An Odd Friendship.

[Zasz Grimm]

Zasz sat at the pilot's chair of his shuttle. He looked at his chronometer for the time. He smiled. This should be an interesting meeting. Zasz had never really had the oppurtunity to talk to this person all that much while in The Empire, but, perhaps now he could make up for the past.

A meeting with the Sith Lord should be very eventful. He looked towards his radar readout on the console. Ah...There he is.

Snack had the exact coordinates, via message from Zasz. On it was where to meet and the words...

"For The Empire."

Though there would be nothing even coming close to the Empire, Zasz had figured it would get him here....

[Nathanial K'cansce]

*The message had read that, and Snack had read the message many times over. It puzzled him, for those were the only words contained within, save for the co-ordinates of the meeting place.

Empire? What Empire? The Sith Empire? In recent months after its disapearance, Snack had stumbled on a few who use to belong to the Empire. It didn't surprise him that there were more out there... but still, those who were with it knew it had gone.

So what exactly did this message mean?

The only one to know that was its sender.

The Lord's X-Wing was parked about a kilometer away from the desired meeting point, but his on board radar unit would be able to pick up anything near the destination. A solitary blip kept beeping ever since he had landed, and not once moved.

That must be the sender.

Snack flipped on the comm and dialed it up to the shuttles frequency.*

For the Empire?

*Snack asked into the unit, shifting as much as he could into a comfortable position within the cramped confines of his fighter.*

[Zasz Grimm]

Zasz looked to the console as he heard the voice come from it. He sat there, watching his own radar readout. The beep never stopped. He arched his brow as he stood up and turned from the chair. He moved towards the back of the shuttle, he hit a button, he was met by cold and dry air of Tatooine's desert. He started to walk down the ramp as it went down.

As he stepped onto the sand, he looked to the direction of Snack's X-Wing, though he couldn't see him, he didn't need to at the moment. Zasz closed his eyes for a second, sending a message via the Dark Side...

...."Indeed....Come..."....

He opened his eyes, his blood red pupils staring still. He waited, even as the wind started to pick up and die down. Soon he would see his former comrade...

[Nathanial K'cansce]

*The reply entered his head: words ringing form a familiar source, but faceless.

There was nothing to lose, he figured, as curiosity got the best of him. Making sure he had at least one saber clipped to his belt, the Dark Lord climbed out of the cockpit of his snub, dropping to the ground on his two feet. He began to walk in the direction of the blip back on board, but used the Force more so to find his way.

A figure stood in the distance, its outline fading as the twin suns set behind him. When he got in talking distance, Snack shouted out.*

What business of the Empire do you bring?

[Zasz Grimm]

..."Closer"....

Said the voice inside through the force to Snack. Zasz stood there, he would only converse to the man through the force, or face to face. Not hundreds of yards away.

"At least have the decency to talk to me face to face."

He stood there, his blood red pupils waiting for Snack to come closer, so that their conversation could be more than just a few words...

[Nathanial K'cansce]

*The words in his head sounded spiteful, and lacking a certain respect that Snack thought he had earned. His pace slowed, his eyes now trained on the figure that drew near. The distance now between the two was cut in half, and it was continuously shrinking, albeit slower now.*

Why use a crutch, when one can walk?

*Snack shouted again. His voice sounded louder than before, but he raised it not a decibel.

One hundred yards.... fifty yards.... ten yards.... fifteen feet...

He stopped. Behind him, only an arc of the last sun to set could be seen. The temperature had dropped noticeably with a slight change in wind direction.

Ever cautious, for Snack's trust in this person perished, the Lord kept his arms to his sides, and his eyes never blinking.*

Once again, I ask: 'What business of the Empire do you bring?'

[Zasz Grimm]

"It's Dead. But of course, you knew that already."

Zasz looked to Snack, the moon seemed to illuminate him as it came up. His crimson hair and eyes seemed to glow as he moved slowly forward, getting dangerously close.

