Private The League of Extraordinary Jedi

[Ryv]

Jedi Council's were all the rage throughout history. Something about sitting around in comfy robes in even more comfortable chairs appealed to many lightsworn. It was often said wisdom prevailed over ignorance, so maybe those folks felt good dressed up in their prominent positions sharing their opinions, like their wisdom could not be ignored. Maybe in the days of yore, it meant something. To sit on a council, passing judgment over other Jedi, providing guidance to those in need. But as all great things do, such a time came to an end. The galaxy moved on, leaving the great Jedi Councils of old far behind. Large scale orders were abandoned by many who favored an independent lifestyle. Why answer to others when you could answer only to yourself?

Ryv didn't much like councils. Auteme loved 'em. So, they had to make something work. The Circle was a middle ground that appealed to her need for order and his desire for something loose. Many within the New Jedi Order favored Ryv's lax mindset, though recent recruitment saw many traditionalists join the fold. If you asked the kiffar, he'd point out Auteme as the cause. There wasn't another Jedi alive who embodied the core values of what it meant to be a part of this illustrious tradition. The Silvers could play at it back on Kashyyyk, but it wouldn't change the truth. She kept her hands clean, striving for peace, up until there was no other option. Whereas Ryv and his ilk waded through the muck, filth-strewn, honor-bound to bring peace to the galaxy by any means necessary. They made a good team. The Order reflected that as a whole.

After months of careful consideration, the Circle was born. Made up of Jedi who embodied everything the New Jedi Order stood for. Both the Sword and Shield believed the Order could not be in better hands. Today would be the first of many meetings convened in the coming months. With the Sith Empire's fall practically assured, others would rise in their place. Rumors already circulated of a many-headed monster who laid claim to the corrupted world of Korriban, while elsewhere, just beyond Sith space, a Dark Triumvirate of great power formed in preparation to conquer what was stolen by the great pretender, Carnifex. This would be the beginning of the New Jedi's next grand chapter, one born of strife, loss, and defeat, unlike anything the young Order had experienced before.

And it all began in a familiar place, one that bore witness to generations of strife and conflict. The Council Chambers, once the home of the Council of Masters before the Great Jedi Purge, now welcomed the next generation of heroes.

Ryv sat at one end of a foldable white table, several foldable chairs lined each side. A plethora of greasy fast foods stretched from one end of the table to the other. There were even some healthy alternatives, in salads and fruits, for the pickier eaters. He relaxed back in his chair, hands clasped together behind his back. BD-8 played soft jams in the corner while dancing beside an old training droid missing both its arms and head. A model set of the once-Sith'ari's armor covered it from chest to feet, a hilarious call back to the Je'daii Cotan's battle with the former Emperor many years ago.

The Circle: Aaran Tafo | Aldric | Auteme | Cotan Sar'andor | Zaavik Perl
Guests: Dagon Kaze | Lucien Dooku

 

[Auteme]

Ryv Aaran Tafo Aldric Cotan Sar'andor Dagon Kaze Lucien Dooku Zaavik Perl ​

"I'm overdressed, aren't I?" Of course, were this an important Senate meeting, she'd probably be underdressed. The long green gown and sash was her off-day attire. She'd wear it to the committee meetings and unimportant sessions to look presentable yet not draw many eyes -- then, when an important issue came, she'd break out the royal blue and gold to make herself seem regal and imposing to ensure her voice was heard. It helped that Chancellor Adhira Chandra tended towards those colors.

Alas, their meeting was far from the Senate. She ended up giving in and got herself a bowl of grapes to snack on during the meeting. These, her leather-jacket-dressed colleagues, were who she'd be discussing with today. This hall had once been grand, filled with masters in their brown robes, speaking in respectful tones. Now they had fold-out chairs and tables with snacks.

No, she didn't love councils, but she understood their use. Ryv's leadership had its limitations. The voices of many often outweighed the voices of the few. It wasn't always right, but even Jedi were more likely to listen to the majority.

She didn't want him to ever feel like it was his burden alone.

