A New Path

[cheshire_kitty]

Mayferria was a welcome relief from the sub-zero climate of Csilla where Konrad had come to consider home owing to his service to the Iron Empire but unfortunately, the purpose of his trip was not for pleasure but, business. With a furrowed brow and stern expression, he made his way to the front door of the modest residence.

Rumours of a force sensitive residing inside the building had reached the former One Sith General's ears, piquing his interest and now that he was outside the address he had been given, he could confirm that the rumours were in fact, true. There was a force sensitive inside the building. He could sense it.

"I am Konrad von Grimmelshausen, an Iron Knight of the Iron Empire," the Iron Knight said, knocking on the door. "It is important that I speak to the force sensitive inside. Rest assured, I mean no harm nor do I come with any ill intentions," he continued and forced a smile. "If you do not open the door, I will have to open it myself."

Patience, the Knight reminded himself and maintained his attempt at a friendly smile – something he did with much difficulty. The subject is no trained soldier, do not expect him to act like one.

[member="Morgan"]​

 

[Morgan]

The wooden door was splintered from years of use, the noise coming from inside was loud enough to give off the impression of a well numbered amount of family members. From the looks of the residence it would easily be noted as a very old establishment that had seen better days, and in spite of the noise already emiting from the door, the sound of boots upon weak wooden planks could easily be heard getting louder and closer to the door. With a solid push Morgan shoved the door open, he wore his usual attire and before the other had a chance to say anything else, he pushed forward so he was able to stand outside, shutting the door behind him.

"Oi, quiet down will you?" the teenager slurred out, clearly he was awoken by the knock and was quick to answer the door. "I don't want my family to learn that I was taken in again, besides I already signed all your bleeden paperwork."

It was clear the youth was of the sephi race, however his mixed blood was also simple to notice as his skin and hair colour was not the usual self. Though in spite of such, he stood with a sense of self importance and spoke as if he had all the answers to the worlds questions just resting within his mind.

[member="Konrad von Grimmelshausen"]​

 

[cheshire_kitty]

Konrad stared at the youth with a puzzled look. Taken in? Paperwork? he frowned. The youth was a bit of a troublemaker it seemed.

"Language," he scolded the teenager. "And shouldn’t you introduce yourself first boy? Have you no manners? Furthermore, I did not come because you are in trouble. I came to recruit you into the Iron Empire's Iron Lords division," Konrad forced another smile.

"You boy are unmistakably a force sensitive," the middle-aged man begun. "So it is important that you learn to control your powers," his words were blunt as he spoke. "Because if you don't, you may end up causing your family harm."

Having said his piece, Konrad crossed his arms as he awaited the boy's response. The Knight was never a man of many words.

[member="Morgan"]​

 

[Morgan]

The youth stares at the older man for a moment before a smirk appears on his face, Morgan couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he crosses his arms and relaxes some. He leans to the side a moment to look behind the other, before his bright blue gaze returns to the man.

"So you aren't part of the opression squad." he begins, his voice has an air of arragonce. "Iron Empire? Aren't you a little old to be recruiting for them?"

"Where is your caretaker?" he asks, a laugh escaping his lips. "Doesn't matter, no force sensitives here. Family rule."

[member="Konrad von Grimmelshausen"]​

 

[cheshire_kitty]

Annoyed by the teenager's rudeness, Konrad forced back a scowl before he continued. "Very funny, boy. Your mother must have neglected to teach you manners," he said without hiding his displeasure. "But I am no idiot nor have my sense dulled in recent years. It is clear as day to me that you are force sensitive."

Impatient and unimpressed by the boy's attitude, Konrad dropped his façade and shot the teenager an icy glare. To him, the impudent child before him embodied everything that was wrong with young people these days.

“If you join the Iron Lords, the Iron Empire will pay your parents a monthly stipend and even give you a little pocket money to buy toys with,” the Knight smirked, speaking in a condescending tone. It was clear that Konrad was not too fond of the boy standing before him.

[member="Morgan"]​

 

[Morgan]

"She taught me the yes sirs, no sirs, whatever you say sirs, but it isn't my thing." Morgan said with a shrug.

He continued to hold an air of arrogance about him, though as payment was brought up his gaze turned towards the door for a moment before returning to the man standing before him. After a short breath, he uncrossed his arms.

"My family will get monthly payment? You'll convince whoever it is that settles that, to make it afford the rent plus more." he says in all too demanding way. "Iron Lords, huh. That's my deal."

[member="Konrad von Grimmelshausen"]​

 

[cheshire_kitty]

Konrad suppressed a laughter, amused. It seemed that money had a way of convincing people. "How does enough to cover rent and afford a comfortable living sound?" the Knight asked, the forced smile returning to his face.

"If that sounds agreeable, pack your bags and say your goodbyes. You might not see your family for a while," he said and removed a crumpled packet of cigarettes from the pocket of his trousers as he waited for the boy's response. Not very professional of him but he didn't care. The boy showed him no respect so he was simply returning the favour.

"Second last one," Konrad muttered sounding a little disappointed as he placed the cigarette to his lips and removed a lighter from his pocket and lit it.

[member="Morgan"]​

 

[Morgan]

Morgan's expression changed completely, he'd quickly turn towards the door once more and stares at it for a little while. "They can't know about my connection to the force though." he says in a tone that truly sounded like the teenager he was, a hint of pleading was in his voice before he pulled the door open and ran inside, and up some stairs.

