Faction The Sword Returns | The Jedi Order

[Kito]

//: Lily Decoria //: Everyone else lol //:

Kito silently stood beside her master. While she wanted to chime in, echo the voices that wanted slaughter and eradication of the dark, she remained silent. Looking to her Master as the woman spoke of her convictions, Kito felt pride swell in her chest. This woman was her Master. Someone who stood for what she believed in.

She was someone that Kito could trust… with one of her greatest secrets.
A secret she didn't wish to keep as tight-lipped as she did. Now wasn't the time to express it, but she now saw her Master in a different light. Standing taller than the Echani, Kito let that pride be her armor. If anyone were going to come to her Master, she would defend the woman with everything she had.

Reaching forward, Kito did something she had never done before. A hand rested in the center of her Master's back. She knew the woman didn't need the reassurance, but it was all she could think of to let the woman know she wasn't alone, even if it felt like it. In this moment, Kito understood the true notion of redemption.

Leaning in, after her Master had finished, Kito whispered quietly.

"Master, I fear we might be alone in your beliefs…" She paused, looking at the faces that stood beside the man claiming to be the Sword of the Jedi.

"Is this the Order I gave up my nomadic ways for…?"

Kito kept her words silent, only for her Master and herself. Her mind wandered to the woman she left behind on Eshan. Valaine wasn't evil; she wasn't a monster seeking the destruction of the galaxy... she was a girl that Kito had come to love with every fiber of her being.

Would she be seen as worthy of redemption? Would these Jedi destroy her because she wasn't attached to a Jedi of importance?

The young padawan could feel the anger rising in her chest, flames burning at the back of her throat as she began to learn to hate those of her own kind. Knowing that these were the people she was blindly following only burned at the edge of her mind.

Kito's hand fell from Lily's back, as it balled into a fist at her side. The Jedi were supposed to be symbols of justice and salvation... not on the same level as the Sith... seeking to force their beliefs on others.

 

[Lucia Blackwood]

Already, the ambitious heart of Lucy could not stop its drumming beat. That terrible mix of determination and ambition, too potent in such an inexperienced body, would not allow her to sit back and watch the Jedi tear themselves apart over this issue. She knew she was young. She had not crossed blades with the Sith or fought for control of planets, but she did know one thing.

She had to stand up for what was truly right.

A united Jedi effort. A strong and powerful Jedi effort. Real galactic change to save the lives of those who fell under the shadow of the Dark Side. If those on the Council were so blind to such dangers, if her own peers were content to divide themselves along artificially drawn lines of righteousness and redemption, if they were not willing to stand, then who would?

She knew she was making a mistake. Staring down the barrel of being so young, yet so desperate to be important, she looked across the room at those who stood before her. They had fought, bled, and suffered where she had never even seen the red glow of a Sith lightsaber. But deep down, a part of her so arrogant and young simply thought the words:

I know better.

Her master was gone, the leash that had held her back at such critical moments, staying her tongue when it threatened to run ahead of her wisdom. She would not attempt to make enemies. She would try to be respectful. But she simply had to speak. The words felt as though they were climbing through her throat and threatening to spill forth without her permission, as though her stomach itself was raging in defiance against the will of her brain.

She could not stop herself.

"Knight, I cannot understand. You accuse others of seeking redemption only for those they personally prefer. You accuse those here of venturing down a dark path. You accuse them of lying to us for some inconceivable reason. What do they have to gain through deceit? What does anyone have to gain here by lying?"

At least her intelligence and knowledge could serve her where experience could not. For all her shortcomings, she was well-read, an academic at heart. A small choke caught in her throat, the uncomfortable reality of speaking before so many beginning to worm its way into her consciousness.

"When did the New Jedi Order do such a thing? We have learned a critical lesson from our fallen brothers and sisters, those who now lie strewn across Coruscant and Tython. That lesson is simple: we cannot wage a conventional war against the Sith. They outgun us, outnumber us, strategically surround us, and possess the industrial heartlands of the galaxy in the Core. Eventually, through attrition, the people of the Galactic Alliance lost faith in their institutions and rallied behind the populist strongman Torbin, who was merely a plant for the rise of Solipsis and his terrible Dark Side Elite."

A bead of sweat broke across her brow. She could feel the tension of daring to speak to her superior in such a manner. Her former master had been a known quantity. She had grown accustomed to being a little arrogant around him. This, however, made her shy in all the wrong ways.

A small gulp echoed through the chamber as an awkward silence settled over her for a brief moment.

"I... I didn't mean any offense, Knight. But we must learn from our past, as you have said. Your solution was to involve the entire High Republic. To wage a full-scale war. Wouldn't that kill and slaughter even more innocent people? Are we not supposed to escalate such matters only as appropriate to our capabilities? This Vanguard could accomplish what a full-scale war could not. It could save the lives of untold billions and..."

Her stomach suddenly felt light, cutting her off. She quickly composed herself. She knew the next words were not particularly polite, but her arrogance would not allow her to leave them unsaid.

"You haven't won a war against the Sith Order, have you?"

For all the nervousness in her argument and the terrible feeling twisting in her gut, that mixture of ambition and arrogance brought with it a strange sense of relief. It felt good to finally get the words off her chest.

Then the better part of her nature finally won out. A single, tangible word escaped her lips.

"Sorry."​

Tag | Lily Decoria , Everyone Else.

 

[Katherine Holt]

​

Now Katherine would admit, there was a selfish part of her that wished she had just gone back home rather than hanging around Naboo a bit longer. But she knew that was never the right course, and as Cora had mentioned, these kinds of discussions; harsh and rough as they could be, were healthy to have.

