Disclaimer: I do not own BtVS, Angel, or Star Wars.

Dark Heart II

"Talking"

"Thinking"

The party was in full swing. Yet Buffy couldn't find herself enjoying it. Her mind was focused on other things.

"Master Summers!" One of the many senators came over towards her. He must've been one of the newer ones because she couldn't remember his name. "There's no need to stand to stay away. Come!" He offered his hand with a bright smile. "Enjoy yourself! After all, you've a reason to celebrate."

Buffy smiled politely but waved him off. "It's alright, Senator. This is more my sister's celebration." It was enough for the senator. Clearly, he only came over as a polite gesture. Still, when she looked over at her sister and her family, she smiled with pride.

Some might accuse her, and the Jedi Order, of nepotism when Dawn became the Supreme Chancellor. That was, of course, bullshit. Dawn Summers took the office on her own efforts and merits. Now, her own son was entering the political world, serving as an aide to Senator Organa. More than a few people have said Rupert Summers took after his mother.

The name made Buffy smile, as it always did. Her nephew might not have been as British as his namesake, but he did have a refined manner that only came that with living on Coruscant. Of course, Connor did make sure his son knew how to fight and Rupert kept up the training. The incident on Mandalore was still fresh in people's minds.

She had mixed feelings about that, not because of what her nephew had done, but what might've happened. The war between the Republic and the Separatists had fallen into a cold war of sorts. There was still fighting, but with both the clones and the droids wiped away, the people themselves had to fight. Naturally, that made them more hesitant about the war, but no one wanted to actually stop it.

It was why Dawn had been fighting an uphill battle for peace since she took the Chancellorship. Corruption in the Senate was still deep, and more than a few senators enjoyed the powers given by the war. They weren't keen on losing them anytime soon. Still, she had made progress and the other side. That alone was worth celebrating, which was what they were doing.

As the party continued, Buffy made her way through the crowd. There was a buffet table nearby that was calling her. And she just made it when someone came up to her. This time, however, she did pay attention. "Anakin."

The young man she had known was older now, with grey in his hair and some wrinkles around the eyes. "Master Summers."

The polite formality killed her smile. There was a time she had considered the man before her a little brother and did the best she could for him. But after the reveal of Palpatine as Darth Sidious, when the Jedi Council had offered him the rank of Master, Anakin instead surrendered his lightsaber and walked out of the Order. He went to back to Naboo with his wife and their newborn children, withdrawing from everything he had known. The only thing he got involved in was the efforts to stop the war.

So, seeing him on Coruscant was a surprise. "What are you doing here?" Buffy asked.

"Leia asked me to come, wanted me to meet her friend." He looked out at the party. His daughter was already talking to Rupert. Their voices were lost in the noise, but he could tell they were passionate about it. Of course, the smiles revealed something else. "She'll probably want to know I think about him."

Buffy noticed the same thing he did. "Would you like to meet him properly?" she asked. "I could make the introduction."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I'll let Leia do it." He paused and considered the Jedi beside him. A question lingered in his eyes. Buffy knew that look. It was one he had whenever he wanted to know what else was happening. But then the question disappeared. "Enjoy the party, Master Summers."

"Anakin." He paused at his name, and she faltered. There were so many things she wanted to say. She wanted the chance to get an old friend back. But one thing stood prominent in her mind. And they were words three years late. "About Luke, I'm sorry."

Whatever warmth those blue eyes had vanished. "You did what you had to." He turned away. "Enjoy the party."

"I didn't know." But he was already gone, disappearing into the crowd. Buffy was left feeling ashamed and a loss of an appetite. No one had known Luke had fallen to the dark side until Buffy stopped him from reaching Korriban. She could still remember that moment when she pulled off the mask and saw his face, her exhausted feeling of victory turning into horror as she realized who he was.

Connor came to her side. "What happened?" he asked his sister-in-law, already checking for danger.

"I ran into Anakin, and…I apologized."

That was all she said but it was all he needed. "Buffy, what happened with Luke was his own choice," he told her. "If anyone bares the blame, it should be me." He had the chance to talk to Luke before he had vanished, and he didn't take it. There had been more than a few bad nights when he considered the similarities he shared with Luke and how he could've changed the kid's life.

Silence fell between them both. This wasn't the first time they've had the argument, and they knew it wouldn't go anywhere. "Have you heard from my father?" Connor asked.

