Chapter 12. Jedi Secret

One night, two weeks after we returned to Coruscant, I sat on my bed, reading the book Yoda had given me. Catman dozed beside me.

I still had not mentioned Lothal to Obi-Wan. I was still reeling from the unbelievable information Anakin had revealed to me on Naboo. The fact that I had been the one to stop Anakin Skywalker from turning to the dark side … I felt overwhelmed every time I thought of it. It felt like a huge amount of pressure, to be able to do this. But I had already done it, so I knew that I would somehow find a way. I wanted to look through Yoda's book a little more before I spoke to Obi-Wan, to see if I could somehow find the knowledge I needed, the secret skill that would enable me to show Anakin and Yoda my "visions." I wasn't sure if they would be able to read the thoughts I wanted to show them. Perhaps Yoda would be able to read my mind and see all of my thoughts. But I was almost certain Anakin was not this skilled yet.

This book looked ancient; the pages yellowed and worn. It was a book on advanced Jedi skills, written by some of the earliest Jedi Masters. I wondered why Yoda had given me this book to read. I was definitely nowhere near an advanced level Jedi. Maybe because of my building powers? I skimmed the book, looking for a mention of them, but so far, nothing. Yoda had told me he had never given this book to any other Jedi before. Once again, I wondered why he had singled me out. Was there some information on the skill I would need to successfully complete my mission to the past?

Yoda had said there was a special section of the book I should focus on. He had asked me to pay particular attention to chapter 5. I turned to that part of the book and began to read. Twenty minutes later, I sat bolt upright in bed. My eyes were glued to the paragraph I had just read. There appeared to be a coded message in this book:

"The secret cloning machine, created by Xendor, grants the user the power to create and replicate life. It can even restore life and bring back those who have died."

Xendor. That name sounded familiar. I recalled this name from a youngling class on Jedi history a few months earlier. Xendor was the first Dark Jedi, the forerunners of the Sith. In fact, the earliest Sith alluded to him as their honorary first Dark Lord of the Sith, even though he was technically never an actual Sith. He formed a group of followers called the Legions of Lettow, and he waged war against the Jedi Order. This was the war I had learned about in class, the First Great Schism, fought more than twenty-four thousand years earlier. It was the first war fought between the light side Jedi and the Dark Jedi, and eventually led to the Jedi-Sith Wars.

I continued reading. "Xendor told the Jedi High Council about his creation, and they were appalled. They vehemently opposed its formation, arguing that it went against their laws and was contrary to the rules of the Force. They ordered him to destroy it. Xendor refused and took the machine with him when he was expelled from the Order and went to Lettow. It is believed that Xendor lost the machine somewhere on Ossus during the battle fought there. After he was defeated, the weapon disappeared. No one knows for certain where it is. It remains hidden."

I had never heard of a secret cloning machine before. The earliest mention of cloning that I recalled was from right before the onset of the Clone Wars. The Jedi discovered that the Sith had returned just prior to the Battle of Naboo. Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas secretly ordered the construction of a clone army without telling the Jedi Council what he was doing. Darth Sidious discovered what he had done and masterminded a new diabolical idea. He used Count Dooku to dispose of Master Sifo-Dyas and gain control over the clone army. Kamino was the planet where they developed the clone army for the Republic. They used Jango Fett as the model for the clones. It was a massive undertaking and a multiple-step process, complete with cloning chambers and a full-scale facility for the development of the clones.

All this took place ten years before the outbreak of the Clone Wars. Xendor had lived thousands of years before that. I thought clones were not known to have existed in Star Wars during that time period. What kind of machine was this? Did it create a clone or the original person? Could it do both? Could it actually bring a dead person back to life? Was it instantaneous, or did it take time? It took the clones on Kamino ten years to become fully grown and ready to fight. It sounded totally different. And it was a little unclear from reading Yoda's book what this machine's capabilities were, and exactly how it happened.

It sounded like a legend, except it was specifically mentioned in Yoda's book and must be true. The biggest question was, why would Yoda want me to know about this? Now I had more questions for him.

