Onderin Starlisk

Onderin was relieved when he saw that Qaela was bringing Arleigh along... but also confused. Surely she hadn't known about the clandestine talk that he'd had with the girl and his intentions to smuggler her off of Dathomir. When Qaela approached him, she snapped at him angrily. He pulled in his Force presence appropriately, but was willing to take a bet that Qaela was irritable because she was irritated with herself. That empathic leap made it easy to make a logical attempt at what had happened. He gave a slight smile as they headed out of the encampment. Only once they were out of an earshot of the Nightsisters did he address the two young women. "Welcome, Arleigh," he said first, giving her an almost-fatherly smile before turning his gaze to Qaela. "I appreciate your representation to your council, as well as your willingness to help the girl. Did the treaty come with additional terms of which the Jedi should be aware? And why the subterfuge?" It did seem like a strange way to leave, given that a peace had truly been established. It seemed that even in peace, the Nightsisters were completely unwilling to associate or even interact directly with the Jedi. It seemed that they were either unusually afraid or unusually vain to not even hold audience with them. Either way, Onderin was quite glad that a peace had been met, as he hoped that the Jedi and Nightsisters could exist completely separately, much as they had been before the Sith had entered the picture.

Onderin wasn't exactly pleased by the Nightsisters' unwillingness to involve him in the peace discussions. Even before arriving on-world, he had told Qaela that he expected the talks to be undertaken as between equal parties. Not giving the Jedi any representation at all except by Qaela herself did not guarantee that the terms arrived upon would represent both parties' interests. Instead the Jedi Master was left to sit and wait, wary of interaction with the witches and seemingly unable to affect their perception of him. Thankfully, there was very little Qaela could do to damage the relationship between the Nightsisters and the Jedi, if her stories had been true. They had a common interest in this situation, so he trusted her well enough to see it through, as cowardly and conceited as the Dathomiri Council was. When Qaela barged into his tent one night, the former Admiral was in a light sleep and immediately came fully awake. A skill he had picked up back in the war, and one that he had found once again useful in this place of mistrust. She spoke only a few brief words before vanishing again on another errand. Well, he decided, at least it means we can get off this world. The peace terms as she put it were simplistic enough that they would be enforceable, but the complete lack of involvement from the Jedi representatives was still suspect. Apparently, the witches took it entirely on Qaela's word that the Jedi even desired peace. Onderin rose and headed over to Ads' tent. "Come along, Ads," he said to the young man. "We are going to collect Arleigh and get off this world." He did not, of course, know that Arleigh's tent was Qaela's next destination, but had no intention of leaving the girl if it could be avoided.

Onderin nodded. "I'm sure the two of you will have a chance to speak before we have to finalize anything," he said. "I personally believe that a political union won't be required to allow us to take her with us, but I just wanted you to be aware in case it came up." A twinkle entered his eye. "I didn't actually come here to arrange my padawan's marriage." Once again he wished he could start Ads' lightsaber training, but this was an even worse place than the shuttle on the ride over from Bothawui. He couldn't imagine the Nightsisters being pleased about lightsaber sparring sessions within their village, especially given Qaela's suggestion that they not even carry the weapons here. Ads knew almost everything else that there was to teach, fundamentally. Now all he needed was time, experience, and practice, and Onderin could do little at this point to sponsor such activities. And so he found his usefulness here concluded. "I'll be in my tent if you need anything," he told Ads before getting up and relocating back again. Back to meditating, perhaps.

Onderin chuckled. It was about the answer he was expecting, but the situation was truthfully quite entertaining in prospect. "In all seriousness, political marriage is a powerful bond in many cultures even today," he said. "Still, I would hope that we would be able to get out of having a ceremony on the spot, if there even is one in this culture. I personally wouldn't expect you to observe any such arrangement after leaving Dathomir." Although, he reflected, she would make an excellent padawan for him. That was assuming that she wished to follow the path of the Jedi, of course, and that Ads would be willing to take her on. But the amount of time before Ads became a Jedi Knight was growing quite thin.

