Eternal (Kwa'ad Stahl)

[Southstar]

The Sith Order ship set down on the planet Teufel. Southstar exited the ship and lookeda round. It had been over a decade since he had set foot on the planet. It wasn't a place that one returned to easily either, especially after the turmoil that he endured. He began walking throught he port, a careful thought on the lightsaber at his belt in case anything went wrong.

Leaving the port wasn't hard and before he knew it he was heading towards the bar that he had been told to meet an old friend, or possibly an enemy. Truth be told, Southstar didn't know, but what he did know was that when it came to sheer power, he could take care of himself on this one.

He pushed through the door and took a seat in a booth in the corner. Most the people seemed to be minding their own business, a good place for any conversation that didn't want to be heard.

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

The barkeep motioned Southstar to the back, where he entered a small, dimly lit room. It contained one man he recognized, and two he didn't. Kwa'ad Stahl was much as Southstar remembered him. Tall and dark skinned, his head was shaved and his arms were covered in tatoos. The two other men weren't regular security. The one on the left was short and slightly overweight, but the way he shifted his weight when Southstar entered the room made it apparent that he knew how to handle himself in a fight. The man on the right wasn't. That is, Southstar wasn't sure if it was a man. The person was thin, with a rather feminine face. It's lack of brests, however, made it difficult to tell exactly what it was.
Southstar walked in and sat down, waiting for Kwa'ad to make the first move.
"It's been a long time, Southstar. I assume you still remember the ahhh.....circumstances in which you left?

[Southstar]

"Yeah I do." He said and leaned back in his chair, propping one foot on the table after the other. "I'm sure things have changed since last I was here. But one thing remains, I'm in your debt. That is what this is about isn't it?"

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

"You know I wouldn't be talking to you if this wasn't big. I controll this city. Everyone from the pickpockets to the city council reports to me. Another 10 years I'll control the entire country. I've crushed alot of insignificant bugs to get where I am, and if I've learned one thing, it's that no matter how big you think you are, there is always someone big enough to crush you"

"I said I could control the entire country in 10 years. I want the whole planet. Thammorongsa is the name of the man that exercises a certian amount of.....controll over the entire planet. He is an interstellar player, he has connections with the New Republic and the Sith. Help me take his spot, and we'll be more than even."

[Southstar]

"These sort of things don't happen over night. And on top of that, I'm not debted to you that much. So unless you have something a little more specific, less time consuming, our business is done." He slid his boots from the table and motioned to stand up.

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

"Don't try to play this down." Kwa'ad didn't move a muscle. "you know you owe me, and you know I wouln't call you all the way out here to *ask* you if you wanted to do me a favor. besides, for someone of your.....abilities, this really shouldn't be that time consuming. "

[Southstar]

"Details, Kwa'ad. Spill it." He said now standing up. "This Tamorgsa, or whatever his name is, who is he and why do you need me?"

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

"Tamorgsa has.....abilites, shall we say. From what my spies can tell, He uses the force, and I hardly believe that a Jedi is also a crime lord. He is almost certianly Sith, although that does not necessarily mean he is an ally of yours. Eliminate him. I have spies throughout his organization that will take care of his lackeys, and the ellement of surprize will allow me to be the one to take his place, not one of my competitors. In return, I will be the one who is in debt to you. My resources will be yours to command, should you need them."

[Southstar]

It was a considerable deal, but he always had the Sith Order to fall back on. "The Order can provide for me more than whatever you can. You're resources are nothing. But I'll tell you what I do want." He set his hands on the table. "I want to be the first to review all personal items that the man owns, as well as the right to take them if I wish. Then, I want to end all form of debt to anyone on this planet. I want nothing more to do with this place."

"Meet that, and you'll have yourself a deal."

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

"His personal effects are useless to me." Kwa'ad got up and paced back and forth. "I would only turn them into credits. Credits mean nothing to me compared to power. As far as debt goes, any monetary debt you owed has surely been forgotten.' Kwa'ad paused, "as far as personal debts, I can not forgive them for anyone else.....although if you are indebted to anyone in that manner........well, Teufel is a dangerous place...."

Kwa'ad stoped pacing and looked Southstar in the eye "anything else?"

[Southstar]

"That's fine." He said and moved to the door. The two lackeys let him pass and followed behind him. They left the bar and walked out into a normally sunny day, however, the pollution from factories over countless years made every day hazy. Just as awful as he always remembered it.

The two lackeys passed him and entered a black speeder. His senses told him something was amiss. "Wait." he said and placed a hand on Kwa'ad's chest. There was someone else there, no more than a block away.

"I think-" His voice was drowned in the sound of an explosion that started with the black speeder. The force of the blast knocked him to his back, but he was up in time to see a speeder flee at increasing speeds from just behind a run down building. It was obviously an assassination attempt, but for Southstar or Kwa'ad? Southstar burst into a sprint of Force enhanced speed after the speeder intent on finding out the truth.

