The Fourth Sister emerged in the infinite silent void of space. An invisible pathway defined by white lines connected to a vast network of portals around her. Every step she took sent a small ripple under her feet. Disembodied voices echoed from the void surrounding her. She had learned about this place from Shaak Ti's holocron. Everything she had worked for had brought her here, to this moment. A familiar voice beckoned her, "Virra," that of whom had become a second teacher, Master Shaak Ti.
The call guided Virra to a triangular gateway rimmed with symbols she didn't recognize. It began to glow when she stood in front of it, and a scene came to view on the other side. Virra realized what she was looking at, a memory so vivid she could never hope to forget.
Dressed in her Jedi Temple Guard regalia—brown robes, mask under a hood—and the sentries iconic double-sided lightsaber pike, Virra crept through the shadows in the lower levels of the Jedi Temple. She had gone there to investigate a disturbing feeling she had been experiencing during her meditations of late. At first, Virra thought the dark sensation had to do with the grim outlook for the Republican forces in the third year of the Clone Wars. The Jedi High Council had grown fearful the conflict would continue to ravage the galaxy with no clear end in sight. Many Jedi had died, their numbers spread thin, and desperate actions were investigated. This created a tense environment inside the temple, and perhaps explained the faint presence of the dark side within its walls. After conferring with her concerned former Master, Virra descended into the ancient chambers to find the source of the disruption.
Every Jedi youngling grew up hearing the stories of the forgotten horrors lurking within the bowels of the temple; tales meant to keep curious Initiates from wandering off into the long forgotten sub-levels of the ziggurat. Virra could never entertain such fanciful notions in her childhood. Her secretive, unorthodox training left little time for leisure, let alone mischief.
As a Kage, Virra was at home in the gloom. She could see in the darkness and grew more aware in the quiet; not even the keys hanging from her belt made a sound when she moved. So, when Virra heard the rumbling noise of a heavy slab being opened, she followed the sound without hesitation. Melting in the shadows, Virra waited for the source of footsteps to reveal itself. A figure in black emerged from the darkness, navigating the corridors with familiarity. The trespasser couldn't have been more than a few meters ahead, but when Virra rounded the corner, the figure had vanished.
"Looking for something?"
The yellow blades of Virra's lightsaber pike came alive illuminating the interloper. Another Jedi Temple Guard stood behind her, his weapon folded in half, and strapped to his belt.
"I was following an intruder," Virra said.
"Your eyes can be deceived. These levels date back to a time before the temple was built. Many things are veiled within these halls. Only those searching for truth find their way down here."
Virra depowered her pike, leaving both guards in dim light. "I came to investigate a disturbance in the Force I've been feeling when I meditate."
"You heard the call."
"What do you mean?"
"Let me show you."
Virra followed the guard deeper down the forgotten corridors, keeping her pike in her hand. He came to a halt by a large stone threshold carved with archaic symbols. A faint light flickered inside the chamber, accompanied by an ominous humming.
"Have you ever wondered why an order of powerful warriors needs its own security force?"
"To protect the temple."
"Because sometimes Jedi can lose their way."
Virra let the words dawn on her. "You mean the war?"
The guard nodded. "That growing sensation in the Force you've been experiencing is not a disturbance, but a summons."
"From the dark side?"
"Step inside and learn the truth." He motioned her inside the chamber. "Your weapon, you won't need it—not inside this hall; for those waiting inside are your brothers and sisters."
Virra crossed the threshold. Several members of the Jedi Temple Guard stood in line, holding their unlit pikes in front of them with both hands. A pillar with a flame burning rose from the center of the chamber. Massive statues loomed over from the inscribed walls.
The guard dipped his hand in a dark liquid inside a basin by the entrance, and made an imprint over his heart, before he took his place in front of the others. "We gather in this ancient hall by the will of the Force to serve as its instrument. We're the few entrusted with the sacred duty to maintain the purity of the Jedi light, during the darkness that has fallen across the galaxy. This war threatens to defile the sacred Jedi principles on which the Order was founded."
Virra was confused by the surreal scene. Was the mysterious figure she had seen earlier one of these guards? "What are you doing here?"
"Our duty. We swore to protect the way of the Jedi, even against themselves. Our commitment is to the Order, not to their individual members. We hide our faces, for we're not important, only our mission. We hold the keys to its chambers, its secrets, because we're the ones strong enough to do so. The mark over our hearts represents those of us whom the Force within the temple itself have chosen to protect its ancient legacy from the corruption growing within its walls."
"Corruption? What are you talking about? The Jedi are fighting to protect the Republic."
"The Jedi are supposed to be peacekeepers, not warriors; diplomats, not generals; an independent body, not the tools of the Senate. And yet, they secretly commissioned a clone army and unleashed it on those who rebel against the corruption of the Republic."
"The Republic is far from perfect," Virra said. "But the Separatists fired the first shot by the illegal blockade of Naboo, and deploying their droid army."
