Shard felt cold once again, swaying slightly as he adjusted his stance. The silence in the Jedi high Council chambers was deafening to the young man as he thought about the day he'd been having up until this point. Things were a blur of motion and nervous energy, as the troop transport had dropped the two Jedi masters and the eager hopeful off at the Temple hangar. As sprawling as Telos had been, nothing could quite compare to Coruscant. The center of the Republic was a sight that defied description, a mountain range of durasteel and glass. He had been swept along by Shaak Ti and Anakin Skywalker, entering the Temple proper. Sight after sight of the enormous structure's grandeur revealed itself to him, and although his traveler's attire was comparable in its coarseness to the robes of Jedi hurrying to and fro, he felt self-conscious comparing himself to them. They all seemed perfectly in their element here.

Shaak Ti and Anakin hung back a few steps, watching amusedly as Shard tried his best to act natural, making his way through the Jedi Temple's halls with wide eyes. The Togruta Jedi's small smile faded as she looked around. To Shard, who had never seen anywhere like the Temple, it seemed like the Jedi were everywhere, bustling through the halls on their way to some mission or lesson, or sitting meditating in corner rooms. But to Shaak Ti, and Anakin, who caught her mood and frowned as well, the Temple had hardly ever seemed so empty. More funerals for Jedi had been held over the past five years than in the last fifty before, and their numbers were declining faster than younglings could be located to replenish them.

New recruits to the Order's way of life were usually found on routine peacekeeping missions in the past, but recently all of their energy had been directed towards the war effort. The Council had to be aware of the problem by now, but it had been a few years since Shaak Ti had stood in their presence, and truth be told, she wasn't looking forward to being the one to suggest what needed to be done. Anakin and her had discussed their proposal on the way over, and it looked like his former master, Obi-Wan, would be favorable to their motion, which is the only reason the sunset-skinned woman had agreed to bring it up in the first place. Anakin tilted his head towards Shard, indicating silently that they should be sensitive to him. She nodded, noting with approval that Skywalker had matured greatly in the time since he was made a master. They needed to tell the Council things as they were, even if they didn't want to hear them.

That's what brought them to the present, where Shard stood, weathering the Council's stares with an air of indifference that he wished he truly felt. The dark-skinned human, seated towards the center of the room, his eyes in particular seemed to tear away all of the layers of Shard's pretense, invading his privacy with his piercing stare. The friendliest face was that of a middle-aged human, skin the same tone as his own, with dark blonde hair and beard, the corner of his mouth uplifted in a gentle smile as he assessed the hopeful.

"Relax," the blonde master said in accented Basic, "You're not on trial."

Shard tried to loosen the muscles in his shoulders a bit, wincing at the still-mending wound. The bacta was knitting his skin back together even as he stood there, but it wasn't magic. Shaak Ti and Anakin stood a small way behind Shard, watching the Council evaluate him. Mace Windu cleared his throat, looking over the datapad containing his assessment notes so far on the young man before him. The Force seemed strong in him, his abilities in telekinesis and reflexes in keeping with that of a moderately advanced Padawan. Truly, he had progressed startlingly quickly for someone who had never been formally trained, and was only exposed to the Jedi a few days ago.

"Your natural talent is… admirable." Mace sounded like a man conceding a talking point, rather than praising the young man. Shard swallowed, conscious that he'd been holding his breath.

"Thank you, sir." Shard's voice sounded small, even to himself, so he tried speaking again. "I-"

Mace carried on speaking, bulldozing Shard. "Unfortunately, this assessment is more of a courtesy than a serious consideration. Frankly, I'm surprised that Master Skywalker and Master Ti gave you the impression that we allow anyone older than an infant to be inducted into the Order."

Shard stayed silent as Mace ran his stony gaze over Anakin, who frowned in the background. "Although I get the feeling that Master Skywalker may have taken his own acceptance into the order at age nine- a very rare exception, mind you- and oversold you on how easy it is to become one of us."

