Ask Trapped in Transit

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

The dull hum of the ship had phased out of her conscious thought, though it was perhaps not so much the meditation that had allowed for all the residual sounds of the ship as it traversed its course through the labyrinth of solar storms and asteroid fields. It was the swelling depths of the dark void that the Sith Lord was gazing into, as her mind traversed further into deeper darkness, all of the senses around her felt as if it were being consumed by the void itself. The Sith Lord, narrowed her milky white eyes as she increased her focus and concentrated on the large archaic glass orb that sat in front of her, allowing for her own energies to reach out and pour into the sphere, giving a brief moment of flickering life to the swirling blue fire that had manifested within its core. Seeking to achieve even but another few minutes of clarity within the visions that were manifesting themselves within her meditations.

Despite being surrounded by an astral darkness, buried in the deep and darkest depths of the Darkside of the Force, with the malevolence of the Darkside's will pulling at her, temping her and drawing the Sith's mind towards its intent - the blonde's own mind and Will forcing out and dismissing the whispered sweet nothings that attempted to lure her, instead resisting the pulling currents and focusing in on the faint strand of the Force that she had pulled on and followed countless times as she had traversed down the proverbial rabbits hole of her meditations - each time offering a faint glimmer of clarity. So far there had been a mixture of flashing images of temples washed in flame, a star or illuminescant planet falling into the darkness, and a sweeping tide of a black thick tar that consumed all within its path.

With a sudden snap, the blonde emerged from her meditation, before blinking for a few moments as her eyes phased back into their normal state, the blonde Sith took a deep breath, before rising up to her full height and stepping away - her gaze looking out of the transparisteel porthole of her quarters, regarding the swirling blue vortex of a collapsing pulsar for a moment, before making a move out of her quarters and towards the helm of the ship. Stepping through into the bridge compartment, her eyes panning over the Zeltron Jedi captive for a brief moment before taking her own seat near the helm console and calling up the navigation charts on her dataslab, her eyes narrowing for a brief moment as she intently and silently studied the various planets and systems.

"Adjust the course to these co-ordinates" Alyse spoke out as she pointed towards the corresponding system being displayed on her star chart. Her eyes looking up to meet Kori's for a tense moment before, her gaze shifted towards and through the transparisteel view port. A sigh escaping her lips as she sunk back into the depths of her seat, as she raised her feet up and rested them atop of the console. "Still nothing of clarity just yet, a few vague images of a sunken cave at the edge of a cliff line, and a pit of darkness within the core of light" added as she rolled her head to the side to look towards the Jedi Master beside her, who the Sith could only imagine must be feeling like she was being dragged along on a wild bantha chase into the deepest and darkest depths of the Unknown regions.

@Catbert

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

Kori's predicament was rather awkward. Still unarmed and technically in Sith custody, the Jedi Master had a fine line to thread. A step too far could lose the Zeltron what little freedom she retained, and lead to an unjustified massacre of innocent Bakurans just to spite the Jedi. That's why Nykoria hasn't attempted to flee the shackle-less prison. She also couldn't really refuse "an offer" of Governor Alyse Ti'Varnus—an undercover Sith who was responsible for keeping her prisoner, and had chosen a rather unorthodox way to go about it.

In fact, there were many unorthodox things about Alyse. She didn't fit the bill of a stereotypical violent darksider. The worst thing Nykoria had seen from her was a glare that could make even fleet officers back off, when the Sith wanted things done her way. Even Kori had a hard time withstanding it. But the glare and authoritative tendencies weren't inherently Sith; the Zeltron Jedi had met other politicians with similar traits, if not worse. Even the fabled Dark Side aura didn't seem like a thing... Until this trip at least.

While Alyse was away in her quarters for meditations, the Dark Side permeated the ship like a sickening black grease. The Zeltron sighed and closed her eyes ,seeking to wall herself off the surroundings and focus on the light within her. A simple technique employed by Padawans and Master alike, with various degrees of success. When going to dark places, it allowed one not to be consumed by the encroaching negativity. Like a space suit or hygiene of sorts. And lately, after being held at places like Ellora, Nykoria had become better at warding off the surrounding darkness. All in all, a tolerable inconvenience for the moment.

