Location: Forbidden district outskirts, Exegol
Objective: Eliminate the maw
Tag: Amanda braska |
Jand Talo
| @Asmundr Varibalder
“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise."- Victor Hugo
SERENITY. STRENGTH.
STAND FIRM IN YOUR INTEGRITY.
LET COURAGE COMPLETE ITS WORK.
Oh, Caltin had heard the call, he felt the energy being projected into him surely as well. This cemented his reasoning for not joining the wall of light, not because the thought of it gave him pause, but because the more Jedi that joined the meld, the more were left defenseless. Even the strongest Jedi sometimes need others to watch their backs after all. Anyone who believed a Sith would not attack a “defenseless” Jedi was kidding themselves.
The thought of this pushed the big guy to fight.
Any Jedi who think that they can completely suppress their emotions are kidding themselves. You
will get angry from time to time. The Jedi Code would speak of “anger leading to the Dark Side”, but original Jedi Tenets say different, the first Tenet:
"Emotions are unavoidable, but lessons may be learned from the feeling of these emotions. However, emotions of such strength as to cause a Jedi to act or behave in a manner different from rational thought are dangerous, and must be avoided at all costs for a Jedi to truly master the Force." says otherwise.
You’re going to get angry, when you accept this, you will be more effective. The key is to not try to let this anger control you, that would be where your problems lie. Take what Vanagor was doing right now, as he was being attacked via Force Lightning by a Sith Assassin, he felt the power that this (relatively) young one drew upon and listened to the man(boy, really) cackle. Pushing himself to his feet, Caltin watched as this Darksider now was lining up to behead a Padawan who was thrown back by a Sith Lord.
That was it.
The big man charged and put himself between the Padawan and the assassin. He did not know this Padawan personally, but it did not matter. This assassin was taking an unjust advantage, and Vanagor would have none of it. It was the way of the Jedi, even in the original Tenets. To go into battle it is important to do so in a focused manner, this has been addressed time and time again, yes, but attachments can motivate as much as they distract. The Second Tenet of the Force does agree to an extent:
"Feelings of attraction and love are to be explored carefully and with rationality in mind. Romantic pathways must be treated with care so as to avoid pain and anger. To love another is dangerous yet acceptable if treated with care, but attaching oneself to another life in the bonds of matrimony cannot be allowed if you do not go into this union with a clear mind." Caltin is indeed married, yes, so he is indeed attached, but the woman to whom he is betrothed is attune to the Force herself. She is a redeemed Sith Lord, having given herself to the Light Side. She stayed away from the battlefield nowadays, but if caught in a situation was more than capable. This was freeing for Caltin mentally and emotionally so he was ill affected by the downside of the second Tenet.
The third Tenet might confuse some as it was said to re-enforce the second in many respects, but this was something to take to heart as well:
"The Jedi are to respect life, in any form, and only take life when necessary. A Jedi must put the needs of the community over the needs of individuals. A Jedi is not to act for solely personal gain or greed - the good of all must be his goal." We’ll come back to that in a second, now the next tenet is exactly in line with the big guy’s current way of thinking, a Jedi Guardian.
"A Jedi is to protect the weak and defenseless. A Jedi may not kill a defenseless individual. Should a Jedi be in a position where aid may be given to the weak or the poor, then the Jedi should do what they can to aid the situation within the guidelines of the Code, the Tenets, and of course the law."
That is Caltin’s mantra. “It doesn’t matter when or where, it matters not the danger. We race as though to help a friend when called on by a stranger,
And maybe just remind the few, if ill of us they speak, that we are all that stands between the monsters and the weak.” Not the Jedi Code, but his, and what he tries to instill in his Padawans.
Depending on how each Jedi interprets this, it may differ from one to another. Some may consider this tenet as a way of standing over each “innocent” and becoming overzealous in their actions. Others may believe absolutely no one is “weak” or completely “defenseless” having their own strengths. This keeps them to a position of not quite “authority” but for what they are, “protectors”.
As he saw Braska holding her own against a Sith Lord, he paid attention to the Knights who were joining in the wall of Light. They would receive the protection that they needed, anyone who were fleeing the area would receive the same. The big man was not picky about who he focused on, he wanted them focusing on him, so Caltin had a rare free moment and called upon his unique connection to the Force and began to manipulate the natural moisture and oxygen in the air. More and more he motioned until the winds picked up and the rains began to fall harder and harder. The Maw may call this planet “home” but they would not have a “hometown advantage” at least for the moment.
Because we serve and protect, there is the next Tenet.
"Ruling power and financial wealth are not permitted for a Jedi, as these lead to arrogance and self-pride. Self-pride is a complex that eats the heart and mind of all, including Jedi. If a Jedi thinks he or she is greater than other beings, equal to other beings, or less than other beings then they have succumbed to self-pride. Guard against these three complexes night and day."
Yes, Caltin is financially secure, multiple times over, but his work is for the betterment of the galaxy, with the company he partners with Admiral Angellus and the Outreach that his wife runs, there is no real “profit” that goes to him, it goes to the populace and the employees. The only “perks” are things like the customized ships for the Jedi and customized gear that he is using on this theater.
The last two tenets:
"A Jedi must consider the living and cosmic manifestations of the Force - one must be mindful of the present, but also look to both the future and the past for guidance."
… and…
"A Jedi does not fight for adventure or glory. A Jedi fights for the survival of civilization and the survival of the people within it. The greatest Jedi is not the one who defeats an army of thousands, but the one who triumphs over himself. Your importance lies in your devotion to life." These tenets tend to mesh together depending on the Jedi and their outlook, if they are a student of history they will look to the past to shape their present. Those Jedi who look to the future will let their present shape their outlook.
Caltin is, was, and always has been (even if sometimes self-proclaimed) a champion, a Guardian of the Jedi. Not to be confused with the “Sword” or the “Shield” of the Jedi, they are deserving of those titles in and for their own reasons. No, Caltin does what he does so that no one else has to. He acts the way he does so that no one else should have to. Naive? Maybe. Unrealistic? Probably, but it is what has kept him alive.
This was his courage completing its work. This was his own integrity standing firm. As Vanagor moved forward in a defensive posture towards the nearest grouping of Maw (while suspending a TIE fighter in mid-air and throwing it via the Force at another), he reached out through his mind.
~
Everyone on the ground who can hear me. Trust in yourself. The battles that count aren't the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself - the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us - that's where it is at. I feel the same sense of darkness that you do… trust yourself and in your training.~
They did not need to do this forever… they just needed to hold out long enough.
Briana Sal-Soren
Velda Nar-Donna
Darth Temerant
Darth Wallgof
Cybelle Sal-Soren
