One Step Forwards

[Kit]

Augustus had gone looking for a fight. It was not the Jedi way, even in the New Order, but the man simply needed to do it. All his life, he had dedicated himself to the destruction of evil, of darkness wherever he found it.

And now he wasn't on the Council, no longer the Battlemaster and no longer in command of The Will, the Jedi Master was free. Free to disappear off into the galaxy, and do his duty, rather than having to set an example, or instruct the unending hordes in the way of the blade.

So here he was, on Nar Shaddaa. The Smuggler's moon. It was independent space, but if he couldn't find anything here, then he was no longer worthy to even carry the title of Jedi at all, let alone high rank.

After hours in the cockpit of an Eta-5 Interceptor, retrofitted to bring it one thousand years up to date, the Jedi had clambered out, leaving instructions for the Astromech whose name he had not bothered to learn, to keep the ship safe.

He had made sure he was obviously Jedi, hoping to draw out any kind of hostility towards his order that he could. His robes were, as ever, in the Scarlet and Grey had had made his own, in the traditional Jedi cut. Mountain hung at his hip, along with a pair of blades mag-clamped to his thighs.

He flipped his hood up, to shadow his face, and began to wander the streets, trusting in the Force to take him somewhere... anywhere, that would distract him.

Eventually, Augustus came across a bar, it looked, to him, like a mess. Shady, dank, loud and likely dangerous. It looked perfect. He made his way in, and took a seat at a table. Now he would simply wait, until an opportunity presented itself.

 

[Natise]

Kuras sat at the bar. It had been a while since he visited Nar Sha Da, and he was glad to be back. There was always so much culture on this moon. Species from all over the galaxy. It was a place where you could find any type of person, a chiss, a mando, a knight, a sith, or a jedi.

The bar tender came up to Kuras, offering him a drink. Kuras removed his helmet, his gelatinous form holding the shape of the inside of the helmet for a few seconds before morphing into the shape of a hssiss. A form that Kuras had started favoring after encountering one at a fair.

Kuras downed the drink, the liquid simply giving his person a slight tingle. Suddenly the bar became a lot quieter. Whispers began building up and he caught a few words here and there. jedi, lets go, lightsaber. Eventually the noise came back up though, so Kuras turned around and saw the jedi sitting at the table, waiting for something. Kuras would not engage yet though, no way he would be able to take on a jedi in one on one combat.

 

[Kit]

Augustus cast his eyes around the bare, hidden in the shadow of his red-fringed hood. A general assortment of scum, with a scattering of monsters and idiots too, no doubt.

He couldn't help but sneer. He had spent sixty years pursuing noble goals and ends, yet he doubted that a single being in here even knew what a moral compass was, let alone actually possessed one.

Eventually, a waiter-droid made his way over, and listed off the menu is basic. Augustus paid the machine little heed, and interrupted it halfway through it's little speech, his voice barely audible over the chatter that had built back up.

"Water."

At that point, an alien in Mandalorian armour at the bar turned around to look at him. Augustus couldn't place the species, it looked a little like a Hssiss, but far too small, too humanoid and nowhere near murderous enough to be one, not to mention that it was wearing armour. Likely a shapeshifter trying to be tough.

He wondered, for a moment, whether it was a Mandalorian, or had just liberated the armour. He wouldn't be surprised either way. Mandalorians were all about appearing the tough guy, but no real challenge.

Augustus sneered again, before turning his gaze to the rest of the bar. It was only a matter of time before the force sent something worthwhile his way, some wrong to be righted. Anything to distract him from... from what had happened.

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed had been on Nar Shaddaa to help build connections within the black market for slave trafficking. He hated the job, primarily because it meant having to negotiate instead of simply demanding obedience. The Sith Lord had a contact to meet later, and he decided to take the down time to spend on himself. Thaed frowned as he came across a sleazy looking bar. Unfortunately it was the only one in the area that wasn't packed.

As the Sith Lord wandered into the bar, he could tell why this bar was emptier than the others. There was very little lighting, the walls were rotten and a few patrons were passed out on the floor. Thaed gingerly stepped over the bodies, making his way over to a table. He called for a whiskey, easing into his seat. As he did so, he looked around, his yellow eyes gleaming in the darkness.

However, he did not have to see to know the presence was there. It hit him all at once, like a burst of smell, or a stench that was offensive to his senses. It took him seconds to work out that it was a Jedi, and a powerful one at that. He let the source of the emanating energy guide him, causing him to glance over at the Jedi sitting a few tables down. Thaed raised an eyebrow, impressed by the man's boldness for putting himself in such a dangerous position. The Zabrak did not move, his whiskey being placed before him. Thaed grabbed the glass and tilted it to taste the fiery liquid before sending a telepathic message to the Jedi.

