Into Darkness: Part I

[Connor Harrison]

CITADEL, Rhen Var
Outer Rim

Connor Harrison was falling into darkness.

The sleet and crisp wind battered his body as he fell downwards from the snow-capped mountain above the mighty Citadel.

Catching his body on a soft outcrop of snow, it broke his fall with a hard crunch, and the rock below him crumbled, letting his body slide down the steep incline to the frozen lake below.

Rocks crashed around him, fresh from the fall, and split the ice with a dull crack and groan.

His body was battered and broken, and the ice split up around him, sending him into the icy water and into a sensation to one that felt like a thousand needles had struck him at once.

Connor's eyes snapped open.

His knees were up to his chest and his arms held a long brown cloak wrapped tightly around his body. He was sat on the long stairway of the Citadel below a large sculpture of what looked like Jedi Master Ulic Qel-Droma, but he wasn't sure. The sun bore down on the barren ice planet but it was still cold; no life form resided on Rhen Var, not since the days of Galactic Empire in the Civil War under Emperor Palpatine.

It was here that Connor has lost his connection to the Force on the eve of his progression up the Jedi Order. He looked up under his hooded cloak at the mountain beside him; the very mountain where his life had nearly ended. He had no memory of what happened, try as he might, but the last thing he remembered was the world spinning as he fell.

There was nothing to fear on a simple test of his agility and control of the Force in a harsh environment as this, but by going against his Master's wishes he had nearly died that day. His connection to the Force had been ripped away from him and he couldn't remember how, why or by what.

A cold wind blew around him, sending a chill through his body, but Connor was alone in the galaxy and didn't feel the bite of the cold. His future was uncertain; his destiny was clouded.

Seeking redemption for the mistakes of his past had proved harder than expected with no-one to guide him and no path to follow.

His whole life had spiralled into darkness after that fateful day on Rhen Var, and even now on a planet rich with Jedi history, he felt nothing. He looked back down at the snow beneath his brown boots.

He wasn't sure if it was the cold wind that had brought the tear to run down his cheek or not.


@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Ever since having seen holo-vids of the great Citadel of Rhen Var as a young boy, Thurion has wanted to pay it a visit. Such a historical place, last time occupied by the Galactic Empire many hundreds of years ago. At least he'd picked up something from the history lessons he'd been sitting through back on Tython and Coruscant. Sitting around was never his strong suit, though, as he'd much rather be out on adventures with Master Asha in the forests of Tython or go to the beautiful gardens on Coruscant. They were his favourite places back in the day, before he and Asha left the Order along with the others 15 years ago.

There was no space port on Rhen Var, not anymore, as it has seen little to no visitors since the olden days, and there is no sentient life to speak of. As such, Thurion found a large patch of glacier where he could set down his ship, the Seren Heritage, named so in memory of his deceased master, Asha Seren. The ramp was lowered, and out stepped the Knight wearing little more than he would normally in terms of clothing. He'd found he was quite resistant to cold weather, and so he knew not to overdress this time. He'd recently visited Atoa, another ice planet, where he first learned of this newfound knowledge of himself.

Standing before the once grand Citadel, Thurion began climbing the steps leading up to the main entrance, now mostly ruins after centuries left unchecked and unmaintained. It seemed he was not the only one there, for half-way up he noticed the silhouette of another, sitting atop the stairway. Above the stranger loomed a tall sculpture of an ancient Jedi warrior, by the looks of it, adding a menacing touch to the scenery. Thurion did not halt his movements as he continued up the steps, occasionally glancing upwards at the loner. Once within speaking distance, that's what he did. "Greetings, my fellow pilgrim. What brings another soul to this forsaken place at the edge of Republic space?" he asked with a gracious bow.

@[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor noticed the ship arriving; the appearance of the well-dressed stranger; his soft approach up the stairs to the Citadel. This wasn't his territory, he was as much a visitor the planet at this man, so he felt no danger; no suspicion.

He didn't know if he wished the man would carry on walking past him or stop to talk, he was a mess. Thankfully, he stopped partly to cast a well meaning question to him, his voice commanding but soft and well spoken.

Looking up, Connor didn't react with overt expression. "Greetings. Forgive me, if I am I your way. Please, I will not be here long. I am simply...reflecting. A place like this offers some serenity away from the hustle and bustle of other planets."

