Ask I Don't Mind

[Orenth]

Theme​

The process to get through security gave Byron Ryker time to think. He didn't have any of his normal equipment with him since it was checked with security. As if the time he took to travel to this bleak setting wasn't bad enough. After the battle of Denon he was happy to find out his ship had performed admirably. Sadly there were still many losses and the victory was not something Byron had joined in on celebrating. All the same, the man was glad they had repelled the Sith forces.

In the days following he learned of the Siths' capture. Perhaps others assumed he would have learned of Tiamat's capture but also Byron wondered if the information had been intentionally omitted from his other tasking details. Days of meditation and therapy had followed before another arranged time could be made for him to visit.

Byron entered the room where his Jedi peers had spoken to Tiamat already and where she had stayed. The Ranger escort would remain outside and leave them alone though there was still external surveillance. The same table with three chairs sat in the room. The restraints that kept the redheaded Sith were a sad sight for the Jedi to see. The last Byron had seen her, she had declared her resolve and wounded the Knight in Denon. An attempt to kill him that ultimately failed. He wondered if she even knew he had lived.

A blank expression sat across the bearded man's face as he approached the table and waited there. He had never asked her last name when they had met, not that it mattered. Maybe I shouldn't have come. The man took a breath recentered himself. His resolve returning as the momentary feeling disappeared as quickly as it had come. "Mind if I have a seat?" His eyes looked towards Lyra directly as a scarred hand rested on a chair.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She was not surprised how badly her ears were ringing from all the talking done by the Jedi named Vahn. Tiamat had let out the longest sigh once the door had shut behind them and she had returned to the mostly silence of the room despite the slight buzz of the illuminators that gave the room a soft glow. Though she felt things went well, the Jedi were not as successful as they seemed to be weary of her mind and wondered how far they would have dug if that was not the case. After they had left, the guards kept her in place, shackled to the interrogation chair at the same table and a part of her dreaded the idea of round two with the talkative tea-sucking Jedi and his Emryc doppelganger pal, Sir Stern-face.

She tilted her head back muttering under her breath as she tried to think of a catchier name than just "Vahn" one that would describe who he was when she spoke about him to others...when she got out of here.

"Vocal Vomit Vahn..." she grinned, soft giggling followed as she lifted her head and tried to fidget out a muscle cramp in her leg. It was taking an excessive amount of patience to keep from getting angry about her limited ability to just move about. She wasn't understanding the point of even being in a cell if she could just be put in a box with how she had to sit most of the time. At least no one could stare at you in a box.

Her attention shifted when she heard the cell door open and the Sith woman sat up a bit straighter, curious to know what was going on next and the possible change in scenery. Though who would walk through the door was not who she would have expected; and though most Jedi were met with a scowl or a blank stare, Byron Ryker was greeted with bright eyes and a genuine smile of endearment as he approached. The Ranger escort leaving him and the Sith to be, closing the door on the two.

He asked if he could take a seat and her eyes fell on his hand before returning to his gaze, "Sit, stay awhile..." she welcomed him and gave a small nod, "I never would have thought to see you here." she admitted.

@Darasuum

 

[Orenth]

Part of Byron wondered how much of her appearance was from the affects of the darkside and how much was from her confinement. It didn't matter much at this point. All the same she smiled and brightened up and the man couldn't help but quirk the edge of his mouth into the hints of a smile just at seeing her.

"Thanks." He moved the chair for him to sit down. The manner in which he did was a little abnormal since he was still getting used to the latest MorataCorp cybernetic. "I wish we didn't have to meet under these circumstances." But it was what he had before him and it was the path Lyra had taken.

