#jaric kaedan

[miraluking-respectfully]

more Blobs <3

[ospreyeamon]

jaric kaedan: designated jerk

Jaric Kaedan is the designated jerk of the cold war era Jedi Council. When there is a mean or aggressive thing the writers want a member of the Council to say, Master Kaedan is nearly always the one to say it. However, I would argue that a lot of the mean things Kaedan says are mean things which needed to be said by someone.

For example, his questioning of Kira Carsen’s loyalty after it is revealed she is a Child of the Emperor is pertinent given the context. That someone who was accepted into the Order as an adult after attempting to steal the hyperdrive of a ship which just happened to belong to a member of the Jedi Council, whose position as that Council Member’s Padawan granted her close access to the Council, has been concealing her origins as a Sith acolyte is suspicious. During Act One the Jedi uncover a Sith sleeper agent, Tarnis, embedded deeply in Republic military research. In Consular Act Three, the potential infiltration of the Jedi Order by the Children of the Emperor is proven to be something Kaedan was absolutely correct to be concerned about. The Council would be remiss in its duty of protection towards the other members of the Order if they didn’t investigate the possibility of Kira being a plant. Arguably, they’d also be failing Kira by not consolidating the evidence proving her innocence because Kira might need that evidence if her status as a Child of the Emperor leaks again in the future.

Kaedan’s cynicism about the prospects of Tol Braga’s plan bring peace with the Empire is entirely reasonable. The risks of undertaking the mission go beyond the risk to the members of the strike team. If the Jedi abduct or assassinate the Sith Emperor it will trigger a second great galactic war – a war the republic military has been preparing for but may not be ready to begin. Even if Tol Braga succeeds in turning the Emperor to the Light, the wider Empire would be unlikely accept the commands of a Jedi Emperor, either dismissing the “redemption” as lies or mind control, or denouncing the ruler they are already becoming disillusioned with as a traitor.

His concerns about Jomar Chul’s vision are also valid. Even if the Hero of Tython is unwaveringly loyal to the Order and would never willingly draw on the Dark-Side of the Force, the Jedi Council should be aware that Jedi can be forced into falling under torture. The vision is an ill omen at the outset of an already poorly considered mission.

This gives me the impression that Jaric Kaedan’s role as the designated jerk is something which exists in-universe – that he has fallen into a dynamic with the rest of the Jedi Council where he feels he must voice the cynical and callous opinions because most of the time nobody else is willing to. If the points aren’t raised the quality of the Council’s discussions will suffer, the quality of the Council’s decisions will suffer. None of them particularly want to tell Bela Kiwiiks she might have welcomed a mole into the Order or tell Tol Braga his pet emperor redemption project is stupid. So long as Jaric Kaedan is always willing to be the bad cop then then the other members of the Council are free to play the good cop, or the mediator, or the supplier of wise proverbs.

Which is, moving further into headcanon, part of the reason why Kaedan is such a grumpy jerk. He knows he’s slipped into this trap and resents it. He shouldn’t have to always be the one bringing these things up. He shouldn’t have to worry that nobody else will if he’s not there. And the habit of imagining and voicing cynical takes, once established, is difficult to break.

[anchanted-one]

Book of Storms: Legend of Vajra

Chapter 8: Trials

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43208574/chapters/108977704

The Jedi Temple, Several weeks later

Satele Shan, Grand Master of the Jedi Order, studied the Padawan as he entered the Meeting Chamber.

“Vajra! Please, come on in. We were most relieved to hear when you started to recover. We feared we were going to lose you.”

“That was a daring act you pulled off,” Kaedan sighed. “The Council commends your valor.”

“Thank you, Masters.”

“We would also like to apologize for saddling you with such a monumental task alone,” Bela said. “You were all but alone for a time.”

“The growing darkness has you worried, I understand.”

Satele snorted. “Strange, is it not, how a threat almost literally on our doorstep is not the massive threat we’ve been Sensing? It’s like the heart of our power is irrelevant.”

“Well, Tython is out of the way,” Vajra replied. “Remote. Things that happen here only affect the Galaxy if it can wipe us out. Which it can’t. Even a few Knights are sufficient to keep the Khrayii at bay. But you always knew that, didn’t you, Masters? The Force flows so… calmly here despite all the turmoil. To it, this conflict is… irrelevant.” His eyes widened and he clammed up, as if realizing he had said too much.

“Indeed,” Satele said. “I’m glad you see things so clearly.”

“I apologize, Masters.”

“You really shouldn’t,” Master Syo Bakarn said kindly. “Your insight proves a point we’ve all discussed several times in this Council. You are ready to start taking your trials.” Behind Bela, the holo of her Padawan stirred but said nothing.

“What?” Vajra was taken aback. “But Masters, I have so much to learn, still! I can’t even Control my breath yet; you saw what a few cannisters of poison did to me!”

“Indeed, there are still a few things you need to learn. Fortunately, your trials will take time to complete. You still have some time to learn.”

“I see. I am honored by the Council’s confidence in me.”

“You have earned it,” Kaedan said gruffly. “Your dedication and tenacity have been noticed, as has your adherence to the Code. Know that we do not make this decision lightly.”

“Yes, Masters.”

“You have already passed a more grueling Trial of the Flesh than anything we could have set up,” Tol said. “The same Trial proved your valour. We also believe you have passed any Trials of Skill, but…”

“I disagree, Master Braga. While I agree my combat skills are good, the poisoning incident proved to me that I have a lot left to learn. I am also not very confident in using the Force in subtle or peaceful ways. I have a lot to learn, and I would like the time to learn them properly.”

“Agreed,” Master Orgus said. “As I mentioned earlier, there is much I would like to teach him before letting him make his own way out there.”

“Noted. Your trials will happen slowly, young one. And, I agree that your soft skills are just as important as your blade work. We will think up a suitable Trial of Skill as well.”

“Thank you, Master.”

“You may leave, Vajra.”

The young Apprentice bowed and left.

“He sounds… different,” Satele remarked.

“His lessons in Basic have been progressing well,” Orgus replied. “He’s also gotten better and more confident in debating.”

“Clearly. What have you been teaching him?”

“Whatever I can. But in this case, it’s Jasme we have to thank. And his own interest, of course.”

“It’s poise and thoughtfulness worthy of a Jedi,” Tol remarked. “I’m amazed how far he’s come in the few months since his arrival.”

“But is it right to add to his burdens?” Bela spoke up. “He’s still just a child! And we’ve put too much on his plate already! I’ll never forget the torment on his face when he lamented having killed two thousand Flesh Raiders.”

“And his state when I returned to find him in the infirmary,” Orgus added.

“That was then,” Braga argued. “As we saw, he’s growing. Fast. And we need all the Knights we can field.”

“Then we should look elsewhere,” Bela said stubbornly. “We’ll start raiding cribs next!”

“I agree,” Orgus said pleadingly. “Let me have a few years with him. I want to do a proper job with him.”

“I’m afraid we don’t have that luxury. Any lessons you can squeeze into the next month or two is all he’ll be afforded. The darkness continues to grow, and we still don’t know what it is. Or where.”

“I’m certain it’s here on Coruscant,” Bela said.

“A world with over trillion people. A world that has enough surface area to match a thousand ordinary worlds, thanks to the many levels of construction. That’s a lot of ground to cover.”

“I’ll find it,” Bela insisted.

“Kira,” Satele interjected. “I’m sure you were listening?”

“Indeed I was, Master Satele. If it’s my opinion you’re asking for, Vajra is already a splendid Jedi. But he’s also young. I’d rather preserve that a little longer if I could. Heck, if this Council was willing to trust me, I’d shoulder the burden myself so he wouldn’t have to.”

