To Truly Fall

[Rhea]

Slipping out of the Jedi Temple on Ossus, amid the pandemonium wrought by the death of a Jedi Master, was relatively easy, Rhea decided. Her trappings and the blankness of her mind gave the Jedi scouring the temple for Alais Drast no reason to suspect that there was another threat lurking about. Only two minds had been perceptive enough to discover her, but the only one that was even remotely a threat would not be quick enough to stop the coming storm.

She slipped out into the temple grounds, passed scores of frantic Jedi, and marched out into the Ossus wilderness. But she was not yet ready to depart. First, there were other matters that needed to be tended to. The girl needed to be found and taken off-world before the Jedi found her and completed what their ill-fated Councilor could not. Fortunately, Rhea had once been a librarian and historian here on Ossus. She knew the wilderness as well as any Jedi did. She knew that there was abandoned structures out in the woods within which one could hide. She suspected that she would find the girl there, or some place close.

However, rather than play a prolonged game of cat-and-mouse, within which every second could mean that the Jedi were closing in to snatch their prey, Rhea decided to ensure that she would meet the no-doubt frightened girl. Once she was far enough into the wilderness to be out of range of the Jedi, safely submerged within the forests, teeming with life, she opened herself up to the Force and searched for that unmistakeable presence she felt in the trial room. If the girl was smart—and Rhea had no doubt that she was—then she was likely hiding herself within the Force.

Still, Rhea projected a single thought. An idea, that would take shape in the girl's mind, if her mind was a willing one, in the sound of her own voice, so soft and inviting—and yet also compelling: :: Come. ::

@Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Andraste]

It had been a few hours since Alais and Kal had escaped from the temple. They still hadn’t found a way to get off planet, not with Jedi patrolling around their ships specifically for this reason. She had found a shack, but that was only a temporary shelter before the two were on the move again. Alais found other clothing that was better suited for travel than her eloquent dress that was ruined by mud and her own fiddling during the trial.

She began to make her way through the woods, intending to find a spaceport on foot. That was when she heard that word, that single word. It was haunting and exploded like an echo within the chambers of her mind. It was a familiar presence, and she had felt it during the trial. She knew it was not one of the people she had called a friend before, and that only piqued her curiosity further. Alais grasped Kal’s arm to stop him from moving on, “Wait,” She couldn’t be sure if this was a safe bet, but she surmised that she and Kal could take on anyone at this point, “Someone is trying to reach out.”

Alais closed her eyes and remained where she stood, focusing all her energies on pinpointing where the voice came from. She saw the world around her, saw the blades of grass, smelled the air, heard the subtle chirping of birds, heard Kal’s still erratic heartbeats, the subtle flapping of wings as birds flew by, all in almost slow motion. And amidst it all, she could focus on it, almost like a dark cloud. That was where it came from, and she began to almost absentmindedly walk towards it.

She walked towards the woods, spotting a dark figure in the distance. Alais came to a stop several feet away, eyeing the woman for a moment, “I’m going to guess you have no intention of turning me in. You’d be very foolish if so,” She looked around, confirming she was alone before looking at her again, “Why have you called me?”

@Phoenix @Malon

 

[Darth Kravos]

Kal's mind could have easily remained a whirlwind of confusion and emotion, but he knew that there was still business at hand, and this would all be for naught if the two of them were captured and killed. Actually, he had little delusions at this point about the Jedi wanting to capture them at all. He knew that inevitably, they would try to kill the two for what had happened.

They had set out from the shack, Kal's heart still racing, and headed to try to find a way out when she grabbed his arm. He looked back at her, seeing that she had felt something, though he didn't know what. The call was not directed to him. He watched as she reached out to the Force, looking for guidance to whoever wanted them.

It was only moments later when she seemed to have found what she was looking for and marched off toward their... destination? It was as good a word as any, since Kal didn't know what they were going to find. With any luck, it would be help, but luck didn't seem to be on their side today. Still, the Force had gotten them this far.

As they approached the woman, he reached out, sensing her and their surroundings. He sensed no outright malice toward the pair, and no one else for miles. They were as isolated as they could be. Still, there was something familiar. A twinge of someone he recognized, but even that presence was immediately associated with the negative. All snapped into place within an instant and he quirked his head to the side, looking directly at the old woman. It was you, he said, more a statement than a question. You were the one in my head at the trial. He wasn't sure he could explain precisely how he knew, but he could feel it. This woman had known perhaps before anyone else did, what Kal would do.

 

[Rhea]

"Do not let my choice of apparel fool you, young one, as it did so many of the Jedi in the temple," Rhea said, when at last the girl was in front of her. "Your initial deduction of me is correct. I do not intend to hand you over to the Jedi. Such an act would be a waste, when the Force has provided such a gift."

