The Ren & Stephie Show

[Stephanie Swail]

AVALONIA
Dosuun, First Order Space

With a content sigh, Stephanie Swail crossed her legs, brushed out her cream skit and wrapped the lace shawl a little tighter around her tan vest and sat back in the largest park she'd ever seen.

Sat oppoaite a huge buildling that was adorned with First Order flags and logos, the girl reclined on the bench and stared up at the building that seemed to overlook them all. All the civillians out for a stroll. All the Stormtroopers walking with their blasters enforcing whatever the First Order commanded. All the good and bad people she could feel.

Her eyes moved across the green trees that blew gently around her, and then back to the building.

Who was in there. What secrets were they plotting. What dominions or invasions were next to befit the power-hungry war-machine that was a new Empire. Stephanie licked her bottom lick and wrinkled her nose as she brought up a soft Starblossom fruit to her lips and began to eat.

It was enough to watch, and learn, without getting into trouble, or making enemies who would remember her name in the Light.

There was plenty of time for that later.

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Kaalia expected the next trip to Dosuun to have been a bit further in the future. However, she needed time away from Virgillia and the Bastion for a day or to sort her brain out, the meeting with her former master there causing some shifts in her mind. It was an eventful last meeting between the former master and apprenctice which started with a lightsaber at the old man's neck and ended with an embrace and final goodbye as the elderly man set off into the jungle knowing he was breathing his final breath very soon. She had learned of her heritage, she born on Kro Var, and of the fact her parents were still alive there. She didn't have the heart to go there yet, however. The old Jedi had mentioned they followed the Light and Kaalia simply wasn't ready for that confrontation yet.

Something else changed as well, and perhaps it was the reason she aimlessly wandered through Avalonia. She felt at home with the Dark Side, she embraced and reveled in it. That hadn't changed, but her perspective on the darkness' counterpart had. She had hated the Light, wanted to cull every last bit of it- but now that was different. She had realized that some people were meant to embrace the Darkness, but on the flipside others were meant to be with the Light. She started questioning her hatred for the Light and eventually concluded that it was simply baseless. Viewing a wielder of the Force as a Lightsider or Darksider was only second to the person who was the Force wielder. Her interactions with the Order of the Sacred Lotus confirmed this for her; they were Jedi, but she respected them. They followed a noble goal, and so it didn't matter whether they shared her Darkness or not. She accepted them as they were, and they accepted her the same way. Perhaps the Light Side and Dark Side were natural enemies, but the ones who wielded them didn't have to be.

The redhead's mind snapped back to reality. When she thought of where she was, her mind made the realization how odd this park was. A, relatively speaking, small bit of green in the middle of a gigantic urban jungle of streets and buildings. If one looked down from the sky it contrasted with the rest of Avalonia in more ways than one. She figured she was just being needlessly thoughtful, but she enjoyed it.

Kaalia's feet asked for a small break, and so she looked over to the nearest bench to sit down on. Another person was sitting on it already, a woman who was most definitely shorter than she was had sported brown hair. She had her legs crossed and seemed observant, and when the Ren noticed her Force signature it was clear she was not only powerful in the Force, but also with the Light. Would this have been not even a week ago she would've made sure she was taken out, but that was different. Perhaps simply walking over and sitting down wasn't the best idea, but she felt compelled to do so. She followed the thought that cropped up into her head and took a seat next to her, clearly enjoying the sunshine that beamed down. "Hi."

[member="Stephanie Swail"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

The red-head came closer, and a quick flick of the eyes following another bite into her fruit gave Stephanie the heads up. She looked young, but tall, and clearly a wild one. A polite smile crossed her moist lips, and she sucked her bottom lip in to clear the Starblossom juice as the girl came close.

"Hello, " Stephanie said, smiling with her eyes.

The girl was tainted by conflicting auras. Light. Dark. Chaos. Harmony. She shuffled over to let the girl sit down, and she knew this was near enough dark territory to be in, so it was she, the wandering Hapan, who was out of her depth. A First Order agent, or a Force warrior?

