Reading by the Fire....(Open)

[Kes'La Bardo]

In the couple of weeks Kes had been part of the Order, she'd not seen hide nor hair of a fellow student named Je'gan.

The palace was huge and she was still having some trouble remembering where things were. She did however, manage to find a library and check out some books. She liked to read, but back home she just never had the time. To many things happening on Coruscant.

But, the palace, was for the most part kinda quiet, so she took her book and went looking for a nice quiet place to read.

She found a large living area type room with a sofa, a few comfortable chalrs and a grand fireplace that was lit. Kes decided her search was over and flopped down on one of the chairs in front of the fireplace. She leaned back a bit, crossed her legs at her ankles and opened her book.

The only sound was the crackle of the fireplace and the whistling of the wind from outside, it almost gave the student an eerie feeling, but she ignored it and began reading.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Good book?"

The voice was ephemeral, a mental trick thrown in to make it seem to come from nowhere in particular. Je'gan had entered the room; he stood almost directly behind Kes' chair, wreathed in the dancing shadows thrown by the fire.

He took a few steps forward, nearly silent, but visible shoudl she look around.

"It's good to see you, Kes'la Bardo."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes'la jumped a bit as the voice seemed to boom out of nowhere particular. "Holy..." She said as she quickly turned and saw Je'gan. She sighed once she caught her breath.

"Yes, it is a good book and it's good to see you too...I think." She smiled as she closed her book and looked at him. "I hope you don't make habit of that." She told him with a grin.

"So, how've ya been?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Great, just great. I've got a new Master, Southstar...we just got back from a training mission. Quite something, I must say."

He walked around to sit in another chair in front of her, so that she didn't have to crane her neck to see him.

"As far as making things like that a habit go..." He chuckled. "I figure the more practice I get with my 'toys', the better I'll be at the real thing.

"How's your training going?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Well, it's going...I've only had one training class so far and it went well. I'm glad to hear you've got a master. That must be really cool." Kes said as he sat down by her.

"I'm just hanging out, until someone decides to take me on. Who knows how long that'll take."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"It shouldn't," he whispered conspiratorily, leaning forward with a grin. "Southstar thinks I'm almost ready for the title of Sith Knight. Now, once that happens I'm pretty much guaranteed to get a few apprentices, we've got something of an overload...

"It's jumping the gun a little, but how'd you like to be my first?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

"That would be awesome, Je'gan. I would be honored to be your first apprentice." She told him quietly with a grin.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He smiled back, and then his face assumed a serious mask. "Now keep in mind, it might take a while. I won't hold you to that if another Master comes along for you."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes'la nodded. "Well, I'll just see what happens then." She leaned closer. "But, I do hope you get knighted first."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"As do I."

The Sithling fidgeted a bit, deeply regretting the space separating the two chairs.

"After all, it's a marvelous opportunity to get close to one's allies. Some of the people around here are absolutely intractable. War, it seems, does indeed make strange bedfellows."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Yes, that is a very true statement. I've not interacted with many yet, besides just the class and I've not run into anyone who's absolutely hateful...yet. I'm sure my day will come."

Kes'la had been in her room a lot of the time or wandering the halls by herself.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"It will indeed. If you encounter a newly-minted Knight by the name of Rivin, I strongly suggest running." His face twitched, almost into a smile. "Antisocial and powerful. Very bad combo.

"If your training's going slowly, what you're doing now is the best thing you can do. Read. Get the theory down pat, and you'll be ready for whatever your teachers throw at you. Most of the more common training strategies are even in there, in the library, if you look hard enough."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"I'll be sure and do that, Je'gan. Run and read..." She laughed a bit as she kept the thought in her mind.

"But, really...I enjoy learning anything I possibly can and I take it very seriously."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Keep that attitude, and you'll be able to endure anything they do to you here...hey, wait!" He looked puzzled, then amused.

"I sound like I'm your Master already!"

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes sat up and smiled. "Then a very good master you shall make and if you do become my master, I promise to be a very attentive student." She nodded with a grin.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Good," he said, standing and shaking a finger before her nose, still mock-serious. "And make sure you keep it that way, missy!"

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes'la quickly jumped to attention in front of him and gave him her best serious look and a mock-salute. "Yes, Sir...I will, Sir."

But, a moment later couldn't keep a straight face and started laughing with a sparkle in her eye. She hadn't felt this way in....a very long time.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

And after another moment, Je'gan joined her laughter.

"It's something of a rare occurence when anybody has any fun around here. If you're done reading for the moment, I'm sure there're plenty of passages in this castle that neither of us has yet explored..."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Once quieted, Kes nodded. "I think the reading can wait a bit. Exploring sounds like a lot more fun."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Well then..."

He headed for the door, looking back over his shoulder at his fellow apprentice.

"What areas have you explored so far?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Well...my room, the dining hall...my room, a few of the training rooms....my room, the library." She smiled. "A dozen halls and this room. I guess, I need to get out a bit more?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He shrugged.

"That's not too bad, really. My first day here, it took telepathic instructions from Southstar for me to successfully return to my rooms from the 'fresher.

"And after all, it just means that there's more for us to explore."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes nodded in agreement. "I know the feeling." She answered to his 'fresher comment. "This place really get's one turned around, it's so huge. I really could use a map sometimes."

She smiled as she walked up beside him. "Lead on."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Unfortunately, I'm not sure that there is a map. Anywhere. I suppose some of the more reclusive members of our order don't want their hidden sancta sanctora intruded upon.

"Now let's see...we turn left, then right, and we'll come to a gallery with a couple of small spiral staircases. The one on the left leads to an odd-shaped private room, kind of a small lounge. It's useful for reading, training, sparring... I suspect it's shape amplifies the Dark Side. I'm not combative - not really - but I got into an argument there that might have cost me a lot.

