The Hermit's Dojo - Mechis III

[Raynuk Montar]

Quietus regarded her answer carefully. It had not been exactly what he was expecting in her answer, but it shed more light on the situation.

 

"And that is why you have come here, to this place? To attempt to reach what seems just beyond your fingertips? Curious..."

 

There was little else that Quietus could say with the development. Rose seemed utterly scared of the Force, and yet absolutely frustrated by her not being able to reach for it and bend it to her will.

 

"As it would happen Rose, I have met another who found herself in a somewhat similar situation... She is fully able to call upon the Force and sense it, but often found herself consumed by it. Consumed by her anger, her rage, and her emotions. I do not think that is much of a coincidence. This blockage in your mind however, does present a unique situation. One that I am afraid I have limited answers to, and even then, Im not sure I dare tell you what I believe. I will tell you this much however; I do not believe your blockage is natural, nor do I sense it cast upon you by the Force. Take that as you will..."

 

He allowed the conversation to fall into silence for many moments, as he wrestled with telling her what his thoughts were. But to do so would be to possibly move against Furion himself, a move he did not want to make without consulting with the Dark Lord first.

 

"So... given that Ive been dead for a couple of years apparently, what is your Father up to these days? Is there anything I should know about in terms of strategic goals and long term plans? Besides the utter extinction of the Jedi that is..."

[Darth Furion]

For the moment her eyes stared blankly down into the churning molten rivers beneath them. So Raynuk, too, felt the disturbance with her connection with the Force. When she heard 'Dark Lord', however, she returned to him.

 

It has never been about the destruction of the Jedi for him. To be frank he doesn't give a damn about them. If he wanted, he could operate far under their radar and they'd be none the wiser. She thought for a moment trying to recall Julio's particular phrasing. It is about the struggle, he says. Without bringing the fight to the Jedi, he believes the Order would atrophy, and turn on itself for self discovery. The point of fighting isn't for the killing itself, but the chance to test one's self above and beyond their limitations.

 

She didn't want to break any state secrets, but at the same time Raynuk would be one of the highest ranking Sith among the Order. Surely he would be privy to this much. His intention is to infuriate the Jedi. Constantly harassing them while staying just out of their reach. He wants them to rebuild against him so that he could test himself in bigger and more difficult ways.

 

And then it clicked, all despair and confusion shedding away like an exasperation of relief. Of course her father had obstructed her connection with the Force, made it nearly impossible for her break through. But it was all another struggle, insurmountable odds to overcome and rise through the ashes all the more victorious. Whereas connection with the Force often came with a simple application of time and diligence for most sensitive to it, she would have traverse hellish depths to reach the same plateaus as others. It would either kill her, or make her stronger than the rest.

 

Always chasing death, my Father. She turned to Raynuk, once again shining with that brightness he had seen not long ago.

[Raynuk Montar]

Quietus sighed to himself as Rose answered, clearly not picking up on the tone of his words.

 

I really must start suppressing my sarcasm around people that dont know me very welll...

 

He had to admit though that Furion had a point about keeping up the struggle. it was one of the mistakes that many Dark Lords made; to set out for erradication instead of worthy opposition. Quietus himself had seen the order dissolve into petty arguments and pointless killing in the past; in some cases it had been his own actions that lead to it. The Sith Master did not miss however, the sudden change in Rose's mindset. He had not deemed it wise to tell the young woman that all he saw when he attempted to decipher the block on her mind, was the steady and stoic image of Julio. Not only was her connection to the Force blocked by Julio, but he had also sealed her mind to anyone else attempting to look in. For a moment at least, Rose was once again the bouncy and almost care free young woman who was filled with an almost childlike giddiness. Always chasing death, my Father she had said. Those last five words caught Quietus funny, but he did not fully understand why.

 

"Arent we all? Only in my case, I seem to have found it... several times..." He trailed off slightly, finding that he was not exactly a good example to counter her Father.

 

"I notice you seem to have come to a recollection and it has eased you of at least some of your burdens. I am sure that whatever the cause, that there is a reason for your being blocked. It might not appear to you, or even be a good reason to you, but it is out there somewhere. Only you can find it. Not me, not Aryian, and not your father. You."

He emphasized his point by poking Rose in the shoulder on his last word, and was unexpectidly granted a flash of a vision.

 

A rolling wall of darkness, approaching a lone figure on the shore...

A puddle of blood, ever growing at the feet of a figure...

A newborn swaddled in dark cloth...

Glowing eyes and maniacal laughter...

 

The vision lasted no more than a heartbeat from when he touched Rose. It was the first vision in a very long time to which the contents' meaning was a complete mystery to Quietus. And given the subject matter, and the lone figure's resemblance to Rose, he dare not ask her of it. It was, if anything, something to bring up to Julio himself, if at all. He recovered a heartbeat later, withdrawing his finger and offering her an attempt at a comforting smile before changing the subject once more.

 

"So why did you come here Rose? Was it your idea? Or your fathers?"

[Darth Furion]

The moment he poked her she felt it again. Sinking. Down into the black morass of cold terror. There was no sense of self here. No past, no future. Only the eternal present that was as vexing as it was unstable. Her heart didn't beat. Her lungs wouldn't expand to draw in the air that wasn't there. Either her eyes didn't work or there was simply nothing to see. Fear, this place was named, and in it Rose was part of the nothing, was nothing. Her mouth held wide like she wanted to scream, to let it out, to find some escape. But again, nothing. Her body wouldn't even feel, yet didn't carry the traditional numb sensation that came from the lack of it.

 

Please, oh god please let me out. I'll do anything, just get me out of here.

 

She came to screaming, somehow scrabbled a few paces away from Raynuk without meeting the cliff's edge. Through ragged breaths the screaming subsided as soon as the world came back into focus, but the fading sensation was etched deep in her memory.

 

What did you do?!

