Is This Where We Give It All Up?

[Connor Harrison]

Voss-ka
Voss, Voss System​

The old defenses were still there, and still active from the Silver Sanctum. The old Tower of Prophecy was still there, and so was thousands of years of history. However, times changed and now with the growing inhabitants on the planet of all races and sexes, Voss-ka catered for them and off-worlders.

Not a busting metropolis, but a bustling market town full of everything the new cultures who came to the planet could offer. Foods, clothes, sweets, furnishings, arms and even used ships. It was a vibrant place where you could spend a whole day shopping for natural goods, visit the historical monuments and buildings or simply walk around the capital and enjoy the planet for what is was.

Connor Harrison was back here to finish up on his new ship. He had a day or two at the most before returning to Taeli, but right now he had the hood up of his greatcoat and was another figure in the crowd, sitting on a stone wall eating a handful of fruit, watching the world go by as the market town thrived behind him.

In the far distance, the silhouette of the Temple of the Silver Sanctum could be seen. Dots that were ships came and went. His life was there. His old E-wing was there. His empty quarters were there. His armour was there. Maybe that's where they would remain? Maybe he would never go back.

Maybe he could never go back. His mouth slowly bit into a fruit as he looked out and reflected.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

A dark loose fitting hood concealed the vast majority of the pinkish Twi'lek's visage as she mosied her way through the booming marketplace with relative ease and an overwhelming caution, though slightly less so, given the locale and the planet of choice. Outside of Republic and Sith space, she was a relative nobody. But could a Jedi, whose price tag fetched such exorbitant prices these days really ever be considered a nobody? Perhaps in name, yes, but unlikely that those searching to make a quick credit would turn down such an opportunity.

Her feet carried her along the various vendors, pausing every so often to gander and gawk at the wares, food, and crafts being offered for sale, occasionally allowing a man or woman to half-forcefully try jewelry on her in an attempt to sway Sera into a purchase. One politeful decline after another led her to a small cart, a lightly toned Zabrak, and an impressive array of small, crystaline jewelry, meticulosuly crafted and sculpted to near perfection, the light reflecting and refracting in such a way that nearly captivated the girl as she drew nearer and nearer to the items.

"Gosh, those are" Her speech was interrupted, the sentence being completed almost instinctively by the Zabrak. "Beautiful. Yes. Like yourself, though much of your figure is shrowded in secrecy, my lady." Sera's eyes lifted from the gems to the vendor's own, staring just a moment before looking back down at the wares. "Did you collect and sculpt these yourself? They are masterworks!" A small smile lifted from her face as she picked up a small green necklace, holding it just in front of her as it dangled, twisting ever so slowly, the Twi'lek's eyes fixated on its' sway. "I did, yes. This is my trade, a modest one, but my work puts smiles on my customer's faces, and that is a worthwhile career in my eyes."

Sera looked down at the pricing of each of the items, the loose gems, and other assortment of rings, anklets, and bangles. Almost as if faith dictated such, a brilliantly sparkling bangle endowed in pinkish and green gems waited for its' chance to be plucked from its' resting place by the girl. After a brief inspection and the momentary materialistic lust she decided she simply had to have this. Placing a cred chit down and smiling towards the man she slipped the bangle on and turned to look about at the rest of the market. Perhaps there was more to be seen today. After all, it had been quite some time since she was able to relax and simply be.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He bounced muddy boots off the stone wall, built around the city itself, and to his left was a surface-to-air missile launcher. It sort of ruined the peaceful atmosphere of the city, but being a stronghold for Jedi, precautions had to be taken. It reminded everyone of the battles between good and evil taking place among all the stars. Star wars, one could say.

Connor looked up to the orbiting moon as he took a bite of the new fruit and enjoyed feeling...at peace? Was it peace, having nothing or nobody to really hurt you, or you hurt them? To not feel anything was expected of you, or you expected anything in return? The life of a Jedi was one without reward, without remorse and without regret. Connor didn't want a reward, felt no real remorse and didn't regret anything.

Well...almost anything.

He slowed chewing, and turned to look into the market. There was...something. Something familiar. Someone. Probably one of the Temple Jedi. A aura that felt muted, fragile and broken much like his own. An eye narrowed, and he bit into the fruit again, working it around his mouth. Blue eyes looked for something. Anything.

"What are you running from..." he muttered to himself.

