Hunted Becomes The Hunter

[Connor Harrison]

Avalonia
Dosuun, First Order Space

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"] had been a welcoming introduction to what the First Order was. So, in returning, there was another Connor hoped to meet. Ara Ren.

The Ren had introduced Connor to the Order, a number of secrets and a lot of experiences. And also led him to take part in operations that led him to become a wanted man and a war criminal. Or something, it was all trivial now.

Time to wipe the slate clean. The Ren were to be given a new ultimatum and it was time to stop playing games. There was a common enemy and Connor was not going to be labelled as one. The last thing he wanted was to be hunted down by cannon fodder in white armour.

Standing opposite a large water feature in a plaza ordained with red and black First Order flags, the Sith had his hands folded as he looked at the imposing building up ahead. He had sent a message to the link noted in Connor's journal, and if it still belonged to Ara then she would know where he was, but that was all.

He was looking forward to meeting the last person to really know him before the end.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Coming in unannounced, drag my nails on the tile
I just follow your scent, you can just follow my smile
All of your flaws are aligned with this mood of mine

”You are either very brave or very stupid.”

The purr came from somewhere behind him, the sharp steps on the stonework walkways giving away her presence long before her voice did. A message from one of the last people she’d expected to cross paths with again, on a planet she would have bet he’d be too intelligent to step foot on while there was still a warrant out for his arrest and questioning, at the very least.

”I am betting on a mixture of both, but mostly the latter.”

Coming around the fountain he leaned against, the Knight raised an eyebrow, lips curling up in silky smile, the slightly mocking tone mirrored in her expression. Once emerald eyes now bled into mostly red and amber, the jeweled tone almost completely lost to corruption. A familiar black and red cloak settled itself on her shoulders, the long strips of fabric falling in front of her arms to frame her torso as the rest billowed behind with each step. Knee high boots and tight black pants held up by a black leather belt with her saber, Ba’Vanim, completed the lower half or her ensemble, the metal hilt hitting her hip lightly with each stride.

Ara’s gaze brushed over [member="Connor Harrison"] even as she was sure he did the same in return. Former friends, brothers in arms, and even lovers meeting face-to-face for the first time in months.

Her eyebrows winged up in question as she took in the cybernetic arm that replaced what was flesh and bone when last they’d seen each other. It seemed the time had left its mark on both of them.

There was a time when vanity would have kept the scars that covered her abdomen hidden from sight, but many things changed since the Knight had clawed her way back, both literally and figuratively. Bare midriff and arms revealed an angry red slash across her right rib cage, a wound that would look familiar to the former Ren, should he care to remember. The puckered scar slightly below it was new, a visible reminder of the blade of [member="Caehl Ren"] and their battle for survival on Bespin. As well as her ultimate death. One shoulder sported another bright red scar, this one left by the man in front of her during their first spar.

”You are aware that you are a wanted man, Mr. Harrison?”

Spoken like a question, her tone was anything but. She had no doubt that he was acutely aware of the position he’d put himself, and her, in coming here.

For her part, she’d covered her bases before stepping foot in the fountain square of the arts district, a squad of Stormtroopers scattered around the assorted exits and ready to advance on her signal. [member="Samka Derith"] , Master of Ren, was also aware of his presence on Dosuun, the orders to bring the defector in by any means necessary. Ara had every intention to do as instructed. Conner would leave the square in irons or a body bag, it was his decision.

 

[Connor Harrison]

As if disturbed by a random passer by, Connor turned his head first, then his body, to come face to face with Ara Ren.

With a curious glint in his dark amber eyes that matched hers, the scar over his eye crinkled as his muscles twitched. Looking her up and down, a little smile pulled at the corner of his lip.

"My my my. You look rather well for a dead woman. Then again, resurrection seems to be something we are both good at when fueled by the right fire, am I right?"

He looked over her with obvious pauses at the various signatures of battle across her body. Vicious, nasty, raw looking sign-offs from various enemies who had shaped her, as much as she looked at his cybernetic arm and noted the same about him. At her short, sharp but silky statements, he stayed still and only moved his head a little this way and that, eyes scouring around the plaza and up top.

