Rumours and Superstition

[Kathry Van Alasdaire]

A long time ago, in a Galaxy far, far away...

The First Sith


Rumours and Superstition​

Having come a long way from home, KATHRY has decided to take a stroll among the temples and dark shrines in hopes of learning the history of the SITH EMPIRE, it's rise to power, and the doctrines it seeks to maintain. She would require this information as to best blend among them, if she was to serve in any useful capacity. As such, the dark SORCERESS' trek has taken her deep into the heart of the planet's recesses, on the scorching surface of the world SITH home world, KORRIBAN...

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Kathry wasn't sure what she was doing here, beyond attempting to learn more about the main worlds of the Sith Empire. She was woefully at a disadvantage against most who had lengthy knowledge of the Galaxy's recent history. Much had changed since she had awoken, and though she'd begun to piece together what had happened to her people in her absence, the faction she had joined remained largely a mystery to her. She had to understand what it was she is to become, and who it was she would obey - the chain of command in this place seemed of paramount importance in her mind. Of course, the Sith constantly clashed against one another, and deciding who was superior to the other was a difficult task.

That is assuming I don't anger the ones I ask. I suppose they view me as nobody at all, and asking those questions in an obvious manner may simple aggravate those who seek higher positions of authority.

She'd garnered that much after he last run in with Sith leadership, and though she still viewed the confrontation as childish, she understood it's purpose. It was meant to root out weakness, folly, and in that it had been most successful. However, without the appropriate ways to control those who lose themselves to their own twisted delusions; they would surely tear each other apart. Such was how her family had been torn to shreds, by the simplest planting of doubt that caused a tidal wave of events ultimately ending in the death of her grandparents. She'd seen little action since her awakening, despite jumping at every opportunity to prove herself, and as such she deemed a more social setting to be useful for gathering information. To that end, she'd arrived here on Korriban and taken to walking among the temples that dotted the landscape in the hopes of discovering the true drive of these fellow Sith.

The temples are most certainly a sight to behold. Was this the Empire's handiwork, or was this the handiwork of Zazai's people? It's melancholy in the most beautiful of ways.

 

[Graham Siccaro]

Graham sat down on one a large rock just a few shades off from the color of blood, removing his cap and wiping the sweat off his brow with his forearm sleeve. he took this opportunity to look over the firing position he and two others had been working on all afternoon. Once his platoon had come off of combat rotation and sent to Korriban to recuperate, someone so high up the air was too thin to think properly had come up with the idea of reorganizing all the planet's infantry defenses and use it as an opportunity to teach proper entrenching doctrine. By dint of being somewhat experienced Graham was selected to help "teach" those IDF forces how to dig in properly.

The position he was working on was supposed to be a forward command bunker in time, thus it was situated on a slight rise between two of the smaller temples with a decent view of the valley ahead of him. It also gave him a good view of the rest of the men and how the were doing in their own endeavors. Things are looking pretty good honestly, and it will be even better when we get the heavy cannon emplaced. And while I may complain privately, it is always a good idea to keep your defenses up to snuff. Plus I guess this means someone up the chain thinks I am worth more than blaster fodder.

A bit of movement at the corner of his eye pulled his attention that way. A woman was just strolling down the length of the valley, seemingly lost in thought. But she had come up on their position so silently that she had gotten within a few dozen meters of his position. Kind of spooky, really. And that fit with her aesthetic too. She was confident in her pace, and the lack of Imperial Military insignia meant that she was probably Sith. Standing up and clearing his throat Graham decided to play it safe and use a general formality.

"Ma'am, I would advise caution if you wish to proceed down the valley. There are work crews that may not see or hear you coming. That and i believe a platoon farther down may have been placing mines."
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[Kathry Van Alasdaire]

And who might you be? The only one with any aura of respect around here, perhaps?

Her eyes flitted downwards for a moment, towards a man who had just addressed her. Albeit, in quite a courteous manner. And it was in this very moment that the quandary of the Sith began. She appreciated his respectful tone and inclination to offer first and expect naught, and she could tell from a cursory glance he was a warrior. It brought a sense of relief to her, for on her homeworld she had once been more or less a warrior or battlefield commander. It seemed that it was among the Sith Knights she felt out of place, whereas those of similar mindset as her own clearly found their home in the Imperial Military. Many of her peers would not realize that while she appreciated well crafted deception or Machiavellianism, she held a deep contempt for those who would use such tactics on their allies. If you could not earn and maintain your power, you did not deserve it, and it would be taken. That did not mean being cruel and twisted, nor cold and vile, but rather firm and unflinching in resolve. Such acts were acts of extreme folly, allowing oneself to lose control to their baser instincts was among the greatest weakness in any being. And she possessed no such weakness.

