This is Vodo Baas:

He is your consumate Jedi in almost every way - strong, pacifist, yet gentle at the same time. He is a being consumed by many responsibilities, and many conflicts. He is a fearsome fighter, yet dislikes combat. He is a pacifist, yet encourages action.

Vodo Baas is one who understands the importance of action, but cautions against brash reaction.


Vodo Baas is trying to find the balance.


***

"Fools Errand" Cantina - Ando


"L...L...let me...go...!"


Vodo Baas inclined his head at the Aqualish who was hovering in the air in front of him, suspended by invisible strings of energy.

"Why? If I do, you will just try to attack me again." Vodo nodded toward another Aqualish laying on the ground, bleeding from the nose, "Or him."

"He started it!" The suspended Aqualish screamed at the Jedi Master.

Vodo laughed shortly and glanced down at the bleeding Aqualish who was trying to haul himself to his feet, "Thats not how I saw it." Vodo replied.

A few minutes before, the two Aqualish had gotten into some sort of heated argument, which escalated steadily until one of the two pulled a vibroblade on the other, and slashed him in the face.

Which is when Vodo, who had been nearby, intervened, seperating the two by pushing the slashed one to the ground (for his own safety), and using the Force to pick the attacker up, where he was now questioning him.

"He insulted my creche-mother!" The Aqualish continued, struggling against the invisible power of the Force to no avail.

Vodo shrugged and looked over at the bleeding one, "What is your name?"

"Brond Sar." Was the reply as he rubbed his sleeve across his face, smearing blood all over the nerf-hide jacket he wore, "Thanks for the help, but I think I can take it from here."

With that, Sar pulled a blaster pistol from the inside of his jacket and aimed it at the suspended Aqualish's head.

With a smooth motion, Vodo dropped the Aqualish to the ground and reached into his robe, withdrawing his lightsaber and activating the green blade, which stopped Sar in his tracks.

"Lower it." Vodo said forcefully.

Sar complied and cast a venomous glance down at his attacker, "Good thing the Jedi have those little toys, or you would be dead, cretin!"

Vodo glanced down at the attacker, who looked at him with awe and at Sar with hatred. Although they flug their insults and glares, Vodo could sense through the Force that they harbored no more murdous intentions.

The attacker scrambled to his feet and glanced at Vodo, "You are bold Jedi. This is Coalition territory. You have no right to police it!"

Vodo gave the Aqualish one of his characteristic shrugs, "I don't really care."

The attacker - who's name Sar gave as Geral - snorted, "The Corps will take care of you sooner or later." He said, and then walked towards the door.

Vodo frowned. Corps? What Corps?

Sar let out a low chuckle, and Vodo could feel some sort of recognition deep within him, "What is he talking about?" Vodo asked.

"The Jedi Corps." Sar said, and then turned to leave.

Vodo stared at the back of his lumpy, hairy head in confusion. What was this Aqualish talking about?

He was about to follow Sar and ask what he meant when his commlink suddenly started buzzing. Through the Force, Vodo could feel Silus reaching out to him.

Retreating to a dark corner within the "Fools Errand", Vodo reached for his comlink, "What is it?"

This is Silus:

His hair is unruly and his clothes are showing signs of wear. If not for the lightsabers at his belt few would realize he was a Jedi Knight. He is a man ridden with scars, not all of them physical. A vicious fighter, his skill is matched by very few within the Jedi Order.

Silus is a man redeemed from the Dark Side and cautions action before it destroys them all. Yet it had always seemed that his warnings fell on ears that would hear but not listen.


Silus is trying to find a murderer.


***

Rooftops - Ando


"Stop, dammit!" Silus's feet struck the roof as his feet raced at the man. The pursued responded by launching a few blaster bolts back at the Jedi. He didn't even need to move out of the way.

Tiles fell as the murderer half-dropped half-ran down the roof and, with hardly a pause, leapt to the next one. Silus followed more gracefully, clearing the gap without thinking. He padded over the roof, looked around...

... And saw nothing but chimneys. Panting, he thumbed the comlink.

