Chapter 6
Night had fallen on Coruscant, but the city-planet was anything but dark. As the sun went down, the lights came up, illuminating the skyscrapers with specks of color ranging the entire visible spectrum. Hundreds of airspeeders and taxis continued to glide through the air traffic lanes in between the buildings. Luke enjoyed watching the nighttime city through the large transparisteel windows in his quarters. The beauty of the scene made the perfect backdrop for meditation.
But there would be no rest for the Jedi Grand Master tonight. He realized this when Master Cilghal contacted him on his holotransmitter. "Master Skywalker, the shuttle has arrived with the patient. They are landing in the medical transport bay."
"I'm on my way," acknowledged Luke. He ended the transmission and proceeded to the Halls of Healing.
"Master Tano, I am sorry to disturb you at this late hour."
Ahsoka responded to her holotransmitter, "How can I help you, Master Cilghal?"
Cilghal's hologram explained, "I have just received a very interesting patient. Admiral Mo'ari has found what he believes to be a Jedi survivor on the Dead Planet."
Ahsoka gasped audibly. A Jedi survivor? For the past sixty years, she thought she was the only Jedi left. Now, there was a possibility that someone she once knew was alive.
Desperate for answers, Ahsoka asked Cilghal, "Do you know who he is? What's wrong with him?"
"I was hoping you could tell me. Would you please come to the Halls of Healing and possibly identify the patient."
Without a second thought, Ahsoka said, "I'll be right there." She ended the call and hurried out of her room, her mind swimming in both anticipation and anxiety. As exciting as it might be to see an old friend again, it could also be nerve-racking. What if he did not recognize her? What if it was someone whom she did not want to recognize, or be recognized by? What if he died right there in the Halls of Healing, and Ahsoka was forced to watch as another fellow Jedi was killed? This meeting could go in any direction. But she knew it was necessary to confront her past.
Like most areas of the Jedi Temple, the medical center was designed to be a peaceful environment to facilitate meditation. Nevertheless, the Halls of Healing were well-equipped with all of the best medical equipment available. And with Master Cilghal, the order's most proficient healer, and her unique knowledge of biology, medicine, and Force healing techniques, one would be hard-pressed to find a better treatment center.
When Luke arrived, he found Cilghal and her young apprentice, a meter-tall rat-like Chadra-Fan named Tekli, in one of the treatment wards. It was at this moment that Luke first laid eyes on the mysterious Jedi survivor. His first impression: This man looked like a corpse. Both of his legs were amputated just above the knees, his heavily wrinkled skin was melted, and his blank, white eyes stared at the ceiling. A blanket covered his lower torso and his torn and dirty clothes were laid out on an adjoining table for chemical analysis. Wires from several machines ran into various parts of his body, measuring all of his vital functions.
Luke asked, "What have you found out?"
Cilghal looked up from her datapad and turned to face Luke. She responded with two words. "Twenty years."
Luke was confused. "I'm sorry?"
"Twenty years," repeated Cilghal. "That's how long I've been working in medicine. I have seen things no one else has seen. I've operated without needing a scalpel. I've performed interspecies organ transplants. I once delivered a set of Rodian triplets joined by the same body part."
Luke nodded. He had heard that story. "I never did find out, which body part were they joined by?"
"I'd rather not say," answered Cilghal. "Let's just say, two of them will have trouble having children. But my point is, I thought I've seen everything there is to see, but now I realize that I was wrong. This man baffles me. He has numerous fractures, lacerations, and burns, probably caused when the ship crashed. But that's only the tip of the asteroid." She gestured at the vital signs monitor. "Look at this. Heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, brain activity – everything at a bare minimum, impossible to detect without sophisticated equipment."
"So he's in a coma?" asked Luke.
Cilghal rotated her body back and forth, the Mon Calamari equivalent to shaking her head. "Not exactly. In a coma, the patient has brain activity, but they can't maintain their vital systems on their own. Somehow, this man has been unconscious, but able to breathe and circulate blood on his own. I'd say this is closer to a vegetative state, in which a person can function, but is not aware of anything. But in those cases, their vital functions are mostly normal, unlike in this man. In simple terms, there is no accurate diagnosis for this man's condition.
