He didn't even have time to say anything before the man clad in black armor grabbed him by the throat.
Black, like the Force that emanated from him.
A full spectrum of Dark Side emotions.
As captivating, as powerful, as he himself was, in the time of his own weakness.
And this same blackness enveloped him from head to toe.
For a time, he was surrounded by silence.
Not a single shred of light that he could detect around him.
Only icy emptiness.
Exar Kun felt uneasy for a moment.
He had already experienced the feeling of complete solitude and oblivion.
Four thousand years ago, when his body was destroyed, and he bound his spirit to this planet, through the mysteries of the Dark Side of the Force.
Four thousand years of oblivion...
Suddenly, a rapidly growing light appeared before his eyes, which in the next instant transformed into...
"Dantooine," was all Exar Kun could gasp out, seeing the flowering fields he knew so well.
Fields so familiar that he recognized without the slightest effort the cluster of buildings — the long-destroyed Jedi enclave that his Jedi teacher had painstakingly restored as best he could, using the ruins to train those who were meant to become Jedi Knights...
"Is it possible this pathetic structure survived four thousand years?" the Specter muttered in surprise, ducking his head to enter...
And froze, frozen on the threshold.
Before his gaze stood two figures.
A tall, powerfully built man, not long past the threshold of youth but already in the prime of his strength.
A smile hovered on his lips, and his face was focused on a hologram projected from a small cube clutched in his hand.
And beside him stood a male Krevaaki in traditional Jedi robes.
The man did not yet see the visitor, who was in truth the master of this dwelling.
Master and teacher of three future Jedi Knights: Exar Kun himself and two Katar Padawans, whom he had effortlessly beaten in training spars.
"Master Vodo-Siosk Baas," Kun whispered, approaching the Krevaaki and placing his hand on his shoulder. "This can't be! You're... This isn't real! This already happened!"
But hope still lingered.
He knew what moment this was.
Exar knew well what was happening.
A bit of history.
A young and reckless Jedi had taken the Holocron of Tedrin without permission — the one his master had been working on.
He activated it and encountered the story of a fallen Jedi who had become a Sith Lord.
Thus he learned the story of Freedon Nadd, so strikingly similar to his own...
So much so that...
That those he encountered had confused them!
It was Nadd, not he, who killed his teacher in a training duel, then fled!
Oh, the Force!
Only four thousand years had passed, and the past of two greatest Sith Lords had been so distorted...
What else could you expect from these Jedi?
They would do anything, absolutely anything, just to hide the true history, to conceal from the rising generation the power they could possess if they stopped adhering to Jedi dogma!
The Specter's black hand passed through the figure of the ancient master, failing to draw his attention.
"So that's what this is," the Specter snarled, enraged. "You decided to shove me into my own memories, did you? Think I regret something? Never! I would do it a thousand times over if I could! Killing more each time! More often! I'd break that bastard Drome's neck!"
Suddenly, the Krevaaki's figure struck the floor with his training staff, and Baas slowly turned to face him.
Vodo-Siosk Baas, teacher of Exar Kun.
Before Exar could say anything to his teacher, Baas, gripping the staff across his chest, stared intensely at him:
"I should have noticed and assessed your desire to learn about the Sith earlier, Exar," Baas said, looking into the Specter's eyes.
"And instead, you pathetic overgrown shrimp wasted your precious time stuffing your knowledge into a Holocron instead of passing it on to us," Kun snarled. "You acknowledged me as the best! In wielding the Force! In fencing! I was wiping the grass with your other two students while you calmly watched! Do you think that was right? You — you're the one who awakened my interest in the Dark Side of the Force! You held back my development! You denied me more!"
"I taught you everything I knew myself, Exar..."
"But you hid Sith knowledge from me! Even the history of their fall! The very thing that could have helped me gain power without sharing their tragic end!"
"And what would you have done with that knowledge I could have given you about the Dark Side?"
"Become the strongest among the Jedi!"
"You could have done that if you had returned to me on Dantooine with Freedon Nadd's knowledge, instead of flying to Korriban to gain even more Dark Side knowledge."
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!" the roar of Exar Kun's voice made the memory ripple like smoke. "Are you saying that you, the arrogant and stuffy Jedi who fear forbidden knowledge, would have helped me understand what Freedon Nadd gave me? Aha-ha-ha-ha! You would have taken away everything I discovered! Locked the ancient Sith artifacts and manuscripts in the Library on Ossus, just as you did with what remained of Freedon Nadd and his teachings! And I myself would have rotted in prison, to serve as an example for the rising generation of losers that you yourselves raised! Do you think I don't know that after my death, there were clever beings who placed the blame for my fall squarely on you? Oh, perhaps my final Cult wasn't rich in Force-sensitives, but they told me plenty..."
The figure of Vodo-Siosk Baas only shrugged indifferently, and then the Krevaaki dissolved, as if he had never been there at all...
Exar Kun stood for a while longer in absolute darkness once more.
