A/N: Not much to say here, other than a shout out to the readers. Thanks for reading my stories. It helps a lot. And, judging from the traffic on my character pieces in comparison to 'regular work', I'll probably do one more CP at the least. One other note-I've changed my description from 'Master of the Council' to the canonically correct 'Grand Master of the Order'. Probably won't fix the previous work, but they're one and the same for story purposes.
Star Wars: Tales of the Old Republic III: Diplomacy of a Jedi
The Grand Master stood at the edge of the observation deck, gazing at the Coruscanti skyline in the sunset. He didn't immediately notice it when Jolee walked up beside him, also partaking in the view.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Jolee asked.
"Indeed." he replied.
"James, I've come to talk with you something." Jolee said, shifting his feet.
The man smiled. "You may always speak unhindered, old friend."
"It's about Cade and Arianna. I'm worried that pairing the two may not have been such a good idea." Jolee stated.
James arched an eyebrow. "Cade is a Master, is he not? And Arianna needed a Master. You agreed to the assignment."
Jolee shook his head. "I know I did. But I'm not so sure anymore. Traditionally, we assign Padawan learners to Masters for the benefit of both. The Padawan is expected to pass his or her master in the course of their training. But that won't be the case here. With Cade being a Warmaster, it's virtually impossible for her to surpass him. What if she desires more power, power she is unable to acquire from the Jedi?"
He stopped there.
"You have more to say?" the Grand Master asked, waiting.
"While I don't believe it could happen, ever, we must be consider the effects if Cade were to...fall to the dark side. In most cases, the Padawan would not follow. But Arianna is different. She idolizes Cade, and if he joins the dark side, she would follow. It would be an easy way for her to acquire more power, fufilling her potential desire to surpass her master."
"You suppose a lot, Jolee." James said, showing no reaction.
"I know I may be crazy, but I've seen too much in my time to let this by without a word. While he doesn't possess the charisma, Cade is a natural leader in the way Revan was at the beginning of the Wars. The students all look up to him. That could be even more dangerous. The Order is still weak and rebuilding. We need every student we can get. If Cade were to lead them off, it would cripple us."
James frowned at that statement. "We will have to monitor this carefully and quietly. I'll talk with a few people to get their opinion. Most likely, nothing will happen, but we shall be ready if it does."
Jolee nodded, walking back inside.
__________
Two weeks later.
Cade stepped off the public tram into the Onderon sun. Arianna walked out beside him. He looked around for a familiar face. It didn't take long before he noticed Rachel waving to him.
"Over there." he said, walking towards her.
"We were wondering if you would make it in time. The ambassadors are going to meet in an hour, but there should be enough time to get you both back to the Palace." Rachel said, starting the speeder.
Queen Talia had put in a call to the Jedi to adjudicate the meeting of the ambassadors representing the Onderonian and Mandalorian interests for the system. It was widely expected to be a disaster, which was why the Queen had made the request. Initially, only Revan, Rachel, and a few others had been sent, but after the first meetings Revan had requested his presence. Cade wasn't sure why. He had the least diplomatic experience of them all, and power was of no use here. Still, it could prove to be a good learning experience, for the both of them. Arianna was showing promise in these kind of matters, and the Jedi needed good negotiators more than anything else at the moment.
The speeder pulled up to the gate. Rachel handed a small data chip to the guard, who scanned it, nodded, and ordered the gate opened. Rachel gunned the throttle, taking them into the garage.
Cade walked into the common area, where the diplomats were milling about, chatting and snacking. He acknowledged the few greetings with nods, striding through to the negotiation room. A long, red table filled it from end to end, with chairs on either side.
One of the guards glanced at him. "Jedi sit on the ends of the table." the man stated, motioning to a bench.
Cade walked over there, taking a seat. The diplomats began to file in, taking their seats on either side of the table. They all seem friendly enough. he thought. Rachel and Arianna came in and sat next to him, along with a few other Jedi he didn't recognize. They all seemed to be waiting for something, though.
Finally, he saw Revan walk through the main entrance, accompanied by the Queen and Mandalore. The two leaders sat at the sides of a podium that was set up, which Revan took.
"Welcome, everyone. This begins the fifth day of negotiations. When we paused yesterday, the gentleman representing the Mandalorian group had made a statement regarding the need for increased flights between Dxun and Onderon. This means that the gentleman from Onderon has the floor. I ask the members of the delegations keep their outbursts to a minimum, and to remember why they are here. Proceed." Revan finished.
