Ask Where The Boomer Hides

[Param Vour]

It had been a only a couple of weeks since returning to Troiken with her chosen apprentice, Vossari. Between then and now, she had found out her former Master had disappeared without a trace, she had inherited his apprentice, Gemini- whom she'd beaten with his own weapon at the time- and that the Pykes were trying to reclaim their lost assets. It was like the galaxy had conspired to come down on her all at once. Now with two apprentices, a planet to run without any of the paper work, and a syndicate up her ass, Param had struggled to even find time to train her martial arts.

The was why she had called Vossari back. Their first mission as Master and Apprentice would be to find Param's former master's ship and his belongings. If they were able to find them, they'd be able to find his banking information and the operations he had been running. Would make things a lot easier, that was for sure. In the short time she had known Vossari, he had changed her outlook on many aspects of business related adventures. It was like the Sith was a backdrop for them, on a canvas they could paint whatever they damn well pleased over it. Being a Sith wasn't apart of their being, at least, not the way Param saw it. It was the jumping off point to something greater; a launch pad to an empire born and raised from the creative consciousness of her apprentice. They came with some pretty good fashion tips too.

Param waited for Vossari in the starport city of Troiken that had yet to be named. Most people just referred to it as "the city," but Param had been toying around in her mind late at night about what to call it. Once she had the deeds to the mining operations here, and secured the planet from the Pykes, she could effectively rule the planet herself. It was terrifying and exciting all at the same time. And even now she found she couldn't wait to tell Kai all about it.

She was dressed in an gothic urban outfit inspired by Vossari's drawings, Jire Xokie in its scabbard tucked into the left hip of her belt. She carried no lightsaber this time. She had made due with her promise to give him some space in the garden for planting his own plants, and giving him a wall to use as a mural for his art, and between Param's income from the tea shop and his own working there, Vossari had been able to continue his creative mind at will while he was on Troiken, in between training under Param.

Vee was hunkered down, perched on her left shoulder as they waited. His optical lens fixed on her EZPhone in her hand as she scrolled through pictures of plants, cute animals, and funny videos.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

Param had proven to be a forgiving teacher. As long as Vossari showed up to the Garden Spot during regular working hours, and kept up his training with the vibroblade, he had otherwise been left to his own devices. It was a blessing and a curse - while Vossari highly valued their freedom and free time, they couldn't help but wish for more...mentorship. A closer relationship. They were still at the beginning of their journey as a Sith, and they hoped to accomplish so much more than tea shopping and swordplay. Still, he appreciated the space he was given, and had decorated the walls of the shop in colorful, intricate murals.

When Param summoned him for this task, he responded immediately. If nothing else, it would give him a chance to get to know P a little better, and unravel the puzzle that was her master, Thel. He had disappeared some time ago, and now, they were the vultures sent to pick apart his belongings.

They also played the part of urban ninja, wearing a simple pair of runners tights beneath shorts, a hoodie, and a rebreather mask. On their hip sat a vibroblade, long and deadly. He strolled casually to Param, patting Vee gently as he approached. "Yerrrr," he chirped, "what's going on, P, Vee. You feeling ready? What we in for today?"

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param lowered the black mask that covered his face, revealing a warm smile. "Hey!" she said. Vee beeped and whirred happily at the pets and greeting Vossari had given them. "We are going on a bit of a search and rescue." Param stood up, sliding her phone into one of her many pant pockets. She motioned with her hand for Vossari to follow her. "We need to search for my former master's ship, and then rescue his belongings so they can be put to proper use."

She pulled out a small puck, clicking the button on the side to display two planets and their information from a holo-emitter. "The last two planets his log transmissions to the xexto are Balosar, and Ogem. His ship will be at one of them. On that ship will be all of his personal belongings, and his banking information." She paused a moment, letting Vossari look at the information on the planets for a moment before turning the puck off. "The deed to the mining operations here on Troiken, and planet itself, is on that ship."

She lead the way to her own ship, making sure the ramp closed behind them. Vee hopped off her shoulder, and scurried toward the cockpit to get the ship spun up and heading out. The first planet they'd be searching would be Ogem. It was the last time she had seen Thel, and the first time she had seen her inheritted apprentice, Gemini. It was where Param had broken the man's knee cap. "The problem isn't finding the ship, it's that the Pykes are trying to take back what was originally theirs. They want the deed as much as we do."

