There are No Accidents

[Akio Diachi]

Akio Diachi stood beyond hopelessly lost. He hadn't been in a building this big in quite a while. For many reasons he was avoiding most all of the major planets and settlements. For one, it felt good to connect with nature on a deep, personal level. For the other.... well the police for one reason or another always seemed to be chasing him. And most of the time he was minding his own business.

The Chiss shook his head, yet another mystery the Force had given him to unwind. In a rare moment of near fustration, the Chiss rubbed his hand across his face. "Excuse me? Pardon me? Excuse me? He-hello?" he asked each passerby trying to get them to pay attention to him.

He was helplessly lost. The broken holcron in his hand was still--well, broken. Shaking his head, the robe-clad Chiss made his way to what looked like some sort of cafe. He picked a random table near the entrance and set the mechanical device on the table top.

What was he thinking coming here?

[member="Karen Roberts"]

 

[Jsc]

Across the cafe a tiny R2 unit noticed [member="Akio Diachi "]. Oh! And his broken Holcoron too.

~ Weep donk ! ~

Karen looked up from her datapad and stirred the food on her plate. Giving a glance to the fellow as R2's head spun with glee.

"No. I don't think I've met him. Why do you ask R2?"

~ Donk donk blee ~

She nodded and gave the blue fellow another look,

"Nope. He's not one of my regulars. Mmm... But you're right. He does have a Tetan Class 2 Holocron there. We don't see those very often here, now do we."

~ Sweep swoop ~

She shook her head and took a bite of her salad.

"Now now R2. Don't pry. It's not nice to... wait. R2?"

...

The droid was already at Akio's side. Oh dear.

~ Weep deep, donk donk, biddle biddle dee ? ~

The droid asked of the blue skinned fellow and his holocron. Probably something like: "Hello Chiss-looking person. Can I see your cube-ish looking object? Pretty pretty please?"

Across the tables of the cafe, Karen sighed at her little Astromech. Oh dear. Always getting her into trouble. Poo.

 

[Akio Diachi]

Akio was not one to quickly fall into dispair but--

"Well hello, my metal friend," the Chiss said as the droid came closer to him. He was not as unaccustomed to the droids as he had been when he first began to travel the rest of the galaxy, but he was still learning how to deal with them properly.

Its warbled droidspeak reply came to him. He blinked, trying to figure out what it meant. A question perhaps?

"Well, I am a little lost, fellow, could you maybe help me? I am here because I need this repaired," Akio said extending the holocron towards the droid.

The R2 wasted no time snatching the metallic box and trundling away.

Akio's jaw dropped for a moment before he hastily followed after it, "Wait, little fellow, little fellow, wait!"

Once again the Chiss groaned inside, his luck never seemed to be turning out right these days.

[member="Karen Roberts"]

 

[Jsc]

The little scamp of a droid rolled right back over to Karen and dumped the holocron on the table. Thump.

~ Weep woop ! ~

"Oh dear."

Karen just shook her head at the poor little droid. He was so proud of himself. Didn't even notice that the cube's owner was already on his way over. Oh dear,

"I'm so sorry,"

Karen stood up and grasped the broken object to return it.

"He's just very anxious to help. Here... This must be yours."

She smiled and returned the library to [member="Akio Diachi "].

"Though. It does look a bit worse for wear, doesn't it. Hehe."

R2 seemed confused.

~ Donk donk ? ~

Wasn't she supposed to fix things like that? Not just give them back all crumpled and sparking? Oh dear. Silly human. Why on earth did you get built with thumbs anyway?

~ Weep wonk ... ~

His little dome was just spinning with disappointment.

 

[Akio Diachi]

[member="Karen Roberts"]

The Chiss gave the lady a polite smile.

"Oh no worries at all, ma'am, I'm sure the small metal fellow was only doing as he saw right," the Chiss assured her.

The young man pressed his fist into his open palm at chest level, the customary sign of respect and one of the few fragments of his memory the Chiss had recovered, "My name is Akio Diachi. It's nice to meet you."

He looked at the metal container of wisdom in the lady's hands. He wasn't quite sure who she was but he was confident enough she knew more about that object than he did, and how to fix it.

"I actually came to see if someone could repair that for me," he said with a second smile, "I do not have much to offer in the manner of credits, though I do have some of these," he fished a few gems from his pocket, semi-precious jewels he had collected on his journeys to use for barter. "Will this be enough?"

