To Walk the Stars

[Kyyrk]

Voph stood on the balcony overlooking the spaceport below, his hands clasped behind his back. He stirred briefly as a uniformed soldier walked up, and handed him a datapad. He took it, looking at it silently, before nodding and handing it back. He did not intend to stay here long. He was needed back in the confederacy. He sighed quietly as he looked back over the bustling landing pad below, and off towards the water beyond. He'd always liked Manaan. So calm. Peaceful.

He had stopped to refuel on his way back to Geonosis, having come directly from Eshan after his battle with the Mandalorians. And a hard won victory it was. He made a mental note to thank John Locke again for the hardware. It'd saved more than its fair share of lives. He smiled softly to himself, a hand idly coming to rest on his gut. The slug thrower wounds still pained him, but they were healing nicely. He was clad in a simple tunic, with two strands of his shoulder-length black hair tied back to restrain the rest of his hair. Though, it was no longer the crisp black it had always been.

Voph's visage was marred by the trauma of war, a jagged scar running across his face and under the simple cloth blindfold he wore to shield others from the ghastly sight of his empty eye sockets. His once pure black hair was now flecked with a silver gray, hinting at the true age his otherwise youthful features concealed. The Arcane Scion was nearly ready to depart. And yet, Voph was hesitant to stir from his perch on the observation deck. Whether it be the Force guiding him, or simply wishing to soak in the beauty of the rolling ocean before him, he did not know. But he did know someone was approaching. And it was not one of his...

[member="Seaja Linata"]

 

[Seaja Linata]

Softly splashing, water trickled out of the fountain, creating a serene atmosphere in the courtyard. Comforting sea breezes washed through the open air, bringing the smell of life, while the cool metal and stone of the architecture was warmed by the summer sun.

Seaja Linata sat on the edge of the pristine fountain, her back to the water, trying to savor the calmness of the moment. She was an unusual sight in the affluent city of Ahto, a thin, ragged, teenage Mirialan, dressed in dirty and torn brown clothing. Her body language added to the impression that she was out of place, as she was tugging nervously at the sleeves of the black shirt she wore beneath the brown robes. Beneath the baggy clothing Seaja's body was athletic but thin, it being clear that she had not been eating well for quite some time. Her eyes were strained and slightly red, giving the impression that she was either paranoid or tired. Truly, it was a combination of both. She had been on the water world of Manaan for far longer than she had wished, surviving mostly off of the scraps from the many luxury resorts and entertainment facilities in the planet's capital city while she tried to find a way to scrounge up enough money to get off-planet. She had had multiple close brushes with the local authorities, barely managing to escape each time: but now the local security system had registered her face in its databank. The entire time, she had been trying to slowly process the chaotic and pained state of her mind, a result of the traumatic experience she underwent to escape slavery.

From the corner of her vision, she noticed a pair of security droids enter the courtyard. The two old models scanned the courtyard, and soon noticed the lone inhabitant, sitting at the edge of the fountain. Ducking her head low, Seaja darted out of the courtyard, moving down the winding pathways toward the spaceports at the center of the city, the angry electronic chatter of the security guards ringing in her ears.

Soon enough, she heard the noise of a crowd, and she entered into a busy section of the city. As she had walked, she had made up her mind: she had to get off-planet today. Moving stealthily through the crowd, she approached the gate to the nearest spaceport. There were security droids guarding every entrance and exit, and to get through, one had to pay a fee. Unfortunately, Seaja had no credits, so she would have to get through by other means. Ducking around a wall to get out of view, Seaja scanned the wall around the spaceport. After a moment, she backed away, then went at it with a running start, leaping at the barrier. She hit it with one foot about fifteen feet up -- an impossible jump for most humanoids -- and pushed off from there, twisting upwards through the air. Closing her eyes, she concentrated and drew up a burst of energy inside of her, rocketing herself even higher. She flew up over the wall, spun in midair, and landed softly on the top of the spaceport wall. Looking around, she saw that she had landed on a balcony, overlooking the open spaceport. A uniformed man was receding from view, exiting the platform -- had she arrived a moment earlier, she had have landed on him. The only other being on the balcony was a large, human-looking man, facing the opposite direction. Extremely carefully, Seaja began to edge towards the door, careful not to make any sound and alert the man of her presence.

