Same (Thurion Heavenshield)

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar opened his eyes and peered about the area, though the effects of the room made it seem as if he had not opened his eyes at all. It was kept dark, clearly to keep the prisoner disoriented. From what he could tell, he was in a cell, the walls made from stone. He was surrounded on three sides by stone and the fourth wall, seemed to have some sort of metal door built into the center. Currently the young man was sitting up against one of the stone walls, legs crossed beneath him, upon the cot he was given. Due to his decision to go with the Jedi master known as Jericho willingly, they allowed him some form of comfort within his cell, though it wasn't much. With a grunt, Vaulkhar pulled his legs from beneath him and set his knees in place, lowering himself completely into a meditative stance.

The events of the recent skirmish ran through his mind, as if he was witnessing some form of visual entertainment. He remembered picking up on Jericho's force signature as he dashed towards the tower they had used as an encampment. He remembered shattering the glass window and launching himself from it to meet the Jedi in single combat, but he was followed by his former master, Vengeance. From there things got difficult. Jericho managed to fend the two of them off and as of yet, there was no clear winner in sight. But things were getting dangerous. Vaulkhar feared his former master would fall to the Jedi attempting to defeat him, so a deal was struck. Vaulkhar would accompany Jericho back to Voss as a prisoner so Vengeance could walk away from the battle a free man. Accepting it, Jericho knocked Vaulkhar unconscious and returned him to his ship, where he was left alone.

And here he was now, a prisoner within a prison somewhere upon the planet of Voss. He had no idea what to expect, what was going on, or if he'd even be spoken to. Since his placement here, a few days prior, the only interaction he had was food being shoved through a small latch within the door. That latch managed to illuminate the room momentarily, allowing him only short glimpses of light, before that too vanished, along with whoever had delivered the food to him. If this was how he'd spend the rest of his days, so be it. He chose this path to save family, and that was the way it would be.

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

The skirmish on Toola had left scars on everyone involved, emotional or physical, and some more than others. The most interesting part of the outcome, however, was the prisoner that [member="Jericho"] brought with him upon his return. After commending his fellow Coalition member on a job well done, the Grandmaster decided not to take any chances and had him locked in a guarded room until further notice. He would not be treated unfairly or deprived of any necessities such as food, a place to sleep, or access to a bathroom. The room would also be clean due to the fortunate fact that they did not have to make use of it that often.

A few days after the skirmish, Thurion had healed his wounds and now made his way to the guarded chamber. He didn't like calling it a "cell", despite its obvious function. Approaching the Antarian Ranger stationed outside, he offered the man a slight nod of his head. "I'll take it from here. Your duty here is done, Sergeant." The Ranger made a quick salute before leaving through the same corridor. Upon punching in the correct number combination, the door would open with a snap-hiss. A robe-clad Grandmaster proceeded inside the room.

"Hm, I had thought the room to be bigger than this," he pondered aloud while casually pulling up a nearby chair, eyes observing the Sith captive. "So... '[member="Vaulkhar"]', is it? Not 'Darth Vaulkhar'?"

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar's breath was soft and fluid, as per usual upon any sort of meditation. Since his arrival, when not sleeping, eating, or taking care of basic bodily functions; the young man had spent his time meditating upon the force, the battle, and what he only assumed to be a dream whilst on Toola. He had not expected a visitor that day, considering he had not had a visitor the last few days he had been there, but it was a welcome surprise, for not at least. At the sound of the door sliding into place, Vaulkhar opened his blind-eyes, focusing them upon that of [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] upon entering. He knew little about him, but from what Vaulkhar could see and feel, he was clearly a Jedi, and a good one at that. Hearing his words, he could not help but crack a small grin.

"From the inside, it's likely much smaller than it would appear." Vaulkhar pulled his legs out from beneath and scooted forward slightly on the cot. He lowered his legs down to the ground, but remained sitting. He was clearly getting comfortable. Thurion's question was something he expected to hear. "The Sith are cocky. Titles add to that false sense of confidence so many carry with them. But yes, I am Vaulkhar, Vaulkhar Zambrano."

Upon stating his last name, his voice dropped from one of friendliness to that of clear disdain. He cleared his throad after speaking and shook his head lightly. He had never been open to others regarding his lack of warmth towards his family, let alone the Sith, but it felt as if this was a location he could do so.

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

"A Zambrano?" Thurion recoiled somewhat. That was probably the last thing he expected to hear this day, and from such an individual too. Zambranos in his experience were not exactly the most mentally stable people, whereas this one seemed calm and collected. While there was no denying the darkness felt in [member="Vaulkhar"], there was little to nothing in the way of malice or cruelty. It seemed the Zambrano name did not guarantee becoming a bad person. "Forgive me, you kind of caught me offguard, there..." he spoke while pondering, stroking his bearded chin. "By the way you speak of them, it sounds like you do not agree with the Sith 'practicality'? Or is it something more personal, perhaps?"