 

[Jsc]

She smiled though shrugged at the gem stones,

"Probably not. Hehe."

The brown haired woman held up a hand to reassure him,

"Holocrons of this make are extremely rare. As are the fortune's required to repair them. These are no simple datacrons, mind you. The essence of the Force that attunes them is very much beyond price. As is the wealthy of knowledge that can be gained from them."

She gave a wave to her droid and quickly the little scamp made his retreat from the cafe. She could entertain the poor robot later.

"Luckily for you however? The DAS does offer discounted prices for holocron repair if you would be willing to loan the library to the Academy. ...Naturally. You would retain full access to it's contents. Of course."

The tall woman folded her arms behind her back and raised her chin. Obviously wondering if @Akio Diachi might be willing to negotiate this offer?

"Does, this offer strike your fancy Young Master?"

 

[Akio Diachi]

I [member="Karen Roberts"] I

Akio put his handful of gems away. He gave a winsome but slightly embarrassed smile. "Well I suppose it's an understatement to say I have more to learn about the way that the galaxy works, now don't I?"

A fortune. Well, he was short on one or two of those. He was glad to hear about the possible discount--and of course the ability to share that wisdom.

"It sounds rather amiciable to me," Akio said. "I would be more than glad to share it's contents," the Chiss quirked an eyebrow. If there was a library he wanted to learn more. As much as he could.

He took a seat at the table, "This Library, what all is in it if I may ask? And what is required to access it? I may have a few more additions later to add to it as I go about my way. Wisdom was made to be shared after all."

 

[Jsc]

Karen gave a motion that [member="Akio Diachi "]should follow her. Together they would move towards the SCI wing.

"Well, the DAS seeks to gather as much galactic knowledge as it is able to. Much like how the Imperial Archives of Coruscant gather data from all across the stars. If you've heard of a Jedi Library before? Yes. Its a very similar concept. A planetary repository for as much knowledge as possible."

She walked and talked with her hands,

"As for what is inside your Holocron? Well... I honestly have no idea. Hehe. Though, once repaired? These types of object usually react to Force Adepts of marvelous alignments. Such as a Jedi Sentinel. If... You're familiar with the type, of course."

The halls were crowded with people, patrons, droids, and scientists of all types. Karen stopped in front of the science wing elevator and pressed the button.

"Well. If you'll follow me down to the science wing? We can get started on the recovery of your little cube here. Do you have an hour to spare Mr... I'm sorry. Introductions. Pardon me."

She gave a slight nod of her head.

"Karen Roberts. Holocron Specialist. Division Nine. At your service."

 

[Akio Diachi]

I [member="Karen Roberts"] I

Akio followed the young woman down through the halls. It was a very advanced idea, civilized in his mind and essentially how he felt the worlds should treat knowledge.

"Jedi Sentinels," he said the phrase like it was new to him. "I am afraid not. Is that a subset of the religion?"

He stood by waiting at the elevator and nodded back, "An honor, Miss Roberts. My name is Akio. Akio Diachi. No one special, just a wanderer and a learner. I do have all the time in the worlds." though to say what he was truly wandering and searching for--well that would come later if she wanted to know. The elevator opened and he stepped inside.

"That's quite an important title," the Chiss noted as they rode along in the metal room. "Would it be too far of a guess to assume you helped found this establishment?"

 

[Jsc]

Karen raised an eyebrow at his request. Turning back for a moment to watch the elevator tick down the floors,

"Founded? Oh no. Heavens... No."

She smiled and nodded. As if chuckling to herself.

"The DAS is simply a very old, and very enlightened, group of normal people. They recruited me three years ago to teach them about Holocrons. And... Well. I've been assisting them ever since."

The door sprung open to the science wing. Allowing Karen to wave them forward into the hallway.

"As for the Jedi?.."

She turned to look [member="Akio Diachi "]up and down. Hmm. Interesting.

"...Might I inquire as to your own history Master Diachi? You seem the religious type? ...If... You don't mind my bold observation, that is?"

 

[Akio Diachi]

Akio tilted his head back. Could a Chiss blush? Probably not. But if anyone could, he was getting closer to it.

"My humblest apologies," he said. "Though I do believe that you are quite a formidable expert on the field, I doubt they could have made a better selection."

The Chiss began to follow her down the halls.

