Carida

[Tarrian Skywalker]

((Camonie... apparently we need to be in the academy thread, and not on Cardia proper... my bad... over there... ))

[Vladimir Faust]

The Bhelliom begins its slow arc down to the surface of Cardia. Expertly piloting his craft down into a great hangar, the Faust sets the ship to rest. The cockpit snaps open and Faust hops out onto a small ramp extending from the side of the ship.

 

In the background a great evily toned choral piece plays as Faust descends past ranks of storm troopers, all standing ready and for attention as if on a parade ground on either side of the Hunter. Without even a glance at his sides, he sweeps forward, looking awe inspiring in his burnished white armor and his cloak like trench coat flapping behind him. He enters a clear, tubular elevator, leaving ysalmari equipped attendants behind him to see to Reagan and the prisoner. General Faust of the Galactic Imperium had a message to deliver.

 

Riding the lift up to the top of a control deck, Faust once more sweeps out and presents himself before a holonet projector of Admiral Phillep.

 

"It is done milord," Faust reports in his crisp voice, dropping to one knee before the man that backed him on his two great acts of infamy. "We have captured the Jedi witch Ara-Lai Kapai and brought her here. The seige of Coruscant is going according to plan, though we anticipate holdouts at the Jedi Temple." He gives a vicious smile. "We will break them."

 

*****

 

While Ara is otherwise deposed and being set up in a special interrogation chamber, Faust returns back to a small set of well furnished quarters laid aside for Reagan and himself. He notices on the shiny door outside a small red mark on his neck. Grimmacing, he shrugs it off and enters.

 

"Hope you're rested dear," he says, flopping into a chair. "That was a long journey. Any word on when I'll be able to see Jarrett? It has been too long... The last time I saw him I fear my face may have frightened him." He flexes his gauntletted knuckles. "After that, shall we have dinner and see to having fun with our prisoner?" His grin turns wolfish, like a ravenous beast out for blood. "It will also be the perfect opportunity to try out your new potential for force use."

[Reagan McGreggor]

Reagan stood up and pulled Faust to her... "I took the liberty to send a comm, my parents are bringing him here as we speak... she should be here in the morning... " she manuevered him towards the sofa, and pushed him down on it... she was well aware that if he didn't want to do something she would never have been able to do this...

 

Smiling wickedly at him... "I'm not tired at all... as a matter of fact... I have alot of energy that I could burn off before dinner... " She leaned down and kissed him... softly at first, then more forcefully... she was hungry alright... but at the moment, food was not on the menu...

 

Her hands move up through his hair, inbetween the kiss she spoke to him... "Let the Jedi stew a bit... we are going to have fun with her for a while... I want you for the night... "

[Vladimir Faust]

Faust's grin turns from wolfish to ravenous. Food was definitely not on the menu tonight. His eyes soften, though the passionate fire that lay underneath burned never brighter. While in mid kiss, he quietly manuvers his legs and does a sudden scissors kick, literally sweeping Reagan off her feet. He catches her in his powerful arms and pulls her in tight.

 

The pounding of his heart grows faster as the kiss deepens, their rapid, mutual beating and pumping growing into a harmony uniquely its own.

 

As they embraced and became closer in other regards, Faust is feeling more and more like his old self again, and doing that he embraces Reagan with his all, throwing himself fully into what came next. There is a certain bitter sweet element to it though.

 

When Faust went incognito as his long dead sister, he remembered the meddling of a certain Jedi by the name of Skye Organa, who theatened to expose him while he was acting as Keiran Valoria. As far as Faust knew she was still wanted for his murder, but if she could see into his soul, then who else could? So as not to jeopardize the plan, Faust, his tenious, fragile grip on humanity anchored to Reagan's spirit, engaged in an exchange- drawing out his own goodness and then some, and siphoning back the darkness of his soul into her to complete the disguise. Now they were whole again, which left him uneasy. He was Vladimir Faust in whole again, yet the intertwining on the spiritual level was lost. Still, no reason it couldn't be reconnected again, especially through other means...

 

Even as the evening turns rougher and more animalistic, Faust remembers the feeling of the child, now already tainted by the Dark. Care was given even in the most heated of moments for him to ensure the safety of that child, though the damage may have been done already. Not that he objected too much, but it set a dangerous precident. Despite that care, both appitites were met and then some. The freedom after those long weeks of hiding under the cloak of Anastasia was embraced by the throat by the both of them, and used to their mutual fulfillment of their desires.

 

Later, Faust orders a fine dinner, using both his rank and mostly his reputation to get the best goods the Empire had to offer on Cardia. Over candlelight and wine, amid light music, good food and other fineries, Vladimir raises his glass in toast, celebrating them as a couple. They endured storm and trial, and now nothing could stop them. Even as he smiled, he noted that love was an even more intoxicating feeling than the most awesome, bleakest, black of the Dark side in all its raw power- though infinitely more sweet.

[Reagan McGreggor]

Reagan smiled as Faust caught her and through the night, the two were insatuable... they feasted on eachother, and through it all, the two became one...

 

Being there together, Reagan could not tell where she ended and Faust began, and after many hours, they sat together, and ate enjoying the food and eachother...

 

The pain of the pregnancy had subsided, and she felt stronger here... more at ease then she had while they had been on Coruscant... the jade of her eyes sparkled as she looked upon him... "Let's go visit the jedi"

 

Smiling at her, the two got up and left to 'interrogate' the jedi...

 

As they entered the room, she was laying on a mat on the floor... still sleeping... Reagan walked up to her and squated down looking into her face...

 

*poke poke poke* she poked her shoulder slightly with her finger... "good morning sleepy head... did you have a good sleep? It's time to wake up... " she laid down on her stomach and proped her head on her elbows to look straight into her face... Ara's eyes fluttered open slightly and Reagan smiled sadistically... "BOO...."

[Capt. Phillep]

Back-posting:

 

The holo-projection of Admiral Phillep nods as he hears of Faust's progress. "Indeed, General Faust and Colonel McGregor, I do apologize for that dear... but I can only pull so many strings." He chuckles in his infuriatingly obnoxious and overly arrogant way before continuing, "Do tell the Sith the particular assault vectors, encrypted as an attachment."

