Return of the Jedi

[Halajiin Rabeak]

A Jedi walked along the roads of Sanctuary One. That, in itself, was an unremarkable feat, as many Jedi called the settlement their home, their number growing by the day, it seemed. What was remarkable, however, was that he looked like a Jedi.

Perfect robes of cream and taupe framed his figure. Every cut, every seam and every fold tailored to perfection, while his brown boots and belt shone with the proper dull luster that they should: not too shiny as to attract attention, but not so dull as to appear slovenly. His stride was military precision, and even his blonde hair was perfectly combed and oiled.

Well, headfur, more than hair, to be exact. None among the Order had seen Halajiin Rabeak looking so... correct, and more than a few stopped to stare as he passed, the picture of the Old Order itself walking down their street. It was as if someone had taken a holorecording in the halls of the Great Jedi Temple, well over a century before, and played it back upon the dirt road, so incongruous was the image. Yes, other Jedi sported some semblances of robes, but in these hard times, image often fell to the wayside of practicality. Perhaps only at ceremony did they put on their full "uniform" of sorts, but those robes were old and worn, not the flawless, new affair which Hal sported.

This was not the Hal they knew. That Hal was sloppy, casual, and none would have guessed him a Jedi had they not been told. In his left paw he carried a leather attaché case, his right swinging freely as he walked, direction in his step. He made no detours from his tent of self-exile through the heart of Sanctuary One, nor did his eyes turn from their goal. Lightsaber tucked properly into the leather tube at the back of his belt, there was nothing about him that did not simply scream Jedi.

His path took him through the settlement to the structure which had come to house the Jedi Council. When last he had dressed so finely, Hal had met his old Council, and he paused to take a breath, closing his eyes in memory of those days, and the masters which surrounded him. Eyes opened to reality once more, and he waved his right paw, the doors easing open before him, and shut on their own as he passed through.

A small table, and a chair had been prepared for him at the center of the round chamber, a far cry from how he had always stood in the Council chambers of old, yet he did not complain. In fact, he made little sound at all as he placed down his attaché upon the table, and opened it, withdrawing three datapads. No sweep of his arm was needed to lift them and distribute to the three figures before him, and once they were in hand, Halajiin stood at attention, chin up, and paws clasped behind his back.

"Masters," he spoke his greeting in a single word.

[Zem Vymes]

"Knight Rabeak."

Master Vymes reciprocated greeting in gravelly intonation, receiving the datapad the Nehantite had allotted to him. This was new, and Zem tried not to let the sudden change in the eccentric Knight register too far on his expression. Hal struck him as a man caught between a desire to rebel and a desire to cling to austere roots. He could never be certain which impetus drove him more.

[Halajiin Rabeak]

"Before each of you is the sum of the research, transcription and study from my last year on Ossus," Hal stated. "As some of you know, I have been making my own exploratory runs into the Jedi Library, borrowing books and transcribing them. In addition, I have been including my own remarks, observations, and in some cases corrections based upon current knowledge, or updated fact. What each of you hold in your hands is nearly a holocron's worth of data, and I have endeavored for my work upon it to stand up to the holocrons of old. I have not been spending my time away in pusuit of solely self-indulgent activity, as it may have appeared."

With measured step, the Nehantite paced forward, roughly equidistant from his own seat and those of the Masters. "I know I have not been a model Jedi, and I know I likely never will be. I am from another time, when we had the luxury of specializations, and my talents do not lie along the broader spectrum of diplomacy or arbitorship. I know this, and I will endeavor to improve in those areas, but nonetheless, I have skills and knowledge I can share. Master Solomon made that clear, in our visit, yesterday."

This was not the Halajiin Rabeak so many of them knew, and were used to. He was clear-spoken, direct, and strangely dignified. Perhaps the clothes made the man, or perhaps the man had been there all along, and they had never seen it. In any case, he continued.

"This Order is young. It is weak, and it is fragile, and those are not bad things. It means it can be formed, it can learn from the mistakes of the past, be them both recent and ancient, and it can grow into something that will benefit the galaxy as it used to. I would like to be part of that. Unlike you, I was a Jedi during times of peace. Though my work was not always peaceful, I can still offer insight and direction, nonetheless. I am a Jedi Knight. I have duties, and it is high time I come out of my seclusion and attend to those duties, with your permission."