[member="Voph"]

 

[Kyyrk]

Voph did not turn. He had no need to. He'd seen the girl vault over the wall. Seen her land on the walkway behind him. And he certainly saw her attempting to slip towards the door. His lip twitched at the humor of it all. Sometimes he felt it really wasn't fair to those around him, but then again, he wasn't one for caring. His soft bass issued forth, making a simple statement. "I still see you." The hint of a smile faded from his face, though he still did not turn. Not yet. His minds eye wandered over the girl. Mirialan. Clothing was...passable, but still tatters. She wasn't very well off. But she was clearly Force Sensitive. He could detect the traces of the Force about her, and it was the only reasonable explanation for her ascension over the wall.

He turned, head angling towards the girl. Voph seemed to be staring straight through the girl, as if he could see every secret she'd ever held. His scarred brow furrowed under the blindfold as he watched her. He said nothing for a moment, keeping his hands clasped behind his back. "Fear not, little one. I mean you no harm." Voph didn't know that he would describe the girl as being afraid. On edge, perhaps. But he sensed a quiet resolve about her. "An impressive feat. There are few beings that could scale a wall like that. And even fewer that could leap over it as you did." He smiled thinly, an expression that, while genuine, seemed out of place. As if his features had forgotten how to smile. To truly express joy or happiness. "Makes a man wonder why you'd go to such lengths. Why not simply enter through the main gate, as everyone else?"

[member="Seaja Linata"]

 

[Seaja Linata]

Seaja froze, her whole body stiffening as the man spoke. Her stomach churned with fear as panicked thoughts rushed through her brain. Though her first instinct was to run, for some reason she held back. She had been in many dangerous situations before, and while a slave she had been personal thief and spy for a dangerous pirate band. During this time, she had encountered a few Force-sensitives, but always purely Dark Side users. She felt the same power around this man -- but it had a different character. It was not threatening. It did not spark her fight or flight instincts, like the presence of Dark Side users had in her past.

"Are you a Jedi?" She blurted out before she could stop herself.

Realizing she should be more polite, considering her situation of relative vulnerability, she clasped her hands together nervously. "Sorry- I couldn't just enter... They make you pay." She shifted under his intense stare, if a blind man can stare. "I have no way to pay."

Seaja had relaxed slightly with his reassurances. Though she had grown quite accustomed to being lied to, tricked, and double crossed, there was something urging her that this man could be trusted. He really did mean her no harm. Of course, this was the Force guiding her, protecting her -- but Seaja did not know this.

[member="Voph"]

 

[Kyyrk]

Voph chuckled, looking down towards his feet for a moment. "No...I am no Jedi. Perhaps one day they will see fit to accept me as one of their own." He sighed quietly, looking back to the girl, more inquisitive than accusatory. "I have....my differences with the Jedi. Which may be reconciled soon enough." His head cocked to the side a bit, like a curious dog. Couldn't pay. Well, that would certainly explain her appearance. An orphan, probably. At least, someone with no place to go. And no money. He had thought Manaan, particularly under jurisdiction of the Silver Jedi Order would have been kinder to such individuals. But, the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

"You are...quite the curious creature." Voph walked towards her slowly, hand still clasped at his back. His brow furrowed again as he studied her, moving to circle the girl. Study her. "No money...presumably no parents...No connection to the Jedi..." He paused in front of her, sighing quietly. How was a force sensitive this deep in Jedi territory and not a member of their order? Perhaps some latent suppression of her ability? Regardless, the child was here, looking scared and forlorn. "What is your name, little one?"

