Remnants: The Last Jedi

[Writer]

Assala laughed softly. Yes, I do know you better than that, she agreed. And I've taken to meditating in my room, coming out only for meals and occasionally to watch the sparring...

 

"And long for the days of old," she continued aloud, opening her eyes and turning to face Iylos. "The days when training meant something more than sparring and rudimentary Force pushes, pulls, and jumps." She sighed and closed her eyes again. "But those days are gone now... destroyed by the Empire."

 

She took a deep breath and held it for a moment, drawing the Force in around her like a comforting blanket, soaking it in and meditating on this feeling and all else that went on around her.

[Darth Xenus]

After watching the end of the sparring, Arkai made a mental note to follow after Morridin, but first he was going to speak to Iylos and Jyrnus. Iylos was the closet of the two, so he headed over to where Iylos was sitting with Assala.

 

"Good morning both of you. Iylos, your abilities with a lightsaber are impressive, I cannot find much flaw in them, but... The two of you, you too Assala, have been Jedi Knights for quite some time, is it not time that you considered taking on a padawan learner? After all, you will never attain the rank of Master if you do not."

[Black Knight of Keno]

Taid walked past the group talking and walked out of the door. The tall humanoid then headed for the Garden of Wisdom, entering the lush room of shrubbery. A single word fromed in his mind. A word odd to him but known to people of Earth, a planet yet to be discovered to the rest of the galaxy. 'Ni' was the word, but he did not utter it.

 

The jedi master walked down the path and to his waiting padawan learner. The boy seemed to be meditating, and Taid smiled at the sight. He would want to see this happen more often anywhere in the facility.

"It is good for you to meditate. Tell me, which do yo uthink you are better at? Mainpulating force or Lightsaber combat?" the Pau'an asked and the boy opened his eyes with a smile.

"I would say with force, master" the boy said and stood up to bow.

"Oh, there is no need to bow to me. I'm not that important" he said and sat down next to where the boy was just meditating.

"Be aware of your strenghts and weaknesses at al ltimes, young padawan. It is important to acknowledge every good and bad thing in you so the enemy cannot manipulate your mind"

"Yes, master"

"However, at the same time, you cannot be overconfident" Taid said and turned to the again sitting boy. a beep came from Taid's comlink and he looked at a small flashing light on it.

"Meditate, young padawan. I must take this" the humanoid said and the boy nodded, starting to meditate.

 

The Pau'an master walked a bit further into the shrubbery, answering his comlink.

"Yes?"

"Tabu, the Empire has found out about a mass movement of the jedi. Vader's sent Tarkin to your sector to look around"

"Thank you, my trusted Gungan friend. If you can, could you send my bodyguards and some heavy guns here? We need to guard the new temple from the 501st if they come about"

"Yes, Tabu. I'll send them over on three mining transports"

"Good. Make it fast"

"Yeah. I think I can get them there in two days"

"Thank you, friend, but if you can, hurry it to one day" Taid ended the conversation and put the comlinkaway, sighing.

 

The new jedi had gotten too much Imperial attention on them as they had entered the sector. If Tarkin would find the base, which he won't because of the good hiding of the temple. The only thing would be if Tarkin would get any lead and then call Vader there. The padawan and some Knights couldn't yet master covering up their force energy and Vader could sence it. At least the planet was far enought so the Emperor didn't pay any notice on them. The master then walked back to the padawan meditating still quietly. There were so few Masters in the temple and the temple didn't really seem to have any leading branch either. It would need to be kept under control of some kind by a council like in the old order. The order would also need some kind of a cover name so if the order becomes known to anyone, they would not directly link them to be jedi. It had been seen before in the galaxy that brotherhoods using force powers were working in secret of any kind of a galactic government. The master should take it up with other masters and respected members of the temple

 

((Excuse thelenght of my post. I got carried away))

[Curt-Man]

"yes, unfortunatly they are, it was much different sparring with my master than it is sparring now, but like you said, they are gone." Iylos said with some sadness. He then turned his attention to the newcomer.

"I do no take on a padawan learner because I do no feel I am ready. And the rank of master is nto something to be attained or earned, but rather something to be subtly given, you should know that of all people. Besides, there are many kngihts, even padwans who are as wise as the masters of the council, I've seen it, they just need to grow more." Iylos said expertly.

[Writer]

Assala opened her eyes slowly, considering Arkai's words.

 

"I will admit I've thought of taking a padawan," she said softly. "Indeed, I've had my eye on a little girl, ten years old. She's a little rebellious, always quick to speak her mind, but she's a quick learner." She smiled slightly. "She reminds me of myself at her age."

