Chapter Eight: Science
"What's what?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin pointed to the small slip of paper in Obi-Wan's pocket. Obi-Wan took it out. It was crinkled and rolled into a ball. Obi-Wan opened it and read it. "What does it say?" Nya asked. And Obi-Wan began to read it out loud.
"Dear Jedi." Obi-Wan began. "I saw the way you and your two friends handled that Sith Lord. I am impressed with the fighting skills the three of you possess, especially yours. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Pako, and I am leading a team of skilled fighters like yourself to combat the evil forces of Bilbat Sumaug, a bounty hunter, and his master Darth Dragus, who is a Sith Lord. Dragus has imprisoned thousands of innocent people to work and build unique weapons and devices to destroy and attack locations, and assassinate people. Me and my brother, Zianla, have decided to free all the slaves of Dragus and bring peace to Xagobah, where this crisis is taking place. Please help us, Master Jedi. We have recruited so many people and to finish it off we need you. Please help us! People are lying in the streets, begging for food. Violence and fighting has erupted in the streets. People, alien and man, are dying every day, and to make things worse, Dragus is a master of Malacia, a power to put a heavy sensation of nausea and dizziness in a person. He tortures people who do not cooperate with this terrible scheme. Please meet me on an uncharted planet that we have discovered and named Cavilma so we can talk things over. Land anywhere, we're the only ones on the planet and we will contact and guide you to the meeting place. Cavilma is just twelve parsecs north of Dorin, in the Expansion Region. Meeting on Xagobah is way too risky. Please help me and Zianla free everyone and bring peace to Xagobah. From—Pako."
"That sounds terrible!" Koon exclaimed. "We should help them." Anakin said. "I agree." Nya chimed in. "I think there is too much at stake." Obi-Wan replied. "If we do not find this device, the entire galaxy could be prompted to join the Clone Wars, and trillions of beings will die a terrible death." "Obi-Wan!" Anakin suddenly burst out. "Did you pay attention to this Pako's letter? Darth Dragus is making weapons and devices of destruction! It all fits! This device is being made by Darth Dragus, our mystery Sith!" "He's right!" Koon yelled in triumph. "We need to go to Dorin, my homeplanet, and then fly to Cavilma! When we meet Pako, we will go to Xagobah, help him carry out his plan, and destroy the device!" "You guys are correct, I guess." Obi-Wan admitted. "I can't believe we now have the answers. Darth Dragus murdered Yoda and Windu!" "I will cut out this guy's liver!" Anakin yelled in anger. "Anakin!" Obi-Wan yelled. "Do not follow your thoughts to revenge! Such things lead to the Dark Side!" "Master, you can't tell me you don't want to destroy this Sith." Anakin said. "Well…fine, I do." Obi-Wan admitted. "But only because he has become a very great threat. Not because I am avenging Yoda and Windu's deaths." "Obi-Wan is right, Anakin." Koon said. "Lust for revenge could very well lead someone down the path to the Dark Side." "Fine." Anakin said, giving up. "So, are we going to stay here or go to Cavilma now?" "We won't stay here for long." Obi-Wan replied. "I just want to look around this mysterious Building of Fire." "Sounds good enough—" Anakin was cut off by the loud sound of a blaster rifle firing, and the sound of a lightsaber deflecting the blast. "It came from in here!" Nya yelled, gesturing at the door with the biohazard symbol. Obi-Wan attempted to push the door open. It didn't budge. "Damn!" He exclaimed. "Oh, move over." Anakin said, brushing past Obi-Wan. He lit his blue lightsaber and plunged it into the door. He deactivated his lightsaber and kicked the door down. The Jedi could hardly believe what they saw.
It was a laboratory…or something like one. It was a long, big room with white tables. On the white tables were test tubes, filled with bubbling chemicals and various liquids of all colors. A man in a white lab suit with black safety goggles was standing near the table with a blaster rifle. He was pointing the blaster rifle at a human figure with olive-colored skin, long black hair, and strange tattoos. The figure was holding a green lightsaber, and looked angry. Then they noticed who this figure was.
