In Vino Veritas

[Viabuck]

Finding a bit of reassurance in the boys demeanor once his attitude which Curo had found somewhat 'bratty' had subsided, the Togruta was more than happy to resume his silence offering Ashanna a smile as one was paid to him and yet any positive feelings which he may have felt moments before would be silenced soon enough. The feeling of darkness incarnate was washing over him, flowing over him and make him supremely aware of their presence before they even surfaced from the floor, a pair of blue eyes falling down upon the pyramid shaped holocron for a moment a deep breath being taken through his nostrils. In an effort to appear unbothered, another sip would be taken from his rum, a rather loud clearing of his throat taking place shortly there after as he approached the table.

"They're so much more useful than only messages.." he responded, mostly in reference to Rokuro's statement. "In a way you're correct.. They're a message pertaining to everything that person ever was.. Not their spirit per say but a bit of their essence. It's a tool that Sith used to gain a bit of immortality if only through preserving everything that they knew and letting their knowledge move on through time even if they themselves wouldn't physically be there.."

For a moment he humored the notion of picking up one of them but hesitated if only due to the fact that he didn't wish to incidentally activate one and put the genie back in the bottle so to speak. While perhaps not the most pleasant of memories his own experiences with the dark side objects had been something that he would never forget though not for the reasons that perhaps it normally shouldn't be.

"They're really quite interesting if you don't allow yourself to fall under their false promises and lies... I've encountered entire cults of weak minded individuals that dedicated themselves to preserving just one piece of a long dead Sith. Say what you will about the Sith but they are tenacious if nothing else.."

Breaking his gaze from the pyramid shaped Sith artifact, he would focus his attentions back on the group, his eyes shifting over each person, gauging their responses and their own collective input and deeming everything satisfactory from his end of things. Another sip of his drink was taken, finishing the glass and a glance was spared back to Ashanna. She would certainly continue to expound on the situation he could only assume.

 

[Asinine Soup]

Ashanna allows Curo to elaborate his point after Dominik demonstrated his distaste for the very real fear that a lot of Darker elements exhumed. It was a very profound weapon of choice to most Sith and Dark Side practitioners, and his experiences certainly rang true; she would have to remember to bring it up later in a one-on-one conversation would he choose to be on board.
To her Togrutan friend's astute observation of his own experiences as well as the elaboration of what a holocron truly was, she nods and agrees with a hum of affirmation before granting clarity on what the more malevolent objects were.
"'Objects of Power' they're called," is directed as response to Rokuro's sound query regarding 'why'. Of course there was always a reason behind why Sith did what they did, and most often, it was for power. Some cloak that lust for a pursuit of knowledge, but ultimately, knowledge breeds power so that their proverbial chains could be broken. Ironically, the chains of their mind tended to remain clamped shut. The Jedi takes a mental note of the boy's intellect, though it seemed it was more or less warrior-oriented; he had the build of an individual who, when trained, could likely excel in combat such as Curo, however it was he - in the end - that she could feel the radiant shift of polarity within: he was not aware of the Force's true duality, and was susceptible to fall as most Padawan were. Ashanna's eyes notably shift to Tamara for a brief moment before she continues with answering the hopeful's question.
"Whether from Sith Alchemy or just an object that has been in contact with fluxes of Dark Side energy that the object itself becomes a taint and, ultimately, a conduit for others attuned to the energy to utilize. Necklaces, crystals, lightsabers, armor pieces...even robes. They can hold the properties or the trailing essences of the individual who once owned it." Her eyes finally break from the item in question to fall upon the Padawan, dark orbs calculating his curiosity favorably. "The same is true for the Light, as the objects on top are doing wonderfully in counter-acting the malevolence of the bottom three; in the Force, it's something of a whirlwind of activity and energy."
The query, however, was 'why.' Dominik's aforementioned point was part of the answer: "It was covered, literally covered in glyphs and runes like that."

