Different Shades of Gray

[Lothar Lundgren]

Public Courts

It was the first time in a long while that Lothar had left the comfort of his home, let alone to begin a new chapter. Almost all of his time in the past year or so had been spent on studying various forms of healing and medicine. While there was more to learn, Lothar felt it was time to begin expanding his horizons once again. That itch was what brought him here today.

Lothar was at the public courts to hopefully meet Cedric Grayson, namesake of the Grayson Imperium. He had relinquished his lightsaber at the entrance and was now walking down the halls, step by step growing closer to meeting with the Lord Imperator.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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Cedric grumbled a curse under his breath as the Nikto took his leave of the Imperator's audience. The alien, like so many others, had come to see the property that the previous government had confiscated from him restored. The Imperator had obliged, of course. No one deserved to have their livelihood taken by the government. The issue lay in the Nikto's demands - the Jedi Master strongly suspected his documents had been forged.

He supposed it didn't matter in the long run. If his documentation was false, the minister of industry would notice.


A quiet sigh escaped his lips as he rubbed at his temple, taking a moment to himself before the next person was permitted. He had little time however; the day was young, and the crowd of people that wished for an audience was growing ever larger.

"Bring in the next one," Cedric asked of his secretary. He leaned back in his chair, fingers steeped as he waited.

[member="Lothar Lundgren"]

 

[Lothar Lundgren]

Lothar was nearing the Lord Imperator office now, and he watched a Nikto exited what Lothar believed to be the office he was heading towards. Lothar scanned the Nikto's face, and he appeared to be quite smug. The Je'Daii could only wonder what he was so happy with.

Lothar smiled at the secretary as he drew closer to her desk. He had to look downwards due to his staggering height, and he spoke softly, "Hello, I am here to meet with the Imperator." Lothar finished his sentence with another grin. The secretary looked up at him and directed him to the door. Lothar obliged and entered the Imperator's office.

He entered the office and brought his eyes immediately to the Imperator sitting at his desk. Lothar stepped forward in order to introduce himself, "Good morning, Lord Imperator. I am Lothar Lundgren. I hoped to speak to you about myself and the Imperium, if you have the time."

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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"Well met, Lothar Lundgren." Cedric replied with a thin smile. He felt the empyrean swirling about this one. He was an island within the Great Ocean, just as Cedric was, but the waters around him were muddied. They shone with the light of the Ashla, but there were hints of a darker nature beneath the gleam. Fragments of dark waters, tides of melancholy. Cedric had seen such in a handful of beings before - what @Asha Hex had called balance.

Foolish naivete more like it.

"I am happy to answer whatever questions you may have, and I wonder what you might have to say of yourself, given your rather odd place within the Force." The Jedi's brow furrowed. "Forgive me, I have a talent for these things. There is focus, and yet the Ashla does not flow through you so freely as it does my knights. Consider me curious."

[member="Lothar Lundgren"]

 

[Lothar Lundgren]

Lothar was truthfully caught offguard by the line of questioning, and he realized too late that he made it obvious by allowing his smile to fade rather quickly. After a brief moment, he began to defend himself, "Lord Imperator, I will concede that the Ashla does not flow through me as it does those of the Imperium. I have spent much of my time studying the Ashla, though admittedly some of the Bogan as well."

The Valkryi paused, looking Cedric in the eye as he spoke again. "Balance is the key to all life, Imperator. Such balance is why I come to you today. I've heard little about the Imperium, and I desire to learn more." Lothar leaned back in his seat, finding a more comfortable position. "If necessary I can be of help, as well. I am well trained in healing, and have experience in administration if you would have me."

He let a few moments pass before he decided to finish out his short speech, "I did not mean to offend, if I did I assure you it was unintentional."

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That was good to hear.

For all its vast resources, the Imperium had very few that understood the art of mending wounds with the Force. It was a skill that Cedric had tangential knowledge in, but was quite lacking in expertise. His progenitors had been experts in it; Cedric simply lacked the natural talent for such things.

"Balance indeed, though you may find our definitions of balance to be dissimilar," Cedric gestured for Lothar to take a seat across from him. "You have offended nothing, Lothar. Despite what others may say, neither I nor my people take umbrage with those that walk your path."

He sat up a little straighter, his smile genuine, if small. "I will try to give you something of a summary on us. The Imperium can be traced back to the Dominion of Ession. We were a monarchist state led by the Jedi, and we found ourselves out in Sith space. When the Sith Empire rose, and the Republic fell, we were left on our own. The Galactic Alliance and the Silver Jedi stood by as the Sith Empire killed our world, and forced my people into a mass genocide. The survivors gathered on Ruusan, and there we've been rebuilding for half a decade."

He turned partway about in his chair, gesturing toward the city that stretched beyond the office's windows. "My father conquered Coruscant before I was born. He did so to slay the emperor of the One Sith, and when that was done, he left the planet to its own governance. It fell into the hands of the Core Imperial Confederation after that: a league of xenophobic, genocidal, slave-loving authoritarians. Some of my old allies called for help, and so we came." He gestured all around.

"The Sons of Ession, my legion, led the assault. Together with our allies, we toppled the warlords. I asserted my claim to the planet, and the Grayson Imperium was declared. We are in the process of restoring democratic rule across the world as we speak, and the Jedi that chose to follow me are heading to Tython. I don't much agree with any of the Jedi groups scattered across the stars. My intention is to restore the order of old, before the fall of the Old Republic."

