Faction Can't Say I Didn't Warn You, Huh? | Open to Jedi

[Takui]

There was a significant amount of brooding in the room, far more than one would have expected from a group of Jedi. Or perhaps, about as much as expected. The holorecords of the Jedi told of multiple instances in recent history where groups broke off from the mainstream and went their own way. Taku could only guess at how many of these Jedi had seen every single instance, or had found themselves jaded on the inner workings of the Jedi as a whole.

If their purpose was a foundational rift at this meeting, it would further divide the Jedi and ultimately weaken them as a unit. For that reason, Taku was certain they were not here to rehash that vitriolic and divisive rhetoric.

Of course, he did not know the minds of Coren Starchaser or Ryv Karis.

Before he could muse or postulate further on what they might have to say, he found his thoughts broken and scattered. The familiarity of Okkeus' voice returned him to the present and grounded him. For that, he was actually thankful. Guessing at the future, as he had once pointed out to another Padawan, was an unfulfilling venture that ended only in anxiety.

"Nothing yet," he answered the Knight, his hand tucked carefully under his opposite arm to hide the wound from sight. With his other arm, he stroked at his chin, pensive. "Everyone is still filtering in."

Okkeus Dainlei

 

[Bernard of Arca]

Bernard sighed and rolled his eyes as the stranger walked off. What a rude lad.

"Fine," he said to the spacer, "bad joke. Name's Bernard, I'm with the Alliance, you?" He offered the man his hand for an earnest handshake.

A space station in the Outer Rim was an odd location for a congregation of what looked to be many of the galaxy's Jedi. It had an edge of secrecy that was reminiscent of the old One Sith days. Back when Jedi lived concealed from the wider galactic society within the Core. At least the ones Bernard knew, which weren't many, if he was fair.

He shifted on his feet, suddenly uncomfortable in a room with so many other members of the Order. His other hand went to his braid and began to roll it between index and thumb.

The hair reached below his chest, half-way down his torso at this point. Not many Padawan still followed the tradition, but he kept it to remind him of his roots when he was out regulating the Alliance's streets.

Hal Vaiken Cotan Sar'andor

 

[Ryv]

Ryv turned at the Grand Marshall's approach and extended a hand.

"Cotan? As in the Cotan Sar'andor? Holy shit, man, you're one of my heroes," he grinned like a kid in a candy store as he excitedly shook the older force adept's hand. "You almost trashed Carnifex until he used that legendary gauntlet of his, right? Wow, I didn't realize this was your station. You know what? Thanks for having us, man. Better here so we can set the right sorta tone."

The kiffar withdrew his hand and looked out at the gathered crowd. Everyone seemed so restless. He couldn't particularly blame them, given his own hand in the 'Us vs. Them' rhetoric he implemented with the SJC time and time again. Still, in a room full of Jedi who agreed with one another, he hoped for something better. In the future, he knew he'd have to be better—no more divisive appearances. They already stood so close to unification in the face of the Sith threat. If he managed this, he knew the Bryn'adul would fair no better than the wretched beasts who called Dromuund Kaas home. They may even make it farther than the last try.

"I think it's time I kick this off," Ryv nodded at the pair beside him and took a deep breath. Public speaking used to be such a problem for him But now, with the weight of the Jedi's future on his shoulders? He couldn't allow himself to falter.

"Alright, everyone! It's time we get started!" his voice echoed through the chamber. It took a moment, and a few pointed looks, for the more rambunctious Jedi to cut the chatter. When silence finally settled on the chamber, he began in full.

"I wanna kick this off by saying thanks to those of you who made it out here. With everything going on in the galaxy, taking time away from all the responsibilities can be more difficult than we'd like. Some of you might remember me from when Coren called us all together a few weeks back. If so, awesome. For those of you who don't, names Ryv, Ryv Karis. I'm basically the galaxy's most recent Sword of the Jedi. It's a mantle I wear with pride, mostly cause it lets me do stuff like this. Very few have had the privilege to stand in front of the galaxy's first and last defenders of all things just."

"Anywho, on to why we've called you here today," he motioned to Coren. "While we can't say for certain whether or not the Concord's politicians are fully aware of the huge mistake they've made in allying with the Sith, I think we all know that never ends well. What we need to do is figure out how to approach the Concord going forward. I'm sure none of us wanna see Jedi fighting Jedi, given we're all one family, just under modified creeds. We also need to determine how we can best take the fight to the Sith Empire, Bryn'adul, and any who willingly take up arms to defend the Sith practices. Unfortunately, that may mean a time will come when we do have to take scrap against those we formerly believed good and right."

He took a step back and crossed his arms. "I open the floor to you all, my fellow Jedi. Let's keep things peaceful, alright? Best case scenario for the bad guys? The good guys at each other's throats."

Coren Starchaser | Cotan Sar'andor | Auteme | Hal Vaiken | Bernard of Arca | Takui | Okkeus Dainlei Kenth Ordo | A+OM | Rik Perris | Ripley Kühn | Sapphire Cerulean | Shaka Sunstar | Zaavik Perl | Allyson Locke | Dair Cotarin <inactive> | Merrick Sato | Mesh Zetnu ​

 

[Karn Syndulla]

Karn, had arrived fashionably late to the convocation. Rumors hadeagerly begun to spread to the farthest corners of the galaxy. Talk of a great schism among the ranks of the Jedi. For some odd reason to the twi’lek scholar it was due to siding with the Sith Empire against what. Against a group of Imperials that had no posed a galactic threat to the rest. While he did not dismiss them as no threat Karn knew from history that in some ways the Imperials were not as extremist as the Sith. With this group they even took out their own Sith forces.

Walking into the chamber as Ryv started to speak. Opening the floor to all Jediwho would speak their peace. There were even more rumors of the Alliance wishing to strike the Sith. Putting the subsequent Cold War between the Alliance and new Imperials on hold. Shifting his way awkwardly through the filled up seats. Standing next to the seated Takui and Okkeus Dainlei the scholarly knight wanted to pointout a few things having decked into records and historical accounts before Arriving.

When the time came for the floor to be opened he raised his hand nervously as if a student attending a lecture. “Um Hello.. Knight Syndulla here. While I know of the controversial decision made here. I wonder if it’s exactly right for those here who wish to join the Sith. Do you not remember the past ten thousand years. The continuous atrocities committed by the Sith. Too numerous to mention, I ask what sense does it make to join those who wish to wipe you out the chance they get. For what I also may ask for Imperials who would be doing the galaxy a favor to bring the empire to heel. What of the Bryn you might say? I say that despite any threat we face. We face it as Jedi and siding with the Sith does not make it any better. I say we all discuss this. If any agreement is obviously not reached a choice should be made for the Jedi that stands with the Sith. For if any Jedi that stands with the Sith. Do we see them as evil as well or simply misguided?”

