Private Sanctimonious

[Ala Quin]

Wearing​

Spilosh

The boot of Jedi Knight Ala Quin hit a puddle that she had not been paying attention to. She recoiled with a quick euphemistic curse, close enough to the real thing to feel a bit bad. And felt a little guilty for her choice of words. Thankfully, the water had not gotten into the inside of her boots, otherwise she would have had to turn around. The caves were a thing of marvel and wonder. She had needed a break away from civilization, and the townsfolk of Methrandiel had suggested the Caves of Ur Dair, renowned for the phosphorescence of the lower caverns.

It had taken all of 4 hours to make her way to the beginning of the caverns and the people had been right. It was difficult to get to. She was exhausted. She wasn't just a little muddy, and grimy. The trip was so worth it though. She had not needed to head lantern for the better art of 30 minutes. The natural glow of the worms at the caves ceiling secreted into the moss on the walls, and ultimately to the waters below. It created an all encompassing space of light, and its various colourations.

And the Force. Oh the Force, it flowed in and through her, ebbing, flowing, carrying her in wafts and breezes. It was alive down here. Vivid. More so than even the physical light that she saw, which was itself amazing. She could feel the life that was gifted by the bugs overhead. Their small, somewhat grotesque appearance, belied the gift of life it gave to this underground ecological marvel.

The worst part of the splash she had just made though, was the noise. Residents of the town had warned her about making too much noise, much above a whisper could shatter the exoskeletons of the nearby glowworms. Apparently, it could take years for the nearby worms to repopulate that area of the cave. An oath, and a half day of training had been required just to get permission to come down...not to mention the sizeable deposit she had put on Caltin's charger.

She glanced about nervously. Nothing seemed to have changed. An internal sigh released. She really didn't want Caltin getting charged any credits...and the worms...the poor worms.

Not more than ten minutes into the bioluminescent portion of the cavern, Ala found herself looking down over a glowing pool. Greens, sky blues and turquoise merged, mingled and misted through out the room. A small stream fell down an outcropping of smooth moss covered rocks. It was beautiful. Across the pool a small waterfall barely made an impact as it misted before hitting the pools surface. She could feel it. The connection.

Her fringe was already starting to collect beads of lightly glowing water. A drop fell from her nose to her chest. A glance down quickly revealed that her clothes were starting to illuminate.

She grinned.

Within moments her outfit was cast aside in a carelessly tousled ball of fabric and leather. She tucked gloves and smaller items in her boots, along with her under garments. Her small jacket, already aglow, was laid over the top of her bootsto protect that which she could.

A toe went in first. It was cold. A shiver ran up her calf, but she did not relent. The water was bearable, she just needed some time to acclimate. The Force though, it beckoned. The light properties of the worm's bioluminescent secretions permeated and connected every living thing in the cave. It was like touching the Living Force.

Forgetting the cold, Ala walked into the water, the floor of the pool eventually dropping to a point that she began to float. She dipped under the water and made her way to the mists of the small waterfall. Senses tingled and stretched forth, her mind began to acquiesce to the lure of oneness. By the time she reached a ledge beneath the waterfall's spray, Ala was already wandering through the connection to the cavern.

Her head rested against the wall of the cave, water up to her chin, eyes closed...and she drifted into the Light.

| Rann Thress |​

 

[Rann Thress]

S I L E N C E ​

WEARING: xXx

TAG: Ala

The Caves of Ur Dair. A famous local attraction of Onderon. One Rann Thress never got the chance to visit. When he was but a boy, Rann had visited outside the caves with his mother, peering in. But could not actually go inside. The guide his mother had hired would not allow that. Something about the worms not liking sound, he couldn’t quite remember. The guide didn’t seem to trust a small child with being quiet. No matter how much he begged and pleaded.​

That was then.​

Now, Darth Qanah did not require permission, and certainly would not ask for it. It was said that these caves were quite peaceful. Serene. It was said one could find oneness. A lot was said.​

