Faction The Precipice [NJO]

[Iris Arani]

"It does not, but it allows those who are Jedi to be in a better position to act."

"How?" A lot of people were talking now, but Iris was solely focused on getting an answer.

 

[Kai Bamarri]

Kai wrote some more.

THE DECISION OF THE COUNCIL WAS ARBITRARY. THE JEDI ARE NOT A MONOLITH.

More scribbling.

BUT THAT IS WHY THE SENATE HELD US HOSTAGE IN THE FIRST PLACE. TOO MANY ROGUE ELEMENTS IN OUR RANKS.

THIS IS A PROBLEM, NOT A SOLUTION.

Zaka Dagon Kaze Aeris Lashiec Jem Fossk Iris Arani

 

[Soren Dar]

JOURNEY'S END, TYTHON

Soren's Post 3
"Reconsideration"

"We can decide on a lot today, Knight Dar. After all, to follow faith without expectation is delusion, wouldn't you agree?"

"There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

Indeed, we do not devote ourselves to blindness, but to enlightenment and knowledge. Acknowledging the different factions which do split our order in factions, approaches and mentalities is part of it. Trying to force a decision or even the process to make one, is not our way, sister."

BUT THAT IS WHY THE SENATE HELD US HOSTAGE IN THE FIRST PLACE. TOO MANY ROGUE ELEMENTS IN OUR RANKS.

"Rogue? We are not an army and since the Great Purge our Order has not seen broad unity and centralisation in conjunction with a civil government. A government which killed us. The new government, the Alliance, had detained our brothers and sisters. You will not find perfection when you search for it. It is our common goal what unites us, our common approach to different problems, on different levels, in different spheres. The stability of the days of old is a beautiful memory, but none we should stick to. Our strength and versatility prospers with our diversity in these dark, chaotic times."

Soren would keep his voice calm, never increasing his volume or getting into more than a minimum of passion. It was clarity and idealism speaking, with a positive tainted pragmatism. He would look at Aeris Lashiec with a soft inclination of his head, acknowledging her ideal of making a decision right here and now.

"I would suggest to establish rallying points, either locally or with people, which are in support of the various factions which are spread here. We would add a layer of organisation and be able to concentrate our efforts, wherever they may lead."

Dagon Kaze , Jem Fossk , Traden Avarice , Keiran Varn , Aeris Lashiec , Zaka , Iris Arani , Kai Bamarri
​

 

[Jem Fossk]

Jem intentionally ignored Kai.





Even tried to keep Zaka 's eyes on her instead. Gottem

 

[Traden Avarice]

Location: The Nexus, Tython
Attire: Standard
Tags: Keiran Varn, Open

Traden processed the accusations, the strong ideals, the fear and confusion he was hearing from his companions. He shook his head slowly with it slightly lowered in frustration at the emphatically and dogmatic thoughts that were expressed. So far, everything he heard was focused on either the senate, or the internal frustrations with differing views within the Jedi order…. He paused, wondering if he had yet to hear any mention at all of the Maw… the Sith… the true enemy to both the Alliance and the New Jedi Order.

A bunch of squabbling delegates… were they not so different from the Senate after all?

And a common theme that he observed over and over again was a constant barrage of judgment and opposition to those of the Jedi who held onto their roles within the Alliance. Again… such a lack of faith in their own brethren. How could such comments install the unity that was desperately needed in this hour.

Jem Fossk 's first comments seemed like a confused blend of oxymorons which struggled against themselves continually. The idea that they were waiting for someone to tell them what to do… was it not the opposite? Were they not being informed what they should do from the circle? Were they not being scolded for their differing perspectives? Were they not being told to conform?

And Dagon Kaze 's following comment about how serving in an official capacity inherently inhibits them with limitations…. A truly befuddling and pointed remark that was completely unfounded, and again, critical of those in the order who had remained in their roles. Was that not a pure lack of faith in his own brethren? What evidence could he possibly produce to confirm that Jedi such as himself… and Keiran Varn … and Zaka … were somehow limited as Jedi Knights due to their service in the Alliance? Was his comment not a direct insult to those who had served within the Alliance for years… who had never once compromised their identities as Jedi… How was Traden intended to receive such a remark? These statements were not just floating in the ether, disconnected from reality… these remarks were being levied in the midst of real men and women who had lived these realities for decades.