 

[Syd Celsius]

Wearing: 90 Suit

Armed with: Wind and Fire Wheels

Objective: Be present at/Speak at Tribunal Station with Laertia Io

Half hour prior...


Syd Celsius floated through the passages of Laertia's Gozanti Cruiser, wearing her blue and gold catsuit. Laertia Io was alone in a bacta tank, sleeping soundly in the adcanced medbay, though the low lighting highlighted dozens of scars. Syd found her asleep there sometimes, as more and more details of her medical condition became apparent. Not wanting to disturb her after having docked with the cruiser on her armored Star Courier she had let herself wander the ship. She had been expected, after all.

Laertia's private Quarters were sparse and bare as Syd entered, save for her freshly cleaned street armor, spiky black biker leathers, and the weapons that would be going with her. The glossy black, curved hilt Lightsaber she was often spotted with rested next to it. An ornate looking pistol of Mandalorian origin--she could not be sure unless she studied it more closely. Was Laertia Mandalorian, then? She didn't seem to follow the Resol'Nare...

Syd's hand glided over her jacket, not touching it. It had been with her a long time clearly, and was quite personal to her. That's why Syd didn't touch it. But she couldn't resist being near it...

Eventually though she departed, though it was clear she was dissatisfied with the small, unsatisfying snippets. She hungered for something more substantial, like when she had first dueled her at the Silver Rest.

She never explained where she got the ship. Syd didn't ask. The interior had been styled as a sparse castle. Dark green banners depicting a Black Great Helm with the symbol of the Jedi Order at its center of its forehead hung from walls and rafters. The armory was guarded on both sides by ceremonial faceted suits of Black Matrix Armor as Syd floated towards it, then into the armory itself.

You could often tell much of someone by their choice of weaponry.

Syd's opinion was reinforced...Laertia fething hated subtlety.

Vibroshields. Knives. Garrotes. Maces. Axes. Anatomy maps of 007 different humanoid species. Run downs of all parts to Mandalorian Armor, all posted on the walls next to diagrams displaying the average speeds most humanoids move in heavy armor or swing heavy weapons in battle. It was exhaustively detailed, compiled over years of research.

Syd grew fascinated as she reached the Lightsabers mounted on the farthest wall.

Her gold chromium covered hands reached out to touch a weathered dual vented Lightsaber that she rarely ever saw Laertia use these days. Most times she used that strange black bladed Lightsaber. The one Syd found her eyes sliding to in curiosity more and more. She had heard that they existed. But they were usually all in Darksaber replicas...one of which was right next to the dual vented model. The Lightsaber destined to have a meeting with Ryv was mounted a little farther from the first two, a noticeable patina to the hilt, heavily weathered.

Syd noticed the dust on the first two blades. They hadn't been cleaned deliberately...everything else was polished. Her hands glided over the two blades, but never touching them.

But when her eyes fell on the Lightsaber Spear she let her curiosity get the better of her.

The silvery object was collapsed, a dark blue lens mounted at the end of the pommel. Her hand reached out, despite feeling the intense chill that surrounded its aura. This didn't look like something Laertia would have built...its craftsmanship seemed more ceremonial than anything...

She touched it...and instantly went numb everywhere, flesh on her body wriggling violently as icicles began to form on the rippling flesh on her face. Her fingers were frozen to the spear, and Syd was forced to pry her fingers away from the silvery spear, hand clenching it now covered in ice.

Syd finally got free of the arcane weapon, pig like metallic squeals of agony escaping her throat. The magic on it had completely bypassed her suit defenses.

Her flesh wriggled on her body disgustingly for a few seconds before settling back onto the proper latch points of the skeleton. Carefully prying the remaining icicles from her face, Syd regarded the weapon with new found alarm, and refused to get closer to it...

Her eyes then slid to something sealed in Nullification Resin, with a plate at the bottom of the resin encasement that was magnetized to a tall pedestal with a red circle around it. Another Dual Vented Lightsaber with scorch marks near the secondary emitters.

Syd floated to it. Upon closer inspection she stopped, realizing it was rigged with det charges that had been modified with multiple anti-handling measures across the encasement. Nothing lethal--Laertia wasn't stupid. Sonic stun variants.

She's afraid of it the Force Spawn noted.

Syd winced, felt Laertia close off their bond as a nightmare started for her. Laertia seemed to do it unconsciously, but even so, Syd never got more than snippets of Laertia's life before meeting her. Laertia shared things piecemeal, in passing. Syd did the same. Each knew as much as they wanted the other to know. It was strange. Like a long distance relationship...except up close.

Syd accidentally hit a nearby switch on a stand, and the wall where the Lightsabers were mounted parted, revealing a gallery of armors behind transparisteel casings.

She spotted the display containing the silvery Power Armor Laertia had used at Yurb and Nar Kreeta, heavily damaged and with clear signs of unfinished repairs. That it had remained functional even to the very last moments before total structural and power failure was testament to the quality of its construction. But as high as the protection it provided was, it commanded an equally high price to repair it. Next to it was a smaller, more form fitting armor. The same one Laertia would wear at Dantooine. She walked through the entire gallery, biting her lower lip.

Where does she get these wonderful toys? the Jedi wondered.

The more she saw, the more curious she grew.

And in case it isn't clear, everything hyperlinked is a massive Chekhov's Gun

She tensed. Laertia was starting to wake up. It was a long flight back to the Med Bay, but she reached it just as Laertia staggered out of the tank in pitch black undergarments, heading over to the decontamination shower nearby to wash the remaining bacta off, closing the curtain and teleporting her wet garments into a nearby bin.

"Was asleep a little longer than I intended. Sorry..." Laertia called out to her as she began washing the bacta off.

"The care of your brain is important. No need to apologize..." Syd assured her.

"Laertia..." Syd trailed. "Must we go to this meeting on Tribunal Station? I fear we are merely screaming into the wind."

"If we don't try, we don't deserve to have anyone listen to us. Not going would be tantamount to conceeding to Coren Starchaser and I do not concede."

Syd sighed as Laertia finished washing the bacta off her and drying.

"You have problems with this..." Laertia noted.

"I...I believe in what you are doing Laertia, its just..." Syd stopped unable to find the words at that instant.

"What?" Laertia asked, stepping out of the shower in fresh gray undergarments. Her eye and arm having been disinfected by a decontamination field sweeping the wall where her mechanical eye and arm rested. Syd heard an audible click as she mounted her slim, glossy black arm to its cybernetic mount surgically implanted where her organic left arm used to be. She tested its hidden arm blade, which popped out with a Logan-Worthy snikt then retracted it, installing her cyber eye a moment later.

"Laertia...we could be wrong on this. Have you ever thought of that?"

