The Living Force - Bradshaw Ku

[WolfMortum]

It had been some time since Veiere had managed to secure time to spend solely dedicated towards The Force Praxeum of Commenor; Since his proposal to [member="Lady Kay"], things had jumped into full swing and politics had taken the brunt of his focus tearing him away more often than not from the dedication he wished to place in the establishment of a Neutral Order. It wasn't until their succession of agreements across the sector of Space around the trade-world where they had reached out to the other six worlds of government and brought them all under the one banner, that things had finally quietened down on his end. Between the ministers of Government here and the already established governments of the other worlds like Cato Neimoidia and the Trade Federation for a prime example, Veiere's skills in politics were less and less required where-as his time had been more prioritized over their defensive capabilities and ensuring they had the means to live up to their word and offer the appropriate protection and standards of living that came with such a democratic society. The Order of Commenor was one such aspect that still needed focus, one that took a great deal of time, effort and dedication to complete given their allowance for practitioners of not only the light but so to the darkside of the Force, provided said people could control themselves and remain an example of integrity that Commenor sought to stand for.

Moving throughout the training wing of the great Praxeum, hidden within the woodlands of Illaria west of Chasin City, Veiere watched with a faint smile as students of all ages passed him by on their way to their scheduled classes instructed by their fellow Knights or Masters of the province. The education provided to the personnel there within the Order was rather extensive, ranging from the art of swordsmanship to the theory and practices of the Force, historical lessons regarding both the Jedi and the Sith Orders of old with the aid of the Archives and the holo-net, to the live simulation sessions of which the holo-grid could put together within the Arena, a vast open room quite possibly the largest within the Praxeum save for the Hangar itself, designed using holographic projections as well as sensor emitters to recreate situations of the past or personal design for the sake of training and recreational activities.

To say that life had been as calm and relaxed as the atmosphere within the Praxeum, Veiere only wished. Over the passed few months there had been a great deal of stress over his shoulders both with preparations in their expansion as well as the attacks taken against Kay by a former member of the Silver Jedi as well as the startling revelation of Veiere's own former apprentice having reappeared, believed to have been killed long ago on Svivren. Brennan Cabrol, a boy of which had left no trace of where he might have disappeared to, had not only completely destroyed Veiere's personal residence while the former Jedi was off dealing with the conflict against Voss, but so too targeted Kay luring her into a trap believing that he had Veiere hostage and incapacitated. The Force had a way of calling him back, reminding him of it's presence and his personal need to fall back on it in times of such hardship. Veiere knew not where he would turn nor quite how to deal with Brennan yet he knew that the lack of light in his life (Kay Larr aside) was taking its toll. His response to learning about the truth surrounding Connor Harrison had proven this and as his old lecturers used to tell him often...

'Even those of the Knight or Master body of the Order still continue to go day in and day out practicing what they preach ​

and learning from their students as much as the students take from them. One never stops learning...'.​

​

If anything, it had become clear to Veiere that he needed to return to some semblance of his old life. Perhaps that was the initial drive to found such a place, a place of teaching and learning of the Force here on Commenor where he called home. A place where unlike so many outside of their sector, they could look upon people and take them for the integrity that they showed and not the alignment in the Force that they represented. There would naturally be hurdles to jump, struggles to overcome in retaining this balance though the Silver Jedi had achieved this for a great deal of time back when they had been known as the Coalition. Veiere had disputed it back then and yet saw reason in it so much more these days. He had shed the arrogance of the past to step into a future of tolerance and compassion. To take what he had learned as a Jedi Knight of the old ways and to use those learnings to hopefully guide others down a path of growth in the force and understanding in and of themselves.

[member="Bradshaw Ku"]

 

[Bradshaw Ku]

Evil is, what evil does.

There is no such thing as an evil person. People aren’t born evil, they’re pushed to commit evil acts. Evil, is what people do out of fear, anger, or pain. Evil is the flailing of a mind lost, of a person without hope.

The darkside is not evil. The light side is not good. These are socially constructed categories. Splitting in half a universal force that has no halves, only a gradient, a whole. Why did those who are lost seek out the darkside? Because unbridled passion: hate, suffering, fear, are powerful, intoxicating, emotions that provide a strong conduit to the force through which it can act.

Bradshaw knew the darkside. At least, he’d tasted the fear, the hatred, and the pain. He knew it, but it was something he could never control. It called to him when he was upset, despite granting little power. The force used him to act out, most of the time without his conscious knowledge. Unbridled passion is just that, unbridled, difficult to control in any real sense. Even those who have learned to control this aspect of the force are subject to its temptations. Temptations to commit evil acts out of delusional egotistical passions.

This is why the force users so long ago divided the power they’d discovered. One side of the gradient offered quick power, instant satisfaction, through one’s emotions. The other required self-control and restraint.

Despite his late adopted father being a Sith lord, a good one, at least as far as he understood, he’d recently turned away from the darker side. His slightly yellowed eyes, even now returning to their normal dark green, were testament to the path he’d begun. Easily, he could have completely slipped into the darkside’s grasp and become another pawn of evil.

But not every story has a sad ending.

His new step-father, [member="Veiere Arenais"], a force user of many years and even greater wisdom, helped steer his mother, [member="Lady Kay"], away from her own darkness, imposed on her through torture by a Sith Lord. In doing so, along with the help of others like [member="Darlyn Excron"] and even Olivia, his mother’s personal assistant, Bradshaw eventually saw the path he was walking for what it was. The darkness had gotten hold so easily because after his return to Commenor, to the world his mother was now the Queen, he’d been lost and confused, though he wouldn’t admit it until the end. A rogue fighter pilot and hired smuggler for most of his life, he knew not the ways of royalty, or the responsibility of government, and it scared him. He’d run from that responsibility.

Until now. He was tired of being a disappointment, of running from his responsibilities.

Dressed, for the first time, not in his usual outfit, one easily recognizable to most as that of a pilot or smuggler, instead, he’d donned a traditional grey Jedi robe. Monastic and simple, it represented his willingness to learn and his newly found humility. Appearances mattered. He didn’t know if Veiere would be swayed by something as simple as a change of clothing, but he had to hope. He hadn’t exactly been pleasant to the man after meeting him. He was here, at Commenor’s Force Praxeum, to do something he’d never thought he would.

