To the Edge of the Fringe and Back- Ra

[Brent Smith]

Brent felt her brush against his face without even touching him. Things like that still gave him a little bit of an eerie feeling, even after all this time dealing with Force users. He had seen what the Electric power could do to someone first hand. It was unsettling to smell someone's frying flesh and watch them be roasted alive at the hands of a cackling foe.

He hadn't thought of it as neutral, but maybe she was right, it was what you made of it, like everything else in the galaxy. Brent could believe it, it seemed consistent enough with what he had seen in the day to day world. The timer on the stove went off, Brent turned the burner off and grabbed two plates. The cream he had cooked the meat and greens in had thickened to a gooey, glistening sauce with red and yellow dotted flakes from the dry rub on the bantha meat. The meat and cooked to an even, succulent texture, even falling apart as he retrieved it from the sauce pan and plated it. The exterior of where the rub had happened was evident by the red crust that lined it.

"I guess its just basic physics, for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction," he said offering her a plate, with a fork and knife, "Your going to want something to drink with this."

He reached in the fridge, producing two malt beers. He took a seat at the small table in the kitchenette, setting Ra's bottle near her seat. He quirked a brow at her statement.

"Oh really now?"

 

[Riamah]

The smell of the food was wonderful and Ra took a seat at the table in the galley looking forward to tasting this new dish. He commented on the physics with the action and reaction.

"I don't think I'm even going to need this knife to cut the food. It's already falling apart. Yes, though with the Light side there isn't much of a reaction from what I've learned. With the Dark Side, as a person uses and relies more on the Force, which can be quite addictive, they will start showing signs of it. I've pointed that out to you before."

When Brent questioned her on the use of passion to touch the Force, she gave him a large smile and nodded. Taking her first bite of the food, she closed her eyes to savor the taste. Right away, she knew it had earned its name for a reason.
​
"Yes, we also already talked over some codes. There is no peace, only passion. It's in my code already."

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

"Its not for the meat, its for the rats, they are vicious, and love the smell of the pipe corroding," Brent said with a deadpan stare.

He didn't have any vermin, his austerely clean nature would never allow that to happen. There was nothing for them to eat, mainly so that it wouldn't throw his own perceptions off and overload his senses. And if there were vermin, he would hear them or smell them out sooner than they'd have a chance of making their stay for any lenght of time.

"People tend to live longer with the Light side," Brent pointed out, giving his food a gentle shove around the plate, "Unnaturally so, and their health is unnaturally good. Unless they get stabbed or sliced down by a pissed ex or something but," he shrugged, stabbing a slab of meat with his fork, "That's life."

He placed the chunk of meat in his mouth. The fiery explosion of the seasoning filled his senses with the spicy flavors. The catch was the more you ate, the longer it was till the real fire kicked in--but the more you ate the worse it would be. He hadn't told Ra this of course, but he was pretty sure she'd figure it out sooner than latter.

"Oh I realized there's a lot of passion," Brent chuckled, eyeing her over, "And I think I can live with that." he swallowed and quickly popped another slab of meat into his mouth, "Did you have a specific train of thought with that? Training-wise?"

 

[Riamah]

His words and flat delivery made Ra want to start laughing all over again, instead her eyes sparkled with the humor he had. There was as much of a chance for rats on this ship than there was on hers. While hers wasn't quite as nice as his, it still got the job the done.

"You know I thought of something. Based off conversations in the past with others and between you and I. Maybe I'm not as sith as I think. While I follow the code, I don't go out of my way to enforce it or even really care about the alignment of others."

Taking another bite and chasing it with a drink, Ra would continue.

"I do use the Dark side, but very rarely and only when I need to. Most of my skills are neutral and I maintain a calm head much of the time. I think a sith would allow those emotions to rule. Yes, I know this is delving into theology and if you don't want to talk about it, we don't have to."

She did want to talk to somebody about it though and Brent was there. It would also give them a further chance to bond in a totally different way than they already had.

"Now as to your question, there are a few ideas I have. I would like to try the first suggestion of getting you in touch with the Force through simple meditation though. After that if it doesn't work, I'll tell you my other ideas."