"Yes..." Laertia admitted. "Many times...but the Bryn'adul don't want to conquer and control peoples. They want to destroy them. Some of the more naive among the Silver Jedi actually think they can re-educate them..."

"Only because no one supports full on reprogramming..." Syd muttered. "It works...sometimes..."

Laertia raised the brow above her cybernetic eye but dismissed the odd feeling a second later.

"Impractical. Timewaster. Best to just kill 'em..." Laertia remarked, heading out of the Medbay. "Most of them are guilty of genocide already..."

"Yeah..." Syd agreed, hiding the sudden flare of pain from within and keeping it from her voice. "I guess you are right..."

Syd followed Laertia out of the Medbay.

"Y'know...I came across your armory. While you were asleep..." Syd admitted as they came to Laertia's quarters.

Syd waited outside while Laertia dressed.

"And?" Laertia asked from inside.

"Those two Lightsabers...the ones at the center...I noticed you haven't cleaned those. Every other weapon in there is dusted. But...not those..."

"They carry bad memories, despite their effectiveness. I keep them because their usefulness outweighs the squick I now experience using them."

Syd decided to do something dangerous.

"Same story with me and that white armor." she admitted quietly...

Things for both of them went silent for after that. They both knew they wouldn't get anything else from the other.

Present.

The Shadow Bride docked with the ramshackle station, setting off all kinds of red flags with station scans of the terrifying number of heavy weapons it was armed with. Syd And Laertia exited the craft, right as Ryv started speaking. Dividing lines seem to have already been set up. Syd instantly felt eyes on them as they both entered. And why wouldn't they? They had been actively opposing Coren and a vast majority of their peers for days, now, speaking to anyone who would listen.

Upon hearing Karn Syndulla speak Syd openly albeit subtly scoffed at his words.

"Made for us? We merely see what you choose not to..." Syd spoke, her and the cyborg dressed like a biker showing up like flares in the Force. One, the endless blaze of summer, the other an icier presence like snow over buildings.

"We are not evil. We are not misguided. But we refuse to ignore the Bryn'adul's Force Wound creating nature. While this debate goes on, They have likely begun slaughtering another world. Your refugee crisis ticks up ever so slightly..." Syd said, her chromium covered body reflecting the mistrustful and apprehensive stares of those staring at her. Despite her beauty it was clear something was...off...like a figure in an oil painting painted to exacting perfection suddenly able to move.

Laertia was unsettling to other Jedi for a different reason...it was because whether it was NJO or Silver Jedi, she stuck out like a sore thumb, gray eyes shifting about.

"We didn't come here to disrupt...but we will not be slandered as evil or misguided, and we certainly won't tolerate 'solutions' being discussed to force us to agree with the rest of you. Certainly not behind our backs. And what options would be on the table exactly, if we didn't want to comply before this action on Dantooine is to occur? Censure? Imprisonment? Your 'choice' doesn't sound like much of a choice to me. It sounds more like 'Shut the hell up'. I refuse to shut up about this..." Syd told the Jedi flatly before turning to Coren.

"We could all be fighting those murdering brutes right now. But here we are, stuck in another office meeting with a chairman who isn't even CEO anymore..."

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

Cotan leaned over to Ryv and Coren Starchaser as Syd Celsius spoke up, not taking his eyes off the newest pair of arrivals. "Hey, yeah, sorry about this, but I did make sure to set the meeting as an open one to any Jedi that wished to come, so long as they agreed not to engage in any hostilities." To say he was feeling a bit of trepidation about the two who just arrived would be an understatement, given their rather bombastic exit from the previous meeting that Coren had called.

"Anyways, I'm just the host, and I pointed out all the issues in allying with Sith in the last meeting. Good luck."

 

[Auteme]

Focus | Zaavik Perl Cotan Sar'andor Ryv Karn Syndulla Syd Celsius | Jedi​

Of course, staying quiet in a room full of Jedi -- especially considering she knew many of them -- ended up being a non-option. She only needed to glance to Zaavik for a moment to figure out was going on. Her gaze instead went to the young Twi'lek woman, and she gave a warm smile.

"Padawan Utriha! Glad to see you out here, it's important to take part in discussions among the Jedi," she said. The Lethan was given pause, as if Auteme was the first person she'd seen there outside of Zaavik. A look of horror crept onto the girl's face. Auteme smiled the smile of a parent who'd caught their child in a lie. "I expect this means you're done your paper?"

The Lethan went a deeper shade of red and mumbled out a reply before deciding sitting at the back of the room and away from her teacher was better than staying close to that most excellent-smelling Zeltron boy.

Auteme grinned to Zaavik. "I've gotten around to teaching a few courses on the Prosperity. Jedi History's a bit more technical, so fewer students, but I get to know mine well. They tend to send the troublemakers, those without masters, for a little discipline and hard work. Plus, I think it's fascinating."

When she turned to face the front, a bearded man approached and handed her a badge. "W- I'm not..." She looked at it, then stuffed it in her bag. Cotan Sar'andor was an odd man.

The meeting started. Ryv, as ever, did a good job of setting the table. He was right -- Jedi fighting among Jedi was the worst thing out there. She was glad that many among the Silver Jedi understood the mistake of their government even if they came from good intentions.

Knight Syndulla spoke well, and Auteme was next to rise to speak-

Nothing like a deadly presence to cut the tension. A red-haired woman at the back and her... bodyguard...? Drew the attention of many Jedi. The discussion seemed to sour. Auteme stood nonetheless, turning to face the woman.

"If I may," she began, "I'd like to nip this side of the discussion in the bud. Yes, the Draelvasier are dangerous, and we are not resolving to stop fighting them. I was at Nar Kreeta -- I know what they can do, and I think a great many of the Jedi here have met them in battle as well. This is not ignorance. This is discussion.

"But if you believe discussion to be a waste of time, then you should not come to a place to discuss. If you believe an action must be taken, then take it. Leave. Head to the border, start fighting. But to me? There's much more to being a Jedi. To speak to your peers and allies is far more important than destroying your enemies.

"No one sees you as evil, but you, too, need to understand the points of view of others," she said, half-wondering if these two were still padawans. They certainly seemed 'strong' enough to smack around Jedi who didn't agree with them.

"This meeting isn't about who we need to fight. The Bryn'adûl are a great threat, the Sith have hurt people for years, and there are far more problems than we can address in a few hours. But we need to know ourselves first." Her gaze turned to the gathered Jedi. "I know it seems like this... schism, has drawn battle lines and divided the Jedi. But at our hearts we want to do what is right. That is what being a Jedi is -- a commitment to improvement, understanding, good. There will be people who agree that allying with the Sith may be the correct course of action. But Jedi fighting Jedi is not a thing that should come to pass. A Jedi defending evil, finding virtue in the Sith where there is little...

"I can only hope that there are no Jedi so misguided.