He had nothing to lose. He rose, brushing some snow off his cloak. Offering his hand to the stranger, he gave a small smile and nod in reply to the bow.

"Connor Harrison. Please, don't mind my being here, I'm nothing sinister. "

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

"I did not take you for anything sinister, friend. Everyone is allowed to take time to reflect upon their lives as well as the past, present, and future." He climbed a few more steps and then sat down beside him, extending his hand towards Connor. "Just be sure not to spend every waking moment pondering what could be, rather than what is. Name's Thurion", he said, ready for a handshake between the two, should Connor see it fit to indulge him. He looked his fellow visitor over for a bit, keeping an inviting smile upon his face before turning his gaze out towards the vast, desolate glaciers stretching out as far as any eye could see. Connor was right, this place holds a serenity few other places could match. Tython would surely be a contender, but he could think of no other off the top of his head. Looking to his side, off in the distance there was a huge mountain of ice, rising like a spear from the otherwise flat terrain.

"So, Connor, may I ask what you have come to discover from your introspections? Something of worth - of pleasure or pain?"

@[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He took Thurion's firm hand, shaking it with a solid grip. "Pleasure."

From meeting this tall, brooding man only moments ago, and now seated by him, Connor wasn't sure if it was a lingering Force awareness he had or a simple gut reaction, but his presence was calming yet commanding; bold yet gentle. It was almost strange to feel on par with someone after only meeting them.

Looking out with Thurion the endless reach of the icy plains around them, shadowed by the Citadel, his voice spoke out, that authoritative yet trusting voice.

"What have I discovered? How long have you got pal?" He smiled gently, continuing to look out into Rhen Var.

"I would say that I have found...nothing. I think it's made me see that there is this big..." His hands came up to try help him paint a picture of what he was saying, "...big...I don't know, a big void or something."

A rather embarrassing answer, but it was true.

"You know when you think you can find what you're looking for, but you come up with more questions than answers and you just give up? Well I'm at that point. Giving up."

Snapping himself out of his babbling self-pity, he clapped his hands, obviously trying to distract Thurion away from what he was saying.

"What brings you to the Var then?"

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

"I've had that happen to me, yes. You search for so long, both your soul as well as physical places, only to find nothing more than what you had when you started out." He took a deep breath, resembling a sigh. "When my master died over 10 years ago, I was lost. I attempted to tell myself it couldn't be real, that it was all just a bad dream, something I could wake up from to find her still alive and well. The only way I've learnt makes the pain go away is to accept the fact and try to make up for the void inside of you. To find a purpose in life." All this he said while staring straight ahead, as if recalling what he was talking about as he mentioned it. As Connor then asked him what had brought him here, he turned to look at him. "Nothing as grim as your purpose here, my friend. I only came here to witness the once grand Citadel and the history of this place. But now that I find you here, perhaps my purpose has changed."

@[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

The wind seemed to pick up as Thurion talked about his past, and Connor's hand gripped onto the cloak around him as not to lose it. When Thurion turned to face him, his features almost god-like in appearance, Connor's interest sparked up at the mention of a word.

"Master? I am sorry to hear of your loss, that is certainly a void that must eat away at you everyday. Forgive me, but are you...a Force user?"

The surge in what felt like hope was burning inside Connor. Hope, and fear.

Hope that this man may yet be able to answer his questions and save him. Fear that this man may yet be the one who opens up the darkness around him even more to succumb to.

"More to the point, are you Jedi?"

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Thurion thought for a moment before answering. "I was a Jedi, once upon a time. In my early days as a padawan, my master and I served the Jedi Order. But the Order had grown stale and too involved in politics to my master's taste, and so she and a few other high-ranking Jedi chose to leave the Order and make a new one, without any ties to any government. As her padawan, I chose to follow. I do not regret my decision, nor would I hesitate to make the same choice again given the opportunity. She was like my mother, and my place was at her side." He could easily pick up on the emotions the man next to him felt as he was sat listening to his words. "You have suffered loss, too, have you not?" he asked softly, emphasising that he did not mean any disrespect by asking. The memories of loved ones may stir up the worst in some folk - a fact he knew all too well. "You search for a way to fill or undo that void inside of you. If there is anything I can do to help, it'd be my honour to do so."

@[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor was tranxfixed at Thurion's words. He spoke them, and they made sense. He could see his years of hard work, conflict and emotion on his face, but hear it in his voice. The fact he spoke of forming a unit OUTSIDE of the Jedi Order was interesting.

