Tightrope

[Connor Harrison]

Bastion of Ren
Virgillia, Outer Rim

Connor knew one spot that he’d seen on his tour of the Bastion that would be perfect for what he needed. A little air, a little space, and a lot of reflection. The rear of the Bastion mountain itself led to a large lake, and offered a view of the whole enclosure formed by the mountains and natural formation of the planet they were on. A perfect hideaway for the Ren, hidden amongst nature; the very essence of the Force.

Standing on the bank, he watched a lazy wooden boat paddle along; a fisherman out doing what he did best. A few Disciples and Knights passed him by on the way down, and he greeted them all warmly with a friendly smile.

The view rivalled that of what he had known on Voss. If anything, this was his place now. This was his home away from Avalonia and the First Order. He’d been pushed and pulled around by the Sith, establishing their own Circle of power and giving little room for those new to their ranks. He wasn’t going to jump through hoops forever for their misguidance when he had everything he craved set before him.

When Ara had left her quarters following a rather heated meeting with Kaalia, it had only taken Connor less than a minute to leave her a message to meet him here at a specified time that evening. No cryptic clues or jokes, just a request to talk. Which was what he had to do to sort out his head. It would be pointless to deny that something had happened between the two in her room for a split second, and that there was a mutual desire there.

But, as life had taught him, he either read too much into a moment and it collapsed around where he stood, or he under-estimated it’s truth and lost it through his fingertips when it was too late to grasp it. For such a new start in life, Connor didn’t want to let this – to let her – slip through his fingers.

Their relationship to now had been based on dry wit, a thin degree of trust and not much else. They hadn’t faced danger together, or fought side by side. They’d had a few social interactions and spars. Nothing out of the ordinary. However, if something was there, he needed to know.

He also needed to traverse the tightrope carefully. The minefield had been successfully navigated. Now he had to reach her on the other side and not fall off in the process, because for some reason Connor doubted there would be a safety net if he did.

If she even decided to show up after all, that is.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

She watched him from a distance, not approaching yet, her mind a swirl of emotions. There was anger and pride, her constant companions, but so was uncertainty and fear. Even a lengthy training session just her, an empty room, and her saber hadn't rid the disciple of the access tangle of thoughts and power that had held over from her return to the Bastion. Sometime between the arguing, the reconciliation, and her time alone, night had fallen. The lengthening shadows of gathering dusk made it difficult for her to make out specific people and things, but she knew the shadow on the bank was him.

His aura was as familiar to her as Kaalia's or Talon's. She pulled her cloak a little tighter around her shoulders and leaned against a gnarled tree, a neutral, thoughtful look on her face. His message was simple and to the point, a place, a time, a request to talk.

She knew what he wanted to talk about, the kiss, the shared passion, the anger, all of it was entangled in her mind until she wasn't sure what she wanted.

The disciple glanced back at the Bastion and debated leaving him here, letting the moment that had passed between them become just that, a moment that had passed.

"I want you, Ara.”

She didn't know what to make of the ex-Jedi in their midst. Sometimes he was charming, easily matching her wit and flirting with his own. Sometimes he was the person the Jedi made him, offering a helping hand and an ear to listen, even when someone didn't want either. And sometimes...sometimes he showed promise and power, facing down her anger and fear with his own determination. He mouth curved up in a wicked smile, the image of his eyes corrupted with the darkness within coming to the forefront of her mind.

Power drew power.

""You can be invincible. We can be. Together."

Would they? Or would they tear each other apart in the process?

She stepped away from the tree and followed the path down to where he sat, stopping a few feet away. She knew he'd sense her long before she approached. She smiled easily, returning to the seductive persona she adapted so well, eyes half lidded and lips curled up just enough to invite the object of her attention to approach.

"Connor. Different from Avalonia, but still beautiful isn't it?" She purred with a slight chuckle, nodding towards the view, recalling the last time they'd met to...talk.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Of course, he’d felt Ara behind him for a while now. Their connection seemingly entwine together when near; a mutual channel they both wanted to see where or how far away the other was. It was that connection that told him more than a stubborn head could.

