An Unusual Meeting

[Alaisia]

The forest air was cool as Alaisia strolled through the trees, calmly Feeling everything around her. The Force was as calm as she was. It made her feel safe. But as she walked through the woods, she started to feel a little wary. She felt like something was watching her. She was sure it wasn't a Gungan, as she had only seen two or three since she first arrived on Naboo. They seemed to stay hidden within their underwater city.

Glancing around her, Alaisia tensed as she surveyed the foliage. She felt just as exposed and alone, just as she had been when she had first been hunted by a Sith agent so long ago. Well, it wasn't that long ago. It only seemed that way. So much had happened, it was like tens of years had passed...

"Who's there?" Alaisia said, chancing the noise of her voice in the quickly growing silence. Something was definitely coming. The animals in the trees and brush told her that. Her growing dread only increased as the animals started their noise back up suddenly. Or had they started to quiet at all? Was she just psyching herself out? She had done it several times before.

The ambiance had probably never changed. But it might have. And that's what bothered Alaisia, worry starting to make her lose her calm.

 

[Vexillar]

Viole rarely understood why his master had preferred to go the route of an assassin. It often required long hours, away from home, in terrible places, and meeting the most curious, and hostile, of creatures. Studying the Force was so much more appealing than that. It was quite, relaxing, and often led to new discoveries or ways of life. Simply put, why take a life when you can learn to rule lives instead? That was Viole's talent, that was his specialty. The art of manipulating life forms around him to achieve various effects and outcomes. He was someone to be feared in that regard. What he wanted, what he viewed as acceptable, was always morally gray. He had a lot of double standards in his logic, and he almost always did whatever it took to come out on top. That being said, here he was...stalking this woman. A Jedi from the looks of it, through the forests on Naboo. He had come here with the intent on finding Jedi artifacts, but found something far more precious. His mind protected by a Thought Shield so stray thoughts did not get picked up. While he hadn't completely learned to hide his physical form in the Force, he did know how to keep his distance and use trees to his advantage.

As a Miraluka he was gifted with Sight, and so he could track this woman without betraying his presence there. He decided to introduce himself, however, after she spoke up. Her voice filled with curiosity and fear, it made Viole smile. The Sith leaned against a tree and began speaking under his breath in a low tone. Green mist began to fill the area, as he channeled the magic of Dathomir. Using the spirit ichor to craft a spell, he projected himself into her mind. Where she looked, he began to walk out of the trees. He smiled to her and bowed his head as the green mist poured around him. "Greetings, child of the Force. You are in quite a dangerous area to be left here all by yourself. Where is your clan?" He tilted his head slightly as he spoke, and his voice would echo in her head. The game had begun, and Viole was thoroughly excited to play.

 

[Alaisia]

Alaisia jumped as she saw a man walk from the trees, wreathed in green mist. So her suspicions were right. There had been someone following her. The Miraluka was the first she had ever seen, but to her the man seemed just like any other man except for a mask he wore over his eyes. She struggled for a moment to stay calm, holding back a wave of curiosity, when the man spoke.

"Greetings, child of the Force. You are in quite a dangerous area to be left here all by yourself. Where is your clan?"

The question puzzled Alaisia, as she had no clan. She didn't even have a true 'family'. "I have no clan," she decided to say, regaining her calmness for a moment as she spoke. "I didn't realize this place was dangerous. I have walked beside the Gungan's territory many times without any hint of aggression. They like their water cities, I suppose." She tried to sneak another peek at the man, trying to Sense if he was a Force user like herself but her focus failed her and she found herself in the midst of wariness and curiosity that she could not hold back.

She wondered, most of all, why he had been following her. She didn't want to ask him bluntly, but she also wanted to know. Sure, this planet had been friendly to the Jedi and had allowed her to escape here after the attack on the Temple she had been training at, but she was sure as well that it was not completely safe. Nowhere was completely safe. The attack on temple had taught her that.

 

[Vexillar]

With an arched brow and a coy smile the Crusader chuckled. She was alone? Out here? That was priceless. Judging by what he could see, and of course he saw more than those who saw through physical eyes, she wasn't that experienced. She was certainly no Knight. She could barely keep her emotions under control. It was amazing she had lived this long without a Sith coming across her. Perhaps, however, this could be useful to him. His meeting with the Grandmaster was lucky the last time, this time it wouldn't be due to luck. No. This girl would lead him straight to her, and she would then see that what Viole spoke was pure truth. He meant them no harm, he was a man obsessed with knowledge. That was all.

