Chapter Text
“The chair recognises High General Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, representative of the Jedi Order,” Mas Amedda intoned and Mace Windu watched as the pod that carried his fellow councillor rose from its docking station and hovered in the middle of the dome.
“Thank you,” Obi-Wan began. “Esteemed Senators, Representatives, Gentle-Beings!” He made a wide gesture, allowing for the tumult to settle. It was not a common occasion that the Jedi chose to address the Senate and the fact that it was such a prominent member with no pre-published agenda had stirred everyone’s curiosity. The slot had been cleared for them through the combined efforts of nearly two-hundred Senators, none of them knowing what Obi-Wan would declare today, but willing to extend their trust.
“What does it mean to be a Jedi?” he opened. “I have thought about this question more and more often ever since this war started. You see, when I grew up, I learned it was to help others, stand for those weaker than myself, speak against injustice. No matter where it originates from. No matter any political affiliation, species, wealth or personal feelings, it means to correct what is wrong.” The gentle smile on his face as he remembered the lessons taught in the creche caused several senators to return the gesture wistfully.
But Obi-Wan’s face clouded over. “It was the easy answer for easier times, for certainly, we cannot fix it all. We are just a small people and we understand that many things are a process, that there is no perfect state of the galaxy and there always need be compromises and things move slow in democracy.”
Obi-Wan’s voice hardened now, his brows drawing together. “But there is a point where compromise goes too far, betrays one’s ideals irrevocably, crosses the line into complacency and convenience. For over a year now, the Jedi Order has petitioned for the recognition of sentient being status for the Vod’e. They have fought and bled and died for this democracy, but we have failed them. The Jedi are just as culpable, we recognise our own complicity in the failure of the Clone Rights Bill as we have accepted the status-quo and led them into war.” The genuine grief in his voice settled now even the last of the ever present chatter in the chamber.
He raised his hands in front of him, palm up and bowed his head. “We ask them for forgiveness.” He looked up again with determination in his eyes. “But an apology without amends is not worth anything. This is why the Jedi Order has decided to take consequences to that end.” One could hear a pin drop and Mace felt Obi-Wan gather himself for dropping the bomb. He sent him all the strength and support he could in the Force. Obi-Wan squared his shoulders, stared straight ahead at the Chancellor, whose face was a well-crafted mask of polite interest.
This was it.
“In agreement with the Order as a whole, today I declare the withdrawal of the Jedi from the Republic.”
There was a breath of absolute silence before ear-splitting pandemonium broke out.
For several long minutes, there was no single voice to be identified over the din, Amedda’s calls for order lost in the cacophony. Mace observed carefully and stored the reactions away for later reference. In the aftermath, it would be helpful.
Obi-Wan stood in his pod, unmoving and the eye of the storm as accusations finally could be heard more clearly as the overall noise level decreased.
“You are abandoning the Republic?” “For the clones?!” “This is illegal, you cannot do this!”
Obi-Wan opened his arms, but his voice remained firm. “We will always be willing to help those in need, but we can no longer continue as the executive for a body that does not align with our principles. We will restructure ourselves as an independent body and our first action is the official recognition of the Vod’e as a people and the acceptance of their petition to affiliate themselves with us as a corps within the Order. We are honoured by their desire to join our wider community.” He smiled genuinely here before returning to business.
“Our second step is to petition to this body to be formally recognised as an independent people, for we have no desire to lose contact or be at odds. If you will review the laws, you will find that all our actions are in line with the legal rights that the treaty between the Jedi and the Republic determined at the beginning of our alliance.
“Considering that we expect to no longer be welcome after what I am sure many will consider a betrayal, the Order also has decided to vacate Republic space. The Jedi Temple on Coruscant is already in the process of being cleared. If this Senate recognises us as Republican Citizens, we plan to set it up as an embassy, if not, we will leave as a whole within a month.”
There was a mounting sense of panic in the chamber as the delegations realised how well-considered this plan of action was. Apparently the Jedi were often a convenient scapegoat but confronted with their potential absence, many felt obviously uncomfortable.
Mace felt a headache build up. Well, to be honest, it had been building for weeks now, but now Obi-Wan was pushing the shatterpoint that was causing it to be broken, one way or the other.
The Korun master’s eyes roved over the countless beings in the Senate, the many Jedi carefully positioned either with befriended senators or on the viewing platforms. There were several hundred Vod’e as well, but all eyes were on Obi-Wan, who drew himself up once more.
Obi-Wan now set out for his concluding statement and Mace realised they were close. “Gentle-beings, I implore to keep in mind that the value of this democracy is not determined by the degree with which we protect our wealth and comfort. It is defined by the way we treat those without power, without protection and without formally recognised rights.” He was a force of nature, everyone could probably appreciate that. Standing there in his pod, he commanded the attention of the whole dome, and Mace was reminded of the occasion in the council chamber just a few short weeks ago where they had petitioned for the Vod’e Corps.
“This government is not living up to these ideals anymore and if it is impossible for us to affect change from the inside, we are forced to withdraw because we can no longer give the system validity through our presence. We believe in communication, so let this not be an end, but instead a beginning for a new process, where we each of us strive to be just and fair.”
