I Walk The Line

[NightSister]

She'd almost come back to Voss, wanting to take one last look around the planet that had housed her old life. It would've been a good chance to delete herself from the records, too - something she'd thought of doing for some time now, as a symbolic final step in leaving the Jedi for good. Something had stopped her, though. Not exactly fear, but something along those lines. The desire to avoid confrontation. One day, if the opportunity came, she would gladly oppose the Jedi, but perhaps in a less petty manner.

Instead, she'd chosen Eshan - as much a part of her Jedi days as Voss had been, truly. Part of her less-Jedi days, too. Aria now associated the planet with being a Jedi too much to have the same fondness for it that she'd had growing up, but she still loved it as much as any who'd grown up a happy child would love their mothership. She'd spent her years learning to fight, learning to use the Force - learning to be a Jedi, yes, but she could hardly blame her parents for wanting to raise their ward as they themselves had been raised - even if everything good about her childhood had ultimately been made moot by now, Aria would always have a degree of affection for Eshan and the memories it held.

Today though, she wasn't only here to reminisce. She did plenty of that anyway. She wasn't even here thanks to the guiding hand of the Force, though that had certainly helped. Today, she honestly just wanted some peace of mind. Some enjoyment, perhaps. Maybe she'd even have a drink, enjoy the parts of life the Jedi were most insistent on repressing. Sentiment had turned what could've just as easily been a day-trip to any other planet into a short visit down memory lane, but her main goal was still the same: a day out.

And any good day out started in the traditional Echani fashion: a quick visit to a dojo. Partly a chance to de-stress in a more aggressive fashion, but mostly just a chance to revisit her favourite hobby. Not the same dojo she'd frequented as a child, of course: too many memories, and too great a chance she'd be recognised. But there were numerous ones all over the planet - martial arts were a great deal of the planet's culture, after all - and so she felt she could flex her muscles without fear of recognition.

She was nearly there right now, having landed her ship - well. It belonged to the Jedi, but Aria had been a Jedi when she'd taken it - only twenty minutes from a martial arts gym that the HoloNet reccomended, so that she could soak in the memories as she walked the distance. The streets were gorgeous at this time of day, the mid-morning sun blanketing the neat rows of houses in a warm, pleasant light. She was glad she'd come.

[member="Lucia Nox"]​

 

[Lucia Nox]

"Please tell me that isn't all there is to eat on Eshan." Lucia Nox was staring into a sizzling pot of space slugs, brandished underneath her nose by one of the cheerful market vendors who lined the streets, filling the mid-morning air with interesting aromas and the pleasant buzz of business opening for the day. This particular vendor was an old Echani man with eyes bearing the filmy, silver color of semi-blindness, and he clucked at Lucia admonishingly. "A meal of slugs makes for a strong fighter," He said, reaching into the pot and extracting one slug--still wriggling with life--to wave it in front of Lucia's face. "What do you think, child? Now that you're on Eshan, will you be dining like an Echani warrior?" The slithery thing made Lucia shudder. "I think not, thank you."

The old man smiled toothlessly and brought the slug closer. It was enough to send Lucia reeling backward and into the throng of people beginning to crowd the streets of the marketplace, where she bumped into the figure of a woman. "Sorry," Lucia murmured out of habit, barely sparing the other woman a passing glance as she prepared to turn and walk away--but she stopped abruptly. When she bumped into the woman, she'd felt something--something beyond the corporal--and it washed over her now like a dark wave. It was an odd thing to feel on such a warm, sunny day, but Lucia recognized the pull of the Force, and she knew it was warning her to stop and pay attention.

'You are going to Eshan to train,' Her master had reminded her firmly before she departed for the planet, known for its advanced martial arts. 'Don't let your recklessness distract you.'

It was too late for Lucia to remember her master's warning now. She peered out toward the woman from beneath the cover of her hood, clear blue eyes tapering like that of a curious cat as she studied the source of that dark, strange pull of energy. The woman was dressed to spar and seemed to be heading toward the large dojo just ahead. A hideous foreboding crept over Lucia's body, and suddenly--as if propelled by some other power greater than her own volition--Lucia found that she was following close behind.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

The streets were always busy in the morning - the markets in particular. Aria hadn't been to this side of Eshan a whole lot, but the planet was largely the same all over: a cheerful hustle, a sense of comradeship amongst the passersby even as they brushed past each other hurriedly. She'd always loved that about her culture. Her warm sense of nostalgia clashed with the ice-cold spite that underlined her mood so often nowadays, even as she tried her hardest to set aside her bad temper.