Buffy frowned as she shook her head. She reached for the locket around her neck, which held pieces of Angel's and Spike's hair. "Not recently. The last transmission we got was that he and Spike had a lead." That had been a month ago. It was the most recent update anyone in the Order had received.

Even though the conversation had changed, the mood still became somber. While they did aid the Republic where they could in the war, the Jedi had spent the last twenty years chasing Darth Cordis. The problem was the Sith Lord was a ghost. After his actions had grinded the war to a halt, it was as if he had disappeared. Oh, they might've disrupted a plan of his in the process, yet the man himself was never there. They couldn't even find him through the Force. It was as if he didn't exist.

But the Jedi didn't give up. They scoured the galaxy for any information about him, with Angel and Spike leading the hunt. Both of Buffy's ex-boyfriends felt responsible for letting the Sith getting away in the first place. It was why they didn't give up the hunt when others felt it was pointless. Neither did Kennedy, although she was driven by guilt. She did had nightmares about Korriban.

As it always did, thinking about the hunt left a pain in Buffy's heart. Darth Cordis wasn't just the successor to Darth Sidious. He used to be her friend, Xander Harris. She had made a promise to herself that she would help end him, but it proved easier to say than do. Every time there was news of the hunt, she was torn between eagerness and fear.

The Force rang out with a presence Buffy knew well. She turned just in time to see Faith walk through the doors. Her sister Slayer walked over. "B, kid," she said. He might've been an adult now, but Connor was always a kid to her.

Buffy tensed at Faith's eyes. None of her usual confidence was there. "What is it?" she asked.

"You're needed back at the Temple, now."

And she just knew. New information about the hunt had appeared. She was already feeling torn.


They didn't meet in the Council Chamber but in one of the communication rooms. Yet the Council was there in full force. So was Willow. Obi-Wan, the Master of the Order, wore a somber expression as the Slayers entered. "Buffy," he said in greeting.

"Hey, Obi-Wan." A Jedi Knight she might've been, but Buffy still never was one for proper titles. "What's the what?" Faith snorted but did her best to hide it. Willow rolled her eyes but smiled too.

"We've received new information about Darth Cordis." He looked to his side, a warm smile gracing his lips.

As she followed his gaze across the table, Buffy smiled too. "Ahsoka." She hadn't seen the former Padawan in years, not since she had left the Order.

The girl who left had grown into a woman. Yet she didn't return the warm looks. "Masters," she replied with the same polite formality her old master had used. "I am aware of your hunt for the Sith. Angel and Spike kept me informed and asked for my help when they needed."

A nasty feeling crept into Buffy's stomach. She didn't need to look at Faith or Willow to know they had it too. "Did they find something?"

Ahsoka considered the table for a long moment. "It's better if I just show you." She reached out and toggled the right buttons.

A video popped above them. Buffy's heart leapt into her throat. It was Darth Cordis, standing in a snow-laden forest. But he wasn't alone.

Beside him, Angel, Spike, and Kennedy were on their knees, clearly beaten.

"Hello, Jedi," Darth Cordis began. He sounded civil. That was the worst part. "You've been doing quite the job, looking for me. These three have been going nonstop, from what I understand." He glanced down at Kennedy, who was glaring back at him. "Their ambush nearly had me." He smirked and it was wrong. It was Xander's smirk yet twisted and filled with dark amusement. "Nearly."

"Oh goddess," Willow whimpered as she watched. "No."

"Still, they lost. As did the others. They're already dead." He strode with a light step behind Kennedy. "I saved these three for the last." He knelt behind Kennedy, becoming a looming shadow. A red blade burst out of her heart, then disappeared. A burning hole was left, just before she slumped forward.

Spike and Angel followed. Their deaths were quick, leaving only ashes. Darth Cordis stood over their remains, uncaring about what he had done. "That's done. Now it's my turn. And unlike your failures, I'll wipe you out, by the roots. Enjoy these last days, before you burn."

The recording froze and then vanished. No one said a word for a long moment. Buffy could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. It was the same for Willow. People they had cherished, had loved, were killed by the person they had once considered their friend. What was even worse was how cold he did it.

Although Faith shared in their sorrow, there was no time for tears. "How did you get the recording?" she asked Ahsoka.

"I was there, fighting," she answered. "I barely survived."

