Relics of The Father

[Riamah]

Dreams and visions came to Ra'a'mah rarely, but tonight one did. As she meditated, the vision that appeared to her was from her past. A location where she had made a vow she had kept. Once her word was given, she would do everything in her power to keep it.

The door opened on its own in front of her and she walked into the Archlord's office. An evening had been with the young man here and a mistake on her part. It had also taken place before she knew what she was. That she grown up sith and was a sith lord. If that had been the case, things would have been different for the both of them.

Walking in, her eyes looked through the room much like they had when she was here before. The fell on the vision of Cedric and she shook her head. Taking a breath, Ra walked over to him. Time had changed her, but one thing remained true about her. Her loyalty.

"What has brought this vision to me?"

Not expecting an answer from him, the question was given voice. Her presence in the Force would be obvious, but it might also be felt, she still was not an evil person.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 0128]

Cedric reached out to Vicarion for guidance, but the specter did not answer. Where the knight normally would have felt his ancestor's comforting presence constantly lingering over his shoulder, now there was nothing. He had been left alone with Ra, or rather the vision of Ra. Something felt off about her; her presence had shifted. Just as Vicarion had told him. Ra'a'mah had embraced the shadow, but there was no malignance to it. She was unalike the Sith Cedric so reviled.

"The force," Cedric replied simply. "This is a memory; one in which times can change if one desired them to." The words fell from Cedric's lips, but they were not his own. How he knew this, he did not know, only that he was absolutely certain of it.

Silence followed. The knight stared at Ra, his brow furrowing as he studied her. "I didn't expect you to fall." He said finally, arms folding about his chest, "It seems everyone I once knew has chosen the easy path."

He reached out within the empyrean, but recoiled once his mind touched Ra's own. His time within the temple had led him to understand the Dark Side on a fundamental level, and he certainly recognized its taint here. Ra might have looked unchanged, but he knew the Bogan was a truly insidious force. Even still, from that brief contact, he understood she meant him no harm.

Puzzling.

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Riamah]

A simple answer to a great question and Ra gave a simple nod with a small sigh.

"This is more than a memory, Cedric. I am Ra'a'mah and you are my Archlord here. Yes, the setting is a memory, but the time is now..."

The man studied and read her, probed her with the Force and recoiled from what he felt. He did not draw any weapons or make a move to be aggressive to her. Here the office setting they had spent the evening and night together. Here she had made a vow she had never broken. Ra had stayed with the Dominion until they day they fell. Even at the potential cost of her life, her word had been given and she stayed true to it.

As a sith then it was a remarkable feat. A sith with a sense of honor was almost unheard of. However when that vow had been spoken, Ra had been a simple padawan of a Jedi Master. Cedric broke the silence between them. He closed himself off from her physically and maybe even mentally when he crossed his arms over his chest. Ra remained open though, her body language would indicate she wanted to speak more and this would do.

"Not expect me to fall? How could I not? You disappeared, Dune disappeared too. When that happened, it left me lost and confused. I turned to a friend who told me go to Dagobah and there a vision would come to me. On that journey something was revealed to me. My past, a history that had been taken from me. I grew up sith, Cedric. For as long as I knew until my master died, then my mind was wiped and it was in that condition where I was found."

As she spoke, a sense of truth might be felt by him. What she said was totally true.

"I did not take the easy path. That vow I gave here, I never wavered from even though that past was revealed to me after I had given it. You see, something was taught to me by another man that was taken from me. Honor. At the end of the day, all one has is their word. You can't take what you gain in your life with you when die, but your honor you do."

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 0128]

A shadow fell over the duo. It draped itself across the room like a blanket of stars. The outline of objects remained, but their texture reflected that of a galaxy colored with great nebula and distant galaxies. Cedric regarded the expanding picture with naked wonder, his eyes wide as he regarded a map of the stars around Ruusan.

Something stirred within those stars. It was distant as first; a faint ripple in an otherwise spattering of shadow.

And then it moved.

"She speaks truth," the voice was calming, its tone warm. "Ra'a'mah did not fall, but liberated herself, just as your progenitor chose to." A face made up of glittering stars for eyes and a swirling nebulae of green grew above them. "Her loyalty remains. Reject the charade."

The voice grew quiet. The fave vanished into the blackness.

Cedric's eyes had never left Ra. "I don't understand this trial."

