Open Ajan Kloss The Cycle of The Force

[Oren Zapan]

Set After the Holo-News.
Open to All Jedi
​

The events that transpired through the galaxy, Oren should have seen it coming, but he had been busy, caught in the day to day. Teaching, studying, training, aiding, he hadn't contemplated the reality of the force, that darkness was always in the shadows. Sure he mentioned it to his students, but he never really gave it much thought, but it seemed that the galaxy and the force moved in ways that he couldn't see or predict. Possibly this was a test, a test for the galaxy and for their fragile order.

The holo-news showed the lightsabers clearly, but those powers were not one a Jedi would ever learn, surely it was the workings of the darkside. And so he sat alone in the commons area of the temple, mulling over the different patched work stories he had heard about the orders of old. These beings known as the Sith, the old Jedi, their clases and the destruction it left in their wake. What did they feel like? Were they nervous like he was or did they have conviction. His students had grown up in an era of peace one that was formed from Ben's sacrifice and Rey's forgiveness.

It's vanity to believe that there will only ever be one or the other, I believe that the darkness is always there lingering, prepare yourself for it and you will never be caught off guard. His master's words rung through his head as he sat there alone. They needed to do something, to clear their name, but he couldn't do it alone, it would require all of their efforts. A Jedi's duty is to stand for those that can't defend themselves, we must do so one at a time. These words rung through his mind.

 

[Mila Tesara]

Mila was greatly perturbed by the news. In fact she could scarcely believe it despite how many times Brahe had brought it up. It for for this reason she had chosen o convene with the rest of her jedi companions, bringing in some of her own padawans as well. As the Jabberwocky punctured through the clouds, the jedi knight could only ponder what their move going forward would be. The events from Mustafar still haunted her, and knowing that the Sith were potentially out there, it didn't bring her any ease; despite how diplomatic the dark siders had seemed, Mila felt rather certain the group would have come to blows if they had been accompanying her into the depths of that hell.

She pressed on the intercom, informing her passengers that they would be arriving soon. "We are nearly at the meeting point, I'd ask you all be on your best behavior, given how many of our order are to be in attendance." She winced as she let off the button, realizing she had been too 'motherly' once again, but she couldn't help it. The lives of not only her padawans, but the order as a whole were at risk, and there seemed little that she could do to prevent that from occurring; though it was as the force willed it to be. Returning the the controls, she pondered what could be done to combat this threat, to keep them from being assailed by the Sith from the shadows while the Jedi would be reduced to withdrawing once again from society.

As they neared the landing pad, Mila put in the landing thrusters, cutting power to the engines, as the landing struts made contact with the ground. She took in a breath, and let her head rest against the pilots chair, before standing up, and disembarking onto the planets surface. Chaos yet Harmony, she reminded herself, as she would await the arrival of her fellow order members, hoping to find some commonality to handle the threat looming over them.

@Corbeau @TRook @Noctyr (Feel free to post, if not no biggie.)

 

[Tsavo Vivar]

After the initial shock of seeing the holo broadcast and his immediate mad dash to make it back to the temple Tsavo had at least some time to calm himself and meditate on this very surprising and rapid turn of events. It was terrible enough that a bounty had been placed on the entirety of the order, and history had shown just how fast the common folk of the galaxy were willing to turn on the jedi in the past. While an immediate threat that was arguably not at problematic as the second revelation from that broadcast. At least two practitioners were using the force to sow chaos and destruction in the galaxy.

It was also worth noting that one of them did weild a red lightsaber. While he didnt want to go directly to assuming that members of the old rivals of his order had survived, red crystals were not exactly common. But regardless darlsiders of one form or another were out among the glalaxy, or at least those that did not adhere to the orders code of healing and acceptance. And having duge through the histories as much as any scholar he knew just what theat could mean for a galaxy that had, relatively speaking, though itself free from a cycle of destruction brought about by the constant wars between the orders.

Taking a deep breath of Ajan Kolss' air he sought to reach out and touch the world through the force in order to still and focus his mind. 'The force moves on it's own accord and we can not know its whims and intent. It has revealed the existence of these fallen beings to us, and now it is up to is to bring harmony to this chaos.'

