The New Galaxy

[Drin Kizael]

:: The brilliant transluscent tunnel of hyperspace melted into the starfield of Coruscant as Kizael drew back the levers on his ship's console. For a moment, he marveled at the planet below. It looked exactly the same as when he last left it.

:: His mind mulled over what he had learned about the state of the galaxy since the death of Palpatine, whose assessment of the "end" of the Jedi was greatly exaggerated. They seemed to have crawled out of the woodwork when the horizon was clear. A frenzied holo-media covered their comings and goings like they were glamorous stars or they were running for election. Just recently, a Jedi spokesperson announced the conversion of a dark Jedi to the light as if waving a trophy! Sith "news" was just as predominant, often held in a regular segment of some tabloid data production. The events were often spectacles that mesmerized people of the galaxy with their displays of power. Public tortures were almost a regular occurence and the fear was even more pervasive than it had been under the Empire. The state of this part of the galaxy would make any citizen of the Corporate Sector Authority realize how good they had it.

:: Possibly the most frightening aspect of it all was that for so many to have become so powerful in such a short time ... the dark side of the Force had to have played significant influence ... even among the alleged disciples of the light, though they simply may not realize it. For the Dark Side's promise was all the power you could want for hardly any of the work needed to understand it. Indeed by the very nature of the Dark Side, its servants didn't want to understand it, exactly the way that the evil that fed them liked it.

:: Kizael prayed there was still time, that something could still be done. He switched off the METOSP recording and keyed open a channel to the planet's orbital control station.

[xshellsparkx]

OOC: I always look forward to Jabroni/Drin's posts.

[JediJabroni]

OOC: Thanks. I'm pleasantly surpised by the number of hits this post has gotten compared to the last one. It's all a matter of timing. But anyway, I will be adding to it, and hopefully get someone else involved. I was just pretty busy today and didn't have time. Glad at least some people out there are enjoying the character.

[Darth Turbogeek]

I'd like to join in, but I'm not sure how you would like it to be done

[Master Yoghurt]

I would also like to join in, if it is possible.

[Drin Kizael]

:: The door to the c0ckpit slid open as Roker walked in, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

Roker: "Hey we there? Why didn't you wake me?"
Kizael: "I tried."

:: The Trianii gave his friend a bemused smirk as he forgot whatever he was going to reply and gaped out the viewport.

Roker: "Woooow. So this is Imperial City?"
Kizael: "Coruscant."
Roker: "Yeah, whatever. This is incredible."

:: From where Kizael sat, navigating through the congestion of spacer traffic in low orbit to make his way through his assgined approach vector, it was difficult to appreciate the Bimm's awe. But from the perspective of a being who had never seen such a mynock nest of urban sprawl, the multitude of lights, the countless ships and people, the brilliant architecture at every turn, was surely a sight to behold. He smiled as Roker just stared outside with the wonder of a child.

:: The Redemption circled out of traffic, making a lazy turn over a stretch of the massive city/world. Roker's wide eyes were fixated portside on Imperial Palace. Kizael was focused on something completely different, however. Eventually Roker tore his eyes away to look over to see what had him so preoccupied.

Roker: "What's down there?"
Kizael: "More accurately, what was down there, my friend. A long time ago."

:: Roker squinted in confusion, but let his question slide. All he saw was more cityscape indistinguishable from the rest of the planet, but he thought it best not to press Drin on what he was missing. The shift in his friend's mood was noticeable even without Jedi senses. Kizael's eyes were distant, softer, as his mind reeled over long buried memories that were refueled with a strength as if they had been of yesterday, not a lifetime ago.

Kizael: Roker get me a comm channel to the palace, please.

:: Roker keyed in the channel and opened the comlink when a connection was made. A hologram of a protocol droid appeared on the console.

Kizael: "This is Jedi Drin Kizael of Brochiib. I wish to be put through to a representative of the Greater Jedi Order ... To request an audience with their leaders."

:: It was after some time that he finally vectored off from his circle around that section of the city. With one last pained look back at the site where the Jedi Temple once towered above the Republic in all its splendor, Drin Kizael left the past behind and brought himself back to his future.

[Drin Kizael]

:: Drin Kizael walked out of the bedroom of his Inn suite and donned his tunic. He supposed most people would be getting impatient, but after such a long journey, waiting another day was simply more time to strengthen his connection with the Force.

:: Roker, on the other hand, was the poster boy of impatience. The message that the leaders of the Greater Jedi Order were all called away on important business did not sit well with the Bimm, and Kizael's calm only helped marginally at best. Despite this, he was sacked out on the couch, snoring deeply.

