Note: I do not remember if Chancellor Palpatine ever meets Varus. So I am doing this assuming they haven't met. Honestly I don't know if Sidius ever met Starkiller or knew of him by reputation, or didn't at all. Starkiller was, by his very nature, a secret. But a secret to Nihilus' enemies or allies, I can't say. I don't think it will matter at this point to think too much on it.

I'm sorry guys, but I can't be responding to my reviews up here any longer. I have been informed that it is against the rules. So now I have to respond to reviews in another way. Hm…

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not even the clothes on my back.

Episode 5 - Classified Information Part 5/6

We entered the lavish door and walked on a rug that was way too pricy for my taste. It was red and lush. The place was large, white, and somehow just as warm as home while having the feel of an office since it lacked the heavy distractions a home might put in your way. The room itself was oval shaped, and in the center were a few circle chairs. On the far end of the room, surrounded by windows on all sides, sat a very old man at a half-circle desk. In between the chairs and desk, jammed between two sets of three-step stairs, was a holographic projector.

The man looked like a spider. Long and angular and while looking placid, something in the back of my mind told me it was a trap and disguise. A politician with webs throughout the Republic yet at the same time appearing gentle and comforting, exactly what the people would want to see.

Somehow this man earned more respect at first sight than all of the Jedi Council. He was a man whose gaze sent a chill up my spine. I can't explain how I knew, but I did: I must be wary and respectful, like the respect towards a snake. Allow natural fear because you understand it can kill you at any moment. Whether that is simply his political power over the largest nation in the galaxy or something deeper, I don't know. Perhaps both.

"Ah! Ani, come in come in!" The old man greeted from his desk with a wave of his hand. He put his pen down and went to embrace his young friend by clasping his arms.

"Hello, Chancellor." Tree-Hugger greeted warmly.

"Bah!" The Chancellor waved it aside. "How many times must I ask you to call me Palpatine?"

"I am sorry, Chancellor. Anyway, this is Varus." Master waved his hand to me. He hesitated at the sight of me for some reason.

"This is the Varus who I have heard so much about?" The Chancellor hesitation turns to a warm smile. "My, he isn't nearly as loud and obnoxious as I was led to believe!" Really? My mouth has earned me the notice of the Republic's leader? That has gotta be a record or something. And what does he mean obnoxious?!

"Yeah, he is normally blurting out the first thing he thinks." Tree-Hugger muses thoughtfully, watching me closely.

Ass…

Palpatine laughed. It was creepy, but Tree-Hugger seemed to find pleasure in it. "Come! Sit! Sit!" The man showed us to the chairs personally. "Now. Argh." The man sat down himself on the steps to face us. He found it slightly difficult with his angular features and age. "What brings you here? I hope it is a pleasurable visit, but with this office, visits to sit and chat about the weather are rare." I manage to hold back a retort about how he should always know the weather. Half of his office is one giant window! Turning around should be instant-weather-channel.

Tree-Hugger bowed his head sadly. "I am sorry, but there are matters that must be attended to. I was hoping you would shed some light on it."

"Ah, I see. Well then, speak!" He said, all smiles and comfort and warmth.

"In my investigation into Sector 7207, the results have come back with a number of Classified ID's." Skywalker presented a notepad with numbers on it and handed it to the Chancellor. The man did not seem to recognize the numbers. But, then, who can blame him? He probably sees a thousand things an hour. He would need a reminder on his reminders to remind him he needs reminding on stuff. "In addition, from Varus's information, we have reason to believe the one who's memory he absorbed was Revan."

The man didn't appear shocked. In fact he didn't seem to recall. "Revan… Revan… Jedi right?"

No, of course the man isn't a Jedi.

"Yes, Chancellor."

Wait, what? I thought he was a Sith.

"Palpatine." He reminded my master again, as he walked to his desk and pulled up some holographic windows. "Let us see… Da-da-da, OH!" The man found it. "Ok… Yes, now I remember. Revan."

"I thought the man was a Sith." I whisper to the side.

"Revan is many things, young one." The Chancellor speaks up. Dang, he has good ears.

"May I ask why the information is classified?" Tree-Hugger asks. "The query was with Jedi Council admin rights, but we were blocked."

