Testing Resolve

[Rugs]

The command center of Coruscant Defensive Shielding Network lay deep below the city-world’s glimmering surface. For Jhoren Seyley, it’d been something of a home away from home. First during the war, on routine shifts in case the unthinkable happened and a Sith fleet appeared over Coruscant.

Then the unthinkable did happen. The Sith came and set Coruscant’s sky aflame. The shield held. For a time. Then it failed. The Sith mounted a ground invasion that was doomed from the start — not because of the planetary system, but because of the tide turning against them in orbit.

In the weeks, months and years after the battle, the Republic took a long, hard look at Coruscant’s shielding network. There was no guarantee that Coruscant would come under fire again — the only assurance was that the Sith would go to war once more against the Republic. Should the unthinkable happen again, well, they’d find Coruscant a tougher nut than the one that broke their teeth in the last war.

It was all very intriguing work, for an engineer like Jhoren. Rebuilding the system, finding its weaknesses, planning upgrades. Before, Coruscant’s system had been a very centralized thing, and that was good enough. After all, what foe could ever strike at the heart of the Republic? Not even the Mandalorians had managed that in their wars, centuries ago. They got enough funding from the Senate to keep the shield network in good working order, and that was about it. That was all they needed.

Funny thing about the folks who controlled the pursestrings of the Republic finding themselves under the shooting end of Sith guns. The war ended and suddenly the Senate was throwing more money at system upgrades than the military knew what to do with.

At first.

“How’re we feelin?” Tadia Hodrren put a hand on Jhoren’s shoulder, stirring her from her contemplation. Tadia was the administrator for the entire network — the big boss, and a close friend of Jhoren. Jhoren drew in a deep breath, rolling her shoulders to loosen a nagging tension knot in her upper back. A multitude of screens lay arrayed before them, detailing all sorts of things--power levels, a map of coruscant with big green pips representing the primary generators for the complicated shielding network. Smaller blue ones, outnumbering the larger two-to-one, were present as well. They were new, all built since the end of the war. They’d get put through their paces today.

“About as good as we can,” Jhoren said. “Do or die day, y’know?”

They’d run simulations thousands of times. In theory, everything should work. Imperial turbolasers wouldn’t care about theory if they’d cocked something up along the way. Better to test with friendly gunners and fix any problems now.

“Oh trust me,” Tadia said, looking at the largest screen. Little shapes moved into orbit over Coruscant. The fleet was gathering, up above. “I know.”

---

Coruscant’s sky was strangely silent. Disturbingly so. Supreme Chancellor Alder Vrieska outside the Senate building, eyes to the blue sky. A few stray speeders zipped here and there, but most of the capital’s ever-present sky traffic had been grounded. Traffic leaving the planet was halted. Incoming traffic to the Coruscant system was being rerouted to the Alaskan system, where it would hold until the day’s test was complete.

The headaches around shutting down the heart of Republic commerce would last for weeks — and that was if this all went off without a hitch. He’d never hear the end of it if something went wrong.

Alder checked his chrono, impatient. A few minutes until the shield was to go up, and a few more from then until the firing was scheduled to start. Horst was to join him shortly, and he’d extended an invitation to Grandmaster Shovaah Moho to join them. It’d been far too long since he’d met with the Grandmaster — not since he’d revealed the existence of Project Vanguard to the aged Jedi. He hoped, sincerely, that the revelation and word of the superweapon test’s results hadn’t soured their relationship too much.

Journalists milled a few meters away, in a reserved area. Alder could have watched the whole thing from his office, but being outside said was a symbol of his faith in the Republic’s hard work. A message to encourage public support.

He glanced again to the sky. It was eerily silent. But it was, Alder concluded, better a planned silence than the last, enforced by the Sith warfleet encroaching into Coruscant’s skies.

[nonune]

I shouldn’t have stopped at Coruscant. Nalialu kicked himself. Specifically this event wasn’t why he was avoiding Coruscant, truth was he knew little of it. Life in an enclave was wonderful for practicing levitating or lightsaber skills… Still, in general, Jedi Knights of his age avoided Coruscant on their travels for a simple reason.

There was Always something boring and official to attend. Something to get dressed in your nice robes and follow a Master to, or to simply put in a show of faith. The chances of encountering an actual physical threat at one of these things was near to none, even with the memory of the Sith warfleet so close.

With the sky so quiet there was a hush even on the outer fringes of those gathered. He wasn’t here Officially in any capacity, just another witness to the Grand Might of the Republic. And considering the last time the sky was this quiet, perhaps a Jedi or two would calm a few nerves.

Even unarmored Nalialu Xem cut an impressive figure. Head and shoulders above most of the attendees, his hair was shoved to the side as if freshly cut. Tython had grown his hair out a bit scraggly, but a few moments grooming in the Jedi Temple here had fixed that. His beard cut golden lines across his cheeks, framing a brilliant smile that only the very good could tell was forced. Simple Jedi robes of plain spun cloth, browns and whites covered his massive shoulders and hung like a banner for the Jedi.

And glinting at his sides the only adornments, the classic Jedi Lightsabers.

The Force forbid he had any need for them today. But it completed a look. And in truth that was why he was here. To be seen and Represent the Order in peace, against the backdrop of the Senate Plaza. After the tenth Senator slunk away suddenly interested in the next political objective after getting a quick holo with him, he desperately wished for guard duty.

They didn’t bother you on Guardian duty. And to be truthful, he wasn’t entirely sure about the Muunilist Senator’s political views… But it does the Order good to be seen... came the quick thought that bolstered his faltering smile as another face in the swimming sea of eyes and eyestalks and bone ridges appeared before him. And he waded into an entirely new form of battle, the cold crystals at his side his only solace.

