Midnight Special

[Connor Harrison]

Reimalai Opera House Lounge
Prosperia, Dosuun

The lounge above the opera house was nothing but a relief. Fresh air from the open patios on both sides let in the muted noise from the Military Ball in full swing below them, whilst providing a watchful eye on the rest of Prosperia. High windows across the room offered views that few could match in the city.

Softer lighting, a more muted volume due the diegetic sound from the Opera House, the lounge was there for those needed a little breather from the glitz and glamour and offered a place to have a quieter conversation, a cool drink and just take it easy before the night continued.

Low sofas of various colours dotted the room and a small bar at the back. Two Stormtroopers did their duty in keeping the peace and protecting those inside, and guests walked, danced or stumbled in with smiles on their faces and business, or pleasure, to further.

Connor Harrison was a little light headed and so needed the fresh air. Three whiskeys in the space of minutes didn't sit right with a man used to drinking nothing but water and Blue Milk, or being asked to dance by a talking ape he thought was going to smash his face in.

Lots of people had passed him by, lots of familiar ones too, and he needed a moment to gather his thoughts, cool off and compose himself.

He rested an arm on the window pane and stared out into city, unbuttoning his shirt behind the tie collar to loosen up a bit. The city was dazzling below, and a content smile crossed his lips. He really had made it out the other side.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

"Too much excitement for you, Mr. Harrison?"

The disciple stood a few feet away from the ex-Jedi, one hand holding a half-filled glass of Corellian Brandy, the other resting lightly on the back of a sofa. The black strappy heels she'd been wearing hung from one finger, the long night of dancing and mingling having done their number to her feet. Without the extra few inches of height, the black lace of her gown gathered and spilled around her feet. Her eyes crinkled in amusement as she took in the unbuttoned shirt, his posture, and the satisfied smile.

A few moments ago she'd wished her friend well and let the younger woman escape with minor physiological scars from the evening of social interaction. Kaalia was obviously uncomfortable in such a setting and Ara had done her best to make just bad enough that her friend was off-balance the entire evening. Mean? Perhaps. But as revenge for a prank? The evening had been a rousing success.

She took another sip of her whiskey, risking a glance out of one of the picturesque windows overlooking the city. A slight chill ran down her spine, but the liquor in her system and the knowledge that there was something solid between herself and the open air kept most of her anxiety at bay.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

She gestured to the sofa with one hand, raising an eyebrow.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

An audible escape of breath from his nose, and a little nod of the head, signified an amused Connor.

"Oh, you know me. Al l this excitement in one night? It’s far too much."

He tapped the window and turned, sweeping his hand out for her to sit, and it was probably the first time he could take her all in. Certainly scrubbed up well for someone “off-duty”. If the Ren ever really WERE off duty.

Walking around, he leant and pinched the glass up out of her hand with his fingers, smelling it and having a small sip. Working out the drink – whatever the hell it was – it burnt more than what he had.

"So," he said taking a seat on the comfy sofa, handing back her drink, "what did you make of that? Very nice, I thought. The ball, I mean not…that you’re drinking."

It would be the first time in years anyone had seen Connor as laid-back, relaxed and mildly inebriated as this.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Taking her drink back with an amused smile, she downed another gulp. Everything from his speech to the small movements he made with his hands indicated a slight level of inebriation. Her nose crinkled with suppressed laughter, she assumed his current state was not one the man was used to. She slid onto the sofa opposite him, tossing her shoes to the far end and leaning back against the plush fabric. Crossing one leg over the other, she draped one arm over the back of the couch.

"You need to get out more often if this is overwhelming for you. Or did they not have balls on Voss?"

Taking another long sip from her glass, she savored the slow burn of the alcohol and the slight flush it brought on. Setting her glass down on the table between them, she rested an elbow on the arm of her seat and propped her chin on her palm.

She took a moment to appraise the appearance of the man in front of her. He was a far cry from the man she'd met a few days ago. He had good taste in suits, she had to admit. Tailored perfectly in a color that suited him well, it was a dashing image and she was enjoying it.

"Would you like one?"

She nodded to her drink but before he could answer, she motioned for the waiter to bring a second glass. She returned to resting her head on her hand, studiously ignoring the views outside the window.