It was an intriguing idea, this secret cloning machine. Was it like the exceptionally rare force power dark transfer, only with a machine? Had Xendor possessed this power? Had he somehow harnessed his ability and channeled it into a machine? Could anyone use the machine, or only Force-sensitives?

These were the questions that filled my mind as I walked to the dining hall the next morning for breakfast.

Obi-Wan walked over to my table just as I was finishing my eggs. I greeted him and then waited, apprehensive. He looked extremely solemn, as if there was a matter of grave importance weighing heavily on his mind.

"Finish your breakfast quickly," he said. "Then pack a bag. I'll meet you in my room."

I wondered what the rush was. What private information did he have to tell me that we couldn't discuss in the dining hall?

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"The Mid Rim," he said tersely, not saying anything else. "I will see you shortly."

I took my peanut butter cookie and munched on it as I walked back to my room. I reached for my duffel bag and allowed Catman to follow me to my parents' room. My mom was not there; she had already begun her day's work in the Halls of Healing.

Obi-Wan was ready to leave. Catman and I entered his room, and he closed the door firmly behind us.

"So, what's going on?" I asked.

"You're going on a mission with me," Obi-Wan said. "A potentially dangerous one."

I waited for him to tell me more, my heart beating faster.

"You and Padawan Snoke will be accompanying Master Windu and myself."

"Why are we going?" I knew that Padawans generally tended to follow their Masters on all their missions, even the dangerous ones, but I had thought we were supposed to be a little older.

"Master Yoda had a vision of you and Ben with us and insisted that you both go."

Catman paced back and forth across the room, his green eyes darting from me to Obi-Wan.

"This was unlike any briefing I've ever attended," Obi-Wan said. "Only Master Yoda, Master Windu and I were present."

"Master Yoda had a vision of some kind of secret, ancient Jedi weapon being in danger. It is known as the secret cloning machine," Obi-Wan said. My heart raced when he said this. His lips were tight with disapproval. "The vision showed a Sith is looking for it."

A Sith? That could mean only one possibility. Darth Maul.

Unless he had already taken a new apprentice, and there were now two of them looking for it … Could there be other Sith who had risen to take Sidious' place already? It had to be Maul.

"You don't seem surprised by this," Obi-Wan observed.

I gave a succinct explanation of what I had read the previous evening.

"We are going to Ruusan to retrieve it before it falls into enemy hands. Apparently, only the Grand Master and the Master of the Order knew about it, and Master Yoda just told me because the situation is dire."

"But Master Windu isn't the Master of the Order anymore," I objected. "How did he know about it?"

"You forget, Emma, that up until a couple of years ago, Master Windu was indeed the Master of the Order," Obi-Wan reminded me. "He must have found out about it then."

"Ruusan?" I said. I had recently learned about Ruusan in my history class. In Jedi history, the planet was most famous for the battles of Ruusan during the New Sith Wars. The Seventh Battle of Ruusan was the final battle of the New Sith Wars, also known as the Jedi-Sith War, the one that decimated the Sith army. The clash between the Jedi's Army of Light, led by Lord Hoth, and the Sith's Brotherhood of Darkness, led by Lord Kaan, resulted in a conclusive Jedi victory. Unfortunately for Ruusan, the Sith released their thought bomb, not only eradicating the Sith army and one hundred Jedi but turning the once pleasant and verdant planet into a bleak, desert-like place. It also killed many of the planet's inhabitants. After the Republic and the Jedi won the war, they completely reshaped themselves. This occurrence was known as the Ruusan Reformation. The Republic took powers away from the Supreme Chancellor and returned it to the Senate. The Jedi Order changed as well, breaking up their army. They became formally aligned with the Republic. In addition, the Republic told them they could maintain only one school, and this was to be the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

After the war, the Sith were gone forever, or so the Jedi believed. In truth, they were just biding their time, remaining hidden until they deemed the time was right to strike. The Jedi did not learn that the Sith were still around until Qui-Gon fought Darth Maul on Tatooine.

Thank goodness Darth Sidious had not been able to see his evil plan through to its horrid conclusion. Mace Windu had stopped him. And Anakin and I had as well.

