A Squire's Duty (Benedali Serrus)

[Orron Thrask]

It was far later into the day when Orron had come back to the Serrus estates. He was still wearing the same robes he'd worn when he'd first attended, making him feel a little lucky that he didn't sweat as much as he used to before his cyber implants. He kept his hood up after exiting his small fighter provided to him by the Jedi before; the same means he'd used to get to Alderaan in the first place.

As he made his way to the eastate almost under the cover of dusk he thought how odd it was that the duchess Benedali had requested to see him after he'd left. Apparently there was something she'd wanted to talk about with him in private and without the eyes and ears of all those present at the party risking to overhear any of what they had to discuss. Orron thought it was odd all the way through, strange secret meetings usually leading to something bad, but since she'd requested it he felt the need to oblige.

Even as he walked through back towards the garden, seeing the reamining decorations from the party still littered about, Orron wondered what the nature of the secret meeting would be. Perhaps she was in danger and needed his help or protection. Maybe there was some sort of infomation only a Jedi could offer. Whatever the case he just hoped he could help however he could.

When he eventually came to the meeting point in the estate where the duchess wanted to meet with him Orron stood and acted casually, or as casual as a cyber jedi could, while awaiting her arrival. The whole time he kept eyeing the area for fear of some unwated person or persons lurking in the shadows. The whole secrecy thing had made him a tab paranoid now.

[member="Benedali Serrus"]

 

[Benedali Serrus]

[member="Orron Thrask"]

While the servants were cleaning up the party, and her brother off doing his usual thing, Benedali had changed again -- this time, into her riding outfit. She'd then sent a message to her favorite Jedi, Orron, and prepared two horses to ride. Now, seated atop the brown horse and leading the other, the Duchess made her way to the spot she told Orron to wait at.

Benedali loved riding at dusk. The sunsets were gorgeous, and when it was dark, special lights rigged throughout the darker parts of the estate turned on. Not only was it a safety precaution, but it also made for a very lovely view from her chambers. Eventually, she spotted Orron waiting, and gave him a huge smile. Riding up to him, she dismounted and said, "I'm glad you could come. This probably could have waited until another day, but riding along here at sunset is amazing." The Duchess paused as a thought occurred to her. "You've ridden before, right?"

 

[Orron Thrask]

The sound of the approching horses had caught Orron's attention first. He turned, seeing the duchess arrive and smiled while looking up to her. He asked himself in his mind why she was riding a horse, and brought an extra one, before she'd answered by asking him if he ever rode before.

With a blush of awkwardness flushing his cheek he answered "Uh, actually I haven't. But I bet it can't be all that hard. Right?"

As he asked this he'd reached out and petted the nose of the horse that was obviously for him. While he knew about horses and seen horses he'd never actually rode one. And when would he have ever? With all his time training as a Jedi one dosen't usually have horse riding as a perfered class; the most you would find would likey be flying a starfighter.

[member="Benedali Serrus"]

 

[Benedali Serrus]

[member="Orron Thrask"]

Benedali clapped gleefully. "Wonderful! That means I get to teach you. Now, I can't do any more than trot, but that's alright -- for our purpose we're just going to have the horses walk." She reached over, rubbing the black horse's forehead. "Now, this one is Balthazar; he's an absolute sweetheart. Mine is named Celestine." She threw a wink at Orrus. "Now, watch me for a moment -- I'll show you how to properly mount."

Brushing a stray hair away from her face, Benedali handed the reins for Balthazar to the Jedi and walked to the left side of Celestine. Peeking behind her to make sure he was paying attention, she said, "Now, it's important to mount on the left side with your left foot." Putting her own foot in the stirrup, the Duchess patted her thigh for emphasis. "Grab the saddle like this, step up and lean forward a bit -- but not too much -- and swing your right leg around like this." After demonstrating, she sat atop the horse for a moment before getting down. "When you dismount, it's important to take both feet out of the stirrups first, lean a bit like this, swing your leg around, and slide off just like that." She landed gracefully, turning back to face Orrus. "Any questions?"

 

[Orron Thrask]

When Benedali had informed Orron of instructing him how to ride a small gulp escaped his thraot. He was worried to say the least. He wasn't sure how well riding a horse would be as compared to half of the others things he'd dealt with. Taking on Sith, fighting through harsh weather and graug. But now this seemed to be a bit of a labor on it's own.

Carefully he watched as she demonstrated how to mount and dismount before saying "I think I got it." After that he turned to his horse, Balthazar, and said "Uh....hi. Now look, I'm getting on. Don't try to toss me off. Got it?"

