Release your anger (open)

[SashaKovalev]

The door to his room was open. He didnt bother to close it all that often, for he rather liked the company of others. He'd been in there most of the day, for it was pouring and windy outside. He hadnt even bother to leave his room to go to lunch, for he'd decided to dedicate the afternoon to trying to construct a lightsaber, and had become consumed with the project.

He'd worked carefully, his eyes going between the book he studied and the lightsaber itself. He was getting frustrated, for he'd managed to put the pieces together two times now, and it still hadnt ignited when he'd tried to get it to work.

This was the third time now. Something had to be missing from the documentation. Was it the cruel joke of the author? On the third try, he stood from where he'd been sitting on his bed and attempted to ignite it. Nothing. There was nothing. His temper finally got the best of him, and cursing in anger, he hurled the piece of crap towards the open doorway.

(*laughs* Anyone feel like catching it? Getting clocked by it?)

[Mu Satach]

:: Mu had been cautiously exploring the parts of the palace that were not off limits to her in hopes of running across a few of her old friends and to satiate her curiosity. Years before she had been a member of the long dead Sith Council. But finding membership to any order too confining to her free spirit she had been a rogue agent since then. Naturally she wasn't getting anywhere in the galaxy fast, but then she was really an explorer at heart than anything else.

To the untrained the halls seemed quiet, secluded, somber, dead. Mu however felt the life and forces pulsating behind doors, doors that were not there, the palace was literally crawling with activity. As she meandered down a cooridore admiring the inlaid carvings she picked up the pressence of someone familiar. Following it a bemused smile began to play about her lips. It was the young man she had spent time with at LV's wedding.

Anger and frustration poured from him like heat from a hot iron. She stood in the hallway just outside his door for a moment in silence watching him fiddle with a lightsaber.

When the lightsaber came hurtling towards her she calmly raised an eyebrow and the saber hilt stopped in the air and floated inches away from her face. ::

"Problems?" she inquired with a slight smirk.

[SashaKovalev]

He hadnt thought when he'd hurled the lightsaber towards the open doorway. He'd been angry and frustrated and it had seemed like the easiest answer to his problems. Her voice surprised him. He recognized it. He'd only ever spoken with her at the marriage ceremony, but he wouldnt have ever forgotten her voice. She had surprised him then, as well, when she'd approached him, linked her arm in his, and they'd walked together to the ceremony.

"Problems?" she'd inquired with a slight smirk on her face. He couldnt help but roll his eyes and grin slightly, his frustration momentarily forgotten.

"Yeah....I guess you could say that." He replied as he stepped forward. He reached for the floting lightsaber, pulling it from where she'd stoppped it, only inches from her face, and tossed it to the bed.

"Sorry about that." He apologized, his violet eyes lighting up at the visit from her. "I hadnt planned on trying to harm you the next time I saw you..." He added with a slight grin.

"What brings you to the castle?" He asked as he stepped back into the room a bit, welcoming her to join him. The room was still quite bare, as he hadnt really felt the need quite yet to do much else to it. But there was the bed, the windowseat, or a chair on which she could sit, if she chose.

[Mu Satach]

"Curiosity mainly, " she accepted his implied invitation and walked into his room. "this is my first time to Corellia and coincidently the first time I've visited the Sith Order." Glancing around the spartan room of the apprentice she paused for a moment and looked out the window and admired the view. "I've been friends with Lady Vader, Live Wire and countless others for longer than I can remember." Turning from the window she smiled at him, "Some how I just never got around to coming here." she said as she moved to sit in the chair.

As she sat she moved her long coat out of the way with a flick of her wrist, it sounded like a bird ruffling it's feathers. She crossed her legs casually, revealing her old Imperial styled black trousers and knee high boots. The clothing from a generation earlier seemed in contrast with her apparent age of mid to late twenties. "So tell me," she raised her hand and the defunct lightsaber flew across the room to her, "how long have you been with the order? A week? Two?" she asked while examining the saber.

