[center]~| Day 2, 7:40 - 7:55 GST |~
~|Aboard the Kaggath|~[/center]

Vivithe moved through the halls like a huntress stalking its next prey. She was a Sith woman on a mission, a fearsome thing even in just name alone. The beautiful woman’s hazel eyes swung from side to side as she looked for the Jedi she was seeking out. With composed and quiet footsteps she moved through the hallway, her body language displaying that of someone in a relaxed state even in such a hostile environment.

“Shiri, is it?” She asked as she came behind the girl, her maroon robes flowing, her hood still raised, but her face revealed by the bright lights in the hallway. A friendly smile sat on her face, eyebrows raised.

Shiri quickly placed a mask of calm on her face, even though this Sith could still tell she was at least troubled if they dared to delve into her emotions. “Yeah, that’s what they call me at least. My friends, that is.” As she started to slip into the mindset of speaking with the Sith, the calm on her face started to be her true emotion. Here was something to focus on that didn’t make her feel like screaming at the world, something she knew she could deal with. “Although you aren’t my friend, you can call me that as I don’t really feel like giving my full name to a Sith.” She returned the Sith’s friendly smile now, what’s the use of talking if she can’t try her hardest to be herself: Impossible?

“It is good that you know who your friends are. Even if you don’t consider me a friend, I feel there is something we can discuss, in private, if you’ll allow me to.” The lady Sith said, as they walked, her moving ahead towards a door to the side, with a hand wave it came open, the room inside was one familiar to Vivithe from before, the surveillance chamber. It may not have seemed like a great idea to allow a Jedi inside, but she had taken enough measures to ensure the girl wouldn’t learn anything that Vivithe didn’t want her to. 

“Go ahead, have a seat.” She added, gesturing for Shiri to go inside before she did herself. The monitors inside were all blank at the moment.

The room the Sith led her to was filled with monitors, could she really have believed it was a good Idea to bring a Jedi to their surveillance room? Shiri entered the room without a word, wondering what crazy idea this one had come up with. [i]First dinner, then cards. Could she have brought me here to watch a show?[/i] It’s not like it was a bad idea, and Shiri almost laughed at the thought that it could be true, although the possibility was so small that it likely wasn’t. 

She went up to the console and pressed a couple of buttons, not trying to do anything really, but disappointed all the same when nothing happened. She turned with a sigh to face the Sith. “So, you childproofed it so I couldn’t mess anything up for you. Smart move, but you kinda spoiled the fun for me.”

With a peaked eyebrow Vivithe motioned with her hand towards the largest screen, in a flash the largest monitor seemingly buzzed on and displayed a picture on it. A freeze frame image of Xid and Lea from before, the redness on the boy’s face evident in her presence. The Sith lady almost smirked as she paced towards the table in the middle, then finally spoke.

“I was once like that myself, a long time ago, I was in love with someone. Every time I was around them I had to try my hardest not to have that happen to me around them. But, in my alone time every thought of them caused me to light up. Unfortunately it didn’t go as I would have liked it to…” Vivithe said, her tone more somber towards the end as her voice trailed off.

“It almost makes me laugh to see that, like looking in a mirror. Love is a beautiful thing.” She added.

Seeing the picture of Xid and Lea, obviously from just moments ago as they were in the sanitation room, caused Shiri’s calm to falter. This, basically proved the things she had been hoping weren’t true, not that she was going to be able to delude herself for long anyway. 

“Great…” She muttered under her breath as she realized what the Sith showing her this meant. They were being targeted now, all because they were good friends and, unfortunately now wanting to be something more. Shiri knew how she felt for Xid, she [u]has[/u] had a crush before, and as she had suspected and now was proved by this picture, it seemed Xid felt the same way towards Lea. 

As she admitted this to herself she kept her emotions under control, as much as she could anyway. She wouldn’t give this woman the satisfaction of seeing her bothered by this. “So, love is it?” She couldn’t bear to finish that thought so she went into another question. “What happened to your crush? Was he stolen away by someone else, or did you just tarry too long in telling him how you felt?”

Vivithe’s expression changed as she thought back, she hadn’t lied to the girl, she was actually once in love, but she had gotten over it. Thinking deeply about it brought back feeling she had tucked away as her lip quivered into a frown.

“I was too late, [i]she[/i] died before I was ready to confess my feelings to her. The battlefield took her, it was so long ago, back when I was an apprentice, we were going into battle, under different masters. I had no clue what happened to her until after the battle when I was told the battalion she was fighting alongside perished in combat,” Vivithe said, as she blinked and put herself back together. “I like to sometimes believe that if I had told her how I felt about her then she may still be alive, maybe the thought that someone loved her would have caused her to act more carefully with not just her own well being in mind.”

