Ask Onderon Side Of The Law

[Rya]

Rya sat in silence thoughtfully considering the woman’s words. Maybe it was simply her way of thinking, or maybe she was judging the situation correctly, but she couldn’t help but see their exchange as a test of some kind. She hated getting anything less than a perfect score on tests.

“I’m obviously not strong in my own personal ability or in connections yet. Having my name attached to the Jedi at least for now gives me credibility and the backing of a large organization in the event I end up in a tight spot.” She knew the Jedi didn’t sacrifice their own as carelessly as the average military does. It made them good allies for the moment.

“At the same time, I know all too well from my own experience as I’ve expressed to you that sticking to one people’s interpretation and application of the Great Presence means missing out on a wealth of knowledge.” She wouldn’t make that same mistake again. Even now she couldn’t help but seethe at the thought of how much more proficient she could be at her age had she been given the proper training.

If she’s opened her mind. She broke contact with Venatrix for a moment and sifted through the miscellaneous gear on her belt. Hopefully one of them would prove useful now. She held out a small knife and thought I hope this works. And with that, cut a slash across her palm. She let out a hiss but focused instead on the woman in front of her.

As droplets of blood began to fall she said “Open my mind.”

@Phoenix​

 

[Arla]

Arla supposed it made sense, and she had to remind herself that she, too, had required backing from her Sisters and then the Sith. It wasn't until now that she had started trying to build her own "ship" to borrow their earlier analogy.

True, she admitted. If she was set in her path, then Arla wouldn't stop her. Perhaps she would simply keep her mind open in the future.

What the Jedi did next, Arla was not expecting.

The Jedi pulled out a knife and slit it across her hand, and Arla just stared at her, having no idea what she was supposed to do with that. Very dramatic, though if it was designed to get her attention, it had done that.

You didn't need to cut yourself, you could have just asked, Arla said, handing over something for the woman to clean herself up with.

If your goal is to simply connect more deeply with the Shadow, then you need to reach deep within yourself and pull out the fire that burns inside you, she said. It was how the Nightsisters - and even the Sith - were taught to access the Force and it was contrary to everything the Jedi taught.

@Pazaakly

 

[Rya]

Rya didn't skip a beat, simply taking what she was given to wipe her hand clean. She had no clue as to how this woman's powers worked so she was completely prepared to be wrong. "Negative information is still information." She said. Knowing what couldn't be done was equally as valuable as what was possible. Only less exciting or interesting most of the time.

She looked at the increasingly mysterious woman quizzically at her next statement. At first simply appreciating the curiosity of how many different terms existed for the same concept. The Great Presence, The Force, The Shadow etc. She made a mental note of the newest term added to her list. Aside from that, she wasn't sure what she meant by pulling out her fire.

Seeking a better understanding she asked "I don't believe I understand what you're saying. Is this 'fire' you speak of another way to describe my connection to the Grea-- sorry, the shadow? Is it my ambition? Or something else?" She sat in a meditative stance but stayed present mentally for now and looked to Venatrix to see if she approved.

She was looking for some sign if this was something people of the huntress' discipline did as well or if it was more a practice of the Jedi specifically. Again, seeking knowledge.

@Phoenix​

 

[Arla]

Arla found herself wondering about this Jedi. She didn't trust her nor was she sure why she was spending her time on this. Again, she was wondering, but she was already deep enough into it that there was no reason to quit. If the woman did something off Arla could always just kill her and move on.

It can be ambition. Emotion, ambition... whatever it is that makes you bother to get up every day, she said. It was the thing that drove her - whatever that was - that she had to cultivate. She had to push herself toward it until it was all-consuming, and once she did that, she would begin to tap into the Force for real for the first time.

Of course, this line of thinking was decidedly antithetical to Jedi teachings, but that didn't bother Arla. Frankly, Arla found any limitations on how people used the Force to be somewhat absurd. If the Force allowed it, then it was fair game.

