A New Jedi in an Old Republic

Coruscant

Jan stepped out of the Republic building behind her, new registration papers for their ship in hand. These private ones, in addition to the ones she could get from the Jedi Temple for working for them would be good to start with. Unfortunately, that left her and Kyle well short on funds for anything major.

Escaping from Master Kit Fisto was easy once she had laid down just how off base the Jedi were with what was coming. He had taking to contemplation, and she had simply walked away, trying to get delayed business done.

As she walked, she over heard two Bothans talking to each other as their course parallelled hers. "This whole thing is just bad for business" the first said to the second. That they were speaking openly meant they weren't worried who was listening, though Jan's training still picked them out of the crowd.

She didn't meant to spy on them, but it was good practise and old habits dies hard some days.

"I agree," the second Bothan said as they made a left down the street. "The idea of all-out-war like this is just abhorrent."

"But why did the Jedi start the war? They attacked Geonosis, right?"

"They did! They did!" The second agreed with the first. "But this has been building for years. Don't forget the Trade Federation attacked Naboo, the home of the Chancellor a few years back, and everyone knows they are supporting the Seperatists under the table."

"I wonder why the Chancellor is tolerating them, then?"

"The way I hear it, he's being manipulated by some of his advisers." The Bothan shook his head. "They're filling his head with lies as the Trade Federation and the Banking Clan fill their pockets with credits!"

Jan had heard enough. Palpatine's image was one of a kindly old man, a grandfatherly figure who had the best interests of the Republic at heart, but was being manipulated into bad decisions.

She couldn't keep a straight face thinking that though. Palpatine, being manipulated? She couldn't see that. Ever!

That also meant that hers and Kyle's plan to kill him would have farther repercussions than they had initially considered. They both accepted that making it look like a CIS assassination was probably the best way to make it look, but that option was looking more and more like it would lead to a greater intensity of warfare, rather than reducing it once the leader of both sides was dead.

Althought the thought of just shooting Palpatine in the head with a Disruptor Rifle from a kilometer away at some public event so he can't reveal his Sith powers did still have an appeal.

No, she needed something better.

She passed one of the floating news and advertisement signs that also served to divide traffic through the city. On it was Palpatine's face as he announced that the Senate would grant commissions to the Jedi to lead the Grand Army of the Republic, making them Generals in this war.

That, Jan remembered was a bad idea in the making. Imperial records of the time indicated that the Jedi did an absolutely wonderful job of messing a lot of operations up for the first year to year and a half of the war simply due to inexperience (and accusations of anti-Republic sentiment). She pulled out her communicator, an idea forming in her mind. "Kyle, you busy?"

It took a moment, then Kyle answered. "Hey Jan, just a little bit. Being sternly talked to about what is considered appropriate for a Jedi and what isn't."

"Ah, I'll make it quick then. The good Chancellor it making the Jedi into Generals. Thinkyou can talk some sense into them?"

There was silence on the other end for far longer than Jan was comfortable with. "Jan? Let me get back to you on that."

She knew then that she had called at a bad time, but trusted Kyle to get the point across one way or the other. But there had to be something she could do as well. She had a contact with Senator Mon Mothma, but nothing to leverage it with. There was a limit to how much "FUTURE!" could be used to explain things, and even then, the Senator would need to have proof to give to her own people to act on.

Office of Senator Bail Organna

Bail was enjoying a quiet evening away from the Senate and the running of the Republic. Or at least, he was trying to, if only for the fact that now the Jedi were being given leave to take command of the GAR. He certainly trusted the Jedi, but there was a part of him that wondered if this was for the best? There were some grumblings already from the back-seaters on the Senate about the use of the Clone Army – one commissioned by the Jedi in secret after the attack on Naboo – by the Jedi themselves.

Although Masters Yoda and Windu pointed out that the Master that hired the Kaminoans to craft the Army had done so without their knowledge or approval, a thinly veiled attempt to distance themselves from the political storm surrounding the Army itself.

But given that the Seperatists were using Droids as their army, the mass-produced machines needed a mass-produced counter. And that meant the Clones, each of them worth ten of their number in combat.