"I'm no expert on what happens in the field of battle, but no matter what each Jedi chooses to do, a commitment not to fight one another should be what we resolve to do. That, at least, is something we should all agree on." There was a glance to the two women.

"Can we agree on that much?"

I am a penguin and a fool and committed a titanic blunder. Please forgive my foolishness.

 

[Emiery Grayson]

A fly on the wall. Misdirection. Surely with this many people in the room she'd been noticed, but it was inconsequential. She didn't make her way here, all the way from Pelagon on the bleeding edge of the border with the Confederacy, to look suspicious, but a lean against the wall near the entrance to the chamber was where she'd been since there was only half the number of people that were there now. Simple cream, almost tan-coloured robes with red, purple, and blue accents stitched tastefully into them, and a crest on the back of the outer layer, accompanied with one lightsaber dangling just within, made her out to be Jedi. A single ring on the little finger of her left hand denoted something further, but this too mattered little.

When the red-haired one spoke, it was the first time she made any significant shift in her physical attention, turning her head, an ear, to the bleating, incensed voice of impatience. While she herself would love to eradicate every encroaching tendril of darkness, racing in without a solid, structured plan could be suicidal, given the opposition. Foolish. Especially so, given this divide. She tsked in thin disgust, and returned her attention to the forefront, as another younger woman spoke, a far better orator than the one previous.

"Agreed," she spoke, her voice rising, solid, as if the single word were a statement, "infighting amongst us will mean the Sith, the Bryn'adul, have already won."

Jedi fighting Jedi? Were any of them 'Jedi' anymore, should that come to pass? If anything were a waste of time, it would be that. In any other situation, she would have far more specific, pointed words for dissenters, but a lit match to a powder keg that would be. It would serve everyone well to hold her tongue.

Coren Starchaser | Cotan Sar'andor | Auteme | Hal Vaiken | Bernard of Arca | Takui | Okkeus Dainlei | Kenth Ordo | A+OM | Rik Perris Ripley Kühn | Sapphire Cerulean | Shaka Sunstar | Zaavik Perl | Allyson Locke | Dair Cotarin <inactive> | Merrick Sato | Mesh Zetnu | Ryv​

 

[Tom Kovack]

The meeting had just begun when Syd Celsius arrived, accompanied by Laertia Io. Tom had met both women back at the Silver Rest, where the pair had been trying to drum up support from among the Jedi there. The brief encounter had ended… a bit poorly, though Tom had no feelings of distrust or anger towards them.

The same couldn’t be said of the others gathered here. Almost immediately, people started to stare and whisper amongst themselves. Tom figured this reaction was primarily because of how they had acted at the earlier conference, particularly their dramatic exit and vow to fight at Dantooine even if it meant fighting their fellow Jedi.

Syd inadvertently interrupted Auteme right as the girl stood up to speak. Tom resisted a grin at the look on the bookworm Jedi’s face. Of course, she got to talk right afterwards. For all that Auteme was a good orator, the actual content of what she said was more of the same “let’s be friends, division is wrong, if we fight each other the bad guys will win” stuff. Which might seem like the obvious solution… but such an argument wound up being meaningless anathema to those who had already made up their minds, and therefore solved nothing. It was not logical, but it was true.

Emiery Athelon was the next to speak, if only briefly. Tom sensed that she had more to say, none of it particularly nice or helpful, but was holding back to keep from starting a fight. Smart.

Finally, Tom decided to go for it, his reservations be damned.

“I have a suggestion,” he said, standing up. With all eyes on him now, he suddenly remembered that none of them knew who he was. “My name is Tom Kovack, I’m a… student of the Silver Jedi.” A masterless student with probably no future there now. “Since people are already divided on how to proceed, why not lean into those divisions? Set up different groups within the Concord focused on different tasks. One group can dedicate themselves to dealing with the Bryn, another with the Sith, and so on. After all, the Jedi usually have different subgroups for specific tasks anyway, like the Jedi Service Corps…”

He trailed off, already realizing it was a bad comparison, even though his basic idea was sound. The Jedi Service Corps had been for people who failed to pass their Trials, and therefore couldn’t become Jedi Knights. The people in this room were all either Knights or on their way to becoming them. After a brief pause, he began again.

“I get that this whole schism thing has led to a lot of bad blood between people, but maybe it’s necessary for us to split, even if it’s just in principle. I don’t think we need to create a whole new faction or Order. I think we just need to recognize that some of us have a different calling, other objectives. Arguing the importance of one opponent over the other is foolish, but so is trying to focus on only one while leaving yourself open to attack from the other. We really should be fighting them both with equal fervor.”

Ryv Cotan Sar'andor Coren Starchaser Hal Vaiken Bernard of Arca Takui Okkeus Dainlei Kenth Ordo A+OM Rik Perris Ripley Kühn Sapphire Cerulean Shaka Sunstar Zaavik Perl Allyson Locke Dair Cotarin <inactive> Merrick Sato Mesh Zetnu​

 

[Hal Vaiken]

"See?" a shit-eating grin glowed on the face of the scruffy-looking scumbag. Vetted, he snickered mentally. Cotan Sar'andor - that son of a schutta once chased down Tycho all the way out of a cargo ship the ex-pirate's crew had boarded. Sure, the Jedi wouldn't recognize the blonde given the latter wore some form of a clown looking helmet in his days of piracy. He'd barely made it, otherwise, he might've been rotting in a junkyard of a prison somewhere in the Outrim.

Sleemo.

His attention shifted to Bernard, fancy name - fitted the weak frame, who had hopefully come to the realization he was not funny. Jedi rarely were. Then again, Jedi were rarely a greasy kung like him.

"Tycho. Tycho Reeves. New Jedi." the spacer shook the man's offered hand and gave him a friendly smirk. His eyes looked over the white-haired Jedi and whistled, "Look at that piece-", a jerk of the head at one Emiery Athelon, "know that one, Bernard?"

He rolled his eyes immediately after, "Yeah, yeah, there is no passion - I know, okay?"

But there is smut.

Tycho leaned back on his chair with a sigh and half-shut his eyes carefully listening to the discussions which had begun. With a lower voice, he scoffed at Bernard, "Jedi allying Sith - you believe that?"

Bernard of Arca

 

[Persephone Hero]

She knew that this was a monumental occasion and she should be honored to be at a gathering that would likely be spoken of in the histories yet to be written, but Persephone couldn't help but wish she was back on the ship. It's not that her current guardian and, as she would only begrudgingly admit, mentor, Cassus Demici, who now stood slightly ahead to the right of her, cared about politics at all from what she could deduce of his character, but he pushed her to attend for other reasons. . .She slunk behind his towering figure that stood as a colossus over the other Jedi who chose to stand back behind the seated audience ahead of them, trying to gain some reprieve.