The ships engines started. They would be taking off soon. She wouldn't bother asking if Vossari had any questions. They knew by now she had an open-ask policy. She also knew better than to ask if Vossari was okay with the dangers of the task they were about to perform. Even after particularly rough training sessions, she would hear him in his room practicing even more. If anyone was destined for greatness it was them.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

Vossari followed Param on the ship, quietly ruminating as she spoke. Who had the shop owned Troiken. And with a mining conglomerate as a front, they would gain great worldly power. "So, we get the deed and a few dead Pykes along the way. Sounds like a win-win." He had met these scum from his time on Nar Shadda. Slithering, just out of reach of the Hutts. These 'organized' criminals were all the same: Shortsighted leeches. Cleansing themselves of some of their enemies would be a net positive, no matter the challenges.

"Do the Pykes have the ship in their hands, or are you just expecting to see them?" The Ogemites were a people of traders and merchants, right? They wondered if there was a deeper meaning to this planet, or if Param's master had just touched down here on a whim. That would make sense - a few of the Sith he had met seemed to be an impulsive sort. Perhaps that was Param's master?

"I've been working on that feint-angle change-strike combination you taught me, P." He said, excitedly changing the topic at hand to his practice. They put their hand on the hilt of their blade to demonstrate. Rapidly, they drew it - with the speed and fluidity of the echani style. Long, straight durasteel flew through the air, practically singing as it did so. The blade stopped short of Vossari's imagined target, before he circled outwards and brought the blade downwards into a diagonal strike.

It was...sloppy. While the movements were technically correct, his footwork was still off-balance. In a real fight, with real adrenaline and life or death on the line, who knows how effective this cut would be? But it was evidence of his practice, treating the sword with the same seriousness he did the rest of his art.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param nodded with a smile. "Exactly!" Param said rather excitedly. It was double the excitement for her; not only was she getting to go hunt down her former master, but her apprentice was on the same page. "We're going to have to figure out if the Pykes have it yet or not. Or if they even know where to look. I imagine we'll run into a few of them, regardless," she explained, right before Vossari showed her the fruits of their practice.

"That's good! Focus on your footwork," she said, pointing to how his stance was misaligned. "Footwork, technique, speed." It was the mantra she had been drilling him with. By staging the focus of training in that way, one could have every aspect of the martial art committed to muscle memory, and still be able to adapt to new scenarios. "Remember, you're not a piece of cardboard fighting another piece of cardboard. There's weight behind your strikes, and weight behind theirs. You need to be able to keep your balance, even if you get hit."

She made her way to the cockpit, sitting in one of the chairs. Vossari was welcome to join her, or continue practicing in the back. It wouldn't be a long trip to get to Ogem once they entered hyperspace. Param would call Vossari to the cockpit once they had exitted. Vee started a full spectrum sweep of the planet and it's orbit. He beeped and chattered excitedly after a minute.

"Seems we found it," Param said. Thel's ship was on the surface of Ogem. Specifically in a large junk yard. The meant the Pykes didn't have it. "Can you take us down to the starport, Vee?"

@Fine Dining Set

(OOC Rolls:

1. Is Thel's Ship here: 14/20
2. Is it in orbit or on the surface: tails (surface)
3. Who has custody of the ship ( >=10 junkers, < 10 Pykes)

)

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

Vossari listened most intently when they were talking about training. It was so tangible, getting into one's body. They tried once more - footwork, technique, speed - and produced a more satisfying slash. Happily, they stashed their blade away, and readied themself for the adventure ahead. They sat with Param at the cockpit - not really copiloting, that was Vee's job, but just appreciating the beautiful expanse of the stars before them.

"Stealing a ship from a couple of lousy scrappers should be easy enough, P." These cretins likely didn't understand the true value of the things they toiled with. As the ship touched down, and opened up to a new starport, Voss took the opportunity to learn a little bit more about Param's teacher and the strange situation they found themselves it. "So, your master just...up and took off? No trace?" It was strange, but it had happened before. He had heard that two Mand'Alors disappeared in succession. Perhaps there was a secret retirement village in

"Anything else you inherited from him?" Vossari asked, pointedly. Param was an open book about her apprentice, her life generally. They were curious what secrets, if any, she held. But as Vossari began to speak, they realized what they were really curious about was Param's social life. All this time together, all this training, and he still barely knew the basics of who she was as a person. "You got a boyfriend or a girlfriend or anything, P? Who are you doing this all for?"