[Serena Laran]

"None of us are 'model Jedi,' Halajiin Rabeak." Serena swiped her finger across the datapad's surface, scrolling through the data. She placed it on her lap, and looked up. "We are each merely doing our best. I am happy to hear that you wish to rejoin us in this pursuit. I am sure there are things we can learn from each other." She paused, and added, "What do you see your duties being?"

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Reaching a paw up to scratch at an itch behind his left ear, Hal smiled. "I'd like to teach. What, exactly, I'm not sure. You've already got a cracker-jack lightsaber instructor, looks like Rognan has started teaching telekenesis, which is sort of my big trick," he answered. "Force theory, though, is something I don't see a lot of getting taught, as well as stealth and Force manipulation upon physical attributes. The stuff I'm really good at sort of requires a city environment, so, I don't think I'm going to be teaching anyone infiltration or criminology anytime soon."

Hal couldn't help but chuckle at that, recalling his glory days. "But, if there's nothing to teach, or my TK stuff is too advanced... I'd like a mission. Like, something the Jedi Order was known for, back in my day. I've... kind of already started, on that front, actually. But I want a proper, sanctioned mission, from the Council."

[Rev Solomon]

"Some of those specialized skills could be introduced as lessons within another course of study," Solomon suggested. "Force theory dovetails nicely with our philosophy and history classes. Stealth could be added to combat training, or even Force Perception. You might seek out Padawan Khan's input if you want to explore stealth in a wilderness environment."

The idea had occurred to him out of the blue, but it seemed like a chance to involve another talented and troubled Jedi whose skills were going largely unused. Solomon's own efforts to reach out to Akasha hadn't been nearly as fruitful as his visit with Hal. Maybe what the reclusive Orryxian needed was another approach. But there was something else Hal had said that needed addressing first.

"You say you've already started on the mission front. You mean your trip to Illum?"

[Halajiin Rabeak]

The good humor drained from the Nehantite's face, ears drooping, and his eyes fell to the floor. "No, not that," he answered.

A deep breath swelled his chest, then fell once more as he attempted to steel his resolve. He'd admitted it, so now he had to tell them. And even if he hadn't admitted it, the Council needed to know. Head lifting, shoulders squaring, Hal cleared his throat and stated, "I accepted a covert mission at the behest of Alliance Intelligence. I wasn't supposed to tell you about it, but, it would be wrong not to, and that is a condition I have been struggling over for some weeks, now."

Hal fidgeted with his paws momentarily, unsure how to proceed.

Get get it out. Tell it like it is. His base natures urged him on.

"A few weeks back, I was approached by Alliance Intelligence, needing a Jedi. Specifically, they needed one with the skills I had back in the day, and they needed one who could fly under the radar. There really was no other choice but me. I accepted, thinking at first they had cleared it with you, but I came to find out later they had not, and I was told to keep my mouth shut. To hell with that. I went to Taanab, which I'd never heard of, before, on an intelligence recon trip. What I found was... more than I expected. Everything went south in a hurry, and my team and I barely escaped with our lives. What information I was able to gather I had to turn over to Alliance Intel. They told me they'd have another job for me, soon, but I haven't heard from them since."

[Zem Vymes]

Zem listened to Halajiin describe yet another mission he'd done without the Council's aegis. Yet another maverick gambit. Setting aside his datapad for the moment, Zem steepled his fingers togther in his lap. For now, he needed more information before he was ready to weigh in on the Nehantite's most recent rebellion.

"Tell us as much as you can about this mission."

There was something dangerous and disturbing at work here. It was becoming readily apparent that forces were operating within and beyond Ossus, determined to change the sway of the galaxy. As much as his feelings drew him to chastise Halajiin for his renewed defiance, it seemed that Zem shared the feeling with him that intervention was not just a matter of sooner rather than later. Intervention was now.

