A New Jedi in an Old Republic

Raven's Claw

Jan waited impatiently for Kyle to come back. She checked the ship's systems again, though there was nothing wrong with them. Nor was there any issues with the external power supply that was not attached to the ship.

She walked around the outside of the Claw to alleviate her boredom, but even that couldn't hold her for long.

"Dammit Kyle, where are you?"

"Right here," he said, having snuck up on her while she was distracted. "Sorry I'm late, I had to get something first."

Jan snapped around to look at Kyle, who held his hands behind his back. "What did you do?" she warned him with a question.

He pulled an arm out from behind him, flowers in hand. "Got you these. Fresh from Alderaan." Jan took them from him without thinking. "Turns out the current Senator from there is Bail Organa, Leia's father. Though she's not born yet."

"Oh my... Kyle.. these are..." They were from her un-destroyed homeworld. She knew the scent, the look, the texture.... "KYLE!" She jumped at him, wrapping her arms around him to help hold her up as she embraced him. "Thank you!"

"I said I'd get you flowers, and I'm a man of my word." He returned the embrace. "Are you feeling better?"

She pulled away, keeping the flowers in her cybernetic hand. "I am, thank you. Some NRI agent I am, letting a little something like Time Travel get to me."

"Well, it's not like there's a course for that at Yavin either," Kyle snorted. "So, still up for going over to the Temple?"

"As long as you're sure you can sneak in."

"I won't be sneaking so much as walking in the front door like a normal Jedi." Kyle reminded her as they separated. "My only concern is that I've never been there before, so I don't know my way around."

"That's all?" Jan shook her head. "That's not a problem. That's me, being the poor non-Jedi, asking directions and you following me."

"Heh. That's an idea. I do feel sorry for Mon Mothma though."

"Oh, why's that?" Jan headed for the access ramp, considering where to put the flowers. For now, she would borrow a tall glass from the kitchenette and set them on her workbench before finding something a bit more permanent.

"She accepted the delivery, but thought I was some other form of Jedi. Do you know anything about the AgriCorps?" Kyle followed her up and waited for her to finish setting the flowers into their impromptu vase. "Cause I don't remember Luke talking about it."

"I remember something about them being Jedi washouts..." Jan tried to think. "Or were they Jedi who didn't want to become Knights or Masters and wanted like closer to the land?" She shook her head. "Maybe you can use that as your cover."

"I'd rather not lie," Kyle said the two of them walked up to the cockpit. "Too many Jedi, someone is bound to figure it out. I think I'll just keep doing what I have been. Tell just enough truth for the other people to figure out their own explanation for themselves."

"So, normal then." Jan agreed as she took her seat. "This is the Raven's Claw, requesting permission to follow Flight Plan 09-841Alpha." The comlink with the control tower already had the frequency set.

"Raven's Claw, this is Senate Airspace Control, you are clear to launch. Temple Airspace Control has been notified of your departure and expected arrival time."

"Thank you, Control." Jan closed the comlink. "So, ready to walk into the Jedi Temple?"

"Can't be worse than the Valley. Or the Arc Hammer. Or Nar Shadda." Kyle rolled his shoulders. "Take it away, Jan."

Jedi Temple Shuttle Landing Pad

Padawn Belkarit was not having a good day. There were so many Jedi and Politicians and Force knows who else coming to the Temple this day for the memorial. At least the next one was nice and simple. A small shuttle, one Jedi, and no special requirements. She could park it easily, and move on to the next. "Raven's Claw," she said into the comlink set in her helmet as she waved two glow-sticks to aid in landing procedures. "Do you see me?"

"You're the nice Twi'lik, right?" the voice of a kind male came back. "Yep, we see you. That our spot?"

"Yes I am. Padawan Belkarit under Master Aron." She slowly waved the shuttle down, thankful that the pilot wasn't trying to be a hotshot, or land by themselves. It was such a nice change of pace.

The Raven's Claw landed, the engines spooling down. "Thank you Belkarit," the male said again. "We'll be out in a moment."

The back of the ship dropped down, and two humans walked off. She reached out with the force to see which one was the Jedi given that neither had any robes and....

