For Will to Power

[Darth Strosius]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

Alisteri was mildly surprised that his answer was an acceptable one. He knew little of lightsabres, all of the information that he had sought mostly pertained to the Force and the occasional historical reference.

Of course, this certainly didn't mean that he was uninterested. He was always eager for knowledge.

Jar'kai hm? Interesting.

As Darth Ophidia held her sabre, his attention was captured immediately. The sudden red glow that accompanied it's activation caused him to flinch for just a moment.

The second blade caught him off guard as well, he had barely noticed it's appearance at all. It being pointed in his direction caused him to automatically tense up, his idle hope being that it wasn't too obvious. He also made a mental note that sleight of hand seemed to be a useful skill.

Weakness was unbecoming of a Sith, even one in training. Perhaps especially so.

He nodded in acknowledgment of the explanation, his attention soon enraptured by the rest of the demonstration. He had never seen a lightsabre in action of course, let alone two at once.

The prospect of having and creating his own weapons someday caused another small smirk to grow on his face.

"An impressive display master, thank you." He nodded respectfully, his gaze flickering back to her sabre for a moment.

"If I may be so bold, what is the next task that you require of me?" He was eager to learn more of the power that Darth Ophidia possessed.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Alisteri Haxim"]

He was very polite, almost too polite. And he was seemingly insatiable for power.

It reminded Darth Ophidia of when she was an acolyte, training under Darth Ferus and serving the Dark Lord of the One Sith, so many years ago and parsecs away. Now, she stood where her master once had stood and instructed another as he had instructed her.

It made her wonder, would Alisteri one day stand where she stood, instructing another generation of Sith? Would he make the same choices she had made?

"Ah yes. There is indeed a task."

She reached into her robes and pulled out a new disk. This was not a coin like before, but rather a holoprojector.

"You will travel to the Inner Rim, to the Ambria system." "There is a place there with a strong connection to the Force."

Clicking the side of the projector, she summoned an image of the galaxy. Pushing a little wheel on the side of the disk, she zoomed in on the Ambria system, then to the desert planet of Ambria, and finally, an arrid canyon.

"I want you to kill a man who lives there." "A Jedi."

 

[Darth Strosius]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

Alisteri had spent just about all of his life in service to a master, his halfway subservient attitude was just natural. Regardless of how much that fact infuriated him.

There would be a day where he bowed to no one, of that much he was certain. Through victory his chains were broken after all.

He perked up slightly as Darth Ophidia pulled out a holoprojector, eager to begin and finish whatever mission was in store for him. Something dangerous undoubtedly, he wouldn't want it any other way however.

His eye twitched as his master spoke, a small hint of worry flickering through his mind. Him? Kill a Jedi? He was no fool, he doubted that he could even handle a Padawan easily. He had killed before of course, but they were simply pirates lookin for something to prove.

He was hesitant of course, but he figured that he hadn't been astray yet. Besides, Jedi can fooled; and if they can be fooled, they can be killed.

"Ah...right...but, I have no ship master." He had sold the pirate ship that he had...acquired when he first landed on Bastion.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Alisteri Haxim"]

She caught the flicker of worry. It was expected. Anyone who thought killing a Jedi was easy was a fool.

"You dont? But you do know how to fly?"

She removed her left hand from her midriff now, and made a rotating motion with her wrist then extended the fingers. A set of keys hanged from her fingertips right next to the hologram, as if asking to be plucked. They belonged to a Tau-class shuttle.

"You are an apprentice in the Sith Empire now." "There are perks."

Another wry smile spread over her lips. She was curious what he would do to prepare, and how he would plan his attack. She knew it was too much to ask of a new apprentice, but it was all part of the challenge: How to overcome challenges greater than oneself. It was what made Sith grow.

Still, there were many things available. He just did not know them yet.

"Is there anything else you require?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

Alisteri raised an eyebrow at her response, about to answer before blinking in surprise at the sight of the keys. Note to self, don't carry anything valuable in your pockets around Darth Ophidia.

How did she do that anyway?

"I know enough to get there and back." He answered as he plucked the keys from her grasp. He vaguely recognized them, having spent sometime at the Bastion spaceport when he first landed. Thankfully he had been observant before he killed the last of the pirates, although he still lacked any real training.

Oh well, he was sure he could figure out anything that he would have to. Hopefully.

He idly wondered what other perks there were to take advantage of.

"Is there any sort of weaponry available?" Some sort of blaster perhaps? Anything to give him an edge on this Jedi, other than the potential element of surprise that he hoped he could keep. He wasn't exactly used to sneaking around and assassinating people, not yet anyway.

Then he thought about it for a moment, a look of suspicion crossing his face. "I won't have to kill this Jedi with only my bare hands...right?"

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Alisteri Haxim"]

She gave a little nod to his response. She was no ace herself, and often utilised a droid with pilot programming.

"Good enough"

She let the keys slip off her finger as Alisteri took them.