The head diplomat for Onderon cleared his throat. "Yes, thank you, Master Revan. Now, we are willing to concede the point that increased intrasystem traffic is needed, however..."
Cade immediately felt his mind beginning to wander. He didn't notice how Arianna was hanging on every word, watching everything.
It only got worse as the proceedings went on. Why do they spend five minutes trying to say one thing? Spit it out and move on! he thought, wishing he could walk out.
Arianna looked at him, frowning. This is exciting, and he can't even be bothered to at least look interested! It had been a source of contention between them. She insisted to Cade constantly how she wanted to spend less time with lightsaber exercises and battle tactics and more time in the Archives, as well as learning basic negotiation techniques. But he rarely agreed to it.
She didn't want to complain to someone else. It would look bad, both for her and Cade. She knew, despite the face he put on for the Council and the rest of the Jedi, that he was not handling the stress of his position all that well. There were times she heard him talking to his personal log about how the Council refused to see sense, insisting on 'diplomacy' rather than quick action. Once, when she had suggested a joint study with another Master on a diplomatic subject, he had dismissed her request, saying "Jedi use the Force to act, not to talk. Your time would be spent better on other subjects. Your lightsaber skills are not where they could be."
Another issue between them was the closeness of their ages. He was only twenty, after all. Barely three years her senior. And yet he treated her like a child. Worse, he treated her like an inferior, not an equal.
Across the room, Revan noted the distaste evident on Cade's face, though he didn't react. Most Jedi would recognize that this is a serious situation. His promotion to Master was made too quickly, and based off of his power and status more than anything.
He was well aware of Jolee's concerns, and he had received a message from the Grand Master asking him to assess the situation. He noted with amusement Arianna's face. She understood the situation quite well. Unfortunately, that trait of patience and the use of diplomacy didn't seem to have rubbed off on Cade. That had been the whole purpose of putting the two together. He needed to talk with her later.
It was nearly evening when they agreed to adjourn for the day, until the day after next. Revan turned to Talia and Mandalore. "That went surprisingly well today. I think if we can keep this pace up, the issues should be resolved by the end of the week."
Talia nodded. "I agree. The Mandalorians were especially giving today. Was that all your doing, Mandalore?" she asked.
Mandalore snorted. "No, I told him to be utterly demanding, but he asked me to allow him free reign to achieve most of our goals. Looks like he was right." It was quite an admission from a Mandalorian.
Revan walked outside, crossing the courtyard to the small building where the Jedi were being quartered. Opening the door, he saw Arianna sitting in the antechamber, meditating. He cleared his throat, causing her eyes to open. Motioning for her to follow him, he walked back out.
"Yes, Master Revan?" she asked, falling into step beside him.
"Walk with me." he said curtly.
She said nothing, only continuing to follow him.
When they reached the central fountain he took a seat on one of the benches and gestured for her to sit beside him.
"How goes your training, Padawan?" he asked, trying to keep things formal.
"It goes as I would imagine the Force wills it to go." she replied.
Revan had to suppress a smirk. "Interesting answer, if a bit cryptic. You are learning everything you feel you need in your studies?"
She hesitated. "Mostly, Master Revan."
"What do you feel needs work?" he asked, considering where to lead this.
"Mainly, my negotiation techniques and diplomatic skills." she answered.
"A worthy subject. Have you been working on this with your Master?"
"No. Master Cade feels that those are secondary goals."
"Does he? Well, that is his perogative, I suppose."
She looked like she wanted to say more, but was afraid to.
"Do you feel as though you are ready for the Trials?" he asked.
Her eyes widened.
"This is all hypothetical, of course." he added quickly.
"Then, hypothetically, I feel as though I am ready." she said, nodding slightly. That was good. It meant she understood the fine line he was walking here.
"That is a good thing to be ready for. I hope, should the issue come up in reality, you will feel the same way." he said.
"One would hope. Is there anything else, Master Revan?" she asked.
"Not at the moment. Thank you for your time, Padawan." he replied, getting up to head to his private quarters. He needed to contact Coruscant immediately.
__________
"One moment, Revan. We're waiting for the last Master to arrive." Jolee said.
"Very well." he replied, pulling a chair up to the holographic projector.
After a few minutes, the last member arrived.
"Master Revan, you may begin your report." the Grand Master said, settling back in his chair.
"Masters of the Select Council, as requested I have appraised the situation. I am prepared to make a recommendation based on these findings." Revan said.