She nearly dropped her working equipment and the contained intensity of his presence in the Force. The male rippled, somehow calm, yet emotional at the same time. She had never seen anyone with such control before, and the power reminded her of Grand Master Windu, or Master Yoda, or Knight Skywalker, whom she had seen at a distance. "Master!" she exclaimed, bowing in deep respect. "Forgive my rudeness."

"Rudeness for what?" Kyle said. "And please, call me Kyle. I ain't your Master."

"Master Kyle, forgive me." She raised herself up, knowing that she should be moving on to the next landing, but couldn't just leave someone as ranking as him by himself. "Did you need anything?"

"Directions for Jan here to the Library," he said, pointing at the human female – his pilot?

"Of course," she said, bowing again. "Err, Master Kyle, if I may be so bold?"

"Yes?" The Jedi looked at her curious, and she felt him touch her with the Force, as sensing her emotions. He would find nothing to be concerned about, so she let him withdraw.

"Your clothes sir... everyone is supposed to be wearing their formal robes for the memorial service." She could have sworn that was part of the message sent out across the galaxy.

Kyle looked at Jan. Jan looked at Kyle. "You forgot," she accused flatly.

"I did not!" Kyle objected. "I was just... in a hurry. You know. Left them folded up. Somewhere."

Jan rolled her eyes, an action which brought a small smile to the Padawan's face. "No, you just hate the things. Any excuse! When we get back, I'm telling Master Luke, and he'll probably just hide everything that isn't the Jedi robes from your closet."

"Don't you dare," Kyle tried to be threatening, but failed. "Great." He looked at the Padawan, inspiration crossing his face. "I don't suppose I could borrow a set from someone?"

"You're not the only Master to make that mistake," she had to admit to herself that with so many people coming, it was bound to happen. This was just the first time she had seen it herself. "Once you get into the Great Hall, ask one of the Initiates there."

"Thanks," Kyle bowed slightly. "Come on Jan, let's get you to your books."

After they left did the Padawan realize she had forgotten to give the female her directions. But it didn't really matter as the Master would obviously know where to go.

Great Hall

"Sithspit," Kyle swore under his breath as thousands of Force sensitives milled about. Many were Jedi in their robes, while many more were younglings and the like, all helping out. "This may be harder than I though," he admitted to Jan as they stayed out of the way of a group of younglings who were carrying... something into the hall.

"How do you want to do this?" Jan asked.

"Easy," Kyle replied. "Take that Padawan's advice." He looked around and saw someone who was standing by themselves, giving directions to others. "Come on."

Kyle walked up to the Jedi, not bothering to hide his approach. The other was a human or near-human, and seemed to have an excellent grasp on where everything and everyone needed to go. "Yes, Master?" He said, addressing Katarn who had waited patiently for an opening. "I'm sorry, I do not recognize you."

"Kyle Katarn," he said. "Look, I need to borrow some formal robes for this event."

"Master Jecinda is handling that. Third floor commissary. Is there anything else, Master Katarn?"

"Yeah, you can stop calling me Master," he asked under his breath. "Jan here is my pilot, she's going to wain in the Library. Can you give her directions?" He turned to Jan. "I'll see you later."

"See you," she said and stepped up to the direction giver. "Sorry about that. He's got a lot on his mind, else he would have shown me himself."

"Quite understandable, Miss. The Archives are to your right, through those large blue doors. Please don't get lost, we have enough to do today."

"Of course. And thank you."

Third Floor

Kyle got up here easily enough thanks to the lifts. He got quite a few odd looks, but there was too much going on for the memorial service for the Jedi who died in the Battle of Geonosis to raise a fuss over his appearance. "Excuse me," he said to a pair of Jedi who were standing quietly near a door. "Sorry to bother you, but have they moved the commissary recently? I'm supposed to find Master Jecinda for some robes," he tugged as his shirt, "and it's not where I remember it."

"Oh, yes!" The Jedi looked at Kyle, his eyes going wide for a moment. "Yes, um, down that way to the second hall, then to the left. You can't miss it, it has the large open entryway."

