Of Darkest Knowledge and Dangerous Secrets

[Kyber Krystal]

Nar Shaadaa
​

Nar Shaadaa: The Smugglers moon. Home to Crime Lords, Brutish Gangs and more dancers than you could count... And it was Kyber's home away from home.

This sense of home was pretty lose, but as a smuggler this was an excellent hub for gaining contracts and finding out some new information. Kyber wasn't necessarily a huge supporter of everything the Hutts had to offer, but he DID enjoy the lack of overall authority on the moon. Respect the local Crime Lord's rules and don't piss off the gangs and you could essentially do whatever you kriffing wanted. Having grown up on Kashyyyk where there were no rules, this amount of freedom suited him just fine. He found himself having to always worry about the local authorities in Imperial Space, and there was no way he'd be going deep into Mandalorian Space without a death wish. He had done his fair share of "crime" on this moon, eliminating slave owning gang lords and freeing their slaves, but for the most part he was a model Huttese citizen. Which again, didn't mean that much.

But for once, Kyber wasn't on the moon to find a new job or to kick back and relax. No, Kyber was there to enrich his education with the Force. He had managed to find a client on the Black Market who had procured a Holocron, and Kyber wanted it more than anything. Kyber had read about the Holocrons on the HoloNet but he never had the opportunity to actually use one. He had heard that holocrons contained actual teachers that could teach Force Users about everything they knew. That's what Kyber needed more than anything: A Teacher. He had been largely self-taught up to this point, and felt that he needed to find a proper mentor to continue his training.

Kyber headed to the coordinates that his buyer had gave to him: A Small alley just off the way of the main strip. Kyber recognized the alley. Lots of shady deals went down here, mostly spice deals. Not that the gangs cared, as long as their sovereignty was respected. Kyber took a deep breath, and headed into the alley to meet with his buyer. Time to win his prize.

@RedneckLoves

 

[RedneckLoves]

Baldr Morrigan disliked filth. Thus, he was quite unenthused with the disgusting moon of Nar Shadaa. He pulled his thick obsidian robe tighter around his shoulders in a vain effort to keep the dusty air from touching him as he snapped his fingers and sent out a clear message to his newly acquired Arkanian Tundra wolf pup to keep pace with him. The small, fluffy creature seemed out of place with the tall dark sider on the criminally inclined planet, but it stumbled along beside its master just the same.

The young Morrigan had grown in the last years and was now a strong young man, though he still had some years ahead of him before he was fully matured. Nearly six feet tall with lean muscles that gave him the grace of a panther, though many would see him as weak. His thick, dark robes cloaked his body in mystery and many who did not understand the power of the Dark Side of the Force saw those wielding it as weak of body and evil of mind.

Baldr did not believe himself evil. He was just and fair and believed in the rights of others to live their lives as they would. His mother, Eir Morrigan - former Supreme Leader of the Sith Brotherhood, executed by the hated Republic before its glorious downfall - had taught him to be kind, helpful, and just. She had taught him that the Sith did not embody the Dark Side, but rather were an extension of its power. She taught him to believe in the Dark Side and in himself, not in the faction or government that used it as a tool against its enemies.

Therefore, young Baldr had taken it upon himself to acquire all the Dark Side artifacts that he could in order to keep them out of the hands of true believers. He intended to keep them for himself to protect, not believing that he needed to hand them over to the Empire or the Inquisition. So far, he'd been unable to actually retrieve any such artifacts - not for lack of trying, more so because he lacked the network of contacts that it would require to gain information about such artifacts in order to find them. On this night he'd been lucky and happened to have overheard - perhaps with some aid from his powers - a certain underworld cretin discussing the sale of a "special Force item".

Baldr and his pet were now quietly following the grimy creature through the maze of back alleys Nar Shadaa boasted in this sector, their presence undetected by the stupid, overly excited alien. He couldn't be certain what particular sort of item the thing was selling, or even that it was legitimately tied to the Force in any way, but he intended to find out everything he wanted to know about it.

