Faction The Sword Returns | The Jedi Order

[Novac Lyrikal]

outfit: this one ttags: Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Lorn Reingard Connel Vanagor Lily Decoria Zark San Tekka Rik Perris Colette Briana Sal-Soren Ilaria Morvayne Aiden Porte Ala Quin Feng Huang Corazona von Ascania

Novac had arrived a little late but heard everything that was said nonetheless. When he arrived he gave a little nod to corazona.

A crusade, thats what this was. novac had been there when the sith attacked the new cov temple and had gone to dromund kaas despite orders not to. For a moment he just stood there until he finally spoke.

"I'm with corazona, I'd like to hear specifics before i make a choice on his. However, I understand why you'd want to do this. I've seen the extremes of what they do such as dromund kaas. But I refuse to believe we should abandon redemption. I know there are at least a few out there who can be and deserve to be redeemed. What kind of jedi would we be to kill those who could be better? I will kill those who refuse redemption of course. I'll gladly fight to protect those the sith prey on any day. But what your suggesting is to close to what the sith themselves do. I may not follow the order as closely as most but this may be to much.

 

[Colette]

@everyone-holy-crap-there-is-too-many

One poor point was all it took for a good point to turn sour, but two of them made for a disaster. Was this the person they had agreed to send to Quinn’s office or the monster born from it? If this was the energy brought to that embassy then it had only been a matter of time before something like it would have happened in the first place.

Colette’s teeth gritted and gnashed, her tongue pressed against the back of her teeth to keep from speaking up just yet. And thankfully she didn’t have to. The avalanche of reactions started with Connel whose points she could agree with. Lily who provided an apt comparison. Briana who knew the stakes.

Corazona tried to steer it in another direction but the conversation continued along the same track.

Colette herself had no prior experience with Rik, but she knew one of his brothers. She heard his voice and the words they were uttering. It was like listening to the softer version of the argument that had led to her separation with Reina. It asked the same questions that Colette had staunchly refused to consider then and hesitated to think of now.

“You don’t need the Force to ‘sense’ that this brings you closer to the dark.” Colette let out an exasperated sigh. “The idea of this ‘Vanguard’ is seemingly already built on a pillar of hate, and I won’t do a retelling of Master Yoda’s old words of wisdom.”

“So fuck all this talk about redemption or not, it’s not even relevant yet. I was there when we spoke with the chancellor, and this isn’t just about the Sith either.” The quartermaster crossed her arms. “If you attack the Sith Order, you’re attacking the Mandalorian Empire, potentially opening up a third front for the Republic to fend off. They’ve already stationed troops at the border because of our last transgression.”

“If you have somehow managed to find a way to get around that and simply not shared it with the rest of us, Lorn, I would be more than happy to hear it.”

 

[Zark San Tekka]

Lorn Reingard et al.

"Once you start down the dark path, it will forever dominate your destiny."

Master San Tekka's distorted voice cut through the murmurs of dissent.

"Master Yoda's words of wisdom," he explained, glowing eye lenses coming to a rest upon Colette before the Jedi Master continued, "As for Mandalore, to which transgression do you refer? Questions the Council sent us to ask. They have stationed troops at the Republic's border because they are servants of the darkside."

He looked around at the gathered Jedi. Some were driven by anger to support Lorn, others by fear of desecrating the Code to reject his uncompromising stance.

"How many more worlds must burn?" there was a hint of frustration in Zark's voice now, "How many more temples? We are at war with the Sith. We have always been at war with the Sith. Abandoning that fight to preserve the Republic is a false hope. It is not the Jedi way to determine who can be protected by where they live on a starchart."

 

[Colette]

"It is not the Jedi way to determine who can be protected by where they live on a starchart."

"But it is the Jedi way to determine who deserves to die and who doesn't?" Colette fired back.

Zark San Tekka

 

[Novac Lyrikal]

Sighing novac spoke once more, "Overall what this vanguard is meant for is something I can fully support. Its something we need. How often is it that the sith strike first? We are being hunted down yes. We need to fight back and protect not only ourselves but everyone else the sith attack yes. But if we kill without mercy, without much thougt whats the difference between us and them? I always thought it wasn't just like a line in the ground. Hop over and your a sith, it's a large grey area between the light and the dark. So how far your going to go in that grey area is what I'm wondering. Because I'll go only so far. It can only go so far."