The white armour of the Stormtroopers was nothing covert.

"Two questions get two answers. First, I am nor brave or stupid, so please do not assume his traits are my own. Second," he glanced around again, "I am fully aware of this little predicament and now it is time to sort it. To end it."

It seemed to go quiet. The edges of their fabric fluttered slightly, a mix of crimson and black clothing that could almost signify them as allies in battle.

"So. Are you here to take me in? You're either very brave," his corrupted eyes returned to hers, a calm expression and tone to his voice, "or very stupid."

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

You ought to keep me concealed just like I was a weapon
I didn't come for a fight but I will fight till the end
This might be your battle, might not turn out okay


If she’d had a glass, Ara would have tipped it to him, the corners of her lips turning up in the smug smirk that would have accompanied the move anyways. Letting herself get a little more comfortable on the stone rim of the fountain, she crossed one leg over the other and let her own gaze roam over the square, mapping each building, person, and plant not only with her eyes. Most were exactly as expected, white armour gleaming in the sun in the distance, the troopers who had accompanied her as well as the few roaming soldiers exactly where she expected them to be. Twin auras of darkness blazed from herself and her companion, the only thing of note in their immediately vicinity.

She should be surprised that he knew of the events on Bespin, her name would never have been included on the ledgers of the lost or injured. Turning her gaze back to him, meeting his eyes with her own, the multi-colored orbs bereft of the lighter, easier emotions, instead filled with cold determination.

”I supposed death found us both hard to contain.”

Curious that Connor referred to himself as a “him” now, eyebrows and the bridge of her nose crinkling slightly as she considered. As he mimicked her own words, a feral grin grew, eyes lighting with a bit of fire at the exchange of witty repartee that had always been present between them in the past.

”Perhaps a bit of both.”

Amusement dripped into her tone as she refused to break eye contact, the bustle of the plaza around the pair continuing unhindered, but keeping a wide berth instinctually.

”If you assume I will allow you walk out of this plaza of your own accord, you would be mistaken.”

There was a time when such a statement would be a friendly challenge, a taunt meant to inspire them to push each other to their limits and test the other, a precursor to a lesson or a spar. Now, it was a simple matter of fact. Unlike others in her order, she would not meet with the defector and allow him to walk away unscathed. He would accompany them to the palace by choice or by force. Part of her, the part that held on to the pain and grudges of the past, that missed the easier times when they found themselves on the same side of the battlefield, hoped it would be the latter. She’d come far from the newly promoted Knight he’d known, and she owed him a scar or two in return for those he'd left.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Tilting his head back with a smile, he walked forward and sat beside the Ren. The rules had been set by her and now it was a case of if Connor was going to play by them. The water gently bubbled and fell behind them as they looked out across the plaza, in between the many citizens milling around and the static figures in white watching them.

Still, he wasn’t won over by her threat.

"I’m not going to walk out of this plaza. I’m going to walk over there," he turned around and nodded to the large imposing palace. "And then I’ll walk back out and leave."

He turned back and laced his fingers, resting his arms on bended knee.

"You can walk me to the doors if you wish, but please do not try to subdue or restrain me. It won’t end well."

Using a smile as a full-stop on his promise, he turned to her again and looked at her body and clothing.

"You broke him, you know. Harrison. He fell for you, and clung onto everything you could provide in a desperate attempt to stay relevant to a galaxy he was fading from. Quite sad, really, that he couldn’t break you too. Your strength is evident and you bear the marks of many battles."

He leaned in a little.

"Tell me, how did it feel when you died."

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

And I love the way you hurt me
It's irresistible, yeah


Amused by his boast, Ara raised both eyebrows as he relaxed, content in his confidence that he could face the justice of the First Order and walk away of his own free will. A dark chuckle answered his smile, one elbow propped on her knee, chin settling forward to rest on the back of her hand as she listened.

”Will not end well for which one of us though? That is the true question.”

