The Sense of Benefits

[Kelan The Hutt]

Kelan The Hutt awaited by the hanger bay of his palace, staring at the horizon with his adviser, Marken, by his side. Prior, the droids along with his mercenary that had been sent to Nar Shaddaa had sent an urgent comm and requested a transport ship. They said that it was for a medical evacuation, but it wasn't elaborated beyond that. "They should be here soon, a holocomm was sent a few hours ago that they had entered the Hok system." The Hutt was glad of the news, as he would finally receive a proper report of everything that had gone on at the Smuggler's Moon. After responding to Marken, he looked off at the horizon to see the transport ship slowly approaching.

As thirty minutes passed, the ship was finally making its final descent into the hanger. Finally, he would be able to see what had happened. As the cargo door lowered, a stretcher with an unconscious [member="Ballen-Ist"] rushed out, being carried by his battle droids. There must have been an interesting story of how that had occurred. A Tusken Raider confusedly walked out, glancing around at all of the sights. Guess that was the so-called Ugoroo that he had sent out, that wasn't typically name for a sane person. The most eye-catching part of him wasn't the chromium staff that he somehow obtained, but the holocron that he clutched in his hand. "Mercenary, how'd you get that? Hand it to me" The Tusken paused before answering, obviously shocked at the Hutt's slug-like appearance. "Sith's. Found it in vehicle. I hold for him." Ugoroo handed over the holocron, despite the saddened look on his face.

Now having his adviser at his right side and the mercenary at his left, he handed the holocron over to Marken. "Marken, take that holocron to storage until the Sith wakes up. That's very valuable so don't lose it. Ugoroo, Tusken, just stay with me for now. Droids will eventually bring our Sith friend here when he wakes up." They both nodded and resumed their tasks.

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The earlier explosion had done its damage to Ballen-Ist, causing him to pass out for several hours. Luckily for him, [member="Kelan The Hutt"]'s forces were also present, and able to quickly stabilize him and leave Nar Shaddaa. The Pureblood was in bad shape, having sustained a concussion and most likely on the verge of slipping into a coma. The Sith's motionless body was rushed out of the shuttle and into the hangar bay, soon to be placed in the palace medbay for healing. The red skinned man was submerged in a bacta tank, a mask attached to his face to supply him oxygen while he was under the rejuvenating liquids. The shrapnel had been picked from his body, the incisions they had made patched and disinfected.

Now the real healing process began, his body slowly but surely regenerating and sealing the wounds that had littered his limbs and torso. The Sith's mind awoke from the dark recesses of his unconsciousness, his eyes opening to reveal the interior of Kelans medical bay. Robots were here and there, tending to equipment and readings while casually observing Ballen-Ist. The Knight's eyes began to glow brightly as he panicked, unable to remember anything at the moment. Anger and pain overwhelmed his mind, causing him to scream out in rage as he swam upwards to the top of the bacta tank.

Finding that it was sealed, Ballen-Ist would harness the force, releasing a burst of telekinetic energy that surged forth and blasted the hatch clean off, shattering the glass tank in the process. The Sith instead flowed out onto the floor along with the bacta, coughing while slowly struggling to his feet. A single medical droid approached him and handed him the pair of traditional Sith apparel he had been carrying with him. After throwing the black tunic, belt and pants upon his physique, the Pureblood would slip into his dark clothed robe, examining one of the computer consoles on a nearby desk. It had been several days since he arrived, that much was obvious. "Where is Kelan, droid?" Ballen-Ist demanded, still pulling himself together mentally.

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

The Hutt sat on his throne with the Tusken Raider standing straight next to him. Apparently Ugoroo had recruited himself to be Kelan's head soldier. He hadn't just asked for payment and left like most mercenaries had, he remained with the Hutt. Kelan couldn't argue, as it was an unpaid worker who was an experienced warrior. To add, it wasn't like the Tusken had the mind and intelligence to think of a betrayal. It was strange that [member="Ballen-Ist"] were to bring back a holocron, as there was no mention of it previously as far as Kelan remembered. Chances are if he had that and was severely wounded, they hadn't even went after Sansa in the first place. Still, he couldn't have been angry because of the Hutt Cartel's major power loss, causing Sansa's traitorous activities to be obsolete.