[Raynuk Montar]

Quietus responded rather calmly considering the amount of terror Rose felt, with only his eyebrow raising at the intensity of the reaction.

 

"Apparently, my poking you sent you somewhere you very much did not want to be... Curious. I assure you it was not my intention. Well, I suppose I wont be doing that again. I was not left unaffected either... But I saw a vision instead. Of what, or who, I do not know. Its meaning is a mystery to me even now..."

 

He was clearly concerned about what had happened, but his concern was more on the event rather than the well being of Rose. He would think back to this moment later and consider himself exceptionally cruel for not ensuring that she was relatively okay given how terrified she had become. But caught in the moment, his mind was racing trying to figure out what in the hell had actually happened to both of them. He very much doubted she had seen the same things that he had, but had no intention of asking her to recall what the event was like for her, lest he inadvertently send her back to it.

[Emily]

Emily gave a little smile. "Yes, that's the name they've taken to giving this place on the Holonet."

 

Aryian took over with Ariana, something of which she was very grateful. He was all ease and comfort around her, something that Emily envied for a moment. Perhaps it was something he had learned from the Jedi. Either way, it wasn't long before he had turned to her, and offered her the chance to ask some of the things she had on her mind.

 

Earlier when she had gone to him, she had intended to start their conversation with a discussion of his unique fighting style. But now that the moment had come, she realized there were more pressing questions she had. Why waste both of their time with things that she could learn at a later date, or from a computer? No, better to dive right in and ask about the things that had drawn her here in the first place.

 

The topics she was about to bring up were deep, however. She tossed an unsure glance in Ariana's direction, not sure if she should speak about this type of thing before their guest. After all, Emily knew nothing about the other woman. But after a moment, she decided that if Aryian was alright with it, then she was too. And if the questions did get too philosophical, they could easily leave the med bay and continue their conversation elsewhere.

 

She took a deep breath. "You were a Jedi master, and then you became a Sith. You have learned from both schools of thought. I'm sure you have insights as to the nature of the Force. That is what has drawn me here. I believe that neither the Sith nor the Jedi have their view of the Force correct. If one side did have all the answers, then there wouldn't be this division. Jedi and Sith would become one, drawing closer together as their knowledge of the Force grew. But that does not happen, except in very rare cases."

 

She took a deep breath. "I have vowed not to be so singleminded. I seek knowledge, and I seek truth. You a

Have gone farther down this path I find myself walking than almost anyone else in the galaxy. I know you could have much to share, if you are willing. Tell me, in your perspective, what is the Force? What is its essence? How do you perceive it, and how does it manifest itself to you?"

 

There was passion on her face as she asked the questions. It would be clear that this was something she felt very strongly about. Indeed, to Emily, this was her main purpose in life; to find out the true nature of the force without being blinded by the prejudices of one order over another.

[Ary the Grey]

"Wow. Don't beat around the bush at all, do you?"

 

Aryian tossed a glance towards Ariana, wondering if the conversation he was about to have was right for her in her path with the Force, as Aryian could tell she hadn't had much, if any, formal training. At the least, she was a Miraluka, so she had a firm grasp of its everyday presence, and on a primal, more instinctual level, how it operated. However...he wasn't so sure she'd be willing to accept his views straightaway without a little more experience in its use. Regardless, it couldn't hurt to expose her to his perspective, and if she had any questions, she would probably chime in. Class was in session.

 

"I have had...numerous experiences on a higher level with the Force. There are higher planes of existence, this in and of itself is easily evidenced by what we know as 'Force ghosts'. The Force itself, though, simply is. Much like the laws of science, it is a natural power that has existed for an incredible length of time, possibly even forever. It can be a physical power made manifest through those powerful enough in it as much as it can be a spiritual power that speaks to us and guides us. When it comes to philosophy, I believe the Jedi have a better grasp on what the Force is and how to, shall we say, 'converse' with it, but as far as technique and use, neither Order or school of thought is more powerful than the other."

 

Aryian sighed for a moment, struggling to put his thought to a coherent metaphor so he could more simply explain things.

 

"Both sides have a commonly held view among the majority of their respective Orders, that there is two sides to the Force; a dark side, and a light side. This, in my experience, is not true. Yes, there is a much different feel to dark side practitioners than there are to light side users, but the difference breaks down to intent. What changes the Force to its 'light' and 'dark' properties is us; how we use it and what we use it for. The Dark side is more seductive, but that is natural. It is often a forced process, painful and emotionally trying, but you will see results much sooner. Would you not continue down that path simply because it was faster and seemingly easier? Not to mention the lust for power that builds as you learn compounds the idea that there is ultimately more power than what is behind the ways of Jedi teachings. But, it is merely an illusion, or rather, a delusion. The Dark side can lead to amazing feats and much power, but is it more powerful than the Light side? How can something be more powerful than itself?"

 

The Grey Master fetched a nearby rolling chair with a mental whim, sitting on it and relaxing a bit as he continued.

 

"As for my perspective of it, I will answer that with a wise old saying: our perception is merely the sum of our experiences. As you cannot fully share my experiences through my eyes and thoughts, you can never truly see my perspective fully, as I can never see yours. But, I see the Force as a whole, simply existing, affecting our fates and weaving the galaxy's future together. It is not benevolent or malevolent, it simply exists. I hear its whispers from time to time, telling me of things I should know, the mere knowledge of which will change my actions. But to me, it simply is. Just as you and I simply are. Does that answer your question? Or perhaps...now you will have more. Don't worry, ask away."

 

He reclined in the chair, waiting for the inevitable sea of questions that was probably about to be unleashed. The funny thing he'd found in his pursuit of knowledge, was that when the knowledge was found, it was rarely the end of the journey, rather, it simply led to more questions and more journeys to find answers, and so on and so forth until one had learned all there was to know in the universe. He was actually fairly thankful he didn't have the answers to everything.

