The Dark and the Light (Month 9, 31BBY)

The woman did not speak and she kept several paces apart from Kaia. Kaia could feel the dryness of the air. The dryness and the feel of electricity too. Tiny booms of thunder resounded in the distance and she noticed that beyond the plated metal of the floors, ceiling and walls was roughly hewn rock. Oddly she did not see anyone and the places looked as if it had not been used or occupied in some time. They went through a series of doors that shifted up and out of the way at their approach. Once they moved into a large, circular room though the woman who led her stopped.

“Wait here...Jedi,” she said as if saying the world made her feel dirty or soiled. Kaia saw someone standing by a viewing area. Their back was to their entry and he did not stir as the man looked out. Beyond him was rivers of lava flows that moved past the viewing area. They have off a dark amber and red glow to the room but other then that there was just a few small lights near the walls. It was warm in here so to the lava.

The woman that brought her gave the man Kaia’s lightsaber. They spoke in hushed words and he gave her a small case of...something, Likely credits. The woman, still masked barely even looked at Kaia. Her job was done it appeared.

Kaia sighed, but did not speak again. Clearly, the woman either wasn't going to tell her what she wanted to know, or she did not know herself. She was led through a series of doors and as Kaia glanced around she could see that this place had not been used in some time...whatever it was. Finally, they reached a large, circular room and Kaia was told to stop. She did as instructed and looked over to see a man standing with his back towards her. He was looking out through a window to the lava flows outside. She watched as the woman gave the man her lightsaber and then spoke to him quietly for a moment. The woman was given a case, presumably of credits, and then she left.

"I am told you wished to speak to me," Kaia finally said to break the silence.

The moment the woman left the room Kaia felt the clamp fall away. A flood of feeling came back to her the moment that it did and she could feel the force suddenly bloom inside of her as if it had been dulled before somehow. And then when her eyes fell upon the figure before her, she felt that the force was very strong with him. But it was the dark side she sensed and the feeling as if she should know this man.

The man half turned away from the window and examined Kaia’s lightsaber. He turned it on and examined its glow. “You skills as a Jedi are finally complete,” the man said as he looked at the saber. Even in the dim light she could see his face. It was gray from the extensive use of the force and his eyes glowed a dark amber. When he turned to face her she saw his own lightsaber under his cloak on his belt. He tossed her her own lightsaber back.

Kaia felt the clamp fall away from the back of her neck and she reached back and rubbed at it as the feeling came back. Her powers had been numbed but once the clamp was off she could feel the Force flow back through her. In that moment she looked at the man and had an odd feeling of recognition. Did she know him? She watched as he examined her lightsaber, and she could see part of his face. It was gray and his eyes glowed an amber color. He used the Dark Side of the Force. She caught her lightsaber as he tossed it to her.

“Who are you?”

The man smiled as he looked at her. A prideful smile. The smile of a father who looked upon his daughter...all grown up. "My name is Tarian and I am your father Kaia," he said, almost reverently.

Kaia’s knew the answer to her question before he even responded. However, hearing him say it made it very real. He was her father. She didn’t know what to say at first. She just looked at him for a moment as her mind processed everything. She had only ever met her mother and her mother had nearly killed her.

“Why did you want to talk to me?”

Tarian detected what from Kaia. Anger? Apathy? Confusion? He could not be certain. “I do not expect you to forgive us for what we did. But I do want you to understand it. I did not seek you out before now because I felt that perhaps, you’d be safe with the Jedi. I no longer believe that,” he said. He spoke slowly, not in a rush so Kaia would feel the importance of his words. Tarian did not preach or prattle on like some did. His words were deliberate and honest.

“If you will let me speak, I will answer your questions as honestly as I can,,” he said.

Kaia was confused and angry. Her parents were both Sith and she wasn't sure she could trust them, but they were her parents. She did not feel threatened by him, but she did not relax. She remained alert and aware of her surroundings.

"Fine then. Talk."

“On Dathomir the nightsisters live. They are dark force users, witches who live in a cloistered coven there. Their mother, Talzin has led them for centuries and it is said that she knows when her end will come. She has...prophesied about her replacement. We learned that once you were born, she intended to take you from us and raise you as her own then use your body to instill her consciousness into it,” he said and let that settle in a moment before he began again.

“I didn’t know I loved your mother until years after I turned her to the dark side. We knew we wanted a family. To leave something of ourselves behind after we’re gone. She was fortunate enough to have twins, Kaia and your brother Kevan. Then we learned of Talzin’s prophecy. Seeing you and your brother as babes made me happier than I had ever been in my entire life. Giving you up to the Jedi was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my life. And I have no regrets when I look upon you Kaia. You are strong with the force, a Jedi in your own right,” he said as if he were indeed a proud father and he was. And then he sighed and turned and put his back toward her. He looked at the lava flows as rivers of it ran from the base of a nearby Volcano. It was actually quite beautiful and the redish glow reflected in his dark amber eyes.