The projected figure of Viole circled his hand through the green smoke lazily, and figurines of men with sabers doing battle formed. They were slaughtering each other, slicing through their bodies and falling back into the mist. "This planet has been in distress since the Jedi came here. The galaxy is run by Sith, it was only a matter of time before they looked here, and here they are. Have you truly been so blessed that the sounds of combat, the waves of pain and suffering, have not touched your ears or passed by your vision? Astounding..." He raised his hands to show he meant no harm to her as he stepped forward slowly. Not that he truly feared anything from her. Even if he did, the man before her was but an image while he was safe a while back behind her, still behind the tree.

He pointed up casually and spoke more. "This one can feel the touch of Ashla on you. She has indeed blessed you. Tell him, however Padawan, how much longer do you think Ashla's favor will last? How much longer will you be safe by yourself, with your lack of training?" A fair question, and spoken as such too.

 

[Alaisia]

Alaisia watched as the man toyed with the smoke, drawing forth figures of people fighting. The images sickened her as she watched them slaughter each other. It was like being on Corellia during the war again. She was fighting to push back a wave of revulsion and fear when the man spoke again.

"This planet has been in distress since the Jedi came here. The galaxy is run by Sith, it was only a matter of time before they looked here, and here they are. Have you truly been so blessed that the sounds of combat, the waves of pain and suffering, have not touched your ears or passed by your vision? Astounding..."

"My..." Alaisia broke off as she realize she was about to tell him the truth of her training. She didn't want to tell him... Her Master had left her, and had left her with no skills but those she had learned on her own for survival. She shook her head, focusing again on the man, and said, "I only have the skills I have learned on my own. I can usually tell if someone is able to use the Force, like me, and I can kinda sense the things around me, but that's it." She stared at the man, watching him raise his hands in a show that he didn't mean her any ill will. But when he started to walk forward, she stepped back. Fear surged through her despite his show of empty hands.

The man spoke again, pointing up to the sky. "This one can feel the touch of Ashla on you. She has indeed blessed you. Tell him, however Padawan, how much longer do you think Ashla's favor will last? How much longer will you be safe by yourself, with your lack of training?"

His questions confused her. Who was Ashla? "I've made it this far on my own," she says slowly, the fear in her fading a little. What replaced it was a bold curiosity. She just wanted to know who this man was.

"Who are you?"

 

[Vexillar]

She was a delight. A true joy, and Viole would make her his. Maybe not in title, but there would come a day when his mercy would be repaid. That much was for sure. He also noted the lack of a response in calling out Ashla's name. Had the Order forsaken all mention of history? Had she truly never heard of Ashla or Bogan? What a sad world when the many names and faces of the Force are lost and forgotten. She seemed to be truthful enough in her training, or lack there of, so he saw no reason why he couldn't enlighten her a bit.

"You may call this one V'anon."

Enlightenment didn't mean honesty.

He stepped forward again, stopping just a few feet away from her. He moved slowly, so that she could see he meant no harm. "You need more if you want to survive out here, survive the Sith. They have grown strong in the passing years. Even their Acolytes push the boarders of what they know. The ones who can't learn more no longer drop dead. They simply excel at what they do know, and move on. It's scary. What do you think your odds are of surviving a Sith attack with your current...skills?" The way he said skills made it clear that he was insinuating that she had none. He was thoroughly taken by this girl, the doe-eyed female who seemed so lost and yet she hadn't turn to run at all.

Even as the green smoke poured out from the trees, she stood her ground. Where fear once laced her words, curiosity was growing. Good. She was getting more comfortable. That would come in handy at some point when she had a real problem on her hands. With any luck she'd remember this meeting and whatever she learned here today, be it a name, or powers, or simply emotional control, would save her life.

 

[Alaisia]

"You may call this one V'anon."

Alaisia nodded, not recognizing the name. She didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing, but as he stepped forward again, stopping just a few feet away from her, she stiffened. She wasn't really scared any more. Just wary. His slow movements did not ease her wariness, despite how they were meant.

