Complications

[Sylas Frost]

Tatooine
​

It had only been about a few months since Sylas fled the Jedi Order and made contact with the Exiles. The first sect he made contact with were the assassins who he immediately gravitated towards. Striking from the shadows seemed like the smartest idea and eradicating the Jedi sounded like a good idea as any. Except for...no. There would be no exceptions. Either she would join their cause or die like the rest. He quickly dismissed the thought from his mind as he continued through the desert, wearing his black cloak.

He left Mos Eisley as dusk to begin his search for the Jedi. His contact in the city told him that the Jedi would be to the east, most likely, as that was the direction he was last seen headed in. The Jedi had arrived a few hours ahead of him, so going after him on foot would allow him to catch up eventually, especially if the Jedi was set up for the night.

Sylas's target was a former master that he had met on multiple occasions. Though Sylas considered the man's title to be more formal than anything. The Jedi had only recently attained his rank and his dueling skills weren't a match for most knights. He was however very wise, as far as Jedi went, which even Sylas had to admit. Maybe he realized the error of their ways and wished to seek atonement in the harsh deserts, but that was hardly likely. When Sylas looked up, he saw a glimmer of light in the distance...a possible campfire. With his prey in sight, Sylas cracked a smile and continued his trek through the desert, eager to take his target out.

@Hugh Capet

 

[Anæus Pellaxus Vargam]

The day had been a long and hard one. Still without a ship, even months after his initial rise to Apprenticeship, Anæus was forced to trudge on through plains, swamps, and deserts to find his quarries. The environment in which he rested that night was of the latter sort, with dunes stretching for miles around and the only sign of civilization being the occasional vaporator sticking out of the ground. The man wished he could have but one drink from them, as that cool, fresh water would be much more thirst-quenching than whatever he was able to buy back in Mos Eisley. However, he knew it would have been a fruitless effort. He had arrived on this desert planet of Tatooine just that same day in search of a man known to be a former Jedi. The bounty-poster said as much, anyhow. The testimony was questionable, but he was willing to follow any and all leads, no matter where they took him, in the end. Besides, he figured this Jedi would be easy enough to sense regardless of where he was hiding.

At the advice of the bounty-poster Anæus trekked eastward into the wastes. Thankfully, the dying day offered a relatively cool walk, and he ambled along hoping to enjoy the cool night air. With Ghomrassen rising further and further into the sky, it gave the surrounding dunes an eerie yet beauteous glow. Even a man such as Anæus had his limits, however, and soon he found himself in need of rest. He hurried behind the crest of a rather large dune and gathered what little wood he could from nearby shrubbery. Still, it served as an adequate enough fuel and soon thereafter a fire was made. The assassin hoped what light it made wouldn't be too noticeable, but his hopes were dashed when he sensed the presence of darkness near-by. Exile or no Exile, Anæus wasn't interested in having potentially dangerous company stick around.

Despite that, he attempted to remain calm and cool as he stood and climbed to the top of the dune, only to be face to face with the source of the dark presence. From what he could see of the boy in the dim light of the moon and fire his hair was dark an disheveled, almost as is he'd never bothered to comb it since awakening that day. His face was thin and effeminate. His clothing simple, being little more than a black robe. "He certainly chose a good time for hunting," Anæus thought, having few, if any, illusions as to this man's true intentions. There wasn't any reason to be uncivil, however.

"Good-evening," he stated cordially, giving his fellow a polite nod and an amicable smile.

 

[Sylas Frost]

Sylas continued towards the light, hoping to find who he was looking for. At this point, he hadn't killed a Jedi yet or been in a real fight with one. This was going to be like a personal rite of passage. The next step in severing his ties to the light. The thought gave him mixed feelings, but they were mostly positive. Sure there was more to the dark side than killing Jedi and there were some that he respected. But cowards and weaklings had no place in this world and any excuse to get rid of a follower of the light was enough for him to want to go through with it.

