The Voice of a Jedi

[Alysanne Drast]

Jedi Praxeum, Ifrane​

Seven years had passed since Aurora had found her, since she had first called herself Jedi. So much had changed, the Order had changed. Aurora was gone, stripped and exiled. Valentine was, she wasn't sure where he was. No one had seen him since he had rescued Arda. And Vuthari had left, or that was what everyone was saying, gone with some knights and padawans to Force knows where. It seemed like a great deal had gone down while Alys had gone hunting holocrons, not just to the rebellion, but to the Order as well.

That was why she was here, on Ifrane, on what was possibly the last remaining bastion of the Jedi Order. She feared for the Order, feared for its future. With the disappearance of Aurora and Valentine, she had come to realize how little she knew of the Jedi. It seemed the few threads that had tied her to the Order had disappeared, leaving her adrift and alone. This didn't feel like the Order she had come to know, or maybe it had never been that, she knew so little. No matter what she might have done, stripping Aurora of the Force did not feel right to her. She did not deny Vuthari that, if he found the Council's actions to be wrong then she supported him. But why leave, why run away? Maybe he had his reasons, maybe he shared the same doubts that she was now having about the Order. She had to discover her roots once more, find out what the Order stood for. But no matter what she learnt, she would not run, not from this. She had accompanied Valentine to Corellia, in some ways triggered a chain of events that had resulted in the current state of the rebellion, of the Jedi. But she would not shy away from her mistakes, from her past. If the Jedi were not what she had thought them to be then she would do everything within her power to change them, or change herself if she learnt that it was she who was wrong.

So she had reached out to the few Jedi she knew, hoping that they would call others. She wanted to know who the Jedi were, she needed them to convince her that she wasn't wrong, that the Order was still what she thought it to be. Not from the Masters, not from the Council, she needed to hear it from others like her. They were the future of the Jedi, and it was their voice that she wanted to hear.

OOC - Open to Jedi only. Death/Capture/PvP/Tomfoolery disabled.

 

[Arda Breaux]

What Arda could gather when she had returned back to the Alliance was Aurora's actions on Nar Shaddaa seemed like a focal point of unravelling within the Jedi Order. She had heard about the woman's consequence, one that she felt personally was justified though she knew others found it too harsh. It was hard for the padawan to not take them personally and even received a comment that she should find forgiveness within the woman, but it was too soon for that, she had other parts of herself she needed to heal first before she could explore further into the reasoning for the woman's betrayal. Though Arda did wonder if they would felt similar if it happened to them with the very little training she had leading up to it. Regardless, she knew trying to guess other people's rationale was not going to solve any problems. In fact, it was this rationale to strip Aurora did a Jedi Master left with his students and shortly after Valentine disappeared also, which broke Arda's heart to hear given what the man sacrificed to save her from Korriban.

Now she would return to Ifrane, hearing Alysanne call for this meeting of other Jedi she knew to discuss the state of the Order. Arda was curious about what that would bring, if there would only be bickering or would it be so unproductive they just sit and stare at each other. THough for herself, she knew something needed to be done, if of all people, having gone what she had been through and still managed to clasped onto the smallest spark of hope at the end of all it, then there was something still there for the others. She had learned in life that many people will come and go and though many times it was because of incidents they could not control, Arda had learned you couldn't always wait on others and had to do things on your own initiative.

Arda hoped the others felt the same way.

Arriving along with her new Jedi friend, Alex, she joined Alysanne at the temple on Ifrane for the conversation.

@Lucid @Wit

 

[Alexander Ayers]

Alexander had been to Ifrane once before. Just as it had then, he was deeply fascinated by the vast amount of interesting and unusual life that covered every inch of the planet. It sang in the Force and reminded him a bit of home. He walked next to Arda, the young woman silent, thinking her own thoughts, just as he was as they moved along the path to toward the Jedi Temple.

Alexander used the time to think about all that had happened in recent months. Just like his peers he was well aware of the subtle change that was happening within the Jedi Order, but unlike the few he had brought up the subject with, he was not so sure it was the product of the recent events around Masters Blackwood and Rayth. It had seemed to Alexander since he had learned of the Jedi's existence within the rebellion and brought into their ranks, that they lacked direction and focus. He would never admit it publicly but he saw what had happened to Master Blackwood as only the catalyst that brought the underlying issues to the front.

