There Was Good In Him

[Minna]

Life seemed to pass by so quickly when Minna was amongst the galaxy, whether as an assassin or guardian, whether on the Grey council or the Jedi council. She had always thought her purpose was to find the right path and protect those she held close, but after all this time those two ideals were conflicted. Krest was her greatest love, yet the dark side would not relinquish him from its hold no matter how hard she tried. The right thing was to kill him, to end the dark assassin once and for all, but she did not have the willpower to. She loved him.

Love was forbidden.

Yes, after all this time she still clung on to the ideals of the Republic. Of the only true Jedi Order in her mind. So much time spent in solitude did nothing to sway her beliefs, even if the rest of the galaxy disagreed. The defeat of the Republic had triggered her exile and it would take something extraordinary for her to leave it. Of course, something extraordinary happened. A strong ripple in the force, almost crippling her physically for the moment. It was finally done. Krest was dead.

Whether she had become foolish in her exile was unclear to her yet, because ever since then she had spent her time tracking down the one who had done the deed. From old contacts and access to files from the Sith Assassins, she finally managed to find a lead. A holomessage was sent, it's words simple: 'If you killed the Red Assassin, meet me at the following Co-ordinates.'. Those co-ordinates would lead to a small mound of sand on Korriban, overlooking one of its many derelict Sith temples.

Close by Minna had ensured her ship was cloaked and ready for a quick exit should she be ambushed by more than she desired. For the first time in over a year she wore her Jedi Guardian armour, and had her custom Saberstaff attached to her belt. It was a surreal feeling, to hopefully be facing the killer of Krest, but she made sure not to let revenge cloud her mind.

Revenge was not the Jedi way.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

If you killed the Red Assassin, meet me at the following Co-ordinates.​

​

Perhaps it had been foolish to not expect the event to be met by the reactions that it caused. Students that were now left without a teacher, hungry Sith looking to make a name for themselves, many people had found their way to Krest's killer, all for their own reasons. Some to seek tutelage from the one who had bested him, some to try to end the killer's life as a claim to infamy, and some for entirely different reasons. One thing unified them all, however- the one they had sought out. A redheaded woman who to everyone but a select few was only known as Darth Avacyn, The Sith Lady of Defiance.

To her however, it made little difference. The galaxy never stood still and so neither would she, there was simply no time nor reason to gloat over what she had done. Even though in a way it was revenge for all he had done to her, the spying, the torture, and so much more, and it was simply the Sith way, but most importantly ending his life was a necessity. He knew way more about her than she wanted him to know. Her name, her past, but most the real reason it was necessary was the fact he knew of her wife. The zabrak's death was a measure to protect what was most precious to her, the love of her life, [member='Ishana Pavanos']. So when some of those who sought the woman out faced her with anger and hatred, it did not touch her. She was a Sith of necessity, her actions perhaps not one of a hero, but she did what had to be done to protect herself and those around her. For those people she would gladly give her life, but if the blood of another could be spilled instead the choice was easily made.

When Avacyn received the holomessage however, she was at first ready to discard and ignore it. There was no reason to go there for her, chances were it was a trap, one so obvious falling for it would have been nothing but humiliating. When it repeated however, she pulled back her hand from the holodevice, not yet turning it off. So often Krest, the Lord of Trials, or just 'the Sith Lord' was used, but never the title Red Assassin. Whoever this person was knew of the Sith Assassins, which made her think twice. She had worked with them on a few occassions, even having been tested by the White and Pale Assassin personally in the past. Perhaps there was more to this invitation than met the eye.

And so, clad in her armor and both of her lightsabers hanging from her hips, Darth Avacyn revealed herself to the surface of Korriban as the boarding ramp hit the planet's surface with a clank. She was not entirely alone, multiple small vessels containing a number of Valkyries were in orbit of the planet, remaining there for as long as she did not call for them. It was Sith Empire space, but that did not mean taking precautions was unnecessary. The walk towards the coordinates she had been given was a short one and as she approached the place a figure of a woman came into sight, seemingly alone. No other presences were felt, yet that was hardly conclusive evidence this woman was truly alone. For now however it would suffice.

"If it is the killer of the Red Assassin you seek," the woman's voice called out as she came into earshot, "then your search is over. Why have you called me here?" Her tone was direct, yet a certain curiosity dwelled within it, wondering who she was. "But perhaps more importantly, who are you?"

