Tsade's Report

[Ayin Tsade]

[From "Ayin, Swil, Alcohol." www.knightsandlords.proboards56.com/index.cgi?board=temple&action=display&thread=83]

It took Ayin several hours to wind down after his binging with the Nautolan; after Swil left for Bespin, Ayin returned to Shadowight and slept inside the cockpit until he freshened up. When he awoke, Ayin felt the fogginess in his mind dissipate. Ayin smacked his lips, rubbed his eyes clear of the crud in them and bridged his hands while stretching his arms.

"Ahhh... seriously, that Nautolan should hit up some cantinas with me. Guzzling alcohol is more fun with a hardcore drinking buddy," Ayin said. He felt alive again.

Ayin rubbed his face, where the new ruler of the Sith had connected a fist during their duel in the Jedi Archives. Though the blow had left the Jedi's ears ringing, he could feel no bruises on his face - proof that he still retained his powerful self-healing abilities... Fortunately for Ayin, considering that his opponent possessed an immense physical build; the Sith Lord stood nearly a foot higher than himself, Ayin estimated, and the Sith's brawn easily outclassed his own. Ayin knew that the Sith's abilities in the Force proved even more impressive than his display of physical power.

Siphon's apprentice. Ayin repeated those words in his head over and over again. Siphon's apprentice! To think that the Sith have reformed and risen to power in order to challenge the Republic and the Jedi Order to a direct confrontation. For such a figure to completely alter the vision of the Sith and to carve an Empire on the outskirts of Republic territory... Is it even possible to unify the Jedi Order into a unit strong enough to withstand such a person?

The Jedi could only stand if it stood as one, and Ayin could not help but wonder if the Purists would use the sacking of the temple towards creating a divide in the Jedi Order. For now, as during the Darth Siphon Crisis nearly a decade ago, the Jedi Council members were split between the reformed ideals of Luke Skywalker, Kyle Katarn and other instrumental Jedi Masters of the post-Galactic Civil War era, and the Purists who insisted on clinging to every last scruple the Order followed during the days of the Old Republic. Should they choose to press their agenda now, while the Order reeled from losing so many Jedi Knights and Masters...

A dial on the control panel flashed crimson in a steady pulse, disrupting Ayin's thoughts. Someone was sending him a transmission. Ayin watched it beat like a robotic heart as he considered who it could be. Darxtryder? Majernik? No, no... surely, it was Master Fiien and the other members of the Coruscant Council. Ayin sighed, knowing that, just as surely, Tso Bajakian would spew accusations at him. He pressed the dial, and the visual screen glowed with life.

[Ayin Tsade]

"Master Tsade, this is Lorac Fiien. Where are you currently, and are you all right?"

Ayin nodded to the image of the Coruscant Council leader. "I'm fine. How about you? I hope most of the Jedi escaped; the ones I've seen here at the temple look fairly dead."

"They did; when our scanners showed Sith ships entering Coruscant's atmosphere, I made certain that we evacuated as many younger Jedi as possible into transports while the knights and masters guarded the temple."

"Yeah, a lot of good that did. The numerous corpses really add to the atmosphere of the place. Almost forgot to mention that they took the archives with them -- really made a mess of the place."

Fiien did not flinch or contort his face in angry, and instead continued to stare at Ayin with cool, detached eyes.

"I must admit that heeding your warning would have been beneficial. Yet, the Order yet remains intact in spite of so many of our brothers joining with the Force. The archives were copied and sent to Yavin long before the attack, and what was destroyed we shall do without. I shall see to it that greater caution is exercised now that the Sith have revealed their presence; in return, you must curb your anger."

Ayin said nothing in response. He wanted to heap criticisms upon Fiien and the council for failing to take greater precautions, for failing to take the Sith threat seriously, for failing the Order by allowing the new Sith Lord to spill so much blood. Yet, Tsade held his tongue; it occurred to him that Fiien was still a fine leader in other respects, as he had demonstrated that he could come to decisions without being manipulated by the Purists, such as in allowing Ayin to take Jacen as his apprentice. The regret that Fiien displayed now showed that he had learned from his mistake. Ayin exhaled audibly.

