Vole strode into the cellblock of his target alone he could feel the negative emotions permeating the air. All around him it stank of anger, desperation, sadness, and hopelessness. Few seemed close enough to break easily though which was why he had chosen his first target so carefully. Someone who was hurt, mentally, emotionally, and most importantly physically. That would allow him the opening he needed.
Coming to her cell he saw the twi'lek curled up against the corner. She looked so sad, so pathetic, and very vulnerable. He reached out with the force towards her to feel what emotions, thoughts, or ideas emanate from her. He smiled at what he found there and keeping the smile on his face cleared his throat before speaking, "Hello, Kinsa."
The sound of someone entering the cellblock surely reached Kinsakwi's ears, yet they were of no consequence. What was the point of getting distraught over a single sound? A single Sith? Either way she'd be shocked to unconsciousness or have her emotions messed around with. This one would be no different, she was sure of it. Lord Namore had surely been nicer than she had expected, but Kinsa was worried that she hadn't heard of Xid ever since the session. Who knew what the Sith Lord had done to him?
When the Sith entered the room, Kinsakwi purposefully avoided his gaze while she kept her own stare fixed on her feet.
"... Only my friends call me Kinsa." She said, shrugging lightly to herself. "Are you here to torture me, like the others before you?"
"Well then, perhaps we can become friends." He still maintained a calm disarming smile. She was emanating a variety of conflicting emotions as could be expected. Sadness and despair he could use to his ends. They were not the best to work with but were something he could work with. He would rebuild her from what she was now into something stronger.
"Is there anything you would like currently that I could help get you? I read a bit about your treatment so far. You do not need to worry about anything like that happening ever again. I can assure you of that."
"I don't think so." Kinsakwi responded to the Sith's first proposal, then started to hesitate once he asked if she needed anything. What was she supposed to answer to that? Surely if she asked for something she'd end up screwing herself up in some way, and if she didn't, she'd screw herself up right now. It wasn't pleasant to have to smell herself, lately.
"Er... I guess... Something to clean myself with?"
It was largely a leading question, he needed her talking and thinking. If he could get her thinking about different things it would stir her mind. He continued to make his presence in the force only around her, maintaining subtly feeling for her thoughts, feelings, and wants. They were surprisingly basic and sent a thought into the mind of Missandra who was already acquiring food for Kinsa to already procure soap, clean water, and a pair of small towels before the jedi had even said what she wanted.
"It will be here momentarily. In the mean time though let us talk. You have been hurt, that is unfortunate. I wish to provide a true and heartfelt apology for that," the smile was now gone from his face as he spoke and he started to pace, "there are some Sith within the ranks who are not like me. They are brutes who care nothing for the feelings of others and relish only in their own strength. That is the flaw in a society built on strength and is not apparent until too late. People like him are culled in time but not before they do some damage. It is something we share in common between our orders, the Jedi and the Sith. We have some like you and me who are calm, rational, intelligent beings. Then there are the monsters, that is the problem with wars they breed monsters like him and the countless within the ranks of the Jedi."
Kinsakwi sighed as the Sith started to speak, trying to fill her mind with his talk even after he gave her a surprise by actually promising she'd get what she asked for. His words were slightly akin to Lord Namore's, and that didn't bring her much calm, but knowing she would not end up with a broken bone and a one finger less was nice.
Kinsa looked at the Sith as he spoke of monsters within the ranks of the Jedi and Sith, of the kind of people who just seeked to destroy rather than build or learn.
"I haven't lived long enough to feel a peaceful environment, how would I know if you're lying? What if it's just the fact that pricks are always there?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. The last few days she had fully forgotten about her training, but not anymore. The fear, shock and... Disgrace of being held prisoner of the Sith had gotten to her, but now that she had learned something about them other than black-and-white stories about them, she might just be able to apply her training to the situation. She was still shaken up, distressed like never before, but she at least felt a bit of hope.
She lifted her head, looking at the Sith's face before standing up and moving over to her bed to sit on it. "You know my name... What's yours?"
She was getting calmer, that was a bad change of pace. He needed her more distraught than that. He would have to work with her before he could bring his abilities to bear. I suppose you would not. Then again I have not lived in an era besides this one, an era of war. My first memories were of preparing for war quite frankly. I can still recall it, sitting at training lessons at the Jedi temple," he looked at her now using the force to see if any emotions registered with her, "Learning how to use a lightsaber, learning to use the force. I was weak then, almost too weak in fact. The Jedi were prepared to throw me away because I was not good enough for them. I was not though, I learned to adapt to my weaknesses, something the Jedi can and will never do unfortunately. Everything I have learned was first from the Jedi and now from the Sith."
