Chapter 8

“There’s the hangar,” Malik said, peering through his electrobinoculars. “A couple of patrols, nothing too bad. The entrance is still sealed up, so I bet they think nobody can get in that way.”

“Now we just gotta figure out how to get in unnoticed,” Serra muttered.

“Sir, I’m back!” Rex said, walking up behind them.

“What did you find, Rex?”

“Nearby sewer line leading directly from the Jedi Temple. We should be able to get into the hangar that way.”

“Perfect. Lead on.”

The Jedi followed Rex as he turned down a back alleyway, spying a grating on the ground ahead of them. Malik and Rex lifted it open for Serra, slipping into the sewer and closing the grating behind them. The stench was foul, but the tunnel was just large enough that they could hunch over and walk, rather than having to crawl through the muck. After a few minutes, Serra found another grating in the ceiling, pushing it up a bit to peek into the room.

“All clear,” she said, popping up onto the floor of the hangar.

Rex and Malik soon joined her, finding the hangar deserted and undisturbed from their last visit.

“Huh ... that’s odd,” Malik said. “We were under attack when we escaped from here, but it looks like they haven’t so much as touched this place since that day. I wonder why?”

“Don’t know, but I think we need to focus on Blut,” Rex replied. “As Serra said, we’re on the clock. The longer we stand around, the more likely we are to get caught.”

“Agreed,” Malik said. “Let me think ... if I were Blut, where would I hide?”

“I’d say in a location easy to fortify for long periods of time, somewhere with immense security even in the days of the Order,” Serra mused.

“Hmm ... by that logic, I think I know where he is: the holocron vault.”

“Of course! With the right defenses, it could take the Empire weeks, even months to penetrate it!” Serra agreed.

“Where is it?” Rex asked.

“In the center of the basement floor, under the main spire. This way,” Malik said, marching down a nearby hallway.

The trio crept through the Temple as quietly as they could, checking for Imperials around every corner, yet they encountered none. For all the fears they harbored of being captured, the entire structure seemed abandoned. Before long, they reached the end of a hallway, a large circular door standing ahead of them.

“Here we are,” Malik said.

“Now how do we get in? Only the Jedi Council has access,” Serra reminded him.

“Hmm ... I’ve got an idea. Rex, keep a lookout for trouble.”

“Got it.”

“Ok, see how much you can do with the Force access, Serra.”

Serra stretched out her hand and concentrated, attempting in vain to gain access to the vault. As she struggled, Malik did not seem worried. She intensified her focus, and Malik stepped forward to try the next part of his plan. Drawing on the power of lightning, he released a small amount of electricity from his hand into the main security panel, overriding the circuits that prevented Serra from gaining access. After a few seconds of this action, the panel turned green, and the vault door began to open with a hiss.

“Nice!” Serra remarked.

“I doubt Yoda would mind; he did proclaim us Jedi Masters, after all.”

“HAH!”

The sound of a lightsaber powering up startled the pair, and Malik drew his weapon on instinct. Within moments, he found his blue blade clashing with a bright gold one, the owner a Pau’an male that Malik recognized right away.

“Topal! Topal, it’s me! Malik!”

“Huh? M ... Malik Ran?” the Temple Guard asked, backing away and into the vault. “I ... I’m so sorry. I thought you were...”

“It’s alright, don’t worry about it. Serra and I got your message.”

“Oh, I’m so relieved,” Blut sighed, collapsing to the floor of the vault.

“Topal, your message mentioned that you were being hunted. Who was hunting you?” Serra asked, stepping into the vault with Malik.

“Hmm? Oh yes, that ... I do not know who was hunting me, but I believe I have managed to elude them. Tell me, are there more Jedi survivors, or is it just the two of you?”

“Only us that we’ve found,” Malik answered, deciding to keep Yoda’s location a secret for the time being.

“Ah ... well then, I suppose there is no reason to delay,” Blut said.

“What?” Malik asked in confusion.

Before either Malik or Serra could react, the vault door was flung shut by the Force, latching itself into place. They were trapped.

“All too easy,” came a female voice.

Serra spun around, exclaiming, “Barriss Offee?!”

“You remember me ... what an honor,” she replied.

“How could we forget a terrorist like you,” Serra seethed. “Detonating a bomb in the Temple, framing Ahsoka Tano for the crime ... you disgust me.”

“Good to see you too, Serra,” she smirked. “Blut, seeing as our plan has worked to perfection thus far, shall we?”

“It would be my greatest pleasure.”

Simultaneously, they drew their weapons, Offee a pair of curved-hilt crimson lightsabers, Blut a gold saberstaff, the traditional weapon of the Temple Guards.

“Your fall ... will be my rise,” Blut hissed as he approached Malik.

