TK Troubles

[Cedric Grayson]

Darius more or less collapsed next to Sera. He wasn't unconscious; the boy was just exhausted. He drew his legs up to his chest and rested his head on his knees. She spoke of connecting to the force, of rejuvenating himself with its power. Doing such certainly seemed impossible, but Sera enforced the belief that he could not allow himself any possible doubts. So he did just that. Drawing in a deep breath, the padawan opened himself to the flow of the force. It was difficult at first; almost impossible really. Then, however, he felt the subtle shift. The ripples and eddies. The constant motion, and he found some semblance of peace.

"Forgive me if I'm prying," he mumbled quietly, "- but I was curious. About Master Shatterstar and yourself. You both fought in the war. Did that bring you together?" He did not dare open his eyes for fear of losing this weak connection he had barely managed to erect, but he managed to ask the question all the same. The padawan had been working hard; he felt he deserved to ask a question or two.

I just need to compare.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Well...It seems there was a question I wasn't prepared for after all. She kept the thought to herself. She had no reason to hide the answer from him so she divulged the information he was after. "No. We were quite often in different places at different times when it came to that. On Manaan I found myself with the now Grandmaster Raaf, and my master Kana Truden. On Kashyyyk, I was alone - A mistake I might add." She laughed at herself and the memory of that battle. She'd not performed well that day. "On Prakith again I found myself with Corvus. The only time Varus and I have truly fought together were on Dorin, when the Sith invaded that planet, and on Yinchorr, under similar circumstances."

"We compliment each other well enough. Him being more physical and raw, myself being more about finesse and movement. But to answer your question, we were both Padawans at the same time, and though we shared different masters, we often found each others company, trained together, talked often, and developed a certain bond that is hard to explain. Some things happened on Dorin, and we ended up stranded on Phindar together. That's when things between us -" She hesitated, trying to find the proper words, without embarrassing herself. "escalated."

[member="Darius"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

That much he could understand. Darius had never fought in any great battles. Sera and Varus were both trained at the height of the order's power - things were fragmented these days. He knew no other padawans; spent time with only a handful of masters. Whether anyone wanted to admit it or not, the Jedi Order was universally in decline. Fortunately, the lesson in Sera's words could still be found all the same, though she might not know she was giving it.

"I just wanted to ask, because..." He trailed off for a moment, allowing the force to bring some clarity to his warring thoughts. "There is a woman. When I met her, she was under the thrall of a Sith Lord. One by the name of Sage Bane, I think. We developed a bond within the force when we helped to save the lives of some refugees. There is distance between us now, but I can always feel her. I know when she's happy. I know when she is in pain."'

He spoke of his bond with [member="Kinsey Starchaser"]. It was the first time he'd really opened up about it, though Sera did not deserve it. The last thing she needed was to deal with his baggage; yet the boy continued. "I care for her. I don't know what's happening to her and that worries me. Part of me worries she's returned to the arms of the Sith Lord," he frowned, "I don't know what to do about it. It's just...confusing and frustrating."

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera's eyes froze on Darius as he told his story, almost pale faced. The name he mentioned, it sent a tremor up her back that was plainly noticeable. She drew in a deep breath, holding for almost a minute, her eyes never leaving Darius. When she finally released that breath, her voice turned cold. "I know that name. I know the face. He was nothing but an acolyte when I met him. An ambitious little fool who wanted nothing more than to charge straight at me and swing his saber like a madman." She closed her eyes, reliving that moment. "On Dorin. That's where I met him, Varus too. He was with his master, Xhexania, whose name had then become Darth Venefica." This story was beginning to intertwine much more than she would have liked.

"Xhexania, she..." How do you tell a Padawan you have a Sith friend? "She and I...We have a history as well. Back on Manaan, I was still nothing but a Padawan, and she an acolyte herself. She nearly killed me, though the building we were inside of was on the verge of collapse, and another acolyte had come to claim her kill for their own. She betrayed him, killed him to save me. Her reasons were her own, but over time we developed a strange friendship. She became less of a Sith, and more of a person I suppose."

She shook her head a few times to clear her thoughts. "Anyway. Bane. I held him, could have killed him. We didn't have time for a fight though. The Sith were bombing the planet, and the temple. Venefica agreed to let us leave, and I released Sage. He wasn't happy with her decision, and I'm sure would love to see me again. But what is done is done. As I mentioned, Varus was there too. He was equally as displeased that I had some kind of secretive friendship with a Sith. So that strained our relationship which we had to rebuild over the course of being stranded on Phindar."

