1 Chapter Five
Walking into the Jedi Library, Evajo found it just as empty as it was just before his ceremony. He looked around until he noticed a light at the other end of the room, behind several columns. With a smile on his face he walked towards it and saw Madame Jocasta Nu working carefully at a computer terminal. She didn't seem to notice his arrival but when he was just a step away from her she turned around and smiled.
"Ah, Evajo…" she said. "Congratulations on your promotion. I heard from young Se'line you came here to convince me to be at the ceremony." The Jedi looked a little embarrassed. "You should have realised I wouldn't miss it for the world. You've always been a good pupil and today has proved just that."
"If it weren't for you I wouldn't be here, Madame," he said. "And for that I owe you so much."
"Oh, I just guided you back onto the right path, Evajo. You would have got there eventually. Your doubts were understandable but not your fault. You were not to blame for what happened to your father."
"I deflected a blast back at him!"
"But he survived. And in his own way I have no doubt that he forgave you before his eventual death."
Evajo fell silent. He hated thinking back to his mission to calm down the Bespin Miner's Riots when he was younger. Master Forchess had taken him to deal with it but it soon became apparent that his own father was the ringleader. One of the miners took a shot at his master but Evajo deflected with his lightsaber in one quick motion only to realise that it had hit his father in the chest. After that the two never spoke again.
Jocasta Nu noticed that now might be an appropriate time to change the conversation. She looked inquisitively at him. "So what brings you here?" she asked.
"Work."
"Not the usual social visit then?" she replied as she got up to face him. "What's the problem?"
"The Council just received a message from the planet Anax. There is some kind of disturbance occurring and they felt that Master Forchess would be the most appropriate person to settle it."
"Ah. These situations were always his speciality. He has quite an ability to settle down unruly crowds." She motioned towards the computer panel in front of her. "And you are joining him on this mission of his?"
"I… I haven't been asked as such," Evajo noted. "But I suppose I will be. For old time's sake at least."
"Of course." The screen changed to exactly what Jocasta was looking for. "I think we have it. Look here…"
Evajo leaned forward to get a closer look at the text that was displayed in front of him. It seemed that Anax was located somewhere just on the outer edge of the Core Worlds but had always maintained that its government should remain local and so attempted to keep the Republic out of its private affairs even after it had joined. It's senators tended to only come to Coruscant when matters affected them directly and would otherwise stay out of the way. This distrust was around long before the current corruption as some people saw it become visible yet when the Confederation of Independent Systems first showed itself it was one of the first planets to secede. They worked with the Separatists until the Anaxian government realised that its resources were being used up rapidly for the vast droid armies that were being produced to fight the Republic.
"I remember that," Evajo said aloud as he read the last part of the entry. "It was only three standard months ago that the Republic liberated it."
"Indeed," replied the old woman. "Despite their political ideals, profit clearly came first for them as it does for many."
"It did seem odd that the Separatists retreated from the planet so quickly after the Republic sent its armies in," Evajo mused. "But then, if these riots are stirring up it suggests that maybe they left several operatives on the planet to do just that."
"And of course, some may have been happier under the protection of the Confederacy. Such a major conflict in interests often leads to sectarian violence such as this."
Evajo nodded as he turned to look at the series of busts that stood atop white shoulder height pillars around the library until he focused on that of Count Dooku. "I'm surprised you even keep that here. After all the violence and bloodshed he has caused since this war of his began I hate to think that I once admired him."
"Master Dooku was a great man and your admiration for who he once was should not die, Evajo. I remember him training when I was just an assistant in the library. You remind me a lot of him at your age."
The Jedi shuddered at the thought but knew the feeling behind her words. "The one time I met him I realised how great he was, but he still seemed a little disillusioned with the Jedi and Republic even then."
That day was still clear in Evajo's mind. It was that very day that he decided to turn his back on the Jedi Order and become Jocasta Nu's assistant after the trouble he encountered with his father on Bespin. She had given him some comforting words in an attempt to lead him back, telling him that one day he would be a great Jedi "like Master Dooku."