[Ariana La'vohn]

Ariana shuffled on her bed a moment, but was rapt by the conversation that was going on. She found the most comfortable posture to settle on and just sat with her head set still, gazing at Ariyan and Eris. While they spoke, the beautiful sapphire lines that composed their silhouettes filled with bright blue star-like spheres. Each sphere was about the size of the tip of her thumb and they were buzzing with activity. They flew to where the multi-color tapestries were and worked furiously to add strands and grow older strands that had been left behind. As Ariana looked closer, she realized that she was watching their conversation as it was processed in their minds. She also noticed something odd about their outlines. The silhouettes were actually a little more intricate than she initially determined. Each line was comprised of smaller glowing lights and each light fused together with another to form a cohesive shape. It was mesmerizing.

 

...I see the Force as a whole, simply existing, affecting our fates and weaving the galaxy's future together. It is not benevolent or malevolent, it simply exists...

 

Ariana perked up a little at those words. She turned her head to look just at Aryian and then cocked her head a little. She wanted to add something, but she didn't know if she was actually in the conversation. She tensed up a little and stopped herself from making a comment, but it was obvious to anyone looking at her that she had something to say. She came really close to raising her hand, but decided against it, because it seemed childish and unneeded.

[Emily]

It was encouraging just to hear Aryian speak. It meant that she was not the only one whose experiences had led her to these conclusions. She was not alone in seeking something...more. She didn't speak, however, until Aryian had finished, and was asking if that had answered her questions. She smiled wryly, not noticing that Ariana wanted to say something, and spoke. "Two more questions, if you will.

 

"First, something you touched on. You said that in your experience, the Jedi are more accurate in terms of how they access the Force. I think I see what you mean. The Sith claim to control the Force, to bend it to their will and shape events. The Jedi say that they are guided by the Force and listen to and submit to its will. What do you say about this?" She herself was of the opinion that the Jedi were closer to the truth on this, because how could someone so insignificant to time and space and history control something as vast and powerful and timeless as the Force? If they did achieve any real change, it had to be of a small and temporary kind. From what she had seen, most Sith were simply a tiny speck shouting 'I'm significant!' at the vast uncaring heavens. Of course there were exceptions, and in a way that was what all Force-users were. But at least the Jedi didn't hide from the fact that they were rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

 

"The other thing is in the region of morality. From the perspective of an ordinary citizen of the galaxy, the Sith have no morals and do whatever they feel like, while the Jedi hold themselves to a strict, lofty morality. What is it that you yourself believe? I have found that in trying to find balance, I've had to come up with my own set of moral rules to live by, and act according to what I believe." She didn't care as much what his specific morality told him, but rather, if he had had the same experience of setting his own ideas of 'right' and 'wrong'.

 

It was relieving to be able to talk to someone about these issues. Within either Order, she would be told 'the way the galaxy works' and be left at that. If she expressed doubts, the Jedi would be horrified, and the Sith would deem her a weakling and a coward. But here, she had the best chance of being accepted. It was quite relieving to finally be where she could be completely true to herself.

[Ary the Grey]

Aryian looked towards Ariana as Emily spoke, her thoughts and desire to join in resonating strongly in her emotions. When Emily was finished, he spoke up, first to the Miraluka.

 

"You are allowed to join in, I'm not some harsh dictator that demands silence from those whose whole purpose is to come seeking knowledge."

 

He chuckled for a moment, before returning his attention to Emily.

 

"As to your questions. Yes, the Sith do control the Force, to a degree. Like I said before, it is a rough, crude process that goes against the natural order of things. Instead of flowing with the water, allowing it to carry them to its destination, they fight against the current to their own short term goals. Short term in terms of the Force, however, from our perspective sometimes those goals can take centuries. And yet still, they fulfill their destinies in one way or the other, their actions cause ripples across the galaxy that achieve the same purpose as their fate has decreed. So while they do control the Force on one level, they ultimately have their own destinies to fulfill. The Jedi bypass much of this by making an effort to listen to the currents of the Force and follow its calls. But, neither choice or path makes any significant difference. People die, bad things happen to good people for seemingly pointless reasons. It will continue on that way, as that is the way of things. But in polar opposition to that bad is the good in the galaxy. There will always be both, and it will continue until the last grain of sand falls from the eternal hourglass."

 

He paused for a moment, blinking.

 

"God, I can sound like such a metaphorical sod sometimes. Sorry about that. As to your second question, that's a bit easier to answer, because there really is no answer. I ascribe to your train of thought on the subject, I find and define morality when I come to it. I have had to make the decision before to save a children's hospital or a whole city. The real question is how you live with the choices you've made, if you are okay with what you've done, then naturally that's that. If you are not okay, and that line is drawn differently for all of us, then we make efforts to make amends for our perceived sins. That is our own morality, and it is different for everyone, Sith and Jedi. While it does make a difference to those we interact with, affecting the lives of those we come across, in the ultimate grand scheme of things, it tends to balance out in the end."

 

Aryian sat forward in the chair, realizing that wasn't the complete answer, and quickly continued, not wanting to mislead them with an incomplete answer.

 

"There is a certain level of chaos and strife present in the galaxy at all times, sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious, and while we as practitioners of the Force make a larger splash than most, ultimately we are but pebbles thrown into the ocean. Sometimes the ripples we cause are meaningless, sometimes they turn into tidal waves. Again, how you deal with your actions and the consequences that result is up to you. Now, if you are looking for some feel-good statement that somehow absolves what you see as your sins, or even someone else's sins from the past, that's not really an answer for it in the proper sense. And the truth is, there is no honest statement I have to give that will magically clear your conscience. But again, that is the way things are, and are meant to be."

[Ariana La'vohn]

Ariana smiled warmly and looked to both of them in turn as they continued their conversation. She held her thought until they were both finished and when she finally thought that they were both done expressing their thoughts for the moment, she interjected quietly.

