A New Jedi in an Old Republic

Somewhere

Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith, and Sorcerer waited for the holographic connection to be established with his apprentice, Darth Tyranus. The blue image flickered into life, and the lesser bowed to his master. "What is thy bidding, my master?"

"You felt it too." The Sith Lord's voice cackled to help keep his public persona away from these transactions.

"I doubt there was a Force Sensitive in the Galaxy that did not, my Master." Tyranus bowed lower. "I have already sent agents to investigate."

"You pinpointed the source already?" It was good that the apprentice was on top of things. "Are you certain of your divinations?"

"Yes, my Master. My agents are under the cover of assisting in the construction of a listening post nearby. I will report back to you once I have more information."

Sidious knew his spies would have that information to him before then. "Acceptable. What did you... feel of that event?"

"Master, I was attending to matters of state when the event happened, so I have failed you in not being able to describe accurately and fully what I sensed. Rather, all I can say is that the event was like a great wave of power flowing through the Force, a mighty reservoir that suddenly burst. The surge is gone, but the effects will be felt for years and decades to come."

The Sith Lord was in agreement. "Very well. Inform me once you have sufficient information for a report. How fares your... interview with Sora Bulq?"

"He is quite receptive to my arguments," Tyranus was almost proud of his hadiwork, if he did not feel that it was deceptively easy to convert the Jedi to the Dark Side. "Did you wish to meet him?"

"That will not be necessary." And open himself up to an assassin like that? He wasn't that old, nor was he that stupid. "Is there anything else you wish to report?"

"Not at this time, my Master. The war caught our allies off guard with the unexpected beginning. The existence of the Grand Army was also a surprise, and many of our... lesser associates are panicking that their carefully laid plans have gone astray." The apprentice expressed his mirth with a drawing the lips.

"Good, good. They will be stronger for this, or they will fall by the wayside. The Jedi are being moved into position to take command of the forces of the Republic, where we can deal with them one or two at a time."

"Greivous is looking forward to that, my Master."

"Good, good. You are dismissed."

Invisible Hand

Dooku swept his robes up, and out of the room. This disturbance in the Force was something that needed to be investigated, but there were also other, more pressing matters to attend too. Including the Dark Reaper. He did not place his whole trust in the existence of the ancient Sith weapon, but any advantage must be pursued now that the war had begun in earnest.

Jedi High Council Chambers

Master Yoda meditated quietly in his chair as the others took their seats, or attended via hologram. "Forgive me, fellow Masters." Yoda spoke as the last appeared. "Most worrisome, this disturbance was."

"And is," Shaak Ti said via her hologram from Kamino. Her assignment to oversee the training of the Clone Troopers and protect their home was perhaps the most logistically important. "Have we any news on where it came from?"

"My measuring when the Jedi felt the effects of this event, and where they were at the time, we have narrowed down the epicentre of this disturbance to the Teraab sector." Mace Windu announced. "While that Sector contains several systems, and is fairly minor in terms of resources, there is something there that could have caused this."

"Ruusan," Plo Koon observed. "Perhaps it was the mythical Valley of the Jedi?"

"Myth, the Valley is not." Yoda countered. "Created it was. Exists as a Tomb, it still stands. Lost, location has been."

"My apologies, Master." Koon said. "Still, would it not be worth a quick examination of that world?"

"We have no one to spare," Saesee Tiin objected, his red skin further darkening in the setting light. "Not ones who could withstand the Dark Side taint of that place."

"Indeed," Even Piell agreed. "Although we must announce something, given that many of our Padawans, and even some of the more sensitive initiates are worried about what they felt."

"We must do something, but can do nothing." Adi Gallia crossed her hands, the native of Coruscant sharing her fellow Master's concerns. "It would be best to announce that the High Council is aware of this event, and is investigating, but waiting on more information before proceeding."

"It's the best we can do," Eeth Koth was still recovering from the crash of his LAAT/i Gunship on Geonosis, and not yet fit for active duty. "If you need any assistance with that, Piell, call upon me."

"I shall."

"Do we have any theories about what it was?" Mace spoke again, looking for an answer. If they when the what, they could better find there where.

"No, Master Windu." Ki-Adi-Mundi said. "A great wave in the Force is not something that the Archives have much information on. Master Nu has been doing research herself, and believes that it is similar to what happens when a place or person that has been accumulating the Force for a long period of time released all that energy at once."