"You are right, I suppose I am," Akio said offering his palms in deference, "but not in the normal way, I suppose. I am clearly not a Jedi--and I do not believe the sith are right either." He pursed his lips together, frowning slightly, "I suppose I do not know what you would call what I believe, but I feel the Force is--well--a network to guide us, to give wisdom, to give insight, and to do no harm among others where it is at all possible with you," He folded his hands in his robes, 'What would that be called, Miss Roberts?"

[member="Karen Roberts"]

 

[Jsc]

Karen stopped in front of a large conference room. She nodded to think for a moment before pushing the wide glass doors open and motioning for [member="Akio Diachi "]to enter,

"Well... I suppose I'd call that being on a pilgrimage of sorts. Perhaps."

The brunette pulled out a seat for Diachi and herself took a chair next to him.

"I myself was once a Jedi Knight of some renown, you know. Years ago, mind you. But?.. It was long enough to get to know the religion well."

She smiled and held up his Holocron from the table.

"Long enough to learn a few new tricks. Hehe."

She pressed a small button on the long bright table that lay before them.

Indeed. The long white conference table in the center of the room was in our good reality, a prototype. It was an old war table taken from the CIC command deck of a GR Star Dreadnought and converted anew into Karen's workspace. Placed here on the SCI floor for all of the staff to use. As such, the clever old desk had a little bit of Tony Stark in it. The moment Karen placed the Holocron on the conference table, the whole room began to glow a faint blue aura.

"Ciri." Karen spoke to the A.I. that ran the building, "Diagnosis please."

~ "Yes Master Roberts. Diagnosis underway. ETA three minutes." ~

Immediately the Holocron began to hover above the table. Just as a dozen holographic menu's and displays began to flicker into existence beside it. Ciri was already using the room's many fine facilities to run a soft scan of the broken device. Displaying all of the scan data in a bright blue holographic format. Right above the war table itself. Just like magic.

Karen turned back to Akio with a smile,

"So. Where does the Force take you now, Master Diachi? Any big plans for the future?"

She smiled and leaned back in her chair. They had a moment to talk. Ciri was working.

 

[Akio Diachi]

A pilgrimage. He savored the word like a sweet onion on his tongue, "A Pilgrim. Yes, that is what I am. A Pilgrim."

He sat and nodded. A Jedi knight? No small level of respect washed over him. Considering how little he knew, and how much she did, it was hard to not... well, to wonder why she would take time out of her day to deal with the likes of him. He was nothing, and no one. He would probably never been anyone wise, awe inspiring, and deeply profound. Chances were he would always be just Akio, the Blue Wanderer.

It didn't bother him as much as it could have. If that was what the Force wanted him to be, the he was alright with it. Wherever he found himself, he would be content.

He watched as the holocron was lifted off the table and suspended in the air with god-like energy and power. The disembodied voice made him jump slightly. He had not been expecting that.

'Where does the Force take me?" he wondered aloud, asking himself as much as she had. He looked inside himself for a moment before answering, "I do not know. No one has ever taught me anything about--well about how any of this works. What I have learned has been on my own," the Chiss leaned with his forearms on the table, 'To tell you the truth, I haven't found anyone willing to teach me about this, what little I do know I have found through nature--or meditation. I assure you," he said with a chuckle, 'its not too much," he put a hand up, 'I should revise that, Miss Matsu Ike did teach me something of Force Imbuedment, but besides that, I am rather lacking in what I have gained." He gave a sigh, 'And to be perfectly honest, I am none too sure exactly where I fit into this galaxy. I have been searching for an answer somewhere but I cannot find any. I don't even know where it is I come from either." Akio stopped himself short, "My apologies, that was out of place."

[member="Karen Roberts"]

 

[Jsc]

She waved the comment away,

"Nonsense. I completely understand. I myself having been something of a pilgrim before too."

She leaned forward and gave a wink,

"Savor the journey Master Diachi. The Force works in mysterious ways. Hehe."

Karen leaned back and glanced at the floating cube. Mmm. Perhaps [member="Akio Diachi "]was not as listless as he had thought.

"You know. I'm somewhat familiar with Matsu. If you were able to gain her help? Perhaps you've had dealings with the Silver Jedi out of Voss before, hm?"

She tapped a finger against her lips in contemplation. Thinking hard about where to take this,

"Yes. Mmm. I wonder... Just what exactly to you think the Force has in store for you Good Pilgrim? Surly by now you've noticed many a strong magical Faction that you could call home? I'm curious as to why you've remained so aloof in your travels? ...If I might pry, of course."

...