"Ruusan," Obi-Wan muttered. "I thought I had heard the last of that name for a while." I assumed he was referring to the mission to Skytop Station during the Clone Wars. Obi-Wan had entrusted Anakin and Ahsoka with locating a Separatist listening post and destroying it. They had found it on one of the moons of Ruusan.

"How are we going to get there?" I wanted to know. "I thought the hyperspace lanes were erased. And I thought the Jedi forgot about Ruusan, and the Valley of the Jedi? My teacher didn't even mention it in class." The Valley of the Jedi was the memorial site for the fallen heroes of the Seventh Battle of Ruusan. It had been built by the Jedi of long ago, almost one thousand years earlier, and was said to be the center of great power.

"We know our history," Obi-Wan said. "Some might think the Valley is a legend, but Master Yoda confirmed that it is indeed real during the briefing. His vision of the secret cloning machine revealed to him the location of the Valley on Ruusan. So now we know the location of the Valley of the Jedi. He was able to rediscover the hyperspace routes to Ruusan using some old maps he found in the Archives."

I wondered if these changes were a result of my time travel. What else was going to be different? I hoped our going to Ruusan would not interfere with what I knew happened after the Battle of Yavin. Well, I guessed that battle wasn't going to happen now that there was no Empire. Jedi Kyle Katarn was supposed to go to Ruusan, prevent the Jedi Master-turned-Inquisitor Jerec from gaining control over the Force nexus in the Valley of the Jedi, and free the souls of the Jedi and Sith that were trapped there.

This was the peril of time travel. Change one thing, and multiple, subsequent events could potentially change as well.

"So, we're not going to Ossus?" I asked. I explained to him what I had read in Yoda's book. "Wasn't that the headquarters of the Jedi Order at that time? Didn't Xendor fight there? Was he ever on Ruusan?"

"It does not appear that he was," Obi-Wan answered. "However, somehow this machine ended up on Ruusan, so that is where we will have to go."

"But if Xendor was never on Ruusan, how can we be certain that this secret cloning machine is there?" I was puzzled by this. Who else had known about it? Had someone else taken it to Ruusan after Xendor's death?

"Whether he was or not is irrelevant. Master Yoda's vision showed the machine is on Ruusan. That is our destination."

I was silent for a moment, then voiced a new thought. "All this talk of a secret cloning machine reminds me of the legend of the Kaiburr crystal."

Obi-Wan looked at me questioningly, so I hastened to explain. "It's a crystal with healing powers that Xendor gave to his apprentice, Arden Lyn, so she wouldn't die." Obi-Wan nodded, as if he understood exactly what I was talking about. I wondered if he had really known about this. I didn't think it was something the Jedi would have been familiar with. Perhaps it was another one of their legends. Or maybe it was something he had read about when he lived on Earth, although I was surprised to consider that he would have read anything specifically related to the Sith.

"Why would Xendor make the cloning machine if he had the crystal?" I wondered. "From what I read, it sounds like he created it while he was still a Jedi, living on Ossus."

Obi-Wan shrugged. "I'm inclined to believe he made the cloning machine before he found the crystal and took it with him. Perhaps he viewed it as insurance? In case something happened to the crystal? I don't know."

"I wonder if he told Arden or anyone else about it," I speculated. "Maybe someone who survived the Battles of Ossus or Columus brought it to Ruusan, or their descendants did. Maybe he told some of the Sith people on Korriban. According to Yoda's book, the Jedi Council knew about the machine. I'm surprised they would have let him take it with him when they kicked him out. Maybe there was a fight, and they took the machine themselves, failed to destroy it, and hid it? Was it already lost on Ossus before he found the crystal?"

"It's a possibility," Obi-Wan said. "We'll probably never know for sure."

"And the Jedi won the Battle of Ossus," I continued. "Do you think a Jedi took it from Xendor on Ossus during the battle? Do you think a Jedi found it and brought it to Ruusan?" I was full of theories about what might have happened to the machine.