Over at the medbay, the droid seemed calm despite the anger in Ballen-Ist's voice. "Good evening sir, I am glad that you have made a happy and full recovery. I have been ordered by the almighty Kelan The Hutt to escort you to him." The medical droid went on to remove the remaining tubing that was in the Sith's arms. It wasn't very healthy to break out of the bacta tank before the healing process was over, but he had acted recovered so he must have been fine. Turning towards the hallway, the medical droid began making its way toward the bar, where Kelan had lay. It kept on moving without looking back to check on the Sith, so whether he was willing to follow or if he was too delirious at the moment to understand was up to him.

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Before he was to get fully dressed, the medical droid tended to his body, removing the tubes and wires that were attached to and even inside of Ballen-Ist's flesh. The dark side worked wonders for those who were able to control its power, and so the healing process that would have taken far longer was basically complete. After a few moments, the Sith was able to stand on his feet, finally dressed and walking across the medbay floor. His bare feet stepped carefully, avoiding the glass scattered around as he followed after the droid. Ballen-Ist remained silent as he walked through the palace halls, admiring the decorations and architecture while the glow in his eyes slowly began to subside. His memories were rushing back to him, and it was apparent that he clearly owed [member="Kelan The Hutt"] for that bacta tank.

Probably for his life as well, but that was something the Knight would never fess up to. The duo arrived at the palace bar after a several minutes of walking, the droid stopping at the entrance to allow Ballen-Ist to step through. The Pureblood briefly examined his surroundings, before continuing forward to the throne that Kelan lay upon. Ugoroo was present as well, standing quietly by the Hutt's side as a guard of sorts. The Sith strode across the room with purpose, his black robe flowing out behind him before hanging still by his side. "Mighty Kelan... What happened?" Ballen-Ist questioned, looking to the Tusken Raider before settling his gaze on the Hutt.

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

The Hutt was smiling in the bar as he continuously drank glasses of a red liquid and watched dancers on the stage. The Tusken Raider was of course beyond confused as lights shined and loud music played all around him. It was no wonder that the Hutt began laughing to himself as [member="Ballen-Ist"] marched seriously across the room. "Ah, my Sith friend! Ugoroo here had told me all about your adventures on Nar Shaddaa. Sansa The Hutt is one thing, but you had managed to obtain a priceless holocron. Excellent work!" Kelan moved his head over so that he was facing his Siniteen adviser. "Bring the holocron." He directed his gaze back towards the Sith, obtaining a triumphant smirk.

"You had a little bit of a crash that could've sent you to the grave. Good thing for my boys being there, they had managed to save your life." Marken re-entered the bar and placed the holocron into the Sith's hands, who seemed to have a confused look on his face since the Hutt hadn't decided to betray him. Kelan hadn't feared Jedi as he feared Sith. Sith were ruthless and wouldn't hold back and killing someone that had wronged them, while the Jedi acted on behalf of 'justice'. Even so, Ballen-Ist had been the whole reason that he had been so successful lately, so he couldn't bring himself to hurt the poor, injured Sith. He barked orders at the Rodian bartender, who quickly brought over a glass of a bubbling green liquid.

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Ballen-Ist's eyes lit up not with anger, but excitement as the cubic shape of the recently acquired holocron came into view. Before Marken even had a chance to walk it over to the Sith, the ancient artifact would rise up from the man's hands, floating through the air before placing itself into the Red Sith's palms. "At last," the Pureblood murmured to himself, gazing down at the priceless item in awe. This was the second holocron he had obtained in his entire life, though the first he would be able to learn from. It was his. His! It took every fibre of Ballen-Ist's being to not break out into maniacal laughter. The young man hardly remembered how he had gotten the holocron, but as [member="Kelan The Hutt"] spoke, everything came flooding back to him. He remembered the land transport, the battle that had ensued, as well as the crash.

