Back In The Saddle

[Sreeya]

"I'm fine, really."

Talzea offered a warm smile as the Jedi healers around her attempted to check up on her again. The Grandmaster did not like being babied, though she was grateful for their aid. The Jedi appeared to catch the hint this time and simply bowed out of the room, leaving her in solitude. The Danthiri thought over what had happened to her not too long ago. Only Maiya Ligh'Tesu knew what had happened and who was involved. Talzea was thankful for being able to confide in the Jedi Master and trust her not to reveal anything.

The tall, ebony woman was adorned in a silvery cloak atop her armor. She was always prepared for battle, though her armor clung to her body to allow maximum mobility. She was an agile woman, despite being the Grandmaster. Talzea was happy to be away from a crowd of healers fussing over her injuries. They hadn't been told exactly who had attacked her, though it was alarming to learn that someone had managed to land such a blow on the leader of the Order. All kinds of nasty whispers had begun to spread already, though Talzea ignored it.

She drew in the crisp morning air of Alderaan, always mixed with a hint of the icy chill that always hung in the atmosphere. She glanced over to the mountains, her eyes narrowing. She had fought Banik Kelrada there. The memory was fresh in her mind, the revelations still rattling her thoughts. Talzea knew she had to pull away from the nagging thoughts inside her mind. She had never felt so guilty, never bore a burden so heavy and she had to do it all while maintaining a firm stance. She had to be the leader, the rock, the idol others could follow. She couldn't let her personal issues consume her or she would fail the Order as a whole.

Talzea stepped into the cool grass, her feet bare and the dew coating her skin. She walked till she found a small area on the edge of a river. The sound of the flowing water instantly calmed her thoughts, the halcyon nature of her surroundings working to ease the tumultuous storm raging within her mind. Talzea walked over to the river and looked down at her own reflection, finding a dark visage crowned with silvery hair gazing back at her. There was no smile on the face, though the amethyst eyes were piercing and etched with worry. Talzea knew she had to rise up again and couldn't let the battle keep her down.

 

[Ols]

Raphael Caelestis was sure he had finally tracked down his quarry. His former colleague, and current superior, the new grandmaster (or grandmistress....he was never sure in these situations) seemed to be extremely elusive since his return. The sun was up properly now, the fresh Alderaanian morning seeing his breath rise in a steam before him as he walked from the enclave. He had left Valena to return to her duties, most of which he guessed were personal rather than Jedi-ordered, and both Loki and Orson had bustled off to whatever it was they had to do also.

He had returned to civilisation to find himself with time alone, which was convenient for him given he needed to eat, shower, change and check in with the medbay. He had completed the former three of his tasks, no longer smelling like he had been living rough for as long as he had and bearing some semblance to the Jedi master he was. He had opted for standard Jedi robes today, dark greys, with black boots, belt and cloak being his preferred colour scheme of the day, his no longer blood and mud stained, but still severely dented and scratched lightsaber hilt adorning his hip.

As he walked, letting the force guide him, allowing it to stretch out from him, washing over the Jedi he had encountered in corridors and the birds and trees he could feel outside. The people felt strange to him, he had not felt them in a long time up close. He was slowly finding his people senses returning to him, not quite as attuned as his were to the natural world around him.

He could feel he was approaching her, the familiar presence slowly growing in his mind. And yet, as it seemed everyone he had so far encountered had, Talzea had changed. She did not feel the same as she once had. Still battle ready, impulsive and sharp, there was more about her. More weight, more heaviness. She felt battle weary and wounded. And...tainted with a feeling Raphael knew he would never forget, one he had encountered several times before and one that seemed now colder, harsher and more dangerous than ever it had before. He could almost smell the reek of her adversary streaming from her scars. Perception, the ability to read others, had always been a strong suit of Raphael's, yet he was ever delicate about it. If his conclusion was correct, and the gossips and rumours about the enclave had not mentioned her attacker, then Raphael would respect that. He would not break his silence, not even to the grandmaster, unless she told him herself.

She stood facing a river. He was sure she knew he was approaching, but he waited to speak so he did not have to shout. His feelings grew stronger as he approached closer, even for a guarded woman, to Raphael who was suddenly awake to such a world of others that he had been deprived of before, she seemed to shine like a beacon.