 

With that Phillep's holo-projection fades...

[Ara-Lai Kaipi]

When Ara started coming to, the first thing she did was assess her surroundings.

 

No blade...no weapons...no belt, goggles, Force...clothes? Yeah...got those... She opened her eyes to see Reagan staring back at her. Sadistic mother of another Faust? Got that, too.

 

Her mind quickly went over what had happened in the last who-knew-how-long. She had spoken, Anna had been THE Faust, Reagan was pregnant, and she was kidnapped. And weaponless. And Coruscant was under seige, from what she could remember.

 

And she, Jedi Leader Extraordinare, had evidently led a few of her Jedi into a trap. Wonderful. I hope they're okay...I know some of them would be, Hou-Jo was outside, and Andon made it out, I'm sure, but...

 

Ara blinked her gray eyes a few times at Reagan, sleepily smiling at one of her captors. "Ah, konnichiwa...kore wa, doko da no?"

 

......apparently, all of the drugs hadn't gotten out of her system quite yet.

[Reagan McGreggor]

Reagan stood up and grabbed the girl by the back of the neck and hoisted her up to her feet and pushed/threw her into a chair... "Are you thirsty?" Without waiting for a response... she got a pitcher of water and pour her a glass of water... and poured it over her head... the Jedi gasped a little and then looked at Reagan and went to say something... "eh eh eh... now now... basic will be fine... the more you speak the other... the more food and drink you will wear... and you only have the one set of clothing... "

 

Reagan moved to the other side of the table and sat down with Faust standing behind her... he moved up and placed his hands on her shoulders... "Dear... do Jedi get angry?"

[Ara-Lai Kaipi]

Ara spit out what little water had managed to get in her mouth. From the taste of it, it wasn't poisoned...but she couldn't be sure.

 

Her mind was still trying to process things out. The small twinge from when she had been thrown in the chair proved that this was real, there was no doubt, as did her soaked hair. Now she was trying to figure out the whole "language" bit.

 

Watashi...ich...je...I-ay...I...there we go. Basic.

 

Ara shook her head. "I apologize for that. Whatever you drugged me with seems to be affecting my brain somewhat." She tilted her head to one side. "And occasionally, Jedi do get angry, though you will rarely see it. We are human, after all--well, some of us, I suppose, anyway."

 

She regarded Reagan for a moment before saying, "You shouldn't act so angry. The affect it will have on your child will...not be pleasant. It might also make the birthing a bit more difficult, or even more painful." Despite her surroundings and those who held her, she was calm, cheerful even. It must be the drugs...

[Reagan McGreggor]

Reagan looked like a kid in a candy store... she folded her hands on the table and put her chin on them and smiled... the darkside of the force around her seemed to come from within... "I am not angry... I am actually very happy... my son is safe... and will be in imperial territory any moment... and in his father's arms shortly after that... and in just a few short months, I'll be blessing my love with another child to raise and train... so life is very good... "

 

 

She looked at the woman, and smiled... "I heard that... or felt it... and the drugs are not bothering you... and your Jedi friends will fail... as we speak most are fleeing... Your time is coming to a quick end... "

 

She sat up straight again, and took a deep breath... "I must admit... I feel some much more comfortable here with the sith and empire then I did on Coruscant with your Jedi and Alliance running around... all that fake goodness... "

[Ara-Lai Kaipi]

Ara gave a slight sigh--not of irritation towards Reagan, but more towards herself. "Drugs have always had weird effects on me, even if they weren't supposed to. So I apologize if I act...oddly."

 

She wiped back her hair, pulling her wet bangs out of her eyes. "To be honest, I am glad that Faust is alive and well. Others might find it odd, to be sure, but I'm just happy that your son--and your other child--will have a father to be with."

 

Ara pulled her hair into a low sort of ponytail and braided it quickly; the fact that it was wet kept the braid intact even without something to tie it off. "For the record, they are not my Jedi. They went on without me centuries before my birth, and will go on centuries past my death," she said rather blankly. "The balance of power is cyclical, that much I've learned...some days, the Jedi and Alliance remain in charge, then the Empire and the Sith take command, and it reverses again and again."

 

"Before we were born, after we die...it'll keep happening like this. It always has and it always will." She looked off to the side, eyes almost glazed over. "One side claims victory over the other. But no one wins, not in the end." Ara looked back at Reagan. "They win a battle, but never the war. That is something I've found no one can win." Futility at it's greatest, she thought with another sigh.

 

And she didn't care if Reagan or Faust or anyone heard.

[Reagan McGreggor]

Reagan sighed and rolled her eyes... "Man... do all you Jedi talk like that...???? I mean Boooorrrrrrriiiinnnngggggg." Reagan sprang up and pushed herself over the table to be mere inches from the Jedi Master's face... "Come on... don't you people feel passion, lust, love so deeply that you would kill for it... a feirce will to protect your loved ones... instead of everyone else... " she sat up on the table and swung her legs over the opposite side of the table so that she looked down into Ara's face...

 

"Doesn't your blood boil when someone strikes you? Or do you all keep all your emotions in such control that you have no feelings whatsoever... ???"

 

She hopped down off the table and leaned over Ara's should her lips next to her ear... "You tried to destroy and almost took something from me that I hold very dear... while you see him as an animal... I see him as a man... " Reagan's own anger and rage at what happened to Faust leaped through her body... the chair the the jedi sat in shook, Reagan unaware that it was her that was doing it... it was small in comparison to what the other two in the room could accomplish with the force, but Ara saw Faust smile from across the room...

[Vladimir Faust]

Watching the whole affair with an amused air, Faust finally steps forward, speaking in his usual, cold voice.

 

"The Jedi are passionate in their own way. They deny themselves righteous anger in the heat of combat, subverting themselves to the Force instead of seizing it. They will remain the spectators always, which is why the cycle continues. Because they denied their powers, the tyrany of evil men will triumph, and well..." Faust adds, a malicious light dancing in his eyes, "... you could call me the tyrany of evil men. You are the weak, and the foolish, and for that," he continues, chuckling, "you've ended up as my guest."

