Awake the Soul

[Master Maverick]

"Enter!" A soft, warm and somewhat deeper female voice called out, muffled from the walls that enclosed the woman inside this conference room in the middle of the gunship within which she stood, her back toward the door. Lumyn would allow the visitors entrance, his hand pressing the numbers for the code to unlock the door.

The two would enter with the Togruta turning to watch them. No other gesture was offered to the pair. She was on the other side of the long, oval table. She looked at the chairs to her right before she sat at the head of the table. There was no need to speak and she had no energy to expend on meaningless niceties at this time.

And Force knew she was tired.

She had only just finished the boot camp where she led a group of young Jedi to their limits and back before the Sith arrived to lay waste to her home. Already exhausted, saving the Jedi, the younglings from certain death was something... she couldn't even think about the consequences of her failure. Not right now. there was no use, it wasn't helpful and she couldn't even...

She berated herself for feeling so weak after the class, and then during the evacuation. But weakness, the lack of strength, was not something to frown upon. Ashara had many other gifts that allowed her to stand out amid all the stars within the Order. It wasn't that she shone the brightest, or that her color was unique, or that she was the biggest. No, but she could adapt, change and form herself into what was needed, what was required. More importantly, she had succeeded in her task. She saved everyone she could and that was enough for now.

Her eyes watched Juno and Jake enter. It had been some time since she last saw either of them. While Juno had, for the most part, stayed the same (save for the various wounds she now carried), there was clear change in the youngest Jedi. Not necessarily his appearance, though he had clearly filled out a bit since they were last together. It was his demeanor, the way he carried himself.

His exploits as of late had been under the scrutiny of the Sage Master ever since the incident on Cularin. Once that name touched her consciousness her mind went straight for Drasha.

No, Atra. Ashara had concluded that the woman she once knew was no more. She had been destroyed by her former Apprentice, the one that now stood here before her seeking Knighthood.

Only after the three were sitting did she greet them, finally. "Good morning, Juno. It has been some time, and we both have been extremely busy, it seems." A nod of confirmation was offered, but not her signature smile. Indeed, the smile she offered only naturally a few months ago was now a rare sight, forced more than anything. Much had changed.

"And good morning to you, Padawan Denoda." Her voice was noticeably harsher than it had been with Juno, but that was hardly a surprise.

"Well, I suppose we might as well get right to it. No need in wasting time." Her eyes shifted from Jake to Juno and back to Jake, spending a few moments on each before resting on the male.

"First, I would like to know what you have come to realize about that mission on Cularin." He must have rehearsed this answer a million times since their parting. Here, though, in front of the Sage Master, all of that might go to the wayside. Either way, the question was too obvious but clearly the starting point upon which all of this had come to be. Starting from the beginning had normally been the way of the Sage, choosing for a more structured discussion than some others.

 

[Cassanova]

Leading her Padawan into the room, the Weapon Master wore the visible signs of the defeat upon Tython. The first clue was that the Corellian Jedi wasn't wearing her typical armour, and wasn't carrying her usual myriad of weaponry, instead all exchanged in favour of the light, comfortable, yet more traditional robes of the Jedi Order. Naturally, no Jedi is ever caught without a lightsaber, so Juno did keep her chrome hilted lightsaber hanging from her belt. While this seemed to be the largest and most out of place part of Juno's appearance, what would have caught anyone who knew her by surprise was her state of disrepair.

Walking with a heavy limp, her left arm in a sling across her chest, her face visibly bruised and swollen, cuts held closed with steri-strips. To be honest; Juno looked like she had walked the seven circles of hell and escaped with surprisingly good luck. Although with each step, her wounds became more evident. Wincing each time she stepped onto her left leg suggesting a myriad of issues up her left side. Deep tissue bruising, broken ribs, even the dislocated shoulder (now back in place, of course) all were causing the Jedi Master intense discomfort. All these injuries aside, of course, Juno would never turn down the opportunity to defend her Padawan's readiness to undergo the trials to become a Jedi Knight. Not after all he had done alongside Juno, not after his show of skill and level-headedness expected of a Jedi - no, expected of Juno's Padawan.