Bradshaw was here to ask Veiere to train him. Not casually, but as an apprentice, maybe even, a padawan. Even now, it wasn’t an easy thing to do. He’d wanted to hate his mother’s new husband when he’d first met him. After all, was it not a slight against his father, Shaw-Ku, who’d given his life so that his family could live? But Veiere made it very difficult to hate him. His mother was happier and Veiere had only ever been accepting toward himself.

He slid a comm from his left pocket and tuned it to Veiere’s frequency. Now that he was in the Praxeum, he could announce himself to the older Jedi and begin the process for which he came. “Veiere, this is Bradshaw.” A pause to breath and steady himself, “Where are you? If I can, there’s something I’d like to meet with you about.”

None of this would be easy. Even if Veiere agreed to train him, his old habits and reckless ways would not disappear overnight. For the sake of Commenor, himself, his mother, and his still lost younger sister, however, he would try. He was tired of being a disappointment and the world's under Commenor's protection deserved a prince they could look to for hope and direction, not the playboy pilot he was.

 

[WolfMortum]

Stopping within the corridor before a transparent panel looking on into one of the training rooms housed for the practice of agility and general fitness, Veiere watched from the outside as the students within were led by one of his fellow Knights, each risen up upon a podium of which they were balancing upon and moving to jump from one to the next. The structure of the room was rectangle in shape, the outside raised and baring the carpet the rest of the Praxeum held whilst the majority of the floor dug deeper into the earth and consisted of a sand surface for which these podiums were risen out of, the sand itself for the sake of the students health in case they were to fall from such a height; the medical ward here was certainly capable though not akin to the likes of Chasin City given their teachings around Curato Salva, the art of healing through the manipulation of the Force.

“Veiere, this is Bradshaw. Where are you? If I can, there’s something I’d like to meet with you about.”​

​

[member="Bradshaw Ku"]'s voice announced himself from the right side of Veiere's belt, his comlink clicking to signal the opening of the channel before his gaze was drawn to it at the sound of the young man's request. Lately the two had not had the chance to relate to one another to the degree that Veiere had hoped might be possible given his being wed to [member="Lady Kay"], in his mind Bradshaw and his Sister where ever she might be were as much his family now as they were Kay's and regardless of whether they took to him or not, he wished to guide and protect them like his own. Still, time had not been on their side and the last time the pair had talked, Bradshaw was in the process on commandeering Veiere's ship the Vagabond, much to the dismay of Cillian Braedon. Veiere's friend, his pilot and the man who had been killed along with their vessel destroyed in the attack taken against Voss and the Silver Jedi Order, by those of the Sith Empire.

"Brad? Of course..." Veiere paused briefly, considering where best to meet with the Lad; "Meet me in the courtyard just beyond the main hall. I shall be there shortly". For Veiere, the Courtyard reminded him of home, the residence that Kay had given him up upon the edge of the Eldritch Mountain ridge overlooking the Capital. Alike the woodlands of Illaria, he had been surrounded by nature there and in nature one found life in it's most pure form, that of which the Force he felt was strengthened by making it easier to feel without the constraints of sentient cities, busied streets and polluted airways. For Bradshaw, Veiere doubted that in all his youth and attitude, he would likely let such wonders go amiss, yet the peaceful nature of the courtyard he hoped would atleast lead them somewhere positive in conversation rather than their last in which case Veiere had felt like he'd been lecturing the lad far more than he'd wished to. It had been their first discussion away from the eyes and ears of his mother or her friends and employees after all. Such a first impression...

Finding the Courtyard was simple. Upon entering the Praxeum, one simply needed to continue to walk through the main hall leading north of the building to again be greeted by the outside world and there be surrounded by the rest of the established enclave, showing how truly large it was when boxed in by the two storied wings of the place. Further North, would lead them ultimately towards the Hangar of which held a select few craft though hadn't yet been financed to host a small fighter squadron the likes of which Veiere had considered for trained Knights of the Order. One Ace Squadron, to be exact. To the east and west were the residential and training wings that Veiere had introduced them all too on the unveiling of the Praxeum and behind them to the south, the entrance and main hall of which consisted of a few smaller rooms used as offices for those of government or meeting on diplomatic means. The courtyard itself however held the very same beauty and appeal that the rest of the vibrant woodlands did, a stream coursing through the center of which was abridged by the path made in cobble stone, plants and tree's all delicately placed to give shelter and appealing decor to what would be a time of rest for those taking a breath away from their training regimes.

Stepping out from the training wing, Veiere moved further into the center of the Courtyard and found his place upon a bench overlooking the stream and backed by a large lively tree. From where he sat he would be in prime view of the entrance to the Praxeum, awaiting the company of his step-son, both curious and eager to discern what he wished to discuss and whether or not it would involve the casual theft of another vessel...

 

[Bradshaw Ku]

“Brad? Of course… Meet me in the courtyard just beyond the main hall. I shall be there shortly.”​

Bradshaw let out a small sigh of relief to accompany Veiere’s reply. It was relief he hadn’t driven off his new step-father, despite his conscious and unconscious best efforts. It was also relief that he’d caught Commenor’s King at a time when he wasn’t working – for, like his mother, Veiere had been a busy man as of late. He’d wanted to talk to the Master a few days before but it had been the worst possible time.

Commenor was set newly buzzing with business, partnerships, allies, and even enemies as word quickly circulated through the common channels that the trade world had made other planets in the sector protectorates. Word that It was growing. Some would see their growth as a bid for power and galactic expansion. Some might even fear that the Queen had thrown her hat into the ring like so many others. The more discerning would hopefully see the move for what it was meant to be, a way to secure their sector, not for expansion, but against it. Against the greedy eyes of so many of the galaxy’s belligerent states. A galaxy at war needed a haven. A place to live. To love. To prosper. To be. Away from constant fear of persecution or invasion. The decent and intelligent among the stars would see their move for what it was. The indecent and power-hungry among them would no doubt color it with their own megalomania. It couldn’t be helped.

