To drive the darkness away…

[Corvus Raaf]

​

Ruusan was a planet in the Mid Rim most famous for the Ruusan campaign, the last stand of the Brotherhood of Darkness under Lord Kaan and the birthplace of Darth Bane's Order of the Sith Lords. It’s other key significance for the Jedi was that it lent its name to the Ruusan Reformations enacted after the battle.

Known for its three moons, referred to by locals as the "Three Sisters," the planet’s surface including vegetation and several cities, was destroyed during the final battle. But the outcome of all of those battles most pertinent to Corvus was the work of a one Johun Othone.

A Jedi Knight, he petitioned the Galactic Senate to construct a grand mausoleum containing the one-hundred fallen warriors called The Valley of the Jedi, located on the former location of Olmondo. And this is where she’d agreed to meet another Jedi Master. [member="Marcello Matteo"] was someone she’d know for a long time – without knowing particularly well. She’d been on a mission with him once but otherwise their paths had crossed rather than run alongside.

With so many Jedi missing after the six-year war and the catastrophic Galactic event, she was pleased to hear from him. So they’d agreed to meet here as she reviewed the plans to resurrect the Academy here.

She looked around – the weather was at least temperate and work was well underway to ensure the buildings were safe and secure before they focused on the finer detail – including the purpose of a second Academy.

 

[Marcello Matteo]

The nimble N-1T sliced casually across the Ruusan sky towards its intended destination. The Jedi Master had never actually been to the Valley of the Jedi, but that was in no way unusual. It was all someone could do just to get him to set foot inside of a Jedi Temple let alone some shrine that, in his eyes, served little true purpose. That, of course, was not to say Marcello did not care about the past of the Jedi. His pedagogical inclinations certainly would not permit that to be a reality.

Over the course of the past six years Marcello had been...busy...but no less a part of the Jedi Order. Quite to the contrary he'd preferred to engage in that which mattered...the never-ending struggle to safeguard the defenseless, to be a voice for those that had none. Oh and there was the blissful reunion with [member="Kiskla Grayson"] some five years ago. Even when she'd returned to tend to the mastering of Avalore, Marcello had preferred to keep his attentions directed where they could be of most use. He was no politician, but he could certainly weigh in on the useless nature of politics amongst their organization whenever necessary, and it seemed to always be necessary.

When his input for the distribution of 'titles' was solicited, he happily complied because in the end...those things mattered a great deal to a great many. Large swaths of Jedi correlated success to the acquisition of prestigious titles. Through the grapevine, he'd heard that [member="Corvus Raaf"] had picked up another...that of Grandmaster. Unlike...probably the entirety of the Order younger or less experienced than her (which was nearly everyone these days...nearly), Marcello had not greeted the news with so much as a subtle upturn of one corner of his lips, indicating pride, happiness, or general acquiescence. Kiskla had been far more accomplished when she'd allowed herself to vaulted into such a lofty position, and he'd chastised her rather openly on more than one occasion. Were their numbers so bereft of experience that they needed to uphold the perpetual cycle of advancing Jedi to positions they were, realistically, in no way prepared for?

Perhaps.

Marcello's answer? Standing up as the lone voice in the dark hadn't worked...not during the reorganization he'd quarterbacked following Coruscant (to no avail because things quickly returned to the typical brand of...stagnant and unproductive) and not when he'd attempted to be an entity of...constructive criticism and support. Alas...structure was what many needed for one reason or another. They needed symbols...people that had been around and were capable of carrying the torch into the future. The thought that there was an ideal or perfect Jedi out there...ridiculous to Marcello. They were all merely sentients living a life and trying to be better than the day before. That was the standard, the performance upon which all would be judged by the galaxy at large. Right now, public perception of the Jedi was not particularly strong. Go figure.

Once his spacecraft had touched down, Marcello jumped down from the canopy and allowed his glacier-blue gaze to sweep the horizon. Drawing the hood of his dark-blue cloak over his head, the large Jedi proceeded in the direction of the meeting he had politely requested.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

She heard the ship before she saw it, the N-1T cutting through the skies en route to their rendezvous.

