Life or Death: Wating for the council's choice.

[Garen Selore]

Having just come from the Council Chamber, Garen walks into his room, tears running down his face, and have been so since he left the Council. From that way the council was talking when he left, he thinks that there is no way that the council will let him have a part in protecting the holocron he brought to them. He has not heard their choice as of yet, but he intends to prepare for the worst. Ether the council will kill him or he himself...

He closes the door to his room and sits on his bed. He picks up the picture of his family from the bedside table and looks at it, causing more tears to flow down his face. He walks over to the chair by the window and looks out over the gardens just outside, and them up at the sky and says to himself...

"I'm sorry mother... I tryed my best! They just can't understand How important this is to me and our people... I'm sorry mother."

[Pierce Tondry]

A knock comes from Garen's door and a voice speaks from outside. "Hey, in there. Everything okay?"

[Garen Selore]

Garen quickly looks over to the door when he hears the knock. He gets up drys his tears and walks over to the door, still holding the picture of his family. He opens the door and looks up at the man standing there.

"Ya, why wouldn't things be ok?.... Can I help you?"

[Pierce Tondry]

"I was gonna ask you the same question," Pierce said, looking down at the young man. "You had tears running down your face when I spotted you in the hall, and your eyes are all red. You sure everything's okay?"

[AmazonBabe]

:: AB came into the hall and found someone already at Garren's door. ::

:: The meeting in the Council chambers had ended and she had made good on her word to visit the boy. She came up behin Tondry, placing a hand on his shoulder, looking into the room at Garren, smiling. ::

I hope I'm not interrupting anything.

[Garen Selore]

Garen still looking up at Pierce he says

"It's just, when I left the council chamber, it lookd like they were willing to send me to my death, rather than letting me protect a key."

Garen sees AB walking down the hall. by the time she reaches his door his stance and the exprestion on his face showed he was ready for anything. He put on the strong look that he was holding in the council chamber, and it makes him look like he is a few yaers older than he realy is.

[Pierce Tondry]

"Not really, Mistress Mystt," Pierce said. He turned to face her. "But I think I've been severely underinformed on something. This young fellow seems to think the Council might send him to his death or some such. I can't say that sounds like the Council I know. Has something happened?"

[Garen Selore]

"They think I can't honor my mother's last request. In my culture falure to honor a person's last request is a death sentence. All I'm asking is to protect a Key....But they think it would be too much of a burden to me... It's my burden to take! Just as they stold what I was told to protect from me, and tossed me out of the room!"

[AmazonBabe]

:: AB let Garen finish, rather than raise her voice to speak above him, before answering Pierce. ::

No, we would never wish any harm on Garen or any of the Jedi. And certainly not death.

:: She then looked to Garen. ::

I understand you're upset with the decision that has been made, but believe me when I say it was made in your best interest. Certainly in no way do we wish to harm you.

:: She smiled at the young man. ::

I was perhaps wondering if you'd like to take a walk with me in the gardens? It's such a beautiful day outside... it'd be a waste to let it pass by.

[Garen Selore]

"You not understanding my culture is what is going to kill me! I know what you think is best will protect the holocron, But If I don't have a hand in protecting it, I am as good as dead!"

Garen Sighs...

"I guess a walk in the garden would be ok...It's just out my window, but I have never been out there."

[AmazonBabe]

:: AB's smile broadened. ::

Well, come on then! The garden is like my second home, and I'd love to have you join me.

:: She turned to Tondry. ::

Would you like to join us, Pierce?

[Pierce Tondry]

"Sure thing," Pierce said. "I have a few insights I think I can share on this. You pick up a few things when you have to deal with other cultures. Take the Coyn, for example. Very honor-bound species, but also proud. Wookiees are honor-bound too, but they're more loud than proud. And then there's the Noghri. Honor-bound and fairly humble, which means they sometimes underestimate themselves."

Pierce stood back and allowed space for AB and Garen to come into the hall. "What do you think, Garen?" he asked. "Any of those sound like you?"

[Garen Selore]

Garen steps into his room still listening to Pierce well he is talking to him, and put on his shoes and jacket, then comes back into the hall saying....