[SashaKovalev]

He watched her as she walked into the room and admired the view from his window. He'd gotten quite lucky with the room he'd been given, for it was on the other side of the castle from the training grounds, and overlooked a more natural landscape. He appreciated it, for he actually spent a lot of time gazing out of it and thinking.

As she sat down, he too, took a seat across from her along the windowseat. He didnt notice her style of dress - being a guy, those things werent really of importance. She would have looked beautiful to him wearing a an ugly old curtain.

He flushed slightly as the failed attempt at a lightsaber flew to her hand.

"About two weeks now." He replied. And much had gone on within those two weeks. They had passed in a blur, much as the coming year promised to do.

"If so many of your friends are here, why didnt you ever join?" He asked. He knew it was a rather personal question, but he wanted to know. And if she didnt want to answer, he had every belief she'd tell him so. She seemed to be to him someone who would speak her mind.

He leaned forward, his elbows coming to rest on his knees as he looked to her, his eyes curious. His light brown hair was tousled, as it seemed to be these days, and he was dressed quite simply. He wore no weapons, for he normally only carried a blaster, and it had been set on the bedside table while he'd been working on the lightsaber.

[Mu Satach]

"Too selfish I guess," the lightsaber played along her finger tips as she examined it. "or maybe not enough ambition," her blue green eyes met his gaze head on. "It's a terrible thing to be completely selfish with no ambition." A friendly smile spread across her face.

"So tell me, why did you join?"

[SashaKovalev]

His eyes narrowed slightly and he shook his head as she commented on possibly being too selfish or having too little ambition. He seriously doubted that either of those words would apply to her.

"Why did I join?" He asked, repeating her question. He shrugged.

"A number of reasons, I guess." He replied, his eyes looking out the window briefly, then back to her.

"Most of my friends joined the army or the navy..." He meant the Imperial forces, for his home planet had been in the control of the imperials for quite some time, and few would have considered any other choice.

"And after my mother passed away there wasnt really a reason to stick around home. And neither the army or the navy seemed to be the right place for me, so I looked elsewhere. This just felt right." He answered.

"So where do you call home?" He asked. His question was open enough that it would leave room for her to elaborate a bit about herself if she chose to do so.

[Mu Satach]

Her eye's crinkled a bit. "Home," she said the word as though it was foriegn to her, "*home* has many definitions. Are you inquireing about where I live? Where I come from? or Where I feel most at ease?"

[SashaKovalev]

He smiled slightly, amusement on his features.

"I hadnt thought of all of the various definitions of home when I asked the question." He stated as he stood from where he sat along the windowseat and paced slightly.

"I suppose I just want to know more about you." He replied, his violet eyes looking to her, meeting her gaze for a moment before he looked away. He took a seat on the edge of his bed, occasionally picking up unused pieces for the lightsaber and carelessly tossing them towards a box over on the floor.

When he looked back to her again, his head tilted slightly in an almost curious expression.

"Where do you feel the most at ease?" He asked.

[Mu Satach]

Mu watched him pace a bit, a slight smile played about her lips. "I am most at ease when I am alone for the first 5 min. before my mind wanders down darkened paths of half remembered memories better left burried and dead."

A slight sad expression of resignation flickered across her face for a moment then was replaced with an amused smile. She held up his lightsaber, "Where exactly did you pick up the parts for this?"

[SashaKovalev]

He caught her smile, but was amazed by how quickly it was replaced by a look of sad recognition. Her words, as she began to speak, had been in conflict with her smile, for they spoke of darkened paths, and memories best left forgotten.

He had almost stood at that point. Perhaps, if he had known her better, he would have offered some sort of consolation. Certainly, he wanted to, only he was slightly unsure of himself, and perhaps even a bit intimidated by her from time to time.

Instead, his violet eyes stared at her, a questioning expression in them. She had changed the subject quickly, her smile reappearing as she held up his attempt at a lightsaber, an amused expression playing on her lips.