“But yes, that is love, even in the saddest ways there’s still beauty in it.” She said, referring to her own experience that she had opened up to the Jedi about.

Shiri listened as the Sith told her story, surprised by how sincere she seemed as she spoke. “Sorry to hear that. And I suppose I should also apologize for bringing up such a sad memory. But, If you’ll bear with me a moment, do you think it could be for the best that you lost her when you did?” 

Before the Sith had a chance to look at her like she was crazy, she explained. “That event, though you may not think so, was very important in leading you to being who you are now. As you believe she may have lived if she knew your feelings, how do you believe your own life may have changed if she had? She could have held you back from getting to where you are now, or your feelings for her could have caused you problems, maybe even caused your own death.”

Shiri paused a moment to think before continuing. “If you had told her and she had accepted your feelings, would you not be worried for her life at every moment? Forgive me if I have this fact wrong, but it’s not very uncommon for a Sith to murder their way up the ranks is it? If people knew of your feelings for each other, they would have used her against you, and vise versa.” 

“In the Order, things like that never happen, so I feel sorry for you and the rest of the Sith. You’ve lived a life without peace, and without peace there is so much missing from the universe.” At this point Shiri realized that she was practically rambling, and so she smiled and tried to wrap up. “If you can find my point I’d be glad if you could tell me, I seem to have lost it in the last few sentences.”

“They would have never known. I am excellent at keeping secrets, if I wasn’t then my presence on the ship would have already been spoiled for one thing. No one besides the Darth knew I had arrived the other night.” Vivithe said, her hands folded behind her back, she had listened to the Jedi’s words, but they did nothing to her, it was the usual foolish nonsense they tended to spout.

“Peace is a fragile lie, my dear. There has never once been a period in the galaxy when there has not been war going on somewhere in it. You sit in your temples in silence meditating in your own false peace while the galaxy burns around you. If it was up to your Jedi Council then they would ignore the flames until there was nothing but ash left,” Vivithe said, the intensity in her voice having picked up. She added one final remark. “Perhaps you will sit in silence too while Xid becomes ash. He’s already heading down that path, one that is veering away from you.”

“You can’t turn me, I’m too stubborn. Plus, I’ve pretty much already promised another Sith that I wouldn’t fall to the Storm around me, or in your case, Fire.” Shiri took a moment to breathe and think. Talking was good, so long as she could keep a lid on her jealousy and basically avoid letting the Sith know she was as jealous as she was. 

“You say peace is a lie, it’s even in your code. But how can you say something is a lie if you can actually see and feel, [i]be[/i] at peace? The calm of the world before sunrise, The peace of mind one gains from casting off emotion, can you deny that truly exists?” Shiri wanted to see how the Sith responded to this before going on with her thought, and decided that she would deal with the jab about Xid later. 

She had promised another Sith? What an interesting tidbit, even if the conversation wasn’t going the way that Lady Lansha wanted it to the girl was still unconsciously revealing valuable information. A little digging and she’d easily be able to figure out exactly which Sith it was that made this deal with the stupid girl.

“I can see the emotion of love in dear Xid’s eyes, he’s head over heels for that pretty human girl. I can also see her returning that feeling of love. Then she and him will be with each other, in the comfort of each other in even such a terrible situation.” Vivithe said as she raised one eyebrow and glanced at the still image of Xid on the screen. 

“Or perhaps [i]I[/i] could speak with Xid, give him the same words I was going to give you. But he is a handsome boy, I could show him how to [i]really[/i] treat a woman. Oh would I teach him some things, I think he might even fall for me over Lea. If he likes how she looks underneath those robes, just wait until he sees me. ” She said, her eyes narrowing on the boy’s face before she turned her head towards Shiri, a grin on her face.

She would…what? No! nononononono NO. “You- you dodged my question.” Shiri forced her voice to stay calm, although the anger in her at what the Sith just said.. she had to calm down, before she did something [i]really[/i] stupid, like, beat the Schutta's brains out. Ignoring what the Sith just said, or at least trying to, she went back to the point she had been about to make a moment ago. 

“At least as the galaxy burns around us, [i]we[/i] know what it means. The calm before the raging storm, and then again in the very center where the storm should be strongest, doesn’t that just prove that no matter how hard you try, you can’t get rid of us? Certainly, you create a rift, a temporary disturbance, a moment of chaos. But even at your center, your stronghold, you cannot avoid us. For what is the darkness with no light to expose it?” She smirked back at the Sith, but even though she had made a good point, she still wasn’t as calm as she should be.

