Chapter Twenty
Days later, hours before they would reach Atarashi'ie, Jade knew that the time had come to discover who the agent really was. It had been nagging at her, a thought that she couldn't let go of. It was time to find closure.
Jade didn't want to discuss this with Bao or Niner, and she hadn't known Harkaq or Val for very long. And while Riko might be her best friend, there were some things that Jade would want to discuss with only one person.
Jade found Thalia in the ship's living quarters, which, according to Riko, was another converted cargo bay, sitting down near the ship's holographic table, her garments soaked with perspiration.
"Bao is a highly skilled duelist," Thalia explained, noticing Jade's arrival.
"No kidding," Jade responded.
Neither of them spoke for a minute.
"You've been thinking about Tau," Thalia stated, breaking the silence.
Jade responded, "It's hard not to. I remember you suspected him…"
"I understand," Thalia assured her.
Jade knew that it was time, she had to know.
"Is Dad one of the agents?" Jade asked, her voice sounding sad, perhaps a preemptive emotion in the event of her worst fears coming true.
Thalia was silent for a moment. Jade could tell that she was feeling sadness.
"Yes," Thalia admitted, "The recordings implicated him as well."
Jade's emotional wall shattered. Sobbing, she hugged her mother. Thalia proceeded to wrap her arms around Jade's back. Jade was comforted by the gesture.
Despite her anticipation of this moment, the blow of the realization hit her with more force than a concussion missile. How long had they been spies? Was this movement a tool of the Consortium? Had Jade been trained under a lie?
"You okay?" Jade heard Riko's voice behind her.
It is him, Jade replied.
Riko was also hit with the force of a missile. He hid it better than Jade did.
The boy hugged Jade and Thalia, joining the group.
Jade was filled with a riot of emotions. Sadness at her father's secret, confusion at where her life would lead after this, rage that she couldn't do anything to change the past, somehow, and comfort from the rest of her family.
"I was taught that...that the Force was neutral: that light and dark were just abilities, and it was how you used them that counts as good or bad. I don't even know if Dad was lying or not," Jade confessed, "Have I been wrong the past few years?"
This time, Riko spoke, "I wasn't sure either, when you first told me. Maybe it's the emotions you draw on to use the light and dark sides that influence your behavior."
That didn't make Jade feel any better. A few words wouldn't heal the damage of her entire view of the Force being torn to pieces, combined with the realization of her father's betrayal.
"I've been thinking," Thalia whispered.
About what? Jade's ability with Force Bonds included her mother.
Thalia released the hug, "I missed you the most these last six years. And being the Empress of an Empire means that many people depend on you to run their civilization. Only you."
"What do you mean, Empress Fel?" Riko asked. Jade remained silent.
"Don't call me Empress, please. My name is Thalia. The Empire should learn to choose its own leaders. I'm disbanding the Fel dynasty and reforming the Empire into a democracy, the way Jagged Fel once intended."
Jade looked up, "Really?"
Thalia smiled, "Yes. Jade, I will be there for you."
Jade hugged Thalia again. At least, her mother would still be there for her. And so would Riko, Bao, even Niner.
Jade may not have her father, but she still had her family.
Council Chamber, Jedi Temple, Atarashi'ie
All of the Council Masters had gathered, just at the proper hour. The sun was at its highest point, it was noon.
"Tau," Master K'Kruhk greeted him, "It is good to see you."
"Indeed," Tau replied, smiling.
"After all this time," K'Kruhk's tone turned serious, "I can no longer condone our neglect of the Consortium. We have evidence that they are behind the recent disappearings we have been investigating…'"
Tau grew silent as K'Kruhk continued. He had spent fourteen years preparing for this moment. As much as he dreaded it, he couldn't wait any longer.
"Tau, your thoughts?"
"Forgive me," Tau replied, startled, "I was thinking about my daughter. I haven't heard from her in over a week." It was partially true, he had no indication of his daughter's location. With luck, she was alright and far from completing her mission.
"Stay focused Tau," Master Libre responded, "We need you here, now."
