Private Light in the Darkness

[Cord Starfall]

​

Naboo
Knights Obsidian HQ

Cord’s orange eyes stared out into the rain that was falling just outside the window. It was coming down heavy, the sky grey and black none of the afternoon sun of Naboo could be seen. Her arms where clasped behind her back as she stood there in her light battle worn Sith armor. It was black in color with metal plate armor pieces on the legs, arms, and chest. Those metal pieces where shiny once a really long time ago but now they had scoring, rust, and probably stains of blood from battles long past. It was clear that parts of the armor had been patched or wielded back to life.

On Each of Cords hip hung identical swords, they were ancient but unlike her armor they were in pristine condition. The Swords themselves gave off a dark presence because of the alchemy that been used to forge them both. On cords thighs were holster with blasters in them. Just standing there it was clear Cord was a woman ready for a fight at any moment.

Not to far from where she stood set over a chair was her green hooded weighted long coat. It too was a bit of patch work having seen many a fight leaving it with battle scars and wounds. Sitting on the seat of that chair the coat hung over was a Sith helmet with Mask plate. The Mask and helmet had onside in silver color and the other side purple in color. All along the helmet and mask was gold lettering in the ancient Sith language.

There were other weapons and items hidden in her coat and on her person. It all screamed warrior and darksider. Not to mention her aura and soul was permanently scarred and tainted by the darkside. There was a time long ago in her past that she would have tried to hide such aspects of herself but not anymore. She had learned to live with that part of her and accept it even if it scared others. Because despite her Image Cord was not some war monger hell bent on galactic domination.

In fact, until recently she had disavowed any force institution. Do to circumstances she had pledged herself to the Knights Obsidian and being a person of her word, she would honor it. She had offer to take students to mentor, the one way she knew she could prove herself to the Order. That brought her hear her first charge one Xevnlie BrightScorch of the Lotus Chapter. The Lotus Chapter was the lightside or jedi of the order as far a Cord could tell from her readings. Though Cord herself had not taken a Chapter herself though she thought maybe she would later. She could however teach or pass down her view point on any of the chapters the knights offered. Cord was one of the rare ones in the Galaxy Having been raised Sith, turned Jedi, and then after rejecting both sides finding her roots in Dathomiri Magicks.

After all that she rejected it all and chose to be a pirate of all things until she had to come here. So, she stood here now waiting for Xevnlie BrightScorch. To meet the young woman more formally then she had when she first arrived. She wanted to know what drove the woman, what her ambitions and goals were. Perhaps Cord could guide her on the path much like she had many a former student when she was a Jedi.

 

[Oblivion_Entity]

Wrong profile (Still Xev) pc bugged out

 

[Xevnlie BrightScorch]

Cord Starfall
Location: Naboo, Knights Obsidian HQ

Xevnlie sat in her room, unsure of how the day will be. Her hand was absentmindedly using the Force to lift and spin a small ball she had in her room. It wasn't extravagant, but it was cozy enough to live in. Her lone bed was made, but only just as she sat at her desk, her eyes looking at the many building from her window. It all looked so bland and full of despair. Xevnlie was going to try and meditate for a bit when a message was coming through on a small receiver she had. Moving over to it and opening the transmission, Xevnlie was happy to see the message was about a Mentor being found for her. She learnt where they were and a rough appearance, not making the connection at that moment. With the transmission ending, Xevnlie looked at herself in the small mirror she had beside her desk and walked over to it. She looked ok enough to meet her new mentor. And so, Xevnlie started to get ready, changing out of form fitting sleep attire and into her usual clothes of red and gold.

After learning that someone had taken up the role of her Mentor, Xevnlie was both excited and nervous. What if this new master was horrible to her. What if they hated each other after just a minute together. But then, she thought of a very important question. 'What will I be like as a student?' That question rattled around in her head for a while before she shoved it to one side. Taking up her mask, Saberstaff and fixing her clothes, Xevnlie exited her room to the gloomy sight of Naboo's rainy days. She never did like the rain, even as a child. It made her feel alone, or miserable. But this wasn't time for feeling down, she had someone to meet.

It took her a while to get to where her new Mentor was, but once she arrived, she looked around till she saw the only person there. It was the woman who she had met recently. The one with traces of both the Light and Dark side within them. Swallowing any fear she had, Xevnlie began her walk to Cord. Upon reaching a couple meters away, Xevnlie stopped and greeted her new Mentor. "Hello, again," Xevnlie said, giving a polite bow that many Jedi of old would do to masters or as a sign of respect. "How have you been? Settling alright?" Her voice was calm, as was her aura. Xevnlie was good at hiding her emotions, but not when grief was one of them. Her gold and crimson clothes looked almost bright when compared with the rain of the day.