"What is it?"

"I've found him," Silus said, reaching out with the Force and searching the area around him while he walked. There was an audible click and Silus dropped the comlink.

"Freeze! Shi-" Before the man could finish the sentance Silus had already leapt forward like a cat and struck the man. They both rolled, Silus punching and trying to stop them at the same time. There was a brief moment as they two hung grasping each other in midair, and then both plummeted to the ground below.



Silus grunted as they struck some sort of fire escape. Rusted metal on the railing groaned and gave way, sending them crashing to the pavement below.

The Jedi Knight came to his feet first, hand shooting out and grasping the blaster aimed at him. He pulled hard and struck out with his foot. The blaster came easily from the murderer's grasp and the foot struck his jaw, knocking the pursued back to the ground. Silus pointed the blaster at him.

"You.. you can't do this!" The murderer breathed.

"Rules? There are no rules here. You are under arrest."

"But... this isn't Naboo!"

"Does that matter? The Jedi are the protectors of the galaxy, not just some green planet."

The man licked his lips desperately, "That's not true. You aren't really Jedi, you're just a cult. That's what the Corps sa-"

Silus kicked the man again. Hard. Flinging the unconscious body over his should, the Jedi Knight made his way back to the roof to try and find the comlink again.

Corps? What the frell?

Silus found the short, cloaked Jedi Master waiting for him, holding the comlink in his hand as he approached.

"You dropped this." Vodo said, with the shadow of a smirk passing over his red-skinned face.

He tossed the little cylinder to Silus, who caught it deftly, despite having to carry the murderer, whom Vodo observed with a half-smile, "Picked up a bad guy, I see."

"Yeah." Silus responded in his characteristic gruff tone, "Tried to get away from me."

Vodo nodded, "I found Sar in some rundown tavern not far from here. He wasn't being very subtle about it either, got into a barfight. Had to save him from being killed like by some thug."

SIlus and Vodo had been tracking a notorious crime duo for days now. The two had killed eight people on Naboo during a robbery and had fled the planet, pursued by the two Jedi.

They had tracked the pair to Ando - a Coalition world - where they were apparently based. Vodo had been following Sar, while Silus tracked his accomplice, another Aqualish thug named Snix. Vodo had merely observed Sar in an effort to find his hideout. But it seemed like Silus had taken the more direct route.

"This one was talking about something he called "Corps"..." Silus was saying.

"Sar said the same thing. Think there is a connection?" Vodo asked.

Silus dropped the murderer unceremoniously to the rooftop and glared down at him, "I don't know."

Vodo reached out with his cane and gave him a hard thwack to his head.

The man opened his eyes, which widened as he saw two Jedi staring down at him, "Oh no..."

Vodo smirked and thwacked him again, "You did a bad thing on Naboo."

Snix's eyes widened further, "You've been following us since then...?"

"Correct. You killed people."

"...uh....i'm...sorry?" Was the fool's reply.

Silus kicked him. Hard.

"Ah! frell! Would you stop doing that?"

Vodo whacked him again, "What is this "Corps" thing you referred to?"

Snix eyed Vodo's cane, and the lightsaber on Silus's belt, "The Jedi Corps...why are you asking me this? Aren't you guyes part of it?"

Vodo and Silus exchanged glances, "What is this Jedi Corps?" Vodo asked.

"The Jedi... the Empire announced that the Jedi were "back" or something...officially sanctioned...you didn't know any of this?"

Vodo sighed to himself, "No."

*

This is Rendar:


His hair is clipped short and neat. His black and gray uniform is well fitted and his boots gleam as if just manufactured yesterday. His gaze is intense and measured but there are laughter lines at the corners of his eyes.

He was a man who was used to laughter. At least a long time ago.

Now he was fifty and realized that laughter came with a price.

He was old enough to remember that once he had been a simple tailor with no concern other than those immediate needs of himself and his family. Now, he was a Master over a group of younger men and women representing a new incarnation of an age-old organization and one of the most powerful new groups to arise out bureaucracy of the Empire.

