[D0 - Pregame] Slave Aliens Anonymous

[Rumun Gol]

Indeed Varas Point was a rather beautiful city. No wonder many of the high and mighty came here to deal in all sort of decadent pleasures and desires. Far away from all the backstabbing of the main capital of Ziost, but close enough so that one is not forgotten. The perfect place.

A rotten place, Rumun thought.

Of course this thought did not had any sort of anger behind it. Rumun did not had the same range of emotion resposes like other people, no. To him this was a rotten place because it only shown how peace had made the Empire weak.

''Peace is a lie'' The duro recited in a whisper behind his hood, as he walked around the city.

He was exploring and looking for 'signs'.

[Ilar'Shala]

The decadence was something that Ilar was slowly coming to understand and appreciate however. He had not seen nearly as much of the galaxy as Rumun had and it still held something of a wonder to him. It was in observing the city with this wide eyed wonder that he wandered too close to the Duro and nearly bumped into him.

"I am so sorry for my clumsiness Sir." Ilar intoned as reflex as he dropped to the ground and prostrated himself before the heavily cloaked individual.

[Rumun Gol]

'' You should definitely be more careful as you walk around...'' The tall duro said with a raspy deep voice while he extended his hand towards the kneeling twi-lek. '' But not speaking for myself but for others you could had stopped with such clumsiness.'' He offered a smile to the, most likely, slave and fellow alien.

'' Come, stand up '' He adds, offering his hand.

[Ilar'Shala]

Seeing another alien beneath the hood erroneously put Ilar at ease. After all, the Empire was notoriously xenophobic, and the number of aliens with true power was almost statistically insignificant. What were the odds this Duro was one.

He accepted the offered hand and rose. "Many thanks for your forgiveness. I am Ilar'Shala, personal slave to Raela Ausar."

[Rumun Gol]

'' Nice to meet you, Ilar'Shala. This one is Rumun Gol, apprentice of Darth Hoshi.'' He presented himself, as the sith he was, but there was no tone of intimidation behind his words. Just his normal voice and a friendly smile.

'' The force acts in strange ways.'' Rumun commented more to himself than to the slave as he inspected the twi'lek.

'' Raela Ausar, Raela Ausar... the name does sound familiar. I think some of the former Dark Council members had been from that family in the past if i'm not mistaken. Your master is a Sith lord, Ilar'Shala?'' He asked politely.

[Ilar'Shala]

"Master does indeed hail from that prestigious line, and seeks to extend her family's legacy on the Dark Council into the current age." Ilar replies politely.

"She is seeking to establish a base of support here for her candidacy and bears no ill will towards the followers of Darth Hoshi. Perhaps our meeting was more than coincidence?"

[Rumun Gol]

'' Your Master must be wise then. Ill will against my Master is usually not a good thing to pursue.'' Rumun chuckled a bit. Thanaton's demise clearly proved Rumun's point.

'' I'm sure that we could discuss more about your Master in a bit, but i'm more interested in your life Ilar'Shala. Come, walk with me.'' He said to the twi'lek inviting him to chat with him as they walk.

'' Indeed the force is difficult to understand, how it acts and why, not even the wisest of sith, or jedi, could see all outcomes or fates. Maybe it is a coincidence that we met today, or maybe not.'' He smiled.

'' Might i ask for your true name? I know a bit of your culture and i know that twi'leks do have a common name used for foreigners and a true cultural name.'' Rumun remembered about Moyr, he wondered how is she doing. ''Of course you don't need to answer if you don't want to. I'm just curious.'' This sith was rather nice, especially in his treatment with a slave.

[Ilar'Shala]

"My understanding of the Force is limited, so I could not speak to whether this is chance or fate," Ilar admitted freely, put at ease by the conversational skills of Rumun.

"Ilar'Shala is the name given to me by my former master it roughly translates to Tears of Ash in Galactic Basic. He found it an amusing commentary on my plight. "

"It is the only name I am permitted to bear and identify with unless my current Master sees fit to rescind this command." Ilar's tone seems rather matter of fact, as if he were discussing nothing more offensive than the weather.

[Rumun Gol]

'' Such a shame. Culture is a big part of what we are, and how it define us.'' He commented about the lack of proper twi'lek name.

'' But still it is fascinating. Tears of Ash, not a bad name to be honest...'' Rumun commented. '' Even if it entails some sort of suffering coming from your part, which i assume it does or at least was your former master intentions, the name itself does carry some sort of power behind it.'' Rumun analyzed it beyond the first impression, delving more deeply into its implications.

'' You see names, do carry 'weight', since they are words. And words do carry power. My own name translates from durese as 'Mighty Strong Voice' or something similar to that. That is also the reason why many Sith Lords decide to change their names to something else when they rise to the title of Lord.'' Rumun explained his thoughts about it.

