Chapter One: What Can You Know?
"A Jedi seeks knowledge, because only through knowledge, can a Jedi make an informed and dispassionate decision, a rational decision. It is because of this that I say, all ignorance is evil." Master Dorak paced in front of the holodisplay, making occasional gestures towards the information displayed on the screen.
"Just over three decades ago, one of the most promising of our number fell to the Dark Side because of his ignorance and when he fell, he nearly dragged the galaxy with him." A high resolution image of a tall man with dark hair appeared on the display. Exar Kun, late Dark Lord of the Sith and fallen Jedi. "Exar Kun was ignorant of the dark side's corruption, ignorant of the damage it would cause. He believed he could create a golden age of power and prosperity." Master Dorak shook his head sadly. "In his ignorance, he became evil; in his ignorance, he killed millions."
Master Dorak opened his mouth to continue speaking, but then a robed figure stepped out of the darkness and in front of the holodisplay. Silhouetted by the light behind him, the figure turned to Master Dorak and bowed towards the Jedi Master.
"Master Dorak, if you do not mind, I have a question to pose." The voice was smooth and monotone. The speaker kept the pitch and volume of his voice under constant control.
"Of course Knight Kaviss, your contributions to these discussions are always welcome." There was a shadow of irritation through the Force, which suggested something contrary. The younger Jedi grinned.
"Thank you Master Dorak." The Jedi Knight turned towards the class of assembled padawans, still little more than a silhouette to their eyes.
"Master Dorak claims that it's Exar Kun's ignorance that perpetuated his fall and I agree." Kaviss paused, letting his statement sink in, giving the students time to think. "However, my question is not about Exar Kun's ignorance; I'm curious as to its source. Why was Exar Kun ignorant? He would have been warned repeatedly the dark side is dangerous. Perhaps Master Dorak has the answer?"
"I would suggest that it was Exar Kun's own disregard for the tutorship of his Jedi Masters that made him ignorant," Master Dorak replied. "You can only learn if you are willing to."
"You propose Exar Kun had defect in character? You argue ethical behavior comes from a virtuous character. If Exar Kun did not have a virtuous character, then he would be more susceptible to the lure of the dark side. However..." Kaviss trailed off.
"However?" Master Dorak asked.
"Claiming Exar Kun had a deficiency of character is an assumption. Did you know the man Master Dorak?"
"I did know him, not well, but I met him a few times. Obviously I did not know him well enough to say either way if he had a defect of character. It was only a suggestion in any case. No one can explain why Exar Kun was ignorant of the dark side's corruption." There was just a hint of irritation in Dorak's voice.
"I have an idea, if you do not mind hearing it."
"By all means, go ahead."
"Thank you, Master Dorak," Kaviss said with a nod.
Turning back to the padawans he addressed them. "I have a question for all of you; it's a yes or no question, so all you need to do is raise your hand. How many of you have broken a bone, any bone?" There was a group of raised hands among the padawans, about half the class. "Very good, now, I want someone that has never broken a bone to explain to me how it feels." There were a number of confused mutters.
"Knight Kaviss? I do not understand," a padawan spoke up. "How I can I explain how a broken bone feels, without having actually broken a bone?"
"That is an excellent question," Kaviss replied. "Intellectually, you are aware that breaking a bone is a negative experience. You don't need to experience it to know it would be painful. You can draw a conclusion based on already established facts. However, you cannot explain how it feels, because you do not know it from first hand experience. True knowledge begins with direct experience."
"Knight Kaviss, are you saying that Exar Kun was ignorant of the Dark Side because he never had direct experience with it?" That was a padawan in the second to front row. A pale skinned girl maybe in her early teens. Kaviss grinned again, even though no one could see it.
"How could Exar Kun fear something, when he lack's true knowledge of it? Understanding that a broken bone is harmful is not the same as having a healthy fear of the dark side. The dark side is intangible and mysterious. We speak of its dangers, and rightly so, but I would argue that the dark side is not something that can be truly feared and understood unless one experiences it directly."