He opened his eyes as a ship touched down on the landing pad nearby. More of his compatriots were arriving to seek guidance and discuss this as a whole. He made his way to the gathering, seeking to understand what others might have to say, and perhaps offer his own wisdom if need be.

 

[Ash Valentine]

Ash was pacing about the grounds on the temple of Ajan Kloss, disgruntled and emitting an aura of self righteous vindication. If there was anything good that came out of this it was the fact that he now had an excuse to practice Makashi. These new saber wielders are a threat and they were best matched by superior blade-work.

But the videos, they displayed who could only be darksiders. This was obviously not the work of the Jedi, or so he thought. He had heard nothing of missions to attack the Five Syndicates, so it was just unlikely. Not that he would have cared if some hutts and criminal scum died. He had be angling for a more proactive stance towards dealing with these reprobates for a while now. But now that a bounty has been put on the very symbol of their order, the reprobates would come to them.

He stopped his pacing, and did his best to calm his thoughts. Looking for vengeance or hunting down these people wasn't the Jedi way, even if it may have felt good. A traitorous thought wormed its way into his head. 'What if I could make it the Jedi way?' Hunting the hunters could only improve the galaxy wouldn't it? He shook it off, he didn't need to think about that right now.

He wandered over to the meeting point and waited stiffly. This was bound to be a conversation that would become heated, and he was ready for the raised voices. Or so he thought, as the phantom pain's in his face throbbed angrily.

 

[Giran Latt]

Giran had found a tight space between the bulkhead and the hyperspace drive and had managed to wedge himself in. Unless Brahe had something very specific to tinker with back here he wouldn't find him, no one would.

Giran had seen the broadcast had heard his master's story first hand. The sith were back in the galaxy. Giran had read of the sith, millenia of blood, hatred and loss. Giran despised everything they stood for. They served only themselves and destroyed what didn't. They were the cause of this broadcast and he hated them for it.

After the broadcast Giran's father had called him for the first time since he'd left for the order. He'd chewed him out telling him that no son of his would be a wanted man. He'd told him to give up on his little 'adventure' and come home. Of course, Giran refused and his father had simply disowned him. Now he was committed to the Jedi wholeheartedly but, he was scared adrift in the galaxy with no family to fall back on. He'd always thought he could go back to Mirial but now his only home was this cold ship drifting through the galaxy.

"We are nearly at the meeting point, I'd ask you all be on your best behavior, given how many of our order are to be in attendance."

Giran smiled, maybe he did have some family after all. He slid his way out of his crack and wiped some grease off his cheek.
Time to see what this is all about.
He slipped in behind his master small bits of grease still on his face. He would remain quiet unless called upon but he was glad to have been invited.
"By your lead master" Giran said solemnly as he disembarked the Jabberwocky.

 

[Nashyr Ris]

This was, perhaps, Nashyr's first true venture into the society of the Jedi. She had not anticipated a Hutt to seemingly have such sentimental values for their family... there had to be more to this accusation than met the eye. She was dissatisfied with what was being broadcasted, and the splashing media headline was a grim note for all those that bore lightsabers. She still did not, however... her alliance had recently changed, and she was not going to allow her newfound alliance fall to pieces simply because of a revenge story.

Five thousand credits, however, was nothing to sneeze at.

She slowly touched down the Tigris, her personal Quad-Five, upon the planet of Ajan Kloss, mindful of other ships present, and only relaxed her grip when it finally settled. She had dressed in synthleather jacket, leggings, and boots, the standard black top concealing a blaster vest, her trusty blaster at her hip and stashed vibroblades. Dark hair was kept in its' usual style as she stepped up. It was odd... it almost felt like...

Like she was coming home. There was a new face at the landing pad, however, and she offered a jaunty wave as she was disembarking (@Kallus )

She didn't recognize a single face, but she supposed her Master was late in coming. He had his own issues to deal with, she supposed... but a chance to socialize was never one she would pass up. Perhaps she would recognize a face or two, but for now the Cathar kept to herself, giving a small nod to a scarred-faced man (@Shax ) and to another that seemed to wait within(@TWD26 ).

