On the run.

[WolfMortum]

The City of Zandi, upon the continent of Keshtah Minor - Such a foreign world though one within reach of what few credits Zarack had managed to scramble together to make for a smuggling transport out of Eriadu. While it hadn't been the most comfortable ride of his life, leaning back against the crates of goods that might have doubled his would-be sentence back home, it seemed a far better option than dealing with the authorities. Somehow, beyond some wild luck, Zarack had managed to squirm his way around the worlds customs office to strike up a deal with one of the shadiest Twi'lek's he'd met. Though there was something certainly attractive about her, he had enough of a brain to know she'd likely steal the life out of his veins let alone the goods out of his pockets; not to mention had she known that his head could collect a fare worth the half of her vessel, the small freighter had managed to make the voyage without incident and without to much honesty shared between them which had suited him all too well.

Everything was a risk, even here on a world he knew nothing about. Hell, especially here what with his bounty going wide and his face likely plastered across the walls back home. The young adult moved slowly through out the crowded city streets, his hood held up atop his head to cover his fringe, his eyes darting about every individual coming his way. Though he bore a robe, his attire spoke nothing for his predicament, the robe was a dusty old thing stolen from one of the bums back on Eriadu outside the public transport departments, what he wore beneath was nothing more than a black shirt - thin that hung loosely around his waist and a pair of pants that were made from nerf leather. His shoes were beaten and faded from all their use, which these days spared not a lot.
Tucked down the front of his pants, covered by his shirt, he carried with him the same blaster pistol that he'd held the night he'd silently said his farewells to his brother. Karrus, what a pain. Zarack had truly loved his brother but the little kriff had clung to tightly to him and followed him so far. There'd been little choice in leaving him behind, for the boys sake, Zarrack felt a heavy blanket of guilt wave down over him as he wandered aimlessly down the street, not really knowing where he was destined for. There was no way he could go back to get his brother, at least not without some sort of way of protecting him from the chaos that Zarack had brought upon himself and laying down within a prison cell just wasn't his style. In his mind, he'd justified his actions as the fault of societies for shunning them so and leaving them with no other alternative but to stand for themselves however way they could manage.

In full stride, his shoulder suddenly caught something firm and threw his balance off, half turning to look back in alarm as another male met his gaze with a glare in annoyance, human as was he. "Watch it punk!" the older looking man exclaimed at his expense. Defiance rolling up in his throat as Zarack fought to respond with a stubborn retort "You walked into me you clumsy oaf, you better keep walking too!". Zarack turned fully to face him head on as the male stepped closer to him, eyeing the youth up and down as if he could scarcely believe the kid had the spine to challenge him yet before he could add further insult to injury, Zarack snapped in further aggression "I don't need you breathing on me you old cuss, you wanna make something of it?!" His arms rose out to his sides as if to offer a free shot and inside Zarack truly felt he was on the bad end of the stick here yet couldn't let it show, it was the way of the world, the weak perished while the strong stood defiantly against the worlds. Hell, it wasn't exactly like he had a hell of a lot to lose after all.
With the rise of his arms, his shirt picked up a little revealing the handle and back end of the blaster, it was accidental though didn't escape the older mans gaze and caused him to step back a ways, his expression shifting to one of caution as he lifted his hands in near apology, "F-forget it kid, no harm no foul..." he backed away slowly and turned to scurry off through the crowd leaving Zarack to release a slow exhale in heavy and audible relief, his shoulders falling a little as he smiled warily to himself and turned back to continue on his way.

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

[member="Zarack Arkaos"]

Humans. Such an aggressive, undisciplined species. It was odd, perhaps, for another Human to consider such a thought, but it was there anywhere, an objective, dispassionate assessment of a tendency observed far too many times throughout the years. They always spend so much time and energy expressing the passions they have so little understanding of, disturbing everything and everyone around them. It would be contemptible, were it not such a simple thing to manipulate. Part of the reason why so many of them make such excellent pawns. Other species had a tendency to be...unreliable. Ironic, considering that such beings are more stable.

This world was a filthy place: oh, not in overt appearance, perhaps. As with all truly decadent places, there was a glossy shine upon things that only served to contrast far strongly with the darkness that hid beneath it. There are those who have, and those who intend to have. All treading upon the dispossessed and used, beings whose sole purpose in life was to be trod upon. Considered weak, powerless, directionless, their lives to be used up if even a single one allows a better man to make his way further up the ladder. As with all such places, it was a blatant lie, one told to push such people down, and make it easier for those who preyed upon them to do so without ever considering the need for a conscience.

