Chapter 8: The Malevolence Shadow
POV: Kael Vorn
The Temple's war room crackled with barely contained tension, holographic displays casting blue light across the faces of Jedi Masters and military commanders. Three Republic fleet engagements played on repeat—ships found drifting lifeless in space, their crews dead without any visible external damage.
Mace Windu stood at the center of the projection, his presence radiating controlled frustration. "No survivors. No distress calls. No weapon signatures. Whatever the Separatists are deploying, it's unlike anything we've encountered."
Kael pressed himself against the back wall, fighting to keep his expression neutral while his stomach tied itself in knots. He knew exactly what was happening—the Malevolence and its massive ion cannon, Grievous's secret weapon designed to disable entire fleets with a single shot.
And he knew that Plo Koon would be the next target.
[CANON EVENT DETECTED: MALEVOLENCE ARC]
[TIMELINE INTEGRITY: 99%]
[INTERVENTION OPPORTUNITIES: LIMITED]
Admiral Yularen highlighted tactical data with military precision. "The attacks show clear patterns—isolated Republic fleets, minimal escort protection, communications jamming preventing distress signals."
"Coordinated," Obi-Wan observed. "Someone with access to our deployment schedules is feeding intelligence to the enemy."
"If only you knew how right you are. And how much worse it's going to get."
Kael edged closer to where Anakin stood studying the holographic fleet positions. The young Jedi Knight's face was tight with concentration, mechanical hand flexing unconsciously—a tell that meant he was working through a complex problem.
"That weapon," Kael said with carefully manufactured casualness, "has anyone considered massive ion discharge? It would explain the simultaneous systems failures without hull breaches."
Anakin's eyes sharpened with interest. "Ion cannon at that scale? The power requirements would be astronomical. You'd need a ship the size of a dreadnought just to house the generators."
"Maybe that's exactly what they have."
Kael tried to suggest checking the Abregado system specifically, knowing that's where the next attack would come. But the curse activated before he could form the words properly.
"Maybe check the space refrigerator banana system for clues?"
Anakin gave him a weird look, clearly trying to parse meaning from gibberish. But the seed was planted—later, Kael caught fragments of conversation as Anakin mentioned the ion cannon theory to Obi-Wan, who took it seriously enough to include in his tactical assessments.
[TIMELINE INFLUENCE: MINIMAL]
[INVESTIGATION ACCELERATED BY 18 HOURS]
[DETECTION PROBABILITY UNCHANGED]
"Not enough. Never enough."
The briefing concluded with assignments—reconnaissance patrols, fleet repositioning, increased communications security. And inevitably, Master Plo Koon volunteering to lead a deep-space investigation near the Abregado system.
Kael watched the ancient Kel Dor accept the mission with characteristic calm, his respirator wheezing softly in the recycled air. In canon, Plo would survive the Malevolence's attack, escaping in a damaged pod with Commander Wolffe and two other clones. But canon hadn't included Kael's presence, hadn't accounted for the butterfly effects of his interference.
"What if my being here changes things? What if Plo doesn't survive this time?"
After the briefing dispersed, Kael found himself in the Temple's meditation gardens, trying to process the weight of foreknowledge and helplessness. The artificial waterfall provided white noise that couldn't quite drown out his spiraling thoughts.
"You look like you're about to vibrate out of your skin."
Ahsoka's voice made him jump. The young Padawan approached with her characteristic bounce, but concern creased her features as she sat beside him on the stone bench.
"What's wrong?"
"Your surrogate father is about to fly into a trap that will destroy his entire fleet, and I can't warn him because cosmic forces have cursed me to speak nonsense whenever I try to reveal future events."
"Just... bad feeling about this mission."
Ahsoka's hand found his arm, warm and reassuring. "Master Plo is one of the best commanders in the Republic. He'll be fine."
The absolute faith in her voice made Kael's chest tighten. Plo Koon had discovered Ahsoka as an infant on Shili, bringing her to the Temple and serving as her first guide into the Jedi way. Their bond ran deeper than the typical Master-Padawan relationship—he was the closest thing to a father she'd ever known.