"So, to recap, this man has spent sixty years on an uninhabitable planet, with multiple injuries, without food or water, unconscious, yet barely maintaining his own vital systems. We're doing everything we can for his injuries, as well as facilitating his functions, but there's little more we can do for his mental state."
Luke nodded, affirming his understanding. "I'm sure you'll do everything you can. In the meantime, let's see if we can figure out who he is, and how he got here."
"Perhaps I can help." Luke and Cilghal turned toward the entrance to the ward to face the source of the new voice. It was Ahsoka. She continued, "Master Cilghal explained the situation to me, and I came to see if I can identify the patient."
Luke smiled and gestured, "By all means. I'm sure we could all use some definite information right about now."
Ahsoka stepped into the room and stood next to the examination table. After a few seconds of studying the patient, she gasped in alarm. She did indeed recognize him – as someone she had hoped never to see again. "Oh, no. It can't be him!"
Luke mirrored Ahsoka's expression. "What is it? You know him?"
Ahsoka stepped away from the man, almost as though she were afraid that he might jump up and attack her. "Yes, I know him. His name is Demood Elppirc. He used to be a Jedi Master, until he betrayed the Republic."
"He's a traitor?" repeated Luke. "Why? What did he do?"
Ahsoka explained, "He bombed the Republic prison toward the end of the Clone Wars, out of defiance for what the Jedi had become. He was arrested and imprisoned. But, later, Separatist agents came and kidnapped him. We tracked them to a Separatist battlecruiser, but it was destroyed before we could recover Master Elppirc. It was assumed that he had been killed in the explosion."
Cilghal pointed out, "He was found in the wreckage of a Separatist ship on the Dead Planet. Is it possible that the ship you spoke of crash-landed there?"
Ahsoka put a hand to her chin as she thought. "I suppose. The battle was near that system. It's possible that when the cruiser exploded, part of it drifted through space and was caught in the planet's gravity. It's quite a coincidence that Master Elppirc happened to be on that particular section."
"Coincidence," asked Luke, "or the will of the Force? Perhaps the Force made him crash onto that planet and made him this way, so that he could be recovered by us. He might possess valuable information."
"You wish to revive him?" asked Cilghal.
"Can it be done?"
Cilghal spoke hesitantly as she thought about it. "Well, uh, given the circumstances, we may be able to… stimulate his brain with a neural shock. But, we don't know how he will respond. The attempt may very well kill him."
To Luke's surprise, Ahsoka said, "Perhaps that would be for the best. He already holds the Jedi Order in contempt for their role in the Clone Wars. I fear that he will refuse to tell us anything. Besides, he may react violently if we tell him that he's been missing for sixty years and that his fears about the Jedi Order and the Republic came true. He's already an arsonist; he could still be dangerous."
"She may be right," agreed Cilghal. "And a neural shock, if not administered precisely, could alter his brain chemistry, making him more dangerous. But, the choice is yours, Master Skywalker. Besides, he needs further recovery before we can administer the shock, which gives you time to make your decision."
Luke nodded. He couldn't deny that Master Elppirc may be dangerous. Even though he was in poor health, there was no telling how strong he would be with the Force. He could crush the entire medical ward and everyone in it. Even though the chances of him causing irreparable damage were slim, Ahsoka still believed it was an unnecessary risk.
Luke, however, thought it was worth a try. "I think we should do it. Let me know as soon as you're ready." Luke left the ward and returned to his quarters, thoughts circling around in his mind. He could tell that something big was happening. Whether it would be good or bad, only time could tell.
After waiting anxiously for nearly a full day, Luke and Ahsoka were summoned to the Halls of Healing. They found Cilghal and Tekli already tending to Master Elppirc. He still lay on the operating table, apparently lifeless and hooked to several machines. Looking at this man, Luke wondered if he had made the right choice. Elppirc appeared harmless, but Luke had learned that looks could be deceiving. If something went wrong, there was no telling what kind of damage Elppirc could inflict.
Luke turned to face Cilghal and asked, "Are you ready?"
Cilghal replied, "Everything has been prepared. We even have guards waiting outside in case something goes wrong. If we're going to do this, now would be a good time."
Luke nodded. "Very well. You may proceed."
