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Beth let her smile slide off her face like ice on a griddle. The open air was starting to penetrate the exposed wound and was prickling at the bone underneath. Causing flashes of pain that felt like thin knives getting drawn up the length of her bones. She shuddered and sat down beside the two of them, feeling a little light headed. She sighed and lowered her head, taking the whole scene in with shallow breaths. 

 

“Exactly, i’m trying to avoid the bacta tank, can’t let them take me off the flight line. Not when there are Sith to blow up.” She looked at the non jedi, jedi and shrugged softly, her flightsuit rustling. “You will do your best no doubt I-” Then she groaned from the pain, biting onto her lower lip until it bled. “Gods this hurts.”

Andromina

Rebel Alliance Fleet Command - Lieutenant

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This was a moment that Armiena had been thinking about for months; really, every since the veteran Jedi had slipped the clutches of CreoVive and returned to the Order. It should have arrived sooner, but the collapse of the Galactic Alliance and the crises that wracked the Jedi Order continually demanded her attention. Perhaps she should have slipped her obligations to the Order and pursued this reunion earlier, because Armiena had just stepped out of a meeting with an Admiral she despised. The tension was written on her face as vividly as the crust of dried blood that had issued from a miniature cut on her forehead.

 

“If we can keep it that way.” Her expression was not exactly accustomed to softness and sentimentality; the frustration of the last few weeks competed with the relief of seeing her son alive and unharmed. “One thing that gods and generals all have in common is that they have the most staggering egos, cannot admit a mistake or backtrack.”

 

Draygo forced a deep breath. This was in danger of turning into a rant, and one that smacked of hypocrisy and a profound lack of self-awareness.


“It seems to be that way. I… how have you been? When the Scarab came out of hyperspace on top of the fleet, I thought that—” Armiena let the sentence trail off. Both of them knew perfectly well what the Sith flagship had done: it had pulverized significant portions of the Jedi and Imperial fleets. The only reason why she was still alive was that Justice’s Mandate had been hundreds of kilometers away; how Aidan had come through unharmed was unknown but was a rare mercy from the Force.

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His embarrassment flooded over her senses and she had to resist the urge to yank her arm back like it had been dipped in carbonite so as to save him the additional embarrassment that would bring him. So instead she squeezed his shoulder lightly and let her hand fall away as she backed up a pace to lean against the cargo containers that had made up their makeshift firing zone. She was here if he needed her, but he was plenty a man enough to handle himself so she simply nodded in greeting to the other Jedi behind Draygo and pushed herself up so that she was perched on the edge of the container. She studied her cuticles then the precharged energy magazines that were laid out in a row. She would have to apologize to him for that motion after his mom left and she pushed down the flush that it brought to her cheeks. 

 

She pulled her knees up to her chest and locked her arms around them, her emerald green eyes watching Aidan converse with his mother. Trying for all the world to not look like she was listening in, but really it couldn’t be helped. They were like the only ones here, so she gave up the pretense and simply stared quietly at the trio. The rebellion was certainly brimming with drama, and how she had spoken out against her friend Tobias at the meeting surely hadn't helped the ego filled room. If anything it had divided it even more. 

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Calix Meus Inebrians

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Aidan felt Sandy withdraw a bit, and he let go of the last bit of tension in his shoulders he didn't realize he still had.

 

"Yeah. Egos like dad's. Sounds familiar."

Maybe he shouldn't have said that. Some of the bitterness returned, but just as quickly he let it go. He'd forgiven Aryian, dwelling on his past mistakes solved nothing.

 

"I, uh...I got lucky. Luckier than most, apparently. Every time I tried to get to the front lines, I got re tasked to escort wounded back to the rear. Not where I wanted to be, but probably a blessing it turned out that way. I'm glad you made it through as well, I didn't realize you were there."

 

There was a brief pause as Aidan realized something else highly relevant.

 

"Grandma is okay too, right?"

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"Forgive me" Kari spoke aloud, having realized her outburst and past both having came out into the light without intent. Fury boiled in her eyes as she clinched the mask she held in her palm so tightly that her orange skin turned bright pink before she sighed and released her grip. "It seems that my sister wishes to continue her torment of me even into the afterlife. it seems I may have a personal job for you after all." Kari glanced down at the mask, reaching upward toward her hip and placing it into her own satchel, her curiosity peaked as much as her skin crawled with leeriness. Ventra had never been one to do things simply out the kindness of what little heart she still possessed, and with the realization that she had been involved with Faust during her training under him only made her cautious. Part of her wanted to simply discard the artifact in the nearest receptacle bin, but the other wanted to know what it was that Ventra was exactly up to with this ploy. "Same pay as mentioned before, only that I'll add additional credits from my own personal account and you're welcome to any artifacts we come across when we reach Shili." 

 

After having said that, Kari realized she had said what the job retained. She shook her head in disbelief that even after all she had been put through, Ventra could still affect her so. "This Mask belong to Darth Ventra, my sister. Last time I saw it, it was left behind within the catacombs that belong to my family. If I'm to find out what my sister is up to, our best bet would be to start there and follow what clues present themselves. Normally, I would undertake this task alone, but given that Ventra was a Sorceress and that my emotions are easily manipulated when it comes to her and my past, I need someone there to keep me in check as well. Up for an Adventure Ban?" The smile that encompassed Kari's face was sincere, but there was hurt in her eyes.

Edited by Jedi X
Changed Jeet to Ban

"People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious." - C.G. Jung

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Ban slowly nodded. This made a bit more sense than the offer she'd made to him earlier, something that would require an outside source such as himself to help maintain her integrity. Perhaps she didn't even know why he was here, which did happen every now and then.

 

"This is acceptable. As for the artifacts, however...I probably don't need them. I'd likely just sell them to the Jedi anyways, and since I'm basically working for them anyways it might raise the wrong eyebrows. So don't worry about that. I'm, uh...I'm already ready to go. I keep everything I need on my person, lead on."

 

Even after he'd agreed, however, what she said still didn't sit well with him. There were just too many questions that went unanswered. That was the virtue of being able to listen: to uncover all the right questions that needed asking. But he would ask later. They would have time, and here was still a very public location.

Edited by Ban Ulfson
NAME CHANGE
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"Druk." in his haste he had forgotten that this woman wasn't on any painkillers like the wounded he had tended to in the previous battle. And since he didn't have any on his person, he would have to improvise.  Kel grabbed the red sash around his waist, wadded it up, and held it up to the lieutenant's mouth. "Bite down on this so you don't bite off your tongue." Once the gag was in place, Kel turned his focus back to the healing process. Luckily Nia was able to keep up the healing during his momentary lapse. Nia was doing very well throughout this sudden turn of events. Kel had no doubt that she would do well once she was paired with a master. 

 

Eventually, the two of them managed to heal her hand in its entirety and Kel's sash was back on his waist where it belonged. "That should do it. Normally this is the part where I tell you to get some rest plus eat and drink plenty of water, but since you're so eager to get back to the flight line, the most I can ask is that you be careful. And get whatever rest you can whenever you have the time." 

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“Master Vos?”

 

The voice echoed off the bare metal walls of the chamber as the trio of red armoured IMperial Knight respectively bowed to the Jedi Master. Though the two older knights had long ago left the order for the imperial military, they both recognized Vos for the formidable Jedi Master that he was. Finishing their bows, Knight Alekseyev nodded his blonde head toward the apprentice in the group. Technically her rank was Squire, but his mind still defaulted to the rank structure of the order he had grown up in. The young grey white haired Arkanian girl that had been a squire since just before the disastrous battle of Kuat nodded in return and stepped into the middle of the chamber pulling from her belt a pouch of a white chalky substance. She knelt and begant to lay a line of white over the stark grey panels. 

 

Alekseyev smiled softly, his beard brushing the edges of his immaculate armour. He kept his voice respectful as the squire continued her trace. 

 

"We have been ordered to check you for the presence of the Darkside. There is no reason to be alarmed and you will not be harmed if it is found to dwell within you. However."

 

He let his smile darken into a frown. 

“Master we will need your lightsaber.” 

