The Silver Sanctum?

[GhostOfProtocol]

Slowly, a breath rung out. A small foot tapped the stone, bored of waiting around. Another breath, cold and icy this time round. The two thugs stood in the alley way, just one of the many thug squads set up around the square of Dromund-Kaas. Kei Garnik had no chance of getting away, they knew that fully. Kei Garnik was a dead man, easily a dead man. If he attempted to get away, he would be shot. If he didn't comply he'd be shot. If he complied, he'd be shot. He was wanted dead, simple as.

Mr Garnik yawned, used to the stormy sky above Dromund-Kaas by this point. Since his last visit to Dromund-Kaas, he'd delivered Lady Kay, been working with the Free Colonies and worked with his cousin, his cousins girlfriend and a bounty hunter to kill the rich human on Tatooine that had been sending thugs after him day in and day out. He'd returned to Dromund-Kaas because he'd found a present in the rich fellow's home on the desert planet, a present for the old man to who The Ebon Hawk before the smuggler himself. The old man was a great man.

He walked through the streets lightly, many men and woman slowly strolling around. Two thugs stepped forward from the crowds, Kei stopping lightly. He turned, began to sprint, questioning. He'd killed the boss, why were the thugs still coming for him? He shrugged lightly, two more thugs blocking his path. It'd gone quiet, guns being drawn by the thugs, civilians parting like the red sea around them all. More thugs stepped forward, guns drawn.

Kei didn't have the numbers advantage, he'd known that from the start. The thugs closed on him, no shots being fired. Someone threw a punch, connecting with Kei's lower jaw, nothing shattered yet however. Kei turned around, threw his own punch, someone caught it. Someone forced him to the floor, kicks and punches raining down on the man.

A civilian yelled for a help, Kei being beaten to a bloody mess, yet still completely awake during the beating itself.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Kei Garnik"]

It was supposed to be a simple stop-over on Dromund Kaas, delivering a quick report regarding Ziost. The Bith had been on his way back to the spaceport when he heard the scream. Without hesitation, he ran towards it as the mainly human crowd scattered away. Four men assaulting another, all with blaster pistols holstered.

The Jedi thust our his hands, mimicking shoving the two men. They flew into the others, landing in a heap, cursing angrily as they tried to extricate themselves. He spared a glance at the man on the ground, bloodied but conscious. Then his hand went to his lightsaber and he ignited the blade in time to deflect a series of bolts away from himself and any bystanders. They quickly noted the glowing weapon and one of yelled "Jedi!" as he slowly advanced on them.

His tactic worked and they ran though he'd had no intention of hurting them. Dune waited until they left his sight before extinguishing his weapon and hooking it to his belt. Kneeling beside the human, he spoke.

"I'm a Jedi and I have medical supplies aboard my shuttle. I can help you, do you understand? "

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Kei blinked lightly, pain flying through his body from head to toe, every single muscle and bone in his body hurt, blood plastered his head from the wounds punched open. The concrete under him was close, unpleasant and slightly painful to lie on, the grit digging into his spine. He'd watched the man use a basic hand gesture, pushing his attackers away. A force user he assumed, a basic force push against the attackers which was simple enough, Kei currently in the process of learning it.

"Good move, push like that. Wish i'd of thought of it before I was attacked"

He smiled, anyone in the area would feel the force radiating from it, he wasn't trying to hide it like Lady Kay, he didn't need too. He pushed himself upright, sat up lightly. He felt slightly sick, blood pouring from every single open cut on his head, hands and arms. A small puddle lay under him, the city guard would have a great day cleaning up.

"I got medical supplies on The Ebon Hawk, if you be a doctor I'd be happy to get a fixup"

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Kei Garnik"]

A little while later aboard Ebon Hawk....

It was the Ebon Hawk, after all, Revan's freighter from millennia ago. Retrofitted with modern equipment but he could still feel the echoes of greatness through the Force. Revan, Darth Revan, hero and saviour, conqueror and villain. And that of the Exile, Meetra Surik too who had helped shape history itself around her actions.

He'd scanned Kei with the medical equipment in silence and treated his relatively minor injuries with bacta. The weight of the surroundings awed him and surely even one so raw in the Force had to feel something. The Bith returned the equipment to it's proper place. He finally broke the silence.

"Now, suppose you tell me why four men were attempting to beat you to death."

