The Return
The Jedi Council was gathered two hours after the disappearance of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, former Padawan Ahsoka Tano, and the stranger Harry Potter.
There was a certain tension in the room, although where it was coming from wasn't obvious.
Yoda seemed to be the calmest of all. "Felt the return presence of Knight Skywalker did I. Be here they will."
And suddenly, before them, the people in question appeared in a bright blue light.
The stranger bowed. "As promised, two hours. Hello, Jedi Council."
The Council stared at those they had previously known. Ahsoka Tano had formerly been a young woman, adult but not yet fully matured. Now, she stood in a strange set of robes, and it was obvious that she was now fully mature. She also carried herself with a rock-solid certainty that the former Padawan had never held.
The formerly brash and excitable Anakin Skywalker had also changed. Where he had been a skinny man with a certain reckless energy to him, the current version was more broadly-shouldered, calm, with an almost serene look upon his face.
The Council was shocked.
Anakin spoke. "While I believe that a debriefing is necessary and discussions as to what has occurred, there is a matter that must be taken care of first." He turned toward Harry. "Did you bring it as I asked?"
Harry nodded. He pulled from his pocket one vial of anti-aging potion and handed it over. Anakin downed it. The room was shocked when he took on the appeared he had two hours earlier. He spoke to the council. "Before I can fully debrief, the Force calls me to deal with a certain issue. Harry, Ahsoka, and I will leave. We came here due to Harry's promise but will have to report once the other matter is taken care of."
Several Council members started to protest but Yoda motioned them to be quiet. "The Force directs you." Yoda could feel the Force pushing on Anakin. Anakin nodded. "Then do as it directs. We will be waiting when you return."
Anakin quickly left, Ahsoka and Harry following.
The three left for the Senate building. As luck would have it, the Senate was about to let out. Harry and Ahsoka were sent by Anakin to the Supreme Chancellor's office. Harry would use his skills to enter and Ahsoka would use Harry's insight and the training she received with the rangers to find the Chancellor's hidden records.
Anakin would delay and detain Palpatine. The Rangers had taught Anakin control beyond his wildest imagination. Concentrating, Anakin began to exude the same energy that he had before his maturity.
Palpatine quickly left the chambers he had been in. He needed to get to his office. However, as he traveled, he met the pawn he found most valuable: Anakin Skywalker. "Knight Skywalker! This is a pleasant surprise. I was worried after our last meeting, what with what happened to your Padawan."
Anakin motioned that aside. "You were doing your job. I am more … concerned about the Council and their unwillingness to do the proper thing. But I have found something that I need to speak to you of. If I brought it to the Council, they would claim I was imagining things."
Palpatine felt a spike of triumph. He has long wanted to bring Skywalker under his control. That the Jedi came to him before his superiors meant that he was that much closer. "Oh? Would you like to take this to my office?"
Anakin looked around nervously. "Is there someplace that is more private? Not being watched?"
Palpatine was intrigued. He motioned for Anakin to follow him to an empty meeting room.
After they walked in (ensuring no one noticed them outside of the Chancellor's guard who knew Anakin and trusted him), Anakin looked around. "I'd like to scan for any listening devices."
Palpatine motioned Anakin to proceed and Anakin took a scanner he had from his supplies and motioned it around the perimeter and near the door. Anakin nodded in Satisfaction.
Satisfied that there were no bugs, Anakin smiled. He then pulled out a device and placed it on the table.
Palpatine got exactly 10 milliseconds of a sense of great danger (Anakin had learned excellent control during his time as a Ranger) before the "device" opened up and four small stones jumped to the four corners.
As Palpatine moved to stand up from the chair he had sat in when Anakin was scanning, Anakin spoke the code word which activated the wards.
Through some time he spent with Harry while waiting for Ahsoka, the two had come up with this Ward scheme using four anchor stones and one ward stone. It suppressed all magic within the confines – and all Force abilities.