The entire Council was fully aware of the Force Nexus that had grown in the temp over the multitude of millennium that it had existed. That something like that could... empty out was almost cause for concern if they didn't have so many Jedi in the Temple to keep a watch on it.

"Sense, I have, our mysterious Jedi returns." Yoda announced. "Perhaps two problems, one solution?"

"He still needs to pass the Tests first," Koon pointed out. "And would you want to entrust a mission such as that to such an unknown factor?"

"Trust, in short supply is." Yoda noted. "Must give, to receive."

Coruscant Orbit

Jan settled the Raven's Claw into a low orbit while Control organized their descent path to the Jedi Temple. "So, this is, huh?"

"Yep. Sign on with the Jedi, and do our best."

"That's easy for you to say," Jan said. "What am I going to do? I can't just stay your pilot."

"I'm sure the Republic can use a good intelligence agent." Kyle tried to be kind, but he knew it was hard to be truthful. You can't simply walk up to an Intelligence Agency and get a job. There were loyalty tests, competence, and years of hard work to go through. "At the least, I can get you a job with the Jedi. I'm sure they'll need good pilots."

"Thanks Kyle."

"You're welcome Jan. I mean, worst comes to worst, I'll just ditch the Jedi and we can go be mercs or Bounty Hunters."

"Kyle, your job plans suck."

"You know, I think you're right. I mean, I did sign on to be an Imp."

"Well, you got better."

"Only after I met you, Jan."

Jedi Temple

The Claw was directed to set down on one of the permanent landing pads, rather than a temporary one from nearly two weeks ago. Once it was locked down, Kyle and Jan stepped off only to come face to knee with Master Yoda.

"Master Yoda," Kyle said, stepping aside to let Jan off. "This is Jan Ors, my.. pilot."

"Greetings," Yoda said. "However, for Jedi only actions we must perform. Other issues as well."

"Oh?" Kyle asked, sharing a glance with Jan. They expected this, but it was always good to be on the same page.

"Senator Mon Mothma, requests your presence she has, at the Senate Building. Delivery, a return, she wishes to make."

"I can handle that," Jan said. "If it's what I think was in there, I would be better to handle it."

"Requesting Katarn, she did." Yoda spoke his concern.

"Kyle delivered it," Jan pointed out. "But I am probably better able to handle what was in it, and any thing else that comes from that."

"You sure, Jan?" Kyle was worried. "I can come with you."

"Don't worry about me," Jan said. "So, Master Yoda, can I take my ship there, or is there a shuttle?"

"Arrangements, we shall make." Yoda turned and began to walk back into the Temple. "Come, come. Much we must discuss."

Office of Senator Mon Mothma

It wasn't the Jedi who was coming back, but his pilot apparently. It confirmed the suspicion that she held that the Jedi was just the messenger. Six dataslates were securely locked in her personal safe. Not even her guards or assistants knew how to get into it. They were that frightening in content and organization.

So she needed answers. And that Jedi was her only clue, though when she contacted the Temple to ask to see him, she was told that he was 'on a mission', and wouldn't be back for a couple weeks. Then earlier today, she was told that they had arrived back early, and that one Jan Ors would be talking to her in the place of Kyle Katarn.

At the appointed time, the door to her office opened, and a well-worn human woman walked in. Dark hair, and a flight jacket, she looked every inch like a simple pilot.

That set Mon Mothma's concerns into high gear. It was too casual. She may only be a senator, but she had enough experience to know a spy when she saw one in the flesh. "Greetings. I am Senator Mon Mothma."

For a moment, the spy, Ors, looked shocked, but then she mastered herself. "Jan Ors," she replied. "You wanted to deal with me?"

Mon Mothma nodded, and activated the privacy screens to close the windows behind her, as well as the jammer and white-noise generator inside her desk. "Yes, a moment please."

Jan pulled out a jammer of her own, and set it down on the table between the two women, letting her own protections augment those of the Senator. She had played this game with the older and wiser Mon Mothma, so she didn't feel bad giving her former boss a hand up.

Once the two were satisfied they were engaged in private conversation, Jan spoke up. "So, you probably got into that package."

"Yes," Mothma said. "Very disturbing."

"Great," Jan muttered. "Let me guess. NRI?"

"I would dearly like to know what is going on here. The information therein is patently wrong, but..."