[roadkill]

Coruscant was just about the last place Nyx had wanted to remain for more than a few hours. Her departure had been delayed thanks to the new planetary shield test, set to commence shortly. ”Dank farrik,” she cursed under her breath from her seat at the card table in a smoke-filled cantina. And she was doing more than her fair share of adding to it. In the hours that had passed her by, Nyx had won and lost a not-insignificant number of credits at sabacc. This time, she was thwarted by an Idiot’s Array—and she was out of credits to gamble. With a shrug and a sigh, the Jedi Master—though one wouldn’t know it from looking at her, idly tossed her cards on the table and rose from her seat. ”Should have quit while I was ahead,” she resigned to the pair of Weequay seated opposite her. ”Enjoy it, boys; you’ve earned it.”

Nyx slipped the still-burning cigarra between her lips and grabbed her drink with her free hand before turning to walk towards the bar proper when she felt…something more than familiar. The presence itself was unmistakable, a brilliant shining beacon doing nothing to mask itself in the Force. The only other Jedi she had formed any sort of meaningful bond with, that of Nalialu Xem. How she failed to sense him sooner, well, that was thanks to the card game. It brought a soft smile to her face, and made her next move easy. She downed the rest of her ale and set the empty glass on the bar before trotting outside, into the hustle and bustle that was a planet-sized city.

Crowds aplenty had gathered, and she could see the media cordon just across the way. Nyx tossed the cigarra aside without caution and took in a deep breath to center herself. It had become second nature to mask her own presence in the Force, wherever she went. Even here. Especially here. It was easy to get lost in such a place. Plenty of Jedi around, and entirely too much suffering on the lower levels to pinpoint anyone in particular. Except for Nali, the shiny Paladin that he was. Unlike her fellow Jedi, Nyx dressed more like a rough spacer than a representative of the Order. Black leathers all around, from her jacket to her boots, all equally rough, faded and well-worn. Even her lightsabers had been concealed, leaving only the blaster pistol showing on her right leg. She disappeared into the crowd, gently pushing her way through and following Nali’s presence until she was right behind him.

Another smile softened her hard face as she took a moment to relish in the hunt. Silently, softly she stepped slowly toward him, careful not to allow her footfalls to alert him. Not a quarter of a meter away, Nyx released her practiced hold on her presence in the Force, letting the mask fall away as carelessly as she had tossed the cigarra butt away. Another step and she would find herself beside the giant man. ”Well, don’t you clean up nicely,” she practically purred at him. Hair neatly combed, beard trimmed up proper, robes freshly ironed and pressed. It was a stark contrast to her own appearance, quite obviously unkempt. Long hair tangled and flowing as if running a brush through it had seemed too much to bear first thing in the morning.

”Have I told you how much I abhor Coruscant?” The question posed, rhetorical. A hand stealthily slipped under Nali’s arm, fingers wrapping around his forearm nicely as she sidled up against him. As a Master, she should have known far better than to make such a public display of affection, mere meters away from any other Jedi. But it didn’t matter, not to her. Not anymore. Had it ever?

[Fromikeable]

”... cannot believe the amount of credits this costing the planet today. Have you looked at the Galactic Stock Index for today, General? What am I supposed to tell the financial sector?”

”I’d assume they’d like their exchange to be protected from orbital bombardment, senator.”

”If the market doesn’t recover before the bells rings, I’m sure they’ll wish it wasn’t. The principle of the matter is that the seizure of liberties in this drill is completely unprecedented-”

”So was the Sith fleet reaching orbit, what’s yo-”

”And who’s fault was that, General? So help me, if you don’t think I’m going to keep this in mind at next week’s Defense Committee hearing, I swear you’ll ne-”

Horst clicked off the comm with a heavy sigh, dropping it back into his pocket with little ceremony. Almost immediately it began to buzz, no doubt thanks to the junior senator from Coruscant wishing to continue his list of grievances. Sitting opposite him in the shuttle, Horst’s secretary glanced at the comm, clearly a bit concerned. Horst just shook his head, his hand making a cutting motion over his throat.

”Are you sure it’s a good idea just to…?”

”He can scream into the void when the Senate convenes. In the meantime, we’ve got actual work to do.” That work was, thankfully, old hat this time around. No custom-trained technicians figuring out force projections on the fly, just shield technicians with decades of experience perfecting their craft. For all the glamor of this test, it was, ultimately, a demonstration of old technology made new again. Planetary shields had been in Coruscant’s defense budget for centuries now, and even when they faltered during the battle those years ago, it hadn’t been because they were in disrepair.

No, this was more of a power play than a tech demo. It was the Republic beating its chest just once, standing up just a little bit straighter, and making it clear that it could take a harder punch.

Jostled as the shuttle landed, Horst unstrapped himself and set out, his secretary in tow. Approaching a duo of Senate guards, they greeted him with a salute, their blue armor shuffling at the sound.

”Chancellor Vrieska’s already outside, sir.”

Putting them at ease with a motion, Horst adjusted his collar as they began to lead him out, calling out to his secretary. ”If Senator Hotshot calls anybody else, put him on hold and get some coffee.” A short trudge through the Senate building’s back halls and secure chambers ended with Horst being escorted through an open, waiting set of doors into the shockingly quiet Coruscant day. Even with the crowd assembled below, with journalists lined up in rows, the ambient noise level had to be less than half of that of off-peak transit on a slow day.

Horst drank it in for a second, well aware of the rarity. It was anticipation for what would be, with any luck, a very solid show.

Finally walking up to Alder, Horst shook his hand in a photo op maneuver they must have practiced a half dozen times prior. Giving the camera-clicking journalists a small smile, he scanned the reserved areas. A few Jedi, sure, but…

He whispered through his smile. ”Any word from the old crab?”

[Bayou]

Today was going to be eventful. The Republic was testing it's improved Shielding Technology and all were invited. Civilians, Soldiers, Politicians and Jedi were all gathering together in a public display of unity and Republic prowess. It was a bold move and something that was needed following the past couple of months. The majority were probably more annoyed with the closure of traffic than actually wanting to attend the display itself but Kellen was already bound for the Senate Plaza.