The Sith's vision would narrow as he squinted, casting a single suspicious look towards the slug upon his throne. The force was calm, and no disturbances could be felt at the moment. Everything was going perfectly. Ballen-Ist's expression softened as he smirked, now averting his full attention to the Hutt as he clutched the treasure within his fingers. "Indeed, I was lucky to survive. Make no mistake, I will repay you in full," Ballen-Ist spoke to Kelan, before waving the Rodian bartender away. He didn't feel like drinking at a time like this, even if it was an occasion to celebrate. "I must make contact with Thetan. Our dealings with Sansa will not go unfinished," the Pureblood continued, completely unaware of the Hutt Cartel's collapse.

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

The Sith seemed happy to have received the holocron, so that was good for the Hutt's safety. As he dismissed himself to speak with his apprentice, the Hutt continued to celebrate with the various cartel members in the bar. Looking to his side, he noticed that Ugoroo had already vanished from his side and was approaching the fighting ring. Minutes passed, and he entered the ring, getting into a no weapon brawl with one of the Trandoshan guards. The primitive attitude of the Tusken Raider helped with his competitiveness in the ring as different cartel members of various species began placing bids on whoever they thought. From what the Hutt knew about what happened on Nar Shaddaa, it should've been obvious who would've won. He didn't feel bad, as he was always glad to take some credits from a poor sap who decided to bid on the wrong side.

Despite the fall of the Hutt Cartel, Kelan seemed to be doing fine in terms of power and credits. Of course, he wouldn't have the backing of his Hutt brothers and sisters if something were to happen, but his adviser could still hire an army of mercenaries to avenge Kelan within the blink of an eye. Still, the whole thing really made him think of which major power he would align himself with next. He may have been wealthy, but no single cartel could face the power of a whole faction.

It was nonsense thinking of something like that, it was a time to celebrate. Hopefully [member="Ballen-Ist"] would receive good news from his apprentice regarding the holocron, something that would benefit both of them. Good news would always be welcome in a time like this. Frankly, good news is welcome at anytime.

 

[Ballen-Ist]

After addressing [member="Kelan The Hutt"] and obtaining the holocron, Ballen-Ist turned away from the group, walking out of the crowded room and into the palace corridors. The Sith could not help but inhale the air around him into his lungs loudly as he stepped out, as if he was a new man now. He continued along the hallways of the expensive palace, still admiring the pricey decoration and high quality fabrics that filled the abode. It was nice to be in such a distinguished place, even if it was run by a criminal slug and his gang of mercenaries. Kelan had proved himself useful, and would continue to do so now that Ballen-Ist had the holocron. Of course, he was still unaware of what information it held, but that would become clear soon enough.

Stopping in front of another computer console that was built into the wall, Ballen-Ist would punch a few commands into the device, sending a transmission out into the depths of space. It would be received by Thetan, who appeared on screen a few moments later. "Master?" The old man questioned, a confused expression on his face. He had not heard from the Pureblood for days, and had assumed the worst. His confused expression quickly turned to one of relief, as he continued speaking, "Some of our mercenaries just encountered the Jedi nearby our hideout. They will be hear shortly. I will make sure everything goes according to plan, master." Thetan concluded, giving a small bow towards the screen he spoke towards. "Very good, I have secured the holocron. Make sure they are all destroyed, then we will study the artifact." The Pureblood concluding, cutting the connection and pivoting on his heel.

He exhaled loudly, a satisfied smile forming upon his lips. The palace was grand, and it took Ballen-Ist a few minutes to navigate back to the bar. Standing before the Hutt, the Sith would perform a bow of his own, before speaking. "Everything is going as I have planned, mighty Kelan. Soon, Sansa will be dead, her assets transferred to you," Ballen-Ist promised, knowing he could make it happen. As long as Thetan stayed in control of the situation, everything was fine. "What does the Cartel think about working with a Sith?" The red skinned man asked curiously, wondering about the Hutts views on such things, and if he even cared about the Cartel. Of course, he still wasn't aware of their collapse.

