Ask A Confession and A Princess

[Drow Venn]

Drow Venn sat in the Jedi Temple's orchard on Yavin IV; a temple he had helped grow and cultivate. It made him proud. All of the Sith he'd killed, the battles he'd won and it was this grove of plants that made him the most proud.

He took a seat on the bench and waited for Alexandria Voran, his friend and now, his leader as Grandmaster of the Order. He had sent her an invitation over holocomm and if she accepted and met him here, Drow would greet her and launch into what he'd been doing recently.

It wasn't all bad and so he would start with the good he'd managed to accomplish. He had rescued a princess, forged ties with a strange Mandalorian warrior, and had helped aid the people of Firrerre, and even established a relationship with the surviving naval forces of the bombed out planet. He'd even orchestrated it so every attack against the Sith was seemingly done by Five Syndicates forces, keeping the Jedi blameless. And all the while, he'd been assisting in the war effort, fighting battles and killing Sith.

But with that good came some bad. The princess of Eiattu he'd rescued? It had been through collaborating with known criminals including some Sullustans guerillas that the Council had explicitly forbidden him from associating with. The guerillas had been instrumental in rescuing the princess and were now being resettled on a remote mountain range on Firrerre.

"That's the long and short of it. I'm fully prepared to accept any punishment the Council sees fit to dish out. I disobeyed direct orders and acknowledge it. But before you do, I wanted to let you know of the naval fleet of Firrerre, the liberated princess, and the possibility to use the new feud between the Sith and Syndicates to our advantage. But before you cast judgement, I just want you to know that I did what I did to help the Order. You have to believe that, Alex."

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Alex had happily accepted Drow’s holo invitation. She hadn’t seen the battle worn Ishi Tib since Ossus. Along with Vahn, she counted Drow one of her closest friends. Their beliefs did not always align but in his heart, he was a good man. She knew that. War asked terrible things of them, and her fellow Master was willing to make those sacrifices. Drow fought in the Darkness so that Alex could lead from the Light. She would never forget that. Her responsibilities as Grandmaster left very little time for the simpler pleasures in life. Alex was very much looking forward to tea in the orchard.

As the Force willed it, her mantle never left.

The Morellian’s ageless features stayed painfully smooth as she listened to Drow. He had expressly ignored what the Council forbade…what she had warned him against. As a friend, she had cautioned Drow against commiserating with terrorists. It was wrong. It was not who they were. Worst of all, he spat in the Force of the Council. There was no denying the good he had done but at what cost? Drow had not brought this to the Council, he had brought it to her. What was she to do? Alex’s mind was locked tight, her signature in the Force silenced. She was nothing as Drow spoke.

“I believe you.” Of course, she did. “That’s not what this was about…how could you be so blind?” Her voice was tight. Anger. A rare emotion from the Grandmaster. “You could have succeeded without the Cursed Hand. I would have sat here and listened, and we’d talk through the darker deeds that needed doing.” Alex shook her head. “Instead, now I must consider the ramifications of your actions. The line you have been willing to cross. I should take the title of Master from you and banish you to the Outer Rim.” Her hand shook briefly. She had trusted Drow. Not only as a Jedi Master but as her friend.

“Help me understand why.”

@Fantasy Liver

 

[Drow Venn]

Drow bowed his head in shame. It hurt to see the look of disappointment on Alex's face. The Jedi had been the best thing that had ever happened to him - they had taken a broken man and molded him into a being that had done some good in the galaxy. And now it was at jeopardy because of this damned war.

"Back in my day, there was a story we used to tell in the barracks about a rifleman and a cardplayer. The cardplayer has studied for years to get good at his craft. Sabaac, poker, go fish - you name it - this guy has been playing it all since he could hold a deck of cards. One day, a rifleman comes into town and the card player challenges him to a game of cards. The card player starts absolutely dominating the game. Bluffs, trick plays, calculating pot odds on the fly - he can do it all. There's a crowd around them as this is happening and everyone talks about how well the cardplayer is doing. Eventually, the rifleman shoots the cardplayer in the face and takes all of the money. 'That's not fair!' one of the crowd shouts at him. You cheated!' The rifleman looks up with his pockets full of credits and shrugs. 'I guess I did' he says." Drow explained.

"The moral of the story is that fighting honorably only means something against an honorable opponent. The Sith aren't honorable. I know the other Jedi won't do those things and I respect their decision. Your decision. Someone like you should be leading the Order but I just want to even the playing field in this war a bit. Give us Jedi a fighting chance! The way I see it, I've gotten the Syndicates, Sith and the Cursed Hand all shooting one another. They're so divided that we might actually have a chance to win things and get the galaxy back to the way it should be."

"The mission to Eiattu was dangerous. I was willing to risk my life for it but not the lives of Padawans, of Sector Rangers. The Cursed Hand helped deal a big blow to the Sith and now they're out of the way and not harming anyone on Sullust anymore. In my book, that's a win!" Drow said.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

She listened because that was all she could do. She wanted an explanation, and she would allow Drow to give it. Alex could feel the shame oozing forth. It brought her no joy. No part of her wanted to hurt Drow, to break the spirit of a man so many admired. The right choice was often the hardest one to make. She was torn and there was no denying it. Alex rubbed her eyes…trying to focus. “It’s not about what had to be done.” Why couldn’t he see that. “I stand in the Light by virtue of the sacrifices you’ve made.” She shook her head again, running her fingers through her hair.

“We know the war asks too much of you. The Order asks too much of you. We must make concessions we would not ordinarily condone but there must still be a line that cannot be crossed.” Wadding into the shadows was necessary but they were still Jedi. They served the Light above all else and they could not lose sight of that truth.

