The Great Die-Off

[NightSister]

Continued from A Fortress Of Solitude​

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[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0MIFHLIzZY[/media]​

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Aria honestly thought she'd seen the last of Connor Harrison by now.

Khar Shian and then Korriban had been the last time she'd seen him; true to herself, Aria still wasn't quite sure what light she viewed the situation in. Certainly, they weren't on friendly terms, but that was as far as she'd gotten. Could she honestly say she hated him? On bad days, maybe. Closer to hatred than indifference, she supposed, if she really got into the details, which she didn't. Mostly, she tried to occupy her brain with other things, really. To her mind, there was no reason left why they should cross paths so long as she wasn't overtaken by the urge to hunt him down, and she hadn't been thus far. So long as it remained unlikely that they met again, devoting her time to more productive searches seemed the logical thing to do.

But as it turned out, fate was a fickle thing. To be specific, fate had put a message in her inbox just after lunch, containing, among other things that Aria took a moment even to acknowledge, the name Connor Harrison and a set of coordinates. It was an invitation, but - even more curious - not from him. She certainly hoped Connor was smarter than pulling a scheme like this. When she ran the coordinates, the planet was one she didn't recognise; this wasn't the Jedi trying anything, then. Or if it was, they were much more devious in their plotting than she remembered. So a non-Jedi, likely a Sith considering the parties, wanted her on..Oricon...and it involved Connor somehow.

Well, she'd always been one to pick at her scabs.

It was an unusual blend of curiosity, confusion and dislike that made Aria hop on a starship and punch the coordinates from the message into her nav system. Sure, plenty of other stuff, but she was focusing on the ones that she had a name for. In fact, she spent all of a lengthy flight thinking over everything; what might be happening, what part she played, how she felt about the whole deal. Mostly the same questions she'd asked herself days on end after they'd last met, but with some variety.

The fortress that the coordinates took her to seemed to confirm the Sith part of her theory, at least. As far as Aria was aware, Connor had hoped to become Sith - he could be here, although it hardly seemed the place. But she doubted very much that whoever had contacted her had gotten a wrong number. Whatever this was, it was important.

"My name is Aria Vale," she said into the ship's comm. "I'm here on invitation."

[member="Lyra Naerys"] | [member="Tirdarius"] | [member="Connor Harrison"]​

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

Oricon Fortress, Oricon​

| [member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Lyra Naerys"] | [member="Connor Harrison"] |​

Time passed ever slowly on Oricon, one of the planet's many charms, the absence of life leaving it a place with so little activity that moments seemed to roll in one-another seamlessly, one day being much like another but for a single place of activity: the imposing but largely unoccupied fortress that served as home to a Sith Lord and his apprentice. And, for the moment, for a guest who is quite set on making himself unwelcome. Connor Harrison's transition towards the darker paths was, perhaps, moving even slower than life on Oricon, and his impatience burned hotter than the paths of molten magma that streamed their way across the burning surface. Not a man content to wait until the board is set, if he can see a way to win beforehand.

His inner discontent was rather ruining the atmosphere, truth be told: much though the fortress was a natural gathering point for the energies of the Dark Side, its occupant preferred that those energies be left to themselves, that he might use them to observe and reflect, not to fluctuate at the emotional whims of those present. That much had prompted Tirdarius to move the board forward a pace, drawing a new participant into the game, though doubtless she had little inkling as to what the nature of the game was. Which would make two of them. Such a thing might make the board a more chaotic place, but it would move the game closer to resolution.

The girl had already signalled, her ship having dropped out of hyperspace less than an hour ago, and a return signal had been sent containing a set of landing co-ordinates. Others might have preferred a lengthy discussion over the comm, but that lacked the same subtlety of a conversation face-to-face. Truth be told, he found himself curious as to the woman that could tie Connor Harrison up in emotional knots, but he suspected their relationship wouldn't last overly long. Someone was going to die here today. He could only hope they would have the grace not to spill blood upon the marble flooring.

Lyra had already been dispatched to fetch Harrison, knowing well enough that the fallen Jedi would wish to be present when Aria arrived. Whether he would kiss her, kill her or offer her the same emotionally-wounded arguments to which the two Sith had been subjected remained an open question, but it would be an interesting opportunity to gain insight. How is it that a powerful Jedi Master can devolve into a being so at the mercy of his own feelings? Perhaps the young woman would provide the piece of the puzzle that would give him an answer. And perhaps even offer resolution.

