|
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This compartment has enough room for 20 passengers or about 80 tons of
cargo. The deck extending toward the cockpit hatch doubles as a
boarding ramp - when the shuttle lands, that section of the deck
itself can be lowered at an angle to the surface below.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Contents: Exits:
Hermit Yoda <Yoda's Lightsaber> {C} Cockpit
Mizael slides to a stop, against part of the seats inside the shuttle,
then tries to lever himself up to look about. The carbine is out of
reach, and he looks from it to the small alien - and the lightsaber.
This he contemplates, and decides not to move.
"Confused are you? Unaware of the powers you hold, you are." Yoda
speaks, powering down the saber. "Retrieve not your weapon, young one.
Stand, you may." With a small pulse of Force power, the Master clips
the saber to his belt.
The ship sways and bumps as it lifts from the surface of the ground.
You feel a sudden jerk as the ship speeds up.
> ISS Malice takes off from the planet below, running one on engine
only.
Mizael steadies himself, rising slowly. He does look at the carbine
once more, then back to Yoda. Tense, but unmoving, he says with the
helmet still on, "-What-?" Intensity starting to come back to his
voice, but confused is right.
You hear the voice of Moff Saati in your head, "Do not submit,
Sergeant. Hate them. It is your only weapon."
You feel the ship begin to slow.
Yoda smiles, bowing his head slightly and blinking. "Unfamiliar with
the ways of the Force are you. What of the Jedi do you know?"
Mizael staggers, lifting his hands to his head, ripping off the
helmet, "What the...Saati?" He looks around, but doesn't really expect
to find anything. The helmet hangs loose in one hand, as he presses
the other to his temple. To Yoda, a squint, and frustration blossoms,
"Jedi? What the hell are you talking about?"
> ISS Malice slows to a halt, facing Alpha 6.
You feel a sudden jerk as the ship speeds up.
> ISS Malice fires all her weapons, and suddenly shoots forward,
accelerating
You feel the ship begin to slow.
You feel a sudden jerk as the ship speeds up.
"In your head the Moff is. Speaking to you, is she?" Yoda once more
closes his eyes for a moment, then looks at Mizael once more.
"Protectors of the Old Republic the Jedi were. Massacred them through
deceit and betrayal, Palpatine did. For over a thousand years, protect
the Jedi did. Last of the Light, I and Kenobi are."
Mizael squints at Yoda, his confusion and drifting mental state
allowing him to debate the small alien, even while the ship flees from
Imperial pursuit. "The Republic was collapsing under its own weight,
and couldn't protect its own citizens. Massacre...huh? The Jedi were
ossified relics, holding onto power for its own sake." It's the
Imperial history line, but he might know his stuff, somewhat. Not your
average Stormtrooper.
You hear a large powerdrop as the hyperdrive powers down.
You feel the ship begin to slow.
You feel a sudden jerk as the ship speeds up.
"Peacekeepers the Jedi were, not warriors. Great seekers of justice
and lovers of peace. War not make one great, young one. Failing was
the Republic, but fall it did not have to." Yoda sighs, as if
remembering a time long past. "For nine hundred years have I lived.
Countless Jedi I have seen live and die." Reminiscing for the time
being, the old being pauses for a moment, peering at Mizael.
"Understand the workings of the Force, you do not. Recognize the
truth, you must!"
You feel a sudden jerk as the ship speeds up.
Mizael listens, but still peers at Yoda. "No, I don't understand, and
I -" He pauses, and says, "Nine hundred years?" This he might not
believe, and suspicion blooms on his face. "Look, where are we going,
I've..." He stops again as he starts to lift his helmet, and looks at
it. "Blast. Blast, oh, hell." He lets it slump, swinging down to
clatter against his thigh plates, still holding it. "I haven't called
in. They don't know what's happened to me." -He- doesn't know what's
happened to him.
"Calm you must be. Pursued by the agents of the Empire, we are." Yoda
speaks again, leaning on his cane. "What you know of the Jedi, you
must tell me." This is followed by a very gentle telepathic push.
You feel the ship begin to slow.
The ship shudders as the retrojets engage and the ship begins its
descent.
The ship rotates slowly and fires braking thrusters as its struts
touch down.
Mizael looks bewildered for a moment, then shrugs, and says, "Not
much. Just what I read in the history docs, in school and the academy.
Power-hungry, stuck in their old, outdated ways. Pretty willing to
mess with people's minds to get what they want."
Some time later...