"You can dispense with the diplo-speak, Revan. The Select Council is much more informal than the standard. What is your recommendation?" James asked.
"Very well. I've watched Cade's performance today. He plainly did not see the need for these negotiations. It would not be a stretch to label his behavior as disdainful. And, I took the liberty of speaking with Padawan Arianna."
There was a murmur of discontent around the Council chamber at that statement. "Continue, Revan." James prompted, silencing the dissent with a glare.
"She, I am happy to report, shows great promise as a Jedi Knight. From what I can tell, the two of them do not have the relationship typically expected between Master and student. She did not want to say it openly, but once you know certain details, things fall into place. She mentioned that she felt her weakness was in diplomatic matters. When I inquired as to why she did not work on it, she replied 'Master Cade considers that to be a secondary goal.'"
"Is this accurate?" one of the Masters asked.
"To the letter." Revan replied.
"That is most disturbing. Our role as diplomats is one of the key pillars of the Order. To call it a secondary goal is to claim the Order is founded upon a lie." another stated, looking around the room.
Revan did not argue against that statement, not as he once might have. Time had taught him that lesson well. "If you'll forgive the interruption, there is something else to report. I asked her, in the form of a hypothetical question, whether she felt prepared for the Trials. She understood what I was hinting at and replied that, yes, she was hypothetically ready. It was not arrogance on her part, merely a statement of the facts."
"Interesting point, Revan. If she is ready, we could solve the situation without actually causing any harm. Do you feel she would be capable?" Master Li asked.
"I cannot be certain, as I have not seen her in combat. However, her other skills are well beyond those of the typical student. It would not be unusual to recommend her for testing immediately."
Grand Master James looked around at the other members of the Select Council. "Very well. Let us take a vote on whether to begin testing as soon as the Padawan returns. Master Li?"
"Yes."
"Master Ural?"
"Yes."
"Master Revan?"
"Yes." Revan replied.
"Master Bindo?"
"Abstain."
The other Masters nodded, respecting his choice.
"I also vote yes. The issue is decided. We will settle the matter upon their return. Now, do you have an estimate as to how long these proceedings are going to take?" James asked.
"No longer than a week, I would expect. If you would like, I can test Arianna's combat prowess myself, to ensure the correctness of our decision." Revan offered.
"That would be wise. Very well. That concludes this meeting. As always, I must remind everyone that this meeting is a complete secret, and that this council does not exist. May the Force be with us all." James said, standing.
The connection closed.
___________
"All in favor of approving the new treaty?" Revan asked, looking around. All the hands went up. "Any opposed?" No movement came from either side.
"Very well. I declare the treaty to be valid. I thank you all for your service." Revan said, stepping down from the podium.
There was a tangible feeling of relief in the room at the treaty's passage. Things had gotten rather tense in the last day, as several delegates had stormed out in anger over proposed changes. Thankfully, cooler heads had prevailed.
Revan watched as Cade pushed his way out of the room. Sighing, he turned to Mandalore and Talia. "I hope this is to your satisfaction?" They both nodded. "Then, if you'll excuse me I have urgent business to attend to." He walked away.
Entering the Jedi's quarters, he walked over to Cade. "Cade, you and Arianna are welcome to travel back to Coruscant with me on the Hawk."
Cade nodded. "That would be fine, Revan."
Revan nodded. "Very well. I leave within the hour."
As he walked away to the landing area to prepare the ship for departure, he saw Arianna stepping through the door. "You're with me. We're leaving in an hour."
She nodded, not surprised.
____________
Revan engaged the hyperdrive, settling back in the chair. He heard footsteps and saw Cade walk in, taking the co-pilots seat.
"Happy to be headed home?" Revan asked.
"Mostly. Be nice to get back to the Temple." Cade replied.
Revan stretched. "I need a workout. You up to a duel?"
Surprisingly, Cade shook his head. "Not at the moment. Ask Arianna. She needs the extra practice."
Revan had to suppress a laugh. Sometimes this was too easy. "Keep an eye on her for me, will you?"
"Sure thing. I'll call you if something goes wrong." Cade replied, transferring the controls to his station.
Revan walked into the main hold. "Arianna, I need a dueling partner. We'll take it to the cargo hold."
The cargo hold door closed. "I think you owe me an explanation, Master Revan. That 'hypothetical question' wasn't really hypothetical at all, was it?"
"No, Arianna. The Council is considering making you a Jedi Knight. We're just not going about it in the usual way. It'll all be explained when we get back to the Temple, but for now I need to test your combat prowess. Ready?" he asked, drawing his saber.
