Ask I'm Not That Man

[Altair Din]

Altair finished up his meal as Tia lectured him on how this all happened in real life. He was rolling his eyes but stopped abruptly. His eyes narrowed as he stared at her, “Captain Tihsllub? For real?” Altair asked blankly. His mouth opened and closed a few times as he made a series of quick decisions. In the end he decided he had hurt her enough and owed at least this to her.

“Tia,” He stated very seriously, “Spell Tihsllub backwards,” Altair told her while giving her the most unamused look ever.

While she worked it out, Altair leaned back into the couch and continued watching the movie, “My older brothers fucked with me so hard with the legend of Captain Tihsllub. For years,” The tiefling shook his head with a grin. He had been furious back then, but it was just a fond memory now. He had a feeling whoever convinced her of the legend were close friends of hers as well.

Altair eyed her for a moment, recalling how she went slightly quiet on remarking on things to fear, “You don’t actually seem too afraid of much…” He remarked quietly as he looked at her, “I ain’t ever seen you back down from a challenge.”

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

The red head was able to pull her attention away from the holomovie when Altair spoke, more seriousness in his tone as he addressed Captain Tihsllub. At first the woman seemed confused, it was an odd request and she opened her mouth to retort something in defiance to his request, but paused. She did as he said, thinking it was some odd trick, a fast one to pull on her while she seemed on high alert with the horror unraveling on the holo, "B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T." she stated, and then spelled it again softly, the cogs in her mind slowly turning before it suddenly clicked, blue eyes widening.

"WAIT A MINUTE!" face turning bright red as she hollered, though it was not necessarily directed at Altair as she whipped out her comm and started furiously typing messages to Emryc, Renfry (@Phoenix), and Jaikus (@Altaris) about how she just figured out the literal bullshitting her for so many years now on that one. Altair shared his own experience with the faux ghost captain and the trick his brothers played on him; despite feeling dumb for not getting it after this long, Tia was drawn to the humor she found and possible relief she could now experience when she went on certain boats again.

She glanced at him, noting his grin as he recalled his brother's teasing and her own thoughts paused as her focus seemed to just take in Altair in this moment. She couldn't hear the holo anymore as she did, and only came back to reality when he seemed to catch her gaze when he inquired further about her not seeming like she feared much. Her brow flinched and lips pursed as she seemed to be taken back into her thoughts and she glanced at the holo, seeing where the characters had ended up, but seeing blood explode everywhere, Altair's gaze may have been the better option.

"I..." she paused, trying to think of the best words to use, "I have many fears; telling myself not to be afraid, I felt made me more fearful and even reckless." Tia explained, she found this final lesson while she was in possession of the mask, "So I decided I would rather fear and face a challenge head on if it meant I was able to protect those I care about the most." She pulled her blanket around her shoulders and leaned back on the sofa, "It goes against a lot of teachings I feel, but, I think most know I do my own thing around here anyways." she smirked to her maverick attitude.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair listened as she spoke about her line of thinking. It certainly spoke to her nature of following her own rules. Did she get away with it because she was Raze’s apprentice or was she just that good at getting done what she needed to?

“What is it you wanna do?” He asked after a moment, genuinely curious on what she wanted to do. She was mysterious about her ambitions, but her work was enough to change the game of warfare. What did one do when they commanded that kind of power? How long could she fly under the radar as a Sith Master? He constantly had expectations to commit and live up to, did she?

Altair thought about his own goals and how dangerous they were. His gaze drifted off for a moment and he wasn’t paying attention to the movie anymore.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Thinking he was satisfied with her response, Tia went to get comfortable to watch more of the movie, using his rather dense thigh as a pillow to prop her head to at least see over the take out bags. Despite the blood and gore, she was starting to become curious as to how the story will progress and how there were two more sequels after this one. Though, Altair continued, seeming genuinely interested in what she does; she didn't say anything at first, feeling herself calculate the risks, not only personal, in that, she was sharing something about herself with him, but also her own desires within the Sith.

It wasn't different than before, but it seemed like it was different now, and perhaps it was because he told her what he wanted in the Empire. A reformation, which could mean many things depending on what his reforms would look like. She turned her head to look up at him, lips first pursed, brow narrowed to her thoughts, knowing at least for certain if he would make a point to be more honest with her, she could also do the same for him.

"You have to promise you won't laugh at it, because it sounds good in here," she pointed to her head, sitting back up to face him, "I don't know how it would sound when I say it." Tiamat shrugged, and took a deep breath, "I want to rule the stars and the black of space that flows between them." she smiled, gestured over her head as though they were in her grasp, "I don't desire ruling worlds, conquering territories, I thought I did, to become powerful, to exert my will over others, but... I found I wasn't too good at that and so, so I forged my own path." Tiamat explained and paused the holo to continue.

"That way, I can keep my work my own, keep it from others to use in their own path for power." she glanced away for a moment, there was worry in her tone as she grew softer, but firm "I'm not a tool to be used." she told him, "Conquering worlds is one thing, but the space between those worlds? We need it to transverse safely, we need it to even launch offenses, so many take it for granted, but we really don't realize how important it is until we cannot use it." Tiamat paused, waiting to gauge his reaction before continuing.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

“Queen of the Stars,” Altair said after she spoke, giving her a smile, “Sounds fitting for you,” He recalled back when they were in the middle of space and watching the whales serenely floating around. It was a sense of liberation he hadn’t felt since - where he was far from the wars, the planets and every other stress that weighed him down.