Passenger Compartment
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This compartment has enough room for 20 passengers or about 80 tons of
cargo. The deck extending toward the cockpit hatch doubles as a
boarding ramp - when the shuttle lands, that section of the deck
itself can be lowered at an angle to the surface below.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Contents: Exits:
Hermit Yoda {C} Cockpit
The small Jedi Master stands in the Passenger compartment, eyes
closed. His green, wrinkled features bear an expression of
concentration, however much he might appear to be otherwise
slumbering.
Roga sits on a bench, watching Yoda with a thoughtful expression on
his face. With a cough he closes his eyes, exhaling slowly. "Patience,
patience Roga" he mumbles to himself, shooting a glance towards the
boarding ramp.
With a slight groan, closer to a mumble, Mizael wakes. Blinking a few
times, his eyes slit, and he looks back and forth even before his head
moves. It does, eventually, as he looks at Yoda, slowly levering
himself up on his elbows, resting on the deck of the shuttle. "Still
here. Not a dream." is his murmur.
"No, a dream it is not. Captured still by the evil Jedi are you." The
smallish Master comes to full attention now, ears raising a bit.
Slowly opening his eyes Roga shoots a curious glance at Yoda. He
remains silent, shifting his gaze towards Mizael to watch the
stormtrooper careful. After a few moments of observing the man on the
ground Roga's view shifts back to the tiny Master, waiting for him to
continue.
Mizael sits up, rubbing a gloved hand over his face before giving a
mildly wary look to Yoda. A slight shake of his head, as if to clear
it, and he says, "Yeah..." Looking around, he takes in everything
slowly; the shuttle, Roga, then Yoda once more. "Evil, huh?" He still
seems somewhat in shock."Trust in your feelings you must. You must
unlearn what you have learned."
Ignoring Roga for now, Yoda begins speaking to Mizael. "Learned much
in your life you have. Now, forget all of your perceptions you must.
Kill you now the Empire will. Consorting with the Jedi you are."
Roga leans back against the wall, swiveling so that he can stretch out
on the bench. He folds his hands in his lap, closing his eyes and
listening wordlessly to Yoda. A faint frown works its way across his
face, borne of the thought that just by being brought with them Mizael
has been signed to death.
Mizael sighs, still staring at Yoda. "Yeah," he murmurs. "I know." He
looks at the Stormtrooper helmet, sitting nearby, but he doesn't reach
for it. He strips the gloves off of his hands, folding them back
against the forearm plates, and rubs his face. "I don't know -what's-
going on. I've never seen anything like...what happened. And if you
all they want to bad, then even if I do call in, they're not going to
think twice about wasting me, I'm just a..." This train of thought
trails off, as he stares at Yoda once more, almost on eye level with
the Jedi. "I don't know what I am anymore. Things are so...different."
"Strong in the Force are you. Only training you require to become
powerful. Learn quickly you must, and follow the light." Yoda pauses,
ears drooping for a moment before he looks up at Mizael. "Explain to
you the Force, I will."
Roga blinks, looking at Yoda wordlessly. He seems stunned, to say the
least, but he recovers his composure quickly.
Mizael opens his mouth to object, or to say -something-, but he quiets
as Yoda speaks, keeping his thoughts to himself for the moment - aside
from the fact that worry and confusion are still writ large upon his
face.
"Questions you will have, and these will I answer." Yoda nods,
extending his hand towards Roga. With an upward motion, he uses the
power of the Force to attempt to levitate the other man. "Everywhere
is the Force. Flowing through all things, it is, control it, only few
can."
Roga does a double take as he's lifted into the air, stiffening
slightly. He exhales slowly, forcing himself to be calm and muttering
beneath his breath. The knuckles of his hands whiten as he clenches
his fists, unused to being so.. vulnerable, to say the least.
Mizael watches Roga rise, faint smile upon his lips, then it fades as
he nods, looking back to Yoda. "This is something...this breaks the
rules." Pause. "Transcendent."
"Powerful are the Jedi, but controlled they must be. Anger, fear, and
hate are not a Jedi's creed." Yoda replies, lowering Roga. "Use the
Force you can to increase your body's abilities. Let it flow through
you, but not control you. Master it not, but allow a gentle presence
always to be with you."
Roga relaxes back against the bulkhead, sighing softly and listening.
His eyes close, arms folding across his chest. With a soft cough he
settles in, relaxing and listening to the Jedi Master speak.
