The Force of Fear

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac was surprised to hear the reason behind Veiere's exile, or actually self exile. [member="Lady Kay"] was right, it appeared that the three of them had a lot more in common than expected. Mac took a swig of his water as they began their walk across the open field. "Yeah, tell me about it" Mac mumbled his response to Kay's observation about survivor's guilt.

Mac shifted his attention towards the treeline on the opposite side of the field. He didn't want to rattle himself with negative thoughts before they even got to the Praxeum, which he still wasn't sure quite what it was. The tall trees at the edge of the field began to sway in the wind. Hearing the noise of the wind blowing through the leaves was very soothing to Mac. He looked around, admiring the scenery. The worst part about being a pirate was that you rarely got opportunities to take in the fresh air, you were either docking in crowded urban sprawls or couped up in a frigate.

"This place reminds me of home, in some ways at least." Mac remarked. Fornow had few urban areas. It was a heavily forested, overcast, and windy planet that was ridged with great mountains and highlands. It was a little bit of a stretch to compare the scenery around him now to his homeworld, but it was enough to put a small, nostalgic smile on his face.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay gave [member="Macoda Haberon"] another of her reassuring smiles as he mumbled. He understood and knew that he wasn't alone. That was important.

She took note as he looked around while they walked. There was nothing but the sound of nature, flying insects and flying mammals made their songs, alerting others of the two intruders as they crossed the field. Kay loved times like these. Even though it was completely open and slightly dangerous for that very reason, it was also peaceful. Mac seemed to have noticed that too.

"What was your home like, if you don't mind me asing?" She hadn't heard back from [member="Veiere Arenais"] yet, but that was okay. He could be with a student or two. She could just as easily give Mac a tour while they waited. But first they had to get there.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac was pleasantly surprised when [member="Lady Kay"] asked him about his homeworld. "Ahhh Fornow was beautiful. I'd wish you could see it. The planet was covered in tall strong trees and when the wind blows through the leaves... its just a beautiful sound, puts me to sleep easily. And the wind, it could get pretty powerful, but it wasn't a biting wind unless it was winter. If you stand on a ridge, the wind behind you would make you feel like flying."

He continued to ramble on about his home, motioning back to the Palace. "There weren't very many urban places like here on Commenor. I grew up in a large cozy castle on a mountain that had a large town in the valley below. The view was simply amazing, and when fog blanketed the valley, you feel like you were standing on top of the world, high above the clouds. It was always nice and cool during the summers and the winters were harsh but that only made the fires that much better."

He looked back at Kay "Well that's what it used to be anyways, now with the Zambranos ruling all of Pantha Reach, who knows what it looks like now. Last I heard, he turned it into one big breeding ground for Graugs." Mac tried to change the topic, he was worn out with today's events, and was in no mood to get himself roused up unnecessarily. "Where you born on Commenor?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay let her imagination run away with her as she pictured what [member="Macoda Haberon"] was describing his home world to be like. He spoke with such passion that it made her want to travel there to see it for herself.

But of course she couldn't. Not with the Zambranos there. Kay still didn't know which world she was taken to when she was captured. All that she knew was that it was dark and had humidity. Her face was always covered whenever she was moved out of her cells.

Mac soon changed the topic, something that they were both happy to do. They've thought about dark things long enough. "No, I wasn't. I'm not sure where I was born. I grew up on Naboo. I thought that I was born there, but now I'm not so sure. I travelled here to escape the Hutt Cartel. Then later when the call came out for a job as a Senator, I applied and got the job. I've more or less been here ever since. That was after I took myself out of exile. Will I always remain here? That's hard to say. A number of things could happen that would either have me stay or leave."

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

The last part that [member="Lady Kay"] said had surprised Mac greatly. "Leave Commenor? You are the Queen." Mac was confused. Most royalty that he has heard of were established through a long bloodline. One didn't really have a choice to reject the title should it ever pass down to them. The statement was uncharacteristic of Kay, Mac thought. He always thought of her as extremely dedicated to Commenor and its people, its what she "fought" for after all.

