Ghosts of Phateem - Peace Party

[Vinny]

STORYTELLER​

Dantooine has become less and less a Jedi Conclave and more a center of government with each passing month. Five years after the fall of the Republic and the settlements in some parts of the world have become almost cosmopolitan as survivors of the Republic seek protection by proximity. Yet not all who are present on the planet find the guardianship of the Jedi Order to be appealing or comforting. Instead, protests against the Jedi Order and the lack of an attempt to rebuild the Republic have been ramping up in frequency. Today has seen the largest gathering of anti-Jedi protestors in recent history.

At the feet of the Jedi Temple and the chambers of the Council, thousands of beings have gathered. Signs raised above their heads displaying their allegiance or resentment. Phrases such as "The Council is no Senate" and "Just another Empire" fly in contrast to "Republic Corruption, Never Again" and "The Force was not with Coruscant". Loud arguments have already begun to cast back and forth as the Council elects to dispatch as many Jedi Knights as it can muster to quell the protests and prevent a riot from breaking out.

As the Jedi peacemakers step out onto the steps, several Temple guards have already positioned themselves to prevent anyone from ascending the steps and causing mischief. Near the middle of the sea of protestors, a single speeder hovers over those present. A solitary man standing amidst them with a comlink raised to his lips.

"See! The Jedi don't even send a Master to speak with us!" His voice booms over speakers installed in the speeder. "The Council must heed the demands of the people! Keep Jedi matters out of matters of state!" The roaring response from the crowd is deafening.

Spoiler: Lead Protestor

At first glance the man is unrecognizable, but something about him strikes you as familiar. His voice carries very well with the help of the speakers and he seems intent on riling them as much as possible.

Spoiler: The Force

The Force is a sea of raw emotion right now, both sides, loyal to the Jedi or not, seem to be rallied quite heatedly behind one cause or another. The aggression in the air is so thick it could be cut with a saber.

Spoiler: Temple Guards

With only four temple guards and their lightsabers blocking the path, it is only a matter of time before chaos breaks out.

@Ulysses @Fyston @Caramon @Vinn Esper

 

[Fyston]

The day had begun ordinarily enough. Xene had been on Dantooine in preparation for his next mission and had spent much of the early morning training. The Initiate had been halfway through his training regimen when he heard the protests begin, a booming voice alerting Xene to the fact that they had brought more than their voices. The Jedi stood and clipped his lightsaber to his belt before pulling his robe closed.

Protests were not uncommon, though Xene had yet to encounter one since he had been on Dantooine. As such, it piqued his interest as he stood and began making his way to the steps of the temple. He heard the voices again, his ears picking up each word as they were spoken. The Initiate knew it could not have been a dedicated sound system, as it would have been louder and more refined. The audio quality and slight reverberation and echo made X wonder if they had brought a karaoke machine to the protest.

Instead, his eyes fell upon a speeder as he turned the last corner. He remained in the shadows, virtually unseen by the protesters, as he assessed the situation. One speeder, two crowds, a lot of emotion. The Jedi tapped into the Force as he thought the last portion, the sheer amount of emotion threatening to spill over and bloodshed on a Jedi world would probably worsen future protests. As such, he tapped into the calm, flowing river that was the Light side of the Force. He emanated calm as he walked out onto the temple steps. Xene used this calm and the power of the Force to attempt to influence the protesters on both sides to calm down. Before proper communication and conflict resolution began, both sides needed to be calm.

As such, Xene spoke with a deep, calming voice. Hoping to use this calm demeanor with his attempts to calm everyone with the Force, the Jedi's voice was almost equally as booming as the voice of the man in the speeder. "Ladies and gentlebeings, please try to calm down. People on both sides of the argument have valid points but we must be calm to progress and to be able to understand each other. We will be more than happy to work towards a common goal if we can all calm down."

As Xene finished speaking, his eyes fell again on the man in the speeder. Xene couldn't place where he had seen the man before, though something seemed off. As he waited for a response from the crowd, he kept his guard up and placed his hands on his belt

 

[Caramon]

Caramon was reporting in from his last mission on tattooine. Not everything had went as planned but it was a success none the less. The Jedi knight had just finished speaking with the Jedi master when he heard loud cheers and yelling. A curious look etched its way upon Caramon's brow as he started towards the steps of the Jedi Temple. The sounds were not clear, the walls muffling any trace of recognition to what was being said. The enormous doors opened up, a gust of wind flew past the Jedi ruffling his robes a bit. Despite being outside in the fresh air, Caramon felt as if he were in a stuffy room. He could feel the emotions of the crowds as they were yelling at each other for taking one side or the other.

As Caramon started to walk outside a feeling of calmness washed over him as his fellow Jedi stepped forward and started to speak.

"Ladies and Gentlebeings, please try to calm down. People on both sides of the argument have valid points but we must be calm to progress and to be able to understand each other. We will be more than happy to work towards a common goal if we can all calm down."

Caramon started down the steps, stopping behind X. Calling upon the force, Caramon knew that it was in his best interest to try and help his comrade with calming these people down. Carmon could feel the Force surround him and start to spread outward. There were a few people that were next to the Jedi that started to lower their voice as the Jedi concentrated.

