A Bit of Cold

[Darth Veles]

"Hmm, maybe," Avreet stroked his barbel, eyes slightly narrowed as he thought of the reason why the two haven't fought yet. The solution was quite simple; they had no reason to rip each other into pieces. "Trust certainly played a part as well. Why else would you have followed me into my ship and accepted the tea, even sparred with me for a while? Respect certainly plays its part, as we both know fighting the other is unnecessarily risky. But there is trust between us, I am sure of it. Not as much trust as there is between you and Corvus, for example, by no means. You trust me just enough to look past the Sith stereotype who has nothing better to do than to commit acts of evil all over the galaxy. You see a living, breathing person who simply has different opinions and values than yourself." The Sith Lord stated. The fact he had revealed his love for his lady certainly helped to further humanize the awful portrayal of an average Sith. Monsters could not really love in Avreet's opinion.

"What I see is a beautiful, intelligent young woman with noble ideals and goals, but too much faith in her superiors. Now," he raised his hand to stop her if she wanted to protest, "I don't want to turn it into a pointless argument. What I am saying is that I have looked past the stereotypical Jedi, one that knows nothing except the Jedi Code and violently murders anyone with a different religion than her own. I could have attacked you in that cave, I could have poisoned your tea, I could have slain you during our spar, yet I chose to listen to your words and get to know you better. Since we talk with each other without any aggression suggests it is not about the differences between our Codes. That is completely irrelevant, as we talk despite our devotion to our respective mantra. What truly matters is what kind of people we are." His piercing gaze moved to stare at her clothes, the cloak he had given her in particular. Such an ordinary thing to anyone who paid it little attention, yet the nostalgia that sparkled inside him upon looking at it brought back many happy and painful memories related to this piece of clothing. There was more than history in it though; the tough hide gave away it's been made out of a tough beast, a Terentatek.

"Peace between Jedi and Sith is entirely possible as long as we get rid of the radical members in our Orders." He finally said after tearing his eyes off the woman. "It is them who fuel this conflict, the hostility between the groups."

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

She bowed her head in appreciation at the compliments yet wanted to call him out on ‘too much trust in her superiors’ but just as he had intended his hand muted her. She didn’t have too much trust. In the end it depended on which superior he had meant. Did she trust the senate? No way. Did she trust the grandmaster? Absolutely. The differences were great. She had met the grandmaster and knew her to be a good person, but a senator was always a senator and senators could not be trusted.

The pragmatist inside of her woke to life again. While peace between jedi and sith was a possibility she saw the chances of ridding the radicals as hard or quite possibly impossible. The radicals were always those that was the most deep-rooted within the organizations. Those who could speak their mind in a way that easily influenced others. It was the cause of the many rifts and ‘reformations’ in the jedi order, was it not?

“It’s possible, but I am not so sure fanaticism is truly something you can just get rid off. If taken care of improperly their cause will grow, yet if done correctly their numbers will simply shrink.”

She didn’t really know what else to say.

“It’s a bit pessimistic, or quite possibly pragmatic but until we can see exactly why the pragmatists act and think the way they do we won’t ever know how to fix it, will we?”

[member="Dux Pontus"]​

 

[Darth Veles]

Nodding in agreement, Avreet started to slowly close his distance to the woman. "Both sides have fanatics that pervert our teachings. Neither side is doing much to change that. There are not that many Sith or Jedi that want peace between the two Orders and the ongoing war is quite profitable to some people. Zealots serve as useful idiots who add more fuel to the conflict and ensure the flame is always there." The Sith now walked around the Jedi Knight, his gaze observing her figure for the simple reason of seeing if the cloak fit her. It appeared to be slightly big, yet it also did a good job at protecting her against the element raging outside of the ship.

"I would have an idea of how to temporarily remove the radicals, but that would not be an answer in the long run," he chuckled softly, as he of course meant the least ethical way of dealing with the problem. "Once both Sith and Jedi want to make peace, then not even the fanatics will stop them from doing so. Unfortunately, I am afraid neither side has even considered to solve the issue with diplomacy. As always, one side will be almost completely exterminated by the other. In a few years, the defeated ones will emerge and the whole conflict will start again. And for what, exactly? What does the winner achieve in the short amount of peace? Billions of dead civilians and soldiers, everything is in ruins and needs to be rebuild. It is completely pointless and yet it keeps happening." Frowning, he shook his head in disappointment. Both Jedi and Sith could have learned that it is impossible to win against the other side by waging war. Peace could only be achieved by tolerance and understanding. Or superior weaponry, of course, but those who have attempted to unite the galaxy through the fear of superweapons usually ended up being wiped out swiftly as the galaxy rushed to take out the threat.