Slowly, as he accepted that she didnt want to discuss the topic, a grin came to his expression. He shook his head and shrugged, unable to resist answering her question, for perhaps it would explain why his weapon wasnt working despite his repeated efforts.

"A few of the parts came from the library here. They were stored in a box of extra parts along with the book I was looking at. The others, I picked up from two different dealers in salvaged parts on Tatooine when I went last week. Why? You think thats my problem?" He asked.

He laughed slightly.

"I was pretty sure they were telling the truth when the guy claimed they'd still work...."

When this small talk was done, when she had explained this to him, he would ask her the things he truly wanted to know. Certainly, he was frustrated enough with the lightsaber that he wanted to know why it wouldnt work, but more than that, he wanted to know more about her. And he hoped he would have a chance. Eventually. He was impatient, certainly, but even in his eighteen years of age, he was aware that some things were worth waiting for.

[Mu Satach]

"Never trust a junk yard dealer." she laughed. "Lightsabers are more... eligant than that thing," she motioned to his blaster.

"Lightsabers are like surgical tools. Each piece must be carefully chosen, of the highest quality... and," she looked at his book sitting on his desk "no one ever puts everything in a book." Her eyebrows arched mischeiviously.

"A saber," standing up, she reached down and unhooked her blade. The sunlight through the window caught the highly polished silver metal and highlighted a delicate engraved pattern on the hilt, "is a part of us," She ignited her blade. A low hum filled the room as the blue blade glowed, "an extension of you." As she spoke she swung the blade in an easy manner so that it seemed infused with her life force.

She stopped and the blade hissed to a silence. She held out her saber to him for him to examine, "Before you build your own you need to learn how to effectively use one. When you hold it in your hands open up you mind to the flow of energy through it as though it were an extenstion of your arm. Once a saber has become second nature to you, then go again and carefully chose your pieces."

[SashaKovalev]

He laughed with her. He had known it was doubtful the pieces he had found would be 100% perfect, but he hadnt been sure, exactly, of where else to go, and this had just been a side project he'd intended to take on during rainy days such as this one.

He was looking forward to learning to use one, for he remembered what it had felt like, years ago when he'd found the one his mother had hidden away. He had ignited it, and had never forgotten the feel of it. But he was used to his blaster. He'd argued forever and ever with his mother to let him carry one, until the day he turned seven, and then she'd finally given in. And now, as a ligthaber was a part of her, and entension of her, so too, was his blaster to him.

He rolled his eyes at elegance. He cared nothing for elegance. Only what was practical. And his blaster was practical. He'd been about to tell her so, but she'd gone on with her explanation of lightsabers, and the fact that no one ever put everything in a book.

He turned away for a moment, feeling the heat of a slight blush creeping into his cheeks. He was young, he knew, but he wasnt stupid. When his violet eyes looked back to her, the expression on his face was stern, his jaw set.

She made a good case for the lightsaber, for indeed, as she ignited it and moved with it, it did seem to be an extension of her. It was graceful and powerful. And then she handed hers to him. Grudgingly, he took it from her. He did not ignite it, but he did look carefully at it.

And then he handed it back to her without a word. He seemed to be brooding slightly, perhaps a bit ruffled by her words.

"I will learn to use one when my master decides I am ready.' He stated quietly, though it was clear he was frustrated. His shoulders were tense, and his eyes held an intensity to them. He hated waiting for anything.

[Mu Satach]

She took her saber back, glanced out the window for a second then snarled. Faster than a heartbeat Sasha found himself thrown across the room. His body slammed into the wall with a sickening thud.

Mu had her hand out towards him. He struggled against the force to no avail. A dangerous gleem had entered her eyes.

"Where's your precious *practical* weapon now?" she sneered at him. She moved her hand a bit and he began to slide up the wall and the pressure began to increase around his chest, ever so slightly.

Her voice was as cold as a razor blade, "Know this, you have chosen a dangerous path my young friend. Even here among your new *family* always remember that at any moment you could die."

