Here I Am! (Voss, Open to SSC)

[Laira Darkhold]

Voss.

Draco hadn't been on Voss in a long time, and certainly not given his more recent history, but this trip was long over due. After the Battle of Roche, he had taken a vacation, and when he returned things had changed. There had been peace talks and negotiations, and at those talks, life had taken a twist he hadn't expected. Now he had a fleet protecting Alderaan at the request of House Organa, and he had vowed to make a drastic change.

When he awoke from his first night away from Faith, he knew something was different, Vulkan was tired of being locked in the back of his mind. Even controlling the darker side of his personalities, Draco still only truly had command of the Dark Side. He had long ago fell and abandoned the Light, and this was a battle within himself that he could not win alone. It was time he found a bit of help.

Great distrust of the Jedi Order and the New Jedi Order through personal experience left him with very few options, and so the Silver Sanctum was really all that he could turn to. Now on the mystic planet of Voss, he stood, he wasn't hiding, he wasn't hiding in the Force either, no doubt the Silvers would recognize a Dark presence on their planet, even if he wasn't projecting malice or ill intent.

Experience had taught him not to trust Jedi, in any capacity. Most of the ones he had ever sought out when in need had shot first, never bothered to ask questions, and he was really hoping that this wouldn't be the case. Its not like he had a solid plan to escape if things went sour.

[member="Setzi Lunelle"] | @Heavenshields | @SSC

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Setzi was back on Voss, preparing for her trip to either Fresia to confront Sage Bane, or perhaps try to sneak onto Glee Anselm. Her goal? Rescue her Sithspawn, the Xilsaga, that she'd created in her missing sister's image. In terms of infiltrating Sith space, she felt that the Temple of Pain may be an easier target. Setzi still had traces of the darkside flowing through her. It wouldn't be that difficult to throw on a black robe and hide among the eager, fledgling acolytes.

But at the same time it was dangerous to subject herself to so much dark energy, especially when she was just on the cusp of reclaiming her lightside status.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

Passion was the most difficult for the brunette padawan to control. That was how she fell to the Darkside of the Force in the first place. Urged forward by curiosity and then a blinding passion, she spent much of her young years as a Sith Lord, bearing children that she barely knew now. Astrid, Amata - her twins... who knew where they were and what they were up to? Most likely training to become Sith warriors or alchemists like she had been. But as she meditated, always hesitantly, like an Aduba-3 mule that didn't want to plow the dusty, nuna-filled fields, she felt a presence now on Voss.

Due to fitful sleeping and nightmares, she'd been staying in her quarters in the Pirate's Foe, as to not disturb her companion Knight Mullarus in his dorm. Now, she rose and hurriedly dressed.
There was a darksider coming - she could feel it. And she would be there to receive the unexpected guest.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco stood alone out in the Old Paths, to the west of Voss-Ka, standing off the trails in the sparse forests that surrounded them, leading to the mountain top city. He wasn't sure whether he should enter it given the nature of his visit, and the gnawing at the back of his mind where Vulkan struggled against his bonds, hungering to get loose and wreck havoc on the people here on Voss. No, for now the Dragon had only the option of standing in the Forests. This planet was peaceful, much like Alderaan, and the Sith Lord longed to return to it and the people there, but he could not, not while he was so broken. So shattered.

<There is nothing for you here, only a step towards more pain.>

Vulkan wasn't quite wrong. Draco hadn't felt hope since his fall, he hadn't needed to, no one had given him a reason to hope, and no one had bothered to try to help him through everything he had been through. It was that utterly alone feeling that had driven him to the Dark Side in the first place, long ago, even after he joined the Techno Union. He wasn't alone anymore, but that could change, he knew it could change in an instant he could be alone again. It was different now, different this time. He felt like it was worth it to try to make things work, and unacceptable to fail. Draco was different, he wasn't what he used to be. In fact, he had never been like he was now.

