Meet the Sith? (Invited)

[Blade Bacquin]

A beeping sound came from the comm system. They were being hailed by one the lead Hapan Battle Dragons surrounding the planet. Blade had a confused look on his face as he contemplated answering the hail.

"Hapan's here why?"

It seemed a bit strange seeing Hapan's this far out of their own space. Hopefully they hadn't conquered Onderon; the last thing Blade wanted was for the consortium hunting him too. That and his plan of action was less likely to work if they got caught by the Hapans. After a few minutes of thought he finally hit the comm button.

"This is YT thirteen hundred silver line looking for permission to land."

Voice: "Reason for needing to land?"

With that Blade sent an encoded message across to the other ship. If the Hapan's knew how to read the old sith language it would basically state a diplomatic mission from the planet Zoist. If not they were out of luck and with any hope they would send the message onto someone who could decipher it. Then Blade open comms again.

"We are here to trade some of our goods and refuel."

Hopefully with some discretion the Hapan on the other side wouldn't mention the encrypted message. The message was a failsafe just in case Aria and Blade got caught in their mission.

Voice: "How long are you planning to stay?"

"With any luck we will be out of here by day’s end. We have other runs to make."

Voice: "Very well landing bay twelve is open."

Blade didn't respond he just set the ship into a landing course and turned to Aria. He smiled a bit as he took a glance down at her stomach for just a second.

"Is the passenger taken care of? This would be good planet to dump him off on. A small amount of civilization so he can possible survive."

[Aria Sihin]

Abilus nodded coolly. "Yes. He thinks that we're the rulers of Zoist, as requested by you. We took pity on him after being mugged on Cloud City and allowed him passage to our next stop, Onderon. He remembers nothing of which has transpired previously."

Jason, or Malick Raine, had stowed away on the wrong ship. An altercation had ensued but even Abilus had to agree killing him would serve no purpose. A mind wipe and false memories were easy to create in a weak mind such as his.

[Blade Bacquin]

"Very good, that should cast away any doubt should we get caught."

The ship slide through the atmosphere with ease. Within the sphere you could notably see how close the moon of Dxun actually was to the planet of Onderion. You could see the forests of Dxun clearly as the atmosphere of both moon and planet overlapped each other. If you had descent enough eye sight you could even make out small flying dot's passing between the two spheres.

As the ship started its descent towards the city of Iziz's you could notice the very open wild planes, forest and even a few mountains of Onderion. It was a breath taking site as only a small portion of the planet had been taken over by civilization. Soon the ship was landing on a pad just on the outskirts of the only city on the surface. The pad was in an enclosed gated area that was attached to the city.

Onderion had always been this way even in Blade's former life. They had a tendency to be wary of outsiders and so all new comers had to land in Area slight offset from the rest of the city. Here they would be checked and searched for weapons. So as the ship came to a soft landing Blade started to disarm himself right in the cockpit.

"We are going to have to leave are weapons onboard the ship."

[Aria Sihin]

Her eyes narrowed down at her lightsaber. "And if they search the ship, then what? They'll confiscate them anyway."

That weapon was her life, then culmination of her training. It was the weapon that had destroyed Darth Paladusr and in that same moment, earning the right to be called Sith Master. Parting from it left a sour taste in her mouth ...

[Blade Bacquin]

"What reason would they have to search the ship?"

He didn't understand exactly what she was meaning. There ship had already passed whatever scans the battle dragons had on them. It was more than likely considered a very minimal threat. Most place's didn't search ships unless they had reasonable suspicion and at that they usually only searched cargo holds.

"We haven't brought suspicion on ourselves to have are ship searched. Plus we have hiding spots."

With that Blade pushed a button on the console and small compartment under the console popped open. It could only hold a few small items and was more than likely meant to hold a blaster or two.

[Aria Sihin]

"You know the origin of my distrust and avoiding civilization," she replied and reluctantly placed her sacred weapon into the compartment.