@Pazaakly

 

[Rya]

Rya was determined to see this through. She couldn't be left in the dark about her own capabilities. Not again. She turned inward once more, doing her best to envision what the woman told her. Pull out the fire, she had said. What was her fire? She began to work her way through the life path she projected for herself.

Completing various trials as she progressed in her apprenticeship with the Jedi Order. Finding new ways to utilize her connection to the Great Presence. Then she would be granted knighthood. More responsibility and more power. She could take on a student of her own she could instill her ideals into. It would be a trial run, a testing of the waters that she'd wish to do with the Order as a whole.

She would fight in battles, if there was no such conflict she would put her own into motion. A battle-tested soldier was always superior to one in practice. She could not accomplish what she desired if her abilities were not sharpened through such undertakings. She would gain prominence until she was made a Master, and from then on it would be her focus to cultivate as many supporters of the changes she wanted made to the Order as a whole.

She was thinking logically. Tactically. She felt no closer than when she'd started. The thought experiment suddenly felt overly long. How much time had she spent sitting there with her eyes closed? Nerves set in. Did she look like a fool? Was the bounty hunter even still there? What would the consequences be if she failed? She shut her eyes harder, trying to fight away these emotions. She couldn't fail, not now. She had to know.

Her shoulders longed for a calming presence. If only the huntress would ease her concerns with a knowing touch. It was a touch she wouldn't be afforded. The cave was feeling increasingly cold. Was it a product of the night taking hold? Had Venatrix put out the flame and absconded with Vizsla somehow? Alone. That's what she was, either way. Her mental images began to blur and soon she would be staring at nothing more than the inside of her eyelids as resignation crept up on her.

Suddenly, her eyes opened. Something was off. The vision she saw next was bright white but her eyes had not need for even the slightest adjustment. Then she felt that loving hand on her shoulder. Startled, she turned to see who it was: it was her mother. It was a relived memory, one that caused her eyes to let tears stream down her face in reality. "It's okay, Khrya. There's always next time." Her mother said soothingly. Rya had just come out of a simulator made by the Navigator's Guild that day. Her mother was trying to teach her the ropes so she could join them one day as well.

There's always next time. The words seemed to echo in her ears as if to mock her. It was a lie. Her mother was gone. There would be no more lessons. Gone because of the Ascendancy. The same Ascendancy that punished her father for trying to save his wife. The same one that seemed to have no issue passing judgement on its own yet could never fathom striking out at the true threats beyond their borders. The whole system was broken. The people were broken.

All those emotions came raging forward, the sadness of her mother's loss, the anger at the rules that had destroyed her family, the need to take control and ensure no one felt what she did now ever again. The need to tear a whole in the entire galaxy and throw all its useless aspects down into the void never to be seen again. It all came over her and engulfed the young chiss. Like a shadow.

@Phoenix​

 

[Arla]

Arla just waited there for a few moments as the woman closed her eyes. She sat like that and it just kept going on, so Arla busied herself with the "right of salvage." Although some bounties that was the only payout, in this case there were others. In fact, "right of salvage" was really just stealing in this case, but that was stupid semantics as far as Arla was concerned. Who was the government to decide that?

She grabbed a variety of blades and blasters that the hunter kept around, packing up anything she decided looked valuable into the Mandalorian's speeder.

Then she threw the Mandalorian into the trunk and closed the hatch. When the Jedi finally snapped out of it, Arla would be up and about, seemingly not noticing that she'd finally snapped out of it.

What Arla did notice was the slight shift in the room. Not anything huge, but a subtle move as the woman seemed to be filled with something darker. Arla didn't say anything, but continued going about her business until the Jedi decided to say something or finish processing what she was feeling.