 

"As to your previous question Eris and your previous statement Aryian, I feel my people and I are a strong piece of evidence to prove that the force 'just is.' When you said those words, Master Aryian, you spoke to something deep inside me that still connects with the cultural traditions of my people. We can't see naturally, we depend on the force for our sight and what we see is all around us. We don't 'use' the force to see, we just see. It was like when I had my implants. When I could see as a human did for the first time, I reached out and touched an object to see if it was real, because for so long things existed in a mysterious ether that I didn't understand, but inherently knew. Colors, whatever colors there may have been, weren't colors. The alien language that people spoke through sight eluded me until I could see for myself that things around me existed the way they did. When my implants malfunctioned, as they often did, I would go back to seeing things through the force. I didn't manipulate it, I didn't focus on pooling the energy, I just found it within myself and became a spectator to the energies in action around me." Ariana sighed a little and took a moment to brush the white hair out of her face, before the strand tickling her nose got to her.

 

"I may not know much about using the force, and as for the other questions, I can't really offer much insight, but I definitely know or at least have a strong feeling on how I feel the force exists." Ariana took a moment of silence to let them catch up with one another's questions, or to give them space to respond to her. She moved a little in her bed and felt around for a familiar leather strap nestled at her feet. It was thin, but long and it was discarded by the droids when they came to examine her. Ariana griped it carefully before picking it up slowly and began to wrap it around her long unruly hair. She had done this so many times that the process of braiding her hair was second nature, and once she found the right instrument, she did it without looking.

[Emily]

Emily nodded as Aryian spoke. What he was saying was mostly that which she hadn't given too much thought to, but felt that she believed instinctually. His words about how the Sith controlled the Force calmed some of the lingering unease she felt when around them. They controlled it and yet it ultimately controlled them. That statement, despite its paradoxical nature, resonated strongly with her. No one could run from their destiny.

 

As Ariana chimed in, Emily smiled a bit. She had heard of the Miraluka only by reputation, and it fascinated her to hear about how Ariana perceived the Force. After the other woman was done speaking, Emily felt that the floor wars hers again. She remained silent for a few moments, digesting what had been said and thinking about the next thing she ranted to ask. Wen she finally spoke, the question was once again directed to Aryian. "One of the reasons I came here was to learn from you. You are respected of both Orders, and clearly have much wisdom." She paused. "What would you say is the lesson that has been the most difficult thing for you to learn? I understand that it will most likely be one I have to learn for myself, but I'd love to hear what it was that you learned and how you learned it. That is," she edged, "if you don't mind sharing." She knew it was quite possibly a very personal question. Aryian had not hesitated to answer her earlier questions, but there might be a line between what he was willing to share with a practical stranger and what he'd prefer to keep to himself. "This is my last question, I promise."

[Ary the Grey]

Again the Grey Master chuckled.

 

"Ohhh...I wouldn't say respected. Especially among the Sith, many of them hated, um, that aspect of me. Learned, yes, respected...that is debatable."

 

He phrased it just so, always speaking about that part of him in the third person around others. He wasn't proud of himself and what he did during that time, despite it really only being a fraction of his essence. But, it was an experience, one he retained, even now. If he ever saw Quaela again, he owed her an apology, though he doubted she would accept. And now his thoughts drifted to the Sith Lord's last question for him, a question which brought up several old memories. Many of them...unpleasant. Though he held back the water from welling up too far in his eyes, both of them would be able to feel a soft sadness in his words as he responded simply.

 

"I sought knowledge. On everything. The very nature of the Force and the depths of its power. And I found it. And honestly, I have to say the most difficult lesson I ever learned I had to learn the hard way, that there is such a thing as too much knowledge. Yes, seek to better yourself. But also find that point to where you are satisfied with yourself and what you know. A wise man once said ignorance is bliss...I can say from experience he is absolutely correct."

 

His eyes seemed to wander to an unimportant point on the floor as his thoughts drifted elsewhere, to his son, and the fate he would endure.

[Emily]

Aryian's reply was haunting and unexpected. Emily wondered about it. She had always been of the opinion that the quest for knowledge was and should be never ending. But if what he said was true...perhaps there was a line that she would someday approach. What she did when she got there, or if she even recognized it when it did come, would shape her forever.

 

It was strange that she was hearing this, for little did she know that her own family had been scarred by this exact same failure; the failure to realize that there was a heavy price to be paid for having gained too much knowledge. It had cost her father his life in the end. Indeed, given that fact, it was curious that he had desired for his daughter to follow in his footsteps. But perhaps he had assumed she would have good teachers. Perhaps he had assumed that she would not make the same mistakes he had.

 

But none of this was in Emily's mind at the present. She simply nodded, accepting the advice and the lesson. For a while, she said nothing. But after a few moments, she spoke again. "I'm almost afraid to ask after that," she commented, trying to bring a lighter tone to a conversation that had grown very serious, "but there was something I wish to learn from you that is a bit more practical and not so much philosophical. The other day when we dueled, you used a fighting style I have never seen before. What form is it? Would you be willing to share the basics with me?"

[Ary the Grey]

The Master's ears perked up when Emily mentioned dueling.

 

"Do you mean Soresu? Or Juyo, the second form I applied? The first is rather simple, in principle, the second...well...that one will take quite a bit of time to master. It also leads to Vapaad, however the two styles are so similar that there rarely is any need to train in the second one. I know Vapaad as well, enough to teach it anyways, but it is more of an entire way to fight rather than a lightsaber fighting style."

[Emily]

"I was thinking more the second form you used," Emily replied. "I've never seen anything like it. I don't mind it taking a while to learn well; nothing worth knowing comes without practice." Not only did she think the style looked interesting, but when Aryian had used it, it had caught her off guard. If he taught her the form, that would not happen again. If she ever ran across someone else who used the form, then shed know the weaknesses of it and how to counter it.