Tau pitied the other Jedi who were about to die. He looked at Master Libre, and the official leader of the Omnists nodded to the real founder.
As Tau did so, he imagined Kali'sto, Thalia, Jade, Bao. How would they… Tau shut out that line of thought. They will all understand in time, he assured himself.
"Perhaps we could…." K'Kruhk's voice trailed off. Something clearly preoccupied him. He was going to find out!
"We're under attack!" The Whiphid yelled, "We need to…"
"No," Libre interrupted, locking the door to the chamber. He stood up and ignited his lightsaber.
"This is for the good of the galaxy, and the Jedi."
"Vicis," K'Kruhk activated his lightsaber, "It was you. You are the agent we were looking for."
"More like a savior," Libre replied, moving his lightsaber into an offensive stance, "I'm just trying to bring peace. The only way to do that is to balance out the Force. The two sides of the Force clash and assault each other. When this happens, millions die. We have to stop it, by any means necessary."
Tau's friend was doing well.
"No," K'Kruhk replied as the other masters ignited their lightsabers, "You're wrong. Thanks to you, many people have died, and are going to die."
"The price for peace," Libre replied sadly. Tau began to draw on the Force, preparing for an attack, "A few to save many."
Tau had gathered up as much of the Force as he could, preparing to release it.
"Arrest Libre," K'Kruhk ordered, "He has fallen to the Dark Side."
"You're right," Libre lied, turning the tables. Tau admired his performance, "I am making a mistake." As he spoke, he projected an aura of regret growing dramatically, seeking to lower their guard. Even as he did this, he sent waves of Force suggestion, subtly telling them to accept his surrender. Tau subtly augmented his efforts, probing the minds of the other masters and lowering their barriers of suspicion. Though the suggestion would have little effect on K'Kruhk and the wiser masters, they would at least lower the guard of the other council members.
Now. Tau thought. He released the Force energy in a massive torrent of telekinesis and Force lightning.
K'Kruhk, Libre, and two others, Lowbacca and Zhann Yuniah, were able to deflect the lightning and shield themselves from the worst of the energy.
Most of the other masters were incinerated by the lightning, the few semi-intact skeletons smashing the windows and plummeting below the cliff.
The air smelled of ozone, and the wind blew at Tau's robes.
Tau and Libre ignited their lightsabers. The door opened as Illa, Narekk, and Venn arrived, joining the fight.
Yuniah drew her lightsaber and attempted to attack Tau as K'Kruhk and Lowbacca faced the Jedi shadows.
Zhann Yuniah was a famed weapons master, but surviving the blast had left her weary, and Tau, despite being somewhat weary himself, easily powered through her defense.
Right before Lowbacca's lightsaber left a groove in the floor a centimeter from where Tau was standing, he slashed Yuniah in the chest before throwing her corpse against the Wookiee.
K'Kruhk drove Tau back across the remains of the room with a series of vicious slashes. Tau heard a yell of pain as Lowbacca cut Venn down. But Tau was soon able to regain his composure and regained the upper hand.
"Please, Tau," K'Kruhk pleaded, "Don't do this. You're making a mistake."
Tau drew on the Force as K'Kruhk continued talking. He would unleash it against him. As much as it pained him, he would never understand. He would have to die.
"I'm sorry, my old friend," Tau replied. He released the energy again, this time simply as a storm of Force lightning. He aimed it at the hilt of his lightsaber, making it difficult for him to deflect it instantly.
K'Kruhk was barely able to deflect the lightning, moving his saber in a fraction of a second, but a saber ignited through his gut as Narekk impaled him.
K'Kruhk fell to the floor, Narekk and Tau standing over him for a moment.
Then K'Kruhk reignited his saber and bisected poor Narekk before Tau could respond. Tau, Libre, and Illa fell back as Lowbacca roared. The Wookiee charged towards Libre, drawing on the light to overwhelm the Omnist. K'Kruhk lunged towards Tau, separating him from the others. Libre and Illa put up a strong defense, but he failed to hold off the Wookiee's assault. Lowbacca pierced his defense and sliced him across the chest.
