What If...Mace Windu survived his fight with Palpatine? (Part 5)

Image credit to @BrianRebellion on Twitter

Last time, the four remaining Jedi spearheaded a bold campaign into the heart of Palpatine’s regime and Anakin seemingly fulfilled his destined by destroying the last of the Sith. However, the Emperor had planned for that eventuality and the footage of his “murder” was broadcast across the Holonet to the four corners of the galaxy.

More pressing, Palpatine had been tracking Anakin and knew that the four had come from the Polis Massa research facility and had sent out a Star Destroyer to attack it. With Bail, Padmé, and the twins in the line of fire, the Jedi managed to escape from Coruscant. Will they reach Polis Massa in time? Let’s have a look.

We pick up with the four Jedi dropping out of hyperspace to find themselves at the Polis Massa asteroid belt…which has become very much more so after a tactical nuclear strike. The attack has already happened, and the facility was reduced to rubble. The Star Destroyer has long since gone along with its fighter contingents after completing its mission, meaning that no opposition exists for them to scan the wreckage. However, the scanners reveal…nothing, no life signs at all. As far as it is known, Bail, Padmé, and the twins as well as anyone else at the facility…are all dead. The three Jedi Masters fear for Anakin’s mental state, thinking that this might cause a relapse or worse.

To their surprise, Anakin isn’t worried. In fact, he seems almost serene. When pressed, he tells them that he knows that his wife and children aren’t dead. His faith is proven when a hologram projection shows them none other than Bail Organa. Thanks to a beacon that was left a system away and keyed to activate specifically for the ship that he had given them, Bail left a message telling them that they managed to escape the facility during the attack – if only just. They’re heading for a safehouse, the beacon dispensing a set of coordinates for the Jedi to follow. Relieved, they make a beeline for the planet in question.

Linking back up, decisions are made by our heroes. For the moment, public opinion against the Jedi still seems to be very high thanks to the massive propaganda during the Clone Wars and Palpatine’s impassioned speech to the Senate forming the Empire, which his death has only exacerbated. Palpatine is seen as the ultimate martyr for the Empire and the Jedi are seen as dangerous criminals.

However, Bail mentions that several of his contacts such as Mon Mothma and Garm Bel Iblis are saying that dissent against the new Empire is small but growing. More so since Mas Amedda has assumed the role of Imperial Regent. While Mas has the bulk of the Imperial Army and Navy that were built up to outrageous amounts over the Clone Wars at his command, he does not have the overflowing charisma or respect that Palpatine held and thus the willingness of some to move against him is much stronger than it was in the original timeline.

Does this mean that the Rebellion will be quicker to form and quicker to act? We’ll have to see the full effects play out.

For the time being, what becomes of our heroes? Padmé and the twins will be brought into the House of Organa. A cover story about Padmé’s death in a shuttle accident is put out and, thanks to her keeping her pregnancy a secret from everyone but her closest confidants, no one will be looking for her. She is instead given the alternate name of Suyi, put up as the widow of Queen Breha’s recently deceased cousin, Rilt. Rather than Skywalker, Luke and Leia will both carry the last name of Organa.

As for Anakin, as established before, the Jedi Masters seek to rehabilitate him rather than condemn him for his actions. Yoda and Obi-Wan agree to oversee this endeavor, thinking that it will take more than a little time to fully reacclimate the Jedi Knight. To do this, for a time, the two will live in secret on Alderaan. Anakin himself will have the false identity of Rund and work as a guard in the royal palace under Captain Raymus Antilles in a bit of hilarious parallel to their brief and rather unpleasant relationship in the original timeline.

Naturally, his rehabilitation comes first, but “Rund” will not only have a much better cover, but also be able to live in the world which the Masters all agree will be beneficial to his recovery.

That leaves us with what happens to Mace, being that he is the main character of this what if scenario. Well, Mace is going to assist with Anakin’s remedial training and rehabilitation where he can, but he gets tasked with something a little more immediate in terms of its usefulness. As we established back in Part 3, Obi-Wan was able to reprogram the homing signal in the Jedi Temple to warn any surviving Jedi to stay away from it as in the original timeline. This means that there could be other Jedi out there and, with a galaxy that has its authority trying to hunt them down and the populace at large not sure if they can trust them, they’re going to need help to survive. They cannot ignore the chance before them to save everyone they can.

