Star Wars : New Jedi

( Office of Senator Mon Mothma )

Mon Mothma felt like the weight of the Galaxy was on her shoulders. The tale of Jan Ors was impossible, yet at the same time, there was no doubt about it. "Time travel," she admitted in a hushed tone. "What is the galaxy coming to?"

Jan shrugged. "That's the gist of it."

"And you decided to do something about it. How audacious." The Senator wondered if now would be a good time to get a drink of something stiff, but she knew she would need all her faculties. "So, why tell me?"

"Aside from you asking?"

"Obviously."

"Well, after you retired as Head of State, you got the position of head of New Republic Intelligence. I reported, or will report directly to you. So I suppose there's a little of that in my decision." And, Jan reflected, Mon Mothma was in a better position to help than Kyle's father.

"Palpatine... to think that he was elected as a compromise appointment after Valorum was dismissed." Mon Motha was stunned at the sheer audacity displayed by the former Senator from Naboo, and in hind sight, it was obvious.

"Thankfully, he was the only Emperor." Jan said, waving one hand around. "I don't think the Galaxy could have stood another."

"Still, your revelations have given me a lot to think about. What do you and Master Katarn intend to do?" She almost dreaded the answer, but there was a limit to 'plausible denial', and no one would think that her source was over thirty years early.

"Kyle is going to try to help the Jedi from the inside. I... Not so much."

Mon Mothma nodded in understanding. "In that case, I am going to hire you to be my agent. You are already experienced in working for me, so I expect nothing less than perfection in that regard."

Jan was stunned. "Really?"

"Yes. Your contact with the Jedi will be most useful. Right now, your over-reaching goal is to find proper evidence of Palpatine's plans, or his relationship with Count Dooku. I will assign special missions for you when they come up, but in general, I will leave you to your own devices." Mon Mothma said. "I expect reports on anything you find, and in my absence, you will report to Senator Organna of Alderaan or Senator Amidala of Naboo; keep your origins a secret from them."

Jan smiled. "That's the Mon Mothma I remember."

"No, I'm not. Please don't forget that." Jan stopped smiling, turning serious again. "I expect you to behave professionally at all times."

"Of course, Senator."

"Now that you have a goal, what do you intend to do?"

"It depends on Kyle," Jan observed. "His position in the Order will determine what resources I can pull into that."

"Hrm, infiltration of the Jedi?"

"Not so much infiltration, but Kyle and I can work together to coordinate information between the two organizations, and from there make sure that things go more smoothly."

"I see," Mon Mothma was starting to distract herself on how she was going to explain the parts she could to Organna. Looking at the chrono, she shook her head. "Jan, thank you for your time, but my time is up. There are meetings I must attend to."

Jan stood up. "I understand, Senator. Thank you for your time." She collected her jammer from the desk and put it away. "How shall I contact you?"

"Your messenger service is already a viable cover, I think." The Senator looked down at the six dataslates. "I think I will keep these for now, to re-read over them in the future."

"There's not much you're going to learn that's applicable to now," Jan warned.

"No, but it will give me a sense of what sort of responses may be needed."

"Of course, Senator. A pleasure doing business with you."

"And with you. May the Force be with you."

"And with you, Senator."

...

( Halls of Healing )

Obi-wan didn't believe Kyle at first. "I've killed Dark Jedi and Sith before," he repeated honestly. And no matter how much he reached out with the force, there was no indication that Kyle was in any way lying about it either. Which meant that his encounters with Darth Maul on Tatooine and Naboo were just the tip of a larger problem. One that had apparently been going on under the noses of the Jedi for some time inf Katarn's implied experience was any indication.

"You think they're taking advantage of the War to further themselves?" Obi-wan asked of Kyle as they kept away from prying eyes.

"I think they're pulling the strings. On the CIS side, certainly. And probably in the Senate as well."

That certainly knotted Obi-wan's stomach. "Have you any proof?"

Kyle thought about it. "I could probably find some if I ransacked Dooku's office." He was completely serious, Obi-wan boggled at the sheer audacity of the suggestion. "That would of course, be contingent on knowing where to find said office."

"I doubt he would lay incriminating papers just lying around, you know!" Obi-wan objected.

A Medical Droid approached, forestalling any immediate response. "Kyle Katarn?" it asked of the older man.

"That's me."

"Please come with me. The Council has directed that you receive a full examination." The droid waited for Kyle to signal that he was coming with it, but for a moment the two men just stared at each other.

"I hope we have no need of men like you," Kenobi stated. "We are better than that."

"So do I," Kyle agreed, knowing it was a false hope.

Kyle let the droid lead him into a private examination room where it bid him wait for a Healer to arrive. Sitting alone, Kyle tried to figure out where he had gone wrong with Obi-wan, his respect for the General conflicting with what he saw in front of him. A couple minutes later though, his introspection was cut short when a human male entered the room. "Hello, I am Rowe." He announced as he closed the door behind him. "I have been directed to conduct a complete physical on you, Knight-Errant, in preparation for the relevant Tests."

"Knight-Errant?" Kyle had never heard that term before.

"Yes?" Rowe seemed confused at Kyle's confusion. "Is that not the term applied to Jedi such as yourself?"

"Never heard of it before now. Well, now I know!" He turned on the charm a little bit to help ease any awkwardness. "So, how did you want to do this."