Onderin let a few minutes pass by after Arleigh left before he took action again. He was already taking a large risk by having such a meeting with the young Nightsister, one that he hoped wouldn't jeopardize his mission here. Arleigh's reasons for going to Qaela's tent were somewhat unclear, and also carried some amount of risk. There was still some odd chance that the entire meeting was a trap, and Arleigh had successfully deceived him in order to get something she wanted for another purpose. There could be no proof if she was not observed entering or leaving this tent, so it seemed relatively safe... and besides, Onderin would walk knowingly into danger if it meant helping someone in need. He could no more ignore Arleigh's plea than he could have abandoned Sabian Devanus to his fate on the streets of Coruscant. He would simply have to follow his feelings on the matter and trust in the Force to guide him toward the path that would serve the Order best. The Jedi Master stood and headed over to the next tent over--the one where Ads was staying. He approached his apprentice and sat down close to him. He paused for a moment, studying the young man with a contemplative look on his face. Then finally he broke into a smile. "So something most unusual just happened," he said. "Remember that girl that approached us outside? Well..." He then went on to outline the conversation he had with Arleigh, including both of their proposals on how they might get her offworld.

Onderin considered. "It might be better if I propose our idea to Ads myself," he said. "If you're determined to speak with Qaela, I think you can head straight there. Hopefully one of the two paths will work. If not, we may have to find a way to smuggle you offworld, but I hope that it doesn't come to that." Of course, it couldn't be obvious. It sounded like Arleigh was prepared to simply run from the Nightsisters. The problem was that she wouldn't have a way offworld. Disappearing immediately as the Jedi concluded their negotiations would be suspicious and could endanger any agreement. But a sufficiently clandestine arrangement and a mysterious disappearance days after the Jedi left could get the job done. For now, though, Onderin had to hope for the best and put his effort into making sure their plan A or B succeeded.

Onderin gave a slight grimace. That had been the idea he'd been thinking about, his last resort plan. "I'll have to talk to Ads about it," he said. "Perhaps we could attempt to give the impression that you two were to be wed, but avoid an actual ceremony before getting safely off world. My only other idea is to see if they will allow you to leave with us as an observer to learn about the Jedi, as well as to watch us carefully and ensure that the terms of whatever agreement we make are being met on our side. Knowing as I do the Jedi's stance on the Nightsisters so far--or lack of it--I think accountability would only reinforce our trustworthiness." He paused and gave a slight chuckle and glanced in the direction of Ads' tent. "I doubt there's any precedent for a Jedi Master arranging his apprentice's marriage." The Corellian turned back to Arleigh and glanced at her satchel. "Either way, I'm afraid you've packed somewhat prematurely. You'll have to bear this place a little longer, perhaps a few days until negotiations resolve. We won't be able to be seen to associate, but if we play our hands carefully both our purposes can be served."

Onderin was mildly surprised at the courtesy Arleigh displayed. Everything he had seen from and heard about the Nightsisters so far made it sound like they would fear and mistrust him, treating him as an enemy who was plotting their collective demise. But she was coming to him asking for deliverance, and she seemed free of the Nightsisters' opinion of the Jedi. Perhaps it was her offworlder father's influence. The Jedi Master seemed to consider. "My name is Onderin Starlisk," he said. "I think you should understand my purpose here. Qaela was captured while infiltrating a Jedi Temple with a group of Sith. I went to her to see what I could learn about the Sith's whereabouts, and while we were talking I learned that she had been separated from her children. I agreed to help her get them back, and in the process learned of the regard in which the Nightsisters hold Jedi. It seems that, due to the actions of a particular Jedi in the past, the Nightsisters were seeking to ally themselves with the Sith in order to protect themselves from an allegedly-inevitable Jedi attack." He shrugged. "The Jedi Order wasn't even really aware of the Nightsisters. I am here to make peace between us so that we do not gain an enemy through inaction and the Sith do not gain an ally. In order to succeed, I will need to make a good impression on the Nightsisters and observe their customs carefully while I'm here," he continued, looking at her meaningfully. "I will help you," he said definitively. "But we can't just get up and leave--I would like to take you away from this place within the Nightsisters' own rules. You know these people far better than I do. Can you think of a way as a part of these negotiations or through another method for you to be allowed to leave with us?" Onderin could think of one way, a way which Qaela had sort of mentioned back aboard the ship on the way here. But he was reluctant to go down that path unless there was no easier one.