It seemed though, that someone had thought so as well. Whatever her reasons, Alysanne had decided to take the first steps in repairing the Jedi by calling everyone to one place to openly discuss what had happened. He didn't know the woman, but he respected her actions. It amazed him that he didn't know all the Jedi personally given their size...but that wasn't a bad thing necessarily, it meant they were growing and that was the best thing that could possibly happen. As he and Arda approached the temple, Alexander walked up to Alysanne and extended his hand to her.

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Alexander, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

She was smaller than he had been expecting.

@Wit @GABA

 

[Nikka Toren]

The Alpherys had ample time to get from the Medical Ship to Ifrane, a planet its' sole living occupant had never been to. And when Nikka had been apprised to why meeting at this particular place was important, she had booked it as soon as physically able. Most of these people had only been met in passing; she wanted to not only discuss what had happened last time she had Seen everyone on Al'Doleem, but also to catch up with old friends, and meet those that were new. She was not above admitting she was deeply troubled about the state of the Order; with Masters Rayth and Blackwood gone, and Vu'thari with his own branch-off, it left only two of the Five: Her own master, Luy, and Master Leah Reach, of whom she had only met a few times since her initiation and Padawan trials.

She had dressed casually, in her pilot's suit and bandage veil, pilot boots, and hair braided down the length to the middle of her back. There was little else she could do, apart from walk carefully and not be too aggressive in her movements. Between the events of Falleen, Ando Prime, Nar Shaddaa and Ilum, she was quite frankly not prepared for any more fighting or brawling of any kind. In fact, as she finally relaxed back into the copilot's seat, every nerve screamed in protest, every bone and muscle ached. But yet... they approached.

The moment Tippy powered down for a landing, she had unbuckled and stepped away, much to his dismay. She had been alerted this by mutual acquaintances that were also as involved as she was; she did not know who was waiting there in this temple. But there was no sense of foreboding; for once, all was silent in her heart, and that of itself was a relief for the sore Miraluka.

She made a very quiet entrance, but perhaps no more unusual than anybody else. She knew only one in passing: Arda. She gave the other woman a brief, warm smile, but the other two... not so well. She nodded slightly to both, eyebrows raising slightly when she realized they were making introductions already. Thank goodness she hadn't run into a wall or anything like it before getting here... though it would have been a memorable entrance, it was not one she anticipated would be a very auspicious beginning.

"Forgive me for interrupting. My name is Nikka Toren... it is a pleasure to meet you all at last." Formal, certainly, but the relieved smile on her lips offset it somewhat. She came here seeking answers, and meeting fellow members of the Light; so far she wasn't disappointed. It was heartening to sense others like her; perhaps, they would all get the answers they wanted.

 

[Vesper T'Rahmmmmmmmmmmm]

____________

The nose of The 89 idly dipped into the Ifrane atmosphere, its destination predetermined with coordinates in the navicomputer. Vesper trusted her droid Beds to land the ship safely, she being distracted in her quarters getting herself ready for the meeting that was about to occur. Vesper had caught wind through the grapevine about the proceedings, and though she was merely a padawan she thought it was vital for her to be in attendance.

Many things had stricken the Jedi as of late. The loss of Aurora was a heavy blow to the Order, but the manner in which she was lost had never, ever sat well with Vesper. The decision seemed heavy handed, petty.. very un-Jedi. And then there was Vuthari, who Vesper viewed as a betrayer. No matter one's motivations, abandoning the Order was never the correct decision. It was the choice of a coward, of someone unwilling to fix what they thought was broken. It was the choice the Jedi Exiles had taken so many centuries ago.. and Vesper wondered what kind of Master would allow themselves to make such obvious mistakes of the past. What made Vuthari any better than the Exiles?

With her ship having landed and upon arriving in the temple, Vesper saw many faces she did not know. She wasn't intimidated by this, though for now she would remain quiet and acknowledge her fellow Jedi with small smiles and nods of her head. There were many thoughts brewing in Vesper's mind, many feelings and conflictions. She wanted to hear what the others had to say, desperate to know if she were the only one to have such doubts about the Order.