"I'm sure you know who I am. But in case you don't remember.. My name is Zasz Grimm...."

Rarely seeing the Sith Lord around the Empire was probably not going to help, and besides, he was in the Empire so long ago...

"I wanted to get you here, hope it wasn't an annoyance."

[Nathanial K'cansce]

Don't remind me.

*Snack spat at Zasz's first words about the Empire being dead. He was still sore from that, but it was in the past now, where it should stay for eternity.*

Zasz Grimm....

*The words followed slowly. The name was familiar, but there were so many who were part of the Empire, that one could forget someone very easily. Especially when one had the sort of anti-social thing going on as Snack did with much of his time there.*

Sith Warrior... apprentice to...

*He could not remember. Dale, Dara? It was someone.*

..Heh, I doubt that matters much. For you have probably blossomed since your time there.

*Zasz inched his way closer to the Dark Lord, every steps watched carefully with alert eyes.*

You wanted me here, you say? Now you have me.

*Snack opened himself up by reaching out his arms slightly with palms out. A body gesture to give the other open invitation to do or ask what he wished of the Lord.*

[Zasz Grimm]

"Indeed I do. Curious...Now that the Empire has disbanded, leaving you and others all alone..what is it that you do?"

Zasz's hand started to slowly move to his lightsaber hilt until it came to it, he held it as he looked to the Sith Lord. The cold metal reassured him for a moment as he looked up...

"Nothing? Or do you just wander?"

He somewhat chuckled to himself..

"Hm..?"

[Nathanial K'cansce]

I've been keeping busy...

*Snack saw the other reaching for his lightsaber hilt. So, that was it, huh?*

Practicing and honing my skills. I actually think I'm at the top of my form, now.

*He smirked while he brought his arms back to his side. His right hand opened up, feeling his own hilt clipped to his belt.*

But surely that can't be all you called me out here for. Fess up.

[Zasz Grimm]

"Talking has never been my fortee' "

Zasz looked to Snack as he pulled his lightsaber from his belt, and ignited it with a Snap Hiss. The blood red blade lit up the shadows around him with that same color. Zasz held the saber blade to his side..

"Lets see how well those skills have been kept!"

Zasz charged forward, letting his saber fly from his right, to left, aiming to cut Snack in half while he had no defense.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

*As if by instinct, Snack leapt back two paces as Zasz charged, and then three to his right. The slash met only air, missing Snack's mid-section. He quickly slashed again, though this time it was met with much resistence.

The Dark Lord had un-clipped his own saber and powered it up, its teal blade stopping the momentum that Zasz had. Pushing away, Snack spun his saber in his hands, making his grip more comfortable.*

Yes, let's.

*He said, taking a step forward and slashing his blade down at an angle for Zasz's neck.*

[Zasz Grimm]

Zasz twirled his saber upwards, as he did so, it met Snack's, sufficiently blocking his slash. Stepping back to give him more room, Zasz spun his blade back and forth in a slash motion towards the Sith Lord. Snack either evaded, or blocked while stepping back. Stopping for a second, he looked to his opponent...

"It seems we have both improved..."

Moving his hand forward, Zasz let a rather powerful force blast make it's way to the Dark Lord. Zasz watched as there was a visible wake behind it. He grinned.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

*It hit. Hit him square in the chest. And it hit him hard. There really was not much he could have done to avoid it, so he went along with the violent shove.

Snack found himself flung in the air and then laying on the ground a couple yards away from Zasz. His chest pounded in some pain, but it was tolerable.

Pushing himself up, Snack smirked in Zasz's direction. Saber still activated, he held it down at his side.*

More so than what the other knows...

*A Force Push? How about some tornado speed winds? Calling upon the Force, Snack reached out. The energy flowed through the atmosphere and immediately surrendered its will to the Dark Lord.