Anakin, being a Ranger, could operate without the Force – he had practiced on withdrawing his sense until he operated as no more than a normal man.
For Palpatine, who had so much of his Dark efforts running on a sort of "Automatic" setting, being so suddenly cut off was actually disorienting. He fell back into the chair. "What did you do?"
Anakin moved to Palpatine and immediately put on the Force-inhibiting cuffs. "I put up a ward which cuts off Force abilities. I really needed you to be contained while Ahsoka broke into your personal computers and found the records needed to prove that you are the entire force behind this whole War." Anakin looked at Palpatine calmly.
Palpatine called out, "GUARDS!" He was shocked when nothing happened. He looked at Anakin.
"Oh, sorry. The Ward stones I put up also make this room and what's happening quite uninteresting to anyone outside. I imagine that anyone wondering what is going on is deciding right now that it's nothing they need to worry about. That, added to the silencing charm, and we can be here for as long as needed." Anakin's tone of regret was obviously fake.
"My boy, I don't know what lies you've been told, but you are making a big mistake."
Anakin sighed. "Damn. Now I owe Ahsoka ten credits. After hearing about the man who came with me and his former teacher, she predicted that 'My boy' would be one of the first things out of your mouth." He shook his head. "Manipulators are all the same, apparently."
Anakin then pulled out a device from his other pocket. This was a something from Babylon 5. It was discarded after the Telepath war, of which he has some small part, but the formula was still on hand. It was the cocktail which suppressed telepathy.
Anakin had allowed it to be tested on him. While it did not suppress all Force abilties, it did suppress the ability to extend one's mind out to sense what was happening or to control those with weaker wills. The dose he administered would last several days.
With that Anakin retreated to a chair opposite where Palpatine was sitting.
For the next two hours, Palpatine tried numerous things to convince Anakin to let him go, he tried to escape, he tried faking a need to relieve himself. Anakin refused to allow him to move around and refused to listen to what he said. Anakin also informed him that if he messed himself that it was an acceptable alternative to being given freedom.
In Palpatine's office, Ahsoka Tano also deployed the ward stones they had gotten from Harry. Ahsoka quickly accessed the system. With Harry's spouting out locations and passwords, all of the secret comminques that Palpatine had sent out to the Separatist leaders and the Sith apprentices that Palpatine had.
Having accessed it and ensuring that the most incriminating pieces were present, Ahsoka quickly sent copies off to every member of the Galactic Senate as well as the Jedi Order. She also leaked some to the news outlets – not all of it, but enough that the news services wouldn't ignore it.
While Ahsoka was doing this, Harry was inspecting every inch of the chambers. He wanted to ensure there was nothing imbued with the Dark side of the Force or Dark magic contained within the office.
He was successful in locating a few relics from the Sith Empire. Pulling out a bag that would hold whatever you put into it and would shield it, Harry dropped these items into the bag.
The dank, dark feeling that Harry had been feeling immediately dissipated. Harry grinned.
Harry and Ahsoka then sat back and monitored the news feeds. They were not disappointed.
It took less than thirty minutes for the first report to hit the news feeds. After the first one, others quickly followed until all the news feeds had the information out to too many sources for it to be suppressed.
Harry was amazed that it took another two and half hours before a contingent of Jedi Masters and Republic troops came to arrest the Chancellor. The Senate had met and immediately revoked Palpatine's position as Supreme Chancellor.
That was what Harry had been waiting for.
"Well, Gentlemen, if you want to arrest Palpatine, you have to go to where Anakin Skywalker has detained him," Harry said to the Jedi and troops.
They were confused. Harry and Ahsoka quickly moved to the room. He turned to the Clone troopers. "You know that Palpatine is no longer Supreme Chancellor, correct?"
The troopers nodded.
"Then any attempt for him to enact orders that are contained within your downloaded programming regarding the Supreme Chancellor are not valid. Correct?"
The troopers nodded again.
"Then, even if he orders Order 66, it will be invalid."
The troopers nodded a third time.
