Calm Before a Storm

[Kyyrk]

LOCATION: Vanguard of Polaris, Golbah City, Geonosis​

TIME: Just after the conclusion of Confederacy War Summit​

WEARING: Armored Robes
OBJECTIVE: Speak with Master Arenais
TAGS: [member="Veiere Arenais"]
​

It was settled. As Voph suspected may happen, the Confederacy was marching to war. He was ready. Deep down...he lived for this. He was no leader. No politician. He was a soldier. Pure and simple. That's all he ever was. That's all he would ever be. So, he began working to prepare for the coming conflict. The summit had gone about as well as it could have. But Voph wouldn't lie, he was far more disturbed than he'd ever expected to be.

The words still echoed in his head. "Attacked a Jedi Temple...of peace and healing...Wasn't a Military Target." Voph shuddered to himself as his fears once again rose up to haunt him. He could still feel the warmth of her hand, the gentle curve of her cheek. And the thought of her twisted corpse upon the stones, or worse, a captive of the attackers, turned Voph's blood to ice. But this was why he fought, was it not? To keep others from ever having to feel as he was feeling now.

Voph felt sick at his core. Thinking back, he'd never felt this way about someone before. Not even the mother of his child. Perhaps that's why such news was disturbing to him. As much as he didn't want to admit it...as much as he wanted to close himself off from the world...he cared about her. But that was a matter for another time.

For now, Voph had a meeting. Master Arenais, or so Voph assumed, given the state of Commenor, had requested a chance to speak with him. So, once the summit had concluded, Voph arranged for a small meeting room to be set aside for them to speak in. And his guest had arrived. "Master Jidai. Please, have a seat." Voph gestured to one of the chairs around the table, taking a seat of his own. "What did you wish to speak with me about?"

 

[WolfMortum]

The Summit had proven to be taxing indeed, not physically but weighing heavy on Veiere's shoulders in particular for the situation he knew he'd inevitably find himself in. House Arenais was going to suffer greatly from this War, though the coming fight was, in Veiere's mind, also inevitable. For a Jedi Master to be feeling that way, to be convinced that the Clans of Mandalore had brought this all upon themselves, it was a difficult truth to accept but then so were the losses of innocent lives, families torn apart by their random and merciless raiding parties. Their hand was being forced, for the sake of justice and the protection of others whom might otherwise call themselves the future victims of a relentless culture such as theirs.

"Thank you for meeting with me [member="Voph"]" Veiere bowed his head in respect, entering into the conference room that his peer had organized for them, soon moving to find his seating when encouraged. "I heard you had a meeting with the Commenori President" Veiere spoke, a chuckle escaping him though the tone was nothing if not friendly; "[member="Darlyn Excron"] asked me to pay him a visit afterwards" Veiere explained, "My impression was that he was somewhat concerned about the relationship between Commenor and the Confederacy. I was quick to assure him however that Commenor is a World under the Silver Jedi, so he needn't concern himself".

"I did however wish to iron out any concerns you and your people might hold. Not just with Commenor but concerning my connections as well" Veiere concluded, extending a hand to the door in gesture, "As was mentioned in the Summit, I'm in a particularly...-difficult position. The Order knows where my heart is on the matter, but the Confederacy is a friend to the Silver Jedi, and in times like these, there's no room for doubt. As the former King of Commenor, and today as an individual, I wanted to give you the chance to air any concerns or ask any questions you might have of me", frankly it would do him some good to be able to speak his mind on these matters, but it was also a matter of solidifying any cracks in their alliance, any doubts that the Confederacy might have over Veiere and his connections, as well as his growing influence within the Silver Jedi.

 

[Kyyrk]

LOCATION: Vanguard of Polaris, Golbah City, Geonosis​

TIME: Just after the conclusion of Confederacy War Summit​

WEARING: Armored Robes
OBJECTIVE: Speak with Master Arenais
TAGS: [member="Veiere Arenais"]​

​

Voph smiled mirthlessly at Veiere's mention of Darlyn. He waited for Veiere to finish speaking before waving a dismissive hand. "Darlyn has nothing to fear from the Confederacy as a whole. Vylmira, perhaps. But the Confederacy, as of yet, has no quarrel with him." Voph leveled his blind gaze at Veiere as he continued after a brief pause. "No, my interest in him was mine alone. I wanted to know where he stands in all this. Particularly after the events of Umbara." Voph leaned back in his chair, folding his hands in front of his chest as his elbows perched on the armrests.

