The Main Entry and Landing Platform

The Epsilon shuttle had golden markings and a new crest, that of the First Order with the initials of the new agency emblazoned in gold in its center. When it landed a group of four Death Troopers exited the ship first, blasters always ready and communications scrambled. Then, was the turn of half a dozen stormtroopers, wearing pitch black armor with golden accents: they formed and lined the way into the hangar proper. Finally, Ju'oda, wearing a dark attire, martial but elegant, walked in, wearing a long cloak over the shoulder. He had the badge befitting a director displayed over his chest.

Sometime in the past. . .



What little hope Faina had that the change in Harnan's posture - the uncrossing of his arms and slight relaxation in his posture seeming to suggest a willingness to, if not set aside at least reign in any of the overt hostility or disdain his well known opinion of the Imperial Knights might otherwise engender - gave rise to is quickly dampened when he speaks; though the tone of his voice is somewhat difficult to gauge accurately with how his helmet alters his voice, and without the cues being able to see his expression would provide, his choice of words alone gives Faina all the clues she needs to know that attempting to reach any degree of understanding with him will be difficult at best, and may simply be a fool's errand.  Whether or not she is wasting her time, Faina's love for Fiora makes her determined to try all the same, and so she forges ahead with her decision.


While she has no helmet to conceal her expressions, and is accustomed to keeping her body language in mind at all times, which she knows can make her seem remote and dispassionate, Faina's overall demeanor gives little clue as to her thoughts or reactions as Harnan finishes speaking.  Save for the small nod of her head to acknowledge Harnan's point that their respective positions and beliefs may prove difficult to entirely set aside, and an arching of her left eyebrow suggestive of incredulity when he questioned the sincerity of her concern for her daughter, Faina had otherwise kept her posture relaxed and her expression impassive.  Whether the remark about her concern for Fiora had been intended as an insult or simply a verbal jab, Faina sees little point in protesting or attempting to verbally convince him of just how deep and unfeigned it truly is; the mere fact she has approached him, in her mind, evidence enough.


Though the undeniable and inevitable consequences of calling on the Dark Side of the Force play a part in Faina's decision to try and reach an understanding with Harnan, she knows that there would be little point in reproving him, and if she thought that all who call on it were lost causes she would have fought tooth and nail to prevent Fiora from having anything to do with the Knights of Ren; experience having taught her that there are always degrees to which individuals succumb to temptations and perils of making use of the Dark Side.  Addressing Harnan's concern that she is here only to argue a point neither will ever agree upon, Faina replies simply and dryly, "No, and proving just how sincerely she means not to, immediately moves on by, allowing her expression to reveal her genuine curiosity and desire to understand his decision, and her tone of voice chosen carefully to make it clear the question is not meant as an insult to his abilities but rather an attempt to understand his motives, Why you, Harnan?  Her tone making it evident that her use of his name is not meant to suggest a familiarity between them that does not exist, but to demonstrate her desire and willingness to set titles aside for now, she goes on, Why do you want to be the one to train Fiora?"  Though she suspects that Harnan's reasons for being the one to train her daughter lay within his relationship with her birth mother, Faina cannot know that for certain, and hopes that, should he elect to answer the question without any more verbal jabs or dismissive quips, Harnan's answer could go a long way towards setting her mind at ease.    

Not now, but then. . .

The faintest suggestion of a furrow appears between Faina's brow as Harnan cites duty and keeping an oath as the reasons he is to train Fiora, giving her pause in part because she would never have imagined either concept would mean anything at all to a Knight of Ren, and in part because both are so much a part of her own personal code that it almost seems as though his answer was constructed with that in mind. "You can answer that better than I can," Faina says evenly, primarily as a way to recover her equilibrium after Harnan's answer had, by accident or design, thrown her off balance. Faina recovers quickly enough, realizing that the idea that Harnan would be concerned enough about what she thinks to fabricate an answer that might make her feel more at ease about her daughter's safety and future seems patently absurd.

Accepting Harnan's motivation at face value, Faina considers pressing for more detail about the precise nature of his oath to Fiora's birth mother, but discards the notion as she imagines that the subject is a loaded one and trying to delve into it would be like deliberately walking blindfolded into a minefield. Briefly at a loss as to how to press onward, Faina wonders whether there is any need to do so at all; does she really think that Harnan, no matter how truthful he chooses to be, will be able to say anything that offers her any reassurance at all about Fiora's well-being? Even were Harnan able to set her at ease with her decision not to fight against the future Nicademus has chosen for their daughter to any degree, why would he? Faina could, rather than seek assurance, assure Harnan instead that should anything happen to her daughter she would move heaven and hell to make him pay, but the threat seems not only implicit, but also histrionic, a waste of both their time; and pointless, in Faina's mind considering that the danger that most concerns her is one that Fiora's training to become a Knight of Ren entails by its very nature. That thought leads Faina to her next question.