Officials in the Republic military had extended him a personal invitation even though an event like this didn't really need one. It was mostly for formality reasons and also due to the fact he had served alongside many of them in the past. His connections within the military were extensive and he kept touch with men and women of many ranks and branches. Besides, if ever the Order needed those connections could prove useful. For Kellen, it was mostly about the friendships.

He stepped out of his transport wearing his Jedi robes with his Republic officers coat thrown over, concealing his lightsaber that hung from his waist. His crisp boots tapped along as he met with Colonel Vald, one of his many longtime friends and a few other junior officers that accompanied him. After exchanging pleasantries they walked over to the gathering together while exchanging small talk of the event to come.

"It's a pleasure to see you in person, old friend. The Order has kept me busy at the temple of late. How are you?"

"I am doing well Master Jedi. I am glad you could attend, from what I am hearing from R&D this is going to be promising. Mostly a show off for us in uniforms but you get the chance to socialize."

"I can imagine. It's not exactly a parade but it brings folks together nonetheless. I imagine the finance division is having a field day though."

"Ha, when aren't they? Probably complaining to their senators who are in turn complaining to my superiors. In any case, I am happy the Jedi could attend. We needed a show of strength after you know what. Ah, looks like General Horst has already joined us. If you wish you could stand with his officers near the platform. I am eager to continue our conversation."

"Of course, Colonel. I'll say hi to a few fellow Jedi before joining you."

The Colonel nodded in return and continued on his way, exchanging greetings with fellow officers and politicians alike. Kellen took a look around as his blue eyes glanced over the gathering crowd. Some Jedi, not many he recognized. He hand stroked through his blonde beard as he smiled at approaching folks wishing for a quick hello or holo with him. He did not mind it much. For now he would stand off to the side and continue observing before joining a group for the observation of the Republic's latest display.

[Blue]

Moho could feel the pinpricks of anxiety and anticipation flaring up all over Coruscant. The memory of the residents that survived the initial Sith fleet invasion was still dauntingly fresh, and witnessing the new planetary shield come online would fill them with almost as much dread as it did reassurance. It was a reminder that war was once again rearing its head, to threaten their lives and the lives of their loved ones. The Grand Master made his way towards where the invitation had bid him to go, the shuttle that carried him driven by no less than Master Sarris Zag'da, an ace pilot and a fellow High Councillor. Master Lel Reu smoothed out an invisible wrinkle in their robes as they prepared for the event, and Moho could not help but smile. These two were some of the youngest and newest additions to the Council, and it was good that they were attending to gain further experience with dealing with planetary 'big wigs'. Master Reu was already well-practised with diplomatic functions, but Master Zag'da was still new to the political world and just as adverse. They arrived with no fanfare, much to the relief of the occupants of the shuttle. As much as they acknowledged the necessity of journalistic media, many Jedi felt uncomfortable in the limelight. There were some exceptions to the rule, such as Master Reu, but Moho himself fell firmly into the former camp. "I'll park the shuttle then, shall I, Master Moho?" Master Zag'da eagerly inquired, her eyes flickering to the crowded area outside the Senate building. The old Jedi gave a small chuckle. "Please do, and then join us after you are done," he replied. The Balosar sighed heavily, before closing the door behind the other two Jedi and moving the shuttle away. The bulky form of the Grand Master of the Jedi Order could not help but draw some attention as he slowly hovered forwards. He wore his usual simple brown robes with no ornamentation, and his hoverchair bore no gilt beyond its elegant, Prellian design. Master Reu split off with a smile and a nod to speak with a gaggle of senators, and the old Jedi was left alone. Moho made certain to give his greetings to the various officials as he made his way through the crowd. He could feel the presence of his fellow Jedi as he moved forwards, his bright amber eyes alighting on each of them and sending them a warm smile. Though familial ties were discouraged by the Order, Moho had been around for so long that he could not help but feel as if each of those students from the Coruscant Temple were like his children; he had taught them, help them through difficulties, watched them grow from younglings to Padawans, from Padawans to Knights, from Knights to Masters. Emotional attachment was frowned upon by most, but Moho truly believed if he felt nothing for those around him, that was a much worse crime by far. As he floated through the numerous people invited to watch the new planetary shield's demonstration, the old Jedi caught sight of the Supreme Chancellor and moved forward to offer his greetings. Things had been... tense between them after the revelations of Project Vanguard. The thought of the Republic creating a weapon of genocide, even as a last resort, filled the Grand Master with feelings of disgust that even many hours of meditation had not entirely cleansed from his soul. He thought of the Chancellor as a good man, yes, but good men could often make terrible decisions when moved by despair, desperation, or rage. "Any word from the old crab?" Moho could not help but bend the corner of his mouth into an amused smirk as he overheard the comment of the general. "Only a very choice few, General Horst. A very choice few." His words held no heat, nor his eyes malice, but exuded the aura of a stern grandfather overhearing a child sassing him behind his back as he approached the pair of officials. He inclined his head in greeting with a quiet "Supreme Chancellor, General," then turned his attention to the sky. "It is a relief to see funding diverted to the aim of preserving the lives of billions, rather than the extinguishing of them," Moho continued, his eyes falling back down onto the two men before him. "A more difficult decision than some might think, in such uncertain times." His words had been careful; to outside listeners, he was only commenting of the dreadful cost of the war that seemed close to breaking out rather than alluding to any ongoing secret projects.

[Dax]

“I just can’t do it, master.”

“You can, don’t try so hard. You know what to do and how to do it. Close your eyes and reach out. Feel the object and the energy around it.” Eko replied reassuringly.

Instructing students was always something that Eko held very dear to his heart. He believed very strongly in bringing up the next generation of Jedi and teaching them the best he could so that one day they could be better than their masters were. It was a master’s dream for their student to surpass them, and it was something Eko loved to see and strived to do for his students.

