Accolades

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The vessel settled down upon the landing pad with a dull thud. The ship was sleek and stealthy; its engines made little by way of noise. Even still, Cedric could feel the vibrations of its arrival traveling through the metal beneath him. It traveled through the soles of his feet, jarred the bones of his legs, and made his teeth chatter. He'd never been particularly fond of standing near a landing starship, but then this was a special occasion. The 501st was receiving a hero - a young lad that had proven himself in a situation where his superiors had faltered.

An invitation to join the prestigious legion had been sent forward shortly thereafter. Cedric was a man with a mind for talent; he understood that in order to accomplish his goals, he needed the best and brightest by his side. Thus it was that the knight had taken great interest in this soldier. His personal attendance to the man's arrival gave birth to gossip within the legion. Some thought their Archlord had chosen a new protege of sorts. Commander Loken's disappearance had left a hole within the legion that was yet unfilled. It was no secret that Loken's supposed death had affected Knight Grayson greatly.

The vessel's landings ramp hissed down to touch the deck of the landing pad. Cedric stood alone at the pad, his arms folded behind his back, his visage enshrined in the attire of his station. His battleplate was a silvery black rimmed with golden lines for the purpose of decor; his face encased in a helm of solid phrik plating. A long black cloak hung from his shoulders, and its cowl was drawn over his head. A lightsaber pike hung freely from a strap across his back.

Let's see how he measures.

 

[ToKola Bakari]

​In the back of his shuttle Qyren had been standing most of the trip, his armored shoulder braced against the side of the wall. For nearly two hours the only sound had been a soft tapping coming from the anxious soldier. His gauntleted finger strummed over his forearm rhythmically as he awaited the end to this trip.

​The past few months had happened so fast. He had been sent to training at the Officer's academy and given a command in one of the greatest unit's in the galaxy. It was what he had wanted since he was a boy, and the anxiety it was causing him was incredibly ironic.

​"Sir. We're coming in for landing." A voice called out to him from the cockpit, causing Qyren's hand to take hold of the stability bar running from one end of the ship to another.

​Sir. That would take some getting used to. The Pilot's did their duty and saw to the expert landing of the shuttle, the only bit of a quake coming from the momentary shaking caused by the shuttle touching down on the landing pad. Once the shaking had come to an end there was the anticipated hiss of the shuttle door coming open. Light overtook the shadowy interior of the shuttle as Qyren pulled his helmet over his head.

​Qyren turned to the ramp, making his way down to the landing pad. Placing a finger on the side of his helmet, he activated his internal HUD, patching him into the 501st's systems and reporting his arrival. As the screen gave off a quick shimmer, his eyes were quickly drawn to the figure standing before the shuttle. There were not many individuals in the galaxy who had no knowledge of the Jedi, so the man was easily recognized by his flowing robes and encasement of armor.

​Approaching the Jedi Lord, whom he could guess was his new Commanding Officer, Qyren brought his approach to a halt before his hand moved to his helmet in a crisp salute.

​"Sir. ARC-217, Lieutenant Qyren Vessk, Reporting as ordered." His tone was sharp and his bearing maintained as he reported in to the Jedi.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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"At ease Lieutenant Vessk." The knight's words carried with them a friendliness often absent from interactions with others of similar station. Though his visage was hidden, one could tell that he was smiling by his tone alone. "I've heard of your actions - your defense of your comrades. It is why you received an invitation into my legion. These boys are the greatest the Republic has to offer; they are as much my brothers as any blood relative. I have confidence that you will develop a similar rapport with them quickly given your accolades."

Cedric paused. "I am Field Marshal Cedric Grayson, and I fancy myself a Jedi Knight if that were not obvious," a hint of good humor laced the knight's words. He turned to gesture all around them - to the rolling hills of Ruusan, and the great mountains that rose above them to the east. The Graywall was situated between two such mountains: the ancient castle having served as this region's primary landmark for centuries.

"This is the Graywall, once my familial home, now a stronghold for the Republic within SJO space. This is the Legion's temporary home, until we make a new one for ourselves." A plate-bound hand tapped against Cedric's helm. "You'll find most of the Legion is Essonian, but your reputation precedes you. I expect you'll receive a find welcome. Do you have any questions?"

[member="Qyren Vessk"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

​The order to stand at ease was met with a swift movement, as Qyren clasped his arms behind his back. The tone that the Jedi spoke with was not one that Qyren was familiar with, not from an Officer of his stature. Speaking of Qyren's accomplishments over the past few months, the soldier remained silent. At the time his actions were not seen as some manner of heroic action, instead just the result of years of training. At the time all that mattered was saving the lives of his brothers.