In the same moment, Aria was jostled slightly and her head whipped around: a slender hooded figure was apologising hurriedly as she turned to keep on her way. Nothing unusual, then. Nothing -

Jedi.

Lately, Aria had come to think of the Jedi to be like an old friend who'd broken her trust: she had happy memories of her old life, in some ways she wanted it back, but at the end of the day, she knew it would never happen. In that time, however, the Echani had been living as an outlaw of sorts on Khar Shian - she'd not come across any Jedi individually since her departure from Voss. Not turning her head back, Aria tried to concentrate on the nearby Force-signature: the girl had potential, lots of it, but she was yet to put it to use. Well, that wouldn't change if she stayed with the Jedi - but that wasn't her problem. If she stopped on her way every time she happened upon a gifted soul with wasted potential, she'd be as stationary as ever. A quick glance around, and Aria kept going. She had things to be doing.

Eyeing the interior of the dojo with an appraising gaze, Aria set the entry fee down on the counter and darted to the wall of lockers, slipping her jacket in and rapidly fixing her hair into a ponytail. A glance at her reflection in the windowpanes - why could she never get her hair to look as sleek as it was meant to? - and she was on the mats, catching one arm between the other elbow as she stretched. She'd not had a proper chance to duel Echani-style in ages, and Aria was honestly rather excited. Ideally, somebody would think to make use of the open sparring mats sooner rather than later.

She turned, stretches finished, and quickly dipped into the calculating warrior-mentality she was so accustomed to. Ready to strike.

[member="Lucia Nox"]

 

[Lucia Nox]

The woman's pace quickened. So did Lucia's. 'Your curiosity will be the death of me,' Her master often remarked. 'Or of you.' His words now reverberated from somewhere deep within the back of her mind, but--as was her special habit--she ignored them and plunged ahead. The complex energy that clung to the woman was magnetic, pulling Lucia forward like a siren's call that she could not help but answer. The woman slapped down a fistful of credits onto the counter inside the entrance of the dojo, and Lucia followed suit.

Stepping quickly inside, Lucia faltered for only a moment. The fighting facility was breathtaking. With high ceilings and grandiose architecture, it was a testament of Herculean proportions to the Echani warrior culture and unlike anything she had ever seen in her twenty-three standard years. Blue eyes widened, absorbing the sprawling majesty, before flitting toward the locker room door. The woman had disappeared inside, and Lucia snapped to attention, remembering her objective.

Layers of unnecessary clothing fell away to the locker room floor. Lucia briskly stuffed them into what she hoped was an unoccupied locker, forgetting her hair entirely in her haste. When she emerged into the sparring room, it still spilled down her shoulders in a crowning glory of blonde and seemed to almost wink under the hazy morning light that filtered in from windows high above. For a moment, she simply stood there, blinking through the sunbeams and studying the elegant form of the woman, whose back was turned. Questions hurtled through Lucia's mind, but one stood above them all: "Who are you?" The cultured accent of Lucia's voice rang out into the space between them as clearly as a bell. It echoed, and Lucia realized with intermingled exhilaration and trepidation that she and the woman were utterly alone.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

Her eyes fell on the blonde who'd followed onto the mats; the Jedi, she realised suddenly. Caught off guard by the other woman's arrival, Aria allowed the briefest of moments to study her, trying to piece together what she could in that split second before turning her focus to her question. Who are you? Aria doubted the question was intended as part of an exchange of pleasantries before a friendly spar. Truly, Aria wasn't sure who she was nowadays, and in a way, she preferred it like that. Made answering questions like this one a bit tricky, though.

"My name is Aria. Former Knight of the Silver Jedi." It was the best description she could give - Aria remained reluctant to think of herself as a Darksider. She didn't repress her emotions, but she didn't use them as a weapon either. She occasionally tapped into slightly Darker powers, but never without good cause. Not that she really cared either way; she was no longer aiming for one alignment or another. For now, she was simply a Knighted ex-Jedi, and the rest she would figure out in due time.

