Haven't you got eyes in your head?

[Aleidis Zrgaat]

Jedi Temple, Coruscant - 9:15AM

It'd been awhile.

Aleidis took a deep, bracing breath of Coruscant's carefully recycled air, tasting the faint, lingering sweetness of the filters and the underlying, tired flavor of speeder exhaust from the countless personal and commercial crafts overhead. She'd grown up under this canopy as much as she had the trees of Datar, and there'd always be a sort of comfort to be had by walking under it. Already, she mentally blocked out the eternal whine of so many engines going about so many endless errands.

Under that sound? The clacking of practice sabers and chanting of student mantras. Thousands of sandaled feet on miles of semi-reflective beige tiles. The Jedi temple loomed over her, as stern and eternal as anything in the Galaxy. Aleidis had grown up within it's depths, met the love of her life, and had been given the tools to a confidence and self-assured mentality that she wouldn't have ever gotten on Datar. She'd met her very best friends and, more importantly, shouldered a profound responsibility. Ben Watts, the former Grandmaster had asked her to take command of the Republic, and she had. Boolon Murr had asked her to help him take up the mantle of Galactic peace, and she had. Nobody had ever asked her to be responsible for the Jedi Order, and yet here she was.

Here she was, fresh off of a speeder cab, effectively invisible to all Force sense and most cameras. A half-entity, a whisper and suggestion of a person. A ghost. Not for long, though.

Aleidis Ijet wasn't sure what awaited her once she crossed the threshold into the place that'd been her home for most of her life. Her intent was to have a chat with the powers that be, sure, but life had a way of spitting on your plans, and Aleidis knew that quite well. That said, she wouldn't give them an undue reason to be afraid - she hadn't even brought a saber. She hadn't brought her satchel of so many useful items. She'd come only in the clothes on her back and enough credits for a ride to and from the starport. And most importantly of all, she'd come alone. Codi hadn't been happy about that, but there was a way of going about this; Alei's intuition told her that for good or ill, this was how it had to be done.

And so she walked calmly across the plaza, up the stairs to the Jedi temple, and knocked politely on the door. Rather, she rung the bell reserved for guests and visitors, dropping her illusions all at once. No concealing her force presence, no hiding herself from cameras or droids. Look, ma - nothing up my sleeves, either. Not that a simple white tunic had much sleeve to hide things up, or that her trousers would accommodate many trump cards even if she'd thought to bring them.

 

[Valx Raizod]

Valx Raizod stepped from his dormitory after having meditated. He walked out onto the mezzanine and looked out the windows, of course he couldn't see much, but his Force training had granted him the ability to make out more distinctions, and see farther. His blindness had made him realize how much he took for granted. The massive skyways that dominated Coruscant's cityscape were silhouetted against the buildings and sun. This was what he "saw" everyday. The massive skyscrapers, the huge Senate building, the slums... It all was routine for him.

The padawan walked down the steps and into the main entrance, where he saw a group of younglings, presumably coming back from their Gathering, each holding a shiny new lightsaber. This brought a smile to his face as he felt the hilts of his guard shotos. He remembered when he was younger, how excited he was to build his own lightsaber. How he never had to worry about conflicts in the galaxy...things were so much simpler back then.

Valx heard a bell ring, and he opened the door. His white cloak shone brightly against the light. He felt an extreme sense of power waft through. Not a...darkness per se, but something else. He could sense it was someone powerful, and so out of respect, he bowed, "Master? I have not seen you around here before." His pale eyes stared blankly at the person.

@[member="Aleidis Ijet"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

The Jedi Master let out an exhale as he finished his meditation. Things had finally begun to quiet down after the war with the Fringe had ended. Finally, a bit of time without war, without constant battle, without war politics, without something breathing down his neck. It was comforting, to say the least. Something he'd missed. Two back to back wars wasn't something he had wanted, but the one with the Sith was necessary after their attack on the Senate, and the shots from Emperor Lussk as well. The Fringe one... The blame went to TGE in his eyes. He had said it, dead into the face of Ashin that they would have loved to have had the GE's heads on a platter for causing all this, but they would put it aside for the sake of peace. Was a sacrifice they would gladly make to end this needless bloodshed.

What he hadn't expected was to sense something, just faint.... Something familiar, as Ijet lowered her illusions. His eyes opened. And due to his location he could hear a door get knocked on.

