Liberty And Justice For All

[Connor Harrison]

Connor folded his arms and stroked his beard gently in thought as the Kay moved away after silent thanks, back to her tea to compose herself.

So this Prazutis wanted an alliance. Obviously he was Sith, but how far did his influence reach. How much power did he have?

Blue eyes shifted right, and Connor turned around slowly to see her taking a drink.

"Just be careful, your Highness. Don't give away all of your power so you become expendable. I'd hate to see someone in your position wasted away to the likes of greedy warmongers."

He thought a little more.

"Will you do me a favour? Will you mention me to him, and see what he says? Mention my shift in allegiance from the Jedi and my intention to harness the Dark Side. See what he says or does, and let me know. If that would be ok?"

It was a bold move asking this from her, but right now her guard was down, and he was a little beacon of safety in an otherwise dangerous place.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. No, she didn't want to be expendable. Nor did she want to be used, especially by those that only sought war.

"The Zombranos are a powerful and wealthy family. Perhaps they only seek the Commenori to be used on the front lines of their wars, mere pawns to be used as targets by their enemies." She sipped her tea. "I'm going to prevent that for as long as posdible." Kay grinned then, a twinkle in her eye as some of her spunk and confidence in herself returned. "I am stubborn and defiant afterall."

She sipped her tea and then looked to [member="Connor Harrison"] , studying him where he stood. "If ever my Master or his father returns, I will mention you and give you the details of their response. Are you a popular enemy for the Sith as I was for the Hutt Cartel?" There wasn't much that she knew of his history.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor smiled, nodding in amusing agreement of her own admission of being stubborn.

"Of course, my Queen."

He started to walk back towards Kay and the table, sensing she was a little more composed as she talked again.

"I’m known to them. Stirred up a bit of trouble here and there, but nothing where I warrant my own safety and sleep with a blaster under my pillow. I have names, and they have mine, but on the whole I think I would be a threat, albeit a threat who houses more potential to be seen as an ally than most narrow-minded Jedi I served with."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

She sipped her tea again, nodding . It seemed that he caused less trouble than she did. Trouble always had a way of finding her, like powerful Force users. Most sought her harm over anything else. But that was when she was weak. Now that she let the Darkness take hold, others came to her to negotiate. They saw her as more of their equal, which was how it should be.

"Thank you. I hate going into meetings without having information, without being prepared. It's like going in blind."

Another thought occured to her. Though she wasn't quite ready to leave Commenor just yet, at some point she will have to. "There might be times when I am invited to potential hostile territories under the guise of a trade deal or an alliance. I may ask you to accompany me for those..." [member="Connor Harrison"] seemed to be a far better travelling companion than some of the guards that her Master ordered to watch over her. They probably spied on her too.

 

[Connor Harrison]

With a nod, Connor walked back to the table and took a seat, toying with some overturned bread from her outburst.

"I will help where and when I can if it means I have an ally in you, your Highness. But I must warn you, people will still you as Queen. You may need to do things to make them see you're not afraid to use your power. You can't let them assume they know you. Because they don't."

He started picking the bread apart.

"Hostile territories need those in them to be hostile also, in order to survive."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

"You have an ally in me, so long as you maintain your loyalty to me. I will not handle betrayal in a light manner." Kay spoke those words so calmly to [member="Connor Harrison"] while she started to right the overturned dishes. It might be a job for a servant, but it was her mess.

She raised a brow as he spoke of her using her gifts so openly. "Are you suggesting that I flaunt my gifts? They are an ace up my sleeve as most still don't know that I'm Force sensitive at all. There is a time and place for letting such things out. I will choose those moments carefully."

She sat back down and sipped her tea now that she had cleaned up most of her mess. "I trust that I am in good hands while in these hostile territories, so long as you are there. But I wouldn't be seeking out trouble. If you remember, trouble has a way of finding me."

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor stopped, looked at the Queen, and stood. He tossed the bread onto the table.

"Look – all I’m saying is you can’t play devil’s advocate for both sides of this war. Sooner or later you are going to have emerge from your shell, and take a side, and fight for it. You need to show what power you are sitting on so nobody under-estimates you."

With that, he walked around the table and turned over a plate.

"Oh, and please don’t threaten me. I’m one of the best allies you have right now, so don’t make an enemy out of me because you really couldn’t afford that."