The young Evajo had turned around to see a slightly blushing Dooku entering the library. "Oh, I'm not so sure about that my dear Jocasta," he had said. "Things are blurring… the future does not appear as stable as it once was. There is a mist shrouding everything."
He didn't seem to notice Evajo still standing there as he spoke to the old librarian. "Now, don't say that," she replied. "Just because you have lost him… he is one with the Force."
"He was my student. He was not meant to go before me. The whole system no longer works, Jocasta. Maybe you don't see it but I do. More clearly than ever now."
Evajo had taken those words as a chance to get out while he could. He had heard about the death of Master Qui-Gon Jinn at the hands of the Sith but it was easy to forget that he too had his own teacher who was still alive and well much to his own dismay. Not long after that encounter, the word spread that Dooku had left the Order. Rather than confirming his own fears it made Evajo more determined to succeed and that was, he felt, why he was here now.
"His turning against that which he once respected is unfortunate, but no matter how much evil he once did, he had also done far more good."
"And that balances it out?" Evajo queried.
Jocasta shook her head. "No. Evil is always evil. No deeds committed in the name of it can ever be justified let alone balanced out but at the same time even the evil actions cannot overwhelm the good. You must never forget that."
Evajo agreed with her. It seemed that despite his promotion he still had a lot to learn but he was more than happy with that.
Another figure entered the room and put his hand on Evajo's shoulder. "Do you have all the information you require?" Forchess asked him.
"Yes, master."
"Good, you can tell me more on the journey to Anax…"
"So we're ready to leave?" Evajo asked.
"Not quite. I have one more request for you and Se'line before we do. It seems that our captain has gone missing and without him we may not be able to leave Coruscant at all.
Evajo didn't like the sound of this. "Missing? Is it suspicious?"
Forchess calmed him down with a smile that only a Quarren could give. "Oh no, no. Missing is just an… official term. He is quite all right assuming he doesn't get into any real trouble. "
Walking into the Jedi Library, Evajo found it just as empty as it was just before his ceremony. He looked around until he noticed a light at the other end of the room, behind several columns. With a smile on his face he walked towards it and saw Madame Jocasta Nu working carefully at a computer terminal. She didn't seem to notice his arrival but when he was just a step away from her she turned around and smiled.
"Ah, Evajo…" she said. "Congratulations on your promotion. I heard from young Se'line you came here to convince me to be at the ceremony." The Jedi looked a little embarrassed. "You should have realised I wouldn't miss it for the world. You've always been a good pupil and today has proved just that."
"If it weren't for you I wouldn't be here, Madame," he said. "And for that I owe you so much."
"Oh, I just guided you back onto the right path, Evajo. You would have got there eventually. Your doubts were understandable but not your fault. You were not to blame for what happened to your father."
"I deflected a blast back at him!"
"But he survived. And in his own way I have no doubt that he forgave you before his eventual death."
Evajo fell silent. He hated thinking back to his mission to calm down the Bespin Miner's Riots when he was younger. Master Forchess had taken him to deal with it but it soon became apparent that his own father was the ringleader. One of the miners took a shot at his master but Evajo deflected with his lightsaber in one quick motion only to realise that it had hit his father in the chest. After that the two never spoke again.
Jocasta Nu noticed that now might be an appropriate time to change the conversation. She looked inquisitively at him. "So what brings you here?" she asked.
"Work."
"Not the usual social visit then?" she replied as she got up to face him. "What's the problem?"
"The Council just received a message from the planet Anax. There is some kind of disturbance occurring and they felt that Master Forchess would be the most appropriate person to settle it."
"Ah. These situations were always his speciality. He has quite an ability to settle down unruly crowds." She motioned towards the computer panel in front of her. "And you are joining him on this mission of his?"
"I… I haven't been asked as such," Evajo noted. "But I suppose I will be. For old time's sake at least."
