Public Forum of Falling Stars - Open to all

[Braze]

TAGS: The Council of Five

Braze could feel the numbness wash over him. He, however, wasn't winded from the sudden shift. A brief glance flicked to the source before he looked back at his would-be opponent. Confusion and concern were what bubbled to the surface. The man he was fighting didn't look well, as far as his basic understanding went.

As he came down to one knee, Braze tilted his head. "Are you alright?" he asked. Though the vocoder couldn't color tone with concern, the manner in which Braze abandoned his stance showed more concern for his opponent. "Do you need medical help?" Braze asked offering a small hand.

Was he really that reliant? The dark side of the Force was an alluring trap of poison that often created a vicious, self-destructive cycle that was hard to pull oneself from. This much Braze understood.

 

[Shan]

Tag: The Council of Five

Shan blinked at the mentioning of an checked ego. Sometimes Shan thought he should have more of an ego, but then comments like that made him realise that he was happy being humble. Of course, he had no clue what was going on with the situation so for now he stayed quiet, glancing between the Elders and Hisaski. The Jedi in him wanted to find out what was going on. He wanted to help out and be useful but...the Mirialan looked down at his hands for a moment and took in a sigh. Right now, he wasn't a Jedi. He was a guest. He was going to enjoy this for as much as he could.

"...Egos are a strange thing. I've seen a lot of them in my travels. It's a universal thing it appears. Something that most people can understand."

 

[The Council of Five]

☼ Ophelia Englehardt ☼
Speaker of Starlight – Doriah

Ophelia arrived with the dusk catching in her robes—fabric trailing like the tail of a falling star. She did not run, but her pace conveyed both urgency and command. Her eyes swept across the plaza, locking first on Erian, then Kaelith, then the charred remnants and pock-marked signs extinguished flame.

The scent of cholerite still clung to the stone.

A beat passed before she spoke.

“Anchor Talgrave. Voice of Vulkhaar's Ash. I trust there is a reason this display was permitted to unfold within the Tower’s shadow?”

Her words were calm, but they fell with weight. The tone of someone who had already assigned the blame internally.

Her gaze turned to Kaelith, kneeling still beneath the pressure of suppression and withdrawal of his Godsblood.

“There are eyes watching, even now. Stories writing themselves in the minds of witnesses. What shall we tell them? That the Cholerkin sought to brand a Sky-Sent - a child for amusement?”

Her voice was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that came before sentencing, not mercy.

⚖ Erian Talgrave ⚖
Anchor of the Silent Circle – Heartlands

Erian’s face was unreadable—stone beneath the starlight of Ophelia's words.

He remained still as Ophelia spoke, allowing her words to settle like dust before brushing them away with quiet authority.

“No permission was given,” he said simply.
“But it wasn’t needed. The circle was drawn. The challenge accepted. The boy stepped into it willingly.”

He kept his voice carefully steady, unwavering towards any bias.

“The duel would have resolved itself if not for escalation. When that changed, I acted to the best interests of Towerline and Safeld law.”

He glanced toward Ophelia—not in accusation, but acknowledgment.

"I’ve not passed judgment. I intend to listen to both parties before I do. But if you’re asking me to pre-write the ending to satisfy rumor—no.”

He turned slightly to Kaelith now, but kept his posture neutral.

“Speak, Kaelith. If this is to be weighed, let it be weighed with full truth.”

✠ Kaelith ✠
Voice of the Hollow Star – Arakhan

Kaelith did not look up at first.

The sickness was fading, the suppression lifted. His etchings returned with life, with color and light. Shame remained—a deeper wound than any heat could cauterize. He spoke low, the gravel of his voice flattened by exhaustion.

“I did not seek a fight. I warned the boy. He crossed the flame with full knowledge.”

He lifted his head, just enough to meet Erian’s gaze.

“I would have ended it with one strike. But the boy is fast.”

He turned his eyes, slowly, to Ophelia.

“I do not ask for sympathy. Nor forgiveness, I yield to Lautrec's justice.”

He exhaled. Steam rose faintly from his skin where his blood had dried.

⛨ Sasha Vopiscus ⛨
Breaker of Shields – Bodnar

Sasha’s voice cut across the silence like steel across bone.

“There is more to it than that.”

She approached, rising from her protective stance over Tel and folder her arms beneath her busom. Her tone was iron.

“The boy was reckless. He baited Kaelith with every breath. Mocked him. Postured. I saw it. We all did.”

Her gaze flicked toward Erian and Ophelia, but her expression didn’t soften.

“But Kaelith allowed it. He rose to it. He turned a lesson into a spectacle. And the plaza paid for it.”

