Chapter 64 – Jedi High Council

Meanwhile, on Coruscant,

The death of Exar Kun they perceived as a fluctuation in the force made the Jedi Order interrogate themselves as to what could be the origin of this ripple. It felt like the death of a powerful force-user, but not quite.

The Jedi High Council gathered to find an answer at this question. All were here either in the flesh or as holograms.

Grandmaster Yoda, Mace Windu, Shaak Ti, Saesee Tiin, Even Piell, Eeth Koth, Adi Gallia, Plo Koon, Deepa Billaba, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Coleman Trebor.

"Gathered we have, to find the origin of the disturbance in the Force."

The small green individual and grandmaster of the order seated in a seat announced with his so famous elocution.

"As each of you informed us, this ripple was felt all across the galaxy. After meditating, we still were unable to identify the cause, but we located the origin as being in the Gordian Reach. It will take us time to find where exactly. We should send Jedis to investigate."

Mace Windu explained to all others after Yoda finished speaking. After feeling the ripple in the force, three of them undergone a deep meditation session to unravel the mystery.

"Maybe someone activated a relic of the past. The Gordian Reach is a dangerous area, lots of Siths were active in this sector in the past. If an unsuspecting explorer activated an ancient Sith artifact, he may have unleashed a danger on him and others."

"Some Siths relics of the past are enough of a threat to affect the whole galaxy. If this hypothesis is correct, then it will become our priority."

Shaak Ti, the master Jedi elected as a member of the council a bit more than one year ago hypothesized while thinking to the cause of such a powerful ripple.

Before the others could expose their arguments, a signal of holo-transmission echoed in the room. The message must have been deemed as extremely important, as otherwise the signal would never have been transmitted in the council room.

Yoda used the force to allow the communication. Seconds later, the hologram of a beautiful and famous woman appeared in the room.

"Master Fay, a pleasure it is to see you."

The person was master Fay who just fought with Layan, Ood and Vima not long ago. Her presence took aback most of the council's members as she was so strong, wise and prestigious that she could have become a council member long ago, and the fact that years could go by before they hear of her once again.

"A pleasure to me as well, master Yoda. As the council is gathered, I assume you felt the ripple in the force. I have the information's you must be searching for."

"Do tell, master Fay. It will shed light on the overall picture."

At master Windu's solicitation, Fay started her tell.

"Yesterday, a vision of the Force came to my mind. Following it, I arrived on Yavin 4 in the Gordian Reach several hours later. On site, three peoples were waiting for me. I'm sure you will be more than surprised after I tell you their identities."

Seeing master Fay acting so mysterious got the attention of all the masters as she was usually direct.

"Please tell us."

Master Yoda told her as he was intrigued too.

"A young Mirialan with golden skin in his early twenties with a tremendous connection to the force, I felt as if I was standing next to a nexus. This young man is still a mystery for me, but his connection to the force isn't the only special thing about him. He is studying the two sides of the force and using it in harmony."

This revelation only surprised the masters, as to impress at such a degree master Fay who was said to be one of the strongest of the Jedi Order next to Windu and Yoda, the young man must be impressive.

"The two sides of the force? You're sure he wasn't a dark Jedi hiding his force signature?"

Master Windu was skeptical, as he was one of the strictest of the order. If such a person was a dark Jedi, then he may be a threat and needed to evaluate what he is exactly. They did the same thing for the Nightsisters, they were proved to use the dark side but not dangerous or belligerent, hence the Jedi Order keep watch on them but don't use any punitive measures.

But the Nightsisters were a bit of an exception, the Jedi Order was after all akin to a religious order, and were hardly tolerating teachings going against theirs, the proof being who was the cause of the first schism.

"Absolutely sure, I saw him used skills exclusive to dark and light side. And I'm almost certain his companions wouldn't tolerate a dark Jedi, even less a Sith. As for them, they are more than trustworthy."

"Who are they?"

A smile came to Fay's face as she got some good news for the order. She took a small pause before answering Deepa Billaba's question.

"You know them really well. The two of them are long lost member of our order. Vima-Da-Boda and Ood Bnar."