"Cool. Let's arrest us a criminal." Harry opened the door to the room. Anakin was sitting calmly at the table across from a livid old man.
"What took so long?"
"Ensuring that he is no longer Chancellor. He can't order the troopers to enact Order 66 or any other hidden order." With that statement, Palpatine's eyes widened and, for the first time, he looked worried. "There he is. As he is a Sith, perhaps you can turn him over to the Jedi Order as given in Republic law."
With that the troopers and the Jedi with them left with Palpatine to travel to the Jedi temple.
Things took a couple days to settle down and steps were taken by Jedi in the field to use the Sith's communication codes to add confusion to the separatists for the short time between Palpatine being arrested and the information being widely distributed. Anakin himself (with Harry's help) mimicked Palpatine to Count Dooku. "Palpatine" had told Dooku that he had minimized his Force presence to hide as there were indications he was being tracked down.
Needless to say, it was a crazy time for the next few days. While there was some denial on the part of many who profited from Palpatine's placement, the vast majority of the public and the Senate were quite convinced of Palpatine's guilt.
As a Sith Lord, it required several Jedi Masters to keep him contained. The Senate tried him on the evidence found and he was found guilty. The meeting between Anakin, Ahsoka, and the Council was delayed.
Harry himself bounced around, learning about this universe. He also visited Luke and Leia. Padme had a necklace which glamoured her to look younger until the truth could come out. The two kids, being unknown, couldn't go out so they were a little bored. Padme had them learning things from a computer. Anakin had a chance to visit a couple of times.
Finally, the "Big Reveal" was going to happen. Anakin was almost giddy, though he settled himself down.
And so, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Harry were standing in front of the Council.
Yoda looked at them. He had been having difficulty reading Anakin in recent days. He had long been aware of the almost frenetic nature of Anakin within the Force. He always had a certain brilliance a shining beacon.. Yoda had long been cautious because there was also a certain passion also.
Now, however. Now it was quite different. There was a certain serenity that Anakin displayed within the Force – a calmness that had never been associated with his Force signature.
Ahsoka had always been similar. Ahsoka was not serene though. Ahsoka was calm – but dispassionate in her actions. When she was called as witness, she testified with clarity and succinctness all at once. When Tarkin had tried to rattle her, he had been shocked at the complete lack of reaction that Ashoka Tano displayed. Nothing he said or implied caused the least spike of emotion. This was not the Ahsoka that had been just a few days earlier.
Harry was alternately a beacon and a blankness. None could read anything but they could sense him – when Harry desired it.
Yoda finally asked Ahsoka "Return to the Jedi will you?"
Ahsoka looked calmly at the Council and replied, "No."
"Why?" Yoda asked.
Ahsoka considered that. "I was betrayed. And while there might have been valid political reasons for me to be offered up as a sacrifice to Palpatine's manipulations, it still stands that if there can be no trust, there can be no community. And so I do as I must, and withdraw."
"Ask I do, what will be your path?"
With complete calmness Ahsoka replied, "It is interesting that in the time I was gone I became a member of a group called, in the original language, Anla'shok. It means "Application of Force." The Council members had a few widen their eyes at that. "I was hesitant. I was told, when I joined that my safety could not be guaranteed. The one who led the Rangers made one guarantee – and in that she provided."
"Guarantee what did she?" Yoda asked curiously.
"Purpose." Ahsoka smiled serenely and said, "I am a Ranger. We walk in the Dark places that no others will enter. We stand on the Bridge and none may pass. We live for the One. We die for the One. In Valen's name."
The Council looked alarmed. "Who or what is this 'Valen'?" asked Mace Windu.
