25: Manaan.
The morning light had just barely touched the Jedi training grounds on Tython when Arielle already found herself busy packing her belongings and preparing for the journey ahead. Theron had finally gotten in touch with her and though he'd remained silent on the sort of news she hoped for most desperately, he had in fact made new discoveries where Colonel Darok was concerned.
"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you leaving right now Arielle, especially if you're going to leave Doc and myself behind." Kira had told her when she heard the news.
Arielle had little choice though. Theron insisted on a low profile, as few people as possible and though she'd considered going alone she knew better than to leave Lord Scourge behind with the Jedi. He posed no threat but she knew he wasn't happy there and Master Kaedan would rather be rid of the Sith as well.
"Did you get everything?" Lord Scourge awaited her already when she approached the shuttles and took the set of bags she carried.
"Mm I believe so" she eyed the bags curiously but then shook the question from her mind knowing she'd never get away otherwise.
Within no time at all, the shuttle took them both up to the Orbital Station where they soon found themselves repeating the loading process once more. Aside from their own luggage and personal belongings, Arielle had also brought some basic supplies to tie them over for a few nights of travel should it be necessary.
"So, Manaan?"
"Yeah" Arielle slipped into the captain's seat and entered the coordinates Theron had provided "I've never heard of it before."
Lord Scourge engaged the engines and prepared for take off at her signal "Oceanic planet I believe, used to have a lot of kolto harvesting going on."
"Odd place to meet then."
The Defender roared, awakening its systems after spending weeks parked inside the station and dove straight forward into Tython space before setting upon its planned course.
"Do you suppose he's uncovered anything other than the details on Darok's suspicious dealings?"
"You mean about my family?" Arielle engaged the automatic drive and climbed out of her seat, headed for the kitchen area instead to prepare them breakfast "I never straight up asked but I assume he would have said so if he did."
Lord Scourge jumped from his seat as well and stalked after her, not quite wanting to continue their conversation by shouting across the entire length of the ship "Perhaps he felt it was something that shouldn't be discussed over the holo."
"Maybe" Arielle popped a berry into his mouth "Try these, they're so good and came in fresh this morning before you and I even got up."
He chewed away and shook his head at her, swallowing hard "Don't change the subject. You still haven't told me what you intend to do now."
"Because I haven't decided yet and likely won't for a while." she exhaled deeply and hopped onto the counter with a bowl of berries in her hand "It might be a simple decision in your eyes Scourge but this whole mess aside, I'm Jedi and always have been and even now I'm not sure if I'm willing to throw that away. Nor am I convinced the Empire would ever be a better option."
"You know, I went looking for answers the other night out in the Gnarls," Arielle shook her head disappointedly "It's where I first met Master Orgus. I'd hoped he would appear to me again, as he has in the past, to offer guidance or show me the way. Like when he told me I'd find an ally in you but.. he never appeared."
"Force ghosts are fickle beings." Lord Scourge circled around her to pour them both some caf "Why don't you ask me instead?"
"Ask you whether I truly belong with the Jedi or not? I think we both know your answer to that one." a gentle smile rested on her face "Though maybe you could answer something else.."
Lord Scourge took his hot beverage and led her over to the sectional where they sat down "Ask."
"This darkness you've always spoken of, it's always been there on some level I suppose but what I don't understand is why it's been manifesting itself now and I refuse to buy into the whole stupid notion of love being a path to the Dark side—there's got to be more to it than that."
Lord Scourge eyed her curiously having spent the past few weeks wondering the same though he was fairly convinced she wouldn't like the answer he'd come to "It might be related to love in a way but not as you think."
"Meaning?"
"Jedi, why did you fight so hard to cure me?"
Arielle frowned, not fully grasping where he was going and she resorted to the standard answer she'd given everyone else who'd asked the same "Because you deserved it."
"No" he disagreed and put his caf aside before taking her hands in his "Go deeper than that to the one thing you were never willing to admit to."
A small sigh escaped her lips and Arielle pulled away from him to get up. He wasn't wrong and she knew exactly what he meant but she hated saying it out loud because in retrospect it all seemed so entirely selfish now and unlike anything she'd done in the past.
"I wanted you.. I—" she took a deep breath and nervously pulled on her fingertips.
"I told you I fell for you long ago and all your flirting and teasing? Didn't really make it any easier and I began wanting you to want me. Not for kicks or just messing around, I wanted it to be real and I knew it couldn't be as long as you were incapable of feeling anything at all."
"It is real, right?" frowned Arielle as she turned back to him with her own insecurities rearing their ugly heads "I mean I know we.."