He’s had many Padawans over the years, but as of late he had been taking an interest in training the incoming younglings at the temple instead, teaching in groups instead of the one-on-one relationships he was originally accustomed to. Though he was still going on missions regularly for the Order, Eko always made a point to come back to Coruscant and teach and make holocron recordings as often as he could.

The focus of today’s class had been levitating a stone and holding it steady in the air for a few minutes. The rest of the class had since been dismissed as Eko had an appointment at the planetary shield test, but one of his students had struggled with the task, so he stayed behind to offer some additional instructing and encouragement.

“That’s it, you can feel it now, can’t you? You can picture the stone lifting up in the air?” Eko said with a wry smile.

“Yes, Master, but I don’t feel like I’m doing anything.” His student said with a heavy heart of disappointment.

“Then open your eyes and see for yourself.”

Eko chucked slightly as his padawan opened his eyes and seen the stone being held against the ceiling in the chamber. The padawan gasped slightly in astonishment and as he lost his focus, the stone came crashing down again. Eko chuckled once more, “Keep practicing, I think you’ve almost got it. Now I must go, don’t want to keep everyone waiting now do we?” He smiled, nodding his head and leaving the room for the docking bay. He knew he was going to probably be the last one to arrive, but it wasn’t going to be anything everyone didn’t already expect from him.

As his speeder arrived, he made his way towards where everyone had gathered. Walking through crowds was always such an annoyance for Eko, being that he only stood in at barely two feet tall. “Always getting trampled.” He mouthed under his breath, shaking his head as he pushed through the crowd.

The first one he seen was the Grandmaster near the Chancellor, and another male he didn’t immediately recognize. Eko thought of saying hello to Master Moho, but he decided not to interrupt him with the Chancellor. The second Jedi he seen was Master Kellen Mynn, and though he only knew of him and hadn’t actually met him, he decided he’d go and say hello anyway.

“Always such a spectacle these things are, eh? Hopefully it all goes off without a hitch.” He said with a wry smile.

[Ash]

Seb needed a break and a nap; caf just wasn't cutting it much anymore. But the man still had a job to do, even if he had been here... on the ground... in this dingy room... for about 12 hours nonstop.

Maybe a nice hot meal and a cigar as well. Yea, that would do the trick.

"Yes, I know your guns will be over the Dawn's bow. That is fine. They will move after their test. You have a full 4 minutes before you need to fire after they do. And if for some reason they aren't then don't shoot. Its that easy. You have 5 minutes before you're relieved from command, Captain. Get it done."

Sebastian wouldn't really boot the Rodian from command. He was being very sensible, But this was only a test and his cruiser wouldn't even be at full power. Lots of precautions were being taken for this test, and no one would be putting anyone in willing danger. Looking at his watch, he finally realized the time and sighed once more. Everyone would be showing up now. Yay.

"Commodore Fabron, I'll leave the rest to you. Double ping me when everyone is confirmed and double checked to be in position. And please let me know if there is anything wrong. I need to meet with the top dogs."

"Will do, Admiral. Good luck out there. I do not envy you.

Seb donned his Admiral's jacket, buttoning the crisp uniform top into place then running a hand through his still rather unruly hair. Now came the hard part. After downing his freezing cold caf, Seb left the room and came out into the main hall where there was already a growing gathering. Jedi's... politicians. Senior military personnel... All here. Ignoring theem, he wound his way out to where he knew the most powerful people in the Republic were at, and where he was picked to be over his peers. Today, he felt like he would truly be joining them.

"General Stellar. Grandmaster Moho. A pleasure to greet you both."

Seb knew Horst well enough, having met with the man quite a few times already. Moho he didn't know yet, but knew of. One of the best friends to his Daughter and a pilot serving with her on Seb's flagship was trained as a Jedi but willingly left after she didn't get picked up as a Padawan. Truthfully Seb thought the young woman fit well here. Her skills were incredible. Also, he read up on the Master beforehand. One could never have enough knowledge of any kind.

"Supreme Chancellor, the 7th's is finalizing their station holding maneuvers. Barring anything extraordinary, they will be ready for your command at Zero Hour."

Seb shoot hands properly for Photos and stood properly as well. He wasn't big just yet, despite his feeling it.

[Rugs]

A shuttle wooshed overhead, and Alder recognized it as the sort that should have been ferrying Horst in for the demonstration. Alder might have chuckled, if there weren’t cameras trained on his every action. It had to be a special king of torture, for Host, dealing with the pagentry and the calls and all the public-facing banthashit that came along with displays like the one soon to be underway.

But that was the cost of being business. They served a republic, and thus its people; it’d be foolish and wrong to deny answers while simultaneously disrupting countless lives on the Galaxy’s most populous planet.

Alder floated amicably around the pavilion, making chit chat with a few Senators. Coruscant’s delegation was particularly prickly about the day’s events — prompted, surely, by the businesses that were rightly concerned about the unprecedented disruption to commerce — but Alder and Horst had been through the song and dance enough to keep them from chomping heads off, at least.

No sooner had he finished offering greetings to a junior senator from Chandrila than did one his aides inform him of Horst’s arrival. Alder went over to meet the general, shook hands for photos. He’d just been about to respond to Horst’s question about the Grandmaster’s presence when none but the Grandmaster himself spoke up.

With a “well there you go” look at Horst, Alder turned to greet Moho with a broad smile. “Grandmaster Moho. it is good to see you here. It has been too long. And I am thankful to see the Jedi presence here.” Alder spoke warmly as he nodded to the Jedi scattered around the plaza. He meant it earnestly. He’d not seen Shovaah Moho since their terse discussion of Project Vanguard.

And Moho’s words confirmed his — and, Alder could only assume, the Council’s — lingering worry about the superweapon. He could only imagine the report the Jedi representatives had sent back after leaving the Deep Core: that the Republic’s planet-killer was more effective by far than anticipated.

It was a chilling thought.

