Hyperspace

[Dav Man'Sell]

The girl scoffed, shaking her head as she turned away from him for a second. She looked back, and her pain, her unsureness, had both been replaced now by incredulity and disbelief.

=Carrie Stonewilde=
"The Jedi help? They just help?!"

Again, she broke eye contact, her animated eyebrows arching, as she rolled her eyes.

=Carrie Stonewilde=
"I'm not saying we can't fight alongside them. I'm not saying ordinary people haven't fought alongside them, and achieved incredible things. And I wouldn't even be here if I didn't think we had the ability, and the responsibility to fight, to do the right thing. But you're practically talking about supplanting them altogether. I might be young, but I'm not so naive to think we can do it without them. I'm not... not..." She lifted her hands, looking around herself, as if the word she sought would just appear out of the walls. Perhaps it well did, because she turned back to Veren suddenly and sharply, her eyes blazing with passion and anger. "Deluded enough to think that the Galaxy would still be anything less than a living hell if they weren't here to fight the battles that are literally beyond us. The Yuuzhan Vong, the Empire, even your own fallen hero; you think they would have been defeated without the Jedi? You think that 'ordinary' people could stand up to that kind of evil without them?"

Again, she broke eye contact, her animated eyebrows arching, her hands curling into fists at her side, before, once more, she snapped back to him.

=Carrie Stonewilde=
"And I'm not so disrespectful to undervalue the effort they put in, the sacrifices they make, to stand in defence of us. Of everyone. I don't know what that Joshua's problem is, or why he's being the way he is with us. But if you think that they go out there looking for all the glory, and if you think that they think they're the only ones that can do the right thing, and if you think that all that's good, and right, and honest, stands a chance without them, then... then..."

Again, she seemed to search for words, the whole thing having run away from her a bit in her anger and frustration at the Mirialan. Finding no eloquent conclusion to her argument, she instead jabbed a finger at his face, millimetres from his nose, and shot back a simple and to-the-point summation.

=Carrie Stonewilde=
"...Then you're an idiot as well as an arsehole!"

As if to punctuate her none-to-polite, nor intellectual, thesis, she spun on her heel, and stormed straight off in the opposite direction, heading she-knew-not-where, just knowing she wanted to be away from him.

[Joshua Kierra-Solo]

"Perhaps being banned from Gee Aye worlds would be a boon, no? Keep me out of trouble..."



"Its better that he let of some steam now, Master, then to lose focus at a critical moment. Go after him if you think it best, talk to him, though don't be surprised if you get nothing but strife. There's more going on here than hate at first sight..."



"There's a reason I distrust spies. Perhaps there's an equally valid reason Veren distrusts Jedi..."



"We can both talk to him. I'll even apologies... though its probably better I poke him with that stick."

[Ronan Starflare]

"Perhaps you're right."

[Joshua Kierra-Solo]

"Arfive deefour, is it?"



"Any particular nickname, my friend?"







"No... Rusty is as good a name as any."



:: Wayward One here. Four green and ready to dance...

[Ronan Starflare]

"I copy Wayward One. Stand by."



"Sit, both of you." "We just had a blow-up right before an op and I don't need the Force to tell me that kills our chance of success. So we're going to work it out. Here. Right now."



"I don't want your credit. You want to take the credit for saving the Galaxy? Take it. I don't want it.

"What I do want to do is save lives. If that means I have to take a billion to save a trillion, I will."



"I think I can save the most lives by taking supplies to Yavin, not by sitting on the bridge of the Argentine, the Megador, or any other ship in the fleet. There are more people on Yavin IV that are not Jedi than those that are. I'm saving them too. And if that means I have to stomp a few buckets off the heads of the Mandalorians, then that is what I'll do.

"Those people, the soldiers. They're there because of the Jedi. They didn't give up their lives. Their lives were taken from them. Because of where they were, what they did for a living. I'm doing this for them as much as my friends. Because they didn't deserve to have life knocked out from under them, and neither do the two of you."



"Nobody does."

[Jago]

The Mirialan let the Jedi Master speak, to say what he felt he had to say. He let him tell him the importance of Yavin IV, the idea that orders sometimes were not the equivalent of doing what was right, and that they, too, were good soldiers who were thrust into an unforgiving situation. Agent Eks already knew all of this, though. He understood the implications of what they were setting out to do, what the Mandalorian Blockade meant for the rest of The Galaxy and, honestly, he was sick of the excuses. Master Starflare would kill Billions to save Trillions? Weren't the Jedi supposed to stop the taking of lives long before they reached those numbers?

If he wanted to save Trillions, the Agent thought, he'd be better off doing what was assigned. Command the Fleet. Let Yavin Hold. Bring the fight to the Mandalorians where it would hurt them most and end this war before it began in earnest.

But he did not interrupt. He did not stand, he was as polite and courteous as they come. This all came as a result of his words and actions. The Admiral felt necessary that they have this little chit-chat because of what he had said earlier.

