Gathering of the Brethren

[Eccles]

[OOC: This is intended as a thread solely for members of the SBZ, however, I've made it open so anyone can join within reason.]

The Lure of Serenno was what had ultimately convinced Menderling to join the Brotherhood. Not the promise of strength, power and wealth that had seduced some of his brethren but instead the freedom of a safe haven, a refueling and offloading port where one didn't have to bother with secrecy and Republic officials was what had changed his mind. Serenno, you see, was not just a Sith-occupied planet. It was a symbol that attracted men like Menderling, known by his pseudonum Turncoat Jon, who had too high Republic bounties on their head to ever show face in the Core. Basically that meant that anyone who was labelled as notorious, whether as mass murderer, pirate or thief, they all found a home on Serenno. In a way, it seemed as if someone had emptied the Republic prisons and put all the convincts on Serenno to live a life of debauchery and spice indulgence. Menderling fell in love with this place the moment he first set foot on it.

The pirate wasn't content with just getting drunk every day and especially after the recent attack on Serenno by the Border Alliance, where she bombed one of the estates into oblivion, he was getting anxious for Serenno's long-term freedom. The last thing he needed was the Republic making Serenno a waste land, or worse, part of the Republic. It was for this reason, the protection and longevity of Serenno, that he had called for a gathering of select group of his brothers and sisters. They were all members of the Sacred Band, elite warriors of great diversity that fought on both land and in space.

The rising sun put Turncoat Jon in a blaze of sunlight as he stood on the estate's terrace. It had once been the resident noble's pride, but after he was executed and a commander took residence it had turned into a field of trampled and sun-depried grass. A Bantha-class freighter stood about twenty feet behind Menderling and further back even stood a couple of Ziost Hunters, all belonging to brothers that were sleeping it off in the barracks inside. He had been standing there for a good hour and some more rank-and-file brothers had approached him out of curiosity. His reputation, more specifically, the high price the Republic put on his head, had spread like a wildfire after he passed the trials and many were eager to join him when the time came to once again prey on the trade routes of the Core. They were, however, only fodder. For the Band to grow, to increase power and not dwindle, lulled into a false sense of security because one of them is the current Supreme Leader, they needed to band together.

Hopefully his brothers that could make that happen would answer his call and arrive soon.

 

[Braden]

Julius sat at the table, a small hatch was open on his prosthetic arm a dim light emanating from inside. Fiddling around inside he pulled out a small cylindrical part. 'Damn batteries' he thought. He had forgotten to recharge the cell for his arm before he left Ziost for Serreno so half way through his drinking session last night it had died. He had spent the remainder of the night his arm hanging at his side as he drunk himself into a stupor, he had never wanted to return to Serreno at least not any time soon. The look on his parents faces was still scared into the bank of his eyes, a look of disappointment and 'I told you so', he felt sick to his stomach thinking about it again. Or was it the last nights drink coming back to him. He couldn't tell.

He placed the empty cell on the table side and inserted a new cell, the dim light imidatley took on a brighter blue hue as he heard the gyros and hydraulics come back online. He slowly moved his fingers back and forth, clenching them into a fist he closed the small hatch before checking the full movement of the arm. Stepping away from the table he pulled a black t-shirt over his head and strapped his blaster holster to his leg checking that it was charged before he left the room.

The man who had called the gathering was known as Turncoat, not a flattering name and not one which brought him any trust with Julius. He was a solider at heart, loyalty was part of his being and his soul. But he was a pirate so he didn't expect anything else from him. As he stepped out into the light he had to cover his eyes from the glare, the estate the Scared Band had confiscated was vast, much bigger than his own family estate on the other side of the planet. A spacecraft took off from the other side of the estate, probably someone who had either drunk to much the last night and made a fool of themselves or had stolen something from a brother. He shook his head at the thought as the ship disappeared from sight.

Turning back to the estate he spotted the Turncoat on the terrace staring into the rising sun, Julius made his way over to the man, he had called the gathering so he must of had something interesting to say, stepping up next to him he leaned on the terraces banister staring out over the grounds below them. He didn't turn his body only reaching across himself with his mechanical hand offering it to the turncoat.