She let the words hang, heavy and honest.

“He set the boundary, yes, but he let it go too far. We can’t pretend that doesn’t matter.”

She turned slightly toward Kaelith, scowling before glancing back at the Sky-Sent boy she was watching over.

Braze Tel Ahren Reina Daival Laphisto Iandre Athlea

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Concordia
Tags: The Council of Five
Lightsaber - Pequod
Leg - Anchor


Reina was quiet as she watched the discussion happening. There were plenty of valid points being thrown about, and there was a large part of her that thought it would be best if she didn't speak. This wasn't her culture, she didn't understand how things worked on this planet. There was plenty of things she shouldn't get involved it...Yet there was a smaller part of her that wanted her to speak out. She couldn't help Serina, but perhaps she'd be able to help the Cholrekin. In another life, she might have been one of them after all, and so hesitantly, she cleared her throat in an attempt to speak up.

"Would you prefer him to have disgraced his people? From what I've been told, they're...quite hot-blooded. I'm sure it wouldn't be very inspiring to have the representative of their kin to not respond to mockery. Especially in the view of strangers."

She carefully waved her hand in the direction of Tel before waving it back over to her. What was she doing? Words weren't her strong suit. If anything, she was a fighter. Which is why she also understood why someone wouldn't be able not to bite. She had training for it, the Jedi were helping her with that, but there were plenty of times she'd have cracked a few heads over some silly little teasing.

"It seems to me, that he'd be judged no matter what he did. If he held back, his people would see him as a mockery. If he showed his full strength, he'd then be judged by you...In fact, I feel like some of you might judge him no matter his choice."

There was no need for her to look in the direction of who she was implying. Maybe she should back down...but at the same time, it helped to have someone have your back. And so she stood her ground, folding her arms along her front.

"I was told that true change can only come from within. Whilst that may be true, I'd also say that the inability to change can also come from outside. From people who believe you can't change. If a punishment must be given out, then so be it. However, I think the full story should be collected before blame is fully assigned."

With that, her eyes finally settled on Ophelia, the Speaker of Starlight, narrowing for a moment. It was clear to Reina that the woman had already came to a decision without finding out the facts and that was something that infuriated the Padawan, as she flexed her fingers out for a moment, before letting out an exhale of breath, taking her gaze away

"Deeming someone guilty based off their past does not give them a chance to grow or change. If that's the story you want the "Sky-Sent" to talk about, that you don't believe in allowing for someone to make up for their mistakes, then so be it. I, for one will tell stories about how the Cholerkin do not stand for mockery and are capable combatants.""​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: The Council of Five

​

Had they done something wrong? They were certainly talking like something had gone awry. Oh... so his name was Kaelith? Braze glanced at the man with a confused quirk of his brow, noting how he seemed to recover as the staff's suppression effect waned. Braze's green eyes shifted back to the object that caused it, and he decided he didn't like that thing.

He hadn't had much of a chance to speak up as others started voicing their opinions. At least he could agree with Reina Daival .

Drawing a heavy breath, he felt the adrenaline still churning through him, his body growing sick from not putting it to good use.

"Kaelith is it then?" Braze called, turning his gaze to his would-be opponent. "Did we do something wrong?"

 

[The Council of Five]

❖ Hisaki Godo ❖
Whisper of the Verdant Memory – Ferran

Shan

The stew had begun to steam, its aroma weaving through the grove like a mouthwatering charm.

Hisaki poured a ladleful into a wooden bowl and set it before Shan without a word. Then another. And another. Each offered with the quiet finality of a mother who had already made peace with your protests in advance.

“Eat,” she said softly, “or I will have the maidens sing until you do.”

A smile ghosted across her lips—not teasing, exactly, but amused in a very Wyrdkin matriarch sort of way. The kind that the other elders knew precisely what was behind it.

She took her seat again, pipe stem nestled in one corner of her mouth, the scent of root and melanchite curling between her words.

“I once heard a Anchor describe humility as a shield,” she mused. “But I think in your case, it’s more like Bodnari armor. A bit too heavy.”

She nudged his bowl slightly forward with her knuckles, gentler now. Then, quieter, with the kind of knowing warmth that made it hard to lie to her:

“But you’ve done well. You’ve seen much and yet still want to be kind. That’s rarer than most will admit.”

A rustle of laughter passed through the grove—children chasing fireflies, elders refilling cups, songs starting again like roots winding around old stones.

"There will always be storms, Shan. But not every cloud in the sky is a warning. Some are waiting to part.”

She paused. Her pipe crackled softly.

