Once bitten... (Xazor)

[SashaKovalev]

He was returning. He'd thought long and hard about it, for he knew that too many visits to spend time hanging out with Jedi was a sure way to raise questions about his loyalties. But his master hadnt been around, and he'd been warned not to train beyond what he had control of. So it seemed to him, he was being told to entertain himself for some time until his master would have time for him.

She had been on his mind since the conversation he'd had with her in Yogs. He'd never really spoken with a Jedi before he'd spoken with her, and she had been about to tell him of her friendship with a Sith when they'd been interrupted.

To him, it was a discussion without a proper ending, and he hated leaving things hanging.

It wasnt that he was thinking of leaving the order, or had doubts about his decision. He didnt. Not in the slightest. But he was curious, and no one had forbidden him from coming.

As he had last time, he came without weapons of any sort. The place was rather quiet when he walked in. He didnt see her, and so he took a seat once again at the bar, and ordered a drink. He would give it some time, and see if perhaps she dropped by.

When his drink arrived, he passed the bartender a few credits and then placed a leatherbound journal on the bar and began to write while he passed the time. Occasionally, he would look up to see if she had arrived without him sensing her presence. He thought that he would know, for he'd been working on this skill, but it was still new to him, and he wasnt 100% confident in his abilities just yet.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor had been sitting in the corner of the bar, a dark and quiet area where no one else would bother her as she wrote in her own leatherbound journal, something of which she had been keeping since she was sixteen. Of course she did not write in it everyday....but she would nearly every other day, or when something exciting happened. Smiling, she closed it after finishing a new page. Looking up, the Knight sensed a familiar presence...one she had just met the other day, but felt connected to in a strange way. Perhaps it was becauase he reminded her so much of Abydos....but whatever it was, was not important at this moment.....what was, was that he was back again.

Rising from her seat, the Knight slowly made her way across the bar. Her soft red robes gently flowed behind her as she walked, and her Garou Warrior Braids swung together in rhythm with her steps. The gold coins clanged togehter gently until she came to a stop behind him. Of course he had not sensed her....for she was good at masking her signature in the Force, and was doing so at that very moment. Smiling gently, she tapped him on the shoulder.

"I see you have returned....it does my heart good to see you again."

The Garou said softly in an attempt not to startle him.

[SashaKovalev]

He looked up from his writing as he felt a tap on his shoulder and heard a familiar voice. As he saw her there his expression contained both excitement - that she was there - and disappointment that he hadnt felt her presence. His shoulders slumped, though only briefly as he closed the journal and stood from his seat in greeting.

He instantly felt at ease with her. It was a strange sense of warmth that seemed to envelope him when she was near, as if he had known her for much longer than their first, and now second meeting.

He smiled, his normally serious expression fading for the moment.

"I knew even before I walked out the door last time that I would come back." He stated softly.

"Im sorry I left last time. I just...." He paused and sighed slightly, his gaze looking to the ground momentarily before his eyes met hers again.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor smiled gently, noting that he felt disappointed for not feeling her presence. It was partly her fault, though....well, mostly her fault. The Knight noticed a change in his demeanor, he felt more comfortable with just her, than he had felt when he was speaking with the group of four. It was comforting to know that he was at ease in her presence....for she was not out to make anyone uncomfortable.

"Well, I am glad that you have come back. I know why you left last time and I cannot blame you. I too would have."

She said softly. It was not easy playing either side of the "Force Coin", and she had played both. The woman smiled and moved to the empty seat beside where he was sitting, and she set her black leather bound journal on the bar top before looking up at him with a warm smile.

[SashaKovalev]

As she took a seat, he sat down once again. His violet eyes glanced to her leatherbound journal then back to her, a quizical expression in them briefly before his expression returned to its normal serious countenance.

"And why would you have left?" He asked. It wasnt an interrogation, the way he asked. His tone was inquisitive and earnest. He knew why he had left - because he had been confused and didnt want to face what might be the truth about what he would someday maybe become.

His violet eyes looked to her with an intensity to them. He knew there was much to learn from her - not only as someone who had more experience from him, a teacher, but as a friend, as well.

He knew that someday, their paths would likely cross - in conflict. It was inevitable, really, with the years and years of hatred among the Jedi and Sith. But when that time came, he was determined not to be the madman that Gav had claimed he would be. He would prove him wrong.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor looked into his eyes for a moment and sighed gently, knowing that she could not let her past affect her any longer. A smile tiptoed across her lips and she looked back to him and spoke.

"I would have left if someone told me what he said. I too was once Sith, and if someone would have said that I would have become...mad....insane, and crazy...I would have been furious and left. And now....as I am a Jedi, if someone came to preach to me about their ways, I would simply listen and do as I am. I judge no one for what they have done or what they will do, I judge them for who they are..."

The Knight smiled gently as she spoke the words from her heart, not ashamed to share this with him. She felt comfortable in his presence....though, she too knew that their paths would cross in battle someday. He had a good spirit about him, and she hated to see it be killed off by what the Sith could do. He was so...nice...and he was to her, a friend....just as Abydos had once been. She hoped in her heart that it would not end up the way their relationship had.

[SashaKovalev]

As she smiled at him, he couldnt help but return it with one of his own. His serious expresion often made him appear a year, maybe two older than he truly was, and with the sterness gone from his features, he appeared to be the eighteen year old kid that he was.

His grin touched even the corners of his eyes, which crinkled up slightly.

He wanted to move on to lighter topics - for he hadnt slept much since he'd heard Gav's words. They'd echoed in his mind from that day until now. But he had to know. Her words had made him curious. Particularly since she'd told him she wouldnt judge him on what he might possibly become.

"Do you believe his words?" He asked, leaning forward ever so slightly.

"Do you believe I'll be a madman some day?"

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor sighed, looking down at the table for a moment before looking back up at him.

"I hope not...but that is your choice. I know some good Sith. Darth Snack....he is a good man. I only hope that you may stay as you are. You have a good heart, Sasha...."

She said softly. He was so much like Abydos was... she hoped that the Darkside would not corrupt him with its many lies. Hopefully he would see the truth and dodge what was false.

"Would you like something to drink? I'll pay...."

She said gently, looking to the bar tender so that he would take their orders. The Knight looked back to Sasha and waited to hear his answer.....

[SashaKovalev]

He was satisfied with her response. At the very lest, she hadnt told him she believed he'd be a crazed evil madman. Shed told him it was his choice. And that he had a good heart. And he would be careful with both his heart and that choice. He would. He nodded, as if to indicate her understood her response.

"I dont plan on changing." He stated quietly.

At her offer of a drink, he shook his head.

"No, thank you." He replied, nodding towards the only half empty pint of ale he'd ordered earlier.

"I figured I'd just drink alone until you showed up." He joked lightly. He waited for her to order her own from the bartender she'd summoned, and then he spoke.

"So you keep a journal?" He asked, his violet eyes flickering to the leatherbound book she'd placed on the bar when she'd arrived, and then back to her.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor smiled, glad to hear that he did not plan on changing. She nodded and eyed his ale for a moment and then ordered one of her own.

"It sounds like a good drink for a change..."