It was around this time that Thurion would notice his guest never seemed to be looking at him, but rather in the direction he was sat. He decided to get up only to move closer to him, bringing the chair with him. Sitting down right in front of him, Thurion took a closer look on Vaulkhar's eyes. He knew the telltale signs of blindness when he saw them. "I'm sorry. I didn't realise..."

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar's hand slowly came up and he simply signaled for him to stop. He shook his head as well, a small smile creeping onto the young man's face.

"There is nothing to grieve. Yes, I was born without eyesight. And I do wish I could blame it on the Miraluka blood running through my veins, but that is not the case. The blood of my father runs through my veins stronger than that of my mother." He was not surprised in the slightest to see Thurion recoil at the mention of his last name. Everyone had done that, well, everyone that were not close allies of his father or Sith. But it was common for even Sith to find themselves taking a step back from the young Zambrano when learning of his background. With a soft shrug of his shoulders, Vaulkhar lowered his hand and returned it to the side of the bed. "As for my personal feelings towards the Sith, that is a good question."

Even he himself still had a hard time understanding how he felt on the dark side of the Force. Yes, he was indeed angry. Angry at his father, the circumstances of his early life, and the harsh training he was forced to endure at a young age, purely so he would find his way towards the dark side. There were many things for him to be angry about, but at no point had he actually fueled his power out of anger willingly. There had been times where his masters had harmed him, pushed him to the brink of death to upset him, but that was more out of force, than will. Or so Vaulkhar liked to believe.

"The pointless slaughter of millions. The needless violence that follows them everywhere. And the destruction of whatever the Sith cannot get their hands upon. I most certainly do not like it." To say Vaulkhar did not like it was an understatement. "I'm tired of serving an Emperor who does not even know my name or face. Of fighting for a government who put grunts like me on the battlefield to die. In the line of duty, there is no one who cares for you aside for the man or woman next to you; and within the Sith, even they scheme to have you slain to advance their position. It is disgusting and I'm done with it."

Vaulkhar took a deep breath, calming down as he had seemed to work himself up as he spoke. "And that is why I took the first chance to get away from it."

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

There seemed to be a conviction in [member="Vaulkhar"]'s words, unshakable and undeterred. Refreshing to meet someone with a clear consciousness. "I fought Kaine once, on Ziost. We were equally matched, both of us denying the other victory. An unstoppable force clashing with an immovable object, one could say." Thurion leaned forward slightly, elbows resting against the armrests of the chair and hands clasped together in his lap. "Never have I witnessed such a lust for destruction and death in a single man. There was nothing in him - no morals or compassion, or even a person. There was only the unfathomable darkness." Eyes narrowed slightly as he inspected the young man before him in greater detail. "But you're different, aren't you?" he pondered aloud, not expecting an answer.

Leaning back against the chair once more, Thurion tilted his head to the side slightly in an inquisitive manner. "Tell me; why did you decide to join the Lunelle sister on Toola? I'm curious."

[member="Vaulkhar"]​

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar had been expecting this question. Though he was surprised it was presented early on in the conversation, and said surprise was clear on the young man's face. He knew the answer to the question the moment he began asking it, but he was unsure if he wanted to go about with the honesty. Thurion would likely know if he was telling the truth or not, but in reality it didn't matter. The truth was nothing bad, so he decided to go with it.

"My former master, a man known as Vengeance, mentioned going with the party to Toola. He was and is a man I looked to as a father, more so than I ever did Khaine. And because of that, I wanted to be there if things went south. As they did." Vaulkhar looked away, turning his attention towards the wall with a small frown. "It is why I also was willing to come as a prisoner. To keep him safe."

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

"[member="Vengeance"]... the other man who fought [member="Jericho"], I presume? I can't imagine he was very happy about your decision. It is not in the nature of Sith to want to keep their master alive, but rather succeed them." So far, the young man had displayed few, if any, signs of still being loyal to the One Sith. There was one question begging to be asked, however. "But if you hate the Sith so, how come you care for your master's life? What makes him so special that you willingly sacrifice yourself so he can live to fight another day?"

[member="Vaulkhar"]​

 

[Vaulkhar]

"Family." There was no hesitation behind his word. No hidden meaning or ill thoughts of any sort. Vaulkhar spoke that single word with more confidence than he had likely said anything else with. Vengeance was family. Family was something so few within the galaxy truly had and could hold onto. "In a galaxy where someone you care about can disappear without a trace any moment of any day, you have to give everything to take care of those you love. Even if they live for only one more day after that."

