Ask Nar Shaddaa Another Exchange

[Lilith Vye]

Once again, she was back in the small storage where Tal and her first discussed the Force. This time the mission hadn't gone as well, though they still completed it as far as Lilith was aware. Caught on footage but masked. A bounty on people who carried lightsabers, but it wasn't like she'd wave it everywhere.

She was still in her armor, fully covered. While she had some confidence that Tal would hold his end of the deal—since he had last time—that didn't mean he wouldn't betray her now. There was always that possibly. He didn't care about her. He cared about what she did for him or gave him. Even if he did care, that didn't mean something couldn't persuade him to betray her. That was why you never trusted or put your hope into anyone.

Clutched in her hand was the holocron, something Lilith still didn't understand but knew that Tal wanted. Thus the moment he walked through the door she held it out towards him, however it was not the first topic she was interested in discussing. "Will you bring me to the man now?" she asked, before Tal could get a single word in. "The one that will continue to train me."

@Phoenix

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak and Lilith made their way through Nar Shaddaa and further away from the remnants of the arena. He glanced back to see the smoke rising in the distance and shook his head slightly. He couldn't say that he felt very bad for some of the people there, but he hoped some of the slaves had actually made it out alive. He figured that a few likely had.

He closed the door behind them and she immediately spun on him and started asking about being taken with him. She really was serious about this, wasn't she? She had certainly proven a quick affinity for using the Force, which was a step in the right direction.

We're talking about a major lifestyle change. One that won't be easy to get out of, he advised her, looking into her eyes to see if she was ready. He had flashes of what had happened with Ana, and he wondered if he was dragging another "innocent" person into a horrid life of corruption. But she was already a killer, wasn't she? She knew what she was getting into.

Still, he waited for her answer. She would get the impression that it wasn't unlike joining the mafia. Very difficult and dangerous to get out of and filled with many dangerous people. @Dread

 

[Lilith Vye]

Obviously, his answer wasn't the one she was looking for so it irritated her. A frown tugged at her cheeks, which again was hidden beneath her helmet but she was certain he'd be able to sense her mood either way. It sounded like they were similar to a syndicate with what he said. One part confused her though; why would he ask instead of simply drag her in? Maybe why didn't matter.

Her foot tapped for a second before she went up to him and pressed the holocron on his chest, much like she did with the datapad before. This time it wasn't roughly though, because the edges of it were pointed and the goal wasn't to stab the man. The next thing she did was a big risk, but if he understood even the surface of her paranoia he'd be able to understand the gesture. The surface was deep, the true extent went into depths even she didn't understand.

Assuming he took the holocron she reached up and clicked her helmet loose before pulling it off. As she lifted it, he'd be able to see her face for the first time. The paleness of her skin, and light blond hair that was tied into two braids then wrapped together, in a way that made it as comfortable as possible inside a helmet.

"I've come this far, I'm not turning back," she said in a very clear voice, one no longer muffled or digitized. "Will you bring me to him?"

@Phoenix

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak could have made a full time career out of annoying his students. In fact, he had pretty much started to do just that. He realized that he was, in many ways, a very difficult mentor. He also didn't really have any plans to change, so there was that.

Talak didn't probably fully appreciate the gesture that she made by taking her helmet off, but the way that she moved and acted as she did it indicated that she probably wasn't entirely unlike him. Always concealed and hidden when he needed to be and rarely trusting anyone.

She... wasn't really what he expected. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but it wasn't that. She was fairly attractive and she had that fire in her eyes. It was a fire that he had seen before, and would get her far.

She insisted that she was ready and wasn't going to turn back and he nodded. She wasn't the first person he had brought into the Sith Eternal, and she may not be the last either.

Okay, he said. The truth is there's more than a single person. I'm part of an entire organization, he said. If she was going to join, there wasn't much point in holding much back. She was in this life now whether she wanted to be or not.

So either I can continue to train you myself or you can go back and learn from the others. Either way, you'll have little trouble finding someone, he said. He let it sink in for a moment. She was being inducted into a community of killers, but in its own way it wasn't any different than what she currently put up with. @Dread

 

[Lilith Vye]

As she suspected, from what he'd said earlier, it was organization of some sort. What she didn't suspect was the offer to continue training with him. This whole time she was running off the expectation that their interaction would be fleeting.