“You expressly disobeyed a direct edict from the Council to work with terrorists.” Her voice was not harsh but firm. An edge of sadness crept in. “Have you not thought why we forbid it? Perhaps to protect you from a line you cannot uncross? What if the galaxy discovers what you’ve done? What then? It will ruin us...Drow, you must see for all the good you did that the risks were far too great.” Alex met his eyes again. She dropped the pretense of Grandmaster. She was his friend. “Please tell me you see that.” He was a teacher. A beacon for those younger in the Order. They could not have the younger Jedi following his path.

@Fantasy Liver

 

[Drow Venn]

Practically speaking, Drow had doubt that the galaxy would discover his involvement with The Cursed Hand. The Cursed Hand, for all their violent tactics and swaggering, had achieved their goal of claiming their own space in the galaxy from which to govern other. The Ishi Tib doubted very much that they would throw that all away just to start blabbing. Taldorak knew of course but the Mando merc wasn't the talking type. Drow didn't know too much about Tal but of that much he was certain. But practicality wasn't the only reason Alexandria was asking him these questions.

"I see it. I worry about it every day. Better men than me have fallen to the dark side and I feel its pull more than ever in this war. Sometimes, I think about taking my Y-Wing and just crashing it into a Sith base just because I don't trust myself not to bring down the Order or fall to the darkness. Every day, I'm battling between being a Jedi and winning the war."

"For all it's worth, I can promise I won't disobey the Council or you again. I trust you above all else. But I understand you need to discipline me for the insubordination. Whether you want to exile me, take my saber, confine me to quarters, I'll accept it." Drow said after a terse few moments of silence, wondering what his old friend was thinking

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

“I cannot let this go unpunished.” Alex hardened her heart. She could not let this break her. “You must select a replacement as Chief of Security.” Slow…deep breaths. Her will was resolute. “You may train no Padawans.” They would win the war, but she would not sacrifice the Order to do it. “No one here will call you Master any longer.” The Force vibrated with the strength of her conviction. Sevrin had not accepted her proposal. Hannibal was gone. There was no other suitable choice. “And this conversation never occurred.” Her mind locked away.

“I will explain to the Council you have broken your oath and have been exiled for self-reflection. I will not tell them the depth of your disobedience.” Lena and Tedimor were kind, compassionate, and good Jedi. They would be shielded from what she did. “The Jedi Praxeum on Ifrane has been restored…this is known only to the Council and the Shadows.” And Crix but she left that out. “With Hans gone, the Shadows are without a leader…you will take his place.” Her tone brooked no argument. “You will recruit, train, and strike for the good of Order from Ifrane.” Alex met Drow’s eyes. “The Temple must remain hidden. The Shadows must remain hidden. Every mission, every choice, every decision goes through me.” Yes, her will was iron. The Order would remain shielded from what must be done. She could walk in the Light if Drow fought in the shadows. “To the outside world, you have been exiled. In reality you will serve as Master of the Jedi Shadows and we will end this war. Together.”

Her tone grew harder still. “You must obey my commands without question.” The Force hummed with finality. “And when the war is over, when the Order is safe, we will both return it to safer hands.” Alex already made that promise to herself. When the war was done…when her duty complete…a better Jedi would take her place. “If what you’ve done with the Cursed Hand is ever reveled, I will be forced to disavow everything you’ve done…and we will have no choice but to very publicly turn you over to the authorities.” She looked at Drow. “And this conversation must be locked in the deep recesses of your mind.” It was done. They would sacrifice so that the Order would survive. Her life mattered not. A Jedi was meant to serve and she would serve until she was no longer able.

@Fantasy Liver

 

[Drow Venn]

Drow's heart pounded as he heard Alex's words. Exile stung but he knew it was a possible price that he'd have to pay. Better that he came clean to a friend than have to live in deception and risk straying further from the light. The relinquishment of the role of Chief of Security stung even worse. From establishing the Guardsmen to fitting the Temple with technicians, a shield generator and an orchard, Drow had done his best to strengthen Yavin IV as best he could and in truth, his title of Chief of Security meant more to him than his title of Master. And, it seemed, even that title was stripped away now. The holocron of Cin Drallig would be a loss. As Chief. Drow had studied it every night to learn how to become good at his job and a better duelist. He'd leaned on it as a source of comfort before but it would have to be left here, for his successor.

The news wasn't all bad. Drow could still help win the war, still help Alex and still fight the Sith but it sounded like he'd be doing it from the Shadows. They were an organization he knew little about although he'd toyed with joining them before in private. He'd have to read up on them. As Alex finished, Drow nodded his solemnly.

"If that's your will. I'm sorry I had to put you through this, my friend" Drow said solemnly, with no enmity in his voice. It was a tough decision for Alex to have made for any Jedi, let alone a friend.

"I'll have my choice of successor to you by the end of the week. Can I take my droid with me in exile?" Drow asked simply, referring to the old astromech that the Order had loaned him a long time ago.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

She knew the pain she caused. It was necessary. You learned through failure…success was not by accident and Drow had failed. His mistakes would make him stronger. Alex would make sure of it. “Do not apologize. The deed is done, and the path is set.” Her face and voice softened. “I am still your friend, and I always will be. This changes nothing. If you need me, I will be there, but true friends hold each accountable. We do not accept error when we know you are better.” She reached to pat Drow on the arm. “I expect you to do the same for me.”

Alex stood her mind unfolding. She could feel certainty in the Force. “Keep the droid…I hear that thing is a menace.” The Morellian Jedi smiled and nodded. “I will see you before you go. As your friend…not Grandmaster.” Her duty was done. The pieces of the puzzle locked into place. She probably needed to find Sevrin. He may have refused the title but we would need to help Drow.

@Fantasy Liver