Qanah would know for sure.​

He did not worry about being loud. Nor did he have to. Years training to be as quiet as a mouse under Ra’a’mah to be a deadly assassin had made sure of that. Still, Qanah was mindful of every step. Onderon had so few tourist attractions or great places of mysticism. The last thing Qanah wanted was to ruin something so beautiful and unique on his Homeworld.​

He had very vague memories of how to approach the caves and. Because of his pride and the fact he wasn’t supposed to be here, he didn’t ask for directions from the locals. Thus, it had taken Qanah the better part of a day to actually arrive at the mouth of the cave. And even then, he had to try to hone in on a bright spot in the force to find it.​

“Strange.” He mumbled to himself as he spotted the mouth of the cave.​

He had heard that the Caves were a conduit for the light side. But this was way more intense then residual energy. He eventually dismissed it as being an unusually strong area and left it at that.​

As he entered the cave he decided to proceed directly towards the area of the caves where the glow worms made their home. As the light from the outside became dimmer and dimmer, Qanah decided to click on the LowLight vision on his helmet, making traversing the darkness a non issue. When he finally arrived at the bioluminescent portion of the cave he was immediately stricken with the incredible beauty of the worms glow. So sudden was it, and so immaculate, he had to take off his helmet just to be sure what he was seeing was real. As he pulled off his helmet, his mouth was agape with disbelief.​

This is what was kept from me as a child? This magnificence? ​

He struggled to maintain his silence as he continued deeper into the cave, becoming ever more baffled the further he went.​

When he finally arrived at the pool, he was once again taken aback. This was, by far and large, worth every second of frustration and hardship it had taken to get here. Just as beautiful and peaceful as he had been led to believe. As he marveled, he did take a quick look around to inspect his surroundings from a security standpoint and spied a bundle of clothes nearby.​

Curious. he thought to himself.​

It was unlikely that these were left behind. And they appear to be just one persons. Qanah kneeled down, setting his helmet down against the ground and looked for where the mystery person might be.​

As he scanned around, he reached out with the force to find their location, then he shifted his gaze towards the waterfall.​

There. ​

He stood back up and shrugged.​

Live and let live. he thought. He wasn’t really in a hurry to fight, especially not here. In fact, Qanah figured he’d join his fellow spelunker. As he pulled his robes away from his body to observe them, he noticed that they were starting to glow with the same luminescence that was present throughout the cave. With a sigh, as as quiet as he could manage, he pulled off his clothing. He looked down to his helmet and wiped off the glowing liquid that had accumulated on it before carefully covering it and his boots with his more disposable tunic and robes.​

For a brief moment, Qanah had considered removing his undergarments but decided against it. Knowing he wasn’t alone, he figured it’d be only polite to be considerate, and left them on. He also decided to leave on his elbow length right glove that covered his robotic arm. He figured it’d be fine, but he didn’t want it to glow if this effect was permanent. Much more acceptable for the glove to be sacrificed then have a glowing arm forever, he figured.​

As quietly as he could, Qanah carefully submerged himself into the water. He recoiled slightly from the temperature, but sighed contentedly once he was in most of the way. He would have been happy to just stay there forever, but decided against it. He should probably go introduce himself To whomever else was in this pool, lest they happen upon him and be creeped out.​

They’ll be creeped out anyway. he thought, swimming out towards the waterfall.​

At least this way we just get it over with.​

He submerged under completely and swam towards the waterfall, passing underneath. Once through, he spotted something in the near distance. As he grew closer the shape became clearer.​

Legs. Woman legs. And... oh.​

oh.​

Oh dear.​

He pondered for a moment the idea of just turning around and leaving. This poor girl would probably die of embarrassment if she knew he was there. But... something about her seemed familiar. He just had to know for sure.​

As quietly as he could, Qanah breached the surface. And when his head was above the water, and the girl in view, he whispered.​

“Bright Spot?”​

 

[Ala Quin]

Within her mind palace, Ala drifted in the flow of the living Force. Wafted breezes lapped at her face. The sweet aroma of eternity, voices, whispers from her past, her future, the lives of those she loved, and had never met.