But the same went for Vulkan. In his desperation and depression, Draco had created an alter ego, a second personality to deal with loss and suffering, Vulkan. That personality was selfish, greedy, power hungry, and cared for no one and nothing. Perfect for dealing with the life of a miserable man. The Sith Lord that arose from that personality was intended only to be there to deal with Draco's depression, to take the burden of difficult emotions as Draco blacked out and had no memory of what happened while Vulkan reigned. But, as things progressed, Draco got worse. A lot worse. Every moment became a struggle, and thus, Vulkan became dominant, the personality always there, always present. In an effort to assert and maintain dominance, Vulkan forced Draco to remember the things done in his name, and that broke Draco further. His rage, anger, and hatred splintered off once more into a psychopathic third personality with no recognition of people, allies, friends, or foes. It only had the desire to cause harm and pain.

Now Draco stood on Voss, knee high grass all around him, wondering how to fix this condition. He had heard of a few methods, but he really didn't want to be merged with Vulkan or the other. He only wanted them gone from lurking in his mind, so he could be free. He wasn't a man of the light, even without them, but he wasn't evil, he had honor, he had a code. He wanted to do right by his family, and those he considered family. That wasn't something a Dark Sider had the desire to, not really. Not in his mind.

"If it comes to that, it will come to that. I'd rather be happy for only one day, than never at all." He spoke the words aloud, even if Vulkan could read his thoughts. He inhaled deeply and continued trying to find his center, gain total control over himself like he had when he was with Faith, or going to see her, or thinking of their time together. And that was what he focused on, even if he could feel the little Lightsider with traces of dark coming for him. No, he had sensed that dark before.

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Setzi felt the pained cry, but it was muddled in Darkside intensity. Underneath the thick, black layer she could hear an anguished soul:

<There is nothing for you here, only a step towards more pain.>

Yes, pain, thought Setzi. Agony was what she was addicted to at one point. And although it was difficult to resist the pull of her torment, she felt that she could resist the dark caresses of anguish.

<I understand that> she sent to the wayfarers mind. Even though Setzi was a padawan, she had strong telepathic skills. <More than you know>

He was troubled, she could tell. She would stroll around the Temple, just paying attention to the feeling and the sound. It was calling out to her like a beacon.

Setzi only needed to get closer.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

<I understand that, more than you know> The voice rang around in his head and Draco arched an eyebrow. He did remember this one a little. He didn't know from where, but he remembered her some. Maybe she was around back when he was running around with the Silver Jedi? He wasn't sure, but the twinge of Dark intrigued him a little. <Come on out then.> It would probably end in tears, hers most likely.

Vulkan struggled beneath the heavy layers of Draco's mind, still seeking to get out. Perhaps he would find away, perhaps this familiar stranger would help Vulkan regain some level of prominence in Draco's mind. Draco wasn't sure what this person could do to heal his broken mind, but any help was better than no help.

He cracked his knuckles and found a stump to sit on, and started looking over the two weapons he had on him, and axe and a machete with a dual edged blade, a very special dual edges. He had worked hard on the Naast'beskad, and it was quickly becoming his second favorite weapon.

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Dravis Rosilla]

As long as Tyyni the Hutt could remember, Voss had been his home. He enjoyed the serene feel of the planet, as if the ecosystem itself seeked only to comfort the weary. Padawan Oluja felt sheltered,protected, which is why he'd never gone off-planet. He had enough trouble keeping his Hutt nature under control as it was, without going out and poking the gundark's nest.

Sliding through the outskirts of Voss-Ka, Tyyni was admiring the craftsmanship of various artists when he felt it. He didn't quite know what it was. This... presence felt strange, alien, and powerful. What is that? I've never sensed anything like this before.