[Ary the Grey]

"I see. Well, Juyo is a style that requires intense mastery and experience in general lightsaber combat in order to fully utilized effectively. I can show you the basic concepts, but the style itself has no rote, no specific movements or combat format. That's why it is so effective, as it has no obvious weaknesses or openings, and yet constantly throws the opponent off with its unpredictability."

 

Through his implant, Aryian sent out several commands to planetwide control network, ordering up a batch of holographic training droids to be delivered to the dojo's sparring arena immediately. The Master rose from his chair, stretching a bit as he continued.

 

"If you like, I can show you now. I'll be in the main arena we were in earlier. Ariana, you can join us if you like, or stay here, or...explore the dojo, I suppose. Just be careful, I know you're still healing up. If you need help getting around, you can get a droid to assist you or bring you a hoverchair."

 

And with that, he turned and left, taking the turbolift up to the main floor and walking to the sparring arena. Minutes later, four training droids walked in, their holographic emitters disabled, taking positions near the door until they were called for use.

 

 

 

((The specs on the droids are as follows, copied somewhat from my character sheet.

 

They are equipped with a specialized holographic and shield matrix to enable them to appear as anyone they have information on (the shields are only to add tangible physical effect to the holographical representations, they are not combat grade), as well as repulsor and tractor arrays to simulate telekinetic Force abilities. The chassis is durable enough to survive direct hits with a lightsaber, though not many, and even one will likely cause the droid to shut down to engage its repair mode. They are also equipped with electricity emitters on their palms to simulate Force lightning, should they be emulating a Sith.))

[Darth Furion]

Eyes narrowed in doubt and suspicion, but as the moment had passed and Rose yet remained alive, there wasn't much further use in being angry at Raynuk. After all, it wouldn't go anywhere other than perhaps a smack upside the head as she was put back in her lowly place. None the less, there was something about the incident, how Raynuk claimed to have a vision yet claimed to obtain no real details about it. Rose knew a great deal about visions, though had never witnessed one herself. Picking Julio up off the floor countless times as he mumbled vague details in a lost and powerful language.

 

Tell me what you recall. She said cautiously. It was his body language she watched closely, his physical reaction to the act of reliving the vision in his mind as best he could. The details themselves were often of little consequence in their exactitude, but rather what they meant to the one seeing them, and how they felt about it.

[Raynuk Montar]

For but a second, Quietus thought that he had misheard her. What would she know of visions granted through the Force? He was about to dismiss her request before something told him otherwise. She was, after all, Julio's daughter, and perhaps she might understand the vision better than Quietus. As far as he could tell, the vision was directly connected to her, and was about her. Quietus' only relevance was that the vision seemed to have sought him out as a conduit instead of her, most likely due to the mental barriers that existed around her consciousness. There could be no other explanation as far as he knew. With but another moment of hesitation, during which Quietus sized up Rose just as much as she was sizing him up, he began.

 

"The vision came to me as a series of images, moments frozen in time, like snapshots from a camera. Up until now, the visions have been directly related to me; to my future, present, or past. But this time... This time I believe the vision might have been about you. Perhaps the physical contact between us caused this vision to come to me instead of you due to your mental barriers and my own strength in accepting these visions from the Force. I do not know for sure. As for what I saw... the vision remains hazy without my understanding of it. I saw first, a massive wall of darkness, like a tidal wave surging towards a beach, with a single figure standing on that shore, about to be met by and possibly overwhelmed by it. Next came the image of a puddle of blood at the feet of someone. I do not know who the figure was, or to whom the blood belonged to."

 

As Quietus began speaking about the visions instead of having them bottled up in his head, he slowly was making more sense of them as the words exited his mouth. He decided right then and there that he would not tell Rose of the entire vision. Something held him back from doing so, a nagging voice in the deepest part of his mind that urged him to not share it all; to not share the third image he had seen of a child. The voice was distant and old, and seemed darker with every passing heartbeat that he listened to it.

 

"The last image I saw was simply a pair of eyes, glowing faintly and surrounded by darkness, while faint maniacal laughter filled my ears. There was nothing after that - I returned to find you nearly jumping off the cliff in fear of the contact. The laughter did not seem familiar at all, nor did the eyes that burned through the darkness. "

 

He stood then, beginning to wrap his head fully around what he had shared with Rose. He began pacing slightly, a hand on his chin as he thought some more.

 

"The first image is what leads me to believe the vision was in regards to you. In a metaphorical light, it would not be hard to see the tidal wave as the Dark Side of the Force, ready and almost threatening to crash down upon you and swallow you whole. Beyond those parameters however, I do not know what the rest of the vision means to show me, or even if it was meant to be shown to me at all."

He stopped his pacing and looked up at her, his gaze steady and direct.

 

"Have you any input?"

[Darth Furion]

Pensively she held quiet while he talked, watching him as he tried to remember. It would seem that talking it out clarified some things, as the vocalization brought forth more revelation apparent in his recollection for just a second. It was an oddity that the images were still. Vision tended to have some fluidity to it, whether very slow, or sometimes even backwards to the seer's perspective, or any number of counter logical manifestations. Still frames in time, however, seemed so out of place.

 

And then another hesitation. Not out of recollection, but of consideration. He wasn't simply trying to relay what he saw, he was considering it and telling her how he wanted her to hear it. Whatever it was, there was some detail missing or obscured. No matter. There was really only one question after everything he mentioned. One small piece of the puzzle missing.

 

Interesting... She held off from making any assumptions just yet. It all depended on what Raynuk answered next. What color were the eyes?

[Raynuk Montar]

Quietus closed his eyes once more, trying to recall the last portion of his vision, like trying to grasp a handful of fog. He fell silent for just a moment straining to catch the picture that was fleeing from his mind. Finally it returned to him, only briefly, and he spoke, his eyes still closed in an attempt to hold onto the image for as long as possible, which was rapidly becoming a futile gesture. He had hoped to glean something else from it; some discernible feature besides the eyes and the laughter that was now gone. But there was nothing to be seen besides those eyes.