She said softly and then noticed him looking at her book. She laid a hand on the black leather bound journal and nodded.

"Indeed....I have been keeping this for quite some time now. I write in it as often as I can, especially when important or exiting things happen."

The Knight said as her drink was brought to her. S;miling, she lifted it into the air before her and looked at his violet eyes. The silver specks in her deep blue eyes glistened in the light...

"A toast, perhaps.....to, friendship..."

She said softly, hoping he would accept the toast.

[SashaKovalev]

He smiled as she chose an ale to drink. He hadnt chosen it for himself out of any sort of knowledge about what ales were better than others, he''d chosen it only because he could depend on it not to burn as liquors did, and because it reminded him of his friends back home. It had been the easiest thing for them to sneak from their homes, the large barrel kegs not showing how much had disappeared from it.

Hed lost touch with those friends - theyd all gone off in search of something newer and exicting. A new life. Or the army, or the navy. And then there was him. He'd always been a little different from the others. Just a bit more thoughtful, a bit more intense, and certainly, more angry.

His friends had always assumed his anger came from his lack of a father. His bitterness at not knowing who even, the man was. Some of it did perhaps, but most of it came from the unkown man. It just seemed to run through his blood.

Though here, where there was no provocation, and only a sense of friendship, one would never have known. Unless, of course, that person could use the force. To them, his anger and frustration was as plain as day. It emanated from him.

It seemed in conflict with his heart and mind, this anger of his, for he was quiet and thoughtful, and rarely, if ever would have struck out without provocation. But when provoked, he made no effort to contain the anger that ran so freely through his veins.

"I just started writing in one." He admitted, tapping his own journal protectively.

When Xazors drink was served and she raised her glass in toast, he grinned, and raised his to meet hers.

"To friendship." He replied, clinking his glass with hers. And then he took a long, slow drink, his eyes locked with hers for a moment, as if to seal the toast in some way.

When he set his drink back on the bar, he had a thoughtful expression on his face.

"You mentioned another Sith, Darth Snack...you respect him...?"

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor met his eyes and smiled as she took a sip of her Ale. He was so very thoughtful and kind...it puzzeled her as to why he gave into his anger and became a Sith. It was not matter, though, for he was her friend and she was his.....despite their beliefs. She nodded in reponse to his question and smiled once again.

"Indeed....Darth Snack is a Sith Lord from the Sith Empire. I respect him, despite our differences in beliefs. He too respects me for a few things as well, one being that I am a living being. We can live in peace and harmony...that is true, but many of the Sith tell their apprentices that this is not so."

She sighed, wishing that the other side would realize what a mistake that was. Indeed, the Jedi and Sith could at least tolerate one another as Snack had with Xazor. She wished that more people would be like he and Sasha....

[SashaKovalev]

He considered her words. He hadnt seen enough of the conflict to be sure of whether or not they truly could, as general groups, live without cofrontation. But in smaller groups, in settings such as this one, it certainly seemed possible.

"I havent really begun much of my official training yet..." He admitted, "But those Ive spoke with have said nothing to me to indicate that I am expected to live in conflict with Jedi. Only that it happens."

He took another drink from the glass of ale.

"Do you think it will ever happen?" He began.

"A day when there isnt conflict between the jedi and sith?" He asked. He looked to her, the expression on his face seriously questioning. It wasnt that he was on a crusade for peace between the two. He had no intentions of acting as any sort of ambassador. At least, not at this point. Right now, he was too young to have much influence, and too young to have the wisdom such a cause would require.

But he did think about it and wonder about it. Particularly because it was all so new to him. He hadnt yet been jaded by the hatred between the jedi and sith.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor nodded and smiled gently.

"I think so....I hope so. All things are possible by will of the Force."

She said softly, thinking about the times she had dreamt about peace between the Jedi and Sith. It would be a miraculous thing, to say the least...but it was something she longed for. Sighing, she took another drink of her Ale and set it back down.

"You have not had much training? Who is your Master, I cannot recall if you told me or not."

She questioned curiously, for perhaps she had met the one who was to train him. The Knight was quite experienced and knew several Sith....a few more than she wished to know...but nonetheless, she had met some decent ones in her lifetime.

[SashaKovalev]

He hesitated slightly as she asked him who his master was. He knew she was asking it as a friend might ask - there were no hidden intentions - but already, it had begun to be ingrained in him not to trust the jedi.

He knew she had likely felt his hesitation. He wanted to apologize, but knew it was better not to say anything. It would be better just to let it go.

"Lord Dyzm." He replied.

"He is my master." He recalled that she had once been trained as a Sith.

"Who were you trained by?" He asked.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor nodded, knowing that she had once encountered Lord Dyzm. Smiling gently, she spoke.

"Indeed...he too is a respected Sith."

She said gently. His question caught her a bit off guard and she looked at the table and sighed.

"His name was Xander Kama....better known as Sith Master Lord Kama. He liked large titles....and considered it his whole name. He was a terrible man, and he taught me to hate the Jedi. He taught me how to kill without mercy.....without regret or feeling. I was a cold-blooded killer.....and I was not ashamed of it."

She said with silent regret. She could not let her past affect her...and that was something she had to remind herself of. It was sad, but she felt his hesitation as he spoke to her. It was something inevitable though...

"If you do not care to tell me certain things, I do not expect you to. I am your friend...but I am also a Jedi. Someday.....you shall face me in battle. I know that you will try to preserve who you are now, though...."

She said softly, knowing that was not entirely possible. She had been a sweet girl growing up, until she was placed in permanent killer mode. Now that Kama was dead, though....her past was also dead. It was a part of her, yes....but she did not dwell on it, and it was not hard for her to tell others about what she had done...what she was and became.

[SashaKovalev]

He tried to picture her as a cold blooded killed. She seemed too calm and wise now, though he had seena bit of her rash side the last time they had met - when she had defended him.

As she mentioned him not having to tell her certain things, he shook his head.

"It isnt that I dont want to tell you these things." He replied quickly.

"Its just that..." He paused and shruged.

"Its just that I dont want to lie to someone I would consider a friend." He smiled slightly.

"Perhaps we should agree that certain topics are off limits." He added. "For I would rather be able to speak with you and have an honest friendship than feel at odds with what I should or should not tell you." He added, proposing what seemed to be the easiest and fairest thing to both of them.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor nodded and smiled gently.

"Very well.....certain things we shall not speak of, if you wish...but everything else is fine. I was only curious as to who your Master was, because I wished to know if I had encountered him before. If you tell me things like that, it isn't because I wish to go do harm to them. And as for me, whatever you wish to know....I'll tell you. I hide nothing..."

And it was very true about her. If someone wanted to know something, she would tell....unless they had proven untrustworthiness. She smiled and took a sip of her drink, glad that he was her friend...

[SashaKovalev]

He nodded in understanding. It wasnt that he wished to hide anything from her, it was that he knew there would be things of which he was not allowed to speak, and he didnt want to have to choose between his loyalties to the Sith order, and a friend.

As she explained why she had asked of his master, a curious expression crossed his fae. He had yet to meet his master, and was naturally quite nervous about finally coming face to face with him.

"Have you met Lord Dyzm before.....?" He asked curiously.