But Kay's commitment to Commenor really didn't concern Mac. To him, Commenor was just like any other rich Core planet like Alderaan or Corusant, there wasn't anything necessarily special about it, and it certainly wasn't home to him. He just stayed because of his friendship with Kay, who was really all he had at this point. Mac ended up just shrugging, "Well, I'll follow you anywhere."

 

[Kay-Larr]

"Yes, I am it's Queen and in a perfect Galaxy I would remain so for the rest of my days. But any number of things could happen. We could be invaded by such a force that we cannot maintain control, and this opposing force could remove me from power. In another scenario, my own people could rise against me and chase me out....And the list goes on."

Kay had obviously been thinking about it. She also wondered at times if she should put in Naboo's old system of electing the Monarchy and setting limits on terms. Maybe in the future she'd do that. Herself and Veiere had spoken about retiring from public life and living quietly on their own. But as the rulers of Commenor, that just wasn't possible.

She looked over to [member="Macoda Haberon"] as he told her that he'd follow her anywhere. She smiled. Loyalty was something that she valued greatly. It was rare. It also meant that she'd never be alone in exile again. Veiere had it in spades. "Thank you. I'll try not to give you too much trouble, yet I wouldn't want you to get bored either."

 

[WolfMortum]

Another day another lesson over, Veiere stood at the front of the class room while the students all filed out in quiet mumbling between themselves whilst he looked over the terminal at his desk, running down a mental checklist of the schedule he held for tomorrow. It was great to be back at the center of all things within The Force Praxeum again; much of his time had been spent being so focused on politics and the diplomatic channels running between worlds within Commenori Space now, to be back training others in the ways of the Jedi that he himself had been brought up within, brought him some hope for the future of practitioners that some of the older traditions would again bring some semblance of order to the future of their Praxeum. Though not all within The Order of Commenor relied on the lighter side of the Force, the perspective that the Force was split into halves wasn't a common concept within their organization and it was more one they tried to steer away from, yet for the simply word of mouth and ease of explanation in the ways some differed from others where training and way of life was concerned, it was better to say that one might be more lightsided than another as opposed to calling one person Sith and one Jedi when truly neither were inducted into either of those Orders.

Turning his attention to his datapad, he was about to begin transferring data between the handheld device and his classroom terminal when he noticed he had awaiting comm's messages ready for him. He hadn't heard the notification of the device during his lecturing the other students yet checking the time of the latest message he'd received from [member="Lady Kay"], he put that at the top of his priorities to find that it had been sent within the last hour. Listening to it, it seemed that she was at the time on her way to him with [member="Macoda Haberon"], a man of whom Veiere had had little experience in catering too aside from their initial meeting, yet would be welcomed regardless as he was naturally a friend of hers.

Sorry for the late response, I'm wrapping up a class...

I'll be out in the foyer momentarily if you're in the area, otherwise I'll await your arrival in the courtyard...

- Veiere.

He owed it to her to finish up quickly, syncing the datapad with his computer terminal and choosing to do the rest of his revision later on in his quarters there at the Praxeum, it seemed he'd be spending another long night there tonight. After finishing up, he turned off the lights to the class room and sought to move back towards the center of the facility of which he'd await the pair, curious to discover what the end of his day might bring.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac looked over to [member="Lady Kay"] and couldn't help but laugh, "Trouble finds you pretty easily, Kay. Either that or you find trouble easily." Mac shot her a teasing glance. Trouble was fun for Mac, and as the future Head of Security, he could deal with it a lot more while making sure that none of it reaches Kay.

His thoughts then drifted to his work with Miss Blonde and the Black Tie Syndicate. "Besides, I can keep myself entertained well enough." He wondered if he would have enough free time in his new position to go on a couple of merc missions outside of Commenor. Mac would venture to say no, but after his last mission, he was no longer sure if he even wanted to go back to Blonde. After all, he had earned enough money to pay his debt to the guards that he had slain, any more missions would just be for the hell of it. And the missions were often hell.

