Chapter 55 – Knight Time

Harry Potter, The Jedi That Would Not Die

Chapter 55 – Knight Time

The following day Harry opened his eyes in the Spire. Breathing deeply he slowly rose and left to return to his quarters to eat, freshen up and change before his Knighting Ceremony.

"Morning Master," he greeted as he entered. "Morning Asani."

"Morning Harry," the twi'lek greeted as the bundle of fur ran up to him and nuzzled his leg, "Hungry?"

It appeared as though she had been up for a while as there was already a large breakfast laid out on the table.

"Yes," he replied. "You did not need to go to all this trouble, Master."

"You have not eaten anything in twenty four hours Harry and it's the day of your knighting, the last thing I want is you passing out from hunger on this day of all days."

"Master, after the delights of Knowhere I doubt one day without food would kill me."

"Regardless, you are eating," she responded firmly, picking up a utensil and handing it to him.

They both sat and ate in silence for many minutes. His master finished first and patiently waited for him to before speaking.

"Master Dooku came to see me," she explained. "He told me about what you discussed."

"Yes Master," he nodded, slightly nervously.

"You could have come to me, Harry," she said calmly.

"I'm sorry Master," he replied, embarrassed. "I was unsure what you would think."

"Harry," she said reproachfully. "How long have we known each other? Did you honestly think I would think any less of you because you do not believe in a few lines of text?"

"They are quite important lines of text," he replied.

"True, but they are not the only lines of text, as Master Dooku explained to you."

"Are they going to let me swear by the Old Code?"

"I do not know Harry," she replied. "Dooku came to me before the rest of the High Council. I'm confident they will, I'm sure we would have heard if they were not."

"So…you're not disappointed in me for not wanting to swear by the New Code as you did?"

"Of course not Harry," she replied, moving off of her couch and moving beside him. "You have not had a traditional jedi upbringing. I do not expect you to think the same way about things that I do. Besides, you have always been more in touch with your emotions than most of us, but it has never weakened you. You have always been controlled, few jedi no matter how strict to the rule have achieved what you have achieved. I am happy with your decision and I am sure the High Council will be too."

"Thank you Master," he smiled, just as the charm to their door sounded and Hermione followed by Coleman walked in.

"Morning Master, Har- Harry, you're not even changed yet, your clothes are all creased and you haven't washed."

"Good morning Hermione," he replied.

"There' no time for that Harry, you've got less than an hour before the ceremony; get yourself showered now while I get you some fresh clothes. When your back I will run through the ceremony with you and what you have got to say and do," she ordered, virtually pushing him towards the fresher before disappearing into his room.

"She's doing her 'mother hen' thing, as Harry calls it, again," remarked Coleman with an amused smile.

"I would not expect any less," Aayla replied, picking up the plates and taking them into the kitchen. "How did she react to the news?"

"As expected," he replied, picking up the rest and helping her clean them up while the sounds of Hermione tearing apart Harry's wardrobe and the sound of the shower drifted through the apartment. "She started worrying about what she had done wrong. Took me a while to talk her around but as soon as she did she started listing all the things that Harry would need to know. It was only because I kept her there that she did not march up to Harry in the Spire and start drilling him on the procedure."

"Harry's asked to swear by the Old Code," she remarked.

"Really?" Coleman asked surprised. "Well it's not impossible I suppose, there is nothing that says you cannot do it. When did he decide this?"

"Yesterday, he broke his meditation to go and speak to one of the High Council; Master Dooku suggested it after hearing his problems with the New Code. He then came to see me and then to talk to the other members of the High Council to get their approval."

"Also unusual," nodded Coleman. "Harry's arguments must have been very persuasive to sway the Master of the Order into action like that."

"From what I heard they were," she nodded. "He said that Harry thought the New Code was 'arrogant and narrow minded.'"

"He didn't hold back did he," Coleman smiled.

"Apparently not, but he got his point across."

"Well, I guess we must wait to see if the High Council agrees with Master Dooku."

The doors of the Hall of Knighthood slid open to reveal a darkened room. He could see little in the room except the shadowy outlines of figures standing in an incomplete circle.

Walking to the centre of the room he waited until all the light went out as the door was closed.

A moment later twelve lightsabers were ignited around him, each held by a member of the High Council.

"Step forward padawan," instructed Yoda from the head of the ring, pointing his blade to wear he wanted Harry to move.

Harry walked towards the Grand Master and knelt before him, lowering his head. This was it.