All would be revealed in due time... and she could wait until the answers would come. She wouldn't hesitate to be social, however, and she couldn't deny she was curious to know each new face that crossed her vision.

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Burning through the atmosphere in the Catspaws, Hannibal was caught in thought. Barely even paying attention to the throbbing background noise of bass heavy music in the cockpit. The news had knocked him off balance, and though he'd quickly recovered from the initial shock he was now quietly wondering what would, and what should, be done to deal with the new situation. Perhaps the Council would do something useful today at the meeting. He often skeeved off on showing up to these sorts of gatherings, finding himself with much better things to do than listen to people babble on about how to be a good little boy, but he always showed up for the important things.

Smoothly his ship touched down in the landing area, the ramp lowering. "Lee, stay onboard and double check the systems. I have a feeling we'll be extra busy soon." Dressed in what he considered jedi attire, he likely stood out from anyone actually bothering to wear the thousand formal layers some insisted was how Jedi should dress at any given time. With his sleeveless undertunic and loose pants, black leather boots, and a green jacket halfway between a robe and a coat, it's the sort of thing one could really only see as Jedi attire if one was told it was. This was enhanced further by the clearly visible, very modified DL-44 blaster pistol clipped to his right hip and the fact his lightsaber was inside the jacket mag-locked to a shoulder holster instead of on his belt.

Although his astromech stayed onboard the ship, his ID-21 droid Ego joined him in disembarking, little clippy limbs locking onto his jacket and many eyes looking about at the other individuals gathered around the place. Hannibal recognized several of them, giving Ash Valentine a cheeky grin and a wave, but he instead chose to walk over to the tall Cathar woman he had met before. "Nashyr. You're here." he said, more of a bland statement than anything more meaningful, though the widening grin on his face and the twinkle in his eyes betrayed there was more to that he had kept to himself. "Since when are we in the same club?"

@Shax @Killa Ree

 

[Eckaaso Shyn]

The Kaleesh Knight was simply FURIOUS. Nothing else could define him. The news of the attack had both shaken and infuriated him. There were darksiders still lurking in the shadows of the galaxy, although until then there were no news of them. Clearly, if there was a cult or something, they were well hidden. Because of this, and given the difficulty to recognize the people that appeared in the Holonews due to their masks, anyone wielding a red or blue lightsaber was a potential target. Or, as the Hutt himself said, ANYONE who had a lightsaber. Now that was quite the nasty matter.

Eckaaso fumed as he paced through the temple's corridors, headed to the council room. What if it's a plot of someone to frame the Order?, he thought. After all, the blue lightsabers couldn't belong to an Order member. He didn't know of any missions that led any member to Nar Shaddaa...

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel was a nervous wreck, her feet tapping, fingers drumming along her staff, antennae twitching incessantly. It didn't help that her elders seemed just as discombobulated by the news as she was. Aside from Master Grayza they all seemed to be pacing around or scowling and looking concerned. This did not bode well at all. She hoped that the council would offer some words for them soon, any kind of direction to help lead them through this madness.

As she took notice of Giran and his Master arriving she nodded towards her fellow Padawan in acknowledgement. It was at least nice to be sharing this horrible situation with one of her peers. "It's nice to see you again," She offered the Mirialan. "I'm glad your Master is taking an interest in these matters at least." She sighed and tried to calm herself, it was unworthy to speak in such a disrespectful manner. "How are you?" She asked with earnest concern. She knew he must have been going through a similar state of distress, considering they were both inexperienced Padawans compared to everyone else present.

 

[Maxims Tionson]

Max had spent so long in the Outer Rim amongst the people of the Hutt territories hiding the fact that he was a Jedi by choice rather than through any large event that made it impossible to not wish to hide yourself away. And yet here they all were to discuss a massive upheaval in the status quo of the Galaxy.

Or, at least, the Outer Rim.