"It's an interesting room, but the staircase on the left might have something more interesting. I've never actually been up there."

[Kes'La Bardo]

This peaked Kes' interest. "Well, I'm up to finding out, shall we?" She gave him a sly smile.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He set off down the requisite hallways, taking quick strides that brought them to the gallery. Artwork was on display - two sculptures along one wall, the other covered entirely by an immense mural depicting the Jedi Purge. The two spiral staircases arched gracefully upwards with apparent steepness; the one he'd been up had been an easy climb.

"The one on the left goes straight up for about three stories before it gets to that room I mentioned. The one on the right...well, there's only one way to find out. C'mon." He began ascending, taking Kes' hand as he did so.

Virtually all the stone in this area of the Palace shimmered blackly, like the chitin of an insectile carapace, but the steps were not slippery, and with careful footwork he kept his balance. There was no railing, but as the stairs ascended into solid rock that ceased to be an issue. Glowtubes inlaid in the walls lit their way, step after step. Je'gan became vaguely aware that they had ascended farther than three stories.

After some time, a glimmer of light appeared. The acolyte's pace increased. All of a sudden, the sunset shone full in his face, and he was forced to throw up an arm as his eyes adjusted.

They were on a semicircular stone ledge on the side of the mountain on which the Palace was built. The only defence against the influence of winds that whipped but did not push was a frail railing of steel cords. The view was incredible from this high up. Coronet lay in the other direction, so before them lay an untouched wilderness.

"You have to wonder-" He bit his lip and stopped, strangely afraid to go on.

"You...have to wonder if this is what mankind is cut out for."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes'la was glad that Je'gan had her hand, she didn't care for the stairway, it was very steep and one slip or mistep and you were toast.

She said nothing while the two of them climbed higher and higher. Finally, they reached the top and Kes blew out a sigh of relief and squinted at the bright sunlight in her face. "Now, that was quite a---wow, look at that view!"

It was incredible as she looked at Je'gan and smiled shyly.

"You have to wonder-" He bit his lip and stopped, strangely afraid to go on.

"You...have to wonder if this is what mankind is cut out for."

Kes pondered on his comment for a few moments. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean...we, wanting to be Sith?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He hesitated, then shook his head.

"No, never mind...I'm not sure I could explain it anyways. Forget I said anything. Look." He gestured to a falling star. "A freighter's slingshotting around us to land on Drall. Big one, too."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes'la pursed her lips together and sighed, she must've missed his point entirely. She relaxed again as he showed her the freighter and nodded. "I'd like to own one of those someday and go zipping around the universe. In fact, I will have one someday and you can come along if you'd like."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"I'd love to," he said, a faint grin playing about the corners of his mouth as he rested his hands on the railing. "I was born on a backwater...I've seen Corellia and Coruscant and one or two other worlds, and that's that. I don't travel much. Training keeps me busy."

I'm becoming too much like Rivin... The thought went unsaid as he turned to face Kes.

"I think I may be getting too busy altogether."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes nodded. "I know traveling is out for a while, but it never hurts to plan. Where would you like to go?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Anywhere and everywhere, as long as the trip would be interesting. I often find that-" Here the wind whipped away his words, leaving Kes with the image of his lips moving soundless.

"I often find that it's the journey which is important, not the destination. How effective a Sith would you have been if you weren't a Dark Angel first?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Probably not a very good one." She answered truthfully as she looked back out to the city. "The Dark Angels were the only family I'd known, but now the Sith is my family."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He winced as he realized his mistake.

"Oops. I didn't mean to imply that being a Sith is worthless. On the contrary; the name confers a sort of respect, and if you don't get respect from some - most Jedi included - they definitely treat you as if you're something to be wary of.

"Sometimes, though, you have to prove it. That's when the gloves absolutely must come off. I've tried long and hard for that respect or that wariness. I've challenged Masters and Knights, and fought a few to a standstill." He wasn't meaning to boast, just to get his point across; that some of the perks of 'Sithliness' had to be earned more than others.

[Kes'La Bardo]

"I want the Jedi to be wary of me, every last one of them." Her voice became hard. There was a certain fire in her eyes when she began to discuss--Jedi. How she loathed them! Kes felt the hate burn within her when she thought of the Jedi, the very ones who took the lives of her mother and her older sister.

They would pay one day, they would pay...

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Now, now...not all Jedi are bad. I mean, there are plenty that deserve the worst we can dish out, but I've met three who just might deserve our respect. I even went Dark Jedi-hunting with one."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes'la stared at him for a brief moment and shook her head. "Did I just hear you right? Or was it the wind in my ears? I swear, I just heard you say that not all Jedi were bad."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

No, you heard me right. His voice was soft in its intrustion into her head. Overcoming stereotypes is important. I'd trust one or two Jedi I know far more than I would several of my comrades. I'd also prefer their company. Some were once Sith and remain more like a true Sith should be than several Darksiders of my acquaintance currently are. Just because they chose the wrong side, they aren't automatically enemies.

Unless they choose to be so...and in the event that one of my Jedi friends got in my way, I'd have no compunctions about killing them.

Stereotypes, while not always reliable, do usually have some basis on fact. So it's probably only a matter of time.

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes'la put her hand up to her head and closed her eyes for a moment as she heard his voice. It was the strangest feeling she'd ever had.

Once he was done, she opened her eyes slowly and blinked. Trusting Jedi...how could she possibly? "Je'gan, Jedi killed my mother and my older sister three years ago...and..." The emptiness she held for them returned momentarily and she quickly pushed it away and looked out to the city again.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Revenge can be a powerful motivator, he agreed somberly, putting an arm around her shoulder.