 

Shaking her head, she continued. "But she is not yet ready. I'm giving her the time she needs, perhaps another few days before I approach her about it."

 

Closing her eyes again, she went on. "As for the rank of Master, it would not concern me if I never earned it. The title no longer holds the same depth of meaning it once did. I think of Masters as beings like Mace Windu, Yoda, Cin Drallig... my own master."

 

With a heavy sigh, Assala opened her eyes again. "Masters such as these are not common any longer, Master Santarna, and I do not feel worthy of the title if I cannot be like them."

[Black Knight of Keno]

The padawan continued to meditate as Taid watched. He took a small chair from next to the main path going throught the shrubbery and flew it towards the padawan at an enormous speed. He was testing his new padawan that, believe it or not, did jump up, dodge the chair and then attempt to slice the chair wth his lightsaber, even if it was turned onto training level, so the chair only recieved a small burn mark on it.

"Well done, young padawan. Go now to your friends and train with them. I have important issues to speak with the masters and knights" Taid said and the boy bowed, leaving swiftly.

 

A moment later, the boy rushed past Assala, Iylos and Arkai and joned his youngling friends. The Pau'an master walked in a moment later, noticing the group talking and joining in.

"Good evening, youngsters. What's this? A meeting and I'm not invited?" he said and smiled jokingly, even thought it wasn't easy to see the smile as one. All the Pau'an smiles seemed the same, or at least it seemed as so.

"I wanted to talk to you, Master Arkai, but I don't think Assala and Iyulos hearing won't matter. It seems that Tarkin has eard of suspicious movement around this sector. I was told that he's started a massive search for us" Taid said as his smile faded

[Sigundr]

Trying to find something to do, Moradin went to the firing range, and picked up a DC-17.((we do have one, don't we?))

 

He was extremely proficent at long-range sniping, and made quick use of the targets available. Getting bored, he picked up a rock with the force and hurled it at great speed into the distance. After a while, he stopped the rock to hover in mid-air. Taking careful aim, at 2 miles away, he disintegrated the rock with a flick of the trigger. He picked up another rock and did the same, except made it move left to right, for a bit of a challenge. After goring that rock open, he replace the rifle and headed to the hangar to his ship to do some much need repairs.

[Curt-Man]

"Well thats not good." Iylos stated. He thought what it could mean if they found them. Death of the jedi, it would truly be the end of all that is the jedi way.

[Writer]

"We are far from prepared to be found," Assala mused quietly. "And I do not think those of us left over from before the Purge are powerful enough to cloak Solace with the Force." She sighed. "What options does this leave us? Run?" Her facial expression darkened. "Die?"

[Black Knight of Keno]

"I have a surprise coming here in two days. In the meantime, we should think of setting up a proper leading council and possibly changing the name of our order. If Tarkin doesn't know who he is up against, it'll take him a bit longer to notify Vader and the Emperor" Taid said and crossed his hands infront of himself. He then turned to Arkai.

"I am more worried of the lack of leadership in this temple that Tarkin finding us. The search of this sector will take more thn three days. The younglings are too free todo what they please, the padawan are weak, the knights are cocky and the masters are few. If we would have a council, it would take much stress off of the few masters that should keep this place running"

[Darth Xenus]

After this troubling news, Arkai remained silent for a while, then he spoke:

 

"Vader, here... This must not happen. If leadership is what we need, then leadership is what we shall have. The two of us should consult the other masters first." Arkai turned to leave, but turned back again just for an instant, with a slight smile on his face and addressed the the two Knights behind him.

 

"Good answers my friends, you are right Iylos, I should know that better than other people, how else did I become a master? You are well on your way already. But I suggest you take this small piece of advice: Never take a Jedi Master's question at face value if it seems odd that he should be asking it." And then, more quietly, he said to Taid, "If Vader should come here, we shall be in real trouble, however I believe I will be able to sense him a long way off, I have never discussed this before, but I have a... certain amount of experience at sensing the Dark Side."

 

In a slightly louder voice, he once more spoke to the two Knights before he left, "I knew Vader before he fell to darkness, he is not unstoppable. No Sith Lord is. Trust me on that, I know what I'm talking about. If Vader does come here however, we must be prepared. You must be ready to flee, not fight, few among us would be a match for him."

 

"Now, Master Taid, about the leadership of our Order..."

[Curt-Man]

Iylos nodded then turned to Assala.

"It seems we may need to hone our saber skills sooner than we thought." Iylos said with a smile.

[Black Knight of Keno]

"Vader is a master duelist. If he comes, there are no jedi here that can match him in lightsaber combat and win. And even if he would come, he would not come alone. Palpatine wouldn't let him come alone. He'd first send down the 501st. Possibly an AT-AT, a few AT-STs and hundreds of troopers" Taid said and sighed before grinning slightly.

