It was my first time entering the Grandmaster's private abode. Honestly speaking, it was... overwhelming, especially with how strong the Force felt inside there. It was concentrated in such an amount that it made it hard to breathe at first. It was... radiant... This meant that the meeting in Luke Skywalker's private chambers carried an importance that I probably hadn't expected at first. The usually always present soft hum of the Jedi Temple's systems was droned out by the Grandmaster's aura as he stood at the window, his back facing us as we entered. Even without seeing his face, I knew he was in deep thought; that's why his powers were released so freely, using the Force to look for guidance. I couldn't fathom his powers... It was like looking into the abyss, but instead of seeing darkness, I was blinded by light. Looking away from his body, I began surveying the room instead, feeling the pressure on me lessen the moment I did so. The chamber was sparse, with a few simple furnishings here and there, a shelf of ancient texts, and a small Holocron resting on a pedestal in the corner. The air was thick with the scent of aged parchment that was then mixed together with the faint rusting tang of the droid's corroded head resting on the table between us. No, there was more than the smell... I could now feel that it emanated something from the Force that was constantly being wiped away by the Grandmaster's aura.
Ben stopped at the table and stood beside me, arms crossed, his expression peaceful but unreadable. We waited patiently while Master Skywalker finished his thoughts, leaving me more time to examine the 'thing' we brought back. The rusted, scarred head of the ancient droid seemed almost alive in the dim light, but its photoreceptors were dark, signaling he was offline. Yet... it was somehow still menacing. I had spent some time with it, but it wasn't until now that I would truly understand what I had found. It was for sure touched by the Dark Side... That was what I felt emanating from it.
"Thank you for coming." Luke finally opened his eyes and exhaled while turning around, his gaze settling on the droid's remains. "This is… troubling."
"I gathered as much..." Ben arched a brow. "But troubling to what degree? I wasn't expecting something so dramatic, Father."
"Me neither." Luke allowed a small, tired smile before shaking his head. "It's troubling because of what this droid is—or rather, what it was." He leaned forward, his fingers tracing the corroded surface. "What you found is the head of an HK-series assassin droid. A relic of an age long before the Republic as we know it. No surviving piece should be roaming the galaxy. Especially not because their factories were long destroyed... and their schematics were never released."
"HK?" I frowned. "I've never heard of HK droids in any reports... But if they are that ancient..." I muttered, now thinking about the thousands of years of memories within that rustbucket.
"They are," Luke confirmed. "All of them were destroyed, but traces of their existence remain in some of the oldest holocrons I've recovered. The first of their kind were created in the days of the Old Sith Empire over four thousand years ago. Some even say that the very first was a unique model... made by a powerful Sith Lord. Or a Jedi Master. It happened too long ago that the clues as to how it came to be are sparse at best. However, whichever is the true origin of the first one, the others coming after it, they were turned into pure killers. They weren't just advanced killing machines—they were weapons crafted with a singular purpose: to eliminate the enemies of the Sith."
"Nice..." Ben let out a low whistle. "I guess we were lucky that we didn't experience its true combat capabilities, hm?"
"I agree." Luke nodded. "It would have been dangerous... HK droids were designed to be more than mere automatons; they were Jedi killers. They were given a level of autonomy and adaptability that made them uniquely dangerous, including the fact that, unlike any other droid, they were capable of lying. Their programming was designed to learn, to strategize, and to evolve. They were not just tools; they were extensions of their masters' will, a deadly knife. I do have a copy of an ancient recollection that tells about how an HK droid masqueraded as a protocol droid, killing a whole asteroid base all alone while also controlling mining droids, just to get to a Jedi."
"Woah..." I whispered while I eyed the droid's head with renewed wariness. "But it's just a droid, right? I mean, dangerous, sure, but not… inherently Dark Side? Droids can't feel the force... So... why...?"
"That is the main issue and..." Luke's expression grew more serious. "That's where you're wrong." He lifted the head slightly, turning it toward us. "Droids are not Force-sensitive, yes, but that doesn't mean they can't be influenced by it. Just take a look at R2. Similar to him, this one, in particular, is different. Quite the opposite of R2... Everything about it—its alloys, its programming, its purpose—was steeped in the Dark Side. For centuries, it probably served Sith Lords and other Dark Side users, assassinating Jedi and enforcing their will. I guess this droid was not just a weapon; it was an extension of the Sith themselves. And over time, just like a Sith Holocron, it became something more than metal and circuits."
"I... see..." I muttered as an involuntary shiver ran through my spine. The strange presence I had felt when I looked at it, basking in the Grandmaster's presence… made sense now. "So it's a Sith artifact?"
"In a way, yes." Luke set it down again. "It was constructed for death, programmed to think in ways that align with the Sith's philosophy. Violence, deception, and efficiency above all. Even now, with its memory fragmented, its presence still lingers in the Force."
"It is the actual opposite of R2..." Ben muttered while he crossed his arms. "So what do we do with it, Father? Lock it away?"