"Very much so,” he sighed. "I used to do this a lot. Just…sit and look at the world I was on. To think about how one day I would command armies across it, or stand with others as we lay waste to it, or liberated it. It’d all be ours, and thus all be mine. So many beautiful worlds to take one at a time for the greater good.”

Inhaling a long breath, Connor looked from left to right across the water, taking in the boat, the mountains around them and the torchlight leading back up through the compound and quarters to the magnificent Bastion above.

One trick to walking a tightrope was confidence, which was also something he lacked.

So, to avoid a fall or a wobble, he had to show…confidence.

There was no point standing and waiting and thinking and looking because it only made the moment worse.

"I meant what I said before, Ara.”

There was no coyness or uncertainty in his voice now.

"I want you. I want us. We can shape a destiny like no-other and have it all if we want to.”

He didn’t look down – rather, at Ara – just yet. His eyes were fixed, blue and out across the water as he took the first step and felt a cool breeze blow across the bay.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

While he talked, she removed her cloak from around her shoulders, folding it up and setting it on a nearby rock. Her boots were the next thing to be removed, set on the ground next to the bundle of black and red fabric. She leaned over to roll both pant legs up to just below her knees, her hair falling forward and creating a curtain between her face and the rest of the world.

”The greater good…sounds like a beautifully Jedi way of thinking.”

Straightening, she unclipped her belt and added it to the mix, her saber swinging freely from it. She glanced at him once, mischievousness swirling in her green eyes. She wondered how he’d react to her needling, but instead of waiting, she waded out into the lake, closing her eyes in pleasure as the cool water rose above her ankles and the wind stirred her hair.

Weeks ago she’d told him that she’d never seen the natural beauty of a world until she’d come to Virgilia, and it was true. Even now, after almost two months of living amongst the jungle and forests, the smells and sights still brought an easy smile to her face.

Her eyes opened as he spoke again, tone certain and determined. She didn’t turn around, her gaze narrowing at the mountains in the distance. The spike of fear from before because a lump in her throat as she considered. She’d accepted them into her life, now she had to decide just how far to take. How much could she risk?

Instead off letting the fear take hold, she laughed. A low, deep chuckle that echoed in the air around them.

”Then come get me, Mr. Harrison.”

Using the name she always did when she was teasing him, she glanced over one shoulder, hair falling around her face in soft waves. Her voice was a deep purr, leaving little to question just what he could have if he wanted it. The attraction between them was obvious and she’d never been one to shy away from pleasure.

She turned to face him, on hand resting on her hip, eyebrow raised in challenge.

”Or are you still too much the Jedi to take pleasure where you find it?”

The challenge was there, the tone, the expression, even her posture. It was easier to pretend this was about physical attraction than to admit that there was more to what he was saying.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

With a narrowed eye, one with a little mischievous glint to it, Connor watched Ara walk by and undress partially. He could pretend to look away and not care, but he didn't. He watched her wade into the water, and only glanced back to see her clothes in a neat pile. A little smile formed.

Her tone stirred him; that playful purr was filled with so much promise. Not just the physical attraction or the want, but everything it had been built on. Two dark forces coming together with more than just a passion for the Dark Side; a passion for the other who controlled it and wanted it.

"I am not a Jedi, and I won't tell you that again, Ara.”

Bang on again - she picked up all his old mannerisms. Shooting her a look, Connor shook his head and stood. Another step forward on the tightrope with confidence and a desire to succeed.

The water swirled around her as she stood there, framed perfectly by the mountains behind and the still water. Like a vision.

Pulling off his boots, he sat them down beside him and rolled his trousers up to the knees. His vest stayed on to cover his torso; the one self-conscious wobble on the tightrope he didn't want her to see, but knew she'd want to one day.

And so, with that glint in his eye, he walked towards the bank. The low damp grass was cool under his feet and the breeze teased his skin. He entered the water, surpisingly warm in the scheme of things, and waded out as the water rose to stand by Ara. The way she held herself and looked...she knew exactly what she was doing.

"Beautiful planet.”