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

​

A lone starfighter set down just in time for the meeting to start. Aveline didn't know Lorn. She wasn't sure she knew anyone anymore. Being trapped in carbonite while your Order burned would do that to you. The transmission found her by will of the Force alone. The new X-Wing she was flying must've belonged to a NJO Jedi. She wondered if she had known who it was. Dead now, probably.

After being brought back, after the fall of Prosperity, her thoughts had been dominated by what she could do. The task was too large for her alone. She could barely keep her fury bottled down. She couldn't understand that not more had been done. This meeting, while a step in the right direction, was the bare minimum. It had come much too late.

The figure draped in the traditional brown and beige Jedi robes and tunics walked with the confidence of a Knight. Weirdly she almost felt like one. Yet Aveline was still a Padawan. After the fall of the Galactic Alliance and the New Jedi Order, there was no one around to knight her. Padawan to an order that did not exist.

In the crowd, there was only Sakadi Marathi Sinvala she recognised. She sent a gentle nudge through the Force, an acknowledgement, a nod of familiarity. Aveline stayed in the back for most of the discussion, hearing out the various speakers. Then she took a step forward, knowing she held neither rank nor authority here, unknowing who would care to listen.

"The Sith have been given too much time, too much freedom. While we deliberate, worlds burn." Aveline let her voice be added to the discussion. "If one seeks redemption, I will offer my hand. But I can't wait for every butcher to find their conscience."

"The darkness has spread because we have allowed it room to spread. We need to push back. Not out of vengeance or hatred, but responsibility. The people of this galaxy need protectors, not spectators. If we are to be the light, we must do more than endure the darkness, we must confront it."

Aveline had no interest in asking what could be done to save the Sith. She felt strongly that their time was better spent asking what can be done to save everyone else.

"I have compassion. But my compassion belongs to those who are suffering now, those who will be killed tomorrow. I need to prioritize them, before I check to see if I have read each Sith their rights, and given them a second, a third, and a fourth chance to turn." To redeem a Sith wasn't done in one hour either. It was a question of effective usage of time. And every one that was given the chance to crawl back home, was potentially another serial killer set loose.

"They made their choice. This is mine." and those who were innocent were given no choice at all.

She hoped this would mark the beginning of a greater effort against the Sith. If their goals didn't align, well… Aveline was already alone. A Jedi without an order. She could continue her own path.

This was her purpose now. To fight and die for the light. There was nothing else left for her. The galaxy could not afford the hesitation of the Jedi any longer.

 

[William Thule]

The Baron of Druckenwell, Jedi Master William Thule, had remained silent throughout the deliberations.

He wore the black robes of a Jedi, but also the black overcoat of his state of office on Druckenwell, the symbol of the world embroidered on the back.

Dark eyes looked to Andromeda Demir and he gave a small, tight smile.

These were hard times. Had been hard times for a while. Decisions needed to be made.

William stood.

“The Sith must be brought to justice. I stand with Master San Tekka.”

 

[Renard Fenn]

Jedi Knight Fenn hated war.

He hated to see what it did to families, to people, to entire planets. No matter how moral one fought, or how many rules there were in place to prevent it, it was inevitable that innocents would be lost.

His heart was heavy as he heard his fellow Jedi call so eagerly for conflict, but in truth how could they simply stand by while Sith continued to enslave and commit mass atrocities throughout the Galaxy?

And who else would stop the Sith? The Mandalorian Empire? Were they not the same ones crucifying people on public broadcasts?

No….

Ren’s ears twitched.

Here I am.

Send me.

 

[Kaleleon]

The discussion had gone in circles long enough that I found myself listening more than speaking. Questions of war, duty, responsibility, and whether action itself risked leading someone toward darkness passed back and forth between those gathered. None of them were simple questions. They never had been. Part of me wished they were. It would have made things easier. Easier to know when to act. Easier to know when restraint was the correct answer. Easier to know when a line had finally been crossed.

I had spent years trying to avoid violence wherever possible. Years learning that drawing a lightsaber often meant a conversation had already failed somewhere much earlier. That was part of why Form Zero had become so important to me. Not because I disliked fighting, but because I understood what fighting cost. Every person had a story. Every person had reasons for becoming who they were. Every person had the capacity to become something better than they had been before.

I still believed that.

I always would.