"I doubt that a Jedi took it and brought it to Ruusan. Either way, that is not our concern. Our assignment is to find this machine and bring it back here for safekeeping. And bring everyone back safe and sound." He clearly did not approve of two ten-year-old Padawans accompanying their Masters on such a dangerous mission.

"So, I'm really going on an undercover mission with you?" I asked excitedly.

"Stay close to me, Emma," Obi-Wan said. His tone was mild, but I sensed an undercurrent of worry. "I have a bad feeling about this."

We walked outside into the bright sunshine, directly into a courtyard. Mace and Ben were already there, waiting for us. Ben looked just as excited and confused by his involvement in this secret mission as I imagined I did.

"We are waiting for one more," Obi-Wan said.

I was confused. Who else was going with us? Who else knew about this dangerous, top-secret mission?

"Hey, wait for me!" Palpatine Cohen ran toward us, lightsaber in hand.

Ben looked astonished. "What are you doing here? This is a secret mission."

"I know all about it," Palpatine declared importantly. "Master Yoda called me to his apartment this morning. Masters Windu and Kenobi were there too. Master Yoda told me I would accompany them on their mission, along with their Padawans. 'A lesson to learn, you have,' Master Yoda said. 'Prove yourself worthy to be a Padawan, you will.'" It almost sounded like Yoda knew exactly what motivated Palpatine. I remembered reading that the Jedi regarded Yoda as their most powerful user of the Force skill known as Force empathy.

Palpatine was practically bouncing with pride and excitement to be included in our group. I hoped he would get along with Ben.

"Here." Obi-Wan handed me a lightsaber.

I stared at him, stunned. "You're giving me a real lightsaber!" I was so excited. Then I sobered. This mission was really going to be dangerous.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said shortly. "Just for this mission. After this, you will continue practicing with your training lightsaber until you are ready to go to Ilum. Master Yoda told Master Windu and myself that he sensed both you and Padawan Snoke would need full-strength lightsabers for this mission. Youngling Cohen too."

I didn't bother pointing out that Ben already had a real lightsaber.

It was obvious that Obi-Wan was not happy that the Padawans were coming with him. He must be worried that it would be too dangerous for us.

"Do you think I can't handle this?" I asked him. "That I'm not strong enough?"

"It's not that," Obi-Wan assured me. Then he sighed. "I trust the Force and Master Yoda. You must be ready for whatever awaits us on Ruusan."

I hooked the lightsaber onto my utility belt. Obi-Wan had given it to me right before our trip to Endor. It was typical of the utility belts that the Padawans had. It contained some capsule survival rations, a comlink, a holoprojector, a glowrod, and an aquata breather. I knew Obi-Wan carried more items on his belt. He probably also had some other objects specifically for this mission, provided by Master Yoda. He always kept supplemental equipment and supplies stored in his ship, including ration packs containing actual food. In addition, there was a medical kit in his ship, in case of emergencies. I hoped we wouldn't have to use it.

"May the Force be with us," Obi-Wan said somberly right before our ship lifted off.

When we arrived on Ruusan, I saw firsthand how the Siths' thought bomb had altered the terrain. We flew over a desert and landed in a treeless, empty area that looked totally devoid of life. Numerous caves dominated the landscape. Once upon a time, many forests had probably grown here.

"So where do we have to go?" I asked Obi-Wan.

"I'm not sure," Obi-Wan admitted.

"What do you mean?" I stared at him in disbelief. "Didn't Master Yoda tell you where to find it?"

"The instructions were not totally clear," Master Windu cut in. "The weapon has been hidden for a thousand years. All we know is that it is somewhere on this planet. We're not sure of its exact location. We'll have to search the entire planet. We'll start with the immediate area."

Well, that narrowed it down, I thought. This could take a while.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and stood up. I turned to follow Ben out of the ship when a low rustling sound distracted me. I felt something soft brush my leg and looked down into an adorable black-and-white face.

Catman! How did he get here? I must have been too distracted to notice him following us outside of the Jedi Temple and into the ship.

"You're a stowaway," I accused.

Catman meowed plaintively and looked at me with imploring eyes.