Removing a blue crystal from his pocket he levitated it before him with the force. "I am Sebastian Volenthrope, my friends call me Vole," He was smiling again as he spoke to her, "I would like to think that if not now, then one day soon I can count you amongst my friends." He was smiling again as he looked down at the crystal and tried to project some of his own happiness onto Kinsa in the hopes of making her more pliable. "That is how I know what it means to be in your situation. Not a situation of imprisonment, but one of facing the darkness after a lifetime in the light."
The mention of his past surprised Kinsa, a Jedi who fell, and he didn't seem dead, or tortured, or depressed. Surely she could feel some darkness in him, but then again, was that darkness or light? One could never know.
Then he levitated a beautiful blue crystal in front of himself, a crystal that drew in Kinsa's eyes for a small moment, before she found herself looking up at Vole's face and smiling. "Actually, Sebastian..." She began, her eyes trailing off down and to the left, away from Vole. "Nevermind. You mentioned that I'd get something to clean myself with?"
Vole mentally checked on where Missandra was, she was nearing the cellblock with the food and soap he had asked her to bring. "It will be here in a moment. You seemed to be about to say something there, you can trust me. If anything I am here to protect you." He used the force to present an air of trustworthiness to her an aura of pleasantry to make her feel nicer and more at ease with him. He began to use the force more on here beginning to touch at the edges of her mind with his own. Nothing forceful yet, merely threads of the force at the edges of her mind with pleasant feels dribbling down them to infect her.
"I don't..." Kinsa started, before she sighed and shook her head. She felt strange all of a sudden, something about Sebastian was different, in the fact that with mere words he somehow made her feel better. How? Why?
"A few years back, I did a few things that my Master would have abandoned me for. I think he's dead now, as I haven't heard from him in a while..." She said, deflating for a short moment, before perking up slightly and looking at Vole with a small smile. "That just means he's not in a situation like mine, though. I guess that's good."
Vole was considering his next response when Missandra came in at last. She had a tray with various foods on it in one hand and in the other she had a pale with a pair of soft looking towels on and a container of soap on top. "Ah it appears my attache has arrived at last."
With a wave of his hand he lowered the force shield that held Kinsa trapped. Missandra then walked forward and at the edge of the cell placed both on the ground with a simple mental impulse from Vole. She then turned and left without a sound heading back to the room she shared with Vole. "Go ahead and eat and wash. I doubt you have had a decent meal in at least as long as you have been without facilities to bath."
When the items arrived, along with a small surprise of actually decent food, Kinsa stared at Vole. Why was he being so nice? What was his plan? There must have been something, as he didn't seem as the kind of man to do something without a purpose behind it.
Just as soon as Vole's attache set down the tray of food and the items, she scooted over to them, sitting cross legged on the floor and balancing the tray on her legs. She studied the foods a bit closer, and was satisfied with what she saw. A small bowl with some rycrit stew, and some munch-fungus bread to go with it. How long had it been since she had eaten those things? It must have been years! She could barely remember the last time she did back in Coruscant, and the nostalgic memory was intensified when she grabbed the sliced bread and took a bite out of it, the taste filling her mouth as she let out a light moan of pleasure, closing her eyes to focus on the rich taste.
Then followed the stew, and the small amount of water supplied with the meal. When she was finished, she set down the tray, but not before making sure not even a single drop of stew, or a single piece of bread were left.
Kinsa then looked at Vole, seeing as he was still there, and then looked at the towels and container. "Um... Is there anything else you need from me? I'd really like to wash myself."
As she was distracted by the food and enjoyed herself in eating it Vole used the opportunity to delve deeper into her mind. He felt her memories as she ate and as they were brought back. Pleasant memories, Coruscant, not surprising as she was young and likely spent almost her whole life there. She had a voracious appetite and it was gone swiftly enough. He could feel a pang of longing from her as she finished the food and looked at the water.
He was amused as she was clearly asking for some privacy now, "Need? No there is nothing I need from you. I am simply here to help," it was a lie, an obvious lie but he fed her feelings of warmth that coincided with the pleasure she was feeling now from being well fed and compounding the feelings he had thus far been giving her.
