Convocation on Tatooine

[Solaris]

Spoiler: OOC Note

This is the meeting discussed in the Jedi Rebellion interest check. Jedi characters (current and former) are welcome to attend. This is an IC method of dealing with an OOC problem, so trolling it with a bomb or some such nonsense really wouldn't be productive. This is a strictly no-kill thread.

The prologue deals entirely with my characters, Char and Nasiri, and really doesn't have much to do with the Convocation itself. It's them getting ready for it, which I didn't think was entirely necessary and would have drawn too much focus onto them rather than onto the convocation itself if I hadn't spoilered it.

Spoiler: Prologue

"You look handsome," Nasiri said, smiling up at Char. The big, rough-hewn, bearded man looked slightly uncomfortable, and the clothes were only part of it. His sharp blue eyes softened when they met her too-bright cyan gaze, and he smiled tightly back at her. He wore a charcoal-grey high-collared shirt under a black tunic, light grey pants tucked into his black armorweave boots. He hadn't worn his Jedi garb in a while, and at Nasiri's insistence he'd gotten a haircut and trimmed his beard before they went to the Convocation he'd called. She wanted him to at least look halfway civilized, if not presentable, before stating his case to the Alliance Jedi. Char had no weapons on him save the pair of lightsabers clipped to his belt at the right hip. One was a long-handled weapon with a dark ring-guard around the emitter and a bronzium case wrapped in black krayt-leather. The other 'saber, modeled for the Jedi tradition rather than the Jensaarai as its larger companion was, had a durasteel and plastoid handle. He was artist enough to know the dark and brooding image he presented, which was part of why he wore no robe - no dramatic cloak billowed out behind him, no hood concealed his craggy features. Char stood before a mirror, fidgeting and adjusting his robes like a nervous groom.

"I look ridiculous."

"You look dignified," Nasiri giggled, covering her mouth with her curled-up fingers and smiling with a mischievous gleam in her eye as she tilted her head coyly. She knew he wasn't worried about how he looked, he was worried about speaking in public. He'd have no troubles charging into a battle against impossible odds, but addressing a handful of pacifistic Jedi had him more nervous than a long-tailed felinx in a room full of astro droids. The whole thing struck her as silly, even if she did pick up some of his anxiety as if it were her own - between the two, she couldn't help but giggle.

Char snorted. "I look like a monkey-lizard in a suit."

"Fine, but don't blame the clothes, dear." Nasiri stood up from the bed to join him. The petite redhead was achingly beautiful dressed in her Jedi robes, though Char had to admit he might have been biased on that point. Nasiri was wearing a fine cream-colored robe over a white-and-rose pink tunic and V-necked shirt with a low neckline, her ivory-white pants tucked into slim white nerfskin boots with two-inch heels. She'd curled her hair, done it up into a pair of buns on the sides of her head with a pair of ponytails depending from each in a mass of ringlets. She'd foregone much make-up; with a face like hers, it was overkill anyways. Nasiri wore no lightsaber on the sash cinched around her slim waist, being that she had only achieved the rank of Padawan before leaving the Order, but neither did she wear any other obvious weapon. Nasiri was far from unarmed despite appearances - she had a half-dozen weapons concealed on her person.

Char did not expect the Convocation of Tatooine to end in violence. Nasiri always expected bloodshed.

Char reached into the sleeve of his tunic and produced a small, slim lightsaber with a curved handle - perfectly suited for Makashi, and sized well to Nasiri's dainty hand. His own big paw nearly swallowed the thing whole. He handed it to her, face impassive. "A Jedi should have one of these."

"I - um, thank you," Nasiri said as her face split into a grin, caught off guard but nonetheless pleased. She knew he'd been up to something, but she hadn't expected him to have made a lightsaber for her. While not exactly romantic, it was still very sweet of him - and she knew it meant he still trusted and cared for her despite her activities with the Chiss and her as-yet undiscussed Immortal status. Nasiri liked to be reminded of that, especially when some days she felt so strange and unnaturally altered that she didn't even know who or what she was anymore - and though he didn't say anything, she could feel Char's disquiet about that decision. She closed her fingers around the handle and tested the weight of it, then turned to the side to safely light the blade. A searing-bright pale violet blade emerged, just under a hundred centimeters long and tightly defined.

"Krayt pearl cut into three spheres for a focusing crystal," Char said, "fencing emitter, so it'll have less gyroscope effect - it won't have so much inertia as most lightsabers do. Deadman switch, internal activation mechanism an' two phases 'long with the training setting. The color's from the synthetic adegan lens, otherwise it would'a been blue, pale blue like mine. Couldn't find a crystal right for it, an' I know how you don't like beam gem lenses."

"It's perfect," Nasiri said, giving the blade an experimental twirl. It felt so light, not like the other lightsabers she'd handled that were so stubbornly resistant to movement like a solid weapon thanks to their plasma blades' gyroscopic effect. Even if her strength hadn't been augmented threefold, the weapon would have been light and responsive in her hand. Char even did a good job fitting the handle to her grip, working only from memory - unless he'd taken measurements in her sleep, which she sincerely doubted. Nasiri deactivated the blade and clipped it to her sash. "I s'pose I'll wear it, then," she said as she stood on her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek.

At times like these, when she could feel the confidence, faith, and loyalty radiating off of Char like a blue-white giant in the midst of a dark nebula, she could almost believe she had what it took to become a Jedi Knight.
Almost.

---

The Jedi were gathering in a remote location, an ancient fortress hidden deep in the Dune Sea. So old that none recalled what its origins had been, much of it lay buried in the sands. Still, the structure was sound as only eons-old stone edifices could be, and Char had many fond memories exploring the old place in his childhood skyhopper trips out past civilization's bounds. Nothing larger than a womp rat had been in the main hall since Char was a teenager; it was still and quiet, with a layer of undisturbed dust over everything. Char's two-seater fighter touched down lightly on the perimeter, and the two of them walked in. Char carried a beacon keyed to Jedi codes in his pack, though it wasn't yet active. While the Convocation wasn't precisely secret, it certainly was a tempting target. He was sure that Nasiri's. . . uncertain loyalties would be some topic of discussion, but he trusted her absolutely.