She looked up at the tall vaulted ceiling of the arena in which the crowd was situated and couldn't help but shudder. She took the hood of her gray cloak and mantled it over her head to take shelter, her short leather jacket crunching underneath it as she did so.

To take someone so sensitive to the force and thrust them in the midst of all these powerful and varied Jedi she thought was cruelty. Their energies reverberated like a blasting stereo back out at her, and yes although they were Jedi and most had the resolution to contain their signatures in the force, the hungry power inside Persephone still drew them out and pulled them towards her like magnetism. She surveyed the crowd of proud Jedi and then blinked for the briefest moment and in the darkness of her mind, she saw a panoply of color humming with light. Some intense, some soft, but it was still too much for her. She clenched her fists hard and tried to focus in on the individual words given utterance, echoing in the grand room.

Cassus looked back at her sending a soft flourish of calm upon her, she knew that look. It was reminding her of the lesson they'd had several days ago and reviewed again just before they entered the docking bay. Peace. Serenity. Harmony. Those concepts seemed like small objects in the tidal wave of the force breaking upon her now. As in setting an example, Cassus turned back to the center of the congregation and closed his eyes in meditation.

As louder voices prevailed over her mesmerizing trip, she tried to understand what was going on. But she honestly didn't know enough or at this point care enough to fully come to grips with the context or consequences of the situation being discussed. All she could do is trace her cigarra box in the pocket of her skintight trousers and crave a drag of one.

 

[Emiery Grayson]

A chill crept up her spine.

Her shoulders pulled back, shoulder blades jutting out. Shoulders then rolled, head pulled to one side stretching her neck, then banked in the other direction, as if to squirm her way out of a thing. Discomfort. A creeping feeling, as if someone had walked over her grave (well, that's complicated...), or spoke of her, behind her back. She shuddered, the feeling leaving.

Settling against the wall again, arms pulling about her middle, tightly, her mouth became a thin line. Her gaze seeming to darken as she peered ahead, her mind behind it, searching, analysing, unsettled.

"That's strange."

Under her breath.

Hal Vaiken

 

[Shaka Sunstar]

A dark brow shut up at the approach of another dark skinned Jedi Knight.

This man knew Shaka, but he didn't know him. Odd, but, the Thyrsian thought nothing of it. He was young, abrasive and militant, not unlike the other members of the New Jedi Order. They were of a different ilk, a next generation of Jedi that sought to vanquish the darkness that rested in the Tingel Arm, that festered on the edge of the galaxy for years and spent more time unopposed than challenged.

"Huh... Can't blame you for not being on the HoloNet. But you must've been in a media blackout, eh? I bet you haven't even heard 'bout TRAA." His broad shoulders raised up into a shrug. "Don't watch myself, but... Hear it's popular." Jerking his head behind him and up to Ryv . "You'll find out soon," he finally answered a moment later as the Sword of the Jedi broached the topic.

This time, Shaka was content with listening first before speaking out, unlike the last time, when Coren Starchaser summoned them.

When it came for the time of the Silver Jedi to speak. He instantly recognized them as Syd Celsius . Naturally, he ignored them. The company they kept was enough for him to take a moment to scrutinize, almost grimace, as disgust rolled off of him. Imagine challenging your own peers... To protect the Sith. He almost spat on the floor, but he thought better of it and just swallowed the summoned saliva.

Still, he cut in after Tom Kovack spoke. The Thyrsian was not the sort to care about what others thought of him. He was resolute in his belief. Trained to toe the line between Light and Dark. Honed aggression. It was frowned upon in the Jedi Order, likely across all of their creeds. But Shaka, like his Master before him was of the mind that to defeat the Sith, they'd have to fight.

They couldn't all be redeemed.

"The Jedi are already split. You can thank the Silver Jedi for allowing the One Sith to carve through the Core Worlds without a fight." He'd turn to look upon Ryv.

"You already know how I feel about this. But for the rest," he turns to face the assembly. "We all know the lessons of Form Zero. We all know that it is preferable to not have to cross blades with another Jedi. But, should a Jedi stand across from you, protecting the very Sith that kill members of our Order. I urge you to not let these prostrated Jedi sway you, to not let them bring hesitation to your mind in our purpose of ridding the Galaxy of these beings of Darkness. By any means. Disarm. Dismember. The goal should be to arrest and detainment. And when the battle is over, wherever we are, we send them back home."

Auteme - Emiery Athelon - Persephone Hero - Hal Vaiken - Cotan Sar'andor - Karn Syndulla - Bernard of Arca - Okkeus Dainlei - Takui - Zaavik Perl - Allyson Locke - Dair Cotarin <inactive> - Ripley Kühn - A+OM - Kenth Ordo - Sapphire Cerulean - Merrick Sato

 

[Zaavik Perl]

S H A D O W
GALACTIC ALLIANCE
NEW JEDI ORDER

TRIBUNAL STATION // MEETING HANGAR

Zaavik's eyes fell closed as he sighed with relief. "Thanks," he offered as he scratched the back of his head. He turned over his shoulder to surveil the Padawan as she retreated with embarrassment. "Thought she'd never stop," he lamented with a hushed tone. A leisurely wave and half-smile were offered Allyson's direction from afar. A way of expressing a 'thanks anyway' for her constant looking out.

"I've gotten around to teaching a few courses on the Prosperity. Jedi History's a bit more technical, so fewer students, but I get to know mine well. They tend to send the troublemakers, those without masters, for a little discipline and hard work. Plus, I think it's fascinating."​

"History, huh?" That didn't surprise him. Auteme always seemed fond of the things Zaavik found particularly boring. At least, that was the impression he'd gotten over all this time. Still, if ever there was someone who should've taught it, he can see why it was her. "I guess that explains why she was so persistent." Ironic that Zaavik would make any observation on the lack of a presiding authority figure. He was just happy to have been rid of the starry-eyed know-nothing for the time being.

The Zeltron slipped his hand back into his pockets, taking a half step away from Auteme and turning to face the coming address. A glance was shot towards Cotan and Auteme during the exchange, but it was ultimately nothing Zaavik would pay much attention to.

He waited for the others to conclude their own points before stepping forward for his own. Despite the fact that he was probably among the least qualified to offer in his own opinion.

"Look, I'll be straight with you guys; compared to some of those who've already spoken I'm a lot less aware of every nuance but-"

Zaavik paused momentarily, gulping the lump in his throat that quickly formed from all the eyes that turned his way. "Uh, I-I'm Zaavik, by the way, student of the New Jedi Order." Get on with it, idiot, no one cares.

"I believe Ryv is right to a point. Sooner or later, we're going to find ourselves at odds with those in the Concord who willingly align themselves with the Compact. I don't like it any more than the rest of you, and at the risk of sounding too absolutist, it comes down to them being against us if they aren't with us. The well-warranted fear of the Bryn has muddied their path to a bed with the Sith. If their fear can lead them so easily astray, I doubt they'll be too happy when and if we oppose their new allies. That's anger."

