Jin-Woo only smirked faintly and raised a brow. "You're thinking too hard about something that hasn't happened yet," Jin-Woo said dryly. "Careful. Might hurt that little brain of yours."
Anakin didn't flinch. He looked up with the full weight of a child's sincerity—fearless, direct. "I don't care what you'll do with me," he said quietly. "But can you protect my mother? Just… keep her safe."
Obi-Wan cleared his throat and took a step forward. "Master Qui-Gon, I'm sorry, but I need to confirm something. Jin-Woo… are you a Sith?"
Jin-Woo gave a small tilt of his head, smirking slightly. "Hmm. My midichlorian count is zero, remember? Mr. Drinking Man?" His tone carried just the right jab of sarcasm—referring to Obi-Wan's not-so-secret love for a good drink.
Obi-Wan didn't rise to it. "I'll rephrase," he said evenly. "You're a Sith… from old times. You have extraordinary skill, but maybe something happened—an accident. Maybe you nearly died. But you survived. And in surviving, you lost your power… or your title. I don't think you're evil. I think you've lived through something hard. Maybe you've even tried to redeem yourself."
Jin-Woo blinked once, slow and amused. Dumbass, he thought. Two hundred thousand midichlorians. I'm practically a walking Force singularity—but Perfect Unnoticed works too damn well. You couldn't detect me if I ignited ten suns in your face. But fine… I'm not bragging today.
Aloud, he simply said, "Sorry to disappoint. I'm not a Sith. But I have met one. Or rather… a Sith spirit."
Qui-Gon straightened, eyes narrowing just slightly with curiosity. "You've met… a Sith spirit? As in, a Sith who's already dead—but lingers here in the galaxy?"
Jin-Woo gave a slow nod. "His name was Darth Vectivus. And he was… a different kind of Sith. I got stranded once—on a remote asteroid mining site. Didn't realize it was his home. That was a long time ago."
Obi-Wan opened his mouth to interject, but Qui-Gon raised a hand without looking at him. "Let him finish. I want to hear this."
Jin-Woo leaned back against the lounge wall, arms crossed casually. "He told me about his past. Said he was a businessman—wealthy, connected. One day he discovered a dark side infestation growing inside his mining operation. Instead of exploiting it, he shut the mine down."
He shrugged. "After that, he sought out a Sith Master and learned the ways of the dark side. But here's the twist. After attaining his power… he didn't become a galactic tyrant or raise an army. You know what he did?"
Qui-Gon tilted his head, speculative. "I suppose… he betrayed his master. Desired to rule. The usual Sith path."
Jin-Woo gave a short laugh. "The opposite, actually. He reopened his mining business. Lived a quiet life. Treated his workers well. Kept his family safe. Just a Sith… being a responsible businessman. Funny thing is, even his master was dumbfounded. Couldn't believe he was using all that dark side power for what he called 'a waste of potential.'"
Obi-Wan blinked hard, staring. "Huhhh—what?" His voice cracked in disbelief. "You're saying a Sith… ran a mining company?"
Jin-Woo smirked. "With integrity, too."
Qui-Gon folded his arms, thoughtful but cautious. "It could be a trick. The Sith are masters of deceit. Perhaps he used that story to lower your guard."
Jin-Woo waved a hand dismissively. "First off, he was already dead. Just a lingering will stuck inside the walls of that asteroid. Said he'd been there for 900 years… maybe more. I forgot the exact number."
He leaned back slightly, arms crossed again. "He told me how it ended. Said that after building his business empire—and of course, his mansion—he eventually passed away peacefully. Died surrounded by friends and family.." . "Pretty cool, right? Now I have a new slogan from that visit: 'Sometimes the desire to break space rocks transcends the desire for greater power.'"
Even Obi-Wan had nothing to say for a moment.
Qui-Gon finally exhaled, nodding slowly. "That is… a very surprising story, Jin-Woo. But what I want to know is—how did it end? The conversation between you and Vectivus?"
Jin-Woo's expression dimmed, just for a breath. His eyes reflected the swirling lights of hyperspace—silent, distant. Then he smiled faintly. "You want to know how it ended?" he said, voice even. He leaned a shoulder against the wall beside the viewport, arms folded. "Vectivus made a confession to me. A crazy one, if you're willing to believe it. Said he wanted to rejoin with the Force—like the Jedi do. He didn't care about domination or immortality anymore. Just… peace."
Jin-Woo gave a small laugh, shaking his head. "So of course I joked. 'You used your dark side power to mine rocks instead of killing people, and still the afterlife slammed the door on you?'" He let that irony hang in the air a moment, then added, "He only said: 'Yes.'" . Jin woo said "But I didn't do it for free. Vectivus trained me—though not in the Force. He taught me how to be a merchant. A very good merchant."
From the corner of the room, Padmé let out a teasing scoff. "So that's how your 'Purple England Company' rose to top merchant in the galaxy? You learned it from a ghost?" she grinned. "You were apprenticed to a phantom CEO?"
Jin-Woo smirked. "Yeah. Something like that. But I'm not dumb. I didn't just take notes—I found a method to banish him from the realm of the living."
He stepped away from the viewport now, hands casually tucked behind his back.
"I warned him. Sith spirits… when they die, they're gone. Not like Jedi. Jedi join the Force—something eternal, luminous. But the Sith? No one knows where they go."
Obi-Wan raised a brow and interjected, "Actually… I do. Some of the archives mention it—obscure sources, usually redacted, but… it's said the Sith go to the Void. Or Chaos. A place beyond time where they're tormented and lost. Forever."
Jin-Woo whistled faintly and rolled his eyes. "Well, that sucks. But hey… at least Vectivus won't be alone anymore. Tortured together is better than tortured alone, right? Bonding experience in hell."
