Hidden in Plain Sight

[Aila Roas]

Theme​

Through the echo of the underground halls, Aila could hear the drops of water falling from the roof to the ground, pinging into pools and splashing the stone.

As the unlikely pair made their way down, the place had felt more malicious, as if it had not been merely a locus for the light side during its history. Walls felt tighter, stones dropped away beneath their feet, and the occasional presence of creatures shuffling beyond their vision could be felt throughout.

Even if he was a Sith, Aila appreciated the presence of someone else along, even if it didn't totally ease her mind through all of this,

"Callum, it's... it's been a long time since... I assume you grew up in the Empire, what makes you stay there?" she broke the silence of the journey. There was something about him, more than just the strange circumstances that they were experiencing, that made her want to reach out. The strange cooperation, maybe there was more to him,

"I was part of it too once, for too long. But I couldn't live in it any longer" she admitted to him, her story was one of realisation, part of her wanted to know if he could go through the same thing.

It wouldn't be long till they came to their first test.

A gaping maw in the centre of a great room, where the path had fallen away completely. Neither would be able to get across alone,

"Well, would you look at that"

@Pontus

 

[Callum Attar]

A question the mild-mannered Sith had been asked more than once made a rather surprising appearance. It did seem like the woman was truly green. Then again, to take up the mantle of an ancient, defunct order (the Jedi), he supposed nothing less than a strong, romanticised sense of idealism would do. It was a little charming, if he was to be honest. A notion of adventure, fighting for all things true and good, who wouldn't want that? There was a reason the Jedi held as long as they had, even with the mountain of unreasonable demands it made on their members. It was built out of hope, and a yearning for peace so pure it felt almost child-like. It was hard for even the coldest hearts not to thaw before it, and this Sith was no exception.

Alas, there was more to life than dreaming. Still, with the usual polite, almost tender smile and respectful tone, the man was yanked out of his thoughts and answered. "The Empire has stood for centuries, and its hold over the Galaxy has been largely uncontested. You could write an encyclopaedia with every horrible thing it's wrought from the dawn of its creation until now, but you could also do the very same thing for the good things it's brought us. War has now greatly lessened due to its powerful military presence, and countless families have been clothed, fed and had their lives brightened as a result of its existence." - he spoke, surprised at how much he had to say for the matter - "Now, that isn't to say that the good they do erases the bad. But if you think about it, everyone you've ever known has spent the entirety of their lives under an Imperial-tinted sky, in one way or another. Our very definitions of right and wrong hinge on what it has taught us. Even the notion of the Jedi themselves. Their stories remain in no small part because the Sith have chosen to keep them alive all these years."

A pause, as the man realised he'd droned on too long. "Apologies. I seem to have gotten a little... overly excited.."

"The simple version of it all is, the Empire has been good to me, and to the people I care for. And I've never been a believer in Utopias. Any Organisation that exists long enough will see bad apples rise, along with corruption and greed. Oddly enough, I believe the Sith's embracing of their hedonistic ways leave them primed to defend against these very tribulations."

"Though, I'm not quite sure any of that will be of any help to you, so I'll have to apologise once again if I bored you with that." - cordial as ever, even if uncharacteristically long-winded.

Before long, they'd reached the first obstacle of many. Still a little embarrassed at having said so much apropos of nothing, Callum decided to pass on the lead for this one. "It is certainly a sight. Any ideas?"

@Nightfall

 

[Aila Roas]

Aila surveyed the hole before them, trying to make sense of how they might cross as Attar responded to her questions. Part of his answer worried her, but she shouldn't have expected any different. If he had said so, then he would've been her ally proper, not one of convenience,

"And yet even if the top gets corrupted, the least we could do it to start on a base that refuses it, rather than embraces it" she replied as she reached out with the Force to the roof. A dozen vines and weeds grew through the stone of the roof, already partly collapsed, letting a trickle of light through to the dusty caverns where they stood. She yanked at it, the bricks rumbling before ripping out and falling, releasing the vines and letting them hang over the pit,

"If the Sith are fighting corruption, or violence, I've yet to see it" she remarked one last time, before drawing a vine to her and swinging out, leaping to another before building up enough momentum to make it across. It was close, but she was safe, for now.

