Enemy mine – the CHAOS cut

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus still felt uneasy about all of this. Perhaps it was the fact they were slaves. But perhaps not. Pulling her cloak in tight, she bowed to the slaves as they left, thanking them as she did.

The building was a shelter of sorts, she'd give it that. But it clearly served the purpose of all rooms at once - from a sleeping area to a latrine. An as such it had all of the aromas you might expect from such a multi-functional room. But she'd slept in worse and it hopefully kept predators and the sun and wind out.

"I suspect we should take turns in keeping watch. I know you seem more relaxed at the situation than I am but still... Do you want first watch?"

[member="Dux Pontus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

The stench coming out of the shack was truly terrible, therefore Avreet gladly accepted the offer of taking the first watch. "Indeed," replied the Sith Lord to the Jedi Knight's question, "Rest and get some sleep if you can." The temperature outside dropped rapidly, making it more bearable than before, and in Avreet's opinion possibly better than staying inside. While exposed to the many dangers to the desert, the young Mon Cal allowed himself to relax, kneeling in the sand several steps in front of the shack. Everything seemed so silent aside from the occasional howl of the wind, yet the Force never slept, it embraced the Sith and Avreet willingly took it. Slowly and surely, he opened himself up to the energy and rested, his eyes closed, yet his senses keen. The only presence he could clearly feel in the Force was that of [member="Corvus Raaf"], radiating the Light Side of the Force. Surprisingly enough, he no longer immediately thought of that presence as an enemy; indeed, Avreet wondered if leaving the One Sith had some other effect other than possibly being branded a traitor by the group. Would he no longer be considered a Sith? The Mon Cal still saw himself as one, thinking of the Jedi's words. What if the Sith have degenerated to the Dark Jedi level? What if by proudly clinging to the word only meant he involuntarily carried crimes that were not his own? He did not want to be seen as one of the madmen and associated with the stereotypical portrayal of Sith.

The meditation was suddenly disturbed by a low humming sound that came from the distance, reaching Avreet's enhanced sense of hearing. Eyes snapped open and he gazed around, slowly, before his head turned in the direction from where the sound came from. Soon, there no mistaking it; the noise belonged to a ship. Bearing the distinct Republic design, the small vessel emerged from the darkness of the sky and flew over the position of the two Force users. Frowning, Avreet thought of various questions concerning the presence of the ship that already disappeared somewhere in the distance. The young Sith knew of the Jedi and the Republic being on the planet on very, very small numbers. He only hoped they were not looking for the Jedi...

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus checked her bag and gave Avreet a small bottle of water and some dried rations and thanked him for taking first watch. "It's not much but it's all we have." Heading inside she drank some of her own water and ate a protein bar – it would help with the repair to her body – muscles had clearly been damaged.

Corvus was pleased to be given the opportunity to rest. Her body was aching and in sleep it would have the best chance to mend itself. So she found the least uncomfortable spot she could find and lay down. Fishing through the medical supplies she found some sort of padding used to protect cuts and tore some off and stuck it up her nose. The smell greatly decreased but the aroma was so pungent she could literally taste it through her palate. But it was the better option.

She fell into a fitful sleep. In turning over the pain in her ribs tended to wake her up, so she rolled up her cloak and put it behind her back, so she wouldn’t roll over. Dreams came thick and fast. They all seemed to revolve around her being an outcast of the Jedi – of the other Knights and Padawans ridiculing her for her beliefs.

She didn’t know what woke her up. The Force perhaps? All she knew was that there was a noise outside. Grabbing her bag and cloak, she stood and quickly joined Avreet in gazing at the ship. She had an activation beacon on her lightsaber and if she pressed it, it would register on the ship’s controls. It wouldn’t automatically come to the spot she was at but it would notify the occupants that she was down here. But she didn’t activate it. She wasn’t entirely sure why she didn’t but she didn’t. It was because of Avreet – that much was clear. But her exact motives? She didn’t know herself. And when unsure, she followed her heart. And that told her to wait.

