Keiran Valoria

"If you think the Sith are merely wrecking mindless havoc, you are a fool, boy." Keiran's eyes narrow, carefully studying Jhoren. "Oh, there are blood thirsty beasts among their number, make no mistake about that, but, there is purpose behind it too. Whether it is loftier goals, the pursuit of power, or a need to feed one's impulses, there is always a reason, a drive, a purpose. The beast is always, always part of man's nature, Jhoren, don't forget that, but it can use and corrupt reason to sate its needs." The blue eyes sparkle now. "You are young, so I will excuse your ignorance. If the Force is this great, all powerful Force of good, then why does it even have a Dark and a Light side? Why do histories grea conflicts seem to play out again and again? The Rakatan's infinite Empire? The Empire of Xendor? The Sith Empires of Ragnos, Exar-Kun, Palpatine, and beyond? Jedi are taught to believe we are servants of the Force's will, yet the Force itself aids conflict after conflict, destroying this galaxy- always pitting champions, light and dark, against each other. To that end, Jedi do turn into ruthless monsters. Oh, don't get me wrong, their methods are nicer, slower, and more restrained, but again, that coin still spins on edge before landing, and heads, tails, it matters not." Keiran shakes his head, a benign smile on his face, but his voice turns cold and pitless. He jiggles his wine cup in his left hand, as if musing the desire to take a sip, and for Jhoren's ease, keeps his right hand flat on the table, though one eyebrow, hidden under his hood, rises, feeling the spike of Force energy from the boy. Interesting... "I am a Master, and I follow the Council when I believe it necessary. I have also made peace with the fact that conflict, sorrow, loss, terror, and death will follow from the power I have gained. It is a sad, but natural progression, and one that you will see as you step out in the Galaxy. Now, I suggest you put your hand down and get it away from your lightsaber before you get hurt, boy."

A bemused smile crosses his face. "Jedi have been known to turn on each other for the greater good. Even among the good guys... there can be.... disagreement. Jedi Masters still make mistakes, even in the name of good, Jhoren. I know a Jedi Master wanted for murder, killing a Jedi who denounced the Order before the Senate. I know of Onderin's bloodied hands, killing countless citizens when taking Kaut. Jedi are human- mortal and flawed, Jhoren, and the human being in them is animal at his or her heart." The bemused smile grows. "As for those sacrifices I mentioned, I speak from experience. I was one of those left for dead for the greater good. Jedi and Sith are two sides of the same coin. I still pledge my allegance to the Jedi Order, though I do not blindly follow it. Can you say that?"

Keiran's smile remains thin but turns mild. "Consider it a professional interest. Kirana is an old acquantance." He waves his right hand in the air in a placing gesture, still holding his wine glass in his left. "Forgive my harshness, but I believed it necessary, and I believe you are who you say you are; at least now since I know your master. One can never be too careful. Sometimes, even other Jedi cannot be trusted. The Order tends to not live up to what you believe it to bel.... and sometimes, even padawans, knights, and masters can get sacrificed like pawns... Kirana," he states slowly, eyes searching Jhoren's face, "is different at least. I do hope you can understand my caution?"

Keiran gains a faint smile, watching the young knight's eyes. The smile grows wider, knowing. "If you must know, I had to hire an operative to complete a top secret mission, and Nar Shaada was the best place to do that as it's away from both Imperial eyes and dissaproving ones in the Republic. I believe you on the refueling part." "I know the Jedi Order, Jhoren, and I know its members. I do not however, know a Kel Meran, that name is interesting.... Do tell me about this woman, you called her a her, Kel Meran..." He continues, his left hand, picking up his wine glass and holding it aloft, cocking his wrist in a funny manner before taking a sip. "You know," he states simply, his eyes almost glowing with the intense blue now, "I think you're lying, and doing a piss poor job at that. Treachery and deception indeed, Jedi? I thought you said earlier we were supposed to be above that." The mental blow comes sharply and without warning, with the force of a durasteel cudgel. TELL ME ABOUT KEL MERAN! The name escapes him, but he gains the image of a woman with silver hair. Immediately the blue eyes widen in recognition. There is a mixture of elation and anger... memories swirl about him, placing her from the night of one of his greatest triumphs... yet one that wracked him with incredible pain- both given to this woman and received from her. "Your master is Kirana Sunrider," he repeats slowly, not caring how this action may have affected Jhoren, though his eyes, now even more intense, fix on him, a wary probe watching him. "How very, very interesting. How interesting indeed. I would have hoped she taught you better than this, boy." There is a thin lipped smile on his face. "Tell me, how was her tutilage? I know her from way back, so I am dying to hear what she is up to."