The first thing Stephanie noted before the girl sat was the scar down her eye, but how it seemed to compliment her red hair and lips, almost as if this was naturally part of her look.

Was there a desire for small-talk? Not always, but something about this girl signalled that for Stephanie to do so, wouldn’t be a bad thing.

"Forgive me, " she leaned in with a curious glint in her eye, "but I would be the worst liar if I said I wasn’t interested or fascinated in how you got such a dangerous looking scar. "

She flashed an excitable smile and bounced her brow, trying to show there was nothing to Stephanie Swail but an open-book of friendship, intrigue and a carefree nature whilst basking in the green gardens, soaking up the sun.

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The woman greeted her back with a smile and posed no hostility despite most definitely being a stranger to Dosuun. Something about the woman piqued her curiosity, like one stops and looks at a tile in the floor that is unlike all the others. What was she doing here? The question was in the forefront of her mind, but outright asking her didn't seem like a good idea just yet. Perhaps time would tell.

The brunette mentioned her scar, and asked Kaalia about it. She definitely wasn't the first one to start of a conversation with her about it, but she had no issue telling the story. At one point she looked back on the moment with nothing but negativity, but now she knew that day was the turning point she needed to head in the right direction. "It isn't the most glamorous story, but I hate leaving people with questions." She looked at the sky for a moment, letting the memories flood into her mind. "It happened... About a year ago. I think. I work odd jobs here and there, you can live a surprisingly comfortable life if you know how to look for the well-paying ones. I mean, you can't buy a penthouse with it but some people are willing to part with a good amount of credits for problems they're too lazy for to solve themselves." She leaned forward to take in the park around her, watching a group of stormtroopers on patrol passing by. "That doesn't mean it's without risks. Often times the danger is understated on purpose to draw people in, so it's key to always be prepared." She shook her head in an amused way. "The thing I never really had to prepare for though were people such as us two." She obviously referred to their connection to the Force. "That almost cost me my life. I took up a job to deal with this man who kept pestering the client by breaking into his property and taking things away from him. He didn't want him dead, I never took up assassinations, but he just wanted him off his property. When I confronted him when he once again broke in, it was quickly obvious he had no qualms about killing me." Her mind flashed back to duel they had, up to the point where she was driven into a corner. "He had the upper hand, and cornered me. His saber struck out and I went to deflect, but his saber still caressed my face. I think it's easy to find out where exactly." She sat up straight again, and looked at the woman next to her. "I almost died, but in the end he let his ego get the better of him and I was able to take him out. He... Didn't survive." Her expression turned serious, her tone neutral. "It was him or me, and well... I'm still here."

An older man passed by and nodded towards the two, and the redhead smiled back. A simple gesture of friendliness to a stranger, something people rarely did nowadays. "Oh, I completely forgot to introduce myself. My name's Kaalia." The brunette had something carefree about her, which in turn made Kaalia take up a bit of that herself. "Let me ask you a question now. A more open one, since I don't have much to go on myself." She smiled for a moment. "Do you have a story to tell yourself? Something that's interesting to talk about?"

[member="Stephanie Swail"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

With a grateful nod, Stephanie tucked her leg under the other and ate her fruit, giving the girl her full attention.

Stories of confrontations and daring, dangerous adventures was nothing but exciting, and it sounded as if the girl had been up against it. And she was a Force user, and a....Jedi, Sith? Dark Jedi? She couldn't be sure. Either way, Stephanie was to engrossed in the story that came out lucky for her to be alive.

Her break in conversation and greeting to the passing man gave her time to finish the fruit and look at her with admiration. And she had a name. Time for introductions and a story? Oh my. She wiped her hands together and held it out.

"Stephanie Swail. Thank you for that. Sounds...awfully dangerous whatever you do!"

Making herself comfy with her hands in her lap, picking gently at her nails, she hummed to herself in thought.