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

Kwa'ad was knocked back and stunned by the ferocity of the blast, even though he had known to expect it. He had had one of his moles in Thammorongsa's organization initiate the attempted assination.

Southstar had passed this test with flying colors, and Kwa'ad was now sure that he would be up to the task of killing a Sith. I didn't hurt , Kwa'ad thought to himself as he watched Southstar speed away, that the assination attempt would give him an excuse to go after Thammorongsa, not to mention the fact that now Southstar would have a bit of extra motivation to take down his man.

Kwa'ad hopped in a nearby speader and took off in the direction Southstar had dissapeared in. He should at least find out what was happening between southstar and the assasins.

[Southstar]

He couldn't run the whole way and he didn't want to either. Catching up to a speeder he hopped over the back and pushed the driver out without so much as a word. Now the playing field was a little more even. Southstar sped the speeder up alongside the assassins speeder. He gave them a dark glance and then swerved his into theirs.

Something was amiss as they were visibly shaken, perhaps they knew he was Sith. His speeder neared theirs again as they tried to shake him. He ignited his lightsaber and stuck the navy blue blade in the side of both his and their speeders. He hit the brakes and ripped a hole through their rear engine.

The speeder tilted towards the ground and spun around in an arc form along the cracked road. Southstar climbed out his speeder and faced the two assassins who were struggling to get of their own wrecked vehicle. With the Force he pushed the speeder over which permanently trapped one of the assassins. The other was quickly cut down by his blade.

"They were poorly trained." He said as he noticed Kwa'ad exiting his own speeder behind him. He turned around to face him. "No wonder you take power so easily."

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

OOC: nevermind, I posted twice

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

"You know as well as I that those who are sent next will be more capable." said Kwa'ad. "Still, it is impresive to see you in action. I'll have people look into this. For now, we should leave (you can never trust a crowd). Unless, of course," continued Kwa'ad as they got into the undamaged speeder "you want to investigate personally. Otherwise, I suggest we begin discussing more specific stratagies for taking Tamorgsa down."

[Southstar]

Something about the assassination seemed wrong, but he would entertain that thought later. All he wanted to do was take down Kwa'ad's enemey and leave the planet behind for good. "It's fine, have you're people look into it. I don't care."

"So where is this guy located?" He asked as they walked away fromt e scene of the disaster. "And what do you think it is going to take to knock him down?"

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

"we'll talk back at my complex. I'll give you pictures, maps, blueprints, the works"

The rest of the short ride passed in silence, but as Kwa'ad pulled up to his home, the one place he knew that he was truely safe, he realized then that any safety he thought he had was merely an illusion.

His front laws was littered with severd heads. Most of them he didn't recognize, but then again, he didn't recognize most of the men and women on his payroll. A few he did recognize, however. They were his highest payed spies, those that had deeply penetrated Tamorgsa's organization. No blood dripped from the neck of what had been his best spy, the one who had arranged for the assination. It was cauterized, as if it had been cut with an incredibly hot blade.

"we have to go" he said, and headed for the speeder. "It's plain that Tamorgsa knows everything."

[Southstar]

Southstar knew of the upcoming massacre on Kwa'ad's lawn through the Force but never bothered to say anything as it probably wasn't worth bickering about. He rubbed his eyes as Kwa'ad surveyed the damage.

"I don't suppose you have anywhere to go, do you?" He asked. "I mean, on planet."

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

"I hava an apartment down in the slums that I keep around for just this reason." replied Kwa'ad. " None of my underlings knew it existed, and there isn't a paper trail that ties it to me. we should be safe there for a while at least."

They got into the speeder, drove a short way and hijacked another. As they continued on toward the slums, Kwa'ad began talking again.

"I still want Tamorgsa dead." he said. "There aren't enough people I trust left alive on this entire planet for me to set up a new organization in his place, but I still want him dead. In one fell swoop he's destroyed everything I had. I want him dead and then I leave this planet. You can choose to help me or not, either way I won't consider you to be in debt to me anymore."

[Southstar]

"I need some information on Tamorgsa and then I'll let you know." The speeder came to a stop as it neared the apartment building. Southstar reached out with the Force and sensed that everythign was clear. No one seemed to have bad intentions towards them there. Southstar got our with Kwa'ad and headed into the building.

"Data pads, paper documents, discs... It doesn't matter. Can you get me access to these?"

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

"my file on him was in my computer, but I don't think going back to my complex would be the best of ideas at the moment. I might be able to access it remotely." Kwa'ad spent several moments on the terminal, looking more and more frustrated.

