The return to the Jedi temple was very silent and grim.
K'Kruhk was a bit fearful as all three council members were purely silent, not saying a word, as was Anakin.
They finally landed in the hangar, and the doors opened.
Master Che was already there, having felt her presence needed.
"Bring her with me to the medical ward."
"On it ma'am." Spier replied, he and his men getting the gurney holding Aayla and departing.
Mira meanwhile sighed.
"Well, let's get to the council chambers, no doubt the others are already waiting."
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Anakin remained in the center of the chambers.
"How did...it happen?" He asked, voice laced with sadness.
"Investigating a terrorist threat, he was." Yoda said.
"He absorbed the powers of an ancient artifact known as the Infant of Shaa. An artifact created by the people of Seylott. It was said to possess the power to destroy entire worlds, though how we do not know. Master Poof offered Fett that if he assisted in his investigation that he'd convince us to request he be pardoned by the Republic Senate for any and all of his crimes." Mace said.
Anakin ignored that they somehow knew about Jango Fett.
"They found the terrorist and the artifact, and master Yarael sacrificed himself to absorb the weapon's power before it could cause mass devastation." Plo Koon added sadly.
Yoda nodded.
"Fled the terrorist did, but cornered and captured by Fett, and masters Plo and Yaddle, he was. Now put in a request to pardon Fett to the Senate, we have."
Anakin nodded, if Fett assisted in preventing something like this, then he'd say the man deserved it, it showed that despite his sometimes illegal activities, Jango Fett wasn't heartless.
"Hold the funeral after this session ends, we will."
Yoda sighed, he hated changing topics like this.
"But, new orders, you have."
Anakin looked up, so they were moving on just like that?
Well not really, he knew they weren't like that, there was just so much going on with this new war that stopping their efforts at this point would be foolish.
"To Kamino, to help oversee the training of the clones, you and Shaak Ti will be stationed, Skywalker. A subtle request for our aid, Fett has put in. Trust the Kaminoans, he does not, up to no good with the clones, he thinks they are."
Yoda's expression turned a bit sour at the thought.
It had only been a little over a week and a half, yet he already viewed the clones like family.
The rest of the council felt the same.
"Very well master, when do we go?" Anakin questioned.
"Not until tomorrow morning." Mace answered.
Shaak Ti nodded her understanding, though she'd need time to try and get over the loss of her former master.
"We will retire to our quarters now."
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*Most of the rest won't have actual dialogue cause I'm not sure what to do for dialogue here.
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Savage hadn't known what to think.
(Yes he has his prosthetic left arm now, felt the need to point that out)
He didn't know master Yarael personally, only knew Anakin was close to him, as if the Jedi master was like his grandfather.
Savage wasn't devastated, though a little sad, as master Poof was only ever welcoming in their brief interactions.
Feral was a bit sadder, like Anakin he was fond of almost all the council members, not as much, but still decently so. Particularly Shaak Ti, Plo Koon, and Mace Windu.
Savage noticed his brother look at Windu differently than others, already knowing what that meant, and had no clue what to think. He felt the need to be overprotective, but he knew he'd only annoy his little brother.
For now he put that aside.
He'd comforted Anakin as best as he could, mostly with words, he wasn't all that great at physical affection, though Anakin and Feral both insisted that he was.
He also knew Anakin and his former master left for Kamino in the morning, they'd be there until further notice, and that bothered him.
Because, as much as he knew the Jedi code by now, he didn't like it at all, in fact he hated it.
What are they flesh droids now? Because their code is utterly ridiculous and unrealistic.
Yaddle had taught him to disregard the code and just focus on the force, as the code would only hinder him.
So he'd followed her teachings.
He dare say he trusted her.
He was close with his master, he wasn't sure if he'd refer to her as a parental figure, but that may be what he sees her as.
...
Losing focus.
Back to Anakin...
Savage would admit to having feelings for the human male, but because of the code, it wouldn't be possible, and he hated that.
He hadn't confided in his master about these feelings yet, but he suspected if anything she'd only encourage him to pursue them.
Meanwhile Feral was wrapped up in his own assignments right now. 22 and still a Padawan to master Koth right now, but master Koth had said he would reach the rank of knight by early next year.
Savage knew Anakin followed the code closely but didn't exactly live his life by it.
So that night, he had visited and confided in his master.
Yaddle, unlike most, did not warn of dangers pertaining to such attachment, rather she saw all the positives it could bring, rather than looking at any negatives, even if she did acknowledge said negatives.
As predicted she encouraged him to pursue those feelings, but to be mindful of his emotions.
So then he went to Anakin's room and talked to him.
Savage wasn't one to open up about feelings, but this is one of those things he had to talk about, lest it practically claw at his mind.
He had not expected the kiss that followed.
Anakin told him of how he'd felt the same. Having been romantically attracted to Savage since he was 15, but wasn't sure about his actual feelings until he was 17.
He recalled a mission he and Savage went to on Garel maybe four and a half months after his birthday, along with masters Billaba and Fisto.
Originally it was to settle a trade dispute, though it turned into a terrorist attack, as he and Savage were trapped under the rubble of a hangar.
The terrorists were caught immediately afterwards, though ultimately Depa and Kit were forced to kill them, as they hadn't wished to come back quietly, or alive.
Savage had held him close, maybe closer than he should have, but still.
It had been maybe two hours later they'd been found.
Given Depa and Kit had to chase down those terrorists until they were miles away.
Thankfully they'd quickly found them after returning.
From that point on, anytime they were on a mission together, Savage was highly protective of him.
Barriss loved teasing them on that, though she knew when to stop before the teasing went too far.
Which Anakin appreciated.
Savage wasn't a particularly romantic being, but he found the whole thing touching.
