[17 BBY]

[Jedi Loyalist Venator-class Star Destroyer Grey Paladin, Lannik, Lannik System, Lannik Space Sector, Bothan Run, Mid Rim]

Jedi Knight Laranth Tarak, Commodore in the Navy of the Galactic Republic, Captain of the Star Destroyer Grey Paladin, lay with her lover Jax Pavan for a moment of contentment. Yes, it was unprofessional, and yes it was against the Jedi Code…but the Jedi Order barely existed anymore, and Laranth wasn't blind to the fact that the Republic she served didn't truly exist anymore despite lots of people claiming to be it. It was why this, soon to end unfortunately, period of sleep, of relaxation, was wonderful as Jax gently caressed her lekku, the cheeky kriffer. Laranth simply hummed contentedly in response, in that pleasantly half-awake state as she saw it, followed, as she expected, by the buzzing of her alarm.

"Unn, must you?"

"Yes, I must" she replied giving him a play slap to his wandering hand as she got up "Now, you, continue to rest XO, I have need to get on shift"

It would be for morale after all, and right now keeping a crew was a hard thing as desertion, even if she'd freely let those crewmembers go, had left them with worryingly low crew numbers. So, she and Jax had to do there duty as best they could, when they could, even if it was so very hard to do so. Setting an example sounded so a vague statement, but here and now her people needed to know she was sharing their burdens, even as she did her best to look out for them. So Laranth entered the fresher, cleaning herself with a stressed sigh at a new day, before exiting and dressing into her clean uniform, looking at herself in the mirror, then straightening herself and marching at least looking confident.

Jax wasn't back on shift for a few more hours, as best it was best to stagger their shifts owing to limited numbers for keeping everything managed. But first Laranth did her near hour long 'walking tour' of a random section of her Grey Paladin, talking to her crew, to the engineers, and ensuring everyone had what was needed. Or, today, that the Lannik engineers aboard were doing what they were paid to, and not installing unwanted devices to spy on, or sabotage, them aboard. Ideally they and their droids wouldn't be anywhere near her ship, but her Star Destroyer was battle damaged, and also suffering the aftereffects of constant activity for nearly a year now….with no yard-work or true maintenance.

'Gyndine was a good idea. It was worth the risk. The Force just was against us' she thought to herself as she reached the bridge, getting salutes from the two marines on duty as passed them. They had gotten some desperately needed repairs at Gyndine. The locals had given them all the supplies and war material they had needed…

'And my ship got a pounding in the fight. All we gained….and all we lost' she thought looking out from the bridge to the battle damage across the front of the Star Destroyer's hull. Turbolaser fire from a Luchrehulk and two suicide vulture droids that broke through their defences. Laranth didn't give away her unease at seeing the damage, at the diminished combat capacity of her vessel, as the young Togruta lieutenant, who had been officer of the watch, came over with a tired smile, offering a salute and a datapad. Lt. Moraika was a good woman, a bit young, but experienced now…like far too many of them. She could only give a forced smile that her subordinate couldn't see as fake.

"Excellent work lieutenant, take a break and then return to end your shift" she instructed getting a mug of kaff, and then a tray of a prepacked, now reheated, 'ready meal' as the ship called it. It wasn't even that bad, if a bit bland, and previously wouldn't have been something in a section of the bridge…but needs must to make shifts more tolerable for everyone. At least this way Laranath could eat her 'morning' meal with her kaff, while overseeing the half-staffed bridge.

"Ma'am!" the once eager young officer salute, then headed off to as instructed while Laranth read through the various reports on the last shift, along with various news reports they'd gotten off the holo-net.

'Or what's left of it' she mused shovelling the slightly tangy mush into her mouth, seeing the badly out of data reports in some cases 'That's quite old…and that…and that too. I'm very sure that isn't true…'

Laranth sighed placing it down, noting a few holo-channels, all news ones, playing in a corner of the bridge, watching for any news. Once upon a time she would have access to galactic communications, even the Shadowfeed, along with detailed reports and holo-conference all the way across the galaxy. Now they struggled for news just to stay alive as the galaxy burned. She herself was struggling with simple questions of what to do now after all….just what were they supposed to do as systems ran down, and every day became a struggle to just keep going. At first it had seemed straightforward; - oppose Sith, oppose Seppies, and work to resupply Master Yoda and the Resistance on Kashykk…

Well….

There seemed to be Sith everywhere now…

The Separatists seemed to be advancing everywhere…

And attempting to do anything with that system was suicide…

'And which side are we even on now?' she wondered finishing up her 'breakfast' and placing it for cleaning as she went on duty with a refill of kaff. Gyndine had been a brief moment of unity…till you remembered that her Kuati 'Republic' allies were Chancellorists, with said Supreme Chancellor being a Sith. Her 'Alsakan-GAR-Coruscant' ones….arresting all Jedi unless they passed some bizarre loyalty test, and many of the 'allies' were just pirates dressed up in fancy clothes really. Truth be told Laranth feared they were falling that category, and that the time to make a decision was fast approaching or was already even past. She paused as her communications officer gestured for attention "What is it crewman?"

"Ser, you'll want to see this!"

