The foundations of the Republic shake. Many systems along the Rim express their dissatisfaction with the Galactic Senate.
The Senate calls for negotiated settlements and punitive tariffs to bring the Separatists back into line. These measures entrench the ill feeling in the Outer Rim. Many of the powerful corporations, among them the Trade Federation, win goodwill by refusing to collect the additional taxes. As tensions rise, there are signs of military buildup.
In the midst of it all, the Jedi receive a perplexing distress call, signed with the code of someone long missing and presumed dead. Jedi Master Elesse Vendar and her Padawan Anakin Skywalker are dispatched to investigate the coordinates in the mysterious message...
"Yeah. I got everything I'd want to get settled taken care of before sleeping."
"All right. Pack a bag for each of us, and meet me in the west hangar. I'll go set up our flight plan. It's going to require a bit of subtlety, I think."
"Probably, yeah."
She heads off to get their things ready - it doesn't take long, especially now that she's familiar with Elesse's things and habits.
She meets her as instructed.
Elesse has a small shuttle for them.
"Set course for Corellia," she says once they're in the air.
"Three steps. First to Corellia, then we buy passage to Ord Mantell. We buy a ship there, and then to Serenno."
"To cover our trail, and make it less obvious where we're coming from?"
"And to give us a chance to select something with weapons without arousing suspicion, yes."
She nods, slowly. "Which we'd have if we left here with something like that, or if we found a ship with weapons immediately after leaving this one."
"Alright."
She hums, pulling her legs up into her seat so she can sit like a gremlin with terrible posture, turning the last - day, really - over in her head.
"Yeah."
"Both about the girls and how they'll be treated, and... About that thing I did with the battle. And probably also what it'll mean, if the Jedi lead an army."
"Well. It will be a long series of flights. Where do you want to start?"
"There is a very old Jedi technique called battle meditation. It is said to be- limited, temporary sort of Force bond across an entire army, mediated through the Jedi. A rare talent, and not one that has seen use in, oh, a thousand years or so."
"It - felt like that. Like a Force bond. It was... Actually really nice. I knew everyone's emotions, what they were doing, where they were - and I could protect and guide them the same way I can protect and guide myself."
"Battle meditation seems - too narrow a name for it."
"You think that's what I did?"
"Do you know if there's - documentation, or something, on how it's been used before?"