Anakin Skywalker's most recent mission had been unlike anything he had ever experienced in his years as a Jedi Knight.
The situation had begun simply enough. During the Battle of Malastare, Anakin and Mace Windu had led a substantial clone army force against a significant Separatist military installation. The Republic had deployed a devastating new weapon—an electro-proton bomb—that had successfully eliminated the droid army but had also created unexpected consequences.
On the battlefield in front of the Dug royal palace, the massive explosion had carved out an enormous sinkhole that extended deep into the planet's crust. While they had been conducting search and rescue operations to locate any survivors from both sides of the conflict, they had inadvertently discovered and awakened something that had been considered extinct for millennia: a Zillo Beast.
The creature was absolutely massive—a serpentine giant with armored scales and a long, whip-like tail that measured nearly a hundred meters in length. Its natural armor plating was so incredibly hard and thick that neither standard blaster fire nor even lightsaber strikes could penetrate its defensive hide.
This particular species had been thought completely extinct for thousands of years, with the last confirmed sighting occurring centuries before the current galactic conflict. However, this single survivor had somehow endured in hibernation deep beneath Malastare's surface, and it had begun attacking everything in sight indiscriminately after being rudely awakened by the bombing.
When they reported this extraordinary discovery to the Jedi Council and the Republic leadership on Coruscant, the response had been immediate and controversial.
Dr. Sionver Boll, one of the Republic's leading xenobiology researchers, had proposed conducting extensive scientific studies on the creature. Her argument was compelling from a military standpoint: since conventional weapons could not penetrate the Zillo Beast's scales, understanding the composition and structure of its armor could provide invaluable insights for Republic defensive technology. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine had been particularly intrigued by the potential applications, suggesting that if the creature's hide could be successfully harvested and processed, it could be used to create virtually impenetrable armor for clone troopers and starship hulls, potentially saving countless lives in the ongoing war.
After considerable strategic planning and debate, the Republic leadership had made the controversial decision to capture the Zillo Beast alive for transport and study. When the massive creature had finally been subdued using specialized stun weaponry, both Mace Windu and Anakin had learned that they would be responsible for bringing this ancient giant back to Coruscant for research purposes.
This assignment had placed both Jedi in an extremely difficult position. It had required tremendous effort, resources, and coordination to successfully stun and contain such a massive and dangerous creature. Now they were being asked to transport this living relic across the galaxy to the Republic capital, where its fate would be decided by politicians and scientists rather than conservationists or ethicists.
Despite the logistical challenges and moral concerns, they had succeeded in their mission and had just recently arrived on Coruscant with their extraordinary cargo.
Now, accompanied by his faithful astromech droid R2-D2, Anakin was making his way through the corridors of the Senate building to attend meetings about the creature's ultimate disposition. As he approached the designated meeting area, he spotted his former master Obi-Wan Kenobi and several other familiar figures gathered in discussion.
Anakin walked forward with purposeful strides, and his eyes immediately found his secret wife Padmé Amidala among the group. He offered her a subtle but warm smile before addressing the gathering. "Senator Amidala, I had expected to find only Obi-Wan waiting for me. I'm pleasantly surprised to see you here as well."
"I came specifically to ask for your assistance with this matter," Padmé replied, her tone carrying the weight of serious concern.
"What exactly is the problem?" Anakin asked, though he suspected he already knew the answer based on her expression.
"We're discussing the situation involving our newfound friend from Malastare," Obi-Wan explained diplomatically.
"Ah," Anakin said with immediate understanding. "I can see why both of you wanted to speak with me about this. You want me to discuss the matter with Chancellor Palpatine, don't you?"
"Exactly," Padmé confirmed with obvious relief that he understood the urgency. "Anakin, the Zillo Beast has been brought here and imprisoned against its will. This creature has no voice in determining its own fate, and we must be willing to speak for it."
Anakin let out a dry, somewhat bitter laugh. "Padmé, I don't think you fully comprehend the magnitude of what we're dealing with. You haven't seen firsthand what this creature is capable of when it's fully awakened and agitated."
"What are you all discussing with such serious expressions?"
The group turned to see Pietro Maximoff approaching them with his characteristic casual stride, accompanied by Senator Riyo Chuchi, who was walking beside him with obvious comfort and familiarity.
"Pietro?" Anakin asked with genuine surprise. "What brings you to the Senate building today?"
"Just spending some quality time with Riyo," Pietro replied with a simple shrug, gesturing discretely toward the Pantoran senator, who was now blushing noticeably under the curious scrutiny of her mentor and friend Padmé.
"Is something serious happening here?" Pietro asked, his expression becoming more concerned as he observed their faces. "You all look like you're discussing something pretty heavy. Please tell me it's not another boring political debate."
"We are currently standing in the Senate building, Pietro," Anakin pointed out with dry humor. "Literally everything that happens under this roof is political in nature."
"Fair point," Pietro conceded with another characteristic shrug.
"But what's actually going on?" Riyo asked with growing curiosity. "I overheard someone mention that you're planning to meet with the Chancellor. Is there some kind of crisis situation developing?"
"It concerns a discovery that Anakin and Master Windu made during their recent mission on Malastare," Obi-Wan explained carefully. "They encountered an ancient creature that may very well be the last surviving member of its species."