"Manderling I assume. Julius."

 

[RedneckLoves]

Aria was on her way back to Ziost after her first ever failed mission. The last thing she wanted to think about right now was that failure and the interrogation afterwards. Needless to say, she was taking her time. She had however made it back into Sith occupied space and was currently on the planet Serreno.

She'd been here several days already, enjoying herself for a change. If she was honest with herself, she was nursing her pride back to health. She'd never once in her life failed a mission before and was disappointed enough in her own self without the berating and beating she was likely to receive when she returned to the base on Ziost. No one needed to know she was back... yet.

Yesterday she had noticed a peculiar transmission keyed into SBZ frequencies. Some brother or another wanted a meeting of all those SBZ members in the area. For what purpose wasn't made clear, but Aria was interested enough to at least check it out. She went to the meeting place, but stayed well back and out of sight. She wasn't sure who would be in attendance and was still not ready to give out details of the last weeks to anyone who knew her - particularly her commanding officer.

As she watched, one man walked up to another that had been standing in the same spot for quite a while. She assumed these must be the first to arrive for the meeting. She didn't recognize either of them, so that was a good sign.

 

[Eccles]

Menderling scoffed mentally when he was approached by a brother of whom rightly could be said he didn't fit Menderling's crowd at all . Clearly, this Julius was a soldier and not a free-fought individual like the pirates and assorted scum that found a home on Serenno. If anything, the mechanical arm showed that even at being a soldier, this guy wasn't any good. Or he was just unlucky, either way to Menderling the only thing that made them equals was the fact that they both passed their trials on Ziost. Apparently they weren't as tough as they used to be.

Turncoat Jon nodded and shook Julius' mechanical hand. "If we're all the Sacred Band can offer these days-" he started speaking as he returned his hand to his belt. "-and yet one of us rules the Brotherhood." Menderling shook his head and combed his short beard with his fingers "then those Republic Border worlds are spending all those credits on their Defiant Squadron for nothing. We'll never be more than a story the Core-worlders tell their children before bed, something of the past, something they will never face again."

 

[Sapphire Storm]

"Are you that easily disheartened, new blood?" the High Priestess and Supreme Leader of the Sith Brotherhood asked as she strode out onto the balcony where the other three were located, her dark, voluminous robes cascading down her body and concealing everything except her head and hands. It was impossible to tell what might be hidden within those dark robes, but a smart person could probably hazard a vaguely accurate guess. "It is no wonder they call you Turncoat Jon."

Nisara had heard the call for a meeting of the Band, and with nothing overly important to do before her trip into Republic space, she'd decided to come along, mostly to see what exactly the point of it was, and also because the call had been put out by a very new member of the Band. She knew the name and face of every brother and sister of the Sacred Band of Ziost, no matter how new, and this one was no different.

Looking around, the High Priestess nodded at the other two currently present, greeting each by name as she looked at them. She didn't say anything scathing or telling, and didn't put any hidden meaning into her look. She simply greeted them with her piercing silver eyes and her strong voice, then looked back to Menderling. "Are you one to give up so easily, simply because barely anyone showed up to a meeting called by the newest member of the Band, who has yet to earn the respect of anyone among the Sith Brotherhood? Where is your conviction? Where is your faith? Where is your desire for greatness? Or is the title of Turncoat one that reaches down to your very core?" As she spoke, Nisara's eyes stared deeply into those of the man before her, their piercing silver stare so intense that they seemed to stare directly into his soul.

"We are few," she continued, looking away from him and to the others present on the balcony of the expansive estate, "and we are still rebuilding, but before I am done the galaxy will tremble at our name. We will break the chains they tried to place upon us, and in doing so achieve true and proper freedom of the sort that a scant few ever witness, let alone achieve. You must simply believe and act with strength and conviction, not doubt and fear." She looked to Aria at this point, mouth opening once more as words poured forth, "And when we fail, we must not let such things torment us and tear us down, but build us up and make us stronger."

@Ecclessey @RedneckLoves @Braden Drake

 

[Eccles]

"A meeting called by a brother who has proven himself to be an equal" Menderling corrected the newcomer. He had never seen her before, but the reactions to seeing her from others present and the way she spoke, not to mention the intense crazy stare, made it somewhat obvious that his message had reached as far as the Supreme Leader herself. "That should be enough." he finished his rebuttal in defiance to her superiority.