For the winged Jedi, it was also good to get all the facts, to observe all the perspectives that were on display before her.

All the same though, she did raise an eyebrow when Lorn suddenly yelled for everyone to be quiet. It was the first time Katherine had even heard the man raise his voice. A mix of anger and frustration, the latter of which was reflected in Zark’s words too.

Katherine said nothing, just remained where she was and closed her eyes.

She listened to what the others said, felt their presence as they either left or stayed. Some didn’t surprise her, others did. This was not an easy conversation to be had, but at the same time it felt like a necessary one. Katherine only hoped it wouldn’t cause a permanent schism.

Before she could speak however, Katherine felt the emotions bubbling within one of those in attendance, one who had remained silent up until now, but the desire to speak; to have their voice heard, was too strong. The redhead’s lips smirked a little, the eagerness to just burst out into conversation reminded of her own Padawan years.

Finally, Katherine opened her eyes once more.

“I know I speak as someone who hasn’t officially been part of the Republic; or the Order, for that long, especially compared to some here. So I’m here as someone who is ‘observing from the outside’ of sorts, taking in all the facts. This is what I’m hearing right now…”

Katherine pushed herself away from the wall she had been leaning against, taking a few steps forwards.

“There are two sides to this, on one hand.” She began, raising her left. “One side feels frustrated that neither the Republic or the Order are doing enough to combat the Sith Order’s advance. That to them, this course of action feels necessary if we’re to stop the Sith before any more atrocities can be committed. Doing so with the intent of still maintaining the Order’s stances on matters, such as redemption." Katherine paused, raising her right hand. “The other side is concerned that going down such a path will quickly become a slippery slope. That while intent might be spoken, it may get lost in the ugliness of war. That any Jedi that take those steps, will lose themselves by the time the smoke clears.”

The winged Jedi let out an exhale, taking a moment to catch her breath. “And that’s not even going into the logical part of it all, as Padawan Blackwood mentioned. The Sith are vast, a war will be on multiple fronts and the conflict will be one of attrition, and not in our favour. We need to approach it on a united front. We need both sides, for better or worse.”

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 | Lucia Blackwood | Kito​

 

[Zronware Ydrevinyc]

Zronware is not one to speaks much. He’s not planning to start doing so today. The White Wolf is only heeding the call to listen, to decide, never to preach to the choir.

He had been forced to take refuge in Naboo in the past few months due to a bounty a Mandalorian had put on his head for permanently maiming their clan member in an unfortunate altercation. The time he spent within the Temples of Shiraya had given him some impressions, good and less than good, on the order, but to join was the only logical step for him at that time. The call that Lorn Reingard proved that the former Ronin was mistaken in some of his judgments.

"This will not be easy," Lorn warned, his eyes scanning every face in the crowd. "We will not be offering redemption. We will not be saving those who have entrenched themselves in the dark. Every single one of you will be pushed to your absolute limit. Consider the weight of what I am asking before you commit to this crusade."

With those words it seems that all of the thorns and suffering that he’s faced throughout his journey has only ever meant to take him to this righteous call.

He’s been on the road, he’s seen it all. Destructions, corruptions, those are the reality that the Sith brings, the reality thr Dark Side thrives in. The so-called empaths can try to disagree with that, but anyone with clarity in their beliefs in the Light knows that it’s true.

And there are always going to be doubters, and those conspires in the shadows to manipulate those not vigilant enough to take a strong stance. Those are problem his sword is more capable of answering than his mouth.

A small gulp echoed through the chamber as an awkward silence settled over her for a brief moment.

"I... I didn't mean any offense, Knight. But we must learn from our past, as you have said. Your solution was to involve the entire High Republic. To wage a full-scale war. Wouldn't that kill and slaughter even more innocent people? Are we not supposed to escalate such matters only as appropriate to our capabilities? This Vanguard could accomplish what a full-scale war could not. It could save the lives of untold billions and..."

But this one the Witchbreaker feels like he has to address with words.

“Wasn’t the Rebellion built on HOPE? Isn’t this righteous duty that we have sworn to all rooted in the FAITH that the LIGHT is GOOD, and that GOOD will always PREVAIL?”

The White-manned Knight pauses, his eyes travels through the crowd of Jedi as he makes his first stand in the meeting, lingering a second longer in faces he has grown to be familiar with in the Foundation.

“A fight will ever only come out our way if we believe in our full CONVICTION that we are the LIGHT who’s sole purpose is to outshine the DARK and free the world from the creeping shadow.”

He once again paused, his eyes trailed and stopped at the Vanguard of Shiraya.

“Master Lorn Reingard , you have my SWORD, and the CAUSE will have my eternal DEVOTION.”​

Briana Sal-Soren | Lorn Reingard | @Everyone​

​

 

[Novac Lyrikal]

Novac sat there listening to everyone, a pair of hands tapping against his tail. while his head rested on his upper right hand. Some had already left, others joining, while others didn't choice yet.

What was he to do. What would those he knew and respected think? His old master probably would have wanted him to join. but matthew of valendale wouldn't wish for him to. But it was his choice, not theirs.

"...I may not have much experience, I've only ever fought a single sith lord with help from Corazona von Ascania and lead my droids on dromund kaas in a small raid as others attacked their army. I refuse to not offer those who can be and are willing to be redeem redemption. I will fight to protect others and drive back or in some way negatively effect the sith. Theres thing you've said that i don't agree with. But over all I think that this i something needed. I'll gladly put my life on the line to protect life. But know this, my main focus is on the farworld alliance and those in it. This comes second to me. If i disagree or think this is going down the wrongpath, I leafe, no questions asked, no warning."