As the door opened Konrad had the chance to see inside, the first room was a very tiny thing that seemed to only house cabinets that overflowed with knicknacks all over the place, with sephi artifacts standing proudly. There was portraits of all the family members, or what seemed to be family, covering every square inch of the walls, some old fashioned paintings and others more nuance. Clearly the house had seen it's years.

After running back down, Morgan slammed the door and took in a deep breath. All he had in his hands were a rose earing, and the hilt of a lightsaber, it seemed to of been handmade but clearly not by the youth. "My only posessions, well and my flyer, but maybe I should leave that for the family." he says as he puts the earing upon his left longated ear.

[member="Konrad von Grimmelshausen"]​

 

[cheshire_kitty]

"They can't know about my connection to the force though," the boy said, igniting Konrad's interest but the man did not ask him why. He was sure the boy had his reasons and had no desire to pry.

"Very well, if that is what you want," the former Sith Knight replied simply and peered through the open door of the house catching a glimpse inside. It looked to be a cosy room - a little messy for his liking but very homely. As Konrad awaited the teenager's return, he wondered if this was what his house might have looked like had he had a chance to marry his long deceased fiancee and started a family. Oh, what a different life that would have been.

The sound of footsteps running down a flight of stairs pulled Konrad out of his bittersweet fantasy of family life with his deceased love and a stern expression returned to his face as the boy appeared before him once more.

"Is that all?" the Knight asked glancing at items in the boy's hands. It was much less than he had expected.

"Take it or leave it - it is none of my concern. If you think the flyer will benefit your family then by all means, leave for them."

[member="Morgan"]​

 

[Morgan]

"Don't have anything else of my own." he states with a shrug. "And I will leave it, watching dad try to ride it is always a funny time."

Morgan then begins to finally look Konrad up and down, scanning him with a piercing blue gaze, he looks towards his pockets and crosses his arms once more. It would be clear to the older, and much more wise inidividual, he was being sized up and posessions trying to be found. With a shrug, he unclips the bottom of the hilt and latches it onto one of his trouser hip loops and looks away.

"What now?" he asked, before letting out an all too child-like groan. "Oh please don't say paperwork... All you uptight geezers love the stuff."

[member="Konrad von Grimmelshausen"]​

 

[cheshire_kitty]

"Now we make our way to Ilum," Konrad replied. "Then you will have to fill in some paperwork." The boy was right, uptight geezers loved that kind of stuff but what the so-called uptight geezer would enjoy more was the look of displeasure he expected to appear on the boy's face when a stack of paperwork was set before him.

"Come," the Knight gestured at the boy to follow him. "My vehicle is parked a couple meters away," he said and headed towards a simple black speeder with tinted windows. "Get in," he said then opened the passenger's door for the boy and made his way towards the other side of the car.

With a sigh, Konrad dropped his half smoked cigarette on the ground and stepped on it, putting it out, then entered the vehicle and put his seatbelt on.

[member="Morgan"]​

 

[Morgan]

"Paperwork, always about the paperwork..." he grumbles as he follows the older gentleman, sighing heavily as they approach the vehicle.

The youth's lips perk into a wide smile as he sees the speeder, he rushes up to it and begins to breath heavily onto the window to be able to draw onto it. "Marvelous." he says before sliding in and copying the other by pulling the seatbelt on, before placing his feet up and relaxing. "Lets go!" he announces.

[member="Konrad von Grimmelshausen"]​

 

[cheshire_kitty]

"Very well," Konrad sighed. Youths are so excitable and impatient these days, he thought as a frown formed on his face.

"Time to go," he muttered as he put the key in the ignition and started the airspeeder and moments later, the vehicle sped away in the direction of the waiting ship.

Konrad, who had never been too fond of idle conversation made no attempts to speak to the boy as he drove to the spaceport of a small city close to the teenager's family home. As the vehicle neared the city, the dirt road became one made of asphalt and the number of cars that shared the same road as the speeder increased. Half way there, he noted not exactly excited at the thought of travelling to the icy planet of Ilum where the Iron Empire's Force-User Academy was to be built and least of all with a smartass brat.

[member="Morgan"]​

 

[Morgan]

In spite of the attitude shown to the older gentleman by the youth just early in the day, the young sephi was quiet throughout the entire trip and for the most part it would seem as if he kept to himself and trailed behind the other, but if Konrad paid closer attention to the teenager he would easily notice how slippery the boy’s hands were. Walking past the larger crowds to slip a hand within a stranger or twos pockets and walk off before they could notice themselves missing anything at all.

“About time.” he finally comments as they go towards the terminal which houses the ship that will take the pair to Ilum.

[member="Konrad von Grimmelshausen"]​

 

[cheshire_kitty]

Having arrived at the destination the stern man exited the speeder, paying little attention to the boy whose name he still did not know. "There she is," he said pointing at a modest corvette. Like the speeder, it was nothing fancy but it performed its tasks well enough. "Hurry up," the Knight ordered not looking back at the youth as he boarded the ship.

Once aboard the vessel, Konrad turned towards the boy's the boy's direction and asked a question he should've asked much earlier. "What is your name boy?" he frowned, a little annoyed the teenager had not taken the initiative and introduced himself - another reason he was not too fond of the boy. Without making any attempts to hide his displeasure the man waited for the boy to answer his question.

[member="Morgan"]​