What a mess.

 

[Luu Karr Rhulain]

Scowling at the controls of his SP2 Stardancer as the stabilizer gauge indicated a leftward drag - again- Luu Karr brought the fighter in low to land at the Praxeum while reaching out shakily with the Force toward a familiar presence, brief impressions of gratitude and greetings seeking out the chiming crystal melody that harmonized with the crystals on his hip. Knight Alysanne had let him know that she was calling this gathering together and the Zabrak padawan had immediately left his station citing urgent Jedi business - something he was sure he'd pay for with extra maintenance shifts from the General, but it couldn't be helped.

Things were coming to a head all throughout the galaxy, and if the Jedi were going to face the coming storm it would need to be as a loyal and united front.

Leaping from the cockpit Luu adjusted the rumpled fit of his flight suit, grabbed his sword and gun belt from beneath his seat, and moved to join the gathered Jedi. Dipping his horned head in acknowledgement to Alys, the towering Zabrak crossed his arms over his chest and nodded a quick greeting to the blonde padawan standing next to him and muttered something under his breath.

It sounded suspiciously like, "10 credits that the yelling begins in less than ten units."

 

[Firen]

Crunch.

Firen took another bite from the piece of lettuce he held in his hand before stuffing it back into a pocket. He squirmed in his new clothes. They insisted he wear these silly Jedi garments, but Firen hated them. What was wrong with his jacket? It was warm, it had a lot of pockets, it was perfect. This thing was too big, too hot, and it was itchy. They had also taken away his guns! He loved those guns.

He had been on Ifrane for some time now, but he wasn't sure he was any closer to finding his own place within the small order. He had learned a lot since coming here but still felt like everyone around him knew so much more. It was frustrating. He frowned at the thought, insticltibley reaching back into his pocket to pull out his lettuce again.

Crunch.

He finished the piece of lettuce off before plopping down on a small rock. He simply watched as the Jedi gathered and made small talk or introduced themselves to one another.

"I'll take that bet!" he said snorting slightly at the grouchy Zabrak. (@Rom ) He liked to bet on little things, besides, what use did he have for credits in a place like this? Besides, maybe he would win and could buy some extra fresh vegetables later!

 

[Ashlyna Talmount]

Ashlyna wasn't sure if she was entirely welcomed here anymore to be honest. Yes, she had split with Vu'thari not too long ago, but now he had told them to come back. She still didn't know how to feel about that, especially given what her master was doing. She looked a tad uneasy as she entered the the grounds on Ifrane. Lots of jedi were gathering, but was she still a jedi? Did she belong with the others here? She didn't know. She was quiet, remaining towards the edge of the group, trying to figure out what she was to do now. She had always been an outsider in her life, and now here she was again, among the people she supposedly was part of. To say there was conflict in her was an understatement to be sure, yet she saw nothing else to do but be here. She noticed a small furry jedi sitting upon a rock, and decided that perhaps he might appreciate her company. (@Firen) "Never been to this place before. Least we figured out the whole sand problem though." She said awkwardly, trying to make small talk.

 

[Firen]

Firen wasn't exactly sure what the woman I'm meant when she approached him, but he had spent some time with the Rebels on Tatooine before coming here so he assumed that I'd what she meant. “The sand is okay. I like the way it feels under my feet” he said kicking out his oversized rabbit feet and wiggling his toes with a snicker.

“But at least this place is cooler! Plus l, you couldn't even get good food at the base on Tatooine!” He said looking over the woman. He decided she seemed sad or at least that what she looked like to Firen.

“I'm Firen! What's your name?” He responded warmly

@Algarus

 

[Crix Dolan (TL8)]

Crix sat with one leg dangling off The Highwind as he enjoyed a cigarette and the view when he spotted a familiar ship. The 89 belong to Vesper T'Rahm (@Logan), a Jedi Padawan, he'd met a week before everything went down on Jedha. He blew a plume of smoke into the air as Vesper passed overhead. Crix watched as she descended and then decided he'd go say hi.

