Hollow Bastion

[Darth Ferus]

It was pointless to blindfold [member="Jairdain"], but the armored Zabrak had done it anyway. He knew for a fact the Jedi was blind, and with the constant injection of Force Inhibitors he would keep her completely in the dark on where they were going. But still she was blindfolded. Perhaps it was to solidify the fact she was a prisoner. Krest himself wasn't even sure.

The ship would land in an unmarked hanger on the Sith homeworld of Bastion and the armored 'bounty hunter' would lead his captive down the ramp to one particular Sith that was told to meet him here. [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] . "Ah, good. We made it in one piece. I've never really liked ships. Too stuffy. Too many things to go wrong." He was casual despite being ready to hand the Jedi off to unspeakable evil. Then again, he was that evil.

 

[Jairdain]

The journey from Charros IV to wherever the hunter was taking her was a dark and almost silent one. Once they boarded his ship he placed a blindfold on her as if she could see.

"Really? I am blind!"

Jairdain said this with a shake of her head. Whatever this man injected her with kept her disconnected from the Force and left her blind. She knew he wanted her alive, so the fear for her life started fading away. However, there was still the fear of what her future held and the uncertainty she felt.

Other than her brief statement, Jairdain took everything stoically and displayed no outward emotion. Remaining calm through it all.

They arrived at a location and Krest lead her down the ramp of his ship, breaking the silence and saying he had never really liked ships being too stuffy and malfunctioning. The Jedi held her tongue and just kept silent. Though she was happy to have arrived in one piece as well.

[member="Krest"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Kaalia jumped off of the crate she was sitting on as the boarding ramp of the ship that contained [member="Krest"] and his captive [member="Jairdain"], giving the Zabrak a casual wave as she approached him. She chuckled at his remark about not being fond of spaceships, the words reminding her of her close friend [member="Ara Ren"] . The redhead found space travel to be oddly exciting, but that wasn't the case for everyone. "I always find them to be nice and cozy, but I suppose not everyone's the same." She was very much an explorer and had spent many hours in a wide variety of ships. It was something that was there for as long as she could remember. Her childhood years were spent travelling around the galaxy with her then-Jedi master, until that fateful day where she left that life behind and started her journey towards finding herself. It had many twists and turns, but now she was here. She aired confidence in the Dark Side, something that didn't come easy. The Light had struggled and pushed back with all its might, but eventually the redhead was able to overcome that barrier. She had found freedom, power and happiness.

Now it was time to convince the Jedi to walk the same path.

The blindfolded woman was a bastion of calm. Typical for a follower of the Light, but in the end it gained one nothing. As Kaalia saw it, it slowly ate away one's emotions, eventually leaving them as a soulless husk that was no different from a dead being. A puppet of the Force, enslaved by the very gift sensitives had been given. Yet, they could be saved from such a fate. Embracing one's emotions, accepting them as they were and allowing them to fuel your being was what made them alive. The spark of fear the woman sensed from the captive was going to be the catalyst. Soon, she would see the truth. "I'll bring her to her holding place. See you in a bit?" she asked the Sith Lord as the Jedi was handed over to her. A nod later she started walking, giving the black-haired woman the slightest of pushed into the direction they were going. When Krest was out of earshot she only said a single sentence, a piece of advice. "I'm saying this to help you. If cooperate, I promise everything will be fine. You will understand in time."

 

[Jairdain]

Somebody jumped down off of something nearby the ship and Jairdain turned in the direction of the sound. A female's voice greeted and responded to what the hunter had said. She was handed off to the care of the voice who would take her to a holding cell. She must be some sort of hunter as well. Maybe an apprentice and not yet ready to go on a solo mission. Without the Force, Jairdain had no way of knowing or getting a read on the woman.

