Faction The Precipice [NJO]

[Aeris Lashiec]

There Aeris sat, candy in her mouth with the flavor of cherry as she took several deep breaths to recover from what had been a completely unnecessary mental break. There was no denying the catharsis of having the ability to shout out the thoughts that had plagued her for so long, but even still… Unnecessary.

As she listened to Zaka talk, Kyric speak with surprising insight, and Dagon asking for a wrap-up, Aeris swallowed the rest of her sweet and stood back on her feet again.

"Right. First, I… Want to apologize for my outburst." Aeris said and bowed her head in shame. "Too many of these talks usually prove unproductive and I wanted to ensure we did not fall for the same old problems, perhaps a bit too eagerly."

Another deep breath.

"Zaka has a valid point, as well as Kyric, and Dagon." She swallowed her pride and shook her head. "And this might not be the time and place for it, but because it was brought up… The Circle's actions when the Sith caged us were regrettable. I will not deny that, and in truth it was — on my behalf — because I had no idea how to even comprehend that we had let such an obvious, almost historical-step-for-step threat, pass under our radar so easily."

"Before I knew any better they were already at our door. That was my failing as a Circle member, and admittedly something that I was— am, ashamed of."

"But, that was yesterday. Today, because of these talks, we have a solid foundation in place for how we will go about moving forward. A first draft on how we can organize ourselves to prevent that any of us will ever have to be trapped by outside forces again."

She exhaled a laugh, tried to lighten the mood.

"If not, we may just have to hold more meetings like this one, and I think we'd all like to skip that, right?"

 

[Traden Avarice]

Location: The Nexus, Tython
Attire: Standard
Tags: Everyone

Traden couldn't help but enjoy a slight sense of victory due to Aeris Lashiec 's outburst, which in his mind was a shredding of the circle's false humility and self-righteous persona. The nerve that they had to come into this meeting with so much arrogance, flexing their influence and perspective while at the same time choosing to force a divisive wedge into their midst was unforgivable. All without any acknowledgement at all of their own failures until it was practically demanded of them. Yes, Traden's perspective was growing darker by the minute towards those that claimed to represent the New Jedi Order.

Perhaps this outburst would wake up others to begin to see the circle for what it had truly become… an outdated, ineffective, politicized, blinded stain that hindered the Jedi from true action. It was becoming evident beyond all else that the Divergent Guardian did not care to continue with such an ineffective and broken order.

Traden had lost more than most at the desecration of Coruscant… his beautiful wife… most of his squad… and there was a hardening that had happened inside of him. He wasn't fully aware of it, although he felt the slight shift… but he decided to use it as a clarifying catalyst to finally do what he should have done years ago…

Traden took out a cigarette and lit it unabashedly in the midst of the nexus as Aeris Lashiec continued to lash into him with full force, breathing in the smoke and holding it, closing his eyes with almost a relaxed and settled expression that had not been present throughout the gathering. He let it out slowly, sending a smoke cloud out into the center of the room, surely aware that it would be very unwelcome. He did not care.

Then as Keiran Varn, his Padawan, began to speak, Traden listened, a sense of pride filled him that he was stepping out and sharing his opinion… contributing to the conversation. The only hesitance he carried regarding what he was about to do was regarding the Padawan… he didn't want to hurt him… he hoped he would understand.

Traden patted him on the back after he finished with a firm hand, sharing an unspoken approval for his boldness to speak his mind.

While he respected Zaka , it was apparent to Traden that he was not a visionary… not thinking of the future, only the moment. Only the here and now. He didn't hold it against him, as he did not expect everyone to hold the same perspective or views as his.

As Kyric spoke in his ignorance and immaturity, Traden took in another pull, staring blankly at him, very uninspired by his contribution. Again, another Jedi that couldn't see past the hear and now. Another voice that demanded a temporary and sloppy solution. Did he not understand that a step forward was always going to be a step in a specific direction? Why take a step forward in the wrong direction… pure Ignorance.

After Aeris Lashiec tried to reign things back in Traden took a step forward, pointing his finger accusingly towards her and Bernard ...

"You have failed this assembly!" He accused in a loud and booming tone,

"You have been operating in arrogance and in false humility, and the fruit of your labor is division and inaction! You have become blind guides!" With that, he took in a final, agitated drag of the cigarette and tossed it violently at Aeris Lashiec 's feet. He glared at them for a moment, then turned to address the rest of the Jedi that were present, his voice booming out throughout the tree,

"Behold, the circle of blindness! The circle that cannot see! The circle that leads us to the slaughter! The circle that feeds itself like an ignorant child upon the will of the Sith! The Circle that chooses to try to divide us instead of unify us! If this gathering is not enough of a witness of these things, then may you all continue in your blindness and your ignorance!"

