"I hear that someone is a very good duelist." Master Windu walked straight up to Jenica and Anakin as they were perfectly in sync It was a basic Shii Cho kata but Anakin had just gotten it down and this interruption caused him to misstep. Jenica smiled as she spun to counter his misstep and come to a stop right in front of Mace Windu as Anakin tumbled as he lost his focus.
"I had it. I..."
"Take a break Ani." Anakin looked at the man and his eyes grew wide in recognition. Jenica pointed to the blanket that contained their snacks and water. Anakin sunk but followed her finger over to the blanket.
"I do not agree that you should be training him." Jenica lifted her eyebrow as her water bottle flew over to her hand as Anakin yelped in surprise. She took a drink as Master Windu frowned.
"I do not need permission from anyone but the Force to know that he needs training. From your opening words you challenged me." He chuckled but did not move from his position with his hands clasped together.
"The Jedi Order has been around for twenty five thousand years or more. I think we have learned a thing or two in all that time on how to know if someone should be trained or not." I nodded not knowing how I could respond to such wisdom. I inhaled and opened myself to the Force to look at him and he glowed as purple as she had heard his blade was colored. His aura neither light nor dark, but only barely in balance. She could feel the conflict inside of him just before it vanished as she blinked.
"Or you may just be a bunch of old Jedi who have forgotten their duty to act."
"We have not forgotten our duty."
"I think I have heard otherwise. Revan tried to convince the Jedi Council that the time to fight the Mandalorians was at hand, but they would not allow the Order to fight as the Republic lost world after world. They needed to contemplate some more."
"Did Revan also reveal that he fell to the dark side that his fighting in the Mandalorians Wars created?"
"He didn't fall he was forced by the Sith Emperor who had dominated his mind, but he still tried to tactically defeat the Republic which would have allowed a fast recovery under a more focused leadership. It was the Jedi that stopped him and ruined the plan allowing Malak to then burn worlds like Telos and Taris."
"Much of that history was lost how can you be so sure?"
"He and the Exile, Meetra Surik are my guides along with the very Scourge that once served the Emperor himself."
"Qui Gon left nothing out. I can not believe that you have resisted falling to the dark side and using a localized Force storm like the Sith of old without a single shadow blocking your light, but I can not allow you to train another in the ways of the Sith."
"I am training him in the ways of the Force. Unlike you Jedi I have learned that balance is more important. That to maintain your morality you must live with your emotions, not to separate yourself from them. Emotions, yet Peace."
Master Windu studied her again as he walked up next to her. He reached out and pulled one of the flowers closer to his face to smell it briefly. He then looked at her again with his face showing that he might be in pain. Though she could not feel anything. It was not real pain of the body but something that the Force was pressing onto him, but she had no reference for why.
"You are strong, but young. The council does tend to contemplate too much, but you and this Sith that was discovered have told us it is time to act, but I do not know which direction it will lead us."
"If the past is anything to go by we must expect the unexpected." Mace nodded as he looked at her from the side.
"Who told you that?"
"A Sith." She could tell that this bothered him as his face hardened and he pulled his shields in tighter. The urge to giggle came and she let it out only it sounded more like a strained laugh then the giggle it should have been. Time passed slowly as they moved the few feet to the railing. Though this one was only a few feet above the ground it protected you from falling to. Then again it could be a fence, but it did not prevent one from entering or leaving like a wall did.
"I would like to study these holocrons. I feel that they are dangerous."
"For whom? You, me, for Anakin? I was taught about the Force how to connect to it by the vary holocrons you know nothing about. Do not claim something is dangerous just because you are ignorant." Master Windu did not move to reply for some time.
"All Sith holocrons in my experience are dangerous."
"True, but not..." I stopped as a pair of palace guards came up to us and one cleared their throat before getting too close. Master Windu turned to them and took a step closer.
"What is it?" His smaller actions straightened his tunics.
"We were told to come find you master Jedi. The ship that is linked to the assassin has been found."
"Take me there." The guards turned and he moved to follow them as I pulled my cloak to me and the other items to me. One guard stopped to gasp as several of the items flew close to him. Master Windu looked at me and his scowl was back in full force.
"Sorry, not going to leave it just lying there."
"You could have just gone and picked it up." I shrugged.
"True, but then that would have slowed me down and I could have possibly lost you."
"This is Jedi business. You are not coming with." I sighed as I could feel he was serious, but did I really have to show him again.
"All I..." He stopped and the guards halted after a few more steps, or more likely from what he said next to me.
"Stop. Fine, but this will be a crime scene anything that is there you do not touch it. If you have a feeling about something tell us."
