A/N: I guess I should name the 'series' this is a part of like the nice PM I got yesterday suggested. I think I'm going label it 'Two of a kind'. Kinda corny but it fits. This is it for this story. I like keep them short. Helps so my attention span doesn't wander, and readers can pick through what they want to read a little bit easier. Let me know how I did. Reviews are always welcome. There will be more sequels after this. Possibly some new main characters. Hope you enjoyed it!

Blood had a nasty, peculiar taste. It was hard to mistake it for anything else and once you knew it you would never forget it. Faing still remembered the first time he discovered it.

The backhand was to his face for some infraction he didn't even remember anymore. Years ago this had been. The only reason he could even recall the memory was because it was the first time he'd ever seen or tasted his own blood. Metallic and seeping into his mouth from his split lip.

At the present, the blood was actually coming from a hole he'd bit into his cheek when the zabrak had thrown him into the wall. It was the first thing he remembered when regaining consciousness. The taste had reminded him.

Then the rest came roaring back. The velocislug, the fight, his probable concussion via head injury, left eye swollen shut courtesy of a fist and metal desk drawer. Also the dead alien acolyte and poisoned blade. The rooms big red occupant inevitably returning.

SHIT. How long were you out?

When he moved his head it felt like that metal drawer was beating him in the temple again. It also felt like the floor beneath him had give similar to foam.

Durasteel doesn't 'give'.

He really didn't want to open his eyes. But the little nagging voice inside his head would start to get annoying if he didn't do the 'smart' thing. He'd come this far though.

He willed heavy lids to open and they did so, gradually. Vision was blurry, but it sharpened after a few seconds. So did the nausea and migraine.

The first thing he put together clearly was that he was on the spare bunk and that was decidedly not where he'd passed out.

The second was that someone was moving around, using a sheet to cover something on the floor. This 'someone' was large and red.

Faing decided he would try and say something appropriate and witty. What he actually uttered had all the conciseness of a spice addled wookie.

"Waahh..deeedja..hupp.." When he tried to move his jaw it felt like someone had wrapped rubber bands around it.

"I've heard more intelligent inquiries spoken by a toddler."

It was a familiar, deep voice. That was comforting oddly enough.

He let out a huff in frustration. Everything hurt, and he had no inclination to move it just yet. If Aegir hadn't killed him yet for the scene he'd obviously walked in on, then he wouldn't get homicidal over Faing taking his time to become coherent. Hopefully.

It would be several minutes before he attempted to sit up. The effort exerted was tiring and made him want to curl up and go back to sleep. Immediately the back of his head was throbbing, almost over taking the pain radiating out from his temple. When the former slave attempted to swallow the blood taste in his mouth, there was pain there too. Instruction tomorrow was going to be fun in this shape.

He put his hand to his head and was surprised to feel a bandage in place.

"When you remember how to speak, I want to know what happened here." Aegir said evenly. There was no hint of the usual anger, but instead..inquisitiveness? Calm consideration? No threats.

That one statement did it. What was said, and what wasn't. Everything from that one day in the tombs and forward came crashing back. The realization of what it had actually cumulated into was heavy and enlightening at the same time.

Faing looked up and the pure blood was standing there, staring down at him and holding the bloodied blade. He found his voice.

"I saved your life."

He told the Sith everything that had happened.

Well, almost everything. He was very careful to omit the part where he was able to use the force to bend light around his body, rendering him invisible. He wasn't an idiot.

The conversation would be unnerving for most people, with the pureblood holding the bloodied dagger the entire time. But the former slave could easily recall more frightening encounters with deadlier individuals before the age of ten.

Aegir seemed interested in where he'd gotten the blade, but then merely raised a brow at the offered explanation. This only heightened Faing's own curiosity.

"So what was it doing in your belongings?" There was a hint of snark in his voice. No head injury would keep him down for long.

"It was on one of the bodies of my would-be ambushers in the tomb where we first met. You warned me of their plot."