He felt no real guilt about voting for the Senate to mandate the Jedi's leadership in the Army, even though it meant condemning some of them to death in the war.

Adding to everything, Senator Mon Mothma, normally a good solid ally of his in the Senate, was acting unusually for a while now. And yesterday, it seemed to get worse. His attempts to communicate with her to find out the source of her distress had proved fruitless, and he was considering asking Amidala to investigate, being closer to a friend to the other Senator than he was.

Normally he wouldn't push into the private affairs of his fellows, but given the enormity of the situation, some cracks were bound to develop. Senators whom had gotten their positions based on the notion of dealing with politics in peacetime found themselves dealing with matters of way and logistics and having to deal with enemies whom you couldn't talk to, and would rather bury you under the weight of their weapons than anything else.

So many Senators hadn't shown up the day the Separatists announced their cause, and the Senate had never been the same.

Private Residence of Chancellor Palpatine.

The wizened old man sat in his favourite chair and pondered the mysteries that lay before him. The motion to put the Jedi in charge of the War effort, where they would inevitably fail – as soldiers, getting themselves killed, and as leaders, pushing public opinion away from them and to a point where he could tip the scales in favour of whomever he had set to take over leadership at that time – had passed with less opposition than he had calculated. It seemed like their public image was still very positive, and that swayed more Senators that he had thought. A nice windfall, though he did not account for that in any future plans.

Tarkin could be groomed to take over, but that would require years of work, and there was the balance of danger in giving him the profile and experience the war would generate versus the omnipresent possibility that he would get killed in action, wasting his efforts.

And there was still no word from his Apprentice, or his spies regarding the disturbance in the Force that burned like a distant star. While they had localized the sector, the Force Sensitives seeking out the source of the disturbance simply couldn't find it given that they were surrounded by the disturbance.

He would have to give leave for Tyranus to accelerate his plans for the Dark Adepts in order to make more headway there. It would also give the other Sith a taste of leadership and training when it came to other Dark Jedi. And who knew, perhaps there might be a suitable future Apprentice among them?

Ruusan

Assaj Ventress hissed as she waited for the latest inept tracker to pass her by. She had no interest in these fools, all of whom has some small power in the Force, but were blinded by their own ineptitude. She had taken leave from the pit where she had fought to trace down the source of power that washed over her and imprinted on her one simple truth. She was not powerful. And to the self-proclaimed Sith, that was not an acceptable state of being. So she had left behind the realm of battles against foes that would have not been a challenge a decade ago, and came to this sector, this planet, following the pathways into darkness presented before her.

And letting these trackers fail meant that she would not be led astray by false starts either.

Everyone who mattered won. And soon, she would be able to avenge her master.

Jedi Council Chamber

Obi-wan finished speaking before the assembled Masters as the overhead lights turned on in response to the darkening skies of the evening. "I cannot say I approve of him," he reiterated his position that the Jedi need not stoop to receiving help from the Knight-Errant, "but he did raise valid points against Master Cin. And his debate skills are... acceptable."

"So we have heard," Mace Windu said. "Thank you for your time, Obi-wan. Force be with you."

Dismissed, the Master withdrew from the chambers, leaving the High Council alone.

"For what it's worth, he does have a point. And his motivations become more clear." Ki-Adi-Mundi said. "He is here for the battles, for the war. Such base desires are unbecoming a Jedi."

"If he was simply interested in battle, then he would not have needed to come here." Eeth Koth pointed out. "No, his motivations run deeper than that."

"Changes nothing, this does." Yoda said. "Decided, have we."

"And the others? Do you think they will accept their place as well?"

"They must," Shaak Ti's hologram spoke. "For the good of the Order, they must."

Raven's Claw

Kyle returned to the ship, neck sore and in a foul mood in general due to the reactions of various members of the Order. "Jan? You home?"

"Here," she said from her work bench. "How was your day?"

"Hopefully worse than yours. Apparently, and I quote, 'Jedi do not use something as uncivilized as Blasters'." He made the quotes with his fingers just to emphasize the point they were trying to make on him.

