章節 15: Force Bonds & Unhappiness In The Senate

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~~~(POV: Jedi Padawan Taylor Azure)~~~

~~~(Location: Training Room, Jedi Temple, Coruscant)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 17 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 568 BBY)~~~

Mom stands next to me as we overlook one of the training rooms. Ezark and Dysare are training together below us. After the death of Master Hendi, Ezark was taken in by Dysare to complete his training. Dysare and Tezor were good friends growing up.

Being in the same clan does that.

It took around eight months for Ezark to get used to his Mechno-arm. Everything at his right elbow and lower was removed by the Darksider they encountered on Zeltros.

Speaking of the Darksider... When the council decided to stop pursuing him, Dysare threatened to leave the Order. Not that anyone blamed him. After a few days, he came around to see it's not a good idea.

"He's become much stronger since the passing of Tezor... Do you know why, Taylor..."

The question that comes from Mom isn't an unfamiliar one. She's used what's happened to Ezark to teach me. Mainly what's happened to him on the inside. Ezark isn't the same kind and thoughtful boy I grew up with.

He's become distant and absorbed. His anger and hate for the Darksider that took away his Master continues to grow. Many in the Order are worried about him.

I'm worried about him...

"The anger and hate... It's becoming a part of him more than ever now."

Mom's hand rests on my shoulder, and she steps closer. Kissing the side of my head and turning away. To leave me alone. Since I understand, there is no reason to stay and explain.

She's been swamped lately. Her duties and responsibilities with the council have been increasing. I wouldn't be surprised if she were offered another spot on the council. She's been denying it. Saying her focus is on me and not the council.

Despite all the work she's doing right now, she always finds time to train and teach me. No matter what.

My power has grown considerably in the last year. I'm among the strongest for my age, if not the strongest. I try not to let it go to my head, but I take a little pride in how far I've come in such a short time.

All the things that Master Garness taught Mom are being taught to me. I understand why Mom is so powerful and why she was Knighted at such a young age.

At the rate I'm advancing, I'll be a Knight around the same age Mom was. My thoughts are interrupted as Ezark kicks away Dysare and ends the training session with his lightsaber at the Master's throat.

He deactivates it a second later and smiles. Helping his Master up in the process.

"You've come a long way under my training. It's safe to say you're one of the best duelists in the Order now. Just remember, don't let your emotions control you."

What Master Izok says is true. Ezark has become one of the best lightsaber duelists in the entire Order. Only at the rank of padawan too. There are only a handful of people capable of besting him. Most of the High-Council members are at the top of the list.

Mom can beat him, but I've come to lose more than I win against Ezark now. The fight a year ago changed him... Turned him into a different person...

"Yes, I know, Master. Emotions are bad, and control is good."

The sarcasm in his voice forces a slight frown on Dysares lips. He says nothing, though. They walk away from the training room and to an exit. Leaving the section I'm watching empty.

After a few seconds, I close my eyes and take a breath. Letting The Force flow through me. Entering an almost meditative state. As I do, the world around me goes quiet. There is a comfortable numbness.

That's when I reach out across the Force Bond I have... The one I share with the Darksider... A year ago, I learned that a Bond exists between me and the Darksider. Why, I couldn't tell you. Only that it exists.

Only one other time since our first talk after his fight on Zeltros have we spoken. It was me who did most of the talking. I've come to understand he's not much for words.

Since that talk, every time I reach out. I receive nothing in return. He feels me, and I know he can hear my attempts. Yet, he chooses to ignore me.

[Are you there?]

My words transfer through the Bond, but I don't get my hopes up. Many would argue what I'm doing isn't wise, but it's okay since I'm the only one that knows about the Force Bond. I thought about it and decided to keep it to myself.

The council and the Order don't need to know I have a Bond with the Darksider. The reason I haven't told Mom stems from how overprotective she can be.

There are times when I sleep, and I can see through his eyes. Feel what he feels. I'm trying to help him as much as I can... Trying to change him... I don't know why I'm doing it... I just feel like it's something I have to do...

That I have to try...

[Have you seen my life and dreams as I've seen yours?]

