The Eternal Vigilance (The Maw)

[Adenna Alluyen]

After a short time, someone came to Adenna and Jazce and escorted them to a waiting area for what was left of the Jedi Council. Adenna sent a small message alerting them that she was here under orders of Master Kirlocca. After a moment's hesitation, she added that she was accompanied by one of CoreSec's commissioners, just in case they would wish to speak with him on official business regarding further relations between the Jedi and CoreSec.

[Onderin Starlisk]

It seemed, Onderin thought, that there was one more matter of business to which they needed attend. Only he and Darex were left of what had been a Council meeting, but as Darex was the Grand Master, it would be sufficient. Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if the members of the Council changed after Darex's recall and request for each to reaffirm their devotion to the Order and the Force. He could see some traits among even the other Masters that would make it difficult for them, and he wondered if any of them would leave the Order. He hoped not, but if they were really so unwilling to do as Darex requested, they had no place here.

 

And now Jedi Alluyen was in the waiting room with a member of CoreSec. She was another other whom he'd seen allow the ends to justify the means during the assault on Thalassia. She had outright rejected his authority when he had attempted to set her straight, and that concerned him. However, she had since done a few things of which he approved, and so he still had hope that she could become a wise and powerful Jedi who followed the will of the Force. Sometimes, that transformation just took time.

 

He signalled for them to be let in and met Alluyen's eyes as they entered. He was pleased to see that Leife was the Commissioner who'd come with her, as the man hadn't held the rank when they'd worked together on Coruscant below. He could always appreciate a good soldier being put into a position of leadership. "Greetings, Jedi Alluyen, Commissioner Leife," he said to them both. "What brings you here?"

[Adenna Alluyen]

In the seconds while they were walking in, Adenna had to consciously pull up memories of the two who were seated before them. She knew she had met them at some point in the past, but as with almost everything, those memories needed to be rebuilt. By the time she needed to respond, she had put together at least a somewhat decent collection of memories of who he was and how he knew her. In a businesslike tone, she replied to his simple question. "I was sent here by Master Kirlocca to get the help of at least one Jedi in my second attempt to purge the insanity from the captured Jidai Geki. The commissioner saw my need for transport and desired to join me, though he may have his own business here that he has not yet shared with me."

[Darex Trevelian]

There seemed to be a steady stream of people to see the Council today. We really should sit in session more often, Darex mused as Knight Alluyen and one of CoreSec's commissioners arrived. Darex had only met Alluyen once before, and had gotten the impression that she hadn't cared for him much, but that attitude was missing (or at least hidden) now.

 

What she proposed was interesting. He had heard of things like this being attempted; indeed, he remembered Master Ara-Lai Kaipi being involved in something similar years ago. But he had no real experience in that area of Force use. "That is a worthy goal," he said. "Did you and Master Kirlocca have a specific Jedi in mind?"

[Adenna Alluyen]

Adenna shook her head at the other individual. Memories of that man were harder to come by and she didn't have time to reach into her mind and sort them all out. "He did not. He only said that I would need a master who had at least some experience in this. I did not feel it was necessary as I now know what he is capable of and have learned how to negate many of his advantages, but he was my superior and thus I followed orders."

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin narrowed his eyes slightly in thought as Adenna spoke. There was something definitely off about her. He wasn't sure what exactly it was, but he suspected that it was linked to the fact that she had clearly attempted to fix Jidai Geki already and had failed. There came with such failures a high price. But the fact that she so firmly believed that Geki could be redeemed showed that she had some of the compassion and willingness to forgive that many in the Order lacked. It was something that even Onderin himself struggled with for much of his life and indeed even still now, though he had taken strides in that area since resigning his commission.

 

At any rate, Skye seemed like the perfect one for the job, but she was so busy she hadn't even attended the Council meeting. Thankfully, she wasn't the only healer in the Order right now. "Aira Cadan should go," he said to both Darex and Adenna. "She's not a Master, but she has a gift for healing. If you wish, I can accompany her for additional support, if it's necessary." He didn't necessarily like the idea of interacting further with Geki, but he was willing if it was asked of him.

 

Either way, he quickly drafted a text-based message and sent it to Aira, asking if she would be willing to get involved.

[Adenna Alluyen]

"If it were simply a matter of physical healing, I would have succeeded the first time," Adenna replied. "Someone with a strong will is what is needed, though I will not turn down assistance. If the two of you wish to come, that will only increase the chances of success and provide better security."

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex nodded. He had never met Knight Cadan, although her reputation was certainly known, as she was the one who had initiated the peace treaty with the Empire. But he trusted Onderin; she had been, after all, his padawan. He knew her better than anyone else.

 

"If Knight Cadan is interested, then by all means, go ahead. And Knight Alluyen? Be careful," he said, a bit of a frown on his face. "Your dedication to redeeming Geki is admirable, but his madness could easily become contagious given such close contact with his mind." He knew he was saying things she probably already knew, but he felt he had to give her the warning anyway.

 

It would be...interesting to see if they succeeded. Darex wasn't even sure it was possible. He was a firm believer that anyone could be redeemed--as evidenced towards his attitudes towards Sith like Faust and Kakuto Ryu--but with Geki, he knew it was a long shot. And--he couldn't deny it--he almost didn't want them to succeed.

 

That attitude took him by surprise. If Darex was a normal man, he would hate Geki with every fiber of his being given all the suffering, both personal and galactic, that he had caused him. But Darex was a Jedi, and Jedi didn't hate. Realizing that he still harbored some of those feelings towards Geki was humbling for the Jedi Grandmaster. He took a deep breath, gathered those emotions up, and released them back into the Force. He would have to meditate on this later.

 

For now, he turned his attention back to the man and woman standing before them. "Is there anything else?" He glanced at the CoreSec officer. "Commissioner?"

[Dahar Raikanda]

*An encoded transmission was beamed in to the Jedi Council*

 

"Fellow Masters, I have arrived at Coruscant with Vladmir Faust. We will be obtaining CorSec records on Lord Furion and attempting to discover the methods of his escape. I will contact you with further developments. May the Force be with you."

 

*An encoded transmission was beamed in to Kyrie and her party*

 

"Friends, we have arrived at Coruscant and will be communicating with CorSec to assertain details on Lord Furion. Contact me when you arrive and we will rendezvous. May the Force be with you."

[Guest]

So she was brought to the Jedi, and now the dude that brought her here, who was in charge of her kinda peaced out. Raising an eyebrow, she was a little peeved that this had happened. What was she to do now? She had NO idea where this place was, or even if there was a way off. Maybe one of these other folks could hook her up.

 

"Sooo," She called out to a few people hanging around. "Can someone tell me how to get off of here? Damon kinda just abandoned me, and I would like to get on with life. Yah know?"

[Adenna Alluyen]

"Your dedication to redeeming Geki is admirable, but his madness could easily become contagious given such close contact with his mind."

