Whom I wasn't so certain I wanted as an aide any longer. With everything coming down the pike that Thoran spoke of, the last thing I needed to worry about was a loose cannon, much less one volatile enough to explode at what seemed to be the slightest provocation.

I pinned Major Jetiis'ad with a heartfelt glare.

"You are dismissed, and confined to quarters," I finally managed before turning to Petrolu to see if there was anything I could do about his suddenly soggy condition. All the while the thought of his calm reply to the slavering Major niggled disturbingly in the back of my mind. Jedi dispassion or no, that just didn't seem right somehow. I kept a cautionary edge up, waiting to see if there was anything he needed, and called for an escort for the major.

Perhaps Petrolu would like a glass of Walkn'Fall of his own...

--------------------

She exited the mess pausing at the door only to give the lead troop the Jedi’s lightsaber and whisper a warning.

“Watch the Jedi,” Kani warned.

Her temporary quarters were not very far from the mess only taking her a minute to reach. Upon her arrival two stormtroopers stopped outside her door to make sure she remained inside, not that they could stop her. Once inside she remained in her armor and opened a connection to the bases comm center having the communication team try and trace the Jedi’s transmission back to it point of origin. One thing kept eating at her, why was her grandfather still alive.

Ba’buir was supposed to be dead; over 25 years ago he left the order to recover his abilities. When I was captured by Actar’s troops they gave me something to help free my mind of what they said the Jedi had done to me and the Mandalorians after my mother died, that the Jedi conditioned me to attack Actar. Then they brought me to the valley of the Jedi and gave me something that for a little while touch the Force like Buir could. She appeared to me her ghost like some Jedi could and told me the truth about everything, Mandalore betraying our people to the Jedi, the Jedi’s turning to the darkside, and how ba’buir was killed by the Jedi after he left because he knew the truth. But how can he still be alive…

The more Kani tried to work it out the more her head started to throb, a side effect of breaking the conditioning the Jedi did to her the imperial doctors said, she reached for a bottle of pills by her rack that she was to take to help combat the migraines, ripping off her helmet she tossed it on the rack and downed two pills helping quell her symptoms. Those same doctors had also warned the Imperials how the process of fixing her conditioning had left her easily agitated and prone to violence, but nevertheless was still would carry out every order given to her.

Perhaps that is why I was made into an assassin, my Mandalorian nature prevents me from becoming completely like the other Imperials. So why now did they thrust me into this position, what is the brass thinking letting someone like me become the aide to a General.

But Thoran now had clammed up tighter then a Toydarian's cashbox.

I shook my head.

One thing at a time, Tarnus! I berated myself as both my questions as to the jedi's welfare and odd looks I was casting toward Thoran both appeared to be ignored.

I didn't like to be ignored, and especially not when the galaxy seemed to be pin-wheeling all topsy-turvy!

Abruptly, I got to my feet. "If you gentlemen would excuse me..." I trailed, waved one hand toward a server and the other toward the two people at the table.

"See to their needs; I'll return shortly. You will please excuse me."

With that I departed, and headed to the command center. There I found the office they had lent me; from there I shot out the order that they bring Major Jetiis'ad to me forthwith.

--------------------

He'd seen this sort of anger before, and in all honesty he'd felt it...

the day he and Shayla found out that their parents were both dead.

Images flashed of another day in time, images he had buried deep down for many years...

...images which took his attention enough that he had not realized Tarnus had directed any comment in his direction until he got up abruptly, excused himself, and departed the mess hall entirely. Allowing the images and thoughts to recede back to where they were safely guarded and shaking himself alert once more, Shawn turned to the lead guard.

"Please, let the General know that I can put the Major in touch with her..."

He paused, trying to remember the terminology she had used. "...Ba'Buir."

He trailed another moment. "I am certain once he knows what is going on, Jedi Jetii'sad would like to speak with her as well. No one who has thought a loved one dead only to find out that they are alive should be seperated from them longer than necessary."

--------------------

“Enter,” replied Kani.

A solitarty stormtrooper from her guards entered her room.

“The General has called for you Major,” said the trooper. “In his office.”

Kani took her helmet and secured it back into place, then followed the hallways to the General’s office. She opened the door to his office and stopped just three feet shy of his desk.

I didn't give a womprat's hiney about how she presented herself before me. It was, after all, a far cry from her behavior mere moments ago. And that was something I couldn't risk ever happening again.

I let my hand drop a bit.

"You want to tell me what that was all about, Major?" I asked in a tone of voice that clearly made the statement anything but a simple query.