"If you wish I could leave now, though I am busy and may not return for some time. It is your choice if we continue our conversation for now." He now gave a slight hint of fear towards her mind. It was not directed from him but was a general feeling that seemed to come from the very air around her now.
Kinsakwi could still not believe this Vole was trying to feed her the same lie about wanting to help her. She knew they were lies, she knew he had a plan behind being nice, but… It was still good, to feel like some Sith didn’t just beat everything out of her. By the minute, this Sith showed to truly be… Different, at least. He wasn’t as manipulative as Lord Namore, and neither was he any close to the Lizard’s brutal approach. She kinda… Liked him, and when he let her know that he’d be busy and might not be able to return in some time, she was afraid. Afraid of ever having to eat the horrible food, afraid of getting to feel as disgusting and dirty as she felt now…
So she, looking worried, glanced at Vole. “You’re the first Sith to not try to manipulate me, so… Maybe we could share views or something like that?” She asked, not completely sure on what to do, even if he chose to stay.
She needed to clean herself, but doing it with him there was… Admittedly strange. It’s not like she had never bathed with others around before, as her early childhood as a slave consisted of communal bathing all the time, but it was still weird to think about.
He was disappointed she did not opt to bath in front of him. It mean she did not trust him enough for that yet and it disappointed him for personal reasons as well but that could all wait. In time she would come to trust him more, trust him completely. “What would you like to share your views on exactly? There is so very much we could discuss now if you want. I am here to help you afterall.”
“Well, first off, why are you a nice Sith? I thought all Sith just wanted the destruction of all Jedi and freedom. I mean, that’s what I’ve been taught all my life.” She said, looking at Vole and smiling a bit. yet the smile made her feel strange, once again. It was like she couldn’t help it, like she just had to smile once she saw him.
She was having a hard time believing it, meeting a nice Sith, and actually smiling once she saw one! What had she become? Or were her eyes just opening to the true nature of the Sith? Either way, as she waited for his reply, she scooted closer to the water container and the towels, and after opening the container, she lightly dipped the towel in the water, to be used to gently clean her face and head.
“I see you were truly taken into with the indoctrination by the Jedi and were never granted a chance to have your eyes opened as mine were,” he sighed for effect now, “the Jedi are a far more homogenous group than the Sith are. The Jedi require all force users to follow their exact teachings with punishments deriving from them punished… harshly.” He reached into the pocket of his robe and squeezed the blue crystal for a moment as he recalled the memories of his own part in punishing those who fled the teachings of the Jedi. He let some of his own memories trickle down into her mind allowing that they might crop up as part of her imagination.
“As you have learned there are cruel Sith, there are manipulative Sith, but most of us are more like me. Just people, people that want to help to heal and cure the galaxy people here to help just as I am here to help you. I am not nice to you over some grand scheme I am nice because I want to be nice and help you.” He was smiling again as he spoke of helping her, using the simple repetitive words to try to instil a sense of trust in her to view him as trustworthy and helpful.
“You said you believed all Sith just want to kill Jedi but when did you last see a Jedi take a Sith prisoner? Have you ever seen a Sith place inside som prison? Have you ever even seen a Jedi prison? I bet you will answer ‘no’ to all those questions when logically the Jedi would keep their most dangerous prisoners at the Jedi temple to keep an eye on them with the most powerful Jedi to watch them. No such prison exists though, does it? When you break from the teachings of the Jedi you are killed, there is no second chance and no questions asked. It is simple extermination,” he grasped the blue crystal again though pulled his hand from his robes, “Perhaps you have heard of the Sith Holocaust? I understand if you have not, if you have been to the Jedi library you know that while there exists a near infinite amount of knowledge there only a small fraction is allowed to any but the Jedi Council members. Let me educate you, the Sith Holocaust was an attempt by the Jedi to remove the Sith species from existence, because the Sith would not accept the jedi ways and were force sensitive. That was it, their crime was not accepting the Jedi as their lords and masters and for that millions had to die. That is the true Jedi way they do not teach you at the temple but force you to enact upon an unsuspecting galaxy.”