"He's...young. Impulsive. To speak frankly, a dangerous individual to be in his position." Voph dipped his head in a motion that suggested a shrug. "I've given him the benefit of the doubt before, and I'm willing to allow him the same courtesy again. But times of peace these are no longer. I wish I could trust him. But given his conduct during my time among the Lords of Commenor, my faith in him is...weak." Voph fell silent for a moment. Then said, "You, on the other hand, have my trust. For however far such a commodity may stretch."

Voph gestured in the direction of the conference hall that had been used for the summit. "You have the trust of your fellow Jedi. And you, for one, have not put yourself in such a position that some may think you working for the Mandalorians." Voph returned his hand to its clasped position. "From what I know of you, and your conduct, your mind is indeed in the right place. I do not envy you the situation you find yourself in, but I am willing to report to the higher powers within the Confederacy that you are not to be considered a threat."

 

[WolfMortum]

Veiere smiled appreciatively, "Well...-I do appreciate that, thank you @Voph" Veiere replied with gratitude. It was difficult enough not to be feeling the guilt-by-association alone, but it was a welcome thought to know that he wasn't being looked at with concern or doubts from a former collegue, and ally of the Silver Jedi Order. Veiere hadn't lost the instinct where political proceedings were concerned, and he didn't enjoy the thought that the relationship between the Silver Jedi and the Confederacy of Independent Systems could become threatened due to his connections and familial ties, no matter how small the chances were.

"I suppose, where Darlyn's concerned, the responsibility falls upon me. Both for my position within the Silver Jedi, but also my friendship and former professional relationship I held with him during mine and Kay's reign over Commenor", Veiere understood Voph's concerned, for they weren't unjustified in any sense. Darlyn Excron wasn't at all willing to break ties with the Mandalorians as they were his family, yet he had also given Veiere his word that his loyalty to the Silver Jedi Order wouldn't be compromised because of his personal bonds; furthermore, Veiere had trusted Darlyn when he had promised as much.

"I've distanced myself from my Homeworld in order to allow Darlyn the freedom that is his right, to lead the people as their President, without feeling intimidated by my presence. I agree that he can be impulsive, but every good leader needs time to grow into their position, and learn how to handle the responsibility that is theirs and theirs alone. I understand your concerns however, and you can consider them noted with my utmost respect" Veiere nodded once, maintaining eye contact with Voph and offering a simple smile. The gesture genuine, as were his words, hoping that the Miraluka might at the very least feel a little more confident upon being given Veiere's word.

"Should they be any concerning news, or incidents that threaten the Silver Jedi, and our relations with the Confederacy, I will be taking full responsibility. In the future, should you have any questions or concerns for Commenor, please feel free to contact me on my personal frequency".

 

[Kyyrk]

LOCATION: Vanguard of Polaris, Golbah City, Geonosis​

TIME: Just after the conclusion of Confederacy War Summit​

WEARING: Armored Robes
OBJECTIVE: Speak with Master Arenais
TAGS: [member="Veiere Arenais"]​

​

Voph watched Veiere quietly for a moment as he spoke, and allowed the silence to hold after his guest had finished speaking. "That does, however, raise the concerns of a more...personal matter." Voph's brow furrowed, and though his tone darkened, it was clear that he was attempting to approach the matter with some level of respect for Veiere and his involvement in it. "You may have heard that I returned to Commenor to honor an agreement. One sworn years before your ancestors wandered the stars. And it was one that I took anew with your wife."

Voph allowed Veiere a moment to understand what had just been said, and perhaps to let him brace himself for what came next. "So imagine my surprise to discover that your wife killed the very people I swore to protect. And to discover that her sentence was cut short by the very warriors that we just convened a summit of four nations to address." Voph paused again. "Kay Arenais...Empress of Zakuul." Silence. "The one nation to bring the galaxy to its knees, and threaten the very fabric of civilization."

Voph's voice was barely above a whisper as he said this. It was clear, even without the Force to know that Voph held a good deal of respect for Zakuul. Not of admiration...no. Respect born of fear. Of desperation. Of despair. It was for good reason that he never spoke of the war. "I am well aware that Zakuul is but a shell of its former self. Without the support of Iokath or the Eternal Fleet, the playing field is far more level. But that does not change the ideals that fuel them. I understand that you yourself are not a threat to us..." Voph paused for a moment, the weight of his next question almost visibly pressing on his shoulders.

"But is she?"

