Catch A Ride

[Darth Ferus]

Ession. It had been many years since the Zabrak was last on that planet, and now he was here for the sake of a vacation. Being a Sith was a pretty stressful life, often filled with violence and death. Here he was dressed in civilian clothes with his lightsaber hidden within a pocket. He was waiting at the space port for his driver.

Soon enough they would arrive, but for now he was leaning against one of the nearby phone booth.

 

[Riamah]

Ra had been quite busy lately with her duties within the Dominion, but she still had her side job when she had the time. It brought in some extra credits. She didn't usually spend a ton on herself, but kept a small pile for a rainy day and for emergency repairs on her ship.

Today, she woke up and there was a message for her to meet a new client at the spaceport. The transaction for now would be for a single passenger. The details would be worked out when they met.

She showered, put her weapons on, but kept her staff at her place. It was still pretty useless in her hands. Grabbing her cloak, Ra left her place and headed to the spaceport to meet her client.

On Ession, Ra didn't have her personal speeder, so hired a taxi. She arrived a few minutes later, paid the cabbie bot and turned to find her client.

Ra knew from the message, her client was male, but nothing beyond that. The spaceport wasn't very busy for the moment and there weren't too many people loitering about. So it didn't take more than a quick glance to figure out who her client was mostly likely to be. She headed in the direction of the phones and approached him.

She gave the man a polite smile as she walked up, but it did not reach her eyes. This was business and she didn't know the man at all.

"I am Ra'a'mah Numare. What services may I provide for you? If you would like to go inside the spaceport, we can work out the details there."

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Krest raised a brow when he saw @Ra'a'mah exit a taxi. He wasn't sure how anyone would get to a space port on a city planet like this, but part of him had expected the woman to have her own speeder. Maybe it was more economical to use the taxi. Who was he to judge? He didn't even know how to pilot a ship all that well to begin with. He pushed himself off the phone booth as the woman introduced herself and he responded in turn, bowing his head.

"Krest. I have a need for a pilot to take me around Dominion space. I hear it's quite enjoyable here and I'd like to find the proper planet for a home." Straight to the point, though there was something left unsaid as the Sith stood straight up again. "Lead on my dear."

 

[Riamah]

Ra gave Krest a nod and at his last word turned to lead him into the spaceport.

There was something familiar about him, but she could not put her finger on what it was. He mentioned he was looking for a planet to call home and while she was familiar with many of the Dominion held planets, there were likely a few she was unaware of.

Turning her head to look back at him out of the corner of her eye, she asked what kind of planet he was looking for.

It didn't take them too long to make their way to where she kept her ship and lowering the ramp, she climbed aboard. It was a reliable old YT-1300 model, but it provided whatever was needed for travelling.

"Only rule I have, is I do the cooking."

She wondered if there was anything special Krest would want to eat on the journey, but if he did, she would just pick up whatever he wanted along the way.

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"I won't argue with you cooking, if that's what you want to do." He chuckled as he followed [member="Ra'a'mah"] on board, setting his hands into his pockets. He kept to himself as he wandered aboard the ship, simply to get his bearings. He would be on this ship for some time after all. Eventually he would make his way back to his host, his hands still in his pockets. "Got any ideas for the first stop?"

 

[Riamah]

Ra allowed Krest to look around the ship as she went about prepping for take off and gaining clearance for that. She was sitting in the cockpit when he found her, waiting on the final word that she was free to take off.

Turning her head to motioned to the chair next to her.

"Have a seat."

She pulled up the navicomputer that displayed the planets and known hyperspace routes to them. To an untrained eye, it would all look confusing. He had asked about the worlds within the Dominion so that made the area to search much smaller. Pressing another button on the map, the selection got smaller and she pointed to the more well known locations as well as her own ice rock of Helska IV.

"Currently under Dominion control and you looking for a place to call home, I would suggest starting to look on Taris."

If he asked, for specifics on the location, she would answer to the best of her knowledge and if there was something she couldn't answer Ra would do her best to get an answer for him.

