CHAPTER 5: THE PROPHECIES OF YADDICK
The twelve Jedi Council members sat in their high tower, over-looking the great city of Coorascant. Telon entered the room, his knees were shaking. It wasn't often he was called to speak with the council. He walked to the center of the circle of chairs and bowed, as was the custom.
"Greetings Padawan Kilnu, how does this day find you?" Master Sarla said to break the ice. Master Sarla was a small woman in her mid-forties with chestnut colored hair. She also was considered one of the wisest on the council.
"Well, thank you." Telon said politely. "What is it you wished to see me about?"
"Is there something you'd like to tell us?" Asked Master Thriknog, a large hairy creature whose species was native to the Doobar system.
"No." Telon said casually.
"See through you we can." Master Yala said.
Telon may have been able to lie to Occala but he could not fool the Jedi Council. Knowing this, he pulled the crystal from his pocket.
"This is the key to Muergoth's holocron." He confessed. "I took it that night we found Von-Dil. I'm sorry; I should have told you sooner. Please forgive me."
"You and Padawan Sil will be punished for your journey to Khal-Du- Rim. One week probation for sneaking out." Sarla said and Telon nodded in understanding. "As for your taking the key, I'm sure the guilt is punishment enough."
"Set it there on the floor." Thriknog ordered.
Telon did as he was told and as soon as he had gone, the council began their discussion.
"We cannot blame him. He's only a padawan, and even Master Von-Dil could not contend with the power and treachery of Muergoth." Master Sarla said.
"None of us blames the boy." Thriknog said. "We know the power he was up against and yet to show the resistance he did, shows great strength."
"Carry the scar he will always." Yala said. "Always will the darkside be with him, like a stain of ink on a white sheet."
"What shall we do with this crystal and the holocrons?" Thriknog asked.
"We should destroy them." Sarla said plainly.
"I must object." Said a graying man in his early fifties, who despite his age was surprisingly attractive.
"And why is that, Master Brignah?" Sarla asked.
"We are Jedi Knights. We pride ourselves on being knowledgeable and wise. To destroy information, the very key to knowledge, would be against everything we stand for." Brignah said.
"It is wicked knowledge, knowledge that brings no good. It teaches one power and power corrupts." Sarla argued.
"The force has placed this in our hand. We are meant to have it. The full potential of the force has not been realized. Perhaps further experiments will teach us to wield this power or even destroy those corrupted by it." Brignah continued.
"I must confess, I agree with Brignah." Thriknog said. "If one was to get a hold of this power or if Muergoth remembers enough of it, our only chance to counter a strike may come from the information found in these holocrons."
"True this is. Lock them away for now we must. Keep them just in case, we will. Adjourned the Council is." Yala said.
With those words, the Council seats emptied. Master Brignah went to the center of the room and scooped up the crystal.
"I shall deposit this in the vault with the holocrons." He said to no one in particular.
Straggling behind were Masters Sarla and Yala.
"Okay everything will be." Yala assured her.
"I don't know Yala; we keep experimenting with the force to tap its full potential but what if we've gone too far this time? I mean knowledge is good but it can also be bad. We can learn to build houses but the same knowledge can teach us to build weapons." Sarla said.
"Allowed us the force did to find this. In control the force is." Yala said.
"If the force is in control, how do you explain what happened to Muergoth?" Sarla said.
"Limit our choices the force does not; choose between right and wrong we all must. Give us a choice it is not prepared for us to choose, the force does not. Ready for the outcome it is, but done it's will will be, sooner or later." Yala said.
"I suppose you're right," Sarla confessed, "it's just I have a bad feeling about this."
"See her we should." Yala suggested.
"Yes," Sarla agreed, "she'll know what to do."
In the dining hall, Telon was eating the evening meal with his friends. He was laughing and joking and making merry. It was the first time he had felt happy since he had found the crystal. It was also the first time since he found the crystal that he thought of anything but the crystal. Finally he was free of its grasp.
Master Brignah entered the room and headed straight for Telon's table.
