The Master, The Blade & the Historian (jedi334, Dire Wolf)

[jedi334]

[Conversations and events within this thread take after the Mission to Dorin storyline]

“Now younglings, we shall conclude today’s lesson reciting the Jedi Code."

Chias Nero stood upon the small stage of the lecture hall, her white robes and gown shown in a slight shade a light pink as the sun set amongst the monolithic skyscrapers of Coruscant skyline. She stood with her hands on her front as she paced casually back and forth as she spoke, seeing the 25 pairs of eyes looking up at her as she heard a few easy to hear groans.

“Yes yes I know we do this at the end of every class.” She said smiling “It is however vital for you all to know it, for those who forget the Code often stray, and those who stray from the path...often find it difficult to find their way back.”

Chias was always careful never to bring up the Dark Side or Sith in this introductory course she taught with her Master. Many of these children had just been taken from their home and families, had just discovered their connection to the Force. Confused and scared they had no idea what lay in store for them.

The last they needed to be told of the Jedi’s dark counter parts. Other instructors, their own Masters and an entire life time could teach them all they needed to know. The basic lessons was Chias’ task.

“Now then.” She said her voice steady and sure. “There is no emotion.”

“There is peace.” the class said in unison, as if in answer

“There is no ignorance.”

“There is knowledge.”

“There is no passion.”

“There is serenity.”

“There is no death.”

“There is the Force.”

“Well done my young friends.” She said with a nod as the soft tone chimed as the students began to depart for the evening meal as she called after them “Master Chen shall return tomorrow.” She said, raising her voice to an uncommonly loud level “so be sure to do your reading and holo studies, there will be a test!”

This in turn made the entire group of youngling groan together as they left which made the Echani laugh quietly to herself as she gathered her things. She had been teaching the class for the last two days, her Master Doreas Chen had been called to the Senate to record a session of the Senate concerning updates on the war and which system in were most need of emergency aide with food or weaponry.

While some in the Order would see this mundane or trivial with full scale war erupting across galaxy it was the Historian's job to document all aspects of this time in Galactic history…mundane or no.

While she was nervous to be teaching on her own, her Master had faith in her. The class mainly consisted of watching holo recordings on Jedi history, light discussion of the different classes within the Order and general questions or worries they might have of had. The biggest thing she had to deal with was the children laughing at her bare feet, something she scolded them for but only lightly.

She lowered the lights in the hall and then made her way through the Main entrance of the Temple to the dining hall, getting her usual broth and noodles with spice, a small salad and bowl of fresh berries. She made pleasantries with some of the other instructors she knew but politely declined their request for her to join them at their table.

She did not want to seem rude, but the noise and chatter could overwhelm her at times. The quiet solitude of  the gardens she frequented was for more calming; it helped her focus and eased her mind. With her food held close, she made her way up the winding ramp way.

Teaching, tending to her duties within the Archive, practicing her saber form, eating in the garden and attending her physical therapy sessions…doing these things had made her feel like her life was getting back to normal.

It had been over four months since the events on Dorin, the experience had tested her mind, body and will but thanks to her training and her companions she made it back home relatively unscathed, but also changed.

No longer did she feel that her only way to serve the Order was in the Temple and Archive but where ever the undiscovered lay, that it was her duty to search for those unknown places in the universe and to the guard them with her life if need be.

As for Tesok and Jifo, she had kept in regular contact with the Sentinel, the Barabel was making steady progress with his human padawan and in time he would be ready for the Trails.

She emerged, moving along the stone path way to the single leather seat which wasin front the small reflecting pool a small canopy of tree covering the glowing city as dusk was slowly settling, the lights of the Temple switching on as Chias raised the hood of her robe over her head, setting the bowl of noodles in her lap and began to eat and read from her holo pad, resting her tired feet in the cool water of the pool as she unwound.

[Dire Wolf]

There were few times when Tyriel’s litany of troubles managed to flee from his mind, and fewer places that cultivated the feeling of happiness and serenity within him. The Room of a Thousand Fountains was one such place. Life in its most elemental form ruled amidst an entire world that consisted of the artificial constructs of man. Its beauty was beyond description, even if it was just as engineered as the rest of the ecumenopolis.

A serene smile pulled the man’s lips apart and further wrinkled the man’s face as he rested against the trunk of a great tree. Cool water lapped against the man’s feet as he thought of the ‘good ol days’, even if they had been fraught with danger and poor decisions. Siri, Vexx, and his apprentice Palar had been his family, and still were, even if the latter two were dead and the former was an agent of the dark side. Bittersweet happiness shrunk his smile to a near smirk, but it was still happiness all the same.

