The Earthly Jedi Knights

Chapter 10: The Scouting Reports

After two weeks, the scouting reports from Earth's teams were finished. While everyone was in Dinotopia, Grand Master Ituor read all that was given to him. "What I thought. They couldn't find anything."

Emperor Jedi Brandon Bowers asked, "Could it be that these scouting reports that these Jedi you talk with are false leads."

"If I didn't know about Sam being the Force, then I would say you were correct. If Jolinar wasn't right that Palpatine is still after her, then I would believe we are simply overstating the matter."

"Even my Master has not come up with any leads, but she realizes that Palpatine is desperate."

"Let us put ourselves in his place. What would you do if you knew that Sam had found out she was the Light-side of the Force?"

"Hide all my armies from my enemies and make them think I chickened out."

Sam walked up to them. "I take it they found nothing?"

Ituor answered, "Not yet."

"I was expecting this. If they weren't hiding, then it might be nothing to be overly concerned about. Now since they have found nothing, that is a red flag. I, for one, believe the scouting reports by these descendants are genuine."

Marion said, "Could it be that they realized how powerful you are, Sam, and they are running off?"

She looked at Marion, "I don't think so. There are always trails left behind when running off because of mistakes and the sheer quickness of getting the heck out of Dodge City. No, this is serious, and this is Palpatine's last chance before he loses all he had put into motion since day one."

"Master, do you think he is still after you?"

"Yes, I do. I don't think he has let up on me since he kidnapped me. The less control he has over the Dark-side, the more desperate he will be."

Ituor asked, "How certain are you that he is losing control?"

"If he didn't enter their machine, then all the Jedi Knights would not have been able to do half of what they are doing with the Force. Since there are more Jedi Knights than the Sith, he could have lost control before I was born."

"I take it you feel every Jedi Knight using — your powers."

Sam smiled, "Yes, I do. Interestingly, I didn't feel this before."

He smiled back, "That one is very easy to explain. Since you know you are the Force, you are more powerful than before. That allows you to notice things like that."

"I also feel the powers of the Dark-side." It shocked everyone. She reassured them she is safe. "what I meant is that I feel its presence. There's great power flux from it."

"You mean Palpatine is struggling?"

"It feels like he is fighting for superiority. I just don't know. I have confronted nothing like this before."

Brandon replied with great curiosity, "I wonder if that is why there can be only two, a master and an apprentice in the Sith?"

"Could be. This is the first time I felt this. This tug-a-war could have been going on ever since he entered his machine. What I have been feeling are inconsistencies." She paused and continued, "when my counterpart and I were fighting him in his human form, he didn't show any lapse of control. His lack of recent control has to do with his recent defeat."

Brandon said outright, "We need not think any army of the Dark-side will lapse. We will have to think this army is operating fully with or without Palpatine's Dark-Force influence."