Kizael: "Soon, my friend. I no longer feel the chaos in the Force that marked their battle and can sense their return."

:: The Jedi took a deep, cleansing breath and looked out into the Coruscant sunrise.

OOC: DT, Yog, here's your opening. I'm trying to reach the GJO. Figure you're just getting back from that big drama with Kat and Navaria/Dale and you get my message.

[Darth Turbogeek]

:: The weary Jedi threw his backpack onto the bed and then flopped into a chair. It's hadnt been the best 24 hours and he was tired and in some ways somewhat irritable. He needed a good feed and then a decent sleep.

Casting an eye around the room he used, a blinking light caught his eye on the message console., a message sent to him by New Republic hadlers, marked "Council or above", the code for top priority.

Wondering what now, he got up and went to the console, slapped thr recieve button to view the message.

"This is Drin Kizael Jedi Knight, requesting a meeting with either the ones known as Turbogeek or Yoghurt. Please contact me". A passphrase, only known to the Jedi flashed on the screen as well

Drin Kizael? Who was that? A Jedi Knight? Many Jedi had fallen out of contact lately, so it may be possible this was one who was a Jedi before his time...?

Whoever this was, he knew a top level Jedi code. That in itself was worthwhile checking out. A quick tap on the comms console and he got through to the New Republic comms control.

"Jedi MAster Turbogeek. Code clearence Alpha, priority 1. I recieved a message from a Drin Kizael, I want a reply message for Drin to meet me at Sho'ogor's Tapcafe in 4 hours. Out"

The Jedi leaned back. Sho'ogor's Tapcafe was close, it would give him time to have a quick sleep, a shower and also something to eat.

[Drin Kizael]

:: Kizael looked at the datalink in his room with a curious brow. He didn't think the Old Republic code would even work. Apparantly it did and earned a quick response as well.

:: Roker was finally awake and heading out the door. He frowned just slightly. He wasn't worried about his friend getting lost in the megacity. If anyone could get directions to anywhere it was an infochant. What worried him was his tendancy to find trouble. But there was little he reason he could think of to stop him. He had been couped up too long and there was a sightseer's paradise out there.

:: Kizael rose, throwing on his brown cloak with a flourish. Best to look as Jedi-like as possible when meeting the boss, he thought to himself with a smirk.

[Jedi Alpha]

{OOC:Can I join in?}

[JediJabroni]

OOC: I'd like to keep this a small meeting. Kizael's message was only for DT and/or Yog. Let's keep it to those three for now.

[Fewdman]

OOC : Very well writen. Post more or... or... be subjected to Monty Python quoting (wait, thats not torture thats...) ugh. nevermind.

Ni! Niiiiiii!

[Drin Kizael]

:: The tall, hooded figure emerged from a transspeeder and merged into pedestrian traffic on the skywalk. Soon he arrived at Sho'ogor's Tapcafe, a well kept and quaint establishment most definitely inclined toward a small local crowd.

:: The atmosphere was perfect, public yet quiet and out of the way. Though he would have preferred meeting at the actual Academy, he also acknowledged that if he were meeting a total stranger based on a message with a 50 year old ID code, he would have chosen a public place as well.

:: Kizael drew back the hood of his cloak, drawing a few curious looks from a number of patrons inside. Whether the reactions were to his size or the fact that feline races were noticeably rare did not matter. He was used to such a greeting.

:: The Trianii slid into a booth, ordering an Ithorian gava nectar from the service droid already at his table. He smiled to himself at another old memory, stretched out with the Force, and waited for this Jedi to arrive.

[Darth Turbogeek]

:: He carefully looks at himself, now rested and fed, some what cleaner and in a change of clothes. The sabre hung at his side and for once in his life, he has the Jedi formal dress uniform on. For some reason, sneaking in the shadows does not seem to be the right approach.

The Jedi leaves the apartment and the building, then to the tapcafe he had directed this Drin Kizael to go to.

Who would use such an old code? He wondered, as he stepped into the dim light of the cafe. The owner of the place knew Turbogeek on sight and waved him to the Jedi's usual place, in a corner and back to the wall, so the Jedi could watch all the exits and the patrons. The Jedi had conducted business here before, but more imprtantly, paid well.

"Anything tonight, Matser Jedi?"

"Hot chocolate. Who here is not a regular?"

"Not many tonight. Only a few aliens and a big cat like creature"

The Jedi scanned the area with the Force, and a quiet smile came to his face. There was another Jedi in here.