"My culture lives by 'Honor And Respect Above All', and it is heavily inforced. Like if you slap somebody for stating what they believe, you are given a 2 year jail sentence, or if you back down from an honorable challenge, you are banished from the town, and your family must restore there honor in some was.

And then there is when a person says that they will take on a person's last request, They are saying that if they must they will give their life to fufilling that request. Failure to complete the task at hand results in death for the person that failed, and dishonor for their family. If the person willingly give up the task they are killed by being hung by their thumbs in the middle of the town and left for Nature to kill them. If they die trying to complete the task, the only thing that happens is they will be dead, and people will miss them."

Garen looks up at AB....

"This is why I asked for some way to help protect the holocron, or for the council to kill me...I know it will be safe in your vault, but if I willingly let go of it, and not protect it... I will be hung by my thumbs. And that is the last way anybody wants to die"

Garen looks back at the floor...

"I still find it hard to believe that the council finds that having a stupid key in their hands rather than mine, worth my life and the honor of my family."

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce frowned thoughtfully. "A bit like the Coyn, then," he mused to himself.

He then looked at Garen. "I know the Council is supposed to be wise, but that doesn't mean they know everything. From the sound of things, you're just a kid who wandered in off the street with something extremely powerful in his hands. That's pretty unusual, wouldn't you say? There may be more to the situation than you really know. Give 'em time to sort things out. I'd be pretty sure that they'll come to a fair decision."

Pierce looked at AB. "Or have they already done so?"

[Garen Selore]

"I didn't just wander off the streets, Before She died, my mother sliped, what I have been told is, a sith Holocron into my pocket with a note that said 'Garen Keep this Safe'. I'm still not sure how I got here, but well I was about to be hacked in half by a glowing red blade of light, the voices gave my some instructions, that I listened to, and I wound up at the B&G. Two of the students convinced me to join The Order, and a few weeks later I found The holocron and note in my pocket."

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce's eyebrow lifted. "Do you usually almost get cut in two and then have voices help you out?"

[Garen Selore]

"No...the voices have been helping me or getting me into trouble since....since as long as I can remember. One trys to keep me calm, trys to get me to think before I act, and helps me the most out of the two.....The other trys to solve things by damaging it, and trys to get me to act instead of thinking about it...That one gets me into a lot of trouble."

[AmazonBabe]

:: The trio walked to the lift which took them down to the gardens. AB merely nodded her head to Tondry's question rather than saying anything verbally. At the moment, she was more concerned about these "voices" Garen hears. ::

:: She never the less kept her face bright and open, with a smile ever on it. ::

When would you say you started hearing these voices, Garen?

[Garen Selore]

"Well Really as long as I can remember... My mother has told me that since I could talk I have been talking with people that were not there."

[AmazonBabe]

:: AB nodded as they passed through the overhanging vines at the doorway to the entrance of the garden. ::

Do these voices tell you what to do? Like give you advice?

[Garen Selore]

"Most of the time..yes..I don't listen to the all the time...One of them has been teaching me to get away from danger. It is also the one that Got me to the bar, right when The blade was about to kill me"

[AmazonBabe]

:: AB listened as Garen explained. ::

So, none of them have told you to do evil things?

[Garen Selore]

"well no...the one that trys to get me into trouble does.... When that council member took the holocron from me, He was trying to get me to Kill him, and all the others in the room... But I would never do that... To Kill for no reason, you are not respecting the fact that everything has the right to live... and stealing is not a death sentance... he just neads to give it back, according to my culture."

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce stroked his chin absently. He'd had several similar cases brought to his attention over the years, and this was another to add to the list. Briefly, it crossed his mind to wonder whether the dueling-advisors cases were representative of some kind of schizophrenia.

He looked down at Garen. "Let me ask you something kiddo. How do you define honor? Is it all according to your culture, or do you think some things are beyond cultures?"

[Garen Selore]

"Well, most of it is defined by my culture, but my mother added afew things as well...Like only kill when you nead food... Honor must be earned through your actions... Stuff like that."

Garen stops in his tracks, and if ether of the others are listening to his thoughts they hear a deep dark voice in his head...

Garen... they are only stalling for time... They don't intend to let you fufill you mother's last request... They want you dead! They will kill you!! Kill Them before they have the chance to finish you!! Give yourself to me and together we will get back the holocron. We will both protect it!! Give yourself to me, and they will not be able to stop you!!

