Seeking Solace on Sullust

[Lief]

Aboard The Tarnished Bucket​

The Jedi Temple Hangar Bay​

Sullust​

Galactic Alliance Territory​

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It had taken a lot of nerve on the part of Kyra Sol to approach the Galactic Alliance. Truth be told she hadn't thought herself able, meeting with the Silvers had been hard enough and Connor had been at her side then.

Now that simply wasn't the case.

[member='Connor Harrison'] was gone, perhaps not in the bodily sense but mentally and spiritually he was another man. She had not seen him since he'd found her on Sarkany, the beautiful moon they had discovered together, but that did not mean that she was oblivious to the actions he'd taken. After all, news traveled fast amidst the Silver Jedi - especially where the Council were concerned.

With his back turned on the light, he had left Kyra in a rather unstable predicament. No doubt if he could contact her - which she'd made damn well sure he couldn't - he'd call for her to be at his side. Hypocrisy wasn't something she endured, however, and the very thought of following him down this darkened rabbit hole made her stomach churn with revulsion. Love - even when it was not reciprocated - could transcend a great many things, but with it came a responsibility... She refused to let him lessen his own morals. It was the least she could do.

By his side or alone she could do very little to pull him from the pit he was digging himself. And that was where Sullust came in, or more specifically the treasure held upon the world. She could not go to the Silvers for assistance, that much she knew, as they had all but allowed his descent. Nobody had tried to stop him, not even the great Grandmaster.

But she needed the aid of the Light.

Sat within the Bucket, just moments after finally coming in to land within the Temple's Hangar Bay, Kyra let out a very long sigh. She ran her right hand up through her hair, and pondered on what lay ahead. Would the men and women within aid her? Would they see Connor as a threat to be taken out, as opposed to helped? Redeemed? She did not know, but she had no other options... No other way to turn.

As though hearing her thoughts, Kyne whimpered at her feet.

"I know, Pup, I know..." She reached down and petted his fur, paying particular attention to a spot just behind his ear, and had to resist the urge to grimace at how odd it felt to use her right. By comparison the left was a rudimentary attempt at cybernetics on her part, covered by the sleeve of her shirt and fitted with a thin glove. It was humiliating to know that even with all her past work, creating herself a new arm was proving to be so time consuming and humbling.

It would be quite some time before her left returned as her dominant hand.

Rising from her seat she turned and wandered back through the ship, only halting when she heard the familiar pitter patter of footsteps at her heel. "Not this time, boy, stay put..." She was ever wary to bring her kusak with her when meeting with strangers, it was best not to chance her companions wellbeing. "Guard the ship, won't you, pup'?"

Another fuss, before she rose back to her full height and punched the release for the ramp. Catching her reflection as she turned her head back toward the cockpit, Kyra sighed and ran a finger over the still fresh scarring which ran over her left eye. Had she led him to his downfall? Don't think on that...

"I'll be back soon, pup', then we'll find him."

As she wandered down the ramp she couldn't help but wonder if she oughtn't wait within the hangar for a representative or Temple Guard to greet her first. She didn't want to get on their badside, after all, and waltzing into their home unannounced could be taken as a sign of hostility.

It wasn't until this thought crossed her mind that she remembered what lay on her belt. Great going, Kyra, that's a great way to get yourself imprisoned or worse... Maybe leave the damn Sith Lord's saber behind, eh? Just a short detour back to the ship to drop off her things, and then before long she was nearing the Temple Grounds. At her waist sat a rebreather, incase for whatever reason she had to travel to the surface, otherwise the rest of her equipment remained behind with Kyne. It was odd, not having even a single weapon to hand, but she figured it was the best approach.

[member='Aela Talith']

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Kyra Sol"]

The Jedi Temple on Sullust hadn't been her home for a few months now, pretty much ever since she and Jamie had been traveling together. Yet she was still required to visit every now and again, mostly due to her duties and holding the Title of Jedi Marshall.

The Grand Marshall still wanted to see her every now and again to report on her activities with the SIS, not to mention update her about the state of the Order itself. The trips were usually no issue, SIS headquarters just being a stones throw away from the Temple itself. Yet as of late things had become more...taxing. She had begun to see the New Jedi Order as something of...well not a side-project, but she was beginning to identify more and more with the SIS rather than the Jedi Order itself.

