Know Your Enemy [Flashback]

[Steel Wraith]

"You've gotta be kidding me." said Skaut. The mud from his boots made the loudest squishing noise. "No point in being stealthy if my boots sound like a chorus of dying womprats." He said as he arose from his place in the bushes. The cool jungle had an eerie feeling in the rain and moonlight. He took the lightsaber from his belt and held it in his hand. The rain came down hard as he approached the trading town. His research into the Sith led him here to a text regarding a Code.

The lights from the lamps high above him shone a dim yellow/gold light. He pulled the hood from his cloak up onto his head, and it drooped. It drooped just enough to cover his face, yet give him some sort of visibility. The people eyed his as he walked into the town, yet they said or did nothing. He put the saber back onto his belt. "Gotta be careful here." He said to himself and looked around, eyeing the tavern.

Skaut walked to the tavern, and it was busy. Most of the tables were filled. He sat at the bar and flipped up his hood, cracking his neck. He motioned for the bartender. "An ale, good sir." The bartender nodded and poured an ale into a glass and went to get someone else's order. He sat there and waited for his informant to arrive.

 

[DudeTheManatee]

Soran had been regretting his decision to chase holocrons to a coordinates and not an actual system for quite some time now, damn that feeling...excitement. It would probably be the death of him, three years now since he had been accepted by the Sith, three years of training and research, three years and only one major find...no he dare not worry about his greatest find. This was a bust, wasted trip and wasted time...wait, "What was that?" Soran spoke out loud almost forgetting where he was, it was only for a moment but it was there for sure.

It felt like looking at a beautiful picture, a passionate feeling could it be hate? No, this was something less than hate, it was dislike. It didn't matter, he moved quickly toward the feeling. It only took a moment to find what he was looking for, a man...holding a lightsaber? This was no Jedi not here, not on New Cov they would have to be insane. This was no Sith either, he did not carry himself in the right way. The man walked quickly to a nearby bar, Soran followed his hood down the crowd parted around him in fear, he loved it. The man ordered an ale? Here? Should he intervene, well it might be fun.

"Don't drink that", Soran spoke clearly as he sat down and ordered two drinks that were a bit stronger. "The last person I watched drink an ale here might still be in the toilet.", he turned calmly to the man almost looking through him with a pair of cold blue eyes.

 

[Steel Wraith]

"Wasn't planning on it, anyway." Skaut said, looking at the strange man in the hood. "And you might be?" He asked, trying to fing an identifying feature from behind the man's hood. He set the glass of ale down on the bar. "Let me guess, you're not from around New Cov, are you?" His eyes studied the blue eyes of the man in front of him.

His boots on the floor made the same squeaking as they did outside. "I swear that merchant gave me a cursed pair of boots or something." He groaned.

 

[DudeTheManatee]

Soran flashed his disarming smile, "Me? Why I am Soran Rosche and you can call me as such. Who might you be?" Taking a sip of the drink he just bought, he probed into the rest of the bar, he had hear the tale of the Dark Lord Cain freezing an entire bar with a thought. He could not pull off that feat...yet. "I don't think you are from here either, especially with boots that loud.", he laughed at his joke.

 

[Steel Wraith]

"No I'm not." Said Skaut. "Skaut Heralok, at your service." Skaut said, eyeing Soran. He heard two men at a table talking about a Mandalorian-Sith ship that had crashed near the mining town, and close to Skaut's camp. "You after the holocrons too?" He asked, looking at Soran. "Or did you just come to New Cov to see if your cloak was waterproof?" He chuckled at his joke.

 

[DudeTheManatee]

Soran smiled again at Skaut, "No I just came here for the ale. So you seek holocrons? To what end?" Now he had his attention, this non-Sith carrying a lightsaber and looking for holocrons? Why? As he mulled over the idea in his head, his eyes changed. They lost the welcoming color, a steel blue took their place. Soran again probed the bar, finally he found it. The man that was searching for Skaut, he was terrified to approach while the Sith sat here.

 

[Steel Wraith]

"To further my research into the Sith." Skaut said, eyeing the change in Soran's eyes. "And to add to my combat prowess." He studied Soran. "You're not a Jedi...maybe Sith?" He asked, his demeanor changed to serious. His quest for the holocrons has now become even more interesting.

 

[DudeTheManatee]

This one was quite brave, foolish but brave, "If I was either do you think I would announce it to the world? I think your friend would like a word with you." Soran tilted his head toward the man frozen in fear just feet away. There was something about this man that he liked could it be he bravery? No, it was his interest in history. Soran quickly stood and stepped away starting a conversation with a young Twi'lek about how she had the most beautiful green skin he had ever seen. Never taking his ears off Skaut.

 

[Steel Wraith]

He looked over to the man with a look. He walked over to the man and whispered. "You better have the holocron. You know what happens if you don't." He said in a tone that sounded like a growl. The man nodded. "It's not on me. It's on a ship near here. Near your camp." Skaut looked at him with a sinister look. "How do you know where I'm camped?" The man sighed. "I followed you." Skaut sighed and smiled very calmly. "Much obliged. Oh, and you should look at the door." He said and the man looked towars the door. Skaut pulled out a small vial and poured a powder into the man's drink, stirring it with the straw. "Much obliged." He said and patted the man's shoulder, flipping his hood over his face, and walked out of the bar. The man sighed with relief and took a sip of his drink, his eyes widened. He ran to the bathroom, with what looked like blood coming from his nose.