 

[Kyber Krystal]

Kyber walked down the dark alley, approaching his seller. He looked just as sketchy as anyone on Nar Shaadaa. Their face was covered by a thick cloth, only able to see their eyes. Most likely to either protect their identity or protect from the dust in the air. Or whatever else could be in the atmosphere (Nar Shaadaa was a weird place). Kyber looked his seller up and down, not seeing any blaster holstered. But really, you would have to be stupid to be unarmed on Nar Shaadaa.

Kyber walked up, with a sly grin on his face. He wanted to kick off the sale in a lighthearted way. "Wonderful weather we're having, eh?", Kyber asked in a joyous way. "The weather is Ossik" the Seller said in reply. Great tone to set Kyber, real great. "Tulak, right? I'm here to pick up your holocron-". Kyber was quickly shushed. Obviously this was more valuable than he thought.

The seller reached into his bag and pulled out a triangular shaped Holocron. Kyber was immediately suspicious, as he had been led to believe that holocrons were cubed in shape. He wanted to call this guy out on their shit, but... this holocron felt how it was said they would feel. Powerful, reaching out with the Force. Kyber couldn't help but smile. Kyber didn't really care what shape the Holocron was in as long as he could use it.

"3000 Credits" His Seller said.
"3000 Credits?! That's kriffing robbery! We agreed on 1000!"
"Yeah well I gots some other interest parties as well. Offering higher than yous. 3000 or I walk."

Kyber didn't really know what to do. He really wanted this Holocron, but he didn't have 3000 Credits to spare. Hell he didn't even really have 1000 Credits, he was just going to work nonstop to make it up. Kyber didn't know what to do... He had to give it a try.

"You want to give me the Holocron". Kyber said, closing his eyes and gesturing with his hands. He had heard that many Jedi could use the force to influence people's minds, but he had never really attempted it himself. "No I don't you kriffing dikut, I want 3000 Credits!" Kyber was nervous. He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and with a level head he tried again.

"You want to give me the Holocron"
"I... No I... I want to give you the Holocron"

Kyber was ecstatic. Though his success was probably attributed to the fact that this guy had an exceptionally weak mind. At least from outward appearances.

@RedneckLoves

 

[RedneckLoves]

Dark fabric brushed rough gravel as the silent Initiate glided along the dirty Nar Shadaa street. The pup padded along beside him - silent due to clipped claws. It wouldn't be doing anything useful with them at this stage of its training in any case. Black camouflaged against black, the pair invisible to all but the most astute eyes. His prey having come to a stop, young Baldr Morrigan paused as well.

His interest piqued with the overexcited utterance of a single word. A holocron was it? Precisely what he was looking for. If a real holocron was around, it would be his there would be no doubt. Keeping the grubby alien and his apparent prospective client within the reach of his mind, the dark cloaked figure made his way far around them until he found a suitable spot to creep closer without being detected. He came up slightly behind and to the right of the human looking one.

Just in time to witness the pathetic display of Force power by the man. Several thoughts flew around at once - the most prominent being whether or not this was even a Sith holocron. If it was a Jedi's Baldr probably wouldn't be able to decipher it on his own. Light side powers did not take kindly to dark side users tinkering with them. He'd heard that it was actually impossible for any dark sider to open a light sided holocron - with or without help. Baldr would be sorely disappointed if such was the case and this did happen to be a light sided artifact.

Nevertheless, he was of course determined to find out for himself. He waited just long enough for the tricked seller to pull the traingular shaped object from somewhere and offer it to the human in front of him. The sharp snap - hiss of a lightsaber blade coming to life split the air like thunder. After a moment's pause, the teenage Morrigan spoke calmly and confidently behind the human.

"You may think you have some kind of power, but you have no training - that much is obvious. Give me the artifact or I will sever your head in the time it takes you to step forward."


@Kyber Krystal

 

[Kyber Krystal]

Kyber reached out and grasped the Holocron. He could scarcely believe he managed to acquire one. Months of searching and he finally managed to capture one. He had heard that many of the Sith hoarded these treasures, unwilling to share the knowledge with anyone else. Kyber had to wonder how this idiot managed to get his hands on it in the first place. But when all is said and done, he wasn't about to stick around and find out. He wanted to go and open it.