Whoever the unnamed woman was apparently either didn't notice the blindfold or was unaware the Jedi was blind since she actually started walking away from her only to come back and nudge her in the direction to move. She offered a bit of advice and while appreciated, it wasn't necessary. So far she had gone along with everything that had been asked of her, she just wanted the blindfold off as it actually served no purpose. She was already blind. It was rather demoralizing to have it there. She had already told the hunter this, but he insisted she wear it anyway.

Not at all enjoying the feeling of helplessness, being blind and cut off from the Force, this woman hunter was going to Force Jairdain to ask for help. She needed guidance in getting to wherever this place was. Her arms were bound so she couldn't reach out to make sure she wasn't going to run into anything in front of her, no stick to guide her steps and make sure she didn't trip on anything.

While she tried to maintain the calm outward appearance, she was feeling this as well as a little irritation and discomfort at this whole thing. She still didn't even know why she was wanted. Letting out a sigh of defeat, she turned to the woman and held out one of her arms as best she could.

"I need to take a hold of my arm and guide me. Blind folded or not, I'm blind right now and can't see."

She had been continuously been given darts to keep her severed from the Force and that was how she saw things. Now all she had was her hearing and touch.

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"] [member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Krest offered [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] a salute before speaking. "Soon, aye. Go get her ready, I'll get Krest." Still trying to keep with the guise of a simple bounty hunter the Lord would salute his apprentice and walk off. [member="Jairdain"] was in good hands so to speak, and once far enough to be out of earshot he would speak into a com directly to his apprentice. "If she needs new robes give her some. Food, water, what ever else she might want or desire. She is our guest, but she cannot be permitted to see the Force yet. Like all Jedi it has blinded her to the truth, and we will help her find it in the dark."

Figuratively, spiritually, literally. With Jairdain actually blind all three versions were fitting for the situation. Krest would make it back to his own chambers that were nearby to change into a more fitting outfit for a Sith Lord. A dark tunic and slacks to match. Long after Kaalia and Jairdain would be done with what ever food or clothing they would need the Sith would arrive to the chamber Kaalia spoke of. It was a well furnished room, with a personal bathroom and even a kitchen. And a droid handler, who would both keep the Jedi confined in the room and help her around given her condition.

It wasn't the normal setting for a Jedi prisoner, but this was a different tactic.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"I'll get you to where you will be staying first, then I will take it off for you. And don't worry, we have thought of your condition," Kaalia said as she gently took hold of [member="Jairdain"]'s arm. "Just follow my voice and footsteps, it's not too far from here. Oh, and my name is Kaalia. I realize this is not the preferred way of meeting someone, but we can at least try to make the best of it." Her voice contained no hostility or harshness. Instead her tone was friendly and soft, and there was nothing behind it. After all, she bore no ill intent towards the Jedi. It was unfortunate such steps had to be taken, but it was how she would see the truth. When [member="Krest"] spoke to her through her comm she answered with a short "Got it," signifying she would take care of it.

A short walk later they arrived at door of the chamber where Jairdain would be staying, and after the redhead punched in a few numbers on the keypad in slid open. "Alright, here we are. Want to sit down and rest your legs?" If the offer was accepted she would lead the captive towards a chair and help her sit down. Afterwards she would look to finally remove the blindfold like she had promised. "Alright, now we got that out of the way..." Buzzing and whirring sounds would fill the room as the droid handler approached, stopping next to the black-haired woman. "This droid will be helping you get around given your blindness." While saying that she went to remove her restraints, freeing up her hands once more. "Are you hungry, thirsty? I'd be glad to get you something. Maybe a fresh change of robes or something else, perhaps?" Kaalia wanted to make sure Jairdain could settle in as well as possible, keeping in mind she was still in captivity.

After taking care of whatever wishes the Jedi had, Krest would finally join them. "That took you long enough. I was starting to wonder if you were going to let me do all the work," the Kro Varian said with a healthy dose of humor in her tone. She never was someone who was very formal toward people of higher status, be it in name, power, or both, as long as it didn't have any negative consequences. The Zabrak luckily wasn't very convinced of its necessity either, something she very much appreciated. "This is Krest," the young Knight said as she turned towards the other woman in the room. "The one the bounty hunter who brought you here mentioned."

