A familiar face to some would appear as Ryv Karis of the New Jedi Order materialized in holo-form.
Hey there,
It might be a surprise for some of you to see me popping up out of the blue like this. Sorry about that. Anyone familiar with the way I do things knows this is pretty normal for me. But uh, that's not the point of this whole thing. I'm gonna jump right into this cause I have a feeling a lot of this won't be easy to say, so, like my old man always said, I'm just gonna treat it like a bandage and rip it off in one go. Hopefully.
If you see this, it means you're a Jedi. Well, a Jedi that isn't Laertia Io or any of her other whacko cohorts with a hard-on for hating me.
I want to take the time to try and straighten things out for the rest of you out there. Mostly about me, but also the New Jedi Order. I'll probably end up touching on other subjects, like the war, the SJC, recent events brought to light by Jedi Master Quill, and I dunno, a lot.
So, let's go ahead and tackle this warmonger issue.
Lot of you call me a warmonger. You look at the New Jedi Order like we enjoy fighting in these wars. I'm gonna straight up tell you we don't like the fighting, deaths, or any of the other crap associated with it. It sucks. Any of you who've seen that kinda action know how hard it is to walk away from it alive, let alone feeling anything other than messed up. I'm not strong enough to just be okay. Most of the New Jedi aren't either. We're a product of the wars fought before us, just like the rest of the galaxy. And I know there's Jedi out there who can get up in the morning unfazed by everything they've seen, and I'm happy to say those people are stronger than I am. I don't know how so many of 'em do it. Maybe they're numb. Perhaps they've developed some kinda sociopathic-defense mechanism. There are probably Jedi out there not much different from someone like Luke Skywalker, so they could be one of them too.
Regardless of all that, the reason we fight is cause we have to.
Lemme repeat it cause I have a feeling someone might have missed it. The New Jedi Order fights this war cause we have to.
There are people in the galaxy granted this extraordinary boon. Force-sensitivity makes us different. It doesn't make us better than the people who aren't, but it sets us apart. We have the power to make a difference, to bring about positive change in our lifetime. At the end of the day, the problem stems from people who take advantage of this gift. The Sith Brotherhood is a big one, but there are plenty of folks who've fallen from grace and have done horrific things following their own creed. Not everyone is capable of standing up to a dynasty of giant, eight-foot-tall, crimson saber toting, epicanthix warlords all dressed up in impervium armor. Some people aren't cut out for war.
The thing I've come to realize lately is that it extends to Jedi too. Some Jedi just aren't made for war. You can put a saber in their hands, teach 'em every style from start to finish, and run through a hundred simulations, but it won't change the fact they won't be okay in a hotspot. Might get their friends killed, fall to the dark side, or just fail to protect the people they're supposed to protect. And you know what? I think that's okay. These powers aren't an obligation to fight. But that doesn't mean they can't help in other ways.
When the New Jedi Order stormed the Assembly on Commenor, we agreed on that fact. Thurion Heavenshield put it best, I think.
"You, the New Jedi Order, are the Sword with which to seek out and strike down evil and injustice wherever it rears its ugly head. And we, the Silver Jedi Order, are the Shield with which to protect and safeguard those who cannot defend themselves from said evil and injustice. Together we make one complete force for good, in the spirit of those who came before us."
Wise words. Something I've thought a lot about since he said 'em.
I think even those words are wrong, though. The New and Silver Jedi can be both Sword and Shield. It's okay to be a part of either Order and feel contrary to your peers. A great example of that is Auteme. She doesn't want to storm Dromuund Kaas and put the Sith to the blade. Peace is her sole aim. I've always supported her in that, so it's time I support everyone else, too. I've said before if you're a member of the New Jedi, I will never make you go to war. If you choose to take up your saber and fight by my side, I will not turn you away. I will do everything in my power to make sure you get home safe and sound. I extend the same courtesy to the Silver Jedi, the enclave on Jakku, and any other Jedi of the galaxy. If you want to fight, we will have you at our side, and we will treat you as one of our own. So now, I say this:
If you're a member of the New Jedi and war isn't for you? That's okay. You're not weaker than any one of us who fight. You're valid. You're powerful for very different reasons, and you will always be welcome on Coruscant. Same for all the rest of the Jedi. Your strengths can be used for this war, and elsewhere, in many different ways.
Diplomats and healers are essential to bringing lasting peace to this galaxy. Like some people struggle with fighting, there are folks out there who aren't very good at communication. Hell, I'm a great example of one of 'em. The Jedi will always need people who can mediate, break down tension, and make peace, not through their fists but through their words. Healing is self-explanatory, I think. On the war front, having someone who can fix torn bodies and mend broken bones is unparalleled. Pain leads to hate, right? If you don't wanna go to the front, there are plenty of places that need healers. The sick and wounded can be found galaxywide, and the Jedi can service them, too.
That's probably enough on that subject.
Uhh, alright, what else has found its way to my desk lately.
Oh, the whole, child-killing thing. That's right.
War is war. It's a hard pill to swallow, but it's the truth. Both the Sith and Jedi are guilty of putting weapons into the hands of children. Terrible thing. Most of us in the New Jedi Order came up that way. Lightsaber in hand well before our eighteenth, marching across battlefields, fightin' tooth and nail for every inch. I'd been captured and tortured before I was eighteen years old. Crazy, huh?