The two had gotten close to the treeline on their way to see [member="Veiere Arenais"] and the Praxeum. Mac decided to drop back a little and let Kay lead the way. He didn't know where he was going after all. That, and he was getting pretty nervous as his attention shifted to the task ahead.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay laughed as [member="Macoda Haberon"] touched on an unfortunate truth. Trouble did go to her like a magnet, but it also brought about powerful friends and allies to combat it. Most of the time, anyways. Only twice had she ever really been defeated and brought to her knees. Something that she hoped would never happen again.

The message from [member="Veiere Arenais"] came through just as they were nearing the trees. Kay didn't bother replying. Instead she just kept walking, taking note of Mac falling a bit behind. He was still nervous. Hopefully this visit to the Praxeum would help him. There were plenty of Force Users in the Galaxy, and many on Commenor that worked for her. Mac needed to be able to win over his fears, if not for himself but for Commenor too. He was powerful in his own ways and that gave him advantages that he wasn't quite aware of.

The Praxeum soon came into view as they strolled into the forest. "Here we are. Veiere will be just inside. It's really a peaceful place. Nothing and no one will harm you here. You're perfectly safe, alright?" Kay smiled at Mac, not sure if he was in the right mind to believe her yet, but he'll learn. She didn't quicken her pace at all as she approached the door, opened it and stepped inside. Her eyes took a moment to adjust from the brightness of outside, looking about for Veiere. "I don't think that I'll venture too far in. I might get us lost." She laughed a little. It had taken her some time to not get lost in her Palace. But now she knew the place like the back of her hand. Even all the secret tunnels and passages.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac felt the need to duck through the doorway of the Praxeum, not because he necessarily needed to, it was just out of habit. As he followed [member="Lady Kay"], he repeated her words in his head. Of course no one was going to hurt him here. Of course. Mac trusted Kay, and it was irrational for him to think otherwise. But fear isn't always rational. Mac's fear of the force was developed suddenly by the death of his father and the lose of his homeworld to Kaine Zambrano. His post traumatic stress didn't help much either. Mac felt that his fear had kept him alive all this time, he had seen what force users could do. He had seen the power they could wield over everyone else. But he let his fear grow out of control, well past the point of rationality. Mac was certainly unnerved by Darlyn and Bradshaw to a lesser degree. Perhaps he still harbored a slight fear of Kay buried deep under his conscious. Mac shuddered a little, he hoped that Kay didn't notice.

Knowing that a fear is irrational doesn't help much. He wondered what [member="Veiere Arenais"] could truly do for him.

 

[WolfMortum]

As the pair, [member="Macoda Haberon"] and [member="Lady Kay"] strode on into the Praxeum, Veiere's gaze was drawn to them both while the main hall buzzed with life and some of the younglings of the Order that really ought to be heading for their next set of classes, turned at the sight of the Queen of Commenor and ran across the marble stone floors to greet her with cherry smiles and a game of twenty questions.

"What are you doing here?".

"How many people do you work with?"

"Can I be Queen one day ??"

Girls and boys, aged between five and sixteen were the make of the Order of Commenor, a great need for positive encouragement and a place to monitor the progress of those sensative to the Force had been their first priority given the lack of the Republic's presence anymore extending from the Core worlds to the Commenori sector. Once upon a time, the hunt for new students came in numbers a plenty with the former Jedi Order having been extensive in its reach, nowadays it truly was a hunt. Word for word.

"Come along now you lot" Veiere intervened, brushing the children away to give the pair some space, "You've lessons to attend and unless you wish to be held back from tomorrows simulation, you'd best go quickly!" He mused in his teasing of the young group, watching as their expressions changed and they all shot off towards their prospective classrooms, leaving Veiere to turn and greet the two. "Apologies, you're quite popular around here Kay..." he smiled to her warmly before turning to bow in greeting to Macoda, "It's nice to see you too, Macoda...-Tell me, what brings you both to my little slice of the forest...?".