Very interesting.

His questions were open and honest, but as they were being honest with each other, Connor felt no hesitation in answering. His head nodded slowly as he began to speak.

"I have lost, yes. But not a loved one." He hesitated. "Well, possibly a loved one. I'm not sure." A frown formed on his brow; yet another question he had found trying to seek an answer.

"The mountain to the right is why I am here." Connor was lost in his world, fixing his gaze on the patterns of snow on the floor, not once looking up at Thruion as he spoke. "I was too in the Jedi Order. From a young age, an age I can't remember, I was presented to the Order by my parents to help nurture and develop my connection with the Force to make me a better man.

He chewed the inside of his cheek for a second.

"My parents helped secure me on Coruscant to train, to study and to live, but on the promise I never seek them out again until I had become a Jedi. I mean a real Jedi, not a Padawan learner. This was to make sure I became the best man I could be with no emotional ties, no distractions, no excuses. They left, and I have no idea where they went."

He swallowed hard.

"The mountain was part of a training exercise for a group of us to test our perception of danger, our agility and our awareness of the world around us. However, I thought I could do more. I thought I could BE more and I disregarded their request to turn back from ascending the mountainside. I climbed higher and higher, with no problems-"

Connor's eyes suddenly darted over to the mountain.

"- and then I fell. I don't know what happened and I can't remember anything after that. All I know is my body seemed to switch off. I woke up back on Coruscant a broken man. I had lost my connectivity to the Force, with only a basic manipulation of pull and push left in me, but even that was feeble. My lightsaber has been dormant ever since as I dare not use a blade for fear I may lose a limb. So, I seek the answer to why I was stripped of the Force. I seek the answer to what took it away from me. I seek the answer to if I ever can control it again."

He turned and looked at Thurion.

"And after treading the void for so many dark and lonely years, I seek the answer that haunts me the most; am I to be a servant of the Light, or Darkness?"


@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

He listened intently to Connor's tale of how he was 'stripped of his connection to the Force'. It was something he had never heard of before, and something which both intrigued as well as frightened him. It seemed... unnatural, to have something disconnect your link to the Force. The Force was all-powerful, always around and within us all. For a thing to sever that connection is a disturbing thought, and one he did not wish to spend another second lingering on. Thurion settled a hand upon Connor's shoulder while meeting his gaze, his sapphire eyes staring deep into his soul. "Connor, I will not say I know the answers to your questions. I don't presume to *know* anything about anything in life until the time comes I face it for myself, and so I cannot hope to grant you the peace you seek. Not for now, at least. But I would be honoured to find out, both of us together." He then made a slight nod towards his ship not far away from the bottom of the stairs they were sat on. "I've met others in my travels. Lost souls without a purpose, or who have lost their way in life. I've agreed to help them - to set them on their paths and to be there for guidance." Having spoken, Thurion rose to his feet, towering above the sitting Connor, his eyes still fixed upon him from where he stood. "I will assist you in any way possible, my friend. I offer you a chance to fill the empty void inside of you, and to join us as we all search for answers to our questions, wherever they may take us." He then bowed towards the man beside him before turning to begin descending the steps down towards his ship at a carefree pace. Of course, he wouldn't leave the man here should he not follow immidiately, but he had a hunch he would.

@[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Thurion spoke wise words; wise, comforting words.

His eyes drifted once again out to the reaches of Rhen Var, and looking up he noticed a speckle of distant planets and moons in the sky. What lay out there for him to discover with the help of someone so knowlegable as he?

The giant man had said all he would, and left with a bow. Connor didn't have the chance to say anything in return before he started his way down, and he was right about the ship; it was just over in the distance. How had he not heard THAT land?

There was nothing on Rhen Var for him but more questions, and without someone to give him the push, he would be sat here this time tomorrow deliberating and thinking rather than doing.

Pushing himself up on his hands, he brushed the snow from his thighs and legs, pulling his cloak aroud his body. And what of these "others" Thurion had mentioned? Did he need the hassle of burdening himself with others in his position?

Maybe they could help him seek redemption? Maybe they could train him in some way? Maybe they -

Thurion was out of the Citadel grounds. Connor needed to stop thinking and start doing. His boots made the steady movement down the stairs, crunching the ice below.

"I hope you know what you're letting yourself in for Thurion." He shouted a little louder to be heard.

Time for face his destiny head on...


@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]