 

"Golden... the eyes are golden, and glow almost as if they are on fire themselves, as if power and hatred leaks from the eyes themselves to flee back into the galaxy."

 

Finally his eyes opened, having lost the image once more. He doubted very much that he could recall it again if it was needed, and so he turned to Rose, his face stone and unfeeling. Whoever it was that he had seen, Quietus had no answers; perhaps she might.

[Darth Furion]

Silently she cursed, knowing the answer before it was spoken. Of course they were gold, what else could they have ever been? Where her fate went, so too did that of Julio's. The two were interconnected, and had been possibly forever.

 

Acis par tēva.

 

Reverent whispers of the old word fell from her lips as she bowed her head and closed her eyes. When she looked up back at Raynuk, the languid pools of blue had fallen away to the seething gold of her Father's eyes.

 

Like this?

[Raynuk Montar]

Quietus was helpless but to watch as Rose spoke the old words, the ancient language that had taken him many years and trips through death itself to learn. Whether the words were truly hers or not did not matter; she had spoken them and enacted their ancient powers over her. Whatever Julio had done to his daughter was far beyond anything Quietus had seen, far beyond he himself had ever dared to consider. As she looked back up, Quietus held the gaze evenly, showing nothing, but seeing far more than he had expected. His words came slowly, calculated and precise, as if his words were to perch on the edge of a blade.

 

"Yes, like that Rose... The color is what I saw, but the effect is dimmer and muted from my vision. I suppose you know the eyes..."

 

His last words were more of a statement than a question, daring to leave unsaid what Rose knew and Quietus suspected heavily. Piece by piece, the Sith Master was putting together the mysteries of the Dark Lord and his daughter. Where the puzzle would lead he did not know, its applications both numerous and non-existent at the same time. For the first time since he had met Rose, Quietus found he had nothing else to say to her, feeling both a sense of worry for her, as well as a sense of trepidation if everything he had seen here was as it was beginning to look.

[Emily]

"No time like the present." Emily rose at his suggestion, waved goodbye to Ariana in case she wasn't going to come watch, and followed Aryian to the training room they had used the other day. Once outside the medbay, Roe'gall joined her, sticking close to her side as she walked, his heavy feet padding noiselessly beside her.

 

Once in the training room, she saw several droids ready and waiting. A second glance told her that these were heavily modified, possibly something of Aryian's own design. They looked something like the practice droids for the lords and masters at Spite Station, and she knew they would probably have the same capability to unleash attacks that mimicked what a Force-user might use.

 

She lined up facing one and unclipped her lightsabers. Holding them unignited in her hands, she glanced at Aryian, waiting for instruction. The fact that the form had no specific styles intrigued her. She didn't think she was going to be very good at first, but she hoped that Aryian would teach her enough so that in the future she could practice on her own.

[Ary the Grey]

((Ugh. Slap me with a PM next time I don't post for this long. Skyrim has been sucking out my soul.))

 

Aryian gestured to a droid, and it approached him.

 

"As I said before, Juyo is akin to a style without style, requiring experience and mastery of some other forms, but most importantly understanding of the principle behind it. In most combat, there is an obvious ebb and flow, a dance between opponents. One thrusts, the other parries, then slashes, while the first blocks, etcetera. To the conditioned eye and experienced mind, whole battles can be predicted by the first strike. Juyo, however, is the one style that upsets that. The entire goal is to be unpredictable to your opponent, making them expect one thing then doing something completely different, even if it delays the battle or gives you a temporary disadvantage. When you have an opening, you may choose instead to retreat, and then when your opponent closes the distance, to beat on their defenses like a drum. This unpredictable behavior is the primary factor that can throw off almost any adversary, as the battle wages on, they begin to second guess themselves, and leave themselves critically open. Only another practitioner of Juyo can truly defend against this style, and even as such it is never guaranteed that any defense will work against it. Though, keep in mind, if you do find yourself fighting someone else who is familiar with the style, your knowledge of it doesn't guarantee your defenses either. Now, observe."

 

Aryian turned to the droid, pulling his lightsabers from his belt and assuming a low Soresu defensive stance.

 

"Barohm Zar."

 

The droid's holoprojectors shimmered, and within a moment it was the spitting image of the old Sith Master Barohm Zar, a warrior of great prowess in his days. As Aryian ignited his lightsabers, so too did the droid, rushing at the grey Master with powerful strikes reminiscent of the Shien style the Sith Master had been proficient in. Initially, Aryian was defensive, sticking to Soresu, blocking and parrying, being pushed steadily back across the room as he continued to block and retreat step by step in the large circle of the sparring ring. After a few moments though, he changed, beginning to dodge and counterattack, striking with the staccato beats Juyo was known for, unbalancing his opponent and keeping him moving. Finally, the opening presented itself, as Aryian had given little room for the footwork of his opponent to rebalance itself as Zar moved, and the master spun low, catching the holodroid near its ankle, severing servos though unable to harm the main cortosis alloy chassis, as he completed the spin by coming up and solidly burying his other blade in the droid's neck. Immediately the droid's lightsabers and holoprojectors disengaged, as did Aryian's. It tried to bow, before limping off towards the wall to repair itself for the next combat engagement.

 

"Any questions, or are you ready to try it out?"

[Emily]

While Aryian spoke and demonstrated, Emily paid close attention. She could immediately tell that Aryian was right; this was going to be a challenge to pick up. But that was alright. She would learn the basics now and practice until she got it down. 

 

She finally reached a point where she was ready to try it. Approaching her own droid, she followed Aryian's example and spoke a name. "Andon Colos." The droid's features morphed as the holoprojectors activated, causing the droid to take on a quite accurate imitation of her uncle's form. She grinned. She'd never faced her uncle in combat before, and she knew that this was going to be as close as she was ever going to get. She ignited her lightsabers and advanced.