"Don't you ever feel bad for the poor non-Force users who are nothing but an anonymous mass of people led to slaughter by both Jedi and Sith?" Avreet asked, his large orbs continuing to observe the woman as his pace stopped and he rotated himself to look straight at her. "By the way," he started, masking the smile behind the typical Mon Calamari emotionless expression, "You look good in the cloak. Please, accept it as a gift and a sign of good will. The cloak is made out of Terentatek hide, which will protect you against Force-based attacks." It seemed as a generous gift, yet it carried too many painful memories of his apprentice and friend, both wearing similar cloak from the same beast. Both of them were still missing since the fall of the Sith Empire, but Avreet did not have the heart to just throw the cloak away.

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

Head arching backwards. A terentatek skin cloak, now this she had not expected. She grabbed the cloak and gave Avreet a confused look. It would keep her safe. As long as she didn’t forget it. She had to admit she didn’t quite use cloaks that often but with something like this she considered a change in habit.

“Oh my.” The surprised face still going. “This is too much, I-… Thank you.”

She put the cloak on. A bit heavier than she had expected perhaps, or maybe she just wasn’t used to wasn’t used to wearing a cloak. Either reasons seemed as good as the other and she settled for a broken, hesitant little smile at Avreet. The thought of him as an enemy was getting harder to put belief into. Maybe he wasn’t one after all.

“I don’t have anything to offer back. I would if I could, but I don’t have anything. Sorry.”

Her eyes found the floor and she tried to think of something to give in return. She didn’t really have anything on her except her jumpsuit and now the cloak so what was there?

“I’ll owe you one. A favor. Just call for me and I’ll help you, if it’s not against the Republic.”

Hmm, that felt didn’t sound as good when spoken as it did in her head.

[member="Dux Pontus"]​

 

[Darth Veles]

Avreet resisted the urge to chuckle at Kana's surprise over the unexpected gift. Hopefully the cloak would stay with her for a while, as it presented a very useful tool when dealing with powerful Force users who liked to throw one Force based attack after another. The Mon Cal very well realized the heavy cloak restricted movement to some extent, making jumping around harder, which meant most Jedi took their cloaks and robes off when encountering enemies. For a Makashi user, it should not be a problem though; Avreet knew from personal experience that this cloak rarely got in the way of his footwork.

"It is quite alright," he quickly assured politely, finding the woman's remark about it not being against the Republic quite unnecessary as he assumed it to be a given, "I do not expect anything in return for my gift." Initially wanting to completely turn down the Jedi's favor, he realized there actually was one thing; the very reason he was on the planet. The only thing that still connected him to his former allies. As far as he could see, it did not go against the Republic, though it certainly required a certain degree of cooperation.

"I, uh, actually need a skilled Jedi healer," he admitted slowly, his eyes shifting to gaze at the wall behind the blonde Jedi before he explained the problem of his, "When a Force user among the One Sith becomes a Knight, they receive a mark. It is a tattoo created by the Dark Side, showing our allegiance to the One Sith. It grows as we get more powerful. Right now, it covers much of my back." He shrugged, feeling the tattoo burn as he thought about it. "Since I am no longer with the One Sith, I'd like to get rid of it. I have been marked by the Eye of the Dark Lord herself. Considering that and the fact it grows on its own makes me believe it is impossible to cut it off or remove it like an ordinary tattoo. For that reason, I'd like to discuss the matter with a Jedi healer. Perhaps the Light Side is the answer to erasing it if the Dark Side was responsible for its creation?" The only healer he had ever met was both powerful and tolerant, yet he could not rely on her anymore due to her 'death'.

"Is is within your abilities to find a healer tolerant enough to talk with a Sith, Kana? If not, it is alright. I'll find another way..." He knew the number of Jedi healers was very, very small. With everyone focusing on the war, they simply did not need healers, but warriors.

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

Healer. Now that would have been something. She always had wondered what it was like to be one but-... No. She was a sentinel and she always would be. So she told herself and with good reason. She knew the ways around a computer, in fact she had even before her arrival at the academy. To ignore those skills, to put them aside would be irresponsible.

