STAR WARS
MALICE SCENE THREE: SHATTERED ILLUSIONS
Darkness is engulfing the Galactic Republic. Already the separatists of Count Douku have begun attacks on dozens of worlds leaving behind charred hulks where once thriving societies had been. Many blame the separatists for starting this war, but a growing vocal minority has begun to wonder if maybe the seeds for this came not from greedy beings without, but from greedy beings within.
Into this disillusionment comes Ry-Zan Odanna. Even now, as he wakes in the morning he faces a crisis of conscience, yet he will do nothing to stray from his course. He is determined that what he is doing is the right thing and that his fellow Jedi are gravely mistaken to support the Republic. His frustration with them grows daily and is slowly giving way to anger.
Little does he realize though that his Jedi superiors aren't nearly as oblivious to what is going on around them as he would hope and that he is in fact being closely watched.
Jedi Master Morpheus Rayanne stood stoically in the Jedi Council chambers. His face registered none of the emotional turmoil he was feeling inside. Next to him stood Master Landus Horvan. He too wore a neutral expression on his face but Morpheus knew that inside he must be dying.
"So it is true then?" Morpheus heard Landus ask of Master Windu. "Ry- Zan has betrayed us?"
Mace Windu sat calmly and nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. The security droid we had monitoring him confirmed that he stole the artifact from the archive vault last night. He was also seen meeting someone in the lower levels last evening. That combined with the com logs we have leave no doubt that he has been working for Count Douku."
"What do you intend to do then?" Morpheus asked. "We cannot allow that Sith Artifact into Douku's hands. He's fallen to the Dark Side and already too powerful as it is. Handing him Sith information will only make a bad situation worse."
"Agreed we are in this." Master Yoda said, "Into Douku's hands this artifact must not fall." "Still, there may be an opportunity here." Morpheus said. "If we can catch Ry-Zan while he is making the drop, we might be able to trace his contact and uncover the whole network."
Mace nodded. "I agree, but what about your Padawan? This could create an ethical dilemma for him." Morpheus shook his head. "Not Jay-Zan. His priority is first and foremost to the Jedi Order." "True, your words are. Loyal and true, young Jay-Zan is. Nevertheless, too painful for him this would still be. Of this, he must be kept out." Yoda said.
"Master Yoda, I have never hidden anything from my Padawan. What you're asking me to do is to deceive him." Morpheus said. "No." Mace said, "We're asking you to not tell him until after the operation is complete."
"He will wonder what is going on. The boy is very perceptive and something like this won't slip by unnoticed." Morpheus countered. "What should I tell him when he asks, and believe me he WILL ask."
"Tell him the truth." Mace replied. "Tell him that you are on a mission to uncover a traitor and that you can say no more." Morpheus swallowed hard and nodded. "As you wish." He said and turned to walk out. Landus followed him quietly until after they got out the door, then he turned and faced him.
"How could I not see this coming?" Landus asked. "He has had a dissenting opinion for quite some time now, but I thought it was just the impetuousness and idealism of youth. I never imagine that it would come to this." He hung his head low.
Morpheus placed a hand on his shoulder. "This is not your fault Landus. There is nothing you could have done to prevent it." Landus looked up and for the first time Morpheus could see how deeply the man was hurt. "How can I be certain? I mean I am the one who was his teacher, his mentor. I am the one who has been his father for the past nine years! Surely I could have done something? Seen some warning sign." Morpheus shook his head. "You trained him the best that you could. You gave him every tool he needed for success. The choice was his and he made it, not you." Landus nodded. "Yes, but still I must bear some of the responsibility for this failure." He took a deep breath. "Enough of this. We have a mission and not much time. I will meet you at Monument Plaza." Morpheus nodded and patted him on the shoulder. "May the Force be with you my friend." Landus accepted the blessing with a half hearted smile. "May it be with us all tonight."
Like he had done many times before, Ry-Zan slipped quietly out of the temple in normal civilian garb and made his way toward Monument Plaza where he would take the shuttle down to the sub levels. He looked over his shoulder and reached out with the Force trying to sense any prying minds and found none. Satisfied, he moved on quickly.
He walked to the shuttle that went to the Senate depot and boarded quietly. There he sat with the holocron in his pocket as the shuttle moved through the Corruscant traffic towards his meeting.
