First Order; Second Chance

[Connor Harrison]

Turning on his heel, he looked at the girl. Of course she was right, and so was he. Here he was going it again. Thinking about himself, over-reacting and acting like a child. He sighed, and rubbed his brow for a second.

"No, no you're right. I'm not going.”

With a shake of the head, he pushed the cloak in and sat down again and dismissed it with a wave of the hand.

"I'm sorry, old habits. This is why I find myself alone a lot of the time. I over-react, push people away and close up. When I see sense, it's too late.” Picking up the fork, he toyed with the food and popped another mouthful in, and ate. "Thanks for...clearing this place.....”

Looking over the eatery, he rubbed his hands together as he finished the mouthful, glancing out the window just to be sure. Nothing. Rolling his tongue around to get the loose pasta, he looked down at the table.

"I guess, I guess it's the first time I'm happy to tell anyone anything about the Jedi. Names, locations, anything. I don't want to hide my past, because I want to make a new future. I want to work with the forces who do right for this galaxy, not the ones who slowly smother it. And I've been here before, to Dosuun, and saw the First Order in action then and even now I feel it may be the place I can do some good.”

Connor looked at Ara.

"Am I forgiven? We try again?"

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Ara took another bite of her food despite her lack of appetite. She glanced at her empty mug and sighed, wishing she'd thought to order a stronger drink before she'd dismissed the help. But they needed privacy and she'd paid them enough for it.

"You are alone in what used to be enemy territory, you have a right to be paranoid and touchy." She dismissed his apology with a wave of a hand. "I can't say I'd be as brave as you were our roles reversed, to be completely honest."

To have had master level powers and been stripped of the ability to access the Force, she shuddered at the thought. Even now, only just growing into her own abilities, the Disciple could hardly imagine the crippling feeling he must struggle with. To be stripped of her ability to harness the power flowing around them would be debilitating. It was an experience she would be happy to forgo.

She pushed her plate away, unwilling to finish it at the moment and leaned back against the booth, resting her elbow on one leg and her chin between the thumb and forefinger. Her gaze met his, eyes churning with thoughts.

She was in a precarious position, he knew her face and at least a name to identify her by. If he chose to take the information anywhere, she would be useless to the Ren. Anonymity was the most valuable and dangerous weapon of the Knights and here she was posed to lose both. If he was sincere and did indeed join their ranks, it would be a moot point, she hoped. If he did not, her position with the Ren was tenuous as best, who knew how they would react.

"Why are you so obsessed with the idea of the Ren? Why are you so convinced that they do, in fact exist, and not just in rumors?" He'd mentioned them no less than four times since their chance meeting, she knew he wouldn't be deterred.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Time to stop playing civil. As Ara moved the food away, Connor did the same.

"Ara, I'm not stupid. I've seen the Knights of Ren in battle before. Granted, I've never faced one, but I've seen them out there. They work for the First Order. Look, call me mistaken if I am but don't insult my intelligence. I was a Jedi Master for 10 years and I've seen a lot of dangerous new threats emerge. I was there before the First Order rose from the Sith ashes, and I was there when the Republic fell. I've seen it all. Now, however, I want to join the side that is actually doing something good for the galaxy.”

He let out a frustrated sigh and splayed his hands on the table.

"If you are at risk here, just give me a name or a place and I'll be out of your hair. I have no intention in hurting you, turing you over, reporting you or anything. I'll do anything to prove that. I'm here for one thing and one thing only, and that's to forge my future before it's too late.”

Connor sat back and rubbed his finger and thumb together in small circles.

"That's the truth. Now, I just want it from you.”

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

She laughed humorlessly, and mirrored his posture with her head resting on her entwined fingers. Her mind debated the options. It would likely take days for her master to arrive on Dosuun. They were both playing a risky game, trusting the other, hoping the intent was truth.

She watched him for a few heartbeats, finally opting for truth, if not the truth he wanted.

"I can't give you the information you seek." She waited for either anger or disappointment to emerge from him. After a short pause she continued, "But I know who can."

She rose from her seat, straightening her clothing, and glanced at the food with a twinge of disappointment. She was never one to leave food uneaten, but she had no taste for it at the moment. All she could hope was that her master had returned her message and would offer her guidance on how to proceed.

In the meantime, "How can I get in contact with you?"

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor nodded, a little disappointed, but not overly surprised. She had a duty to whomever she served, and she was decent and loyal.

"I understand.”

As Ara rose, so did he.

"Take this,” he pulled a small chip out of his side pocket on one of his belts and handed it over. "That'll get to my ships com-system. Hail me there, leave a message, either or. I'll get it, literally anytime.”