“Noble,” Kaedan growled. “Is this a sign you want to be made Knight before him?”

“No, though I understand why it appears that way. I don’t care about my seniority. He’s my friend, and I want to protect him.”

“Well said,” Bela nodded. “He has the potential. But I fear we will squander it if we rush the process.”

“The trials will start, that much has already been decided,” Satele sighed. “But I agree that we can pace it so as to give him more time.”

“Time is something he needs,” Kira insisted. “Please, Masters.”

“Your opinion has been noted, Padawan,” Syo said in his usual, kindly manner.

“It feels like we’re going around in circles on an already decided subject,” Kaedan said. “I think we should move on to the next topic.”

“Agreed. Master Kiwiiks, tell us about your progress on Coruscant please.”

Satele listened with half an ear to her colleague’s report, but the back of her mind continued to work on the subject of Vajra’s Knighthood. All objections she kept hearing were, in her opinion, very valid. But there was little she could do. These past months, Vajra had done the work of a small force of full Knights. While in hindsight, it had been a terrible mistake giving him so much responsibility, the result was unmistakable. And most of her fellow Councillors—even the ones who were rarely able to attend anymore—wanted to give him his spurs.

*

Satele sat in her chambers later that day, brushing her daughter’s hair as she animatedly chatted away as usual. She was talking about the Kalikori this time.

“They’re having a festival tonight,” she was saying. “I’ve been looking into their customs after the poisoning incident—that ‘grand matriarch’ woman gave me really bad vibes—and I was thinking just how drab their culture was. Even the Khrayii have a more solid culture, and that’s saying something. The Kalikori… their festivals feel kinda thrown together. ‘Hey, it’s common to have a harvest festival, so let’s make one ourselves! And let’s make drinks from the first batch of crops because it seems so smart! What’s that, add our own flavor? Our own instruments, stories, beliefs? Why ever would we do that? This is good, this is smart!’”

Satele snorted. “Kolovish really got under your skin, didn’t she?”

“It’s more than that,” Jasme insisted. “She’s up to something.”

“Well, at least we know her ‘something’ doesn’t involve speaking to people off-world. We’ve detected no transmissions that weren’t our own.”

“She’s going to end up with her arms clapped in irons someday… mark my words,” Jasme said darkly.

“Of course, dear. I’ll trust your judgement. You’ve proven a good judge of character after all.”

“Awww, thanks Mom!”

“I’m glad to see you more yourself again.”

“Yeah, seeing Vajra so badly injured, thinking he might die… it really scared me.”

“You really like him, don’t you?”

Jasme turned her head slightly to beam. “Yes.”

“He’s impressed the Council too. Almost everyone wants him Knighted as soon as possible.”

“So, he told me,” Jasme beamed. “Right after you let him go, in fact. I’m glad they see his worth. He’s already seen as something of a guardian among the Kalikori. Hey, I just realized; there’s at least two places in the galaxy where people see him as some divine champion! The Raudra revere anyone whose third eye has gone white!”

Satele chuckled. “The legend of Vajra is off to a good start already then.”

“So now you’re foisting a Knighthood on him. I’m so proud of the little guy! But also, a little worried…”

“Because of his age?”

“And his maturity. His inner balance has improved loads lately, but I still worry about him.”

“But his judgement is above reproach. All reports agree that his approach has saved the most lives.”

“That is true. I still wish he’d tried to evacuate the Kalikori rather than save their food.”

“Remember, Jasme. We can’t share too much with them. We’re still bound by Republic law after all.”

Jasme waved dismissively. “Doesn’t mean organizations like the Peace Brigade won’t help them.”

“We can’t let them know where Tython is.”

“So many complications,” Jasme sighed.

“Speaking of complications,” Satele said. “Tomas…”

“I’ve not heard from him, but his doctor says he’s still alive.” Jasme sounded upset again. “I hope he chooses life, Mom. He’s a good man.”

“Yes, my dear.”

“I… I want to see him again. But he’s forbidden it. I’m… I’m trying to move on. It feels like a betrayal. But it’s what he wants.”

“What is it you want?”

“To say goodbye properly, at least. And, maybe, another sibling. A Sister this time. What do you say?”

Satele chuckled. “I’m sorry, Jasme. I can’t.”

“I know. I was just joking. Anyway, I want to be an archivist. And an historian. I want to study ancient cultures and cities.”

“Jasme… whatever happens, please don’t give up on love and family. You’re not a Jedi. You’re not destined—or perhaps I should say ‘doomed’—to follow our path. If there is one thing I’ve regretted bitterly, it’s not raising you and Theron like a real Mother would.”

“I already have a new crush,” Jasme said, but Satele knew she was just saying that. Tom’s fate would worry her for some years to come. She hoped someone—Vajra perhaps—could be a shoulder for Jasme to lean on until events were resolved.

“Oh really? Who is it this time?”

“General Jace Malcom!” she said, and Satele had to fight to not sputter.

“Why him? He’s even older than I am!”

“He just looks so gorgeous in his armor! I think I like muscular men in armor. Tom sported an armored set of robes too, remember?”

“Yes, he did,” Satele’s chuckle was awkward. Was her daughter teasing her? Had she guessed? She certainly hoped so! It was better than thinking her daughter had inadvertently developed a crush on her kriffing Father!

“So, what have you decided about Vajra?”

“The decision has already been made. In fact, his recent ordeal was already approved as trials of Valor and Flesh.”

“Oh, right! He mentioned that too! So, he’s already a quarter of the way there, isn’t he? Damn! This is happening too fast. It’s no wonder he looked so overwhelmed when we spoke.”

“Right.”

“Mom? Can you at least promise me you won’t toss him into the deep end?”

“I wish I could, Jasme. But my hands are tied right now. You’ve no idea how starved for Knights we are. But I’ll do what I can.”

“Please don’t waste his life,” Jasme said.

“I try not to waste anyone’s lives.”

“Well, be extra, extra careful with his. Please. You’ll thank me someday. And I’ll thank you every single day.”

“Of course.”

“Also… try not to overburden yourself either. I love you, Mom. I want to see you grow into a happy old woman. Not someone filled with regret.”

“That is even less of a certainty. But I’ll do what I can.”

*

[spilled-croissants]

Jaric Kaedan is a bitch if you know you know

[reconstructionlegacy]

Ngani Zho Coerced Custody Of Theron

[Zho] had told the Jedi Council and the leaders of the Republic military that he had sent Satele on a vital mission— something he could not speak of for fear of endangering her life. Given Master Zho’s impeccable reputation, none had questioned him. Now, however, the mission was over. It was time for her to return; the Republic had fought too long without their champion. The Sith Empire’s relentless advance had gone too far. She could no longer ignore the Republic’s need. [...] “You promised you would take him,” Satele said softly, gazing down into the child’s wide, wondering eyes. “I will,” Ngani assured her. “If that’s still what you want.” “What I want has nothing to do with it,” she muttered as she reluctantly handed the child back to her Master. [...] As he took the child from her arms, the moment of greatest joy she would ever know ended.

— Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation

BACKGROUND

Ngani Zho trained, according to Lost Suns (admittedly according to Zho the manipulator), Satele Shan, Syo Bakarn, Jaric Kaedan, and Bela Kiwiiks. Obviously, that is not possible for full Padawans, and Satele was under Kao Cen Darach's mentorship in the first trailer (and then he died), so my theory here is that Zho stepped in to "foster" mentor at least some of these promising young Jedi (and gain influence with them).

WHAT HAPPENED

Zho was somehow trusted by the Council (maybe because he partially trained a third of them). Satele became pregnant, went to Zho for advice, and rather than saying "let's talk to the Council, the normal Jedi support structure, which trusts me," he said "I will cover this up. For you." Like a favour.

