Make Her Feel Welcome

[Darth Prazutis]

​Undercity, Maena
Hours Before....

"Solomon an important guest is coming to Maena a woman, Yaomo and I are in the midst of an experiment and until it's concluded she and you will be locked out of the tower." ​Braxus said to his son the mans towering visage cloaked in the shimmering blue of the hologram.

​"I will greet her when she arrives, and inform her of the delay."

​"Excellent. Solomon make her feel welcome she's...lost. Before you were born there was a time when I too was lost."

​"What is her name, father?"

​"Aria. [member="Aria Vale"]."

​Present Time...

​The Undercity wasn't exactly something that was planned like most of the bio-medical and other scientific facilities on Maena. The great influx of workers utilized by [member="Matsu Xiangu"] and Darth Prazutis to turn desolate buildings into state of the art facilities, as well as manning the mines required them a place to stay that was both close to the main tower and the old city. The answer was a gigantic long dead hollowed out volcano where these workers made their first camps. But as demand grew the city grew larger and larger, honeycombing through many tunnels and building ever upward towards the massive open wrung around the volcanoes peak. Due to its proximity to the Tower, the area surrounding the volcano was primarily a blackened landscape of ash gray devoid of natures vibrant colors and unsettlingly silent. This vertical city was beautiful in its own way purely through the ingenuity of those who lived there. Finally after taking notice to its construction the rulers of Maena turned their resources onto it.

​There were a number of platforms and ports for new arrivals to dock at depending on if they were miners, merchants, builders, or workers for the Tower. Each transmitted a security code that also held their role designation and the Undercity's security team would direct the arrivals to any one of the platforms to ensure peak efficiency. But where would one find Solomon Zambrano, Son of the Arch-Prince? Solomon chose one of the private docking platforms in the upper class levels of the city, the sections where Lady Yaomo and Lord Prazutis often frequented, and Solomon laid his head down when staying on Maena. A small waiting room complete with a large transparisteel window sat just inside the docking platforms doors on one side. The steel grey walls and gleamed from the bright lights of the ceiling and its matching dark floor.

But could one easily pick out the designated heir? Was he wearing an elaborate outfit of robes, armor, a cape trailing behind and a crown atop his head? Were there guards surrounding him on every side? Certainly not. Solomon chose a less grandiose outfit in the form of a custom tailored, designer black suit complete with a dark belt that held a gleaming steel belt buckle, a pair of dark gloves were neatly tucked in to one side. Black pants tucked into a pair of black boots. The only jewelry Solomon wore was the ornate signet ring bearing the phoenix of House Zambrano. A shave to control his facial hair here, a splash of aftershave there, and just a dash of cologne completed the mans appearance. He always did clean up well.

Solomon sat in a dark chair his hands resting in his lap while he gazed out the large viewing window into the busy city around him. This woman named Aria Vale plagued his thoughts, who was she? He regretted not asking his father more about the woman and wasn't about to bother him or his aunt in the midst of their experiments to ask such a trivial question. Furthermore it was the first time his father mentioned something about his past to his son. The story of how Braxus Zambrano became Darth Prazutis was only known to a scant few who still lived, while his father did reveal bits and pieces the idea that he was at one point lost truly peaked his interest. The man he called dad was always so focused and driven, rarely was he uncertain about anything. Years both in the Sith Order and ruling the Panathan Empire alongside a cousin of Solomon's, Kaine Zambrano the God-King hardened him.

Top it all off with the fact that he hardly knew anything about her beyond her name, and Solomon couldn't wait to meet her. "Aria Vale...who are you?" Solomon muttered to himself.

​The familiar blip of his comlink pulled the Prince out of his thoughts and back to the present "My lord, the ship is on approach its provided code transmitting strong." ​The man said causing Solomon to simply stand to his feet and smooth out any wrinkles in his suit.

​"We will find out."

 

[NightSister]

Whatever way you split it, Aria had failed.

Not that she particularly cared, really. In the grand scheme of things, her failure was utterly irrelevant. A promise she should've never made, to two people who'd died three years ago. A goal that would've crushed her person to achieve; that countless people had actively tried to stop her from achieving, in fact. Some of them close to her. Sure, she would've liked not to have to break her promise - she wasn't so heartless as to have forgotten everything her foster parents had done for her, after all - but they'd died knowing she was determined still to be a Jedi, and she'd die knowing that she had lived the best part of her life for her.

But she didn't want to fail again. From now on, she would determine her goals, and she would be certain that she could achieve them - and that she wanted to, more importantly. She wouldn't make promises she couldn't - or wouldn't - keep. Aria would live as she wanted; but she would do it right.

It had taken a lot of thought, but eventually Aria had set her sights for Maena. She'd heard of the place in passing, a name dropped casually in certain very specific conversations, and so, curious, she'd done some research. With some digging, she'd been able to link names of importance to the planet - Sith of importance, to be precise. One, she'd even shared a battlefield with, once. Then it had occurred to her that with her future in her own hands, working to establish an influence, however small, could be her chance at independence. It was a start, at least.

~​

​

Watching tiny dots grow larger until they formed into a full-sized city was one of the highlights of flying. This journey was no exception; it gave Aria a pleasant wave of satisfaction to look from the window of her descending starship as coloured specks and blinking lights turned into the busy undercities of Maena. She'd sorted out her arrival the night before in the hopes of a peaceful arrival and entry, although in truth, she wasn't certain what she'd do after that point. Aria had already reached out to some of the more powerful figures, wanting to get straight to her objective - she wasn't completely clear on all the details yet, though. If things went according to plan, she'd be able to meet a Sith Lord or two soon enough.