"It's been a while, grandmaster," he said, softly, coming to a halt a few feet from her, "congratulations on your appointment."

 

[Sreeya]

"Ah, I never thought I would hear that voice again."

She did not turn to face him immediately. Her eyes bore into her own reflection, watching the subtle ripples in the water. A breeze disturbed it, causing the ripples to expand and send her reflection into many small fragments. The sight caused her to look away, finally gazing upon Raphael. Talzea managed a smile, her amethyst eyes a piercing contrast to her charcoal black skin. She had felt his presence long before he had approached her. She knew he was an observant council member, though subtle.

"Much has changed since your absence, as you have gathered most likely."

Talzea did not waste time with formalities. She was always a woman of action, and that aspect of her shined through even with a million other things tugging at her thoughts.

"My ascension to the position of Grandmaster was unorthodox and it made many people unhappy. Due to the inactive state of the Jedi at the time, I was forced to remove council members that I hadn't heard from. It was difficult, as some were council members when I was one myself."

She broke eye contact, once again looking over to the mountains where she had engaged Banik in a long, exhausting battle. The physical wounds were more than healed, but the emotional pains would take a lifetime. Her expression softened, allowing a mild hint of concern to shine through as she turned back to face him.

"I know what you are wondering. You wish to know where you stand. All I can say, Master Caelestis, is that it is entirely in your hands. If you can accept that the Jedi are beyond deliberating and remaining stagnant, beyond finding alternative peaceful means of solutions and are ready to actively join in the war effort, you will be happy to return. It is painful to make such brash decisions, but we have no choice."

She took a few steps forth. She knew she was saying many things at once, but she also knew he wanted answers instead of wasting time.

"I need my council now more than ever and I need them to be by my side. I cannot face the threats of the galaxy alone. I cannot afford to have members that would rather sit idly by and do nothing. I need warriors, I need fighters and I need advisors that can understand the severity of the situation we are in. Can you understand what would be expected of you?"

 

[Ols]

"The grass is still green, the sky's still blue, and Coruscant is still a small town with a well, other than a bit of a personnel shake up, for one reason or another, things don't seem that different," he replied, half jokingly. He did not linger on the 'one reason or another', as Valena had told him, other than certain Jedi being removed from the council, several had given their lives already in battle.

"Yes, we need Jedi unity under one banner, singing from the same hymn sheet and ready to make swift decisive action in the war," he continued, "basically everything every warrior Jedi preaches in any time of crisis. I guess if the method of Jedi action in war isn't broken it doesn't need fixing."

"Grandmaster I am a Jedi Knight," he replied, "a guardian of peace and justice within the galaxy. The war is not peaceful or just, and in that alone is there a mandate to justify our intervention. I will do what is necessary. If I must lead troops on the battlefield, or command ships in orbit, then I shall. But I will not let my mind be clouded, or my judgement impaired by the rush of battle. And I definitely will not maintain a career in the Republic military once the war is over," he smiled, a slight laugh escaping his mouth with his final sentence.

 

[Sreeya]

OoC: Sorry, a bit later than promised D:

Talzea couldn't be more pleased with his words. She had known inwardly that Raphael was someone she could count on. However, it was always necessary to brief a returning Jedi on exactly how the Order had changed. Talzea smiled at the younger Jedi, someone that had ascended the ranks within the Order at a surprisingly young age. He was older than only Seamus Moidin within the council.

"Thankfully, this isn't a draft just yet."

She had to smile, thankful for having him lighten the situation. The smallest things that alleviated her stress were always welcome.

"I just need my council to be active and willing to participate in some shape or form. It doesn't necessarily involve rushing into war."

Talzea paused for a moment.

"However, you are more than welcome to return to the council, Master Caelestis. I only hope you choose to stay this time...or at least warn me before you venture off for an unspecified amount of time."

The smile returned at the end of her comment. Raphael was always a mystery to the rest of the council, and even being Grandmaster, she was no exception to being unable to understand him fully.

