"We need to get him to the medical wing aboard the Nessus," Adi said, and Obi-Wan and Siri both nodded seriously, before Obi-Wan used the Force to freeze the man's body, hopefully preventing further injury while Siri levitated him.
Obi-Wan thought that Qui-Gon or Adi might have wanted to take the lead, but he felt somewhat responsible for the man's predicament and he thought Siri might also, and so far the two Masters were letting them take the lead. The man had appeared fatigued and in slight pain, but his convulsions and extreme pain hadn't come until they'd touched him, so maybe the Masters agreed, or at least they were thinking about other things.
They quickly moved back to the lift and then as quickly, but as safely as possible transferred him to their small shuttle. Once they were all on board, they had the shuttle return them to the Nessus, while calling ahead to ready the medical wing for a patient as well as have the tractor beam pull the light-freighter to them, so that they could return it to the Jedi Temple to be studied.
It was a quick flight, with the two Padawans both worriedly looking at the stranger while Adi and Qui-Gon glanced at him curiously and seemed to be trying to feel out answers from the Force. When they landed in the Nessus hangar, the crew quickly helped remove their mysterious stranger and took him to the medical wing to be cared for.
As much as Obi-Wan wanted to check on the strange man, he knew they still had a mission to accomplish. The crew worked on bringing in the Ebon Hawk while Siri and Adi grabbed the third shuttle and headed to the second frigate that seemed to still be in working condition while Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon took a ship to start scouring through the wreckage of the starfighters and remaining frigates, looking for any Sith or Jedi relics.
It was long and boring work, and every half an hour or so, Obi-Wan wanted to ask the Nessus for an update on the strange Force user, but he stayed patient, knowing his Master would get irritated if he did so, so over the course of nearly 12 hours, they scoured through the wreckage, not finding anything of note before they returned to the Nessus to wait for Fisto, Bant, Siri, and Adi.
It was another hour before the two other teams returned, all four Jedi having concerned looks upon their faces.
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon followed them to the conference room where they could talk in peace and discuss their findings of the day. Before they started, Bant went to the medical wing so that she could get the most recent update on their unknown Force user. While waiting for her, they initiated contact with the Temple back on Coruscant, getting Master Yoda and Master Windu, who Fisto and Adi felt needed briefed about everything that had occurred.
"Disturbing, I sense your report will be," Yoda said, looking at them curiously. "Alarmed, perhaps you are?"
"Yes, Master," Adi started off. "This battleground itself is confusing, and it's clouding our vision in the Force, though based on where we are, that isn't too surprising. The Dark Side is strong in this sector of the galaxy. Upon arrival, we were able to see that nearly all the ships, save one, were ships used by the Sith Empire, and three of the ships were still in working condition, and seemed to have no reason why they would have been abandoned."
Adi paused and then continued.
"In addition, we sensed the presence of someone already aboard one of the stable ships. Our initial assumptions were scavengers, or perhaps Sith cultists hoping to obtain relics, so Master Jinn, myself, and our two Padawans went aboard to confront the being, while Master Fisto and his Padawan boarded one of the stable freighters."
Adi frowned and Qui-Gon took over.
"The man was no scavenger," he briefed with a frown. "He wore a Jedi robe, and his presence was definitely on the Light side, however, I did not recognize him, and I feel his power was too great for him to be unknown. Do any Jedi you know of currently wield white lightsabers? The man carried one standard and one Shoto style blade."
"There has not been a white lightsaber among the Jedi since the Sith wars over a millennium ago, and even then, they were quite rare," Windu responded with a frown. "That color of blade can only be achieved by purifying a red lightsaber crystal, and few of those have even been seen since the Sith were defeated."
"Well, this man was easily in his mid to late thirties, possibly older, and his command of the Force was impressive," Qui-Gon responded. "He had to have had some Jedi training, even if he never became a Jedi. However, with his power, command of the Force, and Force presence, not to mention the Jedi robes, he isn't likely someone that left the Order by choice, if he left at all. In his possession was a Jedi Holocron, which would explain some of his knowledge, depending on what may be on it, but it also doesn't explain everything and he also had a mandalorian necklace."
"Masters, I'm uploading a picture of the man now," Bant said, and she inserted a data pad into the holoprojector, showing the man's unconscious face to Windu and Yoda.