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Taris? Been a while since I last visited there, but if it's as good as it was I'd have to agree." That was decades ago. A bemused smile sat on his face as he sat beside [member="Ra'a'mah"] . He didn't bother looking to the star map, already knowing its mumbo jumbo would confuse him more than he wanted to be. He never did understand flying, which was why he had hired her in the first place.

"They have any farmlands? Or has it returned to the spiraling city that covered it's surface?"

 

[Riamah]

He thought Taris a was good place? Ra found that a little odd considering its history, but kept that to herself. Things had changed over the millennia and Taris was one place that had been up and down so many times.

"I do not know if they have farmlands honestly, but the Dominion is trying to rebuild it...again and turn it back into its former form of a city."

The information that she was able to find was limited, but that they were going about reconstructing it.

"This will be the first time for me going there, so we will see it together."

There was something that had been gnawing at her since she met her client. Ra could not place what it was though, but she had the feeling they had been within close proximity prior to today. Shrugging it off for the moment, she set the course in the navicomputer and watched as the stars faded and turned into the blue nebula of hyperspace.

"It's going to take a bit of time to get there since it's almost on the other side of Dominion controlled space."

By her guess it would actually be about three days unless there was real need to get there faster.

@Krest

 

[Darth Ferus]

"I've never been one to hurry, especially with how old I am." He let out a light hearted chuckle as he leaned back in his seat. Krest truly was in no hurry, though he wasn't sure how [member="Ra'a'mah"] would fair. "Tell me something though, I noticed it earlier. You can use the Force right?" Three days was going to be a long time, but perhaps he could get more information from her about the Dominion, or even find himself another spy.

 

[Riamah]

He had a sense of humor which hopefully meant they would get along on this extended journey through Dominion space. Leaning back in his seat he looked at Ra as he spoke. He asked about her ability to use the Force and she raised an eyebrow at him slightly before answering. Her words almost came out reluctantly, but there was no point in lying outright especially given they were going to be together for a while.

"Yes, I can use the Force and with you asking that, I assume you can as well?"

Her own training was rather limited and for many things, she still relied on more mundane methods to get things accomplished. How could he tell anyway? Giving time, she hoped that question would be answered and if it was skill, perhaps he would be willing to teach her. It would be useful to know how to tell if a person could or couldn't use the Force.

@Krest

 

[Darth Ferus]

"I'm sure you've felt that already. It's an interesting thing, one force user able to sense another. Have you not been trained all that much?" If not, good. The less @Ra'a'mah knew, the more he could impress and influence. In truth he had only come here and had the woman fly him around so he could find the Sith home within the Dominion, but perhaps there was another objective he could complete.

"Would you like to learn?"

 

[Riamah]

Ra shook her head in before speaking. Her eyes showed her curiosity.

"No, I've only just started learning about the Force actually."

Shrugging her shoulders slightly before continuing.

"Basics mostly I think- telekinesis, meditation. I know both the Jedi and Sith Codes, but that's about it."

The feeling grew on her, that she knew this man. How was the possible though? This was the first she'd seen him. She found it unlikely, but the feeling persisted. He then offered to teach her and she most certainly wanted to.

She wanted power and knowledge was power, anything to add to that would assist her. Coming to a decision, she nodded.

"Yes, I would."

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Jedi and Sith have quite the different beliefs. I've always found it easier to follow the Sith training, controlling the force through your will rather than letting it flow through your body." Perhaps a hint at Krest's background, but even an ex Sith would still use the Force as a Sith. "I can show you a thing or two with that, if you don't mind it." There was still a smile on his face, and he hoped it would be enough to bring her in.

 

[Riamah]

"They do indeed and both are valid paths to follow. I'm not sure which one is correct for me as I keep my emotions so close."

Ra narrowed her eyes slightly at him after she spoke. They were not hostile or anything, but she had said far more than what she normally would have to a person she had just met. Wondering if he was trying to manipulate her, however she did not feel that such a suggestion was being pushed on her. This was normal conversation.

