Sassy Children Are The Worst

[Darth Tagus]

Sometimes there were downsides to being a Sith Lord and member of the Dark Council. One such downside was that people tended to want to try and talk to you and some of them were the kind of people that you didn't say no to.

Even as a Dark Council member, there were some people in the Galaxy who brought in enough credits that they had to be treated well. Some of those types of people had been having a party on Serenno and Tagus had been passing through.

They had invited him and lured him in with promises of funding some more Imperial projects.

So, for the good of the Empire, Tagus showed up at the estate of some Drast or another in a black suit and tried to ignore the disapproving looks he was being given because he had refused to remove his Sith mask and had both of his lightsabers brazenly at his hips.

He was also armed with his blasters but they were hidden in holsters underneath the jacket at least. He stood by the punch bowl, taking a drink and checking his chrono for the moment it became socially acceptable for him to leave.

... if nothing managed to distract him, he might even just leave earlier.

@GABA

 

[Vesna Drast III]

Vesna wondered if there was ever a week where her father and mother were not hosting a dinner party with all their friends, enemies and other no name imperials they managed to lure back to their Serenno estate. There wasn't anything too special about this one in particular, mostly it was to keep face, trade some credits and favors and go back to doing whatever it was everyone did the next morning and for Vesna, it meant she had to play perfect daughter, the image of what every Imperial daughter stroved to be for their parents. Vesna found it rather vanilla, a role she had become too comfortable playing, but regardless, the plus side meant shopping for a new dress to wear for this evening, which she could never complain about.

The party had long since started before she finally made it to the hall, some of the individuals recognized her as the host's daughter, greeting the young Drast as she passed, some she stopped to spend more time with as they asked her about her focuses at the academy. It became all quickly redundent, but Vesna knew her part in all of this and it was very well rehearsed, but it wasn't to say she didn't enjoy the attention, she wished they would ask about things she did enjoy, like the latest Space!Pop singers and how she would like to handle some of the stupid girls she competed with at the academy.

A servant walked past with a tray of champagne and the girl snatched a glass, only to have it snatched back by servant as though he had done this many times. The teen pouted but turned her attention to the refreshment table where she saw a peculiar character, as he was the only one wearing a mask, but there was a hint of familiarity in his presence. Vesna clasped her hands in front of her and stood a little straighter, walking up to the table to get herself some punch and looked at the Darth, "You're the only one hiding his face...why is that?" she asked taking a sip of her drink.

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

Ah.

Polite conversation - his greatest weakness.

He glanced at the young woman who had spoken to him and noted something about her that the others at this party were missing; she was Force sensitive. What's more, she had some semblance of training even if he wasn't entirely certain if it was complete or not based on her level of strength. Interesting.

Or at least more interesting than anyone else here so he was inclined to actually answer her question. Of course he would still be on his best behavior... which probably wasn't much of an improvement but still.

"It is part of my uniform - my armour - and despite the party, a Sith is never 'off duty'." he told her honestly, looking at her as he stood there with a glass of punch he had no intention of removing his mask to actually drink, "That and the eyes..."

He gestured vaguely to his mask.

"The effects of the Dark Side over a long period of time, at a high enough level, are marked onto your person forever. It unnerves the weak and the small." he tilted his head to the side slightly, "A fact you may yet learn. Are you an acolyte yet?"

@GABA

 

[Vesna Drast III]

Vesna's eyes narrowed in thought as she tried to decipher who exactly this guy was, and who was it that thought wearing a mask to a dinner party was a good idea. In her opinion, and it was only correct, he looked ridiculous. He was a Sith, his presence...she used her senses to study him for a moment, "I am a Sith..." she interjected, not feeling the need to be "on duty". She watched as he gestured to his eyes, but her own eyes glanced to where his mouth would be and then to his glass of punch.