Traden's gaze suddenly softened, his thoughts becoming muted as he observed Iris Arani innocently and nonchalantly setting herself down in simplistic admiration of their current surroundings. As she began to paint, a sense of sadness was felt by the Force Master… wishing that the order could have provided a foundation of something more pure and sacred for the young Palawan to build herself upon.

Traden found a smile crossing his lips at the holo-transmission of Kai Bamarri , who brought up a valid observation.

As Zaka questioned the comments levied by Dagon Kaze , Traden nodded in quiet agreement with the Jedi. Finally a comment that showed actual faith in the Jedi order, and its ability to affect the galaxy in a positive light. It was as if there was a fear of corruption… that they were not strong enough, and that they would surely become corrupted by the influence of others. What a terrible lack of faith! Please, feel free to go live in a cave somewhere and protect yourself from the corruptible influence of the galaxy… but don't demand that all the Jedi follow you in order to validate your own perspective.

While Traden agreed with Aeris Lashiec regarding the comments of being Jedi first and foremost, he wondered why the statement needed to be made… was there an example they could provide where Jedi were forsaking the order and the values of the Jedi in order to fulfill their roles? Why so much mistrust? Why so much finger-pointing?

Finally, Traden felt a true sense of relief as he heard Soren Dar 's remarks. He brought home the reality that one perspective was not the answer, but that there were many perspectives… many callings… within the New Jedi Order. And to attempt to force an alignment with one perspective was to alienate the others and to cause division.

"Thank you, Soren." Traden said emphatically as he finished sharing, giving Soren Dar a nod of gratitude for his contribution to the conversation.

Traden raised his eyebrows at Kai Bamarri 's new upheld sign, suggesting that the circle's decision was arbitrary. He agreed with the spirit of the sentiment, and he hoped that to be the case, however… from what he had witnessed… it seemed that the circle was steadily choosing to divert from the reformation of egalitarianism in favor of the more traditional council of old. He hoped that wasn't the case. And regarding the rogue elements in their midst… Traden had no comments to give to such a sentiment. Again, that felt like a desire to force all the Jedi into one narrow perspective.

But again, Traden had determined that he had found a kindred soul in regards to Soren Dar as he continued to emphasize the fact that we should not be attempting to force a decision and perspective upon the entire order, and that we were actually stronger in the midst of our diversity. Traden could not agree more.

Traden finally chose to speak after Soren finished his last comments, not moving from his current position, simply letting his booming voice be released and heard for his first time in the conversation,

"I agree with Soren. We should not be attempting to enforce our own perspectives upon each other. This New Jedi Order was founded in the spirit of reformation and equal representation, not conformity. While some of you have expressed a fear regarding the possible corruption that could occur for those of us who maintain our commitments within the Galactic Alliance, I encourage you to have greater faith in us. May we respect your decisions to walk a more isolated path, and may you respect our decision to bring light and true influence within the Alliance."

"I have heard many comments which cast suspicion against the Senate… and I have heard much concern regarding those even within our own ranks… but what unsettles me the most is the lack of awareness we have for the true enemy. Our enemy is not the Senate. Our enemy is not each other…. No. Our enemy is the Maw. The Sith. And if they could here our conversation and our lack of faith in each other right now… then they would know that their attack on Coruscant was much more effective than they could have possibly imagined! Can you not recognize that this is exactly what the enemy had hoped to accomplish?"

"Do not turn against your own within the order. Stop pointing the finger at us, demanding for us to conform, as if we are the problem. Let us all follow the will of the force, and let us embrace our diversity and our strengths, while covering our inevitable weaknesses… not exploiting them."

"On a different note… I fear that the circle is not an accurate representation of our Jedi Order. And so I agree with Soren's proposal… If we cannot organically and holistically represent all who are members of this order, then it seems necessary for us to organize ourselves into factions, which can be equally represented within the circle."

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

They were having a conversation, good. Voices were heard, opinions were… She saw Kai's sign. A distant memory flashed across Aeris' eyes of an eye rolling master. Another conclave, another talk, no actions made. Everyone wanted to be heard but nobody wanted to act. The master had told her that she would want to speak, make sure everyone gets heard and that the optimal solution could be found…

But that was just not possible.

Aeris opened her mouth for a moment before she stopped and went back into thought.

