The Vale On Morellia

[Connor Harrison]

The Cassian Vale
Morellia, Wild Space

If the order had come from another, he would have passed it to the Rangers. But since the order, in theory, had come via his apprentice Aria Vale, Connor Harrison was interested.

With reports of an unknown ship touching down close to the outpost in Cassian Valley on Morellia, it usually wouldn't bother him. It was a small valley consisting of a small outpost that was on the edge of their space and touching the fringes of the wild galaxy. But this had been a ship that, whoever was piloting, had mentioned the name Aria Vale. That set of alarm bells. Was this Silara looking for a re-match? Was it some repercussion from her voyage to the Core?

Connor was alone, crunching over the sandy gravel in the valley of the canyon, here to find out.

The orange rock surrounded him, sunlight piercing through random holes and cracks. The Silver Jedi outpost, tucked away, looked pretty much abandoned save for the one Ranger inside monitoring traffic.

He glanced around, no sounds or voices to be heard bar the crunch of his boots on the ground. Hand on his lightsaber hilt, he was walking the stretch of the valley from one side to the other where he hoped to come across the ship, and the link as to why his most promising apprentice had been mentioned.

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

Morellia. Abyss couldn't really tell what had drawn him on this backwater world somewhere on the fringes of silver jedi space. Never before he had heard more than the planets name, as it never had been of much importance, neither to him personally nor in any of the history books he had read. If it weren't for a mention of it in book he skipped over in the jedi archives of tython when he meet with Aria, his only somewhat ally in the ranks of jedi, he would have never thought about travelling there. The part of the book had been deliberately vague, not telling anything about what he could find there.

Still, as he already had been in silver jedi space, he couldn't pass up this small opportunity to find something that had been hidden since ancient times, even if he wanted to. His hunger and obsession grew with every day, and even the smallest chance gave it new fuel to push him forwards. Normally he wouldn't simply set foot on a jedi world without precautions, but morellia seemed so far away from anything that he didn't believed that he had to worry about anyone finding him here.

The stole freighter he recently acquired on one of the many small smuggler outpost throughout the galaxy was placed right on the edge of the vally. That the planet didn't looked special wasn't really a concern, but it also felt like nothing special. His sense in the force was sharp for relics and artifacts, sometimes even sharp enough to feel them before he set foot on a world. Not here. He felt absolutely nothing, no power brooding under the surface, no ancient echo calling for him.

He was about to return to his ship, disappointed by his small journey when he noticed the sound of boots on sand somewhere behind him. In only a second the sith lord turned around, one hand on his saber, the other up in the air, ready to be used as a channel for the dark side.

"Who is there?"

His voice was calm, but cautious, and he was ready to react as this could turn into an ambush real quick. For the first time he felt something in the force, but instead of an object of his desire it was a presence of living being. Powerful, heavy, yet neither filled by bright light nor tainted by the dark.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

As the voice called out, commanding but calm, Connor froze and his hand gripped the hilt. The echo of the vale they were in distorted the voice, throwing it around a little to create a surround sound. His eyes looked around the outpost, across a far walkway and up into the bright sky to see if he was being watched.

There was a presence, but not an overly strong one and it was singular.

”The question is, who are you and what are you doing in Silver Jedi territory with no recognisable call sign?"

His voice carried across the vale, and he stood dead still except for his eyes looking for any sign of movement and his mind attuned for any projectile or weapon that may come his way. Seeing beyond what the eyes saw was crucial at times like this when you were otherwise blind to what hid in the surroundings.

”I am not your enemy, but if you do not make your presence known and your intention than God help you, I will become it."

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

"Names have no meaning to me, but most call me Darth Abyss."

Revealing his identity already was risky, but as it seemed a meeting with the presence was inevitable, so his alligence to the darkness and the way of the sith would become obvious as soon as the other would lay eyes on him. Slowly he began his walk towards the source of the sound, at least as good as it was possible due to echo of the canyon around them. His ragged, black robe was drifting in the wind of the vally, all but the lower half of his face hidden under his hood and mask. Each step was completely silent, even that of his cybernetic right.

