Ask Yavin IV Much Ado

[Kumasi Okun]

Kumasi strode towards the Grandmaster's office room and meditation chamber. Recently revitalized by joining the re-founded Justicars, Kumasi now found purpose in every step he took towards her chambers. He imagined the great weight that Alex had shouldered alone trying to reign in the excesses of today's crop of Jedi, with a small degree of shame for having not stepped in earlier. However, with her approval, the Justicars had reformed as counselors, healers, investigators, and disciplinarians; she must have equally sensed the need for their creation.

His look was stern as he walked through. In part to stave off the curiosities of the younger, more playful Jedi in their midst, but also, in equal part to prepare for his role. It is certainly one thing to face an enemy on a battlefield. But the hunt for corruption, for treachery, within the Order itself? It required a decidedly sterner facade.

Kumasi already had ideas on how to first proceed. Tales spun on the wind spoke of Jedi robbing trains, Padawans killing civilians, and all manner of other strange behaviors that the Grandmaster could not manage on her own. Padawans needed guidance. Knights needed to be reminded of their great responsibility to the galaxy and to the Order itself. And the Grandmaster needed a sign that someone was on her side - that there were Jedi who she could trust.

He waited outside her door, opening his mind so she could feel his presence. Back straight, arms folded. Today was a serious day.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Alex stared at the holovid playing on her desk. Her eyes squinted as she tried to understand what she saw. She did not personally know every Jedi. The Order grew too quickly, and the sheer number was simply too large…but she did try to learn the faces of most. She had heard of a Jedi wearing Mandalorian armor. Frankly, she thought little of it. Alex found the practice odd, but she was not about to ban certain armor. What she watched now was far more concerning. A Jedi wearing Mandalorian armor was one thing…a Jedi actively working with and calling themselves a Mandalorian was another matter entirely. The Sith’s pets had ravaged Lothal. They had put Jedi to the sword. The Order could not allow it to continue.

For better or worse, this was but one of the many problems the Council faced. The Order was growing quickly and beginning to encompass not only Jedi. Alex fought to maintain what little control she could. Not for the first time, she reminded herself that was not the proper thought. The Shadows faced their external threats but there were few avenues to deal with internal failings. To that end, she had reformed the Justiciars. Their goal was simple. To ensure the Jedi Order remained the Jedi Order. She needed help now more than ever.

A flick of her mind altered Alex to Kumasi appeared outside her door. She waved her hand to slide the door open. She smiled and nodded for Kumasi to sit. “Justiciar Okun, thank you for coming.” Her hand spun the holovid so that he could see the display. “Ordinarily, I’d offer you caf or tea, but time is not our ally.” The images of Ruus’all involved in various Mandalorian activities continued to play. “Do you know this Jedi? Ruus’all Solus?” She leaned back in her chair. “What do you see?” The Justiciars were more than just tools to root out darkness within the Order. They were trained to guide young and old Jedi alike who struggled on their path. They were counselors and healers as much as warriors…but…sometimes the warriors were needed.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Kumasi Okun]

A small smile appeared to his face as he entered, waving away the caf and tea. Both caffeinated beverages put him on edge, anyways. He placed his hands together and offered a small bow, otherwise silent to her request for coffee and tea. His hand went to his chin as he watched the image of an armed Mandalorian with a Jedi saber, hacking and cleaving his way through missions. He seemed to enjoy battle. Perhaps a little too much.

"The name is familiar." His voice came out deep, yet slowly. Like the molasses of a great tree. He had seen it on a class registration for martial training. At least, he took an active interest in training the next generation of Jedi. However, with his flawed priorities, that could do more harm than good. "And the surname, Solus." Was it the Solus war leader, or 'Alor,' that shared in the Mandalorian invasion of Lothal? The Jedi were so blindsided by the attack that perfect information was shaky, at best. Had he not seen footage of the Mandalorians looting the sabers off of the Jedi, like buzzards around a particularly stinking carcass? The idea of a Jedi being implicated in that orgy of carnage and violence unsettled him. He saw the urgency.

