Aelys, the name was familiar though distantly. Bernard nodded to him and Dagon, with a stern but grateful expression. He'd heard the name Aelys before, though he couldn't remember where or when. The man had certainly been with the New Jedi Order, however, and had Dagon vouching for him. That would be enough.
Though what he and Dagon said about Senator Tithe was true, the man had served the Sith for some time, he'd left their service, defecting to the Alliance, and had since proven himself a loyal and dedicated citizen of the Alliance. Casting further accusations about collusion with shattered Sith remnants, or worse a band of marauding cultists, was simply ludicrous. Though the man could be unscrupulous at times, he was dedicated to civilization, at least, not the barbarism of the Brotherhood.
If the Jedi wanted more autonomy they had to step away from the Alliance in official capacities. During the founding of the government, the Jedi had been intimately involved in its creation, and had thus been embedded into their systems and organizations. However, they had merely been a rag-tag group of individuals then, united by sheer force of charisma and a common cause, to destroy the Sith Empire. Now they were a proper Order, with a council, dozens of members, and a future to consider. They couldn't afford to be children swinging around their blades at anything that reeked of dark side, but in the same vein they couldn't remain divided by extensive allegiances to institutions outside the Order, not if they wanted to be unified as one. To claim to be one whole, but to have each individual place their loyalties elsewhere, it simply wouldn't work. Not anymore.
He nodded gratefully to Allyson as she led the complete stranger out of the chambers. What had she been thinking bringing her in the first place? These were the Chambers of the Council, not a lounging cantina. It was a time of turmoil in the temple, but certain protocol still needed to be followed. He sighed. He was being too hard on her, though. Everyone else had burst in the same way, unannounced, crashing the gathering of the Circle and throwing them into even further chaos. Their actions were understandable, given the circumstances. They had all come intending the best for the Order. Anger, grief, frustration, it was all aimed toward preventing such loss of life from happening again. To that end, what Master Vanagor said rang true. They had to make certain those barrels were pointed at the enemy, not their allies.
He didn't wince when she returned and mentioned their crimes again. It was as she said. He'd paid his due, Force he was still paying it. And he would continue, until his last dying breath. It was the least he could do, he'd made his peace with that. The step they would take next was another one in making amends. He nodded in acknowledgement of her points. Allies, and aid, would be needed in the coming days, as the true extent of damage to Coruscant was uncovered. It would be arrogant to turn away help when it was offered, however, with the open betrayal they'd suffered, again, taking the aid of everyone who offered was foolish, also. They needed to rely on people they could trust.
He turned to Allyson, "
We need to be careful in dealing with the Confederacy. I cannot take the word of one Obsidian Lord and forget all they have done," the Confederacy had been in league with the Sith Empire almost until the bitter end. It was a truth that was difficult to forget.
"
If they prove to us that they are trustworthy and that we can rely on them to stand with us rather than against us, then I will consider their aid more closely, but as it stands, I cannot in good conscience allow them a hand in our affairs. Not with our history and not after the breach of trust and betrayal we have just suffered. For now, we must rely on our own and those we can trust, like the Silvers, first and foremost," he said glancing to Aeris to know her opinion on the matter.
"
Master Vanagor, could you speak to the Silver Jedi on our behalf? If my memory serves me right, you have ties with them, and our two Orders have fought and bled side by side these past years. You've witnessed the suffering we face here first-hand. After we have decided on our next step, I would be grateful if we could devise some ways in which the Silver Jedi might aid the people of the Alliance going forward," he said to the Master, appreciative of the man's kind offer and wise words of encouragement.
"
Master Lashiec, Master Locke, Knight—I mean, Dag, Aelys. You each make good points. We need rebuild, we need to bring the fight to the Sith, we are too entrenched in the political systems of the Alliance, we need greater autonomy. I agree with all of you on those points.
"
We, as an Order, have been divided in our loyalties to the various institutions of the Alliance. I was bound by the Marshal's laws, the Treicolts had owed their loyalty to the GADF, Auteme stood with one foot in the Senate and the other in the Council, Master Locke is sworn into the SIA. There are many other Jedi who are similarly divided in their duties. I believe you are right to say, Dag, that we must, ultimately, choose who it is we serve.
"
I agree with Master Lashiec, and propose that we, as Knights of the New Jedi Order, withdraw from our official posts within the Alliance, and swear our loyalty undivided to the ideals of the Jedi. The Jedi need to stand on their own legs. We will fight for the people of the Alliance, but not because we follow a law that demands we do so, but because we are Jedi and we choose to defend those who cannot as it is our duty to do so."
He turned to look at the burning skyline of Coruscant. Plumes of smoke rose from shattered buildings. The sky was thick with ash, burning an apocalyptic orange where sky met city on the distant horizon.
"
It is a duty that we cannot carry out so long as we stand apart, each divided. We are Jedi. Our duty as Jedi is one we must choose above all else."
Aerarii Tithe
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Mirana Praji
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Elizie Athacorr
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Veles Oshu
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Sssar Taszzn
| Senators I missed