Onderin opened his eyes and knew he had a tough choice ahead of him. The young Dathomiri girl was outside his tent now. Her inner turmoil was tangible in the Force. She wanted to leave, and he wanted to take her away from this place. A Force adept still young enough to be turned away from the dark side, she would have a place in the Jedi Order if she wanted it. But even without considering that end, he would not hesitate to deliver her from this place. And yet, he could not imagine that the Nightsisters would react favorably to the idea. He was here to make peace with them, and performing an action that offended them would violate his mission. He wasn't certain he could even risk opening the door and inviting her into this tent. In some ways he was already as paranoid as the Qaela seemed to be in this place. But maybe if he was cunning enough and played the Nightsisters' game something would work out. For now, he was getting ahead of himself. He would have to take a couple of risks in order to do the right thing. The Jedi Master stood up and opened the simple dwelling's door. "Come in," he invited the girl that stood outside. "Quickly. I do not think it would good for either of us if you are seen here." Onderin glanced at the wound Qaela had dealt the girl as he moved further inside and sat down, and didn't fail to notice as well that she was carrying a small satchel as well as a few crude weapons... probably all she owned or close to it. Nomads didn't tend to built up a bulk of possessions. First, he had to establish her purpose for being here in her own words. "Perhaps you should start with your name... then move on to why you're taking this risk." If Qaela came back, she would probably kill or seriously injure the girl, and Onderin wouldn't be in a position to stop it.

Onderin watched Qaela go, not quite satisfied but understanding that this was no place for an extended debate. It seemed to him that this place was unsafe only because the Nightsisters themselves had made it so. A community at peace with itself, made up of selfless members who each acted for the good of the others, was much stronger than one where safety was bought with manipulation and maintained with blackmail. It was well known that two individuals watching each others' backs was more than twice as effective as each member alone--that the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. The Jedi Master stepped close to Ads. "Be mindful," he said. "I believe we are here at the will of the Force. Trust your feelings and all will end as it is meant to." He gave a smirk, then headed into his tent and began to meditate. For now, he was content to wait and see if he attracted any attention.

((I apologize for my post spacing. I've been quite busy and RP doesn't always make the top of the list.)) Onderin shrugged at Qaela. "Of course I don't approve," he answered. "Your society breeds fear, hate, and contempt. While it might keep everyone closely in line and demand perfectionism, I have been brought up in a very different environment. How is it that I have accomplished all that I have, defeating Sith and matching wits against Emperors and Arach'tar when my upbringing has been so disgustingly forgiving? You live lives of such strife, but in search of what? Slaves? Surely it's not luxury or comfort that you seek. Influence?" He hoped that whatever else came of his interactions with Qaela, she at least came to understand that the light side was viable. There were many very powerful Jedi. Surely the Nightsisters knew that. But the Jedi served peace, and they met others with forgiveness and compassion. He did not see why they would choose the dark side when the alternative was a better life with an undeniably equal amount of, well, power. But he wasn't here to change these people. He was here to make sure they never became a threat.

Onderin watched the interaction quietly, taking mental notes. He had never really considered how a society of dark siders would function. Constant conspiracy, conflicting goals, Force manipulation and clashing egos would lead it to be a very dangerous life where a single misstep could lead to severe punishment. Even in this basic situation he understood the young Nightsister's plight--was it better to lie and be caught or tell the truth and betray the sender? He wanted to step in but restrained himself, as it would cause him to undermine Qaela. She had been right--it would serve no one for him to do so in this place. But secretly he set a goal. He tried to catch the young girl's eye as she glanced back at him and Ads. He attempted to convey calm and even approval toward her. He was interested in this one, and suspected that she was young enough to be redeemed even if Qalea--young as she was--was not.

((Been waiting on Arleigh. Making sure Arleigh isn't waiting on me.)) Onderin watched as one of the younger Nightsisters approached. She was even younger than Qaela, little more than a child. She also seemed entirely... benign. He knew that she was perhaps putting on an appearance that would make them see her as less of a threat, and that was apparently Qaela's first thought as well as she stepped between them. The Jedi Master would keep an open mind. Perhaps not all the Nightsisters were devoted to the dark side. Time would tell.