"Is that so? Let me see…" The man flipped some switches, clicked some buttons. Palpatine pulled out a data pad and transferred files. He pushed his chair back and presented the pad to Tree-Hugger.

"This should have all of the relevant information. At least as much as I could scrounge up. Do you believe it will help your investigation?"

"It should help immensely, thank you." Tree-Hugger bows, before sitting down in the chair again and looking through the data.

I glance between Tree-Hugger and the Chancellor guy. The human-spider looks at me curiously as well. "Aren't we going to leave?" I ask.

"This won't take long." I roll my eyes and sit down. This is gonna take hoooours. And I'm not pouting. I'm just snuggling up to myself. No wait, that sounds girly. I'm pouting.

Manly.

"I am curious, young Jedi." The human-spider looks at me down his incredibly massive snout. "What is it about Revan you know?"

I shrug. "I have his entire life in my head, but I only see flashes. Bits and pieces."

The man nods in understanding. "Then you don't know who Revan is, not clearly?" I shake my head. "Alright, humor an old man if you don't mind? Listen. I'll try to make this short."

"Alright."

"Years ago, before my time as Supreme Chancellor, a race of people called Mandalorians invaded the Republic. They were, and are, savages. They destroy everything in their wake without mercy and without pity. They kill the helpless solely because they are helpless, and in their eyes do not deserve honor. When some planets did resist, they bombed them into nothingness. They claim to seek honor in combat, but their actions speak more toward genocide and killing for the sake of killing."

I nod.

"They fought the Republic because they thought us strong enough to prove a worthy foe, but we were not. We were weak. Softened by peace. The Jedi even more so. At the time the Jedi did train in self-defense, but were on a level of pacifism that goes… in my opinion, to the extreme. They may know self-defense, but they still would not defend themselves nor anyone else."

"That is certainly different from how I see the Jedi now." I comment. "Pacifism, defense, but not to that much of a degree."

"That is for a reason. You see, the Jedi said they were holding back to meditate on the war and to think about it. While there is wisdom in that, certainly, they held back for many years. Thousands of worlds died while they sat and thought. Revan was a Jedi. A strong Jedi. He rallied followers to go to war with him and defend the Republic. At first he had only a small detachment, but his skill as a leader earned him renown within days. It wasn't long before he was leading an army of Jedi and Republic soldiers, and then all of the armies. His leadership earned his way to leading the war for us."

Cool.

"Revan turned the tide against the Mandaloriens. Some think he was a speaker of the Force itself, an Echo, if you will, he was so powerful. Some think he won because he was of distant Mandalorians lineage and understood them. Most, he was simply… lucky and skillful in all things he touched. I am inclined to say all three. He defeated the Mandaloriens and shattered their culture at its foundation, turning them into brigands and pirates and mercenaries. Oddly enough, the Mando'a culture doesn't hate him for it. They respect him more than they do each other or the Republic. I do not claim to understand why, they are an odd people."

He finished his rambling. "Regardless. Revan won, and he was a hero. However, the Jedi rebuked him for going against their wishes and cast him out. Him and all of his followers were removed as Jedi and exiled."

Bastards…

"Revan and his followers were, by that time, labeled as the 'Revanchist'. They disappeared. The public revered him as a hero, while the Jedi considered him a demon. His example had shattered much of their pacifist ways, and the Jedi were as of then expected and even required to supply officers, generals, fighters amongst the Republic. I think they make exceptional peace keepers, but they have proven to be skilled generals as well. But the Council would not see it. They blamed him for destroying the Jedi as they were."

"Your rambling." I try to say gracefully.

"Oh, I apologize." He clears his throat. "Revan reappeared a few years later, not as a savior and hero, but as a villain and conqueror. He lead the Revanchist as a self-proclaimed Sith Lord. Under him he had his apprentice, Darth Malak. Alongside him he had… loose allies, at best, Darth Sion, Darth Sidius, and Darth Nihilus. All officers of his in the previous war. Their army was massive, made up entirely of robots and fallen Jedi and soldiers. Everyone who followed him to war before fell with him to darkness. More than that, his fleet was infinite. The reason was a giant space factory called 'The Star Forge'. The Jedi Civil War began."

"So he was a Sith?"

