Chapter Two: Doubt
"Zoom in here, on his face. Yes, yes, very good!" Zarik Charr, scrambled about the system of holoprojectors, hastily giving orders to the techs working on post production clips for Coruscant's nightline news feature. "This is excellent; we are the only ones with an actual clip of his face!" Zarik clapped his pudgy hands in glee. Coru-Newscorp's ratings would skyrocket on the holonet after this footage was broadcast. "Make sure you get his eyes! His eyes! And blast it, can't we get the sound quality any better? I want to hear what they are saying!"
"We didn't get permission for this; the Senator could sue us for that," one of the techs said doubtfully.
"Did I ask for your opinion?" Zarik snapped. "Get on with it!"
"I did rather well didn't I?" Charlettas Korr smiled and tugged at her red dress, curling her full lips into a sneer. "He looked at me once and I thought for sure he was about to walk over and ask what I was doing妖amn Jedi and their senseså‚ut he didn't. He talked with her until the early hours of the morning and never looked over at me again."
"You did marvelous my dear, absolutely marvelous. As soon as the techs are finished, we should have this on the midday news." Zarik was rubbing his hands together in anticipation. None of the other news agencies had managed to get a look at the Revanchist's face; the man was notoriously private, but Zarik's genius had landed him the prize that all the major channels had been desperately after.
The Revanchist sat at a table with the well known Senator from Antara, eating and conversing. In Zarik's mind, it was a curious occurrence. Politics being such a money maker, he was aware of the political associations of the Revanchist and Antara's Senator. Why would two political enemies be engaged in such a private discourse? A secret relationship? Hidden alliances? Zarik had no idea, but that hardly mattered because he didn't have to know. All he had to do was make light of it on the holonet and the millions of viewers would do the rest for him.
Rumor would give birth to dozens of children and those children would give birth to their own children and so on, until the original story had been mangled and twisted into utter nonsense.
And Zarik was going to make a fortune off of it all.
Kaviss was not used to failure; he was used to success. Tonight had been a failure. Keida had not wavered in her opinion, fear of her constitutes made sure of that. If Kaviss had been feeling vindictive he supposed he could of accused her of being weak in the face of an impending crisis, but Kaviss found it impossible to hold any negative feelings towards the woman. Keida had that particular power that even years of Jedi control couldn't ignore.
At least the night had not been a complete failure. They had another dinner planned next standard week. Kaviss was fine with that.
Alone in the temple's practice yard, he was standing still in the center of a large training mat. It was in the early morning, but Kaviss had needed some way to work his frustrations out and slicing up saber training droids was always a good way to do so.
Snap hiss.
A blue blade flashed out suddenly, stabbing towards Kaviss as one of the training droids jumped out from the darkness. Moving on instinct alone, Kaviss leaped aside, falling into a roll, deftly moving out of the droid's range. A flash of images flickered in his mind's eye, telling Kaviss what would happen next. A second droid was rushing towards Kaviss from behind, even as the first one rushed towards his left.
With a pump of his legs and a boost of the Force, Kaviss burst into the air and flipped over the first droid, his blue saber flashing out in midair to knock aside a stab towards his midsection. With reflexes only a machine had, the droid whirled around and attempted to slam its durasteel fist into Kaviss' gut the moment the Jedi landed. Having already seen the move, Kaviss, slashed across with his saber, slicing off the droid's hand in a shower of sparks. He would have continued to slice the machine up, but droid number two stopped him with its sudden arrival. Kaviss dodged backwards, using the Force to enhance his distance, evading a slash at his torso.
Having put space between the droids, Kaviss threw his saber at droid number two, while he rushed droid number one, moving to slam the machine with a kick to its photoreceptors. That didn't go as planned when both droids opened with a flash of blaster fire from their built in stunners. Without his saber in hand, Kaviss held up his palms and reflected the bolts with the Force alone, directing them back towards the droids even while he used the Force to summon his deactivated saber from its spot on the floor where it had been knocked aside.
Droid number one with its missing left hand had switched into a Makashi form, while droid number two was putting its metal mass to its advantage, using the powerful Djem So form.
Kaviss closed his eyes and rushed forward to meet them, bringing up his saber in a defensive routine, using the Force to guide his movements, deflecting the sudden furious flurry of blows. If he had his eyes open, he could have seen the flares of light that lit up the training room like lightning. Instead, his physical sight showed only darkness. He was relying on his metaphysical sight; warning him of the sudden fluctuations in energy from the Force invisible droids, guiding his saber, knocking away blows that would have overcome him otherwise.
