50 Should've Stayed Close

Valad stood there, staring out the viewport window of the Star Dreadnought's bridge. Visualizing his conversations he could possibly have. The Jedi were here, they had felt the sudden emergence of this vessel.

It was unnatural. The entire hull was phase shifted and it moved as if it were alive to make it so the integrated parts were seamless.

He knew the Jedi could feel it, let alone they could see it. He watched as the little red cruiser made its way along the sleek hull of the massive destroyer. His eyes watched for a few moments as the vessel neared the central hangar. He closed his eyes partially before glancing over at the partially awake Vaylin. "Let's meet our guests," with a soft snicker he would walk towards the nearby lift to make his way down.

"Yes, Valad." Vaylin seemed to cheerily chirp, but she still sounded like she wanted to go back to sleep. She lazily rested her head on his shoulder as she folllowed after him.

It would have taken them a few minutes to get to the central hangar, due to it being almost directly beneath the coreship. The interior of the coreship seemed to have been modified during the integration process.

The entire shaft of the lift goes down into the rest of the vessel. It would be quite clear that the ship could no longer detach itself without doing much harm to its interior.

There was no ejecting the coreship from the rest of the ship unless there was an essential problem. Though he really wasn't worried about that as he had already noticed this as soon as he toured the ship within the week of his return.

As he entered the hangar, his eye would gaze over Jin and Obiwan who departed from their vessel. The Judiciary Forces seemed to not leave the ship, much like back when they had originally spoken with Nute Gunray and were attacked after landing.

Thankfully there was no big gun pointed at the cruiser, and it didn't seem like Valad was the type to right off the bat try and kill them. It seemed the boy had interest in the two Jedi.

Jin was quick the sense the keen interest, the closer he got, the more he noticed it. Though there was also which was making him feel a bit off. There was a tinge of sorrow in the back of the boy's mind. Buried deep beneath many barriers, but seeping out just enough for him to taste it with his mind's eye.

"Hm..." Jin couldn't really tell what it was the boy was sorrowful about, but it seemed to grow a bit the longer his presence was around.

The Jedi and the two Grays met in the middle of the Hangar and exchanged formalities, "Welcome to the Imperious, Master Jedi. Master Fay is expecting you," Valad stated, seeing the off put expressions of the Jedi as their gaze was mostly on Vaylin who was hanging onto the boy while partially sleeping on his shoulder.

"Of course," Jin responded with a nod, following the two of them with his former Padawan following closely behind.

Obiwan was eying the force sensitive younglings who were battling droid emotes with training sabers in the corner of the hangar. It seemed that there were ten groups of ten. Each group wore white robes with black or brown boots. What was really noticeable was the color coded armbands which had aurebesh symbols on them, spelling out words such as Aku and Nonabu.

All of the children were wearing helmets which stopped them from using their natural sight, depriving them of their vision. Most of them were doing abnormally well, as if they had their minds opened to the force, their thoughts extremely clear and coherent.

Even though knew of the Jedi Master Fay's brilliance and legendary background, he figured it wasn't her doing which allowed these children to get so far like this.

Valad paused as he stopped at the door and glanced over his shoulder towards Obiwan who had stopped to observe the younglings.

"What do those armbands mean?" Obiwan asked aloud, rather curious.

Raising a brow, Valad then looked to the children and chuckled. "Apparently they wanted to form clans amongst themselves, since they all lived in compartments of ten. It's a lot like the Jedi Initiates, wouldn't you say?"

Both Obiwan and Jin blinked a few times and nodded hearing him talk about the Jedi initiates making Clans. Apparently the boy had knowledge pertaining to the inner workings of the Jedi Order.

"How is Ky Narec, by the way?" Valad asked, glancing over at Jin with a brow raised slightly.

Jin looked at the boy for a few moments. He had heard of the return of the Jedi Knight, who had come back with a Jedi Padawan whom he had begun training on his own. "He's doing well... Though is Padawan is always asking to come visit the 'mysterious guy' living in the Queen's Palace, who gives her pudding." He squinted his eyes at the young man, trying not to chuckle.

"... I seem to have that effect on people," he turned away from them, only after taking two cans of pudding out from his 'sleeves' and tossing them over his shoulders.

Both of the Jedi caught the pudding cans and stared at them for a few moments. "Where did you...?"

"Like I said, I have that kind of effect on people." Valad said as he waved his hand in a dismissive fashion, glancing at Vaylin who was tightening her hold on him after having witnessed him pull the pudding out of his sleeves.

"You want pudding too...?" Valad could only laugh at himself as he took out another pudding from his 'sleeve' and began leading the Jedi along the path which would lead to Master Fay's quarters.

Jin and Obiwan had noticed the architecture was similar to some of the modern Coruscant designs. Off-black, almost blue walls with elongated ovular lighting emplacements. Reflective black floors.