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

​

Aveline watched as people left. She wouldn't let it shake her resolve. They made their choice, she made hers. The pathways laid clear before them. She knew what she had to do, there was no other option that could sit right with her conscience. She wouldn't let herself be drawn into a debate that could get heated. Until…

It was difficult to keep her anger from flaring up. The words of Lily Decoria stung, and she felt both misunderstood and misrepresented. Aveline wasn't familiar with this iteration of the Jedi Order, but if they had no faith in each other's judgement, then they were truly lost. They want us to offer redemption, but will only trust their own assessment of who can be redeemed.

Was this a suicide mission? Perhaps. Perhaps that was what was needed to open their eyes. Perhaps the Vanguard would be that lone force that in death inspired the rest to action. There is no death, only the Force, Aveline repeated the calming mantra in her head before she spoke.

"Sit around and do nothing, and this order will burn. You speak of making an army. I would welcome it" love it, in fact. "But I see no signs of it happening. The New Jedi Order were butchered, the Galactic Alliance fell. And Shiraya made peace." Aveline let out a deep, calming sigh. Reign yourself in. Aveline was still at war, but this wasn't the way for her to create allies.

"I will keep fighting. For hope, for the Light. Not to kill, to save. But I will do what I must."

"Be the last line of defence then. If we fall, and I die like you say I will, when the Sith come for Naboo, think better of those who gave their lives for what they believed in."

Aveline couldn't see the future. Whoever was right, she only hoped they would win in the end. They were all on the same side, after all. Aveline promised herself she would stay silent and let others do the talking. She had made her position known. This couldn't be allowed to descend into bickering, and so she waited to hear how those who remained were to proceed.

 

[Colette]

Zark San Tekka Lorn Reingard Lily Decoria @everyone-else

It was the fact that both sides held a measure of righteousness that made the debates equally fascinating as it was frustrating. Colette did not agree with this initiative because she wasn't the type to seek a fight, but for those who needed a purpose that went beyond sitting around and hoping for the best it was without a doubt the light they had needed to set their sights on for a long time when the darkness seemed so overbearing.

Despite all the posturing and opinions, opposite as they were, Colette still gave Lorn and Zark a sympathetic glance each before she let in a deep inhale and stood up again.

"Just stop! At this point there is no point in arguing whether or not this is the right idea. So stop pointing fingers and calling each other names, it's beneath you." Colette raised her voice. "There are enough people here to show that this is something that will happen whether we want it to or not." An empathetic look went towards Lily. She wasn't wrong, but the point of no return had already passed for many of those in attendance. "And as leadership it would be foolish to think we could just stop it from happening. Either we stand as one or this 'crusade' will break off from the Order whether we like it or not, further fracturing the Jedi."

She stepped down from the stairs upon which she had taken a seat.

"The door has been shown to those of us, like me, who will not be part of this crusade. But I lost my first ever Padawan because I couldn't accept that people wanted to fight more than they wanted to sit and talk. Ultimately, I tried to force them to become something they weren't." The quartermaster put her hands on her hips. "In our final, rather explosive gathering as 'master' and padawan she reminded me that we have the Shadows, and I couldn't really justify that when she pointed their purpose out to me."

A beat, nothing more. Colette took another deep breath.

"But that's where this crusade can operate. This crusade can work under the Jedi Shadows." That was the best case scenario she could think of. "The purpose is the same: rooting out and destroying corruption where they can find it."

"All I ask is that you remember who our biggest sponsor is, and the reason this Order is even able to operate at all: The Republic. Without them, this Order's supply chains will fall apart. Just like they did in the Galactic Alliance, and just as they did in the old Republic."

 

[Bastila Sal-Soren]

She had not been here when Shiyara's Rest had been abandoned.

At the time, she had still been on Jakku, her training unfinished and every effort still being made to keep the youngest Sal-Soren away from the weight of her family's legacy. Yet as she stood amongst the gathering, Bastila could not help but appreciate the irony. Perhaps not irony. Something closer to symbolism.

Of all places, it had led them back here and she understood the appeal more than most.

The old halls felt untouched by the rapid expansion of the High Republic. They belonged to another age. An age before the Republic's banners flew over half the galaxy. Before Naboo's influence had stretched so far beyond its own borders. The stones carried none of the confidence of the modern era. Only memory. They felt strangely familiar. Stories told by her Sister. Lessons shared by her Brother. Expectations that were inherited rather than chosen. Shiyara's Rest existed within the Sal-Soren family as much as it did within stone and mortar.

Slowly she moved to Briana's side.

The injuries from the Outbound Fleet still lingered. A slight limp remained despite her efforts to hide it, but she ignored the discomfort as she placed a reassuring hand against her sister's waist. Briana would have felt her presence long before the touch. That was not the point. Sometimes intent mattered more than words.

"They won't stay." The words were quiet enough for Briana alone. "Not all of them."

Her gaze drifted towards the departing Jedi.

"The Alliance broke more than governments. It broke faith. The remnants of the New Jedi Order have found something familiar here. A place that reminds them of what they lost." A sad smile touched her lips. "And asking them to become the vanguard means asking them to leave that behind for a cause they don’t understand."

Her eyes found Lorn amongst the gathering. A small nod passed between student and master. Nothing more. It did not need to be. Returning her attention to Briana, Bastila let out a slow breath.

