Notami

2002 short story by Louis Turfrey and Mark Newbold

Twenty-one years before Episode IV – A New Hope

   “Notami De’Athe, you stand before us today on charges of misusing the Force and for disobeying the most basic rules and teachings of the Jedi Order. How do you plead?”

Master Jedi Mace Windu looked directly into my eyes, and I could not look away.

   “I plead guilty to both charges, with mitigating circumstances.”

The murmur of background voices increased in volume. Master Windu raised his hand and the murmurs died. I could sense him probe my mind and I didn’t resist. I wanted him to know the levels of emotion that I felt, how I had in turn felt betrayed. Windu nodded, as if understanding my predicament.

   “So be it. From now on you are no longer a Jedi. No Jedi will recognise you as a member of the order. You will be cut off from any form of practical aid. You may not teach the Jedi disciplines.   To do so will invite tribunal or imprisonment.”  Windu fixed me with a steely gaze.  “May the Force be with you.”

That was that. I left the chamber, collected my few personal belongings and was escorted to a taxi on one of the upper floors. I was handed a few credits, my own funds now depleted, and the taxi was given a location. I knew I was supposed to do as they asked, and accept it with grace, so I waited. Thirty seconds into the flight I reprogrammed the droid pilot to take me to my new quarters, ones that my new bride had arranged for me.

One of the very first things we are taught when we accept the path of a Jedi is to shun the emotions that might tempt us towards the dark side. But I’m getting ahead of myself.  First of all, let me point out that I did indeed learn some dark side teachings, but that was well before I met the woman who is now my wife. 

Let me take you back a while…

Emotions like hate, anger and love are all either generalised or brought under control by the teachings of the Jedi Order. It is a necessity, for it gives us greater access to the Force and avoids us falling prey to the dark side. However, I had long since grown weary of the teachings and was looking to expand my knowledge. I searched through many archives, and during those searches found vague references to a Sith Holocron. Not only had it existed from the time of Exar Kun, but I learned that it was stored at the Jedi Library on Coruscant. And as the Battle of Jabiim had just erupted, and a Jedi of some distinction I had access and a distraction.

It took little effort to find the device, my inner self being so attracted to its dark allure. Apart from an ancient alarm device there was no form of protection. How complacent the Jedi Order had become. This fabled artefact was beautiful, a triangular device covered in intricate carvings that were apparently self-luminescent. It called to me like a siren, a call I couldn’t refuse.

So I borrowed it for a while.

There were no recriminations and nobody knocked my door in the middle of the night. Weeks went by and I realised that nobody knew the Holocron was missing. But how could that be? Couldn’t they sense the pull of it? But then, they had far more pressing troubles on their hands.  Rumours that the Sith had returned after a thousand years were indeed true and on top of that the Clone Wars had erupted throughout the galaxy, pitting the Forces of the Republic and the Jedi Order against the Confederacy of Independent Planets, a separatist movement led by the charismatic former Jedi Count Dooku.  And the Jedi, through many various means and ways both political and practical, had been shown to be a potential threat. One that perhaps required removal.

For almost two months I studied the Holocron. Two months of in-depth analysis of the dark side. Each day I was tempted by what lay inside it, and each day I somehow managed to resist. And yet despite my willpower I soon came to realise that my life as a Jedi Knight had merely opened the lower reaches of the Force to me.  There were many more layers to be examined. 

Fate then took a hand in what was next to happen.

I was assigned to root out a small cell of Jedi who had turned away from the teachings, but for very different reasons. I had long since returned the Holocron to the library, having committed as much of its contents to memory as I could. This was an opportunity to see the real dark Jedi and test them. I chose to go alone, citing that it was too dangerous for my Padawan learner. Orrori was not offended, but why would she be? Master Yoda had explained to me that this might be the time for her to take the trials. I looked deeply inside her and considered the option. No, she would need more skill with the lightsabre before I could take her get that far, another six months of hard combat training, and I told her so. She smiled and hugged me, nearly crushing my vertebrae. She explained that she expected it to be two or three years before she was granted the trials. Wookie’s aren’t known to be such patient creatures, but Orrori was both patient and effusive. She hadn’t managed to get it into her head that she would be better remaining as calm with her master as she was when she went about her assignments.

Two days later I was touching down on the planet of Nogard, within the vast expanse of the Setnin Sector. It was a vast region of space and one that I called home, filled to the brim with populated planets and gravitational anomalies. That’s what made it so attractive to smugglers and the underworld; it could take weeks to cross the sector without an accurate set of hyperspace charts. There was a growing need for policing in the sector due to many worlds choosing sides between the Forces of the Republic and the Separatists, and of late the Setnin Jedi had been hard pushed to enForce control. The sector had ceased to recognise the legitimacy of Coruscant law since their period of autonomy had begun just over a decade before. And now the Jedi found themselves pushed further to the edges of the sector, unable to aid where they wished. Some had become so frustrated they had joined with a group of renegades. Eventually, they turned from the light side of the Force. My job was to ensure that they were not a threat, and to monitor their progress. In other words spying, and I hate spying.