"Work crews? Mines? Are we preparing for an impending assault? What is your name and post here Lieutenant, and what can tell me about this place?"

She didn't mention that calling her "ma'am" was unnecessary, as a member of the Sith Order the closest he would have to use as a rank was Dame or Lady. Of course, such formality was unnecessary unless they were in a setting suited for it; such as a battlefield. Indeed, if this was to be a potential conflict, she was prepared. But she doubted it was something so drastic, perhaps there was another explanation that would present itself. Through the help of this Lieutenant, whom had already begun this conversation on a positive foot. She was once again uplifted through the Empire and it's doctrines; if all of their soldiers were this disciplined and precise, it was no wonder the war was progressing at such pace. The Imperial Shocktrooper Corps was indeed impressive. This was a good opportunity to learn of multiple facets within the Empire she sought to serve.

I do wonder was has caused all the fuss. Mines, for anything short of battle, seems extremely excessive.

 

[Graham Siccaro]

The woman had stopped to consider him, taking quite some time to take in his appearance and demeanor. It was somewhat unsettling to hard the full brunt of her attention, as her expression was distant and somewhat cold. And as the moment dragged on Graham had to stop himself from shifting uncomfortably, and found himself wishing that his uniform was not covered in dust and drenched in sweat. But no disapproval of his appearance of manner seemed to show on her features, at least as far as he could tell. But she had intelligent eyes. Looking into them he could see a sharp mind at work, processing loads of information and thoughts at a whirlwind speed.

And she is taking time to think before acting. Most Sith I have met seem to be the act first think later kind. He thought. She and I might actually get along.

Then she spoke, snapping him out of his thoughts and back into the moment. Snapping his heels together he straightened his back and offered a crisp salute. "I am Lieutenant Graham Siccaro, Imperial Shock Corps, currently on temporary rotating assignment here in Korriban, ma'am. As for the defensive preparations no word of an assault has been given. We are only here to bolster the current defensive positions and none our skill a preparing such fortifications. The Imperial Military intends to keep and maintain ever centimeter of ground we own, and we absolutely prefer perfecting our craft to sitting idle. As for the mines, they may just be training dummies. I am not certain as it is another battalion working in that area."


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[Kathry Van Alasdaire]

The man's military background did him good. The reliance on formality was still a bit jarring for her, but she didn't bother to let it show through her unflinching demeanor. The man offered a very distinctive and encompassing response that answered the majority of what she wanted to know with relative ease. She supposed that defending that which was there's was as good an idea as any, though perfecting their craft could be done in many ways. The Sith homeworld, she supposed, was likely one of the most defended locations in all the Galaxy, and it certainly showed. Few questions still teemed in her mind, one among them being the history of these structures. But first, she would need to address the saluting man. As she was aware, it was not customary for a Sith Knight to return a salute, but she did tighten her composure and nod in reply.

A wise reply. Though I question the necessity of defending one among our most guarded worlds with such measure, I have no doubt the Empire has it's reasons.

The question in her mind still remained. Were these gorgeous and multifaceted temples the work of the Sith Empire, or had they existed long before the unification of the Exiles into the Sith Order? She had an educated guess, that this was the work of the species known as Sith that had been conquered by the Empire and annexed into their ranks. It was bound to occur eventually, as the Empire took more ground so too would it become a melting pot of many peoples and cultures. This man was one such example, she was surprised that she had not met any Sith Purebloods on the planet so far, only a human. Not that it was a complaint, but it was rather curious.

"A pleasure, Lieutenant. I am Lady Kathreveris, though most people simply call me Kathry. It is always important to ensure your skills remain sharp, I am pleased to see that I am not the only one who holds such standards. Though I question why we should ever need such defenses on this planet, among the most guarded in the Galaxy, I can only imagine you are following Orders. Though I must ask, are these temples the design of the Empire?