"Do you need a straw?" she asked wondering if he ate and slept in his mask by the way he spoke of it; for the teen it didn't seem too far fetched, but she was listening as he explained the effects the dark side hand on one's eyes. Sometimes the teen would imagine herself with yellow and red eyes, and would color her selfies to see if she would even looked good; for her it carried an exotic touch to them, completely naive of the effects it truly had on the organic body. However, Vesna was certain that would be something she wouldn't have to worry for several years to come, when she was old, like 20-something old.

"I am an acolyte, Vesna Drast, and this is my father's party." she told him, reeking of Imperial self-worth, "And when I become powerful enough, I won't wear a silly mask, I would want the weak and small to see my face, to see my eyes, especially when I overcome my enemies." Vesna told him proudly, "It should be a honor for them if I took their life." Though when Vesna thought of taking lives, she thought about the more sinister and darker magic the dark side had to offer with blood sacrifices and such.

The Drast teen took a sip from her punch, "So who are you?" she asked, realizing she never got a name.

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

This girl was self important wasn't she?

She was amusing however so he wasn't about to attack her. Instead he just looked at her through his mask for a moment. At her question about if he needed a straw, Tagus raised a hidden eyebrow at her. She wasn't very observant was she? Tagus was holding the glass because it was expected to have a drink on you during a party like this, not because he had any intention of drinking it.

But then she introduced herself and it all made a little bit more sense. Smirking behind his mask, he couldn't help the dark little chuckle that escaped as he reached up to grab the bottom of his mask.

"Since you asked so nicely little Drast girl..."

He drew his mask off of his face.

His eyes themselves were bright, angry, yellow with a slight flicker to the colour that came from the Dark Side running through his veins. The area around his eyes was darkened, almost black, and sunken. In the end all it served to do was frame his rather intense eyes. Almost without meaning to, a subtle application of Force Fear began to seep out from Tagus as some of the closer party goers suddenly had other places to be.

He just smiled down at the Drast girl.

"I am Darth Tagus."

@GABA

 

[Vesna Drast III]

Vesna was feeling fairly proud, she had certainly told this pretentious Sith where he could stick it, this was where she lived, and he was going to know who he was addressing, but he seemed amused by the display. The teen narrowed her eyes trying to figure out what he was up to as started to remove his mask, and then it felt like not only her stomach dropped but the entire earth beneath her feet as her eyes widened, and a chill unease ran through her body. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but there were regrets, so many kriffin' regrets, then to add to her anxiety, she felt a familiar hand on her shoulder.

"Vesna Lior."

The teen tensed, her father used her middle name, she was very much in trouble. She closed her eyes slowly as she turned and dared not to breath a sip of air in case he mistaken it for attitude, which he did all the time.

"Hi, hi, papa," she gave him a grin, it was a nervous one, and he would see it right away, his disappointed father face was always hard to distinguish from his angry face, but she could feel his own presence in the Force and she knew what consequences were going to follow. Instantly she took out her comm and handed to her father, who took it and pocketed it.

"Vesna, I saw you were talking with my honored guest tonight, however, I am embarrassed to admit, I heard how you were speaking to him." he explained, looking down on his daughter, he was just as frustrated with her age, it seemed like at times, she was entirely too young and immature for responsibility, but wanted more responsibility. He was certain he was never like that at her age. "I think without your comm, no yacht privileges, and freezing your credit cards, you should have plenty of time to learn how to respectfully address any guest in this home."

The teen's jaw dropped, he could not do that, she was going to bring this up with her mom immediately, she would surely talk to him about being too harsh. He never understood her, he was always certainly unfair. "But, but!" she huffed and gasped, as she clenched her free hand into a fist in her anger. Her cheeks turned a slight red, and her face scrunched into a pout. Her father recognized this look and turned his attention to Darth Tagus.

"I apologize Darth Tagus, discipline is certainly needed immediately. "

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

It seemed that she recognized him.

