"Okay we'll know within a minute if it's worked. Ensign Portland to Starfleet Command respond please"
They did indeed get a quick response and they see a person in the same uniform as the rest of the group and the Knight show up in color
"Ensign Portland there you guys are, when we lost contact we thought..."
"Sorry Admiral we lost all ship communication, oh by the way say hello to the New Republic, we managed to get back into space I am more familiar with through some sort of space eddie/wave thing that I don't even know what really happened"
"Good work Ensign and since I see that lightsaber on your person I can safely assume you've told the command crew of the Texas the truth about you?"
"Indeed I did sir, and now you yourself can make the offer to Master Skywalker right beside me instead of us doing relay"
"What offer is that Knight Portland?"
The Admiral is the one to speak up however
"The offer of having Jedi join Starfleet, and now that we see the members of the New Republic we would like to offer an alliance between the Federation and the Republic and yes Ensign I've been authorized by the President to make that offer we just never told you because we were never sure if you would get home"
The Chancellor is the one to speak this time
"Admiral I believe both groups need time to discuss this, as I believe Knight Portland has explained to you that the Jedi are a Peacekeeping organization"
"Yes she did and we at Starfleet respect that, in fact we are mainly space explorers but due to the dangers of the galaxy we had to become a military force, but our primary goal is to work things out peacefully if at all possible"
Luke is the one to speak up
"I understand Admiral like the Chancellor said there is much to think about and discuss"
"Master Skywalker, Admiral I think it might be best if I act as mediator and ambassador between the two groups and...if there are going to be Jedi in Starfleet someone who understands both sides would be the best person to explain what rules are already in effect and help come up with more rules if need be, plus we're also going to have to figure out what we're going to call ourselves at all times and a few other issues that you are already aware of Admiral"
"I know Ensign we'll also need to figure out a way to communicate without a weird marriage of technologies and getting to that part of the galaxy in a timely fashion after all it took you what, a year and a half to reach us Ensign?"
"Sounds about right Admiral, how we got here so fast is slightly unexplained but I will tell you it happened in a battle with the Vorta and Jem'Hadar"
"I thought we had a peace treaty with those guys"
"We do Admiral, they openly declared themselves as rogues"
"That would do it and Ensign I agree to your suggestion of being an Ambassador between our two groups after all you're doing it anyways might as well just make it official, though only until we find a better solution due to your unique situation of being a Starfleet officer"
Luke also agrees and tells Portland that they had a meeting in two days
"But Master Skywalker..."
"The reason why Knight Portland is because you just got back after a fight and looks like you need some time in a medical facility, besides some of the people I need to make such a decision aren't here yet but they shall be soon, and what did you mean by the mission being partially compromised?"
"Easy Master Skywalker not only did we not have an easy means of communication but only the command crew of the ship and the highest people of Starfleet Command really know about us and I had to reveal myself rather suddenly to my crew after knowing them for only a few months instead of getting to know them better and how they might react so sudden situations or new information not necessarily needed but certainly appreciated"
"Understood"
Two days later a huge conversation and debate came up that lasted until the evening, not counting the afternoon meal. Finally though the council came to several decisions that everyone agreed with
"Very well I will tell Command what we've all agreed on tomorrow, however and I think they would agree, the two of you need to figure out how we're addressed together, are we the rank we have in Starfleet or the rank we have in the Order or something else entirely new?"