“I’m afraid I don’t.” Kana said, sadly. “We don’t have many healers in our order anymore. Most of them have died, are too busy running their own temples or tend to keep to themselves.”

She wasn’t lying. Healers were a shamefully rare thing amongst the jedi these days. It almost broke her heart, it had a bit back when she was a padawan but in dire times like these especially. The wishful dream that one day she’d be amongst their ranks had been squashed like a bug under a heavy boot.

“I’ve heard of free jedi. Those that don’t follow the code or belong to a particular order, but such jedi are hard to track. At least so I’ve heard.”

[member="Dux Pontus"]​

 

[Darth Veles]

"That's a shame," came out Avreet's reply that sounded more cold than he wanted, the thick Imperial accent making it sound even colder. In truth, he greatly respected Jedi healers and their devotion to the arts that mended flesh back together and gave the body enough energy to accelerate the natural healing process. Of all sorts of Jedi, they were not entirely focused on destroying the Sith. It was because of that devotion to healing more than fighting that Avreet respected them so much and held most healers in high regards, treating those very few he had met as allies. While not the greatest of warriors, if warriors at all, their strength came from their helpful nature to aid other beings no matter their alignment. As such, Kana's information saddened him greatly. He definitely understood that whatever remeined of the healers had to stay in the safe confines of their temples or medical facilities where they tended to their patients, but what he did not know was that most of them have died. A tragedy, truly. It became necessary to close his eyes to prevent Kana from seeing the glitter of tears that appeared in his left orb. Such a tragedy. Hopefully Corvus was lucky enough and found a healer as she had mentioned; she was Avreet's only hope of getting rid of the cursed Mark of Darkness adoring his back and linking him to the One Sith.

Keeping himself calm and collected, he swiftly fought against the frustration he felt and banished it. It would be of use in a battle, not in this moment. "Free Jedi are Dark Jedi," Avreet replied as a matter-of-fact, opening his large eyes, his piercing gaze burning holes in the blonde's skull. Clasping his hands behind his back, he swiftly turned on his heels and paced to the other end of the room, turning around just as he reached a wall, his eyes locking with Kana's.

"They have no code to follow. No set of rules. No laws. They believe they do not need those things, that they are above others. And that is why they are so much more dangerous than any Sith. Force sensitives need to have some rules to follow, otherwise they are dangerous to everyone, including themselves. The Force is not a toy." He continued, moving again, placing one foot after another, his steps inaudible. "I will sooner join the Jedi Order before I trust those 'Grey' or 'Rogue' Jedi as they call themselves."

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

“And I agree.” Kana nodded. “A jedi without a code or order is no jedi at all. We need restraint, not because we’re irresponsible but because curiosity and aggression lies in the nature of all sentient beings.” Kana paused for a second to let Avreet think on it. “Jedi have our emotions just as you but we seek not to act on them. We seek to build a consensus and act on the truth. It makes us appear cold, distant, but we do care. These decisions affect us just as much as they would affect you.”

“Some of us, though not many, go under vows not to indulge in certain emotions. Love, for example. I swore to myself an oath of celibacy upon joining the order though not many do. I know myself well enough to see that I would not take the death of a loved one very well. In order to prevent anything I’ve therefore sworn to myself to never let such emotions get in the way. I wary the dark side and the sith, my attachment to certain individuals have already endangered me once. I do not intend for that to happen again and as such I take my vow seriously. Does that make me a monster? An emotionless husk?”

“No, it doesn't. Yet there are some who insist I am.”

[member="Dux Pontus"]​

 

[Darth Veles]

In a response, Avreet returned the nod, finding himself in agreement with what the Jedi Knight said. It was good to find a subject both of them could agree on despite their ideological differences, and an important subject nonetheless. He, too, believed certain urges lied withing all beings, and it was necessary to control those primitive instincts. That was the point of his personal code. To control himself, not giving into the natural reaction his body prompted him to do. That made him much stronger who gave into them, becoming feral animals unable to control their urges.

The Mon Cal cast a polite smile when Kana revealed her vow of celibacy. As someone who used to be under the same oath, Avreet believed to understand what she wanted to accomplish. Would it work? No. It almost made him laugh though, when the blonde woman said some thought of her as a monster. The Sith Assassin had encountered many monsters in his life, yet this young Jedi did not appear to be one of them. Then again, he did not know her history... Many monsters wore masks of peace and serenity, masks that hid the rage and hatred burning in their hearts. He's also been called a monster by many, but never considered himself to be one. After seeing so many terrible crimes committed by those celebrated as heroes, he could not see any resemblance between himself and those people. As long as he stayed true to his mantra, he was safe from becoming a ruthless and cruel being like those he fought against.