"That will do," Onderin said simply after Qaela finished her explanation. He wondered briefly how long the negotiations would run. Sometimes things like this took several days depending on how much there was to work out, but other times it could be over much faster. How long it took in this case depended entirely on how receptive the Nightsisters were to his words. There was an advantage in dealing with Force users--as long as they could detect whether or not he was lying, he could open himself completely and speak only the truth. As long as that worked, he could quickly discredit some of the ideas they had about the Jedi much as he had done with Qaela. He glanced at Ads. "This is an important part of your training," he reminded the young man. "Keep your senses open. Learn to think clearly even when surrounded by the dark side, and protect your mind if someone should start prying. But even more important than Force technique is to learn to behave as a Jedi should in a situation like this. Seek to make peace when possible, always speak honestly, but never compromise morally. There is no technique I can teach you that will make you a Jedi Knight. It is something you will become over time, and I will simply recognize it."

When he saw the camp Onderin immediately pegged the Nightsisters as nomads. The dwellings were archaic but practical. They had a sensibility to them that he was familiar with from the war, even though he had spent much of his time stationed aboard capital ships. There was a force gathered to meet them, with not all that many witches but a sizeable number of soldiers. If he had been here to gauge what kind of a threat the Nightsisters would be to the Order, he would be wondering where they were hiding the rest of them. He gave Qaela a close look as she gave her instruction. "For diplomatic relations to have a chance, both parties must respect the laws and customs of the other and approach negotiations as equals," he responded. "I am certainly willing to do my part in this, and due to my unfamiliarity with your customs, that means following your lead. If you don't think that approach will be reciprocated, however, then the chance of coming to a mutual agreement here is nill, and it would be better for Ads and I to take our leave now." It sounded, frankly, like that might be the case, from what Qaela said. It would be a shame to have come all this way for nothing, but Onderin wasn't going to put both their lives in danger to attempt negotiations that were doomed from the start. He would have to go back to the Jedi Council with the regrettable news that they had a new enemy allying with the Sith, and the Nightsisters would have earned the attention of the Jedi that they'd mistakenly thought they had all along.

Onderin raised his eyebrows when the Nightsisters approached, some of them on rancors! That explained the somewhat dangerous, primal undertone he had gotten from Dathomir as a whole. Rancors were apex predators, but in order for the ecosystem to sustain them, it had to say something about the rest of the beasts native here as well. He wondered briefly if they originally hailed from Dathomir or if they had been introduced here, since he had heard of them living in the wild on other planets such as Lehon. Dathomir's isolated nature might indeed mean they were here first. The Jedi Master listened quietly as Qaela exchanged words with the Nightsister greeting party. He was apparently very relaxed, listening with interest instead of searching for signs of deceit or danger. When they started moving again, he glanced at Ads. "Trust in the Force, Ads," he said quietly so that the assembled witches wouldn't overhear. "It is fear that has driven the Nightsisters' hate for Jedi. They would not risk attacking until they knew what they faced, and by then I hope to make our intentions clear." Meanwhile, Onderin maintained his strong connection to the Force, feeling it flow through him even as he walked. He was using it to help keep a clear mind in this place of darkness, but he also knew it would make him stand out in the Force. Perhaps it would make an impression upon the Nightsisters who observed him and affect their first impressions. The light side was not oppressive and chaotic like the dark side energies that swirled through them--it was pure and serene.

Onderin turned his attention to Ads as they walked. "The goal is to prevent the Nightsisters from becoming a potent enemy of the Jedi Order," he answered. "If they ally themselves with the Sith based only on the misconceived notion that the Jedi Order seeks to destroy them, then we will have gained a powerful adversary. We cannot yoke the Jedi Order to the Nightsisters, as we share no common direction, but I hope to forge an agreement, some sort of mutual peace, so we can avert hostilities that should never take place." He shrugged. "What the actual terms will be, or how such peace will be enforced, will take some discussion." Not for the first time since resigning his commission--and, he suspected, not for the last time today--he wished he had someone like Rasil Talis with him. That man had been an excellent Ambassador and had, over a long career, slowly learn to understand the Admiral and his goals to the point where he could represent them even better than Onderin could himself. Onderin was no diplomat, but here he was trying to forge some sort of peace treaty on behalf of the Jedi Order. Hopefully his experience with such things would overcome his sometimes frustrating inability to make himself clearly understood.

