It took about two hours for Shaak Ti and Yoda to find out where Ranma had finally landed, the depth of which astonished Shaak Ti. Amazing, he not only survived that fall, but he controlled it for that long. A Jedi could've done the same of course, but even so, that is extremely impressive. From there they made their way down through the building, and out into the city trailing after Ranma, with Yoda now using his Force sense to home in on him, allowing them to close the distance somewhat.
Not forty minutes after that they found Ranma's second victims. They still hung where Ranma had left them, causing Shaak Ti to frown and Yoda astonishingly to chuckle. "That is not an image I needed." Shaak Ti said shaking her head and looking away pointedly from the three naked aliens. Yuck.
Yoda however merely moved up to one and slapped his face until he woke up. Staring into the ancient face of Yoda he stilled then collapsed to the side and Yoda smiled. "Simmering on his mind's surface thoughts of young Ranma were, shock, pain, and humiliation he felt. Unable to fight back he was, one moment all is well the next as you see. Interesting."
They kept on moving, finding Rama's other victims, as well as the reasons for their conditions. Throughout this trek Yoda stayed silent aside from a chuckle here and there. Finally Shaak Ti's curiosity got the better of her and she asked, "Master Yoda might I ask what you find so funny about this? I realize these sentients were breaking the law and further started the fights, but even so, surely leaving them like this, is beyond the pale."
Yoda smiled, stopping for a moment to look up at the far taller Jedi Knight. "Well you did to keep your curiosity inside for so long, a sign of control it is, good. To the gangs fates, better this than kill them yes? All too easily Ranma could have done that. Instead worst they feel, humiliation is. Humiliation as teacher, hrrhm, a valuable tool. Learn from this, they might."
He turned away, chuckling as he made his way down the street. "Interesting youngster, this one. A mystery, a challenge, a conundrum. The Force around him, around its master like a young animal romping. Facing an unknown like this, makes me feel young I do."
Shaak Ti stood there for a moment, looking after Yoda then shook her head with a smile, following him quickly.
Eventually they came to the same den of iniquity that Ranma had. Pulling their heads further into their hoods, the two of them entered, blending in easily through their clothing and the use of subtle Force tricks to hide their presence and in Yoda's case appearance. "Low profile we will keep," Yoda ordered. "Wish to watch Ranma in action I do."
"You could simply challenge into a spar master, from what I could discern he'd be open to such."
"Not his skill I am questioning, know well that do I." Yoda replied with a faint chuckle remembering their brief set-to outside the temple, as well as what Dooku and the others had shared of what they had seen. "His sense of honor, of right and wrong, that is unknown to me, his so-called Code must see for myself I do."
Shaak Ti frowned, thinking about what Ranma had said of his Code, and setting it against what he had done to the would-be muggers, before nodding. "I see."
Yoda was an old man, and had been an old man for centuries. He knew that the Jedi Orders path was not everyone's, and that there were other paths to honor out there, other types of honor that were just as viable for those who held to them as the Jedi Code was for them.
It was the fact that Ranma was clearly a master of the Living Force that threw him and the other older, more worldly Masters. That and the fact that he denigrated the order and their oaths and challenged their perception of the Force was a dangerous combination.
Challenge he is, yet threat by word or dead he is not. Yoda reminded himself with some difficulty. Chaotic fulcrum he is, evil that does not make him. Change itself evil is not. Yoda shivered for a moment staring blankly forward as they entered the gambling den, the Force once again trying to tell him something. Change in some ways the Order must, to face the changing times, realized this already I have, but, but more needed will be. Need to think on this I must.
Shaking that thought off for now, Yoda followed Shaak Ti deeper into the gambling den.
OOOOOOO
With his ability to calculate angles and hand-eye control, Ranma found somewhat easy to make a killing at dice, darts or anything involving him tossing anything, like this universe's version of craps. Even with the tables built so that there were places where the dice wouldn't bounce true Ranma was able to control them to a certain extent, and kept on winning. Not enough to look like he cheated to anyone watching, but enough to be noticeable.
This caused a problem for several of the other patrons of course. The first issue came about when he won against several other betters which included an elderly looking alien who looked rather like a daddy long legs with lank gray hair covering its body and long eyestalks that came up to Ranma's shoulders. The being began to chitter to itself, pulling in its limbs and eyestalks before rocking back and forth in place, setting up a keening wail. Ranma looked at the dealer, an alien with horns like Master Tiin, cocking his head to one side. "What's wrong with him?"
"I ain't 'xactly fluent, but I think he just lost the stake he's been using. Something about the deed to some shop or other a few sectors over."
Ranma frowned. "How long's he been using that as a stake?"
"Months!" The dealer replied promptly. "He's come close a time or two to losing it before then pulling even. He's pretty decent with the dice, but not as good as you. He should've known to stop playing a few hands ago, the dumbass longhair."
Staring down at the alien who he assumed was now quietly weeping to itself Ranma asked, "Do I have enough cash to cover his stake? I don't want his shop, not unless it sells starships."
The dealer guffawed loudly at that while the spider alien seemed to perk up, lifting one of its eyestalks to stare at Ranma. Ranma smirked a little. "Actually what kind of shop is it?"
The being touched a pouch on its abdomen, pulling out a small personal computer. Pushing a button on it the name "Zrrrxxx's: for all your robotic needs flashed," before moving into what looked like a brochure depicting pictures of products which varied widely both in scope and condition.
Ranma spotted a few of the weapons Tune had mentioned he could be fitted with, and smiled, coming up with a plan. "I'm gonna take back half of your stake, the other half you'll keep, until I get over and look at what you've got. If you're shop doesn't have anything I want, I might find another local who will by my half of it. Until then though your playin' days are over, okay?"
The alien, presumably Zrrrxxx, seemed to consider it, but having no real option other than becoming both homeless and jobless eventually bobbed its head in agreement. Then it followed Ranma over to the cash register and filled out all the paperwork (very little down here, but enough to transfer ownership), before leaving quietly while Ranma headed over to the darts game.
He quickly built up the amount of money he had previously using darts andcraps. But several games later four of the other guests at the table to turn to him, raising their blasters. "You damn cheat!"
Ranma's reached out quickly, though not as quickly as he could have, pushing the barrels of the two closest gamblers towards one another rather than him. Their blasters went off taking one another out while Ranma ducked, rolling under the table as the other two shot at his former position. Careful, can't seem too dangerous or else I'll put off the mark, just enough to be interesting, not enough to be a threat.
With that in mind he kicked out, catching one of his remaining attackers on the knee before he could pull away from the table. That man went down with a scream while Ranma rolled the other way, grabbing and pulling his fourth attacker down to the floor. There Ranma smashed his head against the floor twice knocking him out. With that done Ranma jumped to his feet and rounding the table, fists cocked to finish off the attacker he'd crippled a second ago.
A blue stun bolt zipped from one side, knocking the man out before he could get to him however. "What's all this then?" Said a loud voice.
Turning Ranma saw a rather corpulent looking alien, humanoid but with smallish horns, and long lank hair of what looked like a permanently gray color. Behind him were two cheap ass looking droids, their rifles raised, and five seedy looking aliens of various species. The leader glared at Ranma, then around at the others as the dealer quickly filled him in.
