Gearing up

The Vaiken space dock was the largest imperial docking station around. It practically was the staging ground for all imperials. Bounty hunters, agents, and Sith lords of all ranks used this station. It housed the greatest vendors in all the sith empire, as well as the Dark Council chambers, the imperial intelligence network, and many other imperial sanctioned organizations.

Djaeric and his crew landed on the platform, meant for arrivals from Korriban.

They exited the craft to a bustling space hangar filled with Men, women, and children.

" Wow! Talk about a load. I've never seen so many people in one place in my life." Korey was completely amazed by the amount of people.

" Have you never seen Vaiken before?" Djaeric asked the girl.

" No, I didn't. When I came to Korriban we came directly on a slave transport ship."

" I see. Well, I was brought through here before coming to Korriban." Djaeric told the girl. " So, I have somewhat of an idea of where we need to go. Only somewhat though. I know there's a map in the main station, where the vendors and the cantinas are. But, still, stay close. It's a big space station and it's easy to get separated." Djaeric told the group.

" I don't think that's gonna be a problem." Korey stated.

" Why's that?"

" Because everyone is looking at Khem Val. They actually seem really scared." Korey told the man.

Djaeric looked around and noticed the stares the group was getting.

" What? Like they've never seen a force eating beast before." Djaeric muttered. " Besides, ignore them, we have more important concerns." Djaeric told the girl. " All of you keep up."

Djaeric and his people started making their way through the crowd of imperials, ignoring their gazes and wading through their bodies as they made for the elevators.

What to do next. That was Djaeric's thought. What was he to do next? He knew the first thing he wanted to do was find his brother, that was absolutely important. But how would he do that, he asked himself. How would he find one young man on a world full of imperials and sith?

There weren't many choices. Djaeric had a basic understanding of some technology, but things like computers and starships were just confusing. That meant Djaeric would need someone to help find him.

Zash.

Djaeric instantly thought of his new master. Surely, she would be able to find out where exactly it was that Djaerin was located, if he was on the planet at all. If he wasn't, then that would be a whole other problem, the sith would have to deal with.

But for now, Zash was his best hopes.

Djaeric and the others boarded the elevator and rode it up to the top level.

It was quiet as a mouse within the elevator, but once those sliding doors opened up, the crew were immediately slammed by the bustling noise of the crowded space station.

There were far more people here on this level than there were in the Hangar.

There was a mixture of smells in the air, ranging from booze, to smoke, to different and rare kinds of foods, to colognes and perfumes of all kinds.

It was rather distracting.

In the center of the main hall, there was a cantina packed full of people. Lining up the walls around the giant room, were small vendors and adds for other goods, along with propaganda to spread love for the empire. In other words, it was a flurry of different goods and agendas.

" Wow, this amazing!" Korey exclaimed. " Where are we going first?" She asked.

" Can we get something to eat before we leave? We haven't eaten since we left, and the rations on the shuttle were terrible." Wydr complained.

" Stop complaining, Wydr. It only makes you look weak." Djaeric told the man. " No one else is comp-"

Before Djaeric could finish chastising Wydr, there was a distinctive grumbling coming from both Korey and Balek's guts.

" Uhm, sorry, my lord." Balek muttered.

" Yeah. I actually am feeling pretty hungry right now. Could we get something before we go shopping?" Korey begged Djaeric with puppy dog eyes.

Djaeric looked at the girl and then to the miserable look on Balek am Wydr's faces and just shook his head in disappointment.

" Alright, food first, then we'll get our gear." Djaeric muttered.

It's like dealing with children, Djaeric said to himself.

" But no touching things, don't speak to anyone, and don't draw any kinds of unwanted attention to us." Djaeric told the group.

" YES!" Balek and Korey both fist pumped the air and shouted, drawing attention to themselves.

Korey and Balek, realizing their mistake, looked around as a crowd of imperials stared at them.

He just told them not to do, exactly what they just did. Djaeric was so embarrassed he simply covered his face with one of his hands and shook his head in disbelief.

" You fools." Djaeric said to the two. " Let's go." He lifted his head from his hands and walked towards the cantina, avoiding the gazes from the people around him.