 

"During our little duel, you said that pity was strength, and yet your pity placed you in my mercy. Believe me," he adds, his eyes sincere. "It's not that pity or mercy are beyond my comprehension. I just chose not to believe in them. Pity is merely a gift for the strong to recognize the weakness in others." Faust starts circling around Ara, menacingly, looking like some wild beast about to pounce in for the kill. "Let me tell you a story- the whole story and why it was fitting that Anastasia was the name I chose for this endeavor which not only plunged Coruscant into Imperial hands, but killed all your friends as well."

 

"Yes, I did have a sister named Anna. She was about two years my younger and the sweetest little thing whom I loved dearly. An old friend of mine's wife had the same qualities. She was nutured by my parents just as I was, until one fateful day that changed our lives forever." There is a quiet, dusty quality in the Hunter's voice now. Though muted, there is a rage behind it greater than anything either Ara or Reagan had yet to hear. "We were ages 12 and 10 respectively and already good fighters in the service of our local warlord. Our parents did the best they could, at least as their coda would allow in the fight and they tried to impart their values to us. Anna was more receptive than I. There was a wounded solider we found. Orders were to take him back for interrogation. Usually that meant slicing them up in ways that would make you blanch!" At that a blade whips out from the Hunter's sleeve. Before Ara can even blink, it's drawn across her throat- stopping just short of cutting skin. "Oh yes," he whispers, pulling his blade back into concealment, "just like that, except there was blood." Faust steps back, but his cold, inhuman eyes bore in further. "There was more than my parents would stand for, or even Anna. My parents could use their talents to extract what was needed without coercion, but that had its limits. The prisoner was barely my age at the time. Anna took a liking to him, and did the humane thing, and released him."

 

"I'm sure you can see where this tale is going already," he continues ironically. "There was the usual ratting out, and the return of forces with overwhelming numbers. Well, it was because I volunteered for a nearly suicidal mission that I survived. Anna stayed home to tend to the wounded. I came back to the shelter, to find the usual slaughter and carnage with atrocities I've spent my life time trying to perfect the art of. Dying, and standing over my parents was the same prisoner, bloodied and mad. He laughed, telling me he killed Anastasia with his bare hands and that I was next. He died, though it cost me my arm." He pats his left arm. "My parents were dead a week later from the wounds. They obtained my little pet to rest in the crude mechanical arm I was fixed up with. It wouldn't have mattered," he spits. "Even when my dear mother and father were cornered, and when Anna's life was on the line, they held firm to their principles and were like sheep lead to the slaughter."

 

Faust waits, judging his opponent's reaction in this battle of wills. "My story about Anna wasn't entirely a lie. It turns out she was taken prisoner in the raid. I did come back after I established myself. The rival warlord took her and finally killed her." There is a greatly savage light in Faust's eyes as he speaks. "He had his way with her while she was alive, and in turn I had my way with him. In the end, even dear sweet Anna turned, fighting among the slaves, doing her best to get by. We are all animals."

 

Faust laughs. "I am still man and beast at once. I can think, rationalize, and act on those organized thoughts and passions. The Dark is no different, though it is its own sweet, aluring drug." Faust's right hand unconsciously drops to Reagan's belly. "We embrace that, and because of that, we are strong. We will be happy, because our children will carve a path for themselves in this galaxy that you and your kind will always be too afraid to take."

 

Faust draws in closer, putting an arm around Reagan. "You used your cunning to defeat me once, doing what you had to to survive. I learned that lesson long ago. It took me longer to realize that the whole galaxy is one constant struggle. It is only when the strong rule with an iron fist, and in the quiet of the grave that peace exists. I was able to destroy Coruscant, your friends, your home, and your order in one fell swoop. If that doesn't give you reason to be angry, then you're not even human; you're not even an animal. You are a machine then, and nothing more, a means to an end even you cannot fathom. You are then a puppet of forces greater than you, be it the Force, the orders of the Alliance or Empire, or anyone with the brute strength to bend you to your will." There is a smile of very, very white teeth. "We will open your eyes for you. You will not thank us, but we will prove our way is stronger and will endure, ending the cycle once and for all."

[Ara-Lai Kaipi]

Ara listened quietly to the story, not even jumping when Faust drew a blade near her throat. She knew he wouldn't let her die that easily, not after what she had inadvertently made him suffer through. His sister had gone through worse even, from what it seemed like...a horrible end to what could have been a wonderful life.

 

"Her name is fitting for more reasons than you can imagine, Faust," she finally said. "Her very name means that which you managed to do to yourself: 'ressurrection.' Very ironic."

 

She sighed, allowing herself to lean forwards on the table, though she waited for the moment when one of her captors would force her to sit back up again. "Your story is...sad. I don't know how it all happened, how your parents reacted to that man precisely...but even Jedi, with 'lofty ideals,' sometimes have to take that ultimate step to protect those who need protecting, whether it is their loved ones--" she looked rather pointedly at Reagan at this "--or just the weak in general."

 

Ara shook her head, her still-wet hair slapping her lightly on the forehead. "I believe that Jedi should feel--love, anger, hate, fear...it's unavoidable, and as you so wonderfully put it, Faust, to not feel at all is to be less than animal, less than a machine. What I don't believe is that we should always act on those emotions so quickly." Her gray eyes fell on Faust's own cold blue ones. "To act purely on emotion, to never have a logical thought process beyond lusting for power, that is what animals do. They fight to survive by acting upon those base instincts. What is supposed to separate us from those animals are the logical side of ourselves--to know that sometimes, you cannot always do what you want, that what you want for only yourself may not be good for those around you, including those you love so fiercely."

 

She sat up straight again, her gaze still upon Faust. "I fought you not to protect the 'general public' alone, that I will willingly admit. I fought to protect those I love, those I hold dear to me, to guard them from your...not always admirable ideals," she said with a slight smirk. She shrugged slightly. "I'm not a 'perfect' Jedi. If any Jedi was 'perfect,' that would be when I fear for the welfare of the world, if someone could completely manage to cut themselves off from emotion. Someone can think they've done that, but honestly...one cannot."

 

With an almost detached look, she ripped off part of the sleeve of her clothing and used it to tie off her drying braid. "I have anger, but I also know that killing you or your lover would merely end in another such as yourself being born from the blood cast." Ara threw her braid back over her shoulder. "It is another cycle that can never end. One person's struggles may end, one person's life 'avenged,' but there will always be another to want vengeance for some reason or another."