 

[WolfMortum]

[member="Kay Arenais"] was an unavoidable subject, Veiere had understood this upon entering into the conference room, though the questions posed were such that Veiere didn't particularly know how to answer with any true accuracy. "Years ago, I would have told you that the Confederacy were friends of ours. We participated in several celebrations and events of your Nation's during our rule over Commenor" Veiere spoke apprehensively in his initial explanation, a justification for his feelings leading up to the truth of his position and perspective; "Frankly, I don't know what her intentions are anymore" he admitted. "Kay used to be an advocate for social justice, but her continued support of the Mandalorian's stands to contradict those ideals we once shared. I've warned her of the risks, and of the fact that she will still be considered an outlaw by some due to the conditions of her new found freedom in the western regions of the Galaxy...".

"The fact is that I can't reassure you of anything where my wife's concerned anymore" Veiere leaned forward, pressing his elbows against the table-top while his gaze drifted elsewhere, eyes distant in conflicted emotion. "She told me she was voted in as Empress of Zakuul by the people, that she wishes to help them and that she fears the Sith Empire after Commenor's history, the war that hit us..." Veiere glanced back to [member="Voph"], assuming that his miralukan friend would know the conflict he had spoken of. "Yet she's working with the Empire's closest allies where the Jedi would be the obvious choice, had she truly wish to distance herself from the Sith. None of it makes a lot of sense to me, and it's come to the point where I'm actually having to question her emotional and mental state after her time in Prison".

 

[Kyyrk]

LOCATION: Vanguard of Polaris, Golbah City, Geonosis​

TIME: Just after the conclusion of Confederacy War Summit​

WEARING: Armored Robes
OBJECTIVE: Speak with Master Arenais
TAGS: [member="Veiere Arenais"]​

​

Voph did not speak for a long time. Though his body language did not change, his aura in the Force did. He sighed quietly, his head bowing ever so briefly. "It does to me. And deep down, I think you would agree." Voph chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment, then said, "They are family, are they not?" Voph looked at Veiere again. "A woman on the run from the punishment she deserves? Who better to seek comfort in than her kin? The Jedi would see her thrown back to the pit she escaped from."

Voph reached up to rub his brow idly, his head dipping to meet his hand halfway. "Though I wish to feel the same as you, I cannot help but wonder. If she truly wished to help the people of Zakuul, then why run at the first sign of danger? The First Order is still out there. Nothing happens in the west without their interference. If there ever was a force the Zakuulans needed protection from, it is them. Tacitus has certainly forsaken his role in that regard. Though your wife's announcement seems to have angered him quite substantially, I cannot help but wonder if his Empire is something else entirely at this point."

Voph sighed again, dropping his hands back to the arms of his chair. "The question is, if the worst should come to pass, are you prepared to do what must be done? Or at the least...to allow what must happen?"

 

[WolfMortum]

Veiere loathed the thought, though the hypothetical question remained entirely possible with the coming war ahead of them all. "If, confronted with her presence among the Mandalorians, I would be forced to place her under arrest; To be taken into the custody of the Silver Jedi Order." Veiere replied, and though the thought was a difficult one, he knew that it was the only real choice that he'd have to make where the consequences were the least dire for their Family.

"Yasha is considered to be Kay's niece, and Kaine is like a brother to her" Veiere nodded in confirmation of [member="Voph"]'s suggestion that they were all connected through familial loyalties; "But like it or not, being family doesn't require anyone to be punished for another persons crimes. I don't know a great deal about this Tacitus that you're familiar with, but it seems as though their goals are more closely aligned than what the Mandalorian's represent compared to the wife that I used to know".

"Kay's responsibility for what happened on Commenor, isn't solely her own doing" Veiere added after a brief moment of silence between them; "Her actions were orchestrated by Darth Prazutis, whom I believe is uncle to Kaine Zambrano if I'm not mistaken. My wife suffered months of torture and manipulation before she was turned to the Darkside of the Force. Over time I was able to undo much of the damage that had been done to her, but not quickly enough".

 

[Kyyrk]

LOCATION: Vanguard of Polaris, Golbah City, Geonosis​

TIME: Just after the conclusion of Confederacy War Summit​

WEARING: Armored Robes
OBJECTIVE: Speak with Master Arenais
TAGS: [member="Veiere Arenais"]​

​

Voph listened in silence Veiere was avoiding answering the question. He'd committed to arresting her, should the need arise. But that wasn't the question being asked. Voph wondered if Veiere was oblivious to his meaning, or if he simply didn't want to acknowledge it. But then Veiere began speaking of a Prazutis, and how he twisted and manipulated Kay. How it wasn't her fault. Not entirely. Voph sighed deeply. What he was about to say wasn't easy, nor would it ever be. But it was what he believed. And some of it...people would learn soon enough. No better time than the present.