Anyway, maybe now was a better time and place to ask what he must ask. He clicked his communicator, “Will do. I’m already in the Praxeum so I’ll meet you there momentarily.” He clipped the device onto his belt like so many Jedi before him and began his journey, both literally and metaphorically, through the Force Praxeum. Younglings, apprentices, knights, and even the occasional master passed him by without deference as he carried on through the main hall. Of course, there was no reason they should’ve acted any other way. The slow ruffle of his gray Jedi robes was a common enough site here.

Their prince walked among them as a shadow walks among civilization and goes unnoticed. Was he really, their prince? He wondered. His familial ties said yes, but he hadn’t earned such a title. In fact, he’d spent most of his time back on the planet acting completely to the contrary. He knew [member="Lady Kay"] kept their relationship a secret out of fear, but in so doing, she was also showing him that he must earn the title of prince. Appearances mattered. Actions mattered.

What did it mean to be royalty? What made you royal? If he’d learned anything, it was that royalty is the willingness to put citizens first. Royalty was service. It was the constant beating back of the ego. Any royal house, like any legitimate form of government, must acknowledge that the good people of the kingdom make it great. Royalty points the way; the people choose to follow.

This was the first time he’d been back to the Praxeum after it was finished. He had come with others during construction, but back then, the rough, hard, and unfinished compound reflected his own roughness and hardheadedness. Now, it was teaming with life just like the Illiaria Woodlands within which it was cradled. It was designed to look much older than its newly built status would otherwise reveal. The faux wear and ivy lent it charm but also eased it more seamlessly into the ancient, natural beauty of it's surroundings.

Bradshaw was not in a state to appreciate the life of Illaria the last time he’d come. Stepping out into the courtyard, he noticed [member="Veiere Arenais"] on a bench, but before he could begin walking toward him, a thatch of boughs hundreds of meters above him shook down droplets onto his head. For a moment, it directed his attention to the wilderness all around, the calls of birds and other creatures, the names of which he surely didn’t know. But he felt them. He felt the plush earth under his feet and noticed the dewy cool breeze gently tugging at his robes. His gaze traced the upward curves of Illaria's colossal trees then followed the sweeping lines back down to where they met those of the Praxeum.

Well, it was now or never.

Bradshaw straitened his robes and tightened his belt. Then he strode slowly toward the waiting man. Nervous, he steeled himself to jump into the pitch he’d been running through his mind for days. When he was close enough, he noticed the new scar on the older man's face. This was the first time he’d seen him since gaining the injury and Bradshaw had to wonder how he’d gotten it. But, he also couldn’t be distracted.

In the Praxeum, Veiere wasn’t the King, he was a Master of the Knights of Commenor, a teacher of the force and so too, Bradshaw wasn’t the Prince, he was someone who wanted to be a Commenori Knight, a student of the force. He kneeled, his knee sinnking into damp grass. “Master, I know I haven’t been… kind to you as of late and that I have acted foolishly and childishly. I want to change that.” He started, head down. “I know I have a lot to learn. The dark side has failed me… and I’ve failed my family and Commenor. You once asked me what I wanted. I have a new answer. I want to make my family and Commenor proud. I want to find my sister. I want to learn the force and let go of my anger.” Then, a jittery hand reached into his robe and emerged holding Shaw-Ku’s lightsaber, gifted to him after his father's death. He held it out in offering to Veiere. “Will you take me as an apprentice? If you do, will you hold onto... my father's lightsaber until the day you think I am worthy enough to wield it?”

Now, the only thing left was to anxiously wait for Veiere’s answer.

Wait.

Hope.

Breath.

 

[WolfMortum]

Veiere's brows lifted as [member="Bradshaw Ku"] knelt before him and spoke with his gaze to the ground, his head tilting marginally to the right as if to silently question the lad though he'd not have noticed it before raising a curious looking lightsaber out in offer to him. The announcement that it was Shaw-Ku's hilt surprised Veiere, though not nearly as much as Brad's behavior was, down on the dirt as if he had something to owe Veiere. "Stand up, brad'...-You're going to dirty your new clothes..." Veiere chuckled under his breath as he spoke the words hastily, he doubted Brad had ever owned such garments before and the gesture in appearing to him now dressed in such a fashion made him wonder a bit.

Taking the lightsaber from his hold for a moment, Veiere brought the weapon closer to eye the design. A lot could be said about a person by the way they constructed their hilts, every fabrication and slight put into the alloy was an expression of self, right down to the specific details such as the organization of interior parts, whether holding one or two crystals, said crystals already attuned to the persons very force signature through the application and continued practice of meditation; Veiere shook his head slowly before handing the lightsaber back to Bradshaw with an explanation as to why. "It is not my place for me to accept this lightsaber, if even only temporarily. It belongs to your father, Kay Larr's late husband and...-Given my position..." he paused, the word not doing the meaning justice, he was of course implying his personal attachment to Kay and Brad as a new entrance into their family; "I feel it's best that you either hold on to it, or leave it with your mother. Out of respect for you both but also Shaw-Ku...-The lightsaber isn't just a tool or a weapon, it's an extension of ones self. When crafting such things, we imbue a piece of ourselves into the works, whether via the force or simply through the expression and creativity of our minds, thus you can understand my reluctance given all things as they are...".

"As for your greeting..." Veiere grinned warily, moving to stand from the bench and turning to gesture that Bradshaw sit while Veiere took several paces away and turned to look upon the younger man; "Don't ever kneel like that in front of me, you're not beneath me" Veiere lifted his head in a half nod of acknowledgement as if to reassure him, speaking lightly though truthfully. "We're both practitioners of the Force, both created by the Force and you need not act as if I am on a pedestal. If you'd like to great someone formally yet not embarrass them nor yourself..." Veiere leaned forward, lowering his head and bowing to Bradshaw, lowering his gaze to the ground though not so much as to remove the lad from his line of sight. He held the bow for but a second before standing upright again and offering a warm smile, "You'll find both Jedi and many politicians or people of importance will offer you the same in response...It is an acknowledgement of ones experience, an honor to their presence yet too a sharing on mutual ground; Formal and genuine".