 

Ara leaned back slightly in the chair, but kept all four legs of the seat on the floor. "Your 'iron fist,' your Empire...you say it will end the cycle. If you've managed to convince yourself of that, then you're even more deluded than I am." She smiled, crossing her arms. "Which, I'm sure you are aware, is saying something."

[Vladimir Faust]

Through Ara's speech, Faust doesn't get angry or mad. Far more frightening is the icy calm he maintains through out. When he is done, he gives her the most intimidating, frightening look he can give for nearly a minute of chilled silence.

 

Then he throws his head back and laughs. "Ah, spoken like someone who believes that. How charming," he murmurs. "You claim to do things for the common good, the masses of society, the weak who cannot shape their own lives." At this there's a sharp snort. "What drivel. Those fickle sheep have time and time again threatened to destroy you and yours. They are true machines. They claim to think, to feel, to love, but they are animals. They have no higher purpose. They are mere game in the preserve of the galaxy. The likes of you and I fight it out for their destiny." Faust smirks, filing this iota of information away for later. He would see how far Ara would go to preserve these lives. And there would be blood...

 

"What you fail to see, is the strong can break the cycle. Not for all time. Only the grave can do that. But an enlightened individual can rein in the chaos and force order. As for the Empire," Faust's voice drops to a whisper, "they are no more a means to an end and we both understand that in how we use each other. I wish to hunt and they have given me liscence to do as I please. They are a curiosity, but weak in their own way. They fail to understand that there is one insidious trap that works where fear of force and force itself fails. The Jedi only lack the will to dominate and use it." Faust gives a short laugh. "Indeed this is one trap I myself am victim to, but I have not suffered under it. It is a mere matter of controlling one's passions and knowing when to indulge. I am not a blind servant to my own whims, nor do I indulge in senseless slaughter. There are far better ways of proving one's point."

 

"Let me tell you a story," Faust continues, dropping into Anna's voice, deciding it would have the most impact. "There were once two great scientists. One was superior in his craft and sought to create a perfect race to inhabit a biosphere he created. His rival sought to undermine and destroy his work in a manner most hateful to his rival. He did it with subtly and not with great force or fire. He took half the samples and altered them. They became bigger, stronger, and more aggressive, and began crowding out the original, more aesthetically pleasing and fragile originals. The first scientist cursed his fate and sunk into despair. The second left a legacy to endure for all time as his own creation flowered."

 

Now Faust switches to Ara's voice. "There are cultures that hold contemplation or knowledge as the highest value. They are all either liars or dead. In everyone's heart is the struggle for survival and the ultimate broker is raw power- from with in and seized from with out." Faust laughs. "The power to dominate and to shape reality to one's whims, to make one's environment acustomed for one's survival. The cycle will continue, but it can be halted, mitigated, and for a time, set in reverse. It all depends on the will. Your Jedi coda, your values make you nothing more than a slave to that. Because of your choices, your friends and family will die. I live, my darling Reagan lives, and..."

 

there is a knock at the door. Smiling Faust whispers into a comm too low to hear the code words to undo the seals. The door snaps open and a storm trooper hands a healthy toddler to the Hunter. Faust gives a smile of genuine gratitude and the door slams shut, sealing again. He looks long and hard at Jarrett, being able to see him clearly for the first time. His eyes flicker through several emotions, finally resting on attached respect.

 

"And because of that, my son survives. He will be strong and a master of his own destiny. If he so choses, he will be a hunter of his lessers such as I, stimulating history, or perhaps he might even embrace his philosophy for different ends. This is immortality and imparting the means to end history. You, Ara," he adds, lifting up his son and nuzzling him, before handing him to Reagan, "are an ancient model, soon to be updated in the cruelest fashion possible."

[Ara-Lai Kaipi]

Ara nodded, letting everything he said sink in for a moment. When his voice shifted, it didn't surprise her at all--he had done it previously, when they had battled, when he had supposedly died. Though, to be perfectly honest, it was odd to hear her own voice emanating from the man's mouth.

 

"Cute story. Perfect for your use, I suppose, because it was probably crafted as such. Did you know that ancient mythologies were created for the same reason? To make someone feel better for their way of life," Ara said. She leaned back and kicked her feet up on the table. "Your story is nothing but a glorified fable for your own purposes."

 

She smiled. "I'm a wealth of knowledge, myself, you know. When I was younger, I had nothing better to do. Doing anything 'normal'--playing with other children, rough and tumble acts, just goofing off--it would send me into pain. I was incapable of doing much of that at all, if any." She stared at the ceiling, continuing on with her story, only the barest of a look of sadness in her eyes. "I spent my time reading, learning...absorbing what others called useless knowledge."

 

Ara crossed her arms behind her head, looking back at Faust once more. "In the end, I beat them where their brawns couldn't--I outsmarted them. My own teachers would believe me over them, just because of what grades I recieved, even if I lied--granted, I never lied, but I could have, if I had wanted to." She shrugged. "I didn't need brute force. I beat them at their own game, playing by my own rules, my ideals, but still in what you call their own environment, suited to their own needs and wants for survival."

 

"Force and knowledge are two different means to an end. You can get to your 'destination' through either way. I choose knowledge over power, doing what I believe is right to help others," Ara stated. "Strength alone can not ensure the survival of any race. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if the race of brutes killed eventually itself off, because they were too dumb to realize how to hunt or grow food for their very survival."

 

Crossing her legs, she watched as Faust brought in what had to be his own child, from the way he looked at him. "You say you'll live forever because of your own child, immortality through your genes..." Ara shook her head with a short laugh. "How do you know that your own child won't fight against everything you've created? You were born from Jedi, and look where you went to. There are some born in the worst of circumstances, a horrible chance of fate, and yet they become philanthropists, champions of the society by helping those that are less fortunate."

 

She finally put her feet back down, resting her head on her hands, looking at the child in Reagan's arms. "You can try to shape society to your will, to your whim, to ensure your own survival, but ultimately, you cannot control those that make society. They make their own choices, right or wrong. My choice is to do what I believe is right, and ultimately, that is what the Jedi are supposed to stand for: justice, right over wrong." She sighed. "The only problem is that some people take that idea too far in either direction to 'help.'"