"A story to rival that? I think you'll be disappointed Kaalia - a beautiful name may I say - but I don't think I have lived a life as exciting as yours." Her nose wrinkled a little. "Well, I can tell you where I come from, that may interest you. I'm a super-solider from a failed New Republic experiment. Failed super-solider I may add. I was born on Hapes and came to Coruscant as we all do to learn, understand, find my place, and I was take in by Hapan officials working with the Republic for a new military programme. Force users enhanced with mutated genes and steroids to enhance strength, dexterity and Force awareness. We were a top secret programme made to help lead others into battle against the Sith forces and dark warriors out there."

She shifted in her seat and leaned in for dramatic effect.

"But we were ambushed by a traitor on the Sith side. Tore the facility apart, tried to kill all of us. Thankfully, he was taken out, and I was one of two who survived and managed to flee. I left Coruscant and spent time on the planet of Midwinter, have you heard of it? Across the East of the galaxy where there are few Jedi, no Sith, no technology and just people who bathe in the Force. They helped me find myself, and I came back a few months ago exploring as much as I could to understand the galaxy and those in it. And to hopefully find my calling once more."

Stephanie noticed she had trailed off, and was brought back to Kaalia with a little laugh and shake of her head.

"Wow. I'm sorry. That was a ramble wasn't it." Her eyes flickered a little. "Are you...are you one of them, Kaalia? Are you a...Sith?"

There was concern on her brow. She didn't want trouble.

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

With some nods and hm sounds Kaalia listened to Stephanie's story. An interesting one to say the least, and she claimed to not have a nearly as interesting history. "If that isn't in intriguing story I don't know what is, Stephanie." She shifted somewhat to look at the brunette. "And, I think I've heard of Midwinter before, but I've never been here before." She would keep the name in mind for later, either to see what she could find about it or to visit it down the line. The woman loved exploration and new planets were always interesting.

"So," Kaalia remarked, "is Dosuun what you expected it to be? It is quite different from Coruscant, and I can only imagine it being very different from Midwinter as well." She laid eyes on another group of white-armored soldiers. "The stormtroopers can be intimidating to some at first, but you get used to it." She nodded towards them when they looked over to the two. "They mean the best for the people here, and I can respect that."

Stephanie's question made the redhead stop to think for a second. Was she actually a Sith? She was primarily a Ren, but also received training from Krest, a Sith Lord. However, the Ren were a secret and nobody could know she learned from a Sith. She hated lying, but she had to. She had no ill intent against the woman no matter what, so perhaps it was for the better. "No. I'm not a Sith. I can't deny I'm a follower of the Dark Side, that is simply who I am, but a Sith? No." Kaalia's expression was grave and a little concerned. "That doesn't mean I oppose followers of the Light. While I was meant to be one with the Darkness, others are meant to be with the Light. Who am I to fight that? Despite the claims of most Force wielders the Light cannot co-exist with the Dark, I'm looking to prove them wrong."

[member="Stephanie Swail"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Stephanie laughed, a mix of apprehension and nervousness – she was sat with a Dark Side follower. Surrounded by Dark Side supporters. While she bore no intent to harm or cause trouble, she was a fly amongst spiders.

"I…I hope in time your view changes, and your journey allows you to see how powerful the Light can be. It’s so much more than a balance of the Force. I’m, I’m on a journey myself of sorts to find my place and to discover more about myself and the Light. And the Dark. You have to understand both."

Her eyes trailed away in a slow nod.

"But, going on what you said, yes, this IS a different place, similar to Coruscant but not. And, of course, this is home to the First Order. A power who rose from the ashes of the Empire."

The Stormtroopers were still there. Probably watching. Waiting for a nod to take this woman down. Who know. A silence passed. Then, her pupils darted back to Kaalia.

"Oh. Sorry, Midvinter? Yes, it’s a totally different place. Totally. It’s a snow world, and seems very primitive in how they live. Nothing like this. Home-made technologies and strong, naturally built cities and castles. It’s something else, and if you get the chance to go, I would. You may come back a changed woman."

Stephanie smiled, a glimmer of hope in her questioning eyes.