This is something that has always kind of bugged me considering how many Jedi and Jedi allies apparently survived in the EU, but never mind.

With a ship granted to him by Bail (unregistered to the Alderaanian government, of course), Mace will be journeying out into the galaxy to investigate rumors of Jedi that escaped Order 66 as well as any potential Force Sensitives out there that could be trained. He expresses some concerns with this to Yoda, saying that he isn’t certain as to whether they can do this or not. The old ways clearly didn’t work as well as they thought they did, the pillar that was the Republic getting kicked out from under the Jedi Order was proof enough of that.

Tialna

Yoda basically tells him a lengthier and more eloquent equivalent of “Beggars can’t be choosers”. Or, rather, “choosers, beggars cannot be.” The old ways must be adapted to serve, or else discarded. They have seen enough now to know the truth in that. Agreeing, Mace undertakes his quest…but he won’t be going it alone. C-3PO is to accompany him to assist with the duties of translating – a gift from Anakin to help him along – as well as Tialna Chamo, one of the handmaidens to Queen Breha. Rather like those serving Naboo’s Queens, the handmaidens of the House of Organa are likewise trained in a variety of skills that would be highly beneficial to a mission of stealth and espionage – in what is totally not foreshadowing of Leia’s eventually skillset.

And Luke’s, come to think of it.

Tialna and Mace would get along very well, I think. Tialna strikes me as someone who would have to be very focused and driven in order to receive an assignment like this, particularly one that she knows full well going into it that she might not make it back from. Backstory wise, she would also take it on due to a personal connection – namely her younger brother was taken as a child to be trained as a Jedi, and thus she has some hope that he might have been one of them to escape the Empire’s Purge.

Remember this.

Tialna is the one to tell Mace the name of the ship, the Pathfinder. Mace finds that he takes a shine to it, and finds the vessel appropriately named given the work ahead of them.

The work ahead of them takes a turn very quickly, however. Before the three leave Alderaan, Yoda plays a hologram that was intercepted by Bail before he and Yoda left Coruscant following the latter’s duel against Palpatine. It’s a Jedi padawan, having managed to hack into the Jedi Temple emergency comms channels, asking for help. Mace believes it might be a trick set up by Mas Amedda, but Yoda is not convinced - the message reads to him as genuine. Padawans would be a great boon to their cause, young minds and hearts that they could save from the Dark Side. Yoda believes it’s worth the risk, and Mace eventually comes to agree…although he holds his suspicions until he knows more. Yoda calls him on this and Mace does admit he’s skeptical. He has every reason to be, all things considered.

Sometime later, a certain Duro is both surprised and delighted to find a familiar Jedi Master knocking on his door somewhere in the undercity – quickly hurrying him into his home as he doesn’t want the Imperial authorities snooping around. He’s fallen on some hard times since the Empire rose, with tax rates and new regulations having essentially crippled him into going out of business (this is still the Prequel era, after all. You knew it’d come up eventually). 

Ram Sim

Mace tells Ram of his mission, and Ram is only too happy for a chance to further help the Jedi Master. He does reveal that there are a few stragglers in the undercity, Ram admits that he has been one of many who have been assisting them in keeping hidden. Ram agrees to take Mace to one of the hiding spots in the undercity. In an old factory, there are five or six padawans squatting. They apparently move from day to day and have been trying to work up an assassination plan on Mas Amedda, but so far have made no headway. There were a few more, but four of their number have died to Imperial patrols. It is here that we also get the first whispers of Inquisitors, Dark Jedi that serve the Empire. This, understandably, troubles Mace and he senses the clear panic and fear in all of them.