“Xid can do whatever he wants, so long as he is truly happy and safe, then I don’t care. But if you think for one second that I’ll let you even [i]talk[/i] about treating him, or any of my friends, like that -Causing anger, hatred, jealousy and confusion. Toying with the minds of the purehearted?- then you’ve got another thing coming. I will not fall, and sure as hell I’m not losing anyone else either. I’ll carry them through any trail you throw at me, even if it means my own death. I’ll just rejoin them in death through the Force, and continue to protect them forever.”

“Oh, I can make him quite happy, and with me he’ll be nothing but safe. It’s a wise choice to accept whatever help you can receive in such a terrible, hopeless situation. I’m sure his ears would at least be open to the idea of it. He seems like a smart boy, almost as smart as he is handsome.” Vivithe replied with another smile. she could see the emotions in the young girl as the Sith bent her words, the almost angry outburst at the thought of Vivithe getting her claws on her crush. She had found a weak spot within the Twi’lek, now it was just a matter of exposing it. 

“You speak so ideally, but you’ve seen nothing in your barely even double digit years in your life. Have you even seen death? Stared with open eyes at piles of twisted, dead bodies in their own filth? Have you ever actually felt loss in your life? It will be interesting to see what happens when your ‘friends’ have to make hard decisions and show their true colors.” Vivithe added, her expression straightening out as her voice turned into one comparable to a teacher lecturing a student.

At the mention of loss Shiri had lost a bit of her fire, now wasn’t the time to think about that though. She stood straighter and looked the Sith dead in the eye. “Of course I’ve seen death, caused by people who didn’t care for anyone but themselves. And I wouldn’t be a Jedi if I hadn’t lost everything. The Order gave me a future, a family, and a purpose. My friends are the same way. We all have lost something, but we had to in order to become complete.” 

“And don’t underestimate me just because I’m young. I could seriously mess up all your plans if I wanted to. Just give me 20 minutes alone in this room and I could screw up the entire ship. But, I’m not gonna, because I’m not a Schutta like you.” She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head, almost innocently, at the Sith. “I suppose what I’m really trying to say is--.“

“That you already lost the moment you informed me that you had promised yourself to another Sith on the ship? That was all I needed from you, but you gave me much more as I led you along. We played a game, and you lost in the first turn,” Vivithe spat back, a smile on her face as she spoke once more. “I think I’ll have a chat with dear little Xid soon, it will be [i]enlightening[/i] for us both.”

Shiri couldn’t help but laugh as she spoke. “What gave you that Idea? All I said was that I wouldn’t lose, to anyone. The ‘Storm’? There’s no way anyone would believe I promised myself to anyone, especially a Sith. No Jedi could believe it anyway, and they’re the ones who count.” 

“Oh, I think I could get Xid to listen to me at least,” as she glanced back at the image of him displayed on the monitor. “I’m prettier than that other girl anyway, I think he only has eyes for human girls, he doesn’t act the same way around you as he does her.” Vivithe replied, a smile still on her face. The Twi’lek knew so very little, like all of the other Jedi she clung to ideals will no foundation.

“And you haven’t angered me one bit, you’re a child, you speak like one and have as much life experience as one. You still limit yourself even in a hopeless situation. Who knows what will happen when you actually have to make a decision that even slightly conflicts with your moral code.” She added with a laugh.

“When given an ‘A’ and a ‘B’, there is always an option ‘C’ which is better than any other. The topic may conflict, but my solution is always good with my morals. For example, you want me to lose the control I have over my emotions, option ‘A’ if you will, and I want to claw your face off, option ‘B’. So option ‘C’ is I do neither of those things and leave. Goodbye!” Shiri turned away from the Sith and walked up to the door. “Now just give me a second to figure out how to open this thing and I’ll be out of your hair, ok?” 

Vivithe rose a hand towards the door as the girl move towards it, she used the Force to hold it shut, then walked towards Shiri, stopping a foot away from her, almost right in her face. Then she spoke. 

“Then what happens when there is no option ‘C’? And there is not a given second in order to figure ‘something out’. You’re completely helpless right now, if I had wanted to then I could have made our meeting a living hell for you. You willingly followed me into this room even after I gave you the choice not to. No one would have come and helped you..” Vivithe said, then released her grip on the door as she pulled it open and flung Shiri out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Outside, four soldiers were stationed, two grabbed Shiri’s arms as soon as she was still.

“I could have left on my own, thanks.” Shiri grumbled as she caught her balance on the troopers who were there. “Suppose we’re going back to the cells now. Mind if we take the scenic route? I still need to figure a way to get out of here you know.” She sighed as the troopers said nothing and took her back to the cells, the short way. Once she was back in the cell block she climbed up onto the bunk she had slept on the night before and started meditating, she would have to talk to Xid later, [i]after[/i] she calmed down.