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Kaalia let her head hang for a moment, resisting the urge to shake her head. Her attempt to embrace the Light was met with pain and the feeling of being chained down, making it very clear for that it wasn't for her. "I... Grew up as a Jedi. It wasn't by my own choice, or the people who took care of me as a child, but they thought it was the right thing to do. That's another long story though." It was something both Light and Dark had in common, the wish to convert people of the opposite side to their own. The redhead disagreed with that, instead believing one had to find their own way in the Force. "I naturally gravited towards the Dark Side, however. I hold my emotions close to me because they are who make me." Her voice got slightly more intense as her passion slowly rose to the surface. She closed her eyes for a moment and channeled the passion she felt, her closed eyes showing traces of the Dark Side's corruption. The rush felt liberating and as the spike passed by she opened her eyes again, once again showing the green orbs she had used to look at Stephanie before. "I know of the Light. It opposes what I hold dear and I cannot follow it."

The woman looked out to the park once more, her emotions settling down. "I apologize for making you nervous. That wasn't the intention." She never meant to put her off balance, but it seemed she had done so anyway. "If you fear the Dark Side however, perhaps the territory controlled by the First Order is not the best place for you to visit." Light-sided Force wielders were rarely safe within the influence cloud of the First Order. She understood her wish to explore, she lived for exploring herself, but some places were simply too dangerous. "If you are looking to learn about the Dark Side, if you wish to understand, I can show you. I bear no intent to force it upon you, but if it is knowledge you seek I can pass that on to you."

Silence fell for a moment. Kaalia simply sat when the brunette continued, telling her about Midwinter. "It sounds like a great place to explore. I'll definitely keep it in mind for when I have time to spend. Who knows what I can learn there." She always kept an open mind to things until she had experienced them, making sure she knew everything about the subject before settling on a view. She saw that glimmer of hope in the Jedi's eyes and simply smiled back. The fact Stephanie meant the best for her was something she was surprised by, coming from a relative stranger, but she appreciated it nontheless.

[member="Stephanie Swail"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Stephanie didn't look away from Kaalia as she spoke. She read her tone, her physical features, her open thoughts. She didn't come across as a threat, and if she was, then she masked it well. But, Stephanie had faith her trust was placed well.

And she was right about this being the wrong place. She wasn't here to cause trouble, or land Kaalia in it, but she had to take a step out of the comfort zone once in a while.

"Hey," she said quietly, aware that anyone could be listening,"you are never too late to find what you are looking for. You just need time, and maybe help in doing so."

She smiled gently and placed a hand on her shoulder, a gentle shake.

"I am not nervous. Nor do I fear the Dark Side. I stand for the Light and what it holds, and I will do what I can to protect it. Even it that lands me in trouble, then so be it. But I will not give up on such things that have kept me safe all these years, such as hope and trust in the Force itself."

With that, she drew her hand away and tried to catch Kaalia's eye.

"I'd be happy for you to show me your understanding of the Dark Side. I trust you. And, in turn, I can show you what I see of the Light. You can trust me too. Ok?"

Her small smile returned.

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"Who knows. For now I am happy with what I have." The notion that Kaalia was looking for anything within the Force was odd to her. She felt like it was about finding the Light, but she was free within the Dark Side. She saw no reason to seek out the Light again, but she was not ready to argue about that for long. She shrugged and set her hair back behind her shoulders after the wind blew it forward.

The hand on her shoulder was also slightly confusing, a somewhat reassuring gesture while she wasn't in doubt. She wondered if the brunette thought that all followers of the Dark Side were lost in some way, but wasn't going to bother delving into that theory. She had her opinions, and Kaalia had her own. "You do what you feel is right. I can respect that. The Light has been good to you, and the Dark has been to me. It allowed me to crack my shell of insecurity and gain confidence." Ever since embracing the darkness the redhead carried herself completely differently. She had a presence to her now in contrast to how she acted before. She used to be lost, but that was not the case anymore.

"Still," she admitted, "I would like to know how you see the Light. Understanding both sides is important, and although I know the basic teachings of a Jedi I would appreciate knowing how other people looked at it." She looked at her. "I show you how I see things, and you show me the same. A mutual benefit."

[member="Stephanie Swail"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

It was a gamble, but it was a worthy gamble to take in the quest for understanding.

