Below the Wroshyr Trees [DragonsFlame]

[Tallia Farn]

Tallia hadn't been prepared for that. "That sounds both satisfying and extremely frustrating at the same." It was the first response that came to mind. "It's just good that he's alive after all right?" She looked him in the eyes then smiled sympathetically. "I understand how you feel though, and I respect your decision to keep it a secret." It was odd, but the information didn't really surprise her after it had settled a bit. In this galaxy, you had to get used to the unexpected happening, until it just didn't bother you when the tables turned.

"So, who else have you told?" She wondered why she had been chosen above other friends Josh had in the Order. She was glad to have his trust though.

@[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"You'd be the first" he admitted, shrugging. "I don't know, maybe I just had to get it out after keeping it secret for so long" he joked with a chuckle. "The only people who know are you, and Aleidis, which is only because she found him first" he explained.

"It's.... Frustrating" he admitted, scratching his head. "I'm happy that he's alive, but I wish I could have spent more time with him. But since he left the Senate, and I've spoken to the Council about him without saying his real name, and Selena said she would just exile him if he came back, so I guess I don't blame him for leaving" he said, sighing.

This was one of the reasons he disliked Selena's mannerisms. Many things she did just didn't make sense. And it was those mannerisms that drove his father away. Made him feel better about nicknaming her the "Grandbooty" though.

He smirked a bit. "Well, at least I don't feel bad about calling Selena the Grandbooty though" he joked. Humor, a breath of fresh air after all that. "But yeah... Even my brother doesn't know. If I didn't mention, he survived as well. Wish I'd known that years ago, but bounty hunters found him and took him, didn't find me since I was buried under a fried speeder, and the Jedi ended up finding me. I'd be happy to call him and tell him... Yknow, if the Sith hadn't found him about a year ago, long before I found him"

@[member="Tallia Farn"]

 

[Tallia Farn]

Tallia thought about what he said for several moments. He was putting a lot of faith in her to keep this behind closed doors. Luckily, Tallia had always been good at keeping secrets. Only the innermost elders of the Jedi had known her heritage when she was brought to the Jedi Temple. There weren't many people now who knew that she was the Queen of Hapes child. It was a secret that she kept with great caution. If it were to get out, her safety, and more importantly, her image would be compromised. She liked just being looked at as just one of many Jedi out in the galaxy, instead of being viewed as someone important or special. If she had to pick any one thing that she hated the most, being in the spot-light would be at the top. She didn't like keeping secrets any more than Josh did, but their usefulness outweighed the burden.

"The Sith?" She frowned. "What do you think will happen to your brother now, if the Empire collapses?" Tallia sighed. "War is cruel, isn't it?"

@[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"If it collapses, I have to find him" he said, taking a breath. "I have to capture him, as much as I hate to. I need to get him into Jedi custody and turn him away from the dark path that has been forced on him"

He brushed his hair from his face. "I fought him before. On Dantooine. The Sith have turned him into something I don't even recognize anymore. When I looked into his eyes, I knew it was him, but.... He just seemed so... Evil. Dark. Corrupt. They turned him into something that will kill any in his path if he isn't stopped. And that someone that has to stop him has to be me, before someone kills him"

He frowned. "Apologies if I'm dumping all this on you, Tallia"

(Hey! Congrats on Faction Admin! Would you happen to have Skype or anything, so it'll be a little easier to get ahold of you? I'm taking the reigns as Faction Leader until Trent returns, so I figured I might as well have a good source of contact for my faction admins/council)

@[member="Tallia Farn"]

 

[Tallia Farn]

"No, I-I understand." To be honest though, Tallia didn't have a concept at all. She couldn't think of one time she had looked into a Sith's eyes and felt compassion. Talking about Josh's brother was a bit different because she'd never seen him face to face, but she guessed he would not be her kind of person. It sometimes bothered her to really think about it, but she barely viewed even a Sith as a human being like her. There was some sort of disconnect there that she didn't necessarily understand, but never the less, that was how she felt. Jedi that had turned to the Dark-side especially bothered her.

"I would feel the same in your situation." Another lie, though she thought she did a decent job of covering it up. "I hope there is something that can be done for him." She said. This was a genuine statement, though it probably sounded doubtful coming from her mouth.

