Trial by Fire

[Jiang Winters]

The Council Chambers of the Coruscant Temple were the seat of the Jedi's power upon Coruscant. Many a Jedi had passed through the Chambers' doors, facing judgement or seeking advice on one thing or another. The fate of the Order and the direction it took was decided within its walls. Inside, the Codes were interpreted and analyzed, over and over again. Lore was studied, students evaluated; indeed, the Chambers served a great many functions, all of which were undeniably important to the Order's ability to operate.

Because of the importance of its daily operations, the Council was rarely interrupted. Visits were strictly on an appointment basis, with the Council forced to pick and choose among the many hundreds of Jedi and outsiders in need of a meeting.

This time was different.

Change was coming to the Order. Disillusionment had spread through the ranks of late; many had become bothered by recent events and the Council's activity and behavior - specifically the Prime Envoy, Battlemaster, and Grandmaster.

Absences, unusually harsh punishments for members of the Order, a lack of any sort of tangible action to stop the Sith's tireless buildups, an overload of trainees that had only recently begun to correct itself; the Order was indeed on edge. Many felt this, and, after an assembly of a considerable number of the Order's members, a fair few decided to take a stand.

A vote of no-confidence was cast. Names were jotted down inside a great leather-bound tome, which, once filled, was sent with Daisuke and company to the Council Chambers along with a hand-scribed copy of the verdict the assembly had agreed upon.

It was a simple one; all three would stand down from their positions unconditionally. They would retain a seat on the Council, pending a review. Battlemaster Augustus was guaranteed a seat, however; his experience was invaluable, and to lose him when the Sith were at the gates would be utterly unacceptable.

The means by which to deliver that verdict were far from simple, however. Daisuke still held great respect for the Council, and anyone with two brain cells to rub together would realize that the news he and his compatriots carried would be far from welcome. He did not know what to expect for once - they could be infuriated, or they could take it calmly and accept the change. He simply did not know, and that bothered him.

The feline adjusted the collar of his robes - simple brown and khaki, purely functional in nature - and glanced to the Council doors. "This will not be a pleasant day," he muttered to himself. In his eyes, this wasn't just a test of the Council; this was the entire Order's trial by fire. What came to pass here, today, would either heal the Order and enable it to serve effectively as a shield against the Sith menace, or it would divide it, making it all too easy for the Sith to destroy.

After tiring of fidgeting with his collar, the tiger-like being crossed both thick arms across his chest and glanced at the holographic clock displayed above the nearest turbolift. They'd been waiting barely a minute now - they'd be inside any moment. The Council'd had been given almost a full day to prepare, though the precise purpose of the meeting would still be unknown to them.

A guard at the doors cleared his throat and gestured at the chamber doors. They were ready to convene. Daisuke glanced to the others, ears flat. "Last chance to run for the hills," he said, his voice completely devoid of humor. Once his companions had voiced their readiness, they'd proceed into the Chambers as one and Dai would issue the verdict.

 

[Phil]

"There is nothing to run from. Either things remain the same and Jedi are punished, or the Council listens and will see what must be done."

Predor Logath said, wearing his traditional Jedi outfit, cape and turban as he was at Daisuke's left. His hands folded behind his back as his eyes remained closed, waiting for them to move on to discuss the fate of their Order. He could not forsee what would happen today, it was difficult, he only knew that countless Jedi were depending on Daisuke, Talon and himself in this matter.

"Regardless of what happens, no matter what the Council says to us, we are Jedi and I will be at your side to the end of this."

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Silence had overtaken Talon in the moments before this meeting. The reason eluded him, though he believed it was due to the significance of the day. Not at any time in his life could Talon recall a more vital or delicate situation. Adjusting the sleeves on his maroon traditional Jedi robes, he prepared himself.

“This will not be a pleasant day.”

Daisuke’s words echoed in Talon’s mind. ‘Not a pleasant day at all…’, he thought to himself.

“Many days have been remembered in the history of the Jedi Order, days of glorious triumph, as well as days of horrible grief and sorrow. Victories, defeats, realizations, all things are remembered by the Jedi. Today will not be glorious, it will not be a victory. No matter the outcome of this meeting, this day will not be remembered well.”, said Talon. “What we do now we do for the Order itself, and we lay ourselves on the line for its importance.”

Turning to Daisuke and Logath, he gave a brief nod, a sign that he was ready to continue.

 

[Jiang Winters]

"Mm."

