Simple Meditations

[Placeholder 0123]

The bond forged between the two siblings was one that could not be denied. It was a link that stood beyond distances, across galaxies. No matter where he was or what state of mind Graxin was in, he could always feel Corrik when he drew upon the force. Most of the time, it was a subtle thing. Weak and easily ignored.

The nature of his mission, however, made it so much stronger. He settled in the training of the Mephirium and opened himself to the force. He flew for Utapau, to kill Krag, and end the endless cycle of suffering. In this time, he reached out to his younger brother, a beacon of the Light through the force. He was a wall of soothing calm that stretched out to Corrik's conciousness, demanding reply.

"Corrik." He whispered. "We must speak. You can't shut me out forever." His brow knit as he pushed harder. He would not face his former mentor without a word from the upstart that was his younger brother.

[member="Corrik Rade"]

 

[Arjant Clevenger]

Not a professional with the Force, but he was adequate with it, yet stronger with it when he connected himself with the Dark Side of the Force. Strong he was, just like any other Darksider. After he knew he could wield the Force he began training by himself and with a lightsaber that he had constructed with Aeden Miles. It was quite difficult to do it all by himself, but it was worth it. He had talked and finally met his younger sister, but that went down to the dump and probably ended up hating him. However, Corrick didn't care. How could that benefit him, he thought.

The Animal was throwing up his lightsaber up in the air, sitting down in an apartment in Mandalorian Space, for it was the only haven he could be and it was offered to him when he was rescued.

He had nothing better to do until. A voice. A voice came to his mind. It was a familiar voice. One that he had heard of when he was in the prison. "Captain," was the only word he could produce.

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Placeholder 0123]

There it was. The connection. Graxin drew in a deep breath, and thought of the right words. His single lightsaber hung suspended around him: the other now in the possession of his younger sister. He had given it to her as a peace offering. The Lightsaber twirled about in front of him as the pieces slowly came together. Graxin allowed his breathing to come more slowly, controlling it in an effort to provide better focus.

"It's Graxin." He whispered seemingly to no one, though he had no doubt Corrik could hear. "I must admit to something, when I saw you that day, I lied. We are blood. I am your brother, and I fought for a very long time to protect you." His voice was even, calm. "I hadn't been able to feel you in the force until today....I apologize for that."

[member="Corrik Rade"]

 

[Arjant Clevenger]

Now he finally knew what was his name. And it ringed a bell. Kind of. "You lied too many things, Graxin. You didn't come back as you promised. Though, you did change my menu," was his first response when he had heard what Graxin said to him. Next hit him hard. A brother? And he thought he only had a Sister that was weak and wanted to have feelings. He hoped Graxin was not like Ana and more like Corrick how sought for power.

"Wouldn't it be easier to free me than leave me there? Saved you some time, as well as me. And I am new to the Force. Still being Krag's slave?

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Placeholder 0123]

"I was tied up. Couldn't have came for you." Graxin replied simply. He saw no reason to try to defend himself any further, it was the truth. He projected a wave of calm over the link, hoping to give his sibling some form of peace as the Mephirium neared Utapau. He would link up with the Republic soldiers under his command soon, and head planet side to deal with the Graug. He bit down on his lower lip to reign in his thoughts. Now was not the time to stress over the battle.

"--and no. I am not his slave. I'm on my way to end his madness." He added calmly. "I heard you scared off Anastasia. Why do that?" He lofted a brow, though his expression would never be seen. There was a few thousand light years between them, after all.

A loud click drew his attention for the moment. The yellow focusing crystal of his lightsaber had slid into place, and the hilt was beginning to form around it. He smiled.

[member="Corrik Rade"]

 

[Arjant Clevenger]

He had no comment to make except for Anastasia. There were many things he could say about the weak sister out of the three Rades. Feelings? Why would you want feelings? They only give you morals, and morals could delay your goals. For Corrick had learned and was trained to have no emotional feelings, except for anger and hatred. After all, he had no feelings whenever he was in combat and would savagely kill anyone who had dared to poke at the Animal.

"That weakling that is our sister," with tone of coldness and cynical in his voice, "the fool wanted to feel and have emotions. Pathetic. Surely, she has come to the point that she is dating someone just to be like everyone. I was disappointed at her, and I hope you are not like her, brother. For I gain success just because of what I am. Surely, you would want that as well."

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Placeholder 0123]

Graxin's brow furrowed. To his dismay, Corrik had not changed at all since he had left Gratos. The Knight had hoped his younger sibling would fall in line and recognize the error of his ways. It seemed that wasn't the case. He shook his head slowly, and mumbled a quiet Jedi mantra to steady himself.

There is no emotion. There is no emotion. There is no emotion.

"What's the point of success if you don't feel anything? You sound like one of the Graug, Corrik." Graxin pointed out. "The things that imprisoned us just because they could. One of those. Don't be like them. You're more than that."

[member="Corrik Rade"]

 

[Arjant Clevenger]

The Dark Jedi expected his brother to agree with him about his view of success. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Instead his brother had begun to question him about how he is, but he was right that he had become more than the species that had imprisoned him and his siblings. Well, he was working on that part, yet Graxin was right. He had become something more than savage species. He had become an Animal that would soon could not be preyed, but hunt his prey.

