Today’s Explorers, tomorrow’s Rangers.

[Adar Bolner]

After the ceremony, everyone split up. Most went to congratulate the new Rangers, as well as Ranger-now-Captain Varn Badaash and Captain-now-General Alim. Master Vassa went to discuss with a few Jedi Knights she knew from some old missions, and Master Kenobi congratulated his dear friend and left to get back to his ship. The mentioning of Evelynn made him remember all that had happened, but he pushed all of that aside for today. He was impressed by the ranger know as Kilt Vindon, and wondered if he would want to be assigned to Adar. More like Adar was going to try to convince him to team up with him. As he headed towards the new ranger, he saw Varn got approached by Aliclair. He would congratulate Varn later, as he saw ranger Vindon was free for now.

"Ranger Vindon. Congrats on being initiated. Adar Bolner, Jedi Padawan of Master Vassa. I must say, your speech was impressive."
Kilt let out a proud laugh. "Well, glad you liked it padawan Adar. It was all true. This galaxy is filled with monsters and we shall do our best to drive them out."
"I share your sentiment and passion. And, I was wondering if you have been assigned to any of the padawans yet."
Vindon looked at Adar with a mix of confusion and astoundment.
"Well, I spoke with a few padawans, and no one seemed interested. Or had the guts to ask."
"I would love for you to be assigned to me. I trust that you are more than capable of watching my back, and you seem like a fun dude."
"You can count on me. Especially for that last part. Let's talk it over with the General and Overseer."
The two men shaked their hands, and went to meet with their superiors. After a while, Kilt Vindon was officially assigned as a ranger to Padawan Adar.

Before he went back to meet his Master, he went to congratulate Varn on his promotion. "Congratulations, Varn! That promotion must have been long coming. I'm sure you shall be an excellent leader for your squad. I do hope to see your skill in battle one day."

[Zechs Merquise]

To be an Antarian Ranger meant more than have a nice jacket and outshine your Imperial less useful counterparts. It meant something. Zechs was just not the one to define it. It was to be defined by those who walked that path. To merely invited to be present at such a ceremony rivaled that of a birth. To be there, it was something even grander.

Zechs hadn’t exactly been punctual, but he had snuck in as best as one could and caught the important parts. Silence was his thing, or so they said. “It was nice” seemed like a poor way to express how it came across to him, but the words he’d hear weren’t what drove him to answer the invite.

He had known a few Rangers. He had never committed their structure to memory. A Jedi Life wasn’t his way, so it never had been a problem. Never had been. Until now. But they had been good people in a galaxy sorely lacking that variety. Others had been heroes in their own rite. He’d trade all the armies in the galaxy for a few good people willing to die for all the wrong reasons. How had the old writer put it?

“No greater love hath a man than he lay down his life for his brother. Not for millions... Not for glory... Not for fame. For one person, in the dark, where no one will ever know or see.“

Now, he stood amongst some of the most selfless people in the galaxy Jedi, Rangers, and some of the less selfless who had gotten one of those fancy invites. His Alliance dress uniform sort of stood out in contrast to some of those grand folk. It had been pressed twice by one droid and inspected by another. Judging by the cresses, the droids had gotten a lot of practice while he was… away.

A lot of smiling. Congratulating. Optimisitic talk. Hand shakes. It was what he had gotten used to doing. The next generation needed inspiring. It needed encouragement to do better than the last. It needed a pat on the back. The wars and pains of life did enough to kick them down. Yes. A hand. It wasn’t much, but it could make all the difference in the galaxy.

He could only hope these newer Rangers would never see battle. That they’d go out there and do some real good, but war would come. There would be dark days, but there would be the opposite as well. For as dark as night could be, the day was even brillianter.

Smiles. Congratulations. Words of hope. Praising peace.

It wasn’t what some would toast. It wasn’t what some in the rank wanted to hear. No. They wanted a renewed push to end the wars by conquest. To slay the Empire and wipe out the Sith. To end slavery once and for all. To force their version of civilization on everyone. But he had seen what forceful ways had done before.

Jedi purges. Planets blown to bits. It was a dangerous path. Not exactly what he preferred to be thinking about on a day such as this with genuine hope for the future on display.

Better to stand between the people in harm. To be the light in the dark. To inspire change and not force it. To turn a hated enemy into a friend. Now, that was a sight.

He had once thought about becoming an Antarian Ranger. He went corporate and became rich. To think what that other life might have been. To think of all the good he might have done. To be an Antarian Ranger was something special. It meant more than serving yourself, but it was best to elave defining what that was to those who took the oath. This was their day after all.

People who, if they were lucky, would one day find themselves: the right people, in the right place, at the right time.

[Varn Badaash]

Varn closed his eyes for a brief moment, he had gotten a report that Kenobi had started training a new apprentice, had he given up on Miss Swann? The Dashade would not allow himself to believe that, the man had risk his life to save the Ranger and Varn knew he’d do the same for his own Padawan. But then why another?

Varn opened his eyes and looked down at the young woman again. “It is an honor to meet you Padawan Austjor,” the Rangers gravelly voice responded, doing his best to inflect a warming tone, how well it came across tho was impossible for him to know. “I have served with your Master in many battles, he is one of the greats.”