"Thank you and I did not have to give Qui Gon the ship fob. Could I claim salvage rights." He rolled his eyes as he signaled the guards to keep moving as he took a step. I giggled as his emotions rolled off of him and I could feel his annoyance. It was the type that you would feel as if someone told you one too many bad jokes. As we got to the location of the ship I stopped to look at it blinking several times. I had walked by this location dozens of times and from what I could tell it had not been moved here as it made no sense to land it here.
"How is this ship here? Why did it not get moved to the hanger?" Mace's annoyance had increased to the point of near anger.
"Master Jedi, it has not been moved." One of the guards nearly stuttered as he spoke. Then Ki Adi Mundi moved away from the back of the ship. I also notice several more Jedi arriving from different directions including Master Jinn. As Master Mundi stopped in front of Master Windu, Jinn extended his hand and pressed the fob. Mundi looked back at the sound of the hatch opening. Moments later the ramp came down.
"But how did it get here? Even I walked passed this location several times." Jenica asked.
"Stealth field generator, only found it because someone walked into it." Mundi stated as he pointed out someone who was bandaged up over to the side.
"But to have the system fail after so long?" I wondered as I looked the mostly black ship. It had this sparkle effect that was similar to the cloak I wore.
"Water has this effect if given enough to cover an area. Most generators are only used to fly in and out. Rain will affect them, but a fire hose does a very good job. Though the next rain could have done the same, must have been too low on power to maintain the shield."
This was one of the bigger clues that whomever Darth Maul was he was connected to a lot of funds. The ship was then slowly inspected and later moved to a hanger. It was there that the personal items though few were removed to be inspected later by Knight Vos and the rest was torn apart. A ship can be made to vanish even from a manufacturers records, but no matter how effective certain records may not have a direct link to the ship. This turned out to be a Republic Siener Systems Star Cruiser that had been heavily modified. The Stygian crystal cloaking device had numbers that were traceable to a mine on Aeten II.
The dark eye probe droids were easily traceable as well though it was not until a worker ID was found that the company that modified the courier was identify. The next was the numbers of the FC 20 came up as well. Each taken alone did not mean a thing, but no matter how well you hide a trail the money is the easiest to follow. However, the initial results all lead back to several of the many corporations that the IBC owned at one point after a foreclosure. It was the link to Hego Damask that was the biggest stumbling blocks, but with this now even further linked to a Sith several orders went out and dozens of Jedi Shadows left on secret missions that the Senate would never find out about.
It had been several days since the discovery of the Sith ship and from what Jenica knew they were no closer to solid evidence. With Hego Damask's recent death it put his funds out of touch of the courts until they were claimed by those listed in his allocation paperwork. Depending on the system it could take months to years to gain access to who inherited his assets. Not that Jenica really cared about the investigation other than to know who was the Sith that was still alive. She stretched slowly taking a break from the numerous requests that Shmi, Anakin, or herself was invited to this party, event, or dinner to thank them. Many of them were on the same day or as soon as possible or even from someone who was not even on planet.
I picked up the datapad and went back to declining every single request with slightly different letters. It was then that I came across a request from Chancellor Palpatine to dine at his family estate. A few inquiries and the location of the estate came up and the Force grew cold as I went through the family's public profile. A tragedy happened when Sheev was eighteen leaving him the sole survivor or heir to the Palpatine line. Eleven years later he returned to the public eye not long before he was elected to the Senate after the last Senator was assassinated two years later.
I did not know much about politics, but I did not need the Force to run cold when I read about Senator Vidar Kim being assassinated and not even a day had passed after he had become chancellor that an assassination attempt was made against Palpatine that remarked that the assassin used poison to commit suicide. With Ronhar Kim being involved in attempting to stop the assassinations the Force was very clear that both of the events were linked together. I notated Ronhar Kim's name and made a note that I should talk to him if I ever met him. As a Jedi he could potentially be a secret Sith. Though I was doubtful as how such Jedi could keep another Jedi from finding out. Then it lead back to Palpatine as the benefactor of his father's death in becoming a Senator to replace him and that the Senate guard had been infiltrated. The Force nudged me and I found mention of the Senate Guard going through a thorough replacement of nearly all members.
A simple click on another link and there was Hego standing right next to Sheev while I felt the presence of Master Yoda was out side of the loading ramp of the Ebon Hawk. Anakin was some where else probably with Padme or one of the other handmaidens if not with his mother. I set the the pad down to go let the small master in. I did want to talk to him, but I had been avoiding him. If my discussion with Master Windu had continued I was sure it would have lead to a completely different view of the Force and I knew I could not stop him from forcing his way or from him somehow just taking my guides from me.