"They've done something to my computer....I can't access it. It hardly matters anyhow. I've practically memorized it after reading it all these times. The long and short of it is that he spends most of his time in an impenitrible compound. Security like you wouldn't believe. Automated turrets, mines, droids, humans, aliens, the works. Of course, security systems can be hacked, and guards can be killed or bought off. I'm afraid now that all the info I had for breaking in is useless. It was all in my computers, and Tamorgsa must already have reinforced or changed every weakness that I knew of. who knows if my info was even good in the first place."

Kwa'ad paused for a moment, then continued. "The man has advanced to his position through brute strength. He has personally killed a few of his most stubborn competitors on the way to the top. All that he leaves is a mutilated body. He keeps the lesser crime bosses in line through fear. Seeing your strongest peer torn limb from limb is a powerful motivator."

Kwa'ad thought for a second, then said "perhaps we could use that to our advantage. His security is impenitrible, but if we were a big enough thorn in his side, disrupting his operations, sending him dead bounty hunters, he may decide to deal with us personally."

"we could try to attack him in his compound, but the chances of success are much better if we confront him on more neutral territory."

Kwa'ad waited for Southstar to consider the information he had given him.

[Southstar]

"But what are the odds of convincing him its a good idea to move out onto territory he doesn't own?" He responded. "Not to mention that being such a big thorn isn't easy and it takes time. We need something now." He paused for a moment trying to think of something. "Does he have anyone close to him?"

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

"A kidnapping?" Kwa'ad looked at Southstar like he was crazy. "wouldn't you keep anyone close to you under the same security that you kept yourself? He does have a daughter that lives like a queen inside his compound, but I really don't think it's a viable option."

Kwa'ad sat in silence for a few minuets, trying to think of some way to get at Tamorgsa. At last he said "if we could get resonably close to him, we could threaten him with a thermal detonator, get him to call off his security. But the real question is, are you willing to die for this? I am, but if you're not, a plan like that will never work."

[Southstar]

"That's a great plan. Walk in with a thermal detonator and go for it. What do you need me for then? Why am I here?" He asked. "I think someone here doesn't want to die... besides me. We need a better plan."

He waited.

"I'm assuming he has plenty of assets on the planet. Feel like a heist?"

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

"If you like. He has...........he has an R&D facitity 300 km west of here. if we wanted to, we could steal years worth of research, and probably some fun toys to boot. We could also plant a bomb and threaten to blow the whole place if he dosen't show.
Of course, if you're feeling sadistic, there are other options.......we could start murdering his underlings. Once enough diasappear, I'm sure he'll show up to "take care of us" before to long. I suppose it's your choice, in any case, since you'll be the real force in any combat we encounter."

[Southstar]

"I think the best way to get his attention would be to-" He was cut off by the sound of shttering glass and crumbling ferracrete. It seemed a small missle had struck the side of the building and as the dust cleared an armored bounty hunter marched through, pointing a gun towards Kwa'ad.

"Surrender or die." It stated in ia monatone voice.

Southstar moved quickly into action, igniting his lightsaber and severing the blaster. With a Tk blast he knocked down the bounty hunter and ended its life by squeezing its throat with the Force.

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

From start to finish the whole thing only lasted a few seconds. By the time Kwa'ad realized what was going on, the bounty hunter was already choking to death on the floor.
he let out a string of swear words, then said "We need to get out of here NOW."

Kwa'ad started for the door.

[Southstar]

"Agreed." Southstar said as he followed behind Kwa'ad. "We have to get rid of the evidence, though." He said between breaths as they hurried down the staircase. "Don't want to Tamorgsa to know I'm Sith." He said and stopped. He was searching with the Force for the pipelines in the building. After a moment he found the heating line and severed it.

He wasn't an expert at pyrotechnics, but he had enough study in the Force to know how to do it. Not to mention his apprentice Ida Knoe had a great ability in it. The small flame ignited the whole floor and Southstar soon found himself at the bottom of a burning building.

"What now?"

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

"I don't know," said Kwa'ad, "but maybe we can use the bounty on my head to our advantage. If Tamorgsa thinks I'm being brought in on a bounty, we could just waltz in there. Of course, there is the small matter of getting out, but I'm sure that it's easier to get out than to get in."

"For now though, lets drive. I don't want to be here when the authorities show up"

[Southstar]

The next day came after a danger filled night. The men would take turns staying up and keeping alert for signs of danger. By morning none had come.

Southstar was the last to go to sleep and he awoke from the Force trance with a startle. The Darkside, when used with sleeping, tended to bring back painful memories and nightmares. This particular journey to one of the planets he might call home was bring back things he'd thought he had long forgotten.

He rubbed his eyes and stood up. "Let's go." He said coldly.

They exchanged the current speeder for a new unmarked one and headed to Tamorgsa's complex which towered out of the slums. There were no guards at the door as it seemed mechanics served as the primary exterior defense.

