A Talk among Friends

[Coren Starchaser]

So much work to be done. The Alliance was in full tilt mode after the beginning of construction of a few new projects. Jedi carriers, and apparently a dreadnought, if he was reading the reports right. Coren Starchaser was a few years out of being in the Alliance military, and that meant he was not always up to date. He had his small battlegroup, and his own Star Destroyer, but that was almost a permanent fixture at Sullust. This location was designed to be a last stand, a final hold for the records of the New Jedi Order, until he could get his final plan into place.

And that meant getting everything transferred to a cloak capable star destroyer and moving it along a few safe routes and updating jump patterns every few weeks. It would also serve as a mobile Jedi Academy. And from there? Could launch strike teams around the galaxy.

A galaxy that was feeling more and more dark as time went on. The world around him was feeling like something big was coming, but he couldn’t place it. The First Order and the Sith Empire seemed content in their corners of the galaxy, but it was still… something.

The Jedi Master paced the walkway on the surface. He was watching Jedi Starfighters launch and other mission shuttles taking off. Students and Masters off on first journeys, some off on last journeys. He was well aware of the mission statement of the New Jedi Order, and so were the ones that were taking these assignments. The Jedi Order and Silver Order were sister groups to them, and they all had their own calling.

But they were always working together. He had felt the arrival of the ship before the contact came and made his way down into the hangar. One of his trusted contacts had arrived. Good.


[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

Occupied with her Shadow assignments and personal projects, she hadn't really paid much attention the Galactic Alliance as of late. She knew of their troubles, having been on the frontlines with them, but conditions seemed to have stabilized as the GA and its allies were able to stave off a combined assault by the Sith and Imperials.

That's how it seemed until she caught wind the now notorious memo from the Mayor of Galactic City - essentially a declaration of independence.

For Mant to be so bold to pull off such a stunt, that meant that the GA was worse off than what she thought.

With the GA back on the forefront of her mind, she needed answers. Coren immediately came in mind, a fellow Sentinel that would be in the know about the internal affairs of the GA.

Unlike many of his counterparts, he still operated out of Sullust so she headed there by her personal ship, Nightshade. It was a good thing that he did, as the Coruscanti complex for the NJO was now on lockdown.

She winced a bit on her first steps onto Sullust from her shuttle planetside. The volcanic world was hot to the Echani, already feeling toasty in her white robes.

Thank goodness for climate control.

While fanning herself, she headed for the entrance of the Sentinel compound in search of Coren. She had announced her presence on the way down to the planet, so he should have known she was coming.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

The Force allowed the Jedi to communicate without even thinking about it. Finding one another was something that the Gand were professionals at. But for Coren? It was a matter of knowing what people he could trust and understanding that he needed the Force to reach them, that was, in the worst case scenario. Now though, it was a matter of convenience. The smuggler-dressed Jedi Master was in his element, and while he had teams to send to the depths of the galaxy. Watching from the lava world had its perks.

It was hard to come calling here. A safe world, former stronghold of the Alliance, and now Coren’s own Sentinel training grounds. Only the best remained here, to help teach, and keep the peace. The other sentinels, from sister Orders understood what this place was, and what it meant to get here. But with [member="Jyoti Nooran"] arriving, he knew that his messages had come out to the right people.

Meeting the Silver at the door, he gave a half nod-bow. “Welcome to Sullust, Mater Nooran. Hope your trip was well?” Niceties, and the like, always a challenge.

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

Thankfully, Coren met her right at the door, so she wouldn't have to go hunting for him on the grounds, a literal furnace of lava. She smiled and waved as he greeted her.

"Hello, Master Starchaser," she said with a small bow of respect to her NJO counterpart. "My trip here was fine. Flying manually is always a treat."

By manually, she meant instinctive astrogation, which was an ability that allowed Force Sensitives to navigate during hyper transit in real time. Through constant use and experimentation, she could make it to most major locations in record time.

She helped herself through the door, feeling almost instant relief as cool air blew over her milky white skin. Once she was refreshed, she jumped right into the topics that concerned her, never one to indulge in a glut of pleasantries during a crisis.

"We are fortunate that you pushed to keep the old temple open, or we may be in trouble. Mayor Mant is proving to be more than just a political nuisance to the Triumvirate. How have things gotten so bad?"

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

He always felt the formality between a few of his contacts was more for show than anything else. He had worked with the Silvers back when the Levantines had mixed with them, and through that he knew a lot of their number. And with Jyoti, it was right there for him. The pair were sentinels, they had worked together on a number of fields of battle, helping push back the darkness, and the fact that she was not within the Alliance? It almost made her a bit more trusting. She didn’t have some bureaucrat trying to buy her, or a military commander to listen to. It made things a bit easier.

“And those are the best flights. Getting out here is pretty fun, a few different routes to take.” A navigator and explorer himself, he was always used to taking some trips to use the Force and make his way wherever. He had done a few years worth of work in the Unknown Regions, even before he joined up with the Lords of the Fringe so many years ago. Currently, he was taking the time to help map routes for Jedi to make their way around the galaxy.

Before the darkness fully came around.