[member="Darth Valtryx"]

 

[Minna]

At her first glance of the killer Minna was slightly taken aback, she looked strikingly familiar. Mostly though it was the bright red hair that she had herself worn during her days in the Assassins. As the Sith came closer she could tell it was someone she had never met before, which made more sense considering no one she knew would have taken on Krest. A quick scan of the horizon confirmed no one had followed them in the direct vicinity, which was enough for Minna to relax somewhat and answer the questions given to her.
"I knew the Red Assassin a long time ago." She answered bluntly at first, examining the stranger's appearance further to see that she had come armed as expected. "I was there at his Orders creation, I tried to save him from the darkness and paid the price." Revealing herself as one of the traitors of the Sith was something she was trying to avoid, yet at the same time there was a different order of Sith then. She doubted this assassin would know of Valtryx or Minna.

"But you did it. I felt it through the force. You did what many could not do, either for lack of power or..." A pause ensued, trying to find a phrase other than 'because of love'. Nothing came to mind. "Killing him was always the right thing to do. I want to know; Why did you do it? Did you exhaust his teachings? Then tell me how. I want to know he's dead for good..."

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

With every bit of information that was revealed, Darth Avacyn's grin grew just slightly. Someone so enveloped in the Light, caring so much for a Sith to the point where she risked flying into Sith Empire space to meet with his killer, it was not something she had expected to ever see. Yet, such was the nature of the galaxy; a chaotic collective of beings that could surprise you at every turn. As broken and unmendable as the woman thought the galaxy was, there were still things that fascinated her. The implication she had been with the Assassins in the past made it seem she was not a being who had always stood with the Light, which made the encounter that much interesting. She herself had followed the Light once, it was how she was raised when she was taken from her home by a Jedi master looking to do the right thing at age three, but after a great struggle she had freed herself from it. This woman had done the opposite however, but in the end that was to little concern to her.

"Save him?" That was how Jedi called pulling people away from the Dark side, 'saving' them. It was a notion Avacyn found amusing. "If you meant turning him to the Light, it was an effort that was doomed to fail from the start." Krest was as powerful as a proper Sith Lord had ought to be, he would not have turned away from that path. There was nothing of the Light in him, not for the full time she had known him. "All he had left was the Sith way. I think he truly realized that when I killed him." If there was one thing she would make sure to never lose sight of, it was the person that was Kaalia. She was the reason Darth Avacyn existed, a different personality she created out of her own willpower to protect Kaalia. Krest simply seemed to have no real reason to be a Sith. He just was. "I was one of his apprentices. The honor of killing him would have fallen to someone at some point, and I was the one to get it."

The redhead went from grinning to a more serious face when the woman fell silent for a moment, looking for words but eventually skipping the thought entirely. Then, the questions. So many had asked them already, but every single one of them had gotten the answer. She would not be an exception, but there was something that needed to be said. "The two strongest emotions are hate, and love. Those are the two things that moves one to kill, or not to. Strike with power, then chances are the source is hate, or simple apathy. Being unable to kill because you lack something that isn't power, well," the redhead looked the woman in the eyes, the smirk returning once more. "then chances are love was involved." That conclusion, whether it was completely accurate or not, simply had to have had some kind of merit to it. A fact that surprised her. "There were people who actually cared about him? Now that is news to me." There were others with emotional responses, those who had placed value in the zabrak, but they often quickly realized he was not their only source of growth as a Sith.

"But you asked questions, and I will answer them." She moved towards a large stone, keeping her eyes on the woman as she went to sit down on it. "How I killed him is perhaps a bit embarrassing for him, but he was tricked into thinking an innocent action couldn't be turned against him." It had given her the advantage from the start, leaving Krest with nowehere to go. "He took a sip from his drink, and I used water shaping to jam it down his windpipe. He wasn't able to do much without oxygen." Unclipping Mirari's hilt from her belt she casually twirled it around in her left hand. "From there piercing his vital organs was all I had to do. His Sithspawn pet came to try to defend him, but he too fell." It had made her job much harder, but in all honesty she had expected more tricks. "I would say he's completely dead and gone, but he was a Sith after all. I would not be surprised if he found some way of preserving his spirit, but his body is most definitely dead."