He remembered how, after defeating the other two students, he had left the Krevaaki — left Dantooine, where there was nothing more for him to learn.
How he had arrived on Onderon in search of Sith knowledge, posing as a Jedi archaeologist.
How he had met the followers of the deceased Nadd, with whom he had reached the latter's tomb on Onderon's moon, Dxun.
How he had discovered in his crypt the manuscripts that led Kun to Korriban in search of new knowledge...
He remembered how he had finally set foot on the path of the Dark Side...
He remembered how he had arrived at the Sith homeworld.
How the living dead had driven him into a temple, from which he had planned to return to his ship but couldn't, because the entrance to the ancient tomb had been blocked by falling rocks...
Young and arrogant, he had ventured into its depths seeking new knowledge.
There, the spirit of Freedon Nadd, which he had freed on Dxun, had committed its crime...
It had collapsed the temple ceiling onto Kun.
Every bone in his body had been broken by the stones, over and over.
He lay on the floor, in a death trap, calling out to his teacher, Vodo-Siosk Baas...
But he did not come.
The Force could not have failed to tell the mentor of his student's suffering, for they are bound by something greater than one simply learning the other's lessons.
The Force binds teacher and student.
But Vodo-Siosk Baas never answered his call, never wished to help his wayward student.
He turned his back on him...
"You're wrong," came the Krevaaki's voice in the darkness. "I tried to surround you with light, but I was far away then... Freedon Nadd's spirit, however, wouldn't allow it..."
Kun laughed mockingly, throwing his black head back so his laughter echoed in the darkness.
"The living turned out weaker than the dead? Oh, Baas, you'd have been better off keeping quiet about that! It makes you an even bigger fool! And only confirms the rightness of my choice!"
To survive, he had accepted the Dark Side of the Force into himself...
And the Dark Side, which the Jedi spoke of only as an art of destruction, had healed him...
Nadd's spirit, which was beginning to irritate him, directed Kun to Yavin's fourth moon, following the trail of the ancient Sith Naga Sadow...
The dead man thought he could force his protégé to revive Sith alchemy and create a new body for the deceased Nadd...
Oh, how much he had had to endure at the will of that idiot.
Battles with the Massassi, with the worm Sadow had left behind...
But it had all ended well.
Exar Kun managed to defeat the monster, subdue the Massassi, survive, and step even further onto the Dark Side...
And then he destroyed the Specter of Freedon Nadd itself, who had manipulated him all that time...
The Specter of the long-dead Sith Lord once again felt an incomparable sense of satisfaction at a job well done.
Growling deep in his throat within the darkness, he prepared to face yet another of his memories in person.
These feeble fools thought they could show him "horror," assuming he had something to regret in his past?
Ten times "ha!"
He regretted nothing!
On the contrary, memories he hadn't revisited in ages would only make him stronger.
And when all this was over, he would conquer them all, making them his slaves and conduits of his will!
* * *
Isard turned her head to the side as the image of blackness shifted to pictures of enormous construction sites across the entire planet.
Temples they had seen in person appeared before the observers as unfinished structures, surrounded by scaffolding.
"I've never heard of Jedi being able to project such things," she said, looking at Mace Windu, who had approached them.
He and Maul, unlike Darth Deimos, had moved further away from the black figure pinned by a mighty hand to the obsidian face of the pyramid.
"Deimos is using a Force Illusion to show us Exar Kun's memories as well," Ahsoka said.
"I know the capabilities of the Jensaarai," Windu stated. "I don't recall any of them being able to do something like this..."
"And he couldn't," the Togruta agreed, creating a small figurine of Grand Admiral Thrawn above her palm with a flick of her fingers. "I taught him. A capable kid, I must say."
"A true Sith," Darth Maul bared his teeth. "He will be my apprentice."
The Togruta patted him on the shoulder.
"No offense, big guy, but the spot's taken. If you wanted him as an apprentice, you should have come and helped the boy figure out what he'd become, instead of fixing legs. As they say — you snooze, you lose."
"That's the first time I've heard that saying," Windu said.
"Well, it's a Sith saying," Tano admitted. "From the time of the Great Hyperspace War, when some Sith devoured Jedi."
"What wonderful times those were," Isard drawled. "And what is he trying to achieve by digging through Kun's memories?"
The Director was troubled by the fact that Kun's black figure seemed to have grown denser, meaning it was strengthening.
"He's learning his story from Kun's own perspective," Ahsoka suggested. "Sometimes the past holds the key to victory in the present."
"Did the Sith teach you that too?" Windu inquired.
"Certainly not the Jedi," Darth Maul snorted. "Sidious told me something similar. To destroy the Order, we had to use the best deeds of the Sith of the past and learn from their mistakes."
"As you can see, he considered you a mistake too, hornhead," Ahsoka smiled, winking at the growling Zabrak. "Hey, don't get riled up. Just a joke. Deimos is doing a good thing. Kun's history really is half-forgotten and long since covered in myths. And we have the chance to dive into his memory, to see what drove him..."
