Octavia sat in her cell in a meditative state, legs crossed, arms resting on her knees. She needed to gather her thoughts, her center especially after the interrogation. It would have been easier if she had the Force...that wasn't an option. Psylocke, dressed in a black hooded cloak, crept up to the cell door and peeked inside. Bribing her friend Abera had been worth it. "Ten minutes," she had told him. There was the Jedi before her, at last. She swiped a security card through the door lock. The door hissed open. Psylocke slowly stepped inside, keeping her face shadowed from the security cameras. Octavia raised her head and looked at the figure. Psylocke approached the bench and peered down at Octavia. "So...you are here..." Octavia nodded. "How are you?" she asked, her tone tired. "Have you come to gloat?" Psylocke shook her head and sat down next to her. "No. I just wanted to see how you were doing...though I do see it quite fitting that you should end up here." Octavia studied her for a moment. "I am as well as can be expected. Why do you find it fitting?" "It's fitting that you should end up in my domain since that last time we met, I was in yours. I've learned a bit since then." Octavia shook her head, "You've lost a lot Psylocke, my goal was only to help you...to stop the circle of hate we seem to be locked in." Psylocke smiled lightly. "I didn't loose anything, Octavia. If anything, I've gained knowledge. I know more now about who I am and what my purpose is...and I came here to share a piece of my knowledge with you." Octavia noticed Psylocke's eyes. They were more yellow than she last remembered. "You've embraced more of the dark side Psylocke." She shook her head. "Tell me, what have you learned?" Psylocke scooted over and casually crossed her legs under her. "I learned that you can't exist without anger or fear or any of those emotions that you Jedi push away. It only leads to repression. To internal suffering. I can still be an honorable person, but still express my emotions. Octavia," she said lightly, ^you and I have a connection. We've known that for a while. I want to help you come to terms with those emotions." Octavia watched her closely. "The Jedi are not without emotion Psylocke, we just know the danger that too much emotion can cause." Octavia paused and looked at the floor. "Yes, we have a connection, but we are also different." "But those who don't release those emotions...who hold them back, are doomed to have those feelings turn on them someday. I don't want you to explode before we have a chance to explore our connection." Octavia smiled. "If I explode my friend, I don't think it will be from my emotions." She thought back to her questioning, the jolts of electricity, and Kali's treatment. Psylocke glanced down at the floor for a moment. "What do you think they're going to do with you?" she asked softly. "To be honest I don't know, but I do know the Emperor wishes to see the Jedi gone." Octavia paused. "The only way the Jedi will fade, Psylocke, is to die. So I expect to be executed." "What if I help you..." she suggested, looking back up at her. "And that other girl...Kaliandra I think?" "And risk the anger of your master?" Octavia asked looking at her matching her gaze wishing she could sense her true intentions. "Why offer this Psylocke, why put yourself at risk?" "No no no...You don't understand. I want to train you...in the Darkside. The Emperor won't kill you if he thinks you would be of use to him." Octavia shook her head. "You know I cannot chose the Darkside Psylocke. It would be betraying those I care for and who have set me upon this path." "I'm giving you a choice, Octavia! One you didn't give to me. I'm also giving you a chance to understand what lies underneath all of us. Everything has a Darkside as well as the light. That's the balance of the universe." "I've tried to give you a choice to help you make a choice not to be dominated by your Darkside." Octavia studied Psylocke^s face. "Yes, everything as a Darkside, but you don't have to be ruled by it. It will consume you Psylocke, consume you to a point that you won't be able to return from." Octavia went to place her hand on Psylocke's surprised when she didn^t stop her. "Am I angry at what I've experienced yes, I'm angry as well as I fear for Kaliandra's life. But we do what we must." Psylocke didn't shift when Octavia's hand touched hers. "And I'm doing what I must. This is my calling. My life was going somewhere. I was important. My life had purpose...but now everyone knows what happened at Port Lansing. They laugh at me behind my back." She looked away from Octavia and scowled. She took a breath, remembering Allyn's