Space

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex shook his head. "No, I don't know anything about her. As far as I know, she's just one of Skye's new apprentice's friends. But you're right, she does remind me of you a little bit." He frowned in thought. "I wouldn't be surprised if she had some Sith training. She has a twinge of darkness about her in the Force. But the fact that she is here for Jedi training says something interesting about her, that's for sure." He raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you should ask her."

 

Skye, having come in a bit earlier, now turned to Darla and spoke of an invitation. "What invitation?" Darex asked. "What are you going to go to?"

[Nishant]

Nishant thought it touching that Skye would give them rooms once belonging to her children. Of course, there were limited options on a ship--it was really just the nature of his master that he was coming to enjoy, so soon, and this was promising to him.

 

In the confines of his own room, his own space, Nishant dropped himself easily to the floor cross-legged, and as he lowered himself the room became the ocean and the ocean stirred to greet him, and he knew something had changed, some things had shifted. In the depths of the water beneath him, in the darkest regions of the water, he felt a presence that was new. It did not lurk, but it drew him, and he realized that he had never gone beneath the surface of his mind ocean. Such things he had learned, such wonders, and he had only ever remained on the surface, floating...

 

He opened his eyes, not truly remembering having closed them at all, and in a smooth, wonderful movement placed his palms on the floor and shifted his weight, lifting his body up and propelling his legs in a great vertical arch to come down on the other side. Bending his back, spreading his heart felt so free--he felt as if he hadn't opened his body like this in days, though it had only been a short time. So much had happened. Standing from the posture, he went to the bed and the robes that lay folded there.

 

Nishant had never truly thought about taking the robes of the order--when he looked at these they weren't quite so Jedi as to make him feel uncomfortable; and he wondered why he would feel uncomfortable wearing such robes at all. He shrugged the thought away. He washed his face in a sink and proceeded to change, pulling the tan robes over his body and wondering at how the change in color surprised him. In the mirror he thought he looked very thin, that these robes were slim and yet were by no means snug. He had no boots, only the sandals he had worn previously, and so simply decided to continue wearing them; if he could, he would have been barefooted. The last he did was buckle the belt he had worn at his waist, and then Emily knocked on his door.

 

"Yes, let's," he said, opening the iron door to her and stepping out.

[Emily]

As the pair approached the main cabin, Emily felt suddenly shy. She didn't know any of these people, and didn't know if they'd like her or not. She got the sudden inexplicable feeling of being in over her head, and she didn't like it.

 

But then she chastised herself. What would Master Quietus think of your behavior? she asked herself. He'd laugh at you. It was your boldness and nonchalance that made you stand out at the academy...what happened to that Emily? It was funny, she had barely noticed that a change was taking place, but looking back, she was a different person now. Very strange.

 

The Jedi were chatting about some kind of invitation. Emily helped herself to the pot of caf and took a seat off in the corner, not really segregating herself from them, but also trying not to be in the way. Just as she sat down, she was startled to feel her comlink buzz.

 

It startled her so much that she spilled caf on herself. That drew attention to her, and she blushed. "Sorry, I just...my comlink startled me, that's all. I never get messages."

 

She checked it and saw that it was an invitation to Alora's wedding. She was surprised. From what she remembered of Alora, her mother's friend had never been the type to settle down. At first she wondered if she should accept, knowing that Alora probably would have wanted to invite her mother if she could. But then she sent back a message accepting while she was in the kitchenette cleaning the caf off her shirt. Alora was the closest thing to family she had left.

 

Eyes turned to her when she came back in, still a little red, with a wet patch on her shirt from the caf. She felt like she should explain. "It was a message from my mother's best friend. She's getting married and wanted to invite me to the wedding." She sat down in her seat again. "It should be interesting. Aunt Alora was never the type to get married, so I was really surprised." She thought she might be talking too much, so she fell silent.

[Rahalin Toral II]

Rahalin had punched up the first set of coordinates contained in his navicomputer. He had failed to recognize the destination, but when he saw where came out of hyperspace he was extremely angry.

 

If there was one place personally more sinister than an apparently abandoned Death Star it was this space station. After scanning the place he discovered it had no apparent inhabitants. It did have power and as soon as his fighter came into range, an auto-guidance system provided him directions to a hanger.

