=Tate=

*One of the young Knights approached Sergey. He bowed in the traditional Jedi greeting before speaking to the visit.*

=Moses Abdel=
"Greetings friend, I apologize for the lack of a welcoming party but the enclave is still under construction, as you can see. I am Jedi Knight Abdel, is there anything I can help you with?"

*It was true that among the Jedi training and other activities going on around the enclave there was quite a bit of construction as well. The entire building was being renovated and much of the damages it had sustained over the past several years was finally being concluded. All the workers wore patches and logos from Kal Corp, on Haruun Kal and there were several banners hanging down the length of the main corridor. The banners were in no particular order but showed the markings of the overall Jedi Order as well as well as the Council of the Unified Force (there were actually two CUF banners, one was fairly new and the other was from when the council was first founded within this enclave). There was also an older banner, that had seen better days, from the Old Republic to show where the Jedi here had come from. Several crewmen were holding the Republic Rebuilt banners they had just taken down, they were in need of repair and the men were told not to rehang them until the council had spoken to Masters Starfall or Holt in person. No one really paid much attention to the visitor except for Moses, and even then no one else bothered to notice. Apparently everyone on Dantooine was busy making this building presentable again.*

*Sergey himself bowed his head in greeting. He cast his blue eyes onto Jedi Abdel, and found a warm and welcoming young man standing infront of him. Sergey waved away the apology with a grin.*

"No apologies needed, Jedi Abdel. My name's Sergey Bonteri. I'm a Jedi Knight myself although..." He paused, again the feeling of the past blurred with the present. "...from a different time."

*Sergey took the cue and looked about the foyer that he was just about to leave to go deeper into the Enclave, and indeed found it a little different. Now that he was actually looking, instead of remembering, he could see the little improvements and changes going on. The banners were a new one, for even the Republic Rebuilt insignia had not been there the last time he had visited.*

"Construction indeed. I guess even this little hideaway can't stand the test of time. It's a shame, but then everything must move on. 'The future is always in motion', isn't that what we Jedi say? Heh."

*Sergey turned his gaze back upon Jedi Abdel.*

"I'm just visiting. Well, my innermost intentions are to finally find a home. I used to live here, in the Enclave, but that was a long time ago. Tell me, where is Master Starfall?"

=Abdel=
"Nice to meet you, Sergey Bonteri... Another time?"

*He wondered if the men meant before the republic rebuilt existed, or perhaps before the CUF had been formed, or even still if he was like Master Brandwyn and had been here back when the Old Republic was still around... so many questions and none of them were polite to ask in a first meeting, so he bit his tongue and waited for the man to finish speaking. When he asked of Master Starfall a sadness could be felt from Abdel, he knew Master Starfall in name only and had been told by CUF leadership that he was the rightful commander of the enclave and Dantooine, but no one had seen him far a long time.*

=Abdel=
"Sorry sir, but the last report we have on Master Starfall reports he and Master Holt were lost in the unknown regions of space several years ago. We keep hoping the Force will guide them home but there has been no word recently."

*Abdel had never met the masters in question, but he had trained on Telos IV under Master Brandwyn as headmaster and had heard many of Arden's stories about the men. Arden had a great respect for them and Abdel knew it was out of that respect that he sent the CUF to Dantooine, to nurture it back to it's prime and ready it for Holt and Starfall's return.*

"It might be more prudent to call it another life. Semantically, anyway. I don't quite understand it myself. It's more of a casual curiosity than a burning desire to know. But I'm rambling, probably making no sense at all. Don't mind me."

*Sergey could remember a time before now. He had another name, another personality, but he was sure he was the same person. But those memories felt disconnected; something he possessed but had not experienced. He was not concerned; his life as a Jedi Knight was a fulfilling one. And now he needed a focus for that fulfilment, and Sergey could think of no better place than his - Sergey's - birthplace.

For Sergey firmly believed that the man he was today was born here in the Enclave.*

"Could you tell me more of galactic affairs of late? I have been out of touch for a little while. Who comprises the Dantooine Jedi Council these days? Also, is there any major Jedi work to be done on Dantooine? I'm ready to involve myself, although not in politics - I don't really like politics!"

*Sergey chuckled at his own admission.*

"I don't much like the military either. I do have a lightsaber, but that is a symbol more than a weapon, I think. I used to spend most of my time here tending to the archives as the resident historian, see. What is your role, Jedi Abdel?"