My ship was a Delta-7 Aethersprite light interceptor, the standard Jedi Fighter, sleek in its design, a product of the Kuat Systems Engineering shipyards. My hardwired R4 unit was mechanic, navigator and occasional pilot. He also acted as co-pilot if I ever took my ship into battle. She was a real beauty and I will miss her and Arfour most of all.

I chose not to alter the appearance of my robes, hoping I would attract the attentions of the wayward Jedi. Setting oneself up as bait is the best way to lay a trap. It is somewhat fulfilling when you see your quarry moving towards you. However, this time I was too overconfident and was almost wrong footed.

Almost.

Walking out of the landing area in to the main thoroughfare of Negarde City, I was surprised by how prosperous the city was. My plain Jedi robes stood me out against such affluent dressings and I soon found myself the centre of attention. I quickly accessed the Force and started to conceal myself. It was then that it happened.

She walked around a corner of the street in front of me, her tight leather clothing and black-cowled robe hanging from her like gossamer wings. Her bright eyes, short jet-black hair and tall athletic build gave her a grace of movement that I had never seen before. Then I noticed the tickling sensation at the back of my mind. I ducked and rolled, pulling my lightsabre up and intercepting the blaster bolt that would have sliced the woman in two.

The bolt sped harmlessly away into a nearby wall. Two men I had not noticed pulled blasters. They started placing precision shots into the window where the blaster bolt had come from, but I knew their quarry was already on the run. I could feel him.

Dashing across the street, lightsabre still extended, I jumped up and through the second story window that was now smouldering. It is a testament to the abilities of the two bodyguards that they were able to reach the building only seconds later. Rolling with the impact on the shattered glass, I righted myself and dashed for the stairs. It was a hollow ornate stairwell, with well-worn steps leading straight up to the roof. Each floor had an open area that would make my job easier. I concentrated hard and found my quarry five floors above me. It wasn’t difficult, as he was the only one on the staircase.

Using my Force empowered speed I dashed up the staircase as fast as it would allow me. By the time my quarry had gotten to the roof, I was only a few metres behind.

Bursting out onto the open rooftop I saw my quarry dashing to a nearby air speeder. Summoning up my last reserves of energy, I pushed myself faster and leapt, taking the would be assassin down onto the rooftop. There was a quiet grunt and I realised this assassin was a woman. She kicked out and I was pushed hard up into the air and towards the edge of the roof. By the time I had oriented myself and landed safely, she had revealed her other surprise.

The red lightsabre stuck out in front of her like a filigree sheath of crimson fire. Her long black hair trailed down her back in a well-tied ponytail. She was equally as breathtaking as the woman I had seen earlier. They could have been sisters.

   “You don’t belong here Jedi. Go back to your sanctimonious lifestyle and leave.” Her voice had the edge of command, and I recognised the dark skill that she was trying to use upon me. I walked away from the edge of the roof, moving cautiously towards her.

   “My only desire is to help.”  I tried to instil calmness in my voice, despite the potentially lethal situation.  “Come with me to Coruscant.” The wind had started to pick up now, and my last words were nearly a shout. She sneered, backing towards the speeder.

   “Not in your lifetime Jedi.” She yelled, emphasising the word Jedi, and made a lunge for the controls, sending the speeder running towards the edge of the roof. Almost too late I realised what she was doing. The streets were crowded below.

   “What’ll it be, Jedi?  Me or the people below?”

There was no choice. I dashed across the roof, matching but not exceeding the acceleration of the speeder. As it shot over the edge and started to tumble I stretched out with the Force, summoning all my strength, and held it there. I only needed a second to alter the controls and stabilise the craft, but by that time she had leapt out of sight. The two bodyguards chose that moment to burst through the door. I motioned for them to back down before they had chance to make any mistakes, their weapons clattering upon the floor, then brought the speeder back on to the roof. Walking over to the guards I handed them their blasters back.

   “You really should be more careful who you draw upon.”

Her name was Seranomi and I drank in her beauty as if I had never seen another woman. She smiled at me and welcomed me into her home.

   “Greetings. It has been many years since we have seen a one such as you on the streets of Negarde.”

   “Thank you for your hospitality.” I said, and sat down opposite her on a cool leather couch. She nodded and clapped her hands twice. A humanoid servant entered the room and bowed next to his mistress.

   “Madam?”

She looked at me as if sizing me up.

   “A gineel for me and cool water for my Jedi friend here.”

I nodded at her understanding of the Jedi way. She turned once more to myself and seemed to size me up again.

   “So, what small errand brings a Jedi Knight to the planet of Nogard?”