Ala...

Zakk?

He was already gone. His presence, his memory caressing her mind like a feather. The corresponding emotions of laughter and joy tickled at her mind.

Ala...

She turned to see Lynmeira disappear into the mist of her mind and the Force. She thought for a moment to have seen N'yssa.

Aaaala...

Lee?

It was him. She smiled. His presence was soothing. A dear friend, one with the Force after being lost to darkness for so long. And then he was gone.

Bright spot?

What?

She turned. But there was no one there. The words echoed through her mind.

Bri...bri...bri...ght..spo-o-o-t

It was as if a hand had entered into her Force nurtured reality and reached inside her very being, pulling her through layers of conciousness with such force that it took her breath away.

Breath?

BREATH!

There was something over her mouth.

~~~~~~​

With the newly recovered connection to her phsyical self, Ala's eyes shot open. There was a hand over her mouth and a face looking back at her. It was him.

"Friend!" Came her muffled scream, and just then she glanced about to see what damage the noise had done. None. Her restraint even in yelling and surely the muffling effect of the hand over her mouth had saved the worms nearby from instant death. She pushed him away, and her hands quickly came back to protect her dignity.

"What are you doing here?" She whisper-yelled, eyes aflame with embarrasment and an uncommon fear, "how looooooong have you been here?"

Having turned a shoulder to him, she freed up a hand to call her saber hilt to hand, which ignited with a vrooomshhh. The sound of the igniting blade echoed through the cavera, and some of the small blue stars on the ceiling blinked out of existence. Ala's stomach churned.

What had she done?

| Rann Thress |​

 

[Rann Thress]

S I L E N C E​

WEARING:

TAG: Ala

Discovering that Qanah was right there, after only having met him once and you’re swimming...less than clothed. He knew she would scream. Now he was met with an impossible choice.​

Thinking quickly, hoping to just get it over with, Qanah covered Bright Spots mouth to prevent her from screaming. And it worked until she pushed him back and summoned her lightsaber to her hand, igniting it.​

The sound of ignition echoed off the cave walls and caused the nearby glowies to die, and suddenly Qanah agreed with why the Guide never let Rann inside. Sound killed them.​

“Well that’s out of the bag now,” he said, whispering.​

“Look I’m sorry I didn’t mean to intrude,” he turned his head and blocked his vision of her. More for her sake than anything.​

“I just got here, I wanted to see the caves and saw clothes on the cave floor and figured I would join whoever was in here. I didn’t ogle you, I didn’t stare, I was only trying to...” he sighed.​

“Well it sounds bad if I say I wanted to keep you quiet. I... look. I’m sorry. I mean no harm, I’m unarmed, and I’m not a creepy stalker. I had no idea you were here.”​

While he covered his eyes with one hand, the other was thrown up in surrender, until he started to struggle to stay afloat, then it returned to paddling.​

“I’d really prefer not to die failing to swim.”​

 

[Ala Quin]

Shame. Shame fell upon Ala as the Friend spoke. She had reacted in fear. She could blame it all she wanted on being lost in some Force trance but she had acted in fear nonetheless. As a result, some innocent worms had lost their life. Some of the stars of the cave had gone out for good. For some, it might seem inconsequential but for Ala the lives of the slimey little critters were precious. She had violated their trust in allowing her to connect through their Force network.

You can't dwell on it Ala. What is done cannot be undone. Seek you penance in the good you do from here.

"Swim then," Ala urged the Friend, "don't die on my account."

She was preoccupied with the lit saber blade in her hand, aware that the moment she turned it off it would make more noise beyond its persistant hum. More worms would die. She did the only thing she could think to do. Slowly, she lowered her hand. Avoiding any sudden movement that would create any increase in the hum's sound level. And then...she submerged the blade. She had never checked with Caltin as to whether or not this blade had been prepped for submersion, and as it began to short out she realized it was no. The blade flickered, and then sparks jumped from the hilt hitting her hand.

"OW," she whisper-yelled, while dropping the blade into the depths of the pool below. The water had successfully muffled the sound.

Well...I will have to explain that lost saber to Caltin...

Now she turned her attention back to the Sith in room. Her eyes narrowed. But she made no move saved to rub her swore hand against her shoulder. It would sting for a while, she guessed.

"Well. I have only two choices. Believe you, or not," she said in seriousness, "I will take believing you because at least it gives me the feeling of some security...that just maybe I can trust you. And...I want to think well of you. Even if it is a little crazy"

Trusting a Sith was never a good idea, but believing in their innate goodness was her forte.

"So...what now? We just float here until one of us shrivels up into a tygarian prune?" She asked with a quirked brow and the smile starting to return to her lips, "because I don't think you suit tygarian prune...though I would be OK with being proven wrong."