So, the Circle. Those among the Jedi who were most trusted and among the top of their specializations. With everyone accounted for, Auteme placed her grape bowl on the floor beside her chair and stood. It didn't feel right to dive straight into the discussion, so she chose to do a short introduction and remind them of their purpose.

"Well, ah, let's get started. Firstly, thank you all for coming; even if you feel like you have nothing to say, it's a show of unity and leadership from us just by gathering, and the New Jedi Order is stronger for it.

"Our focus today is on the future of the New Jedi Order and the other threats we must face. The combined efforts of the Triumvirate have done serious damage to the Sith's hold in the galactic north, but that will only give way to other problems. The Sith, even if it is not their empire, won't let go of the Stygian Caldera easily; we also have word of a new Sith sect located near Brosi from the Imperial Knights. Then there's the organization of... the genocide and mass enslavement occurring in Wild Space." She glanced to Aaran and gave him a nod.

"I'm afraid this is not my area of expertise, so please, say what's on your mind." She sat down, grabbed her grapes, and felt goofy for sounding formal here.

 

[Dagon Kaze]

Dagon arrived late. A bad habit in resurgence. The deeper he dived into his research of the Force and the Dark Side, the more his mind seemed to both feel absent and burdened at the same time. Or he had hit his head way too many times. Or a mixture of both.

He rushed into the...council? Stopped abruptly to a halt, a blank expression on his face. The chamber was a mess. Literally looked like the mess deck of a ship on the front lines.

"Nobody cleans here or??" he questioned with a mutter before Auteme took the stage and Dagon shuffled to find the nearest seat. Checking twice its durability, acknowledging its barely adequate resistance and sat down.

When Auteme ceded the spotlight, Dagon nearly stood up to speak about the so-called Brotherhood of the Maw but saw Aaran take the stand. He remained seated and silent mulling over His experience with the marauding cultists. An experience that could only be described as the sick and twisted nightmares of an evil god. Only such a mind could perceive such horror.

Aaran Tafo Aldric Ryv Auteme Cotan Sar'andor Zaavik Perl Lucien Dooku

 

[Aaran Tafo]

There were pros and cons to being in a position of leadership.

The benefits of course came with being able to more readily shape the world around you into something you found agreeable. To have more resources at one's command than before. And to be able to protect one's own interests. It again helped that his interests did align with those of the New Jedi Order. Recent misunderstandings on the battlefield aside. He was still here, still trying to learn and pass on what he knew. Protecting those that could not protect themselves and guiding the next generation to eventually surpass him when he reached his own peak.

Similar to Auteme, he attempted to bring some level of formality to this meeting. Wearing a pair of simply cream robes draped over his frame. Not quite as fancy as the senatorial representative. But clean, professional and focused. Let it never be said that Aaran did not take his duties seriously. "Eh, you're fine." He said, waving off Auteme's concerns of being overdressed for the occasion as he allowed the Shield of the Jedi to begin her exposition.

He was not surprised to see that more factions of Sith were breaking up. At their core, Sith were not team players. The only reason that the Sith Empire had lasted as long as it did was due to a strong force of personality leading it. Now that it was bereft of a ruler of such particular strength, it was no wonder that it began to fragment.

On the bright side, it meant that they would squabble with each other as much as they would attempt to strike at the innocent. It would give the Galactic Alliance and their allies the time needed to recover and strike again. Nipping them in the bud before they became a threat on par with the Empire that spawned them.

At the mention of the raiders in Wild Space. His eyelid twitched, hand coming to his neck as he rubbed the fading injection mark. A reminder of his time as the Brotherhood's captive. Nodding in response to Auteme, he cleared his own throat.

"They go by The Brotherhood of the Maw." He began, making a vague gesture for BD-8 to start projecting the images he had supplied. Various pieces of found footage from their attack on both Batau and Jakku. "They are a group of pirates and raiders that operate under a cult where they worship something called The Maw. Could not gather much on their scripture aside from them thinking they're on a holy mission to cleanse the Galaxy of all life so it may be reborn." He shook his head.

