Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Private The Reality of the Force - Alderaan

If you need a label for me, then you don't know me
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FAMILY TIES
ALDERAAN
SHADOW SANCTUARY





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The Shadow Sanctuary (Formerly Sanctuary Island) was quiet today. There were some instances of teachings and training, as well as the “coming and going” of several operatives. Omega Squad was here as well, they were running around the island, in full “heavy” gear, working on their “cardio”. Nature was showing just how beautiful it could be as the skies were a vibrant blue without so much as a cloud in sight.

Connel was walking what was an “obstacle course” but the obstacles were training droids that would pop out in attack positions. He was testing, and sharpening his reflexes as they moved through the course. The droids were programmed to simulate real-life combat scenarios, forcing Connel to react quickly and efficiently. His movements were fluid, showing the results of years of training and experience. The intense training session was designed to push his limits and ensure he was always prepared for any situation, just like they were meant to.

He did not normally train here, not anymore, but he missed it. Connel did not know why, but he was pulled back to this island, the island of his birth and where he grew up, for some reason.

 



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Location: Alderaan
Equipment: Jedi Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Marriage Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Connel Vanagor Connel Vanagor

Being back at Alderaan it felt strange..... mainly because Jax spent years as the planet's protector. But now the planet was a lot different from when he was last here. The Jedi Master observed Connel and Squad training, he'd been taking charge of the Hidden Path and in many ways Connel was just like his father: Catlin. A smile formed on Jax's lips as he approached the training area his robes billowing against the wind.

"Shadow Sanctuary feels so foreboding......" Jax mused. "Been a while Connell. Mind if I train with you and your troops?"



 
If you need a label for me, then you don't know me
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FAMILY TIES
ALDERAAN
SHADOW SANCTUARY





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Oh, Connel sensed him.

Jax Thio, “The Drunken Master” himself. Not so “Drunk” anymore, that was a good thing, family had a way of changing you for the better. Family. He didn’t know why, but Connel always seemed to forget that he and Jax were related, directly. Technically Connel was an “uncle” to him, but he looked at Jax like it the other way around, because to him that is the way it should be.

He didn’t need the Force to see where the Maverick was watching him from, he had changed so much since the last time they had seen each other. They both had. Jax wasn’t there for the wake, but did he need to be? It didn’t matter either way now.


Finally turning the Maverick’s way, Connel nodded, shooting blindly, but hitting a droid who might have had the drop on others. Master Jaxter. Never really something he had used as a nickname before, but meant to be just silly and endearing. It’s great to see you. Don’t mind the name, it was just a bit of a tribute to the Shadow Temple before the place was rebuilt. Offering a “bro hug”, he stepped over to face the Master.

Notice he hadn’t answered the question, just yet. You don’t have to ask, you’re a “Vanagor”... this place is just as much yours as mine or Mother’s. Motioning around the entire island, he cracked his neck, something Jax would definitely remember as being one of his father’s mannerisms.

I’m glad you’re here for another reason too… something I’ve been wanting to pick your brain on.

 



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Location: Alderaan
Equipment: Jedi Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Marriage Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Connel Vanagor Connel Vanagor

"I still haven't completed your training in the ways of the drunken swordsman," Jax chuckled. "I would love to continue but the Wine in Alderaan sucks. You might as well be drinking grape juice judging by how hard it is to get drunk."

Jax had a high tolerance for alcohol as well getting drunk was never easy, but Jax was never the one to give up. After all he did got drunk many times in his life including an incident with his first Padawan: Aveline Cuiléin Aveline Cuiléin where they both got drunk and somehow made it back to Jax's apartment. "I'm good with," Jax replied a grin spreading across his face. "Glad you're not like your father who would get all pissed whenever I call nicknames."

Caltin never liked being called Gramps. Oh how Jax missed his grumpy responses. "What do you need?" Jax asked taking off his robe. "Ask any question you want."



 
If you need a label for me, then you don't know me
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FAMILY TIES
ALDERAAN
SHADOW SANCTUARY





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Perhaps another time. He wasn’t keen on “Drunken” techniques, never really had the stomach for alcohol and while he had no qualms that Jax was not a drunkard, or trying to get him to be… meh.. I have a datadisk for you then. It was his style. I don’t know if he ever taught you, but…

Then when Jax mentioned the nicknames… Connel laughed… You should have heard what I used to call him. Walking over and behind a bar, he started making a couple of smoothies.