"Um... since when?" Jan didn't bother looking up from the gun she had opened before her.

"Since forever apparently." Kyle said as he looked over her shoulder. "What are you doing with the DEMP gun?"

"Removing all the manufacturers marks." Jan said as she carefully adjusted the plasma torch in one hand while holding a magnifier in the other.

"Why?" Usually you did that when you wanted to ditch a weapon after using it and didn't want the investigators to track it down. He had done that a couple times himself, but usually with something he knew he was going to lose. "You're not planning on leaving it somewhere, are you?"

"Actually no." Jan said as she took a moment to wipe her brow with the sleeve of her jacket. "I figured that with Droids being the army of choice for the Separatists, we could use a good weapon designed against them."

Kyle nodded. "Makes sense. Doesn't explain why you're... oh." Now he understood. "Got to remove the makers marks to avoid questions."

"Right. I figure I can take the Claw out for a couple days, then come back and deliver this 'prototype' gun to Mon Mothma."

Kyle thought this plan over. "Hand it over to the Senator, and see about getting it put into production?'

"Pretty much." Jan agreed as she returned to her work.

"You know there will be spies in the Republic looking for such things, right?"

"I know," Jan replied. "Which is why I'm going to leave that part of the plan in your hands."

Surprised, Kyle paused in putting the energy pack for his pistol on the charger in the armory. "Now you're going to have to explain that one to me, Jan."

"Easy," she said. "I've heard things, about how the Council doesn't fully trust you. So when I come back with this, you can imply quite truthfully that you know the source of them, and are willing to act as a guard to the factory."

"And when the inevitable attack or sabotage happens, I'm there on site." Kyle could see how this could go wrong. Starting with orbital bombardment. "You know they're going to be asking questions, right?"

"We can refuse to answer." Jan focused on cleaning out another serial number. "Or just point out that the people who made this weapon are donating it to the cause, but can't manufacture them in sufficient numbers themselves."

"Does the good Senator know about this?"

"Not yet. I figure I can use this to establish my practical credentials."

Kyle accepted that. "Just be careful."

"I will. So, aside from Jedi complaining about you being practical, how was your day?"

Kyle gave a quick account of his encounter with Skywalker the elder, and his Test of Skill.

"So, you think that talking to Darth Vader about the Sith is a good idea? Nice to see I'm not the only one putting a target on my back." Jan dismissed Kyle's performance against the Droids through experience with his normal skills and combat style in order to focus on the important things.

"He's not there yet," Kyle reminded her. "And he came to me. The kid's a bundle of nerves, and really needs to take a vacation or relax."

"War, Kyle."

"I know, I know! But something needs to be done about that before he gets wound up so tight he snaps, and well... out comes Vader and the black armour and the Force Choking." Kyle sat down on his bunk. "I'm going to turn in early. Tomorrow should be the day, and I still need to pass some tests."

Jan didn't stop looking at her work. "Night Kyle. And don't forget to try to talk the Jedi into not doing something stupid like leading the war from the front lines."

Jedi Council Chambers

The next day, Kyle stood before the assembled Council, though only eight could be present due to various commitments on the war front. It was still a majority, and they at least had the politeness to sit all on one side.

"I think we can skip the pleasantries," Mace said without much preamble. "You're not one for them anyways."

"Aw, gee, thanks." Kyle replied with just a touch of snark. "So, what's the verdict?"

"We are not yet done, Katarn." Depa Billaba said from the left side of the line up. "We must review what we have already done, and allow you the chance to explain yourself – or defend yourself as the case may be."

This was familiar to Kyle. Just like Officer preparation interviews all those years ago. And when he got grilled by Alliance Intelligence. "That's alright. What's first?"

"The Test of Body is a reactionary one," Ki-Adi-Mundi said. "It is not something that can be tested, but rather is is an observation of how one is committed to the Order. A Jedi who sits around all day and does nothing, does nothing. But one who goes forth and does good work for the Order will show signs of it."