You could feel it, if you paused for but a moment. Like a shiver of cold carried on a warm breeze, a whisper of trepidation that underscored a shout of confidence. You could see it in the hunched shoulders of a man walking home from work: exhausted, downcast, but pressing ever forward in the hope that tomorrow would be the day he became rich and cast that all aside. Another lie: that sense that all have a chance at a better future. In a fair world, that would have been no lie, but this place cared nothing for such vaunted idealism. 'tis the old Sith doctrine, played in realtime: the strong build their palaces on the backs of those who seek but to grasp a small portion of their power.

He'd been here for some time, this dark-cloaked figure, observing the rhythms of this place, calmly, coldly, uncaringly. To deny the feeling of sympathy as he watched these little worker insects scurrying back and forth in their pointless search for significance...this he could not do. He felt it, and even raged at it, but inside, in that quiet portion of his mind that recognised the futility of trying to change it. It was said that our way would be to craft a Galaxy of peaceful, ordered existence, a meritocracy that cares nothing for money or family name, but on the abilities of even the most obscure beings to rise up and contribute to a society that requires their labour. Another lie: not one told in the knowledge that it was a lie, but one that had become a falsehood purely because the unceasing conflict that was but a means to an end had now become their sole reality.

How can our people create a better Galaxy when we are so hell-bent on shattering the status quo that others are so fervently seeking to protect? An age-old quandary, and one he had no true answer for. And so, here we are: the war continuing as it always has, but on a different battlefield. In this place, the war was man against man, that endless aspiration to gain more, and more, and more. And so, it is here more than anywhere else that true darkness exists. It was this that had drawn him here.

The smell of it: rich, pure, unadulterated ambition, the stench of men and women labouring day and night to earn an honest wage, and the skulking of those in the planet's darker underbelly, seeking to undercut that fervent aspiration in a bid to line their own pockets. Wherever you find honest men, so to will you find those who prey upon them, parasites feeding off a rich host. This was why he had come: because such places were breeding grounds for those who might ultimately serve a greater purpose than merely their own aggrandisement. Willing or not, they will play the role I carve out for them. That was what it was to have power: not credits, not fine clothing or big mansions, nor fast speeders and private starships. Power is the ability to make beings dance to a tune they have no knowledge of.

That was why he was here. That was why the Sith had come.

 

[WolfMortum]

[member="Tirdarius"]

Ever there, the presence of eyes on his back, Zarack turned the corner and quickly darted off a bit further into the crowded financial district of Zandi, a city easy to get lost in and the economical quarter was no different what with so many heads in the street to lose his own in. It came like an instinct, the realization that he was being followed and it was something he'd learned to rely on over the years on the streets of Eriadu. There wasn't a word for what he felt it was, there'd been no one to tell him better yet had someone to argue with him, he'd swear by the fact that he wasn't on his own in the hour and with such a price on his head, it really wasn't worth taking any risks over.

With the slowly decaying daylight passing over head and across the far ridge of the city heights, Zarack took advantage of the dim limelight to step quickly into one of the local storefronts, passing through and uttering not a word to the store clerk, he moved around back of the counter and darted out the back into a side street that seemed rather quiet of life, much to his approval. Not out of the woods yet, he began to cautiously make his way back out towards the main street; only coming to a reluctant stop when he heard the door that he'd come through close shit with a volume that told him his attention was being called for.

"You're a tricky little scamp, I'll give you that...", the voice was distinct, recognizable from the flight over and what was more; he had at his side, the male that he'd bumped into back in the street, Zarack had been set up, tested and they now knew he was armed. Slowly turning around on his feet, the youth looked back the way he'd come to eye a rather large blaster pistol that was pointed directly at him. It was a DL-44, a firearm that could send a bolt straight through his stomach with such a powerful shot that the recoil would offer a moments chance of opportunity.

"Hey...-C'mon Muso, what is this..." Zarack spoke up with a tone that held caution yet forced a sense of casualty, taking the would-be underdog way of speaking with the Twi'lek; rather to on-point with the truth for his comfort. "I paid you good and proper now didn't I. You told me five would be enough, surely you didn't expect me to sit around for a drink afterwards did you...". He could feel the way the sarcasm irritated the Twi'lek and watched as the smuggler took a step forward in aggressive protest. One point of a second less for the would be bolt to end his life had the other pull that trigger. "...-I really thought you had a bit more class than this...-Too bad you ain't got kriff on me...", Zarack lifted his head, his eyes darting to the right quickly as if to suggest someone was behind the pair. They weren't though it was enough to throw their gaze. The young man quickly stepping off to the right and landing behind a commercial garbage bin, his back hitting it with a loud prang against the vulnerable alloy. It wasn't the best use of cover but it was enough of a chance to avoid being killed. Going for the blaster at his front, he pulled the weaker pistol from his pants and leaned back as the area was soon hailed in fire from the two looking to collect the price on his head.

The sudden intensity of adrenaline peaking through his body, while completely oblivious to Zarack, heightened his presence in the Force and gave off a calling that would likely alarm those of a similar sensitivity, if not much more akin to the workings of the Force and the power it offered.

