Lord Jewel Namore observed the tapes of Kinsa’s latest visit by her fellow Sith. She’d wasted no time in having some of the surveillance feeds forwarded straight to her room when she’d realised Thalia’s incompetence, and she’d just about finished going over the latest visit for the last time before she would make her own trip to see the young Jedi. She would’ve liked to have seen Calista as well, maybe bring them together and question Calista on her latest experience with Sish, but unfortunately that experience had put the Jedi into a Kolto tank for an undisclosed amount of time.
The holo flicked off then, and Jewel considered her next move. Volenthropes tactics were unorthodox, but seemed to be fairly effective with the Jedi. Jewel thought about adapting them somewhat, perhaps incorporating a few of the more effective ploys into her own methods. Depending on how things went, they might prove effective, and there was no rule against using other peoples methods for your own gain.
It just so happens that other peoples methods were rarely effective enough to consider.
By the time she reached the prison cells, she’d planned out several possible courses of action along with several locations she could use. She didn’t bother bringing guards this time, it was going to be just her and the one Jedi. She could handle one Jedi easily. Entering the cell she found Kinsa, caught her attention and beckoned to her. The first thing to do was talk while walking through the corridors.
Kinsa didn’t even have to lift her gaze from her robes in order to realize who it was that had visited them- Ever since Vole’s visit, she had been feeling strange. In one part, she felt troubled and scared, and in the other, she felt happy. Had the Sith, Lord Jewel Namore, arrived a few hours earlier, she would have found a rather depressed and pathetic Kinsa, but now it was different. Instead of hopelessly sitting on a corner, she was now nervously sitting on her bed, tapping her foot to some unseen rhythm. Of course, all behaviour ceased when Lord Namore entered her small cell, and without any kind of resistance, Kinsa followed her, Vole’s words repeating themselves in her mind.
’They’re not like Vole. Watch yourself, Kinsa.’
As they walked through the corridors, Kinsa was able to actually realize something- No guards were escorting them. It was just her and Lord Namore. ’Should I be worried?’ She thought to herself, looking behind her for a split second, before resuming looking forward, trying to avoid any kind of contact with Lord Namore. She had questions, and one of them involved Xid, but they could wait. She was sure she’d get some sort of new thing to think about in this session.
Meanwhile, though, Kinsakwi kept to herself. After all, she didn’t want to make Jewel turn into a copy of the lizard Sith by disrespecting her with a careless question. That would be really bad.
Jewel could sense the Twi’leks desire to ask questions as they walked. That was good. She still evidently feared to ask them, but the fact she had any at all was a good sign. First though, Jewel had a question of her own, whose answer would determine where she would lead the Jedi. Composing herself calmly she said conversationally “What were you when you were a Jedi? I know they divide their numbers into many roles.” She had carefully phrased it to implicate that Kinsa was not a Jedi anymore while not being obvious about it. The truth of whether she was or not was not important right now, working the idea into her mind however, was very important.
Kinsa listened to Lord Namore’s question, internally frowning at such a… Seemingly out of the blue inquiry. She thought for a tiny while, unsure as to whether she should tell the truth or lie. Was there any point in lying, though? It would matter none if she ended up dead, and it would be negative to be seen as an obstacle for these Sith… She had seen first hand what they did to non-cooperative Jedi just a while ago, and she didn’t want to end like that. So she decided to tell the truth, and accept anything that may come from it.
“I was training as a Padawan to become a Jedi Investigator. I was the law enforcement’s aid back on Coruscant.”
Jewel had guessed as much, but it was always good to confirm it. That, and it led nicely into the next phase of her plan. She altered the path they were taking, instead of the Arena, she started heading towards the Sith quarters. Normally she’d consider it unpleasant to treat an alien as equally as she was going to, but it was for a good cause. She bottled up the anger at the necessity of the task for later use. “I can sense you have questions Kinsa. I imagine as an investigator it has been your job to ask questions… regardless of who or what might not want you to ask. Do not be afraid to question, Kinsa. I won’t hurt you for asking questions. In fact I’d prefer to avoid violence entirely.” Her tone was conversational and calm. Scaring the Jedi would be detrimental at this stage.