"Padawan Kilnu," he said, "could I speak with you for a moment?"
"Of course." Telon responded.
Brignah turned and headed for the exit. Telon immediately stood to follow. As he was standing Occala grabbed him by the sleeve of his tunic.
"What did you do now?" She teased.
"I don't know." Telon said and then followed Brignah out of the room.
Near the doorway of the dining hall, the two spoke.
"What is it, Master?" Telon asked.
"I need you to do something for me." Brignah said.
"What?" Telon asked/
"I need you to return to Khal-Du-Rim." Brignah explained.
"Why?" Telon asked, a bit shocked.
Brignah reached into his tunic pocket and pulled out the crystal. Telon took a step back and his eyes got wide. The crystal shimmered and the light danced off of it. It seemed to call to him, beckon him to take the power that was rightfully his.
"I need you to help Muergoth escape." Brignah said.
"What?!" Telon said, being momentarily taken out of his daze.
"If you do, the crystal is yours." Brignah said.
Telon's vision flashed in his mind once more, this time merely a memory. He saw the awesome power he had, and he craved it."
"Well," Brignah wondered, "will you do it?"
The temptation had taken him; Telon nodded and said: "Yes."
Masters Yala and Sarla were on a ship bound for Dagobah. They were wishing to speak to Yaddick, an old force-philosopher of Yala's species. Their pilot had a difficult time finding a place to land on the marshy terrain. When finally he did, the two Jedi departed and headed for Yaddick's hut.
The hut was not a structure made by hand but rather one made by nature. Yaddick dwelled inside the base of a tree. The tree seemed to hover above the ground as it was supported by its massive roots. To enter Yaddick's hut, one needed only to go between any two roots. The diminutive hut was quite spacious for the tiny Yala but Sarla who was small by human standards, still had to crouch to enter.
"Welcome friends." Yaddick said as the two entered.
"Pleased to see you we are." Yala greeted.
"We have come for your council in this dark time." Sarla got right to the point.
"One with the force Master Von-Dil is. Grieve not friends, happy he is." Yaddick said with a smile on her face and a far off look.
"Good news that is." Yala said, also with a smile.
"Your gifts of foresight are beyond those of any other. Tell us, oh wise Yaddick, what is to become of the darkside of the force?" Sarla asked. "What does the future hold?"
"Hmm," Yaddick closed her eyes and her large green ears twitched. "Much I see, much indeed. Many things, dark things."
"Is there anything we can do to stop these dark things?" Sarla asked.
"A dusk there is for every dawn; fall darkness will. The fires of the darkside, spread they will. Prevent it you cannot." Yaddick said.
"Then all is lost." Sarla said with a somber gaze. "Muergoth will be victorious."
"See the future can you, Master Sarla?" Yaddick asked. "My job that is, leave it to me. Said nothing of the fate of Muergoth have I."
"Yet you said the darkside would spread. The Muergoth discovered the darkside, it cannot exist without him." Sarla said. "The darkside and Muergoth, they are one."
"Yes, one with the darkside is Muergoth but while said I did the darkside would spread, said nothing I did that it would be victorious. Besides, looking at the darkside in the wrong way you are. Muergoth did not create it, discover it he did. Exist after him it will." Yaddick said.
"Exist in us does it?" Yala asked.
"Yes, dwell in all of us the darkside does, in every natural thing. The rocks, trees, dirt, animals, with them the darkside of the force is; as much as the lightside. The potential for darkness they all have."
"The tree we are beneath now, turned to the darkside it could be?" Yala asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Has the potential it does, but unlikely it is. Content this tree is to be a tree; the rocks, content to be rocks; the dirt, to be dirt. Know their place and purpose they do. Try to overreach their limitations they do not." Yaddick explained.
"I don't understand." Sarla confessed. "Why are some taken by the darkside and others are not?"