With a quiet thud, her starship hit the landing site, and Aria lowered the landing ramp at once. She'd need to find her way to the city central.

| [member="Solomon Zambrano"] |​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​There she was.

​The mysterious woman finally arrives putting a face to the name: [member="Aria Vale"]. Solomon stood at the observation window while he watched her descend the ramp of her ship. Aria was beautiful her raven haired locks of draping down over her fair skinned shoulders, her youth evident especially in her face he concluded she had to be around his age. Few people knew that over ninety percent of communication was nonverbal, especially how someone carried themselves. So Solomon watched as she walked, how she moved on the platform. Unlike the dithering aristocrats and powerful lieutenants in his fathers courts Aria didn't move or carry herself with a great presence. She didn't walk like the ground beneath her feet was her property and she didn't radiate confidence. In fact it appeared as if she didn't care to be noticed, and didn't want to be seen.

​Father was right.

​Most cues went unnoticed by most of the population who weren't as gifted, or learned as Solomon was in the art of nonverbal communication. They wouldn't notice how she carried herself, but he took careful note of these cues. Finally satisfied with his analysis Solomon swept out of the lounge room and right out the doors to the docking platform, his hands resting at his sides as he approached her. All through his mind flowed dozens of questions he wanted to ask the mysterious woman who had done what the prodigal son never could, pry something out of his father. A warm smile crept onto his face as he spoke calmly "Ms. Vale welcome to Maena. My name is Solomon Zambrano."​ But as he looked into her deep blue-grey pools of her eyes in closer proximity Solomon saw what wasn't revealed to him before.

Guarded.

​Barriers subtle in nature went up in the presence of others closing her off, it was a barely noticeable shift especially in her face and primarily in the eyes. Some cultures believed the eyes were the true windows into the soul, they said more than any mouth could. "Lady Yaomo and Lord Prazutis have expected your arrival, but urgent business however has made them unavailable for the time being. Until then I'm here to get you settled in. This way please."​ Solomon said, gazing into her eyes when they met again for the briefest of moments. Aria carried herself with a dignified posture most wouldn't see, a strength, but something he couldn't grasp in her eyes told him the opposite. Never did she hold the gaze long enough for him to read the message playing in those blue-grey projectors. But what he could read in those briefest of moments, was deception.

​Aria stood in all accounts the eye of a storm raging around her, an utterly strange planet beneath her feet and the telltale struggle in her face that foretold of the struggle going on in the mind. Solomon walked alongside her through the doors and into the brightly lit halls and for a short period he said nothing, letting her settle into the comfortable silence he created to ensure she wasn't being pressured to speak to him. "I'll show you where you'll be staying until Lady Yaomo and Lord Prazutis conclude their business." ​Solomon assured her, before asking a few moments later "Where are you from, Aria?" ​There wasn't an arrogant sway to his steps nor his posture, Solomon stood tall and confident channeling warmth and welcome in his facial expressions and calm demeanor.

 

[NightSister]

Aria started.

She'd known her arrival would be expected by the more powerful among Maena's upper-class - she had been in touch numerous times, after all. That she was of enough importance to merit a welcome party, on the other hand, came as a complete surprise. Flattering, yes, but it caught her by surprise. Still, at hearing her name she turned, gaze falling on the tall man in front of her introducing himself as Solomon Zambrano. Zambrano? Hmm. Interesting.

Habitually, she allowed a moment to study Solomon. Clearly a Sith, which came as no surprise. Also quite clearly a Zambrano, at least going by the description most often used of the dynasty. Something else, too, but Aria's powers of deduction only went so far. Yes, interesting seemed the best word for now. Appeased, she focused again on his words. Then she met his eye for a moment. That was too long now, wasn't it? Oops. Aria's gaze flickered to one side.

Ah, so there'd been a delay. That might explain a few things, but then Aria had a tendency to overthink the smallest of things. Putting that to one side - for now - it seemed that sooner or later she'd be introduced in person to the illustrious Sith Lords at the top of Maena's ladder. That was good. Instantly her mind leapt ahead to consider, again, what she'd do upon such meetings, but she paced herself quickly enough. Any such meeting was postponed indefinitely; it wouldn't do to get ahead of herself. In the meantime, she would settle in the best she could. Evidently she'd even had a place of residence allocated for her. With a quick nod, she followed Solomon's lead.

Oh, a question. Aria's eyebrow's raised a fraction, but not with irritation. "I was raised on Eshan," she answered after a quick pause, a little taken aback. Smalltalk seemed out of place, but for once she wasn't terribly upset about it. "Um, until I was about eighteen." Might as well add some detail. "You'll have grown up on Panatha, right?"

| [member="Solomon Zambrano"] |​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​"I did, the name gave it away huh?" ​Solomon replied smiling lightly.

​Honestly he wasn't surprised that she knew where he grew up, House Zambrano were the worlds infamously known ruling house for many years. "You were raised echani? I visited Eshan once while my father was teaching me the echani martial art. What they've developed is remarkable." He told her. Through his upbringing one of the many focuses his father and cousin Kaine Zambrano had were on teaching him how to fight. The echani arts were a steeple of the fighting arts the two close quarters masters taught him. However he found it odd that she didn't possess the iconic white hair, nor the piercing silver eyes of the echani. Perhaps she was a mixed blood? The blueish grey eyes could've been a variation. Just as he caught [member="Aria Vale"]'s gaze again...

​There it was.