Quietly excusing himself from the vendor he had been conversing with, the Hutt began to quickly slide out of the city, heading down from the mountain into the verdant forests below. He felt this... dark presence steadily grow stronger as he slid on the ground. He extended his own presence out towards the forest, letting his mental feelers explore the temperate climate. He felt the small animals in their burrows, the birds in the trees, and the tall, proud oaks. Then, his mind brushed up against the something. He was still a few hundred yards away from this something, but he still sensed the primal energy of it. Tyyni immediately felt a twinge of nervousness. Perhaps searching for the strange occurrence wasn't such a good idea.

"Um... Excuse me," he called out cautiously. "Is... Is anyone there?

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

<Come on out then>

An invitation accepted. Or perhaps, he was the one who was inviting her. Either way, she was satisfied, but apprehensive that the contact made would yield a meeting with the mysterious stranger on Voss.

Setzi cautiously walked down the ramp of the Pirate’s Foe and towards the darkside presence. Unexpectedly, she sensed a similar struggle within him, one that felt vaguely familiar.

Spying a Hutt padawan in a forest grove – an unusual species for a Jedi but not unwelcome to the Silvers by any means - she approached him and said, “Some are bathed in light, like you my friend. But others are a mixture. Like an ink drop into a clear blue well. He’s not grey, but there is darkness there. I should know.”

She didn’t ignite her lightsaber, but Setzi was on the highest alert now. Emboldened by the company of another padawan, she also called out.

“It’s time to show yourself. We are here. Where are you?”

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Tyyni Oluja"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

There was a stain of Darkness on Voss again. Krux was getting the feeling this world might have been one of the final beacons of light in the entire galaxy, and that was why Darksiders seemed to draw to it. To seek redemption, like he once had, like his companion is still in the process of, or to destroy the candles keeping the Darkness at bay?

For whatever reason, Krux found himself meditating within his dormitory at the Voss Academy for multiple reasons. The primary reason being his anxiety. He and his companion and Padawan, [member="Setzi Lunelle"], had agreed to part ways for a while as a part of her training. Just as Connor Harrison had abandoned Krux in the middle of his own Jedi training, Krux felt it necessary for Setzi to let go of his hand for a while and train in isolation, at least outside of his influence. It was important. Without him pressuring her, she could either fall to the Dark Side again like he feared, or her devotion to the Jedi would be solidified. Still, she was more to him than a student, and he felt the anxiety that she may find others to frequent with, possibly even some other Jedi Knight stronger and more handsome than he to stand beneath the wing of. In meditation, Krux steadied his nervous, beating heart and focused on what was most important.

That was, until the Darkness became known to him. He wasn't sure if any others had felt it, too, but he threw on his silver-furred cloak he had become so fond of recently and began to trek toward the area it felt most powerful. The forests of Voss spoke to Krux, as if warning him to be careful and to keep his mind open, and not to listen to just his heart and gut. There is no emotion, there is peace.

A long trek, but eventually his dark, stormy eyes would pass along the side of the beaten path within the forest and spot none other than [member="Setzi Lunelle"], of whom he was somewhat surprised to see on Voss and not spreading her wings elsewhere, along with a...hutt? This was the first hutt Krux had seen in the ranks of the Silver Jedi, but nonetheless, he would approach [member="Tyyni Oluja"] and his companion from behind in time to hear her call out, presumably to the taint of Dark Side that felt so close now.

“It’s time to show yourself. We are here. Where are you?”

The only Jedi Knight among the other two Padawans, Krux stepped closer, making himself known as to not frighten the two students, "Be patient, Padawan." he said, nervously stuffing his hands into his pockets, "Whoever is here will no doubt seek us out. Be on your guard, but open your hearts as well. Whatever transpires here can happen without violence, i'm sure." He offered his companion a sincere smile, as if trying to be reassuring, but with how anxious he felt, especially with the presence of a Darksider nearby, he wasn't sure how sincere it would look. Krux also waved a greeting to the hutt student before averting his eyes and gazing into the nearby forest. The presence of the Dark Side felt warm, almost hot on his skin. It was powerful. This was no Acolyte, maybe not even a Knight. The feeling reminded him of feeling the presence of Darth Azurea landing on Voss before finally confronting her and bringing Setzi Lunelle out of the cage she had been kept in. Maybe it was another Sith Lord looking for a hand to guide them down the path of the Light?

