We'll make it through

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled, amazed that the one Sith she could say she knew was also known by her sister. “I understand Avreet has rejoined the One Sith? I presume it was for all the reasons he told me and you’ve just shared. It wouldn’t be fair of me to comment on how successful you’ll be.”

“And I know he was very much taken with his former Master. But I don’t know if it was reciprocated. I ended up advising him on a present for her. Me? Advising on something like that? I did my best.” She smiled and too a sip of tea. It was more bitter than she was used to - as she usually took milk, but she was determined to try new things.

“And slavery isn’t just a Sith problem. Too many Republic planets turn a blind eye to its existence. And the Sith you spoke of...Vornskr is the one with the the long beard yes? He tried to decapitate me with a speeder on Kashyyk. And Vitium. I know the name and believe I encountered her on Prakith - before the invasion. Darth Andeddu’s holocron was the bone of contention.” A few obscure images flashed in her mind as she thought back. They worried her and she made a mental note to investigate when she got back to Ossus.

“And as to how many Padawans? I’ve taught every Youngling in numerous classes but as far as my Padawans are concerned…twenty-three in three years. I just can’t say no!” She laughed and then her face turned serious. “Sooner or later this day will be over and I’ll go back to Ossus and you’ll go to Coruscant I suspect. And it’ll feel like a dream. And a cruel one. To have something and then to lose it feels worse than never having it at all. But how do we keep in touch. I mean the Bond will help but…I don’t know. It feels like I want more…”

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

'It seems you've had some particularly interesting run-ins with my . . . colleagues," she replied, taking another sip of tea. She really didn't enjoy the Sith that were consumed by blood-lust, sadism, or insanity. It just ruined their image when something happened like a mass atrocity. As her sister mentioned how many Padawans she had, Taeli's eyes almost bugged out from shock . . . twenty-three in three years. Well, guess she had a new goal then. Even then, she could see the sadness forming over her sister as she was reminded of their duty and how this day couldn't be the norm.

"I know the feeling, Corvus," Taeli said, feeling highly conflicted about actually leaving. Making a snap decision, she reached into her satchel and pulled out an encrypted datapad that had message capabilities that could span the galaxy. "Here, I modified this datapad to be able to send messages from anywhere in the galaxy. I usually carry a couple because I always fill mine up with too much data, but I want you to have this one. That way, we can talk in a secure fashion and no one will ever be able to know. I . . . I don't what I would do if my family disappeared again. I want to do this more . . . see you more . . . even if our duties take us in cross paths, I won't fight you. I refuse to do so and I . . . need more of this too . . ."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was conflicted. This was not a new feeling for her and figured it went with the territory of being a Jedi and a person. She sighed and took the datapad. “I want us to remain in touch pretty much more than anything, you know that. But then being secretive isn’t in my nature.” Her jaw dropped at the faux pas. “Not that I’m suggesting you are.” Her hand went instinctively to her sisters across the table and she gave it a gentle squeeze. “So of course we can and should keep in touch and with our Bond, I suspect we’ll never have to worry about meeting in less positive circumstances. There should always be enough room to keep apart.”

But the thought troubled her. “I’ve always preached to Younglings about the Code and its strict views on attachments but never had to truly consider it myself. With Kana it’s different as we’re on the same team so to speak. But what if I sense you’re in danger? What would I do then?” She looked into Taeli’s eyes. “Of course it may never come to that but..a Jedi prepares for success and then prepares for failure. I need to work this through in my head - but my heart tells me to ignore it. To just do what my natural instinct says. But that’s against all of my Jedi training. I feel such a hypocrite.”

Tears welled in her eyes and she squeezed Taeli’s hand again.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

"I'm sorry you're feeling so conflicted," Taeli said, squeezing her sister's hand back. She could feel the tears forming in her own eyes as well. "If it ever comes to either of us being in danger, I promise I'll do what I can to help you get out of that danger, if it means fighting against my Sith superiors and claiming that I want the glory of beating you."

She added a small chuckle at the end of that.

"We both can look after ourselves, otherwise we wouldn't be in the positions that we are," she continued. "But . . . that's the one thing I've never understood about the current Jedi because we know that families were a thing during the era of the Galactic Alliance and they were still good Jedi. Why was that changed back to trying to have no emotional attachments?"

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled. Taeli's solution was so simple and yet perfect. "I'll keep that in mind should the situation ever arise. And I hope it never does. I suspect my role in any subsequent conflict will change. I've been working on Battle Meditation for a good three years now. In time I suspect that will be what I'm expected to bring to the fight. It should keep me out of harm's way - although by the same token make me a significant target."