She had told Master Rhen of this of course, though the old man had just chuckled.

He had told her that such a thing was natural. She was spending more time with the SIS and doing missions that far outstripped what the Jedi Order tended to take part in. Her job was simply taking over, as the job of Jedi Marshall once had. The Grand Marshall had told her she must do as she saw fit, the scant few words being little more than mystery to Aela.

She had been a so called 'Master' for nearly five years now, but sometimes she still felt as though she were missing some key piece of knowledge that would somehow make her wise.

It wasn't a problem, not really anyway. Jamie certainly saw no issue with it, and as long as her Padawan didn't care Aela wouldn't be doing any complaining. She frowned slightly as she wandered back towards the Hangar bays of the Temple, lost in thought as she clutched a bundle of flimsy papers and datapads to be carried back to her home.

 

[Lief]

It was oddly quiet. Truth be told she hadn't quite adjusted to the quiet life, not even after so long stuck on the dustball, and so an eeriness seemed to settle over the Temple grounds. In the distance she could see a few individuals pottering around, but they seemed far too set in their path to notice the anomaly at their doorstep. Kyra sniffed, and immediately winced as the pain shot down her left side. She flexed her mechanical fingers, exhaled a shaky breath, and set it aside in her mind.

Old Connor might have been proud to see her using what he'd taught to keep herself calm and mentally contained, a feat she would never have achieved back in the junkyard they had met within some ten years prior. All in all though, had she really changed? Hard to say. He had, though. That lovable stranger who had tried first to kill her with his uncontrolled powers, and almost as soon put his life on the line protecting her from the Space Witch. The very thought of Connor, of who he had been and who he had become, shook her though.

Swallowing back her doubts, she flicked her gaze up just in time to avoid walking into the path of a woman who seemed just as distracted as she. Thankfully Kyra sidestepped in time to avoid sending papers everywhere, yet embarrassment rose within her cheeks all the same. In that same instance, she could not help but wonder if salvation had just presented itself. The woman had the same sort of aura about her as the Silvers, Kyra could only deduce that she was a Jedi - although what did she know? She was barely sensitive!

For a moment she tried to catch the woman's eye as their paths crossed, before she finally spoke up. After all she did not want to let the opportunity slip through her fingers, and truth be told the mere thought of approaching someone inside the Temple itself made her stomach churn.

"Forgive me, Master Jedi..." Hopefully that was the correct way to address her. Damn formalities tripped her up every time. "I do not mean to sully your home with a scavengers' grime..."

She glanced back behind herself, as though checking for any sign of mud or dust or oil - yet remarkably finding none - before turning back to the woman she hoped could help her.

"It's just, I'm in need of guidance... And I don't know where else to turn."

How low had she come, to be practically begging... Grovelling for assistance. Damn [member='Connor Harrison'], damn him to the darkest pits of Chaos.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Kyra Sol"]

She blinked a few times.

Aela didn't really understand what the girl was saying at first, mostly because she was too busy listening to the odd apology and then not really understanding what Kyra was even asking for. Oddly enough it wasn't really all that common for people to just stumble into the Jedi Temple and ask for guidance, that was...well rare. It had happened a few times before, sure, but usually it was well known people like Sith or long-lost Jedi themselves.

She frowned then spoke finally. "Relax."

Aela told the girl.

"Who are you?" The most important thing. "Breath."

There was no need to be nervous, not here.

 

[Lief]

Breathe?

Yeah, of course... Breathe, calm, no tripping over words. Already she felt her former glimmer of serenity set back in, and with an exhale of breath all thoughts of Connor - or more, the thing he had become - were banished. In its place sat a firm assurance. This was the right path, the one she needed to walk. Not just for his sake, but her own. Who knew when he would catch up with her. She would need her wits about her.

"Forgive me. I'm Kyra... Kyra Sol..." Former Padawan, not that it mattered. Her Master wasn't even Jedi anymore. No, best she leave that bit out.

Not a household name, not a somebody. Quite happy to be a nobody. A scavenger, a tinkerer. But one with a purpose that far surpassed her station. She wiped her hands on the back of her trousers, swallowed again - this time managing without the wince - and settled her gaze back upon the womans.

How did she remain so calm? If a stranger had approached Kyra within her home - a place people oughtn't have been - she'd have been on edge. More than a little suspicious.

