Lightside Sith 029

Back aboard the Odachi, Kane was looking at a staggering ten day excursion to reach Nar Shaddaa from Vinsoth. Hopefully the hyperspace currents were kind, blessing them with a speedy journey. 

With the ship already exiting the system, Kane was currently bored out of his wits sitting at a dejarik table across from Ferus. The game of so-called ‘space chess’ wasn't really like chess at all, and more like a tactical rpg. Wampas, Jedi, Mandalorians, and all sorts of creatures, aliens, etc made up the pieces. The goal was to eliminate all the enemy characters. In a way, it kind of reminded Kane of games like Fire Emblem in terms of playstyle. 

Sending out a Vornskr to eat Ferus's Jedi, Kane snacked on some chips, watching in mild amusement. 

Ferus was silent, adopting the veneer of composure, clearly still unsettled by the day's events. 

“Hmm. I'd wager you're thinking something along the lines of ‘I can't believe I'm playing dejarik with a Sith’ right? That, or ‘kriff, I wish I was as handsome and witty as him.” Kane joked. 

“...this is not what I expected.” The teen said, scrutinizing him with a heavy gaze. 

“What would I do, keep you locked up all day? That's too boring.” Kane muttered, wincing as he lost his Wampa to a concealed mine. “Besides, I think you should earn your freedom, this isn't a charity, I am a Sith afterall.” 

“I'm not so sure about that.” Ferus shook his head with a frown. 

“All red skin, evil armor, a proclivity for the Darkside.” He said, wiggling his finger, teasing [Inflict Pain], making a red light spawn on his fingertips. “Oh don't let my proper manners dissuade you from the truth, but that isn't the point. How about it then, Olin? Join my squad for say two, no, three missions, and I'll send you home to Coruscant.”

“And what if I run away mid mission? Or, what if I stab you in the back?” Ferus asked incredulously. 

“See, Jedi, the fact that you're bringing up these points alone tells me you won't. You're no Skywalker. No, you're someone who, when he gives his word, he sticks to it.” Kane praised, crunching nonchalantly on another chip. 

“I…you have to promise me we won't be killing Jedi. That you won't ask me to harm the innocent, or I truly will do everything in my power to stop you.” Ferus began weak, but by the end, he had become stern, a trace of his ‘protagonist' halo coloring his voice. 

“Well, well, well, looks like you've got a pair of Rancor-sized balls afterall.” Kane slow-clapped. “Threatening a Sith on his own ship, tsk, tsk, I must not be intimidating enough.” 

“I mean it. Otherwise, just lock me up.” Ferus declared, crossing his arms. 

“Testy, testy, you are a handful, aren't you? Oh, very well, Padawan, I agree to those terms.” Kane rolled his eyes, then tossed the blue lightsaber back to the kid. 

“You're this quick to trust me?” Ferus blinked in surprise. 

“Call it arrogance or overconfidence, I beat you once before, I can beat you again. What you witnessed on Vinsoth was a fraction of my power.” Kane lazily drawled, looking down upon the teen with a smirk. 

“We'll have to test that theory.” Ferus replied in a cold tone. The white/brown haired man was silent & contemplative by nature, but that didn't mean he wasn't competitive. One had to be when constantly sparring with Skywalker. 

“Hmm, perhaps we can do some sparring, but the walkway of the Odachi is quite narrow. I must warn you, my training blade is quite painful.” Kane matched that icy attitude with an even more unconstrained arrogance. 

“If you two are done with this Jedi Sith love ritual, I wish to hear about the mission.” Durge came stomping in from the bridge, likewise bored. 

“...” Ferus glanced expressionlessly at the bounty hunter. 

Kane gave the big guy a skeptical glance, and shook his head. There was a lot of speculation about Olin's proclivities among the fanbase, and the original Legends author had said a lot on this matter, but there never was anything concrete regarding this and Kane didn't care about any of that so long as it didn't affect himself. It was a big galaxy, and there were stranger things, like a Wookiee and Human being mates or a Hutt ‘making love’ to another species despite supposedly being asexual. 

“Sorry to blot out your fanfiction, Durge, but as an ‘evil’ sorcerer, naturally I am drawn to the ‘evil’ witch. Once that Dathomiri girl grows in her hair, will be when you see me acting out that so-called ritual ” He grinned, stroking his chin. Bald women weren't really his thing, but a tomboy with short hair wasn't a bad deal at all. 

“Right the mission. Please tell us about it.” Ferus coughed to the side in an attempt to change the topic. 

“Riight.” Kane nodded along. “Of our three missions, our first stop is at Nar Shaddaa. There, we will be hunting down Jasmeus Nock, a Dark Acolyte who has earned Dooku's ire.” 

Pressing some buttons on the display, he conveniently wiped away the dejarik game he had been losing, and replaced it with a rotating image of their target. 

A beautiful green skinned Mirialan with long raven hair, and a devious look shimmered into view. 

“A Confederate contact says he can find her, but we'll have to escort him, otherwise it would be too dangerous.” Kane continued. 

“Nar Shaddaa isn't a place for the faint of heart, Renstar. Are you certain you wish to bring this pale-skin along?” Durge pointed one massive thumb at the well tanned Jedi, and was clearly provoking him just to relieve his boredom. 