 

[Kay-Larr]

But Kay did notice as [member="Macoda Haberon"] shuddered. She placed her hand on his arm and looked up at him, pointing up at her eyes with her fore and middle finger. "Look at me, Mac. You'll be fine. Remember how I healed you earlier? It was nice, right? There's no violence here outside of sparring. It's just a school and a place to meditate. There' nothing for you to--"

She was interrupted by the array of younglings that approached them. So many questions spoken at once through their excitement. Both of her eyebrows were raised and she had to laugh. Perhaps one day they'll have a tour of the Palace and maybe sit in on a Minister's meeting so that they can see how dull it is.

[member="Veiere Arenais"] soon appeared and ushered all the younglings off to class. Kay approached him and waited for all of the younglings to be out of sight before she kissed his left cheek after he had already bowed to Mac. "We've been doing a bit of training today, some sparring exercises, and we got to talking about some of our experiences. Mac isn't...entirely comfortable around Force Users. I figured that it would benefit him to come here and see for himself that the Force isn't something to be feared."

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac was listening to Kay's words as she made eye contact with him. Of course he was going to be alright, he told himself. His mood was noticeably brightened by the sudden entourage of kids that surrounded [member="Lady Kay"] and himself, and a wide smile crept across his face. He always enjoyed kids, they saw him not as an intimidating giant but more often as a jungle gym to be climbed.

But as the wave of children slowly disappeared to their next classes, so did the smile on his face. His attention shifted back onto the matter at hand. "It is nice to see you too" Mac replied with a slight nod to [member="Veiere Arenais"]. Nothing more than a formality. The truth was it was not necessarily nice to see Veiere. Mac was sure that Veiere was a good man and that Kay certainly trusted him, her kiss on his cheek was a reminder of that, but Mac couldn't help his anxiety. Not wanting to appear weak, he let Kay explain why they were here. He had nothing to add to her explanation, he wasn't about to open up to Veiere like he did with Kay earlier today. Exposing himself like that was a rare thing and took a lot of trust, and Mac didn't know Kay's fiance very well at all.

Mac looked around, taking in the scenery and not really wanting to make eye contact with Veiere. "My experiences have taught me otherwise."

 

[WolfMortum]

"Unfortunately, your opinion's shared across millions of others out there in the Galaxy, a fear that's justified..." Veiere glanced briefly to [member="Lady Kay"] as he replied to [member="Macoda Haberon"], giving her a slightly uncertain look as if to question the mans behavior though brief and not likely to be noticed as he looked back to Mac who seemed to be gazing across the interior of the Praxeum Hall with some intrigue. "I have spent the majority of my life opposing those who seek to abuse the power of the Force. A Power that should be respected and used to better the lives of galactic society, instead often practiced for peoples personal benefits..." He slowly turned and motioned for the pair to follow him, walking slowly across the hall that they might study the environment and those people who had come to live within the Praxeum and study the Force, guided by those Veiere had personally appointed as mentors over the Order of Commenor.

Leading the pair first into the next area of the Praxeum, not taking to either wing of the facility but rather down the central body of the established building and out into the Courtyard, this area served as the heart of the Praxeum to which the building was built around the open nature of Illaria. From the left and right wings of the facility, a stream ran through the heart, passing through the courtyard that had been allowed to flourish and grow, tree's and plants thrived, some of the students had taken it upon themselves to create gardens where others had erected benches to sit on and most used this place for meditation, opening themselves to the natural splendor of the Force in it's most natural form, life surrounded them here.

"Here in this Praxeum, students are encouraged to explore the boundaries of the Force while guided by those experienced to teach them how to do so responsibly. Many of our ideals were built upon a combination of the tradition Jedi Order's ideals as well as Commenors own. We don't practice in the use of the Force for war and we're certainly not soldiers, that's what the Military is for...-However we do maintain to be keepers of peace within Commenori Space. Providing help to those who are in need of it and too supporting the Government outside of politics. As it stands, I am the only one engaged in actual government within this Order and that itself was not be design..." Veiere turned to offer a warm smile to Kay, his head tilting briefly then turning back to Macoda, "I'm about as comfortable with politicians as you are with Force Users I'm afraid. The fact is that it all comes down to peoples ambitions, the potential for corruption is everywhere, in those capable of the force as much so as those without it...".