"As for the question of why..." Avacyn took a breath, clipping her saber back to her belt. "Do you want the summary, or the full story? There are many reasons, perhaps most importantly because he knew too much about someone very close and dear to me, but all of them carry weight. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

[member="Darth Valtryx"]

 

[Minna]

Minna listened intently, finding herself an adjacent rock to sit upon. The experience only became more surreal for her, as she watched the Sith speak of love and hate, obviously striking a chord within Minna. Her only expression was a small smirk though, as she was amused by the idea that no one could care for Krest, which she herself would believe had she not done so herself.
"Water shaping, interesting. Ironically he was quite the fan of that kind of manipulation." She tilted her head aside for a second, half-shrugging to show she was not surprised there was still a chance Krest could return. "He was also a fan of not dying."

As the Sith unveiled more about the possible reasons behind killing, Minna recalled parts of her old self during that time in the dark side. Not only did this woman's striking red hair bring back memories, but so too did her motives and the way she spoke of reasons for death. It almost astounded her that she had once been in Kaalia's position and spoke just like her, whereas now she believed devoutly, and tried to follow, the strict tenets of the old Jedi order. Part of her wondered which of them was the bigger fool sat here.

"It's not every day a Jedi can talk to a Sith in relative peace." She smiled, thinking about how the only other Sith she had managed to talk to somewhat peacefully was Krest himself. "I'm not in a rush to go anywhere. My Jedi order is dead, so too are all my friends."

"I'm sure it wouldn't hurt for me to listen to a story, and share my own. Indulge the boredom of an old Jedi, won't you?"

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

A chuckle escaped Avacyn's lips at the remark of Krest's aversion of death, clearly amused by Minna's words. To say she had expected such a carefree comment would have been a lie, especially considering she was someone who stood firmly in the Light, but if there was one thing that the redhead had learned in her, comparatively speaking, few years it was that the galaxy was full of surprises. "You cannot always get what you want, I suppose." The statement was somewhat hollow, however. She had taken losses and had stumbled, sure, but she would always get back up and achieve that what she had set out to do. "If only the galaxy was not as karked as it is, right?" That very fact was the reason she followed the Sith code in the first place. In an ideal world the need simply wouldn't have existed, but it was a simple reality.

What was less of a surprise to the Sith Lady was the fact she was actually speaking with a Jedi instead of trading blows. As much as Sith may have been perceived as mindless killing machines, she was far from it. There definitely wouldn't have been any hesitation to strike her down if she had assessed the woman as a threat, but that was simply not the case. Despite her seemingly casual demeanor she was always mere inches away from taking out her lightsabers if the need ever arose, but as long as that wasn't necessary she simply would not do so. "I cannot say I am a very conventional Sith. I do what is necessary, but not a thing more. Just because we have differing ideologies does not mean I am obligated in any way to kill you. Do not get me wrong, the moment I suspect you are up to something I will not think twice about it, but what do I have to gain from risking my own life to do so?" It really was that simple to her. "Besides, I have always enjoyed philosophical debates with Jedi in the past, even though I think the Jedi code, whatever the variation, does not take human nature into account, disconnecting it from reality. But I digress, you did not risk your life coming here to ask for my opinions."

When the woman mentioned having no rush, the reason why quickly explained afterwards, Avacyn lightly smirked. "I suppose I could tell you, then. I already explained he knew too much about someone dear to me. More exactly, my wife. I hope you understand that I will give no further details than that. I could not wait until the inevitable moment he would try to harm her." There were very few people who knew both of the Sith that was Darth Avacyn, and the fact she was married. Even fewer in that situation knew who she was married to. "Krest also happened to be the one who taught me the ways of the Sith, however. I wanted to learn from him, but when he exhausted his teachings there was no longer a point in running the risk."

That was not the only reason, however. "It just so happened that wish coincided with a core principle of the Sith; superiority. I had outgrown him, the apprentice had become the master, and to prove it I had to kill him. That was reason number two." The redhead was on the edge of nonchalance as she spoke, clearly feeling no remorse for her actions. Perhaps Kaalia would have, but that was the reason Darth Avacyn existed. "And then there was the wish for simple payback. He used me, tortured me, spied on me, I could not let that go unpunished. And eye for an eye was too dangerous though, he would no doubt retaliate. That was the third reason. Together they were far, far more than enough."

