I feel the good in you!

[Kian Karr]

​

Onderon - Galactic Republic Capital
Office of the Prime Minister

Onderon, the capital of the Galactic Republic. One would think that being the epicenter of the Galactic Republic the Jedi would have a strong presence here, however this wasn't the case. The Jedi rarely, if ever, made the trip to the capital planet. There was a small enclave located here, but it served mostly the Jedi Diplomats and focused on those duties.

Kian had avoided the capital planet as much as possible. Rising Senators seemed to like to drag Jedi Masters into meetings and before committees to 'justify' the amount of tax money that went into paying for all the 'Jedi luxury' that they possessed. Kian handled it stoically and politely as he was taught to do, but it was far easier just to stay away than to put himself in that situation. Kian understood the wish of the politicians to impress their constituencies as well as he understood the lack of understanding among the common people about what the Jedi actually did.

"Can I help you Master Jedi?" The young receptionist asked as Kian approached, clearly marking him out as a Jedi by his wardrobe and the lightsaber hilt that hung from his belt.

"Yes, I have an appointment with the Prime Minister. My name is Kian Karr." Kian said smiling behind his mask.

"Of course Master Karr, we're still awaiting the arrival of Grandmaster Raaf, please have a seat." She said indicating the empty chairs in the waiting room.

"Thank you." Kian said and found a chair in the corner. Thank the force for Jedi training with regards to patience....

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Geneviève Lasedri"]​

 

[Corvus Raaf]

She was still en route to Ossus, but since being diverted from Ruusan, she’d encountered a Sith Lord, two lost Padawans and no a meeting with a Senator, or Prime Minister or something. Corvus didn’t do politics. Perhaps she should, but she neither the time nor the inclination. And the last time she’d met a Senator, she’d ended up spending a week in a bacta tank.

Realising she was behind Kian in arriving for a meeting for the second time in succession, she checked the time – sure she must be late. But no, she was early as usual.

She took one of the seats next to the Master of the Shadows and waved at the receptionist. “Corvus Raaf,” she offered, in case there was any confusion.

And turning to Kian, she said, “So...any idea how the meeting will play out?”

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"] | [member="Kian Karr"]

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian waved as he saw Corvus approaching. When she settled down beside him, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had feared he would be stuck dealing with the politicians on his own....and that would never have gone over well. Kian liked to annoy them with evasion and platitudes, but he couldn't afford to irritate the Prime Minister.

"Likely combative." Kian said shrugging at the Grandmaster. "Rumor has it she dislikes force users and the only ones she dislikes more than Jedi....are Sith..." Kian said pondering just how this meeting would go.

"We're going to have to be on our game I fear." Kian said chuckling and scratching an itch alongside his mask. "But it is a conversation we need to have. We can never turn our backs on the possibility of redemption....I know I don't have to tell you of the historical occurences of it throughout the history of the Jedi." Kian said tilting his head toward his friend and smiling broadly. If there was a book on the subject, odds were Corvus had read it!!

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Geneviève Lasedri"]​

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

So the Jedi wanted to speak with her. She had been wondering when they would call.

Thus far, there had only been limited interaction between the Jedi Council and the Prime Minister, both parties seemingly content to keep mostly distant from the other's realm of this Republic machine--a machine that seemed to be encountering quite the kinks that were just now surfacing after systemic abuse and inner turmoil previously tolerated. Geneviève had zero tolerance. Which was probably why she had gotten a reputation for not exactly accepting the Jedi Order's function. Oftentimes, these 'gifted' types seemed to express some sort of superiority, in the sense that their own goals would take precedence over the Republic's needs.

Still, the Order was a powerful asset of the Republic, and it was the Prime Minister's job to cooperate with them--or make demands of them, depending on what the circumstances dictated. But Lasedri was not aware of anything that currently required any arbitrary action on her end. She had enough enemies as it were, besides. The Sith were priority.

She neglected to put on her signature hat, finding her trademark unnecessary for a meeting with Jedi. No need to make a show of things. "Masters Raaf; Karr," she acknowledged, stepping to the doorway that connected her office to the reception area. "I hope nothing terrible has prompted this meeting." Keep them on their toes--that was how she liked it.