Shard's stomach fell as he looked around the room, seeing if the other Council members were on the same page as Master Windu. Obi-Wan, the other human, looked lost in thought, and he was sensing some mixed reactions from the other Jedi masters.

Anakin stepped forward, and Shard noted that he seemed to direct his question to the small, elderly green alien seated next to Master Windu, instead of Windu himself. "Masters, I would like a moment to speak to you without Shard in the room."

Sensing Shard's hurt gaze boring into him, Anakin continued, "What I have to say concerns more than just him."

Mace considered a moment, looking at the small green alien. He nodded sagely, and Mace raised a hand. "Young Avellar, please wait outside the Council chambers until you are summoned back in."

Shard hated feeling like such a disposable tool, but he was used to it. Bowing slightly as he'd seen the other Jedi do when entering, he turned and left the room, the large doors closing behind him. Now it was just the Council members, Anakin, and Shaak Ti in the room.

Anakin motioned for Shakk to join him, and she did, stepping forward. Yoda spoke, breaking his contemplative silence. "Master Ti, glad am I to see you well."

Shaak Ti nodded, feeling a little better. She spoke, her voice echoing off the glass in the Council chamber windows. "Thank you, Master Yoda. It has been too long since I've been on Coruscant."

Luminara Unduli met Shaak's eyes warmly, silently welcoming her friend back to the Temple. She returned the smile, holding her gaze until Mace cleared his throat, and Anakin continued.

"Masters, this war has cost us more than credits and clone troopers. Master Ti was fighting on the back lines, and has something disturbing to share."

Taking over, Shaak Ti addressed the Council, where once she had held a seat. Releasing the twinge of anger and envy that coursed through her as she looked over where she used to sit, she spoke evenly.

"There were suspicions from intercepted Separatist broadcasts that Count Dooku was openly recruiting Sith for training, in a way that would be more effective in bringing their Order back to its former glory. I am afraid to report that our suspicions are correct; on Telos, I engaged a Sith apprentice that we have no previous intelligence on. A Cathar male, sent by Separatist leadership to retrieve lightsaber construction components. I believe that Dooku's intention is to deprive us of resources to arm ourselves, while equipping and training his own ranks of Force users."

The murmuring from the assembled Council members grew louder, even those who were present only in holographic form like Master Mundi could be heard expressing their disbelief. Mace raised a hand to dispel further argumentation, and Yoda spoke again. "Truly troubling, this news is. Sure you are, that he was a Sith?"

Anakin looked at Shaak Ti, gauging her reaction to the question. She felt the small sting as she realized that Yoda wouldn't have asked Kenobi, or even Skywalker that question. Her testimony was suspect because of her past. Calling on her years of training to still the waters of her displeasure, she matched Yoda's gaze and spoke plainly. "I am certain. He identified himself as such, attempting to unbalance myself and Avellar with the Sith technique of Dun Moch."

Kenobi spoke this time, his measured voice probing her for answers. "So, this Sith engaged you and the boy, and he survived? With no training?"

Anakin interjected, addressing his former master's question. "Master Ti's initial after-action report indicated that the Sith was young, barely trained, fighting with a vibro-sword. Hardly on par with Ventress or Maul."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at Anakin. "Thank you for the input, but I believe Master Ti can defend her own report."

The chiding was gentle, but enough to remind Shaak Ti that the two human Jedi had often butted heads in their master-apprentice relationship in the past. With a small sigh and a nod that would have been accompanied with an eye roll a few years ago, Anakin gathered his robes and took his own seat, which had remained empty next to Obi-Wan's during Shard's assessment. Now Shaak Ti stood alone again in the middle of the room, all eyes on her. She was grateful for Kenobi's confidence in her, for as much as she appreciated Skywalker stepping up to defend her report, she was more than capable of handling that herself.

