Yan Dooku of Serenno

DISAPPROVAL , DOOKU mentions . he certainly hopes his former master can sense it . qui - gon isn't particularly trying to mask it . he spreads his hands , head tilting with the slightest lift of his brows .

It would not do them good to be seen together, but there was no helping that now, and despite his faint concern, and all he has long learned and faced, even now he cannot simply ignore his former Padawan.

He just hopes, as he leads him to one of the meeting rooms he's already secured, not far from them, that Qui-Gon is not about to discover something he should not. But this is not what he says.

"They're watching us," @lostserenno says. | ( meme )

Obi-Wan hums softly in acknowledgement before looking at the man at his side. The Jedi Master is still trying to grapple the situation. And as much as he complains that Yoda never tells him anything, to be brought in on THIS situation, Obi-Wan already feels a headache forming.

Of course, he knew why.

Obi-Wan's so strong in the COSMIC FORCE, his visions proof of that. And being in the lineage of Dooku does not feel like a coincidence either.

"They're just curious," he reassures. Obi-Wan's battalion is on leave having been called back to the temple for this. The natural born and clone born members of the GAR were bustling around the campus.

Obi-Wan glanced back to the group that was gathering and talking. Someone pointed their way and he couldn't help feeling disappointed in his own men. The Master knew what it was like to be at the temple with everyone pointing and whispering. It happened when he returned from Melidaan.

He also used to welcome the attention, when he had earned it: even at his age he is already a competent enough duelist that he was considering pursuing the mastery of his chosen style. Now, however, he is here, and despite some attempts by the Council, he has gathered more than enough.

And now, the reassurance makes him bristle as much as the eyes on him, and he breathes and releases them both into the Force, and focuses on the Master before him, and what he has read of him. What he knows, now.

The eyes on them are not going anywhere, he supposes.

"Only if the conversation will be best served sitting down." He replies, and he's grateful his tone is steady. "Otherwise, the gardens are not often busy at this time of the day."

⸻ ⛧ 𝘛𝘏𝘖𝘜𝘎𝘏 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘑𝘌𝘋𝘐 𝘉𝘌𝘓𝘐𝘌𝘝𝘌 𝘏𝘌 could be swayed, they have failed to understand the confidence Casimir has in his own experiences. It is not because he is stubborn, but that he has his own faith that cannot be talked out of him. ❝ Do I look complacent to you? ❞ Now, of course, this question is purely circumstantial. Casimir is not willing to give up the self he has so carefully crafted just because he was in the custody of narrowminded Jedi. Though, it would seem that they were at a stalemate. So maybe he was relatively stubborn after all.

❝ Perhaps you have faith in the Force. But do you see the future as I can? As your friend? ❞ The answer, he assumes with some level of assurance was no. It was unnecessary for the Jedi to try so hard to change what Casimir knew to be true. What he knew how to practice without it consuming him. Though the Force ( as they call it ) has not threatened such things to him. Unless, of course, he was angry & fortunately he was not often eager to be as such.

Arms fold across his chest, giving Dooku a mild huff of disapproval. ❝ You allowed me to show my hand, you cannot then tell me that I am wrong. It's rude. ❞ It is like arguing with a wall anyhow, which wasn't any fun. How difficult it was to break through Dooku's walls of stoicism. Thus it had become his personal vendetta as to not lose his own sanity. ❝ Otherwise I will continue to bend your spoons when they serve lunch in the cafeteria. ❞

"I have my faith and my experiences to draw on, just as do you." He points out, steadily, because he's not above being drawn into argument.

He cannot see the future, he does not have the connection Sifo-Dyas has, and he cannot help but be glad for it. He also doesn't have the blind faith in the will of the Force others have, but he has enough, and he has seen enough, that despite his doubts and despite his disquiet he cannot find it in himself to believe in a pre-ordained fate. Not with all he has lived, and not with all he has seen.

And now with all that the Jedi Order has seen, over the years. Even when Casimir comes from a very different tradition.