​A subtle deception in her eyes betraying the sway of confidence, seeping through the closed off indicators. It felt as if it was some sort of projection playing and her eyes were the screen that he would need to catch to see. The gifts he possessed were both a blessing and a curse, to see things others wouldn't notice and understand what one couldn't, such as how ones simple shift in posture spoke volumes. Each time they met it was in the briefest of moments, a second too long before his stare deflected her gaze. All he could see were fragments, bits and pieces of the whole message...but this time it had been just a second too long, he picked up on something.

​Lost.

​How ironic that it was the same words his father used in their talk a few hours prior lost. It was as if she stood alone in the midst of the raging storm of her mind, being tossed to and fro with such vigor and ferocity. A mental struggle? Something else? A fragment more then he had a few moments prior. He needed to act. "Forgive me Aria as we only just met, but I can't help but notice you seem...lost. Not in the physical sense either." ​Solomon said as they rounded the bend in the halls. The levels they stood in were the penthouse levels of the upper class, situated higher on the upper levels of the undercity. The hallway led down to a dead end with only four doors situated through the shorter hall. He walked ahead of Aria then towards the door, activating the security lock to open the door into the apartment.

​One only needed a glance within to tell it was upscale complete with a full kitchen, living room, a full bath and a master bedroom. There were windows in the living room that were presently shuttered, everything was high quality. Solomon glanced in before he spun around toward her...

​Then it happened.

​He entirely misjudged how far ahead he was and the length of time it took to punch the code into the door. So instead of turning to speak to her he stepped so close to her they bumped gently, his hand brushing her own. In this moment it felt like the air around them thinned, sound dulled while he met her eyes again this time a second even longer. Now as he gazed into her eyes there wasn't any hiding that he was trying to see through the deception, the defenses she put up. But as her gaze deflected once more to the side he touched her arm "This'll be where you'll be staying until they are ready to receive you...but if your up for it, I wanted to show you something first. You can see the room after." He said to her.

​Something happened in the brief moment between them not even he could've anticipated, not even he understood yet. But one thing he knew: it felt right. Further the effects still hard felt as neither yet seemed to step away, they remained overly close even during his question...why?

 

[NightSister]

"Raised, yeah." She paused, hesitating. "Born on Corellia, though."

Wait - what had she said that for? Aria'd been asked this question a thousand times, and she always gave the brief answer to avoid digging too deep. Raised Echani, she'd say, and if her contrasting appearance raised eyebrows she let the accent speak for itself. The matter of her adoption had always been a delicate one, and so when she found a concise answer that suitably answered the question, she stuck to it. She hadn't meant to add the last bit. Honestly.

His mention of the martial art got a grin out of her, at least. She'd dropped the hobby somewhat during her last few months with the Silvers, but without the rigorous lifestyle of the Jedi to keep her busy, time for the simple pleasures such as the odd round of Echani sparring. Not long ago, she'd even returned to Eshan for, among other things, a chance for a good old-fashioned duel. That had been interesting, to say the least. However, she'd always been hard to get words out of; beyond a grin and a slight chuckle, she didn't respond.

And then he spoke again.

Lost? Well, that was an easy one. Aria had no path, no clear or long-term goal besides getting her feet back on the ground. Even what alignment she strived towards was ambiguous: while staying neutral seemed safer, tapping into the Dark Side more and more frequently was becoming unavoidable. She was certainly being encouraged towards the Darkness; the intricate red bracelet at her wrist served that purpose every hour of the day. Not that she was becoming a Sith - while she respected their ways greatly and was even on first-name terms with more than one of their more powerful, going so rapidly from Jedi to Sith was simply unfeasible. Perhaps one day, but Aria tried not to think that far ahead at the moment. As much as she detested the Jedi, the thought of being Aria Vale, Knight of the Sith, just seemed beyond her for the time being.

That made such a question no easier to answer, though. She'd been a Jedi Knight until an ersatz Jedi Master had betrayed her, and then she'd sought out guidance from a Sith Lord, who'd helpfully encouraged her towards the Darkness but hadn't offered the same structure she'd grown used to as a Jedi, so she had taken it upon herself to find her own way. Seemed like a bit much to flood a stranger with.

"I suppose so," she said finally, her tone deceptively light. "I've just...run into some inconveniences. Nothing horrendous. It won't last."

She had always been good at denial.

Eager to distance that quick exchange from the present, Aria looked from one place to another to another in a determined attempt not to meet his eye. There was plenty to look at, too - the hallways alone were enough to raise her eyebrows, and a glimpse of the apartment itself was more grandiose than anything an ex-Jedi such as herself would be accustomed to. It was as far away from the bland dormitories of the Voss temple as one could get; the Silvers would frown on it without a doubt. Aria liked the thought of that.

And then somehow, thanks to her less-than attention to time and distance, her hand grazed his as he turned around. Automatically, she glanced at him, and for a moment her gaze was curious. Like she had been caught by surprise by Solomon and everything about him, like she was genuinely interested to figure him out. Then her in-built timer for eye contact went off, but she took a moment longer - just a moment - before the wall suddenly became utterly fascinating. How very awkward. Not unpleasant awkward...but still very awkward.

"Uh - yeah, sure." She didn't have to work as hard as usual to make her voice perk up. "I'd love to."

| [member="Solomon Zambrano"] |​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​Corellian born that explains it.

​Originally born on Corellia [member="Aria Vale"] must've been moved by her parent or guardians to Eshan. It certainly explained the physical differences anyway. The subtle hesitation hadn't gone unnoticed either, perhaps a reluctant addition?

​Why?