That's why you were no good as a Padawan, Kai. No wonder he ran off and joined the darkside. Either way you look at it, it's your doing. Can't hide behind Ignus, too weak to keep him from besting you. Too weak to keep him from dragging Connor down. Your fault.

She mentally gave her head a shake, though outwardly tried to remain as calm as possible.

"A friend of mine has fallen down a dark path, Master Jedi, and those he deemed allies I cannot trust." They let him leave! "I don't know where else to turn."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Kyra Sol"]

Okay, well that made a lot more sense. The Girl had been talking a mile a minute and Aela hadn't been entirely sure what she'd been saying or wanted. Now that she was speaking more clearly however she was actually understanding. She sighed for a moment, gathering her papers and scrunching them together for a moment so they didn't get tossed all over the place a second time. Her gaze drifted towards the young woman for a moment then towards their surrounding.

"Why don't we talk about it somewhere more quiet." Aela was hardly the perfect person to talk to, she wasn't all that old or wise, but she could at the very least give it a shot.

Jamie had told her she was a good Master, back on Duxn the two of them had shared a moment together and the young Padawan and told her she'd been a good guide, perhaps she could help this young woman as well.

"We can have some tea." Her mother had always said tea helps. "And you can tell me more about this."

Though in truth she had no idea what to do.

From what Kyra had said she had a friend that fell to the darkside, or was starting to, and that didn't really leave her all that much to go on. "I'm Aela."

 

[Lief]

There was somewhere more quiet than here?

The only place she could imagine was space, or somewhere equally as noise-sucking. It wasn't until then that she realized that they were not alone, man these Jedi folk could be deceptive. Were they all treading on eggshells, or something? Their boots barely even scuffed the floor!

"Yes, please... Tea would be nice."

Did she mention who it was when the time came, and risk putting yet another target on Connor's back? Did she mention her ties to him? Or did she keep it impersonal?

She had no idea how Jedi reacted to such. Connor had never spoken highly of those who had left the Order, who had turned their backs on their duty.

Which is precisely why he needs to see sense... Even if he does not return to the Jedi, he needs to realize that the path he's on is dangerous. And it goes against all he's ever worked for.

No. No hypocrites allowed here.

Following after the woman when the time came, she made a mental note of the name offered. Aela. It was interesting, one she hadn't heard before. Then again the Galaxy was vast and full of all manner of people, cultures, names.

"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting your work."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Kyra Sol"]

Aela waved the girl off. "It's fine."

She hadn't really had much to do today anyway. Her time here at the New Jedi Order was slowly drawing to a close, a fact that she had already admitted to herself and was well aware of now. Briefly she considered sending the girl to someone else, but that seemed needlessly cruel.

Aela might not have been a Marshall for much longer, but she could still help.

"This way." She told the girl. "We'll have to take one of the halls."

Most of the rooms in the Temple were now occupied.

The growth of the New Jedi Order had been rather staggering given that just a few months ago there had been barely anyone here at the New Temple. At the time it had seemed like there were only a dozen Jedi, now? Well now it seemed that they had thousands. It was a good thing to see, especially with the rise of the Sith once again occurring.

Eventually the two reached a small, homely side room.

 

[Lief]

All of the nerves and uncertainty she had previously held had by this point mostly melted away. Whoever it was she had run into, Aela her name was, had a calming presence. She did not rush Kyra in any way, not even in the pace of her movements, did not push or interrogate. And for that she found herself most grateful.

Together they made their way through the halls of the Temple, past numerous closed doors that she did not even give a second glance. She was not here to see how these Jedi worked, she did not care to disturb them, had it been up to her, and the circumstances different, she would never had need to be here at all.

But he needed her, even if he did not realize it. And for that she had to be strong, and not run in blind.

When they reached their destination, Kyra gave the room one sweeping glance before settling her gaze back to the Jedi.

"I don't know where to begin" she confessed, truly not even knowing if the time to speak was now or if she ought to wait. There wasn't exactly a manual for this kind of thing. Help! My Master has turned to the Darkside!

Though with the way this Galaxy worked, no doubt it would be a best seller.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Kyra Sol"]

"The beginning." Aela said finally as she rounded the girl and sat in front of her.

There wasn't really much she could do without information.