“I have given my word.” Ferus said through gritted teeth, and lifted his chin. “What does some common bounty hunter's claim have to do with a Jedi's actions?” 

“Watch it, boy. I've crushed the skulls of no less than 37 Jedi with these hands.” Durge growled in his deep voice, the sound of his squeezing fists was particularly loud within the confined galley of the Odachi. 

“Easy now, both of you. Durge here is a 2,000+ year old relic, mercenary Gen'dai with more experience than most lifeforms.” Kane introduced, gesturing towards the hulking armored tentacle alien. 

“Somehow I don't think that was a compliment.” Durge grumbled, crossing his arms. 

“And this here is Ferrus Olin, genius Padawan of the Jedi Order. If I had to wager a guess, his potential would place him on the High Council. Perhaps one day, he might even be as mighty as an Order Master, even.” Kane explained, nodding at the low-tier protagonist. 

“Then of course, there is me, your leader, Lord Kane Renstar. Pureblood Sith, part-time sorcerer, and all around badass. Undefeated in battle, conqueror of Ryloth, adopted grandson to Count Dooku, the Big Red Machine, he has the potential of the greats. Exar Kun, Marka Ragnos, Revan, his name will resound throughout the ages.” Kane said in a confident tone, raising from his seat, he spoke like a dignified statesman honoring the glories of the past. 

Glancing at his compatriots, the arguing had stopped, so he knew his plan had worked. I'm such a genius. 

“Exar Kun? Revan who?” Ferus shook his head in confusion. 

Kane staggered forward just a step, feeling the wind pulled from his sails. 

“You mean to tell me you haven't heard about the father of the double-bladed lightsaber? Nor about the man who turned the tide against the Mandalorians, saving the Republic from certain defeat?!” Kane said in shocked surprise. 

“Hahaha, the so-called legacy of the Sith only goes this far.” Durge let loose with a deep belly laugh. “I've lived for millenia, and not even I have heard about these great men.” The Gen'dai mocked. 

Kane felt the corners of his mouth repeatedly twitch. As a hardcore Star Wars fan, he respected the lore, and Exar Kun, Marka Ragnos & Revan were three of his very favorite Legends characters. To hear that not even the ancient monster knew about them…it really pissed Kane off! 

“What is there to be laughing about? Prideful ignorance is ignorance all the same. And you, Jedi, it is a tragedy that you were not taught about Exar Kun or Revan. These great men were once Jedi themselves!” Kane shook his fist, and spoke to his two companions passionately.  

“All I know about the Sith is that they always lose. Yours is a doomed clan, one destined to extinction. My home world may have been ravaged by the Sith, my people genocided, but look at you. A mere whelp wet behind the ears talks about glory and greatness. Hah! Don't make me laugh. You amuse me, Renstar, but never forget, right now, you are nothing.” Durge didn't raise his voice, but his baritone was full of threat, but perhaps more biting, it was full of the truth. 

Kane clenched his fists, feeling the Darkside well up within him. 

“Go ahead, make my day.” Durge uncrossed his arms, and stood ramrod straight, solid like a mountain. 

‘Do it. Kill this insolent wretch.’

The thought came unbidden, and he almost acted upon it. Almost. Thankfully, Qui-Gon's counsel earlier in the day came to the forefront of his mind, and he let out a turbid breath. The Darkside amped up emotions to 11, it was occasionally very difficult to remain in control. Kane closed his eyes, then after cooling down, smiled at the bounty hunter. 

“That was a close one, my friend. Are you really so bored you wish to bait me into a confrontation?” Kane-regaining his joviality-joked. 

“Ahh. I'll get you to snap one of these days, Renstar. I've never squished the head of a Pureblood Sith before. I wonder if your blood tastes sweet.” Durge darkly chuckled, and slowly began to walk back to the bridge, his massive metal boots making loud clanging noises on the deck. “It shall be satisfying to witness you debase yourself to the Darkside, I look forward to it.” 

“A Sith fears no challenge. Be careful what you wish for, Durge.” Kane replied as the sliding door to the bridge closed with a whoosh. 

“You two are…friends?” Ferus asked from the side, his knuckles were practically white as he tightly gripped the hilt to his lightsaber. 

“Let's just say Durge's number one hobby is killing, and this ten day trip may have him acting a little cranky.” Kane explained with a grin. 

“A little? And you. Are you alright?” Ferus asked in concern. 

“I never thought I'd see the day a Jedi showed concern over a Sith.” Kane tsked. 

“No, I'm just worried you'll explode the ship mid-hyperspace.” Ferus shook his head and deadpanned. 

Kane's eyelid twitched, he swore the pair of them were just gaslighting him, blowing smoke up his ass. 

“You're a real comedian, you know that?” Kane replied sarcastically. 

“I've been told I am rather humorous.” Ferus said with a straight face, continuing his deadpan. 

“Tch. I'll be in my quarters practicing my spells. We'll spar five hours from now. Without the grass to tie me up, we'll see how effective your Niman is in a tight corridor.” Kane said in a dark tone, departing for his room. 

As he left the teen to his own devices, Ferus glanced down at his lightsaber contemplating something. 

“Team Renstar, huh? Interesting.”