[member="Seaja Linata"]

 

[Seaja Linata]

Seaja watched the man carefully, standing her ground as he inspected her. She wasn't sure if she was disappointed or relieved that he was not a Jedi - she had heard both great and horrible things about that order of Force-wielders. Of course, much of the bad came from the mouths of pirates, brigands, smugglers, gangsters, and all manner of other low-life criminals, but those were most of the beings she had known in her life. In general, pirates like the kind who she had been a slave to since early childhood were extremely distrustful of those imbued with the Force, whom they often branded "witches," or "sorcerers," or sometimes, "hokey magicians." In fact, the pirate captain who had trained her and held formal ownership of her had made her keep her Force sensitivity a secret from the rest of the crew and even her fellow slaves, partly because he did not want a valuable tool to be damaged if she was attacked based on superstition. At least, that was what he had told her - it was for her safety. Thus, due to this and other factors, she had always had a painful, twisted, and difficult relationship with the Force, which was undoubtedly a part of her, but a part she was far from understanding, let alone at peace with.

Standing still, Seaja stood in front of the man, her body language giving off that she was somewhat at odds, as if she was trying to give off an air of control. Her uncertainty about the whole situation left her deeply conflicted, so for now she would try to remain somewhat aloof, and seem like she was not quite as desperate as she really was.

"My name is Seaja." She said firmly. "And who are you?" Her voice was polite, and un-aggressive, but it was clear she was trying to show she was not afraid.

[member="Voph"]

 

[Kyyrk]

Voph smirked at the girl's question. If only he knew the answer. But, she probably had no such philosophical motivations behind asking such a question. "I am no one important. Simply another traveler on the grand space-lane of life." His arms unfolded from his back to cross over his chest. "If it is a name you seek, you may call me Voph." He sighed quietly, turning his head down towards the ship below. "It is the only name I have known for some years." He was silent for a moment, then turned his blind gaze back on Seaja.

"Where is it you seek to go, Seaja?" His head tilted again. He had a feeling he already knew. Away. Anywhere. She just needed a change of scenery. And, depending on where she wished to go, it was a request he was willing to grant. Too many times had he seen good people like her left on the streets. Too many times he'd seen children orphaned by war, and destroyed by hardship. He was in no position to take them all in, but he was certainly willing to extend a hand when needed. Voph might not have been a perfect being, but he'd be damned if he was going to let the Jedi be right about him...

[member="Seaja Linata"]

 

[Seaja Linata]

[SIZE=11pt]Seaja’s eyes locked interestedly on the man as he spoke, focusing on his words. He had a calming air about him, as though she could sense that he had good intentions. She liked how humble he was, and it seemed to her it was a very honest humility, not feigned or for appearances. The mysterious air he carried about him also intrigued her. She felt as though he had an interesting story to tell, and though she had learned to be self-contained, she couldn’t help but be curious.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]His question hit her by surprise. In fact, she was so taken aback that she had an actual physical reaction, recoiling slightly and blinking her eyes, as if confused. [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Where am I going? [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]She asked herself, furrowing her brow. Honestly, she hadn’t given it any thought. Her plan had simply been to sneak onto the first ship she found, and remain a stowaway until they landed, where she would escape off onto wherever she found herself then. She had no direction, no goals, no purpose. She wasn’t even [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]on the run,[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] just [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]running. [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Not from anything. Not to anywhere. Just going, going, spinning her wheels uselessly, like Autumn leaves, blown away when the winter winds come. At least when she had been a slave, she had had a clear, defined goal. She had a path to walk. It was [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]survive, serve, avoid suffering, [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]and finally, when the time came, [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]escape.[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]But now that she was out - what was the point? She had no one to fight for. Her friends were all dead. She felt herself choking up, and blinked a couple times, looking down at the ground.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“I have nowhere to go.” She answered finally, her shoulders sagging as she did. It was depressing. Why should she even try to get off this planet? What was the point of continuing on, enduring the ever-more-painful journey, the suffering and confusion-filled “space-lane of life,” as Voph had called it. Seaja felt like throwing herself into the ocean.[/SIZE]

[member="Voph"]

 

[Kyyrk]

Voph was quiet for a moment, watching the girl before him deflate. Even though her head was bowed, he could see the tears rolling down her cheeks. Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, he heard a voice. His brow furrowed as he dismissed it, but the damage was done. He sighed quietly, and reached out to place a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder. He looked for something to say, but...nothing was coming to him.