Even if he himself was unsure where her loyalties lied.

"Nice place," Nasiri remarked dryly. "Lively. Good location to revitalize the Jedi Order."

Char chuckled. "Well, it sure ain't Tython."

"True. Very true."

"Somethin's gotta give," Char remarked as he turned his mind towards the list of grievances he planned to address with the small gathering of Jedi. "The Alliance- the Jedi ain't built for bein' soldiers."

Nasiri flashed him a smile, but it was strained. She was, of course, a genetically-enhanced super-soldier - and sometimes a Jedi - even if she looked more like a holovid starlet dressed up like a Jedi than a trained killing machine.

"You know what I mean," Char said with a frown. "They're focusin' on fightin' their war, not on makin' peace."

"They can't let the Sith win," Nasiri said, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "It's not like you can just sweet-talk a dark-sider into turning."

"I'unno, worked with you."

Nasiri smiled at the quip. It was more true than he realized, but she wasn't about to tell him that. Her eyes were distant as she felt the approaching ripples through the Force, each of the minds bearing the deep, resonant signatures of someone attuned to the Force. "They're coming."

 

[Master Maverick]

One of these had not taken place in quite some time. At least from what Ashara remembered. It was troubling, of course. Rumors were never healthy and the topic of the rumor only made that much more toxic. Meditation on it had her understand and appreciate the concerns, but the younger Jedi were getting far too wrapped up in it. It was tearing at the seams, or what remained of them, of the Order. The foundation had long since been shaky and this was a tipping point, she thought. Much depended on how this meeting went and, while she wanted perhaps a more reasonable discussion with the Council, the state of it hardly allowed for that at this point.

Several shuttles and freighters arrived and departed the Temples regularly. This was no different. Several Jedi were aboard this particular shuttle bound for Mos Eisley. No one said a thing, but the atmosphere suggested they were all there for the same thing. No one wanted to cause an uproar, though. Especially with Ashara on board, they weren't really sure her position on the matter. She was really only going to voice a more moderate position, perhaps some mediation and discussion. She had no intention of joining this group, but had yet to hear their true position and fully understand the reasoning behind all of this.

While Ashara sat near the front of the shuttle, a hooded figure sat in the back. A dark green, heavy looking cloak obscured the body and with the face shadowed the identity wasn't immediately discernible. Tuwan happened to be on the same shuttle as the Togruta. Even so, she held know prior knowledge of the woman. Her air, though, suggest she were someone of import. It annoyed her, but only mildly. She didn't have a huge respect for authority, and given her years she hardly thought anyone else deserved it. At least from her.

In any even, the trip to the desert planet at the edge of the galaxy was silent, most choosing to meditate. Once they had arrived, all went separate ways, not wanting to be seen making their way to the gathering so obviously. They each found their way in time, though. Ashara chose to get something to eat while Tuwan decided to get a feel for this place. Comparatively it was dead. Lacking vegetation she considered it useless and a waste of space and resources. However, it seemed a good a place as any to hold such a meeting.

Ashara would make it there after a few had already arrived. Almost a dozen were present before Tuwan showed up. Ashara would transmit knowing glances to both Nasiri and Char. The fact that it was them didn't surprise her, but she didn't like that she knew, at least as acquaintances, the initiators of this whole thing. Tuwan, of course, knew none and kept to herself in the back.

 

[StormWolf]

The Dune Sea, a simple and crushingly appropriate name for such a place. The golden sands rolled in massive wave-like shapes, shifting week by week in the powerful winds that swept the barren wasteland. It was silent at first, surprisingly tranquil for a place that was so unforgiving and unwelcoming. Then, like a bullet through glass, a speeder shattered the silence of the Sea, a blur of grey, black and red that kicked up a cloud of fine sand behind it. The pilot turned the speeder left and right, navigating the dips between the dunes, eyes always scanning their peaks for the multitude of dangers that peppered the wasteland. He had no ship of his own, and he did not want to be traced in any way. Public transportation and purchasing a pre-owned speeder with unmarked credits. Rhonun would not be the smoking gun that could lead hostile forces to their convocation. As a hunter, Rhonun knew how to track his pray as well as cover his tracks from 'the bigger fish'.

The ancient fortress he was told to meet his fellow Jedi in came into view, slowly becoming surrender to the sands of time. Pulling up to the fortress, the pilot of the speeder, a massive creature of an intimidating physique, stepped off from the seat and pushed the vehicle into a shadowed outcropping. Thick, sinewy arms, bare from sleeves, flexed taut in the perpetual, hellish heat of Tatooine. Gold-and-bronze striped fur coated the creature's body, criss-crossed with a mosaic of scars. Clad in a sleeveless obi of black-and-grey with a deep burgundy sash crossing his chest, draped over his left shoulder and wrapped around his waist, fastened by a broad utility belt. Pulling back the hood of his midnight black cloak, he looked up to the broken towers of the fortress. A harsh breeze rushed by, running the dry and blistering air through the mass of braids in his hair, making his armorweave cloak snap against itself in the currents of air. Rhonun Tor, Jedi Knight; one that staunch followers of the Old Code would call a radical, or possibly even a liability. He had danced the edge of darkness for nearly a decade now, kept on the right side of the Light by the power of his Will and his conviction, and the light he keeps in his heart, incorruptible against all it had endured.