“We remain as committed as ever to the defense of the Republic and her people, Grandmaster,” Alder said diplomatically, for any eavesdroppers or lip-readers. “And you know I don’t take any decisions that may come with that lightly.” A serious moment, before a smile and a warming of his tone — gods forbid the press think there was a row between the Jedi Order and the Chancellor’s Office. “Besides, the General here has gotten pretty skilled at wrestling the Senate for funding,” he said, giving Horst a friendly pat on the back. “Good thing, too, with such uncertain roads ahead of us.

“Speaking of,” he said, addressing Horst and Moho together, “there were some matters I’d hoped to discuss with the two of you. Nothing strictly confidential, of course, given the setting, but we can move to a quieter location if you want, once the demonstration is done.”

The demonstration which was to begin shortly. A voice blaring over loudspeakers at the far plaza’s far side announced final preparations would begin in five minutes. “Final preparations,” of course, included activating the shield system itself.

Alder glanced again to the eerily clear sky. He could still recall the invasion, the blaster fire, smoke and flames filling the air, the tortured groan of ships crashing down onto the city from orbit. The screams of Coruscant’s terrified civilians.

He was about to suggest that Moho and Horst join him in his designated seating area for the event, when he noticed another man approaching.

Admiral Sebastian Terrik. Alder knew of the man, but wasn’t overly familiar with him. Still, he offered a polite greeting and shook the admiral’s hand as he approached.

“I am sure the 7th Fleet will perform with the excellence they are known for,” he said. “But it will not be under my command, Admiral. I leave that to the proud men and women who serve at our Republic’s call.”

[nonune]

Nodding to a few of his fellow Jedi through the crowd, he let the crowd flow around him. A calm mountain in the middle of the frenetic organized chaos, standing strong as a pillar of civilization. Smiling and playing the dance of politics that was necessary these days, as well as he could. It was probably why he kept getting mobbed by so many of the lower ranked Senators, looking for that bump back home when it came time. Naively when he had first came he thought he might be making some real connections…

And perhaps there were ones to be made. Standing still where he was, he had no hope. But at politics he was hopeless so all was as it should be.

Every now and then he’d lock eyes and give a small greeting to one of the other Jedi, but he preferred to let the crowds move around him. Feel the people and the swirling auras pulsating and dancing around him stopping him from seeing any singular one clearly through the Force. A whirling mass of thought and sentience, some of the finest that the Galaxy could assemble.

That would be how Nyx found him, distracted by the myriad of beings all coming together for one purpose, foolishly believing it was all for the good of the Galaxy when she appeared. Pure and hopefully shining out like a beacon of Light and calmness. poured off of him, shielding who and what he was… That wasn’t in his nature. It wouldn’t take someone of Nyx’s skill to sneak up on him in that crowd, for her it would be childsplay to just appear.

Then she was there and the calmness was wrecked by something else entirely. A maelstrom of emotions quite unlike a Jedi to have. From the moment she was at his side, he had no more attention for anyone else. Perhaps the presence Grandmaster and other Masters should have inspired more caution, but he didn’t think entirely clearly around Nyx. He was still debating if he even wanted to work on thinking clearly.

Chuckling at her compliment as he stepped back towards a balcony where they would get a better view. ”Yes well… Some of us have to try to look as beautiful as you.” he growled out in response to her purr, just as the voice blared over the intercoms that the final preparations had begun. He had been hoping she would be here, more and more as the evening grew long and tiresome.

”Hmm…” His voice came quiet and a bit husky with memory. ”You failed to mention it on our trip from Tython. I am beginning to understand why though…”


Away from the crowd on one of the many balconies that dotted the skylines of Coruscant, he dared steal more than a glance at her. The Force take it, lightsaber endurance drills were easier than simply losing himself in her. How did they act in public, now that… Countless hours in a library studying protocols suddenly had him at a loss. So he decided to follow her lead, her hand was right where he wanted it to be.

”I do hope this is as simple as they say.” Something still pricked at him about this entire affair. Perhaps it was just the Guardian in him. He didn’t like the thought of guns being fired on the planet. Outwardly he wouldn’t question the Plan. But with Nyx things were different.

[roadkill]

”Ah, but flattery will get you everywhere,” she said, despite thinking Nali was full of bantha poodoo. No effort had been made toward her appearance, she had merely woken up, dressed herself and tried to get offworld before the shield test shut everything down. Too little, too late. Story of her life. But, she could still appreciate the compliment. Perhaps he did mean it. At least if she were stuck here for a few hours more, waiting on all the pomp and circumstance to pass, she had him to pass the time with. There was a pleasant view from the balcony, if one cared for cityscapes. The view from her apartment on Corellia was far better—there was less city.

The announcement came through that the shield test was set to commence in five minutes. Wonderful. The sooner it was underway, the sooner she could board her vessel and leave Coruscant---for as long as her duties to the Order would allow.

As the conversation turned toward the task at hand, Nyx’ smile faded. ”I don’t know about you, but I cannot shake this feeling of…trepidation surrounding this entire ceremony. Since when do we need every sitting Senator, representatives of the Order and the top Republic brass to witness something so simple as a shield test? I don’t sense any apprehension or fear, but then again it is difficult to sense much of anything from the crowd here. Tell me I’m paranoid.” She earnestly did hope it was just paranoia fueling her bad feelings, but she had learned long ago not to discount such things so easily.

Please tell me I’m paranoid. The thought was almost desperate. It hadn’t been that long ago that the Sith had bombarded Coruscant. The presence of all the top officials made them an easy target. If the test were to be, say, sabotaged in some way, it made for a target-rich environment. The thought came that this was not just a test of the planetary shield—age-old technology—but perhaps the weapon being fired at it. If only she had contacts within Republic Intelligence, she could have levied favors in trade for information. Something was definitely amiss, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Hoping it was nothing was just as futile as worrying over it. Whatever was to happen, would happen soon.