The staring was starting to make him feel somewhat uneasy, but Menderling wasn't one to back down because a self-proclaimed priestess repeated some silly Sith philosophy. "They call me Turncoat because I fight my battles without adhering to any rules of engagement, neither Republic nor Sith. What is this Sacred Band if not merely a bunch of ragtag criminals from which people like me recruit in order to plunder the Core's shipping lanes?" he followed Nisara's words to the crowd assembled, letting her finish before working up a smirk. His heart was beating furiously and he felt a drop of sweat running down his back, but he could not afford to bow down and submit this easily. "Greatness, conviction and faith" he repeated Nisara's words after a tremer of hesitation "these are the words of a fanatic following this silly religion of the Sith" his eyes, which seemed so much older than he really was, turned back to the High priestess "mere whispers from the Force, deserving no fealty of its own and not giving authority to the proclaimer"

 

[RedneckLoves]

Aria recognized the silver eyed Priestess as soon as she came into view. Her first thought was to turn around and casually walk away. Something stopped her, though. The proud way the Priestess held herself, chin raised, face calm, purely confident in herself. Something Aria was currently struggling with, after her very recent failure. She found herself captivated by the leader of the Brotherhood.

Her feet seeming to move of their own accord, Aria walked closer to the small gathering until she was right there with them. She listened to Nisara's speech to the one called Turncoat. Everything she said, Aria wholeheartedly agreed with. What worth did a person hold who held loyalty to none but himself? She was always fiercely loyal to those she loved, it was her one defining trait.

The Priestess spoke now to Aria and the other SBZ member as well. Her words inspired Aria and for the first time in days she began to feel good in her own skin again. She had lost sight of the whole point of the Sacred Band, and here with a few simple words Nisara was reminding her. When the High Priestess looked directly into Aria's eyes and spoke of failure, her cheeks reddened and she almost looked down in shame. The words connected and Aria realized what she was being told. She needn't be ashamed of her failure in the mission, but in her self pity afterwards. Aria met the High Priestess's eyes and held her chin high, confidence instilled by Nisara's words lifting her spirits.

Then the pirate spoke. Outraged that he be so disrespectful, Aria aimed a fist in the direction of Menderling's head. Cold and furious, she spoke. "How dare you speak such insults to our leader. You are not a worthy member of the Brotherhood."

 

[Narsi]

Gorman considered himself late for the event. To a person like himself, it was an unforgivable sin. A sign of disrespect and dishonor to the other participants and considering the meeting was of the Sacred Band family, the last thing he wanted was to be disrespectful. So the moment his ship had touched down he had hurried as quick as he could to the meeting place, using his wings to make long bounding hops that carried him faster than any sprint.

He stopped bounding when he neared the estate, slowing to a manageable walk as he passed by a Bantha-class freighter. Here Gorman stopped, smoothing back his hair and readjusting his pants. He wanted to make a good impression at the gathering, he was expecting a crowd of powerful warriors and he was already late. It would be preferable to look at least somewhat groomed rather than be both late and unpresentable. While his shield was left behind, he did readjust the sword at his waist along with his other weapons. It was a gathering of warriors after all.

It was only when he was satisfied with his appearance did he step out of the shadows and head for the estate terrace. He hesitated when he viewed the small group ahead of him, thinking he had missed the party, but ultimately Gorman strode on. There were still some people present, if less than anticipated. He had nearly made it onto the balcony when the hesitation struck again. Gormon had finally recognized the iconic figure of the Supreme Leader.

Nearly choking on his blue tongue, he broke his rhythm and made as if to turn around before realizing the folly of such an action. He, a very tall blue figure with wings, stood out like a blue tomato and he couldn't just sneak away. They were sure to have seen him. Resigning himself to an up close and personal meeting with a very important figure, Gorman nervously joined the small group. He remained on the peripherals however, standing back in a pathetic attempt to draw less attention to himself. A group of warriors here was a group of brothers, his family, but the Supreme Leader was a figure of much renown. Just being in her presence was sapping away his confidence.