@Pazaakly

 

[Rya]

When her eyes finally opened again, Rya couldn't believe what she saw. To her the only difference in scenery was the fact that Venatrix was walking around casually as if nothing had happened. The tears that lined her cheeks grew hot and stung that much more. Under different circumstances the chiss may have seen this as a failure. A test she couldn't complete. That would have been logical.

She was far past that. She had just opened herself up to still raw and painful memories, letting all that heartache and sorrow she'd crossed half the galaxy to distance herself from take hold of her once more... and for what? For the approval of this one random bounty hunter who couldn't be bothered to notice? Forget logic, she was already in such an emotional state that lashing out was the only true course of action.

"Is this some kind of game to you? A prank?" She spat in her direction. Who cares if she angered the only other conscious person in this cave. She certainly didn't, closing the distance between the two of them as she wished her stare could kill. "What do you want from me, entertainment? Lord your power over me for your own satisfaction?"

Her voice continued to climb in volume. She was now within reach of the bounty hunter. She almost forgot that Venatrix had shown how capable she was in combat, that so many of her abilities remained unknown to Rya, that if they came to blows it would surely be her end. Almost. She tempered her rage to just below the blinding variety so she wouldn't make a fatal mistake, instead continuing to stare her down awaiting a response.

@Phoenix​

 

[Arla]

Arla only now turned to actually fully lock her attention on the other woman. She was experiencing emotions she had never faced before, and now she just needed to use it to actually focus into the Force.

She was approaching Arla now, but her face didn't change nor did the Nightsister back up. Accusations began to fly, but Arla didn't care. Maybe she was right, maybe she'd just done this for her own entertainment. She had her hesitations that the girl could be a useful asset. She lacked the killer's edge, but she might be able to be taught that with time.

Now put that anger into the Force. Unleash it, she said. She wasn't sure if it would require the woman being physically assaulted, but Arla held onto that in her back pocket for the moment. She'd do it if she thought it would help. The best way to draw out a primal response was to put someone in a desperate situation.

@Pazaakly

 

[Rya]

Rya openly rolled her eyes at the woman in front of her. Great, more hoops to jump through, she thought. Still, she had come this far, if nothing else came from this she’d just pull out her blaster and shoot her. For now, she tried to focus this emotion into the Great Presence in any way possible.

She thought of all the times she’d called on it before. Every path it had laid out for her, every groove in hyperspace it etched for her to follow. The Chiss was unaware of the fact that she had started pacing in small lines along the cave, subconsciously reliving them. It was pointless, the more she did it the more tempered her anger became.

Those days were simple, she had a timetable and she stuck to it. Her life consisted of Point A and Point B. Now things weren’t as cut and dry. Everything had gotten more complicated, more troubling. But the same expanded scope that brought conflict to her life brought opportunity along with it as well.

This Venatrix was just another obstacle in her path. This recontextualización was all she needed. All the frustration came back and with greater force. On the huntress’ shoulders was all of Rya’s frustration, pain, and turmoil.

What came next wasn’t a conscious decision, but a reflex born from this newfound feeling. She was tired of seeing this woman in front of her so naturally she reached out her hand and sent out a push with the Force for the first time, trying to send her flat on her back.

 

[Arla]

Arla expected her to lash out because it was exactly what she was trying to provoke. When the Jedi - or maybe not so much of a Jedi anymore - reached into the Force and attacked the Nightsister, Arla threw up her hand and a shimmer of green energy flashed between them, absorbing the hit and dissipating the energy between the two of them.

Papers and items scattered across the room with the force of the blast.

And now you've touched the real potential of the Force, she said. Now the question is what you're going to do with it and what you want to change with it, she said. Of course, it wasn't really just that simple. There was a lot more to cultivate, but it was the first step.

Our target is in the trunk, and we should return him and get the bounty, she said, heading in the direction of the garage to leave.

@Pazaakly

 

[Rya]

Rya watched her focused energy dissipate into nothingness between them, at a loss for words. Coming down from the emotional high she could acknowledge that of course she was never going to land such a telegraphed attack on this huntress. Even so she was left deeply unsatisfied. After getting so worked up just to not really get any shots in of her own it was a hard feeling to avoid.

