Through The Sands Of Time Our Fates Are Defined.

[Triton Kozak]

The capture of Victoria and Jakkor went unsuccessful. They had escaped the clutches of Ballen-Ist, which was very surprising. Luck must've favoured them. Of course Triton tried not to believe in luck, he himself believed in skill. The combination of skill that Viktoria and Jakkor possessed along with their teamwork had clearly matched up with Ballen-Ist's skills.

Triton sighed, the fall of the One Sith was most likely due to the fighting amoungst themselves. As for the Republic, Triton didn't really know, he was too focused on the collapse of the OS to even care. The teen stepped out of a civilian shuttle, his brown jacket fit snugly on his torso, underneath he wore a black shirt followed by a normal pair of Jeans. The teen felt his sabre that was clipped to his belt before making his way through one of Tatooine's many markets. He would find a small Cantina and sit in an empty booth.

Ballen-Ist had asked to meet him, Triton didn't know why but he felt it was important.

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The pungent haze that drifted throughout the small cantina went unnoticed by the dark clad individual, his metallic helmet doing its best to filter out the smoke that came from the many patrons of the 'fine' establishment. It was a dump really, and the Pureblood Sith could not help but sigh in disdain as he stepped through the archway of the door. Those within paid Ballen-Ist little attention as he strode by, the black cloak wrapped around his body obscuring the sight of the light armour that he wore beneath. This way, the Sith could simply appear as another alien who required environmental protection to survive in the most common of places, not a red skinned Pureblood Sith who would not be received very well by many.

This routine was nothing new to the Knight, and that was why it bothered him the most. The One Sith had collapsed just as foreseen, and it seemed as if it were open season on force users all across the spectrum. The Mandalorians had resurfaced in great numbers, taking the galaxy by surprise. The Sith didn't have anything against the Mandalorians, but he was fairly sure that they possessed a burning hatred for all Sith-kind. Operating under the radar would have to continue, though it had never really stopped in the first place. Coming to a halt in front of the counter, Ballen-Ist would order two drinks at random, eliciting a confused look from the bartender as he examined the Sith's apparel. "Your funeral." The gruff man spoke, obviously referring to the fact that Ballen-Ist appeared to be some sort of fragile alien suited only for certain environments.

Scooping the cups up, the Knight would scoff under his breath before heading towards a previously empty booth, where [member="Triton Kozak"] had been sitting for some time now. Placing the drinks down, Ballen-Ist would lower himself down onto the cushioned seat, leaning against the backrest as he stared blankly at the human before him. In his brown leather jacket, he was the spitting image of the Jedi that Ballen-Ist despised the most, tempting the Sith to demand he remove it from his presence. However that would sound quite strange and petty, so the Sith simply sat in silence for a moment, regaining his train of thought before speaking. "Do you know why I've called you here?" He questioned briefly, his voice electronically distorted as he spoke beneath his helmet.

 

[Triton Kozak]

Triton would run his hand through his hair, silently watching as the pureblood strolled into the cantina. The man always had a look of superiority on him...The way he held himself up the way he spoke. That was something Triton needed. He wasn't used for he whole Sith idea, if anything he would say he was closer to that of a Dark Jedi. The teen would smile as the bartender handed Ballen-Ist two drinks. The Sith Pureblood then made his way over to the booth.

As the man began to sit down, it felt as if the whole cantina went silent. Triton couldn't help but smile as the drinks were ploped down on the table. Soon after, a question would be uttered from Ballen-Ist's mouth. The question was then distorted by the mask due to Ballen-Ist's breathing. Triton thought for a moment, when Ballen-Ist had contacted him, he didn't really explain why he wanted to meet. Triton felt a bit nervous. Maybe it was because the whole fiasco with the two Jedi. He would nervously tap the table.

'Tap'.....'Tap'.........'Tap' on and on and on as he thought of an answer.

"You wanted to see my pretty mug again." The teen said jokingly. He continued to tap his fingers on the table as he waited for a response.

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Beneath the metallic helmet he wore, Ballen-Ist's eyes would flutter closed as his lips pursed into a thin line. Obviously, he was annoyed by [member="Triton Kozak"]'s attitude, though he did not need to use facial expressions to convey this. The booth they sat at was almost like a room separate from the rest of the cantina, shrouded in a dark presence that only the duo could recognize effectively. Through the force they were capable of reading each other, and so it would come as no surprise that the Sith was irritated.

