A new path

[Coren Starchaser]

Sullust Sentinel Training Camp​

Sullust, Outer Rim, Galactic Alliance​

The Jedi Master known as Coren Starchaser made his way through the training ground. He was keeping an eye on many of the new Jedi trainees nowadays. The galaxy was at war. The First Order was out there, the Galactic Empire. The groups who hoped to be what the One Sith and Sith Empires could be. What they were. That was why Coren was focusing his efforts here. The Alliance military was doing everything they could, and moral was in flux, depending on what front you were at, and where you were working. This Jedi was something different.

A former Imperial Black Ops agent, a smuggler, a scout, and explorer. Starchaser was now a hunter of Sith, and protector of the Jedi. Working with more than just the Alliance, Starchaser enforced a rule of working with Fringe groups of the light side, or those who were here to stop the dark side. The war room he was entering was more a hide out for the data he kept. Flanked by the ever faithful Porter, his astromech, the Jedi looked around.

A map was ahead of him, one that brought out trade routes between the Alliance and her allies in a brilliant white against the darkness. Darker than that, dark blue lines were ones he and his people had established. Safe routes between worlds where there were friendly pilots, friendly guards, to help move the Jedi operatives between the darkness, in case the worse should fall.

This facility was important and the pilot nodded to his droid who plugged in, uploading a new map.

“Any reports coming in from the Judges? From other Sentinel teams?” He turned to the gathered, humans, Duros, Sullustans, and waited. In truth, what he was hoping for, was to reconnect the links between the Jedi. Bring the New Jedi Order, and the Jedi within the Resistance and Republic together, to assist each other, and help where they were needed.

Striking at their enemies.

 

[Julius Sedaire]

He was dressed traditionally for once in inner and outer robes of various shades of green, jedi credit proudly around his neck, and the newly sprouted beard was mostly white or grey, neatly trimmed. His hair was wilder, and on his hip rested a polished saber suited for Djem So and a secondary one of his own design clipped next to it. A softa bantha hide leather holster held a Bryar pistol to his opposite hip, and the belt was studded with various field operative gear. Blue-grey eyes still glittered mischievously as he stepped forward a bit, a long and slender pole of phrik being used like a walking staff. Clearly, he had no need for it though by the easy and rolling gait he kept. Middle-aged and prematurely grey he was, but infirm was not even in the lexicon to describe the Gren Jedi Councilman. There were a few that had balked at his weaponry, but it was simple enough to flash credentials and be let by. A Battlemaster didn't easily surrender his weapons.

In a situation involving Coren and himself, he was more likely to sustain the injuries than Coren was. Somehow, he was always given the explosives...Or told to make things explode somehow.

Soft boots made no noise as he rolled forward, hand holding a data lattice stick to Porter. His tailring glanced from his shoulder, yawning, and eyed the Droid. They were not particularly fond of each other. Horn had a habit of trying to use Porter as a perch, and Porter had a habit of evicting Horn rather solidly. He half hoped they behaved.

"Nothing much from Corellia. Just old noise. One Sith and Sith Empire remnants or splinter groups still fighting the Confederacy hard. We're just standing on our own, so it's a rough go with the Coalition pulling back from collapse. Might could use some talk on that, the remnants appear to be coordinating the last few weeks. On the good news side, the Academy at Socorro should be ready for groups of students any day now, in small numbers."

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Julius Sedaire"] [member="Coren Starchaser"]

She had never understood how much work Omai Rhen and her sister had actually done when they were leading the Jedi, but here she was, an aide at her side, datapad in hand, going over a neverending list of things that needed addressed. She had thought, running her company and all, she would be used to it. She stood corrected. Outwardly, she hadn't even wanted the position, but no one else had wanted to step up in light of recent events, so she had volunteered.

Acting Grand Marshal, she insisted, until such a time as the New Jedi Order could actually put together some sort of conclave to determine the next full successor.

"And please get me that information on that nationalist movement on Coruscant," she was saying, stopping outside the room where she could sense Coren and Sedaire. "I want their financials tracked, see if they lead us to any connections to the Empire, First Order or the Sith. They have to be getting extra funding from somewhere."

"Of course, Master Raaf," the aide said, scurrying off as she sighed and entered the room just in time for Julius's report on the Corellian Jedi.

"Ossus is lost," she said wearily. "I just returned from there. Was able to save some survivors and records, but it's worst than we thought. The Sith are growing this dark forest around the Great Library, and Kaine Zambrano is personally overseeing the academy's destruction. I saw shipments of building supplies, so knowing him and his ego, he plans to build a Sith Temple on the site."