The other masters lowered their blades in his direction as the Grand Master raised his.

"We are all Jedi," proclaimed Yoda. "The Force speaks through us. Through our actions, the Force proclaims itself and what is real. Today we are here to acknowledge what the Force has proclaimed."

There was a pause.

"Harry Potter," the master continued as Harry looked to him. "Your deeds thus far as a Jedi have been great; your name is spoken of with pride, respect and reverence by your master, your tutors and your peers. You are a shining example to those that have gone before and those that are to come of what any child, no matter his upbringing, can achieve."

Another slight pause.

"Master Dooku explained to us your wish to swear by the Old Code rather than the new. Not been done has this since before since its inception millennia ago…But to deny that code is to deny the Jedi who came before us. Heard and accepted your reasons have been. To swear by the Old Code you still wish?"

"I do master," he replied.

"Then swear by it."

"Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force."

"The guardians of peace in the galaxy are Jedi," continued Yoda. "Use their powers to defend and protect, never to attack others. Respect all life, in any form do Jedi. Serve others, rather than rule over them, for the good of the galaxy do Jedi. Seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training do Jedi."

Lowering his lightsaber to just above Harry's shoulder the Grand Master continued.

"Harry Potter, by the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, I dub thee Jedi…" a flick of his wrist and his padawan's braid was severed. "…Knight of the Republic."

As Harry left the hall and the door closed behind him, he barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief when a large cheer went up from in front of him. He unexpectedly found himself in a large crowd of his friends. Not just the padawans but the knights, masters and a few younglings as well.

It was rather overwhelming for Harry who never really enjoyed large crowds, especially those when everyone seemed intent on shaking his hand, patting him on the back or hugging him.

After several minutes he made his way through most of the crowd until he reached his mas- his former master, Hermione and Coleman.

"Congratulations Harry," Hermione smiled, hugging him thoroughly.

"Thanks Hermione," he smiled, hugging her back.

"Congratulations Knight Potter," Coleman smiled, bowing slightly. "I dread to think how much trouble you would get into without your master."

"I guess we are going to find out," Aayla replied as she moved forward to hug her padawan before speaking down the link. I'm so proud of you Harry.

I couldn't have done it without you master, he replied, tears in both of their eyes.

You know we need to dissolve the bond now, she said sadly.

I know master, he replied. It's going be so strange to not have you there.

I won't be completely gone Harry, there will always be some remnant of the bond left…I'll always be there if you need me…You ready?

Not really.

Me neither, she replied with a light chuckle. Here goes.

As both of them thought about the other Aayla slowly dissolved the bond and for the first time in many years their minds were truly the own except for the tiny light which was the remnant thread of the bond.

The pair both breathed deeply as the bond was diminished before pulling back and opening their eyes.

"I will always be there for you Harry," she repeated. "Whenever you need me."

"As will I master," he replied.

When the pair looked around they saw the silent faces of their friends, they had remained silent knowing what had just occurred between them.

"Sorry to interrupt this moment we are," said Yoda as the council exited the chamber. "But an important task we have to discuss."

"Your first mission as a knight, Knight Potter," explained Dooku.

"So soon?" asked Aayla surprised. "We had planned a par- A small celebration."

"Time there should still be," Yoda replied.

"Knight Potter, please follow us to the High Council Chamber, we will explain the mission. We shall return you to your friends shortly."

A few minutes later Harry was standing before the Council, his padawans braid had hardly stopped smoking and he already had his first mission.

"Are you aware of the situation in the Mandalorian System, Knight Potter?" asked Dooku.

"Just the general information master," he replied. "I know that civil war broke out a few years ago between the warring factions. The main ones are the New Mandalorians, the True Mandalorians and the Death Watch. I know they killed the Duke, my friend Satine's father."

"Fear not for your friend," advised Yoda. "In safe hands she is."

"I know master," he replied. "Satine was on Coruscant studying diplomacy when the war began and her father was killed. Hermione asked Master Yaddle if we could put her under our protection but she advised that it was already being arranged."

"Still true this is," agreed the master.

"The situation has continued throughout the sector but the current situation on Galidraan has got more serious," continued Dooku. "The True Mandalorians are targeting and executing political activists as well as just the Death Watch and the local governor has asked for our help. We have already sent four jedi cruisers with forty jedi to intercede, but the fifth had engine problems and there was not a replacement available. As such we are assigning you to this mission, not just because of your combat skills, but because of your ships speed and your previous experience against Mandalorian Super Commandoes."