"And your track record hasn't been exemplary when it comes to making friends. Those loose lips of yours have already caused us trouble. Who's to say that your altercation with this Tarkin hasn't reached the ears of Iziz? Our plan would be ruined."

[Blade Bacquin]

"Who me, I'm innocent?"

He said with a child like smile hanging on his face. He then took the three sabers from his belt and added them to the compartment. One was the one that Aria had given him and the other two had been recently constructed. He then slide the compartment closed and then with his finger felt around the edges to make sure it was flush with the rest of the panel.

"Oh yeah we will need these."

With that Blade reached into his jacket and pulled ten energy cells from various pockets. Energy cells where most commonly used for Blasters thru out the galaxy but could be used for many other things like flashlights and Data pads. So they wouldn't be confiscated at the gate like most other things. He handed five of them too Aria.

"I learned a neat little trick with them back in my assassin days."

With that said Blade began to walk towards the cargo hold of the ship where Malick was probably waiting for them. He nodded for Aria to follow.

[Aria Sihin]

Abilus stuffed the energy cells inside her pockets and followed Lucid to the prisoner. Of course he didn't think he was any longer. Malick thought himself a passenger on this ship, a fortunate soul to find two benevolent ones in this universe.

She forced a smile. It made her face ache. "We've arrived."

[Malick Raine]

Malick was in quite thought trying to remember the faces of the m men that had mugged him on Cloud city. Their faces where just a blur in his mind, in fact the whole ordeal was a bit fuzzy. Maybe he had hit his head or something he wasn't exactly sure all he could remember clearly where these two kind people picking him up from the ground where he laid beaten.

His arm had been ripped out of its socket in the ordeal but he wasn't exactly sure how. He looked down at his arm that was now in a sling thanks two Samaritans. He looked up just then out of his open cell door cage which doubled as a guest bedroom for the time being as heard the females voice.

"That's great news. Uh your Highness isn't that what you said you where some sort of royalty?"

He spoke in a less than enthusiastic tone. He had never been to this place called Onderon, in fact he never even heard of it before. Heck the part about these to being royalty surprised him a bit. Maybe the Empire wasn't as far reaching as it had seemed when he was a pilot in shadow squadron.

"I thank for helping a guy like me out and all. I wish I could repay you both somehow?"

[Blade Bacquin]

Blade want to laugh so bad, yet found himself biting his own tongue to force it back. The idiot didn't even know it was Aria that had kicked the snot out of him. The guy was now almost on the ground bowing before royalty of Zoist or so he thought.

"I'm sure if it had been me or my queen in your situation you would have done the something for us."

Blade knew better but heck why not play the game a little. It was great being king if only for a day. With a smile and a wink he just thought the words "you did a great job Aria" he was sure she would get the message.

[Aria Sihin]

Her teeth were so tightly pressed together that a tooth was going to break at any moment. "Of course ..."

She was not being as cordial as her King, but at least the arrogant attitude could be attributed to her false station in life.

Quit wasting time

"We're ready to go," she said and motioned to the door with an expecting gaze.

[Blade Bacquin]

Blade went to the door and pushed a button to let it drop to the ground outside. The pistons hissed and creaked just a little bit as the door opened up to the outside world. He then looked to Malick with his hand open wide out the door.

"There you go sir your final destination with us. It has been an interesting trip to say the least. Maybe are paths will cross again someday?"

Of course behind his word where thoughts of hoping he never saw another Mcgrave again in this lifetime or the next. Blade owed the family a debt from another lifetime and Blade hated owing people a debt. Especial one as big as he owed the Mcgraves. Sparing Malick's life was only a very small portion of what he owed them.

[Malick Raine]

Malick bowed slightly to the queen before heading for the door. As he slide for the door he bowed his head to the king. He was wishing all the stuff that happened wasn't such a blur in his mind. He would have liked to remember every last minute with these two interesting people.

"Thanks again he said."