"Darth Cordis doesn't leave survivors," Master Kit remarked. "He wanted you to come here. To deliver the warning." She didn't respond. Her gaze regarded them as strangers on the same side. Not the friends and teachers they used to be.

Master Depa looked to Obi-Wan. "Master Kenobi, your thoughts are worried."

"I find his words odd," he said. His eyes were still focused on the table. "What did he mean by our failures? After all we've done to find him, I'd thought he'd be irritated that we've disrupted his plans." Yet the Sith hadn't showed a moment of annoyance. Why was that?

Ahsoka looked at him, then the rest of the Council. They matched her looks with curiosity. "You truly don't know?" she asked in disbelief.

"Know what, Little 'Soka?" asked Master Plo Koon.

She snapped her head towards him. "Don't call me that." There was a restrained edge to her voice. It was gone when she looked at everyone. "There's something else I learned. All the plots the Jedi have stopped, all that possible damaged, it was never his."

Nobody liked what those words meant. Willow was the only one who dared to ask. "You don't mean…?"

She nodded. "You've been stopping the works of his apprentices."

The memory of Luke's death came back to Buffy. Those yellow eyes twisted in hate as they stared up at her. "There's more than one?" she asked, pulling herself out of her memories. "But the Rule of Two—"

"Darth Cordis forged a new code: the Rule of Survival. He'll take an apprentice, teach them the basics, and then leave them."

It was the last part that confused them. "Leave them?" Faith asked. "The hell does that mean?"

"What it sounds like. Once they know how to use the Force, and how to wield a lightsaber, he leaves the apprentice to fend for himself. Only when they are strong enough to stand as his equal will he consider them a Sith."

Master Aayla didn't like the implications of those words. "So, all the Jedi have done these past years…"

Ashoka nodded. "Has been nothing but the apprentices doing what they could to accumulate power so they might challenge him."

Those words did not sit well with the Jedi. The Slayers and witch certainly didn't like it. "We've been chasing after fucking herrings while he watched," Faith all but growled. "He must've thought it was so funny, watching us flail around like that."

"Calm yourself, Faith," Obi-Wan cautioned her. "Don't let hate and anger blind you to what's important right now."

She hated that, but he had a point. Master Dooku wouldn't have wanted her to lose focus and be swamped by her anger. She took a breath and steadied herself, thinking about what was important. One thing stood out. "He'll be coming here."

"Probably after the younglings," Ashoka remarked.

"The kids?" Buffy repeated. She shook her head. "No, not even Xand—"

"Xander might not," Willow cut her off. "But Darth Cordis? He might." Even though her eyes still had tears, her voice was firm. "He said he would wipe us out by the roots."

"Yes," Depa agreed. "And going after the younglings would hurt the Order a great deal. He would be wiping out our future."

"We must not let that happen," Master Kit declared. "The younglings must be made safe."

Buffy knew what to do. "We evacuate them," she said. "We keep it quiet, so we don't draw attention. But if we get the younglings off-planet, we'd be able to trap Darth Cordis when he comes. And then…"

It was her sister Slayer who finished it. "And then we end him, end the Sith, for good."


Like all plans that sound simple at the start, it grew complicated quick. Getting the younglings off of Coruscant sounded good, but they couldn't do it straight from the Temple. People would notice. Master Kenobi had a solution, one that required him to talk with his former Padawan. No one knew how that conversation went but the plan proceeded forward.

In the matter of days, the younglings were evacuated to Naboo, guarded by a select few Jedi Knights and their Padawans. The last ship was covered by the Supreme Chancellor's decision to visit Naboo. Buffy, Faith, and Willow had been tasked to guard the younglings.

They didn't like it. They might've figured why they were being sent away, but they didn't like it.

Willow was the first to say something. "This whole thing stinks." She looked at the other two in their shared cabin. "We should be there."

"Obi-Wan wasn't gonna budge, Red," Faith told her, lounging in her bunk. "We could've argued it all we want but he made up his mind. The whole Council did." It was the whole Council that gave them the orders.

Their reasoning wasn't something lost on any of them. The Council was worried that if they faced Darth Cordis, they would hesitate and he would take advantage. Buffy understood what they were thinking, but she had faced down Angelus, Spike, and Evil Willow. She had experience with this sort of thing and had said as much. But like Faith said, Obi-Wan didn't budge.