Holding up the blue crystal to look into it again he took a moment before speaking, “That is why I left. Sith may commit crimes but never on the scale the Jedi consider normal. The Jedi way is one of blind obedience in order to maintain the power of the Jedi council. That is their end goal, they are so settled and so stuck in their ways they cannot see past maintaining the status quo. That is why this war is fought and will be fought a thousand more times if required until the Jedi order is gone, either in form or in actuality. One way or another the galaxy will change whether if be from a new kind of Jedi finally being forced to take the place of the old hind-minded masters or because the Jedi are removed from power. The Sith embody what the Jedi espouse, freedom and truth. Through this whole exchange I have not uttered a single lie to I have spoken openly and wholly to you. Have you even heard of a Jedi master doing the same, going so long without tieing words in knots with claims of secret knowledge that must be found in some obscure way. A master who does not deny information with meaningless riddles. Have you ever known freedom to think as you want or are you given the lash for contemplating a life different than that which you are given? The Jedi have no freedom, everything is structured around them, they take children and give them lives they never ask for and never are given a chance to say no. Those that question the masters are said to be sent out on missions to the fringes of the galaxy, and yet the fringes of the galaxy know little of the Jedi. Tell me just how much you trust what you have been told by your masters?” He spoke with fiery passion that built as he went on. There was no need for him to reach into her mind now he used simple rhetoric now. The lies of the jedi worked against them now and it empowered him as he remembered his own time among the Jedi and used his natural oratory skills.
At first Kinsa had started to worry, had she opened some sort of box containing dark, corrupting thoughts? As he went on, though, she started to see the logic behind his words, and not much after, she was sold on his idea. But his small speech was nowhere near over, and with every word he spoke, Kinsa felt herself drawn to him. His words were true, and deep down, Kinsa knew it… But not all of what the Jedi did was bad. Because her childhood had been slavery, her destiny was to dance for someone, to be a symbol of status to some criminal here, or some slaver there. Her life would be nothing if the Jedi had never taken her from Ryloth… She’d just be one more dancer.
But she could understand how other children’s fates were different. Most came from homes and families different than the Twi’lek norm, where they had food each day and love to last a lifetime. How could the Jedi just… Drag them away?
With a sigh, Kinsa looked at Vole and tilted her head slightly. “My Master taught me a lot… I actually saved a few lives back on Coruscant. Not that it matters now.” She said at first, yet was reminded of it- The attack on Coruscant! How could she have forgotten that? The Sith, they- They had just killed millions, billions of people! Citizens, Jedi and Soldiers alike!
“It doesn’t matter, do you know why?” She asked, her glance growing more accusatory.
“Because the Sith attacked a world full of civilians, full of innocent people, and killed them!” She said, looking at him angrily, before huffing and shaking her head. ’Calm down, Kinsa…’ She thought to herself, taking in a deep breath.
“I had friends there…”
“And how many billions has the Jedi put down? The Sith came about because of the crimes of the Jedi. I came to the Sith because I could continue to be an executioner of the Jedi. I saw them kill children, children! Do you have any idea what it is like to see your master execute people because they refuse to use the force the way he does? Almost all the good things you think that you did were just lies for the Jedi council. My master was a council member, I sat with him as deals were brokered to fund the Republic war effort. I know the millions left to starve because the Jedi felt they deserved to send those resources other places,” Vole began channeling negative emotions into Kinsa now, anger, hatred, he would not let her calm herself now.
“There are no true good guys in this war because there are no good guys in war. You can only try to be the better one when the dust settles. That is what the Sith are, the Jedi control the senate and chancellor. The military is at their beck and call and that is why it is a war between the Jedi and Sith. The Jedi have perfected organized genocide on a galactic scale how else do you see so little opposition? I saw what happens you are part of the opposition, death, destruction, your fields burned, your children taken and indoctrinated to hate you if they are young enough or outright killed if not. What happened on Coruscant was terrible, millions died there but tell me do you understand how much worse the Jedi has done? I HELPED THEM!” He yelled at her now, seeming to lose his cool but instead tried to shock her as he began to more directly push negative emotions into her. Directionless anger, hatred at the horrors of war and life in general.
For a moment he seemed to realize what was happening and took a step back, speaking softly now he held up the blue crystal for her to look at, “This is my repentance, my service with the Sith. I cannot bring back the lives I took and so I always carry this with me. It is the focus crystal of my lightsaber when I was a Jedi. With this crystal I directly or indirectly helped in genocide and the deaths of thousands, maybe millions. Whatever you think the Sith have done the Jedi have done, far, far worse. The Sith are at least truthful about it, the Jedi hide their crimes and leave behind a trail of the suffering and the bodies of the dead. The Jedi are sick and perverse and because of them the Republic is a sham and dooming a galaxy to servitude to the Jedi Council. The Sith are liberators, we bring freedom and truth to this galaxy and I will fight for them until I die because only then can I be one with the force and hope I have done enough to help for those I killed for crimes they did not commit.”
