A Council Divided

A Council Divided
Date of Scene:	26 May 2024
Location:
Synopsis:	The Council heatedly discusses next steps regarding Cayde and his actions.
Cast of Characters:	159, Pike Windu, Annelia Belask, 334, Cayde Alexis, Navi

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Athena (159) has posed:
A chime somewhere not too nearby, and not too far away, peals and indicates that on Coruscant, it's high noon. Outside the Jedi Temple, the climate controlled ecumenopolis flaunts a sunny day with a clear blue sky that does not have a single cloud in it.

And yet, despite the weather being cheery as usual, the aura spreading within the High Council Tower is ... somber. Every member of the Jedi Council is present for this meeting, either physically, or via holo. When the chime stops, the Jedi Council members all take a seat simultaneously, and open the doors to the chamber, permitting any Jedi who had wished to attend inside.

For a minute or two, there's only the sound of swishing robes. A rather large crowd of Jedi sweep into the room, and politely take their seats in the folding chairs set below the dais for the Jedi Council, or venture to the upper portion of the chamber and seat themselves in the balcony area.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Master Pike Windu makes his way into the chamber and finds an unoccupied chair before the dais. Pike appears unburdened today. He even exchanges silent nods with a few friends in attendance.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Annelia walks in at a brisk pace at or near the front of the crowd. She's perhaps a little notorious for walking like she's on a mission as a matter of course, but the tone is a little... different today.

    Standard robes, standard personal effects on her person, nothing out of sorts that way.

    She just kind of looks like she's arriving to this pre-annoyed.

Caius Astras (334) has posed:
Caius arrives soon after Ann.

He's -not- pre-annoyed to say the least. He seems to have picked up a reputation for being spicey and troublesome and that's maybe half true! At the moment, however, he seems fairly relaxed and confident and he nods his head in greeting with those he recognizes on sight and then a respectful nod to those whom he does not.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Not everyone attending is doing so because they actually do want to...

    Cayde never liked large gatherings of any kind. Meetings, parties, whatever it may be. He'd considered pretending to be sick, or 'disappearing' from the Temple temporarily.

    But that would just make everything worse, wouldn't it?

    At the very least, he'd sent the Council a letter, at Ann's urging. Although in the end he'd only managed a single, very simply and likely awkwardly worded paragraph about how important the Order was to him and how hard he'd worked for the progress he'd made thus far.

    At any rate, trails Ann into the Council chamber, trying not to make eye contact with anyone.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Greetings, fellow Jedi," Yaddle says, raising her arms in charismatic welcome then bowing politely. She offers a slight smile. "Please, be seated, if you aren't already." She then returns to her own seat, then frowns, noticing one of the Councilmember chairs is empty.

Some of the other Jedi present may notice that Master Yarael Poof has not taken his seat. Instead, he's in the back, having taken a seat next to Cayde. He turns to the young Padawan. <Why, Cayde, what are you doing down here? That empty seat up there is for you...>

"Has anyone seen Master Yarael?" one of the Councilmembers asks suddenly.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu glances around the chamber. Those who are familiar with the old Jedi might notice that his hair is neatly combed and his clothing has been freshly pressed.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann remains silent for now, simply shaking her head at the question as she sits- leaning back in the chair, arms crossed absently as she eyes the empty seat a moment.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde stares at Yarael, then glances at the empty seat and then back at Yarael again. What? But...why would he sit up there?

    <But Master...that is your seat>

Caius Astras (334) has posed:
"Hmm.."

Caius knows better then to voice anything aloud as he also notes Cayde's absence. He does, however, shake his head slightly but it's a matter for another time.
He takes a seat near Ann and looks over the room quickly to get both a headcount and a sense for who is currently present but then looks back to Yaddle for her to continue.

Athena (159) has posed:
<Because> Yarael says, <don't tell anyone but I was planning to retire from Council and have personally nominated you to take my place> The Quermian tells the young Padawan.

Unfortunately, Yarael's fortuitous height means he can't stay unseen for long. "Master Yarael," Oppo Rancisis says, "we are already dilatory in starting the session, will you /please/ join us?"

"Ah-h-h!" the Quermian Master says. "But I had an important matter to discuss with the boy...!" he says as he makes his way to his seat.