She wondered which Master Matteo would turn up? The one that spoke with authority and an absence of pretence that she’d so admired during their first meeting. Or the jaundiced one that seemed cynical when the Jedi needed strong leadership.

Perhaps she was just being too harsh? They were, of course, individuals. And everyone changes of course. She was nothing like the young girl that arrived on Ossus a dozen years ago. When she’d looked up at GrandMaster Grayson and was amazed that someone so young could have achieved so much. Yet here she was, a good few years older than the former GrandMaster was at that time and suddenly all anyone wanted to discuss was her age?

Of course, she felt she was too young herself – but what was the alternative? When the going got tough, the Jedi got out it seemed. A recent roll-call had proven what they all knew. Vows to serve the Republic meant different things to different people. But despite popular belief (based upon what she had no idea) she was the first to espouse people walking their own paths. Those that wished to travel a different route were not wrong – and more than she was right. They were simply different. She went to bed each night and checked that there was truth between her heart and the Force. And every night she slept soundly.

Perhaps now was the time for a new Order? New blood to take them forward? There were some promising Knights that should be made Master very soon. And they had no problem in attracting Padawans. It was everything in-between that fell short at the moment.

Was it a Jedi Order problem? It seemed not as she’d been approached by at least two Padawans from other Orders in the last couple of days – looking to stay with their existing allegiances but asking her for training as they were receiving none where they were.

But for as many new ideas and thoughts of hope, sometimes you also needed the wisdom of those that have already trodden the path. And Master Matteo was one. His offer to return and help was overridden with a caveat that his stay was not permanent. She sighed inwardly. He was certainly not unique in this respect.

She saw the ship land and as she was outside, datapad in hand, she walked towards the large figure that exited the craft. His dark-blue cloak was unmistakeable – not that his flying had left her in any doubt as to whom was piloting the ship. So, with a smile on her face, she set out to meet Marcello, her ankle still bothering her from where that annoying bearded Sith Lord had so nearly severed her foot. At least the cuts on her face from the resulting face-plant had subsided…

[member="Marcello Matteo"]

 

[Marcello Matteo]

Anyone that elected to...presume Marcello's dedication to the Order came with any amount of conditions or caveats was...foolish beyond reason. As a pointed matter of fact, his only absence from the Order had been when he did not feel he belonged, did not feel worthy of the title. In his self-exile he's found a sense of self and never once looked back. Further more, his openly critical outlook on and comments about the Councils of the past never detracted from his efforts to make a difference, to improve the Order. This was accomished through interaction with and mentoring of younger generations. He left the politics to those that seemed to gravitate to them so rapidly.

Still. How could he fault anyone for misconceptions? His cold, realistic appraisal of the Galaxy was not aggressive or bleak...it merely was. In spite of it all, he sacrificed everything in himself for the sake of the Order and its mandate to safeguard those incapable of doing so on their own. His own personal loss and sacrifice routinely weighed on his mind, but he pushed through because he was nothing if not an entity that did what needed to be done. Absence from the halls of some Temple of contrived procedures and misguided thought had no bearing on his devotion to the Order.

Alas, Marcello was never one to seek recognition or approval. He'd not the time for pretenses. Perceptions would be what they were, and he knew his, like all others, were created at least in part out of his actions. As his eyes fell upon [member="Corvus Raaf"], he offered a subtle, almost imperceptible nod of the head. Certainly he did no smile. The ability to invoke such a reaction in him was maintained by only one these days.

"Corvus. You appear healthy. I'm sure you have some important task or another to tend to, so you'll forgive my not observing extended pleasantries." Shifting his gaze off into the distance, the large Jedi Master took a number of steps around and passed Corvus. "Six years of war. Much has been reclaimed...yet not the strength of our resolve, the realization of our purpose."