Genuinely angered, Tau channeled his fury towards the Wookiee and fired a blast to pulverise the Wookiee. Lowbacca was sent to the edge of the room and fell off, presumably falling to his death. However, Tau knew not to underestimate Wookiees.
He pushed K'Kruhk back, letting the old master rise up again. He was drawing on the Force so deeply, his body was almost glowing.
Illa reignited her saberstaff, ready to fight.
"Stay back, Illa. I must do this," Tau responded, taking a step forward.
Tau could tell that K'Kruhk was dying. Tau himself was growing tired, but K'Kruhk was approaching the end of his lifespan. And he was approaching the end of his life.
"Give up, K'Kruhk," Tau taunted, "You're going to lose."
"A Jedi exists...to stop madmen like you."
"A madman?" Tau asked, "Says an old dogmatic fool who wants to kidnap children."
K'Kruhk stood back up, "Your path will destroy what we have built."
"The galaxy has changed, K'Kruhk. So must we."
"The Jedi serve the light to hold back the darkness," K'Kruhk reignited his saber, "And I won't let you destroy them."
"They destroyed themselves because they followed your path," Tau responded, "We learned from our mistakes under Luke. We let ourselves change. I won't let you drag us back to the dark ages."
K"Kruhk lunged. Tau held K'Kruhk back with a defensive screen, letting the old master use up the last of his strength. Then he barraged switched from the deadly fury of Juyo to the precise strikes of Makashi. He sought to pierce K'Kruhk's guard and kill, or at least badly injure him.
K'Kruhk fought harder than he probably ever had in his life. Despite injuries that would kill a much younger man, he still managed to hold off Tau's attacks, and even bring offensive strokes of his own to bear. He had actually fooled Tau into thinking that he was spent. He didn't put as much effort into resisting Tau as he did attempting to break through Tau's defense. He seemed to understand that he wouldn't survive this duel, no longer caring about his own life, only intending to take Tau's.
Tau would have found this end to be noble, if K'Kruhk was fighting for anything other than his own honor. Tau attacked and parried again and again, and he finally saw an opening.
He ducked beneath K'Kruhk's blade and swung at his sword arm. K'Kruhk saw his sequence and attempted to move out of the way. But he was too late.
Tau's lightsaber cleaved through the Grand Master's elbow.
K'Kruhk screamed, but Tau didn't waste an opportunity. He unleashed a storm of Force lightning at the elderly Whiphid, letting him roil in pain. Finally, to end it all, Tau grabbed Uniah and Lowbacca's lightsabers telekinetically and impaled the Whiphid with their blades. Tau raised his hand and lifted the Grandmaster up into the air, suspending him past the edge of the tower. Tau walked to the broken window and took one last look at his opponent.
"You fought well, Grandmaster. But it's over now," Tau said.
He watched as K'Kruhk plunged down, past the tower and even the Temple. Tau waited, refusing to lower his guard, until he felt the light extinguish in the Force. K'Kruhk, last of the old order, survivor of the Great Purge, and Grandmaster of the New Jedi Order for decades, was dead.
Tau collapsed to his knees, utterly exhausted.
Living quarters, Wild Nomad,
Even though he had expected events to transpire the way they had, Bao had been shocked by Riko's progress.
In a matter of hours, Riko had constructed his own lightsaber. Bao had never heard of a Jedi who could build such a weapon that quickly. Bao had spent three weeks finding the parts for his weapon and assembling it. Riko had done it in the span of nine hours. This boy had a hidden gift.
"I don't believe it," Val said as he observed the lightsaber that Riko proudly demonstrated, "You built that from the pile of junk in my cargo bay?"
"I'm an advanced student," Riko replied jokingly.
"Well done, kid."
Bao hadn't seen the lightsaber yet. For some reason, Riko hadn't wanted to practice with him. Instead, he sparred with Jade, Harkaq, and Thalia.
Bao knew he was being excluded for some reason and he intended to talk to Riko about it later.