"We'll rough you up a little and I'll carry you in over my shoulder. Don't get out." He said and threw his fist in Kwa'ad's face, knocking him unconscious for at least the next couple minutes.

Southstar exited the car and then pulled the seemingly uncoscious Kwa'ad out. With the man over his shoulder he appraoched the door and kncocked twice. The cameras must have seen him and who he had as the doors opened. Perhaps Tamorgsa was watching himself.

The hallway seemed to extend on forever and as he walked there were many scruffy looking guards giving him angry looks. It seemed Southstar had got the bounty that everyone was out to get which meant that he would get the money as well. Finally he entered a large room with who he assumed to be Tamorgsa sitting close to forty steps away.

"You've come to collect the bounty on Kwa'ad Stahl." He stated. Perhaps it was the room or maybe a Force trick that caused his voice to boom.

"I have." He replied simply.

"Bring him here." He said but didn't move.

Southstar did as told and approached. The man in the chair was not human. He was of an alien race Southstar had very little contact with. He was green skinned, scaley even, and had piercing yellow eyes. Two massive horns grew from his head and curved up. Befopre stopping, Soutshtar caught a glance at the claws on each of Tamorgsa's three fingers and thumb.

"You've done well Sith." He said and sneered.

"And it seems you've done the same for yourself, Lisict. Or is it Tamorgsa now?" Southstar returned the sneer.

"I suppose it is revenge you seek."

"It is." Southstar barely got the words out of his mouth as he flipped Kwa'ad onto his back and withdrew his lightsaber. Leaping in the air he slashed diagonally up at the massive lizard sitting in its chair.

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

Kwa'ad returned to consciousness as he landed roughly on the ground. He heard the sound of lightsabers behind him, but before he got a chance to look, blaster fire rained down around his feet. He jumped behind the lizard's desk and pulled out his pair of identical, top of the line blasters. They shot so fast that they would have depleated normal power cells in seconds, but Kwa'ad was lucky enough to have super high capacity cells, with lots of extras stashed in his clothing.

He paused a moment to watch Southstar locked in combat with Tamorgsa, but was reminded of his own life as blaster fire began to burn through the desk behing him. Kwa'ad lobbed a flash grenade over the table, and as soon as it went off, he came up shooting on full auto.

[Southstar]

The sheer size of Tamogsa's lightsaber amazed him. But it seemed to fit in well with how big the lizard was. As expected, Tamorgsa prevented the navy blue blade from reaching his scales but returned with a push that sent Southstar back and into the blaster bolt ridden desk. He growled as he jumped back to his feet to continue the fight.

Tamorgsa hacked down of him and totally missed as Southstar, aided with telekinesis, filpped to the side. He knew that he wouldn;t be capable of stopping the power the lizard's strike. Tamorgsa slashed towards him and Southstar responded by sliding beneath and away from it while trying to cut him at the ankle. No good, he simply stepped out of the way.

"You shouldn't have come back." He boomed. "Things were fine."

Southstar didn't respond as he leapt over the lizard's head, missing the oncoming blow.

"You don't need to hold me accountable for my master's doings."

Still no response as anger flowed through him more rapidly. He flipped diagonally to face the lizard's side and then once more to the opposite where he was open to attack. He thrust his lightsaber forward but missed Tamorgsa moved out of reach.

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

Kwa'ad's shots took the first guard in the chest, but before he hit the ground, Kwa'ad realized he was cought in a crossfire. He sprayed blaster fire at guards on either side of him, cutting many down as he ran for cover.

cover was, unfortunately, hard to find. Kwa'ad grabbed the body of the first guard he'd killed, held it up to protect himself from the guards on his right, and sprayed the remaining guards on his left with the last shots in his power cell.

Blaster shots peppered the dead man as Kwa'ad "borrowed" his blaster rifle. He knew he would only get one chance to do this. He dropped the body and came up firing. He dropped two guards quicky, but then heard blaster fire from behind him. The first shot hit his left forearm, which would have been completely destroyed if not for his armor. The second shot took him in the chest. His armor was thicker there and he suffered no permenant injury, but if he didn't get his wind back quickly, permenant injury would be the least of his worries.

[Southstar]

Southstar flipped over Tamorgsa and as the giant turned around to face him he lept again, this time grabbing ahold of the rafter and dropping vertically. His lightsaber cut its way along the lizards back, but it only left a small mark. It seemed the scales were resistant to the blade of a lightsaber, but not impervious.

Southstar ducked a swing of the lizards red lightsaber and rolled between his legs in an attempt to cut him at the hip. The red lightsaber, however, stopped his and Southstar found himself again leaping to the air. At the apex of his jump the lightsaber clashed again and he was forced to make a rough landing. The lizard pushed into a quick uncharacteristic burst of speed. Southsta soon found himself between a wall and the lizard. To his right were several guards.