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

The Hutt was excited to share his views between the Jedi and the Sith. There wasn't really any doubt in his mind of who he would prefer to work with between the two sides. "My cartel would be glad to work with Sith. I'm sure that we can all agree that the Jedi would go against what we do for business, such as a run in I had with two Jedi. I ended up figuring out that their names were Tugoro and K'Kharen a few days after I arrived back at Hok. So yes, the cartel would be glad to give you full aid in whatever schemes you believe in. I've always been interested in getting a rancor pit installed with some spare credits that I may make, I hear that's famous with some Hutts." Kelan was glad to be offered more business potential where he could grow the cartel, whether it was financially or some other matter. Marken didn't even have a need to give his opinions, as their ideals were all unanimous at that point.

Working with a Sith would be interesting, that was proven back at Nar Shaddaa with his mercenary. They weren't afraid of getting into a little mischief, which is always how people gain big bucks. You can't get millions of credits from saving people, not a common person at least. If a holocron theft was the first mission that they would have together, then the next one should be pretty interesting. "What do you have in mind, assuming the 'a Sith' refers to you?" He would have preferred to work with [member="Ballen-Ist"] due to the trust that had been built up over time, but having a separate one could have expanded his reputation between Sith. Either one was beneficial to him, so he sensed fortune in the future.

 

[Ballen-Ist]

"Just something to consider," the Sith spoke cryptically, his smile widening somewhat, "We're already working together, after all," he concluded for now, thoughts obviously on his mind as he began to pace back and forth. The Knight was able to restrain his anger at the mention of that Jedi Knight, though found himself laughing quietly as [member="Kelan The Hutt"] went on. "That's Z'Zharen, actually," he corrected, figuring it was some sort of mistranslation. He knew of the Whipid, having encountered him during a separate quest of his. Ballen-Ist actually didn't know that the two had met, and it was interesting. Hardly worth his time however, for Tugoro would soon be dead, along with Sansa.

"As for our partnership... Whatever lies within this device will no doubt aid us," the Knight spoke, focusing the power of the dark side, and channelling it through his very being. "Have you ever heard of the Sith Lord, Tulak Hord?" the Pureblood questioned, his gaze lowering as he began to concentrate on the holocron. "A master of lightsaber combat, and many other dark arts." He droned on, as if worshipping the long dead Sith. After speaking, the cuboid device would float up into the air, rotating and slowly coming apart in layers. An ominous red glow began to emit from the device, shining brightly into the golden eyes of Ballen-Ist.

The blinding light would subside, revealing a ghostly crimson image of a towering armoured man. It was to the Pureblood's understanding that he was probably the only one able to see the gatekeeper of the holocron, Tulak Hord himself, but that didn't mean the others couldn't see what was happening to the device itself. Ballen-Ist, for the most part, sort of just stared in awe.

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

The Hutt yelled at himself in his mind as he realized that he had said the Whiphid's name wrong. He should have been more aware of the people who had almost got him killed awhile back. Needed to remember their names if he ever wished for revenge. With the mention of the Sith Lord known as Tulak Hord, Kelan thought to himself for a long while. He couldn't grasp on who that was, but he had to have known the Sith from somewhere if he had a strange feeling from the name. "I am sorry to say that I don't know of this Sith Lord that you mention, I hunt more for Jedi holocrons than Sith ones since the Sith pay big bucks to keep them away from the light side..." Kelan's final words of sentence were drifting off as he noticed the holocron begin to unfold on its own. Having a feeling for something interesting to happen, the Hutt quickly ushered all of the cartel members out of the bar besides Marken, Ugoroo who had recently returned to his side, and a few higher ranking guards. Only a few seconds after the regular members had left, a blinding light from the holocron shot out, blinding Kelan and presumably the remaining people in the room.

Even after the light had vanished, many of the cartel members had problems regaining their full vision, including Kelan himself. He had expected for everyone to be flipping out from whatever discovery they had made, but [member="Ballen-Ist"] just had a look of ambition and stunned shock on his face. In the center, the cube had continued to float as before but now it had a reddish light shining out of it. It wasn't as blinding as before, but it still left a glare in the Hutt's vision to look at it. "Mighty Kelan, are you alright? You there, Sith, what have you done?" Marken had been the immediate one to respond, as most people had still been dazed and trying to recollect their mind after the blast of light. "Eyes... Hurt," The Tusken groaned out in dismay.

