[center][b]Aria Blair and Alek Garrus Dantooine[/b][/center] Nearly as swift as Alek’s storm of saber blows came, so to did his defeat in the duel against Ken Grant. Knocked to his knees, and a saber pointed at his neck. He lost. In a real battle against a Sith or anyone else, he’d be dead. His heavy breaths came, angrily staring at the ground before looking up towards Ken’s blade. Taunted, and worse now; he was beaten. If he had used his custom cell-infused saber he might have stunned Ken into a loss. But what if the same result would have come down? Ken had his curved saber. Was Alek not good enough? Ken did not have the frame or strength or determined viciousness in battle yet he still won nonetheless. The questions plagued him in an endless stream, but the answers were either unsatisfactory or elusive. Ken’s hand held out for Alek to take. Alek stared at his open palm. Aria hoped he would take it, as a sign of good will. She was disappointed. The frustrated padawan slapped the older knight’s hand away and got up himself. “I don’t need anyone’s help to stand up. I won’t lose again.” He stalked away from the training ground, and Aria got up to run after him. “No, let him go.” Zhar spoke. “This is what I intended for him. I’ve been warned about Alek’s temperament. There are many padawans who have lingering attachments to anger, and a lack of control. Some things need to be learned alone.” Aria meditated on his words and believed them to be true. They reminded her of Arren Kae, though perhaps put more kindly with a more gentle push. After watching Ken fight Alek, Aria started to wonder if her old master was correct all along. What if peace didn’t last forever? And, even if it did, could Aria always find herself the route of no violence? Life is one of many doors, and the infinite doors open to infinite possibilities. As a Jedi, there might always be an enemy lurking for her and the enemy could even be stronger. Some battles can’t be won with words. “You did well Ken, I am impressed with your ability. Perhaps more practice on offensive form, for you might find yourself against an opponent with superior skill to that of a padawan. Now, do you need rest or are you ready?” Aria took her place on the dueling floor. After listening to Ken, she felt what she believed an unusual amount of self-assuredness from the knight. Was he perhaps, overconfident? Impatient? “Are you ready, Aria?” “Yes.” There is no emotion, there is peace; she repeated the code in her mind, standing at the ready facing her opponent. [center][b]Jedi Council Dantooine[/b][/center] “Markus? Markus?!” Atris barked out from her hologram back on Coruscant, but she received no answer as the stubborn Jedi exile walked out of the council chambers. Vandar pondered in silence as all the masters remained quiet. Lonna’s gaze resembled daggers and Kavar pitied Markus if she ever managed to meet him up close again. “Let him go. Leave him be, he’s been far too touched by the darkness.” Vrook spoke up. “I told you all this would be a poor decision. We cannot entertain the dark side of the force with him, he may not have finished his training but he’s seen and fought battles. I can sense death on him. We need to choose someone else.” “No.” Kavar stated firmly. “He has been able to operate in the midst of Mandalorian raids, and he’s seen how they fight. His skill is necessary, and he has a Mandalorian ship.” “This is also a chance for us to see him prove he still belongs to the order.” Vandar added. To that, Zez-Kai Ell nodded. Lonna remained in silence, as did Atris. “There are a few here that I will make sure join him on his mission to prevent any unexpected consequences.” Vrook stood up and walked out of the council circle. “We could use his ship and have someone else do this. Do what you will, but I won’t be apart of this decision.” The old man stormed from the chambers. Vandar shook his head and sighed, the matters at hand were proving to be difficult. There was a lingering darkness from this conflict, Vandar was sure of it and its presence was already creating tension. “I think that will be all for today, masters.” Dorak stated. “I do believe you have matters to be attending to with the Republic.” The meeting was ended, but things certainly had changed. No single master was sure of the events to come, but the threat of war remained. It would come, the battle was inevitable and the Jedi would decide whether to fight or not. For now, the safe choice seemed best. [center][b]Kale Jerikko Dantooine[/b][/center] Nineteen years, nineteen long years since he had seen his friend. Best friend even. Making trouble with him, Lonna, and others. The thoughts of why his friend did not return for so long bothered him, and ate away at the fabric of his mind. He could not find the peace he was looking for in silence meditating on the floor of his room. Not the laughter of padawans, not even the Dantooine wind brushing the golden orange farmland of the gorgeous planet. Not the streams of far off lakes or the solitary silence of his room. There were only the million questions unanswered, and the odd sense of apathy from Markus. He knew his friend better than that, he had to be hiding something. Or, at least he hoped. Kale considered dipping a hand of the force into his friend’s mind but such an action felt like a betrayal. The force be damned! It acts in strange and mysterious ways, but why did it have to act like a puzzle with five pieces not matching the whole set? His eyes popped open to the sound of a message being received. He went over to the console and played the message. It was Markus. Mission? The council? What exactly was going on? None of this made any sense, but here he now had a chance to spend time with his friend and find out the answers he sought for alone. Kale had to laugh. “The force be damned…” He responded right away. “Markus! I was just thinking about you, and I’m