Kwa'ad! A little assistance please! He called telepathically.

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

Kwa'ad lay motionless as the guard who had just shot him ran up. The guard nudged him with his foot, and Kwa'ad sprang into action. He reached around the guards leg and shoved his knife into the back of the guards knee. As the guard writhed in pain, Kwa'ad blasted him with the last few shots of the energy cell of his other blaster.

Kwa'ad! A little assistance please!

The voice in Kwa'ad's head was most disconcerting. He shook his head, and then looked up to see Southstar corned by the lizard and a group of guards. He re-loaded his blasters as he ran towards Southstar and the lizard. Southstar and Tamorgsa moved incredibly fast, much to fast for Kwa'ad to be sure he was going to hit Tamorgsa and not Southstar.

Kwa'ad decided to take out the guards, who, like the lizard, had their backs to him. The first two were dead before they knew what was happening. Two more were caught by his rapid-fire blasters as they turned around. The last guard actually managed to get a wild shot off before Kwa'ad blasters burned multiple holes through his torso.

Kwa'ad turned back to Southstar and Tamorgsa. "If only he could get a clean shot" he thought. Instead he looked for some sort of distraction, but stopped to wonder if it wouldn't distract Southstar just as much as Tamorgsa.

[Southstar]

Good. He thought as he dodged Tamorgsa's next slashing attack. He sent a strong Force push against the lizard which sent him up against the wall. They're places we're reversed and Southstar had the edge.

Then a blaster bolt richocetted past his head. A crooked smile spread across Tamorgsa's thin lips. "Truely you did not think my men wouldn't arrive."

Southstar deflected a shot from one of the blasters and then felt Tamorgsa return the Force push. Soutshtar stumbled as he swung his lightsaber into one oft he men.

"We need to go now!" He caleld over to Kwa'ad.

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

"WE NEED TO GO?!?!?!"

Kwa'ad blasted soldier after soldier as they entered the room.

"Why the hell would we want to leave now?"

[Southstar]

Five more doors burst open as guards filled the room. Southstar retreated back towards Kwa'ad, defending against the shots as best as he could.

"I THINK IT IS APPARENT WHY!"

[Southstar]

Double Post!

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

Kwa'ad looked for an exit. There was only one without guards pouring out of it, so he figured they didn't have much choice about what direction to go. He started lobbing incindary grenades at anything that looked flamable as Southstar and he backed toward the door.

Before they had gotten far, the building's fire alarm went off, and sprinklers begain to douse the room in ice cold water.
"Run NOW!!" he shouted.

[Southstar]

Southstar lead the way through the corridor defending his best against the guards lining the walls. A TK blast burst the door off its hinges and the continued to run as the soldiers from the room they had left were following close behind. Several successive TK blasts knocked the final door open. They leapt into the speeder and fled with their lives.

---

They must have been halfway across the planet by now, at least it seemed that way. They were out of Tamorgsa's sphere of influence and that was all they needed. Hopefully Tamorgsa wouldn't be able to strike a deal with the local gang lord and be able to send his men to hunt them.

"We escaped." Southstar said. "We're in safe territory, at least for the moment. What do you think Tamorgsa's next move is going to be?"

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

"hold on, why the hell did you punch me in the face." Kwa'ad was livid. "I mean, was it *really* necessary? I could have played unconscious, or we could have put some restrainers on me, but no, you had to punch me in the face!!"

[Southstar]

"Oh deal with it." He said grumpily. "I'm not in the mood to discuss it. What I do want to discuss is how exactly we're going to finish Tamorgsa off. He knows for sure that we're after him."

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

"We need something that dosen't involvle quite so many guards, too. I don't know what to do. All I know is that I'm tired and sore, and I'll think much better in the morning."

*In the night, during Kwa'ad's watch*

An electronic beep signaling that someone was at the door roused Kwa'ad from his half-sleep. He reasoned that anyone trying to kill him probably wouldn't be knocking, but leveled a blaster at the door before he opened it remotely.

A droid rolled into the room and began to play a pre-recorded holographic message from Tamorgsa.

"Southstar. We have a score to settle, and you've already shown that anything short of an army of bounty hunters or mercenaries is useless against you. Tuesday night you'll meet me in the local Stadium at midnight, and we'll settle this once and for all. I don't care about your companion. He'll be delt with once I've delt with you. If you don't show, well, you will show, so we don't need to discuss that, right? Tuesday, be there."

[Southstar]

The message woke him, under the circumstances he was sleeping lightly anyway. "Caught most of it." he said before Kwa'ad could try to brief him. We have some time left, and I think we're safe from, I'm safe from, bountry hunters and the like. You might want to spend the time thinking about somewhere safe to hide." He smiled as his head hit the ground again, taking him off to sleep.