“Eat. Let your shadows sit a while. They’ll still be there when you’re ready.”

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto shook his head and cleared his throat once more missing towards Iandra and thanks for her help in keeping him upright and not letting him make a fool of himself " im quite alright don't worry about me" Laphisto wasn't exactly keen on telling strangers exactly what was wrong with him. So far the only people who knew of what was affecting him was Diarch Reign , Diarch Rellik , Zinayn and Iandre Athlea . " I assure you it's no vision or anything of the sorts about your people. I am still recovering from an incident that had happened some time ago."

Laphisto nodded towards The Council of Five [erian] before retrieving the magazine's from Iandre pushing the single bullet back into the mag it was ejected from, sliding both the power cell and the mag back into the pistol and racking the slide before placing it back into its holster.
" We will meet you back here at dusk then when the time for true negotiations is ripe"

Laphisto was moving to turn away from Matthew of Valendale motioning for Iandra to follow him " come let's help Tarian and the men offload the rest of those supplies. And then we can mi-" his voice was caught off guard when he turned to look over spotting Braze with a small frown rolling over his face speaking only low enough that only he and those around him could hear" by the gods braze what have you gotten yourself into now"

Shaking his head with a small rumble he crossed his arms over his chest looking towards Iandra and then turning back towards the gathered. Group " tell me Iandra what do you see. What have you learned this far." Laphistos arms crossed over his chest and he just watched the ensuing scuffle

 

[Tel Ahren]

"Ah—"

Tel hadn't considered 'nearly being smothered' as one of the events he was likely to partake in that day, but when the giant woman leaped over him to keep him from getting harmed, it had come close. He hadn't even had a moment to respond to her asking why he hadn't eaten yet before her attention was pulled aside, back towards the fight that had just ended.

He stood, stepping out from behind her to look at the now-extinguished circle, and the ones that stood within.

Perhaps he should have known. That feeling that he was being watched...the Jedi from Tython, that had hosted the class with the puzzle boxes, who had kept sending such unsettling stares his way. Maybe he'd come to do just that again and gotten called out in the middle of it.

"I know this Knight," he said, interjecting after Sasha had finished speaking. "Not as well as some others, but we've met." Of course, unlike Sasha, he hadn't really noticed any of the budding altercation until the fires had started blazing. Still, if he'd been baiting Kaelith, and both had risen to some provocation of the other's...

At least Reina was injecting a bit of not-culturally-charged reason into things. The Echani knight seemed almost entirely unperturbed...and for once, it was Tel giving him a stare.

"Just what led to this, anyways? Somehow, I don't think 'goading each other' quite covers it."

 

[The Council of Five]

✠ Kaelith ✠
Voice of the Hollow Star – Arakhan

Braze Reina Daival Tel Ahren

Kaelith’s eyes rose slowly to meet Braze’s—no longer bloodlit, no longer burning, but still hazy. The fire had drained from him, but something else remained: conviction.

“Wrong? No. You were simply being what the stars have made you.”

He pushed to his feet, movements slow but deliberate, the blackened lines of his blood-etchings still pulsing faintly under cooling skin.

“You stepped into the fire because no one told you the cost. I answered because no one else would pay it on our behalf.”

He looked past Braze now, to Reina, to Tel, to the gathered onlookers beyond.

“There are many who will remember only what they saw." He said softly to Braze. "The molten blood. The Flames. And they will say: of course it was the Cholerkin.”

He gestured to the ring of scorched stone around him.

“Let them. Let them write their stories.”

Then, to the Council—his gaze brushing past Erian, Sasha, then finally Ophelia:

“I am not afraid to be remembered as a fire. So long as my people are no longer treated as smoke.”

His voice did not waver, though the strain in his legs made him tremble.

“If someone must still carry the shame of our name so the rest of Arakhan may walk without being stared at like beasts then let it be me. How many of us must be villified before we are forgiven? Ulfang's regime is gone, yet Isidoro is named Kinslayer and rejected from the Heartl—"

Kaelith cut himself off, his blood was quick to return to heat, choleric nature easy to rise. He clenched his mouth shut and breathed through his nose.

"I, too, am only what the stars have made me." He spoke in defiance of his own emotion. A near whisper. “I yield to whatever justice this council deems worthy.”

The wounds of the past were still fresh. He would carry the weight of his ancestors, as all of them must while confined to a land burdened with history.

☼ Ophelia Englehardt ☼
Speaker of Starlight – Doriah

For a long moment, Ophelia said nothing.

Her eyes remained fixed on Kaelith. A reassessment.

