A Wary Peace

[DreadPirateMike]

Kerrick Void

The estate in which Jaidan Shatani had been born, and later returned to properly much later in life, had been built according to a principle quite common in Echani architecture. Indeed, quite common to Echani culture in general. Confronted with a landscape abundant in life and rolling hills, the builders had chosen to read their opponent carefully, and rather than subdue with brute force, they had opted to establish as seamless a rhythm as possible for the coming battle. The artificial, the imposed stamp of "civilization" was certainly on display most anywhere one cared to look, from the carefully tended gardens and walkway that led up to the front gate, to the landing pad for shuttles one could find on the grounds. And yet, the irregular height in different sections of the outer wall showed evidence of ground which had never been leveled prior to the building. On the ground level in places, one could still walk alongside a gently rolling stream. And the central courtyard, the oldest part of the estate, was given shade by a great tree far older than Clan Shatani itself.  To a child or a man grown, this had always been a place of tranquility, even when used as a training ground for the martial disciplines. And it was here, attired in standard Jedi robes save for the green and black Corellian color scheme, that Jaidan entered into to meet his latest guest.



The man waiting for him there seemed very much out of place here. Roughly hewn, one might say, amidst the cultivated elegance of this world and its people. From the angry scar to the closely cut hair, everything about the man seemed...functional, meant to suffice and nothing more. Even the man's beard seemed to suggest little more than that even shaving was a frivolity that he couldn't be bothered to indulge save on occasion. While it was true that violence was an integral part of the Echani people, theirs was bound up in a culture of ritual, etiquette and grace. Once again, there was no mistaking the role it played in the visitor's life, even to an untrained eye. Here was a soldier, through and through.



As he crossed the distance, Jaidan allowed himself a brief smile born of nostalgia.



"Captain Void, I presume," he began, his formality completed by a very slight bow. "Welcome to Eshan. You do me honor to come all this way and visit me in my home. Now, I understand you believe I can be of some assistance to your unit?"

[Kerrick Void]

The planet was peaceful in every aspect. Nature was undisturbed despite construction and there was a level of tranquility that radiated from everything. It was also extremely quiet. Void almost despised it. A place like this was not common and definitely isolated from the outside galaxy. While the rest of the Galaxy squabbled, spilled blood, and razed itself this planet remained whole. It was maintained by the Echani, but the palace was more specifically Jedi in the palace. He knew the Echani were not pacifists, but still the Republic and Empire fought in a interlocked statement while they sat on their own planet, doing nothing to help either side.

So instead of just leaving them be he went to the planet. The martial artists were praised by other fighters so he thought for certain the Jedi he was supposed to meet, Jaiden Shatani, would be very skilled in his craft. He wanted to drill his men in fighting force adept people in case of a encounter with one and he didn't want a average Jedi to help with that. Training to fight a standard soldier was a set up for failure once something greater came.

So there came in Jaiden. The Echani martial arts was comprised of light armor and weapons, so naturally a Jedi would fit right in with their lightsabers. So he was a very viable candidate to train with. He knew little about lightsaber combat, but he did know that movement and fluidity was a key feature since the weapons only had weight in the hilts. If this Jedi were to be as skilled as his reputation and background pegged him as, his unit could be very effective against force users of many kinds. Now all there was was the training.

The Jedi strode up to him as he arrived in planet, manners requiring this. As the force sensitive bowed he nodded back to the Jedi. He wasn't of lavish or noble customs. He was the son of a smuggler anyway. He waited for the Jedi to greet him since that was the fashion. Technically the man outranked him by some form of Jedi thing. They weren't generals but they were definitely of high status.

When he finished talking, that was when Kerrick spoke up.

"It has come to my attention that my unit has had inadequate training against force warriors. If you are willing to help me fix this issue, then yes. The Sith Empire is not entirely based out of enlisted men. Should we encounter a Sith then I would much rather be able to fight them than to fall to them."

It was a calm offer. His tone was not aggressive but to the point, not harsh but flat. He laid his plan out simply and not it was for him to respond.

DreadPirateMike

[DreadPirateMike]

The Sith Empire is not entirely based out of enlisted men.