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The sudden unfolding of the holocron had interrupted [member="Kelan The Hutt"], all of the attention in the room being directed to the faint red glow emitting from the device. Of course, those that were not prepared were blinded, as a burst of light was released, effecting those that were unable to handle the dark presence of the ancient artifacts gatekeeper. Within minutes, the mess hall had been cleared as the Hutt barked orders, making sure that only a select few remained present with himself and the Sith. Marken also piped up, appearing to be somewhat irritated by the sudden explosion of light the that the ominous holocron had given off.

"This, my friend," the Pureblood began, pausing as he continued to stare unto nothingness, "Is progress," Ballen-Ist concluded for the moment, unsure of what else to say in the presence of Tulak Hord. It was simply an imprint of his psyche, but it was no less impressive to behold first hand. "You are too young to be in possession of an artifact of such magnitude, boy," Hord spoke judgementally, taking his first jab at Ballen-Ist, which was sure not to be the last. The Pureblood had expected nothing less, though it still angered him to a degree. Still, that was Tulak Hord, and he dismissed Ballen-Ist just as he had Kallig. "But, you are Sith... So delve into this holocron at your own risk. Let it be known, I will not disclose valuable knowledge so easily."

With that, the holocron snapped shut, the dim crimson light that emitted from it's core disappearing completely. The metallic trinket clattered to the ground, rolling slowly to the bare feet of Ballen-Ist. The Sith's eyes shone a burning gold, angry at the fact that he had been humiliated by an ancient Sith Lord. Then again, the others around him had no clue as to what was going on, and so the Knight could use that to his advantage. "Yes, progress. With time, I will be able to decipher the secrets of this holocron. Then, I will provide you with them, mighty Kelan." The Pureblood promised, as he knelt down to pick up the device.

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

The Sith had promised to divulge the information that had contained itself in the artifact once he had finished analyzing it so he could learn what secrets lied in it. However, Kelan wasn't very sure of the use that the information would have helped him and the cartel. Until it was actually investigated, it was impossible to find out what was to be expected. Going back to what [member="Ballen-Ist"] had mentioned about Tulak Hord's mastery of lightsaber combat, it could have been useful to teach some of his soldiers an advanced fighting technique. It would have made them less predictable, but in the end they were grunts and would've been able to be taken out with a single slash.

Still, the greater alliance that would be formed between the two would probably be a better asset for the future. Relationships with others were always more powerful than brute power, despite how the Hutt may have acted towards people sometimes. "For our mutual benefits, I would be glad to aid you in any way for us to discover the inner teachings that the holocron possesses. I have a few spare rooms that you could have privacy in so that you can meditate or whatever you need to do to unlock it further." Not only would the Sith be able to focus on deciphering it, but it would give Kelan some time to discuss with others on what they had thought about everything. Others' opinions would have always helped him move forward, since he had sometimes acted more arrogant than he should have to display power.

"Marken, why don't you show our friend here one of our spare storage rooms so he can get right to work." The Siniteen nodded to the Hutt, before turning over to the Sith. "The Mighty Kelan wishes for you to follow me. Come along." He began guiding the Pureblood over to a hallway that was far away from the bar. It was obvious that it had long been out of use from the flickering lights and the bit of chipped off paint. The Siniteen didn't enjoy being in the 'abandoned' part of the palace as it always gave him a strange feeling. He used his arm to push open the door leading into a room with a small light dangling from the center, ushering the Sith to enter the room.

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Listening to [member="Kelan The Hutt"], Ballen-Ist would simply nod, looking to the man known as Marken as he approached. The Sith was sure that moving to a quiet room would do little to aid his efforts in unlocking the holocron. There were meditation chambers back on Glee Anselm, in the Sith Academy, but studying there would be far too risky for the Pureblood. Dark siders were plentiful in numbers, and even if they were not true Sith, they could still scheme like one. Ballen-Ist was too smart to put himself in such a situation, knowing who, when and where to avoid at the right times. Drawing his red skinned hands into the opposite sleeves of his robe, Ballen-Ist would follow the large headed man, the Pureblood's brow arching as he examined the room before him. It was indeed abandoned, much like the old section of the palace they had ventured through. The further away from others, the better, he thought.