Rhonun advanced up the slope of one of the dunes that melded with the stone walls of the ancient fortress, stepping through a crumbled opening that was probably a window once upon a time. He was thankful, for once, for the dryness of the Dune Sea, making the growth of mold, fungus, and other putrid smelling flora very scarce. It was a small thing, but it was better than nothing. Rhonun could not only hear the other Jedi - the shuffling of their clothing and the huffing of their steady breathing. On top of that, he could feel them through the Force, each of them like a stone that had been cast into a pond, their waves arching out and overlapping, touching one another without the need for physical contact. Through that connection, Rhonun found them without getting lost in the unfamiliar, labyrinthine structure. Entering the same space as the other two Jedi, Rhonun bowed to them from the waist. He had never met either of them, but he would show them the respect Jedi were due until one of them slighted the Cathar.

"A wise decision for a meeting place, friends." Rhonun said with a thin smile, hooking his thumbs on his belt, framing his brass lion head belt buckle.

 

[Negative Blessing]

Ghan stepped off the transport in the only spaceport on Tatooine that could hide his presence here among the smugglers, the scum, and the galaxies undesirables. Interesting planet to choose a secret meeting but none the less, it was here and now so was he. Before he left the Temple he had heard how hot this planet got but he never realized it got that hot. In the distance he could hear the howling winds whipping around the walls of the spaceport. Great...hot and windy. Quickly he made his way to the nearest rental shop and acquired a landspeeder paying a higher price than he though was fair but this far out in the middle of nowhere, people and aliens need to do what they do to survive. So he gave the owner an extra few credits.

Behind the controls of the rickety landspeeder he zipped through the Dune Sea on his way to meet the others. He understood the need for this meeting, the Jedi are guardians of the peace; not rank and file soldiers. Was he the only one who understood what happens to Jedi in times of war? He had studied the history of the Order thoroughly and new what fates always awaited his brethern and sisters; they either die or fall to the dark side. Yes it was thier duty to protect the innocent of the galaxy but it was not thier responsibility to fight the GA's war. Or was it?

In the horizon he saw the ancient fortress that was to hold the gathering and he quickly pushed the landspeeder harder. Soon he had arrived at his destination and looked at the architectural strutcure and design of the fortress with awe. He always found beauty in the craftsmanship of ancient buildings. Had he not been on the path of the Jedi, he would have sought work as an architect. He repositioned the landspeeder near another one covered by some shade so that while he was away, the unforgiving sun would not make the leathery seats to unbearable.

Ghan took a quick glance at the slope that stood before him and sighed to himself with some amusement. "Nothing in life can ever be simple," he muttered under his breath as he made the trek up the slope to the fortress. Finally making it to the top with only one mishap, one he hoped none of the others witnessed, he stood in front of a opening which appeared to be the entrance.....or a window. Shrugging his shoulders he pulled back the brown hood on his robes and ducked inside.

He could sense the Force in the others and followed it through the twists and turns of the stronghold. It was quiet in here except the whispers he heard in the distance from the others which began to gradually grow louder in volume the closer he got to his destination. He entered the room and spotted the others. He moved his gaze from one to another while basking in the strength of the Force that was radiating from the other Jedi here. "As remote as this place is....it would make a fine training facility. That is if you could find a way to vent out this dry heat," Ghan observed while a smile appeared on his face.

 

[TAC]

Jedi Knight Larik Novan had never been to the outer-rim.

He didn't like it thus far.

Dressed in his traveler's clothes, the Corellian stepped down and off the transport, gazing around the dusty spaceport. The man knew that there were many Jedi around, and perhaps others who could sense the force that would recognize the influx in the Light Side of the Force, but Larik didn't feel like it was necessary to try and hide himself. The Jedi was here to hear out others in the Order, and to see how they felt about the conduct of the Jedi. Agree or disagree, the young man head long ago realized how important diverse opinions and ideologies were in preserving and excelling organizations. The viewpoints of his fellow Jedi would be received, and he would consider them as many others also would, no doubt.

Knowing it was not far, and feeling the presences of his fellow Jedi, the hooded Corellian set forth from the port and towards what looked to be a place where a person could rent speeders. Doing so, Larik sped off into the Dune Sea, guided by the faint expression of his fellow Jedi. Enjoying the ride through the hot sea of sand, he arrived at his destination and disembarked, walking into the old and ruined structure to great his fellow Jedi.

 

[Insoulent]

Tatooine. The homeworld of two of the greatest Force using figures of the Galaxy. And yet, here he was today, in a cheap, rented speederbike. Arkantos could barely breathe the hot and dry desert air thanks in part to the beating iconic twin suns that hung high over the endless dessert world. Arkantos was dressed in his usual black robing and armor, a terrible choice for himself, if he had a second say in it. He had acquired a brown cloak that covered his entire body though, but that didn't stop the suns to nearly burn him alive. Still, word of a rebellion was enough for Arkantos to bear through the heat. While he himself has no intentions of joining the rebellion himself, he had to see why, exactly other members of the Order wished to leave.

He followed the co-ordinates given throughout many members of the Jedi Order. The location was highly reclusive and considered random, like much of the barren and dessert world of Tatooine, literally: the middle of nowhere. He saw many Jedi gathering themselves inside the structure which would hold the convocation for the split in the Jedi Order. He would see first hand, their reasoning behind the split in the first place, maybe they had a reason he could respect, one he hoped, that wouldn't make him have to face his Jedi brethren in combat for some reason. One he would hope would be fueled by Peace.

 

[Solaris]

"You're cloaked," Nasiri whispered to Char.

"You are too," Char said in an undertone.

She smiled up at him, but did not relax her Force stealth as the Cathar Jedi who neither knew save by reputation walked up to greet the couple who had instigated this little ideological insurrection. Char and Nasiri both bowed in response to Rhonun, Char's bow much deeper than Nasiri's; she only inclined her head, while he bowed at the waist.

"Char," he said, face stern. To others it would have seemed Char was being standoffish, and indeed he was; the lifelong habits of the secretive Jensaarai were not easily abandoned. To someone who knew him as well as Nasiri and was as able to read him through his psychic stonewall - no mean feat, that - he was more nervous than anything. Char did not enjoy the prospect of addressing so many strangers, much less an audience like this. He didn't think the assorted Jedi would appreciate the vocabulary of a Tatooine tough.