Daisuke nodded briefly in agreement. He'd picked his companions well, it seemed. Both were quite well aware of the gravity of the situation, of the importance the day held.

"Remember; they will debate it. They will do their best to make convincing arguments, to highlight whatever successes they might feel they've made. They will not surrender power easily, especially if they've grown fond of their spots. But retaining control is not the way of the Order; the Council is an advisory panel, nothing more and nothing less. They are meant to voice the will of the Order, and right now, that will dictates their surrender. We will be calm but steadfast; they cannot shrug off this verdict. Not when everything we hold dear is in the balance."

That little snippet said, the feline advanced on the Chamber doors as they swung open to admit him, Talon, and Predor. He moved to stand at the center of the Chamber, assuming his comrades would stand at his sides. He wanted to deliver the message gently, but there was no way to do so. He was a soldier, not a diplomat; tender words were not his forte.

"Grandmaster Kanasur, Prime Envoy Kane. I have no polite way of broaching this, so I will be straightforward. A considerable number of Jedi convened recently to discuss the activity, behavior, and commitment to the Order you've shown. It was decided that the Order's current leadership is decidedly slow to act and slow to react, traits that will leave us extremely vulnerable if and when the Sith choose to fight. For that reason, among others, we have decided to cast a vote of No Confidence in both Grandmaster Kanasur and Prime Envoy Kane. You are asked to step down without delay. You will retain a seat on the Council, at least until decided otherwise. That choice does not lay in my hands, however."

Dai's gaze flicked to the Battlemaster next.

"There is no decisive vote on Battlemaster Leonus. Many would see him retain his current post, and all would see him remain upon the Council. Therefore, that is entirely in his hands; if he should choose to step down, so be it. Remaining in his current post is still feasible, though, unless decided otherwise at a later date. Again, that choice will not be in my hands."

The sable-striped feline's hands remained clasped behind his back as he spoke, his belt bare; he carried no lightsaber or weapons of any kind, only the book that contained the names of those who'd cast a vote of no-confidence.

He wasn't sure how they'd react - hopefully, they'd remember that the Council's ultimate purpose was to give voice to the will of the Order, and right now, that will asked that they stand aside so that fresh leadership, ready to commit entirely to the Order and to the extensive maintenance and upkeep it required, could move to take their seats on the Council.

 

[Kit]

The Battlemaster listened without uttering a word. He knew, from the moment that Master Daisuke began speaking precisely why the Council had been summoned.

He had not missed murmers of dissent; his task was to oversee the training of each and every Jedi, be he Padawan or Knight alike. And it was hard to miss the air of dissatisfaction that had prevailed.

Honestly, Augustus had never expected it to come to this. Beric was his friend, his ally. The Order was, at least to Augustus, a duty he would never forsake, and he knew Beric felt similarly. But now, apparently, the Order had decided to forsake him.

He could barely imagine how betrayed his friend would feel; the Order he had dedicated every second of his life to deciding that that simply wasn't good enough.

The pain he could only imagine Beric was in overshadowed his concern for himself. Apparently the Order felt his progress was adequate. He barely suppressed a sneer when the Master claimed that the Jedi would allow him to remain Battlemaster, at his own discretion.

Having taken care to lock eyes with the Jedi as he delivered his, or rather the Order's verdict, the Battlemaster took the opportunity to say his piece. He did not rush to speak, but he was all too aware that this was a moment that would be lost all too soon.

But the words evaded him. His was a life of war; more so than any other Jedi in the order, Augustus truly knew battle. Even the leader of this delegation of dissidents was as a child in the face of Augustus' experience.

He was an artist with the blade, his work with words was much more... rudimentary.

"The Jedi Order is... kind to allow me to retain my position, though somehow I doubt that I have managed to escape the executioner's blade entirely."

He paused, never once removing his steely gaze from Daisuke.

"My duty demands that I oppose the darkness wherever it is to be found. The will of the Order means little in the face of that, whether it falls against me or not. I assure you however, that you are making a grave mistake here."

He knew what was coming next, and what it would mean. He had to betray his oldest and closest friend, if he wanted to remain on the Council. He had to weigh his duty against his loyalty. He had watched his students die, and sent brave Jedi to battle, to their deaths. This was still the hardest thing he had ever had to do.

"But... whilst I will never condone what you are doing... I will not oppose this movement."

