The Tower of the Knights of Ren

Along the way, from the Conquest to the Tower of the Knights of Ren, Illaria grabbed onto everything within reach of her, which was not much, tossed over Harnan’s shoulder as she was. When the flash of annoyance crosses her face, so too does a particularly insolent idea come to mind. Was it not always this way, though? The occasional corner of the duracrete walls, as they rounded a bend in the hallways of Imperial Strategic Command, proved to be excellent junctures in which she could grasp hold of with relative ease. Of course, this was only if she were intending to be obstinate and frankly, that was her only intention at this point after Harnan had manhandled her and thrown her over his shoulder. She did not appreciate being paraded through Imperial Strategic Command like this. The frames that bordered any doorways they passed through were also verified to be exceptional sites in which she could anchor herself. Despite the fact that the Shapeshifter provided him with countless inconveniences, it did not seem to slow her fellow Knight much, if any.

“Put me down right now!” Illaria screamed at the top of her lungs as she pummeled Harnan’s back. “You are the most annoyingly insistent, barbaric, jealous man I know, Harnan!” It was right about that time that he walked through the door to Soku’s quarters and unceremoniously dumped her on the floor at his feet. She let out a soft, muted squeak as she landed on the ground and her face flushes, turning the normally brilliant electrum hue of her skin a couple shades darker. Gathering her composure, she straightened herself and exhaled loudly in a huff as she tried to blow the hair out of her face. The solution was short-lived as the golden locks fell right back in her face only seconds later. Letting out an exasperated noise, she thrashes about before finally brushing the errant hair from her face.

Folding one leg over the other, her posture stiffens with arrogance permeating through her body language, evident in the social cues conveyed, as particles filter through a sieve. Crossing her arms over her chest, the Shapeshifter arches a single eyebrow, her silver gaze wandering from Harnan then to Soku. “I do not know what he is talking about. I have nothing to confess.” Pursing her lips, she smolders in her irritation as her eyes narrow. One glare from Harnan is enough to make Illaria reconsider her words because she knows for certain then that he is not going to allow this matter to drop until he feels it has been properly dealt with. The Shapeshifter sits there and stews a moment longer, the exasperation practically radiating from her, her behaviour and mannerisms like that of a petulant child who has been caught with their hand in the sweet-sand cookie jar.

"You really are going to make me say it, aren’t you?" Questioning him in a fussy tone, Illaria casts her eyes downwards, her mouth set in a pout. “I take back what I said earlier on Deralia. You really did deserve everything I said.” She spoke in the sulky tones of a querulous child. Exhaling forcefully, she makes a frustrated noise again as she stares him down, a scowl twisting her features into a biting expression.

*Soku continued to stand, hands folded behind his back, watching the pair seemingly bicker like children for a moment. The exchange between the two was noticeably more tense than usual, which in and of itself was worthy of concern, Soku beginning to suspect dire events. In a strange way, he almost felt like a father waiting for his children to explain themselves before doling out their punishment— No. A father was not a title he could possess, nor one he ever desired.

The slightest knitting of his brows was the only clue to his ill thoughts as he waited for the confession, which was given rather bluntly by Harnan: It seemed that Illaria had slept with the Supreme Commander himself; became "lovers," even. Soku's eyebrows raised, in clear surprise. Similarly to Harnan, he had not expected his request for apology to have been carried out so... liberally.*

"Indeed?" *he asked, but his tone was not accusing, rather intrigued. He turned back toward the window, looking out over the city once more. Where they had brought order, order they would bring to the rest of the galaxy; the First Order and the Knights of Ren. A united force... perhaps even more strongly united?* "This could be to our advantage..." *The musing was automatic, as he considered the possibilities.

Turning back toward the pair, he continued,* "I do not dare dictate what you choose to do with your body—nor do I have much interest—but this could be a great boon to our relationship with the First Order. Still... I do not see why this concerns me; such matters are beneath my desires. If this is creating a rift between the two of you, it would be in your best interests to sort it with each other, would it not?"

