The Jedi High Council

[Syn]

The jedi master looked at Selena when the subject changed to the empire. He visibly stiffened and held a grin on his face towards the notion of war. It was something he knew well enough and looked at the others before speaking. "Going to war is a sad fact of keeping the peace, the empire has been mounting we all know this. They have been given to much freedom to prepare to conquer us while we argued among ourselves, while we tried to protect a failed experiment. I don't pretend to be hide my distaste for peace with our enemies. Anyone who knows me knows I found the notion of peace foolish and childish because of the naivety it believing they would honor the offer."

Before he could speak Syn turned. "She is our friend Dragonsflame but even friends are and can be wrong, please see it with more wisdom then you have in the past. We sought our goal, our mandate at the cost of millions, we allowed those on the edges of our borders to be taken into the empire and suffer because all we wanted to do was pretend war didn't exist and we lost jedi from the order. The Silent conclave and others were bred from our decisions but it was more then that. It was not our fighting or their desire to be something. Granted I find it laughable and a strange notion that the vaunted group of real jedi who protect the galaxy have done nothing of note besides fade away. We did all we could to support them, to lift and help Ben, to help Aleidis ideal come to pass and people suffered for it. We hurt more people then we saved, we allowed the destruction of the senate building on Coruscant because we were so blinded by her ideal we failed to see the truth of what was coming. We tried to be decent in an indecent time."

It brought a sour taste to his mouth to think about it and while he was sure Ben, Je'gan and Aleidis disliked him they were gone. He had stayed in the order regardless of status, he had remained a core believer in the jedi ideals. "What we did was foolish, Ben Watts plan to bypass a loophole in our own tenets by having Aleidis step down to become chancellor. Some way to push his agenda upon those we protect. Like it or not when he made that decision it became something foolish. He marched us to war and when he had the chance to press decided to force a peace by crucifying our order and allies. For a peace that the chancellor claimed was victory blindly while it was broken and abused by the sith empire. While they mounted forces and came to our borders we remained smiles, while they worked to undermine all pacts, all treaties or agreements with the others in the galaxy we smiled. We showed them our resolve to harm more people in the galaxy with an illusion, we showed them we would cower in the dirt at the approaching storm, we sullied our reputation as keepers of peace by pretending to have it."

He gave a small snort at the thought and remained neutral in his expression now his face showing control despite his annoyance. "Had we not been so willing to bury our heads in the sand the attack on Coruscant wouldn't have happened. No one would have been idiotic enough to allow Sith an embassy on Coruscant, to walk on Coruscant and be invited wherever they want to be. To operate academies in Republic space, to send ships and assail the deep core. That can raid our temples and all we do is sit there being told to smile because we have peace. Told we were winning because we had peace, an ideal that would be welcoming yes. I would love nothing more then to have peace in our time but saying we have it while the people suffer, while we sat around barred down from protecting them and doing our jobs. That is where we failed."

"Whatever we choose, whatever path we take be it to war again to so those upstarts in the army of light what a true army does, or if we choose to help and support the Republic to achieve peace. It will not matter if we change our minds half way through and start calling each other criminals and warmongers. Infighting is what led to previous ruin in the council. I can admit to fault as well for myself and I have taken the consequences of it from the council. I let my frustration at childish ideals and waving a datapad saying peace while those close to sith space suffered cloud my judgement and sought to do something about it. It failed but somehow I am the only jedi with Dragonsflame still here. The others are gone off doing who knows what." Well okay he knew where Je'gan had went, to be the Ghost Prisons warden but that was something only a few would know then and now only that the high council would know.

 

[Carn Dista]

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"] @[member="Syn"] @[member="Selena Halcyon"] @[member="Phylis Alince"] @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

"There is rekindling zeal, Master Grayson, and then there is examining Tracyn's record of service. While there is no doubt that he has done well in terms of combating those that practice in the ways of the dark side of the Force, he has a confirmed kill count that a member of the Republic's special forces could be somewhat jealous of - That in itself is a dangerous thing. Too many lives put to the lightsaber often puts Jedi into the dangerous realms of a blood fever, and after that takes hold... Well. I'm sure we can all agree that the aftermath of such a thing is a terrible sight to behold.

It is interesting though, Master Dragonsflame, that you brought Tracyn to the Temple. From what you have said, and your actions, I sense much emotional involvement on your behalf - The wish to aid and protect a friend is as much an attachment as forming a less platonic relationship. Be cautious."