 

He sat in space, drifting around the station before deciding to venture on-board. The place surely had a function holonet transmitter, and he might be able to use it to contact his unit and let them know he would join them when and if the Republic finally got its act together. As it was, he had no idea where the nearest beacon was that would carry a signal to the any ears, let alone the right ones.

[Cadio Sikaot]

The last remaining ship in the Republic's fleet had finally jumped to hyperspace away from Coruscant. Cadio Sikaot silently made his way from the bridge of the Republic flagship to the medical bay where his captive lay resting. He approached her petite form and sat down quietly in the chair next to her bed. She appeared to be healing quite nicely. As much as it disturbed him to wake the sleeping, he knew that he must. He reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder, shaking ever so slightly so as to awaken her.

[Kitt]

Within space, the Jedi Order moved with two sets of crafts. Two squadrons of the newly designed and ready Jedi Starfighters, the Jedi Ace. And along with them are three landing shuttles carrying twelve special trained commandos along with at least a Jedi in each one. Separated into two teams, the landing team had a very clear cut mission of which that must complete once onboard the Death Star. The Starfighter squadron held a different mission, one that would require a focused mind and all of the Force on their side. The Gandmaster of the Jedi Order was leading this part, as it would require leadership by example.

[Skye Organa]

As Emily and Nishant entered the living area, Skye could feel how shy the young girl was. The Healer began radiating a calm empathy so that she would feel more at home, more relaxed.

 

Her eyes turned back towards Darla and Darex, Skye giving a wink as the latter felt what she was doing. Her attention was brought back towards Emily as the girl's comm sounded.

 

It startled her so much that she spilled caf on herself. That drew attention to her, and she blushed. "Sorry, I just...my comlink startled me, that's all. I never get messages."

 

Feeling how embarrassed Emily was, Skye didn't go over to her though she did increase the soothing waves of the Force. As Emily came back over from the kitchenette stating that it was from her 'Aunt Alora', Skye's eyes widened with amused surprise, "Alora?" she asked the girl before turning her head towards Darla and raising her eyebrow, "Wow, what a small Galaxy we live in."

[Raven Nasra]

She awoke with a start, from a terrible dream. One of her brother and her father. Her large eyes opened and she looked for what had awoken her. It was the Admiral Cadio. The man She had tried to kill in cold blood. To assassinate on the emperor's orders. Oh why had she tried to kill him? He had only treated her with respect and care until now”¦

 

She looked at him nervously, ”œYes sir?”

[Cadio Sikaot]

"Are you alright sir?"

 

So many things to say, yet a simple 'no' would suffice.

 

"No."

 

He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

 

"Tell me, trooper, what is your name and how does someone of your young age come to be in the service of the Empire."

 

((Hey man, is there a time that you can be on for like an hour? I'd like for the two of us to be on at the same time and try to pump out some posts of discussion. I'm looking for all of these to be mostly dialogue and don't want to have to delay us for a week trying to get these out.))

[Raven Nasra]

So he wasn't all right, perhaps he was getting reprimanded for the retreat? Or what she thought was a retreat, she had felt the hyperspace engines power up a little while ago. Raven assumed that the fight had favoured the Republic since she and Robert failed their missions.

 

 

She was about to ask more when he spoke again, sounding tired and forsaken.

 

"Yes sir, My name is..." She paused, embarrassed, "...Raven. I have no last name sir, I was born a slave upon the mining planet of Zinthos."

 

She looked down at her pale skin, "I joined the military after a brief stunt with..." She paused again knowing that her next sentence was probably the most damning, "...The Sith." She rushed on. "I gave up those ways and in an effort to find my brother Kayal, I joined the military. It was always our dream you see. To join the imperial army."

 

She shook her head, "they accepted me even though I was below age requirements...I guess they were desperate."

[Cadio Sikaot]

Cadio's facial expression turned to one of utter disbelief and horror.

 

"The Sith..." he repeated, slowly shaking his head.

 

"You say that it has always been your dream to join the Imperial Army. Why is this?"

 

Cadio was beyond choosing his words carefully. Tact had little meaning in a discussion with a seventeen year old, female stormtrooper. The Emperor claimed that he didn't commit atrocities but this conversation proved that wrong.

[Raven Nasra]

She burst into tears. Little drops down her pale cheeks. She knew that the fact that she had been a Sith at 14 would get her later in life. She didn't know it was this soon.