She wasn't ready to speak again. She heard Venatrix's words, and went along with what she said. Wordlessly shuffling towards the garage. Sitting in the speeder as it came to life and drove out.

As they made their way back towards civilization she started to feel better. The breeze of the open speeder and crisp cool air played a part. In addition to the familiar hum of a vehicle's engine, akin to the feeling of having a pet purr in one's lap to Rya.

The city lights were starting to appear and multiply on the horizon when Rya finally spoke again. Looking straight ahead instead of at Venatrix she said "Will I ever see you again?" She could've asked any of the other thousands of questions she had been working through during their ride, but no. That was the only one she really needed an answer to.

She knew what she wanted, and she knew her aptitude with the Great Presence would naturally grow with time and training. But, as unconventional as her approach had been, this Venatrix had pushed and motivated her more in a single day than she'd felt in all her time with the Jedi Order to that point. "Either way, thank you." She said simply.

@Phoenix​

 

[Arla]

Arla drove in silence through the jungle and back in the direction of the city. Her mind was turning over a variety of things: the money she was about to earn, where to turn over this gear, how to turn Apex into something of value to the galaxy, and even where this Jedi might fall into it all.

That was when the Chiss finally broke the silence between them. That depends, she said. Arla didn't know the future, and the amount they would or wouldn't work together would be dependent on the path the other woman chose to walk. And how much what Arla had just taught her gnawed at her. It wasn't a way of tapping into the Force that the Jedi would approve of or allow.

If you get tired of the Jedi restricting what you're allowed to do and say and be, then maybe our paths will cross again, she said. She let the statement hang in the air. The other woman was still a Jedi, after all, and contract killing, mercenary work, and the like was all too sticky. She was still idealistic for now.

Arla continued to drive until they began to pull into the city, slowing from the near-suicidal pace she had been making to a more reasonable city-pace that wouldn't get her pulled over as she finally pulled into the security station where she'd be able to turn in her bounty.

@Pazaakly

 

[Rya]

Rya nodded almost absent-mindedly as Venatrix spoke. It would take several days to truly unpack it all. She had only known of the Jedi for a couple months and didn't have a strong connection to them as a result, and yet the idea of abandoning them so soon felt off.

For the vast majority of her life she'd served a single army, and only a truly devastating event severed her from her envisioned lifepath. Was it realistic to imagine finding that same zeal all over again? Or was she destined to never truly belong to one people again?

The galaxy had a lot more to offer than she had imagined, and the student in her wanted to examine all of it. The Great Presence or Force or Shadow or any other name attached to it. Its reach was universal yet touched different cultures in vastly different ways. She had to try and learn as much as possible, anything less would be a disservice to herself.

Part of that journey had to include the Jedi. Being such an ancient organization their archives and traditions were invaluable not only for growing her understanding of herself but to contextualize the other sects of the galaxy as well. She couldn't burn that bridge as Venatrix seemed to imply she'd be doing. She wasn't ready, not yet.

Rya fell into a pseudo-meditation as the city lights flashed past her at a barely legal speed. She again went silent for a minute, going through the motions of carrying Vizsla into the security station. Watching Venatrix collect her reward. Leaving the security station and uncharacteristically putting off writing her report to the Jedi for later. She knew she wouldn't be able to give them the full story of what had transpired so it would take more time to curate her report accordingly.

Her second bout of thousand yard staring when she felt the Great Presence return to her comfortingly. She stood a little straighter and before they parted ways she said "Our paths will cross again. I can feel it. Safe travels, Ven." She added the last part tongue-in-cheek. She wasn't the type to give nicknames, but she figured she'd give it a try on this day of many firsts. With that she set off towards the spaceport, confident she'd find the right path forward as she always did.

@Phoenix​