As The Force Wills It

[Oncaro]

Dea had, for the most part, been off by herself. No-one seemed to want to talk to her, and she had held no desire to go dance during a funeral and what was, she thought, supposed to be a serious occasion. And so she'd simply watched. Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull when she finally noticed Karyn amongst the others. How had she gotten out?! And her eyes went wider still as one apparent Jedi that she did not know assaulted someone who was, apparently, not allowed into the compound despite being no threat to anyone, then ranted about how evil the man was before leaving the group; she felt his aura like the others, and while she sensed darkness in it, she had felt darkness in everyone's aura-- this war had affected everyone here negatively in some way or another.

Was this what the Jedi had come to? Assaulting people simply for not being Jedi? Thankfully, Shae Vis intervened to settle the matter, and Dea returned her focus to Karyn. The orphan girl was around several Jedi Dea was not familiar with, and she began moving toward this little group, glancing around. Where was Sen? He should have been watching her!

And then, as she got closer, she heard Karyn blurt out her full name to one of them. And she began to move more quickly to the girl. She was not going to let Karyn be attacked, interrogated, or bullied, and if she had to leave the party with her to keep that from happening, so be it.

More and more she felt like these supposed paragons of peace and justice were no longer holding themselves to a high standard. And she wondered if this might be the point where she finally gave up on the idea of being one of them anymore.

 

[Elijah Brockway]

Senari, meanwhile, was quite a bit closer to where Karyn was than Dea. With a quick "Sorry, I think I have something to take care of," to Gladys, he quickly jogged over to Karyn, reaching her and the small group around her in few bounds. He'd seen a few looks shot in Karyn's direction earlier, and now it was becoming apparent that it might be necessary for him to step in and help out - out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dea coming over as well. Well, won't this be fun?

One step more and he was directly behind Karyn, settling one hand on her shoulder. If he'd been of a mind to do so, he might've laughed at how much the sight reminded of him of when his master would be there to - quite literally - have his back. "Is something the matter, masters?" he asked the group that was assembled, though his question was mostly directed towards Valen Pelora. As he looked at them he smiled, a likely already-too-late attempt to defuse any tension that might be building. "I know there wasn't a particularly good reaction towards the politician, but hopefully an innocent young girl won't face the same sort of trouble."

 

[Valen Pelora]

Valen beamed down at Lanna. The young Jedi was in constant motion, even as she spoke to him. The exuberance of youth never ceased to amaze him. He wasn’t old but he felt ancient some days. War was quick to age you. He was thankful their experience on Endor had not seemed to impact Lanna, and that she had managed to avoid most of the fighting. The Initiates should be protected from the horrors of fighting the Sith. He knew it wasn’t always possible but they should be doing everything to make that a reality. Teenagers should not be sent to die.

“I am glad you are enjoying yourself, and have made a new friend. We must remember there is joy in the galaxy. Even in these difficult times (@Zenya ). ” He spied the pink drink still in Lanna’s hand. “Although, I might stay away from too much of the pink stuff, young one.”

He let out a small laugh. Turning his attention to who Lanna called Karyn. The girl was younger than Lanna. She was dancing near Kip and the crabby Jedi. She moved with all the awkward grace of a growing child. She seemed normal, but that aura. He felt a spike of anxiety in the Force. He scanned the crowd and spotted Dea marching towards them. He had not seen the blonde Jedi since their foray into Sith space. Not since Valia had died. The anxiety poured from her. Before Dea could reach them, another Jedi interjected. Who was this girl. He knew the Jedi by name only. The man did not seem to realize no one had fully pieced together who Karyn was or that she wasn’t a Jedi. His bumbling placed her alongside the politician. She was marked as an outsider. He began to suspect his intuition regarding Karyn was absolutely correct. He waited for Dea to get closer before speaking.

“Jedi Devoter (@Oncaro), Jedi Gravis (@Elijah Brockway). I expect the two of you have some explaining to do.” The formality snapped back into his tone. The casual friend was gone, the General returned. “I would never allow harm to come to an innocent child. That girl is not a Jedi, but her mother was.” He was staring at the offspring of Kira Elan, Dark Lord of the Sith. “Where did you find her? How much does she know? Do the Sith know she exists?” A million other questions were flying through his mind.

 

[Oncaro]

To Dea's immense relief, Sen (@Elijah Brockway) turned out to not be far away from Karyn (@Prudence)-- closer than she had been, in fact, and she managed a small smile as he seemed to coming to the girl's rescue. That smile vanished quickly, however, as she got close enough for Valen Pelora (@Valen Pelora) to address her and Sen both, speaking to her with the authority of a Jedi General.