"At that point, yes. But something happened. I am not clear on the details, but he was captured in battle by who would later be his wife, and was betrayed by his apprentice at the same time. He nearly died, and his mind was gone. Sometime later he remembered everything, but had a new perspective. He joined the Republic to fix his sins, his mistakes, his war. He lead the Republic to the Star Forge, slew Malak, and was proclaimed a hero again."

"Odd…" I say. It feels like it fits from the memories I have, but what would lead him to go to war against his own people like that, and then turn around again?

"Perhaps." The man relented. "Revan and Bastilla married, against the Council's wishes, and they cast out Bastilla as well, and refused Revan's wishes to return. They were given a small area of territory of Malak's for the Revanchist who were loyal only to Revan and not Malak, and became loose… friends. More neutral, in my opinion, than allies. Darth Sion died to the Revanchist soon after. As for Darth Nihilus, well, his end was more recent. He slaughtered world after world before coming after Coruscant, and it took everything we had to stop him and send his flagship crashing down. Darth Sidius started a rebellion move now called the Separatists Confederacy, and is most elusive. Just about the time I stepped into office, incidentally. Revan disappeared years ago, "

Dang… So Revan is a whole lot of things. At least now I have an idea what to make of these blasted memories. Pity he disappeared, I would like to shake his hand. Any man who can live through that much change back and forth, and still be sane, is a man who needs an early vacation. Would he be happy that his Holocron put naked memories of his wife in my head too?

I don't think I'll mention that part. It's hard enough trying to not see them. It's disturbing.

"Wait… If he is a Jedi now, or semi-Jedi, or whatever. Then why would he be using a Sith Holocron?"

"Because he is tainted by the Dark Side so heavily." Tree-Hugger speaks up. His data pad is down. He's done. "The man is both Sith and Jedi, yet neither. A Sith could look at the Holocron and say it's a Jedi one, and a Jedi would say its Sith. It's like… a half-breed. The Holocron itself is Sith, but he could just as easily employ a Light Side one."

"Ah."

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Palpatine wondered.

"I do believe so, I was just listening. You are an excellent story teller."

The man laughed. "Work of the trade. Charisma is the most necessary tool of a politician, unfortunately, not action. What were you looking for?"

"Well, it's odd… The ones to label the information classified to begin with were the Council themselves." Palpatine looked to Tree-Hugger like he had grown a second head. "I know, it sounds crazy, but it's there. The ones to do it, specifically, were Dantooine Council members."

"Isn't the Council here?" I say.

"There are a few branches, but they all answer to Coruscant. Or should. Whatever I came across, the Dantooine Council didn't want the rest to get word of. Namely the word 'Star Forge' and a green biped race I am not familiar with. Those are the things being classified."

"But the Star Forge was destroyed. Why would they want it classified?" Palpatine wondered. He took the data pad back and looked through it before becoming white as a ghost. "It's not destroyed?"

Froggy did say the Star Forge wasn't actually destroyed.

I huffed. "Why would the Dantooine Council want it classified?"

"I would ask them, but they are long dead." Tree-Hugger said. "I think it was… ten years ago?"

"About that." Palpatine acknowledged.

I got the impression the council were around a long time, like decades. Not just one. "But wouldn't the Coruscant Council be involved on a war on that scale, Tree-Hugger?" I asked.

Palpatine looked to him with a gentle smirk. "Don't." Tree-Hugger said simply. "The Council members were around, yes. But the war with Revan was somewhat isolated because of the controversy of brother fighting brother, almost literally in many cases. The Dantooine Council led it due to that. Truth is, I don't claim to understand the decision's purpose. I don't know who was where, when, and really. All I know is Dantooine Council classified information to keep the Jedi as a whole from learning the Star Forge was still around."

"How did Froggy know?" I asked. Earning the confusion of both parties. "Master Yoda."

"He probably participated." Tree-Hugger mused.

Palpatine said, "I'll ask him. Don't worry. I don't think his reason had any ulterior motives, unlike this other Council. But then, the continued existence of this Star Forge worries me."

"The council suggests we reclaim it." Tree-Hugger says. "Yoda explained it was still around, and Windu believes it may be crucial to our war effort."