As he walked out the door into the sun light he felt a pat on his back from the king. He just smiled and kept walking towards the gate to the city to try and gain entry into this place that would be his new home for awhile anyway. Hopefully he could find some sort of work to make a few bucks to get himself off this rock and back onto his true mission. To return what he loved being a fighter pilot for the empire.

[Blade Bacquin]

What wasn't seen was that Blade had slipped something into Malicks sling just before patting him on the back. Blade watched the young man walk off before he turned back to Aria with a wide smile on his face.

"You ready my highness?"

He bowed one hand out stretched towards the door and the other across his stomach to lay on the thickness even more. Blade was being the one thing he never got to be in all his life time’s a true king, even if it was all fake. He had the chance once upon a time but a couple of his brothers ruined that for him.

"The city awaits and so do the riches in tomb within the castle vaults."

They needed currency and neither of them where above stealing from the rich to get by. Plus there was a chance they could find sith relics this being Freedon Nadd old dwelling.

[Aria Sihin]

She slipped a finger under his chin, forcing orange eyes to meet green. "What did you give him?"

Lucid should know better then to hide things from her. This life debt owed confounded her, as did most things about her lover, but this question was not asked out of anger or contempt. Ablius simply wanted to understand better then the previously thin explanation prior.

[Blade Bacquin]

"Credits."

Blade replied simply staring into Aria's eyes. It didn't say what else was in the envelope right away. He held it back for a moment but realized weather he said it or not she would know. So instead of with holding it from her he just told her.

"Also a note, that neither him nor his uncle will understand. At least not in this place and time."

The note had read simple, partial payment on what I owe. It was in the old sith language that no one would understand but the note was more Blade's way of saying I'm still paying what I owe to a man that doesn't exist anymore. He didn't expect Aria to understand he owed a single man for what he became a life time ago.

"I wouldn't have ever walked the road of being a sith if it wasn't for a man named Jackson Mcgraves. He sent me to my death but I gained a life and a purpose instead. I owe him for that, he showed me who and what I truly am."

He didn't want to admit it out loud but he owed Aria the same for this lifetime. Without her he would be nothing wondering the new galaxy trying to find a way back the old one. Without her he would have walked thru the portal to return to his former life. Because of Aria he had a purpose again, even if that purpose was unclear sometimes.

"Shall we go we have job to do?"

[Aria Sihin]

With an uncharacteristic dream like state, Abilus fell into Lucid's arms, kissing him with reckless abandon.

He may not have said what was weighing on his mind, but the Sith felt his emotions and devotion to her. In her heart, Abilus still held doubts to the reason why he had stayed, but they had finally been abated. Mission be damned ... she just wanted this moment to be with him ...

[Blade Bacquin]

The kiss took him completely by surprise as he was pushed back against the wall. His arms just naturally wrapped around her despite his confusion on the matter. Shouldn't she be angry and ripping him a new one for doing what he did? Although he didn't mind the change as he embraced the kiss fully.

He thought about pulling away it wasn't like they had all the time in the world for this mission. Yet he was caught in the moment and he liked this particular moment. Finally she pulled away a bit so they could catch their breath for a moment. He spoke in heavy breathes still holding her near him.

"I love this really I do. I want to stay in this moment forever but we can't, we only have a day?"

[Aria Sihin]

"I know," she pulled away, running the palms of her hands along his shirt, "But I just wanted this one brief interlude."

Abilus pulled away to lead Lucid by the hand through the corridors and off the ship. Once they hit sunlight, she fell alongside her lover and followed his lead. Abilus strengths lay in hiding in plain sight, blending into the surroundings and acting as if native to the planet. Never had she portrayed such a lie such as the one they, he, had chosen.

Deferring to Lucid for now, she remain silent, but her mind was quickly working through the Force to weed thought he mundane thoughts of the cattle that pledged their loyalty to Queen Basillie - high on alert for any recognition of Lucid ...