He looked around at the other Jedi as he arrived, noting some that he knew personally ( @TWD26 @Killa Ree @Insalius ) and a multitude that he knew only in passing. Making his way through the assembled Jedi, he nodded to Nashyr acknowledging her with a soft smile before he sat down.

Never stand when you can sit as his father had always used to say.

And they might very well all need to be sitting down soon - the holo had been a slap to the face of the Jedi Order as a whole and it was up to them if they took it as the wake-up slap it was or if they ran wild and thought of it as an attack that needed to be responded to in kind. All Max knew was that the Jedi were going to have to change, to adapt, going forwards.

 

[Kraud]

Kraud hadn't spoken since he had seen the Hutt's broadcast. He wouldn't attempt to hide the fact that he was anxious. The recordings shown during the Hutt's broadcast were shocking to say in the least. A red lightsaber. Lightning. Death. Only one conclusion could be drawn based on the footage; in some form or shape, the Sith had returned. After nearly a century of peace and prosperity, the Dark side of the Force had resurged. And none of the Jedi he knew had sensed it coming. Not even him. Perhaps if they had focused on the future, like the Jedi of old, they could have prepared for this.

The white-haired Whiphid sighed and brushed a lock of his hair to the side. He glanced at Mila (@Algarus), as she pressed the intercom. The last few months he had been travelling, trying to help where he could. That was, until he had seen the broadcast. Soon after, he had met with Mila, both with the intention to return to Ajan Kloss. The contents of the broadcast had to be discussed.

What he perhaps feared most, was the destruction that the Dark side brought with it. The last wars, the ones that had Darth Sidious himself involved, had lead to the destruction of entire planets. That technology was still out there somewhere. A new galaxy-spanning war could possibly be the end of an entire rim.

The Whiphid strolled down the ramp in his Jedi attire. He wore his straw hat, just so he could hide the expression on his face. He didn't want anyone to know how defeated he felt. If the Dark side practitioners were making moves, the Jedi were already to late. He knew that preemptive strikes were against the code, but the couldn't let these individuals do as they pleased. There was so much they had to discuss. So much he didn't want to discuss. Kraud took another deep breath, as he waited for more Jedi to gather at the meeting point. The Whiphid quickly came to realize that, as more Jedi gathered at the meeting point, he had been away for far too long, for he recognized almost none of them. Perhaps that was a good place to begin.

Once a sufficient amount of Jedi had gathered, the Knight took a step forward. "I'm glad to see so many of us have gathered here today." He began, raising his voice a little so all Jedi present could hear him clearly. "My name is Kraud, and I came here to discuss the future of our Order." he paused, knowing that it was the reason why so many of them were here today. "But to be frank, I do not know how we should respond to this matter." Kraud fell silent again, as he turned to face Oren Zapan (@TWD26). He had never met the Knight before, and knew him by reputation only. "You called us here today, Knight Zapan. What is your opinion on this subject?"

 

[Brahe Sienar]

The atmosphere on the Jabberwocky wasn't as cheerful or light hearted as it usually was. While Giran had faced family troubles, the events on Teth when he was with Master Mi'la had left him haunted. Haunted not only by the news that had been broadcast across the galaxy, but also haunted by the visions he saw in that dark side nexus of what he could become. It wasn't that simple to just turn away from the dark.

The dark side was seductive, influential, but most of all, it felt like a rush of true freedom. What restraint the Jedi path placed on the individual was washed aside when one turned to the dark, and it felt good. Almost too good.

But that is exactly what haunted the young padawan. He wasn't just scared of the Sith returning. He was scared that this, and the event he experienced on Teth were a sign of things to come. Brahe had a distant look on his face as he walked down the ramp next to his Master Mila. Perhaps more than anyone else in the room, Mila would know that there was something bothering him. She was the only one that had been there on Teth with him, after all.

Once they were in the conference room, Brahe remained silent, his mind lost in thoughts and fear mongering. It wasn't easy for the 18 year old to shake.

 

[Oren Zapan]

​

You always are looking down at the holobooks, never looking up and towards others and towards life. You fail yourself and the galaxy by isolating and hiding yourself, your smile it will change the galaxy one day, yet you don't believe me. The memory of his master played in his mind at that moment, the gentle waves crashing against the golden sands, his master and him just sitting alone from it all. His master had always believed in him even when Oren did not.