"Those who call you a monster because you are celibate and do not act on your emotions are fools," he stated after a while of thinking, "It is good you can control yourself. As someone who knows what it is to be celibate though, let me tell something; it won't help with love. I admit, I am not celibate, but there is no sexual tension between me and the woman I love." Truly, he never considered Grima as an object of his primal desire; he loved the woman as a friend, as a teacher, as that special someone he could always rely on, as his saviour. If she died, he would most likely lost his will to live, his purpose to continue living. The blow to his soul would be too severe to heal.

"Love can make you strong and it can destroy you. It is important you do not let it control your actions," Avreet chuckled a bit before continuing, "Despite the popular belief, Sith are not supposed to act on their emotions. The difference between Jedi and Sith is that Sith use their emotions to control the Dark Side. It is unfortunate that most of those self-proclaimed Sith become slaves to their feelings."

"I can feel it inside of you. You feel. When we met in that cave, your distrust was much greater than now, and yet, you were able to overcome that. You are a strong Jedi, [member="Kana Truden"]. More than many members of your Order. In a way, you may be stronger than Corvus," admitted the young Sith, "She follows the Jedi Code to the best of her abilities, but she appears... overly detached at times, too focused on being a proper Jedi to be a person. Cold, similarly to those fanatics who burn the galaxy in their crusade against the Sith. I know of her problem with empathy, but as I have told her, completely pushing all feelings away is not a solution. You, on the other hand," te amphibian gave her an encouraging smile, "There is passion. In your words, in your heart. I can feel you want to do what is right. That is a good thing. Just as it's dangerous to get consumed by your feelings, it is dangerous not to feel at all. Passion has to be tempered, but you cannot let its fire die out either."

 

[Kana Truden]

“I don’t consider myself ‘stronger’ than anyone. I’m just like anyone else, really.” She gave the man a one shouldered shrug. “I practice and hone my skills and meditate on the things I’ve learned. A woman with a lightsaber and a few questions about life, really.”

Though maybe that was primarily her self-doubt kicking in or unwillingness to claim the spotlight. She wanted to say both but that would be too easy. The unwillingness definitely took precedence though. Spotlights were horrible. People looked to you, no they looked at you. Judging you and keeping quiet about it. Kana hated having people’s attention brought to her. She enjoyed self-isolation when done under her demands. When she could decide who could see her and who didn’t. In fact, there was only one person who was always welcome to see her. There was no need to tell who it was, everyone who knew Kana would know the answer to that.

“I appreciate your kind words, I do, but what you see as the thing making me stronger is what I see as my faults. While I may not be a great jedi I always seek to be one like Corvus. Empathy or no, she is the greatest one I’ve seen. She doesn’t like it when I say that she is, but out of all the people I’ve seen around the academy she is the one I see as the shining example of a jedi.

It makes me look at myself and…”

Her words faded and she remained quiet for a while. They never came back.

[member="Dux Pontus"]​

 

[Darth Veles]

A certain lack of confidence? That was never a good thing, as it usually led to doubt and slowly paved the way to the Dark Side. Not always, of course, but many young Jedi fell victim to the doubt that ate them from the inside and left an empty shell vulnerable to the dark power that promised to make them stronger, better, able to change the galaxy. On the other hand, lack of confidence was not an entirely bad thing either; in a way, the Jedi Knight knew and realized she was not perfect. Many Jedi thought themselves to be the moving points of the galaxy, their illusion of wisdom clouding their judgement greatly and producing Dark Jedi as well. Kana appeared to be on the right path; not overly self-righteous as so many of her brothers and sisters, not ignorant to the world around her. Even in this very moment, her emotions could be clearly felt throughout the entire ship, letting Avreet know they existed, yet that the Knight kept them on a leash. The Mon Cal did not give into the urge to feast on them like all Dark Side users did and proceeded to do something entirely different. To give Kana a slight boost in confidence, his left webbed hand found its place on her right shoulder as he stood in front of her, offering a warm smile. Going even further, he twisted his own Force signature by purifying it of all darkness, a technique often used by assassins. As a result, his presence in the Force radiated the purest form of the Light Side, which shined upon the blonde Jedi, projecting calmness and serenity assiciated with the Light Side so often.

