10
The Stenness Node. Not many hyperspace routes in or out of that place.
Vek meditated. His feelings about Onderon were mixed. In the ancient past, many leaders there were connected with the Dark Side, including the Sith Lord Freedon Nadd.
Still, as he flowed through the currents of the Force, a calming stream soothed him. The Jedi here were peaceful, perhaps a bit too peaceful.
When he opened his eyes, he wasn't surprised to find Yoda staring at him. "Here, the Jedi are strange, yes?" he asked.
"If know so much, you do, why tell me, do you not?" Vek asked in return. Yoda was not amused.
"Cook for you, I should," he said and grinned wickedly. "Pick these things from your mind, I do," he added slowly, sadly. "Though one with the Force, I am, difficult, it is, to sense the living."
"Onderon seems to be a mixed bag, even today," Vek said. "We'll know for sure in a little less than an hour." He returned to his meditations.
It was then that he caught another glimpse. A young girl, perhaps fourteen, pressed in from all sides by the thick jungle. Rage, fury, fear, all clouded her mind. That was the present, Vek understood. The vision changed. The young girl, a bit older, wiser, but consumed by the Dark Side. She stood over him in triumph. His eyes watched from below and great pain wound its way into his bowels. The sand on which she stood, the breeze which blew through her tangles of hair, the structure looming behind her, were all too familiar to him. Malice dripping from her, she looked on him one last time, turned and stalked toward the ancient temple behind.
Quickly, his eyes snapped open.
"Troubled, you look," Yoda said. "And relieved. The future, you have seen, hmm?"
"One possible future," he said. "I die."
"Look so happy, you should not." Yoda shook his gimer stick at him. "Allow the Dark Side to win, you should not."
The Ebon Hawk came out of hyperspace. A large green planet nearly filled the view screen. Immediately, port authorities were chittering in his ear.
Most of Onderon was thick jungle. Vek wondered briefly if this was where he was supposed to meet the girl in his visions. After a moment, he shook his head slowly.
Hands clutching the controls, he guided the Hawk to Iziz, the only settlement on the planet. Just over three million beings lived here, packed behind large walls to keep out the vicious beasts. Perhaps one hundred thousand residents lived outside the walls of Iziz. They were the beast wranglers: men and women descended from those who had offended the nobles of Onderon in the remoteness of the past. They either learned to live among the ferocious creatures, or they died.
Landing gear extended, Vek eased the Hawk to the landing pad, cut the engines.
"Statement: HK-47 is ready to serve, Master."
"Not this time, HK," Vek said. "I need you to stay and guard the ship." Never had he seen a droid look disappointed before. "You never know, HK," he said reassuringly, "a gang of thugs might come up the ramp, once I leave. Keep that blaster at the ready."
"Condescending comment: Oh, yes, Master. That is so likely to happen that this unit will continue to quiver with anticipation." It stormed off toward the cargo bay, muttering something unflattering about it's master.
Outside, the sun shone brightly, as it was late morning in Iziz. Birds chirped in the trees and eaves of the tall buildings.
"You're both coming along?" Vek asked as Yoda and Sheev strolled down the ramp behind him.
"I have been remiss in your studies on the Dark Side," the former emperor said. "This place is rich in its history."
"Keep you on the straight and narrow, I must," Yoda said.
"Ah, Master Yoda." Palpatine turned to the diminutive fellow for the first time. "Vek is a big boy; indeed, he has lived a far more interesting life than you, my friend. Time to allow him to spread his wings, so to speak, and experience all that life has to offer, not only the rigid interpretations which the Jedi cling to."
"Spoken like a politician," Yoda said, then turned to Vek. "Say more, need I?" Yoda knew of Vek's distaste for slick talking politicos.
In response to the witty rejoinders of his followers, Vek sighed, pushed himself forward. After mind tricking his way out of the port fee and receiving a Starport Visa – the only way for spacers in or out of Iziz proper – he passed through the final gate.
"It feels as much like a prison as last time I was here," Vek said. Security had been tight, more than five thousand years ago. He'd traveled in search of the Exile, Meetra Surik.