"Was that your plan?" Isard noticed that the Master's hand had fallen to his lightsaber hilt. "To uncover Exar Kun's secrets?"
"Yes," the Togruta answered calmly, her attentive gaze devouring the images showing Kun studying some Sith inscriptions and experimenting with the red-skinned freaks — the Massassi. "Much has been lost — thanks in no small part to the Jedi or the Sith themselves. But this is knowledge..."
"Which is dangerous," Isard remarked, running her hand over the glyphs on the nearest obsidian wall. "I intend to blow up this temple so no one has access to these spells."
"Unacceptable!" Maul declared.
"I never thought I'd agree with Isard, but I do," Master Windu stated. "This temple, along with all other Sith knowledge, must be destroyed. Once and for all."
The Togruta coughed deliberately into her fist.
"I won't even bother reminding you that the preservation and value of knowledge should be determined by an expert council of the Jensaarai," she said, her intentions completely opposite to the voiced opinions. "And, secondly, what good would it do, kids? Blow up one, two, three, five temples, burn a ton of paper... Then what?"
"Thus we reduce the risk of someone falling to the dark side," Mace Windu stated confidently.
"Oh, come on, drop it," Ahsoka waved him off. "If anyone knows, Master, it's you — it doesn't work. Not thirty years ago, not four thousand years ago, not a thousand. Those who want to learn the dark arts and declare themselves Sith have been, are, and will be. Temptation, easy and effortless, to blow up stars or burn planets with a snap of the fingers, will find someone who's weak-minded and susceptible to influence. You can't destroy all Sith. You can't find and eradicate all their knowledge. It has accumulated in various corners of the galaxy for thousands of years; millions of sentients are involved in its creation and preservation. How much have the Jedi managed to achieve in the thousands of years since the Ruusan Reformation? The Jedi have only degenerated over the past thousand years. So much so that Palpatine, right under our noses, stripped the Jedi of their legal authority to hunt and destroy Sith."
Isard immediately understood what the Togruta was talking about.
In the distant past, when the Jedi first defeated the Sith five thousand years ago, the Republic had passed a law banning Sith teachings, philosophy, and cults, tasking the Jedi with hunting down and destroying such manifestations of the Dark Side.
All because nearly every century, new Sith crawled out of the depths of the galaxy, drenching it in blood.
And only the Jedi could prevent this.
But a thousand years ago, when the Sith were supposedly exterminated by the Jedi army (though in reality, the Dark Side adepts had merely gone underground), the Order's armed forces were disbanded.
For a thousand years, the galaxy had not been shaken by Sith-Jedi wars, which ultimately led to the demilitarization of the Galactic Republic.
The absence of the Jedi's ancient enemy allowed Palpatine to push a vote through the Senate repealing the ban on Sith philosophy.
And the Jedi found themselves unarmed in this battle because they could not prove the Sith's resurgence.
After all, at the head of the hostile Confederacy of Independent Systems stood not a Sith, but a former Jedi.
And even though the Jedi knew Count Dooku was merely a puppet, and the real Sith was hiding in the shadows (as Dooku himself had told them), they were still toothless and obediently marched to the slaughter.
Silently and secretly, they gathered thousands of Dark Side artifacts in their temple, saving the galaxy from their influence.
As a result, after the Order's destruction, Palpatine took everything for himself: both Jedi and Sith relics...
Simply put, for a thousand years, the Sith had used the Jedi to eliminate competitors to the Rule of Two and allowed them to collect everything valuable that the Sith themselves couldn't obtain.
"If we hadn't confiscated Sith artifacts and suppressed Sith cults, a far greater evil could have occurred!" Windu noted.
"Maybe," Ahsoka agreed. "And maybe not. It's not for me to judge — I was kicked out of the Order without them even bothering to determine my guilt. But oh well, I hold no grudge, I'm not even keeping score. But tell me, Master. Why didn't the Order destroy Sith Holocrons and artifacts, but instead collected them like some collector obsessed with rare coins?"
"So that Masters could study them and understand how to recognize the return of the Darkness!"
"And what good did that do? Did it stop countless Jedi from falling to the dark side over the past thousand years? Or, during the height of the Clone Wars, nearly a tenth of the Order refusing to fight for the Republic? Some defected to the CIS, others went into voluntary exile," Ahsoka reminded him. "Maybe I was taught differently, but didn't all Jedi take vows to keep the peace in the galaxy and protect the Republic?"
"All of them did," Windu agreed after a moment's thought.
"Fine protectors you turned out to be," Maul laughed heartily, deliberately loudly. "The moment things got hot, you scattered like gizka. No wonder you were weakened and finished off."
Windu remained silent, knowing the Sith spoke the truth.
"Correct me if I'm wrong," Ahsoka offered, "but during my training, I never had any practical lessons on countering the Dark Side of the Force. Only on self-control."
"Because knowledge of the Dark Side of the Force was only available to select Masters and members of the High Council within the Order," Windu explained. "It's no coincidence the saying arose that when you become a Master, you only begin your training as a Jedi..."