Sasha found himself pinned to the ceiling. "If you choose to keep your faith in the trappings of the life you have left behind you will not survive. Your master will only shelter and train you as long as you are worth it." Her fingers began to squeeze together. His blood was pounding in his ears as an ice cold band steel encompassed his heart.

A vicious smile of pleasure pulled at the corner of her mouth as she could see the pain spread through out his body. Then suddenly she stopped, cocked her head to the side and gently lowered him to his bed.

The softer tone returned to her speach, "You have promise, do not waste it on what you *think* you know. We would not rely upon a weapon for thousands of years, nor continually train our young ones if it were mearly... pretty."

She turned from him and placed her hands behind her back and walked to the window. Her boot heels clicking on the floors surface.

"Never forget you are surrounded by Sith. Power, ambition, and treachery run rampant among our kind. Loyalty exists, but is rare." She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

"And while you have one master for your training, you will learn from many who know much that is not written. Be mindful that you don't stop your lesson before you have learned what you need to know."

---------------
OOC: comp messed up on me before I could finish... hence a la edit. :p

[SashaKovalev]

It hadnt lasted that long, but it had seemed to him an eternity. The lack of control and the intense pain he had not expected, had not ever imagined.

As he was returned to his bed he struggled to sit up, moving, finally to the edge of the bed. His feet planted firmly on the floor, his elbows came to rest on his knees, and his head in his hands.

He didnt look at her. His eyes were closed for the moment, as he tried to catch the breath he seemed to have lost. When he had, she had spoken. Her voice was soft again, and she appeared to be the woman he had been speaking with before. Only now, the innocent trust he had had in her was gone.

He had been treated kindly until this day. He had not felt threated, nor had he felt the pain brought on by one who was a master of the dark side of the force.

He heard her words, and they echoed in his mind. This was a lesson learned. A lesson he would never forget. He could feel her presence close to him, standing, perhaps, by the window, but still, he did not raise his gaze to look at her.

He had much to learn, and she had more than reminded him of this fact.

And now, he wasnt sure whether to feel scared, or angry. Fear, he knew, was a weakness. But it was hard not to feel when he was an eighteen year old kid who had just been exposed to darkness he hadnt ever imagined. When he had just learned exactly how powerless he was to protect himself.

He said nothing in response to her, not trusting his voice or the words that would come from his mouth. He did eventually lift his head, though, and his gaze went almost tentatively to her. She stood facing out the window, her back to him. His violet eyes continued to stare at her, carrying an almost hurt expression in them.

[Mu Satach]

Sunlight wash upon her face. She drank in the silence for a brief moment then ever so quietly the sadness crept into her heart as it always did. Her eyebrows furrowed together and an imperceptible sigh escaped her lips. She could feel him behind her unsure, uncertain, and shaken.

The warmth that had filled the room earlier had disappated. And she had purposely ripped it away. She had in one moment altered him forever, killed his innocence, "Better here an now where he is protected by those around him," she thought to herself, "than later... when he is alone and vulnerable."

She squeezed her eye's shut tighter, "like it was for me." She clenched her jaw and fought back the moisture that was begining to form in the corners of her eyes. She violently pushed away the memory by focusing on him. "Yes, better here and now."

She opened her eyes and all remnents of the internal struggle were gone. Her face resumed it's neutral almost pleasant expression. She could feel his eyes upon her.

Turning she walked to his desk and began disassembling his saber. "An apprentice is usually given his or her first saber," she spoke quietly. As she pulled each piece she held it up and inspected it closely. "The basic moves are rather simple to master, but that's not the only reason."

Some pieces she tossed aside, others she place carefully back on the desk. "Sometimes when one is begining it's easier to learn how to manipulate the force if there is a physical object to manipulate as well." She began reassembling the pieces before her.

"And a saber can be a handy thing," she paused, looked a the saber, tested the weight and balance of the hilt, then disassembled part of it again and began scanning the pieces before her.