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco sat and listened, pulling his helmet off, continuing to simple sit on the stump, a few yards off the path up the mountain to Voss-ka. They were frightened, wary, and pretty seriously in over their heads if it came to a fight. Not a bad thing. Given his experience with jedi he half expected one of them to ignite their lightsaber and scream 'For the Light!' and charge.

He stuck his fingers to his mouth and whistled sharply getting their attention. "Over here padawan pack." He called, his voice a little condescending. What were these three going to manage to do for him?

He caught sight of two of them, but unless the man was still super powered and a teleporter, they shouldn't recognize new armor and new force signature like he recognized faces. Last time he had seen them, it had been through the cross hairs of a scope and they had been Sith. Not powerful Sith, but Pyrrhus's dejected posse. What in Force's name were they doing here, again.

"Hey there Azurea." He said, rather mockingly. He remembered the earful he had gotten from the Sith Lord after shooting her, but that was the name he knew, so it was the name he called her. She shouldn't recognize his face, there weren't many pictures of him throughout the galaxy, even if his name was fairly well known.

[member="Krux Mullarus"] | [member="Setzi Lunelle"] | [member="Tyyni Oluja"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Setzi’s hand nervously twitched upward to hover near her mouth for a moment as though she were afraid to speak. The darksider who sat on a tree stump, quite casually in the forest, knew her Sith Lord moniker. His presence was slightly familiar, but she did not recognize the armor or his face. She would have remembered his jet black hair and penetrating eyes. But somehow, he’d left some type of impression in her Force psyche...

By the eternal core, how did he know her?

Although her green eyes betrayed her trepidation, her voice was calm: “It takes a lot of guts to land on Voss and not think an army of Jedi won’t be your welcoming party.”

Setzi should know. She did the same recently when she was still a Sith Lord and had not left. Did he want to do the same? “Are you looking for redemption?” she asked. “Or do you have a bone to pick with someone?”

Her hand hovered near her own blue lightsaber, made from a crystal found in an Ilum cave.

“What do you seek here on Voss?”

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Krux Mullarus"] [member="Tyyni Oluja"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Approaching the man sitting on the stump, Krux felt a bit offended at being referred to as 'Padawan pack'. He figured the man was simply too ignorant of the Light Side's powers to tell that he was, in fact, more than just a student of the Jedi.

To make matters worse, he must have known Setzi as a Sith Lord as well. Hearing someone else say the name Azurea, the cold-blooded and heartless schutta of Darth Pyrrhus, made Krux's blood boil. For a moment, at least. Taking a deep breath, he let go of the anger by exhaling calmly through his nose. He opened his mouth to interject at the strange, armored man's greeting, to explain to him that the Sith Lady of obsession, desire, and agony was no more, but Setzi spoke up first, probably for the best.

Krux couldn't help but study the man, too. Like his companion, he felt familiar. He didn't know his face, nor the armor, and sadly Krux wouldn't really know his name either if he said it. Perhaps he was too sheltered?

Krux said nothing, but he did stand close to Setzi, giving her a gentle nudge on her arm as he felt it creep closer to her new lightsaber on her hip. He telepathically suggested to her, Relax..., which was ironic, considering how agitated Krux was. Not so much over the Darksider before them, though.

Krux glanced over at the hutt student nearby and simply gave him a nod, as if whatever he was doing sticking by them was the right thing to do. If Setzi knew this man before them, she could probabky be more influential to him than he would be, a tall, probably imposing, scarred Jedi Knight.

Krux lowered his own shoulders, noticing his own anxiety and trying to loosen up. His eyes watched the man before them, trying to piece together how he felt he knew him.

