Jax leaned against the balcony railing of the Senate building dozens of stories above the square. Dignitaries, diplomats, and aids milled about in preparation for the vote, creating a buzz of activity and a steady drone of background noise. Jax felt a wave of discomfort as several diplomats walked past, eying him suspiciously. It was not the first time he had received looks like that, and one person had even spit at his feet. The Chancellor's explanation about a Chiss admiral named Thrawn came back to him, and he knew that his appearance was eliciting strong dislike, even loathing among those who crossed his path. It left him feeling unwelcome and uncomfortable, and once again, he found himself craving the escape to Sargon, where he could slip into obscurity in a far-flung homestead, leading a simple life away from the ghosts of anger, pain, hatred, and trauma.
The brilliant orange sunset set a surreal contrast against the violence in the square below. Security forces had switched tactics from containment to dispersal to clear the area for the Constitutional vote, which was set to happen within the hour. Jax watched as blue, circular stun blasts erupted from dozens of security personnel, which sent the crowd surging back into the streets of Coruscant. Those same personnel were setting up a formidable blockade that within half an hour would encircle the building.
Jax winced at the security team's aggressive tactics at managing the protest. After his meeting with Leia, he left with the sense that she was a reasonable, principled leader, but the fighting in the streets seemed at odds with her demeanor. Kit had explained that this was the most important political vote the galaxy had seen in a century, and Jax assumed that the security forces had the directive to quell the protest by any means necessary. Unable to reconcile what he was seeing with what he had observed from Leia Organa herself, he looked on, feeling uncanny echoes of past military actions that, sadly, never included stun blasts.
As he heard the echoes of the stun blasts drifting up from the streets below, he gripped the railing he was leaning over. His breathing quickened, and his muscles tensed. Memories flashed through his mind of aliens succumbing to blaster fire as dozens of soldiers in matte-black armor swarmed through primitive villages. A corner of his mind dimly registered that this was not the first time he recalled memories such as these, but he had never felt terror at their recall. He felt the urge to turn away, yet something compelled him to watch as security forces swept outward, leaving a trail of unconscious bodies behind them.
"Rakata Prime," called a female voice without preamble.
Jax jumped a foot off the ground and spun into a defensive posture. With adrenaline surging in his body already, it took him several moments to recognize the owner of the voice. Kit stood before him, her face slick with sweat as if she had been running flat out. She, too, was breathing heavily, but her expression was a mixture of excitement and determination.
Jax recovered his senses, asking, "Rakata what?"
Kit steadied herself, then repeated her query in a more comprehensible manner. "When you were fighting for the Order of Ren, did you ever go to Rakata Prime?"
Jax had never heard the word before, and he admitted it. "I don't know what that is."
"Jungle planet. Lots of islands. Looks like a huge war took place there long ago," Kit explained tersely.
Jax searched his memory, then a vision of an eerie, tropical planet emerged. He remembered scientists busying themselves around a device while he stood guard. He answered tentatively, "Yes, I think so. Why?"
"What were you doing there?" Kit continued interrogating. Jax sensed her excitement, as if she were about to break through to some long-suspected truth.
"Standing guard, really." Jax explained, screwing up his face to remember the details. "We didn't get a lot of explanation for the missions we ran. There were a bunch of scientists working on something. They told us to stand back. There was a flash, and the scientists said we had to leave immediately." He looked at Kit who was running through facts in her head and adding them up.
"How long ago?" she continued, breathlessly.
"Six months, maybe?" he answered.
She pounded her fist on the railing and exclaimed, "I knew it!"
"What?" Jax asked, now growing more perplexed.
"Do you know what the device was?" she asked, now more excited than ever.
"Just rumors. Somebody was saying it could change the weather, but I thought that was stupid. Why fly all the way to some remote planet to see if we could change the weather?" Jax explained.
"Change the weather? Or change the atmosphere. . ." Kit wondered aloud to herself. Jax could tell she was clearly putting something together and considering possibilities, although Jax had no idea what value any of this information held.
"Do you mind telling me what this is about?" Jax asked, starting to feel a little foolish.