The organization had begun to spread from Coruscant to the most important parts of the Empire and now they had come to Jutraal. A planet that seethed with rebellious plots and insurrections. The rule of Chaddwick Fearsons over the planet had grown soft in the wake of TNO domination and it was the Corps job, under the COMPNOR charter, to enforce the Law.

And by it being the 'Corps' job, it was Rendar's job...





***


The Citadel - Official Religious Center of the Empire



As the Empire expanded it found one more than one world a mass of religions abounding with ideas, traditions and rituals, sometimes those conflicting with Imperial Law or Policy.

The then Grand Marshall Simon Kaine had seen religion as a very serious and necessary tool to accomplish so much more and so a research group within the Census Bureau was started to investigate the many beliefs and identify correlations between the different sects.

And, after the study was complete and under yet another COMPNOR charter, the Citadel was created for the masses within the Empire. The first and only official religious group within the Empire. It softened some of the more black and white beliefs of the mainstream religions and incorporated the festivities of the more backwater (pagan) religions into "The Way".

The (official) Way.

The Citadel was not only 'official' but it was supported by the Empire.

It's opulent cathedrals and spirals rose ever higher and had spread to every planet within the Empire gleaming as the 'voice of God' on this material plane.

The masses felt it a step in the right direction and heralded a New Age for the New Order.

The Hierarchy blessed the Emperor and his legions in spreading their most glorious civilazation to the Galaxy.

The Arch Diocesan of the Citadel on Jutraal was not bothered that the Imperial News Services disseminated the old to create the new. If any one belief was held as higher, those attached to former religions (now dissolved) would cry out in anger. In fact, he viewed INS as merely the instrument by which God uses to talk to men.

And the fact that the Jedi Corps, a newer organization than the Citadel, was using their many diocese to become familiar with the people on each planet did not bother the Arch Diocesan either. For they were God's Instruments as well. Perhaps the gap between man and angel given their 'powers'.

In any event, that is what he was directed to preach and so that is what he preached. The people had nothing to fear from the Jedi.

For at first, they were lost.

And now they've returned to the fold. Returned to the Empire. Returned to the one true faith!


Rendar felt slightly uncomfortable being regarded as an object of religion but he did understand the necessity. They Jedi Corps needed infrastructure and to establish themselves quickly on a world, on this world, to make use of the Citadel was genius.

It gave the Corps on Jutraal a chance to get to know the population and the many Jutraalian social customs.


".. and God said unto Kaine, return to me my Shephards. Return to me my wayward children and deliver them from themselves. Deliver them from the sin of self delusion for they seek to replace me. Return to me, the Jedi!


And Kaine did just so."


The regional diocesan was good. The return of the Jedi was a faith strengthening move and by giving credit to Kaine, the diocesan helped salve the hard feelings the people held of Simon Kaine. For it was Kaine that defeated the old Jutraalian Empire.


Rendar smiled at the simplicity.


He silently mouthed the crowd as they chanted the action phrase: "And he did just so."

Silus struck a match on the head of one of the prisoners (the one named Stix or something like that) and used the flame to light the cigarette hanging out of his mouth. His other hand danced among the controls of the ship as he set a course for Naboo.

Jedi Corps, he thought to himself, Wonder what the frell all that was about.

The computer beeped and the ship entered hyperspace. Silus nodded absent mindedly and headed towards Vodo.

"Any idea yet on what those two were talking about?" he said, gesturing with his head towards the two prisoners huddled in the corner of the ship. They were both held by invisible ropes of the Force. They weren't needed, of course, because both prisoners had fallen unconscious while being moved to the ship.

Vodo pointed to the holonet display in front of him. Leaning forward, Silus watched the entries the Jedi Master had found. Images flashed past, Imperial anouncements and then religious messages that even the most foolish idiot could see through. It was all clearly a bunch of rubbish; as such, a great number of the galaxy probably believed it all.

Silus sighed and massaged his temple.

"Please tell me this isn't going to become a problem."

Vodo shook his head.