 

[Cord Starfall]

Cord smiled to herself as Xevnlie entered the room and asked her how she was settling in. Cord stared out into the rain a moment longer before turning to the woman. The smile remained as she gave the young woman a head nod. “I am settling in just fine, thanks for asking. How about you?” Cord had gotten use to change and adaptation to new or different surroundings over her many years of live. It was the way in which she survived.

Cord eyed the lovely looking woman over taking in how she was dressed and how she carried herself. Taking note of the way she was dressed almost traditional jedi like attire with a mix of red and yellow coloring. Cord took mental notes of several other details from the way the girl stood, her posture, facial expression, and other body gestures. Cord read her body language to get a better understanding of who she was dealing with.

“Tell me why you have chosen to walk the path you have?” Cord’s spoke her voice though a little gravely its tone was soft and full intrigue about. Cord had her path once long ago and she was interested in what Xevnlie BrightScorch thought or wanted hers to be. Though often what one thought or wanted was not what the end result would become. No one no matter the side of the force coin fell on was a master of there own fate. The Force work in strange ways and often taught you things about yourself you never expected.

 

[Xevnlie BrightScorch]

Cord Starfall

At being asked how she was after hearing Cord's answer, Xevnlie responded in a calm voice, "I am doing well. I must admit, I am a bit anxious to have a mentor." Xevnlie was a bit anxious to have a mentor, especially since she hadn't really been taught the way she wanted in the past, primarily being self taught. Seeing how Cord was looking her over, Xevnlie simply waited. She knew to be respectful towards her Mentor, so if she wanted to think of how she might preform as an Apprentice based on how she looked then that was okay by her.

When Cord asked why she was on the path that she was on, Xevnlie thought for a moment. "I think I chose this path because it was what I always wanted to be. I always held the stories of the Jedi in my mind growing up and sort of idolized them," Xevnlie spoke as if talking about a hero of hers that she always wanted to either impress or become. "When I found out that I was a force sensitive, I realized that I could be just like them. Noble, Just and Righteous in my goals to bring peace to the Galaxy," Xevnlie spoke about how she chose her path with conviction in her tone. She sounded like she was immensely proud of the route that she had taken. Her deep amber eyes almost flashed with pride as she stood with her back straight in a respectful, yet also joyous manner. Realizing that she had just acted a bit too spontaneous in front of her Mentor, her body immediately went back to a calm and composed stance with her facial expressions following closely behind. "So... that is why I am on the path that I am on," Xevnlie said, acting like she had before upon greeting Cord.

 

[Cord Starfall]

Cord just nodded to the girls answer of how she was doing. Anxiousness to the uncertainty of was future was always acceptable. Cord herself was anxious towards this whole role in the Knights Obsidian it had been a long time since she had trained anyone in the ways of the force. It was weird the thought of training again brought back a flood of nostalgia especially of her former apprentices Kalia and Gretel two very different girls from each other but both of whom Cord had eventually became mother like figure too. Kalia rose to be a Jedi master and one of the kindest souls you would ever meet. Gretel became a witch hunting assassin who only cared about her survival. Cord cared for them both deeply and the same no matter the path they now walked.


Cord winced to herself as Xevnlie talk about her own path. The wince came as a vision struck her of how Cord’s grand father would have slapped her for saying anything like Xevnlie had. Her grandfather would have berated her for being naïve for holding an ideology, faith, or order above truth to oneself. The Jedi were not the hero’s or the saviors of the Galaxy they pretended to be. They shed their emotion the very thing that allows one to connect and understand the word about them. The sith were no better slaves to their emotions to the point of lack of reason. Both ideologies and orders where flawed both where to blind to see them and admit them.


Cord pointed to her mask on the chair with the gold writing in ancient sith on it. “You see that?” she asked seriously a bit sternly. “Those gold runes written all across it are a testament of my sins. Atrocities I have committed and all the people I have killed.” Cord walked over to the helmet and face plate picking it up off the chair. She connected the face plate to the helmet then walked back over to Xevnlie. At first glance one would automatically see it as a sith mask the writing on it a story of redemption for evils of the sith but it was smore then that. She held it out to Xevnlie for her to inspect and look over. She didn’t expect Xevnlie BrightScorch to be able to read the ancient sith language that was dead to most of the Galaxy. ‘


“Tell me what you see and feel when you hold and look that over.”