[member="Kian Karr"], [member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus sensed the tension in Kian. “Combative? We are Jedi are we not? And we are not here to curry favour or ask for a concession. We simply wish to help the Republic, to serve it the best way we can. The fact this is likely to be our first formal meeting bodes well. At least we should come across as not needy.”

“The truth will serve us well my good friend; history can sometimes be nothing more than a rear-view mirror. It only tells you what happened, not what’s on the road ahead.”

Then the politician made herself known and Corvus stood and bowed as a matter of course. “Nothing terrible I assure you. Rather we can to offer a further provision in our continued role in serving the Republic.” Her voice was calm and slow, her smile genuine. She’d faced Younglings asking awkward questions about Jedi and…attachments. A politician? Less scary by far.

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"] | [member="Kian Karr"]

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian turned as Prime Minister Lasedri entered the waiting room and greeted them. Kian took a moment to take in the politician. He'd spent a decent amount of times among politicians, and regardless of their skill set or their ambitions they all had that same look in their eyes. The look of hunger. Kian had heard a great deal of good things about Prime Minister Lasedri and some not-so-good over the past few months, but he tended to focus the Shadows efforts on the Sith and so had always paid it little heed.

"Regretfully, I'm sure there are terrible things happening Prime Minister....but that isn't what has prompted our trip today." Kian said shaking his head and rising to his feet. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Kian said placing a hand on his chest and bowing slightly to the politician.

"We've come to talk about justice." Kian said smiling broadly, though to the Prime Minister would not see it, his face concealed behind his antiox mask and goggles.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Geneviève Lasedri"]​

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

Gen was not quite a fan of much formality--especially bowing. It went against her ideals as she saw it as am expression of another person's superiority. Did the Jedi bow to the commonfolk as well? That seemed doubtful, from her experience. Though it was probably best that she go along with it and return the favor, if only to gain some faith with her visitors. She did need their support every now-and-then, after all.

So she bowed. Nothing terrible, they said.

Justice. Yes, that was a word that certainly caught her ear. Now, whether the Jedi's version of justice aligned with hers was a different matter, but at least there was something to be made of this meeting 'out of the gate'. "That is the primary purpose of the law, as I see it," Prime Minister Lasedri replied, gesturing to her visitors to proceed into her office while retreating towards her desk.

"Is it concerning the Sith?" she inquired as she folded her arms and leaned back against the desktop, the skirt eaves of her rather plain white dress relaxing with her rather plain body. There was not much elaborate about her or her lifestyle, and she was resolved to keep it that way, even while in office. The same could be said about her disposition. "If it kills them in any way, I may be for it."

[member="Corvus Raaf"], [member="Kian Karr"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened to Kian. He was calm and measured, which was what the situation called for. And she saw the…actually Corvus had to admit, she wasn’t sure of the woman’s formal title. So in her mind she opted for politician. It covered a multitude of sins. A very, very wide multitude.

She observed the woman’s bow. It appeared unpractised. Corvus had been bowing as a mark of respect since she was four. It was ingrained by now. But every now and then, someone bowing through – she suspected – a desire to replicate the action, made her realise it was an archaic practice. Not that she was about to change her ways though.

Corvus smiled at the woman’s plain-talking. Hopefully they would conduct this meeting knowing where each other stood and come way with a clear agreement one way or the other. No ambiguity – that worked for Corvus.

“That all depends on what you want to achieve, I suspect? Killing them is efficient and effective in ensuring they don’t re-offend. But what if a Sith wished to not only change allegiance but pay a penance for their crimes. Not to absolve them – they would forever be a record against their name – but rather a way of demonstrating their absolute change of heart. For example, giving up freely all their knowledge of the One Sith? Which would suit the Republic better? A dead Sith or a talkative Jedi?”

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"] | [member="Kian Karr"]

 

[Kian Karr]

"We tend to believe a great deal in redemption, Prime Minister." Kian said clasping his hands behind his back. "And along this line, the Jedi Council has discussed a number of procedures we agree would help us to determine if a Sith or Dark Jedi was eligible to join the ranks of the Jedi."

