Return to Endor

[Rich]

(Reply as you like!)

The Forest Moon of Endor had long ago been where the Imperial Era had ended.

It had been where the Jedi had returned.

And a year ago, those same Jedi birthed from the ashes of the Empire's fall had decided to virtually disband their order. To take to the galaxy in what little numbers that had filled their ranks, to do any good that they could. It had been decided after a year of pure dedication that they would then return to decide whether the course of Jedi should change.

Most had been stunned and shocked at the break-up. But what other way was there? They had voted on the motion, and for some insane reason it had passed... Arcilius wasn't sure why, only that it had nearly broken his heart. He wasn't alone in that respect.

Arcilius had arrived some three days before the Galactic Standard Year was up. To his surprise a large out-cropping of Jedi were already on Endor. Some of those he had talked to had been hear for nearly two weeks. All were eagger to see the Jedi Order restored. They felt as he did- they needed an Order. They needed leaders and a unified purpose.

The Jedi Knight had spent the last year traveling across the galaxy. Helping sentient creatures of all kinds, but more thoroughly focusing on saving Force Sensitives and Adepts from the hate the galaxy was putting on their shoulders. Far too many people were all too willing to make the Jedi scape-goats.

It had prompted Arcilius to refurbish an old Imperial Star Galleon, where force sensitives would begin the basic Jedi training... where Jedi Knights would come and teach... an academy as much as the one that Adia Estrina had so carefully led on Dantooine.... a haven for the Jedi- as much as Ex Nihilo had become.

Those students who were only beginning the lessons of the proud Jedi Legacy, and those teachers Arcilius had helped save, were now among the people on Endor. Only one thing could have soured the feelings of hope that floated around The Forest Moon of Endor. Caedmon Cato wasn't here.

Jedi Master Caedmon Cato- the man who had kept them united during the war, who had separated them after the war... wasn't here. Many expected that he would have arrived early... others thought he would arrive just in time... but after two days Arcilius had to wonder if the rumors that were spreading around the galaxy were true...

Was Cato dead? Anyone who kept track of the others would know that after six months of exaggerated tales and legendary feats, Caedmon all of a sudden disappeared from the galactic scene.

And then the day arrived- and Cato wasn't among the many more people that arrived. Neither was his apprentice. And Arcilius was left wondering.... just how long did they wait for stragglers? How long did they wait for Caedmon Cato....? Or would some suggest not waiting at all...

[Morgue]

The bent lines of light that had engulfed the craft broke away, as the crescent moon-shaped ship reverted to real space just outside Endor’s atmosphere. Atmospheric thrusters flare blue, as the ship is piloted over the rolling, forest landscape towards the refitted imperial star galleon that now serves as the interim Jedi Academy and Temple. The Journeyman was set to autopilot as it descended; Hasmi Kolom cast her humanesque gaze through the transparisteel of the cockpit view port. A sense of reverence captivated her as she called, more to herself than to the apprentices. “Justly, we congregate here. The force resounds here. The planet is alive with its power.”

Jaedon didn't radiate the same sense of reverence that Hasmi did, but then he was also a young teen. Still, the young boy folded his arms quietly trying not to cause the Jedi and her student any further iritation. Jaedon had felt it instinctively.... his determined suspicion of Dracmus and the circumstances around which they had left Ex Nihilio had caused a rift to develop between himself and the two women. The gap filled with tension when ever the subject was brought to bear. Better to let sleeping dogs lie, he had decided. Jaedon found himself arms folded across his chest, his gaze alternating between the back of Hasmi's head and the scene swept out before them.

As the ship descended, Hasmi strode out of the cockpit and toward Jaedon. They had barely spoken over the coarse of the long journey; mostly because she had mediated so excessively. “Master Quintarus’ plans for Temple have been submitted to authorities on Coruscant, this is why Dracmus and Adia traveled there. It will bring great joy to my heart to see its standing on Coruscant. This matter will be debated here…every one among is equal at conclave. Your right to vote is as important as mine, or any master’s.”

Jaedon cocked a brow inquisitively, "Really? You're not just getting my hopes up.? So, what are we going to be voting on then"? Aside from whether or not to investigate Dracmus and put him up on charges. Jaedon's features belied nothing of his thoughts other than keen interest and slight surprise at the idea of Padawan learners such as himself having as much of a voice in the decisions of the Jedi "Order" as any of the fully trained Knights or Masters. Following Hasmi Jaedon looked over his shoulder to see if Eupha was going to pop her lovely tailed head around the corner to join them. What ever rift had been opened between himself and the girl, he never minded looking at her.

