AN-Joys of taking online classes means easier to hope out and write for a bit and then refocus on class so on a major roll.
The early morning quiet was Callera's companion as she moved to the dining hall as the Temple slowly stirred itself to awareness. The last few hours had brought her no peace, and she had fought to avoid wallowing in the rebounded pain Anakin had showed her. No child should have to feel or see what he had. Almost every child she had met in the camps during the Vong War had had some level of the glazed eyes the boy showed her when he and Ky'sa had arrived, and it always tugged at her. Children should have the chance to be children, even Force sensitive ones.
"I don't understand, what's so special about her?"
Those words around a corner bring her to pause before rounding the corner..
"Besides the fact that she was apparently the key to ending the Naboo crisis without bloodshed?"
"She's not from one of the affiliate orders, yet they knighted her within a week of her introduction to the Council!"
The words start to grow distant so Callera turns the corner and follows the small group letting the Force project uninteresting to all in the corridor, watching and listening to the three.
"How do you know she wasn't from an affiliate?"
"I saw one of her spars with Master Drallig and did some research in the Archives, no existing affiliate teaches what she can do. None!"
"So then why do you think they did it, if she was not connected to any affiliate? To just grant her knighthood without any Jedi training would go against the entire history of our Order. I for one do not think any of the Council would denigrate all who have striven to be Jedi."
Callera takes that as an opening, "And you are right. They would not do so." Her words cause the group to turn and spin in shock. "You should be more mindful of your surroundings, especially when talking about concerns of an individual in public."
"My point still stands, as far as I know your knighting goes against how I have been told our Order works and lives." The woman looks at Callera, cheeks still flushed from Callera's rebuke.
Callera meets the speakers eyes directly, "Even if I did not ask for or expect it from them?"
"Especially then."
"Good. I would be worried if you did not question my circumstances."
That brings the trio up short before Callera continues, "You are right that my training was with no acknowledged affiliate, I am my former Order's only member at this time after a long conflict from the Unknown Regions. The end of that conflict landed me on Naboo where Master Qui-gon and Jedi Kenobi found I was looking for a path in the Force."
The male Twi'lek, "So that brought you to the Temple, but the knighting?"
Callera's self deprecating chuckle, keeps the focus on her, "The Council recognized I lived by a variant of the Jedi Code, old yet new. And I'd guess it's about Anakin as well."
"The boy you brought with you? You know he's too old to be trained, right?" The Quarren chimes in.
"His mother wanted me to train him, but when I was found on Naboo; I only had my underwear to my name. I have nothing, the only place that can give him a solid foundation in both the Force and general education is here in the Temple, and so..." Callera lets it linger.
"The Council recognizes your training as a Jedi therefore giving you the rank of Knight, and your Padawan to be a place to learn what life is like away from the slave pens and a more traditional foundation." The woman finishes the thought.
Callera tilts her head in acknowledgement of the point, "That was my guess to."
"What about the Sith Lord you killed?" The Quarren's curiosity evident, "But that came after you were granted the rank of knight, but when I think on it the Force says that was involved somehow."
"I fought Maul on Tatooine," Callera's right arm swings up to ribs briefly, "if not for the Queen deciding she wasn't finished with me, I'd have made the sacrifice play to get her here."
His dark eyes shine with understanding, "That was the piece missing for me. You fought him in a Jedi mindset, with your interview to the Council giving them the appropriate frame of reference."
"There are still things that don't make sense! Like your blades!" The female of the trio still going at Callera like a Nexu
"I never said I was only trained by Jedi, did I?" Callera's lips turning upwards slightly, "And yes the Council does know about my rather varied background."
"What other groups?"
"I'll tell you, when I trust you."
That brings the woman up short.
"The Council knows because they had to know, to know who I am. Master Qui-gon, Jedi Kenobi, and Healer Ky'sa all have my trust and so know more. You want to know more about my history, earn it."
Callera pauses briefly after the words come tumbling out. "Sorry, that came out harsher than I intended. Anakin had a very disturbing vision last night and the Healer on call thought him talking it through with me would help. Caused us both to relive moments that neither of us would like to relive, so I am a little raw still. But the point is, if we become friends or even acquaintances; I'll gladly share more information with you, but right now You're just a random Jedi to me and I am a random Jedi that the Council has shown some interest in to you."
The twi'leks leku twitch in acceptance, "It is understandable, is Anakin okay?"
"He will be. Just needs some rest. He'll be back with his creche for afternoon lessons." She then turns to the woman as she still looks sour, "I'm not going to tell you trust me or the Council," that causes the woman's eyes to widen, "but I will say if you still feel my knighting is a problem. Talk to members of the Council, see if they can help you understand why they did what they did. You might even be able to tell me then, why they made their choice."
"Well said, Jedi Bladesinger." That causes the quartet to turn, seeing the Master Kit Adi Mundi behind them, a smile on the Cerean's face grows at Callera's little jolt of surprise.
"I guess I should take my own advice about minding my surroundings then." Callera's tone sheepish at letting the master approach so closely without noticing.
"That would be a good plan," he looks to the three others, "Jedi Bladesinger's background may be different from us or any known affiliate, but none on the Council doubt her wish to adhere to the Jedi Code and following the will of the Force. With no order of her own, welcoming her into our Order with the rank she had already earned was agreed to. In my opinion her actions since then have only validated the decision. If the three of you would excuse us, I wish to talk to Jedi Bladesinger about her status here in the Temple."
Callera looks back at the three, "Between how my order vanished and fighting a Sith Lord, I am still on Temple duties only until cleared by a mind healer or accompanied by a Jedi or Master on simple things. If you want to try and talk things out more or use other methods to understand, just find me. It looks like I'll be here a while."
That causes the female Jedi to be pensive, "I might take you up on it.."
Callera nods as the group moves towards the dining hall, leaving her with the Master, "So what about my status, shall we talk about today?"
"It is about the Council meeting after lunch, the Council has decided that you should not be present for it. Or anywhere in the main Temple areas in fact."
Callera's body tenses first at the keeping her from the meeting, but the second part snaps it into focus. "If he seeks me out after the meeting, then he has an ulterior motive. But it also cannot be too obvious of an avoidance, I need to be out of the way enough that he actually has to look for me, but not so far as to look like the Council is hiding me."
"Exactly."
"So where will you be stashing me, Master Mundi?"
"Master Drallig has arranged for those who are interested in walking the path of a weaponmaster to use a training area in the sublevels, with droids programed for almost any weapon style and array of practice and live weapons. Enough Jedi, Padawans, and younglings who are walking that way are going to be there this afternoon for examinations and evaluations, considering the path you walk..." he trails off.
"It makes perfect sense for me to be there." Callera sighs, "What if Dooku approaches me after the meeting."
"Take his measure, but remember to evaluate him on what you know now. Not the half remembered fragments you have presented so far.