 

He extended his hand, palm up towards the Jedi master. Knight Rayen behind him kept her hands far away from any weapon of her own. There was no need to bring anymore tension into the room, and she was confident that this would just be a quick check, and though there were precautions she did not need to worry. 

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Pretender to the Galactic Throne

Leader of the Rebel Alliance

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Knowledge stagnates, without the strength to act..

 

The accident, under his watch, was something that he would have to fix and at least live with for the rest of his life. 

 

Do or do not, there is no try.

 

He felt the power cell come to rest back into place between the opposing blades. Then remounting the top hilt to the rest of the staff. The other pieces, and the lower saber had already fit back into place. The dozen parts of the top saber floated around him.

 

The Force is all things, and I am the Force. 

 

With great care and attention, the dozen pieces came together and became one piece and his saber was once again complete. The meditation didn’t end immediately, his mind felt through the weapon to make sure it was in perfect working order. His mind rolled along the various hidden buttons that were through the handle- feeling the power cell feed its energy to the appropriate places. Up through both field energizers, up through the blade controls and to the activator switches. The crystals aligned with each focusing lens perfectly, and the triple check was done. 

 

In unison, Vos and the sabre floated down to the floor where he had originally sat down to go through this process. As he took a second deep breath, he focused on the light switch, and the room was illuminated again. His mind wandered back to his ship and the array of holoprojectors- he imagined himself there- working through the plan slowly fermenting in the back of his mind. He was figuring out how exactly to leave the ship, the droids and everything else behind. Everything else… his mind froze on those words and automatically it was translated to ‘Adenna.’ A spike of anxiety rolled over him before it crashed against the techniques to settle the agitation. All this happened within the blink of an eye- then, upon working through his thought processes, he felt three force users enter the firing range. 

 

His eyes adjusted to the last bit of light in the bay, once his vision cleared- there were three Imperial Knights standing in front of him. So many images of what could happen flowed through his mind- if he handed over his blade they would attack him for some sort of perceived phantom of darkness within him? Or should he just start to attack them right now, taking them out with surprise? Was the knights who held their hands away from the lightsabers a distraction for one of them to make a move on him? Should he give them his blade, and just kill them outright with the Force? Should he take them on with just his fists? He did want another round of training….All of those thoughts were pushed out of his mind, finding humor in how each one would play out; he at least could improvise still. 

 

His eyes connected on the lead Imperial while one started to make a mess of the range. He let a frown of disapproval show on his face, then unclipped a saber hilt from his belt- floating it over to the lead. 

 

“As you wish, I was hoping you would join me for a moment though?” Tobias finally moved something other than his eyes, his left hand braced against his left knee and his right made an invitation to the floor space in front of himself. “I want to show you something, something that might make this whole process much quicker and easier. Or might not, regardless it is harmless.” Tobias shrugged his right shoulder, and smiled warmly then brought his hand to his right knee; his staff rocked slightly on his lap. Tobias projected warmth and friendship into the Force, not as an act of duplicity- he had nothing to hide, everything he was doing was genuine- but also to protect himself.

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His hand wrapped around the cynlindrical lightsabre and he clipped it to his belt. Alekseyev let his smile settle back into a passive expression as he nodded to the Jedi’s suggestion. He sat down in front of the Jedi Master and inclined his head, indicating that he would be ready momentarily. 

 

The squire spun the chalk into a long line as she began to trace a multilayered circle around the pair of them. To the well trained and historical eye of the ancient exorcists, it would be the multiple concentric circles within a circle surrounded by runes of an exorcists’s diagram. It was an act of protection, and a warning, that any threat perceived would be dealt swift justice. Rayen moved so that she was standing behind Alekseyev, hands still away from her sabre, but the soft hand of the force began to move none the less. 

 

When the squire was finished, she knelt as well, the force moving through her. Both of their energies focused through the circle. 

 

“Tobias Vos, you may show me what you will.” Alekseyev nodded his head , indicating that the Jedi should go ahead and begin what he would. 

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Pretender to the Galactic Throne

Leader of the Rebel Alliance

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Nia felt a few emotions over the course of a few seconds. First was concern that she'd fail, or make a mistake. Then relief when no such event occurred, followed by excitement that it came so quickly for her. She'd always worried that her sensitivity to the force was more of a technicality than anything actually worthy of a Jedi, despite her father's assurances. It seemed all she required was a little teaching, direction.

 

She was still hesitant to encourage the pilot's actions, though. Was she really so eager to destroy her enemies that she was willing to shortcut her health in favor of killing a few more Sith? After Kel spoke, she stood, stepping towards the pilot. It confused her, but she hoped there was an explanation beyond simple hatred.

 

"Why do you hunt the Sith with such fervor?"

 

She glanced nervously at Kel. She knew how he felt about the war, and vice versa. She wasn't trying to spark a debate, merely learn the woman's motives. In a way, she wanted to prove to Kel that she wasn't just talk, that she actually cared to make the galaxy a better place. Even if that meant stepping out of her comfort zone with people she hadn't met yet.

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Unharmed, but resentful of having been restrained from the front lines. Armiena could understand the motivations of the Imperials in distancing her son from the heat of the battle--Darkfire was still a powerful name, even years after his parents’ leadership of the Jedi Order--but that would have rankled any member of his family. Aidan was perhaps more like his father than he would have liked to admit.

 

“She’s alive. I don’t know any more than that. She has at least one of her cell on this ship, but for all I know they’re moonside now. I don’t know when we might see her again, but I imagine it will be unexpected and she’ll be needing a favor.” Armiena tried to smile, but her uncertainty strangled her expression and the best she managed was something between between a grimace and a squint. 

 

The blaster fire had died off and the veteran Jedi had just become aware that her apprentice had arrived more quickly to the hangar than she had anticipated. With Sarna no longer practicing her marksmanship and providing a backdrop of blaster bolts whining through the air to drown out their conversation, there was nothing preventing the younger Jedi from listening in on what Armiena had hoped to be a more private conversation, in a less martial setting, and during a time when time was less precious. However, none of Draygo’s preferences had come to pass and she had resolved to not allow this moment to be wasted.

 

“Aidan, I need to ask…” Armiena’s eyes searched her son’s expression. “Are we… alright? I mean, I’ve been absent for far too long and I know I’ll never be able to fix that, and our lives aren’t likely to leave much time for ourselves, but,” she was conscious of the fact that she was babbling. “I’d like to be part of your life.”

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"Mom..."

 

It was difficult for him to know how to start. A lot of feelings Aidan thought he'd gotten past suddenly balled up tight and knotted in his stomach.

 

"We were never not alright. I know you were both busy, but you actually tried to at least spend time with me. You had Grandma watch over me. Whenever Dad was there he treated me like another acolyte, he always foisted his expectations on me, wanted me to live up to my name. He really cast a large shadow that it's been overwhelming to try and fill. He just-"

 

Aidan cut himself off, realizing he was beginning to ramble. It would be easier to show her. Quickly, he moved in to hug his mother, allowing the Force to carry his thoughts and emotions freely to her. Flashes of his early childhood, time spent with Kirlocca and Misal, Armiena being the bright spots in the memories. Aryian was there, smiling, fleeting, wanting to connect but not connect. Later in life, early training lessons, pride in his first successes. Running away, trying to escape himself, still ending up facing himself. Rage, the light, the dark, the exorcists, Sandy. 

 

Aidan let go, looking back into Armiena's eyes. "I never stopped loving you, mom. You might not have always been there, but it wasn't the absence that made me resent dad. And yeah, he made a lot of mistakes, but those are in the past." He looked back at Sandy, and remembered the lessons Kyrie had taught him. "I've begun trying to move past them. I'm not the best at it yet, but...I don't think I blame him as much anymore. I might not completely understand it, but he only wanted the best for me too."

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Tobias nodded once, a small smile on his face. “All that is needed to enter is just a simple breathing motion and a willingness to go where the path leads you.” A slight chuckle and Vos exhaled in a long-steady huff and closed his eyes. If one were looking closely, a sliver of blue light was seen between his eyelids. 