Swinging around, he jumped down from the wall out of sheer curiosity. Not to start a fight, but to find who was on his planet and in his city who was familiar to him and suffering the same.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

A handful of booths later and she came to the end of the line. "Hmmm.." A slight murmur in her head drifted back to the vendors who had somewhat peaked her interest, though were decidedly skipped over for potentially more intriguing endeavors. "Well, there's the wine merchant...That's a definite return visit." Her eye twitched from underneath the covered hood of her robes, armor worn snugly beneath. A blip in the Force. Quiet, subtle, but ever present. She'd been out of contact with the Jedi Order, the Republic, friends, family, and the Sith for quite some time. Perhaps too long? No, her sense of the Force was still ever present. Odd though, that she was unable to ascertain from where exactly that sense of the Force was coming from, or from whom it came. Still, it was there. Then again, being on Voss, it would likely be more expected than say, some backwater planet holed up in some rickety old motel for weeks. Perhaps it was simply a silver, wandering about from their temple walls. Despite the information gained during her time with the Order, she knew little about their inner workings, ranks, and overall structure. Could they all be trusted? Did they have spies and traitors in their midst, such as the Republic? Likely, but how many? Her mind caught her as she rambled inside her own thoughts. "Frivolous contemplations, Sera. Just keep yourself inconspicuous."

The girl continued wandering, pacing back towards the wine merchant she had noticed earlier, hoping for something she hadn't yet tasted in her years. She wasn't a heavy drinker by any stretch of the term, but she did fancy a sample of wine whenever the opportunity arose. Her eyes wandered back down to her left hand, where the newly purchased bangle rested, lightly bouncing against her wrist as she walked. A smile crept along her face again as she admired its' raw beauty. If nothing else, she found something she could take with her as a souvenir from the planet. A small token to remember her brief time on the planet for which belonged to the home of the Silvers. War was something she had grown fond of avoiding recently, not out of fear, or lack of desire to protect the Republic and its' people, but its' lack of progress. The Sith continued to relentlessly endure, taking scraps and spreading their reach across anywhere they could. They were a blight, but perhaps this blight was something that simply needed to pass without her help. There was little more she could offer the Republic these days, and the Jedi Order had moved on successfully without her presence. She did miss those she had befriended, but would they forgive her for abandoning the order the way she had? Perhaps, and most likely, that was their way, and she still held them to the highest regard. She simply walked another path for now.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He didn’t rush, or pick up the pace, but Connor began to mingle in the crowds and navigated the vast square of the capital, beneath the large Tower looming above. Gently passing by the public with a hand on the shoulder or the back as he slid between and around them, his eyes were peering from under his cowl and he must have looked more suspicious than he thought, like an assassin moving to a target.

Reaching the end of the square, coming to another fruit seller, Connor turned with a little sigh and rolled his tongue around his mouth. Closing his eyes, he tried to pinpoint the aura – it was in there, in the square, but it didn’t want to be found, it was flickering away but not glowing.

He started back down the other side, looking out and feeling the presence. It was closer this time, and calmer – and then he saw a flash of pink skin under a hood. Connor walked by a few seconds before slowing, turning and seeing the figure amble casually along. The aura was there, and he knew only a handful of pink skinned beings.

Walking behind her a few steps, to the side, behind two shoppers, Connor made it his goal to walk around the figure to stand in their way face on until they reached him. When the pink skin became apparent it belonged to a Twi’lek, Connor recoiled a little in surprise at seeing one he had only met once before but felt she was a fragile as him.

Seemed he was right.

"Seraphina?" He spoke quickly, to stop her before she walked straight into him as she admired her trinkets.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Her stride halted abruptly as the sound of her name danced across her ears at a sharp, quickened pace. Her body remained still for a moment, muscles instinctively tightenening while eyes still fixated on the brilliantly sparkling bangle adorning her wrist. Confusion ran over her as she drew on past memories in an attempt to identify the voice before her eyes made contact. It sounded distantly familiar, like an aquaintance from a past life.

Her head slowly raised to meet the figure standing just before her, the lekku resting atop her shoulders slid back and dangled behind. The girl squinted as she gazed at Connor for a moment. She recognized him as one of the Silver Jedi she'd met at the conclave a while back with Corvus and Kana. Her mind slipped for a moment and she wondered what had become of Kana and corvus before snapping back into reality. Should she lie? Pretend she wasn't who she was? Had he simply walked into her by coincidence? Or was he looking for her? Were other people? She'd grown overly cautious since leaving the Order, and she didn't know the man before her, short of a brief moment in time.

"No...I...I think you're looking for someone else. I'm sorry."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

When he said her name, he regretted it for a second because it didn’t look like her. Well, it did, but it didn’t. There was something different about her, if it was her. Her response soon debunked the possibility it was, but then her physical and emotional reaction was a little too slow to be dismissive of a total stranger.