His casing didn't go unnoticed, but for the moment, Ra wanted to stay on the topic. There was after dinner for the other stuff.

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

Brent ate as he listened to Ra, nodding with her words. He didn't dare stop, partially because he was hungry and partially because he wasn't ready for the fireball just yet. It was true what she said about being Sith. Out of all the Sith he had met she was the most tame, the least blood thirsty, the most compassionate, and the least bent on self destruction. Other Sith always seemed like they were focused on destroying, whether it was themselves, everything, or a specific individual. Ra wasn't that way. She was more logical, wiser than most Sith he had met, but not in a heartless, calculating way. From what Brent saw, she genuinely knew that there were other answers to life that didn't involve destroying without abandon.

"No, its important to you, so we can talk about it," Brent said with a wave of his hand. He poised his fork, pointing it towards Ra, "First things first. Sith or no Sith, don't let anyone tell you how to be. Not me, not any one else. You do you," he stabbed into one of the slices of meat, "Cause you are pretty great. And no one else can be you."

He popped the bit of meat in his mouth and began chewing, "As far a the dogma goes, you don't seem to be the typical Sith. You don't resort to killing everything in your path as the first solution to every problem. But not all of life's problems are nails. If realizing that makes you less of a Sith, then so be it. If not, then that's ok too," he swallowed, "But on the other hand, the most successful Sith to ever live understood that too. Lord Sideous used many tools in his belt. Cunning, politics, deception, strategy, and rarely ever resorted to violence himself. Does that make him any less of a Sith because he used many other tools? Or doe that make you less of a Sith because you aren't willing to do that?"

He let the question hang in the air as he took a sip from his beer.

"Now as to your question, there are a few ideas I have. I would like to try the first suggestion of getting you in touch with the Force through simple meditation though. After that if it doesn't work, I'll tell you my other ideas."

"I don't know how," he confessed. "When I feel something bad is about to happen, I don't know how I know I just know. Its like I just feel a tickle in the back of my mind. And sometimes when I see something that I know shouldn't be there I just know its the case, I don't have any other term for it, its like I feel it here," Brent moved his left hand to tap on the back of his head, "Like a fuzzy static in my mind, if that makes any sense at all."

 

[Riamah]

She had never been a fast eater so the creeping heat found her quicker and her skin probably turned pink as she chewed on the food. Not a word was said in complaint though and Ra actually liked the challenge that came with the dish. Eventually she finished it though and pushed it away from her to pick up her drink and took the rest of it down as well.

What Brent said about her being pretty great probably brought a blush to her face. Not being one used to getting compliments, she wasn't sure how to react.

"There are almost always alternatives to killing. Of course, I'm going to be me. Can't be anybody else."

As he continued, she nodded at his words. Making a very good point, it was the way she operated. Hiding in the shadows for most of the time. Waiting until the time was right to make a move. Near the end of the Dominion, she had several followers, sadly when that faction fell, her powerbase had withered away to nothing. Maybe it was time to start rebuilding that.

He brought up his ability and the fact he didn't know how to touch the Force actively. Ra nodded again in total understanding.

"For several years I was the same way exactly. Only I would touch the Force and use it to sway the weak minded. It helped in my business at the time."

There was a small smirk when she said that and it faded as she thought further on what he said.

"While we employ the Force different, it was still in a non active manner. I would suggest we start with a simple meditation."

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

Brent finished his dinner and pushed his plate away. He followed the last morsel of food down with half of his beer. Even though the food was still incredibly hot after the drink, it helped to quell the fire just a little bit. The danger and the knowledge of the spiciness only made it that much more exhilarating--and fun. Her blushing didn't go unnoticed. Brent smiled, genuinely pleased with himself. He had found her weak spot, everyone had one. He was sure in due time she would find his. He found it ironic to no end that someone so complimentable didn't know how to take a compliment.

"There are almost always alternatives to killing. Of course, I'm going to be me. Can't be anybody else."