"It's just a theory, but I'm pretty sure the Order of Ren is behind the catastrophes on Rakata Prime, Jeddha, Batuu, and Savareen. I think. . ." She went quiet for a moment, and suddenly a new realization hit her, causing her voice to rise. "The Order of Ren contrived the refugee crisis to undermine the vote! And the protests are disrupting it. . . Jax, what were they doing on Xarthax?"
"I don't know. All I knew is that we had to buy time and then make it look like a reactor explosion." Jax explained.
Kit was silent. But why? Xarthax was just a dump for ancient bits of info that nobody needed anymore. Every five years or so, something interesting would turn up – some fact about the Emperor's activities or some evidence of corruption. But that did not explain why somebody would go to the trouble of attacking it and blowing it up unless. . . unless somebody hid some skeletons there.
"Jax! Don't tell Specks any of this until we've told Leia first," Kit demanded.
"What?! I can't do that." Jax responded in alarm.
"Why not?" Kit asked, incredulous.
"Because tomorrow, I tell him what I know, then I leave," Jax explained.
"You're leaving?," Kit responded, and Jax was surprised to see the disappointment in her eyes.
"The Chancellor told me I just have to give my deposition, then I go to Sargon." Jax paused, then added in response to her surprised, almost hurt expression. "I don't want to see any of this anymore," he said, gesturing to the security forces dispersing the last remnants of protest in the square below.
Kit looked down, then looked back up at Jax. "But. . . we need you. We're going to investigate the Order of Ren, and you're the only one who knows anything about it."
"That's why I'm talking to Commander Specks," Jax countered.
Kit frowned, looking down at the now eerily quiet square. She could still hear the protests that had backed up into the streets of the Central District, but the square was now silent. Medical teams were gathering hundreds of stunned bodies and carrying them away to a holding area. It was a heavy-handed tactic that shocked Kit, and she knew it came directly from Specks. She had never given Specks much consideration, as her anger was mostly focused on Voon. Voon had always been difficult, but he had also always been diligent. It was unlike him to leave out valuable information to the Chancellor - and Specks had been Voon's closest confidant.
"Jax, I'm sure you've seen a lot," Kit implored him, "but we have all kinds of people who can help you past it. The Jedi do, too. Don't you want to find out what you're capable of?"
Jax turned away from her and back to the street. A lead weight settled in his stomach, and he said, "I already know what I'm capable of."
"Jax. . ." Kit began, but then she heard an announcement echo from within the Senate chambers. "This conference of the Galactic Senate shall begin in five minutes."
"I gotta go," she said, looking toward the Senate chambers. She turned back to Jax, her expression difficult to read, and she added, "Something's not right here. Promise me you won't leave until you see me first."
"I. . ." Jax spluttered.
"Please," she said, and Jax was unnerved by the fear in her eyes. Without preamble, Kit ran off into the crowd, leaving Jax utterly confused.
Kit pushed and weaved through the milling crowds that were now working slowly into the main chamber of the Senate. Kit rushed ahead, trying to make her way to the Chancellor's office within the Senate, determined to share this latest revelation. She attempted to reach the Chancellor by commlink, but without response. Cursing to herself as a large delegation of Mon Cala aids and dignitaries blocked her forward progress, she swerved into a side corridor and broke into a full run. She emerged back into the main corridor, which was now empty. The booming, echoing voice of the Senate speaker ran through the corridor from the open doors of the Senate chamber, saying, "Gentlepersons of the Galactic Senate, please take your seats. This special session is now convened."
She was too late.
***
Ben Solo sat in the Chancellor's private guest box near the top of the chamber next to his father. He looked down at the teeming masses of senators, aids, and diplomats as he struggled to shut out the anxiety and tension reverberating through the Force. Kira was supposed to have joined them by now by special invitation of the Chancellor, but she was still nowhere to be seen. Ben could not keep his mind off their last interaction where he had vented his anger and resentment at her, and he felt ashamed of what he said. She had been there to look after him, and she did not deserve that. He suspected she had run off again. He had reached out to find her, but he could not get a sense of her anywhere. He knew she could fend for herself in the worst of places, but he was more concerned about what kind of thoughts and fears were occupying her mind in solitude. She was his responsibility, and now he had no idea where she was.
