Enemy mine – the CHAOS cut

[Corvus Raaf]

“Conquer stubbornness.” The words were out of her mouth before she had time to contextualise them. “Sorry, it was a part of the Jedi Code that came to mind. “Because there is nothing in the Code about defeating the Sith per se – just to uphold the Code. Because Jedi, as a rule, presuppose that the Sith are the antithesis of what we believe, it becomes second nature to see them as the enemy. The ones to defeat. To defeat.”

“Yet the Code is very clear. We should not see things as a choice between winning and losing. When you concentrate solely on winning – you sully your victory. Winning becomes worse than losing. It is better to lose than to win sorely. And it is always better to end a situation peacefully than to win or lose. Not my words by the way.”

“And you are right – evil comes in many forms and does not always wear a badge that we can identify it more easily. Anyone who preys on the weak should be stopped, regardless of allegiance. Anyone who breaks the law must be held to account, it matters little who they represent.”

“But I wonder, are you any more typical of your faith than I am of mine?”

[member="Avreet Zatarus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

A good question, one that made Avreet chuckle. "No, I suppose not. You are very much what I'd imagine a true Jedi to be. I suppose it may be because of your Code. The Jedi don't have one official interpretation from what I can understand, but each version is very similar. Sadly, that is not the case with the Sith Code. I haven't met a Sith whose interpretation got even close to mine. My Master's interpretation is different. All of my friends have their own version. Ironically, the only members of our Order that use the same version are Dark Jedi, as they follow the Code's intepretation coming from a Dark Jedi of old, which automatically makes their view of the Sith Code wrong. If you've ever searched for our Code and its meaning, Corvus, it is very likely you have found this particular nonsense. As a result, the Order is full of bloodthirsty, treacherous idiots who think doing nonsensical things just because they're evil in the common moral compass makes them excellent Sith. Betraying their friends, killing their families, torturing people; that does not lead to victory. It only makes our subjects hate us. A true Sith would never do something so counter-productive. We are quite pragmatic people, you see."

"How to describe a Sith's relation with their subjects to you? Hmm," Avreet thought for a minute, watching as his boots kicked the sand, sending each grain flying, "Imagine a farmer's relationship with his animals. Eh, now I am not saying we see sentient being as animals... it is just a comparison. Anyway, the farmer gives his animals shelter, protection, food, care,... and in turn, he takes various products from the animals. Milk, meat, fur,... The farmer is a Sith."

"And now imagine an idiot who claims to be a farmer, yet instead of taking care of the animals, he slaughters them, tortures them for fun. This is a Dark Jedi. By killing the animals, he is unknowingly killing himself." Avreet shakes his head, never getting the point of allowing such individuals to join his beloved Sith Order.

"Maybe it is time to split. It will significantly weaken the Sith, but... yes, I think it is worth it. Separate the Dark Jedi from the true Sith. Once possible, I will contact some people I know to be excellent members of our Order." He sighed, imagining the long road ahead of them. Even this trip across the desert was nothing in comparison of what awaited him. "We will start again. And do things right this time."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded at his words. His was to be a lonely path for some time to come. “It’s fair to say that having a broadly consistent Code ought to ensure we are all aligned, but some see the variations as an opportunity to deviate from the core teachings – which are unchanging to those that care to look.”

“Your analogy is…reasonable, but from the animal’s perspective the only choice they have is how they die, not if. A Jedi farmer should allow them to live and protect them from predators and…”

Her words trailed off as she felt a disturbance in the Force. Avreet must have sensed it too. Ahead the sand started to tremor. Only slightly but enough for those sensitive to such matters to be aware. She immediately shot him a glance.

[member="Avreet Zatarus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

Before the two had any chance to discuss animals and their rights, the difference between a Jedi farmer and a Sith farmer, the duo of Force users sensed the incoming danger. The exact nature of said danger quickly revealed itself, the tremor in the sand letting the unlikely due know they were about to meet one of the hideous sand burrowers. Possibly more, those creatures were rarely alone. Instead of returning [member="Corvus Raaf"]' glance, Avreet quickly looked at the large rocks he had noticed earlier, now considerably closer to their position. "Get on those boulders!" Before the carnivorous worm closed the distance between its intended prey, the Sith Lord massed the Force in his legs, sprinting towards the creature that moved beneath the sand and launching himself up into the air in the same moment the animal emerged, ripping from underneath its sand cover and trying to snatch the Mon Calamari. In a split second, Avreet spotted the jawless mouth filled with sharp teeth. The creature was too slow to catch the amphibian though, by the time the worm fully emerged, the Sith Lord was out of its reach, soaring through the air before he landed on the boulders. While the Force softened the landing, along with the reinforced bones in his body, he still felt the impact, and it made no good to his injury, which sent short, but violent wave of pain through his torso.