 

Spoiler

 

As one would close their eyes, a red veil would wipe across their darkness and replace them with a mountainous view. Birds chirped, the wind was a gentle breeze that danced around the trees then came up a small hill through Tobias’s hair and loose clothing- making its way up to the Imperial Knight, who was dressed in black robes. Both wardrobes had changed on both of them. Somehow they fit the scene. By the time the Knight had entered the illusion Tobias had walked down the hill about twenty feet, he paused to look back up to where the Knight would have entered. Tobias beckoned him to follow the path to the shoreline. 

 

It took the greater part of fifteen minutes for them to make their way to the edge of the lake. Tobias sat down, a sense of wonder and childlike amusement but overlaid with a sense of maturity and appreciation. Rocks wobbled and cracked under the weight of the big guy coming to rest. From all around one could hear the noises from the forest behind them, but nothing overtly hostile. There was a sense of peace here, of patience, of contentment. 

 

“What is the Light Side, my friend?” It was a question- but it was implied it was rhetorical. “The Dark?” Tobias spoke after a moment of silence.

 

“Why is always two sides? It’s mind numbing to follow only the mainstream views after seeing what I’ve seen.What I’ve done, who I’ve trained with…” He trailed off- looking for something across the shoreline. Standing, he huffed with amusement, his eyes not leaving the point from across the bay. 

 

“This is one of the most defining moments of my existence, one that taught me that with the Force, anything can be accomplished. That and the Force is so much more than light or dark.” His eyes grew bigger with excitement and he either pointed with some extra energy, then motioned for his audience to be quiet. 

 

There looked like a little spire of rocks had just come to life, with a bald, bearded, tanned human male with a yellow tattoo clan marking across his face. It was obvious the humanoid was Tobias, and the rock creature was… tongues caressed Tobias’s face but he didn’t flinch. Indistinguishable words could slightly be heard, then the rock creature flung a rock into the lake.

 

The human did so as well, they switched back and forth. Then it turned into a competition- the rock creature always able to out throw the human, despite it’s small stature. 

 

After a dozen from either participant, for this was now a competition, the human wound up and hurled another rock across the lake at an almost impossible distance. The rock-creature simply stood there, took its typical pose and flung the rock- making it further than the humans rock. 

 

“He’s an Aing-Tii Monk, one of my greatest teachers. His name is Rar-touso, and he taught me to use aspects of the Force that Jedi and Sith don’t dabble in. Either by ignorance or they don’t understand how these abilities work. Here’s the good part- watch this- and I’ll tune this so you can see it as I can’t replicate the feelings-“ 

 

The area around the two men standing there started to be outlined in blue, yellow, and purple hues. Tobias’s hands were outlined in purple- but across the bay the Aing-Tii and the other Tobias were colored very differently. Rar-touso was emitting a green aura- energy pouring out from him. The other Vos was surrounded by reds and purples; there were a few tendrils of green there but nothing like his alien friend. While they had been throwing rocks that could fit in the palm of one’s hand with a flick of the wrist- a boulder bigger than the alien shot forth- accelerating across the water- and landed on the far far far side of the lake, at least doubling the distance both of them had been throwing rocks into. 

 

Then, Tobias actually chuckled at Rar and the other Vos’s exchange. Vos was astounded, and confused. Rar had chuckled, for whatever an Aing-Tii Monk could mimic. The two started talking again. Tobias summed it up for the Imperial Knight standing next to him. “Basically, he’s teaching me that yes- all things are bound within the Force somethings give off specific auras, and by tapping into the energy of the object and working with - not against- you can do just about anything. There’s a whole three hour lecture on this and what can and cannot be done. But this part is done, we have somewhere else to be.”

 

The lake and mountains were boiled in a red wave clearing the way to another venue. They were now watching the recent Battle of Kashyyyk; specifically the part where Tobias had seen the wookiee family in the hut. “Look at his face- the anguish there- the regret that he couldn’t do more.” A wave of Tobias’s hand and like the lake beforehand, the energies surrounding the area were color coded- Tobias was surrounded by purple. His voice shaky, he narrated what the colors meant- “Purple- a sign of deep concentration, mixed with pain and regret. I was angry- furious at the Black Sun for this- but that's not the emotions I really let myself feel- it was the pain and regret that we couldn’t help the wookiees sooner. How many lives on both sides could have been saved. I didn’t fall into my anger- I was buoyed by the resolve to fix the situation- not take revenge. Onto the next… and you will not speak of this to anyone.”

 

A wave of red helped dissolve the Kashyyyk battlefield. Now they were in a ship, clearly after the battle as Vos was still dirty from the muddy field, blood still splattered against his armor. Sitting at the edge of the bed, rocking slightly back, head held in his hands with elbows braced against his knees. His eyes were red- but not from anger or hate. Sorrow, he had been crying. The bottles on the floor were numerous. “I still see the people I lead into battle torn apart, faces melted off, bodies shattered. Most nights, still to this day, I try to drink the images away. It helps, but not enough.” and as before, the Force Energies were once again color-coded. A yellow hue seemed to outline the man on the bed, with purple and red tendrils of Force power coming off him. “This is where I resolved that sometimes despite trying to be good, trying to always do the right thing, doesn’t work. No matter what the Jedi, with pure intentions were always going to be a reactionary force- evil will always step first, and the good beings of this galaxy will always be picking up the mess. That’s a whole other philosophy we don’t have time for. Sometimes, good people must do bad things for the right reasons.”

 

Once again, the red wave came across their field of vision- and they were standing in a room with a long spiral staircase with a smooth railing that one could see another Vos, sliding down it on his rear end- and hopping off to greet the dark haired woman at the base of the steps. The Force energies were once again color-coded and Vos was a beacon of white light- red- blues-greens- purples. The actual Vos chuckled a bit “This is the first time I had seen Adenna in a few years, I love her. She is my everything, I try to be a good person for her. I try to be someone that she deserves- someone that she needs and can rely on. The Sith say Jedi are without emotion- and Jedi say the Sith are slaves to theirs- we often automatically think anger, hatred, fear, and so on are the usual emotions- what about Love, Desire, the over all yearning to be better?”

 

With no opportunity to answer- the scene dissolved once again and Tobias stood there is fist flexing as the scene did not develop- the two men stood there within a black void. “You’re wondering why I have shown you these things- these scenes and wondering why I am wasting your time like this. I need to show you these things as an explanation for some of my actions and habits- I do not want you to see into my aura and identify something that you do not understand and group it in with the Dark Side- and then my immediate execution- I need you to identify what it all means, then you can try to judge me. I feel a deep regret for the things that have happened- things should be different- but they’re not. If you could sacrifice myself to bring those 200 people back would you do it? What about the station? Kill me and bring it back? It wasn’t the intended goal of the mission- it was to rescue Raven. How many of our own died? Jedi, soldiers, Imperial Knights, Pilots- even the war ships? It’s an error of battle planning- we should have sent a surgical strike in- three Jedi. We could have handled the station by ourselves and came out together- the station and warriors on each side would still be alive. But, the Force willed it and now here we are. I’m not saying the Force wanted these exact consequences but when a chemist conducts an experiment that has never been done- you can’t predict the exact reaction- the chemists concern is the reaction and result. The Force pushed both sides together for a reason- and this is the result. Is this the end goal; interrogation from the Imperial Knights and a potential execution? Or is it trying to teach us that we should focus on the smaller things like the surgical strike strategy? It all comes back down to individuals though- and their interpretation of the Force’s will- and that is why I needed to show you these events of my past. Now, let me show you the potential future. One that, if you do find darkness within my aura and try to execute me, and another- if I am cleared, and allowed to live.”

