The Eternal Vigilance (The Maw)

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex grinned at Armiena when she came in. "It's good to see again, too, Armiena." While Kirlocca and Onderin filled her in on what she had missed, Darex couldn't help but think back over the last time he had seen her, and some other momentous experiences they had shared. They had been friends for a long time, since they were hopefuls together. That Armiena was long gone, having grown into a formidable warrior and dedicated Jedi. But her time away from the Order seemed to have not done her much good. She looked worn and ragged.

 

Once the others had spoken, he took his turn. "Relax, Master Draygo," he said, trying to put her at ease. "What brings you here?" He was curious as to the reasons for her absence and why she had now decided to return. He hoped she intended to stay, and that this wasn't simply a brief return to catch up on the latest news.

[Dahar Raikanda]

Dahar watched as Faust gave Kyrie a gentle pat on the shoulder. The fallen exorcist, her master, was still recuperating and would only be a detriment to their mission. He could sense the disgust from the young apprentice as the master of evil touched her. He wanted to intercede but instead kept calm. "I'm afraid this is true Kyrie, Xae needs to stay her and receive the treatment she needs. If it is the will of the Force I'm sure she will join us when the time is right. Master Damon and myself will be here to help you if need be. I feel, however, that this will be an opportunity for you to prove you can hold your own."

 

Dahar then turned to Faust, "I will accompany you on your ship. I feel no need to spy on you as I'm sure all will be revealed in time." Dahar gave Faust a look that implied there was much more to the statement. In truth Dahar wanted an opportunity to talk to Faust alone, to figure out what made him tick. Perhaps if he could understand what lead this man to become such a monster he would be able to find and destroy those things in himself. Perhaps it would help him to better serve the Order, seeking out and quelling the Dark Side before it had a chance to manifest in future Jedi.

 

Dahar was not overly familiar with the situation with the Dark Lord. After leaving Gala he had went to the sanctuary to make the preparations the ghost of Aryian Darkfire had instructed him in. When Faust asked this question, Dahar looked to Damon.

[Dashel Illioni]

“Master Draygo, welcome back,” said Dashel when Armenia entered the council chamber. He waited for her inevitable questions concerning her former husband, then carefully examined the women before him, or at least as carefully as the tiny holo emitter onboard the two person Aerosprite allowed him. Even with its lack of real detail, Armenia look decidedly exhausted.

 

Dashel interrupted the conversation between his fellow masters and Master Draygo long enough to make a simple request. “Master Draygo, after we finish here, why don't you see Master Skye-Organa in the Med Bay? A small stint inside a bacta tank might do you good, but a Healing Trance would be even better.”

[ObliviousKnight]

Armiena closed her eyes and slowly exhaled. She appeared more resigned than distressed by this news. “When Aryian didn’t contact me after I woke up from my coma, I assumed that he was either dead or had abandoned us. At least I know.”

 

The veteran Jedi began pacing the Council Chamber, trying to decide how to describe her goals. Meanwhile, Master Illioni expressed concern for her condition. Armiena gave him a side glance and a hopeful smile. "Thank you. However, what you see today is in fact, an improvement. The road has been long and it has been very touch and go at times. Faust left me a broken woman, and I... being foolish enough to rush out without seeking proper treatment, aggravated my wounds until I was almost lost. But I've made a great deal of progress since then. What I need now... is time--time, and training, and a safe haven to complete my recovery." As worn as the woman's appearance might have been, there was a sense of optimism about her for the first time since that encounter with Faust.

 

Armiena wandered over to one of the vacant seats in the Council chamber and took a seat. She blinked. It occurred to her that this was somewhat a breach of protocol, but she had served on the Council as Grandmaster for so long that the place felt natural to her. “Excuse me. My personal objective might help locate Aryian and—with some help—remove him from the Sith. I have a contact among the Sith—you might remember him, Starlisk—a Julio Furion. I interviewed him at the old base on Gala during the war, and I found him to be more… reasonable than most of his brethren. More thoughtful. I thought he had some real potential to be more than the usual mass murder machine that the more powerful Sith tend to be. Apparently I made quite an impression on him, because he sent his daughter into my custody until just before the end of the war.

 

“I wonder, is he still alive?”

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca's image flickered for a second as his face was almost disapproving. While he understood that Armiena was a strong Force user, and an even stronger Jedi, he personally felt that she might be too close to the situation to be of any help. But Onderin spoke up anyways, providing her with information that Kirlocca thought best should have stayed within the Council only. But now wasn't a time to debate such a thing. Armiena knew, and would of course want to help, to which she quickly spoke up voicing Kirlocca's concerns. But even worse, Julio Furion was mentioned as a contact. Kirlocca had faced him on Ilum during the Archa'tar invasion, and was critically wounded through a heavy deception deployed by the Sith.

 

<< Aryian is alive. Separated by body and spirit. The body is the one plagued to due the Dark Side's bidding. His spirit has shown himself a few times to a couple of Jedi within the Order that he thought might be able to restore him. >>

 

Kirlocca left out the topic of Furion. He felt his own opinion upon using that man, but he was curious as to what the rest of the Council thought. He also wasn't going to tell Armiena that he didn't want her to go along in his journey to bring back Aryian. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, just that he felt she was compromised by the situation. Luckily, those feelings could remain hidden through the fact that he was far enough away from the station to be felt strongly within the Force.

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex leaned back in his seat. Armiena's suggestion was one that, alas, he had agreed with before recent events. He tugged once on his goatee while Kirlocca added a few words, then spoke. "Furion is alive, and what's more, he is the Dark Lord. Had you brought him up only a few days ago, I would have agreed with you that he is more reasonable than the others, and I still believe that to a certain extent. But recent events have forced me to reevaluate him." He began to tell her of his and Onderin's meeting with Furion on the planet below, of Furion's apparent desperation to protect his daughter, of his attitude and opinion that the Sith Order needed to be wiped out before it could begin again. "Just when we were prepared to agree to his proposal to work with us to bring down the Sith, he suddenly changed his mind. Declaring himself completely against what he had just said, he fled. And not an hour ago, he made contact with this council, declaring himself as Dark Lord, and announcing his determination to wage war on the Jedi and on the galaxy in no uncertain terms."

