Private Help Me Understand

[Efret Farr]

Like most places in Galactic City, the Stardust Cafe was as busy as ever. And, like most of the people of Coruscant, Efret had gotten used to the devil lurking on their shared doorstep.

Damage from the Dark Empire's invasion had been largely rebuild, a feat that had come over some time with great cost and effort. Maybe repairing infrastructure had given citizens and visitors a sense of security that Efret hoped wasn't false but knew deep down that it was. Pushing the Galactic Alliance out of this part of the galaxy was the Empire's driving goal. It would be foolish not to try to subjugate Coruscant again, either before or after the rest of the Deep Core.

Unless...

Unless they had burned themselves out.

Efret shook her head. It felt like challenging the Force to even entertain that thought. She reached out for the cup of caf she had ordered while she was waiting for Rann to arrive. She brought the mug to her lips as she read the informal interview questions written in her journal through Nirrah's eyes, who stood on the tabletop of the booth. The master's stomach panged and she wasn't certain how much of the sensation was budding hunger and how much of it was apprehension.

Rann Thress​

 

[Rann Thress]

Coruscant
Stardust Cafe
Rann Thress
Efret Farr ​

---

The Cafe wasn't incredibly hard to find located nearby Monument Plaza, it's neon sign one of a trillion that lit up the sky on Coruscant. A planet with way too many people for Rann to ever truly feel comfortable, and with the recent war with the Empire, many of them were either on edge or looking for escapism, which meant they never looked too long in Rann's direction which suited him fine.

Even still, Rann opted to not wear his trademarked clothing, choosing instead a simple jacket and pants, tying his hair back out of his face. Trying to do everything to look not like Rann Thress to everyone but the one person who wanted to see him. A new upgrade on his arm meant he could stash his lightsaber away and not stand out, and as a soothing motion Rann often would rub his arm, a motion he repeated constantly as he entered the crowded cafe and looked around.

It wasn't hard to spot the Jedi, a feat made easier by the Convor sitting on the table. As Rann approached, he took a deep breath and tried his best to prepare himself for this. It was a new experience for him, talking to someone about himself for any reason was already strange but for it to be a matter of record? An almost incomprehensible thought.

"Efret Farr? I'm Rann, a pleasure to meet you." He smiled and nodded, extending his right hand out for a handshake.

"I hope you'll forgive me for not using any title," he followed, "I'd rather turn as few heads as possible."

 

[Efret Farr]

Also hoping not to attract unwanted attention, Efret wore an oversized sweater and a pair of jeans instead of her Jedi tunics today. Her lightsaber was strapped to her calf, both hidden inside her tall boots, but she made no attempt to stifle or likewise disguise her Force presence.

As Rann approached the booth she had chosen, then began to speak, the convor looked up at him. Only then did the woman too. Both seemed to be focused on his lips. When he was finished speaking, she set down the leather-bound journal in her hands to raise them and begin to move them in intentional gestures. Rann might have recognized it as Galactic Basic Sign Language, but he didn't have to understand it. A tiny black box was clipped to her neckline. An arc of green light projected from it onto her hands, as well as a slightly robotic, feminine voice that seemed to be interpreting her signs into speech. "Of course," she replied. "Very smart.

"Yes, I'm Efret and this is Nirrah, my seeing eye convor. I'm Deaf, but can lipread." She motioned to the side of the booth opposite her. "Please, sit. Order whatever you'd like. My treat." A very warm smile graced her features. "Thank you for meeting with me." Based on what little she had been able to find out about Rann, agreeing to come must have been beyond difficult.

Rann Thress​

 

[Rann Thress]

Coruscant
Stardust Cafe
Rann Thress
Efret Farr ​

---

Rann blinked, caught off guard only slightly before nodding and taking a seat and grabbing a neatly folded menu off the table, gazing at it for a moment before flagging down a member of wait staff and ordering a glass of Moogan Tea. As it arrived he took a small sip and hummed out appreciatively, smiling at the Jedi.

"It's my pleasure, Efret. And nice to meet you too, Nirrah," He smiled at the creature before folding his arms and leaning forward on the table.

