“Excuse me, masters. I'm a bit late.” The hologram of tall iktochi nodded to the gathered members of jedi high council. “My mission occupies a lot of my time.”

“Understand we, Saesee.” Yoda said. “Please, join us.”

For centuries Yoda served as a leader of the Jedi Order. He was respected among the jedi, and he was considered the wisest jedi in the order.

The iktochi nodded and sat in his chair. He noticed that today the eleven members of the high council out of twelve were gathered in the council chamber.

“Master Tiin, did you watch Count Dooku's speech?” Mace Windu asked the newcomer.

“It was hard to miss, master Windu.” The iktochi replied.

Yes, it was a passionate speech. The count's words were harsh. He stated that the Galactic Republic is the corrupted government which backs only the interests of core worlds. He accused the Jedi Order for allowing (if not supporting) this to happen. In short, it was a hard blow to the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order.

“And what is your opinion?”

The iktochi closed his eyes. As always, he tried to listen to the Force which guided him and helped to make the right decision. The Force answered. Dooku's speech was like a blast pack that was thrown into a small pond. Soon many dead fish could emerge on the surface.

Master Saesee Tiin realized that the consequence of Dooku's words would follow instantly. The galaxy was in turmoil. The long-lasting period of peace was under the threat.

Master Saesee Tiin opened his eyes and looked at the fellow jedi masters.

“This speech has disturbed the peace in the galaxy. We need to be careful – or else the consequence may be catastrophic.” The iktochi answered briefly.

The man didn't like to be the center of attention. He preferred to listen to what others say at the council meetings.

Yoda signed. “Has lost the faith in the republic and order, my former padawan.”

The grandmaster looked sad. Every jedi could understand him. Count Dooku was Yoda's former padawan.

“Right is Saesee. Careful in this matter, we need to be. A good heart and good intention Dooku has but the wrong action he has chosen.”

The members of the high council nodded. Master Yoda was right. They all knew Dooku personally. Some members had even considered the former jedi as their friend.

“We need to speak with Dooku. I demand that he come to us right away.” Even Piell said sternly.

The master had a long scar instead of the left eye which he had lost in the fight with the terrorist group known as “Red Iaro”. It had happened a long time ago but master Even Piell was proud of his severe scar. He believed that it demonstrated his honor and bravery.

“Please, don't be harsh, Even.” Shaak Ti, a female togruta, said calmly. “We can't force Dooku to come to us. He isn't a jedi anymore. But we can invite him to the temple as a friend.”

A few jedi masters nodded in agreement. They liked this idea.

“True your words, Shaak. Come here as our friend, my former padawan shall. Speak with him, we need to.” Yoda concluded.

This time everyone in the room nodded, agreeing with the wise decision of their grand master.

This question was settled. Thus, Mace Windu decided to present a new question to the high council. He spoke up, sitting in the chair. “Next question that requires our attention is about our fellow jedi Shuu Tu.”

A hologram of a young human appeared in the center of the room. He wore a traditional jedi apparel and had a hilt of lightsaber on his right side.

“As some of you know, two days ago the freighter, YG-4210, arrived in the orbit of Coruscant from the planet Ukio. Upon leaving the hyperspace, the spaceship activated the distress signal and moved towards the planet. The judicial patrol immobilized the spaceship and later boarded it. They found three corpses in the cargo bay and a severely wounded unconscious jedi in the pilot's seat.”

Windu paused. All members of the high council listen to him attentively.

“I asked master Tera Sinube to help the ROCI* to conduct an investigation aboard the spaceship. At the same time I sent knight Keelyvine Reus to Ukio. Both had already reported.

The ROCI had identified the trio. They were minor smugglers and criminals in the outer rim.

The investigation team of ROCI, with assistance from our technical division, had managed to restore the memory of the deactivated astro droid that served aboard the spaceship. We discovered that the astro droid was shot by the droid assassin, presumably model IG-86.”