"A prison cannot hold someone of your strength," Palpatine said. "Breach the walls with your power and the natives will fall in line behind you."
This is going to tax my patience, Vek thought. These two, together, are like petrol and water.
For a time, he wandered the streets, T3 in tow. Dark Side, Light Side, both were represented here. They swirled violently around one another, awash with each other, yet never meeting. He couldn't quite get a bearing on where the Jedi were, as though they were purposely hiding.
"Very different, these Jedi are," Yoda said. "Find them, you must."
"Yes, find them and turn them," Palpatine said.
It's like having an angel on one shoulder, a devil on the other, Vek mused. A moment later and he winced as Yoda's gimer stick struck home. "Ow," he yelped. Passersby gave him odd glances.
"Pardon me," Vek said. He'd stopped at a street vendor to purchase a small chunk of... something on a stick. He hoped it was meat.
"What else can I get ya?" the young woman who sold him the treat asked.
"Some information," Vek said. Since he'd just made a purchase, she smiled and gave him her full attention.
"As you can no doubt tell, I'm new here. I'm looking for the Jedi. Can you direct me?"
"Normally, I'd tell ya to take the Sky Ramp," she said, pointing upwards. "But it ain't safe for travelers no more." She pursed her lips together and gazed off to her left, deep in thought. Soon, her eyebrows arched and she pointed down toward a street choked by skyscrapers on either side. "Down that way, then take a left, then second street, take a right, then go a quarter of a kilometer, take another left and you should see signs for their underground temple."
"Thank you," Vek said and bowed to her. "Did you get all that, T3?" he asked as he walked away. The faithful droid bleeped happily. The whatever it was on a stick was delicious. It was better, he felt, if he didn't ask after its true identity.
Shadow enveloped them as they took the first back street. The walls of the city lurched closer, spreading durasteel arms around him.
Suddenly, he stopped. "Be ready, T3," he whispered. As if on cue, doors on either side of the street opened. Out stepped a dozen life forms, ill intent in their hearts.
"Whatcha got, spacer?" the closest asked. "Whatever it be, we want it." T3 rolled forward. A compartment on its chassis opened and the droid shocked the lout.
Soon, Vek's silver blade ignited. Blaster bolts whizzed here and there. The ones that could have done him harm were easily deflected. He had to dodge a simple pipe. Blade humming, he cut it in half, slammed the offender against the wall using the Force.
Several thugs were down. The rest scattered.
"Ha! Pathetic," Palpatine said. "It would be so easy to rule over them all, wouldn't it, Master Vek? They yearn for iron-fisted guidance."
If I have to listen to this all day, Vek thought, I'm gonna have to find a liquor store. For his trouble, he received a glare from Yoda. By the Force, it's Temperence Kiljoy and Darth Talkstoomuch. By now, both ghosts glared at him.
He caught a flash of danger, right before he heard the report of the blaster. Blade shimmering, he blocked the bolt from above. From the third story, he watched as a hooded figure disappeared into the building. With a push from the Force, he leaped up to the open window, gave chase.
Up, up, flight after flight of stairs, they went. The villain must have had the training of a galaxy class athlete. Vek had to concentrate on the Force to stop the burning in his lungs. At last, the figure slipped into the building proper, about twelve stories up.
Vek burst through the door, senses attuned. Finally, his breathing slowed and he stopped using the Force to help keep him moving. Every door on this level was closed and there was no where else for the hooded assassin to hide.
Eyes darting here and there, Vek searched through the Force. There weren't many life forms home. He realized this was a residential building. Soon, he caught a whiff of Force signature.
When he palmed the door, blade humming, he paused. The hooded figure held a child, knife at the young one's throat. "Back away and nobody gets hurt," the figure said.
"That wasn't your intention when you took a shot at me," Vek said. He stepped forward, ever so slowly. "We can talk about this; I don't want to hurt you."
Apparently not in the mood for conversation, the would be assassin flung the terrified child out the nearest window, dashed for the door.