 

[Jairdain]

The woman said they were aware she was blind and had prepared a room for her. She spoke in a gentle tone as if she actually cared. She also provided a name as they walked through the halls. The journey didn't take long and Jairdain didn't stumble into anything at all. An offer to sit was extended along with a change of robes as well as food and drink. The blindfold was finally removed and her wrists released.

Rubbing them to get the feeling of the cuffs off, she considered her answer.

"A drink, new clothes for sure and maybe a shower. I am Jairdain. Thank you."

She wasn't aware of how much time had passed since she was captured on Charros IV, but felt filthy in more ways than only a physical one.

A droid would be provided to assist her around. If she stayed in the room long enough though, she wouldn't need it too long before she memorized the lay out. If she got moved around much, then that droid would save her many issues.

After she was cleaned, changed and had a drink, Jairdain took the offered seat and somebody else joined them in the room. At least she felt more human now and more confident in facing whatever was coming her way. Kaalia introduced him as Krest and the man that had wanted her captured. Since her blindfold was removed, they would be able to see her eyes and just how she felt. At the mention of the name, she knew who she was dealing with. The reason why he wanted her captured and brought to him still eluded her.

Krest had fought against one of the men she loved. At the time though, it was unspoken and unexpressed. That had changed though since that day on Vjun. That love was built on a strong foundation and one that would last. A brief spark of irritation was buried quickly into that little box and she turned in his direction, but kept silent.

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"] [member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Krest stepped in with a polite smile on his face. Although [member="Jairdain"] couldn't see the smile, it reflected in his voice as he spoke. "Good to finally meet you [member="Jairdain"] . I've heard much of your skills, and have even personally felt it. It was inspiring, despite doing the opposite to myself and my allies." There was a joke there, not that it was the funniest of situations. The Zabrak knew for a fact she would have heard of his attack there on Vjun. "But to make sure everyone here is introduced, this is [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] , a trusted associate of mine." Apprentice was more fitting for the situation, but there was no need to involve the Sith hierarchy yet. First, the woman before him would need to learn the truth of all things.

"I would ask you to sit only because I plan to speak with you for some time. There are many lies the Jedi have made you believe from my understanding, and I'd like to help you find the truth. And as you may wonder why you, it was only because of your interaction with a dear friend of mine that I had you brought here. Some Jedi have been placed under a veil for so long they simply can't accept the truth anymore. You are different."

 

[Jairdain]

Krest walked in and spoke to her for the first time. His tone was polite enough and he actually made a joke. Having been on Vjun, he would have felt her Battle Meditation for the time it lasted. Before Lykos interrupted and they began their mental dance and duel. It had been something unexpected, but had made her stronger for it. She had not come out that battle unscarred, but he hadn't either.

Kaalia and Jairdain had shared names earlier, but no surname had been given to the Jedi. A small nod was directed at the other woman based on where she had been standing moments before Krest entered.

"Yes, she gave her name as she guided me here."

Taking the seat provided for her, Jairdain listened to the words Krest said. Not interrupting him as he spoke. He said the Jedi had made her believe in lies they had told her. What lies they were, he didn't state, at least not yet. He proposed he help her find the truth of what she had been told. Giving thought to his next statement, the only sith she had interacted with was Lykos and so that had to mean he had spoken to Krest of her.

Lykos knew more about her than anybody other than herself. He knew where she had grown up, met her parents and seen a small portion of her world. They had not met then as she was in school. She almost wondered if they had met, if things would be different for her now. She didn't think they would be though. Pushing that from her mind, her attention went back to Krest's voice.