 

[DudeTheManatee]

Soran watched while he flirted with the girl, "I will be back for you he whispered." Quickly following the man to the bathroom, Soran didn't even need to threaten the man to find the location of his ship. Calmly looking into his eyes Soran spoke quietly, "Thank you for the information, as your reward I want you to drink.", his eyes widened as he spoke. The man wandered away back to the bar ordering many shots as soon as he sat, "Cheap poison won't do the job out here."

Soran had to move quickly to beat Skaut to the ship.

 

[Steel Wraith]

Skaut moved swiftly to the ship. His ran past trees, shrubs, etc. He thought of the holocron he would find. "Time to get a holocron." He said to himself. His equipment clanked silently against his armor. He took a pit stop to his camp to get his knapsack so he could carry any extra loot fe managed to find, but his main priority was the holocron.

 

[DudeTheManatee]

Soran knew this land well now, he moved quickly feeling the force flow through the land around him. The creatures that watched him would have made Soran an easy meal but this man brought the Dark Side with him, a power that no creature dare test. Why did he want the holocron so bad, it clearly was not the one that he came here for? No simple smuggler could have found a dark holocron, but curiosity was Soran's drug of choice...well at least at the moment. Into a small clearing he stepped, there was the ship and four...no five men guarding it.

 

[Steel Wraith]

Skaut got into a sneak mode and cleaned his boots, so they were silent. He used the rain to help his movement. He grabbed his lightsaber and activated it, and the blade extended. He came up behind two and cut them in half from behind. He rushed to a third and slit his throat, moving to four and five, ending them with a single swipe across. "Mercenaries." He scoffed. "Have no idea how to fight." He went quickly into the ship, deactivating the lightsaber and put it back on his belt. He began searching for the holocron.

 

[DudeTheManatee]

Bending the force to his will Soran quietly retrieved the holocron from a nearby crate without blowing his own cover. "Anyone can kill men that were already dead.", Soran leaned on the ship watching Skaut search. "But you missed one...", casually pointing a hand behind the searching man. Saran's eyes locked onto the attacker and raised him into the air, this new victim dropped his blaster and tried to scream but could only struggle as the life drained out of his body he fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Soran smiled, not his normal first impressions smile but this was an expression of pleasure from taking a life. "Now let's talk about you...", he turned with the holocron in one hand and his lightsaber in the other.

 

[Steel Wraith]

Skaut turned around and saw Soran. "Oh, come on.'' He said with a groan. "Did you really just Force me out of my holocron?" He said with a smirk. "We were getting along so well, too." He said, activating his lightsaber, the dark blade extended. "Look, can I just have the holocron? I'm tired and I really need it." Skaut said, he was trying to find out Soran's weaknesses by stalling.

 

[DudeTheManatee]

"Keep looking,", Soran knew stalling it was negotiation 101, "I doubt you would find a weakness in a Sith. How about you answer some questions so I can get back to that Twi'lek and her friends at the canteen." Soran was calm but he could feel the anger rising in Skaut, he breathed it in deep. Tasted it, this man had some potential. "Why does someone like you have a weapon that belongs to the Sith?", he nodded to the saber. This man should choose his next words wisely, he did not want to take a life that would bolster the Sith ranks.

 

[Steel Wraith]

Skaut laughed. "This belongs to the Sith?" He held it up. "This lightsaber?" He snickered. "Either the Sith is more weapon-drought then I thought, you you're mistaken." He got his composure back after a minute or so. "Listen, I need that holocron." He pointed to Soran's hand with the holocron in it. "Now." He said, his sarcastic tone was gone now. It was serious.

 

[DudeTheManatee]

Did he think that would work, Soran openly laughed at the demand and put his own saber away, "Yes it belongs to the Empire, children get wooden sticks for practice before they use the real thing." As he speaks Soran feels Skaut becoming more and more frustrated, it was a wonderful taste. "I will ask again, why do you have it? You are no Jedi and certainly no Sith...yet." He watched the mans anger become confusion at the statement licking his lips he slowly blinked. This young man would not attack him, he did want to but not because of dislike for the Sith he truly just wanted the hostage in Soran's hand.

 

[Steel Wraith]

Skaut sighed. "Look, I earned this saber. It was a gift." said Skaut. "And the thing about the sticks? I had heavy pipes. My teacher was a heartless person. Believed that pain was just a thing to be ignored. That belief hasn't left me, but my father beating me until I was broken still leaves these scars." He sighed, he just wanted a holocron. "Can I please have the holocron? I need it to get to the Sith homeworld."

 

[DudeTheManatee]

Finally a real answer, he wanted to go to Korriban? The first real world Soran had called home, he smiled, Soran had a moment how about a test? "See was that answer so hard? Try not to use the father story as an opener at parties, scares of the ladies...and gentlemen." The smile on his face disappeared, "If you want the holocron here it is.", the device was held flat on Soran's hand. Unblinking he stared at Skaut as he took two steps toward his prize. "No.", with his free hand short bursts of lightning sparked the ground in front of the boy, "Reach it from there, focus your frustrations, your anger, your joy...force it to you."

Soran gave a humorless laugh to his poor pun and waited to see if he was right...