Gorman had joined the group just in time to hear the comments from the sister directed at the apparent "unworthy member." According to girl, the man had insulted the Supreme Leader. Such a thought made the winged warriors head spin, who would even risk doing such a thing. Speaking truth to power was an admired attribute but it should never be done disrespectfully.

 

[Sapphire Storm]

"The completion of the trials is the bare minimum required to become part of the Sacred Band. Do not delude yourself into thinking that doing the bare minimum will earn you the respect of those that are now your peers." Nisara turned her head back to Menderling as she spoke, watching him with her piercing eyes once more. "Turncoat is not a title bestowed upon someone lightly," she continued. "It speaks of cowardice. It speaks of fear. Are these traits you proudly pin to your chest like badges of honour?"

She was interrupted as Aria swung her fist right at the man's face. The action actually took her by surprise, but she showed it with little more than raised eyebrows. "Ragtag criminals. There are many that have come to us, believing that is what we are, and that we are nothing more than an easy way of escaping the long arm of Republic law. Most of them die trying to pass the trials. Those that actually manage to succeed tend to do one of two things. Would you like to know what those two things are?" She paused here, watching the scene unfolding before her. It could easily turn into a fight in which someone died, which would be a shame. She'd likely have to break it up before it got to that stage. It would be such a useless waste of life.

Even if the scene was to break out into a fight, Nisara didn't blink an eye or even stop talking. After her short pause, she continued in that same powerful voice. "Most of the ones that pass the trials transform from their base, pathetic state. They rise up and become a true brother or sister of the Sacred Band. They gain conviction and faith in their own ability to ascend and achieve true freedom. They strive for greatness, both their own and that of the Band. The others? They die, killed by loyal members of the Band. Or they flee like cowards, for they lack the strength of mind to continue upon the path they set themselves on. I am very curious to see which path you will take." Nisara had once been one of those people. She'd fled Republic space, betrayed her comrades and joined up with those serving under the Sacred Band and under the Sith, not because she believed in their cause, but because the pay was good and because the laws were lax, provided one didn't upset their betters. After not too long, she evolved. She grew, shedding the skin of her former self and inhabiting that of her currently enlightened and free state of being. In a very real way, this Menderling Smollet reminded her of herself.

 

[Eccles]

Menderling scoffed, again, upon Nisara lecturing him about the cowardice attributed to being an actual turncoat, which he wasn't but- "I hear it was Nisara, the pirate, that turned her coat and betrayed her friends to join the foe that was beating them" he spoke clearly and the initial uneasiness caused by the High Priestess' stare had made place for a slight hint of arrogance and satisfaction. "In my case it's merely a pseudonym given to me by the Republic, but in yours-" he paused to better emphasize the truth of Nisara's hypocrisy in his next words when he was interupted by a fanatic underling.

For an institution that respects only strength, especially when concerning its leaders, this particular sister seemed to have missed the memo. She closed the distance between them and swung her fist towards him, forcing him to step back and with a swift motion drawing the pistol on his right hip. The fist would narrowly miss his face, but at the same time put Aria in no position to prevent a blaster bolt to her midrif. Ofcourse, Menderling wasn't so stupid as to use (lethal) violence to a sister under the merciless eyes of their mother, so he merely placed the finger on the trigger. "Come now, sister." he laughed "a brawl in front of the Supreme Leader? How-" he stepped away from Aria a little further "-unbecoming"

Whatever attitude Menderling was giving Nisara, he wasn't so foolish as to think he could fill her shoes and keep those Force-using Sith at bay. Nisara, at least in that aspect, was definately his better and he had no intention as to truly challenge her authority. It seemed that outing her for being a turncoat, a truth he had once had revealed to him by a fellow pirate that knew her and the crew she had betrayed, would only result in an escalation of violence. With a proven echani warrior, a loyal soldier and a fanatically loyal brawler the odds certainly weren't in Menderling's favor. "The only true freedom I see is this place-" he dared not to take his eyes off Aria, but the words were clearly meant for the Supreme Leader. "Serenno is the last real haven and it is paramount that it will remain so. The Republic has started bombing it, the Jedi stirr the planets surrounding us against it. I called my brethren, as a brother only just recently reborn in the Sacred Band's image, to rally them together against those that would harm our freedom." he paused and holstered the pistol before motioning to the meagre crowd "Despite the dangers that face us, I am met with longwinded speeches and sisters that cannot control their emotions. Neither of which wins battles, neither of which helps protect our way of life."