Vek bolted for the window, reaching to his belt at the same time. He dove, head first, through the aperture, hands outstretched before him, so he'd be more aerodynamic. I always hate it when I have to get heroic, he thought as he closed the distance to the child.
Just before he grabbed the kid around the waist, he turned, flung his grappling hook. Attached to his belt, he felt a giant tug at his waist as the hook caught. Child in his arms, they both jerked to a stop, several meters from the duracrete beneath.
"I'm getting too old for this shavit," he said quietly as he deposited the child back home, a grateful babysitter shaking his hand.
After following his guide's directions, Vek reached the entrance to the underground temple. By now, the sun was just beginning its arc toward the horizon and many beings were wandering the streets in search of a midday meal.
"What is your business at the Jedi Temple?" a robed man asked when Vek approached.
"I seek their wisdom," Vek said, bowing his head. "I sense you speak for them."
Inclining his head in return, the fellow said, "I am Master Ardshel Chifree, and welcome, Master."
"How do you know I am a Master?" Vek asked as they descended the steps beneath the surface.
"I sense your dedication in seeking the truth," Master Chifree said, then glanced behind Vek. "You also have as your companions two ghosts."
"Yes. Them." Vek would have been happy if they wandered away.
"If you seek our wisdom, then you must understand that we do not freely give it," Chifree said. "Knowledge leads to the misuse of it. Much suffering comes from action and reaction."
"I'm not certain I follow," Vek said. "Knowledge in and of itself cannot harm. That's like saying a lightsaber can kill. It isn't the object, but the one who wields it."
"Yes, and those who would seek knowledge have the will to use it, much like the lightsaber, for their own benefit." Chifree led Vek to a small room, just off the main entrance. "I'm afraid I can't let you see more of our Temple until you decide if you will remain here forever."
"Forever is a long time," Vek said. Better than others, he knew that. "Why would I need to remain?"
"The power we hold is too dangerous to inflict on others," Chifree said. "We must remain here, cloistered together, separate from the worlds, so we may do no harm."
Vek contemplated his words briefly. "Here's a thought," he said. "Just don't do harm."
His host shook his head. "A flippant answer. What is harm? A tyrant may oppress the masses, but do a few good deeds for some. To the many, he is a monster. To the few, he does good works. Who is correct?"
"Tell me of your code," Vek said. These were folks with good intentions. Someone had twisted them into fearing everything. My bet's on this Darth Plicitous fellow.
Sadly, Chifee shook his head. "I shouldn't, but I suspect you would find a way to discover it. Very well: There is no anger, only peace. There is no knowledge, only ignorance. The Force shall bind me beyond death."
"Allow me to guess," Vek said. "A Dark Lord of the Sith brought you this code, telling you he was doing you a favor."
"Long ago, in order to restore balance to the Force, the Dark One arrived on Onderon, yes." Chifree nodded. "You do know much, Master Talis. You should remain with us, so no harm may come to others."
"I was accosted in the street on the way here," Vek said. Briefly, he described the situation. "I believe the villain was a Sith, though he, or she, never produced a blade to challenge me properly. Only placing an innocent at risk. The Dark Side does not care about putting others in danger."
"That is all the more reason for us to remain here," Master Chifree said. "If an innocent is placed in danger, it is all too likely you will get one killed. Inaction and isolation shall protect the innocent. If Jedi and Sith cannot fight each other, then innocents shall be spared."
"I fear I may not join you, as yet," Vek said. "I have much work ahead of me."
"I understand," Chifree said. "I shall pray for the safety of others. May the Force guide you."
"Simpering fools," Sheev Palpatine said when they left. "They cower and claim they are doing the will of the Force. Ha! The Force commands us; why should we not use it to command others?"
"Lost their way, these Jedi have," Yoda said. "With time, turned to the proper path, they might be. Unlike the Jedi of Dantooine."
"I fear the Dantooine Jedi have already wandered too far down the dark path," Vek agreed, shuddering at the remembrance of master striking padawan.
There was only one place left to see. "T3, let's set a course for Coruscant, once we're aboard the Hawk," Vek said. His faithful droid beeped agreement.