Council Meeting: Two Issues

[Ashin Varanin]

CORUSCANT

Agenda item the first: The former Sith Lord Arumi Zy has been in our custody and under our oversight for two weeks now, and a final decision must be made.

Agenda item the second: The former Jedi Master Matsu Ike has been incarcerated on the moon of Mobus, and given the chance to meditate on her crimes. However, we must find a final solution.

The Council was present in the flesh or by HoloNet. Je'gan had a chair, and a nice one, a replica of the one he'd used the last time he sat on anything like a Jedi Council, close to four hundred years ago.

The door opened, and @[member="Arumi Zy"] was allowed in.

"Lord Fidelis, welcome. Before the members of the Council ask you their questions, do you have anything to say?"

@[member="Syn-sama"] @[member="Darron Wraith"] @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Arumi Zy]

Arumi gave a curt and respectful bow to the Grand Master of the Jedi order, knowing full well that he held his future in his hands. The Sith Lord looked at those he had considered enemy, he never hated the Jedi but sith and Jedi fight and that was the way of things.

" ladies and gentlemen of the Jedi council, I will say only a few things before I defer myself to await your questions. I have existed for a long time, far longer then my age appears. Long before the rise of Palpatine, Krayt and what other sith exist in recent history.

It is true during my tenure in the time of the rule of two I was responsible for deaths, for the destruction of the Jedi league of shadows who tried to exterminate my apprentice and myself, self defense on that one. But my goal then as it is now is the establishment of order in a galaxy of Chaos. Yes perhaps not justice and freedom as you stand for and represent but during my tenure as Sith Lord of Sector 4 I ruled strictly and fairly. Crime was low, all were fed and all employed. I will never adhere to your code or the light side but that will not stop me from being an asset, I have much knowledge to place in your hands, and if, if actually when the peace with the Enpire ends I can give you a perspective that no soldier or Jedi can.

I surrender myself now to your questions and your judgement."@Je'gan Olra'en

 

[Syn]

@[member="Je'gan Olra'en"] @[member="Arumi Zy"] @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] @[member="Darron Wraith"]

It was... Interesting, that was all Syn could think while he sat there and kept a neutral expression. The hologram flickered while the Ravenshyde was parked somewhere in the deep core. He had taken it away to train more with Iella, Elayne and Celtic after the recent problems on Tython. It was also personal preference not to be around the others who last time gathered showed more dislike. Call him a pessimist but it was not something he wanted to repeat.

So he sat and listened to the sith lord talk while he sat there. Someone else who raised questions to a point. It was very odd and curious but no time right now to ask about what he used to live past his time, or just to get as many details as he could about the sith forces now. Without a true spy within or details the new regimes inner workings was a mystery. Bah no matter, his sashed face moved only enough to acknowledge the new Grandmaster. Ben had.... become indisposed and now Je'gan was in his place. Not something that boded well, for the enemies of the Republic.

He had to stifle a chuckle when he heard the news, not in annoyance but in small disbelief. He would have figured Darron Wraith would be named acting and then new Grandmaster but no matter. His face turned back briefly to the man in question, the notion of him being an asset but not being in the light was the only thing giving pause. If he had come wishing redemption or atonement then it would have been welcome or at least watched. Everyone should be given a chance at least but only one.

He after all was guilty of being sith in the first degree and had done possible crimes or war crimes in pursuit of order. What would they have to judge unless he willingly gave them up. Either as rope to hang himself or as the basis for becoming a citizen of the Republic if it was possible. "Would you be willing to confess to every crime committed by you then and now under Republic law." A statue of limitations was no doubt are many of them, some might not even have proof but as he had been told. Confession is good for the soul.