Just be careful where it leads you. I mean, I'd be the first to join you in the taking of your revenge...but what then? If your life is a goal and you fulfill it, what do you live for?

[Kes'La Bardo]

That made sense. She nodded. "I understand, though there is one Jedi I want. One Jedi that has slipped through my fingers one too many times. Jacali Danner."

She paused and looked at Je'gan. "If I can destroy one Jedi, it shall be her and my revenge will be complete."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He understood.

"And what then? What are you going to do with your life and your power?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes'la sighed, "I'll do whatever you and the Sith instruct of me. If you do indeed become my master, I will do as you say and follow without question."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"That's not a life, Kes. That's an obsession with training. And while that's not all that bad - worked for me for over a decade - there has to be something more."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"You mean personal goals, like marriage and family...things of that nature? Sure, I will look forward to that when the time is right, I really don't want to be alone all my life." Her voice became quiet again hoping to God that was what he was talking about.

"I know the meaning of family. A'jorrah was everything to me, she's basically my mother now and has been for the past three years."

She bit her lip. "What about you? What your goals?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He remained silent for a moment, staring at her. At last he chuckled and tightened his arm briefly.

"I must confess...I'm a bit of a hypocrite. I really don't know. Marriage seemed to work for my parents, so I'll try it. Other than that...well..."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes smiled as she felt her face get hot and looked back out towards the city. "...ummm...well, uh..." She stammered, couldn't seem to get her mind back on track and gave up. Shaking her head slightly through her embarrassment. How was it he seemed so cool about everything and at times, she could do nothing but stumble over her words.

God, he must think I'm an idiot! She cursed herself.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He blinked, seeing her flush. That wasn't consistent with anything he'd said. Or was it? He wasn't known for his foresight, and he knew full well that something others would find important might just slide past without his noticing.

At the risk of provoking another reaction, he did and said nothing.

[Kes'La Bardo]

No, I'm not going to think negatively. She straightened and smiled. "So, no kids, eh? No little Je'gan's running around?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"I...suppose there might be children. They tend to come with the marriage package."

Oh, blast. Now his face was getting a bit hot.

"I'm not sure what kind of a father I'd make, though. I never spent much time with kids."

[Kes'La Bardo]

This time it was her turn to see him flush a bit. "Well, I've been told that if it's your own child things just kinda fall into place. Now, if that is true or not, I wouldn't know."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"That's not what I hear about marriage. Apparently it's supposed to be very difficult. Requires a lot of effort and so on. But all my sources say it's worth it."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"I wouldn't really know much on that subject. I never knew my father, my mom raised me within the Dark Angels all my life and marriage was not an option. In fact, I don't know if any Dark Angel has ever been married. That was why the Madame had come up with the idea of men being...rather useful...in the realm. You know, they kinda settled the females down."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"I...see.

"Now, you'd probably be a lot more qualified to deal with kids than I would. You tried conscripting me to be breeding stock, to replace...mmm...bah, whatever his name was. The guy who's been there for years. But breeding kinda implies kids...surely there were kids around?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Well, not really. Every four years four females are chosen to breed. It's quite a contest really, so see who is the strongest and most qualified. The trials go on for weeks, you'd think there was some huge sporting event going on. It's like you win the privelege to be a female breeder. I, was not into that type of thing in the least. I thought it was rather disgusting myself. But, the females train for the event and everything." She shook her head.

"Anyway, once the trials are over and the Madame had selected the female breeders, they go and...uh...start doing their thing and within a month or so, their pregnant. Once the child is born another group of women come and take the children to raise them away from the realm until they are about twelve. Don't ask me how I got to stay, but I stayed. I don't even know where they take the kids."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Now I'm curious. What if one of the kids has Force potential?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

"They are sent somewhere else, like our guards four of them are Force sensitive and so is the Madame. I even believe that A'jorrah was too. But, she didn't think so. No gets trained officially until they are twelve."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"You've likely felt the power of some of our instructors here. How do we measure up to the Madame as far as the Force goes?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

"A lot stronger. Madame is good, but she's no Sith. Don't get me wrong, she's quick and agile and can give one heck of a fight, but she doesn't have a lightsabre so the Sith are still a step ahead."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"They're pretty common nowadays," he mused.

"Quick and agile? Isn't she forty or something around there? I haven't met many mid-forties ladies with extravagant lifestyles who could be described as either."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Well, it seems about right, A'jorrah is thirty and I know the Madame is older than her. But, her exact age, I'm not really sure. She is still quick, I've seen her in action and she can do flips like some kind of crazed acrobat. Flips that I was just starting to learn before I left." Kes paused and then smiled.

"Maybe she's on some kind of youth drug. Who knows, nothing would surprise me."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"I see..."

And he did. Flips like those she was describing would be outside the physical capacity of many people half the Madame's age. He himself had such abilities in acrobatics, but that came from years and years of constant practise.

"Sounds like more of a war-leader than a mother figure."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"She was, you didn't cross the Madame. If she requested you to do something, you did it without question. But, right before I left there were several who had been getting tired of her reign over them. I think, they were planning a mutiny. I'm just glad she gave me permission to leave and I wish A'jorrah could've come with me. But, she wouldn't dare leave the realm and she believed in the Madame."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"And that explains that..."

He blinked and elabourated. "Suppose those mutineers found out the hard way that you don't try to put one over on a Force-wielder, what with that bombing and all."

[Kes'La Bardo]

An icy chill settled over Kes' shoulders. "Bombing? What are you talking about?" She had not heard the news yet.

Kes looked at Je'gan, confused.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Oh, no.

He did not want this to be his job...