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

"Maybe, but we still have to be careful," Param said. This was a good opportunity to have a lesson on strategy, she thought. "There are multiple ways to go about this, Vossari. We could buy the ship, but that would be expensive and we'd likely have to go through a bid-war to get it. We could walk in, kill everyone, and take the ship. It would end up on the HoloNet, and we'd have to live in hiding from the bounty they would place on us. Or we could sneak into the junkyard, take what we need from the ship, delete all traces, and leave the ship to the Pykes if they come looking for it."

"Which one do you think is the most effective way to handle this, Vossari?" she asked. Unlike most of the questions she asked Vossari, this one did have a right answer. She knew a lot about him from their sparring; the part of Echani martial arts she didn't teach Vossari was how to listen to what someone was saying through their strikes and defenses- but this was a test of where their mind was at, not their emotions. Was Vossari like her former master; throw money at a problem until it went away? Were they like a Sith Warlord, killing and murdering to get what they want because they could? Or were they balanced, able to use their passions to fuel their ambitions with just enough restraint to keep them in the game and outsmart their competition.

After Vossari answered, Param would leave the air silent for a moment. The question about her former master's disappearance was a valid one, but one she didn't quite know how to explain. "According to his apprentice who I now have the displeasure of teaching, yes. One minute he was there, the next he wasn't." Param turned a hardened gaze to Vossari. "I try to keep your trainings separate for a reason; I wanted to train you, I have to train him. If you end up meeting Gemini, you're not to trust him with anything, Vossari. Do you understand? Swordsmanship, our operations on Troiken, even the missions we go on, understand?" She hoped Vossari would see that Gemini was the reason a creepervine now grew next to his little section of garden. If someone was going to blow their own supply instead of sell it, it was Gemini.

Of course, no amount of seriousness would prepare her for Vossari's next question. Boyfriend or girlfriend? Immediately she thought of the fanged grin, and that tail that swished back and forth excitedly. She frowned, knowing she'd broken her rule. There was no thinking about him around Sith. Keeping your happiness and passion a secret from an Order of mind-reading murderhobos was harder than it seemed.

"Vossari," she began, her eyes diverting to the sky line of Ogem as they soared through the atmosphere. "Love in the Sith is a dangerous game. The Sith will take everything from you. They will kill everything you have and love, and then tell you they're building you back up as a Sith should be. You have to guard and protect your passions, even from your friends." It was clear she was speaking with experience. Her voice didn't waiver, despite her frown and sadened eyes. "One day maybe you'll see mine, and I'll have to hope that when you do, you don't destroy it." Her last words were venom, but she had answered his question. Yes, there was someone, and she would burn world after world if it kept him safe.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

It seemed simple enough, if not as grandiose as the type of plan that would draw Vossari's attention. "Well, P, when you put it like that, the last one sounds best. Let's just get what we need and go. But if we find anything else cool, I'm taking it." Sneaking on board a ship would be (hopefully) easy enough. And yet, Vossari couldn't help but feel bored by the nature of their mission. So straightforward it was, so single-minded, that he couldn't focus. He wasn't passionate about this. But perhaps that was their learning edge - persevering through boredom.

But then she said something interesting: Another apprentice? Competition? Oh, that was rich. From Param's tone, it was clear Vossari was the favored acolyte; naturally, because they were the galaxy's greatest artist. How couldn't you love them? They puffed up their chest at the compliment, and mentally reaffirmed their need to dominate the next lowest on the totem pole - whoever this new apprentice is. "Can I meet him? I'd like to size up the team."

His eyes piqued as her tone changed to a near stern one. Had they managed to strike a nerve? He chuckled icily at her comments. She almost seemed like she hated being a Sith, hated the greatness of their legacy. "So there is someone? Who'd've thought."

Not wanting to linger too long on their light barb, they opted to start the mission. Vossari hopped out of their craft as they touched down, a bluff overlooking a massive scrapping facility. Vossari sighed into their hands. "Ugh, it could be anywhere. You got a specific location or anything?"

