Chancellor Valorum will see you now,' the Twi'lek assistant said from behind her desk.
Seeing Farfalla rise, Johun did the same, tugging awkwardly to reposition the unfamiliar ceremonial robes his new Master had insisted he wear for the meeting. Johun had protested that his wardrobe had nothing to do with who he was or why they were here, but Farfalla had merely replied, 'On Coruscant, appearance matters.'
Johun had never been to Coruscant before-or any of the other Core Worlds, for that matter. He'd been born and raised on Sermeria, an agriworld in the Expansion Region between the Inner and Mid Rims of the galaxy. His family had worked a farm a few kilometers outside of Addolis, one small cog in the great Sermerian agricultural complex that produced an overabundance of food and sold it to more developed worlds that lacked enough arable land to support their own populations.
He'd left Sermeria at the age of ten to begin his Jedi training. In the decade since he had accompanied General Hoth to dozens of worlds, though his former Master had preferred to stay on the Outer Rim, far from the politicians and urban culture of the Republic's capital. The planets they visited tended to be less developed rural worlds, much like Sermeria itself. As a result, Johun had never seen anything even remotely resembling the planetwide metropolis that was Galactic City.
On their initial approach to the world, Farfalla had tried to point out to him the location of important structures, like the Senate's Great Rotunda and the Jedi Temple. But to Johun's provincial eye everything blended into one unbroken ocean of permacrete, dura-steel, and brightly colored flashing lights.
Upon landing, they had disembarked and boarded an airspeeder that had whisked them off toward their meeting with Chancellor Val-orum. Johun had simply sat and gawked at the spectacle as they raced along the skylane, their speeder weaving in and out among skyrises so tall, the ground wasn't even visible beneath them. Occasionally they would dive down or swoop back up as their journey led them under and over pedestrian walkways, hovering billboards, and even other vehicles.
By the end of the trip, Johun's already bedazzled senses had been completely overwhelmed by the constant stream of traffic and the mind-boggling numbers of people who chose to live and work on Coruscant. The overall impression he took away from the experience was a sickening blur of motion set against a deafening cacophony of sound… all too much for a simple farm boy to handle.
Farfalla, on the other hand, was in his element. Johun had noticed his new mentor coming to life when they touched down, as if he were feeding on the energy of the great metropolis. The frantic pace and the madding crowds seemed to revitalize Valenthyne, the city washing away the weariness of a long military campaign on a dreary little frontier world. Farfalla even looked different here; set against the vibrant, cosmopolitan backdrop of the galactic capital, the clothes that had seemed so vain and garish back on Ruusan now looked to be the height of fashion and style.
Even at the center of the halls of power, Farfalla looked completely at ease. He gave a gracious bow of acknowledgment to the Chancellor's assistant, eliciting a flirtatious smile from the young woman, then moved with a confident yet purposeful stride through the doorway into Valorum's inner sanctum. Johun gave a bow of his own, stiff and forced, then scurried off after him.
The Chancellor's office was less ornate and more functional than Johun had expected. The walls, carpet, and furnishing were all a deep, dark brown, giving the room an air of significance. There was a large window in one wall, though much to the young Jedi's relief the coverings had been drawn for this meeting. In the center of the room were half a dozen comfortable-looking chairs set around a circular conference table; several monitors lined the walls, flickering with updates from various HoloNet news programs.
Tarsus Valorum was seated behind a large desk facing the doorway, and he rose to greet them. He was a tall man in his early fifties, though he looked ten years younger. He had dark hair; bright, piercing eyes; a straight, slightly pointed nose; and an almost perfectly square chin-a face many had called 'honest and determined.' It was these traits, along with his exemplary record of public service, that had led to Valorum being appointed the first non-Jedi Chancellor in over four centuries.
Johun had heard rumors that Farfalla had actually been the one in line for the position but had declined it, so that he could join the Army of Light on Ruusan. The young man wondered if his Master approved of the man who had been chosen to replace him.
'Master Valenthyne,' Valorum said, clasping Farfalla's hand in an efficient, well-practiced gesture of welcome. 'Thank you for coming on such short notice.'
'You didn't leave me a lot of options, Your Excellency' Valenthyne noted.
'I apologize for that' the Chancellor replied, even as he turned and extended his hand to Johun. 'And this must be your apprentice,' he said, taking note of the long braid that marked the young man as one who had not yet completed his initial Jedi training.
'I am Padawan Johun Othone, Your Excellency.'
Valorum's grip was firm but not overpowering-the perfect politician's handshake. He pumped Johun's arm twice, then pulled his hand free and indicated the chairs around the conference table.
'Please, noble Jedi. Make yourselves comfortable.'
Farfalla took the end seat on the near side of the table. Johun sat down in the chair directly across from him, leaving the Chancellor the lone seat at the head of the table, between the two Jedi. Once everyone was in position it was Farfalla who initiated the discussion, turning slightly to better face Valorum.
'The message you sent me was most unexpected, Your Excellency. And the timing was somewhat inconvenient. We are still dealing with the aftermath of the thought bomb on Ruusan.'
'I understand your position, Master Valenthyne. But you must also appreciate mine. News of the Brotherhood's defeat has reached the HoloNet. As far as the public is concerned, the war is over. And the Senate is eager to put this unpleasantness behind us.'
'As are the Jedi,' Farfalla replied. 'But this motion you plan to put forward-the so-called Ruusan Reformation- calls for some rather extreme measures.'
'That is why I brought you here to discuss the recommendations before we vote on them,' Valorum answered.' I wanted you to understand why this has to be done.'
Johun had not seen the details of the message Farfalla had received, nor had his Master spoken of it to him during their journey to Coruscant. As a result, he was having difficulty piercing their political double-talk. Fortunately, Farfalla chose to cut through the diplomatic niceties and address the issue directly in his next response.
'Do you realize the ramifications of what you are asking, Tarsus? Your proposal calls for the Jedi to renounce their military ranks and completely disband all our military, naval, and starfighter forces. You are asking us to destroy the Army of Light!'
'The Army of Light was created as a reaction to the Brotherhood of Darkness' Valorum countered. 'With the Brotherhood gone, it no longer serves a purpose.'
Johun couldn't believe what he was hearing. 'Its purpose is to protect the Republic!' he burst out, unable to contain himself.
'Protect it from who?' the Chancellor challenged, snapping his head around to address him. 'The Sith are gone.'
'The Sith are never truly gone,' Johun said darkly
'And therein lies the problem,' Valorum replied. 'Over the past four centuries we have seen the Jedi declare war on the agents of the dark side time and time again. It is a struggle that never ends. And with each conflict, more civilians are swept up in your web of war. Innocent beings die as armies align with you or your enemies. Worlds loyal to the Republic break away, fracturing a once united galaxy. It is time to put a stop to this cycle of madness.'
Farfalla held up his hand, cutting Johun off before the young man could say anything else. He waited for Valorum to turn his attention away from the Padawan, then asked, 'Tarsus, do you really believe the changes you have proposed will do that?'
'I do, Master Valenthyne.' There was undeniable conviction in his Voice. 'There are many good people who fear the Jedi and what they are capable of. They see the Jedi as instigators of war. You claim your actions are guided by the Force, but to those who cannot feel its presence it appears as if your order is not accountable to anyone or anything.'
'And so you want the Jedi to answer to you.' Farfalla sighed. 'The Chancellor and the Senate '
'I want you to answer to the elected officials who represent the citizens of the Republic,' Valorum declared.
