The Truth

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"Good and evil. If only it were so simple," Cedric snickered.

Mirax had made her decision, but doubts still rang through Cedric's mind. Her connection the the force was paramount, yet there was an incredible degree of risk in taking her on as his padawan. The first and most obvious of these issues was her age, though that was one that could be waved in favor of the values she had taken to growing up. She did the work of a Jedi even without her newly awakened abilities. Of all the candidates he had come across, she had the greatest opportunities before her.

She accepted the war and the violence that would come with it. She understood it's nature: the weight of her decision was no longer on Cedric's shoulders. It helped to assuage his worries, though some yet lingered.

Mirax was a total stranger. He could tell from her signature within the ethereal that she was genuine, but there was always the possibility of subterfuge. Still, the force had brought them together, and he found that a future with the doctor around would not be unpleasant. Even without training her skills would be useful to the war effort. If he left her be now, with her knowledge of her abilities as they were, she might delve into them on her own. Despite her willpower, she might fall into darker paths without realizing it.

The Dark Side was truly an insidious thing.

"If you agree to this, we need to leave tomorrow. You will remain with me until your training is complete. You will be far too vulnerable to leave alone for long stretches of time until you know how to control your abilities," a quiet sigh fell from his lips. "I think you'll make a promising Jedi Mirax. I only worry that I am the wrong person for the job. I don't have the greatest track record."

He paused.

"What do you know of the force?"

[member="Mirax Eygan"]

 

[Mirax Eygan]

Sometimes it really -was- that simple. The more complicated everyone made things to be, the harder they were to execute. Mirax always liked getting down to the basics; it made everything so much simpler and gave all things a natural flow.

The Lorrdian may not have had any idea of what a large-scale war was like, but she knew well of the individual struggle for survival. Every suffering child she crossed path with, every starving parent she met on her many journeys - they all had the same aim in mind: to live free of their private anguish. With her Jedi training, Mirax could do so much more than simply help them survive.

I could help make the Galaxy as a whole - a better place, for all.

Now Cedric was speaking again and Mirax fell into the pattern of quiet listening, once more. This would not be an easy thing for him - taking her under his wing. She could feel it in the subtle inflection of his voice. A great risk like her warranted great trepidation. The Jedi Knight was very clear about that, and the reasons for it - even though he did not go into details at this time.

"We can leave whenever you wish; I have no further business on this planet. My only concern is for my ship. Do you have your own vessel? If so, I'd hate to leave the Fenix behind; she is a good freighter and has served me well."

What do you know of the Force?

The question caught her off-guard as the Lorrdian's thoughts spun about her all at once, settling upon a single, inevitable conclusion. Her knowledge on the subject was rather limited; at the same time, the young woman was not entirely ignorant of the biggest cryptic enigma in the Galaxy.

"It is an energy field connecting all living things," she responded quietly, not expanding upon her initial statement unless he prodded for more.


[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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"Does a star destroyer count?" A brow was lofted as he snickered at Mirax. "I came here using public transportation. A private vessel should do us just fine until we get to alliance space - you can just dock it with my ships once we've arrived."

And that was that. Without ever actually saying it, Cedric had agreed to take the doctor under his wing. It was easier to pretend that things were just business as usual, rather than to let the weight of their situation truly press down on them. More importantly, she seemed to at least have a concept of what the force was. Extensive understanding of its nature was normally reserved to trained force sensitives, but most individuals active in the galaxy these days at least knew what it was.

"More or less," he waved a hand about, "It's a lot of things. It's the present, and our future. The force is where our souls go when we die. It's a reflection of ourselves, and our decisions tend to shape it in one particular fashion or another."

A pause.

"There are multiple facets to the force. The Jedi have chosen to dabble in its most natural form: the light. It is the path to peace and prosperity, focusing on positive emotions like compassion and love rather than hatred to bring about change. We seek to protect the innocent in the mortal world, and preserve the force's balance within the ethereal. It's other greatest side, the dark side, is the polar opposite of the light. Not only that, but it is unnatural. If we all ceased to exist, the force would remain, but its dark side would perish with us. That's why I've chosen to dedicate my life to fighting it. I don't want to live in an artificial, broken galaxy."