She hadn't grown up with the Jedi, Lykos knew this and so probably passed that on to Krest about her. That alone would make her different than the others that he claims were placed under a veil. What truth or lies was he talking about though? Other than that where she was born or raised made her different? He had not asked her any question, so Jairdain remained silent.

The confusion she had been feeling would still be there since other than the partial answer of she was different than the other Jedi, she had no solid answer given to her.

[member="Krest"] [member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Krest would casually glance to [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] with a light smile on his lips before turning his attention back to [member="Jairdain"] . This would be a learning experience for the young Sith. Not everything needs to resort to violence. Another dear friend of the Zabrak taught him that. "The Force to Jedi is a cosmic power that guides everything they do. They follow and listen to it above all else, deeming it to be the path to peace. But you don't believe in that do you? You still follow the path of your people. A place where those like Kaalia here and myself would be slaughtered for using the dark. Why was it your people used such dark methods to combat the darkness in their people? I'm curious."

 

[Jairdain]

Jairdain sat calmly and listened as Krest spoke about what the Jedi thought the Force to be. In truth, her own code guided her more often than that of the Jedi. It was how she raised and what she was familiar with. So he was correct, she did follow the path of her people, but it meshed well with that of the Jedi.

His next comment almost made her squirm. The memory of her people and the executions they did troubled her now. What would her world have been like if her people hadn't executed them? A much darker place she was sure. One under the influence of chaos and destruction. Those were the ones her people executed. The destructive ones that were caught and before they could cause harm or more than they had already done.

She felt his first question more rhetorical and didn't answer out loud, but with a simple tip of her head. When he asked about why her people did the executions, she had to remember back to the reasons she was told as a child. They weren't dark methods though and prevented the dark from ruling.

"They were executed to prevent the dark from ruling. The people that went mad were only bringing chaos and destruction, those were the ones executed."

Thinking back though, some of those executed weren't raving lunatics and took the judgement calmly. A feeling or aura around them had been different than the others executed. An almost controlled darkness. All had been executed by the councils of the towns where they were found or the school if they were still students.

The answer she provided wasn't exact, but it was accurate enough.

[member="Krest"] [member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"If you were dark, you were killed. It did not matter if you were of good intentions or not, right?" Krest kept his tone polite, but there was a hint of annoyance at the idea of such widespread slaughter. "They feared the Dark, and rightfully so. Not just anyone can control it. It is a constant struggle. But in it lies truth. The Force cares not for us. It is above our wars, our greed, our pursuit of justice. A Jedi will claim to be a warrior for the will of the Force, but this is just one of many lies that they use to help their guise of peace. You know that peace is a lie. Your people killed any of the dark. They controlled the population in a way no Jedi would ever allow."

The elder would lean back in his seat, still smiling. "Why are you a Jedi when you don't even follow their belief?"

 

[Jairdain]

The young Knight did not interrupt Krest as he spoke, but remained silent until he finished. Her first words out she didn't give much thought to, but were what came to her mind first. Her tone was not calm or angry, it was neutral, but Jairdain spoke with the conviction of her belief. Not loud or soft, it was a conversational tone. She asked for his perspective and his view.

"There are no good intentions when it comes to the dark. What truth does the dark provide?"

Whether her people feared the dark or not, didn't matter now, they were gone. She was the last of them and the only one to carry on the their code. To her some of his words were true, but others were not. They were in agreement about the Force, that it was above them. The Force didn't care what action was done, it was the intention of the user that made it light or dark.

"Not once have I heard any Jedi claim to be a warrior for the Force only that they defend the weak and bring the oppressed freedom. Pease is not a lie, it is a goal to strive for. You are correct, my people did worse than what the Jedi do currently. In the end, it was perhaps why they are no longer here. Today, it doesn't matter if what they did was right or wrong since their rules and guides can no longer be enforced."

Though Jairdain could not see his smile or feel anything with her Force deprived of her, she almost smiled in return to Krest as he asked his last question.