Something caused the force to tremor just enough to pluck the man from his reverie and take stock of his surroundings. Nothing new besides a Jedi that had taken a place at the other end of the reflecting pool. The force whispered things to him that he could only barely understand, and it told him to rise. Every single one of his feelings told him to hobble over and speak to the girl and being a man who’s job title included following gut instincts, he obeyed.

“Beautiful, isn’t it,” he motioned towards the beautiful city scape who was bathed in the beautiful orange glow of Coruscant’s setting sun. “I come here every day at sunrise and sunset.”

May I sit with you? These old bones aren’t what they used to be.”

When the man fell into the low leather seat he knew that it would take the Force to help him get back out of it, but it was worth it. The supple leather comfortably molded itself around his sitting form. After his spartan oaken cane found its place on the seat beside him he looked beside him to see the young echani Jedi and knew that he had heard of her before.

But where? Where had he seen her?

“You’re the new youngling instructor, right? I’ve heard great things about you.”

If only he could remember her name.

[jedi334]

She quietly hummed to herself as she read through her students’ essays, the topic being what kind of Jedi they thought they could be. The soup and salad finished and the plates and silver ware stacked neatly at the foot of the chair as the bowl of berries rested by her side.

She was popping a large one into her mouth as she heard and elderly voice speak, her sapphire eyes going wide as she saw High Councilmen Tyriel sitting across the reflecting pool from her and as she quickly swallowed the berry.

“Master Tyriel!” she said as she quickly stood as the water rippled and sloshed a bit, pulling her hood back and bowed her head respectfully, looking down as she saw she was standing in the reflecting pool, her bare and pale feet ankle deep in the water as she quickly stepped out, seeing him rise and walked over to her side and settled in a seat by her own.

“P—please forgive me.” She said, shyly biting her lower lip and gathering her things “I had no idea you frequented this garden as well…I will leave immediately!”

Chias knew of Tyriel, she knew all of the High Council members but had never met any of them which was no surprise to her, there was a war going on and the Council was constantly in session, which made them rarely seen around the Temple.

And now here was one of them sitting in her garden, and there she was stammering out an apology and trying to escape, her lower legs soaked and gown dripping. But to her surprise the old Miraluka was smiling at her, taking no offense to her intrusion and asking her name and that he knew of her work with the younglings.

A slow calm came over her as she sat back down, setting her dishes and holo pad on the grass, tucking small legs under herself as she resettled. “Chias Master.” She said, a shy smile coming over face. “Historian Chias Nero and it is a pleasure.” She looked down a little as he said ‘great things about you’ “Thank you, my Master Doreas Chen taught me well.”

A silence passed between them for a time as Chias’ curiosity got the better of her “If I may ask Master.” She said slowly “what exactly have you heard? Also, what brings you down here? Though I have never been up there I have heard the Council level of the Temple has lovely vistas and gardens of its own.”

[Dire Wolf]

Confusion was a good word to describe the haze that had fallen over the wizened man's cognitive functions when the Echani knight began to apologize for existing and promised to leave immediately. Tyriel hadn't recalled ordering her away; as a matter of fact he prided himself on just how approachable he was in an order of approachable leaders. One of his greatest loves was to sit down with a young knight and hear his honest views of the Order's role in galactic events at large.

Yet as time went on Chias' fear disappated into nothing, and she had even asked what he had heard. Tyriel thought for a moment before he answered, "your ability to teach the young ones, of course. I've heard that you're doing excellently.

But, if I may ask, what's wrong? I've never had anyone try to flee from me so."

[jedi334]

Chias looked away as she scolded herself internally, despite his position Master Tyriel was like anyone else in the universe and with what he and the High Council had to deal with everyday let alone with the out break of out with both Mandalorians and the Sith Empire simple pleasures like sitting in a garden were a rarity and here she was scurrying away from him like frighten mouse.

“Apologies Master.” She said “I have always been to speak with my students and those within the Archive with ease, but outside its walls I am very shy and it makes for a horrible first impression. It is something I am constantly working on.”

A silence passed for a time and Chias bit her lower lip, unsure whether she should ask the next question or not but unable to stop herself “The High Council has been in session constantly these past few months.” She said “It is impossible to go on the Holonet without hearing of the various battles. Through the varying sectors I know you can not get into details but tell me Master…how is the Republic faring?”

[Dire Wolf]

"There's no need to apologize, chias," he temporarily evaded the latter subject, "being yourself is never something to apologize for. Every day is a chance to better ourselves, and I'm glad that you're taking the opportunity as you see fit."