That produced a flurry of shocked faces in the dim light of the holoprojector. Kaviss wanted to laugh as he imagined the thoughts scurrying about the minds of the padawans.
"That is a very interesting point you make Knight Kaviss; however, if you don't mind I do have a lecture to finish and while this discussion is certainly... provoking, I do not feel it is appropriate at this time." Dorak sounded completely in control, but Kaviss could feel the disgruntlement.
Kaviss was chuckling as he left.
"Was that necessary?" Master Dorak was not bothering to hide his frustration as he walked with Kaviss. The two of them strolled through the thousand fountains, their boots echoing on the stone pathways, barely audible next to the constant noise of the waterfalls. A myriad of flora and fauna, taken from various worlds across the galaxy covered the landscape of the Jedi Temple's most famous meditation hall.
"Of course it was; didn't you see their faces? They were thinking," Kaviss replied. "Come now Master, you shouldn't be surprised." Master Dorak sighed and stopped walking.
"The disappointing thing I'm not surprised. You are unorthodox and you challenge the decisions of the Council at every turn. Don't get me wrong, you were once a pupil of mine and I respect your reasons for believing the way you do, but those padawans were not prepared to hear what you had to say."
"All I did was challenge your statement regarding ignorance. Any indirect conclusions drawn from the discussion would be just that, indirect conclusions." Kaviss moved and stood in front of Dorak, holding out his arms in a gesture of apology. "If I overstepped my bounds, I apologize, but surely Jedi teachings are strong enough to hold up to my earnest cultivation of young minds."
"In theory, but the Order is... fragile right now, you know that. There are all these factions vying for a voice, demanding a change to the rules." Dorak shook his head. "The Council is still fairly new and they feel threatened by the lack of cohesion. People like you, radical voices that challenge the wave of conservative thinking, that bothers them."
"Because of Exar Kun, because of fear." Kaviss did not attempt to hide the contempt in his voice.
"Of course it is because of fear! Since you seem so confident of your grasp of epistemology perhaps you would like to explain to me how it is you know there is no reason for fear. After all you never 'directly' experienced the horrors of Exar Kun and you never 'directly' saw what he did. Clearly you are in a better position to judge what the Council should feel as a result of Sith War." Dorak spit the words like acid. Kaviss had never met a Jedi more difficult to upset then Master Dorak.
Kaviss opened his mouth, but then stopped. He deserved that, but he would not take back what he said. Fear and hesitation, however justified, were not successful mindsets.
"You make a point Master Dorak, a clever point; however, your point does not change the situation. It doesn't make fear and indecision any more valid than before, it only makes them more understandable."
"Yes, I thought you might see it that way." Master Dorak turned and glanced up at a nearby waterfall, seemingly watching as the water slid down a carved slope. "I did study the reports you know, from the front lines."
"Oh?"
"Three invasion corridors attacked overnight." Dorak sighed and shook his head sadly. "And for what? A misguided warrior ethos that brings only destruction with it."
"They are violent savages. What does the Council expect? That they will be defeated by the Republic alone?" Kaviss shook his head. "The Mandalorians are warriors, to the core they are professional soldiers."
"The Republic is not without its defenses."
"Inadequate defenses, if the disaster of the False War is to be any indicator. Mandalore made fools of some of the brightest minds in the Republic Navy."
"Maybe he will make fools of us all," Dorak muttered. Kaviss looked at him in surprise and received a blank stare in response. "Maybe he will even make a fool of you." Kaviss could barely hear those last words. "But I digress. I am tired. I will speak with you later." Dorak gave Kaviss a nod and left him standing there alone on the walkway.
"Something must be done about this Mandalorian menace!" Senator Akarius Vallin shouted. "They have raced down three invasion corridors overnight. They must be stopped and only by declaring a state of emergency can the proper resources be allocated to repulse the barbarians."
Kaviss, listened with distracted interest as the Galactic Defense Party, argued granting greater authority to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the cobbled together coalition of Republic Command. It was a haphazard merging of local fleets with the regular Republic Army and Navy. The command structure was an absolute mess. Planetary militias would be integrated into standing army units, often at random, based on what planets sent forces to the war effort and when. Command consisted of desk Admirals more attuned to politics than war, while field generals were forced to coordinate, often poorly, with the Rear Admirals along the front lines.