"Recognize him, I do not," Yoda said with a frown, and they all frowned, for Yoda knew almost all the current and past Jedi over the last eight hundred years, save for some of the nomadic Jedi who sometimes took Padawans they found without bringing them to the Temple. "Say anything, did he?"
"Yes, how did he get into that condition?" Windu asked. "Did he attempt to fight you?"
"In a way," Adi responded. "When we found him, he seemed to be in some sort of trance, surrounded by the remains of ten or so Sith warriors, and the ship, which had been there for nearly 3600 years, was working despite all odds. When we were finally able to break through the Force barrier that he must have created, his first reaction was to accuse us of being Sith and to use a Force Wave to try and even the odds against him."
"A Force Wave?" Windu asked in surprise. "That is a technique that doesn't have many practitioners in this era. Perhaps a few dozen guardians use that technique."
"Indeed," Adi responded. "After that, he ignited his lightsabers and prepared for us to attack, getting into a stance that suggests he intended to utilize the jar'kai variant of Soresu. However, around that time, his mind started becoming confused, and he realized we weren't Sith, but what he said was even more alarming."
"Oh, his words alarming, in what way?" Yoda asked.
"He talked about getting information back to Grandmaster Shan, of the Jedi Order, his sister, and yet he also talked about picking up another or possibly the same Master Shan in some sort of escape pod before we were to take him to see Grandmaster Shan," Adi responded. "About that time is when his strength seemed to fail him, and he started to fall. Master Jinn's and my Padawans grabbed him to prevent his fall, but something about them touching him seemed to overwhelm the man, and he soon passed out, and has been in an unresponsive state since."
"Padawan Bant, more to add, you do?" Yoda asked, glancing at Obi-Wan's friend.
"Well, Masters, the patient is stable, however he seems to be in some sort of Force induced coma," Bant replied with a frown. "His neurons are firing, and he seems to be processing information of some sort, though why he remains unresponsive, I'm unsure. As for his biological information? We can determine he's 41 years old, and his body is healthy despite his coma. He's strong in the force, having a midichlorian count that rivals yours, Master Windu. However, no identity has popped up yet, though the program is still running, so it's possible it will get a hit."
"Hmm," Yoda responded, looking thoughtful, seeming to try and glean an answer from the force.
"Our examinations of the other two frigates raise the main concern I feel," Adi said, and all eyes focused on her, and Obi-Wan felt his interest rise, since this was information he hadn't heard. "Master Fisto can attest that on the two stable frigates, the power is still active, which shouldn't be possible, and aboard the ships, the crew seemed to have frozen wherever they were, doing whatever they were at the time, and seemed to die there. As far as I can tell, which includes the Sith warriors' remains on the freighter known as the Ebon Hawk where we found our mysterious Force user, they were all drained of their life force. Something that I have only read about."
That ominous statement silenced the group as they processed what it could mean.
"Think that the stranger might have done so, do you?" Yoda asked, concerned. "Perhaps, possessed by an apparition of the Dark Side, he may be?"
"That would be impossible!" Obi-Wan protested, despite knowing he should stay quiet. "The man seems human, and no Jedi has lived for 3600 years."
"Hmm, a path to unnatural powers, the Dark Side is," Yoda answered with a frown. "Monitor him, you will continue to do so, and send back information to help reveal this mystery."
"We'll run tests and see if we can figure out who this man might be, and when he wakes up, perhaps he will be able to answer some questions," Windu said. "Bring him to us here. If he is possessed by a Sith spirit, or if he is some sort of Force user that has managed to survive since the Great Galactic War, then I want him brought to the Temple where we can contain him."
"Understood, Masters," Qui-Gon, Adi, and Fisto responded, and then Yoda and Windu's transmission faded away.
"We must be cautious," Fisto warned them. "We'll start doing shifts watching this man until we return to the temple."
"That's a good idea, Kit," Qui-Gon said, nodding in approval.
Obi-Wan nodded with the rest of them in agreement, but when he looked at Siri, he saw the same confusion reflected in her eyes, her normally cool expression gone. The Force had warned them because it seemed to Obi-Wan that the man was confused and could react dangerously, but there was no malice in it. He didn't seem dangerous . . . but if a Sith spirit had taken control of a good man, he wouldn't seem dangerous until it was too late.
**The Will of the Force**
Their caution and guard shifts ended up being for naught. It took them seven days to return to the Temple on Coruscant with the Ebon Hawk in tow, and in all that time, the unknown man never woke up. On one hand, that meant that if or when he did wake up, there would be hundreds or possibly even thousands of Jedi around to temper him if needed, but on the other hand, questions continued to arise, questions that only he might be able to answer.