Tekli stood next to one of the machines, which had wires running into Elppirc's brain. She explained, "We have hooked the stimulator to all of the major parts of his brain. I've made sure that the connections are precise. If they're off by a tenth of a millimeter, this won't work."
Cilghal added, "And if they're off by more than a millimeter, we could cause irreparable brain damage. Tekli, on my mark, administer a level-one shock. If that doesn't work, we'll increase the voltage." She looked at Luke and Ahsoka and said, "I suggest you stand back." The two Jedi Masters complied and held their breath, anxious to get the procedure over with. Cilghal looked back at Tekli and ordered, "Level one, now."
Luke held his breath as Tekli pressed a button on the machine's control panel. Elppirc flinched, but he did not awaken. After waiting for a few seconds Cilghal said, "Increase by 500 volts. Fire." Tekli increased the machine's power and pressed the button again. This time, Elppirc's torso shot upward and he drew in a large breath. Startled, the other Jedi jumped and instinctively moved their hands towards their lightsabers. Demood Elppirc was awake.
Elppirc lay back down and continued to breathe heavily. "What? Where am I? What's happening? Wait, why can't I see? I'm blind! I'M BLIND!" The Jedi let out a blood-curdling, anguished scream.
Tekli looked at the computer screen next to the table and observed the medical readings. "All his vital systems just went up, but his brain activity is too high."
Elppirc suddenly stopped screaming and jerked his head left and right, trying to see who had spoken. "Who are you? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!" He rolled back and forth on the table, screaming all the while. Cilghal tried to hold him down, but he reacted even more violently. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! Aah! Aah! AAAAAAAAH!"
Luke reached out with the Force and tried to calm Elppirc's mind. "Rest, Master Elppirc. You're safe. We're Jedi, like you."
Elppirc clasped his hands against either side of his head and yelled, "Get out of my head! Get out! Out! Leave me alone!" As suddenly as he had started yelling, he stopped and growled softly. "Oh, you Jedi fools! You thought I was poisoning your youth, so you tried to silence me. You did this to me! Murderers! Torturers! Traitors!" His voice gradually grew louder and higher. "Well, do whatever your black hearts want! Just wait! You'll lose the Clone War, and you'll be begging me for forgiveness! You're all fools! Yoda! Windu! Kenobi! All of you!"
That statement was like a cold dagger to Ahsoka's heart. Elppirc did warn the Jedi against fighting in the Clone Wars, and he had turned out to be right. And everyone she had known had paid the price. Luke looked at her, partly to see her reaction to Elppirc's accusations, but also to silently question whether they should tell him the truth. Ahsoka responded with a serious glare and a subtle nod.
Luke then leaned into Cilghal's ear and whispered, "Do you think it will be safe if we tell him the truth? I don't think we'll be able to get anywhere with him unless we do."
Cilghal answered, "If that's what you think, I don't see that we have any other option. But be gentle with him. His reaction could still be dangerous."
Luke nodded to affirm his understanding and addressed Elppirc. "Actually, Master, the Clone War ended almost sixty years ago. The Sith seized control of the Republic and killed the Jedi. We are from a new Jedi Order that was founded thirty-five years ago."
Elppirc stopped screaming and was silent for a few seconds, his mouth hanging open in shock. Suddenly, he laughed so loud and hard that the others in the room jumped in surprise. "HAA HAHAHAHAA HAA! I knew it! I knew it! I warned them, yes, I did. But they wouldn't listen, oh no no no. When the Sith returned, I said, 'It's time to use the orb.' And they said, 'Ah, no, we don't need an orb. We're superior beings.'" Elppirc laughed hysterically. The other Jedi looked at each other in confusion. It seemed as though Elppirc was constantly changing moods effortlessly. The madman continued, "And I said, 'Yes, we do need the orb.' And they said, 'No, we don't.' And I said, 'Yes, we do.' And they said, 'No, we don't.' And I said, 'Yes,' and they said, 'No,' and I said, 'Yes,' and they said, 'No,' and I said, 'Yes,' and… they… said…" Elppirc trailed off as his eyes shut and he stopped moving.
"What's happening?" Luke asked.
Cilghal studied the monitors and said, "His vital functions are stable, but he's slipping back into his coma. The neural shock only lasted a short time."
"Can you revive him?"