Having given him the example of a much more appropriate way to greet someone, Veiere moved back and sat upon the bench beside Bradshaw, his gaze moving to the nearby stream in quiet contemplation, soon asking out of curiousity, "Exactly how have you failed your family?". This was a question of genuine surprise, to Veiere's mind he knew that Kay was simply happy to have Brad back in her life, for whatever expectations he might have held for himself, she was just thankful that she had been accepted as his mother after so many years of not having seen him. She had tried to protect him when her people had him sent away during her recovery following Shaw-Ku's murder, he knew the story but it was a decision Veiere had disagreed with. Rae-Anna was still missing and that, was something Brad seemed to agree with Veiere on, though they'd yet to discuss his sister, Veiere too wished to find her.

Finally, after a further moment there came the subject of a formal apprenticeship, to which Veiere further spoke; "You're aware I spent the majority of my life within the Jedi Order while it served alongside the Galactic Republic, yes?". He had served upon the world of Svivren now within Galactic Alliance Territory, yet at the time the Jedi Order had been a core presence within the Republic and their enclave on Svivren had been a much quieter presence than the current factions of Jedi were today, much more so than the heart of the Galaxy had been back then too. "I can teach you, but it will be the Jedi way that I know. It will differ greatly from the way that others will likely have tried to teach you so far and it will veer far from the ways of the Sith. My teachings would include the Jedi Code, the philosophy of the traditional Order as I was taught. Some of it might differ given what I've experienced since but the bulk of it will be unfamiliar to you and would take a great deal of patience, and certainly perseverance as you will struggle. Struggling however, will lead to practice and practice to progression...".

 

[Bradshaw Ku]

[member="Veiere Arenais"] quickly told him to stand, with a slight chuckle. Bradshaw instantly wondered if he’d already made a grievous error. Having essentially only been trained for a long period of time in the ways and customs of the force by a Sith, his late adopted father, he’d chosen the gesture he was taught so long ago. To kneel, with bowed head. It was a show of respect – a humbling of one’s self in the presence of a more powerful being. He knew no other way. Perhaps he’d made a fool of himself yet again. He lifted his knee from the dampened earth and rose as requested.

He then looked down at Shaw-Ku’s lightsaber as Veiere handed it back to him. Another misjudgment? Thumb running along it’s unique curves and textures while he listened to Veiere’s explanation for giving it back. He couldn’t help but agree with his reasoning. At least as far as the lightsaber’s rightful holder ought to be [member="Lady Kay"]. It had been bestowed to him when his father was murdered, but he no longer felt he deserved the emblem – hadn’t felt he deserved it for quite some time. Veiere was, of course, right about the lightsaber being more than just a weapon or tool, and that was why he’d hidden it away in a box for years, rarely lifting the lid to peer inside at the uncomfortable reminder of the shameful life he’d built after his father’s sacrifice. It was his father’s, but it was also his mother’s first husband’s. She deserved to keep it, at least until she thought he truly deserved to carry the heavy symbol. Perhaps when he became a knight?

“Yes, of course. I’ll ask my mother to hold onto it.”

His heartbeat quickened with increased anxiety as the fear that the older man would not see him worthy of his training surged through his veins. Veiere gestured for him to sit, while he rose from the bench. After a confused pause, he sat. He listened as Veiere instructed him on a better way to respectfully greet another – bowing, rather than kneeling. He nodded, acknowledging the instruction, before the Master returned to the bench to sit next him.

“Exactly how have you failed your family?”​

​

How had he failed his family? The answer was plain as day to him. Was this a test? “My father sacrificed himself so that my mother, myself, and my sister could live. What have I done to honor or deserve such a sacrifice?” he asked rhetorically, looking over at Veiere, then back down to stare at the blades of grass as they gently swayed with the wind. “I wrongfully blamed my mother, even as she lay critically injured in a medical facility. I ran from Bakura, selfishly leaving my younger sister, who needed me,” jaws clenched with guilt. A deep breath, “And what have I done after returning to Commenor? Nothing, a few holes in the walls, broken dishes, making a mess of her office. Disappointing her. That’s my legacy. That's what my father died for.” He shook his head as he relived the violent tantrums he’d thrown. “I’m no prince and control over the force alludes me.”

After listening to Veiere advise of his Jedi ways, of the teachings he’d have to follow, of his need for patience and perseverance, struggle, and practice, his heart lightened with the hope that Veiere was offering to train him. “I understand. Of course, I didn’t know of your specific history, but it’s quite plain even to me that you have been taught as a Jedi. I only know of the Jedi and the Sith. Can’t say I know much about the Jedi or their ways, but I do know that the ways of the Sith—the power they use to draw on the force—it’s too, tempting, too easy. It clouds my mind and—makes me do things I’m not proud of.” He lifted his head to look back at Veiere, “If you’ll have me, I promise to do my best. I think… I think I need the hard way. There's no other way, I’m lost otherwise.”

 

[WolfMortum]

[member="Bradshaw Ku"]'s recent history was obviously weighing down upon the lad; Veiere knew that sooner or later it would bring him down to his knees and he'd have to humble himself enough to acknowledge the attrocities of events that had been taken up in his life following the murder of his Father Shaw Ku, at the hands of another Sith. Veiere had his own demons when it came to those so strongly aligned with the Darkside, he understood these feelings much more than he would divulge for the time. "You are not at fault for the ways you have tried to cope with all of this grief, Brad..." he spoke gently, glancing to the younger man briefly before turning back to the environment they shared, the strength in life flourishing around them; "There are hard facts about your life that you cannot change, nor can you run from forever. Your father was murdered, you were denied the love of a family and the upbringing that most adolescents are defined by in their growing years. It's natural for there to be regrets and uncertainties..." He held off from commenting about Rae-Anna for the time being, his Sister of whome Veiere had been thinking more and more upon for his and [member="Lady Kay"]'s sake following Connor's recent heresy against them.