*Semantics, did anyone ever really like them? Abdel decided to just refer to it as before so as not to get confused with what exactly had happened to this man, it also made it easier to avoid all the other questions that one might have after hearing such comments. Then he asked about the current state of affairs throughout the galaxy, a subject that Abdel was not very versed in, all he could do was tell the tale of the current CUF situations.*

=Moses Abdel=
"Unfortunately I do not know much about the rest of the galaxy. I do know that the Jedi Order had been fractured for many years and has now begun to re-align itself among it's factions. A grand council has been reformed and all Jedi are uniting under one banner. That about sums up my galactic knowledge, as for the CUF situations, well that's another story. Our forces are gathering for an assault on Alderaan, which we lost to a Mandolorian who seems to enjoy killing civilians. We've lost contact with a group of soldiers on Telos IV after reclaiming it from the Sith and restoring the Jedi Academy there. The pod racing tracks are being restored on Malastare, but there seem to be complications and small terrorist attacks on the workers. Bonadan is under siege by an unknown enemy and that leaves us here with Dantooine. My role is to help oversee the reconstruction efforts here and to ensure that Master Brandwyn's archive's are still intact. The Dantooine Jedi council doesn't officially exist anymore, the last known member is Master Brandwyn, founding member of the CUF and the Dantooine Council, he has us safeguarding this planet until others return... *He took a deep breath, something he needed to remind himself to do more often.* ...umm, other than that I can't think of anything else going on." *When Sergey mentioned he had been the resident historian it made Moses wonder just how long ago he had been here, because the only historian he had heard of here was Arden, but then that was during the time of the First CUF and prior to the Dantooine Council being officially formed.*

"You said you remember being the historian, then perhaps you have met our Master Brandwyn, three hundred year old Sephi, likes to tell his life story with emphasis on the clone and civil wars? He is the one credited with gaining access to the Coruscant archives when this Enclave was first rebuilt with Master Yahz'hu and the others. And as for your last question, about major Jedi work to be done on Dantooine. Yes, there is. We have not held a very strong presence here for some time and most of us are so wrapped up in rebuilding the Enclave and making it livable again that there aren't enough of us to go out and converse with the locals as often as we'd like. Master Brandwyn ordered us to make sure we spoke to all the elders at least once a week but we have been unable to do so easily. Once this wing is completed I will be organizing a weekly meeting between the leaders of the Enclave and the local leaders but until then it would be nice to have someone acting as a liaison between us and the general public."

*Something flashed in Sergey's eyes at the mention of Yahz'hu. His gaze became unfocused for a second, and then with a quick shake of the head, Sergey's attention was back in the present.*

"The Yahz'hu I remember was no master. I remember the poor native boy when he couldn't speak Basic, and could only communicate through the Force. I could speak to him because I learned the Dantari language through the archives."

*He said nothing of Master Brandwyn, who he had heard about from several citations when he was resident Historian. Jedi did not necessarily dislike one another, but Sergey could remember not being very enthusiastic about such a militarian Jedi. That was before, though. Sergey would reserve his current judgement for when he actually met Master Brandwyn. He probably was a very nice guy and a dedicated Jedi.*

"So, the Council of the Unified Force are still as militarily active as before? I see. Don't get me wrong, now, Jedi Abdel, I see the benefits of having a strong military with a Jedi Knight or Master commanding - especially when the fate of an innocent world rests in the balance - but I have read about too many wars and do not see any side that benefits. Not really."

"A weekly meeting would be beneficial, yes. I remember when the Enclave housed civilians and some Elders. Whoever from wherever could come and talk to a Jedi and ask for assistance. Is the same system in place?"

=Moses Abdel=
"I never met him, but Master Brandwyn often spoke of him, he held him in such a high regard that calling him anything less than master seems an insult. Masters Shan, Dramon and Reed all mentioned him at various points in time as well, I just assumed he was a very important member of the council when it was here on Dantooine.



=Abdel=
"I wouldn't call them Militarily active, usually. The fleets and soldiers are usually on vacation or on stand by for things that never happen. It's a rare occasion that they are ever really needed. When the Phoenix Imperium dissolved and Masters Starfall and Holt could not be located, a small CUF military force was sent here to ensure there was no need for a military presence. Now there is just this handful of security personel here at the enclave *He gestured to the men in uniforms with badges that were helping the crews remove debris from the hallways* there may be a few more men than that, but that represents the entire CUF military here on Dantooine. Master Brandwyn was very adamant that he didn't want alot of soldiers, how did he put it, ah yes 'I don't want large amounts of soldiers marching all over that beautiful planet and mucking things up.' was how he phrased it.



