Private An Audience with the Quartermaster

[Braze]

The Restored Temple of Dantooine

After the events involving Sylvaraak , the temple had suffered damage that Braze simply had not yet found the time to repair, much to his dismay. All the more so because he had asked Colette to come visit the newly restored temple on Dantooine, look it over, and offer her thoughts on what changes or additions might still be needed.

He had also seen to their unwelcome visitor being secured in a more proper manner. Even so, he had done his best to make the old temple as clean as he could in preparation for her arrival. Presently, he sat outside near the front upon the stone, relaxing beneath the midday sun and letting its gentle warmth wash over his sore form in quiet comfort. A stifled yawn slipped past him, and he lifted a partially gloved hand to cover his mouth as he looked toward the distance, hoping to catch sight of her ship on the horizon… It had been quite some time since he had last had a proper opportunity to speak with Colette, and now she held a place of authority within this current assembly of Jedi. He found himself wondering how much had changed for her since then.

 

[Colette]

Braze

Space made her nauseous and it seemed as if it always would. The very idea of space itself was daunting. Nothing existed until it did. There was no air, there was no life. Space was the barrier between worlds and the stuff of nightmares all in one.

It was fair to say that Colette looked off once her boots hit the ground on Dantooine. A little pale but no worse for wear otherwise. She straightened the hems of her jumpsuit and slowly walked away from the pad to regain her footing again.

"Hey Braze!" She called out with an eager wave of her hand. She approached the man and gave him a gentle bow. "It's good to see you again."

"How have you been?"

 

[Braze]

Tags: Colette ​

Braze perked up when he saw Colette approaching. He stood at once, pleasantly surprised to be greeted in such a respectful manner, and did not hesitate to return the gesture: drawing up a fist to meet an open hand, crossing one foot behind the other ankle as he bent his knees and bowed in an elegant, aesthetic manner, dipping low before rising again.

"Welcome, Colette."

He straightened and looked at her curiously.

"Well… could be better, but it can always be worse. Any day this side of the grass is a good day, I suppose." He offered it gently. "I have been… drowning myself in work, best I can. The restoration of this temple was one such task I made more paramount on my list of things to accomplish. Unfortunately, it seems to be a popular place for Sith to pop up at as of late… I haven't had much of a chance to repair the floors from the last one I chased off. Eloise Dinn assisted me greatly in dealing with the former, whom I have sequestered in a holding cell… though he does seem poorly trained. I'm starting to think he's more of a misguided Force user than a true Sith."

He looked her over curiously before asking, "Was the trip okay? You look a mite uneasy… anything I can get you to help?"

 

[Colette]

Braze

Drowning in work was a good way to put it. Colette enjoyed her work as the quartermaster immensely but there were certainly some days that occupied a bigger part of her mind than she'd like.

At least it had proven a good way to learn how to use datapads, and fast too.

"Oh, don't worry about it." She chuckled. "Space travel is… Daunting. Never liked it, never cared for it. Gets my nerves all tangled."

"Just give me a few as we tour the facility and I'll be right as rain."

 

[Braze]

Tags: Colette ​

"Alrighty then~" Braze nodded lightly, then hopped down the steps and padded off toward the courtyard, where a ridiculously large statue sat beneath the open sky. Its saber had been designed to illuminate the grounds at night, the blade shaped into a crystalline lamp that cast a gentler glow than a true beam ever would.

"Perhaps one of the most noticeable additions is this," he said, leading her toward it.

He wandered along the path around the statue, letting her take it in from each angle before speaking again.

"I don't really know what Revan looked like," he said, "but I figured this was close enough from what I was able to read. More than that… I figured a temple should leave room for reminders like this. That falling is not always the end....an that sometimes people do come back...."

He sighed softly thinking about anything else he might like to talk about the statue he spent time carving.

"I feel that we should remember that falling is not the end of a life. Revan stood as proof that someone may walk terribly far from the Light and still choose to turn back toward it. I did not want this place to teach only warnings of what is bad… I wanted it to teach return, and mercy.

Too many people know how to condemn, and too few know how to call someone home. Revan was not perfect... I think mercy is a good thing, and too often people treat it as though it were some fault, or like some softness to be ashamed of. Redemption asks far much more of a person than ruin ever does.

I thought the courtyard deserved more than a monument to victory. This place has known hurt, loss, and healing… so this felt fitting. I want my students to see that the Light is also for those who have erred, or those who have broken faith, and those who must choose again and again to return to the better path... What do you think of that?"

Revan the Redeemed

---

Jedi Knight, war leader, fallen lord, returned champion.