Kaia listened quietly as her father spoke. She had heard about the Nightsisters and the Nightmother, Talzin, but she knew little about them. However, what she did know gave her pause when she learned that she was prophesied to be the Nightmother's physical replacement. The thought was not a pleasant one. She had not known about this, but now that she did she knew she would need to be careful. She could only imagine that the Nightmother was looking for her. However, hearing that she had a brother...a twin brother...gave her an even bigger shock. She could only assume that he had been raised and trained to be a Sith, like their parents.

She watched him as he turned away from her to look back out over the lava flows. She was quiet a while as she thought about all he had revealed. "I will not turn to the Dark Side," she finally said.

Tarian sighed again and eventually turned back to face her. “Did you hear me? It is no longer safe for you to remain with the Jedi. I can see into the future to a degree. What I’ve seen does not bode well for the Jedi Kaia. Your mother and I...It’s not safe for us either. I brought you here like I did because I wasn’t certain if you would come. The ‘surprise’ of this would only work once though, I’m certain,” he said as he watched her and ignored what she had said.

“I wanted to ask you if there was any way you’d consider coming with us. Leaving this...conflict so we could be a family...again,” he said. “I look at you now and I only feel love toward you. And the sorrow of those lost years we will never get back. I do not know you and you and you do not know me but I would like to get to know you. Me, your mother Amara, Kevan, we all would like to get to know you Kaia,” he said. He was sincere in his words but he also needed to soften her up for what was yet to come. Tarian was very good at what he did and he knew in his heart that in order ot survive, Kaia would need to learn both the ways of the light and the dark sides of the force. Her future depended on this and so he needed to put her on this path

Kaia sighed and shook her head a little. "My place may not be with the Jedi, but it also isn't with the Sith. There is a man I love, who you have separated from me, and my place is with him. You're right, I don't know you or my mother or brother, but I can see what the Dark Side of the Force has done to you. I will not go down that same path. Mother and I actually ran into each other a year ago. She nearly killed me. My decision is made on this. Now the question becomes are you going to let me go?"

Tarian smiled when she mentioned this. Amara had finally told him of their meeting though it took a good deal of dragging it out of her. “Your mother was always good with a Lightsaber. And so are you I’ve been told,” he said and he clasped his hands behind his back. “You think all Sith are evil? That the dark side is evil? I can understand that, that is your Jedi training talking. But there is alot that the Jedi would never tell you nor teach you. Shall I...enlighten you? Odd that such a dark, evil man could shed light on a subject but I will do the best I can...for my daughter,” he said with a grin.

“The force is neither light nor dark, it simply just is. True that those that use the dark side are...changed. But that is mostly do to the tendency of the Sith to…’over reach’ in their power. The more you over reach, the more your body changes,” he said and shifted his hands up to his face a moment.

“The midichlorians have always been able to do what they do. Ajunta Pall, the first fallen Jedi learned how to use his powers in a different way. To succeed and persevere outside of the teachings of what you know as the Jedi Code. Survival and superiority were his motives. There was no real ‘evil’ involved yet he was cast down. He was a Master Jedi first however. Though I’m not proud of everything I’ve done, your mother and I are pragmatists. Our point of views and experiences have shown us that not everything the Republic does is right and not everything the Sith does is right either.We are not well liked among our colleagues because we exist somewhere in the middle. We have consciences Kaia. We believe in the common good though many Sith are filled with greed and hatred. Your mother, brother and I are Sith because of our passion for life not for death,” he said. “The dark side of the force is a powerful ally and we are survivors,” Tarian said.

“You skill with the lightsaber. You are good but you are also held back. An artist without passion for what they do, do not make anything of note. You are god with your weapon but those with more passion, more expression will always be better,” he said.

Kaia actually did listen to what her father told her. At the very least she was curious about the Dark Side of the Force. All she had ever been told as a Jedi was that it led to evil deeds. She didn't want to believe that she had the potential to do what she had been told some Sith had done...and yet the rest of her family stood on the opposite side of the Force from her. What made up them flowed through her veins. She had known from a young age that she was different from the other Padawans, but until recently she hadn't known why. Could one balance both sides of the Force?

"Why is it no longer safe for me to be with the Jedi? What is it that you know?"

Tarian shifted his hand up to his face and tapped his lips in thought to her question. He had seen more than he wanted to see about what was going to happen. And he was more than a little certain that it was going to actually happen. Something strange was going on with Darth Sidious. He had an odd dream about him as if he were some demented nesting doll with many layers.

“This growing separatist crisis...will claim many lives. Jedi and Sith Kaia. It is a plan within a plan. A ‘long con’ for someone that doesn’t even exist yet. I don’t know what part you will play in this, but I do know that your link to the Jedi will be...severed,” he said ominously. He paused while he let her mull that over. Every part of that was true. The vision had terrified him. But Kaia was his daughter and he had abandoned her once. He would not abandon her now. He extended his hand to her.

