Something to Talk About

[Riamah]

The distraction lasted only a short amount of time before Ra had to turn things to a serious note. Finally, she did look at Josh and just wanted to sink under the water. He didn't react in quite the way she expected him to and that gave her a little more courage to tell him.

"It is just going to be hit and run. I don't plan to stay in the Jen'ari territory for any longer than needed."

That took care of the first part of what Josh asked to a degree. There was a difference in her mind. The Jen'ari might be sith, but they weren't the Empire that destroyed so many lives.

"I haven't held back as you think, but we haven't had the real opportunity speak about it. There isn't anything I would keep from you Josh, but finding the right time to open up can be difficult."

Letting out a sigh, she looked to the sky a moment and back to Josh as she blinked her eyes a few times.

"You already know I wasn't given much of a choice when I joined them. Well as time progressed, I had started to find a niche I fit in with them. So when they attacked the Coalition, which was actually Faith's. My position there was as a merchant only, but I took that attack personally. Because I had started to find my place with them. I was an assassin."

Another door had just started to open then too, but their attack closed it quickly and she left those days behind her. Carrying a grudge within her, Ra had gathered around her a few people that shared her view. They, in turn, gathered more people and that was the movement she ran from the shadows. He knew of this and had even met or already knew some of her allies and friends.

"Well, then they went and attacked the Alliance and after them, Commenor. I can't just sit by idly while they lay waste to everything. And so I choose to, for a short time, ally myself with the enemy of my enemy."

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He nodded his head when she answered his first question. Though he didn't approve of aiding them in any way, it was what it was. By what he had heard... They weren't much better. They hurt people. They hurt people for their own selfish reasons. That was enough for Josh to question this. Ra would insist that she wasn't holding back at all, and he let out a sigh in turn. "I believe you. But please don't hesitate to talk to me if you have something on your mind" He spoke softly. "I'm... Not just someone trying to help you anymore, nor am I asking you as that this time. Things are... Things are different, now. I'm... I'm asking you as my partner, please don't leave me in the dark. If there's anything I can do to help, whether you just want to vent, or talk, or say what's on your mind... I'm here. And I always will be."

He took a deep breath. Calling her his "partner", and not in the mission kind... It was still something to get used to. She stated that she took the attack on the Coalition personally, and he nodded his head in turn. "I see" He spoke. So she felt it was best to ally with the enemy of her enemy.

"Just be careful" He pleaded softly. "Don't get too close to them. You know personally by now how the Sith can be."

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

There was a small change in her as Josh spoke. A very minor one, but still something. At first, Ra stiffened up slightly but relaxed at a few keywords in what he said. Blinking at him, she let her hand fall from Jason but she still had part of her attention on his son. Holding out her hands, if Josh took them, she would give him a very large but gentle hug of thanks.

Not saying anything for a few moments, she nodded when he made the suggestion for her not to get too close to them."

"Oh, I am very aware of how they can be, Josh. I have no intention of getting close to them. Only this once to make a strike at the other Sith, the ones that destroyed my life. If the day comes that the Jen'Ari do the same...I will strike at them too."

Letting him go if he had allowed the hug, Ra dropped under the water for a moment to get her hair wet again and splash at Jason to get him to laugh.

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"So long as you're careful, it's fine with me. Just... Try not to do anything to directly aid them if you can" Josh would recommend. "Let's be honest, here. Any aid you give them, they will use to hurt others. That is the way of the Sith in those sorts of places. The CIS is... Debatable. I'm still wrapping my head around the CIS, myself. Madalena, Srina... They don't seem like the kind of Sith we know. Of course, neither were you, but.... You were different to begin with. Which is pretty much why you're not a Sith anymore" He remarked with a shrug.

He squeezed her tight as he returned the hug, giving her a light peck on the lips when he knew Jason wasn't looking. Jason would begin giggling when she splashed at him, and he tried to splash her back though tiny arms only get so far.

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

"I plan to help defend the citizens of Csilla against the Empire of Carnifex. It's as simple as that Josh. The Jen'Ari can do what they need to do themselves and I will aid the general population. It keeps me away from that Empire's high ups and allows me to fight those that destroyed mine and so many other's lives."

Josh mentioned the Confederacy and she let out a small growl. He was right in saying they were debatable in certain things. In her opinion though, they were still almost as bad as either the Jen'Ari or Sith Empires.

Returning the quick peck, when she turned to splash Jason, she giggled with him.

"You know the water really isn't that bad here."

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"That's fine with me, then" He spoke softly, giving her a gentle smile. She was there to protect innocents, and maybe strike at her foes at the same time. He could see nothing wrong with that. It seemed the two were at a consensus then, which was good. "You know, I think you'd make a pretty good addition to the Silver Shadows at some point" He spoke up then, with the thought seeming to have been on his mind for some time. "You enjoy your stealth and saboteuring, and you have an axe to grind with things like TSE. It might just be up your alley. Questions for later, though."

At her next statement, he smiled and nodded his head in turn.

"Probably my favorite place on the planet to be. Shame it's going to get cold soon."

