"Theca, you cannot deny that your actions saved a great many lives, including Master Windu's. You should not feel so discouraged." Aayla said to me over the transponder, holding the image of her hologram in my palm as I walked through the temple towards the High Council chamber, having been summoned by the Jedi Council. I suspected it was with a request to undertake another mission to contribute to the war effort, however on my way Aayla had made contact with me in order to see how I was, which I found odd. Being at war, we rarely had the chance to speak, even when Aayla was not fighting, so I found it strange that she was using her recreational time to contact me. Perhaps she had sensed my low spirits. Ever since returning from Dantooine, I had felt depleted, uncertain of my stance in the war and confused as to whether I was nothing more than a hypocrite, for despite the fact that I disagreed with the war, I found myself constantly being drawn into it.
"I am merely confused, Aayla. I do not know what it is I should be doing, or whether it is my views which are misguided." I answered her sullenly as I took a moment to breathe in deeply. "These times are difficult enough as it is without my mind adding to the troubles."
"Perhaps you should think about accepting your role in this war, and instead focus on doing what you think is best. My own master does not answer to the Council, maintaining his philosophy of drifting where the Force wills him to go, but still he contributes to the effort to end this war." Aayla reasoned with me and at the mention of her master, I thought back to the time on Kiffex where we had fought together to free her from the clutches of the Dark Side. It was this which furthered my concerns and agitation, for I worried that my becoming more deeply involved with the war would bring me closer to the edge than I wanted to be, threatening to brush against the Dark Side once more which I had almost succumbed to in my past. "There is more that concerns you, Theca. You can tell me anything, you know. I will help you if I can."
"It is perhaps only you who could understand my worries, Aayla. I cannot help but feel that the Dark Side of the Force has grown stronger recently, and although I have resisted it before, I do not know if I can maintain the same conviction. I can feel it pulling at me, wanting to draw me back to its side. Do you feel this way, Aayla?" In complete confidence, my friend nodded her head and I could not help but feel relieved that I was not alone in these feelings. We spoke at length of the presence of the Dark Side within us both, though for Aayla it was nothing more than a memory which left only the smallest of imprints upon her. For me, it went far deeper, and I feared that I would fall into its depths and never again rise from it.
"No matter what may happen, do not allow your fears to rule you, my friend. I shall be there for you, should ever you need me as you were when I needed you. I give you my word." Aayla promised me before offering her wise counsel to let go of my fears and live in the present, that the Force was there to guide us and that I should place more faith in its presence. Knowing that she was right, I agreed to do my best before we then had to part ways, for the Council was waiting for me and I knew I could not delay any longer. Giving me a smile, Aayla assured me almost knowingly that we would see each other very soon, making me look to her image in my hand quickly but before I could ask, the communication ended and I was left alone to ponder the grounds in which Aayla had sounded so confident.
Going to the Council, I presented myself to the masters who were already seated in their respective places and bowed before Master Yoda and Master Windu, glancing around to see that only two other members of the Council were present, as the rest were currently partaking in the war effort. "You summoned me, masters." I began in order to begin the briefing, no longer wanting to drag out the inevitable and so I looked directly at Master Yoda whilst preparing to be given a new mission. I hoped privately that it would have nothing to do with conflict, but this I seriously doubted.
"Theca Rouyn, to the planet Ilum, you must go." Master Yoda informed me which took me by surprise, as I had not expected a mission such as this. Ilum was a precious planet to our Order on account of the kyber crystals which grew deep within the planet's core. Why would I need to go there? "In danger, we sense the planet to be. Information we have, to say the enemy will soon attack."
"We have decided that you will go to Ilum and act as a guardian until we can be certain that the planet will not fall into Separatist hands." Master Windu continued as I listened carefully to their instructions. "Although we have been unable to track any Separatist activity in the system, the Force is sending us a warning of what is to come. Go there, protect the Crystal Cave within the temple there and discover the enemy's intentions. Destroy the enemy on sight." Resisting the urge to flinch at Master Windu's strict tone, I bowed my head and accepted the mission. Upon raising my head, I saw a somewhat relieved glance between the two masters debriefing me, as if they had worried I would refuse.
"Masters, may I ask why you have chosen me to go?"
"Proven yourself to be a strong and capable Jedi, you have." Master Yoda answered me pointedly as his gaze fixed itself on me. "Also, capable of withstanding the climate there, and skilled at discovering danger, you are. Faith in you, this Council has, Theca Rouyn." Thanking Master Yoda for his kind words, I received the full details of my mission as well as the fact that I would leave with an escort of Venator-class star destroyers, as well as a battalion of clone troopers to help guard the planet of Ilum and engage the enemy should they make a move to attack. Despite my request to simply go alone, I was denied and ordered to go with the support of the clones as it was likely I would need air support should the enemy arrive.