 

When she heard that, something within her mind shifted and new memories came to her. Too late, a droll voice said. Before her injury, she would have frowned, but now, she kept her face as hard as stone even though the errant thought displeased her. Memories flooded in as rooms within her mind opened and she began to understand more fully the madness that was Geki. Nobody could come so close to such madness and not be tainted themselves. She began to wonder if her mind being so heavily destroyed was a bad thing after all because it was entirely possible that had it not been flayed into shreds, it might have been contaminated beyond repair. She may have fallen to the madness herself and become like Geki. With her mind as damaged as it was, perhaps now she had a chance to deal with the taint bit by bit rather than all at once and would be able to overcome it.

 

This would take time to ponder and decipher, but it was time she had. The master asked if there was anything else and there was. Casting aside her previous concerns, she was forced to address another issue. "There is," she replied. "While I was working on Geki, it seems that my Padawan, Sandy, allowed her curiosity to get the better of her and strayed too close to one of the Sith prisoners. That prisoner had some sort of weapon in his fingers and managed to kill her. I know I should have watched her better and accept full responsibility for her death. I felt the Council needed to know of it so that they may assign me my proper punishment for such failure."

[Dashel Illioni]

Soon the two of them entered the main lounge of the “GrassTiger”. Just before entering, Kala's voice again sounded, “Docking with the EV now. The shuttle to Coruscant has also docked. The ladies will be joining us shortly. The shuttle to Coruscant has agreed to wait until the gentlemen are ready to leave for the surface.

 

When the two entered the lounge, their four guests rose as one. The largest of them, the near human “Sue Barnes” walked directly towards Dashel. Just before they me, Barnes fell to one knee and held the weapon over his head towards Dashel, saying only “Master” in a voice far too high for such a large and powerful physique.

 

Dashel snarled, his voice carrying a warning to everyone in the room, “The Jedi do not, will not ever accept the worship of anyone. We serve the Force, accepting its will and guidance.”

 

The big man slowly rose to his full height, towering over everyone in the room, still holding out his weapon to Dashel. Barne's gaze went from fear filled to relieved, somehow managing to communicate a wealth of emotions to complicated to follow in the time it took him to go from one knee to standing.

 

Once the big man reached his full height, he and Dashel locked gazes, a communication passing between them which resulted in Dashel pulling his primary light saber from where it hung at his belt, holding it out at the same level as the big man's. He had to stretch considerably to do so.

 

Barnes extended his weapon with his right, Dashel did the same and both grabbed the other's weapon left handed and stayed that way. Eventually they both dropped their left hands. When they did so, Dashel came away with the Barnes' weapon, he dipped for a moment as the weapon's weight pulled him down.

 

The CoreSec officer rose from his seat, and slowly approached, careful to approach from where both Dashel and Barnes' could see him. He gently took the weapon from Dashel, careful not to get between the two.

 

Barnes spoke, “I serve.”

 

Dashel said nothing for a moment, carefully considering the man before him. “You serve on Lehon. Go there when we are finished here.”

 

He turned, nodded to the CoreSec officer, and motioned for the three of them to continue walking towards to the acceleration couches where the rest of the party waited. At his side stood Kharjo while Barnes strode around the two of them and returned to sitting on the acceleration couches. The couch he chose groaned when he sat down, testifying to his natural weight and the weight of the weapons that remained on his person. When he did so, the tension in the room reduced itself considerably.

 

Through his bond with Kharjo, he felt his Padawan's curiosity about what had just occurred. He looked at the young man and silently mouthed, “Later.”

 

Dashel finished walking over to the group, following closely by Kharjo.

 

“Officer,” he said, “If you are in no hurry, my Padawan and I are going to speak with this young lady. You are most welcome to stay and observe.”

 

He turned towards the Noghri, not sure what to say. The Noghri grinned, saying “I will serve on Lehon as well. First, want to know why girl makes crime against Jedi.”

 

Dashel said nothing, turning towards Dax and bowing ever so slightly and waited. He could feel Kharjo's tension next to him and reached out with to steady him. He knew the boy had gone through a lot and yet the day's trials were not yet over. He took a deep breath and focused his will upon Dax.

 

For her part, Dax had long given up getting comfortable considering how her hands were handcuffed behind her back. She met the Jedi Master's eyes and for the first time since meeting the young Padawan's Sith brother felt a return of some sort of hope entering her life. She looked towards the young Padawan and saw something similar, yet far different from what she had seen in his brother. She felt like weeping in sadness, but refused to give into self pity and instead found courage in the presence of the Jedi and the CoreSec officer. She marveled for a moment at her inability to trust them and her own courage before understanding that somehow the presence of the Jedi was soothing away fears and terror and helping to keep the room calm. That made the tension everyone had felt at the approach of the big man to the Jedi Master that much more remarkable. She briefly considered trying to find a way to exploit the situation, but one look at the change in the big man robbed her of that idea. These were true Jedi, unlike the brother that had claimed that distinction when he had first entered her parents' shipboard compartment on Taris, capable of bringing peace, harmony and hope to any situation.

 

She took a deep breath and squirmed, trying to find a more comfortable position. The older Jedi must have noticed, because he silently waived his hand, causing the manacles to unlock. The manacles floated back to the young CoreSec officer.

 

She sat up, relieved to be able to move her arms freely. She flexed them for a moment, glad to be free for a moment and glad that the Jedi allowed her a moment to collect her thoughts.

 

Dashel watched as the woman Dax stretched her arms and restored circulation to her cramped arms. Manacles had a way of forcing a person into some very uncomfortable positions and it seemed the young woman need a few moments to restore circulation or loosen cramped muscles.

 

He did something that probably puzzled his Padawan, he waited. Once the young lady finished stretching, he spoke. “My Padawan has seen fit to grant you sanctuary with the Jedi Order and I, speaking for the Council back his decision. That sanctuary comes with a price. My Padawan and I have several questions for you and you will answer them truthly, to the best of your ability, without reservation, and without any attempt at deception of any sort.”

 

Dax looked at Dashel and immediately saw that the Triani Jedi Master meant every word. She took a moment before Aresponding. “I accept your conditions.”

 

Dashel looked at her moment before saying more, “Those will do for now. Why don't you tell us how else we can help you?”

 

He immediately felt the surprise from everyone in the room and even felt some himself. He knew the question he meant to ask but it was not the one he had. What he had said, however, produced an immediate result from Dax beyond the surprise of most of the people in the room.

 

The young woman took a deep, ragged breath and told her story. Throughout the story, Dashel heard nothing but the truth in her voice and Kala never warned them of any attempt by the young Zeltran to manipulate any of them with her pheromones. As she told the story, Dashel reached out with the Force and got a far better sense of the young woman and discovered the hold Kharjo's brother held over her. The plan's simplicity and the sheer audacity of the Sith in using the young woman in this manner compelled Dashel to a moment's respect for Kharjo's brother.

 

For her part, Dax knew nothing of what Dashel felt through the Force, only that the Jedi's undivided attention remained completely fixed on her as she spoke. She felt a little nervous at the attention of five male gazes, but took comfort in knowing that the better part of the room was dedicated to peace and non-violence.

 

Her story started out when her family, a troupe of acrobats joined a small circus on Zeltran and began touring the galaxy. The played thousands of venues, from back-water planets to stages on Coruscant and Corellia, often joining together with other small groups to form temporary alliances to better serve large crowds. During a side-trip to Taris a metorstorm of massive proportions locked the local spaceport down and trapped them there. When the storm lifted, the troop found out that their ship had been damaged badly enough to deplete what little financial reserve they had in repairs making it impossible for them to pay for the fuel they needed for their ships.