"You lot." The being ordered, pointing at the downed gamblers. "You're banned!"
Three of the living guards moved forward, grabbing the downed gamblers and dragging them towards the door. With that done the corpulent alien turned to Ranma, staring at him thoughtfully. "I'm Fuego the Knife human, and I run this hall. I won't have any rough stuff here, that kriff is bad for business."
He stared at Ranma, then towards the gamblers being dragged away, and then at the huge pile of gambling chips that Ranma was gathering up. A smirk appeared on his face, and his voice changed to what he probably thought was comradely conspiratorial, though to Ranma he sounded about as trustworthy as his old man on his worst days. "You're pretty good with your fists for a human, and you're obviously a good gambler. Tell me, do you have the stones to combine the two?"
"Depends on what you have in mind," Ranma said with a shrug. "And what the stakes are?"
Looking at the chips Ranma was gathering up, Fuego calculated quickly. "You've got around 13,000 credits so far, that'll do as a stake. As to what it is, well, this establishment has more… esoteric facilities for the discerning gambler. I trust I don't have to be more specific." At Ranma's nod, he went on. "And if you win, well, how about I guarantee you double that stake each time?"
"Yeah sure, sign me up."
"That's what I like to see! But just so as we're clear here, it's your life on the line human." The alien said warningly. "I don't want to see you whining out there if the fights go against you, that kind of kriff is bad for business."
"Meh, ya only live twice, might as well live it big." Ranma said with a shrug smirking inside as the man fell for one of the best tricks Genma had ever taught him outside of the martial arts. Several times he and his old man had entered underground fights to win some cash, always tricking the people running the matches that one or the other was normal right up until the matches started. Since most of the people they had tricked and fought were criminals, Ranma had never felt even the slightest bit of guilt tricking them or beating them up.
After the yakuza cottoned on to them that went by the wayside, but for a while it had been an easy way of making money, and it was good to know it would work in this universe too. Besides, I want at least a million credits, enough to buy a ship and customize it, this little bit ain't gonna do it.
The alien smiled widely, then waved his hand grandly towards the back of the gambling den. "Then follow me human, and lets find out how tough you really are."
Behind the two of them hidden among the crowd of gamblers Shaak Ti frowned. "Do you think Ranma's getting in over his head master Yoda?"
"Hrrm, no. Tricked, the proprietor has been, easily could Ranma have taken his attackers out." Yoda said thoughtfully. "Reason he must have for playing down his skills. Interested in what happens next I am, follow we will."
At the back of the gambling den was a small, heavy metal door guarded by two more cheap guard droids in small sconces behind heavy metal shields. Yoda took a moment to stare at them, frowning thoughtfully as he recognized them as coming from the Trade Federation. Bad sign it is, that such as they show up here. Inform Master Ranicisis of this I will, have him lead an investigation.
Behind that door was a hallway which split into three. Fuego gestured Ranma down one side of the hall with one of his guards while he and the others went straight, entering another door which was as heavily armed as the first. From the third direction came shouts and the sound of cheering, and, slightly more distant, a low, pain filled moan. Yoda gestured, and he and Shaak Ti made their way in that direction.
After a bit of a walk they came out into a many-tiered balcony. It was full of people of various species and, judging from their clothing, means, ranging from one individual Yoda recognized as an aid to a Senator from the Corporate Sector overlooking a small circular arena filled with sand to someone who looked even seedier than the normal denizens of this sector. The balcony was situated around a large pit with a sandy floor, which could be accessed by two small doors and a third, far larger gate. A mesh cage further separated the watchers from the arena below.
As they made their way through the crowd, Shaak Ti saw a sentient, a powerfully built individual of a race she hadn't seen before, standing and drinking in the adulation from the crowd while his opponent, a Trandoshan was being carted out of the Arena by two Gammoreans.
Shaak Ti shook her head in disgust. "I would never have thoughts to find something like this on Coruscant. It looks like something that would be more at home in Nar Shadda, not the heart of the Republic."
"Deep underneath the sunward levels of Coruscant we are, laws there are here but not those of the government. Laws of survival, laws of crime, rarely do even Jedi come this far, hrhrhm." Yoda replied.
"But surely the government needs to know about this kind of place. A crack police squad could clean up this sector in a few days with our assistance."
"Know undoubtedly some senators and the zone governor does, a cut they no doubt get." Yoda said, his tone becoming weary. "More money and time it would take to get rid of crime then look the other way, and lives too. Bigger and greater things the government has its head mind on, even just the government of Coruscant not the Senate."
"That's remarkably cynical of you master Yoda." Said Shaak Ti reproachfully.
"Hrmrhm, cynical I am old I am. Comes with the territory cynicism does." Yoda chuckled dryly. "Besides, think you it would be easy? Rarely give it up those in power do. Fight back the criminals would, the citizens down here too. In the first place reasons there might be for their living down here. Lives needlessly lost there would be. Stay under the radar they do, commit no large scale crimes, left alone they will be, even by us."
However, the droids and senator's aide, made a note of those I have. Could lead to bigger things they could. Already proving interesting this investigation of young Ranma has, if in a different way.
"That is rather sad." Shaak Ti said with a sigh.
"Jedi cannot be everywhere, solve every problem we cannot, merely mortal we are." Yoda said with an answering sigh. "Now quiet. Watch Ranma you should, do the same I will be."
Shaak Ti subsided, and Yoda leaned back in the chair he had commandeered from a gambler right in front of the fence separating the watchers from the arena. But he wasn't watching the contestants as Ranma was introduced and began to fight other gladiators. His eyes were actually closed as he concentrated on his other senses, reaching out with the Force. Handle on Ranma's sense of ethics I have now, now must try again to discern of his impact on the order and the future I must.
That was what Yoda had been trying, and failing to do in the council chamber as his fellow councilors debated. He had been trying to see the actual effect of Ranma's presence, only to fail. It was simpler here near Ranma to see his effect on the Force, whereas before even separated by a mere few floors the Veil of the Dark had obscured it. Yet even here, Yoda's vision of the future was almost entirely blocked.
But a Force Vision came through, not a clear one, some kind of metaphor, but its clarity was such Yoda could not question it's providence, whatever it meant. Yoda saw little lights, thousands of them scattered as if they were the very stars gleaming in a calm nighttime sky.
But the vision changed quickly, the sky becoming violent as the Dark Side rose, trying to snuff them out. One after another they faded, leaving nothing but a few bare embers behind to smolder over time before they became a weak fire, throwing back the Dark Side and growing strong once more. Yoda tried, he tried desperately to get more of a sense of what the Dark meant, what was behind it, but could not gain even a hint, as if the Force itself could not show him, as if the Veil of the Dark Side was too powerful to overcome.
He began to despair then, but the vision changed abruptly going back to the beginning image of the little lights. But as the Dark Side rose up again, it and the little lights were all swept up into a maelstrom, Light and Dark mixing chaotically. Some of the lights went out. Some of them grew brighter. Others burned brighter still, but flared out like candles, only to be replaced by more.
The Dark Side, violence, anger, hate, fear, WAR pressed in, growing strong itself, but the Light matched it, fighting back as it could. And then, the vision ended, and Yoda found himself once more in his body, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps as his old heart pounded in his chest.