At the bar, Djaeric sat down, along with the others, and waved for one of the nearby attendants to come and serve him.

" What can I get for you sir?" The attendant was a young woman, no older than Djaeric or Korey were, with soft features and long brown hair. A pretty young lady.

" Just get them all, something with meat, I don't know a nerf-burger. Get them all a Nerf-Burger." Djaeric told the woman.

" That's great, four nerf-burgers coming up, that'll be 35 credits."

Djaeric nodded and handed over his credit chip, and the woman took the allotted amount of credits from the chip before handing it back to the man.

" What a waste of time." Djaeric groaned.

.......

Thrity minutes later.

Djaeric had his head in his hands, while the others finished their food.

" Oh my god." Korey groaned.

" I really needed that." Balek stated. He rubbed his gut over and over again, trying to ease the nauseous feeling bubbling within his stomach.

" That was disgusting." Korey groaned.

" Says you, girlie. That was the best thing, I've eaten in years." Wydr stated.

" I know. I meant I feel disgusting for eating like that." Korey muttered. Correcting herself on her previous statement.

" You know, you guys are like children. You know that?" Djaeric told the group.

" Come on, we've had it hard, for the last few months. Let us enjoy this." Korey groaned.

" You can enjoy it, when we get to our destination. We don't have time to waste. Now, get yourselves cleaned up, and let's go. We still need to get you fitted for some kind of armor, Korey. You two, twins." Djaeric muttered. " Khem? Do you need something to wear?"

" No armor. I prefer it this way." Khem Val told Djaeric, referring to his simple cloth, wrapped around his large body.

Djaeric nodded.

" Alright. We've eaten, now let's go. Zash is expecting us, and we have to make sure not to miss our flight." Djaeric told the group. He stood up from his seat, leaving no room for arguments, and there was a collective groan of displeasure that came from three distinct mouths.

Khem Val, Korey, and the twins got up and followed Djaeric up the stairs, exiting from the cantina, and back onto the crowded halls of the Vaiken Space station.

" The way to the armory is quite crowded, so stick together." Djaeric spoke.

" Why do you keep telling everyone to stick together?" Wydr asked.

Djaeric stopped and looked at Wydr.

" We're on an Imperial space station, with bounty hunters, Slavers, murderers, and not to mention, other Sith." Djaeric explained. " Do you really want to be all alone, on a place this big, with so many people, and no clear way to keep track of things? No, not until you can take care of yourself. Then, you can go wherever you want, but until you can, you go where I say you go and you do what I tell you to do, because it might just keep you alive." Djaeric exclaimed.

" Yes sir." Wydr muttered.

The weight of Djaeric's word rang true. Sure, there were some good-natured people here and there, but filling these halls, were murderers, slavers, and Sith.

They were essentially sitting right in the middle of the Rancor pit. And that was while they were standing next to Djaeric and Khem Val, two men who have proven themselves stronger than them by miles already.

" I'm not saying this to scare you or crush you. I'm saying this to warn you. We are still at the very bottom. But do not be concerned. We won't be for long. One day, my name will ring across the empire as the one of the greatest Sith to ever live. And you... All of you. You are all my people, and I will protect you and every single person under my banner. That is my promise." Djaeric said to them all. " Now, come on. Let's not waste another moment."

" Yes sir!"

..........

Djaeric was browsing the armory, on the Space Station, looking for a new set of gear. He had already picked out some new robes and armored plating for Korey and the others, which was pleasantly easy, considering they all had nothing to think about other than maximizing their safety. But Djaeric wasn't having quite as easy of a time as the others. As he looked over the different options listed; he was having quite the dilemma.

On one half, part of him told him that thicker armor would offer more protection to him, and while that seemed like a good advantage on the surface, there were a few glaring problems that Djaeric did not like. For one thing, his speed. Power was a very important part of his fighting style, yes. But so was his speed. And wearing armor would slow him down considerably, especially for the heavier armors. The next thing to consider was, how the armor would affect his dueling skills. Armor too heavy would be cumbersome and could affect the range of mobility.