Turning his head to Corvus, Marcello regarded the young woman with inquisitive eyes. "This of course stems from the...Council of Jedi nominally charged with the leadership of this Order." Marcello raised a subtle hand as if to indicate insult was not the intended purpose of his statement. "I, we have been here before. Routinely scrambling to understand what is best for the Jedi. The answer, of course, is that there is no answer."

Strands of long blonde hair feel in front of his blue irises, partially obscuring his view of the diminutive woman. "You are young...too young. Youth, by the way, is a measure of experience and knowledge. Age is largely irrelevant and seemingly immaterial to so many. However, this is a state of being you share with the vast majority of your peers. Conversely, you will never be old enough, seasoned enough. Accept this now and own it." Perhaps she had? He'd no idea.

His comments, though seemingly random and disjointed, were in fact merely steps to the finality of his point. "You will determine whether we falter or succeed." Maybe she knew that too. "I never formally congratulated you. Congratulations. Now what are your plans to get ahead of the threats that continuously box us in?"

A simple, fair question.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus watched him approach and by the time they met in the middle, he’d offered his welcome and got straight down to business. That she very much admired in him – she had done from the outset.

Regardless she bowed slightly – old habits die hard – and she listened. You have two ears and one mouth for a reason, her old Master used to say. So she listened and hoped to learn.

So she listened and waited and finally there came a question, wrapped in a statement and so simple yet so complex.

“If I alone determine success or failure then we’ve already lost. We are Jedi, none of us is more important than any other of us. And there is zero false modesty when I say I neither want nor deserve congratulations. I serve – that’s what I do. I shall not shirk from any responsibilities. I have been a Jedi for over two decades now and will continue to do what I have always done – follow the Code and ensure there is truth between it and my heart.”

“Now, which threats in particular are you referring to? There are quite a few.”

A simple, fair answer.

[member="Marcello Matteo"]

 

[Marcello Matteo]

Marcello's expression remained stoic, but he felt the inclination to laugh swirling around the core of his being. [member="Corvus Raaf"] was anything but a comedian, far as he was aware, but the statement she'd just made was indeed rather amusing. "With that attitude, Corvus, we already have. You are correct, no Jedi, in the long run, is more important than another. The Force cares not necessarily who you are...merely what you do. The Jedi Order, however, is another matter entirely. Leadership absolutely will have the greatest most direct bearing on success. Hold to whatever mystical beliefs you so choose, but none of us can escape the reality of any organization's nature."

While it was, perhaps, encouraging to see Corvus not flaunting her very real authority amongst the Order in the manner a Sith would, it was not so comforting to Marcello in particular that she thought the successes and failures of the Order would not follow her own. Since the dawn of the Jedi Order, that had been its story. The fate of the many falling on the actions and abilities of the few. "The Code..." It was all Marcello would say on the matter. Various Jedi drew many different levels of strength and inspiration from the Code. It was a lovely composition of words to Marcello, but the truth behind their meaning he'd never discerned from any amount of lessons. He lived as life as he best saw fit from his own...admittedly diverse perspective.

Unfortunately, Corvus' non-answer wasn't exactly thrilling to Marcello. He communicated almost exclusively in direct terms. Corvus, from his limited exposure, often did the same. He certainly remembered her being naturally inquisitive almost too a fault. It was a trait that he respected...even if only because he himself was rather swift to move through inquisition and data collection to analysis and action. Perhaps he needed to be clearer in his oral discourses with the Grandmaster. "Well. I asked what your plans were for getting ahead of the threats that continuously box us in." A brief pause of silence. Marcello's brain naturally rationalized that a simple re-stating of what he'd already said would not adequately address the previously identified deficiency of the aforementioned inquiry. "I was referring to plans relating to all of the threats - whatever you may perceive them to be."

Oh. Right. "Also please stop with the bowing. I hated it when you were still in the infancy of your training. We stand on equal footing as peers before the Force, and you are irrefutably my superior in the eyes of the Order." A sly smirk, however, did not require the influence of [member="Kiskla Grayson"] as a genuine smile did. "Whether you believe it so or not."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled. “Old habits and all that. At least I didn’t call you Master! And it was never about superiority, it was always about respect.”

