The Chosen Apprentice/Chapter 35

That morning before he left the Temple, Anakin got a call that he had been waiting for. It was Miarka, wanting to know when Papanoida could meet him.

Anakin considered for a moment, he could either go to the Courts Building and stare at the wall for a few hours more or he could finally get the information he had been waiting for.

“How about now?” Anakin asked her.

Miarka didn’t say anything for a moment, this was a little unusual. “He won’t be pleased,” she told Anakin.

“He’ll live,” Anakin said.

In less than an hour Anakin was back in the call box at the Seventh Star. Papanoida entered after what seemed to be an eternity. He was smiling.

“It’s earlier than I expected, but I think you’ll like what I brought you,” the Wroonian said. He sat down and nodded to Anakin.

Anakin placed several credit chips on the table and Papanoida started talking.

“I found nothing about any treatment on the Avingnon medical records,” Papanoida said.

“That doesn’t mean much,” Anakin objected.

“That isn’t to say that I didn’t find something strange,” the Wroonian continued as if Anakin hadn’t interrupted. “Around the time he disappeared, medical supplied went missing from Angevin Hospital. Bacta bandages, bota, skin poppers, that kinda thing.”

Anakin let out a low whistle. That kind of theft was serious during wartime. “Did they find who did it?”

“Naturally,” Papanoida replied. “A lowly orderly named Martreyea Kittern, a young woman. She was summarily dismissed and nine months later she comes into the records again.”

Anakin’s eyes widened. “You mean?”

Papanoida nodded. “A son named Arrin Kittern was born, with no sign of a father around.”

In shock, Anakin leaned back a little, letting his breath out in a slow exhale. He hadn’t anticipated this. To him Shinai was as much the assassin that he had been on Avingnon five years later. To discover that he had perhaps married and was a father…Was this why Shinai was no longer a Jedi?

He thought back to what Shinai had said last night: I left the Jedi five years ago for reasons you’re never going to understand…Your friend Padmé gave me an excuse. Was this what he had meant?

“You still haven’t told me everything,” Anakin said. “What’s he doing here?”

The Wroonian smiled quietly, he took a datacard from his pocket. “They arrived on Coruscant fairly recently.” He proffered the datacard to Anakin. “Here’s the address.”

Anakin held out his hand to take the datacard but Papanoida didn’t give it to him until more money was on the table. The Wroonian left soon after while Anakin examined the information, he would have gone there then and there if it hadn't been for the call from Cel-Dral.

“Skywalker, where are you?” the lawyer asked impatiently. “I told you yesterday you’re going to be on the stand, you need to be here now.”

Rather than argue with Cel-Dral that he wasn't someone who could order him about, Anakin said that he was on his way and switched off his comlink.

--

On the stand that morning was a Neimoidian that had been one of Gunray’s many underlings; Cel-Dral had managed to locate him somehow in time for the trial and had been unsure as whether to use him or not. More than adding to his case, it was a stall for time until Skywalker arrived. When Retray finished questioning the Neimoidian, one of Cel-Dral’s assistants whispered something in his ear. He waved the assistant back to fetch the person who had just arrived.

“Your Honour, I would like to call my final witness,” he said, noticing the door to the courtroom opened and shut. “Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight and who is also responsible for apprehending Nute Gunray as well as several of Gunray’s colleagues.”

All eyes were on Anakin as he walked the short distance from the door to the witness stand. Murmurs were made, but other than that all were silent as Anakin went through the formalities before sitting down.

“Perhaps, I should begin by saying that I am quite indebted to you,” began Cel-Dral, beginning to pace the floor. “After all, if it were not for your actions then this trial would not have taken place.”

Anakin didn’t sat anything, he didn’t want to be sitting here a moment longer than he had to and resented Cel-Dral’s attempts at small talk. Fortunately, Cel-Dral noticed this and went right into the examination.

He started with Gunray’s capture, questioning on the leads that had led Anakin to Etti IV and asked for details, highlighting points where Gunray had betrayed those who had helped him and other sordid acts that Anakin knew of. When this was finished Cel-Dral went back to the files on the table and drew out a document, he peered at Anakin over it.