"It's also natural for you to need to express some resentment, though your mother isn't entirely to blame, the situation from what I've heard was very much out of her hands and you two were sent away by the government, not her decision...-She later chose to remain distanced fearing for your safety. The latter is a decision I have voiced my disagreement with and she knows how I feel about the whole ordeal but what's done is done..." His voice faded out for a moment, considering the words to follow, knowing this will all be a heavy burden to converse over so soon into their getting to know one another, "Those resentments needed to be aired, not only for you to come to understand your Mothers reasoning but so too because nothing good comes from suppressed feelings. In order to overcome our temperament, we need to acknowledge what we're feeling before we can attempt to mediate or handle them. It's been a long time teaching of the Jedi Order for a millennia now...-And it's something I shall help you to work through over time as well".

"As far as disappointing Kay Larr goes..." Veiere could be a testament against the fact, they'd spoken often on the subject of her children. Adopted or otherwise, they were hers and to whomever they might have been born from, Kay and Shaw-Ku had been their parents as far as he was concerned; "Trust me when I saw that she's just happy that you're back in her life in one piece. I know that she worries for your safety more than anything, being in her position brings a lot of attention to those close to her and your position as the future heir to the throne does endanger you some, though I've voiced against the need for secrecy..." Bradshaw wouldn't likely be aware of it until now but Kay's last discussion around his livelihood had touched on the subject of his royalty being undermined by the need to protect him. There were two sides to his disagreement in the way it had been handled, one in that Veiere felt confident enough in his own ability to protect those he loved so, especially with the additional troops and naval forced being pulled into Commenor, and two because it would only deter Bradshaw's growth as a person of Commenori descent.

That Veiere's alignment in the Force was obvious didn't surprise him in the least, he never having made a secret in the fact had more than often gone out of his way to deter any sense of conflict through the practice of the old ways. "I grew up in a Jedi Enclave on the world of Svivren now within the territory of the Galactic Alliance. Much like the Praxeum here, the Enclave was smaller than that of a temple and much more humble, yet not without it's facilities fitted for our training and living. I was brought in at the mere age of five as was once the standard...-I don't recall who my parents are, only the teachings of the Order and the ideals that are the reason to why I serve the Force..." He smiled solemnly, his past wasn't as bad as it might have sounded. He had come to rely on the Order, where his family in a typical life would normally have been there for him.

"I will teach you all that I was taught, in many of the same ways that I was taught" he smiled further, turning to nod to Bradshaw, agreeing to take on the lad as Master and Apprentice.

 

[Bradshaw Ku]

I am not at fault. He ran that thought through his head a few times after Veiere spoke to him about his past; the murder of his father, his separation from his mother. Am I not at fault? Could he let himself believe that? He had been very young when he witnessed his father’s sacrifice and murder, when he watched his mother being beaten to an inch of her life. He was very young when taken from the only family he could remember – brought to a strange city, on a strange world at the edge of the galaxy, to be cared for by a strange person.

I am not at fault…

Could he accept that?

Time would tell.

He perked up a little when Veiere mentioned the Jedi taught the need to acknowledge one’s feelings before one could process them. He didn’t know much about the Jedi. Only rumors, stories. Not all good. Not all true. “The Jedi acknowledged their feelings and emotions?” he asked with real surprise, “I thought they were taught not to feel. You know, to block it all out somehow. Don’t the Jedi fear emotion and passion? I heard that a long time ago they weren’t even allowed to marry.”

As for disappointing his mother, Veiere told a very different story from the narrative he’d created for himself. In his mind, he was a huge disappointment. What Veiere was saying, however, was that [member="Lady Kay"] was just happy to have him around, but also fearful for his safety. That could explain why she hadn’t used him as a personal pilot and certainly why he hadn’t yet been made public as Commenor’s Prince. But surely that couldn’t be the whole story. “I know she’s happy I’m back and scared for my safety. But – I also haven’t given her or anyone else any good reason to trust me. Certainly not enough to make me the public heir to a kingdom. I’m going to do better. Or at least, I’m going to try. Thanks for sticking up for me, though.” He gave Veiere a fleeting smile. The chaos and despair caused by his emotional flailing in the dark after he’d returned, confused and afraid, had indeed been enough to psychologically and literally, bring him to his knees, even for someone who habitually used cockiness and humor to keep out the real feelings.

So, [member="Veiere Arenais"] had been taken from his family even younger than he had? Why had he turned out so much worse? He wondered for a moment. He supposed it was the difference between wandering the galaxy as a smuggler and fighter pilot, and growing up in an enclave of Jedi.

Then came the words he’d been hoping and waiting for…

​

“I will teach you all that I was taught, in many of the same ways that I was taught”​

As soon as he heard those words and recognized them for what they were, he spontaneously turned to Veiere and gave him a hug. Maybe it was out of pure relief, maybe it was because those words symbolized a second chance, or maybe it was something else, but it didn’t last long. Realizing what he was doing, he quickly pulled away in embarrassment. He couldn’t believe he’d done that. It wasn’t like him.

Trying to cover it up, he said as smoothly as he could, “Um.. Thank you. I promise to do my best to follow your teachings…” He bit the inside of his cheek, “So, um, what do we do first?”

 

[WolfMortum]

Veiere chuckled warmly, his gaze dropping a moment as [member="Bradshaw Ku"] raised one of the more prominent misconceptions surrounding the Jedi Order. This specific rumor being widespread even back in the Jedi Order's glory days, where they still held a temple in the heart of the Galaxy. "The Jedi were not droids, Bradshaw...-They were Sentient like the rest of galactic society, despite how stories might depict them. It is true to a degree that we restrained ourselves to a degree yet we all carry emotions, the objective of Jedi training was simply to be able to steer yourself passed them for the sake of the on-going mission objective or training lesson that was taking place at the time our passions might seek to threaten our focus" whether or not Bradshaw completely understood Veiere, he would eventually come to learn about the discipline the older man was speaking of; such things his new Padawan would come to experience through the practice of meditation as well as other techniques that would come further down the track. "Allow me to give you an example..." Veiere added after a brief silence, his consideration having moved to one of his own more recent and intense experiences surrounding the need to mediate his emotions for the sake of a long-term objective that had become very dear to him now.