Then she turned, just slightly, toward Reina and Tel. Toward Braze Toward the gathering of all who had heard and spoken.

“Testimony has been given.”

Her voice, as always, was clean and ceremonial—but now it carried a gentler inflection beneath its blade.

“And it would be unwise to ignore wisdom of the Sky-Sent simply because it comes from one so young.”

She paused, her gaze flicking back to Kaelith.

“Voice of Arakhan. Your fire has scorched the plaza, but I see now it was not for vanity.”

She looked to Erian.

“I defer the judgement of Doriah to the Anchor of the Silent Circle, as law permits.”

 

[The Council of Five]

⛨ Sasha Vopiscus ⛨
Breaker of Shields – Bodnar

Tel Ahren Braze Reina Daival

Sasha turned her head at the sound of Tel’s voice, brow lifting faintly. Her posture eased just enough to show appreciation.

“Good eye, lad. You’re not wrong—things don’t start this loud unless someone lit the kindling first.”

Her attention shifted toward Braze now, arms still folded, voice steady but firm.

“You’ve got the floor, boy. If there’s something we missed—now’s the time to speak it plain.”

Then, to Erian, a slow nod of deference. Whatever fire she had brought to Kaelith’s defense now cooled into steel.

“The judgment of Bodnar rests with the Anchor. And I’ll abide by what the Tower decides.”

She stepped back from the circle, her gaze unreadable.

 

[Shan]

Tag: The Council of Five

"...You know threatening me with listening to some beautiful melodies isn't as effective at making me eat as you might think."

Shan grinned for a moment. In his eyes, he'd happily listen to the Maidens sing. Music was nice at the end of the day. Though in all seriousness, he made sure to eat. They had put work into this meal, and it would be far too disrespectful of him to pass up on the meal as he ate, bit by bit.

"If you think my humility is bad now, you should have seen how I used to be. Refused to use the titles I had earned. It took a fellow Jedi and Doctor to convince me that I should take pride in my achievements. Even now though, it feels wrong. There are those who treat their titles as a badge of honour...whereas to me, it is my job."

It was his role. Yes, he enjoyed being a Doctor and he enjoyed being a Jedi, but that didn't make him better than those who weren't. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses. That didn't make them better or worse than anyone esle.

"...The Moon I was raised on is one of the most crime-filled celestial bodies in the Galaxy. It's hard to get a living, especially if you're kind. My father tried to teach me that, but I'd never listen to him. I went out, day after day into the streets to help the victims of gang related attacks. And then day after day, I'd come back bloody and bruised myself."

He continued to eat, as he talked. His eyes focused on the bowl, even though it was as if he was looking through it. Focused on something in the distance that only he could see.

"Even then, Kindness still ruled my hand. Then I joined the Jedi. Where in my first mission, I tried to help a person created from the Sith. Even as other Jedi wanted to kill them. Even as those other Jedi wanted to kill me. Yet Kindness still ruled my hand...But the Galaxy doesn't always reward kindness. The Gangs of Nar Shaddaa wanted revenge on me, for treating their victims...Yet when they couldn't find me at home, they took my Mother. And when I found out from my father, he tried to kill me. My kindness made me lose my family."

And for a moment, the Mirialan stopped eating, placing the bowl down on the table as he turned his gaze to the skies, his eyes steadied on the clouds above them, his face void of any expression.

"...Yet Kindness still rules my hand."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: The Council of Five

​

Braze sighed. He was having fun just a few moments a go indulging in an age old practice he often longed for and now he was staring down people who seemed upset and demanded answers.

Braze would have frowned if he could. "Everyone's acting like we did something wrong, but no one's saying what it actually was," he said, his gaze shifting to those commanding the plaza's attention. "Can someone just spell it out plainly? What exactly is the fault, crime, or wrongdoing here?"


His green eyes swept over the gathered faces. "Are you upset about the floor? The potential danger to others? Please, just say why you chose to interrupt.

For my people, a duel isn't just a fight. It's a conversation of the soul. To interrupt that.... is to sever a line of communication, to deny both combatants the chance to fully express themselves. It is beyond disrespectful; it's a profound insult. That kind of interruption would be seen as a direct affront to both warriors' strength and honor, implying they're incapable of resolving their conflict without outside interference. On top of that it is a breach of decorum. It is a blatant disregard for the sacred space that a duel creates, where both skill and integrity are put to the test.

When two people are in a duel, it's not just about winning or losing. It's about being heard, being understood, and showing respect. By interrupting, you deny all of that. So, if there was a fault or crime committed here — something this man and I did wrong by engaging in this duel — then state it plainly. Otherwise, what reason was there to trample over our chance to resolve things honorably?

