14 Chapter 14: Crystal Stars 1

AN:

Right, I'm back.

At the beginning of February, I was promoted at work, which means more office hours, and less time to get to this - since my family comes first.In mid-February, I was diagnosed with Leukaemia. That knocked me right off, and the treatments and meds make me tired to such a degree that I have struggled to even read the stories I follow, let alone continue this.I am, however, starting to get better, though the update speed is dependent on previously mentioned work, family and treatment schedules.

...

Thanks for your patience with the delays, now, on with the story.

The sun was just creeping into the room as I growled as I looked at my private datapad. It was the one that contained the flight logs of the ship that brought me to Coruscant and the worlds of the Sith Empire – and was stored in my Inventory – but that was not what I was not what was making my anger grow.

What was grating on my nerves was the fact that every idea I had about how to delay, weaken and counter Sidious' plans seemed to boil down to the same underlying issue: Money. Whatever I could think of – beyond just assassinating the current Senator, which the PtB had suggested with the 'Sever the Head' quest would actually make things worse in the long term– were long, drawn out plans that would take time, effort and money. Lots and lots of money.

"I really need to figure out how I'm going to go against what is probably a massive, secret war-chest that the Sith have built up over a millennium, if not longer." I muttered as I looked at the list.

Develop my own army. Not clones, but loyal.

Create/take control of a mega-corp.

Found my own Force Order.

Accelerate the development of certain tech. (X-Wings, personal shielding, etc.)

Discover and colonise a safe harbour for Jedi/Force users.

Eliminate key people.

It was a short list on the surface, but each choice led to a separate document that held further ideas. Yet none could truly advance until I had access to millions, if not billions, of credits.

"I wonder if I can get Dooku to become Count without leaving the Jedi?" I mused, figuring that the title must've made him rich. That was based on what was seen of his private estate in the Clone Wars cartoons, but there was always a chance the title was more political than financial; like many minor members of the Royal family in Britain in my past life. Sure, they all lived very comfortably, but I think only Queen Elizabeth had much in the way of financial holdings; and even then, she wasn't close to being the richest person in Britain.

"Right so how do I make money?" I muttered as I tapped my finger on the table beside the pad as I sat quietly in my quarters. "I could invest in companies that create the battle-droids used by the Trade Federation, but even then, I need cash to do so." I growled once more. "Maybe I should just rob someone." I muttered with a small chuckle which petered out as I started to consider the random idea.

"Maybe I could rob someone. It's not like everyone in the galaxy are nice and deserve what they have. And I could use Compulsion to…" My self-discussion trailed off a small hatch in the wall near the door opened and a scuttle-droid rolled in. The things wandered around the temple constantly cleaning the floors while other droids cleaned the walls or carried supplies back and forth. "Buggers are everywhere." I mumbled as the droid sped around the room.

As I watched it speed around, my mind wandered as to how much access this droid – and its siblings – had to the Temple. They had to have access to every room in the place, sleeping quarters, training rooms, the hanger bay and council chambers. Heck probably even had access to the Holocron V…

'OK. Now that could be useful.' I thought as I focused on the small tan-brown droid. 'If droids have a way into the vault, then it is possible I could use it to gain access to the Holocrons.' I needed to get my computing skills to higher levels and I remembered I had a quest to do just that.

I called up the quest lists and expanded 'Just Don't Get Caught'.

'OK, the rewards don't kick in until I'm 16 it seems, but there is nothing stopping me from getting to the base levels earlier. And the three short term quests I have don't overlap so I don't have to worry about taking time for them from working on my other skills.'

Those three quests were Competent Duellist and Trainee Space Ranger/Ace. The first was just a push/reward to get Makashi to Professional 1 before the year was out while the two Trainee quests were to get the piloting skills for space and atmosphere to Adept 1 in the same timeframe. They had come to me once I had started flight training after the Initiate Trials had ended; about three weeks ago. It was interesting that Dragon Clan was being taught by Knight Lhan, one of the four Jedi the Council of First Knowledge had recommended for me to take as my trainer.