"I don't entirely agree either." There was no defiance in the admission. Only honesty. "But the Shiyara Order still flows through my veins. Until it doesn't, I stand with my Master." A moment later she nudged Briana gently with her shoulder. "And with my sister." The smile that followed was small but genuine.

Her gaze wandered once more across those who remained. There were fewer than they had hoped yet more than they had feared.

"Maybe that's why we're here." The words came almost as a thought spoken aloud. "Not because everyone will stay. But because enough of us will."

Only then did she look back towards the gathering.

"And Brandyn needs to hear about this from us. Before he hears it from anyone else."

OUTFIT: XoXo | TAG: Lorn Reingard Briana Sal-Soren Brandyn Sal-Soren EQUIPMENT:

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[Ala Quin]

"Quiet!"

The sharp demand for silence struck Ala like a blow to the chest, making her flinch as the cavernous chamber instantly went dead. The sudden absence of noise did not bring her peace. Instead, it unleashed a deafening roar within her own mind. The collective expectant breathing of dozens of Jedi, and Lorn's declarations, faded into a dull, distant blur. All that remained, ringing violently in her ears, were the bitter echoes of their last private argument weeks ago. His voice now sounded exactly as it had then—hard, unyielding, and already miles away from her.

"We could be family, Lorn. But if you do this..."
"I understand."

She waited for a lull. A quiet spot where her small voice would not be drowned out by booming voices that commanded authority with ease. But you didn't need a voice like thunder to be the storm.

The Grandmaster stepped forward. Hand raised to calm and politely request a moment. After all. they were all Jedi. No need to talk over each other.

Once Colette had finished speaking, Ala simply bowed her head in deference to the young woman that was slowly becoming her friend. And then she offered a nod to Lily, understanding the Echani's passion in these matters. And then she looked at Lorn, and offered the same nod of respect. And then to Briana.

"Briana Sal-Soren. You were the first to lead this Order. And it was the single greatest honour of my life to be granted the responsibility to continue what you began. The authority I exercise in this moment is only mine because you trusted me. And I trust your wisdom in seeing that I was the right person for this time."

She turned back to Lorn.

"By your own lips you acknowledge these actions are unsanctioned by the Council. If you hold the voice of the council in so low regard, then your seat is forfeit. I accept this as your resignation."

She did not flinch, holding his eyes, avoiding the fresh heartache this would entail. Only when she chose to do so, did she look at those arrayed with the man she still loved in spite of this second abandonment.

"And here me this day, Jedi. Friends. Should you choose this path, and the Council deem you to not exhibit the mercy, wisdom and levelheadedness that is excepted of a Jedi. Should any of you transgress..."

She looked at Briana...then her eyes swept across those aligning with Lorn, before finally resting on him again. Her jaw clenched. Heart threatening to race, but she kept it in control.

"...I will arrest you myself."

She paused to let the words settle.

"We have plenty of cells with big walls where you can record each day you spend there...for the rest of your lives."

And then, Ala smiled. A sharp, tragic show of resolute optimism in the face of what was likely her greatest failure, and all she would be known for as so-called leader of the Jedi Order.

"That is all." And she turned on her heels, and began to walk towards the door.

Lorn Reingard Briana Sal-Soren Colette Lily Decoria Aveline Cuiléin Novac Lyrikal Connel Vanagor Corazona von Ascania Rik Perris Lucia Blackwood Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Kito Aiden Porte Zark San Tekka Katherine Holt William Thule Kaleleon Renard Fenn Sera Rosh Ilaria Morvayne Feng Huang Zronware Ydrevinyc

This is does not need to be an exit, but for all intents and purposes...it is.​

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

Tag: Lorn Reingard Briana Sal-Soren Colette Lily Decoria Aveline Cuiléin Novac Lyrikal Connel Vanagor Corazona von Ascania Rik Perris Lucia Blackwood Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Kito Aiden Porte Zark San Tekka Katherine Holt William Thule Kaleleon Renard Fenn Sera Rosh Ilaria Morvayne Feng Huang Zronware Ydrevinyc
Attire: Link​

He was a ghost. The Jedi had trained him to be. They had taken an idealistic Padawan and put him deep undercover with a group that sort their death. And then they had made him the Master of Shadows on the Council.

It was in the latter role that he had stood against Briana when she had sought to begin her crusade. And Lorn had stood with him. Clearly, Lorn's heart on the matter had changed.

The shroud hiding his presence in the Force dropped, and he stepped into the circle. With a a sweep of his hand, Brandyn dropped the hood from off of his head. The dim yellow of his prosthetic eye now held the appearance more of infection than illumination.

His gaze fell on Lorn for a time, but then settled on his sisters across the room.

"It is clear to me now...that we cannot rest safely in the Republic. Proactive is the only approach."

His head dipped in a half-nod of approval towards his sisters.

"The crusade is justified..."

As is mine.

 

[Lorn Reingard]

Tags: @Everyone​

"We are already in the middle of a full-scale war," Lorn countered, his voice cutting through the lingering tension to address Lily directly. "We just happen to be the ones losing, sitting on our hands while we wait for a disaster to force our hand. The Republic and the Order have been far too passive."

Stepping closer to the assembly, the weight of his years on the frontlines anchored his stance.

"I was of that same exact mind once. I even fought against the very people standing behind me now to prevent this kind of escalation. But we are repeating the tragic mistakes of the New Jedi Order and the Galactic Alliance. We must, and we will, do better. This is where we make our stand against the creeping darkness."

