Vow Reaffirmed

[Riamah]

Having now completed two missions for the Dominion under the rule of [member="Cedric Grayson"], Ra felt the need to speak to him again privately. He had interviewed, if that was the best word for it a few months ago. This was before even the Jedi were established within the Dominion.

That evening had a been a pivotal moment is Ra's life. That night Ra had given him a vow that she meant with her entire being. Her promise to always be there for him, to never intentionally hurt, undermine or abandon him in anyway. Every fiber of her vested in that vow.

Completing the mission on Helska IV and now aboard the Acerbitas, Ra had showered and changed her clothes. She wore a light green top and a copper colored skirt. She wore no shoes in the comfort of her room. There was no need for her battle gear here. Though it was at hand if she needed to change.

After her shower, she composed a polite request for him to visit her in the rooms provided for her as a member of the Jedi team. It was like a two room suite with a kitchen and refresher.

Her kitchen was stocked with as many fresh items as she could find and food that actually needed to be prepared instead of simple nutrition bars or reconstituted food normally found on ship.

The front room was set up as combination study and parlor. It had room for a television, couch and two tables. In the corner was a desk with a chair and lamp.

The bedroom was a little smaller than the front room, but held a double bed, nightstand and dresser as well a small closet for storage.

Sitting on her couch, filling out the papers of her report on the mission, Ra waited for Cedric to arrive.

 

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Everything that had happened on Helska had been troublesome, to say the least. Casualty numbers were finally coming in with the general number resting in the upper thousands, but then that was normal when one moved to take a world. There was never a safe way to do it. Even the most amiable of planets would hold pockets of resistance, and a number of lives would be spent for every resource-rich planetoid brought within the fold. That did not, however, mean Ceric regretted the crusades.

He'd received Ra's message with a lofted brow and a quiet nod. It had been some time since they had spoken back on Ession. The carnage of war had eaten away any time that might have been reserved for sociability, but things had finally begun to slow to a lull.

Victories were becoming commonplace, and with rapid expansion achieved, the Dominion could afford to slow down. The Acerbitas and her escorts had settled over Neelgaimon now, refueling and restocking before she set off on her next adventure.

It was here that Ra had called him, and it was here that he had come.

The Archlord was clad in simple cloth jacket of a dark shade and jeans. He did not need to strike any kind of figure here - most of the crew was on the planet below enjoying their leave time. There was no one to impress. Alone, Cedric sidled up to the door. He found himself wondering as to what was on Ra's mind, though he supposed he would be finding out soon enough.

Three knocks. "It's Cedric."

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Riamah]

Ra set her datapad down and walked over to the door to open it for [member="Cedric Grayson"]. She stood to the side to allow him to enter and motioned for him to take a seat on the couch.

"Would you like something to drink?" If he accepted she would collect it on the way to the couch before sitting down.

She closed the door after he entered and went back to her spot on the far end. Though this was a safe haven, she always felt the need to watch any entrance to a given room. That being the only way in or out right now.

Removing the datapad and setting it on the table, nothing was between them. She sat sideways so she could face her guest, one leg hanging over the edge, the other curled up under her. She gave him a warm smile of welcome.

"It had been a tough time on all of us my friend. The last time we spoke I gave you my word to be here for you."

She almost gave a small chuckle at the memory of that night, but held it in.

"Take a little time and breath, relax and be yourself. Let down the worries of carrying a nation."

A physical boundary had been broken by them that night. She remembered it fondly.

 

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"Just water. Sobriety is something I can't afford to give up." He offered her a smile all his own, and followed the blond woman inside.

Ra was...a friend. Perhaps one of the only ones he truly had. The vow she had given him had proven that much, though it could be perceived in numerous different lights. He'd already chosen how he would tackle it, and what had gone on in the wake of its making. Nothing particularly obtuse, of course, though it was not something he would speak of to his allies either. No, better that he acknowledged things with Ra in person, rather than allowed himself to brood over possibilities alone.

"You did," he agreed, bringing the glass up to his lips as he sat down alongside her. Gray eyes flickered from one corner of the room to the next, taking in the atmosphere of the tiny slice of home Ra had been provided. It was not much, but it was far more than the line soldiers had been afforded.

"Things have been...tiring. The senate likes to pass its bills without consulting me, which is entirely within their right, but it's hard to keep up with things back home," he murmured as he rubbed his temples. "The crusades are going well. We've lost many men, but our gains cannot be ignored. All in all, the Dominion is growing rapidly. We've built something great here," he paused, a quiet sigh falling from his lips.

He drew his arms up on the back of the couch and leaned backward, his head lolling back toward the ceiling. "I can't tell you how tiring it is. It seems that all I do is sign documentation and attend strategy meetings." He peered at her from the corner of his eye, "And how are you faring, Ra?"

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Riamah]

"I personally know nothing of the politics it takes to run a nation, so while I can listen and give any advice asked, I'm not sure I would be of any real help."

Ra nodded at his words in understanding, he would have a much greater idea of their losses and gains. From what she could tell and read from him words, the Dominion was doing well. She smiled when he said they had built something great.

