2008-01-19 - The Secret Sacrifice of Aure Kaia

Aavi'nayii is in the Jedi Retreat Courtyard, her legs crossed as she meditates atop a rock.
	Emerging from the depths of the gardens, Aure walks with confidence, each step taken with a relative calm but a hidden storm glides behind her gaze. The mirialan strides forth, not yet noticing her friend, her own thoughts playing out before her eyes.
	The paneled robes flare with her movements as bare feet brush the ground in a gentle embrace.
Aavi'nayii opens her eyes and glances towards Aure, standing up and walking towards her. "My friend - we need to talk. There is much to say, and the events which have swept the galaxy pass us by at every moment. Shall we travel to my ship?"
	Tilting her head, Aure nods then to Yaala and smiles. "Of course...please, lead the way." The mirialan motions for her to lead, falling in step beside her. "Have you been safe? I have heard you are infiltrated the Blacks."
Aavi'nayii nods her head. "Yes, I feel relatively secure; though paranoia runs deep in me from my many days as a politician and a spy. I worry mostly around the many, many dark force users; they are, perhaps - even more organized then we are; and quickly grow to power while ours comes from patience."
	Passing through the courtyard of the Jedi Retreat is the small form of the Young-Knight. Jana has her hood pulled up over her features of her robes as purposeful steps lead her towards the Ebony.
	"As long as you are safe.." She intones, studying the twi'lek at her side. Aure smiles though and nods, "What did you wish to speak about? It seems rather important." They start to move towards the gateway, a leisurely pace for now.
Aavi'nayii walks towards the Gateway. "My ship is parked in the public area; I do not have the codes to get past this shield any longer. Let us head there, and we may speak in private. Unfortunately, the matter is...important enough to not speak of in public, even around other Jedi."
	Right past the other two walks Jana on her way to her fighter, up the ladder and into the 
	Nodding, her brows furrow at the mention of not wanting to have the others hear. "As you wish, my friend. I will continue to follow." It seems to concern though, this curiousity and she tenses.
Aavi'nayii leads Aure Kaia through the masses of Coruscant, to her Naval-Intelligence loner-ship - named the Jewel, for this week - and jumps into the rather excessively large cockpit.
	Moving to join the other inside, she takes up a seat out of the way and remains quiet, thoughtful perhaps. Aure looks about, her brows furrowing for a moment before she cautions a question, "Tell me, what has you acting so that you would not trust the Jedi?"
<Newbie> Menglor has connected.
Aavi'nayii tilts her head. "Several wings of fighters were still emitting Republic transponder codes when I took pictures of them on the Black Imperium world. They had apparently been left on Naval codes for weeks. Less then a day after I took pictures of them, these transponder signals changed."
	Worrying her lower lip, Aure nods, "this is not good...but were any Jedi ships?" She questions softly, hope in her gaze that she will be told otherwise.
Aavi'nayii shakes a hand. "I...am not sure. I saw one that I think might have been a Jedi ship. I /know/ I've seen it many times before in the retreat, but I don't remember whose. I know for a fact I have seen it however. Does the Telos sound familiar?" 
 
She pauses. "This however, is not the most important issue. I have a file. I am destroying it - only you and Tills will see it." She hands over a datapad.
	Taking the datapad, Aure remains silent, looking over it as her face darkens, growing ever more grave, "Yaala.." she says, looking up finally. "I have met him...their master...I did not see him, nor did I recognize - but his powerful is so great I could not even sense him yet it filled the room." She shivers with the thought of it.
Aavi'nayii nods her head. "I have met him as well; before I came to the Jedi, he came to me in my visions, spoke to me in them. He can control our visions." She glances towards the datapad. "There are not many people who fit the description offered there. Meena Tills, Tarkin, Eluriel, Palpatine. Meena Tills is not a human. Eluriel is evil - her chief of security Aldog works for the Blacks, as does her aide Rem - or at the least very compromised, but she is not force sensitive; neither is Tarkin or the Supreme Justice. The only people left on Coruscant who fit that bill are all Jedi Masters."
	This gives her full pause and she looks up at Yaala. "No...no this is what Orin thought..he thought the Order was corrupt from within." She shakes her head, as if warring with uncertain thoughts. She holds the datapad still, looking down at the information upon it. She draws a long breath, releasing it.
Aavi'nayii shakes her head. "I am not going the way of Orin. It is their way to make us doubt ourselves. But the fact is this is a war of information. They will not seize us as the Blacks; the blacks are pawns meant to fail. They spy on them even as they influence and control them; though I doubt any can truely control Dragen; I've met him." 
 
She shakes her head yet again, sighing. "But we know they favor spies. Many spies. Meena Tills has told me - and I tend to agree with him - to assume that there are spies within the order, just as there are within the Navy, and the Guard, and the Senate - just as Corellia is completly compromised. And simply put...in a war of information....we are loosing." 
 
