Republic in crisis

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Anakin hobbled towards the meeting room of the military complex. Only five days after his terrible accident on Ryloth, he was discharged from hospital. He still had a bandage on the wound on his thigh, and his brace on his left wrist. The clone doctor had insisted that he shouldn't fight for at least another week, to avoid aggravating his cracked ribs. Anakin crossed a corridor as fast as his thigh would allow, several Jedi were currently in a meeting, discussing the various fronts of the war. After long, painful minutes, the young Jedi entered the meeting room. Around a very large holographic table were Jedi Masters Mace Windu, Jo Quings, Yoda, Ki-Adi Mundi, Aayla Secura, Bellerine Goldeye and Erwann Stalkss, as well as Kit Fisto, Plo Koon and Ceya. Jo was the first to see Anakin, and when the latter arrived at the table, he smiled warmly and said in his gravelly voice:

-Anakin! It's a pleasure to see you back.
-Not entirely, Master Jo.

Looking at his Master, Mace Windu, Anakin gave him a questioning look, but without speaking, Windu replied:

-We were about to begin, so take your places.

The young Jedi obeyed and took a seat on Bellerine's right. He met Erwann's gaze, who was looking at him with hatred and disgust, clearly still hating him as much as ever. Ceya's hologram smiled broadly at him, while Kit Fisto spoke up:

-We're under siege on Christophsis, the Empire is preventing us from leaving the planet, we've taken the planet but the population seems to have been indoctrinated by the Empire, my men are defending against civilian attacks, not military ones.
-This is becoming worrying... Normally, I'd order you to leave the system, but you're blocked. We'll send reinforcements.

Kit Fisto nodded, and it was Plo Koon's turn to speak. His intervention was brief, but the sadness in his voice was noticeable:

-As for us, the population of Utapau is hostile to the Republic, and the Empire is building a base there. Many of my men have been killed. I recommend retreat.

Windu looked at Yoda, the two of them exchanging gloomy looks. Master Quings frowned and said:

-We've won on Ryloth, but we're losing Christophsis and Utapau...This Empire is much more powerful than we thought. Do we know where the Empire's home planet is?

-Probably in the outer rim, well hidden. Windu nodded in agreement as an alarm sounded on the holographic table. Windu looked strangely at the button and hesitated to answer the incoming call. Plo Koon asked:-Were you expecting someone else?-No, that's just it...

He pressed the button, and a hologram of Darth Rauk appeared in the center. Rage inflamed Anakin, and several Jedi showed clear hostility towards the Sith, while Windu, Yoda and Plo Koon remained calm.
Anakin noticed that the Sith's helmet had a long scar across the right side, probably damaged by a lightsaber strike and patched with a different-colored alloy.
The Sith looked at the Jedi one by one, but when his gaze fell on Anakin, a tingling sensation ran through the Jedi's soul. Rauk looked away, reached out with his right hand and grabbed a soft body. After a few seconds' observation, Anakin recognized the Jedi: it was Jedi Master Eeth Koth, and he looked...

-Dead, you've just lost a second Jedi. The medical station at Kaliida Shoals has been destroyed by my Captain and General Grievous. At the mention of Grievous, Quings tensed, glaring at the Sith. Unaware of the Jedi's hostile reaction, Rauk continued:-It was my Captain who killed the Jedi, and rest assured, it won't be the last, unless you submit to me and my Empire. -Submit to the darkness, we never will. -You wretched green creature...You've just condemned the entire Republic, I'll kill you all one by one, until your wretched Order disappears with the Republic!

Rauk disappeared just after his threat. Anakin trembled, something seemed strange about the Sith, he felt he knew him. No, it was impossible, he couldn't possibly know Obi-Wan's murderer.
Plo Koon broke the heavy silence:

The Skywalker's Legends Part One : Dark Rauk's PlanWhere stories live. Discover now