 

The two suddenly found themselves in the lighted firing range- looking at themselves within the circle. The moment was paused until they both looked upon the pair. Their eyes opened simultaneously and the moment sped up- The Imperial Knight, sitting down, reached for his blade and checking to see if he still have Vos’s single bladed hilt from earlier- both hands found purchase and were pulled from his belt. The other two Imperial Knights brought their blades down on where Vos had been sitting- slicing through the air he had been a moment before with their weapons. Vos had rolled back four times- putting distance between himself and the trio. A look of deep regret on his face. The whole scene played out in eerie silence- A moment of banter- the Knights telling Vos to surrender- Vos getting to his feet and holding his staff like a club. It was an image of a caged animal- predators guarding the only exit and thinking they had the upper hand. The trio advanced- and Vos met them halfway taking one out with a massive Force Push that obliterated his opponents defenses. That Knight flew backwards- out of the fight for the next few seconds- the other was doubled over as Vos slammed the base of his staff into the other’s gut- then a blueish light came from the tip of his staff to block the Knight who had seen the visions with him- a surprised but determined look in his eyes. Hooking his heel into the back of his opponents knee, Vos tripped the man over and the pair started to tumble to the floor. This time, Vos took a forward tumble, deactivated his blade and gripped the thrown Knight in a Force grasp sending her into the wall, out of his way. Before they could re-engage Vos, he closed the door and sliced the controls so they would be locked in there. The pair observing the vision followed in a sped up version of the vision where it eventually culminated in Tobias squaring off against a dark figure, blood trickling from his Kiffar face and various cuts and burns across his body. This Vos was at peace- taking on the Dark Lord- and he was okay with dying in this fashion. It was a very rich Force environment a duel that would have an impact on the galaxy. 

 

“When we come out of this, don’t attack me for the sole fact that I have a blade still- you did not ask for all my weapons.” Tobias smirked and winked at the Knight next to him- Tobias reached his hand out and clenched it back into a fist. 

 

The venue once again went back to the lake where the Aing-Tii Monk lesson had been demonstrated earlier. There was something different though. It was a sense of pure peace. There was a figure by the waters edge, sitting down- a mug of something hot in one hand and a book in his other hand. A shout from behind him made him look over his shoulder back at the observers- and through them as if they were a hologram. There was a little girl of about six or seven that came bounding from the tree line- shouting with joy to see Vos. Vos was older than he was currently- wrinkled and scarred, some of his hair had turned grey for a salt-and-pepper look about him. Vos greeted the girl, and looked back up the tree line to another figure- Adenna. A little older as well, with a few white hairs on her head. Interestingly, not in Jedi Grandmaster Robes. No rings, bracelets or any jewelry other than the necklace around her neck. The necklace that could be found within his own belt- a yet incomplete version of the one in the vision. She smiled down at both the little girl and the old man reading with warmth and love. 

 

The real Tobias wiped a tear away from his eye, and was not ashamed to see that the Knight noticing the display. Then a sigh escaped Tobias as he took a look around- then clenched his fist again then they were back in the void- in a holding vision. 

 

Face to face, Tobias shrugged “So, I have taught and showed you much of what makes me- me. Even with some rambling in there- my apologies. I hope you will show me the courtesy of not lumping anything you do not understand within my aura- as the touch of the dark side. I haven’t intentionally touched the Dark Side since… well, many years ago. I hope you will also forgive me keeping my staff and handing you my training blade- another lesson I learned a long time ago: Always keep a trick or two up your sleeve.”

 

 

The big man heaved a sigh - “Anyways, let’s be on with your ritual- if I haven’t shown you all you needed to see. I wish to make that last vision come to fruition.” And then, the pair was once again back in the Firing Range about the Justice. Tobias, his eyes still closed, hands cupping his knees, and his staff laying across his lap- a vision of a man at peace with where he was at at that specific moment.

Edited by Tobias Vos
Theres always "one more thing..."
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The Kosai's senses prickled, and he stiffened visibly. 

 

"You must excuse me for a moment. Or, if you wish to follow, you are more than welcome. I need to...investigate something."

 

Ban had been used to answering the subtle pulls of the Force for some time now, a skill he'd found few other Force practitioners to have developed. This time...this time however the pull was more urgent. The balance here was being threatened.

 

A moment later the Kosai found himself at a nearby bay, currently occupied by two Imperial Knights and a Jedi ((Tobias Vos)). Tensions whispered silently to him, though he could not feel anything specific nor tell what was about to happen. 

 

So he waited.

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Beth looked dully at the rag held by the Kel Dor jedi and frowned. It didn't look particularly dirty but she was not going to go and shove it in her mouth anyway. So she instead bit down on the corner of her flight jacket until she could taste the duraloid impregnated fibers like a bitter malaise on her tongue. She looked a the ‘not jedi’ jedi and smiled softly through the pain. 

 

She spat out the mouthful of flightsuit and looked at him with a weary expression. 

 

“I hunt Sith because they have killed everyone I have ever loved and cared for. Kuat, Cardia, Dark Sun.” She shrugged and flexed her healing arm. “Those are only the latest in a campaign of terror that stretches back beyond memory for those of us on the front lines. I have been in the fight since i was five, when chaos and death came to my homeworld in the form of a Sith Lord. My parents were killed in the hailstorm of fire, and I was left an orphan, it's a common enough story.” 

 

She flexed again and smiled, “Will eight hours of rest do the trick master jedi?” 

Andromina

Rebel Alliance Fleet Command - Lieutenant

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“You perceive us through the lens of fear, Jedi, we are not here to execute you, even if we were to find that you were some kind of Sithari spy. Your Order is not mine, and I left it many years ago.” Alekseyev flipped the training sabre from his belt back onto Tobias’ lap. “I see your intent, though if you were trying to impress me, Ang-Ti heresy is not the direction I would follow. They maintain their hegemony through isolation and a desire to have nothing interfere with them. They are outside the light and dark since they do not live in our galaxy and do not try to fight for anything but themselves.” He stood and nodded to his squire, and the Knight behind him visually relaxed and bowed. They both turned and left the room, leaving Alekseyev alone with the 'Jedi' Master. 

 

“We have no authority to destroy Jedi masters at will. Though if you were in our order you would have been cast out long ago. This straddling of two distinct sides and denying them both will leave you without a foothold soon enough. You relied on deception to keep a weapon when you were clearly asked to surrender before this inquiry. You bear bear corruption while denying it to our faces. I anticipate the Jedi order will not care. Which is why we remain separate. This will all be in my report. You are free to go, for we have seen all we need.” 

 

He stood and flicked his hand at the lines of dust which disintegrated. Wiping away the exorcist's circle. 

 

“You disappoint me Master Vos. I wish you safety and a return to the lightside in due course.” 

 

And with that The Inquisition left the Jedi Master alone. He nodded to the man in the doorway, who was unknown to him. Perhaps a friend of Vos's? 

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

A report from the Imperial Knights arrived for @Adenna Alluyen, @Raven Zinthos, and @Sgt. Slaughter

 

Spoiler

 

Report

 

As per previous analysis of the subject, he acted as anticipated, relied on deception to maintain a weapon while giving the appearance of obeying commands. And demonstrated his desire to engage the imperial knights present should they attempt to give summary judgement. (Which I should note we would not do, since the subject is not a part of the Imperial Order) . The Subject also introduced this inquisitor to Ang-Ti heresy and claimed that there were no true light and dark. This shows a lack of judgement and discernment on Vos’s part. There is little doubt that he will act out again, without firm roots within the lightside, it is only a matter of time. It is this Inquisitor’s opinion that he be placed on furlough and restricted from any command structure until such a time that he has returned to the lightside. Though the final judgement is up to you Lady Adenna, Commander Slaughter, and your Imperial Empress Raven. 

 

With respect,

 

Inquisitorium Valiston Alekseyev 

 

Please see the attached transcript taken from my memory with nothing redacted.

 

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Pretender to the Galactic Throne

Leader of the Rebel Alliance

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Vos sat there- in his meditative pose. He wondered if the other two knights and anyone nearby were witness to the little vision quest he and the lead Knight went on- it didn't matter because this man was blind. This should have made Tobias mad; this man was judging him without understanding him. Instead Tobias pitied the man. He knew who he was- not a great person, but also not an evil one. He could be the bad person in the room but at the end of the day he would do as ordered and fight. So he sat there, the training saber landing where his inquisitor had dropped it. The fool took everything at face value- just with his physical eyes. Not as one analyzed it through the Force- not a good Seeker. But this wasn't home. 