And then the ship was gone…

[member="Dux Pontus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

Avreet continued to stare at the night sky, a dark blue canvas speckled by thousands of white spots, an endless sea with islands reaching above the surface... It's been too long since he just relaxed. The Republic ship suddenly did not worry him in the slightest anymore; the Mon Cal got lost in thought as he realized how much time he had spent fighting for the Sith, filling up paperwork, taking out enemies of the Sith and the Empire, training apprentices, learning from one particular Togruta, meditating, practicing Makashi, chatting with his friends,.... he was too busy to stop and look at the world around him, appreciate its beauty. Although he fully realized the danger lurking in this place, the Sith strangely enjoyed the feeling of having no need to rush. There was simply nothing to do, the galaxy did not need him, he no longer served the One Sith, all he was doing was waiting for the morning. No more meditation to make time run faster!

"Quite beautiful, isn't it?" Avreet muttered towards the presence in the Force he knew to be [member="Corvus Raaf"]. Taking the bottle of water, he took a few small sips, refreshing himself. Once the bottle parted his lips, the Sith let out a soft sigh. "Everything is so peaceful. If only it lasted forever... Have you ever wondered what a peaceful galaxy would look like?" asked the Mon Cal, his eyes still focusing on the sky.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus followed the Mon Cal's gaze. "In a world of peace, I would still have a role as a Jedi. We are not just peace-keepers. We are historians, scientists and philosophers. I would do what I always intended to do. To learn and share that knowledge."

"And as a Jedi, it is something I strive for. But also, as a Jedi, I understand that I need to plan to fail. Which is the position I find myself in now. And what about you?"

[member="Dux Pontus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

The young Mon Cal had often imagined the galaxy ruled by the Sith, though the recent turn of events forced him to reconsider this view a bit. The One Sith no longer presented the future of the galaxy, but rather its doom. Not that the alternative was much better. Both sides suddenly appeared like terrible extremes, and while Avreet had never liked the Jedi, it pained him to see the Sith being just as terrible of a choice. He blamed the Dark Jedi, obviously, but also knew he could not allow himself to be consumed by revenge. Becoming a slave to his emotions was not the Sith way... and it mattered little if he was a Sith or not. "I don't think there will be Jedi or Sith in a peaceful galaxy," he slowly admitted, "As long as they exist, there will not be peace. If the Orders united, that would definitely be the best thing to happen to the galaxy. Focus on creating and building instead of destroying and killing. Neither of the sides is fully capable of destroying the other, the only chance for peace is to merge together." The Sith cracked a smile, continuing to gaze deeply into the vast emptiness of space.

"As for what I'd be doing; probably attempt to discover secrets of the Force with my former Master. She is a very wise woman! It is a shame you're a Jedi," his eyes finally turned towards the woman, "I would have introduced you to her otherwise. She likes strong willed sentients." Knowing he would be paying the Togruta a visit as soon as possible to discuss the latest development of the One Sith with her, the amphibian almost wanted to bring this Jedi along. Almost. He knew that had no chance of happening. The Jedi's loyalty posed a considerable obstacle standing in the way of the Sith Lady and this Jedi Knight meeting, the mutual mistrust only further decreasing the chance of the meeting being productive in any way.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled as Avreet spoke. "It would be an interesting world without Jdi or Sith. Better or worse, I cannot say. I suspect better, but there are a lot of issues with this world for Jedi other than those who would use the Dark-side of the Force."

"And a merger would never happen. You know I am conflicted about our situation here. There are those that would brand me a traitor for not killing you - or attempting to. I can deal with those. And others will want to know what steps I took to arrest you. They are the ones I will have a greater difficulty in speaking with. I know what I know is in my heart. But that doesn't make it an easier to explain. Without context or understanding of our situation."

"And under different circumstances, a meeting with your Master may be enlightening. But I suspect those circumstances will never manifest themselves.". She sighed audibly and looked at Avreet.

[member="Dux Pontus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

"Probably not," Avreet shrugged with a frown, "But you never know. She is not one of those fools who attack every Jedi on sight. She only kills those foolish Jedi who attack every Sith on sight. Heh," the Sith let out a short laugh, people who attacked before thinking were in both Orders. When his expression became calm again, he winked at the Jedi Knight. "At least some of the reasonable Jedi and Sith are capable of talking instead of instantly resorting to fighting. It is an excellent opportunity for both sides to learn from the other. But to think other Jedi would try to kill you because of it!" he shook his large head in disbelief, the frown returning.