Madam Jocasta managed to find information on the ship, the Ebon Hawk, but what she found was jaw dropping, and only raised more questions about what could be going on. It was a ship that had been around since before the Mandalorian Wars nearly four thousand years ago and had once belonged to multiple owners before it had been stolen from a crime lord by the redeemed Jedi Knight, former Sith Lord, Revan, and future Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, Bastila Shan.
The ship had somehow later ended up in the hands of a redeemed exiled Jedi, Meetra Surik, a Jedi of legend, who helped prevent the complete destruction of the Jedi Order after the Great Jedi Purge before her disappearance to hunt for whatever threat Revan had disappeared to find and never returned, which did end up being the Sith Empire as the Order had found out three hundred years later.
After that, the ship's history was lost, since it had been presumed captured or destroyed when Meetra Surik and Revan failed in their task, however, based on finding the ship, and some of what the man had babbled, they could at least presume that the ship had been either abandoned or captured and taken to Dromund Kaas, the ancient Sith capitol.
That just raised more questions though. For such a storied vessel, any number of vengeful Sith or possibly even Jedi apparitions could have latched to the ship, and when the man had talked about multiple Shan's, had he possibly been referring to Bastila Shan, or some other Shan? Yoda had kept information on the Shan's locked down to the Council after the information on the Ebon Hawk had been passed along, telling them that they would learn more when they reached Coruscant. Neither Obi-Wan, Bant, or Siri had been happy about that, all three caught up in the mystery of the unknown man.
None of the three Padawans knew much about Satele Shan, other than she'd been a Grandmaster for the Order at one point during the Galactic War and Great Galactic War. They'd all focused more on the Sith Empire's history when researching for the salvage mission, and none were major historians, so their knowledge of the ancient era was lacking.
It was with almost eagerness that they returned to the Temple, hoping that an audience with the Council would yield some of the possible answers they wished to know, but only the three Masters: Qui-Gon, Adi, and Kit, were allowed into the chamber, and unlike normal, Qui-Gon didn't share anything with him, and according to Bant and Siri, their Masters hadn't shared anything with them either.
It didn't help his nerves that since their return, Siri had gone back to her more usual self, dampening their bond, and really avoiding him unless he was with Bant or if he approached her. Her normal cool, reserved expression was back on her face whenever she interacted with him. He'd thought that maybe this mission might have helped them return to being good friends, which would have been enough for him, but it seemed they were back to how they had been.
They'd been back at the Temple for five days now, making it a grand total of almost thirteen days since the mysterious Force user had entered his coma, and Obi-Wan was beginning to think that he'd never wake up when he felt a bit of unease and worry saturate the Force, a very strange feeling within the Jedi Temple.
Obi-Wan started moving towards the Hall of Medicine, figuring it was either there or the Council Chambers that whatever was disturbing the peace would be found, but only part way there, he found Bant and Siri moving towards him swiftly.
"Obi-Wan!" Bant called. "Our Force user disappeared!"
"What!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, not expecting that. "I thought he was being watched?"
"He was!" Bant said, looking worried. "I was there, and he finally woke up. I alerted Master Che, but by the time I looked back, he was gone."
"I saw him, while on duty, and he . . . the man knew my name," Siri said, looking more worried than Obi-Wan had ever seen. "I told him that help was on the way, and he told me that he wasn't worried. I turned away for a second, and when I looked back, the bed was empty, and he was gone!"
"How is that possible? A Force Cloak? Who is this guy?" Obi-Wan murmured. "I assume the Temple's on full alert?" he asked his distraught friends.
Bant nodded at him. "Yoda commed in that the man is still in the Temple, and he sensed that he had no desire to leave, but he still needed to be found. Siri and I were just about to do a sweep."
"I'll join you," Obi-Wan said, and together the three of them started their search of the Temple, though after searching near the archives, it became apparent that all of the Knights and Masters were also searching, so Obi-Wan wondered how much help they really were.
"How has this guy evaded all of the Jedi in the Temple?" Obi-Wan asked Siri and Bant, as the three of them entered the Room of a Thousand Fountains.
"Perhaps everyone is looking in the wrong places," a voice answered and the three Padawans turned to see their lost stranger sitting in a meditative pose in the garden, a soft peaceful smile on his face.