The main issue was... she already had an inkling of faith in him since he hadn't gone back on his word yet, and she felt some dependence on him too for obvious reasons. Staying with him only meant risking the two parts growing, and it was inevitable that he'd betray or abandon her one day. The more faith and dependence, the more pain as a result.

But, the same could be said if she was trained by someone else and the upside was she already knew a little bit about this man. In fact, she'd already started to build up some tolerance for how irritating he could be. And he could be very irritating. Perhaps if she stayed firmly vigilant, then she could keep herself as protected and prepared as possible for the inevitability.

"I..." she began in a murmur when she finally made up her mind, looking away before continuing, "I'll stay and train with you." Lilith looked back after a second, so she could appear and speak more confidently, "The evil you know and whatnot." A small smile formed on her lips.

Of course, she didn't stop there, "But what is the name of this group?" It had to have one, she thought. "And whats next? Are you... are we going to leave Nar Shadda now?"

@Phoenix

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak watched her consider what he said, and eventually settle on working with him. That seemed to be the most logical course of action, but the galaxy was filled with people who weren't logical. He could feel her thoughts wavering, though. There was a great deal of uncertainty and fear within her. The fear alone would serve as the seed of a powerful connection to the dark side.

A flare of uncertainty rose within him, and he knew that there were things he would have to do again that would sicken him. He didn't want to walk that path again, but as per his usual, he pushed the thought aside.

The Sith Eternal, he said. He paused to watch her and sense her emotions in the Force. The Sith were a topic of great contention within the galaxy for those who remembered or learned history, and he realized he should clarify. Which isn't the same as the Sith Empires, he said. He didn't know what she might know about the different Force-following sects, but the name "Sith" came with a whole lot of baggage of its own.

I'm going to be leaving soon, he said. He had no idea what she had by way of means. Was there a home she needed to sell? Did she have a ship? Did she want to stay here? Did she want to come back here? He paused and gave her a chance to elaborate.

Your training can begin whenever you're ready, he said. And it would begin sooner rather than later most likely. He doubted she wanted to wait, but no matter how eager she was, that didn't automatically mean she was in a position to actually begin. @Dread

 

[Lilith Vye]

The Sith Eternal? Now, she had heard the word "Sith" before but not much beyond that. She knew it meant something bad, for a lack of a better word. Of course, so did the word "'syndicate" and she had worked for them. This information left her more curious than anything.

But he mentioned leaving soon, and the ability to start training right away. That quickly switched her focus. She softly chewed her bottom lip while mulling over the situation. "Okay. I can have any job requests sent to me over a secure line instead," she said, not wanting to sever all connections here. "And I can also purchase a ship." She wasn't about to risk getting stuck or dependent on his ship, obviously.

"But I'm eager to learn something first, specifically I'd like to know about the weapons I found because I could sense their connection to the Force," she changed the subject, not sure if he planned to actually teach her in this exact moment but she was asking regardless. That's how she rolled.

Lilith reached for her belt, plucking the lightsaber from it. The blade sprang to life in a blue flash, near her face but not too close. It was pointed upward and she seemed fixated on it. The color nearly matched her eyes, so the two almost fused, though something felt off now, "There's also something wrong with it. I don't know what. It almost feels like it doesn't like me?" The feeling was odd, to say the least, and she really had no good way to put it in words.

@Phoenix

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak listened and considered everything she said about her plans. He wasn't going to tell her she had to sever all connections here - even Talak had his own side interests - but he also knew that her first loyalty would need to be to the Eternal. That wasn't something that he decided he needed to address now.

Good, he said as she mentioned getting a ship. She would most certainly need one of those. In Talak's case he quite literally lived out of his, but he knew that wasn't for everyone.

She mentioned she was eager to learn something, and he waited. There were a great many things she didn't know, but if it was simple enough, he would explain it now. Luckily, what she wanted to know was "simple." Of course, nothing was truly so easy, but it was more simple than some questions.