"Right now, they're operating on hit and run tactics. Raiding worlds to gather slaves and scavenge as much material as they can. The majority of their forces are born from those taken slaves. Broken under the lash and driven mad." He shook his head, flashes of what he had witnessed coming to mind as he massaged his temples, attempting to clear them away. "Right now, I feel like a strong decisive strike from the GADF could cripple them to the point where they cannot recover from. But the issue is that their main base is a worldship that can travel through Hyperspace. Making tracking it down near impossible."

"I feel that if we leave them alone, they could snowball into a massive threat. I've already forwarded this information to the GADF and advised them to heighten patrols on our border worlds in case any attacks happen. But with things stretched so thin due to the war. I am worried about them."

"They have their warlords. Their cadre of Priests. Some of them Force Sensitive. Some of them not. In terms of combat capability. I'm confident we can take them. But if they are allowed to grow. We'll end up having a harder fight on our hands."

"They’re all headed by someone who goes by The Voice of the Maw. Their head priest. And extremely powerful Force Sensitive. If sighted on the battlefield, I would advise that he be made a priority target. Due to the quasi-religious nature of the Brotherhood. His death or capture would cripple morale."


Clinical perhaps. But his report was clear an concise. And he was open to further questions.

Dagon Kaze Auteme Ryv Aldric Cotan Sar'andor Zaavik Perl Lucien Dooku

 

[Aldric]

What had occurred to the council chambers was a tragedy. Unique architecture, millennia of Jedi artistry, and the sanctity of their culture had been destroyed so many times it became barely recognizable. The vandalization taking place now did not help the matter much either. It was difficult enough to keep a continuous history without corporate influences now also messing with the Jedi Order.

Aldric suppressed a sigh and listened to Auteme's and Aaran's speeches in turn. The droid's music played quietly in the background wholly removed from the gravitas of their meeting. The food arrays filled the council chambers with the pungent smell of lower-level streets. Whenever a Jedi shifted in their chair the cheap materials creaked loudly. All-the-while Auteme laid out a host of threats to life in the galaxy, and Aaran gave a detailed report of the one at the top of the list.

The entire room felt on edge. Aldric was tapping his foot silently, suppressing the need to shift to keep the chair's back-rest from digging into his back for fear of interrupting the speeches with its creaking. The quiet rasping of his respirator already seemed like it grated against the flow of conversation. Though once Aaran finished he brought up the courage to speak.

"Our foe is insidious. The people they enslaved have already suffered so much, and they use them as their warriors too. Our forces would be killing men and women forced to battle against their will. I cannot think to fathom what that could do to their psyche," he paused, pondering for a moment, "You have faced them before, in battle, what is your assessment?" He said to Aaran. "Could their people still be saved from the indoctrination of the Maw's priests?" He spoke with a soft voice that was harshened as it passed through the respirator.

Aaran Tafo Auteme Ryv Dagon Kaze Cotan Sar'andor Zaavik Perl Lucien Dooku ​

 

[Aaran Tafo]

His lips pursed at Aldric's question.

Could they be saved? The men and women broken by the Maw? Possibly, with care and rehabilitation. But the mind is a fragile thing. If broken badly enough, it may be impossible to put back together again. There was also the utilitarian angle to consider. How effective would their own forces be if they were focused on non-lethal capture against an opponent who simply did not care? "If captured." He began, tone even. "I believe that the majority can be rehabilited. The methods used to break slaves is crude. More brute force conditioning than anything focused on an individual. Their Force users are all talent, no training. Powerful but undisciplined."

"But while some can be saved. There are those that joined up with the Maw willingly. And I am loathe to tell the men and women of the GADF to choose their shots carefully while they are trying to protect themselves and others."

And there was the crux of the issue. A skilled Jedi could defeat their opponent without killing them. But a normal solider? To ask them to perform such acts was unreasonable. Those burdened and gifted with the Force had to adhere themselves to a higher moral standard, for their actions had dire consequences on the world around them. Causing a butterfly effect that would ripple outwards.