 

He paused. "Perhaps he is still a more reasonable man than his fellows, but it seems that his logic has taken on a tinge of madness. Clearly, he no longer believes the Sith a blight on the galaxy in need of elimination, but something that he can work with to mold and shape into his ideals." Darex himself felt a little conflicted when it came to Furion. He did not seem to fit the same mold as Geki or Ar-Pharazon, which Darex thought an overall positive thing for the galaxy, but his sudden reversal made Darex wonder about his sanity. The last thing the galaxy needed was another insane Sith leading his order into darkness. Darex also felt that the man's overriding purpose was probably the same--he was doing what he was doing to protect his daughter---and that was something that Darex could respect and also relate to. He knew he would do almost anything to protect his own daughter.

 

He met Armiena's tired eyes, wondering if her thoughts mirrored his.

[Vladimir Faust]

Faust can only flash Dahar a quick, all too white, and toothy grin as he heads away from the Medbay towards the hangars. He pauses for a second, looking back and feeling something stirring from Xae. Perhaps she was rousing herself to join them afterall?

 

"Make no mistake, Master Jedi. I've made my reasons for joining you clear, so do not expect any grand revelations or surprises. I do not wish to have the Sith topple the G.A. as things stand now, nor push the galaxy into a full civil war as things stand. For my long term goals...." he gives a small chuckle, eyes definitely showing his amusement. "Well, there might be disagreement down the road on what is the Galaxy's proper path then, but for now, I am interested in finding the Dark Lord and salvaging what I can of my own agenda. That does involve staying... clean... and avoiding the usual Sith theatrics as you call them." He shakes his head and continues walking, hands clasped behind hsi back. "I did not expect Furion to drop the gauntlet like that, much less take on the role of Dark Lord, but he is very capable, and willing to kill to accomplish his goals and make examples of people. Make no mistake about this," he adds, his tone deadly serious, gaining a very loose sense of Dahar's thoughts through the Force, "some Sith, myself included especially, have reputations as senseless, blood thirsty monsters who kill without reason or purpose but to do that is to write them off quickly. There is always a reason, and always a purpose. Whether you are devistating Coruscant by having the planetary shields manifest only a mile or so above the bedrock surface and killing or wounding nearly a trillion individuals in the resulting chaos, or having a single man kill himself in a bloody spray before the Jedi Council, you are calculating its effects. Inspiring fear, inspiring reactions, throwing your enemies off balance and causing them to under-estimate you, or perhaps concealing a single killing that mattered amid dozens by eliminating a potential enemy. The violence is not senseless, but channelled in a very narrow and specific fashion, made to appear broad and indiscriminate. It serves a higher purpose... and," he adds wryly, knowing Damon for sure might disagree, "a greater good as well."

[Guest]

"Meet me at the docking bay." She said aloud to herself. Like she knew where that was! Or even if there were multiple bays. Rolling her eyes, she got up and started to explore again, asking a few passerbys for directions. They were all rude and short with her. It was very odd to be experience this, considering the Jedi were supposed to be the good guys. A few moments went by and Ariel found the right one.

 

"Whats up." She asked Damon when she found Damon.

[ObliviousKnight]

"And yet he is my only chance. He is the only one among the Sith that I can expect to not immediately see me as a threat to be eliminated… or as a vector for corruption. He owes me—well, my mother, more accurately—and he won’t have forgotten his debt. If there is anything human left in him, I can expect him to be more trustworthy than any of the other Sith in his dealings with me.”

 

Armiena began to nibble on her lip. Nibble was describing it lightly—the woman was about to engage in a psychopathic mutilation of her lower lip if she didn’t get out the words that were building up in her like the pressure in a dormant volcano. And yet… everything in her posture suggested that she was genuinely afraid and trying to work up her courage.

 

The words came out in an unending stream, refusing to allow any of the body before her to interject. “Masters, I apologize, but I came to you under false pretenses. I have no intention of returning to active duty at this moment. It has been my objective for a long while—even as I was Grandmaster—to seek out the Sith on amicable terms. The current political situation has made this goal somewhat less daunting—although the war clearly has not ended, I think they will hesitate to murder an envoy on a peaceful mission to seek… instruction in their ways.

 

“Please don’t try to dissuade me.” She tried to smile at Darex, but all she could manage was to swallow painfully. “I think you all know how stubborn I can be. My real reason for coming to you was to ask for your assistance. I think the chances of my success will be much greater if you would grant me a number of favors of little consequence.”

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex grimaced. He didn't want to see something terrible happen to Armiena, but he also knew that she was right--if she had made up her mind to do this, there would be no stopping her. And he couldn't deny that if there was a chance...Well, he couldn't see much bloodshed being avoided, but it was worth a try.

 

"Master Draygo...Armiena," he said, "I won't bother trying to stop you, but you should be made aware of some things. The Order is taking a hard line stance when it comes to the Sith. Too long have they been allowed to murder without much fear of reprisal. The citizens of the galaxy have been suffering and we've failed in our task to protect them. To that end, the Order is embarking on a mission to find and eliminate the Sith as much as we can. There comes a time when to not strike back is to fail in our duty, and we believe that time has come."

 

He shifted in his seat. "The methods that we employ to take this stand have caused some...division among the Order. There are group of Masters and Knights that are joining forces with Vladimir Faust, using his methods to track down Furion--who is, incidently, Faust's former apprentice. What Faust's true motivations are, I know not. Because of his price, we were prepared to turn him away, but those Masters ignored the council of the rest of us and are determined that the ends justify the means." Armiena was probably the only one in the room who knew him well enough to detect the carefully camouflaged pain in his voice.

 

"I tell you this to give you information that you might not have had before. It may have serious repercussions on your...negotiations." He wasn't worried that Armiena would make a deal with the Sith that he couldn't agree to; he knew that she had always taken a hard line towards the Sith.