 

[Graham Siccaro]

Again Graham could see her furiously analyzing his response to her questions, though there was no clue as to her thoughts in her expression. But come what may he could not think of any way his response could have been better, and if she was upset by the work.... well what could he do? But while she was a little eerie, she was more inquisitive than most of the Sith and former Exiles he had met, and so far much less aggressive. That fact was fore most in his mind when she nodded, releasing him from his salute.​

When she had replied and commented on her pleasure at their standards Graham's heart swelled a little with pride, and he straightened his back just a little more. Nodding in agreement to the rest of her replay he said "It is always best to be prepared." Taking her mention of her shortened name as an invitation to be informal he looked over at the others to make sure they were focused on their work and stepped forward lowering his voice. "To be quite blunt Kathry, I have wondered the same thing about our orders. Korriban is deep in our territory whilst we are making many new planetary acquisitions. It could be the IDF commander though it best to do something productive as compared to standing around. Or it could be simple paranoia." He shrugged.

"And these temples" He said spreading his arms to encompass the width of the valley "were built by the Sith species, natives of Korriban, long before the Exiles formed into the empire. They are the resting places of their rulers I am told, great monuments to even greater beings." He dropped his voice again "Though truth be told I do not see the need for all the grandeur. And some of the men even joke that the Empress plans to build herself one."

His jaw clacked closed, swiftly cutting off the last statement sharply. Informality or no, that may have been going too far.


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[Kathry Van Alasdaire]

He seemed to be noticing her inquisitive and cold demeanor, his facial expression giving away how much of an oddity she appeared to be. It was true, she was not like most Sith, she was not one for the short and brash. Her plans were laid in careful measure for the long and arduous journey that would eventually bring them about. Acting without thinking or on impulse was not a wise decision, and those who viewed it as some form of greater power were absolute fools. True power lay in keeping your cards close in hand, revealing them only when they are meant to be played. Kathry turned her gaze to the structures and raised one eyebrow in amusement as the soldier gave his opinion on his current orders. She agreed, though it probably wasn't her place to question his superior, or give him the idea to be questioning his superiors. From what she'd witnessed, that led to a quick death.

"Agreed. This does seem like paranoia to me, but I suppose when you aim to anger an order of religious zealots and burn their temples to the ground, one can never be too careful."

The very end of her sentence came with a sly grin, escaping her mouth with a gentle coat of venom. In truth, she loathed at least one of the Empire's high officials, and it was incredibly amusing to hear even their soldiers had begun to see how fragile their "power" was. Strong in the Force they may be, many Sith seemed to be under the impression that the Empire was invincible. Siccaro was correct, they were conquering many systems, but the farther their reach was stretched the weaker they would eventually become. At this point, even the slightest power vacuum could cause catastrophic damage to the chain of command. Of course, it wasn't her place to say anything, and even if she did she had her doubts any of the Lords would bother to listen. Observing each temple in turn, she finally returned her view to the man as he made his final comment, a wry and fully venomous smile casting upon her lips. She laughed gently, but it wasn't a normal laugh. It was a sinister laugh, as though he'd spoken a spot of black humor or mentioned an inside joke. She quieted down as he did, her eyebrow now raised in curiosity. She didn't care about the joke, but she did think back on how swiftly the High Arcanist had sought to kill her over a perceived slight. She didn't need that happening to the Lieutenant, and she certainly didn't feel like being attacked by one of her own peers; because that it was it would devolve into.

"So they were created by Zazai's people. Very impressive handiwork, wouldn't you say? It is curious I haven't seen any purebloods nearby. Pfft. I suppose there isn't much left for her to conquer.. Though I somehow suspect one of her watchdogs would build it for her, as some sort of love present.

Be cautious. I understand humor, but I am also sworn to obey the Empress. Some may see that as an insult, and speaking that too loud may causes issues for us both. I've no interest in dealing with zealous fools today."

 

[Graham Siccaro]

Graham's back straitened and his guts clenched in fear as her expression went prom a smile bordering on predatory to a quiet look of intense curiosity. He cursed himself silently. He had let his mouth run. And while there were ears everywhere in Sith space, it seemed he had not only spoken about such things, but directly to someone he had never met before. This was unlike him, he was usually much more guarded. But this woman, strange as she was, came across to him as the honest sort. Someone who thought before she acted, and tended to keep things quiet and simple. But how could he know what she thought of him saying that about the Empress? Or even who she was linked to? But her response was not that of immediate anger or reproach, keeping more to the conversational tone they had shared previously. His heart was still pounding firmly in his chest when she had finished.

"True, it slipped and will not again. And I neither have to time or energy to deal with them as well." He said in a clipped tone, still focused on his mistake before his mind started searching for something to change the topic. He simply said the first things that came to mind. "You know her well, then?"


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