When Faith Fails

[Sundara Nyveit]

The destruction of Thyferra was something that weighed heavily on Sundara's shoulders, since only shortly after the invasion. Had the overall goal of that day been simply 'don't die', it would've been an easy success. However, giving that the general idea was to prevent the planet's destruction, push back the Sith's assault, maybe even stop the Sith in general (though that itself could hardly be considered a legitimate goal), the invasion had ended in a resounding failure. Sundara had left with her life, sure, but with it, questions that she'd never considered much less had wanted to deal with. Imagine - the organization you'd devoted your life to serving, turning out to be little more than a cesspool of corruption.

Yeah, Sundara hadn't wanted to think about it, either.

At first, she had wanted to just forget the specifics of Thyferra ever happened, simply focus on any efforts to rebuild. And she certainly tried, ignoring the recommendations to take a break and recuperate herself. Anything to distract herself, really. Surely, if she threw herself into enough projects, helped enough people rebuild, she could put ease to that seed of doubt that had sprouted as a result of the invasion. Very few blamed her for being jumpy, either. Pit a measly little knight up against the current Dark Lord of the Sith and one'd be a fool not to expect them to at least be a little on edge. That was assuming they survived, of course, something Sundara still hadn't quite processed. And how did one move on after that sort of thing?

The list of people she could think to consult was dismally small, none of which she would even think to mention the conversation she'd ended up having with the Dark Lord. No, it seemed she was alone in this endeavor. Just her and the near-overwhelming sense of doubt for the Jedi as a whole, something even after the invasion she couldn't shake off.

Come to Bastion, I will complete the training your masters neglected to give you.

The Dark Lord's words were still fresh in her head, stubbornly refusing to grant her any peace of mind and also probably why she found herself en route to Bastion's surface now. The trip and really the past few weeks had been exhausting ones, circles very visibly forming around the Devaronian's eyes. A new saberstaff, forged with what she could salvage of the old one as well as new materials to fill in the unrepairable pieces, rested at her side. New weapon and the previous invitation of sorts aside, being so far into Sith space alone was nothing short of terrifying.

Such terror probably leaked through her request to land, the message already incredibly awkward as per Sundara fashion. In her defense, 'Come to Bastion', while straightforward, didn't really cover all the ins and outs of actually getting there in one piece. How she'd made it this far, she had no clue. When questioned, she very nearly gave up, tempted to turn the ship around if not for the fact that she was already too far in to get out safely.

"This is Je-" Could she even call herself a Jedi anymore? She hadn't exactly identified herself as anything other than that on Thyferra. For recognition sake, she went with it. "Jedi Knight, Sundara Nyveit, requesting an audience with the Dark Lord? Regarding Thyferra." Yeah, she probably botched that request to land beyond redemption. Already, this little trip was looking to be a mistake.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

There was a pause, a brief moment of fear where the possibility that the ships that had risen to flank either side of the Jedi's transport could blow her out of the sky. Ending her journey to Bastion before it had even truly begun.

But then a voice, gruff and authoritative, wafted across the comm: "Knight Nyveit, pilot your craft to these coordinates. Do not divert from this course or we will be forced to destroy you."

Easy enough instructions, all that was required of the Jedi was her ability to understand and carry out what they demanded of her. The coordinates would lead Sundara towards the center of Ravelin, Bastion's capital city and the overall capital of the Sith Empire, where a massive palace jutted out from the sprawling cityscape like a shining jewel. The structure was pyramidal in design, gradually sloping faces lined by incandescent illumination strips and Imperial iconography.

There was no other structure in view that could belong to anyone but the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Sticking out from one of the pyramid's sides was a landing platform just large enough for the Jedi Knight's vessel, with both of her escorts peeling away to disappear out of sight after she had landed. Waiting for her was a small contingent of black-armored guards led by a silver-plated centurion wielding a lightsaber pike in his right hand. He currently held it parallel to his body much like a staff, although there was no doubt that it could spring to life at any sign of danger.

"Knight Nyveit, my master has been waiting for you. Please, follow me."

Beyond the landing pad was an elaborate labyrinthe of halls, too twisting and turning to properly navigate without an intimate knowledge of the interior. Eventually they would wind up at a throne room, its ceiling stretching high into the air while the main walkway was bordered by pillars of polished basalt. At the end of the walkway was a gargantuan throne raised upon a three-stepped dais; the Dark Lord of the Sith himself perched upon it.

