The Dragon's Retort

[Ra'a'mah]

There were a few moments of silence between them where Josh appeared to be in a great deal of thought. Maybe he was thinking of what Ra had said or what to say as a reply. Which ever it was, when he started speaking, she listened to him until he was finished.

The mention of what happened to his ex-wife brought some form of sympathy from her. It showed in her eyes, which was more than most people got. She got a sudden feeling this encounter had turned into something more than a simple reestablishment of trade ties. This was now something personal to each of them.

He said as a general rule, sith used their code just to have the ability to be evil. Those chains they claimed they were breaking provided them an outlet to do what they wanted to do. The question he asked was what she considered to be good chains or the ones that didn't need to be broken, but she allowed him to finish before answering.

Continuing on, he advised her...not in a hostile way, but a truthful one that if she were to ever attempt to harm his son, she would find herself dead. With an entirely straight face, he told her he wouldn't have any issues doing it and would sleep peacefully to return to work the next day. Each point he made was either responded to with a nod or sliver of a smile.

As he finished, he admitted emotions were part of being human. The difference between being control. That last part silenced Ra for several moments herself. In those moments she questioned her path, the life she had grown up knowing. Narrowing her eyes slightly at Josh, her breathing was almost shallow and fast. He had struck a blow at her maybe unknowingly.

Even him admitting he had touched the dark did not surprise or shock her. Most people did.

"I could say I'm sorry for the loss of your former wife, but they would be mere empty words to be polite. Now to answer you question good chains, I'm going to use the chains I am aware of on me. In my line of work, I need to keep myself chained, if you will. There are literally a handful of people that know what I am. You now number within that number."

Placing a hand over her heart to indicate honesty, she looked at Josh, meeting his gaze one again. Hers was unwavering and hopefully he would feel the power behind the next words she spoke. Ra valued honor and if she gave a vow, she would do everything in her power to not break it.

​"I vow, I will never harm your son or attempt to use him to cause harm to you. I would never intentionally harm a child."

Lowering her eyes, there was a slightly haunted look in them as she finished. Not opening up about it though, when Ra looked back, her expression was back to normal. Perhaps she wasn't as sith as she thought because she had control on her emotions.

"I maintain control of my emotions even in battle. Don't let them control me. To do that would be stupid and mistakes could be made. Does that make me less of a...you know what?"

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He listened to her response with no emotions shown on his face. Even as he opened up to her a bit, he still had to protect himself. Hopefully... She would understand that. Jedi and Sith were natural born enemies, but even then... Josh had made it all too clear the damage that the Sith had done to him. To not be cautious of them would be foolhardy, no matter how enticing someone tried to be with the fat they were being sincere.

She asked a question though, and he took a moment to think on it, before answering.

"No. There are Sith who can control their emotions... But in the end, you will still be a slave to it when the time comes. That is the fate of all Sith... You can contain your emotions, restrain them, only use them when you need to... But the dark side feeds on anger. It is the key to your power. Without it... You are powerless. And a Sith refuses to be powerless. Thus... A chain. Thus... Being slaves to that chain. You following me?"

It was like he was teaching one of his students... Except this was a Sith who he was lecturing on the Sith. A bit of a weird case, this one. He simply nodded when she promised that she wouldn't hurt his son. What did he say to that? It wasn't like he could say he 100% believed her because he would be stupid if he did. All he could really do is acknowledge it was said. Whether she abided by it or not was on her.

"And yet, you don't seem to possess the qualities that a Sith should, no... Tell me, if the Sith had given you a goal, with your life on the line if you failed... And a single father with an infant son that would probably die if left without their father, was standing in your way, and you had no choice but to kill him in order to succeed... What would you do? Duty? Or the life of not just one innocent, but two? Neither of which will have much means of defending themselves..."

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Ra'a'mah]

As much as Ra held her emotions to herself and didn't display them, it seemed like she could take lessons from Josh.

"It's an addiction. The more a person uses it, the more they need it."

As he continued, she felt​ a flash of mild irritation at what he said. They had just met so was making assumptions about her. He did not know her, the type of person she was and just how much control she had. She was not chained like he said. In a way, she was almost acting like a child getting scolded. Of course this isn't how she saw it, but everything was subjective to point of view.

When he continued on and asked what she would do in a certain situation, it grounded her. That anger drained away. He was right about one thing for the most part. Ra was far more neutral than even she wanted to admit. While not afraid to use her anger at times, she would rather find mundane ways to accomplish her goals. However the example he decided to pick on was one she dreaded to ever face.