Hasmi nodded, but her thoughts drifted. A frown curled downward in the corner of her mouth, as her eyes looked into rather than at the young apprentice. “There is no death; there is the force.” She sighed, “Your attachment to Master Quintarus, is immoderate. Our burden is to serve the living, and the force that binds them, not to obsess over those now long since dead.” She placed a placating hand on his shoulder, “Be mindful. Here you will be assigned to another master. Let your thoughts on that. For by continuing your training, and becoming a Jedi, will you best serve Master Quintarus’ memory.”
Kinian Seti has joined the conference.

The more these women kept telling him to stop obessing over Master Quintarus, the more agitated Jaedon became. Especially when Hasmi did that trick of looking through him as if she could read his thoughts. "I am not obsessing! I'm not some stupid love sick puppy who lost it's owner. Why am I the only one that is concerned over the manner of Master Quintarus' death...? Why am I the only one that thinks we should be investigating what the hell supposedly beat up Dracmus... and killed my master? WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT THINKS HE SMELLS A RAT?" Jaedon startled himself into silence.... his voice having risen to a shout of frustration. He stood there in front of the woman staring him down.... his cheeks growing more crimson by the second, but unable or unwilling to look away.

Crue'ous Le Vaneth wandered out of his chambers. He'd been ordered by his Master-- Dracmus Esseles-- to stick to Hasmi. Kath-Don and Ra were trained enough to be able to handle themselves in the faces of danger, but Crue was untrained. Through and through. He stood there, glancing around. He hadn't wanted to come ahead of his new friends, but it hadn't been presented to him as a choice. He'd been sleeping up until now and he looked weary. His curly blonde hair fell down into his face and he wore the simplest of clothes, though they were not Jedi Robes. "What about a rat?" he asked, thoroughly confused.

“Jaedon…” Hasmi began in a soft, low voice. “Master Quintarus instructed me in the ways of the force, just as he instructed you. His death brought me great pain. You are not alone in that regard, but you alone allow yourself to be governed by it. The issue of his death, I am more than certain, will be debated at length. However, your irrational holding that Dracmus was involved could not be more wrong. Allow the force to guide your senses, not you emotion. You are angry at Dracmus because he survived and Master Quintarus did not. That does make him involved, it makes him luckier, perhaps in that moment more able. It is not for us to speculate. But know, this matter will be discussed. Likely, in fact, Dracmus will be t asked with the investigation for he alone has seen the being.”

Jaedon broke away from Hasmi's stare, his eyes obviously showing the hurt. Oh, sure... give the investigation over to one of the suspects in the crime. That makes perfect sense. He said nothing for several seconds he just ground his teeth, cheeks growing ever hotter.... especially at the entrance of Dracmus' apprentice Crue'ous. Jaedon didn't know the man, but he wasn't willing to discuss his feelings in front of anyone other than Hasmi or perhaps Eupha... and that saved him from further possible embarresment. When Jaedon spoke again, it was with the voice of a fifteen year old trying to control his temper... "I am not angery at Dracmus because he survived and Quintarus didn't, I am shamed that we did nothing but run off." You should be too.

Crue'ous looked up to Hasmi and Jaedon, then blinked a couple of times. He shook his head, heading past them to the galley to get somehing to eat if they didn't object.. "Um. I'll just... Go. Yea." His appetite had changed since they'd begun this journey. His shoulders slouched, his body language lazy. He didn't like being away from people that he knew. Not being a soldier anymore was stressful, being with strangers was even more stressful.

Jaedon's gaze narrowed suddenly as a realization dawned upon him, I never said Dracmus was involved. All I ever did was express my frustration that Dracmus never told anyone what happened, and we all ran off from an OBVIOUS Darkside user to run away to Endor. You assumed Dracmus was involved as much as I might suspect him in my heart. Jaedon kept his thoughts to himself. Arguing with Hasmi wouldn't get him anywhere... He shouldn't have let himself get lured into shouting at her in the first place, he'd known it wouldn't do anything. His frustration disipated, and he forced a smile over his features. He would have to find a more willing audience to his suspicions if he wanted any sort of action to be done. For now, he must wait....