​Solomon couldn't make sense of why the woman was so deceptive, so fascinating to him. Everything about her was filled with mystery and deception, she was good. Yet it added further mystery to the puzzle when pressed Aria continued to spin lies so casually, so lightly. There was one main question circulating in Solomon's head, who was she trying to convince? It almost sounded like she was trying to convince herself more then she was trying to convince him, making it stand out. Briefly he looked towards her again searching her face until their eyes met, while the pair walked back down the hall and hung a left. Everything about her fascinated him, each word spoken he wanted to know more about her. The woman's beauty certainly hadn't gone unnoticed, it was the one quality she couldn't possibly hope to hide right down to the mysterious blue orbs of her eyes.

Show her something? A part of him didn't want their brief time spent together to end so quickly, especially with so many questions and unsolved pieces to the cryptic message he was trying to receive. Even more were raised when the two touched and the moment that flashed out before them. It seemed for the moment she wasn't afraid to meet his eyes and search his face as he did hers. They both savored every moment before she swiftly ended it once more. "Feels like there's much more to it then you let on." ​Solomon said as the pair finally came to a set of sliding doors leading into a turbolift. He used the biological scanner and other various keys send in them rising upward.

As the pair rose into the air he didn't say a word as silence took over, the humming of the turbolift their company as the lift climbed higher and higher. Finally it opened to a hall marred by scaffolding, metal sheets sitting in stacks. It seemed it was a string of rooms under construction, maybe an office. "Not too much further." He said guiding her through the maze of scaffolding and clear hanging tarps, they crossed the entire room and entered into what appeared to be a narrow hallway. This set was further along then the previous ones and no visible scaffolding, an open door at the end.

​The following room he guided her into was rectangular in shape with one side entirely lined by large windows. The view from these large panes let them see almost the entirety of the Undercity in all of its glory, the many city lights brought only one word to mind: beautiful. So it was here he stopped taking in the view "Beautiful isn't it? The city wasn't originally planned to be so elaborate. The demand for laborers and the dangers of the open brought workers to conglomerate in this diffused volcano. They made it their home without the help they're getting now. My father and Lord Yaomo observed the growing city and put formal effort into making it what you see now." ​He told her as his eyes trailed the many airspeeders, shuttles, and freighters dominating the skies, before turning back to Aria. Once more their eyes met and once more she looked down, the woman's raven haired locks concealing a portion of her face from his view. "Are you trying to convince me, or yourself with what you told me earlier, Aria?" ​Solomon revealed.

 

[NightSister]

As of late, Aria had playing a part down to an art form.

Tell yourself enough times that something is true, and eventually you can fool yourself. That had been the only way Aria had lasted as a Jedi for as long as she did after Connor had left; insisting over and over and over that she was a Jedi, that she wanted to continue being a Jedi, that she could continue being a Jedi. But that was all on the outside - it was a temporary solution at best, and an inwards attack on her person at worst. It had taken almost six months for the hidden persona to break through, but it hadn't disappeared. If it - if she - had done, she'd still be at Voss, laboring beneath the weight of the Jedi codes.

But nowadays, she no longer tried to lie to herself because she had no reason to anymore. She'd given up playing at being a Jedi; from now on, Aria Vale would only be herself. The problem came when at present, herself was a confused bundle of nerves and worry, broken promises and stolen futures, uncertainty, ambiguity; in short, not the best way to present herself to anyone, much less the people she intended to bargain to a position of power with. She was fully aware that she was nowhere near as strong as she aimed to be, but by now she was good at hiding that. It made it much easier when the act wasn't intended to fool herself.

So when Solomon suggested that she wasn't giving him the full story, she smiled slightly, more bitter than cheerful. It didn't take a genius to work out that the story of her current lost state couldn't be accurately summed up as an inconvenience: actual inconveniences had more to them than such a concise phrase.

"There always is," she said simply, and left it there.

She gladly let him lead on, still hesitant to meet his eye. There was plenty to look at besides him, luckily, but it was hard not to let her gaze flicker briefly over Solomon every once in a while. Unspoken words weighed down on the silence, but Aria let them sit there, absentmindedly playing with her hair until the dark-brown waves obscured the sides of her face. Following into the windowed room, her pace slowed, and she drank in the majesty of the view eagerly. It really was very pretty from up here; perhaps she'd stay on Maena longer than she'd expected.

But then he asked another of his questions, and her eyes narrowed. Normally, this would be the point where she'd close the conversation with a brief, cutting remark, and then spend the next few weeks interacting with the person in question solely through cold politeness. Only...she didn't. Instead, she exhaled, turning to look out of the window again, urgently aware that he was still looking at her, waiting for her answer.

There was a long silence before she spoke.

"I don't try and convince myself anything." Her voice was quiet, but she didn't hesitate. "I've done it before, and it hurts far more than it's worth." On that particular matter, she wouldn't elaborate. That story hadn't been disclosed to anyone in its entirety, much less a stranger. No matter how intriguing such a stranger was.

"Most people don't need convincing, you know." Still not meeting his eye. "Ignorance is bliss, or whatever. Most people don't ask, because it's easier." Herself included, previously. Not that he needed to know that. "Why not you?"

| [member="Solomon Zambrano"] |​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​The moments in time after his words fell felt like a lifetime as he waited to hear what she would say in his response. In truth he realized he might've pushed just too far. But there was an aura of mystery around the beautiful raven locked woman known as [member="Aria Vale"].

​There was something odd in the air between them. Even as he pressed and she had every right to lash back, she didn't. While she walked with a dignified step he saw through her deception.