I've glimpsed moments of his life... His past... He was a slave once in his life... That's all I've seen when it comes to his past. When that happened, he took precautions to ensure I didn't see that through our Bond.

But things still slip through from time to time.

It's a two-way connection, and I'm sure he's seen parts of my life and dreams as I have his. Even now, I can feel him listening, but he's not responding.

Sigh.

The breath of air escapes my lips, and my efforts of channeling The Force are bolstered with more power.

There was something Ezark told me after he recovered.

The Darksider they fought had a striking resemblance to me. It even confused them a little in their fight.

[Will you say something? Please?]

It's hard for me to see him as everyone else does. The Bond I share with him reveals more to me than anyone else knows in the Order. Sure, I don't know his name or what he looks like. Only that I share a deep Bond with him.

Some of his memories and experiences...

Ezark would hate me by extension for saying this, but I've come to care about the Darksider. He's never known a life of happiness... Of joy... Of peace... All he's ever known is pain, hate, and anger.

My feelings of compassion and concern are channeled into and through the Bond. To the man, I'm connected with by The Force.

[I'd like to meet you one day. To know why a Bond is formed between us. To understand who you are to me.]

Why The Force has connected us will always remain a mystery to me. As I'm just about to stop channeling The Force through our Bond after almost a year of silence. I finally get a response.

[We'll meet. Someday.]

That's when my heart swells with...

Joy? Happiness? Excitement?

A mixture of all three...

As the connection ends, sound returns to my world. A breath leaves me, and I open my eyes. I shouldn't stay here much longer. Mom and I have a mission to prepare for on Ryloth. We're to help the Twi'lek people there.

Slavers have been increasingly violent and brutal to them. They've called on the Jedi to help. It's a world I've never been to before. One that I know has a troubled place in the galaxy.

The Twi'leks of Ryloth aren't against Slavers. Not in the same way other species are. Twi'leks themselves are incapable of interstellar travel. They use Slavers as a way to spread their kind among the stars.

A rather cruel fate to hold, but one they make the best of. I'm looking forward to meeting them. The Twi'lek Jedi at the Temple know almost nothing personal about Ryloth.

The questions I've asked them will go to the people I meet.

~~~(POV: Adren Saydra)~~~

~~~(Location: Light Freighter, Hyperspace, Hydian Way Hyperroute)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 17 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 568 BBY)~~~

[We'll meet. Someday.]

As my words reach across the Force Bond, it ends. I don't know why she's so determined to speak with me. To engage me in conversation. Her attempts to understand and connect with me are puzzling.

She knows what I am, what I've done. Yet, she cares for me... It's something I've only experienced once in my life. The only person who has cared for me died long ago.

Now, someone I've never met before cares about me. The Force Bond we share is powerful... It connects us in ways that I never thought possible. She sees my memories and dreams. And I see the same from her.

I've found ways to keep that from happening most of the time. My name being known to her isn't something I want. They already have my face. And a name to go with a face is a problem I don't want.

My eyes slowly open as air fills my lungs. Once I stand up and make my way out of my room. I enter the kitchen. D4 is watching some holonet films.

The astromech has developed a curious taste for drama. Something that holds no interest to me. As I sit at the table with some food, a simple move from my finger changes the channel.

BEEP. BOOP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BOOP.

He makes his contempt for my disregard obvious. Saying something along the lines of heartlessness and lack of empathy. Nothing I haven't heard before.

"Get over it."

He rolls away, making a storm of noise. A droid with that many opinions isn't something I'd thought I'd call a friend. However, that is what he is.

The new holochannel depicts a live broadcast of the Senate. Chancellor Regalm has come under tremendous fire and criticism in the last six months. Even his allies are turning against him. The galaxies Rim is practically a death sentence.

I put my legs up and lean back as I eat my food. Life in the Rim is nothing compared to the luxury and freedom in the Core. Most of the Senate resides in the Rim. Chancellor Regalm's time in office is coming to an end.

Based on what I'm seeing and hearing.

