Two Sides to the Coin

[Audren Sykes]

Location: Voss Forest

Voss was an unusual world. A world of contradictions. A fortified mountain settlement was the capital, yet it was surrounded by forests. The Force was present, but the history was rife with both sides. Ruins of temples from the Jedi and the Sith dotted the surface of the planet; most were explored and mapped by now but somehow there always seemed to be one more popping up out of nowhere.

This was the first time Audren had pulled survey duty. Not that he minded, it meant he got to wander through the forest and explore things. Oh, he could have taken a speeder to the rough location of the coordinates and started there, but he'd chosen to walk. That turned a twenty-minute drive into a five-hour walk. The only way it would have been better was if the reported ruins were Jedi in origin, but the descriptions aligned more with Sith temples unfortunately. Black stone, cuneiform letters carved into the remains, jagged edges. Not in line with the typical Jedi ruins.

He honestly didn't pay much attention to the Force as he moved and was essentially limited to knowing that he was closing in on a place of darkness. That was passive, not active. As a result, he was less likely to be detected himself. He wasn't hiding though, not even attempting to. He was just enjoying his journey. It reminded him of old times, when his familiarity with the forests of his homeworld allowed him to move unseen and unheard. He'd lost some of that in his time on Voss, but still retained some. Rather than prepare himself for the task ahead, he avoided thought of it, taking a mental vacation until such time as he needed to confront it. Good idea? Probably not, but good ideas weren't exactly his stock in trade.

[member=Alaki]

 

[Bubák]

Silent footsteps accompanied a young Chiss’ walk over the forest floor, the absent-minded pace perfectly mirrored its hollow purpose within her red eyes. No direction or goal carried her forward, guided solely by non-existent whispers audible only by those driven mad by the vicious aspect of the Force. It would be wrong to say there was no reason to justify the Padawan’s departure; wandering the lush environment ripe with colours and life has become a preferable alternative to hanging around other Jedi and their insufferable auras of light. Not all were Jedi in the traditional sense, but so far the teenage Chiss had yet to see anyone as twisted by the Dark Side’s effects as herself. While never intending to become a corrupted monstrosity with black veins protruding her pale blue skin, greed and lust for power have made the decision for her, a textbook example of physical changes sculpted by the Dark Side itself. Constantly an oddity, too much of a Jedi to become a Sith, too broken by the Sith to be a Jedi. Only her own conscience, the old Jedi she used to be before Coruscant’s fall to the One Sith, demanded to turn back on the Sith ways and return to the Jedi.

Easier said than done. Still recovering from her time with the One Sith, fighting a lost battle against their teachings that seemed to have taken permanent residence within her mind, the Chiss had found redemption to be a much harder path to walk than originally anticipated. A large part of her continued to long for Korriban’s stark purity, the Dark Side’s powerful presence.

Her guilty pleasure.

Subconsciously drawn to all locations bathed in power, her addiction had brought her far away, to a place she had not yet visited during her walks. Memories of the past came rushing back to her upon discovering what must have been a towering Sith temple once – now reduced to pathetic, crumbling ruins, hardly worthy of their old glory. Prey to treasure hunters and scholars, the broken pillars and fallen walls silently mourned the loss of their ancient secrets. Like ancient rulers, stripped naked to their bare bones, the ruin could no longer pretend to have any actual importance; only the Dark Side’s faint remnants dancing in the air served as an eternal reminder of what used to be.

The Dark Side beckoned, an undeniable lure urging the Chiss to come closer and find solace in the old temple’s embrace, to which she obliged all too happily. Imagination ran wild, taking a dive into the Chiss’ dreams and actual memories, painting the possible depictions of grand halls in Alaki’s mind as the teenager passed through the rubble, eventually coming to what could have been a small courtyard. Sitting cross-legged by a black obelisk dominating the squared area, back pressed against the cold surface of the shaped stone, Alaki basked in the Dark Side pulsating through her skin as she meditated. All things come to an end though, and so her mind was disturbed by a disgusting beacon of light desecrating this dark place. Eyes snapped open, mouth let out a moan, head turned in search for the Jedi 'intruder'.