​The air almost seemed thick when he stood at her side, the woman's intoxicating scent filling the air around him. Due to his upbringing Solomon had little true friends, being born into such a powerful family as House Zambrano and a Prince. While he had virtually everything he could need at his fingertips high in the ancestral home of Vain Hollow, there still was something missing. Aside from his father and cousin Kaine, rarely did anyone actually make a true connection. Most of it was the elaborate political game in order to curry favor with him and hopes that such favor would pass to his father, and earn them great fortune.

​But this, this was a legitimate connection.

​"You present a strong façade with each step. But my trained eyes can see what most cannot. You may carry yourself with a dignified step, but I can see you are closed off, but Aria..." ​Solomon said. The man swung around to her front. He stepped in close once more placing a hand on her side and once more she looked away from his gaze. Solomon brushed the hair covering her face away tucking it behind her ear while he reached up to gently tilt her head in the air. For once he met her gaze without break, without the inner timer forcing her to look away. Solomon pierced through those deep blue pools and saw the true message within. She was wounded, hurt. He gladly looked into them with a genuine interest, almost a curiosity to figure everything out about her.

​"Wounded."

 

[NightSister]

Aria was very used to being confused. Much too used to it, some might say, even. All too often, she'd have the tables turned on her, have faces she'd grown familiar with change completely; nonetheless, she hated it. She liked to think her skill lay in being able to operate even in the face of confusion - and perhaps it did - but it didn't change the fact that every time she was thrown off, caught with her guard down, she could almost physically feel the effect it had on her mood. The negative effect, more often than not.

That was just what happened when Solomon turned to meet her eye, when he stepped the slightest bit closer, when a hand went up to the hair shielding her face. She twitched - her gaze flickered - but she looked back this time, almost out of determination; to stare right back, look at him. Predicatably, he'd caught her by surprise, and predictably, her emotions surged. Confusion, of course. It was practically her default by now. But other things, too. Her already-present curiosity rose - perhaps the main reason her feet stayed in place, in fact, was out of determination to understand just who [member="Solomon Zambrano"] was. And more, as always. She wouldn't even begin to work through those.

But curious or not, she didn't like this. Aria worked hard to ensure that nobody ever saw anything but the carefully constructed face that echoed her personality - the face of an Aria with her strength more firmly held together and her weakness kept hidden beneath. It took a lot of effort to both hide and heal her scars at the same time; only she chose who saw those scars. That was her plan, and it had its flaws but so far it had worked. Now it was being compromised, and her reflex wasn't to take everything else into account.

"Do you know why people wear masks, Solomon?" she asked carefully. More deliberate this time.

And then taking advantage of the short range, Aria lowered her voice a few notches. For effect, mostly. Still not looking away.

"It's so you can't see their faces."

She had her moments, after all. It always helped having an amulet that caught fleeting confidence and amplified it before the mood could pass. For now though, that was all that needed saying. It was her turn now.

"So," she said, her tone lighter now, "how come you know so much about people? Is it a Sith thing?"

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​It was a bold gambit.

​But something told him it was the right decision to step forward and peel just a smidge of the mask she wore away. Just a small piece to see the scarred surface beneath. While they had just met and he in essence had no right to press upon her emotions, she allowed it. While he explored her own eyes she did so with his, and for a moment the curious look as she searched his face came out. The two stood paired together as if they had seen each other for the first time, speaking softly.

​Masks.

​Everyone wore a number of masks through the course of their day, week, month, lifetime. The concept of putting up a façade in order to protect yourself from emotional harm was one he knew well. Some found masks useful in order to remain functional through the day, others disputed them. Solomon Zambrano could see them. Much like the unique ability of the Lorrdian's he could see the minute changes in body language, voice patterns as ones emotions shifted. Through the use of the force this was augmented to the point that when he could feel their turbulent emotions change so could he see it physically. Naturally some were harder to read then most.

​But as Aria stared into his eyes her voice dropping for effect the woman's mood swung from uncertainty to confidence, and her words rung out with effect due to the short range.

​"how come you know so much about people? Is it a Sith thing?"

​A light smile formed on his face while he dropped his hand down to her shoulder. Still taking advantage of his breakthrough into her eyes his words rang out, shaking his head at her question "No I learned from my father, and my cousin who helped raise me." ​Solomon said. While he was looking at her for a moment it seemed like he stared through her lost in memories, but he quickly returned. Aria may or may not have known that his cousin was none other then [member="Darth Carnifex"], the God-King of all Epicanthix. But while others had known the Dark Lord as a tyrant, an oppressor, their butcher. He knew the man as a mentor, a guardian, and one who helped raise him since childhood. So he took it with great pride that his cousin spoke of him highly. "My father has unique gift in reading people...as well as my cousin. My cousin served as an agent of intelligence in the Old Empire, and my father directed the intelligence sphere of the recent fallen One Sith. They found it necessary in my upbringing that a Prince should learn as much as he could about people, and they gave me the tools to accomplish it."

​Wait- why did he say that?

​Never did he reveal so much about his past so freely, so openly. It was hard to catch the Princeling by surprise and somehow she did. Normally he would carefully taste the others curiosity, and subtly manipulate them away from the conversation. The one thing he was taught growing up was how dangerous information was.

​"How are you able to put up such convincing masks?" ​Solomon said. "There aren't many people I have such trouble at reading through."

 

[NightSister]

Ah, so the people-reading was a Zambrano thing. That made sense. Aria didn't know much about the infamous dynasty - just, in fact, that they were infamous, and that was about as far as it went. Being part of a line with that much influence would make people skills a necessity, she supposed. Interesting. What, Aria wondered, would it be like to be part of any sort of family line like the Zambranos? An adoptive child with since-dead guardians, the former Jedi was way at the other end in that respect.

