Damsel not in Distress? Rescue her, anyway! (Mallisi)

[Evard L'Rik]

Was there a specific reason Evard was flying through Jedi-controlled space in a Nubian yacht covered in green enamel and electrum? Nope! He was on a little joyride, something he totally felt that he could indulge in, because why the hell not? He was rich, handsome, and nobody here knew he was a Sith anything.

So, he dropped into Ossus, and decided to make a little mischief. Why not? He wasn't gonna hurt anybody, and he might even help someone. The whisper-quiet engines of his ship held it at a hover, outside a window. Evard didn't notice, but the window led to a Padawan's quarters. He just parked the ship there, and sat on the ledge outside the window, reflecting on the fun he was going to try and have today.

[member='Mallisi Kyrgen']

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

The last thing Mallisi expected to hear when she was in the middle of her studies were the nearly silent rumbles of a ship's engines outside of her window. And if that wasn't odd enough, a man had climbed out of the same vehicle and perched on the window ledge as if it were an ordinary, everyday thing, and this wasn't the Jedi Temple that was all but off limits to anyone who didn't belong to the Order. And in the slim chance that he was a new Padawan, he would still find himself in trouble with her master and the rest of them if he didn't resolve to park his ship elsewhere, at the very least. But something told her he didn't belong there, and it wasn't just his presence. Out of all the things she'd been taught in her first days of Jedi training, dealing with arrivals like this was not one of them.

With a quiet sigh the Padawan stood and stretched momentarily, reaching back with a hand to pull up the hood on her otherwise semi-revealing outfit. It wasn't like the garment would do much to conceal her appearance at a close view, but it was the best she could afford. None were to say that this new arrival wasn't here for malevolent purposes, though if he was something would have already happened, most like. That wasn't for her to ascertain. Right now all she wanted to know what he was doing outside of her window, and it better be a good reason he gave her, or she wouldn't be too happy. Or, well, less happy than she already was about the entirety of it, although it was more of a minor irritance at the moment than anything.

Making her way across the room she leaned against her side of the ledge and studied the man for another moment before speaking, her tone relaxed as if this was a casual encounter on the streets. "Can I help you?"

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard looked up at the woman looking at him from her window, and grinned like a madman. At the push of a button, the ship lowered itself to the ground, and his attention turned to the woman herself. A Cathar, and a rather beautiful lady at that. Interesting. He shrugged, still grinning.

"No, not really. Just enjoying the wind in my hair, and the metal on me getting cold."

He pulled the sleeve away from his arm, to reveal the phrik-encased metal combat prosthetic that had replaced his right limb. He wasn't shy about it anymore, and it actually garnered sympathy from some people.

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

Her mind still half-focused on her previous engagements, particularly her study of the saberstaff and all of the history that accompanied such a unique weapon, it took Mallisi a few moments to wrap her mind around exactly what he was saying. Apparently she was the only one feeling out of place about the situation, because he seemed completely at ease with things. Never mind the fact that he'd just landed a ship on restricted grounds and was currently perched on the ledge of a window of the Jedi Temple, everything was perfectly normal. Well, that was fine and dandy, for him. For her, not so much. The only problem was her lack of experience in dealing with trespassers. Learning on the go was one way to go about things.

"In case you haven't noticed, this is the Jedi Temple you've managed to find yourself at. So unless you're looking for someone in particular or are here for training, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." If only she had at the very least a training lightsaber on her, that might have made her sound more authoritative. But she hadn't been allotted one outside of her training sessions just yet, so she would have to make do with her own persuasion, whether through the Force or not. Although just a learner, she still felt it was at least partially expected of her to keep the Temple grounds under wraps, and this was a part of it.

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard tilted his head, and let his hair tumble out around his face, as he gave the girl a look. She didn't really seem to understand who she was dealing with. Of course, that was the point of flying the yacht instead of the Resurgent, but she didn't need to know that. He grinned lazily, and held a hand out in a sort of nonchalant gesture.

"You don't have to ask me to do anything, really. You could just relax, and enjoy the sun and the wind, and the cold front coming in. It really is quite comfortable out here. How do you live here without submitting to the urge to just step out and feel nature? Seems sort of hypocritical, no?"