"Oh, frak."

"Uhnnnn...."

Sar opened his eyes and blinked before recoiling away from the small insectoid Jedi Master who was crouched directly in front of him, his long, disgusting-looking little nose mere inches from his face.

Vodo smiled, "Wake up, sunshine."

Sar growled, "You frelling Jedi. Where am I?"

"On Naboo. In the Jedi Temple." Vodo replied, ignoring the invisible "personal space".

"Why am I here?" Sar asked, trying to look around, but finding he could not turn his head. He did not feel any ropes or binders on his hands or on any part of his body.

But since when did a Jedi need binders to hold someone down?


"You are going to talk to me." Vodo said, finally standing.

"Never."

"You don't like conversations?" The Jedi Master asked.

"I would like a drink more."

"We don't have any of that here," Vodo said and Sar could hear a hint of amusement in his voice, "You should talk to Silus about all your alcohol needs."

"Huh?"

"I like conversations, Sar. Do you?"

"Yeah sure."

"Can we have one?" Vodo asked.

Sar sighed, "Okay."

"Good!" Vodo said, "Lets have one about the Jedi Corps."

Sar inclined his head, "The Jedi Corps? Thats it? Thats all you wanted to talk about? AND YOU DRAGGED ME ALL THE WAY HERE TO TALK ABOUT IT?"

Vodo pulled a seat out from a table at the back of the room and sat in it across from Sar, who had been dumped on the ground against the wall, "Been to Jutraal lately?"

Sar grinned, "As a matter of fact.... yes."

Vodo nodded, "Anything interesting?"

"Whats it to you?"

"Whats it to YOU?" Vodo replied evenly.

"I want passage off Naboo."

"Tell me whatever I want to know and it shall be so."

"What about Snix?" Sar asked hesitantly.

Vodo remained motionless, "He stays here."

"Why?" Sar asked, trying again in vain to move his head. For all he knew, there were a dozen other very quiet people in the room with him. He could do nothing but stare at the ugly bastard Jedi Master.

"He's a murderer. The Coalition has a warrent out for his arrest."

"This isn't the Coalition."

Vodo smiled a wan smile, "Thats what you think."

"What do you-"

Vodo interrupted, "The Jedi Corps, Sar."

"Oh right. There is this huge rebellion on Jutraal right now. The entire planet is seething." Sar began.

"We know that already."

"Well the Empire brought in the Jedi to calm them down. Some sort of religious thing going on..."

Vodo frowned, "The Jedi?"

"The Jedi Corps. The "New Jedi" or so everyone is calling it. They brought the Jedi there to calm the populace."

Vodo sighed heavily, "Tell me everything..."


And so it began.

"... And with each internal threat faced, our New Order has grown that much more stronger!..."

Holorecordings hummed around him, a profusion of Simon Kaines, religious officials and reporters moving around in captured moments of life. Every moment, one would wink out and flash on with barely a pause.

"... Tonight, that changes! How?"

Silus stroked his chin, blue eyes staring hawklike at the figure in front of him.

"By bringing back a beloved organization. An organization that was synonymous with the Old Republic. An organization that kept the peace and was the guardian of order for over a thousand generations!

"Before self motivated ideologies and self promoting agendas warped their august body into the knife that pierced the heart of the Republic.

"So much so that it was necessary for Chancellor Palpatine to reorganize the government into the Empire."

How many times had he watched this tiny Imperial give his announcement?

"Now, that organization is a mere ghost of the privilege it once was, perverted and twisted. It's members charged with the destruction of everything you and your families hold dear."

Twice?

"Some of you have heard the programs blaming the Jedi for the Clone Wars, for the problems crippling the Old Republic and for their warmongering and preying upon us now.


"And it's disheartening!

"The Jedi Order, the guardians of peace and justice throughout the galaxy!

"Now a self made mockery!"

Silus mentally sighed. There were many who believed that in the galaxy. Perhaps as many as there were supporters of the Jedi. Now that was truly disheartening.