I need to understand the perspective and context of the perceived wrongdoing before I can offer any explanation. Without that clarification, I can't defend my actions — or even begin to understand what exactly is being accused. If the fault lies in the duel itself, then say so. If it's in how or where we fought, then make that clear. But until I know what the actual grievance is, I can't respond appropriately."

 

[The Council of Five]

⚖ Erian Talgrave ⚖
Anchor of the Silent Circle – Heartlands

Braze Reina Daival Tel Ahren

“So be it.”

He planted the butt of his phlegmite spear gently against the scorched floor.

“Under Towerline Law—section twelve, line four—no duel, regardless of tradition, may proceed within one hundred paces of the Tower’s Pylons unless it has been formally registered and witnessed by a Voice of the Circle. This is not merely decorum. It is protection.”

“The Pylons are conduits of the World-Heart’s own humours. Harm done here lingers. Violence near them is more than physical—it scars the humours that sustain our lands and our stability.”

“Neither you nor Kaelith sought formal sanction. No registry. No witness. No buffer of consent. That is the violation.”

“You speak of duels as sacred expressions of the soul for your people. I believe you. But here, the soul of the world is older and more important than either of us. And we must not grant exceptions.”

Erian’s voice was still, but it no longer carried the softness of empathy. It was the voice of law now—measured, final, and undeniable.

"Testimony has been heard. Witnesses have spoken. The Tower remains phlegmatic, but it bears the mark of what took place here—as do we all.”

“You, young man, will not be condemned, as you did not draw the circle, did not strike first, and are a guest on our world. Regardless, your choices come with consequence.”

Erian’s voice was still, but it no longer carried the softness of empathy. It was the voice of law now: measured, final, and undeniable.

"Testimony has been heard. Witnesses have spoken. The Tower bears the mark of what took place here.”

His eyes settled on Kaelith—not with malice, but with the weight of duty. He did not enjoy this.

“Voice of Arakhan. You claim to carry your people’s burden. And now, you shall carry it with consequence. This Council cannot afford favorites. Not for bloodlines. Not for history. Not even for penance.”

He raised his phlegmite spear—not in threat, but in declaration.

“You are hereby removed from the Council of Five, effective immediately. Not in disgrace, but in penance. A sitter of the Council cannot afford to be goaded to violence. It is a seat of unity. And until you can wield your passion without letting it burn through our foundation, you will not sit among us.”

“You will return to Arakhan as its Voice Emeritus: a title of respect, but not of governance. You may speak for your people, but you will no longer shape policy for all Condoriah.”

A breath. Cold. Necessary.

“You will assist the Towerline masons in repairing the plaza as acknowledgment of the damage done.”

He spoke louder, to the crowd and to the Cholerkin present.

“Let Arakhan know: its strength is honored. But its strength is not above Tower law.”

Erian returned to facing those gathered.

“We are not here to preserve tradition for tradition’s sake. We are here to build something new. And that means we all—all—must be held to the same measure.”

He paused one last time, gaze returning to Kaelith.

“You are not cast out, but we no longer will answer for the flame within you.”

The spear lowered. Erian took a breath. This ruling was recorded, it would be remembered. It was precedent.

This very same precedent would cut both ways—It felt like betrayal to declare now, but this judgement would be cited in any case where Cholerkin were treated as lesser, that kin and culture did not allow for exception with the law, even when Sky-Sent were involved. He would see to it personally, but for now he must be firm.

"Arakhan will have a month to nominate delegates for approval from the council as the voice of the Hollow Star, as the law permits."

“The Circle has spoken.”

 

[Tel Ahren]

Tel glanced back and forth, from Braze, to Kaelith, to Erian, to Sasha...a growing disquiet in his soul as he heard the proclamation that Erian delivered. So be it that Kaelith may accept the judgement without issue, at least for now, but given all the talk about not showing exceptions, one was granted all the same. For reasoning that—if these cultures seemed as honour-driven as they might be—felt flimsy to his ears, if not entirely spurious. Beyond that, if it was a council of five...

"Ah, Sasha, a moment, if you would?" he started quietly, stepping back a ways and giving the faintest brushing tug of the cape that hung from her armoured shoulders. Once they'd made some nominal show of separating themselves from the others, he carried on, just quietly enough that—he hoped—his voice wouldn't carry. "I understand that this isn't my place to speak up and start arguing with it—and that the two of you both deferred to his judgement, and that Kaelith there doesn't really have much of a say in his own sentencing—but doesn't this feel hasty?"