"You need more if you want to survive out here, survive the Sith. They have grown strong in the passing years. Even their Acolytes push the boarders of what they know. The ones who can't learn more no longer drop dead. They simply excel at what they do know, and move on. It's scary. What do you think your odds are of surviving a Sith attack with your current...skills?"

Alaisia's face flushed as he stressed the word 'skills'. She had no skills, and it seemed that this man knew exactly that. She didn't even have a lightsaber or any other sort of weapon to defend herself. Her biggest defense was her agility. "I have been on the run," she said, taking a leap of faith that this man wouldn't attack her. She wouldn't mention the Temple, but she would tell him about some of her past. "I used to live on Corellia, during the war. I didn't have anyone that could take me as an apprentice." Her thoughts turned to her grandparents, slaughtered while she was hidden. They had thought she was safe. Sadness welled up in her for a moment before she turned back to present. "I'm still waiting for a Jedi Knight to take me as his Padawan."

Emboldened, Alaisia took a couple steps toward V'anon. "Are you with them? The Jedi, I mean?"

 

[Vexillar]

He could feel her sadness, and he hardened his heart a bit. He could only imagine the struggles of living on that world during the war. Part of him wanted to open up about being a slave, about the horrible life he had lived serving another...a Hutt specifically. It was terrible. The only fate he could imagine being worse than, or equal to, growing up on Corellia during that time. His face betrayed no such thoughts though. He couldn't risk his position. He was in control of this situation, she was at his mercy. He would not sacrifice that. It was bad enough he had to listen to this, it was worse that he was sympathizing with her, and yet what he was currently debating with was pure treason. Teaching a Jedi? No. He should just kill her where she stood, he should be a good little Sith and do as he is told. Was that right, however? Could he slaughter this innocent girl where she stood? She had no weapons, no training, no master, and she was a very, very, long way from the Jedi. What could he do, however? She was the enemy...that's what the Order would have you believe. Hell, that's what the entire damned Empire would have you believe. He had a choice to make, and the look on her face told him he had run out of time in choosing. It was now or never. Help her or end her. There was only one way out of this.

The image vanished, fading away. The green mist reeled back into the trees from whence it came. He motioned for Eezeo to remain where he was. Viole stepped out from the trees. "Do not think in such small terms, Padawan. You must broaden your mind. See more than simply black and white, embrace the ambiguous gray area." He unclipped his saber and tossed it to her. The dull black curved hilt soared through the air, the light blue Miralukan writing on the side of it gleaming as the sun hit it. Whether she caught it or not, Viole would continue speaking. "Activate it. Though you may be lacking in skill, you are still a child of The Force. You are still a being of the Winged Goddess and the Fanged God. Embrace the universe, Padawan. Allow the Force to guide your hand. If you can prove you have what it takes to defend yourself in combat, he will give you a gift. A gift to aid you in life, to help you survive the war." And so it was decided. He would not choose whether or not this girl lived or died. He met her because it was the Force's will. If his deity wished for this girl to survive the Sith's rule, or at least have a chance to survive, then it would see her through this test. If not, then Ashla's blessing would be removed and she would fail. Either way was not Viole's concern. She sank or swam as the Force commanded. Viole stood relaxed, ready to move. He began to recall Nox's lessons on defending himself when weaponless.

 

[Alaisia]

Alaisia leaped back as the man in front of her faded away, the mist retreating back into the trees. It wasn't real... She glanced around, fearing once again of an attack, when she saw the same man step from between the trees. He looked just the same, minus the green mist... But she had been tricked, fooled by the fake-person in the mist. Then he spoke.

"Do not think in such small terms, Padawan. You must broaden your mind. See more than simply black and white, embrace the ambiguous gray area."

She was taken by surprise again as he unclipped his saber and tossed it to her. She barely caught the dull black hilt because of it's curved nature, but nevertheless she still caught it. She didn't have a chance to inspect it, though, as he continued talking.

"Activate it. Though you may be lacking in skill, you are still a child of The Force. You are still a being of the Winged Goddess and the Fanged God. Embrace the universe, Padawan. Allow the Force to guide your hand. If you can prove you have what it takes to defend yourself in combat, he will give you a gift. A gift to aid you in life, to help you survive the war."

It only took her a moment to power the saber. She listened to the hum of the light-blade and glanced again at V'anon.