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Riamah]

The almost seemed as much of a test and vision for her as it was him. Exactly what it was for them, Ra did not know. What it might mean. An unknown to her voice echoed through the room as a vision of the space around Ruusan spread across the objects of the room. She had not attended the Accords that had been held there, but others she knew had as well as sources of information had passed on what happened there.

An agreement of warfare. What was and was not acceptable. She was not one to involve herself with war if she could avoid it.

As the voice spoke, the vision within the field of stars became clear for a moment before it faded away again. What it said was partially true.

"It said I liberated myself. However, that's not entirely true. When we knew each other, my past was hidden from me. That truth was revealed to me later. Not so much liberated as we all have chains, but enlightened. The sith code speaks of breaking our chains. However, most don't realize chains are always there..."

Some placed there by themselves, others were placed by situations or people around them. Ra lived with chains, it was a part of her life and one she accepted knowingly and willingly. Of course there were other chains she was unaware of on her. It would be on others to show them to her or exploit them.

Their eyes remained locked as he spoke of this being a trial. Curiosity sparked in hers.

"What trial? Yours or mine?"

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 0128]

"It is mine," the words were spoke with some margin of regret. He had not expected visions of the past to be dredged up from the back of his mind, nor had he known the caves had the sort of power required to transport one's consciousness to them. It was all rather frightening, though Cedric chose to meet it with a soldier's courage. He peered out at the face of glittering stars, and found himself beginning to scowl.

"This is a trial of temptation. That manifestation is likely a remnant of my father's consciousness. It wants me to embrace the chaos, so to speak: to fall. You and I were close, and it has elected to use you as a tool of that temptation," the figure did not speak. Cedric never tore his eyes from it. He'd picked the trial apart without much trouble, but its challenges remained. For all his faith, Cedric could not deny the sweet whispers that tore at the back of his skull in the late hours of the night. The Jedi Order was beaten. The Republic was destroyed. The only hand that could bring any semblance of peace to this galaxy of chaos was one that had no limits.

That was his father's line of thinking.

"I am not you." The words fell from his lips before he could speak. Almost in an instant, the glittering stars faded into obscurity. The cosmic being faded into the darkness of the room, though Cedric could still feel its presence nearby. The demon was annoyed, but certainly not beaten.

Cedric turned to face Ra.

"You say you were Sith, but you still have a choice. We aren't bound to our pasts." His brow furrowed. "The force willed you to be here, and I need to know why. Perhaps it's so you can shed some light on how you found out about your origins. I'm curious, and I doubt we have much time before that creature returns."

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Riamah]

He said the trial was his, but Ra had the feeling the Force had thrown her into the mix for a similar reason. In her own life, she had been questioning just what she was.

"Why embrace chaos? There is no point in that. The sith as a hole are evil, but there are individuals that are not. Sadly it had been made clear to me all the support them as a whole are evil. My ties have been cut with that great empire, Cedric. I've gone rogue now. You are right, we are not bound by past, however I am bound to you."

She had spoken a vow which he had altered to allow her freedom to leave if she had wanted to. But Ra had not changed what she said. That vow spoken to him bound her to him in a way. When he had disappeared, she had remained true to that government until they died. That had been her vow. He was back and going through a trial. This meant they could meet up again, catch up on time in person and see what the future might hold.

"I found out about my past in a vision quest."

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 0128]

"There is power in chaos Ra. In shedding one's responsibilities and inhibitions, they can truly master the power of the dark side. It is the reason the Sith fail - they seek to create order, but the power they draw upon to forge it is order's antithesis. A Sith Lord cannot attain true power without shattering his chains, whether those chains be family, love, empires, or otherwise. They go on until they are either killed, or there is nothing remaining of them but the Dark Side."

The words were his fathers, and Cedric understood them well. Mephirium had made a calculated sacrifice when he descended into the depths of Sith depravity. His choices, while flawed, had good intentions behind them. Still, if the being that whispered at the back of Cedric's mind was anything to go by, the corruption had truly been complete in its totality.

"I agree," the Jedi Knight breathed a quiet sigh as he settled into his old chair. The room was a faux thing; a vision from a time long since passed. Even still, the comforts it provided felt all too real. "There are some Sith Lords that haven't succumbed fully to their own madness, but it always reaches them eventually. There is no person in the galaxy that can embrace the shadow without falling to its influence. It's only ever a matter of time."

His lips parted, but the words were difficult to find. Ra spoke instead, and it was only then that his voice returned.