For once, she didn't flinch away, too occupied with studying Solomon to retreat. There was no other way to put it; he intrigued her. She was more curious than ever to understand the man in front of her, figure him out as he'd done. She'd never met a Sith who hadn't piqued her interest, but this was different. And she would work it out.

But first, a question. The most straightforward he'd presented so far. Aria was an expert on masking. She knew all about hiding everything about you for convenience - how to do it, how badly it affected you after a while; particularly the latter. When she'd left Voss for the last time, she'd been a mess. Still was, in fairness. She had nothing sorted out, not really. But, true to her old self, she was doing an alright job of hiding it.

"Easy. Practice." She shrugged, holding his gaze. "Don't know how much you've been told, but, uh - I was a Jedi. Raised from birth and trained for five years. Left about two months ago." Had it really already been that long? It hadn't felt like long at all. Inside the Order, every day had dragged on and on until simply a regular day on Voss was utterly draining; comparatively, it felt like a week since she'd been one of them.

Really, it had been that single reason for which she'd left the Order. Sure, it helped that Connor had walked off, and it helped that she'd had Silara to come to for guidance when she left, but those were just conveniences and inconveniences that had sped the process up a little bit. It came down to the fact that the longer she'd been made to hide everything, the longer her innate desire to feel was left to stew; she would've given up, sooner or later. Mercifully, it had been sooner rather than later - mercifully, she'd never have to see what she'd have become if she'd lasted as long as she could've done before leaving.

It wasn't that Aria hadn't enjoyed being a Jedi. Truly, up until the last six months or so, she really had felt it to be her calling. But it was a temporary career - in the same way that the peace they aimed for would never be permanent, staying permanently with the Order would've simply been impossible. For somebody else, sure. Somebody else might have the mental skillset and emotional resilience needed to genuinely believe in the Jedi from birth till death, to struggle under the weight of their suppressed emotions without cracking. Aria wasn't that person, and she was glad of it. The person who could be a true Jedi without difficulty lacked all humanity.

"You get used to hiding everything."

| [member="Solomon Zambrano"] |​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​A Jedi.

​Again [member="Aria Vale"] surprised him with something he never could've anticipated. Why couldn't he read her? In the grand scheme of things she wasn't that good at masking, he did see through it to a degree. Always the Prince of Panatha had a handle on his emotions, on his thoughts and always when pressed into situations like this he was a stone cold front, equally unsettling and terrifying. Often words whispered in hushed conversations behind his back called him a sociopath without conscience, without the capacity to feel. In truth they were wrong he could feel.

Most of the time he chose not to.

​If they were raised in to House Zambrano as he was they might've understood his unique ability to present a cold, ruthless front. To turn from the friendly faced and warm man to an unnerving killer was a gift taught by the Arch-Prince himself, an Aoex Predator in his own right. The unique gifts would serve him well as a monarch and a Sith but it ensured the young Prince had only isolated himself to two true connections in his entire life, two role models he looked to and aspired to be, two men who raised him. But neither of these men were truly human. Neither of them ever showed warmth or care to the young prince, such emotion was weakness and one they taught him to exploit in others and use to destroy.

​It seemed now with Aria he was feeling for the first time, a real connection. Never before did he have such a genuine intrigue, a fascination to learn everything about her. It truly unsettled the Prince that she seemed to care otherwise she would've rebuffed his attempts to bring her close, to break through the defenses and to see the scars beneath the mask. But she didn't. Even after his hand fell away from her face she remained exploring the depths of his eyes without worry never once glancing away. Beauty, intelligence, mystery, and a dark past.

Jedi.

Aria Vale was a Jedi. Everything slowly came to make sense now. The guarded demeanor, the cracked and scarred inside he searched, being lost. Solomon speculated she was once a staunch defender of the Jedi code, until something happened and she finally saw the light through the flawed code of the dogmatic Jedi. A light smile formed on his face then. "Your right, but I see something else in you." ​Solomon said still never diverting from the locked search between their eyes. "Guarded. The Jedi are always guarded and closed off from their feelings. Aria Vale your a Jedi no longer...so why not feel?" Solomon said as a hand came up to her cheek "Allow yourself to feel. You are a Jedi no longer yet some of the Jedi within you still weighs you down. I'm interested in seeing who the real Aria Vale is.."

 

[NightSister]

Aria didn't like to think that she did anything the way the Jedi did anymore. Once, it might've brought her pride to be told that she embodied the traits of a true Jedi, or to be thought of as worthy of the title of Jedi Knight, but nowadays she would've thought it an insult, did everything she could to prove that the statement was wrong. She didn't want to be a Jedi. She wanted nothing to do with the Order who did nothing but take the humanity and the strength out of their apprentices for generations on end. She didn't want to be regarded among them, she didn't want to be known as one of them - even previously one of them. She'd surprised even herself admitting to having been one; even aside from the fact that it was enough to tarnish the reputation she aimed to build, it simply wasn't the sort of thing you told strangers within ten minutes of meeting, especially not when you wanted no association with the Silver Jedi.

On the other hand -

It had become second nature for Aria to disguise and repress everything she felt. Her amulet constantly worked to unravel that instinct, but even when its wearer was determined to achieve such a goal, it was the sort of process that required time. At any moment, if it seemed that hiding her emotions was even perhaps the better option, what was left of the Jedi kicked in to remind her how to push everything down until it no longer seemed real. But not only was it simply a force of habit - sometimes, it really was necessary, if not to repress her every thought and feeling, then at least not to wear them on her sleeve. Now, for instance; this, to her, was a bad time to let everything show. Even if it had been easier, even if it didn't take conscious effort, it was simply, in her mind, a bad time for such a thing.