"He was a spiritual and war leader who created the order when the galaxy we visited was fighting a race steeped in the Dark. When the leaders of the people, when the castes themselves, refused to work with him to defeat this Dark race, he gathered those of the Warrior caste, and even some from the Religius and Workers castes among them, and he taught them war. He taught them control. He taught them victory. He became the most revered figure in the culture he was in. At later times, when the Dark came forth again, they opened their doors to their spiritual brothers, the Humans of Earth, and the foretold form of the Rangers occurred. And when the Dark race, these Lords of Chaos, were defeated again, and forced to leave the galaxy along with the Lords of Order, the remaining younger races came together. And the Rangers, these Anla'shok, opened their doors to all races. And while there are none here, I feel that application of what I learned will help me to improve things for those who live here."
"Which life – whose life – would you improve?" Yoda asked.
"Anyone I can help," Ahsoka shrugged.
"But Protect the Republic do the Jedi!" Yoda said.
Another Councilor added, "How could there be anything more important than that?"
Ahsoka could only look at that as though sympathetic toward their innate shortcomings – as the the Jedi were crippled and worthy of pity. The Council was actually spooked at this.
Obi-wan Kenobi looked at Anakin, "What happened in that other Galaxy?"
Anakin considered how to answer that. "I found that, in my opinion, our Order is – at its most basic – flawed." Anakin calmly waited for the reaction.
And a reaction there was. Some even showed signs of, "Ah, Ah!" He admonished a couple of Councilors. "What are we always taught? Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, leads to the Dark side." The angry council members calmed themselves. Now Anakin looked at them with some pity. He addressed the whole council again. "And of course I just manipulated you."
At that the Council looked at him with surprise.
"This is what I was talking about. I just attacked the entire basis of all of our lives. It would be – to anyone other than the Jedi – fairly normal for that to induce fear, antagonism, anger. Some here felt anger – yet did anyone here feel any pull from the Dark side?"
"Controlled the anger they did. Prevented themselves from being caught in it."
"Still," Anakin said, "it was there. And it was natural. What are we taught is the Force? What is the Force?"
One of the councilors said, "The Force is what gives the Jedi his power, it is the energy which surrounds all living things, which binds the galaxy together."
Anakin nodded. "Yes. 'Binds the galaxy together.' Interesting. If we are to study the Force, use the Force, experience the Force, and the Force is what binds everything together, than why are we forbidden from personal attachments to others? Is that not a product of this 'binding together'?"
Shaak-Ti protested. "Personal attachment leads to jealousy, it leads to greed. It blinds us to the Force by distracting us, and can lead us to the Dark side."
Anakin shouted, "There! That is what I speak of." He sighed. "It 'might' lead to the Dark side."
"Many instances in History, in the Jedi Records, are there for this wisdom," Yoda said.
"I am certain that is true. But here is the fallacy of that argument." Anakin calmly said. He paused to word this. "Consider a primitive society, one just learning to forge metal implements to kill and cut their food. One – or even a group – of these peoples look at their new metal knives and decide that these can be useful in attacking the others of their people, of controlling them, instilling fear. And so the leaders of the people decide, 'Metal tools can be used for evil. Therefore, Metal tools are evil. Therefore we must all return to Bone and Stone knives.' You've taken specific circumstances, limited in their existence, and therefore vilified something which is – after all – a very useful thing in such a society."
Some started protesting the analogy, but Yoda motioned the rest to silence.
"And Personal Attachments – what do you think?"
"A wise Narn – a race from the Galaxy I visited – gave the best argument for attachment.. His people were defeated and enslaved by another race. He had long fought against these people using whatever methods. But they were losing this insurgency. But he eventually learned a new lesson. He said: 'To save our people, we must sacrifice our people. We must sacrifice ourselves, our pride, our vengeance. Be willing to die by the thousands. By the millions – for one another. The more we fight for ourselves, the more we lose ourselves. We are linked. Our fate is like an image caught in a mirror. If we deny the other, we deny ourselves. We will cease to exist.' Now, he was talking about a particular war to a particular people who were feeling a lot of vengeful thoughts. But it was only when he was willing to eschew the vague concept of justice against the oppressor and to connect with the others – not just of his own people but of all sentients who were threatened by the war that was being waged – only then did he truly start living. Only then could victory and peace become possible." Anakin said, "You are all aware that to many within and without the Order, my actions in the War were celebrated. I was called, 'The Hero without Fear.' What is it that allowed me to do this?"