--------------------

When the General didn’t respond to her answer, and instead looked confused Kani tried to explain further.

“ba’buir... Grandfather,” Kani continued. “My mother, Pr’acyn Jetiis’ad , was a Jedi. Her father was the one who trained her was Jedi Master Kot’racyn Jetiis’ad. He had supposedly died over 20 years ago, when the Jedi attempted to take over the Galaxy they had known they would never been able to turn him and having a Jedi Master and the former Battle Master of the order running around would have been very bad for the even if he can’t use the Force. Somehow he is still alive and now that osik Jedi Petrolu knows where he is, the Jedi already destroyed my family and the Empire helped me avenge them.”

“After I killed Mandalore I had nowhere else to go, the Empire offered me a place to use my Mandalorian training to help its people and someday the Empire might be able to help my own in return. But now my grandfather might still be alive, and Resol’nare demands I save him.”

Said Empire, upon further consideration, struck me as being something along the lines of that overshadowed by Palpatine. Perhaps I wasn't kept quite as tightly in the loop with Actar as I had been before all hell broke loose in the Sith system, but even I had enough indoctrination to the way Actar ran things to know that Major Jetiis'ad appeared to have some of her signals crossed. Tangled into the proverbial can of worms, to be more precise...

...or the purported fact that Jedi were running about killing those they were supposed to protect, and that somewhere, somebody under the also purported auspices of the Empire had helped in the destruction of said Jedi.

Neither seemed realistic to me. Both seemed more like something one can be brought to believe in after someone had tendered not-so-delicate mind controlling techniques on him.

Or her.

Be that as it may, the fact was that Major Jetiis'ad believed that what she had just told me was solid truth. And hell, who knew? For all I did know, it might have been.

There's a bad apple in every bushel, I reminded myself. But that doesn't mean one is forgiven for taking said basket and spilling out the contents willy-nilly.

I continued looking at her, debating carefully how to reply. On one hand, she was a military ramrod. On the other, the cannon one used said ramrod upon, in preparation of an upcoming explosion.

I let the carefully contrived look of faint confusion drop from my face. It had been placed there to make her feel more comfortable, so she would open up to me. Well, the time for comfort was past.

My hand hit the table with a deliberate thunk.

"I don't care what your family history is, nor what your honor claims you follow regarding it! You are an Imperial soldier, Major; your behavior in the middle of a private audience I was engaged in, an audience whose importance to our galaxy you are entirely ignorant of, is nothing short of appalling!"

I drew myself up until I was sitting ramrod straight myself, my eyes boring holes into her own.

"I am waiting to hear why it is you think I should continue your assignment as my personal aide, instead of sending you into imprisonment for, at the very least, military insubordination...

"Major...!"

--------------------

Anyone can become a soldier, simple tools used by politicians blindly following orders adhereing to no moral code. A warrior, a Mandalorian Warrior was not a job or occupation, it was ones way of life.

In a society such as the Empire Kani saw how they would need soldiers, if everyone is not ready or willing to fight when necessary it became a must for some to become soldiers losing free will to be tools of the government. Warriors had their place as well special forces, black ops, assassins… whatever they are called by the Empire. They live their lives on the edge ready to do anything that the Empire cannot publicly admit to preserve their way of life. Often times these warriors are considered unstable because of the constant training and life they lead. Kani was be far one of the most accurate examples, In only a short time she was made a NightWhisper the most deadly of the Empires stormtroopers and by extension the best the Empire had to offer. Those chosen for this most elite unit are considered some of the most unstable, violent, but loyal to the tenants of the Empire. Kani followed the Empire because a stronger Empire meant a stronger Mandalore in the long run.

The most important thing to a Mandalorian was family; Kani had given up on hers before trying to start a new life in the Empire. Now that she knew her grandfather was alive Kani didn’t know what to believe; her mother, Mandalore, the Empire. There was a saying among her people, Ke nu jurkad sha Mando'ade, burc'ya! (don’t mess with Mandalorians), so until she found out who was playing her it was in Kani’s best interest to keep herself in check and work with the Empire.

"But you cannot say that now, can you Major?" I replied smoothly, stressing the rank she carried.

"You have already failed me, by interfering in a negative manner in something I was engaged in. How can I trust that you will not behave in this manner again?"