"Oh, I feel." She was quicker to answer this time, a flicker of something like challenge in her voice. "I'm just...careful about letting it show." A pause, and then an afterthought. "I'm sure you know what that's like."

It wasn't as though being Sith didn't require a measure of emotional control in many instances. Not denying them, of course, but keeping careful watch over what one felt, being sure to pick and choose from an array of appropriately Darksided emotions. Aria knew that Silara frowned on the concept of regimenting emotions so strictly, even when those emotions were being drawn on rather than repressed, but she'd stopped believing that every Sith was the same in their beliefs a long time ago.

Aria wasn't like that by choice. If it wasn't built into her to retreat to an emotionless shell every time her feelings confused her, she'd be glad to let her emotions lead her rampant. There were times, mere moments, when flickers of untamed and uncontrollable passion, or hatred, or rage, took up the reigns - those occasions were becoming more frequent the longer she wore her bracelet. But for now, though she certainly didn't try to turn her emotions away every time they came to my doorstep, acting upon them was another matter.

"Clearly, you've never been a Jedi." Aria almost laughed. "You'd be guarded, too, if you had. I can promise you that."

| [member="Solomon Zambrano"] |​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​Solomon lingered in her gaze before breaking away from it, stepping back he gestured back towards the exit "You must be worn from your travels. I'll escort you back to your." ​He said changing the subject. In truth he didn't expect to get anywhere with [member="Aria Vale"] through his line of questioning. After all they had just met not too long ago, how could he expect to get such information out of someone who was literally a stranger?

​Still though a subtle fascination, a curiosity kept him interested in who the alluring ex-Jedi Knight was. While he had met others who interested him in similar fashions none were quite like Aria, his mind still struggled to work the whole situation out. The Prince was glad she would be staying on Maena for a longer period of time because he was hoping this wouldn't be the last time that he would see Aria Vale. "I do. I'm well versed in emotional control and keeping oneself in check. Emotions are powerful and in certain situations can quickly become either an advantage or a problem." ​Solomon said. The Prince walked tall his hands firmly clasped behind his back as he turned his head towards the side Aria stood at. Every word seemed carefully chosen as it rolled off the mans cold, silver tongue. The Prince was gifted in the art of word play, and the hold he maintained over his emotions allowed them to roll out from his ice cold demeanor.

​"You are correct again I have never been a Jedi. My family ensured that I was raised in the way of the Sith ideology. Their views on emotions and feeling are but one of many faults the Jedi Order possess." ​There was a balance that one needed to maintain when using emotion, especially not letting emotion rule over you. The Jedi's method of choosing to lock it all away he always found to be incredibly foolish, did they have any idea how powerful that emotion was?

 

[NightSister]

"That's very kind of you. Thank you."

Aria blinked, surprised at herself. Ever the lone wolf, this would've been the point where she politely thanked him for the welcome, and went back to her new place of residence by herself. But the words were out of her mouth at once, and she didn't try to take them back. Hmm.

In truth, it wasn't that Aria didn't like to talk. Interaction wasn't a thing she particularly craved - it was interchangeable, to her, easily swapped with practically any other pastime - but she didn't dislike talking, either about herself or anything else. It was more that she feared to these days. Every word said about her was a danger, something that could be exploited or held over her head at anytime, by anyone. People she'd once have trusted with her life had thrown her words back in her face without remorse; she was more careful with who she talked to about herself now.

"The way I've been learning it," she added, her tone conversational, "uncontrolled emotion is the most powerful sort. It's difficult to get to grips with, but..." she was so bad at phrasing things right. Honestly. "But I'm learning. It's worked for me so far." When she'd managed to tap into uncontrolled emotion at all, anyway. It was a rare enough occurrence, but it was yet to prove a disadvantage. Besides, she'd had a good teacher.

"I imagine." A Jedi Zambrano would've been a wonderfully amusing thought. "It's not much fun, no." Well, it had been fun now and again. Mostly when she was actually doing something - killing hordes of zombies, freeing an enslaved Knight, even scouting out nearby planets for the Shadows - instead of being reminded of what not to do. On the whole, though, while it'd had its moments, the outcome hadn't been worth the effort, in the end. In a way, she was glad for it, simply for getting to experience the euphoria of being set free - at the end of the day, it was really the only reason.

"Um..." please don't say this in a weird way, please don't say this in a weird way... "so, are you on Maena often?"

| [member="Solomon Zambrano"] |​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​Typically he only showed such kindness to escort one back to their chambers if it was a visiting dignitary dealing with his father, in any formal situation it was a necessity to put ones best foot forward.

​But [member="Aria Vale"] it didn't feel like an obligation, he didn't need to up the face of the respectful prince in order to secure his family another valuable asset. There wasn't anything binding him but he did it anyway. He didn't want to end their meeting so quickly for Aria had fascinated him. Every moment of their meeting was electrifying, each moment between the two mysterious strangers more interesting than the last. From the walk up as he tried to read the message broadcasting from her eyes like viewscreens, to the beautiful view of the city. Right down to finally staring deep into her blue pools, finally reading what she was trying to say to him. Wounded.

From his youth Solomon was brought up the proper way as a Sith. The key to a Sith Acolytes training was to first begin learning of its past, the history of the Sith and its various religious changes before diving into the training. It was through his proper teachings that Solomon not only managed to master the ancient Sith tongue, but also the ancient language of High Sith as well.