 

The exchanges were slow at first as Emily figured out the unpredictability of the form, and didn't increase very much over the next hour or so. But Emily slowly began to feel like she was starting to get the hang of it, which is as much as she'd expect from herself. Every now and then she'd stop and ask a question of Aryian, then continue with the corrections. It was really true that there was little to learn except being unpredictable. The thing she found she struggled with most was that she kept slipping back into her normal forms and stances. 

 

But over the course of the hour, she saw great improvement in herself. She always had been a quick learner. Finally, though, she reached a point where she was simply exhausted. It had been a long, tiring day, what with creating Vex'aedr, rescuing Ariana, questioning Aryian, and learning this new fighting style. She finally shut off her blades, soaked with sweat. "Thanks, Aryian," she said. "I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. If I go much longer, I'm going to fall on my face."

 

Patting Roe'gall absentmindedly, she hooked her lightsabers back to her belt and headed back to her quarters. Once there, she stripped and headed straight for a long, hot shower.

[Darth Furion]

I see.

 

She seemed to trail off, head sinking low as questions started trickling in. Of course he was involved. Their fates were inexorably twisted together, and would be until one of them was dead. With a heavy shudder she relinquished the eyes of her father before the whispers started to skitter through her mind, and looked back at Raynuk.

 

Thank you for your time, Master Montar. You have been most helpful. Strewn with formality, the dark princess came to her feet and headed back toward the dojo. Yet, a few paces from Raynuk she stopped.

 

I don't think... She started, talking over her shoulder, but paused to consider her words. I know now that I can never truly be free while my Father yet lives.

[Raynuk Montar]

Quietus watched the young woman with studious consideration after his answer seemed to satisfy her. He nodded in silence as she rose and made her way back inside the dojo. He watched her go until she paused to speak to him one last time.

 

"Im sorry I could not be more help to you Rose... But know this; None of us are truly free. There is always something or someone who holds sway over our lives. Do not fear this fact. It is better to have the knowledge of who or what holds sway over you, than to flounder around blindly. Until we meet again Rose."

 

He rose to his feet as well, and nodded to her, waiting until she had reentered the dojo before moving from his position. Once she was out of sight, Quietus finally allowed himself a sigh, showing frustration and fatigue for the first time since their conversation had begun. he had approached her in hopes of sating her curiosity, but instead both had found hard truths and questions that took both of them farther down the rabbit hole. Even now Quietus barely knew what to do with the things that he had learned and seen in regards to Rose and her father. Even more on the frustrating side of things was the fact that if he were to approach Furion about these things, the situation could indeed turn ugly. There was little, if anything he could do to help Rose at this point, and he knew it.

 

Soon after, Quietus found that his gaze had wandered off into the distance, staring at the horizon over the cliff face. The view was oddly inspiring in a way, but Quietus lingered there on the cliff for a few more moments before turning back to the dojo. When he reached the door Quietus looked around the immediate area, realizing that he had not seen Vex'aedr since he approached Rose in the first place. It did not take long for him to find the massive white tuk'ata, especially given the limited pallet of colors that made up Mechis III. He found Vex'aedr digging though a rather large pile of debris, clearly searching for something. Quietus just stood there and watched for a few moments, a grin of amusement crossing his face as he did so. Finally he let out a sharp whistle to gain the beast's attention, but was met with only a low growl that sounded much more like a rumble of the ground than anything else.

 

"Find something interesting have we?"

 

His tone was even and cold, command practically pouring off of his words. The distinction was not lost on Vex'aedr, who finally looked up at his master - complete with a severed droid arm in its jaws. The sight of it nearly broke Quietus' dark mood, but it remained persistently hovering over him none the less. He motioned to Vex'aedr to indicate that the fun time was over, and turned to re-enter the dojo as the tuk'ata fell into step behind him. Once back inside the Sith looked around for a moment, not quite sure what he would do now. There was still the mission that Quietus intended to accomplish, but there was a fairly large part of him that wanted to wait and see what Emily's choice would be regarding her standing at his side once more on his journeys. With the looming answer on his mind, he reached out with the Force to find his former apprentice. He was only mildly surprised to sense that she had returned to her quarters, and even less so when he felt the fatigue upon her. Clearly she had been training as hard as possible while Quietus was speaking to Rose. The thought of which sent a dual-faceted surge of feelings through his mind. On the one hand, he was proud to see her pushing herself so hard to train, but he was not ignorant to what her desire to learn and become stronger meant for the question that still loomed.

 

Deciding that he would not disturb her for now, Quietus resolved himself to training and teaching Vex'aedr some more in the interim. With that in mind, he headed towards the roof landing pad where the Ogariv II was waiting for him. The tuk'ata would be spending a fair amount of time aboard the ship, and Quietus did not want any surprises or outbursts the first time Vex'aedr was aboard the ship while it was flying. He would learn the ship and become comfortable within its confines. Quietus would see to it personally.

[Emily]

At first, Emily thought of little but the things she had just learned as she showered and cleaned herself up. Her mind was full of ideas of unpredictability, and how she could incorporate her armor and Roe'gall into the equations. As she dressed and headed to the cafeteria for dinner, however, her mind turned to other things; namely, what Quietus had announced earlier about leaving the Dojo soon.

 

The way she saw it, there were two options. One, she could stay here and learn from Aryian until she felt that she had learned what she needed to, at least for the time being. That was what she had originally planned on doing before Quietus had showed up, and that was an argument in favor of staying now. After all, she lived her own life. She had to do what was best for her, without regard to how it might affect others. It wasn't like she needed Quietus with her.

