As he walked down the hallway his handler never overly far from him the young Sith shook his head at the pure absurdity of the situation. Here he was walking the halls of the Ji'dai temple and it was just kriffing dumb. He had watched the kids over the short amount of time he had been here, at least the ones that he could see. There was no fear in their eyes, they were never looking over their shoulder making sure that the other students were not coming from their spot, they were weak. He imagined that if he had been armed and had not been behaving himself for the sake of his father and of Alex he could have killed a half dozen in the first day alone. That's how weak these kids looked, he might have only been twelve but he had killed before, just on the shuttle ride to CoK he nearly killed a boy his own age for mocking him and his father. That's all. These kids? Kriff they looked like they had never even been in combat, a chunk of them looked totally scar free, he wasn't sure though because had not been allowed to be completely alone with any of the other kids with Alex being the sole exception, but even then he felt like he was being watched. These Ji'dai feared him and that was a good thing, he silently wondered if they had heard of any of his exploits or perhaps that snot nosed little osik that he stabbed in the chest a few weeks ago. That would certainly strike fear into the kriffing Ji'dai, that might be the reason there. He could have been taken to the CoK infirmary and of course he would have kriffing kept his mouth shut, but it was obvious that one of his peers had done it to him, the rest of the SIth kids deffered to him on numerous occasions and a bystander could tell by the way he carried himself that he demanded a certain amount of respect. His handler walked up behind him and pointed him to a door, oh how he wanted to kill this kriffing idiot too, but it's not like Adrian could do a damn thing about it, he was unarmed.
He rolled his red eyes at the Ji'dai and stopped at the door and stared at it. The thought of him being unarmed was ever present in his mind, he might as well be standing there naked. This was so kriffing STUPID! Why had his father agreed to that stipulation?! They were in kriffing ENEMY TERRITORY. The Ji'dai had probably every intent of never letting them leave and if they did not have their lightsabers and assorted knives there was not a whole kriffing lot to say about it. He felt completely naked, but as that thought occurred to him, he thought to himself that he would rather be physically naked than be without his lightsaber, because at least then he could actually defend himself. Instead he was standing in front of this door with the Dudley Do Right Padawan kid with his feminine looking braid, kriff he wanted to kill him, but he reasoned that even if he was armed that it would take quite a bit of kriffing effort to outdo someone who was like seven years older than him.
"So this is the place Ji'dai?"
The teenage padawan nodded, not even a smile, nothing, no quip no words, just a nod, mister kriffing personality. What did he do wrong to get stuck with the babysitting duty anyway? Adrian wondered to himself. He snickered at the thought and wanted to mock the kid, but out of respect for Alex and only out of respect for Alex he kept his mouth shut. He stared at the door, what the hell did she want from him anyway? He raised his hand to knock on the door and sense of fear shot through him. What if she wanted revenge after all these years? He was powerless to defend himself if she chose to exercise her right to revenge. He really couldn't exactly blame her if she wanted revenge either, what he had done was abysmal and he knew it, but he was also just a kid and would definitely not do the same kriffing thing now. Could he steal the moron's lightsaber? No he could sense it in him, that kid was always on edge and always ready for anything that Adrian even thought of, pain in the ass Ji'dai.
Adrian took a deep breath and knocked on the door, she wouldn't kill him, Svo'k would never allow it, even if she did deserve her revenge.
"It's Adrian, I'm here for...well whatever you wanted me for."
No Tomorrow
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Kaytren Li
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2019 1:28 am
Re: No Tomorrow
“Thank you for your time, Corvan. Would you take an hour or so for yourself? We are fine here.”
Kaytren stood a moment longer with the Kiffar youth at the cusp of his knighthood. He was taller and broader than she was, and at the brink of voicing his concerns about the situation. The protective student Jedi had spent his full day in the company of the eldest Lynd son, but the soft-spoken Jedi woman was two decades older than either of them and had no intention of budging on this point. At the end of the glance between brown eyes and grey, the senior Padawan inclined his head and took his leave with a polite acknowledgement to the Master Healer.
(Thank you, Corvan.)
When it was only the two of them, Kaytren turned back toward the tense and coolly emotional young Darksider in her living room. Ashla. He looked so much like his father in that cell that day, but where the fourteen year old’s shoulders had been tense in grief and apathy, this boy two years younger was controlling himself in a wholly different way. Kaytren wished for a moment that they were on Naboo, but if they were than she didn’t expect they would have had this conversation at all.
The healer wore the simple cream and pale tan clothing she’d favored for years, long-sleeved as was common enough among Jedi, with the silver-white hilt of her lightsaber and her wedding ring as the only extras on her person. Her brown hair was pulled back into its four-stranded braid, and her feet bare because this was her home. There were still scars on her person, but those were old and time-faded. She was well. Finding Adrian's gaze, the mother woman and offered the Sith youth a faint smile.
“It’s been a few years, Adrian. Welcome; please sit down. We leave our shoes on the mat, but you may keep your boots if you are more comfortable. I am making some coffee for us… I heard you had some this morning and I prefer it. Unless you prefer tea?”
Kaytren stood a moment longer with the Kiffar youth at the cusp of his knighthood. He was taller and broader than she was, and at the brink of voicing his concerns about the situation. The protective student Jedi had spent his full day in the company of the eldest Lynd son, but the soft-spoken Jedi woman was two decades older than either of them and had no intention of budging on this point. At the end of the glance between brown eyes and grey, the senior Padawan inclined his head and took his leave with a polite acknowledgement to the Master Healer.
(Thank you, Corvan.)
When it was only the two of them, Kaytren turned back toward the tense and coolly emotional young Darksider in her living room. Ashla. He looked so much like his father in that cell that day, but where the fourteen year old’s shoulders had been tense in grief and apathy, this boy two years younger was controlling himself in a wholly different way. Kaytren wished for a moment that they were on Naboo, but if they were than she didn’t expect they would have had this conversation at all.