As he got closer to the campsite, he saw a man climb to the top of the dune. When he was a few yards away, Sylas saw that the man wasn't the Jedi he was looking for. Attempting to hide his disappointment he smiled when he was greeted and nodded. "Good-evening...what brings you to the middle of the desert?" When Sylas focused on the other man, he could sense a dark presence. Even if he didn't know what his target looked like, he knew that this man couldn't be the one Sylas was looking for. He stayed where he was, not wanting to get too close. It was possible this man was a fellow Exile, but if he wasn't then Sylas didn't want to have to risk a fight before he reached the Jedi.

 

[Anæus Pellaxus Vargam]

The question would have caused the Exile to almost grin at the implications, but Anæus maintained his friendly smile and warm countenance. "Why, I could ask the same of you, good sir. Ah, but come. Sit at the fire a moment. 'Tisn't much of one, but it'll keep the cold of the desert off of you, at least for a minute." Motioning for the black-robed figure to follow, Anæus turned and partially slid down the sand dune to the fire, which, as the man had said, was little more than a burning branch or two. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't attempt to be hospitable. "As to my purpose here, in the middle of nowhere, I shan't lie. I'm on the hunt for a man rumored to be of the Jedi Order. Whether or not that's true, I'm uncertain, but 'tis as good a lead as any." After a moment of silence, the Exile offered his guest a drink from his canteen, ultimately not caring whether or not the man accepted it.

@Shogun

 

[Sylas Frost]

The man seemed friendly enough...which put Sylas on edge a bit. However, he decided that sitting down for a bit couldn't hurt and shrugged, following the man to his fire. He sat down across from him, keeping his cloak together as he sat with his legs crossed. After a brief moment, the man answered his question, being strangely straightforward about his purpose. To kill a man of the Jedi Order. Sylas was shocked at the man's bluntness and was only take out of it when he was offered the canteen. He nodded slightly and took it, taking a single sip. It would be rude to refuse the offer, but he didn't want to push the limits of his kindness.

Sylas wiped his mouth with his sleeve and replied, "I suspect the rumors to be true then...because I'm also hunting down a Jedi." He wasn't sure what to think of the man. It was certainly possible that he ran into a fellow Exile, which would be preferred. Because if the man was simply a bounty hunter then it was possible that he would be after Sylas next. For now though, Sylas would give the well-spoken man the benefit of the doubt. After all, the only one capable of beating him in a duel would be a high ranking Jedi or another Exile. And due to the fact the man was hunting a Jedi, that safely ruled out that option.

@Hugh Capet

 

[Anæus Pellaxus Vargam]

The look of shock on the stranger's face was priceless to see and had Anæus been a man of lesser self-control he would have chuckled at the sight. He maintained his composure, however, and took back his canteen once returned. Now that the other man was illumined by the firelight, the Exile could look upon him with far better clarity. The brunette's countenance was rather hard and serious, and those lips looked as though they'd never smiled once. For what reason his guest appeared as he did, Anæus could scarcely guess, though the Dark Side might very well have had an effect. From what his mentor had told him concerning the Force and wielding it properly (i.e. as a Jedi wouldn't), mastering the Dark Side could lead men to madness, should they let their emotions govern them and their actions. Perhaps this other Exile, in utilizing such an aspect of the Force, had done something to warrant such an unemotional, almost somber face.

Anæus placed such musings in the back of his mind, however, as the silence between him and his guest had grown practically to the point of awkwardness. "From your being out here in the middle of the night, I suspected as much," he said, sipping his water. "Your attire also revealed your purpose, I must say. Perhaps try something less conspicuous for future bounties. Otherwise, your targets will know whom to be wary of and thus make their capture or murder all the more difficult." A moment of silence followed. "All-black also makes your Excileship much less discreet. Unless, of course, you wear it as a badge of honor, in which case I applaud your brazenness."

@Shogun

 

[Sylas Frost]

Sylas looked down as his attire was criticized and he shrugged, looking back up. "When it comes to this Jedi, no matter what I wear he'll probably recognize me. Might as well make sure he knows why I've come too." He was never personally too close to the Jedi, but he did see him on a regular basis. That combined with how he was likely seen as an enemy by the entire order for deserting would add to his infamy with the rest of the Jedi. It was a burden, but it was a burden he knew from the moment he left he would have to carry.