This I could not deny, so I resigned myself to accepting the conditions of my mission and made preparations to leave immediately, boarding a transport which would take me to the Venator-class star destroyer which was waiting for me in orbit. Although I had my doubts about the mission, I did have one comfort, and that I was not going alone. Aayla would be joining me, for it was her troops I would be joining in the defence of Ilum, the Three-Twenty-Seventh Star Corps. The Council had already debriefed her and as I left the Core System, I wondered if perhaps Aayla had known that the Council intended me for this mission and that this was the reason she had been so certain we would be seeing one another soon. It must be so.
The transport brought me all the way to the Outer Rim where the fleet was stationed in orbit around one of the more desolate planets, where Aayla was there waiting for me aboard her command ship, prepared to greet me directly as I stepped off the transport. "So, it appears we will be taking this mission together after all. Perhaps now it will not be so bad for you." She teased me so I smiled slightly as I approached her.
"Why do I get the feeling that you knew all along this was going to happen, and were enjoying my ignorance?" To this Aayla made no comment, merely smiled mischievously before welcoming me aboard the Intrepid and introduced me to her second in command, Clone Marshal Commander Bly. The commander saluted me with his helmet tucked under his other arm, looking stern and serious with a certain tightness in his jaw as I took him in. Bowing my head, I greeted him quietly, flicking a glance to Aayla as she assured Commander Bly that he could be at ease around me.
"Thank you, general." The voice which spoke sounded exactly the same as the many other thousands of clones with whom I had crossed paths, and yet within the Force, each of them could not be more different from the other, making it easier to distinguish them from one another. "Jedi Rouyn, General Secura has already debriefed me with the details of the mission. I would like to introduce you to the squad who will be accompanying you in your investigation of enemy activity."
"You may speak informally with me, Commander Bly, so be at ease." I invited him with an indication of my hand as I folded my hands together so that the sleeves of my sweeping cloak hid them from view, the fabric a bright white colour in order to camouflage with the landscape of the planet we were heading towards. "However, I cannot accept the company of your men whilst I carry out my mission. It would be best if I act alone." This made Commander Bly frown and look towards Aayla with a quizzical crease of his brow.
"My friend here does not believe herself to be leadership material, nor does she wish to place others in harm's way during a war she does not agree with." She explained simply as she smiled at me knowingly, and I sensed that she and I were about to have a long debate on how exactly this mission was to be carried out. I also suspected that I would lose.
"So you're a pacifist." Commander Bly recognised with no small amount of distaste at the realisation as I confirmed that this was the case. "Then, forgive my bluntness, but what point is there in a Jedi who will not fight for the war effort? Will the mission be put at risk? I cannot allow anything to come between our orders and the mission's completion." It appeared that Commander Bly did not approve of me, though he spoke as politely as he could out of respect for the fact that I was Aayla's close friend despite his own personal feelings.
"There is no need to be concerned. My mission is to investigate Separatist activity on Ilum, whilst you and your men defend the Jedi Temple and the Crystal Caves. All going well, any intruders upon the planet will be dealt with swiftly and repelled from the surface, concluding our mission swiftly and successfully. I work best alone, and so I cannot accept the presence of a squadron under my command. I cannot guarantee their safety, nor do I wish to be responsible for their lives. Or deaths." Aayla sighed deeply before we then delved into a deep conference concerning our options, and argued over the need for a squad of clones to go with me both as protectors and to assist me in locating and uncovering the purpose of Separatist activity on Ilum.
I did my best to hold my ground, but Aayla gently persuaded me into agreeing to the squad of clones to accompany at least in my investigation of the underground caves, but no further than this. Utterly defeated in the wake of my friend's superior diplomatic skills, I found myself standing before a squadron of nine clones who formed the entirety of Talon Squad, led by Sergeant Green. They were all saluting as Commander Bly introduced them each by their birth number and then their nicknames, allowing me time to memorise each of them in turn. Sergeant Green himself then spoke once the introductions were over and I distinguished him from the markings on his armour which highlighted his rank as a commanding officer. "Sergeant Green, sir, reporting for duty. It is an honour to be working alongside you."
"Please, remove your helmets so that I may see you all properly." I invited as I stood beside Aayla, Commander Bly having now stepped aside. As their helmets were removed, I noted that several ways in which clones sought to distinguish themselves individually was by the cuts of their hair as well as the tattoos they had inked onto their faces and bodies. One soldier was aptly named 'Ink', for he was completely covered in tattoos which adorned his skin. "I extend warm greetings to you all, and hope to find you well. I am Jedi Knight Theca Rouyn. You may call me Jedi Rouyn, or informally if you would prefer. I am no stickler for decorum." Speaking to them all softly but with a tone which carried a certain weight within it, I began to advise them on my intentions once we reached the planet's surface, and that they would all have to remain on high alert, for droids were not the only things on Ilum which posed a threat.
"Don't worry sir, we can handle anything that comes our way. Our speciality is advanced reconnaissance, we know what we're about." Nodding towards Sergeant Green, I allowed myself to be lead away to the bridge where Aayla and I began to organise and plan our strategies for the mission to come, all the while I prayed that the sources had been mistaken and that there was no Separatist movement on Ilum, and that it had all been a grave understanding.