Private Like A Crown

[Bernard]

Shortly after the events of A Monument To Your Sins ...

The X-Wing's cockpit hissed at it depressurized. It stood at the edge of the clearing opposite the small gathering of beings in white. The glasteel canopy lifted and let the cool air of Byss' atmosphere roll into the cramped cockpit.

Bernard keyed the finalizing steps of the landing procedure into the console and hopped over the X-Wing's side onto the dirt below, starting his approach toward the gathering expecting him.

Nothing within the Force tipped him off about them. Their hearts held a desire for things to be set right, mimicking the goal he meant to achieve with the proclamation at Coruscant's temple. However, they betrayed little else of use, and the air of secrecy around them didn't much aid in building mutual goodwill. Not yet at least. Until he could be certain they would be allies he'd have to tread lightly. Trust, but verify the old addage went.

Bernard came to a halt a stone's toss away from the gathering, close enough to speak without straining his voice too much. Up close, he noted the similarities in their appearances. Not only did they dress in white, each one had the same colour eyes and hair. All white. And the confidence in their stances further pointed towards the renowned warriors of Eshan.

"You have called me here. I am Bernard, but you knew this. What do you seek from me?"

Taresa Kae

 

[Taresa Kae]

Formality and respect manifested within the Echani body language, with subtle gestures adapting to the nature of the exchange. The eldest female speaker beside Taresa bowed her head, eyes open, respectfully, and the others followed suit. The Echani embodied traditional purity in manner, dress, and expression.

"My name is Ciridia, Master Jedi; we have felt the weight of your words. House Kae has been ravaged by Rogue Jedi and Dark forces dating back to our ancestor, Hana Kae," she stated, her voice calm yet resolute. "Their deeds went unpunished." The Kae ancestor's tale grew different with each telling, but it was certain that she had been a Dark Jedi at one point.

"It is true that a Jedi cannot be everywhere, attending to every minor matter. However, a Jedi going rogue or abandoning their teachings and order is no small matter." The seriousness of their vows resonated within them, their stance mirroring their conviction more than their words.

Hearing Hana Kae's name was difficult for Judgment, evoking bitterness, yet her emotion aligned with the gravity of the situation. A series of unfortunate incidents had marred this house, and almost all those present had done no wrong. They were like Benard, who viewed those treading upon sacred commitments with horror.

Judgment spoke, her tone measured and precise. "We wish to make amends for House Kae's many misfortunes. There is no Justicar of the Jedi code, no one to tend to those who stray, no one who even tries. We would follow you where you lead, in your service, to find atonement for and with all those lost souls who besmirch, shun, or defile the Jedi Code."

The sincerity in her words and stance was undeniable; it ran through her core. Judgment would follow his lead and bring justice to the Jedi who strayed. Why should a code mean nothing and a vow be broken without a second thought? What meaning was there to it if it was so easily trodden on?

Bernard

 

[Bernard]

A subtle shift appeared in the Echani's stances. Nothing threatening, not yet at least, but Bernard got the sense they stood more upright, as though discipline made their stance more taut. Normally, he felt quite confident in his ability to read other beings, but with Echani he wasn't as certain. He'd picked up enough about their culture to know body language played an important role in their society. Echani were purported to be excellent at reading body language, as well as communicating non-verbally. If it was true they could hold entire conversations without speaking a word, then there would be much he could learn from observing, provided their culture had not also adapted the skill of deception into that wordless speech.

And he had a feeling they did.

Bernard returned the respectful bow with his own, not one to let courtesy fall by the wayside even when caution was called for above all else. He noted an increase in heat in the Echani speaker's face alongside the subtle shift in stances accompanying the mention of Jedi abandoning their duties.

The Echani at the Eldest' side continued, with much the same exactness to her words and movements. Her offer came unexpected, catching Bernard off guard. For a fraction of a second, his eyes widened by margins and he shifted, barely, to focus her.

"Our intentions appear to align. Speak, who are you who would follow me?" He asked. They'd provided an identity, but Bernard did not yet have much to attach to it. The means of secrecy they employed and their heritage as Echani implied competence in many fields, but he wished to know more, directly from them.

"And how can I be certain of your loyalty?" He said with much the same deliberation the Echani employed in their speech.