"I have 120 sturdy men coming here with heavy weaponry. They will be here in two days or before, if my friends in the galaxy keep their word and make haste collecting the men" Taid said and nodded. It was good to have connections in the underworld, even if it confronts his jedi values.

 

"Yes,about the leadership. I propose a council. It has worked before and it shall work again. The Jedi order did not get destroyed because the lack of leadership, but because of the cloud palpatine caused" the Pau'an man said and looked at his fellow master. He was old and knew the depths of the order better than the newer masters, but there weresome that knew the order even better. Yoda, the librarians and jedi older than him, which were now that hard to find.

[Shana]

((Nice to see all the good guys back here, Curt, WJ and Darth Tepe I may join this but I'll have to find the time for it ))

[Writer]

"A council will help us organize," Assala agreed. "But if we have Vader's Fist, hundreds of troopers, one or two AT-AT, a few AT-ST, and Vader himself coming at us, we will not stand long." She sighed. "Forgive me for sounding bleak, but I do not think this is a confrontation we can survive if we meet them face to face."

 

"I don't mean to be intruding," a ten-year-old girl offered hesitantly. "But I couldn't help but listen."

 

"None of us could," a boy interrupted.

 

"Knight Ver emphasized 'face to face'," the girl went on. "While I'm not sure why she did that, I think she was right to do so."

 

"Masters and Iylos," Assala said, smiling slightly. "Meet Malia Ralos." Turning to Malia, she went on.

 

"You were right," she said to the girl. "I made a point of stressing 'face to face'." To the adults, she said, "If the Clone Wars taught us anything, they taught us that the Jedi ought to be peacekeepers, not generals and warriors. But in a time such as this, we face a breach of the peace, a breach caused by those who would force us to fight. For this reason, we seem to have no choice."

 

Her hand found its way to the lightsaber on her belt as she paused for a moment, guaging their responses. The girl, Malia, was the first to respond.

 

"You're not suggesting... retreat?" she gasped. Assala smiled.

 

"No, I am not," Assala answered. "If the Jedi are to survive long term, we cannot continually retreat and hide. Our enemy has left us no choice but to fight." She paused again, glancing at the others around her. "But we do have a choice in how we fight. I suggest we make it appear we are retreating. Then, when they least expect it, we strike with much more order than they'll ever expect."

 

"But we have no order," Malia complained. "We ought to be called the Jedi Chaos."

 

"And this is why we need a Council," Assala answered boldly. Then, more quietly, "A Council will re-establish the Order."

[Black Knight of Keno]

"And for the first thing, we should teach these youngling how to not listen to private conversations" Taid said, leaned down and grinned at the younglings in a threathening way before staring to laught at some of the faces. He straightened back up and then turned to Assala.

"A second Geonosis. When the enemy thinks they have us cornered, we launch a surprise attack. One thing the Empire does not understand is that nothing is more dangerous than a cornered animal. And we are animals to them" the master said and grinned again, exposing the sharp teeth of his.

 

"But the only thing here is the lack of experience. There are too many younglings and padawan learners. They don't stand a chance against Vader's fist. There are too many blasters in that army and especially the younglings aren't yet fast enought to block the shots" Taid said and waved his hand across the room at all the younglings. His padawan, Ziro Daza, walked over to Taid and stood next to him proudly as he was now a padawan learner.

"Ah. Knights and Master Arkai, please meet Ziro Daza, my new padawan" Taid said and placed a hand on Ziro's shoulder

[Curt-Man]

Iylos listened to the very wise words Assala spoke.

"Guerrilla warfare. I like the sound of that, the biological envirnoment of this planet should give anything Vader can throw at us a hard time. I've plotted out a lot of this planet on my constitutionals, I can load the detailed maps into datapads if you want."

[Darth Xenus]

"An admirable statement assala, if only we could live up to it, for what is a Jedi, what is any peacekeeper but a warrior who fights to achieve peace? No, we must be warriors, the galaxy depends on us to be warriors." At this, Arkai's face became sad and then he said more, "If Vader's Fist does indeed come for us, then Taid, I am afraid your allies will not be enough to make much difference, a clone legion is considerably more then 120 men. Guerilla warfare is all we can manage, the new Temple will probably not survive this..." Arkai seemed to wipe away his sadness and become a more cheery person in an instant. "A new council? A wonderful idea, that really would make it seem like the old order again, but who should be on it? My place is training the students who have not yet found a Master of their own, not leading the order. I feel I must leave this matter to you. So if no one has anything else to say to me, I think I will go after Morridin, he didn't look very happy after he finshed sparring."