He turned directly to the Chancellor again. “Starting with our leaders. Chancellor Palpatine, we call for you to end this war, open peace talks and return the emergency powers you have amassed. The desire for systems to leave this Republic should be cause for transformation and dialogue, not for war!” he called and the accusation rang clear behind the careful phrase.
Now was the moment. Mace felt his own muscles tense, ready to spot any small detail that would betray Palpatine.
It never came.
The shatterpoint broke.
In Mace’s opinion, it had all gone downhill from there. Obi-Wan and the Chancellor had argued, but there was nothing that went beyond the usual for a politician. Palpatine had accused them of deserting, but altogether he had presented the image of a grieved and disappointed old man, not the power-hungry, corrupt dictator the Jedi had hoped to reveal.
In the end, Obi-Wan had calmly thanked the Senate as a whole for their time and then their long partnership and closed with some words on how he looked forward to to re-defining their relationship in the future depending on what decision the Senate reached on their request to be recognised as a people.
It was a lot less dramatic than Mace had assumed it would be and in the end, he had given the signal to all Clones and Jedi to withdraw inconspicuously and regroup at the Temple.
Obi-Wan himself had docked his pod afterwards, stepping out of the chamber that was now full of chatter, shouting and arguments with an eery serenity. He fell into step next to Mace and the two made their way down the hallways.
Outside there would doubtlessly be reporters, the building itself though was remarkably empty. Cleary, everyone was where the action was, no doubt observing or participating in the debate in the chamber.
Mace could not help but notice how little Obi-Wan seemed disturbed by the outcome as they strode through the corridors towards their transport. He came to a startled realisation.
“You expected this.” It was not a question.
The younger Jedi master shot him a wry smile. “Expecting is a strong word in this context, but yes, I felt the likelihood for this outcome was higher than for the Sith to reveal himself.”
“And still you pushed for this.”
He did not get an answer and Mace had to rigorously quash his annoyance and frustration. He sighed tiredly, unable to stop himself from wondering what this would mean now.
His worry seemed to loosen Obi-Wan’s tongue at last.
“Maybe everyone was a bit too focused on what was to gain so they disregarded the risk in case it didn’t work,” he mused and Mace felt slightly chagrined to realise that this was an accurate assessment. “I had hoped, of course. But in the end the Sith’s plans have been in the making for longer than either of us is even alive. They wouldn’t make a crucial mistake such as revealing their identity because of a unforeseen development, no matter how grave. We are pitted against a patient and shrewd opponent, who wouldn’t lose control over their emotions easily.”
“So then, why?” Mace disliked that he likely sounded like a disturbed youngling hoping for a Master’s direction.
“Why did I still propose for the plan to go through?” Obi-Wan had halted and turned towards Mace. His blue eyes were kind and patient. “Because in the end, it is the right thing. We may win the battles before us, but we have lost the war if we continue to be entangled in the Sith’s web.”
Mace had heard these arguments from Obi-Wan before, but never had he realised that they were more than a pretty rhetoric to convince the others to join his plan. He had taken them as embellishments of a practical, hard plan and not the vision that guided the young master like a homing beacon.
He felt shame rising and exhaled audibly. “I have underestimated both your foresight and your principles. Forgive me.”
It was what Obi-Wan did so generously, he simply smiled and squeezed his shoulder briefly before gesturing that they should continue on.
“There is nothing to be sorry for,” he confirmed verbally. “I have had weeks to get acquainted with the idea that we would indeed have to leave the Republic. I knew that probably none of you expected this outcome for today, but the Force guided me in insisting on it anyways.”
Mace mulled on this for a while. In the end it was not Obi-Wan’s responsibility to question to what degree they had taken him seriously. After all, they had given their agreement. If there had been wishful thinking with many of them that this was merely Obi-Wan bluffing, could they fault him for running with it at some point?
They had fallen for it, just like they had hoped the Chancellor would fall for it.
But the Chancellor had not shown his hand and now the Jedi were faced with the consequences of their own decision.
“No matter if it was done in full awareness or not, Master Windu, this is the right decision,” Obi-Wan interrupted his thoughts.
And that was the crux of it, wasn’t it?
Because despite all the uncertainty, the Force was calm, briefly at peace. It rang with the rightness of the situation. The path in the future was clouded, but not necessarily dark.
He accepted the shift in perspective and released his frustration.
With a more clear head he considered the practicalities of the next steps. “We said that we would be gone within a month, however are we going to achieve this?” he wondered slightly hysterical as the final realisation that this was happening set in.
Obi-Wan paused before the doors that led to the speeder bays where they would find their transport back to the Temple. The young master smiled serenely.
“Do you really believe, Master, that I would know of this possible outcome for weeks and not prepare?” he asked and while there was still tension in his shoulders and worry in his eyes, Obi-Wan almost looked mischievous.
Of course, Obi-Wan Kenobi had a plan. And if he knew that most of the others were not expecting this outcome, he had probably overcompensated to give them the best chance.
Hope. That was the feeling Mace suddenly felt rising within himself.