Lightside Sith 006

After that interesting encounter with Padmé, and Anakin, Kaine decided to peruse the nearby palace. Presenting the token he had been given, and explaining that he was acting as a foreign dignitary, the staff acted extremely kind, and escorted him to a beautiful state room. 

Currently laying on the softest bed ever, Kaine was chilling out in a room that looked like it belonged in Buckingham Palace. Lazily browsing the holonet on a dataslate, he watched various clips, news shorts, and all sorts of things to amuse himself. What could he say, he couldn't be farming LP every minute of his life, or acting like an assassin, right? However, during these few hours of idling, that wasn't to say he completely wasted his time. 

While reclining with his head on a pillow, Kaine had been honing his skills. Using [Precognition], he tried to anticipate the next scene in a holofilm, and found he could clearly see a second into the future, whilst things got slightly blurry up to three seconds. Anything past that was beyond his current capabilities. So far, it was difficult for him to activate [Precognition] on anything that didn't affect him, or wasn't within a 5ft radius of his person. For example, If, say, a laser came from behind, he'd have roughly 3 seconds to react to it from 5ft away. This wasn't exactly great news, but a pinch was a chance. His [Speed] wasn't terrible. 

Kaine also took this time to hone [Sense]. Typically, this was a passive skill, and was particularly efficient at picking up life forms. Its basic function was to act as a radar. In this capacity, he could passively sense a person up to 25ft away, or if they were a Force Sensitive, from several miles away. Once focusing on actively using [Sense], he could pick up emotions, and even focus on objects. For example, the palace maid who was passing by the door…Kaine could accurately say what color her garments were, and confidently say she had a pair of keys in her right inner pocket. 

Lastly, he wanted to try something new. That is, adding something to his list of abilities. He was pretty sure he couldn't self learn something as cool as [Force Lightning], but there was one basic ability that any Force Sensitive worth their salt learned. 

Telekenesis! 

And so, for the four or so hours spent chilling in his room, two of them were spent flicking his finger at an ornate looking box in the room, willing it to move.

…after hours of nothing happening, Kaine had grown fed up, and stood up in a rage. 

“Move, damnit!” Kaine hissed in a pissed off tone. 

Unbeknownst to him, his naturally yellow eyes took on a brief glow, and a surge of intoxicating power flooded through his veins. 

The ornate black metal box not only hovered off the dresser that it sat on, but it rammed itself into the wall with such astounding force, that it damaged the wall, and the metal on the box somewhat crumpled. 

“!!!” Kaine sat down on the bed in surprise at the damage he had wrought. 

The Darkside pulsed its pleasure around him, and a giddy feeling of growing stronger unconsciously entered his psyche. Feeling like he was on top of the world, Kaine checked his System, and saw that [Telekenesis] had been added to his roster of abilities. And, just like the ghost summoning ritual, had been automatically raised to Tier II, thanks to his promotion to (Acolyte mid).

Raising his hand, he began to play with his newfound ability like a kid who had just discovered he had superpowers. Pushing, pulling, lifting, Kaine did it all! That bent box-the size of a tissue box-was abused by him for another hour as he explored this newfound ability. 

Through his experimentation, he discovered several important details regarding [Telekenesis]. For one, he could lift any weight or sized object as big as his bed. The larger the object was, the slower he was to manipulate it. For example, the box could zip around the room like it was a small aerial drone, whereas moving the bed felt like pushing something through a layer of sludge. Distance once again seemed to play a factor, but inside this giant room-a room about four times larger than the average bedroom-he didn't seem to have any trouble manipulating objects. 

Next, he had tested his finer control. [Telekinesis] was so much more than tossing a big ass object at someone, or pushing them across the room. He discovered that with little thought, he could flick his hand in a general direction, and perform a [Force Push] like a fire & forget missile. Experimenting further, he jumped up, then, using [Telekenesis] like a platform, pushed off the sole of his foot to perform a double jump. 

“Woah!” Flipping midair, Kaine almost ate shit as he rolled back down to earth. 

The near neck breaking experience sent some adrenaline through his veins, and he was eager to keep it up until he reached perfection. Jumping several more times, he then used [Telekenesis] to cushion his fall. Instead of immediately arresting his own momentum, he tried envisioning a parachute several feet before he fell, and discovered it really worked! 

“Fuck, I'm a genius.” Kaine smirked to himself. 

No way in hell was he going to go out like some bitch, and get zapped out of a window then fall to his death! 

After approximately 6 hours of this activity, Kaine was reasonably feeling a wee bit peckish, and wanted to both grab himself something to eat, and see if he could farm some LP along the way. 

Evening/early night had arrived on Theed, and the sun had set. A beautiful moon reflected through the palace's grand windows, and Kaine was taking in the splendor of the place as both a tourist, and a Star Wars nerd. There was literally a fancy red carpet everywhere he walked, a pair of armed guards were stationed at the end of every hallway, and a constant stream of butlers & maids were walking past. 