"Nasiri Lavii," she said, smiling warmly. "Chiss Immortal and Pax Sator's Padawan." She noticed the Togruta Jedi enter and gave Char's hand a quick, reassuring squeeze. "I'll go talk to her," she said. "You boys play nice."

As Nasiri walked off, Char's gaze lingered on her petite form for a moment before turning back to the Cathar. "Yeah," he said. "Figured the galactic south an' the Skywalker homeworld was 'bout as good as you could get outside a' Tython - but with what's goin' on with Brentaal, the Core don't seem so secure anymore."

---

Nasiri was smiling as she walked up to Ashara Vashee. Though they had interacted only once, Ashara had struck Nasiri as a fundamentally decent woman - and her presence here was a pleasant surprise. Rather than bow or shake hands, she decided to try establishing a much warmer interaction than the normal forms of greeting generally led to - the Jedi Master would be an important person to sway, and she didn't want her former teacher to get the wrong idea about her. Someone as staunch in her support of the New Jedi Order showing up at a convocation two Jedi excommunicates initiated meant a lot to Nasiri, more than she thought it would. Her smile was genuine, as was the affection.

Her time with the Jedi had changed Nasiri more than she thought - or maybe it was another side-affect of the Phoenix Virus in her system.

"It's good to see you again," Nasiri said as she embraced the Togruta and gave her a peck on the cheek in greeting. "I haven't seen you since Tython. How have you been?"

 

[Master Maverick]

"I have kept myself busy," she started hesitantly, quite startled by the physicality of the young woman. It wasn't that she was surprised by her acting as such, simply the act itself. She usually kept a respectable distance. Given she had only met the young woman once before it seemed excessive. There was something... comforting about it though. "I have an Apprentice once again."

She looked around her, taking in the individuals who had chosen to attend this unorthodox meeting. "I hope you have been well." There was more behind the statement than the simple words, that much was clear. For the time being, though, she would just observe for the most part.

 

[TAC]

The first person that Larik noticed when he got into the room was Master Vashee, of course. She had been one of Larik's closest instructors, and while she had a lot of pupils, and thus Larik doubted he was distinguishable amongst the many, she certainly held a special reverence to the Jedi Knight. He could only guess that she was here much for the same reason he was, to hear what the other Jedi had to say and see what was to be done. As a master, she of course held significant more weight than Larik.

The only other Jedi the Corellian recognized was Knight Rajex, someone who had trained under Master Vashee as well. Although she was in conversation with another Jedi, and apparently some she was rather close with as she hugged the master, Larik made her way over to the Master to greet her. He walked up towards them, but a little ways away, leaning against some crates waiting for them to finish their conversation, or for an appropriate time to integrate himself into the conversation.

"Hello, Master Vashee," he said with a bow as he approached her. If the other Jedi was still there, he would bow likewise to her as he introduced himself, "Larik Novan, a pleasure to meet you."

 

[Insoulent]

"Well, this is quite the meeting." he let out in almost a whisper, walking behind his Master, who was standing next to another woman. He had felt his old Master's presence the closer he got into the Temple, a bit surprising. His entire body still covered by the cloak. He turned to her, and bowed formally, "Master." he said as he descended into a deep bow, though eventually rising up, keeping the words short. He turned to the woman that stood next to his Master, not saying a word, just a simply nod of acknowledgement with a hint of a smile, as to let her know he meant no disrespect. He knew not of the woman, or her intentions, but she seemed sincere, but he just simply couldn't offer respect to anyone there, not until he knew their intentions were good.

He turned to the only other Jedi that he knew in the facility, a Knight now, Larik Novan. "Greeting Larik." he said, using his first name and taken to shaking his hand. Arkantos felt no rush to use the formalities when addressing other Jedi of the same rank, or to students of the Jedi, and besides, they had been in quite a few classes in their times as Jedi fledglings, he figured he could address Larik on a first name basis without the need of a bow, too. He fully knew his old Master's stance on the Order, she had no intentions of leaving, but they both had the same goal today: to see why.

He looked at the Jensaarai. He nodded to him, the same as the other unknown woman next to his Master, with a hint of a smile. He knew very little of the man, Char. He knew he was a Jensaarai, and he knew quite a bit of the Jensaarai from his studies. The knowledge he did know, was what concerned him. The Jensaarai had no qualms with dealing with the dark side. But, of course, like the Jedi themselves, they are all different. So that alone kept his doubt under control, but it did not completely remove it. He looked at the cathar for a moment, before turning his gaze to another human. He then kept his out-of-character silence as he turned his eyes back to the direction of his Master and the other woman that accompanied her.

 

[Radiwalker]

Asalla - "At least we're not late." The first words she had spoken to her padawan since the beginning of their trip.

The two had heard about the meeting and had every intention of attending it. However, they found themselves with a lot of time on their hands before the shuttle for Tatooine set off, so they decided to spar. Of course, as always, the spar took longer than they had planned and they missed the first shuttle and even barely caught the second on time.

The trip wasn't too long and Asalla didn't pay much attention to Kor. Instead she used the time to stare out the window and drift into a trance, something between an awake and a meditative state of mind. She recollected on recent events, she had gone through a lot and was uncertain where the jedi stood and should stand in this war. She thought that if anything, this meeting would at least be enlightening for her.

As the shuttle touched sand in one of the prominent space ports on Tatooine, the cloaked female, of togrutan origin, walked down on the descending ramp, closely followed by her distinctive padawan. She was wrapped in her brown cloak and her hood was covering her head, her montrals sticking upwards, giving away her species, despite her face being covered in darkness by the mentioned hood.

She led the way toward the meeting place with a fast pace. Never before had Asalla visited Tatooine, but she had no time for sightseeing. Priorities were important and the girl knew that if she wasted any time, she risked being late for the meeting and that was never good. The pair walked through the desert stopping only to drink water. It was underneath the hot sun that the girl thought of the jedi values, the code and the direction the order had taken. She knew everyone was trying to do the right thing, but it was often unclear what the right thing was. Perhaps this meeting would clear that out as well.