Her thoughts about the issue led Buffy to think about the Council and the Order. When the Slayers first joined the Jedi, they had thought the Order was a bit stuffy with a lot of traditions but on the whole, they meant well and did what they could as peacekeepers. The war had shown a lot of people that they were also warriors and generals, them included.

But in the following years, after Darth Cordis's reveal and the truth behind the war revealed, after the years chasing him, the Order clung to their traditions and practices. There were many who proclaimed how they knew Anakin would never cut it as a Jedi, his achievements and victories in the war be damned. To them, it didn't matter that he had left instead of being cast out.

"B, what's on your mind?" Faith asked, noticing her thinking face.

"The Order, and how it hasn't changed," she said as she leaned back. She looked at her friends. "I finally noticed it after Master Yoda's passing." It was as if the Grand Master's death revealed the truth to her.

"…Took you that long, B? You're slacking." It might've been said with a smirk, but Faith didn't have any humor.

She regarded her with an eyeroll. "Alright, when you did figure it out?"

"After Korriban." They had returned to Coruscant with the bodies of the fallen, both Slayers and Clones. And while everyone had mourned the loss, they went back to normal once they were done. Faith had been told by more than a few Jedi not to be sad they were gone, but happy they had become one with the Force. It was a pretty platitude, but did nothing to make forget the bodies, nor the anger at who was responsible.

Willow had the same feelings, but there was more to it than that. "I thought it was when we weren't offered the chance to train a Padawan." Ever since they had become Knights, not once had they been given a Padawan. At first, Willow had dismissed it because of the war. But after that had transitioned into a cold war, they still didn't have the opportunity.

Now that she heard that, Buffy considered both thoughts. And they didn't paint a good picture of the Jedi Order. "Why?" she wondered. "Why would they do that? If I didn't know better, I'd think they were afraid of us."

"If they were afraid of us, why let us join?" Faith asked. "They could've just left us out to dry." But the Order had welcomed them with open arms, taught them how this new galaxy worked, stood by their side in battles.

As Willow thought it over, an answer came to her. She didn't like it, but it made sense. "What better way to keep an eye on us?"

The implications were nothing they liked. Buffy reached for her locket. Both Angel and Spike had given her it before they left for the hunt. Since that video, she couldn't but wonder if they knew it would be the last time they would see her. "Perhaps we should talk to the Council when this is all over," she said. "Make sure we understand it right."

"And if we do?" Faith asked.

"We argue, big time."

She smirked. "I like the sound of that."

Willow had similar thoughts. But she didn't want this to devolve into a fight. It wasn't what the Jedi needed right now. Things did need to change. Darth Sidious and the Rule of Two proved that. But doing it with violence would not solve anything.

She turned her thoughts back to Coruscant, back to the trap being laid. Something just didn't feel right about it. She couldn't put her finger on it but she knew they had made a mistake. It felt obvious, as if the answer was right in front of her. But what was it?

The cabin door opened and Ahsoka walked in. She had joined them on this last flight. "We're approaching Naboo," she told them. "We'll be planetside soon."


A surprise waited for Buffy and her friends when they finally landed. As it turned out, Padme and Anakin had offered their personal estates to house the younglings. Each time the Jedi had arrived, they were greeted with warmth. Buffy had even seen Anakin smile as he watched the younglings, a fact both Dawn and Willow corroborated.

Once the younglings were all settled in, the adults took a moment to breathe.

Naturally, that's when things went wrong.

The adults had been notified that a transmission was coming from Coruscant, and it was being sent out to both the Republic and the Separatists. Curiosity was rampant as they all gathered in the main hall (the only space big enough for them all).

It died when the transmission was played and they saw Darth Cordis standing on Coruscant, the Jedi Temple and the Senate Building in the distance behind him.

"Hello, galaxy," he said in a projecting voice. "My name is Darth Cordis. Twenty years ago, I revealed the truth behind the Clone Wars, its origins and the secrets both sides held, and I took away your forces. I had thought that would be enough to make both sides stop and consider peace, or at least a cease-fire.

"Clearly, I placed too much hope in your leaders, and in their people. Not only did you continue the war, you joined the fight. No matter what some might have said, the war has continued. Both sides so focused on what they want, achieving victory or keeping what power they have gained. They cling to such things like a child with their favorite toy. Well, that ends now.