He greeted her with an all too toothy grin, "So I see you heeded my advice, a bold decision."

[member="Sundara Nyveit"]​

 

[Sundara Nyveit]

The moment preceding any sort of response was absolutely terrifying. Flanked by ships that could easily end this entire ordeal before she'd have a chance to react, yet already being too far in to back out now. Why, even if she did see some sort of attack coming, she very much doubted she'd have the time to avoid anything but disaster. So she waited for what certainly felt like forever, the actually quite short moments of being a sitting duck being agonizing.

The orders, gruff as they were and not complete without that not so subtle threat, couldn't come sooner. Sundara breathed a sigh of relief, the tension building in her shoulders never quite easing up as she keyed in the coordinates with shaky hands. If chances of escape were small before, they were nonexistent now. She had to wonder if the coordinates simply lead to a less populated area, perfect for shooting the Jedi's vessel to oblivion and while drawing closer to the palace certainly disproved that theory, she still wasn't convinced that this wasn't just a death trap about to be sprung. That would be just her luck. Quite frankly, if it was going to happen, she'd much rather just get it over with.

That wouldn't seem to be the case, however, with the coordinates leading to a landing platform attached to the pyramid of a palace. Well, one thing was for certain, she'd made it to the right place. With the escorts gone, she had a moment to breathe easy before powering the ship down, grabbing whatever gear she thought would come in handy. There wasn't much point in packing a lot. She had her lightsaber, no allies nearby for any comlink to be of use. Not to mention, if this was indeed a trap, she was already in the heart of the beast. If they wanted to deprive her of the gear, it wouldn't be difficult whatsoever. That didn't stop her from slipping on a cloak, casting one last look at the vessel's interior, before exiting to the armed guard outside.

A couple twists and turns in and the Devaronian gave up trying to memorize the way back. Of course, that would only come in handy if she managed to shake the guard along with whatever other security measures the palace, let alone the capital city, had at its disposal. It was all too clear that this was not a place she'd be getting out of easily. So, she focussed elsewhere, taking in the expanse of hallways, forcing her arms to her sides to stop any fidgeting. The throne room was unlike anything the Jedi had seen, even on missions of the diplomatic sort. She tried to hide any sort of awe. After all, prolonged death trap or not, this was no place to let down her guard.

Entirely unsettled by that grin, she offered a noncommittal shrug in response. "Well, I'm not dead yet, so there's one thing going for me." She cast another glance around the throne room itself."Some place you got here."

[member="Darth Carnifex"]​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"There is power in architecture, Jedi Nyveit." He gestured to the grandeur of the throne room, "This room, and the entirety palace in which you stand, was constructed to channel the Dark Side of the Force. Right now you stand in the heart of that conduit, can you feel the power welling up from beneath?" Upon further investigation it was revealed that the throne room itself was situated on a massive platform overlooking what seemed to be a bottomless pit, unpierceable by the light fixtures that illuminated the chamber. Occasionally discharges of power could be seen far below, hinting at some power source situated far below the throne room.

By now the escorts who had led Sundara to their master's throne had departed out through the lift they had originally came in on, leaving her alone with the monstrous dictator. Though not completely alone, as it would seem. Hidden further away from the throne itself were more guards, their bodies wreathed in flexible crimson plates and flowing ruby robes; a variety of weapons held in each of their hands.

"Tell me, Jedi Knight, what do you think of the capital of the Sith? I assume you were afforded a decent enough view of Ravelin on your journey to the palace?"

[member="Sundara Nyveit"]​

 

[Sundara Nyveit]

"Oh, yeah, I certainly feel something." It was just about suffocating, being utterly surrounded by such darkness. Her arms crossed in front of her without her notice, hands clutching elbows in what'd look rather defiant if not for just how tight their grip was. All her previous claims of how the light would never die aside, the throne room was about as devoid of light as a place could get. It was terrifying on its own and yet perhaps more terrifying was that Sundara wasn't completely repulsed by it.

Even alone - and she doubted they were truly alone. Even the Sith weren't so bold as to think their ruler completely untouchable. Still, even with guards out of view, she had every disadvantage, and more so than before. Thyferra had perhaps been the closest thing she'd get to even ground. This was entirely the Emperor's - and by extension, the Dark Side's - domain. If it came down to a fight, there was no question who the victor would be. Granted, there really wasn't much of a contest on Thyferra, either, the Jedi still far from certain why she was even around for the conversation of sorts this day.