I was momentarily taken aback by the mention of my formal title. She seemed to anticipate my thoughts, answering immediately.

   “How many people can hold a speeder up against the force of its engines and change its control function so it doesn’t crash on the crowd below?”

I smiled, knowing she would be surprised if she knew just how many Jedi could do that.

   “Your knowledge of the Jedi is impressive. How can that be?”

She bowed her head as she answered, emotion wavering her voice.

   “I was once a Jedi trainee, as was my sister. That was her you encountered earlier.” I was surprised. I scanned her and felt the truth in her mind. She continued.  “I act as a liaison between the different underground factions on this planet. I’m called in on meetings to make sure no single faction can gain an advantage over the others.”

I nodded - a Corellian standoff. Make sure your opponent is no stronger than you and you maintain market share, without losing business.

   “Don’t you find that it goes against all you trained for?”

Her head snapped upwards suddenly, but despite her sudden movement her voice remained calm.

   “I never said just what type of Jedi I used to be.”

My brain took a second to analyse what she had just said, and I cursed myself for being such a fool. Now the council would never know how many of them there were. I had failed miserably.

I waited for what seemed like many minutes, and all the time she kept her eyes locked on me. Then calmness came over me and I knew that this woman was no mere amateur.

   “What did you just do?”

She looked at me, a little surprised.

   “I induced calm. It is a skill Jedi still use isn’t it?”

Now it was my turn to be surprised.

   “For someone who gave up her training you seem to be quite the adept.”

She nodded.

   “Perhaps I should tell you why I left Coruscant. My sister Garani and I trained hard as children, giving ourselves completely to the Force.  But for some reason, and I truthfully cannot remember why, I found it easier utilising the dark side of the Force, whether I wanted to or not.  Eventually the others students discovered what I was doing and took it upon themselves to punish me.” She hesitated, then stood, pulling her robe up to waist level. I was about to avert my eyes when I realised just how many badly healed scars she had on the tops of her legs. She let the robe drop back down, but remained standing.

   “When I healed, I was expelled. My experiences had scarred me far more than this.”  She motioned to her legs again.  “I left the order and came home to Nogard, swearing to never use the Force in anger again.  But my sister, despite being a talented student became fascinated by the dark side.  It consumed her, changed her.  Ultimately it devoured her.  And as for me leaving the dark side by my own volition, that scared her and anything that scares her is soon destroyed.” She moved up closer to me, and despite my years of training I found her incredibly seductive. I tried my best to cover my discomfort at her close presence.

   “So, was I in the right place at the right time or did you know I was going to be on your planet?”

She moved away towards the open balcony that framed the far end of the room. As she turned, the light from the setting sun outlined her perfectly, easily throwing light through her gossamer robe and outlining her lithe body.

   “A little of both. I was heading to meet you at the docking bay but you were early. I had informed the Jedi Council about a group of dark Jedi, and that my sister was trying to kill me.” She seemed deflated for a moment. “She is toying with me. She knows that she only has to attack in force and will be overwhelmed.” Then she stood taller again and I could see a fire in her eyes, sense the increased beating of her heart. Why was this woman able to sway me?  Had she some power I had not learnt about?

That day we talked for hours and I found myself feeling things that I had not felt for anybody in my entire life. I knew such thoughts were forbidden and not to be acted upon. I should purge them, but I couldn’t help myself. She had a natural magnetism that drew me to her. I cannot explain to this day how I knew it, but I was certain that one day this woman would be my wife, despite the fact that it was forbidden for a Jedi to fall in love or to marry.

Little did I know what it was to cost me.

Seranomi gave me the full tour of the city, and for a few hours I forgot my mission and enjoyed the sights she was showing me. However, as night pulled in I remembered my duty and turned to her.

   “Can you show me where they are based?”

She frowned for a moment then nodded silently. She tapped her driver on the shoulder and ordered him to alter the route. Then she opened a compartment in front of her and took out some clothes. She proceeded to change right in front of me. I was hard pressed to conceal my emotions.

The luxury speeder stopped in front of a clothes shop, a place you expected to see highly paid smugglers and entrepreneurs shopping from. A bright orange and purple patterned jacket caught my eye and I wondered what stupidity would cause a spacer to part with the five hundred credits that they were charging for it.  Before we left the speeder, she took another object out of the hidden compartment that had concealed the body-fitting leather clothes that now adorned her. A lightsabre, but like none I had ever seen. Its dark black pommel contained three controls with ornate dials and a soft grip. The flashback suppresser and field inducers had a menacing look to them. I caught her eye and she smile, clipping it to her belt.

   “You can never be too sure. What’s the plan?”

I thought for a moment before answering.

   “I have no idea. Let’s see what the Force turns up.”

The inside of the shop was deceptively large, stretching back from the street ten meters. Two doors led off of the side and there was a security camera set about the payment area. A droid approached from the back room.

