The Saber Of Damocles

[Connor Harrison]

”I can hear you smirking, you know. Your eyes tell me all I need to know.”

With a little confidence growing inside, he walked slowly to her desk, standing before it, leaving her in the shadows watching him. He picked up a little ornament and looked over it.

”Back then I didn't have as much control as I do now. I was confused, I was reckless, I was angry.” He tossed the item back down, not caring. ”It wasn't me. But now, it is.”

He slid around and sat in her chair, linking his hands and leaning back

”What's on offer? Well, Connor Harrison, the man you've wanted all these years. That's on offer. All that power and potential you saw in me, among other things. I have a few matters I need to settle first. But right now I'm in a place I never thought I be, or relish being, and there was only one person I could think of who'd be happy about it. Lady Arcanix. But of course, that begs the question I asked, will you stand with me, or against me?”

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"My answer to that hasn't changed," Taeli replied, slowly walking out of the shadows. "Whether we stand together as allies or apart as enemies will largely depend on what you do in the coming days and weeks, Connor. If you survive your rather... extenuating matters, we will discuss more about what I might have planned and what we might achieve together."

She didn't let it show in her body language or her voice, but a small part of her was rather annoyed that he had taken her seat at her desk.

"Rarely do we find ourselves in positions we expected to be," she added, almost as an afterthought. "I never expected to find a Jedi sister after all or a sister who I trained into a Sith Knight that was feared and respected by others and who became a Lady within her own right. But... one does what one can with the situation. Pesky distractions do derail the best laid plans I found, so one must always account for them when planning their... goals."

 

[Connor Harrison]

He watched her walk around, now more in sight from where he sat.

"Goals? Plans? Care to share any of this? You know I'm not here to weed you out. If anything it's kind of exciting knowing you're probably a manipulative, dangerous lady once more. Makes me feel everything you said before was just a ruse - part of a game.”

Connor sat forward, resting his elbows on her desk.

"I am going to survive these weeks ahead, I've had to before and I will again. With the fallout from Korriban, we are due to have the one responsible on trial soon and I'm not going to let matters swamp me again. I'm taking control, because nobody else ever does anymore.”

Slowly he began tapping his fingers gently on the desk.

"I was always secretly disappointed when I lost you the first time. When you turned, I mean. I thought I was on the verge of something life-changing, and it never came to be.”

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"You weren't ready then," Taeli answered simply, pacing slowly in front of the desk now. "I always wanted it to be your choice... as those are the turnings that are always the most lasting and effective. Back then, it would not have been you truly making the choice."

She gave a small laugh as a thought passed through her mind. She wasn't going to share what it was yet, but if he survived his personal vendetta trip, maybe she would share it.

"You were never one to play the game," Taeli continued. "You might appreciate the delicate strings that must be pulled to influence or control, but you have always been rather... brash when it comes to events. I've always been a dangerous manipulator, one who can play the game from the shadows. If you want to know my plans and goals, and how you might figure into them, survive the rather obvious trap that awaits against this... Darth Ignus."

 

[Connor Harrison]

The little smile across his face faded at the mention of Ignus. A rather obvious statement, but she knew him better than others and knew it would be a trap as well as he did.

"Ignus. I know it's a trap. He's laid all the breadcrumbs for someone as reckless as I. Cutting up Kyra Sol, taking my old saber. What else does he need to do bait me.”

With that, he stood, slipping out of the chair and indicating for her to sit if she wished, back where she belonged, and he edged to the window, leaning back on it and folding his arms to let himself become enveloped in the play of light and dark shadows around the room.

"I will survive it. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve and I will do anything I have to in order for him submit to me.” He was honest in his words. "Anything. And if means you let me in, it's even more of a reason to succeed, right?”

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

She took her seat, settling back at her desk as he walked over to the window. Here he was, on the cusp of becoming something else... and she would simply watch and see what exactly that would be for now. She was curious whether he would come back in one piece from his little vendetta. She had never been one to pursue vengeance unless it was truly in her interests to strike down someone that had wronged her. There was a time and place for such things, but usually in her opinion, they were few and far between.

In her mind, she wouldn't have given this Sith any personal attention as it was too obvious he was trying to draw in his prey. She would have gone with another route, but that wasn't something Connor could or would do. He always liked dealing with problems himself.

"Then I suggest you go deal with this enemy of yours," Taeli said. "He clearly wants your attention and it would be rude to not give him some sort of reply."

 

[Connor Harrison]

With a nod, he knew when Taeli had made her point, and right now Ignus was the barrier between everything he thought he was and everything she thought he wanted. So it was better to take the barrier down now sooner than later.

"You’re right. I have few things to get from Voss first.”

Drumming his fingers on the window, he pushed off and stood back before her desk as he had numerous times and leaned over a little.

"I will be back soon.”

Smiling, he gave her a small nod and turned to leave, focusing on the door of her office with the lights playing out behind him sending little shapes and spirals on the far wall.

"I’ve missed this side of you. Welcome back, my Lady.”

He smirked to himself as he continued to walk, leaving her office without looking back but feeling much more confident he may not yet be truly alone if he stuck to being himself.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

As he left, Taeli leaned back in her chair and just let the revelations he had disclosed wash over her mind. Oh yes, he would be a most interesting figure to add to the board and she would be very curious to see just what sort of results that might bring. Still, she would wait and see how he would be upon his return. For now, she had business to attend to in Wild Space. It was high time they began the full tests on the Adegan cloaking device her researchers had developed.

On a whim, she sent a coded message to one of her Masqurade droids to shadow Connor's ship when he left. While Connor was confident about stepping into this trap, she wanted both eyes and ears in whatever system he ended up in... and an asset in play in case Connor ended up needing a pick up. Sith never played fair after all.

"Another piece to the puzzle fits in now," she mumbled, getting out of her chair and making her way to where her research team was waiting.