 

[Vexillar]

She had managed to turn the blade on. That was a good start. He was curious how good her reflexes were. "Take your time. Don't react, act. Don't think, know. Allow the Force to breathe into you the knowledge of the universe. He's going to attack you. Don't worry, he won't damage you...but your job is to try and damage him." He waited to be sure she understood what was going to happen. The poor thing could barely hold it, but she would learn. This would be a good test to see how the Force worked through her. He was excited. He could hear his heart beating, feel it under his skull. She would pass. He could feel it. He knew she'd be worthy of surviving this planet, and thus the harshness of life. Was what he was considering bad? Yes. Very bad. Was it treason? No. Not that bad. Viole always dealt in the morally gray...it was his nature, his people were born into it. They neither worshiped Light or Dark, rather Life and Death. As a result, they accepted things as they came. To define an action as Light Side an Dark Side was almost...archaic. Almost.

He took a breath and stepped in. Moving at about half the speed he normally would in a real conflict, he made his first move a simple one. One she should have no problem dodging or making a counter. Any counter with a saber he would just step out of the way of. His attack was a simple palm strike to her nose. If it managed to break through her defense, his palm would stop just before hitting her nose and he would back up to allow her to retaliate. His feet were position in just such a way that he was ready to push back in a retreat if he needed to avoid her saber strike, assuming her defenses were more well knitted than he gave credit for, and his body was turned away from her so that his chest wasn't exposed to his front.

 

[Alaisia]

Alaisia was still curiously examining the lightsaber when she heard the man speak again. She turned to him, waiting for his next surprise.

"Take your time. Don't react, act. Don't think, know. Allow the Force to breathe into you the knowledge of the universe. He's going to attack you. Don't worry, he won't damage you...but your job is to try and damage him."

Alaisia tensed for a moment, then forced herself to relax a little. This was no different than when she was in a fight before. She wouldn't treat it as if it were any different. Except for the fact that she didn't want to hurt V'anon. The man, despite how mysterious he was, had surprised her by not hurting her. It was much different than what she was used to.

She watched, taking in everything around her, as V'anon made his approach. She watched as he threw out his palm, aiming for her face. She stepped aside, letting him pass by her, and took up a defensive position. She tried to remember what she had seen at the temple, where she had watched the other padawans practice their sword forms. She was sure she couldn't reproduce the moves perfectly as she'd never done them, but she would try nonetheless. She held the saber still for a moment, then attacked. She leaped toward the man and aimed for his arm.

 

[Vexillar]

She was good enough to dodge, that much was obvious. He was glad she wasn't totally inept at defending herself. He barely had the time, patience, or will to do any of this. Babysitting was one thing, charity work was another ball game completely. As she dodged to the side, Viole tracked her movements through the Force. She was reacting, not acting. Common mistake, she needed to be more aggressive without being wild, more focused, without being blind. He shoved off his feet and skidded to a stop as the saber sliced the air his arm was just occupying. "Be quicker, faster, the Sith will have no mercy on you and so you must not show mercy on them. Be wary, however, do not kill, or even strike, out of anger. Strike with anger."

He didn't move at all, but the earth around him was being manipulated. A few rocks began to float in air as he flexed his will power on the universe. He silently commanded these four rocks to levitate beside him. They were not terribly large, but they would certainly hurt if she got hit by them. "Stop thinking you can. Know you can." With that the rocks were flung at her. One went first, then a few seconds after that the other one went, and then the final one went almost immediately after that. If she managed to dodge them then she would find that Viole wasn't far behind the rocks, going in to strike at her abdomen with a straight kick, a dangerous technique that could cause her serious harm...if he wasn't half a step behind in the launch. He wasn't trying to hurt her, if the kick went through, his foot would stop just shy of her body, and he would straighten and back away. If there was a counter he would attempt to dodge it. He already had one scar from a lightsaber, he wasn't trying to lose a limb.

 

[Alaisia]

Alaisia stepped to the side as V'anon sidestepped her attack, skidding a little to keep her balance. She wasn't used to fighting with a weapon that was any more than a stick or a rock and the saber was quite a bit heavier than either of them. But it felt right in her hands.

"Be quicker, faster, the Sith will have no mercy on you and so you must not show mercy on them. Be wary, however, do not kill, or even strike, out of anger. Strike with anger.""Stop thinking you can. Know you can."

Alaisia paused for a moment, lowering the saber just a little. "That goes against nearly everything else I've been taught. For me to use anger to help me use the Force would to be turning down the wrong path..."