"No, I did not come to see your 'pretty mug.' Dujikri oi.." The Sith trailed off, muttering what was a profanity in his own language as far as Triton could tell. Ballen-Ist knew he had probably been fairly annoying at the same age, taking a moment to recall those days where he actually possessed a semblance of power. Without a major government or military organisation behind his back, the Sith would have to make his grabs for power all but obvious.

The Sith could tell Triton was nervous, most likely due to the nature of their last meeting. It had gone horribly, as many things in the Knight's life had. Woe was he, for nothing seemed to go Ballen-Ist's way. [member="Viktoria Kess"] and [member="Jakkor Kess"] were probably enjoying themselves, while the Pureblood decided to wallow in anger and self-pity. "Are you a real Sith?" He questioned, leaning forward in his seat slightly, eager to hear the youth's response.

 

[Triton Kozak]

Triton shivered as Ballen-Ist's gave off this feeling of irritation. Triton quickly shook it off before looked to the rest of the Cantina, then back to Ballen-Ist. Ballen-Ist finally replied to Triton's answer, if the feeling of irritation wasn't enough the tone of his voice was. Ballen-Ist sneered at Triton's first comment followed by a word he didn't understand. Triton assumed it was of another language. All the same he snickered at the Pureblood's reply. Triton couldn't help it if Ballen-Ist seemed so uptight, it just complimented well with Triton's personality.

The tapping continued as the conversation between the duo stopped for a second it seemed as if Ballen-Ist was collecting his thoughts. Ballen-Ist then suddenly spoke, his voice cold and irritated. It was the question Triton had dreaded to hear. Ballen-Ist had asked if Triton was truly a sith. Triton pondered the question for a moment. Was he truly a sith? Looking back on it the most that happened was him leaving the Jedi order and spending a brief moment with the sith in their academy, was that enough to call him a sith? He thought about how Ballen-Ist harnesses his rage...His anger...pain, and use it as his weapon. Triton didn't know how to do that. Sure he had felt the pull of the darkside, but had he really expirenced it's true power? If he had to answer that question truthfully it would be a no.

The tapping on the table stopped as the teen gulped "No." He would answer softly, it was almost a whisper.

"No, I am not a real sith." He said as he avoided eye contact with the man.

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

A brief nod could be made out beneath the hooded cloak that Ballen-Ist wore, as the shrouded man leaned back into the seat he was currently in. [member="Triton Kozak"] possessed great potential, thanks to his inherited force sensitivity and the time he spent training as a Jedi. Ballen-Ist had only seen the boy in battle a few times, but he knew that he had done well in choosing him. The Knight had a knack for noticing talent within others, and it got him into trouble more often than not. Hopefully, this time would be different. This time around, the Knight was a lot more wise and patient, more willing to endure witty retorts and failure. To an extent.

"Good, knowing you are not is the first step," the Sith replied, noticeably more relaxed in his seat than he was before. "There is a lot more to being Sith than a fancy Darth title and a red saber," Ballen-Ist paused, realizing he still did not even have a fancy Darth title. Was he doing something wrong? Brushing the anger that was bubbling up to the side, the Pureblood would continue on with his speech, "Tell me, what do you consider to be your greatest advantage in battle?" Ballen-Ist asked, obviously going somewhere with their game of twenty questions.

 

[Triton Kozak]

The pureblood would give a brief nod before remaining silent for some time. In this time Triton sat there, trying to anticipate what the man was going to say. Honestly he couldn't figure it out. He knew Ballen-Ist a bit, knew him enough to know that Ballen wouldn't kill him...Not on the spot. This provide a bit of comfort to the nervous teen. He would glance down at his sabre before looking back up to the Knight. He would look towards the drink on the table, simply eyeing it.

Ballen spoke, which caused Triton to slowly look at the man. Surprisingly he said that it was good that he knew he wasn't a Sith. This threw him off guard. He looked at Ballen-Ist in a bit of disbelief so much so that he had to do a double take. A small smirk would appear on his face as he spoke about how a Sith had a lot more qualifications then having a sick Darth title and a red saber. Triton chuckled.

"Yes of course, you can't forget about the maiming." Triton added, trying to stiffle a laugh. Ballen-Ist then went on to ask a question, the question was what did Triton think his greatest advantage in battle. Triton still laughing about his previous joke finally cleared his throat.

"Other than my dashing good looks?" He joked, but then quickly coughed when he realised Ballen was serious. The teen quickly corrected himself.