"I am something more than those damn creatures," with a hint of anger in his voice. He disliked it when he was compared to the Graug or to the Sith, for a Dark Jedi would have no leash, no Master to obey. He was the Master, and he obeyed his own commands. "You sound like our weak sister. Questioning me of how I am." Then he finally knew that they had met. "I'm assuming you have met her and have heard her pathetic explanations of emotions."

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Placeholder 0123]

"Weak?" Graxin questioned. He stifled a chuckle. Corrik was delusional. Even Sith recognized the use of emotions, whether in combat or otherwise. To deny them was to be in-human, to become an organic droid of sorts. Graxin pushed up to his feet, and took the hilt of his lightsaber in his hands.

The weapon had been rebuilt, and felt lighter than ever. He twirled the hilt in his hands, eyes closed the entire time. Concentration was needed if he hoped to maintain his connection with Corrik. "If she was weak, she would not have become a Mandalorian. She would not have fought in their wars."

The yellow blade hissed as it came to life. It cast an eerie golden glow across the training room of the Mephirium and served to set Graxin's mind at ease. He would convince his sibling of his misjudgment. "To deny your feelings it to become a droid. Droids are the epitome of weakness, and strength rarely gets you anything but your own demise."

[member="Corrik Rade"]

 

[Arjant Clevenger]

Another question. His temper was rising at a slow constant speed. The Dark Jedi knew the perfect way to calm down. Smoking! Bad for the lungs, good for the soul. In his mind that was. With the Force he reached out to his lighter and pack of cigarettes and they suddenly came to him like a magnet with a string electric field around it. He began to light up the cigar from the fire coming to life when he activated it. As soon it was lit up he placed the cigar in his mouth and took inhaled, then exhaled the vapor of smoke coming from his mouth.

"You know what I mean by 'weak'. Don't play around with me like you did at the prison." A threat that had been spitted out that did no good for him. Graxin wasn't here at the moment. He was out far away wherever he was. There was no need to fear Corrick since they were light years apart from each other.

But, Graxin's jab at Corrick of his philosophy about feelings got him good. He opened his mouth provide a counter argument, but he couldn't think of any words or sentences to counter those words. His teeth clutched against each other very hard when he could think of no counter. The only thing he could offer against Graxin's words was a.

"And?"

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Placeholder 0123]

"And I think you're walking the wrong path. Your mother was a Jedi. You come from a long line of Jedi Guardians, as does your sister." Graxin made a point not to mention himself. he had a different mother than the other two, and she had been an accomplished healer. Feena Mason, however, was no warrior of the blade. He drew in a deep breath, and began to flow through the usual opening poses of Niman. If he did not practice his usual sets, then he would begin to lose his edge. An edge he needed against Krag.


"You've a compassionate heart. I recognized it when you were a child. It's not something you can pretend wasn't there. You've tried to change yourself into some killer, but it isn't you. Emotions are apart of you. Compassion is apart of you. Love is apart of you. You are no embodiment of hatred and murder--the Graug are, and we stood against them together." He continued as he carved a yellow arc through the air.

His eyes twisted shut, and his brow furrowed as the connection grew more taxing. It was no doubt from the closer proximity to Vulcanus and his nexus of Dark Side power. "Consider something beyond your own desires. They alone will lead you to ruin."

[member="Corrik Rade"]

 

[Arjant Clevenger]

Wrong path?! He was walking in the correct path. The path of power that is. He had no desire to walk on any path that would benefit others and not him, yet power would only just benefit him. Still, even with his own evil personality within him there were still words from Graxin that were true. He shook his head violently to conceal those emotions that he didn't want to have. His brother was right. The damn deformed species were untamed animals, but what could he say? The Graug invested all their time to make Corrick into something like them that was more evolved than the Graug.

"Damn you and your philosophy," the Dark Jedi began to respond back to Graxin, "that whore of a mother ran off without standing a chance to defend her three children! And she calls herself a Jedi? Please." The memories of the past struck him as he remembered of the times he spent with his siblings and parents. Happy they were just like everyone in the Galaxy should be. But, that unfortunately changed as the Graug separated the family and begun experimenting the three Rade children.

Something that Corrick hadn't experienced for a long time happen to him. A tear escaped from his left eye. He quickly wiped it off from his hand. He would show no signs of any weakness or emotion. "What you say are lies. Desires are what lead us and makes us want to live. Without that we have no purpose."

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

[Placeholder 0123]

Graxin managed to retain his calm demeanor throughout Corrik's outburst. He did not take anything negative from the boy's mood--it proved that his words were beginning to break through. He exhaled a quiet breath, and shook his head.

"Desires are a base for something greater. Those who do not want to transcend the basic purpose of survival can barely be considered sentient " He chided. His blade cut a wide arc upward; beheading an invisible foe.

"What point is there to power if all you have is yourself in the end?" He continued as he snapped into the familiar position of Soresu. "Other than your own suffering anyway. I never took you for a masochist."

[member="Corrik Rade"]