 

For a brief moment Tobias longed to return back Beyond the Veil. A particular evening on Naboo was brought to mind. The Naboo Veil was just- he couldn't find the right word to describe the feeling under a full moon with the autumn breezes coming up through the gorge to the west of Theed, The way the little Skirups chattered at night-

 

He collected himself and brought his mind back to the present. The wave of revelations that had come from what he had shown were making sense in his head. The future was always in motion- as were the knights who left moments earlier. There was more to contemplate, though. So he would stay for a few more moments- the Inquisitor was a fleeting thought now. If he didn't understand what Tobias wanted to do right then and there he would have remembered the third vision- all the Kiffar wanted to do was hide in a bottle- a brief escape of the knowledge of what had happened around him. He drank then because he led those people to their deaths- and the doubt of if it was the right thing to do was eating him alive. The station- the fallout from that had the potential to do far more than that. 

 

"When there is peace, when there is knowledge, when there is serenity, when there is harmony." he whispered.

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Despite weeks of various, often headache-inducing negotiations and work building up and organizing a rebellion against the Sith Empire, Adenna kept pushing on. It wasn't easy dealing with the plethora of needs that spawned from trying to merge scores of different groups of individuals each with diverging and sometimes conflicting needs and ambitions. It was exasperating to no end, but necessary. Had she known it would be so much paperwork and negotiation, she might have simply kept the Jedi out of everything. As appealing as it was to her during these weeks to dream about an aloof and cloistered Jedi Order above and outside of the common day to day politics and negotiations of building a coalition government, she knew that it was impossible to do that. The Jedi couldn't have a hand in making sure the Rebellion was formed with the right foundations if they didn't roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty with the day to day work.

 

One of the lowest points she had was now staring her on her own desk. On top of an increasingly large pile of datacards containing thousands of reports sat a nondescript datacard containing the Imperial Knights' evaluation of the man she loved. She had dearly hoped that it wouldn't read what she feared it would, but deep down she knew it would not bring her comfort. As she read it, she knew that deep down, it was true. Tobias was a complicated man, but then, she had always accepted that. She knew he was no paragon of traditional Jedi values and ways, but the Jedi had needed someone like that. The Galaxy was a dark place, one that needed warriors and beings who would do what was necessary to defeat evil. She had always known that those who stood up and did just that would invariably be tainted and thus unable to ever return to normalcy.

 

What she had hoped was that Tobias would be able to contain everything for a bit longer. He had always been on the edge but there had been signs that he would be able to stay on the right side of the line for some time longer. Even then, part of her felt that she needed a man who could stand behind her and do things that might not be exactly chivalrous but who would not question her or seek to condemn her. It struck her as almost startling at how quickly she had become the pragmatic one so soon after the mantle of leadership fell upon her shoulders. She had never seen eye to eye with those who placed more value in taking the "high road" at the expense of the innocent. There was something noble about taking a moral stand and dying upon that hill, but that wasn't going to help the Galaxy.

 

Even as her instincts screamed to ignore the report and curse the Imperial Knights, she knew that she had to resist that urge or risk worse. One of the reasons why she had wanted to bring the Imperial Knights into things was because of her respect of their willingness to fight the Darkness while rejecting its touch. They might take things a quite a bit farther than she would personally want, but as long as those joining the Knights did so understanding what would be required of them, she would not oppose their methods. If they saw problems and issues within Tobias, then she needed to heed them.

 

The Jedi had to be preserved, even if it meant sacrifice. The Jedi Order wasn't alone in this fight against evil: the fact that there were tens and hundreds of thousands flocking to the Jedi banner even when joining the Rebellion was still an option bespoke of this. She had heeded the objections of some of the Jedi and most of the Jedi's armed forces leadership and hadn't completely given up the armies that flocked to the Jedi's banner. Still, what she had insisted upon was adopting most of the standard discipline and practices of the old Republic and Galactic Alliance. There was a great deal of integration and oversight shared between the two command structures, even if the Jedi's armed forces operated separately and answered ultimately to the Jedi Order.

 

How was she to lead them if she couldn't keep her own house clean? She could compromise in some areas, but there had to be core elements that she did not abandon or surrender. As much as it pained her, she knew that the report was right and that Tobias was in danger of being burned out and crossing back to the Darkness. Her decision to remove him from command had been correct, even if it pained her to her core. Tobias would still be of use, though: he would be among the first of the endangered Jedi that attempted to recover from the taint surrounding them. If they could be rehabilitated, perhaps there was hope for many of this generation of Jedi who would be facing the evil of war.

 

It took a tiny bit of doing and searching, but she eventually found the author of the report and went to him in person without any of her attendants or aides. She waited until it appeared that the man was not overly pressed with duties and approached him. With a quick bow of her head, she addressed him, "Inquisitor Alekseyev, I appreciate the candor and honesty of your report on Master Vos. He has already been removed from command and relieved of his duties for several weeks, but I will not be reinstating him for the foreseeable future. Rather, I will be sending him and a small number of other Jedi who have fallen to similar struggles as result of this war to a retreat where they will be ministered to and monitored by respected Jedi. They will all attempt to heal and bring peace to the troubled while returning them to the Light. They may never recover, but at least they will not be putting others at risk. Through their trials, perhaps a good method of redemption will be discovered that will help the many more who will falter."

 

She gently pushed aside her robe and detached her lacquered wood handled lightsaber from it. After contemplating it briefly, she carried it with the Force until it was hovering in front of the Inquisitor, waiting for him to take it. "It would be wrong to expect those who serve under me to adhere to standards and a measurement that I myself cannot adhere to. The Jedi Order must remain true to the Light and keep hold of its core values and principles just as it must be led by example. I wish to submit myself to the same trials that Master Vos underwent. If I, too, am tainted, then it is best that I know so that I can better guide the Jedi Order or turn it over to one who can. Will you accept this duty, or should I find another?"

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Ban stood where he was for a moment longer, hearing some things, seeing others. He didn't catch all of Master Vos's illusion, but enough that he felt like he had a decent enough understanding for what was going on. The scene where the fight broke out sent a shiver up Ban's spine. A premonition perhaps? It didn't matter, as it never came to fruition. It did prove the man wasn't as serene as perhaps a typical Jedi Master liked everyone to believe they were, or at the least not to the satisfactions of the Imperial Knights.

 

But who could blame him? The situation didn't exactly seem like a calm one, for those who purport to serve the light, anyways. The Knights took up a provocative encounter, should they expect anything else? Jedi were never as emotionally balanced as they let on, an unfortunate discovery brought on as a side effect of sometimes having to fix their mistakes. Still, Ban expected that by now they might have learned to be more understanding of that turbulence, as it was a defining trait of what made them all mortal and fallible, even the Sith. The Imperial Knights, however, would likely never come to understand this. Anyone willing to work so closely to the dogmatic ideals of any incarnation of the Empire was ignorant to the nature of the Force. They would continue to walk the razor's edge they had sharpened for themselves, walking in light but dangerously close to the darkness. They would see far more tragedy than success as a result. Still, Ban appreciated their dedication and loyalty...those were rare virtues anymore.

 

Slowly, he nodded to the Jedi as they briefly made eye contact, unaware of what the future would hold. Ban didn't completely understand what was going on, but he knew enough to realize how alienated the Jedi might feel in a world that rejected perspective. It was a simple thought, more of an emotion, but Ban knew it would likely mean more than the simple gesture it was: You are not alone.

 

With that, he retreated, once again meeting back up with Kari, where he needed to be. She was still in the hangar, tending to the astromech. "So your sister, huh? What's the story there?"

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The presence as it approached seemed larger than life, full of passion and a mix of doubt and sadness. Valiston Alekseyev’s eyes opened in a flash of steel grey irises as he saw the Lady of the Jedi standing at the entrance to his cell-like room. He bowed from the kneeling position he was in, his forehead gracing the cold metal tiling before he straightened and stood, his aching legs rejoicing at the sudden movement with tingles of sensation. He listened to her inquest with downcast eyes, concentrating on what he could feel through the force, instead of what could be deceived through the eyes. He closed his eyes then reopened them, focusing them on her own eyes. Pale Blue intersected with his steel grey and he nodded. 