"It was the Death Watch rather than the True Mandalorians that I have faced in the past but their tactics and fighting skill are likely to be comparable," Harry agreed.

"So we believe. The Raven should easily be able to catch up with the other four ships that are already on route and transport the last ten jedi including myself to the location."

"Understood master," Harry nodded. "I will make sure the ship is ready. Can I ask how many jedi I will be transporting?"

"Including myself and my padawan, ten," answered Dooku. "There will be fifty one jedi in total including yourself. We estimate that enemy numbers should be between one and two hundred. We are only taking jedi with strong combat skills. Mandalorians warriors can be some of the toughest opponents that a jedi will ever face. We leave at 0900 tomorrow, with the new rating on your ships hyperdrive we should arrive almost simultaneously."

"Yes master."

"Now," Plo began. "I believe Aayla said something about a party?"

The party was great fun, thankfully only a few of the High Council decided to attend, Plo, Adi and Saesee, being the ones that really knew him personally. They celebrated on board the Raven, their quarters not being big enough. A few alcoholic beverages were sneaked in by Dobby at the request of some of the padawans, but the Masters turned a polite blind eye 'this time', they stated firmly. It was the early hours when the last few attendees were shooed away and Aayla and Hermione both instructed Harry to get some rest before his first mission as a knight.

He had already had separate quarters assigned to him and was quite surprised to see that Dobby had already relocated all his stuff for him. It felt quite strange having quarters of his own several floors away from his old ones, especially as he now had the entire apartment to himself.

Aayla, Hermione and Coleman saw him off the following morning in the hastily post-party cleaned up Raven, and so it was that shortly before noon Harry, Asani, Dooku, his padawan Kormari Vosa and another eight Jedi were in hyperspace flying their way towards the Galidraan System.

The flight did not take more than a day before they dropped out of hyperspace at the rendezvous coordinates one system over. They actually managed to beat the other transports by about an hour so Harry took the ship into the shadow of the sun until the other ships arrived, just in case the True Mandalorians had scouts in the system.

It did not take long for the ships to make the final hyperspace jump and start heading for the ground.

"Now remember," came Dooku's voice from behind Harry, simultaneously being broadcast to the other ships. "We want to avoid bloodshed, our aim to arrest the True Mandalorians not to start a fire fight."

A button illuminated on the console in front of Harry.

"Master, we have an incoming comms signal from the Governor's Residence."

"Put him through," the master replied as he stepped up behind Harry as the hologram of the man was projected in front of them. The man looked extremely worried.

"This is Master Dooku of the Jedi Order, we a responding to your request for help."

#Master jedi!# the man said, rather panicked. #I'm so glad you're here, Jango Fett and his True Mandalorians! They're not just attacking political activists now. They've been killing women and children in the surrounding towns!#

There were gasps and mutters from the other Jedi hearing the signal.

"Understood Governor," Dooku replied. "Do you know the location of the Mandalorian Camp?

#I do, yes,# he nodded. #I am transmitting coordinates now.#

"Received," Harry confirmed.

"We shall head for those coordinates now Governor."

#There's one more thing master jedi!# said the Governor. #Jango Fett just attacked my residence. My security managed to repel him but I fear he may attack again.#

"Master," Harry interjected, partially turning to Dooku. "Once I have put you down I could apparate to the Governor's Residence in case that occurs. I could also get him out quickly if the Mandalorians attack."

"Agreed," he nodded, before turning back to the hologram. "One of our jedi knights will head to you after we have landed."

#Thank you master jedi!# he called. #Thank you.#

"We should be on the ground inside of two minutes master," Harry explained. "I can see the Governor's Residence in the distance off to starboard so I can apparate straight to it when we land."

"Good, your priority is the Governor's safety."

"If they attack I can apparate him back to the Raven and leave the security systems active. They will not know where he is and it will allow me to apparate back and keep them in sight until you are able to send me backup."

"Very well," the master nodded. "But do not engage unless you are confident that you can handle their numbers. I do not want your old master shouting at me for letting you endanger your life."

"Understood master," he replied with a grin. "Prepare for touchdown. All Jedi be aware that the hatch will be re-sealed after you disembark and the security system will be activated. Do not try to re-board or gain access to the ship without either myself or Master Dooku deactivating the security system."

