Time Stands Still

[Jairdain]

With an almost familiar nickname being given, Vanessa would point out she was considered aesthetically pleasing. The same had been said about herself. Without having prior vision, Jairdain had no real idea what was considered pleasing or not. One thing she wasn't going to readily admit is she liked seeing the smile on the face of Vanessa. Even if it might be a false smile. Without the Force, she had no way of knowing for sure.

"I think the longer route is probably the best bet. There is a decided lack of trust in each other to allow either one of pawing around in our minds."

It left out any direct hostility that might be implied. Apparently while that poison was in her system, it may have found an equilibrium. There was still like a glowing ember of anger, but it wasn't exerting overt control over Jairdain.

"So how does one go about teaching a formerly blind person how to read, write, know colors and appreciate art?"

[member="Vanessa Vantai"] ​

 

[Onrai]

"I suppose that conclusion's... extraordinarily valid, to say the least." Vanessa responded. "I'll need to set up a series of lessons to help explain things to you - and you'll need to keep using the optical stimulator until I can find a more permanent solution to keep your eyes open." She tried her best to remain positive with regards to the formerly blind woman. "I'm not sure how long the nerve stimulation lasts. Maybe a day, maybe an hour. But do let me know." She answered, considering her compendium.

"A question, though, is 'how can I provide you with a degree of freedom while maintaining a degree of safety for me?' Your word, of course, is not good enough - and the collar is the only thing preventing us from destroying this place thanks to the Force. Do you have any other suggestions?"

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

When she pointed out they didn't trust the other enough to allow the other to play around in their minds and Vanessa agreed, Jairdain couldn't help but smile slightly. Her physical sight remained stable for now and she nodded when it was mentioned the stimulator would be needed again. The request being given to tell her when the vision started to fail, that nod stopped.

"I'm being given this while my Force is gone and I'm a normal person. Why do this anyway?"

Now she could see, facial actions and reactions were easier to understand. Her eyelids narrowed slightly as she listened on to the question Vanessa asked. Vanessa said that just giving her word would not be good enough and that brought about a rather flat look.

"What am I, Miss Vanessa? You know something, if you can't accept the word of somebody that works...nevermind. Until each of us trust the other, I think this has to remain."

Her hand lifted to the collar and tugged on it lightly. At least it wasn't too constricting, it allowed her freedom of movement and no trouble breathing.

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

"Well, you were supposed to be my first test subject regarding creating such infiltrators. But I'm willing to say that such has grown into something more... more interesting. Making the blind see. Breaking that stubborn streak of purity. She continued. "I'm a Sith Lord. If I expected every non-Sith to give their word regarding something they promised to me, I would have died far more times than I already have." She sighed, stepping over to Jair. "I'll have to electrum-plate the collar - make it look nice on you. No reason you can't be presentable, even given where you are now. And where that is, I suppose, is somewhere between 'attractive prisoner' and 'stubborn student.'

Vanessa could only hope Jairdain would not be that much trouble down the line. "You know, I've hardly asked about you. Tell me, Jairdain, where do you come from? What do you do?"

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

"To be honest, I don't exactly freequent my time with the Jedi."

While eventually Jairdain would be missed, it probably wouldn't be by the Silver's. More than likely Commenor where she was the advisor to Bradsaw, the Crown Prince. It was made clear that trust wouldn't be given right away and she understood that perfectly. However, Vanessa did not know Jairdain well at all, but indicated an obvious interest.

"Speaking of where I am...where am I?"

With Vanessa stating she was a sith lord, Jairdain wondered if there was any connection between her, Krest and Lykos. Based off a little of their previous conversation, she did not think so. It wouldn't surprise her to learn there was though. Honesty with sith was never something she could count on.
​
"I come from a lost planet called Eraton. As for what I do," she shrugged her shoulders. "I'm a consular."

Not the whole truth, but who she worked for wasn't something she felt like disclosing. If Vanessa learned, it could assist her in her plans.

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

“I hear they can often be quite the killjoys.” She said. “Unfortunate that they aren’t as enjoyable as I would recall.”

She thought about the circumstances within which Jair originally came from. Her most likely point of origin was the Silver Jedi - all evidence pointed towards such -
Though her ship’s records did of course have information about other relatively frequented destinations. Perhaps that would give more information down the line.

“You are on a planet within Sith space. It is very likely that you will be captured, by someone far less agreeable than myself, should you in fact manage to escape.”

