Jedi Conclave (The Silver Jedi and TJO)

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus rolled her eyes in mock annoyance as Connor spoke to Kana. In truth she was pleased the two had finally met.

Connor spoke first and she wondered if he’d share anything she didn’t already know about. There was nothing in truth, in fact it was her own sister that was helping to remove the Sith magic from him. And although Corvus took it in her stride, the silence that followed must have made Connor feel uncomfortable. Fortunately the Silver Jedi she’d never met stepped in.

It was good to hear from another healer. For so long, Ava was the only one Corvus really knew of but with Kana and Maya so prominent it boded well for the future.

Corvus decided to go next. “I am Corvus Raaf. Most of you know me, so I’ll keep this mercifully brief. I came to Ossus a dozen or so years ago, via the Corellian Jedi, whom I left when my Master died. I look after the Ossus Academy – and have done for over six years now.”

[member="Maya Whitelight"] | [member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Maya Whitelight"] | [member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]​

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Her arms rasied up as Thurion embraced her from behind, she held them with a smile as she could feel the warmth of his body against her back. His presence always ever present regardless if they are together or apart. He simply lives in her heart. "No, the meeting has not started yet", she whispered as she turned her face toward him nuzzling her nose against his cheek.

Most in the room she had met or had seen briefly in other social occassions, and as they all began to introduce themselves at the request of Master Karr, Coci listened with attention of interest. So many different backgrounds and experiences and some more to come. The atmosphere of the conference room relaxing with the palpable strength of the light side. Connor with traces of darkness, to be expected considering his experiences, but Coci knows the man very well and knows his heart is pure to the light.

She remained as is befor she spoke up. There is no need of concealment not here and not to hide emotions that simply does not work in her mind, best to be honest about them.

"I shall speak next and give a brief history. As most of you know I have recently married and soon to have our first child. Before joining Master E'ron in founding the Order of the Silver Jedi, I had worked for the Republic, I entered the Order as Padawan and worked with the then GIA in intelligence. Before that with the Army of Light which in time disbanded. Mostly working in security and such. I spent some time as a member of small group of resistance fighters running out of Corellia, the group made up of friend I had met in Military College. But now I stand before you, as Master of the Silver Order". she ended her introduction.

Yet there was so much more and most of which she did not desire to tell. Her work within the Silver Shadows, considering her position, is much guarded and soon when Master Karr and herself meet in more private setting she will speak of it to him.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Spoiler

OOC Note: I am continuing this thread as a Knight, as that was Sera's rank at the start of it.

Sera sat in place, listening to each of the other masters of both the Jedi Order and Silver Order give their introductions and greetings. One of her eyes would involuntarily raise as Connor spoke about the dark Sith magic buried within him, though she would keep quiet. If the others within both orders felt him trustworthy and safe enough, then she'd not have anything to say against him. Listening to each of the others speak in turn after she realized she had little in the way of offerings that the others hadn't already brought.

Slowly standing from her seat towards the back she gave a polite bow. "I am Seraphina. Contrary to popular belief, I am from Cambria, not Ryloth, though my family had lived there before my birth. I was brought to the Jedi at a young age, trained, and then was handed over to the wonderful teachings of Master Truden here. How she ever put up with me I will never know, but I made it through mostly unharmed. Just never put a blaster in her hands if she's feeling feisty." The Twi'lek smirked at Kana before sitting back down.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Maya Whitelight"]

 

[Kana Truden]

Listening in to the others Kana let her eyes wander between her silvery friends. She knew the Republic Jedi quite well, at least the ones in this room for reasons that Seraphina made more clear than most could. Padawans, friends and best friend (also grandmaster), all Kana really wanted to know was who the others were.

She listened to Connor, Maya and Coci and provided them each a slow nod of approval. Same difference seemed to be the keyword when it came to the orders, really.

“Well, I am Kana, old master to Seraphina. I don’t have much to say. I have been keeping busy on Ruusan trying to establish myself as a Jedi Healer. It’s slow work, but it’s coming together. I know Coci and Thurion from their wedding, but not much else. I’m sorry.”