"It is real." Lord Scourge made the promise and the look in his eyes reinforced those words "If I wanted you just for my own amusement, I wouldn't still be here now. You're.. do you know how often I've watched you, slept beside you, heard your laughter and wished that I could feel something? That I could feel you?"
"But it's also what led you to all of this now."
"How?" she still didn't see the full picture "Loving you didn't turn me into a different person. I was still me until.."
Arielle sunk back down onto the sofa with her mouth half open when it finally clicked in her head, slowly seeing the pieces fall into place "until Makeb. The ritual?"
Under any other circumstances Lord Scourge would have felt a sense of delight knowing he'd been right all along but this was the one time where he didn't. He didn't want her to regret what they'd done or blame herself.
"I warned you it would be dangerous and we both felt it when we entered the caves. The darkness that instantly consumed, entering my mind and heart to tear open old wounds, to feed of painful memories as I was tested. It got to you too, I know it did. You fell to your knees same as I did and you were unconscious for nearly two days as well Jedi. Have you really not stopped to realize what the ritual did to you as a participant and witness?"
Lord Scourge cupped her chin and made her face him "I saw your eyes change color, I heard your screams. That day changed us both."
The icy cold she'd felt back then despite the flames and lava in the caverns hit her once more as a shiver ran across her spine, reminding her of the events she'd already pushed from her mind "I was so worried about you I never stopped to think or notice.. when I woke up you were the only thing on my mind and then the mission to Korriban came and everything happened so fast."
Arielle sighed deeply and leaned forward into his arms and against his chest "So you think the darkness we felt there.. the entity, is what awoke that which I already had inside me?"
"I do."
"Is there any way to, you know, pop the genie back into the bottle?"
Lord Scourge gave a small chuckle but shook his head at her "You could try but I'd think you're better off learning to accept it as part of yourself. I could even train you.. if that's something you'd be interested in?"
"Yeah you'd like that." Arielle laughed though she didn't feel entirely dismissive of the idea either.
"I wouldn't just like it Jedi—it would be an honor and privilege. I've always believed in you and still think you could benefit from Sith training."
They spent the next few hours deeply engaged in conversation and the age old debates they used to have together about the Empire versus the Republic. The beliefs of the Jedi versus those of the Sith and before long, Arielle at last began to have the sense of clarity she'd been longing for. She had no answers still to her heritage but at least now she'd started to understand what had changed her and why it had changed her.
By the time they finally reached Manaan Arielle felt refreshed and ready to take on whichever Theron might have planned for them. Whether it was due to her long conversation with Lord Scourge or the vast waters surrounding Mercantile Plaza, her mood had improved significantly compared to the previous days.
"Hi there!" she smiled brightly "I'm Arielle and this is my partner Lord Scourge. We're here for.."
She hesitated, suddenly remembering that their mission was top secret and she couldn't even be certain Theron had used his own name upon check in or if she should be mentioning him at all.
".. a man."
Behind her Lord Scourge stifled a snort while the Selkath slowly raised its head at her, seemingly unimpressed with her request "We don't deal in those kinds of trades here Miss."
"Right, no, of course not" Arielle quickly found herself wishing the galaxy would swallow her whole "I'm looking for my friend. He's about my height, short dark brown spiky hair, some cranial implants and a red leather jacket that seems to be the only—"
The Selkath cleared his throat to interrupt the vast stream of words that rolled off her tongue "He awaits your arrival at conference room 1.03. Down the hall, third on your left. Have a nice day."
"Perhaps I should start doing the talking from now on?" Lord Scourge teased her as she rushed inside, quickly trying to flee her own embarrassment.
"You tend to talk with your sword, people don't like that." Arielle retorted as she checked the room numbers and quickly reached the conference room the Selkath had spoken of.
Theron Shan, having spent the past hours toying with his own dilemmas sighed with relief as they walked in and he quickly welcomed them both.
"Please, have a seat guys there's a lot to discuss."
"Concerning Colonel Darok right, not anything else you might have uncovered?" Arielle couldn't really stop herself as she sat down opposite the Agent and tried to read him to no avail.
He raised a brow and quickly glanced Lord Scourge's way.
"We're good Agent, I've informed her of the three individuals I asked you to investigate."
"Right…" Theron scratched his head and let out another deep sigh to fill the growing silence.
The last thing he wanted now was to keep secrets, to not tell her those things he knew she deserved to know but he was also all too aware of why he'd called them over in the first place and didn't wish to risk sending Arielle into potential battle with a distracted mind.
"I've found a few things but.. guys I really need your full focus on this situation regarding Darok and I hate the fact I'm even asking this of you now but—"
"It's alright Theron" she sensed his apprehension and didn't need to read his mind to understand where he was going "How about we save that for after? I've waited this long, a few more hours won't hurt. Tell us what you've discovered about Darok."