Malik activated his weapon to block, soon finding himself locked blade-to-blade with Topal Blut. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied Serra engaged in a furious bout with Barriss Offee, her twin green lightsabers whirling in every direction to defend. Malik still couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

“Topal ... why?”

Two days earlier

Barriss Offee sat alone in her prison cell, pondering her solitude. It mattered not that the Jedi Order had fallen, as she had heard from the guards; she was still branded a terrorist. She would remain imprisoned for the rest of her life. Some nights, she wished they would simply execute her instead. Still, she regretted nothing she had done. The Jedi had become the evil they swore to defeat, and had to be stopped ... by any means necessary. As she sat in meditation, she was startled back to reality by the door to the cellblock opening. She heard footsteps approaching, slow yet powerful, as well as a terrifying breathing sound.

“Barriss Offee...”

Offee sat in awe at the figure before her. Well over two meters tall and clad in fearsome black armor, she could only guess at whom she was now speaking to. The guards had talked of him, but the real thing was far more intimidating than any of their descriptions.

“Are you ... Darth Vader?”

“I am indeed.”

“Wha ... What do you want?”

“To offer you ... an escape.”

“Escape? You’re saying I could be released?” she asked eagerly.

“It is possible, if you fulfill certain conditions.”

“Of course! What must I do?”

“The Emperor has seen the tremendous potential within you. A powerful Jedi you once were, and powerful you can be again. You were among the first to see the corruption inherent within the Jedi Council, and you were the first to do something about it. Those actions tell me all I need to know. If you will serve me, if you will learn the ways of the Dark Side of the Force, then I will raise you up to such power. In time, you may become ... my apprentice.”

“Dark Side? No, I don’t use the Dark Side!” she protested.

“Are you quite sure? Shall I remind you of what you did to Letta Turmond?”

Before Offee could respond, she began to feel her throat contracting around her and her airway being blocked. She was being choked ... with the Force.

“This is what you did to Letta Turmond to prevent her from identifying you as the bomber. You showed no mercy, the ends justified the means. As she stood in the very spot you now occupy, you ended her life ... and in doing so, became stronger than you ever had before.”

Vader at last released Offee, and she collapsed to her hands and knees, gasping for air as she reoriented herself.

“Do you still claim you do not use the Dark Side?” Vader asked her.

“No,” she admitted with resignation. She looked up into Vader’s helmet, unable to detect any emotion from him whatsoever. “If I serve you ... you will teach me? You will help me become more powerful than ever before?”

“If you will but follow my every command, yes.”

“Then I am yours, Master. What must I do?”

“The Jedi have been wounded, but a few individuals still persist. As long as they live, the future security of our galaxy will be threatened, just as it was when Master Windu attempted to overthrow the government. Thus, the Empire requires a team of individuals devoted to hunting down the remaining Jedi. You may possess the skills and determination to lead such a team.”

“I would love nothing more,” Offee replied.

“Good. You must begin by recruiting another member. We have identified a Jedi with enough self-doubt that he could be swayed to the Dark Side. Though he still clings to his training, he is vulnerable. If any could persuade him to join us, it would be you.”

“Me? Why me? Why not you, the Lord of the Sith? Surely you would have greater odds of success.”

“Because this Jedi is one you are acquainted with: Topal Blut, the last survivor of the Jedi Temple Guards. He was the one who escorted you to your hearing that fateful day in the Senate, during which you exposed the Jedi for what they had become. Blut heard every word you said, and he now doubts that he was ever on the right side with the news of Master Windu’s betrayal.”

“And seeing me again would remind him that he is not alone in those feelings,” Offee realized.

“Precisely. You possess a manner of control over him that no other could ever have. Your ideals have already begun his transformation through the Dark Side of the Force.” Vader deactivated the ray shields of the cell, continuing, “Go now. He hides in the Jedi Temple. Convince him to join us, and if he will not ... do what must be done.”

“But I am without a weapon, Master.”

“Ah yes ... I believe you are familiar with these.”

Vader reached behind him and took a pair of objects from behind his cape, handing them to Offee.

“No way ... the lightsabers of Asajj Ventress? I thought they were gone for good.”

“They were confiscated upon your arrest. With your pledge to serve the Emperor, he has seen fit to return them to you.”

Offee held the black weapons in her hands; how right they felt to her. She had never felt more powerful than when she had dueled that arrogant punk Anakin Skywalker. She had given him all he could handle, and it was only due to his stupid mechanical hand that he had bested her. She hoped in her heart that he was still alive ... so that she could end him herself.

Topal Blut sat in silence, his hideout secured as best as it could have been. He debated the events of the last several weeks without end, trying to make some sense of it all. Master Windu’s assassination attempt, the Clone Army turning on the Jedi, the formation of the Empire ... could it be that the Jedi were in the wrong from the very beginning? As he pondered, he attempted to gain some solace from the Jedi Code.