"I will admit," Riko said, sounding slightly regretful.
"Yes?" Val asked when Riko didn't answer.
"I also cut a hole in your cargo bay's floor," Riko confessed.
Val was silent. Bao almost wanted to lecture Riko on the responsibility of wielding his weapon carefully before Val suddenly said, "So that explains that damaged power converter…"
Bao was briefly alarmed, but then realized that Val was joking. He could tell that Riko never believed that Val was being serious.
"Seriously, though, I'll be more careful," Riko said.
"It's ok, kid," Val responded, "It's ok."
"I'll go check on Thalia and Harkaq," Riko said, deactivating his new weapon. When he left the ship's mess hall/lounge, Bao turned to Val.
"I thought you'd be harder on him," Bao commented.
"I'm in a good mood."
Val was clearly hiding something, Bao knew him too well. Underneath his jubilant exterior lurked a mixture of fear, surprise, curiosity, and...was it joy?
Bao would talk to him about it later, when the crisis was over.
Val changed the subject for him, "Is that true? Is he really that good a student?"
"Actually, the masters at the Temple viewed him as an underdog," Bao admitted, "Aside from his skill with machines and the lightsaber, he didn't perform well. He could summon some basic Force powers instinctively in serious circumstances, but he couldn't channel it at will. He was scarred by his past, hiding from himself, motivated largely by his desire to find his family. They didn't think he was ready to be an Apprentice yet."
"I guess everyone learns at their own pace," Val admitted, looking like he was mulling over Bao's comment, "Didn't you?"
"Why do you think I picked him...?"
Bao trailed off. Something felt...wrong.
In the Force, he sensed death, destruction...a shift. As if the scales of the universe had just been tilted...
It dawned on Bao. He realized just what was happening...
No...No!
"Bao!" Val yelled, whacking him on his snout, snapping the Trandoshan back to his surroundings.
Bao collapsed on the bench, breathing heavily.
"It'sz..." Bao said, "It's already begun."
Council Tower, Atarashi'ie
Closing his eyes, Tau drew on the Force to replenish his strength, but he knew that he would still be weary. All indications would show that K'Kruhk had attempted to attack Tau and Libre, that the masters had grown so desperate as to kill the leaders of the Omnists. Venn, Narrek, and Illa had arrived to save Tau.
One more sacrifice had been required.
Suddenly, he felt a ripple in the Force, an advancing wave. Tau opened his eyes.
He quickly ran out of the room and jumped through the window, feeling the heat of an explosion behind him.
Tau landed on a ledge jutting out from the main complex, panting. He heard the careen of explosions, the crumbling of rock, the impact of turbolaser blasts slamming into the surrounding structure. The Temple was clearly being bombarded. He looked up to identify his attackers.
To his shock, a fleet was visible dimly in the upper atmosphere. He could just make out the distinctive shape of Gahan class carriers: a wedge, with a massive forward shield on one end, engines on the other.
The Alliance was attacking the Temple! Chief Theron wished to cripple the Jedi in one stroke!
Tau ran back inside, he had to rally the temple, they had to defend themselves!
Wild Nomad
"We're coming out of hyperspace," Jade reported, running into the living room. She was clearly as worried as Bao was.
Bao ran to the cockpit, with Val following.
"Hurry!" Bao reported.
Thalia and Harkaq served as the pilots when Val and Jade weren't present. Val had actually spent a considerable number of hours at the Nomad's helm, attempting to teach Jade the nuances of piloting the ship through hyperspace. Bao had even heard Val joking that he wanted Jade as his permanent co-pilot.
Of course, knowing Val, Bao wasn't completely sure he was joking.
Then again, the entire mission had been one crazy plan after another. The team seemed to be turning into mad geniuses, or were just lucky.
True coincidences are rare, Bao. Even the knowledge that his master was a traitor didn't stop his advice from echoing in Bao's memory from time to time.
"Here we go," Thalia said as the Wild Nomad reverted to realspace.