He passed through ambition, ruin, and remembrance, then chose the Light with full knowledge of what darkness could make of him. Let this monument teach that redemption is not mercy freely given, but a burden carried through every choice thereafter.

​

 

[Colette]

Braze

The extravagance of it was questionable, but the message was beautiful. Colette looked at the statue and quietly hummed as Braze explained more about it. The artificial wind in its robes and sheer amount of detail made it seem almost a little too real.

"I think you're right." Colette smiled at Braze. "We can't bring everyone to light, but the ones who find their way with or without us should be welcomed. Hopefully they also accept responsibility for any pain they may have caused."

Light and dark implied the existence of one another. Strange that some seemed to want to forget that.

"Although I'll admit my Jedi history isn't as polished as I'd like." Colette's lips curled into a frown. "Revan is an interesting choice though, given the controversy around him."

"Does he make you think of anyone in particular or was it his story that simply spoke to you?"

 

[Braze]

Tags: Colette ​

"I was bad at History class. I didn't appreciate Gabriel Pryce for what he could offer me as a youngling, and I spent far too much time trying to skip his lessons. I regret that now." He glanced back at her. "Oh… I chose him because he has a history with this temple in particular. This is where he was first brought. I'm pretty sure Dantooine is where he underwent most of his rehabilitation... I dunno he's vastly soem one I haven't studied in depth that I think lost of people like to look to as justification for their own problems maybe... I just figure this is what Temple guards should be more invested in... over seeing that temples are operational and protected... Have you been up to much? Do you like being on a council? Is it everything you've ever hoped for and more~? "

 

[Colette]

Braze

Colette could see Braze skipping classes, he seemed the type. More action than stillness. Less reading, more hands on. Colette was the same, she supposed. It took her a long time to start appreciating reading. As it turned out, it just depended on what the book was about. Fiction, for as boring as it was, had become a bit of a favorite. It felt just a little more productive than the others.

As for life as a councilor, well,

"It's a lot of meetings." Colette frowned. "I'm good at my job and I fill an important role. Turns out that I can use my background as a nomad to organize things fairly well. A lot of it is really just being able to say no to things, and well, I've never had any issue with that."

"What about you? Last we saw each other we were talking to dragons. How's your life treating you?"

 

[Braze]

Tags: Colette ​

"Well enough I suppose... I am trying to teach my new students. Leos got his crystal recently and Dirk has been picking up galactic basic pretty well too... Trying to keep up with the pressure of the typical sith pests that comes along to try and assert their power... Ive been coming up with means to throw a wrench in to the plans of the black markets and the Sith in general... I spoke to Romi Jade briefly... But I'm not so sure where she stands on what we discussed. I gave her my findings on Project Welcome Mat before forwarding them to others... I am getting ready to move forwards with some other bigger plans, with or without a council's help. " Braze offered simply.

 

[Colette]

Braze

It never quite dawned on Colette until now that she never got her own crystal. She just didn't feel the need for it. The saber she had worked and did the things a saber should. It carved, cut, sliced, and stabbed well enough that creating a new one felt strangely superfluous.

As for doing things without the council, well…

"Good." Colette nodded. "The Council is convenient but we're also a bit like a political arm. We're too far removed from what Dantooine faces to be able to make decisions for it. A bit like the senate. We're less like a brain and more like the blood veins that help keep each muscle going."

"If there's anything I can do to help you with your work, please don't hesitate to ask. Just know that if I say 'no' it's nothing personal. The budget is only so big, and I've… Had other members get upset I won't approve purchases and contracts."

 

[Braze]

Tags: Colette ​

"Oh… well… this is quite far from my preferred place of operations," Braze admitted. "I would rather work from somewhere like Ilum, or Tython, or even Ossus… but those tend to be treated like fancy feathers people want to collect, just so they can rub in how much they can step all over Jedi history and culture. Or whatever other weird issue they have."

He exhaled softly,

"No… I have, quite decidedly, been building a fortification out in the deep Unknown Reaches to work from, since no one wants to waste the fuel going out that far." His gaze shifted aside for a moment,

"What I mean is… I'm pursuing a larger goal. The vile machinations of the Sith have been left unchecked to fester, and I know what horrors exist on Dromund Kaas. I can't, in good conscience, sit idle knowing what people suffer there… knowing they don't even know there's a better life beyond that hellscape... And I don't mean the High Republic's Council specifically. I mean any body calling itself the Council of the Order at large…

I don't think any of the councils I've known in my life have ever truly lived up to what being a council really means…

I feel like the Council should protect Jedi from becoming weapons of the state. I think they should guide the Order without trying to own it… or, like… train, assign, and support Jedi responsibly.

