Friends in high Places

[Draconis Caesar]

Draconis was lined up with the other Sun Guard initiates. He was curious as to what the taskmaster had gathered them all for. It was supposedly something big. Some sort of meeting with royalty or test. They had been told to adorn their armor and be as battle ready as possible. It was in truth something of a oddity that only the initiates be gathered however. None of the Auxilia forces nor the higher ranking Sun Guard were present. Perhaps it was time that they would be weeding out the weak. As they grew nearer their graduation date, Draconis felt that something precarious was coming. A test of sorts.

He had heard of such happening before. Initiates pitted against one another so that only the elite few may become sun guard. But, what didn't make sense was that he and his class still had quiet some time left before their graduation date. Perhaps as the rumors suggested they were simply being lined up to be shown to some distant royalty. Either way Draconis had nary a care. He was sure whatever the case was, he would perform at top efficiency and come out on top, as he always did. He inspired awe in his fellow peers and pride in that of his instructors. He was the embodiment of Sun Guard.

So while they stood outside gathered in the fields of whatever planet they had landed on, all eyes were on Draconis. He knew this but kept his own gaze forward. He would serve dutifully and whole heartedly no matter what the task was. But, something nagged him at the small of his gut. Something wasn't right about this gathering of individuals. Something told him that whatever they had been gathered for was not to be any of their liking. Finally the Taskmaster addressed them with a stern gaze, one that brokered no nonsense and the utmost respect.

"Alright boys, we've got Sith royalty come to inspect our ranks! He wants to higher one and only one of you! You will be amply payed should you be selected, refusal of the contract is not an option,"

The nagging feeling in Draconis's gut turned to a stone. SIth. The stone was ever present and seemed to only grow harder as a shuttle began to land before them. It was their new contractor and Draconis knew it. He anxiously waited as it's landing gears cascaded downwards. It touched ground with a soft thump, billows of steam issued from the hydraulics and the ramp descended. Low and behold a few guards made exit and Draconis's heart skipped a beat as they made way for their master...

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"The Sun Guard houses only the best of the best. There are no finer protectors in this galaxy. I'm sure you'll find one that stands out as the perfect bodyguard for you, m'lord." A spindly figure of a man walked beside Kahlil, going on and on about how perfect the Sun Guard was. Ultimately, the young Sith didn't care one way or another how much better they were, only that their loyalty couldn't be bought, or wasn't already loyal to another.

That was the problem being the child of the Emperor. Most who would lend him their ears were doing so only for the hopes of gaining the attention of the Emperor, or already being loyal to the Dark Lord. He was here to find someone that would only be loyal to him. Someone he could trust with his life. So eventually he tuned out the babbling salesman and instead focused on what exactly he would be looking for.

Finally the light of day came as the pair exited the spaceport into the field. Kahlil was dressed in a simple black robe, a hand behind his back and the other carrying his ever present staff. He stepped over to the Taskmaster, leaving the spindly figure behind with a simple hand motion for his silence. "Hello Taskmaster Eugine. Are these them?" The Taskmaster stood at attention and nodded. He opened his mouth to speak, but the Sith cut him off.

"I am here to find not just the strongest, but the most loyal. The best. As such, I've hire all of you. And you will show me who is the best." Kahlil stepped through the ranks, glancing over each with his hazel gaze. "Only one will be leaving here alive today. Prove you are the strongest, or die."

[member="Draconis Caesar"]

 

[Draconis Caesar]

Taskmaster Eugine eyed the Sith contemplatively for a moment. Sith at best were conniving and at worse down right presumptuous. The Sun Guard had a deep history that partly mingled with the Sith. They had been betrayed, their religion used as a tool to manipulate them. This is where the Sun Guard divided, those foolish enough to continue to serve the Sith, despite their betrayal and those who had had the veil wiped away from their face. These Sun Guard were no fools and as a result the Taskmaster looked at the Sith drolly. He contemplated having the lordling ripped to pieces by the small army amassed before him, but knew it would be bad for the relations with their primary contractors. So, he opted to meet the Sith half way and to keep his composure.

"That seems a tad extreme, I can however have them fight till yield," Eugine offered, a small tick in his jaw as he spoke.

He did not like this Sith. But, gold was more than just their color, it was their mantra and so he would not turn down the opportunity for his men to earn some credits. He stared at the long line of warriors and shook his head with a half smile on his face. With hands to hip he laughed to the sky. It was ironic that here they stood being hired by a Sith, despite the age old Thyrsian adage Trust a Sith and you'll never see the Twin Suns again.

"Alright lads, tone your armor down to standard strength. It's to be a brawl to the last man standing. He who wins, get's the contract!"

Draconis immediately spun left and with all his might swung with a wide hook into the Initiate closest to himself's jaw. The young Thyrsian dropped like a bag of brick. One down forty eight more to go. The line devolved into a bloody bout of fisticuffs as the Thyrsians swarmed after one another in their gambit to earn the contract. Draconis swept low with his feet knocking another to the ground, then with fist he punched the man in the head knocking him out cold. He was hit in the back of the head by an unseen assailant, which sent his ears rigging and his vision blurred. Still he fought on.