Spinning his saber into a line of defense, Kaviss began to move back, looking for an opening. Normally, his favored tactic was to combine elements from Soresu and Makashi, using the precise and economical movements of both forms to tire his enemy out before striking for the weak spots. Soresu provided the tight defense, while makashi offered a set of deadly offensive maneuvers. In most situations, it provided a formidable combination, a combination worthy of a master. Should a deficiency arise, Alek's Djem So, could fill the gap. The two of them always worked together anyways. Not tonight though and Kaviss had a problem.
Droids did not grow tired. Droids did not make mistakes. Kaviss would have to adapt and use less familiar tactics. Of course, that was the point of all this anyways. Kaviss savored the challenge, the test of skill.
He threw his body forward into a series of powerful swings, using his significant mass and size to fall into a basic djem-so attack routine in an attempt to bash through the weakened defense of droid number one. The machine's makashi programming attempted to compensate for the powerful blows by using the droid's superior mass to augment the otherwise kinetically weak makashi defense.
There was a shriek and flash of light as Kaviss knocked away a deflecting strike, sliding his saber down in a spray of sparks, slicing off the droid's second hand, sending its training saber flying. Kaviss had only a split moment, whirling around to face the second droid, just barely defecting a stab towards his side. Applying too much pressure, Kaviss overextended his arm. The droid, seizing the brief advantage, slammed its durasteel shoulder into Kaviss' side, knocking him backwards. That hurt.
Using the Force to control his saber, Kaviss telekinetically knocked aside an overhead strike, rolling away and whirling around to catch the saber as it fell. He wasn't accustomed to djem-so movements; for all of its power, djem-so still required measured levels of pressure, something Kaviss needed practice in. It was something the droid noticed as it quickly flew into a flurry of powerful blows made up of wide swings. The rapid sequence of blows and parries lit up the room, casting brief shadows as Kaviss and the droid dueled. Focus... utilize soresu defense, wait for the weak spot and then strike with makashi.
The difficulty of course, was in finding a mistake.
Droids didn't make mistakes. Droids would act within their programming. For now, a solid defense was Kaviss' best option. His face tightened as the droid shoved him back, his strict soresu movements flashing to keep the droid's saber away.
Kaviss fell into a second series of djem so attacks, halting the droid's advance. As the two of them stood there, blades flashing-connecting, Kaviss flicked a slider on his saber and dodged to the side as his saber instantly shortened in length, avoiding a blocking strike by the droid. As his blade passed, Kaviss flicked the slider again, extending the blade back to normal length. Sparks and molten chunks of durasteel sprayed off the suddenly headless droid as Kaviss completed his swing.
There was a loud crashing sound as the droid collapsed in a heap at Kaviss' feet.
Droids didn't make mistakes, but droids couldn't think past their programming. Kaviss had never programmed his training droids with Trakata. His lightsaber possessed several unique features that he hand't programmed his droids for, the first being the omniphase capability. Dual phase sabers were rare, but Kaviss had yet to find another Jedi with a lightsaber that could phase along a gradient instead of just two predefined settings. Master Kreia was a master of trakata and had trained Kaviss in its use which resulted in his desire for an omniphase saber. The second feature was perhaps the more unique of the two. Kaviss' saber had weight to it and not just in the hilt.
In the core of the blade, a secondary containment field held together a matter stream of neutrons emitted from a specially designed generator. With a second slider on his hilt, Kaviss could control the density of the matter stream, giving the blade weight enough to match a light blade; combine that potential kinetic power with the natural destructive power of the blade and Kaviss could tear into most opponents with ease.
He could kill with ease, with his lightsaber.
He stood there, staring at his humming blue lightsaber as the droids smoldered, stood there and asked the same question he always did whenever he considered his weapon.
Why did Jedi carry lightsabers?
It was an absurd question; Jedi carried lightsabers because that's what Jedi did, no one questioned things like that.
Kaviss would ask again.
Why did Jedi, a group dedicated to doing no harm, a group dedicated to peace and civilization why did Jedi carry one of the most lethal weapons in the galaxy? A weapon that could kill with a tap?
It was because the Jedi needed to defend themselves. That is what people would say.
There were weapons that could disable and stun. Jedi weren't supposed to kill, not unless all other options had been tried and tried very hard! But a saber? It was so easy to kill with a lightsaber, easy to maim, and to destroy.