In contrast, the Mandalorians were unified behind one man and a highly professional and organized system. The irony was that the Republic forces outnumbered them by several magnitudes. Incompetence and a lack of proper organization was killing the Republic.
"The situation does not warrant such centralized control!" That was Senator Keida Eris from the powerful Mid Rim system of Antara . Racist against aliens and fiercely independent, the Antaran Confederation no doubt disliked the idea of their precious fleets falling under the direct control of the Joint Chiefs. "The Republic is principled on the idea that member systems have the right to self government and allocation of their military assets. The Senate cannot force systems to bow down before the grumbling of a few old admirals."
Senator Eris did not seem to suffer too badly from her world's xenophobic overtones, which Kaviss could appreciate, among other things about the beautiful Senator. It was really a pity that Senator Eris had to be on the wrong side of the political spectrum. That didn't stop her from inviting you out to dinner. "Something that worries me," Kaviss muttered to himself. He turned back to the Senate Chamber as one of the floating senatorial pods drifted outward so that a new voice could address the issue.
"I am inclined to agree with Antara's position. The Mandalorians can be defeated with the forces already deployed in the field. A State of Emergency would only propagate unrest and fear among the masses." It was the Senator from Corellia, typical of the arrogant Core system to cause more trouble.
"How can you stand there for hours and not get bored to death?" The question and voice belonged to Kaviss' best friend and fellow Jedi Knight, Alek Squinquargesimus. Alek tended to tower over most people and indeed, he gave the appearance of towering over Kaviss, although the two were closer in height that most people realized. Alek simply looked like a giant.
"It's politics Alek; you have no idea how entertaining it is to read the faces of these senators, to listen to the brief whispers of thought that float through the air." Kaviss grinned. He loved these games, loved the challenge of navigating through the word maze these senators spun. No other group in the galaxy could come close.
"If you say so," Alek muttered, doubtfully. Alek had never displayed any interest in politics, which suited Kaviss fine. Alek was not suited for reading people. Not that this was so much about reading people as more about shifting through all the garbage the senators were spewing and trying to find the rare gems of truth beneath.
"The session should be over soon and then we can-"
"-when are you going to take an apprentice?"
"What kind of random question is that?" Kaviss demanded, "and how does that relate at all with what we were just talking about?"
"It's a valid question I've been meaning to ask and I figured now would be good a time as any," Alek replied, shrugging as if it was a small issue. "You have been a Knight for six years now and yet in none of those six years have you decided to take an apprentice."
"Your point being?"
"When are you going to take a padawan?"
"I don't know Alek, when I find the right one. My standards are high."
"You mean strange; your standards are strange, not high."
"Whatever you say Alek." Kaviss paused and leaned back towards the window, watching as the senators began to file out of the massive chamber. The last of the Senators had given their closing arguments for the day and nothing more would happen until the Senate reconvened to vote. Normally the voting would have taken place now, but the arguments had dragged on too long. Worthless filibusters.
"You know they have a nickname for you?"
"Oh, what is it?" Kaviss rarely watched the holonet.
"The Revanchist, of all things, due to your aggressive policy of retaking captured systems from the Mandalorians."
"I suppose that at least leaves little doubt at where I stand." Labels could be useful, if properly applied.
"The Council is going to have a fit you know," Alek warned, but Kaviss waved his hand dismissively.
"Let the old bastards stew; their opinion is becoming increasingly meaningless to me anyways. They tell me we need to asses the situation, as if there was anything to asses!" Kaviss shook his head. "They are paralyzed by indecision, chained by the past."
"Exar Kun," Alek offered.
"He put the fear of the light into them and even now it still holds them in a vice grip."
"I heard about your stunt with Master Dorak's class," Alek chuckled, "figures you would be the one to ruin his class."
