Ask Taking Sunshine Away

[Kaldar]

Per my OP template, thread is death enabled​

The day on Manaan was beautiful as was typical. He had worn a tourists outfit and concealed his lightsaber. It would work out to Nash's advantage that lightsabers were better of concealed here, which would make it less obvious that she just didn't have one. "Totally close to graduating."

For his part, Kaldar just waited for her at a coffee shop, sipping at his Peppermint White Mocha as he enjoyed the sunny day, practically the perfect picture of a tourist with no responsibilities.

Internally, he mused about the mission they were here to do and the woman he was here to do it with. It was a delicate game he was playing of recruiting allies to the cause of Raze, and it wasn't for everyone. The question was whether or not she would be a good fit and how to broach the topic appropriately.

But this mission was a good opportunity to accomplish something for himself and to plant the baited hook.

He had cut a deal with one of the local Kolto companies for a large stake in their company if he was able to eliminate the market competition. In this case, that meant sabotaging the Kolto mining operation. Totally easy, right?

 

[Nash]

Nash hated being nervous. Drinking and bullshitting at a bar was one thing, doing a follow up was a whole different ball game. The guy was a bit older, more experienced and obnoxiously hot. Nash knew to be on her guard, and she was happy he chose a relatively tame place to meet. She knew little about him and her social media and Sith stalking turned up almost nothing. The guy had no presence and no one in the Order really knew him. It was red flag city. However, she would suss him out one last time before making the final call.

She opened the door and spotted him right away, flashing a smile before walking over. Nash was dressed sporty, and with a custom fitted hat. She took a seat across from him, “You look like you’re ready for a day on the beach,” Nash said with a smirk.

 

[Kaldar]

Kaldar smiled slightly and raised his cup in greeting to Nash as she came over to meet him. He was glad that she had worn clothes that also didn't scream "I'm a Sith" because that would have made this job even more difficult.

Excellent, that's exactly what I was going for, he said, pointing at her with the word "excellent" as if to emphasize it. He valued blending in in most situations. The proper tool for the proper job.

As she slid into a seat, he took another sip of his foo-foo coffee and took a moment to ponder their situation and the delicate balance that existed between them.

Alright, so you're helping me. I guess I should probably teach you something, right? he said. In truth, most of this he had already thought about. He wanted to see how she responded and reacted to situations, and it was one part mission, one part training, and one part test, but it was all parts going to be a good time.

Tell me who's most dangerous: the sorcerer, the warrior, or the assassin, he said. The three "traditional" routes that a Sith could take. It was something of a trick question, but that was all good Sith teaching, wasn't it? At least he wasn't out here doing the whole "lightning shock" things like some masters did. Like his master had done. It was clear that although they were here to fight and kill and sabotage, he was in no rush to get along the way apparently.

You can get a coffee if you want while you think about it, he added, jutting a finger back behind him into the coffee shop.

 

[Nash]

Nash wasn’t sure what to expect with this guy. She was still wary around him and thought he would stab her on the spot for being a failure acolyte. Maybe he already found out that she didn’t have a master and was relatively untrained. For now, Nash pushed the thoughts down, deciding to focus on what sounded like a riddle. She definitely wasn’t smart enough for these, so she thought about all the video games she played.

“The assassin,” She responded, “Because they’re probably watching the other two, sneaking in before they even realize it and taking them out. Now if they’re spotted by the warrior, it’s game over, and same with sorcerer because they’re going to be more powerful-” Realizing she was rambling, Nash cleared her throat as she pondered a bit longer, “You know what? Any of them can really fuck shit up if they know to cover their blind spots and anticipate scenarios,” She said with a final nod. She knew which category she fit into and she refused to believe she couldn’t steamroll some sorcerer or assassin type with some prepwork.

Nash politely excused herself to go grab herself a caf, ordering a blended frozen one with plenty of whipped cream. She sat back down a moment later, drawing the sugary drink through a straw as she looked for his response.

 

[Kaldar]

Kaldar listened in silence to her rambling, feeling the nerves and tension that flowed through her as she spoke. Perhaps it was simply that she desperately wanted a master or perhaps he made her nervous, for the moment he made no comment on it.