The healer wore the simple cream and pale tan clothing she’d favored for years, long-sleeved as was common enough among Jedi, with the silver-white hilt of her lightsaber and her wedding ring as the only extras on her person. Her brown hair was pulled back into its four-stranded braid, and her feet bare because this was her home. There were still scars on her person, but those were old and time-faded. She was well. Finding Adrian's gaze, the mother woman and offered the Sith youth a faint smile.
“It’s been a few years, Adrian. Welcome; please sit down. We leave our shoes on the mat, but you may keep your boots if you are more comfortable. I am making some coffee for us… I heard you had some this morning and I prefer it. Unless you prefer tea?”
I will not be made useless. I won't be idle with despair. I will gather myself around my faith, for it's Light the Darkness most fears.
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Adrian Lynd
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2020 9:46 am
Re: No Tomorrow
Adrian moved cautiously as he did not want to alert the Jedi healer and have her strike him down in cold blood if she were to misread his cues as an attack. Adrian leaned out the door as Corvan was dismissed and waved to his escort before shouting down the hall as the young man walked away.
"Bye Corvan, I'll be using the refresher when I'm done here, I know how you love to watch that....kind of creepy dude, half expected you to shake it for me last time....I am twelve you know."
His mocking smile faded and his red eyes met Kaytren as he turned back into to the room. She had mentioned something about the boots going on the mat. He looked down to where the mat was and nodded quietly, then he took a side step and avoided the mat all together and moved over to the couch. He plopped down, allowing his full body weight to hit the couch with no grace or respect for the furniture or the condition thereof. He then plopped his black boots up on the coffee table one at a time and slowly crossed his legs.
"Tea?! Are you serious? Do I look like that Corvan dude with a braid in my hair and a fondness for young Sith boys? Coffee, black."
He stretched out on the couch putting his arms against the back, he had definitely grown since the last time she had seen him, he was not nearly as tall as Svo'k, but he was clearly at the start of a growth spurt. His frame was filling out and his physical fitness regime had nearly kept his muscle growth up with the rest of the body, but he still was at the start of what would be a somewhat awkward couple of years in his life. Wait....she knew he had coffee this morning? Did Corvan? That little shit of a Jedi....always following him around, Adrian had been mocking him, but seriously it was getting to the point where it was downright creepy.
"Yeah a few years...but seriously the more concerning thing here is that Corvan follows me into the refresher. I'm not even joking, not the one in our guest quarters obviously, but you might want to look into that it's weird. What the kriff does he think I'm going to do? Strangle one of your Ji'dai in the refresher? I do have standards Kaytren....not that you care."
He glanced down and noticed her scars, he then shifted a bit uncomfortably in his seat.
"Bye Corvan, I'll be using the refresher when I'm done here, I know how you love to watch that....kind of creepy dude, half expected you to shake it for me last time....I am twelve you know."
His mocking smile faded and his red eyes met Kaytren as he turned back into to the room. She had mentioned something about the boots going on the mat. He looked down to where the mat was and nodded quietly, then he took a side step and avoided the mat all together and moved over to the couch. He plopped down, allowing his full body weight to hit the couch with no grace or respect for the furniture or the condition thereof. He then plopped his black boots up on the coffee table one at a time and slowly crossed his legs.
"Tea?! Are you serious? Do I look like that Corvan dude with a braid in my hair and a fondness for young Sith boys? Coffee, black."
He stretched out on the couch putting his arms against the back, he had definitely grown since the last time she had seen him, he was not nearly as tall as Svo'k, but he was clearly at the start of a growth spurt. His frame was filling out and his physical fitness regime had nearly kept his muscle growth up with the rest of the body, but he still was at the start of what would be a somewhat awkward couple of years in his life. Wait....she knew he had coffee this morning? Did Corvan? That little shit of a Jedi....always following him around, Adrian had been mocking him, but seriously it was getting to the point where it was downright creepy.
"Yeah a few years...but seriously the more concerning thing here is that Corvan follows me into the refresher. I'm not even joking, not the one in our guest quarters obviously, but you might want to look into that it's weird. What the kriff does he think I'm going to do? Strangle one of your Ji'dai in the refresher? I do have standards Kaytren....not that you care."
He glanced down and noticed her scars, he then shifted a bit uncomfortably in his seat.
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Kaytren Li
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2019 1:28 am
Re: No Tomorrow
Kaytren glanced toward the door into the corridor as if with a thoughtful expression, and then back to the almost-teenager who was pointedly committing passive rebellion against the living room furniture. The mother simply shrugged her shoulders a bit.
“Well. You’re growing well, you both maintain heavy training routines, and I’d expect you to be of similar heights within a few years. If you are fortunate in health and experiences… then I’d expect you to look like him over the next few years, I should think. Coffee it is..”
There’d been a habitual phrase of endearment she’d almost called him, but Kaytren felt the word before it touched her vocal cords and adjusted. This Sith boy wasn’t the one she’d sat with ten years ago.
She left Adrian for a few moments and returned with three mugs of perfectly steaming caf, the cups made from green earthenware with flecks of brown and gold. Two of the mugs contained the same ritually made Corellian caf, with a little cream and a sliver of tang bark cinnamon in each. The other was fresh and unaltered coffee. Kaytren set the tray down on the coffee table. Sitting down at one end of the sofa Adrian had chosen, she turned slightly towards him and nodded that he could take the black cup or the other one. She’d left the usual amount of space between them, though with Adrian’s showiness of lounging and outstretched arms, he did nearly have a hand touching her shoulder.
Kaytren picked her caf up and sipped it, then curved her fingers around her mug without thinking about it. She glanced at Adrian two or so times, but looked down at the coffee enough to give him a moment.
“The black one is yours, but I made you the other because you are a guest in my home... I have standards too, Adrian. I’m glad that you do, too.”
