Private Orinda You Glad to See Me?

[Braze]

Tags: Laphisto ​

"Oh... I heard you made some cool tech for lightsabers," Braze chirped, following after him. He pulled a small package from a hidden compartment inside his shirt, unfolding a few neatly packed wet cloths. Taking one out, he tucked the rest back into the concealed pocket and began cleaning his hands more properly as he adopted a more typical demeanor while trailing the taller man.

When he finished, Braze folded the cloth and slipped out a small green ribbon with tiny bells attached. "Is that true?" he asked, stepping over the tail and reaching out in an attempt to tie the ribbon onto it. It seemed he came with more antics and 'pranks'.

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto arched a brow, head tilting slightly as he gave a quiet hum. "The Lilaste Order did indeed develop new technology for lightsaber construction—for our Force users, yes," he said, voice steady but carrying that faint rasp of restrained fatigue. "They're already on the market. Is that the only reason you came all this way?" He started walking again, the low rhythm of his boots echoing down the corridor. Then came the faintest chime of metal bells. His ear twitched once, sharply.

The next sound was a crack of motion. Before Braze could even loop the ribbon, Laphisto's tail lashed out in a sudden, whip-like snap that struck toward his hands with precise speed. The motion wasn't born of anger so much as reflex, the kind that came from centuries of finely tuned instincts.

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Laphisto ​

"Well yeah~ I wanted to see if you'd be interested in a trade. " He chirped before dropping one end of the ribbon as his tail snapped. He grinned with devious little smirk as he tried again to loop the slip knot around the tip, not giving up after a single try more so seemingly deriving joy form the challenge.

 

[Laphisto]

"A trade?" Laphisto's tone carried a low rumble, the sound vibrating faintly in his chest. "And what, exactly, do you and your Jedi order have to offer in exchange?" His tail flicked once in warning then again, harder this time. The motion cracked through the air like a whip, aimed squarely at the side of Braze's head as the younger man persisted in his foolish attempt. The strike wasn't meant to wound, but to make a point swift, precise, and backed by the quiet authority of someone who'd long since lost patience for games.

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Laphisto ​

Braze ducked with uncanny speed as if able to determine where his tail was going to be by just watching how the muscles beneath from the base to tip moved.

"I was exiled from the New Jedi Order. " Braze chirped simply " What I have to offer is from my own work. " He clarified. He held the little ribbon and fussed with it in his own hands fashioning a little bow. He slipped it on to his own thumb briefly as he searched his person before presenting a Purple Holocron. " I have this and a few little things [Light-saber component section] I've crafted. "

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto raised a brow, the faintest glint of curiosity flickering in his eyes before he shook his head with a low, thoughtful hum. "And what, exactly, did you do to get yourself exiled?"

The question wasn't laced with judgment just the weary tone of someone who'd heard that story more times than he cared to count. He had no shortage of guesses; the boy didn't exactly radiate the kind of obedient loyalty the Jedi seemed to prize. But then, that was hardly unique. Every generation of Jedi reshaped itself in the image of the last, and to Laphisto, this so-called "New Order" was no exception.

As Braze spoke, Laphisto accepted the holocron with a measured nod, the device resting neatly against his clawed palm. Examining the holocron in his hand "An interesting design," he murmured after a moment, tone neutral but edged with quiet appreciation. "Though I doubt I'll find much personal use for most of it. Still…" His gaze lingered on a few blueprints before closing the holocron with a soft click. "There are some among my Order who might be interested in these designs." The last word came with a slight pause, his eyes flicking back toward Braze evaluating, but not unkind. "You've done your homework, at least."

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Laphisto ​

"I did what I had to so fewer people bled. I made hard, ugly choices to prevent far worse from happening. The NJO didn't look past the blood that was spilled." He offered simply. "In short... They didn't care about context, only consequence. I acted out of compassion, but they value doctrine and moral purity and control over understanding." Braze offered as all mirth faded from his voice as if it were a touchy subject he wasn't too enthused to discuss.

 

[Laphisto]

"The Jedi never see the full picture," Laphisto said, his voice low and steady, carrying that old edge of conviction. "They're too busy polishing their own sense of moral superiority to notice the cracks forming beneath their feet."He gave a small scoff, shaking his head with a rumble deep in his chest. Arms folded, he exhaled through his nose a sharp puff of smoke curling into the air like a dragon's sigh.

"Like I told you on Ossus all those years ago," he continued, glancing sidelong at Braze, "I was exiled for the same sin you've just described. Not for violence, not for corruption but for thought. For believing that knowledge shouldn't be caged behind walls of fear and ceremony. That choice should belong to the one who seeks it."

The faintest trace of bitterness slipped through his tone, tempered by a calm certainty. "The Council never understood that freedom of will isn't a threat to the Force it's its truest expression."

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Laphisto
​

" It wasn't my thoughts that branded me as needing atonement. It was something beyond my control. I either had to find a way to appease someone or be used as a weapon against innocents, friends, and family. I made my choices out of compassion and the preservation of life to the best of my abilities, even while being coerced. They chose to vilify me rather than acknowledge that I was also a victim." Braze explained.

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto's scoff deepened, a low sound that rumbled in his chest as he shook his head. The weight of Braze's words settled in, and understanding flickered across his expression."Actions, thoughts it's all the same in their eyes," he said at last, tone edged with weary irony. "You acted on what you believed would spare lives, and they branded you for it. That's the Jedi way. They only ever see sin, never circumstance."

A dry chuckle followed, humorless but not unkind. "One thing I've learned about them they're never wrong. You could show them a candle burning black as pitch, and they'd argue it's just a very dark shade of grey."He exhaled softly through his nose, the faintest wisp of smoke curling upward. "It's easier for them to reshape truth than admit their light can cast shadows."

Braze