Ziost - Crown of the Sith Empire

"That much is true." She didn't want to ideologise it, but still found reassurance in that Sylvain seemed to be recognising the need to be driven to go on. "Ersatz fuel may run its course at some point, but you will find new ones. I can tell as much. I don't hate your mark on me anymore. Anger that had bred it long gave way to that from deeper wounds, many self-inflicted." She shrugged. "Sometimes freedom is just in picking your poison."

He nodded, "Every door has pain behind it... some are worse than others... but all of them exact a toll."

"Perhaps that's the way of the Force to strip us to our bare essence." She said quietly. "What do you want to do with your pain?"

"Do with it... I'm not too sure. Use it until it is depleted... and then move on to the next thing." He replied.

"All I care for now is the children I have to protect... They must learn to be better than us."

A speckle of dust must have fallen into Moyr's eye as she had to rub it through a closed lid.

"I didn't know you have children. That changes a lot, I can assume. For the record, I don't and won't have any."

She paused. Were they his and Kristal's? Probably.

"What I can say from experience though is that a difference between stolen and sheltered childhood is slim. Not that I believe you'll be able to fend off all adversity. Are they Force-Sensitive?"

"One is... the other has not yet manifested." He replied.