The Gentle Fire

[GhostOfProtocol]

Vjun​

Bast Castle​

852 ABY​

​

Bast Castle was stunning.

Acid rain soaked the fighter that flew down from orbit. Bast Castle stood high and mighty, the home of the forrmer Sith Lord and Empire lacky Darth Vader and the current home of Ra'a'mah, member of Clan Raxis and friend of Kei Raxis himself. Rust fell from the fighter as it moved down towards the hanger of the castle, safety from the acid rain soaking Vjun.

Kei Raxis sat in the fighter. Turning up above Vjun in a large Star Destroyer was a bad idea, Kei knew that. That was why he had brought the very old and beaten fighter for very few credits. The fighter was much more hidden, much less likely to worry Ra'a'mah that she about to be orbitally bombed by The Galactic Empire or The First Order, the two groups who activly used Star Destroyers.

Kei inputted the codes to bypass the very large guns that his friend had placed around the castle. He was against being shot out of the sky. He also forwarded a pre recorded message towards his friend to alert her of his arrival in the hanger. He felt so comfortable, like his old self behind the controls of the fighter. He felt like the Jedi he had once been.

He wasn't.

He was slipping, falling to the Dark Side of the force. He had attacked and shot his friend Zavii and left her for dead after using the force to choke her and throw her across the room. He had slaughtered a man in a Sith tomb at the orders of a Sith Lord after he had collected Sith Crystals that would regrow into a suit of armour around his body someday. At least, that's what people believed. That's what Kei believed.

He had accessed the Dark Side and he had liked it.

He guided the ship into the hanger of Bast Castle. If anyone could help him, it was Ra'a'mah. She would help him, she knew how to control the Dark Side. She was admittidly a Sith Lord but she didn't fall like he did. She was innocent, hardly having killed people or left friends for dead. She seemed to have amazing self control that Kei didn't have. Self control that Kei wanted to have but didn't have.

He climbed from the fighter.

 

[Ra'a'mah]

In the months that had passed since they met, Ra had her own run in with another sith lord. This man had opened her eyes and had in a way taught her some things. One of the more important things was what it meant to be sith, at least to him. Some of what the conversation entailed had brought on new meaning to her. Applying what she felt fit, Kei might feel a slight change of it within her.

Still not inherently evil, a new type of kindling had been thrown into the fire that made up Ra. A sense of passion and desire, this time directed at gaining power. Still not just to hold it for the sake of having it, but to do something with it. Like her master had trained her to be, a leader. The chance to start building a base for a future was stirring around in her mind.

Something was steering her in this direction and Ra allowed it to happen. Wanting to see where it all went. Perhaps it was the same thing that guided Kei when he came to her. His arrival worked out well and when he landed the ship he came in, Ra felt a change within him.

Already have established a relationship, family by adoption, he was welcome here. Beyond that family bond, there was something else. The starting of a friendship that went deeper than family. When they had met, a conversation happened between her and Kei. Friends, family and loved ones weren't a weakness like she had been taught and she needed to remember that.

The old man, Vincent, met Kei as he would enter the castle and offer him general pleasantries of welcome and that Ra could be found in the kitchen instead of the library. It being almost lunch time, Ra was taking the time to get herself some food.

[member="Kei Raxis"]

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Vjun​

Bast Castle​

​

Vincent was a good man.

Kei remembered the man, the man who had first greeted Kei to Bast Castle. He was plesant enough, good at small talk but not great for the whole force advice thing. He wasn't force sensitive, it was a shame really. The man would of made a good teacher, polite enough and patient enough to train a man well. However, for now his role was good enough. He was a good butler, happy enough to not be a slave and happy enough in Bast Castle.

Then he pointed Kei in the direction that he was after.

Ra'a'mah had hardly changed. It had been months and she had hardly changed. Kei hid his force presence for a while, just watching his friend, his family member go about her business. There was something, she shouldn't of been that controlled. Sith were never that controlled, they had never been that good at controlled. Ra'a'mah was though, she had nailed the whole control thing, she could control the darkside.

"Hello there"

 

[Ra'a'mah]

When Ra learned Kei was going to arrive, she threw in a little extra of the food she was making for lunch. Of course, she could have had one of the other servants prepare the food, but this took her back in a time. To the years when she didn't know she could use the Force or that she was a sith lord.

At home, like usual, she wasn't wearing any weapons and was herself. If Kei paid attention, he would notice she didn't use the Force as she went about making the food. The Force to her was a gift and something to be used when it was needed. Another thing she kept in mind, even if she followed the Sith Code, she used her emotions to fuel only a few of her abilities. Most of them were neutral and that extra power that came with using those emotions wasn't needed. It kept her from taking on the corrupted look of others.