They slid down the cliff towards the scrapyard. A retinue of droids scanned the skies and patrolled the grounds - a serious security presence was necessary for a facility of this size. Careful to avoid their gaze for now, they began to slink into the mounds of trash that filled the scrapyard. The different piles of garbage across the massive facility formed into narrow streets and alleys that droids patrolled around. It was routine - like clockwork. If they were careful, they could get through.

But Vossari began to rife through shit immediately. They found...a key fob. A set of keys to something. Pocketing it, they showed the junkyard to Param. "I know you don't want to cause a scene...but I could run a distraction. Get the guards away. Then we get out. If I just use the sword nothing will be too 'Sith-y' right?"

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param only nodded at Vossari's mention of taking anything extra. She didn't care about what was in the junkyard aside from the deed to Troiken's mining operations. And his lightsaber, though she didn't quite know why she wanted that one. Maybe something to hang on her wall, or sell. When they asked if they could meet Gemini, Param stole a glance at them and shrugged. "If you really want to. He's the reason I had to plant a creepervine to guard your marcan plants."

She ignored his mentioning of there being someone. They would understand one day. Either they would have someone they thought special of their own, or they would see that power could be drawn from many different emotions and that hers just so happened to be passion in the form of love. Either way, it wasn't worth having that conversation then and there. She had no doubt Vossari would meet him one day.

Vossari's frustration with the junkyard being large was mutual. "Unfortunately not. Scanner picked up the tag, but not the exact location," she said, looking around. It was as if someone had made mountains out junk. Vee was perched on her shoulder, chirping and whirring his two cents on the situation. Param gave him a pat on the head. "Just keep your sensors up, Vee. We'll find it."

Param moved with Vossari step for step, raising her cloth mask somewhere along the way to hide half her face. When they stopped, and Vossari found the key fob, Param looked up to the sky. So far no Pykes (66/100) were showing up. It was odd, but Param wasn't going to complain about a blessing. She turned to Vossari and nodded. "Only sword. Minimal Force," she said curtly. "Vee will message you when we've found the ship and gotten what we need."

Normally, Param would be against splitting up. This however would be a good test to see how far Vossari had progressed with his training in a practical setting. Param waited for Vossari to disappear around a junk pile before moving on her own, though her pace would be slower than Vossari's. She walked slightly faster than if she were just taking a stroll, her silver eyes scanning the junk mountains for anything useful, and the ship, of course.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

No Force powers, no lighstabers...why was Param's training always focused on denying them access to their birthright? The very things that made them superior to these lesser beings. Vossari's fists coiled around their sword as they took in their teacher's explanation. At least it would be an interesting challenge. But Vossari longed for access to the arcane, esoteric magicks of the Dark Side more than whatever temporal or worldly power they hoped to gain from this. Still, this would pose a good opportunity to test their saber training, at least.

But Vossari needed a better vantage point. They began to scale one of the towers of trash, climbing higher and higher until they reached the top of the tall pile. They climbed to a stable surface at the top - the flattened bed of a dump truck left for scrap - and looked on at the droid patrols. A single droid rounded the corner. Too easy.

A security drone slowly patrolled above. Vossari stretched out his hand, coiling the Force around the drone to crumple its motor. As the little drone fell from the sky, Vossari withdrew his sword and cut it, clean, in half. They sheathed their sword into its scabbard smoothly. Perhaps this was the benefit of Param's training - honing the physical body to its natural limit, becoming a weapon that does not use the Force as a crutch but as an ally...

They refocused their attention to the present. One droid, rounding the corner. Not many more in sight. Vossari descended from his garbage pile quietly, and planted his sword into the back of the droid's processor unit. It shuttered, spasmed, and fell to the ground with the blade embedded.

He activated his in-suit comm link. "One 'patrol' is down. Vee, you got eyes on the ship yet?" Certainly, there would be more droids, soon.

Sneak attack roll: 11/20

 

[Param Vour]

Param made her way through the junk heaps. It was quiet, which was a good thing of course, but it almost felt too quiet. She rounded a corner to find four lightly armed men standing out front of a ship. It was Thel's ship; the four beings in front of it she didn't recognize. The markings on their arms labelled them as some group, maybe the Pykes. It wouldn't matter. "Vee, get the door. Tell Vossari we found it, and our coordinates." she said calmly, her left hand wrapped around the metal scabbard of her sword, thumb unseating it so that she could pull it out quickly.