"All pilots," stated Master Dooku over the comms. "Form a horseshow around the south side of the coordinates. We have had reports that the True Mandalorians have just attacked the Governor's Residence to the north so do not want to land there in case the Mandalorians spot our approach."

The ships spread themselves out as ordered surrounding the camp. Harry watched as the others all disembarked and rapidly reclosed the hatch and activated the shields and the security system before disapparating away.

He appeared on the balcony of the residence near the top of the building and walked inside, there was the residual smell of burnt fabrics as well as a broken window from which a man in richly designed robes was standing looking out of towards something on the ground.

"Governor?" he asked.

"What!" exclaimed the man spinning around and taking a step back. "Who are you?"

"Knight Potter of the Jedi Order," he bowed. "I am here to protect you."

"How did you get here so quick?" he demanded. There was something off about the Governor. He was not acting like someone who was afraid of being attacked but rather someone who was nervous that he was there. Something was going on that was not supposed to be.

"I'm fast," Harry replied shortly before walking over to where the Governor was standing.

The man was looking out over to the east side of the residence. Their ships were landing to the south. What was he looking at?

"Is something wrong Knight Potter?" asked the Governor, a nervous edge coming to his voice as he noticed Harry's interest in the ground that he was looking out over.

"Possibly," he replied cautiously. Drawing his magnifiers and looking out over the ground.

"Fett flew off that way but headed south," tried the Governor but as he said so Harry spotted movement on the ground.

Raising his comlink he spoke immediately.

"Master Dooku, I can see Mandalorians to the east of the residence. I'm going to proceed as we discussed."

#Very well,# came the reply from the Master before the comms signal ended.

"As discussed?" asked the Governor nervously.

"Yes Governor," he replied taking him by the arm. "Hold on, this might feel a little unusual."

Pop.

Pop.

As they appeared in the Raven the Governor staggered.

"What!...Where are we?"

"On my ship," Harry replied. "You will be safe here while I track down Fett."

"Wait!" exclaimed the Governor, before pausing. "I mean, shouldn't you focus on his camp?"

"That's what the others are doing while I track him down. Stay put."

"Wai-"

Pop.

The Governor looked at the empty space where the jedi had just been and started to worry. What would happen if the Jedi realised that he had lied.

The jedi should never have been able to get to him so fast. If that jedi caught up with who he had really seen leaving his residence he would be in serious trouble.

Harry reappeared on the balcony but quickly ran and jumped through the broken window.

He used the Force to slow his descent just before he hit the ground and landed in a billow of snow.

There were heavy boot prints on the ground, at least four of them. The Governor had failed to mention their numbers.

Using Force Speed he took off through the woods after the tracks until he heard shouts and screams from ahead and slowed.

Just ahead was a small village within which he could see the four Mandalorians attacking the villagers…but something was wrong, their armour was similar but different and attacking random villages did not seem to be the True Mandalorian thing. They could have been paid but these commandoes seemed to be enjoying toying with the villages and seemed to have no problem targeting the women of the village but he was forced out of his thoughts when he saw one of the Mandalorians turn his gun in the direction of a child.

Bursting from cover he sent a Force Shove at the commando, sending his shot wide.

"Jedi!" one of the others screamed.

"Potter!" cried another, but this voice was familiar and so was the face that produced it.

"Vizsla," he replied. "Now I think I understand…Was it you or the Governor who thought it would be a good idea to frame the True Mandalorians for murder?"

"Mine," replied the man as the other three moved to surround Harry. Harry was very aware of this but he knew it gave the villagers a chance to run. "The Governor is a spineless coward, though Fett and the True Mandalorians were paid to kill the political activists."

"Who I'm guessing were all the Governor's enemies."

"A bit obvious I know," acknowledged Vizsla. "But that's why we decided to up the ante with the villagers. I guess I am going to have to kill you know as well in order to keep the secret."

"We've been here before Vizsla. The first time I was inexperienced, the second time I was outnumbered. Each time I have been more skilled and more experienced than the last and each time you have been older. The odds are tipping more and more in my favour. Are you sure you want to risk this again?"

"Tonight will be the last time jedi," he replied, drawing the Darksaber. "Shall we?"

"By all means," Harry replied, drawing his own blade and standing ready.

At once all five of them moved. Harry knew that the other three would not make it a fair fight; he would have to deal with them first.

He sent a blast of Electric Judgement at two of them while he kicked the third in the chest. He shocked them for no more than half a second and at very low power but it was enough to knock out the electronics in their armour, blinding them.