"Aren't you a little far from home?"

Even the words were laced with Thaed's dark energy, betraying that he was a Sith. However, the Zabrak made no motions of hostility yet, keen on understanding this lone Jedi.

 

[Kit]

He had noticed the Dark aura coming closer, for some time, and as a Zabrak entered the establishment, he was fairly sure that what he wanted had finally arrived.

The kind of monster he had spent his life hunting, and being hunted by. A stain on the force, a creature worthy of loathing, detestation and destruction, and little else.

A Sith.

Augustus had no idea that it was a Sith Lord at the bar, he was no Lore Master, he never believed that knowing his enemy would make it any easier to bring about their swift death.

So it was, that he had no idea that the Sith before him was, in fact, the Blademaster of the Sith, the one man in the galaxy who was likely his equal with the blade.

Augustus knew all too well, though, that if the Sith hadn't attacked him immediately, he was likely strong. And therefore dangerous.

And, apparently, talkative. A grim smile crept across his face, without even a hint of mirth. Augustus wasn't sure whether the Sith was utterly wrong, or totally right. The question of where his home was had been bothering him for the last week.

"One requires a home to be far from it."

His reply slipped away from him, before he was even aware of it's sending. Betrayed once more by emotions he was struggling to keep in check, his internal conflict actually on a par with his loathing of the monster sat across the room from him.

The Jedi couldn't help but curse internally, his anger at himself for such a childish mistake eclipsing everything else he felt for a moment. He had struggled with his emotions ever since that fateful council meeting, but in the presence of a Sith, such a struggle was beyond dangerous.

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed had to grin at the words. He finished the rest of his whiskey, pushing the glass aside. Without pause, the Zabrak rose to his feet, walking over to the table where the Jedi sat. He exuded a rather relaxed aura, not at all concerned by the fact that he was approaching someone that was taught to kill people like him, and vice versa. Thaed plopped down into the seat across from him, his yellow eyes gleaming in the darkness. He responded to the Jedi's words from earlier, using his voice for the first time.

"Well, now that's a damn tragedy."

The Sith Lord took out a pack of cigarras, picking one out for himself and tilting the box towards the Jedi.

"Cig? Or...perhaps not..."

Thaed grinned and put the box away.

"You appear more intelligent than to have a death wish, which leads me to believe you came here with a purpose."

The Zabrak did not mention that he could feel hints of emotion radiating from the Jedi. It was alluring, his own dark aura drawing it in like a magnet. He held a finger to the tip of the cigarra, a thin crackle of electricity lighting the end as he inhaled deeply. He appeared rather comfortable in the presence of the Jedi. Thick smoke escaped his lips as he spoke.

"..The question is...is that purpose worth risking your life?"

 

[Black Noise]

[[As long as it's still an open RP I'll be hopping in xD]]


Tach sat at a small table in the almost empty bar on Nar Shaddaa, how long he had been there, he didn't know, but long enough to be there before the Jedi arrived, and before the Sith. Tach didn't feel the slightest urge to attack the Sith, nor the Jedi. His passion had left him, and for now, he was content to make himself a void in the force and simply listen in on their conversation.

He slowly picked up his drink, what it was he had forgotten, but it wasn't very strong, shame. He rested his other hand on the hilt of his sword, he could a tension in the room. He recognized both the Jedi and Sith. Both were the blademasters of their respective orders, interesting, strange.

He had not heard of what had happened to the Jedi blademaster, but he knew enough from rumors that the Jedi Battlemaster wasn't here on pleasure.

So for now, he would wait, watch, and listen.

 

[Kit]

Augustus wasn't surprised, when the Sith came closer, nor indeed when he sat down. Arrogance was their way, and fearlessness was a trait shared by Jedi and Sith alike. The Jedi Master was careful to lock his cold grey eyes onto the Sith's own, yellow and tainted as they were. He had nothing to be afraid of; more Darksiders had perished by his hand than most Jedi had ever met.

He listened as the Sith talked. Breaking not only the first rule of his long-dead master, but also his own.

"I could say the same thing of you, it is a brave Sith that sits with a Jedi and engages in small talk."

A pause. Augsutus knew the real reason, because he had been here before. Every Sith would try and corrupt, to persuade, convince and cajole. He had seen every tactic. Every convert to their order was a blow to the Jedi's. He caught himself, he had always considered it his order.

The Jedi needed desperately to clear his thoughts, to seek counsel with cooler, wiser heads. He had since Coruscant, but had instead come here, seeking conflict. Wherever his path led, it was being walked by his heart over his head.