"At the Jedi academy I learned a bit of Soresu. My greatest advantage would be my ability to defend and tire my opponents out...Of course that limits me a lot, and I am only as strong as my defense so..." He trailed off. Surprising himself at his answer.

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

"Indeed," Ballen-Ist replied, his tone calm and almost hushed. Having found a comfortable position on the low quality seats, the Sith Knight remained as still as a statue, not moving in the slightest as he began to think. He hadn't asked the boy to identify his weakness, and chalked [member="Triton Kozak"]'s foresight up to mere babble. Of course, there was a chance that the boy knew where this was going, but Ballen-Ist wasn't going to be very straight forward. He never really was, excluding in times of dire need.

Soresu was a truly remarkable saber form, the first one that Ballen-Ist had taken an interest in learning. Under Darth Ferus, he had spent hours training under lethal conditions, only to be tossed aside in the end. That ever familiar anger continued to bubble within the Knight, his thoughts always getting the best of him. Even in combat, he was extremely prone to distraction, always overthinking the simplest of things.

After a few moments had passed, Ballen-Ist was finally back in the present, his eyes closing beneath his helmet as he tried to calm himself. "What is it that you fear the most? Be honest." The Sith continued, his inquiring seemingly relentless.

 

[Triton Kozak]

Indeed was the only word that would come from the man's mouth. After that, he was silent. The man looked comfortable though, Triton felt himself slowly starting to get too comfortable to a point that he could feel himself slipping off the seat. The teen fixed his posture and sat up. He would let out a dry cough before his left leg over his right. Triton merely observed Ballen-Ist. So far the pureblood had asked him three questions and each time Triton answered he felt as if he had not gotten any closer to knowing the true intentions of the man that sat across the table.

Triton would slow his breathing a bit before looking back up to Ballen-Ist's helmet. The male slowly began to speak, his voice calm. It seems he had collected himself. The pureblood had asked him what he feared the most, and that he had to be honest. Triton had to think about that for a few moments. He wasn't into the whole cliché of 'i am most affraid of death.' like any other sod no Triton dug deep into his heart and thought. The teen instantly thought of a bunch of jokes he could say. Like: Not having a woman around his arm...But he pushed it aside seeing that Ballen-Ist was comfortable. So he decided to save it for another time. He shifted his position and leaned in a bit before taking a breath.

"Honestly, I'm afraid of being lost. I'm afraid of getting casted off into an unknown area and left to fend for myself." The teen said softly as he closed his eyes for a second, he meant it in a physical was and a spiritual way. He opened his eyes again and let out a deep breath.

"Why do you even care to know?"
[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Ballen-Ist was glad that [member="Triton Kozak"] had gotten serious, finally holding his tongue and giving simple straightforward answers. The Sith was sure there would be more in store for him further down the road, but in the end there would be no laughter. "Isn't it obvious?" Ballen-Ist asked, not bothering to explain himself further as he chuckled lightly under his breath.

Leaning forth, the cloaked man would stand up on his feet, moving away from the booth to the end of the table. Looking down at the boy, Ballen-Ist would lift a plated arm from beneath his cloak, motioning for Triton to follow as he moved towards the cantina exit. "And what is it that you cherish the most, Triton?" the Sith spoke, as he stepped out into the sandy streets of the city they had met in.

There were many individuals out and about, some idle under tent shades, managing market stalls, or moving to and fro. Strangely enough the duo went unnoticed just as they had in the cantina, making their way peacefully further into the city towards the main spaceport.

 

[Triton Kozak]

Triton would tilt his head as Ballen-Ist asked a question that was obviously rhetorical. Followed by a chuckle. Triton was a little irritated as the Sith Pureblood neglected to answer his questions fully. The teen watched as Ballen-Ist leaned in before standing up and walking to the edge of the table, he would then look down to Triton and motion for him to follow. The teen followed as he was led out of the Cantina and onto the busy sands that is known as Tatooine. All around vendors were chattering, people were walking... Ballen-Ist had posed a question. He asked what Triton had cherished the most. Looking around he would notice that people didn't really care to notice the duo walking down the street, they were too busy caught up in their own lives.

Triton had to think for a second. He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and felt the picture he had of his family. He quickly let it go while he loved his family they were not what he cherished the most. He had to really think on this one. If he had to reflect on his life he'd probably say that the thing he cherished the most was the time he spent with friends, surrounded by people he knew. He would sigh, what a cheesy answer.

"Well, it'd probably be the time I spend with others, " The teen said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. He didn't know where he was going. He stayed silent for a moment.