"I…" She mumbled with increasing frustration knitted in her brows. Her mouth shifted to the side, shifted to the other before she finally opened up again, her voice raised so that all could hear. "Okay, everyone just stop. Kai is not saying that the rogue elements are the issue, he is saying that us talking about it like we are is the issue."

"For what it is worth, I agree with you on the Circle, Knight Avarice. But this is not why we are here. It is however, a discussion for another day."

"We need to get the facts in line here. One of our Order assassinated a senator while others have — in their duty to both the Alliance and the Order — committed war crimes. It is these crimes that gave the Senate plenty of reason not to trust us."

"However, instead of imprisoning a few individuals for their crimes, the Senate opted to put an entire religious order under house arrest because they, much like we are talking about them right now, saw the actions of a select few and judged the whole group as opposed to those who were actually to blame. In the senate's case: the Senator of Epoch."

"As such, the first line of the agreement: either party will not judge the whole group based on the actions of the few." Aeris said and crossed her arms. There would be no arguing that. "Jedi are not above the law."

 

[Kai Bamarri]

Unused to writing as-is, the limits of the board's space forced Kai to communicate in short, clipped statements. Not only did it make it easier for him to be ignored by those present, it also increased the likelihood of his words being taken out of context or misinterpreted. Aeris did notice this fact, and she clarified most of his meaning, but there was still a little more to it.

He wrote very carefully this time.

THE SENATE VIEWS THE JEDI AS A MONOLITH. WHAT ONE JEDI DOES, EVERY JEDI IS BLAMED FOR.

THE COUNCIL'S DECISION CATERS TO THIS BELIEF, AT LEAST IN PRINCIPLE. THE DECISION IS MONOLITHIC: THE JEDI MUST SEVER TIES WITH THE GOVERNMENT.

IT IS AN UNREALISTIC EXPECTATION, DESTINED TO PRESSURE INDIVIDUALS INTO CONFORMITY, OR IT IS ARBITRARY AND DOES NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE THE SENATE HAS WITH US, OR US WITH THEM.

THE JEDI ARE NOT ALL BAD, BUT WE ARE NOT PERFECT EITHER. THE ISSUE IS: NEITHER WE NOR THE SENATE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS FACT.

He smirked grimly, already predicting the slew of negative responses, accusations of hypocrisy or generalization, and what-about-isms. So he quickly added:

AT LEAST, TOO MANY OF US AND THEM THINK THIS WAY.

Aeris Lashiec Dagon Kaze Jem Fossk Traden Avarice Soren Dar Iris Arani Zaka​

 

[Traden Avarice]

Location: The Nexus, Tython
Attire: Standard
Tags: Keiran Varn Aeris Lashiec Dagon Kaze Jem Fossk Soren Dar Iris Arani Zaka Kai Bamarri and others...

Traden nodded slowly, arms crossed in front of him, listening to Aeris Lashiec 's response. He was intrigued at the idea that his comments regarding the circle were somehow not relevant to the conversation, but was receptive to her perspective. He found that he was generally in agreement with everything she had to contribute and was grateful for the clarification regarding Kai Bamarri 's limited input, which he had obviously misinterpreted.

He observed the signs as Kai Bamarri continued to provide clarification and contribution, again, finding himself in agreement with everything the Padawan wrote.

"Well said." He said simply with an approving nod as Kai finished his last sign. He said this in reference to both Kai and Aeris.

 

[Dagon Kaze]

THE PRECIPICE
THE GREAT ERROR vol. II
Issue #12 w/ Jem Fossk Traden Avarice Keiran Varn Aeris Lashiec Soren Dar Zaka

Dagon was plucking the bridge of his nose as parties went back and forth. He shouldn't have come to this meeting. He'd already made his stance known after the Sacking. But when Traden went off on about enforcing perspectives, the raven-haired Jedi interjected:

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. No one's talking about enforcing anything to anyone. Or like you put it - conform. No one's pointing fingers, no one's turning against each other. Let's not make this more than it is." the investigator frowned, "If you wanna carry the plaques - be my guest. I'm just here to tell you that inevitably, someday, the choice between a ranked soldier in a military and a Jedi is probably going to come up. Cause that's what happened with Maynard Treicolt . Disobeyed the Chancellor's order of retreat on Ziost to fight the Sith to the very end and became a wanted man for court-martial. Those are the limitations I'm talking about."