The way the fight seemed to leave her almost immediately and she seemed to withdraw into a state of confused fear and apprehension was what gave away that she recognized him. To her credit she recognized him just by sight; he hadn't even needed to complete the introduction. Of course then her father showed up and it seemed that he was going to have no fun in messing with the young woman for his own amusement.

Instead he was going to have to engage with the host, a man he had been avoiding for some time now it had to be said. Still, it was amusing to see the punishment of a rich girl.

How the other half lived.

"It's perfectly alright." he assured the father with a small smile, "Vesna and I were just beginning to get to know each other that's all. It's fairly common for Sith to butt heads in such a way - I don't hold it against her."

If he were just another acolyte it would be encouraged even.

"Would you mind taking a walk with me, Miss Drast? Show me the gardens?" he asked before looking to her father, "Provided your father agrees, of course."

@GABA

 

[Vesna Drast III]

She was glad she was wearing a dark colored dress and her hair down as it covered the sweat that was beading on her back, she had not ever recalled being this unnerved by anyone, even when her father was the most angry, she always stood with her chin a bit taller. Vesna was uncertain why this occasion was different, though she wondered if it because he was making a spectacle in front of the dark council member, a proud father moment of showing off how well he could parent. It was moments like this that she hated being home and around her parents, however, she was completely unprepared for the request by the Darth.

The teen looked at her father and then back at Tagus, careful to advert her eyes when he stole a glace of the acolyte. "Of course," her father invited and Vesna had to exert a vast amount of will power not to roll her eyes as she glanced at him as though she were entirely betrayed by this action.

Setting down the punch glass, she controlled how fast she let out her sigh to make it look like she was being mature about it all and not get pinged for attitude. "Very well, the gardens are this way, Darth Tagus." she said walking quickly, but trying not to look like she was in a hurry to scuttle away from her father's commands. She lead the way through glass double doors to a well manicured floral garden in the back of the estate.

"So, this is the garden." she casually waved to all the plants.

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

Tagus didn't expect her father to deny him his request. Few people within the Empire would deny him, especially of something so simple and so harmless. Where was the harm in the man's daughter being polite to a guest and showing him the garden? There was none that could be seen without the film of paranoia making itself apparent. Tagal nodded to the father as he followed Vesna out of the hall towards the garden.

She walked quickly which he appreciated.

As they left the hall he waved a hand, closing the door to the hall with the Force. He had no intention of returning to the hall after all, the only interesting thing there was now outside with him.

"I know - I've seen them before." he told her with a small smirk, "I just didn't wish to spend any longer waiting around there. It was incredibly dull in there and your father...?"

He paused before tilting his head to the side slightly.

"Well I think you and I could have a far more interesting conversation away from his watchful gaze, don't you?"

@GABA

 

[Vesna Drast III]

Vesna was taken aback by Tagus's change in attitude, she thought she heard a smirk under his matter-of-fact comment about the garden. She let her arm drop to her side and it took much to not give the Darth a quizzical look, so instead the girl sighed, feeling a mild relief to be away from her father; however, still being in the presence of a Darth was intimidating as it was.

She kept her eyes on the garden for a moment, thinking of her father's intentions, "He was showing off, making an example to make me feel bad." she explained and then pulled another comm from a pocket on her gown, "I'm so glad they starting putting pockets, makes carrying things so much more convenient...." the teen quickly typed in her comm, some may even think it was an unnatural speed as she shot off several messages to her friends. She paused and glanced at the Darth as though she were waiting for him to say something with snark to her visible defiance of her father's discipline.

"We have these parties like all the time, so far this one has been the most interesting." she said feeling somewhat certain that the Darth was not going to stab her from her attitude earlier. She pocketed her device and then folded her arms comfortably, stepping lightly down the stairs, "Probably because you are here, why are you at this one?" she questioned, "I didn't think my parents were that high up the social ladder." she shook her head, and added, "They're not that cool."

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

Yes he imagined that was the case.

It seemed that parenthood had something similar to Sith teachings in it's own way. Instruction through punishment was a tried and tested method for the Sith and it seemed alive and well in Vesna's upbringing as well. He watched as she ignored the punishment and fished out a comm unit.