 

He glanced at the others, then leaned forward towards the chair she was slumped in. "I'm sure that, should you chose to proceed in this, you have the agreement of this council. What favors would you ask?"

[Xae-Lin Ardel]

For countless hours she'd remained deep in a healing trance after Skye had completed the surgical and the bulk of the primary physical healing of her traumatized body. Xae's trance was far deeper, working to ensure that the Darkness had been purged from her. As the purifying flame burned brightly, Xae came to find she was able to feel John's presence through the Force more strongly as though whatever had latched on to her had been blocking their connection.

 

 

Even now as she navigated through the ether of her subconscious mind, she felt as though she could feel something building within the Force once again. The more she explored it the greater the sense of fracturing became.

 

She continued to watch the flames burn and to direct their progress until she felt a familiar presence behind her. Turning she found that she wasn't surprised to see the figure of Il Andon standing behind her.

 

You've been purged young one, but your test is far from over,he responded proudly.

 

"The darkness doesn't ever really go away does it?" she responded plaintively. "I can feel it ever near."

 

You are special, even from a young age you were able to repel it's influences. That said, it will always seek you out, especially. Be ever on your guard. Continue to pass these tests and you will be rewarded. He turned to her, smiling. But you can no longer hide here. Your next journey awaits.

 

The auburn-haired Jedi Knight didn't get a chance to respond before she felt herself being pulled out of her unconscious mind and began to return to the awareness of the world around her.

 

As she woke, she noticed the stiffness in her limbs and the tenderness of her stomach as the nerves and muscles were still fresh from being regenerated. One of the service corps members noticed her movement and rushed to her side as she eased herself from the medical bed.

 

She felt the flame burn within her as she honed in on the darkness she sensed on board. What was an even more curious sensation was the lack of chaos that usually accompanied a presence of the magnitude she was feeling amongst the Jedi. Her mind instantly flashed back to the recent attack on Gala, the same one that had nearly cost her her life.

 

"Master Damon left this for you," the dark-haired girl said handing her the data pad once she was confident Xae as able to stand on her own.

 

"Thanks, where's Kyrie? She made it okay?" she asked, heading towards the door.

 

"She's with Masters Damon and Dahar, and Faust, apparently. They were heading towards the hangar...Where are you going?"

 

Xae wheeled on the woman, tossing the data pad on a nearby station, "Where do you think? To figure out what's going on. Thank Master Skye for me." She gave a casual wave over her shoulder as she headed towards the hangar.

 

Xae located and found the darkness on the station, easily finding the group. "Would someone like to fill me in on what's going on around here? Last I knew the Sith were attacking our base on Gala."

 

((Not the best, but I'm back))

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca's image flickered a bit more as the Wookiee moved from left to right in clear motion that indicated he may have been upset or disappointed in the situation. It wasn't really Armiena's fault either. Kirlocca had suspected she might have held another purpose in being here. Her body language spoke that very loudly. It was the rest of the Council who decided that they owed her something that made the situation worse than what it should be for him. It wasn't that Armiena was a bad person, as even Kirlocca was inspired by her performance as the Grandmaster of the Order. But when she left, she did so on her own terms, which meant the Council and the Order owed her nothing. But there was nothing he could do about the situation now. So with that as his cue, he made a slight nod of his head.

 

<< Forgive me, but I do have other things that require my attention here on Coruscant. May the Force be with you. >>

 

Kirlocca's image then reached forward and then he disappeared from the room. If the rest of the Council still needed him later on, they could always reach him.

[Vladimir Faust]

Faust turns, eyeing the two Jedi, Xae and Ariel as they approached and hailed the Jedi Exorcist. Wryly, he remarks to Damon. "What, have a thing for redheads, Master Jedi?" He recognized Xae as a longstanding memeber of the Jedi Order and had read dossiers on her in the past. The other one, he did not know, but sensed some disquiet and impatience in her that might prove interesting.

 

"And so it would seem our merry band is complete." he states lightly. "Here's the abbreviated version of what you missed. The Sith are regrouped under a rather competent new Dark Lord... one whom I may have had a hand in training in the past. He's thrown down a dagger, this one actually," Faust states, holding up the accursed blade. "He had a peon use it to slit his own throat before the Council so he could channel through said blade to make a doomy-doomy pronouncement of ultimate doom. I ended up offering my services to the Jedi because I don't wish the Galactic Alliance torn apart when I have my own plans in the works. The Council's torn because I innocently suggested we find a less than innocent sentient soul to use the dagger on so we can hunt down the Dark Lord with it." He turns to Damon. "I think that covers it, no?" Not even waiting for a reply, he gives the Jedi Master an overly familiar firm slap on the back. "Right. Good man. As it is, you're both traveling with him and Kyrie since for some reason I'm not to be entirely trusted. I'm checking out the Dark Lord's last known location at CoreSec and Dahar's tagging along."

 

He gives Dahar a glance as he cybermentally queues his ship to fire up and open the cockpit, waiting no time in boarding. "Time's a-wasting. I think Furion already caught the Council with its pants down once today with his bloodsports and I don't intend to be caught lollygagging here either if he decides to come back and finish the job by buggering them properly. Not that it wouldn't be amusing to watch," he adds with a mirthless smile, "but alas, I will be needing them intact and should try to stop that from happening."

[ObliviousKnight]

((Gah. Lab meeting week. Apologies for the wait.))

 

A wave of gratitude poured from Armiena’s features. Once again, Darex had shown that quality that Armiena thought made him a much better Jedi than she ever could be: pure, blessed decency.

 

“The first is… in the past, I believe that this would be called a Concordance of Fealty, but in my case it would be a memorial.” Armiena stood up and removed three of the lightsabers from her belt. Gathering them in her hands, she strode across the chamber and offered them to Darex while bowing over the weapons. “These lightsabers belonged to my apprentice, Arlan Vass and his parents. Arlan gave his life saving thousands of innocent civilians from the planet Acacia from being enslaved. With his help, we were able to take the bridge of the transport ship we were taken captive on before the slavers were even able to clear their navigational data. In doing so, he helped to score a critical blow against the slaver ring by identifying the location of the ship’s berth and its rendezvous point.

