Trials of Mastery: Lucian Volante

[Vollen Shai]

The Trials of Mastery are an ancient tradition of the Jedi Order, used at various times throughout history. The betrayals of the Hundred Years Darkness and the Rise of the First Sith have pushed the Jedi into action, and the Trials are once again returned to their place of sacred importance in the Order. Jedi Knights face great challenges every day, and when they believed they are ready, they must stand and be judged harshly by their would-be peers, ensuring that only the greatest Knights are entrusted with the title of Master.


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Chairing the Trials left Vollen hopeful, there seemed these days more than ever before hopefuls approaching the Council. It could only mean good things for the Order. And that was good enough for Vollen.

Tonight the stars speckled Tython's sky, almost beyond count as they glinted and gleamed above them, reflecting back across the waves and the walls of the Jedi Temple, a trio of fighters passing on their rounds. Fitting really, given the Jedi who now approached the chambers, one Lucian Volante.

Vollen smiled as the Knight entered the chambers, it was time again to administer the test as best they could, trials of flesh, insight, skill. While Vollen had some ideas about one of the tests, from what he had heard of the Knight, this would still be his best chance to understand Lucian, and it would have to be thorough to be sure it was done correctly,

"Knight Volante. Welcome. Before this Council you seek the rank of Master, and as such this Council needs to understand you, better than any of its members might do already" Vollen began. It was some time before he had laid out exactly the grounds of the trial, but hopefully it would play in to his first question,

"That being the case, tell us. What makes you a Jedi?"

Spoiler: OOC

@Nefieslab @Loco @Plebometer @Vosrik @Korvo
Good luck everyone!

 

[Lucian Volante]

Was he ready for this?

He believed that he was.

He believed that he had worked hard to prove that he was ready for this, to himself, to his allies and to the Order as a whole. Sure, he still made mistakes and he likely would continue to do so. But being a Jedi was never about being perfect to his mind - being a Jedi was about always trying, always striving, to be better and to do better.

Approaching the chambers, Lucian glanced up, catching sight of the fighters as they passed. He recognised one of them as being flown by a young knight by the name of Kipling - he recognised it by the way he pulled his turns too tight and had to compensate as he came out of the turn... something Lucian would need to make the time to train out of him when he was able to find the time. Entering the chambers, however, Lucian bowed low to the assembled Master before presenting himself before them at ease before the assembled Masters.

An interesting first question.

"What makes me a member of the Jedi Order? Circumstance, choice, honour and dedication. These are the reasons why I found myself taken into the Order and the reasons I have stayed." he paused for a second before continuing, "But joining the Order doesn't make someone a Jedi. What makes me a Jedi is a choice."

He looked at them.

"What makes me a Jedi is to be capable of great violence, great chaos and upheaval and forever choose not to. That I have the tools, the skills and the means to deal out death and I choose not to." he smiled slightly, "What makes me a Jedi is my continued dedication to my choice - to safeguard the helpless, to nurture the Light within the Galaxy, to show the Lost that they can come home if they truly try... and to challenge those who are too far from the Light to see their evils."

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[Austin Wolfe]

Sitting serenely, Austin watched with approval as another of their Order stepped up to the challenge of the Trials. Master Wolfe was content to sit and listen as Councillor Shai started with his first question and then as Lucian replied. Reaching forward to scratch the stubble on his chin as he thought, Austin formulated a second question for the Knight after the blond-haired Jedi fell silent.

"Knight Volante," Austin began, returning his hands to the arms on his seat in the Council chambers. "You speak of the capability of great violence, chaos, and upheaval. The skills and means to deal out death." Maintaining a neutral, stern face of a doctor, he paused for a moment after repeating what the Knight had just mentioned. "What, to you, is the Force?" His question asked, Austin leaned back into his chair as he awaited the answer.

Though the question itself was short, the potential answer could indeed be massive. Even some scholars and consulars to this day still tirelessly studied the nuances of the Force, wishing to learn even more about its mysterious ways. But that was not what Austin asked — he simply wished to know what it meant to Lucian.