He brought his blade up to block the first slash by Vizsla before immediately Force Pushing the ground in his direction, sending a large cloud of snow skyward, straight into the man's face.

Vizsla stumbled back as the other two quickly began to tear their helmets off. He took advantage of the situation and raised his comlink.

"Master, it's a set up. It's not the True Mandalorians, it's the-"

He was cut off as a blaster bolt hit his comlink and fried it. He had thought the last of them would have taken longer to get back up than that.

Harry wasted no time in drawing his wand and firing a reducto at the man. He attempted to evade but it caught his rocket pack which detonated sending the man flying into the nearest building.

Spinning he was in time to start deflecting the blaster bolts flying at him from the other two, Vizsla was still struggling to see.

Deflecting a few bolts he Force Pulled them both before ducking as they flew over him and hit Vizsla.

As the fight paused briefly he could hear weapons fire in the distance. The others must be engaging with the True Mandalorians, they did not know it was a deception he had to stop them.

Going for his wand again he fired a string of ropes at the trio of downed Death Watch which bound them together.

"I don't have time for this now Vizsla, I'll be back for you and you will be held responsible for those you killed here."

He appeared with a pop just outside the Raven and took off running again. He had not seen the camp from the air so he could not apparate there. He just prayed he was in time to stop as much death as he could.

The site was further than he thought and by the time he exploded into the clearing a fully-fledged battle was raging. He could see that the battle was not going well for either side; the Jedi were winning but they were taking many casualties in the process.

This battle would not stop for words from him. It was already too late.

Drawing his blade he was in time to see the only Mandalorian wearing red coloured armour break a young jedi's skull with a vicious upper cut.

Seeing the soldier running towards another jedi near the cut in two body of another Mandalorian he Force Sped between them and used the butt of his lightsaber to knock the man to the ground.

The commando rapidly regained his feet and stood opposite him, like the start of a gunslingers duel.

"All right," came the voice of the soldier. "Let's go."

The fight was short but brutal; the commando was unarmed but his hand to hand skills were impressive. Harry's lightsaber was in his hand for less than three seconds before it was sent from his hand. The man moved in close and elbowed him in the stomach before grabbing his arm and twisting it around as he attempted to summon his lightsaber back.

The man grabbed him by the arm and robes and swung his head back to head-butt him with his helm.

Quickly swinging his metal arm around he punched the helmet as hard as he could stunning the man slightly. It distracted him just long enough to free his other hand and wrap it around the man's throat.

"Stupefy!" he shouted, sending the spell straight from his hand into the man's unprotected neck.

The man wobbled on his feet.

"You…You killed them all," he said drowsily as the spell took effect. The man obviously had a high resistance to not be immediately knocked out. "We're all dead."

With the last word he slumped forward.

Breathing heavily Harry looked around him at the carnage that encircled him. There were the bodies of Jedi and Mandalorians everywhere he looked.

"This was wrong," he said to himself. "We were deceived but we should have known better."

"They were murdering innocents," countered Dooku's padawan Komari, coming up in front of him. "Women and children."

"Did you not hear me, we were deceived," he countered forcefully. "It was the Death Watch. It was a deception from the start by the Governor and Vizsla to eliminate Fett and the True Mandalorians. We were tricked and we fell for it hook, line, sinker, rod and copy of Angling Times. This should never have happened. I am not saying what they were doing was right, but this definitely was not. It's not justice, its tragedy."

Some of the other jedi were starting to realise what Harry was saying, but on the other side of the clearing a master was having a revelation that would affect the future of the galaxy itself.

"…What have we done…?"

A quick estimate of numbers showed that of the round three hundred True Mandalorians only two individuals were still alive and of the fifty Jedi less than twenty five remained.

In years to come the Battle of Galidraan would be used as reason why the jedi should not be used like a military force and as a euphemism for military debacle.

But on that day two jedi were much more affected by the results of the battle, one a master of many years, one a new knight and how these two jedi were changed by the battle would go on to affect the state of the galaxy. Had the battle not happened, the next fifty years would have been so very different.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry about the wait everyone. I've been finding that writing these chapters did not flow easily.

A big thankyou to Zanondalf1992 for the idea for the second half of this chapter, I was half way through writing the next chapter when his suggestion came in and as it's such a pivotal point for both Dooku and Harry it needed to be included.

Not sure that this one it up to spec but I cannot think how to improve it right now. Hope you enjoy.