Strangers In Tipoca

[D.C.]

Thunder roared in the dark, clouded night sky of Kamino. Rain poured down and crashed onto the metal walkways and roofs of one of the most magnificent cities in the universe. A city so grand, that it could house billions of people. All kinds of species came here, all kinds of persons with different alignments in the Force. One such person, with perhaps the darkest aura around him on the planet, landed in the city in the middle of the night.

It was around three A.M. in the morning, and a dark, mysterious figure strode down the dark hallways and corridors of the enormous city. Every time he came here, he wondered why this huge place didn't have any residences, except for the higher ups. It was somewhat odd. Maybe even surreal.

He was shrouded in a black longcoat and his face hidden deep in the shade of his hood. Under the longcoat he wore a black shirt, black pants and black shoes. He wore black gloves. You'd say he didn't want to be recognized, but who knew him? Who would possible recognize that dark stranger, strolling throughout the city of millions. Tipoca City.

Not a soul. Because at this time of night, it seemed like Oseth was all alone. As if he was a ghost in an abandoned world. An empty world.

He walked into a small, dark corridor to the end, and then slipped into a medium sized room. The room was empty, like the streets of town, and it was there where he could rest in peace. He sat down in cross-legged position and shut his eyes. He concentrated on the Force and soon he was lost in its endless sea of serenity.

He knew someone wanted to find him. And that someone would find him eventually. So he sat inside that empty room, awaiting that someone to come...

 

[Apex]

Ah, Kamino. A smile played across Zergo's face as he looked down into the waters below. The water was such a dark hue of blue that it almost seemed black. The crashing waves and torrential rains were perfect - they set such a chaotic, yet serene scene. He could feel the person he was set to meet here in the force. Darth Oseth - one of the Sith Lords in the Empire. Why they were meeting? To train, perhaps - a mission, perhaps a little philosophy. Zergo hoped there would be some killing too - he hadn't had any life soup in quite some time. Turning away from the waves, he began to walk to the building near him which connected his landing pad to the rest of the city. His black boots let out a keen clap each time they came down upon the metal which was drowned in water.

Yes, he could feel the presence now. It was just a corridor away - Tipoca's equivalent of a dark Coruscant alley. He kept his hood up, though no one would recognize him. There wasn't even anyone to see him in the first place. To most people he just looked like any other twenty-some odd year old human, perhaps with a darkness about him. But in reality he was over eighty years old, and an Anzati at that. He was now at the end of the corridor, and opened the door to his right. There was Darth Oseth - Zergo could feel the sickly darkness pulsating from the being.

He respectfully bowed his head, and said, "my lord." He was ready for combat, however. He was all too familiar with the birth by fire philosophy of the Sith. And he knew that higher ups, especially lords, liked to test rising acolytes. Perhaps just this once he could relax.

 

[D.C.]

Oseth rose to a stand, slowly. He eyed the one who'd entered the room. He instantly recognized the acolyte. It was the one who had wanted to find him, to work together with him. The Wolf wondered if that was such a good idea, because he tended to make a bloody mess of things, but he would try to control himself. He would try to, even though he was always so thirsty.

'You Zergo?' he asked bluntly. 'No, don't tell me, I know it's you.'

He pulled down his hood, revealing his face. His light-green eyes; his long, dirty-blonde hair; and his wolf-like features. He was a Human and considered handsome by many women. It was not the kind of face you'd expect with a Sith Lord.

'You are resourceful, since you managed to find me,' he said. 'I'll give ye that. Tell me now, Zergo, and look me in the eye, why have you come here? What is it that you're looking for?'

 

[Apex]

"For further training," said Zergo as he assessed the man before him, scanning him up and down with his eyes, "to learn more about lightsaber combat, and applying my knowledge to real world implications. Combat, missions, killings, etc. All to reach my greater goal. All to help the Sith affirm our position at the top of the galaxy. It is what's natural." The young acolyte contemplated talking about all of his philosophy, perhaps recite his own holocron to him, but this man was a Sith Lord. Zergo was sure he knew all about philosophy. And frankly, Zergo just wanted to get down to business.

 

[D.C.]

'Wait,' Oseth said abruptly, pointing at the Anzati, 'did you just say the Sith? You mean...' he made a gesture with both hands, as if he was drawing a circle in the air, 'you're not only thinking about yourself, but about the entire faction?' He grinned, then began to chuckle, and then threw his head back in his neck and laughed out loud.

'I like ye, boy,' he said. 'I reckon you're right; we need skills if we want to survive in this cruel world, full of ****ing monks who think they're everything with that ****ing Light Side of theirs. But I'll add this, don't underestimate those idiots. And never think the Dark Side is everything. A good warrior stays in control of whatever Side he's taking, and he won't let it control him.

'Now, let me see your blade.' He looked at Zergo and wondered if this one already carried a saber of his own. He could sense the warped aura of Darkness around the Anzati. He'd heard that Geist Weiss was training him and he wondered what they had been working on all this time. Perhaps Zergo was becoming an alchemist himself. Being an alchemist didn't mean you didn't need combat skills, after all.

 

[Apex]

Zergo let a grin play across his face at Oseth's jokes. He then took his lightsaber off his belt. It was still a Jedi design, back when he was training almost seventy years ago. Although Weiss had given him a new crystal, Zergo would redesign it someday to symbolize his advancement past the acolyte stage. Then, all of a sudden, Zergo activated the lightsaber and attempted to bring it down upon his master. If Oseth was testing Zergo, Zergo would test Oseth.

 

[D.C.]

The following happened within a second:

Oseth grabbed Zergo's left shoulder, sprung into the air and flipped over the acolyte. He landed with a loud thud, quickly turned around and wrapped his arm around the acolyte's throat.

He was fast. Like a demon. The one moment he stood in front of Zergo, the next he stood behind the man, ready to kill. His lips were inches from Zergo's ear and the words came out in a whisper so scary that it would most likely sent the shivers down the man's spine.

'Ye may be Anzati,' he said, 'but I am a wolf. Could've broken your neck right when I landed and to be honest, I don't see why I shouldn't. Do it again and I'll kill you. Arrogant prick!'

He pushed Zergo away from him and scowled. The Dark Side boiled within him and it begged to be released in the form of a terrible destructive power, but Oseth bit back the anger, because he had to show Zergo that one had to stay in control.

'Tell me, why did you do that? What were you hoping to achieve?'