[member="Audren Sykes"]

 

[Audren Sykes]

Before he knew it, he was upon the ruins. Or rather, at the edge of their aura, as much as he hated to name it such. It was an abrupt change from the wild balance of the forest to the seeping corruption of the Dark. The trees and other foliage - that little which would still grow here - was stunted or twisted, a far cry from the genetic kin just meters away. The physical stones began ten meters ahead, broken and fading and only tangentially resembling that which had come before. In like manner, and despite the stark difference felt at this range, the Force presence here was a fading remnant of what had been.

In response to the Darkness, the Sephi's mind snapped to attention. Even an alert mind could be misled by the Dark, something he had no intention of letting happen to him. He drew on the Light, his presence becoming a blazing beacon when contrasted with the shadows of the area. He was nowhere near the most powerful Jedi among the Sanctum, but even a candle did wonders in a pitch-black room.

Thus fortified, the Master started moving among the ruins. His particular manner of sensing the Force was put to good use, cables making their way out and threads splitting off to try and get a sense of things. The first impression he had was one of age, a reinforcement of just how old the place was. Some threads of Force power were still present, if he tried to trace them they led into the past. He'd let the historians - Jedi and otherwise - deal with those. More than one pile of rubble had a hollow underneath, likely leading to underground structures. How the place had been ruined would tell the state of the underground portions, it seemed unlikely to him that anything natural would have done serious damage.

Near the center of the place, the ruins framed a courtyard. Just like the rest of the place, very little remained of the courtyard, yet the shape was such to cause focus on the shaped pillar in the center. It had withstood the test of time far better than anything else in the jumble of stones and fairly oozed with power. It was reasonable to surmise that the black stone was the focus for the entire place. Its ultimate purpose was unclear, but that curiosity was now secondary.

Audren was not the only person present.

A female sat by the obelisk. She seemed humanoid, though her blue skin and red eyes were a bit unexpected. He'd seen those before and knew they belonged to a rarely-seen species, one that he didn't quite remember the name of. More telling to his eye were the signs of Dark Side corruption marring her features. The girl, whoever she was, had used the dark side heavily, and it had left its indelible mark. There weren't many dark siders allied with the Sanctum, he thought he knew all of them by name and face, if not well. Yet this one was new to him...and there was no indication she was a member of the Sanctum.

"Who might you be?"

[member=Alaki]

 

[Bubák]

Automatically turning her head in the direction of the voice, her glowing orbs bearing the colour of freshly spilled blood fell upon the visitor and she shuddered with fear upon the visual confirmation of his allegiance; a Jedi. So repulsive and disgusting – the Light Side signature of his burned like fire, eliciting sensations of physical pain all across the corrupted Chiss’ body as the darkness within her refused to hand over its slave. Cold beads of sweat formed along her black eyebrows and for a moment, the Chiss felt like throwing up. Shivers ran across teen’s spine like icy daggers, although the temperature was perfect for outside activities. Alaki’s hands slowly reached for both of her lightsabers. Not a word of explanation or intention left her mouth.

In one move, she stood up, weapons unhooked, eyes shyly dodging the man’s questioning sight. Guilt began to overwhelm her – thoughts of punishment for being discovered in this evil place, casually inviting the Dark Side inside her body despite the desperate pleas and promises of redemption she had made to be accepted into the Silver Sanctum. Though the Chiss’ current intentions remained unclear, hidden behind the apologetic gaze, the baseless, instinctive fear leaking through her signature did give away her feelings in a better way than any words ever would.

A soft thud came from under her as she dropped to her knees, hands stretched out to present both weapons to the powerful Jedi, head coming down in a deep and exaggerated bow until the Chiss’ forehead kissed the earth. One of the traits she had developed among the One Sith; if she showed her superiors enough respect, perhaps she would not be punished as harshly. The very thought of doing it any other way was entirely alien to the former follower of the vicious Sith teachings. Only after this humiliating display did the young woman’s lips finally start to move, letting out words dripping with repentance, shame and desperate hope not to unleash the man’s fury upon her being.

“Padawan Krurmaa'lak'iliruc, great master Jedi! I mean no harm!”

And nothing. Completely motionless, just as the surrounding ruins, the fallen Jedi remained in this position, holding her breath and awaiting the inevitable. Particularly vivid images concerning the many painful what if scenarios played in her head. It mattered little that the Jedi ways condoned such actions – the Code also spoke against the Dark Side, yet it had served Alaki well many, many times.


