Ask Consorting with the Queen of Darkness

[Veles]

The Queen did indeed prove to be quite a stranger to humor of any sort, which made Cinere idly wonder whether the more power one amassed, the more uptight they became. Caelestis had been equally serious, and their discussions had always been on the border between casual and tense.

Their ship dropped out of hyperspace, a very subtle shift that most would not notice if they weren't staring at the windows. They were now above Taris, having made record time. Cinere did not even want to begin to wonder what experimental tech the new Sith Empire was trying out.

"Well, I traveled to Taris looking for an artifact," he replied, almost grinning when realizing how obvious it was that she'd ask something like that. "On the way out, the Acolyte I had brought and I were ambushed by zombies."

His tone would indicate clearly that he wasn't bragging, just reporting on what happened.

He put a break on the training as they started to head to the shuttle. It hadn't been the longest training session, but it had been productive.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

He would quickly discover that his "training" would be subject to frequent interruption, but it was learning nonetheless. All deals in the Sith benefitted both parties.

His mention of an artifact caught her curiosity. Did you find it? What was it? she asked, not so much because she intended to steal it but because she had a professional curiosity. She created, investigated, and collected artifacts.

As the shuttle took them down to the surface, it was something else that she brought up next.

You find me terribly boring, don't you? she asked, almost smiling as she looked at him with an intense look in her eyes. It was abrupt and without warning, as if she had read his mind or perhaps it was simply her growing instincts for people. Something she had been forced to learn with each of her ascensions over the years. Adapt or die.

She didn't used to be so serious, but these days there was constant pressure. Pressure not to make a mistake or ruin the galaxy. The young, impulsive and brash girl simply couldn't steer an Empire.

@vamp

 

[Veles]

"The Journals of Ukinat," he replied, fully aware that it was very likely that she may not know what that was, especially considering the artifact's obscurity.

"The journal of the Master of an ancient Sith Lord who was member of an alleged 'Council of Seven.' The Master fell in love with her apprentice who later became Darth Senteur. Overcome with jealousy, Senteur imprisoned her Master so that no one may steal her lover from her. I thought it might have some interesting accounts about life back then and maybe something on the Sith. So far, it plays out like a holo-novela but it should get more interesting later on."

He hadn't had time to dive into the journals, and he truthfully was too busy to give them the time needed to fully absorb everything and pick up on the subliminal messaging. This little escapade came first, but considering they'd be spending a few good weeks training, Cinere supposed he'd probably start reading the journals again tonight in bed.

They stepped onto the shuttle, and as the doors closed behind them, the Empress asked something that surprised him.

"Truthfully, I think you're a very interesting person," he blurted out, blushing as one does when they feel like their mind has just been read. He did find the Empress interesting. Time will tell if that was just the side she was showing him to get his trust.

"You're just a tad... uptight. Strict. Tense?" he stopped himself before he were slapped. All could be words to describe her, but they did sound a lot like buzzwords.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

She listened with interest to the reference to the journal. It wasn't something she had ever heard of, but that made listening all the more interesting: she was learning as she listened.

The drama described in the journal almost sounded like something that would happen today. Sith Councilors imprisoning each other out of jealousy and then glassing entire worlds. Some things never changed, it seemed.

He blurted out the answer to her next question, and she quirked an eyebrow and looked mildly amused. She didn't really believe him, but that was okay. She didn't expect him to outright state that he didn't find her interesting because he didn't strike her as the stupid type.

Uptight, strict, and tense. Yes, those were very positive words to use in describing someone. She didn't seem offended by his statements, wondering how long he would keep a positive outlook on things.

And how do you think someone like me should act? she asked. The shuttle began rocketing down toward the atmosphere and their mission, but she kept her attention on him, now offering him a question that would be harder to answer the longer he thought on it. Someone who didn't take things seriously was certainly not who you wanted in charge, and despite everything, he was still a stranger to her.

@vamp

 

[Veles]

Socializing with the Empress was a peculiar but interesting act--like trying to interact with a snake that could strike out at you any second. Or at least, that's how one would first interpret it. No, there was no snake, just a very powerful woman who had emotions and connections with people. It was interesting to see from up close.

She didn't react negatively to his words, instead listening with an open mind and nodding.

The question from her came quickly and he was unprepared, but Cinere tried to think of a response, but the longer he thought the harder it became. He turned to look at her as they slowly began lowering.

"Ah." He narrowed his eyes, then smirked. "Got me there."

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Indeed, she said simply. The question was not one that was simple to answer, and she'd quickly begun to discover that there was always someone unhappy with how you acted. It was one of the reasons she did her best not to ponder it any longer. She simply acted how she thought best, and the rest of the galaxy could burn.

