Coruscant, Republic Executive Building, Supreme Chancellor's office.
Palpatine was in a meeting with members of the Jedi Council discussing recent events.
''I will put the motion before the senate, giving me temporary control of this clone army. If we have to fight this war we will need to be united.'' He said solemnly. ''What of this mysterious starship? Could it be Chiss?''
''No Supreme Chancellor we do not believe so. They may be technologically advanced but this doesn't look like anything they use.'' Windu said shaking his head. ''According to the info Plo Koon sent before we lost contact with him it said it was owned by one Lord Coda.''
Ki-Adi-Mundi nodded with a serious expression. ''We just received this information shortly before arriving here, we aren't sure as to who...'' He and Windu suddenly stood up with a start looking up into the ceiling.
Palpatine almost broke character as a massive bestial like pressure descended on the entire room, no, the entire building before it started straining. The wall panels splintering shooting debris across the room as the Jedi present tried shielding the people inside the room.
Those not force sensitive in the room fell to their knees groaning as massive pain struck their minds.
A chorus of screams sounded from the entire building as the glass behind Palpatine shattered. The collective screaming becoming much more pronounced.
Banging sounded from the door as they could hear snarls and growls on the other side. Yoda stood up, alert but confused. ''Yoda, Mundi. Protect the chancellor!'' Windu shouted over the entire room.
Lights shattered as the room deformed slowly around them, they could make out parts of the building falling outside the window. Yoda glanced outside the window before bringing his attention to the aides inside the room as they seemed to be unconscious now. Madness, this is.
With a loud snap, the door into the chambers started opening up. The deformed doorway thankfully preventing them from sliding all the way. It didn't matter though, a silence that seemed deafening followed as everything stopped.
Everyone swiveled their eyes to the door, standing outside were most of the people working on this floor. They were panting, wearing twisted scowls on their faces. Eyes filled with flashes of bright red and silver. Seconds of staring at each other passed. This lasted until the few people at the front spotted Palpatine.
A guttural howl followed as they broke into a sprint. ''SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEV!!!''
They pushed and shoved each other in a mad race to get to him as the anger fueling this madness seemed to invigorate at the sight of him. Crashing sounds and explosions could be heard from the floors above them.
Windu along with Kit Fisto stood at the front as they held back the people coming closer, trying to incapacitate them. Those they missed being handled by Yoda and Mundi.
Standing at the back by his desk Palpatine was experiencing something he hadn't felt for a long time.
Fear. He could tell quite readily that whatever was doing this wanted him suffering, broken and dead.
At any cost.
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In various places around the building, people were watching with rapt attention. From windows, people flying past or those simply walking around could see the entire top half of the building start to deform.
Those high enough could tell even if they didn't have access to the force, it was as if something huge was trying to rip and tear its way through the building from the top down. Explosions and fire coming into existence as the building itself endured the stress test of the millennium.
Then just as suddenly as it started. It stopped. Leaving the top part of the building looking like someone had squeezed putti too hard. The people inside collapsing like string puppets being disconnected.
All around Coruscant people were in shock as the news spread. Media outlets and the holo-net lit ablaze with speculation and footage of the entire thing.
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In orbit above Tatooine, onboard the eclipse.
Qui-Gon and Plo Koon were sprinting after the guide droid as massive shudders kept running through the entire vessel. Sweating hard and panting as running inside the ship was like being subjected to twice the regular gravity. They could hear guttural howling and a woman's frantic screaming.
Turning a corner they were blasted with heat, a slagged crater replacing what could only have been the med-bay. Orange tendrils of slagged metal flailing around a floating Coda.
Struck by the scene they held their arms in front of their faces. Observing closer the saw Coda floating bent over, veins bulging as his under armor was being burned off by the heat coming off his upper body. Deep orange and silver-colored lighting spreading everywhere turning anything it hit into a metallic soup.
Looking closer they saw what they assumed was Beatrix trying to get close to him as chunks of black material kept getting blasted off her frame. At this point, Plo Koon tapped Qui-Gon's shoulder as he pointed towards a woman being held back by two droids.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Running up to her Qui-Gon asked hurriedly. ''Trilla, what in the name of the force is going on!''
As she turned both of them could see tears streaming down her soot-covered face. As well as scorch marks all over her armor.
''Qui-Gon! We have to help him! This is all my fault! This is all my...'' She's different, what did he do?
''I understand, what can we do?!'' He said as he saw Beatrix being batted away by one of the tendrils as she tried to close the distance between her and Coda.
''Lady Beatrix asks that you try and restrain the tendrils so she can get close.'' One of the droids holding Trilla said suddenly. ''I understand, Plo, with me!'' Plo Koon nodded as they got as close as they could.
Beatrix spotted them coming over as she shared a look with Qui-Gon. They nodded at each other and got to work. The two Jedi constricted as many tendrils as they could as Beatrix broke into a sprint.
Using melting debris as footholds she jumped between them at record speed, dodging as best she could. About halfway when she was about to jump yet again the tendrils became rigid and started shivering.
Everything seemed to pause as she looked up at him.
''SHEEEEEEEEEEV!'' Screaming out in anger a shockwave blasted outwards from Coda. Molten metal spewing everywhere as the tendrils went berserk.