Isard recalled that Jedi were only called Masters after they had trained at least one Padawan to knighthood.
"Are you saying your Jedi, who were created to counter the Sith, knew nothing about them until they themselves finished training under Jedi who also lacked information about the Sith?" she clarified, looking into Windu's eyes.
"Not exactly," he averted his gaze. "Basic Sith history was, of course, presented..."
"So boring that I slept through most of those classes," Ahsoka admitted. "But I remembered that Sith wear red lightsabers, are full of pomposity, and generally want to dominate and kill everyone. And since I wanted to fight for all that's good against all that's bad, I focused on fencing, not tedious lectures. Which is why the Order never really liked me..."
"Don't exaggerate," Windu requested. "You were just a hot-headed Padawan driven by hormones."
"Well, you know," Ahsoka bristled. "I may not be a paragon of virtue, but I kept my head on my shoulders. But the smart, beautiful, great hope of the Order and pioneer in Jedi affairs, Etain Tur-Mukan, 'got pregnant' by a clone. Who, by the way, is supposed to be sterile from the moment of creation. Though I'm not sure, I heard it in passing. And I didn't fall in love with a Mandalorian countess. And I didn't sire children with a Senator from Naboo. And I didn't have a fling with a Neti. And I didn't play at love with my own teacher or student. So don't talk to me about hormones... Or I'll start naming names and giving detailed accounts of how they broke the Jedi Code. For which, by the way, no one ever 'got in trouble.' And furthermore, I'm outraged. Ki-Adi-Mundi was allowed an entire harem..."
"He was a Cerean, and the demographics on his homeworld were dire," Windu cut her off.
"So, the Jedi Code made everyone equal in terms of forbidding close relationships and attachments, but some Order members were 'more equal' than others?" Darth Maul clarified. Windu remained silent, but Ahsoka nodded in agreement. "The Emperor's black bones! You're even more hypocritical than the Sith Order!"
Windu chose to turn away.
There was no refuting that.
"I understand what you're getting at," Isard stated unexpectedly for everyone, looking at the Togruta. "You intend to incorporate into Jensaarai training not only some techniques associated with the Dark Side, but also to teach them the reasons why ancient Jedi fell to the Dark Side!"
"And for what purpose?" Darth Maul inquired.
Ahsoka, without denying the obvious, looked at Mace Windu.
Then, with a bitter sigh, she nodded in agreement, confirming Isard's conclusion.
"Isn't it obvious?" she asked quietly. "Look at Kun's memories. Four thousand years have passed, and I don't know even half the techniques he used in battle. Even though I have the complete collection of knowledge about Niman that he uses. Kun, training to be a Jedi Knight on Dantooine, believed that greater power was hidden in the Dark Side, and that he, as the strongest among his teacher's students, should master this new knowledge. He was irritated that he had hit a ceiling in his abilities. He was enraged that his teacher Baas knew more but wouldn't share that data, instead recording Sith knowledge in a Holocron. Does that remind anyone of anything?"
"Revan was similarly dissatisfied that the Jedi on Dantooine couldn't teach him more," Windu recalled. "And he sought knowledge wherever he could. At least, that's what the sources say..."
"Are you suggesting that teaching Jedi on Dantooine is unsafe for the galaxy?" Maul sneered. "Well then, let's blow up that planet if it'll soothe your Jedi relapse."
"It's not about the planet," Ahsoka shook her head, continuing to watch Exar Kun's story. "It's about the teachers' arrogance. For what Hutt-loving reason did Vodo-Siosk Baas decide Kun shouldn't know about the Sith? Didn't Freedon Nadd fall before Kun fell? And he fell precisely because the Masters didn't make him a Jedi Knight. Master Windu, wouldn't you mind telling us the story of why Nadd fell to the Dark Side?"
"He killed his teacher," Windu said.
"And... that's it?" Isard didn't believe him.
"Ahem..." Windu faltered. "I... don't recall."
"This is all very sad," Ahsoka sighed. "When you don't know, and you've also forgotten... Anyone mind a little lecture? If anyone's offended that I got information about him from Darth Vectivus's archives, then... Well, just so you know, I'm not tolerant, and I don't give a Hutt's patootie about Jedi feelings."
"Stop dragging the Togruta by her montrals," Maul grimaced. "Just tell us already!"
"Freedon Nadd trained four hundred years before Exar Kun, on Ossus. No sooner had he begun his training than the Jedi Masters were astounded by the level of knowledge and skill Nadd demonstrated in using the Force. Similarly, the Masters were also impressed by his openness and efforts to achieve universal harmony. Under the guidance of his teachers, Nadd learned to trust the Force willingly, and many Masters on Ossus actively participated in Nadd's training, including the very founder of the Great Jedi Library, Odan-Urr. In fact, it was almost an honor to become this guy's teacher, especially since he never refused anyone. Furthermore — everyone was vying to proclaim that he would become the youngest Jedi Master in the Order's known history. If not in Force techniques, then certainly in their understanding," Ahsoka said, catching her breath from the rapid-fire words she was practically spitting out.