[Davion Matrix]

It was dark.

It fit in directly with the desolate scene of space.

It dropped out of hyperspace unnoticed, soaring towards the sanctuary moon of Endor.

While most starship detectors would recognize it, others would not. Its transponder signature relayed to that of the Brigand, however if one ran a visual scan, one would recognize a newly-revitalized design.

A comm channel was open by the Iktotchi Jedi Knight. Not to the inhabitants planetside, but to his apprentice, Lan-Dai Navras, confined to the unrecognizable base on Iktotch he had established as a haven, unbeknownst to many.

"I have reached Endor, Lan-Dai. I will relay what findings I learn upon my departure. Be ready, and May the Force be with you."

He did not wait for a reply; he simply closed the channel and began his descent. If stargazers searched for his starfighter, they would come up blind. This latest installment of fighter technology would be unmasked and unleashed this eve, and a fresh battalion was on standby, thanks to the hard work of Tiro's Padawan.

The fighter set down deep into the forest, under the cover of darkness. It was quiet, undemanding of major propulsion boosters and repulsorlifts. It was a gentle decline, softened by the landing gears and it sank a few inches into the earth of the planet.

The canopy opened; the ship pressurizing as normal. The Jedi stepped out, tugging his cloak closer to his body to fight the chilling winds of the moon. His steps directed him to where he had been a year ago; where his comrades agreed to disband and treat their devotions as a club more than a religion or collection.

It would be here where the future fate of the Jedi would be decided.

Tiro awaited, pushing back his hood to show his arrival. He was calm but stern, dark yellow eyes focusing on the embers of the large fire before him. And there he would wait, until the discussion began.



eotf.wikia.com/wiki/Scimitar-Class_Jedi_Starfighter

[Jedi Master Kabraka]

It had been a two full weeks, and quiet ones they were aboard that Loronar Medium Transport. It seemed as though both Master and apprentice were reluctant to speak. It was unknown if it was because they thought that they might break some unseen spell, or if it was out of reverence for the journey they made. When they did speak, it was in quiet tones, and only a few words.

If one were to watch the two, it was obvious that there was some disheartening with the both of them. Disheartening, and disillusionment at least in a partial sense.

After two weeks, it was a welcome relief to see the mottled sky of hyperspace shatter into starlines and those lines leap back into points, and for Endor to come rushing up like some green cannon ball hurled by some great god. They stopped shortly before impact, less than a quarter of a planetary diameter from the Sanctuary Moon.

Sensors immediately spit up for Kabe's viewing a Star Galleon ahead. He knew that as soon as they had dropped from hyperspace that the Legacy's paint had shifted to black and was set to mimic the star pattern as it passed by, and the sensor stealth was kicked in, so as soon as it came out it would have seemed to simply evaporate in less than a second. An ill-attentive sensor officer could easily miss it.

Kabe sensed little trouble as he took his transport down, slidding through atmosphere, now piloting the ship with a familiar and accustomed hand. The only trouble he did sense was a deep brooding, but with purpose behind it. He felt familiar presences gathered here. Arcilius for one... Tiro for another. It would be good to see his friend, if only for a little bit. He doubted this meeting would go well, but the least he could do was hope. But then again, what good did hope do? Hope was the doorway to blind faith. Blind faith and feelings were the way to slavery.

The ship slid through the atmosphere, and once he was near the gathering point Kabe reached up and flicked a few switches, causing the paint job on the Legacy to shift back to its normal tones. After a few moments he spotted his old landing space from a year ago and ruddered around, swinging his ship into place over it and let it sit down and settle as if resting its tired bones.

"Why didn't we pick up Leiyn," Lepri muzed softly to Kabe. "She already made arrangements with Adia," came the reply. "I see," the Cathar mumbled," at least its nice to set down somewhere friendly again." Kabe nodded as they strode down the landing ramp. "Yes, indeed it is. However be wary and aware. I sense trouble, and a disturbance somewhere. ... Oh, and Lepri, don't spend too long looking for your boyfriend." The tone he put into the word 'boyfriend' was meant as a playful jab more than anything. She shook her head and wandered off toward the gathering Jedi, blending into the surroundings within a few moments.