"This will do, Marken. You have my thanks," Ballen-Ist spoke, stepping through the doorway and into the center of the room. Perhaps he would have the Hutt construct a Sith meditation sphere for him, for it would aid him in the use of the force. However, such a vessel was ancient technology, and would require vast amounts of time and resources to replicate. These thoughts would quickly drift away, as Ballen-Ist placed the holocron on the floor, taking a seat in a cross-legged fashion. The strange feeling that Marken experienced in the abandoned part of palace would suddenly appear to extend it's reach, as Ballen-Ist allowed his full power in the dark side to be unleashed. It leaked off of his being in waves of anger and hatred, powerful enough to send a chill down even the slightest force sensitive individual.

Instead of letting his passion get the better of him, the Pureblood would bend it to his will, honing in on the ancient device before him with his dark presence. The holocron unfolded as it had before, hovering slightly off of the ground before releasing a dark crimson mist from it's center. The ghostly image of Tulak Hord would come into existence once again, assessing Ballen-Ist in an almost disappointed demeanour. This irritated the Knight, but it was to be expected. Holocron gatekeepers were not the actual spirit of their respected creators, but merely a mental imprint that mirrored their personality and experience in every way. Tulak Hord was said to have been honourable, but also full of himself, as some ancient Sith were. "So you have returned, as expected. What is it you seek, Kissai?" Hord spat, still making sure to belittle Ballen-Ist every chance he got. The Sith Purebloods were a powerful species, but had been enslaved by the first actual Sith Lords for that very reason.

Thinking long and hard before answering, the young man spoke, "I seek your knowledge. Tell me of your past." First, he would hear all that there was to know of the Sith Lord before him, and most likely much of era in which he lived. With his mind delved deep into the dark side, Ballen-Ist remained silent for hours on end, focusing on the holocron as he listened intently. He refused to eat or drink, and anyone that approached would find that the door was a lot more difficult to open than it had last been. Hours continued into days, the days into a full week. The dark side had sustained Ballen-Ist, though now he was likely to have his share of food and drink when desired. Emerging from the empty room and into the abandoned corridors, the Sith would make his way to Kelan, the holocron tucked away in his robes. He was unresponsive to anyone he passed for the most part, giving them a quick glance with his burning golden eyes.

They were shining rather brightly, and refused to subside even though Ballen-Ist wasn't currently enraged, his dark subconscious thoughts simply running a mile per second. Once he was before the Hutt, the Knight would speak up, "Mighty Kelan, I believe I have discovered a use for this holocron," he began, not bothering to withdraw the relic. He was indeed eager to open it once more, but after everything he had heard from Tulak Hord, he was satisfied. "I will learn the secrets of Hord's fighting style, and train select individuals to pass onto you as an elite guard. They will be fierce, relentless and loyal," Ballen-Ist assured, before continuing, "There is also a vast well of information on the past available, including some ancient technology you may be interested in."

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

A day or two was the original expected time for the Sith to discover the secrets of the holocron, but that had escalated into a full week that was spent in the room. Kelan wasn't afraid to admit that he was growing slightly impatient. He understood how much time that it could take, but that didn't make him not want to barge into the room and yell at [member="Ballen-Ist"] to hurry up. The teachings of an infamous Sith Lord would have been the cartel's greatest findings and business dealings in centuries. It wasn't like his life was in peril, but he would have had a good rise in power with whatever information the Pureblood would learn.

To make sure that he would have been there to discover any breakthroughs immediately, the Hutt decided to send Marken for any business deals that he may have had scheduled. Of course, there were a few benefits to come from that including the inner workings of his cartel. Ugoroo had become an official member of the cartel, since he had mostly just stood still and listened to what he was told after his landing on Hok. It was apparent to many that the Tusken acted disgusted when Kelan had approached him, but he would probably get used to that in time. After a good long while, the Hutt finally gathered the members of his small hierarchy to discuss topics that determined their future. Within those members were Marken who had previously returned from a drilling operation on Geonosis, and the newly appointed head guard Ugoroo since the rest of the guards weren't as experienced as a trained mercenary. Also, the Tusken wouldn't have thoughts of betrayal with his lack of intelligence to think otherwise.