"A grab for power the darkside it is. When one succumbs to it, oversteps one's place one does. An order and a purpose the universe has. A purpose everything has and help each other we must. Symbionts we are with everything and everyone just like symbionts with the midichlorians we are. When one seeks power to help oneself, the darkside is that." Yaddick explained.
"So if the darkside is not the will of the force, why do the midichlorians stop giving one their force powers when one is taken by it?" Sarla asked.
"A perversion of the force it is. When use the darkside one does, symbionts with the midichlorians they are not. Slaves the midichlorians are, use them for their own purpose the darksider does." Yaddick explained.
"Discovered how to do this Muergoth did." Yala said.
"Yes." Yaddick said. "Manipulate the force he can. Tried to prevent this we did when create the Jedi we did, but inevitable this was. Corrupt power can."
"So what were the 'fires of the darkside' you spoke of?" Sarla asked. "What will happen?"
"Spread like a plague the darkside will, infected the galaxy will be." Yaddick said.
"Certain are you?" Yala asked. "Prevent it we can not?"
"Prevent it you cannot, as earlier I said, within us all the darkside is. Choose every being must what side to serve. All you can do is guide." Yaddick said.
"Guide we will." Yala declared. "Create a code of rules we must. Help our Jedi to avoid selfish indulgements we can."
"If do this you do, good things I see. Stick to the code and the servants of the darkside, nearly vanish they will." Yaddick said.
"Do you see anything else?" Sarla asked
"One who walks the sky." Yaddick said
"One who walks the sky?" The two Jedi asked simultaneously, each with a confused look on their face.
"Born of midichlorians this one shall be. Chosen by the force this one is. Bring balance to the force this chosen one will." Yaddick said.
"Balance?" Sarla asked, not quite sure what that meant. "So if the Jedi follow our code, balance will be brought?"
"Yes, I see balance and a war. A war to decide which side of the force will rule our fate it is." Yaddick said.
"Be victorious who will?" Yala asked
"See that I cannot. Always in motion is the future." Yaddick said.
"So we have no guarantee that we'll prevail even if we do everything right. It may still go wrong." Sarla said with a sigh.
"Despair not Master Sarla." Yaddick said. "Have a guarantee that go wrong things will you haven't either. Create a code, help others and all may turn out well." Yaddick said.
"Thank you Yaddick." Sarla said and she and Master Yala then returned to their ship, then to Coorascant.
Outside the gates of Khal-Du-Rim Telon stood with Master Brignah.
"Go in," Brignah ordered, "I'll wait for you at the Temple."
Telon nodded, then he identified himself to the prison's security system and after a few moments, the great gates lumbered open. After crossing the seemingly endless courtyard again, he was met by Neepo Duma.
"I am surprised to see you again Master Jedi." Neepo said.
"I am here for Muergoth." Telon said plainly.
"I figured as much, but just to let you know, visiting hours are during the day. We're only making an exception for you because you're Jedi." Neepo explained.
"I'm afraid I'm not here for a visit. Muergoth is to come back with me to the Temple." Telon explained.
"Good one." Neepo laughed and then when he saw the seriousness in Telon's face, his eyes got wide and his jaw dropped. "What?!" He asked.
"The Council feels we can better contain him there." Telon lied.
"I'll need to see release papers." Neepo said.
"Have you ever been cut by a lightsaber, Neepo?" Telon asked.
"No." Neepo said with caution in his voice.
"I have, well actually I've only been grazed by one, during a sparring class, but I can tell you it's not pleasant. It feels as though white hot embers are ripping through your flesh. It both cuts and burns you at the same time. If someone were to be impaled by one, they would have the sensation of being burned from the inside out. It's the most intense pain you could ever experience." Telon said, inching closer to Neepo. "I'd hate for you to have to experience it Neepo,- - I'd hate for your children to."
"Are you threatening me?" Neepo asked, backing away.
"I am merely reminding you of what can happen to those who oppose the powerful Jedi." Telon said.
"All right," Neepo said with fear in his voice, "let's get him."
Telon smiled inside; the sooner Muergoth was free the sooner the crystal and the secrets of the darkside were his.
