Troubles In Paradise

[Connor Harrison]

Ta'a Chume'Dan, Hapes
Hapes System​

Hapes. Surrounded by shimmering nebulae, and with seven moons in the sky after sunset, it really was a planet touched by beauty for the unspoilt wilderness of broad oceans, snow-peaked mountains and lush primeval forest, where tightly-controlled commercial fisheries and game-preserves were the major focus of activity.

This serenity also touched upon the city of Ta'a Chume'Dan, overlooked by the magnificent Fountain Palace. It was a reminder to all of the power held by those in the Hapes Consortium and the decisions made by them to enforce their independence and neutrality in the galaxy.

It was only a small city, but was situated next to a tranquil ocean and littered with commercial and industrial sectors that helped keep many Hapans working and also providing entertainment and education for all.

It was also the place where Krius Syonis had first demonstrated his power in controlling the Force. Remnants of the disbanded Ni'Korish faction from eons ago still saw Jedi as a threat, and in that notion any Force User. As the Ni'korish who killed his mother in a demonstration of their resilience were simply Non-Force Users, Krius's rage helped destroy a portion of small administrative building and kill the Ni'Korish in a display of power that he believed all those with the Force should have.

Krius had returned to the planet, and in time the city itself, to see how opinions had changed, if at all, and try to find out a little more of the history of this city and the conflicts there from the Ni'Korish uprising to the Sith-Imperial war. Any knowledge he could assimilate from the past would go to shape his definition of what the future should be for Force Users who would not stand to be labelled and hidden away in fear or darkness.

But for now, he simply sat on a small set of stone steps leading to a walkway in front of the ocean, with the Palace overlooking him straight ahead. Maybe he would find answers, maybe he wouldn't. Maybe he would attract trouble, or sympathisers. But it wouldn't phase him; this was all part of the puzzle to fit together.


[member="Switch"]

 

[Switch]

Switch truly did not know how she'd feel as she stepped off the transport shuttle. As looked upon the streets of Ta'a Chume'Dan, she was struck with an unexplainable and potent catharsis. She had been having dreams about her foster parents, about her upbringing, and the sham that it truly was. She had felt an unprecedented yearning to explore her... home planet.

Is this my home planet? I guess so... Why's the city so small?

It was a strange experience. Everything here was absolutely breathtaking! The streets and structures were so clean... and the people, they were so beautiful... She directed her attention towards a grand structure that put the others to shame. That must be the Fountain Palace. She loosed an appreciative whistle, mostly for her own benefit. The impressive building sat atop a series of dark, rocky crags, looking over the rest of the city.

As Switch began walking, a strange mood began to seep its way in. All of this... all these things, and people... This is what she could have had... Her subconscious smile fell from her face, as she broke out into a steady jog, making her way for the sea. She tried to avoid pedestrians, but she bumped a few shoulders in the process. She didn't care.

This was all just too real somehow, this place was too perfect. She leaned her form against a nearby building to catch her breath as she slowed down, before collapsing onto the cold stone on her hands and knees.

Dammit... I gotta stop smoking... She couldn't help but chuckle at her embarrassing display. She hadn't expected to get this emotional when she hit ground.

"So... home, huh?" She said to nobody in particular, gazing out over the pristine ocean.

[member="Krius Syonis"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He actually had found a small place in Hapes to discover serenity. It was a beautiful city, and in a warm glow from the sun above bouncing off the tranquil water of the ocean, Krius could see the potential the planet had to become something of a figurehead in the galaxy for perfection, like him and his kind.

Without realising it, he was watching the amusing sight of a petite girl having an ocean front run, to the annoyance of the other Hapans there.

Resting his arms on his knees of his dark fuschia jumpsuit, thankfully without his jacket, it kept him cool and comfortable for exploration such as this.

He didn't flinch as the girl fell to her knees, she wasn't dead after all. But he could feel her presence in the Force, and she wasn't sensitive to the power at all. A Non Force User. It was plain to see how weak she was fighting for breath, and it made perfect sense.

He sat and watched her.

[member="Switch"]

 

[Switch]

As she rose to shaky feet, Switch brushed off a thin layer of dust that has settled on the knees of her worn tan cargo pants. She could feel judgmental stares from the occasional passerby digging into her, making the hairs on her neck stand on end. If these people had a problem, it didn't concern her in the slightest. Nobody had cared to ask if she was okay after all...