`Yoda opened his eyes to see Ranma helping his previous opponent out of the ring to cheers and sneers from the crowd. His chivalry was highly unusual down here, but a few of the onlookers appreciated his sense of fair play, while others roared for blood like so many mad animals. To his side Shaak Ti was looking around, shaking her head sadly. One of the most well-travelled young knights, Shaak Ti had dealt with the seedier side of the universe many times. But this place, situated right below the Senatorial sector was shaking her somewhat.
Yet Yoda knew she would be able to deal with it and whatever trial was to come here, he had more important things to think about than her or Ranma's fights. Judging from the strength of the youth had shown previously, any representative of any sentient race would find itself overmatched. So instead of speaking to his young companion or watching Ranma, Yoda focused his thoughts on the vision.
The vision I have seen, a warning it is, but of what. Change the maelstrom does whatever it touches, represents Ranma it must. Yet embrace these changes the Jedi should? The vision, shows it does the future certain, or just one path?
Yet even as his staid mind tried to convince Yoda that what he saw was simply one possible future, he knew it wasn't. That first vision had shown him the future, as set in stone as the deaths which Ranma and Dooku's intervention had diverted a bare week ago. The deaths of those little lights, somehow Yoda knew they signified the Jedi themselves.
And even though he still could not discern where the threat was coming from, or even if there was one threat and not simply thousands of small conflicts feeding the Dark Side with the inevitable emotions they fostered, he knew the Jedi would be the ones to pay the price to try and combat it. And fail we would, if we do not change. Yet can we even do so?
That was an even more difficult question. Set in our ways are we, both the order and I.Change difficult will be yet… if change we do not, ride the maelstrom we cannot, vision makes that plain. Yet change for change's sake, Ranma's thoughts on the order, dangerous they are. Strike at the very root of what the order is, what has kept us on our members from turning into the Dark Side. Showed the vision did, if embrace change we do, fracture the Order could.
A sigh escaped Yoda and he unnoticed by any he slumped in his chair, feeling every year of his nearly thousand year old life. Would that this had come after my time, a reward of quiet solitude in my old age have I not earned? After a moment however Yoda straightened up, his purpose clear if not the means to go about achieving it. Face this change I must, no one else shoulder this burden can.
Ranma never a Jedi will be but an ally he can become. Learn from him we can, yet keep some of his thoughts feelings away. Too much change too quickly, a schism could cause. Must think on this further, but an alliance with Ranma, that must be certain.
Yoda had no way of knowing how much time had elapsed while he wrestled whit his thoughts, but Ranma come and gone several times, each time winning against not only other aliens, but then various wild beasts, including some that Shaak Ti had never seen before save in animal taxonomy texts. The most interesting fight had been against a wampa.
The speed of the alpha predator of Hoth seemed to have taken Ranma by surprise, but Ranma had at last beaten it, though he had taken several painful slashes from the maddened beast's claws first. And it had been the first time Ranma had put his opponent down permanently, ending the beasts crazed existence by breaking its neck.
Shaak Ti frowned throughout it all, wondering why Ranma wasn't fighting to his best, she knew first hand he was faster than he was displaying here. It was only after she turned her senses to overhearing the bettors that it became clear: he was keeping the betting close and furious, the better to make more money. He couldn't simply overwhelm his opponents, the odds would shift to favor him then, and he wouldn't make as much. Yet even so, the odds of his winning slowly began to even out, then go in his favor.
After a few more fights Shaak Ti stopped watching the action entirely. Instead she watched the crowd and Fuego the Knife. He was ensconced in a small box separated by a wall from the rest of the audience directly above the massive gate which had been used to let out the various beasts Ranma had faced so far. After each fight now he seemed to frown more heavily, then smile before moving onto the next. She reached out with the Force trying to discern his intentions towards Ranma, only to frown as she couldn't discern them through the mental noise of the surrounding crowd.
"Master Yoda, the crowd is getting restless, many of them have lost quite a lot of money, and so has Fuego." She murmured. "They never expected a human to do so well. I'm afraid the house might be planning something precipitous."
Yoda frowned, reaching out towards Fuego's mind through the Force, his senses making their way across the crowd with the ease of long practice. After a moment he sighed pulling his senses back. "Angry he is, heavily on the last monster he did gamble, will face a loss now if cannot recoup it quickly. But the crowd now betting on Ranma they are, will continue to lose money the house will, cannot cover them all. A plan he has to recoup his losses however."
Suddenly Yoda smiled. "Money do you have on you?"
Blinking in shock Shaak Ti shook her head. "No master, I didn't leave the Temple with any." The Jedi were given a stipend from the main coffers of the order. Those coffers were filled by the Senate's funding, as well as the money they made from the farming communities the Order ran scattered across the Republic, which were worked by Jedi too old for active service and those younglings who had, for one reason or another, never made it to padawan.
"Pity. Could have bet on Ranma. Should be interesting the next fight."
Shaak Ti was about to question the ancient grandmaster further when Fuego stood up, waving his hands grandly at the crowd then down at Ranma who after his last contest was still standing in the center of the arena. At his feet lay a Nek, unconscious from a precise blow behind one ear.
"Congratulations! Amazing, stupendous! Who would have thought a human could survive against a Nek in hand to hand, let alone defeat it! But there is more to come ladies and gentlemen! Let it never be said that Fuego's doesn't deliver excitement! I have one more animal Ranma can face, one more mystery animal! Place your bets now, they will be two to one in favor of the mystery beast! Who will take that final plunge! Who will be brave enough to back the magnificent Ranma against the mystery monster?"
For a moment the crowd roiled, muttering to itself. It was unheard of after all to not know who you were betting on, how could you calculate odds if you didn't know half of the equation? But then Ranma held up a hand. "I'll put all of my own money on me!" He said with a laugh.
That seemed to break the rest of the crowd out of its monetary stasis. Dozens of beings who had won thus far rushed towards the bookkeepers, while others, who really had lost too much already searched their person for credits or anything else they could use as collateral.
Watching all this Fuego smiled grimly. Down here, strength was power, fear was power, and money was power. You could only truly command respect at his level if you had all three. The day hadn't gone as Fuego had hoped of course, and he'd lost quite a bit of money. But he could make up that loss, and instill even more fear in the locals if his next little pet won, and showing that little pet would prove his strength beyond all doubt.
He waited five more minutes than as his bookkeepers nodded one after another to him he held up his hands. "That's enough ladies and gentlemen, the betting is over!" He nodded over to a guard standing above the gate that the monsters had all used to enter the ring before this.
"Ladies and gentlemen, in the one corner we have our new and unforeseen champion of the evening Ranma Saotome!"
There were cheers from the crowd, most of them now betting on Ranma, despite not knowing who he was about to face. The odds were just too good, as was Ranma's track record up to this point. All of them had been caught up in a frenzy of greed, not realizing that Fuego must have some kind of plan. Watching them Yoda and Shaak Ti could only shake their heads at the power greed had over individuals.
"And opposing him, from the depths of space! At home in practically any environment, and top predator in most! Brought here personally by myself and several of my men, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the rancor!"