As his room was placed in a section for diplomats & important guests attending the peace summit, there were a decent amount of aliens, and colorfully dressed people. Some Humans wore standard tuxes, whilst others wore clothes that wouldn't be out of place from Tron, 60's Star Trek, or the Fifth Element. A collage of wildly different outfits clashed with one another as different eras of sci-fi clothing met his eyes. He saw famous influencers talking into hovering-fist sized-drones, artists he recognized from the holonet, and more. About a quarter of all people lounging out in the halls were aliens. There were tall, brown skinned Ithorians speaking through translators, a pair of Wookiees that no one dared approach, and a group of slimy Mon Calamari arguing with some orange-skinned Togruta about who their favorite opera singer was. 

Life was pretty cool when you weren't skulking around feces infested animal pens, or infiltrating cities under siege. Walking down the hallway, he could sense many a curious eye on him. Most people hadn't seen a near-Human like him before, and quite a few were interested, but didn't approach. There were even a small handful of people who appreciated his looks. While that was a nice boost to his ego, Kaine's stomach grumbled, and he figured he could have some interesting small talk with these people tomorrow. As a man, he knew his priorities. Food came first! 

Just as he was about to ask a passing maid for directions, his pathway to leave the hallway was blocked. A pink skinned Theelian girl with shocking white hair stepped in front of a Gungan, and she was repeatedly questioning him. A drone droid hovered behind her, and she appeared to be a young adult. Possessing creepy silver orbs for eyes, heavy, naturally shadowed grooves around her eyes, her voice was rising ever louder as she accused the Gungan of everything under the sun. 

“Representative Binks, as someone who participated in a war, don't you think it's inappropriate that you're attending this peace summit?” She hotly demanded. 

“Errr.” Jar Jar scratched the back of his head in confusion, and squeaked out. 

“Representative Binks, do you expect the warlike Gungans to demand full representation on Naboo? That they would even side with the CIS to conquer Theed?” 

“Uhh, exquise me?! No, no, no, yousa got it all wrong! Da Queen and I are great friends!” Jar Jar waved his hands in front of his face, and hurriedly deflected. 

Kaine sighed at the encounter. What the heck was this load of nonsense? He'd witnessed an influencer try to make a fool out of someone back on Earth once, and this nerf herder was really starting to grind his gears. It was time to give this girl the taste of the Lightside! 

‘I just wanted to go eat, bro…but if you insist on contributing to my LP, you can't really blame me. Jar Jar should count as a lifeform being rescued, right?’ He thought to himself with an annoyed smirk. 

Narrowing his eyes, Kaine looked around for a moment, and saw a maid carrying a bucket & a mop. Scratching his chin, he jabbed a finger forward, tilting the bucket out of her hands with [Telekenesis]. The soapy water completely covered the attractive influencer, making make-up drip off her face, and soak her clothes. 

“I'm so sorry!” The maid said, covering her mouth with both her hands in fear. 

Just as the pink skinned alien was about to crash out on the maid in a shrill tone of voice, Jar Jar moved closer to offer his help. 

‘Now we can't have that now, can we?’ Kaine snorted. 

Another flick of his finger saw the notorious klutz move an inch too far forward onto the soapy marble floor. 

“Ahh, ohh no!” Jar Jar called out in a high pitched tone. 

Slipping on the floor, his leg got caught in the bucket, and as he fell on his back, the bucket was launched at the influencer's head, and she was knocked out cold with the bucket covering her face. 

“Err, uh oh.” Jar Jar scratched the back of his head, and stared at the prone Theelian anxiously. 

‘....’ Kaine stared in amazement. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that this would be the result of his meddling! 

However, as he technically had been the one to resolve this conflict, a faint +1LP floated in the air. Justice had prevailed once again. 

“Hmm, perhaps Jar Jar is my lucky star. This ill omen attracts trouble like a Twi'lek dancer on skid row.” Kaine mused to himself. 

Approaching from behind, Kaine grabbed Jar Jar by the shoulders, and dragged him away from the scene of the crime. “Do not worry, my friend. I shall serve as witness, anyone with eyes could see that was an accident!” 

“Uhh, yes, accident! Jar Jar meant no harm!” Jar Jar hurriedly agreed, and glanced back several times towards the unconscious girl where a small crowd of dignitaries & famous artists/techies were muttering. 

The pair of guards eyed them, yet upon seeing it was Jar Jar, reluctantly let them pass. 

“Now then, all this conflict has made me hungry, let's say we go to the kitchens, and grab something to eat?” Kaine posed his sentence as a question, yet his firm hand pressed them into another hallway all the same. 

Patting his stomach, Jar Jar agreed with a nod. “What is your name, friend?” 

“Call me Kaine.” 