She looked at V'anon again, thinking again on the fact that she knew nothing about him. A slight tremor of fear coursed through her as she thought that he might be a Sith, just the kind of person she tried to avoid. But, then his actions confused her. She thought that a Sith would have just killed her outright. She had been unarmed until he had given her his saber and he had taken her by surprise when he first appeared. It would have been immensely easy for him to have killed her and moved on without a second thought. So then why didn't he?

She didn't have much time to think about it as he threw rocks at her, propelling them with the Force. She managed to dodge the first one and block the second with the saber, slicing it in two, but the third caught her hard on her right shoulder. Pain jarred through her shoulder and down her arm, but she forced herself to stay focused and barely managed to duck the last one. Suddenly V'anon was in front of her, with a kick that would have at first hit her abdomen. Instead, while dodging the last rock, she managed to fling herself right in front of his kick.

She only hoped it wouldn't hurt too much.

 

[Vexillar]

His foot stopped just shy of her stomach. He pulled it back and stood there harmlessly for a moment. Her thoughts flowed from her mind like water in a river. He rubbed his temples a bit as her confusion, distrust, and inner turmoil washed over him. With a sigh he felt he could speak and not be overwhelmed. "He never said he was a Sith, and yet you are right to jump to that conclusion. However, you misunderstand his words, Jedi. He said to strike with anger. Not out of anger. To strike with your emotions is to have control over them. It is to use them as you would that lightsaber, or the Force. Emotions are a powerful thing, they can be an ally, an aid, to you in your most desperate hour. But you must always be watchful. Emotions are more treacherous than any Sith. They will take you by surprise, and in that moment you will be dragged down the path that Bogan had laid for you. Always be mindful of why you are attacking, are you attacking with your emotions, or are your emotions attacking with you?" He lifted the rocks again, and they circled the pair of sentient beings. He motioned to them casually as he continued to enlighten her.

"You must understand something, child...It is unsafe for you here, and you have put him in a very difficult position. He is duty bound to strike you down, or at the very least take you in for questioning. However, you assume him to be something he is not." He stopped one of the rocks and crushed it, applying the pressure of the universe over all of it's surface. It cracked and crumbled until it was ground into dust. He then caused the dust to circle above them slowly. There is so much more than just the Light Side and the Dark Side, Jedi. We are marked, molded, by our beliefs on the Force. There are races, cults, factions, that utilize the darker powers of the Force...and yet they show no such signs of corruption. Why? Because it is not their belief to recognize the Dark and Light Side of the Force. They see something different, feel something different. Take the dust particles for instance, are they not still the rock that was just broken? Of course it is. It is merely in a different form. In this regards, he is no more a Sith than the woodland creatures that roam here. He is merely apart of an organization that labels itself Sith. But what is more important? What he is, or what he does? For if it is the former, then does what he is doing here, what he is doing with you, to be ignored? And if it is the latter, then should we ignore what he has done in service to the Empire? He does not view a Light or Dark Side, merely the Force. After all, is it not one energy, one being? Ashla and Bogan, the Twin Spirits, they are all simply one part of a whole, and that whole is what he chooses to worship, to follow."

With a flick of his wrist the dust shot over away from them and fell to the ground, as well as the rocks. He stepped back a little bit and nodded to her. "So remember, young Jedi, your beliefs dictate your actions. At the end of the day, however, you cannot win a war with no emotions, you cannot survive a fight by being apathetic. If you remember only a single thing in your entire life, let it be this; a Sith's Rage is nothing without a Jedi's Calm, and a Jedi's Calm must be tempered with a Sith's Rage."

He readied himself once more and motioned for her to attack him. "With feeling this time, Jedi." He had given her a lot to think about, that much was for sure. Viole found the best way to analyze information was by not thinking about it, and in this moment she had an opponent in front of her. What better way to not think than by striking out at him? Besides, she needed a little bit of practice.

 

[Alaisia]

"With feeling this time, Jedi."

"I think I understand..." she said. "I'll try again."

Alaisia took a moment to think about what he had said. It made sense to her, at least mostly. She forced herself to ignore that he was truly a Sith. He was unlike any other Sith she had ever seen. He could not be lumped into the general mass. If anything, he was helping her.