Letting the various factions prattle on about who would join which side, Lorn remained detached. The petty debates over who was right or wrong no longer mattered. If he had to march into the Unknown Regions with nothing but his lightsaber and the clothes on his back, he would still fight.

Turning his sharp gaze toward Colette, Lorn addressed the quartermaster's logistical warnings.

"The Order of Shiraya and the Vanguard existed long before this system-spanning Republic ever drew its borders," Lorn stated firmly. "Some of us standing in this courtyard remember when Mandalorians sacked our cities and the Sith unleashed plagues across our worlds. We rooted them out because we stood our ground. Our recent inability to act has only emboldened our adversaries."

Confidence radiated from his weathered frame as he dismissed the threat of a severed supply line.

"We have resources, and we have the will to use them. This is not the first time Jedi have marched on a crusade against the dark. The Republic and the Order might despise us now, but they will sing a different tune once millions of innocent souls are freed from tyranny."

A sudden shift in the crowd drew Lorn's attention to Bastila as she quietly took her place beside Briana. A silent, knowing look passed between the two sisters, a stark reminder of the deep familial legacies intertwined with the temple stones.

Then came Ala's voice.

True to her nature, the Grandmaster spoke with a poised, heartbreaking dignity that Lorn knew he could never match. He stood in absolute silence, bowing his head respectfully as she declared his seat on the High Council forfeit. The decision was entirely expected. Out on the blood-soaked fringes of Sith space, titles and political appointments held no value anyway.

As Ala turned on her heel to leave, a ripple in the Force heralded another. Brandyn dropped his active concealment, revealing his presence and the sickly yellow gleam of his prosthetic eye. He had changed drastically, a reflection of the same internal scarring Lorn carried. Years ago, they had stood side by side to oppose Briana's aggressive maneuvers. Now, Brandyn offered a solemn nod of approval, declaring the crusade fully justified.

He turned his gaze from the departing Grandmaster back to the remaining Jedi, his voice rising to a booming crescendo that echoed off the ancient walls.

"As I have already stated, this is an unsanctioned mission. The Council holds absolutely no authority over us!" Lorn shouted, ensuring his parting words chased Ala down the corridor. "We will be far too busy taking the fight to the enemy for them to ever get out of their plush seats and arrest us. Let them try. We are liberating the galaxy!"

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Shiraya's Rest - Naboo
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Arwr Da, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed)
Tag: Everyone

Lily pinched her nose as she listened to Ala's words. It was not the approach that Lily would have gone with. The people here want to enact change, they wanted to stop the Sith and saw this as being a solution. An answer that was calling out to them. It was not perfect and it was not the correct answer but it was one that too many could latch to. Lorn's response was no better and Lily was seeing that this was going around in circles. Lily felt the hand of her Padawan on her back and it was a soothing presence of someone who had her back and someone that Lily trusted in this moment far more than many others in the room who she had known far longer.

"Padawan Blackwood, you are either purposefully misrepresenting my words or very ignorant of the point that I was making to my fellow Jedi. I was not stating my views were superior. All of us see things different and therefore no one should be allowed to decide what person is worthy of redemption or not. I accuse them of deceiving you into believing this is the best solution because I, unlike you, have been out in the galaxy, working with other Jedi and fighting against the oppression of the Sith." While she did not wish to be condescending or talking down to a Padawan, she was not going to allow someone she did not even know attempt to tell her incorrectly what was being discussed or what she was saying. "No, but I was also a Padawan when the Galactic Alliance fought the Sith Order, so I didn't hold any influence in how those battles were conducted."

Lily sighed, "Knight Lorn wishes to have you believe that raids and small conflicts will push the Sith back. But what he fails to inform you is that this has been attempted by many others that have failed. Jedi Outcasts were another attempt of small Jedi groups attacking the Sith Covenant in particular. Failed to prevent them from growing. The Hidden Path failed to stop the Galactic Empire. The Wild Space Rebellion failed."

Looking from the Padawan back to Lorn, "so, tell me. Tell everyone else here how what you will be doing will work when it has so very consistently failed. You say you will save millions, billions with this but how? What if your actions fail once again like so many others but now we have lost Jedi in this reckless pursuit of vengeance? Demoralised by another failing again." Lily placed her hands on her hips, "war is always going to cost innocent people their lives, their safety, their peace. But working with our allies, coordinating to push forward is our best way forward. Why have the High Republic as our allies, the ones we have worked with and fought with if we will not push to keep working with them to fight? They have the resources to ensure that if a planet can be liberated from Sith rule, it remained liberated."

"And not just a small rebellion that only tightens the oppressive Sith rule on those planets." There was a pause and she let her thoughts coalescent before speaking again, "I do not believe that Grand Master Ala is correct with the approach of arresting those who partake in this. While I wholly disagree that this will be effective and that we need to work with allies not alone to defeat the Sith. I do not believe you should be punished for desiring this seemingly quick answer to what has been a long ongoing issue since before the formation of this order."

Arresting Jedi for fighting the Sith was not the solution. Lily wanted to push to show that things could be done the right way and be the effective way in doing things.

 

[Colette]

Lorn Reingard Lily Decoria

Did people see this man as a leader or was he just saying the things that they wanted to hear? Colette watched as a scared wolf lashed out against the encroaching darkness. Its whines and howls were less indicative of the zeal it held and rather the fear it had allowed to fester. Lorn was scared because of his own inaction. He'd been part of the council since nearly day one and yet it was only now that it was — in his eyes — too late that he could 'see' the threat and the size of it paled beyond what he had dared to admit.