“Well. You’re growing well, you both maintain heavy training routines, and I’d expect you to be of similar heights within a few years. If you are fortunate in health and experiences… then I’d expect you to look like him over the next few years, I should think. Coffee it is..”
There’d been a habitual phrase of endearment she’d almost called him, but Kaytren felt the word before it touched her vocal cords and adjusted. This Sith boy wasn’t the one she’d sat with ten years ago.
She left Adrian for a few moments and returned with three mugs of perfectly steaming caf, the cups made from green earthenware with flecks of brown and gold. Two of the mugs contained the same ritually made Corellian caf, with a little cream and a sliver of tang bark cinnamon in each. The other was fresh and unaltered coffee. Kaytren set the tray down on the coffee table. Sitting down at one end of the sofa Adrian had chosen, she turned slightly towards him and nodded that he could take the black cup or the other one. She’d left the usual amount of space between them, though with Adrian’s showiness of lounging and outstretched arms, he did nearly have a hand touching her shoulder.
Kaytren picked her caf up and sipped it, then curved her fingers around her mug without thinking about it. She glanced at Adrian two or so times, but looked down at the coffee enough to give him a moment.
“The black one is yours, but I made you the other because you are a guest in my home... I have standards too, Adrian. I’m glad that you do, too.”
I will not be made useless. I won't be idle with despair. I will gather myself around my faith, for it's Light the Darkness most fears.
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Adrian Lynd
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2020 9:46 am
Re: No Tomorrow
He rolled his lips up and his eyes practically to the back of his head.
"Pfft. My training routine makes his look like arts and crafts. He's older, bigger and stronger, but you're right in a few years it will even out and then I'll surpass him...and slit his throat if he ever follows me again. Then I'll kneel down over him as his eyes widen, as darkness tugs at the corners of his vision, I'll cup my palms and let them fill with his blood, just before it all goes dark for him I'll show him my blood filled hands and he can watch as I dump the precious life sustaining liquid slowly, but casually on the floor. He'll try to fight back, but he'd be too weak then and blackness will fill his field of vision until he sees no more, then his health and fitness will no longer be anyone's concern."
He took the mug which looked as if it had been in fact made by Corvan in art class and slowly sipped at the black liquid. The hot beverage tantalized his senses, it was good, but he'd never admit that to her. He glanced at the other mug and noted how the coffee was dressed up as if it was something to be messed with, the perks of being a pacifist Ji'dai he thought to himself. He was not allowed to have any coffee other than black coffee at the academy, it was considered a luxury item and a young Sith need not become attached on something he may not always be able to attain. Simple was better, then when he was the ruler of the universe he could indulge in some of the finer things like frilly coffee. Nevertheless it smelled good and he was tempted to try it, undoubtedly a Ji'dai trick to distract him from who he was and what he should be doing with his life.
He thought for a moment about kicking it off the table but that would have been overtly rude and he did in fact have some level of a moral compass that told him that despite the fact that she was a Ji'dai, she was as far as he could tell being mostly cordial with him at the moment despite his passive rebellious attitude towards the entirety of the situation.
"Standards are good. Without them, we're just animals, but aren't we anyway? See the thing about animals is there is an alpha and a beta. I'm a Sith, so I'm an Alpha. Corvan out there is a Ji'dai, Guardian class I bet? See he likes to think he's the Alpha, but what he is, is different. He is just a highly skilled beta that likes to challenge the alpha. He rarely ever wins though.'"
He cracked his neck and scooted closer to his end of the couch and as far away from her as he could. His red eyes scanned her for a reaction, was he too blatant? Did he let too much of his true self show? Did she have any idea how dangerous he actually was? He sipped the coffee again, second guessing some of the things he had said and whether or not this was the right setting to express them to her, but he didn't care at the end of the day. Nothing was going to happen to him, he never admitted he'd ever done something like that before. What else was there to say? He felt like he was being baited...
"Your home is comfortable..."
"Pfft. My training routine makes his look like arts and crafts. He's older, bigger and stronger, but you're right in a few years it will even out and then I'll surpass him...and slit his throat if he ever follows me again. Then I'll kneel down over him as his eyes widen, as darkness tugs at the corners of his vision, I'll cup my palms and let them fill with his blood, just before it all goes dark for him I'll show him my blood filled hands and he can watch as I dump the precious life sustaining liquid slowly, but casually on the floor. He'll try to fight back, but he'd be too weak then and blackness will fill his field of vision until he sees no more, then his health and fitness will no longer be anyone's concern."
He took the mug which looked as if it had been in fact made by Corvan in art class and slowly sipped at the black liquid. The hot beverage tantalized his senses, it was good, but he'd never admit that to her. He glanced at the other mug and noted how the coffee was dressed up as if it was something to be messed with, the perks of being a pacifist Ji'dai he thought to himself. He was not allowed to have any coffee other than black coffee at the academy, it was considered a luxury item and a young Sith need not become attached on something he may not always be able to attain. Simple was better, then when he was the ruler of the universe he could indulge in some of the finer things like frilly coffee. Nevertheless it smelled good and he was tempted to try it, undoubtedly a Ji'dai trick to distract him from who he was and what he should be doing with his life.
He thought for a moment about kicking it off the table but that would have been overtly rude and he did in fact have some level of a moral compass that told him that despite the fact that she was a Ji'dai, she was as far as he could tell being mostly cordial with him at the moment despite his passive rebellious attitude towards the entirety of the situation.
"Standards are good. Without them, we're just animals, but aren't we anyway? See the thing about animals is there is an alpha and a beta. I'm a Sith, so I'm an Alpha. Corvan out there is a Ji'dai, Guardian class I bet? See he likes to think he's the Alpha, but what he is, is different. He is just a highly skilled beta that likes to challenge the alpha. He rarely ever wins though.'"