That, the fact that the Jedi needed to have this talk with them before setting into danger, spoke volumes more than Veren could ever ask of the war hero. It struck a nerve that did not invoke anger, disbelief, or frustration. Just a sigh, a soft, quiet thing that seeped out with the strength that held his shoulders up.

The Jedi did not trust him. Did not trust him to do his damn job, what was asked of him, just because of a difference in opinion. Was this why Daala took such measures against them? Because words spoken against the Jedi were treated as cassus belli? Granted, she had been insane, and had gone to measures so drastic as to be considered tyrannical, but ... Veren wondered.

Was there a point to it? To this idea that Jedi in the holovids were much, much different, it seemed, from what they were like in real life?

This one in front of him did not trust him. So much so that he had to speak with him before launch, to make amends, the Mirialan supposed, so that Veren would therefore watch his back. As if he wouldn't do that without this little sit-down.

That feeling, more than anything, dictated his next action.

" I see, Sir."

He rose slowly. Gave Carrie a nod. The girl was growing fast: she would make an excellent officer when her time came. Training her had been a privilege, that it had.

His hand was brought to a light salute of the Jedi Admiral.

" Then with all due respect, Admiral, I'll be stepping back from this operation. Agent Stonewilde is more than capable to help, as I'm sure someone else on this vessel would be. I, myself, will assist from this warship. Try and pull a few contacts to nab whatever else we can from the Fleet in lieu of dedicated support."

It was a soldier's place to know where to be most effective. As was demonstrated to him, aboard the blockade runner that would finally show the Mandalorians that their precious wall was anything but invincible, was not his place.

He made to leave, nodding before he did to both of them.

" Agent Stonewilde. Master Admiral."

[Ronan Starflare]

"Sit. Down."



"Agent Eks, I'm going to ask you a question, possibly in two parts. I want you to answer honestly and openly. I can check to see if you're lying, though I'd rather not invade your mind because I respect you more than that."



"So, question, Agent Eks: Just what is it that you want from me?"

[Jago]

He walked into a wall.

An invisible war. The Mirialan bounced off of it and nearly wound up on his backside, not expecting to be stopped so suddenly, not expecting the bruise that appeared on his forehead.

The Force.

The Jedi had used The Force on him. To stop him. To trap him.

What. The Hell.

He wheeled around, violet eyes narrowed in anger. The arrogance! To use The Force on an unarmed man trying to walk away from a situation, to diffuse it!? There had been a Force User within The Empire that had done similar things to those that disagreed with or displeased him. Was this what the New Jedi Order was coming to, then? Men and Women that would abuse their powers just to get their point across!? What happened to only using The Force to defend, never to attack??

And yet, attacked he was. Again. Whether or not it was done with the semi-calm demeanor of a Jedi scorned, it was still aggressive in intent. Provoking. It disturbed the Agent to see this so, that this was what The Order called Jedi now. Master, no less: a cocky, arrogant, and with the need to be in complete control. So much so that he couldn't very much defend his own beliefs without attacking Veren, nor had he even posited to ask Veren if this was what he wanted. Not even a sliver of asking the Mirialan to trust the Jedi, but merely finding his views disagreeable and, so, dismissing them as to the assumption that that was all that he was.

So it was that when Ronan asked Veren what he wanted from the Jedi Master, there were a few choice words seeping towards his tongue.

Until his eyes caught Carrie.

She looked up to them. The Servants of The Force. Even his own people had a special relationship with that mystical power, believing that it brought them all together in some way, shape, or form. Destiny. Fate. Was it then The Force, and not his actions or words, that brought him here, in front of The Jedi? And if that was so, whose fate was it to be changed here? The Agent, or The Jedi?

He relented slightly. He had had enough of anger and pointed questions and accusations railed against by staunch, unbending defenses.

So he spoke. Calmly. Peacefully. In the way that the Sages that had taught him back in the frozen temples of Mirial once did.

" Master Admiral. You stop my leaving with The Force. You threaten me with it soon after in your words. You demand that I trust you wholeheartedly, just because of your title, because of what The Order calls you."

He folded his arms behind his back: he wasn't going to sit, because he wasn't going to give Ronan power over him. If he felt this talk needed to happen, then they were going to do it as equals. Not as Commander and Subordinate.

" But aside from being a Jedi, what assurances have you given me that you're capable to lead, here? What reason have you given me to trust you? In the short time I've met you, you've disobeyed a direct order from your Commander, Battlemaster Man'sell. You then refuted advice on the matter and declared this idea to break the blockade of Yavin Four, not with the full weight of the Alliance to bear, but with one, small ship, as if it is going to turn the tide, and after I, rightly, defended myself under accusations of treachery from Jedi Kierra-Solo, I am branded a villain for doing so?"

His stance relaxed. Veren Eks spoke: he did not yell, or accuse, or declare. He spoke as if he had known Ronan for far longer, as if pleading. Asking. Begging for a reason to trust in The Jedi again, a reason he had been not given.