"I didn't ruin anything; I encouraged his students to think for themselves. The Order could use some independent thinking." Kaviss turned away from the window and stared towards the hallway that circled around the rotunda. "Padawans need to come to their own conclusions about the galaxy and the Force." It was getting darker out, with Coruscant's dwarf sun casting dim shadows across the sparkling cityscape.
"That's dangerous thinking," Alek said, following behind.
"Dangerous thinking is the best kind of thinking," Kaviss replied. Raising up his wrist he checked his chrono. It was getting late. "I have to go."
"Why? What's happening tonight?" Alek asked.
"I'm having dinner with Senator Keida Eris of Antara."
"Isn't that the beautiful blond lady that always shouts at the Senators of the Galactic Defense Party?" Kaviss grinned.
"The one and only. I'm going to convince her to switch sides and throw Antares support behind the GDP."
"And you will do this how?" Alek asked.
"I haven't a clue. She picked this very expensive restaurant, ridiculously expensive." Kaviss frowned as he considered how many credits this was likely to cost him. It was not as if Jedi just carried around credits to throw away like trash, well most Jedi did not. Some of the richer dynasties were sufficiently wealthy. Kaviss should know; he borrowed money from one of those richer dynasties.
"Do you even know this woman aside from her reputation?" Kaviss responded to a question like that with the expression it deserved, a flat frown. "Stupid question."
"We've met, spoken to each other at several senatorial functions, at length. You could say we are friends of a sort, star-crossed politically hostile friends. Due to my 'hardline' position on security, I have become something of a known political force. Why else would they be giving me nicknames?"
"Going out to dinner still seems rather personal."
"I suppose it is. It was not my idea mind you. She was the one who asked me if I was available and I could hardly refuse could I?"
"No, you really couldn't," Alek replied.
"Exactly, I suspect she noticed that I am beginning to gain considerable political support in high circles. I wonder if she expects to sway me to her side."
"The Independence Party?" Alek asked.
"That's the one she's part of; its lead by Corellia of course, naturally. With both Corellia and Antara having rebellious streaks in them, it makes sense for the two to be political bedfellows."
"And your goal is to convince her that it is in Antares' best interests to support the Galactic Defense Party?"
"Precisely."
Kaviss felt out of place. It was his dark brown robes. They were very plain and the high-class restaurant that he was in was most decidedly the opposite of plain. It was extravagance and luxury personified into a building. From where he sat, Kaviss could see the vast expanse of Coruscant below; an endless city of glittering lights that shined against the dark sky. It was such a strong contrast from where he had come from. Here in Coruscant, everything that was worth seeing shined or glittered. In a way it was ironic, because Coruscant was a barren rock beneath all that glitter. The ecosystem of this world had been devastated long ago, so now it was all artificial. The very air he breathed and enjoyed was processed. It was a wonder it did not glitter as well.
Kaviss also felt out of place when he considered the company he was keeping as she sat across from him. Keida apparently had some desire to make Kaviss feel more awkward then he already did. Her black dress, a luxurious item of nanosilk and glittering sparkles, had apparently been designed by someone who's sense of modesty was a quite bit different from anything Kaviss was aware of.
"Master Kaviss, I am so glad you could meet me like this," Keida said, smiling. She had done her hair up in elaborate pile of golden curls that still allowed blond ringlets to fall just short of her bare shoulders. Kaviss could have sworn she had spent hours arranging that hair.
"I'm not a Master, just a Knight," Kaviss corrected her and not for the first time. He thought she might have done it on purpose.
"My apologies Knight Kaviss." She smiled again, lighting up her face. Keida was one of those women that would look pretty doing anything. Smiling, scowling, frowning, glaring, shouting, crying, grinning. Name the expression and she would still look good.
"No, no, there is no need to apologize. It's a common mistake." Kaviss tugged at his menu―a small flexible datapad―with the Force and snatched it to his hands. Keida's eyes flashed briefly at the stunt and Kaviss could feel a slight blip of unease flowing from her presence in the Force. "Many people have a number of misconceptions about Jedi." That unease wavered, moving back and forth between curiosity and suspicion. That was just fine with Kaviss. The idea was to keep her guessing.