"Kes," he said tentatively, "there was a raid a few weeks back, probably only a little while after you left. Quite a few people died, and a bomb went off. There's not a lot left of the Dark Angels."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes'la was in shock as she stepped away from Je'gan and tried to catch her breath. "No...it can't be...oh, God."

Her stomach turned into a chunk of ice, as she tried to make sense of it all. "A bomb...the tank. They lit the tank...." She paused. "Who was it that raided them?"

Her thoughts fell back to A'jorrah and a single tear fell down her cheek.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Coruscant law enforcement, I think." Helplessness crawled up through him, so much so that it had to be inscribed all over his face.

"I'm sorry, Kes."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes'la blew out a sigh and wiped at her face. Deep down she wanted to run, just to run away from the reality that Je'gan had just told her. Run far away, but she wasn't going anywhere. So, she walked over to the inner wall and slumped against it until she was sitting on the cool concrete flooring.

Kes remained silent as another tear fell.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Je'gan almost projected his thoughts again, but at the last moment remembered how odd she'd found the procedure. Instead, he walked over and squatted in front of her.

"My family's dead too," he said sadly. "I have a little brother and nobody else. So for better or worse, I know how you feel."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Yes, your'e right, if no one else was, you do know how I feel. Its the second family I've lost in three years." She sighed. "Why would..." She paused. "The Madame...she did this."

Kes looked at Je'gan. "You're right, it had to be her, the ranks were getting too out of hand and she needed to start over. Damn her!"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He nodded.

"It only makes sense, in a way."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes shook her head and looked down. "But, kill them all? There were many that loved her, I did. A'jorrah did..." The recollection of her name, brought a new sadness to her.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Perhaps she thought she could do better the second time around."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"She just better hope she never sees me." Kes vowed darkly. "Damn, that pretty much mean this thing is useless." She said as she pulled out her bank card. "I'm sure all my account has been voided."

She stood and was just about to throw it over the ledge and stopped herself. "Maybe I'll just keep it and check later on it. Who knows, my small amount that I had in there, could buy us a dinner sometime. That is if you'd like to go with me."

She turned and faced him as her long strawberry-blonde hair blew across her face.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"I'd love to," he said quickly, seeing a way to ease her out of her funk. But then something spoke to him; he really wouldn't mind dinner with Kes. In fact, it could be quite fun.

He stood and offered his arm.

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes tucked the card back into her pocket and smiled as she pushed all the unfavorable images from her mind. It would do her no good to dwell on things that could not be changed. A statement A'jorrah always told her.

"Good, then shall we?"

She took Je'gan's arm and allowed him to lead her back towards the stairs at which they came up.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Though he may have been carying on conversation as they descended and headed for the front galleries, inside he was thinking and thinking hard. When his family had died, he'd felt it. Kes' family had died, and even if it was an adoptive family that shouldn't make much if any difference. The ex-Dark Angel was strong in the Force; her potential was quite possibly higher than his own. She should have felt it if A'jorrah or possibly the Madame had died.

He kept his suspicions to himself, though, unwilling to give her false hope. Next time he went to Coruscant, he'd make inquiries. A'jorrah wasn't a terribly common name, after all.

They cleared the front gates; Coronet lay stretched out in front of them. A long road wound down the slope.

"Hope you're ready for a bit of a walk."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes' mind was elsewhere part of the time as they descended the steps. It was hard for her to focus when she thought of her Dark Angels mentor, A'jorrah had been everything to her.

She shook off the feeling, she would have to move on, A'jorrah would've wanted that.

It wasn't long until she was looking down at Coronet. "I'm ready, I can use the exercise." She told him as they began their trek.

"So, how long have you been here, Je'gan? If you don't mind my asking."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"About six months, I think. I left a few times, and all added up they count for about another month."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Oh, and I'm just in the beginning stages." She sighed as she kicked a pebble and it skipped down the path.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"I'm sure you'll learn fast. You'll get enough power for it to be useful quickly, that's the way the Dark Side works. In my experience, that is," he qualified. "The rest of your time is spent on control and refinements. I mean, of course your power will increase, but...gah." He'd foud himself tongue-tied yet again. Another habit he'd have to remove before he found himself training people.

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Well, I hope it's as easy for me as it was for you. Though, I do take pride in learning, so I'm ready for a challenge."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Oh, I didn't say it was easy...but it's definitely worth it."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"That's very good to hear, I just wish it would take off a bit faster than it has. But, I shall wait, patiently."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Not long, hopefully." Je'gan grinned. "There are few things more enjoyable than learning the Dark Arts."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes rasied an eyebrow as they walked. "Oh, really? Such as?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Such as," he replied with a perfectly straight face, "the supply of chocolate in the lower storage chambers."

[Kes'La Bardo]

The ex-Dark Angel cracked a smile. "You're teasing me....chocolate??" Chocolate was one of Kes' favorite things in the universe, it was something she coudl hardly say no too.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Some of the best stuff in the galaxy. TSO can definitely afford it; what's shocking is that so few know about it. It's not often accessed."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Oh my goodness, dark chocolate is like my favorite." She said as he was making her hungry. "I am like the biggest chocolate lover. There were many times A'jorrah would take me to this ice cream shoppe, where I'd get a chocolate fudge sundae made with chocolate ice cream, dark chocolate fudge and sprinkled with a ton of chocolate chips. It was awesome!"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Sounds good. In fact...I think there's a chance that we might find a place that serves something like that here in Coronet. We know that someone in TSO besides the two of us likes chocolate and stuff like that, and we also know that the Sith can afford the best. I'd wager that somewhere in that city is a shop even better than the one you remember."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes'la smiled. "Well, then perhaps with a little luck we can find this place. I can hardly wait, it's been a while.'