A large fleet of starships, all of various ownerships, blockaded the planet. Some were wrecks, others were damaged. Almost all of them were wedge-shaped. Some of them sturdy and trapezoidal, others thin, angular, and dark.
"They beat us here," Bao said grimly.
Jedi Temple lower corridors.
Smoke filled the air as Tau evacuated the younglings to the Temple's lower reaches.
The Jedi no longer had their council of masters, they were all gone. Of course, Jedi were smart enough to know what to do on their own, but the Jedi High Council was comprised of the wisest and most powerful members of the order.
The fleet had arrived unexpectedly, they were already pouring blasterfire into the Temple, damaging the structure.
When Tau reached the landing pad, narrowly escaping the destruction of the Council chamber, apprentices had running in panic. Knights had been igniting their lightsabers and rushing outside.
The troops had deployed. Twenty massive Celchu-class Alliance gunships had flown from the sky and landed in the courtyard. On the port and starboard sides, hatches had opened, twenty YVH combat droids disembarking from each craft.
A landing ramp had deployed from each gunship. Squads of Consortium soldiers disguised as Galactic Alliance marines, many wearing Ysalamiri, had rushed in.
Just now, at Tau's moment of triumph, this had happened. A simple assassination had heralded a massacre.
The battle had continued for another two hours. Tau and the survivors, mostly knights, younglings and apprentices, had been cornered in the Temple's lower reaches.
"What will we do, Master?" Padawan Tarrin asked. His master had been a member of the council, some of his friends had been killed. He wasn't much younger than Riko or Jade.
Tau had no answers to his questions.
Suddenly, the rumples from the bombardment stopped. Tau sensed that another battle was taking place.
"Someone must have come to help us," one of the Knights said.
Tau selected ten knights to accompany him. He placed Jedi Knight Daultay Haako in charge of the apprentices before he and his followers left the cramped detention level.
They traversed through the temple's reaches, occasionally running into a squad of Alliance troopers, but finding nothing too serious. It wasn't until they reached the courtyard that they met their saviors.
They saw mercenaries, dressed in Mandalorian armor, escorting Alliance troopers, all handcuffed, into their craft. A couple of the former had lightsabers visible on their belts.
Tau realized what must have happened. It all made more sense now.
A young Zeltron woman, dressed in heavy armor, carrying a lightsaber on her belt, walked towards him.
"I am Yani Arquin," she greeted the collaborator, "Asharr sends her condolences, and will be happy to help you relocate."
Swallowing his disgust, Tau responded, "I am Jedi Master Tau Skywalker. As the senior member of the high council, I accept."
Vagrant Cockpit
The Nomad had veered away from the motley fleet and was circling around from the planet's far side, traversing through the atmosphere.
Riko had never felt so afraid. He was walking into a massacre.
"Scanners are picking up a large number of life-forms within the Temple. Most of the Jedi shuttles are gone. It's likely evacuations have already taken place."
"Maybe their disappearance is meant to fool anyone returning to the Temple," Bao commented, "It's possible that there are still survivors. We at least need to take a look."
"The Force telling you to go there?"
"The Force has guided us here for a reason."
Riko supposed that they felt the will of the Force. He himself felt the compulsion, but wasn't swept up in it. It was an impulse, and instinct, no different from any other. He knew that this time, he had to follow it, even if it terrified him.
"Fine," Val replied, "I don't like this, but I'll still land you there."
"Thanks, Val," Riko said. Following this, Bao walked out of the cockpit into the hallway outside the airlock. Riko followed.
"Alright," Thalia said to the group, issuing orders, "Find as many survivors as we can and lead them to the landing pad. From there, Val will land the Wild Nomad."
"What if there are too many of us?" Jade asked.
"At this rate, that might not be the case," Thalia said grimly, "But the Consortium has starships. With luck, some of them have hyperdrives."
Thalia's statement didn't calm Riko.
"What about I?" Niner asked, rolling into the room, "What does I do?"
Riko answered his question, "Niner, we need you to stay aboard the Nomad."
"But can't I come?"