All the while, his steely exterior belied the maelstrom of emotion within. Not forbidden to the New Jedi Order, but unwise to betray. He simply couldn't betray his duty. He had to do what was required of him, before what was... right.

"Know this though," Augustus heard himself say, barely aware of the decision he had made, "I stay on this council only if Beric does too. The moment he is removed as a Councillor, is the moment I leave."

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Jhon’s holographic image sat in his normal seat in the High Council chambers. His recent ascendance to the position of the Alliance’s interim Chief of State made it impossible for him to attend the meeting on Tython in person, but, given that the call for a meeting was said to have been a matter of grave importance for the New Jedi Order, he knew he had to take the time out of his schedule on Coruscant to attend the meeting via hologram.

His heart sank for his fellow Councilors when he heard the vote of no confidence. It was not the first time it had happened in the history of the Jedi, both the old and the new, nor was it likely to be the last. The concerns of these Jedi were not unfounded; the implication was not that the Grand Master or the Prime Envoy were bad people or even incompetent as High Councilors, simply that there needed to be a more effective response to the increasingly inevitable war with the Empire. He couldn’t say he blamed them for their concern or their actions, nor could he condemn it.

The Sage Master was not typically one to feel self-pride, knowing how his own pride had cost hundreds of lives during his fateful mission to Ardos years earlier, but he did feel a great sense of relief and gratitude for these Jedi not declaring a lack of confidence in him. He would continue to serve them as best as he could for as long as he could.

Still, he felt a strong sense of remorse for the Jedi Masters he had served with and come to call his friends. They were more than colleagues; as the wisest and most trusted of the Order for many years, they had all become friends, even when they had disagreements; Jhon and the Battle Master would clash over the approach to the threat of the Sith, but never to the point of animosity.

Nonetheless, if these actions were the will of the Force and, most importantly in this case, the will of the Jedi, then Jhon could only hope that the Grand Master and the Prime Envoy would accept the collective judgment of these Jedi, no matter how painful it might be for them. As Councilors, they were not the rulers of the Jedi. Indeed, they were the servants of the Jedi. The Jedi were their masters. If the Jedi believed that they were not being served effectively, who was the Council to argue with that?

 

[Denzein]

The hooded and cloaked hologram in the southern-most seat of the Council chamber lowered its head just a fraction more and steepled its fingers, resting its elbows on the arm rests. It could only be one man, for only one Councillor was not currently on a Jedi homeworld (and in fact being deep in the Outer Rim doing the Force knew what - hence the poor quality of the hologram). The Loremaster.

Lecchamemnon was troubled by these events, but not visibly enough for a hologram to show. The Jedi had opted to oust their own Council... No matter the motives this was something rarely seen and was therefore very significant. That he himself had not been called upon to step down was not a matter for relief or disappointment, it simply was. It did however connote that no-one new had yet learned his secrets, that one of the Jedi Order's darkest stains was veiled still. That was good, even if nothing else that arose from this confrontation was.

He sighed, a quiet blurt of static from the seat's lagging speaker system. These were dark days... He didn't believe that changing the Jedi leadership so radically would amount to much good, but his hands were tied by the vote. If the majority of the Jedi had called for the Grandmaster and Prime Envoy to step down, then step down they should. He would remember it, however. If this proved to be an unwise move by the masses he would remind them of it the next time, and the time after that if he was there to see it. Such was his official duty, to record and remember the various embarrassments (and glories) of the Jedi.

Time would tell what this vote of no confidence would prove to be.

 

[Will]

Beric's whole body sagged for an infinitesimal moment, before he regained his composure. His formerly neutral expression hardened. They would allow him a seat on the council. But he knew he would not be wanted, a spurned grandmaster would go unheeded. No. They wanted him gone. But they wanted him to appear to do it of his own volition, to be replaced by incompetent dreamers.

So be it.

''I have given every iota of my life to the Jedi. To forge them into the order you have the privilege of belonging to. I was fighting to keep the darkness at bay before you were even born. And now, the very order I have given all my life for has turned against me? In this coming war, you will need one as determined as me.''

Beric looked at all three of them. The young, the unblooded. What had they sacrificed for the order? Not even a fraction of what the Grandmaster had given. But they did not know that. All they saw was the now, not his rise, his years of experience. They saw a man beset by challenges, and deemed him too weak to deal with them.

''I shall step down. But not simply from my seat as Grandmaster. I will leave this order entirely, that has changed so much in such a short time. Let you all have your dreams. Let them be shattered by the darkness as it crashes around you. I bid you all good luck in this war. It will be needed.''

