[D4EA] Artistic Endeavors (Friends Apartment area)

[Dove Gray]

"I didn't kill any Jedi, if that's what you were wondering," she assured him, her smile returning. It was a small one, but it was sincere. There had been that one time she was supposed to snipe off a Padawan, but... she had aimed for the leg instead. Poor kid had probably spent a week in bacta, but it beat dying.

She observed his reactions, the tightening of the face and when it softened again.

"Because... it didn't make sense. At least not to us. The Jedi tried several times to negotiate for peace when possible, and were reluctantly pushed into positions as leaders and generals - something they hadn't been since pre-Ruusan Republic. And with their powers, why would they try to openly attack the Chancellor."

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus smiled. He'd only known Dove for a few years, but they were close, and again, there was something intimate about this, open. "I was wondering." Petrus said gently. "But I didn't need to know." A pause. "But thank you." He listened to her explanation without further comment. Unless the scratching of his stylus was a comment.

Then, with a quiet sigh, he set his stylus down. "I've got what I need. You can go ahead and move." After a moment, he smiled at her, one of his usual cheerful smiles. "Take a little break? If you're up for it, I wouldn't mind trying another one."

[Dove Gray]

With Petrus' signal given, Dove stretched out. Finally! "Yeah, sure, we can do one more. Let me just enjoy moving about a bit more first."

A few stretches of the neck and rolling the shoulders felt good. "Did you fight in the Clone Wars too?" she asked while rubbing her neck

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus rose to his feet, leaving his stylus and pad behind as he went to the kitchen area. He retrieved a pair of glasses, and there was the sound of running water.

"Uh... yeah, more or less." He called back from over his shoulder. "My master and I were sorta like reserve fighters. We weren't Skywalkers, or Kenobis, or even Tanos. But when someone got hurt, we'd go in, my master would treat them, and we'd help out."

He came back, carrying two glasses of water; he handed one to her with a smile. "It was pretty rough... I saw a lot of the galaxy with him, though."

[Dove Gray]

As Petrus walked over to the kitchen-area, Dove slipped the robed on again. There was probably a limit to how much the kid could handle, she thought amusedly.

Her smile was sympathetic as she accepted the glass. "Thanks... but you must've been pretty young back then? That's one of the things I never understood during that time - bringing out young ones like you and the others to war."

"Better ways to see the galaxy, if you ask me."

[Petrus Karath]

"I was fourteen." Petrus said as he clinked his water glass against hers, smiling just a little. "I'd been a Padawan for more than a year. Not that you're wrong..." Petrus shrugged. "But it seemed normal. I don't know."

He took a long drink, then sighed. "Dove..." he began, then sighed again. "You were right not to tell me, before. I wasn't ready. But I'm glad you did now." It wasn't much of a smile that he gave her, but it was definitely there, and sincere.

[Dove Gray]

She could understand. He hadn't known much else for the past years, so it seemed probably only natural to follow their masters. Going out to protect people, was probably what they told the young ones, but the old ones knew better, Dove suspected.

"You had too much on your plate then. Having to put your trust in someone who was on the other side not long ago would've been too much of a push then. But you seem to be doing better now... I guess being around people who can understand you more than Mia or I can is good for you." There were way more ex-padawans on this planet than she had suspected, but perhaps it was for the better.

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus sighed. "Yeah, and let's face it. I wasn't great at dealing with stuff. I probably would have started another tv show. I don't think I could have handled that!" He smiled, spreading his hands.

He took another drink of water, before setting it down next to the pad. "Well, I can handle it now. Whatever. So if there's anything you wanna tell me, either because I should know it, or because you just want to say it..." He shrugged. "Just let me know."

[Dove Gray]

She drank deeply from the glass of water. Yeah, Petrus would've been an even bigger mess if she had dumped too much on him from the start. He wouldn't have trusted her, probably.

"I can't think of anything now, but if I may ask some questions in return...?"

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus' eyebrows went up. "Questions for me? Uh, sure, if you want." He shrugged. "I didn't know that I had any mysteries about me that interested you, Dove."

He leaned back against the wall. "Just lemme know when you're ready to start again. In the meantime," he smiled, spreading his hands, "I'm all yours."

[Dove Gray]

"We can start again after the questions, I guess. Don't want you to get distracted too much from your art," she winked, but her expression soon became more serious.

"There's... a lot I don't understand or know about this Force stuff. Like what is the Dark Side?" Dove felt like it was a stupid question to ask a Jedi, but she felt it was important to understand it better.

[Petrus Karath]

"Hey!" Petrus held his hands up, grinning. "I think I kept my ogling to a reasonable level." He paused a moment. "You are very beautiful, though. Just to be clear."

He sobered quickly at the mention of the Dark Side. "That's... a complicated question. I've heard a lot of things. Evil. Imbalance. Corruption." He frowned, considering. "They're all connected, really. One leading to the next, to the next. It's that way with a lot of things with the Dark Side. Which is why we Jedi have to be so careful. It's easier than you'd think to start down a dark path."