 

“Of course Grandmaster. I will submit you to the Inquisition, the trial, whatever you wish. It is our honour to include you in these traditions, and perhaps, if I may be so bold, a step towards ecumenism between our two orders.” 

 

He retrieved her lightsaber and with reverence placed it on a side table next to two grey green obelisk holocrons, which showed their age from the years of degradation they had suffered on a backwater world. Two squires entered and bowed to the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order before tracing the long runic circles again before bowing and retreating leaving them alone. He indicated the large empty space between the lines of the Solomonic circle, instructing her to take a seat. 

 

“The Squires will of course will inform our Empress, but will remain silent, this will be a wholly private event should you wish it.” He retrieved one of the obelisks and placed it between them as they knelt. He did not wear his own sabre. Having placed it beside hers on the table. 

 

His eyes fluttered closed, and the lines began to glow with power. 

 

“These lines would normally be used to contain the darkside during an exorcism. To purge it in a holy fire, but here they can be used to concentrate on finding truth. You are welcome to tap into them if you should wish.” 

 

It was an old technique, older than the Jedi themselves, when force adepts would use the force through totems and summoning circles to harness their powers. Something akin to the dark magik that the nightsisters of dathomir used. An amplification technique.  

 

“My Lady, are you a slave to your passions?” He referenced the love that Vos had showed him towards the grandmaster, but the question could be generalized to a great many things.

 

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Pretender to the Galactic Throne

Leader of the Rebel Alliance

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Adenna wasn't familiar with the methods in which the Imperial Knights were connecting to and amplifying the Force, but she had read that they could be done. It was a fascinating method, but one she would explore at a later point. For now, she needed to put her attention toward the proceedings at hand, not the mechanics behind them.

 

“My Lady, are you a slave to your passions?”

 

It was not a simple question, nor was it one that she would answer simply. "I am a slave to nobody and nothing," she said a tad bit coldly, even if it was rooted in reflex. She had been around enough slavery and fought enough of it to take a casual offense at the suggestion, even if she knew it was not intended as such. She did not miss the inference, though. She paused a moment and considered the actual question, "I do experience emotions like any living creature does, including passion." She sighed and relaxed her shoulders. "I have struggled against hatred, fear, and despair many times in my life, but in my time as a Jedi, I have learned to contain and control those and other emotions and prevent them from ruling me. The trite answer is to say that I surrender my emotions and passions to the will of the Force, but that is what young aspirants would say."

 

As the pressure of the Force amplification began to increase, Adenna could feel it beginning to pulse in her inner ears. She spread her robes and sat down cross legged in the middle of the slightly glowing lines. Knowing the point of this exercise wasn't simply to interrogate with words, but to discover through the Force and self inflection, she sighed and delved into her own sense of the Force. She opened her mind, intentionally and deliberately not excluding any of the Inquisitor's encroachments into it, but also not inviting him in if he choose to remain separate. She had nothing to hide from him and knew that if she did, he would likely latch onto it and uncover it anyway.

 

"I view the Force as a living thing, something that is natural and eternal. It predates sentience and will exist long after the last sentient creature perishes. As such, the Force itself does not have a light or a darkness any more than an untapped forest does. We, as complex and often self motivated creatures, do most definitely have a connection with the Light and Dark. When we reach into the Force for guidance or to mold it to our will and use it, we do so with an intent that is either pure and light, or selfish and dark.

 

"It is us sentient creatures of flesh and blood that created the Darkness, and our own nature that constantly draws us to selfish and evil uses of the Force. Similarly, those who resist that call have embraced the Light by denying our selfish and corrupted wants and desires to instead serve others and embrace life and peace. I constantly face the temptation to give into my own passionate hatred for the evils of this Galaxy by unleashing all of the truly terrible powers that I was born able to connect to. It is always a desire to lash out at all of the evil we face in the Galaxy and it will forever be present in any who have a mind to think." She paused a moment, realizing the heat in her voice had risen slightly and retaining her calm center in the Force. The amplification was beginning to create an almost throbbing sensation in the back of her head, a sign that the Force was swirling more around her. "Even then, I cannot allow myself to fall into that trap and become what I fight.

 

"You question my ties to Master Vos, and you are right to do so. I do love him and that love does guide me throughout my life, but I do not let that love or any other emotion control me. I do not shut myself off from emotions and feelings to cause them to fester, build, and explode in an unpredictable and uncontrollable eruption. Instead, I recognize them for the natural part of life that they are and allow them to work in conjunction with my mind and my sense of the will of the Force to direct my decisions. Some Jedi elect a path of pure serenity and abandonment of emotions as much as they can. That path is not for me because I recognize its inherent unnaturalness. For those whom it works for, I wish them the peace they seek, but it is not something all may achieve."

 

There was more, much more. She had not always been able to control her emotions and passions. "I have teased the path of Darkness before," she admitted. "When I was younger, more foolish, and less experienced, I did use the Force and my righteous wrath to bring down unrelenting terror upon the slavers and other scum that had infected my home for decades." Images of bodies hewn and charred from lightsaber and blasters scattered on ships and in remote bases filled her head. She had led task forces that showed very little mercy upon the slavers they relentlessly hunted. It was a time when, filled with her own self righteousness, Adenna had believed that the intent justified all actions no matter how dark they actually were. She had always had a very strong will, one clad of the hardest steel and now honed to a razor edge that she turned against injustice. She had flirted with the line far more than once and willingly courted the Dark all the while cloaking herself in the appearance of the Light. She had emerged damaged and tainted, deluded that her actions had not touched her.

 

She had continued this all the while battling the infecting taint that came from her psychic battle with Jidai Geki all those years ago. During her time on Thalassia and shortly after, the tendrils of the Darkness had rooted deep within her, claiming parts of her soul that would forever remain damaged. Blood, liters and liters of it, flowed behind her as she had carved her way across the Galaxy in pursuit of justice against the Darkness she herself was all but embracing. She never fully embraced the Darkness, but she toyed with it in the hope and delusion that she could use it against those who were even darker than she without being sucked in.

 

"I was a terror and I loved it." Her voice was distant while violent and destructive images danced before her mind. Her physical eyes were shut to the world even as her inner soul opened to the horrors of her past. As the images grew more and more vivid, attaching scents and sounds to the sights, her voice grew more powerful and full of venom, more heated and wrapped up in the events themselves. "I crushed evil the same way they crushed the innocent. I turned their tactics of terror and aggression against them. I used their weapons, their ships, and their money to root them out and slaughter all who didn't immediately surrender themselves. We were even better than them because I could use the Force and they couldn't stop me. Sometimes, we didn't even give them a chance to surrender, but simply went in with weapons hot destroying everything that stood in our way. I knew that my Jedi teachers would be appalled at what I had become, but I was doing it for a good cause and didn't care. It was madness and I loved every moment, I became the very nightmare to those slavers that they had been to me as a child. I existed to bring justice and that justice knew no mercy or compassion, only vengeance. When it was done and I could find no more slavers to kill, I left and went to the rest of the Galaxy where I found a new foe, one even more worthy of being destroyed."

 

As everything within her soul screamed for her to continue down this path, to accept that violent and death filled path of vengeance in the name of justice, she opened her blue eyes and the bloody scenes fizzled away into nothingness. She had faced those times and cast them aside before, deep within the caves of Ilum when she had recognized the Darkness within her and abandoned it along with the taint from Jidai Geki. "I was on the way to becoming something worse than even the Sith: a woman driven by a self deluded sense of righteousness to do extremely terrible things. At least the Sith are honest with themselves in that they embrace the Darkness, I wouldn't even have been able to be that honest. Instead, I realized what I had become and choose a different way to bring justice to the Galaxy."

 

Scars of those times would never fully disappear and Adenna accepted that. She knew that she would never be fully able to set aside the lightsaber, that her purpose in this Galaxy was to be the sword against evil. Any who took on that mantle would forever be touched by that role, never to go back or rest idle while injustice existed and harmed others.