The Smuggler slid down the side of his ship, called the force to him allowing a brief embrace to slow his fall and place him gracefully onto the ground. The first time he'd tried that he'd nearly blown out his knees. Ever since the battle against Sycorax, he'd doubled down on his force training. The Nightsister Mother had been so powerful in the dark side that even thinking about her gave him goosebumps. He took a final drag on his cigarette before stamping it underfoot. Simultaneously he extinguishing his memory and the bad habit, clearing his mind and setting the fear aside. He'd survived... why was he still so shaken?

Crix wore a plain white tunic tucked into a pair of brown trousers. His pants were messily tucked into his shin-high boots and his gunbelt hung across his hips. His lightsaber was clipped to his belt with both his DH-7 and Quickdraw blaster in their respective holsters. He ran a hand through his wind-blown hair as he made his way across the Praxeum. The training grounds were crowded today, there'd been an influx of Jedi recently and Crix was glad to see their numbers bolster. Their inflation made him feel less needed which in turn meant he could sneak in smuggling a little easier, but that was his little secret.

The Smuggler frowned as he spotted Vesper moving with purpose toward a gathering of other Jedi. Crix wasn't sure what was going on, but he was eager to annoy his friend so he headed that way. He casually slid in on the woman's free side.

"What brings you to the sticks?" He asked with a smile as he settled in beside her. He cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at the Jedi gathered and wondered if he'd stumbled on some secret meeting. He awkwardly bobbed his head in greeting to the familiar faces that surrounded him. He recognized most of the group from their participation in the Nar Shaddaa celebration and other missions, but there were a few he didn't know.

He caught the tail end of a bet and was surprised when a voice from below him piped up. The little Kushiban (@Raydo) was nomming on lettuce and looking up at the Zebrak (@Rom), his smile widened. The Jedi weren't exactly cookie cutter to iterations of the past, but the wily smuggler wouldn't have them any other way. They were a ragtag group of do-gooders trying their best. Jedha had shown him how much the galaxy needed the Jedi, and for the first time, he was proud to be connected to the order.

He locked eyes with Alysanne (@Wit) for a moment, he flashed her a smile and a nod in greeting. Out of the corner of his mouth to Vesper, he muttered, "What in the hell is going on, should I have worn robes?"

 

[Luy]

A wood stained robes covered the old Feeorin in a brown not dissimilar to the bark of some of the local trees. Luy placed his hand on a young specimen as he hauled himself up into this gathering, adjusting his robes and flapping the outer set about to remove errant bits of twig and leaf, as he did so. How the Force was so prolific here! It had been so long, since his days at the shrine as a Padawan, since he felt such a conflux; only the Tribunals came close.

The old Jedi worked his way down from the mound he’d climbed up, a slight stoop of a bow given to those that noticed him; his hands not removing from the sleeves of his robes. Some humans were here, and a zabrak, as well as a furry long eared creature? The universe still held secrets to him, as did the Force. It had brought him here, and all of them, after all.

He settled on a boulder, continuing to nod somewhat and merely observe the throng. Those that returned his glances were met with the large example of Feeorin physicality that was Luy. A two metre tall male, a mane of tendrils with some protruding from his noseless face. His mottled yellow skin was almost rubbery, but creased with smile and laughter lines; all augmented by his pleasant, half dopey smirk. His eyes caught much, and sparkled with the curiosity toward those assembled.

His wandering eyes caught Nikka’s blindfold. He removed one hand from his sleeves and raised it in greeting. A familiar face among those he had heard about, but had not met personally until now. After a wave the hand lowered and both were placed on his knees, rubbing his outer robe fabric in contemplation. That smile was still there, he focused on the flurry of the Force around them. A soft nodding revealed his contemplative state came to a conclusion. “It does my old heart a great deal of good to see you all here. Thank you for this moment.” He turned to face Alysanne. “Thank you for making a call, and bringing this together.” his head bowed somewhat to the Knight.

 

[Ashlyna Talmount]

Looking to the fuzzy being before her, Ashlyna could help but smile. It took a great deal of will power not to pet Firen, he was just too cute to stand! But she had to be respectful. "Oh, well it's very nice to meet you Firen!" (@Firen) She said, trying not to act like she was talking to a child; that damned cuteness factor though! "I'm Ashlyna, and I have to agree. I like this place far more than Tatooine." She added, before turning her attention to the jedi master. She wasn't entirely sure, but she thought that was Master Luy from what Ayasha had told her. Though, she had never met the man, so it could have been the local gardener for all she knew. He had the robes and all, but he moved and sounded ancient; did Jedi live that long? Still, he had her attention, for whatever that mattered, last thing she wanted to do was set off some random gardener; or jedi master if that was who he was.