Connor held up his hand.

"Apologies, I thought you were someone else."

He side-stepped and walked away, but not before turning when he was behind and whispered at her through her hood.

"Coward."

Then he walked away back through the market to his wall, wondering if this was Seraphina, if she’d take the bait as he remembered her fighting spirit shone when she spoke the first and only time they had met.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera smiled at the man as he offered his apology, nodding as he stepped aside and continued on his way. She proceeded on her path for a moment longer before stopping again. She was overly cautious with nearly everything, including her appearance when walking so not to appear out of place.

Instead of turning back, or calling to the man she was now convinced was the Silver Jedi Connor Harrison, she made her presence known to him through forcing their minds to converge, as if pressing hers against his own like a freight train traveling downhill with no brakes.

"Connor. Harrison. Silver Jedi Master."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

The sudden presence of Sera made Connor stop and turn back in a heartbeat. Her aura flourished, and her voice was crystal clear in his mind; TOO clear. She wasn’t facing him, and so walking back through the crowd, offering an apology to the ones he was continuing to barge pass, he reached her in moments.

Taking her arm, he gently led her to the side, by a stall, out of the way of the busy market traffic of bodies and buskers. There he peered out from his cowl, looking at her bracelet first, and then up to her face slightly hidden.

"Seraphina Shel’tah. Well, well, well. What are you doing here? A little out of Republic space aren’t you?"

She certainly looked different under that hood, but it was definitely her; her unique pigmentation was the giveaway.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

A half smile greeted the man she scarcely knew, but given that the pair were out of the general view of public she slid the cowl of her hood behind her head and looked up at him.

"A little would be an understatement, but yes." While she did know him to be a Silver Jedi when they met, time had passed since that introduction, and she was still unsure of his motives, allegiences, or intents with that passing of time. It was generally safe to be guarded, even amongst people you knew, but more so around those you knew little about.

"Traveling, mostly. Seeing what it is that I've missed out on."

She lifted her wrist, smiled, and adjusted the bangle so that a mixture of the pink and green gems were visible. "Like this, for instance. I've never seen something quite like it, and had I not decided to make a stop here, I might have missed this precious little souvenir."

She dropped her hand back to her side and leaned a shoulder against the wall.

"I am surprised you recognized me, to be honest. I apologize for a moment ago, I tend to keep myself a well guarded secret these days, both in name and...occupation, so to speak. Even here, on Voss, one can't be too careful of who may be watching or listening."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor mirrored her, pulling back his cowl on the jacket and letting it fall behind his head. Even the gentle wisps of air around him felt better now he could breathe easier. His head was cocked a little as he listened, never really knowing much about this rebellious Jedi, but knowing she was, or had been, close to Corvus.

"Oh, very pretty."

He smiled, that cocky smile he had used as a Padawan to charm those who admired him from afar.

"The bracelet I mean."

Connor again mirrored her and leant against the building wall between market stalls as it was clear she was on edge, so the more he could ease her worry the better.

"Don’t worry, I’m here…alone. You could say I’m not really in the Order at the moment, had a few ups and downs recently and I’m only here in passing. Nothing I do is on terms of the Silvers, or will get back to the Republic, don’t panic."

He folded his arms and rocked a little.

"Why a secret? You been bending the rules a little too much also?"

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The pair of lungs within her chest drew in a deep, long breath before her lips parted and exhaled the expended oxygen. Ignoring the coy, subtle comment about the bracelet she nodded to his explanation but held up a hand at the mention of bending the rules of the Order, shaking it slightly in the gesture of a No.

"Not exactly. The Republic..." Her nose wriggled as she thought of how best to explain. "The Republic has a structure and Senate that finds itself in constant, unfettering gridlock with itself. The politicians get nothing done yet complain that things are unraveling. All the while the Sith expand their reach across the galaxy like some kind of unchecked roach."

A moment of silence passed before she continued, "I came to find that after countless wars, endless battles, and never ending struggles with the Sith that unless something changes within the Republic and her allies, unless the galaxy unites under one banner to stop them, that we are slowly falling into an inevitable Sith rule. Until the galaxy wakes up and realizes this, I feel any attempt to sway the tide is frivalous at best, and suicide at worst."