"There is power in number and shape and geometry. These more raw intellectual vices are commonly associated with powerful dark side alchemy."
"If these are Sith holocrons..or thingies...what are we doing with them?"
"A beautiful question," Ashanna responds, "Curo has testified to the abilities of a single holocron placed within a weak-minded or otherwise ignorant society: it will corrupt it's denizens, assume power, and feast on the negative emotion it itself has wrought. In a cyclical fashion, it gains more and more power, and in our own experiences, even Jedi who had been lured into the area had fallen to it's corruption." She gives Curo an uneasy glance. "It's taint holds...longer lasting effects. It's not to be underestimated or toyed with."
Pacing gently, then, she returns to the case and observes it for a moment or two before continuing.
"They're here to keep them out of the hands of the Order who may fall to corruption, and out of the hands of the malevolent who lust them for power. I've seen what these and those who appropriate them can do. It's not pretty in the slightest."

With a few footsteps aside, she takes a sip of her drink ultimately finishing her first glass and rolls the underbelly of the cup between her delicate fingers.
"Hm. Part of the help that I need is locating items such as these," she begins again, "both of the Light and of the Dark. Tomes, Holocrons, Ancient Weapon Hilts, Crystals, Masks, jewelry...anything, really, that can be held for safekeeping. As I've done my research, I've located the general location of three thus far: a bracelet, the hilt of a forgotten Je'daii, and...of course, another Sith holocron."
Her eyes, then, conform to observe all those present within the room with a striking, piercing gaze - in the brief hold of contact, each would feel the ocean of power that resided calmly beneath Ashanna's waves. She seemed very loving, but at the moment?...Very, very serious.

"That you've come here today means you still have the choice of walking away. I will not fault you, but I will take the memory of this night away from your mind. We work for the betterment of the Light, and after seeing many Jedi fall to the darkness...I dare say none here are excluded from it's temptation. So." Clearing her throat, her aura calms once again and her gentle smile returns.
"The night can continue, and all of you have until the rest of tonight to make your decision."

She knew who would assist and who wouldn't, but did that diminish the freedom of choice? Not in the slightest. Foresight might be a gift, but she would never force anyone to act against their wishes lest said wishes were active in taking away the wishes of another. Ashanna lifts her datapad and begins pressing a few buttons as the relics remained on display for the others to see and experience, and ultimately, she would remain wary for any questions the others may have held.

 

[The Red Hood]

Dominik was quiet throughout most of the proceedings of the next few minutes. He pushed his glass aside, leaning back in his chair, cigar stuck in his mouth but pinched between his index and ring fingers as Ashanna spoke. He was familiar with holocrons, both Sith and Jedi, and had a general understanding of their uses. The holocron were one thing, but that necklace was another. This was his first time seeing something like that, something that had malice clinging to it like meat to bone. After his initial shock at seeing it, he regained his composure, his breathing returning to normal as the meeting went on. Dominik did make note of the young padawan's behavior, the one who had seemed less than thrilled about being there. His initial concern for the boy had been that his misgivings might become a problem in the future. Young people had a tendency not to think past the tip of their nose, and though it was taught to young padawans to learn to control their emotions, so often it proved too difficult a task for them until they matured and became older. If his emotions got the better of him, and he began to question the organization, it could spell trouble. The only reason he thought like this was because at this point, he and the boy were the only wildcards at the table.

Curo had already said he was open to whatever Ashanna had in mind. No surprise there, she was an old friend of his presumably, so they were no doubt as thick as thieves. Her padawan would be of the same mindset. Having had a wonderful master that he had looked up to during his padawan days as well, Dominik could attest to how easily he'd have followed his master to the ends of the galaxy without a second thought. Of the people present, that left him and the boy. Ashanna's speech was well thought out, and he could understand and appreciate her intentions. But that still didn't mean he would have a few more questions.

Leaning forward in his chair again, Dominik removed his hand from his cigar and tapped it against his table. "I've got a question or two for you. I understand what you're saying and where you're coming from. These are very dangerous items, and I agree that they need to be kept from the masses. If one of these found their way into a populated planet, I don't think it's too far fetched to say they could very well influence an entire sentient people. But..." He stopped to take a puff of his cigar, switching it to his left hand as the burning tip drew nearer to it's end. The heat it threw off didn't bother his metallic extension in the slightest, and he proceeded on. "I'm not sure I follow why we must do this in secret. Do you not trust the Order to handle these items properly? Have you not already spoken to them about this matter? Surely they too could see the severity, and I've no doubt that they would indeed take the proper precautions. You've already stated that we are no less susceptible to these items taint... Which begs the question... Do you suspect that someone in the Order would intentionally misuse one of these? You spoke of corruption... but did you mean they will corrupt, or would they cause further corruption...?"