"What...what is he like?" He asked. Although he tried to hide it, there was a certain degree of uneasiness in his voice. He was worried about meeting his new master, and what this man would be like.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor smiled gently, nodding in reply to his question.

"Yes, I have met him before....he is very dark, and powerful. To learn the ways of the Sith...he is a very good teacher. To be in a fight against him is a very bad idea. He is one to be respected and feared."

Indeed...if one was to pound the teaching that the Jedi and Sith hated one another into Sasha...he was the one to do it. She sighed as the future of her friend seemed clearer and clearer...

[SashaKovalev]

Instinctively, as she spoke of his master, he reached for his drink. He took a long slug of it, as if to calm his nerves a bit.

He could almost feel her thoughts - those that suggested that his future held something dark, and not at all what he expected, perhaps.

He tried to shake off the feeling he had gotten.

"Well, I dont plan to fight with him." He replied with a slightly nervous smile. He sighed deeply, and turned on his stool enough that he could lean back against the bar a bit.

"So when you're not...being a jedi..." He knew that always, she was, but his tone was light, in an effort to forget about the things that worried him as he changed the subject.

"What do you do for fun?" He asked.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor thought for a moment and smiled.

"I love to sneak around in the shadows....I have learned to nearly become one with them...and I spy. I also practice Martial Arts...for my body is nearly fluent in three forms. I love to swim and I am working on a novel. I write in my journal and I like to make weapons. I also like to come here and talk with my friends. But the thing that I love most, is going to my favorite place. It is out in the jungle....there is a waterfall....it is beautiful. The trees touch the sky and the flowers that surround the area fill the air with their sweet smell. The water is so clear, and is a pure blue. It seems....mystical....almost, for when you look into the water, you see things that are not really there...."

She paused a moment and looked at him. Her deep blue eyes shimmered in the light. Taking a sip of her drink, she continued.

"At night....I sit there and the light from the moons shine down and touch the water. The stars dance across the velvet sky and seem to create a music that only I can here. It is the most incredible feeling ever...."

She did not know if he would care about this, or not....but it was something she did when she "wasn't being a Jedi". She smiled as a mental picture of this place filled her mind. She closed her eyes and sent the image to him, so that he could see what she meant.

[SashaKovalev]

He laughed softly, for the first few things she had mentioned seemed so very close to training and being a jedi. At least, he thought, she loves what she does.

But as she moved on to other things, swimming and writing, he listened more intently. For these were the things that firends understood about each other.

As she described her waterfall, he found himself imagining it in his mind, altered only slightly by the image she sent to him. As she did this, as as he realized it was being done, his violet eyes widened just a bit.

He had never had this done to him. At least, not that he had noticed, and he broke into a wide grin - both at the actual image of the place, and this new rick she had shown him.

"Thats quite a place." He stated.

"Ive never been anywhere like that. Ive only seen it in books and paintings..." He admitted. His homeland was a rather barren planet. It was cold and devoid of lush vegetation. In fact, it was mostly buildings and imperial training bases and facilities. They seemed to have taken over what little there had been on the planet of lush life.

"How did you find this place?" He asked, his violet eyes lit up with curiousity.

"And...how did you...how did you do that?"

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor grinned at his excitement over the place she had just described. Thinking for a moment about the question he had asked, she made up her mind how.

"I am not exactly sure...but one day as I was walking in the jungle, I came across what looked to be like a dead end. After opening myself to the Force, I found out that it was indeed a passageway. After pushing through the brush and tree limbs....I came across it. I was quite shocked, to say the least.....for I had never seen anything of such beauty."

She paused a moment and then smiled brightly at his next question.

"It is an alteration of the mind. I can store images in my head....and if I want someone else to see them, I can transfer them into their mind...kinda like telepathy. You can hear me speak in your mind through the Force. It is just another thing we learn here. It proves very useful at times."

She said with a gentle smile. As she waited for him to say something, she took a sip of her drink and set it back on the bar top....

[SashaKovalev]

He recalled the image in his mind, once again. It was, truly, a beautiful place. Perhaps one day, in his travels, if he was fortunate, he would come across something halfway close to the image Xazor had projected to him.

He had quite forgotten about his drink at this point, for his real reason in coming had not been to drink, but to speak with this woman who was, with each word, becoming a friend to him.

"You teach that to all of your padawans?" He asked, his head tilted slightly in a curious expression.

"Would you....." He hesitated for a moment. His master, he supposed, should be the one to teach him such things. But...he didnt want to wait, and, he reasoned, anything he could learn before his training began would only make less work for his master.

"Would you teach me how to do that?" He asked. It was a difficult question, he knew. Would she draw the line here - as a jedi - and refuse to have anything to do with the training of a sith apprentice - or did the lines of friendshjp blur things enough that she didnt see it as a problem.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor listened intently as he spoke and she nodded in reply to his question. Smiling to herself, she spoke.

"Oh yes, I teach that to all of my Padawans....and most of the others here teach it to their's as well."

She said gently, taking a sip of her drink and finishing it off. Ale, it was good for a change and she noticed that Sasha had nearly forgotten about his. Smiling, she nodded once again in reply to his next question.

"Oh yes, I'll teach you!"

She said without hesitation. The Knight turned around on her chair for a moment and looked at the door before facing him once again.

"Do you wish to learn here....or perhaps I could take you to the place I showed you in your mind, and you could learn there."

Xazor offered gently. She had never shown anyone else that place...and she thought it would be a nice thing to show him....

[SashaKovalev]

His eyes watched her as he'd waited for her reply, and as she finshed off her drink, he was reminded of his. He picked up the half full glass and took a few long drinks of it before setting it back on the bar.

He hadnt been sure if she would agree to teach him or not - and when she had, he'd smiled broadly, clearly excited about learnign something new - perticualrly from her, for she seemed that she would be a good teacher. She was kind, and patient, and already, he found that he admired her for those qualities.

His eyes widened slightly as she offered to take him to the place she had spoken of - shared with him by way of the mind. He paused a moment before replying.

"Are you sure you wish to take me there?" He asked, his voice sincere. He wanted to go. He truly did. But he had thought of her first. This was her private place. And, though he didnt plan to change, and knew little of what had happened to her and the Sith she had known before him, he knew she might have offered without thinking twice about what the future might hold for the two of them and thier budding friendship.

Perhaps somewhere else besides a jedi bar, he would be able to forget the lines that inevitably existed between the two of them - she was a jedi, and he was a sith - a sith in training - and who or what he would one day become was in the hands of fate - and a rather dark sith master who would train him.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor nodded and smiled gently, knowing that if he changed in the future....he might go and destroy her place. She pushed the thoughts aside, judging him for who he is, not who he could become.

"Follow me....."

She said softly and laid some credits on the bar top to pay for their drinks. Hopping off of the stool, she walked toward the exit of the bar, her blue robes flowing behind her like the waves of the ocean....and her Garou Warrior Braids swinging in time with her step. The gold coins wove into them clanged together softly until she stopped outside of the Bar and Grill.

"It is not too far from here if we go this way..."

She said gently and the pair began walking toward the edge of the jungle...