Don’t let me forget about that Datadisk, I also have something from him he wanted you to have as well. Anyway, my question… He sighed momentarily. I don’t know the whole story, and won’t press, but I know you have a connection to the Dark Side. How do you deal with it? You know that Chrysa, my mother, was once a Sith Lord. I’ve been learning more about it lately and frankly it feels to me like a “coward’s way out”.

I don’t like saying that around her, but she gave it all up for Father, I’ll never choose it… and I’ve had the opportunities to… but I want to learn why others do. Maybe it’s a defense for me, maybe it’s to keep others from doing so, I don’t know, but maybe it will help me come to terms with who I am, without simply being "Caltin Vanagor's son", you know?


 



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Location: Alderaan
Equipment: Jedi Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Marriage Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Connel Vanagor Connel Vanagor

"Datadisk?" Jax parroted. "I'll be sure to grab it then." Jax still hasn't gotten over Calitin's death. It was even more painful when Catlin's death was in vain since the Sith took over Courscant. Jax did his best to evacuate the civilians and off Sith Troopers but to bear witness to the fall of a faction which stood for centuries was harrowing. The Dark Side something that lay dormant in Jax for over a decade started to rise and take hold over Jax's heart. The Jedi Master though made sure to keep at bay through meditation and keeping a clear mind.

"The Dark Side is considered to be a quick fix route on the path to understanding," Jax said to Connel. "It comes whenever you're under emotional distress. Voices whisper in your ear promising great power if you give in to your anger and your hate."

Memories of Jax giving into the Dark Side started to flood in. He remembered wanting to protect Dreidi Xeraic Dreidi Xeraic from his father. The dark power was intoxicating and invigorating. For a moment..... Jax felt good..... But he only hurt himself and Dreidi falling right into Carnifex's trap. "The Dark Side it feels good," Jax said. "It's like taking a drug you feel good for the moment, but that's all it needs to grab hold of you."

The Jedi Master walked closer to Connel. "And it starts with fear and doubts," Jax continued. "The Dark Side preys on you when you're at your most vulnerable. To combat this, you need to know a little something called: Nosce te ipsum or know thyself."

Jax smiled. "If you know who you are then no darkness can grab of hold of you. Allow it to pass through you like a gentle stream. Dwelling on your doubts and fears trying to combat the dark will cause the darkness to taint you. Know yourself Connell and you'll be stronger for it. Your best friend and your worst enemy will always be yourself."


 
If you need a label for me, then you don't know me
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FAMILY TIES
ALDERAAN
SHADOW SANCTUARY





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BRAD, could you go grab the violet box in my quarters on the ship?.

Boo-EEEP [Translation: Glad to! I will be right back. Good to see you, Master Thio!]

As B4-40 “BRAD” rolled away happily, Connel listened to everything that Ja was saying about the Dark Side intently while finishing up the smoothies and offering one to him.

“I made the mistake so you don’t have to. I bled so you can recognize the wound.”

This was what he took from the conversation, for the most part. It was making the most sense because this is something father would say, as well as do. Because Jax isn’t giving him a lecture. He’s giving him a confession dressed up as advice, and Connel is smart enough to hear the subtext:

That is exactly what Caltin did for others too. Not by falling, but by carrying the weight so someone else could learn from it.

So yes—Connel saw his father in those words.

Not the style of Caltin (whose wisdom usually sounded like a hammer wearing a robe), but the ethic of Caltin. The sense that mastery isn’t about glow or slogans. It’s about clarity, honesty, and refusing to sell yourself a convenient lie.

And Connel definitely appreciated that Jax wasn’t romanticizing the Dark. He was treating it like something mundane, almost pathetic. A cheap chemical hit. A payday loan for the soul. You get the rush, and then you pay interest with your sanity.

Connel understands predators all too well. He understands manipulation. He understands traps. And he recognizes something important in Jax’s framing:

The Dark Side isn’t an enemy with fangs.
It’s a whisper with coupons.

One thing that Mother taught me about it is that… “The Dark can’t seduce someone who already understands their own breaking points.”

That, ironically, is what Connel has been chasing. He doesn’t want immunity. He wants literacy. He wants to walk into the Dark and understand its grammar so he can rewrite it.

Because Jax came back. Jax clawed upward through shame, regret, vulnerability, and self-deception. Someone like that has a credibility you cannot fake. Someone like that has proximity to the Dark that Connel can learn from safely.