"Isn't it ironic? You are supposed to learn and understand others, yet when you do exactly that, talk to a Sith and see the conflict from their perspective, some might brand you a traitor." He shook his head again, his mind unable to understand the level of intolerance, "I suppose you could always lie and tell the others you haven't met anyone, but that is not the right thing to do. You should never withhold the truth from those that call themselves your family. They should not reject you, but learn from your experience and welcome it." Avreet grinned, his gaze turning to the small white orbs in the sky again. "But if you have to explain yourself and justify your actions, simply tell them the man you have met was a former member of the One Sith and committed no crime and therefore you had no reason to arrest him."

"Of course, those who will have a fit and accuse you of being corrupted by the Dark Side and whatnot might even suggest the Council to wipe out your mind for the greater good. Please, don't let anyone do that to you."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus chuckled. "To be honest, I don't intend to submit to a mind-wipe and I don't anticipate anyone will try to kill me. And those who are reasonable will understand what I have done. The unreasonable ones? My former Master once told me that you can't fight ignorance. Those who hold such unreasonable views will never be swayed by truths or sound arguments. I wish I took his advice sometimes. I believe everyone is redeemable and won't give up on anyone. Is it a failing? Perhaps, but not the worst one someone can have."

"I shall tell the truth to whoever wishes to know it. And use this experience to develop my understanding of what it is to be both a good Jedi, and a good person."

[member="Dux Pontus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

Avreet felt relieved when Corvus stated she would not submit to a mind-wipe. Remembering a certain friend of his who might have been changed by having her memories erased, the Mon Cal did not want to see another Jedi suffer the same fate. It was a cruel way to be erased from existence. He did not know the Jedi healer's exact fate for certain, but the fact she suddenly seemed to have forgotten her son, quickly forgave her captors and even agreed with them she had done a bad thing by healing the wounded on both sides instead of helping the Silver Jedi forces exclusively certainly suggested some sort of mind manipulation. From once a fairly good Jedi able to see through the lies of her superiors, the Zeltron became one of the most loyal dogs, always eager to please her masters. Whatever her former friends have done to her to change her personality that drastically, Avreet found it utterly disgusting, possibly worse than he would have found the act of simply killing the woman. Death seemed merciful compared to being brainwashed extensively enough for one's personality to completely change. As Avreet always believed, it was far better to die with honour than to live and become what one fought against.

Stretching out his arms, the Sith let out a yawn, getting up from the sand. One of his webbed hands patted the Jedi Knight on her back, the trio of suction cups on his palm kissing lovingly, "I will get some sleep. If something happens or you want to rest, please wake me up." The amphibian moved towards the shack, pleasantly surprised much of the smell had aired out. He set himself right next to the door, sitting down with his back leaning against the wall. Allowing his mind to rest, he swiftly drifted into sleep, dreaming of many things.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded when the Mon Cal excused himself and went inside. He had taken the lion's share of the vigil, so she could wait until transport came.

As she stood and waited, she was still conflicted. When they spoke, it seemed the most natural thing in the world, but when she was by herself, the self-doubt crept in to her mind. So she stuck to the facts. He was a former member of the One Sith. Not exactly a crime in and of itself. Was she aware of any crimes he had committed? None that she knew. Was she confident he would not return to the One Sith and wage war on the innocent and defenceless? In her heart she was. And based upon her promise to Tracyn a few years back, that ought to be enough.

But the niggling doubt wouldn't go away. But as she stood alone staring into the distance, the niggle became a comfort. It told her she should not be complacent and that she should not act in haste. For now she felt as though she was doing the right thing.

And finally the sound of a speeder brought her round from her thoughts. It was distant but in the calmness of the desert, it was unmissable. She knew she wouldn't have to tell Avreet of it's imminent arrival - the Force would do that for him.