 

[Ols]

"Many thanks, grandmaster," he replied, "and...in my defense, I wasn't meant to be gone for an unspecified amount of time...there were complications," he trailed off before adding, "to name a few, some acklay broke my ship, the cannoks decimated the best part of my supplies...and my cigarettes, and a rancor ate my lightsaber," he gestured the dents and scratches upon. He muttered, "I still haven't got it to work since..."

He suddenly realised he had been rambling, "Sorry, Talzea - I mean Master Talzea," despite his absence obviously old habits, from his days as being her equal, died hard. He continued, "If I do need to go on another voyage to find myself...well to lose myself in order to find myself, I shall definitely let you know."

Silence hung in the air for a few seconds, not awkwardly but noticeably. He added, "I suppose there's a hell of a lot of admin I need to catch up on, and I need to be filled in on...well everything really?" he laughed a little.

 

[Sreeya]

Talzea grinned as he caught himself calling her by name, quickly correcting it.

"Talzea is fine. I'm still not entirely used to being addressed as Grandmaster."

It was true. There were many instances where Jedi had called out to the Grandmaster and she hadn't thought to respond. She had been simply Master Keldroma or Talzea for as long as she could remember.

"A voyage to find yourself, eh? I think I could use one of those myself."

She walked over to sit down by the river, the sun warm on her skin. Talzea's demeanor suggested that she was more than open to Raphael joining her, though she mentioned nothing of it outwardly. A soul-searching journey at her age sounded odd, yet the thought was refreshing. She had been under quite a bit of stress since being appointed as Grandmaster. Her last attempt at finding peace within solitude ended up with a confrontation with The Bogan. Talzea had to shake her head. No, no more soul searching for at least a while. She glanced back at Raphael.

"These are tough times. I don't know if you have heard, but there was a bombing in which former Chancellor Bac was killed. Chancellor Mohatu was injured and he was replaced by yet another Chancellor. This followed shortly after the Ando Prime debacle, which I'm sure you have heard of by now."

She sighed, still not broaching the topic of her personal battle.

"Sometimes I feel as if we are not ready to face such a threat. There is peace all around us here. The younglings, the padawans and everyone else..I fear for them. They are sheltered from the atrocities being committed out there. A single step out and they venture into the jaws of death. It looms above them. It's only a matter of time before all of this..."

Talzea paused there.

"Apologies. I was voicing my thoughts out loud. I don't mean to be so negative right upon your return. It's just difficult to convey to the Order exactly how desperate our situation is."

 

[Ols]

"Ah, I'm sure you'll grow into it," Rahpael muttered with a smirk as he approached her and took a seat next to her, intuitively sensing that she seemed to be happy to continue their conversation. He added, "and I don't recommend one, you end up just getting lost in jungles and attacked by...everything. Although having done that I now would fancy myself going twelve rounds with a gundark. Unarmed." He laughed a little, and the conversation moved onto more serious topics.

"Bac was killed?" he replied, surprised, "the last I remember of him...was him being at death's door at the family manor here on Alderaan."

He had little to say on the replacement of Mohatu, he had liked the man and his family when he had met several of them both professionally and socially, but he had few long lasting ties to the political side of the family. As for the Ando Prime debacle, well he had heard rumours of the battle, and how the Jedi had been abandoned by the Republic. It seemed extremely forgiving of the Jedi council that the alliance had not been fractured and the Jedi seemed not to have been given any concessions since.

"Is anyone ready for full scale galactic war? Where the quarrels of force wielding wizards determine the fates of billions, and whether you keep your home and freedom depends upon a battle fought millions of lightyears away, between people you've never met, who's only thought is victory, regardless of the collateral.

"We must simply do what any in such situations do (and they have happened before and will happen again...I would gamble some far more disastrous than this). This little corner of beauty, one of a handful of little bubbles floating around the chaos we call the galaxy, is worth fighting for. The younglings and padawans who will enjoy it for years to come are worth fighting for. Even if death's fangs threaten to burst these bubbles, it is our duty to protect and preserve anything that remains free and innocent. The Jedi Knights fighting for the good of the galaxy."

'Good' was a word Raphael tried to avoid at all costs. He hated the idea of moral absolutes, everything like that depended on personal perception. But in this situation, it essentially summed up the Jedi ideals of joining a war, they were fighting for the good of the galaxy. Or so they said.