[Dove Gray]

She only chuckled at Petrus' confessed ogling. He was too much of a Nice Young Man to oggle too much.

"I see... so the Dark Side is evil then? And those who use it are... corrupted, and evil?" Dove asked, trying to wrap her head around what she had been learning the past weeks.

"... I guess this is also leading into my next question; what is a Sith?"

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus nodded, but then wavered his head. "Well... sort of. Negative emotions lead to the Dark Side. Fear, anger, hate, that sort of thing. Those who are consumed by them are corrupted by the Dark Side. They are cruel, maybe even monstrous." He shrugged. "But we don't always say evil. I always liked balance and imbalance, myself."

"A Sith?" Petrus' eyebrows went up. "The Sith are the ancient enemies of the Jedi, and powerful Dark Side users. We thought they were gone forever, but..." He shook his head, "then this happened. They had an Empire long ago. It seems the Emperor misses the good old days, or something."

[Dove Gray]

Dove breathed deeply, "yeah, seems that way." More than seemed that way if what Bowze had said was true. But that might be too much for Petrus to know now, and too dangerous.

"I don't get what you mean about balance and imbalance though. So these people, like the Inquisitors, are just imbalanced with the Force?"

[Petrus Karath]

"Well, I don't know about just, but yeah." Petrus said. "It's like... many things are a part of life, even bad things. Death, pain, anger, that sort of thing. Even a life lived in balance will have all of them. But the Dark Side... you might say that someone consumed by the Dark Side is imbalanced by having their life be about one of those things. Or all of them."

He answered all of her questions calmly, but his blue eyes were concerned. He was pretty sure he knew why she was asking.

[Dove Gray]

"Hmm... so it's not an easy case any way, huh?" she rubbed her neck. This was all a bit much to try to grasp. Who would've thought that there was some big cosmic force that could have such deep effects on people.

Dove caught on to his concerned look and was quick to give him a reassuring smile in return. "Hey, don't look so glum, alright?"

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus chewed on his lip for a long moment. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell her this... "Sometimes people can be brought back. Sometimes. But it's not supposed to be almost impossible. Once someone is steeped in that much hate..." Petrus sighed. "Maybe it's worth trying, sometimes. I don't know."

He smiled wanly. "Dove, you know me too well." Petrus took a deep breath. "I can handle myself again. Stand on my own two feet." His smile grew sad. "But I just keep worrying that some day I'm gonna bang on our shared wall, and..." he shook his head. "Well, let's just say I'd rather not, huh?"

[Dove Gray]

"Hmm..." she considered asking if those Inquisitor-folks were beyond saving. It was a question that weighed heavily on her. Even if she would prefer to just kill them and burn their bodies, perhaps it was Petrus' Jedi sensibilities rubbing off on her?

Or was she growing sympathetic to them?

"I know, Petrus," her smile was a little wan too. "I'd rather not have that happen either, but this is what I can do in the big galaxy. And if I can do it, then I should do it."

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus nodded, although his smile was sad. "I know. That's how I feel about it, too. We have to stand up for what's right. Even if it's hard, or dangerous."

After a moment, Petrus' lips quirked. "Well, there you go. Petrus Dark Side primer. I hope it was educational for you." His expression grew more serious. "Does that... change anything for you?"

[Dove Gray]

She laughed a little, even if it was a serious topic. "It was... helpful. I think I understand a bit more. But," her lips pressed together for a moment, "I don't think it changed much."

The robe was pulled a bit tighter around her. "I don't know if these folks are beyond redemption or not. That's like... way out of whatever judgement I can make. You and your friends might be able to decide though, but I don't think I can."

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus sighed. "I don't know either. I don't think anyone does. I do know that while we might be able to help them, the choice is theirs. And if they really don't want it..." Petrus spread his hands.

"Anyway, when the time comes... I think maybe we'll try." Petrus said. "We've talked about it a little. I almost feel like we have to try, for the people they used to be."

[Dove Gray]

She nodded cautiously. "That will have to be your decision to make, yours and your friends'. But be ready for it to come sooner rather than later... as I don't know for how much longer I can keep him off Oraka's trail."

Well that had been a thoroughly depressing turn of their conversation. "Right. You said you wanted to do some more drawing?"

[Petrus Karath]

Slowly, Petrus nodded, his lips pressing together. "We train daily. I guess it's a race of sorts, now. It will either be enough time... or it won't." The won't was hard to think about.

Petrus brightened. "Yeah, sure, if you're up for it?" He looked around the room, then back to Dove. "Is there anything you feel like doing? I'd be willing to give whatever a try." His lips parted a moment, and then he grinned. "I almost said 'surprise me', but hey, you've done a pretty good job of that already."

[Dove Gray]

"Just be careful and keep an eye on eachother." She did wonder where the went to train, but she also knew that it was for the best that she didn't.

And the more she thought about it, the more she'd worry about whether or not she had done the right thing.

"Hmm, I don't really feel like doing the action pose now. Maybe I'll keep this robe on, so you get to practice on stuff like clothing and how it folds and stuff?"