 

[Eisa Swan]

A small silhouetted object could be seen gradually growing in size as it gracefully descended towards the small secluded enclave, the body of the object glowing a brilliant white as the sun light reflected off of the fuselage of small personal fighter craft as it passed through the layer of clouds. Over a short period of time the small ship gradually drew closer, until it reached the point that it passed over the peak of the temple before circling around and gently sweeping down towards what appeared to have become an impromptu star port.

The young pilot's emerald hued gaze, narrowing as she looked out of the cockpit to regard the assortment of idle ships that surrounded the Paraxeum. "looks like alot of people got the message eh Ditto?" The pilot spoke out, as she toggled a few switches on the console, and adjusted the throttle to power down her engines slightly. A series of chirps rang back in response over the intercom from the droid held within the holding socket, causing the pilot of nod slightly in agreement. "Yeah suppose you're right" the youth responded as she maneuvered the ship into it's final landing approach.

After a gentle and well-practiced landing, the engines of the shuttle soon whined as the life was extinguished from the two hyper drive engines that provided the means of achieving flight. As the engines settled down into a dormant state, the transparisteel canopy slowly opened, raising up away from the resto the craft's fuselage. From which the slight framed figure emerged, and steped onto the hull of the ship. Her hands moving up towards her helmet, and swiftly unclasped the fasteners before slowly removing the helmet. Revealing a mass of cyan hued hair, that no sooner had the helmet been stowed within the cockpit, the young female's fingers ran through the locks of hair acting as a makeshift brush to tidy up her hair.

Carefully the young figure removed her flight suit, leaving her clad in a set of basic robes. Folding the flight suit up, the young cyan haired Jedi leant over back towards the cockpit and deposited the flightsuit on her chair before summoning her lightsabers to her hands. Making short work of clipping her lightsabers in place, Eisa reached her hand up towards her mouth to stifle a yawn before stretching her limbs out. "Right Ditto will be back soon, if you can start plotting our route back to Jedha it'll be handy" she spoke out whilst stepping towards the edge of the fighter's dorsal hull, before coming to a stop after her droid chirped back. "I know Ditto, But its too much of a risk still" she responded with a light sigh. "Don't worry, you'll get to come along some day I promise" Eisa added as she reached out to pat her droid's exposed casing, eliciting a deflated sounding tone. "Tell you what, when we get to Jedha, I'll treat you to a tune up and serivce at that little droid workshop" Eisa offered before a light smile crept upon her features as the droid seemed to perk up at the offer, chucking at the reaction the young Jedi Knight jumped down onto the ground below before heading towards the outer stone wall of the Paraxeum.

Gradually making her way along the beaten path between the landing pad and entrance to the main conical structure, the Cyan haired Jedi directed her emerald hued eyes towards her new surroundings. Having not really set foot within the small Jedi Training Temple before, the young Jedi was taken aback by the large tree that sat within the centre of the compound. Her lips pursing in thought as she contemplated whether the Tree was like the one of Al'Doleem, planted by the ancient Jedi centuries ago. Deep down she hoped that this tree would not suffer the same fate as the one of Al'Doleem where Asha in her excitement with her newly formed lightsaber had felled the ancient tree.

After a space of a few minutes had passed, the Cyan haired youth had arrived at the main doors to the large convocation chamber before coming to a standstill. She could tell through the radiating currents of the Force that this was the place, the various Jedi presences contained within flowing outwards in countless rippling currents. Whilst there were many presences that were familiar to the young Knight, they were somewhat outweighed by those whom she had not felt before. Her lips pursing in thought momentarily as she contemplated whether these new lifeforces she could sense, were the padawans of the other Jedi masters within the Order. Though it would not be long until she find out, stepping forwards the young Knight, pushed the closest door open as she entered the large chamber, her bright emerald hued gaze panning over the various Jedi who had already gathered before filing into the chamber and finding a spot to stand and wait for the proceedings to begin.