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal let a defeated breath escape his muzzle in a sigh. Paws toyed with the hem of his robes, not as fidgeting child might, but as a man would while weighing the seriousness of his situation. "There is not a lot I can tell. At least, not while on the record," he replied at last. "I was made to swear an oath of secrecy, but... there are things you must know, or you'll never be able to trust me. I must break one oath to keep mine to you."

Turning on his heel, the Nehantite began to pace slowly back and forth across the center of the chamber. "It was supposed to be an intelligence operation, a sort of sneak and peek recon job. I've done tons before, the Alliance apparently found my old file, that's why they came to me. I worked with two others, also Alliance, and together we did some digging around on a planet called Taanab, working our way into the right paths to get at what was really going on, there. It seems as if there is a power struggle forming on the planet, and they wish to cast off the Empire's control and declare themselves independent. This I was all for, except something about it did not feel right. There was... a darkness hanging over it all, a darkness I could practically feel trying to blanket the whole operation."

Stepping back to his small table, Hal poured himself a glass of water from the small carafe which had been prepared for him. "It was that darkness that did us in. Somehow, those we were dealing with figured out we were not there in their best interest, and everything turned on us. Blasters, cannons, blades, we were hunted down by them all. And I even came face to face with a red lightsaber. I cannot say for certain who was wielding it, but they were good, and certainly had training. I was lucky to have made an escape, to be honest. Whether they are a Sith, or merely a Force adept, I have no idea, but I get the feeling that they were the source of that darkness." Another drink of water was taken, Hal's paw shaking as he lowered the empty glass. "Our cover blown, all we could do was escape, and provide what intel we had gathered to our Alliance contact. That's about the extent of the mission, and I've heard no more, since."

[Serena Laran]

"Thank you for telling us, Halajiin." Serena looked at her fellow Council members. "This is the second instance of Alliance Intelligence conducting missions either on Ossus, or with our own people, without so much as a whisper to the Council. I find this to be a very disturbing trend." It was more than disturbing, it was very nearly a violation of the agreement the Jedi had with the Alliance. Nearly...but not quite. A loophole that Serena would work to see closed as soon as possible.

"However, that is neither here nor there, at the moment," she admitted. "This news of Tanaab is concerning. We could not expect the Dark side to remain dormant, but..." Her voice trailed off, thinking back to her own confrontation of Decepis, on the Dauntless.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei Wu Wei had sat silent as Hal gave his presentation, and as the other Council members asked questions.

"So, the Dark Side on Tanaab?" he said mostly to himself.

"Yes, this is concerning news. But, I am not surprised that one of our number would eventually encounter a Dark Side presence out in the Galaxy. After all, Jedi are agents of the Force. We are meant to create and maintain Balance."

The Force Cripple smiled at Hal. "No doubt the Alliance's deception troubled you. You were brought along on a dangerous mission due to false pretenses. But, there is no chaos: there is harmony. These events have led you to a knot of Imbalance. The Force itself brought you to that Dark planet so that we might unwind it and bring Light."

"There is no ignorance: there is knowledge. There is, out there, information on Tanaab. Knowing its history, native peoples, and even its geography will lend us insight on how to accomplish this new task."

Wei touched the hilt of his lightsaber, thinking about that Dark-Adept Hal fought. "Hal, if the Council agrees, I think it would be wise to allow you to continue researching this problem. The Force introduced you to it: I believe it would be sound to let you finish it."

[Zem Vymes]

Master Wei's august advice was met with an agreeing nod from Zem.

"I agree. The nature of this disturbance is such that we cannot afford willful blindness on the matter. Though I have reservations on the method used to set about this mission, and I echo Master Laran's concern regarding the actions of our allies to secure your aid, we can ill afford to allow the dark side to find safe haven, lest we repeat past horrors."

Glancing from Hal to his fellow council members, Vymes continued.

"I suggest we send Knight Rabeak with another of our order to fully ascertain this threat."

[Rev Solomon]

"From what Hal has told me of his field experience in the old Order, he is an ideal candidate for this sort of mission," Solomon said. "I agree with you both. But there is another threat we must consider."