 

“His parents… gave their lives trying to protect Dantooine from Ar-Pharazon.

 

“I’ve been carrying his lightsabers since his death. At the time I thought I needed a reminder of his sacrifice, but… it’s time that I stopped using them as a cilice. They need to be laid to rest. Please… keep these in a place where they… will be honored. Excuse me.” Armiena turned away to compose herself. After wiping her eyes and taking a few deep breaths, she turned back to face the Council, and they could see the remnants of tears shimmering in her eyes.

 

“The second… I require a Holonet hotline to my son. I’ll need the usual security precautions—comms sent through piggybacked transmissions, multiple relays… the best you can set up. I don’t want to cause a security breach if someone decides to try tracing my transmissions, but I hope to be in regular communication with Aidan. I’ve already told him to alert you all if he feels that something is amiss.”

 

“And lastly, I need a promise from all of you.” The lip-chewing returned. “I will be leaving in a few days, after I’ve had some time to rest and prepare… but I know that there is a real chance that my mission will fail. Catastrophically. I’ve been fighting this war since I was of legal age and I’ve seen the best and the worst that sentient beings can become… and it has led me to believe that whatever flaw may exist in the Jedi and Sith Orders, it lies within their acolytes and not within the Force itself.” She held up a hand to forestall any objections. This wasn’t the time for a philosophical discussion. “I have seen what people are capable of, even without the power of the Force at their disposal. I think… I hope I will be able to endured the experience of working with the Dark Lord with his entire Order around me, but… I’m not a prophesied hero. I’m not some Chosen One. I’m just… me. If I come back as corrupted and twisted as Geki or Faust, do whatever it takes to bring me down.

 

“I know what I’m capable of.”

[Kyrie Eleison]

Strange, how the charisma, of even one so darkened in spirit, can draw so many soldiers and warriors to his cause? The youngest and the brightest of our Jedi Order have flocked to the side of Vladimir Faust, blessed with clairvoyance not realized by the very Jedi Council. We are intent on saving the galaxy, even at the cost of our ranking within the Order, and our lives.

 

Emerald eyes, ablaze with inner inferno, observed those gathered within the docking bay, before turning to the master whom had treated her like a sister. Her hand, scarred and pale, gripped the longbow, the nail-bitten digits caressing the golden-etched, ebon yew, whilst the other brushed a spare lock of braided hair, the colour of polished onyx, from her vision. A smile flickered over her features as she locked her gaze with that of her master, before she stepped towards the awaiting transports.

 

Kyrie slipped through the group to the awaiting shuttlecraft, watching as Faust and Dahar boarded the Sith’s craft, before stepping into the one reserved for their travels. Finding an empty jumseat, she placed her pack beside it, before sitting down within it, in the stance of meditation, drawing her blackened cowl around her. Upon her knees, she laid her longbow, and with her half-gloved hands, she began to carefully unstring it, her hands moving in well practiced motions. Finishing her task, she oiled both the bow and the string of sinew, before stowing it beneath her.

 

Reaching out in the songs of war, she connected to The Living Force, and she began to weave it about her, as a storyteller would spin shadows. The song was that of battles fought, long past; of the Watchcircles of Ossus and Mannan, of the Ancient Orders of Warriors, and that of the Mandalorian Wars. Any that would move within five meters of the meditating girl, would feel and hear the song, within the veil of The Force, haunting and beautiful. Upon her pale skin, etchings of white began to glow softly, old scars, lines, alit with the pure fire of the Exorcists. She was preparing and purifying herself, body and soul, for battle. She would face the Sith, and destroy them.

[Dashel Illioni]

Dashel turned towards his fellow Master's and apologized, “Master's, forgive me for a second while I tend to my Padawan. Someone attempted to kidnap him from the Senate Plaza, possibly utilizing Yslamiri, resulting in several civilian casualties and the involvement of Coresec. I will get him settled and then return.”

[Dahar Raikanda]

"Tagging along indeed." Dahar found slight amusement at the notion. It had been a while since he had tagged along for anything. If the Sith Master saw him that way it was even better. Perhaps Faust underestimated Dahar, which would of course play to the Jedi's advantage. In all actuality Faust intrigued Dahar. He wondered how a sentient could become so twisted and capable of the atrocities he had committed. The Jedi Master knew that staying close to the Sith could be dangerous, but had no fear. The Force was his ally and a powerful ally indeed.

 

"Xae-Lin Ardel," Dahar bowed to his fellow Jedi, "I don't believe we have met. I am Dahar Raikanda. It is good to see you well. As you heard Faust say, our mission is to hunt down the new Dark Lord Furion. As far as Gala, it is gone. The Sith destroyed most of the exterior, and I myself gave the self destruct orders for the temple below ground. I could now allow the depths compromised. Perhaps you felt the disturbance in the Force as hundreds of Sith soldiers were snuffed out of existence." Dahar shot a quick glance to Faust. "Faust here has volunteered to help us find and eliminate the new Dark Lord. To... protect the alliance was it?" Dahar then turned to Faust. "Or is it to take the reigns of Dark Lord yourself? Forgive me, but I just can't seem to understand your motives. Perhaps I don't know you well enough, maybe you can enlighten me on our journey."

 

Turning back to Xae, "Yourself, your apprentice Kyrie, and Master Damon will follow myself and Faust."

 

The Jedi Master again spoke to the Sith, "After you, sir?"

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex nodded to Kirlocca, then Dashel as they both excused themselves. "The meeting is essentially over anyway," he told Dashel as the man rose. "Unless you have other business to discuss, you're free to go." He glanced at Onderin too ((OOC: I'm pretty sure you and I are the only ones left...)), letting him know that the offer applied to him as well. He would take care of Armiena personally if the others were too busy.