   “Gentlebeings, how may I be of assistance?”

Before I could stop her Seranomi had sliced the droid into scrap with her sabre. The blade had been deactivated before I had a chance to protest. I looked at her and she smiled.

   “I’ve been practising.” She bent down and examined the droid. “Hunter Killer, Desando Droid Works. We were lucky, a few more nanoseconds and it might have activated its thermal charge.” She pointed to a hollow area in the chest cavity where a large thermite charge was quite clearly visible. I looked at Seranomi, and she motioned me towards the exit the droid had come out of.

The room was empty and smelled of sweat. There was a sweet smell of spice in the air and I knew it had recently been occupied. Square in design, its ten-meter long walls stretched to a small exit at the rear. I could sense the darkness emanating from the walls, a warning tickled the back of my consciousness. Seranomi was walking towards the exit at the rear of the room and I instinctively knew something was about to go wrong.

Time slowed.  I saw a flash of light at the rear of the room and yanked Seranomi back towards me with the Force. She flew off her feet and into the air as a blast wave of heat and fire sped towards us. Yet, even as she flew through the air, she was dissipating the blast wave with the Force. As she landed in my arms, I twisted us both around, so that my back was braced against the blast. Calling upon the Force and joining with Seranomi, I was able to divert the energy upwards towards the ceiling. It gave out and vaporised, taking out the unoccupied floor above as it did so.

We both got to our feet, covered in dust and light debris. Seranomi held my hand and looked visibly shaken.

   “I didn’t feel it. The only warning I had was the flash.”

I knew how she felt. Her faith in her abilities had been shaken.

   “Do you know why did you not feel it?” I asked her with intensity I didn’t know I possessed.  “I would have thought you were naturally able to sense the dark side of the Force.”

She shook her head, obviously confused, so I answered for her.

   “You are at a cusp. Although you are powerful, your control of the Force is not as complete as it might be. Given time and training you could change that.” I smiled at her almost apologetically. “I can’t stop teaching people. It annoys my students endlessly.”

She smiled back and I could see her composure returning.

The trail was cold by the time we exited the rubble. We were detained for a time by a police investigation, but they seemed happy with our explanation. Apparently Seranomi was wealthier and had more contacts than I imagined. Having seen her ability in the Force, I was hard pressed to find a reason for her bodyguards at our first encounter. I didn’t realise how quickly my thoughts would be answered.

Soon after the authorities had stopped asking questions, a large dark limousine pulled up. Nearly twice the width of Seranomi’s it barely scraped past the emergency vehicles. A large, strongly built man, who I recognised as one of the bodyguards I had met that morning, exited the front passenger seat. He moved to the back of the vehicle, scanning the area as he did so. When he had reached the rear door, he pressed a concealed stud and the door folded up and over. A well-dressed man exited the vehicle and the door closed behind him. Both men walked over toward Seranomi and myself. The one who had exited the vehicle bowed before me, whilst his bodyguard just nodded, still scanning the area around us.

   “You honour us with your presence Master Jedi. I apologise for not being here to meet you in person upon your arrival.”

I looked towards Seranomi, who held out her hand in an explanatory gesture.

   “Master Jedi Notami De’Athe, may I introduce Governor Dresh Allafson, my father.”

I nodded towards the Governor and he straightened.

   “A pleasure to meet you Governor, but there’s no need for formality.  As a Jedi Knight I have no need for titles.”

He shook his head.

   “Indeed there is, for it was my daughter who made an attempt on your life, was it not?”

I had no proof of that, but the Governor seemed sure. I gently touched his mind through the Force and found a hard barrier of willpower. This mans mind was like a vice.

   “I have no proof of that Governor. When I do you can rest assured that I will treat her with the respect due all living beings, even in these troubling days of war.”

He harrumphed at that and guided me away from the building and towards the end of the street.

   “Master Jedi, you know little of my daughter. She was once a Jedi like you, taken from me before she was five years old to serve in the glory of the Jedi Order. Her older sister was taken two years previously. My daughters, they are both strong in the Force, something the male side of our family failed to inherit.”

I knew the theory, that genetics could govern Force ability, but had rarely seen it in action.

   “We are all chosen when we are young Governor.  Some fare better than others. When one of us falls, it is often due to something overlooked during training. Although there are few that admit it, when a pupil turns to the dark side, the teacher is often the last to know. However, it would seem that Garani and Seranomi were tempted by another.”  I paused, eyeing the Governor closely. “Your youngest daughter seems to have taken Seranomi’s defection personally.”

He nodded, as if understanding.

   “I have no affinity for my younger daughter. Garani has shown no love for either her sister or me.” He turned to face me. “Find her as soon as you can Master De’Athe, before she destroys my family or kills anybody else. Use whatever means necessary.” He turned and walked back towards his vehicle, stopping to embrace his daughter along the way. I watched silently as the vehicle pulled away, and then walked back towards Seranomi. She looked at me, a frown on her face.

