Vaurus Otai

[Clusterfact]

The Death of a Shadow

Part One

"Your concern is misplaced, Master -- my journey through the darkness only strengthens my resolve to defend the Light."
- Jedi Knight Otai to Jedi Master Nilandra

The sun seeped through the forest canopy and illuminated the courtyard outside of the Jedi temple for the last time that evening. Members of the Order filled the courtyard, the low hum of solemn chatter floated on the air. The final light was pulled behind the cover of the mountains as a weathered Jedi walked from the back of the crowd and stood in the center of the courtyard.

"Tonight, we honor the life and contributions of one of our Knights," the old Jedi began. Behind him, an alter surrounded with dried wood of trees from the local area displayed the body of a fallen Jedi, his being covered in a white shroud.

"Vaurus Otai came to us from Glee Anselm long ago. He came to us during a time when not much was known about the Glee Anselm system. As customary, a Jedi was assigned to the system to keep watch for these kinds of situations. Master Nilandra sensed the boy's Force eptitude, but," to this sentiment, the old Jedi smirked and fell silent for a second. "One could argue, that the boy sensed us first."

A few Jedi among the crowd also grinned, all being taken back to a day long past.

"Vaurus had always had a strange connection with the Force. At times, he expressed not wanting the gifts it had bestowed upon him. He was well known among the Order to having the amazing ability to sense disturbances in the Force before they actually happened. After the sacking on our beloved Temple, he revealed to me a vision he had been having days in advance. At the time, he could not believe that such a thing could ever happen to the Order, and so could not decide what to do with that knowledge. During the sacking, his good friend and Knight brother, Andot Sten, was lost. It was that moment, I believe, that he decided to take the path he did and develop his abilities."

The old Jedi lit a small bundle of incense and placed it gently on the alter next to the body. The man stood a moment longer in quiet contemplation.

"He began his training as a Shadow for the Jedi Order years before we even allow talks of possible candidates. Usually, we don't allow such a decision to take place due to the risks involved with the role. Vaurus' skill and dedication, however, proved to us he was a more than capable individual. In true, "Otai" fashion, he excelled in his role and took down a series of smaller gang circuits in the undercity of Coruscant in a matter of months, all the while maintaining his identity and reputation among the neighborhoods down there. Again, I believe that the culmination of his natural mix of abilities and temperment was the catalyst that drove his successes in campaigns throughout the system."

The old man took another long pause, trying to keep his composure in front of his peers. He took another bundle of incense, lit it, and placed it gently on the other side of the alter.

"His latest mission brought him back into the depths of Coruscant. He went not by the wish of the council, but by the volition of his own conscious. The council had always had a hard time keeping tabs on Vaurus, but in the end, he always came through to the expectations of the council. This mission however, he would not come back to us. His attempts to disessemble the Black Sun sect in Coruscant, has ended in the loss of a brother to the Order. Thankfully, we were able to use his T7 unit to track him down in the undercity and bring him home."

The sun had completely set now, and the ritual was about to begin. The old Jedi held up a sparker and at this cue, three others also stood and arranged themselves around the alter. A chant slowly filled the air as the last rites were read. Each member of the Order that had sparkers ignited the torches and touched them to the wood surrounding the body. The dried wood took almost instantly and soon the entire alter was engulfed in flame.

"We recognize your efforts, your motives and your convictions. Be one with the Force!"

A final act of reverence, the four vigil participants threw large satchels of incense onto the fire, filling the courtyard with a pleasant smell of local flowers from Tython. Members of the order began filing out, quietly talking and comforting each other. The old Jedi approached Jedi Master Nilandra before departing.

"The service was fitting for Vaurus," Master Nilandra had a strained look on her face, but the glow in her eyes hadn't changed since she was a padawan herself. "He always had a to-the-point, matter-of-fact kind of attitudem -- thank you for taking the time to honor his memory."

"I trust he will find what he seeks?" the old Jedi raised an eyebrow to Nilandra.

Master Nilandra only smiled and looked to the heavens.

After a few moments of looking to the sky, she slowly replied,"He always has in the past. Though he faces great danger, the council dares not send him elsewhere." Nilandra turned back to the old Jedi. "That would only make him go against our will."

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A small freighter begins making its decent into Coruscant's atmosphere...

"T7, I need you to upload the video feed from Tython into Geeta's system. The sooner he thinks we're out of the picture, the sooner we can get back to finding Master Jharnot."

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This account details an event that happens later in Vaurus' life, presuambly years after his service with Pax Republica. I'm open to feed-back/suggestions. Thank you for taking the time to read this!

[Kbrury]

Very well written and its different in a good way to start with someone's funeral/memoral. Describing what your character had become in life gives you a lot of direction for the stories set in his past.

[Clusterfact]

Well, considering that my character was a child during the sacking, I didn't want/know how to get into too many details without knowing the actual story of Pax's founding.