Chapter 4: Theft

Vir was getting ready to disembark. The trip had mostly been uneventful, except for a few brawls concerning pay. Looks like Captain Ridre wasn't exactly up to date.

The Jedi Temple was easy to spot. Its five spires gleamed in the sun, yet gave a sense of foreboding as it loomed up upon him.

"Wait here," he addressed the taxi driver, subtly hinting his voice with the Force. "I'll be back after this." The driver needed no further persuasion.

Vir decided to go by the most common method in the book-ventilation shafts. Climbing up the smooth surface of the building with a grappling hook stolen from one of Coruscant's many armouries. He stopped at the fifth storey, and taking care that there were no Jedi nearby who could sense his presence, he blew open the shaft door with a stolen blaster. Holstering the blaster, he climbed in and concentrated. The Archives would be well guarded, so he had to mask his feelings well. Since the ventilation shafts of pollution-ridden Coruscant would be high-maintenance, he simply chose to disguise himself as a technician.

He crawled around in the shaft blindly for about ten minutes, until he could sense a huge amount of knowledge nearby. A huge number of Jedi, too. He would have to be extra careful if he was to pull this off. Even though he could mask his feelings and presence from the Jedi, he had nothing that could stop them from hearing or seeing him.

As Vir approached the Archives, his hand continually kept straying to Ra-wyne's lightsaber. He shook off the strange feeling with determination.

Vir peered into the Archives from two stories up. The place was huge, with brown Jedi cloaks dotting the blue glow of the holobooks. When he was sure no one was looking, he fixed a grappling hook to the shaft wall and slid down the thin rope as silently as he could. No one noticed. So far so good.

He darted across the huge floor, towards the chamber where the holocrons were kept. There was one Jedi there. He drew the stolen lightsaber and, taking extra care not to be sensed or noticed, killed him with one swift strike. Trying very hard not to feel sadness or guilt, he crept into the room.

He was careful to take all the Sith holocrons, as the Jedi could consult a Sith holocron in case of Sith enemies. This would take away that advantage. He also took the Jedi ones, and was reaching for the 12-sided Great Holocron when he heard footsteps coming up the staircase. Swearing, he drew the lightsaber once more and hacked a hole in the wall. Then he jumped out onto the waiting taxi, whose driver was having a heated argument with two Rodians who wanted a lift to the Rodian Government Centre. The taxi zoomed off, leaving behind two very irritated diplomats and several astonished Jedi.