Varn was far from versed in etiquette and social grace for such an occasion. He was a soldier, hells he wasn’t even that, he was a mercenary turned in the correct direction by the right people. The Dashade had no idea how he was suppose to continue this conversation. He was just gracious that his alien physique was difficult for most sentients to read and thus most would think he was just being stoic and not in extreme discomfort with the entire situation, from getting an unexpected promotion to meeting the person Varn was trying not to assume was Padawan Swanns replacement.

[Aliclair Austjor]

Aliclair's eyebrows furrowed abit in curiosity. She sensed a shift when she mentioned being Ben's Padawan. A part of her wanted to press about his shift but didn't; it was sorrow. She gave Varn a small, genuine smile. She'd known the Antarian Rangers to be a highly motivated and loyal bunch, and to have known the one before him helped keep her Master Kenobi safe sense bliss sensations throughout her body.

"If I may.. I just, wanted to ask about the Antarian Rangers way. The Enclave were going to surrender me to your squadron if not for Master Kenobi. I know I'm no longer going to be apart of it, but, I'd like to know your training ways. And maybe, attend a training session. I want to get my combat skills up. Master Kenobi is in charge of training me in the Force... and I want you to be in charge of training me in combat." She stated, a hint of determaination, but uncertainty in her eyes. She wanted to have the abilities honed, and pushed beyond. She wanted to be able to protect herself, and anyone she loved.

[Varn Badaash]

The Dashade cocked a brow as the young Padawan requested he train her in more martial skills. It definitely caught Varn completely off guard just as this whole conversation had thus far. Was it really a place for him, to train a Jedi Padawan in the ways of war, should he not leave that to the Jedi masters. Perhaps if he had been more involved in Padawan Swann’s martial training would she actually be here celebrating as well. It was a strange request and it caused a lot of thought within the large alien.

“If you wish to learn then I may be able to teach, Rangers are trained in every environment and how to utilize every skill to help them survive against our ruthless enemies,” Varn finally spoke. “Master Kenobi would have to sign off on such things but between my operations I’d be willing to assist you in learning martial techniques that don’t involve lightsabers and the Force.”

He nodded slowly, more to himself then Padawan Austjor. Perhaps he could increase her odds of survival in this dark galaxy, and hopefully make it so Kenobi didn’t go through the same loss again. “Training with me will not be easy, be ready to handle a beating because the Sith will give us know quarter this we must train with that in mind.”

[Zechs Merquise]

Zechs stumbled from group to group, making awkward what once wasn’t, hoping each time he’d find the snack table. Rangers were experts at this in the wild. Social occasions like this all came down to the individual. Imperfect and as varied as stars in the galaxy with just as much gas. The hot kind they liked to spew out their moist mouths.

One of the groups were talking about training. Or something like that. Zechs stuck his hands in his uniform pockets, digging to see if he still had a field ration in there. He didn’t. But this was where training came into play.

Space travel in a fighter didn’t come with snack breaks or rest rooms. The training to put up with those cramped quarters, not bathing for extended periods, and all the other fun natural body processes (not even speaking of the unnatural). It was in this aspect the Imperial pilots of old had it best. Carriers. Always on a carrier of some shape or size. Rebel pilots had to actually hold it.

Rangers. Great group. Noble causes. No mini-bar he could see. That was probably a Jedi thing or a ceremony thing. Or a he was blind thing. It was always complicated.

Training. Yeah. It was nice to hear young folk talking about it. Picking up where others left off. Carrying on the traditions of the noble order. Doing some good out there. Hopefully without the long hyperspace jumps that made some dogfights a little awkward. Not that many would admit it.

He wasn’t sure why he was thinking about it all. They were poor imitations of his earlier thoughts on the journey here and during the ceremony. Just like the Alliances so called allies, any number of pirate groups, were a poor imitation of nobility. He had known their kind in the Corporate Sector, the Empire, this Republic, or the one before. It had been a long time since he really gave them a moments thought, but the words said this day scratched old feels up to the surface. Those convenient allies were a joke when a far nobler group resided within Alliance space.

Still, Zechs was pragmatic, and far from the guy who would take this occasion and make it all about him or anyone else’s agenda. This was a ceremony to honor the rising heroes of tomorrow. New legends swearing their oaths. It was a good day. Only a jerk would ruin it.

[Aliclair Austjor]

Aliclair took a semi-deep breathe then exhaled. Padawan training was hard enough, and to add onto it would be insane. But, it's something she had to do. Her entire time in the Enclave, they would talk about the endless and ruthless dangers the Galaxy had in store. Ali figured if this would true, she'd need to push herself beyond what she could do. Even if that meant learning the way of the Rangers for some advanced combat and endurance training. The Antarian Rangers were highly durable, reliable. The most she stood in Commander Varn's presents, the more she felt like, if she had gotten surrendered to them, she would be content and happy.

"That's exactly why I need your training. I need to be ready for anything, everything. Master Kenobi speaks of your fleets high. So I need to be on the same level." she said, a tang of nervousness finding its way to her heart. But, fears had to be shoved down. Fear was blood luring in a hungry shark for her enemies, and she needed to have that extra discipline and training.