[ Written by dngn4774 and Ravynsland.The rest can be found in the SWGOT Library. ]
Coming of AgeBy the time Zavron had come to, the Ebb Tide had already pulled into Tatooine. He was notified by Gaius Phoenix that Darth Verudan wished to speak with him immediately. While leaving the dockyard they received a message containing the coordinates of Verudan's homestead.
After a few minutes, of riding their speederbikes the Sith and his companion arrived at the small fortress. As they dismounted from their bikes Zavron could see the silhouettes of a female Pureblood and a droid atop the steps.
Zavron reached into a front pocket of his robes, withdrawing a handful of slotted tokens. "Go back to town, and take this with you. If I'm not back by morning you can keep my ship."
"That serious, huh?" The Chiss reached for Zavron's hand but it suddenly closed tightly.
"If you leave this world before dawn, I will track you down and kill you slowly." He released his hands and passed his currency forth.
Gaius smiled. "You know, for a Sith you're deceptively transparent." He patted Zavron on the back of his shoulder. "Good Luck!"
After he Chiss took off on his speederbike, the Pureblood cleared her throat. "Shall we begin?" Shoust shouted.
The Zabrak turned and nodded.
Nar Shaddaa"Are you sure I can't make it... worth your while?" Tarkona purred, tugging gently at the neckline of her form-fitting brown top to show a little bit of creamy blue cleavage. "It's just a little bit of info, I'm not gonna hurt anyone. How could I? I'm harmless."
The little Rodian at the bar was starting to sweat. Or whatever the hell it was Rodians did that made them extra-shiny. He chittered back at her in his own bizarre little language, still resisting and causing Tarkona to pull herself a little closer, her breath hot on his skin. "Don't make this hard," she whispered. "You will tell me, one way or another. How do I get past the Hutt's security? What gift will he be unable to resist?"
The Rodian drew back, glancing at the floor before uttering a sort of soft burble, hesitant as ever. But it was the answer Tarkona needed, if not really the one she wanted. "He... what? That's gross. Seriously? Ugh." The Twi'lek woman shook her head, standing up from the bar and transferring a few credits to the barkeep. "Keep the drinks going for him, on me. He's earned 'em... and considering the things he's seen, he may need 'em."
She walked out of the cantina, stretching out her spine and tapping a button on her gauntlet. "Vyalis?"
A miniature blue hologram of the Rattataki huntress appeared, floating above her gauntlet and suited up for action. "Commander?"
"I told you not to call me that. Just be ready at the rendezvous point. You have Zeeka with you, right?"
"I was considering leaving her behind – she isn't needed for this mission, is she?"
Tarkona exhaled awkwardly, stopping dead in her tracks as she walked along the long, sterile walkways of Nar Shaddaa, doing her best to ignore the various refugees and solicitors who kept trying to get her attention. "We couldn't leave her alone with Nylo even if we didn't need her... which we do. She's integral to the plan."
Viya furrowed her brow. "Integral? Why? Is it her precognition? She hasn't mastered that yet."
"Actually it's a good deal simpler than that. We need a, um... well." Tarkona cleared her throat. "We need a... girl... who's... like Zeeka."
"Force-sensitive?"
Tarkona shook her head.
"...Mirialan?"
"Nope."
Vyalis narrowed her eyes. "Adolescent?"
The Twi'lek nodded, looking away sheepishly before talking out of the corner of her mouth. "You still have that slave bikini from the last job, right?"
The bounty hunter nodded slowly, still looking more than a little perturbed.
"How fast do you think it you can refit it so that Zee can wear it?"
"If Fact-0R will let me power him up, five minutes."
"Bring it with you."
FaChhZzzChh!
Their sabers clashed, neither opponent giving momentum to the other. Zavron had been sparing with Lord Shoust for hours but had barely laid a scratch on her in all that time. His body was riddled with fresh scars and the Pureblood had not even used her off hand yet. The Zabrak was a highly capable fighter but she was in a league of her own, especially when it came to saber combat.
His forearms began to twitch as he pushed with as much force as he could muster. Beads of sweat clouded his vision but his eyes had managed to focus on his mentor's smug grin. Mugen cackled, dropping him off stance with a flick of her wrist. "Is that the best you can do?" She mocked. "Our Master's standards must have truly declined over the years. Perhaps he's grown soft."
