This Is Actually Really Interesting Pov - Tumblr Posts
This is a Rako Hardeen arc idea with a sprinkling of Legends both canon and of my own creation. Things it is important to know going in:
Part of the Ruusan Reformation Treaty includes a requirement for all Jedi (from initiate to master) to swear oaths enforced by The Force (to obey the senate, to report anything that could be detrimental to the Republic (including force sensitives in the Republic that do not belong to the Jedi order) to the appropriate body, To forsake any formal relationship ties without incredibly specific permission To accept being barred from seeing the actual Reformation treaty that binds them.)
There are checks and balances in place to ensure that the most egregious abuses do not happen, including a review committee and a way for Jedi to report such abuses. It is moderately effective. Complaints of abuse or misuse of power are believed and taken seriously, and the consequences include removal from the senate, so an abuser generally only offends once before they are caught. On the other hand, the type of people who would abuse such a power are good at manipulating the system.
One of the checks and balances was that all orders that must be followed must be in writing.
Orders from the senate or a senator must be followed and the review committee is there to make sure those orders have justification.
This part of the Jedi oaths is not known to the public, or even all of the senate
As a consequence every Jedi raised in the order is taught from the creche Think Path thinking, the use of loopholes and assumed vs explicit knowledge to try and get around their restrictions.
An example: Anakin, who came to the temple late, did not take the initiate vows. Because he didn’t take the initiate vows, he didn’t know he needed to take the Padawan or knight vows. Obi Wan forced himself to assume that Qui Gon had gone over all this information with Anakin, so he did not have to. The entire Order has an actual conspiracy to hide this information from Anakin, because if they know for sure that he has no idea about these bindings they would be required to make him swear the oaths binding them, effectively enslaving him like they are enslaved. His battlefield knighting actually helped with that, as there was no ceremony and everyone could assume that someone else was present when he made the vows.
It starts with Nield of Melida/Daan coming to Coruscant just after Obi Wan Kenobi’s funeral in the Rako Hardeen arc. He asks to speak with Cody, Rex, Ashoka, and Anakin, officially because he promised to tell Obi Wan’s family several stories about his time on Melida/Daan if he outlived the Jedi. He is allowed to meet with them in a specific training room, one of the only rooms in the temple with both soundproofing and without video recording. Nield very firmly, and looking solely at Ashoka (the only one in the room under the Jedi Vows), that he does not know that any of what he is about to show them is true.
He pulls out a recorded message from Obi Wan, just a few days old. This message says these thing:
He does not know for sure that this will even be watched, which is the only reason he is able to send it.
They (the Jedi Council) had been given a new mission with some specific requirements that they were discussing, but had not settled on any details. This mission would require one of the members of the council (most likely Obi Wan) to fake his own death and go undercover as his killer.
The Chancellor had included an order that Anakin Skywalker was not to be told, that his reaction would sell the falsehood, worded in such a way that no one who had met Anakin outside the council could be told.
How much he loves Anakin and Ashoka as his son and daughter, Cody as the man he has fallen in love with (I am particularly partial to them having not gotten together, Cody is pining and sure that his amazing General could not possible want a clone like him so this part of the message just slowly causes a blush to rise), The entire clone army as part of his family.
Reiterating that he has no idea if he will be chosen, or if he is that nothing would go wrong that would end in his death.
That he could not possibly ask for Nield to find his family if he hears of Obi Wan’s death by a bounty hunter, to show them this message.
Not outright stated, but heavily implied the the entire council used Think Path reasoning (specifically: “The Healers insist that there be a break for a meal after a specified amount of time” combined with “We can and should discuss these minute details ad nauseum, to make sure that we understand exactly who should take on this most important mission”) to take a break before these become official orders (Which would mean that op spec would apply and they could tell no one) to give Obi an a chance to record and send this message
It is quickly made clear that Anakin has no idea about the Vows, which causes Ashoka to freak out (as she is bound to report the fact that he is not bound by the Jedi Vows). Nield helps her by suggesting that, as Anakin had come late with different experiences, Obi Wan must have explained the Vows in a different way, he just doesn’t realize it’s the same thing. This let’s Ashoka satisfy the Vow without reporting anything. Rex suggests that Ashok a, to make sure she understands those concepts, explain “To Cody and Rex” what the vows are and how they came about. Obviously her Master would not be asking any questions or speaking because this was a test for her. So she does, and explains about the Ruusan Reformation and the Vows (she only knows the Initiate and Padawan Vows, as another way of protecting the younglings; you do not know the Vow until you are expected to take them).
