MAIN THREAD: The Time (Open to all Jedi)

[Ols]

"I wish to tell you that, as much as you don't want to believe, and as much as I wish it wasn't true, she's right." Cade said simply, once they were out of earshot of the Jedi and Linora, "I witnessed it myself. I did my best to apprehend the Jedi and organise some kind of rescue for the civillians, but there are still lives on my conscience because of what he did."

Cade paused a second to allow the gravity of his words to sink in as he contemplated how to continue. After exhaling deeply he decided to be as upfront as he could, "Master, I am not here to prove Katu's guilt. In fact, I'm not here to accuse him. I'm here to assure you that I have operated entirely for the good of the Jedi and the Force. And Katu was convinced what he was doing was right. He looked like a man possessed. I might suggest that there was more at work than just a twist in his philosophy. Sometimes events like this need to happen, you know that better than most, master. The Jedi and the Ospion cannot coexist, not in our time. This event, I believe, was a necessary catalyst."

 

[Matt]

"Think of what you are asking me Cade, you are asking me to start a war that could consume thousands of lives? Starting this thing came with a heavy heart despite my feelings of being on the defensive against an aggressive power, but now? A war started on a lie?"

Dewbecca looked at Cade for a moment before looking away towards the sun, from a neutral perspective Cade's words were true, this was inevitable but to start it like this.

 

[Ols]

"I'm not asking you to start a war," Cade replied, "I'm just asking you to consider what is best for the Jedi order. This is going to come whatever happens. Katu and two knights accompanying have already become some of the first casualties of this conflict between us and them. They are growing numbers and strength every day. Perhaps it might be true that those three Jedi did something wrong for a Jedi to do. But think of what will happen if the truth does get. This conflict is going to happen. And if Katu's actions are given the wrong spin then all of a sudden the Jedi will find themselves truly exiled from the Republic."

He paused again, "We've all done things we've wished we didn't have to. But there are some evils that are the lesser of many. As far as you know, anybody could have set that building to go down, there were Ospion there, there were Jedi there and there were independent aggressors there. The Jedi and Ospion got in each others' way and there was a regrettable outcome. But think of what happened if you went back on this now. You've already rallied the Jedi Order. While they may realise this is a sad time for such things, their morale is high, their mandate is set."

Again he paused and took a step closer to his former master, "We've all made sacrifices for the greater good. Katu gave his life to give you this opportunity to stop a full scale war and try to rectify this conflict. I don't need to tell what I've gone through for this, but I assure you it's not been my idea of a holiday. As grandmaster you must, as Jedi Councillors we must, even as Jedi we all must stand back and look at the bigger picture. Which is going to be worse in the long run?"

 

[Ru the Boatswain]

"Perhaps you need to see a physician, Colm, for I think your hearing is failing you. I said plainly that your Jedi planted the bomb that killed all those hostages, and it was they who set it off before the Ospion had even entered the building. Rastarn Security will colaborate this statement, as will around forty other people who were with us at the time of the explosion.

"If you are going to accuse someone of murder, I suggest you listen more closely to their statements," Linora snarled, glaring daggers at Master Lorian.

"Is this the company you are forced to keep now, Master Dewbacca? If so, the Jed Order has fallen much farther than I had originally thought," she added, turning back to Dewbacca, a master she had deep found respect for, even now.

(I think we had a miscommunication. I was talking about the jedi master and his Followers.)

 

[Ser Gregor]

(((Oh well, to late now. Might as well go with it.)))

 

[Ru the Boatswain]

(((Oh well, to late now. Might as well go with it.)))

(...Well...Kinda..ok...naww...Shiiiiiit. We can't fix it? Should I assume you made a big fib or if I meant what you thought I meant?)

 

[Ser Gregor]

(((How about both? You meant if I killed the Jedi and the hostages.)))

 

[Matt]

"I know you made sacrifices Cade, Sacrifices you never had to undertake on your own. I understand your logic and sadly, painfully I see no other option then to undertake this most difficult avenue."


He ignited his blade with a flash, using the force to bring it to his grasp in a moment, he walked with a purpose and determination he had not had within him for years as he walked across the pathway towards the enclosure, his blade was pointed directly at Linora.

"You are under arrest for crimes against the jedi order, you will be put under arrest where you face trail for the things you have committed, and the lies you are attempting to spread within the order Linora"

 

[Ser Gregor]

"And what crimes have I committed, Master Dewbacca?" Linora asked pointedly, staring down the much larger Wookiee Jedi. "Leaving the Order was within our right. Defending ourselves against the Jedi who attacked us was within our right. It regretebly ended in bloodshed. And lies? The Ospion have had no interaction with the Jedi since the split, Master. You are jumping at the shadows of ghosts and imagined dangers. It was the Jedi who infiltrated the Ospion and it is the Jedi who are planning a crusade against us. You are pathetic."

Her lightsaber stayed at her side, her arms crossed across her chest as she glared at the Grandmaster. "I will not submit to your mindless panic. I will not sit through your mob trial. I will not let you make a fool of yourself and your beliefs, old friend."