He licked his bottom lip, and remembered the food.

"Hey, what do I owe for the food? And you don't need to go unless you want to, I don't mind the company."

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Ara pocketed the chip and nodded, turning to leave the restaurant. She paused, glancing back at him with the coy smile from the plaza.

"Nothing, consider it a gift for your trouble." She chuckled as his words were parroted back at him. His offer for company made her pause. It had been quite a while since someone had offered to spend time in her company, at least someone she wasn't trying to con out of something.

She raised an eyebrow at him, pleasantly surprised by the offer.

"I was planning on finding something interesting to pass the time until my next...contract. You are welcome to join."

She glanced at the food on the table and motioned. "Of course I don't mind waiting until you've finished your meal."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

With the two options, the tepid meal out of a box or a mysterious but enticing woman...

"I wasn't hungry anyway.”

The meal was forgotten as he walked to catch Ara up and head back out into the light of Avalonia, but not without a brief nod of thanks to the bemused owner left to clean up after them.

"Thank you.” Connor inhaled and did one more sweep of the area - still nothing. Time to relax. "And...contract? What contracts do you work on?”

He gave her a sly look to see if anything would come out of her outer-shell which he was eager to crack.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Ara shook her head and chuckled, "You don't give up easily, do you?"

She spotted a unit of troopers following them at a reasonable distance and stopped Connor with a hand on his arm. "Wait here for a moment, please." Without waiting for an answer, she strode to the troopers.

"Your orders, sir?"

"Return to the Complex for your next orders, our mission is complete." She turned away, pausing before returning to her companion. "And AD-18981....don't forget to leave that jacket where I asked." Laughing quietly to herself as she imagined her friend's reaction to the garment, she returned to where Connor stood.

"Shall we?" She smiled and gestured to the street before them, leading away from the plaza and government buildings.

"You said you've visited Dosuun once before? I'll admit this is my first time with time to kill in he city and very little knowledge of it save the official complex."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

((My tablet hates color text apparently. After trying to fix it half a dozen times, I am just leaving it -_- Grrr. ))

 

[Connor Harrison]

With the two options, the tepid meal out of a box or a mysterious but enticing woman...

"Never,” he smirked.

Turning with her at the advancing troopers, Connor let her lead and he stopped and watched as any interested party would. The crack of their synthetic voices could be heard in conversation with the girl, who in turn managed to get them to move along without any hassle. Impressive. They continued the walk.

"Well that was pretty good. You must be far more than just military support if you can dispatch a unit of troopers.”

Walking down a long set of stairs, a wonderful greet park appeared before them, buildings on either side, a number of tall structures popping up here and there. Observation platforms looking out around the city. A monorail track took passengers around the park and thus the city.

"And yes, I've been here once. To the medical centre. I heard it was one of the best in the galaxy and I knew nobody would know my name, so I came for help. I got fixed up and that was that.”

He held his left hand up, showing the faint crimson lines on and under his hand where reconstructive surgery had taken place. "Broke it during a scuffle with a Mandalorian. Vicious brutes."

But that was the past, and now stood before the path into the park of a city that may offer him a future.

"Care for a walk? Get a drink or something?”

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

One side of her mouth quirk up in a grin as he still pressed, albeit more subtly, for details about her job. "It's not difficult to get the units to move along without hassle, just threaten to report them to a superior." She winked, her conspiratorial smile changing to one of pure joy as they emerged into the lawn of the park.

This was what always got to her, the smells and the beauty of green flora and fauna. She paused, almost missing his comments about his hand and the medical centre in her moment of relishing the soft, fragrant smalls of the park ahead of them. The first time her outer shell cracked, her entire body relaxing slightly and she took in their surroundings.

Closing her eyes, she took a long inhale and sighed in contentment.

Snapping back to reality, she glanced at his hand and grimaced in sympathy. "Sorry...you came here because no one knew your name? Why not return to the temple on Voss? I'm sure their healers are as skilled as ours." She was curious why he'd risk the trip into First Order territory considering the Silver Jedi must have their fair share of wonderful healers available.

She glanced out at the pathways and observation decks, holding back a shudder at the elevated heights, and nodded. "Yes, I'd love to go for a walk." That soft true smile returned.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Extending his hand for her to walk into the greenery, Connor felt good and relaxed, and began to walk with the mysterious Ara.

"I didn't want to go back to Voss. They gradually broke me over many months; do you remember the bombing of Korriban? Basically our forces lay waste to the city there and killed thousands. I acted as diplomat to try keep allies and ward off growing enemies. But I did it myself, and I felt like it was only me that cared. And so I got to a point and thought...why do I even care at all? Severing ties with an Order that had been a family to me for many years wasn't too easy, but I didn't want to go back there at all.”