*Truth be told, such matters were beyond his desires, but in the pursuit of peace and order, things must be sacrificed, and Soku lived every day with that fact and had long accepted it. When it came to others, such matters he could not even begin to give counsel on; it was best sorted by themselves, or a more... capable individual.*

Illaria tenses up as Harnan seems to explode, tossing his helmet onto the nearby table. She jumps as it bounces, once, twice, and then comes to a standstill. Her silvery gaze traverses the space between the helmet on the table then falls upon her fellow Knight of Ren. No longer was the smug look plastered across her expression and as he approached her, she backed up and flattened her back against the wall. She was like a cornered animal now and he had her sighted directly in his crosshairs. There was no hiding now, not that she would have done so. She was more likely to strike out at him like a defensive Nexu with its back raised. The closer he gets, the more trapped she feels as he towers over her. This close, she can see he has lost his control – the anger and concern he feels for her, getting the best of him. The holocomm unit on her belt vibrates with an incoming call. She ignores it.

Trapped. There was no way out, she looked to her left and to her right, he had her boxed in, determined to force her to deal with this. The Shapeshifter’s breathing remains steady, her mind still focused as she begins to contemplate the easiest way out of this. He was trying to cage her once more, place her in a prison of his own making. The panic rose within her at this thought, her hands flexing into fists as she struggled to maintain eye contact with Harnan. She was not going to give in so easily. Her heart began to pound erratically as her mind slowly began to lose its focus, searching for a way out of this situation with all the methodology of a bouncing ball. She wants to scream at him so loudly that it is rendered not a cry of panic and surrender, but the roar of one who has been forged stronger by the challenges she has faced. Instead, she remains silent and takes to Harnan’s lecture with a quiet shame unusual to her.

Of course, the thought had occurred to her that Nicademus was merely using her to his own ends. In fact, that had been the first thing to come out of her mouth the very next morning. Illaria still had her doubts as to precisely what the Supreme Commander hoped to accomplish by inviting her into his bed and she very badly wanted to entertain the thought that it was just as he said – what happened between them meant something to him and he never wanted it to end. Perhaps she was merely daydreaming with her head in the clouds, but a part of her was thrilled to know that another desired her so deeply and needed her so much. Was Harnan right, though? Was Nicademus merely using her to his advantage? She had not even considered that his family line was so devoutly dedicated to the Galactic Empire that they and even he too, might ascribe to the doctrines of humanocentrism. Were that the case, then there was no way he was capable of loving her, at least not the moment he found out she was anything but human.

“You think I am incapable of taking care of myself?!” Illaria bristled at the thought. “You are a child compared to me. You all are! I have done perfectly well for the better part of these past 250 years or so.” The Shapeshifter fumed as she threw her hands up once more, gesturing wildly within the space between her and Harnan. “What I am is beyond the comprehension of your short-lived human brains. What if I am the one using him?” She appealed to him, though it was quite beyond her nature to even consider perpetrating such an act upon an ally. “Chaos forbid, you even stop to consider that maybe, just maybe, I am the one who is three moves ahead of him in this game of dejarik…..but no….it is always poor, pitiful Illaria. She will be hurt because the big bad Imperial used and abused her. Such a human sentiment…” The Shapeshifter deadpans in a sardonic tone before she looks at Harnan in all seriousness. There is no longer even a hint of playfulness or light-heartedness present in her expression. “I am not human. I never was. So why are you expecting me to act like one?” Illaria queried, an immediate chain of events taking place beneath her notice as she spoke. It had happened so slowly, her fury had risen so subtly, that even she had not noticed the way her left hand crept toward the lightsaber hilt on her weapons belt. Anyone looking her in the eyes would clearly be able to see how defensive she was being, as the amber slowly leeched into her silver irises.

It was about this time that Soku started stammering and wringing his hands as if he were about to have a nervous breakdown. Sighing, Illaria drops her left hand back to her side and closes her eyes, bringing her opposite hand up to rub the bridge of her before exhaling forcefully. Fixing her gaze on Harnan, she pauses as if she means to inform him that this is far from over yet, but says something entirely different. Cursing under her breath, she scolds him, “Now look what you have done.” Pushing by her fellow Knight of Ren, she makes her way over to Soku, expression softening instantly as she looks upon her clearly stressed brother. Approaching him, Illaria suddenly latches onto Soku, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. Like a child, she encircles his waist with her arms and rests her head against his chest. She may not be human, but she still has the capacity for empathy and compassion, and this was just one of her ways of showing it. “I am sorry, brother…” She murmurs into his robes, hating to see him so terribly frustrated and distressed by a situation that is so clearly her fault. “I cause too much trouble. I will try to be better...”