The Girls story might have been a long one, but Aela didn't particularly care. The papers that she still had to file were mostly for her own reading purposes, and unless war broke out in that very moment she had all day to do whatever she wanted. The benefit of being a Jedi Marshall was that there really was only one person in the entire Alliance that could tell you what to do, and even then it was really more of a suggestion or a guideline than actual orders.

"I can't help if I don't know everything." She explained. "Not to pry, but its sort of the truth."

She shrugged. "Even then, I don't exactly know what I could do."

Aside from arrest this darksider anyway.

 

[Lief]

The Jedi seemed to want the whole story, but she didn't know if she could give it. Was it her place to explain the full plight of Connor Harrison? Could she risk the potential fallout, the repercussions, from doing so? What if it added a great big target on his back?

I know nothing about these people. While they seem to be the only real alternative to going to the Silvers, which is absolutely not an option, what's stopping them from using the information to cut him down?

Kyra already felt responsible for his downfall, Ignus was the cause of it... He had played Connor right into his hand, and done so through Kyra. Was she willing to risk bringing more troubles to his door?

He's your Master, even if he's fallen. Before that he's your friend. And he's made a grave mistake, one he cannot readily get himself free from. The path he walks now is not the one he belongs upon. You know that.

She settled across from Aela with a most solemn expression. The beginning... But what did that pertain too? How long had Connor been falling for? She did not know.

"I need the resolve to face him" she began by saying, in response to the Jedi's final statement, "But I don't know if I'd be strong enough to pull him back from the edge."

Stupid, stupid Kai. Of course you're not strong enough. You're nothing compared to the might of the Sith, and they aren't going to simply hand him over.

"I don't want any harm to come to him, but I can't stand idly by while he ruins all he worked toward. My Master sought to bring down a Sith who had done harm," Foolish girl this is all your fault. "It didn't go as planned... He was outnumbered, and while he escaped with his life..."

Back to the rambling, her words were said with haste as though by doing so it would make everything better. This was a painful topic for her to speak of, and even as she was saying it she knew there was little they could do to help her. Capture him back? Take him down? She didn't need their assistance there, though they might still take it upon themselves to do so. This was something she had to do alone.

"It's wrong, all of it is wrong. He's a good man, an honest man, I don't know how they dragged him down to their level, but I felt the change in him from eons away, and my sources confirmed the truth of it..."

Why was she here? She looked around the room, it was ridiculous. This whole thing.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Kyra Sol"]

She listened carefully.

"The darkside is seductive." Aela said finally, though that wasn't really an explanation nor something that would help the girl in the least. For a moment Aela simply watched her in silence, considering what Kyra had said.
There was really no easy way about this. The Darkside was in it of itself an entity that sought to encapsulate, capture, and then corrupt. There was no stopping it, not really, save for ones own willpower. Such things as Force Light and other measures existed, but they didn't really help, not when a person had chosen to the fall and now stuck to their belief because they truly believed them. In order to find redemption one had to seek it in the first place.

It could not be brought.

"Perhaps it was a moment of weakness." He told her. "Perhaps it was a building of things, but either way it was a chosen path."

Aela said simply. "If he is to return from it he must choose to do so."

There were a number of ways that could happen.

 

[Lief]

Even as Aela was explaining Kyra knew her words to be true. Connor had always been a strong advocate for the light, but he had stepped closer to the dark than most in his almost zealous hunt against the Sith. It wasn't so far from hunting them to becoming them, was it? That thought hurt more than any other, that he had willingly submitted to the throws of the darkness...

She didn't want to believe it, but she had to acknowledge it as a possibility. They would not have so easily taken him down were it not the case.

"I understand" she confessed, with a slight bow to her head. She could not give up hope, though. She could not falter in the quest which had been placed at her feet. She could not forsake him.

"I cut all communications with him. But if he finds a way to get to me, and I don't doubt that he will, I do not know if I will be strong enough to resist him." Him, not the darkside. She would never willingly fall, not that she knew much about that. Or the Force in general. Truly she was an ignorant soul insofar as Space Magic was concerned. "I can't be weak though, I can't stand by and let it happen. Please... Is there any way you know that I can protect myself from it?"

She would be going after Connor whether the Jedi thought it was a good idea or not. She hadn't come here for their approval, or even their support, merely in slim hopes that advice could be given. A method to strengthen her resolve. She was not asking for much, or was she? Would it take a miracle to keep her from him if he called? To keep her from falling at his feet, as he had Ignus' and the others?

