Tatooine: Saloon.

Controlling a speeder was generally much easier than handling a ship or a shuttle, but the blue-skinned girl preferred flying through the sky rather than traveling on land. This was because using the weaponry of a combat ship made it much easier to kill someone, especially if you had previously mined a shuttle, aimed it at an enemy base, and then jumped out halfway to detonate it and blow everyone to hell—a noisy but incredibly effective tactic. However, there was nothing better than the rush of air hitting your face, whipping through your dark hair. The romance of adventure, especially when you were tailing your target to catch and kill them. The thrill of the chase and the adrenaline in your veins made ground races more exhilarating for those who preferred head-on collisions over sniping. Although fighter pilots might disagree.

Low sand-colored houses appeared on the horizon. They had about twenty minutes left to reach the city at their current speed, so they would be getting to work very soon. What was the job? Surely something important, as Sith, unlike apathetic Jedi, didn't sit still. Of course, the Dark Side had been silent for a long time, but tactical waiting should not be confused with careless inactivity.

"Stop," a male voice sounded in the girl's ear.

She immediately reduced her speed and came to a smooth stop. The reasons behind her new teacher's command were unclear to her, but she was not in a position to pester her master with annoying and foolish questions right now. If he said to stop, she would stop.

"I almost forgot to give you something," Hassan stepped off the speeder and, before Tann did the same, covered her with his cloak. "Cover your lovely face," he said somewhat arrogantly.

Sev'rance quickly removed the item from her face, got off the speeder, and properly put on the cloak, covering her face with the hood. Many Sith had a passion for cloaks with hoods, and Tann was no exception. In her new attire, she felt a surge of self-assuredness, though it was not enough to rush into an attack on heavily armed clone troopers or droids.

Now she could examine her teacher's equipment more carefully. His armor bore little resemblance to that of clones or Mandalorians. She couldn't recall the culture to which this armor might even remotely belong, so the conclusion was quite obvious—it was custom-made. Especially considering how well it fit him. She couldn't identify the metal, most likely due to its dark color, which slightly distorted visibility under the bright sun.

"Here's one more thing," he extended his hand with an open palm, and a ring appeared on it in a flash of light. "Put it on."

Tann took the accessory with curiosity and examined it closely. It appeared to be a plain, rounded piece of metal with no ornate gemstones, but there were strange symbols inscribed on it. She put it on her index finger, and the barely perceptible connection with Dooku dissipated as if he had been killed, or perhaps as if she had been killed.

"It works, then," Hassan observed her surprised expression. "Just as I thought."

"What is this? An artifact?" She was eager to know, and her voice betrayed her excitement.

"Everything you see on me," he stretched his arms in different directions, showcasing himself, "are artifacts. Even the cloak you're wearing hides hidden power."

Sev'rance began to examine Hassan's equipment again, this time much more meticulously. She even tried to tap into the Force, but it remained silent. There was no response from the teacher, his armor, the ring, or even the cloak that covered her body. It was as if everything had turned into mundane objects.

"Do you think it will be so easy for you to unlock all my power? I've already told you that I've shown you only a tiny fraction of my might, and not everyone can master it. The ring has started to work, but what about the cloak? Can you tell me what its power is?"

Sev'rance closed her eyes and tried once again to reach out with the Force to the cloak, but once again, there was no response. It seemed that she lacked the skill to fully comprehend the secrets of this item, which was a bit frustrating for her. Impulsiveness and impatience were common traits among Sith, and that's why she kept trying to feel something, anything.

"It won't work. You're not at the level to harness the power of my cloak. Until you become stronger, it will remain nothing more than a stylish accessory. Let's continue. 

Hassan settled back onto the gravicik, waiting for his companion. 

Tann complied without protest. She started the engine, and the two of them resumed their journey toward the city. The young man held her firmly by the waist, but the girl didn't resist. Let him do whatever he wanted. As long as she grew stronger under his guidance, she would be an obedient student. Afterward, she would crush him in a fair fight. Only by winning a one-on-one duel would she truly become stronger than her past self. Then, the entire galaxy would fall at her feet, and she would dictate her own rules!