"Niner," Riko said, "You're an unarmed droid. There's probably a ninety-nine percent chance you would die in there."
No one spoke for a moment. Riko began to walk away.
"Ninety-Seven-point-Nine-Two-Seven," Niner corrected.
Riko turned around and crouched down on his knees, his eyes level with Niner's.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Niner admitted, "You can't go in there."
"I have to."
"You could die," Niner said.
"I know," Riko said. It was tempting to stay onboard and let Bao, Thalia, and Harkaq handle the problem. The frightened child in Riko wanted to hide in the Nomad's cargo bay, convince Jade to follow him, and cower.
But Thalia, Jade, and the others, both members of the team and the Jedi still inside the Temple would need all the help they could get. And Riko wouldn't abandon them.
"I have to help them, Niner," Riko said.
"We'll do our best to keep him safe," Jade stood down next to Riko, "Not just me, but Bao, Mom, and Harkaq."
Niner was silent, which was uncharacteristic of the droid. Finally, he said, "Might the Force be with you."
Riko hugged Niner, "And you, Niner."
"Come on," Jade responded, leading him to the landing ramp.
Jade leapt with grace, flipping in the air and landing on the platform with her feet.
"Come on, Riko!"
Riko normally didn't have a fear of heights. But the platform was too small for a starship like the Wild Nomad. So the airlock was positioned next to the platform, with a small jump required on his part to reach the ledge.
Jade and Thalia had both jumped.
At this altitude, it was very windy, the air blowing through Riko's jacket. Despite the generally warm climate on Atarashi'ie, he still shivered.
"I'll go first," Bao suggested from behind Riko.
"Thanks," Riko replied nervously.
"No problem," Bao said warmly. Riko moved aside as Bao moved to the front of the airlock. The Jedi Knight stood for a moment, breathing in for a second. Then he jumped through the air, gracefully landing on the platform.
"Riko," Jade shouted over the wind, "It's not that far a distance!"
Those words were reassuring. Riko walked to the edge of the airlock. Against his better judgement, he looked down.
The thought of a long fall, splattering on the lake left him dizzy.
Riko didn't know if he could do this.
"We'll catch you if you fall!" Bao encouraged. Riko shook his head to dispel the vertigo. He would do this.
Riko breathed in and out slowly for a moment in an attempt to calm herself, which barely succeeded.
It was time to go.
Riko silently counted to three, and then he jumped.
His feet hit the stone platform less gracefully than Bao or Jade, but he was able to balance himself.
What the heck was I worried about? Riko asked himself.
After Riko's delayed jump, everyone had landed on the platform smoothly.
They had entered the corridors of the lower levels of the temple. So far, they hadn't seen any bodies or signs of battle. Bao took it as a sign of hope.
"Okay," the Trandoshan master said after everyone arrived, "We're going to move into two teams. Harkaq, Riko, and Jade, you'll find survivors…"
"Wait!" Jade interrupted, "We're splitting up? We can't!"
Bao sighed. He didn't want to divide their team either.
"You're going after Tau, aren't you," Riko realized.
Riko was perceptive. Bao appreciated that quality in his apprentice.
"We'll bring him in alive," Thalia explained, "He'll...explain all this."
"We should back you up," Jade added, "Dad's pretty powerful."
Admittedly, Bao considered their proposal. While Libre had put minimal effort into his skill with the lightsaber, Tau was one of the few Jedi who could defeat Bao in a sparring match. Even now, Bao had yet to defeat him in any kind of duel.
"I don't want to put any of you at risk," Bao decided.
"Besides," Thalia added in, "If Bao and I work together, we might be able to defeat him. Or maybe I can convince him to surrender." The Imperial Knight said the last sentence reluctantly.
Bao understood what she meant, but Jade answered first, "He still loves you, doesn't he?"
"I think so," Thalia admitted, "Maybe he will listen to me."
"Thalia and I have the best chance of arresting him if he doesn't listen to reason," Bao added, concealing his jealousy. He didn't possess any romantic feelings towards his mentor, but he couldn't help but feel envious at the close bond that the two had shared.