Now, having it would mean better protection, yes. But it would also be easier to spot him.

It might not seem like it, but in actuality, putting on heavy armor, or even the lightest armor would throw off his movement drastically.

Maybe he was overthinking it, maybe, probably. But he did not want to gamble with it.

Now, on the other hand, not having armor, would be risky. It would mean even something like a stray blaster bolt or shrapnel could finish him.

But he would be able to move freely. Uninhibited by the heavy weight of his clothing.

Truly, this was a hard choice.

Both sides had some benefits, but they also came with detriments of their owns. One offered protection but hindered his abilities. The other offered no such protection but didn't interfere with his skills.

" What is bothering you, little one?" Khem Val asked. He was growing tired of waiting for Djaeric to make up his mind, and decided to step in.

" This is a hard choice, Khem. With Armor, I could handle more damage, but it would hinder my movements. And if I don't get it, then I risk injury more. It is a conundrum." Djaeric muttered.

" My master Tulak Hord once discussed the very same thing. He found that although the armor made him heavy and made it harder for him to move in, it also made him a force to be reckoned with. The sheer visage of his mask was enough to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies. However, he didn't always wear it. Even without his armor, he was quite the accomplished warrior. You remind me of him, when he was younger." Khem Val spoke. He gave a slight grunt and rubbed his nose before walking away.

Djaeric listened to what Khem Val said, and in a way, he understood the meaning behind it. What made Tulak Hord great wasn't his armor. The armor was great because of Tulak Hord.

Djaeric kept this in his mind, and continued browsing the many different armor sets and clothing items, still unsure of what it is, he wanted... Until finally, he set his eyes upon a particular set of clothing.

They were simplistic in design, and offered some measurements of armor, but not so much that it appeared heavy.

They were black robes, with gold trimming decorating the robes at the sleeves, the chest piece, and the hood. The belt wrapped around the back of the waist but didn't meet in the front. This belt kept the lower robes tied tightly in place. The gloves were all black, with golden bracers settled over them and the armored boots, were all black, blending in with the pants. And then.... There was the mask. A simple black mask with a white face painted onto it. It screamed death. Like a Ghost or even someone's skull was plastered on it. For some reason it resonated with the young sith lord.

" Ah, you like that do ya?"

Djaeric was drawn from his stupor by the sound of a small man's voice speaking to him.

" Yeah, pulled that off a Jedi battle cruiser some time ago. It was in a wreckage. Haven't been able to sell the damn set. And then there's the mask. The breather inside is perfectly intact, but no one wants something that's creepy. Not your average person anyway." The owner explained. " I would recommend you-"

" I'll take it all." Djaeric told the man.

" What? Listen guy, I wasn't trying to sell it to ya."

" Don't care. I want it." Djaeric told the man.

" Alright, that'll be 11,000 credits."

Djaeric nodded and handed over his credit chip to the owner and took the robes.

" We have a changing room, in the back if ya want to use it."

Djaeric nodded and followed the small man, towards the back of his shop, where there were two changing rooms set up. And once inside, Djaeric stripped out of his old red and brown acolyte robes.

It took all of ten minutes, for Djaeric to re-emerge, but when he did, he was met by awe-stricken eyes of his own pupils. He was dressed from head to toe in his new gear. The only difference is, Djaeric had ripped a whole in the top of the mask, that allowed his hair to come out, and hang down over the design, making it even more intense.

Korey, Wydr, and Balek were amazed by the sudden appearance of the young Apprentice.

" Wow, black actually looks really good on you." Korey told the man. " Those seem comfortable."

" They are." Djaeric responded. " Comfortable, and they had armor in the most important places. I can breathe. I can move. I'd say, this was the perfect choice. But it is just a set of robes. Nothing special at all. What matters isn't what we wear, it's how we fight wearing it. Sharp clothing doesn't make you a sharp warrior." Djaeric stated. " Come. We've wandered long enough. Let's go." Djaeric exclaimed. He walked out of the shop and slowly lifted his black hood over his head.

The only source of light, coming from beneath his hood was that single image of white, that glowed in the dark.