He cracked his neck and scooted closer to his end of the couch and as far away from her as he could. His red eyes scanned her for a reaction, was he too blatant? Did he let too much of his true self show? Did she have any idea how dangerous he actually was? He sipped the coffee again, second guessing some of the things he had said and whether or not this was the right setting to express them to her, but he didn't care at the end of the day. Nothing was going to happen to him, he never admitted he'd ever done something like that before. What else was there to say? He felt like he was being baited...
"Your home is comfortable..."
Last edited by Adrian Lynd on Sat Oct 16, 2021 10:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Kaytren Li
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2019 1:28 am
Re: No Tomorrow
Force... These children were even younger! She had too much fever for this and no sleep! She'd been... introduced to two of the girls.. it must have been days ago; but there were others clustered into the cell now. She recognized the smallest blue-eyed one; he was... was... Please, Ashla. Her throat felt too ragged to move air into her lungs, nevermind breathing in a pattern. She felt more humiliated than anything else while the man gave some kind of nauseating lecture that she couldn't focus enough to make sense of and the young ones clustered—to... She refused to lash out at them. She could manage that much.. but there was nothing—nothing?—she could think of to make th... Some sleek voice spoke from door with a casual suggestion. She choked on a sob, then choked and sobbed again from the choking. Her limbs shook harder. “..be careful with tha… not hurt yourssssselssstop!...stop it..shh...but it's alrigh...stop..shhhh.” ......please......
Kaytren watched Adrian’s hands and movements as much as his face. She didn’t force eye contact, but her brown eyes burned with a quietly calm emotion when the boy’s Sith red stare met hers. When he slid away from her to the other end of the sofa, she turned in her seat so that her back was fully against the arm rest and they could face each other easily, just out of reach. The healer tucked her feet up beside her from habit, letting the edge of her tunic fall mostly over them. She took a slow sip from her caf.
“You are only a few years from grown; and they have shaped you so effectively, Adrian. Better than I think most of them know. Standards are important... I agree with you on that. I fight so hard to live by them. I will walk with you back to your father's guest room now if you ask. I didn't bring you here, but you are here now. I asked to see you because there are no prying ears in this room. It's an opportunity we may never have again.”
Kaytren watched Adrian’s hands and movements as much as his face. She didn’t force eye contact, but her brown eyes burned with a quietly calm emotion when the boy’s Sith red stare met hers. When he slid away from her to the other end of the sofa, she turned in her seat so that her back was fully against the arm rest and they could face each other easily, just out of reach. The healer tucked her feet up beside her from habit, letting the edge of her tunic fall mostly over them. She took a slow sip from her caf.
“You are only a few years from grown; and they have shaped you so effectively, Adrian. Better than I think most of them know. Standards are important... I agree with you on that. I fight so hard to live by them. I will walk with you back to your father's guest room now if you ask. I didn't bring you here, but you are here now. I asked to see you because there are no prying ears in this room. It's an opportunity we may never have again.”
I will not be made useless. I won't be idle with despair. I will gather myself around my faith, for it's Light the Darkness most fears.
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Adrian Lynd
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2020 9:46 am
Re: No Tomorrow
"They shaped me? Who? The parade of weaklings and cowards that have walked in and out of my life over the years?"
He took another sip of his coffee and breathed out. His fingers tapped on the mug awkwardly and he brought his black boots off the coffee table and turned more in his seat to face her. She had seen him scoot away and she had taken it as weakness, silly Ji'dai. He just did not much enjoy being in her presence but if she felt she could intimidate him, she was dead wrong, he scooted slightly closer to her and let his right side rest against the back of the couch.
"They're pathetic, all of them, half of them don't even know what being a Sith is."
He paused for a moment and set the mug down on the table, his red eyes meeting her brown ones again, his face stoic as his brow narrowed slightly.
"So you brought me in here for what exactly? To remind me I'll be grown soon? Is this the birds and the bees talk? I am confused. You stick me with that goody two shoes of a Ji'dai, for Force Knows what reason. I mean I get it, I'm a Sith, I did just threaten to slit his kriffing throat, but I am also a kriffing guest here...and as much as I'd like to display my power to a few of the people who have given me side eyed glances, you and I both know damn well I'm not going to do it with or without Corvan because I do not want to get Alex in trouble or my father in trouble. As much as I hate Ji'dai, I love my brother and I don't want to kriff up my ability to see him."
Carefully he placed both of his arms on his lap in front of him and leaned in ever so slightly closer, knowing full well she was a fully trained Jedi, he was still cautious, but she hadn't poisoned the coffee and that would have been the easiest way to kill him.
"You'll. Take. Me. Back? What prying ears are you worried about or do you think I am worried about? What do you want me to say or do?"
His red eyes fixated on her searching for weakness, he lowered his head over so slightly but his eyes didn't move.
"You're afraid of me aren't you Kaytren?"
He took another sip of his coffee and breathed out. His fingers tapped on the mug awkwardly and he brought his black boots off the coffee table and turned more in his seat to face her. She had seen him scoot away and she had taken it as weakness, silly Ji'dai. He just did not much enjoy being in her presence but if she felt she could intimidate him, she was dead wrong, he scooted slightly closer to her and let his right side rest against the back of the couch.
"They're pathetic, all of them, half of them don't even know what being a Sith is."
He paused for a moment and set the mug down on the table, his red eyes meeting her brown ones again, his face stoic as his brow narrowed slightly.
"So you brought me in here for what exactly? To remind me I'll be grown soon? Is this the birds and the bees talk? I am confused. You stick me with that goody two shoes of a Ji'dai, for Force Knows what reason. I mean I get it, I'm a Sith, I did just threaten to slit his kriffing throat, but I am also a kriffing guest here...and as much as I'd like to display my power to a few of the people who have given me side eyed glances, you and I both know damn well I'm not going to do it with or without Corvan because I do not want to get Alex in trouble or my father in trouble. As much as I hate Ji'dai, I love my brother and I don't want to kriff up my ability to see him."
