The beef between the Grand Inquisitor and Jedi Librarian Jocasta Nu is rooted in a complex history that spans from the days of the Jedi Order to the dark times of the Galactic Empire. This conflict is not merely a result of their respective positions within the Jedi and Sith hierarchies, but also involves personal slights, ideological clashes, and the shifting power dynamics of the galaxy.

The Grand Inquisitor’s Background
The Grand Inquisitor, before his fall to the dark side, was a Jedi Temple Guard. The Temple Guards were an elite unit within the Jedi Order, tasked with protecting the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and maintaining order within its sacred halls. These individuals wore distinctive masks and robes, and their identities were kept secret to symbolize their complete dedication to the Order, devoid of personal identity.

Despite the honor and respect associated with this position, the Grand Inquisitor harbored deep-seated frustrations and insecurities. He was highly skilled and knowledgeable, yet he often felt underestimated and restricted by the higher echelons of the Jedi Order. His regular attempts to access restricted sections of the Jedi Archives, where vast amounts of knowledge and secrets were stored, were repeatedly thwarted by Master Jocasta Nu, the chief librarian of the Jedi Archives.

Jocasta Nu’s Role
Master Jocasta Nu was a revered Jedi Master and the chief librarian of the Jedi Archives. She was known for her vast knowledge and dedication to preserving the history and wisdom of the Jedi Order. Jocasta Nu was highly respected, but also known for her strict adherence to the rules and her firm belief in controlling access to sensitive information within the Archives.

Jocasta Nu saw the potential dangers of unrestricted access to certain types of knowledge, particularly those relating to the dark side of the Force. She was adamant that only those who were deemed ready and trustworthy should be allowed to access these secrets. Consequently, she denied the Grand Inquisitor, then a Temple Guard, access to these restricted sections, considering him unfit and not prepared for the knowledge contained within.

The Seed of Resentment
Being denied access by Jocasta Nu planted a seed of resentment in the Grand Inquisitor. He viewed her actions not as protective measures, but as personal slights and an indication of a lack of faith in his abilities and intentions. This denial fueled his growing frustration with the Jedi Order’s hierarchy and their perceived failure to recognize his potential and ambitions.

This simmering resentment made him susceptible to the influence of Darth Sidious (Emperor Palpatine) and Count Dooku (Darth Tyranus). The Sith promised him power, recognition, and access to forbidden knowledge—things he felt the Jedi Order had unjustly withheld from him. Eventually, he succumbed to the temptations of the dark side, abandoning his role as a Jedi Temple Guard and embracing his new identity as the Grand Inquisitor, a leader among the Inquisitorius tasked with hunting down and eliminating the remaining Jedi.

After Order 66
The execution of Order 66 marked the near-complete annihilation of the Jedi Order. However, some Jedi, including Jocasta Nu, survived the initial purge and went into hiding. Jocasta Nu, driven by her duty to preserve the Jedi knowledge, returned to the ruins of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to recover and safeguard crucial information from the Archives.

The Grand Inquisitor, now fully entrenched in his role as a hunter of Jedi, saw an opportunity to confront and settle old scores. When Jocasta Nu infiltrated the Temple, the Grand Inquisitor intercepted her. Their confrontation was charged with the bitterness and resentment that had festered over the years. The Grand Inquisitor made it clear that he intended to kill her, not just out of duty to the Empire, but as a personal vendetta for the perceived slights and denials she had inflicted upon him during his time as a Temple Guard.

Darth Vader’s Intervention
However, the encounter did not end as the Grand Inquisitor had intended. Darth Vader intervened, asserting that Emperor Palpatine had ordered Jocasta Nu’s capture, not her execution. Palpatine valued the information Jocasta Nu possessed about the locations of Force-sensitive children and potential future Jedi. Despite his anger and desire for revenge, the Grand Inquisitor was forced to comply with Vader’s directive, underscoring the complex and often hierarchical nature of the dark side’s power structure.