Ask Ajan Kloss The Value of a Life

[Kraud]

Kraud was happy to be back on Ajan Kloss. He had spent the last few months travelling and aiding those who needed help where he could. But no place felt like the jungles that surrounded the Temple. The presence of the Jedi had left an imprint on the environment, resulting in a jungle teeming with life. And it was this jungle, where he had agreed to meet his Padawan, Astra Calloway. They had a long history together, and while he never could replace her and her sister's parents, he did his best to look after them.

It came as a surprise to the old Knight when Astra had contacted him. He could sense that she felt troubled, suspicions that were confirmed when she asked him to meet her in person. He couldn't help but wonder if her sister, Alana, was in trouble again. But that couldn't possibly be it. No, it was probably something personal.

Shifting his attention back to the present, Kraud focused on the warm embrace of the Living Force and the task at hand. The large Whiphid sat cross-legged in front of a small flower that hadn't bloomed yet. With his eyes closed, he confidently stretched out his hand and opened his palm. Taking a deep breath, Kraud channeled the Force through his body, reaching out to the small but delicate flower. Careful at first, Kraud allowed the energy of the Light Side to flow into the flower. Within a minute, the flower bud opened, revealing a beautiful bright flower.

Content with his practice of Consitor Sato upon viewing the flower, Kraud returned to his meditation. If being a Jedi didn't work out in the end, he would make a good florist, or so he liked to believe. It made him once again realize how different his life could have been, had he defeated his brother back on Toola. There were no flowers, back on the icy planes he called home. On Toola, he couldn't be one with nature, not like this. Just as Kraud focused on his breath and continued his meditation, however, he felt a familiar, troubled presence approaching.

Without looking up or opening his eyes, Kraud began to talk. "Greetings Astra. What is it that you wanted to talk about?" as usual, he immediately cut to the chase.

@Sunfrog

 

[Astra Calloway]

An internal conflict had raged within Astra from the moment the blaster bolt struck that Rodian's chest. She had never intended for him to get killed, despite him shooting to kill both her and the person she was protecting, she had simply wanted to disarm him but with her attention divided she stretched herself too thinly and made an error, one that proved to be fatal.

On the outside, she had hidden her guilt and continued to act as though nothing was amiss but what use was that when all of your allies could sense your true feelings? It was only a matter of time before she would need to talk about it, to heal her own soul and learn to forgive herself as she did others, so she chose to open up to Kraud, the person who she believed, aside from Alana, knew her best and was also conveniently her master, guardian but above all- friend.

Astra trekked through the surrounding jungle to meet Kraud at their agreed location and slowed to a halt in front of him, though he wasn't looking, he looked peaceful and she hoped to regain that feeling by the time she left this place. She sat opposite him, the flower in between them, before addressing the situation.

"I was trying to protect someone on Coruscant after the people he was smuggling for turned on him and tried to kill him and two Rodians followed us and started shooting at us and I was deflecting the blaster bolts into the walls but I tried doing too much at once, the smuggler had a blaster, he could've protected himself but I tried to do it all and I got careless and I deflected a blaster bolt the wrong way... into the Rodian's chest." She told Kraud, voice dripping with emotion.

The matter at hand could be considered a debatable one within the Order since sometimes killing an opponent was unavoidable, though it was only permissible in self-defence, under all circumstances, and while the act had been in self-defence, it had been out of neglect rather than lack of choice that the Rodian had lost his life. Maybe she would lose her independence privileges for a while or get a lecture, she was unsure how Kraud would react but he was kind and just so she was unafraid.



@Powerfullhorus

 

[Kraud]

Kraud listened calmly how Astra, clearly upset, described what had happened. Her reaction was understandable. She felt a deep remorse for her actions; and with good reason. Kraud slightly opened one of his eyes and glanced at Alana from under his conical straw hat. It was true that he wasn't too pleased with her actions, but did she expect him to punish her for her actions? No, that wouldn't solve anything.

"Tell me, do you feel guilty Astra?" he asked, almost certain that the answer would be yes. "You mustn't." Kraud paused, closing his eye again. "Yes, you carry the responsibility for his death, whether it was an accident or not. But what happened, is in the past, you must accept it, let it go and focus on the here and now." he exclaimed, his tone growing harsher just moments later. "But still, you wielded your lightsaber in a public area. There could have been more casualties. Did you forget that wielding your lightsaber is a Jedi's last resort? If you are forced to use it, you have already lost."