In this moment, the Sith Lord quickly embraced the pain, using it to connect to the Dark Side and empower himself with energy. For what he'd use this energy, he did not know yet. He did not want to waste it on fighting the beats, as that was an endless fight considering the amoung of those creatures that must have roamed the desert. Jumping to another solid object seemed like a better idea. Unless, of course, the Jedi Knight required assistance. One of his eyes scanned the surroudings for another suitable place to land on, and upon finding it, the Mon Calamari's focus went back towards the giant worm. Knowing sand burrowers were quite easy to trick, Avreet used his body as a conductor of the Dark Side, his passion and anger moving into his left hand and leaving through his clawed fingers. Instead of displaying the well-known power of Force lightning, he held the streams of pure energy in his palm, forming a ball out of it before opening his hand and letting it go. This ball crackled and shined as it moved over the sand, away from the place Avreet intended to jump on, possibly attracting one of the beasts. And truly, this pure energy soon attracted attention and one could see the sand being trashed as the burrower rapidly approached it, suddenly emerging from the sand and claiming its prey; and in that moment, the ball exploded, shooting streams of energy into the beast and paralyzing it for a moment.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus didn’t wait to discuss tactics. No sooner had Avreet moved, she mirrored his manoeuvres. Using the Force she ran and jumped a split second later. But that fractional delay was costly. Whereas the Sith narrowly avoided the creature’s teeth, Corvus was not so fortunate.

It’s jaws came crashing together in a terrible sound of tooth on tooth. It failed to grab her, but the razor sharp canines sliced through her robes. The force of the gash in her leg sent her off balance and she landed on the rocks she was heading for – but rather than on her feet, she landed on her front. Both her shoulder and ribs sent very strong messages that they didn’t approve of such exploits so soon down their road to recovery.

She was still connected to the Force and was aware that Avreet was channelling some sort of energy. Looking up she saw a ball of light travelling across the sand. The giant worm tracked it and gracefully erupted from the sand and snared it before the bait exploded. The creature lay motionless and Corvus jumped to her feet. The pain was annoying but manageable.

“After you,” she said, half-smiling, half-grimacing.

[member="Avreet Zatarus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

Watching the Jedi with a slightly worried look in his eyes, he nodded, ready to jump again. Something stopped him though as he started feasting on the pain; he realized he unknowingly used some of the Jedi's pain to empower himself. Quite normal among the Sith, but he felt unsure if the Jedi had much understanding for it. Best not to comment on it, so the amphibious Sith jumped high, flying towards his intended target. This time, he ensured the Force slowed him down enough for the landing not to send another wave of pain through his body before his booted feet touched the rock. Everything went smoothly this time and he had no worries for his Jedi companion. His eyes went to search for the next solid object to land on; and found none, much to his unpleasant surprise. No conveniently placed boulders to jump onto to escape the sand worms. None of the unpleasant creatures could be seen, but trained Force users as the two undoubtedly felt them, roaming under the sand and searching for vibrations to follow.

"Corvus," he calmly adressed the Jedi Knight, "I can do the same thing I did before, but there is no guarantee all of the sand burrowers will follow it. Even if most of them will, the power paralyses only one; the rest will hopefully no longer register us if we get far away, but there's always more in the desert. We should use the Force to make as long jumps as possible... Both of us will jump, I use the Force to distract and lure away the burrowers in the place we're going to land. As soon as possible after landing, we should jump again... and keep doing it until we find a solid object large enough for us to land on. Please, tell me if you have a better idea. We won't have time to stop once we start."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was again a step behind Avreet, and fortunately this time she landed without mishap. No sooner had her boots hit the rock than she knew what he was going to say. They’d run out of stepping stones – but not worms to avoid.

So she was pleased he had a plan. She considered alternatives quickly in her mind but could think of no better option. “No Avreet, I cannot come up with a better suggestion. Simply lead the way. If my jumps are shorter, don’t wait for me – I’ll simply make more of them. I appreciate it increases my risk – but then if we land in separate places and at different times, the option of more than one meal to choose from might work in our favour.”