For a brief second, Kyber felt distracted. He looked down at his new prize, The power, the force, whatever it was exactly that was radiating from the Holocron was much more powerful in his hands. It was a tempting allure. Kyber almost wanted to open the Holocron here and now. But it was not a good idea, he needed to get back to his ship.

The hum of a lightsaber snapped him out of his daze. Kyber could recognize that sound anywhere. It was so distinct it was impossible not to. He took a second to compose himself before turning around calmly. He sized up this new assailant. He was pretty tall, broad shouldered and appeared to be well muscled underneath the cloak. He couldn't get the best look at his face, but from the sound of the assailant's voice they sounded young. Adolescance for sure. Kyber looked down at the lightsaber. Red in colour. Kyber couldn't help but swear to himself. Another crazy Sith here to ruin his day.

No matter what happened, Kyber had to be careful. This guy was right, Kyber wasn't trained. That's why he was here getting the Holocron in the first place. Also, if his previous encounters with Sith were any indication, just talking fo them wasn't going to do much good. He was expecting the previous sociopathic Sith to be a fluke, yet this Sith was threatening to decapatate him upon first meeting as well.

Kyber decided the best thing he could do was talk. Talk as a distraction. The main strip wasn't too far away, and he might have more protection if he made it there. The local gangs wouldn't take kindly to a Sith coming and undermining their authority, and Kyber could use them to get away. But first, he had to survive the alley.

"I got it first, it's mine. You Sith are like parasites, always crawling into situations when no one wants it." Kyber took a few slow steps backwards as he spoke, making his steps appear to be conversational rather than deliberate. He put the stupid seller between himself and the Sith. "And don't point that lightsaber at me, I'm not taking threats from a teenager who's voice hasn't fully changed yet. Word of advice, voice cracks make you sound way less threatening."

Kyber was close to the main strip, but there was still a ways to go. Kyber once again reached out with the Force, influencing the sellers mind once again. "The kid with the lightsaber ripped you off".

After planting that suggestion in the idiot's brain, Kyber thought he'd have a small window for escape. He broke into a run, holding onto the holcron tightly as he moved.

@RedneckLoves

 

[RedneckLoves]

The man claimed ownership of the artifact - a laughable concept from one barely even connected to the Force, let alone the Dark Side. It didn't belong to any but a rightful owner - one such as he. Baldr's eyes were drawn to the beauty of the object, knowing the power that lay within. How lucky for him to have stumbled upon such a precious artifact by chance - or fate.

Meaningless banter and pointless insults did nothing to the young Sith's concentration. Nothing the man said could move his attention from the holocron and his mission to retrieve it. A half-assed attempt at a distraction proved little in the way of slowing down the teenager who had been training since he was a tiny babe for just this sort of confrontation. A dash forward and a single slash of the crimson blade sliced the merchant's body in two as Baldr continued a graceful sprint to follow the holder of the holocron.

Young Baldr Morrigan wasn't far behind the untrained force user. One deft movement of his hand sent a stack of crates and boxes in front of the fleeing man cascading down across the alleyway, effectively blocking any escape. Stalking closer to his prey, Baldr spoke low and with menace in his voice.

"You will give me the artifact, pretender. Such a powerful object belongs in the hands of someone able to use it, not an inept nobody.

 

[Kyber Krystal]

Kriffing son of a hutt, thought Kyber as multiple boxes suddenly crashed in front of him. This was just great. How in the galaxy was he supposed to learn how to use the Force if every trained force user on the face of the galaxy wanted to kill him on sight. He really didn't have a great impression of the Sith, considering the only two Sith he had ever met tried to kill him moments after they met. Kyber was able to outmaneuver and escape the last one, but this guy seemed much more motivated. He really wanted that holocron. But so did Kyber. But obviously he didn't stand a chance against this guy, even if he did sound young. Kyber needed to be smart about this. He quickly looked up and down at the crates. Of course they were stacked neatly into piles, no foothold to climb. They looked too sturdy to blast through as well, at least too sturdy to spend the time blasting. He could use his Bowcaster to eliminate the boxes quickly, but by the time he'd be able to draw it the Sith could easily cut through him.

