Cakes and Baking

[Darth Veles]

Paying a visit to opposing ideologies often carried certain risks, but Darth Veles believed his skills in the arts of infiltration good enough to eliminate most dangers stemming from such activities. Taking a closer look at his enemies and analysing their current state promised a deeper insight into their structure and beliefs they adhered to; he was usually one to familiarize himself with those he fought, like a predator studied its prey before delivering the killing blow. That, and it’s been too long since his last peaceful interaction with the Jedi. Surprisingly enough, the Sith lord’s always been quite fond of the Jedi order and its members, provided they followed the proper code and tenets – if for nothing else, Darth Veles considered them worthy adversaries. Powerful in their own right, respectable opponents to battle, utilizing both skill and wisdom granted by the light side of the Force. For one reason or another, he found himself fascinated by them, although this curiosity was that of a scholar examining alien lifeforms, finding both ways to nurture or exterminate these.

Curious about what discoveries awaited him, the Sith lord journeyed to Voss, slipping in unnoticed – Darth Veles considered himself an assassin for a reason. Infiltration was one of them, and so the naturally darker presence and signature painted in the Force around his form suddenly gained lighter, bright shades usually associated with the Jedi. The same went for his clothes – although not a dead giveaway, much like the usual Jedi robes, his usual Sith apparel saw a radical change; today, Darth Veles sported beige and brown, appearing like a typical light side monk known from tales and legends. Ironic, really. There was a time he wished to have the Silver Jedi wiped out – perhaps he still desired to completely eradicate their numbers – but upon hearing about the divide that split the Silver Jedi and their dark Firemane allies apart, he sensed opportunity. It wasn’t just knowledge he hoped to obtain; as an independent Sith lord with no ties to any power currently operating in the galaxy, the Darth lacked allies. That, and he desperately needed a powerful Jedi for a certain experiment, albeit such truth deserved to remain secret for the time being.

A majestic structure bathed in the light side of the Force, the temple accepted him without ever tasting treachery. Deceit and guile created a potent poison even the sharpest Jedi succumbed to – the price for making such an effective lie was nothing less than his concentration and focus. Maintaining the bright cloak demanded attention; Darth Veles wasn’t sure how deep under his skin the Jedi could see. The light constantly sought to unmask him and reveal the Sith spy to everyone, but years of training and absolute mastery over his signature proved victorious. In also helped no Sith tattoos covered the intruder, and thus he passed through the lobby undisturbed, head lowered and eyes sparking with lust for knowledge. His orbs continued to maintain the natural warm amber hue, a result of restraint and a firm grip on the dark side’s leash. Indeed, despite inherently feeling like a cancerous infestation worming through a healthy body, the Dark Lord faced surprisingly little difficulty fitting in.

Steps filled with confidence, yet slow enough to display humility carried him past the lobby. Due to some past dealings with the Silver Jedi, he had a rough idea of the temple’s layout. Smiling to himself, quite pleased to have slipped in without trouble, he set forth to discover the library, drawn to knowledge like a moth to a flame. It could not be helped, really.


[member="Valae Kitra"]
[member="Arisa Yune"]

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

Valae Kitra sifted through her clothing, tossing aside pairs of trousers, shirts and tank tops. It was true that she desperately needed to launder her things, and it was also true that her belongings were a bit ragged. A frown stretched across her mouth as she surveyed the pile of clothing at her feet, she could not shake the feeling that everything she owned just seemed unfit to wear now. With a frustrated huff, she turned towards one last source – a rarely used storage locker. Slowly, she unlocked the trunk and lifted the heavy lid. Leaning forward slightly, Valae gently pulled out a very special article of clothing.

She brought the woolen fabric out into the dim light.

It was the first set of robes she had received upon her arrival at the Silver Temple. Her hand slid across the textile, it was almost like her memories had been woven tightly into the robe. Valae smiled fondly as she stood to her feet. With the robe clutched close, she pondered slipping it over her shoulders once more. She lifted the robes to put on and then stopped, and repeated this processes a couple more times, until her motions resembled a bit of an awkward dance. Even now, she felt hesitant to wear this garment. Somehow, now more than ever, she was reminded of her many shortcomings and how blazing her own path had only led to a dead end.

But it was all in the past. Though she had temporarily left the Silver Jedi, she had found her way back. After all, this was where she belonged.

Valae breathed in and silenced her thoughts. And after slipping into the brown robe, she took confident strides away from her ship. She crossed through the spaceport and moved towards the Silver Temple. She did realize that she could easily stay in one of their dormitories, but it was just as convenient to stay aboard the Tumbleweed. Her wild, brown hair flowed freely as she walked -- she was a woman on a mission. Valae stopped to talk to no one. Her stomach was beginning to ache with hunger and would need to be satisfied quite soon.