"I can't say I was paying much attention." No, she was a bit preoccupied with the threat of being blown out of the sky should she step even the slightest out of line. "What I saw was impressive," a complete understatement. While certainly not as notable without the palace in tow, the capital had its own dismal charm to it. Certainly nothing that calmed the nerves flying in. "Though, I fail to see the point in this small talk."

[member="Darth Carnifex"]​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"So eager to set aside such idle chatter, are we?" He laughed, "Very well."

He rose, his form just as imposing as it was on the battlefield of Thyferra; albeit bereft of the dark plate that had made him seem all the more monolithic. He was still a towering individual, just over eight feet tall, and built like a brick wall. The Dark Lord of the Sith walked slowly, his footsteps methodical as he descended the risen dais with great thundering footfalls.

"You want to know why I invited you to my domain, don't you? The offer has burned in your mind ever since I extended it. Why did I, the Butcher King, Scourge of a Hundred Worlds, spare your little life while everyone else had fallen around you?" He used such titles mockingly, for they were ones heaped upon him by his myriad of enemies. Though they all held truth to them, he was fond of the callous nature of war and did not shy away from its more brutal aspects.

Thyferra was an obvious example.

"That is an easy answer, I saw in you what I do not see often in other Jedi Knights. A lack of conviction in the cause you fight for."

[member="Sundara Nyveit"]​

 

[Sundara Nyveit]

"You have a reputation. Chatter doesn't quite fit in with the rest of it." It wasn't the best explanation, sure. But have someone built up to be little short of a monster, small talk seems just a bit too human. It was weird.

Sundara had hoped the haze of the battle had blown everything out of proportion. She didn't have that luck, the Dark Lord just as if not more imposing than before. She had to actively keep herself from retreating, having to constantly remind herself of how futile it'd be with each of the Sith's steps. She was by no means a short individual. If anything, she was fairly average. And yet Carnifex stood over a foot taller than her. Nope. Not intimidating in the least.

"Well, yes." There was no use trying to deny it. She'd been more than ready to die in that invasion, had been expecting it the moment she had an inkling of what she was up against. "Butcher doesn't often indicate an abundance of survivors." Or any, for that matter. It didn't make sense no matter how she spun it. The questions had kept her up into the wee hours of the night, eating at her conscience like some maggot. Even if it was just by a whim that she was sparred, there were surely others over the years far more deserving of mercy.

His answer was less than satisfactory. Quite the opposite, it was infuriating. "A lack of what?" she echoed, temporarily forgetting who she was speaking to. A lack of loyalty to the Order, she could understand. She'd still argue that, sure, but one couldn't debate that recent events would say otherwise. "If I didn't care about the cause, I would've gotten out off Thyferra the first moment I could."

[member="Darth Carnifex"]​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"If you had been more dedicated to the ideals of the cause you fought for, you wouldn't have let my words sway you into coming here."

The Black Iron Tyrant had fought many Jedi over the years, and most of them had been so doggedly chained to their convictions that not even the simplest truth could penetrate the miasma of ignorance they cloaked themselves with. Sundara was different, Carnifex had found a chink in the armor of her brethren that she had draped across her shoulders. It was an easy task to worm open that chink, letting her own doubts anchor his intrusion until the way was practically laid bare before him.

"You thought that you were fighting for something admirable, for something noble and just. I enabled you to peek behind the curtain, and what you saw severed that link. For behind that curtain was not the glorious and benevolent destiny that the Jedi constantly preach, but a corrupt and megalomaniacal delusion of self-interest built upon a bedrock of zealotry, ignorance, and bigotry. The Galactic Alliance espoused peace and brotherhood, but ruthlessly quashed any voice that did not blindly align with its own creed. Anything that was deemed dangerous to its mission of control was excised through violence, a language that the Jedi comprehensively understand."

It was a language that he too understood, but he had no qualms of hiding what he was. He was a killer, he had butchered countless worlds in war after war after war. He did not conceal himself behind the veneer of peace and harmony, for the Sith Code was abundantly clear about what exactly peace was in the galaxy.

Peace was a lie.

[member="Sundara Nyveit"]​

 

[Sundara Nyveit]

"That's...fair." Aggravating, something she desperately wanted to argue, but fair. And that was perhaps the most aggravating part of it.