"A little bit of my family too I guess." He said. Of course it was more of a courtesy answer, but he had to say it.

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The spaceport was far busier than the streets outside, crowded with people eager to leave and others happy to have arrived. Many gangster and hunter types could be seen, most likely having come on a job or while searching for potential employment. Tatooine could never have enough scum and villainy, after all. Having already checked in with the spaceport security earlier, Ballen-Ist strode up to the terminals, presenting his false identification in order to be admitted with the least amount of trouble possible. [member="Triton Kozak"] would be allowed passage as well, with the right amount of force influence and carefully chosen words.

These beings were weak minded, and stood no chance even against the most basic of mind tricks. "I see. Good then, it's two birds with one stone," Ballen-Ist spoke, almost to himself as he continued to march down the spaceport corridors. Eventually the duo arrived at their docking bay, the door opening to reveal a YT-1000 light freighter within. It was nothing fancy, a ship built based on ancient design and altered nearly one thousand years ago. Still, it was fairly practical for anyone on the move, and not very suspicious at all. "I can't travel in the Fury anymore. It's a shame, but this will do," the Sith said, feeling the need to explain himself.

He usually travelled in style, but those days seemed to be over. For the time being, at least. Stepping under the freighters hull, Ballen-Ist would disengage the loading ramps lock, letting the airtight seal release as streams of mist sprayed from small openings. The metallic plank lowered, and the duo proceeded to enter the ship. Its interior was typical of most light freighters, a very compact sleeping quarters and lounge area accompanied by the cockpit.

Following the narrow pathway that led to the cockpit door, Ballen-Ist would enter and take a seat, lifting his arms and placing his hands upon his helmet. Removing the gear from his head, the Pureblood's features would be revealed, his eyes a blazing yellow and his face scarred and aged. His hair was as it always had been, slicked back at a medium length. "Lastly, what is it that you desire the most, Triton?" the Knight questioned, his gloved hands moving to flip switches and press buttons, firing up the freighters engines in preparation for take off.

 

[Triton Kozak]

The inside of the spaceport was way busier than the outside. Triton would keep his gaze straightforward as Ballen-Ist let him though the spaceport, Ballen was very prepared, be easily got through security which made Triton wonder what Ballen-Ist was doing before he arrived at the cantina. The only words he spoke was more a note for himself than a response to Triton's answers. After some time of walking through corridors, they arrived at a docking bay, upon the door opening a freighter would be revealed. It was a change from Ballen-Ist's other ship but it of course had to do. The teen would watch as Ballen-Ist disengaged the ship's lock, which sent the ramp out. Ballen led him through the small ship, they would make their way through the lounge area, past the bunks and to the cockpit where he followed the Pureblood in.

When he sat down Triton followed suit. The teen watched silently as the man pulled off his helmet, slowly revealing his face. The first thing he would notice was Ballen-Ist's red skin, then yellow piercing eyes. His face was scared and his hair was slicked back. The teen would hear him speak, he asked one final question, Ballen-Ist asked what he desired the most Triton would tilt his head, what did he desire the most? His mind drifted to jokes again, and he nearly laughed. He would shake his head as he heard the Pureblood flipping switches and pressing a few buttons.

"What I desire the most, truly, is to be stronger, back when you were trying to apprehend Viktoria and Jakkor I sat there and did nothing. Maybe if I did something they wouldn't have escaped." He would say as he removed his hands from his pocket and crossed his arms.

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Reaching over his shoulder, the Sith would flick off his thick cloak before grasping at the seat strap, securing himself in the pilots chair while he listened to [member="Triton Kozak"]. The old light freighter would lift out of the docking bay, its engines roaring to life as the vessel trembled gently into the air. Pushing down on the throttle, the duo would blast off towards the atmosphere, safe and sound within the confines of their new ship. The blue atmosphere of Tatooine began to disperse as the YT-1000 ascended, eventually entering the cold vacuum of space that stretched on endlessly.

Rotating in his seat, Ballen-Ist would direct his attention to the navigational computer, inputting a set of coordinates before aligning the freighter with the nearest and quickest hyperspace route. "Yes, of course. Power," the Sith muttered quietly, before making the jump to light speed. The stars before them outside of the transparisteel viewport began to stretch out of existence, becoming streaks of light before swirling together into a tunnel vortex of shimmering blue power.

