Aria Blair
Dantooine
Dantooine
Soresu was not working to Aria’s hopes’, being taken off guard from the instant attack prevented her from properly getting into her defensive guard. Though proficient, and naturally skilled, she had her limits within her current position. Backing up and deflecting saber strokes only served to give ground and ultimately give Ken the opening he needed to deliver duel-winning strikes. Thoughts flashed through her mind. The unease of her vision was still with her. Blades and fire, helmets, fierce chants, the Mandalorians. She could hear Arren in the back of her mind from old dialogues. “Be as unpredictable as the arrival of an ocean storm.” Her former master’s words rang quietly, and then louder. They rang true.
Aria augmented herself with the force, enhancing her speed. Her reflexes quickened, and her focus sharpened granting her enough time to deliver the parry she needed. With the use of the force, Aria transitioned into Ataru and leapt into the air while spinning her saber to provide a defensive guard. She somersaulted over Ken and landed with feline grace upon the elevated platform signifying the outer ring of the duel arena. It was the high ground, but it meant little with so many options for Ken to leap up there. This time, Aria leapt back into the ring and went on the attack.
Ataru suited her in many ways, her nimble footwork, her cat-like grace and athleticism. The only problem was her lack of conviction behind an attack, no matter how impressive her movements were. All of her moves, all of her skills, the force flowed within her in such a magnitude it demanded the Juyo form.
Yet, Aria resisted.
Anna Sparvic
Coruscant
Coruscant
Anna too, found the Council’s decision to operate in this nature rather odd. But, the face of Kavar never moved or twitched in the slightest. From what the lieutenant could see, Kavar and the other master’s had considered this for a long duration of time and didn’t seem particularly distracted by Leon’s reasonable question. It was all odd, and she found herself positively stunned by the news. Mandalorian raids?
Invasion? Possible war? This was the biggest news since Exar Kun.
“I’m well aware of the secure channels, Leon. We take use of them, and we trust them but soon they’ll have to be changed. We have no idea if the Mandalorians already know a way into the secure channels. Besides, the secure channels are operated by Republic men we neither know nor know how they’d react. News trickles down. This way, we avoid panic. We also avoid any potential escaping of this knowledge. Complete security is best at the beginning of potential war as it’s always a delicate time. And Leon, I’m sure you know that secure channels are not always secure. The Exar Kun wars taught us that, did they not? And, we selected you because your record is impressive. You were once a Jedi and proved to be a trustworthy commander and ally during trying times. We hope that you carry out this duty with the same honor, but also hope it will not have to be carried out any further than this.”
Right when Anna was about to speak up, there came a stumble of a Miraluka into the council chamber. Leon was amused, and Anna smiled at the ambitious young Jedi. The white-haired, Atris, however did not seem as pleased. Knowledge had most likely been spilled. Valuable knowledge.
“Don’t leave, Xeviiy.” Lonna said, to which Atris finished, “Come,” pointing to the center of the chamber where both lieutenant and commander remained standing. Zez-Kai Ell shared a chuckle with Kavar although the situation was of dire seriousness. “Xeviiy, you should know better than to spy on the council. Master Kasari would not be pleased to hear about this, especially considering the circumstances of this meeting.” Zez sighed.
“What do you suggest we do, Kavar?”
“Xeviiy. There’s no use in lying, I assume you heard everything. If any word of this meeting reaches the ears of other Jedi, you will be exiled. I’m also forced to play my hand in a way I didn’t expect. You will have to accompany Leon and proceed to join the private investigation team that will arrive from Dantooine.”
Anna butted in, stunned. “But she’s just a child, masters. You can’t actually mean to send her into a possible war scenario?”
“I’m afraid that we must.”
Master Kasari and Arren Kae
Coruscant
Coruscant
After her thorough verbal lashing upon Xeviiy, Arren left the room and silently walked down the hallways of the temple. Her own thoughts left stirring, wondering about the strange energy flowing from the padawan. She did not discount Moryr either, seeing much confusion and conflict within the Cathar woman. Over weeks, even months, Arren realized there were many young Jedi seemingly coated within chaotic tides of force energy. But, what was it? Destiny? Her answer began to materialize in the solitude of the Room of A Thousand Fountains. Silver, glimmering, gorgeous fountains arrayed themselves flawlessly within the room. Water flowed continuously, returning back and flowing once more. The swooshing hum of water streams reminded her of the natural pattern of the force at its most peaceful.
Was this the true nature of the force, or perhaps a perceived bias of the light side? Did the force actually have a true form within darkness or light? She always wondered if the force simply was chaos, neutral, with no selection of one thing or another. Destiny, fate, all chosen at random.
Arren went through her datapad, connecting to her own messages to find a long note sent from her former padawan. Aria. She still remembered the first time she met the young girl. Dantooine, many years ago. The moment would remain imprinted within her mind and soul for all of time. Some spoke of greatness, a future paragon of light. Others believed her to be a testament to the order. But, Arren, she saw an untapped well of the force. In truth, it was more of an ocean one could either be overwhelmed from or soothed in a rolling tide of gentle waves. Aria. Aria was power.
So, when Arren read each word she took none lightly. Dreams that lingered were no idle thing to be discarded. The force never worked in a strict fashion the council seemed to expect at times. Always, always a surprise lurked around the corner. The master replied.
This was no dream. It was a vision. To wait would be unwise for either of us, so I urge you to come to Coruscant.
Arren
Arren kept her message quick, a waste of words was akin to a waste of time; and time was perhaps the most valuable thing in the galaxy.
Kasari found Master Kae’s response to be cold, perhaps too cold. It hurt to see Xeviiy… demoralized? Thrown into the fire so soon and coming out unsure and confused after a predictably difficult test from Arren. Though, despite her own kind-hearted nature, Kasari chose not to voice her own dislikes of the silver-haired woman’s methods. Kasari had never seen them demonstrated so bluntly and without hesitation. After all, the Jedi never dealt in absolutes: yet, perhaps to think as such was to be blind of Kae’s intentions. Things were, unlike many masters believed, gray. To not battle, finding morality within a battle: in some cases that philosophical mindset had to be placed a side. Die, or do not die. Kill, or do not kill. One must simply do what is in accordance with the situation. A hard thing to learn, and an even more difficult thing to straddle the line between right and wrong. That was where she envied Arren, the woman seemed to walk the line without falling too far on either side.
Much like Arren, Kasari tended to push against the accepted ideologies of the order. Arren pushed a gray view of the force, whereas Kasari bended the views on attachment and compassion. Kasari aided Xeviiy in sneaking out to see her family, and she would happily do it once more. She was not there for the decision on Moryr’s master, but, whispers about the suspicious bond between master and apprentice was not lost on her.
Was it truly terrible for a Jedi to love? Attachment leads to the dark side, but Kasari believed all emotion could lead to the dark side if taken to the wrong extreme.
“Xeviiy has much to learn, and many lessons that will test her strong ideals. It’s the hardest part of becoming a Jedi, and it’s akin to a child growing up. Innocence can’t be retained forever, sadly.” In turn, Kasari provided the warmest of smiles to Moryr. The Knight did not need to be scolded or shamed for the things she felt.
Kasari placed her hands on Moryr’s shoulders in a perhaps unexpected embrace of companionship. “I believe the things that you feel are natural and ever present within the force. Your loss and confusion makes sense to me, and I wonder if the council’s decision was misguided; though I suppose that’s not correct of me to say.” The master sighed. “Where does the force guide you? I do not believe following its trail would make for a wrong choice.”