Juno politely nodded as she gingerly lowered herself onto the seat, struggling to keep her whimpers of pain to herself. While yes, she had the Force, Juno was not particularly apt at using the skill of Force Heal, she was also remarkably stubborn and had refused to sit still long enough for the Jedi Healers to really do any good for her, instead making claims of things to do, operations to manage and organise. And when the call from Ashara Vashee arose, Juno had no qualms enduring the pain of the walk around amongst her fellow Jedi in order to meet with the Sage Master, regardless of the topic of conversation.

"Good morning, Juno. It has been some time, and we both have been extremely busy, it seems," Ashara commented.
"Unfortunately, Master Vashee..." she frowned as she shifted her weight onto her right, and largely uninjured side, "...Unfortunately, my efforts have not paid off with the desired result. I am, of course, fortunate and grateful to still be alive."

Falling silent as the Sage Master turned to address her Padawan, Juno listened carefully, never having been given the full story on the events that led to Jake becoming her Padawan, or exactly what had caused the Sage Master to feel she had failed so with him. The conversation was, naturally, something Juno needed to hear and needed to hear clearly, but Juno did not, for her own reasons, call upon the Force to dull her pain, nor heal her body. Not yet. Right now, she needed to feel human.

 

[Chrispy Dee]

Jake entered the Sage master's office alongside his new master, wearing his armour under his brown Jedi robes. He looked as both masters greeted each other, and gave a polite nod to Ashara when she looked at him.

As she finally addressed him, he stepped forward, looking her in the eyes, and filling the force with confidence. At her question he felt excitment filling his body...and not in a good way. He recalled the events at Cularin. What had happened there, and what he had done. He knew what he wanted to tell the sage master, what the human part of him wished to tell her... That she sacrificed a number of Jedi, using a whole city as a bait to end an old conflict between her and this mad cult master. So many people dead, only to ultimately letting the crazy witch leave...

That was what the Correlian boy inside him wanted to tell her right in the face. The man however, which was the Jedi Knight in him, chose to give her a short but honest answer: " I realized that every man must fight his own Demons. Noone else should do it for you."

No matter how negatively Ashara felt about Jake's actions, and the mistakes he had made...they were still mistakes. Mistakes of a young man, that had good in mind, but failed to resolve the matter in a jedi way. A slip that has tought him more then every lessen she could have offered him.

Jake looked away at Juno for a second, then back to Ashara with a neutral look on his face, before adding: " But the most valuable lesson I got from this...is that in the order, no matter how many people turn your back from you..." He looked back at Juno with a warm smile "...there will always be those who pick you back up, and use your mistakes to make you a better person..."

"So whatever the force had in mind for me when it called me to Cularin, it has made me who I am..."

He pulled out the pike he has crafter under Juno's tutelage, and held it next to him:

"I am Jake Denoda, and I am a keeper of the peace. And I will keep doing so until I am no more. No weapon, title or being can change that. "

 

[Master Maverick]

((OOC: Because I didn't really explain it: we're all on her personal gunship somewhere in space.))

"I should hope not," she responded with only a small pause. Her words, though, seemed to cut down his declaration of the self he had finally discovered. It was clear that she was not quite so impressed at his epiphany. This was only partially true, however. The dispersal of the Jedi was so much for the Sage to take in, she was doing all she could now from breaking down. Keeping everything behind a cold, steely door kept her in check for now. It would take some time until she would balance herself. For now, this is the Ashara Vashee these two would face.

"You need not hold your tongue in fear of hurting my feelings, however." She looked at Juno, then, her wounds verging on physically painful for Ashara as she merely looked at them. "Indeed, Master Armstrong knows only little of what transpired on that day. Perhaps she can offer an unbiased opinion." It was a game, now. Ashara had no shame at this point, but it all had a purpose. These two young Jedi might not see it, but that hardly mattered to the Togruta.

"You told me, on that day, that I sacrificed the lives of scores of Tarasin for selfish means - to draw out one individual and stop her. Of course I failed in this and she escaped, but many still died. You, at least, tried to work from the inside. Perhaps you did not have a hand in kill so many, but your crimes surely added up, did they not?" It was rhetorical, and a pause followed while she gathered her thoughts to carry on in her assessment of the mission.