   “My father warned me to stay away from you. He thinks I might turn you away from the path of the Jedi, and he doesn’t wish for that to happen.”

I looked her straight in the eye, answering before I could guard my comments.

   “He might yet prove to be right.”

Tracking the dark Jedi proved to be more problematic than I feared. Wherever we chased them, they disappeared. Whatever their purpose was, the Force had not made it apparent to me. Then, almost a week after my arrival I received a call from the planetary governors office.

   “Jedi Master De’Athe, Governor Allafson wishes to see you at your earliest convenience.”

I nodded, informing him that I would be along shortly. The young clerk gave me the location of the Governors mansion. Seranomi, who had been gracious enough to offer me lodging as well as her friendship, gave me the key to her private air speeder. We collected it from the communal garage on top of her apartment building and within ten minutes I was airborne and on my way.

The air speeder was designed for manoeuvrability, but not speed. Its interior was comfortable and opulent, far more opulent than a Jedi is used to. Half of the controls had no function that I could discern, though I soon worked out the majority of them. I took the speeder up as high as it would go, about four klicks, then set the controls to autopilot. I determined to take a quick nap, having spent the previous night searching through the debris of yet another collapsed dark side hideout that had proved to be unfruitful.

Thirty minutes into my journey I awoke with a sense of foreboding. I double-checked the autopilot, which appeared was on course. The crafts sensors did not detect any nearby air or spacecraft and the fuel cells were fully charged. I looked out of the windows and saw the white cloud stretching out below me. Knowing I would soon be approaching the Governors secure airspace, I turned on the com unit. Static greeted me. Not good, there should have been some warning beacon or at least a small amount of local communications traffic. I double checked my heading, but could still find nothing wrong. That didn’t stop me from feeling wary. Then I noticed something that I had missed before. The sun, which should have been at the rear of the craft, was to the right.

I disengaged the autopilot and began to take the craft down below the clouds. As I did so, the heading indicator started to reset. Alarmingly, the energy indicator started to bleep as well. It wasn’t looking good. At four kilometres above the ground, you really didn’t want your engines to give out. Repulsors still offered some lift, but even they were showing signs of failure. I did the only thing I knew how and pushed the nose straight down, cutting the engines to conserve power and using the repulsors to guide me in. When I came out of the clouds I got another shock.

Stretching out before me, for many square kilometres around, were mountains covered in ice and snow. I calmed myself and accessed the Force. I sensed, rather than knew, that I had been pulled off course by over one hundred klicks. I had to find a way of clawing back as much of that as I could, and as fast as possible. I gently nosed the air speeder around, facing it in the direction I knew I must travel. My air speed indicator showed me that I was still travelling at well over three hundred klicks per hour. I levelled the craft off at two kilometres above the surface and pushed the craft forward using the Force. The repulsors and the momentum helped reduce the difficulty as I slowly nudged the speed up to nearly four hundred kilometres per hour.

That’s when the repulsors gave their last gasp.

Aerodynamics took over and the nose of the craft started to flip. Straining against the impulse to slow the craft down, I Forced it level. Watching the ground come closer, I brought the engines back on line. Using the small aerodynamic steering vanes I nosed the craft upward. At less than five hundred meters, I started stretching out with the Force, looking for a suitable area to put down. My engines gave out and any lift they were providing me with vanished. I popped the canopy, using the emergency release button, and was presented with a blast of cold mountain air.

At two hundred meters, the popping canopy acted as an air brake and brought the nose back up. I discovered a soft area of snow through the Force and used my abilities to guide the ship towards it. Travelling at one hundred klicks, the air speeder hit the snow flat. The air was knocked out of me and I fought to maintain my control. Large chunks of snow and ice cascaded through the open canopy, sending icy cold chills down my back. However, by digging into the snow, the airspeeder was slowed, eventually coming to rest.

I woke up and it was cold. For a moment I thought I was trapped in the ice, but realisation dawned and my senses started to expand once more. The coldness didn’t come from the ice and snow, but from the dark side of the Force.

As my vision cleared and my faculties returned I could see the room around me coming into focus. Hastily constructed, steel lining and rust had already started to form in the welds. It was also cold, but the type of cold produced by sub-zero temperatures.

I was unable to move and for the first time I realised that I was suspended from the ceiling by two projected energy fields. My body could move, but only within the confines of the force field. That left about six centimetres of motion, left and right. When I breathed the air around me, it felt much warmer than the environment suggested. Perhaps some energy was being fed into the Force field.

All this, from awakening to realisation of my imprisonment, took less than fifteen seconds.  I could feel the approach of a cold and potent Force energy and I knew my captors were near. Scant seconds later three of them entered the room.