Beric rose, armoured gauntlet gripped about his weapon at his belt, the raven on his breastplate seeming to scream as the light hit it, sweeping out of a back entrance. He would leave, and take his legacy with him.

 

[Kit]

Augustus' seemed to wilt. He had expected this of Beric, his righteous indignation. He had not expected him to leave the order entirely. He, frankly, had no idea how to respond.

Without a word, he rose, and made for the grand oak doors. He would be as good as his word, and leave. He could have stayed, true, but very soon there would be no place for him on this council any longer. He didn't need to be a Jedi to see that.

Where normally the Battle... no, simply Master now, would have swept from the room, in a flurry of red and grey, now he seemed more to simply fade, passing through the oak doors to the chamber without uttering a single word.

It was a long journey back to The Will, and he had much to consider.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

This is not the Jedi way, the Sage Master thought. His holographic image lowered its head, his mind troubled at the thought of what had transpired here—and it was not over what this large group of concerned Jedi had done. It was the words of the Grand Master, a man Jhon had known for so many years, that concerned him here.

A Jedi Councilor, especially the Grand Master, was to live their lives with the philosophy of servant leadership. This applied to them all, whether they were the Grand Master, the Sage Master, the Battle Master, the Lore Master, or the Prime Envoy. A servant leader was a leader, yes, but as a leader they were the servant. The Jedi Council members guided the Order by serving it and the Jedi that made up its ranks.

To leave not only the Jedi Council but also the Order itself was a rash act, one that Jhon would attempt to reverse. He was not part of this Jedi delegation nor did he have advanced warning, but he understood and respected the place from which they were coming. If the Jedi were not satisfied with their servant leaders, then they were in the right to demand change.

“Friends,” the Sage Master’s holographic image finally said, even though the Prime Envoy had not yet spoken, “let me assure you that you have done nothing wrong. We are here to serve you, not the other way around. For any Council member to believe dissatisfaction with their tenure amounts to allowing the darkness to shatter the New Jedi Order is arrogance of an unparalleled breed.”

He continued, “The Jedi have existed for 26,000 years. Even in our darkness days, the brightest of lights ensured that our torch burned bright. The Jedi of today honor them well. If your leadership has failed you as you believe, then expect positive results from this. You have my respect for acting on the courage of your convictions.”

 

[Garuga]

Silence was at times a weapon, at times a virtue. Right now, silence was there for Bacilla simply because she needed it. Votes of no-confidence were not unheard of, but this was not targeting any individual, there was to be no second meaning behind this. It was ushering change, whether they liked it or not, whether it proved fruitful or otherwise. Watching the three who had entered to deliver their message, Bacilla kept her eyes on the evident leader of the trio, the thought of engaging in some form of a debate or otherwise challenging the 'verdict' were not considered with any earnest. Could she find some lingering support for the councilors? Feasible perhaps, but they would hardly reflect the support of a united Order. These three represented not merely dissidents, no amount of speechcraft could quench such immense dissatisfaction.

The battlemaster spoke first, followed by the Grandmaster himself. Bacilla watched the two leave, just as swift as the messenger's arrival. She made no public indication for what she felt about Beric's decision to remove himself from the Order altogether, or the Battlemaster's clear indications. The decisions made by the two were not wholly surprising, and a definite decision about the demands were certainly ones that could be reached instantly after knowing of them. So she was the only one who remained, the other two who were not called to be replaced made their presence through holograms. After some words from the Sage Master, Bacilla knew that they expected her response.

"The Jedi ranks have made their decisions and likewise I will not go against the tide. My position is for you to replace, whoever you might picture best sitting in it." Bacilla responded, likewise leaving her former seat as she said so.

"I will continue the training of my own Padawan, these affairs shall have no impact on that. Leaving will not be a matter that I will seek, though my place in the Order is a decision for your likes to make, as I do doubt the impact that the remnants of a falling sun could wrought." She continued. "As trivial as this decision might be for the... successors, make one in your own time."

Bacilla took her look away from the feline Jedi who first spoke, and glanced towards the two holographic figures of the Lore and Sage masters. She bowed respectfully, if private words were required they would be for later. "Otherwise, the Sage Halls I will make my residence."
Bacilla said, turning back towards the feline. "Is anything else the matter?"