The holocomm unit on her belt vibrates again and she thinks to ignore it once more. However, the Shapeshifter relents and releases her hold on Soku, reaching down to pluck the comm unit from her belt. Examining it a moment, she replaces it in a pouch on her belt and turns on her heel, eyes fixed on Harnan as she pauses in her steps to regard him. The smug look slowly returns to her visage. “I do not think I care for what you are implying, Harnan. You would be wise to keep such thoughts to yourself. Wiser still, not to even think them.” Illaria ventured as she motioned meaninglessly with her hand. Her gaze, however, did not flinch from Harnan’s. “Careful, Ren, that you do not allow your personal feelings to interfere with our Master’s missives.” She hisses as she moves to shoulder by him and out of Soku’s quarters.

*Soku had at the very least expected compliance when he asked his comrades not to disturb his materials. He received not only that, but... affection. Not something he was used to or even indulged in himself. His response was to simply stand in place briefly, frozen, uncertain how to respond. His right arm rose again, uncertainly hanging in the air for a moment, before awkwardly resting on the small of Illaria's back. After a pause, he responded,* "Very well. Thank you." *Another brief pause before a thought came to him, one he voiced before he realized it.* "You are stronger than you know."

*Well that was... odd. Not necessarily out of character, but affection was not his forte. Perhaps their bonds as brothers and sisters were growing stronger, then. Nevertheless, he watched as the pair of them quieted themselves and took their business elsewhere, bowing briefly to Harna, and then contemplating the encounter. Truly, at their heart, all the Knights of Ren were concerned about each other's well-being. Quite a stark contrast from Soku's past experiences... And not an unwelcome one.

He turned to look out over Harnaidan's skyline once more. A unit like theirs was powerful, yes, more powerful than any Sith or Jedi could hope to be. As long as they stood together and fought for the future, for true prosperity in the galaxy... Nothing was impossible for them.*

*After delivering his report to the Supreme Commander, Soku strode through the Tower. He was searching for a specific individual, one who possibly had a lot to answer for. If not him... then Soku would figure out where to go from there. Those who recognized his purposeful pace cleared out of his way with haste, ensuring he had an unmolested path to whomever he was seeking.

It did not take long to locate the towering Zabrak known as Vladimir Savage, but height differences meant little to Soku, despite the man's comparatively diminutive size even compared to the average human.* "Vladimir, a word with you," *he spoke sternly, but not accusingly.*

*Soku scrutinized the Zabrak's reaction both visually, audibly, and through the Force. It seemed Vladimir held not an ounce of apprehension about him. He did not quite accept this as evidence of his innocence quite yet; after all, Jedi were disciplined to hide their emotion, or outright repress it in some instances. Arguably a better tactic, had many of them not decided to suddenly embrace traits only a weaker individual not dedicated to the cause of justice would strive for.

Promptly placing his mind back on track, he explained,* "Upon reflection, the Jedi seemed to evacuate a little too efficiently, before our bombardments came. I do not know what drove them to seek such a route instead of holding their ground, thus I am attempting to investigate the matter to ensure there were no anomalies. Now to stop beating around the bush." *His scrutiny became even more apparent, just barely fighting back a scowl as his gaze matched Vladimir's.* "Did you or your astromech have anything to do with this?"

*Soku scrutinized him thoroughly, sensing at the worst irritation... Irritation borne from accusation. His eyes narrowed when the bombardment tactics were accused of being "predictable" but he continued to hold his tongue while the Zabrak explained himself. Once he was finished, Soku smirked.* "If you would call the bombardment 'predictable,' then you have not studied my tactics. I prefer a straight fight, personally leading my forces into the heart of our enemy's base. I would sooner use bombardment for weakening their defenses so that I could make my way in. It just so happens the opposite was true.

"Anyhow, it is because of this I cannot feel too certain. Do not be so bold as to claim proof of loyalty just yet, however. Regardless of your innocence, regardless of your performance, I believe further trials are necessary." *He paused a moment before adding,* "Make no mistake, I do believe now you had no involvement in tipping off the Jedi. But consider this business. 'Building trust with a client,' if you will." *He considered leaving it at that, but decided it would be better to at least attempt to dispel any notion of him being under scrutiny.* "Do not take this as keeping you under a microscope. Were you still a Jedi, would you unconditionally trust a former Sith because they aided you in one mission?"