Kyber came up with a harebrained plan. It was crazy, but he wasn't about to just surrender the Holocron. Kyber backed himself against the crates. The wall they created was sturdy enough to be immovable. But if he moved one stack a little bit at a time, he might be able to gain a foothold and make it to the main strip. But it would require a lot of concentration, and a lot more talking... Kriffing Sith ruined everything it seems. He might have enough time. The Sith was stalking towards him like a predator cornering his prey. Kyber, being an avid hunter, knew better than to let this scare him. His focus wouldn't be broken by the approaching kid. And he would use the Sith's "menacing" slow approach to his advantage.

"Honestly, is every Sith in the Galaxy a homicidal maniac?! Honest question!" Kyber, with his hands still pressed firmly against the crates, acted like he was pausing to catch his breath from the short sprint. In reality, he was attempting to move the top box with the force. As Kyber breathed shallowly, the box shifted little by little. "Who the hell raised you that you think random slaughter is a good thing?!". The boxes continued to move little by little as the Sith advanced. A tiny bead of sweat began to drip down Kyber's face. He was breathing a bit heavier now. "How old are you even? You sound pretty young. Too young to be a random murderer, what are you a kriffing Wampa?!" The boxes continued to move, almost enough to create a foothold. "And don't call me inept, you little shit. I can use your precious artifact just as well as you can... Not that you will see what's inside"

That was one of the most focused uses of the Force Kyber had ever attempted, and he was a bit out of breath as a result. He turned around and began to clamber up the crates. While he was usually an avid, quick climber, he was moving slower than he otherwise would. He tried to climb as quickly as he could, even if he was more or less out of breath. Really he was out of options at this point.

@RedneckLoves

 

[RedneckLoves]

Cornered prey became panicked as it realized it had no way out. Young Morrigan neared the man with the precious artifact, ignoring his attempts at insulting and enraging the boy. The one barb that made any impact at all was the one that referenced his mother - the one who had raised him. Indeed, had raised him not to kill wantonly and that all life deserves respect. The man couldn't know that Baldr had no intentions of killing him unless he made it impossible to recover the holocron otherwise.

In the blink of an eye, the pretender had turned around and was clambering clumsily up the stack of crates that Baldr had knocked over to block the alleyway. Controlled rage welled up inside the tall teenager, quite uninterested in continuing to chase this man around these filthy streets. He focused the power within him on his fleeing target, enveloping the man with an invisible fist. Baldr yanked downwards, trying to pull the man off the crates and hold him down on the street.

 

[Kyber Krystal]

Just as Kyber managed to make it to the top of the pile, he felt himself being dragged down by some immeasurable weight. As if his own personal gravity had been augmented in the blink of an eye. He had to imagine that this was a very concentrated use of the Force by this kid. Kyber was extremely impressed but also very annoyed. How is it that all these people were so well trained and he couldn't even find an instructor. He wanted training and he wanted to learn, that's why he hunted down the holocron in the first place.

Kyber had decided that talking was a waste of time. This kid was powerful and stubborn and didn't look like he was about to be dissuaded from his goal any time soon. Kyber had to focus on his escape attempt.

Kyber was dragged down the Crates, ignoring his better instincts to hold onto the boxes. He imagined that he could have held onto the crates and maybe lessened the damage he received, but he was not about to let go of the Holocron. As he was dragged down, the stack of crates fell, clearing the way for Kyber to escape the alley... if he could escape the Sith. He slammed down onto his left arm first, causing some aching damage.

Held tightly, Pressed to the ground, Kyber's options were severely limited. He took a deep breath, acknowledging that he needed to be calm or nothing was going to happen. He took deep breaths, in and out to muster his strength. But the Sith's use of the Force was simply too much to bear for him. Perhaps recklessly, he continued to hang onto the holocron. He wanted it just as bad as this Sith, and he wasn't just some pretender.

"What's your... Kriffing problem?!" Kyber yelled towards his powerful assailant. Kyber was very out of breath, to the point where he was feeling a bit dizzy. Not only had he attempted his most focused use of the Force yet, but directly after he was just hauled down a stack of crates. His options were almost slim to none, and he wanted this artifact... But he had to admit that in no way was it worth dying for...

"How can you... How are all you Sith so well trained... And why the hell do you want this thing so badly?!"

@RedneckLoves