Master Kreia had raised Kaviss to question everything. Everything was to be doubted. That's what Kreia had told him, repeatedly.
Truth? The truth is real, but I dare any one of us to find it. Even as you doubt everyone else, don't forget. Doubt me as well.
Morning found Kaviss in meditation, alone in silence, his thoughts, and his past. He hadn't slept, but such issues were trivial for a Jedi, not when the Force was right at Kaviss' fingertips.
The gentle sounds of water filled the air as they resonated from the various fountains in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Kaviss came here often. He did a lot of thinking; it seemed that his mind was always bursting with questions and doubts. Maybe they would call him the Doubting Jedi? In this respect, Kaviss envied Alek. For all the fact that Kaviss was stronger in the Force, Alek was not plagued by doubt. Alek was a man firm in his convictions.
"You have a unique gift and curse. You have the trait of genius and that will follow you wherever you go, whatever you believe. In everything you are told and in everything you see, the inner critic within you will question."
"Is this a bad thing?"
"No, but it is a dangerous thing."
"Dangerous indeed," Kaviss whispered. To be a Jedi was to trust in the Force to guide one's decisions and feelings. The Order did not train Jedi to act in an intellectual fashion, they were trained to have a faith in a power higher than they were. Kaviss had no such faith. The Force was a tool. A field of energy that he could manipulate as a result of possessing the correct genetics. To trust in it for guidance and sacrifice his intellect, it was something Kaviss could not and would not do.
Kaviss stood from his seat and checked his chrono, noting with surprise that it was almost noon. He had been mediating for hours. It was easy to lose track of the time when you were in deep meditation. Temporal and physical concerns vanished in such a state. Even the familiar illusion of self could disappear if one delved deep enough. Kaviss had accomplished this several times. A paradox created by the limitations of the human mind.
Perhaps an example of the limitations of human intellect as well?
Kaviss shook his head and dismissed such thoughts. If he could not rely on his reason, then he could rely on nothing at all. Even faith in the Force required one to reason that faith in the Force was preferred over faith in the intellect.
Through my intellect, I learn that faith in my feelings is to be preferred over faith in my intellect. However, if faith in my feelings is to be preferred over faith in my intellect, then should I not ignore what my intellect tells me and ergo not place faith my in feelings? However, if I do not place faith in my feelings and instead place faith in my intellect, than should I not act on my reason and place faith in my feelings?
Kaviss had no such internal contradictions. His intellect did not tell him to use his feelings. As for his feelingsthey told him to trust in his intelligence. He was not the only Jedi that believed in such things either. His old master, Dorak, was also a believer in the intellect.
"There you are," Alek said from behind. Kaviss was not surprised; he had felt Alek's presence approaching for several minutes now.
"Here I am indeed," Kaviss replied, turning around. "What is it?" Instead of answering, Alek simply stared at him.
"When was the last time you slept?"
"Over twenty four hours ago. Does it show?
"You look terrible. How long did dinner last?"
"Until the early hours of the morning. I couldn't convince her of anything, so I came here, sliced up my training droids and then decided to mediate."
"Sounds like a full day." Alek grinned. "So, how was it?"
"Dinner? Ridiculous, completely ridiculous. You wouldn't believe how much smoked nerf from Corellia costs," Kaviss said as the two of them walked along the path leaving the gardens. "Thankfully, I managed to convince her to pay."
"You can't do that!" Alek protested.
"And why not? We shared a single meal; I sure wasn't going to pay for something if she was willing. Now, I can pay back that coreslime Lucien Draay and his overly rich family." A thought occurred to Kaviss. "Aren't you friends with his murdering ex-Padawan?" Alek was shaking his head.
"Well I'm friends with him yesbut he's not a murderer. It's all a big misunderstanding and I'm sure it will be cleared up."
"Because he rescued you from Mandalorians?" Alek had gone on an expedition with a number of Kaviss' more enthusiastic "followers" and had managed to do a wonderful job of getting themselves captured by Mandalorians. The Council had had a field day with that, worsening their already low opinion of Kaviss.
"He's a good Jedi, Kaviss. Somehow, I just didn't see anything related to the dark side within him."
"Whatever; he is of little consequence to me in any case." Kaviss went over a mental checklist, making note of the great many things he needed to do. One in particular came to mind. "We planned to head to Cathar right?" He asked Alek.
"Uh, yes." Alek shook his head and muttered something under his breath, to low for Kaviss to hear.
"Although you haven't told me why."