To note. Karen had taken many a Lonesome Wanderer under her wing as an Apprentice before. Most all of them ending up lacking anything familiar to Jedi qualities either. Indeed, most wanderer's possessed only a selfish desire for personal power and a hidden, lonesome desire for companionship. Questors. She called them. Adventurers. Yes. Setting out into the great unknown in search of truth and love! ...Bah. Naive little children. Like teenagers in a way. ...No. Not teenagers. Like Karen herself.

Heh. Yeah. Truth be told? She was exactly the same way after Tython. So, just maybe? She could understand that too. I mean. The Force itself was absolutely horrible with setting any kind of temporal examples to follow and the Jedi Orders of the day were even worse. She certainly wasn't any Grandmaster either. Bleh. Oh Gods no. So, she couldn't really fault any of her previous students for retaking their birthrights and then smashing forward into life like a bulldozer to make their own way in the world. Meh. It seemed only natural really. ...Still? Karen had to wonder if Akio would be just the same. Mmm.

Couldn't hurt to try, I suppose.

After all. She'd never trained a Grandmaster yet. And, ya know? In retrospect? That was probably for the best too. Haha!

 

[Akio Diachi]

[member="Karen Roberts"]

The Chiss nodded, "I have had some contact with those Jedi, thought not much to speak of. I attended a seminar, slipped in and learned a small amount on the religion, but," he chuckled softly, "It was one. And the day has its limitations of course."

He rubbed his chin in contemplation. "They are good people. I suppose there are many that are around. I tired to learn from one of those factions, the shapers of Kro Var, but," he gave a sad smile "Things didn't pan out exactly." he was sure she would understand what that meant.


He thought about her words for a moment. She was right. He had been aloof and he hadn't thought about it that way until now. There was truly only one way for him to learn what he wanted, and it was not through aloofness, but rather closeness.

"I suppose it's because I've never felt it's time to lay stakes and connect to one," he said at last. "But you are wise. There is no need for me to remain that way. Especially with the desire for me to learn what I feel I must. To be shaped and molded by the Force through learning from others." he nodded again, his red glowing eyes looking up at her's. 'I should learn from someone. Find a master I suppose is the term. Do you know of any that you could recommend?"

 

[Jsc]

She rubbed her chin and contemplated the thought. Hmm. Recommend someone? Sure sure. But who? She really didn't know any good recommendations except, "Just show up on Voss and the Silvers will take you." And that was down right boring. Bleh.

"Ya know. I do know someone. But, that can wait until we're done here. Just give me a moment."

She smiled and turned back to the hovering Holocron. Sure enough. Ciri had just finished.

"Okay Ciri. What have you got for me?"

~ "Analysis complete. Displaying scan results now. Returning to sleep mode." ~

"Thank you Ciri. Mmm. Let's see..."

Karen browsed the long list and nodded to herself. Okay. No problem. She stood up and turned back to [member="Akio Diachi "],

"Ah! Good news. She's mostly intact and we can proceed with a data dump of the crystal matrix immediately. Here... Walk with me. The labs just down this way."

Roberts opened up the conference room door and motioned him outside into the hall.

"Oh. And grab your Holocron, good master pilgrim. We're almost done here. Hehe."

Together they moved back into the long crowded hallways of the science wing. Akio's repair was almost done.

"So. I'm curious. What caused you to take up this drifting pilgrimage anyway? Surely you have a home and a family somewhere out there in the galaxy, yes? Don't they miss you?"

 

[Akio Diachi]

Akio nodded, he had no clue what a data dump was or a crystal matrix was. In fact, he didn't know the first thing about mechanics or computers. But--well, she said they had good news so that was wonderful.

He scooped his holocron in his hands as he followed her down the hall into the next lab. It was probably in his best interest to keep his hands in the folds of his Robe. There was no telling what kind of delicate, breakable materials they had in this sort of place, and he didn't want to be that guy who broke it.

He couldn't help but smile grimly. It was a good question, and one that he would have probably asked too.

"To tell you the truth," he said, "I don't know. I woke up six months ago in the hold of an abandoned freighter on Dantoowine. I don't remember anything after that, but I had a terrible bleeding gash on my head,' he said motioning to the left side of his head, "And a tremendous headache. I don't remember anything from before that."

He side stepped out of the way of a passing droid, "The past sometimes comes back, in bits and pieces, but its very broken, very fragmented," he sighed and shrugged, "Maybe I do have a family, I don't really know too much." But then he had to ask, it was a burning question on his mind, "Is it true that Jedi are not supposed to have families? To not love? Do you have one?"