[member="Audren Sykes"]

 

[Audren Sykes]

The instant she laid eyes on him, sweat started beading. Her hands slowly moved to her sides, to where at least one lightsaber was clipped. In a single, swift movement the girl stood and unclipped her lightsabers. Her face held the same expression throughout, one he couldn't read, but the fear emanating from her was strong. For a moment, he couldn't tell if she was going to attack him or not. Then again, he couldn't tell if she knew. He was tempted to draw on the Force and prepare to counter, but held off. He could access the Force before she got into lightsaber range in any case.

Abruptly, her knees hit the ground, followed by her lightsabers extending as if in offering. She bent forward until her forehead was somewhere around ground level and stayed there. It couldn't be a comfortable pose, but while keeping that position she started talking. A Padawan, one who's name was a mess of "k's" and "l's". One who called him "great Master" and claimed she meant no harm. Normally, he would have done something to try and put her at ease, but the circumstances didn't add up. She claimed to be a Padawan, yet carried two lightsabers - not unheard of, just unusual. Padawan was traditionally a Jedi title, yet she'd been found in this place. Fear pervaded her presence, yet her voice carried shame and contrition. Something didn't add up.

"No need for that, Padawan. What are you doing here?"

Stumbling over names wasn't the greatest way to start out, so he'd skipped out on the name entirely. And much to his displeasure, he could no longer say he wasn't a Master with any degree of honesty, so he'd skipped that too. The question he'd posed wasn't an idle one however. This place wasn't exactly on the beaten path, it would have taken some deliberate driving to get here by speeder, even more deliberate to get here by foot. And she clearly felt she'd done something wrong to boot, despite nothing being said that even hinted in that direction. Hopefully she would be smart enough to tell the truth.

[member=Alaki]

 

[Bubák]

Truthfully, the unusual visitor had no idea what to say to sate the Jedi’s curiosity. Perhaps the fallen Padawan did not know the true reason of her presence in this sombre place herself, placing blind faith in the Dark Side in hopes of basking in its sweet, delicious power. The teen’s miserable form slowly scrambled back to her feet, still keeping her head bowed in this pathetic submissive display. Both lightsabers continued to lie motionless on the ground, a sign to emphasize she posed no threat whatsoever. Nothing else could be done when faced with such power. Not just the flaming Light Side presence; experience and sheer power alike radiated from the man, his dominance over the fallen Jedi’s abilities unquestionable. While most true Jedi found shining signatures such as this one to be beacons of hope, it was the exact opposite for the former One Sith trainee. Only the ancient evil’s slumbering presence deep beneath this shrine built in its glory gave Alaki the strength to reply.

“Meditating, honourable master Jedi,” spoke the Chiss fearfully and offered another deep bow in an apology, realizing how incredibly vague the explanation was. Then there was the matter of unquestionably meditating on the Dark Side in the same manner Sith did – part of her apology was meant for that, even though she had not stated so directly. Forcing it through her throat appeared impossible, the shame of partially following the Sith ways too great for that. Those few words her lips had uttered still felt too ambiguous though, even to her, prompting the blue-skinned Padawan to add more, voice still trembling at times.

“The Light Side hurts like fire – please do not hold it against me. At times it becomes unbearable and I have to hide in shadow for a while. I beg your forgiveness, master Jedi!”

Another bow, this one quick, accompanied by a swift step back.

It hurt, even now. Only when she let her lightsabers sing its tale of combat and her fury burned out like fuel along with the Dark Side, Alaki was free to let the light shine on her soul, like any Jedi. A counter-productive procedure, one dragging her even deeper down the dark pits. She realized that. Still could not find the amount of inner strength to resist, fearing the benevolent light to cast away her life, which had grown dependent on the seductive lulls and whispers the Dark Side offered. Peace of mind was a foreign concept to the Chiss – at least ever after her capture on Coruscant, forced entry into the One Sith ranks and eventually the inevitable embrace of their teachings.

Peace is a lie.

