Elbow room – that's what people want

[Darth Zilti]

Maja had never truly considered jurisdictions. She manned a freighter or sold trinkets when planet-side. She was a nobody and came and went as and when she wanted.

It wasn’t that she was suddenly a somebody – but she had certainly moved up the pecking order of late. Her own clothes, more money than she could spend (she found that now she had it, there was nothing she really wanted to buy). In fact the one thing she desired was knowledge and typically its price was too high to pay. But as she saw it, she could come and go on any planet without restriction, and if anyone from the One Sith challenged her? Well she'd just tell them who her sister was. And if anyone outside of the One Sith asked her questions? She'd make sure she didn't tell them about Silara.

She had already started to find out about who gave her the name Vern (she’d kept it for now as she’d grown accustomed to it) and a little more about her real family (her sister was really busy and they’d not really had a proper discussion about it thus far). So the one thing she could do was find out more about the Force.

Since Alexandra had told her she was Force-sensitive, she’d been excited, then ambivalent and now just plain old curious. She didn’t want to chose either side as neither suited her entirely and Alexandra had said that choosing a combination of both meant you’d never be truly powerful in either.

Maja hated answers that didn’t fit what she wanted to hear. So she did what she usually did – keep digging until she got precisely what she sought. And her research had said she should start at some old Jedi enclave on a planet called Dantooine.

So she hired a small ship and headed off for the planet. She wore unassuming clothes – nothing like the beautiful ones her sister had bought for her. She didn’t want to attract too much attention.

As she approached the olive, blue, and brown coloured world, she took in the two moons floating in the skies above the savannahs of lavender and yellow grasses. But she wasn’t here for the sight-seeing.

So – landing a kilometre or so away from her final destination, she hiked the remaining distance to the obscure looking stone building. It looked kind of funny to her with its large fin-like stone structures that encircled the complex's main buildings. Three in total.

What did she expect to find? She didn’t know – but that wasn’t going to stop her looking.

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Maja Vern"]

Glyph smiled as he poked around the inside of the underground portion of the temple, his eyes running over the archive room he had found and while it had been stripped of all knowledge already, probably long before his time, he still looked around inside it for maybe one tiny datachip someone could have lost. Of course though he wasn't going to find anything close to that, the temple was abandoned and everything stripped from it for good, infact the only reason he was left allowed to roam here is because no one cared about it any more.

He picked up something interesting though, not in his hand but on motion detectors he had placed around the perimeter. They were designed to sense for anything not of the average height of a Kath Hound which is what made him so curious. Was someone chasing him, looking for a long lost treasure, or just was his equipment malfunctioning... for now he would see as he made his way towards the entrance, watching it form the inside as his body was swallowed up by the shadows.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja had to thank someone for sharing so much information about the Enclave on datafiles. Datafiles that someone with access to One Sith systems could find quite easily. Even if it wasn’t their own log-in they’d used!

So she headed straight for the west wing's entryway. Once barred by blast doors it now was guarded by little more than fresh air and a sign requesting nobody entered. Like that was going to stop her!

The entry hall descended under the Enclave's main floor and then into the sublevel. She mused that once upon a time this would have been a large garden chamber. But now weeds reigned supreme. Some were almost as tall as her.

She knew there were many classrooms and training chambers in the sublevels, but the one she wanted was the largest room – the Jedi Archives which she’d memorised were located underneath the landing platform. And as there was no Librarian to stop her, she figured she’d walk right in and see what was left.

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Maja Vern"]

Glyph watched her, trailed her, making sure he could gather as much about this woman as he wished and then reveal himself. First he looked at her features, figuring for human or near-human. Next he examined her hair and eyes, looking for signs of the truth of her heritage, maybe hapan... or perhaps Vahla as the hair could indicate her as one of the children... he wasn't sure though he knew she was likely something that closely resembled a normal old human.

Next he focused on the way she walked, confident and without fear. She was either strong, stupid, or just a bit arrogant, very curious for someone like her... next came her age though, now he went about judging that. She looked quite close to his age if not the same which brought him to his last question, which he spoke out loud as he appeared from the shadows behind her. "What are you doing here?"

