Falling on Deaf Ears

[Jace]

There is no chaos, there is harmony. The Jedi was more than a little doubtful of that phrase as he sat quietly in the freighter. Yes, he had achieved his own inner harmony for the moment, but battles raged on outside the serenity of this freighter. Many members of the Order were possibly pitched in a battle against the Sith Empire and their allies. It was on Jace's mind a great deal as of late. The council had decided not to go to war but yet many did. There was nothing he could do about that, he could only hope his brothers and sisters could manage to stay alive and remain in the light.

Jace knew that it was wishful thinking. War was a dreadful experience, that much he could surmise. He might have not been in one himself, but he had been in enough battles to know that a large scale conflict could only lead to suffering. He could only wonder how many Jedi would find their way back to the Order, and how many would be lost on the way back. There was of course still the possibility that he would be joining the war soon enough, a possibility that grew greater with each passing day.

The war didn't only affect the Rim but all the way to the core. There may not have been vicious battles but there was also a great deal of political turmoil within the Republic. Nations turning themselves over to the Sith Empire, unsure about the Republic's power to protect them. Greed played a big part, there are those that would profit greatly from this current war. Influential people and companies that could warp the minds of political leaders leading to chaos. A chaos on which they thrived. Jace reminded himself to remain calm, for he could feel his ire rising at such vultures.

"Master Beleren" came a voice over the comm

The Jedi stood up slowly and walked over to the comm.

"Yes captain?" He replied

"We will be entering Rodia's atmosphere in twenty minutes"

"Understood, thank you" responded Jace as he clicked off the comm

He headed out of his cabin, through the ship's passages until he finally reached the cockpit. The captain turned towards the Jedi Master and nodded. They had been acquaintances having been on previous missions together. He transported cargo legitimately and from time to time, they shipped Jedi or Republic soldiers. Many missions such as their current one required unaligned transports for successful infiltration. They could have arrived in a more formal manner, but that may have tipped off some rather unsavory characters.

"This is Jace" He said as he spoke through the comm that broadcast throughout the ship "I would like everyone to meet in the common room for a final briefing"

Jace once again clicked off the comm but this time headed out of the cockpit. He didn't like the current situation on Rodia. There had been radical changes in its policies and they had almost cut off all communication with the Republic. The Senate believed that these were possible signs of them turning to the Sith Empire, Jace was inclined to agree. Though the Jedi had a feeling that there was a more malevolent presence that was acting as a catalyst for this whole process. He had gone to Subterrel knowing full well what had lay in its bowels, though even then he had met with more than a few unwelcome surprises. As Jace walked into the common room, he couldn't help but feel that there would be something unpleasant waiting for them on Rodia's surface.

[KnightOfTheOrder]

Ginh Su-Nyf sat cross-legged on the bunk that had been allotted to him for the journey to Rodia, his dark eyes pouring over a datapad that rested in his lap. The datapad contained an old datacard he had received when he was a young padawan training on Iktotch labeled ‘A discourse in Rodese’, and we was scouring the contents to refresh his memory on the language. While his comprehension of Rodese was passably good as his master has insisted on exposing him to some of the more common galactic language, he considered it prudent to recall some of the finer points of the language so that he could comprehend more complex discourse than that to which he had become accustomed in his time as a investigator of the Jedi. After all, on a mission that seemed ripe to become steeped in intrigue and politics, one had best be able to understand the subtleties of what one overhears.

Ginh looked up as a short burst of static sounded from the speakers of the freighter, preceding the voice of Jace Beleren announcing that he would like everyone to meet in the common room for a briefing. As another short burst of static punctuated the grand master’s announcement, signaling the end of the communication, Ginh clicked off his datapad and stored it with his equipment in a locker beneath the bunk. Having stashed that away, he strode out of the small sleep compartment and towards the freighter’s common room at a brisk pace, his flexible boots barely making a sound on the deck.

Reaching the common room, took a seat and took some time to center himself on the upcoming mission. He had spent some time away from the concerns of galactic politics, concentrating on his own studies and pursuits. Focusing on such activities, however much he felt it fulfilled the purpose of the Jedi imparted to him by his master, could not be allowed to isolate him from the greater needs of the Order, though. So it was that he found himself about this freighter, bound for Rodia to assist in identifying the cause of their government’s shift in behavior and, if appropriate, rectifying the situation. Dwelling on such thoughts, his head titled slightly downwards and his gaze distant as if trying to peer through the deck beneath his feet, he awaited the arrival of the others called to the mission briefing.

[Dire Wolf]

The massive Jedi guardian sat on the floor of his assigned quarters, blind eyes closed in a vain attempt to shut out the world around him. Meditation always seemed to calm the half-breed aphithiri man, who was only a few months into maturity according to his biological age. Yet, meditation didn't calm his disquiet heart. His mind outright refused to clear, making it nearly impossible to center himself.

Jedi Knight Ryn Sundar found this uneasy feeling nothing short of infuriating. He hated it. Loathed it. The large man wanted to do nothing more than launch up and pace around his room, not quite sure if it was out of worry for the mission, annoyance at his current state, or anger at nothing in particular. In fact, the only thing that stopped him from pacing to and fro was a burst of static, followed by Jace's voice.