He said to the Council that she was on a mission, which put a time limit on the 'plan' ("Always with the plan, aren't you?" Zho asks Theron in Lost Suns). By lying to the Council on her behalf, he made it impossible to go to them for support, or at the least heavily implied to Satele that her pregnancy was somehow wrong or shameful.

By isolating Satele from everyone but himself, and putting a time limit on her seclusion, he arranged for her to have no real choice but to give him custody of Theron. (The scion of a powerful bloodline... and possibly even blackmail material against the future Grand Master.)

Then, having secured the custody of Theron, he proceeded to isolate him as he had isolated Satele, and thoroughly abuse him. This is detailed in Lost Suns, and I will not detail it here; suffice to say it began at the earliest when Theron was five, and Theron's life was endangered by Zho, who abandoned Theron upon realizing he was not Force-sensitive.

(SOME OF) THE AFTERMATH

Years later, when Theron is an SIS officer, under convoluted plot circumstances (that is: the plot of Lost Suns), he reencounters Zho. Zho takes another young person, Teff'ith, under his wing, which Theron is unhappy about. (Teff'ith asks Theron, who has used the term 'childhood trauma' about Zho by this point, and will later elaborate with horrific detail that I, once more, decline to repeat, "Scared of him?". Theron says 'no' - you know, like a liar. Anyway -)

(My theory is that Zho was Star Cabal, Revanite, or both, and wanted complete control of the training of the Blood Of Revan... but fuck knows why he did any of this. Your guess is as good as mine.)

I do think, in the text, Zho's treatment of Theron is framed as abhorrent, especially given the cited and open trauma and abuse. There is also a line in Annihilation about him glaring at Satele in a way that reminds me of Theron's textual panic attack when Satele mentions Zho to him elsewhere in the book. Given this, I think it is an entirely reasonable conclusion, even ignoring the fact that he is baby-stealing Jedi georg, the only Jedi known to have actually stolen a baby, that he mistreated Satele, too.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

At any rate - Ngani Zho coerced Satele into giving him custody of Theron. Theron does not know this, and assumes Satele chose freely to gave him up.

We can't know what her decision would have been, because she didn't truly get to make one. She may have chosen to give Theron up. She may not have. But as it was, as it happened, she did not have a genuine choice.

TL;DR: Tie-in material makes it quite clear that Ngani Zho, the "Master Zho" in one of Theron's combat lines, coerced Satele into giving the infant Theron into his custody. This was terrible for everyone involved, except Zho.

[swtorpadawan]

My problem is that the canon depictions of this (Legends and Disney) tend to be hugely inconsistent.

The head-canon depictions are inevitably formed from personal prejudices. (Yes, that includes me.)

I will say that in SWTOR, on a general level, the Jedi repeatedly show compassion to those who were the victims of brainwashing, as well as people who were raised in "hostile" environments. (i.e. the Sith Empire)

There are - obviously - many exceptions. (F*ck Jaric Kaedan)

i care so much about fictional morality and ethics but not in a lame ass "is this character/ship problematic" way. i'm cringe for other reasons.

[swtorpadawan]

The Council Chamber at the Galactic Senate is larger than the one on Tython

I mean... its huge. These are supposed to be offices for Senators. Why are they in there?

[pawsimses]

Know what? Here's some random HCs from one of my Legacy verses because I feel like it

Kira and Lana are sisters, Lana being the older of the two. It isn't a well known fact and the two don't fully reconcile with their relation until after EoO. Prior they had a typical sibling rivalry as children and a tense strained relationship as adult upon reuniting years after Kira ran away.

"Kira Carsen" isn't Kira's birth name. Haven't decided her birth name yet but since she's Lana's sister she's a Beniko. Kira Carsen was the name she gave herself upon fleeing the Empire as a means of a fresh start, amongst fear of being found out as a runaway Sith acolyte.

Jaren Beniko is a high ranking Sith Lord in this (Kelsa was not). A stern but oddly soft man with his daughters and a no-nonsense strict officer in the field, he had a way of getting around situations through negotiations rather than drawing his saber, though he wasnt afraid to get his hands dirty if provoked (a trait he passed to his eldest daughter Lana). Was actually a Dark Council member in his early years prior to Kira's disappearance. Loved his daughters dearly. Because of his nature and odd habit of less ruthless approaches for a Sith, there was a rumor he was once a fallen Jedi. Still working on him but may roll a SW class for him.

(YES I'm playing here w the Benikos are Kenobi ancestors theory)

Ancient Sith Purebloods were dragons. Subsequently modern Sith, even humans, can become big lizard puppies if they tried. This is due in part to virtually most Sith sharing bloodlines w ancient Sith. Types of dragons varied/vary from fiery breathers to acid spitters to poisonous nibblers.

On the dragons note, though they CAN most Sith DON'T unlock the dragon form (it's a pain/not well known knowledge/assumed to only be from select bloodlines (which is bs)). The only known participant is Vowrawn. Because course he would. It surprised nobody as Vowrawn is from a very rich and old Sith family, almost considered nobility (Almost...😏).

On that note, Krovos and Shaar are Vowrawn's daughters through a past arranged marriage (now dissolved). Though he commited to the union only to appease family (neither spouse were in love), he does love his daughters and is proud of them and actively retains good relations with them presently. His ex and him are on good terms (they aren't Sith).

Mako is Force Sensitive in my verse (as is my BH). She was, obviously, never found by the Jedi; as a clone, and therefore part of a secret project, her name and identity were not held on Republic records (SIS files only). On top of that, her abilities are not as visibly apparently compared to other FS and she doesn't use them openly much (like Raina). She learns a few techniques from my BH, an ex-Jedi Initiate himself, and the two form a close sibling bond.

Post LotS Kira and Nadia are a married couple. They met before briefly during vanilla but only got to really connect upon joining the Alliance. Kira was the first to realize and have very much Bi Panic bc oh no. Knight Grell is cute. Very cute. She's so pretty when she laughs. She's got beautiful eyes halp-

Nadia however, was the one to make the first move, through various sputtering and flustered words, so nervous much pinning. Kira could only keep kissing her after that. Nadia will admit first she cried from happiness.

They are adorkable I love them ❤️

Jaric Kaedan and Syo Bakarn were quietly involved together prior to the First Son incident. It fell apart after Syo was arrested and brought before the Council for trial. Only then could he watch as his now former lover now looked at him with disgust. The heartbreak was something that plagued Syo just as bad as the guilt over the First Son's actions for years to come after. He truly loved Jaric.

Though not extreme nobility anymore, the Bakarn family is still very much elite and one of the more famous families on Corellia. These days they run a successful distillery business, which keeps them up in the ranks as one of the more prosperous names. Syo holds a share of the family's company.

Syo has two younger siblings. His brother (middle child) is an immature spoiled person who latched onto their family's title and status, preferring to drink at the cantinas around Corellia and flirt with potential lovers (ur 42 Jack stop). Syo doesnt get along with him at all. Syo's sister (youngest) is a gentle kind soul with a heart for helping those around her, though she has issues with temper and differing opinions. Syo adores her and she acts as his confident when he's home complaining about their brother lol

Jaric was born and raised on Tatooine. It was not a happy childhood and he strongly refuses to discuss it (AKA me brain can't decide on what to do there lol). Doesn't like sand. Satele is, for all intensive purposes, his adopted sister. She fills the hole in his heart left by the loss of his younger sister and he often sees her through Satele. Zho was a suggorate father in place of his bio one, whom Jaric has negative opinions about. He quietly regrets never reconciling with Zho.