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[Lucian Volante]

Had he done well with that last answer?

He didn't know but he couldn't doubt himself now - he was here and he was here to go the distance, to finally make it and become the Jedi Master he knew he could be. To aid the Order in a bigger capacity than he could as a simple Jedi Knight. Turning slightly to Master Wolfe as he spoke next, Lucian let the question wash over him for a moment before answering.

"The Force is everything. It is a tool to aid those who need it... a friend and confidante when you have doubts or worries... and an ally in the fight against those who would pervert it."

He stared hard at Austin, his gaze intense.

"The Light is the true form of the Force and it needs to be safeguarded against those who would twist it to their own ends - so that it may be used for the betterment of the Galaxy itself."

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[Jinlo Halan]

Looking up from her holopad, turning her gaze aware from the transcribed discussions taking place within the current trails. Jinlo directed her ice blue eyes towards the Jedi Knight, fighter pilot and prospective Jedi master. A soft smile crossing her features as she regarded the blonde Jedi Knight. From what she had observed the man was a capable pilot, and despite the typical persona that typically came with those who of his military background, Lucian was relatively grounded.

"Knight Volante" The raven haired master spoke, addressing the Jedi. "From our past discussions..." Jinlo continued before trailing off momentarily as she wondered into her own thoughts once again. "When we spoke about each of our lives before coming to the Jedi, you admitted that you had too much pride in your skills whilst you were unaware of your connection to the Force. That at the time you no longer felt special" she continued after breaking out of her wondering trains of thought.

"Can you share with us how that has changed since becoming a Jedi? And As a Jedi Knight, what is it that now makes you feel special withing the order?"

 

[Lucian Volante]

As was the case from the previous question, Lucian didn't get to know if his answer had been well received before he was answering another question instead. Part of this trial was, he was certain, to keep him on edge considering he would not be allowed much time to consider his questions and answers before the next one was requested of him.

Smiling a little bit as Jinlo regarded him, he waited patiently for the question from the healer. He frowned a little bit as she mentioned their conversation, wondering where she was going with this before he realised. Nodding, he looked at the floor for a moment before answering,

"I felt that way back then - I felt special and I found some resentment in not being able to feel that way anymore." he agreed before answering the question, "Now? I like to think that my dedication to duty and my actions for the Order would make me special... and if they don't? I'm alright with that. I have matured during my time here and I no longer need to feel special."

He smiled slightly at Jinlo.

"All I can do is give everything I can to the Order and keep improving so that I can do more. There's nothing else that makes me special - and that's alright."

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[Austin Wolfe]

The doctor listened carefully to Lucian’s response, Master Halan’s question and then the Knight’s answer once again. Austin dwelled on what was said in silence, formulating something further to pose to Lucian. Leaning forward in his seat, Master Wolfe raised his voice once again.

”Knight Lucian, what then does the rank of Master mean to you?” He paused a moment before asking a follow-up. ”And would attaining such a title make you feel more special in the Order?”

Having finished speaking, Austin would relax back in his chair and listen — also opening his mind to discern everything Lucian felt during the Trial.

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[Lucian Volante]

Turning back to the other healer on the board (had they stacked the council here with healers as some kind of statement on his own status as a warrior by any chance?), Lucian listened to what Austin had to say, what he presented him with, and nodded as he took it all in for a moment.

What did the rank of Master mean to him?

"The rank of Master is not a right of the strong or even the wise - it is a responsibility. Wisdom is nothing without accepting the responsibility, the burden, that comes with being a Master. Being a Master is, to me, similar to being an officer. People will look to you to lead them, to guide them. If you do it well, they will likely not even notice until they are older and wiser themselves. If you do it poorly, you have potentially harmed them for life." he reasoned before summarising, "The rank of Master is a responsibility to continue to do right by yourself, the Force and your charges."

Ah... he had a feeling that term would come back to bite him. Smiling ever so slightly, Lucian shrugged.