"Alright," Stephanie nodded. "Alright, yes, I think that sounds good. I am no…" she glanced around, "…I am no Jedi, but I know how they operate, or at least I think I do. Or did. Still, I know the Light. It’s as pure in me as my blood. I can show you that."
She grinned.

"The Light, I mean, not my blood!"

Her hands came up in mock surrender and then she patted her knees.

"Shall we take a walk? If you have a place to go, that could be best rather than risk any dubious looks from your death troopers or whomever."

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Kaalia nodded in understanding at Stephanie's remark of not being a Jedi, then laughed as the brunette started grinning. "I know the Jedi way, don't worry about that. I want to know what Stephanie Swail sees when she looks at the Light." Her lips curled up in a smile as she got up from the bench and raised her arms and grabbed one hand with the other to stretch out. "You're lucky I'm not out for your blood, then." A joking wink was sent Stephanie's way after the comment. "And as long as you don't break the law the troopers won't be either. There's no need to be afraid of that."

The redhead waited for her latest acquaintance to get up before moving. "Let's take a walk, then. I may have a place in mind." It seemed the sparring room she was thinking of had slowly become the 'private meeting' room. It started off with Connor Harrison and later she would meet Krest inside the same place. Everytime she came there her life was altered in a pretty significant way, making her wonder if the same would happen again. The main reason she was doing this wasn't for herself, however. Kaalia's first and foremost reason was to show Stephanie that although people who lose themselves in the Dark Side are dangerous and always ready to kill anyone crossing their path, there were people with control over that Darkness and with that control over those urges. That control was not in reach for all who embraced the Dark Side, but the woman was confident she did. She could have killed her former Jedi master, but didn't. She had been able to keep conflict from bursting out between the other Ren and the Sacred Lotus back on Monastery. She simply wanted to show her the Dark Side wasn't purely evil.

[member="Stephanie Swail"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

With a slow smile, Stephanie felt nothing but warmth from the girl, and it made the walk to their quiet place a lot easier. She took in the buildings around them, the people and how they looked and acted, and those troopers with their blasters always watching.

It seemed to be a private bunker where Kaalia led her to. Admittedly, she slowed a little as she was led in, slightly hesitant…was this a trap? Was this a perfect place to lure naïve followers of the Light for them to be beaten, tortured and shown the horror of the Dark Side?

The doors parted, and the room was just a spacious training area. Weapons on the wall, cushions around the side, a mirror on the side wall and marked areas on the ground. Stephanie looked around and wondered what power had been used in these walls over the years.

She started to walk around looking at the weaponry and décor on the walls.

"Seems you’re always ready for a fight?" She turned a flashed a grin. "Pity I’m a bit rusty or I’d certainly show and let you feel how Stephanie Swail does when she looks into the Light."

She held the grin as she turned back to walk around.

"What is being a Ren different to being a Sith then? I know the Dark Side is your way, but do you follow the same path, just in different ways?”

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The room had become a very familiar sight. Yet, everytime she entered something would change inside of it. The holes in the wall after Kaalia's meeting with Connor were filled up, but it was clear a repair job had been done. A glance into one of the corners revealed marks on the wall where lightsabers struck it during her sparring session with Krest where she was backed into the wall. She remembered being able to escape out of that particular moment, but that didn't mean she had won that spar in any sense of the word. She had improved greatly since then, but beating the Sith Lord had yet to be done. She turned towards Stephanie as she spoke and shrugged her shoulders with a smile. "I never say no to a good spar, but that wasn't the reason I chose this place. It's simply the only place around here I know where we can talk in private."

The redhead watched the brunette walk around the room and watched her grin as she asked another question. This one was a bit out of the blue to her, however. It seemed she knew of the Ren somehow, which was not what she expected. "Ren? So you're one of the people who believe they exist. I suppose what happened on Mustafar is tangible evidence..." She tilted her head slightly. Kaalia wasn't a role model for the Ren in the slightest, but one thing she was adamant on was keeping the group as much of a secret as possible. Especially her ties with them. However, she didn't lie about it. She always tried to walk the line between telling the truth and not giving away anything, which was a tough thing to do. "Only a Ren could explain the difference between them and the Sith to you. I do things my own way." The woman once again did not lie. She did things her own way for the most part, but never enough to raise questions. To her being with the Ren was business, unlike the majority who were there out of blind worship. "That way I follow, I can explain to you."

