Blood of the Forgotten/Ch9

Tython was a beauty. Its pristine waterfalls and stone monoliths still remained, the monoliths towering high in the sky. Many of these monoliths had been moved by ancient Jedi to create a makeshift wall around the Temple of Tython. The temple in question had been worn away by years of neglect and with nobody to maintain it. Only the stone base remained after 800 years of being lost.

The Crucible  landed in front of the ruins, and out came those within. Odan-Urr frowned at the sight of what was once a mighty fortress of the Jedi, so much knowledge lost within. Yoda sighed, his gimer stick in hand, as he walked forward, leading the way for his compatriots.

“Gone, the Jedi are. Yet another example, this is.” Yoda said.

“A new Council must be formed, but we must leave our past behind us,” Fisto stated, rubbing his forehead. “I know that Master Kenobi, Master Vos and Master It’kla are all alive. We can  form a second Order…”

“ No .” Yoda said sternly, turning around. “End, the Jedi must. Let the past die, we will, and we <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">must <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">. Announce, to the survivors, we will,” Yoda paused, and his ears twitched. “That over, the Jedi Order is. In my eyes, at least. If forge your own path, you must, then go, you can. Your own sect, you may form. Stay here, I will.” He turned again, and walked towards the temple.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“...Master Yoda?” Odan-Urr asked. “You’re going to stay here?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Until needed, I am. Go, Odan-Urr. Spread your knowledge, you must. Preserve our teachings, but not the Order itself.” Yoda sat on the front steps, letting the Force flow through the planet to him. “Fisto, and Nu, go, you will, with him. To where, I do not know.” He sighed, and the three Jedi returned to the ship.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Odan-Urr stood at the top of the ramp for a few long moments, and stared at Yoda. He did not move, and he could faintly see a bluish figure appear beside him before the ramp closed.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">~

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Kit had his own plans. He had to find Obi-Wan and any other survivors, maybe not to keep the same Order, but to reform it. There had to be something to serve the Light, to keep the Force in balance from the Sith. The ship’s droid pilot, who’d been serving the <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Crucible <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> for centuries, as Huyang, sat in front of him as the ship lifted off. Kit walked to the hologram terminal and tried to recall Obi-Wan’s contact.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“The contact list is back with the lightsaber materials,” Huyang said, as they left Tython’s atmosphere. Kit thanked him and walked back to the main room of the ship. Jocasta and Odan-Urr were nowhere to be seen. He stared at the room, filled with countless cabinets of relics, materials and anything a Jedi could ever need. It was just the perfect ship for them. Kit turned to a large holobook, ever updating, which had the contacts for all of the Jedi. The book was organized to be in alphabetical order by surname, unless, of course, you only had one name. He flipped all the way to Kenobi, taking the contact into his mind, before he began to go to the terminal in the room, surprised to see a second in one ship.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Before he could walk forward to contact Obi-Wan, something called to him. Something glowed in one of the cabinets, one of the lowest on the shelves, and unmarked. A yellow light sparkled from the cracks, and he slowly opened it, and then it stopped glowing. Within, lay a small holocron. Its color intrigued him, he had never seen a yellow one before, usually it was the blue Jedi and the red Sith. But this… this was something.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Do not touch that.” came Huyang’s voice, standing in the doorway. “There is a reason that cabinet is unmarked, and cannot be opened… how <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">did <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> you open it?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I opened it how you’d open any cabinet…” The question seemed strange to him, as if this particular holocron was calling to him.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Only I have ever been able to open it, and that is because I am a droid. You… you are not a <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">droid <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">. That is the Master Cilicis’ Holocron, created many millennia ago. It was Cilicis who <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">built <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> me - to train the new generation, I was the first architect droid.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I’ve never heard of this Cilicis…” Kit responded, not touching the holocron yet.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“He was one of the greatest Masters of his time…”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“He taught many greats, and was chosen to be Grand Master at one point, but declined.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">A group of dark green tendrils sprouted from Cilicis’ face, the face of a Khil. He stood atop a large cliff, looking over on to a seemingly endless sea. A blue, cubic holocron floated in front of him, but when he touched it, it became yellow.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Nobody really knows what happened to him, but this is what remained of him: the yellow holocron. The only of its color.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Cilicis left the holocron on the rocky ledge, and then walked into a large rotunda carved into a mountain. At the center lay a pool of water, engravings in the ancient language of Jdaari, known to only a chosen few. His robes were a strange hue of blue, and they flowed to his feet as he stood at the pool.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“They found the holocron on Ahch-To, a water world known for its attunement to the Force. It was just sitting there, and Cilicis was nowhere to be seen.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The ancient rotunda held only the pool within, its only defining feature. Cilicis picked a long rod from the side of the pool, and walked through a door on the opposite side. The sun beat down upon him as the door closed behind him, no interference from him. As he stood in front of the door, a long winding stone pathway below him, all the way to the base of the mountain-