"And they definitely weren't Sith?" Maul frowned. "They were the ones fanning his pride."
"When a dozen or so authoritative beings tell you you're strong and will definitely go down in history as a great specialist, an obsessive idea is bound to appear," Isard agreed, well-versed in the psychology of most galactic races. "He was human, wasn't he?"
"Exactly," Ahsoka confirmed.
"Then the development of a 'god complex' was guaranteed," Isard confirmed. "It's as easy to play on as a flute."
"I didn't think the only one who'd understand me would be the Ice Queen," the Togruta sighed, casting a reproachful glance at the Jedi Master. "But I think you understand how devastated Nadd was when he wasn't given the rank of Jedi Knight. Everyone else was, but he — the best — wasn't."
"I suspect that was his Trial," Windu noted.
Isard understood he was referring to the Trials a Padawan must successfully pass to earn the right to be knighted.
"Isn't that a bit too radical?" she inquired. "First, you make the person himself believe in his own exceptionalism, and then you tell him he's not worthy of being on equal footing with those who are worse than him, because he must suffer through the torments of his own feelings?"
"That's not even the juiciest part of the story," Ahsoka smirked. "They never even told him the reason for refusing to make him a Jedi Knight. They just ignored him. While he was pondering the situation, feelings of resentment and despair began to cloud his mind. He couldn't understand why the Masters wouldn't release him as a reward for all the progress and hard work he had demonstrated during his time on Ossus. The fact that he was denied the rank of Jedi Knight caused a massive internal conflict in Nadd's consciousness. In the end, he went to his teacher, the fencing master, asking for help to understand what they wanted from him. But she ignored him too. According to various sources, Nadd stood beside her while she trained, from half an hour to an entire day, and no answers to his questions were given..."
The Zabrak rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Tano," he interrupted the Togruta's story. "Are you sure you're not telling a joke right now?"
"I wish I were," Ahsoka sighed. "But that's how it's described in Vectivus's archives. They might have embellished somewhere, like with Kun's story about killing his teacher and becoming a Sith out of fear, but Deimos gave me access to the Order's archives — it's all the same there, just with fewer details. And these, by the way, are archives based on records and frescoes that survived Kun's later invasion of Ossus. Jedi records," she said, noticing Mace Windu's attempt to object. "No one's going to argue with those, I hope?"
"I think the rest is clear," Isard summarized. "Nadd fought his teacher, fell into a rage, killed her, fled, founded his own cult, the Jedi tracked him down, a massacre occurred, Nadd was killed, and his legacy poisoned the lives of half the galaxy for a long time. Did I miss anything?"
"You've read Nadd's history too?" Ahsoka clarified. "That's exactly how it was. He fled to Onderon, subjugated it, and ruled there. But he and his followers were found, killed, and... Well, just as you said. Kun fell just as the Order was finishing cleaning up the aftermath of Freedon Nadd's fall."
"Did it take them four hundred years?" Maul's eye twitched as he looked at Windu. "I take back my words. It wasn't just your generation of Jedi that was weak. You've always been sluggish."
The Master chose to remain silent.
But his face showed he was categorically distressed by what he'd heard and was digesting it.
"No," Isard said, addressing Ahsoka. "I haven't read about Nadd in such detail. Only that he was involved in Kun's fall. But you just confirmed my assumptions."
"What kind?" Ahsoka asked with interest.
"Revan, Freedon Nadd, Exar Kun, Anakin Skywalker," Isard listed the names. "They were all Jedi who stood out from their ordinary comrades-in-arms in favor of greater power. But they were leveled with the rest, while simultaneously having their exceptionalism among the rank-and-file Jedi emphasized. Cognitive dissonance, contradicting human nature — if you're better than others, then your labor and your skill should be rewarded. If not — you go against the limitations."
"And all this led to the best of the Jedi Order becoming Sith," Windu darkened, covering his eyes with his hand and rubbing his face with effort, as if trying to wipe away tension and shame for the past mistakes of the Jedi. "Time and again, the same unlearned lesson..."
"There were surely others who followed the same path," Isard, digging through her memory, counted no less than half a hundred surnames, but there was no need to name them. "Kun rightly objected to Vodo-Siosk Baas: he couldn't teach him more."
"More accurately — he was afraid to teach what didn't conform to the official dogma," Ahsoka corrected. "No wonder Kun snapped. No wonder they all snapped. A person's life isn't that long, and to live it knowing you're stronger than the rest, yet at the same time know and can do no more than the weakest in the Order..."
"That's already Sith doctrine," Maul reminded. "To be the best, to slay the teacher and prove your strength. Before the Rule of Two, there were many Sith, and they were weak. The Order collapsed until all its knowledge and power were concentrated in the hands of teacher and apprentice. A larger group of weak apprentices could no longer, by uniting, defeat a strong one..."
