Red

[Cedric Grayson]

He'd been careless.

The castle on Vjun had passed through many hands in recent years. It went from cultists to private investors, then to the Jedi and again to the Sith. Its status remained within the hands of the latter - a situation in which Darius could not ignore. The fall of the library had been truly devastating, the loss of so much knowledge a great tragedy, but his work had to continue. What artifacts remained needed to be kept out of Sith hands; what forbidden knowledge lingered must be hidden away lest it be used against the dwindling numbers of the light.

Thus he had come to Castle Bast, alone.

That decision was one he supremely regretted in hindsight. It had been simple bad luck that the caverns beneath the castle had given away underneath his weight, revealing his presence to the castle's automated defenses and leading them directly to him.

The confrontation that had followed was a short one. A brief bang had led him to unconsciousness, and he had only awoken recently to find himself bound by forcecuffs within the castle's dungeon. His weapons had been confiscated, along with the long coat he had worn to ward off the acid rain.

A quiet sigh fell from his lips as consciousness returned.

"Shab."

 

[Riamah]

In her own home, Ra did not bother to hide what she was. So Darius would know a sith still lived here. The days of the Dominion were long behind her, but what they had given her remained. In her time with them she had learned of the Force and started her role within the faction, her Jedi master had disappeared and then something happened. A journey had taken her to a planet where she learned what her childhood really had been. Growing up the apprentice to a sith lord and then his death. Upon his death, her mind had been blocked and for five years she had wandered on her own.

During that fifth year, a man had picked her up and turned her into the businesswoman and person of interest to Dominion. A man had approached to hire her and thus began her days with them. Over the course of time and after her journey, her role grew until she was head of the intelligence. Much good that had done for them though. In the end, they had fallen, but she had been given Bast Castle on Vjun and here she lived.

Not being under the influence of any faction, the sith was happy. In her time on Vjun, she had several unexpected visitors and kept the defenses working. Other than the auto-turrets, everything else was set to non-lethal to make sure her visitors were captured alive.

She was in her library when it happened and had time to change before her visitor was captured. Allowed her defenses to do their job, she got into an outfit of black pants, loose sleeved shirt and her boots. Her short sabers up her sleeves, knives in her boots. Not bothering to braid her hair, it flowed free. On one hip was her double bladed lightsaber and on her other was a blaster.

Heading to where her visitor would be held captive, she approached the door and knew she had met this man before.

Turning a light on for them, he wouldn't remember her. However, he may recall her presence within the Force. Back then it had been masked and made to appear to be that of a neutral apprentice, but some parts never change.

"Darius, it has been a long time since we met."

Unsure how he would react, even a Jedi could lash out in an attempt to escape, the cuff remained on his wrists. Until Ra was sure he wasn't going to attack, they would stay there.

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

It was a face he did not recognize, and then he did.

Darius had been within the dens of many Sith Lords in his time. The war with the One Sith had forced his training to be anything if the usual, and conflicts with the Jedi Order's errant cousins had been quite common indeed. He'd prepared to shut down his mind; to let his thoughts drift out into the ethereal realm of the force and, more importantly, away from his captor. When the familiar presence of Ra brushed against the edge of his mind, he had been taken aback. At first, he'd assumed she had been captured as well.

The reality dawned on him when the first words fell from her lips.

"Quite," he murmured, no amount of surprise hidden from his features. His blond hair was unkempt, and green eyes narrowed suspiciously. After a few moments, his lips pressed into a thin smile. "You aren't a prisoner here, are you?"

He felt the malignant touch of the shadow ebb off of her in waves. The force recoiled at its touch - recoiled from her. The Jedi's brow furrowed.

"This is all yours? You look different."

 

[Riamah]

She didn't wear her cloak in her home, but even without the pin it carried, she could pick up on his surprise. He correctly assumed and guessed she wasn't a prisoner here and he looked at her with suspicion.

"You are correct. I am no prisoner here and yes, this is my home."

If he was up to date on which government ruled where, he would know this planet wasn't under any of them. He may also piece together that Ra wasn't part of any herself. Only faction she flew the flag of now in any shape was that of a simple merchant...well not quite simple, but head of the Merchant Fleet within the Metal Lords. It was unlikely he knew this and would only know of her alignment within the Force.

The lone wolf mentality she had when they met, still clung to her though. Growing her wings within the Dominion, she was now free and on her own. Her chains had been broken after its death and the woman flew alone in the galaxy. She had gotten herself where she was on her own after being set free.