Carefully he placed both of his arms on his lap in front of him and leaned in ever so slightly closer, knowing full well she was a fully trained Jedi, he was still cautious, but she hadn't poisoned the coffee and that would have been the easiest way to kill him.
"You'll. Take. Me. Back? What prying ears are you worried about or do you think I am worried about? What do you want me to say or do?"
His red eyes fixated on her searching for weakness, he lowered his head over so slightly but his eyes didn't move.
"You're afraid of me aren't you Kaytren?"
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Kaytren Li
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2019 1:28 am
Re: No Tomorrow
Kaytren watched the coldly staring youth who was fighting so hard. In other times and places, she might have restrained her expression to a wry smile. But she didn’t. Breathing out, she set her cup on the table and smoothed a lock of hair behind her left ear. Her faint smile became a chuckle, then a quiet moment of laughter so helplessly sincere that she felt her vision tear up.
“‘Of you?’ Oh my… Adrian. Maybe I am in the sense it's healthy to have a respect for any fierce and dangerous thing, but... no. We've been where we have, we are who we are. But I look at you from the tiny child you've been, to the very real Sith you've grown into. And I feel so much fear for you. Whether you like it or not, regardless of whether you see it as weak or foolishness or offensive, I want you to understand that. Because, yes, Adrian.”
She brushed the mist from her eyes and looked back at the lounging boy, shaking her head.
“This conversation is your reminder that you are nearly grown. Whether you respected those masters or you despised them, you’ve been raised severely, and to be strong. Maybe you really don't care who from Mustafar or wherever you spend your time now might have watched us with this conversation on Naboo? But I wouldn’t blame you if you did. It’s been crystal clear from the beginning how intensely you love your family; Alex and your father most of all. Fierce protectiveness like that… I'm not playing guessing games. Your family has been a gaping crack in your reputation and I don't like to think about how it affected you. Yes, the Sith shaped you. They started even earlier with hardening you; we know that. And it worked. Whatever you've done, you fought and thrived. I can't think how this will help yet, but I want you to see me and understand that I do not hate you; even if you think that's weak of me, or underestimating you, or whatever resentful thing comes into your mind. Alex will be a Padawan by next quarter. The older you become and the older they do, this will get harder and harder to balance. The kind of Sith you are and that tense, sharp, anger you have — it's going to kill you. If forcing communication between us gives us any chance to keep that from happening someday... I'm starting now.”
The Jedi woman shifted her shoulders in a small shrug, setting her hands empty in her lap.
“I wish I had fought for it earlier, but here we are.”
“‘Of you?’ Oh my… Adrian. Maybe I am in the sense it's healthy to have a respect for any fierce and dangerous thing, but... no. We've been where we have, we are who we are. But I look at you from the tiny child you've been, to the very real Sith you've grown into. And I feel so much fear for you. Whether you like it or not, regardless of whether you see it as weak or foolishness or offensive, I want you to understand that. Because, yes, Adrian.”
She brushed the mist from her eyes and looked back at the lounging boy, shaking her head.
“This conversation is your reminder that you are nearly grown. Whether you respected those masters or you despised them, you’ve been raised severely, and to be strong. Maybe you really don't care who from Mustafar or wherever you spend your time now might have watched us with this conversation on Naboo? But I wouldn’t blame you if you did. It’s been crystal clear from the beginning how intensely you love your family; Alex and your father most of all. Fierce protectiveness like that… I'm not playing guessing games. Your family has been a gaping crack in your reputation and I don't like to think about how it affected you. Yes, the Sith shaped you. They started even earlier with hardening you; we know that. And it worked. Whatever you've done, you fought and thrived. I can't think how this will help yet, but I want you to see me and understand that I do not hate you; even if you think that's weak of me, or underestimating you, or whatever resentful thing comes into your mind. Alex will be a Padawan by next quarter. The older you become and the older they do, this will get harder and harder to balance. The kind of Sith you are and that tense, sharp, anger you have — it's going to kill you. If forcing communication between us gives us any chance to keep that from happening someday... I'm starting now.”
The Jedi woman shifted her shoulders in a small shrug, setting her hands empty in her lap.
“I wish I had fought for it earlier, but here we are.”
I will not be made useless. I won't be idle with despair. I will gather myself around my faith, for it's Light the Darkness most fears.
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Adrian Lynd
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2020 9:46 am
Re: No Tomorrow
As Kaytren spoke, Adrian sat there quietly listening to every word she said and studying her body language as well, a trick he had learned long ago, maybe long before most others his age. She had so many things today and it was clear that she thought they were valid, but what was also clear to him is that she had no idea who he was and how capable he already was, or then again maybe she did? Had he been anywhere else and had he been armed he'd be readying to strike, quickly and viciously. A knife hidden up his sleeve, shooting into his hand and in a quick instant it would be in her throat without her even knowing what had happened. She had no idea who she was dealing with nor how quick he was. He'd taken down students twice his size when he was younger and even recently he'd taken down students several years his senior. He had no doubt he could take out a Jedi Knight or Master in quick first strike situation. This was not that situation however, because she knew he was a Sith, and she knew he hated her and would most certainly like to kill her. There was no element of surprise and any quick move would be suicide.
He moved his right hand and rubbed his upper lip, briefly. It itched, it had been doing that a lot more lately and he had noticed that some of the fine thin hairs that he had on his upper lip had started to darken in recent months. She was right, he was not far from being grown, he knew that, he had the health classes. He understood what his body was doing and how much he would grow in the coming years. There was even a class at the Mustafar academy about teaching young male and female Sith to cope with the hormonal changes and still make sound intelligent decisions despite what their raging hormones were telling them to do. It was an entire combat technique about ignoring your rage instinct while still using your hate and anger, it was fine balance for a growing Sith, but he was not about to tell her any of that.
She feared for him? Either that was a lie, or she was severely misguided. Or perhaps it had something to do with her caring for Svo'k and by virture not truly wanting anything to happen to him because of the pain it would cause Svo'k. He wanted to shake his head but he remained mostly still.