"Your dedication to him is admirable." He never had the opportunity to meet the man, but Master Sifo-Dyas has been a shadow over his shoulder all the same. Obi-Wan suspects he is yet another reason why Qui-Gon kept him so distant from Dooku, not wanting to have his visions encouraged or validated by someone constantly plagued with them. In his younger years, Obi-Wan's connection to the Unifying Force—while quite strong—was comparatively weak and like with any unpracticed skill, faded with age. He's never wished it otherwise, but he bets it would be rather helpful now.

"Forgive me for asking, but why do you think there is purposeful reason to this? The man I've known you to be is . . . more materialistic, less trusting in the Force and the way my Master always spoke about you, I assumed you were always that way." Master Nu is similar, different in that she trusts her instincts and the universe's whispers, but she's as equally efficient. She gets shit done and when she's not getting shit done, she is preparing for the next stone to drop.

And then Kenobi speaks of Yan's dedication, and he doesn't look away, but the tendency is there, for a brief second. He's not one who receives flattery well and it's taken worse when it doesn't feel like flattery. But then again, Dooku is always better when he's somewhere in an official reason, and he's aware, and has long been, that he does not have the kindest character. Of course he's loyal to Sifo-Dyas, how could he not be?

But that all pales when asked a question, then another, that he doesn't know an answer for. And so he stills, for a moment, sets his feelings aside and releases them into the Force, and goes for the easiest one first.

"If I remember this when I get home, I find it unlikely the timeline will remain as it has, so it would stand to reason it either splits, or the Force makes me forget." He says, in the end. "But we cannot be certain, and I suppose we might only find out if I come face to face with the man I become." He adds, dryly, before his tone turns more circumspect. "But it does not feel like the best time to appear, no." He will concede.

And then, after a moment, he speaks again.

"I don't yet know the man I become. I cannot judge what could have changed." He settles for.

He paused and tilted his head, “Uh, local for here, you mean? Because the money on this planet is different depending on where you are and I don’t know how they can do an exchange for people from off the planet.” was that even a thing? Was there some kind of currency system for the whole galaxy to help people traveling from one place to the next? In the movies Peter remembered them talking about credits but if the movies weren’t right he wasn’t sure if that was even true. Not that they would work on Earth anyways, and if the archives had different clothes than what people were actually wearing Peter wasn’t sure if the money was just from another country or a whole other time period. If either of them were. Somewhere between the seventies and…he didn’t know, the fifteen seventies? Maybe? Or earlier?

For now, it sounded like a change of clothes that he could spare was going to have to be the best option, “Sure, no problem. Uh…give me a couple of minutes to change real quick?” Peter asked, waiting for any kind of confirmation before jumping back up again. Twenty feet vertically in the air and then webbing used to zip up higher and over the edge of the rooftop to his stashed backpack a block and a half away. Less than two minutes later, he was dropping back down and landed in a crouch before standing again. Bag over his shoulder, hair a mess from the swing back, and clothes a bit wrinkled but clean and normal and definitely would be way more normal for walking back with a Jedi to campus. Which still, should feel so much weirder than it did, “Okay, you good to go now?”

"I hope this might suffice?" He asked Peter, before offering, of course, the confirmation that he could go and change clothes, before seeing him use actual webs, apparently, to jump away over the rooftop.

Yan merely waited, quietly, attending to the Force and to its currents, to the potential threats and the potential shifts to keep an eye on, until he felt the Spider-Man approach again, and turned to face him.

"Let's go." He said, before considering the street nearby, then jumping down easily to one of the little alleys where they wouldn't be so noticed, using the Force to halt his fall and save himself from the shock, and knowing his companion could jump down on his own. "Do lead the way."

Vader hummed what may have been a short laugh at the mention of a man who he had once considered with fondness. There was the faintest hint of... Irritation at the slight toward his old master, but that was quickly squashed. Obi-Wan was not worthy of even an ounce of respect. Less so than even the dead man before him.

