Star Wars: Dissention of the Sith

Chapter 18

A few days later...

Darth Terentous sat alone in his quarters aboard the bounty hunters ship, fiddling with the holocron of Jada Katarn. He could feel the power emanating from the ancient artifact, and he couldn't help but be intrigued by it. As he fiddled with the holocron, he began to recall the visions he had received through the Force about its previous owner, Darth Millennial.

Terentous knew that Millennial had been weak, too attached to his lover Hanan. He didn't want to go down a similar path of weakness, and he was determined to prove himself to his master as a loyal and strong apprentice. As he thought about Millennial, he realised that he had not yet shared his vision with his master, but he was prepared to do so if she ever questioned his loyalty.

With a slight smirk on his face, Terentous continued to fiddle with the holocron, contemplating the power that he could gain from it. But he quickly reminded himself that his focus should remain on his training. He knew that he had to be careful with the holocron, as it could easily become a source of weakness for him as well.

As he placed the holocron back on the table, he couldn't help but wonder if his master would ever find out about his visions, being aware of her own visions she sometimes received through the force. He rose from his seat, heading towards the door to rejoin the rest of the crew.

Terentous made his way to the lounge area where Lyra was playing Sabacc, and Vek and Jax were sitting at the opposite end of the room. Jax gave Terentous a scornful look before turning away, while Vek ignored him completely. Lyra, on the other hand, gestured for him to come over and join her game.

"Hey big guy want to join us?" Lyra asked, patting the seat next to her.

Terentous hesitated for a moment before reluctantly sitting down next to her. He didn't know how to feel about the situation. He knew that Jax and Vek despised him for being a Gamorrean, but he wasn't sure where he stood with Lyra.

As they began playing, Lyra tried to engage Terentous in conversation, asking him about his past and his interests. Terentous answered some of her questions briefly but remained silent on others.

Lyra noticed his reticence and tried to pry more information out of him, but Terentous remained guarded. He couldn't let himself get too attached to the crew, especially since his true loyalties lay with Cognus.

As the game progressed, Terentous began to relax slightly and even smiled at a joke Lyra made. But then, he caught Jax glaring at him from across the room, and he quickly turned back to his cards, not wanting to cause any more trouble. It wasn't a question of not being able to handle himself if an altercation arose, but he didn't want to disappoint his master by merely killing for the sake of killing.

Lyra leaned back in her seat, taking a sip of her drink before starting to speak. "I wasn't always a bounty hunter," she said, her voice softening slightly. "I used to be a slave, to a wealthy pub owner. He thought he could do whatever he wanted to me, but I showed him otherwise." She paused, a flicker of sadness crossing her face before she continued. "I killed him and escaped, and that's when I started working on my own as a bounty hunter."

Terentous remained silent, simply looking at her with a blank expression. She hoped that sharing her story would make him feel more comfortable opening up to her, but it didn't seem to be working.

Instead, he replied coldly, "You just traded one master for another in working for Set Harth."

Lyra felt a pang of hurt at his words, but she knew better than to take it personally. "Set Harth gives me freedom and resources to do what I love, and he doesn't own me like that pub owner did. I choose to work for him, and I'm grateful for the opportunities he's given me."