[Blade Bacquin]

Blade and Aria reached the gate to the city and entered a line of candidates wishing to gain entry. They moved to the back of the line waiting their turn like good merchants or tourists. Blade saw Malick gain entry just as they stepped into the line. In a way he wondered what the boy would do from here on out but the thought quickly pasted.

The guards at the front of the gate moved the people in line quickly and efficiently. So it was only a short time before Blade and Aria reached the front of the line. The guard looked the couple over quickly as another stepped up with some x-raying device.

Guard 1: "There clean!"

Guard 2: "reason for entering Iziz city?"

"Trade and maybe a little site seeing if time permits."

Blade said without a second thought. The guard then handed both of them a small card.

Guard 2: "That's your day I would suggest not losing it."

"Okay and understood."

Blade said as the guards stepped out of the way to let them enter the city. Blade and Aria walked in, it only took a few blocks and they entered the large merchant court yard. Blade then turned to Aria with a smile.

"This city is lovely don't you think? Maybe a bit to over protected though. We need to buy a few things real quick before we go ahead with the plan."

[Aria Sihin]

"These people were at war for centuries and the planet itself is a nightmare to transverse outside these walls," commented Abilus. "I'd be overprotective too. But ... what sorts of things do we ..."

She paused and corrected herself. "You need."

It was the truth. Abilus had little insight to what the details were to this plan of his.

[Blade Bacquin]

He just gave her a wink before slipping off into the crowd of people flocking certain merchants. There was only one stop he need to make and that was to a general supplier of your standard run of the mill house hold items. Luckily the man traded for Imperial credits although at an extraordinarily high rate for what blade was actually buying.

A few minutes Blade reappeared in front of Aria who was still watching the crowds with a suspicious look in her eye. Way to over protective Blade thought to himself as he stood there with various goods. He had four plungers with wooden handles, duct tape, a small tool kit, some wire, two different cleaning chemicals and a metal bucket.

"We need to find a secluded ally way."

Blade spotted one and motion with head nodded for Aria to follow him. Soon they were in the ally way and Blade set the goods down. This is where being real good with weapons came in handy for him. First he took two the plungers and removed the rubber heads. He handed the two wooden sticks left to Aria.

"Take these and find a way to conceal them on yourself."

As she started to look for a place to hide them on her person Blade detached the other to plungers for himself. He then opened the small tool kit and pulled out one of the energy cells he had on him and began to open it with a small screw driver.

[Aria Sihin]

"Don't worry," she growled, "My belly is more then enough distraction."

They could easily disappear within her boots. "What exactly are these supplies for?"

If Abilus had one flaw it was her fanatical dependence on the Force. She rarely relied on technology and couldn't quite grasp what Lucid was doing with all of these parts.

[Blade Bacquin]

"Well the sticks I gave you can be used just like training sticks for swords. It will help with the lack of light sabers. There not as durable as training sticks but they work in a pinch."

He didn't look up as he pulled the front casing from the energy cell. He stared at its inner workings for a moment putting it to memory. He then threw the front casing onto the ground and grabbed the tape. Then he began to wrap the cell in the tap biting it off after he wrapped it to the point he was happy.

"And this?"

Blade quickly grabbed the wire and broke a piece of it off. He then bent it into a weird u shape. He put one end on a portion of the tape and gentled pushed it in. Then he did it to the other end a little farther away.

"You push down on the wire and you got a three second delay before the cell will overload and explode. It's a weak grenade but it works, doubt it will kill anyone but it will most likely hurt like hell if you get hit by it."

He then looked at the chemicals and the bucket. He just smiled a little cruel smile.

"The bucket was so the shop owner wouldn't get suspicious and would just think I needed cleaning supplies. However the chemicals if you mix them together well you make a very nasty stink gas that causes vomiting. It will be used as a last resort if we get surrounded and need to make a quick run for it."

He smiled again at the thought of guards hurling as him and Aria ran. It almost made him laugh out loud but he held his composure.

"You see I do have my uses?"