Yaddle then rises again and looks out at the gathered crowd. "As you may all know, we have called this meeting to address any concerns any of the Jedi would like to discuss with the Council openly and face to face." There's a pregnant pause. "The first matter that has been brought to our attention regards a certain padawan and his Master, Jedi Knight Annelia Belask. It has been made apparent to us that both internally, and externally, there have been some concerns about Cayde Alexis, the latest coming straight from the Chancellor's Office." Her gaze rests on Annelia and Cayde for a moment. "We will read the letter aloud, and then we will invite organized commentary."

She gestures for a droid with a datastick to come onto the dais. Then she inserts the datastick into a small projector, displaying the letter on the holo.

"To the esteemed Jedi Council - it is with regret that the Chancellor's Office pens these words. But naturally, as the Jedi Council must already know, the Republic does not, and will not, ever take any threats of danger to the Chancellor himself lightly. As was demonstrated at the economic convention, a younger member of the Jedi Order loosed some kind of uncommon and strange hazard upon the Chancellor. This is unfortunate, as it was clearly the responsibility of the elder Jedi present to control such a wild and immature member of the Order, and while there were no lack of ranking Jedi present, none stepped in to remediate the situation before it got out of hand. This is regrettable, and uncharacteristic of the Jedi Order. Our request, then, is for the boy, at the very least, be suspended and at all costs, kept away from the Chancellor and any of his staff. However, it may be prudent to reconsider his membership within the Order completely. After all, a danger to the Republic most certainly is a danger to the Jedi, even if only in reputation. Signed, Sanzo Laa."

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu is flabbergasted as he watches the message. When it concludes, he looks at the various Councilmembers to gauge their reactions to this rebuke from on high.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    There's a moment there, right in the middle, right as the comments about what's characteristic of the order or not come through, that Ann looks about half ready to rise from her seat and cut the Master off- but she restrains herself.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde stares at Yarael. No...this was some kind of cruel joke.

    When the letter is read, he just sighs and gazes out a window, turning away from the general gathering. It doesn't surprise him, really.

    A Twi'lek woman seated among the Council clears her throat. Some may recognize her as Master Anri Karina. "And what exactly does he mean by 'suspended'? With all due respect to Mr. Laa, does he not realize that the Order is not only family, but home as well? And how exactly does he think that turning the boy out onto the streets will somehow remove what he deems a 'danger to the Republic'?"

Caius Astras (334) has posed:
"Oh boy..."

Caius puts a hand to his head.

This is the first he's heard of this, naturally, much like everyone else present. He glances towards Ann and the runs his gaze over the crowd to search for Cayde. However, he keeps his thoughts to himself for now. though he does lower his hands and clasp his fingers together.

The pre-annoyed look Ann had makes....so much more sense now.

"...Oh boy.." he repeats.

Athena (159) has posed:
"I'm not sure," Yaddle says. She herself seems a bit stunned by the frank callousness of the letter, as does the rest of the Council and many Jedi in the crowd, as well. "Perhaps he meant to place more emphasis on the part about keeping Padawan Alexis away from the Chancellor and all of his staff." Her brow creases and she shuts off the holoprojector.

"No matter, we will now invite those who have a personal relationship with Cayde or know him, to any extent, to speak upon the matter. Starting with his Master, Annelia." She then turns to Annelia, nodding.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu turns in his seat to find Annelia. At ease before, the Jedi Master now seems to be troubled, uncertain.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann exhales slowly, nodding once and then pausing a moment... before pushing up from her chair to her feet to stand to speak- move around a little, she's not one for staying still.

    She strides out into the open floor before the council's seating, eyes set stonily as she looks over the assembled masters of the order.

    "Assembled Masters of the Order... do you know why, specifically, I took on Cayde Alexis as a Padawan?"

    She begins pacing back and forth as she speaks, eyes down on the floor.

    "There's quite a bit I could say to disagree with the letter from the Chancellor's Office. But there is one specific statement I'd like to address right now. They say that this kind of lack of intervention by more senior members of the Order is uncharacteristic of us."

    "Now, you may take that as them saying something positive, something to keep open the channels for a good relationship... but I think it could be argued that it's simply -wrong-. This padawan has been with us, with that level of connection to the Force, for what... fifteen years now? He's separate from his peers for being odd, and simply being punished when he's overwhelmed."

    "See, for something to be uncharacteristic, it has to break an established pattern, do something we don't expect. But that's a decade and a half of us having at least one case in front of us where there was clearly a problem and none of the experienced masters or council members of this order, people -by far- more qualified for this padawan's needs than I am, stepped in to intervene and provide additional guidance. Are the instructors even aware of his nightmares? Or the 'coincidence' of an apparent relation of Cayde's being involved with the chancellor's office as well?"