I don't see nearly enough support for the younger generation, let alone our brothers and sisters of the Order. A Council should prevent reckless crusades, but it should also act when suffering is obvious. Sitting still while evil fattens itself is just unacceptable to me… they should guard the Light without conflating caution with virtue." Braze offered as he moved towards the interior entry of the temple seemingly rather comfportable just yapping his 'political' views to Colette .

 

[Colette]

Braze

Right. Colette nodded along with what Braze was saying. She didn't necessarily agree, but then she figured she was also at least a little biased given her position. In the end the core message was the same as she had felt during her time in the New Jedi Order: it was hard to be unbiased when a bigger player was holding your leash.

Things hadn't exactly changed with the High Republic and the current Order either. They just had a longer leash now, and no orders from above. It made them seem more and more like a dog sitting still for the day that something would change. Colette did her best to fix that, but in reality it was unlikely to happen for as long as the High Republic remained their biggest sponsor and not the people itself.

"All I can really say, as the one who oversees the resources, is that in some cases it's not necessarily because an Order wants to. It takes a lot to keep everyone warm and fed at the end of the day, and without sponsorship from larger institutions, like the Republic, we wouldn't be able to do much." She sucked in a deep breath before she continued. "That said, there's also a lot more that we could have done with the resources we already have."

"That said, a Jedi shouldn't—"

The trail of thought reminded her of a previous encounter with the topic. Colette cleared her throat.

"Never mind." She said and looked over at Braze. "Point is, you're not wrong. Even if I don't entirely agree."

 

[Braze]

Tags: Colette ​

Braze had given her his full attention, looking to her with an intent sort of focus.

"Of that, I am well aware, though I cannot say I find any comfort in it," he chirped lightly in reply, understanding well enough the problems they faced with resources and supplies to support such vast networks. It was one of the main reasons that had led him into spearheading his current projects; a thing he sought to remedy any way he could, though something that would undoubtedly take time.

"I do not expect stores to open simply because I ask nicely, or for others to give when they are already hurting and in need." he continued, his tone softening a little as his gaze lowered in thought. "Nor do I think kindness should be allowed to bankrupt those trying to keep the lights on. But I would like to build things that give back, rather than take. Gardens that feed more mouths than mine... Generators that can keep halls warm.... or even just training grounds that can make better Jedi without needing to beg some one else for help to find a place to stay every time a wall cracks or a roof gives way."

His fingers brushed absently over the edge of his sleeve, smoothing some imagined crease from the fabric.

"I suppose that is where my frustration lives....Not in being told 'no', exactly… but in watching so many people grow used to 'no' as though it is the only answer... Whilst they turn a blind eye and let corruption fester and allow evil to grow unchecked."

He looked back up to her then, curiosity bubbling up behind those green yes.

"You stopped yourself," Braze observed gently. "A Jedi shouldn't… what?" There was no harshness in the question his tone devoid of aggression.

"I won't pry if it was not meant for me. But I do think unfinished thoughts tend to say more than polished speeches... I value honesty even when it hurts."

 

[Colette]

Braze

Didn't feel much better to be the one that caused others to 'turn a blind eye' either, but Colette kept from saying.

She sighed for a moment and then shrugged.

"I cut myself off because it's not really my place to say what a Jedi can or can't do." Colette said and looked into the distance. "I'm just a council member in one Order. It happens to be the biggest order, but we don't make decisions for every order."

"Still, I guess if we're talking preference, I prefer that we don't let ourselves get too comfortable. Comfort is nice but it also breeds complacency. I know some of the more… Noble members might not appreciate that, but I'd like to think it proves the point entirely."

"We have decent beds, decent food, and decent clothes. The rest are luxuries."

 

[Braze]

Tags: Colette ​

Braze looked back at her as he paused by the entrance and drew in a slow deep breath before letting out a soft tiered sort of sigh.

"I can't imagine any position is very comfortable with where they are sitting. " He shook his head then. " Peace and the pursuit of happiness to live life shouldn't be considered luxuries. "

 

[Colette]

Braze

"That's not what I said." Colette let out a frustrated huff. "I am saying that I have seen enough Jedi lock themselves away in remote enclaves, away from the people they claim to protect. If they want to live on a mountain, in opulent palaces, then they get to choose. Either be honest about their desires for luxury, or live like the ones they claim to defend."

Colette's brows sunk, her thumb and index finger began to rub at them.

"Naboo is doing it, and so did the enclave on Eshan. And then there's Lightspire which is a giant space station. It doesn't get more remote than that."