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Kei had sat silently in the medical room of The Ebon Hawk, T3-J8 beeping his concerns for the health of his friend. Dune was quick with the supplies, probably better supplies than what he had aboard his shuttle. Once T3 was sure that Kei would be okay, he rolled off lightly back to wherever he was before Kei was brought aboard, knowing T3 it was either the engine room or the main cockpit, working on some electrical fault somewhere. The ship was over three and half thousand years old, and though it had been retrofitted, it was still modified quite a lot and a fault was bound to happen somewhere.

Kei sat up again, rolling his legs off the medical bed as the jedi began to speak. He wasn't quite sure why they attacked him, apart from the fact he robbed and killed there master. Was that really the right thing to say to a jedi however? According to the stories, Jedi were meant to keep peace, not kill anyone or rob anyone unless they really, really, really needed to. The old Jedi Revan was different, but he was also a Sith so yeah.

"I took thirty thousand credits from a guy on Tatooine, spent none of it on me. Senator Lady Kay found herself stranded on a planet, I made sure she was sorted while I was waiting for T3 to finish repairs on The Hawk. He'd been sending thugs after me for weeks, so I got together with a bounty hunter, my cousin and his girlfriend, robbed all his little investments and killed him in the process. I don't think they are really happy with me doing all of that"

Kei eyed the metal tube at the waist of the Jedi, the same sort of tube he'd seen in the Meetra Surik box. What was it? It was a weapon, he knew that much, it gave off some sort of energy? Kei wasn't even sure if what he'd seen was real of an after effect of the blood lost during the little beating.

"Wass that weapon?"

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Kei Garnik"]

"It's a lightsaber," he replied "Please note that it's staying where it is."

He had a feeling Kei would ask to see it with how he was eyeing the hilt. In the interest of no one dying, the Bith decided to hold onto it.

"So, you took a huge sum of credits then proceeded to rob and murder."

He frowned at the human.

"Tell me why I shouldn't hand you over to Coalition authorities to stand trial."

Force sensitivity was no reason to commit illegal acts, in fact in the Bith's mind, it was less reason. Sending goons wasn't any better but it didn't mitigate what this man had done.

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Kei chuckled lightly, smirking. Coalition? He wasn't sure what one of those was, but authorities sounded anything but pleasurable. He crossed his arms, taking his eyes away from the lightsaber. It was a great weapon, elegant in design. He thought for a moment about his words, thinking carefully about how to work it to avoid being turned over to some sort of prison cell.

"Perhaps it would be in your interests, but note that I used none of the money. All of the first batch of money went to Lady Kay, a republic senator to help keep her alive while she was stranded. All of the money I took when robbing his investments is currently sat somewhere on small data chips in a bottle floating through the seas of Dac. Trust me when I say I would have never killed him unless I had to, but it was him versus me."

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Kei Garnik"]

"Yes, the Silver Sanctum Coalition. My Order who has these."

He patted his hilt. Dune tilted his head.

"A Republic senator. We'll have to check your story with her, but that's still theft. Killing this man was in self-defense."

The Jedi considered for several moments in silence.

"What I saw was four lowlifes attacking you. They may have been his enforcers. We can't verify this, but I sense no deception. As for the other credits, Dac?," he shook his head "Sometimes reality is stranger than fiction."

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

[member="Dune Rhur"]

Kei smiled, knowing full well that Dac was a smart idea. It was a water planet, one small bottle wouldn't be noticed there, not at all. He stood up, shrugging again. The thugs were lowlives, the Jedi got that right. They also wore the armbands of the rich guy, they were his enforcers, no question about it. One of them had felt different, felt like Lady Kay did the first time Kei met her, a force user? He thought lightly, strolling up to the door.

"I can get you half way across the galaxy quicker than a shuttle. You got anywhere you need to be? Mainly because it gives me time to work up the guts to ask if you'd be willing to take another force user a train him to be honest"

Kei chuckled, hoping his small hint would be enough.

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Kei Garnik"]

He sighed quite audibly.

"I suppose you've hidden your way of accessing the funds. Plausible deniability. Also, it becomes your word against mine in a legal sense."

No doubt he'd deny the theft and claim self-defense as an extenuating circumstance. That would bog the investigation down mightily. Or he could claim that this conversation had never happened. The Bith frowned as he mulled over the possible outcomes.

"Don't think I don't know what you're hinting at," he said with a level look "If we elect to train you, IF, you will tell the Assembly what you told me. Regardless, they will be informed of your actions and they will decide. It'll be much easier for you if you're completely honest."

"We're located on Voss. If you're accompanying me, remember what I said. If not, I will be on my way."