He was about to speak when he heard the clank of boots on metal, signalling someone's approach. He looked up to see a pair of white armor clad soldiers approaching them. "My Lord, we're..." The leader faltered, seeing that Voph was no longer alone. Voph withdrew his hand from Seaja's shoulder, and folded it behind his back, letting his left arm hang at his side. "We're ready to depart, sir. Just waiting on you." Voph was quiet for a moment, then looked to the girl. "I'll be there in a moment." The soldiers saluted, and Voph waved a dismissive hand. They turned to leave, and Voph sighed quietly. "Such is the curse of being lost. Everywhere in the galaxy to go, and yet nowhere to be." He patted her on the shoulder again, and began walking towards the ramp down to the ship below. He paused, and turned back to the girl. "We've room for one more. And a warm meal. I daresay you could...well...you could use a few."

He did not smile, or display emotion of any kind. He shouldn't be doing this, he told himself deep down. First one, then another, then another. 'But you did it for me...' Voph's brow furrowed as the voice invaded his head again. "If you discover a destination along the way, I will see you on your way." He was quiet for a moment, then turned to walk towards the ship. "Else you are free to travel with us as you see fit. The ship leaves in three minutes."

[member="Seaja Linata"]

 

[Seaja Linata]

During the moment of silence, Seaja tried to reign in her emotions, stopping the flow of tears and wiping her face with a thin and grubby sleeve. When his hand landed on her shoulder at first, she tensed, flinching back slightly, but she controlled her instincts, knowing he meant no harm, despite her body's trained reaction to contact. As it remained there, her muscles relaxed somewhat.

The sound of approaching boots made her heart began to race, and she looked nervously between the door and Voph, as if unsure what to do, expecting something harmful to appear. Seaja expected most things to be harmful. When the soldiers arrived, she merely stared at them with panicked eyes, before averting her gaze from them to the floor.

When the soldiers had left she redirected her attention to Voph, once again enraptured by his words, staring up at him with the eyes of someone expecting to learn. She could sense an immense wisdom in this grizzled old Miralukan. At the mention of meals, she looked down at her thin stomach, suddenly once again aware of the painful hunger that she had learned to live with for most of her life. Food, she thought desperately. By the Force, did she need a good meal. And rest, she realized, as she was unable to remember the last time she had felt fully rested, or slept in an actual bed.

Watching the man go, Seaja stood for a long moment in silence. What do I have to lose? Of course, soldiers scared her, and she knew absolutely nothing about this man or why he seemed to be leading some kind of militaristic force. What if they got caught up in some kind of battle? But Seaja knew that in this Galaxy, no one was safe, military or otherwise, and the chances of her facing violence were high no matter where she went.

Her mind made up, she hurried after the man. "Wait, sir!" She called out to him, rushing up to his side. "Uh- um, thank you, Mr. Voph." She said hurriedly, glancing up at him and then away, towards his ship, which she studied with an intense curiosity.

[member="Voph"]

 

[Kyyrk]

Voph didn't pause as the girl ran to catch up. He knew she'd be along. "Just Voph, Seaja. Never responded to that title, and I don't intend to start now." They turned the corner to see what to Voph was the all familiar silhouette of his flagship. His home. The massive 88 meter long ship was humming quietly in the afternoon air, engines roaring to life. He smiled softly at the girl's fascination with it. He led the way up the ramp as the ground crew scurried about to disconnect power cables and fuel lines. Voph turned as they entered the vessel, walking left towards the nose of the ship. And for a moment, Seaja was forgotten about.