Then again, Tau hadn't trusted anyone else close to him with this secret. Not his mate, not his apprentice, not even his daughter.
"Let's hope," Harkaq said, joining the conversation.
Bao hoped that the two teams wouldn't encounter problems in their respective missions.
Of course, luck hadn't been on their side lately. At least when it came to avoiding violence.
"Do your best to keep out of trouble," Thalia advised. Then she hugged Jade. Bao watched as mother and child embraced for one last time before entering the battlefield.
"Keep them safe, Harkaq," Bao told the Cerean.
"I'll try," Harkaq promised.
"You'll do," Bao corrected, reciting one of the first lessons taught to him as a Jedi initiate; There is no try, you only do or do not.
"Very well," Harkaq said, "I'll do it successfully."
"Goodbye, Mom," Jade whispered.
"Good luck, Jade."
Bao tossed Riko a comlink, which he barely caught, "May the Force be with all of you."
Temple Archives
Tau was still slightly exhausted from the battle. Despite the loss of life that had been the cost, the coup d'etat was successful. Unless K'Kruhk and Lowbacca had somehow survived their injuries and respective falls, Tau was now the last surviving member of the high council. His ascension to Grand Master of the Jedi Order was inevitable.
The surviving Jedi had left the structure, with only Tau and a handful of Knights remaining.
Tau wished that Jade would understand, know why he had done what he did. But she would never agree with his methods of achieving his goal. Luckily, if everything went according to plan, she never would have to know of what had really transpired here.
Tau's comlink activated. The Jedi Master grabbed it.
"Master," Asharr's voice came from the device.
"Asharr," Tau said quietly. He had already been shocked by Asharr's unauthorized alteration to his plan. He was angry with his apprentice, and was starting to lose trust in him. Asharr's usage of Alliance ships meant Chief Theron would be framed for the attack. It was clear that she concealed more than her face and species behind that mask and robes.
Tau knew what would happen if the Alliance was blamed; more innocent lives would be lost.
Tau had made a mistake in trusting Asharr. A mistake he would correct.
"How was the battle?"
Tau was irritated by Asharr's gloating tone, she was trying to rub salt in a wound.
"I am ready to join you on the planet's surface…."
"No!" Tau shouted, his anger erupting, "You will stay in orbit and wait."
"Theron knew of our plans, I had to remove him…"
"You disobeyed me, you attacked the Temple without provocation. You have caused the death of dozens of innocents. I hope you can live with that on your conscience."
Tau deactivated his comlink. He closed his eyes, sat down, crossed his legs, and meditated, drawing on the Force to replenish his strength.
Today was a sad day. Jedi had perished everywhere, their auras filled with determination and acceptance. Tau admired that. At least these Jedi had gone to their graves accepting their fate, if they had done so needlessly. The assassination of the High Council could have had other explanations. Tau had always planned to frame K'Kruhk. But the attack on the Temple...
A familiar series of presences came to Tau's attention. They were scattered throughout the Temple. But they were the familiar auras of friends. But the auras were filled with determination, bent on….
Tau gasped and opened his eyes when he felt the presence of his daughter and former lover amongst the two groups.
Jade and Thalia were here. This most likely meant that they knew.
Bao was relieved by the time they reached the archive. Thalia and Bao had encountered Dark Jedi a few times. Mostly, they had felt the strange, artificial presence they had discovered Ekar Tym and Yani Arquin. However, a few times, the auras were absent in the Jedi that attacked them. Evidently, not all of the Dark Jedi were slaves. Some were convinced to join the plot willingly. Bao had recognized some of their attackers as members of the Omnists.
As Bao and Thalia reached the archive, the Order's historical database, they saw Tau meditating alone in the middle of the carnage. His eyes were closed, but he looked surprised, the aftereffects of shock visible on his features.
"Tau Skywalker," Bao ignited his lightsaber, "We request your surrender."
Tau opened his eyes and stood up.
"Where is Master K'Kruhk?" Bao asked.