He smiled at her.

"Your Highness."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay looked up at [member="Connor Harrison"] as he suddenly stood up. She clenched her jaw as he seemed to insinuate that she was being a coward. He was getting frustrated and angry, yet so was she.

She couldn't recall threatening him, but he claimed that she did. And then in turn, he chose to threaten her. A difference of opinion was one thing, but this was quite another. She felt as though she was being tested.

Well alright then.

Kay quickly got to her feet and rushed over him, placing her forearm across his chest as she pushed him back against the wall. If only she was taller, it might have more of an effect, but the glare in her eyes and anger bursting forth from her would have to be enough. "Listen here, Connor! I am not involved in the war and neither is Commenor! We choose our own side and I will NOT have you tell me what that is supposed to be! I rule here, NOT you! So let them underestimate me. It's all part of the game! It gives us the advantage!"

The yellow speckles in her eyes glowed while she resisted the urge to wrap her fingers around his throat. "Your insight is what makes you valuable, but I can find that elsewhere if I need to..."

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor saw her coming, so tensed up and worked with her as she pushed him back. He hit the wall behind with a thud, but didn’t fight her. His arms stayed back, and he looked directly at her and saw those eyes bleeding with rage and corruption.

Her voice was strong and commanding and he felt the spike in her Force aura, far stronger than he had before.

"Don’t lecture me about war, your Highness. I’ve been on the battlefield and seen it all while you’ve bandied around playing peacekeeper. It’s now I know what to expect that I warn you not to give them any room to push you out."

He held his head a little higher, inviting her to do what she clearly wanted.

"You couldn’t find anyone like me even if you tried, and you know it."

He placed a hand suddenly on her hip.

"You’re rather attractive when you’re angry, did you know that?"

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Push her out? Push her out? Is that what he was worried about? "Are you afraid that you'll be left behind while the others fight? Is that what this is about? Commenor is not ready and I would not encourage war to land on our doorstep while we are not prepared. Doing so would destroy us."

She couldn't find anyone like him? Maybe. It's a big Galaxy out there. Kay just glared at him while she held him there. He was as defiant as she was. But it was [member="Connor Harrison"] 's next move that caught her by surprise. More than likely that was exactly what he wanted. It was a silly move, and one that had probably worked on other women, but it only worked in decreasing her level of trust in him, for he certainly had his own vision for Commenor's future that didn't exactly fall in line with her own. He was reckless.

She walked away from him then, back to the table where she refreshed her tea, keeping her back to him while she laughed a little to herself. "Playboys are a dime a dozen. They are as common as starships. I have no interest in their games." It was a game that a few had tried to sucker her into before, feigning an interest in her when all that they sought was her position. She wasn't going to fall for it.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor let out a laugh as she walked away as cool as anything. He liked this new attitude she bore.

"You mis-understand, I meant push YOU out of power. Coupes. Up-rising. Rebellions. All that nonsense when they fear you and don't respect you. If they respect you, then you'll be ok. You just need to get a good balance."

He walked around the opposite side of the table and pointed a finger at her as he called over a red apple to his other hand from the table.

"And a Playboy? Please. Don't insult me. I just found you attractive for a few seconds when you weren't being so narrow minded."

He smiled at her, and bit into the apple.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

She sipped her tea. Perhaps she did misunderstand. But she was looking at a larger picture than she was. Kay sipped her tea. "As I told General Santiago, any rebellions or uprisings will be quashed. They will be arrested and sent to work deep in the mines. Those that continue to resist are to be executed on site. With the Elders gone, there is no one for them to turn to."

Kay smirked as [member="Connor Harrison"] teased her. "Oh really? I'm the narrow minded one? Now that's the pot calling the kettle black." She sipped her tea. He was lucky that she didn't poison the fruit or anything. It would be funny though. "Take small bites. We wouldn't want you to choke..."

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor chuckled, but mulled over her words. He slowed down chewing the apple, looking at it, before throwing it back on the table and spitting the rest out into his hand, and then onto the plate below.

"I wouldn't put it past you."

He rubbed his teeth, a bit of paranoia sweeping in, as he walked around for some water where she sipped her tea. Connor poured a small glass and drank it, then looked at her.

"Any other forbidden fruit I can look at but not touch around here?"