Shifting nervously, she finally dared to raise her gaze and briefly let her crimson eyes meet the Jedi's blue. Naturally, her sight immediately darted over to a particularly uninteresting stone lying on the ground, suddenly finding it very, very interesting. The moment when their eyes met though was more than enough to fully display the light blue tone colouring her face, making the black veins and other signs of corruption all the more obvious. She knew he had noticed - adding even more shame on the fallen Padawan's head, too aware of her own visage that hideously stood out among those touched by the Light Side of the Force.

[member="Audren Sykes"]

 

[Audren Sykes]

Meditating. In this Dark place, and with no sense of the Light until he'd stumbled upon her. Not the best start to the answers. But she didn't continue well either. Well, that might be considered an understatement; claiming that "the Light hurt like fire" and that she "had to hide in the shadows for a while" was probably some of the worst things a Padawan could claim while on a Light-side faction. That her lightsabers were still on the ground was the only reason he could see to allow her to continue.

Her last sentence seemed to strike a chord in him however. I beg your forgiveness. He didn't care about the 'Master Jedi', he simply brushed that aside mentally. It didn't matter if it was used sardonically, as flattery, or even respectfully. Begging forgiveness. If her words were honest - that was difficult to tell surrounded by the Dark Side - then that would imply there was more of a story there. More of an explanation. That, combined with the quick meeting of their eyes, or more accurately, how quickly she looked away, convinced him to at least hear her out.

"Pick up your lightsabers and come with me."

Without watching, he turned and began walking back towards the perimeter. Not where he'd come in, that had been a distinct line of darkness, but towards another area he'd passed through. While he didn't watch her as he moved, he wasn't stupid enough to simply trust her. Nor did he only pay attention to her, focusing like that only caused trouble. No, he paid attention to everything around him, a sort of focused disfocus where he could react to a threat, be it lightsaber blade or feral animal. Once he reached the location he'd encountered, he stopped. The older trees here were stunted and twisted, but newer growth had sprung up as well, healthy and alive. In like manner, the Force here was more blurred, no sharp distinction between light and dark. Stones dotted the area, he chose a spot where two were close enough to talk and sat on one.

"Sit. Explain."

[member=Alaki]

 

[Bubák]

Alaki blinked with surprise sparkling in her glowing red eyes, yet sheepishly obeyed anyway and retrieved her weapons. Not by a simple hand gesture to call them back into her palms with telekinesis – the girl got down and picked the hilts up the common way. She knew better than to use the Force for menial tasks; a Jedi practice to always keep the Jedi reminded of their humble origins, connect them with those not blessed with the Force’s gift and show that despite all the power the warriors of the Force wielded, they were still just people. This particular concept belonged among the few lucky ones to survive Alaki’s Sith training. For all the dark teachings imprinted within her mind and burned into the teen’s physical form as well, redemption remained an option. Unfortunately, the path meant overcoming her fears and the festering Dark Side addiction.

Like an animal following its master, the Chiss went after the blonde man, silently pacing through the ruins without a voice of protest. Thoughts concerning the inevitable punishment swirled through her head, the lowered gaze signifying guilt and shame. When the duo came to a stop, the Padawan glance around, her attention immediately caught by the scenery. Of course, old and dying trees could be seen anywhere – it was the symbolism that made her gaze widen. A serene smile finally graced her expression. No matter how hard death, destruction and anger tried, there was still hope, evidenced by the young trees reaching up for the sky. After all, she wasn’t all that different from those trees – a broken Jedi that needed to start again and choose a better path this time.

Responding with a careful nod, the fallen Jedi sat on the nearest stone. Even more discomfort washed over her, the closeness to the Jedi Master’ blinding aura making her outright nauseous. She had to get up and choose a different rock a bit further away, much to her embarrassment.

“I, uh,” started the Chiss slowly, eyes drifting all over the place except for the master Jedi, “I used to be a Jedi Padawan of the Republic.”

Just a few years separated her from that moment, yet it still felt like an eternity.

“When the One Sith took Coruscant, I was captured. Interrogated. Forced to join and accept their ways as my own.”

A hard stare frowned at the older man.

“I didn’t have a choice, master Jedi!” The Chiss whined and hugged her knees.

Not entirely true – she did have a choice, but the only other option meant a painful and slow death, perhaps even worse. All ideals have been stripped away from the prisoner by the experienced interrogator, reducing the average Jedi Padawan into a cowardly creature willing to do anything to avoid death. She made no effort to explain all this though, still full of hate directed at her old Jedi self that was too weak to resist the Sith and die with dignity. It only proved the Light Side’s weakness!