The pair finally arrived and Asalla spoke to her padawan, before hurrying inside. It was a strange, but quite appropriate place to hold such a meeting. Upon entering Asalla quickly looked around to notice some familiar faces and some unfamiliar ones. The first that caught her attention was her aunt - Ashara Vashee. Another that caught her attention was Tuwan Saa. Asalla had not met the ancient master, but had rather heard of her from none other than the GA representative on the jedi council - Emily Cedocina. Emily had not told Asalla much, but she had said enough to touch the girl's interest.

Needless to say, the togruta abandoned her padawan, simply giving a nod to him, as well as to Ashara, who would undoubtedly have noticed the presence of her niece, and approached the alienated jedi master. "Master Tuwan Saa, I presume. I am Asalla Loani. It is a pleasure to meet you." The knight thought she would have more than enough time to meet the others and get to know them, but as far as she was concerned this might be her only chance to exchange words with Tuwan.

 

[GABA]

The hot Tatooine suns reflected off the copper pauldron, her face hidden by her emerald green hood, more so to protect from the violent rays that would threaten to cook a less prepared individual. Warden and Master Jedi Ebberla Daw could feel the concentration of light within the distance, in the middle of the dune sea, how fitting. It wasn't a long journey for her, a short jump from Hutt Space, otherwise she probably would not have bothered.

Ebb understood the purpose of the meeting, however, it made her uneasy, a sense of ignorance lingered in the air as she entered the meeting place.

Other Jedi were present, faces were familiar. She folded her arms studying each face, feeling each emotion that waif off the Jedi present in the hall. They stood greeting one another, a get-together in the midst of war, while their core was falling, while their temples were under threat of destruction and here along with herself now all stood, defenders of the peace. Nonetheless meeting on the other side of the galaxy clear away from any danger or threat instead of in front of the Grand Master were these concerns should be. The woman's hazel eyes narrowed in dissatisfaction.

It was the last thing the Jedi needed, a split within the Order, it was perfect propaganda for the Sith and their Imperium.

 

[Amilthi]

Having stayed on the planet for the last couple of weeks, it was natural that Amilthi would arrive no earlier than exactly in time for the meeting: with the coordinates Char had given her, she had a reasonably reliable estimate of how long it would take for her to reach the place in a landspeeder. She had wondered if it wouldn't be wise to arrive a little early to take part in the socialization that would undoubtedly take place beforehand, but then decided that she didn't want to.

Amilthi entered the huge stone building that had turned to be located at the coordinates. She had never heard of it and founds its existence - or rather, the fact that it existed in a remote location and wasn't used by anyone -, quite puzzling. As she walked through the huge hallway that led from the gates to the main hall, the air grew progressively cooler. Despite the fact that it stood in the middle of a desert, Amilthi guessed that the structure was built in such a way that the temperature inside stayed more or less constant throughout the hot days and freezing nights.

In the group, she spotted Masters Vashee and Daw, but theirs were the only familiar faces. Except, of course, that of the man who was responsible for the whole affair. He looked quite unhappy, if that was an indication of anything. But Amilthi could imagine why. A diplomatic occasion like this wasn't exactly his natural habitat. At least he had had the good sense to dress appropriately; despite what the Jedi might profess, Amilthi was quite sure that a significant number of them did not have sufficient control of their subconscious reactions to look past such matters entirely. She wasn't even sure she herself did.

She inclined her head when she caught his eyes for a moment, but otherwise didn't announce her appearance.

Among the other people, there was one individual that stood out: a beautiful, red-haired woman who was talking to Master Vashee. She was dressed in something that resembled Jedi robes in form, but not in color. Anything pinkish was definitely an extravagant choice, though there was no denying that it suited her very well. Amilthi had no idea who the woman was, and chuckled inwardly about the fact that despite this, she felt an urge to talk to her in particular. Then her amusement suddenly ceased and she was confused: What was the source of that urge - human instincts to associate with attractive people, or the Force's peculiar habit of nudging her in a certain direction? It was completely impossible to find out, except by giving in to it.

On the pretense of paying her respects to Master Vashee, she approached the pair. "Hello, Master Vashee. It's good to see you here", she said and bowed to the Jedi. The open smile on her face was directed at both Nasiri and Ashara, but she left the two a choice as to whether to include her in the conversation, or continue it between themselves after the greeting.

 

[Solaris]

Nasiri curtseyed back to Larik. "The pleasure's all mine. My name is Nasiri Lavii - I studied under Ashara when I first joined the Order." Nasiri may have come a long way, but she still could not bring herself to address someone as 'Master'. "How did you two meet?"

She flashed Arkantos a smile, inclining her head in response to his own nod but maintaining eye contact throughout. Nasiri, an empath, could often get a much more thorough impression of someone upon first meeting them; she decided she rather liked this tall man. He seemed. . . interesting. "A Mandalorian! It seems all of the Sith's allies are represented here - you simply must give me the chance to pick your brain later. I've met so few who weren't the victims of a terminal case of testosterone poisoning."

Nasiri smiled at the quiet young woman who walked up. Something about her seemed familiar, though even with her phenomenal memory she couldn't place how. The young Jedi seemed so reserved and contemplative, very much different from Nasiri herself. She didn't venture a greeting, though, being too well-bred to interrupt Ashara's introduction.

---

Char spotted Jedi Master Ebberla Daw entering the room. He knew the woman by reputation only, but judging by her expression she was not pleased to see this gathering. She, if he had to guess, would be the major voice of dissent in this convocation. Char nodded curtly at Rhonun to excuse himself and smiled tightly, then walked over to her.