No interrogation or cry of stupor echoed, a complete silence, but all of them had a surprised expression written all over their faces.

"Happy to hear news about Vima, I am, but killed by Exar Kun thousands of years ago, Ood Bnar was. Or at least we believe so."

"Exactly, Ood Bnar confronted Exar Kun and lost, he was unable to leave Ossus before the catastrophe, but he survived using a Force Trance. He was awakened recently by the young man I talked about previously."

"You're sure it was him and not another Neti?"

Mace Windu was really doubtful, Netis were amongst, if not longest-lived species of the galaxy, but to survive the catastrophe that fell on Ossus after an exhausting fight after one of the most infamous man of history appeared like a crazy idea.

"This Neti is Ood Bnar, there is no mistake possible."

"He didn't join you or asked about the Jedi Order?"

Plo Koon inquired as he was interested as to why the Neti legendary master wasn't here by Fay's side, talking with them. If he really was kept in stasis during thousands of years, then why was he so uninterested by the Order?

"No, and he refused to answer any question before departing the planet. I don't even know about their destination."

"Surprising are Master Ood actions and mysteries still surrounding his reappearance are."

While Yoda was thinking, Shaak Ti wanted to know more about the events which took place on Yavin 4.

"What happened on this moon to unleash such a ripple in the force?"

"Here again, you will be surprised. We killed the remnant spirit of Exar Kun who survived the Jedis assault thousands of years ago."

Shaak Ti was totally taken aback by the answer and she wasn't the only one. All the members of the council were.

"Exar Kun really found a way to immortality? Most of the retellings of the battle were lost but on those left, they talk about a ritual which was interrupted by an orbital assault. It's astonishing to think about it. A Sith found a way to become immortal or at least becoming something near it."

Coleman Trebor exclaimed with stupefaction. If other Siths of the past survived in a similar way, then the Jedi should start to explore all the ruins indicated in the archives.

"Disturbing our lack of knowledge, or rather incorrect knowledge is."

"I agree, to think that a Sith Lord as powerful as Exar Kun survived, and we were unaware of it is grandly disturbing."

Saesee Tiin agreed with Yoda, but some Jedis already knew the cause of it, like Yoda himself and Ki-Adi-Mundi.

"I did extensive research about the past and compared it with some rarer documents I found during my travels and concluded one thing. Most of the records of this epoch, 'The Great Sith War' were tempered with by the jedis or historians as they were ashamed of how they were unable to protect the galaxy."

The jedis pondered these words, wondering if the Jedis of old weren't knowing about Exar Kun's survival or if they deliberately hide this fact.

"How did they know about Kun's survival? If you think about it, Master Ood couldn't know about it as his trance began before Kun's fall."

None could answer this question, and Fay will soon add to the mystery.

"There is another point, I have to tell you. Vima and Ood told the same thing about Layan Vaherg, the young Mirialan. Both of them said it was the force who guided him to them. I don't know what his future is, but he will have a deep impact in our galaxy."

All of them pondered these words as the young man became more and more mysterious to their eyes. Not only was he strong, using both sides and hence could become a threat if he lost his ways, but the force may be guiding his actions toward prestigious and lost members for whatever reasons.

"The times are changing, and unprepared we are."

"How is it that we never heard of this young man before? He was strong enough to take part in a fight against the spirit of an ancient Sith and found lost members of our order. Who trained him? And where does he come from?"

At Shaak Ti interrogation, most of them were deep in thoughts until Yoda started to establish a plan to solve this matter of fact.

"On Ossus, a group of Jedi will be deployed and searched for recent events on the planet they will. On Mirial, Master Luminara will go to find the origin of the young man."

"I agree with your reasoning, master, but his name sounds more human than Mirialan. He may have been adopted or disavowed his own name. Our only clues are his rare skin tone and facial marking he may have tattooed after leaving Mirial."

Mirialan's tattoos are special and hold a meaning behind each one. Shapes and form were denoting the actions of the Mirialan in his life and will be used to judge the contributions to the culture. They were no special tattoos marking a clan or a birthplace, but could still be used as a way to find his origins.

At Plo Koon comment, Yoda nodded before answering.

"True it may be, but our only clues they are."