Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Mandalorian Wars
Chapter 11

x – Two years later – x

Avner poured over the data-pad he held. The news coming in pointed to yet another battle in the Suurja system had resulted in yet another stalemate between the Republic forces and the mandalorians. Sighing, Avner leaned back in his seat and rubbed his eyes.

"Nothing good I take it?" Alek asked next to him.

"This is the third stalemate that's happened in the Suurja system," Avner informed the small group on the small carrier they'd managed to get over the past two years.

Despite his wish to not be the leader of any such movement to enter the war, it had turned out to be such. In the past two years more and more Jedi had slowly flocked in to join him in his campaign to get the council to see the truth. All of them were viewing Avner as their leader and most had taken to calling him "master," not knowing Avner's name or caring to ask him what it was. Avner was fine with not telling them his name, but he did wish they wouldn't call him "Master" in place of a name. The only one in the group who should be called such was Master Arren Kae and she seemed more than a little amused at Avner when he'd voiced this to her.

The moves against Republic space made in the past year alone were making it all too plain to the Republic that the war was unavoidable. It was only the Jedi Council now who refused to aid in the coming war. While Avner didn't want to lead anyone, his hand was being forced to lead those who believed Jedi aid would be needed towards the war. If he couldn't convince the council soon, there would be no choice left to him but to fully defy their wishes and enter the war with the few Jedi he had.

To delay too long would be to lose the Republic and all chances they had at victory against the Mandalorians. Despite Suurja being a stalemate, it would only be a matter of time before Mandalore got serious and directed his full attention on the Republic. Suurja was just a skirmish compared to what had happened in the outer rim. Those soon might even been small compared to what was coming.

It was Avner's hope that the High Council would come to their senses long before the first worlds along border were attacked. But few masters listened and only one, so far, had believed them or thought that joining the war was right. Taris wouldn't prove to be anymore fruitful than the last several. This was more because Avner had met one of the master's for in charge of the temple there. Master Lucian Draay… actually he'd briefly met all of the masters.

x – The Past – x

Avner exited the shuttle beside Darious and sighed. Why did the masters even bother calling him here if they'd only look down on the padawan Avner chose?

"No need to look so depressed," Darious stated, "this is a great show of trust from the masters to be among the new knights and chosen to take on a padawan."

"We're one among many who could end up with a padawan," Avner pointed out as he and Darious started towards the enclave entrance.

The bright, Dantooine sun beat down on them as the crossed the makeshift hanger. There were two other shuttles in the stone yard, making the space somewhat cramped. One of the shuttles had come from Coruscant with members of the High Coucnil. The other had carried a group of five masters here.

"Besides there are six masters who are going to be here for the ceremony as prospective masters and the two of us, with only six prospective padawans," Avner was trying not to dampen his friend's mood, but the odds really were stacked against them. They really were for Avner.

"Six? I'm only counting five? I thought this Marcus character was only a knight?"

Avner hesitated then laughed. "I suppose you're right, but he's just about thirty years older than we are. I guess I was thinking of him as a master because of that."

"If age was what gave one the honor of master, then the order would be filled with those who didn't have insight or skill to lead it," stated a cool voice.

Avner turned to see the five masters had followed him and Darious into the enclave. "Good morning, masters," Avner stated with a slight bow. "I hope your journey was well?" It took more effort than Avner cared to admit not to retort to those words as he skimmed their group.

There were four Jedi consulars like Avner in the group flanking the only guardian, Lucien Draay. Though odd in and of itself, Avner knew to query about this could cause more problems than it would solve. Normally there were more guardians in the group of Jedi than there were sentinels and consulars. The ratio just didn't seem right to him.

"Well enough," Lucien replied for the group. His eyes were locked on Avner's as the slightly taller man sized Avner up. "You two are some of the newest knights of the order, correct?"

"Yes, Master Draay," Avner stated in a calm voice. "But, as you stated, age has nothing to do with ability."

Lucien's eyes narrowed at this. A silent battle seemed to have started between Avner and older Jedi Master. Neither of them blinked or looked away from one another. The tension between them seemed to almost crackle through the air.

Beside Avner, Darious glanced nervously at the other masters. "Avner, we should head in," Darious whispered, placing his hand on Avner's shoulder.

"Avner?" both of Lucien's eyebrows at the sound of the name and he seemed more than a little shocked to hear Avner's name. "So you're the young knight who gives the council no ends of grief. I'm surprised such a knight would be given the chance to train a padawan."

As was Avner but he wasn't about to confess that to this man.

"Perhaps they hope it will curve his curiosity," a man around Avner's height chose just then to appear in the hall way leading to the centurial part of the enclave and the inner passage to the lower levels. He had long, black hair which was tied back, flecks of gray were starting to appear in his hair. One of his eyes was brown like Avner's but other eye was mechanical.

Avner turned to the newcomer and bowed his head to the man. He must have been the last perspective master, Knight Marcus. "Perhaps," Avner agreed. Turning, he gestured to Darious before he started off down the hall once more.

xxx

"We'll be arriving shortly," Alek's voice jarred Avner from the past.

He straightened and looked at his friend who'd just sat back down beside Avner. "We'll be heading to Suurja right after," Avner announced to the group. "To give aid to the Republic forces entrenched there."

There were a few mutterings from among their small group before a cathar Jedi by the name Ferroh said, "So we're really heading to the frontlines then?"