"A creature that might be the last of its kind?" Riyo repeated with obvious fascination and concern. "That sounds like an incredibly significant scientific discovery."
"Not only is it potentially the last of its species," Padmé added with growing passion, "but it was brought here to Coruscant by force, against its will, and without any consideration for its rights or wellbeing."
"The Zillo Beast may face execution if we cannot convince Chancellor Palpatine to reconsider his current plans for harvesting the creature's hide for military purposes," Padmé said with firm determination.
"Zillo Beast?" Pietro muttered thoughtfully. "What does it look like? Something similar to Godzilla?"
"Godzilla?" several voices asked simultaneously with obvious confusion.
"Nothing, never mind. Godzilla is just a fictional monster from Earth's entertainment media," Pietro said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He turned to look at Padmé with more serious interest. "But what exactly are you hoping to accomplish?"
"We must persuade the Chancellor to release the Zillo Beast and allow it to return to its natural habitat," Padmé declared, then she looked directly at Anakin with pleading eyes. "Please, Anakin. I know you have considerable influence with Chancellor Palpatine."
Anakin studied his wife's expression for several long moments, recognizing the depth of her conviction on this issue. Finally, his resolve softened. "I honestly didn't expect you to feel so strongly about this particular matter. Very well, let's go speak with the Chancellor and see if we can present a compelling case."
Pietro observed this exchange with obvious interest and said, "I think I'm going to find something to eat while you handle the political negotiations. Riyo, would you like to join me?"
"You literally consumed an enormous amount of snacks while we were watching that movie just a short while ago, and now you want to eat again?" Riyo asked with amused disbelief.
"Don't you remember? I have an extremely accelerated metabolism," Pietro replied with a grin. "I burn through calories faster than most people can consume them."
Riyo shook her head with helpless affection. "Alright, Pietro. Lead the way."
The two departed together, walking side by side with the comfortable ease of a couple who were still discovering each other but clearly enjoying the process.
"Well, those two certainly seem to be developing an interesting relationship," Anakin observed with obvious amusement.
"I think they look absolutely adorable together," Padmé added with genuine warmth. "I rarely see Riyo taking time for herself anymore, so I'm genuinely glad she's finally enjoying life instead of treating herself like a political work machine."
Before the three remaining individuals were prepared to depart for their meeting with Chancellor Palpatine, Padmé had begun walking ahead when Anakin gently stopped Obi-Wan with a concerned expression.
"Obi-Wan, are you feeling alright?" Anakin asked quietly. "You seem unusually troubled about something."
"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan replied, though his tone suggested he knew exactly what Anakin was referring to.
"You appear to be carrying some kind of burden," Anakin said with obvious concern for his former master. "Has something happened that's bothering you?"
Obi-Wan hesitated for a moment, then frowned slightly. "I... had a rather unpleasant and challenging conversation with Captain Rogers earlier today. It didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped."
"What happened between you two?" Anakin pressed, his curiosity and concern growing.
"It's difficult to explain the situation properly right now," Obi-Wan said with obvious reluctance to discuss the details. "Please go with Senator Amidala and resolve this Zillo Beast situation. We can discuss my conversation with Captain America later when we have more privacy."
Anakin was now genuinely curious about what could have caused tension between Obi-Wan and Steve Rogers, but when he saw Padmé waiting for him with obvious impatience, he decided to let the matter rest for the moment.
After a brief journey through the Senate building's corridors, Padmé and Anakin arrived at Chancellor Palpatine's private office. The Supreme Chancellor greeted them with his characteristic warmth and political charm. As he often mentioned in private conversations, the two people he most enjoyed seeing on Coruscant were Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker.
Padmé wasted no time with diplomatic pleasantries and immediately presented her case: the Zillo Beast should be released and returned to its natural habitat rather than executed for scientific and military purposes. Under no circumstances should the Republic be responsible for causing the complete extinction of what might be the galaxy's last surviving member of an ancient species.
Although Chancellor Palpatine expressed sympathy and understanding for the Naboo Senator's ethical concerns, he maintained his position with carefully reasoned arguments. He reminded her that they were currently engaged in a devastating galactic war that was claiming millions of lives across countless worlds. His primary duty was to the citizens of the Republic, and he needed to explore every possible avenue for ending the conflict as quickly as possible. The opportunity to create virtually indestructible armor from the Zillo Beast's hide represented a chance to save countless clone trooper lives and potentially turn the tide of the war in the Republic's favor.
Anakin found himself struggling to remain neutral in this ethical dilemma. While his heart sided with his wife's compassionate position, Chancellor Palpatine's practical arguments carried considerable weight. Anakin had always been deeply troubled by the constant loss of clone trooper lives under his command, and the possibility of providing them with armor that could essentially guarantee their survival in combat was difficult to dismiss as unimportant.
The moral complexity of the situation was becoming increasingly clear: was it acceptable to sacrifice one ancient creature to potentially save thousands of sentient beings? Or did the Zillo Beast's status as potentially the last of its kind make its life so valuable that no utilitarian argument could justify its death?
As the debate continued, Anakin realized that this decision would test not only their political judgment but also their fundamental values about the sanctity of life, the ethics of extinction, and the difficult choices that war forced upon even the most well-intentioned leaders.