"Im expecting a guest. Make sure I'm not interupted."

The Tapcfe owner owed.

This will be interesting, he thought.

[Drin Kizael]

:: Kizael marveled at this exercise in galactic sociology. He knew that most people thought he was a Togorian. A natural conclusion, especially with Trian space so remote, not to mention buffered by the CSA from the rest of the Slice. Besides, most aliens, humans especially, thought that everyone of any race outside their own looked the same. He realized that most people seemed to consider him to be just a big cat-like creature.

:: He did not blame them or pass judgement for it. His race's culture was not as prevalent as the Mon Cal or the Twi'lek. For example, he long ago stopped trying to explain that his people put their clan name before their given name. Of course, Trianii in general had met only one human worth remembering, and that was over a decade ago.

:: So it was with some amusement that he noted the Jedi Master talking with another human with a different build and hair color -- but who otherwise looked the same -- both looking his direction at different points.

:: Kizael remained seated for a few more seconds, enjoying his drink. Turbogeek? His name sounded more like a holonet slicer's callsign than a Jedi Master. And his clothes were so formal. Did they wear uniforms nowadays?

:: He took the light mental probe as his cue. Taking his drink, he rose, smiled, and strode across the tapcafe.

Kizael: "You must be Master Turbogeek. I am Drin Kizael, Jedi Knight ... though my membership dues may have lapsed some."

[JediJabroni]

OOC: Now I must scream because I had to write that post TWICE! Illegal operation for absolutely no reason ... I wasn't even touching the mouse! MSIE can go suck on a monkey's nipple!

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

[Master Yoghurt]

A green little like creature of Yodas race, wearing some old robes entered Sho'ogor's Tapcafe. He had recieveved the datalink message from a Drin Kizael.. a Jedi Knight.. and then shortly after that a CC of the reply DT sent 4 hours ago. He glanced over the room..

DT and a peculiar looking person.. allmost cat like. Togorian perhaps?

"He is from Brochiib, I believe..", the owner commented.

Brochiib.. that was one of the Trianii colony worlds. Yog raised his eyebrows slightly as he looked toward where the two Jedi stood. Yes, it was definitely a Trianii. The prehensile tail and sleek fur was characteristic.

Yog found it rather amusing that neither DT or the guest had noticed him yet. It was probably due to the casual clothes he always wore. The robes were comfortable, he felt calm in them. Yog could not stand wearing uniforms. Particulary not the version DT had dressed in.. the official Jedi uniform, mostly used for more formal purposes.. diplomacy and certain ceremonials. Yog had only used it once, and that was at his promotion to Jedi Knight. It appeared he had an alergy to the special fabric used in the costume.

"What do you know of the Trianii?", Yog asked the owner of the Tapcafee.

"Not much, really.. I do know they are native to the planet Trian. I also know that the most agile and cunning Trianii often become Rangers, an elite group of warriors. Excellent marksmen that move with incredible stealth."

"Interesting."

Did not the Trianii have a border line despute with the Corporate Sector.. or was that a thing of the past? MY thought to himself. He glanced another time at the visitor, then finally decided to stride tward the two to greet..

[Darth Turbogeek]

;: DT looked as the Trianii. Assesing the big creature as it walked closer. The The Jedi Master nodded in respect as the creature introduced itself and the Jedi Master indicated for Kizael to sit on the opposite side of the table.

"Welcome, Jedi Knight Kizael. Yes I am indeed the Jedi Master Turbogeek and I bid you greeting from the Jedi. Just be a sec.... ahh, Master Yoghurt, please join us. "

The Master looked closely at this Jedi Knight. For some reason the name was faimiliar, but his first guess was right, he had never met Kizael before, let alone even met one of this race. Still....

"Forgive my ignorance, but are you one of the Rangers I have heard of?"

[Drin Kizael]

:: Kizael took a seat once introductions had been made, thinking his little joke either wasn't funny or was simply taken in stride. As he straightened his cloak, he felt a powerful presence enter the tapcafe. He turned away and looked around the room, but saw no one.

:: Then at DT's invitation a green alien less than a meter tall approached the table from behind the much taller crowd. Kizael blinked and held back a wave of shock. He kept himself composed, but the spike of surprise in his emotions was unmistakable to any who could sense such things.

:: ~Master Yoda?~, he thought to himself. But no ... the thought was dismissed the instant he even had it. Yoda was either killed along with the rest of the Jedi of old or hiding out in some remote swamp somewhere. DT had called this one Yoghurt, and the presence of the great Master would have been unmistakable. This was someone else, though his race was even rarer than his own. So much so that he had often wondered if Yoda was in fact, the only one of his kind.