The massive gates boomed open on the last word, and the rancor emerged, roaring angrily. Up to this point those gates had seemed overlarge, dwarfing both beasts and gladiators alike. But they were barely enough to allow the creature, the rancor, to enter the arena. It stood at least two stories tall and was almost too wide to fit through the door, with massive bulging muscles showing everywhere under gray skin that looked almost like scales but not quite. Its eyes glared out at the world from under a monstrous brow set into a sunken face, on a head that stood even with stooping shoulders which would have put any American football player to shame.
There was loud screams of shock from the crowd and more than one person cursed, throwing down his betting chit in fury. Yet there was more fear too, because as Fuego had expected, a lot of the crowd were wondering where and how he had gotten his hands on a rancor, one of the most dangerous animals in known space. Any Rancor was dangerous, and owning one like this no matter how you came by it spoke of power and influence in one form or another.
Still others, like the senatorial aide Yoda had first spotted, didn't care about how Fuego had acquired the thing. They only wanted to see some blood. Ranma had been careful not to kill his opponents save the wampa, and while he hadn't been gentle he hadn't done enough to feed their bloodlust.
Yoda felt this and frowned, making a note of the individuals who were cheering and at times screaming for blood. They all would need further investigation regardless of their station.
Next to Yoda, Shaak Ti scowled, stroking her lekku worriedly. "I think Ranma just met his match master, should we intercede?" While it came out as a question, her tone made it clear that she felt they should. Indeed she was showing slightly more worry than a Jedi rightly should have given how they were supposed to control their emotions or how she had only known Ranma for a bare few hours.
However Yoda simply shook his head. "No, intervene we will, but not yet. Underestimating Ranma you still are."
For his part Ranma simply stood and stared at the monster as it tramped its way onto the arena's sand. Once fully out onto the floor of the arena it stopped, roaring at the crowd which for it was at near eye level through the cage. "RGGAAHHHH!" It raised its massive fists lashing out at the cage above the wall surrounding the arena.
There were several fearful screams from the audience, but they needn't have worried. The cage was both electrified and reinforced. The beast's punch bent the metal, but caused it to be electrocuted with enough current to send it backwards, bellowing in pain as the smell of burning skin monetarily filled the air.
Then another jolt went through it from the collar it wore. "EEEEEEERRRGEAAAH!" The thing shrieked and clawed at its neck, it's eyes going even redder than they had been as it did so, falling back from its assault on the cage to jeers and shouts from the audience.
At that point the rancor spotted Ranma at last. Thinking him an easier target it snarled, charging towards him over the short space separating them, its arms reaching out to grab and rend. Still Ranma stood his ground calmly, knowing now was the time to show his real ability. He's bigger than even Pantyhose Taro, but you know what they say, the bigger they are the harder they fall.
Ranma raced forward as well, dodging to one side as the thing brought around a hand that was almost as large as he was tall, wincing as the smell of the thing hit him. Clapping one hand over his nose Ranma leaped up over another attempt to grab him, landing on the rancor's arm. "Damn man! When the hell did you last have a bath!?"
This drew a round of laughter from the watchers, even Shaak Ti surprised herself by laughing aloud, stifling it quickly. But there were many who didn't laugh, instead staring in shock at the speed Ranma had moved with, a level of speed he had not shown yet. Still, everyone there were still certain he'd lose. After all, it would only take just one punch or slap to end the human's life, however good he was at dodging.
The rancor lunged forward with its upper body, its mouth open to bite Ranma but he pushed off the limb quickly. Landing Ranma dodged to one side in midair, watching as the beast's fist plowed into the ground, kicking up a ton of dust before it smashed into the wall of the arena. The wall itself wasn't energized like the cage above it, and the impact shattered the ferocrete there in an area about fifteen feet to a side.
Even so it was nothing that Ranma hadn't seen before. The thing was fast for its size but not fast enough, and while strong, that hardly mattered. Not against a martial artist of Ranma's level, who could bring almost as much strength to bear on a much smaller target.
Ranma rolled again, forward this time, and as a thing tried to kick him, grabbed its foot, helping it along its trajectory with a heave. The rancor stumbled falling forward, then bellowed in pain as a kick from Ranma caught the beast on the side of the knee.
While the rancor of course would be unable to describe what had happened, to Yoda it looked as if Ranma's fist had hit with all the impact of an air-car concentrated into his merely human fist. While if the impact had been spread out like from another rancor or an aircar the beast might not have taken much punishment Ranma's strength easily overcame the rancor's durability in the area his fist hit, blowing the knee out, shattering the kneecap and sending the pieces of it out through the other side in a welter of blood and gore.
"GUAUGHHAHAU!" The beast howled falling on its side. The watching audience shouted and bellowed questions at one another, wondering what had happened as Fuego gaped, standing up from his chair and staring in astonishment.
Below them the rancor was still game, pushing itself somewhat upright with one arm, lashing out with its other hand. But Ranma leaned backwards quickly, allowing the blow to pass him then thrusting out his fist into the rancor's wrist.
Again there was a scream of agony and the sound of ruptured bones. Ranma leaped away, watching to see what the thing with you. "Come on retreat beastie, I don't want to have to kill you."
Frankly Ranma felt sorry for the thing. Just like with the other animals he'd fought before this he didn't know what rancors were like in the wild, but he didn't like killing animals like this for other people's amusement. He'd do it in a heartbeat if it was to feed his stomach, but to do so to sate other people's bloodlust, hell no.
Unfortunately the rancor wasn't willing to give up. It roared again its hand flopping uselessly as it tried to spin around, bringing his other arm around in a slash at its tormentor. Ranma shook his head with a sigh and ducking inside its reach, slammed an open palm into the rancor's chest right above where the heart would have been in a human, his fist momentarily disappearing to normal human and alien senses while a sound like a machine gun sounded through the arena.
Just like his previous blows the area his fist damaged seemed small. But the bones right underneath his blow shattered before flying backwards into the deep cavern of its body, puncturing its heart. "The least I can do is give you a quick end."
As the beast crashed backwards onto the sands of the arena the audience fell silent for a moment staring in shock as if they couldn't believe their eyes. Then they cheered, hooting and hollering, shouting and stampeding towards the bookkeepers.
The bookkeepers panicked, pulling away from their stations and trying to desperately signaled the guards nearby, armorplas sliding down automatically to defend their small booths. The Gammoreans and other guards responded, raising their weapons against the crowd, many of whom pulled out their own weapons in reply. Quickly blaster fire began to crisscross the underground stadium, with people screaming, running and firing all at once while the Gammoreans bellowed and waded into the crowd swiftly.
Fuego was no help. He had turned to a communicator stuck on his arm, and was shouting into it, glaring down at Ranma angrily. "Open them! Open all the cages, and activate all the combat droids! I don't care how good he is, there's no way he's tough enough to survive blaster fire! He has to die! No one can challenge me like this and live! As for the betters, ki…"
Fuego paused, staring. The first of the wild animals had come out of their cages save for those too injured to move still, and made their way towards the arena where previous training told them a meal might be waiting. But before they could reach the arena they paused, calming down, many of them falling asleep where they were while others turned back to enter their cages. "What the…?"
For his part Ranma too had been surprised, first at all the animals being released at once, understanding Fuego was trying to get out of paying him and realizing he'd need to deal with the animals before going after their keepers, then at how the animals had simply stopped. Frowning he extended his senses slightly into the Force, like a swimmer dipping his toe in unwilling to take the final plunge. Yet even that was enough, and he turned, staring upwards into the gallery.