Her second question was more troubling, and the true answer was filled with information Tyriel wasn't inclined to spread throughout the Order. Though the war was early the Sith were perilously close to Coruscant, and yet the better part of the Jedi still refused to take part in the war. Harder still was to not give his own opinion on the matter. Many in the council found themselves puzzled as to how he supported immediately joining he war, yet refused all the same.

A division in the Jedi is the last thing that the Order needed at that point, and another councilman charging off to war despite the council's decision to the temporarily abstain only undermined the leadership. Times of war called for unity, not a growing rift. After a long pause he drew a deep inhale and began to speak, "The situation is troubling, Chias. The Sith grow closer to Coruscant, but yet we must ply patience and restraint. I'm sure you're familiar with the destruction the last rift in the Jedi caused."

"What do you think on the matter," the old man turned to the Echani girl with an inquisitive gaze.

[jedi334]

She listened intently as he spoke, frowning as she heard of the Sith’s early advancement within the Core Worlds sector and nodding when Master Tyriel mention of a division “The last time there was a rift was The Jedi Civil War during the time of Revan.” She said “it was a truly dark time in our history.”

There was hardly was a youngling, padawan, Knight or Master that did not of the story of the Sith Lord turned Jedi Knight and his band of companions in their fight against Darth Malak. The origins of that conflict came from Revan and his apprentice leading a large group of Jedi to fight in the Mandalorians Wars.

This was the information that she as a Historian had access to but there were holo-discs, journals, and historical records that only the Archive Master and the High Council were privy too…and she be would lying if she did not say she was the least bit curious in looking at them.

Her icy blue eyes blinked as he asked her thoughts on the war. Being only Knighted for three years she had very little status within the Order…true she had documented some important sessions of the Senate and had even interviewed a few junior Senators for her own personal records.

But when it came to policy and where the Jedi stood in matters of war…that was something she kept very close to her heart. Despite her activities on Dorin and her Echani heritage, Chias was not one to go looking for a fight.

She was a teacher first and a warrior second, and even though the confrontation was only just starting she doubted the Jedi who had already seen combat wanted to be lectured by her.

But this was a member of the High Council asking her opinion and he would not of asked if he did not wanted to her thoughts, she took a deep breath her words coming slowly at first. “We Jedi are many things.” She said “Explorers and diplomats, scientists and philosophers, scientists and teachers…and we are peace keepers when we need to be.”

Hey eyes looked into his. “The one thing we are not is soldiers…The Sith Overlord and the Dark Council is our responsibility there is no debate there.” She said “but he is has many allies and military might to aid in his conquest and who have no interest in us.”

She fidgeted a little as she talked “The more tales spread of Jedi being indestructible fighters the more the public shall believe them thus more pressure we get from the Senate and military to become involved in campaigns.”

Her words flowed a little easier the more comfortable she became. “And as for the conflict with the Mandalorians we should stay out of it completely.” She said “Mandalore has been looking for any excuse to retake his former territories and goad the Republic into retaliating for years, true his people hold the Jedi in great respect as adversaries but it is the Republic he wants to battle not the the Order.” She sighed deeply “We already fought them once and the Order nearly split apart because of it. We can not risk another rift…for I fear we will not survive it.”

She exhaled as she finished, her nervousness over taking her as she looked down and her bare toes curled into the short cut glass and spoke quietly

“At least those are my thoughts on the matter Master.”

[Dire Wolf]

The thoughts and opinions of the younger geneartion had always impressed him. It's only natural to think of those younger than oneself as incompetent, foolish, or immature. Some people even feel that way about their peers. Tyriel distinctly remembered one of his favorite quotes, "true terror is waking up one morning with the realization that your youngling class is running the Jedi," with a smile. "It gladdens me that you have an intelligent opinion on the matter, Chias."

After a few moments, he replied as something of a devil's advocate, "yet look back on the history of the Jedi. Is there a war in recent memory that we haven't taken part in? Our apprentices learn the art of war on both personal and strategic levels. Many people, including some Jedi, would argue that we are in fact soldiers. The terms 'peacekeeper' and 'soldier' are often used interchangeably. Can we honestly say that they're wrong?

"Compound this with the fact that the Republic has supported us since we first joined them thousands of years ago." He paused only to shift his weight against the stone bench, "many of the Blades say that it's our responsibility to not only defend the republic, but aid her against our Sith Order counterparts. Bear in mind that the last serious crusade from the Mandalorians nearly ended the Republic as we know it, and was only saved by the Revan and Malak. Yes, it brought another war along with it, but that is another matter. The Republic exists because of the Jedi, and we exist because of the Republic. Do we not owe her our loyalty against the growing hordes that want to tear her apart?