A silent protocol droid had been sent down to the landing pad, there to escort the young woman to the expansive audience chamber at the heart of the Fortress. Tirdarius had the droid's vocabulator removed as a necessary precaution: perhaps it was a cruel thing to do to a droid programmed with such expansive databases in linguistics and etiquette, but much that passed the lips of the citadel's inhabitants was not for others to learn. It would serve a purpose simply by bringing her here.

Truth be told, even Tirdarius felt a whisper of impatience within his own mind. Now the game was afoot, it was a hard thing not to want to observe the outcome. Would Connor kill his errant companion? Would she slay him? Would they turn upon the two Sith and seek to overpower them? Would Lyra take the opportunity of Aria's distraction to bury a knife between Connor's shoulderblades? There were so many possibilities in this meeting. We pivot upon a moment of change. Who would still be standing at the end of it?

 

[Connor Harrison]

A ship came down close to the Fortress. Connor had been looking out of the small window up in the higher floors for a long time. The rolling black skies coupled with the charcoal black of the ground, split by the rolling rivers of magma was hypnotic enough for him to help focus his mind on the matters at hand.

Aria Vale was on the way, and the Sith he was surrounded by didn't want her - or him - to leave the planet alive.

Leaning on the stone ledge, the air was warm around him. The room was very basic, probably a former store-room, but he wasn't exactly here as a guest of honour and so was given a basic room to rest until the Dark Jedi arrived. But now the situation had become far more real when her sleak ship arrived like a hawk descending from the skies to touch down. His head rose slightly, and his dark eyes never moved from her, from the landing to the escorting into the Fortress. She carried herself with a new confidence. With her allies growing in numbers among the Dark Side, she was becoming a force to be reckoned with.

When Lyra came for him, she didn't speak, but simply motioned for him to follow. Without protest or question, he did. This was a challenge. A game, to them. But for Connor it was something much more - a chance to prove to himself he wasn't a quitter, and that he was a survivor. Aria Vale had been his most promising student on Voss with the Silver Jedi, from the moment she came to him seeking the Shadows. Since then he had seen her blossom, and when it came down to the moment he wanted her to break free from her shell, she rebuked him and failed to see why he did what he had done. And then, she had gone. Seeking solace under the wing of another, and now lost to him in all ways. He'd be kidding if he talked himself into thinking she wouldn't kill him here and now, for she would. The prize was too great. The Dark Jedi who killed Connor Harrison - it would guarantee her status among the Sith for years to come, and prove that the student had what it took to stand alone.

Connor was in a world of his own as he followed Lyra. His blood pumping, his head throbbing. While he was nobody's pawn, he had to show his resolve against the pressure being applied by the Sith for him to crack. For every hit taken, he would get back up. For every insult traded, he would get back up. He always got back up, and always would until the killing blow.

The Fortress became it's usual grand, exquisite stature as Connor came to the large audience chamber, and Tirdarius was already there. But not Ara.

He glanced around as he walked in, gauging the layout and any "hired help" who may be lurking.

Returning to Tirdarius, Connor inhaled a deep breath and kept the old he dead and buried. This wasn't a game, and he wasn't going to become a player. This was simply part of the process and if he wanted to leave alive, he had to do what he had to do.

[member="Tirdarius"] | [member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Lyra Naerys"]

 

[Progflaw99]

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The familiar heat of Oricon had been a welcome sensation, as regrettably short as it had been. The fortress here on the molten surface of the moon had some of the top of the line cooling systems, the environmental systems kept at a mediocre temperature in comparison to the outside ambient warmth - almost cold even. Lyra didn't much like the cold embrace of space but she had been practicing her piloting skills, not only just outside the system but she had even managed to acquire her own vessel - though it was somewhat less than luxurious. A re-purposed HWK-290, the light freighter was just that, light. Not much room except for a passenger and minimal cargo, the vessel had served her well and it was small enough that she didn't feel like she was piloting a barge. It had been that very ship - the one she'd yet to come up with a name for - that had carried her from the surface of Oricon in search of the fallen Jedi, Connor Harrison. He hadn't been terribly difficult to find, Lyra had a way of reading people, seeing things that ought not be seen and to track the Jedi Master had been far too easy - though if her feelings on the matter were of any import - Lyra had thought him almost wanting to be found.