[member="Stephanie Swail"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Stephanie turned, a puzzled expression on her face.

"So…what, the Knights of Ren don’t exist? I thought they were the agents of the First Order? Or…so I understood."

She glanced away racking her brains. She was sure her studies had told her about the Force Sensitive warriors who served the Dark Side and the Order, not like Sith, but…both had a similar goal….didn’t they? She turned back to Kaalia, who was smiling.

"But they do exist, right? And…you’re not one of them?"

She shuddered visibly and wrapped her arms around herself. With closed eyes, she composed herself.

"I was apprehended yesterday by an Imperial agent. Or a Knight, I don’t know. He…" she sighed, embarrassed at the admission, "…he looked like, like the Sith Lord Darth Vader."

Stephanie tried not look at the kind face of Kaalia, but she couldn’t help it when she tried to not look foolish.

"And, well, I thought he was a Sith, and then I was confused as to what the Sith are doing in the First Order, but if the Ren don’t exist, then….I’m sorry, I’ve confused everything haven’t I. I probably hallucinated or something surrounded by the Dark Side, pulling out my fears" Trying to laugh, she rested the side of her face on her palm. "It makes sense if you follow your own path. Less complicated."

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

As much as Kaalia hated to keep the truth from Stephanie, she felt she had no choice. She had the feeling she could trust her, but when it came down to it she still only just met the woman. "Maybe they exist. I couldn't tell you." Her face were to say 'sorry' if it could speak while she said that. She resisted shrugging her shoulders in order to not seem too nonchalant about it. "All I know is that if they exist, I'm not part of them. I have heard stories about them and there is circumstancial evidence for their existence, but that is all I have."

When the brunette mentioned being apprehended by someone who looked like Darth Vader it did not take long for the woman to realize she was talking about Kyrel Ren. He was a fellow Knight who she had been on missions with in the past. She kept a neutral face as Stephanie continued, waiting until she had finished what she wanted to say. "Vader... I remember stories about someone of his likeness. Perhaps there is some truth about them. If he is allied with the First Order it is unlikely he is a Sith, though. The people here aren't too fond of their chaotic nature. Although I must admit Ren theories are most definitely intriguing, I'm afraid I have little to add beyond that."

She figured she had said enough on the matter and decided to move on from the topic, a slight pause falling as she paced around for a moment. "But the Dark Side is something I do know. Ask me anything you want to know."

[member="Stephanie Swail"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

So many questions teased with answers. Stephanie gave Kaalia a questioning look, that broke into a smile and a surrendering nod.

"I believe you. And that sounds fair enough. I’ll do some digging one day. They sound so mysterious. Fascinating. I think they do exist…somewhere. Like a secret cell, or something."

The smile lingered as she walked the other way around the room, circling the Dark Sider in the centre as she tapped her chin. Any question? Wow. She had so many, but here was somebody who practiced the dark arts and was willing to help!

If she could bottle the girl or put in her pocket, she would in an instant and carry her around.

"Ok." She clapped her hands once and span to face Kaalia. "Why do people say the Dark Side is more appealing with the lure of power, strength and greatness. Why is it tempting and easier, I believe, to follow the Dark when the Light seems so much stricter in their code."
[member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The question was one that wasn't too surprising. It was the view of many a follow of the Light had when it came to followers of the Dark, that they they are lured with in with a promise of an easier grasp of power. "Nearly all, if not all, practicioners of the Dark Side will tell you that it is not about the temptation and easy access to power. However, for the vast majority of those people it is more than true." Those people could be found all across the galaxy, but the greatness most seek would eventually find themselves consumed by the very thing that had drawn them in. "Those are the ones who claim to master the Dark Side, while in fact the Dark Side masters them. They are nothing but a puppet to it and will eventually meet their end. They are the weak who are too desperate to be among the powerful." Every word Kaalia spoke had weight to it, her tone nothing but serious. She started slowly pacing around the room. "Where among the followers of the Light their masters have exceptional skill in remaining calm and peaceful, a master of the Dark Side is able to grasp the Force and make it serve them. The truly powerful who stand in the Darkness have the ability to hone their emotions and passions, the very things that empower one's presence in the Dark Side, and use it to their fullest extent without losing control. Those who do lose themselves in it..." The redhead looked at Stephanie. "They die."

