**PART 1: Ghost of the Temple**
***Author’s note: The following story takes place 3952 BBY.***
***Three years after the events of KOTOR.***
Data log: 12334453-2293842-1129993#12
Location: Jedi Grand Temple/Coruscant
Standing Orders: Protect Jedi Grand Temple
Orders Issued by: DATA DELETED
Date of Orders Issued: #############
Current Temple Security Status: Green
Beginning Internal Scans of Unit’s Internal Systems.
WARNING: Power Core Show Signs of Degradation.
Systems Shutdown Immediate.
Note: Three Years Since Unit’s Last Maintenance Cycle.
Contacting Unit’s Maintenance Administrator: Kai Arvix
Unable to Contact.
Contacting Temple’s Maintenance Administrator.
Unable to Contact.
Advisement: Unit Refrain from Combat/Straining Power Core Until Next Maintenance Service.
Unit Will Continue to Attempt to Contact Main….
Warning!
Security Scanners Picking up Possible Security Breached in Grand Temple’s Lower Storage Bays.
This Unit Will go Investigate.
Keep Temple Safe.
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“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Benev said for the sixth time since entering the cavernous storage area. It was dark. Much too dark for his liking. The only sound he could hear are those belonging to him, Rik, and his large Nikto friend who’s name he found hard to pronounce so he simply called him Green for the colour of his skin.
“Will you quit your moaning Benev!” Rik said as he guided them through the maze of boxes that had been placed within the room in neat rows. The blueish light of his glowrod gave off cast strange shadows across those boxes, which did little to help quieten Benev’s fear. “We’re not going to get caught. The authorities don’t know about that service tunnels we went through, and they don’t come into the temple itself. We’ll be in and out before anyone knows we were here.”
“But what if they hear us? Or want if the temple has security? What if the story about this place is true?”
Rik stops and shoots Benev a mean grin. “Don’t tell me you believe that poodoo.”
“Well…. I mean….”
“You honestly believe the ghosts of Jedi haunt this place? I swear Benev. You believe anything.”
“But, they might be true though.” Benev said trying to sound more confident to the career criminal. “That old janitor swore he heard things when he worked here at night. He even said he saw something moving towards-
“That old geezer was half drowning in corellian rum. He probably just saw a shadow and got spook or maybe he gets a kick out of telling scary stories to gullible kids like you.”
Benev wasn’t convince. He remembers the look of abject terror in the old men’s eyes as he warned them of the ghost of the temple. About how it always watches you, always just at the corner of your eyes and if you went somewhere you shouldn’t, all you would see was an eye burning red like a blood stain star. Rik must have seen the nervousness on his face because that condescending look disappear and was replace with one of concern.
“Hey now.” He said, his voice softer and friendly then before. “Don’t be so freak out alright.”
Rik steps closer, throwing his arm around Benev and pulls him closer. It reminded him how much taller Rik was compared to him. And how thicker his arms were too. Not as thick as Green’s but there are muscles underneath the man’s skin, which is more then what could be said about Benev. Compare to them he might as well be a jawa without a robe.
“Listen.” Rik says as he steers Benev towards the turbolift that will take them out of the lower levels and into the Temple proper. “I get it, this is your first real big gig. The first time you’re putting those lovely slicing skills of yours to proper use instead of cheating low time gambling dens. You got the jitters. Everyone gets them. Just remember why you’re doing this.”
“Vesso.” Benev whispered under his breath. The thought of the pantoran woman who worked at the café he often visited made the fear and uncertainty he felt disappear. Warmth spread to his cheek as he pictures her. Blue skin, raven black hair, kind cheerful golden eyes and a laugh that could make even the most miserable day seem bright.
“That’s right.” Rik said, patting the smaller man on the back. “Just think about that pantoran girl you like so much. Think of the life you can give her when we sell those artifacts. You two could buy an apartment on the higher levels or even maybe go off world. All you have to do Benev is get us into that vault. Think you can do that?”
“I’ll try.”
“That’s what’s I like to hear.” Rik cheers. Giving Benev another, firmer pat as they reached the turbolift. “Now see about overriding this here lift for us. Okay.”
Benev nods and set about doing what was asked of him. As he walked away from Rik, Green came to stand beside him. The nikto arms was crossed over his broad chest as he stares at the smaller human.