We’re keeping minors off the battlefield in the NJO. We’ve got young adults like Aelys or Kisaku Oroken fighting their little hearts out, and even that pains me, but we’re not letting kids out there to fight our war. I was a child soldier. As long as I’m the guy in charge of that in the NJO, that rule ain’t gonna change.
What happened to those kids in those Sith Academies was a terrible thing. Any sane person doesn't want to see that again. Auteme and I are taking steps with the New Jedi Order to ensure we won't see a repeat of those incidents. The Galactic Alliance supports us in our ongoing talks with the New Imperial Order to ensure the Rules of Engagement we've established will be followed to a T going forward. This isn't the hard part. The hard part will be when the boys in white or the GADF are forced to take down a psychopathic, sixteen-year-old kid who's mauled a dozen of their brothers. The death of a child is an awful thing. But people need to understand the alternative to it can sometimes be worse. How many lives have to be lost before an Acolyte's death can be forgiven?
I understand they've been brainwashed and indoctrinated by these teachings. I know the people on top, the truly evil people like Darth Carnifex, are the ones to blame. We want them gone. And we're willing to make the sacrifices to make that happen. We're just not gonna ask a hundred soldiers, men, and women, with families, friends, and dreams, to stand there and die so idealists who aren't willing to make those sacrifices can sleep easier at night.
If you're upset about those kids, then think about the countless graveyards filled with the trillions of lives lost in the name of the Crimson Saber. I've walked the fields of Ession, and I've seen the damage done to Mandalore. The Sith aren't innocent. And those who willingly follow the code, sixteen, twenty-five, eighty-one, or however old, aren't either. We're gonna do our damndest to try and make sure as many people live as possible. We'll try every non-lethal takedown known to man. We'll develop the tech and do the training. We'll bury our friends if it means giving children a chance at a better tomorrow. Just not at the cost of thousands of ruined lives. There are children at home who want their parents to come home. Think about them next time you condemn someone for making the hard choice. I promise you, you'll begin to understand why this war has to be fought.
To close this little bit out, we're taking steps to make a change. The Jedi responsible for this have agreed to take the Barash. If they return, they will be tasked with the Trial of Recommitment.
Okay, we've hit some good stuff here so far. I guess it's time to get to some of the rougher stuff, huh?
Some of you might find this part to be incredibly cool. I'm gonna be admitting fault for a lot of things here, making some apologies, and generally taking responsibility for my actions. Accountability is important. I want my apprentices Aelys and Rose Ann Lovely to understand that. I'd like it if everyone in the NJO did. Same for the rest of you out there, but I can't really control that, can I?
Ehem, this bit’s to the Silver Jedi Concord. More specifically, their Assembly.
I'm sorry for marching in and interrupting your meeting. I'm a hot-blooded dude. I've tried talking to folks, one-on-one, and in bigger groups, but I've been brushed off more times than I've seen any amount of success. By pushing through that door and demanding answers, we didn't allow you to turn us away. In the same vein, we didn't let you prove to us you're better than that. That was my mistake. I can't say we'll never make another one like that, but we're sure as hell gonna try not to. So, I'm gonna ask something of you in turn. Give us the chance to prove we can be better.
Alright, woo, that was tough. Haha, okay, uhh- Romi, yeah, and the rest of her lovely Jedi.
My bad for going in there unannounced. Like I tried to explain, I'd spoken to Romi Jade before. I felt like we had some decent rapport, plus, y'know, she'd sent out half a dozen encoded messages to Jedi inviting them to the enclave for weeks. I also didn't think bringing my two apprentices, and our Battlemaster along with us would be an issue. Aaran Tafo will be responsible for disciplining Thalia Senn once she's come back to us. He needed to know the severity of the case to better handle it. Do let the record show, Dagon Kaze was already there though.
Clearly, I was wrong. I overlooked the fact Thalia hurt someone else cause I felt like my reputation would be enough. It was arrogant.
Romi, I'm sorry. What you're doing with that enclave, well, it's great. Seeing you back in the game is the best thing that could've happened. You have the experience, and you're sharing it with those who've chosen to follow you. You're doing what so many masters have failed to do. Thank you for guiding them. The galaxy will be a better place for it.
Kyra Perl, I dunno where you are, but you've got one hell of a punch. I'm not gonna be too public about how dumb I am, so I hope just a sorry without expanding on it, for now, will be good enough. I dunno if you can see this, so I'll probably find Zaavik Dagoth and make him give me a means of reaching out to you. I don't want to take anyone else away from you, either. I promise.
Last but certainly not least, Master Jend-Ro Quill.
Sorry, my actions misled someone and brought about what happened to you on Jakku. I'm not upset that you did what you did at the Triumvirate meeting, either. I wish you'd come forward and talk to me. I believe in a lot of what you said and think your wisdom can be used to better shape the New Jedi Order's minds. I'd like to talk to you at some point. Maybe shoot me some coordinates or something? When I told Romi, we needed her, that extended beyond just her. We need more masters like you who are willing to say to us when we're making mistakes. Otherwise, well, how the hell can we grow? How can we avoid 'em if we don't know any better? I dunno. Maybe that sounds like an excuse. I don't want it to. Just uh, yeah, reach out when you can, I guess.
That's gonna do it, for now, Jedi. If I've done you wrong, the Coruscant Temple doors will always be open to you. Come let me know. I want to be better, and so does the rest of the NJO.
But for now,
This is Ryv Karis, signing off.