May make an AU out of it but for a short time, Saresh almost became Theron's stepmother (she and Jace were seriously dating). Theron wants to vomit every time he remembers.

Jace has dated other people outside Saresh post Satele. But it doesnt last. His heart only belongs to one.

Marr did love Satele in his own way posthumously. It's not exactly full romance but...he cared deeply for her.

And that's all for now lol

[theshijlegacy]

Deynaria gets the details on The Worst Plan Ever

[parseolegacy]

[I'm writing this at 3:30 am so I apologise for the fact that this is probably unorganised as balls] On the topic of the Old Republic Jedi I've noticed a sharp shift in how the Jedi are written in the newer expansions of SWTOR- especially when it comes to who they take on as members. Spoilers for 7.5, Jedi Consular & Jedi Knight origin & under the cut. ALSO LONG, PROBABLY

In the most recent update and in the 4th Galactic season there are moments/stories about how the Jedi won't take a certain person in- Arn comments that the Jedi probably won't take a group of newly force-sensitive people you rescued in 7.5 (you don't even get the opportunity to have him reach out, he's THAT sure that asking isn't worth it) and Amity (The season 4 companion from last year) had a storyline about him being rejected from the Jedi for being 'too old'. But BASE SWTOR has 4 notable npcs I can name off the top of my head that start training as adults without their age causing this massive friction- one of these was incredibly aggressive and a danger to the Jedi order and two of these were adult Sith! (I am also excluding Nadia because she is a special case, but she's still also someone who fully started training from scratch as an adult. So the number technically goes up to five. Jaric Kaedan, a member of the Jedi council, also started training at 12. Which, while not an adult, is still significantly older than younglings commonly seen in the prequel-era.) Padawan Fia is an NPC on Tython that gives you a quest and talks about how she was brought in recently and she's seemingly around 18-19.~ Nalen Raloch is a Twi'lek village fighter from the Consular prologue who is accepted to train as a Jedi if you choose to recommend him- he is your enemy in the prologue and attempts to destroy the Jedi Order. The next two, which come up in the Jedi knight story, is the Sith Lord Praven and a former Dark Council member turned Padawan you meet on Quesh. (I unfortunately forgot his name. Whoops.) Two fully adult Sith who have trained to use their anger in a way that is completely counter to Jedi teachings are still allowed to train as Jedi when they show that they want to. When Jedi tend to reject people from the order it's because for whatever reason they believe it's impossible or far too difficult for that person to control their attachments and emotions well enough to live like a Jedi. When a DARK COUNCIL MEMBER, someone who has lived for years in a deeply corrupt society, as a leader no less, is allowed to join after a fight with a Jedi Council member, I struggle to see how the group of people in 7.5 who were very briefly held captive and suddenly awakened the force are such a sudden risk to the Jedi Order in the Old Republic. Arn is incredibly dismissive of you in the aforementioned 7.5 scene, where he scoffs and says 'unless they've already started Jedi training, they'll be turned away.' Since when? (As far as I can find any rough timeline after research) When during the roughly 17 years since the start of the game did this shift occur, exactly? I find it incredibly hard to believe that this just happened, especially after the war with Zakuul while the Jedi order is building itself back up- it would be a completely nonsensical decision after losing so many of their numbers. This is simply not the time where a force-order, formerly pretty liberal with who gets to join (especially if they have even a single Jedi vouching for them,) cuts off loads of potential new members when many of the current adult Jedi were trained & reached their master positions in a time when letting people in was the norm. This is especially jarring when playing a Consular- who asks Arn with this hesitant "I know that certain allowances would need to be made," when your first significant decision can very well be to have Nalen receive Jedi training, and the decision goes over extremely smoothly. Rather than this being a conscious worldbuilding choice, due to how sudden and unexplained it is in-world, it feels like writers are losing familiarity with the previous material- at least to me. Or worse, that a prevalent fandom attitude has started to worm its way into the writing of the game over its own pre-established worldbuilding.

Been seeing comment on the Acolyte. People acting the whole:

“She was a child!”

“You brought her here.”

Was a good gotcha moment against the Jedi or “he makes a good point.” One dude even said “can’t argue with that.”

Watch me.

Killing Jecki

First of all, Sol did not bring Jecki to fight Mae’s Master. He brought her as a part of an ongoing investigation that she’s been a part of and they were going to try to warn a fellow Jedi and/or make an arrest on Mae. He DID NOT KNOW that the would encounter essentially a Sith.

Qimir didn’t have to kill her. Jedi have knocked out enemies and he could’ve as well.

“It was self defense” OH??? He attacked the Jedi first. He was out to KILL. HE made that choice. Y’all don’t excuse Anakin slaughtering younglings so why this guy? Because he’s a Sith? (We’ll get into that and “Force monopoly” in a minute).

“It’s commentary on how Jedi put their Padawans in danger!”

What does Sol and other Jedi do when suddenly facing a greater danger expected with their Padawans? What’s the order? Run. MAYBE another order like “get these people out” “or finish this original plan and leave.” But still, it’s to get their Padawans to safety. They will hold off the enemy to give their students safety. They even go as far as sacrificing themselves to do so.

“He’s a Sith what did you expect?”

Briefly touching this. It’s not because of my expectations of Sith, I know they do horrid things. It’s why y’all are excusing the action, especially just to spite the Jedi?

“Jedi were not letting anyone outside their Order to use the Force!”

I see this often and I’m worried this is what the show going for, so I’m gonna debunk this right now.

It’s not disallowing others using the Force. There are so many other cultures that use the Force and the Jedi usually leave them alone. (Nightsisters, for example). It when people are using the Force to create disharmony, to cause HARM to others and themselves that they intervene.

The Sith are literally a culture of Force Users who do horrendous things for their own gain. They will torture and kill just because. Who wiped out the Nightsisters in the Clone Wars? Oh yeah, SITH. (They didn’t even do it themselves. They sent out the asthmatic cyborg.)

The Coven? The Jedi didn’t say “stop using the Force, you’re not allowed to have it.” They came because, at the time I’m writing this, (half an hour before episode 6 is released), they fled intentionally away from Republic space to do something that warranted the Jedi to investigate. Also it was the JEDI asking the kids what they wanted. It was, at the least, most of the Coven telling the children how evil the Jedi are and they are not allowed to join them.

This characterization isn’t just an Acolyte problem or even solely fandom. It’s been an issue even with Old Republic writings (and this is coming from someone who LOVES the Old Republic era).

[ospreyeamon]

playing politics

It’s been said before, but there is a clear disparity in the way the Jedi Consular and Jedi Knight are treated when it comes to their promotion prospects. While both are knighted at the end of their prologues, the Consular is given the rank of Master at the start of Act 2 while the Knight is only maybe promoted again at the close of Act 3.

The Consular’s promotion to Master is political. They are being given the rank because the Jedi Council thinks it will be necessary for the Rift Alliance to take them seriously, not because of anything the Consular has achieved up to this point Hence why they are given the rank upon being given a mission rather than completing one. Which makes sense as the Consular’s achievements during Act 1 are pretty variable.

A Consular who has LS-choiced their way through Act 1’s achievements are very impressive, even if the stint on Alderaan is their only prior diplomatic experience that we know of. A Consular who – despite being asked to shield the afflicted Jedi – chooses to kill them at varying points before accidentally (or “accidentally”) causing the deaths of hundreds more Jedi offscreen by killing Lord Vivicar, I think, probably wouldn’t have been trusted with a sensitive diplomatic post if the Council thought they had a better option. Unfortunately, in this scenario, the better options were probably numbered among the now dead Jedi Masters.