" Master Man'sell wanted you to stay away from Yavin, Master Admiral. He wanted you to lead the fight elsewhere, to protect the rest of the Universe and lead the counterattack to hit the Mandalorians where it would hurt. To strike Concord Dawn, their shipyards and factories elsewhere. Yavin Four would hold them down, would keep them rooted while we were supposed to save the Galaxy by ending this war now. Before we could get to the point where you, or I, or Carrie, or anyone would need to take 'billions of lives to save trillions'."

He sighed.

" So I ask, again, because I've asked before and I still don't have a reason to fight, Sir: Why is Yavin Four so important? And don't tell me it's because of your friends or the other people there: it is small, out of the way, and insignificant, and we have the best opportunity, right now, of stopping the Mandalorian War Machine while your friends give us the time we need, to the point where saving them would be a matter of just showing up in the system because we'll have ended this fighting long before billions, millions, or even thousands would be grieving. So why now? Why are we going to hit a blockade with a tiny ship when we were specifically told, by the very people fighting on that Moon, to stay far away ..?"

[Ronan Starflare]

"You're right. I've taken for granted my position, my talents. As well as the level of inherent trust that comes with being what I am."



"Dav's plan to tie the bucketheads up at Yavin is a sound one, one that makes a high degree of tactical sense. Attacking the Mandalorians at Concord Dawn, Mandalore, and various other places also makes tactical sense. However, it does not make political sense.

"The Senate believes this to be an isolated incident. And anybody who has dealt with Mandalorians before knows just how wrong that is. For the politicians to come to the conclusion that this is a war, rather than a religious squabble, will take time. Time that the defenders of Yavin have to hold out. The politicians would have to authorize troop movements and forced deployments, and that takes even more time. For the Jedi of Yavin to sufficiently tie up the Mandalorians, they need more than what they have access to currently.

"Meanwhile, we still have to ensure the Mandalorians do not get...bored, I suppose. And the best way to keep a buckethead busy is to fight him. We can't do that from here. So we annoy them instead. Not by breaking the blockade, but rather by running it. This will undoubtedly frustrate the Mandos. My aim is to prey on the Mandalorian commander's desire to be successful in his blockade. And whilst doing that, I supply my friends with the materiel to continue to occupy the Mandos' attention, creating a reoccurring cycle."



"You want a reason to trust me. I can sympathize with your desire. However, I can't give you a good reason to trust me, merely show you that I'm not hawk-bat-crazy. Which I hope I've done."



"I know my actions cannot turn the tide. What I know they can do, what the Force has told me that they will do, is to be the first stone thrown into the water to start the ripple."

[Jago]

" And what if it's not just a ripple, Sir? What if this starts a tidal wave that you can't control, that none of us can?"

Veren sighed, dipping his head. The Jedi simply did not understand, no matter how many times he asked. A straight answer was refused to him over and over, with excuses being thrown at him. Yavin would not hold, the Jedi said? Pshaw, the Mirialan retorted: the Jedi had faced down invasions before, armed with less, and proven so victorious that their foes never recovered.

And even there, at the end. The Jedi Master, a Jedi Master of all things, could give him no reason to trust him? Not a one? Not a single word, not even an attempt?

" Master Admiral, I've followed enough mad men with their shiny boxes and ships and sabers for a lifetime. If ... If this is the Will of The Force ..."

Mirial taught a similar view to the Jedi on such things. Destiny. Fate. Hovering around the edges of perception, both physical and otherwise, were moments that would always come to pass. Things that had to be done, by those willing to accept them and those who were not.

It was the source of the markings upon his face, the tattoos that adorned his chin and forehead, that graced his cheeks with symmetrical precision. This belief, this trust in The Force. But here, among the Jedi and their counterparts, the Sith, were beings who could change The Force. Who could manipulate Fate as such that things that had been foreseen would never come to pass.

He wondered, was this such a moment? Was a Jedi going to change something that seemed so definitive? The look in Ronan's eyes when he spoke of helping Yavin IV ... Was that the same gaze a young farmboy had cast to the binary suns of his homeworld before turning the very Universe upside-down?

" Then who am I to argue against it? We're all destined for something, Master Admiral. Perhaps this is my entry into Yavin's tapestry."

Veren gave a small, curt nod. He was less than pleased with both of the Jedi's behavior, but ... at least the one before him had made the attempt to understand him. Where he came from, and why he thought the way he did. It was an admirable action, and so Veren respected the man by agreeing to this quest to save a Moon in the middle of nowhere, to protect a government that didn't want them protecting it.

Life was strange.

" Tell me, Master Admiral ... The Force. It tells you things, like this ripple you mentioned. Does ... Does it say anything about how this ends? Between the Jedi and the Mandalorians, the Alliance?"

It may have told you about your destiny, Jedi, but are our actions worth anything ..?