The albino wookiee followed behind, his attention turned introverted, spending his time in thought as he made his way more slowly.

[Bobbi]

The events of her life streatched out within her mind, fading into a nothingness that made them seem as if they belonged to someone else. They were familar, but in such a way that sometimes lead her to believe that they were not lived by her. It was as if she had been told the stories so many times that she had memorized them and painted herself into the picture of whoever had lived in those moments.

Sometimes it escaped her mind that she carried the title of Jedi Master. The knowledge of her years was still there, but locked away within a well that she would not dare try to open even if she knew it was there. She had gone into regression over the past year. The strength that Murra had pushed through herself had died out months into her trip with Cato's student, Jeryndi. They had found what they were looking for, and once the knowledge that their package would be traveling with her back to Endor was concrete Murra felt all her determination slip. There was a new candidate for the Order, if there was even going to be an Order.

Her stubborn-ness waivered, leaving a whole for her illness to attack her mind further then it had already. Some days were worse then others, and as she looked out the veiwport of her transport at Endor, she didn't even bother to contemplate which today would be. It didn't matter; her journey was almost through. She just had to deliver Nydia (I hope I got that right. Melissa, if I didn't I am sorry...correct me as you will.) and Leyin to the forest moon's surface and then she would be able to sleep for as long as the Force would let her. One task at a time. It was all her mind would allow her to concentrate on. It was all that her body could afford.

"I'll be home soon, Zion..." She murmered to herself. As the name trickled from her lips, she began to wonder who 'Zion' was. She knew the name, other wise she would not have said it. Along with the name came a face. The face belonged to a man she should have recognized-- a man she did recognize, but could not place fully. It frustrated her, all these half-formed memories and not a single clue in her foggy mind as to the who, what, where or when.

She shut her eyes, blocking out the veiw of Endor as it grew closer. One thing at a time, just get them to the surface....

[Lissa]

The Knave Paragon settled down on the surface of the forest moon of Endor. It was the designated day... And Leiyn Dar, her children, and her guests-- Kandra and Nydia Vaskaya-- had left Murra Tekal aboard the Veritas to give her some quiet time and take the time for preparation on her own... When Murra was ready, a transport would bring her down.

Sitting in the pilot's chair as the ship's engines died down, Nydia jumped out of her chair and ran back to the galley. Kandra followed immediately after, seeking their guides... Neither mother or daughter were Jedi, but they had been asked to come... Perhaps to meet the Jedi that Leiyn and Jeryndi were so fond of.

"We're here!" Nydia announced as she reached the ship's galley. Leiyn was sitting there, between her boys, and smiled up at her.

"Good news... We'll sleep here tonight, its past the boys' bedtime anyhow..."

"Not--" said Kefret.

"--Tired, Mommy," finished Alexis. Though both were slumped against her, she hefted each one to their feet in the booth of the table and lead them away. She looked back to Nydia and Kandra with a smile.

"Feel free to explore... But when you come back, make sure the ship's locked up... We'll take the boys out in the morning," she told her guests. Kandra nodded, but Nydia looked around excitedly. Nightfall had already fallen planetside and the boys had had a long day. With all the excitement aboard the Veritas, and then switching to the Knave Paragon, the two toddlers were practically asleep on their feet before their heads ever touched their pillows.

Even as Leiyn tucked her boys in, Nydia had lowered the ramp and walked out into the forest beyond. She had never seen such a vast expanse of vegetation. Kandra sat down on the ramp, lighting up a t'bac stick. Once a smoker, always a smoker.

"Don't go too far... You're a space girl, not a farm girl. You'd do well to remember that," Kandra said softly. It was true and none of her words were condescending, simply reminding.

"I won't, Mom... I wonder who's already here..."

"Well, don't go waking people up. I've taught you better manners than that..."

"Yes, Ma'am..." She wandered out and around for a while... Then back to the ship. For this daughter of a former Jedi turned smuggler, sleep would be hard in coming tonight...

[Jedi Adia Estrina]

Silence consumed the depths of outer space before a large freighter going by the name of Blue Osprey emerged from the fast zone of hyperspace. With the deal on Coruscant not going as planned the only thing now was to arrive here on Endor with her padawans whom survived the attack on Rhinnal, along with Dracmus and Kath-Don. She was suppose to pick up Leiyn, but last minute arrangements put her on the ship with Murra eliminated that leg of the sojourn to Endor. "Endor at last." Adia states to herself as she descended into the atmosphere of the planet. She picked a spot isolated away from the encampent where all the other jedi would be located just for the sake of having to take a walk through the wilderness in order to get to where everyone else were.

