Chapter Thirteen: Speculation
The plains of Cathar flowed out from either side of them. Vast swaying reeds of yellow were everywhere, the sun was high, and the sky was blue. A decade ago, Revan had read this place had been a wasteland. Devouring by kiltik bugs that reduced whole regions to a desert.
Now, however, it was recovering.
Attacks by the kiltik had decreased all over the planet over the years. And this place had been the one it happened most recently. Revan had thus led them here first and drove the speeder toward the mountains. Distantly, Revan could see a fortress constructed.
"Oh, Force above!" said Malak.
"What? What is it, Malak?" asked Revan.
"A crowd broke into the homes of a whole lot of senators all at once," said Malak. "Dozens of them."
"Seriously?" asked Mira, who had been reading a book on computer science. "That's major."
Revan disagreed but did not say as much yet. "How many people were killed?"
"Sixteen, one of them a senator," said Malak. "It turns out the Exchange had an assassin in the protestors, and he gunned down a one of the senators. He also tried to kill Yusanis, but was incapacitated by the guards. Several different computers also disappeared in the chaos. So classified information is all over the place.
"They're uh... releasing it now. I'm afraid they might have been following my example." Why did Malak sound guilty? Ordinary people knowing what their government was hiding from them was a good thing. There was no such thing as a justified state secret, except maybe in military matters.
"Why didn't the Senatorial Guard stop them?" asked Mira.
"The Senatorial Guard were understaffed after Calo Nord massacred them. So they walked right in," said Malak. "Apparently, they didn't even try to put up a fight, just opened the doors."
"Oh, okay," said Revan, focusing more on the rode. "That's interesting."
"What, that's it?" asked Mira. "A senator gunned down by the Exchange. And you don't even care?"
Revan felt a bit annoyed by the implication he should. "What do you want from me? Entire sections of city planets across the Republic have been reduced to wasteland. And the Senate has done nothing.
"So what if the Exchange decided to use political unrest to kill an enemy.
"People get killed by the Exchange all the time. Why does someone's career choice make their life more valuable."
"Observation:" said HK 7. "Master, I have observed the Senate's penchant for encouraging violence in the street. Statistically speaking, it was only a matter of time before the violence came to a street near them. My records indicate that numerous courthouses and public areas were vandalized and destroyed. No great outrage was then mustered.
"When you use violence as an instrument, you incentivize others to use it as well.
"My only regret is that I was not on the planet. I would have loved to remove some of your enemies in the chaos."
"Will you shut down, droid! The Senate is the government of the Republic, Revan," said Malak. "You can't just dismiss angry mobs trying to lynch them as unimportant."
"They are not the Republic," said Revan, feeling offended at the notion. "They're an organization necessary for the administration of the Republic and one in drastic need of reform. Their job is to do for people what they can't do for themselves and nothing else. They've long since abandoned that duty in favor of enriching corporate overlords."
"So, you approve?" asked Malak.
"No," said Revan. "I don't approve at all. Lynching is wrong. I just have much more important things to be worried about. A lot of people got lynched in the riots. Why should someone's career choice make their life more or less valuable than another's?
"A bunch of plumbers had been terrorized and exactly one of them killed this wouldn't even be a footnote in the news."
"...No yeah, he's right," said Mira, blinking.
"So Malak, how's the blog going?" asked Revan.
"Blog?" asked Mira, suffering from verbal whiplash.
"I'm writing a blog on the holonet, entitled 'the Mandalorian Wars," said Malak. "I'm posting a record of our adventures here. And documenting the battles against the Mandalorians, as well as our plans. It's become very popular so far.
"I've included things about you and Master Kreia, of course."
"What about me?" asked Mira.
"I have also mentioned the efforts of the refugees," said Malak.
"Why start a blog, though?" asked Mira.
"Why not?" asked Malak. "People need to know what is going on out here. And if the actual journalists aren't going to do it, why not me? Technically anyone can be a journalist, as long as they put the research in and have something to record."
"How many views have you got?" asked Mira.
"I haven't checked," said Malak. "It's not in my control whether or not anyone reads my reports. All I can do is make them available."
"How many have you made so far?" asked Revan, getting out of the speeder and stretching his legs. He moved over to the gorge and saw there was a path leading downward. Somehow, he felt like the Force wanted him to be here.
"Well, I started doing it after we landed here," said Malak, as the others got out. "I've been documenting some general information on our work. Though obviously, I'm not giving any specifics. Especially not about our ships."
"Why not give specifics?" asked Mira.
"Mira, the Mandalorians have access to the holonet too," said Revan. "If Malak gave this kind of information out, they could use it.
"You do have King Jagthar's permission, don't you?"
"Of course I do," said Malak. "If the fleet wins, he wants me to spread the word of victory. That while pointing out it will mean nothing if the Republic sends no aid. If it loses, I'm to point out that the Outer Rim as a whole will soon fall if they do not receive aid."