It wasn't so much his target that angered Colette so much as the targets he drew on others. He was the Order until now, and yet he called them the enemy. The 'they' to his 'us.' Ala might have threatened to arrest those who stepped out of line with the Order's ideals but it struck Colette as a far more hollow threat than people admitted, serving only to stoke the fires of this crusade whether intentional or not.

As for whether or not Lily wilfully decided that talking down to someone was the best way to persuade them they were wrong or not, Colette could not say. Her sentiment was clear, but the delivery was incorrect.

"It's useless to argue, Lily." Colette sighed. "They have made their choice, and we shouldn't hold it against them. All we can do at this point is hope that they are right, and that their crusade won't be another mass grave for nameless Jedi."

With that, Colette's time at the gathering was coming to an end. She glanced around the room one more time before leaving them with a few parting thoughts.

"Just remember that the man you're about to follow called himself the Sword for years, sat on the 'plush seats' of the Council he's blaming all of this on, and did absolutely nothing to prevent it. He actively ran away from the repercussions of his actions when confronting a Sith at the Mandalorian embassy and then left it to the rest of the Council to clean up his mess. Now he wants you to follow him on a galactic scale, and I hope for the sake of everyone here that he is at least man enough to stand by your side when the fires rise to either temper or consume you."

"May the force be with you, crusaders. My door remains open even if the favor isn't returned."

And then she left.

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

The ideological debate she had tried to steer away from turned personal. Accusations came with pointed fingers, and the frustrations she had hoped to avoid spilled into the open.

This battle was necessary. But it had to be driven by compassion. Not belligerence. And in Lorn's words, which she listened to with downturned gaze, Sakadi found both. Without proper moderation, the core ideals would be swept up in fires of passion and defiance. It would take the very Jedi who stepped away now to keep the members of the Vanguard balanced within themselves.

She made one final telepathic push into the crowd.

~ The Jedi need peaceful hands to foster hope just as they need emboldened blades to drive back oppression. Do not dismiss one another over accountability. ~

She turned to Lorn. He had called them all here, and as a result stood entrenched in his own convictions. It gave him fire, but made calm reasoning difficult. She concluded that speaking with him later would yield better results.

Instead she shifted to face Rik Perris , narrowing her telepathy to him alone.

~ Please call upon me when the Vanguard moves toward action. I will do what I can to aid you. ~ She glanced briefly at Lorn, then back. ~ Please tell him that too. ~

Sakadi gave them both a slight nod. Then strode purposefully after Colette.

There was a great deal to think about.

 

[Katherine Holt]

​

Katherine let out a heavy sigh.

“Make no mistake, my belief is that action needs to be taken. I also equally believe that as Jedi; as practitioners of the Force, we have a responsibility to stop those that use it for ill, that seek to sow chaos and destruction across the galaxy. Because who else is capable of stopping them, hmm?”

The winged Jedi looked around at those gathered, her eyes primarily shifting between Lorn and Lily, and then lingering on the Echani Jedi.

“To me? The Order hasn’t acted enough on that responsibility. So my decision on which side I choose, will be dependent on how the Order responds to this. If it continues to be as idle as it has been, I can’t in good conscience ignore this.” There was conviction in Katherine’s eyes, but it was equally mingled with a look of wariness. It was clear this was not the direction she wanted this to be going down.

“But again, I’d much rather such action be taken on a united front.”

She walked away until she was standing a fair ways from the others still in attendance. With a shift of her shoulders, the redhead unfurled her wings.

“Come what may...” She began, taking several moments to look at everyone again. “May the Force be with us all.”

With that, Katherine launched herself up into the sky, the sudden flap of her wings kicking up sand in her wake.

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 | Lucia Blackwood | Kito​

 

[Andromeda Demir]

​

Andromeda watched the unfolding discussion with a growing sense of unease.

Both sides raised valid points. Inaction was irresponsible. Action taken for the wrong reasons, fueled by the wrong emotion, would be worse. She felt the familiar tug within her gut to the idea of bringing Sith to justice, remembering the smug, smirking face of Perseus Kotar -- the Shadow -- as he maneuvered Andromeda's blade through Tiny and Guirale, the sheer pleasure he took in the horror unfolding on her face and in her heart. She remembered the long-dormant thirst she felt for revenge.

For her the question was not as simple as Sith or Jedi. Anyone boiling it down to abstractions was either a temple-born fool without a foot in the real world, or someone so steeped in Jedi philosophy that they had forgotten the people outside these beautiful rooms were the ones who had to live with the wars being discussed inside them.

On Irvulix you didn't have time for philosophical debate. It was a matter of right and wrong, of justice and injustice. But she also remembered the reaction her Master had when she spoke of wanting to bring Kotar to justice. Perhaps he had felt the truth in her -- that she said justice but the word on her lips tasted like revenge.

And then she felt the warmth of William Thule brushing his consciousness against hers. Thankful, not for the first time, for the strenuous training in self control she had endured at his hand, she didn't visibly react, not immediately. After a moment, her dark eyes slid to the opposite side of the gathering, where he stood. Their eyes touched for a moment, and his mouth tightened into a smile. She felt something in her twist with apprehension. He was about to do -- something.

Even as well as they knew each other now, Andromeda couldn't guess which way he would jump. He could be conscientious and kind. He could also be severe, and there were parts of him that had been shaped by war and title and loss in ways even Andromeda could not reliably predict. He had killed and almost been killed. So had Andromeda. He would see both ends of this issue as much as she did, Andromeda thought. Her eyes widened a little and she lowered her chin in a nod. No words exchanged between them, not even telepathically, but she was sure he would understand. With you. Always.