The sound of the landing gear hitting terrain indicated that the ship made a sucessful land, and moments afterwards the platform function as a door and ramp opened up to let everyone off. Adia, suited comfortable in midnight blue from head to toe, made an appearance onto the landing area a few minutes aftwards. The light reflecting off of her silkish clothing, a favorite fabric of hers, gave her slight illuminating presence, along with her lightsaber hooked on her left hip; a tradition that all jedi held. The lightsaber a symbol of elegance and deadliness all in one package served the jedi for an extremely long time and Adia always carried hers with her where ever she went.

A slight breeze rustling through the foliage of vegitation gently blew her hair, shifting it just a bit, caused her to brush the blonde strands behind her right ear and flushed her skin with a cooling sensation. Once the shut the ramp of the ship and went further into the depths of the forest Adia made her way, after several minutes, onto the scene where everyone else was moving about.There were a few nods of greeting, but for the most part she kept quiet and to herself observing the scenery, not for suspicion, but to behold a wonderful site of the jedi that were able to make it. One year it has been and she was slightly anxious to see how things would turn out once the meeting begun.

"Stay close to me." Adia stated to Aaron and Mark. For them this was there second meeting having came to the one prior. Shayne, Malan, Cole, and Colin stayed behind on Dantooine looking after the shop and the jedi facility. Dantooine is the very place that Adia wanted go to after Endor was over, before heading back to Rhinnal, and then Bespin. This would be the order of things if nothing else got in the way. A motion of Adia's right hand pointed to a spot nearby where she wanted the padawans to linger around until things were set in motion. It was hard to believe that one year had passed and indeed it was something worth remembering and cataloguing within the mind.

[Dracmus Esseles]

Dracmus’ arrival on Endor, fills him with a certain overpowering reverence. He savored the strong resonance of the force that hit him just as they entered system.

Many things would be brought to deliberation. Foremost among these was whether the Jedi would reestablish their order. To Dracmus, never has there been a situation that more gravely demanded the Order.

Furthermore, if there is to be an order how is it to be governed- and by whom? He prayed the Jedi would elect council. He pray a council of three: Master Kabraka, Master Estrina, and Master Tekal. And if a council can not be elected, a grandmaster of greater merit than that fool Caedmon, must be chosen- lest the Jedi be led further into disarray.

And perhaps, most importantly of all, what coarse of action will the Jedi take. Hopefully, the establishment of a Temple and Academy to boaster their numbers will be a chief concern of many. And what stance, politically, if any will the Jedi take in these uncertain times. Perhaps, call for the reformation of a grand, galaxy encompassing, republic like the eras of old?


(Shitty, but it gets me here and puts some things on the table for debate.)

[Bobbi]

Her touch down on Endor brought about a certain clearity. Where moments before there was a vauge rememberance, now as she stepped off of her transport there was a deffinate recognition of who she was. This was due, in part, to the Force having its way of making things known.

Her shoulder's squared and a confindence entered her steps as she moved into the underbrush. It felt, to her, almost like being pumped full of a drug. The essence of the Force that lingered on Endor brought energy back into her being. It would wear off, though, fading like the affects of glitter-stim, or some other narcotic. She would deal with that when it came, for now she had to find Leiyn and the Knave Paragon.

[Davion Matrix]

He'd spent the better part of an afternoon widdling with many pieces of wood and miscellaneous hardware from his ship. Mostly spare parts, really. But his constructions were complete. And as he rested the Imperial Walker and Jedi Starfighter toys at the end of the Knave Paragon, he wiped his hands clean. The walker was poseable in two sections of it legs, but its head had limited mobility. There was no movement required for the starfighter, which was quite a relief. He'll admit he did have to stir up R4's databanks for a visual reference for the walker, since they'd died out before his time. And he didn't have time to head to Hoth to search for wreckage, either.

The presents were completed. He was content.