The two callused hands rested on the top of the table in front of Byron. His eyes dropped to look at them for a moment and then back across at the redhead. "You didn't much like the others much, huh?" A knowing grin persisted after asking the rhetorical question. He couldn't blame her, especially about Vahn given that he had rolled his eyes just listening to the surveillance.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

It must have been a polite thing to say among the Jedi, to not meet under such circumstances, but then again, was it ever ideal circumstances to meet with a Jedi. Her gaze arched around the interrogation room and her eyebrows rose in thought as it seemed this place was probably not the worst of circumstances for her so far. Her blue eyes found their way back to Bryon, his grin remained as he quipped about her meeting with Jedi earlier; she wondered if he had watched any of it from the other observation rooms. Her own smile widened.

"One was pretty to look at, the other...he talks too much." she sighed, "Maybe he would have done better if he brought in a slice of dewberry pie." she suggested shifting her arms to find a comfortable position, but was not having much success as she felt herself searching for a lock of her hair to fidget between her fingers. The stun cuffs were restrictive and eventually, she settled her forearms on the table.

"You didn't bring any pie, did you?" she asked, glancing at the door, hoping someone would walk through with something sweet to eat. "Probably just questions the two stooges tried asking earlier, right?"

@Darasuum

 

[Orenth]

He knew which one Tiamat meant when she spoke though didn't give any show any mirth from the casual suggestion. Byron wished this could be a cantina table where they spoke back and forth. His eye continued to focus on the face of the Sith across from him. "Maybe he'll get another shot." The man replied, the nuance being that she would find that torturous, even for any teen.

"Nooope." Byron replied flatly. When Tiamat looked to the door he glanced to the side and followed her gaze. "Didn't you answer all those?" He had looked at the interrogation so far. The Knight was not trying to hide that fact. But he also didn't want to push her like the others had. That hadn't worked if he wanted information. Of course that was what he had been tasked to search for after Denon.

The Jedi felt like he could feel the inside of his ribcage with each beat of his heart. In the drab confines of her room, her red hair and blue eyes stuck out more than he had realized before. He continued to focus solely on her. The room began to fall away and lose detail or definition from his perception. His own two hands laid still on the table top directly in front of him.

Then Byron tilted his head, his eyes meeting Lyra's. His mouth opened for a moment and hesitated before continuing. "I meant what I said...back on Denon. I'm sorry for leaving you."

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

A pout quickly came when he mentioned the other Jedi might come back to ask her more questions and even more of a pout came in the knowing disappointment that there was not pie waiting for them both. Tiamat let out a long sigh and relaxed back in her chair as he reassured he would not repeat the questions that the earlier Jedi fired at her. Tiamat let out a huff as her gaze drifted back to the door, letting the room grow silent as she readied for the next round of questioning, now from someone she trusted.

Her blue eyes fell back on Bryon as he spoke, meeting her gaze and opened his mouth to speak. Tiamat readied herself for the question, but what came was what she did not expect, it was far from a question. The sith woman sat in stillness, waiting to see if there was more from the Knight, the silence hung heavy until Tia could hear the buzzing of the illuminators.

She leaned forward on her seat, resting her arms across the table, "You can't change what you had done, perhaps it were the best option." she replied, "I mean, I'm still around at least." she frowned, uncertain of what he was looking for; she believed him though, his words were always genuine when he spoke, "Perhaps we're just meant to forever have awkward meetings like this."

@Darasuum

 

[Orenth]

The man watched her relax a bit as she answered. Her apprehension towards the others loosened. She saw him differently than the other Jedi. I feel different. It was an inward answer he had to a silent question that only now came to the forefront of his mind. It wasn't a sense of vanity or pride. He had joined the Order relatively later in life, not the most typical experience there as a padawan, not that there was one.

When she mentioned she was still present he hoped that meant she was glad for her own well being despite her living conditions. Confinement under any circumstances was something that made Byron's skin crawl. "I'd be okay with that. Though I'd prefer it if the circumstances improved." His eyes rose from her and looked around the room again.