I was not going to refer to whomever it was – if it was anyone as I was still considering just going solo, though I was less keen to do so now that I realised Sidious knew about me – as Master as the term held issues with granting someone power/ownership over me. How the Jedi didn't see that Anakin must've felt the same I didn't understand but put it down to institutionalized blindness.

I was drawn out of my thoughts when the cleaning droid smacked into my foot.

"Damm it you little… Go away!" I growled. The droid ignored me but a small purple notice in my log drew my attention.

Force Power Usage: CompulsionPower Failed!Half XP granted for the attempt.…

NOTE:Droids are immune to Compulsion/Mind Probe/Memory Rub…

"Huh?" I mumbled out as I read the notice. I could get XP for Compulsion by using it on droids; though it wouldn't work successfully. That was broken as hell, but I was so going to exploit it over the coming years. Assuming Mind Probe and Memory Rub were what I suspected they were – reading and manipulating minds – and that they were advanced forms of Compulsion like how Lightsaber TK was to TK, then if I could get all three to high enough levels, I could simply take control of certain individuals. Though it would take a long, long time to get the powers levelled up as Compulsion was 250FP a pop and I had to assume the others would be even more expensive/taxing to use.

"Something to work towards, without making it a quest." I added to prevent my interface from offering another quest. This was going to be a slow, background plan that I didn't want interfering with my current, and future, short-term quests.

Was I abusing the powers I had? Probably, but why shouldn't I use and abuse them to give myself the best chance to succeed and survive in this galaxy.

I went back to watching as the droid as it continued to move around the room and hit it with Compulsions until I ran out of FP, then became bored as it kept cleaning then I began to think about where the main control system was for the cleaning and maintenance droids in the temple, and how easy/difficult it would be to access that room.

'I imagine it is behind multiple locked doors with cameras and other security measures in place to avoid tampering. Hmm, entering the room would be difficult, however, if I was to install a worm into a cleaning droid, it might upload that to the central computer. If programmed correctly, I could have the computer transfer everything that happened in the Temple to an outside server, provided it had network access, which I could then pursue at my leisure. Damm, that seems like…' "Fuck!" I spat out as my train of thought led me to realise that I may have just found a huge flaw in the Temple's security.

I lifted my datapad and quickly opened another file. This file covered the ways that the Sith could monitor/spy on the Jedi. I suspected they must have access to Senate records – especially since Palpatine was a Senator – but I hadn't considered they could actively spy on the Jedi themselves.

"Great, so I just found a potentially major security flaw. I would assume the Jedi have closed that flaw, but if they haven't…" My voice trailed off as I stared at the droid as it left my room. "Well fuck."

I dropped the datapad back in my Inventory and exited the room, planning to find someone to tell. But who to talk to?

Dooku and Sifo-Dyas were out. While both were respected and Sifo-Dyas sat on the High Council, both talked regularly with Palpatine so he could ask them subtlety who had closed the flaw; which would draw his attention to me even more.

Fay, while someone held in high regard by other Jedi, was not a regular to the Temple, so I doubted she had much understanding of the daily activities that went on here. Lhan was a new Knight, so lacked authority.

"Guess I need to find Yoda or Windu then." I murmured to myself as I walked the quiet corridors. Now just to find them. The most likely places at this time in the morning were either the mess halls or a meditation room. But which way to go?

"Ug."

"Damm." I spat as I crashed to the floor having bounced off someone and fallen backwards.

"Cameron? Are you alright?" A male voice asked, and I looked up to see Master Giiett looking down at me with a slightly creased brow.

"Yes sir. Just was lost in thought." I replied as he helped me stand before I gently patted my robe. "Sorry for not looking where I was going."

"I believe we were both guilty of that Cameron." He countered as he reached down and picked up a datapad. "What has you moving so fast this early in the morning?"