He ran his fingers through his beard. Much as he did not wish to admit it in this case, even lost Jedi such as Tracyn Ordo deserved to be redeemed, and brought into the fold once more. Yet his thoughts did not matter, for the Grandmaster had seemingly passed judgement - Tracyn was to be tended to by two Masters apparently well versed in the arts of healing. Still though... Sith Poison? Carn knew little of the alchemical arts, yet of those he had encountered during his lifetime, he knew such a thing to be one of the more dangerous - outside of the twisted abominations of nature summoned up by the most deadly of the Sith, of course.

Carn completely failed to mention Asha when he spoke, however. The failings of his student still weighed heavily upon him, and even though she had apparently passed on into the netherworld of the Force, Carn still refused to believe that she was indeed dead and gone. The usually unshakable Jedi was almost palpably filled with relief when the subject changed before she could be further brought up.

Politics... While it was a better subject than Asha, it was not something Carn wished to speak heavily on, and thus he fell silent and remained leaning on the chair he had picked out. In his mind, a Jedi's place was in Jedi matters, not the near pointless politics of the Senate. His allegiance was to the Jedi Order, and as such he kept himself away from political matters as much as he could. It was easier to focus on the now, and the present that way. However, Selena had mentioned that the new Chancellor intended to take the fight to the Sith, and after hearing what Syn had to say? Well. It was understandable. The Sith Empire had defiled the crown jewel of the Republic, and as a result, the hornets nest had well and truly awoken. It was the kind of politics he understood well enough, yet it was still politics.

"If I am not bold in saying so - Allow the Senate their politics, and allow them their war. I see no reason not to assist should the Chancellor and his peers formally request our aid, yet we should only do so if we are in complete agreement. I for one, do not wish to watch this Order devolve and spiral into the violent mess of the so called "army of light", and nor do I wish to watch Jedi make the mistakes of our ancestors. There is much to be learned from studying the wars of aeons past, specifically in what happened to the Jedi that so willingly marched into campaigns of war."

Indeed, in his younger years, Carn had been encouraged to study the holocrons that the Order had on ancient matters, such as the Mandalorian Wars, the Clone Wars, and the decades surrounding the so called "Cold War Era". They had all heavily influenced him, and like some Jedi of the time, Carn had grown heavily opposed to violent movements within the Order. Jedi that were too quick to answer a call to arms were suspect to his suspicions, and he almost always expected the worst case scenarios when it came to Jedi that left for war. However, unlike his spiritual ancestors, Carn had come to understand that there was a time and a place for military action from the Jedi Order, and as a result while he would never be able to fully condone war, he could condone the Jedi taking up arms to do their duty as the result of a well thought out debate by the High Council.

Still though. The mere thought of war was not one he enjoyed...

 

[Phylis Alince]

Phylis considered the statements made by the Masters. War was coming. She was surprised it had taken so long. The Republic would march to battle with the Sith Empire, and the Jedi would be naturally asked to help them.

"Hmm, yes. Master @[member="Carn Dista"] makes a good point here. War has always been the undoing of the Jedi in the short term in one way or another. From the days of the Old Republic when we were almost exterminated by the Sith after the Jedi Civil War and later under Emperor Palpatine and the Clone Wars. Even our greatest triumph, allegedly, over the Sith at Ruusan exposed many dark sides of the Order. No pun intended."

"However, that has always been dilemma. The Jedi have great wealth and power, and to not use it to aid the Republic undermines us, whilst going to war changes the Order into something it should never be; an army. No good can come of that, when compassion and justice are dispensed in the name of victory. It is a puzzle which has always left the Jedi Council in a hard place."

"There is no simple answer. If asked we must answer the call to arms, but we must maintain a greater oversight than in the Clone Wars. There Jedi were scattered in penny-packets across the galaxy, prey to temptation and murderous treason. We must go into this with both eyes open. If war does begin we must work with the Chancellor and pool our resources."

"The Army of Light...they are a curious group. They wish to do good by doing violence and carrying crusade to the Sith. We must take the wind from their sails by embracing the war if it comes, though keeping always in mind that we control our destinies with the will and guidance of the Force. The last thing we want is for a new Revan to arrive from this Army of Light."

She stopped, aware she had rambled a little. She smiled. "Besides, that'd mean one of us would have to be the Vrook, and no one wants that, surely!" she said as a jest. Carn didn't look the sort to approve of jokes. Yes, there was something Vrookish about him.