"Oh don't worry. I have very good reasons on why we should go to Cathar. In fact I say we should leave by tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? Isn't that kind of short notice?"
"What? How hard is to procure a transport? Just because Cathar is an Outer Rim world doesn't mean it's not assessable. We will be back before the week is over, trust me." Kaviss grinned. "Well we had better be back before the week is over, otherwise I'd miss my next date with Senator Eris and we can't have that now can we?" Alek chuckled.
"Hardly." He said. Kaviss was about to reply when suddenly, he stopped. "I haven't even checked the holonet yet!"
"For what?" Alek asked.
"The vote! Today was the vote on declaring a State of Emergency." Kaviss hurried out of the gardens with Alek close in tow. He received a few glances as he rushed down the halls of the Jedi Temple, but was otherwise ignored until he reached the door to his room.
Master Kavar stood outside.
"Master Kavar? Always a pleasure to see you but Kaviss started to say, but Kavar held up a hand.
"I wanted to talk to you first since you and I have tended to get along and this could be an issue." Kavar said the words in a tone of voice that immediately told Kaviss that something was wrong.
"Is something wrong Master Kavar?"
"No, not officially, but I think you should take a look at noon's newscast on the holonet." The vote? Kaviss' first thought was it had gone bad for the GDP, but that couldn't be it. Kavar would not have been so solemn if that was the case. He stepped inside his room and quickly switched on his holoreciever.
"What do you think Master Kavar is so upset about?" Alek asked, falling into the room's only chair.
"I have no idea, but I'm about to find out," Kaviss muttered in response, flashing through the holonet channels. There was the usual mess of nonsense, one of the reasons he hardly listened to the media, but nothing on the vote. As far as he could tell they were still deliberating. What had Kavar been talking about?
Then he saw it.
"The Revanchist and Senator Keida Eris of Antara were seen early this morning at a high class restaurant in Upper Coruscant, in what appears to be a friendly dinner, or perhaps more? See the closeup holos of the Revanchist's face, brought to you by Coru-Newscorp!" Kaviss' face flashed onto the screen, along with images of him talking to Keida.
"How?" He trailed off as the truth hit him. The disturbance he had felt, the danger. He had assumed it would be physical, a threat to on his life. The Force didn't work that way though, it would whisper of all dangers, all truths. "I was blind!" He hissed.
"What are you talking about?" Alek asked. Kaviss him heard from rise from the chair and suddenly his face was beside Kaviss', watching the holonet. "Oh wow," He whispered.
"Yes, yes, wow!" Kaviss threw up his hands and clicked the receiver off. "The Force was warning me, warning me! And I ignored it." There was frustration, burning like a fire in his chest. Fearfully, he slammed it down. Acknowledging the existence of negative feelings was one thing, but sometimes it was better just to deny them. Eat my own words...
"As I said, I wanted to speak to you first before the others did. The council will not be happy." Kavar had stepped inside. "Jedi are supposed to keep a minor profile, to stay out of the public eye, especially in times like this. Your actions have not helped the situation although to be fair to you, you couldn't have known this would happen."
"That's just it!" Kaviss growled. "How could they know where to find us? How did they know what restaurant?" He began to pace. "They knew exactly where I would be and had the money ready to book a table at one of the most expensive places to eat in Coruscant. They knew everything they needed to know."
"You think someone told them?" Alek was frowning and no wonder. "But who could have he closed his mouth as the answer became clear.
"Keida," Kaviss whispered, "either Keida or someone on her staff." He shook his head, pressing his hands to his forehead. "But why?"
"Image is everything in politics," Kavar said. "You are a known supporter of the GDP and Keida is a leading member of the opposing party. The two of you sharing a private dinner at such an expensive place speaks of a great many things."
"Things that might make my allies in the GDP wary of associating with me." Kaviss clenched his fists. He had been played, played like a fool with a bad sabbac hand. Wasn't he supposed to be a genius, a veritable prodigy? Apparently not. He took a deep breath and forced down his anger. "Master Kavar, I must thank you for bringing this to my attention before the other masters do. At the very least, I will have something to tell them in response, an explanation." Kaviss cared little about what the Council thought of him, but he was still a Jedi and consequences were consequences.
"Just remember; don't take this personally," Kavar warned. "Keida is a politician and she is doing what politicians do very well, deceive. Even Jedi are not infallible."
"Oh I completely agree, Master Kavar," Kaviss said as a smile began to form on his face. If the schutta was going to make him look the fool, then he was sure as hell going to return the favor.