I opened my mouth to mutter out a half-hearted excuse when it occurred to me that Master Giiett might just be the Jedi I needed to talk to. He was a High Council member and a Sentinel; a Jedi charged with hunting down Dark Side users and their influence across the galaxy. Sure, he and the rest were missing the Sith Lord in the Senate, but otherwise, I felt he was competent at his job.

"I, I think I've found a security breach." I said slowly. "I might be wrong, but I have feeling that I'm not."

Giiett's brow creased as he looked down at me. "And what is this breach you believe you have found?"

I mentally thanked him for not just ignoring my concern as I think some of the other High Council members might.

"I…" I paused as another cleaning droid – though it could've been the same one as from my room – shot across the floor behind him. "I would rather discuss that in private. Away from anything that could monitor us." I said slowly, tilting my head to the droid.

Giiett's eyes caught my movement before drifting skywards for a moment. "Hmm. Perhaps that would be for the best. Come." He turned and walked back the way he had come from and I quickly fell into step beside him.

"I saw the recordings of your performance in the Initiate Trials," he began as we entered an elevator, "and read the reports from the Council of First Knowledge. I had expected you to do well in the Trials, but phasing, teleporting and showing an interest in Makashi?" He chuckled and shook his head. "There is doing well, and then there's rubbing everyone else's faces in the dirt."

"I… that was not my intention." I countered slowly as we exited the elevator and I noted we were now on levels that Initiates were restricted from going to unaccompanied. "I simply knew I had to think outside the box if I wanted to do well."

Giiett laughed and shook his head. "You did more than 'well', Cameron. You shattered the course record for the obstacle course. And I mean the temple record, not the Initiate one. And you made Master Dooku smile."

"What?" I couldn't help but stumble and blurt out at that comment. While I respected Dooku's ability with Makashi, and actually enjoyed the gruff no-nonsense manner he had – probably as it reminded me of my old life – I had never seen the slightest hint the man could smile.

Giiett laughed once more as he glanced at me. "He smiled. Sure, he tried hard to hide it, but I have known him since I was an Initiate." We entered a small room that was obviously an office of some sort as Giiett slipped around the desk and sat while indicating for me to do the same.

"Now, what is this concern you have?" He asked and I explained what I had considered about the droids and how someone could use them to monitor them every day, and restricted if the droids had access to the Council chambers, workings of the Jedi.

Through my short explanation – which avoided getting into why I was thinking about the droids and their programming – he sat there quietly and when I finished, he leaned back in his chair and tapped his forefingers on his chin while his hands were overwise interlocked.

"Hmm. I admit your concerns are valid. The droids, cameras and external data requests are all recorded by a central computer core. And while that is regularly checked to ensure it is free of external programs, it does link to a secure mainframe within the Senate." He tapped his forefingers a few more times against his chin. "I believe that this mainframe is also secure, but we are talking about politicians here…"

Normally that little comment would earn a small smile from me, but not today. "Who would have access to the mainframe?" I asked. Hopefully, I didn't come off as too curious/aware, but I had to get him thinking about the potential dangers that existed.

"To my knowledge that core is for the Chancellor, their staff, and select Senators. If any of them wished to know about what went on within the Temple, they are free to do so. However, if one of more of them were, persuaded, to provide copies of those activities, then we could be looking at a serious problem." It looked like he agreed with me, but the way his brow seemed to both lower and rise made me think he'd thought of something else that was a bigger threat than just knowing what Jedi did every day within the Temple.

We sat in silence as I pondered just what else beyond droid recordings could be on this Senate computer and Master Giiett's brow furrowed as he considered whatever was going through his head.

"Thank you for bringing this to me Cameron." He said as he suddenly leaned forward and placed his hands on the table. "I will discuss this with the High Council, and we will take appropriate actions to ensure this potential security breach is removed." His words were calm and relaxed, but the furrows in his brow didn't vanish.