 

[Carn Dista]

@[member="Phylis Alince"]

A comparison to Vrook Lamar? Carn chuckled ever so slightly at the idea.

"I'll take your jesting as a compliment, Master Alince. Vrook Lamar was loyal to the Council until his end. I can only aspire to have people say the same of me, once the Force sees fit to embrace me for eternity."

 

[Phylis Alince]

"You note, Master Dista I did not compare you to him, but you have taken that mantle yourself! Hmm, fair enough I guess. He was loyal to the ways of the Jedi and dedicated to justice. But, if you ever feel like rehabilitating any suspiciously gender confused Jedi-turned-Sith remember what happened to Vrook!"

She realised she'd wandered off course. She waved a hand vaguely to the others. "Either way, my point stands," she said lamely.

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

"Master Kiskla Grayson," The young Master replied, shaking @[member="Phylis Alince"]'s hand curtly. She kind of liked the Mistress' quirkiness. It was refreshing to the sincerity that shrouded the room with some of the older Jedi. Not that Kiskla wasn't used to being one of the youngest in a room.

So with @[member="Selena Halcyon"]'s nod of approval, the deal was sealed, and the two women would help @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]'s friend back to redemption. Hopefully. Otherwise, the retribution would probably tilt in favour of Jedi Master Dista.

On the matter of The Empire, perhaps it was just her, but contrary to @[member="Carn Dista"]'s position, she was prepared to put her talents to good use. She was both an eloquent speaker, and quite sufficient at handling herself against a physical threat. The idea of the Chancellor's insistence of their participation was slightly unnerving however. RE: Palpatine.
But this was Kiskla, and she was fully aware that history did nothing but repeat itself through a cycle of new cells every few years. New ambitions, new personas, same old story. Thus was balance --- her association with century old entities had wised her to such pitfalls, and as a result she had a slight disconnection with the gravity of the present, credited to her lack of belief in the future. There would always be struggles, there would always be conquests.

But she had to smirk at @[member="Syn"]'s outright expression to his thought of peace amongst enemies. To be frank, one could not exist without the other. And it was true, for too long The Republic had sat with a strong distaste for The Empire, but not truly acting out against it. They were perfectly content to sit on their stuffed cushions with peeled grapes. To see something to get excited about was enthusing.

Still though, she was old enough to know but young enough not to say "no". She had to channel her thought process away from her own selfish ambitions and to the betterment, to reflect the impact on The Order.

Syn's speech was encouraging, and then she was scolded. Kind of? There was quite a bit to learn from Master Dista, and she was doing her best to swallow each dish of humble pie he handed to her. It was difficult for someone as feisty as herself. She'd admit that in a second.
And then she almost choked on that humble helping when The Army of Light was called into question. It was an organization that her Padawan had rallied together. When she was training him, he had felt like an outsider. His will was strong, and his motives were pure, but his army background made him feel more like a soldier than a Jedi, and the feeling of being ostracized plagued him to move forward. The new faction was not a threat, it was unorthodox, but so long as they focused their forces on the one true enemy, they would be a formidable ally. Kiskla was confident in Kei, that much was certain.

Okay woah, what was happening? Had Master Dista cracked a smile? She could barely see the curl beneath his beard, but nevertheless an impressive feat by Mater Alince.

"The Army of Light is an organization with pure intent as of yet." Kiskla spoke, injecting her two cents into the conversation before it was over. "They'd no doubt get behind The Republic if called to action -- which will happen." Her light eyes shifted to the brunette Grandmaster, "When discussing the sending of Jedi Diplomats, did you reveal any intent? What are your thoughts? The Empire will surely rise to any challenge a messenger brings them, and despite the purest of intents going into any sort of negotiations with The Sith, it's not likely we'll be met with a handshake of agreement." Duh.

 

[Phylis Alince]

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]
Phylis smiled at the younger women. Seemed Jedi Masters were getting younger and younger. At least they’d been spared the indignity of a sixteen year old Jedi Mast…wait, scratch that. Phylis felt positively old having being Mastered in her late 20s. She was waiting for the first Jedi Master with diapers.

“Hmm, pure intent is good. Crusading zeal can often get away from those who wish for glory or to end a particular evil. Impetuousness or haste is often the cause there. Does the Army of Light have the discipline to move with co-ordination and not simply be a loose cannon?”