[member="Dux Pontus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

The Hand of Order walked beside the Hand of Chaos, the two careful not to take a wrong step in the marshes on Abraxin. Many dangerous beasts lurked in the murky water, both Sith of them could feel the lifeforms in the vast sea of the Force, predators waiting for their prey to slip into the marsh, never to return to the surface, forcing the duo to stay alerted even though the scenery of lush green trees appeared peaceful and led to a false sense of safety. And yet, in a way, the two enjoyed it; the two fresh Knights have decided to go hunting for a Terentatek, for both challenge and its hide that offered a bit of resistance against Force-based attacks. That, and the two Sith also wanted to catch up. After the white haired woman's promotion, the two have grown somewhat distant.

The woman Avreet used to know was dead, whatever resided in her form was a twisted, corrupted version of her former self. The Mon Cal still considered her to be his friend though; as much as he wanted to end her suffering of being endlessly twisted by the Dark Side, he could not bring himself to do it. Somewhere deep under the ruthless shell, there still hid bits and pieces of his friend, that part of her personality essentially forced the new Sith to see the amphibian as her friend. When looking into her white eyes with grey colored iris, he could still see the eyes of his dear friend.

The Force warned the Mon Calamari of the impending danger, his eyes quickly swiveling in the direction of where the warning came from and seeing bubbles appearing on the surface of the dirty water. "Hand of Chaos, prepare yourself," the Hand of Order said and ignited his crimson blades. A large monstrosity suddenly emerged before him, its hideous form and gray-green skin revealing it to be one of the Marsh haunts, Force sensitive creatures that inhabited the marshlands of Abraxin. Avreet's attention turned to another part of the swamp where two more beasts rose from their hiding places. A quick nod towards the white haired woman and the Mon Calamari launched himself at the closest beast...

The Force suddenly warned him of something else and the large orange eyes opened, watching the surroundings. Before his mind returned to the present, he got up, ready for anything, his hands close to the twin lightsaber hilts hanging on the utility belt. As soon as he fully realized what happened, the calm attitude taking over, Avreet relaxed and checked the wound on his left side first. He could still feel the cut underneath the bandage when his clawed fingers ran over it, but it no longer sent waves of pain through his body whenever he tried to move. That was a good sign. The Sith peeked from behind the door with one of his eyes, watching the Jedi Knight outside. It was not her who woke him up though. The Force told him of something far away, coming closer. The Republic ship, maybe? That one made a different sound; indeed, as the Mon Cal's senses returned, he realized he heard a typical sound of a speeder, most likely a big one. Looking above revealed the sun was about to start ascending the sky and bathed the desert in its light soon.

"Good morning," Avreet greeted his companion in a friendly way as he emerged from the shack, broad smile on his face. "May I offer you a breakfast?" His hand reached somewhere under the cloak and pulled out some of the dried rations the Knight had given him earlier. Avreet had not touched her supplies, actually, but that was just him conserving supplies when necessary, not his distaste for Republic-made products. Offering those in his hand to the Knight, his gaze moved from her towards the horizon. Even without utilizing his cybernetic eye, the Sith Lord could see a black dot in the distance, a dot that was slowly growing bigger. The light around the Mon Calamari started to shift and bend as his will commanded the Force to do so, and soon a blonde human female stood in his place. It looked a bit awkward, as Avreet had yet to cloak his physical form, which the amphibian did after, finally disappearing and leaving only the two Jedi women in the spot.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus took the rations gratefully. As she watched with Avreet, a thought popped into her head, and she wondered why she hadn't thought to ask it already. "Avreet? Do you know of a Sith named Balaya? I think she also might be known as Darth Praelior. I ask as she's become something of a nemesis. Or rather she's taken a personal dislike to me - and seeks me out whenever she can. I just wondered if she had any weaknesses - and why she always surrounds herself with so many toys?"