The twelve Jedi Council members sat in their high tower, over-looking the great city of Coorascant. Telon entered the room, his knees were shaking. It wasn't often he was called to speak with the council. He walked to the center of the circle of chairs and bowed, as was the custom.
"Greetings Padawan Kilnu, how does this day find you?" Master Sarla said to break the ice. Master Sarla was a small woman in her mid-forties with chestnut colored hair. She also was considered one of the wisest on the council.
"Well, thank you." Telon said politely. "What is it you wished to see me about?"
"Is there something you'd like to tell us?" Asked Master Thriknog, a large hairy creature whose species was native to the Doobar system.
"No." Telon said casually.
"See through you we can." Master Yala said.
Telon may have been able to lie to Occala but he could not fool the Jedi Council. Knowing this, he pulled the crystal from his pocket.
"This is the key to Muergoth's holocron." He confessed. "I took it that night we found Von-Dil. I'm sorry; I should have told you sooner. Please forgive me."
"You and Padawan Sil will be punished for your journey to Khal-Du- Rim. One week probation for sneaking out." Sarla said and Telon nodded in understanding. "As for your taking the key, I'm sure the guilt is punishment enough."
"Set it there on the floor." Thriknog ordered.
Telon did as he was told and as soon as he had gone, the council began their discussion.
"We cannot blame him. He's only a padawan, and even Master Von-Dil could not contend with the power and treachery of Muergoth." Master Sarla said.
"None of us blames the boy." Thriknog said. "We know the power he was up against and yet to show the resistance he did, shows great strength."
"Carry the scar he will always." Yala said. "Always will the darkside be with him, like a stain of ink on a white sheet."
"What shall we do with this crystal and the holocrons?" Thriknog asked.
"We should destroy them." Sarla said plainly.
"I must object." Said a graying man in his early fifties, who despite his age was surprisingly attractive.
"And why is that, Master Brignah?" Sarla asked.
"We are Jedi Knights. We pride ourselves on being knowledgeable and wise. To destroy information, the very key to knowledge, would be against everything we stand for." Brignah said.
"It is wicked knowledge, knowledge that brings no good. It teaches one power and power corrupts." Sarla argued.
"The force has placed this in our hand. We are meant to have it. The full potential of the force has not been realized. Perhaps further experiments will teach us to wield this power or even destroy those corrupted by it." Brignah continued.
"I must confess, I agree with Brignah." Thriknog said. "If one was to get a hold of this power or if Muergoth remembers enough of it, our only chance to counter a strike may come from the information found in these holocrons."
"True this is. Lock them away for now we must. Keep them just in case, we will. Adjourned the Council is." Yala said.
With those words, the Council seats emptied. Master Brignah went to the center of the room and scooped up the crystal.
"I shall deposit this in the vault with the holocrons." He said to no one in particular.
Straggling behind were Masters Sarla and Yala.
"Okay everything will be." Yala assured her.
"I don't know Yala; we keep experimenting with the force to tap its full potential but what if we've gone too far this time? I mean knowledge is good but it can also be bad. We can learn to build houses but the same knowledge can teach us to build weapons." Sarla said.
"Allowed us the force did to find this. In control the force is." Yala said.
"If the force is in control, how do you explain what happened to Muergoth?" Sarla said.
"Limit our choices the force does not; choose between right and wrong we all must. Give us a choice it is not prepared for us to choose, the force does not. Ready for the outcome it is, but done it's will will be, sooner or later." Yala said.
"I suppose you're right," Sarla confessed, "it's just I have a bad feeling about this."
"See her we should." Yala suggested.
"Yes," Sarla agreed, "she'll know what to do."
In the dining hall, Telon was eating the evening meal with his friends. He was laughing and joking and making merry. It was the first time he had felt happy since he had found the crystal. It was also the first time since he found the crystal that he thought of anything but the crystal. Finally he was free of its grasp.
Master Brignah entered the room and headed straight for Telon's table.