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Zarack Arkaos"]

"Hello there, and what do you think you are doing..." His eyes focused on those involved in the gun fight as he smiled down at those involved from where he had stood. Why was he here, minus it being a gunfight on his own goddamned planet. Well that was easy.

It started an Hour ago.

"Ok ok ok... How about this, you give him ten percent, the planet gets two percent off trade expenses and then you keep the last eighty eight percent as your just rewards..." Solan leaned against the counter he was sitting at, hand rubbing into his forehead at how stupid this squabble was. Nothing but a simple trade agreement that should have been solved an hour ago but now he was trapped in this damned office with morons that don't know the worth of a credit. "Now that we have this handled how about we get back to our lives..." Without another word Solan's hands moved to push the chair back and leaned his head to look over at Eve as she looked like she was quite excited. That was never a good thing.

Leaving the meeting room, Solan's feet brought him over the grounds towards the speedercar prepared for him, his hands resting in his lap before looking at her. "Ok, what is it?" The Echani clone just smiled and did her work. She was about seventeen now if he was not wrong, a dark red dress adorning her body with her white hair falling in waves down her shoulders. Grey eyes like her creator. The AI in a human body was still as exquisite as ever.

"Sir, The man with a suspicious feel to him is still missing but recently another creature of note seems to have shown." She shows him the picture of [member="Zarack Arkaos"]. "He arrived on planet a short time ago, fifty thousand credit bounty. Thought you might enjoy something to take your mind of the meetings you have been in lately. I have one of the Shadows following the man now and he seems to be in the city of Zandi..."

Solan laughed alittle and smiled as he turned to close his hands around a saber he kept at his side. "Lets go have some fun... have the Shadow tell us where he is and open a tracker on his location."

An hour later.

So that was how Solan stood there, looking at the soon to become frantic firefight. All that it took now was to see which side would shoot at him first.

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

[member="Solan Charr"] | [member="Zarack Arkaos"]

Ripples of water in a lake, spreading out from a shuddering epicenter, the Force trembling, those cyclical vibrations that signalled that there were others out there that had it within them to touch and manipulate that flowing energy, no mere pebble carried along the stream, but rather a rock that might disrupt the flow altogether in places. Only a small handful of beings compared to the countless trillions within the Galaxy have such a gift. Even the slightest of influences could create a chain of ripples that would echo across worlds, visible to those who knew what to look for.

There were several such beings on this world. Whether they knew of their nature or not was irrelevant: their gifts were known to others even if not to themselves, and such knowledge always had to be acted upon. The Jedi understood this, taking children in their infancy the moment it became apparent that they had the touch of the Force. With such a gift, one can move mountains. Allowing that power to remain unchecked was far too dangerous - all Force Users acknowledged this. But the Sith did not seek to allow it to remain unchecked, no.

They sought to unleash it.

Sometimes, a weapon, directed by the hand of one stronger still, using that power as a means of threatening, intimidating, or destroying. One must always have your swords, your weapons to go forth and teach those violent lessons that simply need to be taught. Others, of course, had more subtlety about them: beings who might move in darkness, concealed from the light, there to pry secrets from the mouths of those who would not give them up in easy conversation. And so we have our shadows, the velvet gloves that conceal the durasteel fist. Spies, Infiltrators, Assassins. Yes, the Sith had need of those, too. And, as in every game of Holochess, there must always be the Pawns: those we grant a taste of power and then sacrifice to achieve whatever endgame we desire. There were always more of these than any other, though few enough of them understood that such was their true purpose.

A very small handful, of course, far smaller than any other percentage...they were the true predators among Force Users. First we are taught to serve, to obey, and if we survive, then we learn to rule. A lesson he remembered well: those humiliating moments being forced to bow to the will of another, then finally recognising that such was required only to encourage careful resistance. No simple act of brutality to cast off the shackles of oppression: one must be patient, cautious, controlled and capable of choosing the right moment. Only when such a moment was seized and recognised for what it was...only then might one rise above it all and be inducted into the true mysteries of their arts.

Too many years ago now, the Sith Lord reflected, his cold grey eyes gazing dispassionately at all the beings below. She had taken everything from him: his friends, his teachers, his prospects, his life. Only when he had nothing had he been able to labour to craft a new life at her urging. That is the way of the Sith: only when you sacrifice everything can you gain what you require. And so it was that he had learned all about the use of Pawns: to manipulate them, position them, and finally, push them into a sacrifice that was made willingly, purely in the hopes of promised glory that would never be theirs. What use is a Pawn who works for their own glorification? It is your will they must serve. Perhaps those that he sensed on this world would be soon among them.

One thing was clear: now the pieces were moving. It was time to see where they sought to go, that their steps might, perhaps, find themselves redirected.