"My family has been a gaping gap in my reputation and you fear for me?"
He brought his hands together and cracked his knuckles a couple at a time for several seconds. He sighed and then cracked his kneck by rolling his head around to one side.
"Since you are Ji'dai, I am going to take the high road and assume you are not calling me weak because of my family and I am going to choose to believe that the reason you fear for me is because of Svo'k and a care for him, which I can understand."
He hesitated just for a moment as if he was debating telling her the next bit of his story.
"This gets harder as Alex becomes a Padawan? He's smart enough not to fight me, even if he did, I'd maim him and let him live. So on that subject, since you brought my family up. I have a story to tell you. Other Sith have often accused me of being weak because I love my family and because of who my father is. One somewhat recently was seventeen, he hazed me and picked on me like the older students do, to make you tough, to make you strong. I get that and I take it from most so that I can become stronger, he kept picking at Svo'k and Alex however, insulting me time and time again, calling me weak, a sad excuse for a Sith. One day, he was training alone with me on this small bridge over the lava flows on, you guessed it Mustafar. See the thing is, I knew which side he'd be on and which side I'd be on so I rigged the shielding on his side to fail and after hours of soaking in heat, it was weak, so after minutes of intense dueling it collapsed, when he did a backflip, probably to show of his skills...idiot. He grabbed onto the ledge, his yellow eyes staring up into my red ones looking for mercy, looking for me to help him as the remaining structure creaked. I grabbed the rail with my left hand and reached out with my right one like I was going to pull him up. When reached for my hand my sharpest knife cut off three off his fingers, in shock, he out of instinct I guess tried to reach for it to cradle his wound...he then fell to his death.
Then there was Alaric, who on the transport flight from Mustafar to Naboo before I left for here, insulted myself and my Father in front of a bunch of other students. He got a knife in his chest, the blood had bubbles in it.
I do have a reputation Kaytren, but it's because of my family that the other Sith students fear me. They know never to to cross me, not many who have are still breathing...in fact I'm not even sure if Alaric is. I got off the transport and onto the one headed here before I could find out, I did call a medical droid though..."
He brushed a hand through his hair.
"So, how is it going to kill me? Who is going to kill me? No one in my own order. You?"
He moved his right hand and rubbed his upper lip, briefly. It itched, it had been doing that a lot more lately and he had noticed that some of the fine thin hairs that he had on his upper lip had started to darken in recent months. She was right, he was not far from being grown, he knew that, he had the health classes. He understood what his body was doing and how much he would grow in the coming years. There was even a class at the Mustafar academy about teaching young male and female Sith to cope with the hormonal changes and still make sound intelligent decisions despite what their raging hormones were telling them to do. It was an entire combat technique about ignoring your rage instinct while still using your hate and anger, it was fine balance for a growing Sith, but he was not about to tell her any of that.
She feared for him? Either that was a lie, or she was severely misguided. Or perhaps it had something to do with her caring for Svo'k and by virture not truly wanting anything to happen to him because of the pain it would cause Svo'k. He wanted to shake his head but he remained mostly still.
"My family has been a gaping gap in my reputation and you fear for me?"
He brought his hands together and cracked his knuckles a couple at a time for several seconds. He sighed and then cracked his kneck by rolling his head around to one side.
"Since you are Ji'dai, I am going to take the high road and assume you are not calling me weak because of my family and I am going to choose to believe that the reason you fear for me is because of Svo'k and a care for him, which I can understand."
He hesitated just for a moment as if he was debating telling her the next bit of his story.
"This gets harder as Alex becomes a Padawan? He's smart enough not to fight me, even if he did, I'd maim him and let him live. So on that subject, since you brought my family up. I have a story to tell you. Other Sith have often accused me of being weak because I love my family and because of who my father is. One somewhat recently was seventeen, he hazed me and picked on me like the older students do, to make you tough, to make you strong. I get that and I take it from most so that I can become stronger, he kept picking at Svo'k and Alex however, insulting me time and time again, calling me weak, a sad excuse for a Sith. One day, he was training alone with me on this small bridge over the lava flows on, you guessed it Mustafar. See the thing is, I knew which side he'd be on and which side I'd be on so I rigged the shielding on his side to fail and after hours of soaking in heat, it was weak, so after minutes of intense dueling it collapsed, when he did a backflip, probably to show of his skills...idiot. He grabbed onto the ledge, his yellow eyes staring up into my red ones looking for mercy, looking for me to help him as the remaining structure creaked. I grabbed the rail with my left hand and reached out with my right one like I was going to pull him up. When reached for my hand my sharpest knife cut off three off his fingers, in shock, he out of instinct I guess tried to reach for it to cradle his wound...he then fell to his death.
Then there was Alaric, who on the transport flight from Mustafar to Naboo before I left for here, insulted myself and my Father in front of a bunch of other students. He got a knife in his chest, the blood had bubbles in it.
I do have a reputation Kaytren, but it's because of my family that the other Sith students fear me. They know never to to cross me, not many who have are still breathing...in fact I'm not even sure if Alaric is. I got off the transport and onto the one headed here before I could find out, I did call a medical droid though..."
He brushed a hand through his hair.
"So, how is it going to kill me? Who is going to kill me? No one in my own order. You?"
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Kaytren Li
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2019 1:28 am
Re: No Tomorrow
Kaytren Alia watched the Sith boy with a quiet expression, her brown eyes meeting his red with a calm sense of firelight that didn’t flicker in emotion or sincerity throughout any details of Adrian’s stories, or the few shifting movements he made. She felt reminded with a small pang of the countless similar stares and glares she’d earned from his father over the first years; but that was more a trick from memories and visual similarity than anything else. This boy had very little in common with the first one. The fingers of her right hand curled a little. She gently wrapped her left hand around the other and eased the ache in a familiar movement; not censoring what he saw of her. Adrian could form his own impressions. Kaytren’s mind and demeanor were calm.
