Chapter 1 — The Light
[/size]
Part 1
Yoda
Small groups sought gloomy corners, whispering fear in the bright of the Temple.
Black and blue coloured the force that held the tension between living beings – beaten and hurt. Despair walked hand in hand with defeat to fill the empty halls.
The Room of a Thousand Fountains wept tears those who feared emotions could not. The battle was over, the Jedi had lost…
Everyone knew this, everyone felt it. The Council Chamber that they would turn to for leadership in such a times of need remained a a closed off Force-contaminated ruin.
As he made his way to the temporary council chambers the huddled group’s shyly glanced his way, whispers and worries cut the hollow air. A thousand questions that had no answers formed in a single word – Why?
Everybody knew that Kimar was dead, Gurrlum, Yoren and dozens more. Everyone knew he was the heir apparent…
The Grand Master is dead, long live the Grand Master - Yoda ruefully thought to himself.
Heading up the stairs his gait firm and strong despite the difficulty his small stature presented in tackling them…he showed strength even as each new stolen gaze weighed down his steps with expectation and responsibility. For direction, guidance, healing, answers – everybody looked to him. Of these he had little to offer.
And everybody knew that too.
<<<>>>
They met in one of the mid-level conference rooms while the council chamber was being repaired.
Only eight present…Kimar, Yoren, Gurrlum all slain. They shuffled around the table with twenty chairs taking odd seats…a moment late Yshrrk, High Sentinel entered having to duck to get in the room, Yoda nodded to the hulking wookie Jedi, who in absence of a seat large enough to accommodate him stood.
No one seemed to be willing to start the session. Finally the holo –projection of Master Nagasa on Dantooine spoke up.
“As a first order of business…we need to appoint an interim Grand Master until a full conclave can be held…” He glanced around “Nominations?”
It was pointless everyone knew who would be picked and voted on unanimously…still they needed to go thought he motions.
“I nominate Master Yoda to the position of interim Grand Master…” Master Nagasa declared, his voice slightly distorted by the transmission
“Seconded…” Soryu said somewhat less enthusiastically
All eyes around the table searched for something less uncomfortable to look at.
“If there are no other nominations, or veto’s?” Nagasa had the advantage of not feeling the emotions that saturated the Temple…for this reason alone he seemed to be able to keep some composure.
“Passed…This council Affirms Yoda as acting Grand Master, with all titles, powers and responsibilities until under the guidance of the Force a conclave can determine the next Grand Master….I propose the conclave be scheduled to commence in not more than three standard months, Core Standard time.”
“Seconded,” Torfun added impassively, “Passed”
Usura in the corner dutifully recorded the motions.
“Grand Master…” Nagasa turned over leadership to Yoda. He paused considering how he would start his Grand Master-ship…yes it was temporary but he didn’t doubt he would be formally approved by the conclave – this was not arrogance, simply reality, other masters were either too close to Kimar or lacked ability.
Taking up the mantle he spoke.
“A great loss we have suffered,” all eyes turning to him for the direction they craved, “a response formulate we must,”
He paused to see if anyone else would take up the chance to speak…none did.
“Repair and rebuild we must, but also justice seek…” his eyes hardened “Allowed to roam the galaxy freely, too dangerous Valens and his apprentice are…substantial their powers, absent their mercy…”
He lifted his head to survey each of the other Masters,
“Propose I do, all non-essential missions suspend, our best recalled and into teams formed to find and,” he checked himself before he said ‘kill’,
“Apprehend these and their collaborators”
There was a murmur of agreement
“We also…” Soryu spoke up, “Need to decide how to communicate this…to the Order and outside…we are getting a lot of questions…I have the security footage, I think we should release it…”
“Master Kimar thought otherwise…” Master Yoruuba, suggested
A brief twitch of annoyance crossed Soryu’s face – Soryu had hoped in vain possibly Kimars politicizing and scheming would die with him.
“No nothing is achieved concealing the truth…only truth can help us heal…” he looked to Yoda, “We need to be honest about this…not just about Valens…but Kimar as well,”
That was a hard truth to bear… the review of Kimars documents and classified mission briefings had been a sobering experience. Mostly undertaken by Valens, but also on occasion the brutal deputy-High Sentinel Oma – a woman Yoda knew was one of Valens few friends in the Order – the missions seemed better suited to a Vigo of the Black Suns charge sheet.
Cartel and gang leaders eliminated on the request of Senators and senior Republic Bureaucrats, ‘dirt’ files compiled, entrapment of the Chancellors political opponents using prostitutes, phony business deals, union disputes for major corporations ‘settled’ using force persuasion techniques on dozens of individuals, plans to destroy the Gray orders and worst of all instructions to eliminate Jedi who refused to adhere to Kimar strict rule.
Yoda’s brow furrowed as he considered what to do…trying to discern the greater good…the force remained disturbed and erratic denying him calm and guidance.