"Yes, but I'm afraid it will require a stronger shock. If we attempt to wake him too many times, he will stop responding altogether. I wouldn't recommend it unless it is absolutely necessary. Now, if you will excuse me, I have paperwork to do. Tekli, keep monitoring the patient. Let me know if there are any changes."
Tekli bowed. "Yes, Master." Clighal left the ward and returned to her office. Luke and Ahsoka turned the other way, heading for the exit leading to the rest of the temple.
As they walked, Luke was in deep thought, processing all that he had heard from Elppirc, which was basically nothing. "I wish there was some way to keep him alive."
Ahsoka said, "Maybe he is better off dead. It may be more humane to kill him now and end his suffering."
Luke was surprised to hear Ahsoka say something like that. She had always been strongly opposed to taking the lives of others. "Is that what you really think? Or are you just saying that because you think he's still dangerous?"
Ahsoka stopped walking and answered, "Maybe I am. He bombed a prison. Hundreds of criminals were set free, and people were killed. He feels no guilt, no remorse, no regret – he thinks that what he did was perfectly justified."
Luke stopped walking as well and turned around to face her. "We've dealt with those kinds of cases so many times that we've lost count. You've never once suggested execution. In fact, you opposed it. Why has that changed now?"
At first, Ahsoka didn't answer. But after thinking about it, she said, "It's different in so many ways. This isn't some common criminal; this is a Jedi with a severe mental illness. Do you realize what kind of message that sends? After the bombing, people blamed the Jedi. We tried to prove that we wouldn't abandon our principles and intentionally hurt innocent people. When Elppirc was arrested, we were proven wrong. Public support towards the Jedi dropped, and we were viewed as enemies of the Republic."
Ahsoka leaned over the railing to look at the hundreds of Jedi walking through the temple, going about their daily lives, as though nothing was wrong. "We're already in a delicate position within the Alliance. What do you think will happen if the Senate finds out about Elppirc? What will Dain do? I'm just not willing to take that risk. Are you?"
Now it was Luke's turn to think hard. Was he really willing to risk everything just so he could satisfy his curiosity? "I've made difficult choices my entire life. They turn out to be right as often as they are wrong. But there were many choices that had mixed outcomes. To this day, I still don't know whether they were right or wrong. We simply have to trust the Force. Right now, my instincts are telling me that Master Elppirc holds valuable information. If we let him die, we'll never know what it is, and we may have lost an opportunity to make a difference."
Ahsoka sighed. "You may be right, but, from what we've heard, he doesn't have any information. He told us nothing useful."
Luke frowned. "Not necessarily. He said that when the Sith returned, he urged the Jedi to use an orb. What is this orb?"
Ahsoka began to pace, deep in thought. After a minute of thinking, she said, almost hesitantly, "When I was a Youngling, we heard a story about Sith Orbs. Supposedly, they're some kind of relic made entirely out of Dark Force energy that gives their users ultimate power. They were created by the ancient Sith, and destroyed with them. According to legend, when the orbs were destroyed, they all formed into one super-orb that contained the combined Force energy of them all. It was hidden by the Jedi so that no one would be tempted to use it."
"Why not just destroy it?" asked Luke.
"The Council planned to use it if the Sith ever returned. That's why it was hidden, and only two Jedi at a time knew where it was. But no one knew who they were unless they came forward. When one of the "secret keepers," as they were so called, died, the other would tell the secret to another Jedi. And it continued that way for hundreds of years. But like I said, it's only a legend. Even if it were true, both secret keepers were probably killed when the Empire took over. The orb would be lost forever."
Luke pondered Ahsoka's story. Could such a relic exist? Could there be an object made of Dark Force energy? Could it give a person ultimate power? "Let's say, theoretically, that this Sith Orb did exist. Maybe one of the secret keepers survived the Jedi Purge and passed on its location before he died. Or… maybe he's still alive."
Ahsoka realized what Luke was implying. "You think Master Elppirc knows where it is?"
"I know it's unlikely, and there's no proof, but maybe we should at least consider it."
"Well, let's say you're right, and he gives us the location of the orb. What would we do with that information?"
"We would have to tell the Jedi Council, and decide together on what's best."
Ahsoka stared forlornly over the balcony. "I just hope we make the right choice. If we don't, I may be forced to watch a second Jedi Order be destroyed."
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