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

The next morning, after staying up thinking half the night, Kwa'ad approached Southstar: "if you think that Tamorgsa will let this be a fair fight you're a fool. He could have the stadium rigged with explosives for all we know. He could have another army of guards waiting for you. If it isn't a fair fight I could be usefull, and if it is fair....well, I want to be there when you kill him."

[Southstar]

"I'm confident that it will be reasonably fair." He said as he sat up. "But most likely if I win, I won't leave alive. He's up to something though, I'll give you that." There must be a way to get some insider information concerning Tamorgsa's plan, but how? It was Kwa'ad's turn to sleep and Southstar had plenty of time to think about it.

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

Kwa'ad took the oportunity to rest, sleeping the rest of the morning and into the afternoon. He woke and began to go over his gear: body armor, grenades, blasters, knife. "I'd probably do better if I traded all of this stuff in for a lightsaber and some mad force powers" he mused. He found Southstar and said "so now we wait....."

[Southstar]

"Wrong." He said. "Now we prepare."

---

They scoped out the stadium, which was under tight security as Tamorgsa pretty much owned it. That cancelled out the possibility of traps. As they sped away, Southstar noticed that it was even being watched by ships circling over the stadium. He wondered how exactly he was going to get in.

He was betting on not being alone inside the stadium. Tamorgsa was a darksider; the very notion that he would play by the rules was ludacris. On that note, Southstar didn't intend on playing by the rules either.

"I know he's going to have men watching us. most likely ready to kill me if it looks like he's going to loose. You think you'll be able to get into that stadium undetected?"

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

"I don't know, is hoth cold? of course I can get in undetected....I didn't spend years as a thief and not learn anything. I suppose I could sneak past whatever guards he posts, but if those ships have infared..... I think it would be easier if I was in the stadium before he posted the guards. Why don't we grab a maintinence guy on his lunch break. I'll go in wearing his uniform and hide out inside the stadium. Tammorgsa's guards will probably set up a perimiter, but I doubt they'd search the whole stadium top to bottom. Once the fight starts, I'm sure that all eyes will be on you two, leaving me an opportunity to stop whatever contingency plans Tammorgsa's got set up."

[Southstar]

"Do what you've gotta do." He said and nodded. "I need to get out, I'll be back later." He stood up and walked out the door, taking his cloak and what he had on his belt.

----

Nobody had bothered him in his walk down the poor, cracked streets of the Tarnat. Nobody bothered to even shed a glance at him. The whole planet's people were selfish, only caring about their own affairs; It suited him fine. After all, he was a Sith Knight, the cloak was a dead give-away, even amongst such poor people. Even the people of teufel, in their infinite poverty, had heard the stories of Jedi and Sith.

He rounded a bend into a darker slum. Once upon a time it had been a crossroads of all the gangs territory. Centerpoint was its name. But that was no longer true as the clans had consolidated after Southstar left. Centerpoint had faded into history. Inside he was conflicted as to whether he liked it that way. Scenes replayed in his mind of days long gone.

Norteno was the name of the group he had been apart of, him and the guys getting riled up for a fight. Hanging out at one of the bars. He had so many friends then, so many that were gone now. Things were so much simpler then, he silently wished they stayed that way.

A tower came into sight as he passed a building that had once been a store, under the protection of Nortena of course. It was Weiss Norar's tower that stood ominously over centerpoint. It struck him as funny that the building had always stuck in his mind as being much taller when he was younger. Now it appeared shorter and shabbier, it honestly couldn't have been taller than 10 stories. Perhaps so many of the one story houses contributed the illusion height. Or perhaps it was that back then, it housed a major power on the Teulet.

He had been up on the top floor before, Weiss was talking to him alone as he did frequently. Then Southstar was not high in the heirarchy of Nortena. He was always a petty member, but Weiss didn't seem to see it that way. Weiss was like a guardian to him, always counceling him and guiding him. A true mentor, but that wasn't all. Weiss was a Dark Jedi, loyal to no one but himself, and eager to strengthen his power. Southstar discovered his Force potential though Weiss, and Weiss, like a master, taught Southstar the beginnings of the darkside. Southstar had always liked the power, he had hoped it would bring a better life for him and Silvine... That dream never truely came into fruitition.

A trash barrel fell over and rolled into the street and collided with a speeder. It startled him. The overflow of memories had captured his attention so well. As he watched the crushed barrel finally come to a halt at the other side of the street, he looked up to a three story building. He stopped walking, looking at the sun trying desperately to bring some light to the dark place. No star, no matter how bright, could ever bring light to that place.