She felt him watching her, but did not act like she noticed. Looking up when he spoke, she invited him to join her. Motioning to the table there, she picked up the food and carried it over. Setting it down, she went to the fridge and grabbed two drinks for them.

"Hello, Kei. What brings you back to Bast?"

There was a change in him, a sense of a hunger was there. She had something he wanted and Ra didn't waste time in trying to find out what it was.

[member="Kei Raxis"]

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Vjun​

Bast Castle​

​

He sat down, eyes locked on the food.

He took a sip of the drink, yet he hardly touched the food. He just played with it, moving it around the plate. He had little appitite, he had little want for food. He didn't come to Bast Castle to indulge in Ra'a'mah's cooking. He didn't doubt that it was good, she seemed to be good at most things. He just didn't want it, he wasn't hungry. He wanted control, control of the force and the darkness burning inside of him.

The Gentle Fire.

The darkside was but a fire inside of him. Right now, a gentle fire. It was there, burning inside ofhim although it wouldn't push him over the edge. It was a risk, a fire could be stoked to increase it's presence and the darkside was the same. He needed to dull the fire, put it out or learn to control it. He needed to learn how to manipulate the darkside and use it for good, for he was a Jedi inside.

"I need your help"

He opened himself up, the darkside radiating from him. He needed her help.

"Teach me. Help me control this, please"

 

[Ra'a'mah]

Something was wrong with Kei, even if she wasn't naturally an empathic person, Ra could tell there was something bothering him. He pushed his food around the plate, not eating any, but accepted the drink happily enough.

They were much the same right now, both had that fire inside them and neither one was truly evil. At least not yet. It was and could be like an addiction. The more taste a person had, the more they might want. Ra had found a clear line, for now in herself. She set boundaries she would not cross. There was always a call though she resisted. The call to use more, to reach out and take control, demand people to obey her or follow her wishes. At times, even a desire to just go and wantonly kill for no clear reason. Resisting it, that fire remained at a stable blaze that was rarely stoked into an inferno. When that happened though, it was for a reason and not just because.

It took Kei a few minutes, but in the end he admitted what had brought him here. He wanted to be like her. To have the control she did. In her mind it was really easy and simple. Finishing her food, she nodded and cleaned up their plates. When she was done, she would motion for him to follow her.

Instead of leading him to the library where they had met and talked before, Ra took him deeper into the castle. His original purpose had been to see the ruins of Bast, but instead found a friend. Here had been a home of Vader and here there was some of him remaining. Not him personally, but artifacts from him. A meditation chamber for one, but she didn't stop here. Leading Kei past it, she did show it to him for his use if he needed it.

Keeping moving, they walked through a large, empty room. The lights came on as they entered and passed through. Opening a door at the other end, she had brought them to what might have been a laboratory at one point, but was unused now. In a fashion similar to the library there were two chairs present here and Ra took a seat in one of them. Pointing to the other, she indicated Kei should sit.

"In this room are various tools that can be used to test you. However, my normal mode of operation is simple. The sith code talks about chains that need to be broken. However, I have placed chains around myself I don't want broken. These chains are what keep me controlled. My desire to have control keeps me that. For lack of a better way to put it, it is my willpower that keeps me controlled."

[member="Kei Raxis"]

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Vjun​

Bast Castle​

​

He sat down, eyes locked on the floor.

He sat down because he was asked. She was helping him, teaching him to control the darkness that pulsed through his veins. She was doing as he had asked, she was teaching him and telling him how to keep himself controlled. He was a danger to anyone near him and he hated it, he used to never hurt a fly. From leaving flies to fly away to shooting friends in the stomach when they tried to help him.

He had fallen.

He had noted the location of the rooms they had passed, attempting to learn the layout of the castle a little better. It would take some time, he knew, but he aimed to know the location of every room in the castle. It was nice, family owning a castle. Especially Ra'a'mah, a friend of his as well as family. He was mostly free to explore on his own, stumble around and get lost from time to time, learn.

Bast Castle was a little big.

Then she started talking. She placed chains around herself, metaphorically of course. She used her willpower, and that was easy. That was easy when you had willpower, Kei had very little of that yet. He was at breaking point, twistable and malliable. He would make a fine slave, he would hang on any word he was told that promised him help. He was at the lowest he had been, the lowest he had ever been.

"How... How do you have the willpower to do that every single day?"

 

[Ra'a'mah]

This room was an old laboratory with ancient devices and tools. Ra choose to go about this in a rather mundane way and took a chalkboard out of the desk they sat next to. On it she drew a few lines. In each section she wrote a single word.

Chains, control, purpose and goals.

"As I just stated we all have chains, even if we are unaware of them. Anybody that claims they have broken all their chains is mistaken. It is going to be on you to find out what your chains are, Kei. Decide if you want to break them or have them remain. My chains are what keep me in control."