 

A young Dax took the distraction of the troupe to wander Taris, stopping to examine a tatoo shop. The proprietor saw her looking and seeing a young and very attractive Zeltran waiting outside, offered her choice of tatoos for free. The young women had eagerly accepted, choosing design of intertwined vines for the majority of her body. When she walked out of the shop, she sported a tatoo that made enhanced her natural attractiveness rather than detracting from it.

Other than a massive storm of protest from her parents when she came home, nothing more came of the markings until years later when her troupe visited Tatooine. During a sandstorm which grounded her family's troupe, her parents had been approached by local magistrates whom claimed Dax matched the description of a runaway slave easily identifiable by the pattern of markings Dax wore.

 

The magistrates, backed by local militia seized Dax and gave her parents 24 hours to leave. That had been 5 years ago and since then she had not seen her parents and family. The man whom claimed her took her to his ship and immediately left Tatooine, keeping her locked in a small holding pen for several weeks, only letting her out to eat and use the facilities. Her one attempt at overpowering him physically resulted in her being subjected to a beating so severe she awoke afterwords to find herself floating in a vat of bacta, completely paralyzed. Her captor sat outside the tube and told her how she would be serving him from that point forward. She had not believed and told him as much and he had laughed.

 

When he laughed, his hood fell back revealing Kharjo's brother. The laugh, though, was what had chilled her. The complete lack of any compassion or feeling in it froze her blood and let her know the futility of further resistance. If she had any doubts, when he pulled her from the tube via the Force, he'd immediately begun torturing her immediately via the use of the force. Throughout the first several days of torture he had said nothing, simply demonstrating his ability and willingness to harm her.

 

At the end, when she could not move or resist he had approached her and shackled her to the bed. He had followed up with an IV of something she could not see. She immediately noticed a wave of sickness that swept over her, a weakness she had never before experienced by ended rather quickly. He had leaned over and explained to her that he had injected her with an encapsulated hemorrhagic virus easily releasable by anyone with knowledge of the Force. The weakness she experienced was only the first taste of the horror the virus would inflict upon her should she not follow his commands.

 

For five years she had followed the man's orders successfully until she had attempted to kidnap Kharjo. They all knew how that worked out and now she waited for Kharjo's brother to complete his promise to kill her or go after her family.

 

As she said family Dashel felt a sudden inspiration from the Force. He knew from his examination of Dax that the disease she carried could be cured, but needed to be done by an expert healer while she was shielded from the Darkside of the Force something he now did consciously.

 

He turned to Kharjo and said, “Padawan, we need to find her family and provide them protection if they want or at least a warning. We will also be sending someone to extend the same to your family in case your brother decides that taking one of them would result in your cooperation.”

 

Continuing he said, “She can be cured Padawan, Knight Luo has the ability to do so and Miss Dax here will receive such aid. Do you have any questions for her before the ladies join us and the gentlemen here leave to their various destinations?”

[Onderin Starlisk]

OOC: Darex is... very far away and unlikely to post. We can probably move on, though.

 

IC:

Onderin's thoughtfulness deepened. This certainly wasn't the headstrong, stubborn Jedi Knight that he had fought alongside on Thalassia. "A Jedi's life is a dangerous one," he said carefully. "While your apprentice is your responsibility, it is disturbing that a Sith prisoner could attack her inside CoreSec headquarters, which should be a secure location. Sandy can be cloned, but I don't believe her death was due to negligence on your part. I would urge you to equip her to defend herself as soon as possible, though." The Jedi Master couldn't decide if he was disappointed that CoreSec had allowed such an incident to take place or impressed that they had held as many Sith as they had without something much worse taking place. Not that the death of a Jedi padawan was to be taken lightly, but Onderin had firsthand experience with how destructive dark siders could be, and that the HQ still stood at all showed that CoreSec had been prepared.

 

The Corellian Jedi finally stood, straightening his green robes. "Jedi Cadan can meet us at Geki's location. I have confronted enough powerful Sith that I should be of use in this matter." He was interested to see more of this new Adenna as well, not to mention being glad to catch up with his former apprentice again. Aira's skills had been tempered by the war, but her spirit had not been dimmed, as evidenced by her willingness to put the war to rest and seek peace when it mattered the most.

 

So saying, Onderin started to head toward the hangar areas, excusing himself from the Council chamber and the Grand Master.

 

OOC: You can post Onderin heading down with you guys.

[Guest]

Gracelyn Maier, a Kaalian aristocrat, has always had the desire to aspire to more than another Kaalian breed aristocrat. She wanted to see tangible change in her part of the galaxy. Though raised by an ex Sith and ex Jedi, Maier has always dreamt of the day she can call herself a Jedi.

 

Her story commenced commenced 28 years ago between two opposites. Born to two people with very opposite world ideologies; her mother being an ex- Jedi, and father being an ex- Sith. Like her mother, Jacquelyn Pringle Vitorioso, I was born with a silver spoon on the tropical shores of Kaal, of Yushan sector in the Mid-Rim.

 

Due to Maier’s parent’s background and the fact that she, like her parents, was also a force sensitive, Gracelyn’s parents decided homeschooling was the best option Gracelyn’s scholarly activities included fostering analytical thinking skills, rational decision making, and mastering three instruments (piano, saxophone, and harp), by age 15.

 

Life on Kaal for Maier, revolved around her scholastic activities, family, and the family owned businesses. She had no friends, but her mom, dad and Grandpa were all very much involved in her life. Something about this arrangement fit the girl as she was not accustomed to the punitive looks of the world suffocating her very being.

 

As time progressed, Gracelyn’s mother trained her in The Way of the Jedi, and even allowed her father the liberty of training young Gracelyn in some of the Sith techniques. By age 17, Maier was not only academically accomplished, I was well trained in the principles of the Jedi Way, and a few basic Sith combat techniques.

 

On Gracelyn’s 18th birthday, her Grandpa presented her with the one thing that she desired the most- well maybe the second- an X-wing starfighter, complete with a pilot, a personal droid. The gift came as a surprise her parents. Like a worried parent, Maier’ father was afraid of the implications of the Grandpa’s generosity. However, like Gracelyn, he realized that young Maier had a desire to venture outside the luxurious resort. Kaal was home, but Gracelyn wanted to explore outside the perfectly manicured lawn, mansion, and deep blue sea.

 

That sense of exploration led Gracelyn outside Kaal; without a notice or warning She left Kaal leaving behind the rich lifestyle. She arrived on the Gala a couple weeks ago, going through the Jedi initiate process- just like the average person. Today, however, Gracelyn will finally get to meet her master- ending weeks of her wait... Elation filled the young Kaalian’s heart as she patiently stood, waiting for her Jedi master on the station….