Nyx reminded herself to be mindful of the present, as if she were speaking to a student, but it hardly had any effect. The thought of this being some sort of elaborate ruse had already gained a significant foothold in her mind, washing away any hope that it was just an excuse for a parade. The Republic loved to make a show of unity and take any excuse they could to put on a good ceremony, that much was certain. But that little nagging voice in the back of her mind grew continually louder. Suddenly, she didn’t want to be standing on the balcony when the shots were fired at the shield. Get indoors, underneath a desk. Avoid the turbolifts. Escape. It was a finely honed survival sense, gained from years as an Investigator and Shadow, years of conflict. Were she an ordinary person, experts would suggest she had a form of post-traumatic stress disorder and be mandated medicines to take.

But she was anything but ordinary. A Jedi Master who had seen much, experienced much. And had much left still to do and see. No, something was wrong here, aside from the ordinary wrongness that emanated from the lower levels of Coruscant.

[Fromikeable]

Horst jumped slightly as Moho’s voice came out of, by his approximation, absolutely frickin’ nowhere. Snapping his head over his shoulder, he looked the Grandmaster over as he floated closer, answering the crab’s smirk with a look of annoyed surprise.

The sound of shuttering cameras made him pause, recollecting himself. No, he couldn’t respond to that comment now. Not right here, anywhere.

But Moho pressed the issue, causing Horst to put on a much bigger smile than he meant to. To the outside observer, it looked as if he’d just heard a joke and was trying to stifle a bit of laughter. In reality, it was him biting his tongue as he halted several responses in their tracks, quiet for a moment as he tried to rewrite them into deniable double-speak. More than willing to let Alder respond first, Horst nodded at the mention of a follow-up meeting.

“Oh yeah, I’m becoming a real favorite with the committees. Should come and join me sometime Grandmaster. Always good to reiterate the teamwork between the military and the Order when it comes to protecting the Republic.” Knowing himself too well to say much more than that, Horst gave Sebastian a nod as he approached, rolling his tongue around his mouth. Plucking a small comm out of his breast pocket, he covered his mouth with a hand to sigh lightly, feigning a cough.

”Admiral, I hope you waxed the fleet. Let’s get this show on the road.” Tapping a button on his comm, it crackled lightly before Horst raised it to his mouth. ”DefOps, start spooling it up.” Before he’d even hung up and returned the comm to his pocket, the multitude of speakers and holoscreens in front of the Senate building let an emergency tone blare over the crowd and surrounding city, far-off viewing locations echoing them across the cityscape. On cue, a follow-up tone, far more gentle and serene, rang out ahead of a calm voice.

”Thank you for your patience. Today’s demonstration is set to begin momentarily. Please ensure that any individuals sensitive to light or sound have received adequate protection.”

The next few moments proved to be little different, the crowd shuffling somewhat as people gazed skyward. Then the thrumming began. A deep, low rumble that started off remarkably gentle, barely audible over a whisper. But with each pulse of sound, it seemed to grow louder, decibel by decibel. Across the skyline, pillars of light began to appear, sharing the sound’s meek beginnings and increasing intensity. As the minutes ticked by, the partnership of light and sound magnified to their peak, which while not very severe was certainly uncomfortable. Thrums of the giant generators made the air quiver lightly, and the beams of light matched that of speeder high-beams on a massive scale.

But with each thrum, the sky grew increasingly blue. The towers of light hit their respective altitudes, some higher than others, and began to spread in webs of energy. Their disbursement was methodical, sector by sector, linking with each other and encapsulating those below them. When they began to seal together into complete layers, the thrumming began to reverse course, the worst of it lasting maybe forty seconds, pitching down as slowly as it had pitched up. The shields in the sky, now completely formed, glowed more solidly even still, finally taking on a deep blue just a hair darker than the natural city sky.

Finally, the thrumming returned to its initial pitch, barely audible above the natural soundscape of Coruscant.

”The Coruscant Municipal Orbital and Planetary Defense Operations Center is proud to report that the shields have successfully deployed. The reverberations you may have experienced depending upon planetary position are unique to the initial operation of the planet’s new suite of shield generators, which were intentionally operated as slowly as possible today for your viewing pleasure.”

”The second phase of today’s demonstration will be carried out by the Republic’s very own 7th Fleet.” The holoscreens transitioned to one of the many cameras on Alder, Horst, Moho, and Sebastian. ”In conjunction with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Republic Navy, and the Jedi Order, the Supreme Chancellor will now give the order for the demonstration to proceed.”

[Bayou]

The voice made him turn and look around for a moment before setting his eyes lower to the ground. Kellen smiled and bowed his head in respect to the fellow Master Jedi. He believed he knew of Master Eko but had never had the chance of formally meeting each other. It was always a pleasure to have conversations with fellow Jedi and especially the ones as experienced as Master Eko. So many stories and knowledge to share.

"Ah, Master Eko. A pleasure. Our work in the Temple has kept us busy these past years. With the training of so many younglings its a shame we have never met until now."

Kellen clasped his hands together behind his back before continuing with a warm smile.

"Indeed. In so uncertain of times as these it's important we remain vigilant against sinister acts while hoping for the opposite. Especially with the Grand Master present."

A few moments later and the notice came that the test was to begin shortly. Kellen remained at the side of Master Eko rather than joining his veteran friends. He took a moment to instinctively glance around the moving crowd as folks took their spots. Everyone trying to gain a good place to watch the event. Though he was certain there was adequate security given the important persons attending, it was a natural instinct to remain aware. Something that never leaves anyone who has visited a battlefield.

Once the test began, the loud noises and reverberations were...familiar. Not in the same capacity he faced during the war but enough to give him chills as they built up and became more intense before settling. It was a grand spectacle of scientific and engineering achievement. To encase an entire planet the size of Coruscant in a protective bubble of energy? Impressive. As the shield settled into its normal operation, Kellen took the time to once more glance around the crowd while speaking once more.

"What say you, Master? Impressive is it not?"