"You are mistaken, however. You appeared of the impression that it was my intention to offer the Tarasin as martyrs to her and her cult. It was my intention to make it to Darnion before they arrived and stop them at the gates. However, we were stalled, and their, your, progress expedited. It is regrettable, surely. I simply wanted control over the setting - one that I knew more than any of the platform cities, all with much higher populations. I also wanted to keep her presence from becoming public eye. Were that to happen then tracking her down would have become only more difficult. Instead, she will carry on as she had, her habits allowed to continue and for me to gather more intelligence on, to follow and learn more about what she is doing. She is careless and reveals herself, giving me at least the opportunity to find her and stop her. She is not stupid, as I am sure you learned during your time with her. She would have been nigh impossible to track down and I would have had to start over, years of work for nothing."

Now she took a slightly deeper breath, her tirade allowed to break for a moment before she added on his actions in order to make a more complete picture for the Weapon Master.

"But you..." she started. "Drasha is forever gone. Clearly it was not your intention, but she can never be redeemed now, just as those lives can never be given back." Ashara's jaw was clenched and she had to stop, silencing herself before she went over the edge she was already hanging off of just barely.

 

[Cassanova]

Juno frowned, she honestly didn't know what was worse; Jake's actions or the Sage Master's apparent grudge holding for the events that took place on Cularin. Unsure as to why Juno was called into the meeting, she assumed that it was to discuss these things with the pair of them, as opposed to being a fly on the wall, so the Weapon Master chimed in, "If I may, Master Vashee."

Juno's words were terse as she was finding it difficult to articulate particularly clearly through her broken jaw. Luckily it was a crack, and not snapped through, so she still had decent mobility of her mouth, "It seems that Jake's actions were rash, poorly thought out, and demonstrated an acute lack of trust in his fellow Jedi. However, he is my Padawan, on your Order. The young foolish boy you are speaking about no longer exists."

Her guardian blue eyes shone even more brightly amidst the bruising on her face, "Ashara..." Juno broke formality for a moment. Something she only did unless it required it. "...The man you see sitting before you is not the same one. This is a man who has learned from the mistakes of himself, the mistakes of others. He's saved my life on several occasions, and been crucial to the success of one of the most noted joint Alliance-Jedi operations in history; the Mobile Training unit."

"The loss of life on Cularin was a hugely unfortunate event, but the blame cannot fall solely upon my apprentices shoulders, nor on any person's," Juno's eyes flickered to Jake with respect, and back to Ashara showing a certain hint of remorse. "I've no doubt that Jake will spend the remainder of his life, Force willing it be a long one, to work towards equalising the damage that was caused as a result of his own actions, but this..." Juno motioned to Ashara, and to Jake, pointing out the back and forth conflict between the two, "...this has to stop."

 

[Chrispy Dee]

Jake gave Juno a faint smile, before looking towards Master Vashee.

"Sagemaster..." he began with a relaxed voice, his force aura filled with reassurance: "Like master Armstrong has said it, I am aware of what I have done wrong . I am aware of any better course of action I could have taken, and I am aware that I may have caused unrepairable damage to your cause concerning Drasha, or whatever is left of her."


He turned to Juno: "Gratitude for your confidence in me, master..." He looked back at the sage Master: "...like you said.... I will repair what damage I have done. I will find her, and finish what we have started before more beings beings become victims of her grudge against the Jedi."

 

[Master Maverick]

There was no answer for several moments after Jake had finished speaking. Juno, clearly, had a point. However, she was a bit misled. Ashara clearly played her part well enough, but Juno was not completely wrong - Ashara was hurt by those things Jake had said about her. She cared so much about him and he simply ripped her down as though she were useless, a horrible being and selfish. It hurt all the more only because, in essence, he wasn't really all the wrong. She could say what she wanted, twist it to her advantage and give all the reasons in the galaxy, but in the end lives were lost and Drasha escaped.

Jake's desire to exact revenge on the fallen Jedi was comical, though. She was far and above his capabilities. Even more, it was her own responsibility, not his. She would ask for help, surely, but it was not to be his primary objective. It never was. It was always her loose end to tie up. She had been the cause of it, after all.