Because Connel does not want the high. He wants the diagnosis.

I was wondering how I would bring this up, but I’m glad. The more a deep dive I do into all of this, and I have been through a lot already, the more I look at it differently. “It” being the Force itself, not the “Light” or “Dark”. He shrugged at it, and explained why. How he saw it all as “two sides to the same coin”, definitely aware that others had in the past. Not because he’s arrogant. Not because he’s jaded, but because he sees the whole binary as insecure.
If you need to scream your alignment, you’re not aligned.

Then out of nowhere, BRAD came rolling back happily, holding out the box with his extender. This is a datadisk of the fighting style father created. It’s called “Way of the Saber” and it’s something that would fit you perfectly. There are a few who he taught the first tier to, but this is all of them. Before you leave, I have his old armor for you. He wanted you to have that specifically.

 



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Location: Alderaan
Equipment: Jedi Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Marriage Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Connel Vanagor Connel Vanagor

"In some cases," Jax said. "You can use the dark side to your advantage without it ever tainting you. You can even use a person's against them generating something similar to a superconductor loop." The Jedi Master smiled remembering the Vaapaad lessons Cailtin instilled in him. He hadn't used the form in years, but Jax did apply the mentality to his Oneness ability warping it into something even more..... wild and potent but still maintained Jax's connection to the light.

"But that's more an advanced technique," Jax shrugged. "And it'll start after you Master yourself. It's the hardest you'll ever do in your life. You'll have doubts, your mind will present images and feelings that you'll never experience but if you stay the course and hold onto the things you care most, you'll become one with the Force."

Connel was full of questions and Jax wished he was there sooner to help guide him after Caltin died. But he was here now and Jax will do his best to help him to become a great Jedi. Hell, he was already a great Jedi but every Jedi even Grandmasters can be even better. "Just so you know," Jax said. "We all have darkness inside of us. Resisting it will only cause it to grow the real challenge is to accept that you have darkness but you won't allow it to take over you."

The Jedi Master then took the Holodisks from BRAD and looked it over. "Thanks," Jax said. "I've done some training over this with your father but I'll get a full comprehensive look when I get home. Also....." Jax looked over the armor. "Looks bulky, but I appreciate it. Your father always loved looking bigger than he already is."



 
If you need a label for me, then you don't know me
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FAMILY TIES
ALDERAAN
SHADOW SANCTUARY





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This sounds a LOT like what is on that datadisk. Caltin had taught Connel Vaapad as well, but most of his memories come from “Way of the Saber”, mainly because of what he does now. He wasn’t thinking, or really concerned about being manipulated. Connel never shied away from his faults, or fears, he owned them and wore them on his sleeve.

That was not an issue.

What was was, if you really want to call it that was his next question.

You fell, right? If you don’t mind my asking, how did it happen? It was not a fun, or insightful question to ask, but it was necessary to him.

I ask, because I’m curious how long it took you to realize and return to the Light side? I mean, I know it’s not the same for everyone, and I get everything you have said, but to me it’s a lot like an addiction. Father always taught me it is about our choices, but from what you said there is something else too that I am taking from this.

The specs of the armor, there was something that Jax missed on it. It is until you secure it all together, then it fits itself to you and your frame. It’s really weird when it does it, but it’s cool at the same time. Obviously Connel having done so in the past.

 



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Location: Alderaan
Equipment: Jedi Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Marriage Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Connel Vanagor Connel Vanagor

"Can't say I'm surprised," Jax chuckled. "Your father drew a lot from Vaapaad. It as well as Juyo is more about mentality rather than blade work. When me and your father fought using Vaapaad, our faces were calm but internally we were skirting on the edge of the Dark Side. Our minds were sometimes on the verge of implosion. One misstep and we would've lost ourselves to the Dark. That's why your father invented the Way of the Blade, to further perfect what was already presented."

And Jax spent years trying to find ways to accept the darkness within oneself and have it serve the light. The Jedi Master discovered a new form or rather state of mind that allowed Jax to use the Dark Side without falling to it. But it was very dangerous, and it skirted on being fully entuned with the Force. It was a form applying the principles of Vaapaad but from of a mental standpoint. The result was an awakening of a person's true potential but taking a person's darkness and having it be unleashed without surrendering made a Jedi untouchable to outside forces.

