Conclave of the Dominion

[Thema Csapla]

One of the principal teachings of the Force was it's transcendence throughout the limits of imagination. Impossibility was just a concept, and limits were possibilities yet to be discovered. This was the first lesson Thema had learnt as a padawan- Nay, even as a youngling. The force was mysterious, but it limitless.
Even so, she would have never imagined the Republic could fall. Was it weak? Sure. But infighting was common in every faction- Why had her preferred one fallen so low to it?
The question, compiled with the dissipation of the Republic itself, had given her pause throughout her adventures through the galaxy. In less than the span of half a solar cycle, she'd lost both her Masters, her ship, a couple of younglings under her protection, and she'd damn well near died facing off against that Sith.

But in the end, her losses meant nothing. With suffering as your only companion, time and patience become your friends. And all, in their sum, led to a clear mind. That was how the Force worked; At least, upon Thema.

So, torn between the life of a mercenary, a stubborn Republic Loyalist, and a Jedi... It'd taken her a while to choose. For a while, she'd abandoned Jedi principles of favour of survival- Jumping from system to system, finding ships to stow away upon, and finally, gather her bearings. Even if the possibilities of progressing as a Jedi seemed more and more distant every day, the Force still made a show at being present in her thoughts and dreams. Might as well humour the thing that'd kept her alive for so many years, and try to find closure in one of the many Force temples in the galaxy.

So now, she was here.

It'd be a lie to say Thema wasn't the littlest bit scared. Grey oriented temples were foreign to her- And the thought of Sith lurking around her peacefully (well, maybe peaceful was a stretch) unnerved her. So, for the first time in months, she'd decided to carry her light-saber in plain view. The cross-guarded was bound to turn a few heads; not very Jedi-like, but that was fine. As long as it kept Dark siders away, she could handle a few glances.

Did she know just where she was going, walking along so many people? Well... Not exactly. But she had a notion of her direction. All Jedi were attracted to beacons of the Light side of the Force- Meaning that deep inside this temple, there had to be such an object (or person) projecting and irradiating such an aura. If it was a person, maybe she could find answers. But if it was just an object, good. That way, she could smash the damn thing and get the Force out of her life once and for all. It was a good way of narrowing her options.

 

[Dune Rhur]

The feeling in the Force overwhelmed Dune out of nowhere. A student always left an indelible impression upon their teacher. Especially one who had left their learner to the wind. [member="Thema Csapla"]'s presence staggered the Bith physically.


Seeing his student left the Bith without words. He had failed her in his selfish ways. His knees buckled and he dropped on them. The feelings of guilt and failure broke the will of a Jedi Master even in that moment.

His jaw dropped involuntarily. This Chiss was the last being he had expected to see here. Long had his actions played on his mind in his exile. Seeing her here was the most unexpected thing.

"Thema," he spluttered "Is it really you?"

He had no eyelids to blink.

"I failed you, apprentice. I am so sorry for what I've done."

 

[Riamah]

Ra watched as more people joined the gathering, keeping silent now and to herself, she just listened to as much as she could all at the same time. There appeared to be a staring contest going on between [member="Lady Kay"] and [member="Veiere Arenais"] when out of the blue it sounded like he proposed to the woman. Ra was too far away to hear what Kay said in reply, but wanted to know the outcome.

All too soon, [member="Darius Sedaire"] proclaimed the Jedi reforged and Ra knew that at least for now, she was home. These people would guide her in developing her ability and maybe bring about a change, to give her the ability to BE something rather than just somebody trudging along day to day.

The last two to speak up both said they would be able and willing to teach those that could use the Force how to work with it. She had no idea how much of the Force she could actually use, so until that time, she would not approach [member="Jessica Med-Beq"] on learning from her. However, to learn general knowledge-the history and philosophy as well as fighting...that Ra is certainly interested in. She made a mental note to approach [member="Dune Rhur"] later to see if he could train her.

 

[WolfMortum]

He stood there appreciative of the fact that much of what was transpiring between he and [member="Lady Kay"] had gone over the heads of most of the people around them, good thing too as this really shouldn't have been the time and place to drop such a statement. Looking down at Kay, he offered something if a misshapen smirk, a quiet chuckle escaping him both in surprise at her response, a sheepish sense of awkwardness at himself and overall praise for the way it had gone. She could've shot him down for all the lack of thought and planning he'd put into it. 'Really?' He asked, as if needing to be reassured that he'd heard her correctly. It was more or less a rhetorical question given his expression soon warmed to her, realization setting in. They'd have much to do following all of this Jedi business in that case; 'This could've gone down with a little more thought...' he second guessed himself, though none of that mattered, he wasn't a formal man when it came to personal relationships, politics were best left out of their immediate company.

His gaze shifted between Kay and the rest of the group, soon taking her hand and pulling her closer to his side so that they might not further contribute to halting the original purpose for being there. Regarding his personal talents within the past Jedi Order, Veiere was a scholar, a Consular of the Force first and foremost, he preferred the study of life and the limitations of sentient control and the ability to wield such a power. He didn't follow in the Guardian nor Sentinel styled path that had once been a common trait of the Jedi, he preferred to look ahead and question what could be, what they could do and how best their abilities and learnings could inspire further peace in the Galaxy. This was of course right up until Atrisia in which he lost his faith.