But he doubted their military allies would see it that way. Perhaps for some engagements. There could be non-lethal options. But during open war, the protection of the innocent must come first and foremost. It is not an easy decision to make. Nor was his statement something he took lightly. "But they're disorganised. Due to the nature of how they are handled. Focusing on their leaders during combat will break the morale. Many of them would easily be captured and rehabilitated afterwards. Once they see that their slavemasters have fallen. They may dare to hope that they can be free."

Aldric Dagon Kaze

 

[Dagon Kaze]

Dagon leaned back on his chair but the tension did not escape him as he listened to Aaran elaborate on the Brotherhood of the Maw. The stupid chair creaked under his weight until it finally gave in and the padawan slumped down on the floor just as the Battlemaster finished.

"Stupid karking..." he cursed underneath his breath as he stood up, rolling back the sleeves of his New Jedi leather jacket. The padawan cleared his throat and addressed the rest of the Jedi, the faint hint of embarrassing red dissipating from his face.

"I do hope rehabilitation is not out of reach--" Dagon said but his hope had dwindled. Aaran was more experienced than him so his belief in recovering the minds of the broken weighted hard on his own skepticism. "--but the hold over those 'converted' is undoubtedly strong. One such forced convert was a man going by the name of Cook." he paused. Eyes downcast, a shadow falling over his brow. Dagon licked his lips, then, "Somehow he had managed to break these chains and had found me and Ilian Kastle on the frontier. He told us about one called the Taskmaster - Tu'teggacha . The one who...does the converting, breaking their will. Told us about Jedi DARKCOM ." his eyes drifted across each of the Council members,

"Cook smuggled us in their Holy City to get Fossk out, which we did. He's recovering now but--" Dagon sighed and narrowed his eyes. "Gehinnom, as they call it, the Holy City-- it's a place of great terror and anguish. Not too different from...Ziost or Korriban." he could not, or refused to dwell into describing it further. The sole analogy with Ziost felt like salt dragged over his wounds.

Dagon nervously tweaked his rolled up sleeves before continuing, "Then I ventured to the Holy City again when Aaran and Romi were captured and held there." he glanced Ryv . The Sword knew the story. Master Grayson had given the Sword the location and the intel before striking at the Holy City on his own. Another experience he'd rather forget. He shifted the topic away from that, "I know we are stretched thin. With the Sith and now the Maw. But Aaran's right - it's a threat if allowed to fester and grow could become an unstoppable scourge." he paused only briefly, then with a confident resolve,

"I want to volunteer more actively into our efforts against these cultists."

His statement echoing his own thoughts. The war against the Sith had desecrated what little ranks they had, leaving another threat to grow into a menace that is the Sith Empire...he just wasn't sure they could tackle it. Not long ago he had been the bookworm mainly. To learn, to nurture, to heal. A long time ago he had that 'luxury', too. He carried the torch whilst his twin brother, Aeric Kaze , carried the burden of the sword.

Now, the sword had been shoved into his hands; a responsibility far too heavy for his young shoulders but one he could not shy away from. Sometimes, at night, regret tried to slither in his mind for calling Violet Horne , Viers Connory and Viera to join him following the Sword of the Jedi to the frontlines against the Sith. Violet and Viera were healers, something the galaxy needed but had little in supply; and yet he'd asked them to venture into the heart of darkness. Viers, on the other hand, burned with enthusiasm. The same reckless enthusiasm that had taken so many Jedi lives during this war.

Dagon remained standing as his thoughts continued to torment him.

Auteme Zaavik Perl Cotan Sar'andor Lucien Dooku

 

[Aldric]

Aldric nodded along. His heart hung heavy in his chest as the Jedi painted the picture of the Maw's methods. Cruelty was a blunt, yet effective tool in galactic conquest. The Padawan's recounting of his story only caused him more discomfort.

"You were very brave to take those burdens upon yourself, Padawan Dagon. This information could prove valuable in saving many lives," Aldric gave the man a nod in thanks, and, with the Force, pulled a chair to him should he wish to take it.