[Blue]

Moho's head inclined to the Supreme Chancellor as he responded, then to the newly arrived Admiral. So far, many words had been spoken about the Republic's utter determination to avoid utilizing such a weapon. But such sweet rhetoric did not match with their actions as, if that were really the case, they would have never built such a despicable machine in the first place if they were so adamant about it being never used. "I would be happy to," Moho replied as the Chancellor requested his attendance. The old Jedi's mind pondered on what this subject might be, his thoughts flickering to several possibilities. The General's thinly veiled words were responded to with a smile. "And while the military and the Senate still act with that in goal in the forefront of your hearts and minds, the Jedi shall ever be your stalwart ally," the Grand Master stated calmly to both of the men. Any further back and forth was soon silenced as the demonstration started in earnest. Moho's attention shifted skyward at the announcement. He had seen planetary shields deployed before, but not often. They were typically reserved for key planets due to their expense and impressive power upkeep, so to see one activate again was a pleasant spectacle. The blue light spreading through the sky brought tension to most of those present, however, whether through the memories of the last Sith invasion or for fear of the results of the test. "May the Force be with us," the Grand Master said. His calm voice travelled far in spite of his quiet tone, reaching the ears of all of those present. In the face of the unknown, faces began to relax, and the tension lowered significantly as people awaited the coming bombardment.

[Ash]

Sebastian touched his ear, words being spoken into it by Commodore Fabron. His fleet was ready and in position. Just in time though as everyone else was prepared.

"General, we are ready to prove ourselves with this exercise."

He couldn't hide the half grin that popped up from under his trimmed beard. It vanished quickly as the generators started to spool up. Taking out his commlink, he keyed it and brought it up to his mouth.

"All hands all hands all hands. Prepare for demonstration maneuvers. All captains triple check that all weapons are on the correct setting. Its time to show that we are the best of the best."[/i]

Once acknowledgements started to pop over his earpiece, he pulled the comm down and tucked it back away as the generators began to wind down. He waited patiently until the loudspeakers spoke again.

Something about doing this didn't feel right, even if it was just a demonstration of a delta base zero to test out this shield. He carefully molded his face to show calm confidence but his mind was rolling around. Anything could go wrong. But if that happened, then he trusted that his men would be ready. They have been training for a while now on nearly every possibility.

Sebastians eyes flashed to the holoscreens where it showed him and the others. In a practiced motion, he palmed his comm again, activating it in preparation for the command. He waited patiently.

[Dax]

Eko smiled as he finally made Master Mynn’s acquaintance. He had certainly heard of the Jedi Master from his peers, but unfortunately he never got the chance to meet him. A usual misconception that the general public has is that all Jedi know one another... Eko wished that were true. With so many of them and all the different assignments, he knew there were Jedi that he hadn’t even heard of before in all his years at the Order.

“I agree, it is prudent to remain vigilant. Let’s just hope this technology does what they say it will do.” He snarked with a sly grin.

Though he was intrigued by the idea of the shield, Eko usually doesn’t believe in technology until he sees it first hand. He always believed that they relied too heavily on their technologies rather than trusting in the will of the Force. He had high hopes that this shielding system would be of great benefit to the Republic, but he had his reservations.

As the shielding system went active, he immediately heard the humming noise that rumbled on the horizon. He looked up as with everyone else as the sky grew more blue by the second, watching the marvel of this great technology at work. So far so good, he thought to himself as he continued to watch the demonstration.

“So far, this technology is most impressive. Hopefully it will continue to be through the bombardment.” He replied to Kellen as he waited for the next phase of the test to begin.

[Rugs]

Alder felt a keen amusement in watching Moho and Horst interact. He’d had precious few opportunities to observe the two men together at the same time, and could only imagine the exchanges such interactions might bear. Moho was a gentle soul, though firm and assured in his convictions. Horst was...

Well, Horst was Horst.

Still, the Galaxy was dry brush, waiting only for the right spark to ignite it, and he’d hear both men’s thoughts on how to prevent a blaze. Or how best to quell, should the spark fall. Or how to deal with the newest tinderbox dumped in our laps, he mused silently as the deep thrumming of the system’s activation rose over the unfamiliar silence that settled over Coruscant. The Mandalorian Clans were imploding, and a war-hungry people falling into civil war was the last thing the Galaxy needed right now.

If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Alder watched as the lights on distant skyscrapers flickered and dimmed as the shield stretched up and curtained out across the sky. The new system drew tremendously from the planet’s power grid, but if any world in the Galaxy had the capacity to support such a hungry defense, it was Coruscant.

The lights returned to normal as the system’s power draw stabilized and the shield closed over their heads, lending an eerie blue to the midday sky.

“May it watch over us,” Alder said quietly, nodding to Moho after the Grandmaster spoke.

With the shield humming steadily overhead, Alder let out a low whistle. “It is impressive,” he said to Horst and Moho, looking at them each, “especially for something I never hope to see activated again. Force willing, this is all the use we’ll get out of dumping all those credits into this.”

He nodded, at long last, to Sebastian, signaling the man to send the word up to the Seventh Fleet to begin the bombardment.

A few tense moments passed, and then it began. It first came as a distant thud, barely audible over the sounds of the city.

Boom.

Then another.

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

They grew, on and on, louder and louder and as Alder turned his gaze skyward, he saw turbolasers streaking down from the sky, igniting in great blossoming explosions far overhead. The shield rippled gently, but held firm as the barrage began to pick up intensity.

[nonune]

Perhaps her paranoia was what was doing it, but suddenly the entire thing shifted to wrong. And not the wrong of the Muunilist. He couldn’t help it, their minds were getting as entangled as anything else. On top of that, any Master worrying would set him into a defensive stance. That they worried he was sure, letting anything slip to one such as him… he had more realistic ideas of his capacities.

Nyx was asking for him to tell her she was paranoid. Which they both knew she was, it came with the territory of her worlds. But normally when he told her that she got angry, and she wasn’t necessarily wrong when she was paranoid. Instinctively he found himself reaching out to his crystals, making sure with his mind his sabers were ready at a moment’s notice. Glimmering crystals of kaibur around the platform made him feel better.