He reached out his hand and the newly acquired blue lightsaber floated out followed a moment later by another hilt that was his own. Both floated into his hands and lit: one blue and one red.

It doesn't like you because you're a killer, he said. It was a gross oversimplification, but it was easily understood.

The blades are powered by a crystal, and the crystals are alive. They can sense and feel not unlike a plant responds to its environment, he said. Describing how a kyber cyrstal acted and functioned wasn't an easy explanation either.

People like us have to force a crystal into submission. When you do, it'll become red, and it will be much more responsive to you. Right now, that blue blade is usable, but it won't be as... he looked for the right word to describe it ...in sync with you until it's been subjected, he explained. He stopped to see if she had any questions about the topic.

We can bleed your crystal once you're a bit further into your training, he said. The process would require her to truly harness the dark side, and could probably be done early on at the rate she was progressing, but she would need to know a bit more about the dark side first. @Dread

 

[Lilith Vye]

She turned off her saber as his flew to his hands. "Because I'm a killer...?" she echoed. She understood the words that came out of his mouth, but it still left her confused.

She put away her blade before moving closer to him. Both her hands came up simultaneously; one wrapped around the blue blades hilt, the other the red blades hilt. Naturally, that'd mean her hands would go over his, if he didn't jerk back. Her intent at first was only to feel the hilts, the crystals more closely, and it did not disappoint. The red blade almost... called to her. She could feel a desire for her, an understanding of sorts. From the blue blade, the same feeling of rejection.

Lilith suddenly looked at Tal with more than confusion, but distrust, squeezing her hands around both his now in frustration. "I don't understand. This blue blade, you cannot kill with it? Why would it exist then?" The more she thought on it, the less it made sense. A blade that could easily slice a man in half, but wasn't used to do so? Even if the user didn't want to kill, how could he or she guarantee they wouldn't be forced or slip up during battle? Why wouldn't they use something nonlethal instead?

And with physical contact between the two, Lilith suddenly felt like she could sense a murmur from her mentor, which only prompted her to grip tighter, unless he'd already pulled away. "You're leaving something out. Something more... something that truly separates these blades and connects us to the red one. What... what aren't you telling me?!" she nearly snapped. She knew the danger of being overly aggressive with someone who clearly knew more than her, and thus she was prepared for a reaction that wasn't ideal, even painful. It was something she'd accept, as her desire for knowledge sometimes overcame her fear.

@Phoenix

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak stiffened when her hands wrapped around his. To say that he trusted her completely would have been a gross overstatement, and while he was relatively comfortable in the idea that he could overpower her if he had to, he wasn't interested in his overconfidence costing him his life. People had been killed for far less than a trio of lightsabers.

He could sense the flares of anger in her as plain as day, and he was at somewhat of a loss as to why. But when her hands tightened around his, whether she was trying to rend them from his hands or not became irrelevant. He'd tried to kill people for less before, and he wasn't interested in letting her compromise his life now.

His eyes shifted almost immediately and they became laced with murder. The Force passed through him, twisting as it siphoned through years' worth of anger and betrayal, before emerging from his hands and directly into hers. Appearing as blue lightning, it would wrack her body and send her flying backwards, but once contact between the two was broken it wouldn't continue.

When she looked at him, she would see the blue blade pointed directly at her face, and his words were like ice.

Make no mistake, they can still be forced to kill, he said. The threat wasn't very subtle, and it wasn't intended to be.

You're stepping into a world that's far more dangerous than you realize. If you don't keep your head, there are people far less patient than I am, he said. He thought of the Eternal executing the man at the last gathering. No, the Sith Eternal weren't known for their patience.

Assuming she hadn't decided to attack him in return, he lowered the blade, and his posture relaxed ever so slightly. If you have questions, ask them. But I'm not someone you want to lash out against, he said. And then the tension would hang in the air. @Dread

 

[Lilith Vye]

Pain shot through every part of her body, forcing her to cry out. It sent her flying straight back, stealing her breath away. The most painful part ended quickly, but pain lingered throughout her limbs. She breathed in sharply before out again to settle herself from the shock, both figuratively and literally.