"I would recommend the Corellian Special, its one of the best platters this establishment serves," the Senator offered.
"Corellian you say? I wouldn't know, I've never been to a place this expensive in my life."
"It wasn't a burden to pay for was it?" It was almost quaint. The Senator sounded concerned. She looked concerned. The Force told Kaviss she was not.
"No; we Jedi are a big happy, sharing family." That was a load of shavit. Begging the Draay Estate for money had been one of the most embarrassing moments of Kaviss' life.
"I'm glad to know that this caused no stress on your part." Was that smugness he felt? He wanted to roll his eyes at senators and their vast wealth, at Keida and her vast wealth. "To be fair, I have been interested in your arguments for quite some time now. Those relating to the Mandalorian threat have piqued my interest."
"Couldn't you have simply watched them on the holonet? I am a Jedi, not a politician. What I say in public is no different than what I say in private." That was a lie, but she had to know that.
"Perhaps that is so, but you intrigue me Knight Kaviss. Perhaps because you are always hiding under that hood; perhaps because you had never said on the holonet why you support the hardline approach. You only tell the public why it should be done. Even during our previous talks, you have always skirted around the issue. I know Jedi aren't the easiest people to make friends with, but you? I can pin down nothing about you."
"I spent the first five years of my life in some of the worst places imaginable. In places like that, the strong crush the weak on a daily basis. Perhaps this offends me; perhaps it upsets me when I see the Mandalorians moving unchecked through Republic space. I feel we should present a united front against such aggression."
"Your anger and drive is personal then," Keida noted, but Kaviss was already shaking his head, having heard the thought form in her head before she had spoken it.
"No, this isn't about me, this is about justice. This is about defending the Republic from one of the savage and violent cultures in the galaxy." Only careful control kept the anger from his voice. Unlike most Jedi, he did not suppress his negative emotions. He did not embrace them either―for obvious reasons―but he did not feel that holding them down would accomplish anything. He let them run their course, but did not let them control him. Denial of one's emotions helped no one.
"You have voiced your disapproval of my political stance before. Tell me again, but why?" Keida was eying him with an unreadable expression. However, through the Force, Kaviss could read her easily enough. She was still curious.
"I do not believe it is helpful." It was diplomatic as Kaviss would be on his opinion concerning her position.
"Have you considered that it is not my position so much as it is the position of my constituents? I am an elected official after all." She really did sound like she was trying to defend herself.
"Then I suggest you educate your constituents on the more violent aspects of this growing conflict." Kaviss said, in harsher tones then he intended. Keida cocked her head to the side, as if she was listening to something. It was the gesture people made when they had something to say, but were not sure how to say it. "The Mandalorians will not stop at the Outer Rim, or the Mid Rim, they will burn a path all the way to Coruscant if they can."
"You sound so certain." She paused and looked down at her own menu. "In any case, we can continue these discussions after we eat. I'm hungry." She looked at him and popped that smile again. "The Corellian special is a rather large serving. Would you like to share?" At her suggestion, Kaviss narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Share? If that's the case than you can pay for it and I can return the money I had to borrow."
"I thought the Jedi shared everything."
"I lied. I had to ask for credits from a friend in the Draay Family."
"The Jedi family dynasty here on Coruscant?"
"The one and only. Despite the Order's new focus on living simple lives free of possessions, such sentiments don't tend to stick when you are rich."She made a noise in response to that, an amused sound. Maybe she thought it was funny? Kaviss certainly didn't.
Keida pulled a credit chip from… somewhere, and inserted it into her menu. Kaviss' eyes nearly boggled as he saw the number flash across the screen. That was ridiculous! He could have fed himself for a standard month, maybe longer, on such a sum.
"Next time you and I eat together, I will expect you to pay." There will be a next time? Kaviss hoped so; he could happily spend time with this woman.
"If I am going to be paying then I hope you like regular food, common food. The kinds of foods that poor bastards like me eat."
"You could save up the money the Order gives you," Keida replied.
"And starve just to please you?" Kaviss grinned. "I'm not that desperate, not yet anyways."
