Darkness

[Riamah]

Vjun an almost dead and lifeless world wasn't entirely devoid of the living. A building and its compound stood here through time. Bast Castle. Built originally by Count Dooku of Serenno it then became a home of Darth Vader's. In the years Ra had lived here, she had been visited a few times by people expecting to find the castle abandoned.

Some of them had been shot down by the automatic defenses, others had just walked up and knocked on the door. Even had one mist her way in through a cracked glass in a window, that was really a surprise for the sith that lived here.

While she was an unconventional sith, she was still one. Instead of wanting power though, she craved knowledge. As she gained that, the power came. Outside Vjun, she was head of a merchant fleet and kept this part of her life secret. She put business before being a sith, did not care about the conflict between Jedi and Sith. However, she would happily debate these things with anybody.

That lead her to now and the teen that sat across from her. How he got here was by freighter, she knew that...but not how he got to the castle. Vincent had been going about his duties when he found this boy wandering around. Ra didn't even know if he was found outside or actually inside the castle. All she knew was Vincent had escorted him to the library and left him there to get her.

Catching her by surprise, Ra welcomed him anyway. With the surprise already having happened, Ra had not been hiding her force signature. If Jerit could sense it, it would tell him she was more aligned with the dark. However, she wasn't an evil person and that would hopefully be clear by her welcome.

"What brought you here?"

[member="Jerit Kolomor"]

 

[St0rmSlaSh]

Jerit sat in the chair with a hint of awkwardness brewing within himself. He felt the force signature around the woman who Jerit now knew to be Ra. She was definitely aligned with the dark but something was different about her in a way that the padawan learner had never felt through the force before. It was as if she was indeed a Sith, but not one to slaughter people just for the fun of it as the boy had experienced previously. He decided not to push it any further in his head and left it be for the time being.

He felt more welcome than most hosts he had been with. Ra seems to be a rather nice person given the recent discovery of her force vision. As he sat there he looked around the room and it was quite cozy with all of the books strewn about. Then Ra asked the question as to why the boy was here in the castle. That was something that Jerit was more hesitant to answer. On Kashyyk, he knew of a place called Bast Castle which was the former living quarters of Count Dooku and the infamous, Darth Vader.

Over time in the Silver Jedi Order, Jerit felt more and more like he didn't matter and as a result wanted to change things about his life. He wanted to dive deeper with the force. To explore the dark side and its secrets and to full understand the true nature of the universe. The best place for him to get to that was Bast Castle, but now here he was in the same room as a Sith who Jerit would have never thought would inhabit a Castle like this. He thought the place was abandoned and forgotten. That was what he thought until the old butler man escorted him to Ra.

Jerit answered Ra's question with a confident tone.

"I came here to find more about the dark side. To find knowledge about the Sith. I thought this place was abandoned. I got around the defenses like nothing. It wasn't until I was two steps in that the what I assume to be your butler escorted me to you."

@Ra'a'mah​

 

[Riamah]

Not many people thought Bast was lived in, probably due to Ra keeping to herself and not broadcasting this fact. So her visitors were almost always surprised as much as she was when they came. So far no visit has ended badly and it didn't look like this one would either.

The boy was aligned with the Light and she picked up on this. As much as he had likely picked up on her own.

Vincent (the butler) brought in some tea for both of them and left the room, closing the door behind him. The old man had an almost haunted look about him. However, if Jerit looked beyond that, he would be able to tell Vincent was happy here. He had known a lifetime of suffering, pain and loss. Ra had bought him as a slave when she acquired the castle. Offering him freedom then, he and the other people here had stayed. They had either known only the life or slavery and couldn't do without purpose that freedom would give them. Vincent had lost everything important in his life and grown into his position with Ra.

After offering Jerit some tea, Ra resumed her seat listening to his answer. Holding her cup in her hand, she stared into it for a moment after he finished. Ra looked up before speaking and raised a single brow. It addressed only the first part of his statement.

"Why?"

Such a simple question, but maybe difficult to answer. She wasn't going to intentionally attempt to turn him from the path he was on, but would speak to him of hers and the code she followed.

[member="Jerit Kolomor"]

 

[St0rmSlaSh]

When the Butler came in, Jerit wanted to know more about this man so he dived in through the force. The main purpose of it was to catch his overall feeling and mood and to try to connect that more with Ra's alignment in the force. The boy had to not close his eyes to concentrate or else it would look weird. He accepted the tea and right when Jerit drank from the cup, he dove into the Butler's mind. The padawan could see nothing wrong with him. All that resided in the man was joy and tranquility.

