Leaving Common Isolation

[Connor Harrison]

Connor stretched a little and ran his hand over the bristles of his small beard - almost like a comforting itch.

"You could do both. Serve and fight - travel and strive for diplomacy. Make new friends. New allies. Forgo your enemies. Learn the galaxy you served."

His fingers trailed down his neck and then fell to his lap. He sighed, and looked around the tent, rubbing his lips together, not sure what to say or do. Then, he saw the tea pot. Maybe she wanted something...stronger?

"Do you want a drink? Something other than tea? I know I could right now."

He sat, perched on the bed, looking at the frame of the Queen in the doorway out to the smoking fire and the damp atmosphere as the evening closed in.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay blinked in surprise. She could do both? Really? That wasn't what she was expecting [member="Connor Harrison"] to say. And it lifted her spirits, giving her a bit of hope. Of course Connor's version of doing both and her own version could be entirely different. But she'll take what she can get right now.

At his question of a drink, she turned around to look at him as he sat on her bed again. "Well,...what the heck. I have some Commenori Brandy here, and some whiskey. I like to keep some on hand just in case. But I'm not much of a drinker, so it's good that we're not driving speederbikes anywhere." She steps inside and heads over to the little kitchen area. "Did you want any?" Kay was already taking out a couple of glasses and the bottle of brandy for herself. She just waited to see what Connor had felt like having.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Either the mention of a drink or the mention of grasping a future with both hands lifted the Queen’s spirit. Only a fraction, maybe, but it was evident in her change of tone and mood.

"Well, that makes two of us, so don’t worry. I’ll have whatever you’ve got, thank you."

He leant over, tapping his feet gently on the soft floor and stared into the fire. He could hear the sound of glass tinking together and the drinks being poured.

"Blue Milk is my tipple, and I’ve not branched out much. But if it’s there, I’ll have it. Though I don’t really go looking for the hard stuff." He took the glass she reached out with for him. "Thank you. To possibilities. Again!"

A dry chuckle escaped – when you looked at the galaxy behind cynical, experienced eyes such as a Queen or Force Master, things just made you laugh at the absurdity of it all.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Well that was a first; [member="Connor Harrison"] wanting to have something else besides his Blue Milk or water or even caf. But then again this day was full of the two of them getting out of their own little bubbles. Or at least Kay was.

She poured them both some brandy, careful.to only fill the glasses half way and then brought them over to him, handing Connor his own. She gave him a small smile as he once again toasted a salute. To possibilities, again." A quick sip was taken, not planning on getting rid of the entirety of the glass in one fell swoop, before she sat down beside him. As usual, the brandy burned a little on it's way down her throat, but it wasn't overly harsh, and the aftertaste was sweet.

"Not bad...been a while." Her voice was a bit rougher, her throat feeling a little dry, so she coughed a little to clear it. She then turned her head and looked up at him. "You'd of made a good advisor if you had stuck with it. Good for me anyways." Kay patted his shoulder in a friendly gesture and then took another sip of her brandy, watching as the fire was dying down, having used up most of it's fuel.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Following suit and sipping the drink, it was strong enough to leave a full-bodied taste down the hatch. However, this was to savour and enjoy, not drinking in a reckless way and for it to be over before it had been tasted. Connor swirled the dark drink around the glass, watching it wave up the side, as Kay sat down.

A reassuring hand on the shoulder. Another bridge crossed – showing he was more approachable than before. The drink clung to his throat.

"I could have been good at a lot of things had I focused on them. Serving the Silver Jedi, the First Order, the Sith, your Commenor and the Confederacy. It’s like nothing satisfied me. Nothing gave me the avenue to find myself."

That was a bad excuse. He swirled the drink a little more.

"Truthfully, I wasn’t fit to serve any of them. It was impossible to find my calling and my true self. Look how varied they are. Both sides of the line and in the middle. There’s no place for one to flit. You just look embarrassing."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded a little. [member="Connor Harrison"] felt lost in the past, both with himself and with others. She knew what that felt like and was going through it herself. Although her struggles weren't as large as his. She wasn't dealing in terms of Jedi and Sith.

"I just made my own place in the end, after I was fired from the Republic. I have no association with any of it's members, even after it's collapse. It was others that saw the potential and although they didn't hold my hand and guide me, they were there to catch me in case I fell. I feel....a little less abandoned that way." And more so that she was needed. That's what people wanted, wasn't it? To feel wanted and needed. It helps to bring them purpose.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor silently agreed, rubbing his thumb on the edge of the glass.

