The Warrior's Path

Chapter 6 - A Sith's Aid

Author's Note: Enjoy the brief moment with Custos and Obi-Wan in this chapter. ^-^ I didn't focus on them nearly as much as I should have. Lol.

~ Amina Gila

Custos wipes the blood off his hands as best he can, trying to stop the bleeding in the gash across his right palm, swearing silently. The rebel had pulled a knife on him and attempted to stab him. He had blocked it, but his palm was slashed open in the process. He throws a glare over his shoulder at the dead body lying on the ground, knife jabbed into its chest. Stupid of the man to think he could pull a fast one on a Sith and not face consequences. He paid for it with his life, and now, Custos has the information he needs.

He sets out on foot towards where the man's speeder is stashed. While he could theoretically take his ship, a speeder will not only draw less attention, but it will also make it less likely for him to miss the secret route that leads to Dooku's hidden base. Truly, the ex-Sith must be relatively harmless for Sidious to have not located him already, much less on Serenno. Or perhaps this is only one hideout of many.

That's probably what it is, in fact. He scowls as he stalks across the dirt, keeping his hand clenched into a fist to stop the bleeding. Stupid knives. He hates knives. He especially hates them, because of an incredibly fond memory he has of Sidious sticking him with knives once upon a time just to listen to him scream.

Custos shoves the errant memory aside, reigning in his feelings so he slides back into the controlled calm fury that he usually exudes when drawing on the Dark Side. Next objective: finding Dooku. If it means being able to take out Sidious, he has no idea why the ex-Sith wouldn't be willing to help.

It takes a good twenty-minute walk before he locates the deceased rebel's speeder, and he flies away, following the path which the rebel's mind so helpfully revealed to him. As he flies, he pulls the Force around himself, shielding himself from anyone who might sense him. Even if only Dooku can sense him, there's no reason to give him a forewarning. Or maybe he's just feeling petty because one of Dooku's rebels caused him so much trouble. He dislikes torture, as a general rule, as a result of what he endured at the Siths' hands, but it is very effective at making people talk. Especially people who have been trained to resist mind probes.

The hideout is nestled safely in the mountains, hidden in a system of caves and concealed in such a way so as to make it look natural. It blends in perfectly, and if Custos hadn't known to look for the guard towers, strategically positioned high enough so as to be rendered invisible, since they merely appear to be cracks in the rock formations, he would never have seen them, never have known to slow down so he wouldn't be shot. He stops the speeder at the invisible entry point and waits there for someone to show up.

He probes outwards with the Force, briefly, just to see how many people are around. He senses four, but there are likely more which he isn't sensing as a result of all the wildlife in the area. None of the four seem worried; they're more apprehensive than anything else. Good. They should be. Caution is important if they have any hopes of surviving.

After a few minutes, when he makes no move to leave, one of the rebel guards approaches him. "What are you doing here in the wilderness, traveler?" he questions gruffly. He's dressed to look like a rugged inhabitant of the mountains. He looks like he belongs here. Smart.

"I'm looking for your leader," Custos answers flatly. "I need his help."

The man narrows his eyes suspiciously. "What leader?" he queries, the perfect picture of confusion. "I don't know what you mean? This is the wilderness. Are you lost, perhaps?"

Custos clenches his jaw, trying to resist the urge to kill the man. If he does, it would hardly endear him to the rebel movement here. And he needs Dooku's help. He doesn't know who else to turn to. "We're on the same side. I am a Sith, just as your leader is. Or was, rather. I must speak with Dooku. Where is he?"