Chapter Twenty One: Tools
Lorrik's mind lapsed as Syrosk continued his speech. Words left his master's lips and found purchase upon his own ears, but there was something preventing them from holding meaning. The Sith Lord offered brief, succinct directions for his students, detailing the process of requisitioning crystals from the Academy's proper supply chain. The Human's eyes were glazed over when the students were dismissed and the Lord made his way back toward the Academy. It took a firm shake of his arm to bring him back to the present. Wildly turning his head, Lorrik shifted to see his companion gazing upon him with an arched brow.
"I can guess what's currently going through your mind at the moment," Jresh admitted.
"That obvious?"
"Don't need to be a telepath to see you're in duress."
"Duress is a… strong word."
"For the predicament, I'd say it fits," Jresh calmly stated. The pair watched the other students depart from the mountaintop without a fuss. "I'd say you're alone in your lack of funds. Think we could get by with my allotment and some careful haggling?"
"I don't know," Lorrik admitted, his hand softly rubbing his brow. "Syrosk most likely gave us just enough credits to get our crystals."
"Are you going to explain your situation to him?"
"He probably already knows. Hell, he probably knows about our entire conversation earlier today. The man is surprised by nothing."
"He doesn't come off as a man who knows his students plan on shaking the foundations of the Empire."
"He doesn't come off as anything," Lorrik stated. "What you see is what you get, and all you see is a scowl and some horns."
"What are you going to do?" Jresh asked.
"I don't know," Lorrik immediately replied. What followed was a heavy silence, broken only by the inquisitor's heavy sigh as he scratched the back of his head. Just as he was about to turn and trudge his way back to the Academy, a spark appeared within Lorrik's visage. "Go ahead and take care of your business. I'm going to make a… personal inquiry."
"What are you planning?"
"You remember how Syrosk said not to interfere with Tash's domain?"
"Quite."
"Well…"
"Just one question. Are you going to need backup?"
"No. I got this."
"Alright, then I'll place my trust in you," Jresh firmly stated. "Don't die. Don't do anything too disruptive."
"What's considered too disruptive?"
"Stomping about, making a mess of things."
"Don't worry. We inquisitors know how to utilize an indirect approach…"
"So tell me about Darth Tash."
The two brothers situated behind the requisitions counter within the lower halls looked up at the inquiring apprentice with pale faces. Paler than usual. The weapons master and quartermaster looked to each other without a shred of knowing how to proceed. Lorrik placed his hands on the counter and leaned forward with a confidence they had not seen before, not in him nor any of the usual acolytes that would grace their presence. That had witnessed bravado and stupidity, but not confidence. Especially in regard to their hidden master.
"Lorrik. It's been a while. How goes the cooking?" the quartermaster spoke up, playing up a nonchalant demeanor.
"Honestly, the man knows about Darth Tash and your mind is on food?" the weapons master asked, refusing to face the inquisitor directly.
"So what if he knows? He's outside the realm of influence."
"No one is outside the realm of influence. Darth Tash considers half the galaxy within the realm of influence."
"And he stops by for a status report how often? He was only here last week because one of the instructors called him in."
"Whoa, wait a minute," Lorrik interrupted. "He was here? Last week?"
"What, you weren't here to see him force your master to his knees?" the weapons master coldly stated.
"I was… in the wastes…" Lorrik muttered, trailing to the point of being inaudible.
"Lucky you. Had you been with him you likely would have been made an example of as well," the quartermaster explained.
"Though now, it's technically our duty to report your activities to him," the weapons master offered with no sense of urgency. "But…"
"But…?" Lorrik asked.
"But… that would require an effort neither of us are willing to make," the quartermaster finished.
"Not interested in earning his favor? Offering details about the apprentice of his hated rival?" Lorrik suggested.
"Does he hate Lord Syrosk?" the quartermaster asked, turning to his brother.
"To hate would be admitting to being affected. He's much too prideful for that," the brother answered.
"Yeah… we lean more towards the 'getting by utterly unnoticed' course of action. Darth Tash's attention isn't widely regarded as a boon."
"You obviously aren't trying to earn his favor, so why participate in his schemes?" Lorrik asked.
The weapons master released a quick chuckle. "You don't seem to understand the nature of choice in this Academy."
"We're here because… if we weren't, we'd be dead," the quartermaster added. "We came to Korriban as regular students. Prime Force-sensitive Humans from families in good standing. Unfortunately, our survival skills didn't exactly match our credentials. We were on our last legs as acolytes. Our deaths were certain. Darth Tash offered us a chance. We oversee some of the particulars of his personal wing of the Academy, we get to live outside all the 'kill or be killed' nonsense."
"We don't owe him. There's no sense of duty. We just know what needs to be done to survive."
"What about freedom?" Lorrik asked.
"What about it? It's a fabrication. A lie. A cruel joke," the weapons master declared. "I can show with my fingers the number of people in the Empire who are truly free. The rest of us are just trying to get by. Playing along with the schemes of deluded Sith."
Lorrik leaned in close, speaking with a sly whisper. "How would you feel… about playing along with another?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"Just another scheme from one… little… deluded… Sith," Lorrik calmly stated.
The inquisitor cracked a smile to the confusion of the two brothers. The pair shared moment of silent contemplation with each other before turning back to the apprentice.
"Explain…" the quartermaster softly directed.
"I've encountered a roadblock in my training with Lord Syrosk. He's instructed us to acquire crystals for the construction of our lightsabers. We were supposed to use credits he provided to purchase said crystals from the Academy's 'true' supply chain."
"And the problem is?" the weapons master asked.
"I am no longer in possession of my allotted credits."
"What happened?" the quartermaster asked. "Get mugged? Waste it on cooking supplies? Discover the cantina?"
"There's a cantina… in the Academy?" Lorrik muttered before shaking his head. "No… no. I spent them smuggling a student off world, giving an acolyte a new life, outside all the 'kill or be killed' nonsense."
The brothers shared yet another look.
"So. You're in need of some free crystals. That might be out of our reach," the quartermaster admitted.
"Am I right in assuming Darth Tash wasn't behind that saber pike you had me fetch some time ago? And I know you have greater reach than one would assume, given that you provided me foodstuffs after I left Tash's domain. How hard could crystals for one measly lightsaber be to acquire?" Lorrik casually suggested.
"Of all the things our superiors would take notice of, a missing crystal ranks pretty high," the quartermaster explained. "We've been scrounging together parts as a pastime, over months. Years! If we could help you in any other way…"
"We can help you," the weapons master bluntly stated.
Lorrik brightened up. "You can?"
"We can?" the quartermaster muttered as his brother offered a stern glare. "Oh… right. I had almost forgotten about that."
"Care to explain?" Lorrik asked, completely lost in the brothers' musings.
"We have been sitting on… something… for some time. Something that might serve your needs," the quartermaster explained.
"Your delivery doesn't exactly inspire confidence," Lorrik admitted.
"You've never been a big fan of tradition, have you?"
Kneeling upon the meditation mat within his suite, Jresh gaze upon the finely cut crystal he had purchased from the proper supply channels. The bright crimson gem caught the light, seized it, refused to let it go. Grasping it within his ungloved hand, the crystal looked right at home amongst the Pureblood's reddened skin. The warrior looked upon the item's inherent magnificence, eager to see what would become of it.
A knock on the door interrupted his fascination. Raising himself from the mat, Jresh approached the suite's entrance. Clutching the crystal firmly within his hand, he refused to allow it to slip from his grasp. With his free hand, he opened the door, revealing the return of his companion.
There were no words. Only the wide open smile stretched across the Human's face. Within his hands, Lorrik loftily held a pristine blue crystal.