Ask Forges Roaring To Life

[Darth Tempest]

.

It had only been a few days since Vahliri had returned to Thule. Between her conversation with Varyn and the fight with Altair, the half-Annfyn couldn’t shake the melancholy that had begun to set in - nor the fact that sleep was an increasingly difficult commodity to come by. The last words from Altair haunted and never quite left her mind. She was angry at herself for what had been said, and wanted to do anything in her power to take it all back. To repair the damage that had been caused as a result.

But she knew she couldn’t.

In an attempt to push both topics from her mind, Vahliri delved headlong back into her career. Securing her reign on Thule, and bringing the planet into full operation for the Empire. Her plans to establish an Academy were already underway, with a location and plan of approach being developed. For now, though, the half-Annfyn’s attention was fixed upon a series of droid factories built a few miles outside of Hurom. For centuries, they had been a key component of Thuleian military strength - fueling both Sith Empires and independent regimes. They were home to schematics and designs unique to the planet, and had the manufacturing capacity to produce armies.

In recent years, though, the factories had fallen into disrepair and neglect - a consequence of the isolationist policies of its previous monarch. Worse yet, was intelligence that suggested the forges had suddenly awoken of their own accord - or perhaps more likely, the accord of some rival.

Her plan was relatively straightforward - and the half-Annfyn didn’t hesitate to ask for Wodan specifically for the mission. They had worked together on Tibrin, and it was due time that Vahliri called in that favor from months ago.

She waited for the Sith Champion within one of the spacious chambers of her citadel - standing behind a desk with arms spread wide to grip either end of it. The half-Annfyn was adorned in crimson robes with gold trim, Ur-kittat inscriptions lining her cuffs and hem, and complete with a belt that her lightsaber was clipped to. Her black hair was braided and styled elaborately, while a circlet studded with large, square rubies rested on her forehead - befitting her position as Suzerain of the planet.

With any luck, it wouldn’t take the other man long to arrive.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

A short smile appeared on his lips for a second as Wodan was escorted through the colossal citadel which was now the home of his old colleague. Much had changed for the both of them since they last saw each other, he had heard tidbits of her interactions with Altair from the man himself, but the details of it he wasn’t totally privy too. He only knew it ended badly between the pair, a large part of him felt guilty for answering Vahliri’s call. He knew in his current mindset Altair wouldn’t really care, but part of him still wondered if deep down Altair would be upset that his friend was working with Vahliri.

The thought was quickly brushed aside from his mind when he was presented with the grand chamber of the citadel and its Mistress. Unlike the lavish outfit of the Thule ruler, Wodan was dressed in muted colours with little adornment baring the golden claps on his heavy coat. Shining beneath the layers was a silver embossed lightsaber swinging from his hip and as always the dull shine of the shard hung from his neck. His scared right index finger and thumb rubbed against the sharp metal an unknown tic the Firrerrian had developed over the past few months.

Wodan gave Vahliri an elaborate bow as befitting a royal of Firrerre as he approached. “Mi’Lady. Or is it Mi'Queen? I haven’t yet been fully introduced.” He said raising with a small hint of a cheeky smile in the corner of his mouth. A glint of a fang shining through his lips. Although she sat a striking figure, her pose and elaborate dress half built to intimidate and bow those that approached. He couldn’t help but feel a small pull of excitement in her stare.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Only a few moments ticked by before the Durasteel doors of her chamber hissed open. Vahliri glanced up from her strategic table, amber eyes fixating upon the familiar visage of Wodan. It had been a while since she’d seen the Firrerreo - not since Altair’s coronation, in fact - but he was a welcome sight all the same. The half-Annfyn pushed off from the table where she was leaning, rounding the furniture to approach him.

Her gaze flicked across his muted attire, a bit less elaborate than what she expected from the Firrerreo prince. Her attention lingered for a moment on the shard around his neck - taking note of the way his fingers flicked and rubbed across the sharp edge. She could feel a distinct aura that radiated off the necklace - a pull that scratched at the back of her mind. But for the moment, she didn’t address it.

