CHAPTER 2: MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF INFORMATION

Days passed and Occala began to worry about her friend Telon. He seemed quiet and subdued ever since they found Master Von-Dil's dead body. He rarely came to class or to the dining hall; he rarely left his quarters, actually. It seemed as if the madness of Von-Dil was contagious and Telon had been infected.

Occala couldn't let her friend deteriorate this way. She had to see what was wrong and try to help him if she could. She went to his quarters and knocked on the door.

"What?!" Telon's voice demanded from inside.
"Telon, it's me-it's Occala; let me in." The padawan pleaded.

A few seconds that felt like an hour went by and the door hissed open. Telon stood in the doorway in dirty clothes. His hair was matted down with sweat and he had the beginnings of an amber-colored beard.

"What do you want?" Telon inquired.
"I brought you some food." Occala said waving the tray in front of his face as if to mock him for making her state the obvious.
"Thank you." Telon said as he quickly snatched the tray from her.

"Wait a minute, Telon. Can we talk?" She asked.
"There's nothing to talk about, Occala." He insisted.
"Yes there is. Now let me inside." Occala ordered.

Telon moved aside and let her in. She took a seat on his unmade bed and looked at the disheveled room. Datapads and holocrons from the archive were strewn about everywhere. Telon was usually fairly neat (for a human male). This stuck out in Occala's mind; as if she needed more proof that something was wrong.

Telon then set the tray down on a stack of holopads that were on his desk and sat on the floor with his head in his hands.

"Doing some research?" Occala asked politely.
"Yes, I've been doing some research on holocrons." He answered.
"Why?" She asked.
"I'm just curious about them. Did you know holocrons were invented as a way to store massive amounts of information in a small object?"

"Yes, I did. Did you know that you're scaring all your friends and instructors with the way you've been acting lately? We half-expected to find you lying in here dead like Von-Dil." Occala said.
"I'm sorry to worry everyone; I was just doing some research." Telon explained.
"Why the sudden interest in holocrons, Telon?" Occala wondered.

"No reason. I just find them fascinating." He bluffed.
"You opened it, didn't you?" Occala asked worriedly.
"Opened what?" Telon played dumb.

"Muergoth's holocron, the one with the secrets of the darkside. You opened it." She said somberly.
"I did not. I-" Telon began.
"You're a terrible liar, Telon. I know you opened it. I knew that night when you lied to Master Sarla." She said sorrowfully.

"I'm sorry I lied, Occala. I just knew that everyone would make a big deal out of it and it's not a big deal." Telon explained.
"It's not?!" Occala asked, standing. "Since you opened it you don't eat or sleep or come to class. You don't talk to your friends, or anyone else for that matter, you just spend all your time studying holocrons. You're obsessed, Telon!"

"You're right, I'm sorry; but don't worry, I'm done. I'm done studying holocrons. I don't care anymore." Telon said.
"What were you looking for, Telon? What ever it was, you didn't find it, did you?" Occala knew her friend all too well; she knew he was quitting because he didn't find what he was looking for, not for her sake.

"No, I didn't." Telon admitted as he stood. "I was trying to see if any holocrons in the past had keys."
"Keys? Why would a holocron have a key? The whole point of a holocron is to make information available." Occala scoffed.
"That's why I found no records."

"Why would you spend all this time to try and find something like that?" Occala wondered.
"Well, that wasn't all I was researching." Telon confessed. "That holocron spooked me a little, and just like master Von-Dil used to say: 'Fear comes from a lack of understanding;' so I was trying to understand holocrons in general better."

"What did you see?" Occala asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.
"I saw me. I had it all." Telon said plainly as he stared off into space.
"That's it?" Occala seemed disappointed. "That's the great evil secret of Master Muergoth?"

"It was a remarkable feeling, Occala. It was as if I was standing in front of the entire Galaxy and everyone was applauding me." Telon said, still staring into space.
"Really? That is remarkable." Occala confessed. "But then what scared you, I don't see what's so frightening about that."

"What scared me, what really terrified me, was the realization of what I'd do to feel that way again." Telon said, still staring into space.

Occala swallowed the lump in he throat, she now realized her friend's reasons for acting so strangely. "You should tell the council what you know." She suggested.

"Yeah." Telon agreed, and then turned his attention to his food tray.

In the highest tower of the Jedi Temple, sat the Jedi Council. A group of twelve Jedi Masters who discussed issues and decided which matters required their involvement. The twelve sat together now. The head of the Council was Jedi Master Yala, a small green creature with pointy ears from the Dagobah system.