Plo Koon turned towards the woman shouting. ''GET HER OUT OF HERE!''
Both the droids responded with a nod and started dragging her away down the corridor.
''NO! CODA! COODAAA!'' Trilla screamed hysterically resulting in a jerk from Coda. He slowly turned his head towards the sounds. Tilting his head all she saw was confusion and pain.
Beatrix didn't let this opportunity slip by. Thousands of computations flashed through her software almost instantly.
-Optimal path locked. Foothold required. Foothold acquired. Executing.-
Within a second she'd calculated her next actions. Launching off the debris she was standing off it sank down into the slag. Jumping between what little space there was to stand she got close to him, Qui-Gon and Plo Koon straining themselves holding the tendrils in her way in place.
Suddenly leaping up Qui-Gon noticed she was off course. ''She won't make it!'' But before he could take action he noticed two droids propelling a third droid by cupping their hands together to produce a platform. The droid shot off like a missile into Beatrix's path that she promptly sent flying down, it disappearing into the molten ground.
At this point, almost her entire skeleton was visible, black as night as the material making up her skin had been turned into brittle dust. Grabbing hold to him with her left hand, the other one a fist that found it's way into his face. A sickening crunch sounding out as his left cheekbone shattered under the impact.
His head flying back from the impact Trilla noticed that his eyes had never left her, looking past the black skeleton in front of him he proceeded to backhand her torso. Bones breaking as his hand made contact, what followed were two almost instantaneous shockwaves. One from the impact that Beatrix suffered causing her to shoot off and disappear into a wall.
The other caused when he bent down and vanished. Reappearing with his foot embedded into the back of one of the two droids trying to drag Trilla away from the chaos. The second droid found itself being used as a blunt instrument to make the other one a permanent part of the floor.
Registering that nobody was holding onto her anymore she turned around to see Coda bashing the droid into the floor over and over again while screaming ''AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!''
Anger seeping off him gave off the illusion like being in water. Ignoring the pain she felt from the heat singing her skin, she stood up. Embracing Coda from the back. ''Coda! You have to stop, you're killing yourself!'' He stiffened up, turning to look at her.
Blood was dripping from his limp right hand, his mouth and eyes as well. A few seconds passed as the deep orange color in his eyes slowly faded back to blue... ''Trilla..? Are you alright, who...*cough*cough*'' Blood spewed from his mouth as he collapsed back into Trilla.
''Coda! Coda! Wake up!'' Trilla was extremely rattled as she felt a hand touch her shoulder. Looking back she saw Qui-Gon looking at her with a serious expression. He pointed at the deluge of droids approaching, Doppel-droids and skeleton looking ones approaching. The front two were carrying a stretcher.
''Let them take care of him, he needs medical attention.'' Nodding softly she watched as they put him on a stretcher and more starting to apply first aid as they took him away. Trying to stand up and failing she felt Qui-Gon and the unidentified Kel Dor lifting her up. ''Are you alright Trilla?'' Shaking her head weakly. ''This is my fault, I did this to him.'' She said while looking down at her bloodied hands. She had slight burns on her hands.
A droid walking towards them drew their attention. ''Greetings, my designation is RG2. Please follow me to the secondary med bay. We can get your wounds looked at.'' Qui-Gon and Plo Koon both nodded as Trilla just asked with a vacant stare. ''Is he going to be alright?''
Smiling RG2 responded. ''We believe so, though we won't know the extent of the damage before we've run diagnostics. Follow me and I'll keep you apprised of the situation as we know more Lady Trilla.''
As they started walking past the horde of droids entering the area RG2 sent out messages all over.
-(''RG1, Beatrix has gone offline. Send retrieval, PRIO MAX. RG4, the lord is approaching secondary med-bay. Damage is extensive. Nanite surgery likely required, have a full suite of RG's standing by to donate matter. RG7, oversee and diagnose the extent of structural damage.'')-
Receiving a digital affirmative from all of them as he walked he sent a ticket towards the mainframe for Beatrix to go over once online.
Suggestion: Research and develop dedicated medical personnel to ensure the lord's as well as followers' health.
Reason: Organic frailty has been underestimated, inherent unpredictability will likely result in further injuries in the future.
Addendum: Find cause of event. Once cause has been identified, research ways to prevent further incidents.
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Secondary Med-Bay.
Having received medical attention Trilla stood in an observation room looking down into a hall that was full of droids standing around a Bacta tank. Taking turns on injecting whatever made up their skin into a port to its side.
''They look quite menacing without skin.'' Plo Koon commented from her side. Observing pitch-black red-eyed droids leaving the room one by one once their purpose here was fulfilled.
''Trilla, this is Plo Koon. A member of the Jedi council, and a good friend of mine.'' Seeing her nod in response he continued. ''Now that we're all patched up, can you explain what happened?''
Looking at Coda floating in the tank, tendrils of that black stuff floating around the tank searching for and repairing damage as they ran over his skin. His silver hair floating around his head, he looked almost ethereal. ''I can try... He was trying to heal me. It went well at first, but soon he... we felt resistance. It started to hurt, I could tell he was trying to be careful but looking back it seems to be the first time he attempted something like this.''
Clenching her fist in front of her. ''It wasn't working and I felt pain.'' Oh god, the pain. ''I started crying... That's when he tried a different approach...''