Devil May Cry (Buggie)

[Raphael Xandir]

Raphael let the Verpine simmer on the images for just a moment after the question. He pondered his shock and awe of the gruesome form his father had now taken with the help of the dark side of the force. Most of the galaxy hadn’t seen this form yet, but Raphael figured when they did, this would be the exact reaction.

He flipped the holorecording off to place the attention back on himself. “He has fully accepted the fate of the dark side...” he mentioned.

The young man then moved to find a seat nearby, inviting Buggie to have a more relaxed conversation. “I have seen first hand the terror and extremes this demon is willing to take with the power he has within the Sith,” he muttered out.

Raphael pondered his next few words carefully; he wouldn’t want to sound as desperate as he was. “If left unchecked, the whole galaxy might not have enough time to recover from whatever massacre best suits him at the time,” he added.

The young man then referred to the holorecordings again, tapping away to reveal a new set of images. This time the images flipped through those of the Verpine enslaved on Roche. The sickly Verpine looked like they were being starved to death as they were forced to work on whatever project pleased Blood at the time.

Raphael looked up to check his reaction, expecting nothing less but sadness. “It will not stop till it controls the rest of the galaxy as it does your people,” he uttered.

Now that the formalities were over and Buggie had an idea of what was at stake, it was time for the desperation to truly come out. “I cannot oppose him alone, he is too powerful for my current capacity. But you…” he added.

Leaning forward, Raphael got close to Buggie. “You caused him to waver in his confidence whenever he met with you,” he said.

Raphael would sit back and let Buggie interpret his comments.

[Master Buggie]

Buggie had seen those that had fallen to the dark side of the Force... none he had encountered thus far had looked like the beast on the datapad before him. Was it possible that despite all of the battles, all of the struggle against the Sith, he had barely even scratched the surface of what the dark side was capable of? How had he, a Jedi Master, not known that this was possible?

After the young man had guided Buggie to a nearby table, he flipped the images from the monstrosity to a series of devastating stills. The Verpine hives were now displayed, weakened and beaten Verpine toiled under the heel of the Sith. He had been there when the Sith lauched their assault, but the Force had other plans for him on that day. Still, the guilt that Buggie carried with him every day since reminded him that he needed to do something to save his people.

The presence of Tormentous had all but disappeared from the known galaxy. The Dark Lord's name still carried weight, but as far as Buggie knew-- and he made sure to know all he could-- the masked behemoth had stopped his reign of terror in the Trans-Hydian Borderlands. The young man claimed that the bestial Sith threatened to massacre the galaxy and control all peoples. It was clear that he was responsible for atrocities such as those committed against the Verpine hives, but if he was a lesser evil than Tormentous, perhaps the objective wasn't to oust the bestial Sith Lord, but rather focus upon liberating as many systems as possible from him, such as Roche.

What am I thinking? Buggie chided himself.

That wasn't a realistic idea, nor was it tenable. A Sith that failed in holding their territories was destined for betrayal. A new Sith Lord would take this monster's place, and they would be even worse than their predecessor. There was no telling what type of dark lord might arise to take the mantle... unless...

"You want my help," Buggie said plainly as he looked away, his body language suggesting that he was still affected by the images he had witnessed, "I feel as if I've been open with you, but now it's time for you to reciprocate. I can't commit to anything unless you tell me one last thing..."

"How did you obtain those images of the Verpine, and what's your relationship to the Sith?" Buggie asked, searching the man's silver eyes for the truth he already suspected. The warning signs were there; the feeling of loss, the knowledge of the inner workings of the Sith, and now, the images. The young man need only confirm it.

[Raphael Xandir]

Raphael adjusted in his chair at the thought of the uncomfortable truth, knowing full well before he set foot in here it would come out. The young man had spoke his mind and the Verpine seemed to understand everything that was laid out in front of him, but he just had to know who Raphael truly was. It was hard to fully embrace who he was, at the time he was so engulfed in the idea of power and glory. But now, now that his eyes have been opened to the truth, he no longer wanted to be who he was.

His eyes wandered the room, uncomfortable with revealing his past. “You are intelligent individual Buggie… I’m sure you are already inferring how I know all of this,” he said quietly.

Silver eyes then locked to the floor, ashamed of his words. “I had no choice,” Raphael remarked.

Raphael turned to Buggie; he wanted to let the full truth come out. No more hiding for the young man, he would start making amends for how blinded he was in the past. “I was born into it Buggie. There was no choice, no alternative. It was either follow my father to power or die with the others that questioned him,” he explained. Raphael was unsure if the Verpine would connect the dots with the father comment, but he had to put it out there.

“I was able to handle Slade, he was merciful with my sister and I. But now that the dark side of the force has consumed him and Blood has taken over… Slade is gone and we will be doomed if we sit around and do nothing,” he concluded.

Regretfully, Raphael had been to Roche before. He had been in conflict with Buggie’s kind, murdering those who would turn on the Sith and fire upon him. Though he would leave that out of the conversation, it would still haunt him near the presence of another Verpine.