​As the Jedi introduced himself, Qyren found himself recognizing the name. Though he was not familiar with Cedric, there was mention of the Jedi among tales of battle, often detailing victory. "I've heard of you, sir. I haven't met many Jedi, but I hear you're formidable soldiers. I look forward to fighting for you."

​Grayson began to display The Graywall, the home of the 501st as well as Cedric Grayson.

​Qyren's eyes had taken in the marvel that was The Graywall, nearly falling deaf to Field Marshal's question. "Only one sir, when is our first assignment?"

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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The soldier's eagerness made Cedric snicker.

"Very soon. You've two days to get familiar with your company before the 501st is deployed once again. The senate is currently funding a campaign to see Hutt space brought under Republic control. It's been a costly war, but we've been successful thus far," he chuckled quietly, "The Hutts tend to give up once you threaten their toys. I've yet to meet one with any semblance of a spine."

That much was truth. The campaigns against the Hutts had been mostly successful, with only a few losses in minor skirmishes here and there. Casualty numbers remained at a steadily low level, and the worlds brought within the Republic's fold were acclimating to their new way of life appropriately.

The knight gestured for Vessk to follow him into the courtyard below. Dozens of men in their PT uniforms were performing their normal exercise routines. Not one looked up to acknowledge the Jedi Knight or his companion. "How much experience do you have with Hutts Lieutenant?"

[member="Qyren Vessk"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

​Two days. It was long enough.

​Hutt Space had not known order since before the days of the Republic. To hear that they were now geared towards pacifying such a sector, was both inspiring and questionable. It would not come without some cost, as the Jedi had already stated. His arms still clasped behind his back, Vessk shook his head for a moment before looking to his new Commander. "I'm sorry sir, but do you really think Hutt Space is....strategic? I can't imagine we'll exactly gain loyal members of the Republic from this." He questioned.

​As Cedric made his way to the courtyard below, Vessk would follow in tow. Glancing over to the gathering of men, seeing to their daily exercise, Vessk eyed them for a moment before turning his attention back to the Marshal. "Hutts? Sorry sir, but I don't know much about them." Save for a few jokes and a couple of bad stereotypes, there was not much common knowledge of the beasts to be spread about the galaxy.

​Was there anything to know?

​"I had heard they were crime lords who take advantage of everyone they can. Scum."

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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The knight watched his warriors with passive interest. He'd observed their exercises a thousand time - they were repeated almost daily. Even still, there was something almost cathartic about watching a legion maintain itself. He knew they would remain eternally battle-ready; the 501st would never be caught offguard. "Privately, I don't disagree with you Lieutenant. That being said, the senate wants to show the galaxy our influence. Hutt Space has been wild for centuries; bringing them to proper democracy will make for a lovely propaganda piece. There's also the matter of the Hutts' vast amount of wealth, which the senate intends to use to fund our future campaigns against the empire I believe."

Even still, Cedric had questioned the wisdom in propagating a campaign against the Hutts so soon after revealing themselves to the galaxy. "It was a risk taking on the Hutts, but we've been fortunate enough to succeed in almost every conflict." the knight paused, "And the Hutts are...well, not all of them are horrible, but the majority are evil creatures. Their culture venerates hedonism and chaos. They enslave the masses to serve their bidding; the people living under the Hutts have it just as badly, if not worse than those of our imperial enemies. That is the truest reason as to our intervention - the Republic stands for something. We couldn't just let those people suffer, expenses or not."

His father would have said he'd gone soft. He would have just snickered at the old man.

"So you're correct: crime lords and scum."

[member="Qyren Vessk"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

​If there was anyone who saw the Senate in a light of ignorance, it was Qyren Vessk. He had always appreciated the role of politicians and noticed their necessity, however he was also the first to notice their flaws, both in action and practice.

​He stood beside the Archlord, watching the 501st go through their daily regiment. Beneath his helmet he could not help but smile. He was finally a true soldier, in a true unit of note. It had given him more than a little bit of pride. "Sir. May I ask something?" He said, turning back to the Jedi before him. "Back on my homeworld, the Jedi are spoken of highly. As if they are....I don't know, like they're gods. But....you seem.....human." He said, not even knowing if the being before him was human or alien.

​"I don't mean it as an insult Sir. You seem more like a soldier than some type of wizard."