Was this another vision? He'd had visions, dreams, of the source of it for quite some time now... Out of worry, out of grief, out of a longing to know she was safe. Old feelings bubbled up for a moment, but he pushed them aside. That was something gone and by now, but considerations of the past aside, what was the source of the knocking, and why was he sensing this now?

He walked over and came behind Valx, and a breath escaped him as he looked down. No seriously, he had to look down because of the height difference between Joshua and Aleidis. He bit his lip, remembering seeing her fighting against the Republic on O'Reen. His heart sank as he remembered this, and even there she could see the look in his eyes, as if he was saying "I know what you did".

"Enza?"

That was all he could get out, with the whirlwind of emotions going through him. He knew in his heart that he missed her, wanted to see her again, but... Not like this.

@[member="Aleidis Ijet"]

 

[Aleidis Zrgaat]

@[member="Valx Raizod"] @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

First, Aleidis was greeted by a polite Padawan, who she greeted with a warm smile she knew he couldn't see. Which was fine - Aleidis was Light-aligned (and how!) and a Padawan could be mistaken for assuming that she was a Jedi in such a place as the Jedi temple. Her smile permeated into the deepest portions of her aura, a trick she'd picked up when dealing with Miralukans - a way of conveying warmth and cheer for a species that couldn't see a smile on a being's face. "That's because I'm not often here." She replied cheerfully, before she was greeted by the person she'd honestly expected to come running the moment she'd unveiled herself.

"Enzi." Aleidis greeted politely, as though she hadn't been through a couple layers of personal and impersonal hell since the last time they'd met for pizza and hologames. From the shadows on his face, she assumed he knew a bit about hells - which was fine. Expected. The Galaxy could be a hellish place.

Moreover, he was conflicted. Even if she didn't know his moods and expressions, she'd have been able to tell that. He didn't know why she was here, and her presence worried him. That was fine, too.

Aleidis put her hands on her hips, looked up at the blonde master, then frowned slightly. Her slightly pointed ears twitched in irritation. "...you've gotten taller. Who gave you permission?" The Ghostling complained idly, offering a wan smile along with the jibe - fully expecting him to break down into the closest things to tears he'd manage on duty at any moment. She wouldn't; purity of cause and focus had a way of clearing one's eyes as well. "I suppose I should use the formal titles, then..."

"Master Dragonsflame, I've come to speak with whatever passes as the Powers That Be, these days." Aleidis explained honestly. "I should hope that, given my former position, I will not be kept waiting long for this."

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He didn't cry. That would wait for another day. Instead, his lips twitched into the smallest of amused smiles. Her humor hadn't changed, at least. Despite his misgivings about her choices, she was still Aleidis to him.

"You haven't been here to deny it, sweetheart" he jibbed, sticking his tongue out at her just slightly. But he knew she wasn't here to jump into his arms and hug him after being gone for so long. He knew full well that she was here on business.

"Master Dragonsflame, I've come to speak with whatever passes as the Powers That Be, these days. I should hope that, given my former position, I will not be kept waiting long for this." she said. He nodded, he had honestly expected that. If there would come a day where they would be able to order pizza and cuddle on the couch under the blankets again, he didn't know, but that wasn't on his mind right that moment.

Ah, he thought his personal hells had ended when he had finally recuperated from the death, or disappearance, or... Whatever happened, it stopped being clear recently, of Saoirse. It had taken over a month, and even then he was still suffering from it. But the days of wallowing in agony and scaring the crap out of his fellow Jedi were over, today he had a clear mind. And he knew he would need one to deal with Aleidis, knowing her mental and illusionary prowess.

"I see" he said. "While the Grandmaster...."

He had to keep himself steady while mentioning the Grandmaster, as he remembered that Selena was the one who had caused all that had happened to Aleidis. And though he had tried to, albeit unsuccessfully, get on good terms with Halcyon, he still, albeit secretly, hadn't forgiven her for Contruum, or what she had caused Ijet. Perhaps that was why Aleidis was on O'Reen? He hadn't taken her for someone that would seek revenge, but people changed... She likely wasn't the pacifist girl he had known and loved for so long any longer.

"-Is not here at the moment, she's currently in unknown territory exploring something or other, leaving the Council in charge, I think I can grant you a meeting with whoever on the Council is in the Temple currently" he said formally, politely. It was time to get down to business.

