What is it Good For?

[Dire Wolf]

Rhissai recalled the day that the treaty was signed with the Sith Empire, how she'd all but begged lawmakers to allow her and the other Jedi to press the attack, and how those pleas were not heeded. They were ignored in favor of a reactionary bill born of emotion and fatigue. While she couldn't blame the people for calling after 'peace,' but she could blame the lawmakers for acquiescing. Her brethren for trading security for false peace and comfort. Herself, for not fighting harder to do more. Half a decade had passed since that day, and while she'd long since come to terms with those failures the events of Nar Shaddaa had reopened these wounds, that secret bitterness.

Heavy bootfalls echoed from the elegantly curved walls of the temple, each one punctuating the woman’s haphazard movements towards her destination. In recent years the Jedi Master hadn’t bothered with the traditional robes of the Jedi, finding them too suffocating and uncomfortable to bear in anything but ceremony. Instead she wore darker trousers and a simple blouse, the top few buttons left undone so that she could breathe. The only thing noting her as a Jedi were the trio of lightsabers that hung from her belt. Most were used to her casual disdain for jedi attire by then, but the way she still moved still earned the gaze of others.

Determination is what they’d see, at least that’s what she told herself. No matter how wrong it may have been in the past, the Republic was still the best chance for people to exist outside of the wretched darkness that was oppression and domination. While so many were content to sue for peace with the Sith, Rhissai knew that war was inevitable. That was what drove her to speak to the High Archivist. His research into wartime technology had brought several republic innovations to the bleeding edge, however several were discontinued after conflict ceased. Any one of those projects could give the Republic an advantage.

The nearer she got to Master Taas’ office, however, the more her pace slowed. Storming into the man’s with fire and fury would earn her no points, nor would causing a ruckus on the way in. Instead, she approached the door with a casual gait and a neutral expression. ”Taas,” she spoke when the door chimed, ”it’s Master Arckan. I was hoping to speak to you about some projects from the war.” What followed were tense moments of silence that seemed to stretch out into infinity, with her eyes closed and mind beseeching the Force for aid, if it could even be bothered for such a task.

[Fromikeable]

Taas squinted at the holoscreen as it displayed a number of active charts, the figures they depicted fluctuating with every second. Seated at his desk, he raised a hand to his forehead to adjust a small white cloth band adorned with sensors, each sporting wires that trailed down to a device beside the holoscreen. His other hand was propped up by his elbow on the desk, an apple floating just above his palm.

Happy with the adjustments made to his headband, he tapped the holoscreen before beginning to dictate. ”Test number two, trial number seven.” Shifting his gaze to the apple, it began to spin faster and faster. The figures on the holoscreen began to dive and rise in steady patterns, and as it grew in speed-

The chime of his office door made him blink, the apple wobbling in its spin. Sighing, he bid it to slow to a stop before placing it on his desk. ”Trial seven aborted, standby.” Speaking up, he waved a hand at the door panel, the door opening. ”Come in!”

The sight that he welcomed made him smile, though the question he was asked tempered the expression. ”Master Arckan! I fear you will need to be more specific. One moment, this is the perfect opportunity for-” Raising a finger, he tapped the holoscreen before adjusting his headband once more.

”Beginning test number five, multi-tasking analysis, trial number one.” Bidding the apple to float above his hand once more, Taas took a second to ensure it got back up to its previous speed before turning back to Rhissai. Motioning at a chair opposite his desk, he nodded. ”Please, have a seat. Where was I? Ah yes.” Sitting back, the old Arkanian hummed.

”May I be so bold as to assume that you had some specific project on your mind? The circumstances necessary for you to ask me about, say, the sonic field bidet would be welcome, however unlikely.” Of all the things he’d worked on during the last war, he always silently wished someone would ask about that one. It had been practical, challenging, and while unpopular, undoubtedly a favorite of the lab.

It had taken their minds off of everything else. One of the true purely peaceful objectives they had been asked to pursue.

[Dire Wolf]

Long moments passed before the door slid open to reveal the renowned old Jedi who'd pioneered so many projects and theses. In recent years she'd found a desire to read one such tome, "Quantification Of Telekinetic Midichloric Dynamics," yet found it beyond her. Once, she'd considered the art of Telekinesis mastered. Once. A smile met the old Arkanian's greeting, and muttered one of her own before stepping into the man's workspace. An apple rested on the cleared surface, "I apologize if I'm interrupting. It's just that certain documents became harder to get after I stepped away from the council."

Of course, the way his smile vanished hadn't gone unnoticed. Both she and Vreem had formed a schism within the Jedi Order, and both had known from the start that their reputation would be tarnished. Rhissai tucked a stray lock of hair behind an ear before following him to a seated position. Only a moment was taken to gaze at the apple before he spoke, and his suggestion made her smile. They both knew why she was in his office, yet too polite to be out with it. Those projects, from what she recalled, were less than pleasant. A sigh fell from her lips, and she adjusted herself before beginning, "If it were any other day, I'd love to know about that." Bidet were underappreciated, especially in a field setting where the requisite materials were limited.