“Correct me if I am wrong,” Cel-Dral said slowly, “but this was not the first time you went after the Viceroy, was it not?”

“No, it wasn't,” Anakin replied, sincerely wishing the whole thing to be over but he knew he was in for a double-dose when Cel-Dral had finished. “Four years ago, towards the end of the war, Obi-Wan and I tried to get him off Cato Neimoidia.”

“Obi-Wan as in Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi?” Cel-Dral asked.

“The same,” Anakin told him.

“Tell us a bit about that, could you?” Cel-Dral requested. “I am not that acquainted with military stratagem, what was the…shall we say…plan?”

Anakin smiled tightly, clearly Cel-Dral knew nothing about strategy as if he did he would know that even the best-laid plans changed. “Initially, we were just going to go in and get him once we had penetrated the defences,” Anakin explained. “Yet once we had made it to the lower levels of the complex, we had to change our plans.”

“And why was this?” Cel-Dral asked.

“Gunray and his mob knew we were coming and were sending every droid in the place after us,” Anakin answered.

Cel-Dral’s mouth opened and closed, he quickly recovered himself. “And what happened next?”

“Obi-Wan diverted the droids,” Anakin said, his eyes glazing over as his mind went back. The recollection came back in flashes, the noise, the panic, the smells… “And I then I took a few troops to capture him, but he got away.” He scowled at Cel-Dral as if for some reason this was his fault.

Cel-Dral deflected the scowl with another of his wide, false smiles. “Can you tell us why this was the case?”

Anakin shrugged. “It happens, Gunray knew we were coming and we were just too late. It’s not something that I can explain to someone who doesn’t understand.”

“Quite,” remarked Cel-Dral. “There’s a few points of interest that I would like to clear with you.” He said, referring back to the document. “Can you tell me why Gunray’s complex Cato Neimoidia has quite formidable defences whereas Koru and Deko Neimoidia are somewhat…smaller?”

Anakin smiled quietly. “The citadel on Cato Neimoidia held quite a number of Gunray’s valuable possessions,” he told Cel-Dral. “That was why we knew he would go there, it was a forgone conclusion.”

“Possessions?” Cel-Dral repeated. “Could you be more specific?”

“Precious metals, jewels, fabrics, custom made electronics,” Anakin rattled off. “Valuable stuff that apparently he could not live without.”

“So these defences were not for any security of members of Gunray’s entourage?” Cel-Dral pressed.

“Of course they were,” Anakin argued, “they are all just as jumpy as him when there’s a real threat coming.”

“But that was not the main object?” Cel-Dral asked.

“If you mean he had those defences to keep his people safe,” Anakin said, “then no, and I don’t think he would have cared if he was the only one on that shuttle when it went out.”

For the first time during his trial, Gunray spoke. “That's not true!” he shouted, trying to get to his feet as Sarn Retray tried to restrain him.

The disturbance caused another as the audience all started talking at once. Flimone rapped his gavel several times to disperse the noise.

“Order! Order, or I will have the court cleared!” he said, when silence was re-established he cast a wary eye to Retray. “Please remind your client to contain himself or I will have him in contempt.”

“Understood, Your Honour,” Retray replied with a nod.

Flimone turned back to Cel-Dral. “Continue.”

“Just one further question,” Cel-Dral said, folding his hands across his belly. “I understand that among those ‘possessions’ left behind on Cato Neimoidia, something rather valuable was left there.”

“There was,” Anakin replied. “It was a mechno-chair that was equipped with a holoprojector transmitter.”

“And I have here a transcript from an interrogation session regarding this chair,” Cel-Dral continued. “It says, and I quote, ‘When I knew that the chair had been left behind I order it to be armed to self-destruct,’ unquote.” He turned the page of the document. “And when he was asked if he had concerns if the Republic would try to decrypt it he said, and again I quote, ‘I knew such a thing to be impossible as the right codes were needed to activate the chair,’ unquote.” He looked up at Anakin. “Does this surprise you in the least?”

“Not really,” Anakin said. “From my experience Gunray normally assumes that everyone is as stupid as he is, if not more, and when someone manages to outwit him or catch him unaware he simply screams that it is not his fault.”

Cel-Dral smiled, he had had reservations of putting Skywalker on the stand but that statement made all of his fears worth it. “No further questions,” he said, still smiling as he took his seat.