Brushing his hand by a wonderfully crisp green hedge, he felt the Force around him in nature. It was refreshing taking a casual stroll.

"I know it was risky, but I didn't feel fear, does that make sense? I didn't see the First Order or Sith as enemies anymore, and I wanted to understand them and help them and be part of what they stand for. So if something would have happened here, I would have stated my case, demanded a chance to help. I don't know, I just...didn't want to be associated with them.”

It was pretty nonsense when he said it out loud, but it was truth. It was the actions of a man with nothing to care for and nothing to lose, and a man who wanted to break free whatever the cost.

He looked to Ara, squinting a little at the sun reflecting of a tall building.

"Where you from, Ara? Always been on Dosuun or have you lived anywhere else?”

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Ara strolled beside him, content to listen and enjoy the surroundings. Occasionally she’d run a hand over a particularly beautiful flower or a large leaf veined with bright coppers.

”Death is part of life. Those who pretend otherwise are lying to themselves and to everyone else. The same with war. The Order does what is needed to maintain a safe and secure society. See those troopers over there?” She nodded in the direction of a patrolling unit on the far side of the park. ”I have no doubt that they would eliminate us in an instant if we were viewed as a threat to the people here and now. But then, and only then.”

She tilted her head and smiled a little of the darkness within leaking into her gaze. ”A few lives for the good of the galaxy seems a reasonable and relatively small price to pay.” She would never pretend to feel bad for a death that was needed to further the Order’s goals, death came in many forms and the ones she took served a purpose.

”I’ve lived my entire life in the slums the well-off citizens of Coruscant like to pretend don’t exist. Unless they want a fix or an adrenaline hit, we may as well have just been a dumping grounds for the poor and criminal.”

Her eyebrows crinkled in a frown as the reminder of tepid air and the pervasive darkness welled up. She shook the memory away and took another deep breath of the fresh air around them.

”Beauty like this didn’t exist in my life until recently.”

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor looked over to the troopers. Far more intimidating that the pityful Rangers on Voss. How could anyone compete with the legacy of the Empire, spanning hundreds of years. The armour made them near identical; a single fighting force that showed no emotion or identity, just one fighting force to preserve peace and stability in a galaxy full of rebels and troublemakers.

"How it should be. A loyal and ruthless force to be reckoned with whilst securing peace for the ones they serve. Fantastic.”

He smiled and nodded in approval at both the troopers and Ara's attitude. It was so nice hearing another feel as he did.

When she spoke of her upbringing, Connor smiled somberly and gave her a gentle shake on the shoulder.

"Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, Ara. And your views are inspirational to many, and those idiots of the upper-class will soon bow down before you when you take back everything owed to you. Mark my words.”

He could see it now...what a glorious sight it was.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Focusing on a small red flower on a nearby bush, Ara reached for the stem and snapped the flower off easily with the force. She grinned wickedly as she willed the flower to float the short distance to her hand, catching it neatly between two fingers. The simple trick, telekensis, was a sign of her growing strength and filled her with determination.

Softly she responded, eyes locked on the flower in her hand, "Yes, they will. Fear and strength are powerful allies."

She turned and offered the flower to Connor, a smile curling her lips up.

"And what of you, Connor? Who will bow down before you?"

She had no doubt the man in front of her longed for power as much as she did. He was a former master of the Jedi and soon he'd be a master of the Darkside. Would he fight for them? Would he fight with them? She had found a family, a working unit, in the Ren. A group who accepted her, strengthed her, and valued her. Would he be content for the same?

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor watched the flower, a pang of sadness - only for a second - was there when he remembered how easy it had been to use the Force for such simple things. The flicker was there, but he wasn't going to push it. Not yet.

He accepted her flower, and slipped it between the lapel of his cloak and grey tunic.

"Thank you,” he said with a wink.

At her question, he looked ahead and carried on walking.

"The weak shall bow down before me when they ask to be given strength. The corrupt will bow down before me when they beg for one more chance to be loyal. The Jedi will bow down before when they plead for mercy for what they did to us.”

Looking over, he pulled a similar flower to the one Ara took, and he held it out to her.

Before she would be able to take it, he crushed the flower in his hand and showered the petals in her palm.

"They will all bow down before us one day and be just this, in the palm of your hands.”

It felt good to feel right and know others felt the same.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

He’ll do, Ara smiled and let the rushed petals fall from her hands to the grass at their feet. The bright red stain on the grass reminded her of blood fallen in the heat of battle. How fitting.