Conversely, the Jedi Knight definitely succeeded in their overall mission in Act 1. They might have been a jerk, they might have passed up opportunities to save or spare people, they might have delayed rescuing Nasan Godera for a loot acquisition detour, but they still did (eventually) retrieve Dr Godera, stop the power-guard project, save Master Kiwiiks and Tatooine, help destroy the death-mark laser, and prevent Darth Angral from torching Tython. The Knight also helps (or “helps”) guide Kira Carsen to Knighthood; successfully training a Padawan is traditionally one of the main gauges the Council uses to determine who is ready to become a Master.

A DS!Knight proves considerably more effective in Act 1 than a DS!Consular, but the Consular is still the one promoted. The promotion isn’t given in recognition of their skills or as reward for their achievements. It isn’t withheld because of any action or shift in alignment. The Consular is promoted at the start of Act 2 because their new mission is to make nice with the politicians; the Knight isn’t because they are assisting other Jedi. If the Consular’s promotion truly was a matter of merit the Knight would have been promoted too.

The end of Act 3 has incredibly stark differences in how a Dark-aligned Consular and Knight are treated by the Jedi Council. Neither of them receives the promotion they would have if they had been Light-aligned, but of the behaviour of the Council towards them is markedly different. The Consular is publicly rewarded. The Knight is publicly snubbed.

“Your relentless pursuit of the First Son merits a unique position. We would like to make you our special military advisor. You will rank alongside us, but work with the Republic, to capture the remaining Children and prepare for any future threat from the Sith.” Jaric Kaedan “Rank alongside? So I would not be a member of the Jedi Council.” Jedi Consular, Option 3 “We would prefer you to focus on assisting the Republic, rather than on Council duties. But this is only a small reward beside the great service you have done, for all of us.” Jaric Kaedan

The post of the Jedi Council’s special military advisor is a promotion, even if it might not be the promotion the Consular wanted. Jaric Kaedan doesn’t say anything to suggest that a Council Seat could have been on the table under other circumstances; the idea is only brought up if the Consular brings it up.

The Consular has experienced a meteoric rise through the ranks; their class story takes place over about three years and they go from Padawan to Knight to Master to senior Master advising the Jedi Council. Going from Padawan to Master in the span of two years is (I think) the fastest turn around we are shown for any Jedi, and most members of the Order never sit on the High Council. Being promoted to Master without having trained a Padawan in any capacity is also highly unusual. The Consular has nothing to complain about.

Even if they do complain, Jaric’s justification is that they don’t want the Consular’s attention split between their work with the Republic and the duties of a Council Member. He is quick to praise the Consular again. No mention of their turn to the Dark Side is made.

“And then there is you. How do we even begin to account for the turns your life has taken since you first arrived on Tython? The dark side has cast its shadow over you. I sense your anger and ambition growing. I can no longer ignore it. I wanted so much for you to become a Jedi Master, but you are not ready.” Satele Shan “What have I done to deserve being passed over? I've saved trillions of people.” Jedi Knight, Option 1 “Your battles on Corellia cost us Master Kiwiiks and dozens of brave Jedi. Your leadership there was questionable, at best. You struck a great blow against the Sith, but the war goes on. There will be other opportunities for you to prove yourself worthy.” or “How much have you sacrificed on your path to victory? What emotions drove these decisions? These are the questions we must answer. You struck a great blow against the Sith, but the war goes on. There will be other opportunities for you to prove yourself worthy.” Satele Shan “Master Satele, this Jedi is one of the greatest war heroes I’ve ever met. He/she deserves recognition for his/her victories. By the authority of the Supreme Chancellor, I hereby grant you the honorary rank of Republic general.” Admiral Dabrin

In contrast, in a Dark-aligned Knight’s class story ending Satele Shan tells them that they are wrathful, power-hungry, under the influence of the Dark-Side of the Force, and not being promoted to Jedi Master. It’s a public humiliation at a ceremony intended to honour the Knight’s achievements. Small wonder Admiral Dabrin tries to patch things over by naming the Knight an honorary general.

Satele Shan did not have to manage the situation with the Knight this way. She could have quietly led the Knight off into a side room before the ceremony and asked them if they knew they were clouded by the Dark Side. She could have had the kind of talk with them that Orgus Din does on Rishi. Making a public spectacle was taking the nuclear option.

Satele can claim that the Knight isn’t being promoted because of their poor leadership on Corellia, but Satele was the one to put the Knight in charge of the Jedi forces on Corellia, possibly over the Knight’s objections. Besides, we the audience know it isn’t the truth. The Jedi Council’s refusal to grant them the rank of Master isn’t tied to any decision they could have taken on Corellia – it is solely determined by their alignment.

The denunciation being so public makes me feel that its motivation was either highly political or deeply personal. Did Satele feel betrayed by the Knight? Did the rest of the Jedi Council even know she was planning on going off script in front of the Republic brass? Was she convinced the Knight’s Dark-alignment was evidence they had done terrible things she would never be able to find proof of?

Was the decision to try to crack down hard on the Knight made because the Consular had also turned but couldn’t be reprimanded without insulting the Rift Alliance? Were Council concerned that members of the Order like Unaw Aharo were admiring a Dark Jedi? Was Satele under pressure to make a statement against Jedi drawing on the Dark-Side while fighting in the war?

But if a DS-choicing Knight got Jedi unnecessarily killed, then a DS-choicing Consular got more Jedi killed; hundreds compared to dozens. If it’s dangerous to have impressionable Jedi looking up to a Dark-aligned Hero of Tython, then it’s no less dangerous to have them admiring a Dark-aligned Barsen’thor. If a Dark Jedi shouldn’t be permitted to become a Master, then a Dark Consular should be demoted rather than set to advise the Council.

There is an incredible double-standard in how the Consular is treated in comparison to the Knight – and a double-standard in how the Consular is treated compared to the norms of the Order. This is surely something people in-universe have opinions about.

[anchanted-one]

Book of Storms: The Legend of Vajra

Chapter 5: Morr Trouble

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43208574/chapters/108894615

Early The Next day

“Good morning, fellow Masters. I appreciate so many of you showing up on such short notice.”

Vajra heard Kira snort. It was just Masters Orgus, Satele, Kaedan, Kiwiiks, and Gnost. Even Master Gnost’s Apprentice wasn’t here. Kira had looked quite displeased at having to wake up even earlier than she’d expected. She was something of a late riser, she confided in Vajra.

“Master Kiwiiks reported what they found in Keleth yesterday. A Khrayii that could use the Force, and the ancient Holocron she found among them. She thought they were getting their knowledge from this repository. I wish that were true. I’m sure most of us remember T7-01? He served nobly with Master Ven Zallow for almost fifteen years. He was by his side during the Sack of Coruscant and helped us recover some of the bodies. He has given us vital information yet again. He gave me a disc of his memories during his capture. Upon reviewing it thoroughly, I was able to confirm my worst fears. The Khrayii are led by someone I thought had been killed on Coruscant. My former Padawan, Bengel Morr.” Master Orgus had to close his eyes for a second, and swallow back strong emotions. He took a deep breath before continuing. “It is clear that he trained the Rogue Jedi Vajra fought that first day. A man he called Callef. I checked the records, and there was a ‘Callef’ brought in days before the Sack. He was one of many presumed dead, just like Bengel. I do not know how they survived, but they were the ones who got their hands on those blasters. They’re the ones who armed and trained the Khrayii, and sicced them on both, the Kalikori, and us. Why, I do not know. We only have testimony of Callef’s words. What he called a ‘cleansing’. Perhaps they intend to reforge the Jedi order. Perhaps they believed we failed that day on Coruscant.”

“There are many who believe that,” Master Satele sighed. “Even among our own numbers.”