“Ready when you are.” And with that Corvus drew in the Force and prepared to jump as if her life depended on it. No irony then…

[member="Avreet Zatarus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

To help himself, Avreet once again tapped into [member="Corvus Raaf"]'s pain as well as his own. It had no effect on the Jedi Knight, but it made the Sith Lord's connection to the Dark Side stronger, allowing him to tap deeper into the source pool of corrupting energy and drain more from its vast amount. As always, the amphibious Sith took no more than necessary; although many users, the Dark Jedi in particular, claimed otherwise, the Dark Side corrupted body and soul, slowly eating away the user's personality and sanity if not handled properly and with great deal of respect for the unlimited power it offered. Those who did not know how to resist it or to stop taking more than their bodies could handle... those usually ended up paying the ultimate price. Avreet had witnessed that many times and had no intention of joining their ranks, yet he took much more of the Dark Side energy into his body than he knew how to resist. It would not be stored inside him long enough to cause any harm though, he immediately put the Dark Side to use by granting his legs the power of Force jump, just as distributing some of the energy to both of his hands. Once both of his webbed palms held the balls consisting of pure energy, very much a pure manifestation of the Dark Side not unlike the famous Force lightning, Avreet crouched slightly and took off from the stone.

The Mon Calamari ripped through the air like a slow projectile, his head turned in the direction of the jump. When gravity started bringing him down, he easily guessed him exact landing spot. While still mid-air, he released one of the energy grenades, sending it towards the ground. It positively attracted much attention of the worms beneath the sand. Once the ball started rolling away, the animals followed and Avreet paid them no more attention. His ears caught the sound of the shock exploding after several seconds though. As the ground neared, the Dark Side filled his entire body and slowed him down to avoid unnecessary injury. In the very same moment, the Sith Lord tossed another of his creations towards the landing area, just to ensure no beast awaited him there.

As soon as he touched the ground, he was in the air again, moving to another spot and preparing another of the many applications of Force lightning to distract the sand burrowers. It took quite a bit of energy, yet he was not tired; a result of him taking so much energy earlier. In the short time he had before gravity pinned him down, the Sith Lord turned his head and glanced towards the Jedi Knight. She might have told him not to wait for her, but that did not stop him from checking on the young woman. He would not abandon her; while she would have made an excellent distraction and most likely provided him with enough time to get away, and someone might even interpret this as a Sith way; Avreet knew very well the woman carried all of their supplies. There was no going back now; crossing the desert again to get back to their ships and restock was out of option. His survival depended on her survival.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was pleased that the former Lord of the One Sith was not only leading the way, but expending Force energy to keep the critters at bay. With each jump the pain in her leg got worse and when they stopped, she’d no doubt need to consider using a bacta pack to sort the wound out – although they didn’t know how long they’d be on this planet and if any worse ailments would need attending. She cursed the fact she’d decided to come out this way rather than take Knight Eden’s offer to teach her Force Healing. She made a mental note to make this top of her priority list when she got back. For it was ‘when’ not ‘if’ in her mind.

Corvus took three jumps to Avreet’s two. He clearly had a greater connection to the Force through his additional years of training. But as he landed, he was clearing the way for her, so the trade-off worked well for the young Jedi. She always aimed for where the sand-creatures had been, expecting this was the last place they’d look to remain, having been stunned.

She caught sight of Avreet, checking on her progress – perhaps it was the Master Apprentice aspect of his personality surfacing. In any case, she hoped he’d keep his eyes on the here and now. The last thing she needed was for him to falter because he was overly concerned for her. Her survival depended on his survival – but that wasn’t her main concern. She simply wanted him to live. And would lay down her life to ensure it happened if she had to. That was the Jedi way.

[member="Avreet Zatarus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

The Sith Lord kept repeating the procedure of jumping and distracting the sand burrowers, occasionally checking on the Jedi that was not far behind. He had no doubt of the young woman's ability to enhance her jumps with the powerful energy of the Force to carry her higher and further, Force jump belonged among the basic powers Force users learned after joining their respective order. What worried him a bit was the prospect of having to use energy like this for far too long without resting. While a Sith Lord with quite large reserves of energy, thanks to his years of practicing the taxing ability of Force cloak, his power was not unlimited, nor was his stamina. The augmentations of his body have greatly enhanced him in every way, making his faster, stronger. The Sith rarely felt physical exhaustion, also thanks to the brutal training that had little mercy for the weak. This usage of three Acolyte level abilities per jump did not take that much from his body filled with energy. He could last for very, very long... but not forever. What about the Jedi then? While he held a great deal of respect for the young Knight, her body simply had no chance of keeping up with him. If this jumping session to avoid the sand worms took too long, she'd faint and become food for one of the burrowers.