 

[Xevnlie BrightScorch]

Cord Starfall

Xevnlie's mind had been focused on the Jedi she had heard of when speaking, but the small expressions and sounds of Cord maybe having opposing views on the matter worried her. If this woman was to be her mentor, Xevnlie hoped that Cord could accept her mindset on her path as well as her own. She was proud of the path she was on, and would defend it to the end. At the question if she could see her helmet and face plate combo. "Yes I can see it," Xevnlie answered, knowing that she had to act respectful in any question put to her.

When Cord went over and picked it up, after explaining that it was a reminder of all the wrong she had done in the past. Xevnlie didn't really like Sith armour, it was too much a reminder to her of all the pain and wars that had happened between the Jedi and the Sith, The Light against the Dark Sides of the Force. When Cord extended out her hands for Xevnlie to examine it, asking her what she felt and could see from it, she took it in her hands from Cord with a bit of hesitation.

It felt, heavy to her. Not in weight, but is something else. Seeing all the writing on the helmet was strange. She couldn't read any of it, and she didn't know anyone who could in the past. She could already tell that the writing held much less pleasant memories for Cord. Her description that these held her SINS was a bit of an indication in a certain way. Taking a moment to close her eyes, Xevnlie tried to feel something just through its material. It felt, strangely cold for its kind of material. Colder than she could feel on her skin. It was something that brought a bit of fear and icy chill down her back. Opening her eyes, Xevnlie looked at Cord.

"Its a well built helmet for one. The writing though I can't read, I can tell it isn't exactly small 'sins' that it talks about," Xevnlie said, slightly emphasizing the word Sin, "But it also feels cold. Not just in metal but also, something else deep in me. It feels cold just holding it." Xevnlie held out the helmet with one had, almost as if she wanted not to hold it ever again. Her free had was shaking slightly as she waited for Cord to take her personal item back.

 

[Cord Starfall]

Xevnlie BrightScorch


Cord took the helmet from her as it was handed to her. Cord could clearly tell the girl was uneasy with it as she should be, as anyone should be. Cord new the cold feeling of the helmet and mask all to well but it was a reminder. A symbol to always strive to do better then one had in there past. The past was something one must never forget though one should also never cling to it to tightly. Remember the past but always move forward don’t let it hold you back.


Cord rolled the Helmet in her hands for a bit looking over the lettering. “These sins are what happen when you believe too much in an ideology, order, or institution. You become a tool and weapon for them blind to the atrocities they are having you commit.” Cord peered into the eyes of the mask on front of the helmet and it stared right back her. “The sins on this mask are not just the ones I committed as Sith but also the ones I committed as a jedi.”


Darkside or lightside, Sith or Jedi it didn’t matter both had caused their fair share of death and suffering. True the Sith may have thrived on it but jedi where often indifferent and cold to it calling the will of the force especially when they were the cause. “I can tell you from experience the jedi are not Noble, Just, or righteous. That they and the sith are not that different from one another in actuality.” Cord wasn’t trying to dissuade the girl from the path she had chosen but show her that everyone was a flawed. No belief, Ideology, order, or institution was infallible and the universe wasn’t black and white. Sith weren’t always evil monsters and the Jedi weren’t the stoic hero they often pretended to be.


“You should be true to yourself follow in what you believe. Not some romantic depiction of what the Jedi are not. The Jedi and the Sith aren’t the reason for your gifts. The force does not choose Jedi, sith or any other institution it chooses the individual.” She wanted Xevnlie to see that path she chose shouldn’t be because the galactic propaganda said Jedi were good and sith were bad. The Path that she chose should not be guided by wars of the past between to ideologies that opposed each other. Because if you looked closely enough and dug deep into the history you would realize there wasn’t a big difference between Jedi and sith. All the evil things the Sith have done the Jedi had done as well they just hid it better.


That’s where Cord saw their training beginning, delving into he history of the force and its division. Cord went to the chair and grabbed her coat. A smile returned to her face after all the serious talk just a moment ago. “Do you like Museums?”