He then turned back slowly to the members of the circle,

"But as for myself?! There are a hundred places where I can actually affect real change in this galaxy, and this gathering is not one of them."

He turned, giving a solemn and sober expression to his Padawan, unsure if he would ever see his friend again after this outburst. The look he gave communicated something of an apology to Keiran Varn for how his actions would likely affect him.

He put a hand on his shoulder, and whispered quietly,

"Don't ever be afraid to speak what is in your heart."

And then he turned, unceremoniously, and left the Nexus... and very possibly... the New Jedi Order.

May the Grey Paladin's rise.

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

And that was his right. Aeris weathered Mister Traden Avarice's outburst with her head held high. Not out of spite or indignant anger but because she could recognize the sentiment behind the words that he spouted. After all, she too had harbored them not too long ago. Still did, to some extent.

"I deserved that." Aeris whispered and rubbed at her neck.

 

[Keiran Varn]

TAGS:
Aeris Lashiec Soren Dar Iris Arani Zaka Dagon Kaze and others

​

A pained expression wrapped itself on his face. He'd known about his master's tenuous relationship with the Order, right from the start, and in the back of his mind, it was only a matter of time till something like this happened. But as always, Keiran had not been ready. Despite the nature of the outburst, a lot of what he'd said resonated with himself and his own perspective in a way that he could not articulate.

This Gathering was not one of the places Traden could affect real change, and he almost felt inclined to agree. He spun on his heel as the dark-haired Jedi Master trudged off into the distance with an agitated expression on his face. In that instant, the youthful Fornaxian native aged ten years, taken over by a sort of grief.

He started off to try and stop him, determined to try and change his mind, try and pull him back. But he was rooted to the spot as his mentor got smaller and smaller in the distance. Keiran put a hand out feebly, but what was he trying?

A souring expression on his face, he span back round to face the rest of the circle. His extremely pale complexion, a remnant of his slight Arkanian heritage had gained some a small amount of colour during the exchange. "I hope you're all proud of yourselves! Gathering my foot." he needed space. Keiran walked off a short distance away to go collect himself. The padawan didn't know where he was going, but he knew he needed to go.

​

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

Rub rub. The hand that had grasped at her neck moved to let her hand place her index finger and thumb against her nose bridge with an increasingly agitated pinch. Traden was a rogue variable, it shouldn't have come as a surprise that his apprentice would have been as well. She very much doubted the change that these two could even enact on their own in comparison to as a group - say, the Jedi Order - but Aeris had already had her outburst. This was the tidal wave that came with having stomped her boot into the puddle.

"We are just throwing tantrums at this point." Aeris said and groaned. "Conclave or whatever dismissed, show's over. Everyone head to your respective homes. The Circle will send out a message when today's points are being put to action. Thank you."

 

[Iris Arani]

".. There!" In the silence of the ended arguments Iris randomly shouted. A wide grin spread across the paint covered features of the Padawan as she got up from where she'd zoned out most of the conversation to focus on her art. Canvas in hand she turned, all manner of happy with how the painting had turned out. Only to see the colors around her far more dimmed. She blinked, then frowned a little.

People were upset. Maybe she should've paid more attention, but.. It was hard enough to follow a normal conversation for her, let alone the discussion this ended up being. Maybe Kai Bamarri was right and she shouldn't of come. .. No! No defeatist attitude! Instead she wandered up towards Aeris Lashiec , a couple of paintbrushes in hand and another blank canvas pulled from her pack of art supplies.

She didn't know how to help or what to say, but she did know paint. If painting helped her calm down and feel better, maybe it could do the same for the others? "Here." She smiled warmly, holding the supplies up to the older woman.

"Sometimes it's good to take a step back, right?"

 

[Ishida Ashina]

A DARK SHADOW NEEDS LIGHT
CORUSCANT | JEDI TEMPLE (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) | LIBRARY IG
Kai Bamarri
BUT LIGHT DOESN'T NEED DARKNESS TO BE LUMINOUS

​

<Because I’m a Jedi.>

Barely a beat passed between the end of her thought, and the start of his. The telepathic brush against her mind was immediate, visceral, passionate and because it was within her she felt the zeal behind the simplicity of his association.