“Why’s that?” Vajra whispered to Kira.

“Because there were only around twenty Jedi Knights in the Temple. The rest were Padawans and younglings. The bulk of the Jedi had been ordered off-world by our glorious leaders. If anyone was responsible, it was the Senate. And the Chancellor.”

“Come to think about it, I don’t know much about the Sack. Only that it ended the last war. And that the Republic got Coruscant back.”

“Well… it was pretty despicable. The Sith called for a truce, and for a summit on Alderaan. The Jedi Council warned them against it, but many important Senators were happy to go along with it. They wanted peace. Trouble is, they took huge escorts with them. Jedi, soldiers, ships. All from the Coruscant defense. It was like they never dreamed the Sith could be duplicitous. And sure enough, the Sith invaded. They focused on the Temple, and Senate. But they gained orbital superiority, so the whole galaxy knew they could be bombed any time we made the Sith angry. So, the Sith were able to hold a trillion souls hostage. And force humiliating terms upon the Republic. The mastermind behind the operation was one Darth Angral—”

“I’ve heard of that man. One of the ‘butchers of Coruscant’.”

“Yeah. A Captain named Rycus Kilran helped him execute it. Got made Grand Moff for it. There were others on the ground, of course. Darth Malgus led the assault on the Temple personally. He was given the fearsome title of ‘Bane of the Jedi’.”

“He killed one great Jedi, but many were Padawans, right? I wonder if he’s really that tough. I can beat him.”

“Are you fucking serious? He was on the same level as Master Satele in her prime!”

“You know I can take her, right?”

Kira looked at him, mouth agape. “Where’s this sudden pride coming from? Just remember kid, not all fights are the same. You can take on an army of Flesh Raiders, that’s awesome. You can defeat Masters on the sparring field. Fantastic! But real battle with a full Sith Lord is something else entirely! Do not ever underestimate those sick fucks. They fight dirty, they use the Force to do crazy things, and they are powerful when they go berserk.”

“I remember; I saw Darth Bellicose in action. I am confident that as I am, I could crush him if I were to meet him today.”

“Damn. Wish I had your confidence!”

“Still, you’re probably right. Bellicose wasn’t Malgus. And perhaps even Master Orgus can beat me in a real battle.”

Was that a tinge of sarcasm coloring his voice? No, certainly not! “I’m glad you’re coming to your senses. You become something else when we talk pure combat, you know that?”

“Sorry.”

“I kinda like it actually. Pride befitting your skill. Better than false humility. Do you think you can make your default mode closer to this?”

“Done. But only with you, my secretly evil master.”

She chuckled. “Still, if you want to go after the big fish, try the smaller ones first. And toss me an invite. I wanna see how you actually fare against a Sith. And if you’re in over your head, I can be backup.”

“Okay!”

“Bengel is my responsibility,” Master Orgus said. “But I acknowledge that I am compromised in this matter. If anyone wants the matter of the Khrayii to be transferred to someone else, I will step aside. That concludes what I wanted to discuss.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Master Kaedan said gruffly. “You’re a Master. One of the Council. I trust you can do what you have to.”

“At the very least, I trust my new Padawan to have my back.” Orgus smiled at Vajra.

“He needs training,” Kiwiiks protested. “Not physical training, of course. After having seen him in action, I’m certain he could defeat most threats the galaxy has to offer. It’s his readiness that I speak of.”

“I will, of course, work with him on that. I promise you that I will not put him in danger again unless I am certain he can handle it.”

“That’s noble of you,” Master Kaedan said. “But do not have too much faith in him. I can see how soft his mind is. Unprepared.”

“That was uncalled for, Master Kaedan,” Orgus protested. “I feel compelled to remind you of a certain someone who used to cry every time I took his saber away and told him it was past time for bed.”

All the Masters kept straight faces, but Kira openly laughed. Even T7 made an approximation of raucous laughter. Kaedan glared at both her and Master Orgus. “Fine, have your giggles. I’m talking about the next five months. Of course, he has a chance to become a splendid Jedi in thirty or forty years.”

“Is that what he thinks he is?” Kira whispered.

“Do not gamble the security of this sanctuary on one Padawan. That’s all I meant.”

“Noted.”

“Then this Council is decided,” Master Satele said. She sounded like she was fighting a bout of laughter. “Master Orgus will continue leading our defense against the Flesh Raiders. And against Bengel Morr. Vajra, you are in charge of the Kalikori defenses.”

“Me?”

“Yes. The villagers have learned to trust you. I am confident you can handle it without neglecting your training.”

“I’ll try, Master.”

“Do or do not, there is no try.”

“I don’t understand. How can you do something without trying?”

“What it means, my young Padawan, is that you can’t do things if you doubt yourself. Normally, whenever we say ‘I’ll try,’ instead of ‘consider it done!’ it means we harbor doubts in our hearts.”

Huh? What kind of logic was that? “That sounds…”

“You can do it, Padawan. Master Satele has full confidence in you.”

He shrugged. “Alright. I’ll do it.”

“That’s what I like to hear!”

“Council adjourned,” Master Satele called, and everyone rose to leave.

“Nice and short, just the way I like it,” Kira whispered to Vajra. “Now, come on. Let’s grab some breakfast before Master Kiwiiks and I leave. I’ll show you that mix I promised.”

*

Bengel Morr stood in the nook above a roaring river. This world was peaceful. Calm. A perfect place for the Jedi to forget about the things that awaited them outside, in the galaxy. The Sith. The war. The many, many threats to the Republic. And the price of their failure. The spray from the rapids reached his skin, providing much needed moisture—for his headquarters was rather dry, and the water source was not something he could take a dip in without spoiling its potability.

“Master Bengel,” Tiari whispered. “The Raiders you sent to secure Keleth have all been killed.”

“Unfortunate. Replacing them will not be easy. If only the Jedi had shown this tenacity during the war.”

“There are so few Jedi in the Temple,” Doril said. “Fewer than a hundred Knights. Just a few of the Masters. I’d thought this would be easier. The ones on Coruscant just fell over when Malgus sneezed in their direction.”

“Is it a surprise that these primitive beasts are not Sith?”

“Well… since you put it that way…”

“Our work is going according to plan. The Order is being cleansed, just as we wished. The deadwood is whittled away, and the strongest shine forth. Like the boy who killed poor Callef. I’m told he was just a child, yet he alone accounted for almost ninety percent of our dead in that battle. And would his prowess have shone forth was it not for the event we orchestrated?”

“But… he killed Callef.”

“Yes. He owes us our friend’s life. Which means he has the option of joining us… or dying. I think we can persuade him to the former.”

“You would let Callef’s killer walk among us?” Tiari looked appalled. “Your apprentice? Your Lieutenant?”

“Remember our ultimate goal, my child. The utter annihilation of the Sith. We will need all the warriors we can get. If this Padawan can take down a few Sith, he belongs among us. I remember Coruscant. I remember… the Jedi failed us. But it was the Sith who wronged us. The despicable cowards attacked a school after luring out all the teachers and guards! How in blazes can they be proud of that?”

He closed his eyes, forcing himself to remember. He’d been training along with other Padawans when they’d heard a horrible crash. The ground shook from some tremendous impact, and every one of the trainees had felt death after death as surprise invaders and defenders killed each other. Bengel had sped outside, Lightsaber in hand, but Anya Alekseeva had told him to get the younglings to safety. Dear, sweet Anya… who had begun sharing her bed with him in the months before the cowardly attack. Anya, in whose company he had felt true peace. Anya, who he fancied was the love of his life.