 

[WolfMortum]

Zarack sat with his back propped firmly against the garbage container, his eyes looking ahead of himself to the newcomer in shock and alarm, the blaster fire from behind his cover having ceased and the Twi'lek calling ahead to stake his claim. "This one belongs to me, I've been setting this up for days, friend. Best you turn away, this don't concern you". Zarack had liked him for his attitude though the Twi'lek had shown a lack of common courtesy during their outbound flight to Kesh, back on Eriadu, first impressions had been fine but Zarack should've known better than to grow complacent because of them.

Quietly he cursed to himself under his breath as Zarack took a moment to take in the other, [member="Solan Charr"] not looking the typical civilian type and pushing the youth further on edge than the smuggler had, this new found hole that Zarack had dug himself in a dead-end street was looking to play against him after all. His right hand tightened a little around the grip of the SBP-200, a smaller and weaker blaster pistol than his foes who carried the stopping power of a DL-44, also holding what Zarack had thought to be a small scope for those mid-ranged fights. His however was stock and the product wasn't a very confident purchase, it was a shame really that he hadn't been able to steal something better on his way off his home-world.

"Muso you crooked ol' fool!" Zarack shouted back from behind his cover, his gaze leaving Solan briefly to veer off towards the side of the garbage bin, his body tensing as the smuggler responded by use of his blaster pistol, several of the bolts fired off hitting the side nearest to the boy, forcing him to duck and fall to his side in order to avoid the off-spray of molten metal shrapnel and sparks from the impact, "Kark!.." he seethed, his anger flaring whilst trying to regain his position, "...-Keep this up and I'll kill you too old man!" an insult vacant of evidence to support the claim; Zarack knew he was vulnerable. Held under fire by the Twi'lek and now some other nosey parker had come to join in on the frey.

There was little to the look of the boy to suggest he was anything more than a financial mark for someone willing to take him dead or alive. To those trained in recruitment and scouting, the lad might hold a faintly present signature in the force to which rose and fell as easily as his running emotions yet he had not a weapon other than the make-shift blaster on him, nor did he have any remaining credits after paying the very same smuggler who was now trying to claim the bounty on him.

A thought suddenly sparked up, his eyes darting back to that of Solan. "The Twi'lek has a ship...-It's carrying spice from Vivenda Sector, I've seen it...", a stretch yet the play was worth it if it meant dealing with only one of them as opposed to the pair. The Vivenda Sector was just inside of the Galactic Alliance's territories and out here, it was possible that such goods as illegal as they were, might give the newcomer cause to take care of the other idiot for Zarack. "You can have it, have it all...-Just get me outta here...". Zarack felt desperate enough, he knew that Solan might well just do the same as Muso was attempting, claim the mark on his head but if not only to buy some time, perhaps even let the pair kill themselves, it was a card he had to play, perhaps the only one dealt to him in the moment.

"You blasted little worm!" Muso seethed, his illicet dealings made light of in front of another, his gun-hand lifted once more but this time he started firing wildly at the both of them. Clinging to his cover, Zarack's eyes swiftly looked to Solan while the Twi'lek lost himself to his anxiety and did the only thing he perhaps felt he could do to secure himself and avoid alerting the authorities to his presence on Kesh.

[member="Tirdarius"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Zarack Arkaos"] [member="Tirdarius"]

Solan blinked as the twilek and other barely regarded him and continued their fight. Apparently this was the common courtesy of two having a gun fight out in the middle of a city... ok then. Lets go with that, Solan thought to himself before leaning against the wall and watching. So the two had their back and forth, speaking between each other as they insulted the other. One loosing a few shots at the kid.

"I swear you people are really damned stupid..." He paused as the kid told him something quite interesting in its own right that made Solan nearly breakdown laughing as he stood there and finally his saber dropped from his sleeve. "OK, that's quite enough. First of all, you two are having a gun fight on my planet... thanks by the way, that's going to be a damned mess to clean up. Secondly, thank you for telling me about this all so lucrative smuggler young one, but i'm afraid that you are also at fault here. So here is what is going to happen... both of you. You..." He looks at the twilek who was now aiming at him itself. "Are going to go to jail... for a long time..."

The shot came off in a moment and solan's body reacted before he could say now. His arm shot up and the saber leapt from its casing, expanding as the glow of a dark blue blade cascaded through the entirety of the alley. The first shot was sent high, the next into the wall until finally Solan brought his hand forward and tried to send the twilek flying with a force push funneled at the man's chest. It earned him a near hit but as the push left his hand, it hit the twilek in the chest like a cannon and Solan sighed.

It took him a minute to compose himself, inspecting the near hit as it had seared his shoulder's fabric which caused him to sigh. "Kid, your turn. Come out now and tell me what the hell was your part in this before i assume you were his... business partner." His eyes ventured back upwards to look in Zarack's direction.