"What we need is information."
	If her blue eyes could dim further, they would and Aure is faced with the words that her friends pours forth. Her grip upon the pad tightens and she sighs, lost to her thoughts in the silence she offers in reply. A hand lifts then to rub at her face and the mirialan then says, "Then what shall we do? What do you propose?" she studies the other's face as her gaze lifts once more, hands resting in her lap. "One does not simply come across it.."
Aavi'nayii smiles. "Aure, I did not ask you to a ship because I was worried about spies. On the contrary, if there are spies in the order - I welcome them. There may be spies. There are likely spies. But...thanks to you, I don't care. The compassion you have shown...the awareness that in the darkest hearts lies a kernal of compassion and light...has led me to realize that, in time, if our teachings our true, any spies will turn against them." 
 
Leaning back in her seat, she wraps her lekku around her neck and continues. "Aure Kaia, the strength of the Jedi - the true strength - is sacrifice. They will never anticipate it, because though they sacrifice others, they will never sacrifice of themselves. The reason I ask for secrecy is that I have concocted a plan - perhaps my last plan as such, that may get us both killed or kicked out of the order. But, if it works, it will reverse the decline of a thousand years of our Republic, reveal to us the true nature of our enemy - a group possibly as powerful and influential as the Jedi themselves - and at last give the galaxy a glimmer of hope in a sea of endless darkness." 
 
"And you will not like it."
	There is the faintest of smiles as she nods slightly, "Yaala, there is hope for everyone..but sometimes they choose not to accept it. It is then I am wrong." But she can not help but remain as she is, wishing never to strike. But listening again without comment, she tilts her head. "What will I not like?" She finally asks, lips forming a thin line as she regards the twi'lek with open worry now.
Aavi'nayii leans forward. "Aure Kaia, I want you to spy on this dark order. Discover there name, their plan, the identity of their secret master, how they hide themselves from us, who they control. They thrive in secrecy, and cannot stand in the light. I want you to spy on them. From within."
	To return. This causes her to catch her breath and she leans away slightly, "I was there, I know several of their Order, but possibly not all. I do not know their Master but I have met him..you wish me to return? How would they believe me when he did not accept me the first time? It is not so easy." Aure gives a shake of her head.
Aavi'nayii nods her head. "This is the easy part, Aure. And the part you will not like. I only propose it to you...because you are my best friend, and the only person I know, even including Master Yoda, that I do not believe capable of falling to the dark side. Ever." 
 
She leans backwards. "Aure, you are going to surgically remove my hand. I looked into preserving such things months ago, when I was worried of Petrus cutting them off. You will remove my hand, and I will say to the world that you cut it in anger."
	Her lips part and eyes widen in open shock at Yaala's first suggestion. Will she refuse. Yes, of course. Rising from her seat, Aure still holds tight to the datapad. "You expect me to do this? I will not remove your hand..this is not a task I wished to charged with...and what am I to do? If I do not fall I will not be accepted, if do not embrace the darkness my cover is lost and you will be right, we both will die."
Aavi'nayii nods her head. "I can arrange for another way to remove the hand, if you cannot remove it." She pauses. "You will not need to embrace the darkness. You will merely need to /sound/ as if you have. Cutting off my hand should be proof enough. And you will not need to spy long. Get a name of the group, a picture of their leader. A base. Anything we can use to give the galaxy hope. I would do it myself, but...I fear they would not beleive it of me, and I cannot ask another to sacrifice a hand. But I would sacrifice my hand. And my life, if need be. I would spend a thousand years in a Sarlacc, Aure - to prevent the future they wish. The future they have shown me, with trillions dying." 
 
"Trillions, Aure. And the galaxy serving them in bondage, without the Jedi - forever. For that is the last bit of information for my datapad, that I never wrote down. Yoda has forseen it. All of us. Gone. He was not kidding when he said we must be prepared to lay down our lives. And if they succeed - they have shown me, and perhaps you - what they will do. And their reign will last another twenty thousand years, just as ours did. I will give anything to stop that. Anything. If I could die to stop it right now, I would. If I could jump into a fire, I would. I will give up my hand, Aure. I merely ask you to save the galaxy in turn."
	Drawing a breath, Aure's eyes close and she winces, "You do not understand, even when darkness was thick around me, their master did not accept me...but .." The Knight looks to one of the twi'lek's hands, brows furrowing before she nods then, "I will remove it...if only to know it can be reattached...and...I will return to them. I will attempt to do what you ask of me..but to save the galaxy, it is not an easy task. I would sacrifice myself for any..even one person if it was to offer them a beter life."
	The mirialan offers the datapad back, looking over her friend's visage, "You are the strongest woman I know..and..for that I would follow you to that sarlacc pit."
Aavi'nayii shakes her head. "I am no leader, I simply do what I must." She pauses, smiling deeply. "But I thank you for the feeling and return the sentiment, Aure. I would never ask this of another, but I have faith in you." She closes her eyes. "I cannot sense the light in you now; it is as Orin was before he fall. Which is also a strength. You know how he sounded, you have seen my conclusions. I have no doubt you can say the words. Overcomponsate. Be not thyself; even if you do no evil, sound more vile then the rest of them combined, and they will beleive. If you must do evil, focus it on me, give them reason to think you hate me." 
 
