Private I Need Your Help

[DARKCOM]

Kaigann Fossk's Senatorial Office
Coruscant

The Inquests had begun, investigations into the New Jedi Order and the events of the Third Imperial Civil War had begun with further protections being placed on the Galactic Senate due to the events that led to his near-assassination. He never wanted this, when he swore an oath as a Senator and before that a Jedi, he promised he’d do whatever it took to make right the wrongs in the galaxy. To bring peace where it seemed chaos would reign unfurled. His actions were just, his hopes were to being the Jedi back into the Light..

Not everyone saw it that way. While the Senate may agree with him, the Jedi did not. He was targeted, he was labeled a threat. He needed to mend the relationship, he needed someone to mediate before it was too late.

The doors slid open into his office with a whoosh, his attentions drifted immediately back to reality as he stepped away from the massive viewport overlooking the Galactic City. The Elder Jedi smiled and stepped down toward his desk, “I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me, I’m sure we haven’t been formally introduced. Please come closer and have a seat, we have much to discuss.”


Saan'an Gaelor

 

[Saan'an Gaelor]

Why me?

That very question festered doggedly in Saan'an's head. Mammoth and mysterious, it persisted from the moment he received the summons, to the present, where he stood before the door of Senator Fossk's office. There had been no room spared for unassociated considerations. At least, now, answers were on the approaching horizon. Hopefully, with Fossk's close call still in recent memory, they weren't disagreeable.

Deep breath. A low, quiet release of air heralded him through the door. Hydraulics hissed as he stepped forward. The door to Fossk's office disappeared, made way for cool air in the climate-controlled office to graze against Saan'an's cheeks, breaking on the bridge of his nose.

“I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me, I’m sure we haven’t been formally introduced. Please come closer and have a seat, we have much to discuss."

Saan'an bowed with cursory reverence. "It's no trouble Senator," he assured. A half-truth. Obliging the meeting hadn't been any trouble. The questions it had lodged in his brain were another story. "Padawan Saan'an," he introduced, attempting the throw any timidity from his tone. There wasn't any question that Senator Fossk knew exactly who he was already. How else would Fossk have sent for him? Proper introductions in these circumstances rarely contained new information.

The young Jedi settled into a seat, eyes nervously drifting across office décor. A hard swallow forced a lump down his throat. "To what do I owe your summons?" he croaked in inquiry.

 

[DARKCOM]

A smile crept across his face with the sign of respect, a rarity in these difficult times that he found most welcome and appreciated. There was no bad blood here, no accuser standing before him pointing the finger. That brought him relief, a visible display of tension relieving itself as he calmly lifted his hand in gesture, "A pleasure Padawan Saan'an, quite unnecessary but appreciated." The young Jedi made his way across the room into the comfort of the seat across from his own, his eyes followed the Padawan's own with curiosity and a hint of pride. There were relics among the decor, treasures from his days among the Ession Reformation and the Jedi Lords that held together the Army of Light under Cedric Grayson 's father, his master and greatest friend, Cyril Grayson.

He heard the question loud and clear but willingly shelved it for a moment, instead pointing out to a rust covered helmet preserved on display alongside several other small treasures. The Epochian stepped away from his desk, approaching the display with nostalgia on the mind.

"Jedi Lords of Ession. The Reformation, defenders of truth and justice in a galaxy ruled by the tyranny of the One Sith. The Republic had fallen, the Jedi Order scattered to the four winds. We banded together to take the fight to the darkness, much like your fellow Jedi in the New Jedi Order have."

His hand rested against the surface of the helm, a faint memory flickered to life before his eyes, a time long passed. The Elder Jedi exhaled softly, smoke rolling in small trails past his gaze from the nearby burning incense. "I need your help." With those words said he released his momentary grip over the relic of his past and turned his full attention back to Saan'an Gaelor . "Things have escalated, I fear my patronage of the New Jedi Order is no longer welcome. I fear the relationship may be strained beyond repair, it needs guidance, it needs a mediator."

Kaigann slowly approached the Padawan with a warm welcoming smile, "I'm on your side."

 

[Saan'an Gaelor]

Fossk sounded sincere. Felt sincere, too. Every ounce of Saan'an's furtive cynicism expected far less from him. Genuinely a pleasant surprise, though none of this had been what he expected. If it were a bet, Saan'an might have wagered on something to with the investigation, or by extension, the registry. As Saan'an heeded the Senator's words, with every passing sentiment, that lingering question intensified.

Why me?

"I'm afraid your assessment isn't far from the truth, Senator." At least, as far as Saan'an understood it. Jedi and the Senate possessed a turbulent relationship since the actions of one Knight Dawnstar. The Perl, followed by Karis incidents appeared to be the straw that broke the bantha's back, so to speak. Making one facet of the alliance yield to the other more than what had been arranged long ago was destined to be contentious.