There were numerous ways to approach the question, and the way that she answered it eventually brought her pretty close to the answer he was looking for. Or at least one of the answers he viewed as correct.

She dismissed herself to go get a drink, and he could just mentally envision her heading inside to wipe her forehead, taking another sip as he watched the locals walking by on the street in front of him. She slid back into her seat several moments later.

I'll accept your answer, he said. The one who is most dangerous is the one who is the smartest, he said.

At your level, usually the warrior is the most deadly. At my level or at the level of the Council, that dynamic shifts. Sorcerers learn secret techniques and tend to be smarter, he said.

But ultimately, if you really want to be a successful Sith: you have to broaden your horizons. There are exceptions to every rule, of course, he said.

Darth Marr was a tactical genius. Darth Vader was... well, he was Darth Vader, he said. Both were successful Sith Warrior Lords that Kaldar respected immensely. He also knew that he, himself, was closest to the assassin path, but he refused to let himself be cornered.

What do you make of the Baneite era Sith? he asked. Good? Bad? Better than now? Worse?

 

[Nash]

Nash hadn’t considered the angle of ranks and the appropriate skillsets. However, as he explained it, that made sense. Most acolytes her age, except for perhaps Prof, still had rudimentary skills with the Force. She noticed that the Force based acolytes tended to surround themselves with tougher friends. A lot this made sense, and she stared vacantly for a moment before realizing he went on.

She felt cornered by his question, and she knew her little act was up. Nash sighed and looked down, “Truthfully Kald- Master Kaldar,” She corrected respectfully, “I am new to the Sith. I’m not close to graduating. I don’t know about Sith history beyond Vader or Raze and Andruil most recently,” Nash shrugged, “My background is with the cartel,” She stated flatly as she gazed at him, “So I can tell you all about the best refined spice, the Syndicate networks, but I can’t tell you jack shit about Sith,” Nash paused, “I came to the Order because…I guess I wanted to do something about my Force abilities and be something different than the typical dancer in a Hutt's hall..” She absentmindedly fiddled with the kyber crystal on her necklace.

Nash gave a hollow laugh, “Sorry for wasting your time,” She looked away with a sigh, “I’ll pay for my own coffee.”

 

[Kaldar]

Kaldar didn't say anything as she spoke once again, listening to what she said, her skillsets, and her own shortcomings. His face didn't even twitch when she mentioned that she hadn't been in the Sith long.

Yes, you will, he said as soon as she said that she would pay for her own coffee. He certainly wasn't going to. Since she hadn't gotten up, he didn't have to preemptively tell her to sit down, which was what he was planning to do, so he simply went on.

You really think I didn't know that you were lying about your progress? he said. He did know, and he wanted to manufacture the appearance of knowing all and being in control of all. It was why Kaldar respected Raze, and although he knew that Raze wasn't truly all-powerful, he was pretty kriffing close.

Frankly, even her skills in the underworld could be useful to him. Some of his recent break outs into places like Randon could make those skills all the more useful to him.

Alright, you don't know anything about the Sith. Then I'm going to teach you to think like a Sith, he said, his face growing very serious and his eyes almost boring into her. You tell me: why did I bring you here knowing that you weren't what you sold yourself as. And it wasn't to kill you, he said, deciding to just chop that answer off at the start. He wanted to see if she could put the pieces together. He wanted - or perhaps needed was the better word - to understand how she thought because that was what would be forged into a Sith.

 

[Nash]

So this guy was an asshole. Nash should have expected as much - after all she was one according to other acolytes. Why he even dropped hints that this would be a date was beyond her. Nash kept her composure despite wanting to sock him in that pretty face of his. She gazed back at him, not entirely surprised that he knew all along.

“To use me for your own purposes, why else?” Nash said icily, “It’s no different from how things operate in Hutt space. I do some shit to further your agenda and you let me live because that's how it works with the pecking order,” She shrugged, “So what’s it gonna be?”

 

[Kaldar]

Kaldar just raised an eyebrow at her words. Sure, that was part of it: all Sith used each other, but it wasn't the truth of the question he had asked. It was so much more complicated than that, and there was so much more depth to his plans than a simple exchange.