"I am simply here as seeker of knowledge, following a hint I found in a old book. But it seems like there is nothing on this world to be found. I do not fear conflict but I do not seek it, if you not give me a reason to."

He continued his walk deeper into the valley, his hands now loosely hanging on his sides to reflect what he just said. A good fight was something he enjoyed, but the presence that filled the air was strong, reminding him more of those alike his master and the other members of the dark council than of his own, at least in its intensity. Conflict was a way to grow, but with every lost battle he learned to never fight someone who stood above him, at least not without a reason and a plan.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

The Sith Lord came out of his spot, and it couldn’t have been a more stark image against the pale rocky backdrop – the cloak and cowl of black shrouding the figure a he moved in near silence. With a quick look left and right, and even behind, Connor saw no evident trap or ambush.

”There is always knowledge to be found, in any world," he called over, hand still on hilt, ”but you’re not looking hard enough it seems."

He began to walk towards the Sith, matching the footsteps and not showing immediate signs of aggression or anger. This was, after all, a glimpse into the future for where he may stand one day.

”My name is Connor Harrison. What knowledge do you seek, Lord Abyss."

There was no indication of the Order or rank he held, or even his calling as Jedi. Just a name.

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

"What I seek should not be your concern, Master Harrison."

Abyss walk came to a stop, leaving still a few meters of distance between himself and this stranger. He already had given away his identity, but he wouldn't share his reasons for his journey just yet. Other than many sith he didn't believed that combat was the only way such an encounter could end, but that didn't meant he had any trust for this man, and he was sure that it was exactly the same the other way around. He gave the man a good look, trying to place him somewhere, but he never came to a satisfying conclusion. Neither his clothes nor his presence clearly aligned him to a group he was aware of. The silver jedi were less dogmatic and less hostile towards the dark side then their alliance counterparts, but the mans aura felt to heavy, to twisted to say for sure.

"But I do wonder, Master Harrison. Like most that are gifted with the force, I do not believe in chance. So you are either here to guard what I am looking for, or you meant to find me, for a reason I am not aware of. So tell me, which one is it?"

Until now his expression had been apathetic, showing no hint of emotion whatsoever, but now his lips slightly twisted into the smallest of grins. He fairly enjoyed toying with people's minds by trying to push their buttons to see what was beyond the surface. This man could possibly simply crush him with his might in the force, but he not once meet someone, not even a sith, that couldn't be pushed by the right choice of words.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Like a guard on duty, his hand stayed on the hilt and his resolve was strong, his face matching the Sith and giving nothing away at his question, which was fair enough.

”I protect my greatest asset. That is all. Not the Order, and not the Code. You mentioned a name on approach – Aria Vale. What does this name mean for you."

He didn’t feel this would end in bloodshed, but he knew never to trust a Sith who stood before a Jedi.

”What you say will be treated with confidence. Nothing will leave this place, I assure you."

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

"So this is about Aria? How interesting."

Now that was a turn he hadn't expected. At first Abyss hoped that he was there to guard a secret hidden on the planet, then for a short moment he had been worried that someone finally called on a hunt on him, as he were, at least to a few that knew, a war criminal responsible for a number of horrendous acts against civilians. That this was about Aria, his jedi almost friend, was something he couldn't have predicted in any of the scenarios he played through in his head. He called her his asset, so who was he to her? He was to old and strong to be a friend or something more, and besides Aria didn't strike him as the type for that anyway. But he also seemed like he was to far away from the light to be the master of her, as she always kept true to the jedi way when he had been around.

"Good Aria and I, we are friends, at least as much as a sith and a jedi can be without one of us switching sides."

Again his face twisted to a smile, as he recognised another opportunity to pull out a bit of information out of him. Master Harrison had absolutely no idea who Abyss was, so Aria either didn't trusted him, or they had barley any contact.

"Has she not told you about me, Master Harrison? Why does your "greatest asset" lack the trust to tell you about her sith friend?"

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

His eye narrowed – there was no reason for this Sith to lie. Well, there was EVERY reason, but Abyss and Connor had never met. He had never come across the name. But, it seemed Aria Vale had. Right then, as the Sith goaded, Connor went all warm.