"It's not every day someone wants to learn more about something you have....ehn...experience in, I suppose. I'm happy to help, and if whatever I may have to say helps someone else out further down the road? All the better for it.. So, please, hit me with whatever you got. In your time of course!" He held a hand up apologetically, "Not like I'm trying to rush it or anything!"

 

[Efret Farr]

During Rann's reply, Nirrah jumped up onto Efret's shoulder. Her lips pulled into a thoughtful line behind her mug. She put it down in front of her so she could sign two-handed. "Really? I wouldn't blame you for that." She then slid her caf away and pulled her journal to be more directly in front of her. "I'll try to make this as easy as I can. You don't need to answer any of my questions. But before we start, I thought tell you why I'm doing this. The context.

"Recently, it was made clear that a great majority of senators distrust non-Jedi Force practices. I'm sure you know that the Sith religion is illegal throughout Galactic Alliance space." Her brow knit just a bit. "I think both of those things are mistakes.

"I study past and current cultures, Rann, and I value them all," she continued. "I mean that. I acknowledge the need to protect the Alliance from influence from the Sith Order or the Dark Empire, but I also know there are more sides to Dark Side traditions than what we see in those factions or have seen in others like them. I worry that outlawing or closely monitoring all non-Jedi Force use or worship will destroy the diversity that we otherwise promise to protect."

Her smile finally became lighter as she at Nirrah looked at him. "I feel it's my duty to humanize Darksiders. Try to avoid this possible fate of their lifestyles."

Rann Thress​

 

[Rann Thress]

Coruscant
Stardust Cafe
Rann Thress
Efret Farr ​

Rann listened closely, intrigued to Efret's plan and motivation. "Huh," he grunted out, tapping a finger on the table.

"Well...I like what you're going for. It's...quite an uphill challenge you've decided for yourself but I respect it." Rann sighed, pursing his lips together before continuing, "I guess it depends on how you view the Force. There's a thousand different ideas on how it works...or even what it is. What balance is and what that word even means. I'm sure I don't need to tell you, traditional Jedi dogma is that the Sith create imbalance in the Force simply by existing. But then...what is the Sith? The Order? That died out a thousand years ago, right?" He gestured with his hand to an invisible 'past'.

"My views on the Force? What 'balance' is? It's like a river. The Jedi go with the curves of the river, surrender themselves to it." He made gentle sweeping motions with his hands, before clenching his fist tight, "The Sith, the Darkside, is a canal. It forces through the river, demands its subjugation. It controls the river to go where it wants to go. Balance? What is balance once the Canal is in place? Destroying it? You can't. It's there. Balance is a war the Jedi lost...Hell, eons ago. The Canal exists." He laughed softly, putting a hand on his face for a moment, "I may be losing myself in my metaphor. I think what I mean is, The Darkside exists, and has done for thousands upon thousands of years. But it is unnatural. It's bending the Force to your will, you shouldn't do it, but people do... It's not...shooting lightning out of your finger tips. It's not...being angry. That's a power anyone can do, and that's an emotion. It's...It's hard to explain to someone who's never...drank from that cup. Being emotional helps, sure...but..it's almost like...having a conversation with the Force in your mind. You might ask it to grab something, do something. A darksider would demand the Force do this thing. There's....almost like..." He stops, furrowing his brow as he tried to remember the first time he tapped into the darkside. "There's almost like...a scream. Something in your head telling you not to do this. And once you break through that first time, it's over. The scream isn't there anymore. It's...it's what makes it really hard to not continue using the Darkside...I haven't heard the scream in....decades."

Rann blinked and shook his head for a moment before raising his eyes to meet hers. He chuckled, embarrassed, "Oh hell, I'm sorry I...lost myself in thought. I...I think it's good what you're doing. The Sith do preach a form of...freedom and self-determination but it's...it's as a slave to this addiction we all feel. I think people should have the freedom to believe what they want, do what they want, so I like your goals but...The Darkside is something born of malice...I don't want you to think Darksiders are misunderstood....Th-...We know what we're doing."