Dea wasn't impressed.

She held only disdain for the very idea of a "Jedi Army", and she was certain Valen knew this. Still, she knew he had pieced things together quickly, and she stepped in front of Karyn in a quietly defensive gesture; while she didn't believe Valen himself would hurt the girl, she wasn't sure about some others in attendance. And once more she felt a pang of sadness that there were Jedi whom had been pushed to extremes.

"In order: We discovered her on Onderon, she knows only what Sen and I have told her, and no, the Sith do not know she exists, Valen," Dea replied readily. Her voice was calm and steady as ever, but she put a slight emphasis on Valen's name in contrast to his referral to her as simply "Jedi Devoter"-- a subtle declaration that she did not recognize his title of Jedi General as legitimate, and was instead addressing him as her equal, as he had been a Knight like her before being given such a title. "To be honest, I was debating on even coming here because I feared something like this would happen. I instructed Karyn here to stay in my ship, but it seems she has found a way to get out. I wish she hadn't, but I believe I understand why she did so: Curiosity. She wants to see what the Jedi, the sort of people who trained her mother, are like."

She stopped speaking there, and her voice didn't stray from her calm tone, but with how she had worded her explanation of what Karyn was here for, the unspoken implication was obvious: And just what sort of Jedi is she going to see here, Valen? Those worthy of her expectations, or a disappointment?

 

[Elijah Brockway]

"As well, she was born long before anything happened with her mother," Senari added on to what Dea was saying, while doing his best (and succeeding) to hold his tongue with the young general, who was barely any older than he was and held a role that, in Sen's mind, Jedi shouldn't have. Neverminding the fact that if it wasn't for this Jedi Army there wouldn't be a Jedi Order at all; Senari didn't have to like it. And he definitely didn't enjoy the overly-authoritative tone that Valen just took on, or the look he gave them, as though it wasn't obvious as soon as Karyn named herself who she was. Calm yourself, Senari, no need to try and breed animosity where there doesn't have to be any...

"I'm sure you can all sense that she's sensitive to the Force, can you not?" he asked the group around him. "Anything strange you feel is only due to the bond that exists between parent and child, not due to the child herself." His gaze settled on Valen again, almost inviting him to try and disagree. "She deserves to see the Jedi and to be trained as one, rather than being shuffled around by orphanages and lost on some strange planet because the Jedi themselves couldn't be bothered to take care of her at first."

 

[Zenya]

She sighed, with a slight smile. "Why of course, Master Pelora." (@Valen Pelora ) Bowing her head slightly in a display of respect, she turned her attention back to the people that swarmed around the two girls. Specifically Karyn. Lanna narrowed her eyes, pausing. She no longer moved to the music, but examined closely.

She was right. This was Kira's daughter.

The moment was an interesting one for the young Jedi Knight. The realization tasted sweet. What would she do with this newfound information? Probably nothing. She wasn't the type of person to create issues and conflict. But it was nice to know such a deep secret.

Well. The good feeling lasted a few seconds longer before it occurred to her that the people approaching the young girl were around her because they had in fact, discovered the secret as well. What was there to do with her? She was practically the spawn of Satan. Something flickered in the back of her mind. A spark of bitter dislike for the girl's mother. It was more than dislike. It was pain.

So why wasn't she protesting? The girl should leave. She should be judged harshly for the actions of her mother. Untrusted and unaccepted.

Perhaps not. Maybe not.

Stepping back a little, Lanna watched the woman who seemed to act as the young girl's guardian step into the scene. She seemed to want to protect the young girl. Lanna nervously cracked her knuckles, as another Jedi Knight ( @Elijah Brockway ) stepped in to deffend his previous counterpart's words of defence. She was now questioning whether or not the girl was really an initiate.

"He makes a persuasive argument. Perhapse we should show the girl mercy. She did nothing to the Jedi." Even when Lanna said the words, they rolled off her tongue with a bland flavour. "Not to say that she wouldn't be persuaded to do something stupid in the future. That's why she needs guidance. Throw her out, and she will muster the same distaste for the Jedi that her mother did before her. We should take advantage of this situation as it presents itself."

Sucking in a breath, her eyes moved hesitantly to Valen. "At least, that seems like the wisest thing to do. If we really want to protect the Jedi."

 

[Talon maara]

Kip interjected the younger jedi Lanna (@Zenya) as his demeanor began to change back from fun, to jedi master.