While the horse gave no real response Orron sighed and nodded before lifting himself up and over onto the sadel. He was careful to swing his leg around as the duchess had shown while dealing with them still under his Jedi robes. When he managed to fix them he exposed his entire robotic legs as he sat on the horse. The big black beast gave a few disgruntled sounds before settling, Orron giving a few "Whoa"s and "Easy"s.

After that he looked down to Benedali and asked "You sure I'm, well, you know...not too heavy for him?"

[member="Benedali Serrus"]

 

[Benedali Serrus]

[member="Orron Thrask"]

Benedali leaned against her horse, watching in amusement at Orrus mounted Balthazar. The man did everything correctly for a beginner, which was rather surprising -- it had taken the Duchess a week to mount properly.

However, as the Jedi got settled, her eyebrows shot up, her gaze on his robotic legs. She'd known that Orrus was a cyborg -- the face was a dead giveaway -- but she didn't actually know to what extent his body was metal. Voluntary enhancements? Or the result of an accident? she wondered. It still didn't affect her original opinion of the Jedi, though now she was very curious about the story behind the cybernetics.

He said something to her, which jolted the Duchess out of her musings. Be polite! she scolded herself. Tearing her eyes away from the metallic limb, she looked back up at Orrus, though she avoided looking at him eye-to-eye. Instead, she inspected his mount. "Hmm. You should be fine; Balthazar is a lot stronger than he looks." Patting the horse on its flank, she added, "Everything looks good, so... I'll just take the reins and lead you along, alright?"

She then mounted Celestine, and the two horses began to walk. Benedali maneuvered her horse so that they were almost side by side. "I hope you like the view," she said.

 

[Orron Thrask]

While still a little nervous on the horse Orron was calm enough to follow Bendali's instruction. He hadn't noticed her reaction to his cybernetics, mainly because he was too busy worrying about the horse suddenly taking off. When she told him how she;d take the reins it felt a little bit better. Now if anything happened at least it wouldn't be his fault.

He waited untils she mounted her horse before handing the reins to her so both of them could ride side to side. As his horse moved Orron went stiff, making sure he was balacing himself. He gave it a moment before finally starting to get the feel of being on a horse, how high above the ground they stood and the way their bodies moved while sitting on them. As he slowly built up a little more courage from the ride he took a deep sigh of relief, hoping he didn't seem like a fool to the duchess.

When she asked about the view Orron looked out to the horizon, seeing the setting sun, and said "Yes. It's....peacful." Something about saying that had made him look back and asked "Duchess, I need to know what this is about. All the secrecy, I mean. Is there some sort of danger you're in?"

[member="Benedali Serrus"]

 

[Benedali Serrus]

[member="Orron Thrask"]

The Duchess looked at him out of the corner of her eye, head lowered. She had hoped for a little more time before confusing in the Jedi, to completely be sure that he was trustworthy. She hadn't told anyone, not even Maka, about her plan to recruit Orrus to the Freedom Fighters. They would have more than likely forbade her, anyway.

But Benedali felt that Orrus could be trusted with such a proposal -- after all, he was a Jedi, and the Jedi helped keep the Sith at bay, right?

But best to stick with caution, anyway. Biting her lip, she asked him, "First, can you use the Force to check for anyone besides us? I don't want there to be a single being out here except for us." It would be the doom of all if an agent of the One Sith was lurking about.

 

[Orron Thrask]

Her request only added to the suspicion Orron felt. Whatever was involved was so deep in secrecy that it risked being spyed on? He wondred if it had to do direclty with her own life or her planet's and her people's. Instead of making more questions he instead closed his eyes and focused while reaching out with the force. He felt around for a good distance around them, only sensing the animals and their own natrual sense of the force that was within them.

He opned his eyes and answered "We're alone, duchess. Only you and I. And...the horses." he indicated while lookign down at his.

[member="Benedali Serrus"]

 

[Benedali Serrus]

[member="Orron Thrask"]

Halting the horses, she nodded, pleased. "Good, thank you." Now for the hard part.

Benedali dismounted and gestured to Orrus to do the same. "This will be easier if we are on the ground; the horses will partially block us, too." She looked him square in the face this time. Her face was grim with the weight of what she was about to ask. "You...are aware that the Sith control Alderaan, yes? Well, not all of the Houses enjoy their rule. House Serrus is lucky -- we really aren't important enough to stick out much. But others...well, I'm sure you can imagine what they suffer.

"Truth is, everyone is sick of being in their ruthless grip, and we want to do something about it. But we still lack enough resources to overthrow them and establish Alderaanian independence." The Duchess touched his arm. "What I'm basically trying to ask is, would you want to join us? To join the Freedom Fighters?" Her blue eyes were large, pleading him to join. Having more Jedi among the fighters' ranks would be a significant plus.