"Look, I'm sorry that I'm short tempered right now. At least the Sith didn't take all our young students captive. The past's the past. We should move on."

Lorac nodded. "No offense was taken. Your vision's warning still gave us time to save many of the younger Jedi. For this, I thank you on behalf of the Order."

"I'm not sure we all see things that way." The image of Tso Bajakian's white-haired, cone-shaped head came into view, as Ayin's droid panned out the transmission visual for him. Ayin cringed, knowing fully where the Purist was going with this.

"What do you want, conehead?"

"I think it is obvious that the successful Sith attack on the temple is owed to young Tsade."

Ayin folded his arms. "Really. What an interesting fabrication. Tell me, whatever gives you this idea?"

"What you saw on Kashyyyk was not a vision foretelling the future, but your own scheming ambitions! You are obviously working for the Sith and intend to destroy us all from within our own ranks. You orchestrated the attack by telling this supposed Sith lord where to strike and how to catch us off guard. I propose that we expel Tsade from the Order without further delay and then hold a trial for his treason, with the punishment as death."

"Funny," Ayin quipped, "I thought Jedi don't execute people; that sounds more like a Sith practice to me. At any rate, I don't know how you could know one way or another, as it's not like you stayed at the temple long enough to meet this Sith lord or to see my confrontation with him. I take it you were too busy entertaining some Cerean females with that phallic head of yours, right after wetting your robes upon seeing the Sith fleet enter Coruscant's atmosphere. At any rate, I didn't gain a hundred pounds of muscle, grow half a foot and bleach my hair -- that's the Sith lord you're thinking of who stormed the temple."

Blood vessels tightened in Bajakian's face. He pointed an accusatory finger at Ayin through the screen. "Enough of your excuses! You are a Sith, and I will not allow you to betray us all!"

Ayin snickered; gradually, his laugh grew to full force. When he finished slamming his arm rest and had wiped a tear from his eye, Ayin said, "Even if I let you hold trial over me, who would execute me? You?! Please. If I were a Sith, I'd have just killed you all myself. It'd be simpler than snapping a twig between my teeth."

"That's enough," Lorac interjected. "Tsade speaks the truth. As demonstrated at the last Council meeting, he is too direct to scheme behind our backs. If he were truly betraying us, he would do so with saber drawn." Ayin nodded incessantly as the Council Leader spoke.

"Precisely. Why pansie about when I could slaughter the lot of you? Besides, I've only been questioned about being a Sith five freaking times already. Isn't this idea a little old by now? Besides, it sounds like Baja's views match a Sith's more than mine do."

The council members -- those who were still intact, that is -- murmured amongst themselves; from what Ayin could overhear, they agreed with their leader. Tso Bajakian, defeated and outraged, turned his head to the side with a disgusted snort and said nothing.

"Great, glad that's settled," Ayin said. "So, now that we all agree the Sith are out to kill us... which should have been obvious BEFORE they sacked the temple... we should talk with the Republic Senate and military about how to properly wage war."

"My thoughts precisely," Lorac replied. "I shall attend the emergency Senate meeting in person and present our case before them. The rest of the council will discourse with the Yavin council. What about you, Tsade?"

Ayin put a thoughtful hand to his chin, and pondered a moment. He then put his arms behind his head as a cushion.

"I suppose I'll try to find some survivors around the temple. After that, my prerogative is to find that Sith lord and test his power myself; I didn't get to finish our bout in the Archives with him. I get the feeling he's so powerful that this war might just hinge on if I can defeat him or not."

"Very well. I will discuss with you about this Sith lord later. For now, I wish you the best, and may the Force be with us all."

"Ditto," Ayin said. He thumbed his nose at Bajakian, who was glaring at him, and then cut the link.

[Although I may add more threads to cover the 1 week timespan between this thread and Mindar, the next important thread is Ayin's dual with Tiberian at Mindar.

As such, Ayin goes from this thread to "Dual Admidst The Clouds." www.knightsandlords.proboards56.com/index.cgi?board=myrenne&action=display&thread=113&page=1]