"He has been allowed to wear this armor on official Jedi business?" Throughout the footage reels, he noticed a recurring motif - the Jedi crest fixed onto the pauldron, sitting across . Perhaps there was an opportunity - as a former Mandalorian, Ruus'all could perhaps be the lynchpin in diplomacy with the renewed Mandalorian warriors. But as long as he operated without oversight, he put other Jedi at risk.

He noticed a recurring problem - the Jedi had lost sight of their responsibility to one another, and some had lost a sense of responsibility to the entire galaxy. They had a tremendous weight on their shoulders in exchange for their great power and connection to the living Force, a calling to consider their actions with the utmost care and think about the ramifications for such choices. It could not again become a lightsaber-training factory, creating only powerful warriors with no control over their mind.

"These images are a cause for concern, but perhaps not damning." It wasn't like he had robbed a train or anything. "But I sense there is a greater stress on your mind, Grandmaster." She had rushed to conversation - obviously, well within her right to. But the problem of insubordination and rogue activity from Jedi who should know better ran far deeper than just this one. "Perhaps I can listen, and provide input, as you see appropriate."

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

She sat in quiet contemplation while Kumasi observed the holo. Alex shared Kumasi’s sentiment. Ruus’all’s behavior was concerning but not damning. “It was not forbidden.” The implication was clear. Ruus’all had never asked or never seemed to consider the message that sent. No one had since forbidden the practice. A symptom of a much larger problem. Alex leaned back and waved her hand to click off the display. She took a deep breath before rubbing her eyes. Her green gaze suddenly meeting Kumasi. “Ruus’all is a sign of a greater problem.” The Morellian Jedi did not hide the strain in her mind. She was tired and she needed help.

“Despite the war, the Order has grown beyond our wildest expectations.” It was true. The Order thrived in ways not seen since the Old Republic. “But the Council is limited. We are only three and responsible for overseeing a war effort, training across all ages, diplomatic relations, and a thousand other tasks.” Alex now leaned forward to put her elbows on the table. “We cannot guide the entire Order or protect all within. Much as we want to, even I have limitations.” She gestured back at the turned off holo.

“Ruus’all should know better but he doesn’t. So many Jedi should know better but they don’t.” Alex suppressed a sigh. “Try as I might, it is a heavy thing to be called before the Grandmaster. It limits the help I can give.” Finally, a smile broke through. “It is too much like being called to the headmasters office.” Rarely did she even have the time she needed. “They need guidance, and we reformed the Justiciars to provide that guidance or protect us if necessary. But I don’t know where to have you start.” Kumasi had a reputation for a strong will and thoughtful presence. That was what she needed now.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Kumasi Okun]

Kumasi listened as she explained her rationale. He had always known Alex to be a relatively easygoing leader, a woman of character and purpose who upheld her post with as much dignity as she could. A fairly lighthearted sort, too. He found it a necessary balance, as he had been known for his strong will, if not his conversation skills. Alex brought a necessary levity to the Order as a whole. Now, Jedi risked taking advantage of that levity. And all of this weighed on her.

"The Order is in a stronger place. All is as it is." Perhaps the Order was not what it should be, but the Jedi did not deal in should, could, or would. There was only action. He offered a gentle correction to her, opening his mind to hers. "There is no 'try.'" A tiny smirk appeared to his face, repeating the words so many masters had told the both of them, told every Jedi, throughout the years. Out from his mind poured placidity, yet strength. His Force was the mighty mountain, the river that carves its own path through the valley to the ocean. It was like a tall tree in the forest - while she was exhausted, she could lean on him for support.

He thought through her question, for a moment. Obviously, handling Ruus'all would be a priority. But beyond that? It was an open book. An exciting challenge for the Justicars to meet. "I've scheduled an open group therapy session for the Jedi. Beyond that, the Justicars intend to implement progress reporting, and start to regularly check in on struggling Jedi." The Jedi way was not easy to follow. None could do it perfectly. Most important was that the Jedi remained forgiving. It was okay to fall off the path, as long as one made an effort to return. Of course, this was within reason.

"There is a question only you can answer behind all of this, Grandmaster." With the Justicars reformed, order could be restored to the Jedi. But there were many paths they could take. The Grandmaster was meant to light the way, but here she was, uncertain. It was good they had met first - Kumasi began to see that some of these issues stemmed from the top. "What do you want to do? What do you want the Order to be?" Alex gave so much of herself to others, others much less generous or understanding than herself. Her blunder in Senate was one such example: he trusted the Grandmaster's innocuous message, of course. But it was...unfocused. With focus, she could accomplish anything.