What was her life story. “I am from Alderaan, hated my life, Order found me, friends with Corvus, positive outlook on life. Really, that’s just the abridged version. Oh and also healer training, but that'd be a repetition of what I said earlier.”

Keep it nice, short, and confusing. A winning concept!

[member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]​

[member="Kian Karr"] [member="Connor Harrison"] [member="Maya Whitelight"]​

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[member="Coci Heavenshield"] <3 [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] = True​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Listening to the introductions one after the other, Thurion was sat pondering what to say once it was his turn. Everyone else had managed to keep their history short and to the point, so why couldn't he? "Well, here goes nothing..." he whispered for Coci's ears only as his hand brushed lightly against hers before addressing those gathered.

"I was raised an orphan on Pelagon with my older brother looking after me. After he died I was found by then-Jedi Knight Asha Seren, who taught me about the Force and the Jedi Order. We spent our time on Tython and Coruscant equally until we left the Order when I was 10. The Silent Conclave was formed, what was later to evolve into the Levantine Sanctum."

"At age 20 I received my knighthood and set out on a pilgrimage across the stars, which lasted for 5 years. I met all sorts of characters, including that scoundrel over there," he smirked and gestured towards [member="Connor Harrison"]. "It was also during this time that I met my... I guess 'daughter-to-be'? I stumbled upon little Nina on Umbara, and once I found out she was a homeless orphan like I had been at her age, I took her in as my own. Didn't take long for me to legally adopt her." He looked over at [member="Coci Heavenshield"] and couldn't help but beam a smile.

"Now, at the start my third decade, I'm a married man with a son on the way. More often than not I feel a lack of worthiness that I be granted these joys in life, but such is the way of the Force: unpredictable." With a bow he rejoined Coci and quickly found her hand to hold.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Maya Whitelight"]​

 

[Kian Karr]

"Excellent." Kian said folding his arms across his chest and eyeing each of the Jedi before him. He was pleased that they had all come together for this meeting. It wasn't meant to be anything formal or major, but rather a building or solidifying of the relations between the two Orders.

"Part of what prompted me to get this meeting going was the establishment of the Jedi Academy Network." Kian continued, "Padawans, then exposed to more Orders than just our own began asking what the differences were between our Orders." Kian said, smiling beneath this mask. They had been hard questions to ask. "This wasn't an easy question to ask.....because there are far more similarities than differences between our tenets and philosophies."

"Another reason I thought this reason was necessary was the fact that I know so few of you." Kian admitted. "While Master Raaf has interacted with a number of your Order, I suspect that the majority of us do not.....I thought this a sad thing. There is so much we could learn from more interaction and unity."

"Finally, I thought it best to have a conclave because, while the menace of the Sith has abated for a time, we must be realistic. This is but a respite. Soon the One Sith will go on the war path again and if the Jedi are to stand a chance at pushing back that tide of darkness, we need to be united in our opposition to them."

"Thoughts?"

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]​

[member="Corvus Raaf"]​

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]​

[member="Kana Truden"]​

[member="Connor Harrison"]​

[member="Maya Whitelight"]​

[member="Coci Heavenshield"]​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] | [member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Maya Whitelight"] @anyone I missed.​

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"Master Karr, firstly thank you for organising this meeting between our Orders", she said bowing her respected, "The first initial steps toward a unification between our Orders have began. Meeting with Grand Master Raaf was the first of it", she nodded to Corvus. "Our philosophies vary only a little, we are Jedi and follow a code as best we can, the only real difference, we are not associated with any political group. However, we are not ignorant of politics and know that the galaxy revolves around it regardless and we are influenced by it over all".

"I would be happy to open the doors to any Jedi Order member that would like to visit Voss and train with us, we could initiate a program to achieve this which would include our members coming to the Jedi Order for the same purpose, if they so choose".