 

[Cheshire]

Karma was exceptionally late to the party. It wasn't due to the fact he was travelling or due to the fact that he was busy with another matter, it was for one of the most stupidest reasons he was late. He slept in. How Karma, an assassin that high of a calibre could sleep in for an event with such importance as this, he didn't know. As soon as he looked at the clock nearby his bed (which he was rarely in) he was alarmed to find that he was already late. He freaked out in panic as he hurried to get himself in suitable clothing that the other Sacred Band members would hopefully approve of. He looked around the bombsite he called a room, looking at all of the mayhem around him, trying to look for a decent pair of clothing.

He settled on a black shirt, with rolled up sleeves. They had to be rolled up, useless for fighting if they weren't He noticed his iconic black waistcoat which was hanging up on the door handle. He quickly buttoned it up on himself before scrambling around, looking for trousers. He finally settled on a nice set of shorts that would suit the occasion. he had put on a nice pair of almost formal but yet casual pair of shoes that would suit the occasion. He looked around at the mess before turning to look at himself in the mirror. Yep, he looked good! His red eyes staring at himself in the mirror. He quickly picked up all of his lovely equipment, an assortment of blasters, a duel bladed saber and his signature umbrella before running to meet with his Scared Band folks

When he was at the outskirts of the estate, that's when he stopped running. He made a small walk towards the small group. He noticed a small group that were clearly arguing amongst themselves. Just the usual drama he thought before continuing walking. He stopped slightly when he realised the Supreme Leader was there as well, amongst the fray of the proceeding argument. Well, its clearly not now! he thought but he continued walking towards them anyway.

"Good day there! Sorry for being late!" he said sheepishly "I was.....well... I slept in...." He looked at the floor in shame. "Good day Supreme Leader! What have I missed so far?

 

[RedneckLoves]

Aria almost laughed at her Brother's overconfidence in himself. He had dodged her fist and promptly pulled out a blaster and aimed it at her. Had she wanted to, she could have easily taken the weapon from him. The only thing that stopped her was Nisara's calm voice speaking once more. Aria kept her eyes on Menderling, unworthy toad of a man, while listening intently to the following conversation.

It was interesting to learn of the High Priestess's past. Of course none of it mattered any more, and Nisara said as much. Then the Turncoat spoke again. Frack, how she wanted to hit him! The crowd of SBZ members was growing larger by the minute, it seemed, however and so Aria kept her hands in check. What would outsiders think if they saw open fighting among this group of comrades? No, it wouldn't do, especially not in front of their leader.

Menderling obviously was deaf or dumb, for he wasn't understanding a word Nisara was speaking. Blowing it off and turning things around on her like she was the one to be looked down upon. How dare he! Worthless slime.

Angrily, she spoke directly to him. "You are no image of the Sacred Band. You are a homeless criminal with no place else to go. You call us here together and then proceed to insult our Supreme Leader several times over. You do nothing but create conflict, though your purpose here supposedly was to bring us closer to one another."

Aria spit at his feet and crossed her arms against her chest. She was furious with him, but had said her peace. And she did believe they should all be getting along. If he would stop being an insolent toad, maybe they could all do just that.

 

[Sapphire Storm]

"Did you not listen to a word I said, boy?" She spoke the final word with all the disdain it was usually spoken with when directed at adults. It was not a matter of physical age, but of mental maturity. So far he had shown himself to be nothing more than what she had called him. Simply a child choosing battles that he shouldn't be. "I was once a pirate. I was once a mercenary and many other things. I cared for little more than the credits I needed to keep myself alive. You are like I once was, when I was a child. An unenlightened, misguided fool of a person. You can say what you will. You can make all kinds of arguments. The truth of the matter, however, is that you will either grow and change or you will die a fool." She stared directly at him as she spoke, ignoring all the others on the large balcony for the moment and stepping closer, ensuring she was in range to disarm and kill him if she needed to.