Maybe not right in this moment, but he did not want to take the chances of the Jedi suddenly passing out several jumps behind. That option meant losing the supplies. And, as much as Avreet hated to admit it, he really was quite fond of Jedi like this. The Sith way said to leave the weak behind if they slow down the strong... yet he believed this brown haired Knight to be much stronger than any Jedi he had met. The Sith ways had nothing against helping other strong individuals... and his conscience would rest easy, knowing he did what he could to ensure the Jedi's survival. She did not need, nor deserved to die.

When he landed again, Avreet did not immediately jump. Instead, he waited for the Jedi to land near before grabbing her in both of his arms and quickly taking off into the air again. While he could carry the woman rather easily thanks to his incredible strength, he still needed to use twice as much energy to give his legs power to jump far and high with the extra weight. On the other hand, he did not have to use Force shock, mainly because he couldn't due to holding someone in a firm grip to ensure she would not fall out of his arms. "I apologize if this causes you any discomfort, Corvus," he stated, eyes still focused on the endless desert, "But I believe this will be faster, plus it ensures only one of us wastes their energy on jumping. If I fail, you will be able to carry on."

"Oh, by the way," a roguish grin appeared on his face, "If we find ourselves heading straight into a sand burrower's mouth... I will toss you away and you will use the Force to push me in a different direction as well. Deal?" he chuckled softly.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was aware that in her present state, the use of the Force was proving taxing. Not only could Avreet jump higher and further but he could no doubt keep it up for longer. As she took a long jump, she saw that Avreet hadn’t kept his customary couple of jumps ahead. Unsure if this meant something significant, she was wary as she landed.

Without any warning, he scooped her into his arms and took off again. Fortunately she was a Jedi that both trusted the Force and one that thought first and acted second. She allowed the situation to develop before reacting to his grabbing her. It was an uncomfortable feeling on many levels. Firstly it was physically difficult, being carried like this and the landings jarred her shoulder and ribs.

Secondly, she felt like an invalid at best or some green Youngling at worst – but pride was not one of her vices and she realised his intentions as he spoke.

And finally she felt a little guilty that he should conserve her energy. Despite his connection to the Force, it felt entirely strange that one predisposed to the Dark side should be assisting her in this way. But the logic was flawless and so she acceded.

“Yes,” she offered when he finished speaking, “We have a deal.”

[member="Avreet Zatarus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

A silent yelp escaped Avreet's mouth when he landed with the woman in his arms. He may have carried her very easily, but when falling from a great height, even with the Force slowing him down, tha pain in his side took its chance and resurfaced again. It would have been so easy to let the Jedi go and allow her to fly through the air as well, just like before! The young Sith refused to exchange the greater chance of the Jedi's survival for a bit of comfort though. He was a Sith. He was strong. Strong enough to jump around in Force enhanced jumps while carrying a Jedi and avoiding sand burrowers. The pain only made him stronger, after all, there was nothing in the galaxy that could stop a true Sith. He had survived a fight against a Jedi Knight while just an Acolyte himself. He had survived the brutal Sith training on a planet even less hospitable than this one. He had mastered many Force powers and one or two lightsaber forms. He had trained tirelessly, escaped the fall of the Sith Empire, joined the One Sith, became a Sith Lord, found his old Master again, left the One Sith,... What could possibly stop him from reaching the civilization? Nothing on this planet could stop a true Sith.

It was already fairly dark when he finally spotted the massive boulders. Large enough to let both of them rest, high enough so they did not have to worry about the sand worms anymore. One more jump and Avreet stood upon the rocks, setting the Jedi Knight down before falling to his knees on the sand that slightly covered the beige-colored stones. Despite all the training, he sensed the unfamiliar feeling of exhaustion in his body which required him to take slow, deep breaths. "I'll... take a few minutes to rest." The Sith Lord said while unholstering his canteen and taking three large gulps, immediately feeling much better as the water rushed into his body. Now that the long journey was behind him, he thought of it nothing more than as an exercise. This experience would undoubtedly only make him stronger. Such was the way of the Sith. If it does not kill you...