"Is this man, Cook, still alive? Do you know what happened to him?" He continued.

The Brotherhood was a threat the Jedi would need to face, but his own talents would scarcely be of use against them on the battlefield. That was the realm of the Order's warriors, who would know more of how to handle these threats face-to-face. But, perhaps, with the help of this survivor, Aldric could find better ways to handle the greater fallout on the GADF, Jedi, and the people who would find themselves eloping or being captured by the Alliance, who may wish to be helped.

Dagon Kaze Aaran Tafo Auteme Ryv Lucien Dooku Cotan Sar'andor Zaavik Perl​

 

[Dagon Kaze]

Dagon pursed his lips remaining gravely silent at the question for a moment, then he shook his head barely, "I--I do not know, Master. We barely made it out alive." he averted his eyes away, sighed and slumped exhausted on the offered chair.

"I think he is dead."

Aldric

 

[Ryv]

Ryv turned up a brow at the quick intro, a smile finding its way to his face. Auteme took to leadership slower than he did, but once she managed to overcome that confidence issue of hers, she proved to the galaxy why he'd kept faith in her all along. With a keen mind and bleeding heart, she embodied everything the Shield should have. If she were the calm, he was the storm. And no one wanted to deal with the kiffar once they'd exhausted even her near-endless patience. It never went over well.

Dagon's comment earned him a scowl from the Sword.

"Man, I'm busting my ass to get the southeastern residential quarters finished, on top of trying to get the second floor of the archives repaired. If you want the room clean, grab a mop and a broom, Aldric would probably love you for it," Ryv's scowl turned to a smile midway through the chiding as he nodded Aldric's way.

He fell silent once Aaran took the floor. Ryv knew little about the Maw. Aaran and Dagon had taken the lead on discovering what such a nefarious cult had in store for the galaxy. To say the kiffar hoped for something other than large-scale slavery and repeated genocides was an understatement. For once, it would've been nice for a like-minded group in the galaxy to appear and aid in the fight against the darkness. It had to be a side effect of evil in general. You shine a light on a shadow, it retreats. Once that light's gone, inky black swarms in from all sides, intent on drowning what remained of it in the first place.

"A lot like the Bryn'adul, huh?" he chimed in after the brief back and forth between the trio. "Seems like the situation isn't all that much different from the Sith Empire, either. When you're the good guys fighting the war, you wind up with the short end of the stick. I'm thinkin' we get in contact with REC or the Technoid Manufactorum and see if we can start developing some large scale stun tech or somethin' along those lines. We can't ask our boys not to fire on the enemy, but we can put a weapon in their hands that won't kill 'em."

Pushing himself to his feet, Ryv wandered over to the corner and grabbed another of the chairs. He carried it to Dagon, pulled it out, and set it in place before moving back to the head of the table. With both hands pressed into the table, he looked to the group.

"Alright, Dagon, if you think you're up for this, I'm not gonna get in your way. I want you to check-in regularly with Zaavik and Cotan. Since the Je'daii works the Outer Rim almost exclusively, he's bound to know someone out there who'll support you if necessary. Z," he looked to the zeltron. "Let's make sure we've got eyes on what's going on out there. Work some connections with the SIA if necessary. Aaran," his amber gaze shifted from the lithe Shadow to the brawny Guardian. "We're definitely shorthanded with the war. I want you to coordinate relief efforts with Tribunal Station. Between the judges and all the other spacer trash Cotan can dredge up, we're bound to have a sizeable fleet of good-hearted scoundrels willin' to help out. Maybe the Spacer Guild?"

Auteme and Aldric fell into Ryv's sights next.

"Auteme, the Senate needs to know what's goin' down out there. If the Alliance is gonna expand out west, they'll need to keep an eye on the situation. Aldric, you're up to bat on findin' out how we can bring these people back from the brink. The more folks we can save, the better," Ryv straightened. "Any discoveries need to find their way to Auteme and me ASAP."