Taking a breath of the filtered air that came in and out of the cell very slowly, the man picked up on the currents of air. His eyes became unfocused for a moment as he reached outward. There were guards, security systems, not to mention any hunters that would come after him if the man decided to do something. Yet he still thought about it. Tiamat felt like a black flame surrounded by unmelt snow. Her burning passions muted partially by mind and body. "How do you feel?" He asked as he blinked a few times and followed it by clearing his throat a little.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He agreed too, wishing circumstances were different; Tiamat studied him closely as he looked around the room finding unease to being confined in such a place. "It won't improve, I am drawing ire and curiosity from Ranger and Jedi alike. They promise I will not be treated like some animal in a zoo, but I don't believe them."

Tiamat fell silent, thinking about her own words, but she was more interested as to why Byron was here. What was it that kept drawing them together? Was he riddled with guilt to his past decisions...what he said, his apology, had it indicated regret to not seeing her closer? Internally, the redheaded sith frowned; she had wounded him, nearly killed him in battle, and yet he was here asking her how she was feeling.

"I feel horrible." she stated without hesitation, "They keep injecting me with something, I feel so sick when I wake from it." Tia explained as she scratched at the table's surface. She glanced at Bryon, feeling a bit of unease to the chit-chat knowing there was another purpose for him visiting; she was certain she was not allowed just to have visitors, he probably was debriefed, he watched the interrogation, read the reports, he had a duty to service in the Jedi.

"Do you believe you can change me?" she asked.

@Darasuum

 

[Orenth]

His eyes took it all in. Byron heard the lack of faith she had in her captors. Things could be worse for her given what she had done and some of the enemies she had.

He tried imagining it now. Cut off from the Force. He didn't even know if that was what it was like under the effects of the drugs. "That's a question I've asked myself..." He nodded admittedly after a moment of consideration. He didn't answer right away as he remembered the times the same question had crossed his mind and spent hours meditating on it. Now she was asking if he believed he could change her.

"I want to say I can..." It was maybe what others had done to her, forced her to change and be something else. But it doesn't matter what I think He thought as she looked back at him.
"I want to help you."

It had broken his heart and it was still painful across from her without her sith regalia. "...do you want me to leave?" The incarcerated couldn't very well run away from their visitors or deny meetings. Byron had been informed about Tiamat's fortified mind which was why he was not getting a clear feeling from her. Caged up, maybe she was looking to lash out at someone though so far she had been pleasant with him.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He wanted to help her, but the ways she wanted help were not in his control. She had a feeling he wanted to help her in the way a Jedi knew best, to show her a path that had rejected her long before she understood the sects in the Force. "You can help, but I would have to want it first." she started and paused, considering if she wanted him to stay and weighing what he would say or do while he remained.

"I like it when you stick around." she continued, "Even if you have to ask questions for the Rangers and the Order." she sighed. The redhead fell quiet for a moment, trying to think of what else he would want to pry from her. She was certain he would have been debriefed about her mind, but he was also someone that she was certain would not pry into her thoughts. However, she has been wrong before.

"I would like you to leave the Jedi." she stated, "I don't want to have to see you in battle like on Denon."

@Darasuum

 

[Orenth]

That was the fact that had been repeating itself in his mind. Some people didn't want the assistance of others even if it cost them nothing. Byron understood that and it made him sad to hear them outloud. If you won't let me help you and I can't save you...then I'll have to help anyways. Meddling where I'm not supposed to be is my brand after all. He wasn't going to give up on her, even if she didn't know it or believe him.

The Knight had experienced hardship and sensations that could only be felt from a first hand account. There were things that the Sith had felt, darkness the likes of which the man knew he couldn't fathom. Byron was aware of his ignorance and it was significant cause to make him meditate. Empathy was key and connection with the Force.

"On Denon...you used a portal then like you did on Spintir." It wasn't a question but more of a statement. He had felt the disturbance in the Force that day on the planet overflowing with the light side of the Force. It was far different from the city-world they had later fought against one another. Maybe Byron's introspective periods had led to the conclusion, he had been forced to take time to think about it. There was a lot in hindsight he was still piecing together, things that were clicking into place about his reason for being here. But still it was beyond his reach.