"The Ministry of Justice and the leadership, under Regent Hyfe, have for years poured over the experiences of old trying to find an answer to what went wrong. We felt that if we found that, we just might find the answer to securing our infrastructure forever!

"And do you know what? We found it."

The Jedi snorted.

"You see, the Jedi Order of old was an entity unto itself, holding itself separate from the general body politic of the Old Republic. Their allegiance was not to Republican Law but to their own self-styled code of justice. To themselves and to people!

"They gave their support to Senators! To those who supported Jedi agendas!

"And we saw what sort of outcome that brought about...

"But what if... what if we could create an organization who's allegiance was the Law of the people, of the organization they were sworn to protect?

"The preservation of our ideals!" Kaine paused. Around him, the other holograms began to flicker and die.

Ah, thought Silus, drama.

"Tonight, I announce the reestablishment of the Jedi within our government! No longer a separate order, operating outside the oversight of the government, but a Corps of men and women dedicated to the peace and secuirty that we deserve! Dedicated to preserving the order we've come to appreciate by upholding the laws that make such order possible.


"My fellow citizens, tonight the Jedi Corps officially becomes a legal entity under the COMPNOR charter for the Preservation of our New Order."

"Legal entity," Silus scoffed.

The last image died, leaving Kaine standing alone.

"The Guardians of Peace and Justice are back and this time, they have their priorities straight! Gloria Imperium!"

The priest's last words sang through the silence.

"... And Kaine did just so."


So it was that another nail was placed in the Jedi's coffin. These days felt like they were surrounded on all sides by enemies. The Sith, the Empire... the Jedi Corps. As well as the Black Dragon Empire, or the mysterious Cree'Ar.

Is this how it was all to end? The Jedi Order, defeated and alone, labelled as nothing more than a cult. It was like waiting for the headsman's axe to fall.

And that scared Silus.

It scared him more than anything.

The Council of Masters


"The Jedi have been disgraced." Vodo said, slamming his walking stick down on the floor with such a thunderous sound it shook the floor. A huge dent was now visible in the polished marble floor, "This is an absolute outrage."

Silus, Leia, and the other Masters nodded, but Vodo could feel their discomfort with his outburst.

"For too long have we sat silent. Too long have we been idle as our enemies mock our very existance. Now is not the time for inaction, and I am plain sick of it."

Leia remained silent, as she had for quite some time now. Technically, she was still the head of the Jedi Order, but she was more and more becoming a mere figurehead. Vodo was the Master who ran the order on a day to day basis.

"And what are we going to do now? The Empire mocks us." The insectile Master continued, I propose a mission, into the very depths of the Empire itself, to discover the true intent of this "Jedi Corps."

Vodo looked directly at Silus, his most ardent supporter on the Council, "Is there anyone with me?"

"Are you... .are you a Jedi?" asked the timid boy before him. Rendar smiled once more facing the same question yet once more upon this new world of Jutraal.

"It is my charge." he said sincerely and the boy nodded as if his question was confirmed. "Do you know Luke Skywalker? He is a Jedi but he's wanted. That's what the holonet says."


The young are curious and Rendar put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I cannot say that I know this Luke Skywalker. If he is wanted, then it is for a lawful reason."


"But.. but.. he's Jedi." the boy's confusion was evident and so Rendar sat down where he was at and gave his full attention to the boy.


"What is a Jedi?"


At that, the boy pondered but in the end shook his head. "Defenders of peace and justice.."


"Is he here?"


The boy shook his head and Rendar went on. "Just 'calling' yourself something does not make it so." he whispered gently.


"Perhaps this Luke Skywalker was a Jedi at one time but if he truly is a guardian of peace and security, where is he?"


The boy stared wide-eyed.


"I am told that there was once a Jedi Order of the Old Republic who were at one time honored and revered. They did a great many deeds but in the end, they turned against their lawful sovereign and sparked a bitter Civil War. Remnants of that Order still exist on Naboo but they are merely a shadow of their former selves. They sneak into places and steal away in the night trying to accomplish perhaps what they perceive as good."