The four men didn't even notice her walk up until it was too late. Her hands were like lightning, a flash of movement to draw the blade and attack at the same time in a horizontal sweep. The group was dumb struck by the sound and movement, only realizing what had happened when the two men with their backs to Param had their heads rolling off their shoulders. The third man tried to raise a blaster rifle only for Param to step forward with a two handed, downward slash through his torso.

The fourth raised his blaster in time to fire a shot, a shot that missed Param as she ducked, stabbing the blade through his knee. He screamed, and bent forward. Param kept her momentum, angling the pommel of her sword upwards only to rip the blade out of the man’s knee and slam the pommel into his face. A quick swipe once he had toppled backwards, and his neck became a geiser.

Param studied the bodies for a moment. Definitely Pykes. Vee was at work, slicing the door open from an outward facing panel. She could just used the Force to rip the door apart, but there was no telling where there were cameras. It seemed the blaster shot had done exactly what a camera would have any way.

Six armed security droids rounded the corner, right about the time Vossari would show up if he made his way straight to them. Param used the Force to power her movements, becoming a blur of speed until her sword was impaled through the left most droids processor. She spun, removing the scabbard from her belt as if it were a sword itself, and slammed it into the head of the next droid in line with a Force assisted hit. The droids head would slam into the junk mountain behind them while its body figured out that it no longer had a processor, and began slowly shutting down.

(OOC: Sneak attack roll 19/20)

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

"You found the ship, Vee?" They blurted into their comms line. Already on track. Vossari followed behind nonchalantly, watching his teacher dispose of Pyke and droid alike. They stood back and watched for a minute - studying their teacher with intent as she fought. Each strike was quick, precise, clean. She used the Force to empower her natural movements - against a Champion, these goons never stood a chance. Vossari's approach was, thus, delayed as he watched Param - leaving her to fight the cadre of droids alone.

They had no doubt their teacher would be successful. But the game between master and student was a unique one - and Vossari had scarcely had a chance to see Param use the full repertoire of her skills in combat. Perhaps, if working from a disadvantage, this would give Vossari a new opportunity to see how she fought; study her economy of motion, see how she reacts to problems in real-time...

So, he waited until she had cleared out the refuse before boarding. "Ship...found. Time to rescue those belongings? What exactly is it you want from here, P?" They very well could take the whole ship.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

With Vossari only watching, the droids turned their attention to Param. The third droid didn't turn fast enough, meeting its end with two quick slashes from Param's sword. Its legs and head separated in tandem from its torso. The remaining three were able to turn in time to start shooting. It was a situation Param had been in time and time again during her training under Thel. He would order her to take point, they'd walk into an ambush, and she'd have to do the lions share of the killing and dodging blaster bolts. It was something she was completely used to at this point.

Param deflected two of the incoming bolts with her scabbard, creating a cross shape movement in front of her with with the metal tube. The movement flowed seemlessly into a throw, where the Force forged scabbard spun only once in the air before impaling itself in a droids head. She'd become a monochromatic blur of movement the moment the scabbard left her hand. The fifth droid would find her blade impaled in its chest with enough force to stagger it backwards. Param angled herself so that when the last droid fired two blaster bolts at her, the bolts slammed into the back of its fellow droid and ended it.

The last droid would try to fire again, only to find Param already upon it without a weapon. She pressed her palm to the muzzle of the blaster, calling the Force to it just in time for the droid to pull the trigger. The bolt deflected against her hand back into the blaster, exploding the back of it out toward the droid. A kick to the inside of its leg, and a strike to the inside of its arm to open it up, and the droid was ready for the taking. Param reached up, grabbing the droid's face plate with one hand. She called the Force to it once again, but this time to enhance her own strength, and tighten the air around the droid's head. It began to dent, and then crinkle until it was a smoking ball, and the droid fell.