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac had to admit that the Praxeum was beautiful if nothing else. He carefully listened to the words of [member="Veiere Arenais"] as he looked around the place. Hearing that Veiere had the same concerns about the abuse of Force powers as Mac was somewhat comforting. He had never met a full blown Jedi before, and here was one that was extremely self aware of the power he possessed over others. If only all Force users had the same mindset.

Still, Mac had some questions. Whose peace were they keeping? Everyone has a different notion of peace, especially if it needs to be enforced. What was also confusing was that Veiere claimed that their abilities weren't meant to be used militarily, but what other applications are there? Even [member="Lady Kay"]'s healing ability had military applications.

"I just can't see how the Force can be used for anything other than combat. The power you people wield over others.... don't pretend that there is a big difference in peace keeping and warfare." Mac had to admit that he was completely ignorant on the topic of te Force and it's applications, but he came here in part to find answers.

 

[Kay-Larr]

A big part about why Kay hid her Force Sensitivity was due to the fear and anger that it gave others. It barred her from serving in office, it was the sole reason that her parents gave her up. But it was a good ace to have up her sleeve as well.

She followed [member="Veiere Arenais"] , letting him take the lead on this tour. His voice was always soothing to her, so she never minded his lectures or words of wisdom. There was a softness to his voice and geniune warmth in his eyes that always drew her in.

Kay couldn't help but grin as Veiere mentioned his dislike of politics and how he was thrust into it. He wouldn't be able to escape it by marrying her. Yet this was his sanctuary away from public life. It was his home until another estate could be made for him.

Her attention was drawn to [member="Macoda Haberon"] while he spoke, his words proving that he wasn't convinced that the Force was a source of good as well. "Mac I only use my abilities as a last resort to defend myself, or to heal. That's not being combative. You have power too. Your sheer size, strength and skill are much bigger than mine. Have you abused it to overpower me? Have you used it to take control and subject me or others to do your bidding? No. Because you are better than that. You show restraint and are responsible for what you do. The same can be said for some Force users too. It's not the power that should be feared, it's all comes down to the person that wields it."

 

[WolfMortum]

Veiere slowed for a moment, turning back to the pair and listening to them both as they spoke. [member="Macoda Haberon"] voicing his concerns and then [member="Lady Kay"] defending her own albeit minimal use of the Force and explaining her stance around the practice. Kay Larr, compared to most, had to be one of the more limited Force Users within the galaxy. Restricted by limitations she put on herself more so than her ability in the Force, her potential carried a wealth of opportunity and yet she had neglected to continue her training for the sake of her position in politics; one of the more subtle reasons Veiere didn't agree with the lifestyle though her life was naturally her own and he wouldn't tell her otherwise. "The problem is that most people look to the Force and see it as something unnatural. A weapon or a power to hold over others..." his gaze shifted from the pair as he turned to look back across the students that were going about their day-to-day activities and training lessons, "We teach here what the Jedi have always taught, that the Force is a power to be respected. It is the foundation that all life in the Galaxy was brought into being, the Force created us, connects us to one another on a spiritual level...".

Some Jedi chose to believe as Veiere did, treating the Force as guide for spiritual and moral enlightenment where as others respected and sought to preserve it for reasons more detached than he was, the simple fact that where the natural cycle of life was disturbed by acts such as unnatural death, or immoral and unnatural harm, the veil of the Force itself could become wounded, to the point of physical notice where it would have lasting effects over the worlds and places such an event were to occur. "The traditional Order used to take a far more monastic approach to the Force. We trained to educate ourselves in its use not because we sought to use it against others but that we could find enlightenment in it's teachings. We believed the Force to have a will of its own. Some treated it as a deity whose will was conscious where as others believed this will was as simple as the cycle of natural life...-We still try to adhere to this monastic way of life ourselves. Followers of the Force, not soldiers...-Not weapons of war".