"Believe it or not," he said, speaking loudly enough for those nearby to hear him clearly - though not so loud as to be shouting at Daw - "I ain't lookin' for to be causin' no schism atween the Jedi. We've just got our wagon hitched to a dyin' dewback, an' if we don't cut we're goin' down with it. The New Jedi Order's gotten t' be too bound up with traditions an' concerns of the Galactic Alliance, so much so that they're blinded to the other possibilities and their own duties. That's why we need to, ah, to break our alliance to the Galactic Alliance or any other governmental body. I ain't sayin' to abandon 'em - but right now the Order's bound so tight that we're gonna go down with 'em. Sith temporal victory is all but inevitable - jus' like their eventual fall. If'n the Jedi don't take a step back, take the long view, then we ain't gonna be there when the Sith fall.

"Throughout galactic history, it ain't been the Republic or the Alliance what's beaten the Sith - an' it ain't been a Jedi playin' at bein' a soldier, neither. Every time they've fallen, it's been at the cusp of their final victory, when arrogance has blinded 'em an' complacency's made 'em soft. They turn on each other, an' show themselves to be what they truly are. They're savages, aye, an' they ain't got what it takes to keep hold a' what they took. Not really. They can't win the peace, but they will win the war." His tone was firm and resolute, but neither heated nor bitter. Char had reached this conclusion through not fear but reason and analyzing the situation from both the perspective of a Jedi Knight and from the perspective of the penultimate outsiders, the Jensaarai. Perhaps his life as a Jensaarai colored his perspective; they were used to becoming the darkness to stand off the real monsters. "Every time the Sith win, they've purged the Jedi Order. This time, we need to be one step ahead of 'em. We need to accept the hardship. We need to endure the hurt an' swallow our pride, let the Alliance fall an' go to ground so that five, ten, twenty years from now there will be Jedi. May be that a hundred years from now, the common folk'll look at us like cowards - but they'll be Jedi, not Sith, what're keepin' the peace an' it'll be a free galaxy what condemns us." Char shrugged, his eyes flicking over to Nasiri before returning to Ebberla Daw. "Or. . . y'all can cling to your pride, an' you can die with the Alliance when the Sith start in on their purge. Me, I made my decision already. I'mma live, not for m' own sake but for the sake of those yet born. I'mma outlast the Sith, be in the shadows when they go mad to mitigate the harm what they do, be there when they fall, an' be there to rebuild what they destroy. This is the Way of the Jedi an' the will a' the Force."

Nasiri, standing over by Ashara, Larik, and Arkantos, had to stifle a giggle. Her impish sense of humor left her with the thought that she'd never heard the taciturn Tatooinian string together so many words before.

 

[Master Maverick]

There were a few Jedi that the social Jedi knew. It was a little awkward, only given the reason for this meeting. However, it certainly be considered surprising. "We were tasked on some missions together," she replied, looking at Amilthi giving a confirming nod. Asalla's presence was noted by Ashara as well, a nod only given considering the Jedi that practically flocked around her. Was she really this popular and well liked? Or, was it that they found comfort in her presence, and given these dark times comfort would be sought subconsciously? There was no real time to think on the matter as Char started speaking.

Each of the others had been welcomed in her presence, but there wasn't too much time for small talk as the meeting was to get under way.

The speech that followed was roughly eloquent. That was only given the fact she had never known him to speak this way. Perhaps Nasiri did help in getting him out of that shell. That or he was especially motivated and dedicated to this cause. His words made sense and they were reasonable.

Tuwan knew all too well the invasion of the Alliance in the Order and she could only agree vehemently with the man's words. The girl that had approached was almost ignored. The fact she knew her name was irritating, but she did manage to repeat "greetings" in return with a nod for show. It was quite obvious she either wasn't in the talking mood or she wasn't the type for small talk.

Regardless, she wasn't ready to speak just yet. She wanted to hear out the arguments and reasons in more detail. She had virtually nothing at stake in all of this anyway.

"So you wish to go underground now - at the darkest hour?" There was incredulousness in her voice, but Ashara couldn't quite believe that Char suggested going into hiding so readily given what little she knew of him. "Of course we need to save the Ways of our Order, but I do not believe now to be the time to run. The Alliance need not fall, despite the odds against it." There was, however naive, hope in her voice, but also sadness that this was being suggested.

 

[Negative Blessing]

Ghan stood with his back against the wall as he watched the other Jedi trade formalities. It seemed that most of them knew each other and he knew not a single soul. But that was not his purpose here, to meet the others. He was hear to voice his own thoughts on the subject. No matter what the others thought of him as a mere Padawan, what ever transpired here not only affected the group that had assembled here, but the whole Order as well.

Ghan's ears perked up when he heard one the other Jedi, the one who called himself Char, begin to speak of the current troubles the Order was facing. There was much truth to what the Knight was saying, and Ghan found himself believing the words himself. He didn't come to the Jedi Order to be a mere soldier sent half across the galaxy to fight the Alliance's enemies. He yearned to be a Jedi to help protect those who could not protect themselves....he joined the Jedi to defend the weak from oppression. Now again the Alliance was calling on the Jedi to fight thier battles for them. Have the Alliance learned nothing?

Ghan moved over to the one called Char introducing himself."Hello brother, my name is Ghan Ghan Ur Lo'thoi...Padawan to Jedi Knight Raleigh. I heard what you were saying and I find myself in complete agreement with you. The Jedi have always endured over the years while the Sith Order continue to rip itself apart over and over again. My life is not my own to simply toss away needlessly for some war we do not belong in. I swore an oath to protect those that are weak and oppressed, and I will continue to do so. Even if it means leaving the Jedi Order. I shall stand with you."

 

[Teynara]

That the others had chosen a place such as this to hold their convocation - a Conclave, if ever she'd heard of one - suggested that there was much to be hidden and concealed from those outside the Hierarchy of the Jedi Order. Perhaps even hidden from those within it - surely we'd be on Tython on Empress Teta if this were something to be shared with all, Teynara thought, walking with a quiet tread within this fortress that they had chosen to hole up in. Sand crunched softly beneath the soles of her boots with each step, perhaps dragged in from the endless desert outside by footsteps that were not her own. That of the others, perhaps.