[Je'gan Olra'en]

The path ahead was hard to see, and situated on top of a steep cliff of at least thirty metres' drop. Je'gan stood at the edge for a moment, looking out at the city. When he rejoined Kes a moment later, he was between her and the cliff. Instinct, he supposed.

"Good, you're excited. Tonight we celebrate. I'm up for an all-night party to take your mind off things if you are."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes smiled. "Excellent, but I want to check out this bank card first, might as well use up what's left."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"If that's how you see it, I guess..." At a loss for words, Je'gan simply continued down the path.

"Wanna race?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes'la raised an eyebrow, that was where her strongest Force use was...running. She could be a blur in seconds, but Jegan didn't know that. "Hmmmmm, I don't know...I may leave you in the dust." She took off a second later, full throttle.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He blinked, impressed, but a second later he'd caught up with her. Enhancing his body and especially his speed was one of the very first things he'd ever learned.

"Not bad at all," he shouted against the wind, only slightly out of breath. "Ever thought of speeding up like this during a fight?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Never have yet!" She yelled, "maybe we could work on that!" Kes loved to run especially at this speed, it made her feel so free. With a smile on her face, she controlled her breathing.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Anything you want!" he shouted back, flipping over a large rock that had gotten in his way. "Anything at all!"

[Kes'La Bardo]

It was amazing to run at this speed, even though the two were blurs to anyone else, to Kes it all seemed in slow motion. She knew every step, every rock and puddle. There was a log up ahead, she ran along it and jumped, doing a somersault as she flipped into the air, then continued as she was long the path.

Kes looked over and smiled at Je'gan as they torn down the path. "Sounds like fun, Je'gan once I learn to wield a lightsabre!"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Pick up a practice saber from the armouries!"

[Kes'La Bardo]

'I've not been there yet! I probably wouldn't know how to turn the thing on!" She laughed as they continued, it felt great to be out of the palace.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Then don't bother. Here!" He snatched the larger of two sabers from his belt and tossed it on a trajectory that would make it easy for Kes to catch. A subtle test was being administered; reflexes and sensing ability. It was night-time, after all.

"Kurai, the Darkness. It was given to me by a friend. Take care of it for me until you build your own."

He hoped her reflexes were good enough to catch the full-sized saber properly. It's blade emitter was ringed by six long spikes, and one that was even longer stuck out from the butt.

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes used the Force and caught the lightsabre easily, since her first real touch of the Force, her reflexes had improved greatly. Before, she didn't understand why things happened the way they did, now she understood. It had been the Force helping her the enitre way.

Te lightsabre felt good as it spun once around in her hand. Se smiled at the spikes, it could kill without even turning on the blade and A'jorrah had taught her a great deal on knife throwing. Oh, the damage this could do, hmmm. A smile crossed her lips as she suddenly slowed down and began walking, while she looked the sabre over. "This is nice. I'll take extra good care of it. Thank you, Je'gan."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

An instant after she slowed down, he matched her move.

"You're welcome. A Sith shouldn't be without a good lightsaber anyways. In fact, just in case you get another master before I become a Knight, feel free to call me anytime for a spar. Unless I'm on Coruscant hunting Jedi, It'd be my pleasure to join you."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes looked at him and smiled. "I'll do that, Je'gan. Thanks."

The sabre felt strange in her hand, but she knew after a few times of holding it that it would get comfortable.

"This is great, it really is."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"This saber's not your normal weapon, either. Watch this." He reached out with the Force, and the saber ignited in Kes' hand. The blade was literally twice as long as normal, about half the width, and slate grey.

"The slider on the side of the haft controls the length. There are three settings. I like to keep it on this one; makes for an unusual surprise for anyone who isn't familiar with Kurai." As he spoke, he telekinetically ratcheted the slider down to half-way, which produced a normal blade in tones of dark gray-blue. Once more halved the length again, making the weapon into a shortsword or a parrying dagger. Like the midway blade, its aura was dark grey with a hint of navy blue.

"If you get really good with it, you can stay out of range of your opponent and still defeat him, or else get in too close for him to use his own saber. It took Capashen - Jedi Master Satine Capashen, the guy who gave it to me - about three months to learn to use the long setting, if I recall. Took me about that long as well, and I'm not sure I've got all of the tricks figured out."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"This is quite a weapon, I've been trained in daggers and throwing knives, swords as well, but a lightsabre is quite unique I must say. It's so light."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"The blade is. If you've ever used a rapier, the principles and movements are almost exactly the same-that is," he added quickly, "if you study what the Jedi call 'Form Two'. It's a method of fighting that works very well against other lightsabers, and very poorly against blaster fire. If you want to hunt Jedi, it's the only choice."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Hmmm, never have used a rapier. Perhaps, you'll have to show me a bit. I want to learn all I can, Je'gan."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"That'll come in handy as a motivator. From what I hear, TSO si kinda short on masters for the time being..."

He sped up his pace a bit. The city loomed ahead, lights flashing and odd noises rampant.

"Where should we go first?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Let's go get something to eat. I'm starving." She told him with a a smile. And she was, it seemed like she was hungry all the time. The young female, could eat anything and never lose her slim figure. But, then again, she often exercised so, her eating balanced out.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

With a bit of a smile, Je'gan struck off for an obvious diner. Diners on this side of town were better than those farther away from the Palace; it only made sense from a Sith's point of view.

They entered the place and immediately got a reaction - utter servility. The people around here were used to Sith coming through, and had learned to be inconspicuous. Naturally, they didn't know that Je'gan wasn't someone who killed on a whim.

"A table for two, please," he requested politely. The waiter hurried to seat them at the best available spot, with a view of - what else - the Sith Palace. From here it really looked quite something.