 

[Asinine Soup]

After glimpsing at the datapad she seemed to be keeping closely, Ashanna hears Dominik's sentiment. His questions were very well thought-out, though they were based on the assumption that the Order was the epitome of goodness and that they could, indeed, be trusted. She herself understood the need for Jedi to go to war with the Sith, but when the very makeup of the Order becomes devoted to bloodshed and Masters become 'Jedi Lords' (which she wasn't too convinced herself they weren't a close cousin to that of a Sith Lord), she'd seen the proceedings by which the Jedi operate through. The Order's goals had shifted to that of the war tainting the horizon, as did their focus.
"Do I not trust the Order?...Astute observation: I seldom trust anyone enough with the lives of trillions. There is no one answer to saving several." She was remiss to add that she seldom trusted herself at times, but the ascended intuition she'd been given came in handy in more ways than one. "I've been doing this for some time now - acting on the best interests of the Order in assisting the Padawans, saving lost souls, traveling from one end of the galaxy to the other, exploring non-researched regions for outreach and saving...and the Order and the Council has been playing diplomat with the rising Brotherhood. Understandably, of course."

Her soft bootsteps trail the marble floors, the gentle reflection beneath her heels displaying a twin stride toward the coat hangar near the door; she retrieves her robe from upon it and twirls it on in a fluid gesture before blinking over her shoulder back toward the newly met Jedi Knight.
"This is an ongoing mission, so maybe once progress has been completed thoroughly, I will present my findings. But as you guessed, I do suspect several within the Order would intentionally misuse these - not only that, but it would make our temples, bases, allied planets and regions even more of a focus for attack due to the relics I've pursued and the Sith I've had to deal with.
"I speak of corruption in saying that several Masters - Tamara's former included - teach of duality in the Force...and claim there is nothing wrong in falling to emotion. They claim the core teachings are pointless and limiting because they, themselves, have fallen or are prone to falling. All it would take is the taint of a necklace for them to fight on behalf of the Dark Brotherhood's cause because of their personal vendettas with the Jedi Order's stigmas. So both, in regards to your questions.
"In all, this has become a micro-management of individual persona; there's no predicting how the Council or the Jedi Lord will react, and as such, I will not entertain it. I will seek council when we've made progress, and after said progress is made, I will join them on the battlefield if my assistance is needed."

She couldn't wait to show him the face of the Jedi as she knew it. She'd have to remember to contact the Council and speak with them soon.

 

[Tristyn]

"Curo has testified to the abilities of a single holocron placed within a weak-minded or otherwise ignorant society: it will corrupt it's denizens, assume power, and feast on the negative emotion it itself has wrought. In a cyclical fashion, it gains more and more power, and in our own experiences, even Jedi who had been lured into the area had fallen to it's corruption."

Tamara was amazed at the power that such a simple object had when tainted with the Dark Side. Something like this corrupted entire planets/moons? Sounds like the who ever placed these items where they are was terrible at quarantine. Now look what has happened! This moon is horrible! She also wondered why the Sith haven't placed these objects in Republic worlds, or maybe they have. Coruscant is only slightly better than Nar Shaddaa anyways. Maybe they have one there to?

What if the Jedi did this with their own holocrons? By placing them on Sith worlds maybe they could make the inhabitants less violent and 'dark'. Tamara wouldn't speak up about her thoughts, afraid of sounding stupid.

"They're here to keep them out of the hands of the Order who may fall to corruption, and out of the hands of the malevolent who lust them for power. I've seen what these and those who appropriate them can do. It's not pretty in the slightest."

"Can't these things just be destroyed? They have clearly done enough damage already"

The padawan continued to listen as her master went on about finding these objects, which she kind of expected, judging by what they have been talking about already. Looking for these objects sounded very dangerous though, and no amount of brutal training from her previous master prevented her from getting visibly worried. The thought of what these objects did to the mind and soul was frightening at most.