Well how do you like that?

"Huh. Full circle I suppose."

"My recent trials success can be partially credited towards my light saber. You had a hand in my acquisition of that as well."

"Well, yay, I guess."

"That is why he tried to kill me. The connections are not difficult to follow."

"I expect not."

Then the Sith crossed his arms. "So was this what you planned all along or are you a victim of circumstance?"

Faing paused from rubbing the back of his head to look up again. "Excuse me?"

"Am I supposed to believe that this has happened all on it's own? That you had no hand in planning any of it? I am one of the most dangerous acolytes at this academy. My success is only a matter of time. You have the entire establishment taking potshots at you in hopes of ensuring your failure." The pure bloods tone was beginning to shift into accusatory.

"Thanks for reminding me how imminent my death is. I almost forgot for a moment. And what exactly do you think I'm capable of planning?" He could feel the anger starting, swirling inside with frustration. He wasn't in the mood to pander to this guys suspicions. "I have to walk on glass to EAT on a daily basis, much less sit and scheme on how to manipulate someone who could squash me like a bug. I have to train and study in secret. I was sleeping in corners and common rooms until recently. Thank you by the way. E chuta!"

The Sith narrowed his eyes and sneered," I hope you're not looking for a sympathetic shoulder."

"People like you don't know the meaning of that word." Faing spat back.

"Watch yourself." Aegir's posture changed.

"Or What?!" He nearly yelled back, while jumping up and instantly regretted it. But he ignored the pain and nausea. He wasn't going to back down. Things had to change and they were going to start right here.

"Do you want to find out how easily I can crush you under my boot?" The Sith's eyes narrowed and his back straightened.

Faing stared directly at him through blood encrusted hair and icey cerulean eyes. Aegir was bigger, stronger, and better trained. But he was beyond the point of caring.

"You know what? Do it. Just shut your red face and do it." He paused at the look on the pure bloods face. Something between anger and uncertainty. The former slave kept going, feeling like he had the upper hand verbally.

"I am so sick of the paranoid idiots in this place. You're all so concerned with murdering and backstabbing each other, it's a wonder anyone makes it out alive. How do we even manage to keep our numbers up to combat the Jedi? I didn't help you because I wanted something, you overly suspicious jerk. I did it because I wanted to. I did it because no one makes it on their own. You've been at the top your entire life so maybe it's a bit harder of a concept for you to comprehend since everyones always kissing your ass."

"You are pushing your luck. No one speaks to me like that." The rage was palpable.

"Then just go ahead and kill me. You haven't learned a bloody thing and I can't take you in a proper fight anyway." Faing sat down on the bunk again before he fell over. The hammering in the back of his head was becoming too much. He was also sure that this would be when the sith finally offed him.

"What are you talking about?"

He didn't look up this time, instead burying his face in his hand. "Be more specific please."

"If you're going to claim my ineptitude at something, follow through and explain." The negative energy in the room was starting to drain out, taking the charged feeling with it. But Aegir's voice lost none of it's command.

Faing fixed him with what he hoped was an unreadable look. Keeping his voice even he replied," You're top of the class academically and in combat no one can touch you. You take out whole groupings of acolytes that have allied together for the sole purpose of killing you. You are king of the hill and everyone wants to knock you down. Clearly a straight fight won't work. Ambushes all failed. So whats the one time you are actually vulnerable? Sleep, you fool. Let a deadly parasite into your dorm that will off you in your sleep. Problem solved, road block hurdled."

He went back to cradling his head in his hands, wishing for rest and a chance to wash the grime off. Absentmindedly he noticed the tunic he was wearing was covered in the dark brown-red stains of blood.

"What a very basic and astute deduction you've presented. And how would someone like you come to such a conclusion?" The word slave remained unspoken but hung in the air nonetheless.

This time when he looked up, Faing grinned sardonically. "Because thats what I would do."