Releasing a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding, Kinsa nodded, putting on an imitation of the facial expressions interrogators and investigators wore during their tasks, emotionless, and started speaking. “I wanted to ask about this one Sith, Sebastian Volenthrope. Do you know him? I could do with knowing something about him.” She asked, keeping her hands at her sides in a casual manner, trying to look and feel as professional as she could. Finding out more about Vole made her slightly anxious, given the fact that she wanted to see him again.
That wasn’t the question Jewel had been expecting. She’d hardly found out anything about the newly arrived Sith herself. Still, she knew more than Volenthrope had told the Jedi. “I do know of him, though I’ve not met him personally. He is a Fallen Jedi and he is here as a representative of the Dark Council, the governing body of the Sith Empire until such a time as the Emperor decides to take back the day to day rule of his domain.” She had information that could possibly ruin the rapport that Vole had been building up with the Twi’lek, but for now she didn’t think it was necessary.
“Hm,” Kinsa said simply, slightly frustrated at having come up with information she already knew and information that she had no use for whatsoever. “I’ve also been wishing to ask you about Xid, the Padawan that helped in disabling the droids. I haven’t seen him in quite a while.” She asked, dusting off one of her robe’s sleeves, as it had caught a bit of dust. As they walked, Kinsa began to wonder exactly where she was being taken. It wasn’t the same place as last time, if she remembered the various turns and hallways correctly.
This was a question Jewel was most definitely expecting. She’d prepared an answer that had just enough hints of truth to be believable. “As you know the cell allocation has changed… A security measure, nothing more. Unfortunately he has also been visited by Lord Sish since you saw him last and the experience was harrowing… He was placed in Kolto to recuperate. Sish was not happy that I have denied him your… company. I can’t defend all the Jedi from him you know. Your safety comes at the cost of the safety of the others. Volenthropes promise to protect you is the same. By hiding you, we enrage Sish.” Now Jewel was testing Kinsa. She wanted to know if the poor girl would face Sish’s claws herself to save her friends or not.
“... Oh.” Kinsa said quietly, rubbing her neck for a small moment as the feeling of guilt filled her. Had she resisted Sish’s brutal ways, Xid wouldn’t have been sent to the Kolto Tank… But there was nothing she could do about it, right? Sooner or later, she’d have died at Sish’s hands and he would have gone to Xid either way. And if Kinsa herself had met two civilized Sith already, Xid was bond to have met them as well.
“Where are we heading?”
“My quarters.” Jewels reply was quick and to the point. “The cells here are for inflicting pain. I do not intend to do that to you, so we may as well talk in a more pleasant environment.” Jewel was heartened by Kinsa’s apparent lack of a desire to sacrifice herself. She couldn’t be sure if it was actually a selfish act or merely having resigned to the collective fate of the Jedi though. Still, even resigning to her fate was better than throwing herself before the enraged Trandoshan in the vain hope it might save someone else. “Have you any other questions Kinsa?”
’Her… Quarters?’ Kinsa wondered, sparing a quick glance towards Namore’s face in an attempt to read her intentions or thoughts. It was in vain though, as Namore’s face revealed nothing but a stone wall. ’Going to her quarters… That’s strange. What will we do there that we can’t do in a more public place?’ Namore then asked if Kinsa had any more questions, and while she was actually satisfied with what she had learned so far, she knew there were a lot more things to ask. Kinsa’s training, however, led her to ask the question that gave birth to the rest.
“Why didn’t you kill us, back on Coruscant?” She asked, raising an eyebrow even though she kept her gaze away from any part of Namore’s face. “It seems like a lot of resources would go to medical care for the badly wounded, and even more would go to security and building the whole prison area.”
“Because we’re not monsters.” Was Jewels immediate reply. “We captured those who we could, because to kill you all would be a waste of life. Many, though, could not be captured. Jedi too often seem to have a blind desire to self-sacrifice.” Jewel was telling a partial truth now. That was always the ideal, because it was the most believable method of instilling ideas. She’d been hoping for a question like that though, it opened the way for one of her own, one necessary to start tearing down Kinsa’s faith in the Jedi order. “Why did you think we would kill you all? Is it not the way of the civilised society to spare life where it can in war?”