 

There was no lessening of the steel clad will that drove her, but it was honed and directed to a different path. Her voice was steady at this point, unwavering and full of deliberate intent. "Righteousness is a virtue, but it can also be blinding, a tool of the Dark to fool those who would not otherwise trod its path. I recognize the need for passion in all people because it is what drives them to improve and simply live life. Without passion of some sort, life has no meaning or purpose and people give up. As users of the Force, we must constantly recognize those passions exist, but keep them guided and under control."

 

She was definitely far from perfect, but she had cast off her own delusions and viewed both her self and actions in the brightness and honesty of the Light. She would fight the Darkness, but she would refuse to become the Darkness. War was a necessity, but the sacrifice of herself and her own peace for the sake of the innocents in the Galaxy was something she accepted. The Force, once pounding within her head, had become a single solid tone by which she could once again anchor and center herself. She returned to the room and reigned in her openness to the Force.

 

When she spoke once more, her voice was cool: dispassionate to any who heard only with ears and weren't able to sense the vibrantly intense purpose within her soul. "I will lead the Jedi Order and all who wish to follow me in the fight against the evil of the Darkness. Some of those who follow me might fall to the deceptions that I myself was nearly lost to. When they do, I will give them the opportunity to return to the Light and re-purpose themselves, or I will do what must be done and prevent them from becoming what they set out to oppose by any means necessary. I will never know external peace myself because I am a warrior destined to constantly oppose evil. When the war is finished and some semblance of peace and justice is returned to the Galaxy, I will hand over the reigns of power to a new leader, one who can function in peace. I will then lead all of those Jedi who fought but were scarred by the struggle to a place where we can attempt to find our own serenity and there we shall stay until the Force calls us back to fight the Darkness once more."

 

Having said her part, she bowed her head and remained there waiting to see if her Inquisitor had further questions for her.

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X-Caliber Squadron arrived in the hangar bay with a subtle yet irritated thump as Captain Rose and the group powered down their engines and climbed out of their infamous X-Wings. Oden threw his helmet across the bay in disgust as Zac and Jax tried to console the angered Human as Mjan and Rose chuckled away, removing their gear and setting it aside. It seemed like the battle of Dark Sun Station had been months ago by the way the group seemed to click and its memory dissipated, but in truth, it had only been but a few days, Mjan fitting in perfectly.

 

"So Master Jedi..." Rose nested as she climbed upon a few crates near her ship, plopping down and laying her lekku back in the artificial wind. "You think you're enjoying your assignment to the crew of the X-Caliber?"

 

"I cant rightfully say..." Mjan jested back as he placed his palm over the eye patch and pressed against it to check the suction against his blinded eye. "Are you enjoying your rise in stature, Captain?"

 

After arriving at Nar Shadaa, Mjan had requested permanent placement in the X-Caliber squadron as well as a rise in Rose's rank due to her saving his life during the battle at Dark Sun with Fleet Command, and after two grueling days of waiting, recieved a welcoming agreement just a day prior. Mjan's gaze shifted toward Oden Sun and the Cathar twins, the previous having problems with his X-Wing and allowing his temper to gain the better of him. They were a rowdy bunch, but each of them had aided him during the battle in more ways than Mjan could count. And once more, they had taken him in willingly as one of their own, placing him in their former Captain's X-wing which now adorned his own name.

 

The battle had been a gruesome ordeal for the Jedi Knight. He went in with little experience outside his own fighter, felt the atrocities that transpired in waves through the Force as he fought both the enemy and his views as a Jedi during the engagement, and now he stood amongst the group as an equal even in skill. And there was even a part of him that pondered leaving the Order and becoming solely a member of the X-Caliber Squadron despite his original goal of joining the Order. But Rose had talked him out of it for the most part, reminding him that he was a Jedi first and foremost. He smiled and shifted his gaze again as he joined his Captain upon the crates.

 

But as he settled, something caught his eye in the distance and caused him to tap Rose on the shoulder and alert her of their presence just as Oden, Zac, and Jax walked up. At the other end of the hanger were two Jedi and what appeared to be another pilot (@Beth Andromina, @karyu128, @Nia Doarr) badly injured, but standing. He could feel Rose's palms digging into his shoulders through his robes as she shoved him to go socialize, which Mjan resisted at first until he felt himself fall forward once Jax aided her. He could tell the two Jedi were strong in the Force like himself, their level of aid flowing around them. But Mjan had never been one to make unwanted approaches, especially when other Jedi were busy attending, but Rose was a bit of a instigator.

 

"That's an order Lieutenant." Rose jested with a forced stern, Mjan looking back with his own forced chuckle. "Yes ma'am"

 

Grabbing his pike staff, Mjan began the trek over.

 

"Unfortunately, those of my kin have lost themselves to the darkness within their hearts before they were even born, a trait spanning our entire recorded history." Mjan spoke in return as he walked up, the Tsis Jedi Knight bowing with regal. "Forgive my manners. I am Jedi Knight, Lieutenant Mjan Sadow iv-Adas of X-Caliber Squadron." Though he was Sith, the very creatures they had fought in the previously mentioned battles that the Pilot mentioned, his yellow eyes shown with kindness unexpected as he met their shared gazes if they were but to look past the crimson of his skin and the tendrils and spurs that adorn the Kissai's face. "Can I offer any assistance? I'm not proficient in healing, but I do have some salve and herbs for burns."

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Beth's words saddened her. It was true that the Sith brought naught but death and destruction, but more violence was not the answer. At least, not in her eyes. She didn't say as much though- the other woman was hurting, clearly, and if she'd found something to alleviate that pain then who was she to judge? When her own father died she'd trekked halfway across the galaxy just to be closer to what he was when he was alive. She could only must a quiet "I'm sorry for your loss" in response.

 

Nia shied away once more as she noticed a group of particularly loud group of individuals entered the hanger through their fighters. More people. And one was walking towards them. Her hesitation was quickly quelled though as curiosity took over- she'd never seen the man's species before. She gave a polite bow, introducing herself.

 

"My name is Nia Doarr. I'm a hopeful from Glee Ansem. If you don't mind, what race are you? I've never seen or read about anything that looks like you." she asked. It was strange. She'd done a lot of reading in her isolation, most of it non-fiction, research on the galaxy and its people. One of her great loves was research and the expansion of her knowledge, and was what she was most excited about on this journey.

 

She knew, of course, that the Jedi was a lifelong commitment, but she'd seen just how much good a Jedi could do, how much she could learn. This was only proof of her ideals.

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Kel nodded affirmatively at the lieutenant's question. "Eight hours will certainly be enough." After listening to Beth and Nia's conversation, it pained him to know that Beth's tale would become more commonplace the longer this war continued. Soon after, a squadron of X-wings landed and we were approached by yet another lieutenant called Mjan, who also happened to be a Jedi knight. Kel bowed to him in turn. "I am Kel Koon. Former Baran Do sage and now, Padawan to Master Sandy. Nia and I have managed to heal the extent of Lt. Beth's injuries, Though I'm sure she will appreciate any salves you have to offer."  

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Pleasantries, well-wishes, salutes--at least between the men-at-arms--and then departure to the Fidelity. The meeting could have been more productive--most likely would have been, if Draygo hadn’t derailed the proceedings with her personal crusade against collateral damage. By the time that Slaughter had returned to the Galactic Alliance’s surviving MC90 Cruiser, his second wind had worn away and the weariness of weeks of constant action had begun to seep in. He began to doze intermittently on the shuttle.

 

“Slap me,” he murmured when the forward jolt of the gunship’s landing had roused him from sleep.

 

“Sir?”

 

“I mean it, soldier. Put some shoulder into it.”

 

The marine happened to have been wearing plastoid gauntlets, but nonetheless obeyed the command. The slap spun Slaughter around and the stout Admiral was pitched to the deck of the shuttle. Pressing a hand to his stinging cheek as he picked himself up from the deck, the Admiral saw blood on the tips of his fingers and knew that the blow would leave a mark for some hours. That was fine; the pain would keep him awake for at least a few more hours and the rush of adrenaline would make that precious time more useful.

 

“Thank you, soldier. I’ll be in my office.”