And then there came Skywalker's slight against Qui-Gon, and Dooku did not let himself react. His own irritation was enough: Dooku was known to be caustic with his former padawan, but he had earned a right Vader had not.

Perhaps his situation had taught him something, after all.

     The war effort pulls in people from all sectors and professions. Despite Aargau’s professed neutrality in the war, even Brienne feels its tug in the fluctuating markets, concerned clients needing reassurance about the security of their financial assets, and her own safety when traveling. It is the war effort also that makes her cognizant of the Jedi. Their activities make holonews headlines.

     “If my poorly-conceived questions do not make my answer obvious.” Brienne muses apologetically, her chin dipping as she acknowledges her ignorance. “But no, I have not. I’m rather new to Coruscant, and it's unlikely to cross a Jedi’s path at home.” The diversity of the ecumenopolis is something the young banker is slowly growing accustomed to; there are so many different species in one place that every day she encounters something or someone new. 

There are so few of them, and the war is ensuring the dying might even outnumber the living, at some point. And the frustration of it all is a beast he holds back through discipline, and through releasing it into the Force, because he felt no malice in the comment.

He's far too aware that there are places where Jedi are almost a legend.

"Yet historically our numbers have varied widely. The Force shall provide." Is all he says.

It's the careful diplomatic answer. It's a hope even he clings to, even with all he knows.

And his presence here, in a way, is indeed diplomacy.

"I am one of the several Jedi assigned to the Senate, at the moment." He reveals. "Which means the occasional invitation, and I do like meeting new people."

Which is not entirely a lie. He just dislikes politicians, and yet is too practical not to try to help, insofar as he can, given the situation.

It is not wrong to inquire more. With a nod, Casimir sets the datapad aside. A location in mind was helpful, but surely he could divulge more from this with a bit more concentration. Picking up the comb, he lets it rest above the sand and ash for a long moment before waving it across as he had with his hand. The star system that was engraved there solidifies but other symbols begin to form. He sets the comb back in the center so he might take his finger and make a few drawings himself to accompany the prophetic design.

❝ This location is confirmed. I have no doubts in this. This first symbol is expectation, suggesting that your companion is expected to be here. ❞ Which may even suggest that this event has not happened yet. Although he cannot guarantee whether it is past or future, there tended to be signs even if they, themselves cannot confirm. Lifting his finger from the dirt, he points to a particular pattern that spread across the center of the entire design, ❝ The trail is obscured by another will. There will not be much more I can gather from this. Unless... ❞

Reaching for his own wrist, Casimir pulls off the bracelet he had let Yan hold onto for that brief time. Dropping the bracelet into the center to join the comb, there is an immediate shift. The sand moves on its own, rearranging the star system so that it was cut in half and spreading out from Yan as if he were the center. He watches with interest and careful study, only now folding his arms on the table before he looks to his client and asks, ❝ Was there something he asked of you? Is there a promise left unfinished between you two? It looks like your fates are entwined. I am glad you came to me. ❞

And then there is word of another will, and Yan pretends he does not feel the way the Galaxy feels so different to the ways of the Force here. He doesn't know who might be interfering, but it would make sense someone is.

Then, the bracelet, and something shifts, and Yan would be inclined to think this is but a trick if he didn't feel the way the Force shifts around them.

For a moment, Yan considers the situation. Considers the priest. Considers whether he knows enough. And then he makes one further choice, because the Force is yet to scream beyond the disquiet Yan is mostly convinced is his.

"He sent a distress signal my way." Yan explains. "And I, of course, answered it."

𝐘𝐀𝐍 & 𝐏𝐀𝐃𝐌𝐄 @lostserenno

Padme nodded politely. She had been briefed, of course, and knew he was asigned to her security. Stubborn, she often believed it unecessary to send Jedi Knights alongside her during those relief missions. But in times of war, the safety of Senators was no trivial matter, and she had learned to reluctantly accept their presence.

