Private A Dangerous Gambit [Aris Noble]

[Balun Dashiell]

Jutrand, Capital of the Sith Order
The Outer Rim Territories
Aris Noble

Today, Jutrand's sprawling metropolis stood as the illustrious seat of power for the Sith Order, a beacon of darkness amidst the cosmic expanse. His recent encounter with Cordelia Dimitte had left Balun Vale intrigued, his curiosity piqued by the enigmatic allure of the Sith Order. Formerly a bastion of freedom under the Rimward Trade League and, prior to that, the Outer Rim Coalition, Jutrand had succumbed to the grip of staunch imperialism. Its rulers wielded authority with an iron fist, quelling dissent with ruthless efficiency.

Though no longer aligned with the New Jedi Order, Balun felt compelled to conceal his presence in the Force to the best of his ability. It was a precautionary measure born from the realization that his past associations might mark him as a threat—an unshackled Force user or, perhaps worse, a renegade Jedi—in the eyes of those harbouring animosity towards the Order. While his Jedi training had offered insights into the Sith, Balun recognized the inherent limitations of such perspectives. As he navigated the complexities of life, he understood that true understanding could only be attained through firsthand experience and independent reflection.

Having secured passage through a transaction with a crewman aboard an independent freighter, the boy navigated the intricacies of trade with unnatural finesse, an influence of the mind. The trader, enticed by the allure of easy profit, spared little thought for the boy's past, viewing him simply as a wandering soul in need of transport. Unburdened by inquiries or suspicions, the trader facilitated their journey without hesitation.

The motley group found respite within the confines of a bustling hangar nestled within the public spaceport, their presence fading into the tapestry of transient travellers. With the transaction complete, Balun embarked on his solitary path, his guise that of an unassuming civilian blending seamlessly with the throng of bustling activity.

 

[Aris Noble]

He shouldn't be here.

Deep down, he knew it was a mistake to even think about coming here to Juntrand. He knew who he was, he knew what this planet was, but curiosity brought him here regardless. The need to know. Aris had spent years learning about everything that had happened. How the Epixanthix had lost Panatha, how his people had been scattered across the stars. Who his grandfather was, what Aris himself was. There was nothing hidden from him, but Aris could see it was all said through a lens.

He needed to know first hand what the Sith were to his family.

Aris tugged on his hood, frowning as he made his way through the streets. The only thing he needed to find was some kind of library. He imagined the information he sought would be easy enough to find there, but there was always the underlying panic of discovery. Or, perhaps, he had an advantage he could use. Not one he was looking forward to, but he could.

There was an understanding for himself that he was going to be alone here. Not even Seszil came with, if only to keep Aris from being discovered. His hair had been died raven black just to fully sell the cover he hoped he didn't have to use, but as he walked through the street he caught sight of something familiar. Someone. He blinked in surprise before hurriedly slipping through the crowd.

"Balun."

Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

"Oh, kriff..." Balun muttered under his breath, his heart sinking at the sound of a familiar voice. Reluctantly, he turned to find Aris Noble trailing behind him, mirroring his own surprise. Initially bracing himself for a confrontation with a Jedi Master, Balun's tense shoulders eased slightly upon recognizing Aris. Relief washed over him, knowing that Aris remained a fellow Padawan and not a harbinger of his return to the New Jedi Order.

"Thank the stars, it's just you, Aris..." Balun breathed out in a hushed tone, his exhale laden with both relief and caution, mindful of potential threats lurking amidst the bustling streets. The unexpected encounter with another Jedi caught him off guard, especially Aris of all people. While they weren't particularly close, they shared a common bond as classmates, navigating the rigorous training regimen at the Temple of Coruscant together.

"What are you doing here!?" Balun asked, reaching out to grasp Aris' arm as he urged him to move swiftly. A nearby alley beckoned, offering a sanctuary from prying eyes where they could discuss matters of shared significance without fear of eavesdroppers.

As they stepped into the shadowy confines of the narrow alley, darkness cloaked their features, providing a semblance of privacy. Balun cast a vigilant glance over his shoulder, ensuring they hadn't been followed, before releasing Aris' arm and coming to a gradual halt. "I'm gonna be stating the obvious, but you do realize the risk of being here, right?" Balun's tone held a note of urgency, his concern palpable. Uncertain whether Aris was aware of his flight from the New Jedi Order, Balun couldn't shake the grim reality that if discovered, Aris, still bound by the Jedi code, would face dire consequences at the hands of the Sith.