Vanessa continue to ponder what associations this woman had. The reaction she had was that she had met Sith before, though in what form or fashion Vanessa could not tell. It was likely, however, that it was not as hostile as it could have been given the fact that her hostility, even under the poison’s thrall - was relatively minimal.

“Eraton. Interesting.” She said. “A consular? And here I thought Jedi stopped being consulate thousands of years ago. I suppose I was mistaken.” She smiled. “Well, I hope you’ll enjoy the life of luxury - hopefully such indulgence will help you quench the embers of that brightness within you.”

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

She had joined the Silver Jedi when she eighteen, less than a year later she had been taken captive by some cultists. Rescued by a now dead faction and returned to the Jedi. Then again less than a year later, she was captured a second time. By the sith this time though and held captive for almost a year. Once Krest felt he had corrupted her, her freedom had been granted.

Time passed and that brainwashing failed and she was once again a shattered mind. The only home she had known since her own had been destroyed were the Jedi so she made her way back to them a broken sith. Recovery took time and by the time Jairdain had recovered her senses and mind, she no longer felt she could consider herself a follower of the Jedi Code. Instead she was back on the path of her people. That was the code she followed now.

She accepted the simple answer provided by Vanessa on her location.

"I hadn't actually considered trying to escape after ripping your throat out."

Finding a little humor, this was said without any heat or anger like it had before. That poison and its effects were still present, but maybe Jairdain herself was fighting it unknowingly.

"Ah you know, what was once popular always seems to make a return and so I am a consular. Have you heard of Eraton? Only one other person I've met has."

Also the truth. There was no point in trying to lie to Vanessa and she would have made a poor liar anyway. Not ever having been able to hide what she felt or thought a deception would have been clearly written on her face. Unsure of how to react when Vanessa mentioned luxury, Jairdain just looked at her curiously for a moment or two.

"Why it do that?"

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

"Ripping my throat out... how deceptively simple you make it sound." She said. "But there's far more to it than that, of course." She left it at that.

"I can't honestly say I've heard of Eraton, truth be told." She shrugged. "Apparently it really is a forgotten planet."

She thought for a moment as to how to respond to Jair's last comment. "When you experience a significant amount of pleasure, more often than not you will be willing to shirk your duties in order to continue experiencing that pleasure. Recall how the original Jedi code prevented relationships between Jedi. Recall how this led to such people as Darth Vader arising. Pleasure brings the Dark Side with it. Always." She thought for a moment. "With that... would you like me to run you a bath?"

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

With that cauldron of rage and anger within her, it did come out with very simple terms. A very primal emotion and feeling lent its touch to the words, but not her actions. Nodding though when Vanessa stated she had never heard of Eraton, it did not surprise her. Nobody had heard of it except one person.

"It's gone now or at least my people. I've not met any others since I was banished."

Jairdain left off the reason she was banished. The other woman didn't know about the plague or the fact it killed off non Force users. A chance Jairdain carried it and could infect the galaxy was a disturbing thought.

"Oh so like an addiction? Never been prone to that."

When a bath and the mention of the Code, Jairdain winkled her nose.

"Bah, I was never one to fully follow that Code, Vanessa and I certainly don't now. Do I really smell that badly?"

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

“Banished? Oh, this I have to hear. What did you end up doing? Knocking over an ancient idol? Crossing a line between two corroded stones? Having sex with someone from a rival tribe?” There were a myriad of reasons one could be banished from a place, though Vanessa chose to suggest the simplest ones. It was surprising that the Jedi before her had been banished as such.

“We’re all addicted to some things.”

At the last comment, Vanessa smirked. “I can only say that it’s been more than twenty-four hours since you last showered or bathed. Given what I did to you, I think it would be an astute option to do so. Maybe get a massage afterwards so you feel as relaxed as a tub of slime.”

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

At the potential reasons listed for why she was banished, Vanessa did not guess correctly. However, Jairdain wasn't about to say why and instead just nodded.

"Something like that."

When she said that all people were addicted to something, that nod changed to a shake of denial. There wasn't anything she was addicted to.

"What is a massage? I have the feeling that being like slime is a bad thing."

A bath was probably a good idea just on general principles though.