The young man sat back in his seat and let out a rather large exhale. It was a weight off his shoulders, no longer hiding who he was. All he wanted at this point in his life was to make up for his wrongdoings and be whomever he wanted, not bound to a life that was predetermined for him.

[Master Buggie]

Buggie ruminated on the name that the young man had referenced. Slade, Buggie gathered, was the name of the Sith, and Blood was the name that he had assumed after he had encountered his metamorphosis. Moreso, the young man had confirmed his relationship to Slade; he was his son. As for his intentions, clearly the son wished to overthrow the father, but to what end?

"I realize that must have been difficult to share," Buggie began, "If you want my assistance, or the support of the organization I belong to, that can be arranged, but I'll need you to say the words yourself. Tell me what it is you sought me out for."

[Raphael Xandir]

Raphael pondered for just a moment on his demand, the Verpine seemed to know more than he was letting on. It seemed Buggie had already put together all of the pieces of the puzzle, all that was left was to admit to it. The young man would have to put forth what he truly wanted. Yet beyond the end of his father and his freedom, what did he truly want? He was unsure about the throne of this Sith, the galaxy only associated them with destruction and pain; Raphael wished to achieve none of those. Yet, every time he would ask for aid, the individuals would assume Raphael is only after the throne and power.

He decided to further this working relationship with more of the truth. “All of my life I have been held by invisible chains, trapped to the ideology of my father and the Sith before him,” he finally spoke up.

Portraying himself to be as honest as possible, “All I want is to be free Buggie, yet the demon still has a full grasp on my chains. He will come for me as well as the rest of the galaxy; it is only a matter of time.”

“I do not know what will happen when the throne is passed to me. I do not wish to rule over such a tyrannical throne, but if not me than someone else will take his place,” he added.

Raphael shifted his body to face the Verpine, implying how desperate for help he was. “We can cross that bridge when it comes. For now, the galaxy must prepare for the greater evil,” he muttered a little bit louder.

Offering a handshake, Raphael sealed the deal on his plea. “I need your assistance and your organization whoever that might be, to finally be free. To liberate your people and those still under its claws as well as preventing further genocide,” he spoke confidently.

[Master Buggie]

It seemed on the surface that the son of the Dark Lord did not aspire to the same title, but recognized all the same that it was his by right. Buggie was not familiar with there being a hereditary chain of leadership within the Sith; for all he knew the history of the Sith was littered with instances of apprentices destroying their master and anyone else that posed a threat along the way. Perhaps things had changed in Blood's Sith Empire. If so, Buggie cursed just how little the galaxy knew of the resurgent Sith.

Clutching the young man's outstretched hand with his own three-fingered grasp, Buggie assured, "Your father knows me as a Jedi Master, but I've got connections in the underworld that might take an interest in what you're proposing. He sure wouldn't see them coming, provided I can use whatever influence I have to rouse them to action."

That was no easy task, Buggie knew. He only had a handful of favors to call in, and his influence with the Pirate Council was weak. If he called in too large of a favor, he would be sent back to working light freighters in the spacelanes.

"Give me your contact information in case I need to bring you in to make your case," Buggie requested, adding to satisfy his own curiosity, "Where will you go now? I can't imagine it's easy to hide away from an angry Sith Lord."

[Raphael Xandir]

As the handshake dropped, Raphael recalled to what the Verpine had just said. It seemed he was a Jedi Master? That much Slade had left out when discussing him. Raphael had never known a sentient who practiced the Jedi way, he had only read stories and disparaging words about them from his father. Even though he heard such stories and was raised within the Sith, Raphael had grown to respect the men and women who followed such a strict code. The young man had never considered them enemies but in fact was more interested as he was with most of the galaxy. He wanted to know everything about their culture and how they lived. But that was for another time, as it seems his thoughts had left an awkward pause.

“Uh… Yes sir, Mr. Jedi Master Buggie… Sir,” he said fumbling about his words. Raphael was a sort of awestruck at the moment. Knowing very little about their practices and ways, he wouldn’t want to disrespect the Verpine.

Tapping away at his holowatch, Raphael transmitted a line of direct contact to the man. If he were ever to need the young man for anything, he was only a transmission away.

Letting his arms relax, Raphael looked up at the Verpine again. His right hand stretched back to scratch the back of his neck attempting to buy him some time to think. In truth, Raphael didn’t know his next move. He simply was following up on the contacts he knew of, warning them about the inevitable danger. But not all were as receptive as Master Buggie.

“I do not plan to hide Master Buggie… The Devil will come for me soon enough. And when that time comes, I have to make sure that I am fully ready,” he declared.

Raphael took a step back, glancing around the room. “I don’t know where I will go from here, I suppose it is time start earning my way around this galaxy,” he added.

Being cut off from an easy line of credits came hard to the young man. He was so used to having whatever he needed, this would require an adjustment period. For now it seemed he would have to make his own way through the galaxy.

Raphael would turn back to nod to the Verpine, acknowledging he had no more to say. The young man would wait patiently for the Master to leave first, as he intended on slumming it around Nar Shaddaa a little longer.