"...and see a great Jedi," finished the amphibian for the woman, "Your humility is something to be admired. Not many have the strength to admit they are just a person with a lightsaber and a few questions about life. They think they are superior beings who have all the answers, but true wisdom does not come from having an answer to everything; it comes from a realization one can never have all answers, therefore it is necessary to constantly search for more." The Sith Lord finished and let the words sink in. He spoke with honesty, despite the rather dishonest thing he did with his own Force signature.

"You and Corvus are both great Jedi. The differences between you and her mean you have found your own path. You should be proud, Knight Truden!" he continued, "For you are yourself."

The Sith removed his hand from Kana's shoulder, nodding as if to confirm his own words. The Light radiating out of him slowly started to wane until it completely vanished, leaving the neutral, true signature of the former Sith Lord of the One Sith. "May I offer you more tea? Or anything else you'd like?"

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

“Yeah, you’re right.” Kana shook her head at the offer of more tea. “I am my own jedi.”

She looked around the ship again. It was still pretty bare, almost more so than Raven but Corvus had managed to fix that, somewhat. Not that Kana hadn’t helped the way she ever so neatly snuck things aboard every now and then.

“It feels a bit weird to open up to someone that isn’t her. It seems every time I ever do anything she is nearby. Not that I don’t mind, she’s very much a welcome addition to any venture I ever go on. It makes me wonder how ‘independent’ I seem to others though, am I just a sidekick or am I my own boss, you know?”

[member="Dux Pontus"]​

 

[Darth Veles]

The Jedi was not used to opening up to someone other than Corvus? It took a while for Avreet to understand it. At first he thought the blonde Jedi to simply not trust others enough, but then he realized it wasn't all that different for him. Maybe the problem did not lie in the lack of trust per se, maybe the young Jedi simply knew there should be no secrets between the two, as they were obviously close friends.

"I envy you," Avreet admitted softly, "To have the one you like so much near you almost every time you need. You know you can rely on her and she can rely on you." His clawed finger tapped his chin as he fell silent for a moment, "I also have a friend like that. Please, do not laugh, it is the same Sith Lady I love." Unable to follow his own advice, he chuckled, it had to look so inappropriate to love one person so much. The smile remained on his face, though his eyes continued their blank stare at Kana. Maybe he glared somewhere beyond her, as if looking at days long gone and hoping he could fall to that happier past. The woman who gave him everything, took him as an apprentice, showed him the ways of the true Sith, always offered a kind word or an advice, he could always rely on her wisdom, the two shared all knowledge, they could openly discuss their views of the Sith as a whole and the decay of the Order... Avreet knew he would never be able to repay the Togruta for her kindness. While Grima claimed she did not need more than to see her successful former apprentice, her source of pride and joy, he still did his best to make her happy, endlessly trying to find something to repay her, knowing it would never happen. The woman's smile became the greatest of rewards for him. Love makes people crazy.

"Unfortunately, we do not have as much time to spend together as we would have liked," he sighed, his amber eyes regaining focus and locking gaze with the Jedi woman. The Sith part of him died in that moment as he allowed emotions flow freely, letting them influence his words and thoughts. If this Jedi's relationship with Corvus was anything like his with Grima, he knew she would understand. "So take my advice. Don't care what others think about your independence. Whether you're just a sidekick or not, what does it matter if you enjoy her company? Savour and memorize every moment of it; you never know what might happen. If you get separated, if she dies, or worse, if she falls. Although,..." fires sparked in his eyes, "I don't think she will fall with a friend like you. You truly love each other, don't you?"

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

“Love?!” Eyes perked up in surprise. “We’re just friends!”

Very close friends that rarely was seen without each other. Friends that always supported each other and could make even the most mundane of conversations interesting. Sure, it could be love as a friend loves another, but love-love? No, most likely not. They were both bound by their duty to the order and the code’s and tenets spoke quite clearly of attachments. To place anyone above the rest would be careless and selfish of her.

“No, no I-... We couldn’t do that. I care about her, obviously, but I don’t love her. I mean,” Kana stood up and pointed at the door. “I-It’s snowy outside. I’ve been to Rhen Var once only. I got my crystal-saber-thing here, that’s funny, huh? There are also spiders and strange violent creatures that attack anything in sight.”

Did she seem stressed?

