Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Mandalorian Wars
Chapter 15
It took Avner nearly a week to reach out to the Jedi High Council and it had nothing to do with him at all. Security on Coruscant and been tightened since the last time Avner had been there. He'd ended up having to stay on the shuttle again while he waited out background cheeks on himself by security.
During the time it'd taken for them check over Avner's records, the mandalorians had moved on Vanquo in a surprise attack. The Republic forces under Captain Karath had put up quite the fight from what Avner had been able to gather, but had been forced into a retreat, allowing Mandalore to take the planet. This left Taris wide open for an attack. Within the next few weeks, Avner had no doubt in his mind that Mandalore would move on Taris.
Now, there was no denying the fact the Republic was at war with the mandalorians. Vanquo had been a Republic controlled system and the last in the line of supply worlds for Taris. The council needed to sanction entry into the war so, least the Republic would end up facing this threat without the Council's aid. Avner knew that they wouldn't be facing it without Jedi aid though. Despite the fact he didn't much like the thought of going against the council, there might be no option left if they refused to see the threat this war posed to the Republic. For now, Avner needed to be patient and wait to see what course of action or inaction the council would take.
He sighed and sat down on the bunk he'd been given within the Jedi temple. Very chance he'd gotten, he'd reached out with the force in order to pinpoint Alek's location in the galaxy. From what Avner had been able to gather, his friend was behind the line on Flashpoint station. When the meeting was over with, Avner would take the group and go after Alek. It wouldn't be an easy mission but things such as this were rarely easy.
Shaking his head, Avner pulled his thoughts from his friend and back to the matter at hand. There was no time to waste. The sooner he saw them, the sooner the Jedi could lend aid to the Republic. Or, the sooner Avner would have the council's decision on what course they'd take.
"Patience," he muttered as he stood, "you need to be patient." The problem was all he'd been doing nothing since coming back to Coruscant was sitting in this room or on the shuttle. The only reason he minded this was that every moment he sat here doing nothing was another moment he could be convincing the council to take action and aid the Republic.
It was more than just the Republic that had Avner on edge. Alek was trapped behind enemy lines, worse he'd been captured by the enemy. While Avner had been behind the lines it hadn't been the same. Right then Avner only knew his friend was still alive. But the force could only go so far.
By the time Avner was called to the council chambers the sun hung low in the sky. He stepped into the chamber to see that the sky beyond was stained red, but his attention wasn't on that for long. To his amazement most of the masters were there. For a brief moment Avner was swept up in shock at this. He stopped in the center of the round room and bowed low to the masters.
"Make this quick, Knight," Atris started, "there's another, far more important matter the council needs to see to."
Avner straightened. Of course they were all here for the meeting after his. It had nothing to do with Avner's discovery and everything to do with the "Sith." "Of course, masters, it wasn't my intention to keep you longer than necessary."
"Well?" both of the Vrook's eyebrows rose.
Avner took a deep breath. "The Mandalorians have a base on Dxun. From what I saw the force there is large enough to conquer Onderon and still have enough to spare for a scale attack on the other core worlds.
"The group I encountered on Onderon were in the process of recruiting more to their ranks. Mandalore's sent out an order for them to gather as many people to the clans as possible. They're planning on hitting the Republic with numbers that will cause the Republic forces to be overwhelmed."
"And the others? Those who are following you, how many of them saw this as well?" Kavar asked in even tones.
Avner hesitated before he confessed, "None. I went to Onderon alone."
There were several looks exchanged between the masters. Avner shifted a little. The looks told him all he really needed to know, but he forced himself to remain where he was.
"The council won't condone entering this war," Kavar told him after long moments. "Let alone the actions you took while on Onderon. The report you submitted was more than detailed enough."
"And while your report on what you saw at Onderon and Dxun is, of course, disturbing," Atris started, "nonetheless, you had no business investigating on your own!" There was a heat in her voice that made Avner's eyes narrow.
Of course, they hadn't called him here to give more detail to his report or anything like that. They hadn't even called him here to give some aid to the Republic forces. Instead all they were interested in was telling him off for doing a job they should've been handling over him.
"We're still rebuilding our ranks from the last war. We can't afford this kind of adventurism. Even if we were supporting it!" Atris' words were more an excuse than anything else. The order, while not as large as it had once been, was still better off than other times in their history. If the Sith had been involved in this matter then they wouldn't be acting this way at all. They would be at the Republic's side instead.
"And involving other knights and padawans in your 'scouting missions' was simply beyond reproach!" Vrook joined Atris in telling Avner off. The older master was looking at Avner with hard eyes.
Avner hadn't "involved" them on purpose. Most of them had joined of their own volition. Though, in the end they were all following Avner's plans. The council knew this as well as Avner did. What the council didn't know was that Avner had never wished to become the leader of this group, that he had been waiting for one of them to take to charge. It was the council's place not Avner's!
"And now we learn that some of them were abducted from Suurja before the surprise attack and after you left for Onderon! A refugee who saw it all told us!"
Would this shouting ever end? Avner was already aware of his mistake. What he didn't like was Vrook was making it sound as if Avner had left them on the planet knowing there would be an attack on his fellow Jedi. When in reality, Avner hadn't known and would never have left them there if he had.
"You will find them and bring them directly back here. No diversion, no delay!"
Avner turned and started towards the door. His mind was racing with all of this. The council was brushing all of this off as if the Mandalorians weren't a threat at all. If they kept sitting on their hands, thousands – no, millions of innocents would be killed in the blink of an eye.