[Adenna Alluyen]

Adenna was not pleased by the Council's decision, but she could not argue for they were the supreme authority for the Jedi. She felt that she should receive some sort of punishment or penance for failing to protect her charge. She followed the other two out of the chamber and walked through the corridors of the station. There were plenty of other Jedi on the station, that much she could sense. Knights were scattered around the station, most with Padawans of their own. There were initiates aplenty, spending their time learning the basics of the Jedi ways and waiting for someone to take them into the larger world to face horrors and dangers and threats most had never even had nightmares of before. Most of them were young, innocent, and naive just as she had been. They were brave, optimistic, and hopelessly eager to please and would need someone to ground them in the harsh reality of this Galaxy. She had failed one Padawan, a poor young girl who should have never been taken away from the shelter of Tython at that age. When the time came, Adenna wouldn't make the same mistake again.

[Onderin Starlisk]

On their way down to the hangar, Onderin received a notification that there was another hopeful waiting for a Master. Normally, he wouldn't consider it his responsibility to do anything about that, but as he walked he got what he could only describe as a prompting from the Force. This girl wasn't going to be his padawan, as he was convinced that Elnia was still fit to be trained and she would come around in time, but Adenna's extreme discomfort with what had happened to her previous apprentice opened the doors to immediate lessons to be learned. Onderin knew from experience that those lessons would fade if not exercised immediately, and when he touched the Force, he felt a rightness about what he had in mind.

 

"Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned from what happened with Sandy," he suddenly said as they walked. "I just received a notification about another hopeful that just arrived on station named Gracelyn Maier. I'm assigning her to you, Adenna. I trust that you can handle having another apprentice so soon?"

 

That was the long and short of it. Onderin wasn't really interested in hearing any excuse Adenna might make because of the Force's prompting, but hopefully she would be less likely to resist if she felt like she had some hand in it.

[ObliviousKnight]

The response came when Armiena, drained by her exertions, physically and mentally cleansed herself in the shower. It was a brief moment of solitude—now that Faust had removed himself from the Eternal Vigilance, she withdrew her attention from the ripples in the fabric of the Force and was for the first time in hours completely alone. She only remotely caught the chime from her comm. unit over the steady rush of the water.

 

“Damn.” Quicker than she’d expected. She withdrew from the stall and made herself presentable, utilizing a minor abuse of the Force to superheat the molecules of gases around her body to instantly vaporize the remnants of water clinging to her body and hair. A simple combat unitard, misappropriated from the security officers’ stocks, awaited her use outside.

 

So Furion, or a representative of his, was waiting for her at Tatooine. Of all places… with literally hundreds of thousands of inhabited planets in the galaxy, why would the Dark Lord choose to arrange a rendezvous on a world with such historical significance? It seemed as though every criminal element in the galaxy maintained a presence on that backwater—holding a private conversation on that gigantic desiccator was even more difficult than on Coruscant. Armiena silently cursed the man’s idiotic choice in meeting grounds while she came up with a checklist of preparations.

 

I’ll need my armor. Weapons. Fire pellets. Privacy generator. Spares for everything; spares for spares. I’ll have to make a stop on Corrie…

 

So Armiena made her way into the vaulted hangar of the Eternal Vigilance, taking a moment to size up the Switchblade’s puny cargo hold. It really wasn’t large enough to store anything larger than ammunition and equipment for a single lightly-equipped solder or intelligence operative—less than a hundred kilograms. Sufficient for her purposes, though. Satisfied with her inspection of the cargo bay and the tiny fighter’s undercarriage, Armiena wheeled herself out from under the fighter using a borrowed mechanic’s cart and suddenly became aware that someone nearby was failing miserably at concealing their uneasiness in her presence. Something was wrong.

 

It didn’t take long. Waiting for her was one of the starfighter mechanics—the Chief Petty Officer on duty, judging from the markings on his overalls. Armiena would have completely dismissed the slightly pudgy, bespectacled, neck-bearded mechanic if it weren’t for the fact that he was only one of the sources of discomfort, and the fact that after offering the pilot a hand up from the deck, he held the woman very closely and whispered in her ear.

 

Armiena immediately tensed and checked the ship’s undercarriage again. Again, she didn’t spot anything out of order… clever bastard. “I don’t care what Raikanda said, outsiders do not get to frack with the ships on my deck. What do you want to do with it?”

 

“I’ll think of something. I have some friends that might be able to help me out with it.”

 

The Chief Petty Officer waved away her thanks and watched Armiena race up the ladder to her ship and take off with a look of concern on her face. Nodding to him as the repulsorlifts carried the little interceptor out of the hangar, made another call on her comm. unit and set a course for Triple Zero, keeping her foot on the lever for the ejector seat… just in case.

[Darex Trevelian]

Everything was settled, and for the first time in hours, the Council chamber was empty save for Darex. He rubbed his face, tired from everything that had been said, decided, and discussed. What he needed was a sanisteam and a good meal.

 

He rose and left the circular room, his feet automatically turning towards his apartments. He was eager to get home; it felt like he hadn't seen Darla and the twins in ages, even though it had only been most of the day. He reached out in the Force towards Armiena--he'd like to introduce her to Alana and Jax--but felt her bright presence retreating from the station. Until next time, my friend. May the Force be with you.

 

As he approached the door, however, his footsteps faltered. The room was rank with fear. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then amplified a soothing presence, a light to drive away the shadows. He found Darla in a corner with the twins. Her face showed evidence of tears. He looked at her with a depth of compassion. The twins were fussing, so without a word, he took them from her and held them, one in each arm. He didn't say a word, but he was, to tell the truth, a little hurt. He assumed she had been afraid when she had felt Faust's presence onboard. That showed wisdom, for Faust was unpredictable on his best days, but what hurt him was that she didn't trust him to protect her and the twins. It was like she believed he didn't care for her anymore.

 

"C'mon," he finally said, "it's past their bedtime."

[Scubby]

Jazce had remained silent through most of the journey and the resultant council session. Not having a place to speak on Geki's madness, though he considered the man irredeemable the fact was he was going to follow Adenna's lead on this. Though he was concerned about some of her reactions... Or lack thereof. AS the council session ended he shook himself slightly. Whilst he could request additional support for CoreSec's SIth Taskforce he didn't feel it was necessary as the Wookiee Jedi Master appeared to be assisting them, besides if they wanted more Jedi on board they'd request the support through him.

 

Besides which looking around he could see the Jedi needed to consolidate their own strength. Not scatter it amongst CoreSec. Though a part of him still mused at the odd turn of events that led a former Stormtrooper to be working with the Jedi. Turning to Adenna as the council went there separate ways he spoke for what felt like the first time in weeks. "Are you alright?" He didn't know what he was referencing. Her lack of emotions, the success of her mission here or perhaps the allocation of a new padawan. That was perhaps the most important factor of all, being so close on the heels of the loss of Sandy... Though apparently that could be reversed.

[Adenna Alluyen]

Adenna looked at Master Starlisk and nodded. "If the master wishes it, I shall be ready. I hope that this one will be older than Sandy. This galaxy is too dangerous to be bringing children along and I have many dangerous things that I must do. Please take me to her."