"What about the Sith?" the guard said. "For years, the High Council have known of the existence of a Sith Master. But instead of rooting him out and destroying him, they chose to play politics.
"You yourself have guarded these walls from the crowds of angry citizens demanding the end of the war. You helped me arrest a Padawan who dared take action against the failings of the Order. We stood together when the High Council allowed outsiders to judge and condemn her. The same Masters that allowed a second Padawan—an innocent—be arrested, and then we both stood in silence as she was unfairly expelled from the Order and handed over to the military.
"We've all turned a blind eye to these disturbing events, letting our believe in what the Order was blind us to what it has become. The fact you heard the call of the Force inside the temple, means you know this to be true."
Virra too had been concerned with some of the choices the Jedi Order had made in the last decade. A trepidation shared by many Jedi. She couldn't ague with the plain truth that stared at her every day as the war dragged on. The principles of the Jedi had been the first casualty in the Clone Wars. Many were left to wonder what a cadre of hardened warriors distrustful of politicians would do once it ended.
"You're talking about sedition," she found the words hard to utter.
"No, commitment. Our path has always been clear. We're the defenders of the Jedi Temple. If the order is to survive this shameful chapter in its illustrious history, we have to be the guiding beacon that shepherds it through the dark. Take your place among the Brethren, sister."
The Temple Guards made a circle around the fire, leaving room for Virra. The guards faced the flame again, stomping their feet. They presented their pikes and lit them up, creating a ring of light in the heart of the dark chamber. Virra wet her hand in the basin to mark her chest and joined the ring. The Temple Guards lifted their lit pikes over the flame and recited together:
"We swear on the Force to defend the Jedi Temple, to keep its members from straying from the light, to fight the dark side anywhere we find it, and to keep the Order when its members stray from the light. We shall perform our sacred duty dispassionately, anonymously, and to the full extent of our abilities. May the Force will this."
The portal went dark, leaving Virra to contemplate the first turning point in her life, the first time she came in contact with the dark side of the Force. Back then, she couldn't fathom how deep this murky path would end up taking her. All she cared about was doing what she had been trained to do without question.
Shaak Ti's voice whispered her over and broke her reverie. Virra followed the long path to another portal; a square one with more cryptic symbols. The outline shone and another memory became visible. One that took place a few months after the last one, and it carried a similar weight in the events which defined Virra's life.
The Clone Wars had come to an end with the death of Count Dooku and General Grievous. Virra had marked her chest with the blood of a fellow guard the night of the Great Jedi Purge. A defenseless Dooku had been executed, rather than arrested to stand trial for his war crimes, and now word had passed down among the Brethren the Jedi had tried to assassinate Chancellor Palpatine in his offices. The Order had made their move during the war, deciding who would lead the Republic, while also controlling the narrative of events. The time had come to for the Brethren to perform their sacred duty.
The Chancellor had sent Anakin Skywalker and the 501st Legion to put an end to the Jedi insurrection. Before Skywalker's arrival, the Brethren switched off the temple's security systems, and unlocked the doors, allowing the clone troopers to storm the temple by surprise. The bloody palmprint signaled the Brethren's loyalty to Darth Sidious, preventing them from getting killed by Skywalker and his men.
Guided by the colluding temple guards, the 501st killed every Jedi they encountered. The surprise assault met little opposition, most of the Jedi remained deployed on the battlefields, and those within the temple had been caught unaware.
One of the yellow blades of a pike lightsaber hit a Jedi Temple Guard's mask, right before the sentry killed her attacking comrade. Virra's face stared from within the broken mask, as she stood over the bodies of the two members of The Brethren she slayed outside the dormitories. A squad of clone troopers were strewn throughout the hallways, as well as a male dark-skinned human and a blue, pointed-ear youngling. Holding his lightsaber in a fighting stance, a confused K'Kruhk waited for the Temple Guard to make her next move. A group of frightened Initiates stood behind him ready to attack: Kennan, a human; a Lofar, a Togorian, Genel, a Duros; Jiro, a Zabrak; Onkya, a Mon Calamari; and a female Twi'lek name Zilvara—the human displayed more anger than fear.
"Go. Run," Virra said. "The maintenance hangar is clear."
"What is happening?" K'Kruhk said.
"The temple is under attack. The clones are killing Jedi. Take those younglings and go; you don't have much time."
"Who is attacking us?" Tears ran down Zilvara's cheeks.
"Clone troopers; the 501st."
"But they are on our side," Genel said. "Why?"
"It's a trap," Kennan said. "She's one of them. We have to kill her."
Virra heard a sound down the corridor. "There's no time to explain. Go!"
"Follow me." K'Kruhk moved away without turning his back to the Kage.
"We can't run away," Kennan said. "We have to stay and fight."
"Listen to Master K'Kruhk, Kennan," Jiro said. "Let's go."
"We're only younglings," Onkya said. "We can't help."
"We have to defend the temple," the human said. "This is our home. We have to make them pay for what they did to our friends."
"We have to go." K'Kruhk pulled the boy by the arm, dragging him away as he struggled with the Whiphid.