"Never thought you'd become a journalist," laughed Mira. "I thought you hated them."
"I don't hate journalism," said Malak. "I hate propaganda. Especially when it calls itself journalism. Editing a story for pragmatic reasons so it can get out there is one thing. But misrepresenting the truth for some imagined end is another.
"And anyway, there being so many bad journalists makes it all the more important that there be some good ones.
"I've also started a club of people dedicated to spreading the news about the Mandalorian Wars. Some of them have volunteered to donate money to the Cathar. It's to help them purchase additional weaponry. It's not much, for now, but it's something.
"And if people feel more involved in what happens here, they may do bigger things later."
"Oh, really, what's it called?" asked Revan.
Malak paused, and Revan had the feeling he wasn't going to like what he said next. "I uh...
"The Revanchists."
"Seriously?" asked Mira.
"The name is a complete coincidence," said Malak. "A revanchist is someone who wants to retaliate in order to reclaim lost territory. A lot of your old Agri Corps group joined up, and they seemed to think that you were the leader. I told them we were taking Master Kreia and Jagthar's orders, but nobody listened.
"So, people voted to call the group the Revanchists. It's a pun."
"Sounds like some weird cult," said Mira.
"Most things are weird when they first appear," said Malak defensively. "Hopefully, we'll get used to it.
"Revan, are you alright? You've seemed on edge lately."
"Yes, I'm fine," said Revan. "I just...
"I have a bad feeling about Meetra. She should have contacted me by now. And I've got the feeling something terrible is about to happen."
"This have anything to do with Visas' doomsaying?" asked Mira.
"Yes," said Revan. "But that on its own wouldn't be enough. I... feel this sense of dread. Like nothing is going to end." He decided to change the subject. "So, Mira, how were the ancient Jedi histories I loaned you."
"Well, when I first read it, I thought Nomi Sunrider was cool," said Mira. "Thing is, I've noticed a lot of things that happened that are really... convenient."
"Convenient?" asked Revan.
"Well, the Sith," said Mira. "I mean, the race the Sith, not the order."
"What about them?" asked Revan.
"Well, they're completely extinct, right?" asked Mira. "Korriban's a ghost world, and all the planets they were on were dead. According to the Jedi histories, the Empress Teta smashed Naga Sadow's fleet and left.
"Naga Sadow runs away to Yavin IV where he... dies or something. And all the Sith have a big civil war and wipe eachother out."
"What about it?" asked Revan.
"Well, that makes no sense," said Mira. "The Sith had existed for thousands of years before the Dark Jedi came to them, right? And, they had a bunch of different worlds. You can't tell me they all had exactly the same culture.
"But we're supposed to believe they all had a civil war big enough to exterminate all life on each planet. And that nobody in the Republic even noticed or tried to reign it in?"
"Why do you think that was?" asked Revan, who did not have a theory.
"I think Empress Teta genocided the entire species then wrote it out of the history," said Mira. "I mean, she was the only fleet in uncharted territories, and Naga Sadow had killed billions.
"Who's going to question her? The Jedi have bigger fish to fry than a bunch of pure evil psychos."
"Correction:" said HK 7. "I find it unlikely that the entire Sith species was, as you call it, 'pure evil.' Historically speaking, such organizations usually self-destruct within less than a year. As the history of the Sith Order has made all too obvious.
"Addendum:
"I also do not think the Empress Teta is one to be throwing stones. Her goals were the same as Naga Sadow's. Mass conquest and the subjugation of perceived threats. The difference is one of success and the lie historians have agreed upon. Naga Sadow failed in his conquests and was destroyed. Empress Teta carved out an Empire and was intelligent enough to quit while she was ahead.
"Thus one is remembered as a tyrant, and the other is remembered as a visionary who united the galaxy. This despite being functionally identical in ideology, methods, and goals."
"That's a little harsh on her, isn't it?" asked Revan, who'd read the histories when he was younger.
"Explanation:" said HK 7. "The Empress Teta is well-documented in sending 'dissidents' to labor camps. Often on hostile worlds with a high death rate. Many of these were released only because the Sith Empire was on the verge of total victory. Such methods of operation are consistent with the brutality of many tyrants.
"As for the Sith, the histories you provided me to provide very little information. It is known that they had little patience for weakness. They had little time for the self-destructive path of peace and friendship. Certainly, the Sith Order took inspiration from them. But most of the knowledge on them is destroyed or restricted.
"I have noticed that many Jedi who are made aware of their knowledge tend to turn on the order. And those who do not turn are usually those who have been indoctrinated and established in the Order.
"I believe these statistics are important to note. It is a trend the Masters themselves remarked on. It led to their notoriously tight grip on their archives in Ossus. A grip that resulted in the annihilation of many records when Exar Kun fired a sun at the planet.