 

[Matt]

"And if I am pathetic then I know why I stand here before you, My ideals are clean and my path is set before me while you stand there making your lies and spinning your web off deceit. I know that though the righteousness off my blade and the strength within my soul I will bury you and your treacherous orders plans against mine"

Dewbecca took a step forward, his eyes a blaze with a passion he used only for such times, an unlocked bout of fury coupled with his own species terrible temper and his past pain.

"Submit or ignite your blade Linora"

 

[Ser Gregor]

"I'm afraid if I were to ignite my blade, it would do little good. After all, it's not real," Linora commented off hand, lifting her blade, her eyes glittering as she watched the blade dissolve. "Masters, you must learn to be more perceptive of your surroundings. This illusion has been sustained for far longer than I had thought possible."

Even as she spoke, she began to flicker, her hair whipping like sand caught in air. Even as a young student, Linora had been apt at creating illusions through the force. It was her greatest skill in combat.

"I bid you farewell, Masters," the last vestiges of Linora's image smiled, before flickering in to nothingness.

(((OOC: And before you all nay-say, I've developed this skill throughout almost every thread Linora has been in. I've used the ability countless times, so she is indeed skilled at illusions. Of course, she would have to be somewhere on Ossus to pull off the illusion, so you guys should probably start looking for her.)))

 

[Cyril Khan]

“Stand your blade, Dewbecca.” The shout came from the outer edge of the courtyard, and soon a travel worn, aging man appeared. His whitening beard and hair looked as if their owner had not managed it for a long while and made him look like a ancient savage; however, the man behind the unkempt locks appeared in his prime, and anyone who could see through the Force knew the Force had aged him well. Last time anyone had spoken to this man, he looked younger and cleaner and spoke arrogantly and antisocially. Now, when he had met these three again, he appeared nothing like he did before. “I have spent my life without one, and you of all Jedi should know there are better ways to arrest and punish. I do not mind you carrying out what you perceive as justice, but not with threats of dismemberment or death; this does not reflect well on our order. So, I say again, stay your blade.”

The odd Jedi did not appear out of thin air, but he had just narrowly arrived. The councilor went by the name of Tían Velvar, and many people remembered him as a pacifistic, strict member of the Order. Also, the majority recognized the fact that he disappeared at one point, and only Dewbecca knew that he had turned to a Force led journey. The dramatic events skewed the master’s view of the Force, and he knew that only time and meditation could heal the mental wounds. There was no coincidence that he felt obliged to return to Ossus at that time.

Tían Velvar moved into the garden swiftly and stood sturdily in front of the others. If anyone looked, they would not see his weapon on him. He did not bring it, and he did not intend to use it if he had. In the event he would have to defend someone or himself, he knew more than enough to do so, perhaps even better than if he had his own blade. Yet, even though the presence of two Ospion members created serious threat, the newcomer Jedi did not appear worried about actual combat. If anyone knew him, he favored the arts of illusion over all others; without any doubt, he recognized its effect better than most. It did not surprise him when he and this fellow councillor stood alone in the meditation chamber.

 

[Ru the Boatswain]

In an instant Dewbecca had attempted to arrest the Ospion leader, only to have her vanish in a moment. "I loathe those vanishing tricks." His hand grasping his lightsaber. Placing it back in his sleeve he looked to the Grand Master and then to Master Velvar. The master was right, violence was not their way, something often forgotten.

"We should take a look at this data, somewhere where Linora can't get to. I have a private computer that isn't on the network. We can investigate it there."

 

[Ols]

(((OOC: And before you all nay-say, I've developed this skill throughout almost every thread Linora has been in. I've used the ability countless times, so she is indeed skilled at illusions. Of course, she would have to be somewhere on Ossus to pull off the illusion, so you guys should probably start looking for her.)))

((If you want to leave it as a surprise, fair enough but can you at least say that her force presence was odd, not like a real human or something like that. And I won't press the issue, but I'm pretty sure the supposedly most powerful, wisest and perceptive Jedi may well have noticed something was amiss.))

No wonder he had not been able sense her approaching this side of the enclave. No wonder he had not seen her covertly enter as he did himself. The damned woman had not even been in the gardens. Cade knew something had been up, if only he had reached out to her in the force he would have realised she was an illusion and not the real thing. He had dropped his guard, he had been guilty of the greatest flaw of a force user, he had become complacent, completely abandoned the notion she was fooling them, even though he was totally aware she was able to create the illusion. She probably was not even in the enclave. But all hope of finding her was not lost. Then Colm spoke.

"Lorian, if you are intent on reading those files right this minute I advise you to use a data reader only. Don't try to access them the regular way, you know as well as anyone else valuable information has protections to stop it being read. I disabled what I had to to get them onto that card, don't make what I've been through in vain. But the data can wait for now."

He paused and turned to Dewbecca and Tian. Unlike the two young masters who had been ready to appoint themselves judges, jury and executioners on the spot when he arrived, he still had respect for the pacifist master.