    A pause, and a long sigh from Ann as she works to control her voice.

    "Why did I take on Cayde Alexis as a Padawan, having barely made Knight a month or so before myself, and despite having nowhere near that level of force connection? Because nobody else -would-."

    "And just like some things I've recently learned about Jedha, the Chancellor's office makes suggestions we just send the problem away and hope it resolves or become someone else's. This may be rude or not my place, but in all earnestness, I believe that removing Cayde from the Order would be nothing but one final, massive disgrace to cap off -fifteen years- of failing one of our own until the problem became unignorable."

Caius Astras (334) has posed:
"Masters..." begins Caius, standing slowly and then moving towards Ann to offer support and his own insight.

"I must concur. When I returned from the mid rim and learned of both the attack on Jedha and the circumstances that led to the condition of the Sorcerer Tomi, I was frankly shocked that immediate steps had not been taken by The Order to assist the padawan in consideration of his unique abilities and circumstances. I have not known The Order to ever ostracize or isolate anyone due to their capabilities but ot instead celebrate the things that make us unique and so stronger when together..."

He gestures to Ann, "She spoke directly to me about her intent to take Cayde on despite the challenges that would arise and showed the compassion that we've been taught to carry. Furthermore though..impulsive...I can confirm that Cayde acts with nothing less then the strongest desire to aid others and to use his talents and skills to the betterment of the Republic and those in need beyond it's borders. Again - compassion. "

He searches the crowd for Cayde but then looks back to the Masters,

"In time his more impulsive tendencies and swiftness with his abilities will be tempered by experience and guidance but that can't be accomplished if he's simply swept aside on the mere sayso of invididuals who frankly lack the insight we have, do not control us, and are not lacking in personal politial agenda. I recommend we work together to assist Cayde and in doing so we will fulfill any concerns the Chancellor may have by simply guiding a young jedi into being the best knight he can be."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde watches as Ann steps up to defend him. And call out the Council itself. She'd never been one to hold back much. But he's suddenly very grateful to have her as a master. Caius' search for Cayde would find him sitting near the back, mostly keeping his eyes toward the floor.

    Ann's words are sharp as a double edged blade. Master Karina nods at that last part. "Denying Cayde the guidance he needs from the Order would only make matters worse. We are Jedi, we ought not to send our challenges away, only to force others to deal with the consequences of our failings and mistakes."

    Caius' words are also taken in, although another Council member begins to argue, "Could he not be sent to work for the Order in another capacity, on a more remote world?"
    "And deny him the training he needs to ensure incidents like this will not become a lifetime pattern?" Master Karina answers, shaking her head.
    "Hmph...this sort of power should never have been developed in a child of his age. He is too young to understand the potentially disastrous consequences of mistakes with such gifts."

Athena (159) has posed:
"Ah-h-h," Yarael says, "such bold words to be spoken by Knights whom, speaking of Jedha, acted without the sanction of the Council there." He then chuckles, and Anne and Caius will be able to tell that he's said it in jest, as he continues with, "I never really liked that Laa fellow very much anyway, and I find it rather uncharacteristic of him to be so... dramatic, don't you think?" he looks around at the rest of the Councilmembers. Some of them look uncomfortable, others looked irritated, while some of the more seasoned members like Yoda, Oppo, and Yaddle remain calm.

"You suggest that Cayde has family within the Senate?" another one of the councilmembers hmms. "We weren't aware, no..." Then he sighs. "But I can't help but feel we should err on the side of conservative, here, like some of the others have said. We can't exactly afford to ignore this complaint," he says, "not with the Republic on the cusp of renewing their funding for the maintenance and extension of our fleet through Valkeri Enterprises. Now, I'm not suggesting we immediately take him out of the Order completely, but we all knew the risk of allowing him to join, and perhaps reassignment could be an option. I don't disagree with the alternatives offered. Anne and perhaps an archivist from the Temple could help train him in the steps of those who would become librarians for the Order? Or the AgriCorps. If we let his gifts lie fallow, we won't have incidents like this anymore, and he'll be secluded enough that it won't matter anyway. Or perhaps he could be suited to maintenance work around the Temple..."

Yarael interjects again, with, "We ought see what the boy has to say for himself. Cayde, won't you come up here? And of course, we cannot forget the one who was the catalyst for the Jedi Council hosting this open forum in the first place. Master Pike, is that you over there?"