"Anything in particular you've got your mind on, Kes?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Pasta," she told him with a smile. "I need some pasta and...French fries with cheese and bacon." Kes'la thought for a few more moments.

"Oh, and a side order of cottage cheese with ketchup and an ice tea."

After being pleased with what she wanted, Kes looked out the window. "Wow, what a view."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He blinked at the order; either he'd spent too much time in the boondocks of the galaxy to develop civilized tastes, or Kes was just a little odd when it came to food. Cottage cheese he liked, ketchup he tolerated...but together...

Urgh.

"I'll take a Kai'sarr salad and some bruallki, thanks," he said, and the anxious waiter waddled away, tucking his notebook into a pocket.

"It is pretty spectacular," he admitted.

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Yes, it is. I can't believe how beautiful it is from down here." She said as she looked at Je'gan and smiled. "This life is so different from the one I left. But, I like it and I'm glad you're part of it, Je'gan."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Well, you know I'll do anything I can to help you adjust."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"And I thank you for that, Je'gan. It's very nice to know I have a friend here and if there is anything I can do in return, don't hesitate to ask." She smiled as her cottage cheese concoction and iced tea was placed in front of her.

"Yum," she smiled. "I used to like this with tomatoes, but I got to a point where tomatoes weren't in season, I started the ketchup thing and I love it even more."

She waited until his brauklli was placed in front of him. Kes took her napkin and put it on her lap, she was very up on manners.

The ketchup was on top of her cottage cheese, just waiting to be mixed in, but instead the ex-Dark Angel placed the palm of her hand only centimeters away from it and concentrated.

A few moments later, the red from the mound of ketchup slowly began to disappear and turn white. It didn't take but a moment or so and the red was completely gone.

She gave a half-smile and a nod. "That's better, now it won't gross anyone out." She went on to mixing it up.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He did a double take at what he'd just seen and sensed. Even though much of his training had been formal, he'd learned many of his most powerful techniques by example. Making things explode, for example. Whatever Kes had just done was sufficiently complicated to warrant examination.

"That was...fascinating. What did you do, exactly?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

She looked up from her food. "Huh? Oh, that? I...uh...I just drained it's color. I don't really know how I do it, I just see it as another color and concentrate on that and it...changes."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Just the colour...and nothing else? Does it taste the same?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes nodded, "yeah, it tastes the same."

She lifted her spoon, it was silver. "Watch this." She placed it on the table and stared at it. With a touch of the Force, the color of it began to move as if it were melting and turning into liquid and then it completely disappeared.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Carefully, knowing nevertheless that as Kes did it with her food it was perfectly safe to touch, Je'gan picked up the now-white fork and examined it. His imaginitive mind siezed on a handful of new possibilities.

"This is...phenomenal," he said softly. "I've never heard of colour being changed via the Force. Some sort of instinctive pigment alteration..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "You know what you could do with this, if you practised enough? Like once you'd hit Knight or even Master? You could make your skin change colour. For all practical purposes you'd be invisible." He savoured the word before giving Kes back her fork and digging into his salad.

"You're a woman of many talents, Kes'la Bardo."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes never had thought about it. "Thanks, but I can kinda do that already....make things disappear. It's a much harder procedure of blending color around an object. I've not had much practice, just little objects. But, around myself now that would be something." She mixed up her concoction and took a bite.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"That could be incredibly useful...throw in an illusion or two and you'd be very, very hard to detect. I'd imagine...hmmm."

Je'gan paused, chewing contemplatively on the bruallki.

"Any chance you could teach me how?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes'la choked. It took her a few minutes to regain her composure. "What? (cough) Teach you? (cough)."

She'd never been asked that before and frankly she wasn't sure how to teach something she didn't quite understand herself. Kes just knew she could do it.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Yes," he replied composedly, continuing to eat between words. "Is there a special feeling through the Force you get? Is there a certain frame of mind? If not, could you just do it slowly a few times so I can sense what's going on?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

She took a sip of her ice tea and it calmed the tickle in her throat. "There is no certain frame of mind, I just kinda picture it the way I want it to look and concentrate and it just kinda happens."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Now how was that for frustrating.

"You're just trying to make this difficult for me," Je'gan jested, moving his hand slightly and causing waves to appear in Kes' tea, sloshing her upper lip and the bottom of her nose.

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Hey, that wasn't very nice..." she said with a mischievous smile as she put her tea glass down and wiped her mouth. Kes looked at him and smiled as his hair slowly turned bright white.

She stifled a giggle when she was done.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He knew something was going on, and he could feel that something through the Force, but what it was, he couldn't tell. His best guess was that it had something to do with her procilvity for changing things' colour schemes.

Oh.

No.

That smirk suddenly had new meaning. He pulled the long dirk from his belt and observed his face in the blade's reflection. A long sigh escaped him as he saw the change.

"Well, at least it isn't pink. I actually like it. Looks a bit dignified."

Yes, he was trying to act nonchalant.

No, it wasn't working.

[Kes'La Bardo]

An amused laugh escaped her, she couldnt' help it. "No worries, I can change it back."

Kes concentrated as she looked at him and it changed color, just not the orginal color.

More like...green.

Ooops. Where'd that come from?

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He glanced at the dirk's image one more time before replacing it and staring Kes in the eye.

"You're going to regret messing with the Order's newest Almost-Knight, Kes'La Bardo..."

Slowly, very slowly and carefully indeed, he wove an illusion that would affect anyone who saw it or came in contact with it, then created a detailed suggestion and infiltrated it into Kes' mind.

And for all intents and pruposes, even to her, Kes was bald. Her eyebrows and lashes were intact, but her skull was utterly smooth. If she touched it, she'd feel nothing.

Je'gan settled back in his chair and chuckled.