"Certainly there is," Brent agreed, taking Ra's empty plate and stacking it on his own, "But not all Sith realize that. We have a saying in my home town, today's stump is tomorrow's chair. Stumps are just leftovers, eyesores in most yards. But whatever appears to be a nuance today, in the eyes of someone who is creative enough, is a solution to tomorrow's problems. Most Sith would just uproot the stump, if for no other reason than to just enjoy it or to show they have the power to do so. But a wise being, sith or no, would find a better use for it." Brent shrugged, "You are the expert, and I would never tell you how to live your life, but the Sith code seems to say that power solves everything, through power I gain strength, through strength I gain victory."

He quoted the code directly before grabbing the dishes and carrying them into the sink with the kitchenette, "And please, keep being you. I like you being you."

He sat down before her again as she said it seemed like they should start with a simple meditation. He didn't want to. Brent hadn't meditated in years, he didn't see much of a point in it. It hadn't made him better, it hadn't made him smarter or faster. Maybe it had been part of why he was even able to do what he could with the Force, what little that was. But Brent still wasn't convinced.

He still had to try, and Ra clearly knew more than he did. He placed his hands on even sides of the table and looked into Ra's eyes, nodding, "Okay. What do you want me to do?"

 

[Riamah]

Her eyes met his as he spoke, what he said about a tree stump wasn't something she had ever heard and thought it a good saying.

"When you put it that way, it makes taking that stump out seem like a bad thing."

It was said with a bit of a smile and may tell him that she would take that stump out. Not because she would want show she could, but more to remove the cancer from her yard, if either of her homes had grass.

"I'm not an expert at anything and I think that's something else that makes be different from other sith. There is always more out there to learn. People that have the knowledge and may be willing to teach it. Why do you think I have the library I do? Because I want knowledge. In reality, I could care less about the power that comes from it. However, the code as you say dictates about power and strength."

It was true, Ra did not crave power for the sake of having it. With knowledge came power though and she turned almost the entire Sith Code to dictate it to her personally and not onto others. Would she attempt to lead somebody down that path? Very likely if given the opportunity, she would gently nudge, but not require it of anybody. This included Brent. His path was his own and she could see them together for the long run. Master and Apprentice, lovers, partners in business and maybe even in life.

"Victory over what though?"

Gold eyes followed Brent now as he cleaned up the dishes and he sat back down. Asking what she wanted him to do, she debated on just jumping to the active meditation. Tossing that idea to the back of her mind, Ra choose to focus on the actual task of teaching him.

"We can try it here at the table, but if there's another place on the ship that's more comfortable it would be better. We may be seated for a long period."

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

"When you put it that way, it makes taking that stump out seem like a bad thing."

"Well, the main idea is resourcefulness," Brent explained, "Its helpful if your in the lower echelons of the galaxy, I suppose."

Brent wasn't in the lower class, his family was more like lower middle class. His mother had, afterall, been a school teacher and his dad was a mechanic. He wasn't poor exactly, but with four children on that income, it helped to be extraordinarily resourceful. There were lots of families like Brent's where he had grown up, all of them seemed to have the same mindset.

Brent had noticed how Ra went at life with a humbler, more teachable attitude than most Sith he had seen. Many were arrogant, full of themselves. They believed that the galaxy couldn't teach them anything, all they seemed focused on were their lightsabers and throwing people around. There was always more out there to learn, and Brent knew that a small amount of power in the hands of someone educated enough to use it well was more potent than fifty times that in the hands of the inept. That was the basis for guerrilla warfare.

"I'd rather give a small amount of power to someone who can wield it than a massive amount of power to someone who can't," Brent agreed.

"Victory over what though?"

"If I recall correctly, the next line is through victory my chains are broken," Brent answered. "Its more of a redundancy, through victory the Sith gains their own mastery and freedom," Brent raised a finger, "The problem is that Sith can become enslaved to the very idea of freedom. They chase it and let freedom itself dominate their lives. Afraid to commit to anything worthwhile because they don't want to be tied down, many Sith can wander the galaxy destroying things but never really creating anything, and then we are back to the slavery they tried to avoid entirely."