"Today, I end it. The Republic has grown too old, too corrupt, to change, with the Jedi egging them on. The Separatists have all the foundations to be the same if given the chance. The only way to stop it all, is to take them all out.

"For all the would-be peacemakers, don't tell me that you've been trying, that this sort of thing takes time. You had twenty years. It's too little, too late."

One of his hands pressed down on something while the other unclenched its fist. And behind him, Coruscant exploded. Everyone watched in horrified silence as the Senate and the Jedi Temple erupted into great columns of flame, spewing burning chunks onto the landscape below. But they weren't the only explosions. The skyline became engulfed in explosion, belching out smoke and destruction.

The last sight any of them saw was fire washing across the planet, while the Dark Lord of the Sith stood in victory.

"Oh my god," Buffy whispered. "He…he destroyed them. He destroyed Coruscant." There was no other way to describe what she had just witnessed.

That bad feeling returned to Willow. Only now, it stretched out and brought together all the little details, bringing them into focus. Her breath stopped as she realized what she had missed and quickly looked around. "Where's Ahsoka?" she asked the hall.

"She's right…" Faith trailed off as she looked at the empty spot between her and Anakin. The two of them shared a look, a look that both Buffy and Willow wore, full of realizing horror.

They tore out of the hall, racing out to the grounds. Ahsoka hadn't gotten far. She turned once she heard them coming. "So," she said, turning around, "it happened then." She stood before them without fear, only confidence.

Yet Anakin was worried. There was something darker in his former Padawan, something that shouldn't be there. "Snips, what did you do?"

"What we set out to do."

A chilly breeze brushed them all, prickling the skin. Faith reached for her lightsaber. "You're one of them, aren't you?" she demanded. "You're one of Darth Cordis's apprentices." It was the only thing that made sense. She had said she had been there before Angel and the others were killed. She said she had been fighting.

She didn't say for which side.

The laugh that came from Ahsoka was short and very amused. "No, I'm not. I'm his partner. We shared a common belief, that something drastic had to been done. So, when he asked for my help, I gladly gave it."

"He knew," Buffy said. "The Sith knew about the trap because you told him." Ahsoka's smile turned slight smugger. It was infuriating.

"No, he wasn't told," Willow said. "He wanted it to be like that. He wanted the temple empty of the younglings." It was Ahsoka who had suggested the younglings had been the target, and they had gone with it, including Willow. She had believed it because she thought she knew what Xander might do. Only now did the arrogance of that belief appear obvious.

The former Padawan nodded. "Very good, Willow. After all, the younglings aren't the roots of the Jedi. They are the seeds which will grow into new trees. The roots are what nourish the trees, as they always do."

They were all horrified by her words. The bulk of the Jedi Order, the Council, were gone, wiped out in a single explosion. "That's not right," Buffy protested. "The Temple has security, defenses. There's no way he would've been able to get inside and place explosives!"

"He didn't have to. Did you know there used to be a Sith shrine where the Temple once stood? The Jedi tried to reduce it when they took over but they missed a portion. It's been there, slowly leaking into the temple over the millennia, clouding the Jedi with the dark side. All Darth Cordis really had to do was set it off and the temple would be destroyed." Her smirk grew wider. "The explosives were for the rest."

Something about those words struck Anakin wrong. "The rest?" he repeated.

"Coruscant wasn't the only place destroyed. Why do you think Darth Cordis waited twenty years?" Ahsoka spread her arms wide, to encompass everything before her. "Every Republican planet, from the Core to the Inner Rim, and every Separatist planet had been targeted. While the Jedi were chasing shadows and their own tails, Darth Cordis made sure the right places were rigged with explosives and the right people were targeted.

"I'm sure your sister is already getting reports about the damages," she told Buffy. "They're going to be a lot worse come tomorrow."

Three lightsabers ignited and were pointed at the togruta. Enough was enough. "Ahsoka Tano, you are under arrest," Buffy declared. "You will be placed under security until you can be tried by Republican law."

But it wasn't. Ahsoka laughed at a joke only she found funny. "What Republican law?" she asked. "You were already told. The Republic doesn't exist anymore, neither do the Separatists."

"That's not true!"

"Oh, but it is. Give your sister a few days and she'll realize the truth: she's the Supreme Chancellor of nothing. What comes next will be chaos, chaos and lawlessness." She looked up at the sky, at all the stars overhead. "It'll affect everyone, as it should."