Laranath gave a nod "Put it through to my terminal"

She activated it with her thumbprint, read through it. Then paled. The Bothans had switched sides in the war…

--

[17 BBY]

[Jedi Temple, formerly Jedi Monastery Museum, outside Coronet City, Corellia, Corellian System, The Core]

Rachi Sitra, Jedi Master, though she didn't feel like much of one at times, stood, still swathed in bandages as she looked out from the renovated temple. It felt at peace, somewhat, but nothing like the Temple on Coruscant had been, but the fact Corellia wasn't quite as bad as Coruscant had been a big positive in Rachi's opinion. Oh, this founder world of the Republic was still far too industrialised for her liking, but it wasn't a city-planet, and the nature preserve around what was now the Temple was pleasant enough. If a bit overly manicured and lacking any wildness.

'Unlike some' she mused with a smile as she was joined on the balcony by the usual burning furnace of the Force that was Anakin 'The Chosen One' Skywalker "Ah, Master Skywalker, come to enjoy the view of the skies of Corellia, or perhaps get some wise words?"

She grinned cheekily, changing her voice "Advice I give, yes, old and wise I am"

Master Skywalker made a pouty face of all things. The man was such a child at times "That…truly? Aren't we supposed to…respectful? We have the…robes on"

Rachi made a dramatic sigh, raising her robes up a fraction "Yes, yes, Obi-wan and we are all respectable, old fashioned, proper Jedi Masters here…"

She gave Master Skywalker an exasperated look "Yes, all prim and proper, and defended by Master Marriage it seems. Which is unfair you know. We all followed the rules and…" she smiled teasingly, gesturing at her bandaged lekku and arm "…he get's the beautiful Senator's. Where's mine I ask?"

"Padme's taken"

"Oh, for shame! Whatever will I do?" she further pressed at his awkward, mildly flustered response, and Rachi sighed, smiling politely "I jest, I jest. Now, you've news from that excitable look on your face when you arrived?"

"Ah" Skywalker murmured, blinking, then walking forward to stand beside her, looking up at the flashes of light in the early night sky. The guardians of the system as it were, along with those starships preparing to reinforce Duro to her understanding "Right. Snips…I mean Ahsoka, she's sent word, they've negotiated with…"

"We are aware you were, and are, friends with the angry fellow with the purple lightsaber and nightsister bodyguards Anakin" she pointed out when he hesitated, using his name and not formal titles. The robes being mandatory in the temple was bad enough after all "It is why we sent your padawan, who was also on friendly terms with him, to guard the good Senator from Thesme after all! Now, is it good news I hope?"

The pale skinned human nodded "They agreed not to fight us, though it is more of a ceasefire than any treaty, but…"

'Why is extracting information out of Skywalker like pulling teeth' she mused as the man gesticulated, generally detailing that something had been agreed, by someone, and that the situation of not killing each other would be semi-formalised. It was good news, even if there were issues, and she let out a relieved sigh "That is…good thank the Force. We have greater concerns than having to face each other in battle"

And that was a real fear for all of them, as the Order had fled in all directions after Order Sixty-Six and now the ever-expanding Civil War. Knights and Padawans were making decisions, often decisions made in the heat of the moment, and that was leading to trouble. Some had become consumed by anger, perhaps falling to the Dark Side, and places like those joining other factions due to being forced to, or by choice, had difficult choices to make. They, here on Corellia, had had to make such choices in appointing an Acting, in reality new, Grand Master of the Order and reconstituting the Council that she was on…and largely unvoted on too at that.

Skywalker nodded "We…agreed not to recognise these new ranks though, or Master…I mean, Knight Kota's, um, status"

Rachi gave a sad nod "That's politics Master Skywalker, as your good wife has likely explained"

He nodded slowly, frowning "It shouldn't, we are…"

"Not as independent as we once were" she finished for him looking up at the skies "Obi-wan is under great deal of pressure, and even if I disagree with him…" vocally, and a lot "…we are having to make sacrifices to keep the Order as it is"

'Alive at all' was the actual situation, and….Sects weren't the worst result in the end. No, what Rachi feared was the Darksiders coming out of the woodwork, out of the clearly rotten structures that had been the Republic, and those wilfully blind, or actively traitorous, within the Order itself. But it was a fact that trying to deal with all the threats now was both impossible, and foolish, so making peace with the Outer Rim Republic militarists was the best option. Even if just for the fact they were distant, were fighting the CIS, and therefore weren't directly fighting in the Core. It was certainly protecting those Jedi that were in those regions compared to the CIS, the Sith Lord on Kuat, and even the military junta that had overthrown much of the Core and galactic north. Some, visible, antagonism, but short of violence, between two Jedi Orders here and there wouldn't be a total evil in her mind.

"It shouldn't be that way…there should be…just a way to get them together and make them agree, or make the right decision"

She gave chuckle at his grumbling "Well, I think we will have to put the whole 'put all the Senators in a sack and hit them till they agree something intelligent' plan on hold for now Master Skywalker. WE after all can't agree unanimously on this whole formal everything your former master has"

The man pouted again "I know…I've said…just Obi wan's….overreacting? The others…"

'Have sticks up their asses or are desperate to restore what the think of Jedi dignity' Rachi wanted to say, but merely shrugged "Don't need to preach to me, this Twi'lek girl hasn't exactly been in quiet agreement with them I'm sure you've noticed?"

He gave a chuckle at that, and they began to discuss things a bit more seriously in what counted for the 'Reformers' on the new Council she'd been stuck with….

--