"Have we lest forgot my place a few centuries ago? Me myself, a former sith lord?.....found redemption for MY OWN actions against the republic as well as the Jedi. If anyone knows of redemption i would be near the top of the list, IF NOT the first."

Kip looked to the group gathering ever so closer,

"Why hold a child accountable? jedi or not for a totally different persons actions? Hmmmm?"

Kips hand gradually reached over to the girl (@Prudence) And held her hand slightly

"You my dear are safe in these walls. Regardless of how you feel. And if any say otherwise you can be rest assured, myself and the General will ensure it is squashed. That is if we can beat Madam Dea (@Oncaro) to the...."

His eyes moved looking in Dea's eyes with a slight smirk

"punch that is."

Kip felt the tensions rise in all the parties involved regardless of their atempts to remain calm. He knew no harm would come of the girl, but he didnt know if, well she did? He tried to maintain giving the friendly aura to the young girl while still having to uphold the Jedis way.

This attention was a little too much for the girl he felt, specially all at once. I mean, Quit a few of the high ranking jedi surrounding initiates as well as an untrained force sensitive and all. He knew it would be uneasy for all on the receiving end and he wanted to tone down the tension even the slightest.

The girl was purely innocent, and more so no threate in such a place like this but he knew it would be protocol to ask such questions a the general did.

 

[Vosrik]

A ship touched down on one of the stronghold's many landing pads, a late visitor to the commemoration (or was it party?) that was already well underway. Perhaps this visitor knew this, evidently trying to stay out of sight as he pulled his cloak further over his head. To those who had exceptionally good insight in the Force, they would be able to perceive the identity of this hooded newcomer. Indeed, the former Jedi Lord had returned, if briefly, to pay his respects to the fallen.

Vosrik entered the hall, quickly glancing around at the flashing lights and observing the drunk Jedi having a great time. He didn't judge them, not in the least. With so much death and sorrow, sometimes a party like this was necessary to lighten everyone's spirits. They were still alive and the Moffs had been dealt a serious blow. That alone was reason to throw a wild party. But that was not what Vosrik was here for.

Staying near the edges of the room, he approached the roaring pyre and stood at its head solemnly, head bent low. Though some might question why he'd returned, Vosrik felt it would be the highest dishonor if he didn't come to mourn the great loss of the Jedi Order on Tython and Ilum.

 

[Shalken]

Shalken's eyes followed his friend as he left the room, making absolutely sure that he was allowed to leave unhindered. He was prepared to reassure to Marcus that this was not the way the Jedi were, but now he was glad he had never said it at all. The ex-bodyguard had been gone for so long, who was to say that wasn't what they were like? "Have the Jedi really changed that much in my absence?" He pondered, anxious for what the future would bring. He almost felt alone, as though the family he had once known so well were now foreign to him, and he was a complete stranger in their midst. Shaking off the feeling, he stepped back towards the main group. The light dancing that had begun moments before had now grown swiftly into a full-blown party, one which thrill-seeking repulsorpunks would typically describe as "totally lit, bruh".

Making his way closer to the larger group, Shalken decided to stick to the "outer rim" of the gathering. It was at this moment that he remembered he was holding not one but two full mugs of ale, and that he had been holding them even during the altercation that had occurred minutes earlier. Deciding that he might as well have two drinks anyway to loosen up a bit, he began quaffing the beverage in his right.

It was at that moment that the master felt something extremely familiar through the Force, a feeling which he could only describe as a sense of nostalgia. While people obviously left a specific "aura", this was an entirely different sensation - more so like a bond, to him anyway. Its presence was both heartening and surprising to Shalken.

His brother was here.

At once he began to look around in search of the ex-Jedi Lord. While it would not be entirely strange for him to come and pay his respects, Shalken knew Vosrik had exiled himself from the Jedi to begin his training as a Justicar under Orrin Murdock. Perhaps this would be his final farewell to everyone before he disappeared at length.

Making his way through the edge of his crowd, feeling the unique bond he and his twin shared, Shalken eventually found himself at his brother's side, standing beside the great pyre with his head bowed low in respect. The master merely handed the second mug of ale to his brother as an unspoken greeting, keeping the moment of silence that existed between them in their little corner of the hall. "There is no death; there is only the Force."