@[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He sighed. "It's difficult knowing that my own brother's a Sith, but there's nothing I can do until I find him. I just hope it's not too late to make him see the light" he said, taking a breath. The atmosphere had become solemn. For Tallia's sake at least, he hoped to change that.

".... I just hope I get to him before the Grandbooty does" he said, a grin starting to form on his face. Ah, the jokes about the Grandmaster, Selena Halcyon. Ever since Diana had made that crack about her bottom, the term "Grandbooty" had surfaced in image of Selena for weeks now. There was a good feeling that the poor woman would never live it down. Of course, considering her demeanor, she probably needed something light hearted to compliment her cold and heartless visage.

"I don't want a flat brother. I'd like him whole, thank you" he joked. Tallia was there when the term "Grandbooty" was born, so hopefully she'd find a bit of humor in the subject.

@[member="Tallia Farn"]

 

[Tallia Farn]

"Wow.." Tallia rolled her eyes. "That is a picture that I did not want in my head." She said laughing. Grandmaster Halcyon was someone Tallia had great respect for. She hadn't ever had a huge amount of interaction with the older woman, but anyone who was granted the rank of Grandmaster certainly deserved it. However, people seemed rather comfortable with calling her by whatever slang they pleased. "Grandbooty" being the front runner. Tallia preferred to call people by Sir, or Ma'am, or Master, as she had called Josh at the beginning of the mission. She became more relaxed as she got to know people better, but she tried to remain formal.

"Do you ever miss Ben?" She asked suddenly, referring to the previous Grandmaster. She had known him much better than Selena Halcyon. He had been the head of the Coruscant temple when she had left Tython behind. Tallia had always had good relations with him, and he had always done a good job of keeping the Order "orderly."

@[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He chuckled a bit. "If you don't want a mental image, sweetheart.... Never. Ever. EVER try and scry my mind. Just don't. I have mental scars that will never heal thanks to Selena Halcyon"

And the Jedi Master wasn't kidding. The one time that the Council had a day to relax, Selena brought them to a hot tub to relax to prepare for Korriban after fighting so many invasions back to back.... And she showed up naked. Worse yet, she sat beside Josh. Even worse then that, she apparently didn't notice where Josh was when she decided to stand up, move a bit to the left, and bend over to grab a glass of wine. The Council would never let him live that down, and neither would his nightmares.

"I do" he admitted with a frown as she brought up @[member="Ben Watts"], the Grandmaster that Josh had grown up under, and respected more then any Jedi in the history of the Order. Ben's way was the way that Josh had learned, and it was the way he would always live by. No new Grandmaster and their heretic burning ways would divert Josh's beliefs from that of the Ben Watts Jedi Order.

"I really do. He was quite possibly the greatest Grandmaster of our time. I just wish I could see him again, talk to him, tell him... Yknow, I did it. He believed in me, and I promised him I would do my damn hardest for this Order. And I have, and I've gone farther then I could ever have dreamed of. I just wish he was here today to see me now. He was my friend, he was a mentor, and he is the one man I respect over all others"

@[member="Tallia Farn"]

 

[Tallia Farn]

"The Order just feels empty without him.." Tallia added to what Josh had said. "He left a gap that hasn't been replaced. I'm not sure it ever will." She then let silence hang. Only the low thrum of the hyperdrive could be heard as they rocketed forward at the speed of light. She loved simple moments of peace such as this. She had begun to almost hoard them greedily, fearing another moment such as this might not come again for a long time.

@[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He sighed, and reached a hand out to hold hers gently. His fingers for the first time entwined with hers, comforting her, supporting her, not letting go.

"It does...." he said, taking a breath as he squeezed her hand in comfort. "It never will. But... I have faith in Ben. He will always be in our hearts, and I'm sure that one day, Ben will return. When the time is right. We just have to work our hardest to make the Order something that Ben would be proud of"

He pulled her into a small, but warm embrace. Something that Josh didn't do for many. But he felt she needed it, at that moment... And whether he wanted to believe it or not, so did he.

A moment of silence, a moment of peace followed as he closed his eyes. Nothing could be heard but the sound of hyperspace outside of the ship.

For that moment, a smile crossed his face. One of serenity, of peace....

[End Thread]

@[member="Tallia Farn"]