Resistance in the Outlier Ch 2- A Shady Past

The city of Coruscant was as busy as ever. Especially in it's underworld. People had merchandise to steal and push onto people trying to mind their own business, gangsters had deals to make and people to kill, and The Outlier was the nicest place outside of where the Senate District was to do these things.

Larkin Wulfric had spent a week meditating on the holocron issue as the club scene ran itself; despite being force sensitive, the holocron refused to open. He didn't exactly know any Jedi he could ask, and there was no news from Jayce on the search for more holocrons. The Bothan sighed, at a loss what to do with his ‘hobby’. At that, his door opened to reveal M'uhk, his trusted bodyguard.

“Shouldn’t you still be on duty?” Larkin huffed, really not in the mood to have a chat with his bovine friend.

“<I am. Came to report a black-cloaked Shistavanen. Suspicious,> the loyal bouncer wheezed out in his native tongue. Larken’s ear swiveled, very curious.

“Right. Get my brother Flynn out of the building. While you’re at it, fetch the pilot to ferry you three out of here for a few hours...the pilot you like,” Larkin grunted. The Gamorrean scowled before exiting. Larkin himself took a deep breath, feeling his heart start to beat at a rapid pace. He had a very good idea what was coming his way and he didn’t hesitate to grab his lightfoil.

Larkin stepped away from the doors as he also shuffled around the room, searching for a blaster pistol to match. He had picked one up when a chill went down his spine. What attunement to the force he had was the cause of the sense and the chill turned into a heat, his skin felt on fire. Whoever was incoming had a lot of passion fueling his ability with the force. Whoever it belonged too wasn't doing a good job of masking his presence, but the pure emotion made his intentions vague. However, Larkin seemed to know what he wanted.

"Inquisitor...nice of you to drop by," Larkin growled out as his foil ignited. He saw a ruby red blade ignite from the shadows off to his side and it charged him. The Bothan backed off swiftly, his blade aimed towards the black cloaked foe, the hood coming off to reveal a dark furred Shistavanen.

The laser blades clashed, but Larkin proved the weaker of the two and his knees buckled, putting him on the defensive. The cloaked figure sneered, letting Larkin to his feet.

Larkin thrusted the lightfoil forward, forcing the Inquisitor to parry the stab attempt. Larkin's feet immediately slid into a fencing position- it was natural to him. He chose to press the assault, swinging at the cloaked figure but missing and his off position was capitalized on when the cloak decked him with a hard right. The Bothan collapsed to the floor weary as the Inquisitor circled him.

"How pathetic your connection to the force is," he growled out in a rough tone, barely audible. Though he did not finish off Larkin, letting him rise again. "I sense the dark side in you growing. Yet it doesn't surface," he taunted, causing Larkin to growl in anger before aiming a cleaving blow for his midsection, only for  the blade to be parried. Larkin cursed himself. Anger stacked up against his opponents own, he was far outpaced. Remembering the point of creating a foil, he hopped to his feet while fueled by the force flowing through him. Larkin feinted a thrust for his heart before pulling back just as the Shistavanen tried to parry. With a twirl of the blade, larkin cut across his arm, burning the cloak he wore. On a role, Larkin tried to slice for the Inquisitor's face, only to be caught mid-swing.

"Ack!" he croaked as he felt a pressure on his throat. The Inquisitor lifted up the small Bothan and inspected him.

"Better than I thought as far as dueling goes...but you have much to learn about using the force with ferocity," he grunted. Larkin tried to say something, but he could not spit out the words with the choke in place. The Inquisitor's ear perked, curious what he was trying to say, but Larkin could no get the words out. With a low sigh, Larkin was released from the choke and his body dropped to the floor. Coughing, he was trying to regain his breath when the Inquisitor asked what he was trying to say.

"*cough* I said...you're just lucky ferocity's the one thing you're good at," Larkin said degradingly to the dark-side powered juggernaut in front of him.

"Just be lucky...I still have use for you," the Shistavanen grunted before lifting up Larkin by the neck and propping him to his feet. Larkin took it well, dusting off his shirt.

"I know, Cousin," he grunted, musing on the code name that the Inquisitor chose for himself. "Do you have to do that every time you pay my establishment a visit?" he asked, checking a mirror to fix up his collar.

"No apprentice of mine should be useless if it comes to a fight. Never forget, you should have been dead at my hands a long time ago," he growled as Larkin was fixing himself up. The Bothan sighed, wondering if he should share about the holocron when he was shocked upon looking at his face. His eyes glowed a bright gold- Sith eyes, an effect of relying on the Dark Side of the force.

"Oh hell, I don't need you," Larkin said to himself before he rubbed his eyes, trying to calm down so they'd disappear. His act when working relied on complete subterfuge and the person across the table underestimating him...something that could not be done if he had a proverbial sign that he wielded the force.

"What was that?" Cousin growled angrily, overhearing the comment and thinking it was about him.

"I wasn't talking about you. I've been keeping up my training, I know the risks to both of us."

"Anyways, I'm here because of rumors about a holocron. We think it was stolen from the Imperial trainers," he commented. Larkin froze up at that. Allies or not, Larkin had the offending holocron not 20 feet from him. "If there is such a person, I can only imagine you've heard this rumor and contacted him."

"Oh? I heard he braved a long-forgotten Jedi temple in the Outer Rim," Larkin chuckled nervously, keeping an eye on the mirror. The answer didn't seem to suffice as he felt his skin heat up again in proximity to Cousin.

"Either way, his sentence is death," Cousin growled. Larkin had to hold back some choice curse words at that.

"If you do that though, I won't be able to work on my studies behind he Sith's back. And as tough as you are, I don't see you becoming top dog without some help. I'm not a fan of anyone wielding a red lightsaber except for you, so both our goals are forwarded."

"Has he produced results? Your offer intrigues, but he has to be worth the risk. I've been disciplined enough for forwarding your schemes on the side," cousin growled, removing an armguard to reveal lightsaber wounds around his arm and riding up his wrist where muscle and fur should be. Larkin glanced away, he knew wounds like that were more than likely scattered around his body. The Bothan on the other hand had eyes of the Sith, but had no intention of the rest of the rituals they went through. Cousin waited on some kind of excuse, but Larkin thought it through since he knew it was a risky decision. A good businessman had to know when and how to keep a client pleased, and Larkin was not entirely convinced his winning smile was the only thing keeping the Inquisitor on hisside. With a sigh, he pointed to where he had the holocron hidden.

"There's your results right there. He didn't want to say where he got it, but it's legitimate. I couldn't open it, the locks require finesse or a specific combination. Thing is, if I couldn't open it, I doubt whoever had it last could. That gives us an advantage over the entirety of the Empire and Inqusitorus. Or at least most of them," he said, not knowing for sure of anything but needing to make a good pitch. Cousin had a toothed scowl on his face as he picked up the cube and inspected it. "That could be the secret to making you even stronger than before. I just need Jayce alive and time to figure something out."

"Grrr, I'll figure something out. Tell him to be less conspicuous, I am not the only Inqisitor on Coruscant " he growled angrily before placing down the holocron. He immediately regretting agreeing to it, but the idea of power hidden by a simple lock enticed him. "Don't screw this up," he growled. Larkin breathed a sigh of relief.

"I won't. Thank you," he said honestly, only for Cousin to reject it forcefully.

"That kind of emotion is weakness, work on your rage," he growled before disappearing into the shadows. The Bothan quickly hid the holocron again before taking a seat. He had to find a safe place for Jayce, find someone capable of opening his holocron, and not get his guard dog killed or in a mood to not let go of the choke next time he rears his head. "I really hate complications. And Sith..."