"Agreed that can wait until tomorrow right now we're all exhausted and need to meditate on the changes we're making to our order independent of the Senate"
"Master Skywalker I will not be available, my Captain needs me to help debrief the rest of the crew on the new situation and rules now in place now that I am acknowledged fully as a Jedi within the crew"
"Understood Knight Portland it might be best that you're not here tomorrow when we talk to the rest of the order so that they understand that you did not influence our decisions but helped us understand what you do now and helped lay down ground rules that the Federation should accept"
That's exactly what happens to over the next few days. The Texas crew easily accepts the new status of the Ensign and also agrees to the rules that she laid down for her lightsaber, they were scared of the weapon anyways and didn't want anything to do with it. Everyone else involved in the new status quo talked in private about the situation, in the Senate they came to a final agreement with the Federation and started integrating the technology so that talks would be more frequent and talked about the possibility of Federation representatives in the Senate. For the Jedi it was explained that Knights without Padawans and Masters were the only ones allowed to join Starfleet and that's where Portland was needed actually when people argued, so she quickly came to help calm them down
"Easy, the reason why is because there is an age limit to joining the Academy, besides they prefer people who have full control over their abilities so that there are no...accidents with our abilities whenever we feel strong emotions, besides being in Starfleet is dangerous even when we are on peaceful missions things can go wrong and violence can break out, just like Jedi missions"
"Just so you know if you do join Starfleet whatever your ship is assigned will be your primary mission but the Jedi Council can occasionally give you side missions or you can self assign missions depending on what you sense through the Force. And all Jedi who join Starfleet will now be called Sentinels, with the ranks going from Probation to Senior, all Jedi in the Academy will be known as Probation Sentinels as you move up the ranks you will eventually be Senior Sentinels, Portland you are the first and currently only Entry Sentinel. Due to the fact that you have ranks all to ourselves the levels will go Probation, Entry, Freshman, Sophomore, First Junior, Second Junior, High Junior, Senior, and promotion through the Sentinel ranks will differ from normal Starfleet promotions as well, your pips will also differ from the normal pips denoting rank. But first you must decide if you want to join Starfleet, and then you have to pass the entry tests like all other Academy hopefuls, Sentinel Portland will explain the rules that you will have to follow should you be allowed entry into the Academy"
Portland takes over from there
"All right, for the lightsabers they are to remain by your side at all times to prevent accidents, they are not to be out except during lightsaber training or a credible threat to the safety of others, all practicing will be held either in what's called a holodeck or designated training areas, and no one but other Jedi are to touch the weapons unless something happens to us, that rule will apply to your assignments after graduation as well. For the phasers once you graduate they will be locked permanently on stun, you can choose the level of stun power you want but it will not go higher. The rest of the rules are actually Starfleet regulations that you will learn while in the Academy"
"This situation is new to all of us and not everyone will want to join which we understand and some of you can't join yet, however no matter what you choose I hope you'll uphold Jedi ideals whether you go or stay"
"You should know that normally it will take at least a year and a half to reach Earth for testing and entering the Academy but hopefully we'll be able to cut that time in at least half soon enough. For now Master Skywalker, my crew and I are temporary ambassadors to the Republic and the Jedi until it's finalized about having Representatives for the Federation and they can actually get here"
"Very well Sentinel Portland, does your crew know about your new rank and title?"
"Yes, they were the ones who actually told me seeing as how the healers put me in a bacta tank for a few hours after lightsaber practice"
"What did the initiate do?"
"More like what I did Master Skywalker, I set the training robots to their highest level and went up against all of them, unfortunately I forgot about the fact that I was still slightly recovering from what happened to bring my ship and crew here in the first place"
"Very well Sentinel Portland are you sure you're okay now?"
"Yes and the healers told me if I was that stupid again I could just deal with the burns on my own or go to my ship and explain..."
Ashland suddenly stopped talking but it made sense seeing as how all the other Jedi just stopped whatever they were doing as well and then Ashland tapped her commbadge
"Sentinel Portland to Captain Anderson"
"This is Captain Anderson go ahead Portland"
"Captain I need you to tell the Senate that something major has happened on the planet Naboo"
"Portland are you sure about that?"
"What I wouldn't give for a full Betazoid or Vulcan right about now, yes Captain I'm sure, I know you and the rest of the crew are still getting used to the whole Jedi thing and the Force but all the Jedi here at the temple just sensed a disturbance and it's centered around Naboo"
"Very well I will inform the Senate but if you're wrong we'll look like fools Anderson out"
Communication is shut down and Portland just heaves a big sigh
"Well at least he's doing that much considering they're still adapting to my full capabilities but I would kill for a full blooded Betazed or a Vulcan right about now and I hate full blooded Betazed's with their mind reading abilities and Vulcans with their touch telepath abilities at least half Betazed's are only empaths but even that would be acceptable right about now if it meant the Captain knew from the start that I was telling the truth"
"Sentinel Portland what are these races you're talking of?"