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

At that she only shrugged, still trying to pinpoint what exactly was so odd about the aura emanating from him. It was dark, certainly, but nothing she really expected from someone who would follow one of the dark side sects. And since Mallisi wasn't experienced enough in dealing with any enemies of the Jedi to know what to expect, she would have to go on her instinct. It hadn't failed her yet, and she couldn't imagine it doing so now. But, one of the early lessons taught to her being how to react to things diplomatically instead of with aggression, she simply perched on her own side of the ledge, on the opposite side of him, simply taking in the fresh air and the breeze for a moment. Maybe she'd have to see about having her next training session outside, if her master would oblige.

But that wasn't on the forefront of her mind at the moment. Now her curiosity about this stranger was piqued. "It seems just as odd that a dark sider would be stopping by the Temple here just to pay a visit to a Padawan. But I'm not one to judge." Still her tone was light, as if they were conversing about something as simple as the weather. But inwardly she still wasn't sure how to feel about the entirety of things, and some part of her knew that it would be wiser to at the very least have someone else aware of what was going on at the moment. It was the middle of the day, so the fact that someone hadn't noticed yet was odd in and of itself.

"And I think I do have to, unfortunately. This isn't exactly public property, and it's painstakingly obvious you aren't a Jedi, or anyone looking out to be one." Already she acted as if their conversation was over, hopping down off of the ledge and turning to face him. "But it was nice meeting you, really." Her demeanor wasn't icy per se, but it definitely wasn't as friendly as she would be with her fellow Jedi.

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Grinning widely, now, Evard looked from the girl to the scenery, and back. Of course he was conscious of her warning tone, and the slight implication that he was unwelcome here, but he wasn't really welcome in Sith buildings, either. He was the black sheep, and nobody seemed to want him very much. This was no exception, but he decided to change the subject.

"Must suck. Being a Jedi of the Republic, I mean. Not being able to leave this lovely planet, or the temple on it. Not bashing it, really. Just trying to figure out why an intelligent cat like you would want to be stuck in such a blinkered group. Mind you, the Sith are nearly as bad. Stuck in their rage and old magic."

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

At first it caught her off guard to hear how he spoke of the Republic, but with their differing points of view, it didn't come as that much of a surprise. Mallisi had to remind herself that it wasn't another Jedi she was talking to, and that there would be many others that would share his same opinion. This was only the tip of the figurative iceberg. "We're doing something, at least. That's more than can be said for the majority of groups in the galaxy." She made her way over to her desk once more, straightening a few things before turning back to him. "Sometimes, action through inaction can be the wisest decision."

Now she walked back over to the window, studying him for a long moment with her cat-like eyes. "I'm not seeing why it's such a concern of yours, really. You don't have to bother with staying here, or going through any sort of training, so it shouldn't bother you. Live and let live, I believe is the saying." She leaned forward on the ledge once more. "And the Jedi aren't nearly as bad as everyone seems to think we are. It's a far more interesting life than what anyone else in the galaxy has to offer, from what I've seen. Even if I can't leave Ossus just yet."

Mallisi blinked and shrugged again. "Some degree of tradition is necessary, most would argue. But we aren't as stuck in old rituals as you seem to think. Did you come here to debate the philosophies of living as a Jedi, then? There are classes for that, if you're so interested. And plenty of information in the Archives. Talking to a student might not be the best way to learn."

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard smiled at the Cathar girl, understanding now. She probably didn't know much of the galaxy outside of this temple, and she'd probably been brought up in the Republic, too. He folded his legs in front of him, and pointed at her with his metallic hand.

"When the Republic not only loses its capital, but fails to enact major damage to the Sith, I don't think you can call it 'doing something'. They're letting other governments create an annoyance, but that's all it is. Their empire might be small, but the Sith hold it well. Inaction is inaction, and action is action. The last decisive 'action' the Republic, or the Order, took was banishing the masters and students who became the Levantine Sanctum and the Silver Jedi."