She cleared her throat and spoke again, with pure confidence born of a lifetime spent dealing with Jedi politics. "As Master Skywalker indicated, the Sith did seem poorly trained, and did not engage me directly, relying on a number of combat droids to keep me busy. Shard did splendidly in holding his own against the Sith, as well as using the Force to destroy an HK series assassin droid, all while unarmed. You can read the details in my full after-action report."

Before the Council had a chance to move on or change the subject, Shaak Ti forged ahead into the topic that needed to be brought up. "Everything that has occurred recently has reinforced a truth that we are not comfortable with, but must be addressed: The Jedi Order is going extinct, and we need to take steps to safeguard against that."

All murmuring stopped, with the entire Council focusing on her in stunned silence. The very thought of the Jedi ceasing to exist was alien to them all, as anathema as saying that the Force itself didn't exist. Mace Windu looked like he was about to say something harsh, his brow furrowed in dark lines, but a look from Yoda made him visibly reconsider his words. "That's quite an assertion, Master Ti. Would you like to clarify your statement?"

Shaak Ti knew that there'd be resistance to what she was about to ask, and that most of it would come from Windu. The man had clearly told her what he'd thought of her on that day in this very chamber, and it was no secret that he considered her to be a lev-train wreck of a Jedi master. This rebellious thought that she was about to propose had been gnawing away at her for the past year, reflecting on the state of the Order as she flitted from warzone to warzone across the stars. She'd proposed similar measures in the first year of the war, paving the way for the rapid promotion of Padawans to Knights, something Skywalker could thank her for, but more assertive action was needed. Meeting a strong candidate for Jedi training like Shard Avellar had been the straw to break the bantha's back.

Her crimson hands left her robe sleeves as she gestured backwards towards the rest of the Temple. "How many Jedi have fallen in the Clone Wars, Master Windu? The last time that the Jedi lost so many of our own was ages ago, fighting another war against an enemy led by the Sith. History teaches us that every time the Sith start a war, Jedi approach the edge of extinction, closer and closer each time. Whether the Mandalorians, Darth Malak, or the Sith Empire of old, each time the Jedi Order has been a whisper away from total annihilation."

Shaak Ti pleaded with the Council, urging them with her gaze to see things her way. "Why can't we learn from history? Each time, we build our ranks back up with those who normally wouldn't fit our Order well: Those with worldly attachments, former criminals, and people considered too old to train."

She pointedly gazed at Anakin, then back to Mace Windu again. "All I'm saying is this; If the Sith are rebuilding their ranks, this conflict will utterly destroy the Jedi because we will once again be behind the times when it comes to reinforcing our ranks. This war shows no signs of ending any time soon, and the next time the Sith gain the upper hand, there's no guarantee that we can survive another era of… mismanagement."

The word mismanagement hung in the air like the sharp –crack- of a slugthrower. It was left unsaid, but thoroughly understood, that Master Ti was calling the current Jedi Council incompetent. The disturbed muttering resumed, and Anakin took the opportunity to give his two credits' worth once more.

"Master Ti has a point. At least, about how the Jedi need to start widening our criteria for who we allow into the Order. I know that my acceptance into the Order was… unorthodox," he emphasized for Master Windu's sake, "but I think that I can firmly say that good came of it. In all humility, if a kid from a backwater planet like Tattooine can become a Padawan at the age of nine, then go on to become the youngest Council member in history, then I think it's worth considering older Force-sensitives for training."

Ki-Adi-Mundi's voice emanated from his holographic ghost, seated where he normally would be, were he present. "Master Ti, we've been friends and peers for a long time. You're an incredible warrior, and have no end of virtuous qualities. However, I disagree wholeheartedly with you on this matter. The Jedi Order is made strong through the strength of our traditions, and with respect to Master Skywalker, the dark side of the Force has a chance to corrupt those who touch the Force without proper instruction. We need to make sure that the children we take in are young enough to be- "

"Highly impressionable?" Anakin dryly interrupted.