"Thanks!" Kyle smiled, though on the inside he started to wonder why people reacted like that when they met him? The only thing he could think of at the moment was the Dark Side. But that wasn't an issue any more, thanks to a lot of people. And killing Desaan. That was always good. But he walked away without seeming like he was in a hurry, if only to keep away from the people who may corner him about his ties to the Force.

Following the directions, he soon found a large open space that would have been a full on mall on any other planet. He asked around for Master Jecinda and was directed to one side where piles of clothes were laid out in all sorts of styles.

"Master Jecinda?" Kyle called out, not sure who he was looking for. "My name is Kyle. I was told I could come to you to borrow some robes?"

"Yes, large build, human, male. You've done a lot of physical activity," a species he didn't recognize walked around from behind one stack of clothes. "What is your rank, Jedi?"

He didn't want to lie, but there was no way he could prove the truth. "Master," he said. "You are Master Jecinda? Thank you."

"Silly humans, slow memory. Forgetting of things." The other Jedi walked at a sedate pace over to a pile of robes that were neatly folded and stacked. Kyle fell in behind him... her... it. "Not first. Not last. I know this through the Force."

"Sorry about that," Kyle apologized as Jecinda took some clothes from their piles. "I'll return these after."

"No need," Jecidna said as it moved over to the pants. "Yours as Master. Foreseen it, I have."

"That's great and all, but I wasn't planning on..." Kyle stopped himself from saying anything else. The Jedi had divined that he would be needing these robes in the future, and that meant there was a good chance it was right. "Do I owe you anything?" He said, changing the subject.

"No. All is free for Jedi." Jecinda finished collecting what it knew was right for Katarn. "Here, put on. Will send old clothes back to your ship."

"The Raven's Claw," Kyle said. "Thank you again, Master Jecinda."

He stepped into a privacy booth and quickly changed from his casual clothes into the more formal Jedi Robes of the here and now. "This is uncomfortable," he complained to himself as he adjusted his belt, hanging his saber openly from his right hip and concealing his pistol on his left side.

Stepping out, Jecinda looked him once over. "Acceptable," it pronounced. "Other clothes?" It held out a hand, and Kyle handed over his folded shirt and pants. "Will return to your ship. Go now. Return to Great Hall, proceed to middle of Temple. Follow other Masters to service."

"Err... thank you?" Kyle was confused. This Master knew he needed directions, and simply gave them.

"Not from this Temple," Jecinda sensed his reaction and explained its actions. "Know all who have come here for clothes. Do not know you, so you are new to this Temple. You have come to pay your respects, no harm meant or brought with you, so no trouble for aiding you."

Great, he was already busted. But it was by someone who didn't care. "Thank you again, Master Jecinda. May the Force be with you."

"And with you, Master Katarn."

Great Hall

Now that he was dressed as one of them, Kyle no longer got the same looks as he did on his way up. And because he just blended in, he was able to get a better read on what was going on.

In short, a lot of people were in various stages of shock and grief. The battle that opened the Clone Wars officially had caused a lot of deaths, so many died to violence that the Jedi here in the Temple had no idea how to respond. So they were wallowing in their guilt and sadness without knowing how to let it loose.

Kyle didn't have that problem. Him and death, they knew each other, and while he understood where all these Jedi were coming from, he didn't know where to begin to help them.

Following the directions Jecinda gave him, Kyle walked up a huge flight of steps, past a pair of statues that rose a good fifty meters or so into the air. He had no idea who they were, though he supposed anyone who had been trained in the temple would know.

He recalled the names of Masters from this era, but the only ones that came to mind were Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader – now known as Anikan Skywalker.

Kyle wondered what he would do if he met the later. Strike him down now before he has a chance to fall? No, that would be wrong. Everyone had a chance to be redeemed. And maybe he could cut off the future Sith before that became an issue, show him how to better channel his Dark Side...?

He stopped, completely floored by the options in front of him. Save Darth Vader? Use himself as an example? That...

There was a war going on, and if he remembered what Luke had taught, he still had a couple years before things got really serious on that front. But the sooner, the better. Maybe he could arrange an 'accidental' meeting with Luke's father to figure out how close to the Dark Side he was?