 

[Phil]

Predor watched as both Beric and Augustus left the council chambers as the other three council members remained, speaking their pieces as he, Daisuke and Talon listened. Predor had absolute respect for each of the masters the moment he heard their names, but even this was just ridiculous. He was glad that there was no heated debate or violence for that matter, but how arrogant and selfish the Grand Master acted as he left was nothing he expected.

"How can you walk away from this now? You are a Jedi, your position should not mean anything in this. What will the others say about this, or the Sith once word of this reaches them? I ask that you reconsider leaving the Order you have dedicated your life too, to the people you swore to protect from Evil."

Not knowing if they would be moved by either The Sage Master's words or his own, Predor turned away from the door the two Masters left through and back to the focus of the other Council members. The Prime Envoy was next to speak her words, and it pleased Predor that another was not leaving the Order over such selfish reasons. He knew this was not over yet though when she asked if there was anything else that needed to be discussed.

"There is still the matter of new council members. Daisuke has a plan that may be able to help us find a suitable council."

 

[Denzein]

And so the Councillors departed, and the fate of the Jedi was changed forever for better or worse. Only time would reveal the wisdom of this vote, only time held all the knowledge that was to come. Not even the Sagemaster could dip into the future at will, no matter how much he tried to act as if he did. Such things were impossible for a reason: They were simply not meant to be.

Life wasn't allowed to be that easy.

Lecchamemnon did not judge either of the former Councillors for their decisions - It was their own choices as to what they did in the face of their deposition, he had trusted the pair of them to be wise and level headed men when they were his superiors, and Lecchamemnon's trust, once earned, was durable. He didn't expect Beric to cause trouble for the Order if he did end up leaving, the man had too much history with the Jedi to turn against them fully. That said he understood that the former Grandmaster would need to be watched should he choose exile... Such a man would be a prime target for Sith assassins, or worse - recruiters. One did not have to know they were serving the Sith to aid them, they merely had to be a passive force.

The only thing required for evil to prosper was for the good man to do nothing.

Bacila's departure was less extravagant. The Loremaster acknowledged her bow with a nod, his first interaction with anyone in the room. Even his holographic self possessed a piercing stare, and it fixed itself upon her for a while. The image flickered, and when his form regained its form he was looking at his interlocked fingers once more. What had that stare meant? Who knew. Had he even been looking at her at all? Who knew. Holograms could play cruel tricks at times...

Regardless, the matter was finished with. The Council was reduced to two holograms, and that would not do. Lecchamemnon had no doubt that the delegation had counted on this and brought plans of their own for selecting new Councillors, and he now wanted to hear them. He was listening carefully, for here was the test that would inevitably betray the delegation's true motive. He did not expect deception, but he did not discount the possibility either. He knew that the proposed selection process would show him exactly what the usurpers wanted - were they genuinely here for innocent reasons? He hoped for their sake they were.

Knight Logath piped up, confirming Lecchamemnon's thoughts. The moment of truth had come, now was the time for him to speak.

The speaker system was crackling and distorted, but his voice was audible. The Loremaster had never had trouble in getting himself understood, his voice (when he used it) was clear. That half the galaxy was between him and those listening was meaningless, Lecchamemnon had never been one for physics.

"Plan? Please, share it."

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Talon stood in silence as the Council received the mandate from the Order. Some of them took the motion as they should have, with humility and respect for the ways of the Jedi. However, the Grandmaster was not pleased with the verdict. His response very much surprised and worried Talon. The words he spoke seemed to remove any illusion that he was once the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order. Arrogance, lack of commitment, and a final statement that seemed to infer the hopeful damnation of the Jedi Order in the coming war with the Sith.

“How can a Jedi speak in such a tone?”, Talon began. “It is the right of this Order to demand new leadership, you know this, yet you respond with arrogance and seek to abandon that which you have held so dear? It is apparent that action is needed, for your statements here have placed a stain upon every piece of experience and prestige that have lead you to your privileged position. Not only have you acted out of the character perceived of you by the Order, you imply a hope for the Order to fall. You are no Jedi, and I would not have you remain on this council.”, finished Talon.

Throwing a quick glance to Daisuke, hoping he felt the same. The pronoun ‘I’ was used in his final statement because Talon wasn’t sure he should be speaking for the whole of the Order. He couldn’t help from saying what he felt needed to be said. Hurt and surprised by the words of the Grandmaster, whom the Order had placed their trust and confidence in, Talon stood quite still, and made no movement or sign that would cause him to be perceived as hostile. Shortly after the Battlemaster rose and followed the Grandmaster out of the doors of the Council chambers.