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu stands and addresses the Council. "Esteemed Councilors, I agree, it would be a mistake to cast Cayde out of the Order, 'send the problem away,' as Annelia said. But isn't that what she has been doing? When she took Cayde as her padawan, she became his master and he became her responsibility. If she needs help to train him, then it is her responsibility to ask for it. If she is not ready to be his master, then it is her responsibility to say so.

    "My recommendation is that Cayde's apprenticeship be suspended and that he be confined to the Temple until he shows the maturity to use his considerable ability wisely, not just compassionately."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    "With all due respect, " Karina argues, a bit of an edge creeping into her voice. "What you spoke of regarding letting his gifts lie fallow is simply not true. It is not that simple; if it were, it would have been offered as a solution a long time ago. And are you suggesting, by 'secluded enough', that the those who would still be impacted by such an incident don't matter because they're few in number? Or is it because they're not the Chancellor, or an important Senator?" She sighs when Pike suggests Cayde be confined to the Temple. "He spent an entire decade confined to the Temple, Master Windu. Should he be confined yet again? When you were his age, how do you think you would have responded to such a thing? How would you have responded to being told you had failed your training and that you would be sent to work -maintenance-? Simply because of a slip-up that -happened- to involve some important politician?"

    Cayde gulps when he's called to come up in front of everyone...he'd been afraid something like that might happen. But, he'd already sent the Council a letter, right? The padawan obeys anyway, joining Master Yarael on the dais. However, he just stares out at the assembled faces wordlessly.

Caius Astras (334) has posed:
"Yes. Responsibilities. Responsibilities to lives. Responsibilities to peace. Responsibility to order." says Caius, tone -slightly- more even now at Windu's comments.

And indeed it bears noting he did catch the intended humor in the comment about them acting without the Council's consent but to that point he adds,

"Our actions at the risk of our own lives has quite literally staved off a threat to the people of Jedha that would have gone unnoticed by us until it was too late. By being -responsible- Annelia took Cayde under her wing and demonstrated bravery in the face of an unknown danger, serving as an example for him to follow. By being responsible,..Cayde came back to Jedha to redress the wrongs that happened to Master Tomi and attempt to put his gifts to good use to bring the sorcerer back from the brink. A responsible Jedi will also render aid when it is seen that it is needed versus waiting for it to be requested in times of stress nad crisis."

He eyes Windu and then looks back over the rest of the Council and gestures as Cayde comes forth and is unable to even look up with confidence

"Masters, Cayde is -not- a child. He is of age and skilled. Perhaps by beginning to not treat him as a child and to give him the proper due that he needs and to come together to do so - this past situation can be dealt with and future ones can be managed properly."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann bristles a moment at a -few- different statements as others say their piece, and she grinds her teeth through it, eyes closing as she listens and focuses.

    "Okay, so what I'm hearing is that hardly a single person in this conversation actually -understands- the problem. There is no -lying fallow- here, there is no..." she grunts. "That's just sending the problem away again! The boy is -overwhelmed-, and he spends every waking moment trying his damndest to stay in his own mind. He's not invading people's minds because he's reckless or impulsive- sure, he may be those things too, like most sixteen year old Padawans. But he's having the thoughts of entire crowds pour into his mind whether he likes it or not. He's practically in a trance half the time, lost from himself entirely out of nowhere."

    "And are we just ignoring the girl? The apparent relation of his? Because the two could be -twins- and I'm -also- concerned that -she- might reveal some latent similar talent that we'll need to get ahead of."

    She pauses again, exhaling as she looks over at Master Windu.

    "This -is- me asking for help. And explaining that I did what I did because this is a good kid, who puts everything he has into trying to be a good member of the Order, and because there -wasn't- other help available. We're stretched thin, I know. When the two of us stay together I've been having more and more success keeping him focused. That day, I was pulled away by an unexpected review of recent events on Yarrum."

    Another pause, and a grim twist to her mouth with it.

    "Sanction me, if you think this is my failing. Of if you still think we did wrong on Jedha- I was certainly a large part of us proceeding rather than turning back. Sure wouldn't be the first failure I've had in the Order myself. But don't punish a padawn for struggling with a problem that clearly half the people in the conversation didn't even bother to properly understand."
    She shakes her head, taking a step back and gesturing for Cayde to come up, at a loss for further words.