[member="Mirax Eygan"]

 

[Mirax Eygan]

At first, Mirax thought Cedric meant what he said. Her eyes widened at the vision of a dagger-shaped battleship flickered in her mind. Thankfully, the Jedi was only joking - and it comforted the young woman to hear that she could bring her ship along to dock with one of the ships in the fleet.

Emitting a soft sigh of relief, Mirax picked up her refill of stim tea and drank deeply, listening to Cedric speak of the Force. She did not believe, however, that the death of all things living, would cause the dark side to perish. In her mind, she had always thought that it was a person's choices that ultimately led to a manifestations of their actions as being good or evil - and thus, the same was true of the Cosmic Force, which was largely neutral.

"I am not sure that I agree, Master," she finally said, her voice quiet yet firm with undertones of subtle yet steadfast, conviction. It felt a little strange, calling him 'master' for the very first time, and yet it also felt unerringly right. "I believe there can be no good without evil... No right without wrong, no light without darkness. The harmony of the Universe depends upon an eternal balance. Thus, nothing can exist if its direct opposite does not exist also."

Of course, Mirax was yet unaware of the concept of the Unifying Force: an entity binding all stars and planets in space and time. It was believed to having neither the light nor the dark side and that through it, a Jedi could sense the past and the future. Out of all Force philosophies, this one would perhaps sit best with the Lorrdian's own set of beliefs - but for now, she would remain blissfully ignorant of its existence, waiting to see if Cedric would offer any admonishment for her brazen words, spoken moments earlier.


[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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He had not expected her to challenge his words, but then he found himself appreciating it all the same. He had little time for those that did not ask questions; to lack curiosity was to remain stagnant. One could not grow if they never weighed out any of the options presented before them.

Cedric grinned.

"Maybe you're right. I'm just speaking from my personal experience. I was the Archlord of the Dominion, a galactic power that fell to the Sith. We allowed their kind to live with us; we tolerated them and their beliefs so long as they brought no one harm. In return, they betrayed us. There is a duality, of that I agree with you, but I do not think it is a natural one. The portals to the netherworld that have been ripped open across the stars is a testament to that. Reality and the ethereal bleed together at those junctures - all the work of the dark side, all disruptive, all destructive. The force recoils from these tears. They're as much a wound to the force as any bullet wound would be for you or me," he paused.

"But the portals are a conversation for another time. Are you ready to leave Mirax?" He saw no reason to remain any longer than they had needed to. If Mirax was going to truly connect with the force, she needed to be in a place where its presence was particularly strong.

One world in particular came to mind as he rose up from his chair. "Ever heard of Dagobah?"

[member="Mirax Eygan"]

 

[Mirax Eygan]

The Lorrdian's eyes dimmed as they peered at Cedric carefully, seeing him in a new light. This man was once a powerful leader who commanded many - yet now he was here, placed directly in her path - and he did not believe in fate? Mirax grinned back slightly, deciding not to pursue the topic of the Force or these esoteric portals he had mentioned, any further; at least not until they both boarded her vessel and got underway.

Speaking of which, it looked like the Jedi knight was ready to go. The young woman too, did not see a reason to remain in this cafe - or this planet - for much longer. She acknowledged Cedric's inquiry with a deft nod before leaving a couple of credit chits on the table and getting up from it - seemingly in tandem with her male companion.

His next question caught Mirax off guard. She looked to Cedric curiously, then shook her head as she stepped out of the booth. "Only very little, I am afraid. Not the ideal vacations spot from what I have read in various galactic databanks. A humid, densely forested and bog-covered planet, out of the way . . . remote. An exotic world, teeming with a great variety of life forms? I think that just about covers it . . . why, is that where you intend for us to go?"

Her eyebrows lifted with interest, anticipating his answer in the affirmative - yet the Lorrdian could not help but feel a sudden shudder of apprehension ripple through her spine. Was this a premonition of something yet to come? Or was Mirax merely anxious about going to a location where she had never set foot on, before? Perhaps Cedric would reveal more, later - when they were on board her ship and safely cruising among the stars. To this end, she invited him to follow along to the local starport, where the Fenix and Vee-One waited for her return. As they walked together, a single thought permeated her inquisitive mind:

Hmm . . . why do I have a bad feeling, about this?


[member="Cedric Grayson"]