There Shaak Ti and Yoda both stood, with Shaak Ti moving rapidly towards the guards. Seeing her activate her lightsaber they all turned their blasters on her. Some in the audience did the same thing while others stopped running, laying down where they were in an effort to get out of the crossfire and trusting the Jedi to handle it. Still others began to run away.
Shaak Ti jumped, spun and ducked, her lightsaber flashing, using her montrals to great effect along with her Force Perception to pay attention to everything that was going on around her. Each time a blaster would head toward Shaak Ti or one of the people who had laid on the ground her lightsaber was there with Force-driven speed and precognition, blocking the bolts and sending them back directly using the Soresu, the form designed to be used against blasters. Several guards died from blasts from their own weapons, and still more guards and bettors crumpled to the ground wounded.
For his part Yoda first concentrated on the minds of the animals below. Once they were suitably calmed he turned, sending out a strong Force mind impulse towards the senatorial aide he had been watching, causing the man, who had been trying to force his way through the crowd toward the now closed exit, to collapse into unconsciousness.
With that done, Yoda joined Shaak Ti in assaulting the guards and those among the audience still fighting trying to make his way towards Fuego. But he turned, stumbling as he felt a surge in the pillar of Living Force in Ranma.
Back in the arena Ranma had moved to the dead rancor, and closing his eyes for a moment gathered his ki, pouring it into his muscles. With that aid, Ranma grunted, lifting the rancor, who must have weighed at least seven tons or so of muscle and bone. His eyes flared for a moment, but he lifted the thing up over his head, and turning, throwing it up against the electric cage right in front of where Fuego was.
Fuego had turned his attention away from Ranma to the Jedi, and was now scrambling at a small emergency exit behind his throne. But the door hadn't been used in so long it was rusted badly, and that slowed him down somewhat. He stared over his shoulder fearfully at the Jedi, only to stare.
To stare at the form of the dead rancor's body slamming into the cage, shorting it out in an instant as the smell of cooked meat permeated the arena. The nearby bettors and guards screamed too, backing away hurriedly.
After getting over his momentary shock Fuego desperately turned from staring at the rancor's face from a bare yard away to try and wrench the door open again. But he suddenly felt himself lifted off the ground and slammed back into the wall behind him.
Ranma had leaped up after his projectile and now stood on the back of the rancor's head. "Let's not try to welch on a bet with the guy who can bench-press a rancor, mmkay!?" He shouted at the top of his lungs over the ongoing battle, before using his free hand to throw a piece of the cage towards the nearest armorplas protected bookkeeper with enough force to shatter said armorplas.
The man squealed and ducked under his chair. After seeing this the battle shuddered to a halt as the guards saw their boss captured, and the bettors realized that they didn't want to get on Ranma's bad side.
Watching this Shaak Ti shook her head laughing aloud at Ranma's sense of humor. "I believe your priorities are rather skewed Ranma!"
Yoda nodded, but glared at the bookkeeper who no longer had any defense between him and the crowd. "Gather young Ranma's winnings you should. The rest of the money, frozen for now it will be." He looked around at the crowd, many of whom, now that the adrenaline was wearing off realized who this particular Jedi was, and paled even further. "Get their money, these good beings should, so long as prove they can that their stakes were legally gained."
Quickly the bookkeeper gathered up the credits Ranma was owed. Ranma entered his booth, making the man turn around for a moment before kneeling down and doing something with the money, which none of the sullen crowd of gangsters and bettors could see. Ranma didn't want to advertise all his tricks, and one such trick was his ki space. Let them wonder how he was carrying it, rather than having even the slightest actual clue.
While Yoda opened a communicator and called in some police down to this level, Ranma exited the booth before leaping over the heads of the crowd toward Shaak Ti. Landing in front of her he smirked. "How long have you been following me?"
"For several hours now," Shaak Ti said honestly looking over at Yoda who smiled and waved at her indicating she should be the one to talk while Yoda turned, watching the crowd carefully as he continued to speak into his communicator.
With that Shaak Ti turned back, her purple lips twitching between a smirk and a scowl. "Your method of dealing with would-be muggers was interesting, and may scar my mind for years to come."
"Sorry ta hear that, they weren't exactly a pretty bunch were they?" Ranma said with a laugh. "As an apology though, for that and for… well…" Ranma blushed looking away, his treacherous mind all too happy to remind him of what Shaak Ti looked like under that robe. "And for what happened in your temple, do, um do you want to head out for some food?"
His stomach rumbled, louder than the rancor had been, causing several dozen of the crowd to turn from trying to work out who was owed what with the bookkeepers and Yoda to stare at him. But Ranma ignored them looking at Shaak Ti, feeling strangely vulnerable. While this in no way counted as a date, this was in fact the first time Ranma had asked a girl out without any ulterior motives other than spending time with her, and it left him feeling very nervous.
"You don't owe me an apology for what happened in the Temple Ranma." said Shaak Ti, frowning faintly and trying to keep her face from blushing at the memory. "If anything I overreacted. You told me about your curse several times, it was my fault that I didn't believe you."
"So consider it a peace offering then?" Ranma pressed, shrugging his shoulders as he tried to calm his nerves. Man, talking to girls is harder than fighting that rancor thing. "And I have no idea where to go for food around here. Something tells me no place on this level will have anything I'll want to eat, and I'm in the mood for steak myself."
Shaak Ti was about to say no again saying that he had no need of a peace offering, but stopped when Ranma said the word 'steak'. Her race were carnivores for preference, having become omnivores relatively recently in their evolutionary history, and a bloody steak was something that she could rarely have. At the temple all the Jedi were fed a balanced, yet simple diet, which did not include steaks or other delicacies. And while on missions Shaak TI had to watch how she spent her money. The only times she had good steaks were on protection details for Senators, and she hadn't been on many of those. "Well I am rather hungry…"
She looked over at master Yoda who chuckled, waving one hand at her. "Go on. Young will have fun, while the old man will handle this hrhrhm?"
Watching the two young people go Yoda smiled. While Ranma was a good individual, he was simply too chaotic. He caused change whether he was trying to or not. No, he couldn't be let out without a minder, but that didn't need to be hardship duty either for him or said minder. A volunteer I have just found I think.
At that point the crowd around the bookkeepers began to become surly, and dozens of them reached for the weapons they had dropped earlier. At the same time Fuego reached behind him quickly, pulling out an emergency communicator and slamming his hand down on the button. At this touch aperture along one wall opened revealing several attack droids like the ones who had been left out in the main gambling area to keep order.
But before they could activate, all of the androids crumpled backwards against the walls, their heads shattering under the impact of an unseen force. The next instant Fuego found himself in midair again, only held there by the Force this time instead of Ranma. He was swiftly joined by every weapons in the place pulled out of their owners hands or taken from the ground to hover in the air. Fuego and every other person still conscious turned to stare at the diminutive grandmaster of the Jedi Order.
"Apologies I must give," Yoda said, his voice soft yet carrying to every individual there. "Watching young Ranma, feel old I do. Must show off I feel. Best I feel if quiet you will all be."