 

[Prudence]

Growing up on the streets Karyn had developed a good sense of when to run. She didn't like lots of attention on her, nor did she like to cause trouble. She just wanted to be quiet and unnoticed. When the Jedi flocked to her she began to panic, her mind ablaze with fear and paranoia. She was dancing with the older Jedi Knight, when she heard them start talking about her. Dea and Sen were here too, and everyone was talking about her like she couldn't hear them. Some were talking about kicking her out, and they were talking about her mom too.. Karyn's breathing picked up as she let go of Logan's hands and began to backpedal. She caught some of what Master Kip said, but she didn't stick around for the rest.

Karyn bolted away from the center of the party as fast as her little legs could carry her. She had made it a few seconds away when she turned her head around to make sure she wasn't being followed. In the process she ran, full speed, into another older Jedi (@Vosrik ) Karyn backed up a few steps, taking in what she'd run into. She muttered an apology and then began running towards the temple, trying to escape attention and judgement. She loved her mother, even though she'd never known the woman. She knew all of these people hated her, all of them felt betrayed by her, but Karyn couldn't help but want to know more about her mom - and now they were blaming Karyn for just being Karyn.

 

[Valen Pelora]

Valen listened to Dea, Sen, Kip and Lanna. His head was spinning from all the directions the Jedi wanted to go. He was remined in that moment there were as many personalities in the Jedi as there were in the galaxy. They shared a name, maybe a purpose, but they were not the same. He had spent so much time at the front of the war he had forgotten not all Jedi shared his views. He had forgotten joining the Army had not meant agreeing with the Army for every Jedi. He looked at the small group of Jedi assembled near him. He did not recognize what he saw. Valen knew he had shared Dea’s views once. He knew he had disagreed with the Army’s more militant ways. He knew he should have been wary of their behavior. He wasn’t.

He had seen horrors beyond imaging. He fought Sith all across the galaxy. Argazda, Coruscant twice, Mustafar, Endor, Malachor, and Kessel. He had found himself face to face with Warlord Szebat. There was only one way to fight the Sith. To the death. There could be no peace. There would be no peace. The war would only end when the Sith were defeated. The Jedi Order could not defeat the Sith, the Republic had failed. They were all the galaxy had left. They had to fight to win. They had to be an Army to win. He no longer understood the resistance. He did not want the Jedi to lose their soul, but he would not watch the galaxy fall into darkness.

“Tython burned, the Republic is failing, the Moff Council was ripped asunder. We must forgive our brothers and sister their doubts. Do I feel safe? Yes. Should I? I don’t know. Not everyone does and they probably shouldn’t. That does not excuse pulling a weapon on strangers, but it was one distraught Jedi. A distraught Jedi we should forgive.”

The senator shouldn’t have been there, but the young blonde Jedi had taken it a step too far.

“The girl is safe here. I would not throw a child from our midst. My concern was for her safety, not ours. As long as she lives she will be a target of the Sith. That does not mean we should not offer her shelter or training. She is clearly strong in the Force and has a measure of trust for the both of you. It would be better for her, and us, if she learned to use her gifts for the good of the galaxy.” As he spoke he looked a Karyn. The girl was gone. Running through the crowd. He sighed. They had handled this incredibly poorly. “Lanna, help us find your friend.” He didn’t want Karyn to get lost in the stronghold.

 

[Elijah Brockway]

"It might be wisest to give her some time alone," Sen said, hoping to put a stay on Valen's last suggestion. "She's been relying on people never noticing her for a long time, now, only to be thrown into the spotlight after the group of us had to act like a bunch of overly-excited akk dogs. Give her some time to catch her breath before we go looking for her, eh?" Of course, he'd also been the one to willingly let her run off, rather than holding her down when he had the chance. Dea should be proud of me for that.

He looked around at the group, trying to focus on keeping track of all the people out there. "Besides, it looks like about the entire enclave is out here right now, and we're the only ones who know who Karyn is. Between the fire and the music, I imagine most everybody here can't hear us, just see us." He looked off in the direction Karyn had run, taking note of Shalken and the man he was standing by. "I'm sure she's safe enough. Maybe she'll even find her way to the garden inside the building's grounds."

 

[Sreeya]

Shae stared in wonder as the man spoke, chills running down her spine. He was a different man, but the words were- She looked helplessly at Corvo, who only had a knowing smile on his face. At the mention of ‘Moff Valin’, Shae’s jaw dropped. She turned to the man before them, her voice a hoarse whisper, “V-Valin?”