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

[member="Solan Charr"] | [member="Zarack Arkaos"]

The sudden rapidity of violence created ripples of it's own through the Force, though it was always a delicate moment, the balance of a moment which might topple either one. Sometimes death, sometimes life. Only the Force knows which. He could hear it as he approached, smell it, the acrid scent of ozone that often followed concentrated packets of energy screaming through the air to strike at whoever was being shot at. Such an inaccurate, impersonal means of dishing out death. The Jedi called it uncivilised, but to the Sith it was merely...inefficient.

Then another sound, one he was far more familiar with, though few of the Galaxy's denizens would recognise it from a distance. So one of our Force Sensitives is no mere infant within the Force, the Sith noted to himself, taking care to gather his illusion a little closer to himself, knowing that another might potentially detect him if he did not. And wouldn't that be a mistake? The hum of the lightsaber that could now be heard modulated slightly as the blade moved, a sharp pinging sound being heard that suggested that the weapon was now deflecting another of those absurd shots from the cheap blaster weapons.

He sighed inwardly, pausing for a moment, his soft dark robes settling around him now, contemplating the situation. He had honed in on the two sensations he had sensed through the Force, both centering on this place. Converging upon violence, as we so often do. That he had come at that moment suggested that he was not immune to that provocative lure, either. So rarely do any of us feel truly alive unless our own lives are placed at risk. An odd thought, but he knew well the reasons for it.

Another shot, another deflection. This time, though, the shot told: he could feel it. Another light flickering, fading, finally extinguished. Oftentimes it felt like someone had punched him in the gut, this sudden cessation of life, the response of the Force to being diminished. And that is one of the tradeoffs for our gifts: never again can we live around others without being influenced by both their lives and their deaths. The knowledge that a life had been snuffed out but a dozen metres or so away from him was quite shocking, even though he had expected it.

Words echoed out thereafter into the stunned silence that followed, made deafening for the lack of fire. Only the drone of the lightsaber and the words of the one that wielded it made any sound to punctuate that silence now, all the louder for it. Ah, the ever inherent threat. He supposed he should have been expecting that. At least now I know that the two of them are not aligned. Perhaps it was the 'kid' who had fired those fatal shots that had ended the life of the other. And if not, at least now he has been exposed to the violence our lives can offer. All well and good. Such was another tool of manipulation that any Sith knew how to wield.

First, however, I shall have to deal with this one who would walk in with lightsaber flashing, he noted. That could wait: patience was required here. Let us see how this unfolds, and respond accordingly. Haste was the enemy of good planning, and he would not let such a thing dictate his actions here.

 

[WolfMortum]

[member="Tirdarius"] | [member="Solan Charr"]

Zarack looked on as Muso the Twi'lek was dropped and crumpled to the floor against the far wall, his friend the human whom had run shoulder to shoulder with him back out on the street was now nowhere in sight, seemingly having fled the scene recognizing the situation for what it was. Turning back, Zarack eyed Solan up in something of a different light now as his sword hummed deeply and cast of a dark blue light that illuminated the small side-street around them all. His eyes went wide as he studied the weapon from afar, the near white center point of the blade that had been ignited from within the handle or hilt rather, seemed to be some sort of energy displacement, obviously regulated and handled by whatever technology it was that this man had hidden within the hand-held mechanism.

Zaracks former 'friends' had talked about these sort of things back on Eriadu when they were all hanging out in the lower quarters huddled around a make-shift fireplace between jobs; they spoke of people that carried these lightswords but most of them dismissed it as a myth, a childs-tale, Zarack had never before set eyes on a weapon so fitting of the description yet shuffling back further to press his back to the garbage containers side, his weight causing a slight dull thud as the thin metal bent in a bit, he looked up at the male as he mentioned the prospect of a prison sentence. A sentence that would prove much more difficult to escape if the guy and the way he carried himself was anything to go on.

"B-business partner?" Zarack repeated a little clueless before his gaze shifted off to the right and he clicked on to what the other was assuming, "OH! Nah...-I mean I know the guy, but only because he gave me a ride to this system...-I've got nothing to do with what he does, I just spotted all that stuff when I was looking around his ship. Honestly, I'm no smuggler!" Both hands rose once more in his defense, his right still holding the blaster though he pointed the barrel off to his left as he held it up in a show of resignation, taking careful effort not to provoke Solan into a premature and fatal response, "Look, you're not gonna believe me here I get that but I didn't come here looking to mess up your..." He paused, his head tilting a little as he registered what Solan had previously said; "Your planet?". Of all the blasted luck, he not only came across a lightsword fighter, this guy was a blasted government official of some sort. At least enough so to claim some sense of authority. So far he'd been honest though now Zarack found himself wondering about this systems ties to his homeworld of Eriadu. Speaking further, he battled with his reason to avoid telling to much of the truth though just enough to avoid lying to the man.

