Blood of the Forgotten/Ch6

Darth Bane kneeled in front of the burning palace. It was his plans now. Conquer the galaxy. Put it  at its knees. In his hand was a small, intricate stone from thousands of years ago. Designed by some of the first Sith, and kept here, in Lord Kaan’s palace, in his little collection of artifacts. None of which were meant to be in his grimy hands. It was the Muur Talisman, and it had a long history of destruction. Designed by the great Karness Muur - one of the first Sith, the artifact could control anyone. It was in great hands, then, wasn’t it.

The fires of the palace crackled in front of him, and the smokiness would not go away easily. Bane stood up, and opened his eyes. It was not time to kill Kaan, not yet. Only send him a message. And so Bane turned and left, leaving the building to become nothing but ash.

Coruscant, Level 1319

A cloaked figure approached the market stall in the Coruscant underworld, and smacked his hand on the table. “Give me the artifact.” The Volpai at the other side of the stall crossed his top set of arms, his bottom set firmly planted on the table, at either sides of himself.

“Slow down there, buddy. You must be Natokar’s contact.” the Volpai said, turning around for just a moment to retrieve what the man was looking for. “I’ll get you your-” He could not finish his sentence, as a lightsaber had been thrusted through his heart. The man climbed over the table and kicked the body to the side, to retrieve the artifact himself.

It was it. The Muur Talisman. The thing he’s always wanted - control , <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">power <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">! All right in his hands… the only problem was: he was in the heart of the Empire.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">And so he slinked back to the shadows, unnoticed. But he would never tell anyone of this, for it was unheard of for the Emperor to commit in petty theft.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Especially with something like the Muur Talisman.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">~

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The Organa Library in the palace was enormous. Not as big as the Jedi Archives, of course, but large. Ahsoka sat in the center of it, in an eerie silence. She’d been thinking, after Obi-Wan told her about the Grey Jedi, or whatever they were called. For some reason she couldn't understand, he said they’d be looking for her. Obi-Wan was never this… <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">cryptic <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">. She’d decided to consult the Organas’ library, just to find what Obi-Wan was hiding from her.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">She heard the door creak open, surprisingly, as it was nearing midnight on Alderaan. The only light was the small reading lamp on the desk. <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Footsteps <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">. She looked up from the book she was skimming through. A darkly robed figure approached from the nothingness.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Who’s there?” she asked, but really didn’t expect an answer. She tried to adjust to the light, but the lamp was causing problems with that. So she turned it off, and relied on the Force… and her lightsabers, if need be. Was this the group Obi-Wan was talking about? The Order of the Outcasts?

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I’ve come for you. And you only.” the voice said, twisted by some sort of emulator. “I don’t want to fight.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Then <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">get out <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">,” Ahsoka spat, igniting her shoto first.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I’m sorry, Ahsoka, but that’s not possible,” it said, but this was not changed by the emulator.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">She inhaled, not wanting to exhale. “... <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Anakin <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">?” she asked, exhaling shakily. He’d found her? “It’s… you?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Not yet.” The lights turned on everywhere, in the entire library. “But you are bound to my will.” A little golden talisman emerged from the pocket in his robes, adorned with small red gemstones. They glowed vibrantly for a few seconds, as her eyes struggled to adjust to the blinding lights. “I’ve used our bond to make sure that you stay. I know where you are, and I know what you plan. You can’t escape me, little ‘Soka, because I know <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">everything <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">.” She felt immense power radiate from the talisman, and her eyes burned from looking at it, so she fell backwards.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Please… <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Anakin <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">…” It was no use, for her former master was too far gone to really <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">speak <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> to her. “I don’t want this… I want the <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">old <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> you back…”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Anakin Skywalker is dead, and Darth Vader stands in his place. You won’t be wishing for Skywalker soon enough,” he said to her, much more forceful and dark than his former friendly tone. She opened her eyes, unimaginable pain in her skull. Ahsoka grabbed the office chair and flung it in his general direction, but it only phased right through him. “I’m not <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">really <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> here… can you not realise that?” The talisman stopped glowing, and all the lights turned back off.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The pain was gone, but she couldn't seem to remember what she was doing. As she looked around, everything blurred and her eyes couldn't catch up with the landscape. The chair was on its side next to a bookshelf, and the lamp’s bulb was cracked. She hoisted herself up to see the book, relying on her shoto’s light. The text was garbled, and it didn’t seem to <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">mean <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> anything.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Ahsoka shut her eyes, and tried to remember anything. She saw Anakin’s face everywhere, in every dark corner and shadow. The <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">talisman <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> had done this to her-

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Her thoughts were interrupted by a forceful order: <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">find Kenobi <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">. She jolted, a strange sensation running through her, and then walked out of the room, one directive in mind, nothing else was important.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">~

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Padmé stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. Luke and Leia, the two little kids she’d given birth to only a few weeks ago, lay in their cribs. She watched as they slept, not fussing as she’d expected from talking to other mothers. Anakin’s arm wrapped around her waist from behind her, and he leaned down to kiss her.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“I’ve got someone on the inside of Bail’s little rebellion,” <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Kark <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">. She was secretly <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">working <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> with Bail, trying to get Anakin to see what he’d done wrong. “And it’s someone who I’m sure you’ll be happy to see once I get her out of there.” <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Her <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">? Only a few possibilities, well <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">one <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> possibility - but she was <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">dead <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">! Killed on Mandalore.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“That’s great.” A lie, but not really. She didn’t want Bail’s rebellion to fail, but seeing Ahsoka would be perfect. Plus, she would want the kids to have at least one aunt. (Anakin did always see her as a little sister)