 

 

 

---HEY PEOPLE, IF THIS IS DIRECTLY AFTER REVENGE OF THE SITH, THEN AT-AT WALKERS AREN'T GOING TO BE INVENTED FOR ANOTHER 20 YEARS---

[Sigundr]

Walking down the dimly lit hallway, Moradin ran into a master.

"Excuse me," said the master.

"Yeah, whatever," mumbled Moradin.

Continuing down the hall he ran into some little padawans fist fighting. Getting in the middle, he picked each one up by their tunic.

"What is this then?"

"Jad said I was ugly," said the smaller of the two.

"Well, did you say this?" Moradin asked, pushing the question for truth with the force.

The padawan looked down to the floor. "Yes," he said, sadly.

With the sadness seeping back into Moradin, he could not hold these two like this. Carefully setting them down he told them to hold their tounge, or so help him, he will make them kiss and make up.

"Now, go to the healers and get those noses fixed. Run along now."

Stepping over the crowd of little ones that had started dispersing, he headed to his room. Arriving there, he burst into tears.

 

 

---Yeah, the "AT-AT"s should be AT-TEs---

[Black Knight of Keno]

"The council should consist of those in charge of sections of this temple. Arkai, you are in have always been charge of the younglings, so I invite you to the council. Then we need the healer, meditation trainer, gatekeeper and a librarian. I am a weaponsmaster and have assumed more or less the position of a battlemaster. I shall huddle a small band of either knights or masters together and then call for you, Arkai" Taid said and bowed slightly before Arkai would leave to find Moradin. He then turned to the pair of knights.

 

"Assala, I must ask you to start to plan a strategy. The library should have enought for you to study on guerrilla wars in the past. Some new infromation has been updated thanks to jedi who had gotten data from the old temple in it's chaos and to spies I set before coming here to find data from other libraries in the galaxy. If you need me in any way, contact me via comlink. It's the most certain way to reach me" he said, bowed, and left to collect members to the new council that he would deem best of the best. He knew where two members of the old council were, but it wouldn't be even worth the ask to go where they were. They would not come out of hiding, for they had knowledge of the future that nobody else had and they were the keys to make the future true.

 

Taid walked down the corridor, starting the search of a proper council member from amongst the healers first. His padawan followed him quietly before a question popped into the falleen head of his.

"Master... what will become of us if Vader's fist comes here?"

"We shall die honorably if a miracle doesn't happen"

"A miracle?"

"Aye. There is also the possibility of us claiming the planet for ourselves and then offering our cooperation with Tarkin. The Empire couldn't do anything for a while because the senate and it's bureucracy is still present in this galaxy. Besides, it'll have more than enought problems with the uprising of a rebellion" the master said and looked at the boy that listened quietly. It took a while before Taid would get another question put at him.

"Master, I heard someone mention Yoda and Mace Windu. Who are they?"

"They are legendary jedi and members of the old jedi council. The other has been assumed to be killed by the emperor, but the other is still alive in hiding" Taid answered before entering the chamber of healing

[Writer]

Assala headed for the Archives as requested and soon, she realized that the girl, Malia Ralos was following her. She turned.

 

"Something I can help you with, Malia?" she asked. The girl shook her head uncertainly.

 

"No," she answered. "I mean..." She paused, hesitant to make her request. "Can I help you?"

 

Assala smiled kindly. "I don't see why not. Come along, darling. Together, we'll scour the Archives for any and all mentions of guerilla warfare in the history of the galaxy!"

[Curt-Man]

Iylos stood patinetly in silence as the conversation took place. When it ended, Iylos turned on his heel and went to the exit. He left the temple to get some fresh air and clear his mind.

[Darth Xenus]

With the force, it was a simple matter for Arkai to find Morridin so while he walked he let his mind drift...

Imagine, old Arkai Santarna on the council, perhaps not the first person I would have chosen, but, it may well turn out for the best...

Arkai came upon Morridin shortly after passing a pair of squabbling younglings who pointed him in the right direction.

"Hello Morridin. Is something bothering you? You haven't been very cheerful of late."

[Sigundr]

Moradin stood up from his sitting position from his bed to the entrance of Arkai.

 

"Oh, it's nothing. Just refllecting on the past, that's all."

[Curt-Man]

Iylos decided to go for a run, and he knew exactly where he wanted to go. He ran as fast as he could, then when he started to slow he used the force to assist him. He hated using the force as a crutch, he prefered to use himself first then use the force when he couldn't push any longer. He jumped over and rolled under obstacles to get to his final destination.