The preacher nodded to his left toward Serena. "As Master Laran has observed, this is the second time that Alliance Intel has seen fit to make our business its own. Doubtless they have their own interests on Taanab, and may not look favorably on our interference. Which leaves us with a dilemma: do we try to coordinate our efforts with theirs, knowing they have been less than honest with us in the past, or do we take matters into our own hands, and risk finding ourselves at cross purposes? I have my own thoughts on the matter, but I would first like to hear Hal's recommendation."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not go back to Taanab, at the moment," Hal snorted. "I'm pretty sure I just said I barely got out of there alive; going back isn't really high on my priority list."

Another drink of water, and his tail swayed slowly. "But, as far as the Alliance goes..." he said, "I think we ought to make it clear to them that we will be operating as the Jedi used to, under the Republic. In my day, we served at the direction of the Republic's pocketbook. We provided them with skills no others could, and thus, we were in high demand, and not cheap. I recommend, for the good of our new Order, we re-establish that sort of relationship with the Alliance. We do their bidding, at their expense. It gives us legitimate missions, as well as funds our growing Order, instead of having to always beg for funding. After all, I don't know about you guys, but I'm not independantly wealthy enough to keep us going, on my own."

[Serena Laran]

Serena frowned lightly. "Placing ourselves under the command of the Alliance? I am afraid I will have to disagree with you, Halajiin. If it comes to a vote I cannot see myself ever being in favor of re-making the same mistakes the Order made in the past. We are working toward independence, together as Jedi, and have been growing closer to that goal every day."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

"We're already under the control of the Alliance, though," Hal was quick to point out. "The Whaladon, all our building materials, here, our medical supplies, food, everything, all came from the Alliance. Do you seriously think they want nothing in return?"

Pacing up to the center of the room again, Hal's tail flicked faster. "And who is to say they won't just turn off the money if we stand up to them? We need to make them think they need us. And we can do that by working for them, at damn high rates. They are willing to pay, trust me. We use what we make to help the next generation, and we play the Alliance's game until we are strong enough to stand on our feet. Like it or not, we're not standing by ourselves, yet, and we couldn't if we tried. Someday we'll be independent, but that isn't today. Today is the day we decide how to invest in he future to come."

[Rev Solomon]

"Be that as it may, Hal, the precedent we set now will determine the course of the Jedi Order for generations to come," Solomon replied. "In light of the material aid we have received from the Alliance, it would send the wrong message to begin charging exorbitant fees for our services, especially when many of those worlds who need us most are exactly the ones who can least afford to pay."

The preacher offered the mongoose a wan smile. "I know you're thinking about practical realities, and as much as our situation allows it, so are we. We're well aware that there are elements in the Alliance government who feel we owe them recompense for all the support they've given us, both during the War and afterwards. That's why we've kept the costs of our colony here as low as we could make them. All this construction is a drop in the bucket compared to the operating costs of the Wheel, and a good percentage of it has been privately funded. We may not be fully independent, but we're on our way. The less we can be swayed by credits, the better."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

"I was paid fifty thousand credits for my work on Taanab," Hal stated. "When the Alliance wants something, they have deep pockets. All I'm saying is that until we can stand on our own two feet, they mean to use us. And so we should use them. Yes, there are many who need our help who can't afford prices like that, I know. But that said, we aren't exactly helping them, are we, because we are so few, and quite frankly, too valuable. I think it's about time we expressed our value - not for ourselves, but for those we are training."

The mongoose paced back and forth before the Council, a righteous anger boiling off of him in the Force. "I'm not saying we should act like bounty hunters, all I'm saying is that we need to tell the Alliance that when they need us, it can't be undercover from you. Everything needs to be above board, and if they are asking us to risk our lives, we need something substantial in return. Is that too much to ask? We want starfighters to train pilots, right? Well, quite frankly I could get newer models than what we have from the scrapyards around Nehantish. We need to be able to be on par with the Empire, or all our training is useless. I know it may not be the Jedi way to say this, but... sometimes the ends truly do justify the means, if the end is to restore this Order to what it was always meant to be. Do not sacrifice our principles, but also don't devalue ourselves."

[Zem Vymes]

This was quickly becoming a quagmire, and Zem aimed to put a stop to it.

