Defection

[Rasu Gan]

Leaving the main mess hall, Rasu took a step to the side, waiting for majority of the crowd to disperse and return to their duties. The world around her, the Temple, the people, it all seemed like a dream, had this really happened. Turning her head slowly, she scanned the crowd, searching for the one man, the main focus of the gathering that had just occurred but she could not spot him, Grandmaster or Master Dragonsflame as he would now be called, was gone.

The Shi'ido Master was not sure how she should feel. Angry? Frustrated? Multiple emotions were swarming within her, however all were numbed by the sheer shock that still overwhelmed her. Throughout the entire gathering Rasu had kept her voice to a murmur, speaking only to those closest to her. She had no wish to get involved which was entirely shameful in her own opinion. This was not how Jedi were to act, and to put the leader of the Jedi in such a position was an outright disgrace. It almost made the Master feel ashamed to wear the robes of her brethren. Surely this was not what everyone wanted, surely she wasn't the only one feeling betrayed by her own people.

Rasu had never expected to feel like this before, especially when these feelings were aimed at those who knew her the most, those that she cared about or at least had once cared about. Her feelings for the Jedi Order had shifted, with this being the final addition to confirm her decision. She would leave the Jedi Order, and would do so this very night.

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Rasu Gan"]

Leori had sat silently in the chambers as the newly assigned Grandmaster was disgraced by other Jedi. Leori was absolutely disgusted. What had happened to the Jedi Order? When did they become this way? Had it always been this way and she had just been too busy to notice? The Jedi Master couldn't be sure. But she was sure of one thing, if the Jedi were already turning on each other, then it wouldn't be long before full chaos ensued. And she didn't want to be around when that happened.

The Jedi came across Rasu Gan, a now semi-familiar comrade. Her face seemed to express the very confusion and disgust that she herself was feeling. Leori approached her and spoke in hushed tones.

"Was that for real in there?" She inquired, but she already knew the answer. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears I wouldn't believe it... If it isn't real, we have a powerful enemy. If it is, well, none of us are safe...." The Jedi Master trailed off.

 

[Rasu Gan]

It was not long before a familiar face become apparent among the thinning crowd in the form of fellow Master, [member="Leori Sheltrak"]. One that Rasu had worked with on several occasions however had never had quite the chance to better acquaint herself with the human. She too seemed quite taken aback by the recent proceedings, which strangely enough, brought some amount of relief over the Shi'ido, knowing that these emotions that now plagued her, were not just her own and were shared among others in the Order.

She gave a half-hearted smile as the woman approached, her smile reflecting her inner melancholy. Rasu listened with a rather despondent attitude, nodding in approval as the Master finished. The pair were of the same mind, at this point. Both having cherished the Order they had held so dear, to be reduced to disgust and embarrassment to even familiarize themselves with those around them. Leori was right to believe that trust was no becoming very scarce in the Order, with events like those just before beginning to sprout up more and more, although nothing as large a scale compared to the one they had witnessed. The separate Academies were forming their own power-base and it felt as if the entire Jedi Order were about to rupture apart, the organisation separating into splinter groups across the galaxy. Rasu would have thought, that with a Mandalorian war looming over them, that the Order would want to remain solid and strong, acting as one large group than play little power games, leading coups and whatever else lay in store.

"I agree completely, Master Sheltrak. I too no longer feel safe here! On Coruscant no less. What once felt like home now feels so tense, electric even, like one spark will set the entire Order aflame." she said, her cheeks growing hot as she vented her frustration upon her fellow Jedi Master. "I mean, I had known things had changed since the fall of the Sith Empire, but really? Are some Jedi so bored that they are willing to boot the one man fighting for peace, just so war can again erupt across the galaxy. We are here to make peace, for star's sake, not start another blasted war!" Her breathing was ragged now, her chest rising and falling. She looked up, embarrassed slightly, at the human Master, feeling slightly ashamed at how she had taken her frustration out on the innocent woman, one that shared her feelings and mind.

"I'm sorry Master Sheltrak. My emotions have gotten the better of me." she said, bowing her head in slight embarrassment. She was a Jedi Master, a member of the Jedi Council, she was supposed to have her emotions in check.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Rasu Gan"]

Leori had made her decision as soon as Rasu started speaking. She would be leaving the Republic and Jedi. The Jedi Master didn't interrupt her venting comrade. It was something that needed to be said, and not censored or restricted or hushed.

When Rasu apologized, she placed her hand on the Jedi's shoulder. "Don't ever be sorry for having emotions. Jedi are not droids. We are people with feelings. Expressing them is not the same as acting on them."

She offered the Jedi a small smile. "I agree with you. I no longer think that people that think like we do, belong here where reason is clearly being abandoned for madness." She paused and considered their surroundings. "We should leave as soon as possible. And I'm going to lay low for a while. I need to meditate on a course of action."

 

[Rasu Gan]

Rasu smiled as the woman offered her some comfort. It was more than nice to know that she wasn't the only one who shared these feelings. Everything just seemed so chaotic now, with all this negativity soaring and erupting throughout the entire Order. Rasu had not been completely serious with herself when she thought about leaving, knowing that she could never truly leave her home and the people that had raised her. She had only been in the heat of the moment. Although she had heard of other Jedi, Master E'ron of the Council, being one of her more larger sources, who were already planning on fleeing the Republic and the Order. Rasu had of course thought about this also, but now with even Master Sheltrak, speaking quite mainly in front of her, of fleeing as well, Rasu was indeed terrified.

She agreed with Leori on all fronts, but the Shi'ido was unsure whether defection was truly necessary. Although she was becoming quite frightened of these radicals sprouting across the Order, mainly springing up from the Academy of Ossus. Where would they go? Would they face any opposition? Rasu would not be surprised now if they fled that they would be marked as traitors and hunted down. The whole idea of leaving was scary, but was it more frightening to stay? That was the question that all Jedi needed to ask themselves. With more fanatical Jedi sprouting up, would it truly be best for any Jedi who wanted peace to stay? Or would they rather get caught up in the whole urge for war? Rasu knew where she would rather be, and she knew that after leaving Coruscant she would feel much better.

"Alright," she said, looking up at Leori, "when should we leave? A few days? A week? Tonight?" she asked, curious as to how much though the Jedi Master had put into the idea.

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

Leori considered the Jedi Master's question for a moment. When should they leave? The sooner the better, in her opinion. A head start would be the difference between life and death, in her mind. "I think I will be returning to the temple for my things and setting a course out of Coruscant tonight. I'm not sure where I'll go, but I will be making multiple stops and visits to worlds. I think that is the key to not drawing attention to ourselves. Keep working, and away from Coruscant. Once we're far enough away, and some time has passed, we can reunite and regroup."

It was the best plan she could come up with. Without resigning from the Order, that is. Not that she knew exactly who was in charge anymore. It didn't matter. Things would be changing, and not for the better. It was time to go.

"What do you think, Rasu?" She tilted her head slightly as she awaited the Jedi's response.

[member="Rasu Gan"]