"The night can continue, and all of you have until the rest of tonight to make your decision."

Tamara was sure Ashanna was going to make her come with her in the search, being her student. She was unsure of what the future would hold for her. Life was starting to get difficult with all the Sith popping up and such, and going on this trip would only add onto her fears. But in the end she was happy to go along with her master. Besides, traveling out of Republic space every now and then was quite fun. Rokuro might be there too, only making it better. She smiled and turned to the boy next to her,"Do you want to come with me?"

 

[Algarus]

This place again. Is all Darva can think as he pushes his way to the front of the line. Not only was he late for meeting a very good friend, he was also uncomfortable with these surroundings. He swore he would never come back to this place, but now she had made him break that promise twice now, but he'd do it again in a heart beat if he meant seeing her happy. A grin crossed his face as he thought about her. He was surprised when he had received the invitation, he knew Ashanna had cleaned out Gahala's bank account, but not that she now owned her own establishment. He was even more surprised when he found out where it was located. As he dropped his name to the bouncer out front, he is even more impressed with the new changes she had made to the place. A small smile crosses his features as he recalls the last time they had came to this dreaded place; being shot at and nearly killed had never been more fun. As he's lead up to the VIP room, he takes a moment to make sure his attire is all in place. He hadn't really dressed up that much, only the bare minimum for wading through the slums; he could dress to kill if he really wanted to, but it wasn't worth being killed in the process on the way over here. As he enters the room, he finds all sorts of people of whom he has never meet. He instantly looks for Ashanna, knowing she can't be too far. He'd rather not stay too long, but he had been longing to be within her company for a few days now. He finally spots her, though she seems occupied at the moment with a few of the other guests. Not having anything better to do, the smuggler slowly makes his way over to her, declining a drink from one of the severer droids as he does so before waiting for a chance to speak.
"Hey beautiful, sorry I'm late. Hope I'm not interrupting anything important."
He starts, his trademark grin evidently seen on his face. He had missed her, and no doubt she could tell right now, but he knew those feelings weren't appropriate for her current company. He was glad to see that this place was already packed despite the new ownership, perhaps Ashanna knew more people than he had originally thought; she wasn't a typical jedi after all.

 

[Viabuck]

To say that Curo became more comfortable as time went on may have proven to be a bit of an understatement. The more that he was exposed to the Sith artifacts, the more ill at ease he would become and the longer that the continuous social complexities that had been woven by Ashanna came to light, the further out from the center of the web that he felt. While perhaps something to ponder later on, the fact that he was lacking in such connections and a small part of the complex whole left him with a curious mixture of emotions that was in no way limited to a hint of insignificance. His Knight counterpart had taken a Padawan, established a foothold on a rather unsavory world, made numerous aquaintences, and..

Another newcomer emerged breaking the Togrutan from his previously established thought process, his blue eyes closing ever so slightly as he examined the newcomer. Judging by his demeanor and what he 'felt' there wasn't any immediate threat to anyone represented by his presence though he did spark the slightest hint of curiosity in the Jedi's mind.

'Beautiful?' he queried himself internally, his eyes shifting from the Ysanna to what was presumed to be human and then back for a moment. He had used terms of familiarity before and yet this one word seemed to be much bolder, perhaps flirtatious in nature and it introduced another element to the already complex equation that had left Curo to ponder. She was withholding artifacts from the order, she had clearly established a number of unique connections both professionally and personally and at the end of the day? It made him feel slightly better about his own failings. While she might never surrender to the dark side in her moments of frustration it seemed as if there were a potential pitfalls that existed in the woman's life that made him feel less like an utter departure from what the Jedi Order stood for.

Still though.. He needed to refocus and get a better grasp on what had just entered the equation. There was no real strength in the force around this one... Not that it likely hadn't swayed his life but there didn't seem to be any linger presence of it that could be easily outwardly detected. This was probably what brought her into the seedier parts of her life. He really wasn't certain he approved but was in no real position to object either. Still there was little for him to say for the moment and plenty of rum to drink as it was poured out for him into his glass.