I paused, tilting my head a little to one side as I considered her. A little ripple of unease floated up and down my back; good ol' Galen would have called it the "geese marching double-time," hurrying to warn her of something when in the thrall of one of her famous hunches. I'd never been one to pay any particular heed to any hunch I might have had here and there; indeed, I preferred to base my actions on as much factual evidence as possible. Admittedly though, said evidence wasn't always readily at hand. In such cases, one had to deal with the hand they were dealt...

...and mine was waving warning red flags all across the board. Fact was, I found myself suddenly and completely distrusting this fiery young aide of mine.

Where to go from here was the issue.

--------------------

“I can offer no guarantee General,” answered Kani. “I have neither the powers nor the arrogance of the Jedi to make such a claim. If you want your perfect aide that follows every order to the exact letter without room for interpretation or initiative then look elsewhere. I can only say what I intend to do which is not fail you again General, but I will not be confined by a preset way of thinking that hinders my ability to fight. So keep me, imprison me, reassign me…”

Kani took her lightsaber from her belt and set it on the General’s desk.

"There is no need for theatrics, Major," I said as I paused with my apparent twiddling to look her directly in the eye. Fact was the rotating of said lightsaber was a "perusal by touch" sort of thing. I'd never gotten this close to one before; it was a golden opportunity to see what there was about it, externally at least, that made it tick. So far though my questing fingers found nothing much of importance: something I presumed to be an ignition of sorts protruded from its smooth length, and something approaching a hilt separated the handle from the main body of the thing.

I let it lay loosely in my hands.

"Remember, by being assigned to the Empire you shall carry yourself as an Imperial soldier at all times, especially with the rank accorded to you; this means you do not allow yourself the freedom of acting on your own accord unless given the specific order to do so. Or in the event of catastrophe, should that unlikely event occur. I scarcely think my having a quiet discussion with a jedi in our own mess hall would qualify as the latter."

I paused again, tightened my grip on the lightsaber.

"Remember too, that I did not request you as my aide. So your somewhat insouciant words about my searching for someone else to fill your shoes are moot, to say the least.

"I do not believe you shall be needing this any longer. It isn't standard."

With that I opened my desk drawer, tucked the lightsaber carefully inside it. As I closed the drawer it occurred to me that I had yet to discipline this hot-headed young aide.

"You are hereby reduced in rank to Lieutenant, with the pay and freedoms accorded as such. Furthermore, until further notice, you are relieved of your duties as my personal aide. I will have no loose cannons in my company; no matter what wondrous fighting skills you may possess, the inability to follow orders and your altogether too hasty tendency towards the creation of your own simply makes you too dangerous a commodity.

"Dismissed... Lieutenant."

[ 08-18-2010 09:21 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Sorben Tarnus ]

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She left the General’s office and was escorted back to her quarters by a team of stormtroopers, confined there until she was reassigned. Kani sat on the floor remembering the meditation techniques her mother had taught her, though she displayed almost no potential for the Force her mother still taught her much of the Jedi ways so she may benefit at some level. It was now she drew on these teachings to focus her thoughts.

Jedi, Imperials, Mandalorians… someone is lying to me, or everyone is lying to me.

Kani knew she was being used, she felt it but who behind it was pulling the strings was hidden from her. What she needed was evidence. Fact her mother was dead, Kani had clearly felt her mother die that was certain. From there she didn’t know what to rely on, even what her mother’s ghost had told her was called into question.

Buir told me Ba’buir was dead killed by the Jetii’se after he left them, but if that would have happened before I was born and why would Buir cover it up until after she had died. Then there is that transmission the Jetii received. Anyone could fake a transmission but how could they know I would be the one to intercept it, and even if they knew to fake a Mandalorian accent how would they know to fake one with a Kuar dialect, Ba’buir’s homeworld.

She is like a coin that is being flipped, I finally decided as the doors whooshed shut in her wake. One can flip and get heads over and over and over... and then suddenly it's tails.

Random. Unadulterated randomness in her bahavior. And that streak combined with the fighting skills I was positive she had within her...

I shook my head, rose to my feet. On the one hand I knew having her with us, with what we potentially had to face, might make her simply too dangerous a commodity. For could we trust her fully now? Who knew when we might have to do exactly that; to which side would the coin flip? Yet on the other I wanted to keep her close, if only to be at the ready if she should go flying off the handle again. Who knew what mischief she could get into on Tatooine... and Fates knew there was enough laying about ready-made to immerse oneself in.

Perhaps this little nek needs to be muzzled a bit...

Pondering this, I left to return to where I'd left my two table companions. They were sitting there in quiet conversation; I couldn't help but raise a brow at the utter aplomb of Jedi Petrolu. For the other wasn't a race one sees come down the pike very often, and I knew very well indeed how lengthy a time period that truly was.