"If we already knew it was around, then what are we doing here!?" I ask incredulously. Seriously! Am I the only one noticing how big of a waste of a time this is!

"I'll explain later, Padawan." Tree-Hugger tells me.

Palpatine looked on us thoughtfully. His eyes were distant and worrying. "The Star Forge would be of great benefit. Now that we know for a fact it is still around, and not just speculation, we have to find it." He pulled up the data pad and looked through it. "But there is nothing here on a location. The Dantooine Council didn't just classify that, they erased it, if it ever existed. Lovely…" He said with clear sarcasm. Palpatine looked to me and then back to Tree-Hugger. "Do you believe you can follow Revan's trail?"

"I believe so."

"Then do so. I am sending you and your Padawans to find this Star Forge. Report back to me with your progress." Palpatine waved us off as if it was the end of it, and he returned to his desk. He was all-business again.

"Come, Varus." Tree-Hugger said, and I followed him as we left.

The door closed. "Ok, care to explain why we came to be told stuff we already knew?" I ask.

"Speculation and fact are different. Master Yoda may have known of the Star Forge continued existence, and have had good reason for going along with it being classified. I trust him. Master Windu… I doubt he knew. Either way, all we had was say-so. Meanwhile we had four evidence's all ending in classified information: It was crucial we cleared that up."

"Yea, but it was stuff you already figured out." I answer. We enter the elevator and he pushes a button. It gently heads down. The elevator had a glass back, so we were able to view out into the vast city reaching into the clouds. A thick fog laid over the ending day.

"Sometimes, Varus, confirmation of what you already know is everything. We already know gravity exists, but we couldn't do much with it until someone wrote it into law, right?"

"I guess." I concede.

"The second reason was to push the Chancellor into giving me orders to go."

"We already did."

"Yes, and now we have twice as many. With the authority of a Jedi, we can go through many checkpoints and have access to vast resources. With the authority of both." Tree-Hugger chuckled. "We can bring a battleship."

I dare say, I don't think my eyes could have gotten any bigger. We are going to ride a battleship! Oh, this is gonna be badass.

As if sensing my excitement he chuckles and says, "Calm down, Varus. I still need to make arrangements. I don't know exactly where Revan went, but I do know the Ebon Hawk went into regions that are hostile. We will need backup if we are to follow his trail."

The trail of Revan. "That's me, right?"

"Exactly. Now… Here is what we are going to do. I want you to head home and resume your training exercises."

"Tsk…"

"Varus, a week in the hospital will do a lot to you. You already had a way to go to catch up, physically, now you are back where you started. I sent you a set of daily training videos while you were in the hospital. Get started, please."

"Alright, alright." The elevator opens. Tree-Hugger grabs a taxi for me. Why do I have to go back to the blasted temple… I really need to find an apartment. The place gives me bad vibes constantly.

Jedi Master Mace Windu stopped in his tracks and turned sharply around. "Would you run that by me, again?"

"A Sith is hiding in the Temple, Master." Maris said firmly. She met his eyes with as much strength as she could muster, but could not withhold some of her anger.

Windu frowned sharply in silence a moment. "Does he or she have a name?"

"He. None of that I know of."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Not a Lord then… When was this?"

"This morning, shortly after my return."

"If I were to pull up a recording, would you be able to point him out?"

"Yes."

"Good." He motioned for her to follow, and for Ahsoka to return home. The other Padawan bowed, and with a fleeting glance to her friend, departed. Maris followed the Master to a room with a holographic projector. "Which room?"

"Main Lobby."

The screen changed to reveal hundreds and hundreds of people walking to and fro. Windu changed the time table to the morning and sped up the pace of time. Soon a small gathering appeared down the holographic steps. "Hold, now slowly." Maris said.

Windu did as she requested and the pace turned to normal. Maris pointed to the small gathering on the screen. The screen zoomed in and showed her with a few friends and clones. She looked to be in a distant, thoughtful gaze. It followed her until suddenly she walked into a young man and they tripped over each other.

Skywalker and Ahsoka both stopped walking ahead to return to Varus. "Hold. That's him." She pointed.

The screen, at her command, zoomed in and showed Varus Wynn.

Chapter Edited by Aeterna Knight: u/4617921/

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