It hadn't mattered much, conversation not particularly of interest to her nor Connor it seemed. She could hardly blame him - last they'd met she'd put a stiletto through the palm of his hand; he had yet to claim vengeance for that, and truthfully Lyra thought him mostly incapable. The trip had been brief, their landing even more-so. By now, Lyra knew a few of the major terrain features, some of the largest volcanoes and jagged outcroppings even recognizeable to her eye from the upper atmosphere. It had taken some time, but she was finally beginning to feel at home on Oricon, it was the only true home she'd known - or at least remembered.

The girl had taken reprieve of her typically dark tunic and trousers, instead opting for a pair of brown linen pants and a deep blue tunic, a light touch of gold embroidering around the collar. It was subtle enough to pass as commonplace but a hair less boring than her usual. Her boots, a soft dark leather, padded through the corridors. No doubt from where he had been berthed, Connor Harrison had seen the arrival of the vessel - felt perhaps not - but such assumptions were not conducive to one's survivability and so instead Lyra prepared herself for what may come. Whether the former Jedi followed through with the actual killing of the woman wasn't particularly important. Lyra wasn't invested deeply into either of the two, instead she sought to gain. Insight, knowledge, perhaps technique. Her sparring lessons had gone well but she had yet to lay hands on a lightsaber - instead a blade of solid alloy had made itself her crux. The weight had done well to train her for the fatigue of fighting, the balanced weight teaching her the importance of stance - and yet she still felt as if she was being held back, the real question was by whom? Herself? Lord Tirdarius?

No - only she could hold herself back, perhaps it was her lack of ambition. She was willing to admit that to herself. For so long she'd simply struggled to survive, but what the Sith Lord had spoken of upon their first meeting held truth. There was more to give than simply to survive. By her own account she had done well in most areas of her learning, though she still struggled as do all acolytes, most notably when it came to the Force. It was always there, and she could feel it though channeling it and using it was another matter entirely. Even though she understood the fundamentals there were yet times where she would reach out to the Force, calling upon the Dark Side with everything she thought she had and yet it remained silent.

Perhaps it was doubt, gnawing away at her - could she really become a part of the Sith? Was she truly capable of becoming more than a simple acolyte? Time would tell, but right now she had duties to attend to. Less hospitable than at their last meeting, Lyra approached the former Jedi silently, her presence only signaled by a purposeful sigh. Her features the very definition of a mask, she simply beckoned for the man to follow, turning on her heel before he could shatter the ambient rumble of the magma ridden world. By now she knew the layout of the fortress, or at the very least the main corridors. There yet remained areas that even she had been forbidden from entering, and while she obeyed a whisper did cause wonder at what might be hidden deeper within the construct. Her footsteps led her sure-footedly towards the place she had met Connor - the memory causing a small tug at the corner of her lips.

Gently pressing her hand against the door to the audience chamber, the door forcefully moved open, a familiar scene splayed out before both the girl and fallen Jedi. The Sith Lord however stood, this time no table nor chairs cluttered the room - and no glasses nor water. Hospitality had played its purpose the last time Connor Harrison had graced their halls; no longer. Without so much as a glance behind her, the girl approached the Sith Lord, bowing fully at the waist before her Master as she spoke in a hushed tone.

"Connor Harrison, as requested Lord Tirdarius."​

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[member="Tirdarius"] | [member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Connor Harrison"]​

 

[NightSister]

Even for someone who grew restless as quickly as Aria, she had to wait pleasantly little time before a set of coordinates came in response to her signal. A little surprising, perhaps - she hardly expected her feud with the former Jedi to be of significance to anyone past the two themselves - but pleasant nonetheless. Increasingly more curious, she sped down to the surface the moment she received her reply. She flew hurriedly, even as she tried to keep to a steady speed; she'd always had a habit of impatience.