He reached out and looped his arm around her waist, curling his fingers to hold and pull her to him, and he kissed her deeply. A slow kiss, that sparked with that hunger again. But one to relish. He pulled away gently and nodded.

"You're mine now, Ara. And I'm not going to let you go. Look.” With his arm around her, he pulled her around so her back was to him, arm around her waist so she looked out. "This is ours. Whatever you want.”

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

She watched with one eyebrow raised as he divulged himself of boots and rolled up his pant legs as she had. Her taunting grin lasted until he was a hairsbreadth away, his hand snaking behind her back and pulling her against him. Her right hand shot out, resting against his torso as he leaned down and kissed her.

Her left hand traced his jawline up, over the curve of his ears, finally entwining in his hair and pulling him closer to her. For a few moments, rage and fear were replaced by passion and greed.

The connection between then snapped and hissed with the energy that swirled between them. A shiver ran up her spine as he pulled away, a reaction she blamed on the warm water lapping at their legs. Hers eyes were dark with passion, need, and power. She let her finger trace the edge of his jaw as he pulled away, a thoughtful smile curling the edges of her lips.

Her eyes flashed with some unspoken emotion as he made his possessive declaration, her pulse speeding up and her blood pounding in her ears. She let him turn her, his arm still wrapped around her waist. She was glad he couldn't feel the ridgeline of scaring across her ribs beneath the layers of fabric. No doubt he'd have something to say when he eventually did find out.

"Yours, hmm?" She purred, leaning against him, and laying her head back against his shoulder as they looked out over the water.

She reached up and settled one hand on his neck, turning to place her lips opposite.

"Prove it."

With a shift of the hips and a little tug of the power swirling around them, she bent, attempting to break his hold and send him over her side into the warm water.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

Spoiler

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOgpdp3lP8M[/youtube]

 

[Connor Harrison]

As her arm rose to let her hand find his neck, he felt accomplished. She had come to him, and they stood together looking out over the bay where they had found each other. Connor had given her time, and space, and talked to her. Understood her. Been th –

Ara shifted, and dropped, and to safe face falling over, Connor stumbled on one leg and rolled with the awkward angle and fell face first into the water. The warmth swallowed him up for an instant, water running up his nose. Breaking the surface, he gasped and spat out what he had taken in, and brushed his face down, and batted back his sodden hair.

The wobble on the rope was evident after that. Taking one’s eyes off the immediate surroundings to then lose sight of the danger around you.

"What the hell was that?”

He turned away and spat out that horrid taste from the bay, the salt in the water. Right now, he wasn’t impressed. Was this just one big game to the girl? Why did he always invest so much in those who captivated him for him to be toyed with.

"Jesus.”

Dripping wet, he stood apart from her, hands on hips waiting for her idiotic reason.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

That deep chuckled rolled over them both, her eyes sparkling with mirth as she watched him recover and stand there soaking wet.

"That was revenge."

An appraising glance from his head to his toes, had her eyes crinkling with laughter. She could sense the anger rising in him, and she grinned even more. Turning away from him, she made her way back to the shore, pushing her belt aside and sitting on the rock on top of the cushion her cloak made.

She eyed him with a slight tilt of her head, one eyebrow raised.

"If you stay in there, you will catch your death of a cold."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Watching her walk away with that frustratingly smug grin that once was attractive, but now infuriating; Connor looked down at the water and took a deep breath. He could feel it, there. It was bubbling away and he didn’t know why.

It was starting to take his breath away, as if it was taking over his body and ridding him the need to breathe or act on his own accord. The ripples in the water from the droplets from his head caused a mild distraction as he let her go.

Only when she goaded him again did he look up. The blue in those eyes was fading.

"Revenge for what? Because I bruised your ego in our spar?” And then it clicked, and he had to laugh, looking away. Really? For that? "I get it. For the pool. Great.”

He didn’t want to be near her right now. He came to talk and make sense of what had happened, but now he was being ridiculed as always and mocked. Walking away would be better.

Turn back and go back to the start at the first sign of trouble, or head into it with confidence and fight it.