She did not feel the need to declare herself. Not with the discussion's decorum disintegrating into hardening camps. But that unease had solidified into a stomachache, a feeling of dread that had begun to creep along her spine. This was no time for a divide in the Jedi Order, and yet almost too quickly to believe, she could feel the room arranging itself that way, person by person, word by word.

William Thule​

 

[Ala Quin]

Ala had lingered outside, listening. Her heart broke to hear Lorn roaring, and her nose scrunched up as she tried to understand why he hated the cushions in the council chamber so much. It was a momentary levity that broke away as quick as it formed. For he spoke of saving the Order for the likes of Ala to nurture it, but then mocked her for the role and position she had.

The same man who had once told her she was doing too much, and taking too much on. Now mocked her position and role. And other Jedi followed his harsh rhetoric with uproarious support.

The Council holds absolutely no authority over us!

She didn't recognise him. The soft, loving — if tortured — Jedi was gone. In its place was a blood thirsty warrior. She thought back to the conversation they had had on their departing. Her chest heaved, breath catching as she contemplated the possibility...that this...was her fault. Had she smothered him? Had she made him feel weak? Had her love poisoned him?

The crack within her heart grew wider. Grief threatened to overwhelm her.

Just as she was about to fall apart, Ala did what she did best. She raised her shield. This time over her broken heart.

Just in time to hear what Lily had to say. Ala stood, contemplating her actions. It could not go unaddressed.

She stepped back into the room, avoiding eye contact with Lorn. She simply could not take that pain anymore. Instead, she strode over to Lily and tugged on her sleeve to get her ear down towards Ala's level.

Then, Ala whispered.

"If you wish to retain your seat on the Council, you will not undermine the Grandmaster's authority like that...ever again."

No smile was offered. She was just too tired. Instead, she turned to leave. "If you wish to complain to me about this, I will be outside." And she walked again to the door.

This time, she left with one final commlink message tapped and sent to Master Zark San Tekka. It simply read. You're out too.

Lily Decoria Lorn Reingard Briana Sal-Soren Zark San Tekka and everyone.​

 

[Lucia Blackwood]

It was a deep, sodden feeling within her heart, one that told her she was about to witness the first steps of the Jedi Order's fall. A sense of foreboding hung over her, as though she stood staring into the Solleu River, foaming with the blood of those damned by the choices made today.

It was almost shameful to witness the lack of authority their own Grandmaster seemed to possess over the Knights of the Order. The substance of their argument was true and wise—that the Sith needed to be confronted, that their puppet sympathizers needed to be held accountable for the crimes they allowed to be perpetrated—yet the Grandmaster, who disagreed methodically with their approach, could offer only chains in response.

Being here shattered a wider illusion. The illusion that the Jedi stood united in their defiance against the Dark. The illusion that some people present would not prove more harmful to the righteous cause than the very Sith they sought to fight.

After all...

The Sith were not present at this meeting, yet half the Jedi already seemed to have failed in their duty.

Those on both sides misrepresented her words, twisting arguments into cudgels for whatever they believed was "right" or "just." Yet it was very simple what was right and just in this galaxy.

The Jedi were paragons of Light and virtue. The Sith were genocidal freaks who needed to be wiped out.

And yet today, standing amidst the chaos and division, it seemed even the Jedi could not hold themselves to the task of being paragons. Such a simple task.

Just do what is correct by the Force. Just follow the will of the Force.

Hello? Anyone?

To see her superiors, those she was supposed to look up to, morally debate this as though it were not already a closed case. To see even those she agreed with fail to understand what she was saying.

It felt like a battering ram smashing into everything her master had taught her. He, at least, had always been straightforward when she was right or wrong.

One Knight agreed with her military assessment, only to be followed by some overzealous hound taking her words entirely out of context. Then the Grandmaster herself appeared only to threaten arrest if they went one hundredth as far as the Sith routinely did. Knight Reingard, the man responsible for this meeting, proudly declared his defiance of what he viewed as a soft-handed and weak Council.

It was a verbal battlefield. Barrages fired from every direction. Nobody was safe.

Then the same Echani Knight spoke again.

She listed failures, people, and organizations that had never carried the name Padawan Blackwood on their roster. She spoke of her experience fighting the Sith and, strangely enough, handed Lucy a piece of ammunition by mentioning that she had been a Padawan during her service in the Galactic Alliance.

Lucia already knew she had stretched her luck with her earlier comment. But after all this shouting and screaming, only one emotion remained.

Arrogance. Pure, unfiltered arrogance.

She did know better than just about every Force-forsaken Jedi in this conversation. Her rank meant nothing. She had read military manuals front to back. She had been an exemplary prodigy throughout her training. She had not failed against a Sith unlike seemingly everyone else here.

Give me a battlefield. Give me a Sith. I'll strike the kath-hound down myself.

And she was just about to let it all out. To let this useless, terrible, two-faced lecturer know exactly where a Sith bleeds the most so that next time she might have more success in making one suffer.

Then someone else spoke.

Their words smashed through her thoughts like a stone through glass, breaking her from what felt like a self-induced trance. The other Knight was right. It was useless to argue, for all it did was feed the negative emotions inside her. The emotions a good and proper Jedi should never have felt.