“The former,” She said with an arched brow, arms crossing over her chest. “I believe ‘Your Highness’ is the formal style.” The serious expression lasted for all of two seconds before she cracked the smallest grin, shaking her head a bit. “But you aren’t one of my courtiers so cut the shit.”

The half-Annfyn glanced to the edge of the room, jutting her chin. “Leave us.” Without a word, the statue-like Royal Guards, clad in their crimson armor and armed with pikes, marched out the same doors that Wodan had entered from. Once they had left, and the doors sealed behind them, Vahliri glanced back to the Firrerreo. “It’s good to see you. Thank you for coming,” She nodded towards him, turning back towards her table.

“Any experience working with droids?”

 

[Wodan]

Wodan quickly bowed again when she corrected him, “Apologies. Your Highness.” He said a clear hint of humour in his voice, rising as she told him to cut the shit. The Firrerrian hadn’t noticed the guards which hugged the dark corners of the room, although their bright red armour was somehow hard to miss as they made their way for the door.

“And you to Vahliri, it's been too long.” Apart from the odd passing as social events, usually revolving around Altair. They hadn’t seen each other properly in a long time, less have the chance to actually talk to each other. Wodan followed behind the half-Annfyn towards the table. “A little, though don’t ask me how they work. I can’t help you there.” He replied. “Before we get down to business. How is ruling sitting with you?” He asked.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

“It has,” Vahliri nodded in response, her gaze flicking over to the map table. In truth, most of the events they’d attended together had revolved around Altair. She knew the friendship between the two of them, and a part of the half-Annfyn hoped that Wodan wasn’t about to pry into the falling out between herself and the Tiefling. She regretted the things that had been said that day, and they continued to taunt and echo within her mind. Voicing them - explaining them - simply wasn’t something she had any interest in.

She glanced back to Wodan, smirking a bit when he answered her question, “I’m not asking you to tinker with them, don’t worry.” Luckily, Vahliri had actual professions for that. Declaring herself Queen meant that she acquired a rather extensive list of engineers and Droidcrafters loyal to the Thuleian monarchy.

“Rather well,” She said after a moment, running her hand across the table. Slaying the former King, seizing the Throne.. It had all been rather surreal for the half-Annfyn. And yet the longer she sat that Throne, the most the position seemed to suit her. As if she was always meant to be there, seated above the rest. “I don’t imagine I’ll grow bored anytime soon.” She added with a grin.

“And you? How have you been, truly?” He’d changed since the last time they’d seen each other, appearance included. Her gaze inevitably flicked down to the shard around his neck. “And that?” She asked curiously. Even if she didn’t know what it was, the nature of it was easy to identify - with the Darkness that seemed to pulsate off of it. For a Sith Master, it was almost impossible to ignore.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Wodan had always dreamed about ruling his own planet, he had spent half his childhood learning the finer points of ruling a Duchy. But since the destruction of Firrerre and his subsequent time within the Sith that dream seemed to slowly drift further and further away from the young man. Grander designs warped through his head from time to time, maybe one day Vahliri would help him achieve those.

A smile reached his lips when she asked about how he was, it was no secret that the Firrerrian looked a little worse for wear than when he last saw Vahliri. Lack of sleep and a limited appetite would do that to most people, to a Firrerrian who’s appetite rivalled the most extreme eaters in the galaxy it was almost a death sentence. Wodan had tried to pick himself back up over the last few weeks but still those months alone in his apartment had taken their toll, one he doubted he would ever be able to recover.

Then her eyes turned to the shard and Wodan’s went from golden to the sickly yellow and red of the Darkside in a moment. Did she want it? Was she after the shard’s as well? His hand instinctively reached up and clasped itself around the object, the razor sharp edges dug into his calloused skin, built up from scar after scar from the same object.

