Note: Ok, really short chapter, but I felt it necessary to tie up the episode properly. Sorry guys. :( and I did It a day early because its short.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not even the clothes on my back.
Episode 5 - Classified Information Part 6/6
Maris expected Master Windu to start giving orders and asking questions. Instead he was silent, and it worried her. "Master? That's him. Shouldn't we do something?"
"From where do you recognize him?" He asked, instead.
"Felucia, Master. He killed my Master, Azh-Azhaak Ti." She said as strongly as she could, hoping her choking emotions wouldn't betray her, but she couldn't keep from choking on her Master's name.
There is no emotion, there is peace.
Let your emotions flow through you, and turn aside from it, so when you return, you find nothing. Only yourself.
Why wasn't it working! Maris cursed herself for being so weak.
"I see." Master Windu said at last. He looked to her thoughtfully, and knew he was cornered. He had never expected anyone to recognize Varus from his past life. He wanted, no, wished that Varus would be able to enter a new life within the light without being dogged by his past. A reminder of who he once was could only threaten to break the young man.
No… He chided himself. He shouldn't be attached to the young man, even as a Jedi. He was born a Sith; raised a Sith. Even now, as a Jedi, he had the instincts and personality of a Sith in so many ways.
As a Jedi…
But Varus wasn't a Sith anymore. Wasn't that the whole point? As much as it brought a bad taste to his mouth, Varus was one of them. A part of them. As such was he not under their protection just as much as any other?
He understood Maris's feelings. There was a line between justice and vengeance that was blurred for many. In her eyes, it was justice. In many ways it probably was. But the difference was about who was satisfied. Would vengeance be dealt for herself and be saturated in hate and emotion? Or would justice be dealt with a cool head lifted by authority?
But the fact was, Justice had already been dealt. Starkiller, apprentice to Darth Nihilus, was dead. In his place stood a Jedi cursed by the same face, cursed with the sins of the dead left behind to those who are unsatisfied.
One of which stood before him, expecting him to deal Justice on a Jedi.
There was no happy endings. Not for Varus. Not for this entire situation.
Was this curse one the Jedi would be forcing on more and more Sith-Jedi, if they are to follow along with the Chancellor projects? While he knew there was a chance, a microscopic one, of this situation coming about, he had not truly expected it to happen. Before, Windu had found the whole project distasteful. Now he felt sickened by the blurring morals the Council were forced to move toward. It had happened before with Revan. Revan had blurred their morals with war and the Dantooine Council went against much of the Code's underlying principles when they decided to wipe the comedic man's memories. Now it was happening again with the Chancellor. No… It wasn't the Chancellor.
There is no such thing as chance. The odds of something so small actually happening… It was nothing short of the Force.
But was the Force trying to do? Bring Justice and retribution down on Varus regardless of the designs of men? Or was it to simply test them? To test Varus? Or was it to put Maris to the test in her darkest hour?
"Master?" Maris asked quietly.
Windu snapped his mind from his thoughts. "Young Padawan. I thank you for being observant, that is a good trait. However, I must ask that you remove him from your thoughts. I already know of him."
"What?" Maris gasped in disbelief. "And you allow him to be here?"
"He is being closely watched very closely."
"While what?! While we wait for him to kill us! For him to murder us!? We are good, he is evil!"
"Padawan!" Windu snapped. She flinched and bowed her head in shame. She shouldn't have let loose her outburst like that. Then, gently, Windu patted her shoulder. "You are right. Sith are evil. They murder without thought, massacring entire worlds. But a powerful skill is to be shrewd, even to use your enemy against themselves for our gain."
"What are you saying, Master?"
"I am saying: He is working for us. He is being kept under guard and observed at all times. In return for his services on an important mission: he is not to be touched. That is the nature of truces, even amongst sworn foes. There are wars being fought in all of us, some on the scale of effecting a single battle, others across thousands."
"And what… is this mission?" She asked as meekly as she could manage.
"Classified." He said simply.