"Ra, whatever vows you made to me were fulfilled when the Dominion fell. I failed them, but you didn't. It's not your burden to bear," blue eyes shot up to meet her own. "I understand why you were brought to me now. It wasn't so that you could tempt me."

The knight rose to his feet.

"You may have left the empire Ra, but the dark side still clings to you. It will devour you; it's a question of when, not if. You need to let go off it Ra. Caste aside the shadow. Free yourself from its corruption before its too late!"

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Riamah]

Listening to the words of Cedric, her eyes narrowed at them. Ra had seen what he described to her master as she grew up. It was something she vowed to herself she would never let happen to her. Inside she knew what he said was true, all eventually fell to a point where it was unlikely they could return...only if they wanted to. In the end this is how she had grown up, her time when she knew Cedric before, her mind had been blank and wiped. Maybe her master had seen the flaws of the sith and had taken the knowledge from her. That was one question Ra would never have the answer for.

"Everybody has chains, Cedric. Even if they don't know it."

She took a seat on the couch they had sat on together all those years ago. It had been an evening where the child in both of them had come out. A night spent in conversation and game playing. That night had been their first and last together. Soon after was when he disappeared. True to that vow she had stayed out of honor to him and the Dominion, holding out hope he would come back.

"What happened to you? I know my vow has been cleared by now and I've moved on in my life from the ashes of the Dominion. One thing I will never loose is my honor. How? There is light and dark in everybody."

Their eyes meeting, Ra looked into his as she spoke.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 0128]

"I was ignorant. In my desire to be tolerant and open minded, I was naive. I believed that both sides of the force could coexist with one another in harmony. It's clear to me now that such simply isn't true," his brow furrowed. "I left the Dominion with a task force. That force accompanied me to the gates of the Netherworld, where we held by an army of...something, I am not entirely sure. When I returned, the Dominion had fallen, destroyed from the treachery of the Sith we had taken in. I will not make that mistake again."

The knight drew in a sharp breath. Speaking of the Dominion's fall always stirred a feeling of bitterness within him, but he had learned how to cast aside such negative feelings. Instead, he chose to settle down on the couch alongside Ra: his arms folding about his chest as he leaned back into the cushion.

"It lies in everyone, and that is our test. If you were never tempted, how would you know your true character?" He looked over to meet her eyes. "The Dark Side preys upon our primal tendencies. It, like the many other hurdles we crossed during our evolution, must be conquered by the self. Only you can cast aside the shadow."

That much was truer than he realized.

"You have to let go of it."

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Riamah]

He was young, thought he knew what was right and how to accomplish things. Being raised as a leader, everybody made mistakes and this was a testament to one Cedric had learned from. In telling her what had happened after he left, Ra nodded in acceptance. Even if he lied to her, she had no way of knowing it. However, she didn't think or feel he was.

"From my point of view it was outside forces that destroyed the Dominion. Sith ones yes, but it didn't come from within. Now I'm going to upfront and honest with you, something I couldn't have been with Adron back then. Shortly before the fall of the Dominion, I had a sith approach me. He gave me the choice of join them or die. Well as you can see, I still live...however, I did not betray the Dominion when they invaded."

They sat looking across at each other since he had moved to join her on the couch. So close to being able to touch, but this was a dream or vision so Ra did not reach out to hi. This wasn't physically real, but it certainly felt that way. Listening to what he said, Ra shook her head as she wanted to disagree with him. She looked at him with something of an almost tender or soft look and waited until he finished. If they could touch the couch and sit on it, there was a chance they could touch each other.

Holding her hands out to take that chance, Cedric was the only person she had ever reached out to before. Now it happened a second time. Ra who was hellbent to make it on her own, knew not everybody could. The two of them maybe both felt that way and erected walls around themselves to keep people out. If this was a test for the both of them, they would make it through together and not alone.

"Cedric, one can not simply cast out that which is natural. What must be done is accept it, learn what your limits are and control the rest. These primal emotions you speak of, are what make us human. Love and hate, peace and anger...all are part of who we are."

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 0128]

Ra's words made Cedric sit up a bit straighter. He watched her intently, blue eyes boring into her as if he could reveal the barest shred of a lie with his gaze alone. She spoke of Sith approaching her, of how she had refused their offer. When she said such things, Cedric examined her for what he assumed to be her true intentions. When he found none, he allowed himself to lean back into the chair and relax. "I don't disagree Ra. Emotions are not something to be ignored; they are what makes us truly live."