Sera flashed her eyes back to Darius. "I'm sorry, that he's the one she's fallen into. He was a very malicious person when I met him on Dorin, and I only imagine he has grown worse. She is in danger, if she is not in line with him."

[member="Darius"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

Darius knew the name, but had none of the story. Clearly Sera had a bit of history with the man, but the more she spoke, the more Darius felt his anxiety grow. Kinsey was in danger, and it was his fault. He'd tried to sway her from her path; to bring her to the order. This Sage fellow would likely sense him on her; find some way to figure out what had happened. She had spoken of the man with admiration and fear during their hours together fleeing Khomm. Darius hadn't paid much mind to her words then; he'd been too wrapped up in her at the time.

In hindsight, his decisions were far too rash. He and Kinsey...they were something. He didn't know what, but he owed it to her to keep her safe. At the very least, to repay her for the danger he had put her in on Khomm. Perhaps he could spirit her away to one of the alliance holdings? She might be safe on Sullust.

The padawan breathed a heavy sigh.

"She...she spoke of him oddly. As much as one would speak of a master as they would a..." Trailing off, Darius shook his head, "I can't help her now. Not as I am. I need more training," he paused for a moment, his gaze shifting to meet Sera's, "Do you think she might have been toying with me? Is this a trap?"

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The lekku behind her shoulders curled around to the front, almost intertwining with one another; Something she often did more so out of habit than anything. There wasn't much Sera could offer him in terms of comfort. It was out of her control just as much as it was out of his. "No. You can't help her now. You would die trying, if it came to it. I have no doubt in my mind he would kill you without a second thought." She placed her hand under her chin, trying to find something that might quell his anxiousness.

"I can't pretend to know what she was or is thinking. I know nothing of this girl, and even less of her relationship with a man I haven't seen in many, many years. It could be a trap, or she could be in real danger." She shrugged, "Regardless of which it is, you're not prepared for either truth. If it's truly a trap, you'll be killed, or abducted. If she's in danger, you'll be killed before she ever sees freedom, and then what good will your efforts have been?"

Sometimes the best advice was not encouragement. Sometimes it was the cold, hard truth. Sera hoped he would listen to her, and not pursue Kinsey, but she couldn't force his hand either way.

[member="Darius"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

The padawan's shoulders slumped. She was right of course, and that was what made it so much worse. He couldn't just go off and try to liberate her. There was a strong possibility she did not plan to leave, and Bane was going to be there. Determined as he might be, Darius simply couldn't go up against one of the One Sith's most prominent lords. Not in his current state.

Whatever semblance of meditation he'd managed to gain was lost.

"You're right," he mumbled quietly, "Leaving now would be suicide. I can barely move a rock. A Sith Lord would just crush me."

It was the truth, no matter how much he hated it. He needed to be ready before he made the decision to pursue Kinsey - if she didn't find him first. There was a strong possibility she would be hunting him due to the bond if she truly did serve the Sith Lord. That worried him more than any of the other possibilities.

"I...I think I'm ready to try again."

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"I would be more worried about being taken alive than being killed. Death is typically the easier way out, and many Sith are not so kind when it comes to granting that." She'd known all too well about some of the Sith, how they tortured their victims, others experimented on Jedi, turning them into monsters of sorts, while others simply chipped away at a Jedi's mind until it drove them insane, or to the dark side. None of the outcomes were pleasurable, and she'd always hoped for death in the face of defeat.

"There's no sense in worrying about what is out of your hands for the time being. You will act when you can. If she can be saved, you will save her. If not, you'll have to make a choice; To kill her, or to abandon her." She stood back up and offered her hand to Darius. "But that is a decision for another time. Come, try the exercise again, and do not let your feelings for her interfere with it."

Sera walked slowly back to where she had been standing not too long ago, and once again levitated the rocks off to the side a few feet from the ground. "When you're ready."

[member="Darius"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

Do not let your feelings for her interfere.

Sera asked too much. Kinsey was still fresh in his mind, and with the true danger of her predicament realized, Darius could not keep his mind off of her. His heart just wasn't in the exercise.

He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, and held out a hand. The rocks jostled about, but nne lifted. Again he tried. Again he failed. The padawan mumbled a curse under his breath. Sera was right. He could not allow his worry for Kinsey, no matter how great it might be, to obscure his focus. He could do nothing for her if he did not train.