She let him take in her appearance again, eyes pausing on each scar that was visible. He spoke again, once more referring to himself almost as if he were another, as if the [member="Connor Harrison"] she’d known was different from the man in front of her. Focusing on it, she could feel a change in him, a deeper, darker aura, lacking the conflict and confusion he’d had months before. The ex-Jedi struggling to adjust to his new status as a Ren had been volatile, lost in his own drive for glory and purpose.

”It takes far more to break me.”

Letting the statement hang for a moment, the silence heavy and weighted. Whether it was a threat, a challenge, or a statement, it was left to Connor to decide.

“He broke himself. If he had to cling to another to forge a path for himself, then he was too weak to survive. He demanded more than was given, that was his downfall.”

Speaking in the same way pattern as he did, she watched, searching for indications of the truth. Was this a different version of Connor? One who’d died and returned much like she had? Or was he something else? The Darkside of the Force was as mysterious as it was powerful, she put very little past it. Nor past the man in front of her.

He leaned in, a spark of interest igniting in her eyes as he closed the bit of distance between them. She wondered at the appearance the pair gave off to those few citizens who ignored the increased Stormtrooper presence to navigate the plaza and its surroundings, the two Darksiders the only ones seemingly oblivious to their existence. Another gust of wind whistled through the square, the ends of their cloaks picking up and fluttering in the wind, his words almost lost to the sound, but not quite.

Turning, she locked eyes with his once more, the darkness within building and expanding, crimson rolling over her irises and settling in as mixed emotions rose and the Force answered.

”Cold.”

The one word mirrored her eyes and expression, every part of her body stilling for the slightest of moments. The aura of darkness ebbed and flowed around her answering the remnants of pain and anger that filled her as the momentary emptiness bled away.

Her lips curled back up at the corners into a smile, warmth returning to her expression.

”One question recieves one answer.”

 

[Connor Harrison]

She was like a predator toying with prey. Her movement, her tone, he subtle physical kinks. Connor admired it and smiled at her playful yet controlled response. It was evident how much the former Jedi had left a mark, and there was so much to ask.

"Cold indeed," he said back mimicking her tone.

Looking away just to note the Stormtroopers, keeping his senses open to be ready for an more than expected movement on him while the pretty Ren kept him busy. They were still stationary. Still watching and waiting.

He looked out again across the plaza.

"Two questions now. One, I know of the Skor battle, but not why there is a warrant out for his head. Why?"

From the broken memories, the battle of Skor II was a tapestry of images and sounds buried inside his mind, and from there he fell to the Alliance and from the Alliance he fell before the dark world of Maena. To be fair, he cared not for the crimes committed in the past. He would smooth it out, and he would not be detained.

There were greater battles to fight and more important pieces of the puzzle to fit into place rather than sacrifice them at the expense of any ego this warrior had left.

"Oh," a mildly curious gaze formed as he looked to Ara, "second, how is your friend Kaalia Voldaren? I do hope she is keeping well and flourishing as you are, fair Knight."

This was the start of the gentle prodding he excelled in to gauge a person and identify a reaction.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

The curious gaze and easy tone did not fool her. He meant to drive a knife into her emotions, to see how far he could cut with his words.

”She is no longer with the First Order.”

Her gaze met his, a subtle, knowing smile forming as her words dripped with a slight bit of venom.

”But I suspect you already knew that. Just as I suspect you know more about her well-being than I do, since I have been indisposed.”

If he wanted to play her, he would have to try harder than that. Other than a slight appreciation of his maneuvering, hunting for a weakness and attempting to exploit it, very little could be garnered from her response. The venom from her words may have been aimed at him or the rogue Knight and former friend, [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] , but the truth was far more complicated.

Uncrossing her legs and standing, she turned slightly, looking over her shoulder at the former-Ren with a mischievous glint in her eyes and slightly feral smile. He wanted to know about Skor, she would enlighten him.

”Follow me, Mr. Harrison.”

Her gaze flashed up to the Imperial Palace beyond, giving hint to their destination, the Troopers in the distance visibly tensing as she moved. A slight shake of her head had them at ease, content that for the time being, their services were not needed.