She shouldn't have allowed herself to be so easily swayed. She never should've engaged in mid-fight conversation, nor should she have taken any of the Sith's words with a grain of salt. The list of things she shouldn't have done could go on and on, only driving the metaphorical stab of shame deeper into her person. It was her mistake, her cross to bear, that invasion as a whole leaving the Jedi more confused than anything. And yet, as much as she regretted it all, she also didn't simultaneously. Better to listen and deal with things she might not have wanted to hear than to have just blindly adhered to the stereotypical crusade against darkness, murdering - or attempting to - simply because of ones preferred usage of the Force rather than a condemning action in particular.

Sundara couldn't bring herself to look at much more than the ground throughout the majority of Carnifex's lecture of sorts. Just as before, she could think of prime examples to disprove his claims, but with them, three others to support. She clung to her counterexamples, trying (and failing) to ignore the supporting ones. "The establishment itself may be inherently corrupt, sure." There really was no denying it at this point. "And a good deal of the people may be caught up in it." She really needed to stop agreeing. "But there were - are - still individuals that uphold the code as it's meant to be, to the best of their abilities. They're just a bit outnumbered, lacking the means to do much on their own." She could feel her own argument withering away, leaving only flimsy straws to grasp at. "It's an uphill battle. A very steep hill, where one starts to doubt if results really will happen." The last bit was mumbled more than spoken, the Devaronian regretting the words the moment they slipped out.

Results themselves were hard to come by, especially by the more peaceful methods. It was almost too easy to slip into using force, something Sundara had found herself increasingly falling into. All in the name of peace, right? For the greater good? What was so great about peace when it was so easily wiped away?

[member="Darth Carnifex"]​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"A lofty goal to strive for, to reform the Jedi. I am afraid that it is an impossible one as well."

Not that he truly wanted the Jedi to be reformed, he wanted them to be wiped off the face of the galaxy so that the Sith could rise to their proper place as rulers of the galaxy. His methods in doing so may have been unrelenting, cruel, and brutal beyond all measure; but he viewed the galaxy as weak, fragmented, torn between ideologies that had no hope of existing side-by-side. It needed a firm hand to guide it to its proper destiny as a utopia, one built and sustained by authoritarian rule and the Dark Side of the Force.

There was no place for the chaotic and fragile nature of democracy in the destiny he envisioned.

"As it stands, the Jedi do far more harm than good to the galaxy. They smother ideas that contradict their own, and uphold a status quo of chaos and anarchy. If allowed to impose their ideology on the galaxy, we would enter a new Dark Age of strife, stagnation, and intellectual regression. We Sith are harsh in our methods, but weakness cannot be coddled and allowed to infect the strong. The stronger species survives extinction, that is the law of nature. And it is high time for the Jedi to come to their end, once and for all."

[member="Sundara Nyveit"]​

 

[Sundara Nyveit]

"Impossible or against your interests?" She wondered with raised brow. She wouldn't be surprised if it were the latter. Quite frankly, she expected it.

The current iteration of the Jedi were far from perfect, no version of them was or ever would be. As much as Sundara could hope otherwise, that was an undeniable fact. The same sentiment could be directed towards the Sith or any organization, really. There was no perfect solution, no way to completely avoid corruption. She doubted anything she could say would properly convey that, though, not when the Dark Lord so clearly had his mind made while she was just scrambling to keep her thoughts in order. Could she really be blamed, though? The last thing she'd expected, both on Thyferra and now here, had been some theology debate. It seemed pointless, the endgame never really in sight.

This was getting them nowhere.

"Say you have your way and the Jedi fade back into obscurity. Then what? Is it convert or die?" Whether or not she was conscious of it, her grasp on her forearms loosened, hands falling to her sides and inadvertently, closer to her lightsaber. She had no expectation of making out of the throne room alive, especially if this was a 'join or die' situation, but she'd by no means go down without at least attempting putting up a fight. "Surely you don't expect an entire organization to just up and leave?" She stared up at the giant, an almost perpetual glare resting on her features, though subdued in comparison to Thyferra. She was still terrified, for sure, as to be expected coming face to face of anyone of that sheer size, not even taking power into account, but for now, she'd keep a brave face. "Or will the decision be made for us?"

[member="Darth Carnifex"]​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"The decision for the Jedi was made a long, long time ago."