Brent rose from his chair, offering his hand to Ra when she suggested there might be somewhere more comfortable to do the meditation. He led her to the plush suede love seat a few feet away. The dining area was juxtaposed to the Celestial Bishop's lounge. Brent sat down on the couch, crossing his legs and placing his hands on his knees. It felt awkward because he hadn't committed to this position in so long, but it was the meditation stance that his mother had taught him as a child.

"Ready."

 

[Riamah]

For just a moment, Ra thought back on the vision she had when she learned what she was. The tale that had been told to her by her master, her parents being farmers and living off the land. If they had lived, then perhaps she might have the same view Brent did. However if that had happened, they wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation and she may never have known the life she had.

When he spoke on power and handing it to the wrong person, she couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"And thus some empires fall due to that very reason."

In her case it was the ​Dominion and Brent may figure that out without her having to actually say it. He was one of the most intelligent people she had met so it wouldn't surprise her one bit if he did.

"Or enslaved in other ways. Going off that, I am a slave to my desire for knowledge. I may have all the physical and mental freedom I desire, but the chain of wanting to know is there."

She didn't see it as a bad thing though. Accepting his hand when he offered it, she was led to the couch and she sat down in it with him. Allowing him to get into comfortable position she waited until he indicated he was ready.

"First, how were you taught to meditate by your mother?"

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

"And thus some empires fall due to that very reason."

The only major defunct thing that she had been a part of that Brent knew about was the Dominion. It wasn't a far cry for him to put two and two together to guess that was what she was referring to. He had heard some of the reports of why the Dominion had fallen. He was an agent, after all, it paid for him to be read up on other powers that posed a possible threat for his work. Her statement only confirmed what he had heard and read up on.

"The main cause of the fall of the Galactic Empire was corruption, and many more too I am sure," Brent gave a wry smile, "When will beings ever learn?"

She was a slave to her learning, they were all slaves to something. He was a slave to his morals, she was a slave to her quest for knowledge, it was all a matter of picking your master. But they had already talked about this during their first meeting at her castle quite thoroughly.

"And that very understanding is the most non-sith thing I have heard you say," Brent pointed out, "That self-awareness that most Sith lack is their downfall. You realize it, and you accept it, most Sith would instead rage against it and destroy it, and effectively themselves in the process."

He thought for a moment about how his mother had taught him to meditate. It had been a while ago, but he still remembered it vividly. She had taught him how to just release into it, and he had never forgotten, he probably never would.

"We first focus on our breathing," he said, "Just to center our thinking, we focus on the way it feels, the cool air going in and hot air coming out. Then, as we let that happen, she told us to begin to 'turn our thoughts down.' It always helped me to visualize a volume knob going from ten to mute, like on a radio. As it gets lower, I always let my thoughts get quieter. She said that once our thoughts are totally quiet, we should reach inward, and feel peace. Total peace. She told us we should focus on this serenity as long as we could, but that's where I always had the problem," Brent let out a sigh, "I have a hard time focusing inward. I can feel everything, and when I quiet my thoughts I feel it even more, in greater detail. Like the very air, sometimes its so bad I can even feel the air in the next room, or hear someone's heart beat. I can smell the subtle shifts in their hormones as they think and their emotions change. I once even felt the air shift in what led to a big storm later that week when I was younger. I can't reach inward when my mind is still, its just too loud around me. I hear and feel everything normally and it only gets more intense when I quiet it all."

Brent gave a hapless shrug, he had resigned himself to his fate long ago, part of why he had given up on meditation. He had found ways around his acute sensitivity but even those had limitations. He had taken medication for it when he was younger, and it had worked at dulling his senses and making the world around Brent less overbearing. However, he hated it. The drugs didn't just dull his senses, they dulled his mind. It took him longer to find solutions to problems, his speech got slower and slurred. He didn't want to go back to that, even with the world being too much for him, Brent would gladly take that over the nothingness that dulling medication had given him.

"Its a big reason why I stopped, I never could seem to reach that place," he said sadly.

 

[Riamah]

Allowing the conversation to move on and into the more training part, Ra listened to what Brent said. All the points his mother tried to teach and what his problem was. An idea came into her mind.

"I understand now why it would be difficult, however I have an idea."