Qui-Gon remained calm, but his eyes sharpened with curiosity. "How did you banish him, Jin-Woo?"
Jin-Woo's thoughts flicked back to the truth: It took only small part of his Shadow Monarch power—his dominion over death and spirit, his command of the void itself—to tear the lingering Sith from the realm of the living. No ordinary method could've done it Permanently .
But, as always, he opted for a cleaner lie. "I destroyed the holocron," Jin-Woo said casually. "The one he told me to find—buried deep under his mansion, sealed with all kinds of Sith sorcery.""It was what he wanted. Said it was the last tether keeping him from fading."
Qui-Gon stroked his beard thoughtfully. "That's an amazing testimony, Jin-Woo. Though I hope you haven't… become a Sith cultist in the process."
Jin-Woo turned his head slightly, narrowing his eyes at him. "Can you stop repeating that, Qui-Gon?" he said dryly. "I'm not a Sith. I'm one hell of a merchant."
Though funny, Jin-Woo mused in silence, most of the people who fall into Sith cults want to become Sith Lords. Some don't even have midichlorians. Yet XoXaan—one of the oldest Sith ghosts I met in the Malachor Temple—looked straight at me and called me Sith'ari. The Chosen One of the Sith. On a silver platter, no less. Jin-Woo changed the subject with a subtle shift in tone. "So… what will you do once we arrive on Coruscant, Qui-Gon?"
Qui-Gon exhaled, turning toward the stars streaking past the viewport in hyperspace. "I must report what we discovered. The mysterious warrior… I'll have to confirm he's a Sith Lord."
Jin-Woo tilted his head, then repeated the words back slowly—clearly—but without revealing the names of Sidious, Plagueis, or even Maul. "A Sith Lord, ?" Jin-Woo smirked. "Please, Qui-Gon… learn the difference."What you fought on Tatooine? That was a Sith apprentice. An attack dog with anger issues. The real Sith Lord—the master—is the one pulling the strings. Quietly. . He's the spider, not the fang. And if your Council doesn't learn to spot the spider… they'll keep chasing fangs until the web wraps around their throats."
Qui-Gon, ever firm, didn't back down. "I still believe the mysterious warrior who attacked us is a Sith Lord."
Typical, Jin-Woo thought.
And then—
Morgan's voice touched his thoughts, dry and sharp like fine wine laced with poison. "Although you already kicked their asses—including Yoda—back on Naboo a month ago, they're still themselves. Which is to say… stupid."
Jin-Woo didn't look her way. His response came back with a faint mental smirk. "A month ago, I only fought using the Armored Man persona. I wielded Excalibur Proto—the blade you forged for me. And I only aimed to draw."
A pause. "But this time…" His mental tone darkened. "This time, I'm going to beat the Jedi… as myself."
Morgan's laughter echoed softly in his mind, a slow, velvet rustle of amusement. "Then I'll be watching. Closely. I want to see it. Your full might… the true Shadow Monarch. Let's see how long their 'light' lasts."
Morgan's laughter still lingered in the air of Jin-Woo's mind, like the soft trailing smoke of a candle just snuffed.
But then Jin-woo voice slid through their shared connection—measured, cool, edged with absolute certainty. "My full might would destroy multiple solar systems, Morgan. I prefer control when dealing with my enemies."
The connection went quiet for a heartbeat.
Then Morgan pouted—not with words, but with her silence. She didn't respond in his mind again. Instead, she leaned back in her seat, arms crossed, and spoke aloud with a trace of faux disappointment. "Hehhh… no fun. Holding back again."
Qui-Gon, seated nearby, glanced toward her with mild confusion, his brow raising slightly—but he didn't interrupt. He seemed to sense the conversation was meant for others.
Obi-Wan, however, was less subtle. He blinked. "Wait—who's holding back, Morgan?"
Before she could answer, Padmé brow raised in a playful smirk. "Morgan and Jin-Woo," she said lightly, her tone teasing. "They're like two sides of the same coin. She's probably picked up all of Jin-Woo's… antics."
Jin-Woo didn't reply. He simply remained seated, eyes fixed on the ever-flowing vortex of hyperspace stretching beyond the viewport. But smiling.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
The Defender-class light corvette emerged from hyperspace with a subtle flicker of distortion—then began its descent, gliding steadily through Coruscant's congested sky lanes. Thousands of ships danced below, weaving between glimmering skyscrapers that stretched endlessly upward like daggers of durasteel.
Inside, Talon and Anakin stood by the viewing window, eyes wide.
Anakin leaned close to the glass, his voice filled with raw awe. "The whole planet… it's made of city."
Talon nodded quickly, her lekku twitching. "Master, look! Coruscant's architecture—it's so intricate. I feel amaz—"
But she cut herself off. Mid-sentence, her eyes caught something.
Jin-Woo and Morgan stood silently across the corridor, both gazing out the same viewport… but their expressions were unreadable—cold, distant. Something colder than disinterest hummed beneath their silence.
Jin-Woo's voice broke it. "I'm not feeling a shred of emotion," he murmured,. "If anything… I'm annoyed. This place reeks. A decaying grave."
Obi-Wan blinked at that, caught off guard by the stark tone. "That's… a very pessimistic way of looking at it," he said. "This is Coruscant. The beacon of hope for the Republic."
Morgan's arms crossed lightly as she stepped beside Jin-Woo. Her gaze didn't leave the skyline.
"You can say that to the upper levels," . "But try preaching it to the depths—the true heart of Coruscant." "I'm more objective than sentimental. To me, this is a planet built by lies."
She glanced at Obi-Wan briefly. "And the clock is ticking."