[member="Draco Vereen"] / [member="Setzi Lunelle"] / [member="Tyyni Oluja"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco eyed Azurea closely, much like a wolf eyes a buffalo before hunting it. She was rather curious, her, asking him about redemption. After everything she had done, then disappeared with her manling beside her and call herself a Jedi, asking him about redemption. As far as he could remember, she had been a lot further gone that he had been. Still, perhaps she could be of help. "Well, Azurea. Its been a while, but I wasn't expecting to see you on Voss. Certainly not being the one asking anyone else about redemption." She was a mystery, and her companions weren't well known to him.

"But, if you are offering to help, you need to calm down." He wasn't exactly calm, his predator instincts had kicked in as soon as he had recognized her and Draco was planning how to deal with them. She was probably the most dangerous, but that scar on her left calf might be a tad bit tender. Force Pike shock to there might put her down, or at least drop her face into a well timed knee strike to the jaw. The Hutt was going to be slowest, it was just nature, so if it came to blows he would catch rocket darts, and the Sith Lady's Manling, He would just find himself one on one against a cornered animal that made a living hunting Jedi and Sith. Turned it into a sport almost.

"If I had come here to fight you, I wouldn't have come alone. Besides, Pyrrhus was upset the last time I shot you, I doubt he'd take kindly to me doing it again." Vrag had kept him from getting into real trouble about hunting the Acolytes on Ragoon, but that wasn't important if she was here and a Jedi. He needed to know she could be trusted, and for that, he needed to see what emotions she felt when he talked about her time as a Sith, whether she was vengeful about her leg. He tapped the hilt of the machete, waiting for the trio to decide to calm down and put away their weapons. They outnumbered him, he had the feeling they needed to back down first or he would get caught off guard.

[member="Krux Mullarus"] | [member="Setzi Lunelle"] | [member="Tyyni Oluja"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

The touch on her arm made her jump, but then Setzi realized that Knight Mullarus was beside her. She’d caught a hint of his soothing voice and familiar aura in the background, but she had been concentrating so hard on the newcomer that her tunnel vision towards the infiltrator had kicked in. Was it bad that she was barely aware of her surroundings?

Well, it wasn’t good. A Jedi needed to be aware of what was around them at all times. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the doubt that plagued her. Relax, Krux planted reassuringly in her mind.

I’ve been doing so well with my training, but is today the day it all comes unraveling? She shot back at him.

“I’m calm,” she said, glancing at Krux and back at the stranger. But she did not feel at peace.

At the mention of Darth Pyrrhus’s name, Setzi visibly shuddered. Krux made it a point to not talk about him as the mere name could rattle the brunette padawan for hours. But she slowly realized that this interloper had shot her at some point and then…

“I’m always the last to know when it comes to Darth Pyrrhus,” she said, her voice lower and noticeably more angry. Setzi had always been a fool for Dun Moch. Like a treacherous lover, she always let it in after it betrayed her time and time again. Unbelievable, she thought, her rage bubbling up, dangerously close to the surface. But miraculously she was able to quell it after a few breaths. Not completely but enough to sound calm as she asked him: “Did you come to shoot my other leg? Or would you prefer the spine, just to make sure I never walked again?” As she said this she turned to the side, exposing her back to him, just for a moment. The action would be hard to mistake – I am not afraid of you, it said.

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Krux Mullarus"] [member="Tyyni Oluja"]

 

[Dravis Rosilla]

Tyyni looked to his fellow Padawan uncomfortably. Apparently, she knew this... this... dark person. That meant he was a Sith Lord. Eyes widening with the realization, Tyyni looked forward to the Jedi Knight for comfort. Sliding up beside his compatriots, Tyyni gestured to the confrontation. "Excuse me, everyone keeps telling everyone to calm down, but that's making us all less calm, so could we please stop telling everyone to calm down and just calm down?"