He gestured once, to himself. "We only just got here, sure, so we don't know how things work for all of you—but at risk of throwing Braze under the hoverbus, we all know that we need to be careful interacting with things we don't know, whatever our own proclivities may be. And I don't know if you all have a quorum rule or not, but aren't you missing one? I only count four here, and I can't quite see 'if the last one chose not to come that meant they agreed to defer their judgement' as a good argument."

He paused, debating whether to follow-up with his last thought, and then set his jaw and pushed ahead anyways:

"Also, sure, it wasn't registered—but you heard it from the beginning, didn't you say that? So one of this council was a witness that chose to let it play out, no?"

The Council of Five

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Concordia
Tags: The Council of Five
Lightsaber - Pequod
Leg - Anchor


If looks could kill, Reina most definitely would have became a murderer today, Her eyes glaring at the members of the Circle present. Her words had been pointless, but at the very least this result had a silver lining for her. Kaelith had lost his position even though he had been baited into the fight. Whereas Braze had gotten off relatively scott-free. It wasn't that she wanted her fellow Jedi to be punished, far from it. Instead she wanted equal punishment for both sides. Yet it appeared it wouldn't be so, as the woman clenched her fists, digging her nails into the palms of her hands as she tried to calm herself. To steady her thoughts.

Why? Why did she care about a stranger so much? A people she didn't even know. Because they reminded her of herself? The part of her that she wanted to bury away and forget about? The anger, the rage and the fury that she was trying to gain control over. Reina closed her eyes to try and quell the fire that wanted to spread into an inferno as her nails drew blood. Breathe. This was the problem with "The Law". It supported those who could control themselves. Those who didn't have to worry about their nature. In a way, the battle wound she carried was because of "The Law" being seen as the correct choice of action.

With an exasperated sigh, Reina stormed back towards the seat she had taken earlier, each step stomping against the ground beneath her as she raised her prosthesis leg up for a moment, the pneumatics starting to trigger as she prepared to take her frustration out on the wall...before she let her foot fall back down to the ground. Destruction wasn't the solution. Reina didn't want to be someone who destroyed. Someone who solved things through violence. Even if all the fancy words did was to further infuriate her.

The Circle has spoken. And it's a karking idiotic decision.

She had to calm herself. To relax. But it was damned near impossible for her as she wiped the bleeding palms of her hands against her legs, to try and clean them up.

Why did you even open your mouth? Should have just stayed quiet. You know your voice isn't important. You aren't important. You can't change things. Fate and destiny are set,

This wasn't the planet for Reina. She didn't belong here. She felt like she'd be a problem. They wouldn't allow for someone who's frustrations got the better of them to be on this council, but they'd allow for people with clear biases to sit on it. It was a faulty wheel. And any faulty wheel in Reina's eyes should be broken.​

 

[Iandre Athlea]

When Erian spoke to her personally, Iandre seemed to stand up taller under his inspection. She kept her silence, though, as he quickly turned his attention to her master. She wasn't worried as he spoke of being unable to decide alone. Simply nodding when he said they should sit down later, she felt she would be talking then. Watching as he walked away, she stayed next to Laphisto and Matthew.

Suddenly, things went quiet around the plaza. A circle of flame was placed on the ground, and it appeared as if a challenge for a duel had just happened between an older and younger man. Iandre didn't know what caused this, but she could make an educated guess that the boy had done something wrong.

Almost as if she had lost physical control of her body, the Padawan took a few steps toward the flames. Part of her wanted to watch, and another part wanted to turn away and avoid the violence to come. The observant side won. She would see the action through to its end.

Standing with Laphisto, she appreciated the boy's fighting stance and felt like she needed to learn it as well. The precision strike with his hands reminded her of her strikes with a lightsaber. It didn't faze the man, though, and he moved with liquid grace to try to grapple with Braze. He was quicker than Kaelith had expected, and he was able to twist his way out of a burning attack. Even still, the man pressed his presence in on Braze.

Once Braze's fire was extinguished, she sensed he was serious about the duel. That didn't last very long, and Erian stepped in to halt the proceedings. She kept her eyes on the two combatants and noticed the man seemed to falter. Braze did something unexpected and held out his hand to offer Kaelith assistance.

"Who is he?"

They were not close enough for Iandre to hear the muted conversation, but there was now a fourth person involved. Make that a handful now. Innocence radiated off Braze, and she heard him break his silence. She remained by Laphisto and turned to look at him when he found his voice.

"You're welcome."

She handed him the components of his gun back, but did not provide any additional information about what caused the lapse. Feeling his surprise, she figured out who the boy was and what his name was as well.