"I know, you're just worried about me," I said. "But I'm a Padawan, and you're only a cat. I appreciate that you want to help, but I can handle this."

Catman looked hurt.

"Catman, wait in the ship," I ordered him. "This could be very dangerous."

Catman meowed in agreement and looked at me with his big, innocent green eyes.

The five of us gathered in a circle outside the ship to discuss our strategy.

"Look," Master Windu began, pulling out a holomap. "We'll split up," he declared. "We can cover more ground faster that way. Obi-Wan and I will search the Valley of the Jedi first. There's a strong possibility the machine is there." I remembered reading that the Valley of the Jedi contained the most powerful Force nexus, and the power might remain there even after the souls of the dead armies were freed. I hoped the Sith, whoever they were, didn't know about the Valley of the Jedi too. So, there were really two parts to this mission, I thought. We had to prevent the Sith from obtaining the secret cloning machine as well as the Valley's power. If the Sith were successful either way, the outcome was sure to be terrible. "The Valley should be around here, in this area." He pointed to a section of the map. "You three will cover the caves closest to the Valley." He indicated where he wanted us to go on the holomap. "Use your comlink if you find anything. We'll meet back at the ship in exactly two hours."

"Split up?" Ben asked Master Windu. "Is that … um … wise? I mean, what if we run into the hostile Sith who is searching for this weapon?"

Master Windu looked taken aback by the question. I had the feeling Ben had never questioned anything Master Windu had said before.

"We should be able to find the weapon before the Sith arrives," Master Windu said. "Master Yoda's vision indicated that time is on our side."

I wanted to remind him that visions weren't absolute, but I wasn't too keen on challenging Master Windu.

Once the two Masters had left, Ben turned to me and Palpatine. "So where do you want to start looking?"

"I'm the oldest, so I'm in charge," Palpatine said, somewhat bossily.

Ben rolled his eyes, an unfortunate habit he had picked up from me.

"Let's try the nearest cave," I suggested.

While Obi-Wan and Mace Windu explored the Valley of the Jedi, Palpatine, Ben and I prepared to trudge across the wilderness of Ruusan.

We started walking in the direction Master Windu had mentioned. The weather was warm. There was some evidence that the planet's former vegetation was slowly but surely starting to return. There were some small trees, mostly stumps, but some new ones were growing. Hopefully, new forests would grow here, and Ruusan would one day be a pleasant and prosperous world again, teeming with forests and life.

"I don't see anyone," Palpatine remarked. "Where are the inhabitants of the planet?"

"There probably aren't many," I said. "Most likely, they haven't repopulated the planet yet. The thought bomb wiped out so much of the planet's life. It's possible that they don't have any cities or even villages yet."

"At least those animals are here," Ben observed, pointing to a group of five small, strange-looking creatures with green fur. They were sitting on the plain not too far ahead of us. They must be Bouncers, the native species of Ruusan. "That's a good sign that life is returning to the planet."

I had read that the Bouncers believed in a prophecy about the Valley of the Jedi. The prophecy envisioned a Jedi Knight arriving there, fighting a battle, and freeing the souls of the Jedi trapped from the thought bomb. Now, seeing these Bouncers firsthand, my heart beat faster. Was a major battle about to unfold here? Would the timeline and events be changed once again?

We trudged up and down a hill. We passed a canyon. I noticed that there was a river flowing through the canyon. Just past this canyon was a mountain range. There was another Bouncer standing in front of a large cave. It was almost like it was beckoning us inside. Its large, intelligent eyes stared at us for a long moment. The next moment, a strong breeze blew up. Then the creature rebounded off a large boulder at the front of the cave and sprang into the air. We watched as it flew over the cave and disappeared from view. We headed into the cave.

The interior of the cave was cool, and it was dark. All three of us used our glowrods to shine light into the darkened interior. A few more steps into the cave, and there was enough light that we could see. This part of the cave was lighter, illuminated by cave crystals. They must be Ruusan crystals, which had not been seen since the Ruusan Reformation.

The cave appeared to have many different sections. I could see numerous winding paths ahead of us.