He attempts to assuage their fears by telling them that other Jedi did indeed survive Order 66, though he is hesitant to give out details just yet. He does some instruction of them, helping them to hone their techniques over a few days, even traveling with them to another hiding place and out of the way of Imperial search parties that had been onto them in the area. Among their number, Mace finds a kinship with a young Human named Dorius Pent, the former padawan of Mace’s own former padawan, Depa Billaba. Over the few days, he considers taking Dorius as a padawan learner to finish his training, once the padawans are brought to the safety of one of Bail Organa’s safehouse.

Even so, there’s something about the young man that he cannot crack. The Dark Side is twinged with his being, and the use of Shatterpoint tells him that – like with Anakin – two paths lay before Dorius. This time, however, Mace will not be able to influence which road the youth takes. It will be entirely his own choice.

When Mace leaves to converse with Tialna and C-3PO, Dorius moves away from the others and activates a commlink, telling someone of the Jedi Master’s arrival. Mace, of course, tells Tialna and 3PO that he suspects a trap and that the Dark Side remains strong…something that worries him, as he assumed the death of Sidious would level the playing field. Sadly, this is not the case, as it remains as sturdy and looming as ever.

The next day comes and Mace arrives to smuggle the padawans out. The padawans, however, are met by a squad of Imperial Stormtroopers just before he arrives, under strict orders to kill them all. They swarm in, starting to pick them off. Dorius among them, having believed himself to be saved, reveals his betrayal. Mace duels with Dorius. Like with Anakin, the boy is inexperienced in comparison to Mace, but young and quite enraged. Of course, Dorius isn't even close to as powerful as Anakin. Mace is able to hold him off and demands to know why he would turn his back on the Order and on his fellow padawans as he has.

The padawan tells him that a man had come, one calling himself Cronal. He said that he would show them the true power of the Force, if only he was willing to turn in his compatriots. Better a life serving the Empire than death at their hands like all the other Jedi – just like Master Billaba and so many others. Mace is crestfallen, but unimpressed. Unfortunately for him, the boy has managed to stall long enough and the Stormtroopers swarm the facility en masse. Even with his skills, Mace is unable to save the padawans. He offers Dorius a chance to escape, but is rebuffed. To the shock of the padawan, Mace deactivates his lightsaber and leaps out the window. Dorius calls for the troopers, thinking that they will assist him in hunting down the Jedi Master…and they open fire on him, his fate sealed.

Mace mournfully returns to the Pathfinder, their first mission a failure. Tialna and Ram both attempt to console the man, and he does his best to lick his wounds and fight another day. The Pathfinder departs from Coruscant, plus one Duro mechanic who has agreed to come aboard. After all, with his business nearly destroyed and the padawans he was helping gone, there’s no reason for him to remain. This gives Mace some small comfort, knowing a trusted friend is aboard. However, this isn't exactly the best note to begin his mission on.

The shadow of the Dark Side looms larger. . .

Back on Coruscant, Stormtroopers are cataloging the bodies of the Jedi. The building is being thoroughly checked from top to bottom when a man in a black hooded cloak arrives. The Stormtroopers demand to see his identification, but he waves them away and they continue as though they hadn’t even noticed him with their minds deftly tricked. He examines the area, a strange energy flowing from his hands once he reaches the site of the battle between Mace and Dorius, the scene seeming to echo for him as he spectates. 

“Such a waste…” He comments over the tagged corpse of the apprentice, riddled with carbon scoring from the cacophony of blaster fire. Nevertheless, he activates a commlink on his belt. “It is as the vision foretold. Master Windu was indeed here…No…No, we don’t need to alert the Supreme Prophet. Not yet. Not until the time is right.” He puts the commlink back on his belt and glances out at the Coruscant cityscape…looking to a day that he will bring the head of Mace Windu before his Master.

…and that’s going to be the end of Part 5. A dark and not so cheerful re-opening of our look into a galaxy far, far away where Mace Windu survived his battle against Darth Sidious. Who was the mysterious man in black with a connection to the Force? Who is the Supreme Prophet? Will things improve for Mace and his crew in Part 6? Well, check back next time when we’ll see Wookiees, the return of some old faces from the EU, and the return of a certain bounty hunter with a score to settle. Keep your eyes peeled for it!

And as always, the Force will be with you…always!

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