Avacyn let a moment of silence fall, giving the woman time to process everything she had said. After doing so she tilted her head slightly, her tone shifting into something more inquisitive. "But what about you? How did you know Krest, and why were you compelled to seek answers concerning his death? I am very much curious about your story."

[member="Minna"]

 

[Minna]

"Yeah..." She agreed with the galaxy being karked alright, which was a dire sign for a Jedi. For the rest of Kaalia's explanation Minna listened intently, trying to fully understand the woman infront of her. Part of her mind dwelled on the odd nature of referring to Krest in the past tense, something she never thought she would have to do. It still didn't even feel real, and not because there was a chance he could come back, but because she had never thought of him truly dying for good. When Kaalia explained her outlook on being a Sith, Minna had to stop herself from voicing her opinion, or rather experience, on the matter. In her mind that kind of thinking only led to even darker paths, soon enough all Sith reached their low point; even if this one hadn't yet.

What she did move to answer was Kaalia's question about how she knew Krest and why she cared.
"Good question," She smirked, leaning back somewhat whilst she looked out to the horizon behind them. Why do I care. "Krest wasn't always a Sith. He was never really a Jedi, atleast when I knew him, but when we meet he walked a balanced path. He was one of my teachers in the Grey Order, but the Sith caused that to end and soon enough we both ended up on a darker path." A pause came as she reconsidered her stance. "Well, it wasn't me. I was a different person at that point. Being a Sith breeds a whole new side of you," She stopped, remembering she was talking to a current Sith and was unsure whether she could relate. Either way, she decided to move on. "We found each other again, I managed to use the dark side to acquire a more suitable form." Her eyes glanced down at her human figure, suggesting it was not always that way.

"I loved him." She almost forced the words out. To her now it made little sense to keep back any secrets; Krest was dead and Minna had nothing left to live for or hide. She might aswell indulge herself in having someone to finally tell everything to. "And he did love me, at one point. When there was still part of him that was Krest. I carried his child though, and certain events made me realize the Sith life wasn't for her. An entire species relied on me betraying the Sith to live. I had to escape and I begged him to come with me." Her head shook side to side, casting her eyes down. "He refused, he knew he had to kill me if I tried to betray the Sith. He faked my death and took our daughter."

There was a tear now, but Minna turned her head the opposite way to try and hide it. Oh how weak she looked now.
"When I found him again he was no longer Krest. Darth Ferus isn't... wasn't the man I loved. I suppose Krest died a long time ago." Minna raised her hand, trying to casually wipe her tear aside so she could look to Kaalia. "Pretty pathetic really." A forced laugh followed for a second. "Pretty ironic too, a Jedi with no hope, still affected by love and loss." She kept her eyes on Kaalia, curious as to how she would react to the tale.

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Avacyn listened intently to what the woman had to say. Knowing next to nothing about it, she was quite curious to Krest's past, and this seemed to be a great opportunity to learn more. To learn the zabrak had not been a Sith his entire life was not all too surprising, there were many who turned to that path from another, but it was interesting nontheless. If she herself had not been so violently disappointed in the Light she may have walked that path too, but that simply wasn't the way things worked out. It made no difference to the redhead, only reality was what mattered. The conflicts with the Order of the Silver Jedi had not made that view any more positive.

"I am one. You do not have to explain to me what being a Sith encompasses," Avacyn responded when the woman paused. She knew all too well that when someone followed the Sith code they changed, it was the very reason she had made the concious decision to split her life in two. That Sith that lived inside her, the one who spoke to the Jedi right now, was the one who was molded for the purpose of being that change. "But those who lose themselves in it, they are the ones who stop being themselves." Incidentally, those were also the one who died the quickest. Nobody was invincible, but if one didn't realize that they would eventually learn that they weren't.

When the woman spoke of a child however, she shifted from a casual way of sitting to turning directly towards her, leaning forward. "A child? I cannot say I saw that coming. That old bastard was capable of having feelings after all, huh." The story painted an entirely different picture of Krest, one she never thought to have existed. "But the Krest you speak of, he was most definitely dead." Although she tried to hide it Avacyn knew what she was feeling, the Force told her more than enough to know. "I do not recall him ever using the name Darth Ferus though, he likely stopped using it between your faked death and when he and I met."