"I thought it was quite lovely. The music, the dancing, the drinks..." She took another sip from her brandy and saluted him with the glass, the waiter quickly bringing over a second glass filled with amber liquid.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He just smiled as she talked, indicating to the waiter on her wavelength that he’d have another.

"No, we didn’t have balls," he said taking the glass, a nod of thanks, "we had little spiritual gatherings and hosted training parties and hired out little country shacks and even an ice-palace once."

With a dismissive shake of the head and a sip, Connor let go of those memories.

"It was like a tea-party most of the time. Kids running around, Palawan’s trying to be old..older than they were. Pathetic."

He crossed a leg and followed her gaze outside, a quick glance back to read her aura.

"I enjoyed tonight. But I doubt it’s over quite yet. Got a few names, a few ideas…a few drinks. It’s all good." Connor paused for a second as the music played on, this time simply recordings and nothing live. "Quite a view."

Of course, he was looking outside. But she wasn’t stupid.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

"Training parties, how....boring."

She let a visible shudder roll over her, a look of mild disgust on her face. She swirled the small amount of liquid and ice in her glass idly, still watching the man across from her.

His glance back brought a wide smile to her face. She took a last sip from her beverage, disappointed at the end of a fabulous glass of brandy, but unwilling to order another. She needed to keep her head clear, the light buzz and flush to her skin indicated that she was at her limit for the evening.

"I take it your trip to Dosuun agrees with you then? If you've been gathering names and ideas, you must be serious about joining our cause."

As he watched the outside world, she watched him, that wide grin still curling up the edges of her lips. No, she wasn't stupid. Neither was he. Her gaze never quite extended beyond their little seating section, the large window he leaned against, lit from behind by the glimmering lights of the city. The nice thing about the darkness of evening was the lack of depth perception. She could look for a short period of time without truly comprehending the distance from one building to another, or the distance to the ground. Either way, she chose not to push her luck and kept her attention away from the view.

"You clean up well yourself, Connor."

She let her voice drop into a lilting purr as her eyes racked his figure again, not bothering to hide the move in the slightest. She adjusted in her seat, turning away from the man and the window, letting her head fall back and running a hand through her hair. Even if she'd enjoyed the evening immensely, the chance to sit and relax was a small luxury.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

"Thank you, I did try."

He smiled at her comment, but didn’t look at her. He necked the last of his drink and sucked a sharp breath in through his teeth to cool the burn, and then he stood, rolling the glass in his hand.

"I’ve never taken the time to appreciate such beauty. Does that make sense? To really stop, look and appreciate it. Everything it stands for, what scars it bears below the surface, what it wants for the future. It’s magnificent."

She could choose to relate that to herself, or the city. Connor leant over and placed the glass down as it caught a light from above, giving it a little shine.

"Come here," he said, indicating to where he was stood.

He was near the window, but not one minute did he forget what she had told her.

"Come."

With his hand, he beckoned her.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Watching as he set his glass down, she smiled, her thoughts drifting to a simple definition of beauty. Their two empty glass sat next to each other, the lights from above reflected in their glass surface. The delicate material, completely clear, was also stronger than it first appeared. It would shatter if dropped from a height, but it also could withstand extreme changes in heat and cold without so much as a crack for it's efforts. Simple, yet beautiful. Strength, but also delicate. A perfect balance.

She chose to keep her opinion of his comment to herself. That conversation could be dangerous, especially with the amount of alcohol in both of their systems.

"Beauty is meant to be appreciated in all forms. Sad, to think it has taken you so long to discover."

As he stood and beckoned, she raised an eyebrow in question. He neither asked, nor presented opportunity to refuse. It was a command; simple, yet demanding.

Her initial response was one of refusal, out of pure habit. Instead, she chose to rise and join him, curious as to the change in his demeanor. He was more forceful and direct, she was curious what the new [member="Connor Harrison"] would do.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Watching her choose to come over, Connor edged her close and moved over a little so she was framed in the centre. Standing beside her to the side, he nodded to the view.

"Look."

On Voss, he had done this numerous times to centre himself. To give himself perspective and purpose. To see a place that he called home, and how much he had sacrificed and would to protect it – albeit now that was a home built on a lie, it didn’t matter.