Zavron spun with a broad sweep of his saberstaff. The strike would have bisected Lord Shoust had she not anticipated it perfectly. She also spun, getting beneath the swing and slashing the young Sith's back. Afterwards, she force pushed Zavron away with her free hand while he winced in pain. "Oh look, I have two hands!" She exclaimed, greeting him with a wave. "Fighting you made me forget how easy this was." She jested.
The Sith was know fool. He knew what his instructor was doing. Degradation was a common practice in Sith pedagogy, purposely infuriating an acolyte to illicit rage, shame, or any other type of passion. Still, prior knowledge of the technique was not enough to prevent it from working.
"AAAGGGGHHHHHH!" Zavron roared like a wild beast, coming at Shoust with everything he had. The Zabrak's wounds closed instantly with the charge, as a blood-red aura surrounded the grazes and his whole body. His hands moved with the strenght of thunder but his Sith Lord opponent danced like lightning. Rapid, random and yet...deliberate was the only true description of the Juyo form, and both had mastered it. Zavron accelerated now matching the Pureblood's speed as she drew her second lightsaber to adjust seamlessly. Neither combatant's eyes could track the blades as they were each going off of force sense alone. This was now a level above saber combat, it was a clash within the force itself.
Dozens of strikes, steps, counterstrikes, and form shifts overlapped between seconds. Suddenly an unexplainable phenomenon occurred in the clash's conclusion. Zavron had caught both of Shoust's blades, twisting them to the ground as his other blade faded through the Sith Lord's elbows. To his surprise her arms were not amputated from the slice. He ignored it, blocking her next strike and thrusting the the blade behind her back, directly piercing her heart. He immediately feel through Mugen's body as writhed in pain.
"Impossible!" He yelled. He could feel his arms and chest burn as he was briefly immobilized by his shock. Shoust hacked through both of the howling Zabrak's thighs, causing him to collapse on the ground. "But...how?" He begged the victor for the answer to her secret technique.
"Patience Brother, you have proven you worth, as our Master has asked, and you shall be reward for it." She healed Zavron's wounds, then paced before him. It was our Master's will that I oversee your growth as a Sith. I will teach you many things on this dustball but you will not leave until you master a particular skill. Spirit Feasting is the art that identifies our order in the Sith. Many have tried to practice it, but most have died. If you perform this technique successfully you will officially become one of Darth Verudan's chosen few...you will become a Phantom Lord. Do you accept my tutelage?"
The Zabrak knelt in response.
"Your learning!" Mugen smiled. "That was the only acceptable answer."
Meanwhile..."I look silly," Zeeka said matter-of-factly.
"Well, Temiryur... what was... Temiyurian...? Something like that. The Hutt guy is going to disagree, and that's why we're... y'know." Tarkona chewed the inside of her cheek, limbering up a little bit as she escorted Zeeka (dressed in a metal-and-cloth bikini) and Vyalis towards the area where the Hutt bastard lounged around, did his business, and likely devoured small life-forms.
"I don't have to do anything gross, do I?" The Mirialan huffed, looking up at Tarkona and making a face.
"We won't let it come to that," the Twi'lek responded, patting Viya's armored shoulder. "Vyalis isn't gonna let that happen, and she's gonna be with you the whole time."
"What exactly is your plan, Tarkona?" Vyalis interjected, pausing and setting her hand protectively on Zeeka, pulling up her faceplate with the other hand to gaze at Tarkona with her harsh gray eyes. "How is any of this supposed to make the Hutt dead?"
"Just worry about your part," Tarkona answered. "Focus on getting Zeeka inside. I trust you to handle any mishaps that may come up."
Vyalis growled quietly to herself. A lot of Tarkona's plans ended up going this way – it appeared to be her specialty, which was both good and bad. At a glance, it seemed like the Twi'lek operated off-the-cuff, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Tarkona's plans were very carefully laid out, but they always involved the manipulation and exploitation of X-factors. Excellent in the sense that Tarkona could adapt to even the most dire-seeming situations... and infuriating in that it meant her teammates rarely, if ever, understood the details of those plans. "Sure, sure. Get Zeeka inside, I get it."
"I'm right here!" Zeeka chirped.
"Yes, dear, and you look adorable." Tarkona responded. "Now put on your best 'oppressed underaged sex-slave' face and we can get this show on the road, alright?"
"This plan would have gone much better if we had Fact-0R with us," Viya growled, taking Zeeka's shotos and tucking them into a compartment in her streamlined, violet-highlighted armor. "I don't speak Huttese."