 

In the meantime, Darex leaned forward in his chair, his elbows on his knees, listening to Armiena's requests. When she handed him the lightsabers, he took them solemnly. "Their sacrifice will be remembered," he promised. He tucked them reverently in one of the deep pockets of his robe, intending to find the perfect place for them. He felt for her; all of them had lost padawans, and Darex had lost more than his fair share.

 

Her second request was another easy one to grant. "Of course," he replied. "And if he ever needs the Jedi, all he has to do is ask." As a respected former Jedi grandmaster, it was the least the Order could do for Armiena. And Darex understood wanting to keep in contact with family.

 

It was at her final request, however, that Darex took a deep breath and leaned back in his seat. His eyes met Armiena's, and for a long while, he looked at her. What she was asking...it was right, and Darex knew that he would ask the same of her if their positions were reversed, but that didn't mean that it was easy. Slowly, he nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. "I promise," he said, binding himself. He knew that of all the Jedi in the Order, she was one that he trusted most. She stood one of the best chances of any of them of coming away from this unscathed. But the Dark Side tempted them all, and she was no more or less vulnerable than any of them.

 

That said, he hoped it would never come to that. Having to hunt her down would be one of the hardest things he'd ever have to do.

[Vladimir Faust]

Faust keeps up his almost jovial smile while mentally filing away the news that Gala as a Jedi base was complete wiped out. He gives Kyrie and the rest a graceful nod, then answers Dahar's questions with a simple, "Yes." as if it would suffice for both. He chuckles. "My dear Jedi," he states to Dahar, "you're the first person in your order to ask that question, if I was manuevering your order to put myself at the head of mine. A question your vaunted council should have asked from the start." He stops a moment in thought, then adds, "if they had the wits to think of it. The short answer, honestly," he adds, knowing it was ironic for him to qualify that, though for dramatic irony, he was being honest, "is we shall see. As I've said, I don't wish for the Sith to criminally expose themselves right now, and my longterm goals do require some stability in the G.A. I'll do what I need to," he finishes, his voice harsh. He shakes his head, then his eyes narrow, seeing a black ship parked in the hangar. While narrower and dart shaped, it did have a few small telling similarities to Faust's own ship, the Bhelliom, and therefore marks of the same designer as well who personally made both ships. A wide grin appears on his face, matching it up with the presence he felt onboard earlier.

 

"One moment," he adds to Dahar, walking over to the ship after taking something out of his own, closely inspecting it and confirming his suspicions. Aware of the scrutiny of the assembled Jedi, and security guards, he openly and in full view of all assembled Jedi Knights and guards takes out a special tracking device and leaves it magnetically 'pooned in a concealed nook under the ship. "Sorry," he adds, saying the word aloud, but not really meaning it. "Recognized said ship as belonging to an old friend of sorts, former Grand Mistress of your order. Just wanted to make sure we could keep in touch so to speak, especially when said friend's husband is a known Sith Master fighting for the Dark Lord, and I suspect a person of interest for the lot of you. If the two lovebirds get together, we can find them immediately and though it feels... wrong... to say this, it's as much for her protection as anything. I'll be trusting your discretion on this and if you could arrange it, theirs too," he adds, and then thrusts his jaw towards the hangar guards as well with the implicit direction to have them ordered to silence by the remaining Jedi.

 

"Now," he adds, finally boarding his fighter ship. "Let's depart."

[Onderin Starlisk]

Master Onderin Starlisk was quiet for the rest of the conversation, allowing Darex to take the lead on this one. He had to admit it was a bit of a relief that the others had stepped out, for although he had philosophically disagreed with Darex for much of his career, he now found the man to be one of the few sane Jedi left. It seemed from the way she spoke that Armiena had come to much the same conclusion, especially with how she was intentionally distancing herself from the Order. And yet her mission could become one of critical significance to that same Order, and going after Furion was right along the lines of what the Corellian had volunteered to do only minutes before. Onderin realized what needed to be done and set his jaw for a moment, touching the Force and seeking confirmation.

 

"If you will have me, I would like to come with you," he finally said aloud. "I can give you access to some of the Order's resources even if you wish to remain outside of it; what's more, there's no better way to resist the pull of the dark side than to have someone with you to hold you accountable. A mission like this is too dangerous to tackle alone, even for someone of your experience."

 

It would raise a few challenges as well, of course, particularly if Armiena did not wish to carry on her expedition the weight of having a member of the Jedi Order with her. And yet, after their previous interaction, what did Furion have to fear from Onderin? Had he not witnessed the man's calm and open-mindedness? As long as they practiced subtlety where it was necessary, the two of them together could accomplish much more than either of them on their own.

[ObliviousKnight]

It took a few seconds for Armiena to respond, but her reaction in the Force was sudden and visceral, too instinctive for her to hide through practiced military discipline. It was a mixture of many emotions spawned from the worst days of the civil war; horror, suspicion, and utter… loathing. Yes; loathing, unadulterated loathing—for his face, his voice, his clothing… She loathed it all—every little trait, however small.

 

The last thing that she needed on this journey was a conservatively minded Jedi standing behind her shoulder, watching her every move and checking for improper conduct like an Imperial political officer. And of all the people to act as her personal commissar…

 

“I appreciate your offer, but I believe your presence will be counterproductive,” was her much more considered response. “You’ve done more for me than I dared hope. I won’t forget it. I’ll be spending the next few days preparing.” She plunged on further to try to avoid the inquiry to her reaction. “I have some connections… some leads… I just hope I can get to Furion before Faust does.” With a final bow, Armiena executed an about-face and departed the chamber.

 

She paused for a moment within the threshold of the room. Silhouetted by the light outside, she turned half-way to face the Council “Try not to think too poorly of the Jedi that followed Faust in hunting down the Sith. They may be fools for giving him even an micron of trust, but they probably do believe that they are doing what is best for the galaxy. They just…” Armiena paused for a second, trying to find the right words. Finally, she decided on a phrase that her mother had once used in regards to some of the characters that the old spymaster had tangled with. “Lack sufficient knowledge of depravity.”