The Sith Lord's arrival wasn't unexpected: the darkness had subsided, and the Jedi Master could very well hear the woman's every step as she approached the bridge. Nykoria remained sitting in her meditative pose, seemingly unperturbed and with eyes closed. Only once Alyse told her to adjust the course did the Zeltron open her eyes and assume a normal position in her seat. She reacted to the request silently, as if she was just passing a spoon over the dining table. The ship changed its direction, heading towards the requested destination.

The way Alyse looked at Kori made it clear that the Sith was met with yet another failure. Or at least with the lack of success. But who could blame her? "The Force is never clear about things," the Zeltron replied with what could be perceived as a reproach for the cryptic ways of the universe. Despite that, Kori didn't seem discouraged. More than anything, she was just a little tired from the long journey; as evidenced by her leaning back in her seat. "At least there is a silver lining: you'll recognize the 'where', should we get there."

And yet, despite the fruitlessness of the endeavor so far, there was something that compelled Kori to tag along and keep at it. The Sith clearly had felt that something, or else the two unlikely companions wouldn't have ended up in the middle of nowhere. "Now, if only I knew more about the 'what', life would be so much easier."

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

Turning her attention away from the view of the various chaotic stellar features of the unknown regions around them, the blonde Sith lord turned her attention to the Jedi, nodding briefly for a moment in response to the Zeltron's comments, and offering a brief flicker of a smile before her attention returned back out to the endless sea of night around them - her features darkening slightly as she pursed her lips in thought. "Have you ever set foot on Malachor V?" Alyse questioned, as her gaze remained fixed through the transparisteel view port. "Or even what have the Jedi taught you of Malachor?" She added as her gaze returned back to meet the Zeltron's.

The Sith lord figured it would be best to question what the Jedi knew of the world, and the effects that an ancient dooms day weapon had on the world. Not to gauge how the Order had painted the history of the world, but more to ascertain what Kori knew of the planet and it's presence within the Force. After all for most within the Galaxy, both Force sensitive and not - Malachor and its dark ancient history was perhaps as considered as much as a taboo as the open embrace of the Darkside was by a Jedi.

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

Suddenly, Kori narrowed her eyes, as her gaze darted towards the Sith. Malachor? The name alone was bad news. Despite being ancient history, there was a reason why that planetwas used as an expletive throughout the Galaxy. Was that the place that Alyse had chosen as their destination?

"No, I have not," the reply came across with a certain gravity and abruptness. Only then did the Zeltron eased up a bit, offering some elaboration: "For all I know, the entire system is a wasteland. The planet was once held by the Sith. A battle took place, everyone died. As for Malachor V... I think there was an asteroid field with a few planetoids, one of which may have housed a Sith temple. Sources are conflicting and vague on that one. But it's normal for a millenia-old story."

Nykoria paused briefly, then added a simple "Why?"

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

A slight glimpse of a smirk tugged at the edge of the Sith Lord's lips as she caught the very clear and notable reaction from the Jedi beside her, partly from the sudden and abrupt tone, but mostly from the elaboration that followed. A light chuckle passing the blonde's lips once the zeltron paused, only then to ask why? Shaking her head lightly as she turned in her seat to look at Kori more directly, rather than from the corner of her eye or turning her head. "Don't worry we're not headed to Malachor" Alyse spoke once she had adjusted her posture. "But you are right, the system is a wasteland, and it was once site of a battle and an act that has scared the system, that its effects is still felt over 4000 years on"

"I Only ask, as it would perhaps be easier to comprehend and draw comparison against" the Sith added, more to reassure the Jedi over the reason why she had brought up the taboo world into the conversation. "I've set foot on Malachor, the world..... it's the only place where I could not feel the Force, no Lightside, no Darkside, nothing" she continued before falling silent for a moment, her brow furrowing as she chewed on her upper lip. "It truly felt as if the Force itself had died" Alyse confessed after a tense silence.

"It is a sensation that haunts, one that you cannot forget. And, its one that I have felt again" the blonde resumed, as she gestured out into the depths of the Unknown Regions ahead of them. "Somewhere out there, the very sensation I felt on Malachor is growing and spreading Where though? I'm not sure...." she added, before sighing, and rolling her head back, sinking it against her head rest as she looked up towards the hull plating above her. "The Force as you said, it's never clear about these things"

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

The Zeltron listened. Of course she did. It came with beings an empath, and Kori sensed keenly when the uneasiness between the Jedi and the Sith left room for some sincerity. For a Sith to talk about weakness, and to admit not knowing all the answers... For decades during Kori's training, the Jedi had been learning about the Sith from history books and some of the Jedi recordings. Either the picture painted by them was skewed, or once gain would the Zeltron have to admit that Alyse didn't fit the bill of your typical Sith.