[SashaKovalev]

He gathered his journal and cast a sideways glance at the coins she put down. The next time, he would pay - and he would not let her argue.

He fell into stride beside her as they left the bar, headed further out towards a denser brush area - where the jungle would begin. He would remember this day for the rest of his life - and hopefully,when the time came that he had to make other decisions, he would remember this day and prove himself different from the others. Prove he was not the madman Gav claimed he would become.

"Your padawans are lucky to have a master like you." He commented. It wasnt said for any reason other than that he respected her, and he felt she deserved to hear it.

"Do you like doing that - training them?" He asked.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor continued walking toward the edge of the jungle and then the silence between them was broken as he spoke. She smiled gently and gave him a sideways glance.

"Well thank you.....others have told me that too, but I just try my best..."

She said softly as the pair came closer to the jungle. This would be a great time, and she hoped that he would learn something from it. She could feel his anticipation grow a little as they neared the edge of the brush.

"Yes, I love training them...that is why I have ten! It brings a great joy to my heart..."

The Knight said with a bright smile, her elongated canines gleaming in the light that they caught. She was so happy that he decided to go there with her....it meant a lot to her.....

[SashaKovalev]

He looked ot her as they walked. Typically, at least, as of late, when he found himself speaking with others, he'd found his gaze wandering to the ground, refusing to meet that of the ones he had been speaking with. But with Xazor, he felt no sense of being insignificant. He was comfortable with his inexperience around her, for she didnt make a big deal of it, but instead seemed to bask in it, and in teaching.

"Ten?" He repeated, a smile on his face. He shook his head and laughed.

"And you have time to walk with me in the jungles?" He teased.

"Is it something you ever imagined you'd be doing? Teaching them all?" He asked as they reached the edge of the jungle. He could feel his heart beat, perhaps a bit faster in anticipation. The image she had sent him in his mind had been beautiful - and he couldnt wait to actually experience this place. He could almost feel her excitement as they walked, as well. She loved this place, and though he hadnt made an effort to read her, these feelings had come to him.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor laughed and shook her head gently. She thought about the many students that she had....she thought about the joy of teaching them.

"No, I never imagined myself doing this.....but I am so glad that I am. I love each and every one of my students. They are the joy in my life...."

She said softly. Finally they reached the edge of the jungle. There were two paths two choose....one that looked heavily traveled to the left, and one that was overgrown and less traveled, to the right. Without hesitation, she led him down the less traveled one to the right.

"I know that this path is less traveled...overgrown....and has fallen branches along the way, but it will get me to the beauty that I seek at the end. The other path is clear and leads to nothing, really....there's a big thorn bush at the end of that path."

She said as they began walking. The Knight climbed over a large branch and moved some brush out of the way, holding a large limb for Sasha to pass by without being hit. She smiled gently as they continued walking and they came to a part of the path that was clear, for a little while.

"Oh yes, I have time to walk with you in the jungles although I have so many students....I train many of them out here, but they have never seen my special place. No one has....so you'll be the first!"

She was indeed becomming more excited as they got nearer....climbing over large branches. She had a scar on her knee from when she had fallen over a log, trying to get there once....but it was a small price to pay for the reward at the end. The paths were much like life....she had chosen the easy path at first and found nothing but a thorn bush at the end...but the she had another chance and started over, taking the path less traveled, and in the end....she got the greatest reward of all.

"We're nearly there now!"

She exclaimed as they continued on....nearing a large mass of trees and bushes which looked like a dead end....the same one that lead to the beautiful place that they sought......

[SashaKovalev]

He listened to the way she spoke about her students. It was clear in her tone and her words that she did, in fact, enjoy every moment of what she did.

He followed as she led the way. He liked this jungle, and briefly he thought about how much fun he would have had in a place like this as a kid. There were places to hide and trees to climb. Vines to swing from. It was a place that set the imagination free - and made one almost forget completely that a real world existed outside of this peaceful little jungle.

He ducked beneath branches, respectful of the wildlife, and the fact that this was a place very dear to this new friend of his.

As they approached the dead end, he looked at it, his violet eyes perplexed.

He hadnt yet developed the ability to reach out and seek what lay beyond. If he had, perhaps he would have felt the lush undergrowth and the tricking sounds of the waterfalls. He might have heard the wildlife as it resonated through the trees.

Perhaps one day he would, but for now, he looked to her, a questioning expression on his face.

[Xazor Elessar]

Suddenly the pair stopped at the dead end. Xazor smiled gently and touched some of the branches as she looked at his curious expression. The Knight pulled several branches back and moved a couple of bushes out of the way, making room for Sasha to come through.

"Here we are...."

She said softly as they both stepped to the other side. Immediatly the smell of the thousands of wild flowers met their senses. The sound of the large waterfall and the few other smaller ones around it, danced along their ear drums. She smiled and walked forward a little. A small ground dwelling creature sat there and looked up to her.

Greetings Jack...it's a lovely day!

She spoke in the creatures mind. He seemed to smile as he looked around a bit before bringing his beady eyes up to meet hers.

It is Lady Xazor...I see you have a friend?

He questioned softly. Of course, they were speaking through the Force, something which she had learned from her Father. Sasha was not blocked out, though, for she sent the "transmissions" to him like she had done with the image of this place.

Indeed, this is Sasha, a good friend of mine...

The Knight said as she looked back to him before focusing back on the creature. He seemed to think for a moment before concluding his thoughts with her.

Lucky he is to see this place...good day my friend!

He scampered off and she waved gently, ending the link of communication between the three of them. Smiling, she turned to Sasha. All around them trees shot up from the ground and touched the sky, flowers dotted the tall grasses, and the water was crystal clear....a sparkling blue that seemed to match color with Xazor's eyes. A glow radiated from the young woman...pure joy and excitement that this place brought to her. She hoped that Sasha would find something here too....

[SashaKovalev]

He was honored that she had chosen him as the first to see this place. His heart pounded in anticipation as Xazor began to part the branches that would lead to this magical place of hers.

As they stepped to the other side, he stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide and his jaw dropping slightly in awe. The scent of the flowers was intoxicating and the waterfall - he wanted to run and jump beneath it - let it wash away everything and anything that was wrong with him or the rest of the galaxy.

He heard the conversation between Xazor and her friend, but he hadnt been able to draw his eyes from the view, despite how rude it was of him not to acknowledge her friend. It was too late by the time he recovered, for the creature had scampered off.

He shook his head slowly.

"I could never thank you enough....just for showing this place to me." He stated, his voice barely above a whisper, for it seemed that to speak any louder would disturb the nature around them.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor smiled and nodded gently as she looked around. A pair of birds fluttered about, chasing one another and singing a happy song. She giggled to herself as one landed on her shoulder and another on his head.

"I think she likes you..."

The Knight couldn't help but laugh a bit. She stroked the soft feathers of the bird gently, seeming to have a secret conversation with the creature. The pretty finch flew from her shoulder and dove at her mate, and he joined her in the air to resume their game of tag. She smiled once again and motioned for him to follow her as they moved closer to the falls. It was a spectacular sight, something beyond words.