Looking at Setzi, the Hutt noted her body language. She was acting tough, fearless, but something else hid behind it. They'd all apparently met before, which set Tyyni on edge. Stepping in between the Sith and Setzi, the Hutt calmly tapped his training saber at his side. He stood no chance against the man, and the man most likely knew it, but he definitely wasn't here to fight. "Well, you know that if you kill any one of us here, you're doomed to fall to a hoard of Jedi. You project your aura for all to feel, and you come with no back-up." Tyyni nodded, as if in an eternal debate. "Either you want to go down in a blaze of glory," he turned slowly to the Jedi, "Or he's telling the truth about not wanting to hurt us, and we can calm down and listen to him."

[member="Setzi Lunelle"] [member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Krux Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Now it was enough. It became clear to Krux that this man mentioning all of this about Setzi's past was distressing her. It was angering her, and he could feel it dripping from her like sweat.

No, Setzi, it isn't. As long as you keep your head up and your mind open. Remember: There is no emotion. There is peace. It is not - and never has been - a lie. he recited back to her. He understood how difficult this was for her. She was still his Padawan, and still vulnerable. Still, she had controlled her boiling rage better than he expected, not that he doubted her.

Finally, Krux spoke to the stranger who sounded as if he were just toying with his vulnerable Padawan and lover's head. He took a step forward, his indigo eyes holding storm clouds and his voice booming with assertion, the desire to protect his loved ones and students being exposed, "Darth Azurea is no more, Sith, this woman is no longer that beast's pet. She has a life of her own now, just like me. I know, I was once Sith just like her and yourself, apparently. Please cease this condescending banter of yours, sir. You are a guest here, aren't you?" Krux's voice was assertive and protective, like a shield placed in front of Setzi Lunelle against a ray of darkness rising up from her past. A battered and dented shield, but crafted from powerful metals.

While assertive, he was not challenging the man. He was, above all, a Jedi Knight, and he swore to respect all life in tbe galaxy. Closer to the man now, Krux continued, his hands still resting in his pockets. He was no fool, however, and he would be ready if things turned out wrong. "Why have to come to Voss, sir? If it is not redemption you seek, there is little else you will find unless it was a fight you've been looking for. Please, do not let it come to that. Call me naive, but you don't look like a savage brute like so many other Sith." Call it arse-kissing or flattery - which Setzi herself knew all-too-well - but Krux did not want to come to blows tonight. No Jedi should.

Spoiler

Editing because sniped by Tyyni

Krux nodded to the Hutt student's remarks, agreeing, but keeping his eyes on the stranger.

As the most experienced Jedi of this small group, he hoped to be the voice of reason now.

[member="Draco Vereen"] / [member="Setzi Lunelle"] / [member="Tyyni Oluja"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco didn't break eye contact with Azurea, even while the others spoke their peace. "Don't look like a savage brute?" He was a little surprised. The armor, the skin of dead beasts hanging from it and crafted into it. "You may need to get your eyes checked. I'm a Mandalorian warrior wearing the skins of beasts and wearing weapons from a barbaric age, not some knight in shining armor like yourself." Draco arched his eyebrow at Azurea's sign of fearlessness. Ten years practicing in sensing, manipulating, and augmenting fear told him it wasn't really true, but she was trying. No one was fearless, some just had courage, some simply feared unconventional things.

"Take a seat, all of you." His voice was commanding, taking charge of the little situation that was growing around him. He had some questions for Azurea, and he wanted them answered before he did anything else. He let his fingers keep tapping on the hilt of the machete in his lap. He shrugged at the Hutt, "I don't speak slug and I have bad experiences with your kind. Last time I was this close to one, I tried to put him in an eternal coma trapped with nothing but his nightmares for company. Keep your tongue from licking people and we shouldn't have too much trouble." Eight years of his life lost at the hands of the Hutts, four of them working for them, four sold by them into their slave pits. He could feel the Darkness in him tugging at the edges of his mind, pressing against the wall of his will.