Ara was one like he had been – on the cusp of greatness and building her way up the First Order and her place with the Ren. Soon she would lead others to protect this place she called home. Moments of beauty and peace, like this, needed to be appreciated it just for a few moment’s to make one feel human again.

"That’s your city out there."

He held her left shoulder and raised her right arm with his right hand, palm outwards as if beckoning to it.

"For the first time since we met I can feel your aura in the Force. It’s wonderful. Stay on this path, Ara, because one day you are going to lead the Ren into glory defending not just Avalonia, but Dosuun and other worlds. Look and see the heartbeat of the city – the colours, the sights and sounds, the vibrancy. Look how it is alive, and how you must keep it that way. Keep it beating with your strength and your power that radiates from you."

Connor looked down her arm at the city, and then after a moment, stepped away and held her back to be sure she was comfortable standing there so high up.

"In time you will conquer your fear. You will have nothing to hold you back."

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Unlike her companion, as she looked out, Ara didn't see the city, at least not this one. The lights and sounds dwarfed in comparison to the city whose spiraling skyscrapers cast everything she'd ever grown to love in shadow. She felt no connection to Dosuun, no longing to stay, no deep-rooted sense of home. Although she had enjoyed the brief few days she'd spent, pretending for a few moments to not be who she was.

For a few moments in time, she was not the street-rat turned Disciple from the slums. She was a shadow among the order, just another pretty face who had the potential to be something so much more. This city offered only one thing she wanted to claim: a new future rid of the stench of her past.

Quietly, almost too quietly to be heard, she whispered, "This is not my home."

Despite the declaration, his words struck true. She would fight to defend this city, this world, and all that it stood for. She was dedicated to the Order and it's cause, for the peace and prosperity it would bring to the galaxy, even if this city, with it's beauty and splendor, might never truly be considered home for the young woman.

The moment hung in the air, until her thoughts broke and the height again claimed her focus. His hand on her shoulder and her arm kept her from instantly stepping back, away from the window and the pit of darkness leading to the ground below. Her pulse and breathing spiked, the energy around her reacting frantically to the fear rolling through her blood.

He stepped away, his hand on her back, preventing her from stumbling back to the couch as she desperately wanted to. She stepped backwards anyways, eyes snapping shut, colliding with the man unless he moved. The frantic energy built until she wanted to scream or hit something. The roaring sound of her pulse in her ears drowning everything else out.

One of the crystalline glasses shattered in a shower of multi-color shards, light refracting in every direction.

The release of power brought a sense of calm to the Ren, her breathing and heart rate slowing, still elevated but nowhere near the panic before. She opened her eyes, meeting his gaze in the glass of the window.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He felt her aura spike, and it felt like she was falling back, or stumbling, faced with a vision she didn’t want to embrace. In a few seconds, a piercing would shrill Connor’s hearing causing him to wince away, and the sudden tinkling of glass behind them on the table – splinters scattered like broken dreams.

Connor looked up, and saw her looking at him in the reflection.

"I’m…sorry, Ara. Please, sit. Forgive me," he said quietly.

He held her arms and guided her back to the sofa, just inches away to which she slumped back in it, looking shaken. With the waiter catching his eye, Connor just motioned not to come over yet, which was received and understood.

Connor edged around the table and sat a quarter of the way around from her, leaning forward, hand out on the sofa.

"Blame the drink," he tried to joke. "I just wanted you to see it. Stupid idea."

And he had been doing so well, too.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Ara's hand reached for the drink that wasn't there, her fingers curling and uncurling unconsciously. A humorless laugh escaped her lips as she settled back against the sofa. She focused on his first comment, a wry smile curling her lips up even as she fought to calm her racing emotions.

"I distinctly remember having to forgive you the last time we met."

Her tone was gently teasing, meant to change to topic of conversation rather than to embarrass or upset her companion. Catching the waiter's eye, she signaled for another drink. The man deposited the drink in record time, leaving just as quickly, using a rag to mop up the shards of glass as he did so. The disciple took a large gulp of the whiskey, eyes closing in contentment as the sting of alcohol burning down her throat chased away the remaining threads of fear.