The large eyes of the Mon Cal cast a glance at the Knight, the woman's shadow barely visible, and the amphibian could see it only thanks to the excellent sight of his species. "Are you alright?" he asked, removing the medpac from his belt, "Please check your leg for any injuries and use this if necessary," stated the Sith, referring to [member="Corvus Raaf"]'s close encounter with one of the burrowers, "If you need, I can use the Force to heal you... just give me some time to meditate..." Once his breath calmed, Avreet shut his eyes closed and purged the Dark Side energy left in his body, preparing to switch to the Light Side again. He hoped that with enough experience, this changing of the Force energy would be much more fluid and automatic than now, when he had to meditate and focus on removing one aspect to fill himself with another.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus saw the large outcropping of boulders ahead but didn’t need to mention them. It was clear Avreet was changing course to head for them. And sure enough, once they landed, the Sith stopped and put her down.

As he dropped to his knees, she was a little worried, but his insistence he was alright plus the deep breaths suggested he was simply exhausted in using the Force for such a prolonged period of time.

As soon as he offered to heal her, she knew instinctively what he planned to do. She’d heard of Force Users on both sides of the divide that used powers from the other. He could clearly tap into the Light side and was prepared to for her. But in doing so he would have to purge himself of what little Dark sided power he had left – and that would leave him vulnerable.

She instinctively held up a hand to stop him. “No.” It probably sounded more abrupt than she meant. “What I mean is, my leg is sore – little more. Your need is far greater than mine.”

What she did then was what any Jedi would do in her opinion – she aided another. Perhaps the method and the use of her aid were not exactly standard – but in her heart she was being true to the Force and true to the Jedi Code.

Lowering the ‘durasteel’ wall in her mind, she allowed her naturally empathic abilities free reign. Every creature within the immediate vicinity – from small insects to the giant worms – had emotions. And she drew them all in like a sponge and touching the Sith’s mind lightly, she unleashed them. And she added all her own pent up feelings too. Frustration, fear, sadness and joy. Every emotion under the sun was vented towards the Sith. If she’d calculated correctly, he could feed on these. She remembered Knight Karr’s words on the subject – and hoped he was correct.

[member="Avreet Zatarus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

Avreet briefly opened his eyes when the Jedi Knight dismissed his offer to heal her. He was ready to give some of his energy to her body to help it regenerate faster, yet she insisted on his need being greater than her own. Before he had any chance to protest, the Force informed him of something strange. Emotions, feelings of all kinds; he could feel it all, but not from within his own heart; it came from the Jedi Knight. Was it safe for her to do something like this? Not only drawing all emotions, but also touching his mind through the Force? The Sith Lord had a perfect chance to reverse this while her defences were lowered. He could enter her mind and read through it like a book if he wished to do so... possibly even plant a seed of corruption as some Sith did to the victims of their telepathic abilities.

And yet, Avreet did not betray the mutual trust between them. Closing his eyes again, he accepted the woman's empathic gift. It felt very intimate, this connection when she sent him her feelings. The last time he had experienced something like this was with Maya, when the Zeltron's empathic ability connected the minds of the healer and the Sith Lord, letting them share their feelings.

The Mon Calamari could not let the Jedi simply feed him like this; he wanted to return the favor. While taking feeding on what she sent to him, becoming one with the Dark Side and drawing its energy into himself, giving his body the much needed recuperation, the Sith Lord focused on his inner calmness. Believing the Jedi connected to the Light Side though their inner peace, much like he did, the Mon Cal used the telepathic link between them and let the woman feel his serenity, hoping she could use it just he he had feasted on her gift.

"It feels as if I am with another Sith," the Mon Cal commented as the Dark Side poured into his body, "No offense intended. Quite the opposite. Your strong will and great conviction humble me." There was no doubt. Indeed, Corvus would make an excellent Sith.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus chuckled. There was no doubt about it – she’d better put that durasteel wall back up soon before she reached civilization. The low level of emotions in the desert was manageable but she needed some defence once around people.

As Veino Garn had taught her, she pulled the wall back into place but opened metaphorical windows – allowing background emotions to seep in and leak out. Something more akin to the average person would feel.

She didn’t know for sure but she suspected the effort was worth it. It seemed Avreet was refreshed and in turn she felt an inner calm herself and wondered if he had a hand in this.