The figure wasn't human, although he appeared to be. He was a Kiffar, a near-human species. He was a legendary Jedi Master, and a general of the Clone Wars. He was Quinlan Vos. "Master Vos!" Koon exclaimed. Quinlan turned to Koon. "What are you doing here?" Anakin demanded. Quinlan didn't reply. The Jedi turned to the man in the white lab suit. "Who are you?" Obi-Wan demanded. "We want answers!" Nya yelled. "Now!" Anakin screamed. "There's no need for that, Anakin." Koon said mildly. "Sorry, Master…" Anakin mumbled. Quinlan opened his mouth to speak, but the lab man started to talk before him. "This here is Jedi Master Quinlan Vos." The man said. "We know." Obi-Wan retorted. "We're Jedi too, except for Nya the Twi'Lek, here." The man smiled slightly. "Quinlan is helping me with something." "I'm not helping you!" Quinlan yelled. "Oh, you have." The man said to Quinlan. "You already have." "What's going on here?" Koon asked. "I was captured." Quinlan answered. "By this madman! He was doing some kind of weird fire ritual on my body. I don't know if I'm poisoned, strengthened, or what!" The three other Jedi ignited their lightsabers and pointed them at the lab man. Nya withdrew her vibroblade. The man pointed his blaster at them, shifting its target every second or two. "Back!" He yelled. "Get back!" Obi-Wan pulled the blaster to him using Force Pull. He swung his lightsaber, chopping the weapon in two. It clattered to the floor, smoking. "Now." Obi-Wan said. "Let's try this again." "What were you doing to him?" Koon demanded. "Tell us!" The lab man was silent for a moment. Then he said, "It was Bilbat Sumaug."
"Who?" Quinlan asked, confused. "Bilbat Sumaug!" The man yelled. "A bounty hunter from Xagobah. It was two weeks ago when he came to me. He said that his master needed a DNA sample of Jedi Master Quinlan Vos, and he needed it before the month was out. His master was going to pay me 75,000 credits for it if his order was on time." "Darth Dragus." Obi-Wan said under his breath. "Who is Darth Dragus?" Quinlan asked Obi-Wan. He obviously had overheard. "Darth Dragus is Bilbat Sumaug's master." Obi-Wan explained. "He was also the constructor of a deadly device we're trying to destroy before it throws the galaxy into complete civil war, aside from the Clone Wars." Koon commented. "He also killed Mace Windu and Yoda!" Anakin yelled. "And we're on a mission to Xagobah to stop him." Quinlan was silent. "Why did Darth Dragus need my DNA?" Quinlan asked the man. Well, it was more of a demand. "I do not know." The man said. "I do not know anything more than the request for the DNA. I didn't even know the name of Sumaug's master." The Jedi frowned and snapped off their lightsabers. Anakin sighed. "What are we going to do with him, Master?" He asked Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan smiled. "We're going to wipe his memory." The man had a sheer expression of terror on his face. "No!" The man yelled. "No! Please no! I was only doing my job!" Obi-Wan moved in on the man. "Obi-Wan, stop." Koon said loudly. He stopped. "Jedi do not bring pain to others." Koon said. "Master, there is too much at stake." Obi-Wan said. "It is too risky just to let him go. If we do, Darth Dragus probably has already won." Koon was silent. "He will deliver the DNA to Sumaug, collect the 75,000 credits, Sumaug will give it to Darth Dragus, and Darth Dragus possibly could carry out his evil scheme with ease." Obi-Wan continued. Koon sighed. "I suppose you are right, Master Kenobi." He said. "Very well. Wipe his memory." Obi-Wan nodded and turned away from Koon. He stepped towards the lab man. He raised his hands, called out to the Force, and—"WAIT!" The lab man screamed. Obi-Wan stalled. "I know why Dragus needed the DNA." Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. "Why might that be?" He asked. The lab man didn't hesitate. "He's creating Jedi clones."
"Well, thank you very much." Anakin said. "That was very helpful." Obi-Wan raised his arms and quickly wiped the man's memory before he could protest again. "I just hope he didn't lie." Obi-Wan muttered. "I detected no lie." Quinlan said. "After all, I am a Master of lies and truth." "I can't believe this!" Koon exclaimed. "Jedi clones!" "But why?" Anakin asked. "Why would he want to clone Jedi?" "And why only Quinlan Vos?" Obi-Wan joined in. "Yeah!" Koon yelled. "Why not extract DNA from Yoda or Mace Windu's dead bodies?" "I'm sure Dragus has his reasons." Quinlan said mildly. "Come on." Koon grumbled. "There's nothing left to see here. We have to get back to the Amber Crow." "Where are you going?" Quinlan asked. "Dorin." Obi-Wan answered. "But then we're going north to an uncharted planet named Cavilma." "Good luck, then." Quinlan replied. The other Jedi were surprised. "You don't want to come with us?" Anakin asked, wide-eyed. Quinlan pondered. "Maybe it would be better for both you people and myself for me to come with you." He said finally. "Very well, I will come."