The Sith were not born Sith. The Mandalorians were not born warriors. People became who they were through choices, experiences, pain, fear, hope, loss, love, and countless other things that shaped a life. I had spent enough time studying both Jedi and Sith teachings to understand that people rarely chose darkness because it was simple. More often they chose it because it offered answers. Answers to grief. Answers to anger. Answers to fear. The problem was that easy answers rarely solved difficult problems. They only convinced people they had.

That was why I refused to believe redemption was impossible. I had seen too many people change when given the opportunity. I had seen people become better than their worst moments. I had seen people sacrifice parts of themselves to become someone new.

But redemption could not be forced.

That was the part people often forgot.

You could offer mercy. You could offer understanding. You could offer another path forward. Eventually the person standing in front of you had to decide what they were going to do with it. The choice was theirs. It always had been.

"The Jedi do not decide who lives and who dies."

My voice remained calm when I finally spoke, though the words carried more weight than I intended.

"We don't choose who becomes Sith. We don't choose who embraces darkness. We don't choose who accepts redemption either. What we do is offer the opportunity. We offer mercy. We offer another way forward."

My gaze shifted between those gathered around the room before continuing.

"There are times when staying our hand is the right answer. There are times when patience matters more than action. There are times when de-escalation saves more lives than drawing a weapon ever could."

I paused for a moment.

"This doesn't feel like one of those times."

The admission sat heavily in my chest because I wanted another answer. I wanted a path where nobody had to suffer. A path where every enemy could be talked down and every conflict could end peacefully. The galaxy had taught me repeatedly that such things were possible.

It had also taught me they were not always enough.

"Our duty is to protect life."

Not governments. Not institutions. Not ideology. Life.

"If someone is willing to turn back, then we help them. If someone is willing to choose something better, then we stand beside them while they do. But if they refuse every chance they've been given and continue harming others, our responsibility doesn't disappear simply because acting is uncomfortable."

My hands folded loosely in front of me.

"If we know innocent people are going to suffer and we do nothing because we are afraid action might compromise our principles, then we are not choosing peace. We are choosing inaction."

A slow breath left my lungs as I shook my head.

"That doesn't mean we stop believing in redemption. It doesn't mean we stop offering mercy. It doesn't mean we stop trying to save people whenever we can. It means we remember that protecting the innocent is not separate from those beliefs. It is one of the reasons those beliefs exist in the first place."

The room felt quieter afterward. Maybe because I knew exactly how much I disliked what I was saying. Maybe because part of me still hoped someone else would present a better answer. Or maybe because, despite everything I believed about mercy, sacrifice, and redemption, I could not ignore the reality of what the Sith Covenant and Sith Order continued to do to the galaxy around them.

| Lorn Reingard | Renard Fenn | William Thule | Aveline Cuiléin | Novac Lyrikal | Colette | Zark San Tekka | Sakadi Marathi Sinvala | Connel Vanagor | Lily Decoria | Rik Perris | Briana Sal-Soren | Ilaria Morvayne | Aiden Porte | Ala Quin | Feng Huang | Corazona von Ascania |

 

[Katherine Holt]

​

She hadn’t hesitated to answer Lorn’s summons, the encrypted message finding her at a time when she was already near Naboo. But once there, the winged Jedi had kept quiet, remaining towards the back of the assembled Jedi, trying to keep herself ‘out of sight’ as it were despite her towering stature.

The matter and topics being brought up mostly felt like a case of a deja vu, furthering Katherine’s desire to not make her voice known. Many in attendance already knew her stance on the topics in question. What she did want to know however, was the minds of the others in attendance, especially those she was not familiar with.

But there was a particular topic that she wanted to address, one that Colette had touched upon. Something that wasn’t outright being addressed, maybe because it was an obvious matter in everyone’s minds. Nonetheless, it was something Katherine wanted to put her voice to.

“Conflict with the Mandalorian Empire is an inevitability, was likely always one since the very inception of the pact between them and the Sith Order. It was likely a big part in why the Sith brokered an alliance, as it would mean any potential attackers would have to strike at them with the knowledge it would ignite a conflict on two fronts.”

Katherine paused as she looked around at those in attendance. It had only been that long ago; during her Padawan years, that she had been fighting against a group of Mandalorians.

“To the Sith, the Mandalorians are acting as a deterrent to factions like the Republic, forcing them to pause any action against, all the while they can commit atrocities such as the ones Knight Perris spoke of.” That was at least Katherine’s view on the matter, though she did suspect there were potentially more intricacies to the union.