His brow furrowing slightly, Mizael nods, worrying at his jaw with his
hand as he watches Yoda. "If anger, fear and hate aren't a Jedi's
creed, what is?" And then, with more wariness, "Why does Moff Saati
want me to hate you, and..." He looks around, for the other. "Who
-are- you two, anyway?"
"Master Yoda I am. Leader of the Jedi Council of the Old Republic I
was. Master Obi-Wan Kenobi is the other." Yoda pauses, visibly wilting
at the mention of Saati's advice. "Fear not. Fear leads to anger.
Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering..." The Jedi pauses once
more, looking up at Mizael. "Fear is the path of the Dark Side of the
Force. Faster it is, and easier, but destroy you it will."
Roga laughs softly, shaking his head ruefully. "Not much surprised you
don't remember me Trooper. I'm Ex-Sub Lt. D`Minara.. Roga, D`Minara.
I'm just another mundane apparently, nobody important." He smiles
sadly, opening his eyes to look at Mizael. Shifting his gaze back
towards Yoda his eyes close once more, the faintest tremble can be
seen. "You've been living a lie, unfortunately. Now you're waking up,
as I woke up.. Well not quite" he chuckles.
Mizael listens first to Yoda, then to Roga, looking between the two.
"Dark side...light side? This...this thing, this Force has -sides-?
Are we talking good and evil here?" He shakes his head in mild
disbelief, but he mulls it over, for a few heartbeats. Then, to Roga,
"I think I remember, yeah...sorry, I'm kinda out of it right now. A
lie?" He looks back to Yoda and says, "No, I haven't...I swore an
oath, I gave my word - I owe the Empire, the Corps my life..." More
agitated, he frowns, searching for words, "I've done things I don't
like, but...a lie? I'm a loyal soldier, duty is -important-, I'm..."
Long pause. "I was." Another sigh, deeper, rougher breath, and he
rests his head in his hands, staring at the deck between his bent
knees.
"You were. An oversimplification good and evil is, but if you
understand this, then yes, it will stand." Yoda speaks to Mizael,
pausing and taking a breath. "Living a lie you have not been, from
your perception. Misinformed and lied to, you have been. Owe the
citizens of the Empire, or the Emperor himself do you?" The small Jedi
leans forward, pointing a finger at Mizael. "Owe yourself, your
friends, and those you defend as a Stormtrooper the truth. Owe them
your defense of their lives and freedoms lost when Palpatine rose. Owe
them a commitment to the eventual rebuilding of the Jedi Order, to the
villainized Knights of old."
"Loyal you are, I don't doubt it. So was I. But the Emperor's New
Order is nothing more then an old man groping for power. He had an
entire Order, the Jedi Order, hunted down because they stood in his
way. You were fighting the wrong fight, but you had the right
reasons.. Order and strength of government..." Roga trails off,
swinging his legs off the bench to put his feet on the ground.
"Sergeant isn't it? Listen to me Sarge... You've got a gift. I'm no
historian, but I know enough to realize you're something special. Now
if Master Yoda says you've got the force, and you can become a Jedi..
Then you've got the Force, and you can become a Jedi. Don't throw away
the chance to become something this galaxy needs. Yer lucky beyond
words, so don't trash what you've been gifted." His last few words
bear the soft tones of a jealous man, making visible Roga's envy for
the stormtrooper.
Mizael lifts his head to listen to Yoda, nodding slightly as the
little alien speaks, pressing his lips together for a moment. "I
joined the Corps because...because they saved my life, once, and I
owed them that. And...to protect people. To stop the ones who would
prey on others. I don't really care who's in charge, Palpatine is
just..." A shrug, and he continues. "He -feels- wrong. What he talks
about, the language he uses - he doesn't care. I didn't think it
mattered." Doubt now in his words. "Freedoms...blast, I
don't know. But things haven't been getting any better." To Roga he
turns his gaze, and nods, slowly, replying, "I know, I...I didn't ask
for this. I don't -want- this. I want for this never to have
happened." Then, a glimmer of steel in voice and his eyes. "But I
can't change that. If this is what's happening, I've got to deal with
it. Situations change. That much from Carida I'll keep."
"Save your life, Palpatine did not. Citizens, soldiers of the Empire
they were, and before that citizens of the Old Republic. In your
feelings trust, correct are many of your instincts." Yoda turns
towards Obi-Wan, nodding. "Master Obi-Wan. Recommend we acquire new
transportation, I do." The small Jedi smiles, turning back towards
Mizael. "Cannot be changed, the past. Only to the future look. Not
decide your destiny will I or any other. Make the choice to commit to
this training you must, but know that you will die if you do not
commit, by Palpatine's order."