 

As they were walking, Jazce asked if she was alright. She honestly didn't know how to respond for a few seconds because she didn't remember what it was like to be alright or not alright. She was what she was. If she liked how she was, she kept it. If she didn't, she changed it. She had to come up with an answer, so she said, "I do not know if I am alright or not. I have memories of happiness and of sorrow and am experiencing neither of those right now. I believe that as time goes on and as the nanites in my brain continue to heal the damage done to it, I will become more like the Adenna you knew. Right now, I am simply existing and absorbing all that I can of who I once was. I believe having a Padawan will help fill a spot missing in my life, and if Master Starlisk believes the same, then I will welcome it. Until then, I need interact with people both familiar and new while I reclaim what was lost to me."

[Scubby]

Jazce nodded. Keeping his trepidation hidden under layers of military discipline. He didn't know whether she should be the old Adenna again. That woman had been driven to the point where it had nearly got her killed. Twice by Geki. Who knows how many other times by other Sith. Then again she was in a somewhat unique position of being able to remake herself. Not that she would see it as much of an opportunity. "Alright then," he said at length. "Well whatever you need I'm here to help." Even as they walked though his datapad received a report from HQ. They would be coming in routinely now that he was a Commissioner. He had to make sure he struck a balance between CoreSec and Adenna. Flicking through it he frowned. Trouble in paradise.. The very centre of power too. Closing the tool he looked to the Jedi again. "So where is a map of this place? Your padawan could be anywhere and this place ain't small."

[Onderin Starlisk]

Now that the explanation for Adenna's disconnect was out, Onderin was somewhat less certain that she was fit to take on Geki again. If her current state was weaker than last time she had tried it, she was setting herself up for a very costly failure. Then again, if they had three or more Jedi involved, it was possible that they could take the brunt of Geki's assault while making use of Adenna's experience in the matter. It was quite possible that her experiences made it worth the risk, as Onderin wasn't looking forward to trying to untangle the mad Sith Master himself. And, for what it was worth, he found the very neutral, emotionless state in which Adenna was now to be very fitting for a Jedi attempting such a task as this. He did not believe that all emotion was to be shunned, but only by putting most emotions away could a Jedi truly follow the will of the Force, know good from evil, and act as was truly just.

 

And so he didn't say anything. He was content to see how things played out, taking an active role in whatever ways were necessary and hoping that, even as the damage to Adenna's brain was repaired, she would come to understand that there were important lessons to be gained from all of this. And maybe, if things went perfectly, she could strengthen the Order by becoming the sort of Jedi it needed.

 

Checking his datapad to see where this Gracelyn Maier was waiting, Onderin quickly led Adenna and Agent Leife there. As they rounded the last corner, he sized Gracelyn up with a glance, looking into the Force to gain additional insight. This was someone who'd had experiences already with both sides of the Force, frighteningly intelligent and extremely rational. Some of these things would be assets to her in Jedi training, but others might stand in her way. Sometimes, the more rational mind had trouble letting go of the physical world and their own logic and acting on instinct. It was a Jedi's duty to let go of themselves and be the person the Force would have them be. Hopefully, Gracelyn's experiences with the Force would make it more real to her, or at least real enough that her education wouldn't stand in her way.

 

Onderin's eyes told the story of how much he knew, but he didn't speak to that effect. Instead, he held Gracelyn's gaze and spoke. "Gracelyn Maier, I'm Master Onderin Starlisk. Welcome aboard. This is Jedi Knight Adenna Alluyen--she is going to be your new Master."

[Mercury]

When they entered the room Kharjo’s shame evaporated like the spit in his mouth. Whatever he had expected from these people when he would first meet them, this was not it. They rose as one with reverence, all their eyes shined upon them. It did not sit well with him. He could not explain why. He felt sickened by it, like he had committed murder. This felt wrong. Yet, he held his tongue. The right words did not come forth, just shock. He watched them standing there, waiting for the Jedi to make a move of some sort. Perhaps they thought that Master and Padawan would bow and demand adoration. This was not so. Nothing happened. Kharjo tore his gaze from them, shrunk from it and look upon the profile of his Master. What would the older man do?

 

Before he would get his answer, the near-human, the giant of a man, more muscle than any person had right to have rose from his seat and approached the pair of Jedi. Kharjo froze. He didn’t know what to do. For the faintest of moments he felt fear and his hand unconsciously drifted to the hilt of his lightsaber. He steeled himself for the unknown and waited. However, what happened next stupefied him. Quite literally, stupefied him; his eyes went wide and his mouth fell open. He recovered quick enough with his expression sliding towards puzzlement. Sue Barnes had fallen to one knee and raised his weapon above his head in a sign of fealty. Just like the knight’s of yore and lore way back when. This was not what he had expected from the big and powerful man. This was the farthest thing from it. Kharjo fidgeted where he stood. He cleared his throat and began searching the room for something to stare at besides Sue Barnes.

 

His Master was quicker and more prepared than Kharjo. An authoritative and warning snarl exited his mouth, his eyes went hard and his ears pulled back sharply. Again, Kharjo was surprised by this response. He felt a bit of kindness would have been better, a gentle easing of the truth of things. Politely tell the giant that Jedi do not take servants and worshipers. Whatever caused Dashel to respond the way he had had the desired effect. When he spoke, all listened. The tension that had silently been building in the lounge before this point seemed to recede slightly with Dashel’s declaration. The effect seemed negligible to Kharjo. Being so close to Sue Barnes, Kharjo took him in. The near-human was truly a giant. He was far taller than anyone had a right to be in Kharjo’s opinion, but he had gentle eyes and smelled womanly. At a distance, Sue was as imposing as he was intimidating. But, up close? There was a gentleness about him that Kharjo found disarming. He wanted to move closer to Sue and slap him on the arm or ask to climb up the big man. He couldn’t explain why. He felt silly all of a sudden for being so terrified of such a gentle soul.

 

What transpired next made absolutely no sense to Kharjo and if it did to anyone else in the room, Kharjo could not say. He was perplexed to say the least. Both men grew exponentially tenser and his Master drew his ‘saber. They then locked hands with the other’s weapon all the while never breaking their gaze. Dashel had to stretch comically far to do so, but even still, it did nothing to ease the tension that now permeated the lounge. When they finally pulled away, Dashel had Sue’s weapon and Sue had his. Kharjo wanted to ask what this signified as Officer Pol gingerly walked up and took the weapon from the Jedi Master, but he held his tongue. Events were continuing to move forward and Kharjo had to pay attention. Sue Barnes seemed to still be confused as to what the Jedi were and did as he uttered “I serve.”

 

Again, Kharjo restrained himself from speaking out of turn. He could have said something, perhaps as sternly as his Master had done earlier, but he chose not to. Whatever was going on, this was his Master’s show, not his. His Master’s response further confused him. Why would he accept this man’s service? Why would he send him to Lehon? What was even on Lehon? Kharjo had to fight to hide his frown and only succeeded to the point where it became a twitch of his brow. Kharjo watched as Dashel motioned for Sue, the Officer and the others to take their seat. As Sue Barnes made his way back to one of the acceleration couches, Kharjo unconsciously sighed. He did not understand what had just happened and it seemed to be a pointless venture to ask currently.