"so, are you on Maena often?"

​Solomon looked over at Aria as they entered the lift his attention drawn by her curious question. Is he on Maena often? In truth he was. Solomon split his time between Panatha, Maena, and Thule whenever family business drew him to his fathers new home. The three worlds held places he all considered to be home. Most of all Maena held [member="Matsu Xiangu"] a woman who he came close to and regard as family, an aunt even. Aunt Matsu. Although he found it curious the looks of others around him if he ever referenced her by the name, although it wasn't often in the presence of others the shock of doctors and workers faces was wholly entertaining.

​"I am in fact. I split my time usually between here and Panatha." ​Solomon said turning to look to Aria again, once more their eyes meeting this time unintentionally. There was a brief pause before he spoke next "...How about you? Do you intend to stay? Carve out a home of your own?"

 

[NightSister]

Panatha. Fair enough. Was that far from here? Isn't that the uber-Sithy planet of evil? Nevermind that now. Apparently Solomon was on Maena regularly. Good, she'd have somebody to show her around. Which was the exact and only reason the statement pleased her. Obviously. Move along, move along.

"That was the plan, yes." She was quick to reply, not even taking her usual pause to plan out her lines. "Y'know, figure things out, see where everything's going." Well, something like that. She knew full well where things were going - or should be going, anyway - if she was on Maena of all places. She'd hardly turned up thinking the planet would be a peaceful, neutral realm. There were some things that were indefinite about her potential future would be if she stayed her permanently, even semi-permanently, but they pointed in the same direction.

Not that she was lying, obviously. It wasn't as though she'd had things figured out - quite possibly ever, in fact. Perhaps a part of her just liked the uncertainty - simply gravitated towards the situations that would leave her the most confused, whether or not she realised it - but regardless, she needed to get some handle on her life. Among other various flaws, the Jedi never moved forward; they found this tiny bubble of comfort to be a much simpler life than any change or growth, and Aria didn't want to be like that. She had to figure things out, determine who she was, what she stood for, what she would do with her newfound freedom. So long as Maena was the place to do that, anyone looking for her would find here right there.

"I expect it'll take a while, in any case. So I doubt I'll be going anywhere anytime soon."

They were there rather too quickly. Did that mean he'd be off now? Oh. Um. Alright. Well.

She extended her hand, and smiled properly. "It was lovely to meet you, Solomon."

[member="Solomon Zambrano"]

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​They arrived already?

​Solomon carefully hid the look of surprise on his face as he and [member="Aria Vale"] arrived back at the door of her suite, his hands unfolding from behind his back to his sides. He wasn't expecting their meeting to be over so soon, especially not now. To tell the truth he was enjoying Aria's company, she had both fascinated and interested him in ways others had failed to do. There was such mystery surrounding the knight, and he wanted to know more. The woman's beauty only added to the equation, her stunning lithe form had not gone unnoticed by the Prince.

"It was lovely to meet you, Solomon."

​When Aria spoke and the smile formed at the fringes of her face, he could tell it was genuine. There was no façade, no mask she decided to put up to hide an uncomfortable feeling looming beneath the surface. For once he could see into Aria Vale and it was a genuine smile. The door to her chamber slid open as he turned to shake her hand, returning her smile with one of his own. "It was a pleasure to meet you Aria Vale." ​He said. Just then as he watched her motion to enter the room a surge of thoughts flowed into his mind.. It was combination of his mind telling him it was his chance to prolong their encounter, to find out more about Aria, and that he would regret letting that door slam shut.

​So Solomon acted.

​Solomon reached out grabbing her arm lightly "Aria...would you care to share with me a cup of tea in your new quarters? The Lords of Maena will be busy for some time, so we should have plenty of time."

 

[NightSister]

Tea?

Huh. She hadn't seen that coming. She really hadn't. Aria may have had her nearly twenty-four standard years to better her naturally low capacity for understanding people, but she totally lacked the ability to predict how people might react to her, how she might be received. Of course, she wasn't one to get particularly worked up over how liked she was; if a first impression was too good, she might accidentally make people think she enjoyed their company enough that it didn't drain her energy simply to talk. There were people with which it didn't, of course - Solomon was seeming to count among those few, oddly enough - but they were few and far between. Indifference was better. Not disliked, and not liked enough for anyone to be inclined to seek out her company. Nice and simple.

But back to the point - that had been a total surprise. Not by any means an unpleasant surprise, but just a very surprising surprise.
And what did Aria do when she was surprised?
She got flustered.

"Oh, um - yeah, sure, that'd be -" please don't sound too overenthusiastic, Aria, just this once - "that'd be great." Smooth. "I mean, if you're sure there's nothing that I'd be keeping you from?" She opened the door quickly to let him in properly. Which way was the kitchen? Ah, that way. Good. Oh, it was so pretty. Aria was never moving. Kark the Jedi and their ugly temples. Now - kettle! Where was the kettle? Would the fridge be stocked? No, of course it would, look at this place, how couldn't it be? "Alright, two teas coming up," she said, her voice a tad higher-pitched than usual as she flitted about. "Do you take milk?" Ping! The kettle started making noises as she set it to boil. Hmm, there'd have to be mugs somewhere to. Aria opened cabinets and looked about, setting everything up quickly. There have to be biscuits somewhere.

"Alright, uh, here you go," she announced hurriedly a few moments later, setting two steaming mugs on the counter. A little of the liquid splashed over the edge of the mug, and Aria flinched at the heat.

Very flustered.

| [member="Solomon Zambrano"] |​