Natasha bent over the ancient medical droid, up to her elbows in its inner workings. Its head swiveled back and forth madly. "What are you doing, Jedi?" it demanded. "I will tell you nothing!"
"Actually, I think you will." Natasha sat back on her heels.
The droid stilled and its voice became more mechanical. "Accessing archive. The Sith Order was founded on the belief that true power can only be realized through the use of both sides of the Force. The Jedi refuse to use the dark side, limiting what they can learn and achieve." It turned its chilling red-eyed gaze on Steve. "The cornerstone of a Sith's power is emotion: fear, anger, and pain. Wielding this power, the Sith rule over lesser beings, the Force-blind."
Steve frowned. He didn't remember much about the Sith from his classes in the Temple, but the implication that Force-sensitives should rule over all others was disturbing to say the least.
"The Jedi Order is the antithesis of the Sith," the droid continued. "The two factions clashed several times throughout history, and it is the greatest desire of each to destroy the other. However, a subsect of the Sith called Hydra realized that open warfare was not practical, and they infiltrated the Jedi Order, becoming a beautiful parasite inside the Temple, secretly feeding crisis and reaping war."
Steve met Natasha's eyes, his own shock mirrored in hers. "That's impossible," she whispered. "We would have sensed them."
"The dark side clouds everything," the droid replied. "Even the senses of the greatest of Jedi."
Steve clenched his jaw, facing the droid. "Give us the names of the Sith within the Order."
It turned those eyes on him again, and he suppressed a shiver. "No," it said.
Steve turned toward Natasha. "I thought you reprogrammed it."
She glared at it. "I did."
She reached out toward it again, but a sudden premonition made Steve grab her hand just before she touched it. A grinding sound came from inside the droid, then it began to smoke. Steve threw up a Force shield just as it exploded in a maelstrom of burning shards of metal.
Steve frowned at the coordinates Natasha entered into the navicomputer in the starfighter. "What's on Naboo?"
"A friend." She grinned over her shoulder at him. "If anyone can help us, it's Sam."
He fastened the straps across his chest. "Can we trust him?"
She shrugged. "Maybe. We went on a few missions together before he left the Order. Best pilot I ever worked with."
He frowned at the back of her head. "He was a Jedi?"
She nodded, flipping switches on the instrument panel before her. The engines roared to life. "If he was part of this Hydra thing, Rogers, he wouldn't have left."
Right. Of course. If only the droid had given them some names. Anyone in the Order could be an enemy, a Sith. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the seat, the droid's words running through his head: The cornerstone of a Sith's power is emotion. Master Abra'im had taught him to use his emotions, had told him that the pervasive Jedi idea that emotions were detrimental was in itself damaging. Did that make him closer to the dark side than he had imagined? If even Bucky could turn… what was to stop him?
Sam Wil'son was a slim dark-skinned human with an easy smile. Steve liked him on sight. After landing on Naboo in the early hours of the planet's morning, Natasha had led the way to a small dwelling on the edge of the capital city of Theed where Sam greeted them at the door. He had invited them in without hesitation.
Sitting on the couch in the tiny living room while Sam rattled around in the kitchen, Natasha stared at nothing, her presence in the Force troubled. Steve sat beside her. "You okay?"
She shrugged. "Yeah."
He put a hand on her shoulder. "What's going on?"
She sighed, resting her elbows on her knees and staring at her clasped hands. "I always thought the Jedi were the good guys, you know? Even when I was undercover, telling so many lies… I thought at least I knew the truth. I guess I don't anymore. Maybe I never did."
He squeezed her shoulder gently. "There's a chance you might be in the wrong vocation." That got a half-smile from her.
She looked up, her clear blue eyes haunted. "Be honest with me, Rogers. Do you trust me?"
He nodded, holding her gaze. "I do. And I'm always honest."
Sam poked his head around the corner. "I made breakfast. And there's blossom wine."
Steve could almost see Natasha's ears perk up, and her Force presence brightened considerably. He had never heard of blossom wine, but it sounded like she had. "Blossom wine?" she said hopefully.
Sam grinned fondly. "And plenty of it."
After breakfast and several glasses of the promised wine, which Sam told Steve was made by distilling the essences of several different flowers and mixing them with fruit juices—it seemed the exact recipe was a well-guarded Nubian secret—they all seemed to be waiting for someone else to speak first. Finally, Natasha said while turning her glass in circles on the tabletop, "So, the question is: who in the Jedi Order is a Sith spy?"
Several expressions chased each other across Sam's face, but he didn't seem shocked at the suggestion of Sith in the heart of the Order. Steve tilted his glass toward him. "You don't look surprised."
Sam rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I knew corruption had taken root in the Temple. That's one of the reasons I left." He leaned forward, clasping his hands on the tabletop. "There was another Jedi who left right before I did, just after Master Carter was killed." He raised his eyes, meeting Steve's gaze. "I think he had something to do with her death, but I never had any proof."
Steve's fingers clenched on his glass. "Alexander Pierce." He hadn't met him—Master Abra'im had only rarely visited the Temple, and Master Pierce had left the Order only a year after Steve passed his trials—however, everyone in the galaxy knew the name of the former Jedi who became Senator for Naboo, and then three years ago, Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Senate.
"The most powerful man in the galaxy." Natasha's voice was tight, her Force presence agitated.
"He's not working alone," Steve said quietly. "His chief of staff used to be a Jedi too." Used to be his padawan, in fact. No way they weren't in this together.
Her eyes flashed up to meet his. "Jasper Sitwell."
Steve nodded, leaning back in his chair. "So, the real question is: what can two knights do about all this?"
Sam raised his eyes, a grin spreading across his face. "Three."
Steve shook his head. "I can't ask you to do this, Sam."
Sam's grin widened. "I wouldn't miss it for anything."
