The Legacy and the Drunkard (Christian Slade)

[Renato Sarkin]

A lone figure stood outside the back entrance of The Black Alchemist in a plain dark robe with the hood pulled over his head concealing his face. Rumors of a Sith Lord with a bit of a party side frequented the establishment. For a moment the figure contemplated going inside and seeing what the fuss was about but gave it a second thought.


Instead the figure approached the bouncer at the back door pushing a large sum of credits into the man's hand speaking in a semi-hushed tone.

"I am looking for a man that calls himself [member="Christian Slade"] I will pay double if he is here and willing to come out and speak to me."

The figure turned walking a few feet away and waited calmly, quietly, and motionless to see what happened next.

 

[Christian Slade]

After a few minutes the lumbering bouncer returned, making sure to hold the back door to the bar open for the hooded man as he said, "Mr. Slade will see you now." After they were inside, the bouncer stepped around in front of the man and guided him through the kitchen, which could have been a little cleaner. Next the pair made themselves down a hallway and into the front of the building where they stepped into a somewhat lively bar with waitresses hurrying back and forth taking orders to men riddled in tattoos. Others were very much out of place, or female, but even then there were a few bold looking women who bore similar markings positioned around the bar in a few places.

Some of them had black alchemy circles tattooed on the backs of their necks, which were of a certain breed that cooperated with Christian, although he didn't talk about them much. He just worked on expanding his business on Coruscant and they cooperated. Each one had their own jobs and things expected of them, like the rather large pair that were posted up against a door across the bar, both drinking and sharing stories or what not. When approached by the man who was leading [member="Renato Sarkin"], they glanced over at him and then looked past him at the man he was leading.

They didn't look like they trusted the newcomer, but then again they didn't look much like they trusted anyone. The both of them stepped out from in front of the door and allowed them passage as it shot open to reveal another long hall. After making to the end, a second door shot open with a snap to reveal a rather dark, and much quieter room. It was long from one end to the other, and at the far end was a desk with a very large man behind it, reclining in a chair as his red eyes scanned back and forth across his desk reading some document or other. As he waited there he took a sip from a glass of dark gold liquid, sighing as he gulped it down before he said. "Have a seat and tell me what you're doing here, Mr. ...", said the massive man who's eyes raised up to the pair of them as they entered the room, the door snapping shut behind them both.

 

[Renato Sarkin]

[member="Christian Slade"]

The lone figure followed the lumbering bouncer through the back door his head seemingly at a 45 degree angle from the floor to straight ahead. As they passed through the main part of the kitchen the figure ignored the lack of cleanliness as he was not here to eat anyway. As the figure walked anyone with force sensitivity would feel something almost like a soft pinging comming from the figure as he gazed at the bearers of the black circle tattoos before turning away to see where he was being lead. It was not until they reached the dark and much quieter hallway that the figure's force signature would stop randomly pinging and switch to a more steady presence. When addressed by the massive figure behind the desk the figure simply clasped is hands together inside the sleeves as he spoke remaining standing for the moment.

"I seek the same thing everyone in my position seeks." "Power." "Specifically power through knowledge."

The figure pauses. "You may call me Tave."

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian watched, amused by the man's confidence and reserved nature as he studied him with those crimson eyes. He raised his arm and propped it up on the table, letting his chin red in his hand as his index finger traced up and down his jawline. "Power you say?", Christian asked with a growing smirk on his face as he watched the man for a moment longer before taking the glass of whiskey from his desk to take a sip.

"Well, Tave.", Christian said as he raised up from his desk, straightened his jacket and then smoothly made his way around it. When he reached the other side of his he backed up into the desk, leaning against if for comfort while setting his glass down on it's top right next to him. He then crossed his arms over his chest, still sizing this man up for the moment.

"What makes you think I have anything to offer you in the realm of power?"

[member="Renato Sarkin"]

 

[Renato Sarkin]

[member="Christian Slade"]

A low chuckle eminated from beneath the hood.

"Nothing as it is not power I seek as I said but knowledge." "Anyone can take what they want at the tip of a sword." "It takes something else entirely to be able to get people to not only hand over everything they hold dear but also thank you for taking it as if you are doing them a favor."

"As to why come to you it is simple I enjoy a low profile and the fact that I found you in a night club and not in an Academy surrounded by others all clamoring to slit each others throats just for a fleeting chance of impressing some random Lord who could care less whether they live or die fits my needs."

 

[Christian Slade]

A perfect white smile draw across Christian's face as he heard the man speaking to him, laughing at him a bit as he misunderstood what Christian was getting at. "If you're looking for 'knowledge' from me, then laughing at me is not a good start, but because I like a good argument I'll say this. Knowledge is power. As is intimidation and confidence. It takes power to inspire those around you. It takes power to frighten a man so much that he drops to his knees and begs for his life like a dog. It takes power to instill confidence in others by way of influence so that, before you know it, they're turning out their pockets to donate to your cause. It takes power to carry yourself like a man and a measure more power to know how to use what you've learned to your advantage.", he said as he reached down and plucked his glass of whiskey from the table.