"I will be scanning your body while asking about your medical history," Rowe stated as he indicated for the Droid to begin the former. "Let us begin. Name, age, and world of birth."

Kyle stared at the Medical droid with its large and uncomfortable array of instruments. "Kyle Katarn, Sulon, age..OUCH!" He jerked back as the droid stabbed him with a needle. "Watch were you put that thing!"

"Sorry, sir." the droid intoned the typical response to a minor injury like that. "Please hold still."

"Sorry, where were we?" Kyle asked as he glared at the droid. "And you! Be careful." This reminded him far too much of his application to the Imperial Academy.

"Your age," the Jedi said.

...

( Meditation Chambers )

Yoda was at peace, letting the Force guide him and his thoughts in these turbulent times. While he may have wished that his problems were easy to resolve, or at least didn't overlap with each other, such was not to be the case.

But his senses did not turn outward, to give him some view of what was to come. The Dark Side had clouded the Force, and made things like Katarn and the Event things unforeseen. It was concerning, though he would not admit so to anyone whom he did not trust implicitly. At least he was certain that Katarn was not responsible for that.

There was someone else in the room. And the door was still closed. Yoda could sense their presence, even though he was alone. "Hello," he announced into the empty room.

The presence coalesced. Sitting on another stool was a bald human in simple robes. But he was blue, glowing like a hologram, but without the signal fade, or flickering of a transmitter. "Greetings. I was not aware that anyone could sense me in this state."

"A name, you must have." Yoda said, feeling out this person with the Force.

"Tal, Master." The apparition looked around the room, though all its motions were simple and careful.

Yoda knew the name. This was Katarn's first Master. "Dead, he said you were."

"I am," the ghost admitted. "Long have I been."

"Intriguing, this is. To survive, in the Force."

"It was not something I chose for myself." Tal sighed, though no air passed through his lips. "I do not think I could make myself manifest if it were not for the concentration of power in this place." He looked at the diminutive Grand Master. "You have questions. Ask them."

"Fall, he has?"

"Fallen and risen. I was not there when it happened, but he has learned from it. You worry about the darkness within him."

"Hrm-hmm." Yoda did not commit to an answer. "Teach him, why did you?"

"It was, like many things in my life, not my choice. He came to our place, with a lightsaber in his hand. He was fighting his enemies with everything he had, for there was nothing else left. I taught him the blade, though there was little else I could do before the end."

"Of Katarn, tell me. His nature, I must know, to protect the Jedi."

The ghost laughed. "Master Yoda, he has committed himself to your salvation!" Tal stopped. "That came out wrong. No, he does not see himself as your salvation from the darkness that surrounds you. But rather he is going to to try and show you the way, to show you a way to a better future."

"You know this, do you?"

"No, I have seen into his spirit when he cannot defend himself." Tal shook his head. "He was busy with other things, meditating on breaking a great Dark Side blight upon us all. In all his travels, he has seen and done things no other living Jedi or Sith have done. And he has emerged from them bloodied but unbowed."

"The Dark Side."

"Yes, Master Yoda. The man you see before you has fought his inner darkness, and the darkness of others and won. His victories were not without cost though. May I ask a question of you?"

"Of course. Fair it is."

"You believe that a Jedi should have no attachments, is that correct?"

"Hrm. Yes. Attachments to other things, material things, to a path of falling they do. Hard, the Jedi's road is." Yoda gave a quick answer, knowing he was confirming what the ghost already knew.

"And you are afraid that the Dark Side in Kyle will be his downfall, and that he will harm the Jedi in it?"

Yoda did not respond with words.

"Then I ask you this, Master Yoda. A Jedi can use a starship for their duties, but has no attachment to it. Their lightsabers, they appreciate, but still hold no attachment to them. Then do you believe it is possible for someone to use the Dark Side, to know it, and in knowing it, holds no attachment to it, are they really capable of falling?"

Yoda was alone.

...

( Private Residence of Chancellor Palpatine )

After a long day of work, the leader of the Republic was ready for a good night's sleep. Much had been done, much will be done, even as he tried to corral the Senate into going along with his plans knowingly or unknowingly.

Meditating, he drifted off to sleep.

And awoke instantly to uproarious laughter. At the food of his bed was a tall human. Tanned skin with black hair and red eyes. "Sidious," he said.

The Dark Lord took no chances, and channeled the Dark Side into a bolt of lighting that struck the intruder dead.

Except it didn't. It went right through him, and the Sith Sorcerer knew this was a vision. The man laughed again. "You are impotent!" He drew a lightsaber and activated its crimson beam, but Sidious was not impressed.

"Begone, vision!" He commanded, but nothing happened.

"Oh, you cannot command me, pathetic excuse for a Sith! Where is your courage? Where is your glory? You hide behind the trappings of silk! Of words! You are no better than a JEDI!" The crimson blade waved around, touching nothing but emphasizing his gestures. "For a thousand years, I have waited, hoping that my final plan has born fruit to feast upon! BUT NO!" He slammed a hand into Sidious' bed, causing it to shake just a bit. "No! I find that my successor is nothing more than a whimpering old fool!"

"What do you know of the Sith, spirit?" Sidious asked, desiring to taunt out a name."

The visage climbed up onto the bed. "I AM Sith." He leaned down to glare into the Sorcerer's face. "And I have arranged your replacement, in due time."