Onderin very nearly rose to the bait, but rationality kicked in and he choked down the scalding response that came to mind--perhaps you'd like it back in your cell, separated from children cut off from the Force. The dark side was calling to him in this place. He could see how it was already affecting Qaela, feeding her anger. If both of them had kept a level head, this wouldn't be an issue. He wondered if she realized what was going on... and if she really wanted to raise her children in such a place. Surely she realized how destructive her tendencies had been in the past, how unstable she had been, and understood that her children would be the same way if they remained here. Apparently, it affected her so profoundly that this small disagreement was capable of undoing all his work to change her perspective on the Jedi. Perhaps she could still see, and another chance would arise before they parted ways for reconciliation. He did not regret anything he had done or said, but hoped for restored standing for Qaela's own sake. Arguing here certainly wasn't doing any good, though. And so he remained silent, merely gesturing for Ads to follow and setting out after Qaela toward the dark side haze that marked the Nightsister camp. As he walked, he quietly drew on the light side, filling himself up to hedge out the darkness around him, hoping he could keep a clear head and act passively in the negotiations to come.

Onderin could feel Qaela's disappointment radiating off of her in what seemed to be a very strong reaction to his cautiousness. She seemed to be having doubts about his intentions all of a sudden, despite everything that he had accomplished on her behalf in the last few weeks. It would be a tremendous shame if she now drifted away and what he had worked hard to teach her failed to stick only now. "Look, Qaela, don't mistake this for a sign of mistrust," he said. "I believe you will do everything within your power to keep this from becoming a confrontation. We've come too far and stand to gain too much for anything less. However, you are asking me to walk blindly into a meeting with a completely unknown people--who are strong in the dark side, I might add, as well as predisposed to attack me on sight--with no means to defend myself." If they really viewed Jedi like Qaela seemed to--or at least did when they had met on Ilum--he wasn't sure he could let his guard down for a moment until they were off Dathomir again. The constant threat of one of the witches taking it upon herself to test a Jedi's strength or put an end to his perceived meddlings would be impossible to ignore. And it was possible that a display of his strength, which he had not fully revealed even to Qaela, might be required to gain the respect he would need to succeed in these negotiations. He was not of the mind that power should be blindly followed, but he also knew that negotiations were best approached from the perspective of the opposite party. He would do whatever he needed to do, and he would trust in the Force to make the path clear. "While we are here, I can do nothing but trust you. I wouldn't be here if I thought you were leading us into a trap. But I would be foolish not to plan a contingency in case factors beyond your control put me and my apprentice in danger."

Onderin smiled at Ads. "You should come along," he said. "It should be a most... enlightening experience." Despite the somewhat ominous sense he was getting from the Force, the Jedi Master was quite determined that this mission would be a good thing. If nothing else, Ads could learn from being exposed to a culture so dramatically different from the ones they were both most comfortable around. They would just have to be cautious and continue to represent the Jedi ideals so that, perhaps, the Nightsisters would cease to see them as enemies. He gave Qaela a frank look. "I think we should be holding onto our lightsabers," he answered. "We can conceal them if necessary, but hopefully your people won't attack us on sight when they see how you are accompanying us, whether we're armed or not." Qaele he could trust as long as they were working toward the same purpose, but he certainly wasn't going to stand before a whole tribe of people like her--who had been raised to believe that the Jedi were their ultimate enemy, no less--without a way to defend himself. He had seen how easily she gave herself to spontaneous emotions, how quick she was to anger. She had been able to reign herself in, but he suspected that even against her best efforts, there was some danger involved with this trip. He suddenly hoped the fact that Ads hadn't gotten any formal lightsaber training wouldn't be an issue.

((Not sure if you were waiting on me. Darex, I assume you have read back through this thread to where you left off?)) Jaren turned to the class. "You heard Master Trevelian," he said. "Class is dismissed. Feel free, of course, to pratice on your own." He then returned to Darex. "Maybe you should get the full story," he said. He then outlined a few points of interest about Scorpius, including a brief summary of the encounter with Mage's apparition, the ease with which Scorpius was using telekinesis, and the phenomenon with his eyes. When he was done, he shrugged. "Scorpius seems very gifted, and he needs more attention than I can give him."