He didn't understand why people turned to him, came to him for advice, for guidance. He was a failed Jedi in his eyes, he had failed his own master in his final moments and his first padawan, who had risen to the rank of Knight in spite of his own teachings. Every single thing he did was to make up for it, to be a better person, to help guide those that needed it, to bring peace to himself and to the galaxy. He had been fortunate, he grew up in a time of such peace, yet those coming up would see something much differently, hardships, loss, death, the force. He couldn't predict what would happen in the coming weeks, months or years..No Jedi could and to do so would be a dangerous task.

And so he sat there deep in thought as others gathered around him, lost in contemplation about everything, Always looking down...look up. Oren's eyes would snap back to reality as he heard his name mentioned. The faces gathered around were a sign of comfort. Some he knew, others he had only heard of. But, they were family and they would make it through--he'd see to that personally.

"Well.." His voice would crack as he stood up, unsure of where to go, what they needed to hear. That beach, those waves, just you and your master...what would he say..what is your quote? His eyes would shift over the group, "The council will most likely address our concerns soon enough, but...I often wonder about the Jedi of old." His hands would fold across his chest, "In times of great darkness or strife, what went through the minds of the students, the knights and even the masters? For so long we look to others to guide ourselves, to lead us along the way. I have this trouble often, relying on the force to be my ally and to help me make decisions."

He'd sigh, "The spirit of a Jedi lives in him or herself, we all know the code, what is right and what is wrong. Darkness may have been cast, but we are a light that can bring a sunny new day. Nothing is ever gone for long, but we must be the change in the galaxy that we want to see. Acts of kindness, the defense of those weak or poor. For so long we have helped against pirates, thugs or mercenaries. We must continue to do so."

He'd say softly, "This man may possess the darkside of the force, there may be others, in due time we will soon learn. But, there is nothing we can do by sitting back in apathy. We all have strengths and we all have weaknesses, go out and help our brothers and sisters in the galaxy, each action is a ripple through the force. They may have brought darkness, but we can bring the light."

He would pause as his words fell into a serious tone, "And in situations that arise, we will fight against these darksiders, not out of malice or hate, not for ourselves...but for those who stand behind us. The sick and the poor."

He'd nod slightly, taking a deep sigh. He felt like he was rambling, he just hoped that it was good enough, that the things he said could provide comfort to those around him. It was in this moment that he realized just how strong his old master was, and the impact that his words had on that calm beach. I miss you so much...

 

[Mila Tesara]

Mila nodded to Kruad, as she set her hands on Brahe's shoulders. Giran was close in hand as well, but other than Orne, she did not know of the others, but that did not put her off kilter. There were many new faces here, and Mila hoped in time to get to know them all; but that wasn't the reason for the meeting now was it. Oren took to the spot light, as it seemed to be his sort of thing, after all he had been the one to pull the strings for this whole meeting. She listened to his words, heeded what he stated, and understood the problem at hand. They were hunted, to be held on the same level as Sith in this regard, viewed as a galactic menace. It was heart breaking, truly it was, but was not the struggle of being a jedi? To find the balance in a galaxy full of chaos? If anything, this was the call to step up to become a jedi, to cast aside the cowl of suspicion, the curtain of fear, and step into the light to declare oneself a jedi, despite the risks. Indeed it was fool hearty, but that was because people did not understand who there were. The only way to change that was through actions, and that meant no more hiding in the shadows, sticking to their small enclaves. They needed to show they were out there to help.

Casting a glance around her, Mila nodded as Oren brought his word to a close, her hands tightening on Brahe's shoulders just a tad, more to show her son that she still supported him in spite of his inner struggles. She could see something pained her fellow jedi knight, as his words seemed tainted with sorrow, perhaps stained in regret, though she knew not why. But that was fine, Mila didn't need to know why, but instead desired to have a 'how' for the plan to combat this sea of darkness that loomed before them. "Well spoken Master Oren, and Master Kraud." She spoke, before stepping out ahead of Brahe, so she made herself more known.