The last time the Sith had been shooting, and the Republic had been unprepared for the assault. There was a definite more defensive set to the people and technology these days. The Republic had rebuilt, and stood shoulder to shoulder with their allies. He was still naive enough to believe the propaganda, even with the cynic at his side.

Trusting her instincts he settled his feet and reached out with the Force as the loudspeakers blared their announcement. The thunder of the turbolasers impacting the shields would come moments later. Before his voice would be drummed out, his eyes closed as he spoke, ”You are paranoid, and its kept you alive. Everyone will be watching the sky, what won’t we be looking at?”

Her instincts would be better to find any surreptitious plots, if there were any to be found. Part of him wished there would be, just to see her in action again. As the thunder began he listened to the Master next to him, and listened with the Force. If it was nothing he would have humored her, and missed some flashy colors. An easy decision for her.

”Would it be better to jump? The turbolifts might be collapsing… Teach me to escape?’ He had no intention of running, had never much thought on the subject. But he didn’t realise he wasn’t answering her outloud voice, and her desire for something made him curious for once. Low level malevolence from the sea of sentience below, those that lived in the dark of the skyscrapers and served the surface levels. Threats from above, but was that just the Seventh?

[roadkill]

”Perhaps,” she replied to the statement of the test being a distraction. ”Or perhaps everyone will be watching their impending doom…”. It wasn’t at all clear to her whether she had said it aloud, or if she had merely thought it loud enough for him to hear; but her own voice sounded in her ears regardless of which. ”Mhm, better for us to jump, yes. Provided we survive the blast and aren’t trapped under rubble. With a little foresight…” the thoughts, or words it still wasn’t plain which, trailed there.

She wanted to be under a desk. Something sturdy. Escape was one thing, but then came the turning back to help other survivors, if any, or the pursuit of the transgressor if possible. The choice was what defined one, in the moment.

The shield hummed and thrummed and doned, and the bombardment commenced. Boom, she winced and tensed. Another, she still hadn’t relaxed. It grew in intensity, and so did her discomfort until… It came to a mighty crescendo. The shield was holding, for the planet, for the moment. Nyx cried out, softly, ”No!” The memories came flooding back now, inescapable. She hadn’t been here when the shield fell, but elsewhere… when the front lines were further from the core. It was early morning, much like the now, and there had been an eerie quiet in the air. Mired in the Dark Side, her danger sense hadn’t alerted her fast enough to….

Turbolasers streaked down, striking the shield and grew in spread, rippling the shield. Her body was coiled tightly, every muscle straining at the tension. Smoke and fire filled her senses, though not in the present, as her mind slipped back…back to the tragedies upon one of the worlds orbiting Altair. Five, or Nine? She hadn’t known then, and didn’t know now. The encampment had been torn to ribbons in moments from orbit. ”Not like this,” she uttered, lips barely moving. Eyes had focused on some point, far far off—the thousand meter stare, as errant tears streaked gently down her cheeks, first one, then two and three and four. Hands balled up into fists. Where was now and when was then?

The imagery was strong, and it refused to be pushed away despite her subconscious effort to do so. It was said, war was hell. War was war and Hell was Hell, the two had nothing to do with each other. One was horrific and unending, and the other was mythological. Charred flesh and burning durasteel was all she smelled, though it wasn’t here, in the now. Lost, lost to the perfect recall of that day when it fell. She had been but a Knight, not yet wizened enough to take a padawan. And the Old Man had been long gone. Da’Gar couldn’t have prepared her for war any better than anything else. But he would have tried.

”Not like this,” she uttered again. The mangled bodies of those she had fought alongside, valiantly. Jedi and Republic trooper alike. It had later begged the question….why her and not one of the Masters there. It hadn’t been a fight, but a slaughter. No second thoughts from those who had fired the batteries above. Such malice, such pompous arrogance. War was war, and Hell was hell. The atrocities of it stuck with one, made their impressions. Left scars to bear, and not all were visible.

The shield held, in the present, but the memories were slow to loose their grip upon her mind and body. Vivid and bright, even Nali would have glimpsed…. Nali. Had he seen? Had he heard? Smelled what she had? That was the one thing that couldn’t be reproduced on holo-vid, the awful stench of death and destruction. Sulfuric, acidic, noxious, terrible. She shook herself out of it as best she could, wiping the remnants of tears from her eyes before turning back to him. ”I’m…sorry,” she offered, meekly. Perfect recall was a burden, even in the best of times. Even moreso when one was bonded with another so intimately.

It was a brief reminder of the years between them. She couldn’t have been more than his age then, half of his life ago, when they met. He was an awkward young kid, and she was an adjunct instructor at the Temple. She knew he had since seen conflict and strife, but once they had been worlds apart. Destiny had a way of bringing things back around. Or was it fate? Chance? Nyx could never remember which.

[Ash]

Seb gazed at the shield as everything stabilized and all everything, for the most part, went back to normal. It was grand. A fantastic defense in opposition to this war. Protection of one of the largest planets in the Republic. Seb could have nearly lost it but he held back all of his emotions.

Alder then took a moment to nod to Sebastian. Seb thought that he would say something to mark the start but a nod would work, Seb supposed.

"Captains and Commanders of the Seventh Fleet... Begin the exercise."

Keeping his comm on, Seb moved it away from his mouth and back behind his back, holding it in his hands even as they were both clasp behind his back.

boom...

It was a small blast. Probably from a corvette. Nice and light.

Boom Boom!

A little louder now. Light turbolaser it sounded like to Seb's ears.

BOOM!

It was hard to miss the sound of a turbolaser as a swatch of blue impacted on the shield, which it took magnificently. Seb let out a smile.

"Force on one side and technology on the other. A bastion for the great people of the Republic."

Seb spoke quietly, making sure his voice didn't carry as he used his own earned nickname. The test continued.