[member="Dux Pontus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

The Sith's eyes narrowed upon the mention of the Zeltron witch. "Oh, I do know her," Avreet said, his voice yet to be manipulated by the Force to sound as the one of Kana, "You could say we did not like each other very much since our views were very different. I have no doubt that she wanted to kill me and it was only because of my former Master that she did not dare to make an attempt on my life." Letting out a soft sigh, the Mon Cal shook his big head. "I do not know of any weaknesses, sorry. The only advice I can offer is to not listen to her poisonous words. She wants to break you, make you fall to the Dark Side and will probably do anything to make it happen, maybe even influence you with one of her toys that corrupt your mind with the Dark Side."

"Stay true to your beliefs no matter what and don't listen to her lies. Even if she claims to wish nothing but peace and order, don't listen to her. She might appear somewhat civilized on the outside, but inside she is just as insane as the Dark Jedi, wanting to spread chaos and destruction." The Sith Lord thought for a moment. "I suppose the reason she wants to make you fall so badly is because she fears your strength. She wants to force you to go against the Code. If you ever find yourself facing some sort of a test set up by her, just walk away. Anything else you do will move you closer to becoming her slave."

Shrugging, he glanced at [member="Corvus Raaf"], his eyes almost showing sadness, "I am sorry for not having anything concrete. It would be foolish of any Sith to reveal their weakness to others." Stroking his barbel, the amphibian continued thinking of anything he could offer. "Try to use EMP charges. Many Force users have cybernetic limbs or even rely on machines to survive. If she's one of them, it will weaken her. That is all I can think of."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded as Avreet spoke. His advice was sound. "She tried once before. She planted some rings at our temple on Ossus. I ended up with one on my finger." She rubbed the ring finger of her right hand absent mindedky. "I know now it was crafted with Sith Magic. It drove me towards the Dark side. I came close before realising what was going on. As soon as I removed the ring everything was fine again. But it was too close for comfort. The feelings I had. The anger, the hate! Terrible feelings. But between me and my conscience, I made it through that test. But another Padawan at he time was captured by her. I still hope I will find her one day.". Her voice trailed off as she finished telling the story.

The speeder was drawing close now and Corvus looked at Avreet in the guise of Kana and smiled weakly.

[member="Dux Pontus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

Listening intently to Corvus' story, the Mon Cal had to consider introducing this Jedi to his former Master again. The old Togruta was a very powerful sorcerer with vast knowledge of Sith Magic, meaning she might be able to teach this Knight how to defend herself against such things. Theoretically, at least, but better than nothing. If for no other reason, then to turn Praelior's weapons against their creator. What Avreet thought about even more though was the mention of a captured Jedi Padawan. No doubt a way to test Corvus; the Sith Lady was more than powerful enough to capture both, meaning the fact Corvus has not been captured was intentional. Was it to play with the Knight, or to slowly work to breaking her? Probably a combination of both.

"I am sure you will meet her again," the Sith Lord spoke, his voice still bearing the thick Imperial accent as the speeder still had some time before getting close to them enough for the driver and anyone else inside to hear Kana's voice, "It must be a part of Praelior's plan, as you are still with the Jedi despite encountering her a few times as you have said. Praelior wants you broken, she wants to push you towards the fall. There is no doubt the captured Padawan will be used against you, both indirectly and directly at some point. The next time you meet meet the Padawan, she will probably be no different from other Dark Jedi and you will be faced with a choice to either kill her or die. Needless to say," the Sith chuckled softly, "The best option is to knock her out. She was a Padawan when captured, yes? Those are not strong when turned to the Dark Side. Trained exclusively in the ways of the Jedi, they cannot handle the sudden change. Just as any Dark Jedi. Her mind will be damaged, unable to focus. She will make mistakes. You will use your superior training to knock her unconscious... and deliver her to the Jedi."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was upbeat with the possibility of saving Elara. She'd carried the guilt since that fateful day - despite her Jedi training. But the possibility that Balaya intended for her to escape - just to test her. To break her over time? And she considered their meeting on Zeltros. How she'd considered it a vanity to go after the Sith Lord before deciding to face her again. Her instinct was right. To keep on meeting her was simply playing into Balaya's hands. She was a Knight and her foe a Sith Lord. Today this was a mismatch. But one day it would be an even contest. And on that day, she would face her nemesis. But until then - she would allow the Jedi Masters to deal with her.