Pointing to the next section with that word, Ra didn't consider what chains she had she wasn't aware of.

"Your next step is to decide what the purpose of the control you want is. For me, the purpose of my control deals with my position as lead of the merchant fleet. I need to have the control to deal with the merchants and people in general."

That wasn't the only purpose, but one of many. If he asked Ra would provide further reasons, but kept it simple and obvious for the moment.

"Lastly and this is for you, what is your goal or goals? You can have more than one. They can change over time. A few years ago, I had a goal of taking over a government I was in. Maybe that'll become a goal of mine again, but now I need to focus on being a merchant and leading the market."

Like a lost child, Kei had come to her. He was open to suggestions, wanted to be molded into something greater. The sith in her wanted to corrupt him fully, bring him to her side, but Ra didn't want a slave. She wanted a friend and ally. Somebody to help her reach her goal or give her a new one.

Handing him the chalkboard, Ra waited to see if he would put his own words on there with hers.

[member="Kei Raxis"]

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Chains.

Control.

Purpose.

Goals.

Four simple words that Ra'a'mah had written on the chalkboard. Four simple words. Did you want to be wrapped in the chains and controlled, did you even want controi? Why did you want control, what goals did you have to achieve? They were all simple concepts, the simple goals that you had set yourself. Everyone set themselves a goal, be it to get in shape or take over the galaxy with just a pet named Steve, everyone had a goal.

But Kei?

He was a lost child. He didn't know what he was doing, he didn't have a clue. He had come for guidence but he didn't know what he wanted guidence towards. He had come to learn control but he didn't know why he wanted control. He didn't know anything, he didn't know why he wanted control. He had no home with The Silver Jedi Order anymore and he was always too busy working when he was with Commenor.

He marked each question with a N/A.

And handed the board back.

"Everyone hates me. I shot a member of The Silver Jedi. I have no home there, controlling my emotions and the darkside for them isn't worth it. Them am I controlling them for me? I've spent seven years as a Jedi, surely then I'm doing this so I can sleep easier?"

 

[Ra'a'mah]

Narrowing her eyes as he handed the board back and seeing what he had written on it, she listened to what he had to say.

"Not everyone hates you."

Not knowing the reason he shot a Jedi, it was obvious that action would have taken him away from them. He admitted maintaining control for them wouldn't be worth it and that might be a key for her.

Setting the board down, Ra looked at Kei with a thoughtful look.

"If they aren't worth the control, who is? You spent several years of your life with them, so I trust you when you say that, Kei. However, you need to decide the why you want the control..."

Until he figured out at least a simple purpose, she really wasn't sure how she could help him. Just teaching control wouldn't be an issue though, perhaps he could figure it out in the process.

"What do you want to do now?"

[member="Kei Raxis"]

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

It had been an assault most foul.

Kei had shot a friend in cold blood. He thought that he wanted control so that he didn't do that again, but he didn't know anymore. He could never return to The Silver Jedi Order, so he didn't want control for them. Did he want control for himself? Did he want control so that he could prevent himself from commiting another murder, another shooting? He did have to blend in after all so it was possible that he wanted control so he could do that.

"My job involves me blending in. I can't do that if the darkside is pouring from me. I can't do that if the darkside is coursing through my veins"

The darkside was powerful. Since experiencing it, Kei couldn't deny it. The darkside offered him power that the lightside couldn't offer him. The darkside offered him power that The Silver Jedi Order couldn't offer him. He had tasted that power, and there was a small part of him that didn't want that power torn away from him. He had experienced what the darkside could offer him and he didn't know if he wanted it torn from him.

But he was a Jedi. He had always been a Jedi.

"Perhaps that is why I want control. I don't know anymore. I came here thinking that perhaps I had hope of fixing myself and returning to The Silver Jedi. I know now that I can't do that, the Silver Jedi will hate me. So why am I here? To control myself so that I can still work in the Commenor Systems Alliance? But do I want that, for I have tasted the darkside. So what do I want? I don't know anymore"

 

[Ra'a'mah]

He came wanting answers, but Ra knew he would have to find them on his own. However, she could give him nudges, suggestions and ideas. He had felt the dark side, Kei knew what was there. He also knew he needed to learn control to fit in with the general population.

"Knowing you can not return to the Silver Jedi, yet you are not fully evil. In a way much like me, Kei. So you and I both know this, what you need to think on further are those goals and questions I gave you."

Standing up, Ra stretched slightly and could tell it was getting late.

"Remember one thing, once having tasted the dark like we both have, there's no way to return to the light."

Just a gentle nudge​, but hopefully it would sink in and he would believe the deception she stated. Everybody had weaknesses that could be exploited to turn them one direction or the other. Even her if somebody figured them out, she could in time change her views and no longer be sith.

[member="Kei Raxis"]