"You could at least show me your face, maybe try and look like you belong. I've been getting stares since I first sat down." In other words, she was telling him he stood out. Kaviss agreed with her.
Kaviss kept his face hidden for several reasons. Mostly because he liked to be able to move around freely with his hood down and not get swarmed by holonet reporters. He supposed it would not hurt to show his face at this place. Not even the reporters could afford this exercise in decadence. With a flick of the Force, he knocked his hood back, revealing his face to Keida.
"Hmm, it's almost a pity," she murmured as she stared at him. She was tapping a glittery nail against the tip of her chin, looking over him like Kaviss would look at an expensive piece of merchandise that he wasn't sure he liked or not.
"What is?"
"You have the face and the hair of a holovid actor, complete with the most stunning green eyes I've ever seen, yet you hide it under a hood all day."
"The less people know what I look like, the easier it is to avoid holonet reporters."
"Wouldn't someone like you want to be noticed by the reporters? Considering your aggressive political tendencies." Kaviss was shaking his head again. She did not understand, but then, he had not expected her to.
"None of this is about me; it's about what is best for the Republic. Who I am, is not important; however, my message is important. The Mandalorians must be stopped. If people start to focus on me, then they would forget my message."
"Your message doesn't sound―ah here is the food." An actual, living waitress, dressed almost as absurdly as Keida, arrived with a large platter of salad, some meat that Kaviss couldn't identify, and various side dishes. As his nose picked up the spicy smell rising from the meat, his stomach rumbled in anticipation.
"What kind of meat is that?" He asked.
"Smoked nerf. The salad is made from greens imported all the way from Corellia."
"Because importing lettuce from a location thousands of light years away, makes it taste better." Kaviss thought it was ridiculous. The money people would waste was beyond his ability to understand. He had been born on a miserable world in the Unknown Regions, and had never seen so much as a credit until Master Kreia had rescued him.
"It's a failing of the rich. We need to find ways to waste our vast mounts of wealth.," Keida said with a grin. Kaviss did not share her amusement and he made sure she realized it, compressing his lips into a flat line. As she involuntarily winced, Kaviss wondered if he was a bad Jedi for expressing his displeasure in such a way. "I am sorry, that was uncalled of me," she said. "I forgot that you came from a-"
"-it is nothing." Kaviss said, waving a hand dismissively, stopping her before she could blunder a second time.
"No, it isn't 'nothing.' I said something offensive and I shouldn't have." To Kaviss' surprise, the regret was genuine. Perhaps not all politicians were complete slime balls. Not that he would have ever categorized Keida as a slime ball. That term just did not fit her. A fine oil, scented of course. That was a more appropriate comparison.
"I thank you for your apology. In any case, I'm hungry, so unless you have any religious preferences you wish to observe before you eat, I'm going to dig in." Kaviss snatched up his fork and knife and was about to slice into the nerf when he felt it. Something was wrong. Quietly, he set his utensils down and instinctively glanced over towards a table across the floor.
There was a woman, looking like someone Kaviss would expect for a patron of this place. She had dark black hair, wore fancy red nanosilk dress, and had huge brown eyes. Mentally, Kaviss filed her appearance away for future reference. Everything looked normal, except something was wrong. The Force was telling him that not all was right. She is alone. That was odd, although not a valid enough reason for Kaviss to bother her.
"Is something wrong?" Keida asked.
"There could be. I sense something." Kaviss' shoulders itched. He wanted to stand and glance around at the danger racing from behind him. Except there was nothing save for the woman at the other table. What was the problem then?
"You sense something? What does that mean?"
"It means that–" Kaviss stopped and closed his mouth. How could he possibly explain this to someone that had no knowledge of any kind of what the Force was? Another issue to where the definition of knowledge rears its head. If he wasn't sensing a disturbance in the Force, Kaviss might have chuckled. "It means that something is wrong or at least the Force is disturbed by something. It is nothing major, just like an itch on my shoulder. Something is out of place and to be honest it might not even be here at the restaurant." Kaviss sighed. "Forget about it."