Mundi stared down the end of his nose at Skywalker, his domed Cerean skull making the gesture even more condescending. "…Incorruptible."

Kenobi leaned forward, his brow lined with concern. "Masters, if I may."

Skywalker and Mundi both considered him, ceding to him. Shaak Ti noted that for a relatively young Jedi master, Kenobi was incredibly well-respected by his peers. She speculated that this was due to his status as the first Jedi to defeat a Sith lord in combat in over a thousand years, though he lost his master in the process. She remembered the brash, angry young man that Kenobi had been when she'd trained with him as a teen, and considered that perhaps losing his mentor had impressed upon him some of Qui-Gon Jinn's better qualities.

Kenobi looked thoughtful as he chose his words carefully. "I can see both sides of the argument, certainly. Anakin, it's no secret that there was a lot of burden and struggle that you needed to overcome in order to become a Jedi Knight, perhaps more than you would have needed to bear had you been found by Qui-Gon as a newborn. But Master Mundi, growing up in the Jedi Temple does not necessarily preclude one from turning to the dark side. Some of you may remember Bruck Chun, a Padawan who was involved in an attempt to assassinate Master Yoda some twenty years ago."

Everyone present except Anakin could remember when the rogue ex-Jedi, Xanatos, had swayed Obi-Wan's childhood rival Bruck to the dark side. Shaak Ti could appreciate Kenobi's point as he continued, "Bruck was in the same youngling group that I was, and we were more similar than I would like to admit. But while I learned to let go of my anger, his consumed him. Although our circumstances were similar, he chose a dark path, one that led to his death. While Anakin," Kenobi smiled while pointing to his erstwhile pupil, "had every disadvantage stacked against him, but managed to become a valuable member of the Order."

"But he's the Chosen One…" Luminara Unduli, who had up until now refused to speak, chimed in here. "I'm sorry, but Anakin's case is special. I don't know if it would be wise to take a young adult, almost a man grown, and put him through something that may break him."

Shaak Ti narrowed her eyes, raising her voice slightly above its normal tone. Enough was enough. "We do not have the luxury of patiently cultivating Jedi as we have done in the past. The time for action is now! Even as we speak, Dooku is hard at work to ensure that the JedI are picked off one by one before we have a chance to end this war."

Everyone started talking at once, trying to tell Shaak Ti exactly what they thought of her opinion. For possibly the most powerful Force users in the entire galaxy, they were a group of children bickering for at least ten seconds. One soft voice stilled the others, coming from Yoda, of course. "Order, we must have. Divisive, this issue is."

Yoda shook his head, frowning as he continued. "When young I was, the scars of the last Sith war, healed they had not. Remember do I, what many would not. For too long, clouded my vision has been, but clearer, the future becomes now. Uncertain am I when this conflict will end, but certain am I that join the Force, more Jedi will, before its end."

Mace leaned back, his countenance almost indicating to Shaak that he was feeling sorrow. "Death is a part of life. The Jedi have always managed to maintain, to come back from whatever threat rises."

Yoda simply hung his head in response, grief for the deaths of many Jedi written on his ancient features. After a moment of silence, Yoda spoke again. "Believe, do I, that Master Ti, correct is. Master," Yoda addressed Shaak directly, "In charge of a trial, will you be. If trained, the boy can be, then open, the door for more shall be."

Shaak Ti blinked, almost shocked that her proposal was being treated seriously. Apparently, Mace Windu felt the same. "With all due respect, Master Yoda," Mace said, not looking Shaak in the eye, "Is this wise?"

Shaak Ti had driven the hope of ever taking an apprentice again from her mind after the death of the Chancellor, internalizing all of the things that Mace had said to her that day. To have him publicly question her ability as a Master in front of the Council again felt like a cruel echo of her humiliation here three years ago.