Placing a Force Barrier around him, it was like a bubble around him. It would not block EVERYTHING from him, but much of what disturbed him would be gone. In theory the only real stimulation he would know was caused by himself.

She had spoken to him telepathically before and did so again this time. In essence, he was separated from everything external to that barrier.

Now attempt to do what you did when you were a child. See if you can reach that inner peace now.​

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

When Ra said she understood, some of the tension in Brent's shoulders relaxed visibly. He had been worried she wouldn't understand, it was a great relief that she actually did. While she didn't know what it felt like on a deep level to feel it all, hear it all, and smell it all, it helped that she wasn't condescending or that she pushed him off. He had a somewhat irrational fear of her putting him off or belittling him at the mention of his sensitivity. He had experienced it many times before from others.

When the capsule surrounded him, Brent felt the difference. It felt strange for him to not feel what he had felt for so long, it was almost like being blinded temporarily. He felt a pang of panic, but Brent quelled it with a deep exhale. He kept telling himself that he was safe. After the initial panic faded, it was oddly calming for him to be separated from it all.

Now attempt to do what you did when you were a child. See if you can reach that inner peace now.​

Brent nodded, closing his eyes and inhaling slowly. Just like his mother had taught him. He visualized the knob in his minds eye turning, as the dial moved from ten to zero. As the little white arrow on it passed each number he felt the thoughts in his mind becoming quieter and quieter. gradually they faded into nothingness, and Brent was left alone with his feelings. He almost expected the world to come crashing in on him like it had so many times before, but instead it stayed away from him, on the other side of the barrier. He pushed into his emotions. Memories surfaced. He could see the faces of the dead he had killed, he could see the places he had fought and the people he had failed. Their images filled his minds eye, the emotions he had felt killing them or seeing them die threatened to overwhelm him. His eyebrows flickered, it was a lot to take in, he wanted to run from it, and get away from the pain.

But he knew what lay on the other side. He quieted them, dismissing the faces from his minds eye. Their voices were silenced as they faded into the mists of nothing. Brent felt calm wrap around him like a warm blanket. It was peace and calming. His facial muscles visibly relaxed, his body became more relaxed and he felt himself at peace for the first time in quiet a long time.

 

[Riamah]

Knowing this step Brent was about to take was a very important and big one, Ra was patience personified. Her first few times attempting to meditate had not gone well, not for the same reason as him, but because she hadn't known how. What had happened in them, the visions she had then also disturbed her. Would he be granted the ability to have visions? Time would tell, maybe it was something she could teach him.

Not rushing him, Ra sat in her own meditative state. Through the Force, she could feel him, his life and potential. He was a bit like clay in a way. His personality, morals and what made him who he was set, however she could still mold him slightly.

Sitting next to him, not interfering with his own discovery when he found the peace within himself, Ra did reach out. Not on a physical level, but mental and through the Force. Her own presence might be felt by him. This way, Brent would see the real Ra, the one not kept hidden through the business façade. The one she actually never kept hidden from him, but without training in the Force may not have seen before.

What he might see was a calm burning fire. That fire would be her emotions held in check and not allowed to run free and control her, she controlled them. He may also see or sense just how caring she was, that she wasn't evil, but sith none the less. If he hadn't already known it, he would now. In opening herself like this, if there ever came a time, he could use what he learned as an exploit. She trusted him and showed him her true self, never having kept it secret from him. Brent was the only she was this comfortable with, not even her clan sister knew her like this.

Not wanting to jolt him from his own discovery, she waited longer before reaching out to him.

N​ow, focus on nothing. Between us there is a connection. That is the Force. The great river that has no beginning or end.

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

He could see her in his minds eye more vivid than she had ever been in person--considering his heightened senses, that was rather vivid. Her hair was even more red than before as it whipped around her person in the ether, her eyes were more piercing as they stared at him from behind the torrent of her wind swept hair. Her hair moved like crimson flames, like the fire that seemed to burn around her with intense passion. It wasn't just erotic passion, hate, or anger. It was something more, a passion for life, a love of living. He could feel her care, the defining quality that set good away from the evil in this galaxy. He saw it in her so often, he didn't know if she was conscious of it or not, but she was more compassionate than many would believe.