I drew a breath, joined them, debated briefly whether or not I should bring up Kani again.

Perhaps not at this precise moment...

I shot a fast glance at my chrono. Time was getting short; the courier was due to arrive soon. If I was going to make a decision about the erstwhile Major, it had better be quick.

"So gentlemen," I finally said as I settled into my seat, accepting a glass of Walkn'Fall from the server who instantly materialized at my elbow.

"Where did we leave off?"

[ 09-26-2010 11:24 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Sorben Tarnus ]

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"Well, we were talking about my brother-in-law and his knowledge of the Sith...

...and how he might use said knowledge to stir up some galactic trouble. You were asking for facts...and quiet honestly the only ones I have at the moment are that I know he knows the coordinates to all of those Sith worlds, has piloted their ships, and has had an up-close-and-personal look at their magicks and techologies. Not to mention that he also knows very well of their other abilities."

Shawn paused then, chewing his lower lip a bit as his thoughts returned to Kani's sudden outburst. He looked at Tarnus. "And if you will allow it, I can put the Major in contact with her Ba'Buir."

Quieting once more, Shawn's eyes defocused again, just for a brief moment as the reference to the others aboard the ship in transit to K'eel Doba triggered a memory. He frowned to himself and his greeny-blue eyes met Sorben's, their alertness returning. "He is on the ship with Terrin Danner, his crew, and some others who believe you are being held captive on one of the Sith worlds."

[ 10-04-2010 09:50 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

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I kept my expression neutral, instead taking a sip of my Walkn'Fall while I assimilated the unexpected -- but somehow not too surprising -- words this jedi had just divulged.

So the grandfather of my hotheaded ex-aide was associating with Mr. Danner... which of course would bring my other fiery little ex into the picture...

When the ramifications of that realization struck me, I couldn't help blink.

Darra...

No need to connect the dots at this moment; if I knew Galen, I knew that the possibility that she and her newest would more than likely have some kind of idea as to where Darra was, or at the very least would be of assistance in locating her. How convenient that Lt. Jetiis'ad's dear ol' gran'pappy was with her as well.

This was entirely too convenient for me. Turning slightly, I lifted a finger and momentarily a server materialized.

"Send for Lt. Jetiis'ad," I ordered briefly before turning my attention back to the quietly waiting jedi.

"I believe it is time to think of returning to K'eel Doba," I stated abruptly, not bothering to wonder if my knowing the name of the secreted Sith world was a surprise to him or not. Likewise, I didn't bother to divulge my plan of returning en force; after the fiasco of my last visit, I wanted more than enough power at my back... if indeed such existed in the face of these unusual and powerful beings.

Who I knew as well as I knew that mynocks sucked energy couplings were more than likely not completely isolated in their unusual powers. That damned hellcat of a sister of Galen's was, after all, the last face I'd seen before being flung into their equally damned dungeons; well did I remember all the craziness I'd encountered every time we'd crossed paths over the years, whether I was with Galen or not at the time. Well too did I remember her strangely waffling behavior: sugary helpful in some cases, devilishly evil in the others.

The priorities as I saw them were to deal with the incoming Vong, a daunting task which could possibly be made more palatable by bringing the Mandalorians under our galactic umbrella. Now that Lt. Jetiis'ad had learned a few manners, and was already a part of Imperial forces, being able now to connect her with her grandfather could lead to a mighty fine asset: the voluntary assistance of the Mandalorians. For Jetiis'ad was correct: obviously alive and every bit as secreted away as the Sith, they more than likely were associated with our Imperial military by choice alone. They actually were never recruited, at least not to my knowledge! -- and thus were not officially a part of it. Obviously there were an oddball few such as Jetiis'ad who actively joined our military, or who had been actively recruited, but as for the rest?

So much had seemed to happen during my imprisonment; I couldn't help but feel the Galaxy had turned upside down in my absence.

But at least now I was being brought up to snuff, if only by what I had gleaned over the last few hours; from this I knew that before the abovementioned priority could be properly addressed, Galen's hellcat of a sister simply had to go. Treading carefully here with Jetiis'ad, perhaps the Mandalorians could be persuaded to help in that arena as well, before we then turned our collective attention beyond the Galaxy and toward that which apparently was fast approaching...

"But first, Master Jedi, I believe we have every need in the universe to connect Lieutenant Jetiis'ad with her grandfather. I have, as you are aware, requested she be brought here; let's hope my private discussion with her has reminded her of military protocols, and that she will be a bit more civil to you this time.