Even if she was sith in her beliefs they didn't carry over often or forced on others. The code she kept close to herself and allowed others around her to follow whatever they wanted to. Only if they got in her way did it matter to her.

"I look different yes, but I'm still the same person you met those many years ago."

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

"You look older," was the first thing that came out of his mouth. His gaze shifted to meet her own; to search for some semblance of the old apprentice he had once known. There was a difference within her, though. While the core of her being remained unchanged, there was an edge to her now: a darkness that bespoke of things better left unsaid. Ra was putting on appearances right now, of that Darius was sure. The real question was whether or not she was still the same beneath that facade.

Darius intended to find out.

"If it's your home, you mind getting me out of these cuffs?" Darius forced himself up to his feet - a bit of a struggle given the status of his hands. "What's happened to you? You feel odd within the force - there's a storm brewing beneath that facade."

He held his hands out so that she might remove the restraints, though his stance was still tensed.

"Have you fallen? I can sense it."

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Riamah]

"Older and a bit wiser."

It was all she said about​ his first comment. Darius requested she release him from his cuffs and she shook her head. He asked what happened to her and stated she felt odd within the Force, also suggesting she wore a façade. In asking if she had fallen, Ra lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Before you're released, I need to make sure you're not going to attack me..."

Clasping her hands behind her back, she looked at him.
​
"Fallen? Not at all. I had my past revealed to me and the façade removed. This is what I've always been even if I didn't know it."

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

"Ra, if I was going to attack you, I would have done it already," he offered her a sidelong smile - this one a legitimate one. He gave the woman a faint nod as if to further ensure she understood his intentions. "I'm not going to harm you, I came to get some of my things from the castle. i thought this place was controlled by a Sith Lord," he paused. "Well, I suppose it is. You weren't Sith though, Ra, you were too kind for that. I sensed the good in you when we met - that you've chose to walk this path is only further reason for me to be here."

A quiet sigh fell from his lips, though it was not one of frustration. After a few moments Darius paced up to Ra, closing the distance between them and any pretense of formality. His hands were held toward her chest, his gaze allowing nothing by way of discontent.

"Perhaps you haven't fallen, but this isn't the path you were on when I knew you."

There was a pause.

"Who are you now?"

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Riamah]

The use of the cuffs kept him from being able to attack easily and they both knew this. Trust was one thing Ra lacked in people. Only a handful had gained it from her and Darius wasn't yet one of them. The last they met, she was a naïve, young woman. Then she had trusted pretty much everybody to an extent, he had been one of them. That alone should have allowed her to do so now.

"Yes, this place is controlled by a sith lord which is me. You say I was too kind to be one then. It sounds like you assume I am cruel, mean and evil now."

He closed the distance between them, holding his cuffed hands up between them. ​Her eyes glanced at his fists before looking him in his.

"Not yet."

The cuffs remained on and he said maybe she hadn't fallen. That brought a small chuckle from her, but the humor didn't reach her eyes. In saying the path she had been on was different, she shook her head.

My dear, Darius, the path was already there when we met. Only it was hidden and obscured, I couldn't see it. As to who I am now? You already know my name. Ra'a'mah Numare. A thing that is different for me though is that I now lead the Merchant Fleet within the Metal Lords. And you?"

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

She spoke of trust, but all that came to mind was betrayal. He had hoped that Ra would make a capable knight of the Jedi Order; to help restore the light's claim to the mantle of galactic governance. He disliked the path that she had chosen, recognized that it was one that did not work to further the gains of the shadows, yet he could not reconcile with it.

The eyes that regarded Ra were tried as they took her in for her worth. "It may have been there, but you could have chosen to reject it." He finally spoke, his voice taking on a disappointed tone. "Despite that, I know you're no threat to me, at least right now. You should know I'm no threat to you."

The smile he flashed her was genuine, "Besides, you can't tell me you didn't miss me. I don't take you for a liar," the cuffs clanked as Darius shook them about. Despite his attempts, the restraints remained.

"Let me out of here, and I can make it worth you while." His thoughts shifted to the castle's secrets - secrets of which he doubted she knew. Above all else, he had little desire to fight Ra.

"Let me out Ra."

 

[Riamah]

She listened to what he had to say and for the first time a real emotion crossed her face. When she spoke, her voice was neutral, but her eyes showed a small sense of irritation and maybe even suggested some hurt.