“I went here as a padawan, I built my saber here.” Kana held it out to be seen again. “I like it, it’s really nice and I made it myself. Also, I mean look at this ship, it must have cost a fortune. Where did you get it? Nevermind that, what is... No, hmm, where are you going after this?”

[member="Dux Pontus"]​

 

[Darth Veles]

"Oh," was the only thing Avreet muttered before Kana went off, talking about this and that. Well, this became awkward really quick. Only too late Avreet realized he should have specified what form of love he meant; why did people always assume there was only one kind of love, the one between lovers? Then again, why else would such a question cause this kind of reaction? It left the Sith Lord clueless. His own relationship with Lady Zarrah also was not romantic... or was it? In which way did he actually love her?! Widely opening his large amber eyes as the Knight suddenly switched the topic to this place, saying she had found her lightsaber crystal on the snowy planet, as well as some beasts... and to soon switch the topic to his ship and its cost, immediately asking the Mon Cal about his plans. To cover the large grin that spread over his face, the amphibian's webbed hand reached up and held his mouth, making it appear he was in deep thought, though the amused giggle that left his lips betrayed his intentions. Once the hand parted itself with his face, there was no trace of the smile.

"I am sorry," he apologized, waving his hands to dismiss whatever he might have said before, "I should have been more clear in my question." The amphibious Sith offered a slight bow, something he did only when truly ashamed of his actions. True Sith should never bow, but it had to be done now, as his Sith self lied sleeping and all that remained was the Imperial side of Avreet. Needless to say, the nicer side of the two. Much nicer, and also stronger than the inner Sith.

"I sincerely apologize for the discomfort I have brought you, but please, know that it was not my intention to make you feel like that. My question was terribly put and it is completely understandable you have misunderstood it, seen an entirely different meaning in what I wanted to say. What I wanted to know was if you love each other as friends! Really, I am so sorry for making it sound like an implication you have lied to me about your celibacy and attachments, or that there is some sort of sexual tension between you and Knight Raaf! Please, forgive me my terrible mistake, Lady Jedi!"

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

Kana rubbed her nose bridge in shame. Her reaction was uncalled for and perhaps it needed a bit more explanation. She thought on how to make it a simple explanation. Usually that meant she’d end up with the opposite.

“No, I’m sorry.” Her hand fell to her side as she looked at Avreet. “I am just really used to people claiming there is something between me and my friend and the worst part is that I get it. I mean, I can understand people think the way they do.”

“The bond me and my friend share is close, incredibly so. We’re always seen at each other’s side and we always have each other’s back no matter what. Just those two reasons alone could probably be seen as ‘evidence’ enough, but it’s not. Sure, we ‘love’ each other in the same way that a friend loves the other’s company but nothing else.

After a while the mentions of love or that one of us should ‘go for it’ reaches the point where frustration takes over. We won’t go for it because we can’t go for it. We have our duty to the order and that duty will always come first. The connection we have is already dangerous enough as it is. To put her above everyone else would make it even more dangerous and selfish than it already is.”

[member="Dux Pontus"]​

 

[Darth Veles]

"It is alright. There is no need to apologize," the Sith dismissed her with a gesture of his hand and firm tone.

The amphibious assassin understood what Kana talked about though; when his former Master saw him with a good friend of his, she assumed the two to be romantically involved at first. It was more amusing than anything when the duo immediately dismissed it, claiming the other to be their father/sister figure. Maybe the old Togruta knew that all along and just wanted to tease the two? Avreet believed she knew he loved her more than anyone else. Those strong bonds were often confusing to those outside of them; the Mon Cal could see how one could easily mistake friendship for romantic love. It did not bother him at all, others had the right to think whatever they wanted about his relationships. As long as he got to spend enough time with the people he loved, he was happy. The only thing he placed above his friends was his duty and love for his people. And his personal code of honor. If any of these things required it, he would kill his friends with little hesitation. He knew very well he could not place his personal feelings above his duty to those he had sworn to defend. Unless... it came to Grima. The Sith Witch was the only being he placed above everything. Love truly made people crazy... and he made no attempt to defend himself against its effects.

"It is easy to say," the Sith Lord stated, "But when it comes to the choice between your friend and something else, you will find yourself hesitating. It's natural though. What you feel towards Corvus only shows you are still a living, breathing, feeling being and not a machine so many Jedi become." His gaze moved from the blonde woman towards the door and he realized they have spent much time by just talking to each other in the room. There was nothing wrong with that, Avreet actually felt better he could share his feelings and opinions with someone who felt in a similar way, but enough time's been wasted.