 

[Dalo Claxus]

.

He was late, apparently. Not that there had really been a set time for this meeting, one that he had suspected would be important enough that he attend. Most people had arrived earlier than expected, and Dalo had overestimated the amount of time that he had to get ready, which resulted in him having to awkwardly walk through the underbrush to the clearing where the meeting was taking place, where he casually strolled to the nearest group of people standing around, doing his best to act like he'd just taken a bathroom break or something. No one was paying attention, thankfully, most other Jedi just focused on re-uniting with friends they haven't seen in a while while he looked around, trying to see any familiar faces. Crix (@Zay) was the only one he saw, so he stuck around close to the man, nodding to him when their gazes locked.

His ears perked up at the sound of someone (@Rom) saying "credits." The Padawan was close enough to the man to be able to just walk into the spot next to him from a few meters behind. "10? Hell, 30 says we'll see several loooong speeches, and then everyone will be too tired and bored to yell." He hadn't been present for other Jedi meetings, but they were notorious among the Alliance by now, especially in cantinas heavily frequented by Mandalorians; they just couldn't stop laughing at the Jedi, not that Dalo blamed them. He'd shown mostly to see whether the legends were true, but also on the odd chance that the Order actually got something accomplished today. Nevertheless, he doubted he would leave feeling disappointed. Besides, the Jedi, all too familiar with gambling, had placed a bet with a Mandalorian drinking buddy that one of the Masters would spend more than 20 minutes speaking, and Dalo was looking forward to cashing in.

Thankfully, he hadn't been too late, and people were still pouring in, which was good, because he would have hated to miss any part of the gathering. Glancing around the clearing, he waited to see who would start the meeting. "5 more that one of the Masters is gonna start it preaching about unity."

Come on, show me the money.

 

[Alysanne Drast]

Alys hadn't been sure how many would arrive, or if anyone at that. But they came, first one, then more. Arda, Crix, Luu, Master Luy, faces she knew, were joined by many that were entirely new to her, such as the young man named Alexander who had introduced himself to her. She greeted them all, with a smile, a respectful nod, or if time permitted before another's arrival, an actual proper introduction. But then the halls started filling, and it seemed an appropriate time for her to step up and kick things off.

Taking a few steps forward so that she could be seen by all, she smiled as she let her gaze take in the gathered Jedi before speaking up. "Thank you all for coming, it is a pleasure to meet you, one and all." And she was genuinely pleased to meet them, to know that the Jedi Order was not just alive, but in many senses of the word, thriving. "My name is Alysanne Drast, and at different times I was trained by Masters Aurora Blackwood and Valentine Rayth. Who are both, for different reasons, no longer with us. And Master Vuthari they say, has run away. I called you all here for a simple reason, to answer a simple question, what has happened to the Jedi?"

She paused for a moment, measuring her words before saying what she really wanted to, the thought that had driven her to be here. "They say the Jedi Masters are the wisest of us, but their actions scare me. Stripping Aurora of the Force? Turning your back on the Order and running away? Is this what we must aspire to? I barely know any of you, which is my own fault, but I need to know. Am I alone in feeling a growing sense of dread in going down this path?" She let the question hang, eyes reaching out to the gathered Jedi, pleading for a response, hoping that someone would put her in her place, tell her she was wrong, convince her that she was wrong.

 

[Vesper T'Rahmmmmmmmmmmm]

____________

Vesper's eyes scanned the crowd as more and more of her Jedi brothers and sisters filed into the area. It was good to see so many show, it gave Vesper hope that the Jedi Order was alive and well and willing to show its face when its members made the call. She was sure that everyone could feel what was brewing in the dark, and that is why they - like her - had chosen to come.

That's a sucker's bet, she said to the Zabrak(@Rom) who offered his wager. Vesper had never met the man before but she wouldn't be surprised if they would have hit it off as friends at a different time and under different circumstance. Surprised to see you here, Scruffy, she said to Crix(@Zay). And genuinely, she was. This kind of shindig was about as far away from Crix's normal that Vesper had half a mind to shake the smuggler down and ask where the real Crix was.

As Alysanne began her speech, Vesper fell quiet. The words the woman spoke resonated with her truly, as she was expressing some of the very same feelings Vesper herself felt bubbling deep in her gut.