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“There was an ancient rotunda there, within was water that was as old as the Jedi themselves.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">-he held the rod to the sky, and it glowed yellow, before from the tip to its base, it disintegrated, to a flurry of small yellow embers. The embers reached to Cilicis’ hand, and then slowly, his entire body was these yellow embers. The only thing that remained were his robes.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“In the rotunda, there was a rod, the rod that served as the start of the lightsaber. The rod was the Athene Saber. And that was gone, too. His robes were sitting out front, and they remain in another one of these cabinets. But the first Jedi to touch his holocron, it was the Grand Master - Arimael I recall - was corrupted. Arimael began to attack his fellow Council members, and the duel in the rotunda, it was Pho-al who was forced to kill Arimael.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“After that, Pho-al became the Grand Master. It was me who moved the holocron to the <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Crucible <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">, as they knew it only affected those who lived.” Huyang paused, and then a figure appeared beside him. It was Cilicis.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“ <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Let me finish the story, my dearest creation Huyang. <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">” the Khil said, and Kit nearly fainted. “ <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Huyang hid it in the unmarked cabinet, and found that nobody could open it but him. <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Master Cilicis…” Kit said, aghast. “But, aren’t you dead?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“ <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">I traveled to a place of pure Force, and there I was taught. As was Yoda, the one who was left on Tython. I had to finish his training. I know you saw the figure there. And you… I know you must be the one to continue the Jedi. Yoda was lying when he said the Jedi must end. He wanted <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">you <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> to take the mantle on, <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Grand <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> Master Fisto. There was a reason he made you his apprentice those years ago, after Dooku was finished. But that reason is not for me to explain, and maybe you will never know. <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">” The spirit paused, and clasped his hands together. “ <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">I’ve implanted the knowledge within you, for when the day comes that you pass on to the Force, you can join us in harmony. For now… continue the Jedi. But do not become complacent, like Yoda was. <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">” And at that, Cilicis disappeared.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">He closed the cabinet. “I won’t need that.” he said, and walked to the terminal.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">~

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The junior representative for Chandrila stood at the helm of the <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Arbiter <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">, the chief ship in the Chandrilan fleet, which floated in the Chandrila system above Chandrila. It was a massive ship, of Mon Mothma’s own design, and was bought from the Mon Calamari Shipyards. The <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Arbiter <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> was called the <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Scythe <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">-class battlecruiser, named for the massive blade design at the front of the ship.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Alright, Nebulon-Bs,” he said, announcing to the captains of Chandrila’s fleet of Nebulon-B frigates, “you’re good to go.” At that, they disappeared into hyperspace to pick up what remained of the Alderaan Imperial Resistance. Mon had told him that this was the start of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. He, Raylon Upheth, the 21-year-old representative, had <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">this much information <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">. He nearly squealed and jumped up and down, but he needed to keep his composure for the others on the ship.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Mon had a second junior representative, his older sister Arla, who was going over to meet with the survivors. She was always the better of the two of them, and sometimes he wondered if it would’ve been better had he not applied for this position, but now he had to deal with it.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">~

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I am Arla Upheth, and I welcome you to the Alliance to Restore the Republic,” Arla said, and in hologram was Obi-Wan Kenobi, Satine Kryze, Bail Organa, Ylenic It’kla, Raymus Antilles, Sugi, Chardri Tage and Stonroy Soma. “Senator Mothma has decided that it was prime time to unite us all under one banner, but for now we will work in the shadows. We cannot risk a war, not now. It will be a long time before we are strong enough to fight.” As if on cue, a hologram of Mon Mothma appeared.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“ <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Hello, my friends. It was my duty as a free, logical citizen of the Republic, now this horrendous Empire, to create an opposition. Already, I have seen that this Empire is corrupt, and run by a ruthless dictator in Darth Vader. The government claimed that Palpatine died naturally due to his advanced age, however it is obvious that Vader killed him in a power grab. I speak to you now because we are all congregated. We are the survivors. We are the fighters. We are the Alliance. <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">” Anyone listening on all the ships in the congregation applauded. Bail was proud of Mothma. And he could see that she was watching him. It was he who began her training in the Senate before the Clone Wars started, when she was elected for the position.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“ <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Thank you, Bail, <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">” she whispered, but from the applause nobody but Bail himself heard it.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">You’re so welcome, Mon.