She in her own mind had levelled insults at another fellow Jedi who didn't deserve them, had condoned the Grandmaster for something so clearly out of her control. She had only barely succeeded in containing them. A better Jedi would never have felt this way. A better Jedi would have remained polite and respectful. A better Jedi—

This was all too much, too many words, too far out of her league. She was just a Padawan, all she could do was offer her service and find somewhere to vent the anger threatening to boil over inside her. A single tear rolled down her cheek. The fear of failure had begun its inevitable, sordid march through her body, twisting and upsetting her stomach as it went.

When she finally spoke, her voice was timid. Yet the conviction within it was unmistakable.

"I'm with you. While a Padawan may not necessarily be useful on the front line, I can fulfil whatever support role the Vanguard requires."

She turned away, determined to leave this forsaken place. When she spoke again, her voice was stern and fierce.

"I need some time. Alone."​

Tag | Everyone. | EXIT |

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Shiraya's Rest - Naboo
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Arwr Da, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed)
Tag: Ala Quin | Kito

Lily listened and understood where many others were coming from, their thoughts and hesitance were appreciated and the Jedi Knight knew that the Order needed to demonstrate that efforts were going to be made. That while this crusade should not be allowed to happen, action needed to be done. Lily wasn't against that notion, they could not be idle and while caution could not be thrown into the wind, Lily did believe there could be a more proactive approach taken to things. There were ways to fight, ways to organise not just the Jedi Order but the High Republic. Attempt to reach out to other cells of resistance and offer their support and efforts.

While things were not succeeding in those cells currently, the High Republic and the Jedi here had the resources to change that. Hope that things could be changed and demonstrated to work within the rules of the system they are all part of. That was what Lily hoped for. Rules for the Jedi were there to protect them and help them in this fight.

The Jedi Knight felt the approach of a person and felt the presence of Ala returning, she assumed to tell Lorn off for the hysterical tirade he went on after Ala had made her comments. Instead a quiet whispered threat to Lily. One that stiffened her back, lowered the head slightly in thought before her gaze connected with Kito. A quiet look of reassurance and conviction, whatever had been said to Lily, she was going to handle it. Looking to the others in the room, "I hope that we can realign on things in the future. That maybe the council can demonstrate that we wish to do better and will do better. I must take my leave."

Stepping back, Lily followed the footsteps to outside where she spotted Ala, the Echani breathed in deeply. Now was not the time to shout even though every part of her burned. "Never threaten my seat like that again, Grand Master." Lily stated in a cold tone, "you threatened every Jedi in that room. This crusade might be un-Jedi-like behaviour to us but that doesn't mean we go around arresting them for joining this." Revealing that Lily assumed that even signing up for this crusade was against the Jedi ways and that Ala was not allowing that.

"I thought my voice, my thoughts and my actions were my own. That while I might not do everything the way you wanted, that you at least respected me enough to know that I am doing what I think is right. If you want your council filled with yes people who throw themselves at you, then fine, find yourself a new Battle Master. I did not agree to partake in a dictatorship, especially since that would make us no better than the Sith!" Lily stood her ground firmly, "so you do not get to threaten my position within this Order, in public like that ever. Ever."

Shaking her head with bitter disappointment, "part of me wants to step down right now. After recent meetings and events... it feels like I am fighting every step with this council. But I figured you still have enough respect from myself to hear what you have to say for yourself on this."

 

[Ala Quin]

The Jedi Order's very existence rested upon a knives' edge. And Ala was struggling not to blame herself, however incorrect that may have been. Her mind was already processing all the other things she could have said, or done, in the days, weeks and months leading up to this juncture.

Lily's voice broke through her internal musings in an instant, and Ala calmly turned back around to face the Battle Master.

"Should a Jedi behave in a manner that is unbecoming of a Jedi, the seriousness of the action will be evaluated, and then attempts will be made to redeem them if they are falling, or fallen. If they refuse to be redeemed, then they will be brought into the Order's custody. If they refuse to be taken in, and ignite their blade against a fellow Jedi. Then the Jedi is within their rights, no...it is the responsibility to end the threat to innocent lives in that moment. Should they not, the blood is on their hands."

She spoke as a teacher instructing a class, calm, rational and precise.

"This is how the Jedi Order has always been, from time immemorial. What you call a threat is the standing requirement of all Jedi in this Order. If you cannot fulfil your obligations in a wise, and emotionally controlled manner...then our conversation about your seat on the Council is a moot point."

Her face softened. "Those that follow Lorn will not be arrested for doing so. That is not what I said. They will be judged on their actions. As we all are. And I am fully aware...that I have just signed up...to confront the man I love...when he steps over the line. Today I lost him for a second time. But on that day, I will lose him forever." She knew how stubborn he was. Lorn would not back down, even when excusing questionable actions to accomplish his good end.

Ala found herself shaking her head as she continued to process Lily's words. "No one else heard what I said to you. What you said was spoken before every Jedi in that room. If we are measuring respect offered, you are falling well short of the standard you now demand of me."

Ala rubbed at the bridge of her nose. "And I never told you not to undermine Ala Quin. I told you not to undermine the Grandmaster. There is a difference. One is a person. The other is an office entrusted with holding this Order together."

"Your emotions are getting the better of you, Lily. Disagreements within the Council are meant to be handled within the Council. That is how unity is maintained and divisions kept from spreading through the Order."

Ala let out a slow breath. "You are the Battle Master. You are better than this. And whether you believe it or not, I need you to be."

"You are failing to understand what is required of your office. If you are not willing or able to live up the standards that are expected of you, then perhaps you should reflect on whether you still belong on this Council."

She did not wait for a rebuttal. Instead, Ala turned, and began the long, beleaguered walk back down the hill.

| Lily Decoria et al |​