"Well, Jhoren," he replies crisply, "I guess by your own standards, I don't have to state what my business is." He continues on at the same level tone. "Use your senses on this- and look at me." Keiran lifts his head back up, and his eyes, two shining blue specks, become visible beneath his shaded hood. "I'm going to lower my mental guard enough- just enough so you can verify this as truth. All you need to know is what I am doing will benefit Onderin and the Grand Master, at least in the short term." That last sentence is delivered cooly, but with pure truth and no lies or deception. Immediately after speaking the walls rise back up, and a sardonic smile appears on his face. "Now, Onderin is currenly undertaking some important negotiations on Onderon and will be occupied with those. Don't ask me how I know. I can't tell you. I do however need to hear your business here, and if you would be so kind, your master's name. If nothing else I shall need to contact him or her about your manners in front of a superior."

Keiran laughs, though gently. "My dear boy, don't be naive. Your grand master has a spitfire temper and amazing sense of pragmatism when it comes to defending the Order and her family. Oh, she's sereen when she channels the lightside and knows her arts, but other times..." He shakes his head, the smile still on his face. "Jedi are human boy, and we are protectors, first and foremost. Do you think Admiral Starlisk, a Jedi Master and chief military leader of the Republic ever shyed away from authorizing a Black Ops manuver against the Empire or Sith when it was necessary? That does mean covert operations and moves that would be questionable for a Jedi. The only true requirement is we serve the Force and avoid giving into anger, and even then... many... ah... how shall we say... bend the rules." He shakes his head, grimmacing. "Of course, you know better, I would hope, or I would have to have strong words with your master." He raises his glass to his lips for another sip. "I would ask who yours is- as said, I've been out of the loop, and ah... as for my mission... it's one of those treacherous acts you would not approve of. You'll have to respect if I cannot say more than that as it's a Jedi Master's business and one vital for the Republic. Your presence however, I do have to inquire about." There is a firming of tone in his voice, as one wielding authority and using it to pull rank. "When you say both, that implies a small business element. I shall need to know it as not to jeopardize my own mission."

Keiran smiles, a white flash of teeth from under his hood. "I am. You however, I do not know." The sentence hangs as he clearly waits for his new friend's name, then continues. "Forgive my appearance here, but I've been slightly out of the loop." He raises one hand to gesture around the bar. "A hive of scum and villainy in its own right, to borrow the phrase, yet good for business that needs to be done on the down and low." He waives his hand over to the bartender, motioning for a drink to be brought over for Jhoren. "Sometimes, even Jedi need to get their hands dirty." His tone is serious, yet oddly soft. "Never forget that. Even our Grand Master knows that very well." There's an almost fond chuckle at a memory of that. "So, with that said, is it business, or pleasure that brings you here, oh, and how is Mrs. Darkfire doing. I haven't seen her in ages?"

He smiles, raising his wine glass to his lips, once more taking a measured slip. Call me Jedi Master Keiran Valoria, young Jedi. I am curious what brings one of my brethren to a locale such as this... I have my own business is a mystery to me. I have been... out of contact... with the Council and the Order, and wish to discuss matters with you. Come to me, have a seat, and we can talk. Once more the image of the bar appears, giving its location a very distinct appearance.

Keiran sits quietly in his booth, and finishes about a quarter of his wine, then quietly increases the intensity of his Force beacon. On a rundown smuggling world like Nar Shaada, one could never be too careful. The last thing he wanted was a run in with the Sith at the moment, though meeting others of the Jedi order after the mission he dispatched would be awkward too. Still, he needed to know more. Cautiously, he sends out another thought, this time finding the Force user, the brushing sensation of a probe becoming more pronounced. A soft voice echoes in Jhoren's head... showing Keiran in the bar, in his Jedi robes. Are you a Jedi as well? Curious to find one on such a place as this.