“I have never made it as a true Sith. Just an expendable Dark Jedi. I was too weak to become more.”

Regret. Alaki remembered her desperate efforts to grow into a Sith, grasp their power and never be defeated again. A considerable part of her still wished to rise into the Sith ranks, be just like Darth Vader!

“The Sith – I used to believe them to be invincible after seeing them win over and over again. Their ways promised power. The Dark Side’s power could have been mine to command! And…”

Tears rolled down her cheeks, immediately wiped away to hide the emotions swirling within. She was such a pathetic fool, a weakling.

“The Galactic Alliance’s victory over Coruscant opened my eyes. That is why I’m with the Silver Sanctum now. Master Jedi, I want to redeem myself. Even though… I…. the Dark Side’s call is too strong for me to resist.”

A resigned sigh marking the tremendous disappointment she felt over herself closed the girl's mouth and brought silence between the two.

[member="Audren Sykes"]

 

[Audren Sykes]

Audren remained silent during her story. He didn't owe her anything, it was simple manners to do so. It was a sadly typical story, as far as he was aware, for those in the area when Coruscant fell to the One Sith. He hadn't been a part of the galactic community at that point, but he'd heard the stories. Jedi, forced to join the Sith or die, then receive the opportunity to break free. He wondered at first why she hadn't gone with the Alliance, but then remembered that they were quite a bit stricter when it came to the Dark Side.

Throughout her words, he also watched the emotions. Some were in her body language, he wasn't great at reading them but he got bits. Much of it was through the Force though, a tumultuous snare of emotions. Some he recognized, some he did not. Anger, regret. Fear.

The last bit of her explanation, that the Dark Side's call was too strong for her to resist, was odd. She wanted to get better, but it was too strong. It almost sounded like an addiction to the Sephi. They'd seen a few of those on his homeworld, and it had never ended easily. But put together with her previous comment that the Light Side burned like fire...she was going to have some real trouble in the times ahead.

"The Temple mostly houses those of the Light, it's fairly rare to find someone that uses the Dark Side there. And many of those there are stronger in the Force than I am. How are you going to be able to deal with that?"

Back home, they'd had two options: break the addiction or let it be. The deciding point had been whether it was harmful - or could be harmful - to others. If it was just something that would harm the individual, it wasn't worth sinking the resources into trying to cure it. But if it ended up being potentially harmful to others, they had to cut it quick. After all, they hadn't had the resources for a long, drawn-out fight with the addiction. Applying that mentality to the Force was difficult however. Theoretically the girl could be put under a ysalamiri field, cut off all her access to the Force, or one of the other Masters could use Force Light, literally drive the darkness away. Thurion knew how to do that.

The problem with either of those was that there was no way to test. The ysalamiri field was all or nothing, there was no way to wean out of it, to slowly increase the amount of Force power available. And Force Light would drive away the Dark Side, but would it do anything with her mind? After all, it was her mind that told her she needed the Dark, it wasn't essential to life. Rather the antithesis, actually.

[member=Alaki]

 

[Bubák]

Knowing the monumental temple dominating Voss’ surface all too well, the Chiss immediately remembered the sense of discomfort washing over her whenever she set foot on the premises. Such a strange thing, given a similar Jedi structure on Coruscant used to make her feel safe. But those were different times, long lost in the past. Now the Padawan faced stares questioning her twisted appearance and equally twisted history.

Only one thing could be seen in a positive light; undoubtedly, the former Sith wannabe was one of the very few to voluntarily return to the Light, which in itself presented quite a feat. Knowing that didn’t make her feel any better though, as the terribly powerful bond to the Darkness remained, like a parasite continuously feasting on her body. Until she’s been severed from it, she’d never taste peace of mind and soul again.

Alaki, why the bad conscience?
Alaki, why fill your mind with such garbage?
Sith never feel regret.
For them, the end justifies the means.

Bad thoughts seeped into her head in an attempt to confuse the blue-skinned sentient, fully abusing her own indecision. Maybe she should have stayed with the Sith…

Alaki quickly erased such a treacherous notion before it speared its path even further. The only path to follow from now on was the Jedi one, even if stumbles along the way continued to make it a challenging trek. Her sight grew focused again, channelled into the Jedi’s face.