OOOOOOO
The agent who followed Ranma down after his rather strange exit from the temple will have to be given some kind of raise. That kind of independent action should be rewarded, so long as it keeps getting results like this. Sidious thought, leaning back and closing the communication to the agent as that agent turned away from watching Yoda.
Yoda's show of power, while interesting was nothing Sidious hadn't seen before. He had long known that despite being old Yoda was still the most powerful Jedi alive. No, what interested him had been what came before.
I will have to get a Force sensitive close to Ranma. Close enough to study him and what he does. He must be using the Force to heighten his strength in some fashion, and if I can find out how, the Sith can figure out how to match it. And that last scene, where did the money go? He wasn't carrying it when he spoke to that alien female. Interesting, very interesting.
But not Maul, he's too much of a blunt instrument for a task like this. No, I will need to think about this further. Perhaps my idea of a honey trap could be merged with this, a way to bring Ranma himself to our side? But do I really have anyone I could trust with such a task yet?
Shaking his head from that train of thought Sidious made certain he had a copy of the events down in the gambling den on his system, then sent a brief code out to his agent, ordering him to destroy his recorder and go to ground for a time. He would be sent instructions on how to reconnect with Sidious' middle man, in this case a semi-legit information broker who worked both sides of the law, later on.
Right now, Sidious had some plans for the Senate he needed to prep. The Jedi and their allies would find it very hard to get their way on the arming agreement they wanted, and not in precisely the way they might be expecting either. He had already lain the ground work for that task, but it would take time to come to fruition.
OOOOOOO
It took Shaak Ti and Ranma several hours to make their way sunward from the gambling den, by which time both of them were starving, or starving even more in Ranma's case. Shaak Ti hid it well thanks to her training, but Ranma's stomach was growling like a wild beast by the time they found the restaurant Shaak Ti was directing them towards. It was an upscale restaurant, but not so upscale that it demanded a certain level of clothing, and the two of them were quickly ushered in, the robe and the lightsaber informing the workers here that at least one of their guests was a Jedi, meaning important.
Throughout their walk the two of them had talked, with Shaak Ti apologizing for her reaction to Ranma's curse being reversed, and Ranma explaining his curse in further detail. He even told her about the others who were cursed, and some of the adventures he'd gone on with them. Some of the styles of combat he mentioned were utterly bizarre to Shaak Ti, but they also had been hilarious, causing her to laugh more often than she had since she had become a Knight.
The two of them sat down and quickly ordered a steak each along with a salad and a light fizzy drink Shaak Ti recommended to go with it. As the waiter walked off, Shaak Ti asked, "So was there a purpose behind your using a staff against me during our spar? Or was that simply your way of checking my own training against an unusual weapon? I will admit it certainly had that effect."
"Master Dooku and I have talked about various lightsaber types." Ranma said with a shrug. "The only one that I liked the sound of was the light-glaive."
Shaak Ti actually had to pause for a moment searching her memory for the term. "That is an extremely ancient lightsaber weapon. I can't recall off the top of my head any Jedi using it for several thousand years. And using a lightsaber is dangerous, you could…" Her voice trailed off at the look Ranma was giving her and she shook her head ruefully. "Nevermind."
"I know the weapon design's old fashioned but lightsaber-based weapons were way more varied than they are today." Ranma said with a shake of his head. "It's kind of sad, given how many old-style lightsaber weapons there are, that all of you use the same type generally speaking. But I want a light-glaive because it gives me a choice."
Shaak Ti cocked her head to one side, her lekku falling loosely to one side of her chest as she stroked them gently, and then nodded slowly. "Yes, given how you tried to let the rancor, those other animals and the other gladiators live I can see that. Too many Jedi don't realize it, but lightsabers allow us to kill all too easily. We know we will have to kill in pursuit of what we are doing at any given moment, but killing too easily can also lead to callousness towards our fellow sentients. Too many see it as simply another task, but I feel we must live with that choice each time we take a life."
Hence why I went out of my way during our little set-to down below to not kill the guards firing on me, yet I could not save them all. Saying it was them or me, or that I don't have enough skill to face those numbers and take them all prisoner is a mere excuse. It does not absolve me of ending their lives. I will have to meditate to come to terms with that tonight.
Ranma nodded, looking at her respectfully. "That's exactly how I feel. Even in a full-scale battle, I'd go out of my way to not kill. I know that if the battle was serious I'd have no choice, but until that comes, I won't kill unless I have to." He shook his head then changed the subject quickly. "You said once that your race, the Togruta? That you come from Shili.. Have you ever been there? Is that why you set the wind so high in that garden we met in?"
"Yes," Shaak Ti said with a smile of memory. "I went there with my master at one point to solve an issue between the planetary government and one of the banking clans, and to take the right of adulthood. It was a fantastic experience, and yet strange at the same time."
"Can never go home again sort of thing?" Ranma guessed.
"Exactly. You must understand, we Togruta are very much a communal race, community, family, clan those are the center of our lives. As a Jedi, I was of course honored. I was one of them yet not part of the community, even my family, welcomed but yet not part of them. Because I had joined a smaller yet more varied group, the Jedi. My home is no longer on the planet, but among the stars."
Ranma smiled sipping at his drink, finding it like a mix of guava juice and sparkling fruit punch. "I thought I had a home once, but I was only sort of borrowing it for a time." He briefly explained about the Tendo dojo and how he had come to stay there as well as the problems that he had brought with him and those which had already been there. "I don't think I ever really belonged there, not really, I was just, just fooling myself."
For a moment the two of them were silent, then Shaak Ti asked, "So are you, happy I think, or pleased that the Force event you were part of set you here? Or if you had it all to do over, would you not use that Force artifact as you did? Shaak Ti refused to use the term magic, that was simply too bizarre.
Ranma smirked at her, but didn't rise to the invitation to dare her to figure out a way to explain how he'd arrive here in the first place via 'the Force' as she knew it. "Yeah I have to say I am. Exploring the galaxy is going to be fun as all get out! Especially once I have my own ship."
"Is that why you wanted all that money? I had thought as much, but how much exactly did you take away? And where did it all go?"
"That'd be telling, though maybe I'll show you how eventually," Ranma laughed. As for how much I don't know yet, haven't counted it out, at least over three-hundred thousand I think."
"Let's start at the other end then, what kind of ship do you want? And is exploring the galaxy your only goal?"
"Well, what are your goals?" Ranma asked her.
Shaak Ti blinked, and then smiled. It had been a long time since anyone but her own master had asked her that question. "I wish to become a Jedi Master of course, but more than that I wish to sit on the council."
She leaned forward staring into Ranma's eyes intently. "This isn't just a personal ambition, it's a means to an end. I want to convince the Jedi to go to war against the slave trade."
Ranma looked at her in shock and she smiled grimly. "My people are peaceful for the most part, and we are prized as slaves almost as the Twi'lek are, more so in fact since we are a rarer 'commodity'. Several times in the past forty years have our colonies or even our home planet been raided by slavers."
She sighed faintly. "I know we're not supposed to form attachments, but I still see myself as a Togrutan. Further, I have a young friend, a padawan by the name of Aayla. She is a Twi'lek, and both of us feel that the Jedi should be doing more to stop the slave trade, and not just in Republic space."