Vahliri would sense a deep feeling of dread and death flow from Wodan and the Shard respectively as the later tried to influence the former to lash out and strike at the woman for daring to take the shard from him. Wodan’s grip tightened on the sharp edges pushing deep into the callous skin into the fresh flesh below. “Wodan.” A woman's voice called from the distance.

His hand let go of the shard, the dread and death disappeared without a trace and his eyes turned back to their bright Golden Orbs. “Tired.” He replied to her question.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Whatever Vahliri might’ve expected from Wodan, the half-Annfyn was completely caught off-guard by the shift in his demeanor. She didn’t miss the way that his eyes dimmed an almost animalistic yellow, nor the Darkness that radiated off of both him and the Shard in dark, corruptive waves of energy. It was palpable and gorgeous to behold, and it allowed the half-Annfyn to pick apart the intention behind those emotions.

She felt the anger and sense of betrayal - the notes of paranoia that swirled off of him. All signs that the Firrerreo might lash out towards her, driven towards the edge by whatever her question had done to him. Perhaps it was the Shard, or perhaps the Firrerreo wasn’t who she believed he was anymore. Either way, her fingers subtly twitched towards the hilt of her lightsaber, prepared in case of the worst.

When Wodan seemed to regain control of himself, Vahliri allowed herself to ease back - though her eyes lingered on the Firrerreo for a moment or two. “So I can see,” She said with knitted brows, exhaling a breath through her nostrils. Not entirely sure where to go with that.. The half-Annfyn jutted her chin towards the strategic table. “Before I came into power, and in the ages past, Thule was home to a multitude of droid factories that fueled the armies of former Sith Empires.”

“While they’ve fallen into disrepair recently, I intend to bring them back into operable condition - and begin production once again.” Her arms crossed over her chest. “I have intelligence to believe they have either been occupied by some rogue warlord, or have stirred of their own accord.” She drummed her finger against the table. “Our task will be to investigate and clear the facility for future use.” It was a basic rundown of the task ahead.

“Before we get to business, why don’t you get some rest?” She arched a brow ever-so-slightly. Whatever was wrong with Wodan, she needed the Firrerreo to shake off before they actually got to work. “The amenities of the palace are yours, while you’re here.” Personal servants, stately apartments and a bathhouse, fine foods - all of it available for Wodan for the next few hours.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Wodan chose not to dwell on the incident; it had not been the first and he doubted it would be the last before he could control the urges and emotions the shard cultivated inside him. His eyes however didn’t meet Vahliri’s own and he shifted their gaze to the table before them. Thule seemed to be a hive of mechanical might and strength waiting to be unleashed by its Queen. “I hope it's the former, the latter sounds a little too creepy for my liking.” He replied, his eyes still not leaving the map. Images of what they had encountered on that station long ago still filtered into his nightmares from time to time.

“I am surprised you are going? Now a Queen and a Master you must have underlings who can clear this out for you?” He asked, finally pulling his gaze away from the table to look at the half-Annfyn. A warm, yet tired looking smile filled his face but not his eyes as she offered him rest. “Thank you, but I must politely decline.” Sleep wasn’t going to restore his tired body and mind, he needed something more, something to stop the voices in his head, the visions and the ideas, the maniacal laughter every time he stepped on an ant.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Though she didn’t mention it, Vahliri didn’t quite forget the little incident and surge of emotions from Wodan. Whatever had changed with the Firrerreo, she wasn’t entirely sure that she liked it - and opted to keep that bit of information filed away within his mind. There were many a Sith who became volatile and unpredictable along their descent to the Dark Side, and the half-Annfyn wouldn’t be caught off-guard if that proved to be the case with Wodan.

“Agreed,” She muttered after a moment, nodding her agreement. The idea of factories roaring to life of their own accord was.. Odd, and definitely fit into the ‘creepy shit’ category that the half-Annfyn attempted to avoid at all costs. More importantly, the prospect of a rogue Warlord came Vahliri a face to attach to the nonsense - and a rival to subdue for all to see.

For all the ways that her reign on Thule was secure, Vahliri knew that any sign of weakness could inspire others.