"So, we're going all this way for clarity," Kori's reply was a simple statement of fact, without any judgement. If anything, the Zeltron's tone warmed up in response to the sincerity and uncertainty that she had been shown. "Because the Force alone wouldn't grant it?" That was the only hunch the Zeltron had, but she could bet a few credits on it. "Either way, I hope you've left Bakura in capable hands in the meantime. Otherwise, it'll be a reckless endeavor. I can see the headlines: 'Governor of Bakura Missing in Unknown Regions'"

For a moment, Kori's mouth went wry and she shook her head, realizing that what she said could've sounded like a reproach. A few moments of staring into the starry void were followed with a remark "I didn't mean to gripe... It's just that..." The Zeltron finally turned her purple face towards Alyse again, revealing all the old scars that riddled it. "Experience has taught me that going towards problems head-on ends with a disaster." A purple finger pointed at her own scars just to prove a point. "And that the home front should never be left unattended."

She exhaled again, a sad smirk forming on her face: "But if it's as bad as you say it is, I'll tag along. For whatever an unarmed Jedi can do in this situation."

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

The blonde's features scrunched up a little as she listened to the Zeltron make her initial response, her eyebrow arching in response to the comment regarding the running of Bakura being left in capable hands before citing a news headline over the disappearance of the Governor. A smirk curled at the edge of the Sith's lips as she returned back to resting her head against the headrest and looking up towards the upper bulkhead, only to later return her attention towards Kori after the brief apology followed by the justification, based on her own experience of things never going to plan when ever she had tackled an issue head on.

Interest piqued the Sith eased herself into a more upright and less lounging position on her seat, casting a curious expression as she cocked her head to the side whilst she studied the Jedi, seeing that the unease in the venture was perhaps carrying more a personal burden on her than what the Sith had assumed. "Bakura is in safe hands, one of the few perks of hand selecting your cabinet" Alyse commented softly, offering a brief flash of a grin. "And even if the cabinet members make a mistake, the civil servants are very adept in ensuring the smooth running of the world"

"Though I am curious as to why you would feel that tackling problems head on ends in disaster" Alyse commented as she gaze moved away from the Jedi and out towards the starry void ahead of them. "I assume that your scars, are a result of your taking a problem head on" she added, before her lips pursed in thought - holding her gaze and thoughts beyond the void ahead of them for a few moments longer before turning her gaze to meet the Jedi.

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

"Yes," the Zeltron's reply was rather blunt and on-point. But a few seconds later—and after a clear internal struggle—she decided to oblige Alyse's curiosity. "The Sith attacked the Sector Ranger HQ on Coruscant. Blew up the bomb, started murdering people. I went after one of the attackers. Got pretty close, but almost ran into a thermal detonator. The face never quite healed." It felt weird, reminiscing that tragedy and sharing it, and with another Sith of all people.

But then again, Alyse was no ordinary Sith. She had demonstrated that she had a semblance of care for the world she was running. She was smart, reasonable in her decisions, and didn't seem anything like a textbook Sith you scared children with. That's why Nykoria didn't feel the need to keep up appearances either. She could speak about almost anything now, minus the sensitive information about the Jedi, of course.

And did she have something to share with someone who'd listen. That crisis on Coruscant had contributed to what the Zeltron became, and was a crucial step to Kori's ascension to the rank of Master... And also to one of her other failures. The very same failure that the two masked Sith had unwittingly brought up during the interrogation months before.

"When word came that the Sith had a prison on Sullust and held a Sector Ranger captive, the Jedi acted on it. We rushed into the fray, hoping to free the ranger and take the initiative..." the Zeltron stopped her speech briefly and scoffed, turning her gaze away, towards the window. "But nobody planned for the Eternal down there. And at the very same time, other Sith attacked the Jedi Temple. They had planned for it all. They murdered everyone they came across. Trained Jedi, Padawans, initiates, old and young alike..."