His face was feeling hot. Good thing his skin was already red, otherwise, the embarrassment would probably be much more clear on his face. He cleared his throat loudly and fidgeted in place.

"A-Anyway, uh, they're trading one dark, genocidal monolith for another. Like Auteme said, being a Jedi is a commitment to good. Good can mean a lot of different things to different people, but surely no reasonable person or Jedi for that matter can call anything pertaining to the Sith 'good'. If they're willing to turn the other cheek to the Sith Empire, who knows what else they're willing to overlook? They're already lost."

"I know there's a consensus here that we shouldn't be deciding who to oppose, but Jedi shouldn't be turning a cheek to the things going on with either of these evils. Put them all to the sword, is what I say."

Zaavik nodded to himself, working up the courage to continue. His brow furrowed as the scanned around the assembled Jedi.

"I can't help but feel like we're the minority here, you know? Jedi and Sith together can't be the norm. It's going to come to us defying this new surge in misguided ideals for our right to exist. I know this sounds like Fatalism, but there's no way around it that I can see. We don't have to do this alone, though. There's probably no doubt in this room that the Galactic Alliance stands behind us, but so too will the New-Imperials, if given the opportunity."

Zaavik rolled up his sleeve. The disfigured web of horrific burns from Rurik Fel and the fresh cybernetic that attached from his upper forarm, courtesy of the blade of Dorian Sicarrio were laid bare.

"I know just as well as anyone, they aren't the good guys. But just like us, they have a will of defiance against what they perceive as unjust. It might be an ironic suggestion, given my rebuke of the Compact, but what are they in the face of the Sith? The Bryn? The Compact, even? Evil? I don't think so."

"I don't intend to sway anyone away from qualms from working with them. Any reluctance is well-warranted, I'm only proposing what I feel gives us the chance to correct all this suffering."

tl;dr

Ryv | Coren Starchaser | Auteme | Emiery Athelon | Persephone Hero | Hal Vaiken | Cotan Sar'andor | Karn Syndulla | Bernard of Arca | Okkeus Dainlei | Takui | Shaka Sunstar | Allyson Locke | Dair Cotarin <inactive> | Ripley Kühn | A+OM | Kenth Ordo | Merrick Sato | Sapphire Cerulean ​

 

[Laertia Io]

The icier presence in the room, not the ice of the Dark, but just plain permafrost, then stepped forward.

"Do none of you appreciate the fact that The Bryn'adul try to leave absolutely no survivors when they conquer a planet? Anyone who gets away is in spite of their efforts." Laertia Io spoke calmly but with beskar in her tone. "The Bryn'adul don't care about this struggle with the Sith. They don't care whether the Sith are right or the Jedi are. They want everyone dead equally. They encroach on all territories as a ravenous beast. They can't be reasoned with. They can't be bargained with. They don't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. They've proven that. They'll slit their own throats before negotiating with lessers. Nothing the SJC has done on its own has truly stopped them. The Bryn'adul are the only truly united faction in this Galaxy at the moment. So many of you want to just treat them as another nuisance that you can take on like any other in addition to the Sith. A yearly hazard, like Fire Season on arboreal planets..." Laertia said. "They aren't. They're this era's Vong. Hell, they're worse. They have strong Force Users, with a powerful linking ability. More than a match for most Jedi. More than a match for most Sith too. You walk away from this, you condemn all the innocent people still enslaved to the Sith to death at the hands of The Bryn'adul. And the Confederacy. And the billions under as many other governments whose hand you will slap away should they reject your ideological criteria in favor of more practical concerns. My duty is to protect and save as many of those people as I can no matter who it inconveniences." Laertia said firmly, holding the stares of offense and contempt with a stare of cold steel that never broke.

The Black Knight of Nar Shaddaa, her biker gear almost pitch black under the lighting spoke.

"If you only knew how much I want to vomit at the thought of working with Sith..." she trailed. "If I didn't believe with absolute certainty that the Bryn'adul are that dangerous to the life I am sworn to protect, I would never have spoken out. I'd probably have told the Compact to feth itself if it were literally any other opponent. Coren Starchaser and The Sword of the Jedi, and in all likelihood the entirety of this body would likely never have given me a second glance if it had been anybody but the Bryn'adul. I'd have just been in the background, still killing the Order's worst enemies, and anonymously. I'd have been happy to remain an oddity in your ranks...I was happy before as a quiet oddity. I might have even sided with Ryv and the NJO. Certainly wouldn't have actively opposed them. But my hand is forced. After what I saw at Nar Kreeta, where thousands of good soldiers and who knows how many Jedi more worthy of the title than I'll ever personally be had all their hopes, all their futures violently cast aside by an enemy that bloodies The Force the way they do, shredding every living connection, even that of the planet itself to its former inhabitants..."

She looked around, knowing what would happen next would likely have her very poorly remembered.

"You're damn right I'll temporarily ignore the fact a Sith dismembered my mother and father to stop the Bryn'adul...and you are more correct that I will fight attempts to stop me. The Sith might recover, but that's an enemy that needs to be defeated later, before The Bryn'adul create more Force Wounds, and slaughter another planet. The Sith are evil. The Bryn'adul are evil. I spent my best years killing Sith. Their crimes are unforgivable. So are The Bryn'adul's. The Sith Lords killed my family. The Bryn'adul kill millions without any hope of rescuing a territory they control. But we cannot have our cake and eat it too. If we fight both, we lose soldiers to both. If we throw Jedi at both, we will lose Jedi to both. The Compact you dismiss knows this. If we try and fight each other and the Bryn'adul, even if we each have three governments apiece on either side to fight each other and them, the Bryn'adul are the only one who wins. Even Street Gangs could tell you your present tactical course is totally untenable. I should know. I watched gangs fight each other for control on Nar Shaddaa. Big Gang swoops in, and all the little gangs either work together, get organized quick to protect their turf or they get steamrolled trying to fight each other and the big new gang. You'd be amazed. These gangs, these petty gangs, they do everything and worse to each other...murder...torture. Enslavement of every stripe and cruelty. Hell, some have fought each other so long, it is almost tradition they fight..." Laertia trailed, hoping the allegory was sinking in with at least some as she paced about.

"But when a powerful new rival shows itself, they either fight both and die slow, or they temporarily forget their enmity to deal with a larger problem so business as usual can resume without interruption later. Are there treacheries? Betrayals? You bet. All you can do is hide a knife and be ready to shiv."

 

[Takui]

"I feel like," Taku spoke up glancing to Laertia as she finished speaking, "you're missing the point. No one has said that we're going to forsake the people. No one said that we won't fight the Bryn'adûl. They said they won't stand beside the Sith and tolerate their actions under any pretense. This isn't some kind of zero sum game."