A hologram of the astro droid and the armed assassin droid appeared in the center of the room. The astro droid beeped friendly to the IG-86. Not every member of the council knew binary, therefore one of the masters translated. “The astromech asked, “Are you a new security droid?”.”

“Negative: No, I'm on a mission.” The emotionless electronic voice of IG-86 answered.

Then one droid shot another. The record ended here.

“In the cargo bay the ROCI investigators found the food in the shipping containers. The knight Reus confirmed our suspicion. The food is from Ukio. It seems that the trio was going to smuggle the food out from the planet.

Currently knight Reus is still conducting her investigation but she believes that the trio had a group of accomplices in the Ukio's planetary government. Actually, she has the suspects.”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

“Who are they?” Even Piell butted in.

Mace Windu frowned. He didn't like to be interrupted like this but Even Piell looked nonchalant.

“The first one is a dug. The name is Dr'gab. He is the high-ranking official in the local custom house.

The second and the third ones are ukians. They are brother and sister, also the high-ranking officials, who manage the warehouses in the suburb of Sashasa, the capital of Ukio.”

“The bunch of officials? I believe they all are involved in this one way or another.” Even Piell said bluntly and then questioned. “Do we have a testimony of the young jedi?”

Windu shook his head. “He is still unconscious.”

A new hologram showed the young jedi who was in the bacta tank.

“How is he?” Coleman Trebor, a tall male vurk, asked.

The amphibious humanoid looked concerned.

“We better his healer ask, I believe?” Yoda offered and looked at the fellow jedi masters.

All members of the high council agreed with this idea.

In a few seconds a hologram of female halaisi appeared in the center of the room. She had yellow skin and golden eyes. Her eyelids and lips were light blue.

The woman bowed as a token of her respect to the high council. “Masters.”

She had a pleasant voice.

“Master Nema.” Yoda nodded. “About the young jedi, we want to speak. Shuu Tu, his name. His well-being, is how?”

“We have stabilized his physical condition, grand master. Nothing poses a threat to his life anymore. He is in the bacta tank now. All his damaged organs, nerves, skin, and muscles are regrowing.”

“Serious wounds, he has.” Yoda commented sadly. “A lot of pain, he has suffered.”

“You shall not worry, grand master. Jedi Shuu is in good hands now.” The healer assured the leader of the Jedi Order.

Yoda nodded.

“How much time, you think, will take a complete recovery?” Even Piell questioned.

“Less than a week, master Piell.”

“I hope there will not be any complication to the health of this young jedi?” Shaak Ti questioned.

“It shall not be, master Ti.”

Mace Windu looked at the members of the high council, and when he was sure that no one had questions to the healer, the jedi master said. “We thank you, master Nema. May the Force be with you.”

“May the Force be with you.”

The hologram of the female hailisi disappeared.

Mace Windu presented a new question to the council. The meeting continued.

+

A few days later

In the Main Hall of Healing, bathed in sunlight, Shuu lay on the bed, holding the hospital's datapad and reading the latest news. He was allowed to use the device from today.

The young jedi shared the large hall with other patients. A majority of the patients were the civilians in critical condition who were brought here from the Galactic City Medical Center through the dedicated turbolift which connected the two facilities.

Many news agencies, including the popular HoloNet News, wrote about Count Dooku's speech in the Raxus system. This news occupied their first pages. The HoloNet's forums were in turmoil. The society had been divided into two major groups: the core worlds' citizens (who condemned the speech) and the outer rim citizens (who supported Count Dooku's accusations).

The man knew that it was just the beginning of the so-called “Separatist Crisis” that would last about two years, and then – the Clone Wars!

The hottest Coruscant news was a murder of Akris Ur'etu, a head of the criminal organization “Skar'kla consortium”. It was written that the supposed killer may be a jedi. It surprised Shuu. That's why he reread the article again. Indeed, there was the thug (who wished to stay anonymous) of the Skar'kla consortium who stated that he saw as the killer used a lightsaber and “some jedi's tricks” to mercilessly kill all his pals.