 

[Xevnlie BrightScorch]

Cord Starfall

With the helmet out of her hands now, and Cord looking at the lettering, Xevnlie took a quick second to steady her left hand. It was still slightly shaking since she held the Sith helmet. Xevnlie's mind kept saying the same words again and again to herself, "Calm down, its not a threat." Listening to the words that came from Cord was tough. Sure she knew not all of the Jedi and those who practices the Dark Side were as they were often seen as across the galaxy, but that was how she liked to see them as. Jedi as the loyal defenders that she so badly wanted to become. And she knew that not all Sith were pure evil, but it was hard to argue that they were innocent of any crime. Hearing Cord's views on how similar the Jedi and Sith were did unsettle Xevnlie. Her only real experience with a Dark Side user that wasn't a member of the Knights Obsidian was an Inquisitor, and a nasty one at that.

As Cord explained that she had to follow her own path and not the idolized one set by Jedi and Sith for their respected positions in the Force, Xevnlie waited for her to stop before speaking. "I am following my own path. I just use the Jedi I believe that have done considerable good as a sort of... guide," Xevnlie's eyes moved to away from Cord with that last word. She did think of their paths and what they would do in situations that she had no idea how to get out of. But she knew she had to improve herself as well.

When Cord asked her about Museums, Xevnlie was a bit surprised at the question. "I've been to two that I can remember. One about Naboo's history that I went to with my family, and one that I managed to find on Force wielders and the different individuals who used it. The Sith and the Jedi traditionally," Her eyes moved towards Cord again, focusing her mind to what Cord might be suggesting or planning. It was both an opportunity to see if she was a good student and if Cord was the right Mentor for her.

 

[Cord Starfall]

Xevnlie BrightScorch

“Good.” Cord said as she slipped her green weighted weighted long coat on and proceeded in the direction of the exit. She motioned for Xevnlie to follow her. She slipped the mask and helmet into the folds of the long coat as she did, she felt the anxiety in the girl from touching the helmet. The force could be overwhelming sometimes, Cord new it’s feeling well and what exactly it could do to herself if didn’t control it. So, she stopped and sighed to herself a second before turning back to Xevnlie.


“When I came to the jedi after escaping the sith, my Master with in the Jedi was a reformed sith. He sought to teach me a path towards redemption.” Cord took a deep breath it had been a long time since she thought about her Jedi master and all he taught her int here short time together. The memory in itself didn’t have a particular happy ending for Cord herself. Bitter sweat really if she had to put words to the over all experience. Cord clear her throat trying to shake away the memory. “He told me that no matter what darkness one had buried themselves, there was always a glimmer of light. It is the individual and the light inside them, that a jedi must focus on and not the darkness that surrounds them.”


Weather cord believed that herself or not was unclear even to herself, she had lost faith in her own redemption long ago. “You will need a coat; we are going to go the Naboo Museum specifically the Trade Federation exhibit.” Changing the subject slightly even though it had a point and purpose. When Xevnlie touched the helmet, she had focused on the darkness it represented rather then the hope with in it. The helmet may have been a list of Cord’s sins as a Sith and a Jedi but there was good in it to it was the road map of redemption, a reminder that no one was perfect, and to always strive to be better then your past mistakes or sins. There was hope in that helmet if you looked deep enough ignore the darkness in it.


“Once we are there I am going to teach how to try and find that light. When I speak of Jedi and Sith and why you can’t judge one as good and the other as evil is because as a Jedi you need to know everyone is flawed but you need to look past that, past their darkness and find the light with in.” Cord smiled she knew it was a simple concept don’t judge a book by its cover, but it was a hard habit to break. “I didn’t mean to be harsh on you about the Jedi thing. I just want you to look past it you shouldn’t want to be a jedi or a sith.” This was not Cord in anyway suggesting a grey path or some alternative but rather her wanting to express the importance in one’s individualism and truth to one’s self above all.


“I also want you to look past the Jedi and sith identity when you look at someone else or touch an object like my helmet. When you see a darksider or sith you should first see them a as person remembering each of us is capable of great evil but we are also capable of great acts of kindness. As a Lightsider you should try to find the good a person is capable of before focusing on the darkness.” Cord turned and started heading for the exit once more though keeping her pace slow enough so Xevnlie could grab a coat and catch up with her. Cord saw a lot of good in Xevnlie and she hoped the girl could see where she was coming from. She wasn’t trying to judge the girl and tell her what she believed was wrong but she wanted her to see it from a different perspective. Especially with the knights Obsidian where some of her fellow initiates where sith. “Do you have any questions as we head to the muesem?”