 

She smiled genuinely at Jarrett. "Either way...your child is adorable. I'm glad he has his father and his mother by his side as he grows. I can only hope his sibling is just as handsome."

[Reagan McGreggor]

Reagan took Jarrett from Faust and held him to her... he had gotten so big in the time she had been away from him... Her happiness was evident to everyone... whether or not they had force ability or not... He was a beautiful child, his looks amazingly like his father's... with a mix of his mother's hair... giving him a darker redish blond color. Jarrett played with his mother's hair and gave her baby kisses, until finally settling down and snuggling in her lap...

 

She had sat and listened to every word Faust spoke, and even the Jedi Masters... she could not understand how the woman could sit there and think that there was ever a choice to serve the lesser to sacrafice anything for people that would just as soon kill her if there was something in it for them...

 

"You know Jedi... if not for people like us..." she motioned between herself and Faust... "and the fact that he and I fell in love... this galaxy, the life you have... and everything else you seem to want to protect for others... you would not be here... none of us would... "

[Ara-Lai Kaipi]

Ara laughed. "That's the funny thing. Without evil, good cannot exist, and vice versa. You wouldn't know what's good if you didn't have what's bad happen to you at some point in life."

 

The pointed to Reagan, then herself. "What makes us different is what we strive for. You both strive for personal happiness, at the expense of the pain and suffering of others. I strive for personal happiness as well as the happiness of others, trying to not intentionally cause pain."

 

She looked at the boy that Reagan held with a small smile. "You both would probably do what you could to avoid your child having pain. I do the same for those around me, as well as those who need that pain relieved. Most are deserving, some less so, but I can only hope that perhaps what little I can do for them will make them change their views in the future. If not, then at least they were happy for a while."

[Reagan McGreggor]

Reagan glared at the woman... how dare she make light of the sacrafice she and Faust made for her and others to live and breathe... the pain, the being hunted, shot at... the biggest bounty ever known in this galaxy on her head... and the injuries that both her and Faust sustained just making sure that that maniac's plan to destroy life in the galaxy to rid it of non humans didn't go through...

 

"you're damn right I am out for my own personal happiness and the happiness of those I love... I earned it... I risked my own life for people like you... hell, I risked my life for every single breathing lifeform in this galaxy ... so do not tell me what you strive for... you ungrateful... "

 

Reagan's anger turned quickly to rage, and then to fury... the entire room was smothered in it... and without any warning... the pitcher of water flew across the room and had the Jedi ducking as he smashed against the wall behind her...

[Vladimir Faust]

Faust gives a weary sigh, stepping back closer to Reagan. "Face it Ara-Lai, Life is pain and anyone who says differently is selling something." Having stated a truism later to be used in a major motion picture into the future in a galaxy far, far away, Faust continues. "This galaxy, in its own special way, is ours. I may not rule it like Phillep strives to do, but this pathetic cluster of stars and planets owes us its existence. You all do. You all failed to take the initiative to save it of your own accord, and my great pardon is revocable at whim." Faust laughs, showing off his restored and very white teeth, some almost looking like fangs (much to Reagan's displeasure on occasion). "For a moment, I thought you earned the right to survive, having bested me, but pardon, you were most..." Faust searches around for a delicate word, finally opting on bluntness, "stupid to take me at face value. I honor my word, but sadly, sadly, it was not given."

 

"Now," he concludes, "we shall test your resolve. How much blood are you, a pacifist and keeper of the peace, willing to shed, not only for your survival, but those of others?" There is the flash of something like a syringe and Ara's world goes black.

 

*****

 

When she awakes there is a hidious iron mask on her in a dark room. There is the feeling of the force, but something is wrong with her head. She cannot focus the Force, turn it outwards, do it's bidding or turn it to hers. To her horror, the mask is welded shut with a great lock and will not come off.

 

Before her is something like a tape recorder, which begins speaking.

 

"Hello Ara," Faust's voice begins, smooth and menacing. "Let's play a game. You've lead an insulated life as the leader of the Jedi- only killing when needed against monsters such as myself. Today, we learn to discover what monster is in you- one of action or inaction."

 

The lights go on and Ara is in a sealed durasteel room. Something is obscured down at the far end. Before her is a knife at her feet.

 

"The mask you wear is a model often that was used by the Confederation of Independent Systems. As you know, your force powers are not functioning as a benefit of that mask. Even the likes of the legendary General, Obi-Wan Kenobi was helpless in one of those until a confused young Anakin Sky... *cough* Darth Vader rescued him. We must name these things properly now. The knife you see before you can kill, being ordinary iron, but it will not break the durasteel shell on that mask. If you try taking it off, the shock color it's attached to will shock you into insensibility. I suppose you could end it all right now..." he lapses into Euler's voice for that line, "but you wouldn't want to, not with hundreds of people depending on you. If you kill yourself now, they are all dead. If you make the right choices, some of them have a chance at living."

 

There is a laugh, and Faust continues. The room on the end lights up and there is a bound and blindfolded prisoner- a young man, possibly still in his teens. Behind him on a screen is a group of ten or so individuals, also tied up, held at gunpoint.

 

"Your mission is to make a choice- to kill him with your own hands and that knife, or to do nothing and watch his family be gunned down. You cannot escape, you cannot plead. You will discover your own inner monster, and then, when you are done, you can judge. You have one minute to decide before I make the decision for you. You may justify yourself later however you wish..."

 

*****

 

In another room, Faust, or as he was otherwise known as in other circles, Darth Luciferian, sits next to his apprentice, Reagan McGreggor, watching the Jedi's dilema on a screen. In his lap is his son, also watching as if this was family hour around the television. In Faust's hand is a glass of sweet red wine. His ysalmari is gone.

 

"Now," he instructs patiently. "Empty yourself and focus on the Jedi and the prisoner. Try to feel them out, read them, and watch. You will need your eyes for this exercise, so keep them open and see, yet look with your other senses. Observe what they do and what they think... Ara's head is sadly, tragically a bit fried right now, but you can sense her aura, her overall emotions. Watch this little dance of death before us, and then tell me what you feel, and more importantly," he adds, watching the screen very intently with his own probing blue eyes, "what the players in this little drama felt."