Even as he ran to obey her order—although she was only a year his senior, she had been recently Knighted—he had looked back just in time to see her cut down by a masked Sith. He remembered his long scream of horror, a scream that had drawn the attention of several Sith and Jedi. Another Knight had sacrificed himself to save Bengel, reminding him to go to the Younglings.

But right when he’d reached the younglings’ quarters, the roof had collapsed. He had been trapped in a small room with twenty-five younglings, trapped alone for days as they slowly started to feel the bite of thirst and hunger. No help had come for them. Instead, a small section of floor collapsed under the rubble. Luckily, the rest of the ground didn’t crumble beneath them. He was able to lead the younglings to safety through a network of tunnels underneath the Temple.

They had wandered around the underbelly of Coruscant for months before they emerged. Every single one of his charges suffered from night terrors, as did Bengel himself. Again and again, he asked himself how the Jedi could have let this happen. How his precious Master could have failed to come to his rescue.

He had come to one, inescapable conclusion. The Jedi were weak. Had been allowed to grow weak by centuries of complacency. Weak enough for the very heart of their power to be crushed by only a small force of Sith and Mandalorians. Outrage boiled in his bowels, outrage at having been so royally failed.

He mourned the death of his beloved, and of his innocence. But he yearned for vengeance. It had come to him one night, that he could not defeat the Sith alone. He needed the Jedi behind him. If they were weak, he just had to retrain them. To teach them how to fight again.

And so, he had begun instructing his twenty-three surviving younglings in his new philosophy, honing them to be weapons to be used against the Sith. And he had bided his time, seeing the Jedi withdraw to a remote location to lick their wounds.

It had taken much effort to find out where Tython was, and more to smuggle his students there. And three shiploads of weapons, once they’d finally subjugated the Flesh Raiders. He’d lost five more apprentices in that endeavor, leaving him with just eighteen of his original twenty-seven.

And now, Callef was dead too, killed by an upstart young Jedi. But if he were to join them, perhaps he could pay them back the life he stole. No one could truly replace Callef, but Bengel couldn’t be picky. He needed every true Jedi he could get his hands on if he were to achieve his ultimate goal.

The utter humiliation and death of Darths Angral, and Malgus.

*

Vajra spent the day fixing the damage to T7’s head. His Master arrived sometime after lunch and began quizzing Vajra on difficult words to test how his studies had been going.

“Anachronism.”

“Something out of place or time, usually in literature. Includes figures of speech, fashion trends, architecture, or technology.”

“Serendipitous.”

“When you find just what you need by seemingly pure chance.”

Master Orgus chuckled. “‘Seemingly,’ eh?”

“Master WenSuul used to get very cross if I ever talked about luck like it wasn’t the will of the Force.”

“While she’s not wrong, that doesn’t mean ‘luck’ isn’t a word. Especially in the mind of the Ungifted. ‘Malapropos’.”

He thought about that one for a few moments, but shook his head.

“Inappropriate, or inopportune.”

“Master… I need to talk about the Khrayii. About killing.”

“About your guilt.”

“That guilt almost got me killed the other day. And by such unskilled opponents too!”

“Is that a problem for you?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Pride leads to ruin, Vajra. Never forget that. Few beings in this galaxy meet the end they think they deserve. I’ve lost count of how many great soldiers I’ve known who died, not in some great mission, but on backwater worlds. Or in hospital beds. Some got killed by novices. Others died of accidents. All it really takes is a single stroke of bad luck. When your final moments come, do not let it be of shame or regret.”

“Yes, Master. About my problem—”

“You want to come to terms with all the lives you’ve ended.”

“Yes, Master.”

“It’s no easy thing.”

“The Khrayii… did they deserve to die?”

“They are hurting innocent lives. We protect them. And ourselves”

“That doesn’t seem to be enough. What am I missing?”

“I’m sorry, my young friend. You need to find your own answers. Someone else’s won’t cut it.”

“Master… I come from a society of primitives, same as the Khrayii. Perhaps not the same, but… if our history had been only a little different, I’d imagine we would be hostile to all visitors too. Perhaps we’d take their very presence as an insult. Or a threat. But we were lucky. We’d known only peace for a thousand years. True wars such as what we face out here never happened. Nothing I’ve heard from my elders or Master WenSuul prepared me for this. And I’m just fourteen! I know there’s many who are forced to kill at younger ages, but me… I was raised in a sheltered place. I’m not ready for this. At this rate, I will die in my next fight. And my last thoughts will be ‘I deserved this.’ I need your help. Please.”

Master Orgus rubbed his jaw. “I suppose there’s no harm in giving you my own answer. If only to tell you how to search.”

“That might help greatly, Master.”

“I was already a grown man when the Sith invaded. I’d spent my apprenticeship as most Jedi did. Mediating minor disputes, enforcing peace, and occasionally hunting down criminals. Killing was always difficult. But then came the war…” he shivered. “I fight—and kill—for all the things I want to protect. The Republic. The Jedi. The students. My Padawans. Innocent people, especially children. What you saw back on Raudraksha… it was nasty. Senseless death caused by one of the most homicidal maniacs of his time. Unfortunately, it’s a lot more common than we’d like to believe. I’ve seen it happen all too often. And not just the Sith. Thugs, despots, lunatics, crime lords. Serial killers. Even our own Republic soldiers have committed massacres which I dearly wanted to punish them for, but couldn’t. It wears on you quickly.

“I too, hesitated in my younger days. I too almost got killed. My life was only saved by happenstance. By a comrade who happened to intervene. Or an enemy who tripped in their eagerness to kill me. And yet as time went on, I realized that the lives I took kept others safe. I was able to see it in reports. In the patterns. And, after some practice, I could feel the Force itself sigh with relief. Populations cried in relief; strings of massacres ended. The death of Darth Bellicose was particularly poignant. When a seven-year-long killing spree ends, you notice the galaxy becoming a slightly better place. The Twi’leks of Kalikori have not been attacked even once after your rather frightening attack in the valley. And when the next attack comes, they’ll be ready for it. They are happy that someone is looking out for them. That someone cares enough to give them weapons. Hear their woes. Return the ashes of their dead. You’ve created some waves there, good waves. It’s brought them light in a dark time. If a being’s death brings great relief to a whole lot of people, then perhaps it was necessary.”

“‘Perhaps’?”

“Yes. We do not pass judgement, Padawan. Especially not the death sentence. However, fighting someone who has attacked, or is preparing to attack innocents, is unavoidable. Death in combat is unavoidable. If you want, you could just leave them without limbs, but even to us, it’s a heavy blow. Just look at how many of our paralysed students asked for mercy. To creatures like the Khrayii, it would be worse than a death sentence. Strength is everything. The weak get left behind. And we do not yet have a way of rehabilitating them. As you can see, morality and reasoning are both complicated and slippery. But do you understand how we come to terms?”

“I think so, Master.”

“If I may make a suggestion, read what Jasme has to share with you. About the Raudra. You may be estranged from your home, but it had an impact in your formative years. Perhaps the wisdom of your great-father can grant you some measure of understanding.”

“That… that is a wonderful idea, Master!” Vajra cried. “I’ll do that as soon as I can.”

“Not now?”

“Right now, my priority is T7. After what he’s been through, he deserves it.”

Master Orgus chuckled. “You’re right. That droid is special after all. You both are. Alright, if you’re satisfied with my answer, I’ll leave you alone for now. Think on what I’ve just said. May you find your own answer soon. And peace along with it.”

*

Jasme ushered Vajra into the cubicle. “Come on, come on! I’ve already got everything loaded for you!”

“Everything?”

“Don’t get too excited, ‘everything’ isn’t a whole lot.”

“It’s okay.” He sat down right in front of the screen, and she beside him.