 

[Coren Starchaser]

So much was going on and that meant Coren had to help organize a few groups. There were a number of reports coming in and the data was tossed up on a screen in the center of the room. Jedi and their related cousins were off in a number of systems, a few potential flight paths for some of the exploration ships were up on the screens and 3D imagery. What was really a good thing, though, was that the network here was reaching around and getting many people working together. The Sentinels were setting up safe houses, the ExplorCorps were making sure some space lanes were clear, and that linked the groups into Judges and Wardens. Everyone on the light side seemed to understand that there was more to this war than the fighting.

He turned to look at the first one who was actually delivering a report. It was an old comrade, Julius Sedaire. The Starchaser smiled and nodded. “We can get out there soon and help reinforce the Green Jedi. I know a team of Guardians who are really itching for a fight. I can reach out to others on the NJO Council.” That word really made him flinch. He knew Taeli Raaf was nearby and she was a warrior, one who was ready to take the fight forward, but still… A council was painful to deal with. “And what are they focusing on at Socorro?”

“What is the status around Ossus? If we get a team in there… can we disrupt the Sith?” He knew that was a long shot, but he had a few people he knew he could trust out there.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]
[member="Julius Sedaire"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Julius Sedaire"]

"Heavy Sith-Imperial occupation," she sighed. "The Sith have a full fleet in orbit, and Zambrano's flagship is there as well. I was able to slip in using a few stealth transports to rescue any survivors, but... I'm not sure there is much we can do at the moment."

Which was the truth, she doubted there was much the NJO could do to disrupt Sith operations that far from home. They were still recovering from the latest attacks on the Alliance's own territory. It would take time before they were ready again for such direct action against the Sith. New training was required, and Taeli had been arguing about the advanced curriculum before she had even arrived on planet. She wanted more exotic skills taught, incorporate military tactics and squad-based roles for Jedi teams. She wanted to get the Jedi really on a war footing.

"If I'm reading their path of expansion right, the Sith will be heading for Voss and Mon Calamari before long," she continued. "I think our efforts might be best suited in helping reinforce the League of Voss there, and of course, helping you keep Corellia peaceful, Julius."

There was some chaos gripping the Free Worlds Coalition, and the council was very much wary about that much instability. She had a feeling her next Triumvirate meeting was going to be developing contingency plans for that region of space if the Coalition collapsed.

 

[Mishel Kryze]

"Not the worst place in the galaxy," Mishel concluded as she disembarked the Argosy.

If she was going to make a serious go of this Jedi thing and use what Ember and the others on Utapau gave her. Dagobah and fighting her brothers and sisters of Ren was one thing but committing to the change that was another entirely. Alliance had haggled her on her way in but she supposed that was fair. While Sullust was no longer the capital it still held a great importance to them. The teenager took a shuttle and managed her way down to the surface.

"Here's to doing that Jedi thing, eh?"

 

[Gabriel Pryce]

Oren nodded taking in the information the other Jedi Masters and informants had brought to the table. She stepped forward and pulled down her hood. She had spent the last few months monitoring the Mandalorians during and after their Civil War. Things were in flux there but she felt now what was happening there internally was less important than what was happening with their relationship with the Sith.

"The Mandalorians seem to have killed one of Darth Carnifex's sons, he might be off balance and leaving their alliance in a questionable state. This might be the best time to regroup and reinforce like Master Raaf has suggested."

She tapped Corellia on the map with the tip of her finger, or rather pointed at it as it was a holographic display, "Though Sith remnants on Corellia both intrigues and worries me, especially with the Sith Empire's moves against the Coalition."

[member="Mishel Noren"] [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Julius Sedaire"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

The group here, the New Jedi Order, the Sentinels, Judges, Watchmen, and the other groups that the NJO employed. Coren was ready to send it all into the breach. To push back the dark side however he could solve the problem. With the reports coming in, though, sometimes avoidance was the best way. And with the Jedi Academy Network, Coren had enough contacts to keep his own people moving around safely. And that was the first step, that was why the ExplorCorps were running trips around the galaxy, finding safe houses, and using ships to base themselves for a few days before continuing into the black.