"... like Aeris said - the Code should come first--" his blue gaze turned to his blonde friend, "--and the Code supersedes the law. The law, the system - it's necessary but sometimes not enough." if he had to go through all the bureaucratic means of busting a criminal, he'd still be working on case one. The same law that led to politicians inquesting Jedi over alleged war crimes, the same law Solipsis exploited, the same law that nearly eradicated the New Jedi from the face of the galaxy.

 

[Kai Bamarri]

Kai frowned, an old unanswered question coming to the forefront of his mind. He held out his little writing board toward Dag.

ARE YOU A REAL COP, OR JUST A JEDI WHO SOMETIMES FIGHTS CRIME?

Dagon Kaze​

 

[Bernard]

Bernard had been listening to the points, though struggling to keep up with so many conflicting and differing voices that argued all at once. It was the reality of unstructured assemblies, he lamented, and there was little that could change that about free-form discussions like these. The only thing to do was to put in your own words, and hope that others found it to resonate.

Which is precisely what he did. Standing tall, with his hands behind his back, he began to pace and gesture while he delivered his own speech to address the many voices and clear up the position of the Circle.

"It may be monolithic, but it is born from a principle that binds all of us. We cannot serve two things at once. A lightsabre cannot be two things at once, it is what it is, a blade that cuts even durasteel, whether we choose to label it a weapon or a tool or something else entirely, that is its function.

"Each of us, as Jedi, may perform our own functions, our own unique roles as Sentinels, Guardians, Peace Keepers, Diplomats, to name just a few, but at the core we are all the same: we're Jedi. As Aeris Lashiec has said, the Circle seeks to refocus the Order to this reality.

"Whichever function we choose to serve, it must happen through the lens of a Jedi's duty. We cannot at once consider ourselves to be Jedi and dive into battle relishing every moment of it. A Jedi does not do battle for the sake of battle, they engage in it because it is a necessity to achieve the higher goal of protecting those who cannot do so. We cannot consider ourselves to be Jedi and strive to control the senate. A Jedi doesn't seek to command or decide, but to serve. And we cannot consider ourselves Jedi when we use our training to gain rank in the institutions of the Alliance, intentionally or not. A Jedi doesn't seek positions of power or influence to impose their will upon their world, that is a Sith's path. Jedi fulfill their duty, to the weak, to freedom, to the Force.

"The truth of what a Jedi is always changes. That's good, as stagnation is death. But there is a certain core that we should never forget in our pursuits, one that we strayed from as we became fractured.

"And, as Dagon Kaze has said, there will come a point when we must put aside our egos and ask: are we still Jedi? Is what we are doing right now in alignment with what a Jedi should stand for?

"I mean to make these personal questions for each of you to ask yourselves when you are made to carry out orders by another. Whether that be another Jedi or someone outside the Order. Duty, the service of freedom and protection for those who cannot defend themselves, must always be your guiding star."

Jem Fossk Traden Avarice Soren Dar Keiran Varn Zaka Iris Arani Kai Bamarri

 

[Iris Arani]

Oh people moved on. Iris blinked, turning her gaze from one to the other as they spoke. Not that she was listening. Too many words, all too distant under the bright lights of color. She hummed, forgetting her questions and conversations to again paint.

 

[Soren Dar]

JOURNEY'S END, TYTHON

Soren's Post 4
"Reflection"

"Jedi are not above the law."

"--and the Code supersedes the law. The law, the system - it's necessary but sometimes not enough."

Soren agreed with both statements but saw the difficulties in not excluding one from the other. The Jedi are serving the law, they are complementing it where the ordinary authorities fail, they are operating under a thin umbrella which is both covered by the law and the Jedi Code. It is too easy to move too far, it is too fast to make the step on the road of being a vigilante and such law bending will only raise concern and distaste in the government who made the laws.

"Whichever function we choose to serve, it must happen through the lens of a Jedi's duty. [...]"

The Jedi are not employed by anyone, nor seek it. The Jedi do not need a rank badge or commendations. With a more silent voice from below his white hood, Soren commented.

"Remember what happened when the Jedi were accepting ranks with the Grand Army.

"It is not even the purge which I am referring to, but the population loosing faith in the Jedi and their original function, replaced by warmongering and terrible destruction caused on a million worlds. When the people we strife to protect, whos freedom we want to uphold cannot separate us anymore from soldiers, commanders, warriors - we will inevitably loose everything. It took Grand Master Skywalker a very long time to establish the origin of the New Jedi Order because the public was opposing us. Aided by previous imperial propaganda, yes, but the seed is easily planted in times of war, in times of killing our foes."