"But as to the attachments thing, there is no hard and fast rule. The Corellian Jedi ignored it completely. I guess I'm what you call old school. And I've seen what happens when loved ones are on the line. It seems almost every Jedi throws the Code out of the window. So for me, it was simple. No attachments means no conflict. Or at least it was."

"I mean quite a few Jedi believe in sex without attachments..." Aware she'd raised her voice, she apologised to the couple on the next table again. "But that doesn't seem right either. But now, I think my life will change. But if I met the right man? I don't know. I'd probably want children and to me that means leaving the Order. I could never put them in harm's way - as... Well you know what I'm going to say." She sipped her tea again and took another bite of sandwich. "You know these are really lovely but you need to leave some room for some ryshcate." With that she caught the waiter's attention and placed the order. "We should really put candles on them - to signify all the birthdays we've missed."

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"Hmmm, don't mention rare Force techniques, you're going to get me to want to study and learn it," she laughed, a slight feeling of relief settling in her stomach. She never wanted to fight Corvus on the battlefield, and if she sensed her, she would do what she could to protect her on her side at least.

"Life is all about change," Taeli said, going philosophical for a moment. "If your life doesn't change, or if you don't grow as a person, to me that just means stagnation. If doesn't make you better or worse, well . . . maybe a little worse because you're stuck in a rut and don't develop. One thing I always associate with Sith, at least ones like me or Avreet, is that we view Sith as change, whether it be for good or bad."

Her thoughts on the whole sex without being involved with someone, she sort of had to agree with her sister. Sure she had done somethings on those lines, but she also cared for the people she had done them with. She couldn't picture herself going to some seedy brothel on Nar Shaddaa or elsewhere to partake of carnal pleasures.

"You know, I'm not sure how that's going to go for me," Taeli said, pushing the sandwiches away while they waited for the cake. "I've never drank a drop of alcohol, so if I get tipsy really fast, forgive me in advance for anything I say or do, okay?"

She had to admit she was both a little nervous and excited about this cake thing, it was something new after all. The addition of candles would be a nice touch, and had her giggling slightly to herself.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you decide to model yourself on the Old Republic order, for the most part?" she asked while they waited for the desert. "Did you have a specific role model in mind, or did it just sound cool?"

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded, “Growth is part of the Jedi Code’s tenets. To stop learning is akin to arrogance. When I was first a Knight I neglected my development to train Padawans. The GrandMaster took me to task for it. She was so right and since then I have redressed the balance.”

The ryshcate arrived and each piece had a candle in it. Corvus laughed and said, “You have to make a wish before you blow it out. But you can’t share it or it won’t come true.”

So she closed her eyes and wished their relationship would remain as strong as this forever. Then she opened her eyes and blew out the candle. The cake was nutty and due to the cooking process, none of the alcohol remained, just the subtle flavour.

“And as for a role model I have one in particular - but you’ve probably already guessed who. It’s Obi-Wan. I specialise in Soresu and with my saber design, well it’s quite obvious really. And it sounds lame but I quote him all the time. And if I ever face a quandary, I always ask the same question. What would Obi-Wan do? But…I also have a soft spot for Darth Bane. And no, I’m not a closet Sith, but he had many strengths that transcended the side of the Force he represented.”

“What about you? Are there any Sith in particular you admire?”

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

As the ryshcate arrived with the candle in it, Taeli couldn't help but giggle as to the last time she had to blow out candles for a birthday. She had been eighteen and had wished to be accepted into the University, but now she had another wish. Blowing out of the candle and wishing that she and Corvus would be close for as long as they lived, she took a bite of the rich cake.

"Mmmm, that is good," she said, immediately taking another bite. "Obi-Wan Kenobi is a great role model for a Jedi, did you know he had actually had a thing with a Mandalorian? I found that really interesting when I was doing a research project on the New Mandalorians for Mandalore Cultures and History 268. As for Darth Bane . . . we have that in common, I try and model myself as a Sith off of him and Darth Zannah. More Zannah than Bane though, as I have a knack for sorcery and my lightsaber is . . . well I'll show you once we aren't in public. I respect Palpatine just for the sheer patience and cunning he and Plagueus showed in their plans."

Taking another bite of cake, she supposed it wouldn't hurt to mention something else about role models.

"I'll admit that I've . . . maybe, possibly, really just a perusal really, looked or glanced at the stories of Jedi Masters Arca Jeth and Nomi Sunrider. They both have such fascinating stories after all. Couldn't resist downloading them when I was on Ossus, on top of the other files I recovered from those ruins."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus chuckled. Two sisters separated for their respective lifetimes and both Force-Sensitive and both drawing inspiration from each side of the path.

She nodded at the Obi-Wan comment. “I often contemplate his situation when thinking about my future. I think if I found the right man I would leave the Order as he suggested he would.” She shrugged, “But the odds of that are remote.” She giggled. “They say you should never tell a Corellian the odds.”