In truth, she wasn't entirely certain as to why she was here - all that she had heard had simply said that the meeting would be a discussion of the Order's current role and their future direction. All of which smacks of infighting, she thought, but that was all the more reason to see that cooler heads were at least present. Whether they'll prevail remains to be seen, the blonde mused. She hadn't arrived with the others, either - in truth, she'd been nowhere near the Order's stronghold worlds when the message had gone out, and had only caught the tail end of it during her scheduled check-in with the Temple to report 'mission accomplished'. It could have been worse, though - it might have happened entirely without her knowledge.

Teynara had quickly discovered that she rather abhorred this planet - she had to admit it, but she was a Jedi that preferred green trees and running waters, not the desolation of a barren world bereft of all but the most perseverent of life, that trying desperately to achieve survival in a place where it would be nearly impossible to thrive. Why anyone would live here at all escapes me, she thought darkly, but they did try nonetheless. That Jedi had chosen a nearly dead world as a place for a gathering hardly helped to alleviate her sense of misgivings.

The meeting had begun by the time she had reached the gathering - it hadn't been hard to find, given that any large-scale meeting of Force Sensitives could always be felt by their kin, but getting to it had. Finding a landspeeder to take me from starport to out-of-the-way places not listed on any local map without getting the intake manifolds clogged with sand all amount to an absurd level of difficulty, she thought, and that had only been the start. Sufficed to say, by this point, she was tired and more than a little irritated, though trying to clamp down on the latter with the benefit of her disciplined training. As it turned out, though, she had entered this dead fortress only in time to hear what sounded like the first speech of many. And this is where we break out into debate and argument, she thought.

"I think you underestimate our enemy, if you imagine they will destroy themselves so easily," she called out, responding to the words of the tall Human male who had chosen the opportunity to speak at large. "To assume that they will simply destroy themselves in time without our Order around to oppose them suggests that our presence is the only thing preventing that now," Teynara added, stepping further into the room where the others were gathered. She stopped between several of the others, allowing her long robes to fall into place around her as she came to a standstill, her eyes gazing around the group, her head nodding to several of them in pleased recognition. "More to the point, you now suggest we surrender to an inevitability that we cannot be certain of," she continued, her pale-blue eyes now stopping to meet those of the tall Jedi that had first spoken.

The Jedi Knight paused for a moment, rapidly marshalling her arguments. As far as she was concerned, the war against the Sith was the wrong path for the Jedi to be taking: a road that the Sith wanted the Jedi to walk in order to ensure their destruction. Not by the hands of our adversaries, but by the abandonment of our most cherished principles: to serve life and Force, not death and war. If we fight, we lose ourselves in the process and become that much easier to destroy. That particular strategem had always seemed obvious to her, though many believed that to serve the Force was to oppose the Sith, even if it meant that the Jedi had to fight that war nonetheless. Compromise our principles to serve. That had never sat well with her.

"Were it simply a case of withdrawing from war and allowing things to unfold naturally, I would support that, but you speak of abandoning our allies to uncertainty and chaos," she remarked gently, her tone chiding the other Jedi slightly. "How can we walk away now, knowing that the Alliance will fall without our support?", she asked, her voice slightly stern. "As Master Vashee says, the outcome isn't certain, but if we were to withdraw from our work with the Alliance, it would be so. We would simply be allowing the Sith to gain control. How many lives would be lost, how many freedoms compromised while we simply wait for the Sith to destroy themselves in the aftermath of such an event?" It didn't really bear thinking about, as far as she was concerned.

 

[Solaris]

"This isn't our darkest hour," Nasiri said to Ashara in a soft voice, though her voice carried. Projection was something many singers had to learn, even sopranos like her. "I've seen this Empire from the inside. It has the potential to be terrible, but right now it's focused on the Alliance and defeating it. This gives them focus and drive, and prevents them from turning on each other." She gently touched the Jedi Master's arm, letting her project her sincerity without trying to telepathically force her beliefs on the woman. "I've also seen what this war machine has arrayed against the Alliance. Resistance will lead only to widespread death and destruction - and to no avail, because the Sith will win this round. No, our darkest hour will come after the Sith defeat the Alliance and look to consume the Jedi, killing and turning the Order until none remain."

---

Char grinned at Ghan. On a face like his, the expression looked more like a predator baring its fangs than an expression of friendliness. Char was not the sort who took well to expressions of warmer feelings.

"What's our other options?" Char replied to Teynara. He bristled slightly at her taking the tone to lecture him like he was just a child, but quickly stifled it. Calm and reason would prevail here, not emotions. They were Jedi. They had to remain dispassionate, to look at things using their minds and not just their hearts. They had to see the way things were, not the way they wished them to be. "I don't underestimate 'em. I know 'em. Grew up learnin' the Sith 'longside learnin' the Jedi. The Sith are united now 'cause they got us, the Jedi, what they see as decent opponents. With victory in sight, there's cracks what're appearin' in that unity even now.

"We have to," Char said. "The Alliance is doomed. I seen it. Yeah, it'll be a bad time - an' don't think that don't cut at me. I know the folk it'll hurt, more'n most Jedi what've spent their time in this 'verse contemplatin' the infinite in the Temples. I tell you this - the war don't matter one way or the other, whether we join it full or pull out. The Sith will win the Core, an' it won't matter a lick what we do about it. Jedi ain't warriors. They ain't fighters like the Sith are, an' this time they got the numbers to match us. Even if the Jedi did win, even if they fought off the Sith, they'd have to become somethin' just as dark to do it - an' that, I ain't willin' to sit by fer.

"What does matter is the aftermath. You ask me, how many will suffer if we do pull out - but how many more will suffer if'n we don't? Th' choices're gettin' knocked down an' hurtin' for a spell or the long, slow death of the light an' everything we're protecting. Might be, centuries from now, after the Sith've eaten themselves as they always do, some folk'll begin to remember. . . but if that's so, it's 'cause we didn't have the moral fortitude to do what we have to."