"Your training, obviously," Obi-wan replied.
Anakin laughed. "I was and am trained just as any other. I am not special in that regard. What else about me is different?"
The Council members considered that. Another volunteered, "Your unusually high midchlorian count."
Anakin rolled his eyes. "The Grand Master's levels are, to be completely fair, fairly close to my own. Perhaps ten percent lower – no more. Yes, it allows me a greater connection – if I can concentrate. A larger count actually means I need more guidance to control it than most. This is not something that, in the long run, makes a huge difference."
Mace Windu asked, "And so what makes you different?"
Anakin pulled out a "link" that he and Padme had brought from the other Galaxy. These – plus a few others they had – could be networked without exterior amplification as long as those using them were within ten miles. It was something that Anakin wanted to introduce to the Jedi. Anakin tapped the link. "This is Anakin."
A woman's voice could be heard. "Go."
"It's time."
"Roger and out."
The room looked curious. "What is this?"
"A personal communications device tied in with a few others. It will work within a certain area without external networks and worldwide if controlled by a central computer – as long as one is on an approved frequency. It's something I brought back. We have someone else – or someones else – coming. If we could wait ten minutes."
The Council approved that. Harry took a miniature platter out and expanded it. It contained tea and scones. Harry invited anyone who could eat them to have some.
Within about ten minutes, Anakins link chirped. He answered, "This is Anni – Go."
"We're outside."
"Wait a moment. I'll signal you."
The Council regathered and Anakin sent the signal. Into the chambers walked a woman and two children. It took a moment but soon some gasped.
Anakin grinned. "Yes. Meet my reasons for being: Padme Amidala Skywalker, my wife, and my two children, Luke and Leia."
The two children were a bit nervous but mostly calm. Padme was smiling. "Finally! I was getting really tired of hiding that." She pulled off her necklace and suddenly appeared a few years more matured, but still young and beautiful.
Harry conjured a loveseat on the other side of the room. "Get it yourselves, brats."
Luke and Leia rolled their eyes and turned toward each other. They slapped their fists in their hands twice and then moved their fingers out in different configurations. The boy had a fist and the girl had two fingers out. The boy crowed. "Ha! Take that."
The girl motioned the boy to get one with it and with a casual wave of his hand, the loveseat lifted itself and moved to a position near them. The two jumped onto each side with a grin and Padma sat wit a certain grace which the children lacked.
Some councilors were standing in outrage – and shock. There were immediate cries of protest to the connections and surprise at the casual power of the boy. Anakin put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. The sudden sound shocked the room into silence. "Hey – no need for that. If we don't resolve this, I am perfectly willing to leave the Jedi Order and take my wife and children with me. So keep your shorts on. If this isn't resolved to my satisfaction – it will all be resolved soon and you won't have to deal with my 'rebelliousness' anymore." Anakin's tone had amusement.
The Councilors all sat down in shock with the casual statement. No Jedi had every so casually volunteered to leave. It just was inconceivable. Being kicked out was a punishment and Anakin treated like it was an option like any other – no reason for hurt or pain.
Yoda and Obi-Wan were the quietest. These two had mostly just observed without commenting. Finally Obi-wan asked, "What did you learn, Anakin?"
"Control. Purpose. Serenity. The use of terror. The use of pain. The use of joy. And so much more."
Yoda said, "The use of Terror, you say. But the Dark side is that not? Does not using Terror the Dark side lead to?"
Anakin immediately said, "No. Not at all."
"Counter to millennia of wisdom are your statements."