“Unless…we can find a way to disrupt that alliance, if not outright sever it.”

Lorn Reingard | Connel Vanagor | Corazona von Ascania | Sakadi Marathi Sinvala | Rik Perris | Aiden Porte | Colette | Briana Sal-Soren | Zark San Tekka | Lily Decoria | Rik Perris | Feng Huang | Ala Quin | Ilaria Morvayne | Novac Lyrikal | Aveline Cuiléin | William Thule | Renard Fenn | Kaleleon​

 

[Sera Rosh]

SPARROW
SHIRAYA'S REST | NABOO
TAG: Everyone

FROM THE ASHES​

"Let's hear him out, Dobs, kay?"

Dobby chirped from where he was rolling alongside her as they approached the base. As always, Sera had been everywhere except at one specific congregation of Jedi, choosing to rather bring the Light of the Jedi to the furthest reaches of the Galaxy instead of bickering.

But given the nature of the summons, the Sparrow figured she'd perch long enough to listen.

And what a discussion it was.

Sera and Dobby stayed in the back, keeping silent for now and listening. So many speaking their thoughts. This was why she remained a nomadic Jedi - so many deliberations and so little action.

Dobby warbled quietly next to her.
"I don't know buddy. It's not like he's asking them to forsake the Light, but action is needed all the same." she whispered back at the droid. Then she straightened and looked at Lorn Reingard .

"You have my saber at least. I have no need of what-ifs. While we debate politics and methods, people suffer and worlds burn."

 

[Lorn Reingard]

Spoiler: Click Me

This Vanguard storyline is a narrative piece for the greater whole of the Jedi Order, their conflicts against TSO and TSC, and to better facilitate internal conflicts between Jedi and the Republic. These will be small scale stories that will coincide with what we want to flow within THR. It will be more of a crusader type group, but again this is just a narrative piece. This is not meant to be used to play war games on the map without a story. This is purely a way to construct a more proactive approach on a light side faction.

Small stuff to work for our faction. I am committed to collaborative storytelling with everyone on the board. If thats not your jam, that is fine. Just trying to be transparent with it.

Connel Vanagor | Corazona von Ascania | Sakadi Marathi Sinvala | Rik Perris | Aiden Porte | Colette | Briana Sal-Soren | Zark San Tekka | Lily Decoria | Feng Huang | Ala Quin | Ilaria Morvayne | Novac Lyrikal | Aveline Cuiléin | William Thule | Renard Fenn | Kaleleon | Sera Rosh

No Rush on this guys, i'll allow the weekend for everyone to respond. I'll work on another response the first few days next week.

Arguments and conflicting ideologies clashed fiercely within the small courtyard. Jedi after Jedi offered opinions on the Force, the Republic, and the moral boundaries of warfare, a chaotic scene Lorn had witnessed far too many times with the Foundation, the Lightsworn, and the Jedi Order. Everyone demanded to be heard. They spoke incessantly, validating their fears, raising political obstacles, and in the case of the young Padawan, even weeping over the harsh realities of the galaxy.

Movement near the iron gates caught Lorn's eye. Ala had arrived, breathless and clad in simple training robes. Meeting her gaze across the crowded space, he saw the deep concern and silent pleading in her eyes. He knew exactly what she would say, and he knew she would never approve of this path. Yet, this campaign had to happen. The galaxy needed it. Ala needed it, even if she couldn't see that this brutal crusade was the only way to preserve the peaceful Sanctuary she was building.

Turning away from her, Lorn looked back at the bickering assembly. The endless shouting grated on his nerves.

"Quiet!" Lorn barked.

The command echoed off the crumbling walls, finally bringing a sudden, heavy silence to the courtyard. Taking a deep breath to settle his rising frustration, he looked out over the faces of his peers. They seemed content to debate theology while worlds burned and populations suffered behind the Black Wall, their abstract sense of morality entirely eclipsing practical survival.

"Nobody is asking you to become mindless butchers," Lorn said, his tone dropping to a steady, resonant growl. "What Knight Perris and Knight Sal-Soren said is true. We will offer redemption whenever the opportunity truly presents itself. Nobody expects you to cut down a surrendered Sith begging for mercy. I, too, want to see those lost to the dark brought back to the Light."