At his words, she shook her head but kept the smile on her face. “No offence taken but – just as you are no doubt comfortable with your skin, I am with mine. I was once drawn towards the Dark side – by some alchemy contained within a ring. But I resisted. It was close – but I overcame the temptation to succumb to my hatred for the man that murdered my first Master. Closer than I care to admit even to myself sometimes – but if there is a line, I didn’t cross it. And once the ring was destroyed…” she waved her hand by way of an explanation, “Nothing.”

She looked the Mon Cal in the eyes. “What of you Avreet? Have you ever considered crossing that line?”

[member="Avreet Zatarus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

[SIZE=12pt]“That is hard to say,” Avreet admitted, “The line is not an easy one to see, as Sith enjoy much greater freedom than members of your Order. I can safely say I have never been tempted to cross that line separating Sith from Dark Jedi and as such, I have never crossed it. If I ever find myself becoming like the honourless Dark Jedi, I will end my own life; it is better to die with honour and spare my old Master the shame than to roam the galaxy following no set of rules, inflicting pain and death upon the innocents.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]More of the Dark Side poured into his body and Avreet slightly shook in discomfort when the Dark Mark on his back itched and burned, almost if it had its own will and disapproved of the Sith Lord’s thoughts and the fact he communicated with a Jedi without trying to make her fall. Trying to focus on something different, the Mon Cal’s gaze returned the Jedi’s gaze, her violet eyes meeting his amber orbs. Quite beautiful, actually, he had to wonder what caused the unusual colorization of the woman's iris.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“If we speak about the line between Sith and Jedi…,” he thought for a bit, “I have never considered joining your Order and following your Code. I am a Sith. There is no reason for me to change that, especially since I believe in using passion and emotions. While what we strive for is not entirely different, as both of us want peace, I will not be a hypocrite like so many of your brothers and sister, saying that if I use the Dark Side for the greater good, I am a Jedi. Your tenets are quite clear on the matter. Those who use the Dark Side or are heavily influenced by it are not Jedi, no matter how anyone tries to justify it.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The amphibian smiled. “I can, however, use the Light Side and by all means consider myself a Sith. I believe a true Sith should not shy away from the Light Side; doing so means rejecting knowledge, rejecting power. While the Dark Side is clearly superior, forgive me for saying so, the Light Side still has much to offer. Force heal, for example, that is something a Sith strictly avoiding the Light Side will never understand. Many of my fellow Sith even saw me as a Jedi, but they do not understand it is not the Force what makes a Sith or Jedi, it is the Code we either follow or not. I follow our Code and our tenets. Nothing says a Sith cannot use the Light Side, so why could not I use both aspects of the Force, why could not I learn from the knowledge of the Jedi?”[/SIZE]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus mused on Avreet’s words. It seemed odd that they would come at a situation from completely different directions yet share a common view on Force Users that lack honour and commit acts of random savagery.

“Your words about changing allegiance resonate with me and I wonder both why so many Jedi are tempted and why the Sith even bother to ask them? It stands to reason you only entice the weak. The ones you would really want would never fall.”

“Deep down we no doubt understand each other and yet we are poles apart. Our differences are too distinct to be overcome. But in sharing common ground I gain understanding and for that I am grateful. Your ‘weakness’ – and I use that in its purest sense, is that you are open in your alliance to the Dark side. I do not suggest you should hide it – merely point this out as a fact. So many of the Dark Jedi – who masquerade as Grey or Rogue Jedi are, in my eyes, not part of the Jedi Order but their ability to hide in the shadows affords them some protection.”

She smiled warmly. “And you wouldn’t expect me to agree with you that the Dark side is stronger. If it were, there would be no Jedi. And I will not suggest the Light side is stronger, either. The Force is the power we both draw upon. It is simply how we choose to utilise it that sets us apart. And so much of the how is related to our beliefs and values.”

“This struggle will outlast both of us and will continue for generations to come. That is not defeatism in the sense the Code speaks of. It is a matter of history. Even the ‘Chosen One’ was only ever intended to bring balance to the Force – never to make it Light sided forever. No, our battle is as old as time and all we can do is play our part”

“Right…” she suddenly looked around, as if changing the subject. “What’s next?”