 

And then she was gone. Armiena was familiar with the layout of this ancient frigate; she wound her way to the training hall without even glancing up from her customized communications unit, even as she had a hushed conversation with a holograph of her mother. She barely took note of the vast openness of the dojo, the space was so familiar to her. As she seized a pair of crates containing training remotes from the adjoining armory, she simply levitated the flat disc before her eyes as her hands were busy hauling the load.

 

“Thanks for setting up the messenger droid. My resources are a little dry at the moment…”

 

“My resources will always be your own whenever you have need for them.” The veiled figure tilted her head to the side. “I have to ask—why the wine?”

 

“I sent him a similar parcel a long time back. He’ll understand. One more thing… we’re in a little bit of a rush. How do you like the idea of screwing around with Faust?” Armiena began lifting a half-dozen seeker drones into the air and activated a pair of them.

 

A small grin was the Miraluka’s response.

 

 

((Um, you’ll have to…. Excuse me.))

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin bowed his head, acceding to her wishes. "I do not believe it is wise for you to go alone, but I will respect your decision," he said as she departed.

 

Once she had gone, he looked at Darex, the only one left in the Council chamber with him. "What are we going to do about the Order, Darex?" he asked. "We may have recently won a victory against the Sith, but after so much time away, I am astounded by the arrogance and lack of a centralized view of the Force that I have found here. All these years I considered myself a rogue, drawn away from the Order and into the conflict. But I can say with certainty that it was the will of the Force that guided me in what I did, whereas here I see even Jedi Masters making decisions based on things like ambition and emotion."

 

His forehead creased in thought. The war had weathered him, decades of stress wearing lines into his face that were beyond his years. "I see now what Master Fitt saw, the reason he called the Jedi to refocus in seclusion. And yet, even in such a gathering, costly because we abandoned the galactic scene, nothing was accomplished. We're so unfocused on the Force and widespread in views that I'm not sure we can even call ourselves an Order."

[Darex Trevelian]

As Armiena left, Onderin spoke his mind. Darex sighed and leaned back in his seat, letting some weariness show. "I don't know, Onderin. I really don't know." He rubbed his bearded chin. "I, too, didn't realize how bad it had gotten." Where had things gone wrong? And why hadn't these issues come to light earlier, when more could have been done? He agreed with Onderin--he saw why Kitt had called them all together. But Kitt's methods had failed.

 

The worst part of it all was that Darex was one of the grandmasters. It was his responsibility to do something, but he had no idea what. He sighed again. "The future of the Order is clouded indeed. The problem runs deep, and I fear that if it's not corrected somehow, it will lead to our ruin. Jedi have neglected training their padawans the difference between right and wrong; they've taught them how and not why. And then those padawans in turn are knighted and the problem progresses." Perhaps it would be good for him to institute a set of instructions, or to focus on personally testing each apprentice before allowing them to proceed to knighthood. He made a mental note to consider it. It wouldn't deal with the current issue, but it might help the future.

 

"I suppose for now we just have to keep doing what we can, and trust in the Force. I do not believe that these Jedi have completely abandoned looking to it for direction. We have to hope that they will listen, and that the will of the Force will become more and more clear."

[ObliviousKnight]

]“Right… let’s get down to business.” The Miraluka woman reached for something just out of the holocam’s view and the transmission terminated. Her daughter lifted another pair of completely ordinary training remotes into the air and left them idle at eye level.

 

Taking in a deep breath, Armiena’s hands stroked the pair of lightsabers that dangled from her belt and gently unclipped them. All around her, the spherical training drones hovered, inert and waiting for the input to being bombarding their target with their harmless darts. Training… Armiena slowly swept her thumbs over the reflector discs and down to the ignition. It had been far too long since she had used these weapons in anything save for the purpose of ending lives, and after her wounds… the veteran soldier was more concerned about the restoration of her mental and physical health than practicing her old skills.

 

Another deep breath. The muscles in her back unconsciously relaxed. Once again, the Force, her old friend, came back to her and asked to be shaped to her will. While the deterioration of her state over the last year had caused the eternal soldier to develop an overreliance on the Force, it had also enabled her to form a more personal relationship with the ethereal field. She gave her comfort when sleep only brought the terrors of the war. She eased her pain when Armiena’s will buckled under the beating that Faust had inflicted upon her. She gave Armiena the wisdom, the humility to admit to herself that she needed her mother’s help when all she saw in her future was her own demise. The Force… trusted her, expected that Armiena would not abuse Her and harness Her might to a noble purpose.

 

“I promise to do you justice, my friends.” These weapons had travelled with her for so long, seen so much that they echoed her presence in the Force. Snapping the hilts up to a ready position, Armiena thumbed the control and brought the weapons to life with an unmistakable spang-hiss. The woman tapped the drone’s control unit with her boot and activated the first two dummies.

 

Two drones were barely enough to even gain Armiena’s interest. In fact, for the first few minutes of the exercise, the woman was quietly chatting into her comm unit while absentmindedly deflecting stinger bolts one handed with her silver-bladed lightsaber. Once the message was completed, however, she began ramping up the difficulty of the routine; two became four, which at least forced the Master of the Force to move from her idle stance. Still, Armiena could handle more pressure, and her spirit cried for a greater challenge.

 

When she activated the final four drones and all eight began swirling about her and pelting stingers at her body, Armiena’s spirit soared. Eight remotes was not the Jedi veteran’s record—far from it—but to move properly again, to dance through a hail of stinging bolts was an euphoric experience.