"That's why I sent you instead of going myself," Tarkona offered a knowing grin, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Tirem-whatever has a protocol droid translator who stays with him at all times, who also translates what people say into things that will be more socially palatable to the Hutt. It should go off without a hitch."
"Oh wise and wealthy Hutt," Vyalis said sheepishly, her heart not in it. She had no clue why Tarkona insisted on putting her on "social" missions like this. "I bring to you an offering, this Mirialan girl, I believe you will find her much to your liking."
Zeeka shuffled awkwardly, her pout visible despite a half-hearted attempt to wear a vapid smile. The protocol droid translated in a garbled language to his master, only to have a reply come from the Hutt himself.
"The illustrious and noble Temiyurian the Hutt would like to ask you, what your price is, for the girl." The droid turned back to Viya and said, its voice placid and polite.
"My employer was quite clear. She said that you could do whatever you like, with the girl, for the price of one small unit of Isotope-5. I was under the impression, only illustrious Temiyurian, that you are possessed of plenty, and that this small price should be more than worth such a..." Vyalis caressed Zeeka's shoulder, who shuddered reflexively. "...Such a lovely specimen as this."
The Hutt let loose a hearty (and somewhat sickening laugh) as his droid translated the offer to him, answering in his nonsense language. "The wealthy and stylish Temiyurian the Hutt dislikes your price," the droid said, "but finds your boldness pleasing, as well as your offer. He has agreed to your terms, once both you and your offering have been thoroughly inspected by security, while I go to fetch your payment."
Dammit, Tarkona! Vyalis mentally hissed. This wasn't part of the plan. At least... it wasn't a part of Viya's plan. Had Tarkona knownthis would happen? If she went into this, what would happen? Stifling a growl, she adjusted her shoulder-plates and walked along with the droid, who escorted her to a small squadron of guards who were so heavily-armored it was hard to tell whether they were droids or humanoids. "My pleasure," she spat.
Tarkona grinned, watching through the camera she had had installed on Viya's helmet. "Perfect. They're gonna be so upset when they find those lightsabers."
Setting a little case in front of her, the Twi'lek clicked it open and emitted a dark little giggle at what was inside. It always made her happy when she got to use this thing. Now, the only issue was to find a vantage point. Good thing she had one in mind.
"What... are these?" came the tinny voice of one of the guards, after a quick patdown of Viya's armor. His/its visor gazed directly at the Rattataki, blank expression stern as it held up not one, not two, but three lightsabers, two of them with curiously short handles.
Vyalis widened her eyes, swallowing slightly and glancing at Zeeka, who was sheepishly trying to prevent the guards from removing or otherwise invading her metal bikini. The bounty huntress turned back to the security man, offering an awkward smile. "I have no idea how those got there, sir," she tried.
The guard leaned in to his wrist, opening a comm to boom his warning to the rest of security. "We've got Sith on Platform 2-A0, I repeat, Sith on Platform 2-A0, respond im–"
He was cut off by Vyalis grabbing her saber from his hand, activating it, and removing his head with a clean sweep. "Boring conversation anyway," she growled, grabbing the two shorter sabers and tossing them to Zeeka, who immediately activated them, a pair of short yellow beams spitting forth. "Get ready to defend yourself, my young apprentice."
On TatooineAs the sun rose over the remote palace, two phantoms emerged. Lord Mugen Shoust and Zavron strode down the slope to find a Chiss waiting for them.
"You've returned?" Zavron stated with some confusion.
"Figured you would return at some point. Belsavis has taught me not to doubt your life expectancy. So...where to now?" The Imperial Agent inquired.
"We still have unfinished work here. We'll regroup in town shortly." Shoust confirmed, leaving Zavron and his companion on her own speederbike.
Gaius chuckled. "Your friend certainly sounds interesting." He said squinting into the distance, still trying to make out the female Sith's form. "What's her deal?"
"She's off limits!" Zavron hissed. Phoenix looked back to laugh but contained himself when he saw the seriousness in the Zabrak's face.
They each walked to their speeders and kickstarted the engines. Jawa bikes were cheap but notoriously clunky.
"Have you made any contacts on Tatooine?" Zavron asked.
"A few." The Agent responded. "Most of them are new."
CLK-VVOOOOOOOMMM!
"Reach out to them now! WE MIGHT REQUIRE SOME ASSISTANCE!" The new phantom roared over the engines. The two sped off as a large dust cloud formed in the distance.
Next Issue... Red Sands