Rendar paused. He'd give the old Order that much.

"But even then, they were not violent enough to suit other Jedi and so they split again and the Rogue Jedi came into existence."


"What does Rogue mean?"


Rendar smiled, "Outside of Law. Then came other sects of Jedi, each more perverted and warped than before."


"But not the Corps?" the boy asked.


"No," Rendar confirmed. "Not the Corps. We are here to preserve the New Order, young man. And preserve it we shall."


"Will you go out and kill Luke Skywalker?"


"Young man, I do not seek to kill anyone. What happens outside the Empire is not my concern. If the magicians of other cults wish to perform their tricks, they are welcome too. They will, however, leave the Empire at peace."


"But they are powerful!" the boy exclaimed and Rendar laughed.


What were they showing children nowadays on the holonet?


"They may use the force but any power without the constraint of Law is meaningless. They might as well be magicians for all the good they'll do for people."


Rendar stretched up running his fingers through the boy's head. The young are so curious.


"You'd better run along to your devotions."


The boy made a sour face. "They're boring! I don't want too.."


And Rendar laughed again. Curious and honest. "I can see why you'd find them so. But, when you grow up and become Grand Marshall, you'll definitely see the benefits of them."

The boy looked unconvinced but brightened at the future prospect. "I want to be like Grand Marshall Kaine!"

Rendar motioned the boy along. "Well, then, I suppose you need your exercise. Run along and don't tell your parents I let you skip Devotions."


"I won't!" the boy shouted as he ran away.


"I suppose there could be worse goals to have.." he murmured as he walked through another courtyard that would take him into the famous Gardens of the King.


Chaddwick Fearsons was known for his love of gardens and the Garden of the King was one of the grandest testaments to that love.


But what was beneath the beauty? That was Rendar's task.

A murmer took up among the masters, rising swiftly to thunderous argument. Silus shared a knowing look with Vodo. They had expected a much.

The Jedi mentally sighed and took a step forward. The noise quieted enough for him to say, "I am with you."

The statement was quiet but firm. Vodo nodded; there was the hint of a smile on the Jedi Master's features. The Master to the left of Silus snorted. "Of course you would..."

"I would what? I have always cautioned action against the Empire."

"Yes, a direct contrast to the Jedi's role in the galaxy! We are pacifists," he said, "not violent aggressors. Leave the lightsaber swinging to the rogues."

"Pacifism? And what has your supposed done but allow the Jedi to be defeated time after time by the Empire? Or the Sith? The Jedi are protectors, but who has your pacifism saved?" Silus responded. With effort, he managed to keep his voice calm.

The Jedi next to him, however, was not concerned with such inhibitions.

"Countless lives!"

"Really? Who? Even on Naboo, who did your pacifism protect when the Sith attacked? Who has it protected today? Just three standard days ago, several citizens were murdered - a mere kilometer away from this very temple!"

The Jedi Master sniffed, "We have accomplished far more with diplomacy and caution than any lightsaber could."

"You call this caution? Is it caution to allow the Empire to gain such a hold on the galaxy? Is it caution to allow the Sith to grow in such numbers and power? Is it caution to let our own Order grow old and diminish?

"The Empire claim us a self-made mockery! And damn them, they're right. The only reason we haven't been ground into dust is because it costs far less just to allow us to wither and die.

"And now they have created the Jedi Corps. Replaced us. How many minds have they successfully poisoned against the Order? If we have any hope to survive, we need to fight this threat."

"Even so," spoke up another member of the Council, "this mission is far too dangerous. What if our agent is found out?"

"It is a risk I am willing to take," Silus said.

"Are you saying you would volunteer for this?" asked the Master Katrin.

"Yes."

The Council members looked among themselves. "But the Jedi..."

"We must do this," Vodo said. He exchanged a quick glance with Silus, the signal that everything was going as planned.

Katrin nodded and took a step forward. Others soon followed.

"So be it," spoke the Master at Silus's side. "The Council accepts the proposal. Silus will infiltrate the Empire, and find out as much about these 'Corps' as he can."