 

She sniffled a little bit. "Well sir, you see my brother and I were born into the slave mines of Zinthos, there was very little to do there but work, get beaten, and die. And well.....illegal holos and posters can be quite convincing. And as such....I guess we decided to join the Empire if we were ever able to escape...."

 

She would let him know anything. Anything he wanted. Perhaps it would go better for her in the end...

[SithAcolyte]

"A small Galaxy indeed." Darla grinned back at Darex. "That's the invitation I was going to tell you about."

 

Darla wasn't sure if she had ever spoken to Darex much about Alora and wondered if he knew the extent of their friendship. It seemed like a lifetime ago that Alora had seduced Darla, not that it had taken much to sway her. It seemed even longer ago that the two women had met. Darla had wanted to save Alora from the darkside and take her away from the Sith. With age she had learned that she couldn't choose other people's path's for them. In the end, Alora was happy. She had found love. That thought filled Darla with both joy and hope.

 

Upon receiving the second message from Alora regarding the wedding, Darla realised that she hadn't send her a reply.

 

"You're Aunt Alora used to be a very close friend of mine." Darla said to Emily, hoping to ease her nerves and include her in the conversation. "She's asked me to be Maid of Honour. But it looks like it'll be a little while yet, since she's saying the her wedding will take place after the war. Which is good coz it'll give me time to..."

 

Darla was just about to say 'get back in shape after the baby' but very quickly realised what she was doing.

 

"... Time to get prepared." She quickly covered, but her words sounded clumsy.

[Emily]

"You're friends with Alora?" Emily asked, surprised. "Even though she's a Sith Master?" She was extremely curious. "Perhaps...you might have known my mother." It was time to lay it all on the table. "My mother was a Sith Master, a red Twi'lek named Sirvani Zsahra. Alora was her best friend for many years."

 

Her mind was filled with images of her mother, Alora and this other woman standing together. Perhaps they had all been close, a group of friends going on adventures together. But Emily couldn't see that being the case. This woman was a Jedi, wasn't she? It was startling enough to think that this Jedi had been close friends with a Sith.

 

"If you don't mind me asking, who are you, and what is your connection with the Sith?"

 

And what the blazes were the chances of the two of them meeting each other? Emily had never given much thought to the Force when it came to destiny and fate, but now she was beginning to change her mind. The odds of the two of them meeting seemed astronomical in a galaxy so large.

 

And then there was the fact that she was hanging out with Jedi. If she was a Sith, then what was she doing? Did these Jedi know that? Or was she, like Emily, more interested in a broader view of the Force? Had she walked the same path that Emily was determined to embark on? There were just too many questions.

[Aira Cadan]

The Republic fleet traveled through hyperspace. In the forward observation lounge, I spent the time preparing myself. I knew what I would find once we arrived--death, destruction, the cruel designs of the Empire. I was determined not to lose my focus in this battle. Every time I had in the past, it had gone terrible for me and those under my command. So I steeled myself. Men would die, good men, good soldiers on both sides. I had to accept that, for I believed that finally, I was following the direct will of the Force. I felt it swirling around me, guiding my steps towards this battle.

 

Sometimes, it seemed, the Force called on Jedi to fight for it's cause.

 

So I felt that for once I could approach this battle as fully an officer and fully a Jedi. I would do everything in my power to prevent the Death Star from falling into Imperial hands, for the Force whispered warnings to me about the black future that would come if they activated and used it. Of course, my role would be less hands on. I had to ensure that the boarding crews of Republic commandos and ground troops were able to board the station. I had to do everything I could to ensure their success. And that meant keeping the Imperial fleet too busy to bother them.

 

I took a deep breath. I was no master of tactics, just a young woman who hadn't even earned her commission. I would have to lean heavily on my support staff and the Force. Between those two, I knew I could do well. But I had to let go and trust.

 

As we drew closer, I delved into the Force. My skills at battle meditation had been growing with practice, and I knew I'd at least be able to influence the battle group the Peacemonger was in charge of. It would have to be enough.

 

I began to see dark spots in the fabric of space, and they whispered destruction. Mines, a voice whispered. I opened my eyes and activated the comlink that I would keep on for the duration of the battle. "Commodore Argus," I said, addressing my senior officer, "the Empire has been mining the area near the battle station."