"May I fly you to your ship, Knight?" he asked, his amber eyes returning to fall upon her.

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

“That sounds good.” Kana nodded. “It’s been an enlightening talk but even rare opportunities such as this must come to an end, right?”

It had been a good talk. Kana may not have shown it at all times but in the end the gains had outweighed the non-existent losses. Maybe peace between the spectrums would be possible, maybe it wouldn’t but at least she’d always have this moment. It was no real consolation but at least she was willing to remain open-minded on her enemy’s beliefs. Enemy was still after all the appropriate term. Not for Avreet but for the Sith in general, he was sadly enough so far the exception to the rule.

Sith were more similar to the Jedi than she had expected. She had learned that much, but even still a majority of her enemies followed the doctrine. Perhaps peace was possible at some point but the likelihood felt slim to say the least. Still, one should never give up hope.

“Let’s go. I stashed it not far from the ruins.”

[member="Dux Pontus"]​

 

[Darth Veles]

"As you wish," the Sith said politely, offering Kana another bow, "Please, follow me." Before going to the cockpit and flying the Jedi to her desired location, the Mon Cal took her back to the room where they have enjoyed the tea. The cups remained in the same place as they left them, albeit the liquid inside was cold by now. "Please stay here." Veles told Kana and removed the cups, disappearing for a few seconds before returning with a fresh cup filled with hot tea, setting it on the table. "Please, enjoy if you want. It it cold outside." He knew she had refused more earlier, but he could not just leave his guest in there without anything warm to drink! Saying nothing else, he vanished behind a door that automatically closed behind him. The original intention to ask Kana about her cybernetic leg was still there, but he did not want to pry, especially since she had not asked about his cybernetic eye either. As of right now, he assumed it to be a result of an encounter with a Sith. Zeltros, maybe? He quickly dismissed that thought, as learning how to use cybernetics usually took time, yet the Knight appeared to walk like any other being. Indeed, if not for his cybernetic orb equipped with special vision modes, he would not have realized Kana's right leg was prosthetic.

After seating himself and starting up the engines, he took the ship off, flying low and in the direction of the ruins. The falling snow made it challenging to watch the world outside, the Mon Cal's excellent eyesight being the only thing that helped him. Aside from the radar, that is. The combination of the two allowed him to quickly find the Knight's ship; it was not far, after all. The shape immediately let him know it to be the same ship that Corvus had crashed back on that horrible planet full of slavers. With a hint of a smirk on his face, the Sith Lord landed in the nearest suitable spot and turned most of the systems off before getting up and returning to the Jedi Knight.

"Your ship is near," the Sith informed and lead his way to the exit, "I hope you will stay safe, Knight Truden. You have offered me the much needed new perspective on many things. Thank you. May the Force be with you, Jedi Knight, and let's hope our next meeting will be as civil as this one." His webbed hand moved to open the door, revealing the snowy planet outside. Luckily, Kana had Avreet's cloak, one that would protect her from both cold and the Force! It was not often Avreet actually enjoyed the company of a Jedi, but this one was cetrainly one of these rare cases. This Jedi radiated the Light Side and the Mon Cal sincerely wished it to never change. The galaxy needed strong Jedi like her. If every Jedi had the same personality as her and every Sith possessed the same qualities as Avreet, the galaxy would be a much better place to live. The two certainly had their differences, but by no means enough to kill each other over them. This pleased him greatly. Did it mean Kana and those like her were a new kind of Jedi, or a dying breed?

[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

“I will.” Kana nodded back at her host. “May the force be with you, Avreet.”

With her mind still trying to grasp what she had accomplished over the last few hours Kana set out for her ship again. It had been a most unusual meeting, she had established that much. The chances of this happening again with someone else felt slim and with the beatings the Republic had taken lately… No, defeatism was against the code. Still, a break would be nice.

The snow crunched underneath her soles as a thin layer of snow built on the terentatek cloak. Ship in sight her mind marvelled at the chance to go home again. To tell Corvus all about it. Except, wait, Corvus hadn’t told Kana about Avreet but if she had any sense of logic within here she’d say it would explain the crash logs. That was a faked argument she’d never forget.

She stepped inside Raven and proceeded to make her way for the cockpit. Flight checks in place she promptly readied the ship for take off. It was good to be home.

[member="Dux Pontus"]​