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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The question was one Cedric had not been asked in a very long time. His father had gone to great lengths to create an air of mysticism around the Jedi of his empire, and such had been the norm for Cedric. In the Dominion, Jedi Knights had been legendary figures - many did not consider them mortal.

The knight knew otherwise.

"A common misconception," Cedric reached up to draw back his cowl. A few of the soldiers stopped what they were doing to watch; evidently Cedric removing the cowl was a rarity. Even rarer so was the popping of his mask's pressure systems as it was drawn from his face. He felt the cool morning air caress his scarred visage, and found himself smiling. He looked about the age of the men around him, though his face was marred with scars more befitting of a far older veteran. Stormy blue eyes peered out at the lieutenant curiously.

"I am human, and as much a soldier as any of you. The force is indeed incredibly powerful, and force users are often the greatest of our warriors, but we are nothing near gods. If anything, we are even more fallible than those without a connection to the force. Our emotions are heightened, and the dark side never ceases in its attempts to seduce us into its depravity."

[member="Qyren Vessk"]

The helm was hooked at his belt. Most of the men were staring now; it was extremely rare for Cedric to ever remove his helm in public. "Some of us are aliens though, if that counts?"

 

[ToKola Bakari]

​It was hard to miss how the soldiers of the 501st took a pause from their exercise to take notice of the Archlord drawing back his cowl. Turning back to the man, Vessk arched a brow at the man's actions. For those who had gone months on years without seeing the man's feature it was a spectacle. For Vessk it was nothing short of a Jedi removing a mask, showing himself to be human.

​As the Archlord continued to speak, Vessk began gathering his own private notions for what the Jedi were. Of course this was not enough, yet it did bring many things to light. "On Kiffu there are not many Jedi to speak of. Most warriors of note join the Guardians to watch over the prisoners of Kiffex." He explained to the Jedi, before his eyes turned to the soldiers in front of him. He started to take notice that many were riddled with scars and bruises, many even missing fingers.

​"Sir. If I may speak freely." his voice was lowered and held a good deal of doubt as he spoke. "Before I was sent to the academy....I mean, I was just a clerk. How am I supposed to lead these men? Most have seen more combat than I've seen blades of grass."

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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"It sounds as if those guardsmen are prisoners themselves," Cedric remarked. He knew of the Kiffu and their guardsmen - researching the cultures with which he might be dealing with had always been one of his most forefront areas of research. Upon learning of the young Vessk, he'd made sure to review his old readings.

"You'll learn, as they did," the knight mused, "None of them were any different. The 501st has always been a special unit. It's never recruited from the normal pools; our warriors are handpicked for their service and deeds, as you were." He gestured out to the men. Not one of them wavered.

"They will learn to respect you as you will come to respect them. Motivate them in the way you would motivate yourself; watch over them as family. Then, when you finally do see combat, they'll keep you alive long enough to learn."

The knight's smile was genuine as he reached out to squeeze Qyren's pauldron.

"They'll do well by you." The hand fell. Cedric gestured for Qyren to follow him deeper into the compound. "Forgive me if I'm overstepping, but I was wondering where your Qukuuf markings were? I've not seen a Kiffu without them."

[member="Qyren Vessk"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

​"Being a guardsman is a great honor." He said, turning to the Jedi Lord, his tone lacking no conviction. "Just not an honor I'd ever want." He expanded, a slight hint of amusement to be found in his tone as he spoke.

Turning to eye the men that Cedric spoke of, he nodded as he realized what the Jedi had said was true. In the academy Vessk had been the top of his class in most areas. He was a damned good shot, and had not frozen once in combat. He would earn the position he had been given. The hand laid on his shoulder was well received, he turned to Cedric, offering a meaningful incline of the head.

"And I shall do well by you, sir." He promised, following the Field Marshal further into the compound.

Cedric's knowledge of the Kiffu was commendable. It was not often that another species took interest in something foreign to them, not if it does not hold any value. The answer to the question was a simple one, not one the Lieutenant was eager to share, yet he felt the Jedi had earned an answer. "My family has served in the Guardsman since before the first Galactic Empire. Generations of Clan Vessk, committed to upholding the tradition. When it was my turn to become a Guardsman, I declined the honor. It was a smack in the face to my father, the head of my clan. For that, he banished me from the clan."

​Running his armored finger over the scar that ran over his cheek, Qyren's tone held no malice or negative nostalgia. "When he banished me, he took my markings from me. Forbidding me from ever passing them on to my children, and my children's children, barring them from the clan,"

[member="Cedric Grayson"]