Roga purses his lips, swallowing uneasily. Opening his mouth as if to
speak, the young man stops, pausing. After a few seconds hesitation he
speaks up "Master Yoda... You speak of the future, and destiny. I hate
to interrupt but I can't help but wonder.. How can I help? I won't be
a Jedi, I'm just another joe." A wary smirk appears on his face, as he
continues. "It is his choice to commit or not, but.. this is a selfish
question, but.. what about me? What can the average man do?"
"You all had the chance to slice me up with..." Mizael nods towards
Yoda's saber, or where it might be. "But now I'm sitting here, and
you're trying to convince me to join you. And I feel better than I
ever have before. Because of that, Palpatine wants me dead, or..." He
frowns some, then says, "Like Saati. I don't like hating people. It's
a waste of energy." He watches Obi-Wan move by, curious, then says,
"My choices are pretty clear. This is bad, all around, but...if I can
do -something- with this - gift -
then, that's what I -should- be doing." To Yoda, he nods, once,
firmly. "I agree, I accept. I'm still - this is all so fast, but so
far, it fits."
"Wise is your decision. Your training we must begin soon. Find a new
location first we must." Yoda pauses, turning towards Roga. "Not Jedi
are Stormtroopers, or the officers of the Imperial military. Powerful
they are nonetheless." The small Master pauses, looking at Mizael for
several moments. "Hurt you are. Demonstrate to you the power of the
Force, I will. Move not." The green-skinned creature steps forward,
holding his hand out near Mizael's head, and closes his eyes.
The small cut on your body closes, the flesh knitting together as if
the wound had simply never been. An aura of calm and peacefulness
descends, and a soft light envelops you for several seconds before
fading away.
Roga merely closes his eyes, head bowed forward as he sighs in
resignation. "True Master Yoda.. It's just.. The force can do
everything, leaving what for me? Master Kenobi is most likely a better
pilot then I'll ever be" he laughs bitterly, shaking his head with
just a hint of anger in his voice.
Mizael doesn't move, as directed, and his breath catches for a moment
at the sensations that rush over and through him. Quietly, he touches
where the wound was, then looks up to Yoda, some level of disbelief
there, but fading quickly as evidence presents itself in the form of
non-lacerated flesh. Roga's question causes some consternation to rise
in his expression, and he watches Yoda, intent.
"Two Masters there are. One apprentice, untrained and unwise in the
ways of the Force." Yoda speaks, turning towards Roga and pointing to
the pilot with his cane. "Fly a dozen starfighters, Obi-Wan Kenobi
cannot. Defeat a thousand troopers alone, none of us can. A chance we
stand only if together we work. Alone, make little difference each of
us does. Together, overthrow civilization, we can." the small Master
puts the cane down, leaning on it and taking a breath. "Find more
unknowing apprentices I must, and train them all quickly."
Roga nods lightly, sighing softly. "Very well Master Yoda. I have
pledged my skills, however feeble they may be. Someone has to do the
grunt work while you almighty Jedi go around saving the galaxy, eh?"
he chuckles and relaxes, using humour to soothe his own doubts and
worries. "Now for the real question: Where are we going next? We're on
Nal Hutta, we've been spotted. Hutts are notorious for seeking profit,
so I do not doubt that we will be revealed should the price be right.
It's important that we get
mobile, and soon."
Mizael seems to accept Yoda's response, nodding to himself as he
stands, gathering up helmet and carbine. "Nal Hutta?" he says,
wondering. "Yeah, they would, unless it was worth their while more to
-not- reveal us... but I trust 'em as far as I can throw 'em."
Clipping the carbine to his hip, he starts to put on his helmet, then
stops. "Damn. I can't wear this outside."
"Keep it with us, we shall. Duplicate its workings and abilities in
the future we can, perhaps." Yoda nods, then opens a small
compartment, revealing several jumpsuits. "Your pick take. Hide that
for now we must."
Roga stands, stretching as he does so. "Go ahead and get suited up,
I'm gonna poke my head outside and see the fabled Smuggler's Moon."
Mizael takes one of the jumpsuits, a simple blue one, a ship crewman's
suit, and sets it aside while he starts to strip out of the armor
without a moment of self-consciousness. White plates are removed and
set down, many of them fitting inside others for storage, and the
skin-tight black suit is slowly peeled off. Once that's gone, he steps
into the jumpsuit, closing the clasps up the front, and begins loading
equipment from the armor into his pockets.