"Comms, get us departure clearance. Control, disengage external power, bring engines online and prepare for liftoff." He barked into a comlink in a curt, yet not unkind manner. No nonsense, no frills. A door in front of them hissed open, and the pair were greeted with a pair of uniformed officers saluting Voph. "Captain on the bridge!" Voph, in turn, waved the men down. "As you were, gentlemen." He stepped over to a trio of seats set into the back of the cockpit, and sat down in the middle one, gesturing to the seat beside him as an invitation for Seaja to sit down. "Tower says clear for departure sir." "Then don't keep the rest of them waiting." "Aye sir!"

Voph pulled the restraint harness on and glanced over to Seaja as the ship began to lift into the air. "Welcome aboard the Arcane Scion, little one. The flagship of my little...venture." He reached over to punch a couple of buttons on the armrest of his chair, then said, speaking into the comm channel he had opened, "All vessels, prepare to jump to light speed." He leaned back in his chair, taking a deep breath. ​"You'll have to excuse the rag-tag appearance of our crew. We've...been busy."

As the Scion moved into low orbit, a collection of ships came into view, the center among them being a Star Destroyer. The ships bore the hallmarks of considerable damage, as if fresh from a battle. And all of them were preparing to enter hyperspace. The Scion drew alongside the Star Destroyer, and moments later, the stars had stretched in to great beams of light, and their vision was consumed by the rolling blue tunnel of hyperspace.

Voph stood, and said, "Come. I will take you to our guest quarters. I will arrange for a meal, and then perhaps we can discuss your...situation."

[member="Seaja Linata"]

 

[Seaja Linata]

No titles? She thought, looking back at [member="Voph"] with inquisitive puzzlement. He seemed to be a very powerful man to not respond to titles. Seaja was used to anyone with power endlessly flexing it, and his humble yet firm authority confused her.

As they walked to the ship and up the ramp, she inspected the ship. It was a beautiful craft to her eyes, having only ever ridden on various pirate vessels or goods transport ships. She was excited to be able to spend her time aboard it, and as they walked on board she had a slight skip in her step from - barely noticeable, but there.

She watched as Voph interacted with his men, and was slightly taken aback by the immediate sight of more uniformed men saluting Voph. She walked behind Voph, a little timidly, placing herself in the seat he had indicated was for her and buckling herself in. She cocked her head at his comment, her mind racing to come up with what this group had been “busy” with.

As the ship rose up into orbit and the rest of the ships came into view, Seaja rose up in her seat, her eyes widening at the collection of starships in front of her. “Wow…” She breathed, her eyes flicking over the array of craft, studying all of them. He leads a whole fleet? Again, she found herself wondering what this man’s story was.

Voph’s voice brought her back from her reflecting, and she nodded, rising quickly. “Okay,” She responded, following him down the corridor. She felt herself getting a little apprehensive, as she realized she needed to make plans for her future. She didn’t want to burden Voph and his crew with her presence for long, but she didn’t know what to do with herself. The only life she really knew was slavery.

 

[Kyyrk]

Voph led the way silently to the turbolift up to the passenger decks, only speaking after the doors closed. "My men and I have been ferrying supplies to both Eshan and Monastery, to aid Echani refugees after the Mandalorian attack." He glanced sidelong at Seaja, or at least what passed for sidelong to those that were familiar with Voph's mannerisms. "I would assume you've been out of touch with galactic events during your stay on Manaan." He stepped forward as the doors opened, and gestured to the couch at the far end of the lounge. "Have a seat. I'll find food."

Voph disappeared into one of the other doorways, leaving Seaja alone in the room. From the contents of the lounge, he appeared to be some kind of...collector. A few model ships, unfamiliar to Seaja, sat on a display case in the far end of the room. Within the case was what appeared to be a lightsaber, the casing dented in places, as if it had been crushed and restored. Next to it, a suit of armor in a display case, worn and weathered over...countless campaigns. Various other artifacts from all walks of life were strewn about the lounge, but the most curious one was a simple pedestal, atop which sat a simple four sided pyramid. And it seemed, for all intents and purposes that this strange little...puzzle box, was the source of the gentle hum in the room.