The primary topic during the meeting had been the allegiance that the Hutt's gang would serve towards. He had been bringing up the whole topic of the Hutt Cartel's fallout a lot, but that had only been because of the danger that they could have been in without the backing of a major power in the galaxy. The main problem with the other factions were the different views that they had from the Hutt. He just never felt the click that he had with his Hutt brethren. In the end, the most that they could do was make clear that their opinions didn't connect to each others, and most of them stormed off angry by the end of it.

After the waiting game was finished, the metal doors to the bar creaked open as the Sith walked in while concealing the holocron. The Hutt listened intently on the offerings of the Sith, making sure that he had a good understanding of it. "Hmm... Elite guard, ancient Sith technology, seems like my kind of party." Truth be told, Kelan had no prior knowledge about any form of Sith history. He had just been going along with what was being claimed, and the knight seemed like a true scholar. "Do you have examples of any of Tulak Hord's technologies that you speak of, or do you need to conduct further research on that topic?"

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Ballen-Ist knew that there was still further research to conduct. To some, it would be a tedious annoyance, but for the Pureblood, it was quite the enjoyable pass time. Still, everything he had learnt so far had little to with the force, or any abilities of that sort. The Sith had strictly sought out information of the past and it's many aspects, to gain insight on the ancient Dark Lord. During the week he had spent confined, Ballen-Ist had learned a great amount of information on the past, things that were believed to be lost by some.

"I have only scratched the holocron's surface. Yet, I have discovered the secrets of ancient suspended animation technology, capable of supporting a being for hundreds of years," Ballen-Ist spoke, still amazed by what he delved in to. Of course, he wasn't sure what use the suspended animation stasis fields would serve. "I will translate and transfer the most significant pieces of information onto a datapad. For now, however, I will need willing combatants." The Sith concluded, eager to move on to the next segment of teachings within the holocron. [member="Kelan The Hutt"] would hopefully be able to provide him with test subjects, even if they were only droids.

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

The information that was contained on a small artifact was simply astounding. The Sith claimed that he was only on the first layer of the wonders that it could have, but there were already discoveries about suspended animation. That could only lead to great discoveries for the future, no matter what they might be. Before the Hutt had the chance to make the announcement, Marken already stepped up to the plate. "Interesting, indeed. It seems that we are now accepting volunteers to join the cause of providing an advantage in the mighty Kelan's cartel. Of course, you will be paid handsomely if you are willing to be a test subject the art of suspended animation." Kelan kept looking around the room, waiting for the moment that anyone would volunteer. Thugs and drinkers alike all had unsure looks on their face as they all glanced at each other to see their views. Credits may have been involved, but not many people are happy to serve when their job description has the words 'test subject'.

"Fools. You all know how important anything could be to us right now. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, as only strong soldiers could handle it." A Togruta who had just been sipping his drink in a corner booth stood up, insulted by the insult and took the offer. He didn't appear to be the smartest thug, as he had been severely offended by the simple remark. A few other people of different species also decided to stand up to the task from pressure. He ordered the volunteers to stand next to [member="Ballen-Ist"], even though they seemed off edge about being with a Sith.

The whole concept of suspended animation had always been interesting to the Hutt. It could have been an apocalypse or a bad party. You can name it, you can avoid it. "You need anything else for your research, or will that be enough?" By the time that the volunteers went up to the Sith, many of the people in the bar had continued their daily routines, besides the select few who had continued listening for news on what may have been going on.