"I guess I don't need to ask who you are." Not particularly meant to insult - Darksided or not, Aria really wasn't the mean type - but hardly a nicety either. With the light intrigue evident in her voice, it was more a statement. Another fleeting head-to-toe glance, and Aria shifted into a more agile posture, the waves of her hair swinging as she inched forward. Experimentally, she swung out a leg in a graceful half-moon kick, well-executed but lacking much force. This was an open-sparring dojo, after all; she had come to duel. That her apparent duelling partner had piqued her curiosity a good deal was a happy coincidence.

"What's your name, then, Jedi?"

[member="Lucia Nox"]

 

[Lucia Nox]

"Former Knight?" Lucia raised an eyebrow. Being a 'former' anything usually wasn't a good sign, but being a former Jedi Knight had especially dark implications. The murky energy that surrounded the strange woman--Aria--was beginning to make sense now, but before Lucia could think any further, Aria was moving. Lucia's senses flared to attention as she watched her move like a dancer, swinging one supple leg around as if testing the waters. Lucia took it as an invitation to play.

"My name is Lucia." She spoke through a twirling fan of long blonde curls, spinning her body one shoulder over the other in a semi-pirhouette, fists drawn defensively in front of her face. "Current Jedi, not yet a Knight." If Lucia was in the business of being accurate, she might have added, 'Not yet a Knight because they don't trust me,' but she wasn't feeling particularly keen on jumping into girl talk just yet. She had some questions first.

"There are only a few ways one can become a former Jedi," Lucia remarked conversationally, peering over her fists at Aria with sharp blue eyes. She began to circle the other woman with the slow, calculating grace of a lioness. "Either you quit, or they kicked you out. Which was it?"

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

Hmm, Lucia was quick on her feet. Not bad. Aria's expression of intrigue took on an amused layer as the blonde spun out of harm's way with an elegance that was clearly intuitive. It would be interesting to see how the Jedi fared when she chose to play the offensive, but Aria reserved that thought for later.

Not yet Knighted. That seemed about right. Not a million miles from being ready for a promotion, though. Aria had kept her rank when she'd shed the title of Jedi, although outside of a formed and structured organization her Knighthood meant little - it was more her way of insisting to herself that her five years with the Order hadn't been entirely wasted. With an aloof air to mask intent focus, Aria listened with widened eyes as Lucia brought the attention back to the Echani herself. It seemed the other woman had a knack for this.

"Kicked me out." Aria snorted with contempt. "For that to happen, the Silver Council would've had to pay attention to what went on. And I assure you, they don't. No, I'd have had to do something really awful to get kicked out." And done it in plain sight. And refused all offers of help or redemption. The Silvers were a forgiving lot. "I'm not that bad, don't worry. I just got tired of not being allowed to feel - to be human. It gets hard after a while." Even with her lofty attitude, she was being entirely sincere. Largely because she was an utterly incompetent liar, but that was beyond the point.

"You know, most of the galaxy is convinced that Jedi are weak," Aria went on, matching Lucia's circling motions smoothly. "That they can't fight. Won't fight. Are you?"

[member="Lucia Nox"]

 

[Lucia Nox]

"I just got tired of not being allowed to feel--to be human. It gets hard after a while."

Of everything Aria said, this struck Lucia the most. So much that, for a moment, the blonde faltered. She looked at Aria with wide blue eyes, the bud of her lips parting with the surprise of a girl finding common ground in the most uncommon of places. It was shocking and refreshing to hear someone say those words out loud, the words she thought so often behind the closed doors of her mind.

Lucia blinked, emerging from her momentary reverie and remembering herself. Remembering that Aria was poised to strike. Focus, Lucy.

"That it does," Lucia murmured in cautious agreement. "Very hard."

The two women were circling each other now, two titan goddesses facing off as they revolved around the axis of their shoulders, proud chins lifted, studying each other with wary eyes. Yin and yang, dark hair and light hair, two sides of the same coin, uncanny complements.

All at once, Aria's voice cut the tension between them like a knife--provoking Lucia.

Was Lucia weak, like other Jedi?

"Let's find out."

Blonde plunged toward brunette with a great cry. The dance had begun.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

Curiouser and curiouser - far from being determined to defend the Jedi ideal, a way away from even trying to quietly maintain her faith, Lucia had readily agreed with Aria's words. Maybe the inherently Lightsided aura that had caught Aria's attention in the first place hinted not so much at a firm and true Jedi, but instead indicated that Lucia was, simply, a good person. The Jedi housed a lot of those, after all; it was easy to be deceived into thinking that the best way to do good was with the Silver Order. Aria was one such person, she hoped.