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja spun when she heard the voice. But before she came to face the owner of the voice she caught herself and slowed down. She wasn't going to react like she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie-jar - even if she had.

She was facing a young boy - perhaps about her age. He evidently wasn't a guard, so she took a few seconds to answer, doing her best to magnify her own importance with the delay in the response. As if she was weighing him up (which she was). "I should ask you the same question. Who gave you permission to come down here, and what have you found?"

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Maja Vern"]

"Well i found this tablet with several languages on it, i think im gonna call it the Protocol Stone. Sounds spiffy ehh?" He smiled and leaned against the wall while he slowly walked into better lighting for her too see. "As for who gave me permission Crimson, i assume the same person that gave you permission, that being no one. So how about we try this again, mind telling me why you are here?" He smiled, the nickname coming easily as he looked at her hair and said it with the same wide smile, kind soft voice, and calm, careful stare he always wore.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja smiled. "You have no idea just how well connected I am." She found the best lies were the ones which were based on truths. She always looked to say something truthful that was similar to the question without being a direct answer.

"Anyway, let me see what it is." She wasn't going to back down so easily - or so quickly.

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Maja Vern"]

Glyph smiled and sighed as he reached behind him and pretended to pull a random rock out of a back pocket, the real thing flying to his hand as he then tossed it to her, letting her watch it as it went up high and Glyph used the distraction it would cause to push the force into his feet and shot forward, smiling as she would soon find him closing the distance much faster than a normal human, his blaster pulled out as he tried to push it into her gut and smiled. Of course Maja would have the chance to stop this, if she didn't though he would speak. "Hey there Crimson, mind telling me why you are here and your name."

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja was used to con-artists but this was different. She followed the deception for long enough to be fooled and by the time she realised what he'd done he was upon her.

She felt the muzzle of the gun in her stomach. She figured if he was going to shoot he would have done so by now. And he could use the Force judging by his speed and finally he had morals judging by the fact she was still alive.

She appraised all of this in a split second, her years of hard knocks and the speed of her brain working in tandem to weigh up her options.

"And if i don't talk?" Her voice was cool and calm. She kept her temper under control for now. She didn't know what to do but what she did fathom was that only the weak give in too easily and if she had long enough, she'd work out a plan. So biding for time seemed entirely sensible.

@Glyph

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Maja Vern"]

"I have a gun to your gut, take a guess..." He laughed and made sure to watch her actions closely, his other hand at his waist, closed around the handle of a saber that hung there. Of course, he was joking about the whole thing, and didn't even keep a powerpack with a charge in the pistol anymore. Of course this would be impossible to tell that the powerpack in the pistol was dead, though he was testing her to see if she was strong and would resist, or break down and tell him what he wanted. It was a Win win for him and now he just waited to see if she was going to give him either of the things he expected, of course, she could try to fight back, then he would have to defend himself.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Now...how far to push this? There has to be a balance to be found. So, no antagonising, but let's see how far we can go without actually giving him what he wants. A cold-blooded killer would have pulled the trigger by now. But then, she'd better not press things too far.

"Nice laugh," she said, aware his other hand was now resting on a lightsaber. "And I'm Maja by the way. Who are you again?"

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Maja Vern"]

He smiled and spoke as she told him her name. "Thanks for the name, goodbye." He squeezed the trigger and soon it clicked but nothing happened, the air shattering as he started laughing and backed up before ejecting the power pack in the back of the pistol. "Its empty, has been for weeks, good to know people still some how feel intimidated in some way possible. Glyph, well my real name isn't glyph but i tell few people and only those that hold a place in my heart my real name."

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja did what Maja always did on these occasions. His laughter was no doubt good-natured and he seemed friendly enough - but for Maja a line had to be drawn. One that he would chose to cross at his peril (or probably more accurately hers - but her arrogance never factored that in).

With virtually no draw-back, she punched him hard on the shoulder. She'd learned to use her hips when punching, it gave the power without telegraphing by pulling your hand back. It would probably register as little more than a sting to him but the intent was clear - don't take things for granted. And she chose the shoulder as it would hurt but was less threatening than somewhere like the face.

And she stared him down, waiting for his response.