"Your Mother had returned to Commenor, she made a statement to the Galaxy announcing her return, her ascension to Queen and a new regime she was to employ. In the background was what appeared to be a darker figure, later to be confirmed as a Sith known as Darth Prazutis. By this point we had already amassed a good number of people looking for her, enough so to return with a threatening presence. I cautioned them however, while myself and many others wanted to take to the Sith, our actions would be seen as treason against Commenor...-You can't just go on into the royal palace and attack the Queens guard after all" His head tilted, glancing back to Bradshaw with a faint smirk, lifting his head in a half nod as to say 'am I right or am I right'. "Instead I gained an audience with her. She did not remember me in the slightest, had I attacked the Sith who she felt that at the time, he was her only support, I'd have lost my only chance in remaining in her life and helping her to recover all that was stolen from her. Her memory, her friends and Commenor's democratic ideals...-Our future as a family. It all would have gone terribly different. As angry as I was at the Sith Lord, I had to bury my feelings for the sake of [member="Lady Kay"]'s hopeful recovery. Even when I didn't know if I had a chance in helping her or not..." It had been a time of great doubt for Veiere, he'd not long stayed with the Silver Jedi Order trying to reaffirm his faith in the Jedi Path when Kay had returned, one with the Darkside and a Lady of the Sith Empire. Had Veiere not managed to reunite with her then he would well be at a loss today. Perhaps it would have again resulted in his self exile...

"Our passions can blind us, it's true. In the moment it can shake our clarity...-But in the end, it's our passions that cause us to dedicate ourselves to any such direction in life. My will to spend three decades within the Jedi Order was because I had a passion to study the Force, it's possibilities bewildered me and the help that it could bring to others in need, I wanted so strongly to be a part of that as a student of the Order. Our feelings can motivate us, give us drive as much as they can lead to our decline. The Jedi didn't block these emotions out but they sought to recognize when they were falling a victim to them, that they might take a step back and focus on the mission..." he nodded slowly, as if in conclusion to himself that enough was enough and he felt he had thoroughly enough answered the misconception. Waving a hand in dismissive gesture, he chuckled and glanced back to Bradshaw with a humored glint in his eyes, "I do like to talk, don't I..." He mused jokingly.

To be honest, Veiere wasn't entirely certain how to react when Bradshaw had hugged him. His instinctive answer was to fall back on the question and give the lad the best encouragement he could think of, though in gesturing for the lad to stand up as he did and to follow him, Veiere quietly hoped that the boy didn't take it as a sign of insult or discomfort at all, Veiere simply struggled to show such emotion in the physical sense. In fact, since being outside of the Jedi Order, the only other person that had ever coerced him into being more open to physical contact was Kay Larr herself. It was quite fair to say that the notion of marriage being discouraged within the Order once upon a time, might have been one of the stronger ideals Veiere had once held for himself so long ago. Quite obviously, that specific ideal had fallen away, along with much of his faith in the current sects of the Jedi spread thin across the Galaxy.

"We shall make our way to the Archives now, though there is something I want you to do later when you have the time" Veiere grinned to himself as the pair walked, feeling as though Bradshaw might not be as comfortable with the idea as he was himself, "If you're going to make the most of the Praxeum and of my teachings then you ought to know this place like I did growing up in an Enclave. I'd like for you to organize your belongings to be moved to the Woodlands, that you can take up one of the dorms in the students quarters and become accustomed to living a life of routine. There will be much that we will be doing together in the immediate future, training and then heading out into the open galaxy to put what you learn to good use for the sake of others. If you're going to do this well, then you're going to be best to be without outside distractions, save for your mother and Commenori interests given your position...".

 

[Bradshaw Ku]

Already, he was learning so much about the Jedi of old, about [member="Veiere Arenais"], and about himself. He wondered what happened to the Jedi Order the older man spoke of – did they disappear after the collapse of the Republic? He didn’t have much time to muse on it for long. His attention was quickly stolen away by Veiere’s example, detailing his mother’s return from captivity and Veiere’s non-violent approach to the conflict. Bradshaw shook his head, not in disagreement, but in astonishment.

There was little doubt now that Veiere’s strategy to combat his mother’s torturer – he wouldn’t call him her master, even for a moment – and the damage he’d inflicted had been an effective one. It took a long time, but inarguably it worked. Though, there was still the question of the perpetrator’s continued freedom. He was astonished, because he knew he would never have restrained himself in that circumstance. With little hesitation and little regard for the future or the strength of the opponent, he would’ve attacked the Sith at the first opportunity. How anyone could’ve possibly stopped from doing the same, he couldn’t begin to fathom.

Bradshaw was very glad his new Master quickly moved on from the awkward hug. He couldn’t get away from that moment fast enough. Very rarely did he show such genuine affection of any kind. After his father’s murder and being taken from [member="Lady Kay"], he grew increasingly cold to such things – subconsciously afraid of being hurt again. Instead, he learned to mask sincere feelings with insincere humor and as of more recently, anger. Just maybe, that strange hug was a small sign that his emotional tundra was beginning to warm with the reemergence of something else that had grown unfamiliar. Hope.

Now, though, he was just happy to get up from the bench and follow his Master. Though, what Veiere said next with a small grin, was very unexpected. He wants me to move out of the Palace and into a student dorm in the Praxeum? His first reaction was to scoff at the idea, though he didn’t let it out. It took a little for his new, more rational side, to kick in. As usual, Veiere’s explanation for why he thought he should do something did make sense. If he really wanted to learn, and learn properly, then he must completely immerse himself in the life of a Jedi student. After all, he hadn’t asked Veiere to casually tutor him and he very well couldn’t argue with the very first task he asked of him.

He nodded, even while letting a small sigh escape, “I do see the wisdom in the move. I should’ve known an old smuggler like me couldn’t hold onto a life of luxury for too long,” he snickered and looked at Veiere. “I’ll move my stuff myself, I don’t have much and I’m used to changing living arrangements. Can’t say I’ve ever been in any sort of archive, though. Always made more use of holodramas than books.”

