Arbinger looked into the face of Malic with cold, calculating eyes. He reexamined everything he had just heard, trying to find any flaw in the stranger's pronouncement.
"I am not responsible for the death of Sojun," he said flatly
"Really? And what proof do you have of that, brethren?" He inched forward slowly towards his captive. "You see, you are most likely his killer. After all, it was you who left the Sith. And it was you who was seen with Sojun last. And it was YOU who abandoned him to his death! Do not deny it! I know it was you! I can read your soul!" Malic's face was pressed close to Arbinger's, spittle flying from his lips, his third eye radiating a dangerous blood red. Arbinger chuckled in spite of himself.
"You fool. I know you cannot read my soul. No Sith has ever been able to do that. And I know you know nothing of my relation to the Sith, nor do you know who saw Sojun last. Just because you suspect I was the last person to be seen with this Sojun does not mean I was the last person to see him."
"You were last seen on Yavin heading into the swamps with Sojun! And you were the only one who came out of there. So you must have done it!" Malic quivered with rage as he shouted accusations at Arbinger, and slapped him across the face as he laughed. "Answer me! Or I will have your head!"
"You'll have my head either way. That much I do know for a fact. So what should I tell you, Sith? Shall I fabricate some fancy story full of fire-breathing dragons and mystical fairies? Or maybe something like a great lightsaber battle? Or just some sneak attack, a quick knife in the back…" Arbinger kept a cool face, yet his eyes sparkled with amusement, and, if examined closely enough, contempt. "I can tell you whatever you'd like to hear. Ask away." Malic slapped Arbinger hard across the face, yet all he did was turn his head back to the middle and continue to stare at his captor.
"I will not be denied, Kowachi!" Malic raised his hand as if again to slap him. Yet he hesitated, then slowly lowered his hand, trying to regain his self-control. "I know you are, or at least were, a member of the Sith. One of the most esteemed breed, at that. You were the candidate for Sojun's position as High Lord of the Sith. I know he trained you for years, ever since you were a small boy. I should know. I was the one to find you and brought him to you. Now tell me! What happened on Yavin?" His red eye slowly grew brighter and more intense throughout his tirade, and now it seemed almost to overtake him. Malic seemed not to notice, although the area around it pulsed quickly, almost with the same hate as its owner.
"I know nothing of this Sojun you speak of. I have never been to Yavin. I've heard it's not very habitable anyway, so why would any self-respecting soul travel there. And finally, my name is not Kowachi. It's Arbinger." A quick bolt of lightning coming from Malic's fingertips forced a surprised grunt from Arbinger.
"Kowachi, do not play games with me. I know exactly who you are. I just want to know what happened, my brother," his voiced was layered with false kindness, obviously forced.
"My name is Arbinger." Another bolt, this one lasting but a second longer, laced from Malic's hand.
"You are Kowachi. Or should I prove it to you?" He reached quickly to Arbinger's side and ripped off part of his shirt, revealing a tattoo all in black. It was that of an oval-shaped ring covered in steel spikes. A dragon was wrapped around it, bleeding from where its body had been punctured by the barbs, yet it still radiated a presence of command and death. The Black Dragon of the Sith had been etched permanently on Arbinger's side. Arbinger turned his head quickly to stare down at his exposed skin, then slowly turned his head back to face Malic.
"I gave up that life long ago. Kowachi is dead. He died the day I left Sojun to rot in the swamps of Yavin. I would not be a creature of blackness, and I refused to serve and obey such a villain."
"Pity," Malic replied, "You could have been such a star among us. You would have won out. You would have become the greatest leader of all the Sith. You would have led us in our destruction of the Jedi! But," he reached slowly for the Dragon, "it appears you are now just a lowly, pitiful excuse for a human. Betrayal does not ride well with anyone, especially when you betray the Sith. People become afraid. They can only imagine what kind of horror would befall a renegade Sith. You no longer hold any place in the world. So I shall ease your passing to hell. As soon as I learn everything I want." He placed his hand on the Dragon and closed his eyes as if in meditation. Arbinger flinched slightly and Malic opened his eyes and smiled triumphantly. "That should just about do it. I'm sure you know exactly what I've done to you, so prepare to tell me the truth." It was indeed true that Arbinger knew exactly what Malic had just done to him. Any member of the Sith learned this after receiving the Dragon. The Sith had a way of coercing the truth from any of its members, channeling some of the Force into the tattoo and the bearer was forced to tell the truth. It was only used in court situations, but Arbinger decided Malic had thought he was on trial. "What is your name?"
"Ar-" he flinched as if shocked lightly before changing his answer. "Kowachi." Malic chuckled softly.
"Yes. That is right. And what organization did you belong to for most of your life and then betrayed?"
"The Sith."
"Who was your master when you were an apprentice?"
"Sojun."
"And what happened to him?" Arbinger sat in silent for a few moments before answering.
"I don't know." Malic waited silently for a second before delivering a violent bolt of lightning.
"What happened to Sojun?"
"I don't know," was the cold reply. Malic shot more lightning at him.
"What happened to Sojun?"
"I don't know!" Malic began to fire more lightning into him, bolts arcing from every finger. He stopped suddenly though, a queasy look crossing his face.
"You don't know…" he stared off into space, his visions of destroying the High Lord by assassination came crashing down. "How can you not know? Did you kill him?"
"I did not kill Sojun." Malic felt his legs begin to lose their strength before he summoned up more hate.
"Then what happened on the last day you saw him?"
"We journeyed to Yavin by space fighter. We traveled into the swamps quite a ways when we landed and camped in a cave overnight while a storm raged around us. I left him after the storm had finished, a few hours before dawn. I stole the fighter and left the planet. I did not realize he had died until the Dragon glowed red hot with the desire of revenge. If I were ever able to remove this, I'd probably find a scar seared into my side from that day." Malic's eye was gray with deadness, hate drained from his body.
"So, brethren. You did not kill Sojun. And you do not know who did," he did not phrase that in a question. "And now I do not know who will ever know." He looked at Arbinger coldly. "I have no right to your head on a platter, as I was hoping. But it seems that I can still skin you for treason. But that will have to wait. You still have a purpose to serve." It only took a moment before realization dawned on Arbinger's face, but Malic failed to notice, lost in his own reverie. "Deltina will arrive soon enough to break the seal. Then you can die together." He gave one final look at the chained renegade and left, cloak swirling behind him. His cold laughter echoed in the cave for a few seconds before the only sound came to be the water dripping. Arbinger sighed as he felt Forbidden leave his side. The interview had been a close call, and he had only barely been able to sidestep Malic's questions. With a little more probing, his wrath would have been given a target. One that struck close to the ShadowLight's heart.