Eons ago, he derisively thought. There was little mistaking that the Dark Lord of the Sith held an intense, unwavering hatred for the Jedi Order as a whole. His desire to see them broken at the feet of the Sith was second only to his desire for the Sikth Empire to take its proper place as the ultimate power in the universe.

"Eons ago the brave heretic Xendor attempted to broaden the Jedi's knowledge of the Force by studying the aspects of Bogan, yet as he preached to his followers for the willingness to experience all aspects of the Force the Jedi plotted his murder. They brought war upon Xendor and his followers, and destroyed them and their temple of worship. It would not be the first time the ignorance of the Jedi would cause a schism in their own order, for the Sith are the heirs to Xendor's bold heresy."

Much of what the Dark Lord said was true, albeit twisted ever so slightly to fit his own desires. The texts from that ancient era are so fragmented and incomplete that anything Carnifex said could be counted as truth in lack of evidence to prove the contrary.

[member="Sundara Nyveit"]​

 

[Sundara Nyveit]

"Then why hasn't it been carried out? Why would they keep sprouting if there was no good in the ideology, if they didn't stand for something that appealed to the masses"

Sundara wasn't certain just how long ago he was referring to. Years? Decades? Well before their time? Nor could she determine how someone could have such a vendetta against an entire group, at least not to such an extreme. She couldn't begin to understand what could possibly cause such an intense hatred - what sort of suffering one would endure. And if suffering wasn't a part of the equation, she had even more questions.

"The Jedi of that long ago hardly reflect the Jedi of now. Well, it's possible but that's far too much time to be considered a direct correlation." The history lesson seemed to come out of nowhere. The Devaronian hadn't really been one for those lessons as a child, often finding them more opportunities to nap rather than learn. The terms were vaguely familiar but only barely, as if they'd been mentioned more in passing than the forefront of a lesson. Based off the Sith's version of the tale, it wasn't hard to imagine why. If it really was that long ago, there was hardly much point in expecting children to learn from it.

Sundara didn't doubt for a second that, given the opportunity, the Sith would find some way to connect the two time periods, as far-fetched as it seemed. She was intrigued as to how the two could be convincingly connected, yet she also hoped the attempted would fall flat, sound as forced as one could expect. Mostly since she couldn't say any of this was doing much for her own belief in the Jedi. "There have been countless iterations over the years. The mistakes of one group don't necessarily reflect the fate of another."

[member="Darth Carnifex"]​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"What is future is past."

He clasped his arms in front of his chest, steepling his fingers on each other as he looked down at the smaller Devaronian. "History moves in circles, Jedi Knight. We are all bound to the wheel of time, and on and on it turns and turns. The Light and the Dark move with it, sometimes the Light occupying the apex of the wheel and sometimes the Dark. One side claims victory while the other wallows in defeat, only for the wheel to turn and their positions flipped until the next rotation. This has been the cycle of the galaxy for eons, ever since our ancient forefathers first discovered what the Force even was."

The Sith, the Jedi, combatants in an endless war that started eons ago and will most likely continue for several more thousand years. "Some say the nature of the Force is peace, some say it is power, and others say that is balance. They are all wrong, the Force is conflict. The dichotomy of the Light Side and the Dark Side is unquestionable. The servants of the Light will always wage war with the servants of the Dark, and the galaxy will be torn apart by strife and death until both sides lay bloodied and broken, only for the cycle to start anew as new generations take up the banners of their ancestors. Just look at the galaxy now, how many wars have been fought in the span of just a hundred years, how many governments have risen and fallen in such a short amount of time? Far more than has ever been recorded in the history of the galaxy."

He returned to his throne, easing his massive frame down into the polished seat. "Darkness rises and Light to meet it, and the people of the galaxy die in the trillions when the two collide. This galaxy is broken and it needs to be repaired, and for that to happen one side must die. The Light or the Dark. So long as a scrap of one remains, it will reform itself to wage war on its opposite, and on and on that wheel will continue to roll, crushing the galaxy beneath it. I intend for the Light to be eradicated, eclipsed utterly, in this war of extinction. Only then once the Light has been snuffed off can the galaxy be mended."