Gesturing directly toward Corazona, Lorn focused his attention on the Ukatian veteran.

"Knight von Ascania, I know your brother. I have met him," Lorn stated openly. "He is a good kid. I still believe he can be brought back to the Light, and you will have my personal assistance in doing so. That is my promise to you."

Stepping down from the stone platform, Lorn walked back into the sand to bring himself to eye level with the group. He raised a single finger, his expression hardening.

"But those who are fully entrenched in the dark side will meet only our blades," Lorn warned. "Tyrants marching through the streets of Theed while we watch, Dark Councilors sharing meals with those of our own, and abominations who want nothing more than to see civilization burn. They have made their choice."

Pacing slowly along the frontline of the assembly, Lorn let his footsteps heavy in the dirt.

"The purpose of this Vanguard is liberation," Lorn continued, gesturing out toward the horizon. "We are going to free those stranded underneath the oppressive weight of the Sith and bring light back into a galaxy that grows dimmer by the hour. While you sit here debating whether this crusade sits well in your stomachs, trillions suffer behind the Black Wall and across the Core."

Stopping his stride, Lorn turned sharply to face the critics.

"You would honestly debate whether an attacking Dark Lord is worth saving over the millions of innocents he has tortured and slaughtered?" Lorn shook his head, turning briefly to Rik and Briana before facing the crowd once more. "For what? To keep your hands clean?"

Extending an arm toward the open gate of the courtyard, Lorn offered a clear, final ultimatum. "There is the door," Lorn said flatly. "Nobody is forcing you to remain here. This is not a sanctioned, official act of the Jedi Order. You are entirely free to go back to your temples, teach your classes, and prepare the next generation for the peace we intend to buy with our blood today."

He let his gaze linger on those skeptics.

"Go back and teach the younglings about the dangerous extremes of the Vanguard," Lorn challenged quietly. "Tell them it must never be repeated. I encourage you to do so! But we are standing in these sands today so that the next generation will never have to face these horrors. We will fight the monsters now so they can do what Jedi are actually meant to do: preserve the Light."

 

[Connel Vanagor]

RECKONING
SHIRAYA’S REST
NABOO

Omega Squad Every Day Gear Locations

• Michael, Gabriel, Raguel, Raphael, Jeremiel, Connel
  [Any text in brackets signifies comm-link usage and not face to face conversation]
• 
  Rides
  
  • "Enterprise" Station Ship
  • Vigilant Reaper
  • Null Vector
  • Speederbike
  • Iron Psalm
  Gear/Armor
  
  
  • Gear(“Bodycam” Datapad, UAD Drone, link to Seraphim AI included)
  • Lightblaster
  • Shortsabers (“Night” and “Day”)
  • 5 Throwing Lightknives
  • 3 Force Blinding Flashbangs
  • RI-17 Rifle-w-MS-0412 Grenade Launcher
  SURGICAL - CRYBERNETIC IMPLANTS
  
  • Repli Implants that would be for the limbs
  • Bonemer enhancements to strengthen structure of the body
  • Muscle enhancements.
  • Hemo enhancements for blood flow
  • Hawkeye implants for eyes
  • Advanced Medical Implant
  • Scentzy
  • Injected Nanotech upgrades
  
  
  
• Shadow Sanctuary - Enterprise

The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

Connel stood back and listened.

He listened to the justifications for war. To the stories of injustice. To grief wrapped in conviction, anger dressed as duty. More than words mattered. Tone. Cadence. The pauses between declarations. The way some voices sharpened when they spoke of finally pushing back.

That was what troubled him most.

Not the willingness to fight. Connel Vanagor was no pacifist. He had gone into the field so others would not have to. He had stepped into dark places, hunted monsters, killed when there was no other choice, and carried the consequences afterward. He understood the need for a sword.

What he heard now was something else.

I came here to see if the Vanguard needed a sword. Not to watch Jedi ask permission to become knives.

That sat cold in his chest. Redemption had become an inconvenience. A pretty idea to honor in theory, then discard when the work became difficult. Guardians of peace and justice were speaking as though mercy was a luxury the galaxy could no longer afford.

For Carnifex? Solipsis? Prazutis? Fine.

Connel was not naïve. Some monsters had been offered the hand so many times that all they knew how to do was bite it. But all Sith? Every acolyte? Every frightened apprentice? Every soldier born under the wrong banner? Every broken soul never shown another road? That was not justice.