Siri, Bant, and Obi-Wan all assumed ready positions, not knowing what this man was capable of.
"No need to be alarmed, my friends. I just wanted to see this room again. They really did a marvelous job with it," he said, his eyes roaming the room hungrily, as he took a deep peaceful breath.
"It's one of my favorites too," Siri replied before she frowned. "Everyone's looking for you. It wasn't very polite to leave without telling anyone."
The stranger chuckled. "True, but I suspect it would have been a while before I would have seen this place again, and this was my favorite place as a youngling and later as an apprentice."
'So he had been a Jedi, at least at one point,' Obi-Wan mused, though that didn't explain why Yoda didn't recognize him.
"We need to get you back to the Hall of Healing," Bant said. "You shouldn't be pushing yourself this hard. You just got out of a coma."
"Well, coma isn't quite the word to describe what I went through, but I see why you would think it is," the man replied with a shrug. "Regardless, before I return to the Hall of Healing, I want some answers, and I know that the High Council will want answers as well. So, I will consent to return to the Hall with you after I've talked to the Council."
"In agreement then, we are," a new voice answered, and the three Padawans turned to see Yoda, and the stranger stood up calmly and bowed.
"I was wondering when you would reveal yourself," the man said. "I thank you for giving me this time of reflection."
"Understand, I do. To bask in the Living Force, something we all need from time to time," Yoda answered kindly.
Obi-Wan glanced at his friends as they and Yoda escorted the stranger to the Council chambers, where they found the full Council in attendance, along with Qui-Gon and Fisto in attendance off to the side.
He could see the confusion on their faces as well, but since it seemed like they would finally get some answers, none of them wanted to speak up, lest they be dismissed for not needing to be present.
Finally, Yoda took his seat, and the stranger stood in the center of the room as Obi-Wan, Bant, and Siri stood off to the side with Qui-Gon and Kit.
"Come before the Council for answers, you do, Master Kastor Shan," Yoda said. "Long time it has been, since you've graced these Halls."
Obi-Wan blinked in surprise. Yoda had said that he didn't know this man. Had he simply been mistaken? Perhaps this Kastor Shan looked a lot different since last he'd been here.
"How long have I been missing?" Shan asked, almost looking resigned.
"3604 years by our estimation," Master Micah Giiett responded. "We wish to know of the events that led to your disappearance."
Obi-Wan's eyes widened, and he could see the surprise on his friends' faces. Shan sighed, and his face fell slightly before he nodded.
"Before I answer that question, I would like to know a few things," he replied. "First, what happened to my sister?"
"She became one of the greatest Grandmasters in the history of the Order and was largely responsible for the survival of the Jedi, proving herself pivotal in many campaigns to beat back the Sith and Eternal Empires," Windu responded. "You can go to the Archives to learn more, should you wish."
Shan nodded slowly and smiled. "I expected nothing less from her. I only wish I could have seen her accomplishments for myself. Obviously, the Force willed differently."
His words drew nods of approval from various members of the Council.
"And your second question?" Plo asked in his deep rumbling voice.
"What happened to my wife?" Shan asked quietly.
Obi-Wan glanced at Siri and Bant, wondering how many more surprises he would have in this meeting. He knew that at one point in the Order, marriages hadn't been forbidden, but they'd always been frowned upon and had been very uncommon. Those who had been married generally were outcasts or younger Padawans and Knights that never really progressed in the Order.
Obi-Wan noticed several of the Council members shift almost uncomfortably. He suspected that they wanted to frown at the man's attachment but standing before them was a Jedi from thousands of years in the past, and he wasn't some young Padawan. They couldn't judge him by their standards, and yet if he were to join them, they would have to.
"Master Elena Shan survived the mission that you went missing on and continued to serve the Order with distinction throughout the remainder of her life," Adi responded before she hesitated. "Several months after her return, she gave birth to a baby girl, who she named Allara."
Shan breathed out slowly and then he smiled softly. "She survived . . . and we had a daughter."
He almost seemed to be talking to himself. He paused and the Council looked at him, some sympathetically, some critically, no doubt looking for proof that attachment was wrong.
"Do you know much about my daughter?" he asked, hesitantly, a question which drew some frowns from some of the more conservative Council members.
Adi responded kindly. "She became a Jedi, just like her parents, serving as a Sentinel and Shadow in the Order, also just like her parents."
He smiled widely and nodded gratefully.