"This I believe to be paramount in order to ready our Jedi for the coming war with the Sith. The Silver Jedi are not as battle ready as we would like, and so I have been speaking with people in order to increase our armoury manifest to prepare. It might be prudent, to consider running a form of battle sims for our Jedi that are not hardened by war, I can only think of a few within the Silver Order that would have had experience of war. As you know, no one can ever be prepared for war not only in weapons and the like, but what one will face, the destruction and death, the mind will never forget. We could bring both Orders together and at least run scenarios to ready those as best we can for when war arrives".

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded in accord with both Kian and Coci. “I concur our similarities vastly outweigh our differences and as we both stand as guardians of peace in the galaxy, any political variations are minor in the scheme of things - at least in how we work together and help each other.”

“And the offer of training goes both ways - Ossus, and to a lesser extent Ruusan are both available for you to use and we’ve already opened up access to the Holocrons we currently hold to all Light-sided Jedi, so feel free to make use of them. Access is remote for us all, but we have a supply of head-sets that can be used to link to them.”

“And sadly I have to agree that the current state of affairs with the One Sith is not a permanent feature of the galactic landscape and before long we shall be faced with their war-machine once more. Disheartening but inevitable. And the idea of battle simulations sounds an ideal one. For facing the Sith in the flesh is nothing like sparring at an Academy. But a sim is the next best thing - and so I for one will do whatever I can to help out.”

And then she sat back, allowing someone else the floor.

[member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] | [member="Maya Whitelight"] | [member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor rested his elbows on his thighs, lacing his hand together, watching and listening to first Coci and then Corvus. He swung softly on his chair, left to right, and thought about what was being said. As the floor was free, he wanted to say something, but had a reservation about it. Moving forward, and then stopping himself, he looked around – no movement from the others, so he stood to speak.

”Feel like I’m in a study room, talking to teachers when I stand up. Dear me.”

He smiled and crossed his arms, his inability to stand still taking over and he took to walking around the outside of the other seats as he spoke.

”Training sims are all good, but… he sighed softly and started to rub his fingers together, ”…I feel it won’t be enough to prepare us. We are putting a lot of faith in a system that is failing and I don’t think we want to admit it. Not that I mean we as Jedi are failing, but how we act, and respond to the Sith, it’s not right.”

The hole was dug, and he wished he hadn’t even picked up the shovel right about now.

”I’m sorry, this is probably coming out wrong, I’m not the best at explaining my mind, but we need to start getting our hands dirty if we stand any chance of standing up to the Sith. We have lost allies to the Sith that I know about and have seen, but I don’t recall knowing any of their kind that has fallen. We are picked systematically picked off. While they watch us debate, and strive for something that will never happen, they are circling like mynocks waiting to strike – and then they do, and then they flee, and watch us pick up the pieces and run ourselves thin.”

He made his way back around to his seat.

”We are the ones who are known for being on the back-peddle, and always defending. There will come a time when we must be the ones advancing; to show we are not afraid to do what we swore we would do taking on the mantle of a Jedi; to pierce the darkness with our light, not the other way around. I feel that soon there will be a time, as you say, where our forces will clash, and if we are not mentally and emotionally prepared rather than just physically in training, we are going to lose. The Sith will do so much more to us than anything we can expect from just a training sim.”

The chair was behind him, and Connor looked to the others before seating, linking his hands once more and glancing to the floor before looking up, preparing for what he was used to – the backlash and frowns of others.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] | [member="Maya Whitelight"]

 

[Kana Truden]

“No.” Kana’s voice rung out. “Unless we want our numbers to dwindle we have no choice but to wait for their offensive.”

“Going by that I refuse to co-operate on a plan to engage the Sith. We need this time to recuperate and rethink what it is we have rather than what it is that they have.”

Her seat beckoned again and and Kana let her back rest against the backrest again. “That’s not to say my friends will not co-operate, but you can count me out. I need all the time I have to help our Knights with their battle wounds they already have. I don’t want to send them off to gain new ones before it’s absolutely necessary.”