 

[WolfMortum]

Needless to say that as they walked towards the stairs that would take them up into the second floor of the training wing, Veiere was pleased with [member="Bradshaw Ku"]'s decision to agree to staying within the Praxeum. The decision wouldn't be for life though as temporary as it might be, that all really depended on Brad's habits and how easily he could fall into and form new routines, better manner in how he cared for himself and those around him. He had after all made no hint of subtlety in his proving himself to be a bit of a ladies man and a booze hound, the old smugglers life that was once his, required some distance between the past and what he wished to be his future if they were to be successful. "You won't suffer too much, I can assure you. You're not confined to quarters, you can come and go as you please so long as we're able to be in contact with one another across the comm's. This is your training as much as it is mine, we will learn from one another but your progress will be steadily in your hands and I'll simply be trying to guide you the way. If you choose to relapse into old habits, that will be on you" Veiere gave him a wary smile, not to lecture him but to carefully encourage him while trying his best not to sound judgmental at all.

The second floor of the training wing led to many other rooms, though none of the like of the Dojo down below, these rooms were more for the practice of theoretical studies and the pursuits of the Artisans of the Praxeum, technological crafts and classrooms of which students would attend educational lectures from the tutors here, Veiere himself taught a few around the various philosophies of the Force introduced by the Jedi Order. "The Archives are a collection of datacrons, holo-videos and holo-books as well as giving our people access to the holo-net for which they can search for any relevant information that hasn't been collected here. Our specific data has been comprised from various different orders across the galaxy, making use of some of my contacts within the Silver Jedi for example to share information between our two archive facilities. It embraces civility between Orders and encourages the responsible mediation of information. Naturally any volatile or questionable content has been sought through so that our students can browse safely. Younglings for example do not have access to such subjects like the Dark side, not until they are first introduced to the subject through a series of classes and then had their archive account merged to the appropriate level of clearance".

Finally as they approached the Archives the doors gave a mechanical hiss as they parted and slide open swiftly withdrawing into the frame that surrounded the entrance; within the pair were greeted by a rather dark yet immaculately clean stone floor that reflected much of the ambiance of the room with minimal defect to the eyes. Walking into the Archives, Veiere led Bradshaw first to the front desk of which one of their Archivists were sat at his console busy at work. "Master Vyon, allow me to introduce a new student of ours...-Bradshaw Ku" Veiere smiled to the Kel Dor before turning back to Brad and giving him a faint nod in encouragement; "I'm just showing him our facilities, we may borrow a table upstairs but do not let us keep you" Veiere soon bowed to the male and turned to step away, waiting for Brad to give his greetings to the Master before following him. The Archives were split into two halves. Below on the first floor, still the second level of the Praxeum, the shelves filled with hundreds of data-chips (holo-Vids, Reading material etc) lined the floor in rows stacking to twice the size of bradshaw; with a clear path to the main desk, the rest of which consisted of several reading booths and comfortable pillows for seating on the floor. "Tell me something, have you heard of the Jedi Code before?" Veiere asked as they began to climb the second set of stairs, the Archives opening to the third and top floor of the Praxeum, of which this side of the facility only encompassed the second half of the Archives, desks spread out across the room with an overhead view of the floor below, terminals all set up for students viewing pleasure, whether studying their data-chips or perusing the holo-net.

 

[Bradshaw Ku]

Following [member="Veiere Arenais"], Bradshaw listened patiently and eagerly. Like a student on the first day of school who chooses the front most desk across from the teacher’s with the hopes of wining favor, he nodded along while the older Jedi described the Archives, it’s collections and its uses. He certainly didn’t want to ‘relapse into old habits’, as Veiere had pointed out, and he knew that the change from a devil-may-care pilot and smuggler into a more responsible academic student of the force wasn’t going to be easy.

He was trading in the cramped, musty cockpit for a comfy-quiet corner of the Archives lined with pillows.

The free-spirited grimy cantinas, some of the wilder places birthed by the galaxy, where the drink flowed easily and the women, even easier, for expertly given lectures on the mystery, nature, and uses of the force.

And, handing in his blaster, that most famous quick-draw weapon used by smugglers throughout the galaxy to always shoot-first, then pay to have the mess cleaned up later (no need for questions), for the Jedi’s favorite tool, the lightsaber, which would grow to fit one’s hand like a well-used blaster, but unlike a blaster, it was more than just an extension of one’s self, it was literally one with one’s self through the magic of the force. No blaster could do that. Frankly, as much as he liked the ol’ blast’em under the table maneuver, Bradshaw wasn’t too upset by that last trade.

Now entering the Archives, he couldn’t help appreciating the effect of the slick black floor cleanly reflecting the chamber’s lights and forms like the moons and stars playing the celestial Narcissus, using a glassy lake in the still of night to admire their mirrored images. For such a common structure like a floor, it was an experience. Clearly, it had been meticulously and intentionally designed by the architect to produce just such an effect within the minds of the Praxeum’s students and teachers.

Veiere introduced him to Master Vyon and bowed to the archivist. “Hello, Master..” unsure, he tried quickly to form something reasonable to say that wouldn’t embarrass his new Master, “I’m Master Veiere’s new Padawan. I’m sure you’ll be seeing a lot of me if he has anything to say about it.” He smiled pleasantly along with his good-natured joking and bowed. It wasn’t the most graceful or dignified bow – yet – but it was something.

Ascending to the last floor of the Praxeum, Bradshaw thought for a moment about Veiere’s question. Had he heard of the Jedi Code? He bit the inside of his cheek as he mulled it over carefully, a habit he must’ve picked up from [member="Lady Kay"]. He shook his head, “No, I don’t think I have. I guess I assumed they had some sort of code, like the Sith. Lets see… I think I remember it..” He’d learned and recited the Sith code during his training with Shaw-Ku. That was fifteen years ago… “Something about power.. and victory.. Oh! and Through Victory my chains are Broken. The Force shall free me. Or something like that, it’s been a long time. Is the Jedi Code anything like that?” A grin lifted one corner of his mouth into his usual smirk, "I have a feeling it isn't anything like the Smuggler's Creed, I'll bet on that."