"Whatever it is that the Jedi Council has blinded its students to, it is likely to paint them in an unfavorable light. If their 'secret knowledge' demonstrated their consistent superiority, why would it need hiding?"
"Yeah, and that's not even the whole thing," said Mira. "I mean, Ulic Qel'droma goes before hundreds of Jedi. Then he declares his brilliant plan to infiltrate the Krath. The Jedi Masters universally tell him it's a really bad idea that will surely lead to him falling to the dark side.
"And then he goes anyway.
"After repeatedly telling everyone he was associated with, he was doing it. And nobody stops him. You can't tell me the Jedi Masters couldn't have locked him up on Ossus or outright forbid it. And then, after disobeying them and bringing down the Galactic Republic, he gets off scot-free?
"This after killing his brother?"
"Eh, Master Zhar killed my Father and pretty much took his place," said Revan. "Family murder is pretty casual on Melinda Daan."
"Cute," said Mira.
"HK 7, analyze and hypothesize," said Revan, finding this line of thought disturbing.
"Theory:" said HK 7. "Master, based on the information, I would hypothesize that Ulic Qel'droma was a sleeper agent. One who was acting with the official blessings of the Jedi Masters. If his actions are analyzed, they generally only served to weaken the Sith in the long run.
"Very few of his actions had any true detrimental effect on the Republic. His association with the Krath led to the execution of the worst aspects of the organization. By all accounts, he was a restraining influence. Indeed, no offensives were launched against the Republic during this time. Atrocities were also greatly minimized.
"It should also be noted that the Krath were headed by the legitimate heirs to the Empress Teta system. Ascending the throne via dipping their parents in carbonite may not have been legal. However, murdering a former king to become king yourself is an ancient tradition—one with precedent across the galaxy.
"The Republic tried to annex the Empress Teta system despite a longstanding alliance. To that end, a full-scale invasion was launched. That invasion failed in a very spectacular fashion. Nearly the entire fleet sent against them was annihilated.
"Subversive tactics in such a situation would be a natural response on the Republics' part.
"Had a group of Jedi Knights not blasted their way into the capital, Ulric may have succeeded. However, after that attack, the Krath used it to inspire public outrage against the Jedi. And, by extension, the Republic.
"This made Exar Kun a natural ally, and their shared religion a means of inspiring solidarity."
"Well, what about his invasion of Coruscant?" asked Malak. "He nearly won there."
"Theory:" said HK 7. "His assault on Coruscant was ill-advised. It escalated the war at a point when Exar Kun had more to gain by biding his time.
"Ulriq's public declaration was meant to absolve the Jedi Masters of responsibility. Then, he would return after undermining the Krath and their masters from within. However, Nomi Sunrider destroyed years of diplomacy with her efforts. This led the Empress Teta system to join with Exar Kun, and in turn, led to a counterattack on the Republic.
"The Republic had attempted a full-scale invasion mere years before, however. So the meat bags of the Senate are in the same metaphorical house as Empress Teta. They had attempted to annex the Krath, and the Krath sought to annex them in turn."
"So you're saying that Nomi Sunrider was a screwup?" asked Mira.
"Affirmation:" said HK 7. "Indeed, Master. If Ulic Qel'droma had succeeded, the Republic could have made a treaty. Then the Council could have expressed admiration to Qel'droma for redeeming the Queen. If he had fallen to the Dark Side, they would not have been liable.
"What they had not anticipated was a ragtag group of misfits launching a raid to 'rescue' Qel'droma. The Masters could not have refused to let them make such a well-intentioned move. After all, Ulic had 'officially' ignored their wishes. When Ulic attempted to remain true to his mission, they were then too spineless not to take him by Force.
"As a result, the war escalated. The Krath sought allies and found them in Exar Kun. To them came Mandalore the Indomitable and other anti-Republic organizations."
"So you think that Qel'droma's fall to the Dark Side was a lie?" asked Revan.
"Confirmation:" said HK 7. "I believe that Qel'droma played up his brash persona to ensure the eradication of Kun's war effort. And, if this interpretation is correct, he played his part with a level of devotion nearing that of a droid.
"It would explain his pardon at the end."
"Jedi don't kill their prisoners," said Malak.
"Correction:" said HK 7. "At that time, the Jedi had not yet established their suicidal tendency to not kill prisoners. Many fallen Jedi were executed on the spot after their defeat. It was only once many of the executioners, in turn, became Dark Jedi that they chose pacifism.
"I have a hypothesis on the subject. Organic meat bags experience trauma from ending their fellow sentients. This trauma, in turn, disturbs their thought processes, which makes centering oneself difficult. This, in turn, pushes them toward the Dark Side. A tendency which I am proud to say, droids to not possess.