He relaxed slightly, his opinion fully out. He sighed, and put his hands behind his head, resting on the wall of the temple. He smiled easily at the pretty, furred, girl.

"Just because it doesn't affect me, doesn't mean it's not wrong. Your Master probably teaches you about lack of emotion and whatnot, along with peace and neutrality and justice. It's not a lie, but rather a misinterpretation. Go ahead, ask me why."

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

This was blossoming into a rather engaging discussion. But, then again, the only other person she'd talked to about this sort of thing with was her Master, and given that he was a Jedi, his opinion was rather biased. A new point of view was always refreshing, even if it was so drastically different from her own. Being relatively new to the Order Mallisi didn't have much of a background on what it was he was speaking of when it came to those who were banished. Some more research was called for, on that subject. "Being a new student, I'll grant you that I'm not aware of much of the history regarding things. But I can assure you that there are Jedi who wish to take more of a militant stance when it comes to what's going on in the galaxy right now." That was all she mentioned on the subject, knowing that it wouldn't be wise to reveal too much about the Order's plans to an outsider.

Now she would move on to her own opinion regarding all that had been said. "Not a lack of emotion so much as a regulation of it. Even Jedi feel emotion, believe it or not, but letting it make decisions for us won't achieve anything in the long run. A sort of removed view is necessary for any disagreements to be judged fairly, otherwise it's just taking sides. I can't see where peace, neutrality and justice are a bad thing, really. They're far better alternatives than what any imperialistic government could have in mind, and far more fair for everyone." Once more she sat on her side of the ledge. "But I suppose you're going to enlighten me on your point of view, anyhow. I have to admit, it is quite interesting, the way you think about things."

An amused smile turned up the corners of her mouth as she thought to just what her Master and any others would say if they could see her now, conversing peacefully with a dark sider when she should be working on chasing him off of the Temple grounds. But so far he hadn't done anything harmful to anyone or anything, and she didn't see the harm in talking over their opinions on things. It was its own sort of training in a way, something they could hardly disapprove of, especially given the fact that she was a new Padawan.

"I will tell you that it would be more beneficial for the Republic to be more involved in things as a whole, but as for taking up arms...it's more of a last resort thing, especially with the Jedi. We're guardians of peace before anything, and a drawn out conflict won't progress us any further towards that end, whether in the long or short-term. If it's at all possible, diplomacy is always the preferred course of action. It costs less lives, for one."

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard shrugged, and held his arms out again. This was fun, talking to this Jedi girl about ideology and such. It'd been such a long time since he'd actually been able to talk to another person his age about it. Most of the Dark Lords were old, or submerged in the Dark Side, or just plain assholes. He grinned at the girl's mention of more militant Jedi. That was the right thing. The sides of the Force were supposed to fight each other.

"There's no such thing as impartiality or neutrality, unless you're a lobotomy patient or a computer. You can't enact justice if you don't follow your feelings. Laws are there to protect the desires of the people. Desire is the key thing, there. People only exist because they want to. There's a number of people out there who shouldn't exist, and the only way to remove them is by having the desire to do so. You don't get anywhere without emotion and desire."

He smiled wider, and tapped the place where his metal arm was attached to his chest.

"I'm alive simply because I wanted to fight myself off a long time ago. I exist in this state because I want to be happy this way. Any number of Sith or Jedi could've healed me, or cleansed the corruption that I destroyed, but I took action myself. I cut my arm and my leg off so that I could survive. And then I made myself this way so I could live. Life is conflict. Life is the image of the Force. Light, Dark, and shades of grey. Makes me wonder what merry game people's lives are to it."

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

The bit of insight he let her have into just what happened to him to give him his prosthetics sparked her curiosity once more, but yet again she had to remind herself that this wasn't any ordinary discussion, and besides, prying into something he'd only just briefly referenced wasn't going to make her any friends in the long run. Then, she wasn't sure if friendship was the goal here. In fact, the endgame of their entire conversation was a mystery to her. Maybe he was just as curious as she was, and all of this was just his way of gaining more knowledge. One could never be too careful, though. At least in her mind.