"Our enemy is not the Senate. Our enemy is not each other…. No. Our enemy is the Maw. The Sith. And if they could here our conversation and our lack of faith in each other right now… then they would know that their attack on Coruscant was much more effective than they could have possibly imagined! Can you not recognize that this is exactly what the enemy had hoped to accomplish?"

His gaze turned to the speaker of these words.

"We must not identify our duties and our goals through picturing what we seek to overcome, but by what we must uphold and protect. Be it Sith, be it the Maw, be it the Bryn'adûl, it does not matter. We are protecting the people, we are aiding those who cannot stand up for themselves. By devoting ourselves to the battle of an evil and an evil alone, we will loose our focus as Jedi. Remember Lord Hoth who was willing to destroy an entire world, sacrifice hundreds of our kin, even children, because he had lost himself in the goal to defeat the enemy."

Soren looked around at the different faces and opinions. He did not know many of them, maybe heard of some of them and he believe even less knew him. The Jedi were not about knowing each other individually, but knowing that everyone here was adhering to the code. Servants of the Light Side they were, all of them. Therefore he could very well identify with the consideration and retrospective brought forward by Bernard . Everyone should always remember to meditate on the purpose, on the will of the Force and nobody should become a victim of hubris that his or her thought were the Will of the Force, especially those secluded and those with strong determination and dedication to a cause could loose themselves in their duty and see it as the epitome of service to the greater good, while it was just making them feel good.

"There is no passion. There is serenity."


Dagon Kaze , Jem Fossk , Traden Avarice , Keiran Varn , Aeris Lashiec , Zaka , Iris Arani , Kai Bamarri , Bernard
​

 

[Kyric]

High above the towering tree, well past the floating islands that lingered above the water's surface, the sun shone a brilliant yellow. Its warmth fell upon the world, blanketing it in a vibrance that felt more tangible to the kiffar's senses than the matters of the Force. It was neither abstract nor up for debate. The sun brought life to the planet below. A life that superseded such things as a Code, a Senate, or an Order. This life was why so many Jedi were gathered below the lake's surface, deep within the spiraling passages cut from the earth. At least, Kyric assumed so.

"I wonder how long it took you to learn that lesson, old man?" Kyric stared out at the lake with a solemn smile. He fished a flat stone from his pocket, pulled back his arm, and launched the rock forward with a sudden flick of the wrist. His jacket snapped audibly against itself.

"Years?" he asked aloud. "An entire lifetime, more like," he paused, waiting patiently as if listening to words spoken back, though no one else stood near the teenage boy. "Yeah... They do need help. Not mine, though, that's for sure. So many minds. So many opinions. Some of them seem to get it though, I can feel it. They're on the precipice of something true. Something meaningful."

Kyric stepped back. He slipped his hands into his pockets and turned on his heel. Freshly polished boots dug deep into the earth as he strode towards the passageway so carefully kept by his father for oh so many years. Tiny flowers welcomed him, each a beautiful shade of color that seemed unnatural to a boy who'd spent his entire life in the slums. Even the grass seemed odd. Fresh beneath his feet, it crunched with each step. A moistness clung to each blade, likely morning dew or the remnants of the last rainfall.

He fished out something else from his jacket. A piece of candy wrapped up tight in a thin paper shell. Pinching the little bow with two fingers, he unfurled his treat and popped it in his mouth with his free hand. Its taste was sweet, maybe a little too sweet, but it got the job done. His mind wandered back to the flowers behind him, left at the mouth of the earthen tunnel.

Roots greeted him now. They reached out from the dirt like little fingers, wriggling in greeting as he moved past. He reached out and ran his gloved hand through the earth, brushing it ever so carefully against the tiny wooden veins that carried the tree's lifeblood to and fro. The dirt, the wood, and moisture clinging to the occasional patch of moss were warm. Warmer than any city street in the Suicide Slums.

"That's cool," Kyric muttered.

After another moment of wandering, he broke through the final threshold that separated him from the gathered Jedi. They seemed busy with their discussion. Hopefully too busy to notice his arrival.

He scooted awkwardly to the side of the tunnel's entrance and looked on in silence.

Dagon Kaze | Bernard​

Spoiler

I have no plans for this thread. Feel free to engage me if you want.

