"This is our destination. It's Italia Naboo the home nation of Senator Padme Amidala. She's attending a conference that will discuss a growing refugee crisis within certain nations and territories as a result of Seperatist attacks. Senator Amidala has also assisted the Queen of Naboo with an investigation on a set of symbols on a tablet found on the mountains of Italia Naboo. The tablet is didplayed within a lecture hall across the street from the Theed Public Library. The person sitting outside the Cafe from the library in this photo is our target." Coulson explained
Coulson pointed to a person in the photo on a holo projector. A beautiful black woman with short hair in a pristine dress with a distinctive floral print was staring intently at the Public Library. Anakin eyes widened in realization when he studied her face. Coulson continued speaking.
"Her name is Raina she helped run point on hiding the locations of Debbie's experiments. She also scouted and chose the locations so that Debbie could safely test the abilities of patients with causing any collateral damage. Raina paid scam artists and homeless to do low level surveillance in the area, she deceived law enforcement or security by pretending to read their minds by using intuition and guess work. Raina turned these displays of "precognition" into street shows. This gives Debbie the necessary distraction to relocate her makeshift experiments to another location."
"So that's how Debbie's avoided Shield and Jedi pursuit teams for the past few months." May observed
Coulson turned glaring at May and then continued, "This system of creating what amounts to a makeshift mobile lab to develop superhumans hasn't yielded any successful test subjects. The only exception is Mike Peterson whose deregulation is accelerating due to the Extremis enhancement that's powering his superhuman abilities. The symbols that are in the library's exhibit are the key to improving Mike's condition but also the experiment results for other patients."
"Rescuing Mike needs to be the priority. He needs to be with his son not stuck in a Seperatist lab." Skye said
"Don't worry Skye we'll do everything in our power to rescue Mike and save the other patients." Coulson reassured
"What do these odd symbols mean in terms of biological experimentation? They don't reference any human or sentient beings genetic information." Simmons questioned
"They refer to a code that only the highest ranking Agents know. It's related to a location that's connected to Skye's unique condition. The symbols are a reference to a genetic enhancement for people like Skye. The location contains scientific information that would improve the results of Debbie's experiments." Coulson replied
"Unique condition? What's wrong with Skye?" Fitz asked
"There's nothing wrong with Skye. She's Force Sensitive and was moved from the Jedi Temple to an orphanage. Her heritage is half galactic and non galactic. Her genetic code was harvested in the secret location the tablet is referring to. If it's discovered by Project Centipede then Dooku will have the superhuman army he seeks for the Seperatist military." May answered
"Except that army will have superhuman abilities but also a connection to the Force." Ahsoka said horrified
"So why now? Why did Project Centipede wait so long to utilize this solution to their problem?" Ward asked
"Risk. The Clairvoyant who I'm betting is Agent Hand considers this solution to be too high a price. Shield attention would disrupt this cozy operation. One of the most prominent Senators within the United Republic who was the former Queen of the country means any hope of remaining under the radar is gone. Yet due to lack of success with these experiments. Dooku probably isnt happy and so the Clairvoyant needs to take a big risk." Garrett theorized
"So how do we approach Raina who seems to be aware anybody who comes near her is a threat because what she wants is connected to Shield?" Agent Triplett asked
"Easy we don't try to trick her. We introduce her to the one person she's willing to talk to. That's Skye and we use her the same way the Clairvoyant uses Raina." Coulson replied
"What are you talking about?" Ahsoka asked
"Raina used to be at the Jedi Temple as well. She was one of the few younglings to be expelled from the Order. Raina didn't pass her lightsaber trials. She never became a Padawan. Master Yoda told her to meditate to see what path the Force had for her future. Raina refused due to her anger and resentment at not being considered worthy by the Order. Raina attempted to sneak into the restricted area of the Jedi Archives reserved for Jedi Masters. To gain knowledge and understanding about her abilities and potential. That's what got her expelled." Anakin explained
Skye head throbbed in pain and she saw a memory of a young black girl with short hair. She was laughing with a group of younglings at Skye who laid sprawled on the ground in a courtyard within the Jedi Temple.
"I knew her. When I was a youngling at the Temple she used to mock and tease me. I don't know how I remembered that but I did." Skye blurted out
"You're a Jedi?" Ward asked surprised
"No. I was being educated on how to become one until Shield took me from the Jedi Temple. They wiped my memories and made me think I was never there to begin with. I figured Shield knew where I came from. That's why I joined Rising Tide. To find out what Shield was hiding and exposed it. It turns out that Agent Hand was the one who concealed the information about Shield's involvement with my childhood."
Agent Triplett turned to Agent Garrett and gave him a nod while Agent Garrett shrugged his shoulders. FitzSimmons stared on shock while Ahsoka pretended to be in shock.