"I do not know about the rest of you, but before I found the order, I was buy a hyperspace explorer. My only thrill in life being to chase things that I didn't understand, to risk my life without any true goal in sight, no betterment for the galaxy as a whole, just mindless adolescent enjoyment." She paused, casting a glance towards Kraud that she dared not hold for too long, in fear of losing her train of thought. "But, I found the order, and found something bigger than myself, and from that incident, I am connected with all of you." Mila continued on, gesturing to the gathering of jedi before her. "We face a crisis that those who came before us have witnessed, and yet here we stand. Perhaps not the same order that once was, but members of that order none the less. The Empire couldn't quash the legacy of the jedi, and neither will a Hutt and a fat stack of credits." She affirmed, as she put a hand on Oren's shoulder, flashing the man a smile as she gave pause to her speech, hoping to perhaps stir the man from whatever cloud had fallen upon him.

Having done that, she fell back into her statements. "We are not just one mere jedi, nor one mere order. We are the force at work in the lives of the galaxy, and we should not let these concerns prevent us from acting out our duties." Mila's smile faded, as she knew what she was about to say might rub several of the order the wrong way, but it needed to be said. "As Master Oren said, we should be the light to banish the dark, to reveal truth to deception, hope to the hopeless. Do not view these times as a failing for the order, but rather a test from the force, asking if you can commit when the whole galaxy says that we are in the wrong." Mila bowed her head, taking in a deep breath, before looking up to the gathering of jedi. "I for one am not going to cower in the face of this new darkness, but I advise that we all be wary about our actions, and the results they may have. Whither you know it or not, we are a family, and the actions of one reflect upon us all." Mila stopped, staring off into space for a moment as she realized that she might have said too much, and merely shook her head slowly, casting a glance to her padawans now. "I'll get off the soapbox now. But I ask you not take this as an oppertunity to hide, but rather rise to the occasion. Thank you." The Twi'lek would give a small bow, before moving back to be with her students. This was going to be a struggle for all of them, but she could only hope that they could emerge from this stronger than they had been before.

 

[Rhea Nadal]

It was truly unbelievable; a world gone mad.

When the announcement had broadcast over the holonet, Rhea had been in the middle of disassembling and reassembling a remote training droid, trying to keep her technical skills sharp. She'd only even had the net open for some background noise while she worked; she certainly hadn't expected the interruption that came with it, or the images. Flashes of red and blue, a slaughter, a plea for justice; or rather, retribution. And a bounty. Rhea had never been under any illusion that being a Jedi was 'safe', but neither had ever considered the possibility she might be hunted across the galaxy for it. She watched the footage several times over, first in confusion, then fear, and then anger.

So it was that she found herself wearing a groove in the temple floor, pacing back and forth in a corner of the conference room, her face nearly as red as her hair. "How... how dare that sleemo try and play the victim now! He probably orders a hit as easily as he breathes, and now he has the gall to act outraged when that violence comes back on him!? Kriff him and his poxy son, the both of them! Nothing but slavers and drug dealers..." Of course, that was largely just her stereotyping them; she didn't know many details about those two specific Hutts, but from personal knowledge of the Cartel, she imagined it was probably more accurate then not.

She had enough self-awareness to quieten herself when the Knights began to speak, at least, though the pacing continued unabated. She half-listened to the older members of the order, as her mind turned towards the Sith. Why were they here? She wasn't the best student of history, but weren't they supposed to be undone? The sacrifice of Ben Solo, the Skywalkers, of Rey... had they not broken the Sith utterly? And yet, not even a century past, either they or some crude imitation was already making themselves known.

When she had realized her Master was a practioner of Makashi, she couldn't entirely understand why. It'd almost seemed funny, practicing for lightsaber combat in an era when you weren't ever going to truly see any. She didn't quite see the humor in it now.

As Kraud, Oren and Mila spoke in turn, she found her anger and frustration abate somewhat, coming to a standstill as she looked up at the Twi'lek woman (@Algarus ). "You're... not wrong, but... how are we supposed to do that? How can we help people who distrust us? Who would take a helping hand from a group they believe are murderous zealots?""