The Tantooine winds picked up, dropping the already cool temperatures as it did so. Gusts of Force and wind past by Zasz, their speeds and strength increasing.*

[Zasz Grimm]

Zasz was starting to be pushed backwards by the great strength and speed of the wind. His hair was blowing backwards, his cloak whisking about in the wind violently. He let his blood red pupils look up through the sand to see Snack.

Determined to put a stop to this immediately, Zasz raised his lightsaber into the air and moved it backwards. With the Dark Side as his aid he moved the saber in his hand forward, in a throwing motion, and he released it from his hand. Now that it was in the air, it was kept activated by the Dark Side, and it was aimed with deadly precision towards Snack's chest. It flew as if it were a spear, ready to eviscerate Zasz's opponent.

"Indeed..more so..."

He said to himself as he watched.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

*Snack smirked at the sight of Zasz throwing his saber. Not really a bright move, but probably out of desperation.

The Dark Lord upped his control over the winds, this time, instead of allowing them to just gust and blow towards Zasz, he added direction to their movement. The winds began blowing first, away from Snack, and then towards its caster. Soon, a small tornado formed itself. The projectile, or the saber, was the first thing to enter the cyclone's wrath. It ate it up and spit it out, the swirling winds tossing the saber like a rag-doll. It exited the cyclone at an angle and flying downwards towards the sand. It impacted on the surface of the ground, kicking up sand that just added more fuel to the spinning winds.

Then the tornado died down, but not before unleashing the sand it picked up, through another gust of wind, towards Zasz.*

[Zasz Grimm]

After the sand was slowly starting to settle, dust was still around him, shrouding him from Snack's vision. Zasz was just fine, no sand had clobbered him, he was not dirty in the slightest. He moved his hand towards the direction he knew his lightsaber to be and he called it to him. It erupted from the sand and into his hand. Now was the time to be silent....

...No doubt Snack was well experienced and a force to be reckoned with, but Zasz could take him. Zasz moved forward through the dust, using his aide, the Dark Side to propel him faster. Before he got there he ignited his blade and came through with a slash from the bright red blade. It was met with a block, Zasz held his saber with both hands, pushing against Snack's...

"You'll have to to a whole lot better to get rid of me..."

He moved his left hand to his stomach and looked right into Snack's eyes. He grinned wide as he kept the pressure of his right hand on the saber hilt, pushing against Snack, but with his left, there was a small glow on his open palm, and a growing sphere of white light. Energy, collected from the dark side that would most likely hurt both if he threw it...

"A whole lot!"

And with that, he pushed his palm forward, and at the close range the energy ball exploded due to the close quarters of the two. Zasz was flung back and landed hard into the sand, but he was rather fine and disoriented, hopefully Snack would be different...

[Nathanial K'cansce]

*Positioning his saber to block the slash, the two combatants landed in a stalemate. Both tried to push the other away through their weapons, but neither budged. Even after Zasz took his left hand away from his hilt and brought it to his belly, their two blades remained interlocked.

They remained like that for some moments, looking into each other's faces and eyes. Snack's own visage remained somewhat opaque, no real emotion or sign of strain showing.

Though that facade changed quickly. A growing of Force energy, manipulated to do evil intents, rang out to Snack's own Force senses. He chanced a quick glance down, seeing a white sphere - the energy's source - maturing in Zasz'z left hand. If he was to release that energy now, at this close of proximity, both would be in a world of hurt.

His eyes and concentration returned to where they once were, though this time they gave away more than they should have. A slight strain showed upon his face; the line his lips made morphing into a frown while his brow furrowed. Inside his mind, Snack worked out a number of future possibilities.

Zasz might be bluffing, and waiting for me to make a move that would open myself up to a fatal saber strike.

He might let go of this stalemate and release this energy at a safe distance ... for him.

He could release it now... right here, with both of us in its range....

Move now! Side step to the side! Jump back! do something or just get out of the way!