So it seemed the righteous Miss Vale was making her own allegiances and keeping them secret.

”I admit I didn’t know that, but for an apprentice learning to fly, she needs to spread her wings and I can’t hold her hand during all of it."

Slowly, he licked his bottom lip, dragging the tongue across his top teeth to push out his irritation.

”I’m sorry to disappoint you then, I take it you were here to meet her? What does she do – feed you information? Tell you about the latest goings on? Or is she simply a tool for you to get what you need."

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

"No I did not came here meet Aria, our last meeting has been recently."

There it was, even if it was just a hint of irritation, of frustration somewhere brooding in the mans inside. If he would continue Harrison had show the true colors that lived under the surface, he had to reveal to Abyss who and what he truly was. There was no particular reason for him to push the man, but Abyss simply preferred mind games over a friendly chat. Small talk, human interaction in general bored him, and the only this way he was even able to keep his attention at the dialog without drifting of to the more interesting things on his mind.

"You disappoint me, master Harrison. For someone who sees Aria as his greatest asset, you surly display a lack of faith in her if you believe that I could simply use her as an informant inside the order."

This time his simle was far more noticeable, not thr faint hint of before. There was something cruel, something inhuman in his expression as he very slowly and carefully took a step forward, his yellow eyes focused on the man before him.

"It is really no surprise that she has no trust in you then. Aria is strong, talented, and I would wish I could turn her i to an asset of mine, but her mind, her ideals always resist mine. I learned to respect her for that. Now we are friends, not more and not less. She is the one I seek guidance from in the mysteries of the force that the sith can not answer."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Many buttons had been pushed on Connor Harrison over the years, but with Aria in question, it seemed to strike more of a nerve than he expected. Matching the Sith coming forward as if he was playing a game, Connor went forward. His hand moved from his hilt and he used it to dictate his words.

”Aria Vale knows NOTHING about the reality of what lies out there, you fool. She is young, eager to please and naïve to the danger out there, and while she is here she is drowning. I am the one to free her and open her eyes to the real strength that lies beyond the four walls of a temple."

He pointed at the smiling Sith.

”Don’t push me, Abyss. I have faced stronger men than you and survived. Don’t assume you know a man just by the front he shows, for it’s clear you know little else except a young apprentice is willing to give you time."

He lowered his finger and smiled back.

”When I have finished with her, she will be the greatest warrior the Jedi will ever know."

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

"So you want to free her from her chains? Show her the hidden truth? Lead her to true power, outside of the dogmatic prison of the jedi? Color me surprised, Lord Harrison. May the force be with you, so you succeed were I failed."

The grin turned into a laugh, a sound exactly as inhuman as his expression, as he stood unfazed by the mans threat. Now he could really feel it, the darkness in him, waiting under the surface, hungry to devour this man that was to blind to see what he had become. Again he took a step forward, the gap between the two man slowly closing.

"I might not know who you are behind that face of yours, but I know what you are. I can feel your anger, your hate, your passion. I can feel the darkness pumping through your veins. The power you want is right there at your fingertips, you just have to open your eyes and take what is yours."

Another step followed, this time faster and more confident then before. He could feel the glow of power inside the man, cinder that just needed a spark to ignite a fire within. If he could turn him to the right path, and therefore Aria, than this small encounter would be a great success, maybe even the greatest of his live.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor hated the feeling of being mocked, and it was something that would soon change. With a grit in his teeth and a tight jaw, he stepped up before the Sith, inches apart and stared him straight in those dark, sickly amber eyes.

”Do you think you’re the first to tell me this? When you have stood before the Sith Sorceress Matsu Xiangu and stared death in the face but survived, then come back with your preaching. I know what I am, what I have and what I will get with it."

His head moved forward slightly.

”When the time is right, Aria Vale will stand with me when the Order falls in on itself, and then I will be far away from the shackles that have bound me. Only then can I start to make a difference to this putrid place and have the strength to do what others fear to do."

There was a glint in his eyes – hope.