“Do you really think I know nothing about your reputation? About those particular stories; of course not. But yes, Adrian. I see you. You were raised evilly. That’s a cold fact as far as I’m concerned, but we could debate it until one of us is dead and it would make no difference yet — so let’s not waste time on it. You do love your family. I know. And, loving family with strength and respect is already a hard enough endeavor for Jedi—we don’t attach any shame to it; quite the opposite, but there is nothing easy about strengthening the ones you cherish and hold most dear to be protect and fight, or to be ready for either one of you to die at any time. We just do it anyway. For Sith—you’re the Sith one; every group of you has your own hard thoughts on the matter, but I know it’s less common. They tried to strip that away away early, and from the beginning you walked straight through it and fought for it like that vicious animal you spoke of. As far as that goes, you beat them.
But what comes next? I don't think you really stay out of your brother's way. You become older, you move further from the shadows, and sooner or later you start in earnest to do harm or make choices that your Jedi family can’t keep looking the other way from. Even just Alex — he cares much too deeply for that. Maybe you do maim him. Would he do the same for you? I think he would try. But eventually, you two reach a breaking point. Before or after that, you eventually reach a breaking point with the whole order. I’m not telling you what to do. Were you expecting me to tell you I’d kill you? Yes, I would—unless the Force takes my sacrifice and I die instead that day; but please don't make the mistake of underestimating someone you don't see as a warrior, Adrian. We're Jedi. But I do not want to find out! And I am not threatening you. I’m asking you to think what your priorities are and if whatever your choices are giving you is worth it. Nobody is saying that you need to be Jedi, but I’m telling you that you’re not alienated from us. What else would you like?”
“Do you really think I know nothing about your reputation? About those particular stories; of course not. But yes, Adrian. I see you. You were raised evilly. That’s a cold fact as far as I’m concerned, but we could debate it until one of us is dead and it would make no difference yet — so let’s not waste time on it. You do love your family. I know. And, loving family with strength and respect is already a hard enough endeavor for Jedi—we don’t attach any shame to it; quite the opposite, but there is nothing easy about strengthening the ones you cherish and hold most dear to be protect and fight, or to be ready for either one of you to die at any time. We just do it anyway. For Sith—you’re the Sith one; every group of you has your own hard thoughts on the matter, but I know it’s less common. They tried to strip that away away early, and from the beginning you walked straight through it and fought for it like that vicious animal you spoke of. As far as that goes, you beat them.
But what comes next? I don't think you really stay out of your brother's way. You become older, you move further from the shadows, and sooner or later you start in earnest to do harm or make choices that your Jedi family can’t keep looking the other way from. Even just Alex — he cares much too deeply for that. Maybe you do maim him. Would he do the same for you? I think he would try. But eventually, you two reach a breaking point. Before or after that, you eventually reach a breaking point with the whole order. I’m not telling you what to do. Were you expecting me to tell you I’d kill you? Yes, I would—unless the Force takes my sacrifice and I die instead that day; but please don't make the mistake of underestimating someone you don't see as a warrior, Adrian. We're Jedi. But I do not want to find out! And I am not threatening you. I’m asking you to think what your priorities are and if whatever your choices are giving you is worth it. Nobody is saying that you need to be Jedi, but I’m telling you that you’re not alienated from us. What else would you like?”
I will not be made useless. I won't be idle with despair. I will gather myself around my faith, for it's Light the Darkness most fears.
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Adrian Lynd
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2020 9:46 am
Re: No Tomorrow
"Yeah lets not kriffing argue about evil, I mean for kriff's sake....you've got balls Ji'dai, to call someone evil with the osik your order has done."
Adrian rolled his eyes, his anger swelling. He glanced around the apartment, it might just be worth it to stab her in the throat even if it did cost him his life. He stopped for a moment and calmed himself down just a little bit, she clearly had no respect for the dark side or him for that matter instead she was lecturing him and talking down to him as if he was some lesser life form to be squashed. He breathed out through his nose and sighed quietly.
"I mean what the hell Kaytren?
Adrian sat upright his red eyes glowed for a moment as he prepared to speak.
"Sau svaja kad zo berniuk iv zo sethi."
As the ancient language of the Sith was spoken aloud, a certain feeling filled the room, the sound of the language was so harsh and sinister sounding that it often times would send a chill down the most hardened life forms. Adrian had made it a goal early on in his life to learn this language, in part because it was part of his heritage and culture, but also because just speaking it tended to inspire fear or discomfort, even in Ji'dai.
"You say what you say, if you've truly brainwashed Alex enough to the point where he'd find and kill me then how is that my fault Kaytren? You people have persecuted us for thousands and thousands of years. You always act like you have some sort of moral high ground, peace loving, caring what the kriff ever. Peace is a Lie Kaytren. That is a kriffing fact! There is only passion and chaos. Just look at the animal kingdoms throughout the damn galaxy, they have thrived without your fake notion of peace long before either of our two orders existed. Sith are just reflections of the natural order of the galaxy, the strong survive and the weak submit to them. It is the natural way of things."
His eyes glanced down to her wrist which she had rubbed moments ago.
"Strength does not mean cruelty for no reason. You did not kriffing deserve what they did to you Kaytren, I am........sorry for my part in it, if it'd been me I'd have killed you instead of those stupid ass mind games and pointless torture for weeks on end. Those shits that did that to you and made...me do stuff to you are not true Sith. They are posers....weaklings to be killed for their stupidity if nothing else."
Adrian rolled his eyes, his anger swelling. He glanced around the apartment, it might just be worth it to stab her in the throat even if it did cost him his life. He stopped for a moment and calmed himself down just a little bit, she clearly had no respect for the dark side or him for that matter instead she was lecturing him and talking down to him as if he was some lesser life form to be squashed. He breathed out through his nose and sighed quietly.