[Reagan McGreggor]

Reagan moved forward and looked from the Jedi to the boy... she relaxed a bit and looked not only with her eyes, but her mind as well... the Jedi almost felt like static... she could only feel stress right then.

 

She turned her sight onto the Boy... she felt fear from him... sadness... and something else... strength and determination... she took a deep breath and completely focused on him... he was saying something... not verbally, his mind seemed to repeat the same thing over and over... she wanted to hear him, but it seemed like only a whisper...

 

Closing her eyes, she pushed herself to try to hear him... her mind moved closer to him... she saw herself walking towards him... once she reached him... her mind was right next to him... and she finally could hear him... Kill me, kill me, kill me... let them live...

 

She opened her eyes, and was a bit surprised that she was still in the same spot... she looked back at the Jedi and still she seemed to have static... she could hear the girl's heavy breathing and could smell sweat.

 

She sat down next to Faust, and spoke quietly to him... "What is the decision, there is only one answer, the needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few or the one... Why does she hesitate... he wants her to let the others live."

[Vladimir Faust]

"The hesistation is natural," Faust whispers back, softly and quietly. He read Reagan's thoughts as well, finding them to be correct in her empathic senses. Yes, she was focused and showing some talent, though still unable to really sense the overall aura of the Jedi.

 

"Life is a beautiful and precious thing, and remarkably fragile. Once that spark is gone, it never returns. To take that life is a burden and a terrible one. That action is irrevocable. To have the power of death is the power to alter reality in way it can never be changed. There is a clear, demarkated quality between the two states of life and death. That power can be intoxicating to some," he states, licking a stray drop of wine off his lips. "For some it is the sign of ultimate corruption and a destruction of the self- destroying the beauty of life and their own inner being in one act. For others, it is merely a matter of survival and necessity, or all of them at once. For one dedicated to preserving life, it is the danger of the first, the fear of the second, and the necessity of the third that drives them."

 

He takes another sip of the blood red wine.

 

"In the end, the monster underneath will always win. If we do not learn to adapt to it and take on its form in part, we will lose our sense of self- and be transformed into the beast's image entirely. The power of change has no limits other than our inner beast's hunger, and the force of will we use to guide it. I expect," he adds with a chuckle, "that after it is fed today, our Jedi's inner beast will awaken, and be hungry. It will be sated eventually." His blue eyes turn away for a second, giving Reagan a serious look. "Know now that should you continue to pursue the path of the dark, you will be no different and just as hungry."

 

With that, he turns back to the screen, watching the rest of the drama.

 

Though whether I will it or not, that hunger was already there. The Jedi's fate is merely the appitizer for you... You have chosen this path my love, and I will see you to its proper end, though you may not thank me for it...

[Ara-Lai Kaipi]

Ara closed her eyes and took a steadying breath. Faust was truly evil, and so it seemed, he was trying to break her. She kept her breathing slow and even as she bent down to pick up the knife. In what seemed to be the blink of an eye, she was next to the trembling young man. He couldn't feel her, but regardless, he shook violently, having heard precisely what Ara had.

 

She cut off the young man's blindfold so he could at least see her. Ara spoke through the mask, quietly, but just loud enough to be heard.

 

"I cannot make this choice. It is not mine to make," she said lowly. "I ask you...would you rather live, or have them live?"

 

"Kill me," he said emphatically. He threw his bounded body at Ara, pleading. "Let them live!"

 

Ara closed her eyes. "Once more...are you certain?"

 

The teenager nodded wildly, sobbing. "Save them, please!"

 

She held the boy to her chest, softly nodding once. "I'm going to cut your bonds. I promise, you won't feel a thing. I'll..." Ara closed her eyes. "I promise."

 

He held still long enough for Ara to cut off the ties that held his arms and legs together, leaving him to cling to her, sobbing and begging. Ara asked him one last question.

 

"Do you forgive me?"

 

The young man looked up at her with tear filled eyes, saying one word:

 

"Yes."

 

With that, Ara held him close to her, mentally counting the seconds she had left. While she counted in her head, a song left her lips, a lullaby she had learned long ago, one that had never left her heart.

 

"Hush-a-bye

don't you cry

go to sleep little baby

when you wake

you shall take

all the pretty little horses..."

 

The melody wafted through the air, the notes bringing calm to the young man's heart. The effect was not one from the Force, nor anywhere else that Ara knew of. She just sang from her soul, her song lulling him into a near-coma-like state, one where he would feel no pain, no terror. The song even managed to reach Faust and Reagan somewhat, making them a little bit drowsy at the very least.

 

"Blacks and bays

dapples and grays

coach and six-a little horses..."

 

Still kneeling on the floor, still singing, she turned the boy over, facing him away from her, away from the screen, away from everyone's sight but her own. At this point, Ara knew he would feel nothing, her lullaby having induced him into a deep sleep from which he would not awaken, even without the knife she had at his throat. Ara closed her eyes, a few tears falling as she pressed the knife against his skin.

 

"Hush-a-bye

don't you cry

go to sleep little baby

when you wake

you shall take

all the pretty little horses..."

 

Her final note hung in the air as she quickly swiped across his throat, his soul crossing to the other plane in seconds as he fell limply in her arms. The blood sprayed across the wall she had faced, but managed not to hit her. Gray eyes still closed, she dropped the knife and cradled the young man, laying him down across the room so he wouldn't lie in a pile of his own crimson blood. Ara gently laid his hands across his chest, whispering, "Gomen nasai."

 

A few more tears fell as she looked precisely to where the camera Faust was watching her through was located. Her eyes were the same as always, and now Faust could know what few knew: there was no monster in Ara, no beast to awaken, no creature to feed with blood and murder. There was only the soul of an angel, pure and untouched, no matter what transpired to turn her mind the other way, no matter what happened to her physical body. She was, and would always remain, that innocent, quiet young woman, ever-suffering. It was how she lived; it would be how she died.

 

There is nothing here to turn, Faust. Do what you will.

[Reagan McGreggor]

Reagan watched her... she did as Faust instructed and looked through her mind to see instead of her eyes... as the Jedi moved, Reagan spoke softly towards Faust, not taking her eyes off of Ara... "she feels pain, remorse... saddness... "

 

Reagan tilted her head as she heard the woman sing... the boys fear seemed to subside... as she killed the boy, Reagan looked over at Faust... "The song did what for her... ?"

