Two Masters

Posted on Sun Dec 30th, 2012 @ 10:53pm by Thurius & Sotah

1,331 words; about a 7 minute read

Chapter: Chapter II: Era's Dawn
Location: Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Timeline: 0600 Hours (Local Time), Day Seven

OLD

"You are dismissed, Thane, Jedi Knight Bomoor Thort," Quellus said to them, firmly rooted upon his throne and hands grasping the armrests tightly. "We wish you luck in your journey, and we will do what we can to aid you in your search."

Not bowing as was customary for Jedi visiting the High Council, Thane merely nodded to the Chagrian but just as he moved to turn on his heel and depart, he let his eyes rest on his former master for a few seconds before finally placing a hand on Bomoor. "It's time we left."

"Indeed it is," Bomoor rested his own large brown hand on Thane's. He glanced around the room and gave a firm nod in the direction of Master Quellus, who still glared in Thane's direction. He then gave a softer nod to Thurius and Sotah before turning and leaving with Thane.

NEW

As the Jedi High Council concluded its other pieces of business following the meeting with Bomoor and Thane, Master Sotah was eager to take his leave of the other masters, being the first to depart alongside his oldest friend and fellow Council member, Master Thurius. Exiting the lift from the Council spire, the two fell in step with each other at the exact same pace. Years of journeying, adventuring, fighting and training together had left them in a position of knowing each other's minds and personalities well, including pace and preference.

With his former Padawan's announcement concerning his departure from the Jedi Order, Sotah was unsurprised but pleased that his Cerean friend had pursued him as he left, and the pair now made their way towards the exit.

Despite what had transpired with Thane, Sotah was still calm and collected, only a sadness had entered his heart, and the Selkath could obviously be seen to be upset by one as close as Thurius. "It is not as much of a surprise as expected," he said to his friend as they continued on through the Temple. "Thane has always been headstrong and rash, but it still leaves a void in my heart to have heard those words, and to feel that darkness within him." As was true of most Masters and their Padawans, the bond had formed between Sotah and Thane, and he could feel more of the negativity within the Human than the others on the Council. "He is righteous and leads a righteous objective for righteous reasons, but he is straying."

The older Cerean master gave a firm nod to his old friend as they entered the main communal area, just beginning to become occupied with training Jedi waking for their morning rituals, "Thane was always a strong force-user, in both ability and character. But he has always held much anger in him. He was brought to us under very traumatic circumstances and recent events seem to have ignited that buried emotion."

They rounded a corner, passing the sparring chambers, a place Thurius knew all too well. "I wish I could help him, Sotah. I really do. But I have come to realise that matters of the heart cannot be fixed like matters of the blade and I'm afraid I am far more skilled in the latter."

"I know," Sotah said in a friendly tone, "but you are still far wiser than you give yourself credit for. However, although you mention how he has always had much anger in him, that is exactly what I am concerned about; he has always had this anger, but it was always something he used and controlled so purposefully, often making him a better Jedi Knight, yet it is now different. Perhaps this revelation of Axion is indeed the catalyst, but I cannot help but feel there is something more, like there has been some change in the way he is thinking about things."

A youngling bumbled past the two masters, looking painfully cheerful as he made a training lightsaber float above his head, perhaps something he had only just managed to accomplish. The sight filled Master Sotah with warmth, but was yet another thing that reminded him of Thane, when he was but a young boy first at the Temple. Even after what had happened, he had been eager and pleasant, and whilst he could still be pleasant, he now seemed more content to be withdrawn and calculating.

"Bomoor, Thane, you and myself all have our qualms concerning the Reborn Jedi Order's code of conduct, of the reforms of Grand Master Junuun Waay, but I have always tried to make it clear to Thane - just as Bomoor agrees - that whilst the Order may not be perfect, it is nevertheless the best way in which we can handle matters of the galaxy." The two Jedi finally reached the large doors that led out into the main parade of the Jedi Temple, several bronzium statues heralding the pathway, whilst some pedestals remained vacant, awaiting future figures. "There is much wrong with how things are handled, certainly, but there is also much right, and much more good that can be done when we stay whole and work together."

"And that is why we stay," the Cerean Master stopped beside the larger-than-life statue of Junuun Waay. His large protruding face pointing out from the temple towards the senate building, eyeing it like a king surveying his lands, "We cannot hope to improve what we deny. One must endure in order to make a difference. I only hope someone can make that apparent to your old apprentice."

The Selkath shook his head and stroked one of the lobes hanging from his mouth as one would a moustache. "The only man who can help Thane truly is himself, but I do not think I should fear as much as I am; he has Bomoor with him - a good Jedi and a good person - who will remind him of what is right, and if what little we know of this Bería girl is true, then he may yet find it harder to indulge his dark desires. As we both know: taking an apprentice as a sobering experience, where you learn more about yourself than you ever did as a Padawan."

"I know all to well the trials apprenticeship can create," Thurius thought back to the time of his first apprentice Mykles, and how his death had taught the Cerean Jedi more about life than anything before then, "Let's hope that Thane's journey does not endanger that young one and indeed our friend Bomoor as well."

The two old friends stood together at the mouth of the temple as a steady stream of morning visitors and Jedi began to establish itself through the grand doorway. The sun had risen now but had still not broken through the layer of towering buildings of the Coruscant skyline. Its bright light shot through the gaps, silhouetting the city before them.

Thurius turned to Sotah, "Come, my friend. What say we spar before the padawans crowd the hall. Let us clear or minds of this muddle for now so we can reflect on this later?"

The Selkath gave a peculiar estimation of something Thurius knew to be a laugh. He placed a three-fingered hand on the Cerean's shoulder. "I knew it was only a matter of time before you tried to get us crossing sabers. Very well, we shall go for a few rounds, but let's make it fairer for me, shall we?" Sotah pulled a bit of cloth from within his robe and offered it to Thurius. "Wear a blindfold."

Thurius gave a light-hearted grunt, "As long as you don't pull any of those tricky force manoeuvres. Even with all my years of training, I can't do half the things you can with just your mind."

The pair continued to talk as they made their way back inside the temple, disappearing into the ever growing herd of Jedi crowding the hallways. Another day of the Jedi Order had begun.

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