But still, she had to object to some of what he had to say. Even if she couldn't change his opinions, she could at least make hers known. "It's not like we're trying to be devoid of any emotion, because we're not. That's what everyone seems to misunderstand. Whenever someone mentions Jedi they automatically think of emotionless drones. We understand that everyone feels emotions, ourselves included. They're a part of life, just as much as breathing. Like I said, we aren't immune to it. It's how far we let it control us that makes the difference. However impossible it might be, neutrality is the goal, there. 'There is no emotion, there is peace.' That's why that tenet of the Code was created in the first place." This was turning into more of a lecture than she would have liked, but she wasn't sure if it was more one-sided or not.

"In the end, peace is our desire. But fighting to achieve it unless it's absolutely necessary seems a bit hypocritical, at least to me. Fighting for peace is like killing to preserve life. It can't be done while expecting the goal to be completed. We won't hesitate to take up arms should we be threatened, but the point is to not have to, eventually. Maybe not today, maybe not by the end of my lifetime, but eventually."

Mallisi paused thoughtfully at his views on life. "Life is something to be protected and cherished, in any form, above all else. Conflict is only as necessary as one makes it out to be."

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard's smile dropped, realizing that he'd slipped. He'd told a random stranger something about himself that even his closest friends didn't know. His voice turned sharp, showing an anger he felt more towards himself than anybody else. The girl's last sentence made him forget any thought of ideology.

"Go on... Ask, dammit. I know you want to. Ask me why no Jedi or Sith will take me."

A tear ran from his eye, unexpectedly, and he whispered to himself.

"Ask me why my family is dead."

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

His sudden change in demeanor was anything if not unexpected, and Mallisi wasn't sure how to respond for a long moment. It wasn't so much that she didn't know how to respond as not knowing if he'd rather she attempt console him or let him be until he composed. Everyone was different, and her intention wasn't to make any memories of him worse than they had to be. They might have just been strangers, but she had enough respect for him for that. It was obvious they were painful incidents to remember, but something inside of her wondered what had sparked this sudden change. The last thing she'd expected was this to result from their simple conversation.

In the end her own respect for him won out against what might not have been called for, and she pulled him into a gentle hug, releasing him after a moment with a friendly smile, attempting to emanate a caring aura through the Force, something similar to what her Master had done when they'd first met. Even if she wasn't successful, no one could fault her for trying. "I'm not going to ask you anything you aren't comfortable with remembering, let alone answering." Her voice had taken on a gentler tone. "That isn't my place."

Instead of continuing to bring up topics related to something he so obviously didn't want to remember, she attempted a change of subject. "My name's Mallisi, by the way. I suppose it's only fair, since we've been talking for so long."

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard smiled weakly, tears still coming from his eyes. He held out a hand to the Cathar girl, and the metal shone.

"I'm Evard. I'm glad you're here, Mallisi."

He leaned back again, and closed his eyes.

"Seriously, ask... You have my biggest secret, already. No harm in telling you why it happened, now."

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

With another smile she shook his hand, studying him for a moment. It still caught her slightly off guard how quickly he'd gone from analyzing and critical of a Jedi's way of life to so meek in less time than it took for her to blink. But she supposed now wasn't the best time to question such a thing. Instead she would do her best to offer support if he needed it, or to just listen to what it was he had to say with a sympathetic ear. He could say what he wished about the Jedi, but from her point of view, being one made her more suited to this type of situation. Even being untrained, for the most part, in the use of the Force, she still found it somewhat easy to impress a calming feeling on him, if only just to help put him at ease.

"I'm happy to be here for you, Evard." Mallisi smiled again, this time at his resilience in wanting to share the story anyhow. "I'm still not going to ask, if bringing it up makes you uncomfortable. I know we've only just met, but I have enough respect in me, I like to think, to know my boundaries. But if sharing it will help you let things out, in the long run, I'm happy to listen. Regardless of what you choose, the choice is entirely yours. I don't want you to feel like you're forced to do anything." She had taken on an almost maternal role, though she wasn't sure what made her so protective of him all of a sudden. Life had a funny way with things.