"I caught a ride with him, that's all...-I came here looking for somewhere safe" His right hand moved to slowly lower the blaster pistol back to his left, sliding the small firearm to be held firmly between his belt and his waist, soon pulling his shirt down over it to cover the weapon up and slowly, looking back to the male, he added "I'm going to stand up now...". Without waiting for confirmation, slowly he climbed back to his feet, taking a final glance over the container he'd used for cover to check to ensure the Twi'lek was of no further threat to himself before taking his full height and turning to glance back to that of Solan; "He would've killed me...-Him and his friend followed me here, I tried to avoid them but they cornered me here and started blasting at me. There was a human with him too, pale and probably a good ten years older but I can't see him now, guess you scared him off...".

"...-What is that you've got there...-That lightsword. Where'd you get it, I've only heard stories about them...-Do they sell them here?".

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Zarack Arkaos"]

Solan simply stood there as the other started to explain himself before near instantly realizing that this kid was no threat, even if he had been the twilek's partner. Honestly though he would still need to give the kid some form of punishment for bringing his blaster around without realizing that they were in the middle of a civilian sector. None the less though, his body started moving over to the unconscious alien while he listened to Zarack talk with a half interest. It wasn't every day solan met a young one like this who had been wandering the galaxy, from that fact alone he felt a sense of longing for the days when he used to do it but now he had more important stuff in which to handle.

As he knelt down his hand slipped a tracer in the man's pocket just in case before removing a pair of magnetic cuffs to put on the twilek before leaving the man there. "Shame, could have gotten yourself a legitimate job.... NOW." His body slowly twisted to look on at Zarack as the last set of words left him and his interest in Solan's lightsaber came up. "Oh yes right. Welcome to Kesh, very much so my planet considering who i am and what not. Otherwise id be out of a job if it were not my planet. As for my lightsaber... Sadly no. The weapon is one that is forged by people like myself only for myself. Simple as that... Why are you so curious, did you want one?"

 

[WolfMortum]

[member="Solan Charr"] | [member="Tirdarius"]

Zarack's face dropped a little as the man explained the origin of his light-sword, it seemed they were rather rare then after all if the weapon wasn't being manufactured out of some sort of corporate giant, a shame as he'd really liked to have one of those, the ability to parry off blaster fire like this guy did would really serve to save himself against the price atop his head. When Solan asked if Zarack would like one, it gave him pause to reconsider; uncertain just how forthcoming and generous this strange to him could be, it didn't seem sincere. "Ch'yeah right...-You're just going to offer me one, right...", it was only nature that Zarack was distrusting of the newcomer, despite his claim for being among the government of the planet, the younger male knew nothing of the way that Kesh worked and hadn't missed just how high and mighty Eriadu's law enforcement had been when they decided on something that fit their needs best, "What's the catch...".

He slowly gathered himself and stepped out into the open light, he felt exposed though Solan's back was turned to him as he seemed to be inspecting the fallen Twi'lek, Zarack uncertain whether he was alive or otherwise though it wasn't difficult to imagine Muso having gone and gotten himself killed. Such was the way of life, the true nature of it, something that no matter how many credits you had, you couldn't buy your way out of the end-game in the fact that really, everyone dies, sooner or later, no one can escape it. With a bounty on your head the size of Zarack's, it hadn't been difficult to come to terms with the fact that there would be people out there wanting to kill him. Solan's potential charity therefore sounded too good a dream. His eyes tore away from Solan for a moment as he looked to scower the street side in search of any potential threat, perhaps Solan hadn't been alone and now where things felt as if he was finally catching a break, there might be a surprise waiting to take him out when he was at his most vulnerable.

Suddenly these thoughts begged to question Solan's arrival to begin with. If he was after all the leader of this planet then why was he the one dealing with something so petty as a firefight between would-be thugs like himself. Zarack was a nobody to the eyes of anyone with any rite to power or financial claim. Aside from the bounty on his head and the smuggler, Muso that had now been more or less taken out of the picture, there was little reason for someone so high in stature to intervene where the local authorities were supposedly paid to do so.

"If you own this place...-If you're in charge of it...-What're you doing here, of all people...-How'd you find me and more importantly why didn't you just send your policing unit".

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

[member="Solan Charr"] | [member="Zarack Arkaos"]

"Finding you is no large task," a voice said, echoing through the street with all the penetrating force of a well-directed whisper, though the source of it wasn't entirely clear. The Sith Lord had yet to lower the illusion that concealed him, energy wrapped around him in a manner designed to conceal, even though he revealed his presence purely by virtue of speech. "You fear, you hunger, you desire. To those who know our ways, such things are louder than klaxon calls in a silent room," he continued, voice soft and clear, perhaps even conversational.