Athena (159) has posed:
The councilmember Karina is addressing shrugs. "We could send him to one of the planned new outposts located in the Outer Rim. For example, the one we've been discussing placing on Valo. He'd be far away from any settlements because the planet itself, at this point, is hardly settled. That's what I meant by 'secluded enough.'" he frowns. "All life is sacred, not just life belonging to the rich and influential."

"All Jedi must learn discipline," Oppo interjects. "And to do the right thing, even if it is not /easy/ or /desirable/. I suspect Master Windu is only suggesting outside training be suspended - Cayde's training here at the Temple will continue, and this restriction, if enacted would be much shorter than previously."

Oppo frowns at Caius. "Yes, we understand, but that does not mean that what you did on Jedha was not recklessly dangerous. However, this is another matter for another time. And Cayde is still so young. He has yet the rest of his life in the Order before him. Would it not be prudent to at least consider teaching him more patience, while he is still so malleable?" He turns to Annelia. "The girl is too old for us to really do anything about even if she has latent power. Another Force cult would have to train her." He shakes his head. "Annelia, we understand the problem, but it is not so simple. It is not a matter of what you think is best for Cayde, but what is best for all of us. For the Order, and for the Republic, as well."

Yarael frowns, standing and coming to stand next to Cayde. "We will /not/ sanction you," Yarael says, "nor was what you did on Jedha wrong. In fact, it was the right thing to do even if it was dangerous. And I must disagree wholeheartedly with Master Rancisis. The boy doesn't need more rules and discipline. He needs more freedom, and a bit more supervision. That's all."

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu shakes his head. The more he hears in rebuttal, the greater his resolve as he speaks. "'A slip-up?' No Councilor, my recommendation is based on...a violation of personhood.

    "A padawan should begin their apprenticeship when they are ready, not because they are of age or have spent so many years in the Temple."

Caius Astras (334) has posed:
"Mastes, with all due respect, sending Cayde away would simply be ethically wrong. It sends the wrong message to Cayde. It sends the wrong message to the Chancellors office. If we were in a situation where all methods of training Cayde had been done and met with failure on our part then I could see otherwise but to suggest simply 'getting rid of him' suggests that we want him to be someone elses problem somewhere else, regardless of how it's painted."

Caius has had enough at this point and he turns to return to his seat.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "We violate people's personhood as a matter of -course-, Master Windu," Ann shoots back, head shaking incredulously. "It's nearly half of what we do, play mind tricks and overrule people's wills to smooth out the path to whatever needs to be done. The most obvious symbol of our order on our hip makes it more difficult -not- to dismember or kill someone. We try to remain peaceful, sure, but given our methods when push comes to shove, I don't think you'll find any footing on -that- particular moral or ethical vantage."

    She raises her hands, taking a deep breath. "Let me be clear. This is not a matter of discipline. Cayde experiences others' minds like some Jedi experience sudden premonitions. He needs strategies, mechanisms to apply to help him overcome this thing he's fighting every moment of every day. We've been working on that in certain ways- keep more rooted in his body with additional physical training, finding hobbies and outlets to help him unwind and refresh his energies for that daily battle. But I don't even know if one of those vision-wracked Jedi's management methods would even apply here."

    She heaves one more sigh, her shoulders dropping for the moment. "I understand, alright? It's a complex galaxy and the Order has much to manage and consider. Send he and I to the outer rim for a time perhaps, I'm sure there is some assignment that could keep ups there awhile. But... if we give up our own because of politicians' umbrage, my guess is we'll lose the -spirit- of the order just as surely as we could lose a fleet. Become just another Republic agency, rather than the Jedi, one tiny step like this at a time as those with influence seek to exert more and more of it."

    "I already nearly lost Cayde to a kidnapping recently. I personally picked apart the gang hideout that did it... partially because I believe we, all of us, have a responsibility to those we took in, often before they even knew their parents' names. I can't help but worry that returning some measure of confinement and ending apprenticeship just takes us two steps further back than we've managed to get so far, and drives that responsibility just that tiny bit farther down our priorities."