Silence hung for a moment. One unsure of how the other was going to react. Seconds felt like an eternity. He felt frozen in place.

The unthinkable happened, and the sound of it actually made his heart jump in fright: Aegir began to laugh.

It lasted for several seconds. The sight and sound immediately seemed unnatural and evil. That sith did not laugh. For the briefest moment Faing was certain he was about to be murdered.

"You have a better mind, and a sturdier spine than the majority of the acolytes here."

"Um... yay?" Great answer, idiot.

Aegir walked over to where the Zabraks body was still laying, contorted in a horrifying way that was visible even under the sheet.

"We need to get rid of this."

Faing waved his hand and muttered ," Just throw it out into the jungle for the wild life to gnaw on."

And there was that laugh again, though shorter this time. "A garbage chute in a camera's blind spot would work just as well."

They did get rid of it rather easily. Faing already knew where all the blind spots and malfunctioning holocams were. He'd caused most of them to malfunction. The trip there was terrifying and made him chew his lip in anxiety. The potential for some much to go wrong was at a high point right now. If they were caught it would be bad.

But it was the middle of the night and no one was walking the corridors. He knew the patrol patterns of the human guards, and he'd already reprogrammed the droids to ignore him months ago. The halls were silent and dark and he loved it. In all his time here, he'd never been caught wandering about. He was confident that this wouldn't be an issue.

Creative maneuvering got the pure blood around any obstacles. When they reached their destination, Aegir unceremoniously jammed the body into the compactor and down the chute. It was as business-like as someone with drawling credits from their account.

Faing wasn't sure what was more morbid- the act it's self or the fact that they both stood there, nonchalantly, waiting for the evidence to disappear.

When the last bit of Aegir's would-be assassin disappeared, the pure blood mock bowed and said," After you."

Faing raised a brow. "Your sudden discovery of a sense of humor is disturbing."

A wry grin was his response. It was awkward considering curiosity and homicidal rage were the only two emotions that sith had ever fully expressed.

When they made it back to the dorm, Faing took a moment to look about the space. Apparently when he'd been unconscious Aegir had wiped all evidence of the fight away, except the body, obviously.

There was a mark on the wall where one of the drawers had hit, but all of the blood was gone.

He turned around and looked at the sith. "So what now?"

The bigger acolyte crossed his arms and assumed his familiar sneer. "You look worse than a Kubaz that's been sucked through a starship engine."

Faing blinked. "Great, thank you. Please feel free to point out anything else that I could stand to improve."

"That would be a long list, but you could start by utilizing what my former dorm mate left behind." The sith turned away from him to gaze at a datapad, and ending the conversation. Awkward.

That left the smaller acolyte to see what he could lay claim to.

Recessed into the wall were cubes for clothing and other belongings. He dug through it for several moments before deciding everything was going to be a little large and finally settling for simplicity. Sith could be some of the most eccentric idiots he'd ever seen.

The mirror in the fresher didn't hold back. The Zabrak had done a number on him, but he'd had worse. The head injuries would heal and his eye would shrink to normal size. The bandage on his head would need to be changed.

Blood stained the corners of his face, ran down his neck. But through it all, he could still see the slave mark over his left eye. Burnt into the skin years ago, plain as day.

It would always be there, and he would never remove it. He would never forget where he came from, or what she had done to him. More importantly, what she had taught him.

It would take years but he would get what he needed. She was going pay for everything, with her life. This had only been the first step. Keep throwing out your line, until you get what you need. Words carried since childhood. And now, he felt as though he had an ally. There might even be trust eventually. Hahahaha.

The mirror was still there. Blue eyes stood out against all the grey. Hair matted with blood.

The face that gazed at him was that of a teenager, beaten bloody and too well versed to the bad things in life. But when he smiled at that reflective surface, the face changed. The grin stretched upwards, the eyes went cold, and the visage reminded him of a jesters.

This was only the beginning.

I am always happy to answer any questions. Thanks for reading. :)