The reports from Taeli and others coming in were making things a bit trickier as well, who could go where and what could be done to turn the tide back from the dark side. That was why the Sullust Sentinel Training Ground was here. To help set up attacks and save the Jedi. “We can get some teams into the area, help with greeting the Sith into those systems. We’ve got instructors on some new material.” He gave a grin to Raaf, knowing what she was looking for. He needed his teams ready, and being ex-service? It meant that the extended curriculum was going to focus heavily on the military tactics. And what he could share from his own exploration of the Unknown Regions.

How to evolve the Jedi.

“Besides, I have a few contacts on Mon Cal. I can be useful there. As well as, more obviously, Corellia.” Looking around, more were gathering, and as a supposed leader here, he needed to help them all.

“So, found your way here, Mishel? Recovered from Dagobah? May need to hit that front again. Teach those Ren folks a thing or two about what it means to be a Jedi.” At least that was his hope. Looking to his maps again, he ordered a few of the Jedi Carriers deeper towards the borders of the Alliance and Coalition space. He had a few plans.

Looking to the newcomer, a Jedi Master he wasn’t sure if he had recognized, Starchaser noded. “So the mandos are actually being useful, instead of loose cannons destroying their own?” He shrugged. He wasn’t about to start trusting the buckets, not after their call to wipe out all the Jedi. And the Coalition was starting to work with them? Well, Coren wasn’t about to be doing that. Bad enough he had the dark siders in the Confederacy to deal with. “I think we need to focus on the borders and get some teams ready, the Ren and the Sith are our problems. Mandos will do enough to kill themselves, the way they’re going.”

[member="Oren"]
[member="Mishel Noren"]
[member="Taeli Raaf"]
[member="Julius Sedaire"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Oren"] [member="Mishel Noren"] [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Julius Sedaire"]

Already the Ossus assault was in the making. Despite having fallen to the Darkness, Karren still had a heart, hidden underneath all that exterior angst and rage. She was still the small girl that had stepped into the shoes of a Jedi with all the best intents.

Except that now she swam in darker waters, and brooked no rules.


Was it arrogance or Hubris? Perhaps.

A holo-tank nearby crackled to life, to show her frowning face, arms crossed in her white grey power armor.

"I figured this channel would still be active. You should really upgrade your crypto. This is my old Sentinel code."

She paused, fielding some news from across the room with a nod then returned her gaze unto the group.

"I recognize what I am and how I am about to operate cannot be tasteful to you. Neither can it be tolerated in your borders, nor in public, which is why I used this private moment to Contact you. I'm assembling a small Army of Dark Jedi and Blazing Chains to move against the Sith. That being said, I understand we cannot publicly be allies."

She paused again and then continued.

"But from afar I can still aid you in some way. I'm really just you, seeking to stop them. But with chains entirely cast off. So tell me, where can I be the most useful in this endeavor? Unofficially of Course."

 

[Cambria Zadira]

Cambria Zadira arrived late to the New Jedi Order's Sullust Sentinel Training Camp as she had traveled from afar, which bothered the Rutian Twi'lek as tardiness was a pet peeve of hers.

The wandering Jedi Knight slipped quietly into the war room where the meeting called had started a few minutes earlier; taking a spot at the back of those gathered. She was not a member per se of the NJO, but had from time to time collaborated with them in the past. The Force had nudged her to do so again as darkness was threatening to reign terror for the umpteen time. This chaos needed to end and only the Jedi united with like-minded brave and determined souls could see it done. Though was it too late, or was there still hope?

The blue-hued Twi'lek was dressed in her usual modified Jedi robes covered by a caramel brown cloak. While listening mindfully to the words spoken, Cambria pushed back the hood of her cloak over the leather head gear and bracings that adorned her lightly tattooed lekku, then uncoiled the twin head-tails from around her neck allowing them to dangle freely down her back in a relaxed manner. It felt good to stretch and stand after sitting in cramped quarters for her journey to Sullust; the former capital of the Galactic Alliance before moving it to Coruscant.

​Some of the faces present at the briefing Cambria knew, but not all. One in particular was intriguing as there had been a great change in their aura in the Force; the one of [member="Karren Trask"]. The Force signature was openly darker and colder yet there was still a ray of warmth and light in the middle. The Guardian remembered the young woman from her time spent with the Jedi Order while they were trying to form. As she recalled, Karren had been a Jedi padawan at the time; always seemingly impatient with traditional teachings of the Jedi. It then came no surprise to find out she had fallen to the enticing temptation of the dark side becoming a Dark Jedi in action and thought. This struggle was a daily challenge for those who followed the principles of the light side of the Force. It was like being on a strict diet... Once you cheat the temptation to do so again was great becoming a mind over stomach fight with it easier to just give in to the lure than staying the course to achieve one's goal. It was a personal choice with rewards and consequences. Cambria wished the best to her... Hopefully Karren could find redemption before the end.