 

[WolfMortum]

Moving to take a seat at one of the desks, leaving the chair in the center directly before the console terminal free for [member="Bradshaw Ku"], his expression changed to mild surprise as the younger man spoke up uncertainly regarding the Jedi Code's possible likeness to the Sith Codex; it hadn't occurred to him though in all honest it should have given the dark side history running through his family heritage. Chuckling quietly at Bradshaw's recitation of the Sith Code. Veiere knew it too, though not for the experience of adhering to it but rather studying the ideologies of their opposition a long time ago in order to try to understand their nature a little better.

"Not quite the same no..." He chuckled softly, as if to put a halt to Brad's theory before he could continue, smiling though replying in further explanation, "The Jedi Code is similar in that it is the code of which the Order lived by, it encouraged their principles and discipline, it was the mandate of which they did their best to live by, yet was also a personal journey of self-discovery in that everyone seemed to understand or interpret parts of it in their own way, differing from the views of their peers slightly". The theoretical lessons of the Jedi were vast, always something new to discover about the force if only you had the mind and patience to look for it, the Code itself was a complex set of guidelines, the more you thought about it and the more you experienced within the galaxy and then compared with it, the more you started to see new understandings, new interpretations of what each line might mean, and it didn't end with simply those five lines. "The Precepts are part of it, I suppose you could call it the near opposite of the Sith's variation you were thinking of, in a sense..." He didn't like to compare the two, though there were still students here welcome to learn the ways of the darkside with the right attitude and self restraint, the Sith Code was taught here by the Knights who walked the line of the gray, you might say.

"Emotion, yet peace".

Veiere began to recite each of the lines to the Precepts, the first of four parts to the Jedi Code; The others of which many people seemed to ignore completely. "To acknowledge our emotions is to give credit to our lives as sentience, we are not droids, negating our feelings completely would have negative consequences just as much so as if we were to give into our passions and selfish natures as individuals. The Jedi do not ignore their feelings but learn to deal with them in their own terms. We seek to bring peace to the galaxy through the will of the Force and more often than not strive to push away our own priorities, instead focusing on the objective or mission we are on. In our own time through the privacy of our solitude, meditation or simply quiet time to our own company, we can find time to reflect on those emotions, to give them the credit they are due but to also move beyond them; letting them not deter us from our higher calling in the Force". This was of course, something that came with a great deal of time and Veiere was trying to elaborate on each line in a sense that Bradshaw would better understand, trying not to go full on philosophical with the lad but attempt a bit more of a casual approach not wanting to throw him in head first. He gestured to the terminal screen, finding the artical on the archive listing and displaying it so that Bradshaw could too see the lines that he was introducing to his Padawan.

"Ignorance, yet knowledge".

"If you've ever heard the term knowledge is power, this line might make you think twice. It's also a lesson in being humble of yourself and your experiences" Veiere glanced back to Bradshaw with a faint smirk knowing that he could do a bit more with humbling himself. "Some things are best left untouched, there are things in this galaxy that can prove disastrous for curious cathar's. The Darkside for example, students are discouraged from learning anything about at a young age for concern that they are not mature enough to handle such lessons objectively and responsibly. We must know our limits and at times restrict ourselves from the things we desire for the sake of saving ourselves loss of composure. There is too another interpretation..." He glanced back to the console, this one applying more to him than his padawan though it was a good lesson none the less, "Never become over-confident in the knowledge you have gained. A Jedi's training never comes to an end, not as a Jedi Knight, nor as a Master. We are forever learning and undertaking new experiences...-Pride is a dangerous thing if left unchecked and too much faith in yourself will lead you to eventually underestimate your foes. A fatal mistake if taken upon the battlefield...".

"Passion, yet serenity".

"Like the first line, this one can sound contradictory. Passion is a necessity to our lives in a way. If we weren't passionate about the force, we would not seek to study it; just as we would not look to help others if we weren't fully invested the preservation of life and the pursuit of peace for others. Yet too there are forms of passion that can lead us astray and blind us from our motivations. It used to be that love was discouraged due to this concern, that especially among us men, our passion and attractions to others would distract us from our ability to remain open minded and focused on the path ahead. Always remember that with passion, comes the need for inner peace, of the mind and of the soul. You will learn to obtain this sense of calm through meditation if you have not found it already..." Veiere doubted very much so that Bradshaw had, having followed the ways of the darkside for so long, their form of meditation to his knowledge consisted more upon the dwelling of such emotions as the fuel to establish themselves within the strength of the Darkside of the Force.

"Chaos, yet harmony".

"As the others have referred to within, I believe this line represents the nature of the galaxy around us. Chaotic in our society that such a vast array of sentient life exists all with notions of their own, desires, some stronger than others and willing to bring violence upon the lives of citizens for want of higher gain. You and I have both experienced this in the wars that we know have been fought, some that I have faced and experiences of similar degree that you no doubt would have experienced in your own way. Take heed that without light there can be no darkness, without chaos, harmony would not shine through. Remember why you wish to pursue this path, to stand for the right reasons, against those who would prefer to instill upon the weak, chaos. Always be the light in these dark times, let your actions show others that hope is never lost, that people only need to reach for it...".

"Death, yet the Force".

He looked back to Bradshaw, pausing for a moment given the nature of the fifth and final line of the precepts to the Jedi Code. This specific line no doubt leading him to think about Shaw-Ku. "It is my genuine belief that when our cycle is at it's end in this world, we return to the force, to become one with life in it's most natural and harmonious form. This return to such a peaceful existence is something to be recognized, and the lives of those we feel we have lost, to be honored by remembering them for the good they left behind. Many people learn to interpret this line in their own way, it's often one you yourself will come back to and not something you can take from others. If you are spiritual as I am, you might agree though your views will be your own. The common view here however is that as the Force created and binds all things living, so too is death a natural part of the cycle of life, everything that begins must eventually come to an end and in that end, we move on to something bigger than ourselves...".