As she readjusted the fit of her black long-sleeved shirt, pulling it's end back down over her waistline and fixing her sleeves to cover her palms, she locked eyes with someone. A man was sitting by himself, clad in a dark fuchsia jumpsuit, with his relaxed hands dangling in front of his knees. More importantly, she had caught the man staring at her, or at least enjoying a particularly long glance.

He couldn't have been mush more than thirty, he dark hair, and he was tall. He was certainly handsome, but something about him bothered her. A look that she saw on his face for a brief moment when their eyes met. A look she had seen before. He did not approve. She didn't know why, or if she had imagined it, but this man had been watching her.

She cupped her hands over her mouth, projecting her voice without having to scream out. "See anything ya like!?" She didn't mind bothering the people passing by, she wanted to see what this's guy's deal was.

[member="Krius Syonis"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

It was all rather entertaining, so why not carry on with her, as she clearly had a fire inside. Her shout was surprisingly loud, so she certainly wasn't shy, which he admired.

Time to cool her down a little.

In the most casual of moves, Krius flicked his right hand up in a swinging motion. He watched as nice amount of water shot from the ocean below and across onto the girl.

Not a wave, mind you, he wasn't that cruel. Not yet. Just enough to stoke the fire inside her.

A small chuckle came from him, still resting on his knees.


[member="Switch"]

 

[Switch]

The man did some kind of motion with his hand. Switch tilted her head in confusion, not getting his meaning. Was that some kind of greeting? Was he brushing her off? Was he-

Her thought process was suddenly brought to a grinding halt as a reasonable amount of splashed over her. It got down the back of her shirt, and in her hair... and it was cold!

Blinking for a moment, Switch suddenly made a connection. This man had made a hand gesture, and then she got splashed. He was a forcer, and he had just pranked her! Oh that little... With a huff, she walked briskly his way, eyes zeroed in on her target.

Reaching the man, Switch crossed her arms over her chest, the movement uncomfortable due to her shirt's material clinging so forcefully to her torso. In an attempt to be as intimidating as a woman in wet hair and clothes could be, she looked down at him, obstructing his light. Punctuating her every word by leaning in a bit closer, she gritted her teeth. "What... The Hell... Was that!?"

[member="Krius Syonis"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Here she came. Wet and angry. Almost attractive, but pity she was one of the weak ones. He didn't break eye contact as she stomped over looking rather irritated, and then here she was stood before him.

"What the hell was what?" A smile cracked on his lips, offering her a shrug. "The Hapan tides are a little erratic, you should be more careful."

Krius wasn't going to break his demeanour yet, he was too relaxed, but he didn't need her going on at him. He did like her spirit though, a little damp now, but admirable.

"Do you need a towel?"


[member="Switch"]

 

[Switch]

The tides huh...

Switch gathered her hair into her hands ringing the water out of it onto the ground between them. She hadn't taken her eyes off of the man, staring daggers. This guy had a lot of brass, she'd give him that.

"Do you need a towel?" Was he serious? Of course she fething needed a towel! Even if he was serious, which was unlikely, she wouldn't accept it, it would only compound her embarrassment. She had brief notion of shaking off on him, like some kind of dog, but it wouldn't even get him wet enough to matter.

With a sigh, her arms fell back to her sides. That spike of righteous anger had departed as quickly as it came, and now she was merely tired. Rubbing a finger over her eyes, she worked her expression into a calmer one. "Just... Never mind. Sorry to get in your face." She didn't bother saying she knew he did it. If he wanted to play pranks, what was she gonna do?

[member="Krius Syonis"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He could tell she was irked by him, and who wouldn't be? But it was the benefit of being born with such a power, and the enjoyment of simply seeing those beneath him.

But, yet, he wasn't a bully. That wasn't his style. He didn't have the time for beings such as her, but yet he would never bully one as young, naïve and weak as this one.

Krius stood up, away from the water droplets she was ringing from her body and clothes.

"The anger and disappoint is strong in you. What are you here on Hapes for - I doubt you will find the answers you are seeking my dear."


[member="Switch"]

 

[Switch]

Switch froze in place it his words. Was he looking inside her head? What did he mean?!