For the third time, he turned to his father and asked, "Any word from Kira?"
Han shrugged. Ben could tell he was uncomfortable. He knew his father was happier in a dirty cantina having tough conversations with unsavory characters than he was around politicians and dignitaries. He was a fighter and a survivor, and a cesspool like the Galactic Senate would always be more frightening to him than a bounty hunter in a dark alley. Ben admitted to himself that he felt the same way. He did not always see eye-to-eye with Luke on his decisions regarding the Jedi Order, but here at least he was grateful that Luke had fought so hard to keep the Jedi out of galactic politics. He hated the idea of having to reside on this noisy, corrupt, hateful world.
His ruminations broke off when the Speaker announced over the intercom, "Gentlepersons of the Galactic Senate, please take your seats. This special session is now convened." Finally, the vote was happening. He had followed it loosely, and he knew that this moment amounted to his mother's life's work. He recalled the number of times when she was absent on some diplomatic mission to some far away planet – always negotiating, persuading, and rushing here and there at Mon Mothma's bidding. He knew that Leia had given much of her life to trying to re-establish the Galactic Republic after the tyranny of the Empire, but privately, Ben wondered if, finally, his mother would be able to step back and attend to the other parts of her life that had fallen to the wayside.
After the noise died down in response to the Speaker's announcement, the Speaker once again spoke into the chamber. The Speaker, a Bothan known as Shey'vala, cleared her throat again and announced. "This special session convenes for a final vote on a new Constitution to set the terms of governance for the Galactic Republic. The terms and provisions have been debated. A quorum has been reached. Today, we cast our votes to approve the measure for the Chancellor's signature and ratification." The hum of conversation intensified. Ben knew enough about the political tension surrounding the vote to know that this was an extraordinarily consequential moment in the Galactic Republic's history. Leia had promised that the new Constitution would strengthen democracy, weaken corruption, and reduce the burdens faced by the average citizens of the galaxy. Many had embraced this rhetoric, but others had objected vehemently. The political battles had been ferocious enough to penetrate the cool calm of the Jedi Order, which had maintained a stoic neutrality about the proceedings.
"The Chair recognizes the Senator from New Alderaan." Ben watched as the projector's feed switched to a middle-aged woman who had assumed his mother's Senate seat following Leia's ascension to Mon Mothma's Secretary of Galactic Affairs position. She had served New Alderaan for over a decade, and had earned a reputation as a fierce, but dedicated advocate for the diaspora's interests, as well as a pivotal figure in the Senate.
In her rich, soothing voice, Senator Akeyla Ismaren began her speech. "Senators. Dignitaries. Distinguished guests. Chancellor Organa. People of the Republic and the Independent Systems. Tonight, we gather to ratify a Constitution that will fundamentally alter and improve our government's ability to serve the interests of the people of the galaxy." A chorus of boos broke out, which clashed against a chorus of cheers. The Speaker banged her gavel, calling for quiet.
Senator Ismaren waited for the noise to taper before continuing. "Long have I advocated on behalf of this new Constitution in recognition of the corruption, bureaucratic morass, and inefficiency that has plagued our efforts to restore democracy to a galaxy ravaged by decades of war and tyranny. This Constitution. . ."
A male voice shouting a bellicose objection interrupted the Senator. The projector's feed switched to a grotesque human dressed in richly embroidered clothing. The Speaker's voice rang out over the Senator's incomprehensible objections, saying, "The Chair does not recognize the Senator from Kuat at this time!"
But the Senator from Kuat was not deferring the time back to Senator Ismaren. Above the rising noise generated by the Senators and aids below in response to the interruption, the Kuati Senator continued to shout, his microphone finally carrying his objections over the din. "I will not defer! I insist that we hear accusations of corruption and treachery levied at the Chancellor!"
This proclamation sent reverberations through the chamber. Han rolled his eyes at the Kuati's obvious stall tactic, and Ben turned to him with a perplexed look on his face. Treachery? Whatever his mother's flaws might be, treachery was the last thing he would accuse her of.
"I wish to reclaim my time!" Senator Ismaren declared, but the Senator from Kuat continued to holler about corruption and treachery, claiming that he had proof of an insidious plot against the galaxy.