Blade went back to work on a few more of the energy sells working faster now since he had put their inner workings to memory. Blade didn't fully understand it himself but he always had a knack for weapons. He wished he had one of his make shift thermal detonators, that would surely impress Aria or at least he hoped it would.

[Aria Sihin]

"Yes, you do have your uses," she commented and looked towards the castle. "However, I feel that we've walked into an intricate web of darkened intrigue here. These simple tricks might prove futile."

Abilus placed two fingers against her temple and closed her eyes, "This ... place. It's intoxicating. So much dark energy abounds."

Her former Master had spoken of Onderon briefly, about its dark past. Lucid had filled in the details, but she had no idea just how deeply rooted the Dark Side had embedded itself into the planet. She could feel the soil caked in long dried blood shed from war and both ancient and new. The land was saturated in dark power. It almost felt like home ...

[Blade Bacquin]

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Laughing at her comment about his idea's being futile. He didn't take it to heart because in truth he was sure she was right. Still it helped to be somewhat prepared just in case. Blade didn't like going into situations completely helpless and the weapons made him feel a little more secure.

He could feel the dark energies of the planet itself flowing over Aria. She was taking it all in and he could tell she felt a sense of home here. Blade didn't feel the same though because he had never held a home for too long. Even in former life he cut his ties to everyone he knew and started over. Home and Family where rare concepts to Blade but Aria had taught him the family part.

"Yes this place has a rich history of battles both won and lost. It's said that that the native beast rides are all force sensitive. Not to mention this places history in the sith legacy. It is very intoxicating."

He finished up the last of their weapons and the pair slinked out of the ally way. Blade moved on trying to keep more to a stealthy approach but not to conspicuous as they made their way toward the castle gates. Blade wasn't sure but from his history he remembered the vaults being inside the castle itself.

[Aria Sihin]

"Overpowering the guards mentally will only get us so far before suspicious are raised. We know little of patrol patterns to make ourselves scarce. Yes we have the Dark Side at our disposal, but our presence will more then likely be known by the time we enter the castle proper." She really wanted Lucid to understand how near impossible this was going to be, but like the thick headed fool he was, it was probably falling upon deaf ears.

Still, Abilus had to try. Ordering him would do no good. He had defied her before.

[Blade Bacquin]

Blade stopped as Aria protested his plan of action for getting to the vault. He wanted to tell her not to worry about it but it wasn't that simple. Blade already knew of the possibility of getting caught and had factored it in as an outcome. Yet she was right there was no way of telling if play A or B would work. There was no plan C except Blade's usual fighting his way out of a sticky situation.

"So you are saying we should forget it? I personally like the odds and I haven't had a good fight in awhile."

He smiled at her but she didn't return the favor just frowning at him instead. He didn't like that look it meant she wasn't with him or she was extremely disappointed in whatever action he would take. He just threw his arms up in the air giving up.

"Fine you win, I give up Abilus." There was disappointment in his voice as he mumbled under his breath. "I was doing it for you anyway."

With that Blade turned around and began stocking off into the crowds. He didn't get very far as a group of guards surrounded him. Blade had a confused look on his face as one of the guards yelled at him.

Guard: "Stop or we will stun you!"

"Shit!"

[Aria Sihin]

"You will do nothing!!!" Abilus' voice overpowered the Guards ability to think for themselves and lowered their weapons like docile bantha. She had grown tired of this game and was exerting control over the situation as his Master. Feelings had clouded her own sense of survival and now it was time to rectify that mistake before they were captured. Abilus had also of her unborn child to think of ...

"We are leaving Apprentice. This path will serve no purpose." Abilus steely gaze tore away from Lucid's and returned to the group of Guards gathered around them. "Take us to the gate by less traffic means. We are Royal Guests that are being escorted back to their ship."

"Yes your Majesty!" One Guard stepped in front of the Sith and humbly waved his hand for Lucid to follow. "If you will come this way, please."