"There are only twenty four hours on Yavin's day. You cannot do everything alone. And none of us expect you to be anything but yourself, Grandmaster." He paused, there, to let the point linger. She was their leader, selected not by strength but by reason. The Jedi trusted her fully. While this was surely the weight that she described, it was also an honor. Whatever her focus, whatever her call, the Jedi could accomplish it. "Tell me how you want to spend your time, Grandmaster. What was it you used to dream about in the Jedi Order?"

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Kumasi quickly exceeding his reputation. The Justiciar possessed a keen and insightful mind. Alex was a little caught off guard by the questions, but it was a welcome change. She was used to being on the other side of that conversation. Always asking others what they wanted and rarely thinking of herself. She took a deep breath. “The answer is not so simple…but you know that.” Alex smiled again. “You and I share a gift. Long life…and such longevity lends one to living several lives in one.” She leaned back and steepled her fingers. “For a long time, I considered myself a diplomat and a healer. When I first returned from the Outer Rim, I was a teacher…now…I’m something else.” The Grandmaster could not bring herself to say warrior or killer.

“When I joined the Council, it was with the intention of steering us away from war. When I became Grandmaster, it was with a promise to avoid the pitfalls of the past. No one wants the return of Jedi Generals, or an Order focused only on war.” This time she could not stop the sigh. “Now that path seems inevitable.” The Force had made her for this role. She had been molded to fight this war. Alex didn’t know if the rest had. “When I was a girl, all I wanted was to help people. Heal wounds no others could heal. Find peace with my mind, not a blade. I found a great deal of joy in teaching…in raising the next generation of Jedi.” Alex shook her head slowly.“So much of that is lost now. I am our strongest weapon…that is not ego…that is the truth. I must stand against the Sith when they come. How can I ask others to die if I am not willing to do the same?” She mulled the words over in her mind. “I am a warrior now…more than I was anything before.” Her life had changed. That much would always be certain.

“I want the Order to fulfill its destiny. To serve those in the galaxy no one else cares for. I want us to serve all life without hesitation…but how can we do that unless the Empire is gone? How can we be that version of ourselves if first we don’t remove the roadblock? I won’t see children turned into weapons of war. We will never repeat the mistakes of the Old Republic…but some of us have to fight.” The words tumbled out of her. She had held these in for some long. Kept them to herself for so long.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Kumasi Okun]

Her shoulders sunk as she spoke, a sign of relaxation and tension all the same. She let her guard down to Kumasi - as a fellow member of her Order, he was obliged to protect that. "Grandmaster, the Order has always failed to fulfill our destiny." The old Jedi Order collapsed under the weight of Sith machinations and its own hubris. Its successor, under Luke Skywalker, broke apart similarly. At the core of Jedi ideal remained a contradiction that many would call a hypocrisy. Their symbol and identity was the lightsaber - one of the most deadly, potent, and ancient small arms to ever enter creation. They were warriors, but for the abstract ideal of 'peace.' It was natural that, in times of stress, the Order would struggle to navigate the balance.

"We will have to fight. And we fight best with clear minds." He hoped that she would appreciate that. In between refounding the Ambassadors and Justicars, personally fighting on Yavin IV, and taking on a new Padawan, Kumasi could see the stress wore on her. And her point was true - long life was as much a blessing as a curse. Though only 50, he had watched generations of Jedi already rise and fall. Their losses still weighed on him. "And you do not have to lead every battle."

He began to turn to the door, sensing that Alex needed some privacy for contemplation. Truthfully, so did he. "If I may make one suggestion, Grandmaster." His eyes met hers, as a small smile rose to his face. "Word is, it seems your Padawan brings you joy. And she will be the next generation of Jedi, the ones who will fulfill our destiny." He bowed once more to the Grandmaster, offering her his serenity.

"Consider spending some time focusing just on her. She may prove quite the teacher." He smiled, slightly, and began his exit from the room. "I'll begin our investigation into the Order, in the meantime."

/thread exit

@Valen Pelora
(just wanted to quickly close, enjoy ur vacay!)