He took his seat and leaned back, reclined against a wall. "If you want to fight, go fight. This conversation isn't about not fighting. Its about who we're fighting, and where we draw the line."

Taku turned his attention back to Ryv and Coren. "Now instead of using the Bryn'adûl straw man, can we please get back to the conversation that we're actually trying to have?"

Ryv Coren Starchaser Laertia Io

 

[Ryv]

For the first time in the history of Jedi meetings, well, for Ryv anyway, the discussion didn't turn into some underhanded attempt by multiple parties to derail everything and undermine the purpose. As one person's thought came to an end, another person spoke up. People looked to those who spoke before them and met their words with respect, not rage. This was how things are supposed to be. The tension slowly melted away as the gathered Jedi realized they weren't here to fight one another but instead work together and determine the best course of action. It wasn't perfect. Of course, people would disagree. It just brought a smile to his face to see his generation making the difference.

He crossed his arms and listened as they spoke. It didn't surprise him to see the New Jedi Order jump straight to the point. The Sith were the enemy. There wasn't an attempt to sugarcoat it in the slightest either. If the Concord would stand beside the Sith Empire, then they'd be treated as hostiles. Good. Better to fight on winning terms than kneecap yourself from the start.

It didn't surprise him when Laertia and Syd joined the conversation. They used Cotan's station so anyone and everyone could come out and be heard. It wouldn't have been much of a discussion if Ryv only invited people who agreed with him.

Fortunately, Takui cut through the fallacy quickly.

"Thank you, Takui," Ryv said as he stepped forward again. "He's right, by the way. This isn't a discussion of who we're fighting first. That be stupid. I think we're all in agreement in saying the Sith and the Bryn'adul are a threat. But I'm gonna be real; evil is evil. You can't measure it, nor can you stack one's sins against another. I'm not a philosopher. I'm not here to argue freedom vs. order or law vs. chaos. I'm here to say both parties in question are the worst pieces of shit this galaxy has seen in a long time."

Ryv swept a hand towards Shaka. "Shaka's right too. Since we're doing this, there's no reason to run this race handicapped. When the time comes, regardless of who stands in front of you, you can't let them beat you before you've taken up your saber: Jedi, Sith, Bryn'adul, whatever. At the end of the day, you gotta do what you gotta do. And if that means cutting a bloody swathe through the galaxy's darkest corners? Then I say lets fucking do it. The Jedi have always been the light meant to banish the darkness. The Sith think they can eclipse that? Yeah, right, old man Zambrano and his gaggle of dimwits didn't have it in em to stop Padawan learners at Kintan."

"For thousands of years, the galaxy has changed around us. It's used Jedi as soldiers, peacekeepers, negotiators, politicians, kings, queens, hell, the list goes on, man. Why is it we can't change with it? Why are Jedi not allowed to choose their own battles? If your life is gonna be on the line, isn't it only fair you get a say in the matter?" he moved through the group as he spoke. His gaze jumped from one Jedi to another. "It's time we change alongside it. This is an era of chaos. People die every day, no matter what we do or where we go. If we're gonna make a difference, then Zaavik's right. We need to look to allies who some may consider unlikely, without compromising who we are at our core. It's one thing to fight beside an Imperial. It's another to fight beside those who'd damn the galaxy for even an inkling of power."

He stopped in front of Laertia and Syd, his eyes locked on the pair. "Your fear blinds you. I can feel it. What you've seen has left a scar in your heart that may never heal, but I'm here to tell you that's okay. No one can fault you for that. I'm also here to tell you just because you've given up on doing this the right way doesn't mean the rest of us have."

"If the Concord chooses to side with the Sith, then the Concord has chosen the path of least resistance. If they are in bed with Carnifex and Metus, they've made the wrong choice. And I'll scream it to the stars if I have to. The Sith Empire, the Bryn'adul, the Confederacy, they're all stains on this galaxy. Stains I'm tired of seeing."

Ryv crossed his arms, his head held high as he spoke. "We must stand beside our Imperial brothers and fight the Sith. Just as we should bring the fight to the Bryn'adul. If they think they're safe, we'll show them otherwise. Just like we did at Yurb, where the Concord and the Alliance's forces defeated them without the help of the damned Sithspit they now willingly bend the knee to."

He looked back to the gathered crowd. "I believe in a future free of shadow. One where the Jedi are unified and stand together against all who'd extinguish the promise of freedom, love, and happiness. That dream starts here, in this room, with all of us. So I ask you all one question."

A smile pulled at the kiffar's lips. "Are you with me?"

Spoiler: JEDI

Coren Starchaser | Cotan Sar'andor | Auteme | Ripley Kühn | Hal Vaiken | Bernard of Arca | Takui | Okkeus Dainlei | Kenth Ordo | A+OM | Rik Perris | Sapphire Cerulean | Shaka Sunstar | Zaavik Perl | Allyson Locke | Dair Cotarin <inactive> | Merrick Sato | Mesh Zetnu | Laertia Io | Tom Kovack | Persephone Hero

 

[Tom Kovack]

Tom winced as Laertia Io spoke next. Her arguments were virtually the same as the ones she had presented at the conference, only now she didn’t have a speech impediment to mangle her words. That said, if it didn’t work the first time, it was unlikely to work the second time. Takui was right about her missing the point, but he wasn’t really hitting the mark himself, either.

This meeting had very little to do with morality or doing what’s right. People like Ryv might dress it up that way to make themselves feel better, but in reality it was just politics all around, not one side being political while the other “did what was honorable and right”. Yes, the Compact’s decision was lousy and to be honest it didn’t make a whole lot of sense. The Concord allying with the Sith and the CIS, when they had been at war with them mere weeks earlier? Ludicrous. But what Ryv and his cohorts were advocating for wasn’t the better alternative they were marketing it as, as far as Tom was concerned.

“Ryv,” he said, standing up once more. It felt strange addressing the man by his first name when the two were strangers to each other, but Tom didn’t know how else to get his attention. “I get what you’re trying to do here. This is all just a recruitment meeting for the NJO, isn’t it? You want to convince us to join your faction because the Silvers have disappointed us. Fair enough.”

He sucked in a deep breath before continuing. “But you’re also calling for us to stand alongside the Imperials as brothers. The NIO may have broken away from the Sith, but they’ve still retained that Sith style of government. They’re fascist, authoritarian despots—far from the beacons of democracy and freedom the Jedi usually align themselves with. And they want to keep fighting, not make peace. Their imperialist government and economy will collapse without constant war and expansionism to keep it going.” Shaking his head, Tom forced himself to say the rest of what he wanted to say—what he needed to say. “You’ve made your bed with evil too. Just because a faction doesn’t label themselves as Sith… at least, not anymore, doesn’t mean they’re good.