Her head dipped down, her tone sounding moderately defeated over the choice of words. "The Order itself has restrictions and a code that does not favor victory any more so than the Senate. All of these things compounded upon one another meant that I had little choice but to relinquish my role as a Jedi of the Order. I put myself into exile until the time comes where the Sith can be fought on even ground. But that also paints a target on my head that is far more tantilizing to hunt than under the relative safety of the Order. That's why the secrecy."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Her words touched a part of Connor few could understand, and his face was knotted with a serious concern.

"I understand."

Looking around for a moment to gather his thoughts, Connor spoke quietly, almost trying to be comforting.

"I’ve pushed the limits of skirting the Light and Dark to the point where I’m nothing but a joke to myself and the Jedi. I’m no Dark Jedi. I’ve been a bloody idiot, acting on affairs of the heart that have dictated my recent years and tainted my view on things."

He gave himself an eye-roll. How stupid he sounded.

"However I understand your view. The Sith are a menace. A menace united in one goal, and one purpose. They are one Sith, not cells and cells of Sith. We have the Republic, the Silver Sanctum, the Grey Jedi, the…the damn Mandos and then this ridiculous Galactic Alliance cropping up from nowhere. We all want to take the glory but don’t think about sharing in it. Politicians debate and lie, Jedi rise and fall because they are frustrated and lost behind codes and rules and do’s and do not do’s."

Connor shook his head.

"We say we fight for peace and justice, but we fight more amongst ourselves to decide who owns what system and who had the biggest army, while the Sith just, " he swept his hand out, "conquer anything and everything before them.”

Licking his lip slowly, he sighed.

"I’m an example of what this all does to a Jedi, but I’m damned if I’m going to succumb to the Dark Side and become a slave to the Sith. While we feel, Sera, we are living, and while we are living we must find a way forward. We have to. Without people like us, the galaxy has no hope. We are the ones keeping reality in check, and I just wish they’d listen to us at times. We need action, not debates"

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

A friendly hand raised and patted Connor on the shoulder.

"Everyone has to find their own path. I used to have a lot more conviction for anything but the blinding purity of the light side. It took a lot of time for me to understand that not everything is as simple as black and white, or blue and red in this case. Sometimes it's that grey area that is the right path, and taking it requires more conviction than either polar sides will allow."

She shrugged as she dropped her hand from his body.

"So many differing governments and factions, so many offering their own unique views, policies, and plans to defeat the Sith. Many come and go with the passage of time, collapsing beneath their own weight or internal power struggles, while others, like the Republic, stagnate over time, become complacent, lazy even. It's a shame. I've been out of contact with the Order as a whole for a while, but I've heard some rumors that the Republic is involved in another series of skirmishes and battles with the Sith even now. I do wish them the best, but fear the worst."

Her right hand motioned across to her left, holding them together lightly.

"Every action we've taken thus far has gotten us to this point. Unless something of a galactic unification against the Sith were to happen, I fear this downward spiral is only going to continue. And judging by the look of things, the Sith aim to take the entirety of the Republic before pressing on straight into the Mandalorians. Who knows how long before they swallow the rest of the galaxy. I fear of what will become of the Jedi who survive those events. Mass execution like the past?"

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

”Thank you, Seraphina.”

Another little boost from another, making him feel his view wasn’t totally alien amongst those he served with.

”And you’re right about the conflicts, they’re going on right now, but I guarantee when all is said and done it will be the unified strength of the Sith who take victory. The Republic and Jedi are fighting not just the Sith but also themselves; questioning their motives, who they are working with, where their emotions lie…I mean, it’s crazy.”

He gave a shrug, and returned the comforting hand on the shoulder to the Twi’lek.

”You’ll be ok. Through all of this, you’re still you, and you will still do what you feel is right. These conflicts will be raging many years after we have passed on, so all you can do is do what it takes to survive, and dare I say, be happy.”

Connor moved a little to let a passer-by saunter through.

”Do you want to go somewhere for a drink, or to sit and talk? I know a great wall over there. Of course you don’t have to if you want to stay low,” he smiled, trying to catch her eye.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

A long silence lingered between the two after Connor had finished speaking, leaving his question dangling in the air while her mind wandered about silently.

"Sometimes I wonder, if there were no Force, no Jedi or Sith Orders, or codes, would we still be engaged in such acts of war? Would we be little more than the average citizen aboard a starship taking orders from superiors and blowing each other to pieces over planets and resources? Could there ever be peace even without the existence of the Force? Or are we so engaged, intoxicated from, and driven by the Force that we separate ourselves into such fanatical sects and push aside all sense of decency and compassion for one another?"

Sera drew in a deep breath after the rapid succession of words that quickly spilled from her lips like a flowing river. "I suppose that's rhetorical, since we'll never truly know the answer. But it does give you something to think about, right?"