"We welcome pirates, fools and all kinds of scum into our lower ranks, for we believe that those with the strongest bodies and the strongest minds come from all walks of life, and all should be given a chance to prove themselves. You have proved that you are strong of body, and as such have earned yourself a place among our ranks. By right of your victory in the trials, you are now considered the equal of the Sith." She paused briefly in her newest lecture, glancing down at the blaster that he still held in his hand. "That makes you the equal of your brothers and sisters in body, but not in mind. We are a close bunch, the Sacred Band. We stand by each other, protect each other and look out for each other. And we do not tolerate fools without the moral capacity to develop loyalty.

I already said this, but you chose to ignore it, so I will say it again. Many come to us for misguided reasons, believing us to be an easy way of escaping the Republic or an easy way of making more credits than they previously were. I myself was counted among that number. What you decided to ignore, and what I must say again, is that none remain that way." She paused, letting her words sink in but not pausing long enough for him to get a word in edgewise. "You will change, grow and develop the faith, loyalty and determination that marks a brother or sister of the Sacred Band, or you will die, for that is how we work. An unwillingness to change indicates a weakness of mind, and weakness is something we do not tolerate."

 

[Narsi]

Gorman nodded in appreciation as he let the Supreme Leader's wash over him. It was just as she said. He had always considered the Sacred Band his family, his only family in fact. Hearing someone as important as the Supreme Leader confirm what he had always thought brought him to tears. It was an interesting sight, the tall muscled S'kytri letting out little sniffles as water welled up in his eyes.

He turned away, walking to the balcony to hide his embarrassment. Gazing out over the lands of Serreno, he attempted to gain control of his emotions. The Supreme Leader's words had dredged up old memories that he was simply having trouble coping with at the moment. To be honest he was surprised by the Supreme Leaders gift for speech and leadership.

For a first time meeting, Gorman was feeling pretty dang inspired and he could feel a sense of pride after listening to her speech. This was who he served, someone truly worthy of loyalty. Someone who come to a meeting of her subordinates just to mingle and show that she cared. While his "brother" was being slightly argumentative, he was sure the Supreme Leader would sort it out and there was the passionate "sister" for backup. For the moment, his only concern was hiding his emotions again. He didn't dare turn around until he succeeded.

 

[Eccles]

Menderling shook his head in response, though he ignored his sister as he found her not mature enough to participate due to her emotional impulsivity and blind acceptance of leadership. And what leadership? Their Supreme Leader, upon hearing that lecturing doesn't win the war, lectures some more. Not only does she lecture about trivial matters that can neither be measured nor proven, but she outright ignores the very real threat to her own dominion. She doesn't care about Serenno. It was at this moment that Menderling decided that Nisara, the priestess, was not at the top of his hierarchy. She quite clearly lacked the intelligence and vision by sticking to an ancient dogma instead of evolving with the people of today. There was no use in calling her out on it, not when fanatically loyal followers were so eager to protect the one they should aspire to usurp and Nisara did rise to her position by sheer strength of body and not mind, which says something about her combat prowes. No instead of taking her down a notch, Menderling would prefer to keep his head.

"Very well" he sighed and looked at the brothers and sisters gathered. "Let's do it your way, let Serenno be bombed and Raxus' harvest be ruined." smiling he turned to Nisara "I shall change my tactics, and grow in width, for I shall do where fools are good for-" he paused "to die fightign the battles of enlightened ones" it was said in a way that to some it sounded like a mockery of her dogma, though to most present it would seem like he submitted to the words of their Supreme Leader. Either way, he'd had enough disappointment for today and took several steps back, bowed, and left for the estate in large strides. He had realized that there was nothing for him here, not among his so called brothers and sisters, so he would get himself another crew from the rank-and-file membership and head back to the Core to prey on their traderoutes.