"Besides, how do you know I am not here to hunt you, Sith?"

It was a bluff, and frankly, it was not his best work. Though he had not betrayed his mild surprise when a Sith had wandered in, and then sat with him, the Jedi was bleeding emotion. His control was almost totally shot, and he was betraying himself with every uncontrolled thought.

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed grinned, exhaling more smoke.

"You could say the same, but last I checked, this was Nar Shaddaa, not Coruscant. This planet is the center point of scum and villainy. I suppose with all the self righteousness you're around all the time, this is a nice breath of fresh air."

He called over the waitress, asking for yet another whiskey. He looked at the Jedi and turned to her.

"And a glass of water for this gentleman please. Maybe spice it up with a wedge of lemon."

The waitress nodded and left. Thaed chuckled at the Jedi's next words.

"If you were here to hunt me and came all this way, I'd be flattered. However, unfortunately I'm not that big of a celebrity yet."

He felt the emotions radiating from him. It was as if his dark energy were being fed by the morsels the Jedi provided. Thaed could see the inner conflict clear as day, and the image was beautiful. There was so much turmoil, so much chaos.

"Do you know why your perceptions of us are flawed?"

He raised his glass and looked through it. He held it in the middle so the Jedi could see through it as well. The glass warped the images of them both to the other.

"You only see what's directly on the surface. You only see what you condition yourself to see. The same lies true for us. But do you know why we are different?"

Thaed put down the glass and smiled.

"We embrace the flaws and accept them. We do not strive for perfection, as it does not exist, but merely the acknowledgment and betterment of existing flaws. I can sense your conflict. It hits me like a smell. And the conflict is roused by years of conditioning to lead you to believe something blindly and obtain that one track view of it."

He looked down as the whiskey and water were placed before him. He nonchalantly took a sip of whiskey.

"You did not come here by accident."

 

[Kit]

Augustus fought back a smile. The Sith did have a point, Nar Shaddaa was certainly a breath of something. His amusement was short lived however. The Sith's little speech, which would normally have flown right over his head, actually got to him a little.

"You did not come here by accident."

It hit home far too hard. He was on this path, for whatever reason, because of what happened to Beric. How the Order's betrayal of his closest friend was a betrayal of him as well.

Augustus broke eye contact for a moment. The tiniest signal, involuntary as it was, that the Sith's words had struck home.

"I..."

His stoicism, that hard, cold front which had been his armour for decades was crumbling around him, the turmoil inside him shattered it, and the Sith's words probing through the cracks.

"You are wrong. You must be. The Darkness doesn't accept, it corrupts. It twists and distorts. You are lying."

Augustus was retreating behind his words, the Jedi Master was aware of it as well. He was falling back on the lessons hammered into him as a child. Behind the mountain that was his duty.

Yet, all he could think about was how, even at this moment, he was failing to do his duty. He was sworn to destroy the darkness wherever he found it.

So, why wasn't he?

 

[Black Noise]

Tach tok another sip of his drink, he could sense where this conversation was going. The Sith, subtle in his tactics, was trying to recruit the Jedi for the Sith's cause. Whether the Jedi would flip or not, he didn't know. But it had become increasingly obvious that the Jedi battlemaster was now the former battlemaster.

He took another sip of his drink and stood up, he would need another. Of course getting another would require going up to the bar which some most power force users in existence sat. But he didn't care at the moment, because the Sith would be too interested in his conversation, all he worried about was whether or not the Jedi noticed him.

His force presense was well masked, and his body was almost a complete void, but it wasn't those qualities that he was afraid of the Jedi noticing. He hoped that he would not notice his face.

Pulling his black robes around him. He picked up his hat off the table and set it on his head, walking up to the bar. The wide brim of the straw hat would surely cast a big enough shadow to mask his face to the naked eye. But these two were a Jedi and Sith, their eyes, like his own, were never naked.

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed watched as his words had their desired effect. For a moment, it appeared as if he had electrocuted the Jedi. A part of him believed that even lightning wouldn't have had the same effect his words did. Thaed calmly relaxed in his seat, taking another swig of whiskey and drawing the spiced cigarra smoke into his lungs. He rolled his eyes as Augustus spoke about his idea of the Dark side of the Force.

"Do you know what the Darkness accepts? It accepts us as we are."

He looked deep into the Jedi's eyes, his yellow animalistic orbs almost piercing into his.

"You have emotions. It is human to have emotions. It is sentient to have emotions. The principles that demand that you subjugate such a natural part of who you are..does that not strike you as odd? Does that not strike you as..unnatural? It's forceful."

Thaed took another sip of whiskey.