The Jedi spoke of irony, but it was a bit lost on the Sith Lady. "Love and loss are things that overcome everyone. Sticking them away instead of letting the process happen, so that you can properly leave it behind will only make things worse. As someone who has been a Jedi in the past, and is a Sith now, accept the fact you're alive and have feelings. That is something completely seperate from the Force, it's just part of being a living person. Even Jedi are beings, as crazy as it sounds." Her last remark had a tone of humor to it, although it was very slight. It always saddened her to see people who suppressed their emotions, no matter the circumstance. Not because she wanted to let those things lead them to the Dark side, that was their own choice, but just to feel alive.

[member="Minna"]

 

[Minna]

Perhaps this Sith was right. As much as it pained Minna's dignity and sense of morality, she found tangible answers in this woman's logic. Part of her remained cautious; warning her against the temptation of the darkness, but the kinder parts preferred to think Kaalia was being genuine. After all, the two of them had nothing to lose in being open. Minna was a hermit with no Order to report back to, whilst Kaalia had no reason to exploit the secrets of a by-gone Jedi such as herself. A comforted smile came from Minna, along with a soft gaze from bright blue eyes. "I think I understand now."

"I thought for some reason my journey was over, that I'd done everything I could just to see my Order and Republic fall," She nodded slightly, as if still swallowing the loss of her belonging. "But if it was truly the end then surely I would be dead already. Sith, Jedi, Ren; whatever you believe it's clear that the force works in mysterious ways. Even after death, I don't think anyone's story is every truly over. Especially not Krest's." The more she spoke the more a compelling feeling washed over her, finally causing her to act on it.

Slowly, to ensure she did not appear to be doing anything hostile, Minna reached into her robes and brought out a small chip clearly for Kaalia to see.
"Take this?" She asked, offering the chip out to her. "Contact details, if you ever need help for some reason. I have a feeling your story is far from over, and this might not be the last time we see each other." Minna placed the chip on the rock beside them for Kaalia to take, before standing up and focusing on the view again. The singular sun of the planet was setting, casting an orange hue over the already sand-covered landscape.

"Everyone I knew is gone, but that doesn't mean I can't get to know others," She looked aside to Kaalia with a sincere look of compassion. "No matter their alignment."

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

After saying the things she had said, Avacyn expected a rebuttal. How such things would lead to nothing but destruction, or how such things impeded one's service to the Force. Deep down she knew her old Jedi master was the reason she always thought that any Jedi would argue against anything she would say, just like how all of her arguments were simply swept away like nothing with such philosophies. Instead, she was given a much different response. Both parties knew they had their differences but decided to not let them get in the way, and that way they were able to perhaps even learn from each other. Once again, the redhead was reminded of the fact the galaxy was full of surprises.

"As long as you still have air in your lungs and a goal you wish to accomplish, you have not failed yet." Avacyn was nothing but confident as she spoke those words, crossing her legs as she did to shift the weight off of her upper legs. In her mind, failure was not an option. Setbacks were inevitable, but not final. "If you wish to find the next stop in your journey, the galaxy's wide open." For a moment she was tempted to add more to the sentence, a warning. It was unlikely that the woman wished for the destruction of the Sith anymore as a goal to devote her life to, even if perhaps she preferred them to have never existed in the first place. Still, would she attempt anything against her or her allies, there would be no hesitation to strike back. No matter what happened here today. There was great doubt that would become necessary however, and as such it remained unsaid.

Avacyn's eyes curiously followed the hand that would disappear in the woman's robes for a moment before reappearing, holding a chip. It turned out to be containing contact details, information that paired with an offer to take it. It had been the last thing the young Sith lady had expected when she made the trip to Korriban, yet it had still happened. "I have had so many chance encounters in my life, that it is hard to call it coincidence anymore. I would not be surprised if we saw each other again." Chance encounters were how she had met her wife even, and for some reason she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

When the woman looked over to Avacyn once more, she gave her a nod before hopping off of the rock she had been sitting on. Casually she walked over to the rock on which the chip rested, inspecting it for a quick second. "Thank you," she said as she carefully picked it up and moved her hand towards a small pouch and letting it drop inside of it, turning towards its previous owner afterwards. "If you're looking to get to know others, I suppose I should properly introduce myself." Holding out her right arm, a handshake was offered. "Kaalia."

[member="Minna"]