“If you only take my hand, I can teach you about the dark side of the force. It can protect you from what is to come. It will give you strength and power to survive,” he said as he extended his hand toward her. The room suddenly seemed to lurch as Tarian pulled the force into himself. He felt her heartbeat and her pulse. He felt the concern in her heart and the love he felt for a man...Zavian. He would not tell her that for him, there was no future. He would not do that to her.

“Join us, only knowing both sides of the force can save you,” he said.

Kaia felt...confused about everything. She had felt so alone without her family growing up, but now she had Zavian and she believed they had a bright future to look forward to. She wanted to marry him and settle down somewhere far away from all of...this. She wanted them to have children and raise them together.

She looked at her father's outstretched hand and she felt him through the Force. For a brief second she considered taking it. She felt like an outsider with the Jedi. Perhaps she did belong with the Sith. However, she felt someone else suddenly through the Force as well...Zavian. He was near and getting closer by the second. Just sensing his presence was enough to pull her out. She shook her head and took a step back.

"No. My choice may be my downfall, but it is my choice to make. I hope you will respect that."

Tarian held back his disappointment. But he was not quite done yet. “There is no future for you with this man Kaia. I would spare you this certainty if I could,” Tarian said. “It may well be ‘because’ of you,” Tarian said though he could not be certain of that but Kaia would not know that. Everything else he said was very true, Always untruths mixed in with just enough truths to make it all believable though this Zavian was going to die and it would be because of Kaia that he did die. “Kaia...please, come with me,” he said once more.

Kaia began to feel herself growing upset at what her father said about Zavian. Was it true? Would he die because of her? She didn't want to believe it. She couldn't believe it. Zavian had been the only being who had ever been there for her...had cared about her. She couldn't imagine her life without him. She could feel him getting closer and could actually hear his footsteps in the distance as he rushed towards where she was.

She shook her head again as tears came to her eyes. "No."

Tarian closed his eyes and took a moment to clear his mind and his feelings. He was so close! But, as in so many things, he had failed in his goal to bring Kaia into the fold. “Is there anything you would say to your mother or your brother before I go?” Tarian asked. He could do that for her if there was anything she wanted to say at all. He wasn’t certain if his efforts had soured her or not. When it came to Kaia, he could not trust his own feelings. He could only feel love for her and nothing else.

Kaia looked at her father. "Just...be safe." She did not know or love her parents or brother...but they were still her family. In that moment Zavian burst into the room with his lightsaber drawn. Kaia quickly looked at him. "It's alright Zavian. I'm fine."

Tarian looked at Zavian and for a moment, a brief moment, he felt ;protective' of his only daughter. This Zavian was a good deal older than Kaia. And her mentor. That just didn't sit well with Tarian but he said nothing. He nodded a bow to Kaia and left the room.

Zavian looked at Kaia with concern. "The dark side is with him, are you alright?" He asked but he knew she was...physically. Underneath though, he was not so certain. "Come, lets leave this place, we have lots to do yet," Zavian said wanting to get her back onto his ship. He didn't understand what had happened and right then, he didn't really care.

Kaia watched as her father left. She could sense that Zavian had more questions than what he initially asked her. "Yes, I'm fine," she reassured him. Together, they walked back to his ship and once there she spoke. "That was my father. He was trying to get me to go with him. He said it was no longer safe for me to be with the Jedi."

Zavian wanted to get her back to the ship as soon as possible. When Kaia told him that the man was her father, it actually did not surprise him at all. Her family seemed to turn up in the most oddest of places but he didn’t like how the man ‘captured’ her. Brought her here against her will but then again, the man brought her here for a reason.

“Well, R2 detected other life signs, apparently there is a mining operation here. I’m willing to bet that your father wanted you to come here and discover that,” he said. He choked down his worry. He would not ask her about what happened. If she wanted him to know, she would have told him.

“I never got a tracker on another ship,” Zavian admitted. “But there is obviously a Techno-Union operation going on and I suspect that they are one of the organizations allied to Dooku’s Separatist cause,” he said. “Kaia, if this movement gains support, it could completely destabilize everything the republic has tried to build. There will be open war I suspect,” Zavian said. “Billions of lives at stake,” he added. “I wish we knew why…” he said as if thinking outloud.

Kaia was tired and quite hungry. She sat down and rubbed her head as she thought back to what her father had said. "My father said he has the ability to see into the future to a degree. He told me that the growing separatist movement was going to claim many lives...both Jedi and Sith. He said it was a 'plan within a plan' and a 'long con for someone who doesn't even exist yet.' I don't know what he meant by that."

Zavian did not mention the man again. Instead he brought her hot food and hot tea and they sat and ate a meal together and spoke of their adventures together. They left the planet and decided to head back to Coruscsnt while in hyperspace he let her lie down but then joined her soon after and made love to her. They slept for a time but such things never lasted very long. Soon they arrived and Zavian and Kaia had much to tell the council about what they had learned.