# Echoes in the Council**
The sky above the Jedi Temple was thick with clouds, heavy and slow-moving, their grey mass hinting at imminent rain. Yet at the far edge of the horizon, the sun still shone—brilliant and defiant—casting long beams of golden light across the spires of Coruscant.
It was a strange contrast.
Storm and serenity.
Light and shadow.
Much like the war itself.
Within the towering halls of the Jedi Temple, the High Council convened in silence. The circular chamber, lined with tall windows overlooking the endless cityscape, seemed unusually tense. The air carried an unspoken weight—one that had grown steadily heavier with each passing month of the Clone Wars.
Master Plo Koon's hologram flickered gently at the center of the chamber, his calm, measured presence a steady anchor amid the uncertainty.
"Master Plo," one of the Council members began, voice composed yet edged with concern, "what is the situation now?"
Plo Koon inclined his head slightly before responding.
"It is stable… though we were fortunate. The ships' crews were not unified, and that gave us time. Otherwise, the consequences could have been… irreparable."
A quiet murmur passed through the chamber.
"I understand, Master," Shaak Ti said, her tone thoughtful. "The situation was extremely complex."
Plo Koon's holographic form shifted slightly as he absentmindedly twirled the hilt of his lightsaber between his fingers—a rare display of unease.
"If it were not for Master Tin's ships," he continued, "we would hardly have been able to stop the Separatists' advance. Rendelia's fleet would have been lost to us entirely."
At the mention of the recent reforms, a subtle tension rippled through the Council.
"Not all were pleased with the military restructuring carried out under Master Rancisis," another voice noted. "Though its necessity was… difficult to deny."
The war had forced changes upon the Jedi Order—changes many were still struggling to accept.
The line between peacekeepers and generals had grown increasingly thin.
---
Master Yoda, seated at the center of the Council, remained still. His eyes were half-closed, as though listening not just to the words spoken—but to something deeper.
"Master Kenobi. Knight Skywalker," he said at last. "What will you tell us?"
All eyes turned.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker exchanged a brief glance before Anakin stepped forward, his expression confident but still carrying the intensity of recent battle.
"Despite the intensity of enemy fire," Anakin began, "I managed to break through their defenses and deploy the barrage charges directly into their formation."
His voice carried a hint of pride—earned, but noticeable.
"There was significant resistance," he continued, "but once the charges detonated, their formation collapsed. It gave us the opening we needed."
"Excellent work, Knight Skywalker," came the approving response.
Anakin inclined his head slightly, though his eyes flickered briefly toward Obi-Wan.
Yoda's gaze shifted.
"Why are you so thoughtful, Obi-Wan?"
Obi-Wan hesitated for a moment before speaking, his tone quieter, more uncertain.
"I am… concerned about something else entirely."
The chamber grew still again.
"Quinlan Vos," Obi-Wan said.
At the name, several Council members exchanged subtle glances.
"When we fought Selena and Skorr," he continued, "he came to our aid. Without him, the outcome may have been very different."
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"But… no matter how I tried to convince him, he refused to return to Coruscant with us."
"And yet," Obi-Wan added, "he did report Master Shaylar's fate."
"That is one of Master Tolm's agents," Shaak Ti said, frowning slightly. "She has not been in contact for some time. What happened?"
Obi-Wan's expression darkened.
"She's… dead. That is all he said."
A silence followed.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
"And now," Obi-Wan continued, "I find myself… conflicted. I can feel the Dark Side radiating from him. His blade is red. Everything suggests he has fallen."
His voice tightened slightly.
"And yet… his actions contradict that conclusion. He helped me. He helped Anakin."
He looked toward the Council.
"Is it possible… that he is still on our side?"
A long pause.
Then—
"His actions speak for themselves," one of the Masters said.
But the answer did not resolve the tension.
---
Another voice cut in—sharp, direct.
"Master Tin," Mace Windu said, his gaze steady, "at Rendelia, you were prepared to destroy the dreadnoughts—along with hundreds of thousands of lives, including Master Plo Koon's—simply to prevent them from falling into Separatist hands."
The accusation hung in the air.