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

He blinked lightly, shrugging once more. He would repeat the story, in his own right he hadn't done much wrong, ignoring robbing a guy and killing the same guy. That was different, but Kei knew full well it wasn't worth lying about it, it was worth just being straight with it, he wouldn't play it up or try and dress it up. He wouldn't cook a fancy meal and try and hide the murder and robbery within the meal. It was, in it's own way. It was a murder, even if it was him versus the rich guy and one of them was going to die in the end, and he knew full well that he wasn't in the mood to die.

He would continue through the ship towards the cockpit, T3 beeping happily at the arrival of his friend. He slid into a seat, fingers drifting over the main engine. He paused for a moment, looking back at the Jedi. He knew perfectly what he was going to do with this assembly, he didn't mind it. It felt fine, it would be easier to just say it as it was, it would make the idea of murder sort of die down and remove itself.

"I won't hide it or dress it up, don't worry yourself. I'll get a friend to come pick up your shuttle, just sit down"

"T3, we checked out?"

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Kei Garnik"]

"Alright," he agreed "Don't worry about the shuttle. I'll let the Coalition know it's here. It's theirs anyway."

He followed Kei up to the cockpit and strapped himself into the copilot's chair. This one was honest, Dune had to admit, although somewhat lacking in hand-to-hand combat. He supposed that there were worse ways to travel than this ship. Kei was right about this ship delivering them significantly faster back to Voss. The hyperdrive was significantly more powerful.

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

T3 gave a cute little beep, announcing all pre flight checks had passed his standards. He added a longer beep on the end, announcing that while Kei and the Jedi had been talking, he'd contacted the ATC and got flight clearance. T3 was a smart droid, thinking and planning three moves ahead of what was actually happening, and it was times like this that Kei was glad he'd picked up the small droid at an auction for fifteen credits, in perfect order mind. Kei chuckled to himself, staring from the viewscreen lightly. He was almost scared of the verdict that this assembly would give, it almost froze him in place.

He started the main engines, slowly at first to warm them before firing them at full. He initiated the lifting thrusters under the ship, feeling the ship respond to every single movement. He felt the ship leave the ground, Kei tilting lightly towards the atmosphere. T3 beeped once more, announcing that he'd locked in the navicomputer co-ordinates for Voss. Kei nodded, turning off the lifting thrusters and hitting the main thrusters, glad the ship was responding as well as it was for it's age.

The ship punched the atmosphere happily, the vast emptiness of space around them, the planet down behind them. Kei lowered the thrust slightly, using his Raxis inherited piloting skills to guide the ship from the gravity well around the planet. T3 beeped once more, announcing that the chosen flight path was clear of stars and charted black holes. They would be following a small hyperlane through to Voss itself.

Kei pushed a leaver forward, hoping that the Bith would get the idea. The next hyperspace leaver was his side of the controls, and Kei couldn't reach it because of where the Bith was sitting. As soon as the Jedi pushed his leaver back, the ship would pop, stars streaking and twisting as the ship shot off at amazing amounts of speed.

The familiar sight of hyperspace.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Kei Garnik"]

Once again the stars seemed to lengthen into infinity as the hyperdrive hummed to life. Around them seemed to form a tunnel of blueish energy though none were exactly sure if it was. Quietly glancing down at the navcomp, he saw a number of hours until they'd emerge near Voss. Undoing his harness, the Jedi stood and walked from the crew cabin without a word.

Not long after, he'd found a training remote and an empty cargo hold. Activating the spherical droid, it floated up and began to hover while it waited for him. The Bith activated his lightsaber and took a guard stance. Sensing this, the remote began to fire a randomised series of stun bolts. Dune angled his blade to intercept as he fell into the comforting rhythm of training.

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

T3 beeped as the Bith left the cockpit, Kei undoing his own harness. He lent back, planning on catching up on some sleep before T3 beeped once more, the screen in front of Kei pinging up information on Voss. Kei looked down at the screen, scanning it for a few minutes, nothing about a Jedi cult on the planet surface. Kei wasn't sure, not at all. He continued scanning information at a speed that most men would struggle with, thanks to T3 highlighting the important bits.

Happy with his information, Kei nodded to T3 lightly, T3 beeping. The door to the cockpit slid open, Kei stepping out into the main hold, walking through to the armory. The armor lined the walls, the guns lining different crates around the room, the sniper in a small holder in the corner. His prized possession gun, three hundred and thirty thousand credits thanks to someone else sat on a plaque above the door, shining lightly because of the fact it had never once been used.