"At the end of the day, all a person has is their word. Once I give mine, I don't break it."

That word and her honor had kept her in the Dominion until it died. Almost cost her life and something she was reluctant to give. Within the lines of working business, that word was gold and she kept up her end of the bargain in every deal.
​
"Yes, I have missed many from the Dominion. As for rejecting my path...not possible. It was what I grew up with. The past I didn't know of myself when we met and only learned much later."

That flash of irritation was gone as she continued on and when he said releasing him could make it worth her while, she looked curiously at him.

"How is that?"

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

"Well, I make for lovely company," he let the quip hang in the air for a moment, but only just. "I know of many caverns beneath castle bast that you likely don't. I can show them to you, though that could be a bit difficult with these cuffs on," he gestured down toward the restraints.

"Other than that, there's also the fine feeling of not leaving your old friends to rot in a dungeon. Not really the fate I had planned for myself," he paused, "I doubt it was yours either. Let me out, I'll show you the caverns, grab what I need, and I'll be on my way. Won't even know I was here."

He huffed a quiet laugh, "Unless you want me to stick around. The Resistance could always use friends."

 

[Riamah]

"Sorry to say this, but I think I'm the pretty one here."

It was a light response to his quip, but quite in line with something she would say. ​When Darius mentioned the caverns, she nodded. Her time here had been spent mostly in the castle proper and the grounds around it. She knew of them as he wasn't the first person captured there.

"Actually, I could keep the cuffs on you and you still show them to me. It would be more trouble than it would be worth though. What is it you need from beneath my home?"

He than mentioned her wanting him to stick around and it was more tempting than he could have thought. Ra lived alone with a handful of servants and no company. His mention of the Resistance though was interesting.
​
"Come let us talk about this someplace more comfortable."

A simple look at the cuffs and they loosened enough he could remove them, but her hand now rested on one of her hidden saber hilts.

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

There was his way in. He saw it in the way her visage shifted with mired amusement; heard it with he subtle tilt of her voice. Ra had secluded herself here, of that he was sure. She regarded him with an interest she had lacked upon their first meeting, and that was something he could capitalize on.

"I won't disagree," the words poured from his mouth like honey as he adopted the usual persona. It was one he was far too familiar with; one that reveled in the subtle mind games often required of his trade. "You weren't seduced by a Sith Lord, were you?" The question's edge was dulled by the quiet laugh hat followed. "As for what I need? Well, that's a lot of things. I suppose the first thing would be a cup of car."

His smile broadened as the cuffs fell quietly to the floor. The Jedi Knight peered down at his captor, flexing his arms to get the blood flowing back into his hands. "I'm not going to bite you," a hand gestures toward the hall. "Lead the way."

 

[Riamah]

He agreed to continue the conversation elsewhere and indicated for her to lead the way. The path to the library was a familiar one to her and when they got there, she sat down in one of the chairs waiting. The other was across the fireplace from hers and she motioned for him to take a seat.

A few heartbeats later an old man walked into the room carrying a tray with caf and cups for them. Pouring them out, he took them to Ra and Darius and then left the room, closing the door behind him.

"No, I was never seduced by a sith lord. I grew up sith and it was all I knew until about the age of seventeen. My master died, named me a sith lord and somehow my mind blanked out my childhood. That was the condition I was in we met even if it was a few years later. My mind was still thinking I had grown up on Coruscant and not some no name planet that doesn't mean a thing."

He may have instead been implying something on a far more intimate level. Choosing not to pursue that, Ra went about it from the other direction and not go down the other path. In answer to her own question, he said there were a lot of things he needed and included he wasn't going to bite her.

That brought a small chuckle from her, but no comment. Nothing was specifically stated in his answer though as to what the castle held for him.

"What is your story?"

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

The library was a welcome change from the claustrophobic cell he'd been inhabiting for the past few hours. He allowed the warmth from the fire place to seek into his limbs, easing the tension he hadn't been aware he was holding. With the warmth came the familiar touch of the force upon his mind.

Despite all that, he found little peace here. Bast was as much a place of the dark side as any other nexus of Sith power. The air was charged with emotion; each thunderclap from the acid storm outside stoked the fires of his unease. It begged him to lash out, to draw is weapon against Ra and smite this spot of darkness.

But then Ra had his weapon, and he had little desire to bring her any harm.