Keiran smiles beneath his hood. "That is most... excellent." He takes her hand, and gives a firm shake. "May the Force be with you on this one." Waving his hand in the form of a benediction, he bids her farewell, then orders a drink to mull about what he was doing. Reclining on his booth, he came as close as he could to relaxing in an environment such as this, though his eyes and other senses remained active. If she failed, it would be a dissapointment, but, blame would fall to the Jedi Order. All in all, not the worst coin flip he engaged in. His senses prickled, feeling something in the Force that made him curious. A Jedi perhaps? Curious, he let his mind noticeably probe, concentrating hard to keep his Force signature light-dark neutral, then has a sip of his spiced wine. Between his mission for hire, reports of events on Onderon, today was looking interesting. He sips again, feeling again in the back of his mind a strong rush of emotion from one loyal and marked to him. His face creasing in a frown and for a moment, he considers seeing to matters personally. Taking a third sip, he decides against it, deciding to see what came of matters here.

The man calling himself Jedi Master Keiran Valoria thinks for a moment, lowering his hood. "I need someone with your specific talents to pull this off..." Keiran whispers then what the details of the assignment are... ((Check your PM box for the details)) He passes off what is needed to pull it off- transponder codes, high level military badges, keye, and access codes, along with enough credits to purchase a top of the line slicing droid. There is also an encrypted datadisk to leave behind. There is also 200,000 credits, forwarded upfront, passed off without a blink or concern for his out of pocket expenses "Consider this the ultimate diplomatic manipulation," he states dryly. "If you can do that, I'll have another 200,000 credits wired to you, plus I believe your services will be in demand by the party you're delivering the goods to." He reclines at ease, resting his hands under the table. "Do you think you can pull this job off without being detected while retrieving what I asked?"

"Leialla Clia Madornja, the bounty hunter, I presume?" Appearing behind her was a man, about six and a half feet tall, wearing the brown robes of a Jedi with the traditional garb of one underneath. Originally, he seemed a man in brown rags, sleeping it off, though is eyes, a pale blue from under the concealing hood of the Jedi robes, were alert and ready. "You may call me Jedi Master Keiran Valoria. My actions however are outside of the Order's perview, which is why I needed to speak with you." Taking a seat across from her, his hands under the table, senses, all six alert, he checks a commlink, an annoyed frown on his face. "The other hunter I asked to do this assignment with you ran into some unexpected delays on the way here." There was a moment of moderate frustration in his voice- what happened to delay the other hunter caught him off guard as well and threatened some of his other operations by drawing undo attention to the area. He made a note to find out exactly who was responsible and why, also doubting it was a mere accident. "I'm afraid you will need to be doing this assignment alone. Your pay is going to be doubled if you accept." "Now before, I begin the job description, there's one all important question I need an answer to; how good are your hacking skills?"