"Padawan Kilnu," he said, "could I speak with you for a moment?"
"Of course." Telon responded.
Brignah turned and headed for the exit. Telon immediately stood to follow. As he was standing Occala grabbed him by the sleeve of his tunic.
"What did you do now?" She teased.
"I don't know." Telon said and then followed Brignah out of the room.
Near the doorway of the dining hall, the two spoke.
"What is it, Master?" Telon asked.
"I need you to do something for me." Brignah said.
"What?" Telon asked/
"I need you to return to Khal-Du-Rim." Brignah explained.
"Why?" Telon asked, a bit shocked.
Brignah reached into his tunic pocket and pulled out the crystal. Telon took a step back and his eyes got wide. The crystal shimmered and the light danced off of it. It seemed to call to him, beckon him to take the power that was rightfully his.
"I need you to help Muergoth escape." Brignah said.
"What?!" Telon said, being momentarily taken out of his daze.
"If you do, the crystal is yours." Brignah said.
Telon's vision flashed in his mind once more, this time merely a memory. He saw the awesome power he had, and he craved it."
"Well," Brignah wondered, "will you do it?"
The temptation had taken him; Telon nodded and said: "Yes."
Masters Yala and Sarla were on a ship bound for Dagobah. They were wishing to speak to Yaddick, an old force-philosopher of Yala's species. Their pilot had a difficult time finding a place to land on the marshy terrain. When finally he did, the two Jedi departed and headed for Yaddick's hut.
The hut was not a structure made by hand but rather one made by nature. Yaddick dwelled inside the base of a tree. The tree seemed to hover above the ground as it was supported by its massive roots. To enter Yaddick's hut, one needed only to go between any two roots. The diminutive hut was quite spacious for the tiny Yala but Sarla who was small by human standards, still had to crouch to enter.
"Welcome friends." Yaddick said as the two entered.
"Pleased to see you we are." Yala greeted.
"We have come for your council in this dark time." Sarla got right to the point.
"One with the force Master Von-Dil is. Grieve not friends, happy he is." Yaddick said with a smile on her face and a far off look.
"Good news that is." Yala said, also with a smile.
"Your gifts of foresight are beyond those of any other. Tell us, oh wise Yaddick, what is to become of the darkside of the force?" Sarla asked. "What does the future hold?"
"Hmm," Yaddick closed her eyes and her large green ears twitched. "Much I see, much indeed. Many things, dark things."
"Is there anything we can do to stop these dark things?" Sarla asked.
"A dusk there is for every dawn; fall darkness will. The fires of the darkside, spread they will. Prevent it you cannot." Yaddick said.
"Then all is lost." Sarla said with a somber gaze. "Muergoth will be victorious."
"See the future can you, Master Sarla?" Yaddick asked. "My job that is, leave it to me. Said nothing of the fate of Muergoth have I."
"Yet you said the darkside would spread. The Muergoth discovered the darkside, it cannot exist without him." Sarla said. "The darkside and Muergoth, they are one."
"Yes, one with the darkside is Muergoth but while said I did the darkside would spread, said nothing I did that it would be victorious. Besides, looking at the darkside in the wrong way you are. Muergoth did not create it, discover it he did. Exist after him it will." Yaddick said.
"Exist in us does it?" Yala asked.
"Yes, dwell in all of us the darkside does, in every natural thing. The rocks, trees, dirt, animals, with them the darkside of the force is; as much as the lightside. The potential for darkness they all have."
"The tree we are beneath now, turned to the darkside it could be?" Yala asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Has the potential it does, but unlikely it is. Content this tree is to be a tree; the rocks, content to be rocks; the dirt, to be dirt. Know their place and purpose they do. Try to overreach their limitations they do not." Yaddick explained.
"I don't understand." Sarla confessed. "Why are some taken by the darkside and others are not?"
"A grab for power the darkside it is. When one succumbs to it, oversteps one's place one does. An order and a purpose the universe has. A purpose everything has and help each other we must. Symbionts we are with everything and everyone just like symbionts with the midichlorians we are. When one seeks power to help oneself, the darkside is that." Yaddick explained.