He didn't sip it right away, in fact, he held it against his leg for a moment as he watched the man in front of him, wondering if he was getting the point of why he'd chosen the words he had. "You either have power or you have nothing, so don't think for a moment that it's not exactly what you're looking for.", he told him, finally raising his glass to tip it against his bottom lip and allow the golden liquid to flow into it. He gulped it down before lowering his hand again, crossing bother arms over his chest as he did so that his glass of whiskey could dangle from his fingers beneath his left forearm.

"The way I see it, power is the most beautiful woman alive, not to mention the most elusive. She hides in many forms that can be seen, and others that we let slip past our eyes every day. Whether or not you want to find it is up to you, but if you're not looking for power then I'm afraid you're in the wrong place."

[member="Renato Sarkin"]

 

[Renato Sarkin]

[member="Christian Slade"]

"That is where you and I disagree." "Knowledge is nothing more than processed information." "It is the successful application of knowledge that leads to power." "For if you misuse what knowledge you have then it has the opposite effect." "It is not enough to know the weaknesses of others if you do not also know the appropriate time to leverage it.

The figure cocks his head slightly to the left until a soft pop his heard before resumming his near motionless state.

"The acquisition of Knowledge is why I am here." "Knowing how to apply it takes consider more time." "I have had several teachers so far.""Each had something to offer, for some the results were immediate, for others it took some time to truly understand and appreciate the fruits of their labor."

The figure pauses.

"Alas I digress as debating theory does not seem to be on the agenda for the day." "Nothing comes without a cost so shall we move on to what that cost may be in this case?

 

[Christian Slade]

"Just because you misuse your power or fail to apply your knowledge where necessary doesn't mean that it becomes something else. If you fail to use your gifts of power, whether it's knowledge or strength or cunning or any assortment of skills and abilities, it still is what it is. Your weakness is someone else's power, whether or not you are made to look weak because you don't have the resolve to maintain your power. In the end, it still exists in all things.", Christian said, shrugging his shoulders, "but, agree to disagree."

That's when he heard the man's question about what his teachings might cost, which made Christian laugh lightly as he unfolded his arms and raised his glass up to his lips to take another sip of whiskey before he folded them back up with his glass dangling under his left elbow. "I'm a very wealthy man. I have power in the form of financial standing, political sway, influence of peers and the people of Zeltros, and I'm knowledgeable by way of the force and it's many uses. So, as you can imagine, I don't want for much."

There was a certain silence for a moment as Chrsitian glanced away from the man as he actually tried to think what he might want. "Like you, I desire more. More knowledge and teachings of the dark side. I rise every morning with the intent to become stronger and more formidable. I push my body to it's limits and then I train and practice the force, so, if there were Sith artifacts like holocrons or something of the like that you might have to offer, then I might consider this agreement more seriously. I am, however, in the process of putting up a new casino, so I suppose a certain offer of credit might suffice if it were substantial enough."

[member="Renato Sarkin"]

 

[Renato Sarkin]

[member="Christian Slade"]

"Retrieving any artificats my family may have acquired over the years would involve forcing your way through legions of troops that do not exactly approve of our way of life." "So option 2 it is." "Shoot me a number and I will see what I can do." "If I don't have it on hand I know a few people with a talent for convinicing rich people to part with their credits for the right cause or two."

 

[Christian Slade]

"I rather like a challenge.", Christian said confidently as he took his glass and moistened his lips with a sip of whiskey. He then set the glass back down in it's place before raising both arms to cross them over his chest. He then watched the man before him for a time as he thought about how much money would be enough before they struck up a deal.

"Well...", he said, smirking as he leaned up against his desk still staring at the other man. "...a few hundred thousand buys a nice bar. A few million builds a nice club. A hundred million builds me a decently sized casino, but I already own nine of those.", he said to the man, illustrating his point that money wasn't much an object to him.

"I suppose you could give me as much as you can spare and I could find a use for it, or you could just owe me a... considerable favor.", he suggested, wondering what the man might think about that.

[member="Renato Sarkin"]

 

[Renato Sarkin]

[member="Christian Slade"]

The figure chuckled.

"That would depend on your definition of considerable." "Sure credits are all well and good." "It is not that I don't have enough laying around." "As it is however the amount you would require is currently tied up in more.................shall we say charitable endeavors one needs to keep people guessing as to what your true motivations in this galaxy are."

"I think we both know the galaxy truly operates on favors and deals of a less public nature." "So let us be frank then." "Trying to build a power base nobody knows about is difficult." "I have few assets and what I do have is of course open to negoiation and trade." "I could front you a couple hundred thousand no problem." "The rest would take time to amass without causing undue attention to why business."

The figure paused.

"Unless of course you wouldn't happen to be interested in mentoring the poor and downtrodden children of this war torn galaxy." "Nothing solidifies the continued growth of a power base like a few fresh recruits to the cause?" "A few permenant students in exchange for keeping a temporary one off the record books." "There is no reason why something I had intended to do anyway can't benefit us both."