[member="Seaja Linata"]

 

[Seaja Linata]

Seaja had looked at Voph as he explained what him and his men had been doing, listening carefully, but she looked down at the ground when he brought up being up to date on what was going on in the Galaxy. "No, not exactly." She admitted. The truth is, Seaja had never been tuned in. She hadn't had access to very many forms of media, or any high quantity of it, while she was a slave, and she hadn't exactly made reading the news a high priority since her escape. Honestly, Seaja was pretty ignorant about most things someone her age would have picked up from basic education - such as history, culture, politics, philosophy, or really anything else one typically learned in a school. She had more than her fair share of knowledge and experience, however, in some relatively less standard fields - shooting, spying, sneaking around, fighting, lying, stealing, black market exchanges, cleaning, repairing, ship maintenance, and more.

As soon as they entered the room, Seaja felt different. It was almost as if there had been a pressure change. She felt tension, or some kind of vibration, or like her brain was picking up some kind of weird super-physical frequency. It was so powerful, in fact, that she swayed slightly as she entered the room, blinking a couple times in an attempt to clear her head. Nodding to Voph, she made her way over to the couch and sat down, hoping that he would attribute her strange behavior to exhaustion or hunger.

"O-okay. Thank you." She managed to get out before he left the room. Unfortunately for her, the feeling was only getting stronger, accompanied by more sensations. The most noticeable of these was an auditory affect which started off as a quiet humming or buzzing noise that slowly grew and gained more nuance. It had an almost melodic character, and there were faint hints of something more. Almost like a voice, a whisper or far-off call, but not actual words - at least, not words from any language Seaja recognized.

At the same time, the light in the room seemed to be bending, curving towards a certain point. Seaja felt her eyes unavoidably drawn to this point, though she resisted - she didn't understand what was happening and was scared. She knew this had to do with the Force, it had the same feeling that her moments of intense Force-usage did. After the tragedy that had resulted in her freedom, she had been suppressing her natural attunement to the Force, trying to cut herself off from this connection to the world around her, and what lay beneath the eye. It was like the dam she had built to contain her Force powers had been burst, and her system was being overwhelmed, flooded. It became more intense as she laid her eyes on the source of the affects, a small pyramid-shaped box.

Almost unwillingly, as if drawn by a magnet or some invisible puppet strings, Seaja rose, and walked over to the object, the noises in her ears getting louder and more clear. Slowly, but without faltering, she drew closer, and raised her hand, holding it shakily above the box. In a moment, the box began to levitate, slowly spinning as it rose from its pedestal. Seaja closed her eyes, letting herself give in to the call of the Force resonating between her and the holocron, and it lit up, stopping its upward motion at about her head height. Then, grimacing slightly and inclining her head, Seaja flexed her fingers, and the box opened, its sides bursting away from each other. Light shined forth from its inside as the raw Force power it held was released, and Seaja tapped directly into this power.

She momentarily lost her awareness of her surroundings as she began to feel more unity with the Force than she had ever experienced in her life. The endless secrets and infinite gifts of the Universe felt open to her. She felt the fantasies and abstractions of disunity fall away, she felt the call and embrace of another dimension - a dimension outside time, accessible to her only to the degree that she could decondition herself from the historical and material-bound cognitive systems that had carried her to this point in her life. Realer and larger than the physical universe that she knew, the Force was where all life - captured by consciousness and downloaded into matter - came from and where all life, as individual organisms and as a systemic whole, was going.

Seaja stood there, one arm outstretched towards the open holocron, the other hanging by her side, her head bowed and forehead furrowed, dressed in her rag-like and dirt-stained clothing, eyes closed, absorbed by the power of the holocron and her newfound connection to the Force.

[member="Voph"]

 

[Kyyrk]

There was silence for a moment, and then Voph's voice echoed through the chamber. "Stand fast, traveler. For the knowledge you seek is troublesome, and dangerous. If you proceed, you shall do so at your own risk. Understand that knowledge is a burden. And the burdens found here are plentiful." A projection of Voph appeared beside the holocron, hands folded behind his back, much in the same way the real Voph had done. His appearance was different, however. Though the hologram appeared the same age as the real Voph, his hair was a solid jet black color, not the graying appearance that Voph had. In place of the scar adorning his face, the gatekeeper had many, the left side of his face twisted from a fire.