After a brief silence, the man mentioned how his attire made his allegiance much less discreet to which he nodded and replied, "I want the Jedi to where where my allegiance lies now. Striking fear into those who recognize me as an Exile is also a plus." Sylas's lips curved up slightly into a smirk and continued, "Though usually I do dress a bit more inconspicuously. Might start doing that a bit more though if you're suggesting it." The other man certainly seemed to know what he was talking about and though Sylas didn't always like admitting his mistakes, if it helped him get his jobs done easier and made survival easier than he was willing to listen.

@Hugh Capet

 

[Anæus Pellaxus Vargam]

Anæus's eyebrows briefly raised in surprise at the mention of the Jedi being able to recognize his guest. A personal history wasn't something he had anticipated. He debated whether to enquire further into the matter, but it was forced to the back of his mind as his fellow expounded upon striking "fear" in the heart of any Jedi he met.

Again, Anæus almost laughed at the other Exile's views. "Fear doesn't count for much, if anything at all, if the Jedi you encounter see your 'change of allegiance' from a mile away." Stopping himself short, he decided to metaphorically rein in his opining, as he might soon become rude, and thus harm his standing with his guest. "Of course, you're welcome to dress however you wish, so long as you accept the consequences of dressing in all-black all the time."

@Shogun

 

[Sylas Frost]

The man was right, but Sylas couldn't help but get a bit flustered over his appearance, looking down at the black cloak he wore. "I was planning on striking at night if possible...would've helped." He sighed and undid the cloak, setting it aside. Under it he had a dark grey robe on with white on each shoulder that went down to his waist. His lightsaber rested on his belt and he looked back up. He planned on continuing using the attire, but he would have to be more careful in the future for when to use it.

"So...you planning on continuing your hunt in the morning?" Not wanting to talk about his blunder any longer than he had to, Sylas changed the subject to both of their objectives: hunting down and killing the Jedi. With the both of them, it would be extremely easy to take out the Jedi. But Sylas wanted to do the deed himself. He needed to take a step further towards the dark and sever the connection from the light as soon as he could.

@Hugh Capet

 

[Anæus Pellaxus Vargam]

Anæus quietly reflected on all this talk of appearance and maintaining a quality of inconspicuousness. He found it rather funny how he, of all people, was giving such advice to his guest. An all-black outfit was lacking in subtlety, certainly, but what he was wearing couldn't be considered much better, at least in his mind. He wore a crimson tunic with a khaki-colored cloak and matching trousers, as he couldn't help wearing something with red in it. He noted that as a potential hazard in the future, as it would likely lead to the exact same outcome he'd just mentioned for his guest. Still, such was an issue for another day. The Exile stoked his dying fire.

"I'm sure you'd like that, wouldn't you," he thought, referencing the other male's question of whether he'd continue the hunt the next morning. "I could theoretically attempt to do that, as my attire doesn't absorb much in the way of heat. Although, were I to wait, you'd have a head start on me, I've no doubt. If you were to leave now and head in the direction of wherever he's hiding, you'd likely not arrive until the suns of Tatooine have risen, and given your attire you'd likely be quite uncomfortable, to say the least. As I see it, however, it ultimately matters not whether I track him down now or the next morning, as he'll be able to sense either of us coming no matter how quiet we are, whether individually or together. It's essentially a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' scenario." Anæus took a moment to stand and brush sand off of his tunic. "You may track him now if you wish. My only foreseeable option is to do the same or else risk losing my quarry. I'll just have to have you accompany me for the rest of the journey, it seems."

He wasn't exactly thrilled to have the other guest in his company for so long, as he never faired well with a partner in tow. This would likely be their only time together, though, and he was unlikely to ever see this man again. So, a temporary partnership was something he could bear reasonably. Stamping out the fire with his boot, Anæus rubbed the sole in the sand before turning to his companion and motioning for him to follow.

@Shogun