Without waiting for an answer, she moved with quick, sure strides towards the Palace that dominated the skyline of Avalonia. Never pausing to look back, she moved with the confidence that he would follow. The Connor she’d known was insatiably curious and would not have hesitated to join her, unanswered questions driving him to keep up with the Knight as she navigated the mostly empty streets of the Capitol.

The walk was short, the fabric of her cloak whipping up and behind in the breeze and with each movement, the flashes of white on the edges of her vision ensuring that her guard of troopers were also keeping pace, albeit at a distance. The square that opened up before them was eerily empty, banners waving in the wind, black and reds to match their clothing, the silent strength of the Order displayed for all to see. Citizens went out of their way to avoid crossing the vast cobbles, a platform set on the far side, just in front of the steps to the Palace empty, but waiting for the next gathering.

Superimposed over the empty space in her mind’s eye were masses of men and women, some broken and left on the ground in heaps, crimson liquid spreading and blanketing the square before them. Blood running in rivulets, stains that could be washed away from stone, but not history or memory.

”This is where the men and women who were prepared to carry out your orders paid for their mistake, meeting the justice of the First Order.”

Her tone was cool, devoid of the heat of anger or the coolness of sympathy. Those red eyes stopped surveying the scene before her, a soft, satisfied, even proud smile having settled on her features while she watched.

”In blood.”

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He winced a little at the sun that peeked through the cloud, the light blinding him for a second, but his knowing smile never wavering following Ara's reply. He nodded in understanding. The invite was given to follow, and it was too good an invite to pass.

"Of course."

The pair walked together, both confident and not falling behind the other. Side by side. With a turn of the head, Connor saw a few troopers fall in behind them. But, back to the square that opened up beyond the Imperial Palace. He took in the propaganda and the large balcony opposite, and he could almost hear the marches and speeches given by power hungry dictators to armour clad troops banging their fists on chest-plates and cheering.

But this was a place of blood, according to the Ren.

Connor walked a few steps forward, picturing the carnage and the fear that swept through the square. Kneeling down, he placed a palm out on the stone and listened to the ghosts of the ones who had died. The blood ran freely between his fingers - he could see it. He could HEAR it. It was beautiful justice.

"Exactly that. Their mistake. They should have known better than the desperate plea of a man trapped in battle. If they carried out a strike the First Order would not sanction, they were not useful to you. Their deaths do not concern me, and nor do I feel they concern you."

He stood and turned, walking back to the Ren, looking around and standing beside her again, breathing in the atmosphere.

"How does it make you feel knowing Kaalia finally chose others over you? How she betrayed your faith in her for others?"

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Spoiler

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrnsAyzBPJI[/youtube]​

While he moved and knelt, the power swirling around him, the Knight moved a few feet away, stopping when the image of the square from her memories matched that unfolding before her perfectly. The wind was stronger here, banners whipping in anger, fabric slapping against legs and arms, hair wild. The darkness around her grew for a moment as memory of death and destruction rained down. Her eyes glowing, smile feral as she relived a moment that for her, had been as much about internal anger than anger at the man beside her, the reason for the show of power and force and justice.

Death filled the plaza, the souls of those lost having left their mark on the Darkside, a place of power for those who embraced the gifts that such pain and suffering could bring. Standing still, she absorbed the power it could offer, red lines breaking out across her face as she let the connection strengthen her, call to her, sing to her blood. When she’d last stood on this spot, watching the carnage with her own impassive eyes, the Force had been silent, the girl a void amongst the power that had bled out. For the first time in months, she stood ready to reclaim it.

”Yes. It was. And they paid for it.”

Crimson eyes glanced to the side as he rejoined her, the feral smile settling into something knowing, one corner quirked in amusement. She wouldn’t pretend to be something she was not. Not here, not with him. Letting her connection with the darkness wain, her eyes returned to her solid shade of crimson, the mask once more returned.

Connor’s words whispered against the wind, similar thoughts to those she’d had on her own, when she’d returned to the order and been informed of her friend’s departure. [member="Samka Derith"] had been unsurprisingly unforthcoming with the reasoning behind the memory wipe and exile from First Order space, rising curiosity from the Knight who once considered Kaalia family quelled with a simple order to leave the situation be.