The teenager spoke, saying she liked his company and he knew it to be true. But the man didn't forget her attempt on his life or the wounds she gave him, physical and otherwise. "Wouldn't matter..." He replied with a shrug in his chair. Byron doubted he would be lucky enough to be estranged from all this craziness if he tried to go back to a simple life. "...I'm not really the quitting type." She spoke like she was going to get out of the prison. Of course he took that to possibly mean she just believed that fact. But considering the powers she had shown him, Byron wasn't about to overlook the confidence as naivete.

"Speaking of...why didn't you kill me back then?" His head cocked to the side. If given the chance again he assumed she wouldn't hesitate like last time and take more than a piece of his leg. Byron couldn't sense her feelings to aid in looking for deception. Instead he stare across the table at Lyra, the more jaded but same face he had read before.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Ah...there it is, the portal...

The Jedi were absolutely curious about them as much as she was; they were like children eager with their questions and natural curiosity. Byron did not see her use a portal on Spintir, but Tiamat thought he made a safe assumption it was how she arrived on the Light-aligned world after seeing her trick on Denon. A wide grin grew as he had mentioned her use of the portals on the worlds; regardless of who she served, the trick was pretty cool and the technology she recreated was a milestone for the galaxy as a whole. It was just a pity it was her who completed the research and no one else.

She grinned as he mentioned he wasn't the quitting type, "Maybe its not quitting, and more of a...promotion." she hummed.

However, he shifted topics quickly as Denon reminded him of another problem, or at least at what she thought was a problem. She did not finish him off on the battlefield. Though, her killing stroke was interrupted, she could have finished him off a lot quicker, and the sith woman was well aware. Tiamat tapped her finger on the table, her gaze lowering as she picked through her words carefully before speaking them.

"Honestly Bryon, I wanted you to run." she admitted, her blue eyes meeting his, "When you didn't, I had to do what I must." she explained, "I am not going to give you that chance again, I hope we don't meet again on the battlefield."

@Darasuum

 

[Orenth]

The edges of his own mouth tightened slightly in reaction to seeing her smile. But the face relaxed after a moment later, removing the micro expression as quickly as it had come. Byron realized only after a heartbeat, Tiamat was probably finding joy from the floundering attempts at discovering the same things he was curious about.

Byron's brow furrowed a little at the hummed words. "...promotion?" He repeated, with a tone that said he wasn't following her train of thought.

The answer Tiamat gave him about the events on Denon wasn't surprising. Maybe he even felt a bit relieved in hearing it considering his own obligations as a Jedi. There was the confidence again that she was going to escape, like Tiamat was going to be anywhere but a detention facility. Her conviction and resolve were felt as keenly as her stare which he met. But a part of him believed that part of her just as much as the rest of what she had shown him.

He sat silently for a moment and think about how she had said those words. "If I'd ran, I'd have left you...again." It had felt wrong and even as the Dark side closed in, when its tendrils touched him and he felt fear, there was still a rightness to where he was. His heart told him he was still doing what was right as it had that day and the Knight meant what he said earlier. "I think you did kill a part of me that day..." Death and life always had enough mystery to them that whenever Byron felt like he had a firm grasp on things it continued to amaze him. But rather than be angered or scared of it he accepted it.

"When I was laying there on in the Capital Building, I felt so much darkness..." He paused as he remembered how dreadful it had been at first. "...but I knew there was more than that. I saw Light...even when I began to fade away. You know people say they see a light at the end of a tunnel?" His head shook slightly knowing that wasn't what he had experienced. "You're a field of stars, Dewberry and you can control the space between them. It seems fitting you've learned what you know." A slight smile came to the edge of his mouth.


"It's pretty amazing...and humbling what you've done." It was a genuine compliment. His thoughts about all the good the technology could provide to the galaxy had been on of the attending subjects tugging at his consciousness. "My life before the jedi, I wasn't anything special." He shrugged. It had been pretty basic actually but civilian life had still been enjoyable. "..But my education and civilian job had been ship based. Contruum Shipyards...." He said, remembering the building places where Mando'a was still spoken here and there. "It's ironic now to be thinking about portals with instantaneous travel I guess."