And so, where did she head? The library! Of course, it was probably not the first place that would come to mind when looking for a hot meal… but Valae had a very good reason to check. Her friend and fellow Jedi was known for occasionally bringing in baked treats to share.

“Hey, y’all seen [member="Arisa Yune"] around today?” Valae asked a group of padawan learners that were clustered by the library conference rooms.

They all shook their heads and Valae let her head hang forward. As she looked up again, she spotted an unfamiliar face -- a Mon Cal, if she wasn’t much mistaken.

[member="Darth Veles"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

In another time, when the Silver Jedi were under no serious threat of attack by anyone, the intruder probably would have been able to come and go as he pleased without trouble. However, these were different times, where several locations within Silver Space, including Voss itself, had been victim to a string of attacks that left the Jedi and Rangers in a state of high alert.

To his credit, the Sith Lord had been quite effective at masking his presence, but a dark taint in itself wouldn't have been enough to warrant more than a healthy case of suspicion, as troubled individuals passed through the temple doors every day on their path to recovery.

No, what would do in the good Sith Lord was just a good old fashion case of biometrics. The Silver Jedi's repositories of intelligence were vast, now swelling with information from the Directorate, GRIM, and even some limited access to SIS and IE dossiers.

Temple Guards moved in quickly but quietly to intercept the Sith, catching up through shortcuts to head him off. They would assemble in neat little rows ahead and behind him, sabers in hand but deactivated.

"I'm not sure if you received the memo, but all new arrivals must first go through inprocessing."

The backline of Temple Guards would part to allow Arisa through, dressed casually in trendy dark urban wear, but shattergun and lightsaber hilt in easy view if and when the good Sith Lord was so nice as to turn. Like with the guardians, her body would be enveloped in a protective cocoon of Force Energy precisely to prevent the yanking of said weaponry.

"My apologies if this wasn't made clear. So then, why don't we take a walk, Mister Zatarus."

If the Sith Lord was able to feel anything from Arisa, it was more of a sense of curiosity more so than hostility, as she was truly amazed that Sith would have the gall to prance around the halls of the temple as if they could fool anyone.

Arisa's meeting with Valae would have to wait, as the Shadow now had some business to take care of. Where other Jedi found themselves at the mercy of the Sith, Arisa seemed to have the luck of them just dropping right into her lap. The Force certainly worked in mysterious ways.

[member="Darth Veles"] [member="Valae Kitra"]

 

[Darth Veles]

[SIZE=9pt]Shock and surprise ran their course through the Mon Cal’s body. Endless streams of questions raced through his mind, and even though it all happened within a few seconds, the short moment felt as all eternity. This meant the end of his infiltration, put to stop before it even started. How? For the past few months, everyone appeared to be able to feel him despite his mastery over making the signature and auras surrounding his form disappear. Blinking, the Sith assassin remained motionless, eyes aimlessly wandering around in search of a solution. Although the man’s frustration finally leaked into the Force, his voice betrayed nothing, suave and confident as always.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“What a delight to finally meet the most esteemed Grandmaster herself.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Surrounded by Jedi who most definitely knew about his presence, Darth Veles slowly turned around, feeling rage build up inside his heart, waiting to be summoned and unleashed. The hopeless odds did not terrify the Sith lord. For a moment, he considered the possibility of doing something, attacking, making a run for it. His left hand twitched, hoping to seize the opportunity by the throat, but the delicate movement faded away swiftly enough to make the witnesses question if it existed in the first place. All that rigid tension clutching his muscles was gone, replaced by relaxed and smooth motions.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Of course,” [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]agreed the Dark Lord with a wave of a hand and even offered a subtle laugh, [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]“Lead the way, friend. There is much for us to discuss.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Perhaps he had overestimated his abilities. A grave mistake to make, no doubt, but creeping through the lion’s den always carried considerable risks. Perhaps these Jedi were more powerful than anticipated – in which case, the Sith lord needed to consider a temporary alliance, just like he had done with the Galactic Republic long ago. That, and Darth Veles rarely passed the opportunity to throw a spanner into another Sith’s works. Putting on his signature smile, sweet and harmless, just like he had done thousands of times before, the Sith lord offered a slight bow and clasped his hands behind his back.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“And please. Call me Avreet.”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=9pt][member="Arisa Yune"] [member="Valae Kitra"][/SIZE]