You are not alone. The words escaped Vesper's lips louder than she would have intended, but perhaps her body was making the choice where her brain would have showed trepidation. The decision over Master Blackwood was inexcusable and rash. But I think.., She paused for a moment, gathering the words before they all came tumbling out incoherently as Vesper's natural tendency to talk extremely fast when nervous decided to show its face. I think that Master Vuthari's reaction was most egregious. In a time of confusion, misunderstanding and pain he chose to abandon us all. When you reach a moment of impasse, the wise will stop and assess. The strong will attempt to understand, to rectify. You stay, and you fix it until there is nothing left for you to do. Do you know who leaves? A coward.

Vesper understood that her words would have the potential to be inflammatory, but she chose to use them anyway. Beating around the bush was a pointless endeavor and a waste of time. This meeting was about expressing opinions and for those that chose to gather, figuring out what to do moving forward. To have such little foresight into the potential consequences of such actions - What happened with Master Blackwood, the choices of Master Vuthari - show that the leaders of the Order is willingly ignoring its own history. They have caused rifts and fractures. Five hundred years ago, the Exiles were made from these same breaks. Are we already following the same path?

Vesper let her own question hang in the air, her face chiseled in determination and eyes narrowed with intent. Staring directly at Alysanne(@Wit), Vesper spoke only one more thing. You understand the risks most of all, don't you? Your name carries the weight of the past along with it, surely I cannot be the only one who sees this.

Vesper had spoken more than she intended and accused more than she liked, but her feelings were genuine and true. What others decided to say or feel in response to that, well, that wasn't really up to her.

 

[Arda Breaux]

Many Jedi showed up to the call, they mingled with one another and there were several faces that Arda recognized, more than before which brought a sense of comfort to the young warrior. She stood silently, a calm she had not felt in ages while those around her guessed what was going to be discussed or taking bets on how things were going to turn during this meeting. Alysanne spoke up, calling the attention of the Jedi with concerns she had observed; the girl was certain the Knight was not alone in these thoughts as there seemed to be an unspoken unease with recent events.

"If they had witnessed what Aurora did to me on Nar Shaddaa and the consequences that followed, they would think differently." Arda whispered to Alexander (@Lucid). However, she wasn't going to make anyone change their minds, they could think what they wanted and Arda found her own comfort in knowing the truth. When Vesper finished, having ended on pressuring Alysanne for her ancestor's legacy, Arda had to hold back her eye rolling.

Arda stepped forward, "What has happened, happened, no use in sitting here in trying to rationalize it, the rest of the galaxy cannot wait while we wait for them to sort through their business." The padawan unfolded her arms, waving in a way as though she were pushing away the past, "We know what they did was wrong, ignorance, yet we have the knowledge now of their mistakes. We are Jedi, learners," Arda looked at Firen (@Raydo), "Knights," then to Alysanne (@Wit), "And at least one Master." she looked at Luy (@Sangga) with a small smile, "But Jedi nonetheless, patient, but not passive, however, that's the real problem, we have been passive. Corellia and Nar Shaddaa are not enough, we should be, no...need to be doing more, reminding we are not myths or a hoax, but the guardians of peace and justice." Arda paused and glanced around to the others.

"So how are we going to do that?" It was rhetoric, but she wanted the rest to move forward, to stop focusing on things that they couldn't change nor could they wait on any longer.

 

[Devrim Wolfe]

Stepping into the room, the Devrim was clad in his black Jedi attire as usual. He'd missed most of the first few words said, but he had arrived in time to hear Alysanne address them all and then the answers given by Arda and another Jedi he did not recognize. To think that they were all discussing the future of the Jedi Order, which had already grown large enough that there were Jedi who didn't all know each other was a huge step forward from even a few years ago. Then, there had only been five.

While they all spoke, Devrim simply remained silent until they were finished, leaning up against a wall. Arda's words resounded the most with what Devrim personally felt — that they needed to be active and fight for the Order to grow even further. Then she put forth the question: how were they going to do that. Devrim looked around at those present with some amount of amusement on his face. Though he wasn't one for speeches, it seemed he was put in more and more positions where he had to give them since becoming a Rebel Commander.