The shuttle came to rest on one of the upper landing platforms, and she headed to disembark, stopping and peering over the edge of the platform. It was a sheer drop many, many hundreds of meters down. The air up here was almost fresh, but even here the faint scent of "city" was prevalent. Down below she'd heard stories of crime, corruption, and squalid living. People wanting to claw themselves out of poverty, and it was part of the reason she had come here. The military was a way out of that poverty, and she would offer it to these people. Of course, not all out of altruism, but it would benefit everyone involved. Mostly.

What do you feel on this world? she asked him without looking his direction. Worlds like this were very... unique. So different than where she had grown up and something she had slowly grown accustomed to over the years. She had slowly come to see that while they were very different, certain threads were the same here as anywhere else in the galaxy. Steel jungles.

@vamp

 

[Veles]

The Empress was a person who did not mind silences, which Cinere liked. Many people liked to fill silences up, to make them uncomfortable, and he had gotten into the habit of doing that in order to make himself fit in with the others. With the Empress, he didn't have to pretend.

He didn't look over the platform as she did, already aware of the drop below. Cinere wasn't sure if she was drawing attention to it as a show of dominance or if she was just genuinely curios, but he remained stoic regardless.

They began moving and she struck up conversation again as they stepped off the platform and onto solid ground. He stopped to think for a moment before responding.

"The thread is less strong, and it's harder to follow," he remarked. It was clearly possible to conjure magick here too, but it would take a more conscious effort.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

She shook her head as he responded. It was an answer, and it wasn't wrong, but it wasn't what she was looking for. Through no fault of his own, he hadn't read her mind, but that was okay.

Well, yes, but that's not what I meant, she said. What does this world feel like to you? How does it compare to Dathomir or Korriban or other worlds you've been on? she said. She wanted to understand how he felt the Force. How it shaped itself in front of his eyes and what he took away from it. Many people she had met - even powerful individuals - had a very blunted sensation of the Force. It was all rage and anger and senseless violence. Others couldn't bring themselves to cross the threshold from being pacifists to see the way the Force really worked.

They continued onward inside the Taris Security Force building and waited for the turbolift that would take them to the General's office. As they waited, she waited for his answer.

@vamp

 

[Veles]

"Well, the way I see it, planets have cores that store or draw the waves of the Force, like underground grottoes. There is a darkness like a Shadow in places like Dathomir and Korriban due to their darkness." he wasn't sure if his answer was correct but he doubted there was such a thing as a correct answer on such a subjective matter.

The door to the Governor's office slipped open shortly after, and they were motioned inside, where they found the man up on his feet.

"Welcome to Taris, Empress." His tone was deadpan, almost monotone, making it sound almost like it had been over-rehearsed. It was interesting to see how diplomats talked.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Hmm, she replied to his answer. She didn't give any further indication about whether or not it was the answer she was looking for and they didn't have time to discuss it further before the turbolift arrived.

The General had a positive reputation as a fair man and well-liked by those under his command: two things that were difficult to find for someone at his level. Still, Andruil could sense that he was nervous. She couldn't blame him. She was gaining a reputation already that wasn't always the most positive in the galactic eye, though many in Sith space did not have such a negative view of her.

Thank you, General, she said, moving in and taking a seat and motioning for Cinere to do the same.

I'll cut right to the chase, General, she said. She didn't have time for long drawn out talking in circles these days. We're raising an army for the Empire, and I'd like you to head up that venture. Recruit, train, and organize. Not some undertrained rabble, but a real army, she said.

The man looked a bit shocked by her comments, but also gave an aura of pride in his work. Not in a negative way, but in a way she was glad to see.

Are you to be my overseer? he asked, looking directly at the other Sith she had brought with her.

@vamp

 

[Veles]

He was a bit taken aback by the abruptness of the question, but he didn't show it. There were many jokes about how direct Imperial officers were--and apparently they were true. He also knew that the Empress was watching to analyze his response very closely.

Cinere didn't miss a beat replying.

"Yes." Simple, to the point. The General nodded, then turned back to the Empress.

"It will be difficult to conjure up such a vast amount of troops on such short notice, my Lady, but I'm sure it can be done. Give me just one moment."

The General pressed a button on a device on the table next to him and began mumbling things into it, presumably to his assistant. Such a decision required crunching some numbers, and the General was a man that loved his math.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry was surprised by his bold answer to the question that was posed to him. Perhaps it was a trap question, but Renfry liked to see how people adapted. He was a bit unlucky that she occasionally enjoyed toying with and trolling people.

I'll be keeping a very close pulse on the operation, she said to the General. The man was, in fact, someone she had considered putting on the new Imperial Council. There was a lot she liked about the man, but he had to prove himself still.

Then she did something that was unexpected. As he spoke to his assistant, she stood from her seat. I'll be in touch, but you've got a great deal of work to do now, don't you? she said.

She turned to leave, but rather than go up to their ship, she headed down in the turbolift toward the "ground" of the planet.

I take it you're not interested in taking me to where the artifact was found, she stated, not a request, but something to gauge his reaction.