No. He had something worth fighting for and he wasn't going to let the presence of an abrasive and foolish knight and Hutt slave lord ruin that for him. "So, Azurea. Why aren't you a Sith anymore?" He asked, rather bluntly. She had some of the answers he sought. Not, all the answers, some he would have to discover for himself within himself. "You were a Sith, a pretty bad one at that. And now you aren't. Of all the things I've done, I don't think they add up to half of your crimes. I always had honor, a code. I didn't kill innocents, I didn't take the fight to civilians. I never tortured people for kicks. Tell me when I say something you haven't done." How had she comeback from absolute darkness and gone to the light. He knew he would never be a Jedi or Light, but he knew even Vulkan wasn't as psychotic as Azurea and Pyrrhus had been.

[member="Krux Mullarus"] [member="Tyyni Oluja"] [member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

The padawan felt pressure from all sides, closing in on her. In front of her was the dark-haired man who knew far too much about her past, which she immediately chalked up to some kind of conversation - maybe multiple conversations with Darth Pyrrhus. Though the Torgruta Sith Lord himself was very private and insular, she felt that the two males must have been acquainted.

The other pressure came from Krux and Tynni in the form of help and the voices of reason. Am I not calm, she thought? Am I letting this situation get the better of me?

She breathed deeply, and her eyes unfocused to a small point right beyond Draco as he taunted her about those who she’d killed. Do not protest. It will do no good, she thought.

It also would not be helpful to lie. That is exactly what she would have done as a Sith Lord - denied, challenged and distorted the truth. It wasn’t as though she were giving away secret information in telling explaining the actuality of the situation. And perhaps this individual also had information with would lead to Chastity.

“I came to Voss to find my sister. And I found Knight Mullarus and Master Harrison, and they convinced me to join them. To turn away from the dark and into the light. For the sake of my family.” She gazed momentarily at Krux. “And for love.”

“I won’t argue about what I did. My acts were horrific…”

Setzi noticed how calm Tynni was… but how ready they all were to take up arms against the darkness, to protect peace and mercy in the galaxy.

“What is your name?” she asked the stranger.

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Krux Mullarus"] [member="Tyyni Oluja"]

 

[Dravis Rosilla]

Sitting wasn't really something a Hutt ever did. There was standing, tail planted firmly on the ground to support the extra weight, and there was lounging, where the tail was under less stress, and more free to move without fear of the body falling over. Tyyni lowered his center of gravity, and lounged. It didn't really matter how he held himself, however. Either way, he would be too slow to outrun a Sith Lord.

Tyyni waited patiently as the apparent Sith Lord talked. Then, when the Sith addressed him, he had to bite said tongue. Arguing about his heritage would only heighten the conflict, and that was the last thing they needed. And... Most of what he implied was true. Tyyni often had to fight his inner urges when they got in the way of his Jedi teachings. But, he did, and Hutt or no, he was a Jedi. Water is thicker than blood in some cases.

What got to Tiny was when it was revealed that the Padawan beside him was once a Sith Lord. With a little gasp, Tyyni edged a few inches away from her, trying to keep his composure. She... killed innocent people?

Tyyni looked to the Knight for reassurance. He had no idea what to do in this situation. One thing was clear, though. This girl, this former Azurea, was on his side now, and that's what counted for the meantime. Giving her a nod, to apologize for his sudden outburst, the Hutt turned his attention back to the Mandalorian Sith.

[member="Setzi Lunelle"] [member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Krux Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Krux made a face that was a mix of disgust and sorrow listening to the stranger list off things Pyrrhus, that pitiful slime from Hell, and Azurea, the sadistic schutta who kissed the dirt at his feet, had done in the past. At this point, Krux Mullarus had come to terms with seperating the two characters, Azurea and Lunelle. They were not the same in any way. Yes, Mullarus had felt lust for Pyrrhus' toy before when he had called himself Sith, but the love he had always felt was for Setzi.

But when Setzi began to tell the stranger why she had turned to the Light, as her gorgeous eyes of emerald met his for a moment, he couldn't help but smile at her. Truely, he loved her more than anything, and every day he was reminded why.