Waiting until Attar came to join her, it wouldn't be long until, passing through the darkness, until they met their next match,

"Do you hear that?" she whispered, a sound, like a heavy breathing came from the chamber ahead, some kind of creature no doubt, how they would deal with it remained to be seen.

@Pontus

 

[Callum Attar]

Her abilities were certainly something. This had marked the first time Callum had witnessed Plant Surge. Most Sith abhorred the notion of Life, for whatever reason, and as a result these arts fell from grace when the Jedi had. So, it was interesting to witness them in the flesh. To feel as the Force moved, and caused life to sprout.

Frankly, Callum had thought this power would've fit the Sith. This notion of controlling life sounded a lot closer to what Sith aimed at then the ability to evade death. But, it certainly didn't fit him, so this is where that notion stopped. Callum tugged at the same vine, and, having decided it had a little more give than he'd originally thought, ultimately chose another, that felt more rigid. With swift and graceful motions, the man moved past the supposed trap with relative ease, before rejoining his unlikely partner.

"The base of the Empire is not Sith, and you assume every person to be good. In my experience, most average individuals lie, cheat and steal all by themselves. All they need is the belief that they can get away with it."

"As for fighting corruption, even the corrupt do that. None likes getting ripped off, not even those that take from others for a living. Especially them, at times. And the Sith might be an intense lot, but believe me when I say I'm a lot more scrutinised than I'd like to be. In fact, some particularly scary people poke their heads out every now and again, just to ensure I'm not crossing lines." - that last sentence seemed to have hit close to home. Most Sith Lords he'd heard of or come across despised the notion of anyone taking advantage of their Empire, and would stop at nothing to end that.

"The Empire is by no means perfect. It doesn't even have to fit your definitions of right. But that doesn't make it objectively wrong. Not everyone it forms is a deranged lunatic. After all, we might disagree on things, but I'd like to think we're having a perfectly healthy conversation. Wouldn't you?"

A strange noise emerged from the chamber ahead, cutting through their little chat. Silently, the man nodded when asked if he'd heard. Callum now stood at attention, keeping an eye on both Aila and whatever would be found soon. It always had struck him as weird, just why these Temples needed to be so filled with obstacles or traps. But ultimately he supposed none wanted their things taken from them, even after they were gone. Not even the pious ancient Jedi Order.

@Nightfall

 

[Aila Roas]

"And why do they do it? Because they're in a position where they've got no other choice, in a culture that promotes getting ahead by any means. I just don't think you're describing the nature of most beings, just their circumstances" She offered in reply to the Sith's point. The 'Sith's Point', gosh, she could hardly believe that in all her efforts to escape from that world it would have led her into a position where that would be occurring. And yet here it was, almost a test for herself. Just as she was becoming a Jedi she was being challenged, the Force clearly had a sense of humour,

"Part of me is glad to hear the Empire keeps an eye on all its little birds then, but who watches the watchers then? Certainly not the people lower down on the ladder. Its all their lives I worry about. But I'll grant you that no, clearly there are chances to escape so much of its worst behaviours, like yourself. Why not escape it all if you can see the value?" a bold question to have posed perhaps to the Sith, but their mutual understanding so far seemed to be working, perhaps this was a real chance to pick ones brain, especially with all the upsets to the Empire recently, the whole thing was being shaken at the foundations, maybe she could shake his?

But it was not all so easy as this, from within the shadows the growl came louder, before leaping from the dark came a Quarra,

​

Teeth bared and legs powering onward, the thing leapt at the two dungeon delvers. Throwing herself to the side Aila crashed against the wall as the thing skidded past, trying desperately to draw the Force to herself to try and deal with the thing. She had no intention of dying down here.

@Pontus