[member="Sundara Nyveit"]​

 

[Sundara Nyveit]

Again with the being talked down to. The height difference really wasn't fair in any sense of the world. Sure, a few inches would be expected, accepted even. But this? Having to crane her neck to even look the Dark Lord in the eye? No, this was just cruel. It was almost an unspoken rule of nature that you didn't argue with someone bigger than you unless you were absolutely sure you knew what you were doing or had a death wish. Neither stipulation applied to the Devaronian, Sundara being quite a fan of staying alive if she could help it. It didn't help she was essentially being talked into a corner here. She hadn't exactly expected this sort of lecture, in her defense, and she wasn't about to take notes.

She could feel a dull pain in her temple, just trying to wrap her head around all of this. It didn't make sense. Well, it did. Once more, it made far too much sense for her to want to admit. "And how do you intend to do that?" She questioned, hands once more returning to their fidgeting state. "There've been a number of purges - each one never succeeding in eradication, spurring that wheel you mentioned to just keep on turning. How would you ensure the light wouldn't rise up again? And if it's all the same to you, I'd really, uh, prefer avoiding eradication." A brief, noncommital shrug of the shoulders accompanied that statement. "Don't really know if that's an option but it's certainly preferred."

[member="Darth Carnifex"]​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"I don't intend for the wheel to turn again, I intend to break it for all time."

Already that war to eradicate the Light had begun, the forces of darkness marshalling their vast reserves to destroy their enemy piecemeal. The Galactic Alliance falters against such brutality, and the Silver Jedi had been driven out of the region they held dominion over for more than a decade after a short confrontation with the Imperial Bloc. Sure, they were regrouping around Kashyyyk; but the damage had already been done, their weakness had been made clear to everyone.

And the Empire showed no signs of slowing its meteoric rise.

"The delusion of self-governance plagues the minds of many, but when chaos runs rampant through the streets they are all too willing to hand over their personal liberties for protection from the things they fear. When the Silver Jedi abandoned Voss and their other territories in the wake of Mirial, how many billions of souls did they leave unguarded? I can assure you that a great deal of those systems now clamor for my Empire's protection as the wolves of the galaxy creep in."

He gently tapped the fingers of his right hand against his chin, "I fear we may begin to start talking in circles, Jedi Knight. Why don't you tell me what you believe in, since I have bombarded you with mine?"

[member="Sundara Nyveit"]​

 

[Sundara Nyveit]

"And does your Empire provide the protection they seek? Or are they trading wolves for a far more malicious predator?" If the former, then absolutely good on them for finding some sort of deliverance when the Silvers took their leave. One couldn't exactly fault the Silver Jedi, packing their things when a perceived threat was in an almost perfect position to bring destruction upon them, just as one could hardly fault those left behind for seeking protection where they could. It was a situation in which no one came on top, aside from perhaps the Sith. The Silvers dealt with what they had the best they thought they could, cut their losses with the hope of rising elsewhere, the lesser of two evils when faced with possible extinction.

There was no right or wrong in such a predicament. Just as there often wasn't in such situations. It didn't make dealing with them any less difficult.

"I certainly don't believe in genocide." That should've been a given, but she had to account for fellow's less than savory track record. "Which is exactly what you're suggesting. You are aware of that, right?"

Eyes shifting to the Dark Lord's visage back to the floor that had been proving to be absolutely enthralling throughout the course of this exchange, one hand once again coming to rest clutching the other's elbow. "Beyond that, I can't say for certain what I believe anymore." Was it really the what she was lost on or the who? The uncertainty had the Jedi wishing she'd opted for blissful ignorance, anything for some peace of mind. "People shouldn't have to live in fear. Just as no one group deserves extinction. The ends of a goal often justify the means, and the galaxy might need a, uh, firmer grip on some of its affairs, but genocide won't solve that issue."

[member="Darth Carnifex"]​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"For the betterment of all, the few must perish. If untold generations could be secure in a future where the galaxy is unified and powerful, then I will gladly throw tens of thousands into the fire to ensure that it comes to pass."

Morality was a weakness that one needed to purge of themselves to be capable of doing what needed to be done, something the Jedi were often incapable of accomplishing. Those that could were often ostracized, driven out of the Order and forging new destinies among the stars. They typically found their way to the Sith, and were surrounded by those who did not chastise them for their dedication to the greater good; but rather encouraged it.

"Remember this when you leave here, Jedi Knight. How far will you be willing to go to save the entire galaxy, even if it means destroying an entire populace to do so?"

[member="Sundara Nyveit"]​