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

“A massage is the physical stimulation and manipulation of the muscles in order to relax them.” Vanessa said. “A long time ago, before I was a Sith, I was a masseuse. Basically you just keep rubbing the muscles until they get relaxed. A warm bath helps to prepare one for such a process. Well, and it gets you clean.”

She motioned deeper into the residential portion of the laboratory - after all, she did have a home here. “Would you like me to get it warmed up?”

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

"I know what a bath is!"

If she had been younger, it would have come across as defensive and maybe even almost like a tantrum. As it was it was that poison speaking again and her fists bunched at her sides. Growling to herself, Jairdain relaxed her grip and listened to what Vanessa said.

Shrugging her shoulders, she nodded. Following the motion the other woman made, Jairdain would wait until she moved before following her. Until she gain more freedom of her own, she would wait to be guided.

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

Vanessa headed into the residential portion of the Travis Laboratory. There was artwork on the walls, somewhat dusty from years of abandonment, and even more intriguing things like vases or statuary. They would walk by the bedroom to a niche on the far side where a tub that frankly looked like a stone pit was bubbling and frothing with warm water. A folding table was leaning up against the wall - it too was covered in dust.

“Please, get comfortable.” Vanessa said. “If you want to me to leave you alone while you get situated, I would be more than willing to do so.” She said, willing to allow Jair to at the least have a degree of privacy regarding such.

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

Not having been able to see before, the fact things were covered in dust from not being touched or cleaned in years was lost on her. She could tell they walked past a bedroom just based off what she knew of them and living on her own.

The other dusty items did catch her attention, but Jairdain left them alone and didn't ask yet what they were used for. Reaching a stone pit that was full of bubbling with water, she looked at it for a moment before turning to look at Vanessa as she spoke.

Giving her an odd look at what she said, she was curiuos.

"Why would it matter?"

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

"Well, ordinarily, when most people disrobe, they prefer to not have someone around to watch them that is, for better lack of term, a stranger. I realize we've interacted with each other for more than a day, but truthfully I wouldn't consider us to have even reached the 'acquaintance' stage of our relationship yet." Vanessa responded. "Besides, I'm sure that you would appreciate the opportunity to enjoy some privacy."

She looked over the dust covering a large amount of the room. At least things didn't decay. She had a lot of cleaning to do.

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

It was something that had never crossed her mind before since she didn't have sight until Vanessa gave it to her. In her life, school and such, privacy was something she had rarely had. Once she had been banished, then it changed and even now she lived a life of solitude. Granted, she lived in one of three places, each one where she was alone.

"You know, eventually people will start missing me and wonder what happened to me."

Giving thought to what she said though, to have some solitude would be nice.

"Yes, a little time alone would be fine."

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

"That means little if they don't know where to look." She responded, before nodding. "I'll be back in around twenty minutes. Don't rush or anything, but just wanted to let you have a heads up." With that, Vanessa moved to leave the room, shutting the door leading to the bedroom proper. She had some things to do while Jair was preoccupied. For one, she still had a significant amount of the woman's blood. Only about 4% had been mixed in with the IV fluid, and there were still as least two and a half packs of blood to work with. She decided to donate two of the packs - the full ones - to the planetary medical clinic for use in blood transfusion, while examining the blood in the half-full sack.

"Let's see if we can't find anything more out about you..."

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

Little did Vanessa know of her connections or how they worked. The people she was connected with could find her easily. Without her having the Force, one person would know and since she was within Sith space, he would be able to find her.

Time had never meant anything to Jairdain, at least in the sense of amount that passed in minutes and she shook her head. Just something else she was going to have to learn.

Being left alone, she stripped and climbed into the tub. While this was technically the first time she had seen her own body with her eyes, Jairdain did not pay any special attention to its details. Only noticing a few things before getting to cleaning herself. Once that was done, she just relaxed in the warmth and gentle bubbles. Time was lost to her and she had no idea when those twenty minutes were over.

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

 

[Onrai]

Over a timespan of twenty minutes, Vanessa was able to find out a lot about Jair. She was able to get samples of her DNA, for long-term analysis. She was able to determine her blood type. And she was able to determine what diseases her body had become immune to - one of which was something she had not seen before. Some type of rare plague, she assumed. Once the twenty minutes had elapsed, she stored her results, along with the remaining unanalyzed blood, before returning to the room to find Jair still bathing.

"Oh." Vanessa said awkwardly. "Do you... want me to leave so you can finish up?"

[member="Jairdain"]