 

[Xevnlie BrightScorch]

Cord Starfall

With her answer given, Xevnlie listened to her Mentor as she got her coat on. Xevnlie didn't exactly have a coat, since she rarely did any traveling and focused mainly on her training. "I'll be fine like this, don't worry. A little rain never hurt before," Xevnlie told her master at the suggestion of getting a coat on. She found that many of the traditional robes of Jedi and some coats people wore inhibited their ability to act quickly to drawing their weapon in self defense.

After hearing of their sudden trip and why Cord was going to take her there, Xevnlie was a bit taken aback. She had expected this person to be a bit more colder than what she was like. Guessing she had to learn more about her new mentor before reaching a decision on what she was like, Xevnlie simply walked behind Cord. Her clothes, whilst slim fitting were made of thicker material than expected. It did help her in many situations, not to mention, she didn't amazingly mind the rain, but at the same time she didn't like it.

"No questions as of yet, but I'll ask if I come up with any," Xevnlie responded to Cord's question of any unspoken questions she had to her mentor, placing her metal mask on her face. It immediately extended some small pieces to fit tightly in her face with the mouth plate closing asks she finished talking. Checking her lightsaber was on her hip, she prepared for their journey to wherever her mentor would take them. Xevnlie's mind dwelled on the many points Cord had talked about. She didn't think of herself as seeing people as Black and White when it came to Jedi and Sith, she just had a rough first experience with a Dark side user before the Order.

 

[Cord Starfall]

Xevnlie BrightScorch

The rain outside was in full down pour and Cord choose to walk the whole way to the Naboo History museum. The building was of the elegant Nabooian architecture with large pillars and arch ways. The doors were large polarized colored glass. Cord’s gloved hands opened the large glass door stepping in with Xevnlie right behind her. Cord slide the hood of her green long coat off her head water falling from it as she did so unto the rugged entrance floor. She wiped the water from her boots as she gave a friendly smile to the museum curators nearby.


They walked across the marble floor past exhibits and pillars that raised up into the high glassed ceiling. Looking up through it all one saw was the gray dreary sky above. The pair walked a long time to get the exhibit Cord wanted Xevnille see. At this point and time this part of Naboo’s history was over eight hundred years old. Artful depictions of Queen Padmé Amidala hung on the walls there were plaques talking of her reign and her bloodline. Even a picture of Senator Palpatine hung the wall looking very different from how looked when he rose to the position of Galactic empire.


This exhibit was of a time before the Old republic fell and the Galactic empire rose to break the will of the Galaxy. Cord came to an exhibit depicting the Trade Federation’s Blockade and eventual invasion of Naboo the precursor to what the the separatist and the original Confederacy of Independent Systems would do. This is what Cord wanted Xavnlie to see the beginning the real origins of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Ancient and nearly forgotten this is where it really began with the Trade Federation.


The Trade Federation, Separatist, and later the Confederacy of Independent Systems where all pawns to Palpatine’s plan to take over the Galactic senate and eventually convert the republic into an empire. History dictated that the Trade federation, separatist, and Confederacy of Independent Systems were all the bad guys because they play a part in the Emperors rise. Cord stopped at an exhibit that had two helmets on a pedestal.


One Helmet was that of Nabooian Soldier and the other a helmet of a none droid trad Federation Soldier. Both Soldiers fought for what they believed in the ideal they wanted their path to be on. Yet only one was declared the hero and the other the villain of history. Whom ever wore these helmets where just people they had families and ways of life they chose to protect. They actually probably both lived very similar lives and weren’t that different other then the side of a war they fought on.


The Nabooian probably had faith in the republic and the leadership of Naboo that served it. The One who fought for the Trade federation probably believe a world was better left to govern itself and that a Galactic Senate should not dictate how their worlds should live. The thing is neither of them were wrong in what they believed, yet one had to play the part of the villain because History and war dictated as such.


“I want you to touch the Nabooian Helmet and then the Trade federation helmet. Tell me what you feel on the surface. Then I want you dig deeper past the conflict and look at each of the people who wore these helmets.” Cord Clasped her hands behind her back waiting for Xavnile begin. “Ever object has a surface feeling to it but you will really need to focus to see it past the people who used it. You will need to focus even deeper to tell what kind of people they were, so take you time.” The Technique Cord was teaching Xevnlie was one of the first ones she herself learned as a Jedi. It was a something that every Jedi Investigator in history relied on if they could manage to master it. All objects and even people had a force echo of its history the technique for seeing it was call Psychometry.