"Heh, now that's an idea I can get behind." Ranma then went on to explain how he and Dooku had first met, how he had helped a ship full of slave escape their would-be owners. "gotta say as much as I think there's a lot of stuff in this universe that is just cool, the fact there are slaves, and that it's allowed even if under the table by the government, is just flat-out wrong."
While Shaak Ti nodded firm agreement, Ranma smirked. "Hell, once I buy a ship, I might just go on a one man crusade to do somethin' about it. Heh, sounds like a fun way of checkin' out all the skills I hope ta add ta my own set."
"You'd make yourself an enemy for every slaver, crime lord and corrupt slave owner out there, to say nothing about their gangs." Shaak Ti replied, shaking her head. "They'd set the Bounty Hunter's guild on you in a blink, and you'd never have a moment's peace."
"So?" Ranma said, smirking. "Let'em come, it'd be interesting ta face so many people with different combat skills."
Shaak Ti rolled her eyes at this, but was smiling as she did.
The rest of the meal passed quickly, with the two of them going over a list of different ship types, classifications, speeds and other design specifications. Ranma admitted to not being able to pilot just yet, but he had Tune and the Astromech droid could do most of the piloting by itself, save in combat. That was good enough for now, but it also limited the size of the ship. Astromech droids like that would need further mechanical or human aid in driving anything above a small freighter.
Shaak Ti pressed some key is on the machine they were currently using this came through different pictures, and pointed one, a YT freighter. "This style of ship might be the best, or at least this size of ship, for your needs right now. It's a little smaller than a Consular class ship, if you need more of a reference."
"All right is it just me or is that ship just damn ugly?" Ranma asked pointing at the picture of the short stumpy and rather ungainly looking freighter.
Shaak Ti laughed. "It might look horrible, but is actually a favorite out in the Outer Rim since it is so easy to repair, swap in parts and otherwise customize or keep running. It's a question of whether or not you want something that can be repaired easily which won't have very good starting specs, or something that has high states, but will need custom parts and thereby will be very hard to repair."
"I'd rather have something that won't get damaged in the first place" Ranma replied, smirking little. "I've got a… trick… I want to see if I can get to work. If I can, the outer armor of the ship is going to be a lot tougher than you might think, but even so I was looking at some of these." Ranma took control of the machine, heading up to one of the designs he had seen in action in the Yinchorri system.
"A Mon Calamari cruiser? Their ships are routinely tougher and far more durable than most would believe, something about the way they design their shields I think." Shaak Ti mused, shaking her head. "I'm not an expert of course. But do you want something that large?"
"No, something way smaller. I'm not interested in transporting cargo after all. Durability though, that's important."
From there the conversation segued into whether or not Ranma would live on the ship and whether or not he expected to have to fight inside the ship, which Ranma rather ruefully admitted he did. "I'm not exactly the most diplomatic sort, and I don't think I even know how to back down from a fight anyway. Eventually something is going to happen while I'm still in space."
Shaak Ti smiled, her purple lips quirking upwards. "I can well believe it. Still, if that's the case we might want to look at weapons specifications."
Eventually they narrowed down the choices to two different Mon Calamari ships, a starfighter type and a small freighter/luxury linger type, both of which were listed at prices that made Shaak Ti wince. But Ranma simply laughed, shaking his head. "Trust me, I think I've got more than enough to pay for it from an our little outing down town."
"Again, I think I believe you." Shaak Ti said with a chuckle. At that point the waiter came by with their check, and Ranma paid for their meal. The two of them quietly left the restaurant, heading back to the temple.
Halfway there they were met by a human Jedi knight. Seeing him Shaak Ti fought down a faint smile, and nodded at him formally. "Knight Rosen, were you looking for me?"
The man held up a hand in formal greeting, shaking his head. "Not specifically for you Knight Shaak Ti, but your companion. Master Yoda returned several hours ago, and has been in conclave with the rest of the Council ever since. He sent me to find you, which I did as soon as possible. If you would follow me, the Jedi Council demands your presence."
Shaak Ti shook her head resignedly the other knight's attitude, but beside her Ranma smirked, causing Shaak Ti to send him a warning glare which he ignored. Good grief what a stuffed shirt. "Well, lead on man let's see what that group of oldies want with me." Rosen winced and seemed about to say something but a shake of the head from Shaak Ti caused him to subside. He nodded, and gestured for them both to follow him, moving off in stiff silence, stifling any further conversation with his mere presence.
They made it back to the temple in about another five minutes' walk. They found its halls silent now, since it was a few hours past sundown. Ranma ignored the looks he was getting from the guards, grateful to note that the Jedi at least had some understanding of security since there were several more guards out now than there had been during the day.
The three of them stayed together for a time as they ascended the temple, but eventually Shaak Ti paused. "This floor is where my assigned room is so I think I will leave you here Ranma. It was nice meeting you, and interesting as well."
Ranma smirked at her, reaching forward to shake her hand. "Nice meeting you, too." Shaak Ti smiled in reply, turning away without another word, but Ranma stayed put watching her go before quickly turning to follow Rosen who had already moved off.
A few more moments walking brought Rosen and Ranma to the Council, where Rosen bowed him inside. "Masters, I have brought Mr. Saotome."
"Mr. Saotome?" Ranma asked looking after him as he exited the room at a wave from one of the seated masters. "Really?"
Yoda grumbled shaking his head, and Yaddle chuckled. "Overly given to titles and appearances is young knight Rosen, hoped some extra work and close contact would remove that affectation from him we did. Early yet it is."
"Good luck with that one." Ranma said with a laugh. "Maybe a few good pranks could get knock that chip off his shoulder instead. I can give you some ideas in that direction?"
"We are Jedi, we do not do pranks," said one of the Masters repressively. "Ranma Saotome, you are here to answer some questions, and we expect your full compliance."
Ranma smirked, the same smirk that drove his rivals in same back in Nerima. "Really," he said moving forward to stand in the center of the room. "And how exactly are you going to enforce that compliance? Remember, I'm not one of your little followers. Hell, I'm not even from around here and last time I looked, even joining up with the Jedi was supposed to be choice, wasn't it? Or do you not give your youngsters that choice?"
"How dare you!" Piell barked.
"Enough." Dooku she said, standing up quickly and moving between Piell and Ranma. "We are not here to compare the size of our egos. Ranma is right, he is not a Jedi and therefore need not show any deference to this council. Nor, Ranma is this a place to show how, how you you can be, please at least try to be less confrontational."
While Ranma nodded somewhat abashed at how he had responded, while Yoda nodded. "Out of line you are master Piell, neither a prisoner nor a supplicant is Ranma, nor an enemy."
"That last remains to be seen." Said another master, an alien with a long neck and small head that Ranma hadn't seen before. "He certainly is no Jedi, but just look at how even talking about his abilities have divided us. He might not be an enemy, but if not what is he?""
"To decide this, why he was called for." Yoda answered serenely.
"He also doesn't like to be talked about as if he ain't here." Ranma said cracking his knuckles. "Getting a little irritated here people, get to the point."
The masters frowned, but seeing that there had been no flicker in the pillar of Living Force inside the young man they subsided, some of them in shock at how there hadn't been. Whatever the youth was, there really didn't seem to be any kind of close connection between his emotions and the Force. Moreover, the Living Force inside him didn't seem to let those emotions connect to the Unifying Force outside his body, which made him intrinsically unique.