“I’ll… have to overcome it.”

And yet she was in this evil place.

Once more, she felt very displeased with the answer, indicated by a nervous look to the side, suddenly apparently distracted by the wonders of nature.

“I… I don’t want to waste the chance I have been given, master Jedi. Truly, my desire is to become a Jedi, redeem myself and right the wrong. I know this… my presence here speaks otherwise… but the urge to let the Dark Side in is too powerful to resist! I-I-I will accept any punishment you deem fit, master Jedi!”

She threw herself on the ground once more and sobbed. Not because of the inevitable consequences her actions would have, for the Chiss welcomed anything to help her break through this addiction. Alaki cried because she had failed and realized it all too well, her wishful thinking slipping further and further into the realm of dreams that'd never come true.


[member="Audren Sykes"]

 

[Audren Sykes]

Once he mentioned the Temple, an immediate feeling of unease could be sensed from her. But it didn't carry the sort of weight that an impending unease would, it had been dulled somewhat. She'd already been there then. The logic followed, but it was odd for him to be able to make such a distinction. Maybe it was part of growing in the Force, of becoming a Master, though that was just a title. Or maybe he was just dead wrong. That was more likely, it had been the case before and no doubt would be again.

Her response was accurate, but lacked details. It was true, she was either going to have to deal with it or leave, and he got the sense that a part of her didn't want to leave. It seemed she realized the inadequacy of the answer, for she suddenly looked off to the side again. If she did it a third time, he'd consider it a tell. Not one that showed she was lying, just that she was nervous. Not a bad trait to have, one that would help keep her honest, but it would have to be something she outgrew. It would be detrimental if she was ever sent to negotiate.

For all the inadequacy of the answer, she didn't offer any other specifics. Simply expounded that she didn't want to waste her chance and would accept any punishment. That was accompanied by again throwing herself on the ground, but this time she was crying as well. Call him calloused or uncaring, but the sobs did little with him. If anything, he found them mildly annoying. He wasn't without compassion, but he also carried a healthy dose of skepticism. Maybe the sobbing was genuine, maybe it was looking for compassion, looking to have him overlook weaker parts of the story. Or a combination of them, or something else entirely. Showing compassion at the crying was one thing, comforting her was not his style. Yet he didn't intend to punish her, from what he knew this was a first offense. Everyone deserved a second chance, everyone had a learning curve. It was once the second chance was exhausted that correction came into play.

A shiver in the Force diverted his attention from the girl though. Something in the forest had just focused on them, something with not-so-nice intent. Not that it wanted to kill them just for being there, more like it wanted to eat them. Either way, dead was dead. He'd gone through the entire walk here without being disturbed by the wildlife, then she starts crying and catches the attention of a predator. But that was uncharitable of him...it could have been pure coincidence. Especially in this place, with the Dark Side so near. Twenty meters away, a blue form was barely visible through the trees, moving their way slowly and quietly. And hungrily, though he'd heard the things - he'd forgotten the name - were always hungry.

"Your first task has presented itself, it seems. Can you tell me what it is?"

[member=Alaki]

 

[Bubák]

Silence. No judgement followed her pleas – the Chiss lifted her tearful gaze to observe the man, hoping to find the answer hidden in his expression, be it an unforgiving stare or anything else locked behind the stoic mask. His eyes did not meet her own even, silently observing something else in the lush forest. Slowly rising up, the teen scans their surroundings as well; the intoxicating Dark Side’s power kept drawing her senses towards the corrupted ruins, making it impossible to sense much else in the murky waters of the Force.

Infuriating to a degree, definitely, also meaning the Chiss had to rely on her visual sense to observe the world around. A strange thing for a Jedi; all she could truly feel was the master Jedi’s obnoxiously light signature and the eerie, dark and menacing presence looming over the ancient site of evil. All the delicate ripples sent through the Force by other lifeforms simply ceased to exist for the Padawan who happened to stand between two extremes.

For a while, the task of uncovering the intruder bore no fruit. Only after the blue beast moved, its stalking approach indicated by rustling leaves, Alaki finally spotted the animal hidden behind the planet’s natural camouflage.