"I was doing my duty," Saesee Tiin replied, his tone unwavering.
"Duty," Windu repeated, his expression unreadable.
---
Yoda finally opened his eyes fully.
"Hm. Heard you all, we have."
His gaze moved slowly around the chamber.
"Master Tin, watch over Rendelia, we must. Prevent further incidents, we shall."
He turned slightly.
"The rest of you… return to the Temple. A short rest awaits you before new assignments."
There were nods of acknowledgment.
The meeting should have ended there.
But it did not.
---
A new hologram flickered into existence at the center of the chamber.
Master Cei Vookto.
"Honored Council," he began, his voice carrying a controlled urgency, "we bring important news."
Every eye turned toward him.
"We have destroyed General Grievous' squadron."
For a moment—
No one spoke.
The words seemed almost unreal.
Grievous.
Elusive. Unstoppable. A phantom across the Outer Rim.
Even after the encounter at Hypori—where another general had managed to engage him—no one had been able to corner him.
Until now.
"Explain what happened, you will," Yoda said calmly, though there was unmistakable interest beneath his tone.
Vookto inclined his head.
"To be honest," he admitted, "my fleet at Lianna played only a minor role. The decisive factor was General Dagon's forces."
A ripple of recognition passed through the Council.
"He contacted us in advance," Vookto continued. "He had detected increased droid scout activity across the Twelfth Sector and predicted that Lianna would be targeted."
Vookto's expression grew more thoughtful.
"Given the system's proximity to Raxus, his reasoning was sound."
"He arrived with reinforcements shortly before the attack," Vookto added. "What followed… was unlike anything I have witnessed."
There was a pause.
"I must admit," he said carefully, "I was unaware the Republic possessed such ships."
At that, Kit Fisto leaned forward slightly, a hint of curiosity in his expression.
"You mean the Invincible-class dreadnoughts General Dagon requested?" he asked. "Those vessels are effective, though somewhat… conventional."
"Invincible-class?" Vookto repeated.
He shook his head.
"No. These were… different."
A holographic projection appeared above the chamber floor.
A massive, dagger-shaped warship materialized in shimmering light.
It cut through a formation of CIS ships in the recording—its weapons unleashing devastating, precise strikes that tore through frigates as though they were nothing.
The Council watched in silence.
"That," Mace Windu said at last, his voice firm, "is not an Invincible-class vessel."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"What are those ships?"
Plo Koon spoke again, his hologram steady.
"According to reports from Moff Trachta," he said, "when General Dagon requested the vessels, the design was… modified."
"Modified?" Shaak Ti echoed.
"They used components from destroyed CIS ships," Plo Koon explained, "repurposing and integrating them into the existing hull structures."
A quiet realization spread through the chamber.
"Given General Dagon's known tendency to repurpose enemy materials," Plo Koon continued, "this is not entirely unexpected."
Kit Fisto crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"Recent engagement reports confirm that the crews remain the same," he said. "Only the ships—and their designations—have changed."
"So the vessels are… new in form," Shaak Ti said, "but not in origin."
"Precisely."
---
Silence returned to the Council chamber.
But it was different now.
Heavier.
More complicated.
---
Yoda closed his eyes briefly, then spoke.
"Good news, this is."
He opened them again, his gaze steady.
"But… concern, it may bring."
The room stilled.
"General Dagon," Yoda continued slowly, "high status within the Republic holds."
His ears lowered slightly.
"Great responsibility, that carries."
Mace Windu folded his arms.
"The Twelfth Sector oversees the Perlemian Trade Route," he said. "One of the most critical supply lines in the Republic."
"And recently," Plo Koon added, "it has been secured with remarkable efficiency."
Yoda nodded.
"Problems, I do not see," he said at last.
"But… watch closely, we must."
---
The hologram of the Resurgent-class ship still hovered in the center of the chamber, its angular silhouette casting sharp lines of light across the floor.
A weapon born from war.
Forged from the enemy itself.
And now—
Wielded by one of their own.
Far away, beyond Coruscant, beyond the Core Worlds—
The war continued.
And with it—
The lines between light and shadow grew ever thinner.