"What would you say to these people, Chias?" The number of wrinkles grew on his face with the light smile, and he looked over at the young echani with an inquisitive gaze beneath his sash.

[jedi334]

She frozen momentarily as the question was asked her face somewhat confused as she thought of her answer “Well High Councilor…” She said slowly. "I do not know what I would say…”

A part of her thought he might of have been shooting down her thoughts but as she thought back on the various deeds the Order performed for the millennia, there was rarely a time that were not involved in some dispute whether it be small planetary civil unrest or an epic conflict like the one they were now facing. She sighed as she gathered her thoughts

“Please do not misunderstand me, it is not as if I am saying the Jedi pull out of the war and hide within the Temple forever.” She said looking away from him “It is just…I teach younglings Master Tyriel, children who have discovered something amazing inside of themselves. I teach them that if they practice and trust in the Force that they can use it to do things will change the Republic for the better.”

Her voice quieted as an image entered her mind, an image she was sure the Master could pick up on “To think to they would used those skills to fight a creature like the Overlord or Mandalore…it has given me a few sleepless nights.” She laughed a little nervously, running a pale hand through her hair, the bronze bead on a long white lock swaying a bit.

“Then again I have little combat experience so I have very little reason to talk.” She said “Despite my battles within the Baran Do sage Temple on Dorin and saving a Senator’s wife during my padawan years I have never unsheathed my lightsaber outside of the training room, I doubt I would how know handle myself on a battlefield.”

[Dire Wolf]

(Here goes)

Tyriel chuckled at himself and the young woman's response to his... overzealous... play at being the devil's advocate. Occasionally the old man forgot that he wasn't in the council chamber when he made his rounds about the temple, speaking to younger knights. Then again, sometimes the man felt the frailty of age approaching quicker than he'd like. Instead he merely nodded, and stroked at his beard,

"It's certainly a difficult thing to imagine, yes," the image of some of her students combating darkness crossed his mind. Disquieting, yes, but it was a harsh reality of their situation as Jedi Knights. Soldier or Peacekeeper, Diplomat or Arbitrator, whatever the term, it was the Jedi's responsibility to safeguard the republic. Those children Chias took under her wing as youngling minder would grow up to be on the High Council, battlemasters, and great Jedi. At the same time some would falter and fail.

But as the Echani continued to speak, so did Tyriel continue to listen.

"Oh, I have experience with combat and I still find it difficult to imagine. But it's a reality that we Jedi will live with so long as there are people to inhabit the galaxy. At the same time, not every Jedi is meant for battle. Some," he made the slightest nod towards her, "some are teachers. Some are diplomats and artisans."

Tyriel heaved a sigh, he was getting off subject. Age shouldn't have effected him so; the man was in the middle of his sixties! "I think that the latest council meeting's taken it's toll on me, Chias. All that I'm saying to you is that regardless of your skill set: duelist or teacher, you're just as entitled to speak of the problems we face as brothers and sisters as the next Jedi. Just as you're entitled to an opinion on the matter."

[jedi334]

“Thank you High Councilman.” She said nodding with a smile “Coming from you that means a lot.” She blinked as he mentioned Blades, a thought coming to her as she tilted her head to the side, unsure how to breach the question but knowing that he would at least be open to it.

“Master Tyriel …the Blades of the Order is the Jedi military presence within both conflicts yes?” she said “If so, then the Archive must record of all their engagements and interactions with the Republic and its military.”

She bit her lip slightly before she spoke. “Perhaps during the next mission where the Blades are involved you should have a Historian to accompany them to document it They would interview and assist the Jedi involved, record important events…things of that nature.” She shifted slightly as she brought up her legs as they shifted under her gown.

“If so, I would volunteer, my Master says I stay within these walls to often.” She said “my experience on Dorin taught me there is much more to my role beside teaching or writing in the Archive records, I need to see the Republic in order to understand why we Jedi defend it.” She looked into his aged eyes to show she was serious. “Would you consider this?”

[Dire Wolf]

Tyriel listened to the young echani with his brows furrowed beneath the simple brown sash. Though she gazed into the cloth that covered the hollow pits where his eyes should have been he merely gazed off into the shallow pool before him. "An intriguing thought, Chias," he shifted his gaze towards hers, "but the council doesn't approve of any Jedi that takes military action towards the Sith or the Mandalorians. You may only be there as a historian, of sorts, but that won't change the fact that you would still be there.

That said," he paused for a trice, "you should still consider it, if it interests you. Do as your feelings instruct, not a circle of twelve old codgers." A faint smile pulled Tyriel's lips apart and formed even more wrinkles on his face."Just between you and me: I'd go in a heartbeat if I weren't in my current position."