"Whatever direction the Council chooses to take in order to reconcile the Order with the galaxy surrounding, rest assured Knight Rabeak, we will take it. That is for this council to decide. Your suggestions are noted. My own feelings on the matter are that we cannot have credits as a master, if we are to operate as an Order with a foundation on integrity. However, Master Laran, I do not believe we can operate in a vacuum either. You consider the arrangement of the Order in the past as a mistake, but I am not so quick to discard that notion. The Jedi have always served peace and democracy under the Republic. In some way, we ought to see this symbiosis restored."

[Wei Wu Wei]

"In the meantime," Wei said to Hal, "I suggest you search the ancient archives of the Library for information on Tanaab. See if you can find out if the planet has any significant history involving Sith, Jedi, or other Force Adepts. We will not return to Tanaab until we have learned something about it. I'm no diplomat, but I think it would not be unreasonable to contact the Alliance and see what they have on the planet--from their Intelligence operations on Tanaab, within the Empire, or what they have merely gleaned through the Nets. And while we're at it, we will see that boundaries and procedures are established for future interaction."

Wei Wu Wei looked at his counterparts. "What would you say?"

[Halajiin Rabeak]

"Taanab is a farming planet. They don't have a history of much but agriculture. Don't need to go digging into the archives to learn that," Hal replied. It came out a bit snippier than he intended, and he immediately hung his head.

"I'm sorry, I took us all off topic," he said, rubbing the bridge of his muzzle. "I came here because I am tired of being on my own. There's only so much time a man can take to find himself, and find myself, I have. I am a Jedi Knight, in an Order that can use my help. Yes, some of my skills are better suited to urban environments, but still, there's got to be something I can do, here, that is of value."

[Serena Laran]

"The archives in this Library predate the Great Sith war. If there was a record of previous darkside activity on Tanaab, however old it is, it would be good to know. However, I am sure that the archivists and librarians among us can be directed to turn over any such evidence that they uncover while they continue to catalog and preserve. There is no need for Halajiin himself to do this. Of course," she reminded Hal gently, "You seem to have a knack for getting information out of the library. You can forgive this Council for assuming you enjoyed doing so - or perhaps it was the clandestine nature of your expeditions that drew you back again, and again."

She tapped the edge of the datapad in her hand with a finger. "I am glad to hear you wish to integrate with this Jedi Order, Halajiin. If you do not wish to return to your studies at the Great Library, with the Council's blessing this time, then I am sure we can find something else for you to do."

Serena looked at Zem. "You are right, of course, that we cannot throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater when it comes to our dealings with the Alliance. However, I also want to be sure we are not placing the Order back into the position we were at in the beginning of the Clone Wars. Knight Rabeak has his experiences with the Jedi and the old Republic, but ours have been different - even if it was just a subtle twist of the relationship he remembers, a twist it was, and the Dark side polluted everything. And even today you well know how the Sith easily pulled the wool over the eyes of this Alliance. It is a fine line to walk that brings us to a continued partnership with the Alliance of Free Planets. You will forgive me if I am slow to place my trust in them."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

"So, I need the Council's blessing to look at books in the Jedi library?" Hal asked, raising an eyebrow. "Silly me, I thought I was a Jedi. They're the property of the whole Order, not just the Council, if you'll pardon me."

The Nehantite locked his eyes upon Serena's at that, and remained there. "I went exploring, yes, and I took books, tablets and data devices, yes. But I believe you'll find that my transcriptions and research are superior in their quality than that of the research teams going in there with your blessing. And it's not like I've abused the materials I've taken. Ask Master Solomon, he'll confirm that everything in my possession is in excellent condition, and is thoroughly organized. I wasn't going to the Library because I was told not to, I was going because it was there, and it was something useful I could do. My apologies if there was some memo I didn't get."

[Rev Solomon]

And it had been going so well.

"Knight Rabeak, I'll thank you to check your tone when speaking to this Council," Solomon said. "And since you apparently didn't get the memo, access to the Great Jedi Library has been restricted, even for members of the Council. It is a delicate archaeological site, and many of the structures inside still need shoring up before they're safe to explore. As impressive as your research is, you likely could have benefited from coordinating with the dig teams rather than sneaking past them."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

The sigh of defeat which collapsed the Nehantite's chest, and brought down his proud shoulders was so palpable, even those who could not feel the Force in his emotions would have known. Head nodding, Hal stepped back to the center of the room, paws clasped behind his back.