Fossk's ideas especially so.

"Why me?" Saan'an asked, finally giving the question life. "I mean no disrespect, Senator Fossk, but you certainly could have picked someone more suited." A Councilor? A Master? Sure, not too many people would be on his side, but the well couldn't really be that dry, could it?

"My Master, Aeris Lashiec , is a Councilor. Reasonable, fair, measured. If you require mediation, she has far more influence than I do. I could refer her to you instead, I'm certain she would be willing to at least hear you out."

 

[DARKCOM]

His hand slid upon the desk's surface as he passed it by, soft steps echoing in the office chamber under the sound of the Jedi Padawan's voice. The Elder smirked with a hint of sadness, he slowed his body and lowered it gently with care into his seat across from Saan'an Gaelor . "They don't trust me. Why would they?" The Epochian frowned, his fingers rising up to brush through his beard in contemplation. "Ever since that unfortunate night, the attempt on my life and attack on my chief aide.. ah."

Fossk exhaled loudly, "To be frank, I chose you because you are not apart of the Circle. You have yet to be fully indoctrinated in the current political climate, you are still a neutral party. A clear set of eyes to judge and set the record straight, I believe you can be the voice of reason both the New Jedi Order and I need to make this right." There was an underlying smile that crept in, suppressed by his hardened political poker face, he was genuinely happy to say those words. It meant something to him.

"Let's clear the air for a moment, I tend to enjoy being more informal in these meetings. We can get back to the matter at hand in a bit, tell me about yourself my friend. How did you get involved in the Jedi Order? Where are you from?"

 

[Saan'an Gaelor]

A reaction pushed its way through his measured façade. Across Saan'an's features came the vestigial remnant of what wanted to be a much tighter grimace. The trust angle was a hard one to argue with, but it felt wrong not to contest it. Shouldn't Jedi be inclined to mediate by nature? Look past politics for the sake of resolution? Saan'an knew what the answer to those questions should have been, but he wasn't that naïve. Everything about the current climate was creating an 'us and them' attitude on every side. Even his side.

Even with the explanation given, it didn't sate his question. It felt like an answer that wasn't really an answer. Surely there were others who fit his criteria? They'd never met, but it didn't stop Fossk from already holding some kind of faith in him. It was almost troubling, and yet San'aan still sensed no deception, nor did he pick up any inkling of malfeasance.

"Oh, uh-" The Senator's probing caught San'aan of guard. Such a shift tore him from trying to analyze intentions. Divulging how he got involved with the order wasn't always the best to carry on lively conversation. "My sister and I were- Our Mother passed when we were very young." Never could he find a way to say that while feeling like he'd been tactful. "Two force-sensitive orphans with no living attachments mark a lot of the ideal boxes for Jedi," he added bluntly.

Informality made him shiver subtly. Still, he obliged Fossk's questions. "Where I'm from? I'm not sure. We moved around a lot before then. I've never seen Firrerre, and my Human half, well-" The coincidence of his background and Fossk's position only just hit him. "Mom always said my Dad was Epochian, actually." Nervous, humorous tittering resonated from behind a slanted regard. "Strange coincidence, but- I never met him. I've never been to Epoch, either."

Awkward feelings came. For a tangible moment, he was uncertain how to proceed. Saan'an finally offered back, "How did you get involved with your old order?" He'd almost forgotten he was speaking with a former Jedi.

 

[DARKCOM]

Kaigann smiled warmly as a slight chuckle escaped his lips, he had caught the boy off guard which was to be expected considering the sudden shift in conversation. He wanted to build trust between the two; if he was to accept the role offered for him, better yet effectively utilize said role. The Epochian’s representative to the Jedi Council, the Circle, needed to have as much faith in him as he did the council he served under.

“Excuse my bluntness, I meant no offense.”

He recognized the awkwardness such a question posed, divulging one’s past was a private matter and sometimes something many very rarely wished to dredge up. His face shifted to genuine sadness, a brief moment of reflection came to him before he spoke further.

“My condolences, it must of been very hard to deal with her passing.. let alone surviving as orphans in the era we live in.”

He leaned back and stroked his beard as he listened further intently. “I imagine it would be hard to pinpoint with such a history, the Force works in mysterious ways.” His ears perked up with the mention of his homeworld, at the mention of the boy’s father. “Fascinating..coincidence indeed. A shame you’ve never met your father, I imagine if he’s anything like you he’s a standup fellow. I can’t imagine what kind of Epochian would leave behind two children.. alone.. it just isn’t right.” He pressed a button on his desk, a sudden flash of holographic imagery and the planet Epoch came into view. “It appears you’ve missed out. Epoch is a paradise world, if you’d like I can organize a visit for you and your sister. It’s a wonderful culture.. a vibrant culture.. your culture.”