The Speaker attempted to restore order, but the chaos generated by the interruption was rapidly growing out of control. Ben dimly heard Senator Ismaren agree to relinquish her time temporarily to note and then table the Kuati Senator's concerns, and finally the Speaker cut both Senator's mics and boosted the volume on her own.
"Order! This body demands order!" The noise subsided, and when it was quiet enough to hear clearly, she continued. "Senator Bolsko, this Chair does not appreciate your interruption. We will allow you to note your concerns, and then we will table them so that Senator Ismaren can reclaim her time. Any further interruption will result in your ejection from this chamber!"
The anger in the speaker's voice echoed off the walls, as Senator Bolsko piloted his pod into the center of the Senate chamber just below the Speaker's podium.
He began to speak in a blustering voice. "Corruption? Democracy? If you knew what I now know, the very words coming out of the Alderaanian Senator's mouth would make your blood boil! I come before you to unveil allegations of the most serious. . . the most treacherous. . ."
The Speaker interjected, "Get on with it, Senator!"
Bolsko paused, glaring at the Speaker. Then, with the air of somebody cradling a massive bomb, he explained, "I have received intelligence from a trusted, reliable source. I can share the evidence now!" He gestured to his aid, who placed a data chip into a console on the Senator's pod. Ben winced as a stationary surveillance video of a severely burned man who had lost his arms and legs appeared projected on his screen. The man was being fitted with cybernetics. He twisted and turned in agony as medical droids operated on him. The scene shifted to the man being dressed in black clothing that looked eerily familiar to Ben. A ripple of apprehension flitted down his spine.
Bolsko's voice broke out across the chamber, hearty, lusty, and full of suppressed glee. "What you are witnessing is the moment when Darth Vader became fitted with his suit and his cybernetics. But before this moment, he was known as somebody else! The genetic information contained in my evidence shows a match with none other than Anakin Skywalker!"
The words Anakin Skywalker reverberated through the now suddenly silent chamber. Ben felt a wave of shock wash over him. He looked to his father, who had gone white. He looked to his mother high above in a separate pod overseeing the proceedings. A look of shock sat on her face. Instinctively, Ben knew without any further explanation that it was true.
Bolsko continued. "At the end of the Clone Wars, the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi nearly killed Skywalker. From that point, Skywalker became Darth Vader. He murdered millions of beings during the Emperor's reign of terror, becoming the galaxy's most hated villain! His children were born in secret, raised in hiding. They hid this secret from the galaxy to further their ambitions: taking power for themselves to perpetuate tyranny across the galaxy!"
Bolsko's comment set off a tidal wave of uproar. Some Senators were furious, and some protested vehemently. The scene had become pandemonium, and the Speaker was trying and failing to restore order. Bolsko stood in the middle of it looking satisfied.
Ben turned to his father, speaking with suppressed rage over the din, "Did you know?"
Han turned to him, anguished. He shook his head. Ben, suspicious, bellowed with flecks of spittle flying out of his mouth onto the polished executive suite floor, "Tell the truth!"
Han winced at his son's rage. "She never told me," he admitted.
Ben searched his face for any hint of a lie, but he came away empty. His father at least was telling the truth.
Bolsko continued, and as he spoke, the chamber quieted, eager to hear more. "There's more! Do you doubt the Skywalker's sinister intentions? Maybe you see the Chancellor's and the Jedi's track records and think, 'but how could they be tyrants?' Look no further than the chaos in the streets! Brutal suppression of righteous protests at this folly of a Constitution!" An angry roar arose from the Senators below, many of whom had recently gone on record urging a peaceful response to the protests. "But there's more sinister evidence yet! At the battle of Jakku, when the Empire made its last stand, Skywalker and Organa found a girl at a secret Imperial base. She has been trained as a Jedi, although she recently nearly killed her own master! My evidence shows her genetic heritage." Bolsko paused while a new data sheet replaced Anakin Skywalker's genetic information. "The girl they rescued and trained is none other than the daughter of Emperor Palpatine!"
This last proclamation sent shockwaves through Ben's soul. He turned toward his mother's observation pod, and he saw that she had vanished.