His robes were more ornate. Black, with gold trim all about, twisting and weaving like vines across his breast. And upon his face, an ornate bone mantle concealed his empty sockets from the world. At his waist, a lightsaber hung. Similar to the one in the case nearby. The being did not smile, nor display emotion of any kind, simply turning to look at the Holocron for a moment, then back to Seaja. It remained silent for a moment, then said, "I am Darth Voph. Survivor of the Dread War and Dark Councilor of the Sphere of Mysteries. Keeper of this holocron, and the knowledge stored therein. It is my bastion...and my prison. Only the worthy may be shown the secrets lying within." The figure paused, brow furrowing as it studied Seaja. "You, Traveler, have awoken the Holocron. And yet you are not worthy. Return when you have passed the trials I have, and you shall have your reward." And then just like that, the device wound shut, returning to its inert state on the pedestal.

The room was silent for a moment, then the silence was broken by the sound of a pile of cloth and buckles dropped upon a chair. Voph's voice echoed through the room again, but this one unhindered by mechanical distortion. "I wondered how long it would take you to find that." He did not seem angry. Or disappointed. Instead, he simply set a plate of food on the table, and pulled back the chair he had set it in front of. "Though I must admit, I hadn't expected you to be able to open it." He gestured to the tunic that had been left on the chair next to the one prepared for Seaja. "A spare tunic that may fit you, Little one. I can arrange for something with a proper fit later."

[member="Seaja Linata"]

 

[Seaja Linata]

Stepped back, her hand falling to her side and her head lifting as she opened her eyes and beheld the little miniature [member="Voph"] that had appeared before her. The intensity of the moment of her opening the holocron had faded, but she still felt its residue in the form of an increased Force energy in the room. She stared wide-eyed at the little projection, silent as it spoke.

She seemed confused when the projection introduced itself as Darth. She recognized that title, but her image of those who held it did not align with Voph. She looked a little downcast when the projection declared her unworthy, and started when it abruptly shut off. In the moment of silence that followed, she did not move, staring at the holocron with a little disappointment and a lot of curiosity.

When Voph's voice sounded out again, she started, flinching hard and whirling on him. "I didn't mean to- I'm sorry-" She fumbled for words, motioning at the holocron across from her. "It called out to me." She said, then blushed, realizing how foolish that must sound.

She looked from the food, to the tunic, to Voph, then to the Holocron, and then back to Voph again. Her mind was bursting with an avalanche of questions, and she didn't know where to begin. It looked as if she was malfunctioning, experiencing a little bit of an overload. The girl began to tremble slightly, and she sat down silently in the chair, pulling the tunic on over her old clothes. Then, looking up at Voph, she managed to form a question.

"Voph, are you a SIth Lord?" She asked in a somewhat shaky voice. Seaja would find it hard to believe if he said he was. From the stories she had heard from her pirate owners over the years, the Sith were worse than they were - and that was hard for Seaja to even imagine. And besides that, Seaja had met Dark Side users - not Sith, but still - and the presence in the Force that Voph had was not the same as the one they had. "And what's a Holocron?"

 

[Kyyrk]

Voph sighed quietly, then pushed the plate of food towards her, indicating that she should eat. "An aptitude with the Force such as yours, I am unsurprised." He sat down across from her, turning to look at the device. "Hmph. A relic of a bygone era. Containing little more than old memories and older secrets." He looked back to Seaja. "Who I am, and what I have done, is unimportant. I have always held that belief, for myself and for others. You are not defined by the circumstances from which you came, but by how you shape the unfolding events, learning what you have from the past."