Without waiting for an answer, she abruptly jolted forth and physically tackled him to the ground with a hug. Her eyes filled with tears as elation, combined with drunkenness, took over. Valin meant more to her family than words could ever describe. He had been there when Shae first returned to Jedi while pregnant. He had been her guardian and had accepted her when no one else had. He had been there the day Lothal came under attack and helped protect her the night she gave birth. He had been there ever since as a consistent figure in Ciri’s life and had become like kin to the Vis family. All of these emotions crushed down on her at the realization that he was alive.

“Oh gods, Valin!” She finally pulled back, wiping her tears away and standing up, offering him a hand, “I thought you were….after we captured Kira….” They were dark times, and Valin was there for that too, “I can’t begin to describe how happy I am to see you!” She grinned then, “I must say, I think I like the new look quite a bit.”

Shae had missed the joke Ken had made to Corvo, but she turned to face him when he addressed her, “Oh, I’m sorry about that dramatic display…” She grinned sheepishly, shaking his hand, “Corvo has told me a lot of good things about you. I’m impressed you willingly put up with his grouchiness,” She chuckled lightly while glancing at Corvo.

@Toasty @Phoenix @Wit

 

[Vosrik]

It wasn't long before Shalken was at the side of the mourning Justicar-in-training. Vosrik was ever grateful for the presence of his twin, and he hoped that Shalken understood his reasons for leaving the Jedi. It probably wasn't as hard for him as it would be for others, as he was one of the two people who knew how to contact Vosrik if the need arose. Shalken's voice resounded inside his own, There is no death; there is only the Force.

The Jedi Master stepped back slightly, having finished paying his respects. Suddenly, a little girl (@Prudence) crashed right into him, throwing his cloak open to reveal the man underneath, as well as his new crossguard lightsaber, to the rest of the attendants. Anyone else, and Vosrik would have accepted the apology and carried on...but this girl was different. He had come closer than most to Kira Elan when he forcibly tore her connection to the Force, and this young one bore an uncanny similarity — both physically and in the Force. Vosrik watched as Karyn ran off, continuing further into the Temple. Though a clear resemblance to her mother, the Jedi felt no hatred in the girl; just fear and confusion. She would need to be guided and trained, or she might become something like her mother...

Coming back to the present, Vosrik hastily pulled his cloak and hood back over himself. Gripping Shalken's shoulders firmly, he gave his brother a reassuring smile. "The Jedi need you, Shal, more than you know it. Let's bring the Sith to their knees, shall we?" he spoke quietly. While Shalken might act from within the Army, Vosrik would do so as a Justicar. There was a long road ahead for both of them.

 

[Anthkir Kinclo]

Right place, but the wrong time. His starship landed among the others. He sighed to himself as he quickly made his way towards the funeral. "If there is a funeral," he said to himself. "I really do know how to make an entrance. Arrive tardy to a room full of Jedi Masters and Elders; those that have fought with Master." He turned the corner to the entrance and walked in. As he did so many if not all of the Jedis turned their attention to him. Something had happened before he walked in. He could sense it through the Force. Through the expression on everyone's face and the air thick with tension. "I apologize for my tardiness. I am Kinclo, Anthkir. It is a privilege to meet you all." Anthkir announcing bowing to everyone in the room.

 

[Valen Pelora]

Some Jedi just had to be right. Valen was remined why he spent so little time on Tython. The complacency of the Order had created a generation of Jedi who felt they always knew best, despite rarely leaving the Temple. It was that pervasive attitude that had drove his master towards the Outer Rim and kept Valen there. He had always practiced what he preached. He followed the will of the Force to help those who truly needed them.

The Army was filled with Jedi who acted. Jedi who made mistakes, who were not perfect, and who did not always know best. They strove to be better and to protect the galaxy. He knew integrating the surviving members of the Order into the Army would not be easy. He had forgotten how widely the Order disapproved of the Army. He had forgotten just how different they had become. He would take an imperfect Jedi willing to die for what they believed in, everything single time.

“I appreciate your concern. Please, enjoy yourself. We should celebrate our lost brothers and sisters.” He turned and headed off in the direction the little girl had ran. He didn’t have any plans on searching for the child. He wanted to wander the ground and clear his head. If he stumbled upon the daughter of the Dark Lord it would be by the will of the Force. The child would need guidance. He hoped the Jedi could provide it. He prayed she would walk a different path than her mother. They could rectify the mistake they had made with Kira.

Valen breathed deeply of the Lightside and wandered. He took in all the sights and sounds of Dantooine. The galaxy was dark. For a brief moment, his life was full of Light. The Jedi would restore balance. They would fight the Empire at every turn. They would find a way to set things right. He promised that to himself. He swore he would not stop fighting.

OOC: Exit Thread