 

[Maxims Tionson]

... what the hells was that?

A Whiphid Jedi stepped forward as if to lead the conversation and then basically said "I don't have any ideas but I wanted to be the first to talk, now over to someone who might have a clue". It was disappointing that he had even felt the need to speak up considering he had added absolutely nothing to the room save a pressure on another Jedi Knight to suddenly have an opinion.

And by opinion he really meant 'answer'.

Oren was clearly uncomfortable being put on the spot but what did the Whiphid or others care? So long as they had someone to speak first, someone who's ideas they could either accept or talk down on... ugh why was he feeling so negatively about some of his fellow Jedi already? Was beginning to leave a bad taste in his mouth honestly.

He listened to Oren and to the Twi'lek woman he'd not actually seen before and watched as a Padawan spoke up. It would good to see that they felt that they had a chance to speak up - especially when they actually contributed something to the discussion, unlike a Whiphid who just threw someone else under the bus and a Twi'lek who said the exact same thing as the person before her as though it was insightful.

"If we needed this event to decide that we should be the guardians of peace and the champions of justice for the people then we are truly already lost. And if we didn't need it to decide that then our response seems to be a case of 'keep calm and carry on' in a way that completely ignores the fact that the Galaxy has changed."

Max stood from his seated position.

"The young padawan sees the truth of it. Our ultimate goal should need stating because it already should have been set in stone. Talking about it now is moot - I don't think a single Jedi here or elsewhere would be able to say we shouldn't aim to be what Oren has suggested. The problem is the HOW." he gestured to the Padawan, "The people we would defend distrust us. They think we're killers and let's face it; most of us are. In order to earn their trust back we need to show the people of the Galaxy beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are still worthy of being their guardians."

He turned to the Padawan herself.

"I say we engage more with the public despite their distrust. Help them wherever and whenever they need help - Eriadu and the like. Not in glorious combat or the like but in their day to day lives. We need to show them that the picture painted by the Hutts is wrong and we do that by showing ourselves to be better, to be above what they thought we were." he nodded to Oren, "We need to get out of our temple and off of our high ground and help the people we so wish to defend with their lives. And we need to discover the truth of the red blades through thorough investigation by ourselves and in conjunction with the sector rangers - that is my opinion."

 

[Nashyr Ris]

She spotted Hannibal just as he was approaching her; no space, or way, to dance this time, but surprise flitted in green-gold eyes before it morphed into a grin, giving the Knight a small wink. "What is it they say...? The Force works in mysterious ways. Fancy that, seeing you too, Hannibal." Her tone was slightly teasing, but as another familiar face walked in... Max... she gave a warm smile and a nod as well, content for the time being to wait, and listen.

Someone else spoke first.

No name surfaced to mind, but he certainly had a few things to say. And then another important-looking man said something... and then a Twi'Lek that looked remarkably like one of her girls mentioned family, and connected togetherness. It was then that Nash could truly feel it, like a deep gulf stood between her and most of her peers...

She stood out here like a sore thumb amidst all the robes, green and browns, the air of grave importance and... faint traces of fear that tanged like a sour edge in the air. Her Maste---, Max, spoke next, and she felt... almost relieved. But did they all have to monologue? She felt as though there was something for her to say as well, but... she was a newcomer to this game, an outsider with outsider views.

What is it they say... Passion, yet serenity? Dimly she began to recall the code Max had been telling her before... well, she could hardly remember when exactly, it was a week, two weeks ago. Perhaps an outsider, with outsider views, may be exactly what we need... but can I even have the right to speak?

"I didn't even know the Jedi were a true existence until fairly recently," she admitted, glancing about. "Or about a light side, or a dark side... only myths, legends. Nobody's gonna care about guardians or protectors, what they care about is how to survive, especially in the Outer Rim." She glanced at Max, then exhaled, brow furrowing. "We aren't even guardians yet, not really. We're a small presence in a large galaxy." And glancing about the room reinforced her thinking; there were so few members amongst them that it was somewhat surprising to the Cathar. "But I admit, we can overcome distrust... and sway people from the luring freedom of credits." She glanced towards the several new faces, and swallowed. Kark, now she was doing it too. Was this a Jedi thing?