"Ready." She replied, dropping into a Niman stance.
Revan decided to use a simple Shii-Cho form, since he was only testing her. He rushed forward, swinging. She deflected the strike, moving to the side and trying to trip him. He hopped over her leg, continuing to batter her defenses. After several minutes, Revan called for a pause.
"Impressive. Cade has taught you well." he said.
"Thank you." She spun her saber around.
"Continue."
He ran forward again, coming down with an overhead strike. Revan immediately noticed when she shifted her stance. It was only through a slide that he avoided getting hit in the head. Rolling to the side, he laughed. He should have expected that Cade had taught her Makashi. This was getting interesting. Time to mix things up.
Arianna watched as Revan switched to a different form. She didn't recognize it, but he began to push her back against the wall, finally disarming her.
"What was that?" she asked.
"It's a rare form. It was more common before the Purge. It's called Form VII, Juyo." he replied.
"Why haven't I heard of it before?"
"We don't teach it anymore. It involves embracing combat, and can cause you to fall to the dark side. I learned it from my Masters before the Mandalorian Wars. But between the risks and the lack of active practitioners, it's becoming a lost art." he said. "But that's enough for now. You exceeded my expectations."
"This was a test?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Yes. We had to ensure you were ready for Knighthood."
"Master, if I may ask. Why is the Council taking a personal interest in my case?"
He sighed. "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but I think you can handle it. We've become concerned with Cade's recent behavior, and we also feared your education was being neglected. He's not ready for a student. I must apologize for placing you under his tutelage." he finished.
"There's no need to apologize. Really, I was fine. Cade tries, I just don't think he agrees with the Jedi. Sometimes I think he wants things to be done his way. I've heard him say several times how he's considered leaving the Order."
Revan frowned. "When was the last time he said this?"
She considered. "Last night, when the conference looked like it was going to fail. He said that if he had been in charge, he would have convinced both sides what was right, and that would have been the end of it."
"Arianna, tell no one else of this. We will talk about it more later."
"Yes, Master."
Revan walked back to the cockpit.
__________
"And that concludes my report." Revan finished, sitting back in his chair.
"Thank you, Revan. Now we must decide what to do."
"With a recommendation from Revan, as long as she passes the Trials, I see no reason not to promote Arianna to the rank of Knight." Master Li said, gesturing to the Grand Master.
"I agree. That matter is settled for now. What are we going to do with Cade?" James asked, looking around.
"He should not receive a new Padawan, that much is certain. Not yet." Master Ural said.
"Very well, but what is he to do? We can't very well send him on disputes, and he can't just sit in the Temple all day." Revan asked.
"I have an idea. The current Jedi Liaison to the Senate has been requesting a new assignment. It will gave Cade something to do, and it might teach him some patience."
Jolee looked skeptical. "I doubt this will teach him anything. Still, I suppose it will prevent him from causing any harm until he is older and wiser."
They all agreed to the assignment.
"Revan, see that Arianna is tested immediately. That ends this meeting. May the Force be with us all." James said, standing and walking out.
Jolee crossed to Revan. "I don't like this."
"I know, Jolee. But we don't have a lot of choice. We'll have to trust in the Force on this one."
Jolee didn't answer, instead walking off.
___________
Revan punched in his code, and the door to his room cycled open.
"Revan, you've returned!" Bastila exclaimed, getting up to hug him.
"Yes. I should be able to stay for a while. There's nothing on the horizon at the moment."
"I heard about Cade. Is the Council worried about him? That's not exactly a post for one of his standing." she asked.
Revan shifted uncomfortably. "No. But he had no student, and the position was open. It'll be good for him."
She didn't believe him, but she wasn't going to press the issue now, not when he didn't want to talk about it.
"I'm glad you're back. Let me go finish something and you can tell me about your trip." she said, walking into the kitchen.
Revan settled into his armchair. Why did he feel worried? There was nothing to be concerned about. He tried to put the issue from his mind.
_____________
Cade sat in a meditation chamber in the Temple, fuming. So, the Council didn't think he was qualified for another student? They didn't trust him because he disagreed with them? I could give them a real reason not to trust me. he thought. Yes, that was it. The Council had to be taught a lesson, and who better to do it than he? He stood and went to the Archives, and began pulling restricted holocrons.
A/N: I'm afraid things got a bit wordy. Sorry. I'll try not to make a mess of the next episode. And even if you hated it, please review it. I can't address your complaints if you don't tell me about them. Thanks.