"About that......" Jax sighed. "This was back during the Great Hyperspace War. I was fighting alongside my stepdaughter: Dreidi Xeraic Dreidi Xeraic against Carnifex: My father. The fight didn't go well with us being beaten back at every turn but when Dreidi was hurt. The voices told me to surrender to the Dark Side. The quick and easy fix to the problem that was quickly unravelling."

Jax looked down. "I hated feeling weak," he said. "I hated seeing someone I cared about especially a family member get hurt and it was my fault. I unlocked the darkness that was inside of me. Ready to be unleashed. It flooded every part of my body. It felt good. But it was just what Carnifex wanted and he used my darkness to nearly kill me."

The Jedi Master gulped in the process. "The Force......" Jax said. "Left me that day and I went into exile for years before Dreidi dragged me back. Since then I never fully integrated back to the Alliance. War changed me in ways that I never anticipated. But now I've learned that while War is a terrible thing that should be avoided, as a Jedi I have to fight to protect the people I hold dear."

Jax nodded at Connel but it was more of a nod to himself. " Jairdain Ismet-Thio Jairdain Ismet-Thio doesn't like me going into battle." He said. "But I spent decades away from the Galaxy. And it changed for the worse. Our order has been broken and scattered, and the darkness has once again plagued the Galaxy. I must answer the call. I spent too long running."



 
If you need a label for me, then you don't know me
It was still hard for Jax to speak about his fall. Connel didn't judge him for it; that was part of a man finding his way back, and Connel respected a climb more than a boast. I get that. You went through a lot. Carnifex is your father though? That's… wow.

No accusation. Just genuine surprise at a life lived under a shadow most never escaped.

Suddenly, the perimeter alarm shrieked across the Sanctuary and Connel's jaw tightened—not because someone failed, but because it meant the worst was at the door. Thats the Perimeter alarm.

He turned back to Jax as he checked gear with one hand and drew the mask into the other, Omega Squad could be heard on comms calling positions. There are civilians here. Younglings. Sorry to cut this short.

He dropped the mask over his head just as Omega Squad's voices filled the air, calling bearings and contact points. Across the Sanctuary, Jedi sprinted to the disturbance while others began evacuations. If Jax was paying attention, he'd see the shift hit Connel hard and fast: posture tightening, voice flattening, decisions stacking in real time.

The aura didn't change.

The man did.

If you want in, good. If not, get clear, no shame. Connel already knew what Jax would do, but he still had to make the offer. He thumbed the ignition on Day and spotted two Padawans already rushing toward him—too eager, too green, but their hearts were pointed the right direction.

This house and the compound around it are your choke point for evacuees," he said, already moving. "Knight Bucket holds tactical authority here. Get people below ground into the lower halls. Keep them calm. If we have to evac off-island, they'll be the first up.

"We want to help!" the human girl blurted, full of fire.

"What are you going to do, Master?" the Weequay boy asked, eyes wide.

Connel didn't slow at first, but stopped suddenly and squatted to their level. Listen. Don't go hunting fights. You fight only if you're forced to. Right now, those civilians are your mission. Their safety is on you. This isn't busy work. You wouldn't be here if you weren't capable. Everyone has a role. This one is yours. Who does he sound like right now?

"We won't let you down."

Connel paused just long enough to meet their eyes from behind the visor.

You can't.

Then he turned toward the gunfire. Ariel was moving.
 



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Location: Alderaan
Equipment: Jedi Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Marriage Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Connel Vanagor Connel Vanagor

Connel was the first person outside of Jair, Caitlin Valery and Dreidi to know that Carnifex was his father. Jax was surprised that Caltin never told him but knowing Caitlin, he'd probably decided that it was Jax's story to tell and not his. Jax sensed a disturbance in the Force before the alarm went off. A smirk formed on Jax's lips as Connel's people informed him of the situation. "The more the merrier," Jax replied. "I sense a lot of genocidal maniacs with a side of self-righteousness on our doorstep. In other words Imperials."

When one is entuned with the Force, they tend to feel certain habits that people do. "Let's throw out the red carpet, shall we?" Jax nodded at Connel unclipping his Lightsaber. "Time to boogie."



 
If you need a label for me, then you don't know me
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FAMILY TIES
ALDERAAN
SHADOW SANCTUARY





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Connel wasn’t ignoring Jax. He was parsing Omega Squad chatter and mapping the terrain while he moved.

[Reaper launching.]

[Keep a firing solution when available but to surveillance.]