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes raised an eyebrow as she felt her now bald head. "Cute, now it won't take me so long to get ready in the mornings." She smiled, now they were in a showdown.

She was enjoying this. Kes closed her eyes and concentrated with a light smile.

Je'gan's hair returned to it's normal dark color, but his eyebrows...were bright orange.

Kes opened her eyes and smiled at her creativity.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Not needing even to pull the dirk again, Je'gan thumped his elbows down on the table, gaze boring into Kes.

"Not bad, miss Bardo. Surely you can do still better!"

The illusion relaxed, but selectively. A bit of artful telekinesis completed the picture; a ponytail now protruded from her otherwise smooth scalp.

[Kes'La Bardo]

He was testing her.

Kes figured he wanted to see just how much she could do, fact of the matter was...she didn't know.

With a whip of the ponytail, Kes drew in a deep breath and relaxed. Things were so much easier if she were in a relaxed state.

Kes'la closed her eyes and pictured Je'gan with now silver hair flecked with purple stripes and it was.

Her jaw dropped when she opened her eyes, that was the hardest thing she had ever accomplished.

"Je'gan, I mixed colors!" She was astounded to say the least.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Oh?"

He drew the dirk one more time.

"Grey and purple...good choice." So what if his voice was a bit dry in its humour.

"And good job."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Moments later, after concentrating...Je'gans hair was back to it's original color, even his eyebrows. "Okay, now can I have my hair back? I'm feeling a bit odd." She said as she took another bite of her cottage cheese.

That was certainly an experience she'd never expected on having. The young ex-dark angel knew that if he did indeed become her master, it would be very interesting.

Afterall, they got along very well.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He waved his hand and dissipated the illusion, taking great care not to show the fatigue he felt. That illusion had almost been beyond his skills.

"There. You've got your hair back." He grinned. "How 'odd'?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Odd enough," she told him quickly with a hint of a smile as their main dishes came.

"Oh, this looks great." Kes said as she pushed aside her cottage cheese and looked at the plate of pasta before her. She took a bite momentarily and after she swallowed she commented. "That is awesome, wish I could cook like this."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Well, it's not as if your only training at the Temple is in the Force," Je'gan remarked with a perfectly straight face. "I take sewing on the side, and before he defected Salem Ave was known to give private singing lessons."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Oh my," was about all she could say. "I can't sew a button on a tunic. Boy, come to think about it....can't sew, can't cook...boy, I've been sheltered."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"That's what comes of living your life as a gangster. Not a terribly bad life overall from my point of view, but things do get a little limited. Fight, steal, fight, steall..."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Yes, that is what it is most of the time. I couldnt' have put it any better myself." She took another bite of her pasta.

Once she swallowed she asked. "So, are you going to show me the other side of living?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"That depends on what you mean by 'the other side', I'm afraid." He settled back in his chair and draped an arm over it's back, surveying the view from a better angle overall. "See, I'm not totally sure. You could be talking about using the Force rather than weapons, you could be talking about Corellia versus Coruscant, you could be talking about leisure time activities versus violence - or other than violence, depending on how you see it."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Oh, ummm, well. I..." She stammered about as her face slightly felt hot.

"I've had plenty of violence in my years, perhaps I'd like to see the opposite effect for a bit. Of course, I'd have to experience it and take notes, make my calculations and average out things. Then, of course, we'd have to compare notes..." She laughed.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Je'gan laughed also, as much to cover his own slight bewilderment as in empathy with her funny if incomprehensible joke. His mind toyed with the circumstances; what exactly was she saying?

He decided to risk a playful but almost indetectable mental scan. If picked up, it would only appear to be an unconscious projection of mood.

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes'la inwardly sighed and hoped that she threw him off a bit. What had he been trying to say? An intimate relationship, was that his opposite of violence?

She shook it off and decided to take the conversation into a different direction.

"So, umm how's your dinner? Good?" She took another bite and chewed slowly.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Yes, it's very good," he said automatically.

Liesure time activities other than violence...and from this she gets intimacy...

Ah.

Oops.

"You, um really shouldn't worry. I think I put a few things in...such as way that they could be taken wrong."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes sighed, inwardly. She felt a little embarrassed to have the thoughts she did, but it had been the fleeting way of the Dark Angels...everything eventually revolved around breeding. Ugh....she didn't want to even think about it.

"I'm sorry, Je'gan. I think, I may have mismatched channels between us. There are so many things that were expected out of a Dark Angel and I still find myself falling back to some of those old lessons."

Breeding to a Dark Angel had been right at the tops with card playing, she felt somewhat ashamed of what she had been and what would've been expected out of her.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

As soon as she mentioned the name of her old group, he got her point, but refrained from saying or doing anything for a few seconds to make sure that she was done.

"It's really quite easy to rise above what you've been taught. All it takes is a few months' training and a mission here or there. Once you've got yourself a Master for a little while, you should find that your old mindset won't stand a chance."

[Kes'La Bardo]

That was welcoming to her, she didn't want to revert to her old ways. They were in her past now. "You don't know how much I really want that."

She gave him a smile and sipped some water.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He somewhat doubted that, mainly because of the various trials he'd gone through to overcome his old self. But it didn't really matter.

After a moment, he cleared his throat. "So, Kes...what do you see as the perfect training program?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Im not really sure, what would you suggest?" She asked and took another sip of water.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"I can't suggest anything!" he exclaimed. "That would be my idea of the perfect program, not yours...it'd be like wearing someone else's shoes."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Okay, okay..." she laughed, as she pictured him wearing high heels. "Not a good thought."

"Alright, let's see...ummm. I would like to learn telepathy and definitely more on telekinesis."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Both very useful. Telepathy's quieter than a whisper, and if you do it right it can't be picked up. Telekinesis is great in and of itself, but there are a few interesting variations, like making things explode."