Jay-Zan sat in the temple library sipping tea and reading a book on Teras Kasi fighting Techniques. Hand to hand had never been his forte and he was trying to read up and maybe spar, if he could find a partner who would mop the floor with him at first chance.
He stood when he saw his master Morpheus walking toward him at a brisk pace. He immediately knew something was amiss by the look on his face.
"What is it master?" Jay-Zan asked, concerned. "I have been given a mission by the counsel and I must leave immediately." Morpheus replied. Jay- Zan put the book down and finished his tea in one gulp. "I am ready master." He said, but Morpheus shook his head. "No, this is a mission that I alone must undertake." "Master?" Jay-Zan said taken aback. "What's going on?"
Morpheus placed a hand on Jay-Zan's shoulder. "I cannot tell you. The counsel has forbade it. Now, I must go. Relax now and focus inward. You will need all of your strength soon."
The Jedi Master turned and walked past his apprentice who stood there with an almost dazed expression on his face. He still looked that way when Janarra found him moments later.
"Hey you? What's the Bantha in the headlight stare for?" she asked in her typical spunky way. Jay-Zan looked at where Morpheus had walked off for a moment longer then turned to face her.
"Master Morpheus just went on a mission without me." He said, still disbelieving. "Janarra stepped back and looked at him. "Wow," she said, "It's been a long time since he didn't take you on a mission. Since you were." "Thirteen." Jay-Zan finished for her. "Ever since before we had to pull Master Kenobi and Anakin out of that nest of Gundarks."
Janarra chuckled. "You know he still insists that he had that taken care of by the time you arrived." Jay-Zan didn't laugh. "Something isn't right." He said, "Let's find Ry-Zan. He usually knows what's goin on."
"I just came from his room and he isn't there." Janarra said. Jay-Zan suddenly had an icy feeling in his gut. "Come on." He said. "Where are we going??" Janarra asked following him to the door of the Temple. He turned back to face her. "To find Master Morpheus. I suspect that whatever he is doing involves my brother somehow." "Did the Force tell you this?" Janarra asked as they walked down the steps of the Temple. "Just a hunch." Jay-Zan replied, "Now come on!"
Janarra shook her head. "I have a bad feeling about this."
MALICE SCENE THREE: SHATTERED ILLUSIONS
Darkness is engulfing the Galactic Republic. Already the separatists of Count Douku have begun attacks on dozens of worlds leaving behind charred hulks where once thriving societies had been. Many blame the separatists for starting this war, but a growing vocal minority has begun to wonder if maybe the seeds for this came not from greedy beings without, but from greedy beings within.
Into this disillusionment comes Ry-Zan Odanna. Even now, as he wakes in the morning he faces a crisis of conscience, yet he will do nothing to stray from his course. He is determined that what he is doing is the right thing and that his fellow Jedi are gravely mistaken to support the Republic. His frustration with them grows daily and is slowly giving way to anger.
Little does he realize though that his Jedi superiors aren't nearly as oblivious to what is going on around them as he would hope and that he is in fact being closely watched.
Jedi Master Morpheus Rayanne stood stoically in the Jedi Council chambers. His face registered none of the emotional turmoil he was feeling inside. Next to him stood Master Landus Horvan. He too wore a neutral expression on his face but Morpheus knew that inside he must be dying.
"So it is true then?" Morpheus heard Landus ask of Master Windu. "Ry- Zan has betrayed us?"
Mace Windu sat calmly and nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. The security droid we had monitoring him confirmed that he stole the artifact from the archive vault last night. He was also seen meeting someone in the lower levels last evening. That combined with the com logs we have leave no doubt that he has been working for Count Douku."
"What do you intend to do then?" Morpheus asked. "We cannot allow that Sith Artifact into Douku's hands. He's fallen to the Dark Side and already too powerful as it is. Handing him Sith information will only make a bad situation worse."
"Agreed we are in this." Master Yoda said, "Into Douku's hands this artifact must not fall." "Still, there may be an opportunity here." Morpheus said. "If we can catch Ry-Zan while he is making the drop, we might be able to trace his contact and uncover the whole network."
Mace nodded. "I agree, but what about your Padawan? This could create an ethical dilemma for him." Morpheus shook his head. "Not Jay-Zan. His priority is first and foremost to the Jedi Order." "True, your words are. Loyal and true, young Jay-Zan is. Nevertheless, too painful for him this would still be. Of this, he must be kept out." Yoda said.