 

[Jiang Winters]

Their acceptance of the verdict was swifter than Daisuke had dared to dream, and far more painful than he had feared. Though the Battlemaster was obviously unimpressed, the former Grandmaster seemed absolutely enraged. His choice of words plainly conveyed ill wishes, and indicated that he believed that the Order would be destroyed without him. It was nothing less than the complete condemnation of the Order's decision. However, much as Dai wanted to argue, he stayed his tongue and simply watched the irate man take his leave.

Talon, however, had not been so content; the Knight voiced his thoughts, rather than holding them back. Dai laid a hand on Talon's shoulder once he'd spoke. "Easy, brother," he replied softly.

Though he agreed with his thoughts, Fuyu felt that responding in any way to Beric's words would only aggravate the man further, and he was keen on avoiding unnecessary confrontation.

He removed his hand and turned to the Sage Master as he spoke. The Councilor's words were reassuring, of that there was no doubt. Dai breathed a little easier once Jhon's message was delivered, and Predor voiced his thoughts as well, though his words were directed at the two who'd departed the chambers. It wasn't much matter now - for the moment, Dai's only concern was the Prime Envoy, who'd yet to speak.

Despite the Sage Master's words, Beric's display had bothered Daisuke enough for the master to fear that Bacilla would not act in a sensible or Jedi-like fashion. However, she proved herself to be accepting, even respectful. The feline visibly relaxed as she asked if anything else was the matter, to which he slowly shook his head.

"No, nothing else is the matter. Thank you," he replied. He was glad to hear her concern - her heart was still in the right place, of that he was fairly certain!

And then Predor spoke again. This time, he mentioned a plan for appointing new council members. Daisuke's plan. The feline's left ear flicked twice - why had Predor mentioned that? Daisuke had intended to forward the concept to the Council later, once they'd had time to discuss the day's events. He had never considered putting it forward so soon. Before he could suggest a pause, Lore Master Lecchamemnon spoke up, asking him to share the plan.

"I've an idea I've been rolling around, but... It's little more than a concept. I wouldn't call it a plan, not yet at any rate. To appoint replacement Council Members, I'd like to call together a group of three to five Knights and Masters, chosen from our ranks for their wisdom and judgement. They, along with the Council, would review potential candidates for the replacement of those who've stepped down. I imagine the Council would maintain veto power over this assembly, as a precaution, and would preside over it to ensure sound, rational judgement of any candidates.

He hitched his shoulders. "As I said, it's not much of a plan. A rough concept, nothing more."

 

[Brand]

Ferouq had watched from the shadows of the chamber hall all goings on. It was interesting to say the least, but he clucked his teeth at the brashness of both of the commandants of their order. The Knight's respect for both had been severely shaken in the past months as Ferouq was a close friend of Galak Avara's, one who had voiced quiet dissent of the Grand Master, until now these doubts came to light and were corroborated.

It was a sad moment to see any Jedi, especially the preceptor of their Order, fall, and Beric had fallen to his knees before an esteemed assemblage of contemporaries of the Order. Augustus had taken his leave as well, leaving the remaining men almost speechless. Knight Talon voiced his opinions, and Ferouq continued to listen intently as Logath and Daisuke discussed a plan for new elections of the Council.

With a short stride forward Ferouq stepped into the full vaulted light of the chamber to speak his own thoughts. "The necessity of staying united during this crisis is essential. We must rely on not ourselves, but the Force, in guiding our hand, for we must not forget we face our arch-enemies with an almost leader-less order. Master Cordatus cannot be taken from the Alliance, and I do not feel Master Kane is ready to take the reins of our order. Daisuke, working in tandem with each other should work to all members of the Order and for the benefit of the Alliance and Force. If we iron out the details, we should have a concept we can run with."

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Jhon raised his hand to quiet them, asserting some level of control over the Council. Now was not the time for this. They were moving dangerously close to groupthink, and, while he respected their right to all give their opinions, that would bog down the decision making process. The Council would decide who would be admitted onto the Council, as it always did, and Daisuke would aid in that and be given a voice.

“This is not the appropriate setting for such a conversation,” the Sage Master said. “With Daisuke’s involvement, the next members of the Council will be decided on by the Council. Whether there is a group of Jedi to decide the next Grand Master will also be decided upon by the Council.”