Setting the now half empty glass on the table next to the empty one, she smiled at the few shards of glass left behind. Picking one up carefully with the tip of a finger, she shook her head.

"Yes, blame the drink. For us both."

She turned to him, a knowing smile shared between them.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He shrugged with an amused snort and a raise of the brow. What a broken pair they seemed to be.

Connor tapped his fingers together in a steeple as he looked at the glass in her fingers

"I know what I’m doing, so nothing is to blame but me. I did that a lot, in those days, trying to blame others or something for my own action or choice. Not now."

To hell with it. The waiter seemed to have focused on this pair and was ready for the call. Connor nodded and a fresh drink came over. Connor slipped a credit in his hand with a small nod. And then, a toast to Ara.

"To us, my dear. Too broken to mend, but too damned stubborn and not bothered to care."

He shot a little wink and took his drink.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

She raised an eyebrow at his declaration of knowing what he was doing and glanced pointedly at the new drink in his hands.

"Do you now? I feel like you've had less opportunity to hold your spirits and by my count that is your...third drink this evening?"

She returned his toast, with her own and took another sip. Her head was feeling decidedly fuzzy at this point, a comforting warmth settling in her chest. She returned to playing with the small shard of glass, applying pressure until a small drop of blood appeared. She never noticed the sting as the glass cut into her skin, instead watching with a slight fascination as a drop of crimson liquid bubbled up and stayed, not enough having been drawn to fall.

"Analyzing me again, Connor?"

She chuckled and set the piece of glass down, wiping a finger on the edge of the napkin under her drink. She glanced up at him from lowered lids, a shrewd expression on her face. She focused on a comment he'd made just before her panic set in, the comment of feeling her aura. She tilted her head and studied him for a moment, reading his aura as he had done hers. The newfound confidence wasn't the only difference in him.

"Found a solution to your Wall of Light issue."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

With a smile, he held up 4 fingers. And then 5....then 4. And then shrugged.

"And not analyzing. Admiring. Or is that analyzing? I don't know."

Noticing her cut, he frowned and watched her play with the glass. Must be one for the embrace of pain, like he was. His leg swung gently back and forward crossed over his knee, now letting him sit back, arm out on the back of the sofa, the lights around them making the atmosphere nothing but dreamy.

"Ah...the Wall Of Light. The little queen Heavenshield tried to get me down and out, but nope. Not now. I was on Dxun, and a Sith alchemist, sorceress, whatever, conjured this ritual from a tomb. And...I can't remember whose it was, but they were big and bad. Anyway, the ritual took hold, nearly killed me, literally had to fight through the shackles of Light dragging me down, and I emerged. Stronger. I found the connection."

He studied his hand for a moment, tapping the sofa.

"I'm not there yet, not fully. But the Light has gone. There is no Light anymore. I feel cleansed and anew. I just need to keep going forwards, not back."

And then, he looked at Ara.

"Is it warm in here or just me?" He laughed a little, craning his head around and noticed the patio door was open. Must be the alcohol.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

The disciple's grin was one of honestly, unadulterated amusement as she listened to him almost ramble. She raised an eyebrow as he revealed at least two more drinks than she'd suspected. Yes, the man was verging on drunk if he wasn't already.

She didn't recognize the name he mentioned, but filled it away for future reference. She mentally noted the location and reference to a ritual, again information to be shared with her master later, and perhaps a bit of personal research. She watched and sipped her drink, amused at his relaxed demeanor.

She sat up, leaning forward and taking the rest of his drink. With a wink, she downed it in one quick gulp.

"I don't think you need any more of that."

She set the empty glass on the table next to the other, her glass still containing a small amount of the amber liquid. The room was taking on a distinctly fuzzy hue and she immediately regretted finishing his beverage. It would keep the ex-Jedi from becoming more inebriated, but now she was verging on her own tolerance level. She wished she'd eaten more of the fancy food they'd served for dinner, the sustenance would have absorbed some of the spirits now in her system.

She shook her head and laughed as she realized the alcohol was making her decidedly warmer than the room warranted.

"One, it's probably the alcohol. Two, you're wearing a jacket and I'm not. So yes, it is just you."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor looked down. Of course. Stupid nerf-herder. He shrugged off the jacket, folding it up beside him and leaning back. Then, he noticed the glass and pointed at it....then her....