Looking up Caramon could see the 'Master of ceremonies' so to speak standing upon a custom speeder, retrofitted with a speaker system for occasions such as this. He started to avert his eyes back to the crowd as the man turned his head. Caramon got a good look at his face. There was something about him, either he had met him before or something of the sort.

 

[Ulysses]

Al-Ric was newly arrived on Dantooine and had not been for many years. This meant he was reticent to take the lead to start with. He watched as the Initiate started to speak. He didn't know the young man, but he had the right idea: the crowd did need to calm down for them to make any progress. Experience told Al-Ric, though, that telling someone (much less a crowd) to calm down in this state rarely had the desired effect. To get them to listen and keep listening, they needed to tackle the issues head on. Al-Ric mentally kicked himself for allowing himself to give in to his own excuses of being new to the planet and for not taking some kind of leadership beforehand such that the Initiate was left to take up the slack in a group of Jedi Knights.

He gave Xenefious a friendly touch to the elbow in thanks and then stepped up onto the balustrade of the stairway to be seen by the crowd.

"If you want the council to hear you, clap one"

It was a trick to use on children, but the initial persuasion of the force, coupled with the growing peer pressure should make the effect applicable to a crowd.

"If you want the council to hear you, clap two"

The idea behind it was to give the crowd an easy way to give voice to their concerns, but one that forced them to listen and was at the control of the Jedi.

"If you want the council to hear you, clap one, tap one"

He would go on like this until addressed directly by the ringleader.

 

[Vosrik]

What had been a simple visit to Dantooine to refresh his mind and become reacquainted with what used to be his own base of operations turned into a diplomacy effort to the people. Scrambling, the Order was calling for any and all Jedi in the stronghold to address the people. While having spent a few minutes with General Singh moments earlier in the Dantooine Gardens, Vosrik understood more than most how stressful and busy it was to be in a leadership position among the Jedi. As such, he volunteered to speak to the people along with the other Knights and Initiate who were backing up the Temple Guard in their efforts to contain the crowd.

Upon exiting the Stronghold, the intense wave of emotion and aggression he felt through the Force surprised the Jedi Master. Whatever their ringleader had done, he had riled up the thousands of protestors to the breaking point. Having gathered the names of the Jedi beforehand, he was able to see Knight Caramon and Al-Ric, along with Initiate Xenefios making their attempts to calm the people. The man in the speeder raised his commlink, shouting even more to tip the crowd over the edge. Having been working in the shadows against the Empire in the Outer Rim for the last five years, this was the first time Vosrik would have been seen in public since the destruction of Tython. He didn't blame the lead protestor for his oversight, it was likely few recognized him.

Stepping regally down the staircase from the massive doors with his embroidered green cloak billowing out, he nodded in approval to Xene's opening words. Despite being simply an Initiate, he exhibited great qualities of a Jedi Knight. This was an excellent way to begin calming down the crowd, as they were so tense that a riot could break out at the slightest provocation. It was then that Al-Ric spoke, but before he could say more than his first line Vosrik's hand shot out to grip the Knight's shoulder.

"These people are not children, Knight. Do not treat them as such," he reprimanded quietly, thankful that both their words were drowned out by the continued clamor of the thousands of protestors. Standing aside his fellow Jedi, Vosrik amplified his voice through the Force to speak to the people and the lead protestor.

"Citizens of Dantooine, the Jedi hear your voices. You say that the Council doesn't send a Master to speak with you? I am Vosrik Tanari, former Jedi Lord of the Army. You want us to heed your demands, then come and speak them clearly. There is no need to cause unnecessary destruction."

@Vinny @Fyston @Caramon @Ulysses​

 

[Vinny]

STORYTELLER​

Calm began to wash over those in the front of the crowd. Most of them lowered their signs and even smiled with relief when Caramon approached. The ringleader lowered his microphone to his side though his face was obscured by the distance he seemed to be watching with interest. Yet when Al-Ric began his own gambit. The man raised his microphone again. He snarled into it, his voice echoing over the crowd.

"What are we, children? See? They show no respect for us! See how those in the front have been quieted!" He gestured to those who had been affected by Caramon's powers. "You see? They use the force on us even now, mind tricks to keep us from using our voices!" He shouted. A pair of men at the front blinked and looked at one another before starting to shove and rattle their comrades, dragging them out of the calming stupor.

Yet it was Vosrik's words that cut through the renewed tumult. The ringleader paused, looking around as tense anticipation caught through the crowd.

"A Jedi Lord?" He demanded. "See? This is what it takes to get the Jedi to pay attention. The people demand a sense of order! We want stability and we want the Republic! Special 'force users' and their council governing our worlds is no different than the Empire and their sith!" He insisted. "Restore the Senate or give us our worlds back to govern on our own!"

A large portion of the crowd roared in confirmation even while some retorted in dissent to his opinion. Shouts decrying the Republic as corrupt and dangerous tried to rise up over demands that the Jedi leave-to no avail.