~~~(POV: Jedi Master Krayla Azure)~~~

~~~(Location: Transport Craft, Outside The Senate Building, Coruscant)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 37 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 568 BBY)~~~

The transport vehicle slowly lands on one of the landing pads outside the Senate building. Haden is standing next to me as I exit onto the metal floor. We're here to speak with Chancellor Regalm regarding the Rim.

To be honest, my mind is elsewhere. My concerns for my daughter continue to grow. She's hiding something from me. I don't know what they are, but I do know it's changing her.

Over the last year, she's become powerful. More than I thought possible. Far more than the last few under my tutelage. Ever since Ezark came back, she's been secretive in a subtle way. No one would notice if they weren't close to her.

I'm sure I'm the only one that has noticed. It's easy for me to see the changes since she's my daughter. I wanted to talk with her about it. I've been trying to find the time for a conversation like that. One that's accusatory.

No matter how hard I try, that's how it'll come out. She's a Jedi, but she's also a teenage girl. She must be struggling with feelings that I had at that age.

"Something on your mind? You're usually eager to talk when you're back from a mission. But you haven't spoken a word since we left the Temple."

Haden's words take me from my thoughts, and I look up from the ground. We're about to enter the Senate building.

"There is always something on my mind, Haden. In regards to what, there are so many things. These last 15 years have been a time of great change for the Order. Along with the Jedi within it. I'm starting to think we're losing our way."

Instead of talking about what's really on my mind, I divert it to something that is a subject I've thought about. In recent years, I've come to change my way of thinking. At first, it was only a few things. But now, with how everything is now.

I believe the Jedi are moving too far from their core ideals. We're becoming too subservient to the Senate. We've lost touch with the wider galaxy. People don't see us or treat us as they used to.

Haden gains a look of slight concern, and he's about to say something. But instead, the roars of the Senate chambers take our attention. Even outside the room, it sounds like a stadium where people fight.

We share a look of bewilderment since this is the first time either of us has heard this before. We enter an elevator and exit onto one of the Senate floors. We're in a pod overlooking all of the Senate.

I lean over the edge, and my eyes widen slightly. There are Senators literally at each other's throats. Regalm is trying to bring everything under control again, but nothing is working.

Haden reaches for the console. He's looking to take us down to bring order, but I reach out and grab his wrist, stopping him before he can.

I shake my head.

"We're not Senators. This isn't something we involve ourselves in. Where do we draw the line on how much the Senate influences the Order, and how much the Order influences the Senate..."

A solemn expression takes form on my old friend's features. He pulls his hand away from the console, and I let go of his wrist.

"The Rim isn't getting better anytime soon, but should they all act like this?"

Haden's question proves how little he knows about the actual condition of the Rim. Taylor and I spend most of our time away from the Temple in those parts of the galaxy. Unless you're wealthy or a Jedi, you're not safe.

Some of these Senators are willing to fight each other for the resources and protection they need. The pirates have become very powerful. Now that the Hutt Cartel is in shambles, the pirates have filled the void of power in the galaxy.

The Darksider we left alone after defeating Master Hendi continued hunting the Hutt. Destroying the Cartel and leaving it in scattered pieces.

It's caused our enemies, in the pirates, to gain unseen power. At this point, they've got more Credits than the Republic does. The Banking Clans and Trade Federation are making that clear.

"When people are truly desperate, they'll do anything. Even fight and harm in a place that's supposed to be civilized. That's the state we're in now, Haden..."

He wasn't expecting an answer to his question, but he's got one. The shouting and screaming get worse. So bad the Chancellor descends and sends in the Senate guards.

Even now, the fighting won't end. We have a meeting with the Chancellor, and after seeing this. We both know what he's planning to ask of us. It depends on whether or not we accept.

Or rather, I accept.

If this deterioration of the Order and Senate continues, I'm leaving the Order with my daughter. I'll wait until after she's Knighted in a few days, but at this point, there is no reason to stay.

I'll talk to her and see if she agrees. She's ready to be a Knight. She's far stronger than I ever was at her age.

I'm so proud of her. She probably won't like leaving the Order. But we agree when it comes to a lot of things. Especially the state of the Order and the Republic.