It had always, probably even at that moment, housed true scum of the slums. The worst of spice addicts lived there, the lowest of criminals hid there. He and his love had lived there. Were they like them, that trademark scum fo the apartment building? He wanted to lie to himself and say no. He was a criminal, he did vicious, mindless deeds with his friends. He was addicted to spice and so was his love. They were just like everyone else in that building, but only now did he realize it.

No, they had each other. He looked away from the delapidated building and continued walking. He always had Silvine and that he never took for granted. What they had was the envy of the slums. He never hurt her like his friends commonly did to their girls. Sure, he got angry with her, but it never lasted, it never manifested in such a way where she got hurt. It was Weiss who told him to turn his anger inward. "Let the anger, the hate fuel you."

His anger and hatred did fuel him. Weiss was right about the darkside, it turned anger into power. In such a place as the slums of Teulen, anger was plenty. He remembered being so fueled with power and feeling from the darkside that it amazed him. It mystified him. That was one thing he wished he could share with Silvine. He wanted so badly to just bask in the darkside with her. But she wasn't Force sensitive. Weiss knew this and though he never said it, Southstar suspected that he disliked her for it. "The Force places us above them." He would say as he glanced from the tower window, Southstar standing close behind.

Finally, Southstar had reached his destination. It was across the road. Two buildings, both two stories tall; "shops" on the first floor and living quarters on top. Both of the shop windows were broken. What was the sense of ever replacing them? From the time of his youth, he had always remembered them as distribution places of the food rations; rations that would ultimately be stolen by the gangs. But it wasn't the store that needed to be focused on, it was the space between. It was a large lot, overflown with garbage as always. The lot wasn't defined very well as there was never any planning with where buildings were to be put. At the farthest end away from Southstar was the back of a series of one story houses. At random spots between the houses that made the corners of the lot and the two stores were more houses and the public comm which miraculously was never taken down.

This was the center point of Centerpoint. Every gang in Tarnat had a claim to a plot of land in that lot. Nortena's plot used to be against the store to the west. Dark Eye, Kwa'ad's original gang had the plot against the opposite store. The rilvalry between the two gangs was firce. The hatred between the two was thick enough to be cut with a knife.

[Southstar]

*Then*

"There's going to be big fight." Silvine said and rubbed her groggy eyes.

Southstar turned away from the window and faced her. She didn't look so well, there were dark circles under her eyes, her face was dirty and her hair unkept. "You need to leave that spice alone." He said. "You're really not looking good."

"I haven't been sleeping. It's not the spice. No, not at all." She said andturned her head, maybe trying to hide her unkept face. She didn't know. She wasn't sure of anythng she did anymore. "DId you hear what I said?"

"Yeah." Southstar said and slid on a dirty shirt that hung on the back of a chair. "Don't worry about it, Silvine. Nortena is ready for anything anyone tosses at us."

"I know, Sen." She said. Sen was short for his real first name, the one given to him by his mother on a planet far from there. She hung on his shoulder and leaned her head agains this neck. "Where are you going?"

"To see Weiss." He said and slipped a shoe on, careful not to disturb Silvine's position. "Why don't you take a nap. Since you've been missing sleep. I'll wake you when I get back."

"Nightmares." She said and rubbed her eyes fircely. "It's strange, it's like they're not even my own." Again she rubbed her eye "oh." She said as she realized shehad broken skin.

"Quit rubbing!" He said as he wiped a drop of blood from beneath her eye. "Lie down anyway. Please." He paused as he wiped another drop. "Now I need to go." He kissed her lips, she barely seemed to respond, but he didn't say anything. Then he took his leave

---

Meeting with Weiss always made him feel great. The knowledge the man held, the guidence he gave to him, it made him feel so good about things. Southstar pushed open the door that lead into his apartment after the meeting. Glancing at the chrono as he entered he realized he had been goen for hours. Regardless, Weiss' advice to him was worth it all.

He set his things down on a wooden stool as Weiss' words flowed through his head. The man could not deny a conflict between the gangs. Southstar feared that it would involve them all, Weiss silently confirmed it. It would be a true battle of Centerpoint; a battle that the victor would truely be proud of. Weiss didn't need to walk Southstar through it, he already knew that series of events, minor skirmishes barely avoided were the cause. Who ever the gang leaders were, they all seemed to be trying to avoid fighting. The contained aggression was building in each and every gang. The fuse was lit, it was only a matter of time until it reached the powder keg.

"Did you sleep?" He asked as he entered the tiny bedroom. Silvine was lying ont he stained mattress eyes wide open and facing the wall. Southstar lied down behind her and wrapped his arm around her belly. His head leaned against hers. Her hair was dirty and smelt, but he didn't care. "Why not?"

"I'm too scared, Sen." She spoke monotnously, pehaps from boredom. "These nightmares have been unlike anything before. They truely frighten me."