"I agree; build alliances, and continue to be a growing symbol of light in a galaxy that's been dark for a long time." She had more to say... but she wasn't really certain if she was the one to say it. But the fear of being what you were was going to stunt them... and many of those young faces held anxiety for the safety of themselves and their small Order. And she had a small grain of it inside her too; but now wasn't the time to worry about things beyond their control. She needed to focus on the task at hand. Did anyone even know the full story of what caused a Hutt to cry revenge?

She would have to wait and see.

@Nefieslab @TWD26 @Mr. Teatime @Algarus @Powerfullhorus

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Fiach’s time at the Order majored on study — as any Padawan could testify — and time in the library was a staple of her day (and any free time to be honest). So, despite not being a Padawan from a young age, her knowledge of the history of the Jedi was at least as good as the average apprentice, if not better. For Fiach was a sponge when it came to anything to do with understanding how the Jedi came to be where they were today.

So, although she had no expectation of the return of the Sith, history had shown they never truly went away and when the Jedi became complacent and believed their time was spent, that was when the Dark side returned with a vengeance. History, it transpired, was most useful when considered as a guide to the future and was considered nothing but the past at the Jedi’s peril.

She sat on the ship, wondering what the future held for her. It was one thing to have been identified as Force sensitive, and quite another to become a Jedi. The history books had shown many promising Younglings that failed to make the grade as Padawan — and she did not want to be counted among them. Scholarly progress was one thing, but the majority of Jedi are of value in the field — not in the library.

And then they had landed, in many ways to Fiach’s delight, as action ensured she could not reflect on her concerns and instead would be obliged to focus on the here and now. And so she looked to her Master for guidance.

 

[Eckaaso Shyn]

The Kaleesh essentially stormed in the meeting room, slamming the doors open. Even though his face was covered with a mask, his eyes were clearly flashing with rage. Although, seeing the gathering of Jedi, he calmed down, taking deep breaths, and went to sit with the others. He listened to Oren, then Mila and the others who talked, humming lightly and tap-tapping a finger on his hand. Once the Cathar finished her short speech, he felt like she wanted to say more, and so he gently gave her an encouraging nudge on her back and whispered "Don't be shy. I feel like you wish to say more. Go ahead."

 

[Ash Valentine]

Ash waited silently for the gathering to begin, interested to see what sort of plans and strategies would be discussed. Optimistic that the Jedi would take the threat of dangerous bounty hunters, angry hutts, and a new group of darksiders seriously. It seemed however that he was unfortunately at the wrong gathering if that was what he was looking for.

Yet again this seemed like this particular gathering was turning into some philosophical conversation, and while he had no problems with that, it really wasn't the goal here. He waited patiently for the Whiphid to speak, then the Twi-lek, and then the rest. He didn't care for the words, finding most of what was said ultimately redundant. He was proud Rhea had spoken up, but as the meeting began to drone on and on he found himself barking out his own words.

"That's all well and good," he rasped impatiently "But enemies like this don't just go away from a little bit of good will. That slug seems to think we killed his child, and we all seem to think that staying the course and a bit of humanitarian aid is going to solve that little problem. I came here so we could decide how we wanted to fight a powerful being who has declared us targets to the scum of the galaxy, not to get all philosophical with you." He finished, taking a breath so he doesn't start saying things he would regret.

He paced around a moment before speaking again, just a little more agitated. "Worse yet, there are either rogue Jedi, a new group of darksiders, or worse the SITH are back and are framing us for things we haven't done." Now obviously he didn't 100% know if this whole fiasco wasn't perpetrated by Jedi, but he chose not to believe that was the case. "We seem to forget that our greatest achievements have been the toppling of galactic regime's. Evidently there is something wrong with us, the Jedi if we can't notice these people acting under our own nose. So, what actions are we going to take?" He finished calmer than he felt, doing his best to meet the eyes of every Jedi at the meeting.