If I were shortsighted, sure, he said, and proceeded to go on with answering the question he had asked.

I brought you here because you don't have a master and because you're hungry. I think you want to excel and you're willing to take the risk of lying in order to get what you want. Those are attributes worth noting, he said, pausing a moment to let her rebuttal the comment he had just made.

I'm not going to kill you if you leave here. I'll be annoyed, but at least I won't have wasted any more of my time on you, he said, not moving from his seat, but motioning out to the street where she could leave if she wanted.

But please make your decision quickly, he said.

 

[Nash]

It wasn’t often that Nash bit back her tongue. She was notorious for blurting out the first thing on her mind and getting in trouble for it. Most of the time her fists did all the talking. However, this man genuinely made her nervous and it had nothing to do with attraction. He was unsettling, powerful and there was a deep knowledge behind those eyes that suggested that he was perhaps all three of the roles he listed off earlier.

“I want to rise above what I am now..what I was born into,” Nash admitted, looking away, “I thought I could find that among the Sith, but so far I’ve just come across children or lost souls like me. There are several with masters that are just as disappointing,” Her eyes narrowed, “I survived and clawed my way up this far, and I don’t want to fall behind now.”

Nash looked towards the doorway briefly, looking at the town beyond it. She saw the carefree civilians laughing and walking, families out there to enjoy a day out. Nash sighed and looked back at Kaldar, seeing him in a completely different light now.

“I’m ready.”

 

[Kaldar]

Kaldar liked what he heard. He didn't sense that she was lying about this, not this time, and if what she said was true, then she was just the kind of person he was looking for.

Good, he said, looking at her and nodding. She was taking her first step into a larger world. And now... he took a risk. Granted, it was a calculated risk, but a risk nonetheless. What was being Sith if not a series of calculated risks teetering on the edge of oblivion?

I'm not going to soft ball this to you. This is going to be hard, and there will be no quitting, but it will turn you into exactly what you want to become: the power of the galaxy. But power comes with cost, he said, letting her digest those thoughts and giving her the final opportunity to back out. The final chance to leave before there was no reversal.

Assuming she didn't, he went on and spent over an hour teaching her the 10,000 foot overview of the Sith history. Starting with Andraste, Kravos, the original Eternal, and Evandrus. He brought her down through the ages through the powers of Darth Marr and Darth Nox. He told her about the wars between the Jedi and Sith that had raged for millennia. He told her of Darth Malon and Darth Venator and of Darth Bane's betrayal and destruction of Malon's Empire.

And then he came to the Baneite Sith. He told her of their lineage and the Rule of Two, leading her through the stories of Darth Sidious and Darth Vader, their defeat and the seeding of the new Eternal. He told her of Darth Andruil, Malicia, Stolas... and Darth Raze. He detailed the fall of the Empire - history she likely knew - but from a different perspective. The perspective of a Sith.

And then he arrived at it.

See, the Sith are about lineage. Sith trace their power through the ranks of their masters from Sidious all the way back to Bane, he said.

And today, the Order traces its roots through Darth Tempest.... But that is not our lineage, he said, motioning to them both. We both served our time among the Sith Order of Tempest, but not anymore, he paused again a moment, partly for dramatic effect and partly so that her mind could catch up to the deluge of information he was throwing at her.

Our line is through Darth Raze, who is my master, he said. Even as a Sith Master himself, he saw no shame in having one above him. In fact, he took pride in it as the gap between Master and Dark Lord was as great as the one between Master and Acolyte. The list of beings who got to train at the feet of the Dark Lord was a fraction of a fraction of Sith.

 

[Nash]

It felt like a bomb being dropped on her at the end. The rest of it was all historical lore that she could pick up on, but that reveal at the end sent a chill down her spine. She knew that Darth Raze had once been the Dark Lord of the Sith when there was an Empress. She also knew that he was a blight upon the galaxy, causing more destruction and devastation than anything else. He caused more chaos than entire bodies of governments or factions.

“Was,” She said, numbed, “Was your master,” Nash stated as she gazed into his eyes. There was an unsettling feeling as she surveyed him when he stated who his Master was. What he suggested could be considered treason.