Remembering his own situation as interim Chief of State, he said, “The Alliance is already without a true elected leader. We now lack a Grand Master, and continuing this conversation here and moving forward with all Jedi involved bogs us down in unnecessary procedure. It is a nice ideal, albeit an impractical one. Were I the Dark Lord of the Sith, this would be the time I would want to strike. The High Council will move quickly to put the mechanism in place to choose the next Grand Master."

 

[Denzein]

The Loremaster sat motionless as the debate went on, listening intently to Daisuke's "concept". He agreed with Jhon, this was not the time to have a committee discuss potential candidates. He had asked because the opportunity to analyse the delegation had arisen, and his findings were worth the momentary distraction. He had thinking to do.

The threat of the Sith had never been so real as it was now. Both of their major sources of opposition were without large chunks of their leadership, the time was perfect to mount an attack. This troubled Lecchamemnon, it was imperative that leaders be found for both the Jedi and the Galactic Alliance as soon as was possible. Silently he wished that the delegation had shown more tact in the timing of the delivery of this vote... If they had waited until the Galactic Alliance had had a leader elected there would be at least some defence against the machinations of darkness, but as it was they had effectively opened the path for a decisive strike by the Sith Empire.

None of his disappointment with the delegation showed, however. His face remained blank, his eyes glassy and cold. The hologram flickered silently.

It looked like his trip to the outer rim had been cut short. He had to come home immediately... The Jedi needed him.

Looking up from his fingers, Lecchamemnon turned his gaze to the Sage Master. Cordatus probably knew what he was about to suggest already.

"I will return to Tython immediately. As you are tied to the Alliance already, I suggest that I act as an interim Grand Master until a suitable leader is found. If the Sith do decide to capitalise on this unfortunately timed deposition then the Jedi will need a leader."

 

[Will]

((I hope you don't mind me posting on in here. Just a bit of fleshing.))

Failure.

Beric paced his chambers. His breathing was laboured, his jaw clenched. They had betrayed him. His own order had turned on him. They knew not what he was working on. He was going to save this order. And he was so close.

You will never succeed. You are all forever doomed to the darkness. We are unstoppable.


''SILENCE!''

Beric turned his back to the table, facing the ancient suit of armour worn by the first blademaster, his progenitor.

He punched through the glass. His face was reflected a thousand times, tiny fragments of his own visage. Taunting him. Some of them were laughing, some screaming out in pain.

He threw his own armour off, the pieces of Jedi raiment clanging on the floor, leaving himself in a maroon bodyglove as he began to put on the ancient, yet somehow advanced, armour. Gene-locks recognised his long heritage, the armour becoming active, allowing itself to be worn by an organic form.

Beric grinned as he regarded himself. Yes. This would stop them. It would stop all of them.

Your trinkets cannot stop the Sith. We are eternal. We are unstoppable.

''I said SILENCE!''

Beric swept his arm across the desk, the objects atop it crashing to the floor, into the light allowed by the small window.

And so his heinous sin was revealed. Beric had amassed Sith artefacts. Holocrons, Sith weapons, tomes. Even the helm of an ancient Sith warlord. It regarded him from the floor. In his narrow view, he believd them to be Sith. In truth, they were something darker, the artefacts of the ancient Bogan, the truly fallen Jedi. So close to his own bretheren as to pass notice, but twisted enough to taint the Grandmaster. He had originally taken these artefacts to study them, to learn his enemy, to find how to destroy them fully, wipe them from the galaxy. He had been doing well. In the beginning. In his hubris, he thought they would not effect him, his own determination holding off their corruption. It did not, it simply took longer for the Grandmaster to become corrupt.

It had started with tiny things, his tolerance for incompetence decreasing, less of a wish to teach classes in the order. But it had grown, becoming mood swings, and a draconian out view on the dark side. He hated them. These artefacts of his demise. But he needed them. The longer he was away from them, to more erratic he became. And so he gathered them into a bag, hefting them over his shoulder.

He took the weapon of Blademaster Karasu, belting it below lightbringer. He looked around the spartan dwelling one last time. He had taken only the things most important to him. All his Jedi raiment was present, as well as artefacts and mementos he had claimed throughout his long career. They would do nothing but remind him of the pain of betrayal.

His lip curled at it. He spat on the floor, and faded into the air itself.

The Grandmaster of the order disappeared. His chains were broken.