”Right now we stand on different sides of the Force, Lord Abyss, but soon I think we will be standing on the same side. And Aria Vale too. So, I ask again, what is it you seek on this hellish world."

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

"I hope you speak the truth, Lord Harrison. I do not believe in loyalty, but for now you have my sympathy. And if the time comes you will may even find a ally in me."

He took a step back to allow the hostility that had been building up between the two fade away, so they could continue their chat on a more civilized level. He had pushed his buttons, he got a glimpse of what was under his mask, and what he found satisfied him, at least for now. If the man could really accomplish what he said, then the sith, or at least the darkness, would earn two quite formidable allies. With everything that had happened those last few years it was important that the sith and other forces of the darkness continued to recruit as many powerful beings in their ranks as possible, and each of them mattered.

"I seeked Aria to help me with a problem. My flesh fades as the darkness grows inside of me. The darkness can not heal, so I seeked a jedi to help me to evade death, at least temporarily."

His hands moved to his head, slowly revealing his the face under it. Showing his true appearance was both a small sign of respect to the man who had just revealed his true colors himself, and a tool to display that he didn't lie about his state. His bones were unnaturally pronounced under the thin skin over his skull, as were his purple to black colored veins.

"Many sith stood in front of the challenge I face today. Most decided to bind their spirit to another body, only so it can rot away again. Not me, I have seen it, I understand. Flesh is not made to imprison all this power. The power lives in the spirit, not in the blood. When Aria was finished, I sneaked back into the archives and tried to find something about the way jedi become force ghost, so I could learn how to keep my mind together with my body gone. The information was vague, but it pointed towards Morellia."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

As Abyss stepped back, so too did Connor. He had no desire to fight the Sith, far from it. He was simply proving his intentions and his awareness of the greater spectrum of the Force that didn’t start or end with a Jedi or Sith.

He took in the face before him, unphased by the features and seeing just another sentient being. Connor was in no position to judge by appearance.

Guiding Abyss on a little walk away from the outpost and prying ears, he listened to his dilemma and thought about what he knew.

”Aria can be a law unto herself, and as you can see even I can’t claim to know all she knows, or what she does, but you are correct about the spirit and the Force being bound more than just flesh and blood my friend."

There was a strange air of peace around again, and the surrounding vale continued to dwarf them in warm oranges, dark browns and gentle calling of creatures far above and below.

”While Jedi preach about embracing death and thus becoming one with the Force into a simple spirit form, the Sith fear death ultimately and wish to transfer their existence into another, or even an object. The transfer essence, if you’ve heard of it? That is how the Sith maintain their existence and thus their hold over the galaxy, while Jedi die out and do not."

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

"I have study the history of my kind from the beginning, and I am aware of the art of transferring essence. But ot is a dark and secret power, and the knowledge on how to perform it, is not freely passed on between sith."

Abyss walked besides Harrison, while he slowly reattached the mask over his face. He despised how he looked without it, not just because of his dieing flesh but because he was almost disgusted by his humanity. With time his mind had ascended over most worldly matters, only interested in either the force or abstract thoughts like philosophy. He wished to leave all that behind, and simply learning how to take control of another body wasn't enough. There was a need inside of him to be more than just a man.

"I have plans to seek out the knowledge of those who once belonged to the dark council and the other lords that roam the galaxy to learn about one ancient lord in particular: Darth Nihilus. Not only managed he to transfer his spirit into his mask, he created an armor that allowed him to remain functional on this physical plane but without being bound by flesh."

He looked at the man besides him, interested in how he would react. Not many would support someone's idea to follow into the footsteps of the lord of hunger, even without the need to consume essence. To history the sith lord always had been some sort of otherworldly evil, so far beyond human comprehension that fear was the only thing people felt about him.

"I hoped that in the way the jedi ghosts I could find something to twist, something that would allow me to keep my spirit together as more than just a mind encased in an object. Nihilus is the only being I am aware of that continued to exists as more than an echo bound to a blade or other artifact, but there are no records on how he archived it."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Nodding slowly, Connor got more of an idea as to what the Sith was after.