 

But she did want him with her. That was the second option. She could go with him and get involved in whatever plots the Dark Lord had up his sleeve. While the latter didn't attract her very much, it wasn't enough to really sour the option in her mind. If she went with Quietus, that also meant doing the things he did. For a moment, it felt unfair to Emily. Why should she be the one who always had to drop what she was doing and do what he was doing? Why couldn't he drop what he was doing to stay with her? But she knew that the call of the Dark Lord was one that was stronger than the one she held over him. That saddened her for a minute, but she shook her head and took another bite of her sandwich. Again, that was just something she'd have to accept. Quietus' loyalties lay with himself, then the Dark Lord, and then Emily, in that order. That was just the way things were.

 

What she had to ask herself was, knowing that she would never outweigh his other priorities and loyalties, could she still sacrifice what she wanted to be with him? She grimaced. It was a dilemma. She supposed it came down to what she wanted more--this training, or him. Part of her knew it was no contest--she had lost too many people to lose him deliberately--but another part of her didn't find it that easy to accept.

 

She sighed. If she left, she'd be throwing away a valuable opportunity. She'd lose the respect of the Order and a little even from Quietus himself, not to mention herself, if she was weak enough to choose a man over her career. She knew what she had to do, but she didn't really want to do it.

 

Rising, she picked up her clean plate and tossed it in the dishes bin. Motioning to Roe'gall, who was looking longingly at his own recently-cleaned dish, she reached out with her mind. Quietus was...above. Turning, she headed towards the turbolift. Once out in the wind-swept, molten colored platform, she crossed to the Ogariv II. The ramp was lowered and she sensed him and Vex'aedr onboard.

 

Upon entering the ship, Roe'gall immediately went to the cargo bay, where he had slept while under Quietus' care. Emily found it amusing to see how his old habits had come back to him from the moment of being onboard. Emily didn't follow, but instead followed her impressions to a living area. Quietus had just sat down in a chair, his back to her. Emily smiled and crossed over to him. Putting her arms around his neck, she kissed the top of his head, then rested her chin on it. "How was your talk with Rose?"

[Raynuk Montar]

The training of Vex'aedr was proceeding exactly as Quietus planned for it to, with the tuk'ata accepting the confines of the ship after only twenty minutes. A good deal of that time was spent with Quietus directly speaking to the beast and setting out the guidelines and rules while Vex'aedr was aboard the Ogariv II. For the last few minutes however, Quietus had allowed Vex'aedr to roam free, sniffing out whatever caught its fancy. Partially done to further allow it to accept the ship as its home away from home, the remainder of logic behind the move was Quietus' senses.

 

It was not hard for Quietus to sense that Emily was heading in his direction, even less so considering she was not attempting to hide that fact. He had been keeping a periferal eye on her through the Force while he was training Vex'aedr, if for nothing else than his affection for her. But he knew that the moment was rapidly approching in which he would fire up his ship and leave Mechis III; the only question was whether Emily would be coming with him. He knew enough that putting that question in front of her had presented a difficult choice for her; whether to leave with him on an adventure that she knew nothing about, or to stick to the life she had set herself on before he came crashing back into her life. Their relationship had changed with his death and subsequent return; he come to accept that she was free - and more importantly, willing - to lead her life without him. She had grown immensely while he was gone, and that was not something he wished to take from her now.

 

But his casual awareness of her did show how difficult of a decision it was going to be for the young woman. While he was not so focused on her to read her thoughts, he was able to get a feeling for her moods. Moods that swung from feelings of confusion, to mild annoyance, to sadness, and finally determination. She was thinking, and thinking hard, about the answer to his question of whether she wished to join him or not, but without directly focusing his mind on hers, Quietus did not know what answer she would give. By the time she reached the roof landing pad, Quietus had steeled himself to be ready for whatever her decision was. He loved her wholly, and would not - could not - fault her or hold it against her if she chose to remain. It would simply give Quietus something to return to when his work was over.

 

He proceeded to the small living quarters on the ship, and took a seat facing away from the door as Emily boarded the ship. With a slight grin as Quietus felt the presence of Roe'gall darting towards the cargo bay, he double checked where in the ship Vex'aedr was. He nodded slightly to himself, finding that the white tuk'ata was still sniffing around in the cockpit. The last thing he needed to deal with right now was another scrap between the two tuk'atas. The small smile returned as Emily wrapped her arms around his neck, a gesture he answered by resting his hand on her arm and giving it a light squeeze as she asked him about his conversation with Rose.

 

"It was... interesting. I am not sure which one of us ended up learning more. For me at least, it left me with a number of questions, none of which Rose was even remotely capable of answering. The kind of questions that I would ask the Dark Lord... If I decided they should be asked at all. Rose seemed to be rather... disappointed that I could not give her the answers she wanted. There are layers to that girl like you would not believe, and she is holding some very dark secrets, both of her own volition and of the her father. What comes of what she and I learned remains to be seen."

He sighed heavily and rest his head back, looking up at her, a sight that brought another smile to his otherwise stressed and tired looking face. Whether she had come to a decision yet no longer mattered as he looked upon her face. A face that had been a driving force in his return from death, and a face that had then driven him insane in the best way possible. He reached up and caressed her cheek, still smiling as he spoke, his voice filled with the feelings that his smile showed.

 

"I assume this visit is because you have come to a decision regarding me leaving the dojo. Before you speak and deliver your answer love, know that I am aware of how difficult this decision is for you. While I do not know your thoughts, your shifting moods since I posed the question have not been hidden from me, and I am sorry for the sadness this has brought to you. The decision should be yours and yours alone, interdependent of how I feel or what I wish for you. If you choose to come with me when I leave, then I will enjoy your company. If you choose to stay and continue your training here, I will be pleased that you are striving to further yourself and it will give me something, and someone, to come back to when I am finished with this madness."

 

The emphasis on his word choice was hopefully clear to Emily, for it was a unique He stretched up and planted a kiss on her nose to seal his words on the subject, and then changed the subject.

 

"But we can get to your choice in a moment... Tell me how your training with the Gray Master went my love. Did you learn of the various forms like you wanted to?"