“Now Nomi Sunrider I now about. As you know, I like to spend time in the library and some while ago I did some research. I always wanted to have a beam crystal as well as my focusing crystal and Solari crystals have always fascinated me. I know, I should get out more.”

She waved a hand, dismissively. Corvus may be focused when it came to Jedi Lore but she knew when not to take herself too seriously. “Anyway. Rhen Var is one place that they can be found and it’s in Republic space. But every Jedi and Sith imaginable has been there, digging up ruins and running around caves and so the likelihood of finding anything useful is slim.”

“And my work on Solari crystals led me to the story of former Jedi Ulic Qel-Droma, who – as you all know – sought refuge on Rhen Var, and there trained Vima Sunrider and helped her build a lightsaber. During his stay he found a cave where the rare Solari crystal grew. Which led me to the story of Vima Sunrider, her mother’s story and the accounts of Hoggon. He's the spacer that eventually and wrongly killed him - but you probably know that story. Each account gave some information that, in isolation, told you nothing – but when you piece them together, it spelt out the location of the cave.”

“Now when I say it spells it out, it doesn’t mention a grid-reference. But Ulic was killed near where he sparred and trained with Vima and part of Vima’s training was to build an ice sculpture of her father and she references an ice-mountain. Which is therefore also where they trained. And Ulic mentions the cave is also next to where they trained. And is therefore near to where he was killed. So…by cross-referencing all of those points, find the ice mountain and you find the sculpture. Find the sculpture and you find the cave. Find the cave and…well you get the rest. So that's how I found it.”

“We should go exploring some time…”

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"That sounds like it was a fun adventure, and excellent deductive work," she said, smiling at her sister. "I think going on some sort of exploration with you would be amazing to do. I absolutely love going on adventures into some temple or ruin, just looking and observing what once was, but also in seeing if there were any artifacts that could be secured for study or my personal collection."

Taking another bite of cake, she continued syaing, "My adopted father taught me a lot about archaeology, as he always was off on some dig or other to better understand the era of history he studied, and he passed that stuff along to me. So, if you ever want to go, as we called it, 'dungeon diving' it would be an amazing adventure I think."

Giving her sister a smile and a squeeze of her hand, Taeli took another bit of cake and hummed to herself a little from how good it tasted.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was pleased her sister liked the cake. "It's amazing how we grew up separately yet share so many of the same interests. In so many ways the same yet intrinsically different."

"How is the One Sith structured? I mean I know all about history but little about the present. We have a GrandMaster and a Council and that's about it in terms of structure. We're largely a meritocracy. And of course we have no political voice, we simply carry out whatever tasks are assigned." Corvus sighed gently. Sooner or later this meal would come to an end and so would the day and there was the chance it would never be repeated - and that bothered her more than she dared put into words.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

"We have our Dark Lord, who no one is supposed to meet except for his Eye, Hands, and Voices," Taeli explained, ticking off each position on her fingers. "The Eye is essentially an extension of the Dark Lord's will, and is the one who helps with our grand strategy as I recall she's a master of farsight. The Hands are the Dark Lord's personal enforcers, in charge of overseeing various operations of vital importance, and then the five Voices. Each one is in charge of a 'galactic sector' and is charged with overseeing activity in that region of space, even if we don't control it."

Taking a sip of tea, she continued by saying, "Underneath the Voices, in a way I suppose, are the Lords and Ladies, which essentially equate to your Jedi Masters and we go about doing whatever fancies our desires, combat, research, ruling a planet or planets, etc. Then we have our Knights and Acolytes, but then we also have non-Force Users in the Sith within the military and politics. I think one of the Voices is even a non-Force User, so it is not impossible for someone not with the Force to rise through the ranks."

Even as she explained the basic structure of the Sith, she recognized they were getting dangerously close to finishing their meal and she felt a twinge of sadness that it would be ending soon. She didn't want it to, but they had other duties to attend to . . . she would have to make sure they had more of these luncheons and shopping trips, or even some adventures together. She wasn't going to let either of them be isolated from the other.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

As Corvus neared the end of her cake, she pushed the ryshcate around the plate. "Before you go, you should buy some and take it back with you. And buy a bottle of Corellian finest for Avreet!"

"I know I've said it already but I'll say it again. I thank you for being my sister and I thank you for what you've done for me. I suspect the two are linked but regardless - I can't thank you enough. And Melori too. I..." the tears welled up again and Corvus was lost for words.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"I'll do what I can for Melori," she replied softly, tears are also welling up in her eyes. She didn't want this to end, didn't want to say good-bye . . . maybe someday that would be different, but for now single days or adventures would have to do. "But, we have the bond and we have a secure way to contact one another in case we need to or just feel like talking. I'll take you up on your suggestion, he probably would like the gift."