“He could be problem if he starts jumping at shadows.” His voice was rough and heavily accented.
“Don’t worry.” Rik said. Keeping his voice low. “We only need him until he opens the holocron vault.”
“And after?” Green asks as he stares holes in Benev’s back.
Rik’s lips spreads into a wicked smile. “Well, I guess this Temple really will become haunted then. Won’t it.”
##################################################################################
Warning: Storage Bay 273-G Turbolift had been activated.
Attempting to Override.
Unable to Override Turbolift.
Unit does not have Access to Temple Security Network.
Note: Request Access to Temple Security Network.
Tracking Turbolift Ascent.
According to Available Data: Turbolift is Heading to Level 73 Central Archive.
Potential of Theft of Archival Information: High
Potential of Theft of Alpha Level Protected Information: High
Potential Threat to Archive Holocron Vault: High
Number of Intruders: Unknown
Level of Armaments of Intruders: Unknown
Entering Combat Mode until more Information on Intruders is Collected.
Lethal Force Inadvisable at this time.
Non-Lethal Force Authorized.
Keep Temple Safe.
##################################################################################
The lift brought them to a long hallway. The ceiling of which was so high up that the light of Rik’s glowrod could not reach. Benev look up to that shadowy void and again he thought of the stories that the old man told. Rik was of course right when he had said the man had been drinking. But Benev could not shake the fear he had heard in his voice.
He gave his head a small shake to loosen those thoughts from his mind. He needed to focus. All he has to do is break the lock on the vault where the Jedi kept all their secrets. After that he’ll have enough credits to be the man deserving of a girl like Vesso.
“Benev you coming?” Rik cried out. Shaking Benev out of his thoughts and making him realize that he had fallen behind his two partners.
“Oh, sorry.” He said as he quickly rushed to join them.
They walked through the long, winding hallways, none of them saying much after leaving the turbolift behind. While it was true that the coruscant security force only guarded the outside of the temple, there’s a small chance they may have a few security droids roaming the inside. The last thing they needed was to be detected by one by coursing too much noise with idle chatter.
“Are we going the right way?” Green whispered. His rough voice sounding even more dangerous than it usual did. “We be walking for hours.”
“It’s actually only been twenty minutes.” Benev said. Shrinking a little when the Nikto looks at him.
Rik kept walking for a bit before turning to look at Benev. “Check the map.”
Benev reached into his pocket and pull out a datapad. It was a small thing, being able to fit comfortably in his hand. The screen flash to life as he turns it on, showing a large crack that runs diagonally across the screen. Despite this he was able to quickly load up the temple’s blueprints he had acquired from slicing into coruscant central databank.
“It should be another couple of meters down this corridor then a right, up a flight of stairs and we should reach the temple’s archives.” He whispered.
“There see.” Rik says flashing a smile to Green. “Didn’t I tell you that Benev was the man for this job.”
The three of them continue walking through the eerily quiet halls of the temple, following Benev directions until they come across a set of towering doors that reached high into the ceiling. They were locked, but Benev was able to find a panel for his datapad to connect to. He taps away, Overriding the door’s locking mechanisms and quickly shutting down any security alerts that may have been triggered. While he worked a thought came to his mind. One that had been gnawing at him since they entered that old service tunnels.
“What do you think happened to them?” He quietly asks Rik. Who was leaning against the wall next him.
“Who? The jedi?” Rik shrugs his shoulders. “Who knows. One moment they were all tearing the galaxy apart. The next, they all just quietly disappear. One by one.”
“You think they all died out?”
Rik chuckles at that. “Let’s hope so. The way I see it. No jedi, no wars. Plus, it’ll makes our lives easier.
“Yeah, but won’t things be worse now with them gone? I mean jedi are supposed to be the protectors of the galaxy, right?”
“Protectors of the galaxy.” Rik scoffs, shaking his head. “Some protectors. First they let the Mandalorians burn down half of the outer rim, then they decide to turn on each other and drag everyone else into it. Trust me Benev we’re better off without those self-righteous frag heads.”
Benev didn’t know he agreed with that. His mother raised him on stories about the jedi. About how they were noble heroes who went out into the wider galaxy to help people and asked nothing in return. She had even claimed that a jedi had once saved her life when she was a little girl. Since then, she had lived by their example and had tried to pass it onto him. He wonders what she would say now if she was still alive. If she saw her son breaking into the jedi’s home to steal their precious artifacts, all to sell them so he could impress a girl he barely ever spoken to.