That was convenience.

For years, Connel had believed himself unworthy of the title Jedi because of what he had done, and what he was still willing to do. This was no crusade to him. This was the mud left after desperate people prayed for rain. He held no illusions about the ugliness of the work.

But he knew the road.

He knew its weight.

And too many here spoke as though they had only just discovered how clean a blade could look before it was used. Intentions were not enough. Good reasons did not make a dark path bright. The road to Mustafar was paved with good intentions and lit by people who swore they were saving the galaxy.

Perhaps it was best his mask was on. Best that his expression stayed hidden. He had not come to judge them. He had come because the call had gone out, because Jedi were gathering, because if there was to be a Vanguard, someone needed to know what shape it meant to take.

Maybe it was good that he was not truly one of them. Not Vanguard. Not Council. Barely even Order. There were others who seemed to understand the danger. Lily. Aiden. Cora. Colette. Novac. Feng, despite being young enough that too many here might mistake her fear for weakness instead of wisdom.

Maybe that mattered.

Maybe it was no coincidence that those who had stood in the ruin of Coruscant understood that survival and righteousness were not the same thing.

Connel’s visor shifted slowly across the gathered Jedi. The Sith believe peace is weakness. His voice was calm. That made it worse. Everyone here knows they are wrong.

He let the words settle into the old stone.

If that is what we are beginning to believe too, then tell me where the difference is. He looked toward those most eager for open battle, for hard choices, for what had to be done. Standing between the horde and the village was one thing. What he sensed here was something else. Duty was one thing.

Hunger was another.

... I’ll wait. The silence that followed was not empty. Connel did not reach for anger. He did not need it. Anger was loud. This required clarity.

His visor shifted toward Lorn.

I believe you mean every word, and for the right reasons. Your intention is for the best, I have no doubt. He paused. That is what worries me, what your thoughts have inspired to some gathered.

His hands moved to the weapons at his sides. Not drawing. Not threatening. Simply acknowledging the truth of what he was. Just like I meant it when I said I am built for this kind of work. I can fight in the dark. I can hunt. I can kill if there is no other choice.

For a moment, the memory of Caltin Vanagor felt heavier than any weapon Connel carried.

My father taught me that redemption is never out of reach. You just have to reach for it. His head tilted faintly. That does not mean everyone takes the hand. Some will spit on it. Some will try to cut it off. Some will use the offer to hurt more people. Then we stop them.

He looked around again.

But the offer matters. The line matters. Because once we decide the line is inconvenient, we are not defending the Light anymore. We are negotiating with our own darkness and calling the terms strategic. He held another pause.

Longer this time.

I am not afraid to fight. His voice lowered. I am afraid some of you are no longer afraid of what fighting can make you. Connel looked back to Lorn one last time.

For the longest time, I thought I did not deserve to call myself a Jedi. Maybe I still do not. But if I have to argue basic moral boundaries in a room full of Jedi, then the room has already told me what it is.

He gave a small nod. Not contempt. Not anger. Something sadder.

Recognition.

And there is no need to wonder anymore.

Connel turned.

I don’t belong here. Then he walked away. Slowly. No flourish. No challenge. No final look over his shoulder.

He had heard enough.

Lorn Reingard et all
Personal Effects - Omega Squad Loadouts​

 

[Aiden Porte]

Fair enough, majority of what was asked, was answered. Almost...

Unfortunately...

"I cannot make a declaration until the Council informs me of the decision regarding my matter. You know my comms."

However long that would take, Aiden would be there. At the very least, to give decent advice if he was asked.

"May the force be with you all."

The Jedi knight gave a small smile and nod to those in the area and left.

 

[Colette]

@not-interacting-directly-with-anyone

Quiet was an apt word for this part of the gathering. It pressed its way through the crowd with a sense of finality before the murmurs of justification returned. Colette listened and she watched as some got ready to leave. A few of whom were more vocal than others.

Naturally she would also have left too if not for the fact that leaving now was exactly the wrong time to do so. Instead she scurried off like a persistent rat and took a seat. The shuffle of her bag was unmistakable, the way her eyes scanned the crowd repetitive. For each lift of her eyes, something was scribbled onto the surface of her screen: the names she recognized in the crowd.

She paused for a moment, and paused on the names of those she knew had worked under her in the inventory and struck them from the list before composing a new message for the few who handled inventory. Any present individuals deliberately excluded.