 

___

 

When Admiral Slaughter arrived at his office--more accurately, the office of the captain of the Fidelity--some anonymous yeoman had already fetched a pair of canteens of insta-caf. Slaughter nodded in approval--that was two liters of liquid energy. Slaughter summoned his staff and settled down for a long night of analyzing engineers reports--or a long morning, he wasn’t entirely sure what time it was.

 

All over Nar Shaddaa, hundreds of Alliance surveyors were scouring the moon for potentially suitable sites for the nerve center of the joint Imperial-Alliance coalition. Even as he scanned reports of potential sites with regards to their infrastructure, security status, modernity, proximity to potential military resources, cultural value, (not least important) cost, and a hundred other critical variables, yeomans and junior officers filed into the room with armfuls of dataslates. The little grey tablets piled up and the miniature columns began to spread to fill the room. Eventually, the tiny office began to resemble the hideout of a crazed librarian with a hoarding problem, and they had to carefully step around the room to avoid toppling over one of the piles.

 

The abridged transcript of their committee could be summarized as follows:

 

“No. No. No. Its in the middle of a residential block--if that gets hit… No. What the stang are you thinking? No. Damn. Out of caf. Ensign, could you--thanks. No. No. That area is a warzone, look at the murders per cap. At least it would be training for our men. Eh, put it in the maybes. No. No. Too expensive. No. Where is that Ensign? Nah, its on the opposite side of the moon from the shipyards. No. No. There’s a tribe of Jawas fifty klicks away--are you serious? No. No. No. No… give me that dataslate again.”

 

It was another hour of carefully reading, re-reading, shouting at his similarly exhausted staff officers about the merits and downsides of the site in question--mostly downsides, he would later acknowledge in hindsight. It was an abandoned Hutt casino, rendered defunct by the collapse of the more legitimate enterprises of the repulsive invertebrates at the height of the Empire. Decades of being picked over by scavengers had stripped it of virtually anything useful and reduced the structure into a husk of republican glory, but that was ironically useful to the Galactic Alliance--their engineers would have needed to remove all of that obsolete and substandard wiring. Besides, the structure was remarkably inexpensive, as it had been condemned and slated to be demolished by construction droids.

 

He sent the terse message to the Captain leading the survey.

 

Yes. Exactly what we need. It’s perfect. Do whatever it takes to purchase it. And the surrounding neighborhoods. 


The Admiral then sent communiques to several officers to further investigate The Red and Black and secure it, lest his engineers were about to stumble upon a nest of rakghouls or something even worse. Ten minutes later, he collapsed, his short-shaven head buried under a pile of forgotten data slates. The snoring could be heard from outside the office.

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"No. I don't mind..." Mjan said with a chuckle as his gaze met first with Nia, the young hopeful withdrawn but inquisitive. It was a good quality to possess, curiosity often led many out of their shell of shyness and presented topics for open discussion without realization. With a bow of his head in presentation, Mjan finished his sentence. "I am Kissai, of the Tsis... or Sith in basic... species."

 

As he spoke this, his gaze shot toward Beth with sorrow filled eyes as her realization, if she hadn't already, would likely rub suppressed memories in a horror filled manner. He was not proud of his heritage, especially the little known fact of his Adas bloodline, but he had long ago accepted who he was for better or worse. And as a former Sorcerer of Tund, the darkness that plagued his species had slowly been displaced over the generations since their exile. It existed, but they had long fought to suppress it, and with the aid of the lightside, Mjan had managed to nearly rid himself completely of it.

 

"Well met Kel Koon." Mjan spoke in return, quickly adjusting his gaze from the Lieutenant toward the other Jedi in an attempt to levy the tension he felt mentioning his species. Quickly searching his satchel, he pulled forth a few herbs for pain and a small container of salve made from roots he had gathered during his time on Borleias. "Its not much, but the healing properties are outstanding. I found that by increasing the natural flow of the Force through the roots, I was able to enhance not only the soothing capabilities, but increase its healing potency as well by mixing mud to act as a bonding agent."

 

Mjan found himself intrigued by the two, Kel's presence nearly mimicking his own even as a mere Padawan, and Nia's presence though untapped, presenting grand skill in healing even as a Hopeful. Handing over the herbs and salve, Mjan laid his pike staff to the side and took a seat. "Forgive my intrusion. I have socialized much with other Jedi since I was taken on as Master Aira's Padawan and was thrust into combat at Dark Sun shortly after my Knighting. My Captain over there felt it would do me some good to introduce myself while we were stationed here."

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As Ban left, Kari sat alone in silence. Like he, she had felt the pull of the Force and what direction it had led to. But rather than follow it in person, she decided to meditate upon and let her mind flow upon it's current and see it through the will of the Force rather than her own eyes. When she felt the presence of Tobias, it didn't quite surprise her. Even when she had met him at the Conclave, he seemed a tad wreckless and brash. But to her, it was good qualities for a Jedi Master to possess.

 

Letting her mind follow the swirling vortex that surrounded him and that of the Imperial Knights, she found herself unable to agree with their methods nor their intent, but she was Je'daii. It was the Je'daii way to stay out of the affairs of others, only intervening if it meant to tip the scales of Balance, and what they were doing held little consequences. Still, a part of her felt pity for the Jedi Master, a mere mortal just like she was and incapable of true balance between both light and dark. And in truth, it felt a tad bit like a witch hunt more than repercussions for the crimes that were discussed previously upstairs. While it was true that he needed to answer for his misjudgment, the Alliance needed everyone they could muster for what seemingly laid ahead.

 

Slightly disgusted, she withdrew her mind from the ongoings and returned. She understood the need for balance more than most, both upon the Galaxy and within one's self. But she felt these Imperial Knights corrupted the idea and were pushing to police a person's morals. That didnt sit well with her. It was a dangerous game to play. Shaking her head, she turned her gaze to the approaching Ban in his own return.

 

"Its a long story to tell." She attempted to jest as she focused on the task ahead and away from what she witnessed. "I'll tell you on the way if you'd like, or just give you footnotes if you'd rather."

 

With that said, she motioned for both Ghost and Ban to follow her to her ship. It wasn't that she was in a rush to get started, bit more that she was in a rush to get away from the Imperial Knights lurking about before they decided that her beliefs were unworthy. In silence, she sighed. Admiral Slaughter was going to have his hands full bringing all of these Factions together under one united banner, and just in luck, she had been sent to help him do so.

"People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious." - C.G. Jung

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As the meeting winded down, Mythos followed Slaughter. Even with his wounds, the towering Shistavanen had little trouble keeping up with stout Commanding Officer as they reached the transport and left behind the Mystics and their fleet. On the trip to the Fidelity, Mythos moved the artificial limb about, the phantom pains of the limb no longer there merely masked by the presence of the metallic one. How could he have been so weak to have fallen for such trickery? Mythos shook the thought from his head. He knew deep down that he was lucky to be alive as most Sith rarely freed their prisoners.

 

Once aboard the Fidelity, Mythos turned to head to command and make his report, but a glimmer of a shadow from the corner of his eye sparked his interest. He had been seeing them since he awoke aboard the medical frigate, but paid little heed until now. Had he been freed only to be followed? It was a solid question with a possible answer, but it had only been shadows he glanced. There was no smell, no sound, just hauntings as his senses seemed almost dull to its presence unlike everything else. Curious, he turned and headed toward its direction.

 

"Everything okay Marshal?" A voice questioned when he gazed down a separate corridor, nothing but Alliance personnel about after the recent battle. Turning his gaze to the Ensign's location, Mythos spoke. "Must still be the anesthesia wearing off. Thought I saw something." The Ensign looked around and down the corridor as well to confirm before he turned back to the Marshal. "Nothing there sir. Probably just need more rest. I'll let Admiral Slaughter know." Shaking his head, Mythos agreed and departed. As he did, the Ensign sent a message up the chain of command to @Sgt. Slaughter and alerted him of Mythos' rest. 

 

Admiral Slaughter, Marshal Mythos has yet to fully recover from his injuries and appears to be having some minor reactions to the anesthesia he was placed under with. Sent him to his quarters for more rest, but he should be fine in the next twenty four to forty eight hours. - Ensign Delgosso

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