He kissed her dirty neck and pulled her closer to him. "I told Weiss about them, asked for a remedy. I figured that maybe he might have a Force-cure or something."

She turned her head towards him, her body slightly shifting. Things concerning the Force always facinated her, how fortunate Sen was he would never know. "Is there?" She wanted him to say yes, she wanted to feel him use the Force on her; if it was used on people.

"It's- It's out of my league." He lied. Truth be told Weiss had said with contempt that Sith weren't doctors. They didn't heal poeple, they basked in pain and suffering. "One day though. One day I'll take all your bad dreams away. All your pain."

She smiled and kissed him. Then she faced the wall again. "I look forward to it."

Southstar released her and sat up. "I'm going out tonight. I'll be back late, so don't wait up for me."

"Okay."

----

Rain had consumed the passed night, dark stormy clouds hung over the city for hours. Rain had never bothered him much, especially since he spent the night indoors at one of the many clubs in the downtown area. He had another girl there, all the gang had another girl there. As he explained to one of the new boys, these club girls weren't about love, they were playthings. The boys knew it, the club girls knew it, their girlfriends knew it. It was just the way life was lived, nothing wrong with that. For the second time that night Southstar set his things on the wooded stool. He glanced at the chronometer laying on top of piles of dirty papers and food wrappers. This time when he turned to the bedroom he found Silvine standing there, the dirty and stained shirt she used as a nightgown hung barely below her waist.

"Get any sleep?" He asked.

She shook her head, the shadows casted by the clouded moons gave her face a look of extreme drearyness.

"There was a fight tonight." He said and slid out of his black blood stained shirt. "Not real big, a little skirmish. We didn't even go to the lot."

She walked forward slowly until she was closer than an arms length away. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. Slowly he rubbed her back as he undid his belt. She seemed plagued with sorrow. He couldn't explain why. Still he continued with the story.

"Two guys from Dark Eye started moving in on Jeseth's girl." Truth be told, the moved on Southstar's girl. But he didn't like to remind her of his nightlife. "He called them out and Yorick started cursing at them until they threw a bottle at us." He chuckled a little. "Yorick, it wasn't even his business but when you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us." He pulled Silvine closer. "Jeseth caught the bottle and chucked it back. I picked up a whole mess of bottles and threw them across the room. Those sons of- They came charging at us with vibroblades. One even cut the throat of some fat man just to bloody it up and try to scare us. ut we wouldn't have any of that. No, Nortena is the strongest gang in the city."

He paused, usually Silvine would laugh at the parts where he talked up the gang. She would tease him but this time she said nothing. He continued anyway. "So we started brawling, the girls all ran off to the stage, cheering us on. 'Cause they're property of ours. They have to cheer for us at a fight. But I fought good, I didn't even need to take out my blade. But Jeseth, he got stabbed in the shoulder..." Southstar replayed the scene in his mind.

"And you took revenge." Silvine said without emotion. "The darkside helped you 'cause you were scared. Jeseth is your friend. They were bound up by wires that nobody moved, like ghosts tied them like animals. You bled them both dry. The blade with the fat man's blood. You took the buckets and poured them on the flag of Dark Eye and rose it. When daylight comes, the sunlight will leave a crimson splotch of light in the center point lot."

Southstar eyed Silvine, squinting as if he could see into her midn and know how she knew this. "I did sleep." She said and wiped a tear against Sen's skin. "Your anger, your rage." She let out a breath of air which chilled Southstar to the bone. "Their pain, their death... I saw it, I felt it." Her nails slowly scartched his skin as they closed to fists. Her arms wrapped around his waist.

"We don't cure pain or suffering." Weiss said. "We relish in it, we share it, we inflict it. That is the darkside.

Southstar shared it. With the two dead Dark Eyes. He shared it with Silvine, the one person he didn't want to feel any pain. All the pain and suffering he endured was for her. So that she might not feel a drop.

He opened his lips to speak but instead drew a heavy breath. His body was thrown forward and sweat broke from his skin before he landed on the ground. Silvine was beneath him and he looked in her once dreary eyes, now ignigted with flame. A reflection of the scene behind him. The room was on fire, the wooden beams that made up the window broken. It was a homemade fuel bomb, every gang knew how to make them, but tiwas the calling card of the Dark Eye.

He picked Silvine up and burst through the door. They had to escape at that moment if they wanted to survive. That is, if the Dark Eye gang members weren't already coming.

"Where are we going?" Silvine asked, a slight tinge of fear in her voice, but a strong flavor of excitment.

"Someplace safe." Southstar couldn't think for the life of him where that safe place was. The ominous tower came to view, misty moonlight shown upon it. "We're going to the tower, WEiss will know what to do."

[Kwa'ad Stahl]

*Then*
Kwa'ad sat in his room and watched the hollo....