"I suggest you plan according to your strengths, and try put your enemy at a disadvantage in any way you can." "Choose your weapons wisely."

She shut off the hologram and turned the disk over. Pinned between it and her finger was a flimsiplast note. It looked important, official, with two stamps and clear machine writing in standard, Imperial aurebesh.

"This note will give you leave to request supplies from any depot of the Legion. The holoprojector will show you the way to the closest ones." She extended her hand to offer him the projector. "That is where you will find your ship."

She pulled them back for a moment, eyes narrowing and her smile grew wry.

"Oh, and one more thing." "A personal gift to even the odds"

She put both hands on the projector and turned the bundle over again. Now there was a little piece of cloth on top, which she unfolded to reveal a talisman made of some sort of skin suspended in a copper ring, hanging from a cord.

"This is a taozin talisman. It will keep you hidden."

 

[Darth Strosius]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

Right, he would need every advantage he could get. Even if this Jedi was inexperienced or relatively weak, and that was a definite 'if,' then it would still be the fight of his life.

The fight of his life so far anyway, he couldn't help but feel like this was going to be the first of many dangerous opponents.

As to be expected, he supposed.

Alisteri simply nodded in response as Darth Ophidia explained the note; reaching out to take it, raising an eyebrow in confusion as she pulled the note and projector away.

He blinked in mild surprise at the talisman, glancing up at her as she spoke again.

"Thank you master, I will return." He nodded once again in thanks, his gaze wandering over the items as he took them. Well, easy part almost done then.

"Now...how exactly do I leave...wherever here is?" His eagerness for battle almost overshadowed his hesitation.

Almost.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Alisteri Haxim"]

It was curious to see how far he dared push the offer of aid. It told her much about how he had lived and how he thought. His decision to attend the mission immediately indicated some level of tenacity, which was a good trait in Sith. He had also yet to demand too much from her, though she had given him some considerable boons.

It was, after all, a difficult fight ahead.

"Return victorious, or don't return at all." She nodded. "There is no middle ground."

The smile on her face faded to dead seriousness as she said those words. She did not jest nor tease. It was the one and ultimate truth: Success or death. If he fled the mission, he would lose all chance at the Sith. If he died, he did so pursuing his goal. If he won, he would be secured a place at her side.

As for leaving. The room had four sheer walls, covered in murals. The ceiling was domed with a peak, and the floor was cobbled stone, with a layer of sand barely covering the stones.

"Ah, that bit is simple"

She reached out with her left hand, swift like a serpent, and touched Alisteri's forehead. The touch rang like a bell, with a familiar sensation of deafness, darkness, and cold. His mind would be returned to his body where a tiss'shar looking down at him with worry.

"Are you okay?" Ta'lar pulled his talons away from Alisteri's pockets. "You look pale." "Did you actually do it?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

He would either kill this Jedi or die trying it seems. He was hardly one to argue with that ideal, the Galaxy was a rough place.

had to be rougher, simple as that.

He barely registered the touch until after the darkness passed, his eyes shooting open as he gasped for air. He sat up quickly, his gaze flickering around wildly for a moment before he recognized his surroundings as well as the tiss'shar next to him.

The young man doubted that he would ever get used to that...transition as it were.

Hopefully not all Sith rituals were so disorientating as that one.

"I'm...I'm always pale." He rubbed his face for a moment, as if to soothe a headache that wasn't actually there. He looked Ta'lar up and down for a moment, his features shifting into that of suspicion. "What were you doing while I was...out..."

Then again, did it matter? "Forget it, just give me anything you stole, I must be on my way."

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Alisteri Haxim"]

"Steal? Me? I am insulted"

Ta'lar fished in his own pocket and brought out a familiar bundle of projector, paper, and cloth containing amulet, begrudgingly handing it over.

"You looked dead, technically it is looting." His tail flicked "Ack, you are dirt poor anyway."

The tiss'shar stepped back and nonchalantly inspected his own claws, while clearly looking Alisteri over.

"You are hardier than you appear, human. May be a Sith in you after all." Ta'lar turned his hand and started picking at one of the claws, tail flicking one more time "Come back if you want to trade favours again."

It was a polite goodbye and come again.

 

[Darth Strosius]

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

If he weren't in such a rush, Alisteri would've scoffed in response. Looting, stealing, it's all the same really. Not that he cared much for them himself, he was no paragon of virtue.

Now that was a terrifying thought.

"Duly noted. Good luck be with you." He nodded and inspected the bundle again for a moment before walking away, past Ta'lar and eventually down to the lower level. Perhaps he would contact the tiss'shar again someday, he seemed fairly knowledgeable and relatively easy to please.

A possible ally, keyword being 'possible.' Possible resource might be the more appropriate term.

If so, then the feeling was probably mutual.

As the young man stepped out of the temple, his gaze idly wandering over the city in front of him for a moment, he looked down at the holoprojector. "Now, time to prepare for a hunt." He muttered as he switched it on.