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Kyra Sol"]

The question was a tough one.

There were artifacts, objects of power that could protect one from the darkside of the force. They really only went so far though. Most of the time the truth of it sat simply in the fact that you were only as powerful as your own will. You could be decorated and draped in all the artifacts you wanted, perhaps even surrounded by Angraal crystals.

Yet if you wanted something...it would happen.

That was the fact of the matter. Either you'd end up taking the artifacts off, or you would find some other way to give into temptation. That was the human...the organic condition. One couldn't simply shy away from desire, no matter how dark some of those desires were. It was about controlling yourself, holding yourself back. Aela knew it because she had experienced it more than once, she had felt rage, fear, all of the emotions that lead one to the Darkside.

"There are." She said simply. "But in the end it comes down you."

She wanted to make that clear. "Your own resolve, your strength."

 

[Lief]

Kyra gave a small nod of understanding... True understanding.

Connor had been disheartened with some of the Silver's choices, she should have seen the signs to be honest... This was not a quick descent as it seemed, doubts had been playing on his mind since Jakku. If not earlier. How little she knew, how little she understood, of the Jedi she had stupidly fallen for.

"Of course" she said, with a faraway look in her eyes. She turned her head, glancing around the room as though having seen something within her peripheral, and a small glimmer of peace finally worked its way back into her core. Ignus had not been the instigator. His actions on Mirial had not brought Connor into this pit. Connor had.

Would she be able to help him out? That could not be known. The choice was indeed his, as this Jedi had tried to inform her, and the chance at redemption could only be grasped if he sought it.

But she? Kyra Sol? Kyra could do something about herself. She had never given the Darkside so much as a glance before, though truth be told she had avoided all aspects of the Force. She had it in her to stave him off, to remain disassociated with the path he chose to venture along.

She just had to find it. The resolve she had lacked for so very long.

Kyra rose from where she had been seated, the troubled expression dispersed into one of careful calculation.

"Thank you..." she said, a little absentmindedly, before looking over at Aela. "Really, truly, thank you. I know now what it is I must do."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Kyra Sol"]

Aela shrugged.

She hadn't really done much for the girl except say a few words, rather simple words that most Jedi already knew. Perhaps that was all that she had needed in the first place, though she supposed that was really something the girl herself knew.

"Well." She began again. "If you intend to go after him you shouldn't go alone."

That was simple enough.

Most people didn't really think about rushing headlong after a Sith, but Aela had a feeling that this girl was. Jamie likely would have done so too, and in truth Aela was exactly the same type of person. Yet dealing with Sith, darksiders in general, was more dangerous that one could really comprehend. It wasn't just about the physical danger, but what could come with it. She let out a breath.

"Take an anchor." Aela told the girl.

"A person, a droid." She went on. "Someone to keep you grounded."

 

[Lief]

Naturally Kyra paused when the woman spoke, and turned to give her full attention. It would be rude to walk away from advice, when advice was what she had come for. The woman seemed to think that she was ready to rush headlong after Connor, and she couldn't blame her. It probably did seem that way. Kyra knew though that if she hunted him now she'd fall. No two ways about it.

"I will be sure to follow your advice when the time comes. There is much to do before I seek him out, to do so now would be suicidal."

She gave a very light nod of her head, as though confirming as much to herself, before allowing a small smile to grace her lips.

"I'm sorry I brought such trivial matters to your doorstep, Master Jedi, and I thoroughly appreciate the advice you've given. If there's ever any way I can make it up to you, just let me know."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Kyra Sol"]

Well, at least she wasn't going to do something stupid.

"It's no issue." Aela answered truthfully.

Trivial was hardly the word for a friend converting to the darkside. The New Jedi Order was vehemently against Sith, not only Sith but anyone who would use the darkside. There was a reason for that of course, a just one. Even in this new age the Sith had slaughtered billions of people, and even now continued to do so.

A Jedi falling, no matter if they were Padawan or Master was always a serious concern. That was simply how it was, it was their way. They had to be vigilant, careful, but unfortunately there was always more than one could actually manage. The tide was simple too strong, and as much as Aela would have liked to help...well she was simply tired. Running after Sith after Sith for the last decade and a half had run her ragged. So now she would just give advice.

It seemed to help this girl at least. "Be careful."

She said finally.