Chapter 57 – Revelations (1)

Sigh.

"How to explain such a delirious story without looking like a crazy man who escaped from a mental institution."

Layan sighed while thinking the best way to explain the situation to Lyn.

"I come from the future."

As usual, diplomacy and eloquence weren't Layan strong point. He was more of the kind to lead his group through his actions and not using his words.

Lyn on the other hand was totally stunned, seeing her master face, she knew it wasn't a joke. This made her realize how much she underestimated Layan's power. He found a way to travel back in time, it was worthy enough to put him in the same league as some of the strongest Sith and Jedis, not in terms of fighting ability, but at least in terms of creativity and understanding of the force.

"I expected at least a joke or a cry. The silence, it's not fun."

Lyn eyes were still round but Layan's word made her snap out of her trance Seeing that she was still not talking, he resumed his explanations still short for the time being.

"While I was dying, I found a way to send my mind back into the past and change the history as I knew it. Only problem, I've gone back farther in time than I thought, even before the Clone Wars."

"The Clone Wars? You mean…"

While Lyn soon understood what he was talking about as just six months ago, they visited a cloning facility filled with dozen thousands of clone soldiers.

"Yes, the same clones you saw on Kamino. Soon will be created the CIS, the Confederation of Independent Systems. As you may know or think it yourself, the Republic, in the eyes of many is a failing government, led by corrupted and greedy bureaucrats which stifled the voice of the world of lesser importance to the Republic."

"Yes, the dissention grew ever since the blockade of Naboo. Politics and all aren't my cup of tea but I know at least this."

While Lyn was still young and politic was bothering her, she heard his from her parents when they were discussing with their friends.

"While the secession was growing, a former Jedi Master who became disillusioned with the Order and the Republic stepped on the public stage and become the head of all these seceding nations, creating the CIS. Under his leadership, they created an army of droids and soon enough the war against the Republic started with the First Battle of Geonosis."

"The Dooku you were talking about?"

"Yes, one of the best Jedi of his generation, and disciple of Yoda, the current grandmaster of the order. A particularly fierce opponent with an almost unequaled level of mastery over form II Makashi."

Once again, she was surprised. The disciple of the grandmaster of the Jedi Order became the enemy and led an opposition force against the Republic.

"After this, battle after battle will happen all over the galaxy during 3 years. Thousands of clones will die, innocents will die, and sometimes be reduced into slavery. No one will realize that this war was bullshit until the very end."

"Bullshit?"

It was strange to imagine that someone could qualify a war as such but for those knowing the in and out of the Clone Wars, there was no other word.

"This entire war was a ploy to destroy the Jedi Order and establish a new regime built on terror."

"You mean that the Jedis were…"

"Annihilated and the few that survived had to hide to hope to live one more day."

While Layan was still looking at Satele Shan statue while telling his story, Lyn was gobsmacked at the idea of imagining the annihilation of the Jedi Order.

"But how? How could they be annihilated?"

"They were destroyed from the inside. The clone army was ordered by the Siths to begin with, they manipulated a Jedi Master who wanted to rearm the Republic in case if the Sith were to reappear. His wisdom was to create a countermeasure just in case of some jedis were to be going rogue, but he was manipulated and this safeguard would become the Jedi's downfall."

She listened to him but said nothing before he walked forward and stopped in front of a Jedi Master she knew because she often trained using her hologram, Shaak Ti.

"Going back into the past, the Siths became craftier as Darth Bane established the rule of two. The Sith lord at the origin of this galactic failure was the heir of Bane's legacy. He wasn't a man manipulated by his emotions and knew how to stay hidden and patient. He climbed the political ladder until reaching the position of Supreme Chancellor."

"If the Clone Wars ends in 5 years then it means that this Sith is the current chancellor?!"

This idea surprised her, as when she saw him on the news, she always saw him as an old and benevolent man.

"Exactly, Sheev Palpatine, but I know him as Darth Sidious or simply the Emperor."

"As the Supreme Chancellor, he met the Jedis several times, but they never were able to see through him. He was not only a master of the force but also a master of the blade able to fight with Yoda on equal ground. But his strongest skill was neither, but his ability to manipulate peoples."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember the story I told you about the Jedi who fell to the dark side and killed his wife in his rage?"

She had a bad feeling about it and knew the story would become even worse. Once again, she was right.

"Yeah."

"Palpatine corrupted him, making of him his new apprentice. Little bonus, just before he made the same man kill Sidious previous apprentice in front of him. Thus, Darth Vader raised, massacred the younglings of the Jedi Temple, killed the Jedis who thought of him as a friend and led the imperial troops."

"He used order 66 to make the clones kill their generals, the Jedis. Like I told you before few survived, either due to their skills or to the clones disobeying order 66. Palpatine justified order 66 claiming that the Jedis were planning a coup d'état. He was skilled at manipulating peoples and the liberty died under thunderous applause to give birth to a totalitarian regime, the Galactic Empire."

Once he said that, Layan made silence and waited for Lyn's question. And he was almost certain to know which one will be the first.

"Why did you tell no one? We should warn the Republic!"

"Because the Empire's roots are already all over the Republic and the current Jedi Order is a declining order which may as well collapse by itself if left alone for a few decades. During the Clone Wars, treason and defections were happening one after another. Why should I save an already dying system?"

Layan's statement took her aback. She knew he may be cold and pragmatic when it comes to take important decisions but this is unthinkable, even for him.

"The New Jedi Order…"

"Is made to replace the old one. A new Order voided of the defects of the previous one. Given the name, you may have guessed it long ago."

This time, she wasn't totally surprised as the name itself was a dead giveaway, but it was strange to think he would destroy to build anew.

"And what are you planning for the Republic?"

"To cleanse it."

"How?"

"In blood. If the opportunity arises by using diplomacy."

"What do you mean by cleanse it in blood? You want to destroy it?"

This time she was really frightened that maybe her double she saw in the cave during her trial may have been right.

"No, I know every future imperial inside the Republic. I plan to kill them one by one until the Republic can work properly by itself. Think to it, the Republic forbade slavery but are tolerating it. During the Clone Wars, politicians of the Republics had a hand with the Separatists who reduce Twi'leks into slavery."

"What do you want of me?"

Lyn whispered while thinking about everything he told her. He was planning to assassinate a good number of peoples and maybe let others die.

"Follow me. I'll need help to foil Palpatine's plans and change the Republic for the better. I need you."

She was pondering. Everything came so fast and she now had to choose for her future way of life. She resented the Republic, she was a Twi'lek and became a slave and knew about the Republic looking away when it serves its interests.

Lyn was unable to choose what to do with only these few pieces of information's, she needed more. To her, it was just as important as knowing his objectives, she wanted to know him better.

"Tell me about you. You told me about the future's events, but nothing about yourself."