"I know he's skilled," Kael said carefully. "But sometimes skill isn't enough. Sometimes the enemy has advantages we don't expect."
Ahsoka studied his face with those perceptive eyes that made her such a formidable Jedi despite her age. "You know something. About this weapon, about what's really happening out there."
"I know everything. I know Plo will survive but dozens of clone troopers won't. I know Grievous is hunting Republic fleets with a superweapon that shouldn't exist. I know this is all part of Palpatine's plan to extend the war and consolidate power."
The curse clamped down on his throat like a vise. Kael could only nod helplessly, watching understanding and frustration war across Ahsoka's features.
"But you can't say what."
"No. I can't."
They sat in silence for several minutes, watching koi fish swim lazy circles in the meditation pool. The peaceful setting felt surreal against the backdrop of galactic war and impending tragedy.
Thirty-six hours later, the worst fears materialized.
Kael was reviewing tactical manuals in the Temple library when alarms began blaring throughout the complex. He rushed to the war room, where panicked communications officers tried to reestablish contact with Plo Koon's task force.
"—garbled transmission from the Abregado system—"
"—heavy interference, can't make out the message—"
"—now we've lost all contact—"
The comm channel filled with static, then went silent.
Ahsoka's face went pale. She stood frozen for exactly three seconds before bolting for the hangar bay, Anakin close behind. Kael chased after them, his heart hammering against his ribs.
"I'm coming with you!"
Anakin spun around, blocking the Twilight's loading ramp. "This is Jedi business, Kael. We can't—"
"You'll need someone who can analyze Separatist technology on the fly," Kael interrupted, desperation overriding caution. "My Battle Analysis ability. If whatever hit Master Plo's fleet is still out there, you'll need every advantage."
It was a flimsy excuse, but Anakin's worry for Plo overrode skepticism. The young Jedi Knight valued results over protocol, and Kael had proven useful in combat situations.
"Fine! Just keep up and stay out of the way!"
[QUEST ACCEPTED: THE MALEVOLENCE CRISIS]
[OBJECTIVE: ENSURE PLO KOON'S SURVIVAL]
[SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: DISCOVER ION CANNON WEAKNESSES]
[DIFFICULTY: HIGH]
[WARNING: TIMELINE DEVIATION POSSIBLE]
As the Twilight lifted off from the Temple hangar, Kael strapped himself into the gunner's position and tried to calm his racing thoughts. Through the viewport, Coruscant's endless cityscape fell away beneath them, replaced by the star-field of deep space.
Anakin pushed the engines to maximum, desperate to reach the Abregado system before it was too late. Ahsoka sat tensely in the co-pilot's seat, her hands clenched so tightly that her knuckles showed white against her orange skin.
Kael's mind raced through everything he remembered about the Malevolence arc. Plo survived. Wolffe survived. Boost and Sinker survived. They would find them in escape pods, rescue them from the debris field, and escape before Grievous could finish them off.
But that was canon. That was the timeline where Kael Vorn didn't exist, where a dead software engineer from Earth hadn't been meddling with galactic destiny for the past several weeks.
[TIMELINE INTEGRITY: 97%]
[PREDICTION ACCURACY: DECLINING]
[UNKNOWN VARIABLES: INCREASING]
The Codex couldn't predict outcomes anymore. He was flying blind into a situation where his very presence might doom the people he was trying to save.
Through the viewport, stars streaked past as they jumped to hyperspace, hurtling toward either salvation or disaster. In the distance, the Malevolence waited with its impossible weapon, and General Grievous prepared to add more Republic ships to his collection of trophies.
"Please let me be wrong about everything except the parts that matter. Please let Plo Koon survive this."
The Force whispered around him, silver-gray energy that belonged to neither Light nor Dark. In its depths, he thought he felt something—not quite approval, not quite comfort, but acknowledgment. The universe had heard his prayer.
Whether it would answer was another question entirely.
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