Ra asked Jerit why and he thought back to his reason for coming to Bast Castle. The dark side. Jerit felt left about in the Silver Jedi Order and he wanted to explore the dark side to find a solution, even if he would turn. He needed to feel connection but did not know at what cost. He thought about leaving the order but decided against it.

He was with them this far and he did not want to stop now. He thought about diving into the darker side of the force in secret without his Master knowing. Maybe he can find the solution that way without everything blowing up in his face.

He finally answered Ra after a short pause.

"I want to find solutions to struggles I have. Deep in my heart I know that the light will not suffice my every need. I don't feel connected and I want the dark side to find the answer to that."

Who knows if Jerit will find the answer he seeks. He just wants every problem of his solved but he cannot do it alone with the light.

@Ra'a'mah​

 

[Riamah]

Setting her cup down on the table next to her, Ra stood up after Jerit answered her question. Giving him a rather serious look before she turned away, she would walk over to one of her book shelves and took one of them off.

In her hand she held an ancient book. It was light green with gold lettering. The book was so old, the green had started fading into a grey color. Holding it out to Jerit, Ra indicated for him to take it from her.

"Within that book are several codes and that author's opinion on them. Now you can look through that and see if you agree or not, make your own opinions on this."

Taking her seat back, Ra took a drink of her tea before looking at Jerit again and thinking about how to say what was on her mind concerning this. She didn't care what path another person followed as long as they didn't get in her way if she was after something. Now this boy was sitting across from her, sharing tea and expressing an interest in learning more about being one with the dark. Not just any kind of boy though, a Jedi.

"My life has been an interesting one. When I was about your age, my mind was wiped away and I didn't get it back until I was in my twenties. In those years, I had some Jedi training. I know that Code. Once I got my memory back, I learned I had grown up under the Sith Code. Of the two, I decided I more closely align with that of Sith. You can feel it, yes?"

[member="Jerit Kolomor"]

 

[St0rmSlaSh]

Jerit looked to Ra as she got up and retrieved a book. The boy was a bit confused as to what it was until Ra explained it. Codes? What intrigued the boy further was the word: Several. There are more codes than the Jedi and Sith? Jerit retrieved the book and scrolled through its pages.

Sure enough, there were the Jedi and Sith codes written on the first two pages. But there were more codes inside. Some with detailing both Jedi and Sith codes in them. Jerit was amazed. He never knew such things existed. He knew that from here on out he had to open his eyes to see more than what was on the surface. He had to question everything around him to bring him full understanding. That brought him back to the dark side.

The Dark Side was that opportunity to learn more than Jerit could ever know about rather than just sticking with the light. He flipped through more and more codes until he found one that he could relate to. He memorized it in his head for a couple of seconds. Maybe this might be the new code he follows. Maybe it will not be. Who knows, only the future can tell the struggling boy.

He looked up to Ra and listened to her talk. he put down the book and tea to give her an impression that he is paying attention fully.

"My life has been an interesting one. When I was about your age, my mind was wiped away and I didn't get it back until I was in my twenties. In those years, I had some Jedi training. I know that Code. Once I got my memory back, I learned I had grown up under the Sith Code. Of the two, I decided I more closely align with that of Sith. You can feel it, yes?"

Jerit looked to Ra and expressed a feeling of sympathy for the woman. That must have been tough. He indeed felt more Sith in Ra than Jedi. He was sure of that.

"I do feel it. I have a question though. How did going to the Sith change your life?"

This might have been a weird question, but Jerit needed to know. After asking the question, he wondered if you could actually put both Jedi and Sith codes together. It was a interesting thought and maybe he could look into it later.

@Ra'a'mah​

 

[Riamah]

It seemed he had maybe picked up on one of the codes he felt a calling to follow. Which one it was, Ra had no clue on, but she was interested in learning which one it was. After she told him a very short summary of what happened to her, he asked how being a sith changed her life.

Taking a few moments to consider her answer, there was a silence between them. She didn't feel it to be one filled with any tension, but it might be felt that it was a little heavy. Clearly full of thought though.

"Well, you need to think on something as I answer your question. I grew up sith, it was all I knew. When my mind was wiped, I lost all that knowledge and didn't even know I could use the Force. Lived like that for a few years until a Jedi found me. He then started training me as one."

At the thought of Master Dune,​ a true look of sorrow crossed her face. He was one man she had looked up to, but he had disappeared and never came back. It lasted a few moments before Ra continued telling what had changed.