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“You should get some rest, Padmé. The Senate’s gonna be in session tomorrow, and <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">you <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> need to be the Empress. Grand Vizier Amedda’s already been convinced to forget Palpatine.” <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Convinced <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">. She didn’t even want to <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">know <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> what Anakin had done to the poor guy - who’d been Palpatine’s most trusted aide for who knows how long, maybe since Finis Valorum’s chancery.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">They’d also need to deal with the first annual Empire Day in two months, which would definitely be an important celebration, as Anakin’s also expected to announce the four chosen Grand Admirals of the Navy, plus the Grand Moff. (who was probably going to be Ardus Kaine, since Wilhuff Tarkin had exiled himself to Eriadu) Amidala did trust Kaine, possibly because he was previously the senator for Riosa, and a member of the Delegation of 2,000 a bit before the war broke out.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Tarkin, on the other hand, was still a massive idiot. Anakin and her rightfully hated him for what had happened with Ahsoka, plus he seemed to have one of the largest egos she’d ever seen. Anakin began to walk away, as did she. Enough thinking for tonight, it was time to sleep.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">~

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The Outer Rim held many secrets, and the world of Ossus was evidence of that. And on that green world was the oldest and largest Jedi archives, the Ossus archives. One small, green Jedi Grand Master stood in front of it. It was time for him to search these archives for something that could possibly save the Jedi Order from extinction, from how few and far between they were. A Nautolan stood behind him, a bandage wrapped around his torso.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Stay here, you will, Master Fisto. Await Madame Nu’s arrival, you will.” Yoda ordered him. It was a miracle that Kit Fisto even survived, while Windu and Palpatine were dueling in the office, he’d crawled away with a bad chest injury - hitching a ride to the nearest spaceport. Fisto nodded as Yoda walked up the towering steps to the top of the ziggurat. Ossus had long been abandoned, with all of its precious information still inside. Fisto had followed his instincts to Yoda, who was the only Jedi with knowledge of Ossus’ secretive location in the outskirts of the Outer Rim. Yoda had been alive before Ossus was permanently abandoned, and he had kept that information deep inside his brain, for he knew that one day it may be useful.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">There was a semi-operational lift that would go deep into the archives of Ossus. The entire building was covered with moss and overgrowth, but the lift still had power, somehow. Yoda swirled the Force to his orders, and the lift croaked before giving way. It fell slowly down, thumping as it hit the bottom. It was damp, and dark, so Yoda activated his lightsaber to see. In front of him was a long hallway, the walls revealing bookshelves lined with books. <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Physical <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> books, not the holographic ones in the Coruscant archives.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The gimer stick in Yoda’s left hand was the only sound in the eerily quiet hall, but once he reached the end, the lights flickered on. A small indent in the wall held a stasis orb, technology Yoda hadn’t seen in many centuries. In the stasis orb was a Draethos, and Yoda knew who it was. The keeper of the Ossus archives, Odan-Urr. His masters had told him never to open the orb, but the once Grand Master Kmri’la said something important to him:

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“ <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Before he was placed in the orb, it was said that Master Odan-Urr requested to only be awoken if the Jedi were in great peril. He had a vision, that at that time he would be needed. <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Yoda held his hand out, opening it as the stasis orb flickered and opened. For a few moments, but these moments seemed like hours, Odan-Urr was motionless. And then the Draethos’ eyes opened slowly.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Is-is it my time?” he asked almost instantly, surprising Yoda. “Where are the Council masters?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Not many left, there are.” The Draethos turned to look at him, and his eyes were blinking rapidly.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Who are you? Are you the Grand Master that was foretold to wake me?” Odan-Urr asked, “I am almost blind, from the stasis. I only see green… but that is close enough to what I saw before.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“In stasis, for centuries, you have been. Grand Master Yoda, I am. Need your help, the Order does.” The lights above them flickered, and Yoda looked to his left as one of the lights dimmed slightly. “Almost destroyed us, the Sith have.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“The Sith can never completely kill us, Grand Master Yoda.” Odan-Urr responded, before his eyes began to adjust. “Oh. Now I can see you. Yes… you <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">are <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> the Grand Master. My role… I don’t quite know.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Find the routes to the lost Jedi homeworld, I must. Safe, we can be, on the world.”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“The Jedi homeworld… oh, that would be troublesome. I can’t recall the name, but I’m sure there’s something.” Odan-Urr began to walk to Yoda’s right. “Tell me, Master Yoda, but how many Jedi remain?”

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Four Council members. Alive, our chief librarian is, coming here soon, she will be. Fallen to the dark side, one council member has.” Odan-Urr nodded solemnly. His hand called a lightsaber, and Yoda knew the prominence of that particular one, as it held the Solari crystal within - the purest light side crystal ever created.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:10pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Yes, it is the Solari crystal.” Oh. Yoda forgot that Draethos had telepathic powers. “The location must be here somewhere,” Odan-Urr’s eyes were closed and he was looking through the books. “Ah. Here. <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Tython <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:#000000;font-weight:500;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">.”

<span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;white-space:pre-wrap;">Tython <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Karma;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:500;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;white-space:pre-wrap;">.