"This is war, Veiere. What if her arrest isn't good enough?" Voph's tone was barely above a whisper. He truly didn't want to burden Veiere with this, but he had a nation to consider. Several, in fact. But deep down, he knew all too well what it was like to pit family against itself. "Kay being used against her will is one thing. But broken and turned to shadow, who then acts on her own behalf....that's another entirely. And I would go to the deepest pits of the Netherworld and back to keep your family together and safe. But I can't potentially jeopardize thousands of lives for a single family."

Voph sighed quietly. "I wish nothing more than to assure you that everything will be alright. And that your family will live in peace when this is all over. But right now, Kay's...not among friends. She's closer to the Sith than she ever has been. And what if they discover she is among their allies, and wish to reclaim their plaything?" Voph fell silent for a moment. "I will do what I can to preserve your family. But understand that I do not speak for the Confederacy in saying this. This is a favor owed by me, to your wife. And if my hand is forced..." Voph spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "My hand is forced."

 

[WolfMortum]

"I'm not going to be responsible for the death of my Wife, [member="Voph"]" Veiere replied firmly, "Whatever the Confederacy's views, I am still a Jedi. Despite my personal attachments to her, the Jedi do not commit themselves to murdering others. If we are to fight in a war, it's for the good of the Galaxy, but loss of life is only something that is forced upon us through their refusal to surrender or cease their harming of others. We are not Soldiers". The Order of the Silver Jedi did contain it's own military uniform, yet the Order was still founded and built upon the ideals of the Jedi that had come before.

"I'll do everything I can to remove her from their influence should we meet in the field, but I'm maintaining the hope that we won't. My focus needs to be on the benefit of Galactic Society as a whole, I can't allow myself to become conflicted by the position she's put me in. Choosing to fight against the one you love, for the peoples sake..." he sighed, shaking his head in resignation. "What you're asking is a fight I'll never come back from" he spoke in metaphor, knowing that he'd be losing a piece of his soul were he to be forced into bringing Kay down. He'd never be able to look himself in the mirror, let alone his Children in the eyes. They'd had a life together that had meant something, once upon a time...

"If she refuses to stay out of the fighting, I can't be the one to face her".

 

[Kyyrk]

LOCATION: Vanguard of Polaris, Golbah City, Geonosis​

TIME: Just after the conclusion of Confederacy War Summit​

WEARING: Armored Robes
OBJECTIVE: Speak with Master Arenais
TAGS: [member="Veiere Arenais"]​

​

Voph looked at Veiere for a long moment. Then leaned forward. "There was a man. Young...brash...hot headed. Good sort, even if he was difficult at times. His father always expected great things of him. His mother adored him with all her being. He had his flaws, to be sure. Everyone does. But...he was consumed by them. Bit by bit. Looking back..." Voph shook his head slightly, now staring at the floor beside Veiere as he reminisced about the past.

"It strains credibility to know that he still walks this mortal realm. Righteous, noble, poised to become the head of his house and order...turned to a life of misery and decadence. Children he did not learn he had until it was too late. Mothers who had to sacrifice everything to make ends meet. While he drank with kings, cold and uncaring to the plights of those below him. And then the war came."

Voph pushed himself to his feet, and turned to look out the window behind him, hands clasping at the small of his back. "What few trace elements of his being remained were stripped away. He did what he had to do to survive. To protect his people. To win the war. So he was given a new name. For gone was the man that had stood in his shoes. Killed by a galaxy he loved. That he gave everything for." Though his voice didn't waver, when Voph turned back to look at Veiere, a tear was rolling down his cheek. And it became apparent that this individual he spoke of was closer than one might have originally thought.

"Then came the day when the fates took their final toll. When he looked his son in the eye, and told him the terrible truth. That duties could not be fulfilled, so they were laid on the shoulders of a boy. His father was the only thing left to him in this world. There was always hope. That one day, Kyyrk-Xho Verros might have returned. Might have been saved. But on the day he looked his son in the eye, and told him to kill the one thing dearest to him, because those above him were too weak to do what must be done...It killed him."

Voph fell silent for a moment, then walked over to Veiere, pausing near his chair to place a hand on his shoulder as he looked down at the man. "I pray that she does refrain from fighting. I have lost my own family to the pits of war. And it's nothing I would wish upon my foulest enemy. Because on that day, I knew that Kyyrk was well and truly dead. And the shell of a man that had once been was struck down by his own son, at my behest. And I knew from that moment, that though I may wear his face, Darth Voph killed Kyyrk a long time ago."

Voph didn't move for a moment, before gently clapping Veiere's shoulder and offering a quiet, "I'm sorry." Before walking out. There was nothing more to discuss. And with any luck, the worst wouldn't come to pass. He'd destroyed his own family. He just hoped he could help save this one.