The Knight removed her cloak and set it on a large boulder, along with her journal. She then walked over and sat down on a mass of rocks, right at the foot of the falls. Looking to Sasha, she smiled.

"I love to sit here and read...I also write sometimes and draw. The water is beautiful to swim in also. It is like my little piece of Heaven...a place I can get away and be perfect no matter how terrible the galaxy is...no matter what is going wrong with me. Everything is perfect when I'm here..."

She said softly, looking into the water. The woman dragged her finger through the cool liquid and smiled as she eyed her reflection. Somehow, in it...she could see them...both of them, best friends for a long time. She hoped it would be true....and hopefully the Sith would not change the way he was now...

[SashaKovalev]

He had watched as the birds had fluttered by. He hadnt expected one of them to nearly dive bomb him, then land as gently at it had upon his head. He'd moved slightly, trying to peer up at it, and then it had fluttered off.

"I wonder if they know how lucky they are to just fly about all day in a place like this...." He commented as they walked towards the falls.

He set his journal down with hers and walked over to the edge, where he knelt and allowed the spray of the water to reach him. The cool, cleansing feel of the water was like nothign he had felt before and he stepped back, leaning casually against a rock, taking in the feeling of this special place.

"I can understand how you would feel that way...." He commented as he hopped up to sit on the edge of the boulder, his feet dangling.

"A place like this makes everything else easy to forget." He added. when he had come to visit her this day, he hadnt expected that she would open to him as she had, sharing with him this thing that was so special to her. A place she had never shown anyone before. It was then that he knew their friendship would somehow stand the test of time and fate. It just diddnt seem that something this perfect, this peaceful and special could be destroyed.

"So where did you grow up?" He asked. Though he knew it was a basic question, if they were to be good friends, he wanted to know these things about her.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor smiled and nodded at his comment. She looked into the water and thought about his question for a moment before answering.

"Well, I was born on the planet Eden, and I grew up there until I was four. Then a Sith Lord came and took me away from my parents...and he took me across the galaxy to grow up on a planet called Cysaria. Indeed it was beautiful...but the people who lived there had ugly souls. They were mad men, as that man in the bar had described...killing senselessly anything that seemed to walk the face of the galaxy."

She sighed a moment and thought back to her past, remembering not to let it take hold of her. She had to stay focused on the here and now....and this place allowed her to live without the fear of what she had done.

"I too became mad like that...I was a cold blooded killer...a possessed Sith who did not care about my life...or the lives of others. I killed so many, that it became second nature. I could looked a man in the face, smile...and drive my saber through his heart. It was a terrible way to live. But then I fell in love....his name was..."

She paused for a moment, looking at Sasha, unsure if he cared about such things or not. Despite her uncertainties, she continued.

"His name was Chase, and he was a Sith Knight like I, but inside his heart lived a dormant Jedi...wishing to escape. We were to be married, but my Sith Master killed him three days before our wedding...because he found out we wished to escape from his wrath together. After a great many other things...I escaped and came to the Jedi after realizing what a great mistake I had made my life into. So, I have spent the last little while here."

She smiled gently and touched the water once again, creating a hundred or so ripples. The Knight was perfectly content where she was in life now.

"And I even found my Father...he is here at the Jedi Order. So all things worked out in the end, despite the darkness inbetween..."

She said softly. Thinking for a moment about how far she had come, she remembered to ask him the very same question.

"So where did you grow up?"

The Garou woman was curious about her friend, and she knew that they would last. Knowing more about him would just strengthen their bond...

[SashaKovalev]

With every word that she spoke, he tried to imagine it. It was difficult to see the woman he knew now, at this stage in her life, as a cold blooded killer. she was a warrier, clearly, and capable of killing if she needed to, he didnt doubt that, but killing in cold blood seemed too far a reach.

He smiled slightly at the twist her life had taken. It seemed that she had come full circle - back to a place where she was always supposed to have been. Only now she was there ans a wiser, more experienced person.

He was, indeed interested in hearing of her tragic tale of love. He had loved his mother, and his friends, but he had never truly been in love just yet. Perhaps one day. He'd had crushes before, certainly, but they had been nothing beyond childhood curiousities.

His expression was sad as he heard of the tragic ending of the two of them. Fate, it seemed, could be awfully cruel.

At least, he thought, she had been reunited with her father. He doubted he would ever know who his father was, and had they been reunited, he wasnt sure he whether he would hug the guy or hold his blaster to his head.

with her question, he took off the jacket he'd been wearing and tossed it aside. It wasnt a careless gesture, but rather a relaxed one.

"My story isnt quite so interesting..." He replied with a slight grin, teasing her gently before his expression changed slightly.

"I grew up on Siberion." It was a rather cold, rather desolate planet, and no one would have heard of it, except that it had been a remote military base of the Empire for quite a few years.

"My mother raised me." He added, and then in the same tone, "She passed away last year." Though he had loved his mother - loved her beyond explanation - she was the source of his anger. She had brought him into this world without a father, and now she had left this world, leaving him without a mother. It radiated from him as he spoke, an unconscious reaction to a verbal reminder.

"So do you get along well with your father?" He asked, curious to know what it had been like to be reunited after all that time.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor listened intently as he spoke, and laughed as he teased her a bit. She then felt his anger for the first time...as he spoke of his mother. Sighing to herself, she continued to listen until he questioned her.

"Oh yes...I love my Father. He is a wonderful man, and a strong Warrior. Though, I can't remember my mother...."

She paused for a moment and looked into the water once again, smiling as she eyed their reflections again. Turning to him, her eyes sparkled, reflecting the same color as the water.

"I guess we have the best of each other's worlds, then...."

She laughed slightly and thought about it for a moment. He had a mother...and she had a father. Both of them lacked the other....they had a lot in common already.

"Do you have any siblings? I have a Force brother, and a blood brother....one is Jedi and the other is Sith. Satine Capashen...also known as Alpha, is Jedi. He is my Force brother and one of my closest friends. Chaos Alexander....he's my blood brother and he is Sith, but he loves me. We speak often and are there for each other."

The Knight smied to herself as thoughts of her family flooded her mind. Now she also had two children...by adoption. Both were great, but had the tendancy to be a handful.

"I also have two children by adoption, and I am to be married...."

She thought that she would add those facts in as well, since they were talking about family. The woman wondered what family he had...if any. It was always interesting to see where other people had come from...and if anyone shared that journey with them. He seemed to gentle...to kind to be Sith...perhaps there was an influence in his life that led him down that path.....or perhaps it was a combination of bad things that had happened to him....

[SashaKovalev]

He wondered about her mother. He was grateful for having had one growing up,. She had spoiled him as best she could - but it had been dificult, for she was a single mother without the means to provide much. He'd worked hard most of his life to help her make ends meet.

He wasnt bitter for that. It was ingrained enough in him that it was just a way of life that he hadnt bothered to think about how different his life might have been had he been more fortunate. And he hadnt bothered to feel sorry for himself about it. In fact, he rarely ever stopped to feel sorry for himelf. There were others who were much less fortunate - others who hadnt had a mother like he had had, or hadnt had friends like those he'd had.

He shook his head in answer to her question of siblings.

"No." He replied. "Not that I know of, at least." He added with a slight smirk.