The Twi'lek Jedi would remain silent for now to allow the masters and others present to guide the conversation and the plan going forward for this endeavor. She would help however her skills could be most utilized; be it on the ground or in the air.

[member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Julius Sedaire"] [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Mishel Noren"] [member="Oren"]

 

[Gabriel Pryce]

Oren nodded knowingly. She had spent the better part of a year in old Mandalorian territories watching the Sith Empire's movements from a safe distance, hiding among the Rekali on Yavin IV and jumping between old Mandalorian Space and Sith Empire Space from there. Her operations were somewhat complicated when both Ra and the Dark Jedi Mandalorian Mia Monroe, instigating a civil war but once things stabilized despite Ra's rule of law she found it easier to return to the main planet of Mandalore than before but much more difficult to enter Sith Empire space. She had seen the massive battlecruisers they possessed, as well as the Emperor's own flagship. While every Sith faction to have popped up in the last thirty years or so of her doing Shadow work had their own dangers; The Old Sith Empire had sheer numbers and their Sithspawn, the One Sith had the Vong, this new Empire seemed more organized and unified than the others and their military projects were baffling to the mind.

"The First Order and their Knights of Ren are a troublesome group. Simply due to their numbers I fear if something isn't done about them soon when the Sith Empire arrives in earnest we won't be able to defend ourselves. They've been modernizing their navy and their Sith Lords and Emperor grow more powerful every day."

The Jedi of the Republic should have killed Carnifex when when they had the chance. One of the many failings of herself and the Shadows.

[member="Cambria Zadira"] [member="Karren Trask"] [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Mishel Noren"] [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Julius Sedaire"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Oren"]

Karrens hologram turned a raised eyebrow to Oren.

"For now The Dark Templar will hold them in check. Already we have plans to light fires across their borders faster than they can put out. And I have other plans the likes of which I cannot share here.

However, you should have plenty of time to shore up your defenses. But I suggest you do it quick as their Naval Power is their real kicker and the ships they produce are terrifying. Even to me."

 

[Coren Starchaser]

There was always work to be done. The fact that Coren had a group here that was determined spoke volumes about the future of the galaxy. If they needed to, they could begin Underground movements, guerilla strikes, something Coren knew a lot about, he did help set up Jorus Merrill’s underground, after all. And adding in the Jedi to the mix? That would be something devastating.

He turned, however, when the holo came to life. A face he hadn’t seen in a while, but one he was a bit shocked to see at all. He surveyed the group, to see who was shocked, but then gave his attention back to the holo-woman at hand.

“Pleasure to hear from you, Trask. And yeah, we’ll get on it, soon, assign new ones to the right people.” A grin crawled across his features. “You are operating how I used to at one chapter in my life. But…” He nodded, letting her continue.

She was assembling a team? Dark Jedi, huh? Felt just like the Ke’Dem. “First, we can definitely use you. Before I forget, Ke’Dem. Try the old Fringe space. I’m looking to hit the Sith and the Ren. It’s a matter of where everything thinks we can be more useful for the galaxy, and where their personal skills are useful.”

He looked and nodded to the Twi’lek, Cambria, who entered. More people than he assumed had gotten his message. Good. Looking to the Shadow, who was now speaking, he nodded.

“The Sith come and go, the Ren are the new players… Trask, I’m going to send you an encrypted file. I have a few ships that are… less than public knowledge. Should be able to help you base your strikes, and hold some gear. Crews are people I trust.” He nodded, looking around. “And you are right, if the Order gets their navy heated and moved, it isn’t the easiest thing to fight.”

[member="Karren Trask"]
[member="Oren"]
[member="Cambria Zadira"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

"I'll keep this channel open then."

She looked away again, fielding another report for a second then back to the war council.

"I am pleased to keep your ships a secret, and that folks are not immediately calling for my head. Makes me rest easier knowing the Jedi still have some sense left. Well the NJO anyways. Which line of effort would you like is to direct our forces against? Sith or Ren? I'm a bit tied up organizing a Campaign across the Sith birder worlds."

She grinned.

"That being said, I'll not deny kicking some Ren in the teeth could be fun."