"My apologies, Masters," he said. His voice was calmed, collected, yet still carried with it a twinge of remorse. "I will not go back into the Library without permission. I thought what I was doing was helping. I'm... used to doing what I feel is best, first, and sometimes having to ask for forgiveness, later. That was my role before the last Council. This adjustment has not been easy. I have spent a great deal of my time in seclusion trying to catch up on what I've missed, but, in doing so, I've missed out on the growth of this Order. And I've missed out on my place in it. I can't promise to be perfect. Though I will try my hardest, some old habits are hard to break. I want to be a Jedi. I want to be the kind of Jedi that I saw my Council praise and respect. I want to be the kind of Jedi that I never was, and never was allowed to be. I guess that's why I'm here. I want a second chance. I want to be able to prove, not only to you, but to myself, that I can be a real Jedi. Not just someone the Order had to take in and make the best of."

[Zem Vymes]

Zem listened to Halajiin's empassioned pleas, and gestured simply to Serena.

"You already have your permission, Knight Rabeak. The work you've done in the past, though without our mandate, has been both thoughtful and respectful. It is clear that not only do you have talent for it, but you have drive to see it through. All we ask is for coordination in your efforts. Report to this council. Coordinate with the research teams. Be mindful not only of the delicate situation in the library, but also the potential for the discovery of something dangerous."

There was something inherent that made Zem uneasy about anyone traversing the library alone.

"These archives are ancient. They harbor not only the sum of the old order's existing teachings and records, but they are also rumored to hold captured knowledge. Forbidden knowledge that must not be warded over lightly. However the task is done, it must be done with great care. But rest assured, it must be done."

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Please feel free to come to us when you need something. We are all engaged in our own projects, but if you ever feel stumped and need guidance, or at least a Sounding Board, we can make ourselves available to you. Thank you for taking on this task. Our Order is depending on you to see it through."

Wei saw no reason for the meeting to continue for much longer. "Is there anything else?"

[Halajiin Rabeak]

"When will I be able to take on a padawan?" Hal replied.

The question was as blunt as cannon fire, but the expression on his face gave no indication that he was anything but serious.

"If I am a Knight, and this order is to grow, we have to train as many as we can. I have skills unlike yours. If I cannot teach them to others, we may lose them, and it could be hundreds, perhaps thousands of years before someone else researches enough to discover them again."

The Nehantite's paws didn't move, nothing about him changed, other than starting into a gentle pacing back and forth, while from the hardwood floor rose a mist. It was not white as a fog would be, nor as dense, instead it was dark, and grainy. the mist began to swirl around Hal as he came to a stop, his gaze shifting between each of the Masters while he held out his paw. The mist grew tighter in its spinning cloud, first into a narrow band, then into a sort of hoop before something became visible within it. A dark core began to spin around Hal, the hoop growing smaller as it grew larger unto only that core remained, and it slowed to a halt, coming to rest upon his palm. Stepping forward, Hal placed the item onto the table before the masters, then backstepped to the center of the area before them.

It was a small model, approximately three inches in height, formed of wood resin and powdered organic matter. It was of himself, naturally, striking an action pose, lightsaber in paw, one arm outstretched and fingers splayed. Despite its small size, the detail was remarkable, and as the masters looked at it, Hal smiled. "Not that we need toys made, but... I'm the first guy to be able to do that since Debrius Gul, over three thousand years ago. Read his book in the old Archives on Coruscant. Got a few other party tricks we might not want to lose, too."

[Serena Laran]

It was an impressive display, and Serena picked up the figure, turning it over in her hands. "You will have a padawan, in time." She looked at her fellow council members, and they nodded.

"We will match you when we find a compatible student for you, Halajiin. And when you have shown that this," she indicated his clothing, "is more than simply getting your laundry done. Until then, we do have students, and other Jedi who could benefit from your knowledge. Perhaps some one on one tutoring with those who are sufficiently advanced...?" She looked at Solomon for corroboration, or suggestion. He knew the Nehantite Jedi the best, after all.