Aaran Tafo | Aldric | Auteme | Cotan Sar'andor | Zaavik Perl | Dagon Kaze ​

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

Cotan very conspicuously ignored the droid in the corner, that he'd forgotten to come back and clean up after he'd last been training in the council chamber a couple weeks back. He also made sure to ignore the greasy feast arrayed before him on the table, other than a couple bags of Little Jabba's crazy bread that he'd snagged before anybody else could touch them; right now, instead, he was taking bites out of a pear as he listened to the deliberations going on before him. Now that Asha was back around, he couldn't afford to eat the fast food as often as he might have otherwise; no doubt, somehow, she'd know, and he'd be faced with some sort of disapproving look over not eating something more healthy.

"Might talk with the trade league," Cotan supplied, after Ryv finished outlining his plans. "I imagine it's what some of the old ex-OPA people have gone to, and they've gotten things set-up with the Judges. Same with this new iteration of the First Order—they're a bit easier to work with, and a bit less blaster-happy, than their predecessors. They'd have to head along the trailing edge of the rim to avoid the Eternal Empire, but they might be willing to help." He took a final bite, the last of the pear disappearing into his mouth.

"And the Judges, of course, but that's a given. I'll see if I can't get Jerec involved, have him pull in some of the people we went to Firefist with. I'll have somebody to meet with you and work things out at the station, Aaran, but other than staging that side of things there, if you're able to get anybody out of that cult, you'd best head for the border sectors immediately rather than trying to route all the way back around to the Kathol Rift. Other than that..."

He pulled out a stick of crazy bread, chewing on it thoughtfully for a moment. "I'll hop around a bit, talk to some of my generation—" the bit of sarcastic humour in the phrasing was unmistakable—"And see if I can't get their input and help with this, in their way. I already know they're coordinating some ideas for how to deal with the Bryn'adul, shouldn't take too much convincing to get them to help with this as well. Should at least give Aldric some extra hands."

Auteme Ryv Aaran Tafo Aldric Zaavik Perl Dagon Kaze ​

 

[Auteme]

Dagon Kaze Aaran Tafo Aldric Ryv Cotan Sar'andor | Zaavik Perl Lucien Dooku (??)
​

By the time she felt she needed to speak up again, she'd given up on the formality she'd been holding onto and just ate her grapes. The Senate lacked the unity of purpose and background that the Jedi had. They were different, yes, but sitting in a circle with people who genuinely wanted to collaborate made for a much better form of 'government'. The sharing of knowledge was already far better than the instant debate that arose whenever the Chancellor brought a new discussion to the table.

"There have been preliminary talks with a few worlds closer to the Unknown Regions," she said, not entirely comfortable with the mention of 'expansion'. Sounded awfully imperial. Ryv might've been right; Auteme didn't have to like it. The Alliance only worked with consent of member worlds. "But yes, I'll bring it up with the Chancellor when I can, speak to those who will listen."

A small sigh escaped her lips. "I'm not one to advocate interventionism, but in this case, it's clear that the Brotherhood of the Maw must be stopped, and quickly. Enslavement and genocide should never be tolerated." Her eyes wandered to Dagon and Aaran. Both of them had seen much. "Thank you both for bringing us this.

"As for gathering allies -- I have some rapport with the First Order; I've been a first point of contact a few times. Given my, ah, upcoming trip, a quick detour to Dosuun wouldn't be out of the question. I'll request the Chancellor's blessing to appeal for aid, then head to the First Order's capital, hopefully to speak with one of their leaders. They've done their best to stay neutral in galactic politics, but when it comes to an obvious threat, I'm sure we could garner some support, even if it's just in support personnel to help with the aftermath.

"Capturing their slave soldiers should be a priority -- Cotan, I think we should teach classes about the weaving we learned on Corellia. If we can apply the cocoon method, it'd make for rapid capture, and a way to extract them for rehabilitation at a later date. The Brotherhood, as has been said, seems undisciplined; I think giving everyone the tools to capture them should be near the top of our list."

She went back to her grapes.