"But the events above Nar Shaddaa have elevated my worries to practical certainties." Even with the upcoming trial, Rhissai had no faith in either side's desire to maintain the status quo. "If even one of your old projects from the war were continued, countless lives could be saved." A pensive moment was stolen, "I'm not even asking for you to continue them. Just for you to allow others to continue your work."

[Fromikeable]

Taas let slip a light sigh as his fears were confirmed. Closing his eyes for a second to breathe, his eyes looked far less warm as they opened again. How could they in the face of the last war’s memories? How could they when there had been so much death, so much trauma and heartbreak?

How could they when he’d helped build the tools to orchestrate it all?

”I can understand your lack of optimism, surely, but I must disagree. Peace has been hatched from stranger eggs.” Making the apple begin to spin at an angle, Taas’s free arm rested its elbow against his desk, his chin plopping lightly into his palm. Holding his head as such, he scrunched his face in thought.

”I must also disagree with your assessment. Few of our research topics were designed to save lives, Master Rhissai. That is not how wars are fought.” Tapping a finger against his cheek, his gaze drifted off of her just to the side, losing a bit of focus.

”They are best forgotten to time. Or whatever bureaucratic process has buried them within the records of the Republic’s more restricted files.”

[Dire Wolf]

She observed the way his face chilled into a near frigid expression, "I don't know if I'd call the past few years peace, Taas," she frowned, "peace is more than a lack of conflict." It was the presence of justice. Or so the old axiom went, anyways. His reaction was to be expected, just as the woman hadn't stepped into his office thinking that everything would be handed over on a silver platter. So many Jedi believed in peace at any cost. That life was so sacred that any notion of war was unthinkable. They didn't realize that War was just the final form of diplomacy, and some nations would only ever ply their strength.

Just as many Jedi misunderstood the nature of conflict. Rhissai leaned back in her chair to ponder his disagreement, that his projects weren't designed to save lives. Any death was a tragedy. Any battle was a tragedy, and abhorrent. Yet, it's an unavoidable fact of life. Best face it. "No, they weren't. Many of your projects were designed to kill as quickly as possible. Those that I recall were horrific, but efficient. Nearly no collateral damage." Her voice was a sign, as though she'd admitted a wretched fact. "A little blood in war is better than a lot of it, no matter the side."

"The absolute best case scenario in this situation is that I'm wrong, and peace persists between us and the Sith. I hope I'm wrong. Is it not better to prepare for the worst case scenario? To mitigate it? Save trillions of lives from being subjected to another decade long war that'll leave them broken and starving?" Rhissai hadn't often spoken about her time away from the order, after stepping down from the council. They were the darkest of her life, and she'd once fallen away from the light. The pure destruction she'd seen left behind from the war had been near traumatizing, and she'd not see that happen again.

[Fromikeable]

The apple spinning above Taas’s hand wobbled a bit as he listened. Squinting at it, he did his best to keep it stable, to keep it steady, but as Rhissai argued her point, his frown deepened. By the time she was done, the apple was in a tumble, his attempts to the contrary lost.

There would be no multitasking for this conversation, it seemed.

Finally letting the apple fall to his palm, he placed it down before peeling the band of sensors off of his forehead. Ending the readings with a few taps of his holoscreen, Taas stood and shuffled to a small glass-paned cabinet behind his desk.

”You misunderstand our involvement.” Glancing over his shoulder for a moment, he assumed that she was not as he opened the cabinet. The sound of clinking glass joined him as he worked with his back to her.

”When Taris fell and the Order officially joined the war, I was loath to accept the decision. Furious, if I am being candid.” Turning from the cabinet, Taas revealed a fine tea set. Bringing to the desk, he set the small electric kettle to begin boiling, taking his seat.

”When our cooperation began with the Republic military’s research and development teams, we supported them in their endeavors as the Code allowed. We did not create weapons from scratch; we only ensured that the weapons they created were...” He paused, setting a cup before Rhissai before another for himself. Taas opened a small tin of tea as he let the silence linger, sniffing it gently as the mild scent filled the room.

”... oh, how to put it. ‘Sufficiently ethical’, if one can even begin to suppose certain weapons as more ethical than others.” Giving a small look of disgust to his own choice of words, Taas waved a hand and moved on.

”That involved, among other things, rallying against many of their projects, and ensuring the most heinous were not only abandoned, but buried as the monstrosities they were.” As the kettle began to whistle, Taas ignored it, leaning forward for a moment.

