So, there are a number of interesting Star Wars verse variants. Not that I had been in a position to know a lot of the details while growing up in my new life. I mean, based on the memories of my old life I was able to know some things were off. Granted, one of the first things I figured out, looking into the temples data network, was that slavery was technically not illegal in the Republic on a federal level. Oh yes, the sale of other sapient citizens of the Republic into bondage was illegal on a federal level, and many system and planetary governments furthered that.

However, technically, very technically speaking, that was only the official slave trade, not the institution itself. Indentured Servitude that was worded in such a way that it was not all that different from chattel slavery was not only legal, but well documented inside of the Core. As were debt and criminal slavery, the first if ones debts grew too extreme and could (in theory if not practice, at least against Core words) be applied to planets and systems if their governments debts grew too extreme, even if the records of enforcement there were buried deep and made extremely hard to find.

That and tricking someone into an indentured servitude contract was illegal on a federal level, but the penalties were applied at the system level and enforcement of the laws tended to be sporadic at best, almost more a matter of happenstance than anything else. Which is how you got Ryloth. Not helped by the fact that of course, it was all voluntary, with the payments going to their families after the clan heads and other various officials got a cut, often to the point where said families might get charged for letting them know about their enslaved kins fates.

All I'm going to be saying is that the resistance on Ryloth has a number of important points. But, that was sort of secondary if related to my own situation, as yeah, I was force sensitive. And while the Jedi Order did not have the authority to steal away children, they did have the explicit legal right to offer the families compensation. Now, here was the thing. If the offer to take the child did not work, and if the offer of a years wages for the household in compensation for the child was refused, legally speaking, the Jedi had to bow and back away. Even if they added the force sensitive kid into a registry that was technically only available to law enforcement with a warrant.

No, how it usually worked, according to the files I was able to check in the library, was that it notified the Jedi if anyone on the register was involved in criminal activity, particularly those sorts of crimes that could see one falling to the dark side. In which case there would be a little investigation to see if they had learned any dark side techniques from self study (or come across a ghost or holocron) before helping to resolve matters.

And even more relevant... you would think that the Jedi Order, with its central temple on Coruscant would be, if somewhat factious, at least a singular entity, right? Yeah, things were in no way shape or form that simple, no matter how it looked to outsiders. Because much as how the Russan Reformations helped solidify and codify the greater law codes along with the social, political and legal structure of the republic, its real purpose had been to eliminate the Jedi Lords. Which had... mixed results.

See, the Guardians (one of the three main 'sections' of the Order outsiders know about) generally hold themselves as the spiritual successors to the Lords, even if they also do not consider themselves their legal or political heirs. And yet, the simple fact is that they, alongside the Consulars (the diplomats) and the Shadows (which do not actually exist and are just a conspiracy theory because of course the spies did not survive) form the Knights, which are both the public face of the order, what people think it means to be a Jedi, as well as effectively the Knights Errant of the old lords and defacto noble class inside a religious order.

Case in point, the AgriCorps. Sweet mother of mercy, the AgriCorps. Now, there were roughly ten thousand knights (between various Padawans, Knights and Masters) with perhaps a few hundred up or down, maybe an extra thousand. There were approximately five hundred million members of the AgriCorps across all of their stations and work commitments. Still small compared to planetary populations, but they massively outnumbered the knights. Additionally, looking into the allowed records, they were effectively force empowered farmers, ranchers and terraformers who could use force techniques that were not rooted in the dark side to bring life to the galaxy.

And plenty of dumbasses looked down on them for being 'washouts.' Despite the fact that you could not stab a famine or use a fancy laser sword to restore devastated biospheres. And yet, the lack of such made so many look down at them as not being Jedi at all.