That order burned within, curiosity and suspicion waring with loyalty to the Ren and its Master. Turning slightly, she leaned foward with a glint of determination and mischief that was all too common to their past interactions.

”You should ask yourself that same question, how did it feel when you gave everything to another and they walked away?”

The deep rumbling purr held an undertone of malice, her own knife twisting in response to his. They were kingmakers, playing as a game of chess. To this point, both had merely moved pawns around the board testing for reactions, now it was time to put the rook into play.

”I apologize, how did he feel when I walked away? Although you said it broke him, so I suppose we both know the answer to that question.”

Dripping into a teasingly apologetic tone, she smiled, eyes crinkling with mirth as she feigned ignorance of his mental separation from the man he once was and the man he was now.

”This just proves which of us was the stronger."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

She was good. He could see why the Jedi had an attraction to this woman, drip-feeding him dark vibes and taunts and glimpses of a hidden power. He leant forward to match her, cocking his head to the side.

”Yes. It does, doesn’t it."

He smiled softly.

”However don’t try to score points with me, Ara Ren, because I’m not playing that game. What you and he did was your business, not mine. I know who you are, I know your faults and I know your strengths. I know of your motherly issues and your attachments to friends who used you for their own gain leaving you standing right where you started."

Not breaking eye contact, he stood back up and walked to her, standing off to her right.

”You serve the Ren, that is your choice. I am not here to tell you what to do or how to do it. I am here for one reason. To put this business of Harrison to bed and to establish the alliance with the First Order I should have been allowed to do months ago."

Then, he looked away and walked around her, taking in the square as if they were stood before thousands of troops hooked on their word and watching their mystical, powerful auras, wondering what would happen next. Stopping, he looked out and pictured them all.

”It sends shockwaves through your body, doesn’t it. The feeling of commanding men and women in battle and taking apart the Light, planet by planet, piece by piece." He inhaled and closed his eyes. ”There is so much more to the Force than a Supreme Leader or Dark Lord; they will easily be replaced and fall, the Force will not. That will make us invincible; serving the Dark Side of the Force and nothing more."

Connor opened his eyes and all was quiet. Ara was still standing there, watching and radiating her aura.

”I foresee we will lead forces into battle one day, Ara Ren. One day."

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Score points? A deep chuckle rumbled out at his words, a dark smile settling into place as he spoke, confidence in his knowledge of her character, her thoughts, and her flaws. Much had changed since they’d parted on Mustafar, much had changed before even then. She chose to address his comment in the order they came, the slight shifting of white armour betraying the passage of time in the otherwise frozen plaza.

”You claim to know me, just as he claimed to know me.”

Turning her head slightly to lock eyes with his, lips pulled thin in a grim smile.

”That will be your downfall, as it was his. Pride and confidence. Will you allow his sins to become your own, destined to fade as he did?”

Canting her head to the side, the Knight narrowed her eyes slightly, thought swirling behind red, an internal debate raging within. Her own vanity pushing her towards the urge to show him exactly how much they didn’t know about the Ren standing next to them. Her right hand lifted, palm flat, parallel to his upper arm for the barest of moments before continuing on its path to push her hair back away from her face.

Letting his words about the Ren and his attempt at forging a new alliance with the First Order go without comment, she watched his path from the corner of her eyes. She watched as he spoke, inhaling and absorbing the power this place had to offer. Someday, this plaza might become a nexus of the Darkside, imbued with the Force itself if death and destruction and the likes of the pair continued to grace its presence.

His words intrigued her. The Knight turned to imagine as he did, scores of white armour, black armour, dark green uniforms spread before them, waiting at attention for words to stoke the flames of war, to inspire them to personal sacrifice for the good of the First Order and her citizens. Ara could almost feel the hundreds of eyes on her, chin held high, as the Knight taking a small step forward.

Connor was wrong in one spectacular way though. Her vision differed from his, the landscape of her mind morphing and changing subtly, a different palace and plaza superimposed over this one, a true smile curling up the corner of her lips.

”Perhaps sooner than you believe, Mr. Harrison.”