Wet or not, he didn’t care. He waded up out onto the soggy bank, trying to pretend nobody saw what had happened, and kicked up his thick boot. Pushing one foot in, he stamped on the ground to push his foot down against the wet interior and then did the other, tucking wet trousers in. He shot her a look as he felt the breeze tease his cold skin.

"I’ll leave you to whatever amusement you get, alright? When you want to talk again, you know where to find me.”

Turning back on the tightrope as a wind battered him was the safer option.

Or was it the cowards option? Wasn’t that what Connor Harrison was though, a coward? It was easier that way….was it? Safer…for who? Himself?

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

His comments, and the looks he shot her, had the passion immediately replaced with rage. Her ego, bruised? Hardly.

"Are you always this serious, Mr. Harrison?"

She let the words carry on the wind, watching him with a thunderous and disappointed expression.

"It is just water."

She shifted, grabbing the red and black cloak from underneath her and taking two quick strides towards the soaking wet man, shoving the fabric towards him. Her eyes narrowed, the anger, frustration, and disappointment swirling in their depths.

"Maybe I misjudged you. Maybe we all misjudged you."

She eyed him speculatively. Thinking back to all the times he'd proven adept at wielding and using the darkness within, but here he was, running away. Coward. Was that who he was? The word echoed in her mind, a spike of anxiety flaring from the pit of her stomach. She couldn't go down that road or she'd have to inspect her own thoughts and emotions in greater clarity than she had before.

"You called Kaalia weak, because she hadn't embraced the darkness within. And yet, here you are, running away because a little girl dropped you in some water."

She tsked, and stepped around, leaving him with the heavy cloak to use if he wanted. Her belt and saber settled back around her waist with a few jerky motions, she turned to face him, hands on her hips, expression flashing.

"For all your talk of us being invincible, all I see is weakness. When you find the strength I have seen peaking out, when you stop running away from it, come find me."

She grabbed her boots in one hand and turned away, anger swirling. Stupid. She was stupid to have let him in, to believe he had seen the darkness and like it. A bruised ego and moment of pride sent him running. Even Kaalia had found strength in her anger. Would he? Or would he fail?

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He didn’t know what enraged him more.

The heavy handed pushing of her robes to him, as if he needed to huddle up and dry off like a frail man.

The patronising tuts and smirks and shakes of the head.

The fact he had been called up on giving advice and not taking it, which meant Kaalia had spoken behind his back.

The fact she doubted him.

The fact he had come across as he always had done in the past to them all.

Weak.

His mouth drew in, as the muscles seemed to spasm and his chest tighten, like his fingers did into the fabric. They were not required, and he tossed them down behind him into the water, letting them float gently on the surface before the weight drew them under.

And there she was, walking away to her new fancy and the next man she could ensnare, wind-up, flirt with and drop. Back to Kaalia, to gossip and plot and joke around more. It was people like her who destroyed Orders from the inside out. She doubted his loyalty? THEY had doubted him??

With staggered breathing, an overwhelming rage inside him ready to come out, his body tense and pained with yet another failure, Connor’s fingers clenched into fists so tight, the bone of his knuckles coloured the skin. He wouldn’t see the amber in his eyes, more corrupt than they had been.

All he could see was rage.

She would feel his darkness, and probably smirked because of it. But maybe the sensation of one hand on her back and the other on her arm would surprise her. Connor was on her in a second, and with his hands he threw her backwards to the bank where she had walked from.

And he was on her again in another second, chest heaving, face set, teeth gritted and glimmers of that “former Jedi” burning away under the swelling of his tense muscles and his fiery eyes.

"You have no idea of the pain I will cause.”

Lunging down, he hoisted her up by the thin fabric of her top and pulled her face to him and glared at her. He hated her. He despised this creature who toyed with his feelings and his loyalty. Like them all before her, the admirers and the Jedi alike, she would pay.

And with that, his right boot came up to the gut and violently kicked her back to the shore of the bay. The evening mist crawled around them, and the torch lights continued to burn gently around their Bastion. The water was quiet. The galaxy was still.

On the shore, the Dark Side was now in control.

And it wasn’t close to finishing.