”Let me be clear, Master Rhissai. I am a hundredfold more proud of the weapons we ensured would never see the light of day than those that we helped make so. I understand your desire to lessen the toll of hostilities, but please accept me at my word.” Sitting back, Taas ensured each cup had a loaded infuser before pouring the water, allowing the sound to dominate the room for a moment.

”The worst of those proposals would have made beating the Sith inconsequential. We would have matched their brutality, their callous disregard for life, and their insistence that everything can be bought with enough blood.” Sipping his tea, Taas seemed to relax at the taste. Sitting back again, he smiled.

”Even now, I fear that’s a lesson that the Republic fails to take to heart.”

[Dire Wolf]

The sudden shift in the apple’s angular momentum wasn’t lost on her gaze, nor was the expression Taas’ face wore to match. Apparently unable to both keep the fruit aloft and spinning, it tumbled down into his palm before being placed on the table. The High Archivists headband was quick to follow. However, as she continued on he rose up to start a pot of tea. The junior of the pair remained unmoving as the elder continued his work, speaking with but a glance.

Nary a sentence had escaped his lips before she felt herself begin to bristle, however the hardened eyes and frown where checked. Becoming annoyed about pacifists within the Order was akin to taking umbrage with water being wet. However, what followed was interesting enough for her to move past that brief moment of irritation. Especially with the scent of tea filling the room. Rhiss knew that the Jedi and Republic scientists were working on destructive projects during the war, but she hadn’t been aware that several of those were beyond what the code allowed. A brow quirked at that; her curiosity piqued yet also sure that not all the projects stopped were unethical. Most wartime research was put on the backburner after the armistice was signed, after all.

”Thank you,” cold fingers encircled the cup only to intertwined with one another so that both hands could enjoy the warmth. A blissful smile radiated from her lips to dominate the Master’s entire face, her nose held over the liquid to better enjoy the naturalistic aromas. Tea was one of life’s simple pleasures. Finally, Rhiss opened her eyes to regard him while she spoke, ”I respect the work you’ve done, and the work you’ve stopped.

”I even take you at your word, that the worst of those projects are so brutish and evil that they don’t deserve to exist,” A sip of the too-warm, yet flavorful tea stemmed the retreat of that blissful smile, ”however, I’m not speaking of those projects. The cure should never be worse than the disease, and any project the code deems unsuitable should be buried deep and forgotten.”

Master Arckan shifted in her seat; it was difficult to maintain this conversation when her knowledge of its contents were half a decade old at best. ”Several projects were stopped when the armistice was signed. I find it difficult to believe that all of those projects were unethical, and can’t help but wonder why they’re not put forward with us so close to conflict with the Sith.”

A tepid response. Rhissai had known as much even as her lips formed the first words of her point.

Yet, another subject had captured her interest. The subject that sparked her irritation previously. ”If I may,” another bit of tea was pulled past her lips, ”you mentioned your reaction to the Jedi joining the war in earnest. With the threat so clear and present, with two of our enclaves and several Republic worlds having fallen, was the war not justified?”

[Fromikeable]

By the time Rhissai’s question came through, Taas hummed gently with contentment, his teacup carefully pursed in both hands. ”The remaining projects you speak of are simply not mine to give, Master. You would be better off consulting with the Republic, though I suspect they might be equally tight-lipped. I suspect none are so dormant as you worry these days.” Taas hadn’t received any calls yet, but stress and tension hung on Coruscant like a persistent odor.

Soon enough, he would be having this conversation with a much more ardant set of Republic researchers. Their sympathy for his position would be far, far less.

”I take it my past critique of the Blades has not been lost to time.” Smiling apologetically, Taas set his cup down on his desk, his fingers tapping the sides gently.

”I would never suggest that the Sith Order and the war machine they inspired were beneath the heed of the Jedi. When turbolasers were trained on Coruscant, the loss of innocent life was unspeakable. When Taris became a wasteland, it was a crime against sentience, not against a nation. But-” Taas raised a single finger.

”The Republic treated the Empire as though it was an unknowable evil spawned from smoke and mirrors. The Senate ignored its mistreatment of the Mandalorian people, the systematic suppression of their culture. They ignored the cries of inequity from the outer rim and were somehow shocked to see those left to feel neglected flock to new masters promising prosperity.” Reaching for the tea pot again, Taas refilled his cup before mixing in a sugar cube, the sound of metal on ceramic steady and rhythmic.

”At the war’s onset, it was a group of wealthy popularists propped up by misled Jedi rebelling against an unaware bureaucracy. Far too political and ideological to warrant the involvement of an organization devoted to peace.” Sighing gently, he sipped his tea anew.

”Following the atrocities in the Mid Rim, the conflict evolved into one of ethics. From that point further, I hold no reservations regarding our involvement.” His eyes flicked up at Rhissai, curious.

”You were heavily involved with the Blades, were you not? Perhaps you can better educate me as to their thinking at the time.”