"I've seen apprentices trained in only the first forms become threats to masters who have become over confident." Not finding what she wanted she quickly disassembled her saber and pulled a few pieces from it and then reassembled Sasha's.

She rolled it over in her hands for a moment examining it, almost looking into it. She flicked it and the blade ripped through the air as it ignited. A self satisfied smile spread across her face. She shut it off and walked over to stand infront of him.

She held the saber out to him, "as I said, the *first* saber is usually given."

[SashaKovalev]

She hadnt even looked at him as she had turned around. She had walked instead to the desk and focused upon the lightsaber. He hadnt known that ones first lightsaber was usually a gift. It seemed that in his case, it would have to be, for his attempts to make his own hadnt yet worked.

He watched as she took it apart, tossing some pieces, and keeping others. She had even taken a few pieces from hers, and connected them to pieces of his. She had focused on the lightsaber as she spoke, and still, she had not looked at him.

He watched as the blade ignited. It hummed loudly in the silence between them, seeming to carry a lifeforce of its own. And then she had shut it off, and finally, finally, she had faced him. And she had made.....a peace offering of sorts. She was giving him his first lightsaber - creating a bond between the two of them that would exist so long as he carried the weapon with him - and likely after as the memory of the gift lived on.

He stared at it for a moment. It wasnt because he was trying to be insolent or stubborn, but because he was unsure. His muscles ached from the lesson she had taught him, and the terror of the moment was still quite fresh in his mind. It was like getting shocked by an electrice fence and never daring to get near another fence despite what kind it was.

But finally, he accepted it. His violet eyes looked to her a moment longer, and then looked to the saber.

"Thank you." He stated quietly. He would never forget this moment. He turned it over and over in his hands, examinging it, appreciating it, before he finally raised his eyes to look at her once again.

"Why did you do it?" He asked. And he wasnt asking why she had given him the lightsaber. He was asking why she had acted as she had. He knew it was to teach him a lesson - but he wanted to know why she had done it at all - and done it the way she had.

[Mu Satach]

She stood silent for a moment. His questioning eyes burned deep into her. She looked away, "I have lost so many and so much, it seems I've also lost my patience." she then kneeled so that her eyes were level with his.

Looking directly into his face, "I have observed your attitudes, desires, strengths and weaknesses. You lacked the full knowlege and understanding of the path you have chosen. You are surrounded by a brood of vipers, cold, calculating, ambitious, vile, evil, inhuman, villians." She paused and a faint look of sadness entered her eyes, "l have seen things you would not believe, battles raging, outbreaks of war, friends and loved ones ripped away from me and tortured to death. I've experienced and *caused* more pain and suffering than you can possibly imagine. The Dark Side is a wicked taskmaster that dominates our very souls. To survive it intact you must be cautious, daring, bold, strong, and above all *aware* at all times. It drives some of us mad, creates an insatialble bloodlust in others, and sometimes trusted friends can suddenly turn on you."

She paused and an earnest tone entered into her voice, "Here within these walls you are relatively safe. You are cocooned by a circle of masters who have weathered the storms. Yet even here the possibility of danger exists. The pull of power, greed and the pleasure of seeing someone suffer is greater than you know."

She stood up and walked again to the window resuming her earlier pose, "I know I have lost your trust. It's the price I pay for your sanity and survival," she fell silent.

[SashaKovalev]

She had explained her actions as losing her patience.

If this is losing her patience he thought, I will never make her angry.

When she had knelt in front of him, despite his anger with her, he had felt his heart beat just a bit faster. She was dangerous and she was wild and unpredictable, and he found that...attractive.

But he was not so distracted by her being so close to him that he did not hear her words. Quite the opposite, in fact. He heard her words and he processed them. Put them in a place where they would echo in his mind each day - for he would never forget how quickly she had turned on him just a few minutes ago - even if it had been, in the long run, for his own good.

And then she'd stod again, walking over to the window, her back to him as she looked out.