"Why, Ahsoka?" Anakin asked, pleading with her. "Why do this? Why follow Darth Cordis? Why let this all happen?"

She looked at her former master, and her smirk died away. For a moment, there was regret in her blue eyes as her hands fell to her sides. "I already told you, Anakin. Darth Cordis and I share a common goal." The regret vanished as her gaze hardened. "But, if you want a more personal reason, why don't we say it's payback for how the Jedi abandoned me for a crime I didn't commit."

None of the Jedi, former or otherwise, said a word. That day had been a dark one for everyone involved. Faith knew they could've done more for Ahsoka but they weren't allowed. She didn't blame Ahsoka for walking away once it was all over. None of the Slayers did.

Nevertheless, that was in the past. The present had more pressing issues. "Don't resist, Ahsoka," she told her. "There's three of us and you don't have your lightsabers anymore. If you want to fight, it's not gonna be good for ya."

"True," she admitted without anger. "But I don't think you're going to take me in. You're all going to be quite busy taking care of the Order's remains. So many younglings and Padawans to teach," she remarked. "Perhaps you can fix what went wrong with the Order in the process. Sounds like a worthy goal, doesn't it?"

It did, and it would be a challenge. Out of all the remaining Knights, Buffy, Faith, and Willow had the most experience. It would be up to them to rebuild the Jedi. Yet, it still didn't change what was in front of them. "Will you come quietly, Ahsoka?" Buffy asked.

She considered it for a moment, only to smirk. "No, I don't think I will. In fact, Darth Cordis taught me a phrase just for this occasion." Her hands raised up, revealing the gas grenades she held. "TTFN: Ta-Ta For Now!"

The grenades struck the ground and detonated, covering the lawn in smoke. It wasn't the poisonous kind and the Jedi used the Force to sweep it away. But Ahsoka was already gone, with no trace of her. She could've vanished into the woods or dived into the lake for all they knew.

"Willow!" Buffy barked.

The redhead was already reaching through the Force, searching for Ahsoka. But she stopped soon after she started. "I can't find her," she said. "It's like she's disappeared from the Force." There was only one person she knew who could do something like that. And he had been doing it for twenty years.

What had just occurred settled onto their shoulders. The Jedi looked back to the manor, where the remains of the Order were waiting. They had to go, tell them what they learned. They had to know what had changed. Anakin had to find his wife and daughter, make sure they were alright. If he hadn't convinced Leia to take a little vacation, she would've still been on Coruscant when it was destroyed.

As they walked back inside, one fact haunted their steps: Darth Cordis left the galaxy crippled and limping twenty years ago. Now, he had killed it with one move.

And no one had been able to stop him.

End

Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.

Yeah, I wasn't going to do the Original Trilogy. Darth Cordis said it himself. He would rather watch the chaos than rule. Which meant the war would still be going, just in a different setting. At this point, people would be so used to living with it that they probably didn't give the concept much thought.

Luke was always going to become Darth Cordis's apprentice. Having him become a Sith would've been an interesting twist in my mind. Here, he could use the Force and Anakin taught him a few things. But he steadfastly refused to let Luke join the Order. That got to Luke, made him angry. A couple of conversation with Darth Cordis and an offer of power later, he became a Sith. Also, I have no idea where Han is. He's probably around, somewhere.

Darth Cordis's new rule is pretty basic: it's survival of the fittest. If one of his apprentices managed to become strong enough to find him, they would be worthy to learn more. And it would be on their own merits. He showed them the basics but it would be up to them on how to use those skills. Of course, given that they're Sith and there were other apprentices, they spent more time fighting each other than looking for him. Which is also what he wanted.

That part about the Sith shrine under the Temple is canon. You can find it on the Star Wars wiki. I'd be willing to bet that Darth Cordis didn't even need to enter the Temple to access it. All he had to do was reach through the Force, find it, and have a talk with it, so to speak. Compared to everything else, rigging the Temple was probably the easy part.

In regards to Ahsoka, she's right that she isn't a Sith. She still has enough of her Jedi training not to fall to the Dark Side. Darth Cordis went with a much more dangerous tactic: he talked to her. Related with her, shared what he saw of the galaxy and how wrong it seemed, pointing out the things she knew were wrong yet could do nothing about. And above all else, he stayed honest with her. He knew that drastic action was needed, and he would need help. After that, she had no problem saying yes.

I'll see you all next chapter!