The seconds ticked by tensely. She could barely believe what she was hearing. Yes, it sounded logical and detached and shrewd, as the Jedi should be, but it sounded… wrong.
"Understood." She bowed reluctantly.
I sigh and plop down on the bed. Blasted Tree-Hugger, sending me back to my room. He wants me to train… Fine. I'll train.
I pull up what info I can on using the Force. Physically, I can do fine. Some pushups and laps, and perhaps training with a wooden practice sword. But the thing that is really holding me back is this Force stuff. I managed to pull it off against the snake-droid, -and really well!- but I need it to be more reliable.
The screen pops up.
Force Technique Categories:
Elemental
Mental
Self
Raw
Ok, so there are four categories. I pick one at random.
Mental Techniques:
This category influences the psyche of the target in either negative or positive ways. Negative forms are useful for torture, interrogation, and limit an enemy's ability to function, and is employed exclusively by Sith. Positive forms are useful for boosting morale, boosting focus, and influencing the emotions of allies. Mental Techniques are very rare amongst Force-Users, and are used by select skilled individuals.
I scan through some of them. None of them seem interesting. As nice as it would be to influence emotion or… Wait a second.
Distraction - A technique that causes the target to not notice you. Thereby making you invisible. Does not work on cameras or robotics.
Oh, that would be cool, but I don't like the draw back.
Self-Techniques:
This category influences the physical body of the user to be enhanced in various ways. These include strength, speed, focus, and other traits. It also includes utilities such as breathing underwater or camouflage.
I skim through the list. Frankly, about everything looks nice. Even the 'breathe underwater' one. Oh, this one looks nice.
Jump - A boost to the legs with focus on muscles designed for jumping. Allows you to jump high and land from great heights without being injured.
I make a note to learn that one soon just because it looks cool, and the rest along the way. I know my body is lacking, so these can help me in a tough spot. Oh, there is one for rapid rejuvenation.
I glance through the Raw techniques category, but none really look that interesting except 'Push'. No, on second thought, 'Pull' could be a lot of fun, and useful. Push, Pull, Push, Pull. That could be annoyingly fun. Oh, there is one on healing. That could be useful. What's the difference between this and the rapid rejuvenation one though? Not sure, I guess both could be nice. 'Shockwave' actually sounds cool too.
Now the elemental techniques look really really interesting. Fire, earth, water, wind- OHHH lighting! Nice and flashy!
Lighting - An offensive force technique that shoots lightning from the user. Lightning is wild, uncontrollable, and employed solely by the Sith. To be used with caution.
Bah… Sith technique. Why do they get the cool stuff!
I finish my list and look it over.
-Push
-Pull
-Shockwave
-Healing
-Rapid Rejuvenation
-Strength
-Speed
-Breathing
-Stamina
-Jump
-Camouflage
To be fair, there are hundreds of techniques listed. I doubt I saw them all, but this should be enough to tide me over until I get them down. I'll start with 'Stamina'. If I am going to train hard, having more stamina should help.
I wonder if the speed and stamina ones makes training easier… Probably not. Speed is just making me faster, not slowing down time or anything.
As I start to read up on the Force Stamina technique, the data pad dings. It's an email.
To Varus,
I got word from Master Skywalker on our mission. We should be ready by tomorrow. Meet me outside my apartment complex tomorrow morning at 0900. I'm attaching the GPS location to this email, so just click it and you should find it easy peasy. :)
Do try not to scare everyone in the neighborhood. :P
Be warned, the Sith who killed Maris's Jedi Master may be in the Temple! Maris tells me the Jedi are aware of it and are keeping him watched at all times, but a Sith, by nature, is unpredictable and dangerous. Supposedly this Sith boy is here working with the Jedi on some top secret mumbo jumbo, but I wouldn't trust him, at all. Watch yourself.
From Ahsoka Tano
A Sith is in the temple, and these pacifists monks are just letting him! Great…
To Ahsoka Tano,
Noted.
From Varus Wynn
Chapter Edited by Aeterna Knight: u/4617921/
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