Around that time, the male specimen recognized her, to which she rewarded him with the faintest of smirks beneath the white cowl she wore always over her head. "Ah, you recognize me," she said matter-of-factly, rather than in question. "Good - then you are more perceptive than I initially gave you credit. Yes, I am the one who touched your mind during the proceedings earlier. I needed to get a feel for you — for the part that you played in all of this — and your mind was so open, so inviting, and your emotions on full display." She took the moment to chastise him. "Guard your thoughts more closely next time, Master Jedi. There are forces at work that would use them against you."

She took a moment's pause to truly get a look at them. The girl was indeed young. She didn't appear a day over eighteen, and yet, Rhea could see that the things she had seen—the things she had done—wore heavily upon her. Power flickered, like a black flame, and crackled, like the lightning she'd used to slay Master Ryell Vao, behind her now-putrid yellow eyes. There was much she had to learn, but that made her all the more perfect to Rhea. She was a canvas with which the most exquisite of paintings could be made.

The male was less spectacular. He was much older than her and the battles he had taken part in, the horrors he had wrought, even just this day, seemed to weigh down his broad shoulders. There was a quiet power behind his own eyes. Not as wild and expansive as the girl's, and, yet, she sensed that it was similarly potent. He certainly deserved the rank of Jedi Master, though his feelings for the girl might have compromised things had they been revealed at an earlier date.

She chose to focus on Alais: "As it happens, I am here to rescue you," Rhea explained. "As peculiar as it sounds, the currents of the Force have brought me to this world, at this time, for a reason. And though I did not know it upon my arrival, your actions earlier have made my purpose here crystal clear."

@Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Andraste]

Alais was unaware of her own eyes being yellow, and she couldn’t help but catch the woman’s gaze lingering on hers for a moment. There was something icy about that look, something that chilled her to the bones. Was this how the monster within her made others feel? Right now, the human side of her was surfaced, and the destructive one was chained back once more.

She heard Rhea out, more and more surprised by her words. There was wisdom in them, and yet she knew the woman was not a Jedi. She was attuned to the Force, and yet there was nothing to suggest she valued or followed any Jedi principles. Alais waited till she finished speaking before quirking an eyebrow in suspicion, “Rescue me? Wouldn’t it be wiser to try to kill me?” Alais wasn’t oblivious to the fact that she was a danger to the galaxy.

She paused for a moment, weighing her words carefully, “My actions earlier resulted in the death of a man that upheld the traditions of Jedi and served as a guiding force to people I once called my brethren. I have no pride for what I did back there, and it was done out of necessity,” Alais grimaced, looking down, “I will never be able to return to those I once cared for as a result.”

Bitterness was in her voice as she spoke. Alais looked up to meet Rhea’s gaze again, “So tell me, what purpose could you have that balances itself atop foundations so cruel and fraught with tragedy and deceit? Are you intending to rescue me from these shackles only to put me in others?"

@Phoenix @Malon

 

[Darth Kravos]

Kal was gaining a rapid understanding of who this woman was. She was certainly no Jedi, which he took to then mean she was an Exile. Right or wrong, this was the assumption he operated on, but what of it? Kal was an Exile now too, he had to remind himself. What was the point in judging these others? He knew the truth was that whether he was now one of them or not, his disdain for many of them still ran deep. Just because the Jedi were guilty, didn't make the others innocent.

He couldn't tell if the look the woman now gave him was one of disdain, but he knew if he were to give one in return it would be one of suspicion. He knew that in the coming days there would be many coming to Alais for her power. There were many who would know of the growing darkness in her, and he knew that there were those who would try to destroy her for it. Whether this woman was one of them remained to be seen, but he knew that he wasn't going to let that happen.

He remained silent as the two had their discussion, learning what he could and filing away the information for later use in one manner or another. Whatever Alais had once been to him, she was her own woman now, and clearly able to speak for herself.

While nothing this woman said could be taken at face value, as far as Kal was concerned, if there was a chance of passage off this world and away from those who were certainly out to hunt them, it might possibly be worth the investigation. If time showed that they were to be hunted by this one, then that would be dealt with when it came.

Of course, all of this was under the very guise of the woman's advice. His mind was sealed, cut off from probing, and his face was straight, not revealing anything of the thoughts the Shadow had. @Malon @Sreeya

 

[Rhea]

"Kill you?" Rhea could hardly hide her amusement. "No, I do not desire to kill you. If I wished you dead, there are many ways I could go about it that would not put me face-to-face with you in this place. Certainly, there are many Jedi back at the temple who would wish for such an opportunity—any one of them would suffice. Instead, I come to you alone."

The girl was unbalanced. On some level, she regretted what she had done. The implications of it all. But, Rhea knew, this was a temporary thing. With the proper guidance — the right nudge at the right time — she would embrace her actions and what she was becoming. And then she would be unstoppable.

"The death of Master Vao was, indeed, unfortunate," Rhea admitted. "But the act of killing him unburdened you. Freed the power that had, for so long, been bottled within." She looked perplexingly down upon the girl. "Ah, but you cared about them, didn't you? The weeping girl on the judgement stand; the tiny fox screaming your name as you fled down the hall; perhaps even the little green frog, so valiant and brave despite his diminutive stature."