Unlike Coruscant, that wound wasn't as old... And it was much more personal. When the Jedi Master turned to face the Sith Governor again, the scarred face was dead-serious. "So yes, my scars are the result of my mistakes. And trying to do right by people. Unlike the karkers I had to face off against." There was no voiced conclusion, but the Zeltron's shrewd brown eyes all but pierced the blonde intently, with morbid curiosity further attenuated by the darkness of space.

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

The Blonde's brow furrowed as she listened to the Jedi say her piece, giving at first an insight to the scars she bore on her face and their origin, stemming from the attack on the Sector ranger HQ, an event that for the Sith Lord a lot of the particulars eluded her, much of her recollection of those early days within the fledgling Cult of the Sith. Before the Eternal had formally pulled the ranks of the cultists into their current incarnation within the Sith Order.

She was about to comment, though sensing that there was more brewing deep down within the Jedi, Alyse elected to remain silent in anticipation of the continuation. As predicted the Zelton continued, and it seemed like through the simple inquiry the Sith had made of the Jedi, she had opened Pandora's box - the Jedi venting the pent up frustrations and bitterness that had seemingly built up within her.

"But was that really a result of taking direct action? " Alyse questioned. Her tone flat and neutral, ensuring not to come off as being smug, nor antogonistic. Her chestnut hued eyes intently studying the Jedi, watching to see how the zeltron would react to her playing the proverbial devil's advocate. "Word gets out that there is a Sith Prison where a significant figure head is being held, the Jedi mobilise, and in doing so leave their Temple open to attack " the sith continued. Pretty much repeating what the Jedi had just said back to her, before sighing.

"Whist of course there is no disproving whether it was planned or not" The Sith Spoke as she folded her arms over her chest, her gaze moving away from the Jedi for a moment to look out of the windshield. "Would it not be the more pressing concern not as to how you failed...." She continued before pausing as she returned her gaze back to the Jedi. "But why?" Alyse added, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Given that information as to the whereabouts of a sought after captive is obtained, and a world that I would presume is not widely known to be a Jedi stronghold is then attacked" The Sith Lord commented, as a pensive expression crossed her features. "would that not be indicitive that there is someone with the Jedi who had set up and betrayed you?"

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

As the Sith replied, Nykoria's face adopted what one would call a wide malevolent grin... if the corners of her lips were even a little up. But they weren't, so the Zeltron stared at the blonde with a flat expression. The unasked question remained unanswered. It was a simple one: "How does one ends up associating oneself with murderers?"

But instead, the planetary governor went on to explore how the Jedi could have possibly been betrayed from the inside. Did Alyse really miss the point? And if so, why? Was that a subtle attempt at changing the topic that the politicians were known for? Or did the Sith only care about the specifics instead of the bigger picture?

Regardless, the awkward line of thought evoked a snort from the Zeltron, and ultimately did shift her attention from the pent-up negativity and towards more practical matters. From what Kori recalled about the attack on Ajan Kloss and the subsequent inquiry, it involved a ship that once belonged to the Jedi and was taken by the Sith. How the Sith got to the ship was another matter. After half-a-minute of quiet deliberation, the Zeltron had to admit that there was a grain of truth in Alyse's words. If she cast everything she knew aside, then Ajan Kloss, Sullust, and even her own ill-fated capture by the Sith could be the result of an inside job.

"The point remains," Nykoria retorted, although her voice did soften up. "The Jedi on Sullust and Ajan Kloss failed because they weren't prepared. And didn't know what they were up against. Another scoff followed, this time accompanied by the lips curling up again: "Just like I couldn't tell a frag from a thermal det on Coruscant... Before I ran into one."

Ironic. Back in the day, Kori was conscious about the marks that had been left on her face as the reminder of her mistakes. She'd wear a helmet or cover it up with make-up. But after a while, she stopped giving a kark. The lessons learned on Coruscant remained, ingrained in the Zeltron just like the burns on her face. They were a part of her, and she wasn't as concerned. Yet even on Bakura she had opted to wear a veil for... Some reason. A case for future study.

The short pause left the thought unfinished, and the Zeltron just had to have the last word. "If you're not careful, we might as well be flying into a bigger thermal det right now."

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

Silently the Sith Lord listened to the Jedi as she retorted to the aired summations and questions that had been posed to her. Her brow furrowing at the change in tone and delivery of the responses - a retort, then a semblance of softening, followed up by a scoffing remark. Conversations with Jedi, despite how rare always seemed to follow the same hover coaster like pattern, up and down, snide to apologetic - Still despite the trend, the Sith took it as being a positive at least. The conversational shifts were a clear enough sign that there was a person behind that emotionally mute posturing that the Jedi held, the fact that this Jedi Master in particular was willing to speak her mind did appeal to the Blonde Sith.