“Return to the Jedi temple?” she takes a quick guess, the newest source of danger completely silencing her miserable sobs and lowering the volume of her voice. Alaki certainly did not feel like fighting, suddenly very eager to get back.

“We, we should go…!” The Chiss whispers, head turned in the beast’s direction as her feet slowly pad backwards.


[member="Audren Sykes"]

 

[Audren Sykes]

For a second, he simply blinked. Returning to the Temple was certainly an option, but it honestly hadn't been the first thing to come to mind. Too, this was a predator. If they ran, it would follow. Oh, there was a chance it wouldn't, but that chance more or less hinged on a distraction. Something else catching its eye as they went along. In the space of several hours, that could possibly happen...or it could get hungrier and decide to simply attack.

"That's an option. Going to outrun it the whole way back?"

This was an example of how Audren really was one of the worst kinds of teachers. He took a rather dangerous situation and posed an open question. Jedi had to be able to think on their feet, to react to the unexpected appropriately. Besides which, she'd claimed to be a Jedi learner back during the fall of Coruscant. That would have been with the Jedi Order, and they were supposed to be good at standard teaching. It was time to throw something else into the mix. The two most obvious answers were to run or to fight, and between the two of them they'd effectively shot both of those down - he'd pointed out that running was useless, she clearly didn't want to fight. So what were the alternatives?

The Sephi didn't really move, didn't stand to join her, didn't alter the direction of his gaze. But he paid attention through the Force, 'watching' the creature as well as the girl. She was his responsibility, even if he'd not been assigned that responsibility initially. He couldn't just leave, so he might as well make a learning experience of it.

"What are your options?"

[member=Alaki]

 

[Bubák]

Outrunning the beasts was out of option then. The fleeing strategy continued to linger on her mind however – Alaki desired to get out of this place, the prospect of danger overriding the primitive and demented habit to reside close to place infected with the Dark Side’s corruption. Fear also played a role in that, proving to be the weakest and least reliable ally when one sought to call upon the malevolent aspect of the Force. Glued to the beasts, drawn by their predatory features and inevitable approach, the Chiss’ sight did not dare to even briefly glance at the Jedi master. Truth to be told, his words reached her ears only partially, all senses focused on the animals. Maybe they could be scared away? Most wild life tended to run away unless cornered or surprised.

Or hungry. Very, very hungry.

This did not seem to be the right time for a lesson in Jedi ways. Probably. Just a Padawan, Alaki could not really say, sentenced to furiously search for another answer. Only one came to mind when all other possibilities led to running or fighting or both. On the other hand, the lone answer creeping into her mind and ready to roll off her tongue seemed to be even less viable.

“Hiding? Where… how?”

Tearing her glowing red gaze from the animals, she slowly turned her head to look over their surroundings. The ruins probably had many places to hide in – yet the wild beasts were not guaranteed to leave, even if the duo succeeded in concealing themselves somewhere among the ancient stones. A snack waiting to meet its end.

“Uh, maybe a…,” she thought, voice even quieter and stressed, “A distraction? Food?”



[member="Audren Sykes"]

 

[Audren Sykes]

Fifteen meters now. Her brain was moving, but slowly. Hiding was an option, but as she had asked, where and how? The rubble offered plenty of places to hide, but if they didn't know how the creature was tracking them then how would they know how to hide? A distraction was also a good thought, food typically worked with predators. Yet they again fell to the how: what other kind of food was there to offer? The Sith way, presumably, would be to wound the other and leave them behind as bait. Or slaughter the creature, of course.

But Jedi were different.

Jedi would support each other, and they would avoid killing if at all possible. They also didn't let their emotions control them, which was one thing the girl was doing. Her fear was almost palpable, and the stress was clearly affecting her ability to sort through her options. For his part, he already had a specific solution in mind. True, it relied on the Force. Also true was the fact that he wasn't sure it would work, but even if it didn't they still had options. Besides, it was a classic.

"Both are options. How would you distract it?"

As he asked the question, the Sephi reached out with the Force, becoming more aware of the creature. The girl had said that the light side was painful, but in this instance he couldn't exactly spare her the discomfort. He would need the power for what needed to be done. That, and it was a hint. A subtle one at best, to be sure, but a hint nonetheless.

[member=Alaki]