 

Armiena could sense each gathering of energy building up an instant before it was released at her. When she felt a beam of stinging energy about to fire towards her face, she didn’t simply intercept its flight with a swipe of her lightsabers—they were busy fending off three other beams at that moment. Armiena charged the remote—slid along the floor—the bolt passed just over her head and nearly struck another remote, which promptly evaded the blast. Another four bolts were about to converge on her legs and render them nerveless—she recovered from the slide and launched herself into the air, her body flattening like a dart—her elbow came up and struck the remote she had been charging, sending it into a collision with another drone…

 

Later, she had allowed the surviving seven remotes to back her against a wall in the dojo (Armiena had accidentally bisected one of them with a careless swipe of a lightsaber a few minutes earlier). She had simply danced freely through each wave of bolts, retreating until there was no more room left to maneuver. Sensing their chance to finally bring down their target, the drones paused for a few millisecond to coordinate a barrage pattern—all seven targeted a different sector of the wall, pinning her down while aiming for her center of mass. Sensing the onslaught, Armiena called out to the Force and lowered her stance, preparing for one of the gravity-defying, what-the-hell-how-does-the-Human-body-move-like-that maneuvers that were simple feats for practitioners of Ataru…

 

She launched her body into the air, arching her spine and sending herself into a spinning backflip—a twist with the Force rotated a disc built into the hilt of her dominant-hand lightsaber, shortening the blade to a burning crimson. Fending off angry stingers with swift slashes around her face and torso, she tossed her off-hand saber towards her feet, which intercepted another bolt midflight. The hilt found itself nestled between her ankle and foot—she kicked it away, sending it flying into the cloud of training drones and forcing them to scatter.

 

Armiena’s feet finally hit the ground. Her left arm shot out, summoning the Force to catch her improvised missile before it started slicing apart the floor. Another nudge of the barest magnitude tapped the control unit for the training remotes and ended their practice routine.

 

The Alderaanian took a second to just breathe. She had lost herself in the exhilaration of the training drill, but she was now acutely aware of the fact that she had been sweating profusely under the combat unitard that she wore. Her hands were slick with sweat. Still, once the Force called her remaining lightsaber into the security of her left hand, she gave a satisfied smile.

 

I lost my way after the war. I found it easier to fight a war than a peace. I lost my purpose and I began lashing out at anything in search for a purpose, and I ended up destroying so much of what I had built… and I nearly destroyed myself. I know what I did to myself. Six months ago, I could barely walk. I wanted to end myself. Now… eight remotes. Not as good as I was during the war, but I will get better. I am getting better. Faust will soon see that he didn’t succeed in destroying me!

 

When her wind came back to her, Armiena barked out with laughter, a staccato burst of merriment. Still, after going through hell only to appear before the Jedi again, her laugh might as well have been a battle cry. Once again, the hunt was on!

 

Thoughtlessly unzipping the unitard to the level of her collarbone to cool off, Armiena continued her training. She continued with more conventional exercises: lightsaber drills in the Ataru and Shien forms and basic calisthenics to drive her body to the point of exhaustion.

 

Her messages had been sent. All Armiena could do now was wait and prepare.

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin had to empathize with Darex a bit. The man was one of the Grand Masters of an Order that looked less like one every day. Getting the Jedi back to where they needed to be to serve the galaxy was no small task, and clearly Kitt had failed trying to do the same thing. What was worse was the Darex had stepped up to Grand Master entirely because he had been one of few experienced Masters when Kitt had stepped down--not because he had the kind of leadership experience that would be ideal in times like this. Unfortunately, he didn't have many other Masters on whom he could lean, for most of them were part of the problem.

 

"With all due respect, Darex, I didn't just sit by and hope that the war would end eventually and the galaxy would fix itself," he said. "Now is the time that the Order needs you to take an active stance to turn it around. The longer you delay, the more apprentices will be trained to follow their ambition rather than the Force.

 

"Recall everyone. It doesn't have to be all at the same time, but send a communication to everyone in the Order asking them to come see you, perhaps in the next month," he advised. "When they come, make them reaffirm what it means to be a Jedi, swear an oath to follow the code and listen to the Force. If they are unwilling to make such a statement or unwilling to come at your request, they have no place in the Order."

 

Onderin met Darex's eyes and held the gaze unwaveringly as he spoke, earnestly seeking a way to fix the Order. "I have been leading men and women for a long time. Left unchecked, rot like this will consume any organization. Carve out the source of the problem and the Order will regrow without it no matter how many you must cut away."

[Dahar Raikanda]

Dahar nodded to Faust, and to the rest of the group, signalling to them that they should board whatever transport they would be taking. With Xae returning Kyrie was in the capable hands of her own master, leaving Dahar much less worried. Still, he would need to keep his wits about him to protect the group and hold fast to their mission.

 

"Once in space we will contact you with our destination." Dahar said this because he wasn't exactly sure where they were headed. "May the Force be with all of you." With that he followed Faust aboard his ship.

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex folded his hands, the tips of his forefingers touching his lips. Onderin was right, he thought. The man had much experience as a leader, whereas Darex had very little. Why Onderin hadn't been elected grandmaster instead of him was something Darex would never know. Regardless, it did little good to dwell on it.

 

Darex had always been a lover of history, particularly the history of the Jedi Order, and something about this situation struck a chord. The Jedi had been in this position before, and had come out on the other side. While Darex didn't want to lose Jedi, it was, he realized, more important to make sure they were following the will of the Force. He'd need to be careful, though, for he didn't want these Jedi to end up swearing loyalty to him personally.

 

And more than that, Darex felt that this was right. The Force seemed to hum in a quiet satisfaction as his mind decided on this course of action.

 

He let out a breath with a small smile. "The Force speaks through you, Master Starlisk; you give voice to it's wisdom. An action like this may be the solution, despite the division it may cause among us." Then again, the division was already there. "I will make the announcement."

[Adenna Alluyen]

Adenna had never quite felt at home on fighters and shuttles. Jazce's ship wasn't that much larger than shuttles, but it didn't have the same claustrophobic feeling when they toured it. She supposed that as long as there weren't too many people on board, it would be pleasant enough to travel across the Galaxy in. The soldier who owned the ship seemed to have pride in it and cared for the ship in his own way.

 

She wasn't sure how to take that as she couldn't remember those emotions or much of anything else at this point. She knew what they were, but she just didn't yet remember how to experience them herself. Her memories contained descriptions of pride, anger, endearment, fear, and many other feelings, but she didn't remember what it was like to personally feel them. Her brain was still healing and with it, her mind. She hoped that it would be just a matter of time, but she wasn't completely sure. A deep, dark part of her feared that she would never truly recover to what she once was.

