A day after Project Chimera had been found and apprehended on the planet Myrkr…
The sterile white walls of the Jedi Council's secure medical ward felt impossibly vast and cold after the echoing chaos of Myrkr's caverns. The boy - Project Chimera, lay unconscious on a repulsorlift gurney, small and fragile beneath the harsh medbay lights.
Patches of dark scales still shimmered along his forearms and spine, the obsidian horns stark against his pale skin.
Monitors beeped steadily beside him, tracking vitals that oscillated wildly between human baseline and readings that made med-droids whirr in confusion as he was carried into a secure holding level beneath the Jedi Temple.
Meanwhile, a conversation between the Jedi and the Chancellor, about said recent events, was taking place.
The Chancellor's private office felt unnervingly quiet after the sterile chaos of the medbay. Chancellor Palpatine stood by the vast transparisteel window overlooking Coruscant's endless twilight, his hands clasped behind his back.
Vice Chair Mas Amedda loomed nearby, his expression unreadable. Opposite them stood the Jedi delegation consisting of Yoda, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Rig Nema, and Anakin Skywalker.
Senators Padmé Amidala and Bail Organa stood slightly apart. Palpatine turned, his face etched with grave concern.
For once, this wasn't a facade, since even the Sith Lord in disguise himself would perish if he succumbed to the Blue Shadow Virus.
"This... 'creature'…" he began, his voice soft but carrying immense weight, "represents an existential threat. Its very existence is a Separatist weapon. We cannot gamble with billions of lives. Neutralization is the only prudent course."
Senator Organa stepped forward, his calm voice cutting through the tension. "With respect, Chancellor, we are discussing a sentient being, not a droid. He was born into horror, engineered against his will. The Republic stands for justice, not preemptive execution based on fear of what he 'might' become."
Padmé nodded firmly, her gaze locking onto Anakin's for a fleeting moment before addressing Palpatine. "Senator Organa speaks the truth. Our laws protect the innocent. This boy displayed terror and confusion not malice based on the Jedi's own reports. To condemn him without trial violates everything we fight for."
Mas Amedda's deep voice rumbled, thick with disdain. "Sentient? It is a bio-weapon! Its very breath carries the Blue Shadow Virus! Bringing such an abomination to the heart of the Republic, to Coruscant, reeks of madness! What containment could possibly be absolute?"
Rig Nema met his glare steadily. "Extreme measures are in place, Vice Chair. He rests within layered ray shields, encased in a sterile negative-pressure chamber with redundant molecular filtration systems scrubbing all exhaust. The risk to Coruscant is negligible." Her tone was cool, factual, leaving no room for dismissal.
Padmé stepped forward again, her voice sharpening. "He is terrified and alone, Vice Chair! He deserves a chance to prove he isn't the monster his creators intended! We cannot condemn him for crimes he hasn't committed!"
Palpatine sighed, a sound heavy with weary finality. "Senator, your compassion is admirable, but misplaced. The risk, however small, is incalculable. There is no scenario where we can guarantee zero possibility of outbreak. The safety of trillions outweighs sentiment."
Obi-Wan cleared his throat softly, drawing all eyes. "There might be a way to appease everyone's concerns," he began, his tone measured.
"While reviewing Dr. Zell's recovered facility database, I discovered schematics for a specialized neural control collar. It was designed to enforce absolute obedience once the Chimera prototype was fully operational." A ripple of unease crossed the room. Obi-Wan raised a hand. "Hear me out. The core technology functions similar to an advanced neural translator. Reading specific intent signals directly from the brainstem, the Separitists used this in the Collar's core design to enforce strict mind control. We could modify it drastically."
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sweeping across the skeptical faces. "Instead of forcing action, it could passively scan for specific hostile impulses in real-time such as the intent to release the virus, initiate transformation, or commit violence. It would act purely as a monitoring and early-warning system." The concept hung in the air – a shield, not a shackle.
Anakin couldn't suppress a wry grin cutting through the tension. "Master Kenobi tinkering with tech? Now I've seen everything." He crossed his arms, leaning against the chair. "Usually it's me pulling wires apart."
Obi-Wan gave a soft sigh "When I first saw him transform into his humanoid form, I knew this discussion would happen, so I found an early solution to the problem."
Mas Amedda's deep voice cut through the momentary silence, thick with undisguised skepticism. "A collar? You propose shackling this...entity? Even if you somehow convince it to wear this device; Chancellor, the moment it comprehends its purpose, confinement and control, it will perceive it as slavery."
He gestured sharply towards the window, encompassing the vast city-planet. "And no sentient being, weaponized or not, will willingly remain a prisoner forever. Its resentment will fester. Its power will grow. What happens when it decides to test its cage?"
Obi-Wan met Amedda's gaze, his expression calm but resolute. "Which is why containment alone is insufficient," he stated firmly.
"I propose taking the boy under my personal guardianship. On my ship, the Negotiator, under constant supervision and within a controlled environment far from population centers. The modified collar becomes a safeguard, not a cage door. My task would be to understand him, guide him, and assess his nature." He paused, letting the weight of his commitment settle. "If he possesses sentience and can be reasoned with, he may yet prove his worth to the Republic."
Mas Amedda scoffed, his lekku twitching with disdain. "Guardianship? You invite a plague-bearer onto a Republic warship? The risk is—"
"Calculated," Mace Windu interrupted, his deep voice cutting through the objection. He stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back. "Master Kenobi's proposal offers containment and assessment. The collar provides an objective trigger for hostile intent. Without it, we have only speculation and fear." His gaze swept the room, lingering on Palpatine. "Fear is not the Jedi way."
Yoda's large, ancient eyes slowly blinked open. He hadn't spoken until now, his presence radiating quiet authority. His gimer stick tapped softly against the polished floor. "Clouded by fear, this decision is," he rasped, his voice carrying the weight of centuries. He looked directly at Palpatine, then Mas Amedda. "The Dark Side, fear breeds. Take an innocent life..." He paused, letting the gravity of those words sink in. "...this path leads only to darkness. Worse than the weapon itself, such an act would be. Against the Jedi Code, this is."
Palpatine's expression softened into a mask of reluctant acceptance, though a flicker of calculation remained in his eyes. "Master Yoda speaks wisdom," he conceded, spreading his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Very well. Master Kenobi, you have your guardianship. But understand this," his voice hardened, "the collar Must be operational before the boy sets foot off-world. And if it triggers even once..." He let the implication hang. "The Senate will demand constant reports."
The final statement would be wuite ironic and a geadache for the Jedi Master to handle. He had to repeatedly explain to the Chancellor that the boy was constabtly trying to test his abilities and he had to lie to placate the Chancellor's wishes to terminate the boy, as said boy continued testing the limits the collar limited his freedom.