"You’ll always have people to catch you, and it may not be people you think. Sometimes it’s the ones outside of the circle you keep will be there to support you."

With that, he took another mouthful and finished the glass. A little shiver ran up his spine.

"Hopefully I’ll make my own place. I don’t know where, but I don’t think it will be trying to prevent change, because you can’t. More about rolling WITH the change but ensuring there is balance between both sides so it doesn’t collapse on itself. One man can’t make a difference, I know, but if I believe what I am doing is for the best, then I am doing something better than wallowing and trying to save the galaxy on my own."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay raised a brow slightly, but didn't look to [member="Connor Harrison"] as he spoke of others outside of her circle that would catch her if she fell. Did he mean himself? Or someone else? In a way she considered Connor a part of her circle. It was why she kept requesting him for meetings. That and she was getting used to having him around.

She took another sip of her brandy, and not a big one, while Connor continued. What he said sounded quite familiar to her. Kay laughed a little, though it was directed at him. "You sound like me when people questioned my slave liberation missions, as if it was my overall goal of abolishing slavery in the whole Galaxy. I know that it's impossible, but at least to the slaves that gain their freedom, slavery has ended for them and they can live happier lives. That's important. At least to me."

 

[Connor Harrison]

"Then that’s what your calling may be, if – and when – the time for you as Queen comes to an end, it doesn’t meant the end of you and your drive to do good. It just means you do it in a new, different way."

There was much to do when one path closed up. Connor had never stopped going from one to another. If the road ahead caved in, he diverted to another route. It may not have paid off long-term, but it kept him going. Kept his senses alert and his view on the wider galaxy fresh.

He had seen both sides, and now was in a position to stand back from a more narrow minded view on things to see a bigger picture; one that didn’t feel the need to sacrifice himself for.

"Slavery will always be rife. There will always be the crime lords and underground operations working beyond the law. Sadly, that will never stop. Nobody will benefit from galactic peace, which is why it will never happen. There will be those always looking to pull it apart and take what they can – which is where people like you come in. Doing what you can, as you can, for what YOU believe in." He tapped his glass. "Just need to have that belief that you can do anything, even when at times it feels like you can’t."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

If it came to an end.

Kay couldn't really focus on that much. She had gone through big changes before and there tended to be a lull in between going from one stage to the next. One could almost call it a bit of a breather. But she wasn't at that point yet.

She listened to [member="Connor Harrison"] while he spoke of peace not being profitable. In some ways he was correct, but in others he wasn't. Profit depended on the industry. Trade was abundant for her people and it kept their economy flourishing. If only others came to that realization too.

Oh well, it wasn't her job to police them.

Kay finished her brandy and slipped off the bed, giving herself a moment so that there was less of a risk to her getting dizzy. She was a lightweight afterall. "I do what is needed. I'm not silly enough to believe that I can do anything that I wanted." Same reason that she doesn't say everything that she had wanted either. Sometimes it was better to be more diplomatic.

She held her hand out for his glass. "Shall we retire?"

 

[Connor Harrison]

"You can do what you want. You’re in control of your own destiny, nobody else." Connor handed the glass over to the Queen. "Thank you."

Connor stood and walked to the fire, waning a little. He used his spiked stick to stir up some pockets for the air to get to and fuel the flame. He snapped the stick and put it on the pile to let it burn. It should last into the night and be extinguished by morning.

"That will do I think. Should last a little longer"

He turned and looked at the Queen, and then to her side of the tent.

"Is this where I turn around or, what….?"

There was no attempt at turning in his body at all.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay just smirked and shook her head a little. It wasn't as though she could grow to twenty feet tall of she had wanted. Or to cross the Galaxy in the blink of an eye in case her children needed her. Or to command the Galaxy to stop fighting.

No, she couldn't do anything that she wanted.

She took the glass from [member="Connor Harrison"] and moved to put it away while he stoked the fire. It was nice to have a little kitchen. She wasn't going to leave it to her staff to clean up for them as she was trying to pretend that they weren't all there.

A brow was raised, followed by a knowing smile as Connor asked her about turning around. Of course he knew the answer to that already. Maybe she should have thought ahead and brought a dressing screen. "Yes, this is where we both turn around. Fair's fair. I won't peek at you, and you don't peek at me." She turned herself around so that her back was towards him as she got out her nightgown from her little wardrobe. "Those are the rules, remember?"