 

[Braden]

Julius smiled at the mans comments, it was a dig at him but also a dig at himself so he took it in jest. He was about to reply when the women in black appeared. He did not realize who she was at first but it soon became apparent who she was. Before he could greet the women the whole meeting turned into a shit storm as a second women came charging out like a crazed fanatic, the Supreme Leader and Jonny boy decided to begin a war of words, a giant blue bird appeared and a rather strangely dressed man with an umbrella. He thought over Jon or Menderling's firsts words, "If we're all the Sacred Band can offer these days." Then we probably are doomed to lose this battles.

The giant blue bird came and lent on the banister beside him, Julius only gave the creature a strange look before he turned back to Menderling as he spoke his final words, sounding as if he gave in, but an underlying tone spoke differently. As the man walked away from the group Julius finally spoke up.

"I agree with him, I do not like him but I agree."

He turned away from the banister to face the small group before him including the Supreme Leader.

"It is fine and great that we are all a bunch of pals and that we are individually the best and the brightest. But without a solid footing behind us and an army before us we will all fall to the sleeping giant that is the Republic."

He looked over the entire group not laying his eyes on anyone in particular.

"We are small and we are weak, and we must carry the self-serving, glory seeking Sith upon our backs as they do nothing but sit on Korriban praying and drawing the animosity of the Jedi towards us. We cannot sit and wait, allowing the bombing of a sovereign planet to go unanswered. We must strike or we are doomed to failure." He said none of it was passion or strength or a gusto to be recongised or to forcefully convince those around him, he said it only to get his point across.

 

[Sapphire Storm]

As the man spoke Nisara couldn't help but quirk an amused smile and a raised brow at him. She didn't respond to anything he said. She'd said what she'd wanted to and that was that. As she watched him depart the meeting he himself had called, she couldn't help but mutter quietly to herself, "That one will be trouble." And then she was looking to the others still around, glancing at each of them in turn. Karma, Gorman, Aria, and finally Julius. "And who's to say," she began in response to his - and the now departed Menderling's - words, "that we are simply sitting back and letting those attacks go unpunished? Just because you are not aware of any plans that may be in motion does not mean they are not there. In fact, myself and the Dark Lord are soon departing for the Chandrila." She gave Julius a confident smile as she said the final word, and then was turning away and taking a few steps toward the balcony, where she leaned against it and looked out over Serenno.

She took a deep breath and released it slowly as her eyes slowly scanned everything that lurked below such a high balcony of the ostentatious estate. "We also have a Border Alliance prisoner that will come in very handy, if I am to have my way." She looked over toward Gorman, the large S'kytri, and continued, "Speaking of that prisoner, Gorman, I would like you to personally oversee him while I am gone. Ensure that no one tries to kill him and that no one tries to rescue him." Nisara actually hadn't known what Gorman was the first time she'd become aware of him, but she'd since done her research and learned all about him. He was someone that could be trusted with such a task, and if he couldn't she would soon know it.

After that task was handed out, Nisara turned back toward the rest of the group, leaning back against the balcony. Looking to Karma, she said, albeit quite late after he'd asked, "Nothing important. You're just in time, in fact." She fell silent after that, taking in everything the others may have said during her own little speech and what they may be about to say. As always, despite leaning against the balcony in a supposedly exploitable position, her keen eyes were watching everything and everyone around her. She wouldn't be taken by surprise by anyone currently present.

 

[RedneckLoves]

Aria listened with contempt to the turncoat's words. He had rolled over much too easily. She had no doubt in her mind that he had not changed his mind and would be going off to find others who would willingly bow to his will. When Julius proclaimed his peace, she had to somewhat agree with him. Of course the Band is small and must take action. But who were they to say such things to their High Priestess?

A smile lit Aria's face when Nisara answered them both. Of course, their Supreme Leader would have it all figured out already. She hoped desperately that the Priestess might allow her to accompany her on such an important mission and was somewhat disappointed when she wasn't asked. Keeping her chin up and a smile on her face regardless, she spoke to the group as a whole.

"I for one, have complete faith in our Supreme Leader," she announced. "We are a small group and must support each other in all things. The High Priestess has proven her worth and ascended to the seat of power over all the Brotherhood. She has my trust and my respect."

Aria glanced around at the others, hoping they would agree with her. Menderling was a bad seed. If all the SBZ Brothers and Sisters had his attitude, surely the group would never survive. She hoped to see more of them in line with her own thinking.