 

The commodore acknowledged. We had worked up contingency plans for every tactic we could possibly think of, and I heard Argus preparing for Plan Minesweeper.

 

We'd be there soon.

[SithAcolyte]

"Yes, I knew Sirvani."

 

Darla remembered the Twi'lek woman well. She had saved her life during a battle on Coruscant. The two had become friends after that. Sirvani had even invited Darla to her own wedding. For some reason Darela had never made it though. The two had lost touch. It happened easily when you were on opposite sides. Darla had after all turned her back on the Sith and sided with the Jedi.

 

But how could Emily be Sirvani's daughter? She clearly wasn't a Twi'lek. Perhaps she was the daughter of Sirvani's husband. Darla wasn't sure who she had married. The phrasing of Emily's question 'perhaps you might have known my mother' made Darla think that Sirvani had died. That would account for some of sorrow coming from the girl. Growing up amongst the Sith would explain the taint of darkness about her.

 

"I was friends with your mother, although I only ever spent a small amount of time with her. I was very close friends with Alora at one point in my life. And at one point in my life I was also a Sith. But I turned my back on that path many years ago. I'm not a Jedi any more either, although I was one once. Now I'm just me."

 

It felt strange trying to explain herself to the young woman. Darla hoped that if she was open and honest about her own past it would make Emily feel more at ease. Be more willing to talking about her own past. Darla knew that talking helped. It was good to keep things inside. She still had a tendency to that.

 

"I guess I still have some friends amongst the Sith. Skye knows about my past, Darex knows about my past. Neither of them judge me for any of the things taht I have done. When Skye and I made friends I was still pretty much a Sith. She helped me to grow beyond that label though."

 

Darla turned and smiled to her friend.

 

"Although there are great rivalries between the Jedi and the Sith, not everyone sees things in black and white."

 

She hoped that what she was trying to say came across clearly to the young woman.

[Emily]

It was so ironic; funny even. Either her parents had been more illustrious than she had known, or there clearly was a bigger picture going on around her. How else could it be that wherever she went, she met those who had known either her father or mother?

 

She listened with growing interest as the woman told her story. As she did, she felt a growing rapport with her. Here was someone who had walked the very path Emily herself hoped to walk and had begun to walk. She had been both Sith and Jedi, and now walked the path of neither.

 

"So you believe that there is a way to explore the mysteries of the Force beyond the labels of Sith or Jedi? That is what I have always believed, and something my parents felt very strongly about. But there are very few who share that belief." She didn't know why she was speaking, but there was just something about Darla that made Emily instinctively trust her.

 

"I must admit though, I'm surprised that your friends don't judge you." She didn't mean to ignore the others, but it was awkward to address them directly right now. "My experience with the Jedi has been quite different. As soon as they find out who I am, it's disdain and even outright hostility."

 

She glanced at Nishant, knowing that while she had revealed much to him, parts of her story might be new to him. She then faced Darla. "My parents died when I was young. My father died first, and my mother stayed only a little while longer in this world. She loved him very much, and I've always believed she couldn't bear the grief any longer." She shook her head to clear away the memories. "I was left alone. When I was old enough, I left home and sought out the Sith...my family. I was apprenticed to Darth Quietus, Raynuk Montar, right from the start. He was open minded and did everything he could to help me succeed and learn and grow in my knowledge of the Force."

 

She glanced at the Jedi Master. "He was a good man."

 

Looking back at Darla, she continued. "He was killed during the battle over Gala where the Republic fleet defeated the Sith armada. I managed to escape, and I fled. I saw the Sith scattered and secluded, so I figured it was a good time to fulfill a promise I made to my father and to seek out the Jedi for training. Plus, I wanted to see if I could find my uncle, a Jedi named Andon Colos."

 

She sighed and tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. "I met the grandmaster, who was very stern and cold with me. My uncle has not been heard from in years and is presumed dead." Another family member out of the picture forever...

 

"The rest is recent history. I started hopeful classes, met Nishant, and here I am. But I find myself exceedingly puzzled by the Jedi." She hoped Darla or the others would be able to answer some questions for her. "The grandmaster was cold to me, and another Jedi Knight almost attacked me when he learned who my father was. The former grandmaster, a woman named Darkfire, was rude and abrupt to my ma--Lord Montar--when we were attacking Gala in retaliation from a Jedi attack on the Sith temple. If the Jedi are truly the accepting, forgiving, peace-loving people from the holovids, I certainly haven't seen it. Why do they insist on slaughtering Sith? Just because they believe them to be evil?"