”A brave idea indeed, but one that is not impossible. Have you studied the tombs on Korriban? When the Silvers took control months ago before it fell…" he chuckled a little, ”forgive me, I’m sure that was the first place you looked."

Standing on a walkway that overlooked a chasm, Connor took in the situation for a second – here he was, talking about the afterlife with a Sith Lord as if chatting over tea.

”It also sounds like you could require the use of alchemy. If you give me time, I may be able to find those who will direct you on that path. I know of few brilliant minds who bend the realms of what is possible and what is not for Force warriors, and they could provide more than just my words."

Another note to mention this to Taeli Raaf, should his wider plan play out and he had her on side. He looked to the Sith beside him.

”Don’t cancel out the possibility of destroying the soul of a weaker mortal to preserve your strength. Pride often gets in the way of chances that pass us by and the regret hurts more than anything. Take that from someone who knows."

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

"I have considered it, but another flesh prison can only ever be a temporar solution. My desire stems from more than just survival. Hunger, thirst, worldy needs, they are all just chains that keep me from reaching what I truly could be."

At first he almost skipped over the fact that Harrison mentioned alchemy, as he it felt like he had been talking to just another sith lord. Now he began to wonder how long this man was already dabbling in the darkness, and who and what he had already gathered around him for when the time was right.

"Lord Harrison, it appears to me that you have planned more than simply freeing young Aria from her chains. For quite some time I could feel the promise of revolution on the horizon, but to truly look into the future is beyond the things I can do. If there is a fight coming, you can count on the support of me and those who stand behind me."

In his thoughts already focused on what was awaiting in the future he skipped over the offer Harrison made to him. There were alchemists in the sith order, but he had kept his contact with the order itself at a minimum, as his believes didn't completely aligned with theirs. Using a middleman to get into contact was probably the best shot he had to find someone who could help him with his plan.

"If those alchemists are as skilled as you believe, then I would definitely be pleased if you seek their wisdom in my name."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Looking back out to the relative peace of the secluded spot they were stood in, he felt a gentle gust of wind blow through and over them from the funnel effect of the vale. His confidence rose a little from Abyss, hearing words that supported rather than scorn or mock him or pander to him. The first in many months.

”Aria Vale is a small piece in a much larger puzzle I’m figuring out. Like most things, patience is key as I gather resources. I have contacts from one side of the galaxy to another now, each one with links to governments, technology and firepower that I can and will call upon to show how a decisive leader must act if they want results."

He pursed his lips and nodded again, feeling another part fall into place.

”Play the patience card with me, Lord Abyss, and let me secure who I must for your alchemy. I am confident they will assist, and I will get that information to you. If they don’t, we will look for another way."

Connor’s head lowered slightly.

”This galaxy is devoid of true leaders and those who can separate themselves from following codes and ancient scripture in the quest for security and strength. I hope to be one of those who will lead us to just that outcome one day."

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

This was an interesting situation, as both mans stood in place of calm and peace, and yet discussed things that could shape the galaxy forever. While there was no hostility between them, the darkness in itself was a purely selfish power, and those who served it never did anything simply out of friendliness. Both man believed that they would gain something, but it was impossible to say, at least for Abyss, who of the was playing who. While he would support the forces of the darkness as he always had, he had plans of his own, plans that could only be realized when the galaxy was in a state of chaos. Security or justice were things he cared little about, far less then even the most sith.

"I understand well. I myself have hidden in the shadows for a long time after the One Sith empire fell to its knees, waiting for the time to emerge a new. But I was not simply hiding, I have worked to secure the survival of our kind, of the servants of the darkness. All over the galaxy I have begun to create safe havens for us, isolated and closed of from the common folk and the jedi alike."

He turned away from him, starring in the distance for a moment, drifting in his own thoughts and ideas.

"I do not seek control over the galaxy, neither do I care for security. I am a scholar of the dark, and my only duty is to make sure that our knowledge is not lost to the generations after us. The sith have been hunted since ancient times, but I will not allow the jedi to destroy all that generations of my kind have worked for."

[member="Connor Harrison"]