The ship became stable now, and Ballen-Ist rose to his feet with a brief sigh. "And just how far are you willing to go to obtain true power, Triton? Once you embark down this path, there will be no going back," the Knight explained, testing the boy's mettle with words alone. Surely, he would not back down now. "For now, I suggest you get something to eat. There are food rations in the lounge compartments."

 

[Triton Kozak]

The teen watched as Ballen took off his coat. He would mutter something about power before turning to the freighter's nav computer. The ship pulled off of Tatooine and Ballen-Ist would slowly bring the ship into hyperspace. Triton watched as the stars slowly began to stretch and form blue streaks which then twisted into a vortex. Soon the ship would be stable and Ballen-Ist would unfasten his straps and stand up.

He asked how far Triton planned to go to obtain the power he longed for, adding that once he stepped on to the path he wouldn't be able to turn back. He stood up and uncrossed his arms. Staring Ballen straight in the yellow eyes he would grin. "I plan to go as far as it takes, B." He would say as he pushed past Ballen-Ist and walked out of the cockpit and into the ship's lounge area. The teen would fine the rations in one of the compartments. He would sigh as he grabbed a tin and opened it. He would sit on a chair and slowly eat. What was he getting himself into... Whatever it was he was glad.

He would sit back and reach his hand into his jacket. He pulled out the picture of his family. 'Boy, I haven't seen them in a while...I wonder how Koda is doing.' he would think as he stared at the picture. He would continue to stare at it as he chewed his food.

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Hours passed since the freighter had entered light speed, shooting through the vacuum of space at incredible speeds towards its destination. Ballen-Ist had not bothered to tell [member="Triton Kozak"] where they were going, or what was planned, seeing as he had never asked. Instead of relaxing in the lounge area with the young ex-Jedi, the Sith entered the small private quarters of the vessel, which consisted of little more than a bed and a few small hatches in the wall for storage. Pressing his gloved fingers against the thin durasteel panel, it would fall away to reveal a bright shining cube that laid still in the compartment.

Reaching out to grasp it, Ballen-Ist smiled briefly as he turned away, closing the compartment before climbing onto the bed. The Knight shifted into a meditative seating position, closing his eyes as he began to reach out with the force. The Sith holocron he held would begin to levitate into the air, as Ballen-Ist focused his telekinetic prowess upon the item. It began to unravel like a three dimensional puzzle, emitting a bright glowing light that emanated dark side power. Not wanting to be disturbed, the door to his private chambers shut tightly, magnetically sealed as a button on its console was pressed via the force.

Several more hours passed, leaving Ballen-Ist to cycle through his memories of the past, and ideas for the present. Eventually, the light freighters engine would calm, a brief and muffled blast being heard as the ship exited hyperspace. Rocked out of his meditation, the Sith would slip off of the bed before opening the door, walking into the lounge area where Triton probably was. Visible outside of any viewport was the Demon Moon, Dxun. It was a small planet that orbited Onderon, which was not currently under the rule of any specific government or regime.

"We've arrived," Ballen-Ist said as he walked, making his way into the cockpit cabin before taking a seat in the pilots chair. The YT-1000 roared to life once more as the engines powered up, accelerating the craft towards the surface of Dxun. He was familiar with the planet, having explored ancient Sith tombs there years prior. "What do you know of Dxun?" The Sith questioned, wondering how knowledgeable Triton was. It was a place that not many knew of, and so he would not fault the boy if he was completely clueless.

 

[Triton Kozak]

For hours Triton sat in that lounge trying to keep himself occupied, he found himself wondering where they were going...What were they going to do. Ballen hadn't told him. The teen would try to pass the time by playing a game with himself.

"So...Let's see....... Triton....Last time you kissed a girl?" He said to himself as he recalled a memory of kissing a girl. He remembered sitting on a park bench under the stars staring into the girl's eyes. He would lean in and the girl would instantly slap him

"That wasn't a kiss....You got slapped." He chuckled to himself that memory was from years ago. Apparently Ballen-Ist had retreated to his quarters, to do what, he didn't know, but it must have been important enough to close the door. Instantly Triton giggled, an inappropriate thought entered his mind. "Ballen you dog." He'd say with a huge smirk.

Even after all that, the teen still had time to kill, so he decided to take a nap. He would slump over the table, bury his head in his arms and drift off to sleep. He would dream of the days at the Jedi temple, part of him longed for that peaceful life, but the other part of him felt the pull and temptation of the dark side. He would stir a bit as the engines of the freighter roared with life. His vision was blinded as he opened his eyes. He would be met with the sight of a figure followed by a voice saying two simpke words. "We've arrived." Triton looked around, his vision clearing. Ballen was gone. He would make his way into the cockpit.... Ballen-Ist was in the pilot's chair again. A question would be uttered from the Pureblood's mouth. He asked what Triton knew of Dxun. Triton would scratch his head and sit in the co pilot's seat and yawn.