 

[Amilthi]

Amilthi was rescued from the complications of sentient interaction by Char drawing everybody's attention. The young woman listened to him and was positively stunned. She hadn't expected him to be able to present his vision like this. He was being dispassionately realistic about the present, and yet hopeful for the future. And if history was anything to go by, he was right to be. Wars that seemed lost already didn't turn out otherwise; but the Sith never stayed in power, either. Amilthi suspected that this was because their philosophy ceased to have anything to say once they had won. They strove for power, but when they had it, they never knew what to do with it. And Char seemed to have identified the same reason.

The responses that could be heard from the assembled Jedi, however, had a stronger impact on Amilthi. They didn't make her sad, they made her angry. Master Vashee, in her grandmotherly ways, wasn't given to doing cost-benefit analyses in situations like this. She wanted to have a positive outlook, and was stubborn about it. The man who introduced himself so elaborately was even worse; he didn't have any outlook at all, he was just giving signs of social allegiance that were utterly irrelevant to the matter. And then there was a voice that Amilthi hadn't heard for a long time, but immediately recognized. Apparently, Teynara had arrived even later than herself. And to Amilthi, her words were the worst. They actually hurt. Did Teynara really believe that a group of Jedi would make a difference in a war fought with battleships? Especially if they kept acting like they did. Amilthi was under the impression that the Jedi weren't taking winning the war at all seriously. The Order had failed miserably as keepers of the peace, and now they didn't have the heart to go ahead and do what it would have taken to restore it by winning the war. They wouldn't use the Force to the fullest of its potential in that regard, and it was nothing but hypocritical. And what were these people thinking when they spoke about clinging to the smallest chance that the Alliance could survive the war? Did they think the Sith would, if they won, kill the population of the planets in Alliance space? Had nobody ever considered that losing this war could save lives? It was unbelievable.

Fortunately, she was relieved from having to say all this. She would have done it in a manner that would have been too forceful and passionate to convince anyone. The way Char handled this made her even more impressed with him, and it also made her feel slightly stupid for not having adopted her present position all along. Although that was because she had entertained the thought of trying to get the Jedi to at last take seriously the war. In retrospect, the hopelessness of this seemed obvious.

She also didn't fail to notice the calm and sensible words that the red-haired woman, whose name she had unfortunately not learned, spoke to Master Vashee. It made her even more determined to at least talk to her afterwards. Preferably once she had calmed herself. The trouble was that it was awfully difficult to see why she should do so right at this moment. The anger and indignation she felt at the Order's complacency and hypocrisy was actually justified, and it wasn't in the way of anything she would have had to accomplish - the debate was being taken care of by others. She couldn't say that it felt bad, either...

 

[Teynara]

Ah, that explains the opposition to our remaining alongside the GA, Teynara thought, observing Char carefully, accepting what he had revealed about himself, and perhaps what it had taken to make those assertions when surrounded by his fellow Jedi. At least he believes passionately about ensuring the Order's survival in times to come, she noted. That one she could respect and even accept, but to abandon the Alliance to it's fate and simply be there to pick up the pieces afterwards...that didn't sit so well with her. Not at all, in fact.

"I agree that continuing to fight this war will ultimately be a wasted effort," she said softly in reply. "Jedi are not warriors, and we have frankly done ourselves and the Galaxy a considerable disservice to act otherwise," Teynara added, her expression becoming a little more solemn as she spoke. She'd never accepted that Jedi should approach even a situation as dire at the war with the Sith in a manner of violence, or with the attitude that the Sith could or should be stopped by the Order - as if it were the Jedi responsibility. "But it isn't our strength that the Alliance depends upon, as you must realise. It requires our moral support, our guidance, our ability to perceive the Force and to offer the sense that hope exists even in the darkest of times," she added, folding her hands in front of her and watching Char very carefully.

No, the Jedi couldn't fight the war and win - by fighting, they'd already lost. That much she had determined some time ago, and it wasn't a pleasant thought by any means. However, they couldn't simply turn around and walk away, abandon those who had become used to the application of their moral authority, and had come to rely on their support. Much though she hated the thought of it, the GA relied upon the Jedi Order now more thoroughly than it ever had before, and in the absence of the Order, what would happen? It would be the people who would suffer, far more than merely the institution of government, she thought.

"You would prepare the Order for the aftermath, but ask yourself: if the Galaxy watched us walk away, retreat into the background to hide from the inevitable, what reason would they have to accept our guidance when the Sith finally turn on each other, as you suggest they will?" As far as Teynara was concerned, the Jedi's moral authority did not stem from the Force so much as from the goodwill of the people that their services had aided. Take away our assistance and what help can we be in the future? "We cannot speak of moral fortitude if we simply turn and run because the darkness assails us. We must stand firm, and show the members of the Alliance that we are with them throughout. To retreat into shadow to await it's dissipation simply loses us any credibility we might have."

History had often recounted the nature of it - indeed, Char had probably noticed the pattern, too. Sith rise, the Jedi get wiped out, the Sith fall upon each other as they struggle to dominate and control, and ultimately others rise up and topple the Sith. The remnants of the Jedi Order return and seek to repair what damage they can, until it happens again. So, here they were, planning once again to disappear into posterity until the Sith destroyed themselves and made room for the Light once more. But we've learned nothing from history if we assume that it will just repeat itself regardless of what we do.

"I can't help but feel that we would withdraw and ultimately fail those we exist to protect," Teynara asserted bluntly, spreading her hands as if to say 'what can we do?'. "We can't fight and win, I agree, but to simply stand by and let the Alliance fall is ultimately condemning millions to a fate they should not suffer. We could speak as though it were inevitable, but our retreat would make one thing certain: we would be responsible. How can that be in keeping with our ideals?"