 

[Orron Thrask]

Orron dismounted when she did and, after she suggested it, used the horses to block himself from any distant views from anyone. He even looked around one last time as the duchess began to speak to double-check for any eavesdropping. After that he looked her in the eyes as well as she began to give her proposition for joining a group of freedom fighters against the Sith.

Orron went stiff for a moment. It wasn't the proposal that got to him, it was the idea of fighting against the Sith again. The idea had made him look down as he tried to think it over. He shied away from her as he looked down to his left hand, the robotic build of it slipping out of his sleeve in full view. He gripped it as the horrible memory of fighting against the Sith lord that did this to him came running back.

He looked back to her and asked "You want me to help you against the Sith? But I'm only a padawan. I'm not much help as I am now. And who knows what my master would say if he found out. Or the rest of the Jedi. This is a major move against the Sith, and that's something they prefer to know about."

[member="Benedali Serrus"]

 

[Benedali Serrus]

[member="Orron Thrask"]

She noticed him go stiff. She noticed him shy away from her touch. She noticed him look at his cybernetics. She noticed everything; she was a politician, after all.

So, Benedali did what a politician did -- she played off her disappointment and hurt, pretended that they weren't there. But she wasn't going to give up just yet. "We aren't going to attack just yet -- like I said, we are still building resources. And who knows, when the day comes you just might be a Knight or Master." The Duchess bit the inside of her cheek before continuing. "But, I understand your hesitancy; I mean, it's not every day you get asked to join a fledgling rebellion against a feared enemy, right?"

She gave Orrus a smile that was filled with assurance that she did not feel. Inside, deep down, she berated her stupidity. Why would he have joined? They'd only just met. Oh, stupid, stupid, stupid! She should have known better.

I wonder how the rest of this evening will go? Benedali wondered, as the sun began to touch the horizon.

 

[Orron Thrask]

Even with her words and smile Orron seemed reluctant. He turned away, trying to think of the best response in reaction to what she'd said. It was true that if they waited long enough they may have had a chance, and perhaps by then Orron would have reached knight or even Master rank. But there was still a lingering fear in him that kept holding him back.

He turned back to her and said "It's still too risky, Benedali. You don't know what sort of power the Sith have. The Jedi thought they defated them time and again only for them to suddenly remerge from the ashes. They took over the galaxy once and then they'd managed to take Courascant from us. What happens if they find out about your rebellion before you have time to gather your resources? You wouldn't stand a chance. Trust me....I know..." He finished by looking back to his robotic hands; a constant reminder of what happens when facing against an enemy you're never prepared for. He looked back to her and said "I don't want to see you make a mistake that could mean your life."

[member="Benedali Serrus"]

 

[Benedali Serrus]

[member="Orron Thrask"]

Anger flared inside her as she listened to Orrus speak. "That's the talk of a defeatist!" Benedali cried. "And the Sith have taken Coruscant before, remember? But you Jedi eventually recaptured it again!" Her eyes flashed. "I know what we are doing is risky, why else would I insist on this private meeting? And yes, I do know what the Sith are capable of! I've seen it, in the looks of the other Houses. That's why I'm asking you, a Jedi! You stand for peace, and justice. Yet what is the point of adhering to that if you won't fight for what's right? We are fighting for our freedom, and if that's not worth risking our lives then I don't know what is!"

Hot tears sprung into her eyes, and she quickly turned away from Orrus while wiping her eyes. She didn't want him to see them. But she was frustrated. She would have at least thought that, even if he didn't join the cause, the Jedi would at least understand why she was a part of it. And yet, there he was, essentially telling her that the cause was pointless. This was a mistake, she realized. Sighing, she said quietly, "I'm sorry, I should have never asked you in the first place. It was a mistake on my part."

The Duchess didn't face him yet -- instead, she faced the sunset, watching as streaks of pink and orange filled the sky. At least I got to watch the sun set, she thought bleakly.

 

[Orron Thrask]

Her sudden lash of anger had suprised Orron but he was not utterly phased by it. A Jedi had to be calm in these situations, or at least act as such. However his compsure broke when he saw she was trying to hide the tears in her eyes as she wiped them away. Her words of conviction were strong but her emotions also fueled her beliefs. He'd reached out to comfort her but recoiled his hand, knowing she would likey deny it.

Orron could see as she turned to face the sun set how red her eyes were from the tears. He'd know that sort of feeling all too well. Because of that he he closed his eyes and thought to himself. He needed to convince her why he had trouble agreeing to her cause. He knew a way, but it was going to be rough even for him.

With a small "Benedali..." to gain her attention Orron looked to her before undoing his Jedi robes.