He stalked towards her…

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

She felt the spike in power, that connection between them snapping like a live-wire as he lit up with rage. The smirk he suspected would be present grew, her eyes taking on that yellow-red hue that was becoming more and more permanent, as the power leaked through their connection. Good, Connor, get angry. Find that rage and let it out. That is how you become powerful.

His hands on her weren’t a surprise, but the direction of the throw was. She’d expected him to use her momentum to send her forward, instead, she felt herself flying through the air and crashing onto the bank on her back.

Even her hastily thrown out hands couldn’t stop the pain of impact from reverberating through her, her breath gone in a moment of impact but quickly returning. Before she could do anything but smile, he was on her again, hands twisted in the fabric of her shirt, pulling her to her feet.

They were mere inches away from each other but nothing of the passion from earlier was there. No, his eyes, his face, and the bond between them fed from his pure anger. She should be afraid of his threat, this man who had far more experience than she, who had controlled powers the disciple could only dream of, but she wasn’t.

She was thrilled and intrigued and proud, just as she’d been with Kaalia earlier that day.

”Good boy.” She used the same words he’d used on her the multiple times she’d given in just as he was. ”Show me, then.”

The words were barely out of her mouth when his boot connected with the soft flesh of her stomach, sending her crashing against the bank. She licked blood from her lips as she rolled over, her wicked grin still present as he continued stalking towards her.

”Prove it, Connor. Prove it to me.”

She lashed out with the Force, one hand outstretched, pushing him away. She considered drawing her saber but stopped. This was about power and control, and that line would push him over the edge.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

The fact she talked to him like a child, like a student, made his blood boil more and the breath tightened in his lungs. Each grin and mock weighed on his chest, and he felt stronger with each moment, as if he was literally fuelled by the Dark Side.

He gave himself to it.

He didn’t need to talk to the Ren anymore.

Palm out, he absorbed her blast, letting wisps of sand flutter up from the disturbed ground from the small ripple in the Force as he did. And he shot a look to her saber, feeling her desire to use it. So he did.

Calling it to his palm, it slapped hard on the skin and in a split-second the bright red blade ignited to demonically illuminate his features as he stood above her. The glowing blade angled down, below her breasts and above her bruised stomach, ready to run her through. The death of Ara would be his sacrifice and his banishment of the thing that held him back.

He looked at her for a moment, face made of stone.

She wanted to die.

Without warning, he cried out and turned, the violent sound of the blade passing by her head as he carve it into the ground. The saber died as it fell, and Connor knelt on one knee and punched ground hard. And harder again with another hit, sending a small rumble under the earth.

He stood, breathing hard and raised his hands and spat up chunks of the ground, slabs of earth rising and collapsing into dust, his cry of rage resulting in a tremor she would feel as he spiked. The water behind her splashed as he tore up the bank.

And then, he turned back to Ara, hungry to hurt her.

He clenched his left fist to crush her windpipe and lifted her with a grip from his right. He wanted to watch her choke, to beg to submit. If not, the pain would continue until she submitted, or died.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

As her saber was turned against her, a growl of rage pulled itself from her throat. She threw her hands out, summoning the power she’d used before, the one that had saved her from a blast of fire. Once again, she demanded the power she wielded protect her. And once again it did her bidding, an invisible barrier forming between her and the man towering over her prone form.

She’d pushed him to the breaking point and now he broke. One of them would die, and right now, it was very likely to be her.

Her eyes narrowed, the sulfur taking over her gaze. She would not die here. Not by his hand or anyone else’s.

As suddenly as it came, her bade imbedded itself in the ground beside her head, near enough that the crack and hiss of the blade echoed through her psyche, for a moment the only sounds in the clearing they fought in. She watched him with cold eyes as he took his rage out on the ground around them, power still gathered in a protective shield should she need it again.

This was darkness taking over, this was rage and hurt and frustration channeled into power. She couldn’t ridicule him anymore. He’d done what she’d asked and shown her power, nearly destroying her in the process. It was a seductive feeling, the force that sang through her blood and her mind. And she wanted more.