'Once we're done here, we'll celebrate over a drink...-Sorry I lost myself there for a moment...' He grinned a little, his gaze dropping to the floor a moment in attempt to recollect himself and look on to the group only once he had calmed down some.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay gave [member="Veiere Arenais"] a nod as he second guessed himself on whether or not he had heard her correctly. She smirked a little in turn as he mentioned on how it could have been planned a little better. Perhaps it could have. But a glance to the others nearby seemed to show that his sudden proposal did little to interrupt the meeting at hand. That was well and good. She liked her privacy.

As he took her hand in his and guided her close to his side, Kay regained her focus, now realizing that she had let her Force Signature be felt. That was an accident. Already she was shrinking it down to the size of a small tree nut. Veiere soon spoke through their connection again, his final comment on him losing himself gave her reason to look up at him as he looked to the floor. ~Well it's good to know that you don't have full control of yourself all of the time. And yes, a small celebration between us would be nice.~

Now it was her turn to gaze at the floor. There was a lot to think about, for the both of them. It wasn't as though there weren't going to complications. Where would they live? Would they have to split their time? Veiere was currently running an Empire with an increasing amount of worlds within it, while she ruled one world half a Galaxy away. Nothing was set in stone, in particular, the future. Governments rise and fall. It was difficult at times to predict which would last the longest.

Kay looked up to the others around them. Now was not the time nor the place to try to sort it all out. The people here were trying to organize something special for themselves. She had no plans on teaching anyone, she wasn't in the right mind to do so. This was not where someone like herself belonged. Maybe some day in the future, but not now.

 

[Bhakt Wemk]

Bhakt had sat in complete silence during the meeting. He wanted to get a good feel for these people of the Dominion before he decided if he would stay. So far he liked what he heard. A people who had suffered a great tragedy and now planned to rise out of the rubble stronger than before. The Nikto could fully get behind that ideal, hell it was practically he'd been doing for the last 20 years of his life.

He listened as the Jedi Darius seemed to be his name talked about rebuilding the legacy of the Jedi. Bhakt wasn't sure yet if he was ready to be a part of something like that or even sure if he'd ever even want the title of Jedi. It was never something he'd even considered if he was honest with him self. Over his travels he'd only met a few Jedi and they were outcasts, beings who left or were banished from the order for one reason or the other. Bhakt then thought back to the first Jedi he'd ever met, the man was on a freighter just seeking transport. He never even learned the name of the man who soundly beat him in combat and told Bhakt about the force potential within himself. He shook his thoughts away for now, refocusing on the speech of Darius. The man was now calling for any who teach to do so within the new order. Bhakt simply nodded as some came forward and he eyed each one carefully. He wasn't sure if any could offer what he wanted, but hell it'd be a start.

The Nikto finally stood as he wanted to get a bit of an Introduction in before the meeting was fully ended.

"Hello all. The name's Bhakt Wemk. I'm not sure what roll I'll play here yet, I'm mostly here to learn any knowledge you'll teach me. Though from just meeting some of you I can see the conviction in your eyes and in your souls. I will be proud to fight for your cause, and maybe I can redeem myself a bit by doing so."

Bhakt nodded in summation and sat back down on the rock he got up from.

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"I'll also announce that I am willing to provide a few Neimoidian Yachts at a discount for the Order's use. However, let's not forget that, what donations cannot provide for, the Senate appropriations committee will have to provide with the balance: they will be very unhappy if donations fall short. Now, does anyone have any estimates of how much the construction of the temple on Eol Sha is estimated to cost?"

While the Jedi proper can live from donations at the onset, taxpayer money comes into play once the order grows: donations tend to be outpaced by the Order's upkeep as the order grew and several factions with Jedi treated as employees of the state learned it the hard way. [member="Veiere Arenais"], [member="Darius Sedaire"] would probably have more clout in the Senate as to the financial aspect of the operation than Jessica would, but cases of financial irresponsibility that led Jedi to the dark side tended to fall into two camps: they either lived well above their means or were very aggressive with their stinginess and/or investment strategies. [member="Dune Rhur"], [member="Lady Kay"] or even @Ra'a'mah were perhaps a little too distant from the financial investment markets to actually know what's good and what's not, but it's good to set money aside for the hard times: Jessica knew better than to bank on riding a bubble or otherwise expecting that money will never be an issue.