"This cave is really big," I said to the two boys. "I'll search over here. You two look in those areas. Holler if you find anything."

"I'm sure I'll find it first, little Snoke," I heard Palpatine say to Ben.

Ben didn't bother to respond, but I sensed the two boys had been arguing. I shook my head in dismay. Were those two ever going to learn to cooperate and work together?

I found a slice of a crystal fragment on the cave floor. There were pieces of crystal sprinkled all over the floor. This must be the correct direction to go in. I felt like I was Hansel and Gretel, following a trail of breadcrumbs. I walked until I encountered a wall of rocks. I touched a rock and looked up. There was a marking on the very top of the cave wall, which was not obscured by the rocks. Or was it a symbol? I shone my glowrod on the wall so I could see it better. A large letter X had been carved into the wall. This must be Xendor's initial! There was a faint humming sound. There had to be fifty large rocks blocking the entrance to the next part of the cave. Was something hidden behind it? Maybe there was a hidden door behind these rocks. Maybe I would find the secret cloning machine behind this cave wall!

"I found something!" I exclaimed. Ben and Palpatine rushed over to me.

"What is it?" Palpatine asked, shining his glowrod against the rocks.

The three of us lifted the rocks. The humming grew louder.

"Look!" Palpatine cried. "There's something on the floor, toward the back of the cave!"

I noticed it too. I picked up a small humming object. This had to be it.

"It's time to contact our Masters and tell them we found it," Ben said with satisfaction. I imagined he was thinking about all the praise Master Windu would heap upon him.

"Wait a minute," I replied, an idea slowly dawning on me. I had never considered this before, but what if …

What if I could use this machine to right some of the wrongs of the past?

I wanted to do something nice for my father, something to show him how much I loved and appreciated him. And not just nice … extraordinary. I wondered if I could bring Qui-Gon Jinn back. Obi-Wan would be so happy. Anakin too. Look how compassionate I was, I thought.

Then I remembered what Obi-Wan had told me on my very first day of training. The Jedi Code was about acceptance, he had said; about not trying to change things and to accept them the way they were. Qui-Gon was long dead. He had already been dead for thirteen years. Was I exhibiting an inability to let go? I shrugged off the guilt and uneasiness I felt at even considering this. After all, I was going to change the past with Anakin; why not do it twice? If Qui-Gon had never died, chances are Anakin would never have turned in the first place. It wasn't like I had some special attachment to Qui-Gon.

Obi-Wan had told me numerous times that Jedi always used their power in harmony with the will of the Force. I would never forget that lesson. Was it the will of the Force that had brought me to this moment? I had been the one to find this machine, not Obi-Wan or Master Windu. I wondered if this machine was like Dark transfer, a form of healing. But there was no body to resurrect; Qui-Gon's body had been burned thirteen years earlier. Was I messing with nature? I wondered, remembering the story of Darth Plagueis and the midi-chlorians. But I wasn't using the dark side; I was tapping into the light side. But was the machine itself evil? Had Xendor created it using the dark side? Would I somehow become tainted by wielding it? I didn't think so; my motivations were good, and I had no intention of using it to gain power for myself. Vaguely, I recalled a conversation with Master Yoda. Hadn't he tried to warn me about this very thing …?

Resolutely, I took the machine and studied it, wondering how it worked.

"What are you doing?" Ben cried. "The orders are to bring this machine directly back to the Jedi Temple, not use it!" He looked aghast.

I looked closely at the machine. It was a small, rectangular-shaped object, about the size of an iPad. There was writing on the front of it in a language I didn't know. Under this were several buttons. There was a bright green button at the very top.

I didn't have the faintest idea how to use this machine. Relying on my senses, I closed my eyes and thought of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn as he had appeared in his final moments before his death, fighting Darth Maul. I pressed the green button.

The humming sound increased to a shriek, and then abruptly stopped. There was a rumbling like thunder and a flash of bright green light. Ben, Palpatine, and I staggered backwards and crouched down on the cave floor, shielding our eyes from the light.

"What is this place?" a deep voice demanded. "And what year is it?"

Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn stood before us. He had come back.