[Day 5 - EE] The Ultimate Power... of Friendship

[Byron Mik]

Byron had made arrangements earlier in the day before he knew about the meeting with the Sith. It had been a busy day, he had heard about a beach thing from Zizzy but he skipped that as he was more focused on other matters. As it stood he had a plan but it was flexible and he was ready to adjust to whatever she threw at him.

But for now he focused on making sure he could find this place as he drove the speeder.

[Hatoful GM]

When Byron suggested the meeting, after getting through the 'new phone who dis' part of the conversation, Drascovina suggested that it would be oh so interesting to meet at the old Sith temple. The light was just beginning to dim as Byron entered the area. Fortunately, the temple wasn't at all difficult to find.

Lady Drascovina sat out front, legs crossed, posture impeccable. She wore not quite the same uniform as she had the day before, but something clearly in the same style, just enough differences for any observer to tell that she wasn't wearing the same thing twice in a row, good heavens no. As the speeder drew closer, and she recognized Byron, she gave him one of her smiles, as edged as ever.

[Byron Mik]

Byron pulled up and greeted her warmly, "Good evening Lady Drascovina."

[Hatoful GM]

She rose gracefully to her feet. "Good evening... Byron, was it?"

She tilted her head, smiling. "I do hope there are no hard feelings about that little bit of unpleasantness last night. We didn't mean to scare anyone, certainly. We Sith are a passionate sort, and our feelings sometimes get away from us a bit."

[Byron Mik]

"I never hold grudges, what happened was destined to be."

He nodded at the mention of his name and said, "So what is the history of this place?"

[Hatoful GM]

"Hmmm... destiny..." Drascovina's eyes narrowed for just a moment, but the smile remained. Or grew, if anything.

She turned back towards the temple. "The history of this place goes back thousands of years. Acablas is normally powerful in the Light, but, from time to time, it is powerful in the Dark. It is a special place, and Sith have been coming her for millennia."

She glanced back over her shoulder at him. "There is a Jedi temple not so far away. Much can be learned from the past, don't you think?"

[Byron Mik]

“The past can inform our future, but I never forget the present. Well given you have the greater knowledge of the Sith, why not give me a tour,” he suggested calmly.

“I enjoy learning new things.”

[Hatoful GM]

The eyes narrowed further, even as the smile grew wider. It seemed they were inversely proportional. "I was just about to suggest that. Follow me." She tossed her head, nodding towards the temple, her long blonde hair briefly swirling about. She lead the way, walking confidently, her stylish yet practical shoes clacking lightly on the stones.

The temple had a pyramid shape, with lots of different shapes jutting out. Drascovina took the steps slowly, one at a time. "I think you may not find it so very different from Jedi temples, or so I understand." She said. "After all, Sith do not seek wealth. We seek power."

[Byron Mik]

“I was not aware of that, so wealth is immaterial to you?” he responded calmly.

“Jedi seek understanding, with ourselves and with others. We do not seek wealth but we understand the power it has in the Galactic community. So what constitutes Power for a Sith?”

“Or maybe just for you?” he added kindly.

[Hatoful GM]

"Well, not exactly." Drascovina said. "We respect all sorts of power. But many of them are transitory, wealth included. Our temples recognize this fact."

The entrance to the temple was large and open. She led the way inside to a large chamber, with corridors branching off. It seemed that there had once been some sort of edifice of black stone in the middle, but it had been destroyed, only some rubble remaining.

"Power is freedom. The ability to exert your will upon the galaxy." She clenched one well-manicured fist, her lips pressing together tightly for a moment, before glancing over at Byron. "What is power to you, Byron?"

[Byron Mik]

“The Force,” he said simply.

“Ultimately to me there is one Power, the Force. It binds us all, connects us in ways we cannot understand. It may have a will or it may just be, but through these connections it guides us,” he responded.

“The Force allows me to be of service to others and the Republic. I suppose that is what I want most to aid others, protect those that have not the means to do so, and help them better their conditions. I suppose that seems… droll to a Sith,” he said admiring the structure.

“I will say this about Sith and Jedi temples, they make you feel small.”

[Hatoful GM]

"Indeed." This time the blue eyes narrowed without a curling of the lips. "To a Sith, aiding others is sacrilege. Can they not aid themselves? They should." Now she smiled, almost gently. "And yet, you do need power, don't you? Perhaps we have something in common after all.

Slowly, she led the way down one of the corridors; it was narrow, stone closing in all around. "Perhaps. But do they not also remind you of what is possible? The things you could accomplish?"

[Byron Mik]

“I had not considered the idea that they could be inspirational, reverent yes but not so much inspiring. I see history as a wonderful thing but only for insights into my present and future not so much to revere it,” he said.

“I take it the Sith revere their history deeply?”

[Hatoful GM]

"Oh, yes." Drascovina said, her eyes glinting. "The Sith do not forget the past."

They walked by a number of open doors, the rooms behind them apparently little more than cells. Drascovina stopped, gesturing to them with one hand. "These are where Sith would meditate in preparation for the last steps of their pilgrimage. They would often flagellate themselves, or so I'm told. We find pain to be an excellent tool for unlocking power."

[Byron Mik]

Byron listened and said, “That is… an interesting tidbit of knowledge. So pain is a path to knowledge and power among the Sith? I was always told Sith enjoy inflicting pain, I had not considered they would find it… educational, or useful for themselves.”

[Hatoful GM]

"It is a path. The line between pain and passion is a very thin one." Her lips curled up. "It is a line that the Sith are experts at exploring. Oh, yes."

She regarded him, tilting her head. "Do you think Sith draw only on negative emotion? Hate, anger, those are among our strongest tools. But they are not all we have."

[Byron Mik]

“I believe that you draw on deep passions and emotions, a source of strength for you. Jedi seek stillness in mind and action, serenity of a form I guess,” he said looking around avoiding her gaze.

“It seems short sighted to only focus on dark passions I guess, but again… what do I know?” he said crouching down prodding through the remnants.

[Hatoful GM]

There was little left, the temple having been empty for some time. Perhaps the stone was stained a bit darker in some places... or perhaps it was just the imagination.

Lady Drascovina stepped beside him, looking down. "Indeed." She said, amused. "We do draw on others as well. Sith do often love, for instance, with all the passion at our command." She smirked. "What does Byron think about that?"

[Byron Mik]

Byron chuckled and rose to his full height as he dusted off his hands and said, “Well I would think that most people live by that creed. Jedi just take a different outlook, we forego the deep passions to focus on a larger form of compassion and stillness I suppose. I don’t know I am not Master, but the way of life is not for everyone it takes dedication to control our impulses and live with detachment.”

“Well not complete detachment more… mindfulness of our emotions and how they can control our actions.”

Byron smiled and said, “I mean you mentioned love, a seemingly universal concept among many species, it brings great joy and inspires lots of bad poets. But love can be a corrupting influence; obsession…or blinding us to the serious faults in others, or even cause us to do things in the heat of passion that we would never do if we had maintained a proper mindfulness in the moment.”

[Hatoful GM]

"We agree on the bad poetry, at least." Drascovina said, dryly amused. "But a true Sith is not controlled by her emotions. She controls them. And with them, the Force."

Turning, she nodded down the hallway. "Shall we continue? There isn't much more, but there is a little." About to walk, she paused instead, looking curiously at him. "Perhaps you could tell me of yourself as we look."