His steps found him before the fire once more as he looked upon the other Jedi who had rendezvoused. He had arrived two nights earlier; the meeting was scheduled for yesterday, so Tiro felt the need to get things started, whether some were left out or not. Patience was certainly a virtue: most Jedi had waited a year for this second meeting. He jumped right in, standing closer to the fire, and clearing his throat. He certainly wasn't the most senior of the Jedi gathered, but someone had to take the helm.

"It was this time exactly a solar year ago that we decided as a whole to divide. It was a pressing matter, and it still is. Those of you gathered here certainly know that. And now, after a year of being thought of as a secret collection long since diminished, we are being given a chance to rekindle our fire and form a Council, which will seek to protect the entire galaxy and begin a new golden age of enlightenment, peace and justice.

Many will enjoy the end of this visit's deliberations, and many will not. What we must do this night is decide what is best for the galaxy: does it still need our protection and guidance? Has it fallen darker in these last years? Are we, the Jedi, still thought upon as protectors: fair, loyal, noble and dedicated to finding peace?

I leave this all open to you to decide. Make your decision vocal, share it with us. We are still brothers and sisters, though many in the universe think we no longer exist. The choice is ours, my comrades."

He sunk a few steps further away from the fire now; the heat still registering to him, keeping him warm in the chilly evening. He sat upon a log and gazed to the others, awaiting their replies.

[Jedi Adia Estrina]

"After spending this last year seeking out the force in all its essence I have come to realize, moreso than ever, how precious it is to us jedi...Tradition...this is what we have been bound by for many years, perhaps more years than we would like to remember, but we have to accept the bad with the good. Our traditional ways has always called for a Council, and after voting for no council and living a year without it I feel it is time for us to return to our way of tradition..." Adia stated after Tiro before pausing a brief moment. "Either there be elected a council,perhaps of three, or a grandmaster of indepth wisedom as well as in depth knowledge of our ways should be elected. I know some of you may or may not be in favor of this, but I feel that it is time to return to the place where we once stood. We have withstood the pain of loss and the thrill of gain for many miraculous years through such tradition and I, with all my heart, feel that we can and will survive the test of time again through the said tradition." Adia stated to those who lingered around the fire.

When her voice ceased to spread like ripples of water through the air she returned to the immediate right of her padawans and stood there silently. She hoped that there would be enough votes for a council to return back to tradition, and back to their old way of living. Such has served them well over the years and although they have stumbled many times the flickering of their lightsabers have all but ceased to exist.

[Bobbi]

Murra leaned back in her metal seat, watching the Jedi around her. She tried not to think that this might be one of the last moments she would have with them as a group, instead, she put her mind to the task at hand.

They needed to decide where the Order would be going. So far, Caedmon had not made his presence known to the Jedi that had come. It would be a mistake for him not to show himself at the meeting. The Jedi needed his advice as much as they needed support from eachother. He was still the leader of their small band, he would be until he was either voted out of the office he held, or until the decision on the Order came about. Either way, it would all come down to a vote.

She shifted in her seat slightly, putting her back fully against the support of her camping chair. Each Jedi that spoke so far seemed to be grasping now what she had been saying all along. They needed eachother to be a whole, not a seperate collection. The Order was made out of tradition, without that they were nothing but want-to-be's carrying around lightsabers and pretending, like a group of children with sticks, to be something of legend.

Murra said nothing, though, content to let the conversation of her company pass by before the flames of the bon fire, fading into contemplative thought. She would speak when she felt she had to, not a moment before.

[Rich]

Caedmon had been late. As a matter of fact he had arrived only an hour or so earlier. And instead of going to the fire, to vote with those gathered there.. He had gone straight to Vader's Ashes. He had meditated there.

His focus had been on his disappointment. And then after meditating it had been on how he could fix it. Because he could fix it. He could make them Jedi even after all was said and done. And thats what he had set out to do. He would make the play-fakes Jedi. It was his duty, because there wasn't anyone else. Murra Tekal was dying. Kabaraka devotion to his family and honor-family alike made making the tough decisions all the more harder. And Devynth Anon wasn't anywhere to be found.

And then their were the Knights. Too many of them were the play-fakes of the Order. Too many of them weren't Jedi as they should have been... With his head bowed, he had come to the fire, hearing Adia's speech, and finding himself all the more disappointed with the 'Order'.