Roga hrmms softly, shaking his head. "Actually I'll wait for you guys
I think. I'm just an unarmed stick jockey" he laughs.
The small Jedi Master hefts the Stormtrooper armor's few segments and
places them into a rucksack he retrieves. This he holds out to Mizael,
though the case is nearly his own size. "Travel we will for an unknown
time. Rations we must acquire, then move we shall."
Mizael takes the sack, then eyes the E-11, saying, "All right...I've
got a little in my kit, we can share it for maybe a day or two. The
carbine will draw attention, too." It goes into the bag as well, and
Mizael slings it upon his back, adjusting the straps to distribute the
weight. Patting his pockets, he runs through the inventory, "Pistol,
grenades, comm, PDA..." The binocs go into the pack as well. "That's
it."
Roga reaches over and tears off first his Alpha Squadron patch, then
his Starfighter Corps patch. He looks at them with a soft sigh, before
tucking them into the pocket of his pants. "I feel bad, having to do
what I'm doing. In a way it feels wrong, and at the same time it feels
perfect. But a fight we must give the Empire." His voice grows
resolute, and he nods to himself. "I am ready."
"Wait we will, until Master Obi-Wan returns." A thought seems to dawn
on Yoda, and he turns to the two ex-Imperials. "Who are you? Your
names? From
where do you come?"
"Oh," Mizael says, struck by the question, a slight smile crossing his
lips. "Sergean...er, Arik Mizael. I'm from Baradeon 4. Little resource
world, out near the Outer Rim. Sienar corporate colony."
Roga chuckles, eyes twinkling. "Roga.. Roga D`Minara. Y'can call me
Darkfalcon or Roga Master Yoda. I'm used to responding to either." His
shoulders shrug slightly, eyes misting a bit as he remembers his
childhood.
"Corellia, s'where I hail from originally." he turns to his left,
offering Mizael his hand "I suppose this is the first time we meet as
individuals, Arik." he murmurs with a grin.
"Time for relaxation and happiness there will not be often. Take the
chance while you have it, you must." The venerable Master nods, a
small smile coming to his features. The Master pauses at Mizael'e
mention of his homeworld, but says nothing.
Mizael takes Roga's hand, chuckling quietly. "Well, yeah. Guess so."
He gives it a firm grip, then releases, looking back to Yoda. "So,
you're - Master Yoda? Is there some sort of...protocol, for this?"
"Worry not for protocol. Gone is the Order that enforced such
protocol." Yoda replies, a sad look passing over his features.
"Suffice will Yoda or Master Yoda."
Roga purses his lips, musing a moment. "The Order will be reborn
Master Yoda. With you and Master Kenobi to guide us, and the first
Jedi Apprentice since the hunt.. In time the Empire will crumble, and
the Jedi will rise strong again. They will not be the same, but they
will be there once more." He smiles at the green master, trying to be
consoling.
Arik nods once to Yoda's response, then glances to Roga as he speaks.
A slight shrug, but he says, "Well, we're building from scratch, looks
like. But it's a mission." He scratches at his jawline, and says, "So
where -are- we going, to start this training?"
"Know that answer I do not." The Master speaks, glancing about the
small chamber. "Search memory and the stars for a hidden world, we
must."
Roga says, "I've been thinking about that, and I've a question Master
Yoda.. During the "hunt" for the Jedi.. How did you and Master Kenobi
escape? Where did you hide to avoid the populace that hated you?"
Mizael asks, curious, "Did the populace hate Jedi? I mean - I can't
trust anything in the history docs, they're all controlled by one
Imperial bureau or another. History was sort of glossed over, mostly,
from what I remember."
"Hate the Jedi, the populace did. Lies they were fed until they stood
by as slaughtered their protectors were." Yoda sighs, leaning on his
cane. "Responsible for the Clone Wars, the populace thought the Jedi
were. Such a waste of life, the Jedi would never have begun."
Roga shakes his head sadly, frowning. "Unfortunate, unnecessary. Yet
my question stands Master Yoda. If the galaxy at large declared you
the creators of atrocities, where could you have hidden? That's what I
can't figure out. How do you escape when everyone you know wants to
help get you killed."
Mizael listens, and sighs, setting the pack down for the moment.
"That's about what I thought. The history docs don't tell it like
that, not quite, but it fits with some other things. The propoganda.
Damn. How much -has- been lies?"
"Lies are most of what you were taught." Yoda pauses, then answers
Roga's question. "Hid on different worlds Master Kenobi and I did. Hid
on Dagobah and Tatooine, respectively, we did." The small being looks
back to Mizael, pausing to tap his cane against the floor in emphasis.