A soft shimmer of light, like the haze of heat on a distance road, this was the first sign of his location, energy bleeding away, the light that he had been bending around him now striking against his body without physical harm, revealing a man standing there where none had been but a moment ago. Only slightly taller than the one that had been wielding the lightsaber, this one stood with back straight, clad in soft dark robes that were clearly tailored, small designs of similar colour woven into the fabric. Shiny dark boots of good quality peaked out from beneath the hem, pale hands resting softly at his side, the only striking contrast to the dim colour of his attire.

The hood of the longer robe had been thrown aside, worn casually across the upper back so as not to conceal his features. Why would one need a robe to achieve that? Cold eyes of a deep grey stared at the two of them, his mouth set in a firm line, facial muscles still, offering little hint as to the emotions behind those eyes. Those eyes flickered first to the Force User that had but moments ago engaged in combat, then back to the boy that was his clear target. His, and mine.

"You have no true gift of concealment, boy," he remarked softly, the gentle touch of an accent marking him as having lived within the Core, carrying just the right hint of condescension common to those who mingled in certain circles there. "Amusing that you think to drift unnoticed, hoping to be overlooked. But your crimes stain you, your weaknesses evident to all. Perhaps only you dare to assume then hidden. Such naivete..."

There was a faintest hint of laughter in his voice, disdain evident by it, amusement perhaps a little less clear. Oh, yes, he'd known many like this one: doomed to spend their short lives trying to find some escape from the banality of it all, as if to suggest they might, perhaps, be remarkable. But we are not made extraordinary by our natures, but by our deeds. And yours are worth less than a bent deci-cred. He had the touch of the Force, oh yes, but he did not know it, and was simply another piece of flotsam carried along by the tide. Contemptible, but the natural state of so many.

"And put aside all thoughts of threat, boy," he added, coldly, grey eyes once more flickering to the Dark Jedi standing close by. "If this one intended harm to you, your head would have parted from your shoulders quickly enough," Tirdarius noted, knowing competance with a lightsaber when he saw it. Such is not merely the measure of dangerous behaviour, but anyone trained with such is more than a match for this foolish child. "It is your unpredictable nature that has drawn your new friend, rather than the attentions of any local security, since you ask. He knew you were here as I did. You don't leave such things to underlings, unless you wish to risk having fewer of them to call upon."

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Zarack Arkaos"] [member="Tirdarius"]

"Honestly, i get bored. Running a planet can be a bit of a pain, even if you have others help manage financial avenues and the general day to day legal problems. Plus, whats the fun in sending the law enforcement to do it when you can handle it yourself here and now. No? Don't worry, they are on the way as dragging that man through the city is not how i had wanted to spend the rest of the day... too much of a ha-" He was cut off quite quickly as Tirdarius' voice entered the alley they stood in and for a few moments solan just stood there with his eyes focused on the area around them.

"Uh huh... You really better be Black Rose, i don't remember letting anyone else of your... feeling, entrance onto my planet. Im pretty sure there are a select few force users that i allow outside of the Covenant and you are no Jedi." His hand touched his saber again but otherwise was relaxed. He felt no outward aggression towards himself or the young man near him. But the arrival of one whom Solan could already tell was just as tainted as himself probably would not spell well for those around him. It was hard to truly see what it was before him in terms of this man's being, but he had confidence a fight would not break out right now atleast in the middle of the city.

 

[WolfMortum]

[member="Solan Charr"] | [member="Tirdarius"]

Zarack hadn't noticed the third figure, Tirdarius before he'd spoken out and announced his presence with the ridicule of Zarack's own. the younger male turned on the balls of his feet, his expression changing to one of stubborn pride in the defense of such words yet as his eyes fell upon the older figure cloaked in grey something told him, to keep his mouth firmly shut. While Zarack had gathered by the show of Solan's lightsword that he was someone of an unusual and original kind, what he felt from looking at Tirdarius was something more ominous yet he had no words nor reasoning in explaining why the older man came off that way, aside from his passive abuse of course.

Slowly he moved back several paces, his eyes darting to that of Solan as he too turned to Tirdarius and began to respond in what sounded almost defensive, possibly cautious in how he handled the grey. This immediately emphasized and supported Zarack's unease, he put distance between the three of them, his right hand moving to hook his thumb into the hitch of his pants, as if to hang casually though truthfully making certain he had a good quick reach for the SBP-200 Blaster pistol should he need to pull it in his defense.