"Of course," she said to Juno after the silence had gone on for long enough. "What is done is done and we must move forward rather than be stuck in the past." Her eyes moved from one to the other to linger on Jake for an extra moment. "However, I would like to make some corrections before I let you go." She'd pause for effect before making the statements

"Drasha was never your responsibility to rectify. It is mine and mine alone. That is not to say you will not be involved, for she will surely go after you after what you have done to her. You are certainly not alone, however, as you have clearly learned in your training with Master Armstrong." Her gaze shifted to the female human in confirmation of the subtle praise offered.

"Also, you did not do wrong. Your choice to leave was immature, as I am sure you are well aware of by now. However, your wish to dismantle them from the outside was far more brave, albeit risky and foolish, than mine from the outside. You no longer need simply agree with your elders for the sake of their age. Respect them, surely, but if you believe them wrong and can support your view then voice your thoughts. You need not mute yourself for chivalry."

Then she turned to Juno and waited a moment before saying, "Was..." The word was left alone for a couple seconds before she put it into context. "Was your Padawan." Her eyes glanced over the both of them as they took in the information. "You did not think I would reveal my location to the both of you, lead you here and offer news to the contrary?" A couple months ago she would have offered a cheeky smile. However, she remained rather impassive and simply finished her thoughts.

"That and I wanted to return to you your lightsabers. They are yours to do with as you wish." With that she lifted back the fall of her robe to reveal two hilts hanging from her right hip. They were released from their clasps and placed upon the table as close to Jake as she could manage without bending over.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

He didn't know why the current Sage Master had needed his assistance upon her personal flagship. They hadn't interacted much, well, much more than he interacted with all other Jedi. She was quite social, though she had to be for her position, it seemed. Still, she held an air much different than Skhai, but Master Ashara held a dignity that was unmistakable, and Ked couldn't help but feel respect for that. This alien could communicate with him much more efficiently, though. Whenever he asked questions, she would be direct as if she knew how he would prefer to be spoken to. She showed an understanding of him, though he couldn't possibly understand her. She was as strange as the other Jedi within the Order. He certainly didn't feel completely a part of the Order, but he felt a respect and awe for it, having learned so much about the galaxy and himself.

Of course martial skill and discipline could hardly be matched. But it when it came to studying lore and philosophy, it proved more taxing to his patience and intellect. The Jedi were deep in a universal truth that Ked had never thought to think about upon Panatha. But his missions upon Corellia and facing his fallen ex-Master, he knew full well of what the Jedi were protecting the galaxy. When he'd think about his own planet and the strides he'd taken to unite the Oew Tribes into a Kingdom reminded him that the galaxy was moving toward a uniting that only people had control over whether or not it should do so. He desired peace as much as the next person. He'd lived a life of war and thrived in the vigor of battle, but he fought for survival and, above all, peace.

Learning true meditation was a feat many wouldn't have expected him to achieve. His advanced age and solid mindset worked against him, but his determination was more than enough to see him meet that end. Though it was long after Skhai had left, she had instilled in him the basis of understanding the peace that comes from oneness with everything. He could easily apply this to his daily kata, practicing Moving Meditation with ease. He'd even researched the topic of Alchaka in his spare time, which was minimal between his duties and personal exercise regiment. It intrigued him, but it proved much more difficult than learning to actually meditating while still. He learned his highest point of concentration came when he was in the heat of battle, however. This made sense when he looked back at his time in the GA and participating in small battles against terrorist groups.

His term within the GA had ended this past month. He could Sense an unease throughout the Halls when Master Ashara had approached him to help her with a task which she hardly described to him. He ended up opening and organizing cargo while she met with some other Jedi he'd never met before. She seemed to know them well, though. He didn't want to interrupt so he made himself busy.