   “Garani Allafson I presume.”  I motioned to the force field. “My imprisonment will gain you nothing.”

I projected no real emotion at seeing her, much to her annoyance. She scowled and turned toward one of her minions. Within seconds my energy prison had been switched off and I fell towards the ground, three meters below. I landed lightly but realised swiftly that my connection with the Force was being pushed back. My sabre was still attached to my belt, but something told me it had been drained. I stood tall, ready for whatever she chose to throw at me.

   “Notami De’Athe, welcome to the headquarters of the true Setnin Jedi.”

Now it was my turn to frown.   The Setnin Jedi based on the Zelon moon of Benesk had no allegiance with the dark side of the Force. However, I knew that my senses were not deceiving me; I could feel the dark energy coursing through her. She beckoned me forward and her two followers fell in line behind me. She started walking, leading me through the doorway into a crystalline corridor. My job was to learn as much about her and her followers as I could at any cost, so I moved after her. As I followed, she began to talk.

   “Two years of hard labour went into converting this monastic labyrinth into a self-sufficient base of operations. We have contacts within the Setnin underworld and in return for certain…favours, they provide us with the supplies and equipment we need. For that we provide them with personnel to protect their more profitable endeavours.”

I felt the meaning behind the words and for the first time realised that with this assignment I might have bitten off more than I could chew.

   “Why tell me this when you know I will try to stop you?”

She stopped near to a large magnetic door and looked me up and down slowly, as a predator might gauge its enemy.

   “Because it is my intention that you join us.”

She waited for my reaction, but I held myself steady and denied her the satisfaction.  Garani continued.

   “Not immediately, of course.  You will require some…persuading.  But soon you and I are going to form an alliance that will shake the very foundations of this sector, the Republic, perhaps the entire galaxy.”

I shook my head in disbelief at her arrogance, but inside I could feel the voices building. I wondered if she was in alliance with the bitter bile of evil that was engulfing the galaxy in the Clone Wars but before I could muse further she pressed the stud that opened the magnetic seal and for a moment the light that engulfed us blinded me. When my senses recovered, I could see the source of the brilliance and I sincerely felt that for the first time since being a Padawan learner, alongside my great friend Yyfekk Talaihin, that I might fail a mission.

I could see a chamber of ice ten metres across, with entrances placed at four corners of the magnetic polar field. Looking up I could see the sunlight shining down from an open sky and in the middle, suspended in a field of rainbow energy, the largest jewel I had ever seen.

   “This was stolen from Janos. Naturally, the indigenous population demand its safe and swift return. The field of energy that surrounds it blocks off the sunlight that is directed down into the chamber. Some light is emitted as a by-product of the reaction between the small amounts of sunlight that do reach the surface of the Janos Jewel. Should the energy field fail, then the jewel will react with the sunlight and an internal cascade reaction will start to occur. Energy will be emitted in the form of heat and light, eventually becoming critical.  The effect will be an explosion that shall match the power of a million thermal detonators.” She turned to face me and I could feel the darkness in her heart reflected in the coldness of her smile. “Have you any idea what that will do to the surrounding polar region of this world?”

I held my breath for a moment before answering and I could see the smile twitch on the side of her face.  I began my assessment.

   “It would cause a melting of billions of tons of ice, pushing immense amounts of water vapour into the atmosphere and creating a temporary greenhouse effect. Oceans would rise, and the weather patterns would become intense and torrid. Millions of people would loose their lives and property. It would be a planetary disaster, creating an ice age as the water vapour falls back to the ground and cools the planet.” I said this without emotion, without inflection and without feeling. Now I knew what was at stake and how badly the Jedi had misjudged the power of this particular exponent of the dark side of the Force.

The Sith were not the Jedi’s only enemies in the Force. Many had conveniently forgotten that the Sith had simply applied learned, ancient teachings to the dark side of the Force and that to become a Sith one first had to become a dark side adept.

A dark Jedi.

I knew that not only had I to get this information to the proper authorities, but I also had to inform my fellow Jedi of their level of self-imposed deceit. I’d always held the belief that to fully understand the dark side of the Force you had to experience it first-hand. However, without any backup on-planet, and without any means of escape, I had a problem. So I decided to take a chance and do the only thing I believed could under the circumstances.  I called on my own knowledge of the Force and projected my thoughts out in all directions. I trusted that there was one other on Nogard that might aid me, and to her credit her answer didn’t take long to come.

Unbeknownst to me, Seranomi had placed a call to her father hours before and found that I had not arrived. She immediately called upon her fathers’ forces and put into effect a search and rescue plan. Somehow, she knew that I was still alive, even though the craft her father had sent for me disappeared off the flight tracking scanners. She was fully three hundred kilometres away when I threw out my call using the Force, but if she sent a reply I did not receive it.  I was far too busy fending off attacks from three angry dark Jedi.