It was easier for him to say I'm a Jedi than it was for her.

That was dumbfounding in and of itself.

Months ago, the idea of a Sithspawn claiming to be a Jedi would have made her brain melt. Even now, the concept of one born of darkness and calling themselves a guardian of the Light was baffling. But as inconceivable as it was, in that incredibility was a marvel in itself. Someone who was passionate enough to fight against their very existence, against the odds. To choose a point of view and resonate with it so deeply that there they were, arguing for the preservation of the Jedi halfway across the galaxy. Somehow having the patience for the go-arounds of an open forum. To what end? To be hunted by The New Sith Order? To feel the need to explain and defend when questioned?

The corners of her mouth flickered upward briefly, to a ghost of a grin.

<Just saying it doesn’t really mean anything. I could show you my memories, all the things I’ve done as a Jedi, but you wouldn’t accept those as proof.>

Immediately her hand unfolded from the nook in her arm, palm facing him in voiceless denial. After Korriban, she had absolutely no desire to accept any sort of memory sharing from anyone, let alone a Sith in any capacity.

<So watch me. See what I do, where I go from here, and judge for yourself. But you won’t judge for me.>

Another invitation, one that boiled against her brain. Slowly, she shook her head. Both to deny the intensity of the spawn's insistence, and to try and loosen the heat that came with the words against her psyche. Giving herself the mental space to breathe, she recognized a likeness to the words Aeris had offered about the definition of a Jedi.

Their dialogue had been different than this one. The sithspawn, by its nature, was connected to The Force. But by the librarian's standard, it was in the acts, the behaviour that defined a Jedi. Not alignment, nor connection. Ishida made a mental tick on her mental scoreboard.

In the end all we can do is act as beacons that show what a Jedi is meant to be.

"Born of darkness doesn't mean you have to live in it, hm?" Ishida simply observed, folding her fingers into the top of her palm and dropping both hands to her hips. At the tip of the iceberg, she should appreciate the incredible effort that took. To make that change consistent and of his own volition. "That takes courage.

You have enough work cut out for you." The Atrisian simply stated with a nod and let silence hang between them for a few seconds.

Then, to address the bantha in the room, she shrugged. "I'm not going to try and kill you right now. And that night, before in the Undercity, I should have tried to listen to you more." Her cheeks burned, and her chest tightened. Indecision thrashed at the back of her throat, and her shoulders hung heavy. "I'm sorry for that."

Okay, that was enough. She didn't need to hear this nameless creature's forgiveness and she didn't need to apologize and further. She just wanted to know what audacity a Sith had to have to try and get involved in Jedi dialogue. She hadn't expected the creature to so boldly associate themselves as a Jedi. It was inarguable, for now. In the wake of all else going wrong in the galaxy, this was manageable.

And the instant his existence bothered her, she'd let him know with the pointy end.

Ishida bowed her head, and took a step backward where she'd come from. She'd connect the power again before she left to let the Jedi talk.

 

[Kai Bamarri]

Ishida Ashina​

"Born of darkness doesn't mean you have to live in it, hm?"

<I wasn't born like this.> Not as a Sithspawn, anyway.

Apart from that, as Ishida said her piece, Kai was silent on all channels. He stood very still, his eyes fixed on her, the writing board still pressed to his chest. Ready to smash it over her head, or knock her feet out from under her. Whatever he had to do to escape.

But she never made a move toward him. As she spoke, it became clear that the hostilities between them had come to an abrupt end. Kai found that he was satisfied with this outcome, and even suppressed a smirk when she said she should have listened to him "more" that night in the Undercity, even though he was quite sure she hadn't listened to him at all. There was no time for him to speak, to explain what he was doing or who he was. Not even his resemblance to Dagon Kaze at that time had saved him from her wrath.

She apologized, but she didn't want his forgiveness. That was fine. It was probably more than he'd ever get from Jem Fossk . Before he knew it, he was staring at Ishida's back as she walked away, and the power for the holocam suddenly came back on. He pressed the on button, and the holograms of the Jedi reappeared... with two people now missing, Aeris Lashiec looking like she was about to cry, and Iris Arani and Valery Noble painting pictures of trees.

Kai's eyes widened at how much the scene had changed during his brief absence. Unaware that Aeris had just dismissed the Conclave, he scribbled on his board:

SORRY, POWER OUTAGE. WHAT DID I MISS?

Bernard Kyric Zaka Soren Dar​