“You are not a part of the Sith Order..” Nash said, feeling anxiety bubbling in her chest. And yet she couldn’t deny the intrigue he held about him. Even at the bar, Kaldar had a magnetism about him that commanded attention, a strength to him that didn’t manifest in the others. Was that the difference? The fact that he was taught by Raze?

“Raze destroyed everything in his path..” Nash mused, “How can that ever make for effective teaching?”

 

[Kaldar]

Is, he reiterated. In truth, Kaldar was so determined on bringing Raze back that he sometimes forgot that the rest of the galaxy still thought him dead.

He's not dead in the conventional sense, and things are underway to bring him back. He's just... sleeping, he said. That, too, was a bombshell in its own way. Raze's death had been surrounded by mystery, ambiguity, and confusion.

She settled in on the realization that he was not part of the Sith Order, but he didn't comment.

He thought for just a moment about the answer to her question. There were so many angles to tackle it from, and he considered what the best one was.

It already has. I've made leaps forward in my knowledge under his tutoring, he said. The resources at his disposal, the times he had trained directly with him, and the pushing he was required to do on missions had turned him into a potent Sith.

The galaxy only sees the face of destruction, but there's so much more than that, he said. He had shown Kaldar what it was to have true power. Not just strength but influence and the ability to turn the galaxy to whatever you wanted it to be.

And the fact that you know and fear him is exactly why this is the path to the true potential of the Sith. More so than the Order. Because there is no one else in the galaxy that elicits that reaction, he said, pointing to her to emphasize the point.

 

[Nash]

“You’re fucking delusional,” Nash spat back, scoffing. Raze was dead. She had seen the footage, witnessed the explosions, and the rubble. Nothing could have survived that. It was a complete destruction and there had been no follow up attacks since. However, Kaldar fully believed in it, and his stoic face even after her response sent a chill down her spine.

Because he was right. Raze did inspire that kind of fear. Raze was the boogeyman. Raze was judgment and hell manifesting into the galaxy. As ridiculous as it sounded, she could tell Kaldar wasn’t lying. She couldn’t entirely brush off Raze not being humanoid either. He was unnatural in every way based on what she learned about him.

“Then why are you trying to bring him back instead of….becoming him?” Nash asked quietly, picking at the skin on her thumb with a nail from nervousness. He would be able to practically smell the fear on her. Fear for Raze. Fear for Kaldar. She was in way over her head.

 

[Kaldar]

Kaldar almost forgot how crazy it sounded every time he said it, but Azar had come around because he'd seen the truth. She would come around eventually as well, and he didn't seem upset by her accusation of his delusions.

You'll see, he just said.

The same reason Darth Zannah saved Darth Bane: the training isn't finished. He has knowledge that it would be tragic to lose, and as much as I'd like to say otherwise, I'm still only a fraction of what he is, he said. Could he go around doing what Raze had done... yes, kind of. He could mimic it and he could probably lay waste to planets, but the fear? The raw power that he could unleash? No, Kaldar's abilities were parlor tricks next to that. Most Sith's were.

He could feel the fear flowing off of her, and she had that look of an animal that was about ready to bolt. He knew he had unloaded a huge amount of information on her and most of it was shocking, but this was a rip the bandaid moment off. Now it was off, and it was time for a little reassurance.

Nash... just breathe, he said, his voice gentle as he said it, and making eye contact with her and nodding.

This is how you're going to get what you want if you're really serious about all you said. And I know that I'm picking you as an acolyte, which means all I expect is some common sense and a desire to learn, he said. He knew she was in over her head, and he also knew that that was why he was here. A brand new acolyte had... almost no skills, but neither did any of the Sith Lords when they were first recruited.

 

[Nash]

Nash sat in silence for a long moment after Kaldar spoke, her eyes narrowing as his voice switched to something gentle. She didn’t trust him at all, and everything he said and his every gesture was suddenly suspicious to her.

“Why do I get the feeling you won’t be one of those Masters that gives their acolyte an allowance?” She said with a scoff as she sipped her coffee. She heard about some Sith named Param that was basically handed a tea shop and other assets for no reason other than being an apprentice. Rumor had it she had a credit card too. Nash thought life would be easy street once she found a Master, but this sounded like it was going to be a nightmare.