“Release we shall not,” Yoda said firmly, “all records deleted must be,”
“Surely we must be open about…” Soryu began
“Too dangerous these are…if widespread this becomes…if known the Grand Master in the heart of the Temple assassinated…our other enemies emboldened would become…if known the level of deaths ordered, confidence in the Jedi Order lost will be. United, Strong, Untainted to all we must seem from the outside, or else Valens destruction continued through other hands will be,”
There were only half the nods
“That was Kimar’s reasoning…” Soryu added, “I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it now…”
“It was but the logic still holds…our vulnerability will become a self-fulfilling prophecy with this in the public sphere…” Yoruuba added, the Ongree’s eyes stalks talking in both Soryu and Yoda at once as the tide quietly turned in Yoda’s favour.
“The Former Grand Masters files not to the archives, but sequestered and redacted must be…the reputation of the Jedi and Senate…damaged would be if released.”
GONNG
Soryu slammed his fist on the table
“NO, this isn’t right…we can’t deny people the truth…just to…just to protect our reputation. We…” he looked around the room implicating all of them
“We are all responsible for these crimes…we ignored the signs…to now cover it up would be a sin to top them all and deny us any chance to learn as an Order from our mistakes,”
Yoda’s eyes narrowed as he considered Soryu’s odd use of the archaic word sin…indeed Soryu’s whole demeanour seemed much more combative.
“You lead the charge with Gurrlum in ensuring the Commission on Child Abuse within the Order was realised publically,” Soryu’s eyes were convicting and painful for Yoda to meet
“You argued then that only by facing the actions of our fellow Jedi, and accepting the consequences could we be true to the Code – True to ourselves,”
Yoda couldn’t deny the purity of Soryu’s motivations…nor the force of his argument - but the practical realities…they were barely recovered from the Child Abuse scandals, this was not the time to add promethium to the conflagration.
“A closed commission of inquiry I propose…into abuse of power by the former grand master,” Yoda offered to placate Soryu more than anyone else in the room,
He nodded in return,
“In that case may I recommend Kage Li Mack of the Mak’Tor or Kage Arkady Cyne of the Vhal Dan as independent commissioners,” Soryu replied,
“Out of the question!” Torfun boomed the Ootoolans eyes wide and watery, “We can’t have Gray Jedi poking around in our affairs…they’re dangerous enough as is!”
Yoda was just as shocked - that was almost a deliberately provocative suggestion in the current climate…The Mak’tor could hardly be called independent after Vyth…the Vhal Dan…if they read Kimars five year expansionary plan to ‘degrade and destroy’ the leadership on Galtea and recruit the left overs into the Order…
“An internal inquiry at first…Master Nagasa appoint I do to oversee it,” Yoda conceded to no one’s satisfaction.
Soryu
Two weapons sat quietly in his hands, cool to the touch, small and innocuous…yet with these he could destroy the Order, a rain of fire from without whilst fracturing them from within.
In one hand was Truth, in the other the Means to Communicate it. The moral objects physical aspects were a simple data disc and a data-commlink.
The data disc contained a copy of Kimar’s confidential files and plans, the one the paper Tusk cat of a commission of inquiry would review, ‘tut tut’ over then never release.
Was this what it was to be a Jedi now – to conceal and pay lip service to their own crimes, to prize reputation above reality, expediency over examination. This what not the kind of Jedi he wanted to be. This was not a kind of Jedi at all.
Truth, real truth, the concrete reality of a situation was painful to face. To have the illusions, excuses and comforting compromises stripped away, the bare naked soul revealed was painful, for it offered no consolation, no great moment of clarity or wisdom, only the horror and disgust of what you had allowed yourself to become.
In the murky rust stained struts beneath he Temple Soryu saw himself like this, soiled, beaten, unable to live up to his own ideals.
He had failed to see the abuse Sofa had suffered, had let her increasingly sexualised behaviour slide as a result of his guilt, and allowed her to form a deep relationship with Valens.
He had sat silent as the Exile was pronounced over the Mak’tor, he should’ve protested, split the Order if he had to. He’d sat in silence as he did now.
And further still he had seen in Milaea all his hopes and dreams come to life, the embodiment of the Living force, and placed so much expectation upon her, been so blind to the reality of what she was going through….
This was his truth.
He placed the two weapons down and drew a more obvious one, his reflection in the sabre distorted by the curve of the hilt…as if a different mirror might change the man looking back at him.
What Order had this blade fought for, what Republic…Certainly not the one he believed it could or should be.
The snap-hiss of the sabre echoed in the cavernous depths where foundations and support beams mingled like webs of an arachnid to support the monstrous idol of pomposity and power that was the Temple. Cool Sunrider Green coloured his robes and no longer wrinkled hands, the familiar gyroscopic churning of the blade resisting his movements.
It was a clean, pure light…a light you couldn’t hide from yet didn’t wish to look into – this was like the Truth that sat before him in ones and zeroes etched into silicon and nano-crystals.
He faced the Truth of himself…he hated what he saw…but he looked upon it still.
All he had failed, Sofa, Odjina, Valens, Milaea, the Order itself.
He was a tarnished knight – but to be a Jedi was to acknowledge this Truth, and act on it. That the others were unwilling to truly acknowledge that he, Kimar, Sofa, Valens were not an aberrations, but the product of the Order itself spoke of a tragic itnory – the Order had forgotten what it meant to be Jedi.
He could not act for the others, but from this day, he would act as a Jedi, not a member of an Order hypocritical in its purposes and ideals.
No more silence,
No more compromising,
Truth to Power.
He raised the Commlink.
<<<>>>