“I think this is a good place to start. It’s like a brief overview.”

“Report on the Raudra, by Master Oteg,” Vajra read out loud. “The Raudra are a proud and noble race that live on the mountainous world of Raudraksha. They get their name from their hero-ancestor, Rudra. He is said to have saved them from a race of demonic serpents more than a thousand years ago. Said serpent enslaved not only the Raudra’s ancestors, but another race called the Iakshas, who went extinct as a result of the serpents. Rudra, once he managed to free his people and become their first ever king, made four decrees that govern the Raudra life to this day. These are the edicts as told to me by a very bright soldier named Tarsten.

“‘All of my children are born free, and no king, god, or demon may take that away.’ This is the most important of the edicts for the Raudra. It is the reason why they value not only their own freedom, but that of all their brethren as well. They still remember the price they paid for this freedom, and treasure the concept to this day.

“The second edict: ‘The society is a large, living thing, and the Raudra are only as strong as our society. If any aspect of our society is weak, the organism cannot survive strife.’ This edict is something of a double-edged sword. It divides the Raudra into classes. Each class has its purpose, and in theory, none stand above the others. But they have become rigid over time. A warrior would find it very difficult indeed to become a priest, or a philosopher. And although the classes are theoretically equal, it might not feel that way if you are a servant. Or anyone faced with a priest or noble. That said, this edict encapsulates the concepts of society and duty, and the Raudra seem to give it their all in their roles.

“The third edict is best summarized as ‘Our way is not their way,’ and it is in honor of the late Iakshas, whose customs were foreign to the Raudra. But their shared final battle against the great serpent showed them that different does not mean evil. The Raudra mourn the loss of the Iakshas, mourn the kinship that they never thought to kindle. In their memory, they preach tolerance to ideas not their own. More than once, they used this edict to excuse our inadvertent trespasses.

“Then last, but by no means least, is ‘Never forget your soul. Even if grief or anger or pain make it feel slippery in your hands, always hold to yourself. Never forget your pride and honor as my children. Never let the storm within take you.’ I believe this edict addresses the most troublesome aspect of the Raudra; their inherent affinity to the Dark Side. Although the evidence we have is circumstantial at best right now, we believe that all Raudra have a connection to the Force, but it is weak for the most part. It only shows itself at times of great danger. Or, in other words, when they were afraid or angry. The priest Aparajitha slew the feared Darth Bellicose with a Lightning strike from a clear sky. Rudra also killed the great serpent with a similar attack. These sound like an evolution of the same Force Lightning the Sith are fond of… yet the Raudra do not have a single instance in their history where someone who used the Dark Side was corrupted by it. I believe this is the reason. They are trained to remember their pride and their soul from their birth. Perhaps this is a sign that the corruption we fear is not a given. Perhaps there are those among the Sith who practice the Dark Side, but do not lose themselves to it. I do hope so. But I do not think I will be quick to try out my theory. I suspect few Jedi will.”

Vajra leaned back. “I remember these… The tale of Rudra was one of my favorites as a child. Me and my sisters used to love hearing Aparajitha tell us the story at supper.”

“They’ve always seemed so different from most cultures, at least to me.”

“It almost like the Jedi code.”

“Really? I thought it also had elements of Sith in it.”

“Sith?”

“You’ve heard the Sith Code, right? No? Well. ‘Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion I gain strength, through strength I gain power, through power I gain victory, through victory our chains are broken. The Force will grant me freedom.’ The first edict makes the Raudra treasure their freedom above everything else. And the last one makes it alright to use passion and power, but just not to lose oneself in it. If anything, the edicts of Rudra permit a coexistence of Light and Dark.”

“I see.”

“But this is just the beginning. There’s a lot more to your people. Histories, folk tales, songs, beliefs.”

“I’m going to read them all,” Vajra said. “But I think I already have the answer I need.”

Jasme grinned. “I thought you might.”

Vajra gave her a nostalgic look. “Do you want to read me a story?”

“Would I ever!” Jasme said happily. “Which one do you want?”

“Let’s see.” Vajra scanned the list of folk tales. “The tale of the war goddess, Adi Shakti.”

“Excellent choice!”

*

[kotorswtor]

My patronus is that one character in almost every genre-fiction series who’s narratively framed as an antagonist for insisting “Your idealism and good intentions aren’t enough. Laws, procedures, and professional standards exist to protect people and you don’t get to blow them off because you’re cute.”

[imperial-topaz2003]

Been thinking about this for a while, and I decided to write down how Tyr would see Nat. I do agree that it would take some time to build up any proper relation between them. Just like Nat with Sith, Tyr has some big trust issues with Jedi. He's generally used to the order overall being full of self-righteous assholes like Nomen Kar and Jaric Kaedan. So, he doesn't have the best initial perspective of Jedi, not actively trying to hunt them down, just skeptical and uneasy. However, there are individual Jedi who earn his trust, and even eventually his friendship, as seen with Master Timmns on Belsavis. He's also basically adopted Yulizzia, my Jedi Knight, as a younger sister figure. Once Nat shows he's actually compassionate, caring, open-minded, and civil (compared to how most jedi just pretend they are in Tyr's view), Tyr would soften up considerably, considering him a friend, and maybe even beyond that. Because I'll admit, I am a big sucker for the Found Family Trope. Besides, I'm pretty sure Tyr and Nat would still easily bond over adopting every poor soul they find. P.S. once again, thank you so much @whitepadi for both the answer and the art!

So, I posted this shitpost last night, and it got me thinking.

What would Nathandra think of Tyrrnith if the two ever met? I think that'd be an interesting interaction, but what do you think? If you need more info on Tyr, I'm more than willing to provide!

Might as well use this ask to post this request, gonna put the answer below the cut in case it's getting long. (@fenrisprime2003)

But TL DR I would say that they might get along pretty well, but it might take time.

Despite being the most civil and open-minded, Nat still very much has trust Issues with the empire, especially Sith, regardless you're pureblood or not, calm or aggressive, if you're a sith he might unable to trust you for a while. So one or two meetings won't do anything if any maybe in a negative way depending on how Tyr treated Nat, if he sees Nat as a threat it definitely makes him even harder to trust by Nat. However if somehow they actually met for a long time (alliance for example) and Tyr proves himself to not be a threat and trustworthy, Nat might soften up, and sees Tyr not as a Sith but as an ally. If you give him even more time to actually get close to him and get to know him more, Nat might consider Tyr as his friend or even family depending on how long they know each other (in a positive way) and how Tyr responded it.

Also Bonus on how Nat sees a Sith :

Let's use Lana and Scourge for comparison on how fast Nat can trust a Sith depending on how they treat him.

For Lana, he finally trusted her in Odessen since she's very much proven trustworthy and never actually have any ill intentions towards him, to begin with. Scourge, however, finally gains his trust after the death of Tenebrae, despite Scourge already together with them for much longer than Lana, it's simply because his very first memory of Scourge is kidnapping his padawan and turning him to the dark side.

I mean, despite his trust issue with Sith, he considers Lana and Gilang (my inquisitor) as good friends.

[fancyfade]

[image: a screencap of Master Jaric Kaedan, a white middleaged human man wearing a jedi robe, saying “Yuon seems convinced. But trusting blindly in the Force isn’t the Jedi way. Good judgment and discipline must temper that trust.” end image]

posting this cuz

a) just jedi stuff

b) harin-so really appreciates jaric’s philosophy here, mostly because zie cna’t connect with the idea of just blindly trusting a higher power. zie was trying to do that so badly during zir mystic trials and training, but never received a vision, so zie’s like “fucking finally, a way to move forward that isn’t dependent on something i can’t control”

[algaeabomination]

oh no