Following a proclamation as visible as the one he'd made at Coruscant, he'd expected many new enemies and strong opposition from the moment he'd hammered the nail. Perhaps it had been his own conceit not to expect new allies to come forth so soon either. The galaxy tended to be bigger than he often presumed.

Taresa Kae

 

[Taresa Kae]

His bow was received warmly as a gesture of respect. Astute, Bernard noticed the significance of the unspoken world. Their words were often flatter and less emphasized among themselves, while they tried to express themselves verbally with others.

"Who are you who would follow me?"

Some almost took the request literally, ready to give their names, missing the audio cue others might pick up on. The eldest spoke again, better understanding his request for more information through his posture and gestures.

"We are a noble Echani House from Eshan with Force-sensitives among us," Hana's bloodline endured; four out of fourteen here showed Force potential. "If you would have it, we would place our daughters and sons under your guidance and marshal what resources we can from our homeworld." Though the House of Kae had suffered many tragedies, its nobility remained unquestioned by those who knew it personally. A sense of tradition still shone in this incarnation of the Kae, reminiscent of ancient times and their founder before their misfortunes.

"Loyalty is proven through action, Master Jedi. As you rightly observed, those who honor or sully the code in their deeds. By offering our kin, we offer our lifeblood." The Elder showed some wisdom and rhetoric, they could do no more than place their house's future under his command. The eldest's resignation to duty in her body language was palpable, approximating how Hana Kae once was. Perhaps Hana had more fire and presence, but that was a better time for the Kae.

Taresa both hated and approved of this. Rebuilding the house of Kae meant fulfilling her mission by assigning them to hunt rogue Jedi while also strengthening something she had long tormented under different guises. Her professionalism remained absolute, with only the briefest flicker of internal conflict at the prospect, completely overridden by her mission and purpose.

The hardest but most familiar part came to Judgement, absolute commitment: Taresa Kae took a knee before Bernard. "I swear on the blood of House Kae, on the blood of our ancestors, and every gesture we have done or will do that I, Taresa Kae, will serve you in bringing to justice rogue or wayward Jedi who flaunt the code and dishonor the memory. May the Force strike us down if our oath is ever broken."

The words were not as crucial as her taking a knee and offering her silver sword, raised and held flat in her palms. Her house's sword was his. How very Kethenite in its sacrificial commitment.

Bernard

 

[Bernard]

The question crossed his mind, of whether he would be sending these people to their deaths should he agree. Among the predatory creatures in the galaxy, fallen and dark Jedi ranked near the top in deadliness. They were dangerous quarry, even for Force Sensitives. However, as he watched the Echani he saw no sign of empty confidence. Whether from their training or their devotion in spite of understanding the risks, they stood resolute, projecting silent power.

Bernard's impassive, observing eyes didn't betray the frown he felt building.

Their confidence likely meant they were trained to take down a trained Force User, and posessed the willingness to risk doing so. No sane leader would pledge their future to a cause as dangerous as hunting fallen Jedi without some confidence their people could take the challenge. He reassessed the Echani. On the flipside of the coin, this implied he now faced a dozen combatants who posed a considerable threat to his life.

Bernard crossed his arms, anticipating he might let his fingers inch closer to his lightsaber if he didn't. He turned his attention to the woman who knelt with blade in hand. She proved difficult to read, but then he'd never been a Jedi who excelled in the empathic skills. He observed the tangible and somatic.

Her gesture and her words spoke of deference, but he sensed it wasn't to him, perhaps not even his cause, but to a deeper set sense of duty. That key point kept surfacing again and again. Each of the Echani seemed utterly devoted to a cause, down to the very fibers of their beings.

He sighed and dropped his head in thought, finally frowning.

"I must warn you that I am no leader, and I will be honest that I find it difficult to accept your oath," he said, somewhat surprising himself in his decision to stall.

"Please, do not take this as my refusal." Though the idea of using other beings for his own ends had never sat right with him, he'd begun changing. For better or for worse, he could see the utility in the Echani's offer.

"But permit me another question. I find your willingness to serve the cause of the Light admirable, especially with the devotion you show. However, why do you require me to find absolution? Your House has suffered before, and I know nothing of Echani politics or the intriciacies of the position you must navigate. What is it that I offer you in return for your service?"

Taresa Kae