Taskmaster Eugine stared at the Sith then added as a after thought "You'll be paying for all the injuries,"

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I was planning on paying for their funerals. But," Kahlil had worked his way back beside the Taskmaster, a slight frown on his face. Already a bad impression. That's what happened when you failed to do your research. "I can do that, of course." He could feel the mistrust from the group of warriors around him. He had gambled with this being the Sun Guard still loyal, but that gamble had backfired.

Still, the resulting brawl would at least show him the strongest. To gain their loyalty would be a whole different task. Already he was letting his gears turn on how he could pull that off given the mistrust already there. One of the initiates that caught his eye was already racking up a win count. [member="Draconis Caesar"] , one of the first to throw a blow after Eugine gave the order. At least they were loyal to themselves.

 

[Draconis Caesar]

Draconis spun round to knock the man who had rocked him clean out. He wasn't above beating up his brother's in arms for credits and he would be sure that he was the last man standing. He needed the money, and above all the glory. Surely the initiates would talk about it for days to come, even the taskmaster was watching eagerly. Yes, this little riot would be spoken about around the mess hall for a while. This was a chance to also prove themselves in the eyes of the Taskmaster. He was watching the fight with the keen eye of a hawk. Making sure none cheated and making mental notes on the Thyrsian recruits capabilities.

Slowly, but surely the melee dwindled to a small group of ten. They were battered and bruised, blood pouring from broken noses, or eyes swollen shut. As they wore their armor the only place to strike was the head. Made for lots of concussions. Draconis fought among the ten and his apparent skills became much more noticeable now that he was no longer just another Thyrsian in the crowd. He kicked or grappled the enemies to the ground and would quickly throw them in a submission. Some refused to submit to the grapple and thus Draconis would break their bones. Finally came down too four. They had some sort of pact and decided to take on Draconis together.

The first charged Draconis and tackled him. Using the own man's momentum Draconis threw him off with a well place kick. This also caused Draconis to tumble right side up and he sprang out of his crouching form to meet the two charging adversaries. They both struck with a jab and Draconis pushed them aside with his arms. The two had come a split second after one another, Draconis would use that precious time. He grabbed hold of the late one scruff as his punch slid past Draconis forearm and Draconis threw him into his charging partner. After the two lie in a heap the third had come at Draconis again, having recovered from ejection. He swung with left arm a straight jab.

Draconis grabbed hold the arm wrapping his own around it so it would act as a splint, then with orther arm he pushed upwards with his palm on the mans elbow with all his might. The arm snapped, despite the suits protection. He had won. He was the last Thyrsian standing. The taskmaster offered a small clap, whilst the still operable Initiates congratulated him with pats on the back or firm handshakes. Draconis approached the Sith, in all his glory, his face swelling in multiple areas and a cut across his forehead and bowed.

"I am to be your body guard Sith,"

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"And a good one you shall be. Congratulations on winning." Kahlil kept his stance formal, more or less devolving into the simplest form of mannerisms. He had already messed up once after all. Still, he held out a hand for [member="Draconis Caesar"] to grasp. "Let's start this anew. I am Kahlil Zambrano." Once proper introductions were finished, he'd nod over to the starship he had come on.

"I have some bacta on board. Feel free to take a dip."

 

[Draconis Caesar]

Draconis rose from his bow and eyed the extended hand as the Sith introduced himself. Draconis saw that the Sith had good intentions and was trying to keep from insulting him. Draconis took the hand offered to him and shook it with a firm grasp. The mans intentions were recognized and accepted. The Sith had no way of knowing that they could not kill kin anyways. But pummeling was certainly an option. His body ached all over and he was tired after the long fight. The sun had begun to set over the plains and medical droids gathered the unconscious. The setting sun shone brightly on Draconis's armor and he thought this to be a good sign from the Twin Suns.

"Thank you. I am Draconis Caeser," Draconis said between split and swollen lips.

The Sith spoke of a bacta bath and Draconis smiled. He was certainly in need of one. His usually unblemished face was bruised and battered. A small cut had formed over the top of his eyebrow and the blood sought to make seeing out of the eye a problem and their were countless bruises swelling all over. Draconis followed the Sith to the confines of his ship, eagerly expecting large amounts of wealth waiting for him. Draconis had heard of this Zambrano, the royal Sith blood line, which meant this man was very rich indeed. But, he couldn't fathom what would happen to his own self if something were to befall the Sith.

Draconis had heard of the things the Sith did to those who failed them, but Draconis did not plan on failing. They marched up the ramp into the shuttle and Draconis was immediately pleased.

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Large amounts of wealth was an exaggeration, to say the least. Kahlil had more than enough to buy the Sun Guard, but he never displayed it. His ship was a basic Tau-class Imperial Shuttle, nothing worthy of note. That was how the Sith chose to live, for now. Until he was Lord, he'd settle. Once on board they'd meet up with his current pilot, a droid by the name of N3-5T, or just Neat as the Sith had begun to call him.

"Neat, show our newest member to his chambers. And to the Bacta tank. He's going to need it." The droid nodded to it's master before turning to [member="Draconis Caesar"] , extending a metal hand. "Just this way."