She moved, grasping the abandoned hilt of her saber and turned those corrupt eyes on him, for a moment sure that he was done, sure that he had turned his attention to their surroundings instead of the taunting of the disciple before him. She dropped her barrier, an instant mistake as invisible threads wrapped around her throat, squeezing the breath and life from her.

This wasn’t the taunting, teasing pressure form before, this was raw fury, restricting her muscles until she dropped her blade, fingers scrabbling uselessly against his attack. His hands moved in tandem, lifting her above the ground and choking until spots danced in front of her eyes.

Submit.

The thought drifted over the breeze, from their connection or pushed into her head by his command, she wasn’t sure. But it was there. He showed her his power, unlocked his potential, and now she had to accept it and submit to it, or die.

This battle of wills would end, one way or another. And he’d done as she asked. This was the Connor who could conquer worlds, defeat his enemies, and stand invincible.

And now she had a choice.

Death was calling, it always had. But so was strength. His strength.

With one last rage-filled growl, she released her hold on the power swirling through them, lowering her hands, eyes boring into his. He’d control his darkness or not and just like in the cave on Dagobah, she gave up control.

Spoiler

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Eye contact remained, and the world around the two vanished in a black vortex. Her body held aloft, and not one ounce of remorse from Connor. This was the power he wanted; to care, but not to care. To do what he wanted, and for them to remember him. To feel his wrath. To feel his power.

Her flushed face started to go red, and her body went limp as hands feebly clawed at her own throat. Yet, in her eyes, Connor saw her submit.

He let go of her throat and her body at the same time, letting her fall and land however ungracefully she had to.

Inhaling the fresh air around him, Connor puffed his chest out and looked down at Ara, watching her.

Closing the distance, he once again picked her up, this time by her arm, and roughly held her before him so he could see and smell everything about her. Fear. Lust. Blood. Sweat. Rage. Disgust. Want.

He shook her body once.

"If you cross me, or betray my trust, or belittle me again, I will break you down and wipe that grin of your face forever.” Another shake. "Got it?”

Feeding from the sickly yellow eyes she looked at him with, Connor let go of her arm, pushing her back a step as if tossing away a toy he no longer got enjoyment from after it was broken. She could stay and stew and pout or cry on her own. She had ridiculed him when he wanted to talk, and now he had said what he had to say.

Connor the feeble Jedi was close to bleeding out inside his soul, and it felt good to let him go.

The tightrope had been crossed, but where he stood now, and where Ara stood, couldn't be seen through the haze of red mist between them.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

They locked eyes for a moment, his a rage-filled red, hers a sickly-yellow amber. For a moment, she wondered if he was truly going to kill her, the black haze encroaching on the edges of her vision was testament to the fact that she’d need air soon. If it came down to him or her, she’d fight again.

As quickly as the thought appeared, his hold on her throat and body vanished, the disciple landing in a heap, gasping for breath. She shifted to her knees, tossing her hair behind her, as his iron grip wrapped around her upper arm, pulling her roughly to her feet.

They were inches away again, his grip keeping her upright and immobile even as he shook her. Her expression stayed flat and neutral, lips pulled tight, his fingers tight enough to leave bruises.

"If you cross me, or betray my trust, or belittle me again, I will break you down and wipe that grin of your face forever. Got it?”

He pushed her away before she could answer, the disciple stumbling before righting herself and turning to face the once ex-Jedi. The connection still sparked and popped, this time motivated by anger instead of attraction.

She wanted him the way he’d wanted him earlier, but in this state, he’d laugh her off. Or worse. The power he’d gathered taunted her, pulled at her, until all she wanted was to grab a hold of it and wrap it around her. To do so would instigate another battle, one she might not survive. And so she resisted the urge, all of her urges.

”Are you in control, Connor, or is it the darkness?”

Her voice was flat, cautionary. A simple question searching for an honest answer. She was careful not to tip him over the edge with a joke or a smile, instead watching him with a leery respect born of strength.

