A Minor Meeting

[kermit]

Argon Farwell entered the Jedi Temple. He was on a schedule, and intended to keep it.

A guard walked up to Argon.

"Yes sir?"
"I would like to see Teer Ka."
"OK. This way."

He went. He had a minor meeting with the Torgruta...

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Master Teer Ka sat in her quarters, on a large meditation cushion. Her feet were bare and folded over her knees in a position of quiet meditation, amidst the sheer emptiness of her room.

The severe Togruta woman was in contemplation of the night's events after a short sleep, dwelling on her Padawan's completed Trial of Spirit mere hours ago. This was the last of his Trials, now all that remained was for a session of the Council to cut his braid and designate him a full Jedi Knight.

Though she had not been Sirius' first master, or even his second, Teer liked to think she'd been the most important one, the one who guided him into Knighthood with a seasoned hand and a brand of cleverness. She was reluctant to say wisdom, as she still considered herself a learner in many respects.

Indeed, she'd always been a fighter rather than a thinker, but lately she'd found it was time to break with the traditions of the past, time to change the focus of her life as a Jedi.

Four Padawans. Oresa and Keln had both fallen, but her others had thrived, and were now skilled Knights with great futures ahead of them. She'd left a legacy behind in the Order, and now it was time to relegate herself to the background and be useful in the capacity she found best.

For her that took the form of Watchman for Shili, heading off to protect her own people. She left the day after the Knighting ceremony.

A knock came at the door and Teer reached out with the Force. Two people, one not a wielder of the Force, the other felt like an older Padawan or a younger Knight, perhaps like Sirius.

"Enter," she called out as she opened her dark eyes and stared expectantly at the doorway.

The door opened, and a member of the Temple guard nodded to her.

"Master Ka, you have a visitor."

He turned and headed away, leaving the two Jedi alone.

"To what," Teer asked in her slightly husky and accented voice, "Do I owe the pleasure of your visit Knight...?"

The Togruta prompted for a name subtly, accenting it with a motion of her hand. The gaze of her pitch black eyes rested steadily upon the young man, with an effect that some might have described as 'unnerving.'

[kermit]

"Argon Farwell," the man said. "I believe we had a meeting, on the war right now?"

Argon scanned the alien. Average Torgruta, but then, they all looked the same to him. Her personality, however, remined him a bit of his old master.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

One eye widened slightly in an expression that, among her species, was equivalent to raising an eyebrow among humans. She couldn't recall a meeting of any kind being scheduled for this afternoon.

"I think you must be mistaken," Teer said firmly, but politely. "I am the Watchman of Shili, and not with the Blades."

While it was true that the Jedi Weapons Master had once dabbled with joining the faction of Jedi who fought the war without full sanction, but her visit to Seraphim had ended without a concrete promise to join, and she'd been waylaid by her usual duties of fighting Dark Jedi.

On one occasion she'd even been told she was legendary for doing that.

Granted the forty or so marks on her lightsaber did prove she was experienced and skilled, but hardly legendary. Fallible, erring. Like any normal sentient.

"I can't recall any specifics of a meeting, but if you have any issues regarding Shili, feel free to discuss them. My schedule is open until tomorrow. Be seated if you would like."

Teer glanced at him again, maintaining a questioning gaze whether or not he would stay and conduct some kind of business. If he did, her meditation was at an end and she'd find something else to do, if not she'd still move on, perhaps going for a walk or taking her Corellian Banshee Bird up to the rooftops for a chance at flight.

(OOC: Try to examine your character's feelings with your next post, show what's inside his mind)

[kermit]

(OOC: I always had trouble with that, even on NS, but I'll try.)

Argon sat down. He may have been wrong, but he would carry on the conversation he had started.

"Well, I have been dabbling in joining the war. I'm sure I could be of use, but I'm not sure, especially since I was only recently knighted. I wanted to hear what you think."

This WAS what he had meant to ask, but he was fairly certain that he would receive the answer he got when he had seen his old battlemaster.

You shouldn't.

He had said that out of hand, without much thought. He had went into the details, of course, but they hadn't been ones that Argon found satisfactory.

Then again, Argon had never been a very philosophical man, and rejecting teachings of masters usually resulted in disaster, so he had looked for a second source. A different master was a good start, he thought.

But, again, he half-expected the same answer.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer blinked.

Someone was actually coming to her for moral advice on whether or not to fight a war? Someone had honestly avoided the Consulars and mediators, and skipped the High Council in favor of asking Master Teer Ka for advice?

Master Ka was genuinely surprised. Generally people didn't come to her for advice, because her opinions were well known. She was a fighter, she was dedicated to the cause of defeating evil.

Of course she was retiring from the active fight, and maybe some people thought that would change her perspective. To a certain degree Teer supposed they were right, but it wouldn't change her values.

There was just one phrase that came into the Togruta's mind.

"You must fight for what you believe is right."

Teer unfolded her legs and started to pull on her boots as she continued. Despite the Togruta conviction that wearing shoes lessened the bond one felt with nature, Master Ka had taken to the usual Jedi custom. Now though things were a little different. She'd stopped wearing Jedi robes outside of formal occasions, settling on a sleeveless leather jerkin, homespun pants, and a pair of custom-made boots. Tan leather, with no hard soles. They only wrapped her feet, protecting her from sharp objects but enabling her to feel the texture of the ground.

"If you believe fighting the war against the Sith is right and essential, you owe it to yourself to join. I won't tell you the Republic needs you, or that you are obligated to fight. My personal opinions aren't the issue."

And they've changed too...

The Togruta Weapons Master rose to her five foot and nine inch height, not including the curving montrals on top of her head, and she looked towards the door.

"I feel the need for fresher air, I plan on visiting the rooftop with my bird. You may join me if you wish."

[kermit]

Argon was much happier with this answer. It actually gave him choice in the matter. He felt no need to continue. He stood up.

"Thank you. I will meditate about it. Goodbye.

And he left for the chamber. As he went, he thought over the statement.

You must fight for what you believe is right.

Argon knew this statement was correct. He believed in fighting for what was right as much as anyone. The thing was, he wasn't completely sure what was right and wrong.

The Sith are evil, but is it worth killing them?

Argon would think about this question. He knew that the decision might be the hardest he would make in his life...

(OOC: Now what? If I ended it too early, I'll have to keep that in mind, but what happens to the thread?)

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

"Goodbye," Teer said as the young man excused himself, rather swiftly actually.

He vanished from sight as Teer stepped out from her quarters. She didn't bother following his progress down the corridor with her eyes, instead she turned and headed the other direction, her feet making very little sound on the stone floor.

Already Master Ka was banishing further thought about the brief conversation, relegating it to her memory rather than focusing on it. Instead her thoughts were resting with Ashla, her bird, and the knowledge that the poor creature's wings were probably stiff from resting in her carrier.

Soon they'd be on Shili together, and there would be plenty of fresh air and space to move around in.

Things were changing, and the sad thing was that Teer Ka had almost not seen how such a thing could be possible. She'd been stuck in such a rut, and only through the tragedy of a little child's death had convinced her it wasn't too late to chart a new course.

Of course that didn't mean the scarred and stern master, a severe woman if ever there was one, would suddenly start distributing free hugs to Younglings and singing folk songs in a big circle with various children.

It merely meant she was changing her approach, easing back and learning to embrace a calm new existence. She deserved it after so many years fighting...

(OOC: Now we end it apparently.)