"This is all very well," Windu grimaced. "But, as I understand it, Tano wants to introduce Sith history and upbringing methods into the Jensaarai Order? Allow the strong to kill the weak?"
"Master, maybe you should put on a sun hat?" Tano grimaced. "I never said a word about that! I merely want the new generation of Jensaarai not to be limited to mere crumbs of knowledge about the Dark Side. They must know the history of those who stumbled, must understand that, having mastered the basic skills, they can, through hard work, comprehend more! To partake in the ancient arts..."
"But only when they can master control over their emotions and the Dark Side, so as not to become hostages to its wiles," Maul added, looking at the black figure of Exar Kun.
"You're spouting idealistic nonsense," Windu said. "This will lead to stratification within the Order and the emergence of 'legal Sith'!"
"The idea requires refinement and comprehensive discussion," Isard shook her head. "The Jensaarai Order is subordinate to the Grand Admiral. It serves the Dominion. Its students are taught not only the ways of the Force, but also military and civil affairs, so they are not detached from society. So they know whom they protect. So they don't separate themselves from the rest of the population, locking themselves in their Temple and meditating while waiting for signs from above..."
"You're simply delirious," Windu declared. "You want to teach the Jensaarai the destructive techniques of the Dark Side, as if no one before you has tried to repeat this? And all these experiments led to totalitarianism!"
"Oh, really?" Maul and Tano drawled simultaneously.
"Master, aren't you exaggerating?" the Togruta inquired. "It's just that I know one Jedi Master who could balance on the Dark and Light sides, drawing strength from both. And, despite the qualitative superiority of a Sith, whose knowledge was incomparably greater and whose killing skills were honed over decades, he fought him on equal terms." Windu darkened. "You wouldn't happen to know his name, would you?"
"These games are dangerous," Windu shook his head. "I taught my approach to several Jedi. They all fell to the Darkness. And you want an entire Order to follow this path?"
"Not her," Isard noted. "Ideally, that's how Grand Admiral Thrawn sees the Jensaarai. Not now, of course, but after generations of continuous hard labor."
"This is madness," Windu repeated. "A few tricks of the Dark Side, that's still somewhat acceptable. After all, even Master Plo Koon used Force Lightning, but with good intentions... But more... Full-fledged teaching of the Dark Side..."
"Oh, come on, Master," Ahsoka grimaced. "I and Darth Vectivus are a clear example that knowing how to blow up a star isn't a daily task. Will controls intentions! Thrawn doesn't feel the Force. But his brain is enough to out-Jedi the descendants of Skywalker, whom the Force whispers to about how to live and whom to kill. You yourself keep your inner darkness under control and haven't fallen to the Darkness."
"Because I am capable of it. And only I. Examples of those who failed already exist..."
"Don't you notice the irony?" Isard asked.
"What are you talking about?" the Korun asked.
"Kun's teacher also didn't want to teach him more, because she believed he couldn't handle Sith knowledge," she said. "Practice shows Kun handled it. And only over time did he go off the rails. You claim that no one besides you is capable of controlling their inner darkness, and the rest are destined to become bloodthirsty monsters. But right here stands Ahsoka Tano, who in a short time taught Darth Deimos not just to control a Sith Ghost in the physical world, but to get into his head and project his memories to us. Did Tano or Deimos turn into bloodthirsty monsters killing everything in their path?"
"As I recall," Maul squinted, "you, Master, promised Fode... Deimos, that you would teach him Juyo, the seventh form of lightsaber combat."
"Vaapad," the Jedi Master corrected. "A style I personally developed to balance my own darkness..."
"It's based on fragmentary records about Juyo," Maul corrected. "I watched your training sessions. Recognized some elements."
"Impossible," Windu shook his head. "No living Jedi knows them. The instructions for the seventh form have long been lost..."
"By the Jedi, but not by the Sith," Maul corrected, smirking. "Sidious taught me Juyo, but I diversified it with techniques from teras kasi, the art of opposing the gifted without being one. A rather successful combination. Qui-Gon Jinn wouldn't lie. Nor would the rest of the Dominion's enemies. And, having tamed my rage, I became a better version of myself. Not just an animal, which Palpatine made me. But a sentient being with a life plan and a worthy purpose for existence."
"And what is it, your purpose?"
"To do what you couldn't, Master Windu," Darth Maul said bitterly. "I will kill the Emperor... Where the Jedi Order messed up, a properly motivated adept of the Dark Side of the Force, trained by Thrawn, who has grasped the secrets of the ancient Jedi, will succeed. If you wish — I can give a couple of lessons on using the Dark Side of the Force..."
"For a Sith to teach me?" Notes of disgust and arrogance were heard in Windu's voice. "I'd rather cut off my other hand, but I will never stoop to such a thing!"
"Enough," seeing Windu's lips tighten into two thin lines, Isard intervened. "One way or another, while Darth Deimos holds our opponent at bay, we had an excellent opportunity to discuss a critically important aspect for the development of the Jensaarai Order. Prejudices hinder development and successful opposition to the Sith and other destructive organizations aimed at establishing chaos and terror in the galaxy."