 

Once Sue was seated, Kharjo noticed the drop in tension within the room. Whatever happened, it did wonders. Kharjo followed his Master closely as they moved toward the couches. His Master asked Pol if they could question Dax, which seemed beyond a moot point. This was the moment he had been waiting for. Kharjo turned upon Dax, not knowing what he would feel. He’d seen her only once before, but she had bewitched him and tried to kidnap him. Now he was within spitting distance of her and felt only sadness. Looking upon her, with the smug, but timid expression filled him with great sadness. He could not explain it, but he felt as if he could see past the guise she wore to her true self. He saw a frightened and scared little girl stare back at him and felt pity. He sighed and released the last vestiges of whatever anger he held towards her.

 

Kharjo watched as she focused upon his Master and shifted uncomfortably on the couch. Whatever ran through her mind, she weighed it carefully. After a lot more shifting, her Master seemed to catch on to her plight and waved his hands. The next thing Kharjo knew the manacles that bound Dax were released and floated back to Pol, who looked entirely surprised. Having been freed, Dax relaxed considerably and seemed to Kharjo to be genuinely grateful. He watched her move and massage the feeling back into her limbs, eager to hear what she had to say. Yet, still she did not speak. A spark of irritation bloomed inside him as he waited. Silently, he repeated a line from the code to himself. Once she had finally gotten as comfortable as she was likely to get, his Master began the questioning.

 

He watched her intently, reading her reaction to everything Dashel Illioni had to say. When his Master finished she took a moment to ponder his intentions before consenting to his terms. From there, Kharjo expected Dashel to begin immediately, but instead he asked her if he could make her more comfortable. For a moment, Kharjo was taken aback, but then he recalled the original intent for him coming to Coruscant and had to smile to himself knowingly. He turned to his Master and saw the surprise flash across his face. Even if Dashel did not immediately recognize that he was being diplomatic, Kharjo did. It worked and she began telling her sad tale to the group. Kharjo listened carefully. What transpired was a touching tale that gripped at his heart strings and held him hostage.

 

In her early years she’d lived the kind of life Kharjo had once dreamed of, free from the restriction of society, free to do as he pleased, free to push himself, to be wild and dangerous. A small part of him envied that freedom, but he wouldn’t change the course of his life for anything. He felt he had the opportunity to impact the galaxy and make a real difference. Then disaster struck her and his heart sank. He wanted to reach out and touch her shoulder, to console her and tell her everything was OK now. The bad men would never hurt her again. He didn’t have time to think of the implications of his insidious brother or the harm that followed him and everyone he cared about. It didn’t concern him. Ultimately, Kharjo restrained himself and allowed her to speak. He reached out to the Force the best he could and attempted to send her feelings of calm and soothe her wounded soul, but did not know if it had any affect. He’d never attempted such a thing before.

 

When his brother entered into her tale, he felt a tinge of anger coil around his stomach and begin to choke him. He wanted to vomit. He never knew his brother, as he was nearly fifteen years older than he, but he remembered asking about him frequently. He remembered how proud his parents were of him. They always told him that his brother was a kind and gentle soul. What happened to you? He thought. What changed you, brother? When she finished, he didn’t know how to feel. He didn’t know where to place what emotions he understood. He couldn’t understand how anyone could be so malicious.

 

Without realizing why, he turned to his Master an emphatic look in his eye. He did not have the proper words to help Dax, but he wanted to. Dashel must have come to a similar conclusion as he turned to his Padawan moments after Kharjo had looked to him for guidance. He spoke with urgency, but kindness as well.

 

“Padawan, we need to find her family and provide them with protection – if they want it or at least offer them a warning. We will also be sending someone to do the same for your family in case your brother decides that taking one of them will result in your cooperation.”

 

Kharjo’s empathy slid toward confusion and horror. Would his brother do that? Would he harm his own family just to get to his little brother? Kharjo hoped not and prayed that just wasn’t the case. He did not know his brother, never had, but he hoped he was still the same kind soul from the stories his parents told him. Slowly, numbly, Kharjo nodded as his Master continued.

 

“She can be cured, Padawan. Knight Luo has the ability to do so and Miss Dax, here, will receive such aid. Now, do you have any questions before the ladies join us and the gentlemen here leave for their various destinations?”

 

Kharjo turned his olive and gold-flecked gaze from Dashel to Dax and frowned. This was his moment. He’d had so much he’d wanted to say, so much to get out, but now that it had come time to he was unsure. He no longer felt anger towards her and so a lot of what he’d wanted to say he felt he could not. It would be too mean, too hurtful. He had questions about her family, but he wondered how important those really were. Questions about how his brother operated, how they contacted one another and what his plans were for him swirled about, but in mixed company, Kharjo was once again unsure if he should ask them. He didn’t know any of these strange men. True, he sensed no evil in them, but he hadn’t sensed it in Meera Kanlo either. His frown grew more intense and he bit his lips. Looking away, he cast his eyes down upon his bare feet. Idly, he wiggled his toes on his right foot as he bought time.

 

Master Vao and Padawan Greene would be here soon and they would be happy and smiling. Kharjo had to prepare for that. He did not know how much they knew about what had recently transpired. Even if they didn’t know, they would know something was wrong. They would sense it rolling off of him. Finally, he raised his eyes and looked upon Dax, hesitation and sorrow in his gaze. “No, Master. There is nothing I want to ask her right now.”

 

With that he turned away to flex his jaw and blink away the feelings he had been battling with for so long. Anger towards her was gone, but that was it. Everything else remained. After a moment, he began walking off toward the entry ramp. Once he’d left the lounge without so much as a word to anyone present, he stopped and put a hand on the wall closest to him to support his weight as his knees buckled. Suddenly, it struck him. He had been within striking distance of one of the few who had tried to end his life, which had consequently caused the deaths of so many people thereafter and he had forgiven her. His breathing became ragged and he wanted to laugh and cry at once. It took him but a moment to collect himself and continue onward, but it was enough time for his Master to undoubtedly sense the gulf of emotion emanating from his Padawan.

 

As he passed the hallway that led to his quarters he paused again. With a lingering glance, he looked down in the direction of his room and felt the urge to walk off to it and crawl into bed, place his pillow over his head and just lay there. It took considerable effort on his part not to do just that, instead he stayed true to his original intentions and walked toward the entry ramp, entered the passcode and watched the ramp lower to the hangar bay of the EV. Kharjo did not wait for the ramp to lower itself unto the bay floor; he began descending it as it was lowering. Before it hit the ground, Kharjo leapt off it and landed softly on the floor before the ramp and his ship. He scanned the massive bay again and was hit by a sense of completion or something similar to Déjà vu. With a heavy sigh, he stared out into the magnetic screen that kept the bay pressurized, kept the oxygen in and kept the occupants safe from the vacuum of space and looked forlorn. He ripped his gaze from the screen and turned to face the Grasstiger. His eyes roamed the hull of ship for something and eventually settled upon a rear landing skid. He began walking towards it and seated himself next to it and under the ship, his back resting on the skid.