[Ilar'Shala]

"I have borne this name for so long that it has given me power. The strength that I have learned by bearing it and not being broken by the significance of it sustains me some days. To have put its intended form of suffering behind me has been a mighty step in my growth. Perhaps some day I will be given, or permitted to choose, another name."

Ilar is obviously not too concerned by such a thing. "But if a name can be changed so simply, what power can it really have, other than the power one lets it have over oneself?"

[Rumun Gol]

'' Well said. The Code of the Sith tells us that passion, otherwise known as emotion, is what makes us alive and gives us strength. All types of emotions can bring forth power, good emotions or bad emotions. Emotions is what makes us feel alive, and names do have that power as well.'' He explained

'' Interesting question.'' Rumun nods. ''Sometimes a name that is carried is not what the individual truly is, or wants to be, changing a name is not as simply as acquiring a new one each and everyday, no, names are intrinsically tied to one's personality. They instill emotions to those that listen to them and to the one that carries it.''

[Ilar'Shala]

"I think I will learn more of this Code soon, Rumun Gol. I have heard Master speak the words and know the lines, but there is a deeper meaning behind it I suspect, a meaning that I hope to discover at Korriban Academy after Master endures the trials to confirm her position on the Dark Council."

Ilar muses a little on the concept of names as he walks with the Duro. "Perhaps that will reveal to me what name I should bear going forward."

[Rumun Gol]

'' Ah, the Academy. Such a wonderful place...'' Rumun truly seems to have enjoyed the academy. '' Full of strange wonders from bygone eras. Mysteries, emotion and death everywhere. Such a dangerous but exciting place.'' He adds.

'' You see, unlike you, i was a broken shell when i was a slave. Or rather, an empty shell without anything in the interior. Like the shell of a snail, without the snail inside it. It was in the Academy that i found purpose.''

'' I almost died several times, but that experience only made me stronger.'' He said. '' And here i am ''

[Ilar'Shala]

"My experience has been different." Ilar opined more openly than with most other individuals he was permitted to converse with. "My shell was broken, this synthflesh is quite magnificent yes? But the snail inside, the core of myself was too strong to fail."

"I can only hope that I survive the rigors of the Academy as well. It sounds...intense."

[Rumun Gol]

Rumun nods with a smile.

'' Well i nearly died when i crashed a ship, almost died during the first arrival at the academy, i was force choked by a sith lord and almost stabbed in the back with a lightsaber by another student. I also fought on Yavin IV as part of our expedition to the moon and nearly got mauled by a massassi.''

'' So yes, it is intense. But it will make you stronger.''

[Ilar'Shala]

Ilar can't help but reach up to pull at the collar of his robes around his neck at mention of being force choked, it was an oft employed tactic against him in his early days of servitude.

"A weak Sith benefits no one, the selection process need be brutal by extension." Ilar assumes out loud. "I must admit, I had not expected the undertaking to be quite so action packed. If you find time, Rumun Gol, might I presume to draw upon your wisdom and experiences to better prepare me for this endeavour?"

Normally Ilar wouldn't contemplate so brazen a question and imposing of a demand upon a Sith, but this one seemed to take pity on the Twi'lek, seemed to understand him.

[Rumun Gol]

'' Knowledge spreads easily for those who are willing to sacrifice in exchange. You shouldn't be asking for it, know that is yours to take.'' He replied to him. '' That is the way of the Sith''

'' But, i'm not here to judge or anything. I'm just an observer in this fantastic galaxy. If you so wish and desire, then i'm gladly will share with you, Ilar'Shala, what little knowledge i possess.'' He nods in a positive way. '' In exchange i only ask for the oportunity to witness your life story as it develops.''

[Ilar'Shala]

This was a curious Sith indeed, he talked in one breath of taking what one wanted, yet in the other treated Ilar with civility and kindness. There was a puzzle here to be figured out, one that would be time consuming and dangerous.

"A fair exchange, more fair than many would propose. I know all paths are different in service of the Empire, but how did your chains break in order to achieve your potential?"

[Rumun Gol]

'' Well to be honest, i would completely say that my chains are broken. Not all of them. Step by step, each of the chains that bound my person are being broken.'' He replied.

'' But more specific. I really found true purpose when i nearly died crashing a ship for Lord Zash, now Darth Zash. Some enemies of said Lord, planted a bomb in the ship that i was piloting and like i said, i almost died. I managed to make a emergency landing, but most of the stuff that i was moving for the Lord, was lost.''

'' In that moment, i knew that i was weak. But then another one made me see where my weakness was. And that is that i had no purpose. The empty shell. Only then after such an experience i discovered what truly i wanted and i have moved forward to grasp such desire since then.'' Rumun explained.

[Ilar'Shala]

At mention of Rumun's crashing of Zash's ship, Ilar winces slightly.

"In the spirit of open disclosure, I should mention that my Master is currently an apprentice of Darth Zash." Ilar responds, already steeling himself for the possibility of violence at the revelation.