certainly interested. Why don’t we talk about it over a sparring session, for old time’s sake?” Kale felt that presented too much of an option, “I’ll meet you there in the training room.” [center][b]Master Kasari and Arren Kae Coruscant[/b][/center] The mercenary had delivered a critical strike. Fatal even. Spurts of blood shot from the Jedi’s body and he could smell victory as the iron scent of her wounds wafted up into his nose. Like a predator hunting his prey, the skilled warrior prepared for death could sense his ultimate prize. He’d never had a lightsaber before, he knew certain bounty hunters claimed contracts on Jedi’s and collected the hilts as a trophy. What a wonderful sport, he might take on such a task if he left the battle alive. First the Jedi bitch, and then the family. After that? Credits, lots of credits. He’d bathe in the credits and laugh, drinking himself into numbness in some damn forsaken cantina. Not a bad life, he thought. But, it seemed that life wasn’t meant for him. He was taken for a shock when Xeviiy held firm with the hilt of her lightsaber and still managed to be on her feet. After his last slash, he was certain she’d crumple to the dirt and fade from existence. Unfortunately for him, the stories of the Jedi turned out to be true. They were indeed, hard to kill. The mercenary tried to bring his blade back to stop the incoming strike. There simply was not enough time, and the last words he heard were her impassioned anger. The rage burned through his chest as the plasma chewed away at both armor and skin. Death. Death smelt like burning meat, but he felt no fire or scalding burns. Instead, the feeling over his skin was that of ice. A cold shiver consuming him whole. Numb. The dull hiss of her saber thrummed with energy, while the life force of his heart beat like a slow drum. A last musical beat to a monstrous life, it only seemed right he’d die without name on some barren planet where the elements would discard him. There was no light, and there was no tunnel, only darkness. Nothing, and the dark took him where he’d never return. The mercenary crumpled into the sand. Mother, daughter, the vision of a home destroyed and painted with death; it all faded. Kasari watched as the vision disappeared and Xeviiy was brought back into the room of the Jedi library. Incredible what the powers of the force could do, manipulate the mind into a world so real as the room they stood in. “A father died, and so did you.” Arren Kae stated, her words cold. “You were foolish not to strike immediately when you had the chance. Quickly assess the minds of the two men to see which is more of the killer. You should have known to strike when you saw a dead girl lying on the ground.” The silver-haired master stood up from her seat. “There are different paths and ways, and not one is right for all situations. This will not be the only time where you will have to choose to kill. One day you may have to choose between the lives of a hundred innocent people to the lives of thousands. The lightsaber is a tool for killing, and it is also a tool for defense. Nevertheless, the blade thrums with your own energy. It is apart of you, it is the symbol of the order, and how you use it defines you. Understand that to use your anger is not wrong, you must face your emotions; not shun them.” Arren Kae walked out of the room, striding past Moryr in the process. [center][b]Anna Sparvic Coruscant[/b][/center] Leon’s Jedi training went much further than Anna could have imagined, and she mentally scolded herself for her comments. He had taken her joke more serious than she would have liked. Stupid lieutenant, that was stupid. Anna wondered what it was like for the soldiers to see Leon in action using his enhanced skills with the force. It must have been something, and he even fought alongside Nomi Sunrider. Despite his downplaying, Anna sensed there was more to his time with the Jedi. Perhaps he wished he’d finished, and also there was more to the Jedi’s involvement in the war with Exar Kun. Anna gathered that the force was crucial to winning, and the Republic may have fallen without them. Before she could ask more questions, the Zabrak and Human knights interrupted their conversation. Anna and Leon were both taken aback by the suddenness of it all. There was little to no choice but follow the two knights and figure out what this was all about. She wondered why the Jedi had no idea about why they were fetching Leon and her. Anna went over her Republic training courses in her mind and lingered over intelligence. Ah, operational security. Her eyes widened. Then, that meant… This was truly important. Zao Kel-Urn and Serra led them through the grand hallway of the Coruscant temple. For moments, Anna was taken out of her wandering thoughts to take it all in. Like a child lost in the midst of an unknown world, her mouth was agape in awe. Those columns were as large as many buildings she had seen. Far on the other side, that had to be the Jedi Archives, the largest archive of knowledge in the galaxy! And not far from there had to be the entrance of the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Seeing it would have to wait, and suddenly Anna noticed where they were being led. Through the door, the silver circle of the Courscant High Council greeted her. Zao and Serra stepped aside. “The council will see you now.” Zao bowed to them and then to the council. He wandered to the entrance and waited. Serra watched Anna and Leon. Anna looked at the council room, and the Jedi masters. Here she was, within the most prestigious and well-known room of all the Jedi. The High Council, where the greatest Jedi sat. Serra pushed Anna and Leon forward forcefully. “Go on!” The irritated and impatient knight then turned away and joined Zao. Mastar Kavar was the first master to speak. “Commander Athos. It’s been some time, hasn’t it? Who might that be with you?”