It was too late. One could say it was fear that crossed into Snack's eyes at that moment, but Snack, himself, would say it was the surprise and shock of the event happening. He tried to jump to the side and back a few paces before Zasz let go, but the sphere of energy exploded without warning. Grimm flew back as the shockwave hit him, as did Snack.

And Snack, for the most part, was able to move himself out of any serious injury, but the explosion of pure dark energy hit and it hit hard. He was able to jump to the side, but shockwave, as the kinetic energy that was released due to the stored potential knocked the Dark Lord side over side in a horizontal flip as he flew backwards eventually landing in the sand. The resulting crater heaved up a pile of sand and dirt sending it every which way from the impact's center. The brunt of the explosion caught Snack's upper left thigh the most, singing his clothing and no doubt his leg as well. A tingling sensation rang through his body, originating from his thigh, and ceased to stop for what seemed like forever.

Half a minute passed by before Snack was able to shake the cobwebs from his head and catch his breath, and another ten or so seconds passed before he opened his eyes and tried to push himself to his feet.*

[Zasz Grimm]

Zasz stood up slowly, he shook his head, sand and dust flying from his head and hair. He also did this to re-orient himself with what was going on. He looked forward and saw that Snack was steadily rising to his feet, this caused Zasz to narrow his eyes, somewhat perturbed at this. He held the saber hilt in his hand still...

He moved the blade upwards flicked the button, causing the lightsaber to snap to life with a rather loud hiss. He looked forward to the Dark Lord, deciding that now was the time to end this.

He started to run forward rather quickly, covering the distance between he and Snack rather quickly. He sliced his saber at him, but though he was still getting up, Snack managed to avoid it. Zasz stepped back a bit and then moved his saber horizontally as he twirled inward to the saber-less lord. He brought the blade up to his neck, as if to cut through his head, but felt something that made him stop...

[Nathanial K'cansce]

*Where did my lightsaber go!?

That was the first thought to enter Snack's mind as he pushed himself up, first to one knee, then two. Like a prairie dog sticking his head up from the hole and sniffing out danger, Snack's head twitched to and fro as his eyes scanned the sandy desert floor. The energy blast must have flung it from Snack's grasp and in turn hidden it from view with the grains of course sand.

Stupid planet.

He pushed himself up more, this time bringing a foot up and planting it firmly under his body. He brought his right elbow to rest on the upright knee and shook his head once more.

Use the Force...

It now seemed like time was running out for him to find his weapon. A quick glimps in the direction of Zasz told him his time had just run out. Snack quickly reached out with the Force, and called to his blade, wherever it might have fallen.

Here? There? No! hhhhmmmmmmmm The sound of Zasz's saber blade hummed too close for comfort over Snack's head, who had just leaned back as far as he could without falling over again. As he did that, his left hand jutted outwards, the Force finally grabbing onto his hidden saber and drawing it into Snack's hand. Zasz came in one more time, this time slashing with deadly intent for Snack's head. The teal beam extended as Snack finally stood.

And then Zasz's attack stopped. Snack had jabbed his saber forward just enough, catching the other on the very right side of his mid section. The immense heat of the blade melted through the clothing, and then began to singe Zasz's skin as Snack held it there. The heat radiating from Zasz's own blade began to make the Sith Lord sweat in the cooling evening on Tantooine, his neck more so where the blade had stopped.

Eyes not wavering, nor showing any sort of fear, Snack spoke.*

And then we both die.

[Zasz Grimm]

Zasz stood motionless as he looked to Snack. He didn't flinch as the lightsaber slowly burned his skin, but merely moved his blade closer to his opponents neck, so he could feel the same. Narrowing his eyes at the comment Snack made, some scenarios played through his mind..

Perhaps I could drive my blade through his neck before he had the chance to push his own? Am I fast enough? Could I risk it? Or I could force push him, but he would still have the chance..

It was deathly quiet as the two seemed to be locked in a showdown. He watched Snack, watched his facial expressions, wondering what could be playing out in his mind. No doubt some of what he had just thought of, could he slay his opponent and survive?