Anakin is getting visibly distressed but manages to keep himself silent. Cody asks about Count Dooku. Ashoka answers with something to the effect of: “I am bound from thinking poorly of the Senate and the Republic. I could not possibly wonder about how someone bound to obey the Senate ends up leading a war against the Senate” (The implications being he is in fact taking orders from someone in the Senate).
Nield gently suggests that Ahsoka leave the room for the rest of the discussion. Anakin begins to puff up, offended on Ahsoka’s behalf but Ahsoka agrees. Ahsoka straight up says to Anakin, “Remember Skyguy, I have to report anything that seems like it would go against the Senate, as I am a Padawan I don’t have the knowledge for anything but black and white” before leaving.
After Ahsoka leaves, Nield is able to speak more directly. He explains about Melida Daan (Qui Gon didn’t so much as abandon Obi Wan as much as he was trying to free him from the Jedi’s bonds. He was trying to do the same thing on Bandomeer, and had tried to do the same with Feemor and Xanatos. Qui Gon does love his padawans dearly, he is just trying to set them free and bad about it.). Nield, Cerasi, and Obi Wan had been moving toward a romantic relationship when Cerasi had died. Nields reaction had killed the romantic relationship between him and Obi Wan, even if they had managed to gain their friendship back. Nield talked about his temper, something that he saw in Anakin as well, and how he would have to live for the rest of his life with the knowledge that he was the reason that Obi Wan had been brought back into the Jedi Order. (If it hadn’t been for his reaction, Obi Wan wouldn’t have had to call the Jedi back which was why he had to leave with them). He also tells them that he and his people had been tracking who in the senate knows about the Jedi vows.
Anakin hesitantly asks about Padme. Nield responds that they have had no sign of either of the two most common reactions to the Jedi vows (carefully worded to avoid any order or heavy handed with orders) but they know for a fact the former Senator for Naboo, Palpatine, definitely knows (there is an order on the books that boils down to the Jedi being required to provide him with the company of a small child, Anakin, that is worded in just the right way that the orders cannot be protested).
Cody and Rex quietly inform the GAR of the restrictions the Jedi are under. The GAR is not happy that their Jedi are effectively enslaved. The 212th, in particular, has to be talked down from storming the senate multiple times in defense of their Jedi, who comes back from the dead tired and ready to accept any recrimations for faking his own death (he truly had to make himself believe that no one would know.)
Anakin and Padme work together to find an actual copy of the Ruusan treaty. They discover that there is an escape clause of some kind that can remove the power from the Vows all at once. It is a particular request that has to be made by a member in good standing of the Jedi Order using a very specific wording during a senate meeting. It could only be enacted after 700 years. The best part is that the request being approved or denied is immaterial. It is making the request that is important. Because of the restrictions of the Vows, Anakin is the only one who can make the request. He and Padme work so that he can recite the words from memory. Then they conspire to have several members of the Jedi Council (Mace Windu, Yoda, and Obi Wan in particular) in the Senate that day.
Anakin speaks the words and all hell breaks loose twice. Anakin does not know what he unleashed. The air around the Jedi pod ripples, the same ripples that reflect off of a few undercover jedi spread throughout the rotunda, and all of the clones. Obi Wan Kenobi appears to be having some sort of out of body experience. Tears are pouring down Mace Windu’s face as he says the words ‘We’re free’ over and over. Yoda is staring around as if he had never seen anything before. (There were some really old, near forgotten Jedi laws on the books that regulated emotions and power that the Jedi had access to.) Half a galaxy away Yan Dooku and Asajj Ventress were abruptly freed from the orders that dominated their lives (Ventress had been guided through the Padawan Vows by Ky Narec).
Darth Sidious ignored the feeling that he should just cut his losses and attempted to activate Order 66. Except that the chips were a physical manifestation of the Clones own Vows (Not that they realized they were Vowing) and as all the Clones were Force Sensitive when the Jedi took command, they became part of the Jedi Order. The removal of the Vows from the Jedi removed the control aspects of the chips.
Palpatine received a Yoda to the face, the little green troll had received a powerup a la Dragon Ball Z and was doing his best to tear an old man’s throat out with his teeth. Obi Wan stands from his existential experience to start making a list furiously. When he is asked he says that the Force has been keeping an accounting of every abuse of the Jedi (and the Clones), he’s making a list so they can start dealing with them (no one is really sure if being dealt with is dead or arrested and everyone is kind of afraid to ask.) A third of the Senate starts making plans to step down, for fear of being targeted. Half of the rest is exceedingly confused, and wondering if they should be doing something about the little green Jedi Master who is biting a politician.