How very similar to Sith training; right down to the willful student ignoring the instructions in private until they were strong enough to disobey them to their instructor's face. Of course he doubted parents challenged their children to death fights when they caught them breaking their rules like Sith Masters did when their students decided they knew better.

"If my appearance alone made this one more interesting I'm sorry you had to suffer through so many terrible ones." he joked as he fished out a cigara from his pockets before lighting it, "Main reason? If I show my face here, your parents fund some projects of mine that aren't eligible for Imperial funding."

He took a puff of his cigara before offering one to Vesna, eyes hardening as he looked her in the eyes.

"And then there's you. I've heard a lot about you, little Drast."

@GABA

 

[Vesna Drast III]

It was odd witnessing a Darth make jokes, she wasn't sure what the proper procedure would be, would she need to laugh too, give a chuckle, or just keep looking at him with a look of bewilderment. So, she chose a smirk, quirking an eyebrow as she walked with the Darth along the garden path, she had never taken time to walk through this part of the home, generally her time was spent elsewhere, but she could see why her mother cared for it so much. The Darth light a cigara and offered her a puff and she waved her hand and shook her head, following with a polite decline. It surprised many, as someone who enjoyed drinking and doing spice with her cousin, cigaras were not on her list of pleasures.

His attention then focused on her specifically, she was expecting for him to elaborate on his projects that her father was no funding and she gave him a look that communicated that she was thought it was odd, yet surprising.

"Me?" she then felt flattered, "What have you heard about me, my Lord?" she asked wondering what cards he had held about her. However, she knew people talked about her, she came from old money, her family were of the Drasts, and herself, she had connections that her peers seemed to envy and tried too eagerly to elbow their way into her circle.

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

Putting the cigara he had offered her away, Tagus continued to take a drag of his own. He expected the party girl Drast to be down to smoke but to each their own. The only reason Tagus still smoked, despite it's downsides, was the simple belief that he would probably be killed long before any negative effects could manifest.

He blew a puff of smoke out.

"You."

Tagus turned his attention to the small Drast again. His full attention. He wasn't joking around anymore and he wasn't being nice because he was expected to play nice with the rank and file of the Empire, with the Great and the Good as well. Instead his yellow eyes bored down into the young woman.

"That you have potential." he admitted bluntly before completing his thought, "But that you would allow it to be wasted. That you seek a comfortable life rather than the truest extent of your powers - tell me, Vesna, is this a true estimation of you? Are you..."

His lip curled in contempt at the next work he spoke, as if it was a curse.

"...content?"

@GABA

 

[Vesna Drast III]

Vesna felt flattered, but there was caution in her own feelings as she knew exactly who she was dealing with, or at least who she thought he was. There was always a risk but the rewards from it were undoubtedly beneficial to her...possibly also for the Darth. The girl quirked an eyebrow as he spoke of her potential, she knew what she held, she was reminded every conscious minute and she tended to embrace it. Then the accusation came she cared too much for comfort and curiousness was slowly turning into defensiveness. It annoyed the young Lady Drast when others made assumptions regardless of their ranking.

"You sound like my father." she scowled, "He thinks our wealth and name makes me soft, but he knows nothing of me, just like you know nothing about me."

All too often she received a talk on responsibility and respect, she could have all the credits, it could buy loyalty to an extent, but in the end, her name meant nothing, not unless she gave it something to be remembered by. She was working on that part, it was taking a bit longer than she had hoped, her naivety had some blame.

"The dark side is limitless, its powerful, its ancient and knows much and I want to know what it knows." The teen picked a leaves off the bushes in agitation just thinking about about her set backs. "Father says it requires patience, it will come in due time when it needs me." the girl rolled her eyes in sarcasm as though she were having to tell this story for the hundred thousandth time, "Might as well be comfortable as I wait."

@Nefieslab