Kei heard a shot, a remote training droid? He heard a small hum, the same hum of the weapon that the Jedi had used before, the lightsaber. The walls of The Hawk were thin, noise passing easily. Kei strolled from the armory, standing in the doorway of the cargo hold. He lined up the perfect view, no cargo crates in his way. He smiled.

He watched.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Kei Garnik"]

The Jedi was fully aware of Kei standing in the doorway despite his attention being elsewhere. Being in the middle of training, he didn't stop. If the self-confessed thief wanted to watch, he was welcome. It was some time before the preprogrammed remote finished.

When it did, Dune thumbed the blue blade off and booked it back in place. With his back still to Kei, he spoke "Blast deflection is among the first skills an initiate of my Order learns. It's also one of the most important as a dead Jedi helps no one." He turned and smiled; one simply did not sneak up on a Jedi Knight.

"Your own abilities in the Force are still raw but not in the way of someone without training."

His observation was based on his first few hours in the presence of the human. He'd felt that the man was touched by the Force soon after he'd scared the thugs off. However, he hadn't spoken up because it was not always a welcome thing. Having spent a little more time around him, Dune thought it wouldn't be terribly amiss to speak about it.

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Kei nodded, kicking away from the wall lightly. He'd had minor training before, Lady Kay had shown him the basic force push on their flight across the galaxy from Dromund-Kaas to her home of Commenor. Yet, he didn't really have much going for him, he was still raw potential for either the light or the dark, strong enough with the force, not too strong. He was slightly over average, nothing more and nothing less. He wasn't light, nor dark, he was middle ground. Both sides made some fair points, and both sides had some cool abilities within the force.

Kei had done some research.

"Mhm. I had very basic training from miss Lady Kay on a flight from Dromund-Kaas to Commenor. Wasn't much time to do anything, but I believe that it was enough time to grip the basic push. I guess I've never really thought about honing my skills anymore than I have, I guess I thought that they'll never be needed.

Yet, I guess they will"

[member="Dune Rhur"]
[member="Jericho"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Kei Garnik"]

"A crash course in very basic skills might take only weeks. There's more to being a Jedi. Might doesn't make right and that's why it takes years of training. We could rule the galaxy because we're powerful but that isn't our way. There are too many ex-Jedi running amok as it is."

He shook his head in disapproval.

"Our Code is not a set of suggestions, but something to live by. They casually disregard it and still call themselves Jedi."

Dune regarded him levelly as he spoke.

"I don't believe in simply training anyone because they can touch the Force. This Kay, if she's the former Republic senator I'm thinking of, why did she equip a self-confessed thief and killed with this power. It's irresponsible."

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

[member="Dune Rhur"]
[member="Jericho"]

Kei shook his head lightly, not even bothering to get annoyed at the Bith, it was too much effort for no reward. He had a very set way of looking at things, and in fairness it was his choice how he looked at things. Without training in the force, more and more people would have no-where else to go but the dark, wouldn't that basically ruin the ideas of the Jedi? It was stupid to think like that, completely go back on yourself in a hypocritical manor.

"Irresponsible? She was never aware I had robbed anyone, and this was well before I made sure to keep myself alive. Sorry for thinking about myself here, but I'm afraid to say that anyone should be willing to do what it takes to keep them self alive."

He glared at the Bith, his anger being controlled. He was calm, civilized, making fair points to the man. Kei shrugged again, hands on the doorframe, about to duck from the room. He turned his head back lightly.

"Failure to train a force user leaves them open to the dark. The dark will try and take advantage if the light fails. Isn't that the thing you guys all fight to, you know, destroy?"

Kei turned lightly in the door frame, waiting to see the Bith's answer to this.

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Kei Garnik"]

"Without proper training, an individual is just a common thug. Certainly, the Force will help, but it's uncontrolled."

He spread his hands in a placating gesture.

"I spoke poorly of your tutor and I'd apologise for that to her."

He paused to consider his reply.

"Sometimes, it's worth sacrificing yourself to aid others. Think of a parent dying for a child or a soldier giving their life to protect the lives of family and friends."

"Also, what do you know of the Dark Side, Kei?," he asked without condescension "A fallen Jedi who has no use for you will kill you if you impede them. A Sith Lord? Death is a mercy compared to what they can do. If they take an interest in you, any weakness equals your end."

"Likely as not, you'd be swept aside. You're a pawn in a game where the weak perish. People call us hypocrites and you cry out in their darkest hour and we come spite of all this. We ask nothing in returned for it is the will of the Force."