In a single instant, he went from awe to confusion. The Jedi spoke on a level above and beyond his comprehension, though the subject matter was enough for him to struggle with. What is a Jedi? What is their role in the galaxy? What had he come to do, and what would they intend for him to become? So many questions were created in that moment that they drowned out any answers he might find. He let out a sigh and tried his damnedest not to lose himself in the chaos.
This, right now, isn't very peaceful, he observed.
What would his father, a man who he only knew by his legends and the heroic tales woven by his mother, say to all of this? The few times they spoke when he was a child, the man was distant, aloof, but loving in his own way. Thom had learned not to think ill of him for it. "A Jed's life is sacrifice," Durell had explained.
But what did that mean?
His mother told him it meant that his was a dangerous life, and that duty could take him from his family at any time. More than often, it did. The ancient Jedi had been forbidden attachments for that very reason- the struggle, the hardship, and the sadness were a quick, rocky path toward losing oneself in selfish sentiment. Durell had loved his wife and his son, and yet, he had understood that the life he chose was one that did not allow him the relationship they deserved from him.
In spite of that, his wife never thought less of him. It was an example he looked back on in that moment, and he remained quiet as the others spoke up. There was pointed protest, though the speaker was unfamiliar and his importance to the Jedi beyond Thom. What he could understand, was that [member="Soryn Solimar"] wanted a proactive approach to the injustice of the galaxy.
Instead of speaking out against that, or in favor, Thom opted to listen and learn. Understanding was the gateway to common ground.
But where did the Jedi Order itself stand?
"Be mindful of your feelings, my father used to say," Thom murmured as he watched the Padawan give his passionate dissension toward [member="Veiere Arenais"]. He wondered what the Jedi Master would say in response.
The light in the room remained strong and warm. Thom closed his eyes and eased himself into the soothing atmosphere.