The crates were pried open mostly by his own strength. It wasn't long until his jacket was off and his boots were flung into the corner with his trousers rolled up. He'd have taken those off too if it wasn't so taboo. His use in Tapas, though unknown to even himself, was undisciplined and he constantly became overheated. Those who'd See him would only notice a large Force presence that he'd correct them by calling it Ancestral Influence. His view of the Force was still different from all others if only because he was so stubborn. But the concept remained very similar to others' concept of the Force, nonetheless. It could even be argued that he respected the Force more than most because of it's personal connection. The Ancestors could see all when they passed and forever tried to pass this ethereal knowledge to their kin.

Even now, Ked could hear whispers of pain and Darkness. They were faint but he decided not to defend against them and, rather, attempt to understand them. He was probably in the cargo hold for an hour ripping apart and repositioning crates and refilling fuel and other meaningless tasks while he tried to focus and accept these messages. Eventually, he'd be interrupted by his summoner.

 

[Master Maverick]

"If there is nothing else, then you may leave." She'd watch as the two Jedi, Master and Knight, left her presence. This was a slight bit of happiness, albeit bitter, that shone a dim light upon the abyss of the present.

Rather than dwell on this, though, there was another matter to attend to. "Lumyn, please find me Ael Ked. I would like to speak with him." She had heard of his exploits on-planet and was rather impressed. Unfortunately she could not access his database as it was in stock upon another vessel headed for the outer rim. Even she didn't know it's destination, which was a bit off-putting. It was quite necessary, though. The information of so many individuals needed to be kept away from other sensitive information, even herself, quite the important figure within the Order.

She would meditate but lightly while waiting for the man's appearance before her. To make sure she wasn't rude she'd raise her head and open her eyes upon his entrance. She wouldn't rise, though, again offering a seat to him at her right with a nod to welcome him.

"I heard of your exploits during the evacuation. I want to commend you on your efforts. I would like to know if you have anything to report, however." She was hardly in the mood for small-talk. That and there simply wasn't time for it. She needed to know the state of everything she could in order to organize it for further dispersal after their landing on Cularin.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

The female interrupted his Concentration. As he flung metal and plasteel crates around, ripping them open and sealing others, his mind stretched beyond the walls, beyond the roaring engines and sparking electrical currents and chirping computer systems. Space was something he wasn't used to Sensing. It was strange and interesting. His Ancestors lay here as well, wandering and seeking, no, finding. Whispers passed by his ears and they were almost intelligible. They were in a different language, perhaps. They weren't his Ancestors, but their words held wisdom, nonetheless. Though his mind wasn't an understanding one, his ears were open to their messages. Perhaps they'd be translated for him later. Now he had to attend a meeting with the new Sage Master since he'd been summoned via transmission as they fled the crumbling Sage Halls.

He took an undershirt he'd found and wiped off the sweat he'd perspired during his random labor. He wiped his feet and brows after wetting the garment in a small sink in one of the washrooms. He remained barefoot and topless, however, as he met with the Sage Master. His sense of formality was still lacking but his body radiated a warmth unnatural to most sentients of his kind.

She gestured to where he should sit and he did so quietly, respecting her apparent interest in silence and mediation, much like he'd been practicing a bit earlier. It also seemed like she wanted to continue her meditation regardless of her need to speak with him. Still, he could respect her directness. She spoke more plainly than Baatch, which was helpful. But it could also be argued that he was becoming better at understanding Basic as he'd been among them for the past seven years.

He pointed to his left breast before he spoke, indicating that he was speaking about himself. "Moved power cells onto transports. Loaded archives prepared by Knight H'yuik." He probably didn't pronounce the name properly, but his hard consonants and heavy vowels made it unlikely that he'd succeeded, anyway. Besides this, the power cells to keep the archives running with enough energy should they be in transport for too long were easily five hundred pounds. The fact that he loaded them himself was impressive. The rest would only make it even more spectacular. "Protected Younglings," he continued, keeping his finger against his chest. "Saw them safely to evacuation. No know if," he paused a moment to point across the table to indicate he was speaking about the theoretical children, "safe. Sith broke through. Injured Younglings." His finger went back to his left breast. "Fought and killed them."