Another trend that the Sith had picked up on, was that the Jedi seemed to have the desire to get the last word on the topic of discussion. A smile spreading on the Sith's lips as a light chortle escaped, her gaze and attention moving away from the surrounding star scape and back to the Zeltron beside her. "Noted" Alyse spoke out with a nod of her head. "Whilst our venture is uncharted and unknown, it will not be without caution" she added after a brief moment as she adjusted herself on her seat, pulling her feet down off of the console, so that she was sitting upright. Whilst her words perhaps were intended to try and ease the Jedi's concern, she knew that they would inevitably be taken with a pinch of salt and scepticism - after all, over the countless millennia of bad blood between the two waring Force Factions, there was little cause for one and the other to trust each other so readily.

And whilst it was the Sith Lord's intent to remain truthful to the Jedi, seeing that deception would ultimately lead to no where, there was of course a selective degree of what truths were provided - Not everything about the Darth was going to be revealed to the Jedi in the first moment, Alyse knew like any politician or Sabacc player, it was unwise to share the cards as soon as they were dealt. In time they will, but only as and when it was opportune or appropriate.

"But, despite the 'disaster' you had came to as a result of taking direct action" The Sith spoke after a brief silence, before the light smile returned to her lips. "Regardless of all your wounds and failures, at least you can say and show that you stand for something you believe in" she surmised, as she held her gaze with the Jedi master, whether the words would comfort or put the Jedi at ease, or not - the offered sentiment was genuine, regardless of their philosophical differences the Sith Lord knew when to appreciate and respect those who held to their convictions despite all the odds, as they generally tended to be those who had the potential to grow and broaden their minds to the opportunities that were available to them to help achieve their goals, rather than the stead fast zealotry whom in the blonde's eyes tended to be stunted by their own ignorance.

With little warning, the Sith Lord's eyes narrowed slightly, as her eyes phased into a slight milky white hue - her brow furrowing as her senses picked up on the pull of the Force. The look of concentration lingered over the Sith for a few moments before her eyes phased back to their natural state, as she briefly shook her head as she returned herself back to the cabin of the ship, her eyes moving to the star chart on the screen, studying it for a moment before pointing towards a blank spot close to where the ship was approaching. "There" Alyse spoke out. "The sunken cave, with a pit of darkness surrounded by light. Its on an Oceanic world" she added, before her gaze raised out towards the void of space around them, narrowing as she searched for the planet, drawing on the force to help guide her eyes - until a slight blue tinted spec could be seen in the far distance, which she pointed out to the Jedi.

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

With every detail ironed out—or so it would seem—the Zeltron directed her attention towards the dim stars in the distance. Alyse's words and sentiment, comforting as they were, also gave the Zeltron food for thought. "Standing for something that you believe in" was the thing that Kori's mind was now focused on. What did the, Jedi Master believe in? Surprisingly, that was a tough question to answer off the bat.

Ever since childhood, Kori had the example of her parents and grandparents working in Coruscant law enforcement. Something that you don't do if you just want to earn money. "Protect and serve" ran in the family. But what did it come down to? In Kori's mind, it was about making the galaxy a safer place. A fairer place, where one couldn't impose their will on another simply due to strength, weapons, money, or power.

By that definition, the Sith and their wicked schemes to take control of the galaxy without giving too much thought to other people were clearly opposed to that. Sure, an attempt to resist the Sith meant imposing your own will on them. But for the moment, there seemed to be an easy place to draw the line at: the liberties of one began when the liberties of another ended. It couldn't be boiled down to upholding the law either, and there was simple proof for that. The law on the worlds ruled by the Sith would probably declare any opposition to the Sith illegal. So, it all came down to the right balance of freedoms, restrictions, and quality of life.

But before Nykoria could deliberate how the Jedi fit into that whole structure, she sensed a shift to her side. A slight surge of the darkness that the Zeltron had almost accustomed to. "Should've brought a swimsuit," she spoke blandly, with only a little spark of a joke to it. Regardless, Alyse had the destination. And Kori's was yet to be determined.

@Topher