The Champion, having given her apprentice a show few got to see, turned to Vossari. She called her sword and scabbard to her hands, flicking them in the air to remove the oil before returning the blade to its sheath, and sliding the pair back into her belt. The mask covered her smile, but Vossari would see it in her silver eyes. She made her way to the ship's door that had just opened thanks to Vee's slicing. The little red and silver droid hopped back up onto her shoulder, settling into its perch.

"The deed to the entire spice mining operation on Troiken is in this ship, Vossari," she said, waiting for him to walk with her to explore the inside of the ship together. "Along with all of my former master's banking information, personal belongings, everything." She gave Vossari a glance as she made her way toward the crew compartments. "Every power base needs funding. We could go bank to bank, robbing and killing as we go. The deed and banking information we're about to secure will give us enough passive income to be able to expand as we see fit." She paused just before the door leading to Thel's old office. It was a room she knew all too well, watching him balance finance sheets and the like in it when she was finished training in the main area or taking a break. "How would you expand from a spice mining operation, Vossari?"

Her question was a test, but also a lesson. She wanted Vossari to think; to calculate how they would go about building their own empire in a city, or in the stars. This is what made the difference between Sith and the gods among them.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

Vossari watched with anticipation as Param struck down the droids handily. She was a master of the Echani martial art that she pushed throughout her training - that much was clear from her impeccable swordsmanship. He slunk into frame behind her. With the deed in-hand, she would solely control an entire galactic mining rig. The second time she asked him one of those rhetorical questions. Shame burned him. Did she think he was too stupid to know the right answer? Was he too stupid to answer this? Was this all some kind of convoluted test where Param would choke him half to death at the end, like everyone else?

Fuck it. Might as well keep being himself. "If I had a spice mining operation, I would make it a giant middle finger to those fucking gangers and mafias and Hutts out in Syndicates space." Living on Nar Shadda for years had given them a special hatred for the Hutts, and the Syndicates were, in a geopolitical sense, always an easy target to bully. Senators built their careers off of 'crusades' against galactic crime. Couldn't Sith, too?

"Totally just usurp the market from them, you know? Get fingers in distribution, into the cartels themselves, into corporations and medical companies. Everyone uses Spice." Even Sith. A spice mine was a huge asset, now that he thought about it. A personal fiefdom that could do him some good. Not to be some low-level drug dealer, but the operator of a whole plant of spice. There were so many paths to go down.

"That answer satisfy you, 'teach'?" He quipped sarcastically, preemptively waiting for someone to strike him.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

"Hm," Param hummed, listening to Vossari's answer. Their answer was a good one, one that Param locked away for later. It was expressive, passionate, and all the things a Sith should be if allowed to flourish. Too many times they weren't allowed to; forced to do their master's bidding or sent to a classroom to waste away. Vossari was a beautiful flame compared to the rest, even if his sass bordered the line of disrespectful. Vossari would be met with a warm smile instead. "I look forward to see that, then," she said.

Her hand reached up and pat Vee on the head. "Go secure all the data, Vee. I want to be gone before anyone else shows up." Vee hopped off her shoulder and ran into the office. Having the deed to the mining operation wasn't enough. Param needed everything; banks, mines, mercenaries, contacts. Vossari would get his share for playing their part.

"My master was a very rich man, Vossari," she said turning back to them. "You'll get half of what's currently in his account. It's yours to do what you want with." It was a dangerous game, handing that many credits to a young Acolyte. Part of her expected it to just end up in the Sith coffers instead of being used to start building Vossari's own presence in the galaxy. "Your power must be your own, so that is the only help you'll get from me outside of your training, do you understand?"

It was well within her mind that one day she would possibly be standing in front of Vossari as an enemy instead of a teacher and friend. Vee emerged a few minutes later, having scrubbed every piece of data on the ship. The little BD-unit hopped up on her shoulder and settled. "That's that. Let's go home," she said, a lot more cheerfully than her previous statements. "Do you want maki rolls, or stir fry? I know a great place on Nar Shaddaa we can stop by."

She began leading Vossari out of the ship and back through the mountains of junk, letting him stop and take whatever he wanted along the way.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

Half of his bank account, just straight away? To do whatever he wanted with? Wow, it turns out loyalty could be bought. Beneath his helm, Vossari's jaw dropped as a . "With that much bread, I could open a studio..." Finally have access to a kiln and get to making some more substantial pieces. They could even try their hand at painting! But even that felt like 'thinking too small.' Vossari put a thumb to their chin thoughtfully, to think about all the good they could do with their barely-earned riches.

