Captain Candy's Starlog, Post Mission: HOTH (Part 4)

elsewhere
 
Jess finds the doors to the engine room closed but not locked. She stands there and says his name, she knows he can see her and will open the door if he wants to talk.

Jaris can be heard sighing within, followed by a series of footsteps before the door opens up. You're supposed to be relaxing Jess, come inside if you want." He steps back to return to working at the work bench.

She walks over and puts the sake down on the bench in a spot not covered in gear. "I will be ok. Candy has given me insight that you care differently than I am used to." she looks for a place to sit "What do you want Jaris? I mean that. You always seem to offer yourself up like a sacrifice to make others wishes or create their goods. What about you? Why do you care? About me?"

Jaris held a section of what might have been part of a blaster rifle but in its component state it was difficult to tell, putting it down once she had gotten her questions out. "Course she did, so much for a person's right to their own thoughts." Jaris turned around and leaned back against the workbench. "I am no sacrifice, what I am though is a tool like the many you see in here. I perform the tasks for which I am suited for as close to perfection as I can, then I move to the next task." There's a long pause as his hands fidget with a spanner before ultimately putting it down as well. "Why does anyone care Jess? We have certain similarities that I couldn't help but notice...and I found myself caring more than I thought."

"Do not be upset with her. She set me strait about you almost as soon as we were on this ship" She smiles "Candy is nice, but you and I are intimate. I have not told her all I have told you, and I share secrets with you, you were the first to know about my past. That in my mind brings us closer. I am happy with that. I CARE about that."

"Working alone was simpler." He says with a sigh, glancing down at the sake glass for a moment before taking a drink from it. "I am not upset with her. Candy does as Candy will, she is like a storm that way." Another drink. "I know you do Jess and I do appreciate you sharing with me considering everything with the holocron and such. I have wondered though, why have you not asked anything of me? You aren't the type to share your secrets freely, yet there’s been no price?"

She grimaces "You're right there is always a price. she shoots her sake down "But I have asked, and I will almost certainly ask again. Your support, trust and silence has been appreciated. I know you will say that's just what people do. But not in my experience so I count it." She gets up to go. "I just wanted you to know that you are important. I'll leave you to your work. and thanks for caring." she begins to leave.

"Wait." Is all he says for a long moment, the man clearly deep in his own head as she struggled with something.

Jess stops and turns back "Yes?"

"Could you stay another moment, but close the door first..."

Jess closes the door.

Once the doors were securely shut and he was certain no one could overhear them, Jaris rose from the workbench and drew closer so as to keep his voice low. "You didn't strike me down when we first met, gave up on stealing Vidar's ship when I asked you to stay, and true to your word brought me into the loop on the holocron and more. I do not know why you trusted me but I appreciate it...and I know you care." Another pause as he turned his head to look off to the side. "Candy told me about...you two. Asked if I had a claim to you. I told her no, I don't see things in that way, but that I do care for you. That...this is difficult...You've shared so much of yourself with me but asked nothing of my past or self in return. I would balance this out somewhat, if you'll allow me."

She slowly sits back down and motions for him to go ahead.

"Thank you." Jaris sat down beside her and as if now realizing for the first time that his hands were covered in grease wiped them off on a towel. "I said we were similar and I meant it. You told me you were raised to be a nightsister, to go to other worlds and carry out the wishes of your Mother. I was trained to be an agent, to hunt the enemies of those who took me into their ranks. I did this willingly for I too lost my family and this training gave me the skills I required to deliver justice to their killers and those like them. But in exchange I had to set my sights on their true enemy..........Jess I am a weapon made solely for the task of exterminating Sith."

Jess taken in what Jaris has told her. She keeps her face even, not letting any particular emotion show. She decides on her question after a moment "How do your people define Sith?"

"The rules regarding what are and are not a sith are not clearly defined, in the end if one uses the dark side and goes around performing evil actions then they either are a sith or are similar enough that they might as well be." Jaris once more turned his gaze upon the force aura of Jess, looking for the light he had seen upon first meeting her. "This person who controlled you, they are sith or close enough, but you are not sith. You act in your own self interests but also in those of your people and most importantly, unlike those who hurt you Jess you put value on life from what I have seen. Yet you tap into the dark side for your magics...but perhaps this doesn't have to be? A question for another time."

Jaris sees the balance returning to her aura. She is still steeped in the dark side but the light though grey is spreading.

Jess simply smiles solemnly "Thank you Jaris. I would take my leave. You have given me much to think about."

He nods his head and steps back over to the workbench, reaching underneath it he pulls out a double bladed lightsaber hilt and stares it as she goes to leave. "Oh Jess maybe rough up your hair a little and say nothing about what happened in here. Let Candy have her fun imagining what happened." He smirked and resumed his work on possible new designs.

She rolls her eyes. "We need to find you a crystal of your own for one of those.” She then let's her hair down to hang to her shoulders. "Good enough?"

"I've been told they find you or some nonsense? Luckily for me they have a force aura so I can spot them, have to keep an eye out I suppose." He reaches for his helmet and aims it at Jess, placing it against his ear to listen to what the blind aid tells him....damp with sweat, messy hair...and then he smiles. "Should be good, this thing tells me you look great."

She makes a single loud hah then turns and leaves. "You will figure it out Jaris," she says as the door opens and she makes her way back to her room.