Blurred Sides (COMPLETE)

7.8.2

The Council, fully gathered if not fully awake, was called to order by Master Yoda.

"Before I share my news, want to discuss the mission to Xlenia, I do," he began. "Master Windu, Master Kenobi, thoughts, do you have, hmm?"

Obi-Wan Kenobi started. "Frankly, I'm concerned. I don't appreciate being stranded in the middle of nowhere without a hyperdrive," he commented. "Especially by the hand of the Inquisitor."

"It was well planned out, and very well executed," confessed Mace Windu. "As much as it pains me to admit it, I am impressed with the Inquisitor's reaction to being baited into a trap."

"From what I heard," Depa Billaba remarked, "It almost seemed as if you were the ones who fell into a trap."

"I certainly felt like it," replied Kenobi, but Windu didn't answer. It was supposed to be his trap, after all.

"How is Skywalker?" Asked Luminara Unduli, in a small voice.

Kenobi folded his hands and leaned on his elbows. "He seems to have given up that she is Ahsoka, at least from what I can tell."

"Has he given up on saving Tano, or her being Tano?" Ki-Adi-Mundi asked. "I just want to be clear."

"On her being Ahsoka," Kenobi answered, and Adi-Mundi nodded.

Shaak Ti spoke up. "What made him change his mind?"

"The Inquisitor fired on his fighter. I believe that he didn't expect her to do that if it was her, so he gave up."

"And do we still believe she is Tano?"

No one answered the Togrutan Jedi Master at first.

Yes, they all still believed that she had fallen to the Dark Side, but none of them wanted to repeat the argument that had taken place a few weeks ago about her reasons for turning.

Yoda filled the silence. "Impact my opinion, Skywalker's change does, but change our actions, it does not. Capture her and defeat her, we still must."

"Preferably before she gets too close to the Chancellor," added Windu.

"What do we plan to do about the droids we identified?" Asked Kenobi. "I'd rather not get stranded again. Next time, we may not be as lucky as to have enough food and air as we did earlier."

"There's not much we can do," said Billaba, "Except watch for them and avoid them if possible. We don't know where they're being made, so we can't stop their production."

"Ah," interrupted Yoda, "but a lead on that, I have."

The Council turned to him, waiting expectantly.

"Multiple anonymous tips, we have received. Point to the origin of the droids, one of them does."

"And you're sure it's not a trap, Master?" Asked Ti.

"No, I am not, but investigate it, we must. Afford to let this go, we cannot."

Kenobi spoke up. "We just had our own trap turned against us. What good will setting off one of theirs do us?"

Adi-Mundi countered Kenobi. "You said it yourself, we can't risk getting stranded without adequate supplies. If we have anything on the source of these droids we need to at least investigate, even if it is a trap."

"I will go," Luminara spoke. The Council shifted its attention to her. "A Jedi Master ought to be the one to go on this mission. I volunteer myself."

Master Yoda stared at her for a moment, then nodded. "On Kiros, the factory is rumored to be."

Shaak Ti perked up. "Kiros? A Republic system?"