Zasz knew this was a draw, the two were of equal strength, the fight could go on all night, possibly even for days. His blood red pupils stared out as Snack as he opened his mouth, to speak.

"This battle is obviously a stalemate, Snack. Perhaps we should lay down our weapons and discuss something. You, in essence, are a loner. Mayhaps we could combine forces, make an alliance."

He responded to his words, finally, after moments of them watching each other. He waited the Sith Lord's response, his reaction would either cause Zasz to deactivate his saber, or thrust it through his neck.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

"This battle is obviously a stalemate, Snack. Perhaps we should lay down our weapons and discuss something. You, in essence, are a loner. Mayhaps we could combine forces, make an alliance."


*Zasz's lightsaber had begun to scorch the skin on Snack's neck, much like he was doing to the other's mid-section. But this proposal offered by the Dark Jedi was a surprise. Was this the true intent of the original meeting? Did Zasz wish to form an alliance from the get go, and staged this dual only to test Snack?

Or was it an idea thought up on the spur of the moment, to save his own hide from splitting into two at the waist?

If the later, then why even offer it now? Zasz had more than enough skill to finish the job, or did he believe that Snack could also finish the job in a lesser amount of time?

So many questions, with only one certainty: this had to end now. Both knew this contest in saber and Force could last for hours, even days.

Take the warrior's way and accept death, for both? Or... agree to this alliance of sorts.

Snack's eyes tried to read any hidden intent behind Zasz's offer, but found nothing. At face value, the two could become powerful assets to one another. They'd be close to unstoppable when together.

And suddenly, the offer looked even better and more pre-thought. Maybe Zasz really did intend to propose this merger of sorts, and that this dual really was a test to see if Snack was worthy of it.

As if there was any doubt.

Smirking, the hum of Snack's saber died out. He stood tall, bringing the hilt of his unpowered weapon to his side. He could still feel the heat of Zasz's on his neck, but that too died off quickly.*

I would be stupid not to accept this offer of yours...

[Zasz Grimm]

Zasz still held his saber at Snack's neck as he looked to the Sith Lord. He arched his brow a bit as his opponent deactivated his lightsaber. Watching him carefully, Zasz even somewhat moved the saber closer, before deactivating it right there. He moved the saber to the right and clipped it to his belt as he stepped back and looked to Snack.

"Is that your ship, ah, yes, of course it is. X-Wing, we should head to mine."

He answered his own question as he turned his body a bit, and headed towards the direction of his own ship. He did indeed plan this out before hand. Zasz had thought it a rather good idea to strike an alliance with the Sith Lord. His power was immense, and if Zasz needed powerful allies, he was definitely one of them.

On the way towards Zasz's ship, he outlined part of the alliance, the pact. The two would be their for each other whenever needed or called. Basically for whatever was asked, would be given or helped with. Snack consented as they walked through the sand.

"The Sith Order...An organization I am not very fond of, which you know why...Perhaps sometime in the future we can pay them a visit, but not before the Jedi..."

Snack nodded. He was a silent man, as was Zasz. His blood red pupils moved upwards to the sand as he saw a ramp extend from his ship. They stepped up and into it to discuss certain things, things that Zasz had been wanting to do, but due to certain ties, could not. With Snack, he could. Snack also lined out some things that he wanted done, Zasz consented.

Hours passed, they talked most of the time, deliberated, debated. They even talked of the times of the greater glory of The Sith Empire, an organization that was well known throughout the entire galaxy, but was destined to fall from the beginning due to leadership.

It was nearly sunrise. Plans had been laid out for what they would do, where their next meeting place would be and when. Zasz's ship set down not that far from Snack's X-Wing. The ramp extended downwards and the Lord exited the ship.

Zasz looked down as the ramp retracted back into the ship, watching Snack as he pulled his own shuttle up into the air, back to Vjun.