He held out his hand. The rocks lifted. Then they were hovering half a foot off the ground. Another moment, and they flew forward, hitting the targets Sera had specified.

"...I did it?"

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera nodded. "You did do it, but you are distracted, conflicted. I can sense it within you." She sighed, she didn't want to sound discouraging, but the gravity of the importance to keeping a clear mind during practice was just as essential as it was in battle. The only way to prepare for the real thing was to practice under the same circumstances. "Your feelings for this girl...They are more than concern, aren't they? You have feelings for her." She expelled a breath of air from behind puffy cheeks.

"That is what will get you killed. Your will to act is hindered by your focus elsewhere. You cannot allow yourself to focus on anything but what is going on in front of you."

She walked back over to the man, placing her hand on his shoulder, "I won't teach you anything more today. You're not focused. Come, let's go back to the apartment and we'll talk." The Twi'lek would have to hold off on teaching him the saber defense technique. It was too dangerous with an inattentive mind, and she didn't want him getting hurt.

"You have to understand something Darius, and I don't want this to come off the wrong way. Varus understands just as I do that one of us will in all likelihood die in conflict. There's little we can do to prevent that ending. We are both wholly accepting of that. That is why we are able to focus, to remain independent, yet still as one. Until you make that transition, to understand there is nothing you can do to prevent the fate of those around you, you'll be a danger to yourself." She focused her eyes directly on him, "and those you want to protect."

[member="Darius"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

Seraphina made sense, much as Darius hated to admit it. He cared far too much about...well, everything. People in particular. His concern for Kinsey's well being blinded him to what needed to be done. His training was paramount after all - there wasn't much he could do for her with a shattergun and his wits. Still, he found it increasingly difficult to ignore the thoughts in the back of his mind. The ones that told him waiting wasn't the right option.

"I understand," he mumbled quietly. He truly did, and that was the worst part of it. He should have taken this lesson to heart and applied it with ease. Forcing aside his concern was far more difficult than he would have imagined. "And I-...to a point yes. A childish infatuation." He cracked a thin smile. That was a lie; it was a bit more than that. Of course, he wasn't going to go around admitting that to people. Not even his teachers.

"I know one of us will die one day. Perhaps fighting on opposite sides of this war," he frowned as he met her gaze, "I'll get over it, eventually. I just haven't been able to talk about it in...I don't know how long. Not to anyone really, well, until now."

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

There was a certain level of understanding within her. She'd been in his place before, feeling helpless, that she wasn't strong enough to help those she wanted. It was frustrating and mentally draining. Her eyes were opened to that reality when she felt the life of her master prior to Kana flicker out of existence during his fight with a Sith Lord. She had also lost a number of Padawan's to the Sith. Either due to their turning on the Jedi, or being cut down in combat fighting the Republic's battles. The Jedi were so spread thin these days that they were being sent to their deaths far before they could be prepared for battle.

"I'll tell you what. Focus yourself, give your all to your training. Do this, and when the time comes I will come with you to confront Sage and Kinsey. If she is held against her will, I will help you free her." She held up a finger. "But if she's not, if she's not what you think she is, they both may very well try to kill us, and I simply won't have that."

[member="Darius"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

He appreciated that.

Facing a Sith Lord alone right now would be a bad decision. Yet, Darius could not help but yearn for the day that it would come. To be free of that overbearing threat, to have Kinsey free of it, was a lot to consider. At the very least, no one could say that padawan was not motivated for what was to come, what must come. He cracked a warm smile and met Sera's gaze.

"Thanks. I'll do my absolute best, that much I promise you." He bowed his head in respect, "And...I thank you. Truly. Master Sedaire has been busy with the Corellian Jedi lately. I can't blame him for it, but my training has slowed tremendously since he began."

Not the biggest secret.

"You and Varus have taken me in, and I have nothing to give you in return," he frowned, "You've both been too kind. I've no idea how to repay you, Sera."

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"There is no repayment to be made, Darius. We will train you, just as each of our masters before trained us. That is the way of things." She began walking back towards the apartment. Even if they didn't cover everything she had hoped for today, he at least had his heart in the right place, even if his mind was elsewhere for now. So long as he trained himself to block that out when needed, and continued practicing, she had confidence he would overcome his stumbling.

"We'll pickup again in a few days. I know that Varus has things planned for you, and I don't want you to be exhausted when you see him. He's -" She paused, tapping her finger against her lips for a second. "A lot more physical than I am. I'm sure you'll see what I mean."

[member="Darius"]