 

[Darron Wraith]

@[member="Arumi Zy"] @Syn @Je'gan Olra'en

Staying away was what he had been good at, never lingering for long unless needed. The last time he had truly been with the Order had been at Metalorn, and that bloody conflict had only illuminated a couple things for him. One, was the need for a more powerful presence to answer the Sith threat. The other was the fact that he never would truly fit in with his peers,but he would never truly abandon them like had had after Roche. The code was the only thing Darron Wraith truly believed in, and he held steadfastly to that. His own personal beliefs were at odds with the Republic, and the Jedi Order as a whole right now. How could they allow one of their own to take over as the Chancellor? How could they attempt to sign a peace treaty that was nothing more than delaying the war that would happen eventually.

They hadn't solved war, merely lengthened the fuse on the powder keg.

So, in that beautiful semicircle of chairs there was an absence like always. Wraith hadn't sat in an actual meeting since his time as GrandMaster, and it was doubtful he would make it back anytime soon. Missions for the Order, missions for peace, and good deeds kept him away and busy. The title of BattleMaster, and his skill set didn't do well with sitting around the Temple and teaching. Darron had never been one to sit around and do that, and thankfully his friends in charge understood that concept too. So off to the side, a hologram of the warrior appeared. His arms were behind his back, and his braided hair was pulled behind his ears. Staring intently, he said nothing after his best friend spoke, and he even allowed the Sith to speak.

Lord Fidelis was someone he knew of by name and deed, and hearing what he had to say was shocking. Remembering Je'gan's words, Darron quickly spoke before the others could. The microphone near him on Cato Neimodia caught his cough, and the view of him zoomed in slightly as he took a step forward. "Lord Fidelis, Darron Wraith here. I have a few questions of my own before anyone physically near you asks anything if you don't mind?" The Master didn't wait for a reply, and instead trudged on.

"Why the sudden change in heart for someone as old as you? I'm not going to insult you and tell you that it's not just like flipping a switch and changing alliances. Also, I don't like your use of the word rule. If you want any type of leniency from me, and a vote towards something that would allow you to do good, it would behoove you to not speak like that."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"A point of clarification, Lord Fidelis, merely for your enlightenment -- and this is not widely known. You are not the only one in this room who has lived for centuries, by whatever means. But carry on."

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Unlike Darron and Syn, who had elected to be elsewhere for this meeting, Josh DragonsFlame was there, in the flesh. If there was a Council Meeting, it didn't matter where it was. Tython, Coruscant, Roche, Tatooine, Naboo, Korriban, Kashyyk... It didn't matter, Josh would be there.

Sitting in a rather comfortable chair next to the new Grandmaster, Josh's mind wandered first to the recent happenings... The holocrons, and the darkstaff that himself and Asha Seren had retrieved, had been stolen by a pack of rogue sith. They had invaded the Tython temple itself. And after that incident, Ben Watts had suddenly retired as Grandmaster, giving the position to Je'gan.

Josh both agreed and disagreed with the decision. Je'gan was wise beyond his years, and had plenty of experience, enough to serve the role. But his morals were... Questionable. His mind wandered back to the trial of Matsu Ike, where Je'gan had, of all things, wanted a fellow Jedi Master dead. Despite her crimes, most Jedi knew better then to kill in cold blood like he was suggesting, and Syn had almost given Je'gan right to kill her on his own accord, something he knew the Jedi Master would have likely taken advantage of in full, had Josh not stepped in and stopped him. Of course, now Matsu would stand trial again right after this, and now Je'gan was the Grandmaster. He could only hope that Je'gan wouldn't let his personal feelings and opinions get in the way, or defy Ben's wishes to not have the death penalty, or this was going to be incredibly one sided for Master Ike.

With plans to talk to Je'gan before the second trial, Josh's focus went to the task at hand. @[member="Arumi Zy"], a Sith Master, or Sith Lord or whatever they considered him these days... Had surrendered himself to the Jedi's mercy hoping to be an asset... Or so he says. Josh normally would forgive most people, and follow the Jedi mantra that anyone could be redeemed... But this seemed fishy to him. With the Sith taking planets around Republic space, it was quite obvious what they were planning. And a Sith defecting to lend aid to the Jedi, at such a convenient time? It just didn't add up... Josh wanted to trust the man, but something about him... Something about this entire SITUATION just rubbed the Jedi Knight the wrong way..