[Vladimir Faust]

Faust's eyes bore into the screen, his ears hearing, recording, listening.

 

"Yes," he murmurs. "She does feel pain and remorse... I wish to drown her in it until her heart turns black and brittle, then I will tear it out with my bare hands. As for that melody..." Faust shakes his head. "It appears she's learned a few tricks along the way, probably imparted from that sword of hers." THere is a look of unimaginable hatred on Faust's face, seeing his grand plans thwarted so easily. He presses a button. "The family..." his voice announces on the loud speaker. "Execute the protocol..."

 

There is a momentary stiffening of the storm troopers and a loud wail fo the family.

 

"Get them out of here," the commanding tooper barks, shoving the family off screen. The looks the parents give Ara is mixed between pity and loathing at the loss of their son.

 

"Congratulations on your actions, Ara. Let me make it clear to you," Faust threatens, his voice low and menacing over the intercom. "I'll see you destroyed even if I have to bathe the whole galaxy in blood." When he speaks, it's not of Ara's body, but her spirit he wants done in. "Consider that," he snarls, flicking the comm off. His own empathic reading confirmed exactly what Reagan felt.

 

"When we can break her," he whispers to Reagan, "you will have earned your rank as a lord of the Sith. You have potential, for the dark arts, though you must be wary about succumbing to their rapture and their promises of power." He continues, standing up and carrying Jarrett. "What you felt was a beginning. Feelings, your instincts are the most important parts of using the force be it light or dark. The next is mustering the strength to use that. If what you did was reading, then this is merely turning a page. You must learn to focus it. There are two paths open to you. The first is calm and flow, letting the force guide your actions. The second, stronger way, is to grasp it, firmly, hard, and to make it yours. Seize the Force in your fists and have its power to allay before you...." there is a distant, hungry look in the Hunter's eyes as he speaks. "That second way is what I have to offer. You must desire the power and bring it into your being. It is like a lover of its own," he adds, smiling towards Reagan, "but she is a cold and demanding mistress, unlike your fair and infinitely sweet touch."

 

"Now," he begins, pulling out a couple small marbles and throwing them up in the air, levitating them of his own accord. "While you concentrate on trying to hold these up here... what can we do to break that Jedi?"

[Reagan McGreggor]

Standing up Reagan watched the Jedi sit with the boys body and cradle it... she watched as the family was lead out, and made a comment more to herself then to Faust, but she was aware that he heard it... "I would not let the family live... they would have no chance to come after her and hers for vengence... "

 

Turning around she faced Faust and listened to him.. she wanted to ask him how she could do this... she had never been able to before... but thought better of it... to wait till they were alone to speak freely... As Faust carried Jarrett, she smiled to herself as she watched the small boy pull on Faust's ear and hair... the amazing thing was that this small boy was able to do this to him, and he allowed it... playing with his son as he spoke to Reagan...

 

As Faust threw the marbles up into the air and held them there... she looked at them and did her best to keep them in the air... she felt him let go of them and they began to fall to the ground... slowing down as they neared the ground, they never actually hit the ground... although they were only an inch or two off the ground... they were still in the air... Keeping them held up above the ground was harder then reading someone's feelings and emotions... It seemed so easy for Faust... and she remembered Airleas doing the same thing all the time when they were kids... she would try it, but was never even able to move the rocks, let alone lift them... why could she do it now... ????

 

She held them there for a few moments, and tried to lift them back up to where Faust had been holding them...but other then about 6 inches... she was not getting them higher...

 

She started to respond to his question... and the stones slipped a bit... there had to be a way to do more then one thing at a time... Faust could do it... Taking a deep breath, she kept a picture of the stones in her mind... keeping them where they were above the ground... and she answered Faust...

 

"If you break her body first, her mind will follow... Exhaust her physical being, then begin to work on her mental one." She lost hold of the stones, and the fell to the ground... instantly she was angry with herself and clenched her fists... as some of the anger released in the way of growl at herself... the stones leapt up into the air and slammed into the wall... she raised her eyebrows and looked at the stones... and then back at Faust...

[Ara-Lai Kaipi]

Ara let out a small breath of relief as the family was escorted off-screen. She bowed to them in respect and remorse, silently asking for forgiveness from each of them as they passed. Ara knew how they must feel, and she could only hope that they understood how she felt about the unfortunate situation as well. The only thing she felt even remotely joyful for was that Faust kept his word and spared the lives of the young man's family.

 

She turned to look over her shoulder at the other camera as she heard Faust's voice cut over the intercom. He was angry, that she could sense even without being able to use the Force. His final terse command echoed throughout the small chamber, leaving Ara alone with the body and the bloody walls.

 

She sat back down in the center of the room, an equal distance away from the young man's body and the one blood-splattered wall. Ara leaned back against her own clean portion of the wall, taking a moment to feel over the mask that covered her whole head. It was as Faust had said--a large lock, durasteel, and basically unbreakable. Her logic also told her that he wasn't lying about the shock collar, either.

 

Ara lightly hit her head against the wall, which in hindsight was a bad idea, for it caused her head to rattle inside the iron mask. She winced, then kept her eyes closed and her head against the wall, her face pointing at the ceiling.

 

It had hurt her, what she had done, yes...but it hadn't had the affect that Faust had hoped. Ara wanted no more blood, no more death than before the incident. It was just as before; she wanted to avoid it at all costs, and everytime it came to death, it would kill her just as much, no matter who was killed.

 

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. When this didn't work, she steadied her voice enough to quietly sing again, something she had always done as a child when she was in distress.

 

"Sono te o watashi he to

azukete me o tojite

mabuta ni kuchizukete

itami o iyashimashou

nemuri nasai yukkuri to..."

 

It was a hymn, reverberating gently off the chamber walls, bouncing back into Ara's ears and helping to quiet her heartache, to close off the scent of blood that filled the room. As her eyes were closed, she didn't see what was happening to the chamber around her while she sang.

 

"Ushinau kowasa wa dare mo onaji

kanashimi mayoi mo tsutsumi komu

chikara zuyosa kanjitai..."