"I'm afraid I have to disagree with you too, Macoda...-I do believe there is a significant difference between peace keepers and soldiers. This here is not a military, though we do work with the Government of Commenor; our ideals are deeply aligned thanks to mine and Kay's union. With us both leading our chosen paths, we have been able to position this Order in a place of financial support when and where needed..." He glanced to Kay, smiling faintly though his mind was more focused on trying to provide Mac with a better overview of the Praxeum and the people within. The simple fact was that not everyone believed in the benefit of Force Users and that was just a way of life sometimes. If the roles were reversed, Veiere could well have found himself being skeptical too, given the Sith Empire. "We do not actively go into war to enforce our laws upon others. We will intervene if the cause is unjust, we will fight to defend our own but we will not take part in the sacking of other worlds nor attempt to take control from other governments. We're not war-mongers, we want to maintain peace and stability with others of the Galaxy, offering a place of sanctuary to other Force Users much in the same way Commenor's embassies work for other governments who wish to come to discuss treaties or non-aggression pacts upon mutual ground".

"All this however, does not apply to every Force User, and again, it comes down to the decisions and ambitions of people...".

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

As soon as [member="Veiere Arenais"] began to talk about the spiritual aspect of the Force, he began to lose Mac. He didn't believe in the "will of the Force" or anything like that. As far as Mac was concerned, the Force is just a made up story to help people to come to terms with their unusual powers. He wasn't interested in the Force on a spiritual or philosophical level. It just added an unnecessary complexity to it all. If the Force was real, then what makes it's will so special if it can't enforce it on its own? Why follow the Force, if it even existed? And if the state of the universe is in fact the current will of the Force, with all the death and grief and terrible things, then Mac wanted nothing to do with it. He didn't buy any of it. Force abilities, on the other hand, Mac had seen those with his own eyes. Those he at least believed to be real, regardless of what their explanation may be.

But Mac wasn't here to pick a fight with a Jedi over philosophy. He knew it wouldn't accomplish anything, he could tell that there was no convincing Veiere on the matter. His explanation on peacekeeping versus war was not much better in the eyes of Mac. As he toured the Praxeum, he slowly accepted that this was not a military training camp. These kids weren't being trained to fight as much as to defend themselves and that was something Mac could respect. But whose justice were these kids trained to follow? The justice set out by Commenor or by the will of the Force? Mac scoffed inwardly at the notion of a justice that only Force users can interpret. How convenient. Sure, the government and the Order might be joined for now through Veiere and [member="Lady Kay"], but Mac wondered how long that would last.

He began to shake his head at all of this. It would seem that this trip would be in vain, that he would learn nothing from this visit. He laughed cynically, repeating Veiere's last words. "It all comes down to the decisions and ambitions of people." This Praxeum was all fine and dandy, but it wouldn't amount to bantha chit if there were Sith out there abusing their powers, confirming his fears. Then, Kay started to speak in terms that he was more familiar with and everything started to click. Her words captured the attention of Mac, who slowly turned his head towards her. His brows furrowed as he was deep in thought.

Mac stood there in silence, chewing on her words. Finally he spoke, "I guess I never really thought about it like that." Mac looked down to his axes. They were weapons, tools, used to wield the power of death over others. Yet there was nothing innately scary behind the axes, only of its potential to do harm. Was the force the same way? Merely a tool that some people have access to? Probably not, according to Veiere, but it definitely made sense to Mac. Guns. Axes. Knives. Force Lighting. They don't kill people but are simply used by people to kill others.

"Hmmm"

That was it then. The force was simply a weapon, a tool, that Mac simply didn't have access to. It didn't have to be used to kill people, Mac found that out when Kay healed his knee. It was just there to be used. That put some people at an advantage over others to be sure, but it was the exact same way that Mac's size and strength put him in an advantage over others. The only difference was that Mac knew little about the extent of force abilities.

A definite change occurred within Mac as he experienced this revelation. "I understand it now. I really do. The Force is just a tool, like my axes. It can be used for good or bad but that's just dependent on the person who wields it. There is nothing scary about the Force itself no more is there anything innately scary about a gun or my axes." Mac was smiling with confidence as he spoke. He was sure that Veiere would be disappointed as Mac basically ignored his spiritual speech, but what Mac thought was good enough for him. He gave Kay a grateful smile and then turned back to Veiere. "Tell me about force abilities, I want to know the extent in which the Force can be used." Basically he wanted to know how big this Swiss army knife was.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay listened as [member="Veiere Arenais"] spoke of the different beliefs of others when it came to the Force. Did she think that the Force was some deity? No. She never prayed to it, never asked it for guidance. In her darkest moments during her captivity, she didn't call out to the Force. She only called out to Veiere. But he couldn't hear her. No one could.