"I guess my friends were like a family to me growing up. Our town was pretty much overrun with imperials, and there were only about 8 of us close to the same age. We bonded, I suppose, just trying to stay out of their way and find something to keep us amused." He looked almost wistful for a moment.

"Most of them ended up joining the army or navy...." He added, disappointment, and perhaps even disillusionment heavy in his tone.

But when he looked back to her, he shrugged it off and smiled a bit. His eyes, too, caught the reflection of the two of them in the water.

He was surprised somewhat they she had children, but then, with 10 padawans, he mused, he wasnt all that surprised, really.

"So who's this lucky guy you're going to marry?" He asked. Already, he felt protective of her, as a brother might be, wondering if this man was good enough to deserve the love of his friend.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor listened as he spoke of his growing up years. He had had good friends and a mother...but then they left and she died. It was a terrible ending, but now they had met. Hopefully she could help restore some of his hope in people. She blushed crimson when he asked about her fiance.

"His name is Shade Magus....he is a Jedi Knight here. I love him so much..."

She said softly and looked at the water. Not even Shade had seen this place yet. It made her smile a bit to think about that. Her eyes drifted to meet his again, thinking about how he sounded a bit protective of her. It was a nice feeling...he really cared, like a brother....

[SashaKovalev]

He chuckled as he noticed her blush. It was clear that she was very happy this this man, and certainly, he trusted her to make her own decisions. She was a grown woman, and perfectly capable of knowing what was right for her. He was merely, as a friend, naturally curious and concerned.

"Is that how you met? Through the Jedi Order?" He asked as her eyes drifted to meet his.

He grinned.

"Is that how they keep you guys over here, get you to fall in love with other jedi?" He teased. Away from others, were he could relax, he was more himself - a kid who actually liked to smile, joke around, and have fun with his friends.

With others, in the Sith order, in the Jedi bar, in any bar, he was quiet and reserved. The difference was odd, yet understandable when one understood that he had been raised on a planet crawling with the imperial military. Reserved was a requirement.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor giggled to herself as she ran her hand through the water once again and thought for a moment.

"Oh yes...we met here. He was the first person to greet me in the Recruitment Center."

The Knight smiled thoughtfully as she thought back to those times.....now she was a Knight, and she played many important roles in the Order.

"I suppose it is a way to keep us over her, for we all know how attractive you Sith men are..."

She winked his way and thought about how different he was when he was with her. In the bar he was so quiet, and he did not open up as much....but while they were out here in this peaceful place, alone, he was wonderful. It was quite puzzeling how someone of such good nature could ever dream about being Sith. Sure, everyone had their issues with anger and patience....Xazor being one of them, but the way of the Jedi worked her through it...she would not push it, though, knowing that they were friends and left their beliefs behind....

[SashaKovalev]

He laughed as she teased him in return.

"Maybe one day you'll lure me over with a cute friend of yours..." He retorted as he rested back on his elbows, a grin on his face.

"So what are your two children like? How old are they?" He asked. He'd never had siblings. A few of his friends had, and growing up, he had always found it amusing. His friends were annoyed by their siblings, for they always seemed to tag along.

He hadnt minded at all when they had. Someday, eventually, years and years from now, he would want a family. That much he knew. As to the details of who, what, when, or where...well, he wsnt at any point in his life to think about them or worry about them.

If it was meant to be, it would happen.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor grinned to herself at his teasing words.

"I know a few girls who are looking...."

She winked gently. His question was one that brought joy to her heart...thinking about her children. They were gifts from above, ones that she wished she could share with everyone.

"I have an eight year old daughter, and a five year old son. The girl's name is Natia...and my boy's name is Jedidiah. They are little bundles of joy..."

She said with a grin. Thinking about them for a moment, she nearly forgot everything that was going on. The Knight turned to him and smiled once again.

"Natia did not trust anyone when she arrived here, but I showed her that not everyone is bad. She trusted me right away...but it was hard for others. She dislikes men, until I show her that they are alright. Jedidiah...well, he is a curious little boy. He likes to explore and get his hands as dirty as he can. He basically fell into my arms when he came, running from a man who killed his grandmother. The man came looking for him....but I stopped him....and killed him. It was an accident, though, and the Council understood. I love both of them. So, do you ever wish to have a family?"

She questioned with a smile. He was young like her, so he probably did not think of it often.

[SashaKovalev]

He laughed. Eight and five? He remembered what a pest he was at that age - never leaving his mother alone until she finally gave in to what he wanted - to be allowed to carry a blaster. And when he hadnt been bothering her about that, he'd been running around outside, disappearing for hours and worrying her. Sometimes he would return none the worse for wear, and other times, after a scuffle with another one of the boys, hed come back with black eyes or bruises about him, his hair tousled and full of sticks or leaves or dirt - but it was all in fun, and part of being a kid. And as soon as the fight had ended, they'd ben best friends again, of course. But his mother, his poor mother, had endured it all.

"Ive got to give you credit..." He commented. "I remember what a pain I was at that age..." He took in the glow that seemed to surround her when she spoke of these two. He hoped they would never bring her pain.

As she asked him if he wanted a family, he grinned and shrugged.

"Well yeah, some day. I figure I ought to learn to take care of myself before I have to take care of someone else." This was something he took very seriously, and his expression darkened for a moment. Clearly, whoever his father was, had not taken his duties as a father quite so seriously - in fact, it seemed he had never considered them at all. His anger returned, the darkness in him radiating breifly before he shoved these thoughts aside. As quickly as it had come, it was gone, for this place was far too relaxing and peaceful for him to dwell on his bitterness towards the man he would never know.

"That, and I guess Ive got to actually meet someone Id want to have a family with..." He added, his grin returning. He thought briefly of a woman he had met at the wedding ceremony of Lady Vader and Darth Vader - she had taken him by surprise, and he had wondered from time to time if he would see her again.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor laughed slightly when he mentioned about being a pain when he was younger. How could he have been...he was so sweet now. Smiling to herself, she lofted a brow at his next comment.

"Oh yeah? What's her name?"

The Knight questioned with a silly grin. Love was one of her favorite topics to talk about, and it was interesting that he had found someone already. The young woman wondered who it could be....

[SashaKovalev]

He laughed as she questioned him. She must have read his thoughts - they were lying there like an open book as he'd thought of the woman who scared the hell out of him, yet intrigued him.

"I said I have to actually find someone, first...." He chided with a grin.

But then he leaned back on the rock, his eyes closed and the sun shining gently down upon them and he spoke.

"I met a woman...." He began, thinking of her for a moment.

"At a wedding." He smiled to himself thinking of how she had taken him by surprise, linking her arm in his so he could escort her to the ceremony.

"And I know little of her besides her name...." He paused as memories of the second interaction with her clouded his mind. The time when she had come to his room - and taught him just how powerful and dark the dark side could be. And despite the physical and emotional pain she had caused, he had still found her attractive.

"And the fact that while she is beautiful, she is very dangerous." As he thought of his experiences with this woman, he focused on sending these images to Xazor - the very reason they had come to this paradise in the first place - for him to learn how to do these kinds of things.