((Not sure if I should be waiting for Ads.)) Onderin followed Qaela's instruction and set the shuttle down about eleven klicks away from the community he could sense quite clearly in the Force. The sense he was getting from them was quite curious. Most of the settlements he had felt from orbit had given off a very neutral Force sense, not pure like a Jedi Temple nor dark like the Sith. But from here, he was getting a very different sense of the Nightsisters that sent a slight shiver up his spine. The dark side was with them, and it clouded his ability to get a better impression of what he would find. The Witches of Dathomir were not dark siders, but the Nightsisters were, he decided. It helped to explain why they had come into conflict with a Jedi before and why the Sith were interested in them, as opposed to the rest of the world. Onderin hoped he could walk into the settlement, craft a peace treaty between the Jedi and Nightsisters, and walk away in good conscience. His traditional approach to evil was that it needed to be destroyed, and he had fought for many years against the Empire and their Sith lackeys. But in this case, the Nightsisters weren't an enemy before he had come, only a potential one. By limiting their exposure to the Sith, he might be able to avert future hostilities. There were going to be some challenges, that much was certain. The Jedi could no more associate themselves with the Nightsisters as they could allow the Sith to do so. Onderin stood up from the pilot's seat and lowered the shuttle's boarding ramp. "I'm ready when you are," he told Qaela. He just stopped to grab a ration bar. It had seemed forever since he last ate.

A shuttle reverted from hyperspace. Its IFF marked it was belonging to the Jedi Order, and aboard were two Jedi... and one Nightsister. Onderin was sitting in the pilot's seat, but his attention was on Qaela. He had only barely heard of the witches of Dathomir, and had certainly never been here, so he didn't really know what to expect. From what Qaela had told him, it sounded as though the witches weren't particularly technologically advanced, so there would be no planetary traffic control or patrolling ships. But what they lacked in technology they made up for with the Force. Entering this airspace wasn't necessarily safe, even without those modern measures. The Jedi Master wasn't particularly worried, though he wanted to do things correctly. It was ultimately a diplomatic mission that he was on, and any significant breaches of etiquette could have an effect of the civility of the talks to come. Presently he stretched out with the Force to get a sense of the planet and its inhabitants. There was something... primal down there. He didn't know what kind of predators Dathomir had, but the planet felt somewhat perilous to him. He could sense pockets of sentient life as well, and they almost uniformly had a remarkably strong Force presence. He wasn't sure why the Dathomiri had such a high rate of Force sensitivity, but his sense matched what he knew of their culture. Now he looked back at Qaela, awaiting some direction.

Jaren was somewhat perplexed by Scorpius' words as they returned to the other students. "Master Trevelian has been something of a public figure for a while. It's also possible that you met him during the war," he guessed. But there was something that was bugging him about Scorpius. The flash of color in his eyes, the ease with which he had picked up telekinesis, the appearance of the spectral Mage, and now these memories. This was not the average hopeful that came to the Jedi Order. That was why he was hoping Darex would take Scorpius on as an apprentice... which looked like it might just happen. "Let's practice a bit more telekinesis," he suggested to Scorpius and the rest of the students. "This training time is for your benefit, so ask questions if you need to. You can leave whenever you're ready. I hear Knight Zaran is starting Form I lightsaber lessons soon..."

Onderin raised his eyebrows at what he felt as he studied Ads in the Force. The padawan did seem to pull his Force presence down to a tiny bubble, but that pocket of energy was incredibly focused. It was like all of Ads' strength in the Force condensed into a powerful seed of life, a galaxy revolving within a man's form. Then there exploded the complete peace of enlightenment, and Onderin felt it roll in waves off the young Jedi. The Jedi Master exhaled. "That was... remarkable," he said. "Not exactly what I was trying to teach, but something very potent. If I were you, I would remember very well what you just managed. As for now, though, I believe Dathomir is quickly approaching. We'll have to resume later." His instincts proved correct. No sooner had he finished speaking than the proximity alarms went off in the cockpit, informing the ship's inhabitants that the hyperspace jump was coming to its conclusion. Onderin finally stood up and stretched his legs. He stepped into the chamber where Qaela was resting with her children--no doubt the alarm had stirred them. "Why don't you take over from here?" he asked her.