Doctor Who: The Star Wars Chronicles

Episode 9 - Lies Fly

Ilum was the same as ever. The frigid wind storms blew across the surface of the planet, making sure the temperature never rose above freezing. The landscapes were frozen as crystal. And the Jedi Temple of Ilum still stood.
The Council Chamber was empty apart from one. A Lurmen. Kanar Tee Vol sat in the chair specifically made for him, eyes closed, locked in thought. A meditative stance while sat allowed him to better concentrate.
He was thinking about current events. Since Golden and Kronis had last been here, all those years ago when Golden had first been made Kronis' padawan, not much had changed to the membership of the Council. Two members had left, and two more had filled their places. He was one of the main, as was Zabaran, and so they would stay until they handed leadership over.
The door of the chamber opens, and Zabaran walks in. A red-skinned Zabrak, sharp featured and wearing robes of black, this Jedi had been friends with Kanar Tee Vol for a long time, since before they had been padawans themselves. Growing up in the Temple as younglings, they had both been competing against each other. Now that they were masters, and much wiser, any competitive streak had been driven from them.
Zabaran sits down in a chair next to Tee Vol, and looks at him before asking "You look troubled." His voice is deep, but smooth.
"There has been a darkness. A darkness settling itself within the Force. I have felt it for a day now, growing stronger."
"I have felt it also, but there is a full council meeting. Is this really that important to discuss in session?"
"The Jedi Golden requested the full council in session," Tee Vol states abruptly. "That is what this session is about. He will be calling in a few minutes."
"He must have something important to be discussing. But why would he request the council. Why not Kronis?"
"That is something I hope to find out. We have no idea what has happened, but from our talks with Kronis before Golden's promotion, it seems Golden himself was elsewhere."
"Not on board the ship?"
"The Trade Federation possibly had their reasons for splitting them."
"But the Federation-" Zabaran starts, before Tee Vol holds a hand up to stop him.
Three other members of the council walk in and take their respective seats. All three are human. Once they were seated, three more walk in. A Rodian, another Zabrak, and a Muun. The last four of the council file in minutes after. A Twi'lek, a Gungan, a Weequay, and another human.
When all were seated, Tee Vol calls the session open and explains who they are waiting for. After the explanation, a sound starts up from the middle of the circular chamber, and a hologram emitter activates.
Stood in the middle of the floor was now Max Golden. And stood behind him was another man none of them knew. Kronis was nowhere to be seen.
"This is Jedi Protector DarkRula reporting in," he spoke.
Tee Vol and Zabaran look at each other.
There had obviously been a lot of events between the last call to Kronis and now. And this meeting was hopefully going to clear all that up.
"Well, we are all here," Tee Vol states, "so what is it that you want to discuss with us?"
"During action in the system of Gamor, General Kronis was killed," DarkRula recites in a toneless voice. "He was killed by a new threat that has risen. This new threat being Daleks."
"And what exactly are Daleks?" Zabaran asks.
"They're sort of droids, but not. They aren't from anywhere we know, anyway. Their armour is massively strong, as is their weapon. We can't harm them, but they can do massive damage to us, as they have done."
"And Kronis was captured by these things?" Tee Vol inquires.
"Yes." The word was terse.
"And where were you when this action was going on? Kronis made you his Protector, so you should have been at his side."
"I was out of action on Kallidah. The ship I was using had taken massive damage, and the repairs took a long time."
Tee Vol sensed that Golden was trying to keep his voice as formal as possible, keeping locked within darker thoughts. He was interested in knowing just what they were about.
"And why didn't you rush there in another vehicle and pick up your ship after the battle?"
"Kronis wasn't in the battle then. He was still patrolling the Duluur sector where no action took place. Once repairs had finished, I checked in again and made to his location, and that was when the battle started. Just as I set off. And though the ship was repaired, it wasn't done very well. I couldn't use maximum power and so was delayed."
"And where exactly had you come from?"
"The Trade Federation had tasked me and a strike team to Naboo."
Tee Vol visibly jumped at the mention of the Trade Federation, and looked slowly to Zabaran, who looked at him. The mention of that name was sure to bring with it things they didn't want uncovered.
"There we were to discover what the Naboo leadership were up to, in contacting unknown parties."
Tee Vol didn't look at Zabaran, but knew that he was thinking the same thing. As far as they were aware, Naboo had had no dealings with any unknown parties. The conversation was veering to a place the Jedi didn't like to discuss, and there seemed to be no way to pull the conversation away from that subject.
"We encountered a cyborg Zabrak and, though I destroyed him, we had a bit of trouble escaping the planet."
"It was this Zabrak who the Naboo were contacting?" Tee Vol asks.
"We have no idea, but it makes me wonder why the Trade Federation had me go there in the first place. I know they don't like me, but what is the overall history of the Jedi and the Trade Federation? Why was Kronis a part of it in the first place?"
It had arrived. And now they had to speak very carefully indeed.
Tee Vol looks around the Council Chamber, noting as he did the subtle touches of nervousness among the other Jedi. They all had a history with the Federation - some more than others. Golden had not been informed of any of it though, and they weren't about to start here.
Tee Vol looks back to the centre where the hologram of Golden stood, and made it look as though he had been waiting for someone else to start. He then began.
"Well, the Federation had been in a tight spot once upon a time, and Kronis had done them a favour. They repaid that favour by allowing him to join. They asked him to be a consultant to the Jedi on the Federation's behalf.