She opens her eyes, her voice full of emotion for the first time - rather then steady and even. "I'm so sorry to ask this of you."
You offer a Force bond to Aure Kaia.
Aure Kaia accepts your offer for a Force bond. If you haven't read +forcebond/help, you ought to now.
FORCE: You reach out with the Force and feel that Aure Kaia is strong with the Force. She is right in front of you.
	A trial above all else to face and the mirialan lowers her gaze, eyes closing. "Yaala...my dear friend.." She whispers, "I have wielded hate and anger before, I am not unfamiliar with it, but it is what makes me long for the light even more. I will attempt to do what you ask of me, if it can save the others. But I do not know how convincing I will be unless I believe this...the Order is failing, is falling.." She says with great worry.
	A hand lifts to cover her mouth a moment, eyes searching the cockpit for something unseen. The Knight takes a step to the side and then draws a strengthening breath.
Aavi'nayii stands up and puts a hand on Aure's shoulder. "Aure, I have not spoken of this in some time, but...when I was a slave, I...experienced some terrible things." Her voice goes small and soft. 
 
"Many times." 
 
"But there is a place, deep inside, that they cannot touch. You must think on it, meditate on this core, and think of it as a window you are shutting, a box you are sealing." She shakes her head as her eyes begin to water, ignoring the tears. "And nothing will ever touch you there. Do you understand?"
	Regarding her sister in many ways, Aure smiles softly, "They will never truely have me...but I will fall. And I will give you what you need as well as the rest of the Order." The Knight touches her friend's arm, gripping it tightly as she then gazes to her hand. Swallowing, she hides her own tears well, even as her eyes gleam with them.
	"How easy it will be to allow the darkness to move in will be seen, but I have no doubt that it will come. I will seek on Quintus and I will find my path, even with no light." Her eyes close and head bows, "I have only one true enemy and it is the master of these Dark Knights, he stole my love from me and threatens my friends."
Aavi'nayii pauses for a long time. "I do not beleive that is called a fall Aure; but a sacrifice." 
"I am not so sure you will need to go as far as you think however. If you remain troubled, as I once was, it may be enough. For your risk, in truth...is greater then the one I offered to you. What I asked was...a seflish thing, for while I give a hand and risk a life...a hand is nothing; mere flesh. But we are not crude matter. We are light. But you risk that light. Keep it shrouded in the gray. I ask a terrible thing, but I do not want to see this be the final act of Aure Kaia, as hunting Petrus was Orin's."
	"You ask what we all should be willing to give...I will not turn away from it." Aure seems to garner strength from her friend, reaching out to suddenly embrace Yaala if the other lets her. "I will not lose light, as long as my friends remain. I will not be lost forever and perhaps, if all goes well I shall return with what will save us. And I shall be redeemed for my actions if I need take them."
	Drawing away slowly, the mirialan nods, "When do we wish to do this?"
Long distance to Menglor: Aavi'nayii has convinced another Jedi to cut off her hand and pretend to go evil, and spy on the Sith from within.
Aavi'nayii returns the embrace, smiling. "Thank you. I...I have faith in you, and will always remain your friend. Your more of a sister to me then my real one ever was. I know you will not loose the light." 
 
As Aure draws away to speak, she considers. "It depends. It would be best if it were as soon as possible, considering how recent the temptation. And my cover in the Blacks is gone entirely; you can use that to give them 'valuable information' about another Jedi whom is vulnerable; I'm not supposed to know they've figured me out."
	"Then it should be now, others saw us together...but.." She gazes down at her friend's hand and shivers. "To remove your hand..so that it can be attached later." Despite her experiences, to remove something intentionally still turns the medic's stomach. Her lips form a straight line. "Now would be best.." She confirms lightly.
	She grips then at Yaala's arm then. "This is what you want?"
Aavi'nayii nods her head, wiping the tears away with her other hand and steeling her gaze. "Yes." She glances down at her limbs. "But which one to take..." Her eyes glaze over momentarily, and she looks slightly confused. 
"I..I am left-handed."
	"Then I will not take your left hand, I will not deprive you of a working limb." Aure says, trying to be strong in what she is meant to do. "I have my surgery kit and I can numb it and put you under.." She winces slightly, wondering how to do this. "You will have it reattached...yes?"
Aavi'nayii nods her head. "Yes. But not until after. I will have it stored in carbonite until then, and hidden. We...should start."
	Nodding, there is still a nervousness about her. "Very well...I am sorry that I must do this to you and know..that I would not but for your request." Aure leads her to sit down upon one of the seats and leans it back. "Rest here....I will return with my surgical supplies and you will feel no pain." It is a promise, all she can give really as the mirialan's gaze darkenes, 
"Yaala...watch over my padawans while I am gone, I fear that Bozlo may be our worry as well...he has some questionable friends." With that, the mirialan leaves to fetch her items.
Aavi'nayii sits down in the seat and leans back. Closing her eyes she begins to meditate.
Category:January 2008 RP Logs