"I also propose that some endowment fund be set aside for investment, so that we have a source of funds that will allow us to operate even when the donations run dry or when the Senate decides to cut our funding. Remember: financial irresponsibility, both individual and collective, can make us more vulnerable to the call of the dark side"

 

[WolfMortum]

"Regarding the financing of this endeavor..." Veiere spoke up in response to [member="Jessica Med-Beq"]'s notion, soon looking to the rest to adhere to all their interest on the given matter, "The Dominion will provide for Eol sha, the establishment here is of vital importance to our future operations. I'm currently overseeing a number of trade agreements within and outside of our domain that will give us plenty of room to move. Any third party investments are welcome; while we can survive without them, any and all assistance will not only support the Jedi here, but too enable the Dominion to do more for the world at large" Veiere offered a brief smile, dipping his head in acknowledgement of them all and otherwise suggesting he was done for the time.

As far as training students went, there was once a time where he would have lept at the chance, yet now that he was in the perfect position to do so, his life had turned in such a way that he no longer found himself fit to instruct anyone under the Jedi Order's name. Whether this wasn't in spite of the Order outside of the Dominion or by his strong loss of faith as a whole, he could not say, regardless, he didn't hold the same devotions to those teachings as he'd wish to, were he to train one of them. As it stood, [member="Cedric Grayson"] and [member="Zaz Tal'Verda"] were relying on him for guidance, the latter being a Mandalorian which certainly made for interesting times and yet between here and overseeing the new government, left him at a loss for hours.

Upon reflection, a somewhat twisted sense of fate's humor led him to the realization that he had become like the many politicians he had spoken against during the conclave for the Republic, not by lack of morality but by the position that he stood in as Lord over the Dominion, part of himself felt a little sickly at the notion of his hypocrisy while he argued with himself that without his backing the Dominion and this specific cause, there would not be an Order upon Eol Sha at all. Turning his attention across the way to look to [member="Darius Sedaire"], he hoped that this man would do a better job walking the path of the Jedi, than Veiere ever had.

 

[Kay-Larr]

"Commenor will be able to send supplies; food, water, etc. Or at least we could top up anything that the Dominion can provide."

Kay kept her hold on [member="Veiere Arenais"] ' hand. She could feel the sudden realization in him of walking a different path than expected. She knew how that felt, having gone through it herself a handful of times already. At times it seemed as though she was stumbling around in the dark, but Veiere was her guiding light. Hopefully he always would be. She needed his strength, determination and understanding, just as the Dominion did. But her reasons were more selfish than political.

Commenor was far from Dominion space, and their capabilities to reach out that far were minimal. But that didn't mean that they wouldn't try. If the time came and Commenor needed help, she had hope that help would come. So far it was looking to be that way.

But the future was always changing and was difficult to predict. It was evident here and throughout the Galaxy. It was evident in each of their lives. In a way, Kay was grateful that she didn't have the foresight to see any of it.

 

[Riamah]

After hearing what these other people could offer to the Dominion, Ra finally knew what she could do. Though one person only, she could help.

"I can offer a transport of goods and cargo. I mean I would be doing it personally on my ship..."

Her voice faded, not sure if others heard in the mix of the conversations going on around them. Ra didn't want the light to shine on her as much as it did the others.

"I would also like to learn of the Force."

It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

[member="Lady Kay"]
[member="Veiere Arenais"]
[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]
[member="Bhakt Wemk"]
[member="Thema Csapla"]

 

[Thema Csapla]

Despite all the Jedi training she'd received throughout her life, Thema still hadn't learnt to control more... Natural impulses. Because of this, the Chiss couldn't help but jump when the sound of her master's voice hit her ears. Red eyes widened, and she spun around, red eyes fervently searching for him in the crowd- Until crimson orbs found the Bith, and the froze.

A tide of emotions flushed across her face. Joy, regret, longing, relief... But there was also pain. Too much for a padawan to ever carry on her own. "Master?"

She stood there for a minute. Stagnant, unsure, too filled with emotion to draft a clear, logical path. For half a second, her hand reached for her belt, creeping towards her lightsaber...

But then, the flood gates crashed. Taking that last leaping step to close the spacial gap between her and her ex-master, Thema ran into the Bith's arms, giving him a hug that would probably be taboo with the Jedi order. It didn't matter. It wasn't her training that guided her now- It was tears, anger, and an unworldly amount of sorrow. Was it un-Jedilike to cry in front of a citadel filled with Sith and Gray Jedi? Probably. It didn't stop her from sobbing into her master's shoulder like a child.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

The Bith rose to his feet and let his Padawan embrace him. Her outpouring of emotion took him by surprise. Yet he didn't care in that moment who could see. It certainly was not becoming of a Jedi but it didn't matter just then.

"Thema, it's good to see you again," he told her quietly "There's so much I need to tell you. I cannot say I'm sorry for leaving enough. I make no excuses for not telling you."

He guided her out of the main room where everyone was gathered. Off to a side room where they stopped and he faced her.

"After the Republic, everything fell apart for me," Dune said "I felt like I'd lost my purpose, like I'd failed. But what I really failed was in being your Master. I should've told you where I was going, but I just left everything."

He sighed and shook his head.

"I was selfish. I drifted planet to planet for months at random. I reflected on my failures, everything I'd done wrong. That was until one day it struck me that I should return. I am a Jedi and I have a duty to the galaxy."

"What about you Thema, how have you been?"

[member="Thema Csapla"]