Ask Exchange of Shadow

[Vena Lann]

EXCHANGE OF SHADOW

The Troig that ran the Taris Exchange had recently acquired a Book of Shadows. Nightsister magick was rare outside of Dathomir and with recent events seeing the Empire assaulting the planet to take out the Matriarch, chances were it would become even rarer still. That is, if the Exchange hadn't made copies and sold them for a ridiculously inflated price. Otherwise the rituals and customs of the Nightsister clans might eventually have gone extinct. At least, that's what the Troig said whenever someone inquired as to why it set such a steep price for a digitalized version of a book.

Vena's status as an Imperial Knight allowed her freedom of movement inside Imperial space, but still she accounted herself lucky that the Imperial territories had slunk and only a single planet in the entire Ojoster Sector was still under Imperial rule. That way she was able to make initial contact with the Exchange on Taris, but was able to arrange for the actual sale on another planet in the sector where she now found herself wearing simple civilian clothing.

She had set up this sale not for herself, per sé, but for the one she served without question: The Dark Lord of the Sith. She awaited Darth Tempest at the spaceport cantina, for it was the "normal thing to do" and had taken a seat at the bar. The Tarisian brandy in front of her was untouched as she seemed to gaze off into the distance, overlooking the nondescript planet from the cantina's large floor-to-ceiling window.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Weeks had passed since Tempest had first ventured to Vjun - encountering the Imperial Knight responsible for the fake Holocron. Though their hunt through the ancient laboratory had ultimately proved fruitless, the Dark Lord had gained something far more valuable with the subservience of women sent to kill her. Over the course of multiple tests and trials, Tempest was largely convinced of Vena’s loyalty to herself and the Sith Order - and had ordered the woman to continue her operations within Imperial space for the time being.

Vena was far more valuable as a spy against the Empire - slowly rising through the ranks of the Imperial Knights, while funneling valuables back to the Sith Order. As such, the Dark Lord had been immensely pleased upon being informed of the upcoming artifact sale. A copy of the Book of Shadows was exceedingly rare - especially as Dathomir burned in the wake of Imperial invasion. Whatever secrets were stored within, Tempest had every intention of learning them for herself - passing them on to Vena just as well.

The Dark Lord was dressed down for the occasion - sporting simple robes and hood that was pulled over the upper hemisphere of her face, helping to combat the rain that fell across Raxus. Though the true name of the Dark Lord of the Sith wasn’t necessarily a secret, her face as Vahliri Kahtal wasn’t well-known by the general public. It allowed her to move discreetly across the surface of the planet, and towards whatever auction had been organized.

Slipping into a seat just opposite of Vena, Tempest flagged down a waiter to bring her something to drink.

“I presume you’ve confirmed its authenticity?” She asked after a moment - her voice smooth and tinged by her native, Induparan accent.

 

[Vena Lann]

Vena studied the true organic face of the Dark Lord of the Sith and remarked on how young she still was to have gained such power in the Force. It was a painful reminder that Vena had lacked focus, a drive and perhaps even a proper teacher. She was confident that Darth Tempest could give her all of that.

"The Troig gave a sample," Vena took a datapad from her pocket and gave it to the Dark Lord, where the latter would find an excerpt from a Nightsister Clan's history and all the practical elements of performing the Invisibility spell with Shadow Magick. "I think neither the Troig nor the original seller know how valuable it really is," she smiled and took the datapad back when the Dark Lord was finished looking. While the original Book of Shadows wasn't up for sale and the Exchange was selling mere digitalized copies, potentially able to spread Shadow Magick among all those fortunate enough to have the credits to buy it, Vena and the Dark Lord would find no restrictions in learning from the copy. In fact, using Shadow Magick would help Vena conceal her identity as a Sith Champion and put the Imperial Security Bureau on the wrong scent whenever she used it.

After all, who would suspect a Tarisian Imperial Knight when there were clear traces of Nightsister Magic at play? No, Vena was convinced that the sale she had arranged for herself and the Dark Lord was a brilliant move to further her master's will.

@Altaris