"But they're time stamped, and it needed your biometrics to enter." Jan concluded.

"Yes."

"Do you really want to know? You can just destroy those slates, and we can go our separate ways. No one the wiser." Jan offered the Senator a way out, even if it was never going to be taken.

"No. I cannot simply forget."

Jan sighed. "Where did you want me to begin?"

"The Maw Installation, I think. Master Skywalker seemed most concerned about that."

High Council Chambers

Kyle stood in the middle of the Chambers, though this time a few of the attendees were telepresent via hologram. "Masters," he said, bowing slightly. At least this time, he wasn't dressed in the formal robes – they were still on the Claw.

"Kyle Katarn," Mace Windu spoke formally. "You are here today to petition to aid the Jedi order with your skills in this war."

"Pretty much." Kyle shrugged. "Unless you don't want me?" He ignored the reactions from those around him. The important people were right in front of him.

"In other days, we would not," Mace said, expressing his displeasure. "But these are not ordinary days. With this war, we cannot turn aside help when freely offered." He looked around at the other Masters. "With this in mind, we, the High Council have reviewed your situation and the situation of others. We have concluded that while we are willing to take your help, we cannot simply welcome you with open arms, without first proving your skills and worth."

Kyle slumped. "Great. More tests." He still had 'fun' memories of his tests back on Yavin when he reclaimed his Lightsaber from Luke. And the conversation afterwards. He straightened up. "Fine by me. Where do we start?"

"Trials, five there are." Yoda spoke. "Old protocols in the Archives. From before the Reformations, they were written."

"It was a time of great strife for the Jedi Order. Many splinter factions existed, and there needed to be some way to assure those in the Order that those who returned to the fold were not in need of further training." Ki-Adi-Mundi said, keeping the history lesson going.

"Skill. Insight. Courage. Flesh. Spirit." Shaak Ti's hologram spoke. "The Trials of Knighthood are known to all, and these trials shall be applied to you. Though as you are obviously more skilled, the tests will be greater."

Kyle suppressed a wince. "When do we begin?"

"Patience," Yoda commanded. "Performed by anyone present, they have not. Require guidance and thought, they do. In the future, others may take."

"You're expecting other Jedi to start popping out of the woodwork?" Kyle was surprised, he certainly didn't expect that to happen! All his impressions about the old Order said it was pretty monolithic. Even Luke thought so!

"Not as such," Kit Fisto said. "However, we must accept the reality that smaller sects that have chosen to hide from us for their own reasons may now come forth to aid the Republic in their own ways. The Republic, in its ignorance, would mistake them for real Jedi, and send them to us, and we must be prepared to welcome them."

Kyle could see that point of view. And other ones which weren't so benevolent. "And I'm the first test subject then?"

"Correct," Mace said. "We still need time to review the protocols and prepare the Tests. If there is anything you wish to say now?"

"Not really," Kyle said. "I'd like to get started. The sooner, the better."

"Very well." Mace indicated the exit. "Go. Prepare yourself for the tests. We will summon you when they are ready."

Kyle bowed again, and turned around to head for the exit.

Jedi Archives

Kyle had no idea what to expect from the Tests. Going to the Archives, he sat himself down at one of the terminals, and began to read up on them. Information was easy to find, but there was just so much. Groaning, he leaned back in his chair, wondering just how badly off he had jumped in to things again.

"A problem?" The nice old woman who introduced herself as Master Nu said as she approached.

"Oh, just the usual. How about you? Anything I can help with?"

Jocasta smiled warmly. "No, I think not. Much has been said about you, Katarn. How you brazenly walked into the Temple. Borrowed a Master's clothes, and did a great many other things."

"Please, call me Kyle." He stood up and offered his chair to the older woman. "Thanks for setting Jan up last time. She found what she was looking for."

"That is very good to hear," Master Nu said. "We have been scouring our archives for further damage caused by Dooku after he left." She took the seat.

"So, I guess this means that you've also heard about what the Council is having me do?"

"Of course! The rumours are flying every which way!" Jocasta gestured with one hand, then the other to show off the randomness of it all. "And here you are, in my Library, trying to prepare for something no one has seen in 25 generations, or more!"

"Is that a vote of confidence I hear?" Kyle said as he looked around, noting that some of the locals were looking at him, only to avert their gaze when caught in the act.