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

It felt weird to be a moderator like this. Or well, that was what Aeris saw herself as in this moment. Not exactly a very good one, but someone who at the very least was able to tell people to step back and focus on what was relevant. In the end all she wanted was something concrete out of this instead of a bunch of opinions that sought to drive a crack into their unified front. Factionalism, while a mediocre way to convey disapproval, more often than not just served to plant the seeds of doubt and ultimately split something apart.

The Maynard Incident was one that put a thoughtful frown on the librarian's lips. It was a tricky situation, and one that was difficult to really just act upon without careful deliberation. The Treicolts had both been integral parts of the Alliance-NJO relationship when it came to the GADF, and yet when their orders would have been in conflict with the Jedi Code they had a problem.

Were those lives Maynard's to save or the Alliance's to waste? It was hard not to put a spin to the question no matter how hard Aeris tried. She wanted to find the middle ground that painted a better picture of the Alliance, but it was damn hard for her to do. It was easy for her to sit in their spire and just assume that what they did was for the better, but then again, would those deaths have equated to something greater? It was hard to say.

Aeris' thumb and index finger rubbed at her eyebrows as she continued to listen to these people and their eloquent, flowy, and far too involved explanations. What did the events that took place nearly eight-hundred years ago have to do with anything at all these days? The Order was a recreation of a recreation of a recreation of an Order that died in the Gulag Plague.

"So the second proposal on the list is that we reserve the right to forego orders if they are in contradiction to our beliefs and tenets then." Aeris said and leaned her arm away from her forehead for a moment, eyes closed in frustration as she focused on what she felt was actually relevant. "Stipulation being that the Alliance is then in return free to strip you of your rank, within whichever organisation this may be, if they find issue with that."

A good compromise was one where each part was equally dissatisfied but amenable to change.

 

[Iris Arani]

The colors spun. Another?

Iris lifted her gaze from her painting. Different shades of red and blue coated one of her cheeks from where she wiped her hand. The others were still talking about.. Well, she stopped listening. Should she have been paying attention? It seemed serious, but she was just a padawan who only recently came to the New Jedi Order. Actually, did she even know the difference between these Jedi and the other orders she spent time with?

Then again, this was the first she actually paid attention to. Hmm. Her gaze carried over to the entrance moments before Kyric stepped through. Mild curiosity filled her gaze as she looked him over. Well, not him. Just the colors around him.

Then back to the painting again while the adults talked.

 

[Kyric]

Compromise?

Hell yeah.

Kyric inched along the wall with an ear to the conversation. Progress wasn't a linear thing. When it came to the Jedi, he'd heard stories conversations like these went on way longer than they had to. Something about everyone having a voice and wanting to be heard. That approach definitely made people happy. It also appeared to slow down that not-so-linear progress, but that probably didn't matter too much. Fights were being had all over the galaxy at all times of the day. The Jedi couldn't save everyone. They could, however, figure out how to keep the most amount of folks alive. This conversation seemed like a good step toward that goal. Probably.

Looking across the room, only one face proved familiar.

Dagon Kaze. Jedi Knight, detective, a man of action, etc., etc.

"Hey, Uncle D," Kyric stopped at Dagon's side and prodded him in the side. "I come bearing news. Good news, I think," he pulled his holodevice from his pocket and held it up for Dagon to see. "My old man said he was on the trail of a Sith Lord connected to the big bad. He said he was close to finding a way to wherever they're holed up."

Blue light played from the device, revealing to Dagon the disheveled Jedi Master he had drawn back into the fight. Though no noise played, tiny subtitles in galactic basic flashed beneath the playback.

"Pops wanted me to swing by and let you know, just in case, y'know," Kyric raised a hand and slowly dragged a finger across his throat.

Dagon Kaze | Iris Arani​

 

[Kai Bamarri]

Kai's eyes briefly went wide as Bernard suddenly appeared, only to relax as he remembered he was here as a hologram, and therefore out of reach. Bernard's revenge upon Kai for throwing a bowl of Atrisian food at his head a couple years ago would have to wait.

The reminder of that memory was like a kick in the gut. Ax, the Sithspawn whom Kai had saved from Bernard's wrath, was dead now - and Kai was partly at fault for his demise.