"Yes," Avner confirmed. "But we're there to gather information and aid the Republic, not officially join the war effort at this point. We don't have enough strength to give much aid to the Republic yet out side of healing and reconnaissance."

There group was still too small to make much of a difference in the war. Either that or Avner was just using that as an excuse to not join the war just yet. A large part of him didn't want to join just yet, not without first convincing the High Council that the war was a very real threat to the Republic. And that it was in the here and now unlike the Sith.

Now, they were going to see if Lucien would aid their group by at the very least giving them supplies. It wasn't the supplies that Avner was really interested in, however. It would the aid of more masters, no matter how unlikely it seemed.

As he thought this, his vision blurred and gave way to a deep, impenetrable darkness. The soft glow of four green 'sabers filled the space. "What are you—" a voice sounded before it was cut short by a scream.

Blood dripped down around Avner. The four consulars of the temple on Taris appear through the darkness, standing over the corpses of their padawans. Lucien stood among them, the only one without his 'saber drawn. Zayne appeared in the mists of the masters and was highlighted as the one to take the blame.

The images shifted and changed. Avner stood on a battle field of sheer destruction. It was Coruscant, but it wasn't destruction caused by the Mandalorians. No this was something else, another threat for someone else entirely to face. Master Vrook was racing through the destruction. Then Avner saw it, the young Padawan Zayne facing off against his master. Lucien's normally white and gold robes were tattered and stained with blood. His hands burned as he leapt at his padawan, holding a red lightsaber.

The images began to fade.

Avner shook his head to clear the last of the images. He stood and moved into the small cockpit of the shuttle. He stopped behind the two just as they left hyperspace. "Head for the local temple," Avner instructed them. "There should be landing zone there, we can at least resupply before heading to Suurja."

"Yes, Master," said the younger Jedi who piloted the small transport.

The temple soon came into view. It had been placed into one of the upper city buildings and was built in the middle of the city unlike the temple on Coruscant. From what Avner knew of it, this was temporary until a better temple which more suited the Jedi Order could be constructed.

The shuttle touched down and Avner turned to the main compartment. The others were already standing, some of them stretching after the long voyage of skipping from one system to the next. Unfortunately the shuttle wasn't the best and they'd had make stops along the way to rest and gather supplies that were needed for the next leg of the journey. This last jump had been the longest yet, lasting over a day. Avner and the other few who knew how to pilot had been switching off in order for the other to get some rest.

Avner moved to the ramp and was the first to disembark. The few who followed him, moved to speak with several of the droids there in order to wait for when or if they were given the supplies they would need by the masters of the temple. Avner moved to where Lucien and the other four masters. While Jasper raced over to his friends from his time as a youngling on Dantooine.

"Well, if it isn't the Jedi Crusader," Lucien stated in way of greeting as Avner and Alek stopped before him.

"If it isn't too much trouble, can we get some supplies and fuel?" Avner asked politely.

Lucien hesitated before he nodded, but it seemed like he really didn't want to aid them in this. Over all, Avner wasn't too shocked. The likelihood of this man and those around coming with their group was next to none or, more over, a chance less than one percent. But it was a still a chance, even if it was a small one.

"Knight Alek," Lucien turned to Alek. "Would you do me a favor?"

"Depends on what it is," Alek stated with a glance at Avner.

"My padawan seems to have wondered off. If you follow the trail of debris, you'll find. Could you bring him back?"

"Sure." Alek moved a little before he bent down and whispered, "I think this might be a lost cause, Avner."

"We'll see," Avner whispered back, but he couldn't help but agree. Perhaps if he could convince Lucien to join them the four padawans could be saved and the future Avner had seen wouldn't come to pass. But with a chance so low…

Alek moved off and soon the hum of a speeder taking the sky came.

Only once Alek had gone did Lucien turn his attention back to Avner. "What's the real reason you're here, Knight Avner."

"The mandalorians are gaining ground by the day," Avner started. "It's only a matter of time before the stalemate of Suurja is broken and the mandalorians move to strike the Republic territories close to that system."

"So you're here to ask us to join up with you?" Raana Tey, a togruta Jedi Master, asked. Her dark eyes narrowed as she looked at Avner.

"The mandalorians aren't a threat the Jedi should concern themselves with," Master Q'Anilia told Avner.

"The Sith are the only threat the Jedi should be concerned with," Lucien finished.

"And it is this belief that will be the down fall of the Republic," Avner told them. "In the end, you're… fear of the Sith returning will cause innocent blood to be spilled. The truth will be written in blood," with those words, Avner turned and started towards the shuttle.

"Wait!"

A hand shot out and took hold of Avner's shoulder, stopping him. He turned to see Master Raana Tey had stopped him.

"You're no seer, what do you mean by this?" she demanded.

"The vision is clear, blood will be spilled, lives will end, and all you know will parish because of your fear of the Sith returning," Avner told them before he removed Raana's hand from his shoulder. "On the matter of me being a seer or not, I don't try to see the future on a whim. I allow the force to show me what it will." He bowed to them. "Good day, masters of Taris." He turned again and moved off just as he caught sight of Alek landing the speeder nearby with Zayne.

There was still a chance what Avner had seen wouldn't come to pass. Though, how slim those odds were, he didn't know and didn't really care to. His purpose in this matter had been to give the warning. It had been given and now he needed to focus on the task set before him: convincing the council to join the war against the mandalorians.