Garani extended her hand and a weak bolt of dark side energy shot out towards me.  I easily leapt over it and landed midway between her and the Janos Jewel. She seemed to freeze momentarily, unsure of what to do, so I took that time to reach outwards in the Force and pull one of my adversaries lightsabre’s off his belt. The crimson blade ignited in mid-air and fitted easily into my hands. I held it steady, mere centimetres away from the energy field that surrounded the jewel.

   “Call off your dogs Garani.  Fight me yourself,” I paused for effect, a wicked gleam igniting in my eye.  “If you dare.”

My challenge echoed across the chamber and I saw her smile, my manic gleam echoed in her eye. However, instead of locking into combat with me she motioned her men back and deliberately sealed the magnetic door. I was locked in the roofless chamber, my only way of escape being a hole almost sixteen meters above me. I could feel the growing heat of the Janos Jewel and instantly knew that she had lowered the protective shield.

   “De’Athe, you will be pleased to know that your assessment of what happens when the energy field reduces was almost correct. However, what you didn’t know is the reaction can be reversed if the shield is reinstated. I can lower the field just enough to make it very lethal for you in that chamber, without setting off a cascade reaction.” The voice came from a small crackling speaker inset into the ice walls of the room. “Surrender De’Athe or I will destroy you and then the planet.”

I skipped through my options, and they were not good.  But as a loyal Jedi I knew my job and that whatever the cost this evil had to be stopped. I called upon my own specialised abilities and started working some magic of my own.

Throwing my mind outwards, I used one of the many tricks I had learned from the Sith Holocron I had studied, seemingly so long ago in the safety of Coruscant. I did something that would have been forbidden and unspeakable to any other Jedi. I Forced another beings mind to do my bidding. Several of the technicians controlling the energy field surrounding the jewel were not dark Jedi, but held within their minds the knowledge to control the energy shield. I felt minds scream in protest as one-by-one I stole their knowledge and shut down their wall of reasoning. Only then did I throw down my gauntlet. Never again would I be so close to turning to the dark side. Never before had my emotions been so close to surfacing. I felt the bitter anger and bile of contempt in my voice as I spoke.

   “Garani. Look at your controls.  I’ve removed the safeties. Nothing stands between you and complete annihilation.”  I was taking a huge gamble, that Garani was bluffing in her threat to destroy the planet.  I was a Jedi, expendable, ut even so I had no desire to die.  I prayed my intuition was correct.  “Release me and surrender, or I will shut the field down completely. Granted, this entire world shall be thrown into chaos, but you and your threat will be removed from the galaxy forever.”

There was no answer, only cold silence. I could feel the minds looking for a way to lock down the field, and as soon as they did, I used the Force to hide it from them. All they could see were power gauges dropping as radiation gauges showed increases at all levels. By the time they started to figure out what was going on, I used their knowledge against them to completely seal off the jewel from the rest of the universe around it. With all the backups in place it would take hours to release the shield. Meanwhile, I was exhausted, my grip on the Force slipping and I knew a confrontation was imminent.

The door hissed open behind me and I could hear soft footfalls on compacted ice. I turned around to see Garani, rage evident on every feature, her Lightsabre ignited.

   “How did you do that?” she screamed, raising her hand at the same time. I felt myself pushed upwards and backwards, slammed hard against the wall of the chamber. “My acolytes are trained against your Jedi manipulations.  That should not have happened!”

I smiled through the pain, knowing exactly why they had fallen for my mind trick.  But I wasn’t about to tell my secrets to Garani. I regained my composure, using the Force to steady myself.

   “Never underestimate the strength of the Force. In the right hands it is a powerful and potent ally.”

She almost growled in response and it was all she could do to maintain her composure. I felt the dark energies building within her and brought my borrowed sabre around, ready for her attack.

It was then that Seranomi chose to rescue me.

The sound of roaring thrusters was immense as the light at the roof of the chamber was blocked out by the bulk of a massive assault ship. Two seconds later, the ship was gone, leaving in its wake thirty descending assault troops. I cursed at the timing, having hoped that in combat with Garani I would have learned more about her role in the organisation and whether she was the true leader. Instead I turned my attentions to the Nogard assault troops as they descended towards Garani and her still active Lightsabre.

She didn’t wait for their warnings or stun batons; instead she leapt towards them, slicing into them with her sabre. Armoured helmets muffled screams; panic quickly spreading through previously disciplined ranks. From the reaction I was feeling in the Force around me I knew that others were suffering as these were. I reacted without thinking of the consequences; reaching out with the Force I stretched my abilities to their limits, pushing newly learned Force abilities to the edges of my control.

I found Seranomi on the other side of the base, and with her mind joining mine we Forced the panic strewn Forces into a state of calm. Then as Seranomi maintained that calm I fed the troops impulses through the Force. Thus we were able to maintain a status quo, the troops given enough information to hold off the limited numbers of dark Jedi, and the dark Jedi unable to continue the destruction of the troops. This gave the troops enough time to flood the base and route the dark Jedi.