She walked towards him, stopping a few inches away, staring up at him without fear. She would submit to his power, but she wouldn’t fear him. Not Connor Harrison. Not the broken Jedi she’d met wandering the streets of Avalonia. Not the man who’d flirted and danced with her in the lounge at the top of the Opera House until the sun rose over the horizon. Not the man who’d shown a willingness to spar and fight with her, not pulling a punch or holding back. She had a scar to prove it. The only one of her scars she was proud to have earned.

No, she would not fear him. Not now, not ever.

The knot of fear and anger had hardened long before, replaced with a grim certainty that he was lost to her. She’d admitted to herself hours ago that she wanted him and Kaalia in her life. That she wanted him in her life, but she’d pushed too far.

”No, you are not a Jedi anymore, Mr. Harrison.”

She conceded to his earlier comment, her voice hard and somewhere deep in the back approving of the change. She continued walking past him, half expecting another attack or grab or anything. At this point, she’d be surprised if he did anything else.

She waded into the lake, not caring about the water or her pants and plucked the sopping wet bundle of fabric from the bottom of the shin-high edge. She clenched the fabric in her fist, glaring at it instead of him and tossed the mass towards the bank before wading back out.

She was angry again. Angry at herself. Angry at him. Angry at the Rouge who had gotten them in this situation in the first place.

”You have the power now, Connor. What will you do with it?”

She met his gaze and for a moment, opened the connection between them, a connection she’d subconsciously kept locked tight from fear. She left the swirling emotions bubble behind her eyes, allowing him to see that last chink in her armor. He knew her fears and her strengths, and now he would see them both in one form…him.

The wash of want, fear, rage, pride, vanity, even poised neutrality was there. It was a risk, but if they were to salvage anything of this encounter, it was her only option.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

Spoiler

Take my hand
I give it to you
Now you owe me
All I am
You said you would never leave me
I believe you
I believe

I can feel you all around me
Thickening the air I'm breathing
Holding on to what I'm feeling
Savoring this heart that's healed

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor stayed deathly still, controlling his rage and lust for violence, and regulated his breathing. His chest rose and fell gently. His hands were now half-unclenched. His eyes were still corrupt. Ara came closer, and he already saw a difference; he felt it too.

Maybe a line had been crossed…but she pushed him over it. She knew what she was doing, and to be honest, Connor wanted to be pushed. He needed the push. The reason to unleash the power in him that only wanted to get stronger. He had assaulted her, but her life had never been in danger, for Ara was never going to suffer with Connor around. He would break apart those who even touched her.

Her voice was a little gentler, and the tone a little more careful when she spoke.

"I am in control.”

That was all he needed to say.

He decided how hard to fight, or who would be destroyed under him. Nobody knew this Connor now, not even Ara. Not even the man himself. But he was in control. And they would discover that if they pushed him.

Watching her retrieve her sodden robes and picking up on the anger in her actions, and the glint in her eyes when she looked at him, Connor wasn’t surprised. He wasn’t worried. He had acted, and he had been honest. If she would leave him, then it meant she simply wasn’t meant to be. If she stayed, then he would be right here for her, regardless of the bumps along the way.

"I will be me,” he said when quizzed about his power. "It’s time they saw me for who I am. So be it.”

Connor then looked down to Ara, the red marks on her face and the damp hair over her shoulder. He reached out and placed his hand around the back of her neck, holding her with no brute strength, but a grip that was unmistakable in motive.

"What will you do now, Ara.”

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

The disciple nodded once in response to his answer about control and his power. Yes, maybe now he truly was himself. Only time would tell what kind of changes would be wrought in all of them after today.

When he reached out and wrapped his hand around her neck, she stood still, eyes glowing with corruption and emotions swirling.

What would she do? What could she do?

With a growl that was a mix of every emotion swirling through her, she reached up and roughly entwined her fingers in his hair. She rose up on her toes even as she pulled him down to her, her other hand resting against the back of his neck.

This kiss was all fire, anger, and need, nothing soft or gentle about it. He might throw her away, and she’d deal with it, but for just a moment she let him in. Her ribs ached from the force of his kick and the pressure as she pulled him against her, but the pain only fueled her more. Blood still trickled from a cut on her lip, but every new pain and ache was secondary.

