After everyone finished visiting the Starbase in Vadir's orbit, they finally headed to the surface.
On the surface, the prosperity of New Vadir shocked the reporters. They hadn't expected a Mandalorian colony city to be so prosperous after only a few years of civil war, even better than some of the domed cities on Mandalore itself.
"Welcome everyone to Vadir. Please feel free to investigate; there are no secrets here," Kote said to the investigation team.
Anakin was the first to leave the group, saying he was going to investigate. Obi-Wan said nothing at this. He already had some reservations about the Jedi Order and was somewhat disappointed with both the Jedi Order and the Republic. He only wanted to do his best, not to be completely constrained by Jedi dogma. He wished to become a Great Master like Great Master Qui-Gon, so he could properly guide Anakin.
Qui-Gon, meditating underground, sensed his Disciple's The Force, but those outside the temple could not perceive the fluctuations of The Force within, so Great Master Qui-Gon was well hidden.
Thinking of Obi-Wan, then Anakin, he wondered how Obi-Wan was teaching. Although he believed Obi-Wan was already qualified to be a Jedi Knight, becoming a Master was still too much of a stretch. However, with Kote's prior guidance, those things mentioned before should not happen again.
With this thought, to fulfill his promise to Kote, he would not see Obi-Wan. For now, he just needed to teach these two little ones in front of him well. Although their The Force was not weak, it might not be refined under Kote's training, just like Kote, powerful but crude, which was a source of vexation for him.
Anakin, who said he was going to investigate, rushed directly home and met his mother, Shmi Skywalker, whom he hadn't seen in nearly a year.
On the plains, Kote and Obi-Wan rode bikes towards the heavy industrial factory outside the city.
"Are you really not hiding a fleet? If I remember correctly, when you were eleven, you already had dozens of starfighters. It's impossible not to have new ships in all these years," Obi-Wan asked Kote, who was riding beside him.
"Those were built for Mandalore. Now, with the Free Mandalore's frigate fleet and the hyperion, Mandalore will not be in crisis. I will not build more ships," Kote said, going against his true feelings.
"You have closed off your heart. You don't want me to know the truth." Obi-Wan had already known the truth back on Coruscant, and through their interactions, Kote always kept his heart closed, making it impossible for others to know what he was thinking.
"Yes, because some things must happen, and so some people must be sacrificed. All I can do is change some of the outcomes. I can only say this much, Obi-Wan, but trust me, I have my reasons, and this will be better than before," Kote replied earnestly.
"You've said that many times. How can I know if you're deceiving me? I am a Jedi, Kote!" Obi-Wan couldn't stand Kote constantly evading. He wanted to know the truth, to know what it was.
"You cannot know, but remember I will always be your friend, Obi-Wan." After saying that, Kote sped away from Obi-Wan's side.
Obi-Wan stopped his bike, watching the evading Kote, and an unnamed fire rose in his heart. He always wanted to defeat the current Kote, feeling that he had changed. Was he still the Mandalorian youth full of justice from back then, or had he always been like this? Was he the one changing? Were the Jedi tenets restricting him? When could he become like Great Master Qui-Gon?
Even now, Obi-Wan could not fully control his anger. He drew his lightsaber and pursued Kote.
With a The Force jump, he landed his speeder directly in front of Kote, igniting his lightsaber.
Kote sensed the anger in Obi-Wan's heart, some directed at him, some at himself. Having lost his Master, he was not as calm as he appeared.
The dark saber ignited, and in an instant, the two lightsabers clashed, their faces reflecting the colors of their lightsabers.
"You are angry, Obi-Wan. This is not the Jedi Dao."
"No, I just want to know the truth, even if I cannot accept it!" Obi-Wan changed his usual Soresu form to Djem So and attacked Kote.
Kote only defended. He could understand Obi-Wan's current state, but if Obi-Wan knew everything, nothing would change, and only a Jedi Knight would be killed during a mission.
"Why aren't you attacking? Aren't you best at attacking!" Obi-Wan seemed like a different person. The power of the Dark Side was incredibly strong at this moment, as if it had been suppressed for a long time.
"Because I will not attack my good friend." Kote's simple words made Obi-Wan lower his sword instantly, retracting his lightsaber.
He sat dejectedly on the ground, looking at his hands. "What have I done? I am not a qualified Jedi. Once this mission is complete, I will leave the Jedi Order and find a place to live in seclusion."
"I will not allow it, Obi-Wan. The Sith have not yet been eliminated. How can you give up like this? Are you still Obi-Wan!" Kote grabbed Obi-Wan's collar.
"Is this the kind of guy my Cousin likes?! How disappointing! Is this the only achievement my best friend has?! A little setback makes him fall to the Dark Side?!" Kote struck at the disheartened Obi-Wan.
Qui-Gon, in the temple, saw everything and truly felt his Disciple's The Force changing, but he believed his Disciple would surely return to his true self. He was the true Chosen One of the Light Side The Force!
"Say no more, Kote, my mind is made up." Obi-Wan couldn't hear Kote at all now. He had suffered many blows recently. His Master had died tragically, and even his body hadn't been found. And Kote, whom he considered his best friend, was now preparing an army, possibly even the Sith. The successive blows doubled Obi-Wan's pressure, and he still had Anakin, whom his Master had entrusted to him before his death, to teach. This further intensified the pressure.
"Then so be it. I misjudged you. I will face the future alone."
"Future?" Obi-Wan precisely extracted the key word from Kote's statement.
"Yes, as you know, I have prepared a fleet. When the disaster in the Prophecy arrives, I must be able to change everything I want to protect." "Did something happen to Mandalore?" Obi-Wan knew that Mandalore was most important to Kote.
"Exactly. If it's not changed, my Cousin will be killed, Mandalore will be destroyed, and the entire people will lose their dignity," Kote said, describing everything that might happen decades later.
"Who did all this?" Obi-Wan was puzzled. Who would target the Mandalorians?
"The Empire and the Sith. Their birth is absolute," Kote stated the fact.
"Why?"
"I haven't seen everything clearly, so I can only prepare in advance and keep it a secret from everyone." Kote gave his answer and opened his mind, allowing Obi-Wan to discern if he was telling the truth.
Obi-Wan felt Kote's heart and his sincerity, so he asked, "So you can only do this, create an army to protect your people?"
"Not just Mandalore, but thousands of planets." Kote's words were entirely genuine, without any falsehood.
"You are indeed still you, but my vision has narrowed. Perhaps losing my Great Master made me lose the ability to distinguish right from wrong." Obi-Wan sighed, lamenting his current situation.
"No, you are a Great Master now, Obi-Wan," Kote comforted Obi-Wan.
"I will help you keep this hidden. I won't report it to the Jedi Order or the Council." Obi-Wan had now returned to his previous state, back to the Light Side.
"Even if you report it, they won't find it. But you must believe me, even within the Jedi Order, there are various differing opinions, and some people's positions are very flexible. You must be careful not to expose these," Kote told Obi-Wan.
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