A hand was offered. Cedric hesitated.

"That being said," after a moment's hesitation, he reached out to take it. " - we must control our emotions. That is the Jedi way Ra, not feeling nothing. Sith propaganda would have you believe we live as monks, but that is simply untrue," the man paused.

"When my trial ends, I will return to Ession. I won't let the Sith slaughter my people. If you wish to join me, you may, but I feel that there is another path you must walk," another pause. "Ra, let go of the past. Learn the Jedi way. Help me save the order."

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Riamah]

What Ra said was true and he would pick up no deception from her. Ra had learned long ago how to decieve a person and had no doubt if she had wanted to she could do that to him. What was the point though? Any deception would just lead to more until a mistake would be made and everything would crumble down.

Even in this vision and test, their hands met and gripped. They could have been so much more in the past, now though, Ra did not see what they might be. As he spoke on what some said about the Jedi and she shook her head.

"I never believed that, Cedric. Master Dune taught and guided me for a time. Then he too disappeared. At that point, I became lost and confused. Learned of my past and became what you hate."

Then he said he was going to return to Ession, which caused her lift an eyebrow. He offered for her to join him and she let go with one of her hands to hold it up after he finished.

"I am perfectly aware of the Jedi way, it is not mine. However, you can join me in liberating Ession along with Corellia, Denon, Coruscant and Serenno. There are plans in motion already to accomplish just that. We can take down the sith."

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 0128]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re7yPqALKYI​

In that moment, Cedric experienced a sensation of loss he had not felt in sometime. The last he recalled such a feeling was when [member="Lysandra"] had been lost to him, and then the Dominion's fall before that. He knew that if Ra continued down this path, she would only descend further into the shadow, but she did not see. She did not understand.

It felt as if a friend had died.

"I have plans as well," his gaze dropped to the floor. "I will return to Ession Ra, and I will save my people. If our goals coincide, then I have no problem aiding you." There was sorrow in his voice; a great pain unlike anything he had felt in a very long time. Thoughts flashed to his father, of the bright young man that had promised his son that he would return. They shifted to the storms of Atrisia, of the billions of lives lost.

Ra's words were so familiar, yet he had not understood their origin.

Now he did. Ra walked Mephirium's path.

"I understand this trial now," the knight sounded truly mortified. "I...we walk different paths Ra. I just hope you see what's happening to you before you meet with my father's fate." Cedric drew in a deep breath. and turned from the girl. "I am a Jedi Knight Ra. I will always be a Jedi, before anything else, and I choose to trust you. That being said, I can't walk that path with you, I'm sorry."

You must let go of everything you fear to lose.

"In another time, in a different place, I could have loved you." A single tear fell down Cedric's cheek as he strode toward the door. The edges of the room began to shift into starlight - the vision was starting to fade. The door hissed open.

"I'm so sorry."

Cedric stepped through the portal, leaving Ra to the fading vision of something that could have been.

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Placeholder 0128]

The force flowed about Cedric like a hurricane, but he paid it no mind. The storm of his emotions rumbled within him, yet he did not let it come to the surface. His affections for Ra, feelings buried so deep for so long, had left him scarred. The deep pain he felt in his chest told him the feelings had been real, however brief they had been.

He walked through darkness for what felt like hours, though he knew only a few minutes had passed. His eyes saw nothing, but it felt as if his feet knew exactly where to go. It was only when the slightest bit of light flooded Cedric's vision that he pulled himself from the fog of his own mind.

"You did well, my child." Vicarion's ethereal form appeared alongside of Cedric. The youth blinked in surprise, only to find himself standing in the first chamber he'd entered. There on the dais sat the crystal shining bright with cyan light. It reached out to him once again. Vicarion did not halt it this time.

"In resisting temptation, you have proven yourself worthy. Take up the blade. Use it to carve out the heart of the Sith."

The youth's brow furrowed. "Am I truly worthy of such a thing?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not. Only time will tell, but I am content with my decision. The crystal is yours."

With no small degree of reverence, Cedric approached the lightsaber crystal. His hand outstretched, and the stone leaped upward to meet it. The crystal felt cool in Cedric's hand, and filled him with a sense of peace he thought could only be achieved with hours of meditation.

"Are you sure?"

"I am certain. Take it to the forge."

Cedric nodded.