"But, as we know, the Dominion isn't concerned with the galaxy," said the former Master of the Jedi Order.
"However, instability in the galaxy can lead to serious consequences for the Dominion itself," Isard cut off. "This cannot be allowed. Therefore, it is necessary to convey to the Grand Admiral and Saarai-kaar the positions of each of us. The Jensaarai Order was created as the best manifestation of the Jedi. Taking into account their mistakes and failures. The inability of a teacher to prepare a student for the temptations of the Dark Side, the denial of teaching the Jensaarai the tactics and techniques used by the Sith and their followers — this is a risk of repeating another Sith-Jedi crisis."
"And we don't need to look far for an example," Ahsoka said. "Palpatine in the Deep Core is preparing to attack. The 'Silri Syndicate' and the 'Zann Consortium' have pierced the galaxy with their intricate Sith intrigues, which no one would have noticed if not for the actions of Grand Admiral Thrawn."
"But there is the Shadow Guard," Maul reminded. "We are the hunters of gifted threats to the Dominion. What prevents the Grand Admiral from making us the executioners of the Sith and seekers of their secrets? We can absorb the strongest gifted from the Order. Given that most of us profess the Dark Side, it would be the ideal option for 'letting off steam' for the Jensaarai. Want to partake in the Dark Side of the Force? Become the best among the Jensaarai and join the Shadow Guard..."
"And what will you do with those who think highly of themselves but aren't strong enough in reality to tame the Dark Side?" Windu inquired. "What happens when they fall and become a threat, finding ancient Sith knowledge or stealing holocrons with ancient knowledge from the Guard?"
"Nothing," Ahsoka said suddenly. "Such cunning individuals need to be identified immediately and destroyed before their antics become a danger to the Dominion."
"Which means — the Shadow Guard must be not just a separate unit of the Order, but also represent a force capable of destroying a Jedi, Jensaarai, or Sith who has stepped out of line," Isard concluded. "One way or another, the Jensaarai Order is only forming at the moment. And our task, as citizens and defenders of the Dominion — is to make every effort so that the Order becomes the best embodiment of the Jedi not only in words, but in deed..."
An awkward silence hung.
"And why do the most sensible things about how the gifted should live get noticed and voiced by those to whom the Force is inaccessible?" Ahsoka Tano sighed sorrowfully, stretching her neck. "I suggest we prepare. Deimos is almost finished viewing Kun's life. Which means soon we'll need to destroy him."
"Us?" Windu clarified. "As I recall, you were brought into the group precisely so you could do that. And you decided to direct Deimos to find Kun's weak points to use them for destruction... You're fooling us and don't possess information on destroying a Force Ghost, do you?"
Ahsoka merely smiled.
"I know one method," she said. "But who said it's the only one of its kind? You yourself gave an excellent example — a Jedi who used Force Lightning with the best of intentions. So maybe Darth Vectivus's knowledge on eliminating Force Ghosts isn't exhaustive, huh? What do you think, Master Windu? Or, having learned the secrets of some Sith, shouldn't we study the secrets of others to understand how to destroy a third?"
Windu had nothing to say.
Though his face remained calm, unnaturally calm considering the almost emotional speech he had just given, Isard understood she had just witnessed how the Jedi Master, pretending to be a dogmatic fool, had just tested in practice whether their 'trump card' in this game of sabacc was that very 'Fool' which could have been a trap for the Dominion's operational group.
In connection with this, the Icedrop Queen wondered.
Was Windu stating his true position, or was he testing his surroundings to see if they were the weak link?
If one took into account Maul's words about the Korun's promise to teach the dangerous art to what was then not even a Dark Councilor, Isard leaned towards the thought that the Jedi Master actually shares Ahsoka's intentions to improve the Jensaarai Order.
But, having been burned when passing on his experience to other Jedi, he became more cautious.
And tactfully monitored his partners' reactions to his objections, sifting out among them those who would be inclined to use the might and knowledge of the Dark Side for their own grandeur.
The mind and cunning of a man who had already been burned, not seeing a Sith under his own nose.
Probably, not all the gifted are as straightforward as she had read about the Jedi.
Perhaps Windu had learned much from Palpatine in the matter of choosing intricate strategies to achieve a goal.
He just hadn't learned to trust, so as not to receive another lightsaber blow from a supposed ally.
This too must be kept in mind.
As the Director of Dominion Intelligence, she must have a plan to eliminate any threat to the state.
Even if it's its allies.
* * *
.".. thus you will need to ensure security during the flight and safety until the threat passes."
After I finished speaking, a dead silence hung in the apartments for two seconds.
Rukh, immersed in his thoughts, caught himself and immediately bowed, demonstrating his submission:
"Yes, our lord. I will execute your will."
'Our lord'...
From the very first moment the Noghri society united from a dozen clans into the Overclan, I asked not to be called that.