:: Kizael nodded low in respect and greeted him. He was quickly shaken back to the initial conversation by DT's question.

Kizael: "Yes I was a Ranger for some time. The Trianii have been feuding with our human neighbors for decades. Open conflict ended some time ago, but they must remain vigilant."

[Darth Turbogeek]

DT : What brings you ask for us Kizael? The code you used was 50 years old, so I presume you were a Jedi before the Empire, or knew a Jedi with that code?

Turboggek thinks to himself... the things I could ask this Jedi. Knowledge long gone even.

[Drin Kizael]

:: The Jedi leaned back in his chair. Not much for small talk, this one. But he liked getting straight to the point as well.

Kizael: "I was indeed a Jedi before the Empire. Some years before the fall of the Republic, actually. The Council had even seen fit to call me Jedi Master, but from my perspective, deserving such a title was always a claw's length out of reach."

Kizael: "When the Trade Federation fell, the Corporate Sector Authority grew bolder. They crawled further and further into our space until conflict was inevitable. When that conflict did begin, however, I could not join them because of the Clone Wars."

Kizael: "But when the war was over, a new threat had come to power. Joining the Rangers was no longer simply service to my people, but a necessity to escape the insanity that followed."

:: The Trianii paused, lowering his eyes somewhat as more memories bubbled to the surface of his mind ... vivid memories that, unlike the distant and almost forgotten scenes he had been reliving in recent days, were far too vivid for his liking. Memories that haunted him every day these past 25 years.

:: It was times like this that he was glad Jedi relaxation techniques came naturally to him. After but a seconds' pause, he continued.

Kizael: "When I heard of the fall of the Empire, I remained in hiding. The reasons I never revealed that I was Jedi are too numerous to get into, as are the reasons I did not return to my old life. But that was then, this is now. The Living Force has called me to return, so here I am."

[Drin Kizael]

:: Kizael paused, letting the others absorb what he had said. Sensing no questions or much response at all, he continued.

Kizael: "I have spent much of the last decade in meditation ... and when I touch the unifying Force, I do not like what I see. It's as if the Force itself is corrupt. The balance has been upset for too long. Evil runs unchecked and the fate of the galaxy is in peril. I have seen a future (http://pub2.ezboard.com/fswvstitanicstarwarsroleplayingarchive.showMessage ?topicID=1670.topic) that greatly disturbs me. A future in which the Jedi are no more."

:: He took a deep breath. He did not expect this next part to be taken well, but it had to be said.

Kizael: "And what I have seen and heard of the Jedi in the present is no less disconcerting. The people of the galaxy live in fear. Fear of the Sith which is reinforced by lack of response from their protectors. Jedi switching sides between light and dark seemingly on a whim."

Kizael: "The Jedi have lost sight of what it means to be a Jedi. It is my hope that they can bet set back on track and reclaim the galaxy."

[JediJabroni]

OOC: I hope this has fallen to page 3 because DT and Yog are just really busy. I'm starting to wonder if I did something wrong? :/

[Darth Turbogeek]

OOC : Just real busy. Enjoying this a lot BTW.

[Drin Kizael]

:: Kizael regarded the Jedi sitting across from him, trying to guage their reactions to what he just said. To some, his words would sound blasphemous. To others, insulting. Based on the information Roker had gathered on the council members and many of the most active knights of the Order, most of them would not allow their pride to accept the truth behind his message. Pride ... the most subtle and dangerous weapons of the Dark Side.

But as his best friend used to say on occassion, much of what we consider to be true depends greatly on one's point of view. The Jedi that he had observed and researched held themselves in such high regard that they would see their actions as nothing but noble and good.

Failure to acknowledge the Unifying Force will do that.

:: Kizael left these thoughts unspoken. There would be plenty of time to discuss such things with those who needed to hear it. He had picked these two Masters in particular because he sensed that they would be the most receptive and willing to support him.

As far as he was concerned his past rank was moot in this new order, making him an outsider. His disdain for politics aside, he knew when to show respect and keep quiet. For now, he had said enough.

[JediJabroni]

OOC: Uhm ... I've stretched Drin's contribution to this conversation as far as I can. I ran out of things to say two posts ago, but came up with the last two entries to keep things going and give DT and/or Yog something to build off of. I've had the spotlight long enough, guys. It's someone else's turn.

[Darth Turbogeek]

:: The Jedi Master leaned back, regarding Drin Kizael. Finally leaning forwarded, the Jedi spoke quietly.