Just as she was about to give into her doubts and ask Yoda if someone else should train Shard, Yoda held a hand up for their silence. "Know I do, that Master Ti, unsure if ready for this task feels. Honest, let us be, Master Windu, disappointed are you in her as a teacher."

Mace's silence was answer enough. Yoda stared Shaak down, challenging her proud glare with a steady patience. "Unique, this task is, and a challenge. Do you fear this challenge, Master Ti, hmm?"

It was bait, and she knew it was bait. But she also knew what Yoda knew: She was eager for redemption.

Shard had been waiting on a reclining couch outside the Council chamber for nearly a half hour, dealing with the emotions that accompanied feelings of rejection. Was it just his age, or did he make a bad impression on them? Was he not powerful enough? Had he hurt Master Ti's reputation by even being here? He was snapped out of his insecure introspection by the door's opening, and Master Windu's voice beckoning him inside.

This is it, they're gonna send me packing now…

He could hardly conceal his trepidation as he stood before the Council. The power in the room was almost tangible, and Shard thought quietly that anyone in this room could end his life without effort, snuffing it out with a thought. Before, on Telos, he had wondered what the difference between the Jedi and the Sith was. Now he realized that even if anyone here could squeeze his head with the Force until gray matter dribbled out of his ears, the thought of such violence probably appalled them. By his first impression of the Sith, on the other hand, Shard ruefully thought that the Cathar would have gleefully choked the life from him if he could have.

Behind him, before anyone spoke, Shaak Ti seemed to materialize out of the corner to stand beside him. Shard made room for her, shuffling awkwardly over a step. The Jedi were always so graceful, their movements always so sure and thought out, and Master Ti was more elegant than most. A whisper of fabric on the ground served as the only trace of her motion.

Mace Windu spoke once more, looking over his datapad. "Shard Avellar, thank you for your patience. As I indicated before, the Jedi have a policy of not taking on potential students once they are past a certain age, and you are far past that age."

Shard's mood continued to plummet, and while he didn't know it, the rest of the Council's finely tuned senses in the Force could pick up on his disappointment and shame. He wasn't good enough, too old, another opportunity lost…

In a rare act of mercy, Windu straightened in his chair and decided to put the lad out of his misery. "However, due to a very… persuasive argument from Master Ti and Master Skywalker, we'd like to consider you for training."

Shard looked up from where his eyes had been burning holes into the tile under his feet, searching Mace's dark gaze, trying to judge if he was being serious. Mace returned his inquisitive look with one that made it perfectly clear he was being serious.

Kenobi, the Jedi master with the dark blonde beard, filled the silence that occupied the chamber after Mace spoke. "Your presence in the Force is strong, young man. It's a rare opportunity that you're being considered for, so we'd like a chance to get to know you a bit better first. Do you mind if we ask a few questions of you?"

Shard blinked, then stuttered. "Umm, no. No I mean, yes, go ahead and ask anything you'd like." The Jedi hadn't asked any questions when he'd first stepped in, only asking him to use his limited Force powers as best he could. Move this pebble, see what's behind the datapad… they'd even taken a small blood sample, no idea what that was about.

Mace nodded at Kenobi, deferring to the other master to deal with all of the 'interpersonal relations'. Kenobi looked at Shard and smiled reassuringly. "No need to be worried, Shard. The hard part is over."

Still uncertain, and feeling as out of his element as he possibly could, Shard nodded, trying to relax. His shoulder twinged again.

Kenobi spoke plainly, wanting to know the young man's heart. "Tell me, why would you want to become a Jedi?"

When Shard hesitated, Kenobi clarified. "As you can imagine, it's not a luxurious line of work. Being a Jedi doesn't carry with it any promise of wealth, or comfort. If you're looking for power, the discipline required for such a life severely limits you."

Shard took a deep breath. He'd been torn on the inside about this very question, considering it on the way to Coruscant. On the one hand, if he had the power of a Jedi with no responsibilities, he could go searching the stars for his parents. Shaak Ti had made it clear that he was free to walk if he wanted to. On the other hand, what would his parents want him to do with his gifts? Would they want him to help others or just himself?