Kinsa tried to remain calm as he spoke, but it was hard. He spoke with such intensity and hatred, that she couldn’t help but crack under the pressure and, with an exasperated groan, glare at him. Yet his yells came and she found herself standing up and balling her fists, on the verge of yelling back. How dare he yell to her? She couldn’t find rest, no matter who she spoke to, and she realized this. Vole might have been truthful in what he thought, but he had a certain way to mess with her emotions, and it annoyed her, it broke the hope she might have had just a while ago,
She couldn’t help but half-snarl at Vole, leaning her body towards him in an aggressive stance before breaking down and sobbing. She tried to stop herself, but it was impossible. Though she did manage to quiet herself down, a few tears escaped her eyes before she got things under relative control. She turned her back on Vole and crossed her arms.
“I don’t care about any of that! I don’t care about the Republic, I hate the Republic! I like the Jedi only because they saved me, yet they’ve always suppressed me. I don’t know who to trust, okay?! Stop pushing me around, I don’t like it…” She yelled at him, wiping her face again with the humid towel, which she had never dropped.
Seeing her weak like she was now he moved in and wrapped his arms around her pulling her close into a hug. Feeling into her mind now it was filled with turmoil, her training had never focused on mental aspects it seemed. “Shh, shh, it is okay. You can trust me. I am here to help you.” With that word again he pushed the idea further into her mind, help, he was here to help her. He let much of the turmoil remain but gave a simple concept for her to grasp onto. He was here to help her just as he had been saying all along.
Speaking softly and holding her firmly but calmly, “Jedi and Sith are just words, let your feelings flow for once now. You have pent them up for so long let yourself be free now. Ignore the Jedi, ignore the Sith. Just feel me here now. I will help you get over whatever you are dealing with now. I am here to help.”
Kinsa was lightly surprised when Vole wrapped his arms around her, but in the good way. While she still felt real bad, and was figuratively breaking on the inside, she found a little bit of comfort in being embraced like that. She placed a hand over her mouth as she attempted to quiet down her renewed sobbing, and dropped the towel she had been holding onto the bed, to be able to use her remaining hand to wipe her tears.
As soon as she could, she spoke through the tears and sobs, voice high pitched and quivering “Thank you…” She muttered, only finding herself to feel even worse.
He kissed her forehead in a tender, caring fashion and slowly moved her back to her bed, sitting her down. He went back and picked up the towel slowly dabbing at her tears, “Whatever you need, I am here to help.” He softly wiped away at her face cleaning the grime and the tears just the same.
“I will never hurt you, never betray you, I will always be here to help you. I only need you to let me help you.” He got the water and the other towel from the opening of the cell and brought it over to her, “I know you wished to get cleaned up. Let me help you.” He remained tender as he continued to wipe away at her face. With the force he maintained the idea in her head that he was to help her and tried to expand that idea to trust him.
Kinsa observed Vole, through her teary eyes she looked as he took care of her, wiping away her tears and a very small part of her worries. She listened to his soft words as he led her to sit on her bed, and slowly started to lean in towards him, forcing herself to hesitantly stop just a few inches short of his face.
“Okay.” She said quietly, sniffling as she lifted a leg onto the bed for added comfort, and rested her right hand on it, using her left to lightly caress the arm Vole was using to wipe away her tears.
As she caressed his arm Vole knelt down in front of her, placing his other hand over her left hand. He subtly began to draw from her thoughts. She thought of a former kiss, thinking to use that he took her hand off his arm and into his. With the towel be began to clean her arm and as he got up to her elbow kissed her hand gently allowing her to choose her next move now.
Feeling the soft kiss, Kinsa smiled, tilted her head slightly and blushed, her purple cheeks for a few moments turning a darker hue as she pulled her hand away from Vole and covered her arm with her robes. “I need to get clean now, Vole. Will you come back?” She asked, sitting on the edge of her bed, subtly motioning him to stand up.
Vole gave her a charming smile, “I will return as soon as I can.” he stood up as she indicated him to, “It may be some time as I said before but I will return when I can. When that happens hopefully we can talk for longer.” With that he strode out of the cell and as he left gave her a present, a sense of loneliness within her.
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