Zarack was obviously the odd one out between these two older peers, he didn't hold much to his name and for the sake of keeping himself out of the spotlight as best he could, he tried to remain as quiet as possible so that they could talk things out and he listen to try to piece everything together. Tirdarius had spoken of him being 'out in the open' of sorts, as if to say that it was all too easy to track him down, to locate and approach him. This bewildered Zarack some, he'd been as careful as he could in trying to distance himself but that blasted ambush from the Twi'lek and the larger thickly human that had since scarpered away in fear of Solan's glowstick, had ruined everything for him.

His eyes found that cold steel gaze from Tirdarius and it felt as if he couldn't pull himself away to look elsewhere, the man had spoken as if he knew more about Zarack than he himself did but it all made his gut twist in an almost sickly fashion and took what he thought had been a controlled situation and tipped it upside down leaving the boy forced to go along for the ride.

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

A soft chuckle escaped his lips at the words of the other trained Force User. Am I of the Black Rose? Hardly. He'd heard of that new faction arising on the other side of the Galaxy, seeking to establish themselves as independent of the Sith, though clearly hoping not to be noticed as yet. And while that is one of my particular gifts, I would not offer it to them. Such a thing was laughable to say the least. And as for being no Jedi...well, once, perhaps, but that was decades ago. Too many, truth be told.

The boy that was caught between the two of them was clearly fearful now - Tirdarius could feel that clearly now in the Force, though no doubt the child barely recognised it in himself. So few have the humility to acknowledge fear, at that age, he observed wryly, amused at the naivete of it. So he will see it as anger, perhaps frustration and go to...ah, there it is. The subtle hand motion of one trying to reach for a weapon that they weren't entirely ready to draw. The movement was noticed, though he had no intention of calling the boy's attention to it. Let him take his shot, if he wishes. It will only serve to underline the futility of trying to deal in violence among those who live and breathe it.

"I don't believe any being has dictated my movements in many years," he remarked coldly, looking now at the lightsaber user. If he were one of us, he would not hope that I were part of another group, so this one is no Sith. Perhaps a former one, yes, or one of those pesky Dark Jedi that always walked around with their own agendas. Either way, not an ally, but not yet an enemy. "You're certainly not capable of it. But if you wish to utter the obligatory threats, do so now, so that we can get the violence out of the way. I have work to do," he noted with a touch of contempt.

[member="Zarack Arkaos"] | [member="Solan Charr"]

 

[WolfMortum]

[member="Solan Charr"] seemed to be hesitant before the presence of this new arrival, [member="Tirdarius"] certainly held himself in an intimidating light and showed little to no fear in responding to Solan in what could almost be considered a provocative tone. Zarack had considered using the moment to break off for a quick exit yet for some reason Tirdarius seemed to give the impression of one with power and strength if not only to inspire fear around him, this was something Zarack couldn't help but question quietly as it seemed that kind of person wasn't one to be hunted or taken lightly by any other. Having a bounty on his head, Zarack had to consider that learning how to become such a person could well aid in protecting himself let alone others should he ever come to be close with another again.

That yearning for independence, the want to be able to stand his own ground was what forced Zarack to take a step forward back in the direction of Tirdarius seeking to take his focus now, between the two, it was he who had more to offer though also the older male was more likely to kill him should Zarack handle the situation badly. Swallowing, he kept his composure as best he could to feign confidence, showing courage in the face of adversity. 'The Black Rose...-They must own this sector' Zarack took good note of this before speaking up to Tirdarius, "What exactly is your business here?" he asked with more question than authority, the boy truly having none; "If you've come for me...-As you can see I've obviously got friends, they won't appreciate you trying to kill me...". A lie, he had no friends yet, knew no one that would readily help him nor would anyone let loose a tear should he be killed. He'd burned those bridges long ago yet in the face of someone so much more obviously capable, it was a play on numbers, a feigned strength that might seek to discourage rather than to simply accept that he was nothing and let such vulnerability show in front of such a predator.

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Tirdarius"] [member="Zarack Arkaos"]

Solan stared for a few long seconds at Tirdarius with his eyes not moving a single inch, fixed on the others and for a time the force gathered around him. Only after a continued stare for a few long moments, did that expression change and Solan's entire body relaxed as he moved and sat back against a crate in the alleyway with a hand coming up and running trhough his hair. "You are a very curious individual, that much i hope you understand and i would like to continue this conversation at a later time when we arent sitting around in filth... no?" He grinned towards the still secured criminal behind him that was being left for his law enforcement agents to arrive and pick the man up.

All while they waited the kid nearby spoke and Solan looked at him with a bit of a disappointed gaze. 'Really kid... no one is going to believe that...' But he kept silent at first and shook his head simple before running a hand around his neck and tapping the back of it. In a moment the small, dark sapphire blue furred creature that was an Ashlan Wolf appeared out of his clothing and climbed up to his shoulder. For the time solan was silent and wtched the conversation between the kid and the more experienced man. He was only there to make sure this wasnt some pickup job for the Sith to get another one on their side.