@vamp

 

[Veles]

The Empress had a very interesting behavior, and Cinere was fascinated watching her decision-making process. She suddenly got up from her seat and he followed, and they left after she told the General something about how he has a lot of work to do now. Cinere had not expected this at all. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but the Empress ending a meeting abruptly was certainly out of the box.

They headed down to the surface, and he looked at her as she asked about where he'd found the Journals. He perked up.

"That wouldn't be a problem at all," he riposted, fully willing. "In fact, it's not too far from here."

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

She was somewhat surprised by his response, but that was fine with her. She wondered what precisely he had found there.

Is the Shadow strong there? she asked. She wondered if there were dangers or horrors that she had heard about the lower reaches of Taris. It would actually serve their purpose quite nicely if those things were the case.

Lead the way, she said, as they reached the bottom of the turbolift. The street they were walking down was nice and well kept. The upper city was where the rich people lived, after all.

As she followed him along, her mind returned once again to the request he had made and what put them in contact. I'm going to ask you one of those terrible interview-style questions now, she said, almost smirking as she said it. Where do you see yourself in ten years, Cinere? she asked. Of course, "in the Sith" was a likely answer, but there were as many different ways to be a Sith as there were Sith. Why did he need to know magick? What was his end? What did he want and why? They were questions she often asked people because it helped her better understand them.

@vamp

 

[Veles]

She asked about the Shadow but he knew what she meant. Cinere nodded, and grinned weakly.

"Yes, very strong." If not the Shadow, the Virus was very strong down there.

They'd be going down below into the swamps, amid the crashed wreckage of junk ships. There, in the overgrowth they'd find a small shuttle with its front sector smashed in, vines covering tis blown windows. The Journals had been inside a chest, amidst a few other personal items.

He smiled a little as she asked the question, completely aware of the irony. Cin thought a bit, judging what to respond. He settled on brutal honesty, since nothing less would be a disservice at this point. He hoped it wouldn't stab him in the back later.

"Sith Council, probably," he replied, looked at her, and grinned.

10 years? Maybe 5. But he kept that to himself.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

She didn't seem alarmed or surprised by his comment about aiming for the Council. She could tell he had ambition, but hopefully he would develop the skills to back it up. She saw potential in him, and she believed that one day he would end up becoming what he hoped for.

They started heading deeper into the bowels of the city and things began to shift until people were living in literal hovels. She could sense the way the Shadow began to change and shift down here. Violence, malice, and desperation filled the air, and she wondered if they would be attacked during the period of time that they were down here.

And still they went deeper.

Long journey ahead of you, then, she said. I hope to see you there someday, she said as they drew closer to the area in question. She could feel something that seemed to follow them through the darkness, and she decided this would do well enough.

She came to a stop. Your second lesson in magick, she said. She pulled the lightsaber from her belt and began to crave runes into the ground. They were made with precision and formed something of a protective circle in the ground. She directed him to stand in the center.

When I leave, I have a feeling whatever is out there is going to come for you, she said. You'll have to repeat this pattern slowly but surely until you're to safety, she said. She also knew that he would have to pour his own energy into activating the defensive runes, pulling on the power of Dathomir even from this far away. This was a true test, and what he had come here to learn even if it wasn't precisely how he had wanted to learn.

Any questions? she asked, giving him an opportunity to ask before she would promptly leave if the answer was "no."

@vamp

 

[Veles]

Long journey indeed. He was a bit surprised by her statement that she hoped to see him there someday, but he smiled. "Thank you," he said, oblivious to whatever was following them. There was much darkness in the swamps, and without a conscious effort he wouldn't be able to distinguish anything.

He moved to stand in the middle of the protective circle. He wasn't quite sure what was going to happen but he just mumbled a "No" before she left. He gathered the Force to himself but realized that would be useless. Rather, he shifted his perspective and sought out the thread, visualizing it. He drew on the energy of Dathomir, and as the Shadow swirled around him, he felt it. A dark presence behind him, within the trees. Unlike others, this one didn't drip of malice. If anything, this one seemed completely neutral, but Cinere wasn't fooled. He clearly just couldn't tell its intentions, it didn't mean that there weren't any.

So he turned, and channeled the Shadow, a green glow shining lightly from his skin, almost imperceptible. Cinere could feel it approaching slowly. The Empress had faded within the trees now, and he could no longer see her so it seemed whatever was looking for him was getting braver.

Cinere gathered the Shadow and focused on the runes, a green glow emanating from them as it began pouring through. And yet still, it wasn't enough, so he closed his eyes and pushed forth even more. He felt as the dark presence neared him, as it stopped right in front of him, but Cinere didn't open his eyes. He could almost feel it breathing on him.

He squeezed his shut eyelids as energy burst from his hands and down into the rune. Sweat trickling down from his forehead, his face slowly turning red, he gave it his all.

@Phoenix