The further they went into the ship, the more commando droids they'd see wearing their fake armor and helmets. They watched the mysterious automatons which had no life force, but had modulated voices similar to humans. However when they said 'Roger Roger' at least once, they immediately found out that they were droids.

"So... Jedi Master Qui-Gon," Valad said as they were walking along the corridor. "Why did you tell him to stay in the cockpit? Didn't you tell him to stay close to you?" He didn't look back at the Jedi, but he heard their footsteps cease.

Jin stood there with an inscrutable expression and glazed eyes. His gaze was centered on the back of Valad's head as he too came to a stop. "How did you know I told him to stay close?" His voice was humble, his emotions were suppressed and controlled. Yet despite his voice being humble, there was a coldness under this tone.

Vaylin was standing between them now though, prepared for a triggered Jedi. Her hand was rested upon the hilt of her extendable lightsaber.

Obiwan noticed the sudden change in the mood. What were they talking about? His eyes moved to his Master. He had promised the boy he would protect him? Told him to stay in the cockpit... Was Valad working on the Jedi Master's guilt?

"Count Dooku is no longer a Jedi Master," Valad turned on his heel and faced the duo with his head cocked to the side. Looking over the expression which the man held. It was clearly a scary look, especially if anyone had seen the movie series of Taken. "He is known as Darth Tyranis, under the man known as Darth Plagueis."

Valad pointed at Jin, who was awaiting the original answer he was seeking. "Darth Maul was the man who died on Naboo, there is more than two."

Jin wasn't responding to this, at least not exteriorly. At least he was absorbing this randomly given information. Had he said something like this in order to get his attention, which the boy already undoubtedly had? No, that wasn't it.

"And I've been watching, for a very long time. Ever since that little Tahl asked you to race her to the top." Valad made a shameless and imprudent smile, but what he had said seemed to make Jin furrow a brow.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen," He responded cooly, checking his nails for blemishes.

"Then how have you been watching?" Jin asked with his hands moving to his hips, rather confused. Did he have a spy network or something that he bought information from? But what kind of person had that deep knowledge about himself?

"Flow-walking, an ancient and rare technique which allows one to visit the past and the future," of course he didn't purchase this one just yet. However he was going to use this as an excuse. "It also allows one to leave imprints in the force, even though they cannot directly interfere."

Blinking a few times hearing this, Vaylin looked over at the man who she perceived as her master. He had taken her from so far into the past, yet he claims that this mysterious power could only leave imprints? Then that means, he used a different power to retrieve her.

Jin looked at the girl who was looking at Valad with a strange look. "Does that mean you knew that Anakin was going to die?" He asked as he raised a brow, looking towards Valad, practically accusing him of turning a blind eye on a child's probable death.

"I saw Anakin Skywalker destroy the Jedi Order, slaughter younglings and become a Sith Lord named Darth Vader to a man known as Darth Sidious..." He had just named more Darth Lords of the Sith. Jin didn't like the sound of this.

It was as if the Sith were cockroaches, hiding under rocks.

"Then you..."

"Killed him? Yes, I sabotaged his fighter." Vaylin, Obiwan and Jin's faces all turned blank. "I'd kill Exar Kun as a child too, and Darth Sadow, Marka Rangos, etc."

Jin and Obiwan understood the boy's point of view, but morally this was a strange feeling. Vaylin also seemed to feel strange upon hearing this. Though she had a feeling it was his doing, since he had left her alone for a short time while they were on Naboo.

"The Jedi Order was right to fear the boy, he was incredibly dangerous." There was an emphasis on the was. "Though if you're going to try and arrest me Jedi, I don't think you'll escape. Even with such a short distance to the hangar."

He was right, they couldn't act if they wanted to. Plus Jin could only assume he did this in order to maintain the Balance in a way.

"Your Insight on the Sith Lords," Jin casually moved passed the whole 'I killed Anakin Skywalker' speel. This was a surprise to Obiwan, but he merely accepted it since he could feel the conflict within the Jedi Master who couldn't keep his promise to a nine year old boy. "Do you know the Master's public persona?"

Vaylin looked towards Jin with her head tilted to the side. He expected her savior to know this?

"Magister Hego Damask II," Both of the Jedi looked dumbfounded, they had come across the man before. This man was highly influential and could apparently hide his alter-ego so well. He was even the backer of the New Supreme Chancellor and had a seat in the senate.

"He is known as Darth Plagueis the Wise... He's cunning, sharp and powerful. Yet his powers of foresight have been lost. He is vulnerable as long as he has no one by his side, but he carries heavy weight within the senate. The Senate already fears the Jedi because of the Army of Light a millenia ago. They're afraid that the Jedi will rise their own armies and take control of the Galaxy as Jedi Lords and Barons. He will use this against you... Be sure of it. The Jedi, especially Mace Windu, cannot act on his own."

Valad turned away from them after giving them a dump of information, continuing on his path towards the Jedi Master Fay's location. Vaylin quickly following behind him, the Jedi keeping an even pacing behind.