words to her. "What you and Nik-vie and the others did was wrong," she continued calmly. "You invaded my mind and made me think it was okay to stray from my path. And it's not okay. I want to hurt every last one of you for it...It's never going to happen again." "No one is laughing behind your back Psylocke. I am sorry you feel that I or anyone invaded your mind." Octavia lowered her head. "I did not wish to hurt you Psylocke, only to give you the option of choice to show you there was another way." Psylocke stood abruptly and turned on Octavia. "Well you did! You did hurt me. And they do laugh. My friends, my comrades. I haven't been on duty in the Red Guard since then." She wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. "All of you lied to me. Nik-vie...who I trusted more than anyone...lied to me. He violated our trust by letting you inside. And you're just as guilty for taking advantage of me. At least I'm giving you a choice openly," she added softly. "It's more than you gave me." "I understand Psylocke, but you are asking me to turn from my path. Know this, I would not lie to you. As for your position in the Red Guard, I'm sorry they do not understand what you were searching for, but know that the Jedi...no, know this, I am not laughing at your situation." "I never said *you* were." Psylocke thought or a long moment then sat back down on the bench and sighed. "It doesn't matter. It's over. In the past." *Just like Allyn said,* Psylocke thought to herself. "I'm still mad, but I'll get over it. I can deal with it. I can make things right again...but you...you're in some trouble, aren't you?" she said lightheartedly. Octavia nodded. "Yes, and once again due to voices of an unknown source." "Hmm? What do you mean?" Octavia smiled. "It was the voice of my grandfather and visions of his death that led me on this path. And the voices Master D'med had heard lead me to Telos." "Oh...right...the grandpas." Psylocke's brows furrowed. "Telos? So how did you end up here? I just saw that you got interrogated." "My recklessness," Octavia spat letting some anger rise to the front of her words. "My arrogance that I knew better than a Master." She stared at the floor. "The voices gave two locations to master D'med, Myrkr and Telos. While Master D'med went to Myrkr, I convinced Kaliandra we could sneak onto Telos and see if there was anything we could find, and leave." Octavia shrugged. "You see how well that went." Her voice was bitter. "Heh...I get ya. I'll probably get my butt kicked again if my Master finds out I snuck down here." She chuckled. "I am glad you did come. I was concerned when I heard you had changed your mind on leaving." Octavia's voice was once again composed. "I wish I could take your offer Psylocke, but my path, my goal is clear. That is to be a Jedi, I might not live to be knighted, but my life belongs to the path of the Jedi." "Yeah, duty really sucks sometimes, doesn't it? As for me, I'll be okay. I've been doing some reassessment of my life. I've lost focus, but I'm working to get it back." She stood and strolled towards the door. "I'll come back soon. Let me know if you change your mind." Octavia nodded, "May the Force be with you Psylocke." "Yeah...yeah you too." She glanced around the room. "Though I bet you can't do much in a room like this." She looked through the view-hole to find her friend waiting on the other side. She held up one finger to him, then turned back to Octavia. "Was Lon mad...when I didn't come back?" "He was...upset I think. I haven't had time to talk to him." "I was just curious," Psylocke replied. "Nik-vie told me he was becoming a Jedi. Kinda hard to believe." She paused a moment then added. "He's lost you know." "Who is lost?" "Nik-vie," Psylocke said with a nod. The door slid open. "How do you know this?" Octavia stood. Psylocke tapped her temple twice as she backed out of the cell. "Still got that little thread in my head." She winked and exited into the hall. "Where is he Psylocke, lost as to what...to the Jedi?" She took a step forward. Psylocke put a hand on the door as is started to slide closed. "Just lost...as in 'don't know where the heck I am' lost." She shrugged. "Can you...help him?" Psylocke made a face as if to think. "Nope. Can't do anything if he can't tell me where he is. And yes, I already asked." Octavia nodded. "Thank you for coming." She bowed to Psylocke "I'll come again sometime," she replied. "Think about my offer." She stepped back and let the door slide shut. Octavia stood there staring at the now closed door. She paced her cell slowly before returning to her position on the floor.
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