Galactic Holonet News Service brings the following from the Galactic Senate: Jedi Master Keiran Valoria Decries Jedi Order Investigation called to deal with allegations against Jedi Council Live Video Feed from the Senate: Strolling into the Galactic Senate in his brown Jedi's robes, Keiran Valoria takes a senatorial pod using his creditentials. Finally, he submits for proof a sample of his DNA, proving indisputably he is Keiran Valoria. He undergoes a brief period of preparation then makes his address, speaking with slow, deliberate, and projected manners, using the force to subtly nudge the emotions of his audience as his former master had shown him, preening to holonet cameras to carry his message beyond the senate chamber. "I am Jedi Master Keiran Valoria and on behalf of the safety of the Galaxy, I would like to call into commission a special task force to deal with the growing instances of terrorism sweeping across star systems. I am calling on the republic to stand up for the safety of its citizenry here, and making an appeal for the common right and the cause of justice. Coruscant itself has suffered much of late, and I fear if this plague is allowed to continue, it will spread beyond our control." Throwing back his outer cloak in a dramatic fashion Keiran raises his arms up imploringly. "Who else is with me in calling on the Republic? What can they do for us and what can we in turn do for them? Let us be heard." There is a loud roar of applause and praise. "Will any one from the republic take my standard and carry it, or have these halls grown empty with bureaucratic wrangling once more?" 'The Hon. Senator for the Twi'Lek homeworld of Ryloth applauds the Jedi Master's diligence and exhorts him to reveal his proposal!' At this Keiran's face turns somber. "I recently sought out Master Gantoris for aid on what to do. As it was shown by his actions on your own planet, senator, he has left the Jedi order and is rebelling against the Republic. A terrorist he was deemed." At this he raises his hands imploringly again. "I have a horrible confession to make. You have all been deceived by the Jedi order and their cohorts as they are conspiring against the New Republic. It was after following Master Ara and Master Dhan Jaroe's orders for so long that I left and saught the wise Jedi's aid. You see, the hospital attack that the Jedi blamed on that rogue Faust, the one that killed all those people... was committed by me. We, the Jedi order, are the true terrorists." At this a loud gasp echoes through the Senate. Order eventually maintains itself. "It was done under direct and secret orders from Master Kaipi. After the rebels callously destroyed the Jedi Temple, they decided an example needed to be made. Fear, fear struck into the heart of Coruscant would allow them the control they needed. The Coruscant Bank scandal, that zombie virus which the Jedi managed to oh, so heroically put down, and other similar events were instigated by the Jedi Council. That is why Gantoris left. That too is why I am leaving." Keiran's eyes blaze, his voice amplified now by his righteous anger. "Too long have I been a dupe. The Jedi are hidden, gone from Coruscant, working their mechanations with in the Republic in secret." His force powers subtly flow out, nudging the emotions of the audience in the Senate. "I demand an investigation into their actions! I want their leadership on trial for the crimes they have committed and will continue to commit!" At this Keiran lists off a henious list of crimes that he owned to committing, from poisoning the Naboo Gungan lake, to instigating an Imperial attack on Kashyyyk that leveled the planet. In truth, these crimes were committed by someone else previously mentioned in the Jedi Master's speech, but who knew? Not a soul in the chamber. The public however, fed this speech on Holonet, were taken in. "I have sinned greviously," Keiran weeps, tears flowing down his face. "I had to break my silence though. The forces of justice demanded it. A former student of Master Kaipi's has sought me out, a great and wise leader who lost his son, foolishly, in the service of the Jedi order. Master Gantoris, the sage and Jedi paragon of wisdome and patience has also allied with this visionary. Recently Governor Geki stood here, crying out against the waste being done. How many of you saw a Jedi commit the complete and utter destruction of that bastion of civilization and light, the moon of Sanity's End? We all know what Ben'a Solo did under orders there. He gutted it to the core, just as the Jedi are gutting our souls and security, but no more!" At this the Senate breaks into complete and unanimous applause, taken in entirely by the speech. Keiran gives a mournful smile and bows before the applause. "I will await outside on the steps of the Senate, confident in your vote. My crimes are heavy and I do not ask your pardon for them, only the resolution to prevent them from reoccuring under Master Ara and Master Dhan Jaroe's tyranical fist!" More unanimous applause and approval breaks out. There is some uncertainty, but Keiran, having established himself inrefutably as the Master Jedi that he was, was believed and they took in his words, calling for a crusade to deal with the venomous treason committed by the so called "Knights of the Republic". -End Feed- At this, Master Keiran left, and the subject of an investigation was called for, to be put up to a vote. Political analysts believe it has a 87% chance of passing at this point in time.

((My apologies for the lack of clarification/notification- this alias is in fact a pose and not a replacement. Chrissie knows exactly who this is. A few other shrewd guesses may give you an OOC hint as to what is going on here. This character insofar as anybody one knows IC with a few exceptions (one of those being Keiran himself should he return early, which could make this very interesting), is Jedi Master Keiran Valoria, believed dead, possibly revived or surviving after the attack on the hospital- the name change intended to cut down on problems of OOC/IC knowledge use. This particular guise is not foolproof (even if it is a full genetic copy) and while it has been established IC over a period of a couple weeks, is subject to being dealt with on an IC level- though complications and other matters can make this a bit more of a challenge. On that note, let the RP resume.)) Another transmission is sent out, asking for help, more urgent this time.

A comm comes in for the Jedi from around Coruscant. This is Keiran. I'm alive somehow even after that monster dropped a hospital on me. All those innocent people, dying for my sake is almost too much. I'm still wounded from that battle and the feelings of loss and death are almost too much to bear. I have information that might be useful in stopping Faust and Geki's bid for the surpreme chancellor. The order and the Death Strikers are in great danger now. I don't know where the new base is, so please help me. Keiran over and out.