“Well… My Master and I had recently started researching contemporary history before the attack. It seems like wherever a skirmish happens, the losing side’s soldiers and jedi are almost always never heard from again.” Kinsa said, eyes glazing over slightly as she recalled the quiet research sessions with her Master. “I was taught that Sith only killed, and that whoever was corrupted by them would be dead.”
“To answer your question more directly… I thought so because I’ve been told many stories of genocide done by the Sith.” She answered, closing her eyes for a moment before letting out a breath. She hadn’t forgotten what they had done to Coruscant yet. She had to cling to that event, to remember that the planet was invaded and innocent people died… But it was hard to see it from such a black and white point of view, these days.
“You and your fellow prisoners are living testament to the falsehood of the idea that we kill all that we defeat.” Genocide and the amount of death caused by the Empire was not a subject Jewel wanted to dwell on given that no-one had clean hands in that matter. It had its use though. “Of course the Jedi are eager to tell you of Sith genocide, but have you seen the results with your own eyes? How can you know they are telling the truth and not simply trying to vilify us? Let me tell you where we are going Kinsa, and the significance of it. This ships final stop is Korriban, the original homeworld of the Sith species. As I have told you, it is the site of one of the worst war-crimes ever to mar this galaxy. The Republic and Jedi defeated the first Sith Empire there and rather than offer surrender, they bombed the planet from orbit, killing millions of innocent civilians. You may believe what I say or you may not, but when we arrive I will show you the desolate wastes that once teemed with life. All that survives from the original home of the sith are vast tombs and monuments to the long dead. Proof of the monstrous acts the Jedi have committed against our people. Did they ever teach you of that act in the temple? Did they tell you the lengths they would go to to see their enemy not only defeated but eradicated from the galaxy entirely?” Jewels voice was calm the entire time, even cold. She was speaking of fact, and she didn’t let her emotion colour it.
Kinsa remained silent as Jewel spoke. Her words were true, they were facts, and while she hadn’t been taught of Korriban in the past, she had indeed read up on it by accident. At the moment, the planet meant nothing more than some old battlefield to Kinsa, but now… What the Sith had just done to them in Coruscant, they had done to the Sith that many generations ago.
She looked down at the floor for a small moment and decided to keep silent on the topic. There was nothing to discuss there, mostly since she’d only managed to confuse herself even more.
“I’ve no more questions.”
Jewel did not speak anymore until they reached her quarters, taking a fairly short version of the path so as to not give Kinsa too much time to think. She input her code on the door to her quarters and led Kinsa in, making a mental note to change it afterwards. She ushered Kinsa inside and followed the Jedi when she did, closing the door behind them. “Please, sit. Make yourself comfortable.” She said as she took a seat herself in the central room. The furnishings were slightly sparse, but comfortable, with a low table and a long couch across from Jewel in a more work oriented chair.
Kinsa looked around the room, admiring how comfortable and how spacious the place seemed to be. It took her a few moments to register what Lord Namore had told to her, and when she grew past her initial admiration, she walked over to politely sit on the couch, inwardly sighing in relief at the sensation the soft surface caused. Only a few days without comfortable furniture and it already felt like months.
Quietly, she glanced at Lord Namore in order to get her to elaborate on why, exactly, she had been brought to such a private place. Very few times before had Kinsa been in someone’s quarters as an invited guest.
Jewel picked up on the Jedi’s bewilderment and comfort from a combination of the Force and the expressions of her face and body. A small smile crept onto her face, though it was quickly removed as she got straight to business. “Tell me, Kinsa, of your time with the Jedi. Were you satisfied? How much knowledge of the Force did they teach you?” It was a risk to bring up such memories, as the Twi’lek no doubt considered them pleasant, but at the same time it could prove one of the best ways to twist her view of the Jedi, after all, memories were nothing compared to the present.