He might be looking directly at her as he spoke, but Ra looked away. Not meeting his eyes and instead looking at the floor, her answer came out quietly. Only when she finished did she look up at Josh to meet his gaze.

"If it was my death or that of a child, then I would be one dying. I vowed years ago I would never intentionally harm a child and I won't go back on that. However if there was a way to accomplish my task AND keep the child safe, I would find it. There are always ways to avoid killing and accomplish a goal."

In just a few sentences, Josh had found one of her few weaknesses. Her love for children her opinion that they are the future of the galaxy meant she would do anything in her power to not harm them. ​

"I hold no loyalty to that empire, Josh. Alienated and estranged from them. In fact, I have no ties to them. Only a simple code of ethics and they carry it too far. They are not me and I am not them, nor do I want to be."

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He lectured her not because he thought low of her, or considered her like a child... But used the lecture format because it was the way he knew for getting the point across. He was a regular teacher here for Padawans, both young and old. This was the way that he was comfortable giving a lesson such as this, and so it was the same style that he employed. As for assumptions, well... She knew full well already how much the Sith had taken from him. Could she really blame him for lumping them in as a similar lot?

Regardless, he remained calm and firm as he would listen to her answers. Despite not knowing about her weakness prior, he could tell that she did indeed hold care for children. But once she had finally finished her answer, he would slowly nod his head... And then give the answer he'd formulated while she was talking.

"Then get out."

He let that sink in for a moment, as he would go out of his way to get her to look him in the eyes.

"As in... Get out of there. The Sith are not for you. You can follow my advice, or not, that's on you. You're grown. But I've been dealing with the Sith, known of their teachings, know of their code and what they're willing to do to attain their desires... For a very, very long time. I don't look all that old, but I have near two decades of experience. It's not for you, trust me.

If you need a reason why... Tell me, what happens if you end up needing to work with another Sith to attain your goals, for whatever reason, and they don't have the same qualms that you do about killing children? What if they kill that child just to get it over with, whether you like it or not? Most Sith aren't known for their patience, after all... Some are, but it's not common. Many just want results and want them quickly. What happens if that clashes with the rare Sith that suddenly develops ideals?

So I'll reaffirm most likely case scenario... They kill the kid whether you like it or not, and you're an accomplice to murdering a child. What do you do?"

Hell, he wasn't even telling her to run off to the Jedi, notably. He didn't even do that with his own brother. All he was suggesting she do was preserve her own sanity. This was 100% about self-preservation.

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Ra'a'mah]

Their eyes remained locked as he spoke. His brown meeting hers of gold. She did not look away as either of them spoke though. The messages shared between them would hopefully stay there. What he advised was something she had slowly been working on doing already.

"In the last year, I have not had more than two interactions between myself and them. I don't work with them or have contact if I can avoid it. In my line of work, I can't strike deals with them. You know how well you can trust the word of a normal sith. That is one thing that makes me different."

Shrugging her shoulders ​slightly, Ra would take his advise into consideration.

"I've made it clear to others sith my view on harming children or even keeping slaves. If you ever visit my home, my people are all former slaves I gave freedom to that choose to stay with me. They are free if they wish to leave. I hold no chains or power over them."

The hint of a future meeting had been thrown into the conversation unnoticed by her.

"What I have been doing is exactly what you suggest though. Distancing myself from that empire. Making my own path and mark in the galaxy. Certainly more as a merchant than anything else, but I'm happy with that. In the case and example you use, there has not been a situation like that for me ever. However, I would turn that person's reasoning on them and spare the child."

There was no advice to leave her code behind, but the empire. That was something she had done a long time ago. Now it seemed it was time to cut her ties where they remained. The Assassins and Magus. Two groups that fell under that great umbrella.

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"And yet you still go on about alignment, and who you are, as if you are still so."

He let that hang for a moment. So long as she was a member of the Sith, she would be associated with child killers, destroyers of families. The people who had killed his former flame when she tried to leave, who had let her go with feigning of peace and then hunted her down and put a blade in her neck when she wasn't looking. She would be associated with the people who took his brother away, sending him on a long quest to bring him back, only for them to kill him too.

"You say you are making your own path, yet you continue to take the name of something associated with murderers... Monsters... Destroyers of families, my own included. What do you hope to accomplish by taking that?" He would inquire. "Do you wish to try and tell people the Sith aren't so bad? Are you trying to convince people to trust them, child-killers included, all while you claim you are trying to separate yourself from their Empires of child-killers and family destroyers?

What is your goal, exactly? What is your aim? If the Jedi became what I had just described, I'd drop the whole damn thing. For one simple reason...

Why should I rep what disgusts me?"