"These steps they would go through would allow us to monitor them, evaluate them, and ultimately judge whether or not their redemption is sincere." Kian said eyeing the women's face for any sense of where she might stand on what he was saying. As with most politicians, however, Kian couldn't read much of her facial expressions and he wasn't going to do anything as invasive as probing her mind with the force.....that could have unforeseen consequences and she would likely sense it. He didn't consider the prime minister 'weak minded.'

"I don't easily trust in Sith, Prime Minister Lasedri....but the fact of the matter is that on occasion they do turn away from the darkness." Kian said shrugging.

"However, we have no legal recourse to take the Sith or Dark Jedi in without the approval of the Senate..." Kian said waving a hand at the politician to indicate that she and the senate were who held that responsibility. "From an intelligence standpoint.....what incentive do we give these insiders to come to us if all we can offer them is a jail cell?"

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Geneviève Lasedri"]​

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

"What I want to achieve is every damn Sith's head on a pike," Geneviève interrupted, the fingers of her right hand curling to form a fist as her arms dropped to her sides. Her other hand quivered and she clamped it down on the edge of the desktop to keep it rigid. Stress, stress... "Figuratively, of course." Not that she entirely disliked the idea of a hundred dark lords' heads severed and displayed for the galaxy to be quite sure of their demise. It would have comforted Gen to see the proof of death, at least.

She settled down a bit as Masters Karr and Raaf continued with what they had to say, however. She had little doubt that they truly meant well. The problem was that one party believed in redemption, and the other--not so much. "My question is how you're sure of this 'redemption', Master Karr--no disrespect intended. Need I remind you two of one known as Master Apparine?" At that point, the Prime Minister stood up straight and walked around her desk to take her seat and flick a command on her datapad to close the door to her office, then offered the Jedi guests their own seats. Though she imagined they had some antiquated tradition about standing up or something so unnecessary.

"It's a legitimate concern, and I'm not sure I could agree to chance allowing a person like that to simply walk around my Republic. I'm not sure what I could offer them beyond jail time. I don't see why they should deserve mercy."

[member="Corvus Raaf"], [member="Kian Karr"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened to Kian. He spoke of redemption and the precautions the Jedi could take to ensure someone does fall to the Dark-side again. His arguments were all valid but something made her feel that they weren’t enough.

And the evidence came from the Prime Minister’s own lips. She made a mental note to thank Kian later for providing the woman’s rank, or title, or whatever it meant.

But Corvus followed her through, sure that through a pragmatic approach, both sides could get what they wanted. She took a seat as offered and once settled, spoke. “The steps we suggest will demonstrate the validity of the redemption. But I take your point. The press is always full of stories of this Jedi turning bad or that Jedi falling to the Dark-side.”

“But imagine the morale when the Prime Minister can announce that she has successfully managed a process to turn a despicable Sith into an heroic Jedi. Most would no doubt not warrant public scrutiny, but for every open and shut case…well, the people would love it. Think of the opinion poll ratings. And, moreover, think of the intel.”

“This is not a request for clemency or mercy but instead an offer. An offer to give you some very special weapons in the fight against the One Sith. Better than a battle-cruiser, an honest to goodness Sith turned Jedi. And as Kian has already said, we’d ensure that if they did look like returning to their former ways, we’d step in. Nothing, absolutely nothing would ever point back to this office on those occasions, trust me.”

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"] | [member="Kian Karr"]

 

[Kian Karr]

"We also wouldn't just be allowing them to 'walk around' the Republic, Prime Minister." Kian said considering the words of the politician. He understood her concern all too well. "What we are proposing is that they be placed into Jedi custody. Once in our custody, we would work on rehabilitating them but we wouldn't be allowing them free reign to go wherever they please." Kian said.

"They would be confined to one of the Academies, assigned a Jedi Knight or Master to act as a guardian who would monitor their behavior and training. They wouldn't be allowed to go off on missions, or teach padawans until we were sure they were redeemed."

"And what Grandmaster Raaf has said is true." Kian said nodding to the Grandmaster. "They would provide us with a great source of knowledge. One of the initial rehabilitation procedures would be a debriefing by the Jedi Shadows. They would share with us all the information they have on the Sith.....and that information could be very valuable."