"I always thought it was the intention of the user that makes the Force light or dark. The Force itself is neutral. While a Jedi does go with the flow", she gave a half smile at this. "The sith take it away from the natural flow. In doing so, pollute it?"

Even if it wasn't asked as question, her voice conveyed it as such. It was something up for debate, though his offer to show her some things was tempting.

Tilting her head slightly, her eyes no longer narrowed as she looked at him.

"As long as it doesn't put me or my ship in danger, you're welcome to show me whatever you wish."

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Ah, but there are some Jedi who realize that the Dark is part of a balance. Once I was a Grey, seeking balance between the light and the dark. In that balance, there is truth. And the truth is the Force cares not for how you use it or what sort of person you are." The elder pushed himself from his seat as he went towards the larger room behind them. There he would kneel down, his hands casually in his lap. "Come, kneel. We'll start with being able to listen to the Force. It's a trick I learned to be very valuable." Why, he didn't say. But Krest would wait for [member="Ra'a'mah"] to kneel with him before he would continue.

 

[Riamah]

"Well, yeah, there's dark and light, good and bad in everything. For me, there's more bad stuff that happens it seems and life is full of pain. More or less just struggling to live a day at a time."

The Zabrak pushed himself from his seat to head into the commons part of her ship, inviting her to join him. Ra would have done that anyway, but she was glad he included her. She double checked to make sure everything was set with her ship and went to join him.

Krest was kneeling on the floor and waited for her to kneel with him. Kneeling down, but sitting back on her heels, Ra looked at him.

"What do you mean listen to the Force?"

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"When you close your eyes and ignore the world around you the Force begins to speak. It's whispers, it's warnings. About everything around you, the future, the past. Sit, listen, focus." With that Krest would fall silent, his eyes shutting as he did just as he said. To him this was a natural feeling, and he enjoyed listening to it. It was better than the silence he would otherwise have to deal with. Deep breaths helped him focus, and soon enough he could 'hear' the whispers of the Force around him.

 

[Riamah]

Ra knew about meditation, but not listening to the Force while in that state. Previously, only feeling the flow of it around and through her. This seemed simple enough to accomplish and she closed her eyes. Listening to the words of Krest and tuning out the other sounds around them. The ship fell silent, its only sounds were that of the engine's almost silent hum as it spend them to Taris.

Soon Ra felt the Force as it flowed, but it remained as silent as her ship. She knew things came with practice and patience, so she remained silent through the exercise. Nothing, no sound, no vision and she let out a sigh.

[member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Don't force it, and don't expect it to come to you. Remember, the Force doesn't care who you are. You're nothing but a speck of sand in a galaxy wide desert and it is the raging river cutting down the middle. You must ride the waves, not try to turn them." It wasn't a very Sith like belief, but that was how Krest was. Once again he would fall silent, but this time because the Force was whispering around him. Something was going to happen, and it might turn violent.

 

[Riamah]

Ra nodded and closed her eyes again. Making a mental picture in her head of actually getting into the river of the Force. When she first learned of the Force, meditation and the door was opened for her, this was what she had to do. Take a swim. Finding, reaching and using the Force was much easier for her now, but sometimes new things eluded her and she had to go swimming. Such was the case with this.

Going with the flow of the river, Ra opened her ears to listen. For once instead of silence, she could hear something. Stopping to listen closely, what she heard was her past and her first brush with darkness on Irn. The touch of the Dread Seed that had been found there and its effect on her. The feeling of the following battle and the arrival of a sith lord.

She had felt him then and now knew who sat with her guiding her in this exercise. Ra opened her eyes, coming out of the meditation almost instantly and giving herself a headache.

"I guess that was productive, Lord Krest."

Rubbing her head to help​ headache go away, Ra sat down on her rear end instead of kneeling like Krest was. Her voice slightly dry of any humor when she spoke and she just looked at him kneeling there.

She had no reason to attack or get hostile in any way, he had not done anything to her that battle and this was first they had actually met. He was also the first sith she knew to be a lord. Looking at him with new knowledge of who he was made her wonder what he was really doing in Dominion space. Ra kept that question o herself, not giving it voice.

[member="Krest"]