Sanctuary

[Sreeya]

Andraste also leaned against the railing, looking out at the desert that stretched out for miles. There was nothing in sight except for sand, and it was oddly peaceful. She closed her eyes, letting the wind flow against her hair. It was a gentle caress, much like the soft touch of the Force to remind her that it existed. It was alive and it was everywhere, with every little intake she breathed more of it into her. She was molded from it, carved by nature's designer, whom she believed to be the Force. She still refused to believe that it was her master. Andraste looked out at the sand, smiling.

"The air is cleaner up here. Almost as if the darkness doesn't exist here. It's neither dark nor light..it just is. What do you think we would have done if we hadn't been born attuned to the Force?"

She looked over at him.

"How do people go about their lives..ordinary lives.. completely oblivious to the Force's existence? The Force does not ask anything of them, nor do they give it. They only live out their own lives, completely in control of their own destiny. You and I.. we are made to be painfully aware of our destinies and the roles given to us. What would you have done?"

She smiled, hopping up on the railing. She precariously balanced herself on it, her bare feet allowing her to stand on it. She slowly took a step, and then another, not bothered by the fact that she could easily fall below. She glanced down at the valley below.

"I think I would have been an artist...or perhaps a singer..or a dancer.."

 

[Ser Gregor]

“I’d be doing the same thing I do now, more or less, running the Bastion Bank of Commerce. Although, with the Sith, I get much more control than I would otherwise,” Danith commented, not believing her. The air here was as fowl anywhere on Korriban.

“They live blissfully ignorant of something much larger than any one person. They see their next pay check, their next thrill, as the penultimate goal. We don’t get that kind of luxury, although we can certainly do our best to get a piece of it,” he said with a grin at the end.

He thought to tell her she was putting herself at an unnecessary risk, but he doubted she’d see it like that. Until she fell she was in no danger whatsoever. Danith was beginning to understand Andraste. She lived in the moment. Thinking about the future was too abstract a concept and her past was painful and damaging.

“You are who you are. Other people can change, but not us. We’re tied to the force, it’s always going to factor in to our lives. The best we can hope is to find a compromise between what we want and what we can get.”

 

[Sreeya]

"A bank?"

Andraste had to pause, turning to face him. For a moment, utter confusion was displayed upon her countenance. She placed her hand on the wall on one end of the railing, still gracefully perched atop it. Andraste couldn't help but burst into laughter, though she was careful not to slip.

"What, would you steal money and that would make you decide you are a baddie so Sith was the correct occupation?"

She looked away then, facing out to the sand that stretched out for miles. Her hair flowed in the wind, her silhouette a contrast to the brilliant rays of the setting sun behind her. It was a picturesque image, and it was exhilarating. She looked over the edge, gazing down.

"If I fell right now..if I flew..if I ended my life.. it wouldn't make a difference. I will return to the Force's bosom from where I came."

She looked at the sky, blinking at the sun.

"For those ordinary folks..the ignorant ones.. they are missed. They would be loved, remembered..us? We die and we are another grain of sand among a vast desert. Cows to the slaughter.."

 

[Ser Gregor]

Danith ignored her laughter, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. The sun was rising high in the sky, and soon it’d be far too hot to be outside.

“No, it wouldn’t make a difference. When your entire life is the life of a Sith, then you’ve got nothing to live for. That is why I don’t live like a Sith,” he explained. He enjoyed his life outside of the Sith. It made him feel much more human.

“It is up to you to decide how many people miss you when you’re gone. The question is; how many people do you want to miss you?”

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste turned to face him, though she did not step down from the railing. His question made her ponder. She tilted her head, looking down at him. The setting sun accented his features, bathing his skin in gold and a reddish hue that made his skin more vivid. She looked past him, into the temple where the darkness emanated from.

"I don't think I'm allowed to have anyone that would miss me."

She smiled sadly, slowly walking over to the other side of the railing. She walked with her toes curled slightly, allowing her balance. She looked over the edge, the wind threatening to push her over. It was an adrenaline rush, though she looked peaceful and unconcerned.

"If you are not happy here, why do you stay?"

 

[Ser Gregor]

“That’s not true. You can have an entire world miss you, you simply need to make it happen,” Danith said, his comment almost off-hand, but poignant. He watched her slowly prance across the balcony, stepping over his hands resting on the rough-stone, looking like she was concentrating hard on keeping her balance.

“The Sith give me an opportunity to control my own destiny. If I left, or if I had never been taken, I would be a slave to my job, to my family, to my friends. The Sith are innately selfish, and by staying with them, I ensure that I achieve as much as I possibly can.”

He pushed himself away from the balcony and held a hand out to Andraste, expecting her to take it so he could lead her away from the edge.

“Come with me, you need to learn to be selfish.”