"You are wrong. "

His voice was even, calm and saddened at the same time. Yet it alone was enough to quiet Jedi who were murmuring in the crowd. Caedmon stepped forward, the fire illuminating his figure. Brown eyes cast their gaze to all those gathered here.. Resting on Murra. Before glancing toward Adia.

"Tradition should not be so very precious to us. It shouldn't be to follow traditions that we come together. It shouldn't be to follow tradition that we vote tonight. Tradition means nothing." His disappointment seeped into his voice, and he spoke louder so that those in the back might hear him better. "The Galaxy does need us, I have walked among those who were drowning with no one to help them... I have heard their plight... and have come back disappointed that so very few of you took the time to walk among them..."

"It is good to help restore Order. It is good to train more force-users, and to find more force-users..." His frown seemed to suggest that he wished they had done more than that. "But their is a serious disease among us, when those things matter more to us than helping others. A year ago, I asked you all to join the galaxy... to live with only the Force as your guidance, with only yourself to tell you what was right and what was wrong. And it saddens me greatly to say..."

"The majority of you have disappointed me. And so I say, its not tradition that we should strive to follow- but the spirit of those that came before us.. That our goals should be to remember that we aren't here to serve ourselves... but to serve the others... to serve the force! We are to give of ourselves, so that others do not have to..."

Haunted and somber brown eyes might have seemed to pierce the hearts and souls of those they fell upon. "But we can fix that. We can take up what it truly means to be a Jedi.... Because we can all agree that there needs to be a Leader... some central form of authority... Some time ago, I said that ' We are not enough to be a council'. I find that I was right... and that to this day we are still not enough to form a council..."

It was true that there were more Force Users now, but Caedmon Cato saw far too few Jedi here... "It is for this reason that I say we vote for a single leader of the Order. "

He sighed, and bowed his head... "Once, I was elected leader of the Order, and I gave to all of you my very best, I cannot say if it was good enough... only those of you who served the Order during the Praetorian War can say that. But I throw in my hat for nomination... Make what you will of it; but I believe we have strayed... strayed far and the leaders I hoped to see here today, are more shadows of what they could be, then what they had been when they left."

[Bobbi]

"Cato." She said softly, pushing herself stiffly forward in her chair. Murra regarded her fellow Jedi Master with a certain expression. The matter of factness that had entered her voice would have been carried to him from across the firepit. "You speak to these gathered friends of ours as if they had not attempted to do as you suggested. You asked us to go into a galaxy that is rife with hate and agony, and to explore that galaxy with only the Force as our guide. Some of us have not returned because we followed your suggestion. Out of those of us who have returned we have done so baring wounds and scars to show for it. I am not arguing that we should be ashamed with how we are handling the issues at hand. What I do wish to express, though, is that we should not badger one another because of the mistakes we are making." She took a deep breath, feeling it roll through her chest, loosening the tightening muscles surrounding her heart and lungs. "Yes, we do have the spirit of those that came before us. But much of that spirit is rooted deeply in the tradition you are telling us not to hold so dear." She turned her gaze to those surrounding the fire pit, watching the expressions on each face, then returned her attention to Cato. "Not everyone here can do that Cato. Not everyone can seperate what you are asking us to seperate. Tradition, honor, compassion, truth, nobility -- all these things are what the Jedi have been trying to embody. How can we come to be strength for this galaxy without the strength of ourselves?"

[Davion Matrix]

His arms crossed, his head slightly tilted to the left and aiming downward. He listened to all the opinions of those around them.

And instead of standing this time to speak, his arms dropped and his hands rested on the tops of his knees. He cleared his throat silently, tilting his head back up to address them all. His voice was calm, but stern and somewhat hoarse.

"As of late, most of the Jedi, at such a critical time in the development of their abilities, are flying blind. You told us to go out into the universe and experience it all. But with no foundation to fall back on, what is to stop them from speaking to the darkness?"

He remained silent for a beat or two, twisting at his waist to examine all around, before continuing.

"We're unstable. We need a foundation. We need a leader again. What other options are there: each Jedi fending from him or herself?? We're the peacekeepers of the galaxy; let them all see that........ We must stand together. Here and now."

He didn't stare at anyone else. He had to make his opinion known. He wasn't electing himself as a leader, just stating the fact that the Jedi were lost without being recognized as a team. But with his final words, he stood tall, head still slightly tilted to the ground.

"Stand together."