He looked down at the table, for a moment. "The device...the holocron...is an artifact that can store a great deal of knowledge and information. Many high ranking Sith and Jedi alike create them to immortalize their knowledge and achievements. They can be powerful aids, or dangerous weapons." Voph turned back to the device. "The Gatekeeper safeguards the knowledge within, only allowing the worthy to learn what I have hidden within the device."

He turned his face back towards Seaja, and finally answered her question. "The device is correct, however. I was a Sith. But no longer. I hold no love for that damnable order, nor they for me. They...were a means to an end. And nothing more."

[member="Seaja Linata"]

 

[Seaja Linata]

Seaja gratefully took the food and began eating, for she was once again conscious of the sharp hunger in her stomach. She was looking up at him as he spoke, though, still focused on his words. Aptitude like mine? Is that good? It sounded good to her. She nodded slowly as he spoke the next bit, his words sinking in on her with great impact. Seaja hated to think about her past, but she hadn't ever felt that she had a future to think about at all. Her memories scared her, and she often wished she could purge herself of them and everything else she'd gotten from life so far. Her mind was filled with the echoes of past pain. It tormented her.

Looking over her shoulder, she followed his gaze to the Holocron. Slowly, she turned her tired eyes back to him. "And yours, is it an aid or a weapon?" Her eyes bore into him intensely, an undeniable curiosity that looked to be mixed with near exhaustion, and despite her focused gaze, her shoulders were slumped.

She had finished the food, eating it rather quickly, like one might expect her to. She had been transfixed by the Holocron, and her mind was still focused on it. She felt as if it was tugging at her, reminding her of its presence. She felt the pull of the Darkness within it. It beckoned her, welcomed her, like an old friend. It felt like a great pit expanding in her stomach, one that would swallow her insides and consume her from the inside out. She wanted to fall into it, letting it take her over. Leap into the chasm of Darkness. Unable to resist, she turned again, her eyes fixing on the object. "And what do I have to do to become worthy of its secrets?"

[member="Voph"]

 

[Kyyrk]

Voph was silent for a moment. Was it an aid? Well of course it was. Weapon? Certainly. "Both. As are many such devices. It is not the intent, but how it is used." He leaned back in his chair, staring blankly towards the device. "But do not worry yourself with the contents of that wretched thing. I can assure you there is nothing within worth your trouble. There is naught but death and misery within." He was quiet for a moment, then said, "I know as well as the Gatekeeper why you were deemed unworthy. You're untrained."

Voph looked back at the girl. "The ability to shape the will of the Force, and yet no formal training that I can detect. To witness what lies within that holocron, you will first need proper training. Then, and only then would it reveal to you the trials you must undergo." Voph pushed himself to his feet, and walked over to the holocron, picking it up and turning it over in his hands for a moment, then setting it back on the pedestal. "But, enough of the device. Have you given any thought to where you wish to go?"

[member="Seaja Linata"]

 

[Seaja Linata]

[SIZE=11pt]Seaja felt an inexplicable fury rising within her as she listened to his words, anger boiling in her stomach as she continued to feel the pull of the Dark Side. [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]“Misery. Death. There is nothing but [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]these things. Misery fills life up, and Death fulfills it.” [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]There was a biting edge to her voice, and her eyes were hard, downcast toward the table.[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] “If I wish to hide from misery, I also must wish to hide from life. Suffering is the object of life - and the two are completely inseparable.”[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] She paused, her hands curling into fists. Seaja has a strong connection to the Force, there was no denying this, but it controlled her - she merely released herself into its power and acted through it. Thus, she often had moments such as these - drawing in Dark Side energy - that were essentially out of her hands. She was overcome by her own anger, pain, and hatred.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]But just as quickly as it came, the moment was over. Her fists loosened back into opened hands, her expression softened, and the orange-ish tint faded from her eyes. Seaja sat silently for a moment, both hands on the table, shoulders rising and falling with her breath. It tired her out somewhat, these moments where she felt the Dark Side. It was painful, and she didn’t like the way she felt afterwards. Eventually, she turned to Voph, looking up at the man. [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]“I want you to train me.”[/SIZE]

[member="Voph"]