The initiate Tu shook his head in disappointment. The jedi weren't killers.

It is obvious that this supposed jedi killer is a bait to get more attention to the article.

But still there was a fierce discussion in the HoloNet's forums. The most active were the members of the public organization “People's Inquest”. They considered themselves as the jedi watchgroup. The president of “People's Inquest” Thrynka Padaunete called on the people of Coruscant to march to the Jedi Temple to demand “the honest answers”.

People's Inquest? Shuu was perplexed.

He didn't know that such an organization existed in the Star Wars universe. It turned out that in the past this organization had already marched to the Jedi Temple to show their protest multiple times.

That's enough news for today. The human thought and put the datapad on the bed.

He stared at the ceiling.

Shuu? I'm truly Shuu Tu now?

The days spent in the hospital helped the human to accept the fact that he was in the Star War's universe and that he was the initiate Tu. However, a part of him still couldn't get used to this fact but there was no point in denying the identity of Shuu. Even if one day he could remember his past life on Earth, then what would it change?

Nothing. I'm here now. Not on the Earth anymore. Besides, I need an identity to live in the Star Wars' universe.

The man sighed. Anyway, now it is 24 BBY and I'm a part of Jedi Order. The Clone Wars will start in two years. What shall I do?

Shuu knew that the AgriCorps would become militarized in the time of clone wars but in reality it wouldn't be involved in the ongoing war... mostly. It meant that he could continue to serve in the organization peacefully until the last year of the war. At that time Sheev Palpatine, the Supreme Chancellor of Galactic Republic, would issue the top-secret order 66 to the clone troopers. This order would identify all jedi as traitors who must be executed immediately. The clones would execute this order honestly. As a result, many jedi would be killed by their own soldiers.

The Jedi Temple on Coruscant would be stormed as well as all its sub-organizations. Many jedi would be killed or captured around the galaxy. The captured ones would be tortured mercilessly to turn them into the dark jedi while the rest of the survived jedi would be hunted.

No, this isn't an option at all. Shuu thought. But what can I do? Go to the jedi high council and tell them about Sheeve Palpatine's secret identity to stop the coming war? But what proof do I have to back my words? Without proof, no one will believe me. I will gain nothing. Anyway, such a smart man as the chancellor Palpatine will fool the jedi once more. Besides, telling this to the jedi high council is like painting a large target on my back. The Chancellor will learn who knows his secret one way or another, and without a doubt he will have a wish to interrogate me. No, I don't want to disappear one day. Thus, this is also not an option.

The jedi frowned.

Or I can run away in the outer rim, find some faraway planet, and then live there in fear of being found by the inquisitors or the imperial forces. But will I be able to live such a life?

The initiate Tu sighed sadly. The man realized that he didn't desire such life for himself.

The Clone Wars is inevitable. Even the hypothetical death of Sheeve Palpatine will not change anything, because there is count Dooku. The count will start the war anyway but not as the Dark Sidious' puppet. He will be the true leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. And taking into account the CIS' true potential, the Galactic Republic may lose the war. What shall I do?

It was a difficult question. The human pondered for some time before he concluded.

It seems there isn't any sense to continue to serve in the AgriCorps for me. The Jedi Order is doomed. I don't want to be destroyed together with them. Besides, as a jedi I have reached my peak position in the order – a jedi space peasant. This is truly who the AgriCorps' members are. But I am not old Shuu anymore. I want more than what they can offer to me.

All of a sudden the initiate Tu realized that. He wasn't content with his current position.

I know that nothing good awaits this universe in the future. The Clone Wars, the rebel movement, the Galactic Civil War, the crazy clone of the Emperor, the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, and so on. To survive and reach my goals, I must become strong myself and build up my own forces from the ground. Running away will not give me anything.

Then... Then I need to participate in the coming war! Of course, the republic is out of consideration because on this side my final reward will be a few blaster bolts in my back from a bunch of clone troopers. That's why it will be better to join the separatist cause.

+

*Republic Office of Crime Investigations