She shrugged, letting the moment pass. "I'll always be me, but the daily changes this galaxy makes to itself means that I, as well as everyone else, will have to constantly adapt to those changes, or risk losing whatever we have left to save."

A sideways glance towards Connor and a half smile later she nodded. "A drink sounds nice. I've nothing pressing that needs attention. Afterall, I did just spend half my day shopping for a bracelet with rocks in it. What could I possibly have to do?"

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor gave a sharp nod and guided Sera across the square.

”Sorted then. There’s a nice place across the way that has a veranda out back I’ve sat at many times here watching out across the planet. You can see the ships coming and going, the moons in the high atmosphere at the right time, and the Temple in the distance.”

Placing a hand on her shoulder, he walked across and through the open doors to the café-cum-bistro, full of fresh food baked and treats made from various sugars, spices and dough. Caf bubbled away, fruit juices, jugs of wine and bottles of Blue Milk chilled in the fridges behind the counter where a Toydarian busied himself.

”Make your choice. It’s on me.”

Connor swept his hand in front, as if welcoming her to his little world. He could talk more about her concerns when she was relaxed and try to offer any support.

”And don’t think too hard about what to choose, because it’s like the Force. Just relax and it will choose for you. Think too much, you’ll not get anywhere and I’ll end up taking all the nice things.”

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Seraphina followed along aside Connor through the square towards their destination of choice. she was entirely unfamiliar with the area so she was fine letting Connor be the tour guide of Voss, and the place he described peaked her interest. "That sounds fantastic."

As they entered her eyes wandered from shelf to display along the wall, with various things spread out amongs tables and glass countertops. It made her feel almost like a small child again, blissfully gazing at the food with a sort of wonderous fascination.

After spending a few moments browsing around, she settled on a dark roasted Caf, a bit of baked crumble cake and a small combination of mixed fruit in a cutely decorated bowl. A perfect trifecta.

With her items in hand she stepped to the side and waited for Connor, turning her head towards him as she smiled. "I imagine it would take quite some time to take all the nice things from here."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Nodding at her choice of food, Connor moved to take his turn and perusing the options, but he already knew what he was going to get. Glass of chilled Blue Milk which was something Connor needed as much as oxygen, it was THAT nice. Bowl of Voss-ka grapes and a slice of sponge and jam cake, fresh dairy from the farms.

”Oh, not too much time,” he turned to her, ”I’m nearly there myself.”

With a gentle pat on the stomach, he smiled and dropped three credit chips on the counter, a known face here so little discussion with the Toydarian was needed; just a usual greeting. Connor nodded to the veranda and walked outside with the tray to set it down and moved a chair around for his companion.

”Now,” he said, moving the plates and drinks onto the table, ”I do like to introduce those who come here who cross my path with the best goodies this city offers so let me know what you think.”

He placed the tray down on the nearby table, the grumpy Toydarian would no doubt mutter his irritation that humans never brought the tray back themselves. Connor sat in the chair, the hazy sun above not too bright or intense to make sitting outside uncomfortable.

”I feel like I’ve gotten to know you so much already from standing outside than I ever did in those council meetings. Total waste of time if you ask me. However, I’m glad to meet you again finally. I was always very…how do I put this…curious to meet you.”

Connor took a couple of grapes and began to relax.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

A light meal under the warmth of the midday Sun would be a lovely way to enjoy the afternoon. Following along she took her seat as offered and looked around at the surroundings, taking in the view and breathing a long, pleasant breath through the nose.

"It sure does look good." She said, motioning down towards the cake and the mixture of berries. "Almost like they make those quick meals look in the holovids, except this actually looks edible when ordered." A small moment of laughter escaped her as she cut into a piece of the cake and placed it into her mouth.

"It's no wonder you come here often, this really IS good!" She was genuinely impressed by the way the cake was soft and fluffy, while the cinnamon crumbles were firm but simply fell apart when they touched the tongue.

Placing the utensils down she took another sip of the Caf, her head tilting slightly to the side so that her lekku could momentarily adjust to a more comfortable position along the front of her shoulders.

"Mmm. Yea, those meetings." She paused, thinking of how to convey her thoughts on them. "Political niceities more than anything. Requirements of two governments in a futile attempt to work better together, but I suppose it's necessary. Everyone involved has best intentions, but little ever gets accomplished with words and promises. Though I have to warn you, I'm not as interesting as I look. Often times my skin color is more interesting to people than anything else." She laughed, shrugging her shoulders in mild contempt.

[member="Connor Harrison"]