"Spoken have we, with Masters Windu, Dooku and others you have interacted with. Their testimonies we have." Yoda said nodding over to Mace and the others, who nodded back, while master Giiett smiled towards Ranma as his friend Plo nodded his head.
At this Ranma calmed down noticeably as Giiett knew he would. Knowing he wasn't entirely ringed by people who would rather judge him then get to know him worked wonders on Ranma's defensiveness, as it would anyone.
"Heard also we have about Master Dooku's discussions with you, your opinions, your thoughts, your origins, and your proven abilities." Yoda put a slight emphasis on the word proven, showing Ranma he knew that there were still more tricks he hadn't shown yet. "Have heard about your agreement with Master Dooku. Now from your own mouth wish to learn what you wish to do. Not with your powers, but yourself in its entirety. What do you wish to be to the Jedi?"
Ranma turned from looking at the Masters one after another to stare at Yoda then at the strange snake alien who sat next to him then at Mace. Despite the council sitting in a circle Ranma could sense it was these three that were the center of the room.
He sighed, looking at first one then the other scratching at his ponytail. "You're speaking in generalities, I notice you Jedi like to do that, it's a particularly human trait. Humans always seem to want to speak about generalities, when they really should be speaking about people instead.
"That's sort of the point really. I've now met several Jedi, and I liked some of them, as individuals. I still have a major problem with your Order, it's Oaths, and how you go about trying to do good in the galaxy while having your hands tied by the senate." Gallia and several other Jedi frowned at that, but Ranma went on. "What do I want to be to the Jedi Order as a whole? I don't want to be your enemy, but I'm not going to be your slave either."
Before he could go on one of the Masters broke in sharply. "The Jedi do not have slaves!"
"No you just allow the practice." Ranma answered with a faint sneer waving that master to silence not even looking away from the three central figures. "Now let's get down to specifics. Let's get one thing straight, we all have things the other person wants. Dooku here are didn't exactly do a good job at hiding his interest in my skills."
"In my defense, I wasn't trying to hide it. I felt that such duplicity would have been gotten us off on the wrong foot." Dooku said with a faint smile
"Too damn right!" Ranma said with a laugh nodding his head at Dooku. "Play straight with me and I'll always play straight with you. You can set that in stone."
"As I said, I don't think there is a lying bone in his body." Giiett murmured.
"Played card games or other games of chance you did not," Yoda said, speaking up before any of the other Masters could. "Reasoning?"
"That's kind of off tangent, but the reason is, well I can bluff in battle, but outside it? No chance." Ranma laughed remembering how he and Ukyo had faced off against the gambling king, and how he'd been forced to cover his face with bandages to keep from giving anything away.
"And that laugh means there is a tale there." Dooku murmured.
"I just can't control my face that's all." Ranma laughed. "So I had to cover it up this one time I…"
"We are getting off topic". Said Ranicisis, smiling faintly. He now understood what Yoda had been talking about in their earlier meeting. Irreverent this youngster might be, but being around him, it makes you feel younger somehow, he somehow draws you in and makes you respond on his level. A very odd sort of charisma, but it's definitely there.
"While I'm certain your stories are fascinating, we should get on with this conversation. Dooku as you said informed you what we would want from you. Have you made a decision there, and what would you want in return? Are you willing to teach at all?"
Ranma frowned faintly. "Whether or not I'm willing to teach, that will be on a case-by-case basis. Like I said, I think that the Jedi Order, as a whole and as individuals try to do good, but as I've made no bones about hidin' I've got issues with how you lot run the Order, your oath, how emotions are treated, how you don't really have ties to the lives of those you protect, just the, the scaffold of the Republic rather than its actual people."
More than one of the masters joined Gallia in frowning at this, despite having heard this before from Dooku and the others involved in the Yinchorri campaign. Gallia, Piell, Koth, and the long-necked Jedi looked particularly wary. Ranma's thoughts on those points attacked the every root of what they felt had allowed the Order to become the bastion of good they felt it was.
"Furthermore, my skills are dangerous." All of the Masters had to nod at that. Yoda's description of Ranma's fighting in the arena, and the others during the battles against the Yinchorri had made that obvious to all of them. "I'm not going to teach anyone if I don't think that they'll be able to handle it honorably, and I don't mean handle the extra responsibility. I mean be human about it, I know that sounds racist, but there's no other way of putting it."
The Masters all looked around at one another. A little over half of them still looked concerned, but it was obvious that Yoda and the more senior members were in accord here. And really after Yoda had shared his vision with them their decisions was a foregone conclusion, so one after another they all nodded.
Seeing this Yoda spoke up once more. "Aide you will have to start your journey, connection we will maintain for now, first student we will send with you. to look at your concerns we cannot promise, but will agree to listen to concerns of Master Giiett about the mental impact of our Oaths at present. Old Jedi Oath, there is, far more open than current one, much closer to what you seem to think is the ideal. Revived, it might be. But for now, short term goal, you have?"
"I want to head to Dac, to purchase a ship there." Ranma replied promptly, then laughed. "I've got enough money for it now."
There were some murmurings about that, and Yoda chuckled. "Coincidence this is. Sending two knights to Dac we were going to soon. Reports we have of trouble there involving former Alderaan Rangers."
Ranma's eyes narrowed, but one of the other Masters picked up the tale before he could speak. "The Alderaan Rangers are made up of younglings, mostly younglings anyway, who do not meet the… call it the power requirements to be trained as full Jedi. They retain their connection to the order though are not bound by its laws, and often aid Jedi in our missions."
Plo Koon took up the tale from there. "Two Mon Calamari rangers retired several years ago to marry, and their child and they have not responded to contact in over two months. We fear foul play, especially since both have been proponents of Dac fully joining the Republic, which is not a popular view on Dac, though Master Dooku's political maneuvering might change that."
"Switch out Knight Teshvar with Knight Shaak Ti we will." Yoda said. "Good impression she has already made on Ranma, diplomatic and investigative skills she has, whereas Knight Fisto, a Guardian he is through and through. Work well together they will on this assignment, and Knight Ti, first student of Ranma will be."
"I… can go along with that I think. She's ain't as unemotional as I'd feared was the norm among you Jedi, and she seems solid mentally, at least so far. But you know I'm gonna force her ta look hard at that oath of yours, see what she thinks about it before making any final decision." Ranma said thoughtfully, pulling at his pigtail as he thought before looking over at Dooku, ignoring the affronted looks his blunt speaking engendered. "Are you alright with that?"
"Watching your techniques in action have given me enough to think about for now Ranma. I've come close to figuring out your speed technique, and I have ideas about your strength as well. That is enough for now, though I hope you will extend your training to include me in the future." Dooku said with equanimity, hoping the Jedi and Ranma would continue to get along in the future.
Right now, they had made more progress than he had dared hope thanks to Yoda's unexpected backing. Now he was willing to get Ranma away from the council for a time, let them deal with the changes Yoda had proposed and the reality of Ranma's existence first before pushing harder for the Order to start changing its belief system.
Ranma nodded. "In that case, when do we leave, and who's Knight Fisto?"