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]
[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

Master [member="Corvus Raaf"] was generally well-respected by the Republic at large for whatever news had reached the populace's ears. Defender of the Republic and the Jedi Order; Heroine of Kashyyyk--despite the outcome of that battle--or even just Raaf to some, much like a sports superstar might be known so shorthandedly. Whatever she went by, the Prime Minister was well aware of what she represented. Which was why she gave the female Jedi a pass on assuming Lasedri was as intensely concerned with image as many politicians might be.

Nothing will ever point back to my office? That's easier said than done. The original leader of the Rebel Alliance knew exactly how difficultly such secrets were kept. She was not unused to stealth behaviors and the inhibitions that might surface and blow such operations. Still, a promise of a weapon. A weapon; a tool. The Force was a tool, not a way of life.

Or was it? Gen had her doubts, but it was quite obvious how one faction of these 'Orders' was less harmful to the galaxy than the other. Still, trust was not something that was easy to come by for the Prime Minister--and for good reason. She answered Master Karr with as much gentleness as she could spare. She was not exactly known for emoting in a particularly friendly manner, but she would have to practice with these types of people. Considering the circumstances, it was best to not tick off the loyal Jedi when they were an important factor in fending off the monsters who lay just beyond the Republic's threatened borders. "While the motives may be progressive towards Republic security, it's not really something I can have an--" self-interested "--organization monitor of itself and its handling of such a sensitive 'weapon'. We have governance on these sorts of things, and I don't particularly like being out-of-the-know in such cases."

She toyed with her hat for a moment, exchanging glances between the Kel Dor and human visitors, but quickly scooted it aside to the edge of her desk to avoid distraction. "I'm not unreasonable, though. At least, I hope that's evident." Probably not. "I'd like to be personally informed by one of you--or whoever is in charge of your Council--of each new addition to this 'program'. I do not like the idea of not knowing which mass-murderer you have pardoned in turn. And I'll need some way to track them. As I've already stated--I don't trust them. Heck, this goes far enough against my principles as it is.

"Besides," she added, a matter-of-fact expression set on her face, "Some of them may be too far gone. Some need to be purged."

[member="Kian Karr"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled. "We seem to be in agreement then. It is vital that you are informed of any potential additions to the programme. Any deemed unsuitable by our side will be simply processed by the courts in due course. Any then deemed inappropriate from your perspective will be treated similarly."

"None shall be pardoned, rather paroled and all existing crimes held against their record until such time as seem appropriate lapses. For some that may be never. None shall be let loose on society without appropriate supervision and tracking their whereabouts is a relatively simple process given the Force."

She smiled again. "I trust that is a fair reflection of the discussion?" She looked at both in case she had misunderstood the position of either party.

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"] | [member="Kian Karr"]

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian listen to Corvus's response and nodded along in agreement. He didn't say anything, but watched the Prime Minister to see what she had to say to what Corvus had said. He didn't feel the need to add anything further and as he sat there quietly, he allowed his mind to wander to something that had been bothering him since he had walked into the room.

The Prime Minister seemed to be force sensitive.

It didn't necessarily mean anything. There were many people who exhibited force sensitivity but lived lives devoid of any force training or without even being aware of the fact that they were force sensitive. Regardless though, Kian couldn't shake the feeling from his head.

Corvus. Kian communicated to the Grandmaster telepathically. It had been some time since he'd spoke to her this way, but the touch of her mind was familiar to him. She was one of the first students he'd ever trained in telepathy and the two had used this mode of communication throughout their time together as Jedi when necessary. Have you noticed anything.....odd....about the Prime Minister? Kian asked, a bemused smile painted beneath the mask.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] - [member="Geneviève Lasedri"]​

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

"I wouldn't quite say we're in total agreement yet," Gen interjected before they considered this whole deal said and done. "While I suppose they may be better off in your hands, there needs to be accountability with the Republic. I am going to want to know where every one of these 'converts' is at any second of the day." She noticed an odd glance between the pair of Jedi, but nothing that struck her as suspicious. She had never expected her demands to go quite as well as they had thus far.