"There was no place for the Order in the wrangling over the outer rim, and there is certainly no place for it in the wider Mandalorian War!" Vrook continued as Avner neared the door.
This wasn't the Jedi way. It went against everything Avner had been taught over the years!
The doors opened to reveal Lucien and the masters from Taris. So it was this group that the masters had gathered to fully tell off. Where as Kavar, Vrook, and Atris had been all who were needed to yell at Avner for a bit.
"Well we meet again," Lucien said in way of greeting to Avner.
Right then Avner didn't want to speak with Lucien or deal with this man. There were other matters to see to. Lucien placed his hand on Avner's shoulder to force him to stop. This man's arrogance really knew no bounds.
"I'm sorry we were unable to oblige you on Taris, but I trust you found your investigations enlightening."
Avner didn't turn to the man. There was no point, the Order's thoughts of Avner were beginning to be placed into stone. "You see that I was right, now, don't you? The truth is written in blood!" Avner meant the words to be on the warning he'd given Lucien while back on Taris.
"I'm sorry, I'm not sure I know which truth you mean." Avner sensed Lucien tilt his head to one side.
Arrogance! Avner jerked his shoulder from the man's hold and started back down the hall. "Good-bye, Lucien Draay." There was no point to the Order, to the masters, to all of it! They were all blind to the truth. "I have learners to save," the way Avner said "learners" wasn't meant to be taken as literal, it was filled with sarcasms. "The High Council will see you now." With those words he left the group to their own fate, a fate they'd wrought on themselves because they were too scared and too blinded by that fear to see they were wrong. The Sith weren't the threat and all of what that group had wrought could've been avoided if they'd only listened!
Avner continued through the temple at a quick pace. The others would've landed by now and he needed to meet with them before the council took back letting Avner leave here. He wouldn't be back. No matter what was placed before them, they would never believe the mandalorians were a threat worth Jedi attention. Hell all of Coruscant could be attacked and they still wouldn't act.
Now, Avner hoped to gain Republic attention, to gather Jedi who believed as he did and have the Republic back them completely. But to do so would require them learning more on this war and seeing how much damage the Republic had already taken even if they didn't know it yet.
"By how fast you're walking, I'd take it the meeting with the High Council didn't go your way," a light voice drew Avner to a stop.
He turned to see a man around his height striding towards him. The man's black hair was streaked with gray. One of eyes had been replaced with a mechanical one and a lot of his face looked as if it had been reconstructed.
"Master Marcus," Avner greeted the man and bowed to him. "My congratulations on your passing your trials for a second time, you'll be a fine master." And the words were true. From what Avner knew of the man, he was loyal to the High Council and the ways they ran the Order. Like many his age he'd lived through the last war, but had been a youngling through most of it and a padawan near the end of it.
"Thank you, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about," the man stated with a small smile. "Come, walk with me."
Avner hesitated before he fell into step with the man. He didn't speak despite the fact he needed to return to the others. There was still time. So instead he waited for Marcus to speak first.
"I get you're wanting to save the people of the Republic," Marcus started, "it takes a lot to not just run off and try to help as many as possible."
Avner frowned. Something was up. "So why don't you?"
"Because the council knows best," Marcus told him. "Avner, you're young and getting caught up in the heat of the early moments of war. The Republic is stronger than you think it is. If it becomes necessary, the council will have us act. Until then it's important the Order remains united."
The words made Avner close his eyes and take a deep breath. "I mean no offense by this, Master Marcus, but you're wrong. What the Order seems to forget is that the Republic was hit harder than the Jedi were during the last war. Jedi are necessary to the Republic and the Republic is to the Jedi. Both rely on the other too much for the other to simply ignore while the other suffers. Take the Republic away from the Order and we become nothing more than a small group trying to keep the peace with nothing to back us. Take the Jedi away from the Republic and they are without their peace keepers, those who are sworn to protect them no matter the cost."
Marcus laughed a little at this. "You have a rather romantic view of the relationship between the Jedi and the Republic."
"No, not romantic," Avner stopped and held up his hand. "In the terms described, yes I can see how it sounds that way. But at the core of both the Republic and Jedi, we're needed and so are they. Too many centuries have passed with the Order and Republic working hand in hand for one to fully exist without the other. Romantic or practical, it doesn't matter. All that matters is the facts and the truth." Avner turned from the older man. "You can wait all you want, Master, but I won't – I can't just stand by and listen or watch as the people of the Republic die."
"Don't do this, Avner, don't throw away you're future over this matter. The Order will act when the Council sees it's time for us to."
"How many will die while the Council watches and waits?" Avner took a deep breath and bowed his head. "There is still more to learn by watching, but perhaps there is more to learn by actively looking. The difference between my actions and the council's is that I'm willing to look for the truth while they simply watch what's happening on a larger scale."
"Avner," Marcus started again. Avner felt the weight of the man's hand on his shoulder.
Avner shook off the man's hand. "I appreciate this talk, Master Marcus. But the path I must take is clear, even if the council disagrees with it." Avner left the master standing in the hall.
In the end, Avner's own fate no longer mattered. If the council refused to uphold the peace they had sworn to and help the people of the Republic, then Avner would. The problem was that Avner still wanted to be apart of the Order. Then there was a part of him that almost frightened him. The part of him that wanted to leave the Order behind, to move on and act as was needed for the Republic and not to the wishes of the Jedi Council.
It was this inner conflict that made Avner wish to speak with Master Kae. She was really the only who might be able to help find someway to keep his beliefs and not leave the Order in doing so. The how was escaping Avner entirely, especially with the way the Council had acted in today's meeting with them.