There was little remorse for his acts of murder. "Not enough room for all. Took some with me. We retreat to Home," he explained, pointing to himself once again to indicate that it was his own home he was speaking of. "Had to find other transports." He meant he had to find others with personal vessels to take some of the straggling Initiates and Padawans. "Saw them with explosives. Left as the building fell." His tone remained equal but it was clear he held some kind of attachment to the place after having learned so much within those Halls. If anyone knew him, they'd know that he'd felt obligated to fight for the Temple instead of prepare to flee. The fact he only killed in the act of defense proved his resolve to keeping to the Code and protecting the future rather than the present.

 

[Master Maverick]

"Excellent." It was an equally even tone, yet with a nod, that she replied. Her eyes moved from his form down towards her clasped hands on the table as she thought for a few moments. Where her words expressed contentedness, her heart skipped a beat in happiness. She was glad to hear such good news. Even so, it was too little too late. She could only wonder what the Grand Master might think of her actions.

There was no time to think of such things, though. There were many questions, now, even though light had been shed on some of the situation. Ked's difficulty with Basic could not be an excuse not to press him for more information.

"Were there any fatalities? How many injured and how many dead? Where is 'home'? You mean your home-planet? Do we have a secure line open with that particular convoy? I am going to need the security clearance for that. Where are the other transports currently? Who and how many are aboard the other transports and what are the registration numbers? I need to be able to track them." Some explanation was given for her litany of questions, but Ked was not of the authority to require them. He was to answer the questions without hesitation, as he was trained to do as an officer and soldier.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

She spoke with military discipline. It was strange to hear a Jedi of her wisdom to speak in such a tense and direct manner. But given the times, it was more than understandable and even expected. The foundations of the Jedi had been challenged, and the foundations of their Temples had been crushed. This kind of act wasn't unknown to him and he even presented an air of callousness when he spoke to the female, if that's what she was.

He pointed to his left breast again. "Believe thousands," he answered about casualties. "No know any without injuries. Passed by many killed," he pointed out into the air again. "Most Jedi Knight protecting Younglings, Initiates."

In a pocket, he took out a small chip with the information she sought. He didn't know how he'd use it for himself and it only made sense that he'd give it to the Sage Master. He pointed to the chip between his thumb and forefinger. "Ship communication codes," he began, explaining that the chip held information about the non-registered vessels carrying around members of the New Order. "Intended destinations. Many to Light of the Force. Transports of Younglings to Cularin. Archives to Light of the Force." He pointed back to himself, answering her questions in reverse for a moment. "I go 'home.' Panatha. Coordinates," he explained, pointing back to the chip. "No communication. Only ship," he stated, clarifying that there was no direct communication between his Kingdom and that of the Order. With the Alliance having been all but eradicated by this point, he wasn't worried about confirming his positions with them. "No technology," he explained further. "Await contact with Councillors," he stated after a brief pause as he pointed back to the chip.

He decided to make his own comment on the disturbances within the Force. Pointing at his breast again he said "No able to feel difference between Sith and Jedi in some. Anger and sorrow," he described, waving his hand over the air around them. "Ancestors in turmoil," he said mostly to himself. "No understand Sith," he continued, not bothering to point to himself but it was assumed that he was speaking of himself. Of course he knew what the Sith were and what they desired. Understanding, however, was never a strong suit of his. "They scream. Every one deaf."

She could probably understand what he was talking about, but it would have been the first time she's heard anything like it. This was of little importance now, though. "What Jedi-" he paused, "we do?" It could have been mistaken as an emphasis on "we" but he still had some difficulty at times relating himself to the Jedi. Perhaps it was his lack of Basic knowledge and thus a habit that developed. "I go to Kingdom," he answered for himself. "Many years away. Separate from galaxy. Safe there."

 

[Master Maverick]

Her gaze averted at the revelation of how many died upon evacuation. It was truly unfortunate. All those civilians, innocent and having no part in this mindless war. It was devastating. She had to stay strong, though. She wondered how long she'd be able to last, able to keep her composure before breaking down.

The chip was taken by the Togruta and she nodded in confirmation, keeping it on the table beneath her hands, her fingers interlaced loosely.

"I suppose I will have to visit your homeworld, Panatha, then." It would take time, but it would be a good experience for her Apprentice. His observation on the Jedi and Sith was notable. She had been too busy to remember such things, but couldn't be surprised by it.