SERAPHIM and “Michael” ran the tactical exchange—extra eyes, extra angles. Two hostile teams on Sanctuary: one sniper element and one Sweeper unit clearing ground for a forward base. That alone put a blade behind Connel’s eyes.

Sweepers are mine. Not because he was leaving Jax the easy work. Because Sweepers meant territory. Territory meant civilians. This was his home island—childhood stones, old footpaths, the last quiet left in his world. And someone decided to put boots on it.
Eight personnel. Seven operators and one Dark-Side Elite. An Imperial answer to Omega Squad, if someone in their chain actually understood what Omega was.

They thought they were stalking a Padawan escorting civilian groundskeepers toward safety. Connel watched long enough to confirm vectors and spacing. Then he set the terms.

“Kill them all!” Yelled out the Elite.

You’re first… Connel’s answer came from above.
He dropped behind the rearmost trooper and drove Day into the weapon-shoulder, pivoted through the next man’s chest, drew a lightknife and buried it in a third. One more step, Day punched into an abdomen. Another knife flicked toward the Elite; he dodged, but the blade stapled the shoulder of the trooper behind him.

No speeches. No posturing. Just work.



“You are going to pay for these mistakes!” The Elite snarled. His blood Orange blade burning the air.

Not by you…
Moments later it was only the two of them. The Elite was dangerous—multiple forms, lethal confidence, used to carving through Jedi who thought footwork was enough.

But he wasn’t a weapons master. He wasn’t a Shadow. He wasn’t a Vanagor.

Caltin might have lectured him mid-combat—taught a principle, offered a chance, shaped the boy while breaking him. Connel didn’t extend the courtesy. He let the Elite advance, slapped away attacks that should have maimed lesser Jedi, and waited for the moment when irritation outweighed curiosity.

I’m done with you…
It wasn’t effortless. The man had teeth. But he couldn’t penetrate the guard, couldn’t shift Connel’s balance, couldn’t make him care. The only thing he managed to crack was Connel’s patience.

The cost was terminal.

Somewhere behind them, Jax finished the sniper element.

Now there was room for the next problem.


 



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Location: Alderaan
Equipment: Jedi Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Marriage Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Connel Vanagor Connel Vanagor


"What do you see Sagra?" Two Imperial Sniper units comprised of two overlooked the area where the Jedi engaged with Imperial forces. "A mix of Jedi and what appears to be kids." Sagra said. "They're not in position yet Rampar."

"Roger that," Rampar remarked. "All teams surround the perimeter. Make sure to secure all angles, I want no one to escape."

"Watcha lookin at?!"

"Huh?!" Sagra turned around the last thing he saw was a blue blade slashing through his helmet. Before Rampar could pull out his Blaster Pistol, the blade twirled around in the air before sinking into his wrist. Rampar screamed in pain separating his arm from his hand before Jax put him out of his misery with a decapitation.

Jax turned seeing the second Imperial Sniper unit attempting to fire. With a wave of his hand, the cliff beneath them collapsed and they fell screaming to the ground below. "It's clear!" Jax shouted at Connel. "High ground secure!"


 
If you need a label for me, then you don't know me
VVVDHjr.png
FAMILY TIES
ALDERAAN
SHADOW SANCTUARY





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Did he just crumble a cliffside to get that sniper? Savage!

Connel had barely took a breath when he saw what happened. Not that the Shadow had time to think about it, or even ask, there were too many Imperials on this island.

They’re going to try for the signal jammer in the middle of the island. We should head there! The jammer was there for this very instance, so that those who were on this island that were not supposed to be, would not be able to get a message out to their brethren. This was the last ditch defense of the Sanctuary’s anonymity. Those who were welcome, were here using the encryption network, they were fine. There were also measures in place to keep someone from illegally obtaining a device.

Everything pointed to the jammer, and that was their target of defense.

More civilians were running frantically, until they saw Connel, who pointed to the main house. GO! Get going. We’ll keep you safe. The civilians rushed toward the main house, their fear evident in their hurried steps. Connel saw that his team had taken up defensive positions, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger and taking out anything in sight with Imperial sigils.

When they were getting close to the Jammer, another Knight pointed out several different teams holding positions while a tech team was trying to slice into the power converter that sent energy directly into the device. They could not just destroy the huge device, that would give away their position, and possibly bring Alderaan defenses down on them. They were smart enough to know this.

They were not smart enough to know who was there.

Master’s Choice of targets. Connel grabbed his other shortsaber… one in each hand now.

 

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