Life on Telos had been hard, and he had tried to maintain his humanity in a harsh world. His father's warm hand on his bare shoulder was a vivid memory, guiding him when they had gone hiking in the beautiful wild parks that used to be far more plentiful, and he could still hear his mother's laughter if he stretched his imagination. They had tried to raise him right, left him as much as they could to get by when they went looking for work. Would they want him to take this opportunity?

Speaking carefully, Shard heard his voice echo in the unfamiliar acoustics of the Council chamber. "I want to become a Jedi because I've seen how bad it can get out there. The Separatists are just the latest in a long line of despots who have held my people down, and there'll always be somebody in power who wants to lord that over the little guy. If I can fight for the little guy, and make life just a little less awful for them, then maybe the galaxy wouldn't be so karked."

In the uncomfortable silence that reigned in the seconds after he spoke, he realized belatedly that he just swore in front of the high Council of the Jedi Order. Oops. Yea "Err, pardon my Corellian."

Mace raised a brow in the way one would if you were the host of a fancy banquet, and someone just broke wind at the head of the table. The silence was broken again by an odd sound, which it took Shard a moment to identify. The wizened green alien seated beside Windu was laughing, the other masters aghast at him.

Yoda continued to chuckle, with Shard standing nonplussed before him. The Grandmaster spoke, probing the young Jedi hopeful. "Long, has it been, since such candor was last heard here. Perhaps too distant from the people, the Jedi have become. Think like you, do many, hmmm?"

Shard shrugged nervously, somehow finding the calm, perceptive look that Yoda was giving him more unnerving than Master Windu's stony glare. "I… I think they do, yeah. Everywhere, there's people holding other people down, making life hard for the little guy. Telos is the biggest picture of that you can find. People should be free to live their lives without being afraid of exploitation."

The Council stayed silent, watching Yoda for a reaction. Yoda's elusive smile remained on his face as he gently nodded at Shard's words. "Know this, do I, that value there is, in sticking up for 'the little guy'."

As Shard sensed the approval behind Yoda's words, he saw that the rest of the Council was still divided. But, as he watched, they all seemed to defer to Yoda's judgment. Yoda spoke again, addressing him and Shaak Ti, whose facial expression he couldn't decipher. "Know, do you, the responsibility you take?"

Shaak spoke, only an ounce of hesitation in her voice. "..Yes."

Mace laced his fingers in front of his face, obstructing his expression as well. "Then we accept you for training as a Jedi, young Avellar. Shaak Ti will be your Master, and you will be her Padawan, until she guides you to Knighthood, or your journey ends."

Bowing and exiting as he was dismissed, Shard was ecstatic. He could barely hide his smile as he turned to Shaak Ti, hearing the heavy Council chamber doors close behind them. "So, what's the first step?"

The Togruta raised an eyebrow. "What's the first step…?"

Shard blanked, then recovered. "Uh, what's the first step, 'Master'?"

The ghost of a smile flitted across her expression as they walked, and she withdrew a holoprojector from her belt, handing it to him. "The first step, my young apprentice, is to get you a haircut, and some robes. We'll also find your quarters, and visit the quartermaster's for your basic equipment."

The teenage Jedi initiate frowned, shaking his head slightly to feel his dirty gold locks move out of his eyes. "Awww. Lame, when do I get to light people on fire with my mind?"

Before Shaak could do anything but narrow her eyes at him with her best death glare, he held up his hands and grinned lopsidedly. "Just kidding. Mostly."

As they walked towards the quartermaster's office, now in amicable silence, they both reflected separately on Master Windu's last words to them both. Shard assumed that by "Until your journey ends", Windu meant if he left (or got kicked out of) the Order, but Shaak Ti's heart was heavy, knowing the real message had been to her. She could read between the lines: What he'd meant was, "Until she gets you killed."