She continued walking, making a point to step on the largest pile of petals as she moved past. Letting the silence hang between them for a moment she debated pushing for more on his history with the Jedi.

”Us?” She narrowed in on the word. ”So sure you are of joining our cause already. Surely there are many clamoring for the skills of Connor Harrison.” Her tone was light, seeking rather than accusing. Her eyes crinkling in amusement.

Glancing over at him as they walked she decided to offer an olive branch of her own. He’d revealed much about himself and she’d taken the defensive. But he’d been on point so far, she was curious exactly how intelligent and observant he was.

”You’ve answered many of my questions, perhaps it’s only fair if I answer some of yours.” She opened her hands in front of her, palms up, the general gesture of openness. ”It is only fair, if we’re going to be allies in this.”

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

With a little scoff, he shook his head at the notion of others after his talent. Whatever THAT was.

"Maybe at one time there would be, but now after what the Silver Jedi did, I'm pretty much back to the bottom of the ladder in terms of my Force ability. I mean...I know HOW to do certain things, but that was for the Light. I need to hone it back for the Dark. And I don't think many look on former Jedi Masters who made targets out of Sith and welcome them in with open arms. I've got a lot to prove, and a lot to survive if I want to make a future.”

He looked over at passing troopers, and then back to Ara at her question.

"Alright,” he said to her. "How long have you been an Acolyte. Or Apprentice. Or whatever the First Order call you initiates."

She was sharp, commanding and confident. It was a mix of perfect traits, along with a resolve not to give away so much so soon, which proved she was invaluable and one to keep on side.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Her lips parted in a wide smile, teeth showing slightly. The urge to welcome him to the bottom of the ladder club was strong, but she withheld the comment. Leave him in the dark as to the scope of her abilities.

"I wouldn't want to be in your position, that's very true. The dark is not the light though, your strength will grow faster than before...with the right help." She glanced over at him slyly. Just as he'd pegged her as under the tutelage of another, she bet he was seeking the same, if he hadn't already found it. "Unbound by the rules and regulations of the Jedi, you'll be stronger, more powerful, than you ever imagined."

As they walked, Ara clasped her hands behind her back, running a thumb over the broken skin and callouses built up from weeks of daily sparring and training. The time to feign ignorance was over.

"A few months. Use whatever word you'd like, although I believe you'd find Disciple fits much better." She winked and waited for his next question.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He turned his head slightly to see her start to rub her hands, feeling those small cuts and rough edges from training as a Disciple. So that was it.

"A Disciple of Ren,” he mused. "So they're not a myth.”

They came to a fork in the path, and the monorail ran overhead again, and Connor looked both ways. There was a pond one way with the path leading full circle, and there was another trail going the other, decorated by more fauna and pruned hedges.

He chose the fauna path.

"You must have been training from a young age. You handle yourself very well Ara, and I imagine soon you will be a true Master. A leader. A warrior. One to be feared and respected. And then, one day, you'll have to teach me to get there too!”

A small laugh passed his lips, and part of the resentment to the Jedi came back, a constant fuel to ignite his fire for them.

"I assure you my path towards the Dark Side has been rocky, but I have lots of support in a few places, but it's where I belong that is important. I know my standing with the Sith directly will be questioned, and I will not justify myself to them or lower my aspiration to suit their code. They can either have me, or not.”

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Ara chuckled darkly and shook her head, keeping pace as he chose their path. She ignored his comment of the Ren, knowing that he'd just push harder if she denied or deflected from it. She'd deal with the potential consequences later.

"Perhaps myth isn't the right word either."

She bowed her head in acknowledgment of his comments and grinned seductively. Her voice returned to the low purr she'd dispensed with during their talk in the restaurant. She tilted her head, sending her hair falling over one shoulder and met his gaze full-on.

"Now who is flattering whom?"

She laughed and raised an eyebrow. He was determined and strong willed. She wondered if he'd be content falling the Supreme Leader's vision or if he'd find himself balking at the thought of following another with absolutely certainty. That would be for him to decide when he spoke with her master, or whomever the Order sent to meet with him after her message was received. It wasn't her concern.

Instead she chose to elaborate on his observation of her training. The smile faded, her expression serious and slightly angry at someone long gone from her life.

"In a way, I guess you could say I did. Although not in any official capacity. I was left on my own for most of my life, only eating when I could steal or scavenge enough to pay a debt and afford food myself. Have you ever been to Slum District G17? It's not exactly a friendly place for a kid out on her own. So I adapted. I learned how to fight and how to run, when needed. Now it has it's benefits."

She paused, debating how much to tell him. She decided to wait and see what he did with the bit of information she'd already given him.

[member="Connor Harrison"]