Garen puts his hands on his head as the voice speaks to him...

"Go Away!! Leave me alone!! You Only bring me Trouble!! Just GO AWAY!!"

[AmazonBabe]

:: AB stopped and looked at the boy curiously. She hadn't heard the voice he had, but she had felt a dark presence that made her blood turn cold. ::

:: The only thing she could surmise was that the cold voice was that of the Sith who had created the holocron, putting his thoughts and anger into the handheld pyramid. ::

:: She looked to Pierce, who also didn't look too happy at the boys dilema. If this voice won over, who knew what might happen to him. ::

:: AB reached out and rested a hand on Garen's shoulder, willing the dark presence to go away or at least subside to relieve the boy. ::

Are you ok?

[Garen Selore]

Garen Muscles Tence up for a moment when AB touches him but he Calms down after a moment or two....

"I'm ok... This is normal... It's just the voices again... My mom thinks that the voices are dead people talking to me... I discribed them to her and she says that the good one sounded alot like her great aunt, and the other sounded like the good voice's husband. Who along time ago killed his wife and children by skinning them alive and hanging them on meat hooks. I don't know much eles about them, or why the chose me to torment..."

[Pierce Tondry]

"I have an idea why." Pierce said. His face was grim and set, and grim and set on a soldier like Pierce Tondry was a frightening thing indeed. "May not be the right reason but it's a possibility."

[Garen Selore]

Garen looks up at Pierce.

"Well I would be willing to listen to your theory, That is if your willing to share it."

[Pierce Tondry]

"There are ways," Pierce said slowly. "For dead Force spirits to come back to life. I don't know any of them myself, but I bet that a Sith Holocron would. It could be that this "bad voice" is trying to persuade you to do things that will give it a hold over you that it can use to revive itself in some way."

Pierce looked down at Garen and frowned uncertainly. "I could be way wrong. I really don't know that much about how the Force works, but I've seen it do some pretty incredible things, and I know one Sith who was reincarnated using a clone body so I know it can be done. And I'd be suspicious of anybody, especially mysterious voices, that tell you to do things with a lot of potential self-interest."

[Garen Selore]

"You seem to know alot more that me about this stuff....I don't really listen to the dark voice, it never has helped me... Though when I get really mad he somtimes seems to completely take over my body, And the good one takes over when I'm really calm...So I guess that just makes sence."

[AmazonBabe]

Well, when you begin your training, you'll learn to focus and strengthen your mind so that the voices may become silent after awhile.

[Pierce Tondry]

"And that'll make you right for the job of protecting a holocron," Pierce said. His head nodded fractionally at Rie. "Anyway... I guess I've said what I could. Don't lose hope, kiddo. Anything can happen."

Pierce looked directly at Rie. "Anything I can do for you, Mistress Mystt?"

[Garen Selore]

Garen looks up at AB....

"So what has the council chosen to do with me.... Will I live long enough to start training? Will they let me protect a key? And if I am to live who will be teaching me?"

[AmazonBabe]

:: AB was about to answer Tondry when Garen flooded her with more questions. She looked at the boy patiently. ::

You will indeed live long enough to start your taining.

As to protecting a key, it has not been fully decided, but it is very possible they will allow you to protect the key once you have been trained... at least to the point of quieting these voices you hear.

:: She paused a moment before continuing. ::

As to who will train you, I do not know the answer to that.

[Garen Selore]

Garen gets a thoughtful look on his face....

"Well I guess that if it doesn't take too long to quiet the voices, and I do get the key to protect, it wouldn't be considered a falure...that is As long as I don't go home intill I can truthfuly say I am protecting the Holocron."

He Looks back up at AB....

"How long do you think it will take for me to get somebody to teach me?"

[AmazonBabe]

:: The trio stoped walking as they reached the edge of the path where the waters of a small stream met the shore. ::

Choosing someone to train a Padawan takes time. I know a lot has happened in so short a time, but you will have to be patient as someone is found to teach you.

[Garen Selore]

"I just want to get the training so I can carry out my mother's last request. I don't want people back home to find out that I'm not right now, cause if they find out, they will kill me."