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian stood there, arms still crossed across his chest as the young, bold man continued to speak. As he listened, he raised one hand and extended his index finger from it, scratched his chin, and then slowly began to tap his index finger against his jaw, watching Renato carefully. As he watched the man, he tried to pick out tells to see if he was lying, as if he were playing heads up Sabaac with him and was bluffing, but from what Christian could tell, he wasn't.

He didn't blink too much or stutter. He didn't tap his feet, lose his breath, ramble on or diver his eyes from him. He hadn't even had so much as a nervous twitch about him anywhere that Christian could tell, which told the Sith Lord that this man was telling him the truth, or he was an exceptional liar, but if he was lying then he could just kill him when he found him out in the long run. Renato was smart and very well spoken, but he was a far cry from the man that Christian was by way of the force or else he wouldn't be standing there asking him to share his knowledge.

"So... Let's say a couple million creds, 500 thousand of which you front me now and the rest that you get me over the next year or so?", Christian said as he unfolded his arms and picked up his glass of whiskey. "That plus a little man power sounds like a fair trade, I suppose."

[member="Renato Sarkin"]

 

[Renato Sarkin]

[member="Christian Slade"]

The figure nods after a few moments of silence removing his hands from his sleeves where they have been for the entire conversation and reaching into an pocket of his robe. pulling out a single use datapad the figure keeping the same amount of distance between them uses the force to "float" the pad over to Christian leaving it hovering above the man's waist within reach of him. It was a palo0r trick in terms of force ability but it served the purpose. Trusting no man much less a stranger to be within arms reach of him was a practice that had kept him alive much longer than most in his situation.

"Done." "On the pad you will find an account number and access code." "You will recieve another pad every 4 months over the next year with the same information." "That should come up to two million once you have the last account number." "With the next payment I will send a few potentials for you to look at with an associate of mine." "You will be free to choose which you like or take them all at your discretion."

The figure pauses.

"Do we have an agreement?"

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian watched the young man across the room as he silently found a datapad of some sort and began keying in commands. He was certain that the young man was already preparing what he could pay him now and listened intently as he made good on his promise of force sensitive students to teach and employ at his discretion.

As the datapad reached him, Christian raised his right hand and enveloped it with the force, turning it up so that he could see what was displayed on the screen. He then reached down and grabbed his glass of whiskey with his other hand, taking a sip of it as he looked over the information displayed on the screen of the datapad. There were checks and seizures everything had to go through first, but mostly he just had to specify and account and give access to deposit, which he didn't bother doing himself.

A look was all it took to call the large Black Alchemist gang member over to him, and as the man stopped next to him, Christian waved his hand and set the datapad down in the hands of the gang member who'd come to stand next to him. "Take care of this for me, please.", Christian said, instructing him to find his way back across the room after he'd given him the device. "We have an accord, but know this.", Christian said as he took a long sip of whiskey.

"I don't play games. I have knowledge of the dark side that I'd find it hard to believe that anyone else knows. I've collected Sith artifacts and holocrons that no eyes but mine have ever even laid eyes upon before, so realize this. If I teach you alchemy, I'm only teaching you what I myself have developed and mastered and only a fraction of what I truly know of the force...", he said, allowing his words to trail off as he connected eyes with Renato specifically for this one comment so thathe would know just how serious he was.

"Do not test me. Do not cross me. Do not pretend that you are more powerful than you truly are. It will get you killed by me or someone else with even less patience that I."

[member="Renato Sarkin"]

 

[Renato Sarkin]

[member="Christian Slade"]

The figure watched and waited as the gang member and Christian spoke giving off no reaction what so ever until he was addressed again.

"It wouldn't be very Sith of me to seek out the knowledge of some one weaker than I now would it." "Oh I know I am not stronger than you Mr. Slade and I know very well what the risks are in what I do." "I am even more aware of my limitations than I am anything else." "That is why I seek to correct them."

The figures paused.

"My intent is simply to learn what I can for as long as you are willing to teach and then walk away as if this and any future conversations never happened."

 

[Christian Slade]

"That's a good way to do business, unless the relationships that you build upon with partners actually need to last.", Christian said as he took another sip of his drink and glanced over at the Gang member again. As he did, the man looked up to Christan and nodded to him as if to tell him that the transaction had already been completed. He then reached down and switching off the device and held it in both hands, waiting for instruction.

Without missing a beat, Christian raised his free hand and pointed to his new guest and would be apprentice and said, "Please return the datapad to Mr. Sarkin"

He then crossed one arm over the other, letting his glass hang from his right hand to tangle just beneath his left elbow as he watched his Alchemist return the device to it's owner. He then smiled slightly and clicked his finger against his glass, creating a light ping as he said, "Are you sure you wouldn't like a drink?"

[member="Renato Sarkin"]

 

[Renato Sarkin]

[member="Christian Slade"]

The figure shakes his head as he reached out to take the datapad back letting the man hand it over as opposed to manipulating it with the force. Once it was in his hand the figure would simply slide it back into his pocket before speaking.

"An appreciated gesture but I do not partake as it dulls the mind." "I have enough vices as it is and should not be too quick to add another." "If you would politely provide a location and time you wish me to be I would like to retire for the evening." "I have a few last minute things to do before devoting myself to the time and dedication it would take to learn what you have to offer."