Ordering a large cake to go, along with the oldest bottle of whiskey in the restaurant, she knew she was sort of showing off the wealth she had . . . but she didn't care about credits.

"Corvus, if you ever need me for anything . . . just call and I'll be there, regardless if I'm in the middle of coordinating a massive invasion or the make or break stage of an experiment."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled. "Let me know when you're coordinating a massive invasion and I'll be sure to interrupt you - indefinitely. Listen, I know this will be strange and awkward - but we'll make it work somehow. When things settle down, I'm sure there are places we can go together. Somewhere there are both Sith and Jedi references. Rhen Var before everyone trampled all over it would have been good."

Corvus paused. "I have something I need to ask you. But if I tell you, I know you'll keep it a secret and that might conflict you. So tell me up front, do you want to know? It's about a Sith holocron. Not its location or anything, it's one the One Sith know about."

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

"You can certainly try, I won't stop you there if its to just poke me and say hi," Taeli laughed. "I agree though, we have to do more things together, maybe even explore somewhere like Ruusan or Tython together because I know they have a rich history that spans both our orders. I think it would be a lot of fun to go sightseeing sometime."

"What holocron?" she asked as her sister brought it up, her curiosity erupting within her with a vengeance. She had been steadily working on tracking down a holocron of Darth Zannah's, but she was still missing the bloody cipher key and kept hitting dead ends on where to find it.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus took a deep breath. "I was on Prakith a short while ago. There was a spike of activity that seemed odd. Darth Andeddu's keep. Anyway, long story short - I met a Sith there - a woman, and maybe another but they may have been cloaked - but that's also irrelevant. What I'm trying to say rather unsuccessfully is that I copied something Darth Bane did. I entered the holocron there. Not in the way he did - not to extract knowledge - nothing that complex. I just wanted to scramble data and I think I was successful in targeting the one aspect - the secret of essence transfer. Except..."

"When I was on Kashyyk, I felt a presence that was me but was...I want to say informed by Sith knowledge. And every now and then, I get images in my head. And it happened before. When I think back to that event, information comes to my mind. I fear the secret is now in my head, somehow."

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"Hold on a second, you think you somehow accidentally imprinted the secret of essence transfer onto your mind?" Taeli asked, surprise racing across her features. She knew the technique already, thanks to her friend Alex who had learned it from the enigmatic Circe Savan, but the fact Corvus might know such a thing was . . . intriguing. Essence transfer was definitely in the realm of the dark side, but she doubted her sister would ever use it.

"When you say you felt a presence like yourself on Kashyyyk, what exactly did it feel like? What specifically do you remember about it or what knowledge might have been driving it?"

Now she started to wonder something else. Messing with a Sith holocron, especially one like Andeddu's could have unforeseen consequences that no one could predict. Could her sister have accidentally created a split in spirit that got catapulted into a different body, or had she forged a link with someone else that part of her spirit latched onto and absorbed into their own? It could be any number of theories.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus shrugged. “I’m speculating here of course. When I was on Kashyyk, one of the Sith Knights used Magic on me. Taint. By coincidence I was using Force Light at the time and simply turned it in on myself - drive the corruption away. But at that time I felt a voice in my head. Not someone else, it was me - but a part of me that held all the things I have learned about the Sith dear. It quoted Bane and encouraged me to embrace the Dark-side and destroy the Knight. My saber even cut out for a short while before the darkness was driven out.”

“I was never in any doubt the Light would prevail, don't get me wrong - but it’s like there’s a part of me, locked away that has in some way fed on the Dark-sided knowledge. That has been in contact with Andeddu’s gatekeeper and has retained the information I sought to destroy. And I don’t know how to get rid of it.”

She looked at Taeli. “Now we could put this down to a one-off, but what if it presents itself again. The same…persona.” She looked genuinely worried. “I need to somehow get it out, or be sure it won’t ever take control. And make sure nobody comes looking for that information.”

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

Taeli looked with concern as her sister explained, and then she started combing through her own knowledge of the Force for an answer in how to help her . . . except she couldn't think of one.

"I'm going to have do more research, Corvus," she said, squeezing her sister's hand. "Rest assured, we will be able to handle this situation, but what you say is interesting. I only have theories though, and absolutely no way to test them without . . . subjecting you to the same sort of thing that you were on Kashyyyk to see if it really was just a one-off thing or not. I would never do that to you though."

A small, very small, voice in her hand whispered this could potentially be an opening to turn Corvus eventually, but Taeli brushed it aside for now. She just wanted to help her new sister, but it was going to take time and a lot of research before she could figure out exactly how to deal with this one. If Corvus had been locking away all her emotions previously, this . . . persona could be extremely powerful and it would just need the right catalyst to set it loose.