Closing his eyes and clenching his jaw, Kai barely heard Dag's reply: he wasn't a cop, nor had he ever been one. Somewhere in him, a lingering childish notion of Dagon Kaze, duly deputized agent of the law was swiftly crushed. Dag was soon distracted by a young visitor who said something about his father and a message. Soren and Aeris spoke again. Iris seemed disconnected from the entire affair.

Opening his eyes again, Kai hurriedly wrote on his board.

OK GOOD OK FINE. FOLLOW THE CODE NO MATTER WHAT. NO MORE WAR CRIMES AND BAD STUFF THEN.

He did not realize the impact his words might have on those present.

Aeris Lashiec Dagon Kaze Jem Fossk Traden Avarice Soren Dar Iris Arani Zaka Kyric​

 

[Dagon Kaze]

THE PRECIPICE
THE GREAT ERROR vol. II
Issue #12 w/ Jem Fossk Traden Avarice Keiran Varn Aeris Lashiec Soren Dar Zaka Kyric

He remained silent, opting to listen as everyone said their piece. There was hardly a lot left to be said, he thought. Much of it was clearing out the dirty air, clarifying positions, and so on and so on. It somehow felt it had been a long time since they had all last found common ground. A bit shaky, but still a ground to stand one together. Solipsis had done much to cull their numbers and even worse - shake their foundations to the core.

Dagon believed he'd seen the worst in a lifetime during the Stygian Campaign against the Sith Empire. Now, it seemed to pale in comparison. Worst part of that? This was only the beginning of the Sith'ari.

"Hey, Uncle D,"

HUH?

The raven-haired Knight blinked at the 'title' bestowed upon him and turned to see its source. He blinked again.

"Kyric??" Dag shook his head, surprised at the teenager's appearance here. If he was here then... oh, no. Bad news. "...hey, uh... what's up?"

"I come bearing news. Good news, I think," a suspicious eyebrow arched up. "Hmm?"

"My old man said he was on the trail of a Sith Lord connected to the big bad. He said he was close to finding a way to wherever they're holed up."

"..wh--"

"Pops wanted me to swing by and let you know, just in case, y'know,"

"--what?" the finger across the youth's throat sent a shiver down the Jedi's spine.

A glance at the hologram brought his hand over his face, rubbing his eyes, "Oh, brother." Ryv really was taking on the lone ronin role quite literally, wasn't he? When Dag had reached out for his help (and barely recognized him), he'd hoped, well... he'd hoped the Sword would've been less suicidal.

"He, uh, he say anything else? Like... where?... He didn't leave you any way of finding him, did he?" that would be a classic. He still vividly remembered trying to find the man after the murder of Fossk's aide. Yeah, really worked out well that one.

 

[Kyric]

"You know as well as I do that isn't the old man's style."

Kyric traded the device in his hand for another piece of candy tucked away in one of his many pockets. This one was a tad larger than the last. Its wrapping depicted a krayt dragon curling inward in an attempt to consume its own tail. He tugged the wax paper away and popped the treat into his mouth. His tongue pressed it against his cheek, creating a slight bulge on the outside.

"Well, now that I think about it," Kyric tugged a notebook out of another of his myriad of pockets. He flipped it to the first page and held it aloft for Dagon to see. Five words descended from top to bottom of the page. Mike. Bravo. Uniform. Oscar. Sierra. The first letter of both Mike and Sierra were more defined than the rest, as if they were a clue for the former apprentice.

"When he told me he was takin' off, he mentioned you know your ABC's. I guess this means something to you," he ripped the paper out from the notebook and held it out to Dagon.

Kyric recognized a test when he saw one. But this test wasn't meant for Dagon. It was meant for him. So, what did it mean? And if his father knew Dagon could determine his whereabouts, why not just share them, to begin with?

Looking out at the room of strangers, Kyric assumed it had something to do with the gathered faces. He knew of Dagon, and while he didn't know Bernard personally, the arkanian matched his father's description of an old ally. Did his father know the rest were wild cards? Unchecked forces that could not be trusted in his race to follow the visions?

"Tricky situation," Kyric said aloud to no one in particular. "Tricky, tricky..." he sighed and looked back to Dagon. "He mentioned an end to an era. I did some digging, tried to ascertain precisely what age he referred to, but I don't think it's literal. It's gotta be metaphorical. I just don't have enough evidence yet to piece it all together," he crossed his arms. "I think this goes without saying, but the old man trusts you. Give him some room to work, y'know he won't let you down."

Dagon Kaze​