Private Everyone Needs Guidance, Sometimes

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The Cat's Paw, Masque
Ishani Dinn

​

In the Nether, the sight of a half-human, half-ghost woman was far from a shocking sight. It was the form the once-Valkyrie matriarch took whenever she entered this realm, evidence of the fact that her very being was linked to it. She did not travel into the Netherworld nearly as often as she used to, but it was still somewhat of a second home for her.

The reason for Kaalia's visit was, contrary to most of her trips here, not tied to a matter of a lost soul. Instead, she sought knowledge. She was never blind to that which went on in her family, and a recent development had left her worried. Nothing with her daughter had happened yet, but Kaalia was determined to not let her slip and fall due to the demons she struggled with. The Force was an infinitely complex thing and there was always more to know. As such, the woman was browsing through a large bookshelf looking for any title that could help her understand.

The Cat's Paw had many unique items on offer and on any other day Kaalia would've been much more intrigued by everything else the shop had on its shelves, but today she only made time for the exact thing she was looking for. Book after book was pulled from the shelf, flipped through, then put back where it came from. There were a few specialized book stores around Masque, but here is where Kaalia often found the most success in her various hunts. Right now, though, she wasn't having any luck. A mildly frustrated sigh escaped her lips as she slammed another book shut and placed it back.

Little did she know, however, that there was someone else she would be aiding today. Her trip would not be entirely in vain.

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Current Appearance​

In her travels through the Netherworld, Ishani’s spirit eventually wound up in Masque. She’d been here once before, back when she was still alive, to make a deal—a deal that eventually proved to be a waste of time and effort. She’d begun to feel like a lot of her decisions had been a pointless waste as of late.

There were shops to peruse. She supposed it might help to pass the time until she was launched elsewhere by the mysterious forces of the afterlife, so she entered a store that sold books. Or maybe it was a library, hard to say.

There was one other being inside the building, a creature that gave Ishani pause. It was a sort of chimera—a woman who was half alive, half dead. Er, half ghost, that is.

If Ishani managed to return to life, would she be like that? Stuck between realms, not quite existing fully in either? She wondered if it was such a bad way to live.

That curiosity prompted her to try and talk to the mysterious woman. “Are you looking for something?” Ishani asked after spending a couple minutes watching the halfa flip through books. “Also, uh… what’s up with the whole half-ghost, half-alive thing?”

Kaalia Pavanos​

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Ishani Dinn

While the process of pulling out another book, Kaalia looked over to the woman who spoke to her with a mildly curious look. She would have gladly answered her first question right away, but it seemed the second that followed shortly after occupied the stranger's mind more. The phrasing of that particular question left Kaalia holding back a chuckle.

"It's a manifestation of my connection to the Netherworld. I take this form whenever I enter this realm and when I draw from that connection outside of it." There was a bit more to her spectral appearance, but the shorter version contained everything that seemed relevant enough to bring up. "I'm not a... permanent resident, I guess is how you'd put it."

Holding a book in hand, Kaalia turned her body towards the woman. "And, yes. I am looking for something. I have been trying to study the effects of places strong in the Dark side on children as they grow up." She pointed the book towards the shelf. "Unfortunately, it seems like finding anything on the matter is like finding a needle in a haystack." Frustrating, to put it mildly.

"I don't suppose you know more? I've gotten just about nowhere, so far."

 

[Ishani Dinn]

"Uh, how does that work, exactly?" Ishani asked. The woman's response had created more questions than it answered. "Are you like... half dead?"

The mention of the topic she was researching caused Ishani to fall silent. She wasn't just quiet, she was suddenly tight-lipped. Her thoughts turned to her own children and what would become of them when she returned to life as a Sith. Part of her had known trouble would follow, and yet... She hadn't considered how that trouble might affect the twins. Could she allow them to grow up under the conditions it would create?

"People who practice the Dark Side probably shouldn't have kids," she said. Her tone wasn't judgmental so much as matter-of-fact. "No, I don't know of any books on the subject. It's one of those things you hope you'll never have to see, let alone write a report on."

Kaalia Pavanos​

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Ishani Dinn

"No, no, I'm very much alive. I do have a strong connection to the Netherworld, though. It's a long story." A remnant of a past left behind.

The other woman suddenly had little else to say. Kaalia found it to be a little strange, but decided against commenting on it. Instead, she flipped through the book she was still holding. And then came the comment. Her eyes went back to the woman.

"No offense taken," Kaalia responded as she shut the book. It wasn't what she was looking for either, but the subject matter seemed interesting enough regardless. At least she wouldn't go home completely empty-handed. "They're all wonderful. And a bit of a headache sometimes." She chuckled. "I'm proud of them."