"Kennan, listen to him. Please." The Lofar helped the Jedi Knight take the boy away.
With the Whiphid and the younglings gone, Virra pulled back her hood to take off her broken helmet. Then the sound of a lightsaber made the Kage look over her shoulder. There he stood in the threshold of one of the meditation rooms, Anakin Skywalker; his expression one of grim determination.
Anakin pierced Virra with his gaze. The rage pulsating from him sent tremors through the Force. His stand eased when he glanced at the handprint on her robes. Anakin's expression softened at the sight of the girl's face. The anger Virra felt inside him became confounded by a strong emotion emerging from deep within him. Had Virra not being present at the judging of his former Padawan, she wouldn't have understood the reason.
Anakin's anger surged again to block the incoming attack from Kennan. The boy swung his lightsaber with unbridled fury, his handsome face dampened by the track of his tears. Anakin toyed with the youngling for a moment, taken by his fighting spirit, until he disarmed Kennan and struck his face. Anakin glowered at Virra from under his brow and walked away in the direction of the youngling quarters.
Virra approached the boy, but something drew her to the meditation room from which Anakin exited. Inside, Master Shaak Ti lay on the floor killed by a lightsaber thrust. Virra closed the Togruta's eyes and rested a hand on her chest, commending her spirit to the Force. That's when she sensed something on her, the faint presence of the Force from the holocron hidden in the Jedi Master robes.
"Whoever is seeing this... it's up to you now. Don't let our deaths have been in vain. Don't let this be the end of the Jedi." Shaak Ti's hologram appeared as if her spirit reached out through the Force from beyond the veil of death.
Virra hid the holocron under her cloak and hurried out of the room. A feeble moan made her stop. Kennan still lived despite his severe wound, thanks to the intense hatred Virra felt coming from him. She knew the assault on the temple was far from over. The Brethren were expected to continue slaughtering Jedi until none remained. And yet, she couldn't force herself to walk away from the dying youngling.
Against her better judgement, Virra picked up the boy up and headed to the temple's infirmary. As she turned a corner, she bumped into one of the Brethren holding his activated lightsaber pike. Three more lay slain at his feet with plumes of smoke rising up from their recent wounds, and no enemy in sight.
"Sister," said the leader of the Brethren. "I was looking for you."
"What happened here?" Virra knew the answer.
"It appears we have taken many of casualties during the attack. And you?" He pointed at Kennan with his weapon. "Having second thoughts?" There was delighted undertone to the question.
"Master Skywalker ordered me to take him to the infirmary."
"Is that right?" He lifted his mask to expose the face of the would-be Grand Inquisitor underneath. "Knowing what he's about to do, I seriously doubt he'd say that." The Pau'an moved closer.
"Identify yourselves," called a clone sergeant, leading a squad down the corridor.
The Pau'an lowered his mask and stepped aside. "We're allies."
The troopers lowered their blasters when they saw the dried, dark red hand prints on both of the Jedi Temple Guards.
"I'm taking this boy to the infirmary by order of General Skywalker." Virra took advantage of the interruption.
"No. Let the clones do it," the Pau'an said. "The two of us can be more effective killing Jedi."
"Negative," the sergeant said. "We've been having problems with our communications. General Skywalker has pass down the order that all exits need to be covered right away. We need your knowledge of the temple's layout."
"Of course. Follow me." The Pau'an turned to Virra. "Carry on, sister." He then disappeared down the corridor with the clones.
The memory ended. Virra noticed her clothes had changed to a set of Jedi robes. The first lightsaber she built hung from the side of her belt.
"You made a choice that night to embrace the light when there was nothing but darkness."
The voice made Virra turned around. "Master Ti?"
The Togruta stood a few meters behind her at the crossroads, as real as she had been in life. "It's good to finally meet you, Virra Fenn." She gave her a slight bow.
"What is this place?"
"Anywhere, nowhere... now, before, and what follows. A mystical plane within the Force that exists between time and space. It goes by many names. Some called it the Vergence Scatter. Others, the World Between Worlds. But what matters is not what it is, or what it was, but what it would be.
"The Splinter of the Mind's Eye has seen inside your thoughts. It knows what you seek most, but the conflict inside you allows for two paths forward."
Virra's full Inquisitor armor approached from the left, holding its half-pike lightsaber with its blade on.
"You can choose to fully embrace the dark side and become a Sith. The power that you would wield would be great and terrible. Enough to annihilate your enemies and claim your rightful destiny as a Dark Lady of the Sith."
Virra's Jedi Temple armor approached from the right side of the path, with the yellow blades of her pike humming.
"If you choose the light, you will shed the shackles of hate, anger, and pain that had gripped your soul for years. You will be able to stand against the forces oppressing the galaxy as Jedi Knight, if you so desired.
"Power and victory." Shaak Ti pointed at the Inquisitor. "Harmony and freedom." She pointed at the Temple Guard. "Choose a path, Virra Fenn."
"I made my choice a long time ago," Virra said.