Vaulkhar looked back to [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] after stating his piece, unsure how the man would see his honesty. Though the lifestyle of a Jedi had changed quite a bit since the times of the past, he knew some Jedi still held onto the ideology of the past. And if that was the case here, it could easily do the young man more harm than it could help him. But there was something about Thurion that Vaulkhar could feel and cling onto. He reminded him much of those who took care of him in his youth. Fatherly almost, as much as a stranger could feel that way. Shaking his head slightly, Vaulkhar released a sigh.

"If I am to rot within this cell for the rest of my life, so be it. The atrocities of the One Sith are without number, and if one small act such as this will gain my forgiveness; I understand completely."

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Family. That he could relate to, better than most Jedi. Family has been instrumental in shaping him as a person and remains the heart of his Jedi teachings, thanks to Master Asha. "Family," he spoke with head lowered as if praying. "I could not imagine a finer answer, @Vaulkhar. I sense you are an honest man... An honourable man." He allowed a moment of silent contemplation, both for himself and the young man sat opposite of him.

He then got up, offered the former Sith a gracious bow, and turned to walk out the door. "This place is no longer your prison, son. Go or stay at your own choosing. Don't make me regret the faith I put in you." Thurion stepped through the open door and left it like so from now on. There would be no guards awaiting him on the other side - no escort to see him off-world.

 

[Vaulkhar]

"Er, that's actually another subject I'd like to bring up before this conversation ends."

Vaulkhar stood up and hurried after [member="Thurion Heavenshield"]. He caught up after a few seconds and cleared his throat. He had been wanting to ask this question since the start of their conversation, but he was unsure how to go about doing so. Shaking his head, the young man steeled himself and began. "I was actually hoping to join your Order and undergo training as a Jedi Knight." Vaulkhar paused and looked up at Thurion, gauging the man's reaction to his words. "For some time now I've been doing my best to push away the influence of the dark side from myself, and systematically cleanse my body and mind. I've relied more on myself than I have emotion, as I hopefully had shown [member="Jericho"] on Toola."

"I'm hoping he, or anyone else really, could take me on as a student and I could fully cleanse myself of the taint of the Dark Side."

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

It did not take long for the young man to follow him out the door and into the hallway, prompting a knowing smile from the Grandmaster. "Truly?" he stopped and asked without expecting an answer. Looking the man over once more, Thurion placed a hand upon [member="Vaulkhar"]'s shoulder and led him out the hallway into the grand entrance of the Silver Temple. Its splendour would undoubtedly be lost on him due to his lack of sight, but it never failed to make Thurion's stomach flutter with excitement. There are always people coming through; Jedi masters discussing matters of the Force, younglings running errands or simply spending their spare time playing, travelers simply stopping by to see the sights, or buisness associates arriving to discuss deals.

"You are not the first to come here for a chance of earning redemption for past deeds, my friend. Many of us call ourselves 'Jedi'; only drawing strength from the Light side of the Force. Such is not the case for some, however," he spoke as they made their way outside into the warm embrace of the sun, making sure he would not trip when walking down the marble steps towards the training grounds. "Some of us come from troubled pasts, and rather than give up the skills they've developed with the aid of the darker nature of their being, they use their powers for good - to help others. Just because their ways are somewhat different from those of the Jedi doesn't mean they can't strive for the same goals, don't you agree?"

 

[Vaulkhar]

"Yes, truly."

Vaulkhar peered out through the force, looking over the area before him. Though he could not make out the detail of what was before him, he could tell by sheer size alone how beautiful it likely was. He nodded slightly as he spoke, but he then shook his head, almost in disagreement. "I completely agree that no matter what side of the force you utilize, you can do good. But I believe personally, I'd prefer to become a Jedi. I took this power because it was all that was offered to me. But now I have a chance to be better, and that is what I'd like to do."

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Thurion stopped and couldn't help but smile. "Then Jedi training you shall receive, my friend. Master Jericho is one of our best, so I'm sure you'll have no trouble learning from him," he told him, patting him on the shoulder. "Just know that going from Dark to Light, and vice versa, is no simple task like flipping a switch on and off. You'll be tempted to take the easy route thanks to your former training, but such is not the Jedi way. Do as your master says and follow his words to the letter. Humility, patience and temperance will be key."

[member="Vaulkhar"]​

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar nodded, a smile forming on his own face. The opportunity to completely purge the use of the dark side from his body caused great joy in the young man. Though he'd never really rid himself of the corruption he had allowed within himself, he knew he'd be able to at least keep it at bay with the teachings of the Jedi. He turned his attention away from the setting and back to that of Thurion. Taking a moment to compose himself, he took a deep breath and nodded.

"I appreciate this chance, sir. I will not let you or your order down." Vaulkhar took a step back and lowered himself into a bow. Though he had done quite a bit of wrong already, and had accepted so much evil within his life, he was still just a young adult, child-like in mannerisms at times. It was rather comical, to say the least. "I suppose I will be on my way to find Jericho, then. Once again, many thanks." Raising up from his bow, Vaulkhar turned to stride away and go off to find Jericho.