"So if the darkside is not the will of the force, why do the midichlorians stop giving one their force powers when one is taken by it?" Sarla asked.
"A perversion of the force it is. When use the darkside one does, symbionts with the midichlorians they are not. Slaves the midichlorians are, use them for their own purpose the darksider does." Yaddick explained.
"Discovered how to do this Muergoth did." Yala said.
"Yes." Yaddick said. "Manipulate the force he can. Tried to prevent this we did when create the Jedi we did, but inevitable this was. Corrupt power can."
"So what were the 'fires of the darkside' you spoke of?" Sarla asked. "What will happen?"
"Spread like a plague the darkside will, infected the galaxy will be." Yaddick said.
"Certain are you?" Yala asked. "Prevent it we can not?"
"Prevent it you cannot, as earlier I said, within us all the darkside is. Choose every being must what side to serve. All you can do is guide." Yaddick said.
"Guide we will." Yala declared. "Create a code of rules we must. Help our Jedi to avoid selfish indulgements we can."
"If do this you do, good things I see. Stick to the code and the servants of the darkside, nearly vanish they will." Yaddick said.
"Do you see anything else?" Sarla asked
"One who walks the sky." Yaddick said
"One who walks the sky?" The two Jedi asked simultaneously, each with a confused look on their face.
"Born of midichlorians this one shall be. Chosen by the force this one is. Bring balance to the force this chosen one will." Yaddick said.
"Balance?" Sarla asked, not quite sure what that meant. "So if the Jedi follow our code, balance will be brought?"
"Yes, I see balance and a war. A war to decide which side of the force will rule our fate it is." Yaddick said.
"Be victorious who will?" Yala asked
"See that I cannot. Always in motion is the future." Yaddick said.
"So we have no guarantee that we'll prevail even if we do everything right. It may still go wrong." Sarla said with a sigh.
"Despair not Master Sarla." Yaddick said. "Have a guarantee that go wrong things will you haven't either. Create a code, help others and all may turn out well." Yaddick said.
"Thank you Yaddick." Sarla said and she and Master Yala then returned to their ship, then to Coorascant.
Outside the gates of Khal-Du-Rim Telon stood with Master Brignah.
"Go in," Brignah ordered, "I'll wait for you at the Temple."
Telon nodded, then he identified himself to the prison's security system and after a few moments, the great gates lumbered open. After crossing the seemingly endless courtyard again, he was met by Neepo Duma.
"I am surprised to see you again Master Jedi." Neepo said.
"I am here for Muergoth." Telon said plainly.
"I figured as much, but just to let you know, visiting hours are during the day. We're only making an exception for you because you're Jedi." Neepo explained.
"I'm afraid I'm not here for a visit. Muergoth is to come back with me to the Temple." Telon explained.
"Good one." Neepo laughed and then when he saw the seriousness in Telon's face, his eyes got wide and his jaw dropped. "What?!" He asked.
"The Council feels we can better contain him there." Telon lied.
"I'll need to see release papers." Neepo said.
"Have you ever been cut by a lightsaber, Neepo?" Telon asked.
"No." Neepo said with caution in his voice.
"I have, well actually I've only been grazed by one, during a sparring class, but I can tell you it's not pleasant. It feels as though white hot embers are ripping through your flesh. It both cuts and burns you at the same time. If someone were to be impaled by one, they would have the sensation of being burned from the inside out. It's the most intense pain you could ever experience." Telon said, inching closer to Neepo. "I'd hate for you to have to experience it Neepo,- - I'd hate for your children to."
"Are you threatening me?" Neepo asked, backing away.
"I am merely reminding you of what can happen to those who oppose the powerful Jedi." Telon said.
"All right," Neepo said with fear in his voice, "let's get him."
Telon smiled inside; the sooner Muergoth was free the sooner the crystal and the secrets of the darkside were his.
