"Kasvi~! Why didn't you take down the enemy sniper just now?"
Kasvi, the black-haired girl with red cat-like eyes who had won the first round, was nestled in her room. The piercing shout made her scratch her slightly sore eardrums.
"Okay, okay, Little Plate. I just spaced out."
"We're called Panpan, not Little Plate. Don't space out again, or your highlight reel will become meme material."
"Okay. I know."
Kasvi entered the game, pressed the "Prince" button, and returned to the battlefield to continue her chicken dinner journey.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
Palpatine's unusual behavior had been noticed and reported by Robot Dog Number Two, who was monitoring him.
Garfield frowned. Why had the target suddenly left? Had his operation been exposed?
Were his people among the Jedi Masters. Could it be that Dooku had already embraced the dark side?
Impossible, Garfield thought. That's too early. And there are no signs of the dark side on Dooku.
"Robot Dog Number Two," Garfield said. "What did Palpatine just do?"
Robot Dog Number Two replied, "The target received a communication from a spy on Naboo."
"Then, the monitoring equipment was interfered with by a special energy signature for one second."
Garfield's ears perked up. Interfered for one second?
Who had the power to interfere with electronic equipment?
Even Yoda and the other Jedi Masters mostly used the Force to manipulate physical objects and influence the thoughts of carbon-based life forms and some species even had natural resistance to that.
Robot Dog Number Two replayed the footage of Palpatine's room.
Garfield watched it repeatedly, confirming that the anomaly was caused by that single second of interference.
Someone was behind this.
It seemed he needed to investigate thoroughly. He couldn't let Palpatine leave Coruscant so easily.
Here, network surveillance was easy.
If Palpatine fled to other star systems, interstellar transmission signals would be far easier to intercept.
Garfield made his decision.
"Robot Dog," he instructed, "notify Yoda and the others. Palpatine has received word and is preparing to depart."
"I will immediately have the fleet blockade Coruscant's airspace. All they need to do is handle the resupply paperwork afterward."
"Yes, Master."
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
At the space station on the outskirts of Coruscant, hundreds of Vulture fighters, modified by Garfield from Trade Federation warships, shifted from alert status to full combat readiness.
They began controlling the airspace around Coruscant, especially the sectors where Palpatine was located.
The citizens of Coruscant knew that the spherical warships in space belonged to the High Claw Corporation.
They also knew that Garfield was an honorary elder of the Jedi Order, and that he occasionally dispatched fleets to assist the Jedi in their pursuits.
While warship movements in space were commonplace, a large swarm of Vulture fighters blocking the airspace over Coruscant was unprecedented.
Within minutes, countless posts and videos appeared online, reporting the event.
Secrecy was impossible now.
It all depended on Palpatine's luck.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
Palpatine, however, was a seasoned schemer.
He knew that Garfield controlling the robots didn't mean the carbon-based life forms were safe.
He learned of the fleet's movements almost instantly.
Alright, he thought. My next task is to stay hidden.
Inside the Incom Corporation factory, hundreds of spaceships and cargo trucks were being loaded with goods.
Palpatine's exit route had been prepared long ago.
He entered the loading warehouse and, guided by his subordinates, arrived inside a pre-prepared modified flying vehicle.
The vehicle was equipped with:
- Signal shielding
- Shape-altering devices
- A faster-than-light engine
- Interstellar communication equipment
And for his own safety, Palpatine had prepared numerous decoy targets to confuse pursuit.
This was the epitome of cunning and shrewdness.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
Yoda and the others received Garfield's communication and found themselves in turmoil.
What was going on? They had just been preparing to act, and now he was running away?
Windu said, "It seems we underestimated him."
Yoda nodded grimly. "Yes. But according to Master Garfield's signal, Palpatine is still in the same location. If we hurry… we may still have a chance."
Windu said, "Then let's not delay. Let's go."
And so… Yoda, Windu, Dooku, Plo Koon, Saesee Tiin, Even Piell, Oppo Rancisis, Coleman Trebor, and Kit Fisto, along with their Padawans, boarded their flying vehicles and raced at breakneck speed toward Palpatine's location.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
Palpatine's intelligence agents, planted around the Jedi Temple, spotted the large-scale movement immediately.
They transmitted video footage to him.
Palpatine, already holed up inside the Incom Company warehouse, seated in his modified flying vehicle, saw the communication and gave the order.
"Proceed according to plan," he told his adjutant.
"Yes, Lord Sidious."
Minutes after the flying vehicle's hatch closed, several identical vehicles flew out of the factory and scattered in all directions.
At the same time, cargo shuttles inside the factory also ignited their engines and dispersed across Coruscant.
The chaos made Yoda sigh inside his vehicle. He knew the truth: Palpatine had escaped.
Windu's voice came through the comm. "Master Yoda, should we split up to pursue?"
Yoda thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No. Split up, we cannot."
"If Palpatine's combat strength is truly as Garfield described… splitting up would only mean pointless sacrifice."
Windu's frustration was audible. "Then we just watch him get away?"
Dooku, seated next to Yoda, offered his opinion. "Master, we can let the machine fighters chase the decoys."
"We should go directly to the factory. Even if they were prepared, leaving in such a hurry would have left traces."
Yoda nodded. "Agreed."
Heeding Dooku's advice, the Jedi Order continued their journey toward the factory as planned.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
In the interstellar era, flight speeds were tremendous.
The Jedi's vehicles streaked through the thin upper atmosphere, quickly reaching the target area.
The surrounding police droid forces had sealed off the entire factory the moment the Jedi Temple elders had departed.
After landing, Yoda and his team, accompanied by the police droid forces, began searching the interior.
They discovered that Palpatine had lived there for quite some time. Traces of his presence were everywhere.
Subsequent mental interrogations and data extraction from the factory's robots confirmed that the hooded figure was their target.
Unfortunately, the individual had already left the transport bay in a flying vehicle.
The peripheral members had no knowledge of the specifics.
Now, Yoda and his team needed to hand over the ordinary suspects to the police department and continue searching for the departed vehicles.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
Palpatine's arrangement was reminiscent of a classic trick, like sending decoys across half the galaxy while the real target slipped away unnoticed.
As time passed, the flying vehicles roamed aimlessly throughout the city. Occasionally, one would stop, only to be found empty.
After Yoda and his group left, the Incom Corporation factory was shut down.
Most of the equipment was soon removed. The entire site became deserted.
Children in the surrounding areas occasionally reported hearing faint noises from inside.
No one believed them.