"Lastly, what of the Sith? What has become of them since my disappearance?" Shan asked, this time looking concerned.
"The Sith were defeated," Giiett replied simply. "They have not been seen in a thousand years. Sith cultists still exist around the universe, but they are few and are hardly a great threat to the galaxy."
Shan nodded, looking thoughtful, almost like he doubted Master Giiett's claim.
"Can you tell us about the events leading up to your disappearance?" Plo asked.
Shan took a breath, and then he started speaking.
"My wife and I generally worked together as a team, both of us being Shadows. We worked well together, what with the powerful Force bond we had, and it helped us to remain true to the Light, especially with some of the missions we had to take during the war. We could draw strength from each other."
Obi-Wan saw some of the Council members frown, likely pondering the implications that attachments might have actually prevented a fall to the Dark Side, when he knew that attachments were forbidden due to the belief that they often led to the Dark Side due to possessiveness and greed.
"We were undercover on Dromund Kaas, acting as Fallen Jedi. We were looked down upon by the Sith, but we had enough power and skill to make us relevant. While there, our mission was to gather and report on anything dealing with troop movements, battle plans, or information on the Sith Emperor."
Shan frowned thoughtfully.
"We discovered a cell of Sith that wished to defect from the Empire. They understood that the Emperor would eventually be the death of them, and wanted to try and save their worlds, their culture, their families. With their help, my wife and I managed to obtain a staggering amount of information about various military projects, spies in the Republic, information on Sith teachings, the Emperor, and various other things, but doing so blew the cover of the cell. We had planned on this and timed the theft with a major breakout from a Sith prison. The Cell along with the prisoners helped us steal a frigate, and the freighter, the Ebon Hawk, which was a spur of the moment theft admittedly."
"We didn't expect the Sith to react as quickly as they did, nor to come at us with as much force as they did. The hyperdrives in our ships were damaged, so we were forced to flee through sub-light speed, and hope that the Republic would be able to get us reinforcements. Unfortunately, the Sith caught up first, and in the ensuing battle, our stolen frigate was destroyed."
"Knowing we needed to get the information back to the Republic, and back to the Order, I had my wife, and our one other living crew member on the Ebon Hawk, board a small starfighter that was in the garage and flee the ship. The Sith boarded my vessel, and I intended to buy time by using a stasis field ritual to freeze the Sith in place in exchange for my life."
"That doesn't explain the drained Sith aboard the Ebon Hawk, and aboard the other surviving frigates," Windu said with a frown.
Shan frowned in confusion.
"The last thing that I remember is feeling the Sith surrounding me as I completed the ritual. I was deep in a meditative trance, and knew nothing of what was going on around me afterwards . . . I feel like my soul might have even separated from my body to become one with the Force," Shan admitted. "The fact my body survived; I attribute to the will of the Force still having need of me. Beyond that, I can only speculate. My intention was for me to lay my life on the line for my wife, the Order, and the Republic, not to use the Dark Side to feed my life, nor do I think that I did. I certainly don't feel the taint of the Dark Side in me, and unlike many, I do know it well."
Obi-Wan glanced around at the Council members as they seemed to stare down at the ancient Jedi Master, no doubt trying to discern the truth or falsity to his words before seeming to nod.
"The Will of the Force, it must have been," Yoda said finally. "Welcome, among your brethren, you are. Time you will need to readjust to life before jumping back into the life of a Jedi. To the Halls of Healing, you should return."
"Thank you, Masters," Shan replied.
Obi-Wan felt that was the end of this meeting and was starting to turn towards the exit with his fellow Padawans, when Yoda spoke again.
"More to say, you do, Master Shan?"
"Yes, Master, but this is only for the Council, though Master Jinn may remain as well," Master Shan replied.
Qui-Gon frowned thoughtfully before he nodded towards Kit and the three Padawans, the latter of whom left begrudgingly.
**The Will of the Force**
Once the three Padawans had left, Kastor looked back to the Council, seeing that they were waiting for him.
"While the will of the Force is often a mystery to even the wisest of the Jedi, some possible interpretations can be applied to my survival," Kastor started out.
He had often been in hot water with the High Council back in his own time period, and he suspected he would be in the same condition after his words were finished today. Only this time, he wouldn't have his sister or wife to try and make peace for him.