Feet on autopilot, he followed the Force and the crowd into a smaller hall where large numbers of Jedi were lined up in rows. There didn't seem to be any specific order, so Kyle stood off to one side, and focused on not making a scene, and just sensing the flow of feelings in the room.

It was worse here than outside. Everyone here, it seemed, was a Master, or a high ranking Knight if their strength was any measure. And these people... some of them were survivors of the battle, they felt their emotions more strongly, and they were affecting many others in the room.

Kyle frowned, then focused on himself, on the peace he felt even in the worst of times. If they were going to fret and worry and all that, then the least he could do was offer a proverbial soothing hand on the shoulder.

There was gentle conversation, though around Kyle is subdued as his stillness of mind affected the nearby people as well. They were still aware of themselves, but for now, they could feel that he was in control, and they could use him as an example and alter themselves accordingly.

"Thank you all for coming," a voice full of power and wisdom said, causing Kyle to open his eyes and look up. He had lost track of time, and now the room was full. At the far end were a dozen sentients, powerful Jedi all. He recognized Yoda, and presumed that the rest of them were the Jedi High Council. The speaker wasn't Yoda though, it was a human male with dark coloured skin and no hair. Kyle didn't know his name.

"Much has been said in the history of the Jedi about sacrifice. About duty." The eulogy speaker's voice carried across the room, where Kyle noted holos recording everything. This was being spoken across more than just the Temple, and he had a front row seat.

"To be Jedi is to understand these things, amongst many others. To be Jedi is to feel the call of the Force, beckoning you to a duty greater than just yourself. Our training is one of sacrifice. We leave behind so much – not only our distant families, but our desires, our failings. Duty and Sacrifice.

"And yet this is not enough, these words. As these so-called 'Clone Wars' begin, a dark storm that has been brought to our homes, be they anywhere in the Galaxy, the notions of Duty and Sacrifice call ever more to us. We will be asked to lead, as we have in millennium past, to fight the good fight against those who would tear down the Republic we love and that we serve.

"Yet, this will also involve sacrifice. Those of our brethren who fell three days ago on Geonosis, they were the first of this war. And they will not be the last. We will be asked to put ourselves in danger, to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Such is the duty we are called to, not only by the Republic, but also by the Force as Jedi.

"I wish I could say that this will be easy. That these 'Seperatists' will fold with the light of our blades. But that will not be. They have spent years preparing for this war, and move even now, as our Republic scrambles for a response beyond the first Grand Army delivered to us by those who saw this war coming, even as we Jedi tried to avert it with our words.

"I wish to say that we will not lose any more of our friends. Fellow Jedi. But that too is not to be. Count Dooku, whom many of you know from his time here in the Temple, has turned his back on our teachings, and taken refuge in the Dark Side. He styles himself a 'Sith', those ancient foes from before the Reformation. Darth Tyranus, he calls himself.

"I am afraid for this. For where one Jedi falls, others will follow. The cause of the Seperatists, they may see as just and with honor, but their actions in achieving their goals takes them to the Dark Side. We must be wary of more than just our enemies in this time of trial, we must also watch out for each other, to lend aid to one another even in our worst moments.

"Today, we must not forget who and what we are. We are the Jedi! Protectors! We protect the Republic, and today we are called to fight for it! Our duty and our sacrifice go hand in hand. Those who fell, they knew this, and yet they went to fight. We honor them with our actions as we move forward, as we find within ourselves the strength to do what must be done.

"To that end, I am announcing my resignation as Grand Master of the Jedi Order. I cannot lead us in this time of trial, for those are not my skills. I can better serve the Republic on the front lines. After discussions with the Council, we have decided to elect Master Yoda to my former position. He has the wisdom to lead us, and I hope we can all follow. Thank you."

Kyle's emotions ran deep as this man spoke. It was all... academic. There was fire in those words, to push everyone forward. But the passion was reserved. Controlled. Like he didn't want to vent anything that must have been fury at the compressed crowd of Jedi.

Not that he could blame him. You could get a smaller detonation using a whole satchel of Thermal Detonators than what would happen if these people got it into their heads to let loose.

But that was enough. He needed to check in with Jan. See if she had made any progress.