She pulled away slightly, fingers still wrapped in the tendrils of hair at the base of his skull.

”This is the Connor who will bring the universe to its knees.”

She stared up at him with those amethyst eyes and smiled, nothing but pride and want shining from their depths.

”Look. This is yours."

She echoed his own words back to him, guiding his gaze and lips back to hers for a moment before pulling away again, breathing ragged from the kiss, the rush of emotions, and the battle before. She felt more alive here, surrounded by the darkness that fed them both, than she ever had.

Spoiler

 

[Connor Harrison]

She was now his.

His hand stayed on her neck as she kissed him, and in fed from her; the want and passion, the lust, the rage, the hunger. It was all there in the connection just between lips. He tasted blood from her lip.

Licking it off his own with a slow draw of the tongue, Connor nodded as he enjoyed the sensation of fingers through his hair.

"We will do it together.”

The hand snaked from her neck and he drew it down the side of her face, looking into those venomous eyes. Behind it all was a dark, dangerous and deadly woman waiting to be unleashed and she was so close…so close. His fingers drew down her cheek and brushed past her lips.

"We will progress through the ranks and lead others to cut down those standing against the Order. We will murder. We will ravage. We will burn. We will do whatever we must. Together.”

His hand gripped her hair and another kiss followed. Connor drew his other hand to hers and placed it on his chest to feel his thundering heart.

"Nothing will stand in our way.”

Offering her the first slight smile since their encounter on the desolate bay, he dropped a little and placed his hands under her rear and lifted her up, now face to face as she sat in his hands.

"You belong to me now, and you will be invincible for it.”

The torchlight in the distance dotted the way back to the Bastion, all boats since moored up. As the water lapped up gently, Connor carried Ara along the soft grassy ground, nuzzling her neck, all the way to a secluded spot, framed by the bay and the purple-brown mountains.

The Dark Side pulsated between them in a mix of lust, passion, desire and greed as they became one under the thin blanket of stars above.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

The wind blew through their hide-away, stirring the leaves on the trees that ringed the edge of the lake. Small ripples grew and broke the still surface of the water as it lapped against the shore, one of the only sounds echoing through their surroundings at this late hour. Ara turned her head to her left, watching her companion with appraising eyes and a soft smile. Had [member="Connor Harrison"] fallen asleep or was he just enjoying a few moments of peace like she was?

She shifted, propping herself up on one elbow, running a finger lightly down one of the many scars that pitted and marked his back. If he was anything like herself, each one held a story and an emotion. Was he proud of them or were they reminders of battles lost?

She moved her hand away before she could disturb him, her fingers straying towards the new raised scar on her left side. Stopping short of actually touching the thick red mark that ran from the top of her rib cage and wrapped around to the front of her body, ending at her eighth rib, she balled her hand into a fist and let her gaze roam around the clearing for her discarded clothing.

Pulling her underclothes, pants, and shirt on, she winced as she was once again a bundle of abused muscles and aching soreness. He hadn't pulled any punches earlier and the radiating ache from her back, torso, and upper arm were precursors to the glorious bruises she'd have in the morning. Already she could make out the faint yellow-green outline of his hand on her upper arm.

She chuckled quietly to herself, amused rather than angry. Besides, she'd rather enjoyed the outcome of the encounter.

With another lingering glance at the man beside her, she stood and wandered to the edge of the lake. Her aching muscles craved the warmth of the bathing pools within the Bastion towering over the lake and the surrounding forests. She wasn't quite ready to return to the labyrinth of stone halls, to the Order and her duties as a Disciple of Ren. It was a beautiful evening, the wind stirring and lifting wisps or hair from her face, she'd be content to enjoy it a bit longer.

She waded into the water up to her waist, heedless of the clothing she wore. Both she and her attire were a mess, covered in dirt and other signs of their time spent in the wild this evening. A quick swim would do them both good.

Diving under the water, she closed her eyes and sighed softly as the warm water soothed the aches and pains of another scuffle. She stayed under as long as her lungs would let her, breaking the surface with a gasp.