"Not much B....I'm guessing it isn't a good place to pick up girls..." He would say with a chuckle.
[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

After a few more minutes passed, the light freighter managed to descend closer to the surface of Dxun, flying over large rocky formations that were infested by jungle terrain. There were many canyons and forests, all looking equally ominous and foreboding. Ballen-Ist had been pleased to see that [member="Triton Kozak"] had been resting, for he was going to need a lot of energy for the journey ahead. With a few taps of the console, an automated turret would begin to open fire on a slight clearing within the dense jungle, slowly but surely burning away at the surroundings and making more space for the vessel to land.

Rocking slightly as it began to lower, the light freighter would touch down on the previously grass covered ground, which had now sizzled away to leave heated dirt in its wake. Flames danced around the jungle clearings edges, only appearing to calm as the YT-1000 landed completely. The loading ramp would disengage, lowering as the Sith ushered his young apprentice out of the cockpit and towards the exit. "Dxun is a very dangerous world, full of deadly predators and mysterious," the Knight began, stepping off of the metallic plank and letting his booted feet sink into the swamp-like dirt beneath him. "Let me see your lightsaber." Ballen-Ist requested, turning his helmeted gaze towards Triton.

 

[Triton Kozak]

Triton waited as the ship broke the atmosphere, they were greeted by Dxun's lush forest surface along with huge rocks, the teen sat in awe for a second, then Ballen-Ist had fired one of the ship's turrets to clear a spot to land. Triton laughed as he stood up to follow Ballen off the ship.

"You sure know how to make an entrance B...." He would say quietly more to himself. The same ramp that he had walked up many hours ago was now his exit. The ground of the planet was nice and soft, patches of fire was scattered around, along with any trees that had once been. He looked around and let out a sigh. Ballen-Ist began to speak again. About how the planet was filled with predetors...It was very dangerous.

"So I'm guessing the women make it dangerous...I hear they can be real predetors B." He would joke as he fixed his jacket.

Ballen then asked for his sabre, an odd request. He would cautiously reach for his lightsabre and unclip it from his belt, but instead of igniting it like he normally would, he held it out to Ballen.

He would be a bit uncertain if what the Pureblood's intentions were.

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Ballen-Ist was glad [member="Triton Kozak"] had no misinterpreted his request, not that the ignition of the saber would have drawn anymore attention than they already had. The clearing in which the YT-1000 had landed was barren, void of life save for the burning blades of grass that sank into the heated mud. With a single swift movement, the Sith Knight would yank the boy's saber from his hands, glancing at it briefly before clipping it to his own belt. Parting the curtain of his dark cloak, Ballen-Ist revealed what appeared to be a regular sheathed sword, pulling it from the restraints at his hip before dropped it into Triton's hands. The blade itself was decades old and had been altered via Sith Alchemy. Darth Ferus had known many dark secrets, many that Ballen-Ist never had the chance to learn.

The weapon was also considerably heavy, unlike the metallic hilt of a lightsaber which was all that needed to be manoeuvred in combat. This weapon would be far more difficult to get used to, though it had most of the properties a lightsaber had. Expecting the boy to be caught off guard by the weight, Ballen-Ist would take a step back before lifting his armour plated leg, thrusting his booted foot out in a kick that attempted to make contact with Triton's back. It wasn't capable of dealing any major damage, but it would send the boy flying off of the loading ramp and into the jungle mud below.

"It is possible that you will die here," Ballen-Ist began, moving over to the console that controlled the metallic plank while keeping the young Acolyte in range of his sight. Ferus had made him face certain death many times, and so he would do the same to his own apprentice. "When this planet is done with you, you'll be an unworthy corpse. Prove me wrong, if you can." The Sith concluded, watching silently as the loading ramp was magnetically sealed. Turning away from the exit, Ballen-Ist could not help but frown, memories from his past bubbling up to the surface thoughts of his mind. Ferus had never done anything this extreme, the one time it had appeared so turned out to be just a simulation. He had passed with flying colours too, but Maleus had been the favoured apprentice. Anger was all the man felt, even as the light freighter lifted off and out of the planets atmosphere.