Mace Windu, former Grand Master of the Order, watched as the strange Jedi slowly left the Hall of the Fallen. He didn't recognize him, and would have missed him completely in the crowd if he hadn't cast out with the Force to judge the reactions of everyone in the room.

This person held a presence in the Force like nothing he had ever seen before. To those less sensitive, they would see him as simply a great strength. But to him, he could see the tendrils of the Dark Side flowing in and around him. Not contained. Not containing. But something else. If he had to hazard a guess, given the lack of information, then it would be that this mysterious Jedi was... at peace with his darkness.

He looked to Grand Master Yoda, who nodded. The diminutive Jedi had seen the same thing, and agreed without words to their next course of action. "Summon the Council, I shall."

Windu nodded. "I will get Obi-Wan to collect him, and bring him to us."

Great Hall

Obi-Wan Kenobi didn't have a hard time tracking the person that Master Windu asked him to find and bring to the Council Chamber. Now that he knew what to look for, he berated himself for missing it in the first place. His time in the Healing Halls had been cut so he could attend the memorial, and now Anikan was nowhere to be found, so he had to do this by himself.

Slipping past a group of Initiates who were moving supplies around, he caught up to the mysterious Jedi. "Excuse me!" He called out both with his voice and the Force to make sure he had the man's attention.

The man stopped and turned to face Kenobi. "Something I can do for you?"

Now that he was closer, Obi-Wan could see that the man was deeply uncomfortable in his robes, and had one hand on his saber, almost like he was worried he might get into a fight. For a moment, Obi-Wan was reminded far too intensely of his battle with the Sith – Darth Maul – or even Count Dooku.

He had a bad feeling about this. "I'm sorry to bother you, but Masters Windu and Yoda have requested your presence in the Council Chamber, Master...." He let the unspoken question trail off, hoping the man would fill it in.

"Kyle. Call me Kyle. Katarn if you're feeling formal." Kyle didn't seem to relax. If anything, he tensed up even more at being called before the Council. "You are?"

"Kenobi. Obi-Wan Kenobi." The Jedi Master greeted his fellow(?) properly. "And once again, I am sorry for the abruptness of the invitation, but the Masters were both quite insistent." At the mention of his name, he saw a change come over the mysterious Kyle Katarn. A flash of recognition, then respect, then... sadness? Yes, sadness for himself. Curious.

"Ah..." Kyle considered begging leave to finish running to the Archive before grabbing Jan and running for the Outer Rim. Especially if the Council was calling for him! Who blew his cover? Jecinda? No, that would be out of observed character? Maybe they sensed him in the Force. That was more likely. And if he tried to leave, well, damn it, they could do plenty to stop the two of them.

He had to accept the 'invitation'. But maybe... "Sure. But could you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"I was going to meet up with my pilot, Jan, in the Archives. Could you let her know I've been summoned and will catch up with her as soon as I can?"

"Of course. I was told to escort you to the Council Chamber directly. I will do so once that is done."

"Thanks." If there was one Jedi in the whole place he could trust on reputation alone, it would be Kenobi, Kyle accepted. "Let's make this quick then. Lead the way."

"Oh, I'm doing nothing quick," the younger Jedi said with a small laugh. "I'm still recovering after duelling Count Dooku on Geonosis." He felt Kyle's reaction shift again. Whoever he was, he wasn't all that good at hiding his emotions from someone as skilled as him. Worry, concern, resignation....

"You fought Dooku?" The question was simple and direct. There was no accusation like from some of the others.

"I did. Didn't win though. Had to be rescued by Master Yoda." He admitted his failings easily, though he privately resolved to practice more with his Forms in the future. He felt that Kyle wanted to share something, but held back. Respecting the other's desire for privacy, Obi-wan led Kyle to the nearest lift that could take them to the Council Chamber. "I'll just see you there, then deliver your message. To Jan, was it?"

"Jan Ors. Human. Nice girl. Shorter than me. Has a cybernetic right hand. Probably swearing up a storm at some books." There was affection in his voice, which Obi-Wan disapproved of, especially given Anikan's dalliance with Padmè.

"Very well. I hope this doesn't take too much of your time."

"Neither do I," Kyle said as the lift began to move.