While he wouldn't outright admit it, he considered Barriss a close and trusted friend.
And there goes his train of thought again.
Following the kiss, Savage just slept feeling happy and content with the younger male in his arms.
Breaking the Jedi code never felt so...good.
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Shaak mostly tried occupying herself in the archives.
She tried not to think of her former master, well, now late former master.
Though that proved impossible, especially given the funeral earlier.
"Master Ti..."
Jocasta walked over, noticing the other woman's distress.
"My sincerest apologies dear." The chief librarian whispered, not wanting to draw attention to them.
Shaak nodded.
"Thank you master Nu."
Jocasta looked at the stack of books on the table.
"Perhaps something to help put your mind at ease?" She inquired.
"I suppose."
After a moment she noticed there were no footsteps, so turned to see Jocasta still there.
"Something to tell me?"
Jocasta nodded slowly.
"Padawan Offee tells me she walked into Skywalker's quarters to check on him, though it seems he has already found much comfort in knight Opress."
Shaak managed a slight smile, as long as her student could find such happiness at a time like this.
"Very well."
Jocasta stared at her with an expression she couldn't quite decipher.
"You are not going to intervene?"
Shaak Ti shook her head.
"It is none of my business, and frankly I will not take away anything that makes him happy, even and especially, in times like this."
Silently, Jocasta applauded that decision.
Skywalker was often in the archives, very often, he could almost always be found there during certain hours of the day on a daily basis.
He always had a curious mind, which Jocasta loved because she couldn't often find someone with a mind filled to the brim with curiosity much anymore, so she always enjoyed having him around the archives, looking around, researching, helping out others.
His best friend Padawan Offee was the same, the young lady loved the archives, not just for researching and quiet reading, but also because it was peaceful.
Jocasta was quite fond of them both, so much so she even decided that when she retired, which she decided she wouldn't do until after the war was over which could be for years, either one or both of them could take on the mantle of chief librarian and archivist.
Master Nu also, like Dooku, found the current Jedi code very flawed and didn't agree with most of it, but she was silent on that.
She could only hope that the council would one day eliminate the current code and create a new, better one.
She smiled.
"Young love, a beautiful thing, isn't it? Yet love in itself, can prove far more powerful than any force, perhaps even the force itself." Jocasta said happily, though a little cryptically.
"Is there something else hidden behind your words, madame Jocasta?" Shaak Ti looked at her with intrigue.
She knew there was another meaning there.
Jocasta chuckled and shook her head as she began walking away.
"It is one of those things that only time itself can answer."
And with another cryptic answer, Jocasta left, leaving Shaak Ti with less stress, but even far more questions.
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*Foreshadowing? Maybe. Also, Jocasta is much more major here especially considering the lines I gave her above. And yep, literally almost everyone (cough, Krell, Palpatine, cough) loves Anakin in this one. Kulan doesn't either, but I'll say he will come around eventually.
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Palpatine hummed as he sat in his chair in his private office.
Ah, things were going as planned.
He had ensured there were few other Jedi, well prominent more powerful Jedi, off-world, before he put that plan into play.
The terrorist had played his role good enough, especially with the death of master and high council member Yarael Poof.
Sidious hadn't been worried much about the Quermian Jedi master, sure he was surprisingly agile, quick, and powerful in the force and a pretty fine duelist, but in a fight with Sidious, he could hold up his defenses for a while, but Sidious knew he'd win regardless.
Shaak Ti did get her skill from Yarael after all.
Oh well, a terrorist attack covered it all up, Yarael sacrificed himself in the process of stopping it, and so one less Jedi to worry about.
Well, the public had heard of the Jedi master's sacrifice, which only helped keep the Jedi solidified as heroes.
As for Jango Fett, Sidious didn't care, he could do as he pleased as long as he didn't get too involved against the Separatists, otherwise he could just become another ally of the Jedi, and then Sidious would have to expend resources to get rid of him.
Which he'd prefer not to do.
Sidious was a bit disappointed about how Dooku came close to losing against Skywalker and Ti on Geonosis, though interested to hear that Skywalker was far more powerful than he'd anticipated.
Then the boy would make a far deadlier weapon later.
Shaak Ti was of no concern to the Sith Lord, by the time the war came to an end, he'd have issued order 66, by which time Shaak Ti would either be slain by his new apprentice, her former student, at the Jedi temple, or slaughtered by the clones somewhere while on assignment, like most Jedi would die.
He doubted even the likes of Windu, Koon, Wurhui, or Mundi could survive that event when it did finally arrive.
Probably just Yoda, though that would be expected.
For now he had other matters to handle.
Grievous had proven useful, though since his lungs were partially crushed by master Wurhui, he's developed a small cough, and he's no longer as powerful as a Jedi killer because of that.
Curse Wurhui and her powerful abilities in the force.
Gunray however was...pitiful. Sidious didn't care much about him, though he did hold critical information, names of allies, locations of bases, droid movements across the galaxy, etc. So unfortunately they could not lose him, yet.
Everything was in motion.
Now all he could do is sit back and wait.
*Okay so, any of you well knowledged in the Legends verse of Star Wars? Yarael's death here is basically a variation of that. Anyway get ready for Kamino, that includes the Domino squad's arc (kind of), which means we getting ready to see Echo and Fives, and Hevy, some of the boys. Also we'll see more of Jango in the upcoming chapters.
Now another thing, Kitster and Anakin aren't going to be getting together anywhere near as quickly as Anakin and Savage, this one will be slower and more developed, at least with how it'll be written. Keep in mind that I added in the tags that this was a Anakin Skywalker/Savage Opress/Kitster Chanchani Banai story, so it's gonna be a poly ship here.
*Also, respect to master Wurhui, like...👑...