“Well, let’s see…” Kinsa muttered, looking down and to the right as she focused on remembering the exact words. “My Master… He taught me that the Force was a means to an end, a double edged sword. He told me that there were many risks, and that completely relying on it would be a mistake for my line of work.” She explained, smiling for a few moments as she stumbled upon a happy memory.
“He spoke of the force as this powerful beast that was capable of both great harm and great justice. Told me that one day I’d have to…” Kinsa trailed off, her smile vanishing. Quickly, she focused once more and looked at Jewel, “What is the reason behind the question?”
“Can I not be simply a curious woman wishing to know how things are done on the other side? We’ve had spies in the past of course, but I want to hear how it was from someone without any… prejudice.” As was becoming normal with her interactions with Kinsa, she did her best to project an aura of truthfulness. “Would you like anything? Food or drink? I’ve seen what they give you in the cells. You must be starving.” Whether the Twi’lek asked for any food or not, Jewel stood and walked to one of the rooms adjacent to the central one to prepare a drink for herself. She wouldn’t be able to see the Twi’lek from there, and it was her hope that the Jedi might find one of the dark Holocrons she’d selected and placed about the room. Her personal records and written works were safely hidden elsewhere.
“Anything you wish to give to me will suffice.” Kinsa replied to Jewel’s offer, watching as she stood up and moved over to another room, presumably to prepare something. After a moment, Kinsa stood up herself and walked over to one of the sparse drawers in the room, grabbing a few of the objects on top of it. She couldn’t recognize half of them, and the other half were common enough to be dismissed. One of them, though, caught her eye.
She had seen them before, in the forbidden areas of the Jedi Temple’s Archives in Coruscant. Holocrons, if she recalled their name correctly. They were strange, dark items that held valuable information, and this one reached towards Kinsa. She felt sickly just touching it, and she suddenly felt an urge to activate it. Though when she heard a sound come from the room Jewel was in, she retracted her hands and tried to look normal, grabbing a few of the other common items instead.
While in the kitchen section of her quarters and out of sight Jewel picked out a common and non-alcoholic hot drink for both of them. In both drinks she added a flavourless and odorless chemical that would serve to relax and loosen the tongue. Before picking them up she took a tiny pill that would protect her from the effects of the drug. When she arrived back in the main room with the two steaming mugs in hand she found Kinsa standing guiltily next to some open drawers. She’d expected that. “Find anything interesting?” She said sarcastically, laying down one of the mugs on the low table in front of the place Kinsa had chosen to sit before. “Perhaps more importantly, what did you expect to find?” She said while motioning to the drink and the seat.
Kinsa closed the drawers as she turned towards Jewel, inwardly sighing once it was clear that Jewel knew she had found something. Though she didn’t let it show on her face, she was starting to feel nervous. It all seemed like filler, like Jewel was trying to accomplish something, but Kinsa didn’t know what that was. She had been hospitable and kind so far, and had not even come close to hurting her. So why was she doubting the Sith?
“Well…” Kinsa began, walking over to the couch and sitting on it in the same polite manner as before, “I apologize, I was merely curious.”
She then grabbed the mug and brought the edge to her lips, taking a small sip of the soft, sweet drink. It was amazing how after so much suffering and starvation, a simple thing such as a drink or even proper food felt so great.
“You’ve… A nice place here.” She said quietly, looking around the place.
“I sense your uneasiness. Please, you are quite safe here, there is no need to worry.” Jewel sat once again and sipped the drink a little before continuing. She was not going to further imply Kinsa should drink the drugged liquid, rather she’d make it appear desirable by enjoying it herself. “Kinsa, have the Jedi ever told you what the Sith code is? Or even the meanings behind their own code?” Jewel expected these questions to have short, negatory answers. The Jedi weren’t fond of sharing knowledge, usually feeding questioners lines about ‘not being ready.’ To Jewel, nothing could be more ridiculous. You’d never be ready for something if you didn’t know anything about it.
“I’ve heard a few Jedi mention it before, but I do not know what exactly it entails. I know the Jedi Code, yet I feel safe saying that I never understood it.” Kinsa said with a small shrug, slowly drinking from the mug. She didn’t want to act like a dehydrated prisoner, after all. Especially when she was a guest in someone’s quarters, no matter who that person was.