"Fear is a powerful emotion and can break even the most resolute Jedi," she explained. That was it, though. There really wasn't anything else to say on the topic.

Now she needed to address his plans. "Unfortunately I can not allow that." There was no arguing with her as the statement was far from a suggestion. "I will need all able Jedi to work to regroup the Jedi after this exile." She realized she was being a bit harsh and took a breath. "We will visit your home, but we can not stay long. As a Knight of the Order you will be needed elsewhere." Soon it would be possible that the command she held would be voided. Such events had not taken place, of course, but it might very well prove difficult to keep the Jedi beneath her in line during this tumultuous time.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

He only nodded into a slight bow at her comments to his personal evaluation. Was she trembling or could he still Sense the way the Ancestors interacted with another? It was a bit unsettling since he knew of her position and noticed such a tramatization of her soul, however minimal. She was so connected to the Order, much more than himself. What if his Kingdom was to fall? How would he feel? It was no use considering hypothicals at this time. Like most other instances of emergency, action was required and that is what he'd focus on. But her suspicions surprised him.

"Must return," he explained, his finger digging into his chest now. "Away seven years. King," he insisted. His tone held a deeper and more stern quality now. "Not enough room for survivors. Light of the Force," he explained. Pointing back to himself, he continued "Hear not enough room. Transports full."

He mused a moment, considering her erroneous statement calling him a Knight though ignoring it. "No building. Everything destroyed. Must hide. Sith ruthless. Jedi spread. Prepare to fight," he suggested though it seemed more like a correct of the Sage Master's intentions. Perhaps he was wrong but he remembered implementing something similar on Gyrdine when a terrorist group successfully feinted the Alliance. "Keep communications. Increase strength. Steal resources."

It wasn't unusual for him to declare commands in two-word sentences. They were clearest and easiest for him to recite. Of course, these plans were quite aggressive and perhaps against some Code or another, but one might find it difficult to disagree with his initial evaluation of their current circumstances. "Easy to find when together," he explained, gesturing to them both. "Spread out, difficult to track. Limited communication scary but secure. War," he told her emphasizing that last word as if it hadn't really sunk in for his superior. "Only communication through shuttle," he explained, pointing to himself to indicate that only his own ship would be able to receive messages from the Jedi should they send any. "Safer than many." He pointed around the table, indicating that if there are many manners of communication, it may be more difficult to pinpoint where the message came from but the lack of technology made it unlikely that they would be a targeted source.

"This Cularin safe?" he asked, though it might have been difficult to discern that it was actually a question rather than a statement.

 

[Master Maverick]

His broken Basic compounded with his accent to make him more difficult to understand as he continued on. One would think it would get easier as one continued to listen. For this particular Togruta, this was not the case.

"Speak in your native tongue, please." An unusual request, but she was quite serious. It would simply be quicker this way, he wouldn't hesitate so much.

"Cularin is safe for the time being, yes. Preparations must be made before we make our way to Panatha. We will regroup and disperse from there." His inflection didn't allow her to figure it was a question. Rather, it was the Force that she finally became consciously aware of in order to understand his intentions. His mind certainly couldn't be read, but the feelings, the emotions that he emitted unwittingly were gathered for examination.

"I am well aware what we must do, Ael Ked. You will do as instructed." Her tone grew harder, but not quite as hard as the human. Although, he certainly was not the usual race of humans. It didn't matter, though. "We will stop at Panatha and you will be free to make preparations for your departure. You are needed elsewhere. Your people can look after themselves. Furthermore, Jedi are not Kings. As such, that station is no longer yours to hold. Do you understand?" Of course it wasn't if he understood the words she spoke, as though he didn't understand her language, but if he understood his place, now. His duties and the expectations he would be held to.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

It was clear that he still had much to learn about Basic, or about how other people understood the language. He put too much of his own language into Basic, which was contradictory to speaking another language. She was becoming short with him since he wasn't able to clearly relay his opinions and thoughts on the subject.