Spoiler: Lead Protestor

A closer glance identifies the man as Corellian, given the bloodstripe on the side of his pants. Anyone familiar with the higher authorities in the fallen Republic would recognize him as Than Horn, son of the late Prime Minister of Corellia.

Spoiler: The Force

A wave of unease and anger floods through those near the front of the protests. Somewhere nearby the ringleader an intense bubble of anxiety is brewing.

Spoiler: Temple Guards

The Temple guards have shifted into a tighter formation, given that they have reinforcements.

@Ulysses @Fyston @Caramon @Vinn Esper

 

[Caramon]

Caramon walked down the last few steps of he temple, his hands clasped together behind his back. He looked at the lead protestor as he spoke, wondering what was the meaning of all of this. He kept a meter or two away from the group, never loosing eye contact with the leader. The Jedi never stopped calling upon the force, trying his best to calm the group as best he could. He could feel a presence of anxiety growing ever stronger by the minute. What was the motive of this group, what wrong doings had the Jedi committed in order to warrant these behaviors from the locals.

"If you would like to talk in a civilized manner the Jedi are more than willing to listen. We are not here to order anyone. As some of you may know, we are keepers of the peace. And I would like to formally apologize if the Order has ever given you reason to believe otherwise."

While Caramon spoke he scanned the crowd, looking for the source of the fear.
@Vosrik @Ulysses @Fyston

 

[Ulysses]

Rebuked by both a former Jedi Lord and a rabble-rouser on a misunderstanding, Al-Ric fought very hard not to retreat into defensiveness and introspection - he was not one to rush into rash action, but he had thought the situation demanded it and it had not paid off. The accusation of treating the crowd as children hurt particularly hard as he had been trying to get the crowd's attention in order to understand their concerns in detail rather than the shouting that a mob was restricted to. As a naturally reserved person, he resisted the urge to say something unhelpful with comparative ease. Nonetheless, his confidence had been dented and so he said nothing at all for the present time. Rather he turned to observing his surroundings.

He first looked at the man with the loudhailer. He thought he recognised him from one of his diplomatic missions to the old senate, but he could not pin him down precisely. Next, the temple guards caught his eye. The fact that they were pushing closer and closer uneased Al-Ric as it could only add to the confrontational atmosphere. He said nothing, however, as he had been recently burnt.

 

[Vosrik]

The Jedi Master stayed respectfully silent as the lead protestor spouted his demands, clearly meant to rile up the crowds in opposition to the Jedi. The protestors shouted out again, some in agreement and some in dissent. At their cry, Vosrik raised a hand to gently quiet them — without using the Force — while stepping slowly forward past the Temple guards to the edge of the crowd. Upon looking closer, the man appeared very similar to the previous Prime Minister of Corellia, whose name escaped Vosrik. While having been Jedi Lord for many years before the great fall of the Republic, it was rather his twin brother Shalken Tanari who associated more with the Senators and politicians as the bodyguard of the Chancellor. Perhaps it would have been a great boon to have the brothers alongside each other, but Shalken was currently indisposed elsewhere in the Stronghold.

While the other Jedi resolutely stood guard, Vosrik realized that this man likely riled up the crowd simply for his own gain. Being the son of the late Prime Minister, it must have been a huge blow to his pride and way of living when the Empire subdued Corellia five years ago. Restoring the Senate would not only bring him personal gain, but also a strong voice in the Galaxy and important title. Right now, he was just a loud voice spouting anger and dissent. No longer were the Jedi trying to calm an upset throng, but instead combat the ego of a defeated man. Now standing in his regal attire only a few feet away from the protestors, Vosrik continued to amplify his voice through the Force to reach the ears of the whole crowd as Than Horn did with the speaker on his proverbial soap box.

"The Republic, though built with good intentions and governed with a steady hand under Chancellor Rhone, bred little more than animosity as Senators and ambassadors bickered while Chandrila itself collapsed around them. You say that the Jedi rule your planets and are no better than the Empire? Good people, your worlds are already governed by your own." This was quite true, as each planet under Jedi control were simply overseen and protected by the Jedi Order and not interfered with. "The Sith care nothing for their people or their subjects. Look at Ithor and Saleucami — those worlds burned at the mere whim of a Dark Lord. The Empire rules in fear and with an iron fist."

Here, Vosrik looked directly at individual faces from the crowd. Some scared, some angry. Others listened while others clearly had no intention of hearing whatever he had to say. "The Jedi may not be perfect, stars know we've made mistakes. But we learn from them, and more importantly, we are here to protect you. Who has a family, loved ones?" The former Jedi Lord scanned the crowd again, looking at mothers, fathers, brothers — and finally back to Than Horn. "The Order works tirelessly to keep them safe and be the wall against which the darkness breaks."

Reaching out a hand, Vosrik asked one final question of the man in the speeder. "Good sir, the Senate is lost unless we push back the Empire. We must bring the fight to them to reclaim your homes and liberate those who suffer needlessly under the Sith's rule."

Thus he finished, hoping that his powerful response would resonate positively with the crowd. Not only were Than Horn's demands needless, they were unfounded and did nothing more than disturb the unease that the war had brought to the Galaxy.

@Vinny
I think you're good to post next and continue the story for us!​