Preparing for Rhen Var

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus trudged towards the Academy. She was wet though and despite the water, it was clear she'd been crying. Her eyes were red. What was also different about her was the shoto, hanging from her belt.

She didn't know what to do first. Shower? She felt dirty to her bones. Not just physically but mentally. Sleep? She felt mentally and physically exhausted. Talk? No - that was the last thing on her mind as talking meant questions and questions meant answers and answers meant the truth. And the truth was painful.

A few months ago, Corvus bumped into a fellow Padawan by accident and a wonderful friendship bloomed. By coincidence Corvus managed to walk into the same person in the same spot - but under entirely different circumstances.

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

The morning was still rather young and Kana was walking through the temple grounds in an effort to wake up properly. Though not always one to wake easily it would seem last night had been the exception. Whoever it was that had left had been quiet but not quiet enough.

Kana stretched her arms in a yawn when Corvus bumped into her, again, in the same spot as once before. Really, they had to stop meeting like this. Kana lowered her hands from rubbing her eyes and looked at Corvus. The girl looked like a complete mess. What had she been up to?

“What’s going on Corvus? You’re all… Wet.”

A rather obvious statement but it was best to take it from the apparent beginning.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus looked at Kana – clearly surprised she’d bumped into her and then looked straight at the ground. She couldn’t give her friend eye contact. After all of the advice she’d given Kana on the duties and behaviours of a Jedi. Preaching about acting for the good of the Order – for the good of the many over the guidance their heart was telling them was the right path.

And here she was, utterly crestfallen over her inability to act in defence of a Padawan she’d know for literally a few hours?

Corvus remained silent for a short while. Credit to Kana for letting the lack of interaction hang – for not speaking herself and letting Corvus off the hook.

By way of an explanation, Corvus touched the koto on her belt. “Sith. Here at the Academy.” She shrugged, still not able to bring herself to look her friend in the eyes. “They've gone. Taken a Padawan with them.” It was Corvus' voice but her tone was downbeat - almost defeated.

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

The warm smile quickly faded at the mention of Sith.

“There is what?” Kana’s voice grew more serious than ever, almost cold even. “Corvus, look at me.”

The girl’s reluctance to do so spoke against her. The shoto on her belt was a hilt she had never seen Corvus carry before and it certainly didn’t help shed any light on the matter. What was with the reluctance of eye contact, tears and shame? That was usually Kana’s part of their friendship. To see her friend down like this was unsettling to put it lightly.

“You’re not making any-”

“They’ve gone, taken a padawan with them.”

“They’ve done what!?”

She couldn't help staring the girl down. This was not true, it was not happening. This didn’t sound like something Corvus of all people would be part of. No, she was the good one of their little duo and Kana was the one who messed up. It was denial at its finest but the matter had to be investigated nonetheless.

“Look, just calm down and tell me about it, Corvus.” Kana’s staring did not stop. “Start from the top, do not leave any details out of it.”

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus stared at the ground, and the tears started again. “I’ve failed her.”

Kana remained patient and Corvus pulled herself together.

“OK, I’ll tell you everything. I was awoken this morning, long before we usually rise. A Padawan named Elara asked for my help. She was the Padawan to Master Sophia Walsh. She said she’d been asked to find a Padawan and request they help her find a vault hidden under the Academy. Apparently the Jedi investigating Master Walsh’s disappearance had a map of the ruins and wondered if there was an explanation down there as to why the Sith are able to turn so many. “

“It seems I was chosen as they didn’t know who to trust plus they didn’t want a widespread search in case it panicked people.”

“Anyway, the map took us to an old lab. Blood covered tables and walls. And computer equipment.”

“Then a hologram appeared. It seemed to think we were Padawans who were already Sith spies but it didn’t recognise us. It was Balaya. She’s an infamous Sith Lord.”

“We didn’t stay and on our way out we saw a Padawan running away from the tunnel we were in. We also found some rings and deduced they were used by Padawan spies to identify each other. Elara wanted to wear them but I put mine in my pocket.”

“We followed the Padawan out of the Academy and came upon some Jedi ships nearby. Then another landed – Master Vulpesen's Defender Class. I’m a Corellian, we know our ships.”

“Anyway, Balaya came out of the ship. There were lots of other Sith there too. Elara ran to attack her and was immediately taken.”

At this point Corvus faltered. Tears welled in her eyes. “I…I…I…ran away.”

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

So it was Corvus who had left in the middle of the night. Kana let her attention sail away for a few seconds as the plot Corvus went on about truly sunk in.

Corvus’ devastation was understandable. She felt as if she had betrayed this ‘Elara’ she mentioned. Kana would most likely have been in Corvus’ state if it had been her instead. To just let someone go like that, to live with knowing you possibly let someone die. No, the thought seemed unthinkable.

Kana softened up as Corvus erupted into tears once more.

“Heeey.” Kana wrapped her arms around Corvus in a hug, no matter if she liked those or not. “No need for that, okay? You did all you could if you consider the circumstances.”

It was going against most of what Kana had tried to practice when it came to not getting overly attached to someone, but Corvus would most likely always remain the exception to the rule. She had been there and solid since day one. She had seen Kana during her lowest points and her highest, if she wasn’t there for Corvus as a friend right now she’d never forgive herself.

“You were faced with the biggest dilemma. Do you let one person suffer for the greater good or let the greater good suffer for one person?”

The code probably said ‘Yes’ when it came to the former but it could go shove it. At least for the moment.

“Do you remember our mission on Taboon?” Kana would try to smile in an effort to lighten the mood. “I really wanted to let that addict go. He was in pain and he didn’t know what he was doing. I was almost willing to believe his pleas. Plea for plea I just started to feel bad for the guy, but still I knew that if I were to let him go then he would come back and he would take it out on someone else.”

“It’s not exactly the same but what I’m trying to say is that sometimes the right choices are those that hurt the most.”

Comparing releasing drug addicts to dead and missing padawans. Smooth, Kana.

“The important thing here is that you make good use of this chance she gave you.” Kana let her hand set on Corvus’ shoulder. “What you make of my crazy rant isn’t up to me, but I’d say a good start to all this would be to inform the others.”

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened to her friend. She was using her own arguments against her. No, not against her – that suggested some sort of conflict. Kana was just talking sense – it was just a little frustrating that it was the sort of sense she’d tell herself if she could be a little more dispassionate.

“I know what the Code says.” Her voice was not challenging but instead accepting. Letting Kana know that she was right.

Corvus cast her mind back to Taboon. How she’d felt the conflict in Kana then – but her friend had done the right thing.

The trouble was that being right felt so bad at this moment in time. And Corvus was starting to doubt herself. Elara had challenged the Sith. Corvus had run away. Of course she’d wrapped that up as the ‘right thing to do’ and being ‘for the greater good’ but when the chips were down, Elara had shown her what a true Jedi was supposed to do.

But all this self-pity was solving nothing. Corvus was used to bottling up emotions – it was something she had to do daily. So she compartmentalised the pain for now – to be opened and reviewed later.

“OK, who do you suggest we speak to first?” Corvus had pulled herself together, but she clearly wanted her friend to lead the way.

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus sighed. This was her story to tell, not Kana's and it was unfair to ask her friend to take the lead.

"OK, I've pulled myself together. Let's find a Master or Knight and I can tell them what I just told you. Ideally Grandmaster Grayson, but at least someone with enough gravitas that they can carry the message up the chain of command."

And so Corvus and [member="Kana Truden"] went looking for a Knight or Master they recognised to share their information with.

[member="Kiskla Grayson"] | [member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Jorus Merrill"]