Lilith knew that she was pushing it, but she didn't expect the consequence to be that painful. It was a wake up call, one that might've been worth learning if what he said was true—that others were less patient, meaning she wouldn't have her life just now. Likely, anyway, since she would've fought if pushed to that point despite her lack of knowledge.

Because she had purposely tested his limits however, she didn't attempt to fight back. There wasn't much fighting with a blade in her face, anyway. Instead, when he lowered his blade she simply answered with, "I understand."

That didn't change the way she felt about some things, though. "But I feel like things are missing from your explanations," she added, that hint of frustration re-emerging in her voice. There was no way she could explain what was missing, so she tried to move onto something else that had been eating at her. "I've also been curious about the Jedi. You said before that they don't use the Force properly. So how do they use it? What's the difference between how we use it and they do?"

@Phoenix

 

[Talak Rand]

It didn't seem that she was interested in continuing the fight, so Talak deactivated both sabers and put them away once again. There was no point in leaving them out if there was even a minuscule chance that someone might walk by and see them.

The Force is extremely complicated, he said. He tried to think about where to begin, and moved over to the far side of the room to take a seat. This may have seemed like an odd place to stop and have a lesson, but Talak's senses didn't alert him to any current danger... not that that was a perfect tool.

There are different ways to tap into the Force. All require concentration, but it's easier to use it if you empower it with your emotions. The strongest emotions are the more... visceral and primal ones. Fear, anger, rage, hatred, etc.... These emotions tap into the Force in a way that's called "the dark side," he said, letting the explanation sink in. It was likely the means that she would have used to touch the Force thus far simply because it was easier. It was why the Sith Eternal believed it was the "natural" way.

The Jedi curse those who use emotion to fuel the Force. They try to empty themselves of all their emotions, and it robs them of their potential, he said, pausing his teaching to see if she had any questions. It wasn't simple, but he'd done his best to simplify it. In truth, Talak found the Force fascinating and confusing. He was determined to learn what he could about it to determine his own place in the galaxy. @Dread

 

[Lilith Vye]

Lilith followed after Talak, grabbing a box and taking a seat across from him. Her light blue eyes were firmly planted on him and if he looked he'd see the intensity of her stare. She was keenly invested in his every word; he was her only source of information on the Force, at least for now.

And out of all the answers she'd gotten from him, this one actually satisfied her. It left her with questions per usual—he hadn't said something that didn't—but what he'd said made sense.

After he paused, she decided to ask something that came to mind, "Why would the Jedi limit themselves, and curse us for using the Force to it's full potential?"

She chewed on her bottom lip for a second, thinking about one other thing. "And why does this limited way to tap into the Force even exist?" It was curious that it existed at all, if it was inferior. Usually even things in nature had real, useful purpose to exist. The color of an animals fur, the shape of their ears, it all had evolved for good reason. And anything that an animal stopped needing because of their environment was ultimately lost through time. This way to tap into the Force may be something at the end of it's use, but what was it's use before?

@Phoenix

 

[Talak Rand]

Ah yes, the real question: why did the Light exist. Talak hadn't fully decided that for himself. The Jedi thought the dark side was the Force when it was warped, but he wasn't sure it wasn't the other way around. He didn't have the answer to that, and he seriously doubted anyone who said they did.

Because the darkness comes with a cost, he said. There was a part of him that told him he should lie and cover up the costs of the dark, but he wasn't sure he could bring himself to fool someone into risking who they were. He had to live with himself when this was all said and done.

It can take a heavy toll on the body and the mind. It offers a power that far surpasses what can be achieved with the Light. Like modifying a ship's engine to push its limits. It'll perform better, but it comes with risk, he said. All such modifications came with a cost to them, and that was how it was with the dark side.

If you indulge in the darkness too much it can become addicting, and you can lose yourself to it, he said. She was from Nar Shaddaa, he was confident he didn't have to explain the potential dangers of addiction to her. @Dread

 

[Lilith Vye]

Light. It was the first time Tal mentioned the word. "So the Light Side and the Dark Side?" she said, mostly rhetorically. It was an assumption, but it made sense. He had mentioned that the two sides clashed, or at least the Jedi did not like whoever used the Dark Side.