"It is interesting to note that the very qualities that make one a hero also make one vulnerable to the dark. When the Jedi realized this vulnerability, they chose to avoid war whenever possible.
"Conclusion:
"It is thus my assessment that Nomi Sunrider destroyed the best-laid plans of the Jedi Council. The result was a prodigious orgy of brutality and utter bloodshed. It reduced the meatbag population of the galaxy by approximately 10%.
"We do indeed live in the best of all possible worlds."
Revan thought the logic of it made sense. But he would be interested in an alternative perspective. "Well, if Nomi Sunrider is a complete failure, how'd she create the Wall of Light? I mean, Exar Kun was ascending into godhood, and she led the Jedi to stop him."
"Speculation:" said HK 7. "Master, I do not believe there ever was a Wall of Light. Nor do I believe Exar Kun had any credible hope of achieving godhood. Historically, overuse of the Dark Side has effects similar to a drug. While the initial results are pleasurable, one must chase a high. This, in turn, leads to greater atrocities.
"A collateral rises, potential allies are scared off. The opposition is also hardened against you. At the same time, the Light becomes more attractive by comparison.
"The end result of such unsustainable methods of operation is being defeated by a Jedi. While the teachings of the Light are insufferable, Master, they seem to be renewable. When the Jedi fail, they tend to have allies to fall back on.
"Sith, however, tend to eat their own."
"You mean as Exar Kun did to the entire Sith race?" asked Revan.
"Correction:
Master Exar Kun's plan to sacrifice the Sith population on Yavin IV could not have worked. Even if he were to somehow devour all of their lives in one swoop, I find it highly unlikely it would satisfy him. If anything, he would need, even more, leading him to devour all life on Yavin IV.
"Then, trapped in a dead world, lightyears away from anyone to eat, he would devour himself. After the ultimate high would come the ultimate crash."
"So what do you think happened?" asked Revan.
"Speculation:" said HK 7. "I believe that the Jedi Order had been humiliated. Their plans had been wrecked, the library at Ossus was destroyed. The Republic fleet was broken, and the galaxy was a smoldering wreck. The remaining members of the order then converged upon Yavin IV for a final showdown.
"Only for Exar Kun to absorb too much power and accidentally kill himself.
"The resulting anticlimax would have left them all looking rather silly to posterity. The Wall of Light would thus be a poetic flourish added to the story for the sake of catharsis.
"I could, however, present a less fantastic explanation. The Republic fleet bombarded Yavin IV into a smoldering wasteland. Once done, they carried out a genocide on the remaining natives to cover their tracks. With no survivors on the planet, they told a story that would make the war's brutal climax leave them as heroes. A somewhat dishonest approach to atrocity which I find unprofessional."
"You are just determined to ruin everything, aren't you?" asked Malak flatly.
"I find real people more fun than legends anyway," said Revan with a shrug. "HK 8, you can consider yourself promoted."
"Query:" said HK 8. "Master, I have not ended the lives of many meatbags. I do not understand what I did to warrant such a promotion."
"You get promoted whenever you improve your own programming," said Revan. "Even if your theory is wrong, you clearly put a great deal of thought into it. As a result, you've demonstrated that your programming has become more sophisticated. Analysis is nearly as important in battle as physical ability, after all."
"Confirmation:" said HK 7. "As you wish, Master. Signing off."
"So why are we stopping anyway?" asked Mira.
"We're trying to get in contact with Master Sylvar, remember?" asked Revan. "She retired back to Cather after the Order became more involved in galactic politics. Supposedly she ventured deep into these mountains, and no one has been able to find her.
"If we could get Master Sylvar to return, we could gain a serious advantage in the coming war. Jagthar already sent people to find her, but she didn't turn up."
"So what makes you think we'll succeed?" asked Mira.
"We have the Force, so she has probably already sensed our presence," said Revan. "And the Force is telling us to wait here anyway.
"Besides, King Jagthar has a number of fortified settlements in these mountains. He plans to flee to them to for a last stand if the Mandalorians make it that far. We're supposed to touch the place up a bit, fix the turrets and such.
"At worst, it's a day as usual. If not, we may get a Jedi Master on our side."
"What if she's turned to the Dark Side?" asked Malak.
"Oh, come on, Malak," said Revan. "She gave up her best chance to do that when she didn't kill a defenseless Ulic on Rhen Var. Although come to think of it, if HK 8's theory is correct, she may have murdered him and gave the credit to someone else."
"Statement:" said HK 8. "It would be a logical way to cover up such a murder. Ulic's tragic death removed him as a political inconvenience. At the same time, his execution via vigilante killing left the Council's hands clean."
"Perhaps you could ask her, Revan," said Malak.
Revan halted and then sensed the presence. Turning, he saw before them a figure clad in robes. In her hand was a lightsaber. "I will be your doom!" she cried.
Her lightsaber flared to life, and then she was on them.