"You don't make a good Sith. You lack the malignancy," he mused as he eased into one of the arm chairs. "I took over guardianship of the Black Library, a large repository of Jedi knowledge. Unfortunately the Sith destroyed the place - I'm working to secure what artifacts were lost."

He paused.

"Some of those artifacts were housed here. I came to get them before they fell into Sith hands," his gaze fell fully upon Ra, the intensity behind it unsettling to some. "Are they in good hands Ra? Can I trust you?"

 

[Riamah]

Darius was right about something he said, she wasn't malicious. The Code she followed did not dictate one had to be mean or evil though and many people didn't see it that way. Instead they branded the label of sith and applied it on a grand scale.

"I keep my code close to me. The comings and goings of the galaxy don't touch me and I do not care about them."

The fire and caf brought warmth to the room that would be lacking otherwise and calmed any tense nerves that was between them.

"Do not lump me in with the sum of the Sith, please. If nothing else comes of this meeting other than your freedom, go away with knowing I am not one of their number."

When he continued speaking, her face remained neutral, but very likely her eyes lit up slightly. Not with the Dark Side, since she rarely employed the use of it. Probably how she was able to avoid the corrupted look of others that were sith and dark side followers.

"You knew me before. Do you think you can trust me?"

[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

"You haven't given me any reason not to, yet," Darius intoned. He was admitedly skeptical of Ra, but then he had little choice but to trust her. So far as he could tell, despite her supposed transformation, she did not stand firmly within the shadow. Not yet at least.

"It really all depends on whether you'll let me rest here for the night, and tackle the caverns in the morning," he added quietly, a playful smile finding its way unto his features. Thoughts of his misplaced weapon vanished as he allowed himself to ease back into his chair, his mind reflexively closing itself off from the force against the flood of emotions swirling around him. "I can go now, of course, but I'm not at the top of my game at the moment. Stun darts will do that to you."

His shoulders lifted up in a slight shrug.

"So, all that being said," the chair creaked as he rose to his feet, "Yes, I think I can trust you."

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Riamah]

Neither one had crossed the other in the past and Ra had no intention of doing it now. Darius asked about allowing him to rest before taking on the caverns since he was still recovering from the darts and short captivity. There was a hidden flirt in his words that Ra was blind to and instead thought about it logically.

"Of course, tomorrow is fine. They have been around this long and I highly doubt are going any place soon. A room will be made for you to sleep in."

His door would remain unlocked, but a watch set on it so if he tried to go down alone, he would be stopped. Not something he needed to know about. He stated he felt he could trust her and she nodded. ​In a way, she felt she could trust him, but it was not her nature to trust anybody fully.

"Are you hungry? If you want some food, I'll show you your room after."

It would give Vincent time to get it set up with the help of another servant. All of the people that lived in the castle were free, none were slaves.
​
[member="Darius Sedaire"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

"That's alright," he gave her a wave of his hand. His intentions, while slipping for a moment, were in a majority pure. He lacked the ideals of the Jedi crusaders of his homeworld, and found a certain tolerance for the dark side and its users. That being said, he had never partaken in the forbidden art himself, nor did he feel any call to it despite his current surroundings. Still, Ra seemed as capable as ever despite her connection to the void.

"I don't understand your fascination with the void," he voiced abruptly, "I'm sorry, thank you for the room - I'm just having trouble wrapping my head around what you're doing here. I've seen it go wrong many times before." His brow furrowed as he reached out wit the force, his presence brushing against her mind as if to confirm she was truly whole within the empyrean.

"I should get to my room," he mumbled, a quiet sigh escaping his lips. Ra was the same as she had ever been, yet there was something subtle that had shifted. Something he felt sharply in the back of his mind. It called to him then, at the edge of the abyss.

"This place affects me in an odd way."

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Riamah]

He declined her offer of food so she didn't worry about getting anything made for him. His further comment confused her though about the void.

"What void are you talking about?"

As for what she did here, "what does it look like I do here? This is my home. What had gone wrong many times before?"

If he was talking about ​being sith, Ra didn't think or feel she was on a bad path. As long nobody got in her way, people were safe from her. She didn't care about the alignment of others or try to sway them to thinking or following the sith path. What a person chose to do with their life was on them.

"I'll show you where it is."

She stood up and waited ​for him to join her. Looking at him, she had the feeling he was going to try something over the course of the night. Unsure if it was going to be to go to the caverns or something, she didn't know. Something was going to happen though.

"How does my home effect you oddly?"

[member="Darius Sedaire"]