"If I can't find anyone, then.. I guess meeting with you would fall to me" he said calmly. His conflict was gone, feelings gone, emotions gone. Business was business.

@[member="Aleidis Ijet"]

 

[Aleidis Zrgaat]

@[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

"See what you can do to muster the council, would you kindly?" Aleidis asked with a sun-shiny demeanor that was only maybe a farce. It was sometimes hard to tell with Aleidis - if she had tells, they weren't well-known, and she wasn't exactly handing out primers. "Not that I'm trying to go over your head, mind you! I'd be more than happy to say what I have to say to you, but you know how these things go. The more ears, the happier I'll be."

"Light knows I must love the sound of my own voice." The Ghostling chuckled idly, folding her arms. Once normal, the other an obvious, low-grade mechanical replacement. It seemed that 'pretending to be dead' and 'martyr' weren't the most lucrative of professions these days.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

A smile escaped him, as she spoke. He didn't trust her, as much as he hated not to, or her demeanor. Things had changed, he knew that. A part of him wished for the olden days between them, but another knew those days were likely over and done.

"I think that can be arranged" he said calmly as he took out his datapad. A simple signal to the Council that someone, that someone who's name he inserted into the message so the Council knew what they were getting into, wished for a meeting.

[@[member="Syn"], @[member="Carn Dista"], @[member="Kiskla Grayson"], @[member="Rianna Organa"], @[member="Daella Apparine"], @Iella E'ron, @[member="Phylis Alince"]]

After that, he put it away (Hah) and looked over at Aleidis.

"Would you like to come in, Enza?" he asked in probably the sweetest voice that he had used all day, that was only maybe a farce. Tit for tat. He opened the door a little more for her to come in. Not that he needed to, she could probably squeeze in quite easily, considering it was Aleidis, but courtesy was courtesy.

@[member="Aleidis Ijet"]

 

[Kira Talith]

Standing off to the side, just behind a pillar, Kira curiously and quietly ( yes for once!) observed the interaction between Master Dragonsflame and his guest. She probably shouldn't be listening in, however, they certainly weren't making an effort to disguise their conversation.

Theran Force listening would normally be the go to method of getting a clearer picture of their conversation, but Kira didn't need that for once. No, she simply had to observe their body movements to discern how things were progressing. Even the most subtle of movements, from a tick on the jaw or a twitch of a finger can give a wealth of information.

And this was a curious bit of information indeed. Master Dragonsflame was never one to truly be able to hid his emotions-- he was a rather passionate one -- and he expressed it not only in words, but in his body language as well. And one didn't have to listen in to notice that his pleasant demeanor was anything but a mask.

"Huh..." Kira said to herself, her blue eyes narrowing a bit.

"This will be interesting...."

 

[Serah Oricion]

Yusan had been on one of his visits to the temple, sitting at a bench a little ways into the temple from the door, though his eyes did lift from the datapad for long enough to glance at the Jedi by the door, he certainly recognized Dragonsflame and was sure that the second of which he had seen before but wasnt entirely sure. He was simply there on visit anyways, he was reading a file that had been cleared and due to his position he was restricted from any useful files so he would have to deal with what he was served, and for today it was a bit of history.

But his eyes were lifted again and again as the conversation far off went on, and while he could not hear them, or see the woman perfectly, he was sure that the stature of the Jedi master was certainly interesting. Something he found almost funny, but it was a Jedi so who knew what was actually normal about them, another positive thing about not being in the order, youre allowed to make a degree of sense. His eyes though were drawn to a nearby Jedi knight as she spoke though, speaking himself to her. "And that is what master Jedi?" @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] @[member="Aleidis Ijet"] @[member="Kira Liadain"]

 

[Soeht]

Daella would be attending the hearing and sitting in the fourth chair from the left while walking into the High Council Chamber. Though, she attended via hologram. She remained on Ossus.

Sitting upright, Daella's blue form remained sharp and at attention as she wore Jedi battle armor.

 

[Kira Talith]

Kira gave a glance at @[member="Yusan Fenn"] at her side, blonde brows rising up. She'd never met this particular person before, but then again, there were a whole bunch of new faces in the crowd since returning to the order from her mission.