 

She kept that part to herself. She wasn't an expert on emotions, but it didn't take the Jedi senses she still possessed to see that Jazce's interest in her was more than just as an officer to a Jedi ally. Whether he considered her a friend or saw some other value in her was a mystery at this point. She didn't have enough experience or information to know and that was perplexing. Before her ill fated attempt to redeem Geki, she would have known, but now, she couldn't yet grasp those complexities.

 

Along the way to the Jedi station ship, Adenna tried to think of who she could possibly locate that would be willing to help her. During her time first on Gala then later on Tython, she had met some of the other Jedi. Despite that, they tended to come and go and tended to their own business. Her memories of that time were still very hazy, but she could see now that she had been a shy young woman out of her element and too timid to risk finding friends. Now that she had left the protection of the Jedi enclaves, she had negotiated with politicians and leaders, organized two successful campaigns against evil, killed in battle, experienced loss and death, and nearly been killed twice. She had also had her mind flayed into shreds and tossed casually back in her head in one big jumble. She was not the same woman that had left Tython on her way to fight the evil that was the Sith.

 

What part of her that cared about such things wondered how she would be received. She had left Gala in somewhat of a rebellious streak. Without the permission of the Council or any Jedi Master, she had led a dozen Jedi Knights to Coruscant and convinced CoreSec to join her in launching a preemptive strike against the Sith Temple here in retaliation for the evils they had committed and their attack on Gala. It had been a tremendous success with only minimal casualties, but she had been one of them. Since then, she had spent almost all of her time recovering from wounds and had not seen how the Jedi Order itself reacted. She knew little of how the Order would handle a woman such as her, but if Master Kirlocca's reaction was any indicator, they wouldn't take it well.

 

There was little she could do to change their opinions, so she wouldn't bother. Perhaps one good thing about her current situation was that it forced her to evaluate everything on its own merits without preconditioned feelings or context. What was, was. She would follow orders and do what was expected of her by her superiors because that was what Jedi did. The only opinions of her that she would care about were the ones coming from people whom she choose to care about. Right now, the only person whose opinion mattered was the man piloting the ship. He had stayed by her and helped her when none else did, whatever his reasons. Because of that, she would do the same.

 

As they docked, she prepared herself. Lacking proper Jedi robes, she was forced to wear just common black fatigues of the type that were probably mass produced on some factory somewhere and shipped in bulk to CoreSec. She didn't mind because they covered what was needed to allow her to fit into society and didn't restrict movement. She still had her lightsaber and the money that Master Kirlocca gave her, but that was it. It would be enough.

 

She could sense the calm serenity that her mind was able to determine was associated with Jedi, but beneath it was something else. There was discontent, disruption, and disagreement here. There was something else, as well, something far darker. She had experienced darkness in an extremely close and personal way and was not eager to experience it again. That didn't mean she would shy from it, just that she would not be quick to go toward it.

 

She gave her name to a common crewmember that was helping tend to the ship and let her know that she was here under orders from Master Kirlocca, then waited with Jazce. She didn't know this place and assumed that some Padawan or another would be along to collect them and direct them somewhere where they could be seen by someone of appropriate rank when that individual was ready.

[Vladimir Faust]

Reading his ship for take off, Faust punches up the Bhelliom's engines, quickly tapping out a coded comm to announce his plans to return to his next destination. With a quick flash of light as the engines reach full blast, the ship barrels out of the station, once more circling back across the planet below and descending towards Corsucant's atmosphere.

[ObliviousKnight]

Exhaustion. After repetitions of calisthenics and sprinting across the dojo, Armiena limbs burned with exertion and sweat broke out all over her body with a dull sheen against the lights of the training room. The entire workout was performed in silence; the other Jedi using the facility gave her her privacy and the veteran Jedi remained completely focused on her breathing. That was the key… if she lost focus on that for even a few seconds the exhaustion would catch up with her and she would be devastated in an instant.

 

Not quite one-hundred percent. Probably not even eighty. No matter. Keep going. I’ve done more and in worse shape. Remember basic. Remember basic. Keep breathing.

 

The exercise continued for an interminable period of time… until the communications unit on Armiena’s belt chimed and projected a hologram of her mother’s veiled face. Abruptly jolted out of her trance-like state, the exhausted woman nearly fell over her own feet while she slowed down from her sprint. She tossed the disc-shaped device in front of her and bent over at the knees, her chest heaving with every breath.

 

“Dear, urgent news.” Misal’s voice was strained. “The Blur has just been sighted in Coruscant’s atmosphere by our lookouts. We are running a profile check on its maneuvers to identify its pilot—“

 

“Don’t bother.” Armiena forced herself to straighten up and began to stretch out the exertion. “It’s Aryian….. The artificial intelligence wouldn’t allow…. anyone other than Aryian… to pilot it… or maybe me…. I’ve never tried.”

 

“We’ll keep an eye on it. Any response to your messages?”

 

“None. The pod is still en route. The Holonet transmission…” Sending a tracking worm to a comm. frequency that had been entrusted to her was not the way that Armiena wanted to begin this mission.

 

“I appreciate that it’s a risk, but you can’t afford to hesitate on this. Dear,” Armiena could have sworn that the Miraluka had winked at her under the veil. “The worst that can happen is that the Sith will detect the program and immediately place it under quarantine. Then I suspect the Dark Lord will find you first.” The older woman’s lips tightened. Her voice took on a much more urgent tone. “I need to go.”

 

Armiena clenched her teeth and let out a sigh. A few more taps on the disc-shaped comlink brought up the message and the code embedded within and released it into the Galactic Holonet. All she could do was hope that this wouldn’t backfire horribly.

 

Until then… recovery trance. Armiena continued stretching out her weary limbs and summoned up the Force to rejuvenate her body. She almost immediately felt the warmth and calm overtake her spirit, as effective (though not quite as satisfying) as a full night’s rest. I might need to be ready to move on a moment’s notice.