The Dagobah system was like a second home to the Jedi; it was where the Force was first discovered, passed down from the small green creatures that inhabited the planet. The force was strong in certain individuals and many of those individuals were drawn to Dagobah. There the species of green creatures, which Yala was a part of, taught these gifted beings about the Force that binds the universe.

Although no one is sure about the origins of Yala's species, many concede that the Force itself had created them, as well as the entire Dagobah system. Although, that is all just speculation, of course.

For nearly two and a half thousand years, the beings strong with the Force migrated to Dagobah. They built very few structures for most were content to live among nature. Soon, the followers of the Force began to expand, their numbers grew and soon they began to identify strengths of each individual and trained them in one of seven occupations. The seven occupations were: farmer, craftsman, healer, artist philosopher, teacher, and merchant. The Force Followers established Force colonies for the growing number of Followers to dwell in.

There were colonies on six different systems. Colonies could be found on Ruan, Alderan, Burrtah, Malastare, Dagobah, and Naboo. Each colony had a mix of occupations but each had one they specialized in. The farmers dwelled on Burrtah, the merchants on Malastare, the artists on Naboo, the craftsmen on Alderan, the healers on Ruan and the Teachers and Philosophers on Dagobah.

The philosophers on Dagobah experimented with the Force and soon what was just a state of mind, a belief of being, was now transferred into physical uses. The Force Followers began to use the Force as a way to excel at their various crafts. The Followers became experts at whatever it was they did and soon, the Force colonies flourished and became prosperous. As soon as this happened, they became susceptible to attack. The colonies typically shared their great wealth with the system they were on. This generosity was not enough to keep away pirates and thieves, however. The defenseless colonies were too often plundered of their wealth.

To protect the inhabitants of the colonies the wise philosophers of Dagobah devised an eighth craft: warrior. The philosophers also created a style of defensive fighting so these great, Force-wielding warriors could protect the colonies. The truly grand and graceful warriors needed a truly grand and graceful weapon. The great craftsmen of Alderan created one; a weapon that would match the warriors' defensive style, they called it a "lightsaber."

The lightsaber-wielding warriors defended their colonies with honor and dignity and soon became famous throughout the Galaxy. However, Force- warriors didn't have quite the ring the public desired, so soon after defending the colony on Alderan which was located near the town of Jedi, the warriors soon became known throughout the galaxy as the Jedi Knights.

For nearly a century the Jedi Knights defended their colonies and the Followers lived in peace. Then, one hundred years before the time of Von- Dil's suicide, there was a galactic war. A man named Cardon declared war to try and break away from the Union of Federated Star Systems or UFSS. The UFSS was a loosely confederated band of systems that looked out for the best interest of the entire galaxy. Cardon wished to break away and force his people into slavery and oppression.

The UFSS took a stand; they fought Cardon and the other systems that joined him. The Jedi joined the cause of the UFSS and were among the greatest of the warriors who fought. Following the war, the UFSS expanded its power, ensuring democracy for a large majority of the galaxy. They formed the Galactic Republic.

Since the Jedi were such an intricate part in the Republic's formation, the leaders of The Republic asked the Jedi to serve as the Republic's army. The Jedi refused to be an army, but promised to be keepers of the peace, just as they were for their own colonies.

As keepers of the peace, the Republic bestowed the Jedi with a lavish base on Coorascant that the ever-spiritual Jedi later renamed a temple. Thus it was that the eighth Force-occupation found a home on Coorascant and thus the Jedi Knights became the keepers of peace in the Old Republic.

The wizened Master Yala had fought in that great war, he was meant to be a philosopher but chose to be a Jedi because he wished to help ease the Galaxy's suffering. He now sat as head of the Council and discussed the treason of Muergoth. The conversation was uncomfortable for all; Muergoth had been their friend before he tried to murder and overthrow them.

"What the Force wills here, I do not know. We have seen evil before and we have always been able to withstand it, but I must admit, I am frightened. I do not know if we have the strength to resist the evil within ourselves." Master Thriknog said.

"We know nothing of Muergoth's darkside, that was why we assigned Master Von-Dil to investigate this." Master Sarla said, holding up the holocron. "It's obvious we must investigate together, least we be drawn to treason like Muergoth or to madness like Von-Dil."

"Master Von-Dil was too pure of heart. That is why he could not be corrupted as Muergoth was. What drove him to madness, I do not know. Hell itself must be contained in that little holocron." Thriknog said. "What do you think Master Yala?"

Yala thought for a moment and then spoke: "Sure I am of little." He said. "Know I do not the mysteries of this darkside; but sure I am that even in prison, Muergoth plots against us. Strike again he will."