"You can't possibly imagine how important it is for all of us to simply get along with each other, am I not correct, Thoran?"

I raised my glass in a toast, the smile on my face tinged a bit by that of a rancor's, then cast a glance at my chrono again.

We still had time until the courier's arrival... but that time was growing shorter and shorter by the minute.

--------------------

Kani was clearly irritated she was trying to meditate to help center her thoughts when the order came down. She didn’t know if the continual summons and dismissals where coincidental or by design to see if she would snap again. If it was the later Kani would not give the General the satisfaction. Returning to the mess hall Kani approached the table with the General and his guests taking her place standing behind the General and waited for a break in their conversation.

“Lt Kanti reporting as ordered sir,” said Kani.

I'm sure the reprimand stung, I mused to myself. But it was necessary; we'll see how events unfold from here.

I let her come around me before setting down my glass to clear my throat.

"Lt. Jetiis'ad, how good of you to come," I opened, driving the needle a tiny bit further into the fresh wound I'd earlier delivered to see what kind of reaction I'd get. To tell the truth, what her thoughts and feelings were regarding the jedi and the empire and her place in it were secondary to one all-important necessity: as an official part of said empire, how would she from now on conduct herself within it? The fact that she was now standing with military precision directly behind my left shoulder, silent as a rock, told me one thing at least:

She was learning to overcome her emotions, whatever they were at this time. I imagined they were as fiery and angry as before; now turning in my seat, I let a little smile light up my eyes.

"I believe Jedi Petrolu has something he wishes to tell you," I said, nodding my head toward the jedi while I kept myself steeled to react quickly to any indication of threat the lieutenant might suddenly pose.

--------------------

I want to put you back in contact with your..."

He hesitated briefly, not wanting to offend by using the Mandalore terminology that Kani used for her relative but at the same time not having another word for him. "...with Jedi Jetti'sad. As stated, he is on a ship with good friends of mine..."

...None of whom are other Jedi...!

"....who found him on a far outer rim world, stranded and alone."

Shawn paused, his eyes defoucusing a bit before snapping alert once more, looking directly into that enigmatic T-visor Kani wore and meeting her hatred dead-on. They softened noticeably.

"I don't know what has happened in your life or who left your Ba'Buir stranded where he was, but I hope I can right those wrongs at least in some way...

...and in time help you find out just who did this to you and your family."

--------------------

"Oh, the General most heartily approves," I said, letting a ghost of a smile light my face for a moment before effectively squelching it. I straightened up a bit, then placed an elbow on the table and leaned Petrolu's way.

"Have you a comm-unit on you capable of contacting this man, or should I allow you entrance into the base's communication center?" I asked, meanwhile keeping from all those around me the fact that I was pleased as punch my former aide had decided to play nice.

--------------------

"I don't believe you will need any introductions from me. You can contact him directly via the last comm frequency that was inputted into this unit."

--------------------

As far as I’ve been told by the Imperials he’s suppose to be dead, long before I was even born. For all I know this is a Jedi trick or a test by the General. If it truly is him does he even know about me, I was born almost 15 years after he left, surly to any Mandalorian this would sound like a trap.

She waited until he accepted the comm link back then hit the releases to remove her helmet. Kani knew that to any non-twi’lek or family member she was the spitting image of her mother. Though she didn’t remember seeing the Jedi as a child Kani knew that because her mother was the Battle Master of the Order, Shawn would have had to seen her in his time at the academy. Opening herself to the what limited access she had to the Force Kani dropped all her guards to let Shawn in so he could verify who she was.

Saying nothing, Shawn nodded once to Kani's request, reopening the comm frequency Kyan had used earlier to contact him. He paused a moment then, collecting his thoughts and trying to decide how to best communicate the news that he had found Kyan's lost granddaughter.

"Master Jetiis'ad, this is Jedi Shawn Petrolu. I have been attempting to reconnect with any lingering Jedi and reestablish connections with others, and have in the process come in contact with a young lady by the name of Kar’uni Jetiis’ad. She says she is your granddaughter...

...and I can verify her honesty in the matter via my Force senses and recognition of her resemblance to her mother, who I came in contact with as a teenager in traing at the Jedi Praxeum. She has been lead to believe that you were dead, and would very much like to speak with you."

(((OCC: Message Cross-posted in Where Will You Go? in this same forum.)))

[ 11-14-2010 11:04 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

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