Grinning as he surveyed the Echani Master, the Corellian nodded as he assisted her into the more climate controlled areas of the compound. Finding a room for them, he opened the door and contacted one of the service droids to provide some refreshments.

Pleasantries.

“Yeah, I saw that comm come through. The sentinels are Jedi, obviously, but sometimes its easier to train away from the rest of the hierarchy. Looking into the face of the dark side, and being ready to combat it on equal terms requires something that helps if we’re farther away. The Coruscant First movement is… its one of those things that are hurting the Alliance, but we’ve been at this for years. And getting planets and beings to agree has never been easy. But… I may need some help on that front. The Silvers still running an AgriCorp?”

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

"It's never good to keep all your eggs in one basket," she agreed. "The issue with Coruscant First proves it."

"I understand that there can be there can be struggles between local and central governments, but the CF is something else. From day one, they've seemed to angle themselves to always act in defiance of the Galactic Alliance, even as the Triumvirate has poured untold amounts of credits into the world for reconstruction after the One Sith had their run. Magically, the movement didn't even exist until after the GA moved its central operations there. The timing was just too convenient."

The CF was an astroturfing campaign if she ever did see one, a nationalist (now successionist?) movement ironically led by a former Imperialist that had subjugated others. Mayor Mant had only seemed to care about Coruscanti issues when he no longer had an empire to preside over. She found it strange to see him enjoy such strong support from the local political establishment upon arrival, but money talked.

How she would love to see the CF's donor lists.

"We do - the Silver Order rolled all its humanitarian operations under the Silver Service Corps. What do you need? How can we help?"

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

“Nah, it’s the problem with governments though. Back before I was in the Alliance, I had a few other jobs, and keeping mobile and able to operate from… well, wherever, made life a lot easier.” He nodded. The man was a smuggler, a pilot, and sometimes a merc. But he never was operating against the Light, not since he rediscovered it in the Fringe.

And the people around him, Quee, Voidstalker, Noren, and Jyoti all helped keep him on the path. He knew what he was now, a teacher, and a protector of the Jedi. And he was going to do his damnedest to keep the Jedi from ever being eclipsed by the dark side. Did it mean he could lose himself? Possible. But he also knew how to call upon the Force, and that was half the battle. The trick was making sure he didn’t fall off to passion too deep. It was using Vaapad patterns to accomplish a number of feats.

When he heard that the humanitarian efforts were still up and running, the Jedi nodded and grinned. “I need someone to get onto Coruscant. I can’t really go scouring on my own. Any ships I have are likely traced, and well, coming from Alliance space?” He let that thought hang there and then shrugged. “But you and your team…”

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

"Hmm," she started, thinking aloud as she cast her eyes downward. "The Silver Order has a fairly good rapport with Mant since he was with the Iron Empire. We've actually considered sending someone to talk him out of ending the no-fly zone peacefully - it's dumb - but everything may be too far gone for that."

"At the very least, we would have business there helping to evacuate Jedi and other GA personnel stranded on the planet before conditions worsen. We could use that operation as a vector for your insertion."

She trained her eyes back on him. "Though, before I could sign off on that, I need to know your plans for Coruscant."

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Coren nodded. He forgot about the Iron Empire. Truthfully, if it wasn't a group like the Alliance, Coalition, Silvers, or their counterparts in the Sith and First Orders, he forgot they existed. He didn't have time for shades of gray. Sure, a student of the Aing-Tii and their technicolor dreams of the Force, he was definitely still a Jedi zealot. He focused on the war effort of the Galactic Alliance for years, and then only recently, moved into the Jedi. Still, he wasn't one of the humanitarians. He felt more at home on a battlefield. Ever the soldier, he supposed it was the main point of concern for him. He needed to have the control to turn the tide back. But what came after? Someone else's job.

There was always another target.

"I don't know what is going on on Coruscant. I am heading there for Fleet Day. We're christening a few new vessels, including the Vanguard. I want to be there for that. I am just feeling a... I don't know. Darkness? I can't focus what it is." He looked to Jyoti. There was the clear feeling from the Sentinel that he was not excited and was concerned with what was going on here. He had so many things to worry on.

And the capital of his government was not one he wanted to have, but he did.

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

She raised an eyebrow. "Still going forward with Fleet Day on Coruscant? That's pretty bold."

She interpreted the action as a big middle finger to the CF, the GA attempting to go about their business unfettered. They could probably get away with it, too. As she had hoped by leaving Mant to his own devices, he had overplayed his hand in a bad case of arrogance. Public opinion seemed to be turning in favor of the GA now.

"I don't quite feel it," she admitted, "but that's because the whole galaxy seems to permeate with darkness now. Our enemies encircle us like wolves. However, from following news and reading reports, I agree there is definitely something wrong there."

"I think we can help. We can send a mission over to Coruscant to collect Jedi and GA personnel who want to get off Coruscant. I also want to help secure the archives and artifacts within the Coruscanti temple. Namely the Great Holocron. I think the best route is to go with a joint mobile praxeum, or at least move everything to the Jedi Embassy on Coruscul."

"As for you and your people, you'll probably need to go undercover. I just have a feeling that the CF may try to shake us down and attempt an inspection. In case that happens, we should be prepared."

[member="Coren Starchaser"]