There were some implications with the naming as well... that she was on the "wrong" side, but again she had grown up living in the crime ridden streets of Nar Shaddaa. She had always been on the "wrong" side, but not really. Police, criminal, there was never a big difference between the two, except both claiming that they were better or more justified than the other.

The worry of addiction lingered in her mind however. She was fully aware of how high-strong she'd become, thus leading to her dipping into every type of spice on the street without fear. It could spell an issue with this Dark Side, but she'd watch herself now that she was armed with this information.

"Tal...mentor... or whatever is the proper way to address you," she started, slightly moving on from the subject because she needed time to let everything he said sink in. "Where are you going after this? What's your plans?" It was another way to ask what was next, because she knew that she gained the most by watching and mimicking him.

@Phoenix

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak let her process the information he had given her, and he thought he sensed conflict within her. He considered whether to pry, but ultimately opted that if and when she needed to ask, she would. In the meantime, they had other issues to begin addressing. Questions like her training and the teachings he could impart to her.

My name's Talak, he said. If he was already telling her about the Sith Eternal and planning to take her to them then there wasn't much point in lying about who he was now.

Typically it's a Master-Apprentice relationship, which would make me your master, but... he shrugged. He wasn't much for standing on ceremony. He did as much as he had to in order to get by, but he was more interested in results than anything.

As for where we go to next, that'll depend on... his voice trailed off in thought. We can start with some training for you first. I have some other jobs that I'll need to do back here not long from now, he said, his mind turning back to the fact that he already knew that some of what he'd done had been caught on surveillance. It was likely that he'd need to begin spreading disinformation if they both didn't want to wind up dead at the hands of Champions or the Eternal.

We'll need to go to an isolated world where no one will care about a lightsaber, he said. He had used Kashyyyk in the past because of its dangerous environment, but he decided that wouldn't be best for now.

We'll go to Endor, he said after a moment more. It was rarely traveled to and Talak preferred forest worlds to some of the desolate, desert worlds in the galaxy. They could pick an isolated location there and begin the training. He was also sure they could find some dangers out there as well. @Dread

 

[Lilith Vye]

So he had given her a fake name, sort of. Either way, it didn't matter. She'd probably address him mostly as Talak, but if the proper way was master she'd make sure to use that sometimes too. If anything, to show him she respected his knowledge.

She perked up a bit when he mentioned more training, and traveling somewhere else to do it. Another location, possibly bigger? That meant it might be more intense, which she was more than willing to do.

"Endor," she echoed with a nod. In reality, she had literally no clue whatsoever what Endor was. She'd only been off Nar Shaddaa once when she was younger, and that was to Coruscants lower levels. Another place filled with buildings, cement and signs. Regardless, she answered with, "I'm ready to go" and got up, but tipped her head after a second. "Or, I guess, I have to deal with my business arrangements and purchase a ship. I can do that all from my club."

Lilith stood up, walking over to a closet to plucking the only dress out of it, something she'd left behind here if she ever needed it. Now was the time, so she wasn't walking around in something she'd robbed a hutt with. The only other clothing in it were men's clothing, so clearly the closet wasn't intended for her originally.

She held it against herself, happy enough with how it held up against the coldness in here. "I can contact you through the datapad I gave you and meet you later, if you want, unless you feel like relaxing at my clubs bar in the meantime," she added. Of course, she wouldn't have offered it before but he was her... master now.

@Phoenix

 

[Talak Rand]

Talak gave a nod that they had agreed on a location. It would do better than working here where there were people potentially hunting them at any moment.

Good, he said as she mentioned she would get a ship and make arrangements. He didn't really care if she kept her business or whatnot, as long as she was invested in the Sith Eternal, and from what he'd seen thus far, she certainly was captivated.

No, I have some other things to attend to, he said. In truth, he was quite curious and excited about taking a closer look at that holocron, and he was also interested in getting off of this world as soon as possible. They had stirred up enough trouble here, and he wanted to wait for the heat to die down a bit.

I'll meet you on Endor in 5 cycles, he said, waiting to see if she agreed. If so, he would head back to his ship and start the preparations both for his own training and for hers. There was much to do.

//Thread