"Yes," Jaidan agreed, his expression impenetrably neutral, but a slight drawing out of the affirmation signaling the curiosity that the soldier's comment engendered. Kerrick Void plainly was not one for wasted words. Did he think that observation was news to a former General? "I'm pretty familiar with both the composition and the capabilities of the Sith Empire's military."

After a moment's consideration whether there was some hidden meaning he was supposed to be reading into the comment, he soon decided it didn't particularly matter. He'd follow his guest's example, and focus on the job.

"Well, you may have come to the right place. I ran a training program like that during the early years of the war, on Seraphim.  And since the armistice, I've spent much of the past two years doing much the same. Granted, I may have grown used to training those with a foundation in the Echani way of war, but I'm sure I can dust off the old skills and modify the program for your purposes easily enough. I understand that 96th is a special forces unit? That's good; you'll have need of specialized equipment, and in that I can suggest a few specifics. The right armor under-weave can provide some degree of protection against Sith lightning, for instance. Past that, I would need to evaluate your tactics firsthand."

[Kerrick Void]

Kerrick nodded as the man spoke. When he asked the officer for confirmation he gave an affirmative answer back before he continued. He knew he came to the right person for the job. He would later have one of his signal for more men to be brought planetside to be trained as well. He planned on it being passed and practiced soldier to soldier for a long time after, strengthening the unit as a whole. He wasn't a part or the best of the best, but that would bring up the ranking to something more in line with that.

Once the Jedi was finished, he went to clarify to give more information to the force wielder. "We do not have specified tactics for force users nor has the unit encountered many. We did face a few warriors in the war, all conflicts that went very poorly. Once I am one of the older men in the group, i doubt my negative experience will offer anything of worth. Only one kill was ever made by our dettachment." He paused a second before continuing on. "Our regular tactics work on a infantry doctrine utilizing heavy weapons and armor. We continually press against the enemy and let others take up defenses with the land we gained. We work in smaller squads and spread ourselves out, using maneuverability to our advantage."

He thought it would help for him to know what sort of style the 96th used so he could formulate how the battlefield would look if a Sith showed up. He thought the armor weave bit mentioned earlier would be useful as he talked, thinking over how well it would be used on the field.

[DreadPirateMike]

"Don't discount yourself so quickly, Captain. In my experience, failure is a fine teacher. Maybe the best; it's the one you listen to."

Only on that point did he actually choose to interject at first. Otherwise, he waited in patient silence, giving the Republic Captain's words their due consideration. And while much of the unit's standard operating procedure may not have been immediately relevant, it might well prove useful information later on...with a few holes filled in, naturally. How far ahead of the main troop body did they tend to push, for instance? Whether or not they could realistically expect fire support from friendly troops seemed like a vital factor to consider, especially given that their tactics might well mean they were already in among any Sith warrior's backup when they encountered him. And depending on what Void meant precisely by "heavy weapons", he might already have identified a liability of theirs.

But there was one more pressing matter to attend before they got into any of that.

"Well, I'll be frank with you Captain. I don't promise the odds will ever be all that encouraging for you. With the proper training and equipment, nearly every advantage a Force Wielder possesses can be mitigated, but rarely neutralized entirely. If you should encounter a Sith in the field, you must assume they are competent, and be ready to take heavy casualties. Even the Mandalorians accept that as at least a risk, and they train most of their lives with a hatred of Jedi in mind, backed by some resources you will not have. Regardless of your preparations, much will come down to luck when the moment arrives."

Having laid out the challenge before this soldier in what he imagined to be suitably stark terms, Jaidan then allowed his tone to brighten, if subtly.

"Still, yours is not a profession for the risk averse. And perhaps, with the resources I shall strive to give you, you will accomplish more than even I can envision. Republic soldiers often did surprise me thus."

With that, he stepped past Kerrick, beginning the gradual journey toward the front gate and the gardens that lay beyond.

"So walk with me, and tell me of this Sith warrior that your unit killed. Were you there personally? And how many soldiers constitute one of these smaller squads you speak of?"