To be fair to herself, anyone in her shoes would be just as keen to get some answers. She'd been sent a message from a name she didn't know, regarding a name she knew frankly all too well, and that, so far, was all she had to go on. The duration of her flight had been spent brainstorming aloud about what she could've possibly been called to Oricon for, muttering her options to herself as she steered through the Outer Rim. Overthinking was another habit of course, but given the situation at hand, an equally justified one. By that point, though her waiting time once she'd reached Oricon had been wonderfully brief, she'd had enough time to consider all the alternatives and potential threats that she was quite determined to sort out what was going on.

She noted the heat the moment she lowered the landing ramp, immediately pushing her sleeves up to her elbows as she paced down the ramp. It wasn't particularly unpleasant, but it certainly stood out. Hopping off the edge, Aria turned to see a droid nearing the landing pad, evidently for her; she waited expectantly, but it stayed silent, simply indicating to follow as it turned back the way it'd come. Aria couldn't help but raise her eyebrows at the droid's muteness, but she followed its mechanical footsteps, equally wordless.

The fortress and its surroundings were as grand and ominous as Aria would've expected of any Sith. Of course, she'd only been to the homes of two Sith prior to today - Imperia on Rhelg, Silara on Khar Shian - but she could certainly appreciate the pattern. Odd as it sounded, Aria had found she quite liked the grandeur that she was starting to become used to since she'd taken up residence on Maena; she'd never been particularly attached to the minimalism of the Jedi, in fairness, but luxury, in contrast, was surprisingly appealing.

Her monologue was cut short as the droid came to a halt outside a tall set of doors. Well, with any luck, things would be clearer any minute now.

Aria knocked and was let in. She stayed right at the door, looking to her immediate surroundings. Connor caught her attention first, of course; although for whatever reason, her gaze identified him before her Force-sense could. Strange, but not her problem. He stood behind a girl Aria hadn't seen before - fairly young, she was guessing, and if not a Sith, then soon to be one. The third, however, was familiar both in appearance and in Force-signature; Aria wracked her brains for a moment, before her memories matched up. The Sith Lord from one of her knowledge quests as a Jedi - who, incidentally, had been a great help in her realization of the Order's futility. Small world indeed.

Well, she had to say something now. What was the name that'd been in the message?

"Lord Tirdarius." Her tone was respectful, but cautious - rightly so, she supposed. "I received your invitation."

[member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Tirdarius"] | [member="Lyra Naerys"]​

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

| [member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Lyra Naerys"] | [member="Connor Harrison"] |​

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The few residents of the citadel gathered silently in the audience hall, little acknowledgement given, expectation and anticipation reigning supreme in that moment, all three awaiting the arrival of the fourth, one summoned with polite request, her presence in the Force a beacon that called to two of them, but would have been familiar to the third, had he the senses available to detect it. Even to Tirdarius, sitting in one of the chairs that rested within the chamber, there was something familiar about her. Like looking at someone you knew in childhood, but now look upon as an adult. Reflective of a person once familiar, now different. That was a very curious sensation, and it intrigued him.

The young woman that entered the hall by dint of the far entrance was indeed one he recognised, though it took him a moment to be certain. There was a difference to her, an alienness to her nature that had not been present before, as though she had stood in harsh circumstances and been twisted into a caricature of the nervous, questioning young woman she had been. Ah, yes, now I remember. Gone were the Jedi robes, the cautious manner, the sense of uncertainty. Here's one that's walked through a fire.

They'd met once before, him an intruder in a lifeless place, her one that had come seeking herself in a place where there might be no distractions. They had managed courteous conversation, sharing thoughts in a manner so rarely exchanged between their kind. But she is no longer one of theirs, he noted inwardly, seeing the differences in her manner, the attire that was so unlike her Jedi garb, and the confidence with which she carried herself. She went looking and evidently found someone she could admire in the mirror. That was the person he looked upon now.

"Received and accepted, evidently," he answered in response to her words, inclining his head in respectful greeting, one Sith to another. "I was curious if you would come, truth be told, but you don't disappoint." The Sith Lord stared at her appraisingly, stormy grey eyes impassive, his expression matching in dispassionate observation. "I see you took our conversation into account and made a few changes since our last meeting."

