The republic in danger

[TheUsurper]

Helia watched uncertainly as someone she presumed was a Jedi - perhaps Fire? - came into the hangar and narrowed her eyes at her. Had she done something wrong? Last she checked she hadn't used any Sith powers recently, so at best there was maybe only a slight hint of darkness in her aura. Maybe that was it. It certainly couldn't have been her lightsaber, since curved-hilted lightsabers, although not common, were accepted in use among the Jedi. Count Dooku himself had used one, before falling to the Sith, and she knew that some of her friends... ex-friends in the Temple had used them too.

Or, she reminded herself, maybe it was because of the huge amount of hate and anger she had expelled in the space dogfight prior. But unless the Jedi had been watching, she couldn't have pinned that to her in particular, since it had long settled down. Perhaps she was just suspicious. Understandable, especially if she was Midnight's master as Helia suspected. It would be a pretty big warning siren if a figure in a jet-black cloak holding a lightsaber was near her apprentice.

She eventually settled for extending her hand awkwardly again and giving an equally awkward smile. Socialising had never been her strong point. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Helia, what's yours?"

[SymphonicFire]

"I'm Symphonic Fire. You say you are a Jedi? I've never heard of you before" Fire said, lightening her expression. Helia...sounds like the name of the girl that ran away years ago, when Fire herself was a padawan. This force user is neither dark nor light, but the nerve she had to call herself a Jedi. Fire has to keep her away from Midnight, or else she will be seduced and will turn against her. Maybe it has already happened...

[TheUsurper]

Helia almost facepalmed when she gave her own name. I can't believe I was stupid enough to do that. Well, at least the odds were that Fire wouldn't know what she left the Temple for, since that information was restricted to the Council. She might have found it strange, though, that she was at one point a Jedi and then all but disappeared. And to think she could have avoided it all... oh well. She wasn't about to lie in front of Midnight anyway, and she had nothing to lose.

"Oh, no, not really. At best I'm only a kind of Jedi; I can't claim to be under the jurisdiction of the Council." She chuckled light-heartedly, returning her hand to her side. Fire seemed like the nice sort, but of course as with most people there might be more than meets the eye. "What about you, miss Fire? You're a Jedi, I presume. Have you been graced with the rank of Master already?"

[RainbowDaringDash]

Sky walked over to Midnight as he watched the two. "This looks like it will be a interesting conversation" He says, knowing the two were too concentrated on each other .Sky sits down, leaning on a crate that he had behind him

[SymphonicFire]

"Yes, I have been training younglings for 20 years. I have had a couple of padawans and a few current ones that I'm training" Fire said as she tucked her hands into her sleeves as a sign of respect. She needed to know if Midnight had been taught by this force user, she wondered if Sky knew the lightsaber is not if Jedi origin.

[TheUsurper]

Helia nodded, trying to widen her awkward smile. "You sound like quite an accomplished Jedi, miss Fire. It is an, uh, honour to meet you." She stood there silently for a little while longer, wondering what to say, then simply gave up. "Well, I suppose with the close of the mission comes the time to recuperate and recover, and later to sift through our spoils." She turned to Midnight, gesturing to the nearest door. "Shall we leave, Midnight? I look forward to a good rest."

[SymphonicFire]

"Midnight and I were going to resume our training, we were going to go through combat tactics since she is a fast learner. She was to choise if she was to wield two lightsabers, one lightsaber, or a double bladed lightsaber" Fire said looking at both of them.

We? Since when was there a 'we' between Midnight and Helia? Maybe they did more than talk during their time in space, no wonder there is a dark force coming from the both of them.

[TheUsurper]

Helia frowned. "Immediately after a battle? It seems a bit strenuous, if you ask me." She shrugged. "But if that's what Midnight wants, then who am I to object? I just thought we could all use the rest, but evidently you two have a lot more stamina than I." She walked up to Midnight and patted her shoulder in a friendly way. "Have fun training to join the Jedi, Midnight. It's good to know you're doing the galaxy a good turn, isn't it?" With that, she strode over to Sky and sat down, taking a little rest but also, at the same time, keeping her attention on Midnight and Fire.

[Shadowbolt0]

Midnight opted to remain silent when Sky spoke to her, watching Helia and Fire argue, was her best choice of words. It was clear to her that Fire suspected Helia for something, and Helia knew it was Fire. She could feel the tension.

Finally, she heard Helia ask her to come with her. She had to admit, the previous fight had gotten her slightly tired, but not sure that she wanted to rest. She wanted to do things, upgrade, fix, tinker, anything to keep herself distracted. But that's when Fire said she was planning to teach her how to make a lightsaber and what type. That caught her attention. She kinda wanted to join Fire, and took a step forwards. But that's when Helia spoke.

Midnight froze.. Three things stabbed at her.

join the Jedi a good turn, isn't it? what Midnight wants

Was it what she wanted? She wasn't sure if she wanted to be with the Jedi...The Jedi who....took children from their homes..

"F-fire...wait" She looked back to Helia. She thought about what Helia told her before, children being taken from their homes....She looked down at her hands. She knew what she could do with them as she remembered the lightning. But, that wasn't needed.