“But to focus on the plans for getting us ahead of that which continuously boxes us in?” She paused and cocked her head to one side. “Funny that - and I mean strange, not ha ha. Until you phrased the question like that, I’m not sure I would have been so clear in my response.”

“You see, I’m unsure we have any issues that keep me awake at night. Does that make me naïve? Possibly. But the Republic has never been stronger. Fewer planets, admittedly, but then it’s not the expansionist beast it once was. The Senate has never been working so hard. The military is going from strength to strength - and in my role, as I see it, to serve the Republic then I have to say it’s never been in better shape. Never.”

“Now to the Jedi Order. We have seen a lot of Jedi over the past six years move on. I’m sure if the Republic were under threat many would lend a hand but if their path takes them in a different direction, then that is the route they must take and I commend them for being honest with their loyalty.”

“We still have a small core of faithful Masters and a new crop of Padawans. A much healthier position than Master Skywalker faced when he started the New Jedi Order. I sense this smaller group will generate the energy to satisfy the needs of the Republic.”

“And reflection has allowed me the clarity of vision that, perhaps, some Jedi were better to have moved on. I remember conversations with some bitter individuals. That wished the Republic to fail, to..sink was the term I remember. Better they serve the Force in a way that works for them than be unhappy with duties that ill suit them.”

“Does that sound wrong? Perhaps. But I serve the Republic and that colours my view on life. All I hope is that here is truth between their heart and the Force.”

[member="Marcello Matteo"]

 

[Marcello Matteo]

Marcello exhaled heavily and slowly as [member="Corvus Raaf"]'s comments drew to a close. "If you lost sleep over issues, period, you would not survive the position you presently entertain." Marcello's viewpoint on that was much less one of academic perceptiveness to...personal belief. Then again, he'd lived a life of leading and serving with others. He never benefited from allowing his own personal performance to degrade over unnecessary worry for that which he would never be able to fully control. "I am glad that the Republic is, according to you, doing so well. I challenge the notion that it is any stronger now than it has been in the past. I think perhaps you equate patriotism and renewed vigor too easily to productivity and effectiveness." The Jedi Master hadn't really wanted to get into a conversation about the Republic...at all. However, as a casual observer, he noted only the loss of critical military contracts, continuous restructuring that always promoted an immediate rise to fervor before giving way to disinterest or jaded emotions once the losses started mounting once more. The Republic, like much of society, was a mob. When things were going well, they were happy. The second things became a struggle...the true colors of so many would shine.

Yet... "However, I don't particularly care. I do not care anymore about the Republic's successes and existence than I do any government of people that wish to co-exist with the rest of the galaxy in peace." Corvus' entire monologue on her devotion and service to the Republic represented precisely what was wrong. The Jedi Order did not belong to the Republic...nor was it only responsible for serving such. In the ancient past that may have been a realistic viewpoint...when the Republic was, effectively, the entire known galaxy. Marcello had always been a proponent of a cooperative nature with not just the Republic...but any government dedicated to similar ideals. "You can continue to serve the Republic. I prefer to be of service to the galaxy; to any in need. To the Force."

And there, ladies and gentlemen, was the specific reason why Marcello was rarely seen around Temples or vying for some unnecessary seat on a Council. He refused to be, in effect, a government puppet. It was not his job to help the Republic gain ground. His charge was to battle real or perceived evil wherever it existed, and that did not always mean clashing with Sith. Keep the peace. He just discharged that mandate with varying levels of aggression as necessary. "Your problem, our problem, is that many of the Jedi in this galaxy think the same. They see your comments manifested in the actions of the Order. A touch of distance between us and the political and military objectives of the Republic is not exactly a terrible thing."

Marcello was not promoting any type of mass exodus...and those that simply abandoned were as much a part of the problem as anyone. The problem, however, would exist so long as the aforementioned perception did as well.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

"You must walk your own path of course. The Order I currently am a member of serves the Republic first, foremost and only. That is our reason for being."