"I was a talented Shadow, and I know I'm a fairly powerful Jedi, but neither of those single me out as someone that brings something unique to this age of the Jedi, something that the Force might feel I have a purpose for. I can only think of two facts about me that would make me different from this modern Jedi Order, though of course, in the grand scheme of the Force, I could be far off the mark," Kastor said. "The fact that I have combat experience fighting the Sith and leading armies, and that I have experience with attachments and commitments to others are what make me different from you."
Many in the Council frowned at him as they realized what he was leading up to.
"You say the Sith were destroyed, but in my experience, the Sith are cunning, and they find ways to survive, and they have disappeared before, and unless all of their knowledge has been wiped out, it is always possible for them to return even if you did wipe them out. They like to appear extinct only to come back when they're ready to make their move. I've only been mentally aware for a short time, but even I can sense the discourse in the Force. The Dark Side is rising, and it reminds me of the Sith Wars. When the Dark Side rises, the Sith usually appear," Kastor finished sadly. "I sense a great upheaval coming, and I don't know if this Order is ready for it. Ours wasn't and neither was the one before that."
"You believe that you are here to make us ready for this great upheaval?" one of the council members asked.
Kastor searched through the memories he had acquired and attached the name Adi Gallia to the person. Siri Tachi's Master.
"I'm not saying that, even if it was something as simple as that. I only think that I can help provide experience, and maybe ease the suffering of those that survive. Jedi are trained to combat those who fight with the Dark, so I'm not sure I even bring all that much to this Order in that regard, as I'm sure there are many members of this Order that have seen warfare, even if they didn't lead troops," he said with a sigh.
"One of my gifts is psychometry. I'm not limited to objects like some users, and I can see back a great many years, if I don't control my power. Normally I can control it, and thus could shake hands with any of you and not see any memories or visions, but I had no control when I came out of my slumber, and thus when your Padawan, Master Gallia, and your Padawan, Master Jinn, grabbed hold of me, I saw much of their pasts, which is how I know a bit about the current Order, and how I'm able to function at this time."
Around the room, Kastor felt some of the Order member's interest rising.
Kastor looked around at the focused gazes. "It's uncommon, but in some cases, when I've touched people, my psychometric gifts have given me visions of the person's future. The future is always changing, as I'm sure you all know, but in my experience through my ability, I can conclude that some people do have certain fates, and unfortunately or fortunately depending on the point of view, it tends to stick closer for those who follow the Force. The details to reach that point may shift, but some fates cannot be altered, only delayed, and that is tentative at best."
"This has something to do with what you saw with mine and Master Gallia's Padawans, is that correct?" Qui-Gon Jinn asked, his full focus on Kastor, especially now that Kastor's words affected his apprentice.
Kastor nodded seriously.
"Unlike many that I've seen, they have several paths ahead of them. I only caught glimpses of their future paths, their overall journey mostly hidden, and only have imprints of what might happen, but from what little I saw, a great war is coming to the galaxy, one which will shake the Order and the galaxy to its foundation. At the end, many of the possible futures seem to leave Kenobi as one of the few survivors of the Order, doing his best to train the last hope for the Order . . . and possibly for the galaxy."
Kastor noticed every member of the Council shifted uneasily and their focused gazes became troubled. He wondered if any of them had foreseen this possible catastrophe?
"What does this have to do with attachments?" Depa Billaba asked. "That is the second fact you feel makes you different from us."
"Alone, their fates seem fairly set in stone," Kastor said after a moment, trying to decide if he was going to be delicate or just be direct. "Granted, I do believe that the future is in constant motion, but generally the visions that are shown to me come to pass in some fashion and only change when I or someone else not seen in the vision gets involved . . . when someone alters fate, which obviously can lead to disastrous outcomes as much as it can lead to improved situations." Kastor sighed. "Siri Tachi's fate, as she is, like all living beings eventually do, is to die, but her death is sooner than one would wish for her or anybody. Based on what I saw, the moment of her death can be shifted forward, but only so far. I saw her die three different ways, the last of which was to another lightsaber wielder in this Temple, which was aflame, fallen Jedi all around her."
Kastor saw many of the Council members exchange even more concerned glances, hearing about the Temple burning and fallen Jedi.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi's future, as he is currently, was similarly rigid. In fact, I would say it was extremely rigid. I foresee he will face many hardships before he will be one of the few survivors of a Jedi purge. Eventually, he seems to play some part in the new generation of Jedi, and revival of democracy should he succeed in his given task. I foresaw him becoming one with the Force dueling a monstrosity in a black suit, who radiated the Dark Side like I had only felt from the more powerful Sith Lords. His battle was to provide a means of escape for what seems to be that future hope, though who or what that hope is was clouded."