 

At this point, Emily didn't know what to consider herself. She viewed both orders as flawed and prejudiced. But she certainly was interested in what Darla would say in response. This woman seemed like she had a strong opinion, given her experiences, and Emily was fascinated to hear what that opinion might be.

[Cadio Sikaot]

The conversation was interrupted by a young officer brining a report to Cadio. He read it over and replied simply.

 

"Alert the rest of the fleet and redirect us. I'll be on the bridge soon."

 

The officer turned and left the pair alone.

 

"I'm sorry for your rough up-bringing, but why would you join an Empire that has full knowledge that there is slavery in the galaxy and simply lets it happen? If the Republic had known what was going on then we would have done everything in our power to stop it. If the Empire has knowledge of the slave mines of Zinthos and hasn't put a stop to it then are they any better than your former masters?"

[Raven Nasra]

Raven lowered her head again as the admiral responded to her.

 

"Well...." She thought for a moment. "You do have to understand, the illegal holos that were passed around in the mines from family to family, were mostly Imperial recruitment vids. The Republic was portrayed as a group murderers, who allied with the likes of smugglers and slavers. You were portrayed as villains as the knights in white armour struggled to remove your scourge from the galaxy."

 

She almost laughed at the idea, wiping some of the tears off her pale face.

 

"Going to join the Empire was the dream of every kid my age there. Even my older brother said that we would meet again in the Empire's service when he escaped before I did."

 

She smiled woefully, "And the idea of joining the 'scourge of villainy' never really crossed my mind sir....and well look where it brought me."

[Cadio Sikaot]

Cadio nodded slightly, understand where the girl was coming from. Being shown half of the picture was not her fault, but it did present a rather large problem.

 

"Well, the question is where do we go from here? You killed a large number of Republic soldiers and attempted to assassinate me. You're rather lucky that I was feeling generous as most officers would have ended your life then and there."

 

He stopped and pondered.

 

"What do you suppose that Emperor Rustic would have done in my position?"

[Raven Nasra]

The tears started up again in earnest. How could she say that she was sorry? She had killed many of his men”¦potentially good friends of his. Why he did not kill her then, she would need to know.

 

She gulped, ”œWell, I assumed you were saving me for a public execution”¦but I am now beginning to think that is the holo vids talking in my head. But I do no doubt you wish revenge for the killing of your men. My emperor would have killed me outright.”

[Cadio Sikaot]

A public execution? Is that the level that the citizens of the galaxy thought the Republic would sink to? Had this war so tarnished their reputation that they weren't even seen as fighting for the morals that were their motivation to continue this chaotic destruction?

 

"The Republic would never publicly execute a prisoner, not even Emperor Rustic. If the court that the prisoner was brought before demanded the death penalty then it would be done privately. The Empire and the Republic are not the same in that respect. How were you led to believe that the Republic would commit such an act?"

 

He paused before continuing, drawing a deep breath. How could he blame a girl so young for blindly doing what she was told to do by those who could kill her?

 

"I don't want revenge for the men you killed, at least not revenge on you. I want justice for my men...my friends. But the justice I desire extends beyond you all the way to your commander in chief. Do you understand why I fight? Not for power, but for peace."

[Raven Nasra]

So, her fate was in the hands of a bureaucratic court? She would much prefer a death by this man, then to put in front of a holo-cam and embarrassed and humiliated, to be seen by her brother, alone crying in front of a judge and an unsympathetic jury.

 

But still this response did surprise her. She slowly and carefully pulled the sheets back over her thin neck, and glanced back up, slightly embarrassed. ”œSo you fight for peace?”

[Cadio Sikaot]

Cadio spared the girl a sympathetic look.

 

"You fought for what you were told was peace. Emperor Rustic is not as bad as some of the past Emperors but you yourself admitted that he would not have had a qualm with killing you."

 

He paused and a slight smile arose on his face. He wasn't sure why due to the gravity of the situation, but his audience wasn't even supposed to be dealing with situations of this magnitude.