=Abdel=
"We would like to put this system in place again, the meeting room will be the former council room. We've added chairs but we are waiting for the workers to finish painting in there so we can open it up again. As for housing, the dormitories were pretty badly damaged several months ago and should be inhabitable again by the end of the week. My orders regarding the enclave's operations was to ensure it was a freely open place for all to visit. The mess hall should be ready sometime tomorrow and we plan to move the workers into living quarters soon as well, currently they reside in tent city just out the main entrance to the enclave, we are also expanding the living areas in order to house twice as many people as before. This isn't going to turn into a resort or vacationing spot, but it will be as luxurious as possible for those that seek solace here. Speaking of making it Luxurious for all, I'm having difficulty figuring out what the locals here would consider to be just right and over the top, think you can help us make sure everything is perfect for the Dentari?"

*Moses has had many conversations with the locals, but his Dentari was very rusty and few of the elders spoke common these days. The language barrier was causing some minor problems and even though Moses had been assured that the locals came first, he was having difficulty getting that message across to them. He had been trained as a farmer on Telos IV, he and Arden would always be in the gardens talking to plants, it was one of the reasons he had volunteered to come here, he wanted to see the plants that had inspired Arden to recreate the room of a thousand fountains and give him inspiration for the plants and gardens surrounding the temple on Haruun Kal.*

*Sergey waved away the comment while giving a roguish smile.*

"It seems I have spoken incorrectly, Jedi Abdel. I did not mean to infer that Yahz'hu was an inadept at being a Jedi Master, but rather that when I was here he was a Padawan Learner to his Master - oh, I do forget her name. I apologise for the confusion."

"Haha, yes indeed, soldiers and all this war seem to have a habit of 'mucking things up'. I'm glad Master Brandwyn sees things this way too! But I must say that work on the Enclave seems to be going well. You should be very proud of your efforts here, Jedi Abdel. They are nobel. It's so hard to find nobel efforts in the galaxy these days."

*The last request from Jedi Abdel brought up the past for Sergey again. He could remember talking to Yahz'hu in Dantari for the first time, trying to gain his trust. It had took a while, but eventually he was good friends with him, and while Yahz'hu learned alongside his master, Sergey apprentaced himself to Master Starfall.

Sergey drew his gaze away from Jedi Abdel and down to the lightsaber hanging at his belt. It was the same one Master Starfall gave to him because he, Sergey, had had no time to build one himeself. The electrum patterns were always a sign of a high-flyer for Sergey. He can remember questioning if he should have an electrum lightsaber at all.*

"I built two new ones, really. Mostly out of boredom."

*So Sergey had took it from Master Starfall.*

"Yes, I'd be delighted to help with the natives." *He said at last with a rather complete smile.*

*Taharla had stopped running by the time she reached the Enclave, and although her business was no less pressing than it had been twenty minutes ago at the Grove, she found herself able to relax just a little bit more inside the confines of the Enclave, where the Jedi would impart wisdom upon one another. Taharla immediately headed for the open-topped retreat that the Masters often used as a council room, but then thought better of it. They could be in some sort of important meeting, and a Padawan rushing in to impart meaning of a dream that could only really be understood through experience was not going to get the Masters up and running to their starships to help.

Taharla needed an unorthodox Master. She needed someone who was willing to listen to her, war mongerer she might be. Her fleshy eye-lid-membrances clouded over her eyes in a Mon Calamari version of a sigh. Her mind had suddenly took her back thousands of years, to the wars with the Mandalorians that devestated the Galaxy. She had learned all about them in the archives in her spare time. She did not want another Revan and Malak roaming the Galaxy.

But then she remembered the pain and suffering that had assaulted her when she was meditating, a the Grove, and knew that she had to tell someone.

Unknowingly, her feet had been acting subconciously and had lead her around a corner and right into another Jedi, walking the opposite way.*

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going, Master...?"

*She looked up, not recognising the other. He was clad in midnight blue robes - rather unusual for a Jedi. She could sense the Force within him and knew he was a Knight, if not a Master, by his mere presence. The lightsaber clasped to his belt was strangely ornate. It looked more like an ornament than a weapon. Taharla tilted her head to the side in a Mon Calamari bow.*

"I'm Jedi Bonteri. And no apologies necessary, Padawan. I wasn't really looking where I was going neither." *He said with a smile.*

"You looking too much into the future, too, huh?"*Taharla said, immediately forming a rapport with Bonteri. She nearly gasped and covered her mouth in surprise, but she found herself not really caring if she had overstepped her lines. Bonteri seemed like the kind of Jedi that didn't care much for rules and regulations.*

"Hah, yeh. You could say that. But you must not worry about the future too much, Padawan. That's my job. You just enjoy your studies."