"I know I have lost your trust. It's the price I pay for your sanity and survival." He was silent for a moment after she spoke, and then he stood from the bed. He clipped the lightsaber to his belt, and moved to stand beside her, staring out the window as well, his violet eyes not looking to her at all as he spoke.

He smiled faintly, for a brief moment.

"My innocent trust, yes. I should not have trusted so easily, but I was attracted to you, and I was weak enough to let my heart come before my mind."

And then he turned slightly, his violet eyes leaving the view from the window and looking once again to her.

"Why would you pay any price for my sanity and survival? Why would you care about it?" He questioned.

[Mu Satach]

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, "That's for me to know and you to worry about."

Just then a small chime sounded, she reached into a concealed compartment near her waist. She pulled out a small delicate highly polished silver com device, "What?"

A mechanical droid voice was on the other end, "Pardon the interuption Mistress, but an urgent message has just arrived for you marked private."

Mu was silent for a second, "Prep the shuttle, I'll be there shortly."

[SashaKovalev]

Thats for me to know, and you to worry about.

He snorted, not really satisfied at all with her vague response. But, it seemed, he would have to be content with it - for the moment at least, for she was being called away.

He watched her as she took the page. Watched the change in her expression as she switched from her social mode to work mode. He turned away and walked over toward the desk. He leaned back against it and picked up an unused piece left over from the lightsaber construction and toyed with it. He had mixed feelings about her impending departure. On one hand, he was ready for her to leave - for he had a lot to think about in the lesson she had taught him.

On the other hand.....he just didnt want her to go. But he said nothing, for there was business for her to attend to, and if fate had anything to do with it, he'd see her again.

After she had put her com away, he spoke. His expression was serious, but there was an amused sparkle in his violet eyes.

"And how much should I worry about it?" He asked, a faint impish grin on his face. As he spoke, he stopped leaning against the desk and stood up a bit straighter as he prepared to walk her to the door, for he knew she had to leave.

[Mu Satach]

She couldn't help but release a quirky smirk at his question as she picked up the remnants of her saber from his desk. Arching one eyebrow she answered, "Oh," the pieces of metal clinked together, "more than you probably will."

She began moving towards the doorway.

[SashaKovalev]

He followed her to the door, being the gentleman his mother had taught him to be.

"I doubt thats true." He replied quietly. He would think about it often, more than she would ever think he would.

In the doorway, before she left, he paused. His violet eyes stared at her for a moment, and then he looked away.

The thoughts he was thinking were dangerous - particularly with a woman like Mu.

Finally, he looked back to her. And when he spoke his words were as neutral as possible, for he didnt trust himself to say anything else.

"Have a safe trip." He commented.

"Next time I see you maybe you can show me how useless a blaster is." His words were sarcastic - not with the intent of mocking her, but in jest. It was his way of thanking her for the lesson she had taught him. He knew that despite the pain and a bit of humiliation, it was best he learned this lesson here, from her, than from someone else.

His expression was serious as he spoke, but a slight smile eventually made it to the corners of his lips.

[Mu Satach]

She stopped swirled around, her long coat rustled with her movement as she reached out. Her fingers clenched his shirt collar. In one swift motion she yanked his head down to her and growled, "I already did." She then kissed him goodbye softly on the side of the cheek and whispered, "See you around the galaxy Space Cowboy."

Immediately she released him and went. Her figure fading into the darkness of the hallway until only the faint sound of her bootheels on the marble floors echoed back to him.

[SashaKovalev]

She'd caught him by surprise - but this time, it was a pleasant one. Her voice was seductive to him as she growled her response. And the kiss she'd planted on his cheek temporarily knocked the wind out of him.

See you around the galaxy Space Cowboy

He couldnt help but grin at her words as he watched her walk off down the hallway without so much as a glance back. As she rounded the corner out of sight, he released the breath he'd been holding. Shaking his head and chuckling softly, he walked back into his room and shut the door behind him.

He wanted to be alone for a while to think about things.