[Xazor Elessar]

The images he had sent her were blurred a bit, but a smile danced upon her lips anyway.

"That's right...we came here so that I could teach you how to send images in the mind....and whatever else you wish to learn from me I'll teach you as well. Let's get right to it..."

Xazor looked over at a rock and focused on it for a moment. Closing her eyes, she became connected with Sasha's mind and sent the image of the rock to him. Smiling, she spoke.

"Now....here is how you do this type of thing. Focus on something...it can be large or small. Then connect with my mind the way you would if you were speaking telepathically with me, then basically.....forward the image into my mind. This is something I use while in battle....I am a mentalist, I do illusions and mind tricks to throw off my opponents. Some call me the best around here....but you should see my Father. Now, you try...."

She instructed with a gentle nod.

[SashaKovalev]

As Xazor brought him back to the tast at hand, learning to send these mental images, he sat up, serious about his studies and learning from her.

He listened carefully. Though he was impatient to learn these things, he knew that to learn them, he needed to understand completely the task at hand. He tucked away the fact that this was a tactic that could be used in battle. Someday, perhaps, it would save his life if he could learn to do it effectively.

When she prompted him to, he looked around, and once he'd selected the object he wished to work with, he closed his eyes. He sought Xazor, trying as best he could to use the force to find her. When he could feel her presence, he then reached out, trying to find the connection between them. It was a strange feeling - for it almost felt like a sort of electric current running between them, and it was through this that he tried to send the image to her.

It took effort - it was not an easy task for him, and after a bit of time, he could feel the connection sizzle, and then fade. He opened his eyes, and looked to his friend and teacher, a mild hopeful expression on his face.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor smiled as the image of a pretty blue flower entered her mind. She opened her eyes and looked at her friend with enthusiasm.

"That's it! You did it!"

She exclaimed the words with joy. In the back of her mind, she too thought that one day they may meet in battle and he may use this against her. Pushing the thought away, she moved on with the next part of the lesson.

"Now....if you wish to try that again that is fine, but if not, then I will teach you something else. You can also make false images in people's minds. Say...if I was attacking someone in a spar, and I moved in from the front, I could create the image in their mind that I was coming from behind. They would be very confused and I would, of course, take victory. You can do this with many things...you can put images of things from the past, into peoples minds. Try one of these things....you can do it...."

She said with confidence in him. He was quick to learn, unlike some others whom she had taught this technique to.

[SashaKovalev]

She was so excited, he couldnt help but grin. She was a good teacher, and he had no fear of making a mistake with her. This was what made it easier, at the moment, for him to learn - for he was willing to take the chance.

When she offered the chance of learning a new technique, he nodded. Now that he at least had some idea of how this worked, he would practice it until it became second nature.

He stood from his rock and hopped down to the ground, moving to the shade, where it was a bit cooler. There, he leaned casually against a tree and looked to her.

"Yes, I'd like to learn how to use this...confusion tactic." He responded.

"Does it work exactly the same?" He asked. "Or is there a special trick to it?" He crossed his arms over his chest. It wasnt a defensive stance, but rather a relaxed one.

If only life would always be this easy.....

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor smiled and thought for a moment. She moved toward him, and as he saw her doing so, she created an image in his mind. She was walking the exact same way.....but coming from behind him.

"See.....this is a simple mind trick. All you have to do is imagine yourself doing something else, then you put this image in their mind the same way you did when transferring images. You try...."

She smiled and nodded for him to do as she had instructed. He was a good student....even a bit better than some of her Padawans at times. Smiling, she waited to see what he would do.....

[SashaKovalev]

He watched her as she walked over towards him. And then suddenyl she was coming from behind. He turned for a moment, confusion on his face before he realized that she had used the tactic on him.

But this was the best way to learn - from experience. To know what it felt like to have it done would give him an adge in trying to do it to others - for he would be able, with a bit more ability, perhaps, to predict their reactions.

When he realized she had tricked him, her voice explaining what she had done, and her coming back to view in front of him, he chuckled softly.

His head cocked to the side slightly, a young, innocent expression on his features.

"If you know Im going to do it.....or think Im going to use it...is there a way to try to prevent it?" He asked, before he made his own attempt. He was curious by nature, and being afraid to ask questions would get him nowhere.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor thought that his question was good indeed. A smile crossed her lips as she thought about it for a moment.

"Yes.....there is. If you want to block it, all you do is put up a mind shield. Imagine a little box around your mind...and block out all things but what is real. It is quite simple....I can demonstrate if you wish...."

She said with a helpful smile. This was great, teaching him how to do some of the things that she did best. She was a Mentalist so tactics such as these came in very handy...

[SashaKovalev]

He shook his head for a moment, and then his eyes closed briefly, almost in thought, before he opened them and looked to her once again. He'd been picturing, for a moment, a little box around his mind, trying to get a feel for these things she was telling him. There was so much to learn - so much he could learn, and at times, it was almost overwhelming.

"Will this shield protect my thoughts and keep them in as well?" He asked. It seemed to him, that if it could keep thoughts out, perhaps also, it could keep them in.

He was an open book. His thoughts and emotions were out there for the taking - and he knew this, for lately he'd found himself among many force users, and they'd answered his questions almost before he'd asked them. He hated this, for it made him feel vulnerable.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor nodded and smiled gently.

"Yes indeed...it can keep your thoughts in and such things. When you wish to speak with someone telepathically...through the Force, you can block anyone from hearing that message as well. But above all things, it is a block from incoming, outgoing, or spying things."

Suddenly he felt disconnected from her...for she had done this to herself...her mind was shut off from him and the warmth seemed to be gone.

"There...I have done it to you and now you know what it feels like so you may be able to do this...."

With that, she took the guard down and the warmth between them flowed freely once again and he could sense her.

"You can hide your presence in the Force as well....and with practice, you can learn to sense the presence of others through the Force....you can tell whether they are light or darksiders....what race and sometimes, how old they are. There are so many possibilities with the Force....so many things you could learn. I teach all of this to my Padawans as well..."

She said with a gentle smile. It was exciting to be able to teach him all of these things....he was so willing to learn...

[SashaKovalev]

He shook his head in amazement at the Force. There was so much about it that he'd been so unaware of - these things he was learning now, he couldnt wait to learn.

He had felt it when she had shut herself off from him - but even more, he noticed it when he once again felt her presence. To feel the difference, and to know what it should feel like - this made it so much easier to learn.

He left the tree he had been leaning against and walked over near the rock once again. He hopped up on to it, and sat there with his legs dangling over, and a grin on his face.

"Are you like this with your padawans?" He asked. He couldnt help but wonder at the difference between what his master was likely to be like, and what she would be like as a master.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor nodded and smiled.

"Oh yes...I am like this with them. This is how I teach them. If you were my Padawan, I would be very proud and probably boast around the Academy about you..."

She winked gently and sat down on a rock by the waterfall. Everything seemed to perfect...it was so beautiful here.

"I never learned these types of things as a Sith...it was all about fighting....and I was so eager to learn it. I too was impatient and angry all the time...but then one day I realized that the Force could help me control those things...and it has. I am completely at peace now....and I love it. To have learned these things has benefited me more than any lesson my Sith Master ever taught me."