“It’s kind of funny, actually. Master Chur used to feed me these lines about ‘not being ready for the knowledge’ every single time I asked a deep question. He would reward me every time I seeked the answer out by myself, saying that ‘that’s how an investigator does it’... He was a nice Master, haven’t seen him in a while.”
“Thats what I thought.” Said Jewel, inwardly pleased with such an answer. It was perfect. “Perhaps then, I can educate you on both of the codes. Sith do not believe in hiding information after all, especially information concerning the nature of the Force. Perhaps you’d instead prefer to learn of a new Force technique instead of philosophy? We can even do both if you like.” It was taxing to be so insufferably kind - She’d definitely have to find somewhere to release the frustration and anger after this, but for now she kept it pent up and hidden from the Jedi.
Kinsa raised an eyebrow, scrunching up her brow in a mix of curiosity and confusion. “I spent seven years of my childhood studying mostly philosophy. A new force technique would be a very welcome change.” Kinsa said, scooting closer to the edge of the seat as she listened in on whatever it was that Jewel had in mind. She hoped it was something to do with persuasion or maybe on a way to use the Force to jump higher and higher.
Jewel genuinely laughed at that, a short, rarely heard sound. “Well the Force and the power we gain from it is a very broad topic, have you any preferences? My Lightning is not my strongest point but I can teach in most other areas.” Whatever she chose, Jewel would have to focus on the use of emotion to bring power, the better to give Kinsa a taste of the Dark Side.
“Whether we like to admit it or not, some criminals are very well prepared…” Kinsa mentioned, shuddering a bit at a distant memory. “I myself have run into a few of them back on Coruscant, and I’ve trained a lot to get quicker at jumping and moving around, but I lack the technique--There’s something I can’t seem to grasp in the Force aspect of it. Maybe you’d like to help me out with that?” She asked, drinking the last of her mug and placing it down.
“Thats not quite what I expected, perhaps I should’ve taken us to the Arena after all? More space for such things there.” It was both easier and harder to tie emotion into such a simple technique, not to mention giving her better Force Speed could be dangerous to her fellow Sith, but it didn’t matter. “Perhaps speed is something we can focus on here until we have a space more fitting.” With that Jewel dove straight into the teaching.
“When you are channeling the Force to increase your speed or jump higher and further, you must focus not only on what you want to do but why you want to do it. Why you must do it. I don’t mean simply justice, but the triumph you feel when you bring them to justice. You want to do the right thing, but I sense its not simply because you’ve been told what's right and feel the need to enforce it. You passionately feel that you must do the right thing. Stop others from doing the wrong thing. Focus on that passion when you use your abilities. Let it flow through you.” She finished off the last of her drink once she’d stopped speaking, letting her words sink in. Then she placed the cup in the middle of the table. “Imagine I am a criminal and that-” She pointed to the cup, “Is a thermal detonator I will use to kill some hostages.” With that she focused a small portion of her frustration into speed and shot out her hand to grab the cup.
Kinsa truly tried to follow Jewel’s trail of thoughts, but it just didn’t make any sense to her. The outcome of a battle didn’t depend on the spirit of the fighter most of the times, and feelings could sometimes cloud judgement. Kinsa’s imagination failed her in part, too. She had been given too little time to create the scene in her head, and so she wasn’t able to focus her emotions, as Jewel had told her to. Yet she still tried, and failed. She wasn’t as quick a Jewel. She was still rather quick, of course, but not to her level. Once Jewel took a hold of the mug, Kinsa huffed and frowned.
“Is Force pulling it not allowed in this exercise?”
“You wanted to test your speed did you not?” This was not as ideal as Jewel had thought. “I sense you are confused. Stop thinking about how to do it. Use your emotion.” With that she leant forward to place the cup back down, but before it hit the table she stopped, a dark expression coming over her face. “Or perhaps you are unworthy of my attention. Maybe I should give you to Sish.” That would get her emotions flowing. Jewel let just enough of her anger flow through to make it seem believable as she placed the cup down again, hard.