"See through the lies, you must. Know in your heart the truth you do.
See it through the propaganda, you can."
Roga looks at Mizael, offering a comforting smile. "I know the
feeling. I know because I talked to Master Yoda while you were
unconscious." He looks
at Yoda, thinking deeply. "Our first priority is to get shelter in a
friendly environment, wherever that may be. Is Dagobah a suitable
world, one where you can begin training *him*" he points to Mizael "As
the hero we need to begin our Rebellion?"
"I guess I always knew they were lying," Mizael says, shrugging some,
lifting his hands. "But what could you do, you had to live your life,
and worrying about what one text or another said seemed,
well...pointless. But - I guess I knew it. Things I heard, how people
acted. I serve because I'm - served. Blast. I served because I was
loyal, not because I was afraid. They wanted to instill fear, but, it
never really works. The Jedi...even if they were ossified, and
clinging to power, they weren't aggressive, if anything they were
stagnant. The causes of the collapse of the Republic, something that
large, can't be attributed to something like that. It was pushed."
Roga then speaks, and he listens, nodding until the 'hero' part comes
out. "Hero? Hey, I'm just trying to figure out what's going on,
I'm...I'm not a hero. I'm just a grunt." Pause, and a glance to Yoda.
"With possibilities."
"Clinging to power, the Jedi were not. Little influence did they have
in the Senate." Yoda sighs, breathing in deeply and rapping the floor
with his cane once more. "Pushed the Republic was, the young one has
it right. Torn apart from inside with bickering and infighting, greed
and power struggles."
Roga nods, "Exactly. People, those who remember, view the Republic as
something corrupt. Which is where you come in Arik. I understand that
the Jedi were not power hungry, that was the way of the 'Dark Side'.
But we need someone to hold up as a beacon of our Rebellion. 'This is
the Jedi. This is the man, good and pure, who will deliver us from the
tyrannical oppression.' I don't like it, but we will need a hero. With
Master Kenobi and Master Yoda teaching you, we'll have that hero."
Mizael nods to Yoda, quiet for a bit as he mulls over what has been
said, and his own memories - then turns his attention to Roga. "I
know, but...rebellion? That's a hell of a thing to be doing. I don't
see any other way, but what kind, how we do this..." He shakes his
head, "I'm getting way ahead of things. And maybe you're right." To
Yoda his regard shifts. "Is he right, is that what's needed? I mean, I
don't -like- it, but...I'll do it. As best I can."
"Fall will a hero who is elevated above the rest." Yoda speaks, voice
careful. "Elevate you, we will not. Train you and employ you to
assist, we will. One-man army, you are not. Master of the Force, you
are not. Recruit more individuals to our cause we must, and begin
assembling a force to defend the trainees."
Roga looks at Yoda, exhaling and then nodding. "Very well, we won't
build a hero out of him." he turns his head, looking at Mizael "A war
is what we need, and I know how to lead a war. Once we settle on a
location to create our.. praxeum.. a Jedi Academy, if you will. We can
begin working on locating the two components necessary to establish an
army: Funds and Troops. We need an out of the way world, with a
climate conducive to whatever kind of training these Force Trainees
would require. Would you say that assessment of our situation is fair
Master Yoda?"
"Ahead of yourself you get, young Roga. Force trainees we have not,
only young Arik." Yoda speaks, pausing for a moment. "Right you are,
however: Troops, funds, and a location must be found."
Mizael just listens for the moment, watching both Yoda and Roga. He
runs a hand over his head, still smooth from the last depilation. He
does speak, though, eventually. "Lots of ways to do all that. I've got
some cash, but nothing near enough to do that. Could keep us going for
a while, though, if we need to disappear. Find somewhere to plan,
think, train."
Roga hrmms softly, deep in thought. "Ok, I am getting ahead of myself.
We do only have one trainee, but we will have more so it's good to
keep that in mind. Master Yoda, what kind of conditions, climate-wise,
do we need in a world? It's important we pick someplace that we can
easily meld into a good place to learn."
Yoda seems to agree with Mizael's estimation, and smiles at his
priorities. "Wiser you are than first I gave you credit for, young
Arik. Be a problem, credits should not."
Mizael flashes a momentary grin at Yoda's praise, somewhat surprised
at his own reaction. "Thanks - that's one less thing for us to worry
about then."
Continued in
Embers of the Old Fire,
Part III |