    "Master Windu can attest to my sometimes overzealous dedication to remaining disciplined and committed, all the times he patched me up when I was a Padawan. Master Gaiss reminded me how important compassion and care are amidst all that. He was the best jedi I've ever met, even if I may be biased there, and I don't think he would have stood for this. I know I'm stubborn and sometimes frustrating to talk to, over-focused and prone to struggling with peace-over-passion... but I just want to ask the Council that we not lose sight of the best parts of what make our order what it is while we're performing the calculus of politics."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    An annoyed frown crosses Anri's face, something that most probably haven't seen from her. At least not in a while. "-Some- of us understand the problem." she corrects when Oppo claims everyone does understand it. "Apparently not all. Yes, of course, all life is sacred. Whether few, or many, or wealthy and famous or poor and obscure. What purpose does sending him to the Outer Rim to serve the AgriCorps serve? Exactly the same as what Annelia and Caius have been saying this entire time. To send him somewhere else, so that he might become someone else's problem, somewhere else. In your example, Valo's.

    "Master Windu, Cayde has been ready ever since he was allowed to leave the Temple for the first time three years ago, and begin his apprenticeship with Master Rykard. Mind you, that decision was not made lightly. But what exactly do you mean by a 'violation of personhood'?

    "By the way," she continues, her gaze going over to Caius. "How -did- the ordeal on Jedha go, exactly? Were you able to deal with the threat? And I imagine, Padawan Alexis had a hand in it as well?"

    As Ann continues to give more pieces of her mind, Cayde just sort of stands up on the dais, content to just listen and even more content for the attention to be directed toward someone other than him. Maybe they won't even read that letter he wrote...

    Karina nods at Ann. "I'm glad -someone- here actually understands Cayde to some extent. If you want my honest opinion, I believe that letter from Mr. Laa is more political maneuvering than anything else. They're just using the fact that the Chancellor was involved to attempt to manipulate us into allowing them to gain control over internal matters that normally shouldn't concern them."

Athena (159) has posed:
Yarael nods. "She's not wrong," he says glancing over at Pike. "What would you suggest then, Master Windu, if he is never deemed fit to begin his apprenticeship again? The one thing we've all agreed upon is that casting him out of the Order is out of the question. Sending him away would mean we've caved to the exact thing that entices those who think they are above the law - credits. This is not the way of the Jedi.

"But our fleet constitutes sixty to seventy percent of our operations!" Another councilmember chimes in. "If the Republic refuses to renew Valkeri Enterprises funding, the company will cease all production and maintenance until we can secure further funding. And without our fleet... we will be crippled! There will be -more- loss of life, even among our own if we cannot maintain our fleet. Perhaps we don't even need to suspend his training. Just keep him out of the public eye, in whatever way necessary. That may not even necessarily mean he never leaves the Temple. Just that few find out that he does."

Yaddle sighs, standing. "This ... conversation has become fruitless," she says, shaking her head. "Perhaps an outside opinion will help. I've invited a former member of the Order who knows Cayde to speak her mind on the matter." She scans the crowd for Navi. "Navi... are you here?"

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu is taken aback by Annelia's words. "You are very blase about your power. Has anyone bothered to ask Cayde what exactly he was doing in the Chancellor's mind?"

    The master senses that he is not making headway here. "Councilors, I wish to be alone with my thoughts. By your leave?"

Caius Astras (334) has posed:
As he's addressed again, Caius holds and does not take a seat though even he seems slightly thrown off by Ann's words. It seems he's not in total agreement on some of her interpertation there but he's not about to contradict her right now. It's a minor point.

"We encountered a terrible force that had gathered power beneath Jedha and was feeding off of the trauma and death left behind in the wake of the Battle of Jedha and negatively impacting and maddening The Force Users there. I can't describe it other then to say it was monstrous and that The Force itself seemed to be swallowed by its presence. Despite that, we were able to utilize our abilities to drive it back and cleanse its influence beneath the temple."

He leaves out some details of course. Best to not derail this.

"Cayde Alexis was instrumental in that effort. Without his help it would not have been possible, I am certain of that. It was an effort all three of us participated in and..."

He pauses to throw a peace offering, "Without the guidance and wisdom of Master Volk and Master Windu we would not have made it as far as we did."

Navi has posed:
Navi approaches the Council, unhooded, her hands tucked into her sleeves. Her eyes are haunted, and have been since she entered and tucked herself into an out-of-the-way corner of the chamber.