[member="Connor Harrison"] [member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Coci Heavenshield"] ​

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"] [member="Kian Karr"] [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]​

 

[Connor Harrison]

The objection came surprisingly fast from one he didn’t know well – Master Truden. He turned his head to her, a slight knot in his brow and somewhat taken aback by how quickly it had come.

”What?”

His head shook and he looked away, dismissing with a wave of his fingers.

”Master Truden, that’s exactly why our number dwindle because all we ever do is wait, and then we are caught unaware when they do strike because we’re trying too hard to think and plot and plan. They don’t think – they just act and act as one machine, not segregated cells or groups. I didn’t say send our warriors to strike back at first, just to be more resilient, give them a run for their credits; affirm ourselves as something more than a carpet to walk over.”

He rested his cheek on a clenched fist.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] | [member="Maya Whitelight"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera leaned back in her seat, listening to the masters speak amongst themselves. Her lips pushed to the right side of her mouth and briefly puffed out the same cheek. An involuntary habit of sorts. The discussion began well enough, relating to the sharing of temples and holocron data, though once the subject of the Sith was brought up Sera's nose twitched as she prepared for inevitable debate over the course of action to take with them having stampeded all over the core worlds, and both Manaan and Kashyyyk before that, as well as their countless other warmongering crusades including, but not only, Dorin.

Listening to Connor, he had sound reasoning for wanting to send a blow to the Sith, to show them that both the Republic Jedi and Silver Jedi are still here and in force, and in truth she wanted to take them down just as much as the next Jedi, but the reality of the matter was that their own numbers were limited right now, and the number of those tasked with defending the Republic militarily were also on the downward side of the scale. While Sera processed the details given by Connor, Kana seemed a bit overeager to immediately dismiss the idea, snapping up almost as soon as the Silver Jedi finished speaking to declare herself disinterested with the matter entirely.

A small puff of air blew from between her lips while her upper row of teeth bit down slightly on her lower lip. Another moment would pass before she would interject between the two masters.

"If I may, masters...Connor has a point. Training simulators will not be the answer to our problems. There is no logical algorithm that these systems can cook up that will pit us against anything even remotely close to what we will face when dealing with a single Sith Lord, not to mention a whole flock of them. Each one is more demented and sadistic than the last. That being said, we also can't charge head long on to Coruscant and engage them either. And while I don't exactly have a master plan of my own, I would suggest something of a middle ground between being entirely passive of them, and charging the bull's horns. Perhaps small excursions, deal damage to their resources, locate their acolyte training facilities and for lack of a better word, rescue, their students. Just as they are so found of doing to us. We need not risk so much to gain small victories."

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Maya Whitelight"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened as she was prone to do. Her old Master on Corellia drilled into her that she had one mouth and two ears for a reason. You learned nothing whilst you were speaking.

The conversation was flowing and that was a good thing. And at an appropriate juncture she chose to add a few words. "I'll start by saying that simulations is a generic term. It's not just about fighting droids. We could learn a lot by sparring in real conditions between ourselves. Out in the field and with intensity - but with zero likelihood of casualties." She glanced at Kana, "We have enough stretching our Healers due to fighting the Sith, let alone each other."

"And the debate is healthy and there are always two sides to two sides. So, I am invariably drawn to the Code and what it might say on the subject. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defence, never for aggression. I'm sure I have the wording correct. Self-discipline is a key concept of Jedi behaviour. Yet the Code says we may strike without aggression, as long as we act without recklessness, hatred or anger."

"So...a conundrum. I was recently visited by a Sith Lord, I seem to be making a habit of it it seems. A true Sith, species wise, who abhors what the One Sith are doing. His counsel? That we have slowed the enemy's momentum. And once we slow it sufficiently they will do what they always do - turn on themselves. And sitting in the gardens of Ossus, I was thinking then what I am pondering now. Do we strike and risk giving them the momentum back or continue to regroup and wait for them to attack. Or...is there a third option." She looked at Sera now. "To eat away at their resolve. Maybe a thousand bee stings will have a greater impact than a Krayt Dragon's bite?"