"Master Velvar, you know how draining sustaining illusions like that can be, and at distance. Tanoor can't be that far away. In fact she's definitely nearby. If she was that smart, she wouldn't be within the enclave, too much interference and too much risk, she'd be performing that illusion near her escape shuttle, so she would not have far to go after being drained from her illusion, and make no mistake she won't be running any marathons after that exertion. She may have a pilot to make sure she gets on and take care quickly," he paused a second and face Colm and Huang.

"Lorian, if you really want something to do, get onto the hyperspace techs. Tell them to ground all traffic trying to leave the system until further notice. Then prepare a ship, two if possible. Small, fast, hyperspace worthy and with enough room for all of us," he gestured to the other council members, "to fit in each. The former task is of the utmost urgency, she may already be approaching the beacon. Huang, if you don't mind helping him that would be great. I'll be on my comlink, as soon as the ships are ready, if you each get ready to pilot one I'll message you then. Oh and locking down the enclave immediately would be advisable, in case I'm wrong."

He paused a second, "Sorry if aggressive, but we need to move fast. We still have the chance to arrest her if we do."

 

[Will]

''Gladly, councilmember.'' Huang said in his cold, neutral tone all were accustomed to. The action by the grandmaster would surely lead to war. Huang did not mind. As expeced, he would relish exercising his lightsabre arm in real combat, something he had not done in a long time. The councilmember Velvar was an oddity, almost polar opposite to Karasu, abhorring the blade. ''Shall we, councilmember Lorrian?''

 

[Matt]

"Master Tian I must remind you off your position and my own, I respect your council but do not tell me who to throw my aggression towards please"

With that he turned to the two younger jedi masters looking them both up and down, not in any sign of disrespect, more a evaluation off there skills in a brief moment as he thought of the plan off action.

"And do not engage her alone you two, if she is here call us both and we will all take her alive, I do not wish for her to be killed for it will accomplish nothing. Cade, walk with me please, Master Tian please meet me and Cade at the edge of the forest in an hours time"

Dewbecca turned and walked off towards the main jedi building, his pace slow and deliberate as his thoughts weighed him down.

 

[Ru the Boatswain]

"Indeed we shall." Colm said with an incline of his head to the council. " We should move quickly. I can prep a ship in no time wile you shut down any transport- Except our own of course."

The most efficient and quick contact he would have with hyperspace control would be in the hangers. Just at the entrance was a comm station with one man already there. "I need you to send a message to control. Ground all ships now, excluding the Jedi Council ship, the Doran. Do not give permission to any others unless I specifically order you. This is an emergency situation." His answer was prompt and his orders followed, Colm continued on his way.

Colm and his fellow Master Jedi left the garden and slit ways. Colm rushed to the hangers and an ideal ship, the Doran. He quickly had a technician assist him in prepping it, in a short time it was ready to go, facing out of the hanger. Colm waited by the ramp of the ship for the rest of the Masters.

 

[Cyril Khan]

“Very well,” The words flowed acidly out of the master’s mouth. He could not agree with the way his fellow Jedi intended to pass judgment, but he also knew that he could not allow himself or any other fall away from an already torn Order over an issue of excessive force.

The Jedi councilor said no more, while the others talked and Dewbecca issued orders. His recognized his tardy arrival, and chose not to interfere with the events. He would do what he needed once he caught up with the current policies and plans of the Order. And so, when his colleague mandated him to meet in an hour, he left alone to his quarters. He had not cared for the barren space for much time, and this hiatus provided him time to settle once more within the temple.

 

[Ols]

Cade ignored the fact that his former master referred to him by name and Velvar by title, he was used to his rapport with his master. But he was ready to implore Master Dewbecca to rush once more. He was about to argue that no time could be lost. But instead he took a second and thought. If Linora was not already gone by the time Colm and Huang had the cordon put up upon the hyperspace beacon, which would be in seconds as it would take only a simple transmission, she was trapped in the Ossus system. In fact she was pretty much stranded on world if that was the case, whether she was trying to escape or not. If she was already gone their entire efforst would be in vain anyway. They had a little time to spare, but Cade still felt an hour may be a little much. Regardless, he trusted his former master.

"Of course, master," Cade said, following the slowly, deliberately moving wookiee towards the building until they were alone in the gardens. Cade took a breath and let the tension ease from his body. The wookiee's presence was soothing indeed. They continued walking through the serenity in silence until Cade broke it, with something that had plagued him since his return, "I know they're suspicious. Karasu and Lorian, Velvar too probably. They don't trust me as they once did. But I promise you I am for the Order, master."

 

[Matt]

"Well Cade I will not condone your actions, they were headstrong and I thought you were beyond such practices after your advancement to the council, however I am glad you are here now when it counts my friend."

Dewbecca paused for a moment as he looked off towards the forest, his senses were on high alert after Linora's illusion, she was nearby and she would not escape.

"You must understand the conversation we had before I confronted Linora never happened, we have done something that cannot be repeated, though the orders long history there have been times like this where jedi have done what they see fit to help the order, generally they are looked down upon as vigilantes using there influence to move the order in there own way. We must not allow our actions to be seen this way, not for personal reasons but for the good of the order."

Dewbecca couldn't help but laugh, he never saw himself as being in this situation but here he was about to proceed over the beginning of a conflict not seen for thousands of years.

"