"When I was a Jedi, I was also a simple currier of goods or people. Ran a small company out of my own ship. Once my memory was returned and I learned of my past, when I returned from that journey of discovery, Master Dune was gone and new leadership had been established with the people I had been with. Once they learned of my alignment, I was given head of intelligence. Those people are now gone or moved onto other aspects in their lives. Such has been the case with as well. Pay attention."

There was a change in Ra, like a light switch being flipped. That Force aura around her went away totally. No hint or clue she could even use the Force was present. Maintaining this block, Ra gave Jerit a small smile.

"I also lead a merchant fleet and conduct business. If people learned what I am, well I could be in serious trouble."

[member="Jerit Kolomor"]

 

[St0rmSlaSh]

She grew up Sith. That is what Jerit knew from her answer. She even forgot she could use the force until a Jedi trained her. Then how did she become Sith and knew she grew up as one? Jerit set the book of codes down and took a sip of his tea before listening more closely than each passing second of the conversation.

Now Jerit was introduced more to Ra than the boy ever realized. On the surface she just seemed an average Sith until both of them started to talk with each other. He learned of her past with her being a currier and her Master being gone and never to be seen. In his heart, he felt bad for Ra. Having her Master leave was a feeling that Jerit could not possibly feel. Yes, he was in between masters for a while but they never left him. Then what happened next was amazing.

He could not feel Ra through the force like she was just any normal person. He did not know how that was possible but he was blown away nonetheless. The boy's mouth was ajar but no too much.

"So you can be like one person and be another? That's mind blowing! You need to teach me that sometime, Ra."

@Ra'a'mah​

 

[Riamah]

"This is called Art of the Small and is actually a neutral force skill meaning a light or dark sided person can use it."

There were other skills to assist in doing the same thing, but Ra kept it simple for now. If Jerit wanted to learn, she would attempt to show and tell him how to do it. Since it would not have any bearing on his alignment within the Force, she didn't have an issue training him. In a way it was almost obvious to her the Jedi weren't teaching this boy some needed skills.

"It's not so much I am two different people, but I have a position where if it was known I follow the Sith Code it would get me trouble. Imagine a sith being afraid of getting in trouble?"

She picked up on his surprise and smiled a little when made her joke. Not entirely a joke though since she would at least loose her position if her secret was learned.

[member="Jerit Kolomor"]

 

[St0rmSlaSh]

"The Art of the Small, huh?" Jerit responded as he was listening to Ra's talking. If she wasn't two different people, then that means it's like a switch in the mind through the force. Jerit made it make sense in his head. It was truly a glorious trick. It could especially be one of use if the boy would want to hide in plain sight. It was brilliant. He could hide from Sith if he really wanted to. He laughed when he heard Ra's joke. A Sith being afraid of getting into trouble. He could believe that. Even though he knew nothing of the Sith, he did know one thing. Everyone does not want to be in trouble.

He took another sip of his tea and spoke to Ra once more. He couldn't believe he would ask this question, but something in him said that he had to. He wanted to turn to the darkside but not all the way. He wanted to be like Ra. She wasn't totally evil. She was almost neither Jedi or Sith almost although she said she was Sith. If Jerit could be someone like that, it could benefit him in a lot of ways. Plus, it sounded like Ra had many contacts withing the galaxy. If she didn't want to turn him, maybe someone else like her could. It was a crazy thought. He decided to keep the question as broad as he could.

"Hey, uh, Ra. Do you think by any chance there could be an opportunity to learn some of the ways of the dark side from you?"

There it was. The question he was burning to ask just a moment ago. It was there and it existed. Jerit waited intensely for Ra's answer.​

@Ra'a'mah​

 

[Riamah]

Knowing she had his attention by her simple trick, Ra could almost feel his desire to learn from her. Outwardly she still appeared normal and without any sign of corruption. Being more of a business focused person, she rarely relied on the Force. When she did, most of her skills were neutral so she did not fuel them with her emotions or use them in an evil way when she did.

A follower of the sith code and having seen what it did to her master, Ra had vowed to herself she would never turn into the monster he was. To this day, she had remained true to her vow and would do what she could to keep that promise. What she didn't realize was that if she kept on her path, she would become that monster and not even know it. It would take many years to happen, but almost all sith turned into addicts of the feeling the dark side brought.

When Jerit did express his interest in learning some of the ways of dark side from her, Ra nodded before speaking. She picked her words carefully and they were clearly thought of before they were given voice. Starting out with a question, she would give him time to answer before speaking on.

"What do you intend to do with what you learn?"

No matter what he answered, when he did, she would speak on.