 

[Connor Harrison]

With a gracious lowering of the head, Connor obliged and turned around, and sat on the side of his bed. The thin fabric that acted as a window was a welcome distraction to look through for a minute, before he at least made himself a little comfortable.

He nearly turned to check what she was doing, but didn’t. His head turned to the side, but he moved back, suddenly remembering. This was awkward – she knew full well it was but she was probably enjoying it.

"No peaking."

Connor had already removed his cloak with the boots and so just unbuttoned his navy tunic. It came off and laid down with his other items. The vest would usually come off, but somehow even in the presence of a Queen, the sight of his once near perfect torso now may well be a little ghastly thanks to the…marks. He kept his trousers on – sleeping in underwear was fine, but again…there was a Queen present.

He smiled. And turned around.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay just couldn't stop the childish grin that formed while she changed. In her mind she imagined [member="Connor Harrison"] doing everything that he could to stop himself from peeking while she undressed. Although she didn't try to prolong it, she had more layers to remove than he did, which took a longer time. She didn't glance over to see if he was peeking at all as that would just distract her from her own efforts.

Finally she was finished, her nightgown draped over her form. Kay turned around and slid into her bed, getting underneath the covers that were thin, but heavy, just the way that she liked it.

She looked over at him then, his bed being to her left, noticing the smile on his face. Did he look? Time to test that theory out. "You peeked, didn't you?"

 

[Connor Harrison]

The Queen did seem to have a glow about here, and even in the bed she looked relaxed and comfortable. At her accusation, Connor pointed to himself with a faux shocked look.

"Peeking?"

It would be rude to admit, so he didn't.

"Allow me."

Connor walked across the tent and pulled down the small fold of fabric over the window closest to the Queen, and then across to his. The morning light would be an awful annoyance to wake to if one wasn't ready. After, he walked back to his bed and sat on the edge, facing hers. His black cybernetic arm a stark distraction from his white vest and sun-kissed skin.

"Do you have any special procedures? I mean, do you want a hot drink or a prayer or something? Or do you just, light off, eyes closed, sleep. Done."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay just smirked while [member="Connor Harrison"] faked being shocked at such an accusation. So he DID peek. At least she had her back turned so that her modesty was mostly in tact.

She got herself more comfortable, nestling her head on the pillows as he more or less covered the windows, giving her a bigger sense of isolation. He then sat at the edge of his bed. Kay raised a browat his questions. "Special procedures? Umm...no. Sometimes I read, sometimes I just lay in bed and wait for sleep. And sometimes I'm asleep right when my head hits the pillow. There's no real method or schedule for my evenings. Why? Do you have any procedures?"

Kay found herself looking at his cybernetic arm, wondering how it happened and what it was like without it, most especially if he had felt any pain. But, she chose not to ask. Sometimes it was better not to point such things out.

 

[Connor Harrison]

He rocked a little on the bed, patting it with his hands.

"Oh, trust me, the fact I get to sleep in a comfortable bed like this is something I've not done in a long time without the whir of engines or noise of a city." The last good sleep he had was probably...too long ago to mention. "Many people see sleep as a barrier to just cross so they can carry on living and doing everything they want. I used to think that, but if I get it, I'll take it. No procedures for me - just get comfortable and watch the world drift by."

From their position, the fields could be seen out of the tent opening. The grass was blowing in the wind and the fire was getting smaller now with the damp in the air.

Connor did notice the Queen's eyes move to his arm during conversation.

"It didn't hurt." The battle was over too quickly for it to hurt. "My eye laceration hurt more. It was taken off by a lightsaber, below the elbow. But the surgeons took the whole arm, fixed me with this. A Sith Sorceress and her team patched me up, ironically. The one I was trying to take down. I guess it's another reminder of my past; be it my past failing or my past survival."

Looking at the arm, he flexed the fingers a little. It was more natural than anything, but it sure reminded him of the humanity he lost that day.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded. More than likely she has taken advantage of always being in a comfy bed instead of a lumpy or hard one. Although there were times when she had fallen asleep in her chair in her office.

She had a lot of luxuries now, and at times that made her feel out of touch with others. But of course her position did that as well.

"Sometimes I dread sleep. For a long time it was filled with nightmares of my abduction. And they do come back to haunt me at times. But not so often now."

[member="Connor Harrison"] had noticed her looking at his arm, so of course she was quick to look away from it and watch the lightning outside. And being the type of person that was quick to change the subject, she did so. "Do you snore?"