The door went both ways. As he saw her, she would see him, bare and raw. He was good, or at least what he tried to be with good. He was good intentions with a desire to protect the weak, to defend all that was good in the galaxy. He saw himself as the barrier that stood between destructive chaos and the order that many enjoyed on their quiet suburban streets. Along the fringes of his personhood were doubts and regrets that were starting to take root in him. Doubts about if he was really doing the right thing and regrets for what he had done to preserve that order. But he still refused to give up, stop believing or fighting. In the center of it all stood his tenacity.

He felt the connection, and soon he could see it all in his mind. Beams of energy, like light waves seemed to stretch all around him, flowing in a myriad of colors. They were brilliant, brighter than anything he had ever seen before. They shifted and moved, ever changing in every second. More than smelling and feeling on his skin, he could feel it on a deeper level. It was like they were all extensions of his body, just like he could feel his arms and legs, the lights were all a part of his being. Then everything shifted as he watched. The lights were no longer a part of him, he was a part of them. He was one of the infinite colors like parts of the jigsaw puzzle. The lines between each color moved and shifted. Their lines were blurred despite their intensity it was hard to tell where one began and another ended. Soon, it began to be hard to tell where the colors even were as they began to merge into one gorgeously bright color. He could no longer tell where he began and the unified color ended. He could hear it all, feel it all. If he hadn't had so much practice being overly exposes to everything, Brent knew he would have collapsed already from the volume of it all.

At last he exhaled and pulled out from it. It was hard to tell how long that lasted, he felt both drained and refreshed with an odd sense that he had never experienced before. Brent had always been used to seeing and feeling everything, but now this was different. It felt more like he could control it, instead of being dragged around by his own perceptional abilities. His eyes focused on Ra and he gave a smirk, "Good job. I've never seen that before."

 

[Riamah]

What Ra saw was the core of Brent laid bare. His personal beliefs of right or wrong and his tenacity to stick through to the end, no matter the price. A man that was almost a law unto himself. If his ideals clashed with those of another, that other person would face his wrath if they didn't back down. She also saw the desire to keep the general population safe from those he considered criminals. The doubts everybody had clung to him and would soon become a part of him, making him who he was. There wasn't anything Ra could really do to prevent that from happening.

As he opened himself further than the connection between the two of them, Ra could see it. The realization there was so much more there. Limitless possibilities. The simple act of enclosing him in a barrier had allowed him to accomplish this much. Knowing what to focus on in his training, Ra did a mental nod.

What might have been five minutes or five hours, Brent called an end to the meditation. This was just one small step for him and Ra was glad to have shared it with him. He smirked slightly and complimented her on the opportunity she had given him to even be able to meditate.

With clear focus, Ra took the barrier down that was around him and smiled slightly with a bit of a blush. Meditation was easier for her now, but she understood what it was like to be in his situation.

"I'll have to teach you how to put your own barrier up like if you want to meditate again. Hopefully in time, you won't need it and can accept or accommodate to everything around you. Hum, may be lower the strength of it each time? Until it comes to a point where you won't need it."

At the moment, her thoughts were on training and not anything else.
​
[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

There was no denying how important it would be for him to know how to block things out. He didn't just mean the things he could sense, but also more practical things he would need to block out, like bullets, vibroblades, and blaster bolts. Being an agent was dangerous and even during their short trip together on the Bishop Ra had saved him from being gunned down. She wouldn't always be there to bail him out, and Brent had already been shot before. He didn't like the idea of a repeat performance on that.

"I could use something like that, not just for meditation, but in the field too," Brent agreed. "Things already seem easier after that. I am sure I could install a sensory deprevation chamber on here if worst comes to worst. I've been in one of those, I liked it."

It had been a refreshing experience to be cut off from the over stimulation he faced every day. He had considered buying one of his own, but they were expensive and most of his funds went to keeping his family safe and healthy. He had already stored away a sizable account for Ann, and another for Fenn for their college. They didn't know, and they didn't need to know. He wanted them to have a better chance at life than he had. There wasn't much left over for him after that, considering Ann was already 17 and would be in college soon.

