Private Thirst for Knowledge

[Enlil]

Thyrsus reminded him of home.

That was his first thought upon stepping out into the blazing heat of the twin suns. Several systems away, echoes of a battle had rippled from Eshan to the furthest fringes of the Outer Rim. A monster, one of the Bryn'adul had brought calamity to the heart of Echani culture. Time may heal all wounds, but those who faced that enemy yet remember.

It was the fierce and ferocious warriors of the Sun Guard who held their ground that day. They had learned and knew the alien threat better than most of the Galaxy; and when the King heard of this, he knew he must seek their knowledge.

For what wisdom can a man claim without experience?

As a Judge of the Outer Rim, the Bryn'adul posed perhaps one of the greatest threats to peace and Justice in the modern age. Sith were men, and at the end of the day, men could be made to see reason.

Beasts were not so simple.

Another question loomed on the horizon as he stalked through Nicaea, perhaps louder than the one that brought him to this world. The Thyrsians knew the Bryn'adul, and their weaknesses, but would they share them?

LT-137

 

[LT-137]

​

It was just another day within the confines of the black market bazaar. The twinned suns baked the sandcrete buildings, which inevitably led to the subtle, but cloying fragrance of beading perspiration and toasted spices filling the air. There were also brilliant colours drawn from across the entire spectrum, woven into stretched textiles that billowed in the subtle breeze from steel-wrought awnings. These dyed coverings shrouded those that dwelled beneath from the radiance of twinned suns - giving them a partial reprieve as they browsed the many wares contained within the structural confines bazaar. Those hundredfold sapients hailed from across the very cosmos themselves, each searching for material desires that were often denied to the more… civilized people.

Such was the very nature of black markets. They provided anything and everything, regardless of the laws that bound society together, all in the pursuit of material wealth. While some would be greedy and gouge their prices to garner more, the Thyrsians believed in equivalent exchange. They would gratefully barter with any and all that came to their door - trading the desired goods for something of equal worth. Ideally, both parties would benefit from this exchange, and none would feel exploited. Should the opposite occur, pools of blood would quench the ever-present thirst of the Thyrsian dunes. One of these very encounters transpired as the Time-lost King entered the scene.

An ambitious Bounty Hunter sought to not only claim the commission issued for the Droid known as LT-137 but also tried to exploit the Construct for some rarer and more exotic items under the Droid's purview. LT-137 wasn't having any of it, even with the threat of destruction looming over his mechanical cranium. The Droid was verbally baiting the Bounty Hunter - daring the man to draw his blaster and take the shot. It seemed to be working, as the Huntsman flipped the leather top of their holster with an enraged thumb and slowly began to draw their weapon…

Before the blaster came free of it's hide-bound sheathe, the Bounty Hunter was struck by a beam of ochre light. In the blink of an eye - the Huntsman was torn apart at the molecular level; his atomic structure was incinerated from within. There was a barely audible cry that echoed from the disintegrating throat but was muffled by the sounds of the hustle and bustle of the marketplace. Everything that Bounty Hunter accomplished in their lives, and whatever they would have achieved, crumbled to cascading ash before the Droid's eyes, becoming one with Thyrsus's sands.

Lt-137 chuckled audibly.

:: The Guild won't be missing that Meatbag. ::​

As the memory of the exchange with the now pile of dust faded from his synthetic cortex, LT-137's photoreceptors found themselves drawn towards the newest visitor to grace the black market of Nicaea. The man cut an impressive figure, but there was something about him that seemed off. The Droid couldn't place it, as the clothing he wore seemed… ancient. Like the man walked out from the pages of history and into reality itself.

:: You… :: LT-137 called out, waving a mechanical limb in the hopes of garnering that man's attention. :: Meatbag with the Golden Hair, and the Outfit to match. Over here! You look like you've got questions that need answering. ::

Enlil​

 

[Enlil]

Blood sport came to be reviled under his father's father's rule, but the Divine Rite of Trial by Combat never truly faded. At least, not while he was King. Anyone could contest or call into question fairness or proper order, and the King could arbitrate between them; but more often than not, they chose not to bother him with their trivialities.

They were allowed to settle matters between themselves. Might did not necessarily make right, and the King understood this- but if the society were not allowed to solve its own problems, if every dispute had to be solved in front of a neutral party, society would crumble.

Inevitably, mankind learned compromise.

Enlil watched the man flutter to dust on the wind and his ruby gaze flickered dismissively. These were the laws of this land. He respected that.

He turned to regard the Droid, LT-137 quietly. At least this one spoke in a tongue he could understand, even if the name "meatbag" waxed disrespectful. The machine was not wrong, however. He did come seeking answers.

"Yes, that's right," he replied. "I have come seeking the Sun Guard, those warriors who faced the Bryn'adul and saved the Echani people from the utter collapse of their civilization under Mandalorian occupation." History had a way of favoring those who were victorious, and so, when word came to the King, word came painting the Guard as Conquering Heroes. Why regard them any other way with his speech?

"I have found an enemy in that same enemy, and so, logic dictates I seek out those who found their weakness and learn anything they might teach me. Do you know of this Sun Guard, Droid?"

LT-137