He took a deep breath then, but once he got his bearings, he looked at her with eyes fierce, eyes piercing... And then he spoke in a tone that while quiet, was just as piercing as his eyes.

"You are a Sith Lord, Ra. Just by holding that title, I look at you as just that - a Sith. The people who took Sao away. The people who took my parents away. The people who took my godson away. The people who took my brother away. The people who every morning I wake up and have to call home... Because I'm scared they may take my son away. Unless you have a point to prove, is that a distinction you really wish to hold?"

 

[Ra'a'mah]

Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Ra listened to what Josh was saying. He wasn't wrong with any of it. Even if she didn't fit that common mold, she was forced to keep her ideals secret. At least until she came across somebody like a Jedi master that could feel it or she wasn't working. At home, she did not hide what she was. Now though the question begged to be asked.

If not sith what am I?​

It was left unspoken, but the thought might be strong enough to be heard or at least picked up on. For one of the first times in her life, she was questioning who and what she was beyond a businesswoman.

"I would wish people to know not all are bad. You are right though, I think all eventually fall to the point where they can't or wouldn't want to turn back. That's something that will not happen to me."

Again their gazes were locked, his tone was quiet, but it felt like he was slapping her. Maybe he was, but it wasn't physical. A healthy dose of reality and it continued something somebody else had started on her months ago. Eroding away at her ideals and path she thought she followed. But Ra now knew she didn't follow that code, she wasn't as sith as she had thought. It still left that question unanswered though.​

"Life should be lived with some code or ethics. So...I'm not exactly sure where that leaves me. It has valid points, same as yours. Perhaps I can still use some of it and discard what doesn't apply."

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]​

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Bad" is such a general term. But for Sith... They know going in that they are going to be "bad" Josh would respond, letting out a sigh in turn. "You can't walk five paces without being told about how the Sith have ravaged settlements, enslaved planets, destroyed families, murdered just for the sake of it even... Sure. maybe some aren't as destructive as others, but how do you join something like that, when you know going in, if you're not even a little bit of that kind yourself?" Josh would ask. "It's like joining a hate cult dedicated to destroying a particular race, and then getting upset when people accuse you of being a murderer, or racist against this particular race. You knew what you signed up for. You knew what they do. Does it matter if one happens to go to parties and offers free keggers on the side?

They are Sith. S.I.T.H. They once controlled the entire galaxy, through manipulating and slaughtering thousands, playing two sides in a war they started, no care as to the millions of casualties and destroyed families so long as they got what they wanted. Anyone who knows their history know what the Sith are like and don't usually join without knowing that."

He took a deep breath then, and allowed her to go on. It seemed that she'd had a change of heart of sorts. But then what was she, if not Sith? He had to think on that...

"Hmm..." He spoke softly as he would begin to whisper both codes to himself, as though reminding himself of them...

"There is no emotion, there is peace.​

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.​

There is no passion, there is serenity.​

There is no chaos, there is harmony.​

There is no death, there is the Force."​

​

"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me."​

After steady contemplation, he appeared to find his answer. So with that, he would look toward her, and he would gently take her hands in his own. His eyes meeting hers, he would smile softly as he would begin to recite a code. It was a suggestion, more than anything... One she could take and shape as she wished.

"Through my emotions, I become whole.​

From my feelings, I become I.​

Through knowledge, I find peace.​

Through my heart, I find strength.​

Through my strength, I protect.​

Through protection, I love.​

Through love, I am Ra."​

 

[Ra'a'mah]

Listening to what Josh said about it being a willing choice to be a sith and a person going in knew they were going to be evil, Ra shook her head in an attempt to disagree. What he said about the actions of the sith were accurate and she did not stop him. She was not one that had gone in willingly, but had been conditioned as one as a child, brainwashed and broken before she could decide on her own. It had been all she knew. At this point in time though, that was just an empty excuse and no point in stating that.

"When I joined the current sith empire, my hand was forced. Join or die. Well, I kind of like living. Since then though, my life's path has actually taken me away from them. In the merchant fleet, one of the rules it has is, don't make bargains with sith. Of course, nobody knows I am one. In fact outside of that empire, very few do."

As Josh recited the two​ codes to himself, she joined in with him. It had been a long time for her since she had given voice to the Jedi Code or even that of the Sith. When they finished, both fell silent, letting the two codes hang in the air between them and then he looked at her with a different kind of smile than he had before. This was a far more human smile, one that showed Ra more of the man under the Jedi code.

The man that was a caring father and fully human. Somebody that had faced his life choices and made a division between two lives. With his simple motion and expression, he took a hold of her hands and recited a suggested code for her. Even with him knowing what she thought she was, he still reached out and connected with her. She did not pull away from his grip and made a choice to not be closed minded with him.