"I will require that each individual that qualifies for this 'redeemed' war criminal program be implanted with a tracking chip--one that will harm them if they should try to tamper with it." The leader of the Republic bit her lip. "I know how Force users can try to get a little tricky with things. I don't want them to be able to." It was a security hazard for the Republic's people to have these sort of murderers within their borders, even if they were kept to remote locales. There was never such a thing as overkill when it came to security in Gen's mind--be that national security or personal. Nothing needed to be given too much leeway in these violent days.

[member="Corvus Raaf"], [member="Kian Karr"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded. "I see logic in a tracking chip - in fact it makes sense for all Jedi to have one - it would help us find people when we needed to. And I'm sure we can make it tamper-proof."

She smiled at the Prime Minister. "Was there anything else I missed?" Corvus briefly closed her eyes. A split second, no longer. She entered Force Sight. The woman sitting in front of her had an unmistakeable aura of a Force User. And not an untrained individual either. And, more worrying, it wasn't purely a Light signature either. Not Dark per se, but enough to make her think. Maybe she had been trained to use the Dark-side at some point in her life? And a wonderful irony hit her - if all Jedi were to be chipped, did that include their very own Prime Minister?

'Kian, yes I sensed it too. She's Force Sensitive of course, that much is clear, but moreover, her aura. It's...grey.'

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"] | [member="Kian Karr"]

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

The Jedi Grandmaster seemed shockingly more accepting of the idea than Geneviève had expected. She even volunteered to have the more trustworthy of the Order be integrated into the proposed tracking program despite the fact that the Prime Minister had never even thought to ask such a thing of them. And while Raaf's words seemed pleasant and agreeable enough, Lasedri did wonder if it was just cleverly masked in some subtle form of sarcasm. The Jedi of the past had proven themselves to be as politically conniving; even treasonous--though the riffraff had mostly jettisoned themselves in cowardly fashion upon the previous Grandmaster's betrayal. The fact that Masters Raaf and Karr were still present certainly gave the Republic's leader reason to trust them.

But how far could she trust them? This discussion's flow had come across as genuine from both of her visitors, but she had no true way to gauge just how truthful they were without tapping at their minds--something a pair of Masters would undoubtedly sense. It would be best to keep her hidden talents locked away where none could not see.

Did they know? Nothing had been mentioned so far. Perhaps she would simply glide under the radar as she always had managed to do.

Carry on. "No, I think we've covered what needs to be done about this," she replied, retrieving a datapad to mark down all the points she would soon be signing as law, under her power concerning groups such as the Jedi. "I must remind you of how hesitant I am about this. I expect you to exercise all prudence with your... 'redeemed' Jedi.

"Was there anything else, Master Raaf; Master Karr?" She set her hands together on the desktop, knuckled of one hand held tightly in the other's grasp to prevent the shaking.

[member="Corvus Raaf"], [member="Kian Karr"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus waited for Kian to speak but decided to jump in anyway…they all had busy diaries and closure of the conversation would allow them to all get on with their lives.

“Prudence is my middle name. Well, not strictly true,” Corvus smiled, “But I had a kitten once by that name. Black and white with a cute pink nose. But largely irrelevant, I grant you.”

Corvus stood to leave. “Oh, there is one more thing Prime Minister. Our records are reasonable and we are as diligent as we can be so…it seems odd that you don’t appear on our register of Jedi currently serving the Galactic Republic…” The smile remained in place, her voice was gentle and the statement left hanging – desiring closure. No. Demanding it...

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian rose with Corvus but turned back with her when she turned to ask the Prime Minister about her force sensitivity. Kian was unsure if they were going to discuss it in private or confront the politician directly and Kian was glad to see they were going the direct route. Kian was eager for an answer from the politician, and was very eager to learn more about her force sensitivity.

Prior to the meeting, Kian had heard rumors that the Prime Minister didn't particularly like the Jedi or any force users for that matter.....a curious opinion for someone who themselves was force sensitive. Kian clasped his hands behind his back and tilted his head to the side to examine the politician quizzically. He would remain silent for now, using his masked features to throw an intimidating visage when compared to the inquisitive charm of the Grandmaster. Kian doubted it would have any effect on a seasoned politician, but it certainly wouldn't hurt.

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"] - [member="Corvus Raaf"]​