*He paused and placed his hand on his stubbled chin, as if evaluating Taharla.*

"You look flustered, Padawan. Is something wrong?"

"Oh, yes, Jedi Bonteri. Something is definitely wrong!"

*Taharla told her story at length - careful to leave in every detail - and Sergey listened carefully, attentively. He believed that Padawans, and even Knights, keep learning - if the Masters allow them too. She told him about her experience in the Grove, how everything was normal until the Force itself began pressing in on her clarity of mind. How those waves of anguish made her felt, and how real they seemed. She told him everything, and then she told him about the warfleet. The image that had been flash-burned into her mind through sheer force. Perhaps, even, by necessity.

Sergey was careful to keep his expression interested, but neutral. It would do no good him running off screaming an alarm. He fully believed Taharla; he believed that something was happening. Some new power was arising, and Taharla had convinced Sergey that it could extinguish all life as he knew it. A Jedi knew no fear, it was said. That was a lie. A Jedi did know fear, they simply faced up to it. And this had made Sergey a little afraid.*

"Not to worry, Padawan." *He said after she had finished her story.*"Thank you for bringing me this information, and I promise you I will take it to the Masters as soon as I can. But this is not your burden to bear, Taharla. Go back to your quaters and meditate; try and clear your mind. You have done all you can."

*He ushered her away and waited until she was out of earshot.*

"Now it's my turn."

*Sergey had brought the matter to the Jedi Masters immediately, and now he awaited just outside the room where the Masters met. The door was closed but if he listened closely, he could hear the murmuring. There were only three masters left on Dantooine and while there was no Council as such, they still formed the leadership of the Enclave. After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened.*

"Enter, Jedi Bonteri," *called a voice from within.

Sergey obeyed, his blue Jedi robes flapping about his ankles. The room had changed little in the millenia it had been here - a large audience chamber that was sparsely decorated. It had two levels, one at 'ground' level where Sergey had come in, and a portion of the centre of the room dropped by half a metre or so. Entering through the steps, Sergey descended into the audience chamber, where the three masters awaited.

They all stood in the deeper portion of the chamber, in a rounded line at the edge of the dropped portion of the room. One Twi'lek male, one human female and one Chadra-fan, who Sergey knew to be male by reputation. Those little tikes were too hard to make out gender.*

"Masters," *Sergey greeted them and bowed.*

"Sergey Bonteri," *began Master Tunkly, the Chadra-Fan, in a high pitched and accented basic.* "We have gone over the information you have given us time and again. We have reached a consensus and that is why we have brought you here now."

"The Jedi cannot rush blindly into any threat that reveals itself," *added Master Tandori Kush - the human female, adorned in bright white robes. Sergey always found her... odd. For a Master, anyway.* "Look at what happened in the Mandalorian Wars. Look at what happened in the Clone Wars! Throughout history, the Jedi have been the warriors for the Republic, but now that fledging galactic government is no more and we are left with fragments of civilisation and the Sith openly practise their evil wars on many a planet. As Jedi, we cannot stop what is happened all round us - we are not numerous enough. Rumour has it that many Jedi and some core-ward planets have rejoined together in a Republic, and if that is so then praise be to them! But we on Dantooine have no such strength. The government here is reliant upon us to keep up the peace. They are not rich and cannot afford defenses or fleets. We are needed here, Jedi Bonteri. As we always have been."

*Sergey had expected as much from her.*

"Jedi Knight Sergey Bonteri - you have been with us for a short while, and already you seem to have an important destiny here on Dantooine. I can feel it in the Force, we can all feel it." *Continued Master Roh'edron, the pale green Twi'lek.* "But your information comes from a Force vision presented to a Padawan. That is hardly concrete proof. Jedi Sergey Bonteri, I am sorry, but until more facts come to light, we cannot lead the Jedi into war. The dark side is difficult to resist. What would happen if we believe in this Padawan, send off what Knights we have, and they fall from the path? No, until we have concrete information, we do not act."

*Sergey stalked out of the audience chamber, thanking the Masters for their time. He could understand their cautiousness. But there was a time and a place. Now and here were neither.*