He sipped his water. "I know you want to learn the saber. Anything else come to mind?"

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Exploding things? Now, that would be very useful indeed and sounds very intriguing. Yes, I definitely want to learn to use a sabre and....I want to learn to disappear." That would be the big one, he told her it would be an awesome use of the Force and she wanted to use that ability to the fullest.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He laughed.

"Doubly useful in that most people expect that to be done with illusion, and they wouldn't be looking out for anything like your pigment-shifting trick."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"I'd just like to learn to blend in so to say." She told him with a smile.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Impossible. I'm afraid that you're destined to stick out in a crowd."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Hmmm,' she sighed. "What to do, then."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He spread his hands, grinning. "Hey, don't look at me. I'm not your Master yet!"

[Kes'La Bardo]

"But, perhaps soon you will be and then we'll find ourselves back in this same conversation. When we could simply get it done here and now." She raised an eyebrow. "And if by chance you don't become my master, which I have a feeling I'm not going to have to worry about, we can just file it away."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"I suppose, then" he replied slowly, "we should get 'it' out of the way now, whatever 'it' is. I'm sorry to admit that I don't have the slightest clue what you meant by 'what to do'; thus, until you elabourate I can't offer any advice at all."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"What to do is merely a slang where I come from, Je'gan. It usually comes right before someone gets killed. But, I wasn't using it in that sense. I find the Sith Order fascinating, the Palace is grand, as is the company. This is my home and I've pledged my life to it. I want to learn all I can...hopefully, you can teach me."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Hopefully, yes."

A brief silence culminating in a grin.

"I still don't get why you said that."

[Kes'La Bardo]

She gave him a sly smile as she leaned closer. "We females will never tell our secrets." She gave him a wink.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Then I remain in ignorance, this time on why you asked if you never intended to tell."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes'La smiled slightly. "My comment on 'what to do' is merely how am I possibily going to keep from being noticed or 'stick out in a crowd' as you say? I need to go unnoticed, so perhaps you can help me?"

She raised her eyebrow in question.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Very, very slowly, Je'gan picked up his drink and sipped it.

"Don't enter crowds."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"That's it?" She asked with an amused smirk. "That's impossible. There are just too many people in these worlds to accomplish that, Je'gan."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"In that case, my imagination fails me. You're on your own.

"There are always wigs," he added mock-thoughtfully.

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes laughed lightly. "Or you could just constantly hang around and use your mind to make me look different. Just not bald."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"No. Wigs." Although his face was perfectly serious, he was radiating good humour.

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Only if you wear one first." She told him.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Et voila!" he proclaimed, an illusion-wrought pompadour decorating his cranium. Due to his overall lack of experience with illusions, it wasn't terribly realistic...in point of fact, it looked to have been set in place with a full tube of hair gel.

It looked, he had to confess, like a single solid mass.

"Don't you walk out on me. You have to fulfil your end of the bargain."

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes laughed. "Oh, now that is a good one. But, ummm...I don't have a wig, all I can do is change the color. I could be a blonde, though it may look silly with my eyebrows." She attempted to be as serious as she possibly could. But, as she looked at his new do it was rather hard.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Tut tut tut...if it looks silly with your eyebrows, change your eyebrows too."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Very well." Kes nodded as she took a deep breath and picked up a silver cream container. She could see her reflection in it and began to study it.

As if by magic a few moments later, the roots of Kes' hair began to change, slowly at first and then quicker. The color changed from the roots to the tips, it only took a small amount of time to get her entire head of hair to change.

"It does look silly." She noted as she looked at her darker eyebrows and with a another look the darker red bled to a light blonde.

Once done she looked at Je'gan and smiled. "Okay, what do ya think? Is it me?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Ah, whatever. A little lighthearted experimentation couldn't hurt.

"No, no I don't think so. Try making it...transparent." The blonde was all right, but...

[Kes'La Bardo]

Sift all the color out, she'd never done that. But, there was always a first time. "Transparent." She said and bit her lip. "I'm not exactly sure how to go about that. I normally think of the color to get it to change."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Well, trying to leach it of colour wouldn't get you anywhere besides pure white. Hmmm...

"It seems to me," he said carefully, "that a colour change is literally changing things at a molecular level. What you might want to do is try to go a bit deeper, concentrate a bit harder, and instead of seeing a colour - which is just reflected light, y'know - see the object as clear, and light should pass through."

[Kes'La Bardo]

That made sense. "Alright." Kes closed her eyes and pictured small molucules of her hair. Concentrating hard, she saw a patch as clear allowing the light to go through them.

"There, is anything different?" She asked as she kept her eyes closed.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Shock paralyzed him for a moment, and then he doubled over laughing. A nearby patron risked an offended glance before returning to his own meal.

"You've...got a...AHAHAHAHAH!...a bald spot!"

[Kes'La Bardo]

Kes'la didn't stop. She concentrated more, seeing more of her hair and then letting the light shine through the molecules she chose.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He watched closely as her hair became lighter, ethereal, finally looking like it was made of spun glass. The microscopic scales and patterns of each strand refracted the light. A light from a distant star made tiny rainbows in the fringes over her collar.

"Fascinating," he managed. "That's really quite fascinating..."

[Kes'La Bardo]

This took a great amount of concentration and energy and finally she had to stop. Kes came out of her connection and relaxed a bit. The color slowly began to return. "Whew, that was a lot of work. That's going to take some time."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"It's a phenomenal step forward. Imagine, say, fighting with an invisible weapon. With a little time, you could probably manage that."

[Kes'La Bardo]

"Now that would be something. I'll have to really work on this."