[member="Karen Roberts"]

 

[Jsc]

They walked and talked.

"Families? Oh no. It's all quite open really. There are hundreds of interpretations about the Jedi religion, you see. Some more conservative than others. Mmm. Yes. You see, to quote history. It has been hypothesized that Force Sensitivity runs in the blood. A, hereditary evolution some might call it. Something you can inherit from your parents. Indeed, in far earlier times? Many Jedi lived as Royal Bloodlines. Kings and Queens of magic. Favored by their family ties and their subjects lack of future planning. Such Empires were often given to emotional and historical turmoil. Violent revolutions and Lordly infighting. As such? Many Jedi practitioners that followed these Empires did not take wives or husbands, or create family units. They decided instead to train new mages not as their own children? But as strange Apprentices instead."

She shrugged,

"They believed this would temper the Jedi. Make them more level headed and rational. Keep them away from worrying about legacies, power, empires, and good breeding habits. They thought it would move the Jedi away from a very Feudal type of living. And, to their merits? It sort of did. ...Though. It created all new problems, I'm afraid. Sexual problems. Recruiting problems. Even problems regarding how many Masters were available to new students. That sort of thing."

She paused in the hallway to finish.

"Cause and effect I suppose. You try to fix one problem and end up creating two new ones. ...Ah well. That's probably why we have so many modern Jedi Orders, Jedi churches, and Jedi codex's, these days? Because nobody knows what the Jedi Way really is. Even the Force, with is visions and quiet whispers, seems to contradict itself these days. Ugh. So confusing. Hehe."

Karen folded her arms and started to notice she was already teaching [member="Akio Diachi "]. Heck. This was starting to sound an awful lot like a first lesson too.

"Sorry. ...Long winded answer. Did that help much? Maybe? Hehe."

 

[Akio Diachi]

He listened atentatively. The Jedi seemed just as complex as the rest of the galaxy. He appreciated that but--

"It is my humble opinion," the Chiss offered, bowing his head in deferrence, "that workers of the lightside should be more united. One mind. One heart. One light. For how can we administer peace if we are not ourselves at peace?" then he smiled, "But I must confess I do not know much on this. I suppose the masters do know best."

He casually pressed his fingers together in the folds of his robes. "It did help. Thank you. I suppose the more lasting would have been to teach the masters to be more selfless and less self centered, but," he hesitated. "I suppose it is harder to embrace personal change than it is to build walls." he glanced at her face, looking for confirmation. "Would you agree?"

[member="Karen Roberts"]

 

[Jsc]

She just sort of... Stared at him now. For a carefree drifter? He sure did know how to articulate a commentary about galactic politics. Hmm. Maybe there was some Senator in him after all.

"Ughh... Yeahhh. Umm. Something like that?"

It wasn't the naivete of such a comment that bugged her. It was the idealism. Bleh. The most dangerous of words. The most destructive of Jedi thought patterns too. The eager downfall of just about every Jedi Apprentice. Idealism. Gods... How she hated that stuff.

"Look. If you want to learn anything-about-anything while you're out on your pilgrimage? I'd suggest starting with human nature first. What do they call it on Coruscant? Imperial nature or something. Whatever. Same thing."

She folded her arms and shrugged.

"Mages, Jedi, Sith; whomever. They're all just people. So, getting them to work together takes a lot more than just a wish and a bang. They need a reason. And, no. Just in case you were wondering? The Force itself doesn't tell people what to do either. I've been a Jedi for almost forty years now and I've never seen, heard, or encountered any Force User who's ever experienced contrary to that fact either. The Gods might be real and the Force might be inside every living creature but... They sure ain't the prophetic type. If you catch my drift. Heh."

She sighed.

"So. Yeah. If you were tempted to think that just by being a Jedi makes you a good person? Or, that it gives you a little bit more insight into the spiritual debates of right and wrong? ...Yeah... You'd be a million miles in the wrong direction. Heh. Sorry."

...

Karen decided to leave out the parts about the multiple reoccurring Force ether plans, celestial galaxy builders, and the most recent dark goddess of the Netherworld to ravage the universe, Akala.

Nah.

If the Force couldn't figure it's own chit out? Why should she bother explaining the Jedi religions divides anyway? Let's just stick to 'human nature' and call it good. Otherwise she'd have to break the 4th wall and explain how some people just be cray-cray.

[member="Akio Diachi "].