“What do we do now?” Nash asked, quirking a brow, “I came here dressed for a date, not combat..”

 

[Kaldar]

Kaldar was actually caught somewhat off guard by her next comment. An allowance? Yeah, he supposed that was a pretty normal thing. Even he had been given mission stipends by his old master.

He turned that thought over in his head and reminded himself that not only did he have plenty of money after his exploits on Coruscant and his investments on Muunilinst, but if he was going to invest into her, it would require physical assets as well.

I've never had an acolyte before, he said, deciding that it was something they would have to visit, and his mind was already turning over the options in his mind. She'd likely get a stipend at least for a time until she could gain her own resources. He did, after all, believe in compensating value.

Combat can wait. We'll come back another day, he said with a shrug. The Kolto vents weren't going anywhere, and he hadn't given his new business partners a time table.

You know how to fly? he asked. Evidently, Freyja hadn't, which had been shocking to him, but he also told Nash he expected her to have no skills anyway, so...

Right now, we're going to go buy you a ship. How's that for a date? he said with a wink, pushing himself to his feet as casually as if he hadn't said he was just going to spend tens of thousands of crowns on her. He knew it was an investment in his new apprentice, but he still had a flair for the dramatic. He didn't just buy all the girls a new ship.

He still didn't pay for her coffee.

 

[Nash]

“I’m a pretty solid pilot,” Nash said proudly. There weren’t many skills she had that could transfer over to the Sith, but piloting was definitely one. When he mentioned buying her a ship, she thought she didn’t hear correctly, so she asked him to repeat it. Once he did, she stared vacantly, following him out of the shop after paying for her own coffee.

“How old are you, exactly? Are you one of those old Sith Lords that are actually a million years old but stay young because you drink the blood of infants?” Nash asked as she popped a cig between her lips after they stepped out. Her initial attraction to Kaldar was replaced with finding the guy sketch as fuck. He probably slept in a coffin.

Manaan was stunning to behold, and she couldn’t help but stare at the beaches and the endless oceans on all sides. There was a constant breeze that kissed her skin, and she wanted nothing more than to bake in the sun.

“What kind of ship?” Nash asked, unable to keep the excitement from her voice. This sounded way too good to be true.

 

[Kaldar]

Oh, good! he said, pleasantly surprised to hear that she was a good pilot.

Her question about his age caught him off-guard, and he turned back to her and gave a "really" squint. No, I'm really in my twenties, he reassured her, starting to get a vibe for just what she thought of him.

Kriiiff, I've really got you spooked, haven't I? he said with an insufferable grin.

Cheer up, it's not all gloom and doom, he said, flicking his eyes up and tilting his head from side to side. At least not for us, he added. The Sith - and their branch of the Sith in particular - weren't known for bringing prosperity to others, but they lived life better than anyone else. In fact, they were perhaps the only beings in the galaxy who truly lived.

I was going to let you pick, he said. But something all-purpose. Probably light freighter or small star yacht, he said. It provided a room to live in on the proverbial road, decent enough combat purposes, and could be used to get around the galaxy without drawing attention.

He kept sipping at his coffee until they arrived shortly thereafter at a ship dealership carrying all manner of craft from yachts and freighters all the way down to smaller figher craft minus the weaponry. He didn't stand in the way of her picking.

I get the impression you're too sussed out now to consider this an actual date, he pointed out. But you have to admit, it'll be memorable, he added.

 

[Nash]

Nash decided to test the limits of his abilities by picking a fancy ship. She had no desire to pick something that would engage in combat, she needed something sleek that could get her places fast. The nicer luxury models also never aroused suspicion for smuggling, so she could bring spice over without anyone batting an eye.

She scoffed at his words, “You just dropped the fact that you’re Raze’s apprentice on me and made yourself into my Sith Master,” She turned to him with a raised brow, “Date is the last thing on my mind right now. If you do your job, pretty sure I’m supposed to hate you…according to what the other students have been whispering,” Nash said with a shrug.