"Because they most fit me and my personality."

It was only partly due to beliefs.

[member="Krest"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

When [member="Krest"] gave Kaalia a light smile she curled her lips up to the left and shrugged. She always made sure other avenues were explored before resorting to violence and it often lead to interesting and unexpected results. One of such examples was her encounter with [member='Dax Fyre'], which turned their hostility into a temporary alliance to explore an old Sith tomb. Although she was not afraid to turn to violence if it was deemed necessary, the woman was not one to necessarily enjoy killing. It was often a grim necessity which she simply accepted as fact, something she felt no remorse about, but killing people she did not need to kill was simply not who she was. The same went for other ways of violence such as torture, although she did believe in pain being a very effective learning tool. It was something the redhead had found out when training Disciples in her capacity of Knight of Ren. When pain was accompanied with their failures they were quick to learn and grow stronger, but if such a thing was not necessary omitting it was the preferred way.

The zabrak and [member="Jairdain"] started discussing their views on the Force and Kaalia decided that it was not her time to speak. Instead she would take a chair and move it away from the table it was placed at, placing it at the other side of the room and taking a seat. From the jacket she was wearing she pulled out a small datapad but as she did something that looked like a piece of paper fell out of her pocket as the device was taken out, causing the Kro Varian to quickly lean down and pick it up. When she picked it up a very quick flash of the front of the paper could be seen by Krest if he paid attention, revealing it to be a photograph of something. She looked at it and smiled, rubbing her thumb over the crease on the top right corner. It was a photo of [member='Ishana Pavanos'], wearing her Starfighter jacket and a broad smile. For a moment Kaalia mindlessly stared at it before snapping herself back to reality and pocketing the picture again, and started tapping away at the datapad.

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Ah, right. You're a Silver Jedi. They're a military for peace. Fighting wars for peace. Don't you see the contradiction in that?" Another glance would be cast to [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] , this time with a brow raised. He would nod his head over to [member="Jairdain"] , offering the simplest of shrugs. Politics and words weren't really his thing, but then again, why be a politician when the truth would help his cause?

"Peace is a construct made for those who can't handle it being a lie to cling to. You ask what good the dark has to offer, and in truth it has none. The light has none either. It is the wielder who decides, not which face of the coin. My only goal in what time I have left in my life is to usher in a new stage for the galaxy. The Sith I work with want to bring stability and order, give the people their desired illusion. There must be order and rules, strict with no exceptions, for there to be galactic stability. The Jedi will have you believe that freedom and peace are the same thing. They are not."

 

[Jairdain]

Jairdain heard when the woman moved away and took a seat of her own on the other side of the room. She kept silent though and Jairdain listened to what Krest had to say.

"There are times when acts of violence are needed to bring about peace. Like with my people. A single act of violence in executing somebody that fell to the dark prevented more violence from happening."

In hearing his words, they both agreed that it was the intent of a Force user that dictated if it was light or dark. He also admitted the dark really had nothing to offer and contradicted the light didn't either.

"Providing them the illusion they are getting what they want by ruling them...how? Any society requires rules and laws for stability."

She waited on his answer before addressing what he said about the Jedi.

"There are different perceptions what freedom and peace are. To some, they do equate to the same thing. To others, they do not."

Her own belief was not in question, but that of what the Jedi thought. Krest assumed they were the same obviously and Jairdain would allow him to continue thinking that. Unless he asked her directly she would not offer anything additional.