Once they were lose enough he pushed them off, revealing his full body and how far the cybernetics had spread. Pratically ever part of him, with the eception of his face, had been replaced or covered in cybernetics. The sheen from the metal glinted as the sun's light still shown in the distance against it. He gave the duchess a moment to let the sight sink in, knowing it would be hard to swallow, before telling his story.

"My father was a Jedi master, and my mentor. And when the Sith had invaded Courascant last time it had cost him his life. He died trying to protect me from a Sith Lord who did this to me. He died because I was too afarid to face my fears now, and my own mistakes lead to the death of someone I care for. I don't.....I don't want to make that same mistake again. I don't want to lose someone else who I care about..."

[member="Benedali Serrus"]

 

[Benedali Serrus]

[member="Orron Thrask"]

When he said her name, she briefly thought about ignoring him -- but then decided it would be petty. So, instead, Benedali tore her gaze away from the almost-gone sun just in time to see Orrus begin to loosen his robes. Her brows furrowed in confusion. What the-- It was only when the last bit of light reflected off of all the metal that she understood. Her mouth formed a faint "O" as she saw that he was almost completely cybernetic.

She listened to his story, and the Duchess realized why he didn't believe they could win against the Sith. She blushed, too, when she connected the dots and realized he cared for her. It touched her that she made such a deep impression on the Jedi.

Benedali leaned against Celestine, silent as she absorbed everything. Several moments passed. "I won't die. And if I do, it won't be your fault," she said quietly.

The sky grew dark as the sun set, and all at once small lights appeared, making it seem like the stars were there with the two instead of up in the sky, where they belonged. Benedali blinked to let her eyes adjust, before adding, "You should have faith in Maka and Arick, by the way. They won't let anything happen to me." She smiled weakly. "And if they screw up I will torment them as a ghost."

 

[Orron Thrask]

Seeing as his tale and warning didn't sway the duchess Orron sighed. Clealry she was so intent on saving her planet. And why not? She was royalty after all. Like the princesses throughout history who fought instead of cowering while their people suffered, it seemed like a second nature to their title. At least, as Orron could take as a plus amongst all this, she wasn't afraid of him after seeing his fully cybernetic glory.

After she made her comment about her brother and Maka Orron nodded before saying "I won't either." He took a step foward and said "I guess even Jedi have to admit defeat in an argument when they know it." With a wak smile he said "Alright. I'll help. But I can't be offically connected with this rebellion of yours. Not now. Once I can prove myself as a knight at least, I'll be able to act on my own without my master's apporoval. Until then, if you need me, you can be assured I'll answer your call."

[member="Benedali Serrus"]

 

[Benedali Serrus]

[member="Orron Thrask"]

Benedali's face broke out into a huge grin when Orrus agreed to join. She embraced him energetically, ignoring the coolness of his metal cybernetics. "Oh, thank you Orrus!" Drawing away a bit so that she could see his face, she added, "Like I said, you may very well be a Knight by the time we are finally ready to mobilise." Smiling mischieviously, the Duchess continued, "At the very least, you now have a motive to progress in the Jedi ranks."

Benedali hugged him again. "Really, though, I am glad for your support. You don't know how much it means to me."

 

[Orron Thrask]

A little spark went in his heart at the sight of Benedali being happy. When she'd hugged him Orron felt his temerature rise a little and his heart skip a beat. It took him a moment to calm and accept this before returning her hug both times. He was careful not to squeeze with his rbotic hands and, as he stood ther with her, had a mental battle with himself over what;d he'd agreed to. In the end he knew there was no turning back from here.

In reponse to what she'd said about how much it meant Orron added "I mean a lot to me as well.", sounding a little meloncahoie about his choice.

[member="Benedali Serrus"]

 

[Benedali Serrus]

[member="Orron Thrask"]

Benedali gave Orrus a softer smile, gently touching his non-metal cheek. She heard a bit of scepticism in his voice yet when he replied. "I know; and I know this is difficult for you, but I promise -- you won't regret it."

When she realized, though, how close they were standing, a blush creeped up her cheeks and she withdrew her hand, instead placing it on his chest (not that that helped any). The Duchess hoped that it was dark enough that he wouldn't notice -- despite her best attempt Benedali suspected he had seen her tears. It must be the romantic setting of the estate, she decided. That and the secrecy surrounding everything. However, she found that she didn't feel like moving, so to take away from the emotional state of the scene, she said in a light tone, "Well, now that that's out of the way, we really ought to get to know each other a bit more. Granted, that probably should have been done before I pulled you into an illegal affair, but hey--" She winked at him. "Gotta keep things interesting, right?"

Drumming her fingers on the metal surface, she asked, "So, favourite colour?"