Nihilus - Lord Of Hunger

This was unheard of. A Jedi on trial! Some were saying court-martial, war crime. A Jedi! The holonet was bending and aching under the load of people's outrage. Naturally, speculation was running freely, and people were making claims without any backing and - more annoyingly - without end. Some were saying this was a plot by the Sith to hurt the Jedi from the inside. Others were saying that this Jedi was herself a Sith, who had been exposed, and that's why they put her on trial. The only fact that was without question was that people were running their mouths off, and nobody was trying to stop them. The second fact that was without question was that this had never happened before, and there was not a household across the galaxy that didn't drop what they were doing so they could sit together and watch the recording.

The hearings were held by judge Shaa Yortos, a figure that was lesser known to the public, but rumors described the Iktochi woman as ruthless and with an intense hatred of the Jedi and the Force. These rumors did not lose credibility in the least, when on the day of the hearing it became obvious that Shaa Yortos was neither female nor Iktochi, but rather a Togruta man. One thing however was quite accurate, and that was his disdain for anything related to the Force.

The courtroom was surprisingly empty, considering the significance of the situation. A fact that was purely illusory, of course, considering the billions of citizens watching via the holonet. It was a conscious choice to keep the courtroom small, in order to downplay the importance of what was being discussed. It was already a tense situation, and highly unusual that it was being broadcast to begin with. Then again, it was also highly unusual that a Jedi was put in front of a Republic court.

To open the hearings, a representative of the Republic Military Police stepped into the recording area and read out the accusation.

Jedi Knight Meetra Surik, he said, is accused with genocide on a planetary scale, misuse of public funds for the construction of a weapon capable of such genocide, and highest mutiny for boarding and commanding a Republic military vessel without command from the Republic Chancellor or the Republic Senate. He continued to elaborate that Jedi Knight Meetra Surik had unrightfully ordered the Republic engineer Bao-Dur (reported dead) with the design and construction of a superweapon, whose purpose it is to destabilize the gravitational equilibrium near a planetary system. The weapon's design was concluded and a functional version was integrated into a Republic attack cruiser. All this was done without order from the Republic military, senate or chancellor. Knight Surik then used this ship to engage an army of Mandalorian warriors near the planet of Malachor V, which ultimately forced her to order the ignition of this weapon, which resulted in the total destruction of Malachor V, the Republic fleet in orbit and on the surface, as well as the deaths of millions of Republic citizens. These, he claimed, were the facts, and there was no disputing them. Then he returned to his seat.

As the RMP vanished from the hologram, Judge Yortos called forth the accused Meetra Surik. For the public, who were not generally acquainted with the Jedi Masters, much less the thousands of Knights, the figure that rose and stepped forward was Meetra Surik in the flesh. Accused of the heinous crimes during the Mandalorian Wars, many people watching the transmission from afar recognized her face immediately. This was Meetra Surik, and she would be held accountable for the crimes she had committed.

All the while, the figure that rose was not Jedi Knight Meetra Surik, but Jedi Master Vrook Lamar, member of the High Council of the Jedi. Unlike the general public, judge Yortos recognized Lamar for who he was but before he could say anything, Master Lamar raised his voice. He spoke loudly and clearly. Not threateningly, but with authority.

"I will be speaking on behalf of the Jedi council."

"Master Jedi," said Yortos. His voice was quiet and the tension in the room was thick enough that a lightsaber couldn't cut through it. "You have not been called before this court. You may have time to speak, but not until you are summoned."

Lamar did not move. His glowing figure stood in the center of the hologram, his hands put together in front of his chest.

"The Jedi Order is an independently governed body of the Republic, and I am their appointed representative. As such, I have the right to speak during a court hearing which concerns one of our members. No doubt, the court recognizes this."

Judge Yortos clenched his teeth. "Of course the court recognizes this. You shall be granted your right to speak."

"Jedi Knight Surik will not step before this court." A murmur swept across the galaxy. This was beyond the wildest rumors.

Yortos leaned closer, his eyes were fixed on Lamar.

"Master Jedi. Your Order has the right to speak before a Republic court, but it does not have the right to interfere in its activities. No doubt, the Jedi Order recognizes this."

"Jedi Knight Meetra Surik has been exiled from our Order, and her connection to the Force was severed. She has been punished."

"Punished? In what way, by being expelled from your cult? Meetra Surik is responsible for millions of deaths. If the Order refuses to bring her to justice, then the Order itself will be held accountable for her deeds."

"The Order has no knowledge of Knight Surik's actions. We have reason to believe that she had orders from the former Jedi Master Revan."

The mere mention of the name Revan causes Judge Yortos to tense up in his chair. His lekku twitched, but when there was no reaction from him, Lamar continued.

"I assure you that the Jedi Order does not take the loss of lives lightly. But the Force works in mysterious ways and we can not always expect to understand its will. This matter is concluded."

Yortos' calls for order were drowned out by the chaos that broke loose in the small court room. There were screams and shouts, things were flying through the air. One human female, seemingly a civilian, managed to climb the fence separating the court room from the auditorium. Only when a RMP trooper stunned her to the ground, was order able to resume among the audience members.

"Your right to speak has been sufficiently granted, Master Jedi. Now leave, return to your Order, but tell them this. The people of the Republic want to see Meetra Surik imprisoned for the rest of her life, for what she has done. If you refuse to expose her, then the people may try to punish you in exchange for her."

Lamar ignored the threat.

"We cannot expose her, even if we wanted to. Her current location is unknown. And if," he continued, "anyone of the people outside this building is harboring ill intent against a member of the Jedi Order or its Council, and if anyone of the people outside this building should get the idea to lay hand on us, then it would be most regretful, for I believe it is our right as Republic citizens to defend our lives against an attacker. You will find that although Guardians of the peace, we are quite capable of defending ourselves."

The last two sentences of Lamar's speech were cut from the broadcast, so the galaxy never got to hear them. Then he simply turned around and left, and the masses separated before him.