"Master Vashee, Regrouping and rebuilding is going to place too much attention on ourselves. The Imperium's target was us. We'd do best if we didn't give them a target at all. Even if this Cularin is secret, it wouldn't be beneficial for most of the remaining Jedi to reside there for a time. I'd be best if we kept limited communication between us and spread out for a while, gaining strength and planning attacks before striking back. 'Rebuilding' is the least of our concerns. Besides that, there is nothing to 'rebuild.'" There was a hint of aggravation in his harsh words to his superior. The fact that he spoke to her in such a manner meant that he respected her greatly, though that might not come through in this culture.

He took a breath as to center his mind and try to describe to her what he meant. Apparently the term "king" did not mean the same thing in her culture - among the Jedi. "I am the eldest grandson to the former council of my tribe, Master Vashee. Under the Ked name, I am responsible for overseeing the well-being of the citizens who've gathered to my home. I am their Ancestral Brother and Father," he explained. The Epicant word for the long phrase sounded similar to the Basic term "king," but to him it meant something quite different. "I deserve to see my family and work for my people just as you do yours. How would you take me away from work, equivalent to that of the Jedi Code, and use it for your own ends and call that 'selfless'?" Ked wasn't the smartest individual, but he understood the Code well enough to be able to use it in such contexts.

"These Padawan will be safe with me, Master Vashee. Along with that, these other Jedi Knights are traveling to distant planets to conduct their own training so they can reunite with greater strength, but only when the time is right. Do not resort to haste in this state of emergency." Such advice could be considered blasphemous coming from any Padawan in the Order when speaking with a Master among the Jedi. If he was to be cast out, then so be it. "I am remaining on my homeworld, Panatha, until I deem fit. If you have the room and resources to care for those Padawan, you are welcome to them. But I can assure you that rations are short and that those Padawan are not objects to be tossed around like property, Master Vashee."

This chastising was actually pleading, though his tone of voice wouldn't have portrayed this. Hopefully she'd see from where he was coming. But he wasn't inaccurate when describing the state of their resources. With all other Temples fallen, the Will of the Force had little in the way of gaining more resources. Cularin's ecosystem might bend from the sea of immigration awaiting the planet. Of course, they were fine now, but to strain a single source of resources wasn't the wisest idea.

 

[Master Maverick]

"What rank do you hold, Ked?" His terse speech was hardly appreciated, even though it seemed to hold a different meaning to him. While it was a somewhat rhetorical question, she was astonished that he, at his age, was a mere Padawan. Her 'eyebrows' scrunched and she shifted backwards in her seat slightly. Once she understood the situation a bit more, his position compared to hers and what he was actually saying, she took a light sighing breath and started again, a bit more calm this time.

"Again, I have my orders and I plan to carry them out. The regrouping will not take place for quite some." She wanted to clarify this, as it seemed he thought she was going to do it now, despite her other plans and the fact she had said they would regroup in order to disperse, which meant they would only be in one place for the shortest time possible. However, his words did help her in coming up with a new plan.

"On Cularin we will regroup and I will be sending Jedi to random systems in the Outer Rim. The transport by the name of CRADLE will also be there, but I will send it off promptly in pieces as well. I merely wish to hide the enclave on the planet and spread the Jedi out there. Then I will accompany you to Panatha, since it seems I need to be consulted. Then we will part ways for a while." With this clarification she hoped he would stop arguing with her. There was hardly the time for it.

"What I meant was, once the Jedi are relatively secure, a base of operations is going to be need to be created. When this will take place, even I do not know. It could be years from now. Either way, I am going to need every able bodied Jedi to aid in this goal. As a Knight of the Order, you are under obligation to follow orders as commanded by your superiors." This time she said it with a more meaningful expression, suggesting that he was just promoted. She wasn't sure he'd understand, though.

"I Knight you, Ael Ked, as a Jedi in full of the Jedi Order. Please rise." She did so as well and waited a moment after he had mirrored her before her lightsaber screeched out and, in an instant, cut the cord of hair that had grown for years.

"Now, I believe I have said all I had to say. If you have no questions you are free to leave." Her mind had been taken away from the situation and she had calmed down a bit. It was a nice respite, but soon enough her thoughts would return to the horror that had just taken place. When that happened, she needed to be alone.