"As they are now implying that you believe they can change, and thus change their fates," Plo Koon observed, though Kastor sensed no judgment or skepticism from the Jedi Master, only interest. Kastor decided he liked him. It was rather refreshing to have a Council member seem at least somewhat receptive to his ideas, or as his sister and wife used to call, hairbrained schemes. "You seem to be hinting that there's a better path."
"That would depend on one's definition of better," Kastor responded ruefully. "They have a bond, that much I could see. While I don't like airing this out to you, since this is really between them, the fact remains that they have an attachment and bond to each other that they have shoved aside for the sake of the Code, as all Jedi should be able to do. This action leads to the paths I have already described."
"You think allowing them to nurture this bond will change their fates, and possibly change the fate of the galaxy?" Mace Windu responded, not necessarily skeptically, but cautious.
Kastor nodded slowly, pondering his response.
"If they commit to their bond, in any matter, their fates grow more varied. The original possibilities when alone, for the most part still exist, though Kenobi's grief will be greater should his and Tachi's original fates come to pass, but a whole new host of paths open up, and the original fates are not dominant future possibilities, but rather far less likely. It was a dim vision, seemingly unreachable, yet still possible, but in one future, the Order didn't face a purge, and I felt . . . peace. True peace and balance in the force. Another path, I sensed a part of them helping to create the new Jedi Order, providing a greater strength and security to the galaxy than Kenobi's original new hope was able to achieve on his or her own. There were other paths I foresaw, some simple variations of what I've already talked about, some different, but hard for me to explain. Death would eventually come to both, but some of their possible futures gave them years of happiness on both ends of this future upheaval. I saw futures where Tachi survived the purge, and some where Kenobi seemed not to perish at the hands of the Dark Side user and instead was around to guide the next generation. Their commitment doesn't necessarily bring about a better future for the galaxy, but it opens the possibility for it, while also possibly providing greater happiness and peace for the few Jedi who might survive the purge, should that particular disaster come to pass."
"A change to the Code, you wish for them, yes?" Yoda said, seeing to the heart of the matter. "Believe that their love, their attachment, their bond, the salvation of the Order, perhaps even the galaxy, it is?"
"Perhaps," Kastor said with a frown. "The future is ever changing, as you well know, and the Jedi Order needs to be flexible with it. While my visions seem to suggest that Kenobi has been chosen by the Force for a great purpose, regardless of his bond, that doesn't mean that others aren't also responsible for the improved future prospects. You forbid attachments because of what possessive love can lead to, but true selfless love bears none of those risks. I don't know what leads to this purge, but I can see that love, be it romantic or platonic, is a possible remedy to prevent it. I will freely admit, I'm not sure how, but any chance to avoid the darkness I saw needs to be taken. I feel this is the Force providing guidance, and as Jedi, we need to consider that our Code might be restricting us from following."
He hoped implying it was his Code as much as theirs would help gather some favor from the Council members. While the basic tenets of being a Jedi certainly were Kastor's Code, he couldn't claim that he committed in entirety to the Jedi Code with its many restrictions. The Code ebbed and flowed over the years, but following the Force and the basic tenets were universal. This newer generation seemed even more restrictive than his own.
"While there are cases where love and attachment has helped to redeem the fallen, there are equally as many cases where attachment has led to the fall or corruption of those who had good intentions," Oppo Rancis said. "It is why the Code was changed to forbid personal love."
"Attachment is, with all due respect, Master, nearly impossible to eradicate. We're attached to our commitment to the Force, to the Code, the Order, and to each other in varying ways," Kastor responded with a firm shake of his head. "I am sure that there are Jedi in here with close personal bonds to other Jedi, perhaps even members within this room, and I'm sure the same is true in the rest of the Order. Those bonds of friendship and comradery might be just as strong or far stranger than any personal love another couple might feel, for the bonds of camaraderie and friendship can run just as deep, if not deeper. What we need to teach young Jedi, is that attachments are natural, but if they wish to commit to the Jedi path, they have to be willing to let go of their attachments if and when the time comes."