@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tiamat remained silent as Byron spoke, explaining why he did not run and her brow narrowed, irked by the idea that he was going to keep trying to help her regardless of how far down the forbidden path she walked. Though she was uncertain what he meant by killing a part of him. Was he hinting a change in just his thinking, a shedding of an old part of him to give rise to something new...a jedi version of the Sith rebuilding oneself? Or was he losing hope, a Jedi crawling into the abyss of hopelessness and on his way to a path to the darkside and eventually power once it was embraced? It was a curious statement but Tiamat did not entertain it, waiting to see if he were to elaborate more.

She watched him carefully, listening to him explain his experience on Denon and what he felt, and what he could see, especially within her. She did not like the fact he did know her well and as he described her as the field of stars, her eyebrows rose, and admittedly she was flattered by the description. However, she also knew it could mean to the Jedi as he would still the hope that remained in the speckles of light within her, she recognized them as weaknesses, ones in which she had taken special care to ensure no one would exploit them and take away her power.

The stars belonged to her, one more ways than one.

He too suspected she knew how to teleport across the galaxy and he would have more evidence as her mishap to arriving on Spintir with no other means of transportation. She guessed as someone who figured out the hypergates and her finesse for astronavigation and its secrets, she could be a child of the stars themselves. The redhead ruminated on that idea for a moment and when she saw his small grin, she smirked, though for different reasons. Though as he explained his prior profession, travel would piqued his interests too.

"Ironic or is it disappointing?" she gave him a coy grin, "Or, does it fill you with fear like the other Jedi to know there is something so awe and it is not in their hands.

@Darasuum

 

[Orenth]

THEME​

The edge of his mouth underneath his beard smiled a little at the question. Byron shook his head a little. "Nah. I think it's kind of neat, if not a bit scary and exciting at the same time." Maybe there was a bit of fear in his heart on the subject specifically. But there were other things more easily perceived about the Knight on the surface than that. "I was hoping you'd show me sometime."

More silence pervaded the cell as Byron looked across at Tiamat. His shoulders and chest rose slightly as he took a contemplative breath before letting out a nasal sigh. One of his callused fingers tapped against the table top a few times as the seconds passed. There was a resolve that had come with the Knight since he had been in the room. A calm and somberness, a hint of grief for anybody checking to any depth. His thoughts were on the Jedi Code and Master Voran's exchange with 'Manat'. However in his mind, Byron looked at his relationship with the Sith.

When you are emotion, I'll be peace. I am ignorance, while you knowledge. Your passion, my serenity. The Dark Side brings chaos, yet the light provides harmony. When you bring force, I'll bring death.​

It was his willingness to kill Tiamat that he had come here to the prison. Conditions had been considered and her state. If she had asked him, would he have been able to spare her any further existence. Now, Byron had to ask himself after her own prophesied freedom, if he would be able to kill her without hesitation the next time they met. Maybe the shadow, touching his heart had something to do with it. A part of him had grieved the death of Lyra after Denon. A neutral source of passion that he accepted about himself. Despite the security of the prison, the savage lengths it would take to end her suffering, he had affirmed within himself that might be something he would need to do. Byron accepted he may be a monster too. But he was elated no such request came from her, though it came with its own consequences that weighed on his mind and heart.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He tried to suppress a smile, finding even if the dark woman knew how to move across the galaxy without aid of a ship, he was impressed. As he should be or course, and Tiamat felt a flutter of flattery that they seemed so interested even if it were to try and stop it. Funny as it were be, if had created it for them, they would have been more than happy to utilize. She shared the grin with him as he expressed his hope that she would show him at some point.

Tiamat leaned back in her seat, still grinning feeling delighted in the game she was playing with him and the other Jedi. However, it would see the Rangers were not as patient; Tiamat's blue eyes flickered to the door, hearing muffled voices outside.

"Someday, you will see much of what I can do."

/End Thread