Today's session wasn't well attended, even by the standards of these days. Only five Masters were present; Masters Syo Bakarn, Tol Bragga, Bela Kiwiiks, and Gnost Dural. Master Orgus Din was transmitting from Balmorra. The others were off fighting on different fronts.

"Up next on the itinerary:" Master Kiwiiks looked at her datapad. "Master Oteg, reporting on the pursuit of one 'Darth Bellicose'." Her eyes shot up. "I do hope he managed to catch that butcher. We need to hear about a victory today."

"I agree," Orgus nodded. "It's been… rough here."

"Good morning everyone," Oteg smiled, his holo materializing right on cue. "It's always an honor to have the esteemed High Council's fullest attention. So many bright and happy faces! Yes, always an honor!"

Gnost burst into laughter. "We're at war and you know it, you cheeky bastard!"

"Of course, I meant no offense," Oteg said innocently. "But I come bearing some good news."

"You've subdued Darth Bellicose?" Kiwiiks asked hopefully.

"Me and whose army?" the ancient Jedi snorted. "It's just me, Nariel, and Uupa. In a modified Mandalorian-era Hammerhead, with a hundred troops. Hardly a task force capable of killing Bellicose and his minions."

"Then perhaps you should tell us what happened," Master Orgus said. "And quickly. I'm on Balmorra, and it's raining toxic shells here. I only have time for a quick diversion."

"As you wish, then. We were delivering supplies to Telos, and saw an Imperial ship emerge from Hyperspace. They opened fire without warning, but the Force was with us. In exchange for only minor damage, we hit them hard. We never got a full assessment of the damage, but the ship's helmsman panicked and went into Hyperspace. One of our rounds had been an experimental tracer round, which allowed us to track the ship. With difficulty of course. We took a carrier from the Telos Defense Force, all they had to offer, and followed after. We landed on an uncharted world, deep in the Unknown regions. Uncharted, inhabited by primitives. The ship crash-landed there, but couldn't radio for help. They were stranded. Darth Bellicose, being who he was, couldn't resist going wild on their world and killing several clans. But the fourth Clan was more than he'd bargained for. They managed to kill him… but they lost everyone in return. Only one child survived, with a horrifying, yet interesting tale to tell. To wit; Bellicose got killed by his own despicable tastes. If he had not attacked them unprovoked, the natives would have been perfectly willing to let him be. Perhaps even aid him. Instead, they provided a valuable lesson; primitive does not mean weak. We made contact with them, and offered some aid. They were quite grateful."

"That…" Gnost looked around at his equally startled colleagues. "That is quite a tale. And a surprising end to one so cruel as he. These… natives. You said you met with them?"

"They were grateful to meet us, if only because we proved that not all visitors from the stars are a bunch of murderous savages. And we were grateful to meet them. It's not often we meet primitives with the wisdom to value peace. We were met by a vanguard who were prepared to fight us to the death, but they did not attack us first. They waited while their leader made contact. Once it became clear we were not their enemies, they entertained our soldiers while we spoke to their leader."

"'Entertained' your soldiers?" Bela asked, her face dubious. "Why do I think that means—?"

"Not that kind of entertainment. They sang and danced, and prepared quite a scrumptious meal. They even exchanged stories. Our soldiers found themselves just as impressed with their wisdom and tact as we were."

"I find myself liking these natives," Gnost said eagerly.

"Then it's a good thing I've written a thirty-page report on what I learned of them."

"Thirty?!"

"They were happy to answer all of my questions. But there's also commentary and observations from myself, Uupa, and a rather observant Trooper I had the pleasure of serving with."

"Did they want anything at all?"

"They did not ask, but it was plain they were unnerved by the destruction a lone Darth is capable of. We offered to establish an outpost, with basic defenses. And an embassy to let them request the Republic's help should another ship arrive. The offer pleased them. And although we didn't ask for anything in return, we have been allowed rights to enter their cities, and trade on their festivals if we so choose."

"Finally, some news I feel happy hearing!" Bela gasped, comically sinking into her chair.

"Had to happen eventually!" Bragga joked.

"So all in all, a clean-cut incident?" Syo asked, looking scarcely able to believe it. "This kind of thing has become… somewhat rare!"

"There is a little addendum," Oteg said, and Gnost sat up straighter, fearing a last-minute twist that would spoil the news. "That survivor I mentioned earlier? The small child? He'll be joining the Jedi Order."

"Ah!" Gnost felt surprised, an emotion the others mirrored.

"This child… tell us about him," Master Orgus prompted.

"His name is Vajra. He is five, and witnessed the battle between his Clan Elder and Bellicose. The loss of his Clan hit him hard, left him catatonic for over a week. But Uupa was instantly drawn to him, from the moment she heard his story. He was brought into our audience, and regained consciousness when I began using the Force as a demonstration. Pulled a fruit right out of my Grip, which was admittedly not very strong. He Heard a Call from Uupa's Lightsaber. With her help, he was able to Hear the Force itself. He Chose to heed the Call."

"So he's not out for revenge, or anything like that?" Orgus asked.

"No. He has shown no interest in that. Only in the Call. But it is clear that Lightsaber crystals have some pull on him. He's shown a greater interest in technology however. And in the crew itself. He's introduced himself to anyone willing to talk and ask about their homes and lives, how it's different from his own. He still needs a lot of help with his Basic, but he's already able to converse. Children do learn fast."

"And you think he'll make for a good Jedi?"

"I do," Oteg said simply. "But I do not recommend trying to recruit more of the Raudra. Let this be an exception as the Force itself intervened."

"I think I want to hear your full report," Gnost said. "Not just on these people, these 'Raudra', but also on the mission as a whole."

"As you wish." Oteg began to give a more detailed debrief on his past few days, and Gnost listened with absolute fascination. Master Oteg was revered enough that no one in the Council sought to waylay his flow of thought with questions in even slow reports. But this? A fascinating and beautiful primitive culture, founded on egalitarian principles. He absolutely had to see them for himself.

To think they even took down Bellicose's bodyguards with just primitive weapons and ambush tactics! Not to mention slaying the man himself. He had been a thorn in the Republic's side for decades, preferring to pounce on unsuspecting worlds and slaying large swathes of the populace as he waited for the first wave of reinforcements. He would fight the first wave or two, killing any Jedi he could, before retreating. The Dark Council used him as a diversion, one who could ill afford to be ignored… though by all accounts, most Sith hated him too. Hated his strange obsession with the blood of civilians. But few had been able to replicate his results. Most were killed within their first ten engagements. Bellicose had specialized in working with only enough people to fit into a medium carrier. Maximum chaos with minimal resources. Four thousand was quite a disappointing killing spree for one such as him; the Raudra had managed to avoid the true horrors he was capable of. And they had saved the Galaxy from a dangerous lunatic. He felt the Republic owed them more than a mere outpost.

As for this Vajra… he found the boy's story equal parts fascinating and tragic, but it was his apparent resilience and willingness to obey duty which made Gnost hopeful of his career as a Jedi.