"Lord Arumi, thank you for meeting with us today" Josh finally spoke, calmly. "I apologize if this question offends you, but it has to be asked... How do we know this isn't a trick? Some sort of sabotage? How do we know that you're really on our side?" he added, calmly yet firmly.

It was a tough question, but someone had to say it. And being always blunt and honest was Josh's thing. The Weaponmaster would gladly take any flak he would get for the question if it led to this Sith showing signs of cracking...

@Je'gan Olra'en
@[member="Darron Wraith"]
@[member="Arumi Zy"]
@[member="Syn"]

 

[Arumi Zy]

@[member="Syn"] @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] @Je'gan Olra'en @[member="Darron Wraith"]


Arumi scratched the stubble that was beginning to darken his face, ordinarily he had kept himself clean shaven but for the last few days he found it almost burdensome while he awaited word from the Jedi Council. " Grand Master of the Jedi, i assure you my existence shouldn't be considered an existence, more like a millinia of forced meditation and contemplation and staving off the the effects of madness"

@[member="Darron Wraith"] " I woulnd't exactly call it a change of heart" he said as he looked at the holoprojection of the jedi master. Darron Wrath , a name he had heard in passing more then once. He had at one point been asked to train Spencer Jacobs in advanced saber techniques for the sole reason of ending him for the Empress, of course an assassination ended that plot and left him open to one day be Arumi's opponent had it not been for the sudden change of circumstance. Not that one day the tides wouldn't shift and he would have to put the legendary warrior down.

" Then i shall call it Governance, but have no doubt sith lords rule their sectors supremely. the final and first say in all matters with undisputed powers. Some much less benign then i was, and that brings about one of the reasons that i am no longer part of the order. The chaos these new breed of sith bring, unlike the discipline of the Rule of Two era which i hail from this sith war upon each other openly. invade their fellows planets in full scale invasions disrupting the delicate balance of Order established and bringing undue pain and suffering to the people of the Empire.

There is an old expression, that you can not teach an old dog new tricks and i would say i do not fit into the Chaos that they teach. Structure, discipline are the ways to bring about order, in a way your codes and your idealism are Chaos themselves, freedom is Chaos but the Republic is the truest form i seek, although not as discipline as Imperial Rule they do bring order with them in many ways and i believe my position is here, even if i do not follow the path of light that you so strictly adhere to.".
@[member="Syn"] The sith Lord turned his attention to Syn " I believe i can more easily give a list of new transgressions then old ones, memories are short and time a long expanse. But if that is what you require of me i am at your disposal, as well as knowledge of other sith lords that i have."

@[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] As he listened he chuckled slightly " You do not know, the same as i do not know that you will not put a saber in my spine the second i turn around. Trust is the issue that we must work on over time for us all to come to an understanding, for us to trust one another will take time and effort. I do not expect you to share state secrets with me just yet, or tomorrow or ever to be quite honest and that is fine. But if it was about sabotage, what better place to start then Tython with weeks of time to go about it, as you can see there is none".

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"Palpatine waited for decades before striking," said Je'gan, voice dry. "You'll forgive us if we don't take two weeks of good behavior as proof of your harmlessness. Sith Lords have turned to the Light before, even after heinous crimes; I was one of them, half a millennium ago.

"That said, trust and cooperation took a very long time for me to gain among the Jedi. As was only right.

"Lord Fidelis, when this Republic was founded, the Dark Master Ryori Za'tire was its defender, outside the bounds of the Jedi Order. That was her arrangement with the leaders of the Republic. She was not permitted residence in the Jedi Temple, so far as I am aware, and answered to the Republic's law and structures. That precedent may be an appropriate way to resolve our dilemma, in the long term. I say it may be a solution. This matter is far from resolved. Councilors, please continue.