"Life, kid." she said, meaning no disrespect to the man. She just used nicknames and to be frank, she didn't know who this was. Which she reminded by asking, "So, who are you?"

 

[Serah Oricion]

"Yusan Fenn, and you are?" He answered as his eyes returned to the datapad, though the moment she answered his eyes would dart in her direction without even moving his head, a reflex he learned from constant habit of just shifting his gaze instead of a body part. He wore the pair of glasses though so he was pretty much looking through at the frame rather than her. It wasnt meant as disrespect, but like her use of kid it was just a hard habit to shake. "And any reason you are standing behind a pillar? Looks like youre trying to watch someone or something." @[member="Kira Liadain"]

 

[Kira Talith]

Good thing she was wearing her heavy robes, because any Lorrdian within the area would have been able to catch the tell tale twitch of her body language that revealed a certain level of embarrassment.

Shuck, he caught me.

However, she gave no outward indication to her embarrassment other than replying with a cheeky grin, "Liadain. Kira Liadain. Jedi Knight." she answered @[member="Yusan Fenn"] with a faint grin, turning back towards her original focus of investigation.

"The pillar looked lonely," she tossed back with a lighthearted quip, "Just keeping it company." she joked.

"So Feen, why so engrossed in that datapad?"

 

[Serah Oricion]

"Its a historical account of the Galactic Civil War and subsqeuntly the founding of the New Republic, quite biased if i might add myself, it seems to make out every imperial to be a monster and im sure not everyone was as bad as their emperor, im sure there were a few that were no where near as devastating as this Tarkan." He grinned and turned his head slightly before looking at the Jedi alittle more, "And who is it that a fearless Jedi must hide from, a friend, master, or something more?" He let the grin remain on his face while he waited for an answer from the jedi, his eyesight flickering for a moment as it did a quick one over of the area before refocusing on the woman. @[member="Kira Liadain"]

 

[Rianna Organa]

Sometimes she thought what she needed to do was go off world there were more meeting each day, followed by more patients in the wards and Rianna paused for patience. She was a bit thin on time right now but she would attend.

The message from Joshua was not full of information, she would have to remind him to provide more. She made her way towards the Council Chambers from the Hall of Healers. She walked through the halls, stopping upon occasion to talk.

@[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Aleidis Zrgaat]

@[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] @[member="Daella Apparine"] @[member="Rianna Organa"]

"Thank you, Master Dragonslame." Aleidis chirped, allowing herself to be let into the building she'd grown up in.

Nostalgia was a bittersweet thing. Naturally, Aleidis didn't need Joshua to lead her to the council chambers. Once upon a time, she'd showed him where they were and they'd spent an afternoon slinking around the large room trying to evade the stern eyes of their superiors. Halcyon days. But their roles were different, now. Very different. The sanctity of this place fell on Josh's shoulders, and Aleidis had a duty larger than even the Jedi code.

As they entered the Council chambers, Aleidis couldn't help but glance around. She recognized Daella - an earnest woman, if bad at taking orders, they'd fought together once. The second, a stunning woman with sun-kissed skin and raven hair. Alei hadn't ever met this one before, but she wasn't scowling and posturing, so she must be alright. The warriors had a habit of letting everyone know how much they disdained these meetings, and Aleidis dryly noted the array of empty chairs around the room. That was fine. Three pairs of ears would be enough to start.

The Ghostling quietly waited for her escort to do the traditional - if boring - task of introducing her to the Council.

 

[Rianna Organa]

Rianna smiled as she passed Josh and his guest, Rianna opened herself to the force any skill that she had would come in useful in learning what this young woman, if this was indeed her was bringing to the council. She nodded towards Master Apparine and her bluish figure through the holo. Rianna then settled into her seat, rested her hands within her lap, and focused on the force to find out what was ahead.

@[member="Aleidis Ijet"] @[member="Daella Apparine"] @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Phylis Alince]

@[member="Aleidis Ijet"] @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] @[member="Daella Apparine"] @[member="Rianna Organa"]

"Aha! Yes, it must have been Praxis the Old who...no, no, no! He was already dead. Oh...dimblesticks," Phylis grumbled. Reconstructing the list of Kings of the destroyed planet of Trakari had seemed like such a good idea. Now though she was stuck and getting frustrated.
But then the bat symbol, or whatever the Jedi had, started beeping.
"Aleidis Ijet?" she said aloud. Phylis frowned. She was good at the past, not so much at the present. "She's the one with one leg? No...no...yes, the Ghostling. Oh yes, former Chancellor."