“I’ve never been one to idly sit a Throne.” She said with a small shrug. “I believe my predecessor learned the disadvantages of that style of rule.” The man had grown complacent in his Throne - and had given Vahliri the opportunity to seize it. Even then, the battle had been a difficult one, and left the half-Annfyn to wonder what the result would’ve been if the King was in his prime. “If one of my own subjects is responsible, I intend to put him down personally. A clear message to followers or similarly-minded individuals.” She had the resources to clear the factory without ever being involved. But her throne had only been secured - and Vahliri had no intention of being lazy.

“As you wish.” She wasn’t going to argue if Wodan didn’t want or need the rest. “If you are ready, we can begin the journey out within the hour,” Vahliri said, stepping away from the table. “The factories are located a few miles out of Hurom. We’ll have speeders and military personnel to accompany us.”

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

He nodded along as she spoke, it made sense some people both looking at the throne and sitting on it preferred the practical approach and Wodan could definitely see the merits of it. But there was also time to consider, Vahliri ruled a planet, not just a petty kingdom. Plus she was a Sith Master, her duties would pull her one way then another, seeing to everything individually would eventually lead to something slipping through the gaps. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too costly for the half-Annfyn he prayed.

“Good, gives you time to give me a quick tour before we get our hands dirty.” He said with a smile as he stepped away from the desk. “You must have found some interesting tidbits in the palace after the previous man bit the dust?” His usual jovial nature was coming to the surface, the grim and dark demeanour that had inhabited him earlier disappearing into the shadows for now.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Slowly but surely, Vahliri allowed herself to relax - feeling as the residual tension vanished from the room. While she wouldn’t soon forget about the Shard or Wodan’s reaction to her question, the half-Annfyn opted to leave the topic alone for the time being, focusing back onto the present and the task ahead of them. When the Firrerreo spoke, Vahliri couldn’t resist cracking a small smile in response.

“I suppose it does,” She jutted her chin for Wodan to follow, stepping out from behind the desk. The durasteel doors hissed open as they approached, revealing the long hallway that stretched out ahead. Despite the militaristic and utilitarian nature of Thule, the palace did not lack for amenities - visible in the ornate carvings and murals that were painted across the walls. Battle scenes, depictions of Andraste and her husbands, and various other Sith Lords adorned the hallway - stretching from floor to ceiling.

“That I did,” Vahliri nodded. “Once, Thule was a stronghold for the Sith Empires of old. Trained some of our predecessors finest soldiers, weapons and droid armies. In the centuries that followed, it began a rump state - an isolationist successor to the regimes of Andraste and her descendants.” It didn’t take long for Vahliri to reach a door at the end of the hallway, cutting to the left. She lifted her hand to the panel on the side of the door - a quick scan of her palm prompting the doors to hiss open.

“Naturally, my predecessors were rather obsessed with the ancient legacy of the Sith - and collected artifacts from that era.” Stepping into the room, Vahliri gestured to the multitude of artifacts that were neatly stored in the room. Most of it was historical instead of functional - ancient scrolls, tablets and Sith Chalices placed into polished, glass displays. Some of the items, though, were more than that. Wodan would clearly glimpse the Sith Blade mounted onto a rack - the very same one that Vahliri had pulled off the corpse of the fallen King.

“Anything of interest?” She arched a brow at Wodan.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

This really was a world fully committed to the ancient legacy of the Sith. Part of him found it astonishing that it had lasted so well through the Old Republic, a time where the Jedi Order religiously purged the galaxy of all concepts of the Dark Side. Wodan could have spent hours walking these halls examining the intricate designs of the carvings and paintings; it truly was a palace fit for Sith Master or Lord.

“It seems you truly have captured yourself a jewel here.” He praised, his fingers gently caressing the carvings near the doorway into the secured room. Wodan’s eyes lit up like a child on life day, as he saw everything within the confines of the chamber. It was a treasure trove ready to be dived into and absorbed. He stepped forward with the vision of wonder clear on his face for Vahliri to see. “Are you sure we can’t send someone else to clear out these factories?” He said with a mixture of humour and seriousness. Wodan could easily have spent days in this room alone. Ever since he found the shard he had felt an urge to understand more and more of the Sith he descended from.