She took a deep breath, and tried to keep the anger away, but slowly it began to rise.

"Fire....I want an honest answer here....Do the children really have no choice if the Jedi council takes them to the temple?"

[SymphonicFire]

"20 years ago, that was what the Jedi order did. They did take children from parents and their family had no choice. But 20 years ago when I was made a Jedi master, I requested the Jedi council to stop taking children from parents. This is because most children have not drawn their capability to use the force. People who choose not to use it can live normally, children who do try to bring it out are often troubled children. More and more force sensitive babies are abandoned for the gift they have. We now try to save these children so they can have a family. I never remembered my parents; when I think about my family, I always think if my padawans and my masters" Fire replied. It was unlike Midnight to ask this kind of question. Must have been something to do with Helia.

She felt a little anger coming from Midnight as she said "The Jedi aren't kidnappers, we are trying to prevent worse things from happening. If a sith were to find a force sensitive child, they would kill the baby's family before taking the child"

[TheUsurper]

Helia, listening in on Fire's explanation, was surprised. She had expected many things from her, but a barefaced denial was not one of them. Standing up, a frown on her face, she approached the two and cleared the throat politely.

"I'm sorry to interject, miss Fire, but I couldn't help but overhear what you said. Personally, I feel it's a little misleading." I guess it's time for the reveal. "You see, I left the Jedi Order only five years ago, and I can assure you that no such change of policy occurred twenty years ago." Let's see... "From the time I became a Padawan at twelve to when I left the Order as a Knight at twenty-five, I have had a personal association with the Acquisition Division. My research in my time at the Temple indicated that the Division mandates compulsory blood tests on all newborn children on Republic worlds, and if their midi-chlorian count is higher than normal, that information gets sent back to the Temple."

She glanced at Fire, a little quizzically. "Surely you've heard of the Kyber Memory Crystal? Where all the information collected on Force-sensitives is stored? The Acquisition Division uses that information to find Force-sensitive children and take them back to the Temple to be trained. Choices need not be given, either; by legislation set down by the Senate, the Jedi have full legal authority to take custody of any and all Force-sensitives, regardless of parental consent. And last I checked, the Acquisition Division is still going strong." She smiled pleasantly. "Nonetheless, I can appreciate the Jedi point of view. 'Saving' all these children from the 'wrong' path is frightfully important, after all. If you're not careful they might adopt an ideology that - Force forbid! - isn't in line with that of the Jedi."

[SymphonicFire]

Fire raised an eyebrow, "the others have a choice but I don't. I only take in the homeless children, nothing more"

What was Helia trying to do? Is she trying to convince Midnight to join her instead? No, she can't let Midnight slip away from her hands, and the robe she wore that once belonged to her padawan made her even more determined.

[TheUsurper]

Helia stared at Fire for a little while, confused. She couldn't figure out what the Jedi meant by what she said. Who had a choice? The other Jedi to take children? No, but she herself said that she took children in. Perhaps the choice to pick what kind of children to take? That couldn't be either, Helia knew that the Order would not deny such a privilege to someone like a Master. She eventually ended up staring silently for a few moments before clearing her throat and continuing.

"Don't misunderstand, miss Fire. I certainly don't mean to accuse you of anything. There are no doubts in my mind that you have a righteous and principled personality. I am merely commenting on this odd direction in Jedi policy, because - to me at least - it seems to ignore, and indeed, completely disregard, individual freedom and the inherent rights and value of children. These are principles which the Republic is meant to uphold, yet the Jedi, who are sworn to preserve and protect the Republic, seem to be an exception to these values. I'm sorry if I'm imposing, but these are matters to which I seek an answer." She nodded politely. "Do you have any?"

[SymphonicFire]

"That is like asking me if I would kill a Nexu to save a friend. The truth is if the Jedi don't have the next generation of young Jedi, we will slowly go extinct. The same with the republic army, when the time of war comes between the republic and the imperials, the men will have to do their part to protect the women, children, and the weak. The Jedi order needs to see that the next generation Jedi are there in order to fulfil our pledge"

[TheUsurper]

Helia considered what Fire had said. "Likening the pricelessness of a child's life to a nexu is trivialising the issue, I believe. It doesn't give sufficient weight to the importance of children." She shrugged. "Nonetheless, I can comprehend the Jedi stand. The ends justify the means. Sacrificing the freedom of children for the greater good. But now that the Grand Army of the Republic has been formed, is it truly that crucial for Jedi numbers to remain constant? After all, clones specially bred for the task are now defending the ideals of the Republic; surely the time when children had to be forcibly recruited to bolster defence ranks is long past?" She gestured to Fire. "What do you think?"

[SymphonicFire]

"I don't forcibly recruit children. You have been gone for years, how would you possibly know what is going on in the Jedi council. I tried very hard for the Jedi council to concentrate on saving homeless force sensitive children. If you are talking about this so passionately, tell me, what have you done to stop it?" Fire said with an emotionless face.

She was definitely trying to tip me off. Wasn't it Midnight who asked the question in the first place? Why is Helia sticking her nose in this? No matter, they don't know how much trouble it is to even bring this up to the council. A simple question just became a debate, all thanks to Helia.