"I've been looking around long enough, I think," Kaalia mused out loud. She'd have to come back to it later. "Looking for anything specific, yourself?

 

[Ishani Dinn]

"No offense taken."

If Ishani had had breath left in her lungs, she would've expelled it through her teeth. Not that she didn't expect it, just... well, this was awkward.

"What do you think the Dark Side is?" she asked point-blank. "Is it just a lifestyle choice? Or is it spiritual corruption, a contagion of the soul? Because if it's anything close to the latter, I think you have your answer already and don't need a book to tell you."

"Looking for anything specific, yourself?

"I dunno if you noticed, but I'm dead." She gestured down at her burned and broken ghostly form. "So I'm looking for a way out of here. The Nether, I mean. I want a second chance at life."

Somewhere along the line, it had stopped being about wanting to see her children grow up. That no longer even seemed like an option whether she made it back or not. Her resurrection, she knew, would be costly.

"This time, I'm going to live on my own terms. I want freedom and I want power. I'll do whatever work is necessary to get it."

Kaalia Pavanos​

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Ishani Dinn

"We call it Light and Dark, but ultimately those are just names we gave to how one shapes their connection with the Force," Kaalia responded. Her experiences created a view that was divergent from the commonly held ones, even if just slightly. "The Dark side, as far as I see it, is using that which makes a living being so much more to grow one's presence in the Force. Our emotions, our very soul. It's easy to lose oneself in that, but it is equally potent. Control it, and it is no more harmful or dangerous than the Light."

Afterward, the woman shook her head and let out a small chuckle. "But I doubt you were asking for a lecture." It seemed the stranger's sights were set on escaping death rather than discussing the nature of the Force.

"I have guided souls back to the realm of the living before. Be sure you are well-prepared when the time comes. Disturbing the cycle of life and death is a dangerous undertaking."

There was a look in the stranger's eyes that said more than words ever could. It was quickly decided.

"If there is anything you would accept help with, I would be happy to."

 

[Ishani Dinn]

"Yeah." Ishani seemed surprised to find herself agreeing with Kaalia. "The difference between Dark and Light is ultimately inconsequential, because nobody can agree on what's good and what's evil. Truth is subjective. We're all just living our own truth, doing what we believe is right—right?"

Kaalia was also offering help, and Ishani could use some. "I don't suppose you offer teachings of the Dark Side? Is it possible to train here in the Nether?"

Kaalia Pavanos​

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Ishani Dinn

"Even maniacs believe they're the hero," Kaalia reaffirmed. As long as there were those willing to fight and die for their beliefs, there would never be peace. The woman considered the chances of that happening to be effectively zero. "Live as you see fit. And if someone stands up against that, well..."

Make sure they couldn't stop you.

Perhaps it wasn't quite time yet for the stranger to return to the realm of the living, but a helping hand Kaalia could lend regardless, it seemed. She nodded at the questions. "You can use the Force here, no? Of course that would be possible." Before anything, though, Kaalia had to pay for the book. She continued as she started walking towards the counter.

"I have had a few apprentices in the past, before my kids started taking up too much time. I would gladly share my knowledge with you."

 

[Ishani Dinn]

When Kaalia mentioned that she’d had apprentices in the past, one corner of Ishani’s mouth quirked. “Any names I would recognize?” she asked.

She followed the redhead as she went to pay for the book, still asking questions. Her excitement was apparent, as she walked almost with a bounce in her step. She couldn’t believe her stroke of fortune.

“What areas of the Dark Side do you teach? Martial arts? Lightsaber combat? Sorcery and alchemy? I wanna get a feel for what I’d be getting myself into.”

Kaalia Pavanos​

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Ishani Dinn

"Doubtful. Some had great potential, but fatal flaws eventually caught up to each of them. And when my wife and I started a family, well..." A small pouch was placed on the counter, which the curious being on the other side of it turned upside down to check its contents. A nod confirmed that the transaction was made and Kaalia nodded back before turning her attention back to the woman and taking the first steps towards the exit. "For all the things the Force can do, I still haven't figured out how to multiply myself," she joked. "I simply didn't have the time to be a proper master anymore. We ended up adopting the last apprentice I had."

Kaalia held the door open for the woman to pass through, following her out afterwards. "I teach lightsaber combat, yes, and I know a bit of sorcery. My expertise lies in the Kro Varian art of shaping, though, next to the lightsaber." To show her what she meant, Kaalia conjured a flame in the palm of her hand. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past it, extinguishing it.