 

[Ballen-Ist]

A brief, loud laugh would escape Ballen-Ist's mouth, as he watched the volunteers slowly but surely stand and walk forward. [member="Kelan The Hutt"] and Marken had misunderstood him once more, though the Sith was used to this. He always liked to stay vague when he spoke, it allowed him to manipulate the flow of conversation as he saw fit. At this point, Ballen-Ist was surprised that so many had volunteered for the job, given that it involved suspended animation. The Red Sith could not imagine a worse fate, being locked away in the depths of your mind while time passed all around you.

"Worry not, gentleman. You will not be test subjects of suspended animation, rather my blade," the Pureblood stated, turning away from the group as to conceal his horrid looking smile. "Live combatants are the best, but are only of value in skill and numbers. If this is a problem, I'd ask you provide me with training droids equipped with blade work protocols." Ballen-Ist requested, not wanting to injure the Hutt's personnel if it was unneeded. Training droids too would only offer so much in terms of development, and so the Sith's eyes set upon Ugoroo.

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

Once again, the Hutt was misdirected by what was asked from him. That Sith was definitely hard to understand at times, he wouldn't want to be trusted with a whole list of things to do from him. "Of course I can provide you with a small set of droids. They aren't exactly the best in terms of melee combat compared to you, I'd assume." There was truth in what he said, with the droids that he manufactured not exactly being the most advanced in any form of combat. Still, he'd rather have a few droids get destroyed rather than a few 'living' members that could improve in combat rather than just stay with their programming. Kelan specialized more in hiring mercenaries than increasing the ability of members within his cartel. That wasn't the smartest of decisions based on past events that had happened with people entering the palace with intents on killing the Hutt, but it seemed like a lot of work to train soldiers that would probably just get killed off sooner or later.

The Hutt was good at reading body expressions, so he developed a feeling when the Sith looked over at Ugoroo for awhile. He could just tell that the masked Sith wanted something involving him, despite the obviously confused look that he had throughout the whole conversation. "Tusken, why don't you go and monitor the Sith and make sure he doesn't go too hard on the droids. If you're lucky, you may even get a bit of practice with that staff of yours." He brightened up with the mention of combat, immediately standing upright and marching next to the Sith. If there's one thing that he still shared with other Tusken Raiders, it was their primitive attitudes towards fighting others. With a quick calls from Marken, a small set of droids walked into the bar with large blades installed onto each of their arms, imitating the lightsaber form of Jar'Kai.

They assumed positions on the opposite side of the Sith from Ugoroo, replacing the cartel members who had originally signed up to be test subjects. The Hutt assumed that they would have been furious at the buildup, but most of them just exhaled after hearing the news that they wouldn't be put in suspended animation. "Now I assume you must be satisfied with the great Kelan's work." The Hutt hoped that that would be the last of assistance that [member="Ballen-Ist"] would need for a bit, as he was hoping that he would shortly return to watching the dancers and bar fights.

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Remaining silent as [member="Kelan The Hutt"] made his necessary revisions, Ballen-Ist would smile, his eyes still upon Ugoroo. "Yes, he will be ideal for my training. With any luck, you will learn much as well," The Sith spoke, directly to the Tusken with that last part. With what the Knight had in mind, the droids would not last for long, and so Ugoroo had a much better chance within aiding him in his lessons. Ballen-Ist could already sense the Tusken's excitement, and therefore it was decided. The clothed man walked down, placing himself next to the Sith while Marken took the opportunity to send in the droids.

They were more impressive than Ballen-Ist had initially assumed, a lot more deadly looking than the robots he had been forced to face off against for hours on end. The training he had been forced to endure within The New Order was something he would never forget. The Sith could only hope that their programming was up to date. "Indeed, I'm satisfied. We will return shortly," Ballen-Ist replied to Marken, giving the man an amused look before turning away from him. He wasn't surprised that some of Kelan's officials were getting fed up, especially given the last minute notice he had given them before appearing.

Some most likely feared for their lives, but their fear was misplaced. Marching out of the main hall, the Knight would beckon Ugoroo along with him, glancing over his shoulder as the combat droids followed as well. Once they were within the corridors, Ballen-Ist would speak, "These droids will not suffice. I was only being polite. I hope you will be able to keep up with me." His golden glare turned slightly as his neck did, showing off a toothy grin to the nearby Tusken.