"Yes sir." I hoped he could convince them to do something about it, but until I knew for certain, I was going to have to be very careful of what I did and said around the droids, or in any room with recording devices.

His nodded and leaned back as a small smile came to his face. "Now, what drove you to focus on Makashi when almost no-one, Knights and Masters included, do so?"

I shrugged. "The main part of the combat trail was one-on-one combat. Of the three Forms I had been shown, only one was designed for that was Makashi."

Giiett nodded as his smile grew a touch. "Yes, that is true. Most Jedi choose Soresu or Ataru, though I myself prefer Shien. And that is because I find myself dealing with an inordinately large number of blaster-wielding foes on my missions." He chuckled at what I had to assume was a private joke. "Are you staying with Makashi?"

Again, I shrugged. "For now, yeah. Though from my reading of history I do know there are far less Sith around than when I was born." That drew another chuckle. "Perhaps later I will study another Form, but not until I feel I have mastered my current one." And unlike the others, I had a built-in system that told me when I had done that. Once Form II was at Master, I planned to try to train up Shii-Cho and Soresu. Hopefully, by the time of Episode One I would have at least mastered those three Forms.

"Hmm, so you will be taking Dooku as you master?" Giiett asked as he leant forward.

"I have not decided on whom I wish to learn from, though all of the options given to me by the Council have their strengths."

Giiett shook his head, though he continued to smile. "Spoken like a diplomat. Your grandfather's teachings I assume."

"Yes sir." No that wasn't why I was being careful, but it was the best reason that anyone had come up with so far as to why I hadn't instantly picked a trainer. The others were pushing me to take various Jedi, though none suggested Dooku, and that was only after they got over their annoyance that I was being 'fast-tracked'. Actually, now that I thought about it for a second, Serra had never been annoyed. She had simply given me a massive smile and a nod before asking who was to be my 'Master'. Damm, I hated that term so I could only imagine how Anakin would feel about it.

"Very wise. Very wise. Now, is there anything else you wish to discuss? It is time for the morning meal and, while I do not know about you, I am famished." She asked as he stood.

"No sir." I replied as I stood even as I wished I could tell him about Palpatine and everything else, but the instructions for my power had said I couldn't just tell someone about what was to happen. And I had tested that last week when talking with Sifo-Dyas. Instead of saying Palpatine was a Sith Lord, I'd called him a smelly lady! It seemed I was going to have to hunt for the proof I needed after all.

He nodded and we walked out of the office to begin the day.

…

…

"May I join you?" I lifted my head at the request and saw Master Fay standing on the opposite side of the table that I was using in the Archives, a slight smile on her face as our eyes met.

I nodded and the elegant Jedi slid onto the bench beside me

"If I may ask, what are you reading?" She asked calmly.

I shifted the datapad to her as I answered. "I'm learning about my family." I replied. The datapad was currently showing an overview of Satele Shan's time with the Order.

After getting the clearance from the Council of First Knowledge, I'd spent an hour a day in the following week researching and reading about whatever I could find about Revan, Bastila and now Satele. The information contained in the Archives, or at least the freely available information, was nothing useful/impressive and did nothing to improve on what I knew of Raven and Bastila from the KOTOR video games.

Satele however, while mainly just a long, long list of bullet points about her career, was more helpful. I had never played TOR so apart from the name, I knew nothing about her.

"Ah, Satele Shan. I remember reading about her when I was a Padawan." She slid the datapad back to me and her smile had curved upwards. "It is a shame the public records are so, dry."

I felt my brow lift at her comment. For a normal child, it would've seemed innocent, but I caught the less than subtle markers suggesting she knew more than she was telling.

"Did Satele, or my great-grandparents, leave a recording or diary? Maybe even a holocron?" I asked, figuring I'd play her game to see if it led somewhere. Plus, the more time I got to spend around the lady the better. She easily put any woman I had ever met to shame with her beauty and the way she carried herself.