 

[Tefka]

"Good intentions," the ancient Jedi echoed as he entered the chamber, tapping his cane along the way against the duracrete floor. "Pave the way to the Dark Side." He nodded a greetings to the members of the Council as he entered. The brother of the late Grandmaster had been given a seat since his return to the Jedi Order, but Tefka had since ignored it... until now. This was his first time joining the others in e High Council. Until now, he had remained in isolation, absorbing this new environment and reconciling with the joining of his younger brother with the Force.

"This Army of Light has a part yet to play... the dark side clouds much... But they are undisciplined," he retorted, nodding at Master Alince. "It is not wise to leave them unchecked, though I fear we have no choice."

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh didn't speak. His piece had been said. He let the other Jedi Masters say their pieces instead. For the war... He'd been vocal in the past about warfare. It was well known in the Jedi for Josh's distaste against war, and he didn't bother wasting his breath. Of course... He knew it was coming. He hated war, but there was naught he could do about it.

Then, to likely the surprise of all, @[member="Tefka"] arrived in the Council chambers, and Josh recalled the day he had mistaken him for the late Teferi. He gave a nod in respect to the Jedi Master.

"Master Tefka" he greeted respectfully.

@[member="Phylis Alince"]
@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]
@[member="Carn Dista"]
@[member="Selena Halcyon"]
@[member="Syn"]

 

[Phylis Alince]

Phylis turned. There, entering the chamber was…Teferi? No, he was dead, and possibly a zombie. No, this was the brother @[member="Tefka"], one of the mysterious Yoda species, and it seemed that he was the 13th Jedi Council member. Or perhaps there’d been a miscount before and they’d only had 11 before.

Regardless, Tefka had a point. Good intentions led to the Dark Side. But then, so did everything. Especially donuts. Unfortunately the Dark Side clouded a lot, it was true. That was always annoying.

“Well, we’re in a bit of a bind then!” she chirped. “They need supervision, but they won’t accept it and we can’t give it to them! I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens and pick up the pieces. Also, welcome Master Tefka.”

It probably wasn’t the right thing to say. Still, she liked Tefka, and wanted to show willing. Presumably they knew each other. There’d only been two three foot gremlins in the Jedi Order, and one was dead…and again…possibly a zombie.

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

"They seem fairly focused on a single goal, and that's to be a perpetual thorn in The Empire's side." @[member="Phylis Alince"]

The clicking drew her gaze downward to the tiny creature limping into the chambers, which seemed to swallow him up. In physical size only, for there was a radiant signature about him that couldn't be ignored.

His history to Kiskla was unknown. His name? Also unknown, until the others saluted him, and so Kiskla supposed it would be respectful for her too, to bid salutation of some form or other. So, she nodded in the typical fashion that was respectful toward @[member="Tefka"] and added in a "Master," of acknowledgement for good measure.

Then, she turned her attention back to the statements of her Padawan's organization. The young woman had been up since daybreak, as was usual when on Temple grounds to maintain her physique and presence with The Force -- it was a two way street, and she felt it proper to give if she intended to receive. Thus, she pinched the area between her eyes and with a firm resolve, she returned back to the conversation; "We could give it to them," Kiskla countered, hardly able to stop the flow of words before they bubbled forth. Not that there was any intention to. She was here, and she was going to make herself useful. "But not in a form that makes them feel as if they're under the guidance of a sitter, I feel like that would bring offence and potential retaliation." The next part of her sentence would have to be worded carefully, and thoughtfully or she'd could be pegged as a bad teacher "I have a former Padawan there, and he certainly wouldn't object to any sort of presence from myself. Or, perhaps another Master." Said Padawan being the leader... "They're not looking for trouble, but as it has been correctly assumed, they are no longer following the code, nor the Republic's creed. I feel that their alignment would side with any faction that intends to compromise The Empire's position."

@[member="Syn"] | @[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] | @[member="Selena Halcyon"] | @[member="Carn Dista"]

 

[Selena Halcyon]

The Army of Light, she thought. She knew of them, of their cause, and she wondered why they even existed. After all, many would certainly think that she would fulfill their desires as Grandmaster. For some reason she was viewed as a very aggressive Jedi. "I extended the offer to them to rejoin the Order in full and properly serve the Republic and the galaxy as our vanguard. An offer that they turned down. For now they are not our problem. If they begin to tarnish the name of the Jedi and start behaving in ways unbecoming of our duty then they might be one. As it stands, I do not see much need to give them much attention."