She said with a genuine and gentle smile. Of course she was not preaching or trying to change his mind, she was simply telling of an experience she had. It felt good to be able to share so freely...she had not had a friend like that in a long time...

[SashaKovalev]

He liked learning these things from her. It was true, like her experience, these things he would likely never learn from the Sith masters - unless he sought them out to ask of it. But the things Xazor was telling him - these were new things that he had not found in books - could not learn anywhere but from her, and he drank it in, enjoying being a student.

He laughed as she joked of boasting about him.

"I doubt that...." He replied with a lazy grin.

"You'd be too busy trying to fix all of my mistakes and trouble to be boasting about me." He added, a mischievious sparkle in his eyes.

He sighed, relaxing in the peaceful atmosphere.

"I like learning these things." He stated after a moment of silence.

"Im anxious to learn about fighting skills, but I dont plan on fighting all the time. These are the kinds of things that would be useful at any time - and they're sort of..I dont know, relaxing."

He leaned back on his elbows for a moment.

"Did it feel strange to stop using your anger?" He asked.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor smiled as he spoke.

"Oh no.....I don't focus on people's mistakes and wrong doings. I build on their strengths.....and then they fix their own problems."

She grinned slightly and let the mist of the waterfall cool her skin as it caught the wind and landed on her. His question was a bit strange, but to tell the truth....she had never thought about it until now.

"Yes.....it did feel strange....and even in the first few months of being a Jedi....I used it until I learned that I didn't have to. It actually messed me up for a while! But yes, it was odd....but then I found this seemed better....."

She said gently, recalling how she had naturally used her anger at first....but then learned a better way to channel the Force. It made her stronger.....better. All around, she made a better fighter, teacher, and student because of the lack of anger.

[SashaKovalev]

He half wondered what it might be like to try to use the force powerfully without anger. In his training so far, he had learned only that anger would make him stronger. To use his anger just felt better. It was like a drug in the way that it coursed through his veins. It was a rush, and it didnt seem like that feeling could come, or should come, if you were a jedi.

"Do you remember what it was like to feel your anger, though?" He asked.

"The way that it was like andrenaline....is there an equivalent of that with the jedi?"

It was too bad that his chosen occupation in life wasnt as a scholar, for his curious nature, and his natural desire to break down information and analyze it from both sides would have made him a good one.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor smiled slightly and nodded.

"Oh yes...I remember what it was like...all to well. It made me out of control. I was feared by all and hated by many...I became a target because my anger made me do things that I deeply regret."

She paused for a moment and smiled at his next question. After thinking about it, she smiled and nodded.

"Joy....that exceeds anger. I can guarantee it. It's a rush....it's that same adrenaline but it makes you soar to new heights! It's the most incredible feeling in the universe!"

She was truly excited when she told him of this power. It was incredible and for the way it made her feel, she would never go back to the Darkside. It was too awesome....

[SashaKovalev]

He tried to imagine joy exceeding anger, but the truth of it was that there had never been an event in his life that had made him so full of joy that he remembered it enough. But the times when he'd been angry, well, he could remember some of those well.

It was difficult for him to try to compare the two. His anger he could draw upon when he needed to. It gave him strength, for it made him forget to play fair, it made him forget to feel remorse. But joy...?

Other than a fleeting feeling of andrenaline, what was the use?

But his friend enjoyed it, and so he made some kind of attempt to understand. Perhaps one day he would know what it was to feel joy as she did, and then he would tell her how right she had been so many many years before. Perhaps.

He stared up at the sun, suddenly realizing that it was beginning to set over the horizon. The colors were vibrant, and beautiful. But it was then that he realized how late it was getting. Although he would have liked to stay longer, he had training the next morning, and would need a good night of sleep if he expected to live through it.

He looked to her.

"Xazor...I...I have to get back." He stated, his voice carrying the regret he felt at having to draw a close to his visit.

"I have training in the morning." He added as more of an explanation for her. She knew as well as he did that the flight was a long one, and it would be some time before he was back to Corellia.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor looked at him for a while as he obviously sat in thought. A smile crossed her lips and her heart hoped that he had taken in everything that she had said. His next statement surprised her, but he was right....it was getting late and the flight back to Corellia would be a long one. She sighed, but smiled once again. Suddenly from her wrist, she took a silver chained bracelet. It seemed more masculine...and nearly was too large for her smaller wrist. A smile crossed her lips as she reached over and grabbed his hand...then clasped the bracelet onto his wrist.

"Please don't forget me, wherever you go in your life. Even if our paths may cross some day in a situation where our friendship seems to be on the line....remember this promise: I am forever your friend....and despite what side of the field we stand....that bond cannot be broken, so come what may....."

She said softly, her voice backed with deep sincerity as she spoke. The words ment a lot and were soul deep and heart felt. Hopefully he would understand and they would be friends as long as they lived...come what may...

[SashaKovalev]

He hadnt expected this gift from her. The silver chain fit perfectly, and he stared at it for a moment before he looked to her. He wished he had something to give her, but he didnt typically wear anything but his watch. And so he accepted the gift, a slight flush coming to his cheeks, and then he smiled.

"Thank you, Xazor." He said.

And then he shook his head and grinned.

"You're impossible to forget without this." He said as he lifted the wrist with the silver chain for a moment.

And then he stood and gave her a friendly hug.

"I'll be back to visit, I promise." He stated. His tone of voice was sincere as he spoke, and his violet eyes looked to her with an earnest expression.

And then he moved to gather his journal.

"Stay here, enjoy the sunset." He added as he headed back int he direction from which they had come. Before he disappeared into the thick brush, he turned back to wave to her. He would be back. Without a doubt, he would be back to see her.

(I guess the next time they meet is when he shoves the door open into her at the bar, but I'll also start a new one in Yogs or something. I'll pm ya when I do...*laughs* Or you can start one if ya feel like it... ;) )

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor smiled and hugged him back, happy that he liked the gift she had given to him. A smile continued to dance across her lips as she eyed the sunset for a moment and turned back to him.

"I'll be waiting for your return, my dear friend......"

She said softly and gently waved to him as he departed from the little piece of paradise. Turning back, her eyes rested on the colors that were begin painted in the sky. Reds, pinks, and oranges flowed together across the endless blue. Soon it would be replaced with a dark velvet sky and little silver jewels. Laying back on the rocks by the waterfall, she took it all in...thinking about its beauty...and the beauty of the new friendship she held in her heart.....


ooc: Alrighty! :) It was fun to do this thread...even if it was slow at times! (my fault) so yeah, the "slam the door into Xazor" one is after this, I guess. :) Then one of us will start something else in here or something....let me know if you have ideas, or I'll just get some and start it! :)

[SashaKovalev]

(ooc: *nods and grins* Sounds good...I'll start thinking...if its possible... ;) )

[Xazor Elessar]

ooc: :lol!! Alrighty, me too! :D

[SashaKovalev]

(ooc: *laughs* Ok....Ive got something, maybe. IM bored tonight.... ;) I'll post in Yogs again lookin' fer ya...)

[Xazor Elessar]

ooc: Alrighty! Sounds great! :D