Again, that low, deep purr that dangled just enough to entice, to stoke the fires of curiosity and interest within. Breaking out of the vision, she turned back to Harrison, raising one eyebrow in question.

”You say you wish to put the matter of Harrison behind, to forge an alliance with the First Order. The palace is there, in front of us. At your leisure you may enter and face the reckoning he brought upon your shoulders.”

Gesturing with one hand to the steps of the Imperial Palace directly opposite the pair, she offered him an unhindered path to his purpose. Ara played at the same as he did, going along with his third person way of speaking of the Connor of the past, separating the two. Taking a few steps forward, she clasped her hand behind her back in a relaxed manner as she moved, watching the various banners move.

”Although, I would be lying if I did not express interest in-“

Pausing in her movements, she glanced back at him once.

”Your current predicament. The Connor I knew was lost in his own internal battles, battles which evidently are not yours. Perhaps you would enlighten an old friend?”

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

With a curious glint in his eye, Connor watched Ara follow his lead in the plaza but almost take over with her own. She stood a little differently and saw something he did not. Even when he looked, he could not find what she had, and it intrigued him.

He followed up the plaza slowly.

"I know what he knew, and that’s all I have. Broken, bitter memories of relationships forged that I need to wade through. I will be sorting undertaking a procedure soon to have those broken memories eradicated. I cannot move forward while images haunt me of people and places I do not know. Like you for instance."

Hands behind his back, mirroring the Ren, he walked with her towards the palace, his fate coming closer.

"To me you are his friend and lover – should that be former. I do not claim to be your friend but I can see potential in such a thing. When his spirit burnt up along with his body on Maena, it gave way for the Dark Side seed in him to grow without hesitation. It was a cold, ruthless and painful process, but to get where we are today, I endured."

He explained as they walked about the Sith Sorceress and the repairing of his body. Of his time rooting out the Silver Jedi traitor Setzi Lunelle and her betrayal of the Dark Side. He painted the picture of where he was to go, and what he wanted to accomplish.

"I will serve myself, and in doing so, will serve the Dark Side of the Force. Those who also do will be my allies, while those who do not will be my enemies. I will gather resources across the galaxy and forge networks all can count on. Including you, if you so wish Ara Ren. But, something tells me you have plans of your own."

After talking, he stopped. The palace loomed over them, mighty red and black flags flapping almost in slow motion. He looked up at them.

"There are no internal battles in me. Just the desire to cut away the past and forge my future. To live, to fight and to serve. To become something beyond what Connor Harrison was. But to do that I will have to walk in here in shackles to make you all feel safe." He sighed. "What did you mean before. Sooner than I believe."

The girl was certainly marking herself on his map of great interest.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

While they walked, Ara listened, that small, amused smile never wavering even as her eyes glimmered with interest. Each piece of information collected and filled away for future reference, should the Knight find need of it.

As he brought up their past relationship, an inclination of the head acknowledged and confirmed his correction from that of friend and lover to former friend. He spoke of the potential of forming an alliance, even a friendship, with the woman, her eyebrows winging up, slightly, no indication of her feelings on the matter given away except neutral interest. She listened as he detailed his transition, from the ex-Jedi she’d known into the person standing beside her, the one thread binding the two, his ambition.

”You once berated me for something similar. Interesting that you find yourself on the opposite side of the argument, now.”

A soft chuckle escaped, the memory once a source of anger and pain, now of little consequence. Despite his assurances that the old Connor Harrison had been destroyed on Maena, Ara was not content to allow him to segregate himself from the past so surely. They might be different spirits, have different thoughts and personalities, but he had much to answer for and he would be held to that until she was convinced he carried no trace of his former self.

As they paused, she turned to him, circling the man slowly, hands still clasped loosely behind her back.

”There are always plans in motion, Mr. Harrison.”

As he sighed, the Ren paused in her path, slightly behind him and to the side, taking a step closer, so close that a slight breeze would brush her long locks against his shoulder. The move called back to their first meeting in another plaza deep in the city of Avalonia, when he was an unknown seeking information on the mysterious Ren, and she just a disciple intrigued by his questions and confidence.