"Recently, the Council was forced to make a decision on a matter delegated from the Republic to us. I believe outreach in the opposite direction may be appropriate in this case, and also would like to consult the Supreme Chancellor, @[member="Aleidis Ijet"]."

 

[Syn]

"I believe i can more easily give a list of new transgressions then old ones, memories are short and time a long expanse. But if that is what you require of me i am at your disposal, as well as knowledge of other sith lords that i have."

The answer was... not what he was expecting. That he was willing showed something but what would and could be determined later. For now... For now the jedi master only gave a nod of his head the question he gave answered. The other questions brought some more answers and questions. The issue of trust being something quite... Amusing, Je'gan had worked for his, Syn had worked for his after sitting in a prison cell, now they were both there to listen.

"The rule of two was just as chaotic, the only difference was it could be discreet. Even when there was only two sith, each had an apprentice groomed to take the others place, both plotted against each other in the dark hording their power like it was an obsession. What you call chaos is just the nature of the siths ideal without the shadows to conceal it. One sith, rule of two or many it matters little in the end, half of this council have experienced it and the other half seen it."

"That your willing to cooperate and say what you have done offers some measure of trust but I will wait to see the full list. There is only one of your former compatriots that... Interests me. On Dagobah there was a sith woman, arrogant and foolish but all reports say she was dead from suicide and launched into space. Aleidis stayed my hand then but I wish to know, does Circe Savan still live in sith space?"

 

[Darron Wraith]

@Syn @Je'gan Olra'en @[member="Arumi Zy"] @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] @[member="Aleidis Ijet"]

What the hologram of the Jedi Master didn't show were his legs, or the view behind him. The small drone that followed him, recording his movements focused exclusively on him from the waist up. Wraith wasn't on a different world, he was merely late from a mission. The Velok cultists were what he had been after, and another successful mission was under his belt, failure would have meant death. In the Council chamber though, the feed cut out as he switched the droid out as the lift to the chambers came to a slow stop. Coruscant traffic had slowed him down, but he was no in the council chambers. His arrival announced by the doors to the turbo-lift opening.

Before him sat the two Jedi present, a hologram of Syn, and of course Lord Fidelis standing in the middle of the room.

"Apologies for being physically late." He said as he walked towards the semi-circle of holo-projectors and chairs. Darron confidently walked in, and nearly brushed shoulders with Lord Fidelis. Wraith never turned to look at the Sith, and only faced the man on trial once he took his seat next to Je'gan. It's still odd not sitting at the head of the Council, he thought to himself. His time as GrandMaster had proven to him he was ready, but the time wasn't right. Je'gan was the much better choice, and even Wraith had to concede he could do more good from his current position.

All the other Councilor's asked questions, and when given the chance, Darron spoke.

"You've willfully come to us. The problem we have is the fact that a great many of your transgressions happened so long ago you have already served the sentence for the crime. Or that they weren't under the Republic's jurisdiction, and if we judge you so harshly we are setting ourselves up as the ultimate judges of crimes against civilization. We aren't in a position to be such an entity, nor do I want us to go down that path. I say we let the Republic judge you, and we determine if you are dangerous. Your current attitude shows that you might not need your connection to the Force, and that' you'd be better off without it."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"I hope you understand what it means to come before us, Lord Fidelis. Severing you from the Force, or removing your knowledge and associated memories and returning you to the level of a Padawan for a fresh start, or life imprisonment in The Pit -- these options are all on the table. Surely you thought that through before coming here. Anything else would be hubris."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Darron Wraith"] @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] @[member="Syn"] @[member="Arumi Zy"]

The Grandmaster cleared his throat.

"Gentlemen? Any final words before we come to a decision?"

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh cleared his throat, thinking carefully. This was a decision not to take lightly...