He pushes away the picture of her disappointed face as it springs to his mind. She would understand. It’s not just Vesso he’s doing this for. With the credits he will make with this job he could finally stop being a thief. He could move out of the lower levels or maybe even move to another planet. One where the air was clean, where he could see the sky, and get a proper job where he didn’t have to steal. Surely that makes what he’s doing right.
Doesn’t it.
##################################################################################
Rik watches as Benev worked on slicing open the doors to the archives. For not the first time since taking the kid under his wing he sees the same uncertain look cross his youthful face.
Don’t grow a conscious yet kid. He thought.
He wonders if maybe he had made a mistake bringing Benev along for this heist. Sure, out of all the back street slicers he come across on the lower levels of Coruscant none of them had the innate skills or know how for hacking into secure mainframes as him. But then again, a lot of them also didn’t have the annoyingly high morals as him either. How he had managed to survive in the cities depths and still maintained the ethics of a saint was beyond Rik.
When he was his age, his hands were already dirty with the number of thefts, cons, and the occasional murder that had he been the religious type he would have no illusions where his soul would end up. True, some of those deaths weren’t planed. Having been caused due to the need to shoot his way out after a heist that went wrong. And there were a few where it was in self-defence because one of his partners decided to get greedy and try to take him out of the picture. But he had killed people without justification as well. Those were harder to do without some level of guilt haunting him. Now he barely gives it a second thought.
“Okay that should do it.” Benev says as he detaches his datapad from the panel.
There was the sound of locks being release and grinding gears for the first time since the jedi had all suddenly disappeared. The three thieves watch as the large doors slowly swing aside.
“Good job.” Rik said. Giving Benev an approving nod which made the kid smile.
He’s so easy to manipulate. Rik thought as the young man follows him and the nikto into the shadowy room beyond. For a moment he thought about sparing him after he opened the lock on the jedi’s vault. Despite his constant complaining and cowardice he had earn Rik quite the bit of creds over the months they had met. He had more then repay his debt to him after he saved the kid from a hutt he had foolishly been syphoning funds from. It was a tempting idea, but one he ultimately dismissed.
He has his own plans for the credits they are going to make with this job. Benev and the nikto are not a part of it. Still, he is going to miss the kid. He might even rise a toast to him in thanks for his help.
Maybe.
##################################################################################
The three men found themselves standing in a large circular chamber. Much like the hallways outside the ceiling was hidden to them due to how high it reaches. A workstation, round much like the chamber, sat as the centre piece of the room. This was most likely where the temple’s librarians would have attended to the needs of those who came to the archives seeking knowledge. As well as sorting through the monstrous information that had been assembled during the countless years the jedi had existed.
Again, the guilty feeling starts to rise from Benev’s gut. He tries to ignore it, but the closer they got to their goal the harder it became. He looks to the map on his datapad and focus on navigating to get his mind off the picture of his mother.
He leads Rik and Green past the rotunda and into the archives proper. After a few minutes wandering through the shelves Benev comes to realize how lucky they were to have found someone who could have given them a map of this place. If they had come here without it, they would have immediately gotten lost in the maze of shelves, study halls, and private studies chambers. He knew that the jedi archives would be huge, but he didn’t think it would be so large as to be it’s own little city level.
The guilt he had been feeling was now replaced with wonder at the amount of information this place must hold. What kind of knowledge could he perhaps find here, how far back does it go, did the jedi truly ever knew?
“You alright kid?” Rik voice cut through Benev’s thoughts like a vibro-blade.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry I just got lost in thought there for a second.” Benev said as he quickly got back to navigating.
“Thinking about what you’re going to do with all the creds you’re going to make?”
“Something like that.”
“Well, don’t worry.” Rik chuckles. “Soon you won’t have to think about it at all.”
Little else was said as they continue deeper into the shadowy depths of the archives. It took them almost an hour to reach the right section. It looks much like the rest of the archives only it was smaller, with less shelves and there were no stairs leading to an upper level. In fact, according to the map the only way in and out of this part of the archives was the entrance they just pass through.
Makes sense. Benev thought as they pass a group of tables and information terminals. If you’re going to have a vault you may as well, put it in a room with only a single-entry point.