"Hmm, I believe that Grandmaster Satele did create a holocron after the war with the Sith, but I never checked if there was one from Revan or Bastila. Though I highly doubt it has survived to the present day. Ignoring their non-accepted views of marriage and family, the Sith attacked and held Coruscant during the war when Satele was Grandmaster of the Order." She paused and tapped her fingers on the table. "Still, if they had created a holocron, then I imagine Satele may have tried to save and protect it from the Sith. Revan was, a curiosity, too many, including myself."

"Truly?" I blurted out, and Fay's smile turned into a small grin.

"Yes. When I was but a Padawan, I admit to finding the story of the Prodigal Knight most… enjoyable." Her eyes wandered off to a spot before returning her gaze to me, her eyes seeming to bore right into my soul. If I was a normal child, I would've squirmed under the intensity of her gaze, but I did not.

"You have something of him in you. Oh, your face is different, as are your colourings, but I can see that same, certain something to you. The same energy that he seemed to radiate is within you. Many cultures have their own words or phrases to describe it, but personally, I like jate'kara."

"Jate'kora?"

"Jate'kara." She corrected quietly. "It translates into basic as 'a course to steer by'. It implies that someone has been touched by the Force, fate, or some other power, to be or do, something important. Though I imagine the galaxy at large tries its best to keep such people limited." She laughed a soft, musical laugh, and brushed a loose strand of hair out of her eyes.

"What do the tattoos mean?" I blurted out, as I had missed them when we had first met as I was distracted by her, but now I was curious about them, and I felt a heat build in my cheeks.

I almost engaged Player's Mind, but I didn't want to rely on that power too much or risk her wondering why I had suddenly become so in control of my emotions. Oh sure, The Jedi might preach about letting go of your emotions, but I was only three-quarters of a year into their 'training' and I knew that other Jedi showed emotion; case-in-point, the lady sitting with me, whose emotions were clear to see at my abrupt – ok rude – question.

She continued to smile even as her fingers traced the twin lines on her left cheek. "You are the first Jedi I have met in a very long time who has asked me about them." She sighed and looked away from me, towards one of the windows in the upper walls. "They are a reminder of something that happened a long time ago."

I felt my brow rise in surprise at her seeming admission of having cared deeply, if not loved, someone long ago and I kept my mouth shut as she continued to look out of the window; her brow having drooped, as had her smile. Figuring she needed time, I returned to reading about my great-great-whatever niece.

"How does your training go?" I lifted my head to see she was now looking at me once more, her face calm again.

I shrugged. "It's fine. The flight lessons with Knight Lhan are helping to pass the time and I am learning more every day."

"And?" She probed, her lips twitching upwards at my neutral answer.

I sighed and looked around to make sure we were alone. "I'm bored! I mean, the others have spent their entire lives growing up here. It's home. But for me…" I stopped there, unsure of how to exactly phrase my mounting frustration.

"It is just a place. Nothing more. Indeed, it probably feels like a prison." She finished for me and laughed at my surprise/shock at her so easily hitting the nail on the head. "I am much like you in that regard. Oh, I was raised here from before I can remember, but I always felt a… pull to leave. To explore the galaxy. Many Jedi are the same but most still regard the Temple as home, but to me, it is nothing but a place now." She paused and now it was her turn to glance around before leaning closer.

"I should not probably say this, but I do not like this planet. It feels like a world basking is decay and deceit. That feeling has only grown stronger over my time away from here and even now, in this great Temple, that feeling of decline is clear to me."

"Have, have you spoken to others about this?" I asked, genuinely curious as to if she could feel the corruption of the Sith and the plans that were coming to fruition, and if she'd informed anyone of her sensations.

"No. I have not mentioned it to anyone here. Indeed, I am unsure as to why I even mentioned it to you." She paused and stared into my eyes, tilting her head in the process. "You are far older than you appear and something about you guided the Force to return me here."