The old Knight had been in similar situations before. He was against it, but there had been times where he was forced to take lives. Times where innocent bystanders suffered the consequences, while he was unable to protect them. Every time he had been forced to ignite his lightsaber, it ended with casualties. A lightsaber was supposed to be an invaluable tool, a symbol associated with the Jedi, but not a weapon of mass destruction, like it was in the hands of the Sith. "I suggest you re-evaluate your approach to volatile and potentially dangerous situations." He stated after a long pause.

"On an entirely different note, when did you last practice Consitor Sato?" Kraud asked, taking a deep breath as he focused on the swirling energy of the Light side around them again.

@Sunfrog

 

[Astra Calloway]

Astra kept her gaze down at the floor but could feel an aura of peace surrounding Kraud which was comforting, as were his words about how she shouldn't feel guilty, though it was easier said than done. "Yes." She nodded in response to his question even though he definitely knew the answer. Kraud's words about letting go of what had been rang true with Astra, it was a core teaching of the Jedi, holding onto the past could harbour negative feelings which could lead to the dark side, she knew that but feelings were much harder to forget.

"I knew there was going to be a confrontation so I made sure we were in a secluded area for it, there was nothing else I could've done, we were being shot at!" Astra replied defensively, though she was upset rather than annoyed. She frowned for a moment, thinking it wouldn't be unlike Kraud to ignore her statement all together and move on with what was undoubtedly going to become a teaching. It was Kraud's belief that a lightsaber should not be used unless all other options had been exhausted, an ideal that Astra didn't share with her master, though she still respected his views.

"But-" Astra began before stopping herself, knowing that she would never beat Kraud in a debate. She sighed and closed her eyes, knowing she had been defeated without Kraud even having to say anything so she tried to regain peace and composure through meditation and her connection to the force, as Kraud was doing. "Consitor Sato?" She repeated, trying to match the meaning to the word before remembering it was a force ability used on plants, a very important skill for those Jedi in agricultural positions although she had to say she couldn't see the benefit for herself since she didn't aspire to have one of those positions. "Ohh. I don't remember, I'm not sure I ever have." She replied, though kept quiet about thinking it wasn't useful, Kraud would find a way to give it relevance - undoubtedly.



@Powerfullhorus

 

[Kraud]

Kraud could tell that she wasn't entirely satisfied with his answer, given as she tried to defend herself immediately after his lecture. But there was no defending this case. Confrontation could have been avoided, so she would have to deal with the repercussions, reflect upon her actions and try to prevent it next time.

A slight smile played about the Whiphid's lips, as Astra repeated the name of the Force technique after him. It amused him that she clearly saw little use in the ability. While she kept quiet about it, the old Knight could read her like an open book. "It's a very useful technique. I think you'd benefit from studying it." he stated, adjusting his conical straw hat a little. "Do you see the bright flower in between us? It's beautiful, don't you think?" Kraud gestured at the flower as he spoke. "I used Consitor Sato to make it blossom just a moment ago." he explained, half expecting his Padawan to understand where he was going. "But what if I, instead of making a flower blossom, restricted an opponent's movement with Consitor Sato, or used it to hide behind layers of leaves and branches? With a technique like this, you can learn to alter the environment in your favor. And by taking advantage of the environment surrounding you, you'll be able to diffuse or prevent volatile situations with ease." Kraud continued, hoping that Astra would get what he meant by now. Wielding one's lightsaber was meant to be a means to an end, but it could be avoided entirely by a Jedi who knew how to use his surroundings.

@Sunfrog

 

[Astra Calloway]

It felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders but Astra still wasn't satisfied with the outcome of the conversation as she didn't agree with Kraud's philosophy regarding lightsabers and knew she would only get scolded if she continued to use a lightsaber when it potentially could have been avoided but that was what she believed to be the most reliable ally, even more so than the force.

Astra opened her eyes to look at the flower between them and then Kraud, understanding that the question was not one that needed an answer. She was still unsure what the relevance of this lesson would be to her plight until Kraud went on to explain further uses of Consitor Sato that Astra had never considered before. She had always considered the ability valuable to those in agricultural positions, not those who relied on combat but as usual Kraud was able to prove her wrong.

"I never considered it like that." Astra admitted reluctantly. She had spent the last three years training intensely with a lightsaber and it was frustrating for Kraud to then tell her that a lightsaber was a last resort when it seemed like such a valuable tool to have. Regardless, she would take it in her stride, grateful that Kraud was imparting his wisdom on her. She admired Kraud and respected him a great deal, not only because of his seniority but because of all he had done for her and Alana over the last decade. Their relationship had roots beyond the standard Master and Padawan relationship which could be a blessing and a curse at times.



@Powerfullhorus