Corvus smiled at Avreet. "I'm no less worried if I'm doing the right thing by having these conversations than trying to arrest you, but your advice is useful and in my heart I know to oppose you would be wrong. But you probably suspect by now that I can only be honest. I know no other way."

[member="Dux Pontus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

What else he could do than to just shrug when her inner conflict was revealed? The old conflict between the two groups made moments like this rare, when two sentients that were supposed to be enemies simply talked without any aggression towards the other and without constantly expecting the other party to break this illusion of peace. The choice not to arrest him was a wise one though; Avreet did not know of any crime of his that would be enough to send him to jail, and as such he would have resisted any attempt to being detained. Surprisingly enough, had he committed just a portion of what the Dark Jedi on Zeltros had, he would not hesitate to let any sort of authority figure to arrest him. The Sith believed crimes had to be punished, especially if serious ones, and he was no exception to the rule. After all, what cost do rules have if their creators don't abide them?

Nodding a few times in agreement that [member="Corvus Raaf"]'s words were honest, although realizing she could not see him, the Mon Cal started playing with the sound waves, bending them to imitate Kana's voice. "You are the only one who can say if you're doing the right thing or not," Kana/Avreet said kindly, "But I can safely tell you are not doing the wrong thing."

The speeder got close enough for Avreet to identify as one of the larger models, sometimes used as trucks to transport larger amounts of materials or people. The projected image of the blonde Jedi started walking towards it, along with the invisible amphibious Sith Lord. "Hello!" Kana waved her hand when the speeder stopped, sending sand and a cloud of dust in all directions. The door of the hovering vehicle opened and out stepped a man looking in the same manner as the slaves from earlier. "Uh, hello sir!" Kana called out again, "Me and my friend are Jedi. We have crashed during the ion storm! The party sent to investigate told us of you... will you take us to the city, please?"

The slave stared at her as if he saw a ghost and not a person, his intoxicated mind having a hard time understanding what the pretty blonde just said. After a while, he nodded and pointed at the speeder. "Get in, master Jedi."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

On the plus side, the words of Avreet made her feel more comfortable. Of course doubters would tell her he was lying. But she knew he wasn't. And to add to the positives, the speeder had arrived.

But the manner of the driver made her feel really uncomfortable. Even more so than than the men that found them. She bowed to him once he'd offered to take them and climbed in beside Avreet. And she waited to see if her companion shared her reservations.

[member="Dux Pontus"]

 

[Darth Veles]

The Sith Lord and his projection of Kana approached the speeder and got in, keeping an eye on the driver and wondering what his masters did to keep the man obedient. He did not see any sort of a device around his neck, usually filled with explosives or poisonous needles, a popular way of ensuring slave's loyalty among some circles. Was the man brainwashed? The way he talked and moved suggested something affecting his senses. Needless to say, Avreet did not feel particularly good knowing this was their driver. As the Mon Cal seated himself in the back, sitting on a seat that must have seen better days, his gaze went downwards, noting sand and dried blood covering the floor of the speeder. For now and until he had any reason to think otherwise, Avreet dismissed it as a mess left from dead sand burrowers, killed by the hunters and transported into the city in this vehicle. Luckily, it did not smell much inside the speeder - certainy less than in the shack - so the Mon Cal's attention quickly turned to the Jedi Knight next to him, no longer thinking of the origin of the dried blood. His mind returned to an older topic instead and he remembered a certain thing that happened during the battle of Coruscant and the invasion of Empress Teta, something he had witnessed with his own eyes.

The engine roared to life and the heavy vehicle started to move. The scenery outside changed as the driver turned the speeder around and guided it through the desert. "Force light," Avreet suddenly spoke to Corvus' mind, "Many of those so-called Sith have grown so attached to the Dark Side of the Force that they cannot function without it... They do not know how to use the Force without commanding the Dark Side. I believe such power would be very effective against Praelior and others like her." The Mon Calamari suggested. He did not know much about the power or if the young Knight would be able to learn it, he was no expert on Light Side abilities. "By the way, have you considered learning powers that focus on incapacitating your opponent in non-lethal way? I believe you would find them very useful."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]