"Hey, if you wanna give me your money, P? I'll take it." They shrugged. "And the spice mining? You planning on running that alone?" The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of staking a claim on Nar Shadda. Flipping the bird to those lousy Hutt bastards once and for all. It'd be a whole lot easier if Param used her now considerable resources towards this end. "Is this what every Sith does? Build a little fiefdom, plop themselves in charge of it?" Vossari could get used to it - the idea of having enough money and power to say FUCK THE WORLD was half the reason Vossari even was a Sith.

"I understand. Consider this an investment, P. I'm about to make it rain." They simulated throwing dollars bills across the ship. "I've got some big ideas that this money can go towards."

His dour mood lightened at the thought. So much so, he felt open to the idea of takeout. "No one's ever said 'Great' and 'Nar Shadda' in the same sentence." Pause for laughs. "But, I'm down for sushi."

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param smiled at Vossari as they made it back to her ship. Vee hopped off her shoulder and ran towards the cockpit to get the ship spun up. They wouldn't need to go to Nar Shaddaa for the sushi; she had that on hand in the ships kitchen. They'd be heading back to Troiken instead. Param moved to the kitchen, grabbing everything she would need and organizing it on the counter around a cutting board. "Not every Sith, Vossari. Very few of us build something. The Sith is an Order of passions, and most Sith have a tendency to think being angry is a passion. They tear things down, only to leave them torn down. Building up from the ashes, is what separates us from them."

She began to chop the fish delicately into thin slices, moving on to the vegetables when she was done. "Do you know why I told you not to openly use the Force or a lightsaber?" she asked, changing the subject from money and fiefdoms. Vossari would have to make their own way on that front. This mission wasn't just to secure lost Sith assets, but to help test and train Vossari. She looked up at them, still slicing the vegetables. When she had finished with them, while listening to his reply, she started the rice in the rice cooker. Maki rolls were one of her favorite foods, and not just because she had them that one night with Kai.

Leaning back on the counter, her arms folded across her chest. "Can you tell me what I'm preparing you for?"

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

Vossari crossed their arms to think through Param's questions, back aboard Param's original craft. He listened as she described her perceived failures of the Sith Order, spine bristling as he did. She seemed to really dislike being a part of the Sith. Did she have a dream of changing the Sith from what it was? Didn't the last time a Sith did that result in a coup d'etat? Was she...planning something in the Order, against the Order?

Their gaze turned towards Param's, eyes narrowing to serpentine slits. "We have suffered a tremendous loss as an Order, Param." He thought to the journey of the Sith Purebloods throughout history - their resilience against efforts to exterminate them, their unwillingness to compromise their name and their history. Perhaps it was no coincidence that the new generation of Sith had a red face: from renowned champions like Cyutadakyr, Azar, and Karys to increasing numbers of purebloods among the acolytes. Perhaps there was a lesson to learn from their Order's people, their namesake, about resilience, discipline, and unwavering faith in self.

"Now's the time we have to cling to the Order. Support one another first. Build a united front. Not criticize and undermine, right?" While personal aspirations were essential to the philosophy of the Sith, the Order was an organization was collective, faction-wide goals and values. Having rogue agents at a time of historical weakness was...a threat. Perhaps not at present, but what if Param's growing loathing of their Order festered into outright treason?

Such thoughts influenced how he answered the rest of this line of questioning. Why did Param train him like this? "The Dark Side is what sets us apart from the rest of the galaxy's insects." Those worms on Saleucami, Nar Shadda, all other planets that had not yet realized they were pawns in the grand game of the Sith. "I really don't understand why you want to hide from what so clearly defines us." They let their words linger in the air as they spoke - thinking through what they meant.

They stretched out their hand towards Param, in an attempt to telepathically link their thoughts. As of yet, all of Vossari's attempts to push the boundaries of their relationship, to get under their master's skin, had been met with nonchalant pleasantness. Perhaps actually attempting to read her mind would test the outer limits of their master's comfortability? Or maybe she would share her thoughts willingly with Vossari, let him see why she seemed so averse to the Sith?

Either way, Vossari hoped to learn something from this attempt.