She smiled. "I was approached about supporting a single Jedi Order. My thoughts then were the same as they are now. It is a logical step and with only a small amount of effort could be made to work. But those that had the imagination and vision to propose such a venture promised dialogue and have gone oddly quiet since. Meanwhile I have been doing rather than sitting. I have continued Kiskla's work in improving our relationship with the Silver Jedi Order and we now have meaningful dialogue."

"I am also supporting the Jedi Academy Network. In fact a recent check of the training records show that almost a hundred percent of the activity comes from the Republic Jedi and about ninety percent of that is mine. I'm answering the Archive queries, helping Mandalorian Jedi etc. etc. So please don't preach to me about building bridges or supporting the wider agenda."

"And you tell me you want no part of the Republic Order yet you are keen to vote on a Master promotion. I find that...odd. For rest assured, until things change, this is a Jedi Order that serves the Republic. If those that espouse a single Order are willing to invest in discussing that proposition I have already said I will support, I will play my part. But do not expect me to request we dismantle our support for the Republic until that time comes."

"I fear those that wish to see the Republic fail are manifesting themselves in ever more aggressive and underhand ways and I seriously do not understand their agenda."

​"If your reason for calling this meeting was to convince me to denounce the Republic, you've wasted your time."

[member="Marcello Matteo"]

 

[Marcello Matteo]

Marcello now laughed...vibrantly, from the very core of his being. "You are young. Or...you're moronic. You are honestly going to stand there and tell me you think...the purpose of this Order was ever to serve the Republic solely? Let me educate then. It is not now...nor has it ever been so, regardless of how you may wish it. We are guardians for peace...just so long as it's the Republic's peace? If that is what the party line has become, then I'm glad we had this meeting." Another brief chuckle followed as he waved a dismissive hand. "Good job building bridges that already existed though. The Silver Jedi Order has never been an issue...outside of the fact they refuse to solely support the Republic. I'm sure you recognize that you've never changed that, and the alliance with them was brokered long ago via drinks with their own Grandmaster at the time. A healthy respect of each Orders perceived methods of affecting the galaxy. The only issues we had in the past were because people chose to force their views upon them."

Shaking his head, Marcello clasped his hands behind his back. "Get this through your head, Corvus. I do not merely serve the Republic. I serve the Jedi Order and the Force, and the Order that I joined before you were ever born...never limited itself to the service of one fraction of the galaxy. That is, quite literally, the most ridiculous notion that I have ever heard in my entire life, and I've heard quite a bit. You can view and support the Republic as you so choose...so too can any other member of the Jedi Order. I have never been one to attempt to sway minds that are, clearly, rooted in their methods."

Marcello wasn't going to address the comments about the Jedi Academy Network because her entire line of comments were laced with a fairly myopic viewpoint on what the entirety of the Network's members were doing. Perhaps she judged it on some solitary forum whereby only herself and members of the Jedi Order cared to...publicize the efforts they make. Republic Jedi. When did the need to differentiate between Jedi become a runaway train? "I do my duty to the Jedi Order and the galaxy, Corvus. Nothing more, nothing less. That does not, however, mean my service goes first, foremost, and only to the Republic. Did you even think before you made that statement? I came here to obtain a greater understanding of who you are and what type of leader you intend to be. I'm not sure what has you so grotesquely terrified of putting any amount of distance between you and the Republic. I don't care about a single Order. Jedi are Jedi. The problem we all have? We place restrictions and qualifications on who we support because of...what, exactly?" Rhetorical question.

It was clear to Marcello that [member="Corvus Raaf"] might have actually had little more than a closed mind between any aspect of her and the Force. Then again, he knew not the circumstances of recent experiences. Politics...he did not buy into them. Corvus, however, clearly had. "Don't bother responding. The reality is apparently echelons above the understanding of...too many, all of us perhaps. This, by the way, is why we will forever be on our heels against the Sith. Unity and some modicum of clarity of thought is not entirely lost upon them. They are many things, several of them horrid, but they exist as such diligently and without ridiculous political conditions."