”You mistake lack of trust for fear. We have no reason to fear you, just as we have no reason to trust you. That you are not in shackles already is out of my respect for the relationship I once shared with you, no more, no less. If we feared you, I would not be here. You would have been met with a far different sight upon setting foot on this world, an attaché that could, and would, have brought you down in an instant.”

Her eyes sparkled in challenge as she waited for his rebuttal, another volley of insistence that she could try to take him and fail. Admittedly, she’d be interested to see where they would measure up after all this time, but this was neither the moment nor place to engage in such behavior. Moving to continue her circular path, she paused with her back to him, furthering the point that she was not afraid of the man standing beside her.

Something vicious lurked in her gaze at his final question, secrets and plots blurring together in her mind, drawing the hunter to the forefront.

”You say one day as if it is inevitable. A future that will come to be with complete certainty. And I would agree. Except you speak as if it is in the distance, Connor. In that, I disagree.”

Glancing back over her shoulder, she raised an eyebrow, the secrets she kept hidden within shining in her eyes, inviting curiosity and questions, without a promise of answers.

”If you wish to know more, make your peace. Face your consequences and forge your alliances, then you may seek me out again.”

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Ara Ren was playing a game. She spoke to drip information to those hanging on her words. She sucker-punched them with a slight put-down, and then picked them up with hope of retribution. At least three times she had performed the combination to Connor standing before her, and he made note of her pattern.

With her back to him, he turned and looked back to the palace, two Stormtroopers at the front of the stairwell, as if the whole journey had been mapped for him since entering the plaza.

"Still so confident in your group of Ren, aren’t you. A group splintering from the inside out so I am led to believe."

As she turned to face him, he looked back to her.

"You have no reason to fear me. Not yet, anyway. And besides, we are on the same team after all, remember."

He smiled at her, and inclined his head. There was something festering inside the girl, an untold confidence that bordered on arrogance. It was how he envisioned the Jedi Harrison at one point, but it was a confidence he would never experience in such a way again.

"Good luck in your endeavours, Ara Ren, whenever they bloom. When the time comes and you need one who serves the Dark Side in its purest form, not that of a Supreme Leader, then I hope our paths cross again. I sense there was a great deal left unfinished between you both."

Connor turned from her, the smile soon fading as he looked up to the imposing palace and started to walk slowly up the wide steps to the main doors, the Stormtroopers standing and waiting. He felt Ara looking at him, but there was no need to look back. He had passed the first obstacle and understood a little more about the mysterious Ara Ren. Now it was time for the second obstacle where the real challenge would lie.

Survival.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

”That yet remains to be seen. Although, the fact that you are here and no longer running is a promising sign.”

The wolfish grin returned, the posturing from before melting back into that of the playful seductress as he moved past her, heading towards the Master of Ren waiting within. He spoke of their paths crossing again and she was sure the was truth in his words. It seemed as if faith, or the Force itself, was determined to throw the pair together time and time again.

He mounted the steps to the palace, back straight, eyes ahead, although she was sure he could feel her own gaze as an itch between his shoulder blades, the Ren doing her final duty and ensuring he offered no resistance to the Troopers who awaited his arrival. As his form passed beneath the towering entryway, meant to instill respect and a slight tinge of fear into those who passed beneath, her voice whispered across the distance, carried on the Force and into the depths of his mind.

I do need to correct you before you continue on, Mr. Harrison. The name is not Ara Ren…

Turning away from the man, she took her own few steps back across the plaza, hair and cloak whipping in the wind stirred up by her movement.

It is Ara Zambrano.

The name sent an electrical shock through her body, still foreign to the girl even if the weight of the family crest lay nested against her chest, hidden under folds of fabric. Her fingers played against the metal, a gift from her father upon her first and only meeting with her extended family.

Much had changed since last the pair had spoken.

”The next time we meet, you will kneel.”

Ara was unsure if the cool whisper would reach his ears, but her lips curled up into a smirk as the same image from before bloomed in her mind’s eye again. Plans were in motion and she was a catalyst. For the First Order, the Supreme Leader, and the Ren.

[member="Connor Harrison"]