"Nothing else sir" he said simply, looking this Sith Master over for any hint of trechery.. The last thing he wanted to do was strip the force from someone, but... Was it the right thing to do?

@[member="Darron Wraith"]

 

[Arumi Zy]

@[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] @Je'gan Olra'en @[member="Darron Wraith"] @[member="Syn"]
(( Sorry about the delay, had an emergency contract come in and had to to go over to 18 hour days for a few))
@[member="Syn"] " She is not one i am familiar with, most of the female sith i knew were assassinated by Darth Voracitus. I could send word to my contacts for information, i still have some from my sector that are loyal to me and some that would be willinging to garner information that may lead to their liberation from sith rule".

He turned his attention back to the council as a whole.
" Both of those options would be worse then death, but if need be to prove my intentions. My place is and always will be on the field of battle, that is all i have been good at, all i have been trained to do and culturally my calling. I have little skill in much and little interest in much else which puts myself and your order and beliefs in an odd predicament. Who knows, one day i may find the light and walk the jedi path much closer as a gray jedi, as your orders heros of old such as Qui Gon Jin. All things of the force are possible, i am perhaps one of the few sith who believes the force controls us instead of vice versa".

The sith patted his trench down and produced a pack of smokes " What ever your decision i stand by ready to accept it".

 

[Darron Wraith]

@[member="Arumi Zy"] @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] @Je'gan Olra'en

"I'm going to say this, and I want you to listen to me well Lord Fidelis."

Darron stood to his feet, and looked the former Sith right in the eye before addressing him.

"You are a warrior, I understand that unfortunately. So know that I won't vote for you to lose your connection, it's part of who you are. Don't take this as a sign of weakness on the council's part though. Our kindness is who we are, and it's part of the code we serve. Should they vote against me, you are sentenced to your fate. I vote for you to keep your connection, and hopefully work with us. I say this because, I'm not you and haven't done the things you have done nor will I ever."

Wraith sat down after bowing to the Sith.

"Council, your votes?"

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh nodded slowly as he came to a decision.

"While I do not think that Zy's crimes should go entirely unpunished, nor do I completely trust the man... I agree with Darron that his connection to the force should not be cut" he said calmly, yet firmly. "It is what makes us as we are... Losing that would be a fate worse then death. Not a fate I want to bestow upon anyone"

"My vote, in simple terms in relation to cutting him off from the Force... Is no"

@[member="Darron Wraith"]
@[member="Arumi Zy"]
@Je'gan Olra'en

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Je'gan nodded sharply. "So be it. Lord Fidelis, you will be allowed to serve at your discretion. You will report to the Council directly, obey Republic law, answer to Republic justice if necessary, and most importantly you will not do anything to provoke or 're-educate' any Jedi.

"And don't smoke in here."

 

[Arumi Zy]

@Je'gan Olra'en @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] @[member="Darron Wraith"]

" I shall prove my worth for this, in time you may even come to trust me" he said as he bowed before the council " if I may be so bold, I would like to be assigned to Master Wraith, I believe my skills would best serve. As well as my knowledge to the council be it about the Swine Velok or facilities and darker things yet" he prepared to turn around but looked back at the Grand Master.

" Clarification, no smoking in the council chambers or the temple?"

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Smoking tempts me to boot people in the face...." the Weaponmaster muttered, though with not hearing about any official rule just yet, he didn't answer aloud.

He shook his head. He hated when Jedi tried to smoke in the lesser walked halls, ignorant to the fact the smell wafts through the temple, engulfing the senses and noses of their fellow Jedi and overall making a big stink of everything. He'd prefer if it was abolished entirely, but those trivial things, even if possible to cause a major issue in the wrong times, wasn't something to bring up.

@[member="Arumi Zy"]'
@[member="Darron Wraith"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Arumi Zy"] @[member="Darron Wraith"]

"We haven't yet forbidden smoking in the Jedi Temple -- but a Master should be held to a higher standard. To set an example. Master Wraith, will you be available for oversight?"