 

With his knees pressed into his chest and his arms encircling his knees, Kharjo closed his eyes and began drifting away. He drifted from the here, the now and went to a place where he could be alone. It was tranquil and serene there. Nothing bad happened there, nothing harmful could touch him. He found himself on a beach. The sand beneath his padded feet was a pearly milk-white. The water that lapped upon the shore was a pristine clear blue, with quiet and rolling white foam upon its surface. Upon the winds was a gentle breeze that carried with it the scent of a rainforest at Kharjo’s back and the sea before him. Seagulls sung in the mid-afternoon sky. And the twin suns of this place lightly kissed the day, like a lover would their love. Kharjo looked about and sighed. He was still dressed in his finest Jedi robes, but they were no longer fine. They showed the signs of his mental anguish and were ripped and tattered and in some places whole bits of fabric were missing and gave way to the cool and inviting breeze.

 

He spotted a nearby palm tree further up the beach and made his way to it. The cool water from the sea rolled in to kiss his feet while the breeze played with his robes. He sighed as he began to relax and sat beneath the shade of the palm tree and just stared off into the distance, content.

 

 

 

 

 

True to her word, a shuttle from Courscant arrived and docked with the Eternal Vigilance. As the passengers began to disembark, Alyssa Greene turned to her Master, friend and surrogate mother, Inuare Vao and smiled softly. She couldn’t contain her excitement. She felt giddy. She wanted to share her happiness with all those she saw and it rolled off her like a calming wave. Master Vao felt it and could not stop herself from chuckling aloud. She, too, felt the same way. It had been far too long since she’d gone out into the galaxy, far too long since she’d attended a gala and interacted with the people of the worlds. It felt good to get out. For the latter portion of her life, she’d devoted it to bringing up and caring for the next generation of Jedi. In her youth she had traveled and fought against oppression. She’d righted wrongs and helped the innocent and the weak. She’d returned hope to those who had lost it. A fleeting thought came to her, Perhaps it’s time I did again? Held in her hand was a bag and within that a fine and elegant dress, one that she was sure was going to impress Dashel. She felt young again.

 

The pair made their way across the hangar bay to where they knew the Grasstiger waited. They talked amongst themselves about the gala that was to come and about Kharjo and Dashel. Both were curious as to how Kharjo’s mission was going. Inaure was sure Kharjo would do well. The lad had it in him to be more than he was and greater than he could ever imagine. He had to only believe in himself. Dashel’s assignment was the right step to get him there. She believed this to the core of her being.

 

They did not dress as Jedi. Inaure did not want to return to Coruscant as Jedi, but as a woman. It was not that she was ashamed of being a Jedi; it was just that it had been far too long since she dressed like a woman. She longed for it more than she had known. And Alyssa had never dressed in anything but Jedi robes. For her Padawan, she knew going to Coruscant in street clothes would be a far greater reward. Inaure dressed in black turtleneck sweater that hugged her torso. She wore a pair of white slacks and black, stylish boots that went up to her knee. They had a three inch heel in the back of them. A trendy belt rested upon her hips, where her lightsaber hung. Over all of this, she wore a lightweight white jacket that fell to the small of her back. When she stretched in any direction, her sweater pulled up, revealing her toned stomach and the rich azure of her skin. Alyssa dressed differently. Inaure had to help her and the teen had decided to wear a tanktop of magenta, the straps of her black bra teasing the eye. For pants she wore a pair of rich, stylish and shiny skinny jeans, with a belt to match her Masters. Her lightsaber hung from the opposite hip. Upon her feet she wore a pair of open-toed stilettos. A matching leather jacket, a pair of bracelets, a beautiful necklace and a pair of earrings rounded out her outfit. She far outshined her Master and she enjoyed the attention she’d garnered from the men and boys she’d past as they walked the Commerce District of Coruscant. Even the woman in the trendy shopping outlets praised Alyssa on her clothing, her simple, yet elegant bun and light application of her makeup.

 

As they neared Dashel’s ship, they spotted Kharjo sitting beneath it. They both smiled and exchanged relieved glances. Kharjo had finished quicker than they’d expected. Inaure was the first to sense trouble and frowned immediately thereafter. She tried reaching out to the young cub, but could not did not get a response. Her frown deepened and worry set in. Alyssa looked up at her Master for a heartbeat before she took off and ran to Kharjo’s side. She said no words, but sat down next to him, wrapped him in her arms and brought him close to her and held him there. She ran a hand through his mane and stared off into the distance. Tears struggled to break through her guise of calm as worry took hold. She knew what Kharjo was doing. He only ever retreated within himself like this when something terrible had happened. It happened the first time he’d failed his Padawan trials and again when he went before the Council of Haruun Kal and was suggested that the Jedi Service Corps. might be his next and only option. She turned to him and looked upon him for a long while, bit her lip as the first tear crested her eye and ran down her cheek. She watched his ears twitch and knew that he was aware of her presence. She could feel him begin to purr and smiled beside herself. Fear and worry did not let up as she held him and the smile fell away.

 

Inaure’s frown deepened and she looked upon her Padawan and Kharjo for a moment longer before she steeled herself and walked up the ramp of the Grasstiger. Her bags of clothes and accessories, the gifts she’d bought for Kala, Kharjo and Dashel forgotten. She needed to speak with Dashel. She needed to figure out what had happened to her child. She did not bother correcting herself at that thought; she did not bother citing the Jedi’s views on attachment. She was furious and beside herself. What could have went so horribly wrong as to cause Kharjo to withdraw so much? She’d only ever gotten him to explain once where he went when he withdrew so far into himself. It was as much a manifestation of the Force as it was his own imagination. It did not take her long to find Dashel, but he was not alone. Four others were with him. Surprise flashed across her visage, but purpose quickly returned. She ignored their eyes as she walked over to Dashel.

 

“We need to talk,” she said sternly in a voice that brooked no argument.

[Dahar Raikanda]

Dahar's transport, after a series of micro jumps, arrived at the EV. It had been only a few days since he had run out on the council meeting. He wanted to explain to the council why he had done so, but alas, he sensed the meeting had finished. After passing through a few clearance checks he himself was alone in the council chambers. He took a seat in the chair he had used during the meeting and found a comfortable position. He sent a personal comm to Darex requesting him to come meet him in the chambers.

 

After the message was sent Dahar closed his eyes, slipping into a blissful state of commune with the Force.

 

As he sat in meditation he noticed a familiar being that he hadn't felt in quite a while. A long while. After a few moments of contemplation he easily recognized his old pupil, Adenna. Her spirit was in a discombobulated sorts, he wondered what was wrong with her. Reaching out through the force he gave her, Adenna a very gentle and calming nudge. Dahar hoped that she would recognize him.

[Guest]

The ship was quite noisy for the Kaalian’s liking. Even so, she tried to pass time by engaging in her favorite pass time. Either the time quickly passed or Maier was not paying attention to the hour of day. While still yet engaged in her reading, three people- whom she guessed were Jedi- approached her.

 

Out of the three the one whom she later found out to be Master Onderin Starlisk, commanded her attention- in the Force. As the trio reached where she was standing, her gaze met Master Starisk’s. Quite average in looks, but his green robes made his blue eyes really pop. ….Knight Adena on hand had on blue robes, and looked rather attractive. She had a mysterious look in hr eyes, one that led Gracelyn to stare at her a bit longer than normal.