Her quest to dry herself abandoned, she brought her hands to the collar of the man's jumpsuit, digging her fingers into the material. She pulling him close, going up on her toes to meet hit stature better. "Listen! All because you have force tricks, don't think you can just preach down to me!"

What did this man care about her business? Why was he talking to her with those cryptic forcer words? And why was he looking at her with that disgusted glint in his eye. She'd seen it before.

[member="Krius Syonis"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

The lightning fast action from the girl took Krius by surprise; not all of his Force use was spent foreseeing the future, or such people's actions.

Maybe it should be, if she was anything to go by.

He was yanked violently forward, and he could see the pain and suspicion her eyes. But her words echoed the very thing he was about; preaching the potential of those with the Force. He brought his head back, sizing her up and looking into her eyes.

"I don't need to look inside your fragile mind my dear to see how close you are to breaking."

Krius tilted his head slightly.

"Use that anger inside you and prove to yourself you're not as pathetic as you look to me now."


[member="Switch"]

 

[Switch]

"I don't need to look inside your fragile mind my dear to see how close you are to breaking."

Her eyes widened. This man was looking directly at her. She desperately searched his eyes for some shred of doubt, some glimmer of... anything. There was nothing but cold, confident assurance of his words. He was seeing through her shell, and he had passed his judgment.

Switch was afraid. Her carefully constructed façade, her callous exterior, was coming unraveled, and this was the man who had plucked it loose so easily. Her hands were shaking... so hard that it was causing an ache in her arms, but she couldn't let him go. If she did, she might collapse.

"Use that anger inside you and prove to yourself you're not as pathetic as you look to me now."

Don't say that... you can't say that... I'm not....

With an almost feral shove, she pushed him away. "Just! get back..." She started strong, but her voice broke before she could finish.

This wasn't why she'd come here. This was supposed to make her better! He shouldn't be here!

[member="Krius Syonis"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Her weak body pushed him away, well, more of a shove than a push. Krius thought she was certainly interesting, but he couldn't pinpoint why. It was her potential to be something so much more.

"Don't stop now when it was there to be released. Come on, you've scared everyone else away, it's just me and you now."

What he said was partly true, a few Hapans were busying themselves by the side of the waters and a few tending to the ornate gardens around them, but all ignoring the squabble. But they wouldn't hesitate to call in the officials should anything get out of hand. But Krius wasn't even worried about those beings.

Without warning he brought up his hand and made a clenched fist shape. In his mind he used the Force to wrap around her throat and squeeze it gently.

"I could just put you out of your misery here but we are having so much fun, it'd be a shame to."

He kept the pressure on....watching her....reading her...

... and the he dropped his hand, and released her.


[member="Switch"]

 

[Switch]

Switch could not check to see if she was truly alone with him, couldn't break away from that stare. She wasn't sure if this was some force trick. There was something compelling about this stranger. A power that was perceptible, even to the likes of her...

He made a fist before her, and before she could discern its purpose, she felt a phantom grip around her neck.

"I could just put you our of your misery here..." She could still breathe, but there was a definitive stress on her throat. There was nothing she could do at this point... He could kill her easily, and it seemed like he would...

"...but we are having so much fun, it'd be a shame to." The pressure around her neck remained. With a shiver running down her spine, Switch closed her eyes, finally breaking eye their mutual stare. Was this submission?

All of a sudden, the pressure around her neck vanished. She had full freedom to breath again, but all she could manage was an inward shudder. Her shoulders hunched inward, her head bowed forward, and her eyes closed tightly. It took the last bit of her pride to stop her collapse to her knees. at his feet.

[member="Krius Syonis"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Kris was demonstrating the power of which flowed through him, and why his kind would dominate the entire galaxy against those who oppressed and held them back. Before the girl collapsed, Krius softly walked towards her and circled her body like a predator toying with prey.

"You see how easily I now own you? I could break you in a heartbeat and make you experience pain like nothing you ever have before."

He stood behind her and placed his hand on the base of her spine.

"I can feel everything flowing through you and can read your emotion that is stemming from you."

His other hand wrapped around her to touch her stomach, his voice becoming a mere whisper.

"I despise you and your kind. I will show everyone the true power that Gods are born with. Gods like me."

Krius leaned to her ear.