"Of course." The screen changed to exactly what Jocasta was looking for. "I think we have it. Look here…"
Evajo leaned forward to get a closer look at the text that was displayed in front of him. It seemed that Anax was located somewhere just on the outer edge of the Core Worlds but had always maintained that its government should remain local and so attempted to keep the Republic out of its private affairs even after it had joined. It's senators tended to only come to Coruscant when matters affected them directly and would otherwise stay out of the way. This distrust was around long before the current corruption as some people saw it become visible yet when the Confederation of Independent Systems first showed itself it was one of the first planets to secede. They worked with the Separatists until the Anaxian government realised that its resources were being used up rapidly for the vast droid armies that were being produced to fight the Republic.
"I remember that," Evajo said aloud as he read the last part of the entry. "It was only three standard months ago that the Republic liberated it."
"Indeed," replied the old woman. "Despite their political ideals, profit clearly came first for them as it does for many."
"It did seem odd that the Separatists retreated from the planet so quickly after the Republic sent its armies in," Evajo mused. "But then, if these riots are stirring up it suggests that maybe they left several operatives on the planet to do just that."
"And of course, some may have been happier under the protection of the Confederacy. Such a major conflict in interests often leads to sectarian violence such as this."
Evajo nodded as he turned to look at the series of busts that stood atop white shoulder height pillars around the library until he focused on that of Count Dooku. "I'm surprised you even keep that here. After all the violence and bloodshed he has caused since this war of his began I hate to think that I once admired him."
"Master Dooku was a great man and your admiration for who he once was should not die, Evajo. I remember him training when I was just an assistant in the library. You remind me a lot of him at your age."
The Jedi shuddered at the thought but knew the feeling behind her words. "The one time I met him I realised how great he was, but he still seemed a little disillusioned with the Jedi and Republic even then."
That day was still clear in Evajo's mind. It was that very day that he decided to turn his back on the Jedi Order and become Jocasta Nu's assistant after the trouble he encountered with his father on Bespin. She had given him some comforting words in an attempt to lead him back, telling him that one day he would be a great Jedi "like Master Dooku."
The young Evajo had turned around to see a slightly blushing Dooku entering the library. "Oh, I'm not so sure about that my dear Jocasta," he had said. "Things are blurring… the future does not appear as stable as it once was. There is a mist shrouding everything."
He didn't seem to notice Evajo still standing there as he spoke to the old librarian. "Now, don't say that," she replied. "Just because you have lost him… he is one with the Force."
"He was my student. He was not meant to go before me. The whole system no longer works, Jocasta. Maybe you don't see it but I do. More clearly than ever now."
Evajo had taken those words as a chance to get out while he could. He had heard about the death of Master Qui-Gon Jinn at the hands of the Sith but it was easy to forget that he too had his own teacher who was still alive and well much to his own dismay. Not long after that encounter, the word spread that Dooku had left the Order. Rather than confirming his own fears it made Evajo more determined to succeed and that was, he felt, why he was here now.
"His turning against that which he once respected is unfortunate, but no matter how much evil he once did, he had also done far more good."
"And that balances it out?" Evajo queried.
Jocasta shook her head. "No. Evil is always evil. No deeds committed in the name of it can ever be justified let alone balanced out but at the same time even the evil actions cannot overwhelm the good. You must never forget that."
Evajo agreed with her. It seemed that despite his promotion he still had a lot to learn but he was more than happy with that.
Another figure entered the room and put his hand on Evajo's shoulder. "Do you have all the information you require?" Forchess asked him.
"Yes, master."
"Good, you can tell me more on the journey to Anax…"
"So we're ready to leave?" Evajo asked.
"Not quite. I have one more request for you and Se'line before we do. It seems that our captain has gone missing and without him we may not be able to leave Coruscant at all.
Evajo didn't like the sound of this. "Missing? Is it suspicious?"
Forchess calmed him down with a smile that only a Quarren could give. "Oh no, no. Missing is just an… official term. He is quite all right assuming he doesn't get into any real trouble. "