He had read dozens of ancient texts, slowly becoming proficient with the ancient tongue of ur-Kittat as he did. What secrets did the room hold for him and the Sith at large. “Have you had a chance to read through any of these?” He asked, hoping the woman would be able to give him some sense of where to start.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

“If we could send someone else, I would.” Vahliri admitted with a small smile. The half-Annfyn knew that her reign on Thule wasn’t a guaranteed thing, and it meant being a bit more involved during the initial months of establishing herself. The simple reality was that she wanted to see this done personally - to send a message to anyone with the nerve to oppose her. This was her planet - her throne - and Vahliri had never been one to delegate to others particularly well.

“Some of it,” She admitted after a moment, folding her hands against the small of her back. “I’m.. Becoming fluent in the language - but even these are difficult to translate.” Vahliri gestured to some of the older texts - very clearly in a dialect that came straight from the Pureblood Clans of Korriban, pre-dating the Rule of Two and roughly going back to Andraste’s Empire.

“These are more recent, according to the Viziers.” She said after a moment, gesturing to a few shelves of notes, scrolls and tomes. “Believed to have been part of Sidious’ collection - or his recent predecessors. Scattered after the Emperor’s death, slowly but surely collected by the own regime here on Thule.” She exhaled through her nostrils. “There are few places in the Galaxy where association with the Sith wasn’t shunned. Thule is one of those places,”

"This one in particular," She gestured to a scroll inscribed in Ur-kittat, carved onto metalic plates that were linked together by chains and rolled like parchment. "Alludes to some artifact of old. 'Shard of a whole', I believe it translates to." She shrugged a bit. "Haven't had an opportunity to look into it more.

Vahliri stepped forward, running her hand across one of the texts from the Galactic Empire. “Anything in particular pique your interest?” She shrugged a bit. “If we clear the factories, your welcome to view anything here,”

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Stepping deeper into the room, his eyes filled with childish wonder he began moving between the shelves, checking each spine to see if it was of interest, did he recognise the title or the writer, some ancient Sith spent their entire adult life recording the histories of their fellow Darksiders, others only put pen to paper in their fading years spilling secrets of their successes or failures. “It's definitely not the easiest language to translate.”

The name Sidious piqued his interest, his head spinning to face the direction Vahliri was pointing in. Could this place really give him the answers he needed to find the next shard? Wodan had never believed in fate, it was too cruel to believe the destruction of his home was predetermined. But this definitely felt like it, Vahliri randomly calling on Wodan to help her on Thule, him asking for a quick tour and then this.

But, he had to act cool, as much as he wanted to jump into that text, ignore Vahliri’s request for aid, shut the door and only come out when he needed to pee. Wodan knew that his desperation could be easily used against him, by both Vahliri as well as any other Sith who knew about his goal.

After perusing through the shelves for a few minutes longer, not actually reading any of the spines, his mind glued on that one text he turned to face Vahlii. “Well let's get on to this factory then shall we?” He said with a smile, heading towards the door back into the hall, stopping at the threshold. “Ladies and Queens first.”

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Though she said nothing about it, Vahliri didn’t miss how interested Wodan seemed in the archives. She hadn’t taken the Firrerreo for a history buff in the past, but wasn’t exactly questioning that personality change at the present moment. Even if she didn’t know the true nature of his fascination - didn’t know how obsessive it really was - the half-Annfyn filed his interest away for later. Perhaps she would allow him to search through the room later. For good enough reasons.

“Afraid we must,” Vahliri said with a huff, turning on a heel to make for the exit. She couldn’t help the way her lips pulled into a grin when Wodan allowed her to go first, clearly having not lost his noble courtesies despite Firrerre’s destruction.