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris was quick to follow him. Neither of them should be there. They were both in danger. But Balun was in more danger, at least in Aris's mind. Aris had a cover story, one that he knew would work fine if it came to it. He didn't see the same for his friend. Aris peeked back the way they had come from underneath the died black hair he had for the moment, just to ensure there wasn't someone who had thought it interesting or decided to follow. No one, at least for now that he could see or hear, and his senses were far beyond what even Jedi should have.

"I've questions I need answers to, and I won't find them anywhere else. .. Why are you here? You're in way more danger, you realize that right?"

Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

In a hushed murmur, Balun's words slipped out like secrets escaping into the night air. "Dude, I'm not the Jedi out of the two of us," he confessed, his breath barely stirring the stillness around them. "If they catch on to you, it's game over," he added, the weight of truth heavy in his voice. Freed from any binding allegiance, Balun roamed as a solitary figure, a nomad in a realm where loyalty was currency. Should they be apprehended, he could pivot, perhaps finding favour with the Sith without facing immediate retribution. Yet, the notion of aligning with the dark side remained a repulsive thought, a path he vehemently rejected.

Aris Noble had spoken of quests for enlightenment, but the specifics eluded Balun, lost amidst the fog of uncertainty. "What's so important you'd come here for?" he inquired, his own scepticism tinged with a hint of self-awareness. "I sound like a bit of an ar$e I know but you actually want to be a Jedi, I don't. I don't want to see you wind up in the chit here" Balun's tone softened, a genuine concern overshadowing his earlier cynicism. With measured sincerity, he reached out, hoping to shield Aris from the impending storm, even as the darkness threatened to consume them both.

 

[Aris Noble]

"My grandfather is a Sith Lord with dozens of children. I can easily pass off as one if I need to. That's why I'm here, though. To figure out more on him." Which, he really hoped he wouldn't have to. Even having his hair match that of Darth Carnifex was a step too close to the side of the family Kahlil had sought to avoid. His brow furrowed, though. He knew why he was here, but.. Why was Balun here? On the capital of the Sith?

"Why are you here, Balun?"

Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

"Oh wow, I didn't know about any of that," Balun replied. The notion of Aris Noble 's family being Sith wasn't something he had expected. Given that Balun always skirted away from the subject of family in general, Aris' family was never an interest that Balun had considered until now.

"Do the Jedi know about it? What do they think about your Dad having Sith in the family?" Balun soon asked; "I met a Sith Girl recently and....-Well things got a bit intense, but in a really good way. I'm not sure what the Masters back at the Temple would think about it though" he admitted, thinking back on his recent time on Mygeeto with Cordelia Dimitte .

"I didn't really come here with anything in mind, I guess I wanted to check the Sith out for myself. See why the Galaxy is so afraid of them and chit" Balun soon explained. In all honesty, Cordelia had sparked his interest in seeing the Sith with his own eyes. The Jedi were determined in their bias towards Dark Siders, especially the Sith; and from what he had heard, the Sith were the same way towards the Jedi.

Everything that Balun had known of the greater Galaxy came from the New Jedi Order. It wasn't that he didn't believe the Jedi, but he wanted to see and understand the Galaxy with his own eyes, make up his own mind on what he felt about other people, what he thought about the Galaxy and how he saw things. It had taken some two or three years to build up the courage to leave the Jedi and strike it out on his own. Before that, it had only been a dream, and now it had become his reality. He wanted to make his own choices and work things out the hard way if that was what it took.

 

[Aris Noble]

"They've been aware from the get go, from what I understand. Given his position, they must at least be alright with it, I guess." He hadn't thought much about what that might mean to the others of the Jedi, but yeah, if it did matter there was no way Kahlil would be Shield, right? Maybe. He didn't want to think too much on that, at least since he probably should avoid talking about the Jedi while he was here of all places. Instead he tilted his head. Intense in a good way? HE couldn't think of something like that, at least nothing that aligned with dealing with a Sith.

"Yeah. That's why I'm here too. I want to know why, but actually know why, not just be told. Does that make sense?"

Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

"I heard he's been a Jedi for quite a long time now, so I guess they trust him a lot. Plus, you know, he's with your Mom, so....-There's that," Balun shrugged, doing more guesswork than actually speaking from knowledge or experience. He had never met Aris Noble 's parents, but it was difficult to live in the Order and not hear about them, at the very least.

"And yeah, I get you; I'd rather make sense of this Sith chit with my own eyes, too. This girl I met seemed pretty interesting; she was a Sith, and we hung out for a while on Mygeeto. She talked to me about their philosophy that sort of thing, but it all sounded really negative and depressing. It's almost like they want the Galaxy to hate them, so they'll be proven right. It's a shame, too, because she was kinda hot," Balun chuckled softly. Cordelia Dimitte had been all too honest about her family's origin, and Balun had challenged her during their time. She was to try and convert her to the light side, and she was to turn him to the dark side; as long as they were honest with each other, it'd make for an interesting and competitive game that Balun naively saw as a bit of fun between them. He believed that his conversion was something that she would never succeed in, and he felt that his more optimistic view of life in the Galaxy would ultimately win over her bleak Sith ideology.

"So do you know where you're going around here? Like, where do the Sith hang out on Jutrand? I heard there used to be a Jedi Temple here, way back before we were around," Balun asked and then made a suggestion all in one sentence. He appeared to be rather excited, his voice tinged with anticipation, at the notion of getting some firsthand experience with the Capital World of the Sith. Oh if Julius Sedaire could see him now, in the heart of enemy territory, so to speak.

 

[Aris Noble]

"Did she know how to heat her body, then?" Hot was the adjective he used, so that's naturally where his thoughts went. He could increase his own body temperature to a degree he would end up glowing white with the heat. That was neither here nor there though, as he glanced back out to the street. Glancing about for sight of the building he hand in mind. It wasn't visible from the alley, but it shouldn't have been too far, right?

"Sith Academy. Their library, specifically. I've heard that my grandfather has a world ship that he brought many of my people on. I want to find it."

Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

"What?" Balun blinked a couple of times, a confused response to Aris Noble 's question. Ironically, Cordelia Dimitte had made a show of getting a fur coat at the time, so he had to assume not; "Nah I don't think so" he answered, though still a little confused by the question.

Turning around to look in the direction that Aris had glanced back to, Balun considered what to do now. Two guys their age trained by the Jedi, weren't exactly in a good spot. "A World Ship?" Balun soon repeated, speaking more to himself following Aris's mention of the Sith Academy, trying to imagine just how large a ship needed to be to be classed as a World Ship.

"Well chit, I'm keen to check out a World Ship!" Balun exclaimed with a mischievous smirk. Truth be told, at this point now with a friend along for the ride, Balun was feeling more confident about whatever antics they might be in line for. "Or anything. Where do we start?" He grinned, glancing back to meet Aris' gaze, clearly excited now about what their night might hold for the pair.

 

[Aris Noble]

"Oh."

They were worlds apart on what hot meant, and Aris certainly wasn't the wiser on what it might mean. Rather, he was far more focused on the topic of the world craft. The Malsheem. He really didn't know where that ship was, though. "The Library is my guess. I'm not sure if there's much information on the world craft itself, but there's bound to be information on Darth Carnifex. So.. Find information on him, and since he's the King of the Epicanthix it should lead to the Worldcraft."

Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

"Right on, Sith Archives would be a good start. I should have guessed that" Balun concurred. There was no greater storage of information or source of it, for that matter, than the local archives. The Jedi held their own Archives and it was a safe bet that the Sith had to have their own somewhere on Jutrand, their capital of all places. "I guess we just gotta figure out where they would be" he added, having no clue where said location would be.

Now seemed like a good time to get on the move. Fortunately, he had the intelligence to wear something civilian. Pulling his jacket tighter around his torso for comfort, he soon turned to glance back towards the mouth of the alley. The Imps weren't shy about showing their sense of control. Balun had so far managed to avoid walking through their checkpoints set up to catch unsuspecting 'wrong-doers'. In other words, anyone who didn't conform to their rules.

"Lead the way" He grinned, looking back to Aris Noble . This was his show now, as Balun hadn't come up with a particular plan in mind. Now that they had one, Balun was along for the ride and would support however he could. The notion of getting into trouble was a little bit exciting in honesty, although something they seriously wanted to avoid doing at the same time.