Adjusting herself, Ala turned her back a little to Rann, which freed her to swim out a little, the glow of the water thankfully providing enough glare to obfuscate if not entirely cover. "The connection you can have with the Force here is truly amazing...but...I am not sure what you would experience...given your chosen path."

| Rann Thress |​

 

[Rann Thress]

S I L E N C E​

WEARING:

TAG: Ala

He watched through his fingers as the Bright Spot submerged her blade, probably ruining it. The loss of the little glowies seemed to weigh a bit heavy on her.



“I’m sorry for that. The glowies and the lightsaber.” He whispered.



“Truly I didn’t mean to startle.” He said as he pulled his hand away from his eyes and started paddling backwards against a wall.



“And I don’t prune well.” He said with a smile.



When he found himself staring, he turned his eyes away, towards the walls of the cave. “Ah... yeah. The Force. Yeah.” He struggled to find a train of thought.



“I... well. I remembered what we talked about the last time we met, friend. And I remembered this place from my youth. I never got to see it. So I wanted to. I’ve been very considerate towards the life forms in here. I’m not here for deeper meaning, or to find inner peace. I’m here to relax.”



Truly, he feared what he’d see. This wasn’t the type of place for a Darksider to tap into. He’d be an intruder.



Qanah found a suitable ledge to sit on inside the water and relaxed, closing his eyes but keeping himself shut off from the Force. “This is a nice place. And it, like the wedding, doesn’t deserve to be a battleground. I intend to enjoy my...vacation.”



He smiled and looked back at her.



“And I am so far.”



​

 

[Ala Quin]

"A vacation," Ala nodded with pursed lips and a look of amusement, "even the Dark Side takes a holiday?"

Swimming towards the edge of the pool where they both entered the pool. In two minds as to whether or not she would just up and leave, or hang around a little longer, she found that either decision left her in an awkward position of trusting this Dark Sider in order to retain her modesty. It wasn't a position that she exactly delighted in.

And then his tone changed...indicating...

Is he flirting?

Before she could answer the internal question, she found a coy smile creep across her face as she reached to nervously push some hair behind her ear...but stopped part way through the action and dipped her hand back into the water.

Control yourself. Dark Sider. Daaark Siiiider.

Settling on a ledge just to the left of the exit of the pool and a little over a metre from where he sat, Ala found her head resting on a growth of glowing moss. Her gaze fell on the waterfall across the pool, trying not to make eye contact with the Friend. "You are an egima to me Friend," she said in a whisper, without looking his way, "it is clear to me that your path is one of darkness...jealousy, I sense...envy...greed...desire..."

Her eyes briefly flitted towards the Friend and then back to the waterfall.

"...but I have never met a Dark Sider that can turn it off like you can. Most Dark Siders, even those that I have known to eventually turn back to the light, even they are openly aggressive in our first encounter," she whispered with a brow that was furrowing more and more deeply, to the point that she actually looked worried, "if you can turn it off now...why not all the time? Why not embrace the light?"

With the end of the question, she found that her head had tilted and eyes gazing towards the Sith. She could sense in him the potential for greatness in the Light.

By my side? With me...

The connection she had felt at the dance was still there. It had intimidated her then, and she had fled. Now it reemurged but they were alone. There was no one else to see or to know. This could be their place. Here, she could win him back to the Light. Ala's mind drifted to fantasy, and she found that her eyes had closed.

Control. You must learn control.

Her eyes opened. She was foolish. A childish Jedi crushing on a bad boy. Nothing else.

She needed to leave...but wanted to stay.

| Rann Thress |​

 

[Rann Thress]

S I L E N C E​

WEARING:
TAG: Ala

“Most Sith believe it is the purpose of the Dark to destroy the Light. I don’t. For me...” he laid his head back and shrugged his shoulders.

“The purpose of the Dark? That...that makes no sense. The Light has purpose. Order. Structure. The Dark doesn’t. Restraint keeps you in the Light, indulgence pushes you into the Dark.”

He smiled at her and raised his head again, “I am not evil for evil’s sake. I wouldn’t even say I’m evil. Am I good? Well... no. I’m not a good person. I don’t burn down orphanages or kick porgs, but I take life. I destroy. But with purpose.”

“The thought if innocent life being lost...is upsetting. Especially if it’s unnecessary. Unnecessary destruction, death. I avoid those if I can. And I often can, so I do.”

He smiled when she spoke of the emotions that drove him.
“And what you feel is true. I am jealous of those that have more than me. Envious of those who are stronger than me. I am greedy, seeking more and more. And I desire...” he looked at her, “...a great many things.”