 

Snapping out of her stare, Maier quickly offered the customary Jedi greeting, making sure to bow lower to Master Sarlisk, and then quickly rose. “Gracelyn Maier, I'm Master Onderin Starlisk. Welcome aboard. This is Jedi Knight Adenna Alluyen--she is going to be your new Master.” Maier heard, to which she replied. “Thank you, and a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Master Starlisk, Knight Alluyen, and-”she paused not sure how to address the third person.

“…I am ready when you are.” The Kaalian aristocrat added in her normal gracefully tone. Inwardly, however, she was finally glad to have master. An official commencement of her dream....

[Adenna Alluyen]

Adenna looked over the woman whom Master Starlisk had appointed to her. They both appeared to be of the same age, but there was something about the other woman that was lacking. This Gracelyn didn't seem to have much surrounding her Force aura. They were of the same age, but the other woman was lacking experience and the burden of warfare. Adenna doubted she had ever experienced combat or killed someone before. Without delving deeply into the woman's mind, there was no way for Adenna to know anything further about her.

 

In a cool voice, she said, "I am Adenna Alluyen, and I will give you fair warning. I do not know why you joined the Jedi, but I can assure you that it will not be a pleasant experience. Being a Jedi means you must work and work hard. You will be called upon to offer and possibly lose your mind, body, and spirit in cause of protecting the weak and bringing justice to all.

 

Her lips smiled, but her eyes were without emotion. She tapped her temple with her left hand and said, "I have already sacrificed my mind for the cause of the Jedi. Due to a rather ill fortuned encounter with a powerful Sith master, I find myself lacking many memories and much of what you would call social graces. In a way, it is a relief, though there is much that I yearn to retrieve. I find that superfluous words are without point and will be bluntly honest with you. Do not be offended if I am not as warm and gentle as might be otherwise expected." She lifted her right arm, the one missing a hand, and brought it to the woman's attention. "I have lost my hand fighting the same Sith master in a battle I had no chance of winning. I fought so that the innocent children being held by that Sith master might be saved and it cost me a great deal. The monster took both my hand and my tongue."

 

A moment of introspection crossed Adenna's face in a rare display of emotion. Her eyes drifted off into the distance as she continued, "I have sacrificed my spirit, as well. I have fought and killed and willingly gave up my innocence. I have lost other things as well. You are not my first Padawan. My first, Sandy, was captured by slavers in a great battle and tortured mercilessly for many weeks before escaping. She was later killed by a Sith in a place that was supposedly safe."

 

She looked straight into Gracelyn's eyes and said in the same cold voice she had started in. "I cannot guarantee that you will not be harmed while learning under me, nor can I promise you will survive it. You may be called upon to sacrifice some or all of your life for the cause of justice. The Galaxy is a dangerous place and it there is much suffering. As a Jedi, it is our place to stand between that danger and those innocents who are suffering. People will try to kill you simply because you are a Jedi. I will teach you to defend yourself, but you will always be in danger from people trying to kill you as well as temptation from the dark side.

 

"Knowing what may be asked of you, do you still wish to become my Padawan and learn how to become a Jedi?"

[Guest]

Knight Alluyen spoke, albeit void of emotion, but she nonetheless laid it all out on the girl. Doing her best not to seem frightened by the female Knight’s words, Maier imagined a different tone- a rather pleasant one too. Like the ones on the holonet. One that matched Adenna’s beautiful facial features.

 

"…I have already sacrificed my mind for the cause of the Jedi…” upon hearing that part of Adenna’s words, Gracelyn swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. Suddenly, she realized why the woman had the mysterious look in her eyes. Being one not quick to judge, Maier did her best to listen. Knight Alluyen continued by by showing her the pain she had endured. In Maier’s eyes the female Knight had done a noble deed-- though she herself wasn’t certain she would have given her arm for any cause. The peasants Knight Adenna saved would have died had it been Maier. She was quite certain of that. In the Kaalian's mind credits solves every problem in the galaxy, and that would have been her response- not giving up her arm.

 

Finally a directed question was forthcoming: “Knowing what may be asked of you, do you still wish to become my Padawan and learn how to become a Jedi?”

 

All her life Maier had been waited upon- she never had to lift a finger, nor toil for anything. Life as a Jedi however seemed the exact opposite- at least based on what the female Knight just said. Looking straight into her soon to be masters blue eyes, Maier finally broke her silence- “Yes, I do. And I thank you for the prior warning.” Her voice was cool and calm, like the proper aristocrat she'd been raised to be. Inwardly, however, the aristocrat felt as though she’d just signed her life away. Time will only tell what she can make of her new life.

[Adenna Alluyen]

Adenna nodded in response. "Then I accept you as my Padawan. I regret that time is limited, but you will have to learn much in the field. At this moment, the Sith have been defeated, but not destroyed and there are many other evils to be dealt with." She gestured to Jazce and said, "This is CoreSec Commissioner Leife. We are still working on containing a problematic Sith, the same one that has mutilated me. Accompany us and observe carefully. If things go as desired, you may witness a rare sight indeed--the salvation of a man plagued with insanity and driven to terrible evil."

 

She felt the presence of someone vaguely familiar, but she didn't have the time to discover who. There were many Force wielders on this station, learning who she had previous contact with would take more time than she had at this moment.

[Scubby]

Jazce's looked as Adenna's new padawan approached. His eyes blank as he assessed her. Human female. Young. The accent was familiar. Kaal? He remembered its like when he had been a Stormtrooper on rec leave. Maybe in her early twenties or late teens. Tall for a woman and quite fetching. Taking stock of her gear he assumed the Jedi would have taken that in hand. It wasn't much. Especially in these troubled times so soon after a war. Turning as Adenna spoke his eyes narrowed. Her voice had even less emotion in it now than it had before, but her words were far more disturbing. Even if he had witnessed most of it. Suppressing a wince as she proceeded to probably scare the girl clear through he surmised that perhaps they should talk sometime.

 

He could perhaps teach her a little of dealing with people. Especially her new padawan who from what Jazce knew would learn almost everything from her. Turning back to Gracelyn he nodded to her as Adenna introduced him. Suppressing another wince at the use of his title. He was still getting used to that. "Nice to meet you." Was all he said. Not wanting to rain on Adenna's introductory parade. If he had his way and he continued working with Adenna he would have plenty of time to get to know the new padawan later. Still a little nonplussed at the brutality of Adenna's opening statement to the girl he turned back to the Jedi. "I'm ready to leave when you are."

[Darex Trevelian]

They were just sitting down to dinner when Darex's comm buzzed. He sighed. That always happened. He looked at his plate regretfully. "Save something for me, will you?"

 

He placed his napkin on the table as he rose and headed back through the station. Dahar's message had said to meet in the council chambers, which thankfully were not far. He wondered what the man wanted to speak about. Darex didn't know Dahar very well; he had given the man his knight trials, but their interaction had been limited since then. The meeting had given him the impression that the man was a little reckless, so he was interested to see what had brought him back to the EV so quickly.

 

He arrived in the chamber and saw Dahar seated in a chair. "Master Dahar, welcome back. How can I help you?"