He had already made his mind up early on and now only had time to contemplate things.. Perhaps to the contrary of what he had originally gone in believing. Perhaps it was pessimism and perhaps it was his tendency to be overly cautious going into encounters but something had begun to nag him in the back of his mind.. Though it would likely never evolve to a point that he would vocalize it. For now a simple tilt of his glass toward the new arrival and a nod would be offered, a suitable outward greeting gesture to someone he had no real prior knowledge of while still maintaining the bare minimum of sociality.

 

[Asinine Soup]

Ashanna felt Darva's presence before he revealed himself to the room. They shared a Force Bond of sorts that was summarily better off unexplained at this moment in time - for now, as he enters and others enjoy the comfort of the room and engage in their own conversations and greets her with a, "Hey beautiful, sorry I'm late." and then something silly about hoping he hadn't interrupted anything, she gives a soft smile. There was a glint in her eye at the compliment that perhaps revealed she didn't depreciate nor take a liking to his spoken testament to his preference for her - but she'd told him before that she knew how he felt, and could constantly feel it, so that facet of his personality she couldn't truly take a grasp of. So she responds with a gaze seemingly rendered not as focused as per the norm due to her drink.
"You actually missed everything. Late as usual," There was a smirk on her lips as it was clear she wished for his chagrin to be mild. She gives him a half-hug, whispers, "I missed you too," in the peak of the embrace, then separates and pats his cheek with her palm. Eyes upon him, she finally states, "Come. I'll introduce you."

She, then, takes the man over to Curo, her Togrutan partner firstly.
"Don't let him intimidate you," she starts with a grin toward Darva, "but Darva? This is Curo. Curo Kaal. Distinguished Knight of the Jedi, expert bladesman, and my closest friend." Her tone was rather loud to compensate for the noise currently within the room joint with the seeping thumping of the club's next popular hit from below. Twisting in her posture, she continues mildly with, "Curo? This is Captain Darva Shangerio. He..." given pause, she smirks and continues, obviously choosing more entertaining verbiage for the introduction, "...saved my life on Tatooine after I crashed in the desert and as we traveled toward the nearest shuttle port, I was able to heal his wounds and discover his Force Sensitivity."
Among other things... she thinks to herself, thinking back on the experience as a whole. Plenty had come from that one adventure, including quite the profound discover that the two's lives were connected in quite an intricate way to begin with. She wouldn't dwell on it, for timekeeping purposes. Maybe they'd indulge in details at a later time.

She'd leave the pair to exchange greetings while looking around the room. The padawan she'd taken in leaves with a wave; for a strange reason, she felt she wouldn't be seeing her again...regardless, Ashanna waves, albeit with a saddened taste in her mouth throughout the departing gesture.
The same gesture would ultimately provide her and her guest a parting gift: their memory of the session would fade into nothingness as when they made to depart, they would recognize that they were leaving, but if a single thought as to what was spoken of was attempted to be gathered, they would then realize that they wouldn't remember a thing. The last thing memorable? Ashanna's smile, copacetic wave, and the faintness of her invasive Force abilities that were able to crush a mind tenderly, instead, willing to take the memories and discard them as though they never happened.
"I'll catch you up on the purpose of this meeting in a few minutes, Captain." she indicates with a nod that sends her earrings dancing about in the amber light. Formality was important, as future lessons would surely demonstrate the necessity to guard one's feelings in the face of daily life, let alone adversity.

Her stride would likely, then, lead the late arrival toward Dominik to introduce the two next, though as a flashing light upon her datapad gathers her attention, she had a feeling it was likely time to begin to call this meeting to a conclusion.

 

[Cheshire]

Rokuro was usually okay with new people yet this man that had entered the meeting was rather odd, he didn't seem to be Jedi material at all. The mannerisms were completely off for a stereotypical knight.

"Hey beautiful, sorry I'm late. Hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

Beautiful? Were they a thing? It was only confirmed with the whispering and the half hug. It was a hidden couple move. Yet he knew that they probably didn't disclose that yet, so he simply pretended to be oblivious. Though he noticed Tamara get up and leave, he felt sad. He didn't want to go just yet, so he stayed in his chair.

(OOC sorry for the crappy post)