"Fair enough."

He scratched his head a second and looked at her again.

"Trust me, I'm fine. I don't drink much, but now it seems the Dark Side has just broken that rule. As probably other many rules I followed. A long time ago," he said, before his eyes drifted down to his wounded hand, flexing it and letting it remind him of days gone by.

Flexing it a bit faster to snap him out of it, he looked out of the window at a large skyscraper with a landing light blinking green on top. He felt comfortable, and safe but....scared?

"Would you change anything," he said, staring out. "Anything from your past."

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

She smiled slyly as he pointed from the glass to her, picking up her own cup and finishing it off as well. When the overly attentive waiter started to move back towards the pair, she waved him off. She watched from half-lowered lids, reclining against the side of the sofa, one leg crossed over the other, as he flexed his hand.

She made no comment about the moment, her own gaze shifting the still bright pink burn scar on her right shoulder. The scar he had left there. Funny how that thought didn't bother her. Granted, she had instigated the spar, so it was only fair that she didn't hold the repercussions against him.

Her eyes widened slightly at his question and she rolled her head, leaning the temple against the back of the sofa.

"Change anything?"

She let her head roll back to it's original position and stared at the ceiling, the lights dancing in her slightly blurred vision.

"Of course, wouldn't everyone? If you had the chance to stop something from happening or to do something over and fix a mistake, why wouldn't you?"

She paused, hands clinching unconsciously as she remembered her tenuous grip on the side of the building that night. Her tone turned from light-hearted so serious in a moment.

"If I could go back an chose to run or to stay...would I? If I knew that I was going to miss that jump, would I have taken the beating instead? Probably. What would you change, Mr. Harrison?"

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He didn’t look at her once while she talked, but he let her voice sooth him as he drew lazy patterns on the sofa, eyes focusing on the littlest things – a hem in the fabric, a reflection of light, a passing ship outside in the distance.

"Would I change anything. Hm."

His finger tapped on the edge of the sofa, drumming in a pattern, before he patted down with his hand.

"I don’t know. There has been…a lot of hurt following me around. A lot. People I’ve lost due to my own actions, or even being associated with me. It’s those moments I’d try to change, to see what would have happened. If. Why. You know? But then, if I changed it, would I be here, feeling like this talking to you now? Who knows. I’d be stuck living a lie with the Jedi."

Chewing the inside of his mouth, his eyes floated around from the sofa to Ara.

"I probably wouldn’t change anything, no. I wear the scars and carry the memories to push me further, so…maybe that’s what they will do for you? I don’t know."

He then broke into an amused chuckle.

"Wow, this conversation has gone wonderfully macabre! Where are you friends, anyway? The, ah…" he flicked his fingers, "…the other one you’re with and those soldiers. They bailed?"

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

As he talked, Ara shifted, curling her legs up under her and resting on one hip. Her arms crossed over the back of the sofa, head resting on her overlapped hands. The move brought her slightly closer to the man, her gaze meeting his.

"Feeling like this?"

The one phrase stuck out and she prodded him into further explanation. Her fingers played with the edge of the coat he'd discarded, running up and down the seem of the lapel.

"Very pragmatic of you. Hurt follows everyone, Connor. The more you run from it, or try to avoid it, the more it weakens you. Instead, use it to your advantage. You keep telling me to use my fear for something greater, use yours for the same. Find strength in your pain and your hurt. We are not Jedi, to hide our emotions and believe in a perfect world of peace. We use those emotions to fuel us, to strengthen us, and ultimately, to live."

Her gaze stayed steady on his throughout, her fingers idly toying with a button on the front of his jacket. At his chuckle, she burst into a grin, the momentary seriousness wasted away in an instant, the flirting socialite back in full-force.

"I suspect Kaalia is on her way home, plotting her inevitable revenge. Balls aren't quite her....thing and I'm afraid I didn't help her case. I'm not sure where Captain Pharazon disappeared to after he left in such a hurry. It's a shame too, I was hoping to enjoy another dance."

Her eyes dancing with reflected light from the room and she wondered how long he'd been watching them. True, they had hardy been inconspicuous, but her eyes crinkled in amusement.

[member="Connor Harrison"]