"What happens if Fiora fails? What if she isn't suitable Knight of Ren material because of something in her character, or because she rejects the teachings? Faina lifts a hand to prevent Harnan from protesting before she has the chance to prevent him from misunderstanding her, I've made an oath to Nicademus that I will not do anything to try and ensure that would happen; I won't teach Fiora anything, moral or otherwise, explicitly or implicitly, that would set a foundation you would not be able to build upon. And I will keep that oath," Faina says, electing to leave out the price she has paid, the difficulty she had in making that promise to Nicademus, and the frustration she feels by being bound to it when it involves not only sacrificing something integral to any parent's relationship with their child, and the consequences made possible by what she has agreed to accept, even though some or all of those things are evident in the unconscious clenching of her left fist and the equally unintentional, faint note of bitterness in her tone.

When then was now and now was yet to be. . .

There are times when those engaging in a conversation assume that those they are communicating with know more than they actually do, resulting in a distortion of the message being conveyed that alters the understanding taken from what is said, the alteration often one neither party is aware of. Unbeknownst to Faina or Harnan, their conversation now is one of those times. While Faina was made aware of the fact that Kortos and another Imperial Knight had assisted Harnan in killing the Shadow that once ruled over the Ren, ironically she is not aware of the precise nature of Kortos' sacrifice, nor of how knowing of it would not only help her to understand what Harnan is trying to tell her, but also how her understanding and assessment of Harnan would change as a result. What Faina takes away from Harnan's brief history lesson, therefore, is that he sees himself as less evil than the shadow had been, and had been so unwilling to allow that shadow to influence Fiora that he was willing to work with the Imperial Knights that he has made no secret of despising. What he says about being trained on or by the Zakuul makes little sense to Faina, as evidenced by her confused arching of an eyebrow, given that what she knows of Zakuul is little beyond the planet’s history, and has no way of knowing that Harnan had been a part of that history over three thousand years ago. Assuming that the training he refers to as military in nature, Faina takes from the statement that Harnan is telling her that he was not always a Knight of Ren, and therefore is not as corrupted by the Dark Side as his brothers and sisters; which does, in fact, make her reassess her understanding of who Harnan is, or at least sees himself as, to a degree.

Fortunately for both Faina and Harnan, what he says next invites no unintended misunderstanding. Faina's relief when Harnan states that it will be Fiora's choice to become a Ren, or to leave should she later fail or decide to part from their ranks for whatever reasons, is unmistakable from her expression and the way her posture, typically guarded and precisely controlled, relaxes. Her relief is so great, in fact, that Faina ignores the sting, intentional or not, the repeated emphasis on Illaria being Fiora's mother causes, and entirely misses the tiny slip of Harnan's tongue that accompanies the last such instance. While Faina is aware that the possibility exists that Harnan is lying, she once more discounts it as she cannot imagine any reason Harnan would lie to make her feel more comfortable with the inevitable.

Her relief and gratitude evident in her tone and expression, Faina says, "Thank you, Harnan, for telling me. It's . . . she smiles briefly and shakes her head as though in disbelief that some of her fears have been lessened, and waves hand searchingly as though unable to find the words to explain the cautious hope she feels for what lays ahead for Fiora now, or how to make him understand what he has given her by offering that sliver of hope and lessening of her fears to her. In the end she settles for simply repeating, Thank you, as she visibly collects and composes herself. As she is trying to think of how best to part ways, Faina recalls a certain phrase Harnan had used, and, aware she may be pressing her luck or trying his patience by pressing for more than she already has, tilts her head to the side inquisitively as she asks, You said you wanted to prepare Fiora for what is yet to come. Did you mean that in a general sense, or is there something more specific you meant?"

Ren and Impy, long ago . . .

Faina suppresses the laugh she feels threatening to escape her lips when the subtle shifting in Harnan's position reveals that her guess about him nearing the limits of his patience with her was correct, though what he says next is frustratingly vague enough that any surprising amusement she felt is quickly quenched. Pragmatic by nature, Faina has never put much stock in prognostication, and on the rare occasions that circumstances have required her to dwell on the topic she has found the inherent paradoxes and uncertainties invited in so doing are headache inducing. Only the fact that the possible future events concern Fiora enable Faina to recall what she knows of prophecy, and she is silent a moment, her expression pensive, after Harnan finishes speaking. Harnan's suggestion that she not worry about specifics is a welcome one, Faina finds after she thinks about the well worn adage about how efforts to prevent a possible future can often, paradoxically, result in bringing it about, and she almost but not quite shakes her head as though to clear it from any of the confusing clutter that dwelling too long on the nature of divination of the future often incites.

"Sound advice, Faina finally says, her tone hinting at her frustration, once she has had enough of thinking about the nature of prophecy. Electing not to affirm that she will do all she can to see Octavian is trained and prepared for whatever future dangers, prophesied or otherwise, he might one day confront, which she would be doing even without Harnan's cryptic warning, Faina instead goes on, asking rhetorically, Can I assume you'll let me know if and when I need to worry, for Fiora's sake, not mine? Nodding as though he has agreed, Faina, deciding that it probably best that they leave on their present state of having come to a degree of understanding of one another that has probably exceeded both of their expectations, says, I think there's nothing left to say, for now. Unless there's anything you'd like to add, she arches an eyebrow inquisitively, I'll stop keeping you from whatever has brought you here."