But he didn't let it distract him. His eyes returned to the stranger - the Sith. Suddenly, it occured to Krux.

Did you come to shoot my other leg?

That day so many years ago on Ragoon VI - Setzi was shot in the leg by a hunting Mandalorian man in the trees. He remembered ripping off pieces of his own robe to clean her wound, when she suddenly grasped his hand affectionately. Heh. Looking back, that was probably the day he really started feeling infatuation for her, but he'd always admired her since he met her on Lorrd. He loved everything about her, especially the long history they shared.

But this man...was he the hunter? Their presences feel similar, but it was so long ago, he wasnt sure.

Sure, the man did look like a brute, as he said. He probably was one. Krux simply was avoiding causing tension. Let the ignorant Sith believe what he wants about his intellegence. If no lightsabers, blasters, or machetes could be drawn tonight, it would all be worth it.

Krux simply took a knee nearby, still only a few feet from Setzi, facing the strange Sith.

He also noticed the Hutt's reaction to the realization of Setzi's past, to which he would plant a message in his mind, too, when his big alien eyes would land on him. All life in the galaxy is to be respected, young hutt. Even a Sith can find peace when treading the Path of the Jedi. I, too, was once Sith. No being is too evil for redemption.

Though, Krux was a hypocrite in saying so. Surely, he would never allow certain people to become Jedi. One such alien swine would be obviously in that groul.

[member="Draco Vereen"] / [member="Setzi Lunelle"] / [member="Tyyni Oluja"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Love, so they had something else in common. He could tell by the look at the manling that it was him she referred to. It was another thing they shared, total loss at the loss of the one they loved. If Draco were to strike him down in this instant, Azurea would falter and break. She would fall, and probably never come back. A sentence he was sure he would share if the same thing were to happen to him. "Well, that is an honorable reason for why, but it doesn't help me as much as you'd think. Sure it tells me why, but I'm also interested in the how?"

"How does one go from dark to light and not waver back?" He could tell she wasn't exactly stalwart crusader of the Light, she still had twinges of Darkness in her, and given his last experience with her and this one, she had always been fairly susceptible to verbal taunting. "You see, I've settled that I can not remain devoted to the Dark Side, I am well aware I cannot abandon it completely. The Force is not a coin with two sides where one is always bad and the other always good. Its globe, with a Night and Day, representing Darkness and Light. No planet can survive with only light, nor only night. Both are required for balance. And that is just nature. Where there is light, you will find darkness nearby." His outlook on the Force wasn't exactly traditional, but it was there. He had always been a subscriber to the Unified Force, but as time had gone on, he had slipped, found himself depressed and alone, and had gone from the light and found himself swallowed whole by the night.

Only when he had tried to struggle back to the light had he realized how bad it had been, how far he had fallen. Memories of his lover and his adopted child swam up from the depths of his depravity. "Furthermore, the Force is a tool and a weapon, not a being. You don't have to be an evil being to use the Dark Side, nor pure of heart to call upon the light. Am I making sense to you Azurea?" He asked, realizing he was lecturing these padawans on the nature of the Force. "Because, I'm not looking to be a Jedi. Peace is a lie. Peace and conflict are the same as the Force. You cannot have peace without fighting for it. That doesn't mean it isn't worth fighting for, that doesn't mean its hopeless. You don't fight for lasting peace. You fight for the peaceful moments."

He sighed again, collecting his thoughts and aligning them the way he wanted them. "You can't fight for Peace and have it. So for us, we will never really see lasting peace. But that's okay. For me, I need conflict. I thrive in conflict. It makes me stronger, but, I also require times and moments of peace. Otherwise, like steel hammered to thoroughly upon the anvil, I will break. I need time to temper and cool, or I will fracture. And that is what happened to me. I fought too much, too often, suffered loss after loss, abandonment after abandonment, until I fractured."

[member="Krux Mullarus"] | [member="Tyyni Oluja"] | [member="Setzi Lunelle"]