[member="Krest"] [member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"You two keep talking about the Jedi and why they are deluded, or in our friend's case, why they are not." Suddenly, Kaalia's voice could be heard from the other side of the room as she laid down the datapad onto her lap. She spoke casually as if she was thinking out loud, which wasn't very far from the truth. "But, in the grand scheme of things, does that really matter? Light and Dark will always clash and look to destroy each other but in the end you can't do that. The Light and Dark side of the Force aren't carried over from one person to another, it simply is a way of how one connects to the Force. Kill all the people who follow the Light right now, and eventually new ones will take their place. The same goes for the Dark." Everything was said very matter-of-factly, knowing that deep down they both already knew that whether they liked it or not. The woman wasn't bothered by it herself, it was simply a fact of life. "Discussing the philosophy of both is utterly pointless because of it. But, there is something else that hasn't even been discussed yet. Something that is actually relevant." She casually leaned back in her chair before she continued. "I want to know what you yourself want. I think we can all agree that an idyllic world where nobody takes advantage of one another is nice, but it is also an unreachable goal. I want to know what you realistically want. For yourself."

The question was a very open-ended one, but that was on purpose. The way Jairdain would answer would show Kaalia what mattered most to her, something that would hopefully reveal what she saw in the Jedi that made her follow them. For the redhead gathering information was always the first step and she believed that the only way to contribute something valuable to the discussion would require that. "This is about you. Not me, not Krest."

@Jairdain @Krest

 

[Jairdain]

For the first time since they got to the room, Kaalia spoke up. Jairdain turned her attention to her and listened to what she said. Some of what she said was accurate and some of it not, in Jairdain's opinion. She kept silent though and her thoughts to herself as Kaalia spoke. The words didn't raise any anger or irritation in her and her face remained neutral.

It took several long minutes of silence for Jairdain to speak before answering the question. In those minutes, there were many things that crossed her mind that she unrealistically wanted. The return of her people, her family, her home, totally galaxy peace...none of them could ever happen. A touch of sorrow would cross her features as she thought of these wants. By the time a realistic answer came, she appeared no longer sad and turned her head to face Kaalia since the answer was directed at her.

"I want one simple thing and the other is realistic, but can be difficult to find. Knowledge and happiness."

She didn't crave anything materialistic. She had the freedom until today, to basically come or go as she pleased. With knowledge potentially came power, but she didn't seek that for power alone.

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"] [member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

As [member="Jairdain"] thought in silence Krest's gaze traveled between her and [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] . As the minutes went by his expression would shift to boredom, his fingers eventually tapping against his thigh rhythmically to keep him from total annoyance. It wasn't that he didn't understand the importance of the question or the importance of the answer, but even after a lifetime of learning the importance of patience sitting and doing nothing was hard for him to do.

But finally she spoke her answer.

"You are a powerful enemy to have. Even I could feel the effects of your meditation. As a Sith it is my duty to the Ascendancy to kill you. To remove threats and keep my own people alive. But that would be a waste. You could be a powerful Sith, and that is what I'd rather have than your death."

 

[Jairdain]

With her acute hearing and the almost total silence of the room, Jairdain would hear the impatient and rhythmic tap of Krest's fingers on his leg. It wasn't what she intended as she considered her answer to Kaalia. After she answered, Krest spoke up. What he said surprised her. While it had been briefly touched on when he had walked into the room, he now expanded on why she was here.

He commented she was a powerful enemy and that day on Vjun had felt her meditation. She did not do as well in physical combat and had honed her skills in the more mental facets of the Force. The meditation she brought then would have indirectly caused deaths of his people, but it had no been a direct attack. It had worked until one of them fought back.

Lykos was the one. Their duel had left an impact on both of them. Both scarred and marked by the other. Pieces left behind and forever connecting them. She had not expressed to anybody this connection she had with him.

Krest's words made Jairdain mentally squirm and feel uncomfortable. In an attempt to delay speaking and giving her the time needed to squelch her emotions and thoughts, she took a drink of the water given to her earlier.

The beliefs of her people they had been talking about required her to rebel against him. To resist what he was suggesting. To become like him would require her death, be it by her own hand or that of another, she would have to die.

"No, I cannot."

She knew the direction both of them were sitting and looked the other way when she spoke her words.

[member="Krest"] [member="Kaalia Voldaren"]