“I don’t think the Concord will sustain this alliance with the Sith for much longer. Too many people have protested it. Knowing that, this alternative you’re offering with the GA or the NJO or whatever looks even less appealing. I’m sorry Ryv, but I’m not with you, at least not as far as this is concerned.”

Not that it made much difference what faction he belonged to, considering that he could barely fight. Having finished, Tom sank down into his chair, feeling emotionally drained. He hadn’t set out today to roast the Sword of the Jedi, but at least he had done what he felt was right.

Spoiler: Tags

Coren Starchaser | Cotan Sar'andor | Auteme | Ripley Kühn | Hal Vaiken | Bernard of Arca | Okkeus Dainlei | Kenth Ordo | A+OM | Rik Perris | Sapphire Cerulean | Shaka Sunstar | Zaavik Perl | Allyson Locke | Dair Cotarin <inactive> | Merrick Sato | Mesh Zetnu | Persephone Hero

 

[Ripley Kühn]

The zeltron had simply sat listening to the madness around her unfold. Though she had a colorful choice of words to reply to Syd Celsius , she worked as hard as she could to bite her tongue, instead letting the others take on the pair of misguided women. She found herself nodding in agreement with them, namely Takui , as he had hit the nail on the head. When Ryv spoke again, his words rang true. Evil is evil. That was the pure simplicity of it, at its root. The Bryn'adul and the Sith were both threats to the light. If you stood beside either, then you stood with darkness. Ripley stood, ready to take up Ryv's call, but a voice rang out before she could answer- the one who had introduced himself as Tom. She remained standing through his words, and as he ended, she couldn't help but scoff.

"Ripley Kühn, Knight of the New Jedi Order."

Her voice rang out, a frozen edge growing sharper with every word. Her stony gaze remained planted firmly on this student, unyielding.

"I fail to see how this is a recruitment drive, though I wish that was the worst of your implications. You may call the New Imperials evil- but frankly, you're wrong. I haven't gotten the chance to stand beside them on the battlefield yet, but after hearing the stories, I can say when that time does come, it will an honor. I may not agree with their governmental decisions, but it's unrealistic to imagine the whole galaxy will take up our exact ideals. I urge you to look beyond that, to the spirit of their people. They have fought tooth and nail against the Sith since the day they broke free from their oppressive overlords. Their men and women have willingly bled and died to take up arms against a true evil that plagues us all."

Ripley's mouth closed a moment while she inhaled a deep breath through her nostrils, before continuing.

"That is was it means to crusade in the name of goodness. They may not be followers of the light, but it shines down upon them as they help rid the galaxy of one of it's greatest evils. I can understand the Silvers stalling that same fight to defeat the Bryn'adul, but a defensive compact implies more than that. If the Imperial people continue their struggle to bring an end to Sith tyranny, does your Concord expect you to defend that tyranny? Will you readily comply? If so, I'll see you in the war zone. While I hate the idea of Jedi infighting, I will always seek to root out the darkness, and allying with that darkness allows it to grow and fester; that's something I can not allow, and as a Jedi, I hope you can't, either."

Coren Starchaser | Cotan Sar'andor | Auteme | Tom Kovack | Hal Vaiken | Bernard of Arca | Okkeus Dainlei | Kenth Ordo | A+OM | Rik Perris | Sapphire Cerulean | Shaka Sunstar | Zaavik Perl | Allyson Locke | Dair Cotarin <inactive> | Merrick Sato | Mesh Zetnu | Persephone Hero | Ryv

 

[Dair Cotarin <inactive>]

Dair patiently listened as people spoke. He had known a few more volatile Jedi in his past, he knew that even for them things could become personal. The amount of anger and fear that permeated some of the speakers, however, was mildly daunting. Some spoke of the Sith as an eternal enemy, which they were. Others spoke of gauging the levels of evil and trying to insist that the Sith could be the lesser evil. Dair had spoken previously in apparent support of Laetia Io's point, but in his meditations since then and a review of the histories available to any of the Jedi orders on his way here, had convinced him that the Sith were not necessarily the lesser evil here. He took a deep breath, mentally touching the Solarian crystal in his blade, Winter, and trying to offer his aura of wintry calm to those around him.

"This is a far more delicate discussion than many seem to think." He spoke up, standing and looking around the room. He recognized few people aside from Coren, and he mostly knew that Jedi by reputation having only met him a handful of times in various battles in the past. "I am Dair Cotarin, Master in the Jedi Order." He made no distinction between NJO, Silver, Green, or any other Jedi Order. "The Sith are evil, they subjugate their populations so they gain power. The Imperials use many of the same tactics, but do not delve as deeply into the Dark Side of the Force as the Sith. To call them good would be to stretch the meaning of the word, and I would not fault any who would consider them an evil. Fascism is definitely an evil in my mind." He looked at Ryv and offered a nod before turning to Laertia. "The Bryn'adul are also evil. They wish to destroy lives and the ability to live."

His eyes fell to Knight Kühn momentarily. It was notable that he spoke with calmness instead of speaking down to any of them.

"Making a distinction between one tyranny and another because they fight is still choosing to ally with tyranny." He shook his head and held up a hand. "The purpose of my words isn't to place us into a position where we accept no allies. What I want from each of you is to stop speaking as if what you have determined to be is the absolute truth. Only a Sith deals in absolutes, which I know is an oddly absolutist statement. Nevertheless..." He turned to Laertia Io once more, "...fighting side by side with the Sith to stop the Bryn'adul is not something you can ask of the Jedi and expect a positive response. The Bryn'adul want to extinguish life aside from theirs. The Sith want to extinguish life that does not serve them. Choosing to fight one and not trying to stop the other comes to the same end. That is why we cannot choose to fight one and ignore the other. Both the Sith and Bryn'adul have earned our attentions. Both have the opportunity to resolve to set aside their ways and come to justice. Aside from that, we will meet them both."

"The road of the Jedi is not an easy one. It is not for the fearful." He looked around the room, then back at Laertia Io. "It is not a road everyone can walk, and if you feel the need to leave that road honorably, none here will bar your way. We fight the evils of the galaxy, if you do not become one you will not have to make the choice of justice or battle."

His voice never changed from the calm demeanor, yet during the last sentence the temperature in the hangar dropped slightly until the life support system worked a bit harder to return to the set temperature.

"As has been said, this isn't a meeting to decide who to fight. This is a meeting to decide how."

Spoiler: Tags

Coren Starchaser | Cotan Sar'andor | Auteme | Ripley Kühn | Hal Vaiken | Bernard of Arca | Okkeus Dainlei | Kenth Ordo | A+OM | Rik Perris | Sapphire Cerulean | Shaka Sunstar | Zaavik Perl | Allyson Locke | Tom Kovack | Merrick Sato | Mesh Zetnu | Persephone Hero