***-*-**-*****-***-*****-***

Hassan leaned against the bar counter, behind which stood a yellow creature with multiple tentacles. In any other universe, Japanese schoolgirls would probably run away in terror at the sight of such a strange creature, covering their skirts with their hands, but this was an entirely different world. The tentacled creature felt quite comfortable among the diverse array of races and professionally served several customers at once with its tentacles.

The bartender turned to Hassan and spoke in a language that was completely incomprehensible to him. Hassan replied, "Namaste," although he knew the bartender wouldn't understand. "We'd like something to eat for two, please."

The bartender, however, seemed to have understood him to some extent, as its tentacles reached for the hoses, and from them, a reddish liquid, resembling either soup or watery porridge, poured into bowls. Hassan glanced around and noticed that most of the other patrons were having the same type of food. The establishment itself resembled a classic Tatooine cantina that had been featured in movies and series to the point of becoming a cliché. It was primarily frequented by mercenaries and assorted riffraff, which explained why the patrons were mostly drinking, not eating.

The bartender returned with two bowls and spoons, setting them in front of the masked man. Hassan placed several credits on the table, and one of the tentacles promptly collected them. The bartender mumbled something in its unintelligible language, which Hassan interpreted as a sign of gratitude for the tip. Not knowing the actual price of the food, he had decided to leave as many credits as he could while his finances allowed it.

However, Hassan wasn't finished with his food order just yet. He looked around once more and, realizing that no one was paying attention to him, retrieved a blue vial from his inventory. He calmly uncorked the flask and added a few drops of its contents to one of the bowls. Sev'rance would never be able to fully harness the power of his cloak. Not because she lacked talent, but because she lacked the ability to use magic. However, could she learn if he started gradually feeding her mana potions? What effects would await her?

While Sev'rance was currently a test subject for him, it didn't mean that Hassan would resort to torturing her. Ordinary, inconspicuous tests would suffice to observe her body's reactions. In the event of negative side effects, Hassan would stop and draw the necessary conclusions.

Hassan stowed the vial back in his inventory while absentmindedly stirring the soup... or porridge, he couldn't quite tell. For some reason, the atmosphere reminded him of Star Wars, particularly the Western-themed scenes. Even the bar, with its aesthetics, vaguely resembled a saloon, and the mercenaries around, bounty hunters with revolvers. Although the truth was, not much had changed here.

Carrying the bowls, Hassan headed to the farthest corner of the establishment. The advantage of bars filled with mercenaries was that everyone valued their own space. If you weren't someone's target, you could spend time here quite normally. The key was not to stare at the armed aliens for more than three seconds. Hassan was capable of crushing anyone in this place with just one finger, but that didn't mean he would.

"Eat," Hassan placed the bowl in front of the figure wrapped in a cloak. "Bon appétit," he added as he sat down across from his companion.

Hassan caught an unfamiliar look in the girl's red eyes. She stared at him for a long moment, then picked up a spoon and ran it through the food. "Bon appétit," Sev'rance mumbled somewhat uncertainly.

"What's this?" The interlocutor reclined in his chair. "Do Siths not wish each other a good appetite?"

"I've always eaten alone," the girl replied dryly.

"Does my company bother you?"

"Not at all," her response was almost instant.

"Good," he nodded. "Tell me, how did Dooku train you?"

Sev'rance didn't answer immediately. First, she stirred the porridge in the bowl again, collecting her thoughts, and tasted the local fare. Judging by her restrained reaction, it was edible... or perhaps stomach discomfort would make itself known very soon.

"Theories, sparring, Force training," she answered as succinctly as possible.

"That's it? He didn't torture you, didn't torment or humiliate you?" The red eyes stared at him again, this time filled with anger and fury.

"You know everything yourself," she replied. "You must have gone through the same torment to unlock the Dark Side within you."

"I've gone through it, which is why I understand you," Hassan replied in a calm tone. "All Siths suffer like this, don't they?"

"That's the price of the Force," the girl replied humbly. "Thanks to it, I've killed many Jedi."

"I understand," Hassan leaned forward at the table. "After all, I wounded you as well, but let's leave that in the past, alright? I apologize, but if it happens that you decide to betray me, I'll tear your head off with your spine and hang it as a trophy at the entrance hatch."

"I hold no grudge against you. You merely demonstrated your power, I understand," Sev'rance said, subdued.

"Good, we understand each other now. Now eat. It's going to be a long day," he added.

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