She pushed those memories aside as they took her into a dark place that she didn't want to go. Instead she turned her focus to [member="Macoda Haberon"] as the tour continued. The look on his face, the vibe that he gave, all that had suggested that what Veiere was saying wasn't sitting well with him. She wondered why that was.

And then something clicked. She felt and saw the change in Mac. He got it! He understood! At least in the way she saw it. Would he still have that paralizing fear when it came to Force users? That remained to be seen. Kay smiled back at him. His question however was directed at Veiere, so she remained quiet. For now at least.

 

[WolfMortum]

To say that he was disappointed in the common lack of faith so many had within the Galaxy for the Force and the very real identity it held behind what their eyes could only see, would be a gross understatement, Veiere being very much a man of faith, lead by the Force to follow down his path, ever turning and ever unique to his own gifts birthed from it for the greater good of the people, he truly believed it held a will of its own. Surprise however, was not present in the response that he witnessed, having seen many people disagree and dispute the turbulent possibilities that the Force might be used against them. Non-Force Users were tremendously disadvantaged in their understanding, given that they were not capable of sensing all that was beyond their physical reach and sight as he and [member="Lady Kay"] were. Veiere had often spoken to Kay about his beliefs, though her own perspective had been shattered by the intervention of the Sith, when once upon a time back when they still had the lodge up within the mountain overlooking Chasin City, she had seemed far more inclined and open to such views. [member="Macoda Haberon"] however could not be blamed for his apprehension, and turning to continue to lead them through the Praxeum, they moved into the eastern wing to where they entered the Training quarters, the specific corridor that they would stroll would reveal upon either sides through plasteel viewing screens the dojos and sparring floors for which students would spar with one another, lightsabers clashing and their abilities within the force allowed to be practiced while each room was mentored over by a Knight of the Commenori Order.

"This is the eastern block of the Praxeum" Veiere answered with a brief introduction of the area, "We have numerous dojo, holo-grid training environments and a rather well prepared fitness center for the interests of our people..." He slowed as they approached one of the windows for Macoda to look in on one of the sparring sessions. "Your concerns aren't misplaced. We spend a large portion of our time training in ways we know best how to defend against the presence of other Force Users such as the Sith Empire, those who would use the Force as you fear, to elevate themselves and attain their personal goals no matter the cost. It's a sad reality that we face day in and day out, for the good people out there, there will always be others who oppose democracy and peace...-Commenor is no stranger to the influence of the Sith, this region was once entirely governed by the One Sith, taken up in the war against the Galactic Republic..." He began to move again, leading them away from the Sparring rooms and heading next for the medical facilities deeper into the wing, there they would come to look upon students all training in the art of Curato Salva, the healing ability known wide and far to many a force practitioner. "To explain the full extent of the Force wouldn't do it justice, you would need to study it for years to understand it as we do. No one to this day can say that they have unlocked the full potential of the Force as it is simply to vast and outside of our ability to completely comprehend. What I can tell you however is that it offers us a great deal of protection from would-be aggressors...-The students you're watching now are training to be healers, to use the force to revitalize and restore life...".

"I, myself, am especially experienced in the healing arts, Telekinesis, Telepathy and several abilities used to specifically combat the use of the Darker nature of Force Practitioners...-I've studied the Force for the entirety of my life. I've seen the effects of those left unrestrained to explore the force with no safety net and what sort of harm can come from such recklessness. Here, we encourage discipline in all that we study so to avoid said risks...-But each and every person is answerable to their integrity or lack there of, situation depending. The fact is, there are many good Force Users out within the galaxy, just as there are bad ones Macoda...Unlike a Blaster Pistol, the Force simply takes far longer to learn how to pull the trigger".