The medical exam, Kyle knew. He had enough injuries on him from his years as soldier, mercenary, and Jedi that there was no way anyone would say he wasn't willing to take a hit for the team.

"Passed, you have." Yoda said, pointing his walking stick at Kyle. "Old wounds, marks of honor they are."

Kyle bowed. "Thank you Master Yoda." So what if the little green Master was playing the Good Jedi, he was still deserving of respect. Luke would have his hide if he acted any other way, time travel or not.

"As for the Test of Insight," this time it was Oppo Rancisis who spoke, "Master Nu's report was most enlightening."

"Of course, Master." Kyle said, eager to just get this over with.

"That being said, we do have some questions regarding it." The Jedi spoke again, and Kyle slumped on the inside, not moving from parade rest on the outside. "Why does your sect still teach such an out-dated version of the Jedi Code? And yet by your admission, they also teach the correct version."

"There is no 'correct' version of the Code," Kyle said, knowing he maybe shouldn't take such a stance, but neither was he willing to just nod and agree to everything they said. There was no way they would promote from within if people only said what the Council wanted to hear, right?

The moment the words, and the thought entered Kyle's head, he knew he was wrong. They would do that, if only because nothing had challenged them for centuries, until the Force brought him along. Unlike the New Order, there was no external force at play to keep them improving, to keep them from making the same mistakes.

Kyle had a bad feeling about this. But he had to forge ahead. "The purpose of the Code is to guide a Jedi in their life. Not to define it, or to limit it, but to allow them to live with the Force. Yes, the Code has changed over time, but that just means that new ways of looking at it have been found in response to the times or situation, or even to more base things like politics or disagreements between Jedi. My sect teaches those versions because we want our students to be open the possibility that just because they are taught something does not necessarily make it correct. Especially when dealing with the Force."

"Then how do you expect your Padawans to learn?"

"We trust them," Kyle said evenly. He let his memories of everyone working out how to build a working educational format from scratch that avoided the mistakes of the past guide him. "People are curious, especially about something that they don't understand. And if we give them an answer they're not satisfied with, wouldn't it be better for them to understand that they can come to a conclusion themselves, and not be told that no, that the answer they have been given is correct, and that it is their fault they don't understand it yet?"

There was a heavy silence that met his point. Finally Windu spoke. "That is an interesting concept, and I am certain that there are those who would be very interested in arguing the point. However, all this does is assure us that we would not ask you to teach a Padawan." Kyle saw through the phrasing. They had already decided on their answer, and now they were just looking at the details.

They asked a few more questions, and Kyle felt comfortable offering answers that didn't exactly fit their view of things. He said nothing that would make him look evil, but enough to reinforce the notion that he wasn't their kind of Jedi.

Just like every other time he got debriefed by people who weren't getting the answers they wanted, and just couldn't accept that. Or maybe that was his biases speaking. Or the Force? Maybe they would accept that as a reason?

"The Test of Skill," Mace eventually said after what seemed like hours of interrogation and interviews. "You certainly have made an impression on our Battlemaster."

"He's competent." Kyle said. "I could tell he does a lot of teaching, and not enough field work." There was nothing wrong with that at all. You need good teachers. "But it wasn't really a test in that it challenged me."

That earned some looks, and Kyle recognized he had hit the point on the head. He was almost casually better in a fight than most of the Jedi, and that scared the High Council. And he could see why. Where did he get his skills? You don't earn them in sparring matches, so that meant that from their perspective, he had been running around for years learning to fight not only with the saber, but with the blaster as well, and they hadn't the faintest idea. It had to hurt them on some level to realize that they were not as observant as they thought they were.

"Be that as it may, you have demonstrated sufficient skill with the Force and lightsaber that we can simply accept that you have passed with no issues." Mace said, though he glared at Kyle with something resembling an emotion. So Kyle dismissed it for now. Maybe Windu thought he could do better?

"That's good to hear. That leaves Spirit and Courage, right?"

"Spirit, passed has been." Yoda said. "Vouched, you were for."

That got Kyle's attention. "What? Who? How!?" For the first time, he was caught completely off guard by what was happening. This wasn't something that would have a rational explanation on further thought, but something he didn't even think was possible.