"None of this definitively proves Agent Hand is the Clairvoyant. We need to apprehend Raina and Debbie and question them on what they know." May said
"This is just wild. Skye you grew up as a Jedi and Shield wiped your memory of it. That's not morally problematic?" Fitz asked Coulson
"It was but I wasn't on that mission. Agent May was. Regardless Skye is a high priority target of Dooku due to her unique genetic profile. Skye is one of the few Force Sensitive non galactic humans on Earth. Her father actually trained with Count Dooku within the Jedi Temple decades ago. We need to be careful if we send Skye in. If she's kidnapped Skye's genetic information could be used by the Seperatist to give their superhuman army Force sensitivity and other abilities." Coulson explained
"Interesting. How come nothing showed up during the medical physical I did on Skye when she first joined our team?" Simmons asked
"Only a trained medical expert of the Jedi Order or one familiar with measuring midichlorians within a Force Sensitive are able to detect a person's connections to the Force in a medical examination." Anakin explained
"Fascinating." Simmons said with a smile
"Fitz we're going to need your drones to monitor Skye. We're going to split into pairs and use the drones camera's to monitor Skye's approach of Raina. That will give us the element of surprise to stop these experiments and apprehend Raina. This will protect the location of the Shield base with the chemical genetic enhancement. Then May can give whatever information we get from interrogating Raina to Director Fury and determine if Hand is truly the Clairvoyant. Since May's been having secret communications with Director Fury behind the team's back."
May frowned and folded her arms. Everyone except Coulson gave May confused looks.
"Sir, are you sure it's safe for Skye to go out in the field if she's Dooku's priority target?" Ward asked
Skye turned and glared at Ward, "I'll be fine. I can handle myself Ward."
Awkward stares from everyone in the room forced Skye into silence but Ward said, "Sorry. I'm being overprotective. I need to trust that your ready for a mission like this."
Anakin struggled not to smirk. He thought about his marriage to Padme and how it was against the Jedi Code. Apparently in Shield being in a romantic relationship with your trainee was also against protocol. Ward and Skye were hiding a relationship and Anakin wondered if he should say something. He didn't want to come across as a hypocrite but he also didn't want Ward to be compromised on this dangerous mission. Anakin also worried about Skye and wondered if she would resent him for not helping her remember they're past together as younglings.
"Ok...so we gonna get this show on the road boss?" Garrett asked giving Coulson a playful punch on the shoulder
"Yeah...let's get this done." Coulson grumbled
****
"Hello Senator Amidala! Your speech on refugees was incredible. I was a refugee myself. Out in Florida/Trandosha when I was a little girl there was a Hurricane called Andrew. I remember the United Republic Senate did nothing for us for two years. But a young girl from Italia Naboo roughly 13 years old gave an amazing speech about the Senate needing to do better for those that need help. I was in an orphanage in DC Coruscant watching it on TV and I was amazed that a kid could tell adults to be compassionate with their power. I wasn't surprised you were elected Queen of Italia Naboo weeks after that speech." Raina said with tears in her eyes
Padme was startled by these words and she put up a hand to stop her Clone Commando bodyguard. Padme approached Raina and sat down. The two women started talking and Skye could hear Anakin cracking his knuckles and muttering to himself. Before this scene took place Anakin apologized to Skye about concealing her past from her. Skye felt numb during the apology and said as much. There were so many secrets within Shield and the Jedi Order she didn't know what to think. Skye wondered if Anakin and Senator Amidala had a secret.
"Con artists. There just as bad as politicians." Anakin grumbled
"Aren't you friends with Senator Amidala and Chancellor Palpatine?" Skye asked skeptically
"Three months you claimed you would expose all of Shield's secrets. That's how Ahsoka and I found you and now you are on the path to becoming a Shield Agent. Things can change."
"I was on the path to becoming a Jedi until Master Yoda betrayed my trust by letting Shield take me away. So in a different universe I would be Ahsoka's teacher not you. Who knows maybe your mom would have married a Senator and you'd have an adoptive father." Skye countered
"Touche." Anakin said
Out of nowhere a blinding light overtook the entire square and Anakin and Skye were knocked out.
****
Agent Hand was excited and Agent Hartley grabbed her and kissed her in celebration. The two women held each other close and cherished this brief moment. Then they turned to face Count Dooku.
"I delivered as I promised but you need to deliver. Disable the eye implant in Isabelle's eye. You don't need to keep her as your leverage." Agent Hand demanded
"You still need to perform the interrogation on Coulson. Once that is complete then...and only then will I tell you the secrets of the Jedi." Dooku replied
"I had a feeling you'd say that. Code name hammer. I just activated the hammer protocol. You weren't granted official clearance Dooku so you will succumb to its effects."
Dooku in his rage channeled the Force and levitated Hand off the ground. He reached for the trigger on the device for Hartley's eye implant. Once Dooku pressed it a nano sized explosive inside Isabelle's eye socket would detonate killing her instantly. Yet Dooku was groggy and weak. The air was laced with the faint odor of a chemical Dooku realized. He could only sense it when fully channeling the Force but he didnt use the Force fully when entering the Hub. He stumbled to his knees and Hand landed on the ground clutching her throat. Hand managed to get back onto her feet and she watched Dooku succumb to the effects of the sleeping gas.
"Looks like the Clairvoyant just ended the Clone Wars. Without you the Seperatist are just a headless snake." Hand said with a smile before Dooku passed out