"The Dark Side is about breaking down the walls in your mind that keep you confined. The willingness to reach out further, but also accepting the risk of doing so. I have people I want to protect. I want to live in freedom. That is why I took the risk and stepped into the Darkness." She had a clear goal and the Dark Side was her means to that end. It was something the Light was unable to provide to her. "So many times have I seen people turn to the Dark Side only for power. Those are the ones who become victims of their own greed." They were often Ren who had too much of an ulterior agenda. They never lasted long. "The temptations are strong. Promises of power, greatness and so much more at your fingertips. Giving in to them however is what leads to your end. You must make the Dark Side listen to you, or the temptations will become too strong."

[member="Stephanie Swail"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Stephanie stood still as Kaalia talked, and she found herself playing with the ends of her hair as she stared in fascination, and mild fear, at the Dark Side student. Each word sucked her in a little more into the workings of a great, dark power that had controlled and destroyed so much.

Things made a little sense, as much as they could, about what drove somebody to open up to the darkness and reject the light shackles. It was an alien concept to Stephanie – to reject the thing she had known all her life. It was a rather tragic affair, the whole thing, for all involved.

Either way, Kaalia seemed to understand what made a person choose.

"I see," she said, almost in a daze, "so you use the Dark Side to give you freedom, and a right to use your emotion for how you see, without fear of judgement or restriction."

She chewed on her lip in thought.

"But, why can you not stay in the Light and understand and use your emotions? You can do all those things, can’t you, but in a more focused, justified way. I mean, to protect and help others is what we strive for, and all as law-abiding humans know what constitutes right and wrong, rather than any other avenue to follow other than…well, death? The Dark Side can’t give you freedom to cross that line, surely?"

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Kaalia closed her eyes and shook her head. For a moment the time ticked backwards until the day she met Connor. There she stood, facing the truth. She was weak, enslaved by the Light's ideals which did not align with hers. She was stunted, held back, hesitant. That day she realized what had to be done and why. Her mind was torn, two versions of her in endless conflict.

"There can only be one."

"You must decide."

"Destroy the pretender."

"Lock away the pretender."

It was there where she had decided. The Light kept her restrained from who she was deep inside, someone not afraid to kill for what she aimed to achieve. Anyone who dared to stand in her way deserved to meet their end. "Because the Light only served to create doubt." Small bits of sulphur mixed with the green in the woman's eyes, feeling a surge of the Dark Side as her memories flooded her mind. "It told me things that went against my instincts and it made me hesitant. Weak." She started pacing again as she felt power rush through her system. "My weakness caused me to look death straight in the eye. The place where this lightsaber caressed my face is still visible." She unclipped Cruentis Cor, revealing and igniting it. A twirl later it was extuingished again and clipped back to her belt. She had told the story already, there was no reason to repeat it. "That mark was a lesson and now it is a reminder. A reminder of who I was while I was forced into the Light."

She finally looked at Stephanie again as she stopped walking. "If someone is a threat to me or the people I care about I cannot let them get their way. I am not a benevolent person. If anyone hurts me or someone close to me, I will hurt them all the same. If anyone kills someone dear to me..." Kaalia made sure there was eye contact. "Then I will kill them, and I will not hesitate."

The redhead's expression turned grave as she broke away her vision. "I am not a good person and I am not afraid to admit that. I am who I am." There was a split-second pause before she continued, but it seemed like she hadn't even breathed since the latest string of words had started. "The Light compelled me to follow. Through the Dark Side I created my own path. One I am in control of."

[member="Stephanie Swail"]