“I have ambition, and these help drive me. I am no servant, especially of the Force. I use my power to better myself.” He shrugged again.

“Is it right? No. It’s not. But it is what I do. I don’t step on those weaker than me to achieve my goals.”

“But I am still a Sith. I have a list of names... most of them bad... who I must defeat. To prove myself, to better myself. People who are stronger than me. More famous than me. Mentors, masters...family.”
His mind thought of his sister, Damsy, and his Father, Darth Metus.

He sighed. “I don’t turn it off. If I could, I would. I just refuse to fall under any sort of dogma. For people who are my enemy, I am... less cordial.” He thought of his engagement with Gerwald. He was rabid. An animal. Without a care for the people he hurt.
But with purpose... he thought. Always with purpose was his will done.

He pushed off the ledge and swam into the middle of the pool,

“You are not my enemy, Friend.”

​

 

[Ala Quin]

He spoke and his words seemed laced with self-deception. But in his words, Ala started to see, for the first time in her life, the attraction of the dark side. She could hear it in his words, but see it in his face. He had so completely convinced himself that it was his right to follow this path, even if it was not right to do so.

"There are so many escape clauses in everything you just said," Ala said after he had finished speaking. She knew what he meant, about desire. It was not subtle. For just a moment as he spoke, she had felt a cold chill run down her spine, but it had not scared her in that instant but excited. The moment was fleeting though, and she found her Jedi training was a help in pushing away the temptation to swim out to him, embrace...

Stop, she thought as the line of thinking was curtailed.

"It grieves me that you can find some loophole for acceptable innocent loss," Ala said quietly, "that ultimately no one's life is of more value than your pursuit of power...of scratching names of the list of those that have wronged you, or bested you...or exemplify more power than you."

Such is the way of all Sith.

Pulling herself off the ledge she swam out to meet the Friend, and came to float just before him, a sign of trust that she felt a little nervous about. Reaching forth, the back of Ala's fingers gently traced his jawline, before pulling her hand back under to the surface before she started to slip under the water. Her eyes plead with her next words.

"There is much waiting for you in the Light. Do not excuse the selfishness of your path, my...dear...Friend," she said before turning to swim back to the edge of the water, this time with intent to get out of the pool.

With her back to him, she pulled herself partially out of the water before casting a glance over her shoulder that said, "Avert your eyes."

| Rann Thress |​

 

[Rann Thress]

O B J E C T I V E​

WEARING:
TAG: Ala

Qanah pondered her words as he sat floating.​

He wasn’t a good person, true. And his ambitions outweighed the needs of those he deemed lesser, true. His list of names... he needed to kill them. Darth Qanah demanded it.​

Such is the way of the Sith.​

He was selfish. Self-absorbed self-consumed. This was also true. And when she touched his jaw part of him wanted to lay his hand on hers and beg forgiveness. But that wasn’t who he was. Not anymore.​

Rann Thress was dead.​

He was Qanah now. And he wouldn’t be dissuaded from his path. Not now. Not yet.​

Once again, as she turned to leave from him he was speechless. He could only watch as she began to leave the pool.​

“Wait!” He called out, struggling to maintain a whisper. He reached a hand forward toward her,​

“What’s your name?” He asked, keeping his eyes on her.​

 

[Ala Quin]

He called out...

Ala winced as his voice echoed throughout the cave, and like someone had flicked a switch all the worms in the cave flickered out of existence. She hadn't even realized her eyes were closed, but in opening them she found what she feared. Picking up her clothes, and holding them awkwardly behind her as she scrambled up out of the pool and behind an outcropping, she finally stuck her head back out when she had cover.

Her eyes conveyed a deep grief. He lusted for her. It was true that there was some glimmer of desire from her part as well, but it was to be denied. Someone who put his own desire ahead of the lives of these beautiful little creatures...

Standing there in the darkened cave, the water glowed, the moss glowed, but from Rann's perspective down in the water he could see Ala's face glowing back at him with the effects of the water having permeated her skin. Behind her was just the blackness of the cave.

What's my name?

"Your Bright Spot," she said sadly, before rushing to dress herself, but finding the water to be a hinderance and creating a fair amount of unpleasant bunching.

If only you would join me. We could...

Her thoughts trailed off as she stood up fully and adjusted her leggings. They were uncomfortable and would likely be chaffing by the time she got top side. But she had to leave. Well, it was more that she could not stay.

Without another word, Ala departed, stooping only at the edge of the glowing regions of the cave system to scoop up a couple of worms into a glass jar. They were some of the very few that she had seem on her way out of the cave system.