"Now tell me, why are you here and why are you living when you clearly welcome death?"


[member="Switch"]

 

[Switch]

Before she could think, his arms were around her, supporting her frame.

"You see how easily I now own you? I could break you in a heartbeat and make you experience pain like nothing you ever have before." He was behind her now, his words echoing in her head, the shameful truth of them stinging like a brand. It was as if there were a stain on her soul, something wretched inside her. Did he put it there... or... Maybe he was merely shining a cruel light on what was there already. Some fundamental weakness, hiding in the dark.

"I can feel everything flowing through you and can read your emotion that is stemming from you." He put his hand on the bas of her spine, and she could only shiver at his touch. He could see her. All of her. She was naked before him. For the first time, she was truly, and completely defenseless.

"I despise you and your kind. I will show everyone the true power that gods are born with. Gods like me." His other hand slid to her stomach, its firm pressure imprisoning her against him. He was merely whispering now, his words intended entirely for her, and her alone. Switch set her jaw, her final barriers were crumbling under his relentless assault. Stop... please...


"Now tell me, why are you here and why are you living when you clearly welcome death?" His breath was at her ear... His hands were on her...

Switch opened her eyes, a torrent of unfamiliar tears making their way down her face. "I... I don't know who I'm supposed to be..." She sniffed, not even having the strength to wipe her eyes. "I don't know why I'm here..."

[member="Krius Syonis"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Her emotional state was low, but Krius didn't have anything to gain from this. If anything he was proving to himself the reason why he was he was meant to be above those born without the Force at their disposal. He stayed behind her.

"Who do you want to be in the galaxy my dear."

He stepped in front of her, holding he sides.

"Why do you want to live amongst those like me?"

He channelled a wave of calmness around her.

Was he toying with her...he didn't even know himself, but it was dangerous....


[member="Switch"]

 

[Switch]

"Why do you want to be in the galaxy my dear?"

He came around her, standing face to face. As his hands rested upon her sides, she looked up, meeting his eyes again.

It was strange. He asked her why he wanted to live among people like him. As he spoke, she began to feel uplifted. In a relatively short time, she could recognize her spirit patching itself back together.

For the first time since their dance began, she looked him in the eyes without faltering. After taking a moment to wipe her sleeve-covered palm across her eyes, she spoke with clarity. "Because we're both people, all of the men and women around us are people. We are the same, and we all deserve to be here." She meant it. This was her fervent belief, whether she entertained it often or not.

[member="Krius Syonis"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He listened, and all he could do was shake his head as she spoke. Krius looked up into the clear sky, dotted with only a few whisps of white cloud.

"That's a nice idea for your kind, it really is."

His hands let go of her; his predatory dominance thrilling him slightly.

"NO!" He shouted at her, moving beside her and pointing up to the Fountain Palace and the Hapans walking around the area.

"Each of them compete with each other to become richer, more powerful and more dominant over others. But not anymore. No, not anymore."

Now he pointed to some fishermen in the bay.

"These beings are NOT the same as me. They are nothing; parasites feeding of the sacrifices those in control of the Force have made over the centuries to shape this galaxy."

Krius reached up and took her hair in his hand, pulling her head back beside his.

"You do NOT deserve to be here at all. I control when you can come and go, and I can wipe out these bugs in a heartbeat and you wouldn't even realise it before it's too late!"

He rested his forehead on the side of her damp hair.

"The question is...do you want to live, or die?"


[member=Switch]

 

[Switch]

"No!" Switch flinched as he yelled at her. He pointed, directing her attention towards the Fountain Palace. "These beings are NOT the same as me. They are nothing; parasites feeding off the sacrifices those in control of the Force have made over the centuries to shape this galaxy.

He gripped a handful of her hair, pulling her harshly towards him, eliciting an involuntary yelp from her lips. He pushed her head against his own.

He told her that he could stamp out all of these people effortlessly. He called them insects.

His forehead dug forcefully into her hair, his voice resonating deeply into her ear. "The question is... Do you want to live, or die?"

She strained her head to look about the area. People were going about their business. Young, old, short, tall, female or male, nobody seemed to notice the scene they must be making. Or maybe they did, and they were just smart enough to ignore them. Keeping her gaze ahead, she gritted her teeth as she spoke. "I want to live."

[member="Krius Syonis"]