"..." The Grandmaster hesitated, then shook his head. "No. There's something more valuable at play here." He met our gazes, his voice calm yet carrying an unmistakable weight. I knew I was about to hear something that was probably not for a Padawan's ears. "Four years ago, the Sith disappeared from our sight."
"They are... still present?" I blinked my eyes, caught off guard. I guessed there would be force users who weren't following our teachings, but... an actual order?
"You mean the Sith Order that was forming under Vestara Khai?" Ben asked, and I could feel his emotions fluctuate a little before returning to calm once again.
"Yes." Luke nodded, "As we planned, we kept them under surveillance, but... After her departure from Kesh, she took the remnants of the Sith she gathered around her and vanished. They used some kind of ritual to blind us, and we haven't been able to track them down again—not through the Force, not through intelligence reports. It's as if they became ghosts." He explained as he tapped the droid's head lightly. "But this… this might be our key to finding them once again."
"I see..." Ben exhaled sharply, his emotions once again rippling under the calm surface. I could feel it. There was something I was not privy to... Did Master know this Vestara? It felt like it. "You think this thing will lead us to them?"
"I do." The Grandmaster said, his gaze steady. "Droids like this—steeped in the Dark Side for so long—gravitate toward it. Even without direct orders, their programming, their very essence, seeks to serve those who embody the power they once followed. If Vestara and her Sith are still out there, then this droid—given the right conditions—might seek them out."
"..." Listening to him, I felt my stomach tighten, a mix of anticipation and unease swirling within me. "You want us to use it as bait?"
"I do." Luke nodded, letting a small smile appear on his face. "It's risky, but none of you should be in mortal danger doing it." He continued, glancing at Ben in a way that made me feel my heart squeeze a little... It was a look I always wished my Father would give me... but he never did. Quickly, I chased the thoughts away, keeping my face straight, listening to the Grandmaster's following words. "It may be our best chance to find the Sith before they go completely underground. You and Ben will take it with you, observe how it reacts, and follow wherever it leads."
"..." Ben was silent for a long moment, then let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head in the end. "This is either the best idea or the worst one, Father."
I had to agree... Still, as I looked at the droid's head, I felt that it could also be an incredible opportunity to learn about the past. I found it exciting... and really curious.
"Alright," My Master said as he met my gaze and nodded. "Alright. We'll do it."
"It is how it has to be. And you won't go alone. I will ask Kyle to go with you." Luke smiled faintly. "May the Force be with you."
"May the Force be with you, " we answered, but I was already thinking that this meant I would go on a mission along with Vela. It would be great. It has been multiple years since we did so, and I have always felt that we made a good team. Suddenly, this all seemed even more exciting than before.
...
....
...
After the meeting with the Grandmaster, I found Vila exactly where I expected her to be. She was perched on a rock near the jungle's edge, overlooking the temple grounds, a place she visited frequently in the past few years, finding it helpful for her relaxation. The setting sun over Yavin 4 was coming from behind us, shining through the temple's windows. She sat there, swinging her legs leisurely while twirling a small metal cylinder between her fingers.
"You look like you're brooding," I said with a chuckle as I approached, making sure I wasn't going to scare her because an embarrassed Vila is more dangerous than an angry one.
"No, I'm not!" She snorted. "I don't brood. I think. But thanks for assuming the worst." She smirked before tossing the cylinder up and catching it. "What's up?"
"A lot, in fact." I shrugged as I sat beside her, stretching my legs out. "I got a mission."
"Oh?" That got her attention, of course. She turned to me, her eyes narrowing. "You just got back... What kind of mission?"
"The kind that might take a while." I hesitated, then sighed. "Ben and I are leaving to track down the Sith."
"What?" She gasped as she went still, and the cylinder in her hands stopped spinning. "The Sith?" she asked, voice tight.
"Um." I nodded. For a long moment, Vila didn't say anything. Then she scoffed again, shaking her head.
"You've been back for a day, and now you're running off to chase Sith. Typical." She leaned back on her hands, tilting her face toward the sky. "So, what, you're gonna just… follow some vague trail?"
"Not exactly." I chuckled before continuing. "We have a lead. The old droid I brought back. The Grandmaster thinks it can lead us to them as the droid is linked to the Dark Side."
"The droid?" She turned to me, brow furrowing. "Connected to the Dark Side? A machine?"
"Yeah. It's complicated." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Master Luke thinks it, so who am I to argue? It did make sense when he explained."
"Tsk." She clicked her tongue. "Of course he does. He is the Grandmaster. Figures..."
"Hm?" I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you get pulled into trouble as a Padawan," Vila said, rolling her eyes. "You barely got back, Kael. We haven't even had time to—" She cut herself off, exhaling sharply. "Never mind."
"..." I couldn't help but smile as I studied her carefully. Beneath the frustration, I could sense something else. Worry...
"I'll be back," I said, nudging her shoulder. "And you didn't even let me tell you the second news."
"Yeah? Which is?"
"You are also coming with us."
"..." For a moment, she remained silent before laughing, hitting my shoulders with full force, "Next time, start with that, idiot!"