They reach the back of the room and found what they were searching for. The vault’s door was a massive round door with an access terminal set by it’s side. Just by looking at it Benev could tell that it was design well and was probably created using some of the densest, most indestructible metals the galaxy could provide. If he could not slice into it, this heist would be over and nothing they could do will open that door.
He could already feel his palms getting sweaty as he imagines what would happen if he fails. Rik would be fine. Despite his sometimes harsh words he was a good man who had looked out for him over the past year. Ever since that day he talked that hutt out of killing him, Rik had help him by pointing out which target to steal from and which to stay away. Honestly meeting him had been perhaps one of the few good things to happen to Benev since his mother died.
Green on the other hand was a different story. The nikto looked like the type that Rik would have told Benev to stay away from. They hadn’t spoken to each other, but it was clear he didn’t much like Benev. Those large black eyes always seem to be looking at him with the same way one might stare at something that had become stuck to the bottom of their shoe. He mentions it to Rik but he simply shrugged it off. Saying that Green was a muscle guy and muscle guys always hated the smart guy.
“Don’t worry.” He had said. “I’ve known Za’mokarosstoron for years. He might look scary but he’s as nice as they come.”
Somehow Benev doubted that.
“You ready kid?” Rik said dragging him out of his thoughts a third time that night.
“Y…yeath.” Benev said moving to attach his datapad to the vault’s access terminal.
“Good. You just work your magic while me and the big guy here watch your back.”
Benev nodded and started to work. His finger tapping over the broken screen of his datapad as he went about slicing into the system. Only to then hit a wall. A big wall. Perhaps the biggest wall he had ever encountered in his short life.
“Uh-oh.” He uttered, louder then he meant to.
“What is uh-oh?” Green said sounding annoyed.
“Um…This vault security is more…intense then I was expecting.”
“Can you not open it?” there was a sudden hint of danger to the nikto’s voice.
“No. I can get it to open. Probably. Maybe.” Benev said as his voice slowly become quieter as the nikto glares at him.
“Hey now.” Rik steps in, patting the nikto on the shoulder. “It’s alright. We got the whole night ahead of us. Benev you just take your time and work on getting that vault open for us. Okay.”
“Okay, Rik. I’ll try.”
“That’s want I like to….”
Rik suddenly stops speaking. Benev looked at him wondering what had happen to make him do that. Then he heard it too. There was a sound. Distant but it was clear that it was getting closer. It was an aged mechanical sound. Of rusty gears and moaning hinges. The three of them turns to the hall’s entrance, listening as the sound came closer and closer.
“I thought you said no one come to Temple no more.” Green hisses at Rik as he pulls a blaster from his belt.
“There isn’t supposed to be.” Rik whispers back. “The CSF aren’t supposed to come inside.”
He turns to Benev anger in his eyes. “Did you do trip something at the archive’s doors?”
“N…no Rik.” Benev said. his voicing quivering at the approaching sound.
Rik cursed, then shut off his glowrod.
“Hide.” He said as he ran to the closest of the shelves.
Benev did as he was told. Dropping the datapad he raced to the opposite shelves from Rik and nearly bump into Green. The nikto angrily hissed something in his language before grabbing him and pulling him behind the shelves. He would have said thanks, but it was clear even in the gloom that the nikto wasn’t interested.
They all waited as they listens as the noise grew lounder and lounder. Benev slowly sank to the ground. Wondering what was going to happen when who ever was out there finds them. There was only one entrance and if they get stuck in a blaster fight, they will become trap. Maybe it would be best to surrender. Maybe they could lie their way out and say they were part of some temple maintenance crew. Panic thoughts after panic thoughts race through the Benev’s mind until it felt as if he was going to suffocate in them.
Then the noise stops and Benev stops breathing. He waited. For what felt like an eternity he waited for the noise of blaster fire or lightsabers or even a loud voice telling them that they were surrounded. Instead, nothing came.
He looks up to the shadowy spectre that was Green. The faint outline of him standing at the edge of the shelves with his head just slightly leaning out. His right arm held high with a blaster in hand. The nikto said something in disbelief.
Confuse and curious, Benev slowly slide himself over to Green and peeks his own head out to see. And almost immediately wished he hadn’t. There floating in the darkness was a single, large glowing red eye.
The ghost of the temple.
It is real.
And it is staring right at him.
“Greetings.”