave her face a serious expression, but the effect was ruined the moment she smiled.
Master Krongi Ithara, on the other hand, was well over two meters, and Amidala was hesitant to label him as Human, since she'd never seen a Human male built as solidly as he was. His dark brown eyes appeared almost black, and his hair was almost white, which could have been due to age even though he didn't appear very old. A ragged scar lined the left side of his face and trailed down his neck before vanishing beneath his robes, and his expression was molded into a perpetual frown, which Amidala assumed was partly due to how chipper his partner was.
"Masters," she said, her voice deepening to impress a sense of grave authority, "is there a problem?"
The two Jedi didn't respond; they blinked, shaking themselves from whatever stupor they had fallen into, and then stared at each other.
"That… that wasn't who I think it was…" Master Sherizyl said quietly and Master Ithara pressed his lips together in response. "He can't mean Palpatine as in SenatorPalpatine, can he? There must be some kind of mistake!"
"Senator Palpatine?" Amidala heard one of her security force members ask. "What about him? What is going on?"
"We just received a-" Master Sherizyl began, but a loud buzzing from the comm link at her hip cut her off. Amidala watched both Masters snatch up their communicators as a faintly familiar voice rang out, one she recognized as Master Mace Windu, the Senior Jedi of their Council.
"Attention all Jedi Masters, this is Mace Windu informing you that the message you just received was indeed from Padawan Kenobi. Cease all searches and converge upon the Senate building. If Senator Palpatine is located, do not approach him alone. Repeat, do not approach him alone. We have reason to believe he is a Sith Master."
Amidala frowned heavily; she knew her history, and she knew what this statement implied. Surely, that was impossible! Her own trusted senator, a twisted Dark Lord? If it was true, why hadn't they noticed him sooner? And why had they mentioned Padawan Kenobi?
Moreover, how would it look to the eyes of the Senate? What kind of people willingly elected a Sith into power?
"Forgive us for not mentioning it, your majesty," Master Sherizyl said quietly, as though picking up on her thoughts. "But Padawan Kenobi and a child under Master Jinn's care were taken from the Temple last night. It was rumored they were taken by a Sith apprentice, though for what purpose we do not know."
Ani? she thought with alarm. What would the Sith want with a little boy? Perhaps they'd taken him simply because he had been close to the Jedi… part of her sank in fear, and she worked to keep it from appearing on her face.
"Come, your highness," Master Sherizyl was saying, moving to escort her away from the entrance. "We must get you to a more secure location. An entryway is a prime place for trampling, if the senators start to panic when the rest of the Jedi arrive."
She frowned but let herself be led away, her heavy skirts rustling with the movement. "What will happen with the no-confidence vote?" she asked once they were a good distance from the entrance. "It can't possibly take place with the pandemonium this will incite."
"You worry this will further the destruction wrought upon your people," Master Ithara said quietly and she glanced up at him before nodding once. "I doubt it will do so, your majesty. There is a rumor floating around the Temple that the being who attacked you during your escape from the desert planet was a Sith apprentice, and if that is so, then it is likely the Sith are deeply involved with the Trade Federation's blockade. Without them, I feel safe in saying that it will dissolve quickly."
Amidala watched the tall Master for a moment before dipping her head a little. It was the most words she'd ever heard him string together, and his soft conviction touched a part of her. "I sincerely hope you are correct, Master Jedi."
He gave her a small smile, and it nearly made her trip in shock. "Only time will tell, your highness. We must be patient, but the Force tells me this will end well for you and your people."
Amidala found herself returning his smile. "I'm glad something will go right. It has been too long since it has."
Palpatine froze as he started to ascend a flight of stairs leading up to the main hall of the Senate building, easily sensing the small hole that had been opened in his extensive shielding. He went to slam it closed, before any messages could be sent out-
Too late.
The Force slammed into him, screaming a cry for help and warning all Jedi of his true identity, and he snarled before roughly plugging the hole. He spun then, snatching up a small communicator from its place in his robes, flicking it on as he hurried back down the hallway.
"Yes, Master?" came the hiss of his apprentice. "Shall I prepare to move them to a more secure location?"
"No," he growled, anger blinding him. "Kill them. They serve no more purpose."
"As you wish."
He flicked the comm link off and tucked it back into his robes, his mind thinking quickly of a way to salvage the situation. There were no video feeds in the basement, and so far he had remained in the shadows, away from sight. He'd been working his way towards the landing pad, intending to make it appear as though he'd been dropped off by air taxi, but now he would have to change all that.
A dead padawan will do the Jedi no good, he thought, his eyes narrowing in thought. Maul will kill them and then he will pilot a speeder for me to exit from. There is an unknown landing pad where we will take off from and no one will be any wiser.
After all, the Jedi had no proof of who he was, aside from a panicked message from a soon to be dead padawan, and the courts put little stock in Force-based evidence. He would have to lie low for a while, start all over again with many of his schemes, but he would salvage this and he would survive.
He would achieve domination over the Republic. It was only a matter of time, which he would have plenty of, once this incident blew over.
First things first, he told himself, palming open a door to another flight of stairs. Time to rid myself of one pesky Jedi.