"The Dark side embraces what you are as you are and it hones it so you better yourself. You learn to enhance what you already have instead of conditioning yourself to be someone else entirely. Someone with a fixed set of morals determined by someone else."

He had to smile.

"I sense betrayal from you. It may be that perhaps you are opening your eyes to reality for the first time. Do you disagree?"

 

[Kit]

Augustus knew he should leave. The Sith was getting to him, badly. He could feel his fortitude crumbling.

"I..."

He faltered. In his head, there was a grand, sweeping speech that would disarm the Sith's venom, take away hi spower, and leave Augustus solid and stoic once more.

But it wouldn't come out. It kept getting pushed down by a single word. A word he couldn't ignore.

Yes.

He agreed with the Sith. He had given his life to the order, like Beric, and the only thing that was keeping him there was duty. A duty he was not discharging.

There was no place for him there.

"I don't."

The words were quiet. He sounded broken, and beaten.

 

[Black Noise]

Tach stood at the bar, beckoning the waitress over, he whispered.
"I'll have one of whatever I had before..."
The waitress nodded and pulled some type of ale down, handing over a small glass of it. Tach picked up the drink and took a small sip. Though he appeared to be looking down in quiet emotionlessness, his mind was working overtime processing what they were saying. A very small part of him wanted to grab the Jedi and shake him, forcing him out of the seductive trancethe Sith was putting him under.

But he suppressed the urge, just like he suppressed every emotion. The Jedi would need to take his own path. However, Tach would stay at the bar, listening, waiting. Wanting to see what would happen.

 

[Sreeya]

Thaed said nothing for a moment, looking down at his drink. It was then that a thought crossed his mind that hadn't in years. Syrik. The Zabrak that was like a brother to him. As he thought about the Jedi before him, he couldn't help but think about the path that Syrik had been on, the path to protect the galaxy and follow the ideals that molded him into someone else. And before him sat a man that had done just that, that had followed every step, every code, every tenet. He had put others before himself, yet here he was, banished and betrayed. Thaed shook his head. This would have been Syrik's fate. He had done him a favor by allowing him to become a part of the Force.

"If you want to find home, you need to find it within yourself. You must rely on yourself and think about yourself. No one else. You came into this world empty handed, and you will leave empty handed. Carry the weight of none but your own."

The Sith Lord tossed a few credits on the table, getting to his feet. He cast a sideways glance at the other patrons gathered there, speaking to the Jedi.

"I suggest we get out of here. You're getting quite a few stares.."

As he began to step away, his mind would probe into that of Tach's. The Sith Lord remained quiet, but his voice would echo within Tach's mind.

"If you do not wish to die a rather painful death, I suggest you do not follow us."

Without pause, he quietly strode out of the bar, urging the Jedi to follow.

 

[Black Noise]

"If you do not wish to die a rather painful death, I suggest you do not follow us."

Tach showed no outward emotion that the Sith knew who he was, or at least the fact that he was powerful enough to mask in a void, but neither did he have any inward emotion. He stood up and put on his hat, leaving the drink and a few credits, he turned and headed for the backdoor. He would not follow them, but that did not mean he wouldn't continue to watch them...

 

[Kit]

Carry the weight of none but your own. That struck a chord with Augustus, he had carried so much, for so many for so long. The mountain of duty had crushed him, limited him, kept him down and compliant. It had chained him for his entire life.

His family duty, his duty to the Jedi, his duty to his Padawan's.

To be free of that... He could be his own man, beholden to none. Free to act, free to live. It was terrifying, in a way, but he could already taste the sweet liberty that waited him if he took that path.

No chains but those he forged himself.

Augustus nodded, and stood. He was still in emotional turmoil, but a riptide was forming, pulling at the doubt and frustration, leaving clarity in it's place. By no means was the man whole, but he stood straight, and his eyes seemed to glimmer.

He shot a look around the bar, his world once more extended beyond his inner maelstrom. He hadn't even noticed that man taking a little too much interest as Thaed had. No, his focus was entirely on the Sith.

A brisk stride carried him to the threshold of the bar. He did not rush, but he did not linger. He was eager to hear what this Sith had to say, to understand just what it was that could be his.

Provided he threw away his entire life.

He hesitated, at the portal to the world. If he followed this Sith, then he was likely to fall. He was aware he was vulnerable, the most he had ever been. But the Sith had been right. He had not lied, Augustus had been utterly selfless, and where had he gotten?

His loyalty was rewarded with persecution, his dedication with distrust. His entire life had been spent doing what, precisely? Laboring for the good of many, without a single word of thanks or recognition.

He stepped through, and walked after the Sith. He needed to hear more.