“There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is ... the Force.”

Try as he might, his inner turmoil would not subside. How could the Council have been so blind? How could they have allowed themselves to commit such acts of violence? Were they so afraid for their power that assassinating Chancellor Palpatine was their only course of action? None of it made any sense. He sighed in frustration, feeling the sensation of hunger coming on.

“I suppose I should venture out and try to find some food,” he muttered.

As he stepped into the quiet hallways of the Jedi Temple, Blut couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched ... or perhaps hunted. He sensed danger everywhere, and yet nowhere at the same time. What could this mean? Was the Force failing him? Was the Dark Side clouding his judgment? Trying his best to push his doubts from his mind, Blut pressed onward in search of some food. Rounding another corner, he could have sworn he heard the faint sound of a female voice, giggling mischievously.

“Who is there?! Show yourself!” the Pau’an demanded, keeping his saberstaff close at hand.

“Ooh, such a brave face ... but there is much fear in you, Topal Blut,” the voice said with another giggle.

“Identify yourself.”

“But of course.”

From out of the shadows came a slender figure wearing a black cloak and hood.

“Topal Blut ... it’s good to see you again,” said the individual as the hood lowered.

“What? Barriss Offee? But ... you were imprisoned for treason!”

“I’ve been paroled, as it were.”

“Paroled? By whom?” Blut asked, not letting his guard down for an instant.

“By Emperor Paplatine himself. In light of recent events, he has gained greater insight into the context of my actions. That is actually why I have been sent to find you.”

“I don’t understand.”

Offee walked slowly towards him, remaining as calm and nonthreatening as she could appear to be.

“Topal, you were there in the Senate when I was arrested and branded a traitor. Do you remember what I said that day?”

“I ... I could never forget,” he admitted. “That the Jedi are the ones responsible for this war. That we’ve so lost our way that we’ve become the villains in this conflict. That we are the ones that should be put on trial – all of us. And my attack on the temple was an attack on what the Jedi have become, an army fighting for the Dark Side, fallen from the light we held so dear. This Republic is failing ... it’s only a matter of time.”

“Indeed. You remember well,” Offee marveled. “Tell me, what did I say that day that has not come to pass in the time since?”

“Nothing...”

“Exactly. The Jedi were the villains in the Clone War, and they knew it. They were so fearful of the people and the Senate turning against them that they felt they had no other choice than to assassinate the leader of the Republic. Master Windu, as great a Jedi as he may once have been, is guilty of greater treason than I could ever be capable of. This made the Emperor realize that I was right all along. Topal ... he has seen great things in your future. He knows that you know the truth, even if you are afraid to admit it. Our loyalty is to the Republic, now the Empire. This loyalty must be above all else, even the Jedi Order. That is why ... he wants you to join us.”

“And do what exactly?” Blut asked, still skeptical.

“To learn the ways of the Dark Side. To become stronger than ever before.”

“The Dark Side?! You’re mad!” he replied, igniting his weapon.

“Think about it, Topal. The Jedi were so obsessed with the Light Side, yet this obsession allowed the evils of war to befall the Republic. On Geonosis, it was all the Jedi could do to save their surviving comrades. They had neither the strength nor the determination to catch Count Dooku then and there and prevent the war from ever starting. If they had only focused a bit more on becoming stronger during times of peace, the Clone War would never have taken place.”

“I suppose ... and if the attack on the Chancellor was any indication, it may well be that such an action was their plan all along. The Jedi Council has long held the opinion that they are so in tune with the Force that their judgments should be final and all-encompassing,” Topal mused.

“You see, Topal? You know the truth as well as I. Blind devotion to the Light Side is what corrupted the Jedi Order. Only by drawing on the Dark Side could they have become strong enough to save all those countless lives lost to the ravages of war. They were so convinced that death is a natural part of life that they became desensitized to the death and destruction happening around them. Death may be a natural part of life, but if it can be prevented, it must be prevented! By any means necessary!”

“Still ... you know what you are asking me to do. You know that following you requires I turn my back on all that I have devoted my life to,” Blut whispered.

“Yes. But with the recent actions of the Council, given everything that has happened over the last four years, would you rather go down in history as just another Jedi, or as a man of courage who fought for justice regardless of which side was right? Please Topal. We need you. This is your chance at redemption from the stain on history left by the Jedi.”

Topal Blut gazed at Barriss Offee’s outstretched hand, pondering without end which way was best. He still believed in the Light Side of the Force, but if it had corrupted the Council, what would prevent it from corrupting him? Besides, there was nothing that said drawing on the Dark Side automatically makes one evil. Surely such strength would grant him the ability to do more good than he had ever done as a Jedi, wouldn’t it? With a slight grin, he deactivated his saberstaff and shook the delicate, feminine hand in front of him.