The meeting had already started when she entered and took her seat.
"Good morning, good morning. Nice to see you back, former Chancellor. To what do we owe the undoubted priviledge of your presence?" she asked completely without sarcasm.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Sopher remained quiet, he watched from the distance in his Master's office as she answered by holofeed. He took mental notes of her actions and took today as a training lesson. He grew stronger and waited upon his time when he would too one day sit upon the Council. In his hand his lightsaber hilt spun, he listened and watched protectively of his Master.

 

[Aleidis Zrgaat]

@[member="Rianna Organa"] @[member="Phylis Alince"] @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] @[member="Daella Apparine"]

As much as Phylis likely wasn't being sarcastic, Aleidis' experience with honeyed words had made her wary of such flowery praise and warm greetings. Simply put, her good nature had been surrounded with a line of barbed wire, anticipating attack from all angles. Making a dry mental note, the teenager carefully kept any lingering reproach well away from her voice and face as she put her hands behind her back and spoke.

"I am not a Jedi. Obviously." The Ghostling began. "It's a matter of public record that I handed in my lightsaber to Grandmaster Watts last year to pursue another path. "So, for me to come here and tell you how to go about your business might seem... presumptuous. And maybe it is, but it had to be done." She explained with a slightly awkward, slightly sheepish smile that seemed to say 'aww shucks' with every other statement.

"The Republic has lost it's path, and the Jedi seem all too willing to act as it's fist; pounding away at the rest of the Galaxy. You're being portrayed as demons, warmongers, and war criminals. It hurts my heart to think that that may just be true." The Ghostling explained, her black, nocturnal eyes as mournful and expressive as one would expect them to be. "It hurts to think that the term 'Jedi' is an insult in the Galaxy, rather than a sign of someone who upholds the peace, who stands up for the weak. A person who is calm and righteous, disciplined and fair. And having seen the basis of some of these detractions against the Order myself, I cannot say anymore that they're entirely unfounded. That hurts most of all."

Aleidis raised a hand to halt any interruptions - if there were any - and continued. "Now, I'm not going to take much of your time. I'm sure you're all busy, as Masters of the Council tend to be. And some of you might know how I tend to stand and give speeches: I'm afraid that the habit never really leaves once you've been a politician." She said this as if Aleidis hadn't tended towards long-windedness before Ben Watts had asked her to run for Chancellor. "So I'll get right to the point."

"I am, and have always been, an agent of Galactic peace. I came here today because the Republic - and by extension, the Jedi Order - is the largest threat to peace that these eyes can see. Because I love the Republic, and what the Jedi Order can... what it should be, I'm issuing a warning: the wars stop now. Manifest destiny stops now. Here, today, no excuses, your fighting stops." Aleidis Ijet said plainly, with the tone of someone who is used to issuing sometimes impossible orders and seeing them followed. "Self defense is one matter, but the Republic's mad grab for land is only enabled by your increasing willingness to go to battle, and your ever more brutal way of waging war."

"Because I don't expect you to simply heed my word at face value, I make this promise: advocates of Galactic Peace watch you from every corner and shadow." Aleidis Ijet promised sincerely. "No matter where you mobilize, my friends will note it. Where your troops go, we will inform your enemies of their numbers and strength. When your soldiers arrive, they will find their opposition well-armed and prepared for them the moment they drop out of warp, with powerful allies from all walks of life. Your enemies will be informed of the weaknesses in your defenses and the levels of your preparation. While these measures might not turn the tide of battle, they will ensure that the Republic bleeds for every planet they attempt to claim from here on out." Aleidis swore, shifting her weight from one foot to another. "I pray that you will take this promise not as a threat - but as a reason to sheath your sabers and avoid needless bloodshed. Rest upon what land you've already claimed, and turn your conqueror's eyes inward, upon your own hearts. Ponder the Jedi Code as Master Skywalker once laid it down."

"Formally, the Jedi have no command over the military movements of the Republic - but none of us are liars or fools, here, and we all know how the Galaxy works. If you, the very fist and soul of the Republic's martial might, refuse to be their hounds of war? They will slow and - hopefully - stop this madness." Aleidis explained, spreading her hands in front of herself.