But this control was short lived. As the men around me fell to Garani’s blade I was forced to drop back into combat mode and defend them more and more.  And yet despite this the base was ours, and all that mattered was the capture of the rogue dark Jedi.

Garani stood opposite me on the far side of the chamber, a fine sweat beading her forehead. I was near mental, if not physical exhaustion and had fifteen of the uninjured troops standing behind me; twelve of their colleagues now lay injured between Garani and me. I deliberately placed myself between them and Garani, bringing me to within three metres of her. Without looking back I placed the command of the Force into my voice and ordered the troop commander to remove his injured personnel and lock down the chamber. He obeyed without comment and I admired his attention to the chain of command.

Through all of this, Garani stared at me, her eyes slits of fire as they reflected the coursing energy contained within the energy shield behind me. As the last seal activated on the magnetic doors, she attacked.

The fight was long and hard; she had youth and evil on her side, while I had the Force in all its glory and power. She should have won immediately, for I was both exhausted and distracted. However, with the strength that was being projected to me through the link between Seranomi and myself, it was I that disarmed her and forced her backwards against the wall of the chamber. I would have killed her then and there but she called her sabre back to her hand and blocked the fatal blow. I was surprised at the speed or her recovery and it was all she needed to ignite and drive the point of her sabre through my shoulder. I fell backwards, trying to quickly absorb the pain and heal the damage. She jumped over me, but instead of finishing the job, grabbed hold of one of the dead troopers. Then, I watched in stunned silence as both she and the body of the trooper shot upwards and out of the roofless chamber. At that point my last ounce of strength faded and I collapsed to the frozen floor below me. Unable to move and barely able to breath through the pain, I managed to place myself into a shallow healing trance and faded into unconsciousness….

Seranomi discovered me their ten minutes later, quickly finding me medical attention. The link I had formed with Seranomi didn’t diminish as I healed.  Instead she used it to give me strength and support. I am sure that at some time during that period the feelings of attraction we felt changed to a deep, intense, abiding love. I healed and all the information Seranomi and I had recovered had been passed to the Jedi Council, despite my banishment. It was then that I made my fateful decision. Knowing that I was due to return to Coruscant and knowing I was unable to bear leaving Seranomi behind, I chose to deny the Jedi teachings that were so deeply ingrained within me.

I married Seranomi in the presence of her family and a few of our friends, including my closest Jedi brother Yyfekk, who risked censure but still acted as our witness. Barring a handful of official engagements Seranomi and I have been together for every hour ever since.

Upon returning to Coruscant I was open and honest about what had occurred, hiding nothing, as if I could. I told them truthfully what had happened, how I had used and practiced a series of newly developed Force powers and applied them in the pursuit of my mission. Two things happened.

Firstly there were quiet congratulations and thanks, recognition of my work with Padawan learners and other classes at the academy, for keeping the teachings ongoing as more and more teachers left to battle the Clone Wars across the galaxy.

Secondly, I was expelled from the Jedi Order. I fully expected this, and although I considered it unfair, I understood the reasoning. For the Jedi Order to remain strong they needed to remain true to the tenets of learning that had been set thousands of years previously. However, along with myself, many members of the Jedi knew this was a course of self-destruction. Fewer and fewer children were being born with Force abilities, and many of those were being missed due to a lack of testing. In the history of the Jedi, few had chosen to leave the order of their own free will. Some turned to the dark Side, some were ejected.  Twenty, known as the Lost Ones, turned to the Sith.  Others were killed in action. Most Jedi that left of their own free were never heard of again, shunning society and eking out humble existences on backwater worlds.

Let’s see them try and forget me.

I may no longer be a member of the Jedi Order, but in my mind I will always be a Jedi Master.  No one will ever take that away from me. No one.

Just let them try.

Notami

2002 short story by Louis Turfrey and Mark Newbold

Twenty-one years before Episode IV – A New Hope

Histories – The story of Notami De’Athe and how he came to the position in his life where leaving the Setnin Sector in the Worldship Rinsome seemed to be the only option.  Meeting his future wife Seranomi, Notami was pushed/pulled into a circle of events that would lead to his excommunication from the Jedi Order, and a life a struggle and hiding.  By Louis Turfrey and Mark Newbold, this tale, originally thought of by Mark and brought to vivid life by Louis precedes the story Love of Garani, a story initially thought up way back in 1986 when Mark and Jonathan Hicks were deep in their NHP Audio tales.  Now years later the story of Garani finally comes to life, fitting in neatly into the times of the Clone Wars, between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.

Cast of Characters

Notami De’Athe

Garani Allafson

Mace Windu

Seranomi Allafson

Governor Dresh Allafson

Padawan Orrori