The Noghri agreed at first, even for a time addressed me by rank — Grand Admiral.
And then, unnoticed by me, 'our lord' returned to usage.
Now it's too late to do anything about it.
If I try to revert to 'Grand Admiral' questions will start like: 'Why did Thrawn, who forgets nothing, overlook such a thing? What's the reason?'
If I were human, I could point out that I simply forgot and let it slip.
But a Chiss misses nothing.
The reputation created by Mitth'raw'nuruodo is such that absolute trust in his judgments and orders guarantees victory.
I have strengthened that reputation.
Perhaps even more firmly than necessary.
"You don't like this decision," I noted.
"Our lord, I will carry out your orders."
"That wasn't the question."
Rukh remained silent.
"You think the duty of being my bodyguard is more important than protecting Mara Jade and my child?" I clarified.
"Our lord..." Rukh looked at me with a guilty gaze. "Caring for offspring... Its protection... Its education... That's... That's too great an honor for me."
Your fusion engines!
Among the Noghri, this is done by women-matrai, and didacts — the clan heads.
They are unfit for combat work, but at the same time possess vast life experience, are living keepers of Noghri history.
Male Noghri join the educational process only when it's necessary to turn a teenager into a death commando.
And even then, only at the final stage.
Therefore, 'brotherhood by the knife' means more to them than kinship.
In the past, yes, clan honor was above all, but now there are no clans, only the Overclan.
Where every child is the honor and future of the Overclan, not some tribal community.
A blunder.
Too many of them lately.
Probably because I approached this issue from the side of my human essence.
In the past, it was roughly the same for me — my wife, for a long time, practically all of their childhood, carried the children on her own, instilling in them what was 'good' and what was 'bad'.
The father's role was reduced to kissing the child when leaving for work and playing with him in the evening, reinforcing with his behavior the postulates the mother had instilled.
Service left no time to completely exclude 'female upbringing'.
I can't say the approach was wrong — I was and am proud of each of my children.
Most likely, I used this model intuitively, understanding that I couldn't even minimally participate in raising a child here.
And so I decided that a loyal bodyguard, as a role model — was a more worthy candidate.
Not the brightest thought.
More precisely — not bright at all.
Rukh clearly won't be changing diapers.
And mixing formula...
For a moment, I imagined the Noghri measuring out portions of dry formula with an obsidian knife...
And to rock the baby, starts jumping off walls, imitating those very height drops that soothe infants...
No.
It won't be like that.
The last thing I need is to repeat the Solo family's mistake, where the nanny became more family than the perpetually busy parents.
I need to adjust the meaning of what I said.
"I can't entrust accompanying Mara Jade to the Noghri planet to anyone else, Rukh," I explained. "You will have to convey to the Overclan leadership that they must ensure her and the child's safety. Having verified this, you must return to my disposal."
Hope it works.
The bodyguard immediately sighed with relief.
"I will execute your order, our lord," he said with much livelier intonations than before.
And froze.
"Our lord," the Noghri looked me straight in the eyes. "May I present to you a plan for ensuring the best possible security for your mate and offspring, better than the one you proposed?"
"Already developed?" I asked.
"My knife-brother and I have worked on it for a long time," the Noghri assured. "I assure you, we can ensure the best possible security in a place that will be a true home for your family. And on the Overclan planet, we will set up a decoy to attract your potential enemies."
There is logic in this.
To lay a well-disguised trail to the Noghri planet, so that whoever follows it falls into a trap.
While Jade's real residence will be in complete safety.
Doubly significant because the Noghri have been secretly relocated to a planet mentioned nowhere except in my archives.
"I am ready to consider your plan," I agreed. "To which planet do you intend to send the Hand?"
Rukh silently took a portable holoprojector from his belt and placed it before me, activating it.
I looked at a forest-covered planet, located beyond the explored galaxy.
A fat hologram, whose contours were drawn several times more strongly than on ordinary maps.
Strange.
Why there?
The world that gave me a treasure — in the literal sense of the word.
The planet that gave the Dominion the necessary aurodium reserves, allowing us to give a powerful start to the economy.
Cholganna.
The planet that became the place of death for 'Sa'Nalaor'.
A world full of nexu.
And, moreover, Rukh, as my bodyguard, couldn't not know what it currently represents...
But then words don't match deeds.
Only the fact that I was examining the hologram allowed me to understand what exactly was wrong with it.
Clever.
Though, I wouldn't be surprised if Grodin Tierce, as the 'knife-brother', had a hand in this plan.
Which means there's not just a double bottom.
Looking more closely at the map's rendering, I understood what was the matter.
It's practically impossible to determine this unless the structure of your eyes is defined by Chiss physiology.
Even at the demonstration stage, Grodin and Rukh took care of secrecy.
"I approve," I said, extinguishing the holoprojector, and Rukh at that same moment smashed it to pieces with a knife blow.
Now no material traces remain.
"Proceed," I ordered.
Demonstrating a trap within a trap has a positive effect on my subordinates.
"Yes, our lord."
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