~~~~~~~​

Some hours later, Ala emerged into the daylight of Onderon's surface. Caltin was not there to pick her up as they had agreed, owing mostly to the fact that she was some 3 hours early in her return. With a shrug, she simply turned towards the direction she knew town would be in and started her trek back...with a limp slowly forming from the painful chaffing around her joints.

She really should have brought a towel.

| Rann Thress | Caltin Vanagor |​

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

IT'S ALWAYS DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN...​

Location: Onderon
Equipment: Conservator and Vanguard 2.0 (Lightsabers)
Comm-link, Rebreather, Custom Robes
Starship: Starlight Sentinel, (Dilorian in cargo bay)
Companion: Astromech R01R - "Roller", Pilot droid Mu51c - "Music"
Tag: Rann Thress

By the Force! Where is she?

He'd been sitting there for a good twenty minutes. Right where Ala asked him to be to come to pick her up. He would leave the ship and go searching for her, but Caltin could feel the trace, almost trail of her presence lingering. She was around, or at least she had been. Who knows, maybe she went back into that cave for something and found something cool. Spelunking was never the big guy's thing, at least not for fun as rocks and geodes never really seemed to interest him. No judgment against anyone who liked that sort of thing... and maybe it was some kind of closet claustrophobia or something, but he felt like he would get stuck down there or something.

He could sense another presence in the vicinity too, a different one altogether. This one was a mixture of darkness, but some of it was rather opaque, like the sun trying to shine through openings of a cloudy day. The old Caltin would have been threatened and searched out the individual at this point, certain that he or she had something illicit to do with Ala having not been there when she said she would be. However, this was a new day and age, and he promised his little sister that while he would always be as protective as he ever was to her, he would not simply fly off the handle. It was a prudent thing too, she was a Jedi Knight, and while she represented all that was good about being a Jedi, she could hold her own in a fight if she needed to.

He just wanted that she would never have to.

Excuse me! He shouted, not really knowing specifically where this individual was, but knowing he was not terribly far in. I know that you are not far. Perhaps you could help me?

... YET THE DAWN ALWAYS COMES.