Faction [TDF] - Cradle and Coffin - [ The Sable Verge]

[Leos]

The Sable Verge
Tags: Braze

Epo-1, YT-1760 small transport
​

"Emotion, yet peace... Ignorance, yet knowledge... Passion, yet serenity... Chaos, yet harmony... Death... Death..."

His breath became labored. Control the mind and you control the person. Control the person and you control the Galaxy. It was his father incarnate, laughing at him. A deranged lunatic who thought he was smart. Twisting others to his will because he though it was optimal. He could still hear Sari scream as that thing got rooted into her brain. She had always been the strongest one out of all of them...

Leos was becoming angry. Very angry. Yet even so, he gritted his teeth and restrained himself.

"Death, but the Force," Leos finished. "This thing... was left here to be found. Somebody with an ego was too much of a coward to let his ideas die... He wants to worm into someone else's brain to get what he wants..."

Another exhale passed through his lips.

"It's... making me think too much," he huffed. "I... I..."

Was it his own anger that he dark presence brought out? Is it just what the holocron wanted him to feel? Everything was so cold, he just wanted it to stop. To get out of his head...

 

[Braze]

Tags: Leos

"Ignorance, yet knowledge… yes," Braze repeated softly. "Very good."

He reached out, taking the object once he was certain there was no trickery in interacting with it physically. "The Jedi do not destroy knowledge. Like it or not, such objects do contain knowledge, dangerous as it may be. That's why they're often placed in restricted sections. Younglings can't be expected to know how to handle such dangers.

Understanding the why behind rules helps with comprehension... a small thing often overlooked as precautions become routine. Meaning and reason are easily forgotten."

He turned the small object over once more before deactivating it and tucking it away. "Your emotions are what activated it through the Force… are you feeling all right?" Braze asked gently.

 

[Leos]

The Sable Verge
Tags: Braze

Epo-1, YT-1760 small transport
​

"No..." Leos murmured. "I haven't been okay in a while..."

It was easy to tell. His chest was labored, his posture was stiff and on edge, and his eyes were fixated. Entranced with the holocron. It was almost like there was a conflict within himself. A part of it was desire. Power was always tempting. But that wasn't what won over. The Themian began to tremble a little as an unseen hand took hold of the device, the holocron rattling from the strain.

"What knowledge is in there that's worth anything," he asked, his tone taking a noticeable edge. "He... left it here to teach people how to use others... he doesn't deserve to be remembered..."

Was that what he wanted? To crush it like an egg? A part of Leos knew he was trembling because...

He wasn't sure if he was in control.

 

[Braze]

Tags: Leos ​

"Well… I don't think most people start off bad," Braze said softly after a pause. "Something usually happens that pushes them down that path… something that breaks them or twists the way they see the world. Things like this... they offer a glimpse into what's really going on inside someone, why they feel the way they do."

He looked at Leos for a moment, his voice lowering.
"You sound angry… but anger usually hides something else... like fear... or anxiety.... Or hurt..." A small frown tugged at his lips. "So… Leos… who hurt you?"

 

[Leos]

The Sable Verge
Tags: Braze

Epo-1, YT-1760 small transport
​

"So… Leos… who hurt you?"

Leos gritted his teeth, the air becoming cold. The holocron wormed around his insecurities like a brier, digging itself deeper into him. After a moment of trembling, the young Themian let out a roar of frustration, though not a particularly flattering one given his high-pitched voice. The nearby wall cracked under the strain from the release of Force energy, but that was all. It was just the release that Leos needed to wrench away from the influence of the artifact.

That release caused him to stumble backwards. Once he was free, he was quick to scramble back and duck behind some rubble as cover, hiding his form.

"I-I don't wanna talk about it," he stammered. "K-keep that thing away from me."

He made no other sound, but the faint echo of droplets rippled through the metal floor.

 

[Braze]

Tags: Leos

Braze watched him and fell silent, thinking about what to do. He knew the truth about the dark side... how alluring and infectious it was. He knew how it festered and fed on one's emotions, how it blossomed from pain and resentment.

Quietly, Braze padded over to where Leos had gone and crouched down, trying to meet his eyes as best he could.
"I won't force you to talk to me," he said softly. "But the longer you bottle it away, the worse it gets. If you keep all that darkness inside, it'll fester until it becomes something larger than you can control. And when it finally comes out, the release can be… monstrous."

He paused, "You have to be the one to decide when and how that happens. No one else can make that choice for you. But it does need to happen if you want to start healing. It's like taking a splinter out of a wound... it hurts at first, but it has to get worse before it gets better."

Braze offered a faint smile. "I'll put the holocron somewhere safe. You don't have to worry about that."

Braze was quiet for a few long, thoughtful moments before offering his hand to Leos.
"I'm right here… you're not alone anymore," he said softly. "You don't have to carry the pain by yourself. I know what it feels like to be lost in it," Braze admitted, his tone low, "But I found my way out... and you can too. I'll help you if you let me."
He gave a small, encouraging nod. "Come on," he murmured. "Let's get you back on your feet. One step at a time, yeah?"

 

[Leos]

The Sable Verge
Tags: Braze

Epo-1, YT-1760 small transport
​

Leos didn't move. He didn't turn to look at Braze, he just sat there... listened. The Themian had been quick to dry his eyes so that Braze didn't see his tears, but they were still red and irritated. After a moment, he spoke in a husky tone.

"My father is a very bad man," he muttered. "He's not a person, he's a... a monster. He picks people apart, l-learns what makes them tick, puts them back together to use them as pawns... The things he creates... th-they turn people into mindless slaves, boil people's insides, melt their skin... I hate him. I want to kill him. Make him feel what he's done to everyone around him."

The boy let out an exhale, slumping more onto the ground and crossing his legs.

"I'm failing," Leos observed. "I-it's 'passion, yet serenity'... but I only feel passion. No serenity."

 

[Braze]

Tags: Leos

Braze shifted to settle on the ground beside Leos. He wasn't entirely sure what to say... or even what could be said. After a few quiet moments, he reached out and offered a brief but firm hug, unless Leos pulled away.

"That may be so," Braze murmured. "It's okay to feel."

He drew back slightly, his tone still calm but steady.
"But… you don't want to sink to his level," he said softly. "You're better than that."

Braze held his gaze for a moment longer, "Nothing I say can undo the horrible things he's done...or what you've had to see. But I promise… we will put an end to it."

 

[Leos]

The Sable Verge
Tags: Braze

Epo-1, YT-1760 small transport
​

Leos simply let his head slump onto Braze's shoulder. He didn't fight the embrace, merely accepting it and listening to his would-be teacher's words.

"I... believe you," he muttered. "When we do... I'm gonna stand beside you as an equal. A Jedi Knight. You'll see..."

He wasn't going to back down. Leos would bring peace back to his home. One way or another, he was going to fix what his family had plunged into darkness. He just needed to be patient and get stronger. The path was clear, and Leos was not going to be turned away.

Not by anyone.

 

[Braze]

Tags: Leos

Braze held the young man in a comforting embrace and offered a gentle hand to his back, giving a soothing circular pat.
"It's okay… I believe you too. We'll make things better," Braze promised.

He held him for as long as Leos wanted to be held, doing his best to offer empathy and comfort. Then he moved to take out a simple black bit of cloth and offered it to the youth to dry his eyes or blow his nose.

"Come on… let's get the power turned on and go find Kyric. The sooner we do that, the sooner we can get out of here."