I pushed this feeling down, but I heard the warning it was telling me. I did not want this Jedi anywhere near my holocrons, but at the same time I felt that I needed to show them. I tapped the inner switch of the hatch and it took a few seconds to open. I looked around noting that there was no other Jedi near before looking down at the small master.
"Old I feel this ship is." Master Yoda tapped his gimer stick against the floor plating as he invited himself inside the ship. Jenica Lour not stopping him like he thought she would moments ago. She followed him as he made a right turn that lead into the lounge portion of the ship.
"The ship was made during the Mandalorian Wars, so it is really old. However, you did not come here to talk about this ship." Jenica looked Yoda right in his eyes as he chuckled to himself. This girl was refreshingly direct.
"Know about this ship I do. Studied the events of the Jedi Civil War I did. Revan this ship he used. Lost to time much of his life was."
"Then you want my holocrons. You can not have them. They do not want to be stored away never to be used properly." The girl glared at Master Yoda as he contemplated her statement. Such holocrons in the wrong hands could be dangerous, but that they had been put in hers the Force was content enough to not lean in either direction.
"Talk to your guides I will. Safe with you will they remain." Jenica continued to stare at him before walking away. He could feel the Force swirling in every corner of this ship. The light mixed with the dark as words floating in and out of comprehension. He felt that there was a pull of the light side somewhere to the starboard side of the ship and a more dark side pull to the port side. The echoes of those who lived on this ship came and went as he searched the Force until Jenica came back with a tea set. In silence she poured out two cups and handed one to Master Yoda as he opened his eyes. His nose flared as he took in the aroma of the tea and then carefully sipped his first taste.
"It is a blend I found on a station outside of the Dubrava System. I have Alderaan Black Tea if that is more to your liking."
"Good tea this is, Guided you the Force has. Trust your instincts learned you have." Jenica laughed as she had no clue why she had picked that blend. To her it was way too earthy and smelled off putting, but tended to clear your sinuses quickly. She could feel his statement that he was not here for her holocrons so with a bit of skill she pulled them out of her cabin and they all came alive as she set them on the counter. Each of the guides bowed in their way though the guide of Scourge folded his arms as his head nodded.
"My guides this is Master Yoda." The three turned to the small Jedi and repeated the same gestures.
"Grandmaster of the Jedi Order I am. Questions I have of you I do."
"You remind me of Master Vandar Tokare." Revan spoke first.
"Grandmaster of the Jedi Order? That is yet to be seen." Scourge's presence seemed to grow darker.
"Easy Scourge, our power is limited. You might run out, greetings Grandmaster. I had hoped the Jedi Order would rebuild in time. Has it returned to the five million members it was before the Mandalorian Wars?" Jenica watched as Master Yoda's eyes flared in surprise. He had never known the Order to be so numerous even with the members of the Service Corps.
"Two hundred and fifty thousand Jedi there are. Only ten thousand knights serve they do." This time it was the guides' turn to look surprised.
"Was there another war to bring your numbers so low?" Master Yoda moved his head to the side back and forth.
"Peace the Jedi have won. The Sith all but extinct they are." This made Scourge growl, but almost as if he was glad about it. Meetra remained silent as Revan began to pace as he held his masked chin. It was nearly a minute before Revan stopped and the room seemed to get warmer at the same time it cooled.
"Then the Force is then out of balance. Without the Sith returning from time to time the dark side has only grown stronger with no one to wield it. Master Kreia taught me to watch the currents of the Force. If it ever falls out of balance too far to one side or the other that it will right itself and destroy the cause without mercy."
"Such would have been the case had I not destroyed Darth Nihilus." Meetra interrupted.
"No, Darth Nihilus would have destroyed all life in the galaxy until there was nothing left to consume. If you had not stopped him only the Sith Emperor could have stood a chance. A small one before he consumed the galaxy himself to become an immortal god." Scourge calmly countered.
"How long has the Republic been at peace?" Revan asked looking as if he was reaching into Yoda's soul.
"Thousand years it has almost been. Nearly as long lived as I. Troubling this news is."
"Has there not been a rise in strength of the Jedi? It was like this during the Mandalorian Wars and some three hundred years later as Jedi and Sith grew stronger from one generation to the next."
"Weaker not stronger the Jedi are. Shrouded in the dark side everything is." The three seemed to talk between each other and then one by one they nodded to each other.