"I mean what the hell Kaytren?
Adrian sat upright his red eyes glowed for a moment as he prepared to speak.
"Sau svaja kad zo berniuk iv zo sethi."
As the ancient language of the Sith was spoken aloud, a certain feeling filled the room, the sound of the language was so harsh and sinister sounding that it often times would send a chill down the most hardened life forms. Adrian had made it a goal early on in his life to learn this language, in part because it was part of his heritage and culture, but also because just speaking it tended to inspire fear or discomfort, even in Ji'dai.
"You say what you say, if you've truly brainwashed Alex enough to the point where he'd find and kill me then how is that my fault Kaytren? You people have persecuted us for thousands and thousands of years. You always act like you have some sort of moral high ground, peace loving, caring what the kriff ever. Peace is a Lie Kaytren. That is a kriffing fact! There is only passion and chaos. Just look at the animal kingdoms throughout the damn galaxy, they have thrived without your fake notion of peace long before either of our two orders existed. Sith are just reflections of the natural order of the galaxy, the strong survive and the weak submit to them. It is the natural way of things."
His eyes glanced down to her wrist which she had rubbed moments ago.
"Strength does not mean cruelty for no reason. You did not kriffing deserve what they did to you Kaytren, I am........sorry for my part in it, if it'd been me I'd have killed you instead of those stupid ass mind games and pointless torture for weeks on end. Those shits that did that to you and made...me do stuff to you are not true Sith. They are posers....weaklings to be killed for their stupidity if nothing else."
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Kaytren Li
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2019 1:28 am
Re: No Tomorrow
There was nothing comfortable about watching a tense and furious twelve year old force enough breathing strategies and self-control on himself to sit like that while he clawed blackness and power into his body. Kayten gave him her attention and listened anyway. The language and the energy around it made her skin crawl while the pricks of a headache pressed needle after tiny, dull, needle into her cortex. She sipped her coffee. It was what it was.
The Healer sat across from the boy on the sofa in her living space, bare feet tucked up, and the firelight in her eyes calmly sincere. She habitually pressed her wrist against her cup, letting warmth from the mug seep into her.
He was so convinced, and so angry. Nothing should have surprised her there. Almost nothing did; except for that apology.
You did not kriffing deserve what they did to you Kaytren.
A bit of pride made her almost want to tell him that, somehow, he still didn’t seem to understand his own history. No one deserved to be forced through those sorts of hell... but had this boy really grown past the halfway point to adulthood underestimating her that much? Whatever this sect of academies and alliances of Sith had done to shrink her reputation from their next generation, they’d done some of her work for her if the younger ones didn’t even realize.
I am.... sorry for my part in it. If it'd been me I'd have killed you instead.
Apologizing for any of it wasn't the slightest necessary in her mind. He'd been a small child doing as he was told in a place with no forgiveness for hesitation. Even then, it had been a few bad hours of a day… or two? Unless there was more she couldn't remember, but none of that mattered. She'd been wounded and fastened to the wall for endless days except when it suited them otherwise. There was nothing palatable about it. The abuse those nights were the grown Sith smugly using her as a tool to teach children... whatever evil little things any of the young ones had actually done to her weren't the point. Adrian was fierce about keeping ownership of himself, though. Telling him that it wasn’t his fault again would be the opposite of beneficial, so she held back the thought.
“I appreciate that.” She said after a moment, with no irony at all in her tone.
Eventually she set the cup back on the coffee table.
“There's not much point asking you not to hate me, so let’s talk about your brother again. Look at the natural orders of the creatures who carry and raise their young protected for longer. By the time they’re adults, they're just as strong as your vicious ones.
Raised Sith, Alex is dead. If some cruelty or miracle meant he wasn’t, he still never gets strong. He's a burden you’d resent the rest of your life. I know you know that. Although... we disagree with each other so often. Are we on the same page right now?”
The Healer sat across from the boy on the sofa in her living space, bare feet tucked up, and the firelight in her eyes calmly sincere. She habitually pressed her wrist against her cup, letting warmth from the mug seep into her.
He was so convinced, and so angry. Nothing should have surprised her there. Almost nothing did; except for that apology.
You did not kriffing deserve what they did to you Kaytren.
A bit of pride made her almost want to tell him that, somehow, he still didn’t seem to understand his own history. No one deserved to be forced through those sorts of hell... but had this boy really grown past the halfway point to adulthood underestimating her that much? Whatever this sect of academies and alliances of Sith had done to shrink her reputation from their next generation, they’d done some of her work for her if the younger ones didn’t even realize.
I am.... sorry for my part in it. If it'd been me I'd have killed you instead.
Apologizing for any of it wasn't the slightest necessary in her mind. He'd been a small child doing as he was told in a place with no forgiveness for hesitation. Even then, it had been a few bad hours of a day… or two? Unless there was more she couldn't remember, but none of that mattered. She'd been wounded and fastened to the wall for endless days except when it suited them otherwise. There was nothing palatable about it. The abuse those nights were the grown Sith smugly using her as a tool to teach children... whatever evil little things any of the young ones had actually done to her weren't the point. Adrian was fierce about keeping ownership of himself, though. Telling him that it wasn’t his fault again would be the opposite of beneficial, so she held back the thought.
“I appreciate that.” She said after a moment, with no irony at all in her tone.
Eventually she set the cup back on the coffee table.
“There's not much point asking you not to hate me, so let’s talk about your brother again. Look at the natural orders of the creatures who carry and raise their young protected for longer. By the time they’re adults, they're just as strong as your vicious ones.
Raised Sith, Alex is dead. If some cruelty or miracle meant he wasn’t, he still never gets strong. He's a burden you’d resent the rest of your life. I know you know that. Although... we disagree with each other so often. Are we on the same page right now?”
I will not be made useless. I won't be idle with despair. I will gather myself around my faith, for it's Light the Darkness most fears.