"There is more than you who thinks as you do. I have realised the Jedi have been in trouble for a long time, I shall not pretend otherwise. Too few care about what we are really supposed to be doing and care only for thier own power. I myself have tried to make them listen, but some just wont heed the call of alarm anymore. Other fight and argue, some even think anger can be used. Some would even use powers they claim do not come from the Force"

Kizael's face falls in shock at the Jedi Master's words... such blunt assesment was not what he was expecting.

"Jedi and Sith have turned at a whim, becuase they feel like it, others corrupt the Jedi teaching. This is the situation I face every day Kizael and it does not please me. I want good Jedi, Jedi who will be true to the Force, Jedi who will be true to the Light Side, who will serve others and not put themselves first. I wont insult you by asking if you agree, becuase I see you do."

"I would have you as a Jedi, but only on the terms of BEING a Jedi."

"What would you say?"::

[Drin Kizael]

:: Kizael listened, admittedly taken aback by the human's frankness. He smiled inwardly, affirming that he had chosen his path well. But what he heard soured any attempt at levity, even if it only confirmed what he already knew.

Kizael: "Indeed the Jedi have lost touch with the Force if any are even capable of questioning such a fundamental law ... that harnessing anger is the path of the Dark Side."

Kizael: "Yet at the same time we hear of supposed Sith Lords proclaiming love and sense of family. If there is yet hope, it lies in that our enemies are just as lost. The Force is in a state of turmoil that must be set aright."

:: The Jedi reached under his cloak, this time letting his smile show.

Kizael: "I am far from naive enough to think that I could do this alone. Without allies such as yourselves and those you alluded to, such a monumental task of fixing the Force would be a fool's errand. But I brought something more that should prove useful."

:: Kizael produced an object from his tunic pocket and held it in his balled fist in the center of the table. He eyed the Jedi across from him as he opened his hand and placed a flame-gold crystal cube onto the table. He leaned back and regarded it respectfully.

Kizael: "It belonged to my master, Morrja Djreeshan. At best I hoped it would preserve his legacy, but I feel it could do much more good now than as simply a time capsule."

[Darth Turbogeek]

:: The Jedi Master stares at the cube, hardly daring to think what it could be. Surely not... this was a thing only of rumour and legends, never one of fact.

DT : A.... A holocron? What wonders is this?::

OOC : We can lead this into something I am doing and I'm going to ask you about privately.

[Drin Kizael]

:: Kizael furrowed his brow in mild confusion. He reached out and tapped the cube with an extended claw. The cube flashed briefly, dancing colors above it that coalesced into an image of a Trianii not much older than Drin, but with cream colored fur.

Kizael: "I take it by the way you're acting as if you have never one seen one before, that in fact ... you haven't. This explains much."

:: Kizael's eyes drifted down toward the hologram of his mentor.

Kizael: "Not all Masters kept one, though they were not unheard of. It is no surprise they were lost ... thanks to Palpatine I presume. But I had hoped that at least some survived."

[Darth Turbogeek]

:: The Jedi eyes off the Holocron

"No, they were indeed all destroyed. I have only heard of them. Is it true they respond to what the viewer most needs to hear"::

[Drin Kizael]

:: Again Drin narrowed his eyes in confusion.

Kizael: "These certainly have become the stuff of legend haven't they. Holocrons are little more than Force triggered datapads with an incredible compression ratio. Every Jedi Master who maintains one leaves their impression on it, often causing the essence they leave on it to become the next gatekeeper."

Kizael: "I misspoke a bit. I should say that admittedly few Jedi had them during my time at the Temple. They were kept mostly by those families or races with deep rooted traditions in the Jedi Order. My people are not the most Force-inclined, so the few that are have all strived to maintain a legacy for the next."

:: Kizael's voice trailed off somewhat. He looked back down at the holocron, seeming a bit more distant.

Kizael: "It is technological, but by its nature "Force sensitive" to some degree. The gatekeeper can oftens sense what it is you need to hear I suppose. He is the tour guide as well as security, deciding what information you can be allowed to access. It won't just tell you what you want to hear, though. It always speaks truth."

:: The Trianii looked back up. "I'm sure you have many questions, but it sounds like you have one in mind already."

OOC: Still no private message. I'll look for it when I get to work.

[JediJabroni]

OOC: I know you're busy with these other stories, but was there somewhere you wanted to go with this thread here, DT? If you wanted to move on, we can just wrap it up. It's all good.

[Darth Turbogeek]

OOC - Thinking about it. Brain not working well right now.