She followed him inside the ship. Padme had changed out of her usual Senator clothes, and was wearing a sensible outfit, with pants, a jacket, and comfortable boots. Her blaster hung at her hips, a reminder that while she was no Jedi, she was certainly not defenseless, either.

Master Dooku's comment was not completely surprising. Most Senators did not care about such things, save for a few that she considered her friends. Even worse, many Senators benefitted from the war, and wanted nothing but to see it carry on.

Of course, she might still prove him wrong, but her words, even as he regarded her steadily and listened with the calm of one who had learned diplomacy over more than a decade, rang of truth. There was no deception, and there was not, he thought, visible selfishness.

"You believe this." He considered. And then, he smiled. The gesture was small, and quiet, and brief, but it was there. "Good. We might yet get along." He even half-joked, before regarding her blaster, and then her demeanor.

This was supposed to be an easy mission. The Force was not yet whispering danger, but he knew how such missions tended to go.

That had to count for something. Sure, some people might believe it was real but it was going to be a small number, it might not be so bad. Maybe no one had even started turning to the dark side and no Sith had actually shown up at all. That would be great news.

Peter looked Yan over, face twisting slightly under the mask in thought, "Well...you don't really blend in but you don't stand out in a way that's going to make anyone suspicious either." he said slowly, "You might have people who want to take a picture with you thinking it's a costume but... I don't think anyone is going to pay too much attention to you past that." unfortunately, it also meant there might not be many people who would take anything Yan said seriously either. If any Sith really had shown up on Earth, or there were people actually learning to use the dark side of the Force, that would make it harder to get help and warn people about it. Maybe someone with SHIELD would but Peter really didn't think he could suggest reaching out to them, or knew how to reach them, "But if you want a change of clothes to blend in more while you're here, I might have something that could fit you? You're welcome to come and look, at least then you wouldn't have to try and buy any."

And thus, the corruption would not only be far less noticeable in a general sense, but they would have no ways to understand it properly.

"And thus, not something easily recognized."

He knew what it was, of course, and he could feel the faint awareness that assured him he was somewhere he should be, but the rest of it was, at the moment, mildly unclear. It would be clear in time, or through action.

And meanwhile, he needed to move in a way that would not compromise his goal. And that did involve not calling the attention he apparently would. And the offer was one he was far too pragmatic to refuse.

"I have some of the local coinage," he admitted, "but I would consider it a personal favor if I could borrow something I could go shopping in, considering the situation." He admitted, somewhat wry. "I brought several styles of clothing, just in case, but the local fashion is very different from what our archives contained."

Dooku’s  introduction  was  unusual.  The  title  of  Knight  was  unheard  of,  only  referenced  in  legends  of  the  old  Jedi  Order.  The  Force  was  strong  with  him,  that  much  was  clear  in  the  presence  of  his  aura  as  the  distance  between  them  continued  to  close. “There  aren’t  supposed  to be any  more  Jedi  Knights.  The  Order’s  collapse  was  years  ago,  before  I  was  born.”

Rey  carefully  studied  the  man  with  matching  curiosity,  until  he  revealed  the  origin  of  her  new  power. She  looked  down  at  her  hand  with  a  mixture  of  horror,  fear  and disbelief. “That can't be true,” she  adamantly  shook  her  head, "nothing about this makes sense." Rey desperately needed  guidance,  craved  the  soothing  reassurance  of  Leia’s  wisdom  but  what  would  her Master think  of  her now? 

What if I really do have darkness inside me?

To hear that there were no more Jedi Knights was, however, a different kind of concern. The Galaxy felt Darker, and far more silent, yes, but still he needed all his training to release his disquiet into the Force, considering how he wasn't perceiving any lie there.

"There is much that does not make sense, right now, I agree." He told her. "And maybe we can figure it out together."

It would certainly be the practical choice, as with so much that was unfounded. And speaking of unfounded matters...

"The legends are clear on the matter." He told her. "The legends are, of course, likely wrong." He added, not so much reassuring as matter-of-factly. "I have been close to many artifacts that held the power of the Dark Side. It is quite notorious, and it was not here."