"Well, I am technically three-and-a-half thousand years old." I replied, hoping to deflect her attention as a tingle went up my spine.

She smiled at the bad humour. "Yes, while your legal age is far older than anyone else, that is not what I meant." She leaned forward and her hands lifted my head gently. "Your body is young, yet your inner energy, the part of you that is both part of the Force, and yet not, is older." Her hands left my cheeks, yet I could still feel their touch, and she sat back.

"Jate'kara." She said that word once more and gave me a smile as her head tilted to the side. "The Force has marked you, of that I am certain. And I believe you already know this."

I opened my mouth to deny her statement but paused. She was right in that I was here with a purpose, but just not one of the Force's making. No, just my own choice and the power of someone/thing far beyond the Force. So I decided to play on it to probe in my own way.

"I have heard others hint at something similar. A prophesy about a 'Chosen One'." I didn't hide my annoyance at them thinking I could be their saviour as I left that prophesy dangling.

Fay laughed even as her brow rose. "Yes, I imagine many would think that way. The child of the Prodigal Knight, sent across time and space, having killed a pair of Sith without any formal training. How could the masses not believe you were a gift from the Force?"

"I only killed one Sith, and that was blind luck." I felt the need to correct that point.

"And yet that is what no less than five Masters told me you had done; including one rather frustrated member of the Council." She chuckled softly and shook her head. "People always look for a cause, an ideal, a champion. They are willing to follow without truly understanding and that often leads to more problems than it solves."

Before I could ask what just she was on about, she stood.

"Forgive me, but I have taken up too much of my time and have an appointment with Master Yoda."

"Any time spent with one so wise and beautiful is well spent." I replied, though I instantly wondered why I had just attempted to flirt with her.

Her musical laughter filled the air. "Such a charmer. Already I fear for my fellow females when you reach your majority."

She continued to laugh as she turned and walked away, and while I shouldn't have, I watched her go.

She stopped just as she was about to disappear from my view and my gaze moved upwards to meet hers. While I couldn't hear her, I could see her laugh a little as our eyes met and I felt the heat return to my cheek. 'Dammit! I'm meant to only be 8! I need to act like it or others might suspect something is off about me.'

Fay shook her head even as she smiled and resumed walking, leaving my field of vision.

The moment she did, I remembered about the Cleansing the Temple quest and felt an urge to smash my head against the table. I should've said something to her about it, maybe hinted that I felt something off below the main Temple and see if I could persuade her to take me on a trip downwards.

"I will have to remember to mention it to her the next time we talk." I muttered though I didn't know when that would be. Today was the first time since meeting Fay that I had spoken to her, and one of the four months for me to select my trainer had already past.

Fay was the only one of the four Jedi Masters who I hadn't talked with until today, though my only words with Dooku were regarding my lightsaber training. Sifo-Dyas and Lhan both actively sought me out for conversation. Truthfully, Lhan's continual need to ask me a question first during flight classes/training was annoying everyone in Dragon Clan and had quickly soured me on choosing the only Jedi confirmed to be leaving the Temple that might become my trainer.

…

The original idea for the Competent/Trainee quests came from Blaze1992, so thanks to him for the idea.

Right, the poll for Cameron's Jedi Master is stopping as it's just a straight choice between Dooku and Fay (the gap between them is less than Sifo-Dyas and an OC combined!)

Since the votes are close, I will try to work it so both are involved in Cameron's training.

...

With this chapter, I am going to do a poll for the colour of Cameron's 1st lightsaber. Choices will be;

Traditional (Blue, Green, Yellow)

Variant (Sapphire, Emerald, Amber)

Unusual (Purple, Copper, Burgundy)

Special (White/Silver, Prismatic[multicoloured], Gold ?) - Here is open to submissions for options as I'm drawing a blank beyond the 3 listed.

This will run for 1/2 chapters, then the winning choice will be made into a poll for the final colour while he goes to Ilum and collects the crystal.

...

Cast your vote on the poll on the profile page.