"It's not about calling life a luxury, it's about the distance between Jedi and the ones they think they defend."

 

[Braze]

Tags: Colette ​

“I can’t say I see much of a difference… I’ve lived in pretty dire straits, and it doesn’t seem to matter to others where you come from, or why. I find rejection either way; whether I dress poor or fine, common folk still look at me like I’m a nuisance, or arrogant for believing they need my protection.

They assume I’m spoiled, or looking down on them, as if I’m standing above them with some grand notion of charity. As if I believe myself above them. But my desire to protect them doesn’t come from some strange superiority complex… It comes from remembering what it felt like when no one came to help me in those times of suffering. It comes from knowing what it feels like to go without.

All that living on both sides of it has taught me is a far greater appreciation for things like a refresher, running water, hot water, climate-controlled spaces, clean clothes, the comfort of a bed or chair… The mercy of not feeling starvation hollow me out from the inside… Even losing my jaw taught me to appreciate food, even when it’s bland and flavorless.

Who am I to think I carry some greater responsibility just because I possess great power? Who am I to help those who cannot do what I can? How Dare I intervene on their independence...

Hell, I don’t even have to do anything and people hate me just because I’m a Jedi… There are always going to be people who reject you, no matter how saintly you are, or how much of a pauper you become.

I’ve built a palace with tremendous luxuries… but I am not living there. I have no right to, not with the state of the galaxy as it is. I wouldn’t be able to rest easy knowing the dangers that are closing in.

If people lock themselves away in their luxuries and turn a blind eye to those in need, they remove themselves from understanding. They forget what others are going through… Of that, I can agree. But that is not the same as saying comfort itself is corruption. A warm room does not make someone wicked... and a palace does not make someone heartless. It is when they close the doors, draw the curtains, and decide the cold outside is no longer their concern."

He huffed out a sigh stepping in to the entry. "I presume no one is truly hearing your concerns, are they? Or is it worse than that… they hear you, but no one seems to listen, or even care?"

 

[Colette]

Braze

It wasn't a superiority complex when the superiority was genuine. Colette had learned to be quiet about it, but a force user would always — inherently — be superior to those who couldn't. To downplay the innate ability to influence the world with the Force was dishonest. It was to put yourself on equal ground as someone who was paraplegic just because you had broken a leg.

"I'm not usually vocal about it anymore." Colette admitted when Braze asked. "As quartermaster, I don't have to — and as an outsider to other Orders it's not my business."

Colette glanced at the entrance and stepped into Braze's enclave proper.

"I don't agree with what you are saying, not entirely." She said as they continued their stroll. "It's not about the ones who don't want help, it's about the ones that do. And even then you have to still hold out a hand to the ones who reject it."

"I don't see it as stripping them of their independence, I see it as being there when independence isn't enough."

 

[Braze]

Tags: Colette ​

"I agree with you on that… Even when people treat me poorly for wanting to help, I still offer it when it's needed. I may resent the way they look at me, or the names they give my intentions, but I cannot ignore someone suffering just because they wounded my pride."

He shook his head, pale lashes lowering for a moment as his gaze drifted through the old Jedi enclave, over stonework worn by years of neglect and silence.

"That's partly why I want to refurbish and repair places like this… all these old Jedi sites left to dust and ruin. So Jedi can use them again, without having to be tied to any one temple, any one Order, any one seat of permission."

His fingers brushed lightly along the edge of a weathered wall, careful over the scars in the stone.

"I think making places where people can go for basic needs and safety, spread across the galaxy, is a good thing. A warm room. Clean water. A place to sleep without fear. Somewhere the lost can come in from the dark, even if only for a little while."

He looked back to Colette, "I want to support other Jedi in their efforts, too.... Not command them or bind them.... But try and give them the support they need... And I want to preserve what remains of our heritage before more of it is stripped away, sold off, forgotten, or buried under another war."

 

[Colette]

Braze

Heritage was a funny thing. It was always there, yet people clung to it like a rock in turbulent waters. If the nature of a thing or an item was always changing, then heritage was the same to people. It changed purpose, shape, and reason every time someone tried to define it.

"I understand what you mean." But she didn't necessarily understand. "In my clan I never really grew up with a lot of things like that. We never owned anything beyond the clothes in your drawers. Everything else was shared with the people no matter where they came from or who they were."

"We didn't have physical tokens of who we were. We simply let it change as the winds did. The parts worth keeping, we kept. The rest we let go of."

"I guess… What I'm trying to say is that I understand what you mean, even if I don't understand why. When something has become so important to have as a reminder of who we are, it becomes more difficult to let it go. This was the part my people feared."