"Jenica then it is clear you have been called to be the One." They all spoke together. Jenica rolled her eyes again as she knew this not to be true, but something felt interesting about their decision.
"The One shall rise from the dark to bring light back to balance the Force." The lights in the ship suddenly dimmed as Teefive screamed in warning before the lights stabilized back to normal. Jenica had felt nothing in the Force to cause the flicker. She rolled her eyes as they were going all cryptic again.
"Fully defeated by just anyone, the dark side cannot be, but only by the Chosen One. Know this Jedi I do not. A vessel of pure Force the Chosen One will be, more powerful than any Jedi in history." The three guides frowned and then conferred with each other silently. Scourge laughed mockingly as Meetra looked to be confused, almost concerned that what she was thinking was the truth. Revan's mask revealed nothing but his tone revealed his anger.
"Assumptions! That is all the Jedi are good for. I hope that you do not refer to the Prophecy of the Chosen One? The vary prophecy that came into being after the discovery of the prophecy of the Rise of the Sith'ari?" Master Yoda looked confused and concerned as he slowly nodded yes. Revan shook his head as if he could not have heard anything more stupid before his shoulders sank.
"Both prophecies were debated by not just the Jedi but the Sith as well. The only concrete determination was that One would be chosen by the Force in times when the Force was heading out of balance. They would be naturally strong. I found myself considered such a One, but I brought the Force out of balance to allow another to bring it back into balance by defeating Tenebrae three hundred years later."
Master Yoda was truly concerned. If the prophecy was a lie then the few premonitions he had been getting from the Force were wrong in some way. He sighed heavily as Qui Gon Jinn had been pushing him to remove the boy from this girl's care while the Force felt very much content to let things be. What concerned him the most was Jinn's insistence that he felt the boy was the very Chosen One. Master Yoda had however, spent much time feeling the boy with the Force as she trained him or even when the boy thought himself alone. Emotions rolled off of him happy that his mother was there and happy that he was getting closer to the Queen. No the boy would never be a Jedi just as much as Jenica could never be a Jedi. They were both too old for the current Jedi Order.
Yet, as he thought about this he could not comprehend the Force pushing that he should train them both. To train them as he had been trained and more. Jenica was by her skill seen so far at the level of a Jedi Knight. Her bout with Master Windu had been short, but blindingly fast as she did not hold back. He had still won as his skill as a master was second only to Yoda himself and formerly Master Dooku in his prime. Perhaps with training she could become stronger, but it was her ability to use the Force just as much as her blades while fighting that spoke of her promise. This was also another reason she could not be a Jedi as she knew techniques that had been long restricted from use.
Though Master Yoda could not fault her for those same techniques he knew well, but had not used them since being taught them. Most of those techniques were used against the Sith or Jedi alike. It was these techniques that the Jedi Lords learned and taught their padawans. Skills that focused on war with the Sith was an ever present threat even when none were present. Skills that had not been passed on since the Ruusan Reformations and had become shunned after the Mandalorian Excision. He had thought too long as all four of them were now staring at him with boredom. The Chosen One Anakin could be, but also in the wrong hands he would be the Sith'ari. Master Yoda chuckled as the irony sunk in. The Jedi Order would be the better place to guard against the Sith.
"Train him the Jedi will." He had made his decision and the council would have to accept it.
"Anakin can make up his own mind if you ask him. Do not assume he will follow just because you demand it. He is not a slave and you will not treat him as such." Jenica's anger flared at how sure this little troll of a Jedi felt. In one moment she felt how his decision bore the weight of finality. As if he was to be obeyed without question once his mind was made up. It was as if he rarely ever had anyone tell him no or yes when he decided against.
"Protect him the Jedi can. Teach him I will. Strong in the Force he is, at risk he could be. Sith he can not become."
There it was the reasoning that felt so right in the Force that Jenica could easily just give him up to them, but it also felt wrong and this wrongness had her feeling the Force around her to feel how it truly was but this Jedi had such a strong focus that she could not really feel what the Force was saying. He was right, but wrong at the same time as his focus was changing her reality. She got up and moved across the room until she was as far as she could get from him without leaving the room.
"Out!" It was all she could get through her lips without bowing to his will. The confused look on the Master's face and then his sadness hit her like a brick just before she felt fear radiating from the master. Could a Jedi master truly be afraid? As Master Yoda slowly finished his tea as he stood he gave Jenica a pleading look. The only thing she felt that saved her was her rising anger preventing her compassion falling for the master's pout. Then it was suddenly over as he turned and walked out. Jenica inhaled as she realized she had been holding her breath without aide from the Force.