"You talk about being passive," he began, remaining against the wall. "But Crix, myself, Ashlyna, and several others just retook Jedha and rebuilt the long-lost Temple there. Were any of you there?" he asked, looking around at the faces of the other Jedi. Devrim didn't expect or need a response, and he wasn't looking to point any fingers. "Who stood in defense of Naboo or Al'doleem? Being guardians of peace and justice doesn't mean we need some public spectacle like Corellia and Nar Shaddaa."

He sighed, stepping away from the wall and approaching the rest of the crowd. "We are all Jedi. But what does that mean to you?" he looked at the faces who were likely focused on him at the time. "Does it just mean you can use the Force and carry a lightsaber, or does it mean something more? We have a duty to the Galaxy to uphold the Will of the Force and protect and serve the defenseless."

"That is why we are so closely tied to the Galactic Alliance. To free the Galaxy from the clutches of the Sith. Though they had their faults, our Masters helped build us up to where we are today. Aurora, Valentine, Vu'thari, and now Leah have left us." It was a sad truth — but Devrim had just come to the meeting after having said his goodbyes to his Master. "If it is teaching you need, my ancestor left a wealth of knowledge at the Deep Stone Temple. What we need is direction and a leader to guide us wisely."

 

[Samael Aeveroth]

The Dragoness slowly landed in a clearing not too far from the Jedi Praxeum, its hull evidently damaged by some lightnings or something similar. The door on the back of the ship opens as soon as the engines turn off, and a man clad in hooded robes walked out. "A6, that's the first and last time I'll allow you to fly through the outer rim of that goddamn storm! Do you realize that we could have died?" he said with a disgruntled tone looking at the white and black astromech droid that ran behind him. The droid gave a long series of apparently angry beeps, and the man turned at him: "There wasn't anything funny in getting through that cloud buddy. And stop saying that I'm a coward or such!" The droid makes a sort of sigh, and rolls forward towards the temple. Meanwhile the man took off the hood, showing that he was wearing a blindfold: he was a Miraluka, and a rather handsome specimen of his species to be fair.

 

[Nikka Toren]

She was pleasantly surprised to sense a familiar presence; the usual light of her Master(@Sangga ) was like a balm to the oddly quiet Padawan. She was content for the moment to sit aside and listen to each, letting them voice their opinions, not at all surprised some seemed to voice the very sentiments she herself had always privately thought... but she did not speak. She let the others have their turn to say, and though each voice rung with a note of truth in it, some of it was irrelevant speaking nonetheless.

"I agree."

Her voice was soft, but ringing with conviction. She stepped from the fringes, arms crossed before her. "We cannot be passive, as you say," here, she gave a pointed nod to Arda (@GABA ) to acknowledge the truth to her words. "But are we to judge someone based on their lineage? If so, then please, tell me how we are all bound by our bloodlines. What have they to do with our cause? The very tenets of our Order's old ways disregard any such thing. If that were not the case," here, her lips took a wry twist, "would not my kind be the most likely to become passive? And which among us have not fought, and gone through many hells for what we have?"

She paused, knowing she was going on a tangent. A soft, rueful chuckle parted from her lips, and she shrugged as if to hold off the weight of her words.

"After Master Rayth's Tribunal, I felt a... great hole in the Force." Her left hand clasped over her chest. "A divide that shook me. We cannot allow ourselves to be ripped apart based on the actions of those Masters, no matter how justified or not their actions were." She took a deep breath, and continued. "We are here to discuss... and I hope, to rebuild. Many of you I have not truly met until this day. Hopefully after this, we may part as known allies against this darkness that is the Sith."

She heard, too, the comment of bets, and gave another curled, wry smile. "Forgive me, I am monologuing aren't I." She then stepped back. For now... she was content to speak more if prompted. However, she nodded to Devrim (@Vosrik ), in agreement. They needed a new Council... but she hoped they would come to that decision on their own, without her prompting. She had enough of playing the diplomat on both Falleen, Contruum, Ando Prime and Sullust. It was time for they, the Order, to make sense of everything.

Together.

But then... something happened. A presence she hadn't sensed in over a decade...

Another Miraluka like her?!(@samdragon )