"I think that's a good idea," Brent said about her suggestion to gradually make the barriers weaker. "I could stand to acclimate to everything around me better than I have in the past."

The cockpit down the hall gave a warning buzz. They were coming to the exit point in hyperspace. They had arrived.

 

[Riamah]

"That barrier while not perfect, does certainly come into great use on the field. When those guys came out of the elevator, I put a barrier around you then. Depending on how well a person can project the barrier, they can take quite a bit of damage before going away. Baby steps though, first you need to gain a stronger connection to the Force before you should even really think about trying to use it more actively. Some things come naturally. For me, I started to manipulate people when it came to work and striking deals. Of course, I didn't know at the time what I was or about the Force."

Just part of her confusing life, but Brent had a clue of it from the bits Ra had told him during their time together.

"I've never been in one of those chambers so wouldn't be able to imagine what it would be like to be shut off from everything but myself."

Having a plan in mind for the future path of his training, Ra made a mental note of it. Pretty much at that point, the alarm went off to indicate they had arrived. Standing up, Ra held a hand down to Brent to help him if he wanted.

"Guess I should get my weapons."

[member="Brent Smith"]

 

[Brent Smith]

He did need to get a better handle on the Force. He smirked, rising from the couch. He had always been faster at learning than his peers. That was one of his few strengths that he had. He wasn't exceptionally fast, strong, or powerful, but he was able to think quickly and just grab a handle on things faster than most. He would use that to his advantage here too, just like he had before for all that he had done.

"Your right, basics first, then the more advanced stuff one day," he chuckled, offering his hand to help Ra from her seat. "The chambers are very refreshing, at least for me. I will have to make sure that you can try that sometime."

When she said she needed to go get her weapons, Brent gave her a playful swat on the rear, "Alright, go get 'em partner."

He made his way to the cockpit and pulled the ship out of hyperspace. Before them the muddy planet of Jabiim materialized. Gates gave a low whistle at Brent of curiosity.

"Yes, bring us down," Brent ordered.

As the droid took the Celestial Bishop in for a gentle arc into Jabiim's atmosphere, Brent donned his trenchcoat, still loaded with its weaponry. He buttoned it closed and donned his sunglasses, once more protected from the rest of the galaxy. When the Celestial Bishop landed, it found itself in the middle of Choal, Jabiim's capital. Rain was falling on the muddy world in a steady hail, splattering on the viewports and hull. Brent frowned, that would be problematic. He tapped on the console for a few moments, gathering the data he needed for their next location. After a few moments he made his way to the loading ramp.

"The Nebuchadnezzar docked in a nearby nightclub, called the White Rabbit," Brent said, "We can bet that once they finished handing in their bounty, they'd have some business there. If I were a part of a cult, then I'd have kept it in the family if I could."

 

[Riamah]

Apparently they each helped the other stand up and it brought a small chuckle from Ra.

"Baby steps, then you can walk on your own."

In a way, the thought mad​e her slightly sad. Ra knew apprentices would leave their masters eventually, but she didn't want Brent to leave. The relationship felt like it was more than something that simple. That fact they were lovers was probably a great influence in her thoughts. Another thing that cemented her feeling was the fact they worked together like partners in the field. Neither one of them took the lead and were much more on equal ground.

When Brent playfully smacked her rear end, she grabbed his hand, turned around so they faced each other and took a step up close to him. Her voice was almost a purr when she spoke and she lightly kissed his lips.

"I like the sound of that."

Letting go of him, Ra ran off to gather up her provisions and joined Brent at the landing ramp when everything was in place.

"Got any sort of tracking device? This way if they decide to hoof it, we can follow them. Let's get moving and off this mud ball."

Taking the lead, Ra headed in the direction of cantina he had provided the name for. She didn't hide her form, but her Force presence she did. Choosing to come across as a neutral user with only a little training, if there were others that ​could sense her that is what they would feel. Before reaching the door, she slowed down to walk next to Brent.

"You want to do the talking?"

[member="Brent Smith"]