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard smiled, and tapped Mallisi gently on the cheek with his hand, the normal one. He was a bit annoyed to notice that she was a couple inches taller than him, but that was no matter.

"You're cute... That's the first time I ever slipped. But it's your story to hear, now. Just don't throw me off this ledge when I'm done."

He offered his arm, so she could get close, but he wouldn't be surprised if she didn't want to snuggle up like that. After all, what did this pretty Jedi woman want with a grizzled darksider, who couldn't even argue properly.

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

There was a brief moment's hesitation before Mallisi shifted her position on the ledge so she could move closer to him, finally reaching up to lower the hood she wore, seeing no point in guarded anymore, however pointless it was in the beginning. They might not have exactly been the best of friends just yet, but there was no harm in their close proximity. It was only fair that she listen to what he had to say. After what their talk had turned into, though she wasn't sure what to call it, she owed him that much, at least. "No one will be getting thrown off any ledges. Jedi's honor?" The statement was accompanied by a small smile, as she could already imagine exactly what he'd have to say when it came to the honor of any member of the Order.

A calm, quiet talk like this wasn't the first thing that had come to her mind when she imagined encountering someone who followed the dark side. If anything she had expected something similar to the stories she'd heard as a child, so this was a nice surprise. The fact that he was willing to hold a civil conversation spoke volumes about the misconceptions that often came with no Jedi being able to tolerate any who took the dark side as their domain, and it did the same likewise for the other side of things. And so far, she didn't mind this unexpected kind nature. It was welcome to the alternative.

"I'd be interested in hearing more about your point of view regarding the Jedi as well, if you're up still up for that talk." It was a relatively off topic comment, but curiosity killed the cat, or the saying went.

[member="Evard L'Rik"]

 

[Evard L'Rik]

Evard was pleasantly surprised when Mallisi slid up to sit next to him. Even if she wasn't going to get super-close to an unknown darksider, at least she wasn't keeping her distance. He grinned wryly at the words 'Jedi's honor', but he didn't comment on it other than a low chuckle.

"Later. Before we talk about that, you should have a bit more context, or whatever."

He took out a screwdriver and fixed a panel on his arm as he talked.

"So, I grew up on some Hapan colony or another. I don't remember where it was, or the name of it. Anyway, there was some huge dig going on. A dig led by the Jedi Order, and my dad was part of an enclave or something around there. One day, they found a really weird holocron that my dad brought home to lock up, and maybe destroy. It wasn't a cube, or a pyramid, or anything that would suggest that a crazy motherfucker from the Hyperspace War would try and take over people's bodies with it."

There was more to the story, but at that moment, Evard had hit an important part of the re-calibration of his arm, and he was focusing intently on it.

[member="Mallisi Kyrgen"]

 

[Ahe'Rain Sekairo]

"The Hyperspace War..." If he was referring to the conflict Mallisi imagined, then the holocron was from ages past, most likely belonging to one of those on the side of the Sith Empire. "If you're talking about what I think you are, then the holocron your father found was from the first age of the Sith, when their empire was still new to the galaxy and the Jedi weren't quite sure who it was they were facing just yet, even if they did end up winning the conflict." Her comments might not have related directly to the story, but any knowledge she had was something to be exploited, if only to better her understanding of the circumstances he spoke of.

What she didn't mention was the fact that there was most likely something more to the dig than just hiding away the holocron for no one else to find, or destroying it to better the galaxy. If the Jedi of old were half as curious as some of those belonging to the Order today, then the artifact had been recovered for research before being eradicated. Learning more about one's enemies was something no one could pass up, especially concerning how active the dark side sects had become in the galaxy as of late. But that wasn't relevant to his story, and if it was already painful enough to remember, she didn't want to mention something that would make it more difficult.

"It seems odd that the holocron wasn't affiliated with either Order, though. Especially if it was that old." And from what little context he'd given her beforehand, it sounded like the work of a Sith.

Instead of pushing him to continue his story she watched as he tinkered with his cybernetic, the technology all but unfamiliar to him. It was enough that he was simply telling her the tale, and she didn't want to push anything.

[member="Evard L'Rik"]