"Through love?"

It was an emotion she denied herself and not known it. One of those chains she was unaware of. If the truth was known by either of them, she was scared. Ra feared love and the potential pain that could come with it. It was something foreign to her. For the briefest of moments, her guard came down on her face and something opened up within her. For a heartbeat that fear might be seen as they were looking at each other's eyes, but she buried it before it would be too noticeable and didn't even know it.

"That is a very personal code and something I could adapt into. It would take time and hope the sith don't do to me what happened to you."

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

It made sense. Not all Sith had joined willingly... But eventually, there was always an opportunity to escape. If you had the opportunity and you did not take it... Why? Why would you willingly hurt others as the Sith did? If there was a chance to go, to run, to hide... Why not take it, why not take the chance to forge a new identity for yourself?

"Yet, you still called yourself a Sith... Up until the moment I brought it up" He spoke, a small smirk crossing his lips at that. "You're clearly powerful... Powerful enough for nobody to be able to chain you but yourself. Yet you continued to allow yourself to be chained... Despite no threat to your life. I wonder... Once you had the chance to break those chains, what stopped you for so long? There's something to ponder... To learn from, of course. If you fear doing something... Ask yourself why. You may just find out some things... Perhaps something useful. Even a Master must continue to learn, yes?"

She did not seem to be as accepting of the "love" portion as she was of the others, to which he would shrug his shoulders. Well, it was a start. "It's a suggestion. If you feel that the code fits you... Then embrace it. If it does not, then bend it to your whims, find -you- within that code and make a creed to follow that suits who you truly are."

"As for the Sith..."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"They will always go for those who do not follow their creed... Sometimes they even go for those that do. That's part of life. But I'm sure you can handle it... You're plenty tough, I can tell" He would advise, a cheeky grin flashing at that.

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Ra'a'mah]

Josh was not the first person to bring the question into her on if she could really call herself sith, but he was the last. As time had passed for her away from that empire, she had been cutting her ties. It may have been something slow going, but to do it all at once might have called more attention to her.

"You are right, I did. In a way, I still am as there are still a few lingering ties to them. But They will be cut soon. Call that one intuition more than anything."

What Ra did not know was of that empire's plans to attack her government and totally destroy its economy, people and worlds. If she had known that, those ties would have been cut.

"Fear I would suppose is the best way to put it. So why..."

She fell silent and pondered the answer to give him. They still held hands and it wasn't odd feeling to her for some reason.
​
"I fear being alone my whole life, to not being accepted. With them, I had that. As my path took me away rom them, I made a conscience choice to hide what I was. Maybe I was embarrassed or I feared how people would react if they knew. So many fear the sith and in turn would fear me. I might be tough, but I am only one person. There's no way I could survive a real effort from them to have me killed."

It had never bothered her if somebody else had a different creed than her.

Moments only had passed before another meaning of what he said dawned on her. Not so much a meaning, but rather what he did. Ra was a rather logical person and pretty oblivious to attraction and flirting. With them holding hands and his words, she wasn't that blind and lifted an eyebrow at him. Not being able to help, she gave Josh one of her true smiles that lit up her entire being.

"Really? Okay, I'm interested."

Saying it rather blunt and to the point, it was in her nature to not be subtle.

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"I'll hold you to that promise" The Jedi Master would tease, shooting her a big, cheeky grin in turn. "It's funny... You talk about how they made you belong, they made it so you weren't alone... And they're the reason that I was alone."

His expression was bittersweet. Happy she'd found something... Not happy that they'd taken his something.

"You realize already you wouldn't survive an effort to have you killed... You seem to have thought about them potentially killing you... Yet here you are, still with your ties" He responded with a casual shrug and a light chuckle in turn. "You seem to know already what they'll do. Curious, that. Something to think about. If you intend to cut ties, too... I'd prepare. No time like the present."

Smiling at her last words, his datapad would beep and he would gently release her hands as he would go to read it.

"It appears Grandmaster Kitra has approved your request. Tell your council that the Silver Jedi Order will continue to honor the treaty. With that... I must be off" He spoke as he would hold out a hand to shake. "A guard should be here in a moment to escort you. I would do so myself, but I just noticed the time... I'd best be off to the belonging I found."

He looked her dead in the eyes when he said what he said next.

"A belonging, and a lack of loneliness, acceptance, a path... That I found without a Jedi Order, or a Sith Order. I found it on my own. And perhaps one day... You'll seek yours out on your own.

I wish you the best, Ra."

With that, he was off. To his belonging. To his path.

To his family.