"Dead. He did not survive." Bao was sure that Tau was telling the truth. But he was now sure of two things in addition.
Libre had undoubtedly been a sacrifice. Tau had taken his life in exchange for his movement gaining control of the Jedi Order.
The second, the attack made sense now. Bao had no doubt that the surviving Jedi had abandoned the Temple. The attack itself was simply meant to cover Tau's tracks. Casting K'Kruhk as an extremist who tried to destroy his rivals and Tau being the one who defeated him would taint the Adherents greatly and paint him in a heroic light as he assumed the role of Grand Master.
"Bao, Thalia," Tau said quietly, "I'm sorry for all of….this."
Bao was surprised at his tone. Tau sounded regretful, he clearly hated what he was doing.
"Why, Tau?" Thalia sounded as surprised as Bao, "Why are you doing this?"
"For peace, Thalia," Tau said, "Do you know why the galaxy keeps erupting into war? Why the Jedi are constantly threatened by great evils? Why beings like Malak, Naga Sadow, Palpatine, Darth Vader, Caedus, Krayt, keep instigating conflicts? It's because of the Force."
Tau started to walk closer to the Jedi and Imperial Knight, only for Thalia to activate her lightsaber. Tau stopped moving closer.
"The Force has two sides, light and dark," Tau continued, "They never coexist because our teachings prevented us from allowing us to balance them within ourselves. 'The dark side is evil,' they say. Good and evil," Tau stared at both of them, "They don't apply to the Force. The Dark Side and the Light need to coexist in balance. The Force tries to balance itself, and when it happens, billions die. The Great Hyperspace War, the Exar Kun War, the New Sith Wars, the Clone Wars, Galactic Civil Wars, all of it! That is what happens when the Force is out of balance!"
"This is the true war: the war between the Light and the Dark. The Jedi and Sith were the two sides of this. Inevitably one side would temporarily triumph, a massive war begins as the other pushes back, and innocents suffer. We once knew this! We knew this in Luke Skywalker's time, and we did nothing! We saw the problem, and let ourselves forget!"
Tau paused for a moment before continuing, "It's only a matter of time until another dark order arises and a real war begins. We need a lasting peace, not a temporary truce."
Bao could see a hint of a tear on Tau's face, "The Jedi have to expand their teachings. The Dark Side isn't evil, and the Light Side isn't good. Good and Evil are a matter of intent and usage."
"We have changed, Tau," Thalia rebutted, "We know all that now…"
"You don't understand!" Tau was raging, "K'Kruhk was pulling us back, back to the dark days! How long would it have been before we enclosed ourselves in a palace on Coruscant? Before we barred ourselves from loving others? HOW LONG BEFORE WE RESUMED TAKING INFANTS FROM THEIR FAMILIES?"
Tau was weeping, "K'Kruhk would have done nothing to change us. Vader and Palpatine did the galaxy a service by ending the Old Order, by forcing the Jedi to change. We have another chance, and I won't let us become the catalyst for the galaxy to burn, not again. A lasting peace will finally exist," Tau turned to Thalia, "Riko and Jade can live their lives in a world of peace, true peace."
It did make some sense. Bao himself understood that K'Kruhk's dogma was misguided and would lead to disaster, that the Jedi needed new leadership and needed to abandon their constrictive teachings. But he couldn't accept Tau's methods of accomplishing this goal.
"Balancing the Force out doesn't require the death of innocents, Tau," Bao assumed the Makashi opening stance, "Change doesn't require murder."
"Asharr is responsible for all these deaths! This attack was her plan! Not mine! I didn't even know about it until it was too late!" Tau retorted.
"Ignorance doesn't justify your actions," Thalia assumed the opening stance of the middle ring, "Tau, you may be right, but murder won't accomplish anything. Perhaps your trial will make clear the need for change."
Tau wept for a moment, and Bao saw genuine sorrow in his aura. Then he composed himself and reached for his lightsaber, grabbing it and igniting it.
"I'm sorry to the both of you. Please forgive me."