Chapter 1: Not All News Is Good News

Authors note: Thanks for reading! I am excited for this story, so I hope you like it. I have not entirely decided when this takes place so that is up to you to decide! (Side note, Ahsoka leaving has not happened/did not happen. The bombing as well.)

Rumor to rumor spread like wildfire. Theories being spat out so fast, you had no idea who they were coming from

"More evidence on the new separatist base!"

"Food shortage on Dac!"

"Failing governance on Dantooine!"

All phrases that could be heard had you been watching an urgent Mace Windu herd a large portion of the Jedi council into the council room. All were, to say the least, worried. It was rare for Yoda, or Mace for that matter, to call a meeting this urgently and immediately. It must be something big.

As the last few straggling Jedi masters made it to their seats, Master Yoda spoke up, signaling the start of their meeting.

"Enough talking, we've had. To the point, we must get." The small green alien began in his usual garbled speech.

"A traitor. In our midst, we have. Plotting with the separatists, the traitor is."

This announcement brought both audible gasps and whispers to the usually calm and poised façade of the Jedi council. After a couple moments of silence given to allow the room to digest the information, Mace Windu spoke up.

"Since our only piece of evidence is a transmission of information of our new bases sent to the separatists, almost everyone is a suspect." He said.

"Almost, since the transmission was sent from the temple early yesterday, only to be discovered today. Masters Kenobi, Mundi and Fisto, you are free of all assumptions since you only got back from your missions today." He continued while nodding towards the three mentioned Jedi in the room.

The three let out relieved sighs before Mace continued one more time.

"So are Masters Quinlan Vos and Shaak Ti for more… Obvious reasons." He finished, this time nodding to the two holograms across the room from him.

Since finishing the statement, the room remained quiet. Each Jedi contemplating their theories and accusations. You could hear a pin drop. This time, the silence remained for a few minutes, until finally Shaak Ti broke the deafening silence.

"Until we find out more, there is nothing we can do. But we must act fast. We cannot give away any more time for the traitor to cover up their tracks." The older Togruta said wisely.

"I say it was young Skywalker." Adi Gallia contributed accusingly. She had been on enough missions with him to know he often let his emotions get the better of him.

"That's outrageous!" Obi Wan Kenobi all but spat out.

"Obviously, the boy can't always keep his emotions in check, but do you seriously think he would go this far!" He added, saying exactly what was going through everybody's heads.

"Calm down, we must. A suspect, Skywalker is. But the culprit, he is not yet." Master Yoda said, sending a wave of calm over the room with just his wise words.

Another few minutes of silence followed this declaration. Until one Jedi, who had remained mostly quiet through this entire debate, spoke.

"I believe it was my padawan, Barriss Offee." Luminara Unduli said, shattering the silence and with it the will of all the Jedi in the room.

"That's Outrageous!"

"She's a bastard!"

"Of course, it was Barriss!"

"Kriff that!"

"I'll bet it was you!"

Nameless, harmful accusations flew from person to person. And then, slowly but surely, Jedi after Jedi following Master Plo Koon left the room. For the first time ever, all but two of the Jedi Masters had walked out of the council room without closure or a dismissal.

"How are we to deal with this Master?" Obi Wan Kenobi, the first of the two remaining Jedi, asked the grandmaster.

"In mysterious ways, does the force work. Trust in you Obi Wan, I can. Conduct your own investigation, you must. One other Jedi, you may invite." The small elder said before taking his leave with a polite bow.

After first hearing the news, Obi Wan can remember his first thought being "Wow! That sounds nearly impossible to solve!" But now, knowing that the task falls to him and one other Jedi, It only gets worse from here.