"Possessiveness, greed, and fear are attributes to fight, and are attributes not welcome in the types of bonds that should be formed. In the case of Padawan's Tachi and Kenobi, you assume that their bond will yield a romantic bond, which is your aversion to it. While that was true when their bond formed, it remains to be seen now that they are older and more experienced. A deep and committed friendship may be all they choose to have, something that I'm positive members of this Council have with other Jedi, and it may be all that is needed, but it would still be an attachment, just one that is often overlooked, and likely wouldn't even require censorship from this Council. However, you choose to ban something and keep them generally apart based on fear of what could come from it, which is not the Jedi way."
Kastor paused, looking at the stoic faces staring at him, seeing that at least half of the Council did not seem to like his words, even if they were patiently listening to what he had to say, and were taking his visions seriously.
"I will do what I can to try and prevent the galaxy from falling into darkness, even if that is as simple as helping two young Jedi enjoy a love or close companionship that they feel they must sacrifice to the Code, without the approval of this Council if I must. While I desire to serve this Council, I would also like to be able to shadow, help, or join in on any missions that those two Padawans, and future knights should embark upon, if I so choose, regardless of whether the Council approves or not. While I do desire your council, the Force will be my guide as it has always been. In addition, I would like this Council to at least, even if as an exception, or as a trial, allow them to explore their bond however they may choose to do so, whether that be as close friends or more. While I wouldn't want to step on Master Jinn or Master Gallia's toes in their training, I do think I could be helpful in guiding them to have the attachment that comes from love, while learning how to let go if and when that time comes, for all bonds return to the Force eventually."
The Council members glanced at each other, likely communicating via telepathy, since Kastor assumed at least one of the current Master's possessed the ability and likely most of them possessed it. His sister had been a master at it, though he'd never been able to grasp the intricacies of it . . . granted it had never been something he'd really cared to work on.
"Ask much, you do. Presume much, you do," Yoda said, pointing his claw at him. "The defiance of a Master you have, and not unsimilar from another Master in this room," he said, glancing at Master Jinn, and Kastor did his best to not smirk at that proclamation, having heard it before though in his time, he'd often been compared to his ancestor, the infamous Revan, and usually it had not been a compliment. He had been said to have Revan's defiance along with his blood. It was something he'd been a bit proud of even if many other Jedi had held it against him.
"Requesting your choice of missions, a great deal you ask, but as long as the Force is your guide, see nothing wrong, do I," Yoda continued, and Kastor felt some relief, though he could see some of the other Council members looking surprised at Yoda's words. "Many Shadows and nomadic Jedi are there, that heed not this Council, but heed the Force, so attempt to force our will on you, we cannot, without attempting to do the same with them. Sense your good intentions, I do, but caution you I shall, for those who seek to change the future often create the future they wish to prevent."
Kastor nodded in agreement. It was a lesson he'd learned before after a bitter mistake on his part, and a mistake he'd seen others make.
"Take your visions lightly, we do not," Yoda continued. "Feel the darkness rising, I have, and I too have seen visions of Kenobi, including the fate you foresee, though shown that it will come to pass, my visions have not."
Kastor saw surprise and worry creep on several of the other Council members' faces and he felt it through the Force, so Yoda had not shared his visions with everyone, likely trying to seek more clarity before bringing it up.
"Agree, I do, that young Kenobi is chosen by the Force," Yoda continued. "If foresee the possible doom of this Order, you do as well, then heed the Force's warnings we must. If it is to be our end, then the Force wills it so, but your visions suggest that perhaps review our Code, we might need to, and revisit the final days of the Sith, we must, to possibly reveal the threat."
"We will allow you to explore your differing views with Padawan Tachi and Padawan Kenobi," Windu said, with a slight scowl on his face. "For now. However, they are still Jedi, and in public will be held to the Code. Should they fall, it will reflect on you. Should they embarrass the Order, it will reflect on you. You must do your best to keep it behind closed doors and hidden from the rest of the Order. Should this come to light, they will be made to choose between their bond and the Order."
Kastor glanced at Gallia, who was looking a bit worried, but there was also a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes. He then glanced at Jinn, who also seemed a bit worried, but he could detect approval coming from the man. He would need to speak with them after, if possible, since they would be his greatest allies, or biggest hindrance with the journey he was about to embark on. He knew that all paths eventually led to his death, one way or another, something he hadn't felt the need to let the Council know about, but he hoped that those two Padawans, whom he suspected would become quite important to him, would have a good life while doing their best to bring peace to the galaxy. Afterall, a Jedi's life was sacrifice, and sometimes, if they were lucky, that sacrifice was for his or her fellow Jedi.