Tipping her own glass in a little toast, "to growing more".

He started to relax under her scrutiny, rubbing at his temples and then laying his head back and looking up. Though he looked at her out of the corner his eyes as he spoke. He asked how she had been faring.

That question was a difficult one to answer. Many things had happened to her since they last met like this. Setting the glass on the table, she looked briefly at her hands in her lap. They rested there gently, not clasped, but open. Looking up again at [member="Cedric Grayson"], Ra let out a small sigh.

"At the Chloon and Irn event, I was touched by the Dread Seed there and have been tempted a few times to follow a far darker path than I imagined."

Afraid of driving a schism between herself and Cedric, he needed to know the truth though. She paused in her speaking.

"Master Dune has been guiding me along the Jedi path and that is going well. In fact, we just finished a mission and this afternoon we returned."

There were both good and bad things that had happened. However, she had been tempted and touched by the dark, she remained pure and didn't fall to temptation.

 

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To say that Cedric was a master in any sense was a lie, but he had gone through his own experiences with the bogan. He'd always treated the opposite spectrum of the force with the respect it demanded, but he had never allowed it to rule him. His will had always been iron, and his intense desire to retain his sense of self kept him from ever even considering such a path for himself. Some might have perceived his actions as cold and apathetic, those people would be right, but one could never accuse him of acting solely on emotional pretense.

The glasses clinked as they met, sending little droplets of water onto Cedric's face. He blinked, snickered, and shook his head. "The Dread Seed was an accursed thing, and I should have had it destroyed immediately. It had the taint of heresy upon it. Not that of the force, but of the void itself," his brow furrowed. "I suppose that doesn't matter now. The Dread Seed was destroyed along with the traitors...but you did well to resist it as much as you did. Such things can be intoxicating, and there are few that can do anything but run toward the call of an artifact lile that."

The smile he gave her was a warm one, with perhaps even the slightest hint of pride. "You have? Well, that's fantastic. Master Rhur is the greatest of us, even if he can get a little...grouchy at times,' he shrugged. "There are too few Jedi in the galaxy. Better to have one more. Besides, you have the heart for it. You're a compassionate sort. The Order needs people like that if it's going to survive the coming storm."

He sat up straight, scooting along the couch closer to Ra so that he might place his glass better on the table. "Does it make you happy?" He asked suddenly. "The Dominion? The Jedi teachings? What we've accomplished?"

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Riamah]

Letting out a mental sigh of relief, Ra visibly relaxed next to Cedric. Even though he had a far greater burden than she did, her own were hers and they weighed just as heavily on her. She picked her glass up again to take a drink and set it back down. Cedric had placed his glass on table next to hers and moved closer so it was easier to reach.

"Master Dune is likely one of the reasons I have stayed in the light. Him and you."

[member="Cedric Grayson"] was one person she could be herself with, be open and honest to, not hide anything from. Very possibly the only person Ra could be this way with.

"He might be grumpy, but his soul is pure and the Force guides him."

He asked if she was happy and a pure smile lit Ra's face. The sense of joy and happiness radiated off her now.

"Oh very much so, Cedric. I have never been happier than I am now."

His arm and hand were laid across the back of her couch and Ra raised her arm to meet up with, lightly interlocking​ her fingers within his if he allowed the touch.

 

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"I don't know how I might have helped toward that end." Cedric answered honestly, a certain ignorance to his voice. His brow furrowed, though his visage quickly softened as she interlaced her fingers with his own. It seemed that Ra had made her decision then.

"He's a good man. Fought alongside my father. One of the last proper Jedi left." Cedric muttered in agreement, the glass leaving his fingertips with little by way of thought. It was left forgotten on the table as he turned bodily to face the woman.

"Such an odd feeling, isn't it?" He asked, an almost puzzled expression upon his face. "The elated joy one feels in the company of a companion. It's foreign to me. It reminds me of the adrenaline I feel when we march to war, though it's...softer, less visceral." His brow furrowed. "Hard to explain."

His shoulders lifted in a slight shrug.

His lips parted, though words were lost to him. It was best not to ruin the moment. Instead, he tilted his head toward her quarters. "Wait for me there?" A hand rose to caress her cheek. "I need to check on something. Then you'll have me for the evening, alright?"

@Ra'a'mah

 

[Riamah]

The man next to her was puzzled as to how he had helped keep her in the light. It was only partially due to her vow, the majority was due to her heart. This felt right, not dark and evil. No lust involved, instead on her part she thought she finally felt love.

His next few words were lost to her ears. She knew the joy of marching to battle, to be with those that will fight with you. What he felt now, was different and so much like how Ra felt. Not lost or confused, but not as strong as the adrenaline he mentioned.

Their eyes never parted and when he motioned to her quarters, her heart skipped a beat or at least felt like it did. When he touched her cheek, she knows it did. Without a second thought in the matter, Ra nodded and rose.

Her golden eyes took on a color that had never been there before tonight. They were of the purest gold color, the color of sunshine.

Wondering what he was going to check on, Ra walked silently into her quarters.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]