There were murmurs after Cel-Dral finished speaking, yet these were quickly hushed as Retray got to his feet.

“I am also aware of this chair which you found,” Retray said, he brought out a small holoprojector that fit into his palm. “But perhaps I am more informed on it than my colleague Cel-Dral here.”

Anakin looked at him curiously, what could he mean?

Retray showed the holoprojector to Flimone. “This recording is catalogued Exhibit 23A.”

Flimone nodded. “Proceed.”

Suddenly Anakin had a very bad feeling about this.

Retray activated the device and a small hologram was projected upwards from it. It was of Gunray. When Retray pressed a button on the side the hologram began to speak.

“Yes, yes, of course,” said the holographic Gunray. “Trust that I will see to it personally, my Lord Sidious.”

At this the courtroom erupted into conversation again that took Flimone a full five minutes to disperse. During the disturbance Retray chanced at look at Gunray, the Neimoidian’s eyes were boring through him with the penetration of turbolasers. Retray shrugged, knowing he had the moment completely in his control.

“Now,” Retray said when silence resumed, replacing the holoprojector back on the table, “while I understand that you are unaware of what went on between Sidious and my client, you are the only one apart from him who has met with him personally.”

“He revealed himself to be,” Anakin told him in a low, emotionless voice. “I saw him for what he was, and I was as much a fool as the rest of us for believing in his deception.”

“Yes, yes,” dismissed Retray. “But what I wanted to ask you, Jedi Skywalker, is that given your knowledge of this Sidious, would it surprise you if my client were under his orders somewhat reluctantly?”

“That's going a bit far,” Anakin protested. “From what I know they were in contact long before the war and Naboo, he should have known better than to seek out a Sith Lord.”

“True, true, but most of us are not aware of the Force and Sith Lords as you are, Jedi Skywalker,” Retray said. “And I have a reasonable amount of proof that it was not my client who sought out Sidious, but rather the other way around.”

Anakin felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.

Retray frowned. “I’m not sure if you are acquainted with the proper procedure of a trial, Jedi Skywalker. It is I who ask the questions and it is you who answer them,” he said, his eyes glinting dangerously. “Even give your recent actions with Senator Stokra—”

“Objection! Irrelevance!” boomed Cel-Dral, but Flimone waved this aside.

“You know better than to make such remarks, councillor,” warned Flimone. “Please keep your questions to the content of this trial.”

“Yes, Your Honour,” assented Retray, he turned back to Anakin. “Despite this somewhat departure from procedure, I will enlighten you to an answer to your question.” He cleared his throat, a rare occasion for Retray as opposed to Cel-Dral who did it all the time. “It is in my firm conviction that my client was used by this Sidious as a pawn to further his plans for galactic domination,” he explained, eying Anakin somewhat indulgently. “Naboo was a debacle and Sidious strove to write him out completely, and even though my client refused to have anything to do with Sidious again he was given orders through Count Dooku. This second liaison would have undoubtedly ended with Sidious ordering my client’s death.”

The courtroom erupted for the third time that afternoon and Cel-Dral raised his voice to compete with the noise level. “Objection!” he roared. “This is speculation and has no warranted proof!”

“Objection sustained,” assented Flimone, silencing the courtroom and glaring at Retray. “Anything more like that and I’ll hold you in contempt,” he growled. “I assume you know what you are doing?”

“Yes, Your Honour,” replied Retray.

“Then do it without turning this trial into a floor-show,” he ordered.

Folding his hands behind his back, Retray continued. “So I pose the question again,” he said, running his finger along his thin moustache. “Does it surprise you if my client was given orders by this Sidious while under some duress?”

“That doesn’t excuse it,” Anakin argued, “you can’t paint Gunray as the victim because he—”

“Answer the question!’ Retray thundered.

Anakin considered this. “No, it would not surprise me,” he finally answered.

“And,” continued Retray, “if my client refused to have anything to do with Sidious, would it surprise you if Sidious went after him?”

“You don’t understand—” Anakin objected but he was cut off by Retray.

“Yes or no?”

“No!” Anakin shouted, he was fast losing patience. “Of course it wouldn’t surprise me as that is the sort of thing that he would do!”