"I do not profess to know the answer but there is one thing I do know. Between us we do."

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] | [member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Maya Whitelight"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Maya Whitelight"] and [member="Thurion Heavenshield"]​

​

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"I agree with Master Raaf, and I shall explain a little more my idea of the simulation. I also agree that computer run sims do little to capture the true nature of war, so therefore may I suggest, we simulate combat rather than even sparring, by having a 'skirmish', for want of a better word, between the Jedi Order and the Order of the Silver Jedi. One side the aggressor the other the defender. This way we can make a scenario as close to 'real time war', as possible. It simply would be negligent of us to initiate a first strike at this point, considering we are all lacking the man power not to mention experience in conflict. Asking Knights and/ or Padawans to volunteer to take to the field of battle without us providing them with not only equipment and weapons but lack of preparation is something I could not do".

"I understand .. we all want to rid the galaxy of such evils as the Sith, and to bring back freedoms to people that suffer under their yoke. But we would be doing them a disservice if we fail simply because we did not consider options and act upon them"

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian sat back and listened, his hand stroking the spikes on his antiox mask as he considered the options being discussed. Kian wasn't in total agreement or disagreement with either side of the debate. He agreed that better training between the two Orders would strengthen the incoming cohorts of Jedi and better prepare them for the coming storm.....but he was also in agreement, at least to an extent, with Connor.

"I certainly can get on board with the idea of a skirmish between the Orders...." Kian said nodding his head at Coci's suggestion. "It would allow us to really put the students through the rounds."

"However, I don't think we should focus solely on training." Kian said folding his hands in front of him on the table. "As Master Harrison has recommended, I believe we should strike at the Sith....but that it should be a measured response. We can not afford to engage the Sith openly on the battlefield." Kian said shaking his head.

"But there are other ways to fight wars." Kian said smiling behind his mask. "We should be striking from the shadows, hitting them where they least expect it and vanishing before they have an opportunity to respond. We can coordinate with the military and the intelligence divisions to pick targets.....and we can target high ranking Sith directly."

[member="Coci Heavenshield"] - [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] - [member="Corvus Raaf"] - [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] - [member="Connor Harrison"] - [member="Kana Truden"] - [member="Maya Whitelight"]​

 

[Connor Harrison]

Only moving his blue eyes, Connor rested on his hand as he watched the others speak, with various opinions and thoughts and plans. This was another thing he wasn't good at doing - sitting and debating and picking holes when action should be taken. The Sith didn't conquer planets and murder Jedi by simply sitting and debating what to do next. While he wasn't a butcher like many Sith Lords, Connor certainly had the want to DO something.

It was surprising to her a few mild agreements to his ideas, and certainly comforting to know he wasn't speaking too much out of his depth. His hand moved to rub his temple slightly.

Not not...not now...

When Master Kiar spoke, he shifted and leant forward, rubbing the temple gently and as casually as he could while he watched the Jedi and listened intently. A small nod followed, and a smile cracked on the edges of his lips.

”Exactly. We may not need to strike on the battlefield, that will be another time coming I am sure. But we certainly have the skills and persons available to hit from the shadows. We are Masters and Knights, warriors and defenders - we all have the drive to do good and the power of the Force to help us do it, and we must use it, rather than just debate in meetings and thinking and planning how best to use it.”

He sat up and held his hand out, rubbing his finger around the thumb.

”They know our most important profiles and don't hesitate to set out in maybe not killing them, but certainly wounding and hurting them, which in turn has a knock on effect to the entire Order. It's time we did the same to some of theirs. I for one will volunteer to liaise with intelligence and find those we feel are best to monitor.”

If anything was going to bring expected hurdles, it would be this.


[member="Corvus Raaf"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"] | [member="Maya Whitelight"]