He kept looking at her. Something about this new side to her, and her position, and his freedom of allegiance to the Jedi, gave him an unnatural confidence.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smirked while she watched him spit out the apple. So he was paranoid? She'd certainly remember that. Whenever [member="Connor Harrison"] went out of line, she'd certainly play that card against him. There was no question about that.

She took another sip of her tea while he poured himself more water and had a sip to wash the imaginary toxins away. His question caught her slightly off guard, as did his staring at her. "You're looking at one now." Kay didn't have the nickname of 'Space Nun' for nothing. Her game of 'hard to get' was constant.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Nodding in slight approval, he put down the glass.

"Hm. Fair enough, but give it time."

Walking past her, just enough to brush by her shoulder, he walked around the other side of the table.

"So do you have any family on Commenor? Heirs? And before you ask, I'm not plotting to overthrow you or your family, so pipe down. I told you, politics isn't my game sweetheart."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Give it time? Did he really just say that? His intentional brushing past her shoulder caused her to look up at the ceiling for a moment. Oh he was pushing it and he knew it, probably testing her to see how far he could go before she put her foot down.

Her gaze dropped back down to him as he asked his question. [member="Connor Harrison"] was fishing for information. But it was nothing that the tabloids couldn't dish up themselves. "Family on Commenor? No. My Father doesn't want anything to do with me. The only heir I guess would be my brother. He serves the First Order." Would Kyle ever come to Commenor as Prince some day? Doubtful. There was as much of a chance of that as there was of her Father giving her a hug. Kay sipped her tea, changing the subject a little. "And what about you? Where's your family?"

 

[Connor Harrison]

"A brother? Facing your rule I'm not surprised he bailed out of being a Prince. Must be a good guy to cope with you."

He made a note of the ties to the First Order. Maybe this Kyle would re-surface one day and be useful after all.

With that, Connor took a seat and rested a foot on the table. Far too relaxed around a Queen, but right now he felt they were beyond pomp and circumstance.

"No family my side. No siblings, and I don't know if my parents are alive. I was born on Anaxes, that's all I know. Pretty much learnt to be alone all my life."

He gave her a little sad smile.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smirked as [member="Connor Harrison"] spoke of her brother. Good guy indeed. Oh if only he knew. But then again Connor didn't seem the type to do his homework, so he would know nothing about her family, nor her childhood.

She sipped her tea, watching as he leaned back in his chair with his foot on the table. Sure she wasn't stuck up or anything, but that's what coffee tables were for. Not dinner tables. Still, it did put him in a compromising position....

Kay set her tea down and walked around the table so that she was directly behind Connor's chair. "No family growing up? Living alone?..
I know exactly what that's like." She placed her hands on the back of his chair and leaned down so that she could speak quietly in his ear. "Quite the orphaned pair we make, hmm?"

Suddenly she pulled hard on the back of the chair, stepping away as she did so and letting it fall back on the floor, hopefully with Connor still seated on it.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Drumming his fingers on his knee, Connor noted how much Kay liked her tea. He’d never noticed before. He looked with his eyes as she walked around him and knew she was probably mocking him gently, but he didn’t mind. But an orphan, that was –

The chair went back, and he shot bolt up to get his balance and stop the fall, but it was too late. The chair fell backwards and he went with it, an ungraceful landing on his rear and side. Harder than he wanted.

But he couldn’t help but laugh out in mild pain and amusement.

"That’s…so rude!"

Rubbing his pelvis, he rolled over and stood up, batting away his cloak and shaking his head at her.

"Not very Queen-like, really."

He hobbled back to the table and poured himself a glass of water, shaking his head still. Taking a sip, he stopped and launched the rest of the water sideways towards her head.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Well, at least [member="Connor Harrison"] didn't waggle his finger at her. She grinned playfully as he got himself a drink. No doubt he was ready to play, to test themselves, and she was ready. It had seemed a lifetime ago when she had fun. That was all taken away with her capture.

But now she had a moment to bring it back.

Kay studied him while he sipped his water, wiggling her fingers and widening her stance in anticipation. "We all have our moments where we slip..."

He tossed the water. She ducked, avoiding most of the water, while at the same time Kay focused on the Force and Connor's cloak, manipulating the fabric to wrap tightly around him as thought it were a cocoon.

"Attacking you Queen...tsk...tsk..tsk.."