She nodded, turning to face him. She leaped forward, slashing with the saber at his arm again. She tried to focus, tried to strike with feeling... Her strikes were quicker this time, and she tried to feel with the Force everything around her to see a possible counter-attack. Forgotten in the heat of training were her worries. She tried to funnel her fear and anger at the past into her attacks.

As she attacked, she worked to keep herself from being consumed by the feelings that swirled through her once again. She would not let herself fall. She knew that V'anon was right. Nothing could be accomplished through narrow-mindedness. She would have to look beyond what she had been taught before if she was to survive. No longer was it a world of black and white, but of varying grays. She would become one of those grays, adapting to the world around her.

 

[Vexillar]

He smiled as she attacked again. Much more focused, much more power, good. She was beginning to understand what he was speaking about. What was more impressive was that she didn't seem overcome by her feelings. At least not yet, such control would have to be tested. Here was neither the place nor the time, however. Not on this planet which was slowly becoming overrun with Sith. Someone might pick it up and they'd have a lot of explaining to do. Or at least he would, and he truly didn't feel like explaining anything right now.

As the swing neared his arm he rolled away with the blade. When it cleared his head he went in for a sweep kick, attempting to throw her off balance and to the ground. Coming in at her legs with his right leg, and thus from her left side, he pushed his mind into a kind of auto-pilot mode where he could assess other situations while dealing with this Jedi.

What was he really going to do with her? Surely she would be found out the moment she touched down on the surface. Could he really pull someone back from the Bogan's army? Sure it had been done before, but this was...different. She would need to act the part, look the part, be the part. But when the time came to leave, would she still be this girl before him now? Or would she be committed to the Order? What did Viole want for her future? Bah. That was her problem. Not his. He wasn't here to worry himself over his future. The Force wanted him to train this girl, that much was for sure, and that's what he would do. Whether she wished to return to her cult or stay with his was none of his concern. That was her problem. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that he would play an instrumental role in this. He would just have to tread carefully around her, guide her not force her, not lead her.

Yes...he was here to be her guide. That's what the Force decreed, and that's what he would do.

 

[Alaisia]

Alaisia stepped right as V'anon dodged her attacks, once by one. She pushed forward, her muscles burning as she exerted herself. This was the hardest she had worked in a long time and it felt great. To be finally training... she had no words to describe just how happy she was about it. But right now, she fought with the pain of her past. And slowly, it started to drag on her. The image of her grandparents laying dead on the ground; the sound of the man who had slain them laughing in the distance, calling out that she was next... that she couldn't hide.

She stopped, flicking the saber off, and stared at the ground between her feet. Tears streamed from her eyes as she waged a silent battle in her mind against her emotions. But with each image that she pushed away, another one replaced it. Her thoughts went from her grandparents to the ones she had made friends with in the shuttle. She had been unable to save them as well. Her breathing turned ragged as the images then switched to the attack at the temple on Anoth... her 'safe haven'.

Slowly, she finally pushed back the images. She opened her eyes, wiping a hand across her face to rid herself of the tears, and looked again to V'anon.

"Sorry," she grunted, feeling ashamed. "Let's just continue. I've got it under control again."

 

[Vexillar]

He stepped forward and motioned for her to sit down. He sat down across from her, crossing his legs in a meditative position. "This is natural for people who have not dealt with their emotions before. This is why he is not a fan of most of the teachings of Jedi. While they have come a long way, they still ignore a lot of what makes us sentient beings..." He waved his hand, focusing his energies on what tears remained on her face. Removing them from her cheek, he offered a kind smile. "There is so much you still have yet to learn, Jedi, and he will show you everything he can." He called the lightsaber to him and clipped it to his belt. The time for combat was over anyway. He could feel her pain, and now she was rather emotional. It was a good time to pull back and discuss things rather than do trial by combat. He was satisfied with her amount of skill for now. It was at least something he could work with. She wan't totally inept, and that would serve her well in the coming days, he was sure.

"Speak. What was on your mind? What made you react in such a way?" Of course he caught stray thoughts of her's as she thought them, but he didn't go beyond the surface of her mind. So he didn't know exactly what she got so upset about. He knew better than to just go around invading people's minds like that. Seeing what lurked in it's dark corners could be a dangerous thing for both the invader and the host. So he would have to be content with simply asking her to express her thoughts, let them out. Speaking about her emotions would be a form of control, until she could coach herself through handling them and not getting wrapped up and consumed. Had this been a real fight, Viole fears it would have been her first steps towards serving Bogan.

