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“I believe they are,” the Ithorian replied.

“But … how can you be so sure?”

“I am a member of the Council of First Knowledge,” he explained, launching into a lesson just as Serra had said he would. “We are keepers of the wisdom of the Jedi. We maintain the Great Library, we oversee the teachings of the younglings, and we seek out the ancient histories and Holocrons that will bring us greater knowledge of the light side of the Force. But we are more than just caretakers. We are also guardians.

“Not all knowledge is pure; some is touched by evil. There are secrets that must remain hidden; forbidden teachings that should remain forever buried. There is a dark side to the Force. Unchecked it brings death and destruction.”

Lucia nodded as if absorbing every word, but inside she felt nothing but scorn. The arrogance of the Jedi knew no bounds. As a soldier serving in Kaan’s Brotherhood of Darkness, she had developed a rather different view of the dark side. The Sith taught that emotion—fear, anger, and even hate—should be embraced. She had learned to draw strength from the so-called evil of the dark side, and it had helped her survive through war and years of suffering.

The Jedi would never understand this. They lived in isolation, meditating in great towers at the center of the galaxy. They had no idea what it was like for the outcasts, the disenfranchised, and the forgotten people forced to live on the fringes of society.

“The Council of First Knowledge is sworn to keep this terrible power from being unleashed,” Master Obba continued, oblivious of her true feelings. “But the influence of the dark side is scattered throughout the galaxy, as are the tools it uses to spread: ancient texts of Sith sorcery, amulets imbued with malevolent energy, tainted crystals that can corrupt the minds of the innocent.

“Sometimes these artifacts are discovered by accident, and they fall into the hands of unsuspecting victims. They become agents of the dark side, wreaking havoc across the galaxy … unless we get to them in time. We are trained in the handling of dark side artifacts. Some can be destroyed, but others are too powerful and must be safeguarded.”

“How would something like that end up on a remote world like Doan?” Lucia asked, still playing her part.

“Humans have been living on your world for at least ten thousand years,” Obba was only too willing to explain. “When the mining operations began several centuries ago, ancient burial mounds, crypts, and grave sites were often dug up, as were the remains of primitive villages abandoned long ago. On rare occasions entire cities had even been discovered, entombed millennia earlier in mudslides or ancient volcanic eruptions.

“Some of these early civilizations worshiped the Sith and followed the ways of the dark side. When the people disappeared, the artifacts of their faith were often left behind.”

“How did you first hear about these artifacts?” the princess suddenly asked, seizing on an idea.

“Nothing but a rumor,” Obba admitted. “We heard word that a mining team had discovered a cache of items and was offering them for sale to offworld collectors. Based on the descriptions, we felt the items might have been Sith talismans. So I sent Medd to investigate.”

“If you heard about these items,” Serra speculated, “then it’s possible others could have heard of them as well. Medd’s killer might not have been an assassin sent to avenge my husband’s death. It could have been someone interested in finding the talismans.”

“I have considered that possibility,” the Jedi Master confessed. “Though I had hoped it was not so.”

The Ithorian turned his back on them, clearly troubled. He began to pace slowly back and forth in front of his plants, as if to calm himself before speaking again. Once again Lucia was amazed at how easily the princess had controlled and directed the encounter.

Obba had commented on Serra being strong in the Force. That might help to explain the commanding presence