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

Even if Josh hadn't given her his blessing to go to help the Jen'Ari, she would have done it anyway. This way he knew where she was and what she planned on doing. His agreement meant a great deal to her and Ra was not going to forget it.

Giving him a bit of an odd look when he suggested she might be a fit for some group within the Silvers, she nodded slowly. While what he said was accurate, he and a few others were the only people she had worked with within the Silvers. When she had been with the assassins, her work had usually been carried out solo.

"I am not sure how well I will work with others...you are fine, but you are not a pack of people. Even now we're still learning to work together on missions. Sometimes I still screw up and to have that witnessed by a stranger, well I wouldn't like it."

Maybe a touch of stubbornness showed in her tone and her body language indicated Ra was pretty set on staying mostly solo. Deciding to drop the subject, for now, it turned to the weather. Shrugging slightly, she looked up at the sky and back down to the two of them.

"At least on Vjun the temperature pretty much stays the same."

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

This was something he knew, though he appreciated all the same her coming to him and getting his take on the matter. It seemed the two were partners now, in a sense beyond just their constant missioning. It was still something that Josh was grasping. Before they were mission partners, and he was trying to help Ra find herself, find her way to really make a difference and do some good in this galaxy. Now... It was something else entirely. Now she was the woman he loved more than any other. And she and Jason meant the world to him.

He would shrug his shoulders at her response to the idea of working with the Shadows. "Give it some thought" He would advise calmly. "You can always learn. There is always room to learn."

He dropped it from there, knowing she likely wouldn't be open to the idea for some time if at all. That was fine with him. He was just trying to help her and guide her, as he always had. But at the end of the day, he wanted Ra to do what would make her happy.

Josh quirked a brow though when Ra mentioned temperatures were always high on Vjun. "There are beaches on Vjun?" He asked, shooting her a playful smirk in turn. "Like with actual water?"

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

The subject was dropped about her joining that sub-fact of the Silvers, but she would give it some thought. She wanted to look into them further and gain information and knowledge before making a decision. Yes, the missions they ran were great, but it still felt to Ra that something was missing from her life. That was changing though and she realized her fear of being alone and not accepted wasn't going to be a thing. Josh had done just that and Jason accepted her as a part of life pretty easily. Tons easier than maybe anybody expected.

Chuckling a little at Josh, she did nod her head.

"Well, yes there are beaches and oceans. Just wouldn't want to spend much time in the water. A dip now and then doesn't hurt though."

In the years she had lived on Vjun, she had only been to a beach there once. It was when she picked up one of her pets. The Vjun Fox she had. Josh might not have met any of her pets, but they were present in the castle. Jason would likely adore them, especially her nexu cat.

"Would you like to see them some time?"

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh would chuckle a bit at her remark. Vjun having beaches? Of water? That was... Well, interesting to say the least. She'd certainly piqued his curiosity. The question now was whether the water was safe to be in for very long.

"I know a beach, better than this one even. I'll have to show you someday."

Of course, he was referring to the homestead. One that he would one day show her.

When she would ask if he wanted to see this place on Vjun, he shrugged his shoulders in turn. "I don't see why not" He responded. While he wasn't a fan of Vjun, and knew he'd be uncomfortable there, he supposed it wouldn't hurt to check it out sometime. Josh would turn and grab hold of the inner tube, beginning to kick his feet as fast as he could to act as a motorboat to propel the floaty forward, which made Jason squeal in glee as the inner tube began to dart through the water.

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

If the truth was to be known...Ra wasn't one much for beach time. It was just something she'd never had the chance or opportunity to do, so the thought never crossed her mind. However, she could get used to it with enough exposure. Just spending time with Josh and Jason was what mattered.

When he mentioned a better beach than this one, she gave him a slightly confused look.

"I didn't know there were different kinds of beaches. Water is water and the same for sand. Or so I thought."

Maybe they could travel to different beaches together. The thought made her smile and her attention wandered until Josh grabbed Jason's floaty and pushed him around. Turning to watch them, she dove under the water and pretended to be a shark hunting them.

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Well, not a different... Kind of beach, so to speak. It's... Hmm, it's complicated, I guess? You'll know when you see it though."

It was a bit different when that beach was home. Hopefully she'd understand one day.

Jason squealed with laughter when Ra floated about pretending to be a shark. "Oh, no! The shark is coming!" Josh called to Jason between laughter as he would kick his feet harder, sending the tube flying through the water daring Ra to go after them.

[member="Riamah"]

 

[Riamah]

About the only thing she could think of to do was give Josh a bit of an odd look and nod at what he said. When he said she would know it when she saw it, Ra just took his word for it. She trusted him enough to know what he said was true.

Taking him up on the dare to keep up with them, Ra dove under the water and swam in circles around them for as long as she could hold her breath. Coming up to take breaths, she eventually tired of the game and lay floating in the water.

Looking up at the sky and just being at ease was nice. Time appeared to have passed quicker than she expected and the sun was starting to get ready to go down. Standing up in the water, she gave both of them a smile and headed back up to the blanket they still had set up.

"Thank you again for this wonderful day. I'm not going to forget a single moment of it."

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]