"Master Yoda, I have never hidden anything from my Padawan. What you're asking me to do is to deceive him." Morpheus said. "No." Mace said, "We're asking you to not tell him until after the operation is complete."
"He will wonder what is going on. The boy is very perceptive and something like this won't slip by unnoticed." Morpheus countered. "What should I tell him when he asks, and believe me he WILL ask."
"Tell him the truth." Mace replied. "Tell him that you are on a mission to uncover a traitor and that you can say no more." Morpheus swallowed hard and nodded. "As you wish." He said and turned to walk out. Landus followed him quietly until after they got out the door, then he turned and faced him.
"How could I not see this coming?" Landus asked. "He has had a dissenting opinion for quite some time now, but I thought it was just the impetuousness and idealism of youth. I never imagine that it would come to this." He hung his head low.
Morpheus placed a hand on his shoulder. "This is not your fault Landus. There is nothing you could have done to prevent it." Landus looked up and for the first time Morpheus could see how deeply the man was hurt. "How can I be certain? I mean I am the one who was his teacher, his mentor. I am the one who has been his father for the past nine years! Surely I could have done something? Seen some warning sign." Morpheus shook his head. "You trained him the best that you could. You gave him every tool he needed for success. The choice was his and he made it, not you." Landus nodded. "Yes, but still I must bear some of the responsibility for this failure." He took a deep breath. "Enough of this. We have a mission and not much time. I will meet you at Monument Plaza." Morpheus nodded and patted him on the shoulder. "May the Force be with you my friend." Landus accepted the blessing with a half hearted smile. "May it be with us all tonight."
Like he had done many times before, Ry-Zan slipped quietly out of the temple in normal civilian garb and made his way toward Monument Plaza where he would take the shuttle down to the sub levels. He looked over his shoulder and reached out with the Force trying to sense any prying minds and found none. Satisfied, he moved on quickly.
He walked to the shuttle that went to the Senate depot and boarded quietly. There he sat with the holocron in his pocket as the shuttle moved through the Corruscant traffic towards his meeting.
Jay-Zan sat in the temple library sipping tea and reading a book on Teras Kasi fighting Techniques. Hand to hand had never been his forte and he was trying to read up and maybe spar, if he could find a partner who would mop the floor with him at first chance.
He stood when he saw his master Morpheus walking toward him at a brisk pace. He immediately knew something was amiss by the look on his face.
"What is it master?" Jay-Zan asked, concerned. "I have been given a mission by the counsel and I must leave immediately." Morpheus replied. Jay- Zan put the book down and finished his tea in one gulp. "I am ready master." He said, but Morpheus shook his head. "No, this is a mission that I alone must undertake." "Master?" Jay-Zan said taken aback. "What's going on?"
Morpheus placed a hand on Jay-Zan's shoulder. "I cannot tell you. The counsel has forbade it. Now, I must go. Relax now and focus inward. You will need all of your strength soon."
The Jedi Master turned and walked past his apprentice who stood there with an almost dazed expression on his face. He still looked that way when Janarra found him moments later.
"Hey you? What's the Bantha in the headlight stare for?" she asked in her typical spunky way. Jay-Zan looked at where Morpheus had walked off for a moment longer then turned to face her.
"Master Morpheus just went on a mission without me." He said, still disbelieving. "Janarra stepped back and looked at him. "Wow," she said, "It's been a long time since he didn't take you on a mission. Since you were." "Thirteen." Jay-Zan finished for her. "Ever since before we had to pull Master Kenobi and Anakin out of that nest of Gundarks."
Janarra chuckled. "You know he still insists that he had that taken care of by the time you arrived." Jay-Zan didn't laugh. "Something isn't right." He said, "Let's find Ry-Zan. He usually knows what's goin on."
"I just came from his room and he isn't there." Janarra said. Jay-Zan suddenly had an icy feeling in his gut. "Come on." He said. "Where are we going??" Janarra asked following him to the door of the Temple. He turned back to face her. "To find Master Morpheus. I suspect that whatever he is doing involves my brother somehow." "Did the Force tell you this?" Janarra asked as they walked down the steps of the Temple. "Just a hunch." Jay-Zan replied, "Now come on!"
Janarra shook her head. "I have a bad feeling about this."