Code White: all hands on deck for a complete inventory recount. Report to Quartermaster Noble at 530 hours tomorrow. Caf will be present for those who partake.

After that the note-taking continued.

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

They were united in cause.

But not in direction.

That much became clear as the debate slid from strategy into redemption. A mild frustration stirred in her. Jow could they anchor themselves to one person's words, when it was the ideal under discussion?

People could be guided by wisdom. It was the task of the venerable among them to hold extremism in check.

Her eyes moved to Corazona von Ascania . Then to Briana Sal-Soren . What would they do?

Sakadi gave no outward reaction to Lorn's appeal for silence beyond a brief closing of her eyes. His words were both clarifying and divisive.

And division was the last thing they needed, these already fractured Jedi Knights, scattered across a broken galaxy.

She stood rigidly, expression hard as stone, watching Rik Perris , Zark San Tekka , and Lorn Reingard . They were not her methods. Not her words, nor her friends.

But there were whole civilisations being ground down under the Sith, crying out for something to change. War would come again. Worlds would break again. And what frightened her was knowing that was still the future with the least pain in it.

That grim conviction was not widely shared.

Connel Vanagor left. That didn't surprise her, she assumed that was what Caltin would have done. He simply took after his father. Another made the respectful choice to await their council's word; she gave a small nod. Perhaps that was the wisest course for those who still had a council to defer to. The woman she'd initially found brash had drawn back to the side of the room, bent over her holopad, eyes lifting to a new face each time she glanced up.

And Sakadi?

~ We are not nearly enough blades to wrestle a world from the Sith's grip. Convictions aside, has any thought been given to the shape this Vanguard should take? Are there systems in the Republic that support your sentiment? ~ The telepathic reach across this many minds at once, without linking them outright, was a stretch. ~ Or do you mean to build the necessary resources by sparking rebellion behind the Blackwall? ~ She tilted her head.

Then she turned to the others, meaning to push the debate into its next stage. ~ Does anyone have insight? I'm unfamiliar with your Republic. Should this go before the Senate? ~

 

[Lucia Blackwood]

Padawan Blackwood had sat on the very peripheries of the meeting currently taking place. For as ambitious and willing she was to engage the enemies of her Order to prove her strength, it seemed that many within the leadership had problems. She knew what her old master would have thought of such an idea—too risky, too unrestrained. Without oversight, conviction could quickly become fanaticism.

Lucy remained silent. Her gloved hands were clasped neatly behind her back, posture straight and disciplined as she watched the gathering unfold. One by one, figures rose from their proverbial seats and departed. Some left frustrated. Others left disappointed. A few looked almost relieved. The dream of this so-called Vanguard movement was already beginning to fracture beneath the weight of competing ideals.

It was disappointing. Not because she necessarily disagreed with those departing, but because they were departing at all.

The enemies of the Jedi did not spend their time arguing philosophy in comfortable chambers. They acted. They conquered. They corrupted. They adapted. Every moment spent debating where a line should be drawn was another moment surrendered to those who had no intention of respecting such lines themselves.

A dangerous thought. One her former master would have immediately challenged.

Lucy's gaze drifted across those who remained. Mostly Knights. Some Padawans. Individuals who claimed they wished to stand against the growing darkness consuming the galaxy. Yet already she could see uncertainty, hesitation. Perhaps she simply lacked the experience to understand, the possibility irritated her more than she cared to admit.

Her bright blue eyes settled upon the centre once more as the discussion continued around her. She had no intention of speaking. Not yet. There were Jedi here who had served longer than she had been alive. Listening would teach her more than any speech she could give.

For now.

The thought lingered.

For now.
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Tag | (TOO MANY)

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

There was no look of surprise on Briana's face when one by one, Jedi began to turn and walk away. As she looked out over the assemblage, her mind wandered back to that first meeting with the Foundation after Astor Daaray 's death. The grief and heaviness that'd shadowed that meeting, the foretold prophecies of the Galactic Alliance's eventual demise, without action.

They'd walked away from Romi and her warnings then, too. Even Lorn.

When would enough, be enough? How many more of her friends, family, would she be forced to bury and say goodbye to?

She huffed a frustrated sigh through her nose, refocusing her attention to the one who'd sent the telepathic message.

Briana cleared her throat.