 

"Arasou munashisa subete no hito

kizukeba kagayaku hi wa noboru

sono toki made inoru kara..."

 

Her heart now somewhat at ease, Ara forced herself to open her eyes and look at the young man's corpse. When she did finally open her eyes, what she saw made her almost gasp--or even more so, what she didn't see.

 

The blood had been cleaned from the walls, from the floor, from the boy's body and clothes. There was not a spot of crimson left in the whole room, not even on the knife or the wound it had made. The wound itself had closed over, though the young man was obviously still dead.

 

A small smile crossed Ara's face. There was always hope, and so long as she had that...

 

...there would be nothing to turn.

[Vladimir Faust]

Faust absently circling around Reagan, watching her progress, considers this. "Perhaps. I have the sinking feeling that her body is not a great care of hers. Still..." he adds, his eyes taking on their sadistic glint. "it would provide an amusing passtime if nothing else."

 

He points his finger at a marble and it suddenly shoots at Reagan, nearly missing the side of her head. The marbles all scatter to the floor, dropping. Smiling beningly, Faust continues. "You'll have to work on your concentration, dear. Take up one of those marbles, and follow me, levitating it. We need to check up on our guest and see to preparations." Faust gives a deep, belly laugh, enjoying this situation more than almost any other he's had in ages.

 

"Let's see... we'll need nerve disruptors, hooks, a few serrated barbs, hot irons, several venoms including some special stuff I special ordered from some of my Sith contacts..." While he speaks, a handful of marbles start shooting out of his hands, forcing Reagan to pay close attention to avoid them hitting her as she concentrates. As Faust drones on about possible toys for use in breaking the Jedi, an Imperial aid runs up to him, showing him the feed of Ara's latest ballad down in her cell. Faust watches this, his eyes growing flinty.

 

"Interesting..." He could theoretically mimic the songs no problem with his memory and voicebox, though there was something more subtle at work. "Very interesting indeed." He turns to Reagan, stating blandly. "If this singing problem gets out of hand, we may have to add a sharp knife to our list to cut her tongue out, though I really hope it doesn't come to that," he adds with regret in his voice. "I really want to hear her scream and beg as we work on her."

[Reagan McGreggor]

Sighing, Reagan concentrates on a marble on the floor lifting it up off of the floor... it took her a bit of time, but she managed to get it to eye level and followed Faust... after a few minutes, it became easier for Reagan to keep the marble in the air while walking with it... Faust was going on about everything that he wanted to play with the Jedi with, when suddenly a marble came at her... she stood still looking in the direction and heard Faust say that she needed to work on her concentration...

 

She opened her mouth to say something when marbles started flying at her... alot of them, and she needed to move to avoid being hit by them... most of them missed her, but a few nailed her... one in the elbow that hurt like hell, and had her right hand go numb for a few minutes... and another nailed her in the thigh leaving a rather large red mark,... that is going to hurt tomorrow... she thought to herself... and in that split second of not paying close enough attention to what was coming at her she had accidently moved directly in front of a marble... one that had she been in the same spot a moment before would have missed her... she saw it just as it hit her... just above the hip to the side of her abdoman and she caught her breath... she never cried out, but she cringed and closed her eyes a moment losing concentration on the marble she was levitating as she opened her eyes, she caught the marble just before it hit the ground, and pulled it back up to eye level... dodging the rest of the marbles shooting at her...

 

Finally the barage of things coming at her ended, and she took a breath... still keeping the marble in the air... "OH, that was fun... what's next..."

 

she was in some pain, but she was determined to do this...

[Vladimir Faust]

Faust's eyes glint again, his hand snatching the marble out of the air.

 

"We will have a test of pain and endurance. Your skills in that situation were admirable. Some say the highest arts of concentration lie in being able to endure what ever pain comes your way,. The hunter's art turns chill, "though perhaps it is instead merely inflicting that pain on others. We shall test your art in that regard, my love," he states, giving her wounded elbow a kiss, moving up the arm and finally resting on the lips. "Now, I shall make good on that promise from earler." With another caustic laugh, Faust presses a button and Ara's world goes black.

 

"Now, let's see if we can break her entirely, in body and soul," he whispers to Reagan, drawing in for another kiss.

 

When Ara wakes up, she's tied up to a rack, and finding the mock concern of Faust as he hovers over her studying her. "Glad to see you're awake," he intones cheerfully. "I have some news for you while you were out," he states with a laugh. "Coruscant has been overrun, and I'm afraid your precious Jedi Council friends- Hou-Jo, Kirana, Talon, Andon, and most of the others were tortured to death and slaughtered. We've rounded up and executed most of the Alliance's supporters. Don't worry abouth the Temple though- we've been holding executions there. The architecture suits it quite well for that." he continues, malice in his heart, "I'm afraid most of your outbases from Mon Calamari to Borleais have been seized. Your world is ended." Faust notices the look of skepticism that would undoubtably be drawn. Still, this was his gambit and he would run with it. "I realize you can't muster the force enough to even lift your finger, much less probe me, but I assure you it's all true. Your brilliant leadership has done it again." It was a lie in factuality, but Faust, being the paramount fiend that his was, was even in those moments able to convince himself that it was truth. No falsehood, nor any deception could be detected there in.

 

There is a momentary pause. "I would do more to you, but I cannot think of any way to make you suffer than this awful truth. You have lost irrevocably in your pathetic life time. I will do nothing from here on out, but she..." he states, stepping aside for Reagan, "will be doing everything she can and wills to you."

 

Walking over to a far corner filled with every impliment imaginable, Faust's directions are clear. "Belittle, mock, punish, force punch, and do whatever you wish to her. Learn to release the hate. This test is fairly open ended, but you will learn with your powers and your intuition, there are no limits either. You canvas is this miserable bag of flesh. Rip it open, burn it, scorch it, twist it. This canvas, pristine and white, is yours. Sully it however vile and black you wish- though I do ask you not to kill it Reagan dear," he adds softly. "It will make a fine template for future conquests. Now, just remember one last thing," Faust whispers, giving Reagan's shoulders a massage, prepping her for the task. "Have fun."

 

With that, he takes a seat and hoists little Jarrett into his lap, studying both the subject and object of this next test.