"You cannot give this politician what he wants," she says quietly. "If you do, even once, you will forever dance on the strings of people just like him," she says quietly. "That's my first point. The second is that there is something deeply troubling about those two... the politician who thought he was attacked, and his joined-at-the-elbow functionary, who seemed to have the most to say regarding that or anything else at the summit that day. The latter is not the sort of person you give in to, unless you want to be giving in for the rest of your life. Going by my own experiences, Cayde stumbled upon something, something this man doesn't want to come to light. Find out what that is, and this whole situation will resolve itself to everyone's satisfaction. Except the functionary's, but I don't believe he counts. I know I don't count him."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde looks away for a moment when Pike asks if anyone has bothered asking him what he was doing in the Chancellor's mind. Well it wasn't quite that simple. But as per usual, he isn't sure how to explain to them what exactly happened. [I was not...] he begins to sign (for those who are looking at him, anyway) but doesn't get much farther than that.

    Master Karina nods at Caius. "Thank you Caius. Though you may have acted without our authorization, I am glad that you did. Why should we sit here, arguing and deliberating about what should be done, while others suffer? As you can see, the padawan did well on Jedha. And I will point out that he has come quite far the past few years. So it is not as if we haven't seen any improvement. He is learning, but these things take time. All of us made mistakes when we were young, did we not?"

    Anri folds her arms at the argument about the fleet, but nods at Navi's words. "What does the fleet matter, if we lose who we truly are? We are not just another branch full of government officials."

Athena (159) has posed:
Yaddle nods at Pike. "I doubt we'll come to a definitive decision by the end of today's session, anyway," she says, starting to sound tired. She turns to rest her gaze on Ann. "Annelia, while protecting those who need protect will always remain an important tenet of the Order, you must remember that above all else, we are peacemakers. We only resort to violence and other more aggressive applications of the Force if our hands are forced. We only kill as a very, very last resort, and there really is no other way."

She frowns at Caius' report of what they'd found in Jedha. "Caius... will you and Ann write a formal report detailing all that you found on Jedha? The Council will then deliberate over it."

"And yet," another Councilor adds. "Cayde could be considered somewhat responsible for what occurred to Master Tomi in the first place. In fact, we speak of the incident at the Outer Rim Economic Convention being a single event, when in fact, it was not. It was the second time Padawan Alexis lost control, or reacted impulsively in a manner that had terrible ramifications."

The councilmember who had mentioned the funding for Valkeri Enterprises sighs, his irritation evident. "Shall we resist then and compromise our fleet? People will die. Even now, a task force of Jedi chasing pirates are returning to Coruscant to see about repairs for their four damaged Jedi Vectors. If they cannot leave in a timely fashion the pirates will escape and raze the small rural town on Nakadia they've been plaguing for the past few weeks. If it was his intention to leave us between a rock and a hard place, well then, he has done it."

Yarael surveys Navi quietly. "What do you know about these two, then?" he asks. Then his elongated neck swivels towards Cayde. "Your friend is not wrong. Perhaps you'd like to tell us about what happened at the convention...?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Karina exhales sharply when it's mentioned that Cayde was responsible for Tomi's condition. "Which is a testament to his strong resolve in righting the wrongs he's had a hand in creating, something I thought was a virtue we -value-." she points out, her voice beginning to rise a bit. "And -succeeded- in doing so, might I add. Yes, two mistakes in the past few months. How many mistakes did -you- make every month, when you were his age?" She looks over at Ann. "I'm sure Annelia can tell us how many other -good things- he's accomplished in that same amount of time, aside even from the success on Jedha, against a threat that even masters considered too dangerous to confront directly."

    When asked to explain what happened at the convention, Cayde flushes and stares at the floor. Finally, he manages to sign: [I do not know how...I am sorry master]

Navi has posed:
"Until that day, I'd never met either of them, and had never heard of them. The official struck me as vacillating, and rather easily led. His functionary seemed... potentially ambitious, and certainly very pushy. He also seemed like he didn't want to be at the summit at all," Navi replies softly to Yarael. "When things happened, he was swift to take control, and to insist that the official leave immediately, or at least sequester himself for the rest of the summit. If any complaint was lodged, I am sure the functionary was the driving force behind it. And that if there is a problem, he is at the heart of it. I have that feeling. I have learned to trust my feelings when they tell me such things." She gives Cayde a sympathetic look.

"There is one way, or so I've learned from the smugglers and secret agents... acquiesce without acquiescing. Show them one action, but do another. And investigate that functionary until you know what's driving this matter. When the time is right... expose his deception. The Chancellor's Office will thank you, and likely will even praise you, and reverse their course. Sometimes you can only prove your point to bureaucrats by proving just how wrong they really are."