"When you ask about learning the dark side and express interest in learning about it, there are a few ways to do it. One way...and it is just one of many, is to follow a code, specifically the sith. Look in that book and we can digest what each line means if you want."

Calmly approaching the matter in a business manner, Ra felt it was the best option for now.

[member="Jerit Kolomor"]

 

[St0rmSlaSh]

What he intended to do with his knowledge? Jerit was definitely going to stay the same unless the temptation was too great for the boy. His plan is not to hurt people, but to help them. He wants to help the galaxy. If he learned of the dark side along with the light side, Jerit could help so many people. The thought amazed the boy. That's all he wanted in life. Just peace.

After hearing Ra speak about how one can follow the darkside, Jerit responded first with how he would use his knowledge gained from the darkness. He took one quick sip of tea before telling Ra his intent with the other side of the force.

"I just want to help people. If I could possess wisdom of both the light and the dark, I could become very powerful. I could be powerful enough to assist beings of all kinds from danger. I do not want anyone else in this galaxy to go through what I had to go through all those years back..."

Feth, he mentioned a hint of his past. He remembered Lothal for a brief moment before coming back to his senses. He could not do that again.

"Anyway, that's what I plan to do once I learn enough from the darkside. Also, I do have a code in mind that I did find in the book that I would probably like to follow."

Jerit flipped back to the code which was called: Code griseo Iedienses advenimus. It said Grey Jedi Code on the bottom in handwritten Aurebesh.

He slid the book to Ra so she could take a look at it before going onto the code line by line to see what the whole things truly means.

@Ra'a'mah​

 

[Riamah]

Listening to the answer Jerit provided to her, Ra learned what she could use to potentially tempt him with. He wanted power, but he tempered it with his desire to help and assist people. They had just met so may not realize the look in her eyes had turned slightly calculating as her thoughts crossed her mind. When he mention something he had gone through and ended before he could finish, she grew curious.

He quickly covered up what he probably thought of as a mistake and moved on to one of the codes in the book. Noticing which one it was, she nodded. She took a drink of her tea and set the cup down again before speaking the whole code.

"Flowing through all, there is balance.
There is no peace without a passion to create.
There is no passion without peace to guide.
Knowledge stagnates without the strength to act.
Power blinds without the serenity to see.
There is freedom in life.
There is purpose in death.
The Force is all things and I am the Force."

Taking another drink, she looked at Jerit and asked what he thought the first line meant.

[member="Jerit Kolomor"]

 

[St0rmSlaSh]

Jerit noticed Ra's confused look about her and concluded it was about what he would have said about his family. He did not want to pick up on it again so he left it be. The boy had heard Ra speak of the code and Jerit tried to absorb each line to the best of his ability. He knew that this was something that he wanted to follow if the Silver Jedi Order did not meet his needs fully. He would follow this code and go onto a personal quest with the possible help of Ra if she deemed it necessary to herself.

Then she asked the boy what the first line meant. He recited the line in his mind.

Flowing through all, there is balance.

He knew from the beginning what that meant. In fact, that very line is what attracted him to it the most. Balance. Not just the Jedi nor the Sith, but balance of both through all. That was his answer to it. He looked to Ra and explained what the first line of the code meant to himself.

"This line is about how with every being there is balance. To me, balance is not but the Jedi nor the Sith, but a balance of both."

He made another realization with balance. It was the force.

"When I mean balance, I mean the force. That is what I think though. I don't know if that was the right answer or not."

He took another sip of his tea before completely emptying his cup.

@Ra'a'mah​

 

[Riamah]

Enjoying the quiet between them, Ra took a sip of her drink while Jerit thought of what he felt that first line meant. His idea indicated he was picking up on the alignment in the Force between the Jedi and Sith, but there were other ways to think of it. Not wanting to make the boy feel belittled or insulted, she carefully picked her tone and words.

Knowing teens could be so touchy sometimes, she felt he was different.

"The other code's first lines more apply to emotions. Passion and peace, specifically. Why doesn't this one?"

Giving a moment to allow the question to sink in and for him to think on it before she continued, Ra looked at him calmly.

"The Force connects everything and flows through all. I feel the Force is neutral at its base. It is the intention of the user that dictates if it is light or dark. What is your opinion on the Force? So this line defines my view of the Force itself."

[member="Jerit Kolomor"]

 

[St0rmSlaSh]

Hmm. That was an interesting way to put it. The line applies to emotions. Why didn't he think of that! Jerit was astounded by Ra's perception of this code. He was so convinced by her words and Jerit took them seriously when she brought what she thought of the code.