"I'm not sure how much we can fully trust certain members in the senate, but I do have a few contacts on the inside, and without, who have been working quietly with me for months now," She hadn't been away just sitting on her laurels, after all. "Setting up strategic locations and pathways that have taken a bit of time to establish. They'd been meant to be used as evacuation routes for those trapped behind the wall, but they can be repurposed to suit our needs, just as well. So... No, we are not fully alone in this fight, nor are we without recourse. The Sith, in their long and bloodied history, have made too many enemies for that to be the case."

TAG: @Everyone

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[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora stared at Lorn in the way that you weren't supposed to stare directly at the sun. Steady, unblinking, and utterly rooted to her spot.

"Knight von Ascania, I know your brother. I have met him," Lorn stated openly. "He is a good kid. I still believe he can be brought back to the Light, and you will have my personal assistance in doing so. That is my promise to you."

"He isn't a kid," she answered softly, almost grim. "He is a Sith Knight who has killed Jedi in front of me."

Was it still possible for Lysander to be redeemed? She hoped so. There was still good in him - she'd seen it in the way her infant daughter had fallen sleep against her Uncle's chest - but he was still dangerous.

Like many of the Jedi present, Cora believed in redemption. She also believed that it was relatively rare - and that someone corrupted by the Dark had to truly want to be redeemed in order for it to be effective.

Of course, there were those whose crimes outweighed their right to life - a sentiment shared, again, by many of the Jedi gathered.

Cora cleared her throat, then evened her tone: "I appreciate the clarifications, Knights Reingard, Perris, and Sal-Soren. Despite appearances, I believe this sort of discussion is healthy.”

As the saying went, desperate times called for desperate measures.

"You will have my aid. If you need help in coordinating attacks or reaching out to the powers that be, let me know. I'm friendly with the King and Voice of Naboo."

Which might've been easier said than done, given Aurelian's disdain for Jedi.

"Excuse me."

Cora dipped her head, turned on her heel, and went after Connel Vanagor .

-Exit-

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Shiraya's Rest - Naboo
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Arwr Da, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed)
Tag: everyone (too many and too lazy to type them all out.)

Lily was surprised to see how many were willing to twist what Lorn had clearly stated to become more reasonable and logical. His words, the conviction and anger behind them. They were not the words of someone who was seeking justice or redemption in others. Lily was very surprised that Briana was standing with Lorn. It was disappointing, very disappointing and Lily sighed. Were the Jedi truly that lost in what they were meant to be doing to help the galaxy?

"This is not a vanguard. This is not about bringing peace and liberation to those suffering Sith rule. You are wanting vengeance. People in this room will die in your reckless crusade." Lily countered, she was not intimidated by Lorn, by her Master or the others who were backing Lorn. The concerns needed to be raised and Lily was not going to just watch those she knew, she cared for, go down a dark path where they become the villains they are swearing to destroy. "As for assessing who is worthy for redemption and who is not. I do not believe that works given that Lorn and Zark have proven to me at least, to not be the best judges in who is worthy of changing their ways or not. Especially when that person was sat in front of them and wanting to show things were different. So, if they can't see the outstretched hand when it is right in front of them, I hold reservations that they will see any Sith as redeemable. Unless it is a blood relative of a Jedi they like it seems."

A targeted comment that Lysander was apparently worthy of seeking redemption in, but not Quinn who Lily believed was just as worthy.

Breathing in deeply, "this suicide crusade will not stop the Sith. It will not bring the needed change in the galaxy. Do not lie to the people here, don't lie about what you want this mission to do." Stepping forward, "Lorn. We can do this properly, work with the High Republic, organise as the Jedi Order. Ensure that a full scale war happens. A vanguard is meant to be part of a larger army. Not a lone force." Lily stated, she hoped that there would be some logic that would hit with the Jedi here. It was not Lily rejecting the idea to fight the Sith, just doing it properly. Organised with a larger army to enact more permanent change.

"I fought the Sith at Woostri, at Echnos, on the Prosperity, on New Cov and at Moorja. Everyone here has dedicated their lives fighting the Sith, we just don't want the High Republic or this Jedi Order to collapse because we did not learn our lessons from the Galactic Alliance and the New Jedi Order." Lily paused and shrugged, "we must do better. We must be better."

There was likely going to be many who did not like what she was saying. Believed she was wrong for fighting Lorn and the others on this but it was far too important in her mind.