"It is not terror that leads to the Dark side. It is the inability of the Jedi to face terror that is the problem. We try so hard to keep our Padawans from anger, from fear, from hate, that we actually harm them. The feeling of emotion can, of course, lead someone astray. But the people who are most led astray are those that feel these things that they were never prepared to confront in themselves – and to defeat. The Rangers understood that fear and terror existed. And so they teach their people how to operate despite these feelings." Anakin paused. "In other words, when we tell our Padawans to not feel these perfectly normal emotions, we cut them off from operating when they become overwhelming. In other words – what the average sentient learns as they move through from childhood to being an adult."
Anakin turned to his kids. "Children. These are the Jedi Council, the leaders of the Jedi Order." The two children waved cheerfully. "What would say if I said that you had to suppress the connections you formed with Anna and David?"
Luke and Leia looked appalled. "No!" said Luke. "They were our brother and sister."
"But if I told you you could control the Force better if you refused to become connected."
Leia said, "But that's just silly. When we were learning to control the Force, our connection was always better when we were learning to protect them instead of someone or something else. The connection made it easier."
"But what about when they made you said? Aren't you sad having left them?"
Leia let a few tears fall. "Of course we're sad, dad."
Luke nodded. "That's normal. You lose someone you're close to. But you learn to feel it – and then let it go."
"But what about the Dark side? Won't you feel the Dark side better if you feel grief and fear?"
Leia and Luke rolled their eyes. "Duh! It's always there. It calls all the time. You just have to lock it out. Ignore it."
Liea nodded at her brother's statement. "The Dark side is just wrong. It's going to always try to control you. If you refuse to look at it, that's just you being afraid. If you let the bad emotions win, you can't control them. You can't beat the Dark side."
"Show us what you can do!" Anakin said with a grin.
Luke and Leia looked at each other with a gleam in their eyes. They turned to Harry. "Can you make an area?"
Harry said, "I can enlarge this space or we can move to a training area?"
Yoda stood and led everyone out. The two children were needling each other. Anakin and his party were amused. The Council was just too … surprised to know what to do.
Soon, the two children were facing each other. With a maniac grin, they started fighting without weapons. They casually used the Force to move quicker, jump higher, withstand more hits. At a certain point they nodded and both took out small cylinders. With a casual flick, the Council was surprised to see that the two children now had poles and were fighting with these.
It took twenty minutes, but Luke made a small mistake and Leia disarmed him. When he conceded she reached down and pulled him up. "I'll catch up soon!"
Luke grinned. "Never!"
They turned. "How's that?" Luke asked.
"Good. Now Anakin and Ahsoka."
This demonstration made the children look sloppy and clumsy. Just as the children had, the two started fighting without weapons. At a certain point, they moved to Minbari fighting pikes. And after about ten minutes of that, the two took out their lightsabers.
It was artistry in motion. Even the Council was awed by the difference between what had been their previous skills and their obvious new skills. At a certain point, Ahsoka moved as if to threaten Anakin's family. Anakin responded with even more power and skill and soon overpowered Ahsoka. She sighed and indicated surrender.
The two turned. "And, in either of those demonstrations, did you sense any use of the Dark side?" Anakin asked.
The Council all looked at each other. No one volunteered.
Anakin said, "And there is you personal connections, and the threat to them, that causes people to go Dark." His amused sarcasm was obvious.
Harry felt the call.
He said out loud, "Okay Anakin. It's time for me to go. I don't know the outcome – but good luck."
Anakin nodded. "Next I'm going to teach them about A-R-Ks and the price of living in the temple separated from the average citizens."
Harry nodded. "Good." He turned to Anakin's family. "Good luck kids. I wish you success and long life." And to the Council he said, "I hope that you can learn from what these can teach. Otherwise, I give the Jedi twenty years before something catastrophic happens – as almost happened with Palpatine."
The Council considered that warning. They watched as Harry turned and disappeared into a blue light, phoenix song wafting about.
Owi-wan asked, "What are A-R-Ks?"
Anakin motioned his kids who yelled in unison, "Acts of Random Kindness!"
Anakin shook his head at the obvious confusion to this statement – as though they couldn't grasp such a concept easily. He had much work to do.