“I'm Jar Jar!” The amphibian said with pride, and wiped his slimy wet hands clean on Kaine's chest. 

Staring deadeyed at the Gungan, Kaine sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose, before releasing his hold on the alien's shoulder. 

“It appears you made a new friend.” Qui-Gon's ghost decided to emerge from his invisibility at that moment, and said in an amused tone. 

Kaine gave the old man the stink eye, and then had to put up with the high-pitched buffoon's stories for the next 15 min as they walked to the kitchen. 

“...and I ate a fish this big!” Jar Jar finished a story by holding out his hands suddenly to the left and right. 

The second he did that, Jar Jar accidentally thwacked a passing Clantaani-who was acting as a bodyguard for a richly dressed Human-in the chin. 

Just as Kaine was dying of boredom, his eyes lit up. 

“Are you just going to take that? Are you a man of honor?” Kaine whispered to the bodyguard, whilst helping him up. His words carried a hint of the Darkside in them, and were full of instigation. 

The light-blue skinned alien, who had long, floppy ears sort of like an ox's, clenched his fists, and lunged at Jar Jar. 

“I'll kill you!” 

+1LP floated into the air at that moment. 

Kaine raised an eyebrow in surprise, wondering what had triggered the exp gain. Was it coaxing the man to defend his honor, or was it instigating him into violence? Likely the former if he had to guess. 

“Rylon, stop this at once!” The Human demanded of his bodyguard. 

As soon as he heard the command from his boss, the Clantaaniwas about to pull back his fist. 

‘Now we can't have that, can we?’ 

Kaine flicked both his hands at the same time. One finger was curled, pulling the light-blue skinned alien's fist forward, and then used [Inflict Pain] on the sole of Jar Jar's foot. 

The resulting aftermath was satisfying to watch. 

“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Jar Jar exclaimed as the fist grazed past his chin. 

The Gungan-who was hopping around-accidentally performed a roundhouse kick, hitting the bodyguard in the chest, and knocking the wind out of him. 

“That's it, you're dead!” Rylon exclaimed, and lunged forward, fully enraged. 

Posted at this hallway, a different pair of guards had witnessed the whole thing, and were rushing towards them to pull the two apart. Kaine saw that his LP was on the line, and with a heavy slam-and a small application of [Telekenesis]-brutally tossed the Clantaanito the ground. 

“Stop! Stop!” The guards yelled, arriving on the scene. 

Kaine glanced around, and decided to test a theory. In SWTOR, the Lightside Sith often mocked & ridiculed his opponents instead of brutally murdering them. He wondered if such a method would reward him. Skywalker had netted him some points, but any worthwhile hypothesis required multiple tests before a conclusion could be met. 

“The fight is over, however, I wouldn't call this pathetic excuse for a bodyguard much of a fight. One must question the intelligence of whoever hired him.” Kaine insulted the duo-master & servant-in a tone of voice mirroring that of an asshole aristocrat. 

“Y-you!” The dignitary pointed a finger at him in shock. 

“See? Such a supposedly sophisticated mind,  he's the brilliant representative of a world, and yet he's limited to a singular syllable.” Kaine clicked his tongue, and shook his head in disappointment. 

“We're going to have to detain everyone involved until we find out what's going on. I'm sorry, Representative Binks.” One of the guards said in a professional tone. 

“I'm afraid you cannot detain my friend and I.” Kaine said in a smooth tone of voice. 

“And why is that?” The guard frowned. 

“Diplomatic immunity. Or did you place your helmet on too tight this morning, and forget that tomorrow is a peace summit? Besides, I have this.” Kaine rolled his eyes at the man, flashing the token Padmé had gifted him. 

“Let them go.” The older man between the two sighed. 

“But we saw him assault another man!” The younger guard said, raising his voice. 

“My, my, insubordination right off the bat? Just how are you ‘royal’ guards trained?” Kaine shook his head in disappointment. 

“You, which planet are you from?!” The dignitary from earlier finally got his words out, and pointed his finger directly in Kaine's face. 

Reaching out a hand, Kaine snapped the offending appendage, bending it to the side. 

“Ahhh!” The dignitary screamed, going to his knees. 

“See!” The younger guard said to his compatriot. 

The older guard looked hesitant, and had his hand resting on a pair of cuffs. 

“Gentlemen, I am a representative from the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Surely you understand how important tomorrow is for the entirety of the galaxy?” Kaine leaned forward, and said meaningfully, yet the amusement could not be hidden from his golden eyes. 

“Go then. Get out of my sight. But the Senator will learn of this.” The older guard sighed, and shooed him away. 

+5 LP floated into the air as the situation was resolved. 

‘This is worth more than saving a life!’ Kaine thought excitedly to himself. 

Glancing at Jar Jar-who was standing nearby scratching his head in confusion-a cold smile slowly spread across his face. The amphibian truly was his lucky star.