There was a murmur of discussion after this outburst, yet Retray took it calmly. “So you would agree with me in saying that…how shall I put this?” He clasped his hands and thought for a moment. “As I was saying, you would agree with my saying that Sidious was particularly good in getting people to do things for him?”

“He was a Sith Lord,” Anakin told him. “If he said to you ‘Jump!’, I imagine you would say ‘How high, my lord?’ ”

“A manipulator?” Retray probed. “Perhaps a dissembler?”

Anakin stared at the lawyer as if he were stupid. Asking him if Sidious was a manipulator? That was like asking if lightsabers were sharp or if gravity pulled in a down-wards direction. He decided instead to deflect the comment.

“I don’t know, you tell me,” Anakin said mildly. “You probably were as fooled by him as the rest of us.”

At the titter of laughter Anakin smiled, Retray smiled as well yet there was no humour there at all.

“So you would say my client was ‘fooled’ by Sidious as you and I and every other sentient in the Republic was?” Retray asked carefully.

Anakin could feel the trap closing rapidly around him, he looked frantically for a way out. “I don’t think—”

“Please answer the question!”

“You have to underst—”

“Answer the question!”

Defeated, Anakin looked up at His Honour. Flimone’s expression was as impenetrable as Retray’s.

“Answer the question,” Flimone ordered quietly.

Anakin hesitated, he saw no way out and in the corner of his eye he glimpsed Gunray’ smiling.

“Yes,” he said finally, hanging his head in defeat.

“Thank you,” Retray replied. “No further questions.”

Flimone glanced at Cel-Dral. “Any redirect?”

Cel-Dral shook his head, he couldn’t see a way to bring the Jedi’s testimony out of the mire where Retray had left it.

Flimone looked down at Anakin. “You can go now,” he said.

Anakin left the courtroom just as Cel-Dral was announcing that the Jedi was their last witness and his case was at rest.

--

For a moment Anakin stood in the doorway, staring into space, his thoughts completely blank. He then felt a touch at his shoulder.

“Anakin?”

Anakin reacted instinctively, spinning around and his hand reaching for his lightsaber.

“Relax, it’s only me!” Obi-Wan said. “I came to see how you went.”

Anakin folded his arms and they walked out of the Courts Building together, ignoring the holo-journalists that tried to stop them.

“How much did you see?” Anakin asked.

“Enough,” Obi-Wan told him. “Retray had you roasting on a low fire, but don’t let it bother you.”

“Why not?” Anakin glared at him. “From what I saw he looked to have a much better case than the other guy.”

“Anakin, you know better than that to judge a fight by only the first offensive,” Obi-Wan chided gently.

“Yeah, I know,” Anakin sighed, he shook his head. “Why were you there anyway? Did you want to make sure I didn’t say too much?”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “I wanted to see what you would say,” he explained. “I’m surprised that you didn’t give more details about Sidious.”

“Great, give him more stuff to throw at me.” Anakin grumbled. “And you saw what he was doing, he knew the answers he wanted and all he needed to do was get them out of me. I wasn’t going to let him do that.”

“I noticed,” Obi-Wan observed.

“For all the good it did,” Anakin lamented, he took a deep breath and let out all his frustrations with it. “He’ll get a conviction, even Retray knew that and I don’t want anything else to do with it.” He looked at Obi-Wan. “There’s someone I need to see right now, you want to come?”

“No, I have to head back to the Temple,” Obi-Wan said. “Is this about Gunray?”

“It’s about Shinai,” Anakin told him. “I managed to find his wife.”

Obi-Wan stared at him. “Wife?”

Anakin nodded. “I was surprised as you were when I heard, perhaps that was why he left as he did.”

“I doubt it,” said Obi-Wan with a frown. “There are better ways to leave the Jedi Order than faking your own death.”

“Why go out at all if not with a bang and ball of fire?” Anakin joked and the two of them laughed.

“Do you think you will get anything?” Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin shrugged. “Maybe, but there’s no harm in trying.” He walked towards a speeder bus that was setting down. “Thanks for being there, I’ll see you back at the Temple.”

Obi-Wan watched him go and then went to find his airspeeder.