"If you truly care for them, then cast such feelings aside. What you have done has put them in a place of great adversity and will make them stronger as a result," she explained. "You must walk a different path. Surely you have felt as much by now. But, if you have not, I will spell it out for you so that it is clear."

"The Jedi Council was right to fear you. Not because you realized the limitations of their dogma — which, itself, is a applaudable — but because you are a leader and, perhaps, something more. Perhaps you noticed it in your companions." She gestured broadly towards Kal. "This one dances in your shadow for your favor. He worships you, I think, despite being much older and presumably wiser. The others, in the temple, forsook their Jedi training to defend you before their peers—ignoring all reason. Your charisma is contagious. Your power is growing by the day, yet it already eclipses many of the Masters in the Order."

She paused for the briefest of moments. Then: "I have no purpose for you and I will put no further chains upon you. I merely wish for you to survive and continue growing. In the meantime, I will serve you, advise you, teach you—for there is much about the Force that you do not yet understand."

@Phoenix @Sreeya

 

[Andraste]

Alais winced as Rhea detailed the events of the council which were still so fresh on her mind. Mentioning her crying and Fennex jumping down, all of it played in her mind as Rhea spoke. It took every fiber of her being not to shout at her to stop, the wounds still so fresh. However, Rhea’s intention was never to dwell on that. She focused on those facts to bring truths to light. Truths Alais hadn’t seen for herself before.

As Rhea spoke about Kal as someone that worshiped her, Alais purposely didn’t look at him. She knew he’d bristle at the comments, but now was not the time to bicker about that. She kept her golden eyes trained on Rhea. She hadn’t thought of those perspectives before. Other Jedi were willing to throw years of their teachings to the wind to jump to her defense. Perhaps she hadn’t been so alone after all? Was that charisma or simple friendship?

By the time Rhea finished speaking, her mind was abuzz with a million thoughts. Much of what Rhea said was news to her, and she had missed things so plainly in front of her face. At the end of it, Alais simply sighed, “I do need guidance. I’m not too prideful to admit that,” She chewed nervously on her lip, “There are a lot of expectations of me and I feel so broken…so lost and alone.. Why would anyone follow me? What would I lead them to?” She recalled the visions she had seen of the older version of herself, the vision that sent a chill down the Councilor’s spine. The vision he believed to be a prophecy. She couldn’t even imagine where to begin or why.

Nevertheless, as she spoke, she began to walk, clearly indicating for Rhea to lead them towards her ship.

@Phoenix @Malon

 

[Darth Kravos]

Kal listened to the woman and within moments had his answer as to wether she was a pretentious and insufferable... nope, wasn't going to use that word. While this fresh new part of him that didn't know restraint might have wanted to lash out, he knew that that would accomplish nothing, so instead he simply ignored her, rolling his eyes and holding his tongue as they walked to the ship.

Was she right? Was that all he was? An insufferable brute destined to live in her shadow? No, while he may have loved her (something even he was loathe to potentially admit in his mind even now), he would not let himself be defined by this woman who knew nothing of him. His resolve would remain unshaken until she showed her true colors.

And show them, she would. Advise Alais? Teach Alais? Yeah, Kal wasn't buying that from the woman as far as he could throw her. She wanted something, and once Kal figured out what it was, perhaps it would be time to deal with her. For now, they needed her to get off world.

 

[Rhea]

"Do you really not see it?" Rhea asked, feigning exasperation and placing her hands on her hips. "They follow you because your mere presence serves as an example to them. Think back to your early adventures carefully. Do you see the patterns in their behavior? The strength in it? Influence is power, and you wear power as if you were born into it. Lesser beings are naturally drawn to such power. They desire to follow it." She paused. "As for why you must lead them, that is a decision only you can make. But I would advise you not to squander your gifts."

She allowed the girl a moment to process the information and eyed the male. At the moment, he was unreadable, but she did not find it unreasonable to suspect that he did not like her. Her other allies seemed fiercely protective of her and he had gone far enough to join her in betrayal. He would not allow her to get close to Alais. Or, at least, Rhea suspected, he would do his best to protest it. But Alais was in control here. Rhea sensed that much. And if the male interfered? He could be dealt with, given enough time.

"Listen to me and hear what I have to say: yours is a handicap that is common among some strong in the Force," she explained. "They neglect their skills. Those Force-sensitives that go on to truly achieve greatness are those who manage to maintain some grounding to the more physical aspects of the galaxy. Some go on to become ace pilots, while yet others become expert mechanics. You have the proclivity for charisma and leadership." She paused again, but when she spoke again there was something more purposeful about her voice. "Do not doubt that a galaxy may be conquered with words. A republic overthrown... an empire made." She glanced down at the girl. "You simply need a teacher to complete your skills and teach you the things about the Force that the Jedi would not."

@Phoenix @Sreeya