"I have learned to keep silent, be observant, and not stick my neck out."

The conversation in the plaza was ending, and Erian started speaking loud enough for all to hear. A judgment was passed, and she could tell the older man was being punished for the duel, not because it happened, but because of its location. She was thankful to be so stoic and controlled. There was no way she would ever do something so stupid as Braze had just done.

Braze Laphisto Matthew of Valendale The Council of Five

 

[The Council of Five]

⛨ Sasha Vopiscus ⛨
Breaker of Shields – Bodnar

Tel Ahren

Tel’s tug did not go unnoticed. Sasha followed, allowing him the dignity of privacy—but only just. Her broad shoulders cast a shadow that turned the conversation into a moment outside the crowd’s gaze.

She listened without interruption. No scoff. No eye-roll. Just quiet scrutiny—like weighing a blade before battle.

Then:

“You're not wrong.”
Her voice was low, blunt. “It was hasty. It was necessary. Both can be true.”

She glanced back at the plaza.

“Kaelith made a show of it. Braze baited him. One rose, the other bit. If this were Bodnar, I’d call it even. Let the scars tell the story. But this is the Heartlands. The laws here have purpose, Tower watches every one of us.”

A pause.

“And yes. Hisaki is still missing. We’re not whole. But we’re not helpless either.”

She shifted slightly, her tone softening just a shade.

“If Kaelith had walked away without consequence, the world would have seen it as the Council shielding its own - particularly by Concordians and Solarborn who's lands were razed by Arakhan. If the other boy had been punished, they’d say we fear the Sky-Sent, disrespected the stars, or that we are offending the gods.”

She exhaled through her nose. “Balance is ugly, Tel. That’s why I leave it to the Anchor.”

She turned toward him again. "None of us were raised for this. We're just... The ones that lived, I suppose."

 

[The Council of Five]

✠ Kaelith ✠
Voice of Nothing

Braze Tel Ahren Reina Daival

​

Kaelith stood at last. His limbs still bore the slow shudder of withdrawal, but his breath had steadied, and his eyes burned again.

He turned not to Erian first, nor to the crowd.

He looked to the girl that clenched her fists so hard they bled. To his opponent, and the one he spied upon.

His voice was quiet, still raw.
“There is a kind of mercy in this.”

He turned to face the others.

“To remain on this Council… to speak for Arakhan while its name is whispered with suspicion… would be to wear a mask.” He glanced to Ophelia, to Sasha, “To hold a title, and yet never be trusted to shape what comes next. If indeed I ever was.”

He exhaled once. Letting the building choler go, cooling his blood. The breath of a man setting something down.

“I will not wear that name.” His voice sharpened slightly. “Voice Emeritus is a chain made of flowers. Honor in name, but not in purpose. A place of comfort, not one of burden.”

He looked to Erian directly.

“I do not resent you, Anchor of the Silent Circle, but I will not haunt the Tower as a ghost of Arakhan’s past.”

He stepped back to the burned circle and turned to the crowd—not with grandeur, but with a sudden realization, a sense of purpose.

Pieces of prophecy, history, clicked into place. Futures spoken by the Solarborn and grief of the Mireborn, memories of the Wyrdkin and sins of the Cholerkin. He looked at the tower, the city, the fertile farmland beyond. This was his purpose. What he was raised for. What his people had been preparing for without realizing it.

“I reject the position. I step away, not from my people. Never from them. But from this role.”

He gestured to the stars overhead, dimming now as the night clouds gathered. He may be fully grown, but the tower guided him into a new, much more grand rite of Adolescence.

“The heavens have opened. Condoriah has been seen. Judged. And will be judged again. If the other kin are to be understood beyond our firmament then someone must walk among them.”

A quiet settled across the plaza.

“I go to learn what others fear. To carry the names of those whose tongues have gone unheard.”
His gaze flicked once toward Reina, almost imperceptibly. “To see if anger is all we are… or if the stars offer us another shape.”

A final breath.

“Let Arakhan name another. I will not return for a chair.”

Then, with no further ceremony, Kaelith began to walk—no flames, no blood, no fanfare. Just a warrior turned outward, eyes fixed upon the skies.

 

[Tel Ahren]

Tel tilted his head at that last statement.

"Really, I think that's just the way of things everywhere..."

But that was beside the point. They'd have some trouble getting the rest of the planet to remember them as nothing more than people if things like this were given the chance to continue. As much as they might want to nip anything in the bud for their potential internal issues, then the same should be done externally. "Mmm. If anybody wants a Jedi's take on things, balance is everybody's responsibility. Internal and external." Things that couldn't just be left to others, no matter how ugly the decision might be to make.