 

[Param Vour]

Vossari spoke of clinging to the Order. Of tremendous loss and to support one another. That's what they had done in recent times, but it was very few Sith that thought that way. And the number was lessening by the week. In an Order of deception and chaos, where the strongest rule and the weak are slaves, you were always under threat. The very Sith you help one day could be your mortal enemies the next. Each and every member of the Order pursuing their own idea of power to gain the coveted throne and mantle of Dark Lord.

"I agree, Vossari, which is why I'm supporting you, and the Order. The lump sum you're getting is just from skimming off the top. The vast majority of the shares go to the Order directly. That, however," she paused, silver eyes narrowing on her Acolyte. "does not mean you should think your back is safe. Sith want power; it's inherent in all systems where the strongest rule and the weakest are slaves. Cling to the Order, support one another, do whatever you want... but never forget that all it takes is a blade through your back and everything you worked for becomes theirs. Be the united front you want, but don't hope that others will have the same idea as you."

It was a lesson that Vossari needed to be taught. Param had read the holocrons talking about the old Sith Empire. There were checks and balances, there was actual order. It was run by the Sith, and it showed a united front where ever it went. The Order now was a shell of it's former shelf, closer to warring tribes on Ziost and Korriban than of a united Order. Param had lost asperations of trying to change the Order, but maybe there was still hope for Vossari.

Param was about to answer their next question when she felt a tingle at the edge of her mind. Her silver eyes turned to Vossari reaching toward her, his fingers extending in the Force to try to tap into her mind. Vossari had just crossed a boundary of unforgivvable nature. Trying to read her mind was one thing, making her have to break her own rules for herself was another. The question now was how many would she have to break.

Vossari would find themselves flung into the far wall of the kitchen, held in place like a crucifiction by the Force and Param's outstretched hand. Lightning crackled among her fingers, as her eyes burned a deadly golden hue. Param crossed the distance between them in a moment, needing no amount of Force to move fast. The lightning crackling fingers pressed against his chest, stilling holding Vossari against the wall. The lightning wouldn't burn them immediately, but would start burning through his clothes and arcing toward bare skin to cause immense pain with every strike.

"Don't take my kindness as weakness, Acolyte," she paused, her eyes meeting theirs for a moment before letting them down from the wall. Her hand moved from their chest to the side of their face. "You want to see inside my mind, let's do it." Her tone was complete venom, and almsot a whisper compared to the crackling of lightning between her fingers.

Vossari would not find the love, or the betrayal of the Order they seeked. Instead they would be greeted with a scene of rivers of blood pouring from a false temple, vibro-blade used intstead of a lightsaber. Bodies torn asunder in the mines of Bandomeer. The times Thel had punished her with choking and lightning, only turn around and have her slaughter everything between him and his goals. Vossari would see Zygerria, a planet brought to the brink of destruction by her bare hands. The countless amounts of times she had been the Sith's attack dog for securing assets. Vossari would not find the love or betrayal they were seeking, but they would find an un-extinguishable flame to be free.

Param let the lightning fade, pulled her mind away from Vossari's and stepped back, eyes still glowing gold. "Did you find what you were looking for, Acolyte?"

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Vossari Khaldun]

The endless cycle of violence played out in Vossari's mind - exactly as he had hoped. Withstanding the strike from Param, Vossari realized this was all-the-more reason to celebrate it. He had finally pushed her buttons. The mind was a vulnerable place - the one place one could assume privacy. For a Sith, it was a safe, waiting to be cracked open. And, even if it cost him some pain, he would crack it. Vossari's frame slumped against the wall, a new bruise forming on his long litany of bruises that trailed his long form.

Amber eyes pierced through Param's gaze as he looked at her. There was pain, certainly. There was rage, sure. Venom, maybe. But what he was looking for was motivation. Why did Param do what she did? Why would she be so nice and so rageful at once?

"Yeah. I got all I need." Rage seethed from him like a kettle. It was cleansing, a confirmation of sorts. All these pieces of shit had it out for him, deep down. None of them, not even the nice ones, were deserving of trust. A lesson well learned. One he would continue to learn.

Vossari slumped into silence, letting out a pained cough as they did so. They'd stay quiet for the remainder of the trip home.

/exit thread