The true reasons for her change in lifestyle remained obscured to him, but given that she had some form of bond with Connor Harrison, it wasn't a long shot to assume that their change in circumstances was somehow linked. Which of them fell first? Was one prompted by the other? He rather suspected so, given the messy nature of the emotions that he had sensed coming from the male, but that Aria had not reacted significantly to his presence suggested that something interesting had occured between them since that time.

"My apprentice, Lyra," he said, gesturing to the younger of the two women, standing calmly next to Connor, waiting to see the outcome. "I assume you need no introduction to my other guest, hmm?," Tirdarius questioned, perhaps rhetorically, not having failed to notice that Aria had greeted him before her old...companion? That was curious. "You are here at my invitation, but it is not me that you have come to see," he added softly, nodding in Connor's direction.

The apathy felt odd, given the conflicted storm of emotions that had gathered in the heart of the fallen Jedi that had come here to learn the path of the Sith. One did not devote such hefty feelings to a person of little interest, so clearly Connor had a bond to Aria in a fashion that the younger woman wasn't prepared to openly acknowledge yet. Clearly it was appropriate to summon her here. Connor was a tough nut to crack, but perhaps Aria's presence would be the key to that.

Whether there'd be anything left of the man to salvage afterwards...that remained to be seen. This one doesn't look like she's forgiving of those who cross her.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor looked at Tirdarius, and got nothing back. He then glanced to Lyra, standing beside him. Nothing. So, he waited.

He didn't need to wait long before the chamber welcomed another - Aria Vale. The man lifted his head slightly, a small move accentuating his stance to that of being alert, wary and ever curious. He just watched her walk though with her new aura, which he could feel. She had cut much of the Light away, and was near unrecognizable as the one who had come asking to join the Shadows so long ago.

As Tirdarius talked, he simply stood and watched her. He wasn't the Connor trying to prove a point anymore - he was Connor, and his point had been proven already by being here, but still there were ones who doubted him. He would do what he had to do, but for himself, nobody else.

It went quiet.

He took four steps forward.

"For some reason, they pinpoint you're the one holding my progression back. For the life of me, I don't know why they think it's you.”

Turning to the two Sith, they simply looked on at the both, and suddenly the chamber felt very large and cold indeed. He turned back to Aria.

"You're a problem that they want removing. Or I'm their problem. Either way, you're here for a reason.”

He stared at her, trying to work out what was going on behind those dark eyes. Quite a lot, actually.

Connor changed his stance in second, right foot behind, and he held both hands out before him and clenched his fists tight, face twisted in strength as he wrapped the Force radiating from her to crush her body in a sensation of being battered by two charging Rontos.

[member=Tirdarius] | [member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Lyra Naerys"]

 

[Progflaw99]

The girl half bowed when introduced however her eyes stayed locked on the two figures. It was as if Lord Tirdarius had put a tarantula and a scorpion in the same box, two deadly creatures staring down one another, each unsure of why they had been placed there but knowing there was something afoot. She watched pensively. The woman reminded her of someone... perhaps someone she'd met in passing but she was definitely not familiar to her. She had that look about her, the same look many of the highborn of Telos IV had about them, though decidedly corrupted. She'd felt the presence of the Jedi before and neither of the two before the Sith Lord and his apprentice elicited the same sensation.

Carefully measuring her breathing as the former Jedi master spoke, she collected herself. The thin blade which she'd used upon their previous meeting still stealthily tucked at her waist, just beside the sword hanging from her belt. It had been her first weapon and currently served as her primary defense - and offense. It had seen much use in the training environment though even now it remained unblooded. If the Force willed it, she would willingly sate its thirst but such decisions were not hers to make. In a moment, Connor took steps forward, his gaze falling on both the Lord and the apprentice for a moment before he continued.

And in an instant he had gone from simply standing to - posing? No, no he was doing something, she could feel the wiry tendrils of the Dark Side warping through the air. What the former Jedi was now attempting to do escaped her but instinctively Lyra's hand fell to the hilt of her weapon. When force users fought, no one was safe - history had shown that to be true. Mentally steeling herself for what may come, she wrapped her delicate fingers around the sword's grip yet did not draw. This was not her test, not yet.

[member="Tirdarius"] | [member="Aria Vale"] | [member="Connor Harrison"]​