He fired back at the Elder with a question of his own, the wizened Jedi chuckled aloud heartily. “You wish to know how I joined? Such ancient history now, very well.” He nodded his head as he recollected, “A long time ago it was a stigma, a social stain to be born with the ability to manipulate the Force. It was viewed with ignorance and misunderstanding, my family.. they were among the royalty. There was an accident, my abilities were discovered at a young age. I was pawned off, luckily the Jedi took me in. My mother was devastated, my father.. he was relieved.”

The Senator’s face stiffened as he delved further, he hid the pain of his memories well. “I was trained on Coruscant during the late days of the Galactic Republic. My master was killed during the sacking, I escaped to Ossus along with the others. The One Sith were relentless. Luckily I was taken in by another and trained, Cyril Grayson, my brother in arms, my master. We took the fight back to the Sith, we built the Army of Light. The Ession Reformation.”

He exhaled loudly, “Another tale for another time, my history with the order is rich and long winded. I could tell you stories of my exploits from the Core Worlds and Unknown Regions to the days of Ession.”


Saan'an Gaelor

 

[Saan'an Gaelor]

"I took no offense, Senator," Saan'an assured. It wasn't the first time someone inquired about Saan'an's origins. Curiosity was a natural response to a lack of information. Even if Fossk was unusually forthright for Saan'an's taste, curiosity was still only that. He could at the very least respect an aversion to beating around the bush. Even if took him several steps to compensate for no real opener.

"Th-thank you," he accepted the condolences with an air of uncertainy. No one had ever offered that kind of reaction to hearing the same details. It felt different. It felt... nice?

A nervous, modest smile shot across Saan'an's face as he held one hand up pleadingly. "I appreciate your offer, Senator, but I'm afraid I can't accept. It feels like it's far too much to organize just for the likes of me, and I'm not certain my sister shares the same fascination with visiting the place." Every word of his declination was spoken with an embarrassed urgency. Truthfully it pained him to turn it down. Visiting the place was something he often daydreamed about. Alas is far too expensive and complicated a gift for him to feel right about taking. Especially as a Jedi from a Senator.

It almost smelled like conflict of interest.

The younger Jedi was quiet as the elder relayed his past. There was a sparkle in Saan'an's odd, half-Firrerreo eyes as the details came to light. Though brief, it managed to be both exciting and informative. Saan'an was a sucker for even anecdotal and esoteric histories.

"My condolences for your late Master," he offered, trying to return the same small kindness Fossk had shown him It felt awkward to say, despite his genuine intentions.

"The Ession Reformation," Saan'an echoed. "Remarkable. I'm sure there are plenty of stories, but at the risk of sounding non-punctual, may I ask why you left?"

DARKCOM

 

[DARKCOM]

Ah that was good, the Senator felt at ease he made no offense, a warm smile was issued in return to his words. When the Jedi turned down his offer he acknowledged it with a nonchalant gesture, he truthfully understood where the Jedi might have qualms with visiting the paradise world and searched his voice to see if there was any emotional reaction there. His smile widened further, “Ah yes, perhaps another time. I understand completely but I must say no Epochian regardless of their upbringing should be without seeing the planet once in their lifetime.”

His eyes glanced down but his face remained fixed with the same smike planted across his face, “My first master was a wise man, he was a victim of the One Sith and their campaign. He had many flaws but was a good man and a good teacher.” His eyes lifted and a chuckle escaped his lips in recollection, “My second master.. Cyril on the other hand was brilliant but rash, powerful and wise. Perhaps you’ve heard the exploits of his son? Cedric Grayson , my god-son, I consider him a nephew as I considered Cyril my brother.”

He stopped in his tracks for but a moment upon the query, his mind playing events back. He bit the corner of his lip and chuckled once more, “A part of me never left, it’s still out there fighting the One Sith, skirmishing with the Primeval. I’ve been lost on a dozen worlds, left to fend for myself and survive in environments unsuited for human sustainability.. yet I endured. There is a part of me that is still there, everyday I kill it to ground myself here and now. I’m an old man after all.”

He exhaled out a brief sigh and nodded his head, “I left the Reformation after the Battle of Coruscant when Cyril and the Reformation took the fight to the Dark Lord’s ilk. I found myself that day and never looked back. After meeting my nephew, I took a pilgrimage into the Unknown Regions and swore the Barash Vow.”





Saan'an Gaelor