"Now, once they started to realise you could not leave your master's side, they wanted to get rid of you. And that's when the tension between us started."
"Over me?" DarkRula asks incredulously.
"Well... Sort of. The Federation kept petitioning for you to leave Kronis' side. When it got too much, we had to step in to stop them. They trusted Kronis, but no-one else. They thought you were of little importance, and so wanted you removed. When they couldn't have that, I'm guessing they decided to remove you on their own terms."
"Like sending me somewhere unprepared? Like trying to set me up for killing one of their own?"
"We won't deny their actions are rash," Zabaran says. "But from their point of view, only Kronis was supposed to be a part of them. The fact that you were unofficially inducted into the Federation has always been a bit sour for them to handle."
"So I can't be trusted by them?" DarkRula asks.
"No. Now, tell us. How did they react when Kronis was killed?"
"It's like they knew. Within minutes of the battle being won, they were already swarming The Ark, and had taken control of it. They pointed Kronis' death at me, saying I wanted full ownership rights of The Ark and that I'd do anything to get that."
"Another attempt to remove you, of course," Tee Vol states. "They would say that if it meant finally being able to disband you from the Federation. We have it on reliable sources that the only reason they made you a flight group commander after Kronis' promotion was because they hoped you be killed in action."
"Like that'd happen," DarkRula retorts.
Tee Vol gave a weak smile. "Yes. They are not the brightest. But we need to know this. Once they captured the ship, what did you do?"
Tee Vol could see that Golden was having difficulty, whether with what he had done, or what he wanted to say. He waited patiently in his seat, watching. The other man they could see had not made a single noise during the interview, but he too was now watching Golden.
"I threw them from the ship," DarkRula finally speaks. "I forced a deadlock and made them leave. They were scared enough to, anyway."
"That might not have been the best move," Zabaran says slowly. "Forcing their hand makes you vulnerable."
"But why? The ship is rightfully mine. I'm still rightfully a part of the Feder-"
"Was a part of it," Tee Vol states. "Forcing their hand has now possibly forced them to disband you from the Federation under acts of treason. They will be hunting you."
"So?" DarkRula scorns. "What can Neimoidians do?"
"While they themselves can't do anything, they have powerful allies who have much greater skill to do their bidding."
"I've beaten them before, I can do so again."
"I'm not sure you understand your position," one of the humans say from the other side of the chamber. "These Daleks are hunting you. You have now made enemies with the Neimoidians. They will be hunting you. There will no doubt be a bounty placed on your head by the Neimoidians as well. Anyone who accepts that will now be hunting you. And from what Kronis has told us, the Mandalorians are also involved somehow, though we don't know how bad. They could be after you."
"Neimoidians and bounty hunters, yes. Mandalorians, no," DarkRula says. "The Daleks have got them running. They're probably already in hiding again."
"Either way," Tee Vol interrupts. "What is your next move?"
Tee Vol had sensed something that was troubling Golden, and if he had forced the entire Neimoidian court from a ship that was rightfully theirs, it was no wonder. He might have been acting uninterested in the fact all these people were now after him, but something was definitely giving him uneasy thoughts.
And those thoughts weren't centred on Kronis. And that was worrying.
"Well, my mission on Naboo was never fully completed," DarkRula says. "So I intend to go back there. Even if the Neimoidians have blacklisted me, I'm still curious as to find out what forces are going to the planet. And also if Jek Nori really is involved."
The name jumped out at him. Jek Nori. Presumed dead, as well as his padawan. Zabaran and Tee Vol lock eyes on each other, each thinking what to say.
"Are you sure it really was Jek Nori?" Zabaran asks.
"Kronis met up with him on Cyrillia. He and his padawan had set up a base there, and his padawan turned everyone into droids. Nori hadn't wanted to though, and so a special room was built for him. The businesses on Cyrillia were producing so much fumes that it was necessary for the process to happen. The padawan turned rogue, trying to recruit an army to overthrow the Jedi. I ran into him on Naboo."
"The outcome?"
"He's no more."
"Head back to Naboo," Tee Vol instructs. "Find out what you can. And report to us what you find out. You no longer belong to the Trade Federation. There is no longer a need to tell them anything."
"I wasn't even considering it," DarkRula says, and the hologram fades.
Free now to speak their minds, the Council members became more restive. Much more looking at each other started up. Tee Vol first broke the silence.
"Well, I'm glad that's over."
"The Jek Nori," the Weequay Jedi states. "The Jek Nori. Records say he died."
"It appears not," the Muun says. "I wonder who that man with Golden was."
"If he had been important, I'm sure Golden would have introduced him," one of the humans say.
"That's not what is important," Zabaran calls. "The most important thing is - what action are we taking against Nori? If his padawan can fall, so can he."
"Is that really possible?" the Rodian asks. "From what Golden said, Nori wanted nothing to do with his padawan."
"He only said that he hadn't consented to be turned into a droid," Tee Vol reminds the group at large. "And that man with Golden could have been there just to listen to the story. As for what action we take against Jek Nori - that will be decided once Golden informs us of what he has found out on Naboo."
"Yeah," another of the humans speaks up. "If Golden knew the whole story though..."
"If Golden knew the whole story," Zabaran says, "he probably wouldn't take orders from us either. Let's just hope the whole truth never leaks out."
"His darkness would overwhelm him," Tee Vol softly sighs. "No-one would be able to reign him in."