The mere mention of Sish threw Kinsa off balance-- Even when she had been relaxed and confident a second ago, she was now on edge and had found a knot forming on her throat. How could Jewel possibly do that? Just hand her over to Sish! That lizard Sith was a brute, surely she wouldn’t last a single week with his dirty claws constantly torturing her.
’No choice.’ She thought quickly, suppressing a sudden shiver as she focused on the mug, preparing her hand and arm for a quick swipe just as Jewel did the same.
’Force it...’ She ordered herself in order to better control the flourishing emotions. Fear and anger were her focus. This time, when Jewel swung her arm towards the mug, Kinsa followed. They both reached to mug at the same time, and Kinsa grabbed it for dear life.
An expression of surprise formed on Jewels face as Kinsa’s hand shot at to grab the cup precisely when she did. She hadn’t expected the Jedi to pick up the technique so quickly. “Very good. I think you are safe for now.” She let go of the cup, letting Kinsa take it. “Do you feel the power that you gained by using your emotion? Focused emotion, any emotion, brings power. In using it, you have already taken a step to understanding the Sith code. Understand enough, and you will have the power to bring Sish to justice.” Jewel left out that the most potent Emotions were often anger, hate and fear. That aspect would likely cause Kinsa to recoil from the Dark Side before she’d truly tasted its power.
“I-I…” ’I’m pretty sure that was just adrenaline…?’ “I understand, uh… What should I call you? You’ve just taught me something, so I owe you one favour.” Kinsa said, choosing to go for the answer that seemed the most fitting for the situation. While she was by no means on her peak mind condition, she knew that some things were to be kept to herself, especially in survival situations like this one. After all, she never wanted to see Sish again in her whole life. Gaining Jewel as an enemy would not aid her avoidance of the Lizard Sith.
“Are you sure?” Jewel said, wondering if perhaps she should of pressed the situation further. “I could sense your anger. Your fear. There is no need to hide from them.” It was good that Kinsa thought highly enough of her to consider owing her a favour. But that wasn’t enough. Jewel had a feeling that this wasn’t going quite as well as she’d hoped. The Jedi didn’t seem to want to embrace any philosophy. Despite that, she couldn’t accept this particular favour, even if denying such power over someone went so far against what she believed. “There is no need for that. I am only teaching you what every Force wielder has a right to know. I hope you make use of it.”
Kinsa thought deeply for a few moments, frowning as she brought Jewel’s mug, her prize, closer to her. While she did believe it was just adrenaline that caused the better speed time, she also realized that the emotions had something to do with the increased adrenaline levels. So Jewel wasn’t lying at all, emotions do give some power that keeping control would otherwise deny to the force user. If she didn’t use her fear of death or failure to increase her adrenaline, then how could she possibly expect to be quicker and more agile when in a tough spot?
“I actually understand now!” Kinsa affirmed, a determined smile on her face as she looked up towards Jewel, “Is there any way to, like… Have reserves of emotions to release when needed? I reckon that would be useful.”
“There is.” Jewel said. This was progress, but still not necessarily towards the Dark-side. Then again, as long as Kinsa served the Empire, it did not matter if she was Sith. There was no loss, after all, Kinsa was only a mere Twi’lek. “When you feel strong emotion, don’t act on it, don’t let it show through. It will take all your will to bottle it up, but it will give you a powerful reserve when you need it. I don’t expect you to master this quickly.” She thought for a moment then. “Perhaps some emotion inducing events could help with that.” She had a few in mind, but they were things Kinsa need not know about beforehand.
Now that was actual teaching, or at least that’s what Kinsa thought. The pace at which she had just learned two new techniques beat by far the pace at which Master Chur had ever taught her any technique at all. For once, it felt like she was catching up to the big leagues, instead of feeling like she had to rely on any Master to learn anything. Jewel’s mention of ‘emotion inducing events’ lightly scared Kinsa, but she tried her best not to let it show, and as recently taught, ‘bottle it up’.