He paused, drawing in a deep breath, "Were there any specifics you wished to ask?"

[member="Lothar Lundgren"]

 

[Lothar Lundgren]

An expression of relief passed across Lothar's face as he realized the Imperator was not putting him on trial in the office. He heard little and knew less of the Imperium, but he knew enough to not go head to head with the Lord Imperator himself as soon as they met.

Lothar paid astute attention as Cedric transitioned the conversation to some of the history of the Imperium. It was brief and to the point, though Lothar knew there must be more intricate details behind the broad strokes. He made a mental note to inquire further at a more appropriate time. Cedric finished speaking, and Lothar began, "A few, yes. First, I'd like to learn more about The Sons of Ession at some point in the future. More immediately I'm curious to what your Jedi will do on Tython, and what you don't agree with other Jedi groups about."

The Je'Daii got more comfortable in his chair when he stopped speaking, thankful the moment of initial tension had passed.

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Cedric felt the tension in the room melt away. It pleased him - he had little desire to put anyone on trial for their beliefs, let alone a stranger. If this one was as he said, then he would be a valuable addition to the Imperium. The Jedi could not afford to turn him away, and perhaps he might even see the truth of the Ashla.

One could only hope.

"Well, the Sons of Ession are the remnants of the Essonian population. The adults anyway. They are my people, and they have followed me since my birth. A more loving and loyal people you will never find," Cedric said proudly, "They serve as the heart of the Imperium's army, my personal guard, and the organization that keeps our military held together. You'll find the vast majority of them to be very spiritual individuals. We Essonians worship the Light, the Ashla, for what she truly is. We live to serve her."

He paused as he spoke of the Jedi. "Ah, yes, our Jedi. Allow me to tell you a story. In my youth, the Essonian Dominion was a place of religious tolerance. Jedi and Sith studied together in hopes of understanding the true nature of the Force. We treated them as brothers." The Jedi's brow furrowed, his smile fading. "They turned on us. Our 'brothers' opened the doors for the Sith Empire to waltz right on in. Our tolerance almost destroyed us. In our time of need, none of the Jedi helped. The Silvers watched with apathy, the Galactic Alliance was pleased to see a supposed 'rival' brought low."

There was disgust in the Jedi's words. "After that, we were reborn, and I came to understand that the Jedi of this era are not Jedi, but men and women in robes, carrying lightsabers and claiming the title of Jedi to justify their heresies. There can be no tolerance for the Bogan Lothar. Even the slightest acceptance of it invites malevolence into the heart. Just as it corrodes the souls of men, so too does it corrode the soul of nations."

He breathed a heavy sigh, "It is for that reason that I seek to reforge the Jedi Order in the image of the old masters. I do not tolerate the Dark Side, nor will I work alongside the Sith as the Silvers do. I believe in a code, and a traditional Jedi lifestyle. One of service and self-sacrifice, no matter what nation one serves."

[member="Lothar Lundgren"]

 

[Lothar Lundgren]

Lothar Lundgren listened as Cedric described the Sons of Ession in detail, and he allowed a smile to grow on his face as he heard the pride in the Imperator's voice. Lothar had no doubt these Sons were impressive, given such praise of a man with such high station. He looked forward to hopefully meeting a few sometime soon.

The Je'Daii continued to wear the smile as Cedric continued on to the story of the Essonian Dominion. The smile, however, was quickly erased. The tale of the Essonian Dominion was tragic, and Lothar now understood why Cedric and his Jedi were not very open to the Bogan. Such betrayals were common among the Sith, that much Lothar knew.

Lothar respected the philosophy behind the Imperium's new Order, and felt for the Sons of Ession. "That is all very unfortunate, Lord Imperator. I am sorry your people have gone through so much pain." He paused, allowing a brief moment of silence. "If there is anything I can do to aid you, your people, or your Order, please know that I am available and willing."

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An idea formed in the back of the Imperator's mind. Lothar had promise. The empyrean swirled around him, its tides spinning around his ethereal island with great purpose. Destiny, for lack of a better term, smiled upon this one.

He only needed to be guided toward the proper path.

"I have a proposition for you then, Lothar," Cedric adopted an easy smile. "I and my apprentices will be going to Tython soon. We intend to recolonize the planet, and restore its balance in the Ashla. If you wished to join us, see our philosophy at work, I would be honored to have you."

The Je'daii were a flawed philosophy, but Cedric understood their merits. He'd been good friends with the founder of their resurgence, and whilst the two of them had never agreed on doctrine, he knew his teachings had affected some of her beliefs. Perhaps he could guide Lothar to a better path.

[member="Lothar Lundgren"]

 

[Lothar Lundgren]

This sort of proposal was exactly what Lothar had been hoping for when he came to see the Imperator. The Valkryi let his warm smile shine through his teeth as he answered Cedric, "I would very much appreciate that opportunity. I shall look forward to it."

Lothar was excited to be able to meet some of those who follow Cedric, and to see for himself if they were as deeply commited to the Ashla as the rumors told.

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"Then I'll add you to the flight list. Be prepared my friend, Tython is an untamed place. I have no idea what await us there." Cedric breathed a quiet sigh. His work was starting to weigh on him, and truthfully he was rather tired.

"For now, though, I'd like a bit of time to myself. I'll have my secretary forward you all the relevant information." He paused one final time before turning to his datapad. "Welcome to the Imperium, Lothar Lundgren."

[member="Lothar Lundgren"]