“I never saw you as a tool,” He said as he looked at her, “I’m actually… intimidated by you. And I guess it’s part of what makes you sexy as hell,” Altair flashed her a grin, “You have this way about you…like you know what you are and what you want. Draws me to you like a moth to a flame. I’m jealous ‘cause I’m still lost, stupid and can’t figure my shit out. And I always make the same mistakes,” He thought for a moment before smiling, “It would be a privilege for anyone to have you wantin’ to be on their side.”

Altair looked away and stared off towards the paused screen, though his attention wasn’t on the movie at all, “I’m almost…angry at myself for having the ambitions that I do. Ambitions I never thought I’d even be capable of having or be stupid enough to pursue.”

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Queen of the Stars

She smiled, given all the titles and names she had heard, she liked that one the most, but a part of her reluctantly wanted such a title, especially as he described her to be intimidating to him, it was the last she expected. Some relief came that he didn’t see her in selfishness to complete his own goals. That unease that came with intimidating left a bitter taste, intimidating - like Raze? Like the Empress? Like how the mask made her? It certainly made her feel alone.

However, Altair explained himself further and she could feel herself being able to relate; she certainly made mistakes, felt stupid especially with things that should have been common knowledge. “I make a lot of mistakes too, you know.” She said softly, suddenly becoming more aware of the wounds on her back as a reflection of her moments that lacked the necessary discipline. She followed his gaze back to the holofilm, he seemed lost in his thoughts, contemplating before speaking them out loud, questioning his path, his ambitions.

Tiamat reached over and laid her hand on his, concerned curiosity piqued as to what he wanted, why it made him so angry,“Tell me about your ambitions.”

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair was so lost in his thoughts for a moment that he visibly jolted when she placed her hand over his. However, he didn’t withdraw from the touch, the gesture anchoring him back to reality. He could have brushed past the topic or avoided it entirely, but by now he knew Tia wasn’t like most Sith. He had been in her company enough times to know she had her own pursuits and wouldn’t let anyone dictate how she should live her life. She commanded something that was far too precious to risk losing by Sith leadership.

“I want to….completely reshape the Sith,” He began to explain, “Imperials are seen as fodder even though we wouldn’t make any progress without them. I’m talkin’ soldiers, ISB, the navy, all of it. Sith can lord themselves over any officer and enlisted even if they got no experience leading any kind of battle. Morale is low and entire worlds get erased ‘cause a Sith has a bad day,” Altair, of course, didn’t know Firrerre was Raze’s doing. He understood it to be the work of the prior Eternal, “Makes us look ridiculous. No leader in recent history has built towards it how they should through regional loyalty - it’s always just from killin’ the previous ruler. That don’t speak to your skill as a leader, it just means you good at killin’.”

The tiefling knew he was saying things that didn’t align with most Sith principles, but he didn’t care just then, “I want Imperials to have more power. I want us to finally live up to the name we got - an Empire. Not just the Sith Order with Imperial puppets. I want the Sith Order to be a combat branch, but not the governing and rulin’ body of the Empire.”

Altair paused there, genuinely nervous. He stared at Tiamat, wondering how she would take all this. His tail flicked nervously, his fingers digging into his palms.

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tiamat listened carefully, her breaths shallow as she took in what he was saying, and what he explained, it was truly an entire reformation. Nothing the empire has seen in centuries, and no doubt would cause warring within the faction itself. However, what he said, it made sense. It was the sith way to exert one's will over those who were not Force sensitive, to treat them secondary to themselves and other sith of the same nature. It was a path that consumed one with the desire for power and it wasn't always the overt ones who he would have to worry. The dark side was cunning, patient, unpredictable at times, as such she never would have predicted Emryc going after Firrerre in retaliation for Stolas' covert threats.

Or the Sith who massacred the Corellian Sector Rangers just because they could.

He did see a vision of an Empire, something they lacked currently as a whole; something that even woke the spirits on Ziost when her and Varyn were called to an abandoned temple. If the dead could sense the instability presently, there it was more than clear it was easily observed by others in and outside the order.

To put the sith away from the ruling body of the Empire, it seemed rationale, but how well would it be played out? She remembered when Renfy ruled, and after killing the council, she was left to figure out things. It made her wonder what the public thought, if they were going to have a government to rule. And even now with the current Empress...Tiamat would admit, she didn't hold much faith in her ability.

Tiamat shared his gaze, she could see the uneasiness he felt, his tail betraying any signs of trying to cover up how he was really feeling. She squeezed his hand gently, "It will be bloody, dangerous, possibly long..." she started, glancing over his shoulder as she was dragged away for a moment with her thoughts of an everlasting war, " But I will stand with you." Tiamat stated softly returning her blue eyes to his violets, "I will stand with you to build this Empire you envision, Altair." she stated a bit more firmly, a small smile pulled at the corner of her lip, "I'll have to build more ships, what else do you need?" the woman stood up, finding herself pacing, tapping her lip in thought, "Droids? Sensors? Malware? Gates?" she quickly asked going down a mental list.

@Sreeya