"Confidence in the Force will be key, not any words I could say!" the Librarian objected.

Kyle understood what was being said there. "Can you help?"

"I thought you'd never ask! What did you need help with?"

"Well, the Test of Skill, based on what I'm seeing, is something I can handle without any difficulties." Kyle was absolutely certain of that. Lightsaber combat was something he could handle.

"And the others?"

"Just need to research." He said, indicating the workstation he was at.

"Well, how about I test you?"

Kyle raised his eyebrows. "Really? I don't want to take you from your duties."

"No, a good quiz helps keep my mind sharp as well." Jocasta Nu said. "I do this with many of those who come here, looking for knowledge."

He could see that, so Kyle nodded. "Alright. Where did you want to begin?"

"Let us start with something simple, perhaps?" Nu put one finger to her lip in concentration. "What is the Jedi Code?"

"That is simple." Kyle said. "Emotion, yet Peace. Ignorance, yet Knowledge. Passion, yet Serenity. Chaos, yet Harmony. Death, yet the Force."

Jocasta did not seem impressed by his answer. "We do not use that Code," she said. "Why does your sect say such things?"

Kyle had this argument with Luke before. The information dumped into his head by the Valley of the Jedi was a thousand years out of date, so his opinions and Luke's – who was taught by Yoda – were a nice contrast, and Luke liked those discussions to help him make his decisions.

"You're using the "There is no whatever, there is this other thing." format, aren't you?" Kyle said. "Right. The Jedi Code as you know it is a.. reduction. It acts to guide its adherents through removing untoward distractions. Essentially a purity of thought that leads to a purity of action." Kyle started to pace back and forth as he spoke.

"For you, There is no Emotion, there is Peace. Your Order stills themselves emotionally. Not stunting. I've seen too many argue that point, but you're not an emotionless droid. Far from it. For you, that part of the Code is the first step in better controlling yourselves."

"I practice the earlier version; Emotion, yet Peace. It teaches that our emotions are not something to be subdued, to be buried underneath and controlled rigidly. Rather they are an indelible part of us. We should make peace with our emotions, for they can lend us strength in times of duress, hold us back when we go to far. They are a blessing and a curse. We cannot have one without the other."

"Ignorance, yet Knowledge. This one, I don't think there's much of a difference between the two versions, except in how it's presented. The first step to learning is admitting to yourself that you know nothing. Our preconceived notions and biases can blind us, not only to the truth, but to other subjective viewpoints as well. I think that your version of the Code works a bit better in that it reminds people that ignorance is not the start or the end of us, but rather there will always be more knowledge to be had, for there is always something we are ignorant in."

"The third line shows a major breaking point between the two. In your Code, it is a repeat of the first line. It is a warning against excess, against the drive of emotion that can lead off the path those Jedi have chosen for themselves. On my side, it is a repeat as well, that we must accept ourselves without letting any one thing control us. We may have our passions, but they pull us in all directions, allowing us to find our serene center. Same point, different arguments. And given that so much has come from falling off this point, it makes sense that it is a warning bearing repeating."

"My Code has a line that has been dropped form yours. Chaos, yet Harmony. We recognize that the Galaxy is a dangerous and often unpredictable thing, full of seemingly random events. Yet the Force is in all things, all creatures, all around us. It brings a harmonious living unity to all the randomness that the Galaxy can and will throw at us. If I had to guess, I would have to say that the Order dropped this line because it didn't fit in with the notion that the Force is all around us. To admit to randomness as being part of everything would be very hard to explain."

"Lastly, the Force is with us always. Even in Death we can carry on." Kyle had seen Qu Rahn and his father as Force Ghosts. There was no way he could screw this one up. "Through the Force, we live, death can be just another phase of existence for those who live in the Force. Death? There is no Death? There is always the Force."

Kyle stopped talking, his throat a little dry. "Sorry about that. It's something I've talked about before. There are a lot more arguments to be had, but the guy I talked to – Master Luke – he and I pretty much agreed on those differences. He held to your version while I held to mine, and we enjoyed, well, him more than I, these discussions. It helped the both of us."

Jocasta Nu nodded. "If you can do so much with just the Creed, I think you will have no troubles with your Tests, Katarn. When I see you next, I wonder what your title will be?"

Kyle gave a half grin. "Whatever it is, please, call me Kyle."