His opinion of the force? Well, he was a little philosophical on the topic itself of the force, so he tried to give the best answer he could to Ra.

"My opinion on the force is that its the ultimate thing in this galaxy, maybe even the universe. It literally flows through everything living and gives us force sensitives its power. Sometimes I see it as our salvation but at the same time our damnation."

The words were a little raw, especially the salvation and damnation part but Jerit thought of that comment to be 100% true to himself. That is what he truly thought of the force although he did agree with Ra's standpoint as well. The force is neutral and that it is the intention of the user to interpret it as their own way of light or dark. Jerit now realized that this was only the first line and immediately is already into a deep conversation on what the force means to him and to Ra. This was definitely going to be a very interesting time.

@Ra'a'mah​

 

[Riamah]

Noticing Jerit did not actually answer the first question she posed, Ra decided to use it to her advantage and make a display on something. Emotion. She was not truly mad, but with a calm sense of the fury of a storm she opened herself. Allowing what her inner self was show.

They talked about balance and how that first line could apply to emotions.

"You see there is balance in all, even emotions...Outwardly and on the surface, I present I am calm. Reach out and touch me."

She held a hand out across the distance to him. If he reached out, he would be able to feel that anger in her. It was not directed at him on any sort of personal level, but more or less at the galaxy. The wrongs that had been done to her over the years were what fueled this anger. However, she was logical and carefully directed her anger. Used it only when it was warranted and directed at the person or people making her mad at that moment.

"Yes the Force flows through everything, gives it life. Now do you feel it is neutral at its base or is naturally light and dark?"

[member="Jerit Kolomor"]

 

[St0rmSlaSh]

Emotions as well as balance is within all? How does that work? If you have emotions, how can you find balance if you act on them? The only solution Jerit could think of is that you have to let go of your emotion. He suddenly remembered the Jedi Code and the first line of it. There is no emotion, there is peace. The two codes were related in a way but concluded that they are not completely the same due to reciting the code in the book once more.

He saw Ra's hand reach out to him and she wanted the boy to touch it. Jerit hesitated at first but then grasped the hand and immediately felt the anger that resided inside the Sith Woman. Jerit felt a little fear of the anger but soon recovered. He let go of her hand and was immediately questioned on his opinion in the force and was asked if it was neutral or naturally light in dark.

It was definitely a hard decision to make for the boy. He always held the philosophy of Sith and Jedi at heart for most of his life and ever since he started to train in the ways of the force by his Father. After a second or two of silence Jerit finally came to an answer.

"I think that the force is neutral. It is all up to the person to use it to their own doing to make it light or dark. It's like the powers you can have with the force. Those abilities aren't inherently good or evil. It's how you use them that can dictate what kind of person you really are."

He looked down at his lap and thought of his dip with the darkside on Kashyyyk months ago and his journey to the light. He realized that what he did dictate what side he was on instead of having balance. It all made sense now with balance and emotion.

@Ra'a'mah​

 

[Riamah]

At their physical connection, Ra hoped what she meant would become clearer to him. That he would tell that in her own way, she was balanced emotionally. At this point in time and her life, she was a follower of the code, but not evil. Far closer to being grey in personality or even light sided.

Getting up to get herself more tea, she offered more to Jerit. If he accepted, she would refill his cup along with hers before returning to her chair. Leaning forward slightly to look directly at the boy, he might sense just how serious her tone was when she asked her next question.

"Think on this scenario, but take out the fact you are Jedi and consider it objectively."

Describing the scenario, she wanted to know if he considered what most would think of dark sided skills were applied for a good reason.

"You see a family with a child getting attacked. Using the Force to kill the people attacking this family and child...maybe you used lightning or choked them to death with the Force. Are those skills considered dark sided?"

[member="Jerit Kolomor"]

 

[St0rmSlaSh]

With his tea cup full upon acceptance, Jerit listened to Ra some more. She was talking about how he should think objectively that he is a Jedi and he affirmed his confirmation in his head. Now the conversation went to a rather dark and mysterious turn.

He was asked the question of the family with a child being attacked. Would it be tuning into the darkside if he used those powers? He he said that he would literally contradict on what he just said moments ago on how it is on you how you use your powers. You would either turn to the darkness or the light on how you summon your powers to either take down a foe or assist an ally. Jerit thought about the question some more accompanied by a sip of tea until he reached an answer on the matter.

"I would say no. If it means to save a family then yes I would use the powers necessary to take down the people attacking the innocent people."

@Ra'a'mah​