“I have one question, L… Lo…” She hesitated, stuttering in the process of trying to mention Jewel’s rank, “Lord Namore… It’s… Nothing to do with emotions or the Force. I’ve been told that Coruscant’s gone, so to speak. I know that there are no Jedi left there, and that billions are dead…” She said the last part with heavy regret, and continued after a moment of silence, “Well ,my point is, how are the Jedi Order and the Republic taking this news? I suppose they’ve sent their condolences to the families of the dead, at the very least?”
Jewel had suspected Coruscant would come up eventually. She’d planned for it of course, she’d tell the Jedi some lies and some of the truth. “The Jedi have fallen back across the galaxy. Our spies indicate many of them are regrouping at the other temples, but the loss of Coruscant has struck them hard. The Republic, despite the loss, has refused to surrender in the face of a far superior foe. I believe they are fighting for vengeance now, as we expected. I can't say with any surety what they are doing for the bereaved, you must understand that Imperial Intelligence doesn’t consider that a top priority, but their leaders do seem far more focused on the military losses than the civilian ones. The great tragedy of war is that so many people become mere statistics. That is the fate of the people of Coruscant, just as it was the fate of the people of Korriban so long ago.”
“... I guess I couldn’t expect much more out of the Republic.” Kinsa said with a sigh, her shoulders sinking a bit. “One other thing--Has Imperial Intelligence stumbled upon a Twi’lek Jedi Master, by the name of Sila Chur?” She asked with a spark of hope in her eyes just as she looked at Jewel’s face, waiting anxiously for the answer. If she answered yes, the most likely thing is that he was either making a name for himself, or he was imprisoned or dead. Neither was good, at all. While some things that Master Chur did annoyed her to some extent, he was still a good master, and she didn’t want to believe anything bad had happened to him in their time separated, since he had come to be like a father of sorts to her. Even if he was quiet and emotionless most of the time.
“I don’t recall hearing any reports of him. If he was at the temple, he is dead. We were unable to capture any masters. If he was not on Coruscant, then he is lost to you. The Republic believes you dead, and they have done nothing to prove that belief wrong.” Jewel delivered what would no doubt be hard news for Kinsa in a firm yet sympathetic manner. She didn’t want to vilify the Empire, but there could be no doubt in Kinsa’s mind that her old life was gone.
Kinsa could not help the small twitch in her left eye at hearing the news, nor could she stop the sudden flow of annoying emotions. She tried to keep most of them in, but it was just as difficult at Jewel had implied it to be. She was surprised, though, when she didn’t feel any kind of anger. She just felt… Alone. Everything she had done that led her to her current point in time was now gone. No matter what it was she had achieved, it didn’t matter anymore. She would never get to turn in that evidence, or finish that homicide case… She would never visit Twin’s Rycrit again, or see Trin’s lovely smile ever again. She was lost, and alone.
She hadn’t heard from Calista in a long while, so it was likely she was dead, and Xid was suffering in the hands of Sish, so he’d die soon enough, too. Kinsa’s features slowly fell, before she forcefully attempted to lift them back up with a neutral expression.
“I guess it doesn’t matter,” she said softly, “but where are we going anyways?”
“Korriban. We will be going to Darth Nyiss’ research base, far from any other civilisation.” Jewel saw the effect that the loss was having on Kinsa, and felt it even more keenly than what she could see. She wondered if it would change into a more usable emotion. “I think we are finished here. If you like, you may rest here for a while longer, though I will have to take you back to your cell eventually. Unless you have more questions, I have things to do.”
“Korriban…” She muttered, the name sounding indifferent to her right now. For all she knew, it could be a pleasant, tropical planet. Something deep inside told her otherwise, though. She ignored the feeling and shrugged. “I’m done, Lord Namore. I’m ready to return to my cell. I have stuff to think and reflect about.”
“Very Well.” Jewel said standing and leading Kinsa to the door. Once they reached the cell, Jewel stood aside for Kinsa to enter. Before shutting the bulkhead though, she looked at Kinsa and recited the second line of the code.
“Remember Kinsa, Through Passion, I gain Strength.”
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