"This is Jace, I would like everyone to meet in the common room for a final briefing."

Ryn didn't need to hear it twice. After shifting his eyes down to the multi-colored feather on his belt, the man hurried out of the room. During the short transit from his quarters to the briefing room, Ryn couldn't seem to stop thinking about the war. The Sith. How they'd all but ruined his plans. No small part of the man wanted to be back on the fringes of the galaxy, but Talau was the one who brought him back. She refused to go with him out of that blasted sense of duty.

With a light growl and the sharp shake of his head, he cast out all of those needless thoughts. The three Jedi would easily pick up on his turbulent emotions, seeing as this was one of the few times he didn't have his signature concealed. Talau would've surely slain him for that.

The man only smirked mildly, shaking his head just as he entered the room. Jace was already there, obviously, and so was another knight. Gyn-su-nymph... or something like that. He truly couldn't remember. Not that he didn't care, he just hadn't had much contact with the sentinel. After offering a smile, and giving a curt nod, he crossed his arms and leaned up against the wall closest to the two. "Hm. I almost wonder if one of you guys will tell me to go and seek a fight with a Dark Jedi."

Ryn's lips were spread thin in something reminiscent of a smirk as he remembered that mission to Korriban. It wasn't exactly an experience he was likely to forget.

[Kella]

Meditation, that state when the subconscious is at peace. Part of the living Force, a steady buoy in the ebb and flow.

I was in this state that Master Roq Nd'ath'terrain'akai now dwelled, as the engines hummed around him and time and space flew by.

The metal floor cooled his scales, while his wings, shoulders rolled back and up, draped around him like leather curtains. Steady, slow breaths barely disturbed the air.

A comm crackled. Roq's eyes opened. He was summoned.

------------

Roq recoiled his talons, so that the flesh of his four feet could find traction on the smooth metal. Even so, the talons clicked a steady tempo on the floor. His tail swished, lashing the wall of the confining hall. He splayed out the two fins of his tail to their full width, then let them fall to the profile of his spine again. His joints weren't quite as cooperative as they had once been -- they just required a little bit of encouragement these days. The joys of middle-age indeed.

Roq moved quickly through the ship's halls and chambers. The layout of the ship really was fascinating; ultimate utilization of every square inch. Pragmatism at its finest.

The Graarl approached and entered the briefing room, his scaled shoulders about level with the center table. He grinned at Ryn's comment, having caught the tail end and inferred the rest. His head bowed in respectful greeting to the Grand Master.

"May I start by proposing an official mission extension?" Roq asked. "I hear Rodia has a succulent local sirloin."

[Jace]

The Jedi watched as his three companions for this mission filtered into the compartment. He had chosen a varied group of talented Jedi for the task. The situation on Rodia suggested something extreme which meant there was atleast one powerful figure behind this change. Jace wasn't about to take chances with the fate of a planet at stake. Aside from a full on army, they were undoubetly the best option to deal with the situation.

There was Ginh Su-Nyf, Jace had worked with the man before on Jaemus in a situation vaguely reminiscent of their current one. He had shown his mettle and tact, and was on obvious choice for the mission. Next to enter the room was Ryn, an imposing Jedi who Jace knew more personally then most. He had been one of the select Jedi who had traveled to Korriban with him, he had also been one of the many who paid a price. In his battle, he had sustained severe wounds which resulted in the loss of his eyesight. Though Jace had wished to travel to Korriban alone, he still felt a sense of responsibility for what happened to Ryn. The Jedi had recovered and adapted well with the aid of the Force. The final entry was Roq, the Graarl High Council member, one of Jace's peers. He was a true force to be reckoned with, and had much wisdom to temper it.

Jace smiled at both Ryn and Roq's quips, the former was only something Jace would truly get. Though Jace had to admit that a sirloin did sound quite enticing at the moment.

"Let us see this mission through and I shall treat you all to some of that local sirloin" responded Jace with a small laugh

"Alright" continued the Jedi, his face becoming serious "Over the last two weeks Rodia has undergone some drastic changes. Every passing day the chances of it breaking off from the Republic increases. They haven't blocked contact off completely but it is strained at this point. The Republic wants to send in the military but the last thing it needs is a civil war amidst this war with the Sith Empire.

Rodia has always been a staunch supporter of the Republic which brings into question the high possibility of foul play. Recent reports state that multiple high level officials have gone missing or are acting strangely. I don't want to jump to any conclusions yet but this smells of the darkside. I haven't sensed any great disturbance in the Force but the darkside is quite capable of protecting itself.

Finally something to note, while they do not know that Jedi are on this freighter, it wont be long before our presence is discovered. I have arranged for us to meet someone we can trust after we land, hopefully he can point us in the right direction and shed some more light on the situation. The appearance of the Sith has made many our enemies increasingly bold, be on your guard. We land in ten minutes."

Jace nodded to the other Jedi and then made his way back to his cabin to make sure he had everything prepared. The freighter soon entered Rodia's atmosphere and touched down at the spaceport. The Jedi Master left his quarters and headed to the exit ramp where his companions were most likely waiting. Hopefully they could avoid confrontation and resolve this crisis on Rodia. That may have just been wishful thinking though, for part of Jace knew it wouldn't be that easy.