"Master Skywalker that would be information you will get from the Senate files because from what I recall hearing recently there was just a major data transfer on both sides so that information sharing doesn't have to be done face to face and take hours upon hours all over again and can be read at a persons discretion"
"Very well I think I will do that instead, um what about the Jedi archives does the Federation have those as well?"
(Shakes her head) "I told them in in no uncertain terms that should I ever make it back home they had to have the permission of the Jedi Council to gain access to the Jedi archives, what information they have about the Jedi comes from me and only me. I wanted to make sure that they never took advantage of us or our abilities which is why I did things the way I did, they understood my need for secrecy and never pushed things after I...after I gave them a demonstration of my abilities after an Admiral was stupid and kept pushing and I asked if he wanted a demonstration of what a Jedi could do should they so choose. I didn't Force choke him, or anything bad, just levitated him a few feet and then let all of them feel a bit of the power of the Force for themselves, that made them stop pushing and also made them realize our abilities are completely different from a species that would be classified as telekinetic instead of a Jedi. I might have also saved the lives of the Admiralty during a summer meeting when a building has sudden structural failure and the ceiling almost collapsed on us which also gave them reason to respect my wishes"
"Well I will have to discuss this with the Council but most likely we will give them access to portions of our archives so that they can understand us better than what you've probably told them during those long debriefs you talked about"
Several hours later Portland was called by the Captain and asked just how she knew that something had happened to Naboo
"When did you get confirmation that something happened on Naboo Captain?"
"About fifteen minutes after you called us, communication was spotty at best between us and them but they managed to at least give us enough information that the Senate is not pleased and are thinking of asking the Jedi Order for help and...I've offered our services as well Portland, we'll take them to Naboo and then bring the Senator and Jedi back unless told otherwise"
"And if we run into a blockade?"
"We'll deal with that should it come up"
"Well something happened to cause us to feel something wrong on Naboo all the way from here"
"We'll figure something out and we'll help Naboo don't worry, oh you might want to give a quick explanation about transporter technology to the Jedi coming along so that they don't panic"
"No need Captain Master Skywalker already knows everything he needs to know about our technology due to the fact that he read the reports while I was either in the bacta tank or with you"
The doctor is the one to speak up this time
"Yeah about that, just what does this bacta do anyways?"
"Helps heal basically any and all wounds, just like the dermal re-generator that you use bacta does the same thing though it can take longer it's sometimes the best thing especially out in the field where you might not have the ability to carry many medical supplies. I know for a fact that bacta patches have saved my life at least once due to a serious injury that hit very close to a vital artery and I was at least a day away from the nearest medical facility that had a bacta tank, spent the night in the tank and I was well enough to come home the next afternoon and very little scarring"
"Maybe I'll look into getting some for away teams whenever a medic isn't sent with them"
"Portland how soon can the Jedi be ready to go?"
"Um I'm not entirely sure Captain but Master Skywalker will tell me over the comm-link I have"
"Fine by the way I just found out Starfleet wants you to develop new uniforms for all Sentinel's in the future have it ready by the time we head for Naboo"
"No problems I already have a uniform design in mind, we keep with the Starfleet uniform except adding in the cloak, it won't be a full Jedi cloak more like...like the cloak Count Dooku wore, but the hoods are to remain down unless we go into Jedi mode, as for who Count Dooku is he'll be in the history files under either the fallen 20 or the Clone Wars, either that or look up Separatist group which is a sub category of the Clone Wars"
"Put the design into the replicator unit and we'll see if it works"
They did so and the design was very practical and did indeed work, though some people wandered about hiding their weapons, but when explaining that the cloak was removable they accepted it and did see why weapons being hidden would be advantageous on occasion. Two hours later Portland was back in the temple in a room with five others and Luke Skywalker was finishing the mission debrief