 

"Your statement is quite correct. A government built on anything but the fundamentals of peace, justice, and liberty will crumble to the ground because its foundation is inherently flawed, but how does one replace a flawed government that reigns by terror without bloodshed?"

[Raven Nasra]

"Very true sir, I only fought for what I know as home."

 

She considered his query for a few seconds, then responded as she had to Kayal, so many times before, in the dark tunnels, and in their room. Years ago, when she had last seen her beloved brother...after the incident.

 

"It is a never ending cycle, war will be continuous for years to come, unless by some small chance one side completely destroys all resistance completely...and that would be nearly impossible."

 

She sighed slightly and shifted uncomfortably, her wounds were hurting a little. She attempted to draw the pain away, like Tiana had taught her so long ago...but to no avail. She looked to the commander with her large sad eyes.

[Cadio Sikaot]

Cadio nodded solemnly.

 

"Then by your logic government is the worst thing possible for the galaxy. We've established that no government can exist without bloodshed and a government built on bloodshed will crumble, so governments are nothing but petty excuses for unnecessary murder. What would you propose as an alternative?"

 

Cadio turned to the medic on duty.

 

"Medic, get our patient some painkillers. Her suffering does no one any good."

[Raven Nasra]

Raven smiled gleefully towards the admiral, he must be a morally upright man, to care about her pain, so much as to ask for more painkillers for an enemy combatant. A very interesting man...very interesting.

 

"Anarchy is the enemy of civilization, and that is something I would never admire." She sighed slightly, her eyes turned brighter as she could feel the pain ebb away.

 

"Logic was never my strong suit sir, why else would I have boarded a republic vessel? Well you see I have no such solution, this is the way is has been for millennia, why should it change now?"

 

Strange that she was arguing politics with the man she had just recently been trying to kill, but at least they were talking, and not killing.

[Cadio Sikaot]

Cadio simply offered another nod, choosing to ignore her response to his generosity.

 

"Anarchy is indeed the enemy of civilization, as well as an invitation for more needless bloodshed. The answer to your second question is a little more simple. Change is necessary because without change there will never be peace. The fight for peace is the fight for justice and liberty as well."

 

Cadio paused, carefully considering his next words.

 

"So following our logic we have two options. One: The Republic can ignore the Empire's tyranny and watch as the government built on bloodshed topples giving way to anarchy and therefore unnecessary murder. Or two: Expand our thinking to include an utilitarian view. You see, I believe that there will be peace one day. In order for my prophecy to come true then some day a just government must reign."

 

Another slight pause.

 

"So how do we find such a government? We find one that is not willing to compromise their moral values yet still understands the necessity of what must be done. Utilitarians believe in the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people. In any war, including one against tyranny, there will be bloodshed but if the bloodshed is from the willing and those willing to lay down their lives are remembered instead of forgotten then we have a new dimension to consider."

 

A final pause to allow the information to sink in.

 

"So we have two options. Make your choice."

[Raven Nasra]

She sighed, defeated. "Well then sir, I would easily take the second choice. As to prevent further suffering that has already happened throughout the millennia. But I will ask you this if I may sir..."

 

She put her bandaged hand to her head and ran it harshly through her dark hair.

 

"What will take its place? And...is it guaranteed? And what will become of the likes of us? Good people dragged into warfare, now murderers and villains?"

 

She was one of the villains, she was an object of evil. A pawn, used by a man to get what he wanted.

[Cadio Sikaot]

A well thought-out response from one so young.

 

"Nothing in this life is ever guaranteed, no matter what anyone tells you. That is why we have faith. I have faith that there are being out there who are what I strive to be: an honest, hard-working man. These are the men that need to be leading the galaxy, not men who do it for the glory, honor, or power. Because I have this faith, I believe that putting a government in place led by the right people is the greatest amount of good I can do for the greatest amount of people."

 

He paused to catch his breath.

 

"As for what happens to those who were dragged into someone else's conflict, I would think it would be simple. Would a just man allow someone like you to go to prison or even be put to death just because they ended up on the wrong side? I would think not. You see, you can be a murderer without actually being a villain. The two are not mutually exclusive. The villains will be brought to justice and those who ended up on the wrong side will be pardoned. That is another character trait of the just man: he can recognize where forgiveness is the best course of action."