Sort of the same for the ExplorCorps. Who were... mildly insane to put it lightly. Now, there were no exact numbers, because they tended to vanish for weeks or months at a time and come back with relics of lost civilizations and star chart data and new routes by which to ply the stars... if you had no self preservation instincts and a wild drive for speed and thrills. Indiana Jones would be a member of the ExplorCorps without a single doubt in my mind. Still, based on a few bits of data, I would put them at eighty to ninety thousand members.

The EduCorps were historians, scholars and keepers of the library... and the slightly more subdued kin of the ExplorCorps. Were the seekers would find and mark it on the map, the lore keepers would fall on it and document it and then add it into the lesson plans. Teachers and knowers of history, they were small at only about seven thousand three hundred, and most of them scattered to various universities, archeological sites and teaching ships throughout the republic.

And last but not least, the two thousand strong MedCorps. Of these, perhaps only three hundred could be called true White Mages, with the rest being force guided medical technicians and doctors. And of course, one crossed them at their peril, as they were the healers of both physical, mental and spiritual injuries.

But yeah, as it was, the temple and order was more than the knights who were allowed to use a lightsaber, for all that while bloodlines of lords no longer ruled, linages of masters and padawans had replaced them, forming additional networks inside of the temple. Because while technically speaking, a padawan only had one master, well, there were enough informal adoptions and shared teaching moments for some lines to be considered 'kin.' Which was not something that was obvious or really spoken of to outsiders. But, perhaps what makes that relevant was that largely speaking, each linage had its traditions and customs, even if each Knight or Master was allowed to teach as they saw fit.

And of course, there were some... exceptions. Ones not usually spoken of, as Jedi were supposed to strive for detachments. And they were the sort of thing you had to go looking for, as one of the unspoken privileges of being a Master. Which tied back into the fact that yes, selling others into slavery was illegal. Tricking others into indentured servitude was illegal. And with how emotions could affect the force (even if I had a few advantages there), well, there was a reason she was looking contemplative as she sat there.

"It is a bold request of yours young one." And her tone was more dryly and subtly amused than reproving. "However, while I will admit that it is an interesting private regard gift." She was considering me, as she weighed things. "A good deal of it is likely youthful hormones, which given your age is not too surprising." Her tone was even. "So. I will need to review the contract and then we shall sit down and make some alterations to it. Though you have of course, included the traditional clause."

It was not really a statement, as I gulped and nodded. "Yes. For the contract to last until the savings from my stipend would cover the release fee, though the money would be handled through you for the duration of the contract, or until I complete the trials to be a knight." She nodded, and there was a sense of approval. "With of course, freedom clauses for certain legal breaches, though yeah, those were more because they have to be included for it to be legally binding."

Said breaches generally covered things like being subject to risky experiments, being mutilated by her or being the contract being sold on. Which you know, things that would be illegal to do to a dependent in your care regardless. So, she nodded and some would say her fanged teeth made her snarl, but she seemed more pleased at everything else. "Good. However I will note that there is a clause in the contract for your education to take at least a decade?" She raised eye brow. "Would you care to elaborate?"

Now that was simple actually. "To make sure there is plenty of time to decide on extending the contract once I become a knight and sworn to your service."

Which was one of the things that had definitely stuck around from the days of the Jedi Lords, even if it was never officially talked about and was treated as one of those little not quite secrets for those that rose in the ranks or delved into law and history. Still, she seemed to be considering this, as she nodded. "Very well then. You shall be my padawan and my property both then." The way she looked at me was almost regal and imperious. "As such, you shall not sit there, but at my feet."

She did not ask if I understood, as I moved, looking up at her as she nodded. "Good boy. Now, this does change some of the lessons I had planned for you, but in others..." There was a quirk to her lips. "Well, it is a pleasing surprise to have some of my plans disrupted and timetable moved up. Now, there will be nothing happening tonight, save that I will be going over the lesson plans for the next year and preparing for an evaluation of any additional interests and personal plans you have tomorrow. Because while you are my property, more important, you are my padawan."

And as I looked up at her, I could only nod. "Yes Mistress Shaak Ti."