"It may well do, Master Wolfe." he acknowledged before shaking his head, "But if it does or not is irrelevant. I don't stand before you today to be 'made special' - I stand before you today to have you assess how ready I am for the responsibility and burden of the rank."

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[Austin Wolfe]

The room was silent once more after Lucian answered the Master. Austin contemplated all that had been said, realizing he had held the floor more than the rest of the Masters present today. He didn't think that they minded much, as they let him speak freely.

"Choices can be good," Austin began once again. "And they can be poor as well. Sometimes the results are catastrophic, despite what we may plan for them to be. How do you govern your choices when faced with a difficult situation? The decisions we make as Jedi are rarely white and black." The Master reached forward, scratching the stubble around his chin in thought.

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Apologies for the prolonged response!​

 

[Lucian Volante]

More from Austin eh?

Well if someone had something to say he supposed it made sense for them to get the chance to say it rather than just arbitrarily waiting for some kind of line or order. He listened to the question presented to him and nodded in agreement.

Choice was always difficult.

"When asked to make a choice, I will always prefer to stick to the Code and the spirit of the Code." he admitted with a small frown, "Sometimes it is hard, sometimes making a decision is hard. Sometimes the Code might say something but pragmatism may war against it... I like to think I can allow the two to merge but sometimes, I know, that isn't possible and in those cases I try to follow the Code. I remember my first instructor told me that making a choice as a Jedi so often comes down to a simple choice between doing what is right... and what is easy."

He smiled slightly,

"I try to do what is right but I'm not arrogant enough to believe I an infallible and am more than happy to have my choices challenged."

@Vosrik @Korvo @Plebometer @Nightfall096 @Loco

 

[Vollen Shai]

Tossing thoughts back and forth in his mind, Vollen found himself locked in thought as the questioning came to a close. There was much to consider, always was. They would need the time he had no doubt. Looking up to Lucian he smiled and began to reply,

"Lucian for now the Council will withdraw and discuss. Please-" he gestured to the doors to the council chambers,

"We'll call you back in once we have made a decision" he offered kindly, before nodding at the temple guards to escort the applicant outside. For now the Council had to think, and beneath the light of Tython's night sky they would, discussing and considering long into the night.

* * *
​

The hour was late now that Lucian was escorted back into the council chambers, and for now the hall was bathed in a subtle wash of starlight, illuminating the faces of all within. It left the room with sense of calm as Vollen began to speak,

"Lucian Volante, it takes great courage, and self-assurance, to put oneself before the Council of Mastery, both of which we sense you have" Vollen began,

"And indeed, in your time amongst the Order you have shown yourself ready to put your life on the line, to act where needed. It is an admirable trait of yours, and only one we hope to see continue" he carried on, pausing for a moment before continuing,

"But, this Council would advise that you reflect more greatly upon the Force, in how it guides us, shepherds, works through all things. That to be with the Force, and with the Jedi, is to recognise this relationship, to move beyond our conscious selves and address how these things are connected, how we alone are not the centre, even if our choices are important within the greater becoming of all things" Vollen added, looking to the stars and back to Lucian,

"It is for this reason we do not grant you the rank of Master. Remember though, there is no shame, and we see potential in you yet Lucian" he offered with a kind smile. Ones denial of Master did not mean the end, not in any way,

"May the Force be with you Lucian Volante, I hope to fly alongside you yet"

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[Lucian Volante]

The time had come and the answer was given.

He was not to be a Jedi Master this day.

Part of him was disappointed and he would openly say that he disagreed with their decision if they asked him for his opinion... But he respected that it was their right to decide if he were ready. If he disagreed with this decision then, surely, that was just another sign that he was not yet ready for the position? In the end he smiled warmly at Vollen for the kind delivery of the rejection, bowing his head to the man specifically,

"Thank you Master. One day I hope to sit beside you but I understand that it is not this day."

Bowing deeply to the assembled Masters as a whole, he was still smiling, though a little bit less, as he drew himself back to his full height.

"Thank you for your consideration."

With that, Lucian left the chambers the same way he had entered them - as a Jedi Knight.