 

[Alaisia]

Alaisia sat as V'anon motioned for her to. A hiccup caught in her throat. So maybe she hadn't calmed down all the way...

"This is natural for people who have not dealt with their emotions before. This is why he is not a fan of most of the teachings of Jedi. While they have come a long way, they still ignore a lot of what makes us sentient beings...""There is so much you still have yet to learn, Jedi, and he will show you everything he can."

His lightsaber leaped from Alaisia's hand. She let it go without a word as he clipped it to his belt. As she sat, she took a moment to close her eyes and work on her breathing. She took deep breaths, using an old technique she had learned a long time ago, until her breathing was more steady and no longer choked.

"Speak. What was on your mind? What made you react in such a way?"

V'anon's voice caught her off guard and she opened her eyes quickly. She thought of trying to tell him a tale. Just something that she could come up with randomly... but that wasn't her way. She wasn't a liar.

"I..." She broke off, looking up at him. "It was my past. So many things... Many people have died because of me. I couldn't save them. I told you before that I lived on Corellia. Well there's more to it than that. I lived with my grandparents because my parents both died when I was young. It was hard, but we survived... until that man came. He could sense me. My grandparents said that I was gone. They didn't know. They couldn't tell that he could sense where I was. And he killed them. He knew I was there and he knew I would hear." Her voice cracked and she took a moment to steady herself. "When I finally escaped Corellia, I was on a merchant ship. I had made friends with the crew. But they ALL died because of me. I was the only one to live through the crash on Manaan. And not even that was the end. I was at the Temple at Anoth... I took an escape pod... There were only a few. But I was shoved in one. There were others there that could have gone instead of me. Younglings... There was one little one who was only 9 years old... To die so young, it's not right... To think that was the one place I finally felt safe." She coughed, her voice cracking again as tears slid down her face again.

"I couldn't save anyone!" she yelled, not specifically at V'anon. It was an outburst that she could no longer hold back. She lowered her voice again, glancing around and quickly feeling self-conscious. "I didn't know how to save them..."

She wiped her hand across her face again, but this time the tears kept coming. She could feel her face was red and felt even more miserable at the fact that V'anon saw her in this state. This was no way for a Jedi to act, or at least that's what she had been told before. She murmured an apology, biting her lip to take her focus off of her past again.

 

[Vexillar]

Viole sat there and listened to her speak. And as he did, he stood up. He would just motion for her to ignore his actions.

When she was done, he remove the clothing on his torso, letting the sash hold the top half of his robes in place. He turned around and used his finger to try and point to a few different scars. "He recieved that one for not killing a man. He got this one for standing up to a Bounty Hunter. He got this one when he didn't finish the medical droid in time and another slave died. He got this cut here from...well let's just say that there are darker versions of lust that no one should have to experience..." He left out the cut on his thigh from the same event. Turning around to face her he knelt down and tilted her chin up so that she looked at him in what would be his eyes if he had any.

"You must understand one thing about life above all others. There are very, very, very, few true coincidences. Our entire lives are swayed by the Force. We are helpless against it's power. Even Non-Sensitives like your grandmother. The Force was calling her home, as it did your parents. When you use your powers, you are touching them. They are one with the Force just as everyone who has ever died is...including his parents. You must not cry over the past, you must use it for inspiration, for fuel, and nothing else. Everything that happened, everything you survived, is so that you could get somewhere, do something. If even one thing had happened differently, you may never have landed here, we may never have met. Instead you could be out on an assignment for your Master and have been killed, or worse. Accept every hardship, every joyous moment, as a gift from the Force, for it all has purpose...it all has reason. Even an orphan slave, such as himself, found reason, found purpose, in his beatings, the blaster burn marks and the knife wounds...They made him strong...strong enough to survive Korriban, just as your hardships have made you."

He let her go, and stood up again, putting back on his clothing. He had never shown anyone those scars before. Nox saw them once, but that was not on purpose and they were on an assignment. Nox knew though, he knew they existed. Viole forgot they were there most of the time, to be honest, but in this moment they all burned as if he were reliving those moments yet again. "You cannot save everyone, Jedi, put such foolish notions out of your head. Some people are claimed by the Force before you have even met them. But we will get you the skills to save the ones that you can."