[TheUsurper]

Helia steepled her fingers in thought. She may have had an emotionless face, certainly, but those were emotional words. She decided to seize the opportunity. "Well you see, miss Fire, I may not be a part of the Council any longer, but I do keep up to date on current events. Let's just say I have seen no evidence of changing legislation. And my removal from the Order may or may not be because I decided to have a look at the Kyber memory crystal for myself." She shrugged. "I cannot deny that, at times, the Jedi 'acquiring' the children have led to an improvement in their lives. This is unavoidable. And understand again that I mean no personal attack on you; my complaint was focused mostly at the Council. But surely you must recognise that, in the process of taking children without consent, it is inevitable that many will be disgruntled? And most importantly, deprived of the freedom to choose a future they want?"

At Fire's question of what she was doing to help, Helia sighed. "What can I do? It's just me alone. I certainly can say that I view this as wrong, but practicality dictates reality. I cannot accomplish much, on my own."

[SymphonicFire]

"Then help us. Together we will prevent the council from taking children from their families. More and more children are abandoned because their parents don't want to face conformation with a Jedi. I want to help these children" Fire said smiling at the both of them.

[TheUsurper]

"And I want to help those who don't want to become Jedi but are forced into it." Helia agreed, and nodded. "Excellent! It's always heartening to see a member of the institution who can see the institution for its flaws. All the same, I think I'll stay out of being called a Jedi. One member, even a distinguished one such as yourself, is hardly representative of the entire body." She gestured to Midnight. "Actually, you are Midnight's master, are you not? Why don't we put the theory aside for a while and tell Midnight more about the Jedi? If I were her, I'd like to know more about the organisation I'm joining." She frowned. "She at least knows the full Jedi code, right?"

[SymphonicFire]

"Not all of it, it may seem a little too complicated if not put into real situations. I was going to let her choose her style if combat, for a Jedi is not judged by their power or strength, they are judged by their skills"

[TheUsurper]

"'Let her'?" Helia chuckled. "My, it sounds almost like you're her slave master or something! You might want to pay more attention to your phrasing next time." She waved her right hand in a circling motion. "In any case, power and strength are inherent behind skills. Without the force to back your skill up nothing can be accomplished. But force without skill can still prove potent, though admittedly less so." She pulled out her lightsaber and, without igniting it, gave several powerful swings in the air before her. "I personally prefer straight up application of strength when possible." She flashed Fire a smile. "Doesn't make it any less effective. Perhaps Jedi ought to be a little less restrictive on how they judge?" Blowing imaginary smoke off the emitter of her hilt, she slid it back into her cloak. "But Midnight doesn't seem like the sort to focus solely on power, though it's quite clear that she's not lacking in that department. I imagine the high-skill game will suit her well. Won't it?" She asked Midnight cheerfully.

[SymphonicFire]

"I never questioned her ability, she is certainly a fast learner with great potential." Fire said turning to Midnight.

"The way you fight can depend on your what type of lightsaber you hold. You can wield one..." Fire said as she took out one of her lightsabers.

"...two..." She took out her other one

"...or a double bladed lightsaber." She said, connecting the two to make it double bladed. "You would also need to retrieve your very own crystal. The lightsaber you make would be a part of you"

[Shadowbolt0]

Midnight listened to the argument between Fire and Helia. She had backed away, trying to keep her own emotions in check at the continual mention of children. She couldn’t help but get emotional around children, it was just who she was. She wanted to act, like Helia said too, there was nothing they could do as the minority against the Jedi council. She felt the darkness, her emotion, slowing creeping up on her. She was slowly starting to lose herself to her own inner demons and darkness when she heard Helia call out to her.

She looked at the Jedi, she hadn’t been listening for a while after the turned in on herself, but, Fire and Helia seemed to be in agreement of something. They were no longer at eachothers throats, but Midnight was only partly listening to Fire as she went over the different techniques of lightsaber styles. She was still combatting the emotions bubbling inside of her, trying to push them away and calm herself.

“I...I don’t know what i want to weild” she replied to Fire’s question “I-i mean, i’m more used to blasters than swords. B-but, i’ve been training with two vibroswords so, maybe that’ll be a good place to start?” she suggested, before looking down at her hand brief, thankful that in her trance, she hadn’t let her anger make lightning and burn herself.

[TheUsurper]

"That sounds like a great idea." Helia said cheerfully. And she saw a little thing she could do for Midnight, too. Opening up her own lightsaber's double crystal housing, she pulled out one of the two crystals used to make her orange-coloured blade - the red one, out of red and yellow - and tossed it over to Midnight. "Here, since you don't have your own crystal, you can have mine. Works like a charm. All you need to do is make a lightsaber that'll fit you the best, so this is a good start, wouldn't you say?"

[SymphonicFire]

A red crystal? Where did she find that? Jedi only used blue, green, and purple. So how did she find a crystal like that? She is more sith than Jedi!

"That's good, once we land on Coruscant, we can gather the parts you need to construct your own lightsaber" she smiled, she turned around and yelled over to Sky, "Shall we board the ship?"