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Maja Vern"]

He blinked as the registered, at first not even seeing her hit him as he held his shoulder, holding back the pain and trying not to curse out loud. Aleast she hadn't broken his hand like that blasted Sith, that had taken him every cent he had at the time to fix and was really hoping not to repeat that. So with that he stood there for a minute, pushing the pain down alone slowly, laughing after it stopped hurting and looking up at her as he laughed. "You know, you didn't have to punch me... oh and there are no datafiles left here, ive been looking for the same thing assuming that is why you are here."

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja gave him a sideways look. He didn't react to the punch - and that was good. And he laughed again, which was even better. But she'd keep up at least some aspect of frostiness for now. In her mind, if nowhere else, she was the boss here.

"Nothing?" The disappointment was clear in her voice and face. "I don't know what I expected to find - but something would be better than nothing. What about the classrooms? Anything there?"

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Maja Vern"]

"Now now, no need to sound so sad ok, i mean for force sakes you need to really lay back a bit... come on, i might have missed something, who knows?" He smiled and started to walk past her, patting her on the shoulder and leading on into the archives as he worked at opening the door into the room. There the old Archives that remained either found themselves covered in stones and their files destroyed or obscured. Over in the corner was a small camp and a number of tools.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja stared at the shelves, imagining just how many data files and holocrons might have filled these shelves. She ran her fingers along them, creating a wavy line in the dust. How much would these be worth if full?

Profit was still her first thought but a short while later she rued the loss of knowledge. She pretended to be entirely focused on looking for anything that might have been missed and tried to make her question sound like a throwaway comment.

"What do you know of the Force? ". She didn't want to make her opening line too specific, too inquisitive.

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Maja Vern"]

"Its a tool, but also a way of life. You see, i can use the force as something to just get what i want but that is not right in itself. No you cant get what you want if you cause harm to someone else either through the fact that you cause their lives to worsen. If you want to make your life better, then you make the lives of those around you better first... Then you can go around and point guns in pretty girl's or guys' guts." He smiled at her, the compliment on her looks clear as he continued to talk, this time in verse. "The chambers, dark and hallowed. The Dead, long forgotten. Here we stand in a hall of knowledge, crushed by the greed and arrogance of those that came to bring ruin. Sounds ominous right? Was thinking of putting it on the top of the door to scare off intruders and treasure hunters."

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja listened. Ever since she'd spoken to Alexandra she'd been conflicted about the Force. Choosing one side or the other seemed too constraining but a decision to pick both sides sounded like she'd be less powerful than someone who chose just one path. And this sounded wrong too. She wanted it all.

"Sounds like something you'd find in a fortune cookie!" Her voice was light enough to show no malice was intended. It was hard to stay cross with Glyph. His easy-going manner brought out the best in her

"But what if you don't want to make other's lives better? What if you just want to make your own life better. Not make anyone else worse off - but basically keep yourself to yourself?" As she talked, she continued to look around - ever the scavenger.

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Maja Vern"]

"In doing that and focusing on your alone you remain blind to the suffering of others... here a hypothetical." He sat down and held out his two hands. "Say i was the hands of fate, and i gave you a choice, in my left hand you win your power and wealth, you earn it all as you focused on yourself and through such you find that it comes easy as you do not have to worry about the feelings of others." He opened his hand and forced the fabrication of a weak and small illusion, but the point proven as Maja would see herself as a wealthy woman of power. "But greed and selflessness caused many to inadvertently suffer, their lives were made worse as from your success others took advantage of them and even you would do so, doing what ever you can, even if it came from stealing from someone who was merely here for the pursuit of greater knowledge."

He opened his left hand, and in it was a Maja, not as rich but still well off, and several people thanking her, several standing with her. "In this one you were successful, perhaps not as much as in the greed version of yourself but in the make up of that you hold true friends and the thanks of those you helped... you see your power is not limited by what you do, it is also in what you achieved. So people are not powerful and make up in that by helping others... they put those of the lives of others above themselves... and im not talking about those fakes called Jedi, no i am talking about truly kind souls... as for me... i bring myself, and others joy. After all, i dont see you made at me anymore, are you?" He smiled, his empathy already probing her and finding it funny she had forgiven him so quickly.