Athena (159) has posed:
"It /is/," the other councilmember argues. "But these mistakes did not jeopardize the Order's operations as a whole!" He sighs, and shakes his head then, waving his hand in a conciliatory fashion.

Yarael pats Cayde on the shoulder gently. "That's alright," he says, "The matter Navi has put before us is worth looking into, at the very least. Using deception, however..." he wiggles his eyebrows at the young Sephi. "I see that your reputation on Jedha precedes you, Navi. Volk has told me as much, about your cavorting with criminals. The constables there told him you'd participated in an illegal pit fight outside of the Holy City. Ha! Perhaps you've gotten wiser now that you've left the Order...! How ironic!"

He then takes his seat again, and Yoda himself leaves his seat to take a look around at the Jedi gathered. "Reach a decision about what to do with the young padawan today, we will not," he says, blinking slowly. "Mull these things over, the Council must. We will reconvene on a later day, once the Council has deliberated and made a decision."

Yaddle inclines her head slightly. "Yes.. unfortunately we were not able to discuss some of the other matters that we were supposed to discuss today, so during the second meeting we will announce our decision regarding Cayde and re-open forum for the other matters we were not able to cover today." She then looks over at Anne and Cayde. "In the meantime, I think it would be best if you two further looked into this ... functionary that Navi mentioned. Perhaps she can lend you aid, as well."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann watches quietly for a while, having apparently exhausted some portion of her fire- perhaps with having driven off a Master with her sheer grousing.

    "Ah, Master Yarael? In the meantime if we're reconvening, could we have a chat in the next few days?"

    "As for the functionary... I'll see what I can do. I'm not... entirely convinced that wasn't related to the kidnapping either. We may have a few potential avenues of investigation."

Navi has posed:
"That is a very long story, Master, and very nuanced," Navi observes softly. "I'll be happy to tell you all of it, but I would be very appreciative if you then told it to others. Right now there are at least six versions of that incident, and they're /all/ at least half wrong."

She looks to Cayde and Ann. "I'll help however I can. If it comes to deception, Cayde and I are of a similar size... I can become an exiled Cayde if needs must."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Master Karina looks about ready to answer the other councilmember with just as much heat, but then Yoda and Yaddle decide to adjourn the meeting. Instead, she just hmphs quietly and folds her arms, looking somewhat disturbed.

    Cayde quickly gets down from the dais, eager to get out of being the center of attention. However, his heart is still heavy...what if they confined him to the Temple again? Or decided he'd failed his training? He'd never learn to control it...

    At the very least it seemed he wouldn't be kicked out of the Order. He sighs heavily, his face downcast as he starts to leave the Council chamber.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Of course, but the common denominator among all of them is that you were in your underwear for an inappropriate amount of time!" Yarael chuckles, while the other Masters seem shocked or somewhat disgusted by his mild crudeness.

Yarael nods when Ann request they have a chat. "Certainly," the elder Quermian says. "And you should rest assured that I will always be your advocate, no matter what." A slight pause. "We haven't sparred, have we? What a shame..."

"I'm glad to see that you've already identified multiple angles," Yaddle says with a nod. "But please be careful. If Cayde is to be involved in any way, which, I'm certain he will, you /must/ accompany him. I don't want to call this in-between time probationary, but you're wise enough to know that regardless of whatever we decide, you and your padawan are possibly treading in krel shark infested waters. I'll be frank because I know you are already aware, but you are no diplomat, Annelia. And you may find yourself in uncharted territory among politicians. I take no pleasure in politicking either, so be warned." The diminutive Jedi Master watches Cayde go, sighing heavily. "I promise we will try our best not to keep you two waiting," Yaddle says. She then bows politely to Annelia. "May the Force be with you."

"This session is now formally adjourned," she announces to everyone else. "Please watch the holoboards for when we'll announce our reconvening." Then the Councilmembers, along with the rest of the Jedi, slowly begin to all file out.

Navi has posed:
"At the time, that was the least of my troubles," Navi replies softly, blushing noticeably. "Which was the /other/ common denominator. Please forgive Master Yarael's jest, Councilors, Masters, and everyone else. I think his sense of humor outran his sense for a moment there. May the Force be with you all. Yes, Master, Yarael, even you."

She moves to join Ann and Cayde. "If I can help in any way, please let me know. I'm not bound by the rules of the Order, so I can act with a little more freedom." Whatever restrictions the Shining Brotherhood places on her, she doesn't mention.