[member="Avreet Zatarus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

The young Sith Lord could not help but agree with the Jedi Knight. Not with everything, of course, but the amount of words he could get behind surprised him. Clearly, the two were not as different as one might expect from a Jedi and a Sith. One from a group that served others, one from an order that ruled over other beings. One preached serenity, the other passion. And yet there were so many similarities...

Avreet also did not know why the Sith usually took the weakest of Jedi, knowing those Dark Jedi were nothing more than a liability poisoning the purity of the Sith teachings. Instead of making the weaklings fall, they should focus on converting the strong. It was unfortunate the Sith picked quantity over quality, and Avreet did not doubt if the Sith Order was full of converted Jedi strong at least as Corvus, the war would have been already won.

He understood what she meant by his weakness, something that had to be addressed since he stood alone against the whole galaxy right now. Being quite proud of his Sith allegiance, the result of surviving the brutal training of Korriban, Avreet rarely hid it unless necessary, but the times to come required more subtlety. Not every Jedi was like Corvus, it would not be hard to run into one of the Dark Jedi hiding beneath Jedi robes. Maybe the blonde Jedi that was on Zeltros alongside Corvus could be trusted as well? That one also showed no signs of bloodlust and already knew of his Sith allegiance.

After the question was asked, the amphibious Sith closed his big eyes again. “We will continue. It is necessary to travel as much as possible before the sun rises.” Draining one last bit of energy from the emotions [member="Corvus Raaf"] had sent to him earlier, the Sith deeply exhaled and stood up, opening his eyes and smiling at the Jedi Knight. “Who knows, maybe the sand burrowers are less active at night?” The ball of blue-white energy appearing in his right hand illuminated the dark area covered in shadows. As if holding a bowling ball, he sent it over the sandy ground, observing the nicely illuminated desert for any moves. Nothing but shadows moving in the light. That was a good sign. Despite not ruling out the danger lucking beneath, it appeared the worms did not intend to be so vicious for a few hours. "Let's go!" the amphibian said, turning on his heels in the direction the two originally headed in and jumped off the rock, his mind sensing several lifeforms nearby, moving. Not as large as those sand worms, but Avreet knew of more predators on the planet.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was prepared to let Avreet lead. She had no false pride and his superior knowledge and experience could prove the difference between life and death for both of them.

Did she trust him one hundred per cent? No, that would be foolhardy. But she trusted in the Forrce and until it told her otherwise, she was able to spend more time searching her surroundings for danger rather than her companion.

She had not intended to land on the planet and so had done little research as to its natural inhabitants. The sand burrowers were fearsome but relatively slow and could be avoided with a little planning. But she now sensed what Avreet must surely be aware of and wondered what they migh be. The distinct lack of vegetation did not bode well when she considered the role they must play in the food chain.

But Avreet was positive and clearly intended for them to press on - so she gathered her thoughts, kept her wits about her and followed him. "I'm ready."

[member="Avreet Zatarus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

As Avreet's mind went through all possible kinds of animals suitable for living in this desert, hoping those signatures did not belong to the vicious reptilian species named akorec. The signatures got closer, which made them clearer; and by that time, Avreet had no doubt. Sentient beings. That was both good and bad thing. Good thing because the inhabitants apparently had really good relationship with the Jedi Order. Bad thing because the inhabitants were slavers and slaves. Avreet did not want to meet either in the middle of nowhere, but their presence most likely indicated that either some form of a civilization was nearby - how anyone could call a society based on slavery civilized, the Sith Lord did not know - or that the man have gotten deep into the desert by some sort of transport. Of course, there was always the possibility of these sentients being poachers, hunters looking for the sand burrowers; as a Sith Knight, Avreet had encountered that sort of group while hunting for a Terentatek with his friend.

The Sith Lord shot a glance towards [member="Corvus Raaf"]. "It seems we will have company soon. Now, this is a matriach society and the people on this planet are supposed to like your Order... I will let you talk. I am afraid I don't remember your friend's voice enough." Without explaining further what exactly it meant, the light around the Mon Calamari started to shift and bend, making it appear the Sith Lord became transparent for a moment as another shape started to take its place, first nothing but a shadow but soon gaining colors, details. When Avreet vanished completely, the Jedi Knight faced her friend - Kana Truden, her appearance exactly the same as Avreet remembered her from Zeltros. The cybernetic eye certainly helped him remember every little detail, and now he put it to use with the Force power he specialized in.

"Is it good enough?" asked the disguised Sith in Kana's voice, which showed a bits of distortion here and there.