Meetings and plans
As Padme walked away from the still chanting senate she knew they would be of no help, the two Jedi assigned to her fell into formation as she passed by the high security doors where the senate guard stood, the calm measured steps of the two men serving as a counter point to the steps the Queen was making conveying her determined gait. When they got to their transport the Pilot asked where she wanted to go, the reply seemed to momentarily startle the Jedi and a moment later the pilot started making his way to the Jedi temple.
"Why to the temple, your highness?" Obi-wan asked curiously.
"Because the corruption bloated senate will do nothing while my people suffer. My place now is by my peoples side, and I cannot in good judgement ask you to accompany me back... even so I can not do this alone, so I must petition the Jedi council for help and mercy, if they have any to spare. The senate obviously been sucked dry of such by petty... bureaucrats." The last coming out like a bitter epithet.
"Hmm, I see. We also have much to report, and if what you say is true, perhaps little time. I shall call ahead and try to set up a meeting, though i cannot promise they will be able to act too overtly, we must be cautious of prying eyes." Qui-Gon mused for a moment before contacting the Temple, after the brief conversation over the comms the rest of the flight was filled with a contemplative silence as the pilot threaded the ever moving Coruscant traffic flows.
The Jedi Masters were already in the council chambers when Qui-Gon contacted them, they agreed to a meeting for when they arrived, as several of the current issues they were dealing with seemed to revolve around the recent actions of the queen and those drawn in from the associated events. The Masters called up files, information, refreshments, and the relevant people for the upcoming meeting as it boded to be a packed affair. Soon everything and everyone called for were gathered together in the council chambers, the various Masters sitting in their traditional seats, the guests sitting in the quickly set up chairs in between the seats balanced out so that everyone could see each other. In the temporary seats sat the queen and her entourage, the two Jedi assigned to protect her, the albino Gammorian ship captain, both Skywalkers, and the tag along Gungan.
"Events, unexpected they are. Appearance of attacker with red blade, disturbing is. Perhaps Sith, it is?" The broken sounding language from Grand-master Yoda was an archaic holdover from a high formal form of the galactic language that had not been in common use for hundreds of years.
"If it is a Sith, we must be careful of its plans, the records show that they can be very dangerous schemers." Ki-Adi said in a soft manner.
"To do that, we need a clue to this 'Dark Warriors' next move, we need to unravel this mystery of the Sith." Mace Windu said with an intensity that echoed his tightly controlled emotions at the report the two guarding Jedi had delivered.
"The warrior seemed to be after me, why i do not know, but as I MUST return to my people, even with the possibility of this Warrior hounding my steps and the Trade Federation blocking my way. My place is at my peoples sides, I have tried to get my people help though the senate... but they care only for their own plays of power and position then justice and right." The Queen stated this in a tired manner. This caused agreeing murmurs through the room.
"Well, from what I have heard through the grape vine, you might be in luck there. Seems like the trade federation seem secure in their conquest and have retreated all but one of their fleet to change out their outer hulls from battle mode to transport mode, for a short time there will be a window of only one ship orbiting, so you could land and do something if you time it right." Aphab nonchalantly dropped this information while brushing off invisible dust from his hat before returning the impressive headpiece on top of his skull. "What you do once there is the real question though."
"Send overt support, the Jedi council cannot, oversight from the senate, pickup movement of large numbers of Jedi, would." Yoda paused before bringing out a holo-recording that had been sent to him earlier that day. "Warned of increased attention, I was."
The recording played, it was of the Hutt Gardulla. In it she brought forth the security footage of the Dark Warrior attacking on Tatooine, the holographic proof focused the attention of the Jedi masters, this was obviously no mere fallen Jedi. Maul could see the flowing movements of light saber style that he had taken various ques from when assembling his own high energy style, the sweeps and thrusts definitely not those taught in the Jedi temple. With such proof the council could not deny that it was a Sith that had attacked. The additional information that the Hutt had known the Grand-master many years ago and had tried proposing many times, politely foiled by the rulings put down in the Ruusan Reformation enlightened many of the masters that had before been confused as to why the Grand-master had been so vocal that those traditions not change. The question of why Ki-Adi was married came up, and the smirk that Yoda had about how the Cerean people were a recognized endangered population and needed every one it had to produce the next generation. This caused a chuckle from Shmi Skywalker who was the first to see the humor at getting one over on one of the Hutts, Anikin also quickly picked up on this after a confused look on his face as to why his mother was laughing, as he too also took humor at the Hutt not getting what she wanted by a polite method she could not complain about.
Eventually the group cam back to topic, brief questions as to the odd readings from the medical tests were directed to Shmi Skywalker, how had been put forward as the leader of the Tatooine group. Once it was determined that the results did not indicate anything harmful was going on it was agreed that those who volunteered would be allowed to undergo ongoing testing to see if the readings calmed down. When the subject of what the Queen would down now it was Jar Jar that came up with a possible solution.
"Dessa Trade peoples, theysa thinka they won allreadys? tooka all thier muay muay bombad spaceships and left to gets them ready to takea all the things right? Well Gungans no die'n without a fight... wesa warriors. Wesa gotta grand army. Dat why yousa no liken us, mesatinks." Binks waved his arms around as he explained his thoughts.
"An army eh? Well that would focus their attention on the ground, those Federation doughnuts can only control so many droids at once, so if you drew their attention enough you could bring in a space force to take out the ship proper. From what my contacts say, they covet how your ships command such a high price on the market, and have been sending out feelers on buyers of fully functional Nubian ships. Sounds like they want to cart everything off in full working order so they can dump them on the market before any reply from the senate can come though and stop them." Aphab stroked his chin thought as he realized one part of the Trade Federations plan to do a planetary wide smash and grab.
"The fighter hangers, they should still be operational then, there is your space strike force, and if we came in right out of the atmosphere they would not pick us up on sensors until the last moment." Ric Olie, the Queen's personal pilot excitedly pointed out the possibility. "If we can get our pilots into our ships we can strike them hard and fast before they know whats what."
The plan was hammered out, and aside from a few minutes of yelling when the Skywalkers said they and their friends from Tatooine were coming as well, the general plan took shape. As the Jedi council could not move many Jedi, they decided that the two already on guard duty would have to do, they could however send a few from the Service Corps without any issue, as they were far less monitored then the main Jedi order. Aphab was willing to lend his services, in exchange for any battlefield salvage, the cunning Gammorian knowing that if they took out the control ship, the droid army on the surface would immediately shut down, leaving an intact army for the taking. The Jedi masters would run interference to make it seem as if the Queen as still on Coruscant under their protection, and the Queen seeing the plan start to come together had to hold her relief and emotions in check. As all but the council stood to exit the chambers the short Grand-master had one more thing to say.
"After this is dealt with, young Skywalkers, talk to you I shall, cloudy your fates are, come to a decision we must." Yoda nodded to punctuate his point and dismissed the group to speak among his fellow council members, it was going to be a long meeting, they had much to discuss.