Nar Shaddaa

Ashla found a common area to practice with her lightsaber. It appears to be a yellow crossguard lightsaber. Ashla takes defensive positions common to the Soresu Defender Technique.

"Training?" Balos says calmly.

Ashla stops and turns off her lightsaber. "Yeah. Figure I should keep up with my practices somewhat." She offers her hand. "Ashla Vyliis."

He gives her a warrior's shake by holding her forearm and says, "Balos Tyl, Jedi Knight. Good we need to be ready for when the Sith stop playing nice, and they will. It is inevitable."

"You expect an attack here?" Ashla tilts her head. She's curious, but seem convinced.

"You don't?" he asks incredulously.

"Nah. More likely they'll attack themselves and blame us for it. That way they can claim the high ground and try to get neutral agents to sympathize with them while driving a spike doubt in the Republic's people that they're the good guys." Ashla shrugs. "At least, that's what I'd do if I wanted these talks to fail. And since the Sith actively support weeding out the weak of their people......"

Ashla shrugs again. "Of course, my master sent to try to get peace, so that's what I'm trying to do. I dunno if I will succeed. But she will see I tried."

"Well what do you feel about all this then?" Balos asks.

"About what? The Sith? Peace?"

Ashla Vyliis wrote:"About what? The Sith? Peace?"

"The Sith, that sounds like a good topic. Favorite of mine, because they are so easy to dislike. Like punching a Sith is doing everyone a favor," he says with a dry chuckle.

Ashla smiles. "I like your style. As individuals, many seem fine. The ones I have met seem reasonable and likable enough. Though I'm not stupid. They'd turn on me if it would benefit them. Their Code demands it.

"But as a whole? Honestly, I pity them a little. They don't even follow their own Code correctly. For something about freedom and earning power, they have a lot of slavery and blind devotion to an Emperor whose power largely seems to be that he's the Emperor. But they grew up in an Empire that twisted them like that. They are slaves who think themselves masters." Ashla chuckles. "It wouldn't surprise me if the Emperor isn't even Force Wielder. It'd explain why he never comes out in public."

Ashla shrugs. "But don't get me wrong. I'm not saying they need a little love and affection and they'll realize the error of their ways. No. Most will never be redeemed. And most of those who could will never get the chance. If it ever comes to battle," Ashla ignites her lightsaber. "I will not hesitate. Even if the Sith is one I liked here. I will let the Jedi Code guide me." She turns off her saber.

"You really hit it it on the head, Ashla. I have seen their work, they are savage monsters enslaved to an ideology that binds them to a faceless Emperor. They give bondage a bad name," he says with a dry chuckle.

"I can't trust anything they say, even the ones that seem like they won't stab you in the back. I just can't trust them. Maybe that isn't very Jedi of me, but it is the truth."

Maybe I'm not the worse Jedi here for a peace conference. "Eh. I make a habit of not trusting anyone. The Code doesn't say anything about trusting people."

Ashla Vyliis wrote:Maybe I'm not the worse Jedi here for a peace conference. "Eh. I make a habit of not trusting anyone. The Code doesn't say anything about trusting people."

"Yeah I suppose that is right, so what do you trust?" he asks.

"I dunno if I really trust anything. I used to trust my dad, but...." Ashla puts a hand under her chin like she's thinking. "I'm not entirely sure he was on the up and up." Then she shrugs with her hands out. "Who needs to trust anyone?"

"You can't get through the galaxy alone, you can try I guess," Balos responds ignoring the father bit.

"Oh. I understand I gotta work together sometimes, but trust? It never works out. Who do you trust then?"

"My fellow Jedi," he says with no hesitation.

"We may not always agree, but I can trust they have my back."

Ashla was about to point out that since she was forced to be a Jedi and they're likely going to send her to prison or execute her anyways that she has reason not to trust her 'fellow Jedi,' but then a thought occurred to her.

"So, does that mean you trust me?"

"You are Jedi, you serve the Republic, why would I distrust you?" he replies confidently.

He was sincere. Ashla didn't know if she should feel honored and humbled that this stranger trusted her. Or pity him. But she makes a list using her hands. "I was forced to become a Jedi. Half the council seems to think I'm going to turn to the Dark Side. My father is a serial killer. I don't trust anyone. I have an extensive criminal past." Ashla shrugs. "I'm not going to say you shouldn't trust me, but objectively, it doesn't seem like the wisest of ideas."

"The Council would not have offered you the path of a Jedi if they did not believe you could take the responsibility. I beleive in their wisdom," Balos says confidently.

Ashla looks skeptical. Then, she shrugs. "Well, I hope the Council is right." It bothered her a little that she got beat in this debate by simple blind faith, but she wasn't stupid enough to keep arguing the 'don't trust me' point.

Balos says, "Trust them, sister Jedi. They don't always make sense but they want the best for the Jedi as a whole and as an individual. Like the Force they can be confusing... inscrutable even... but they are wise and just. Unlike the Sith who simply live to kill each other and everything else."

Ashla didn't know if she should be touched by Balos's words or pity him. "Umm... Thanks. I'll think about that."