Th turn of events in the conversation was unfortunate. Continuously, Marcello fought to believe in the leadership of the Jedi Order, but...it seemed things like this were always destined to happen. Perhaps his was a life that would forever be executed from the shadows...doing what is necessary when it was necessary. He could do that, but it did nothing to address the greater issue...to spread a culture of right and sacrifice among the Jedi Order. Service to the Force and the Galaxy...not merely a single government.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus closed her eyes momentarily. She pulled the Force to her to ensure she was calm and collected as she attempted to continue the conversation.

“Your views are forthright, noted and valid as ever. As you request, I shall not respond. So...?” She cocked her head to one side, clearly unsure where the Master wished to go next with his tirade.

[member="Marcello Matteo"]

 

[Marcello Matteo]

The simple reality was...the conversation had been concluded. Both Jedi Masters had made their points, and their general respective perceptions were...in many ways similar but differed in many more. Truthfully, that was the benefit of a conglomeration of free-thinking individuals. If they were truly as many described, a dogmatic order of monks all preaching the same thing...progress would elude them. That wasn't to say that progress didn't currently come at an almost staggeringly slow rate, but it did happen.

Still. Marcello was never angry. Irritated often, disappointed more so, but he found anger to simply be a mostly wasted emotion. Actually. He'd probably...no...definitely been angry at [member="Kiskla Grayson"] before, but he was quite certain she'd deserved it. To a fault, she was the only entity in this galaxy that he cared enough about to even allow his emotions to reach their extremes regardless of the end of the spectrum.

"So we are done here. I will leave you to your undoubtedly busy schedule." For a moment, his glacier blue eyes cast skyward, a non-verbal hunger resounding throughout his body. It was not his...quality to remain rooted anywhere without some need for an extended stay. "Our nature as warriors and peace-keepers means we can rarely afford time to ourselves in a galaxy such as this."

Tragically accurate. Allowing his gaze to return to @Coruvs Raaf's face, Marcello managed a soft, thin smile. "Keep your head down out there, Corvus. Should you require anything of me, merely call. I will answer to the assistance of brothers and sisters alike."

Marcello wouldn't abandon the Order...regardless of how much he might fundamentally disagree with certain elements. The galaxy was not perfect, so it was illogical to presume that even the Order could be. Fortunately, the galaxy had no need of a perfect organization, it merely needed an effective one. This...he could do his best to perpetuate.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

As he left, Corvus reflected the conversation no doubt went in a direction neither of them expected and perhaps wanted – but sometimes life was like that.

She felt somewhat disappointed that she’d not been able to share her views fully. No…able was the wrong word. That suggests she’d been stopped and nobody had done that. Rather she felt today was not the appropriate time to share what was happening behind the scenes. Surely Master Matteo thought less of her than he had when he’d arrived – or maybe she’d simply confirmed his low opinion of her? Either way, it mattered little. What he or any Jedi thought of her counted for nothing compared to what ultimately happened and how the Jedi as a whole would be perceived for generations to come.

If her role was to be the fall-guy, so be it. It was a sacrifice she was prepared to pay. The Jedi Order was what mattered, not an individual. Certainly not her.

The odd thing was that she agreed with so many of his views. She’d tried to share with him her vision of Jedi serving a purpose to do the greater good, not to be constrained by an arbitrary border in space. But she’d failed. Miserably. She’d spoken the words but she’d managed to hide the meaning from him.

And yes, she’d liked to have shared her hopes and aspirations for the future of the Jedi Order but, she reflected again, today was not the day. Sometimes you can’t just change something in an instant. Patience was something it appeared she was born with – and never would she need it more than now. If she were to help make the Jedi that currently served the Republic a force for good in the entire galaxy, she would have to endure conversations like today.

And she would. Why? Because she was a Jedi. She was a guardian of civilisation and would put the needs of the community above the need of any individual. Especially herself.

[member="Marcello Matteo"]