“I’m sure you’ll say the same thing when it’s time to investigate the creepy-ass factory.” She grinned, effectively calling Wodan Porgshit as they left the archives.

It didn’t take long for them to reach the factory on the outskirts of Hurom. Vahliri had a multitude of private vehicles and shuttles at her disposal, and moved with a contingent of guards that surrounded the facility. Half a dozen Royal Guards flanked Vahliri and Wodan as they approached the entrance to the factory, saberpikes activated in defense of their Queen.

Ominously, the factory doors hissed wide open when Vahliri approached the durasteel doors - revealing the dark, dim-lit interior inside. There were no individuals or sounds of movement from inside.. As if the facility itself opened to welcome the Queen, Wodan and their retinue inside.

"Well that isn't weird at all."

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

“Well society is built on customs and respect.” He replied with a cheeky grin as he followed Vahliri from the vault and through the rest of the facility. In the short time they were in the archives a transport had been prepared for them both along with a large array of security both on the ground and in the air.

Wodan let out a small chuckle as they approached the entrance to the factory, with all the guards around them. This really was just a show event, the firepower secured for this simple mission was to be overwhelming, a pure show of strength for the new queen. As the doors hissed open, Wodan’s hand shot to the lightsaber at his belt, expecting a flurry of blaster bolts or worse to pour forth from the factory. But nothing came.

His brows furrowed, trying to understand what was going on. Was this a trap? Or was the factory empty? Perhaps the show of force on the way had signalled whoever was here to make a break for it before Vahliri and her Guard gutted them. It was all strange and a little concerning.

Wodan, Vahliri and the retinue stepped through the doors into the factory, it was almost pitch black inside. Only the back up fire safety lights lit the walkways and exits to the building. The guards around them spread out slightly, flashlights on their rifles beginning to light up the surrounding area. They were about fifteen paces inside when the doors behind them shut. “Seriously?”

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri couldn’t control the way that her jaw set together - fluted ears immediately flattening against the sides of her skull. The half-Annfyn had suspected they would run into resistance soon inside the factory, but the level of weird and spooky was already beginning to get under her skin and wear down what little patience she had.

When the doors behind them slammed shut, Vahliri exhaled through her nostrils sharply. “Did you expect anything less?”

Her hands immediately slipped down to the saberhilts clipped to her belt - fingers flexing towards the weapons out of instinct. Her keen hearing was trained all around them, while her Royal Guard scoped out the immediate area with the flashlights attached to their rifles.

Out of seemingly nowhere, a blaster bolt tore through the air - striking one of the Guards square in the chest. It was only by virtue of his armor the man didn’t keel over on the spot, but he fell backwards regardless.

“Fuck,” Vahliri hissed. Without a word, she coiled the Force around Wodan - pulling the fellow Sith close and out of the trajectory of another bolt whizzing past his ear. Her saber snapped to life, painting the chamber in its sinister crimson hue. The voice of their attackers soon filled the room, echoing from the dark.

“Hostiles detected. All foreign intruders are to be euthanized, by directive of Lord Korvu.”

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Wodan’s hand was on his lightsaber hilt, the blade about to ignite as Vahliri gripped him tight with the Force pulling him away from a scathing blaster bolt. Skidding a stop with his back towards the half-Annfyn, Wodan’s own red blade activated, extending the aura of red energy further around the two Sith. Combinations of red and blue blaster bolts shot back and forth between their assaulters and the Vahliri’s guards.

Wodan used his blade to deflect a number away from both him and the nearby half-Annfyn. A heavy walkway around fifteen metres up seemed to house a number of their assailants. “Let me deal with them.” He said to Vahliri, before pulling The Force into his body and leaping up into the air.

The landing was a little harder than he expected, his knees bulking slightly as the first of the attackers turned their weapon on him. One swipe to deflect the blaster bolt aimed at his face, a second to defend his torso and the third to slice the attacker in two. “Looks like your droids are already active.” He shouted down towards the Sith Master, kicking the head of the destroyed unit towards her.

@Altaris