He glanced back at the rest, over at where Reina had stalked off to in her obvious displeasure at the entire situation. Braze, still present within the midst of it all. Kaelith himself, giving a quiet—yet still clearly impassioned—rebuttal before taking his leave. Bloody hell, Shan should be here, not off in that grove getting wooed by everybody that finds him interesting...

He had no way of knowing that was what was happening, but he also doubted that Sasha was the type to lie about what she'd said. "Forgive me for this—obviously there's a lot for us all to learn about each other." He turned back, walking back to the scorched ground where Kaelith had opened the duel, and faced Erian squarely, sparing a nod to Ophelia next to him. He'd heard Kaelith's reply to them all, which left him with some other ideas on how to pursue the puzzle in front of him.

Sometimes there was no solution to be found, and it was important to recognize that—but, whether that was the case here or not, there was value in continuing to search for one, and as far as Tel saw it the problem wasn't yet resolved.

"Moments ago, you mentioned something about the wisdom of the Sky-Sent, yes?" he asked rhetorically, his pale eyes glancing at Ophelia. "I won't pretend to know your laws, or why they are what they are. I don't even know if you're usually this approachable to your own, like our Council is to us, or if this is a special occasion in that sense as well and that's why you're willing to listen to us at all—but seeing as one of our own was one of the two who did this, and given the conversations we've been having around it all, is there a way for any of us to register a formal protest of the Council's decision?"

Unlike the informal protest Reina's storming off had delivered, that was probably already painfully obvious to everybody looking on.

"Failing that, could an alternative be proposed, if he was truly to be Voice Emeritus rather than completely expelled...?"

The Council of Five Braze Reina Daival

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto nodded toward Iandre Athlea , shaking his head softly with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the scenario play out before them. "This is what the Jedi Order has become, reckless and too full of themselves. There is no caution anymore." He paused for a moment before letting his arms fall to his sides and began to move, motioning for her to follow him. "This could be a good lesson on how to deescalate. Follow me."

As he strode toward the council, Laphisto perked his ear upright, listening to the counterarguments among the other Sky Sent and council members. As he passed by Braze , he mumbled under his breath, "Follow my lead. I have a plan to deescalate things." Raising his hand upwards as if to get the attention of those nearby though his seven-foot-eight stature was more than enough a small sigh escaping his lips as he called out, "Council members, I beseech you, a word please before any final decision is given, or if anything, a final argument."

As he approached the council members Erian and Ophelia, he spoke low, quiet enough that only they and those extremely close could hear him. "I beg of you to change your decision. Your planet needs unity among yourselves more than anything right now. I will tell it to you straight as I have from the beginning your people are not ready for the galactic front. But it doesn't matter now. What matters is that you learn to adapt and survive."

He paused, letting his gaze shift between the two, then looked toward the red-skinned woman whose name he had not caught. "I recognize a catalyst for civil war when I see one. I do not know what the Cholerkin have done in the past, but there are those in this galaxy who will take the transgressions they feel are being held against them and use them to fuel a fire of war. They will divide you based on your differences, both cultural and spiritual, and they will turn you all against each other. I know this because it is a common military tactic when trying to usurp a government force find those with disdain, those disillusioned, those that feel forgotten or worthless. Feed that fire and you have an army to turn against whomever you wish."

Laphisto glanced back toward Kaelith, then returned his focus to Erian and Ophelia. "Your people need to stand together if you want to survive in this galaxy. There is no room for Cholerkin, no room for Solarborn, nor Concordians, or whatever other peoples exist here. There is only Condorans. And so I beseech you, punish the outsiders with equal severity or more than your own. Division among yourselves will lead to ruin."

With that, he took a step back, looking over at Braze and giving a small nod their way before raising his voice for all to hear. Turning his gaze to Tel Ahren , he continued, "The Jedi is right. We do not know your ways, and you do not know ours. But our ways do not matter on your world, where your traditions and your laws reign supreme. Now, I do not know much about the Echani, but I have heard rumors that they are similar to a species that wanders the galaxy called Zeltrons. This species emits pheromones that resonate with happiness, joy, and other emotions of that category. I have heard rumors that the Echani emit similar pheromones that instead initiate a fight response in those who inhale it. It is quite possible that Kaelith is under, or was under, the effect of these pheromones and therefore not in full control of his emotions or actions."

Laphisto extended a hand out toward Braze with a raised brow. "Would you care to enlighten us about these pheromones?" He had placed the ball in Braze's court to try and fix the situation, to lie to these people and prevent a possible civil war, or to stand firm on ego.