Still, she was hardly one to play the converter. For that, she'd need something to convert Lucia to, besides simply pulling her out of the Jedi, and at least a measure of personal gain from such an endeavor. Really, it simply upset her that potential was being wasted - literally caged - and she wanted to do what she could to prevent another from making her error. But maybe Lucia didn't need all that much of a nudge. If that was true, the girl's head was far clearer than Aria's had been. That was something, anyway.

Back to the here and now for the time being, though.

As Lucia dove forwards, Aria was quick to fall into place; her knees bent as she dropped into a fighting stance, and when the distance closed she paused. She wasn't one to pull her punches, but she wasn't fighting with any purpose beyond a way to pass the time - she could take a moment to weigh up the situation, maybe give Lucia a chance to make an attack. If none came, Aria'd go for a quick, blunt strike to the midsection; not particularly damaging, but a good way to unbalance.

Unless Lucia could evade it, of course.

"What do you stay for, when it gets hard?"

No reason they couldn't get to know each other meanwhile.

[member="Lucia Nox"]

 

[Lucia Nox]

"Duty."

Lucia took the dull blow to her midsection in stride, spinning over herself to recover from the momentary imbalance while sweeping out the willowy length of one leg in a counterattack. Aria was clearly the stronger and more experienced fighter, but Lucia found that she wasn't bothered by it--quite the contrary. The dusky woman's strength drew Lucy in like a magnet; the longer they sparred, the longer she wanted to bask in her vigorous glow as if she were the sun.

"Honor." Another swing of her leg, but this time, it came 'round backwards. "Responsibility."

For just a moment, Lucia paused. The clear blue of her eyes, peering over her raised fists, studied Aria intently.

" -- frankly, three words that don't mean much to me anymore. It's difficult to believe in people who don't always believe in you. But they're the only family I've ever known."

Lucia dove back into the fray. This way and that they danced, the tempo of their feet moving in perfect synchronicity, flowing in and out of the patchy sunlight that peered in from the windows high above, setting dark head and light head aglow. To Lucia, their waltz was exhilarating. It felt so very close to freedom.

"Tell me--what family do you have now?"

This was not a challenge. This . . . this was interest.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

Duty, honor, responsibility. They weren't bad motivators, truly. Aria had stayed for the same reasons, more or less. She supposed one could consider her turn to the Dark - or thereabouts - to be selfish; it was probably the correct assumption, too. But was that bad? Some might consider there to be life after death, but to Aria, one had only their life - only themselves. If you didn't live that life for yourself, if you didn't do at least in part what you honestly wanted to do, then what, really, was the point?

Aria was quick to turn out of the way of Lucia's first counterattack, darting to one side fluidly. The second swing of her leg managed to surprise her - lost in thought, Aria's time to dodge the unanticipated move was cut short. It didn't hardly affect her, in fairness; she was simply knocked slightly in her spin aside. Rather, once she'd started to fight, it was unusual that she let her thoughts get in the way of her performance; unusual that she'd slip up so noticeably. But no matter. Aria paused to catch her breath, hovering as she waited, her answer ready the moment Lucia posed another question.

"None at all."

Voicing it out loud humbled her a little. Aria was all too aware of the fact, of course, but it tended to sit quietly at the back of her mind these days. To her, it wasn't all that terrible to be alone, but it still struck a chord every time she was reminded of it. On the other hand, the Jedi hadn't been much of a family for a long time. She'd had a somewhat parental figure in the form of a Master, she supposed; that had turned out...rather badly, to say the least. The rest of the Order - the ones that had actually been Jedi, in any case - she'd never felt the strong sense of family she supposed she ought to have done. Or if she had, it had been too long since that time for her to be able to remember what it felt like.

It wasn't all that terrible, of course. Better lonely than unhappy. At least this way, she could finally hope to gain some independence - she'd lacked such a thing her entire life, after all. This way, she had no choice but to brave it on her own. In a way, she liked that.

"It's not as bad as you'd think, though." She spoke as much to herself as to Lucia. "It's very...freeing, I guess. Just you, and whoever you decide for yourself you want to stand with." A short list, for her. But that wasn't the point.

[member="Lucia Nox"]