Yoda sighed. "Knowledge there is, lost to the Order. Knowledge, your sect retains." He closed his eyes, and his ears drooped for a moment. "To survive past death, at one with the Force."

It clicked. A Ghost. "Who?" he asked without thinking. Could the Force allow a projection form the future? His head hurt to think about that.

"Tal, your Master. Appeared before me he did, sensed and seen with more than my eyes." Yoda explained.

"Tal?" Kyle didn't even know what he looked like. Heck, he gave the Council that name because he was dead and.... "Oh."

"Something you wish to add?" Plo Koon said.

Kyle thought hard for a moment. "Dammit. Alright. Yes, such a technique exists. Kriff, you don't even have to be a Jedi, just Force sensitive. My father became a Force Ghost after he died, and he never saw the inside of any temple." That earned another round of accusative looks between the Masters. He was missing something there, wasn't he? "But if you ask me how it's done, I don't have the faintest clue."

His thoughts were furious in their speed. Tal, as a Ghost? He had met him properly in the Valley, before Hoth and Khan showed up, but why would he come here, to the Temple, rather than rejoin the Force in death? "I... may need to meditate on this."

Yoda nodded in understanding. "Please do."

"That leaves us with the test of Courage," Plo Koon spoke. "A most difficult one to muster."

"And yet here he is, standing before us. Is that not courage enough?" Shaak Ti argued in favour of Kyle.

"Courage, maybe." Windu objected. "But what sort? Does he follow the orders of his masters, or did he come here of his own will?"

"More like the Force," Kyle muttered under his breath.

"And yet he has taken the time to be patient with us, to not act out when it would be easy to." Ki-Adi-Mundi added. "As much I find this all so interesting, can we trust him?" He flipped between both sides of the argument with practised ease.

"Can I trust you?" Kyle shot back, not making a personal accusation, but a more abstract one. "I came here in good faith, to help in your time of troubles." There was more to that, but that was what he was willing to talk about. "In the end, it's not my courage that needs to be questioned, but yours! You have a war going on, and so far I've seen so little action, that I have to question if you're even capable of this fight! The Senate has chosen to appoint you Generals and other ranks like that in their army, but how many of you have those skills in the first place?"

"Are you saying we should turn the Senate down, Katarn?" Windu did not like what he was hearing at all.

"If you have to, yes! By the Force, I would make a poor General! All my skills are better served at the squad level, or even as an independent operator. And that's what you Jedi do, don't you? You go in light and fast and get the job done. I mean, I'm sure some Jedi might make good Generals, but one does not equate to the other!"

"If anything, he has plenty of courage in speaking his mind like that," Shaak Ti noted with some amusement. "He is right in that regard. My posting is more logistical and oversight than anything else. It makes excellent use of my skills."

That was enough to cause the other Masters to consider their positions. "Hasty, we may have been. Clouded, the future is. Mistakes made."

"I stand by my point," the Togruta on Kamino said. "It takes courage to challenge this Council with little more than words and unusual skill in combat and expect to get one's point across. He has my approval, and I think that having an outsiders perspective will be a great asset in the days to come."

There it was, Kyle could sense. The last doubts were gone as her words made the others more willing to take the chance.

"Very well," Windu said once it became apparent that there was nothing more left to add. "This Council has reached its decision. Pursuant to the ancient texts regarding other Jedi attaining position in the Order, we declare this person, Kyle Katarn, to be a Knight-Errant of the Jedi Order." His lips were drawn into a thin smile. "As the first order of business we shall assign you, this Council recognizes that there will be, and are, other Jedi sects that may choose to come to the aid of the Republic. As we cannot ensure that the Senate will treat them as separate from the Order, we have decided that there needs to be someone who can act as an intermediary between the Order and these fringe groups."

Kyle knew where this was going.

"And that person will be you. You will be responsible for their actions and assignments, and you will communicate with this Council as we deem fit. To show this position is not simply make-work, two dozen Green Jedi led by Nejaa Halcyon. They are your responsibility now. Keep them out of trouble."